13b—Dusk's Reckoning, Part 2
By the time she entered Orion's waters, it was already daybreak.
She could see fighter planes circling the island and the occasional shelling from further south. Mag-ion signature readings also informed her of multiple small-scale engagements scattered within the island's perimeter. As she couldn't afford to waste any more time, perhaps she could use the ongoing Abyssal raid to her advantage.
However, sneaking through the island's defenses unnoticed would be impossible when they had been already expecting her arrival all along. A squadron of planes were launched from the island, heading towards her.
Forcing her core engine at flank speed, Inazuma made a beeline to the rocky western coast of the island. The planes didn't hesitate as well as they made their steep descent, unloading their bombs on her path.
Inazuma swerved, hopped, and tumbled from the wake of their relentless offensive. While her shield proved to be an ever-reliable buffer against the force of the blasts, the repeated near misses were starting to slow her down. The aircraft relished on their uncontested superiority, barely giving her time to catch her breath.
Racing through the smoke and downpour, Inazuma found her window as the planes ceased their runs and flew past her. She picked up to full speed again, but she saw another squadron heading her way. If this keeps up… no, I have to keep moving!
The whining of planes from behind made her hair stand on end as she looked over her shoulder. The first squadron had broken into two groups, approaching her from both sides. The flanking units snapped in position and started to drop torpedoes along her course.
Inazuma skidded to a stop as the torpedoes just ahead of her detonated into a massive wall of seawater. Hearing the fiendish howls from above, she looked up in horror to the bombers swooping in for the kill. She might have avoided the pincer maneuver, but there was no escaping this follow up.
Wishing herself good luck, she brought her protective field over her head and braced herself for the imminent pain. Luckily for her, the chain of explosions only consumed the space above her. Not a single bomb came even close to her field.
Wha…? Amidst the growing gunfire, she looked up and saw the second squadron of planes passing through the smoke over her head. Messers… and some stukas…?
The new arrivals immediately secured the airspace, while most of the fighter planes chased after her aggressors and showered them with lead.
She caught glimpse of the insignia on a messer's fuselage. "Th-Those are Peacekeeper planes!"
One stuka descended and circled her body, and its pilot opened its cockpit. "Hallo, Miss Inazuma! Glad we made it in time!"
Inazuma tried to follow the tiny plane with her eyes, but she gave up after the second turn. "U-Um, thank you! Did Miss Graf Zeppelin send you to help me?"
"Aye! We'll help you cross through the battle just ahead!"
The ever-present mist around the island muddled her view of the shoreline, but she could still pick out outlines of the combatants ravaging the area with cannon fire. This particular engagement made Inazuma uneasy as she could feel one large Abyssal signature in there.
"Eyes on the prize, gals! I wanna drown in ice cream tonight!"
The stuka pilot closed her cockpit again and zoomed off to the sky, forming a loose diamond formation with the rest of her friends. Inazuma quickly followed suit.
As she drew near the shore, she finally saw Navy fleet girls and humanoid Abyssal ships locked in a close-range skirmish. The dive bombers seized the golden chance to swerve in and unleash their wrath across the shore, but half of them were turned into a blaze of scraps upon as they were about to recover from their respective dives. More Navy aircraft appeared from the east, forcing Graf Zeppelin's planes to scatter out of formation.
Inazuma pushed her core engine to flank speed once again, but the source of her worries, a Light Cruiser Demon, took notice of her approach and swatted away an attacking fleet girl with a backhanded strike. She distanced herself from the battle with a single graceful leap, landing ahead of the destroyer.
Among the Navy fleet girls, the heavy cruiser Takao fired a salvo at the unsuspecting Abyssal ship. Upon scoring a direct hit, the light cruiser Kinu rushed into the fiery haze with a spiked mace in hand. A sharp clang blared, and the strong outward burst of wind revealed that the Light Cruiser Demon, barely damaged from the salvo, had blocked the attack with her gauntlet. The enemy cruiser spun around and landed a brutish uppercut into the red-haired girl's stomach. As the fleet girl collapsed to her knees, she sent her flying back to her friends with a kick.
The demon-class ship faced Inazuma again. "I'm sure we sunk all those pesky patrol units on the way here," she said, folding her arms. "But what's this? Your signature feels familiar somehow."
Inazuma, now standing on dry land, repeatedly glanced at an uphill road behind the Light Cruiser Demon. She only needed to make a break for the narrow path to get further into the island. On the other hand, a single misstep would mean the end of her.
"Don't ignore me, little shrimp."
She gasped as the Abyssal cruiser dashed towards her. She ducked just as the enemy thrust out her razor-sharp claws and sprinted past her. "Oh, so we're playing this game now?"
