15—Winding Currents
Inazuma started to tremble, trying to contain the emotions swelling in her chest.
She had this overwhelming urge to run up to the pair and squeeze them together in a hug, but reason triumphed over her emotions this time as she mustered up the strength to voice her doubts at the new arrivals.
"Are you two… really my friends?"
The two fleet girls exchanged looks. "Huh? What kind of question is that?" Sendai asked, facing the other light cruiser. "Hey, I know that Commodore Minako vouched for you, but I'm not stupid enough to trust the Navy so easily."
"Your concern is unwarranted. Everything that we did to ensure her security in this room is in accordance with the revised Iris Convention—no different from our treatment to all incarcerated fleet girls within our ranks."
Sendai grimaced. "That's rich," she said in a low voice. "You'd probably give my sister a good laugh if she were to hear that from you."
Yahagi looked away. "What happened to her is something that cannot be forgiven so easily. But we did everything we cou—"
"I've heard enough." Sendai directed her glare to Inazuma. "Hatsuyuki, are you really sure that they didn't pull any tricks this time?"
"Don't tell me that… you don't trust me too…"
"I-I never said that." She clenched her hands. "I'm just making sure that we don't repeat that same mistake again."
"Miss Minako already told her about that. Besides… it just wouldn't make sense for them to use the same plan twice."
Sendai's expression softened, placing a hand on her hip. "What about you, Inazuma? Do you still think we're one of those undercover fleet girls from the Navy?"
Inazuma brought her trembling hands over her chest. "I… I don't know. Their Jintsuu was able to fool all of us."
"She was able to deceive us because we allowed her to," Hatsuyuki replied. "Well… to be more specific… the commander allowed her to deceive the rest of us."
"Ho-Hold on. He knew that she was an imposter all along?"
Hatsuyuki glanced at the floor. "Remember when he said that he's willing to take any help from the Navy? Apparently… he was fine with undercover agents tagging along in that mission too."
"But how come Aster and the other fairies didn't figure out that she wasn't our Jintsuu?"
"I don't know the specifics... but it involves some form of core engine conditioning and blood samples from the original fleet girl."
Sendai moaned. "Who cares about her? Let's go already, Inazuma! Don't you wanna get out of here?" When the destroyer didn't respond, she kneeled in front of her. "H-Hey, are you okay?"
Hatsuyuki sat next to Inazuma on the bedside and summoned her MAU. "I already told you that wouldn't work." She let one of her drone turrets hover in front of them. "The Council's emergency meeting just ended a minute ago, so she should be ready any moment now."
Inazuma spent the next few seconds staring at the drone's camera lens until the drone projected a live video stream on the wall across them. And upon recognizing the person in the video stream, Inazuma relieved herself from all of her emotional restraints and fell into a state between comforting relief and humiliating regret.
After enduring the bleakness of her confinement for what felt like ages, her prayers had finally been answered, culminating in a rather cathartic manner.
She bursts into tears, collapsing towards Hatsuyuki's chest. "Ha-Hatsuyuki, Sendai... I'm sorry... !"
The black-haired destroyer slid her arms around the trembling secretary, taking her in a tight embrace. "I'm... glad. I'm really glad that I got to do something to help everyone..."
"It looks like my nonappearance has caused some problems over there."
Inazuma dried her tears and faced the camera again, putting on a more respectable demeanor. "N-No, you've been a great help to us since the beginning! I'll be forever in your debt!"
"Really? How about I transfer you to my fleet as a one-time payment? We could use more people like you here after all."
"I-I'm honored, but I have to turn down that offer."
"I know, I know." She paused for a moment, scanning the documents laid out on her desk. "Yahagi, can you hear me?"
Yahagi stood up from her seat. "Loud and clear, Commodore."
"The papers were just finalized during our meeting earlier, but you're now authorized to discharge Inazuma. I've already notified the warden as well—you and your friends should take it easy for today."
"Understood."
Yahagi made her way towards Inazuma and removed the infusion set from her arm. When she was done, she produced an express repair serum and handed it over to her.
Trembling with anticipation, Inazuma administered the serum into her neck. The sluggish sensation weighing down her body began to disappear.