She looked to her left just in time to see Takao bearing her turrets at her. She pumped more mag-ions into her legs, launching herself into the rocky pathway a second after hearing the collective boom of the heavy cruiser's cannons. Dirt and sand poured down as she quickly picked herself up and scrambled to safety.
She ran up the slope until the terrain leveled in the midst of the woodland, and beyond the road was a worn-down fence enclosing an abandoned depot. She leaped inside the area and immediately went inside a two-story warehouse, hiding behind a row of crates.
Simply outrunning her pursuers wasn't possible at all, given how quickly they were able to close in on her. Hearing someone's footsteps, she recalled her core structure, got down on all fours, and suppressed her mag-ion production.
While I'm hoping that Miss Graf Zeppelin and others will be able to find me quickly, I have to come up with something in the meantime…!
"It's no use hiding from me, shrimpy." The Abyssal cruiser's singsong voice echoed in the building, causing the destroyer to shiver a bit. "I will find you."
Inazuma's heart raced as the Abyssal ship's footsteps and mag-ion signature seemingly disappeared. Moments later, she heard a bunch of footsteps. "I'm positive that they went through here." It was Takao's voice this time. "You girls search upstairs. Akigumo and Umikaze, help me sweep this floor."
"What if they've already moved on?"
"We have reconnaissance planes observing all ground movement for us. Those two would have to leave the plantation at some point if they want to get anywhere close to the base proper."
Inazuma produced two depth charges and took a peek at the approaching fleet girls. Making sure to mask her movement in the shadows, she tossed the first bomb near the open entrance. The earthshaking explosion knocked the doors out of their frame, while the surrounding stacks of empty containers disintegrated into dust and splinters.
Utilizing the smoke as cover, she approached Umikaze from behind and shot her point-blank with a shell dart. The silver-haired girl let out a whimper as her body succumbed to the paralyzing shock. Akigumo noticed them and took aim with her portable turret. A saffron light flashed as Inazuma summoned out her core structure again, flinging her anchor to quickly disarm the other destroyer.
Inazuma closed in at her startled opponent and fired another dart to subdue her second victim. Sensing movement to her left, she retracted her anchor and used it to block an incoming swing from Takao. However, the blow sent her rocketing through the warehouse wall until her back hit a particularly sturdy tree on the depot's outskirts.
Pain shot through her arm and back as she propped herself up against the tree. Using her left arm in the clash was a grave mistake.
"Going by the report, some level of resistance was to be expected," Takao said, walking towards her. "But it would seem that we have underestimated our objective. In spite of that, I now see that the Liberator deems you too valuable for him to send those Abyssal ships as escorts."
Inazuma grimaced as she saw the other fleet girls emerging from the warehouse. "I… I don't really know what everyone's talking about," she said, "M-Me? Important?"
Takao stopped a few feet before her, slamming the tip of her club against the ground. "If you surrender now, I promise we won't go the trouble of disabling those legs of yours."
She glared at her, raising the barrels of her shoulder turret. "I-I'm not finished yet!"
The raven-haired cruiser just smiled. "I find it hard to believe that you, of all fleet girls, would stare me down so intensely like that." She lifted her giant club over her shoulder. "Well then, I won't hold ba—"
Screams and gunfire erupted behind Takao as a thick smoke screen consumed the rest of the Navy fleet girls. The distraction allowed Inazuma to spring away from the heavy cruiser. Takao aimed her portside turrets at the destroyer, but a monstrous maw lunged out of the creeping smoke and grabbed her body before she could do anything else, slamming her against the same tree Inazuma had collided with.
Takao cried out in pain as the floating Abyssal familiar, still generating suffocating fumes, squeezed her with its jagged teeth. Several silky-thin appendages slithered out of its mouth and invaded her turrets, forcing her to recall her core structure.
Inazuma panicked upon seeing blood staining the familiar's teeth and accidentally inhaled the noxious fumes. While in a coughing fit, she scooped up the club from the ground and swung it sideways a few times. "L-Let her go!"
The familiar only hissed as the club bounced against its sleek exoskeleton. She did a bit of damage, mostly thanks to the spikes, but it felt like she was only doing more harm on the Navy fleet girl.
She cleared her head and channeled her mag-ions into the weapon. Suddenly, the miniature spikes of the club formed fewer but larger points. Feeling a little bit more confident, she parted her legs to distribute her weight better and swung it overhead.
She put all the power that she could muster in that swing, but her club only managed to cleave through the smoke and unearth the ground. The familiar's signature had vanished. "Wh-Wha… ? Where did it—"
"The next time you try and save someone, make sure that you know how to save yourself first."
Dread's freezing grip seized her as she felt another presence behind her. Still, she wrestled for control of her body as she forced herself to turn around.
Beneath the smoky veil were two crimson eyes staring down at her. "I remember that pathetic look on your face," the Light Cruiser Demon said. "We've met before, haven't we?"
Inazuma had only ever met one of her kind in her career so far, so there was no mistaking it. "A-Ah…!"
Her lips formed a grin as she leaned close to her. "You were one of those brats escorting that supply fleet."
She began to backpedal while the cruiser just mirrored her steps. "Wh-Why are you attacking the island again?"
"Attacking?" The demon-class cruiser blinked before giving her a sinister smile. "No, we're cleaning up those insubordinate thrash that fled here."
She suddenly stopped, glancing at Takao propping herself up against the tree. "What do you mean?"
"An insurgent group within our ranks has aligned themselves with the humans, but I'm sure it isn't a problem that you should care about at all."
"A-Are you talking about the Freedom Arbiters?"
As the breeze began to wash the smoke screen away, the Light Cruiser Demon turned around and approached the groaning heavy cruiser. "Never bothered to know—they seem to be not that different from the rest." She elbowed the heavy cruiser back to the ground and stomped on her stomach. "But allow me to ask the questions now: what do you mean when you said that we're helping that destroyer girl? You two are on the same side, right?"
"D-Don't play dumb!" Takao replied. "The Liberator sent you to assist her!"
Inazuma's eyes widened. H-He did…?
"And that would explain why you girls are in a hurry to leave the island." She gave the writhing heavy cruiser another heavy heel. "But I'm still impressed that you got it half right."
"Wh-What? Is that true?"
She sighed. "I was just told to look out for the Liberator's right-hand fleet girl, but this certain scatterbrained maniac thought it was a good idea to hand the job over to me just because I've already encountered his fleet once!" She put her hands on her hips, assuming an extremely irritated expression. "Well, not that I care if that fleet girl gets herself killed! I would've appreciated it if she had given me a ship class to go with!"
For a moment, the two fleet girls were left speechless. "I-Is this some kind of joke?" Takao said. "Are you telling me that you didn't even know the fleet girl who you were supposed to escort?"
"If she does happen to be the Liberator's right hand, then she must be already strong enough to not get sunk on her way here!" She growled. "In other words, I'm wasting my precious time over someone who doesn't even need my help!"
While Inazuma found it hard to believe, she didn't really have any other choice but to accept the reality presented before her. "Th-Then you're really here to… help me?"
"Help? Hardly. I only came here to confirm this one thing that kept bugging me since I was given this assignment."
"A-And that is…?"
She looked at Inazuma, eyes seething with contempt. "Were you holding back that night we fought each other?"
"N-No, I—"
"Tch, looks can really be deceiving! I would've found it out personally if I hadn't left your fleet for those second-class wretches!"
The Abyssal ship's mood swing caused her mag-ion levels to erratically increase. "U-Um," Inazuma uttered, raising her hands in front of her chest, "please calm down…"
"But I'm still not fully convinced!" After giving Takao a final stomp, she stormed towards Inazuma and grabbed her by the collar. "Why don't we settle this right now?"
"S-Settle?" She waved her hands frantically. "H-Hold on! I just want to find—"
The Light Cruiser Oni lifted her in the air in one violent motion. "No one would complain if we make this quick!"
Inazuma knew that it was imperative to diffuse the cruiser's growing temper before it reaches a point of no return, but the next turn of events had conspired against her as more Navy fleet girls showed up in the compound, heading towards them.
"I'll take you all on! Make this interesting for me!"
The Abyssal ship stomped her right foot, generating a ripple of energy outwards. It happened to be the catalyst to conjure the cruiser's own ethereal field, which slowly drained the life of the surrounding flora. Unlike the ones produced by installation-types, her sphere of influence was smaller yet condensed with mag-ions.
Its true purpose made itself known as her ghastly familiar burst out of the ground and intercepted the fleet girls who just entered its territory. The familiar moved around its master's field as if the withering ground was seawater, giving it a substantial edge over its enemies.
The Light Cruiser Demon, bathed in an azure glow, chuckled. "What do you have to say about that, shrimp?"
"B-Behind you!"
Inazuma deployed a protective field just as Takao let loose two consecutive half salvos, knocking her and the Abyssal ship into the thicket. She was in a daze for a moment from all the rolling they did down to the bottom of a slope, but she was suddenly jolted back with a heavy-handed slap from the demon-class cruiser.