"Miss Minako, I'm sorry for being hasty, but what's going to happen to us now? What about Commander and the others?"
"I'll answer everything you need to know in my office. Your friends are already on their way here, so you girls over there should get a move on as well."
"Okay," Hatsuyuki replied, "we'll be on our way."
When the video stream was terminated on the commodore's end, Hatsuyuki took the hovering drone back to its main unit. Sendai stood up, putting both hands behind her head. "That's that, huh?" she said. "Let's go. Just standing in this room's making me depressed."
"Yeah… the others in the cafeteria are probably worried already…"
As they began their first couple of steps towards the doorway, Inazuma became conscious of her outfit and decided to take the nightgown off in the bathroom. When she was done, she reconstructed her usual uniform in a flash of light and hurried back to the others waiting in the corridor.
Hatsuyuki and Sendai exchanged smiles. "Now that's more like it," the latter said.
Inazuma gave her thanks to them and turned to Yahagi. "U-Um, is it okay if I hold on to this for a bit? I'd like to wash it first."
"You don't have to. Verniy told me that you can keep it."
"Hi-Hibiki?" She smiled, looking at the folded nightgown. "I hope we could run into her later."
The group took the elevators to reach the ground floor of the detention facility and made their way to the staff cafeteria near the entrance hall. Upon entering the surprisingly spacious room, they were greeted by the sounds of clattering tableware and idle chatter from across the dining space.
Growing hungrier from the aromas wafting towards her, Inazuma scanned the room until she spotted a few familiar faces at a table nearest to the kitchen's double doors.
Yahagi craned and narrowed her eyes. "Why are they eating over there?" She suddenly gasped. "Wait, no! I hope I'm not too late!"
She bolted towards them and leaned against the long table, eyes frantically searching for something among the mostly half-empty dishes laid out before her. "Teruzuki, where's my fried rice?!"
Teruzuki took a couple of steps backwards. "U-Um, I have to check on Tanikaze for a bit!" she said, rushing into the kitchen along with her turret familiars.
"Wait, why did you let her—" Yahagi's gaze eventually settled on the bowl that Kiso was holding. "Th-That's mine!"
Kiso looked down at the empty bowl, then back to the ponytailed cruiser. "Ah, my bad. I was craving for a rice bowl for today and I just couldn't help myself."
"I don't care! Being one of Sir Minamoto's esteemed retainers doesn't give you the privilege to scarf down on other people's food!"
Kiso pivoted in her seat and stood up. "Thanks for the grub." She faced Inazuma and the others with a tense smile on her face. "Well, let's get going!"
"D-Don't you dare ignore me!"
The rising tension between them disappeared instantly as a boisterous laughter gushed out of the kitchen.
"Heeey, comin' right through!" The double doors flew open as Tanikaze drove a service cart into the dining area. "See? Right on time!"
Startled, Yahagi turned around and intercepted the cart. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Breakfast, obviously!" Tanikaze walked to the side of the cart and removed the aluminum cover of a giant wok. "Here it is, Tanikaze's crabtastic fried rice!"
A mouthwatering medley of herbs, vegetables, and shellfish burst forth from the wok, causing Inazuma's stomach to grumble loudly. She glanced around if the others noticed it, but they all had their attention on the steaming dish to probably even care.
"Th-That looks… yummy," Yahagi uttered, eyes fixated on the glistening mound of rice.
"Right? I went crazy with aaalll the good stuff I could find in the pantry!" Tanikaze started nodding. "It's almost like a dream, y'know?"
"You didn't have to cook that many," Sendai said. "We need to get back soon."
Tanikaze glanced at Inazuma before looking down at her feet. "Y-Yeah, but I just wanna throw a little something for us," she replied in a low voice. "Doncha think we deserve this after everything we've been through?"
Taken aback from the destroyer's tone shift, Sendai made an apologetic face. "I just want this whole nonsense to end already. I'm so sick of it."
Chikuma stood up from her seat and approached Tanikaze. "All the more reason to take Tanikaze's offer and enjoy this moment." She placed a hand on the destroyer's shoulder. "Plus, her cooking skill is nothing to scoff about. She's so good at it that you'd instantly fall for her after taking a bite of her signature dishes!"