"Get off me!"
She went pale as she just realized the cozy cushions caressing her face. "A-Ah, sorry!" she said, jumping to her feet. "I'm so—"
"Get down!" She suddenly grabbed the destroyer's neckerchief and pulled her to the ground. More explosive shells peppered the area around them. "Nrgh… her damage control works fast!"
As Inazuma lay down next to her, she noticed a gash on the cruiser's arm. "Y-You're bleeding!"
The Light Cruiser Demon had an incredulous look on her face as she stared into the destroyer's eyes. "Are you really his right-hand fleet girl?!" She sighed, standing up. "At this rate, we won't be able to get the rematch we deserve!"
"Stop that…"
"Stop what?"
"I'll never become the person in your mind." She shook her head. "I'm neither a warrior nor a soldier at heart—I just fight to protect people."
A blur of blue soared above their heads, landing a few feet before them. "You say such things," Takao said, "but you still chose to side with a traitor like him. So where does your loyalty exactly lie?"
Inazuma stood up, avoiding the penetrating gaze of the Navy cruiser. "M-My loyalty…?"
"It's clear to me that your heart has yet to make a decision. Your trust towards him isn't fully set in stone."
"Shrimpy, don't listen to her," the Abyssal cruiser said. "She's just toying with your head."
"Stay out of this! Unlike you, she still can be reasoned with!"
"But can't you see that she's just holding back? At full power, I bet that she could easily tear you apart limb from limb."
Takao simply ignored the Abyssal ship and extended a hand at the destroyer. "Inazuma, please consider your next course of action! You can still set things right! You shouldn't fight for the Liberator's selfish whims!"
Selfish?
Yes, the commander had always been like that to everyone around him.
He kept everything to himself. He acted on his plans without regard for the opinions of his colleagues. He was even more than willing to put his friends in harm's way to get what he wanted.
But his selfishness was the reason why she chose to stick around him to begin with.
She was already so close in finding out his secrets, and she couldn't afford to give up now.
She had already sacrificed so much to get this far, after all.
That's why… that's why…
"…I will prove everybody wrong, Miss Takao! I have to do this!"
Pulling back her outstretched arm, Takao took a stance as she readied her turrets. "If that's your answer, then I—"
The ground in front of the heavy cruiser erupted as the Light Cruiser Oni's familiar attempted to seize her with its mouth once again, but Takao deftly evaded the beast and sent it flying away with a cannon blast.
The demon-class cruiser herself started walking towards the Navy fleet girl. "Hmph... go ahead, shrimp. Your other friends are almost here."
"F-Friends? What are you—"
"Save your breath. I can wait for our rematch."
The sudden shift in her tone caught her off guard. "Wh-What about you?"
Her shoulders heaved as if to express her disappointment. "Still playing humble, huh? Don't be so full of yourself though— you won't always encounter opponents like me."
A shaky breath escaped Inazuma's lips. She had no time to get sulky all of a sudden. "I-I know…"
"By my very hands, I will be the one putting an end to your pathetic existence. Until then, don't get yourself killed by these low-class fleet girls."
"O-Of course!" She began running back to a wooden flight of stairs leading back to the top of the slope, but she turned around again and made a quick bow. "U-Um, thank you for protecting me earlier. My shield couldn't take a salvo that powerfu—"
"Ugh, just go already!"
"Y-Yes!"
Inazuma was short of breath as she finally found her way out of the plantation and into the vast rice fields stretching up to the base of the Mintaka Hill Ridge. Noting that the other fleet girls failed to catch up to her, it only meant that she was able to elude the eyes of their scout planes. Without the lush treetops covering her tracks though, she seemed to have reached the end of the road.
Furthermore, she saw a group of APCs gathering next to a granary just ahead. Fleet girls poured out of their hatches and entered through the sea of trees, save for a larger one which parked itself near her hiding place. Assuming the worst, she prepared her turrets as she heard the vehicle's passenger hatch open.
A fleet girl poked her head out, squinting at her surroundings. Inazuma gasped. "M-Miss Urakaze!"
"What a relief," the blue-haired fleet girl breathed out, motioning her over. "Come on, hurry!"
She sprinted to the APC and dived into the compartment. The hatch closed automatically as the vehicle started moving again. "Didja get lost?" Urakaze asked, helping her up. "We got told that a friend of his was supposed to help you cross the shore…"
Nodding, Inazuma could still feel the ongoing battle near the depot. "She stayed behind to hold the other fleet girls off."
The APC's cockpit hatch opened, and the light cruiser Kiso peered from her seat. "Is that right? It won't take long for them to discover us then." She faced the vehicle's dashboard. "Alright, we're clear to go. Buy us a bit more time!"
Inazuma then heard a familiar voice from the dashboard's transceiver:
"Understood," Nerine replied. "Marvie, do your worst."
Before she could ask what was that about, a sudden severe headache tormented her yet again. "I-Inazuma, what's wrong?" Urakaze started to panic, grabbing the secretary's shoulders. "K-Kiso, come over here!"
The piercing static from the transceiver seemed to be amplifying the ringing in her ears. She could barely move her body, so Urakaze and Kiso had to set her down in one of the seats. "Speak up, Inazuma," the light cruiser said. "Do you know what's causing it?"
"I… I don't know! It just… happens every now and then… but—!"
The APC suddenly shuddered and buckled into the ground as if it was violently struck from the roof. At the same time, the painful sensation in her head peaked, causing her blackout for a few seconds.
As she came around, two ghostly faces of her friends greeted her. "Wh-What just happened?" Urakaze asked.
Kiso ran back to the cockpit and peered through the front window. "I need an explanation now! She was only supposed to deploy a wide-area interference field!"
"She did," the Abyssal cruiser replied. "We just added a little extra for her trouble."
"That low-altitude emission took out the field generators! The island's completely defenseless!"
"Do you not realize that the odds are stacked against us? We're just tipping the scale a bit to our favor, and the Liberator knows this."
"What is he thinking?! He's going to get thousands of civilians killed!"
The Ne-class cruiser chuckled. "As if those generators did a good job protecting the island's populace from the last raid. Don't get too cranky though—Marvie already replaced them with her own special barrier."
Kiso took a deep breath. "Holding the entire island as hostage isn't going to win him anyone's favor."
"And you still act like he cared about everyone's opinion."
She let out a defeated sigh. "Point taken."
"Hmm, what else?" She gave them a short pause. "I should also inform you that we've already located Jintsuu. She was being held at a separate detention center to the north of the mountain range."
"Sendai pulled it off then," Kiso said.
"There's only one problem right now. A marine platoon, which includes several fleet girls, is currently transporting her to the harbor. If they managed to escape the island, we might as well forget about her."
"But why Jintsuu?" Urakaze asked.
"Whoever is behind this," Kiso replied, checking the map on the dashboard monitor, "they must know that Yuu cannot afford to abandon his fleet girl comrades. We're talking about a man who prioritized the safety of a corpse before anyone else."
Inazuma's heart almost jumped out of her chest. "A-Akatsuki! Wh-Where did the commander take her?!"
"She's already in Mica's care. They left the island with that demon-class carrier half an hour ago. Your commander wanted to ensure that the revival process wouldn't be interrupted."
Tears streamed down the destroyer's cheeks. "S-So… there's still hope…?"
The light cruiser looked over her shoulder with a grim expression. "They kept the body fresh, but it's been quite some time since her time of death."
She clenched her teeth to stifle her sobbing. The commander did everything he could for her friend, and now was her turn to return the favor. "W-We need to catch up to him quickly!" she said, drying her tears.
Kiso faced the two destroyers, nodding. "That was the plan, but I'm sure we'll need air cover along the way."
A new voice was heard from the transceiver:
"I'm aware," Graf Zeppelin said. "Some of my planes didn't get caught in the emission, but I'll send more planes as soon as I'm able."
"Protecting Marvie should be your first priority," Nerine said, "but we'll appreciate any help you can spare."
"Understood. You can count on us."
Kiso hopped into the driver seat. "Let's get moving!"
The APC roared as they hurried to the main road leading to the Alnilam Passage. The marines stationed in the area were in total disarray from the emission that cut them off from the main headquarters. Inazuma thought the situation worked out in their favor as they were immediately given entry into the tunnel. It also helped that Kiso's mere presence made their cover more convincing.
But as soon as they reached the northern exit of the passage, they found themselves in a high-speed pursuit against two military jeeps waiting by the gate's outpost. One of the jeeps peppered them with its machine gun, tearing through the APC's armor with ease.
Inazuma, sustaining a shallow cut in her arm, reignited mag-ions around her body to protect herself from the barrage. "We have to shake them off!"
"Open the hatches, Kiso!" Urakaze shouted, climbing up the gunner's hatch. "If they hit this thing's fuel tank, we're—"
"I know, I know! I'm just so busy trying not to ram ourselves into a random bear or tree!"
"B-Bears?!" Inazuma uttered. "Th-There are bears here?!"
"Ngh, sorry! Hold on tight!"
The light cruiser's warning came too late as the vehicle veered hard to the right, throwing Inazuma to the other side of the compartment. She gasped as the passenger hatch opened up, revealing armored soldiers hot on their trail.