Tanikaze jabbed the heavy cruiser with her elbow. "Q-Quit it with your sales pitch!"
"I understand the need to celebrate," Kiso chimed in, "but Commodore Minako's waiting for us. Can't we just bring some of that with us on the way back?"
"Oh, like a takeout meal?" Teruzuki said. "Please wait. I'll ask Nowaki for lunchboxes."
Teruzuki went in the kitchen again to fetch all the necessary items they needed for the task, bringing Nowaki along with her on the way back. The group then spent the next two minutes filling the disposable lunch containers to the brim with fried rice. Once they were done, they stacked them inside large tote bags together with bottled drinks and eating utensils.
"All done?" Kiso said with narrowed eyes. "Shiranui's getting impatient with all the spamming she's been doing to my inbox."
"But Tanikaze, are you sure we can have the leftovers?" Teruzuki asked, scraping the insides of the wok with a rice spoon. "There's still a lot left here."
"Sure, that's why I made a lot! I wanna thank you gals for being cool to us!"
"I want to express my thanks as well," Chikuma said. "I don't have a high regard for the Navy and that's not going to change anytime soon, but I'm still grateful that they have reasonable people like you within their ranks."
Nowaki took the plastic bag that she had brought with her off the table. "We're just doing the best we can to serve everyone." Smiling, she handed it to Hatsuyuki. "We've thought of a parting gift as well. I hope you enjoy it."
Hatsuyuki peered at the box inside the bag. "Tarts?"
"Mango tarts."
Everyone's gaze went to Inazuma, who turned pink from the sudden unwanted attention. "W-Why?"
Yahagi stepped in front of Inazuma, extending a hand to the destroyer. "Best of luck to you and your friends," she said. "You have a long road ahead of you with the Liberator on your side."
Inazuma shook her hand. "Thank you for everything, Miss Yahagi."
"And one more thing…" She looked away. "Um… no hard feelings… right? About last time…"
Inazuma made a nervous laugh. "D-Don't worry about it."
As she heaved a sigh of relief, Yahagi faced Kiso. "Well then, they're in your care now. Please send me an update once you reach headquarters."
"Yeah, yeah." She glanced at the wok before turning around. "I don't wanna keep you long from your pig out session."
After exchanging farewells with the Navy fleet girls, Inazuma exited the cafeteria along with her friends and followed Kiso outside the building.
The clear blue sky, the refreshing breeze, the warm morning sun—she had no idea how much she missed them until she made her first steps into the outside world once again.
She could finally tell herself that she was finally free from her miserable enclosure.
But just as they were about to enter the enclosed parking lot beside the detention facility, Tanikaze approached her with a troubled look on her face.
"What's the matter?" Inazuma asked.
Tanikaze rubbed the back of her head, eye moving to and fro. "W-Well… I just gotta know if you're not mad at me." When Inazuma's eyebrows rose slightly, she became more restless. "A-Ah! You're not mad at me, right?"
"Huh? Why would I be?"
"I promised I'd get you out of there, but I never followed up on that." She cast a downward gaze, balling her hands. "I'm sorry for being a coward, Chief."
Inazuma grabbed her shoulders. "Don't say that. You've been a great help to us."
As their eyes met once again, Tanikaze sighed. "I… I see," she muttered. "I still feel bad about it, you know? What if you took my words seriously, hoping that we'd come to your rescue one day?"
Inazuma took her hands away from the other destroyer. "Doing that would only make things worse, so I'm glad that you didn't."
Tanikaze's expression brightened. "I knew you'd say that. You really are an awesome secretary fleet girl!"
"U-Um… thanks?"
Tanikaze grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the others. "We just have enough time to eat on the way back, so I gotta hear what you think about my crabby fried rice!"
Inazuma smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."
When the group finally reached the main compound of the Navy headquarters, Inazuma was struck with an unexpected chill. The pathways and structures around her were a familiar sight, and yet she also felt like they had ventured into a foreign territory. And even though people just happened to look at their direction, she couldn't help but feel nervous and vulnerable.
Everything seemed so distant now that everyone in the world knew about her.