One marine immediately closed the gap with a forward boost of his auxiliary pack and managed to get onboard. He brought out a combat baton and slammed its pointed end into her chest. The baton turned out to have a mag-ion diffuser installed, weakening her body's protective field. She could feel the blade inching closer to her skin as the man pushed down with all his strength.
Inazuma simply brought out her shield turret and shot the man with a shell dart to subdue him. As she kicked him out of the compartment, the rest of his allies fired away with their guns.
"M-Miss Kiso!" she cried, projecting a field with her shield unit. "M-Maybe opening the rear hatch was a bad idea!"
She heard an explosion from the left, and she lost her footing again as the APC lurched violently. She caught sight of an overturned jeep just before they made another sharp turn. "See, depth charges did the trick!" Urakaze said. "Tryin' to take those jeeps out with the gun you brought was takin' us too much time!"
"I don't care!" Kiso shouted. "I already told you, no killing!"
The blue-haired destroyer tossed another depth charge at the pursuing marines, causing them to knock away from the sheer intensity of the blast. "Ain't gonna promise that! They know what they're gettin' into!"
"Hold on, I'm taking this call!"
Inazuma let out a sigh of relief as she stood up, but she was thrown out of her feet again with yet another sudden turn of the armored carrier. She ended up rolling close to the cockpit hatch.
"A-Are you tryin' to one-up Tanikaze?!" Urakaze cried.
"Listen, Nerine told me that the platoon shifted course and is now heading to the northeastern observatory!"
"Wh-Why there?" Inazuma asked. "Aren't they trying to escape?"
"They probably realized that we're putting up a better fight than they've anticipated. It's about time we get to the bottom of this."
"Kiso, we got planes at our six," Urakaze said, sliding down from the gunner hatch. "Those are ours, right?"
"Yeah, Graf Zeppelin launched them just now."
"G-Good then. I saw Navy planes bearin' down on us—one o'clock."
"They just don't know when to give up." Kiso stomped on the accelerator, causing the two destroyers to grab the door frame of the cockpit. "Urakaze, be a darling and get back out there in case a plane or two slips through ours."
She pouted. "Sittin' in there hurts while you drive 'round like that!"
"Have you considered having your chest toned down?"
"Wh-What? Well, sorry for bein' so—"
A familiar squeaky voice responded through the radio:
"Nah, leave it to us!" the stuka pilot said. "If they can't even take down this bird, I doubt that they can hit you down there!"
The final stretch of their drive was accompanied by the chaotic ensemble of carrier-born planes wrestling for supremacy. Some Navy planes were able to drop the occasional bombs, but none of them even came close to hit their target, only ravaging the landscape with the blasts.
Inazuma's group had their concerns on the imminent threat waiting for them at the gate of the observatory grounds, where the marine platoon had reportedly formed a defensive blockade. As they approached the compound's entrance, Nerine called them again:
"Took you three long enough. I'll wait for you in the observatory's foyer."
"What's happening in there right now?" Kiso asked, peering through the broken windshield.
"The Liberator's group already went ahead. I stayed behind to make sure that the new arrivals will think twice about setting foot in the building."
"New arrivals?"
"A squad of fleet girls separate from the platoon. They're currently surveying the situation from the grounds as we speak, so I advise that you avoid engaging them and head straight to the observatory."
"Affirmative. We just need someone to clear out the transport vehicles blocking the gate."
"Leave the cleaning duty to us," the stuka pilot replied. "Take 'em out, gals!"
As the bomber planes began their descent, Kiso made the APC zoom towards the blockade. "A-Are you sure about this?!" Inazuma cried, hugging the roof hatch's ladder.
"I told you already," the light cruiser replied. "Hesitation has no place in the battlefield!"
The bombs soon fell and paved the path ahead with an infernal blaze, sweeping away all obstacles on the road. Inazuma steeled herself as they zipped through the curtain of flames.
"Kiso, another roadblock ahead!" Urakaze shouted from the gunner hatch.
Three more bombers plummeted towards the second makeshift barricade and released their payload. The following explosions opened up the way for them instantly. "Alright, time to get in there and—" A dull thud was heard as they hit something in front of them. "Wh-What?"
Kiso had the accelerator fully depressed, but the APC only whined and shuddered as it continued to slow down. Inazuma gasped as she noticed a silhouette in front of the APC, pushing it back. "W-Wait, that's—!"
"Going somewhere? I'll give you guys a better lift!"
The APC was suddenly hauled up in the air and smashed its roof against the ground with a single flip. The heavy slam knocked Inazuma's head yet again.