Chikuma made a teasing remark about the perks of being as popular as a show biz superstar, but the unwanted attention that comes along with said fame wouldn't be worth the trouble at all. It'd be like having a giant searchlight permanently beam down at her while everybody looked on with scrutinizing eyes, judging her slightest movements.
She already had a taste of such predicament as a prisoner anyway, so she didn't envy those celebrities in the slightest.
Fortunately for her, they managed to leave the car and slip into the headquarters' central building without any sort of fanfare from the media. According to Kiso, various media groups had been camping out since the other day in preparation for the Navy's PR event for their newest MAU projects. With them occupied, Inazuma was relieved that they wouldn't have to deal with their antics any time soon.
But as Inazuma found herself standing in front of Minako's office once again, the chilly sensation that had been bothering her inexplicably peaked just as Kiso was about to open the door.
"You seem out of it," Chikuma said, placing a hand over Inazuma's forehead. "You feel cold. Are you coming down with a fever?"
The rest of her friends stared at her with worried looks on their faces. "N-No," Inazuma replied. "I just feel really nervous for some reason."
Hatsuyuki grabbed Inazuma's hand and pulled her closer to the door. "Ready?"
As their eyes locked, Inazuma noticed a newfound confidence from her friend. She could feel it radiating outwards, sharing its warmth through her hand.
That's right. I wasn't the only one who was suffering in the past couple of weeks…
For the sake of those who had been with her in this ordeal, she had to be strong as well.
"Yeah, let's!"
Exchanging enthusiastic nods, the two destroyers looked at Kiso as if to give her the go-ahead. The light cruiser flashed a smile in return as she opened the sliding door for them.
What greeted them inside was a rowdy feast that anyone would expect in town fiestas. One side of the room was occupied by an assortment of dishes and other refreshments, filling the place with a myriad of pungent odors. Meanwhile, everyone inside was scattered about across the floor with food in their hands, chatting with each other.
"Wh-What happened here?" Hatsuyuki uttered.
Upon noticing the new arrivals, Fumizuki and Uzuki scrambled up to their feet and popped a shower of confetti towards the doorway. Inazuma could feel the heat gathering in her cheeks as everyone in the room was looking at her with smiles on their faces.
"Yay, welcome back Manager!" Fumizuki said, embracing Inazuma.
Luna and Ram, who were sitting on Fumizuki's shoulders, hopped on top of her head. "Miss Inazuma, welcome back!" the former said."We missed you a lot!"
"Yesh!" Ram said, nibbling on a tiny slice of brownie. "C'mon, we're gonna stuff our cheeks with ice cream to celebrate!"
"Please stop that. You'll get crumbs in her hair…"
"U-Um, what's going on?" Inazuma asked as she made another sweeping gaze across the room.
Einrost grinned, raising a half-empty wine glass. "Can't tell a party when you see one?"
"I figured, but I just—"
"Hold on," Uzuki turned to Commodore Minako sitting at her desk, "why didn't you tell us that they're gonna arrive this early?"
"I wanted you girls to start ahead in case something unexpected comes up," Minako replied, eyes leering at her laptop screen. "We're following a schedule after all."
"A schedule?" Inazuma asked.
"You are to return to Auspice in the next two hours. The Auspice branch's High Command demands your presence for your unit's promotion ceremony later in the afternoon."
Inazuma's eyes widened. "Wh-What? P-Promotion? Th-They're promoting Commander Yuu and our unit?! F-For real?!"
Minako blinked and cocked her head to the side. "Yes, that's what I just said."
"B-But why? After everything that has happened, I was expecting our unit to be dissolved…"
"It's just a PR stunt," Kiso said. "It's their way of assuring the world that your unit is a huge boon for humanity's cause. And some of the head honchos there wouldn't want to miss this opportunity to rub it in our faces while they're at it too."
"But at least they're on our side now, right?"
"It's less about them taking a side and more about expanding their influence like they always do. Have nothing against them personally, but it's just distasteful that their affiliate companies use the ongoing war as a glorified advert for their services."
Minako shook her head. "Hush, now's not the time to be a party pooper."
Kiso just shrugged her shoulders and settled beside Haruna. "You're one to talk. Better to curb those expectations now for their sake."
As Inazuma was about to express her disappointment, the door behind them suddenly opened. She turned around to see more familiar faces entering the room.
"Inazuma!" Yurie stepped closer to her. "Glad you're finally here too. How are you holding up?"
Inazuma put on a more cheerful face, glancing at the fleet girls behind her. "Never been better, I suppose."
"Is that so?" Murakumo placed a hand on her waist, flashing a wide grin. "It looks like that the sky already fell over your head with the face you were making."
"I'm fine! Really!"
Sighing, Yayoi shrugged with her hands up. "Teasing her like that after everything we've been through... you're really something else, aren't you?"
Murakumo held back a chuckle. "Ah, there it is. I missed that snark of yours."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing." She gave Yayoi a friendly slap on the back and gestured at Inazuma with her other hand. "Didn't you tell me earlier that you want to say something to her?"
"Oh, right." Yayoi made a small smile as she looked into Inazuma's eyes. "It hasn't been long since we first met... but it feels like I already owe you and your unit the whole world. Anyway... I want to express my thanks for not giving up on us."
"I'm just glad that you and Murakumo are safe."
Yayoi paused, shaking her head. "It's rather embarrassing. This wouldn't have happened if I didn't let myself get caught by those Irregulars."
Uzuki suddenly embraced her from behind. "I wish you could be that honest to me, you know?"
"I've had enough of your pouncing for today."
"What? It's still so early in the morning!"
As Uzuki continued her assault on her sister ship, Inazuma kept glancing between Yayoi and Murakumo. Now that she got a closer look at them, the uncertainties that she had since she saw them back in the Arbiters' base was finally put to rest.
"Something wrong?" Murakumo asked. "You keep looking at us for some reason."
"U-Um, how should I put this?" Inazuma gulped. "You two are now Irregulars, right?"
She crossed her arms. "Yeah, what about it?"
She approached Murakumo, reaching out for her arms and hair. "But you look… normal. Well, from what I can see right now at least."
Murakumo had an incredulous yet embarrassed look on her face as she snatched Inazuma's wrist. "I know that you aren't the kind of person who'd pull mean pranks to others, but hearing you say that kinda stings to be honest."
"S-Sorry." As Murakumo released her wrist, Inazuma brought her hands to her chest and tapping her index fingers together. "I was just… curious…"
Murakumo sighed. "That Emery lady referred to us as the next generation of combat Irregulars. And as you can see, one of the key improvements is that we're able to retain our normal appearances." She glanced to the side. "Well, for most of the time at the very least."
"Mind showing us the catch?" Maya asked.
Murakumo and Yayoi exchanged looks for a moment. "It's fine," the latter said. "We'll have to get used to the form anyway."
Upon taking a stance, Murakumo took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Hmph, just a bit wouldn't hurt anyone."
An icy burst of wind blasted from her as a murky blue light consumed her body like a raging blaze. And much like what they had witnessed back then, the blistering aura receded in the span of a few seconds, revealing Murakumo's new form.
As everybody in the room stared at her with varying degrees of interest, Murakumo flicked her flowing black hair and gave her audience a wide grin.
"What's this? Are you all perhaps smitten by my new exotic beauty?"
"Even with that cool-looking aura of yours," Maya said with her eyes narrowed, "there's really nothing new to see here."
Kumano nodded. "Dark and lustrous hair, pale but smooth skin, sharp red eyes—I must admit that I was expecting a more dramatic transformation after that build up."
"I know, right?"
"E-Excuse me?!" Murakumo leered at Maya, her eyes and aura flaring up. "The point is, activating this form allows me to switch appearances in an instant! Can you imagine the possibilities?"
Kumano gasped, eyes widening. "The ability to change your outward appearance is certainly a splendid feature. I'm sure that Shoukaku would be interested to see this as well once we get back to Auspice."
"See, at least someone gets it."
"L-Like I care about that!" Maya folded her arms under her chest. "I'm more interested in the power boost you get from it."
Prinz Eugen and I-8 crawled next to the destroyer. "Me too!" the heavy cruiser said, pulling Murakumo's dress. "How much stronger do you think you are now?"
Slapping away the intrusive hand, Murakumo paused for a moment as she rubbed her chin. "I... I'm not really sure."