"D-Did she just give our carrier a suplex?" Kiso uttered.
Rubbing the back of her head, the destroyer crawled into the cockpit. "A-Are you okay?"
"Yeah." The cruiser kicked the driver's emergency hatch on her left. "Better get ready for this one, Inazuma."
They left the upturned vehicle and chased after Urakaze fighting the Navy fleet girl who had intercepted them.
"Mnnh... you're strong!" the battleship Hiei said, parrying a flurry of blows. "So this is the power of an Irregular fleet girl..."
"Well, I don't mind kickin' it up a notch if you like!"
A sudden burst of mag-ions from Urakaze enveloped her frame in a purplish-blue glow. Hiei threw a left straight, and the destroyer deftly moved underneath the attack and rammed her knuckles into her opponent's waist.
As the battleship staggered from the punch, Urakaze used the opportunity to gain some distance and unleash a quick succession of shots from her pistol turrets. Hiei took the shells as she lunged at her opponent with a single step, restraining her with a half nelson. She slammed the destroyer to the ground and pushed her weight against the side of her body.
"Hi, Kiso!" Hiei gave the light cruiser a smile as she struggled to flip the destroyer on her back. "Feeling a bit rogue today, eh? Aren't you aware that this operation was sanctioned by the Council?"
"I am."
"Then why are you helping them?"
A burst of energy erupted Kiso's body as she summoned her core structure and armaments. "No, you're mistaken." She pointed her sword at the battleship. "I'm here to stop this petty operation. It is simply unforgivable that this came to pass in the first place."
"As far as we know, they are part of the threat too. We have nothing against them, but orders are orders, after all." Her eyebrows twitched for a second. "Kiso, it's been a while since we last sparred, huh?"
An intense explosion broke out from the observatory, causing a chunk of its dome to collapse. Kiso mirrored the battleship's expression, glancing at a group of fleet girls approaching from their right. "Inazuma, move."
"E-Eh? But—"
Urakaze's purplish aura flared up into a mighty blaze as the destroyer jabbed her raised elbow into the side of the battleship's head. As she broke free from the hold, she pushed the reeling battleship away with a punch to the stomach. She hopped back to her feet, but Hiei was able to recover just as quick, letting loose an intense white glow from her body.
Kiso mimicked the display of power with her teal-colored Overdrive state. "Urakaze, take point!" she shouted, rushing at Hiei. "I'll hold her off!"
Inazuma didn't have the time second-guess herself as she ran after her blue-haired companion. Shells whizzed to their direction as the Navy fleet girls attempted to hinder their advance, but the remnants of their air support were just as persistent, drawing their attention with repeated bombings in their vicinity.
Thanks to the planes' efforts, the destroyer pair safely reached the observatory's entrance. However, Inazuma felt that something wasn't quite right since they reached the compound.
There was barely any indication that a battle had transpired in the area, despite their trouble of setting up a blockade to stop her commander's group. She was expecting a platoon's worth of resistance as well, but they were able to get through easily. The blockade leading to the observatory grounds was abandoned, and only a couple of fleet girls were able to respond to their arrival.
As they stepped into the lobby, her lingering doubts were met with a swift answer:
What awaited them inside the hall was a slaughterhouse. Soldiers and fleet girls littered the floor smeared with their own blood and innards.
She took a couple of steps forward, feeling a little lightheaded. Somehow, the horrid scene wasn't as nauseating this time around, but the fact that she was growing used to it made her feel more disgusted to herself instead.
In the midst of the carnage was the Ne-class heavy cruiser, sitting with her legs crossed on a recliner. Heavily damaged as she was, she never seemed to lose her poise. "Oh, don't mind me," she said. "Go on ahead. They have nowhere else to run, and those girls outside aren't going to risk the lives of their soldiers still in here."
Inazuma hesitated as she mustered the courage to face the Abyssal cruiser. "U-Um, can I ask you something first?"
Nerine cocked her head. "Well, what is it?"
"How did you get here without passing through the marines' blockade?"
"Yeah," Urakaze said, nodding, "I've been wonderin' about that too. Was there another path leadin' through here?"
The cruiser blinked. "Shouldn't you be aware by now that the Liberator himself has the ability to make any obstacle inconsequential?"
Inazuma quickly averted her eyes, feeling ashamed that she had to ask the obvious. "O-Of course! He must have used his telekinesis to avoid the blockade!"
The blue-haired fleet girl rubbed the back of her head. "O-Oh, why do I keep forgettin' that he could do that?"
She pushed out one more uncertainty out of her thoat. "B-But why did you have to kill all these people?"
Before the Ne-class crusier could answer, they heard two consecutive explosions further into the building. "Well, does that answer your question? If we don't move quickly," she gestured at their surroundings, "we'll end up meeting the same fate as the rest of these unfortunate souls."
"She's right," Urakaze said, patting secretary fleet girl's shoulder. "Don't let get yourself distracted now."
Giving her a hesitant nod, Inazuma followed the blue-haired destroyer on their search for the commander.
Even without the short bursts of gunfire erupting every few seconds, the destroyers found out that he had left a disastrous trail as he moved along the halls and corridors of the expansive building. Among the ruins were more bodies of soldiers, who seemed to have suffered grievous wounds on their necks and chests.
Her heartbeat suddenly imitated the pace of her steps. Her legs felt heavy, causing her strides to become uneven. Her eyes darted left and right, unable to focus for more than a couple of seconds.
They were almost caught up to the others, but the sinking feeling in her chest was also eating away at her resolve as if to discourage her to continue. Turning back was unthinkable now, so why was she letting her anxiety get the best of her at such a crucial moment?
She was afraid—a sensation that she could never get rid of no matter how hard she tried.
But she wasn't scared because of the present situation that she had to confront then and there. She was scared of what the future would entail from her.
She was almost certain that by helping the commander today, she would be dooming herself for the rest of her life. She had personally seen how some high-ranking Navy officers were willing to cross certain thresholds just to stop him once and for all, and incurring their unbridled wrath would mean treason of the highest order. That would also mean that she would have to forsake everything that she had been working for since the beginning, her dreams included.
Her stubborn intention to help the commander was nothing short of admirable, but the cost of seeing through that task till the end was admittedly higher than what she was willing to wager. Even at that very moment, the stakes continued to grow beyond her reach.
She now realized why the likes of Verniy and Takao were able to see through her. They weren't just trying to protect her from the commander; they were also trying to help her realize the repercussions of her rash actions. It was a lesson that never stuck due to her ignorance, and she was ashamed that she was consciously pushing it back into the farthest reaches of her mind.
So far, she had powered through the obstacles before her with a one-note conscience, but she wasn't sure now if she could follow through her promises.
She wasn't sure anymore if she had what it takes to abandon her dreams of building a career as a secretary fleet girl.
Perhaps Verniy was right. Maybe Commander was right…
Maybe she should've cut her losses early on and—
For the love of… enough whining already!
"Wh-Whaa—!" She bumped into a corner as the irritated voice reverberated in the walls of her head. "Nrghh…?"
Oh, I'm sorry…
But I'm honestly surprised how you were able to reach this far with that kind of attitude. I thought you've made up your mind? Were you just bluffing back there?
"Y-Yeah," she replied, rubbing her forehead, "I only said it in the heat of the moment."
Her free hand went to her right ear just to be sure.
She was no longer wearing her earpiece.
I figured it would take more than that to make you grow a spine.
Inazuma wasn't able to tell at first whether this mysterious voice was also another one of those auditory hallucinations she had been experiencing as of late, but this one was too crisp and distinct even when she let her emotions overpower her thoughts back in the Arbiters' base.
It felt like she was communicating with someone from very far away. And more importantly, the malicious tone it had before seemed to have disappeared.
"W-Who are you anyway?"
Just think of me as a friend.
"A friend?"
"Uh… Inazuma?" Urakaze called out. "Who are you talkin' to?"
Now conscious of the blue-haired destroyer, her hands fluttered in defense. "A-Ah…! U-Um… I was just—"
You've made the right decision to help him in his cause. If you truly wish to bring peace to the world, you need to ensure that he would survive this ordeal.
He is, after all, your key to put an end to all of the world's conflicts.
Inazuma did her best to ignore the other destroyer's worried stare. "I-Is that true? Do you know him personally?"
Those little details don't matter right now. Finish your task first—I'll be more than happy to tell you everything I know in the near future.
"Wh-When, exactly?"
She then heard a chuckle. Truly a bona fide secretary, aren't you? I myself can't give you a definite date, but I will speak to you again at my earliest convenience.
"What? But that's not—" Her ears began ringing again, sending a bolt of pain through her head. "H-Hello? Are you still there?"
Two firm hands grabbed her shoulders to give her a quick shake. "H-Hey, snap out of it!"
"A-Ah… sorry, Urakaze, I—"
More explosions rattled the building. The two parties brought their destructive chase somewhere in the observatory's northwest annex. "That can wait. Let's hurry!"
Between her nonexistent reputation and her best friend, Inazuma had no choice but to take the course that was already laid out before her.