I-8 cocked her head. "Huh… can't even give a rough estimate?"
"What I mean is, our baseline mag-ion potential is no different from the other destroyers, but it feels like there's no apparent ceiling in this form."
"It's the same as us then," Chikuma said. "The safeguard mechanisms that prevent us from damaging our own bodies with Overdrive are removed to increase our power output beyond our limits."
"Isn't that very dangerous though?" Fusou asked.
"That's where our regeneration ability comes in. Although we can maintain Overdrive much longer than ordinary fleet girls, our defensive capabilities are reduced to compensate for that."
Maya scratched the side of her head. "So what makes Murakumo and Yayoi different from the other Irregulars then?"
"That, I can answer," Murakumo replied, placing one hand on her hip. "For starters, this form functions similarly to Grade 1 Overdrive without its side effects."
I-8 tapped her palm with a clenched fist, pointing her index finger at Murakumo. "Ah, so instead of just accessing the remaining quarter of your maximum mag-ion potential with the Overdrive ability, that form simply just unlocks everything from the get-go. It'd be the superior option for its efficiency alone."
"Wh-What?" Prinz Eugen uttered. "If that's the case, can you still use Overdrive on top of that form?"
Murakumo grinned. "Grade 2 Overdrive? Of course, who do you think you're speaking to?"
As she said that, a collective gasp could be heard from almost everyone in the room.
Maya made an exasperated face. "Th-That sounds ridiculously broken."
Taking a deep breath, Murakumo reverted to her normal state. "Well, that form still has its fair share of drawbacks, so it isn't exactly the ultimate form that Emery and her cronies have been hoping for."
"Still, I can see why those bastards haven't stopped experimenting with that kind of modernization. Whatever it is that they're trying to achieve, they're slowly getting there."
Inazuma pursed her lips. "Um, there's something I want to ask from you two…"
"What is it?" Yayoi asked.
"Someone from the Arbiters told us that Akatsuki volunteered to be modernized as an Irregular. I want to know if that's true or not."
"She volunteered?" Murakumo's eyebrows crossed. "I didn't think she'd fell for that."
"Fell for what?"
"Emery's sweet talk. She tried to convince us to participate in the modernization process. She claimed that she would've better results if the subject was willing to go through the procedure in the first place."
"What did you do then?" I-8 asked.
"I refused, of course! Even though the only thing that I've accomplished in the end was just delaying the inevitable, I'm just not going to hand myself over to that crazy woman without a fight!"
Maya rolled her eyes. "And yet here you are, bragging about your new makeover like it's the hottest thing."
"But still," Hatsuyuki said. "For someone as insufferably proud and stubborn as Akatsuki to take the bait… I'm finding that hard to believe."
"S-She's right. How did Emery able to convince Akatsuki?" Inazuma asked.
Murakumo paused for a moment. "She claimed to have known your commander for a long time, so she might've used that as some kind of leverage. I don't think that alone would be enough to win her over though."
"Maybe those guys from the Arbiters were just messing with us after all?" Maya said. "Who in their right mind would volunteer for that anyway?"
Inazuma lowered her head as Akatsuki's words echoed amidst her musings:
We have to accept the fact that we sometimes need to take risks. Greater stakes mean bigger yields, right?
She grimaced. "I hope you're right."
"It's probably best not to think about it too much," Yayoi said. "You'll have your opportunity to ask her yourself later anyway."
As Inazuma turned her gaze to Minako, the commodore began knocking against the surface of her desk. "Alright, settle down everyone. It's about time we get to the agenda for this little gathering of ours."
Haruna led Inazuma and the others to a couple of empty seats at the long dining table. As they made themselves comfortable, Minako stood up and scanned the room with her eyes. "Well then, how about we kick things off with some storytelling?"
"Ooh, sounds fun!" Fumizuki said, bringing a stick of chocolate-covered marshmallows to her mouth. "What kind of story is it?"
"Let's see…" She glanced at Kiso. "A story of a teenage boy who had his naiveté and future taken away by the last decade's global catastrophe—the sacrifices of a person who constantly defies the convenient half-truths fed to him by his immediate superiors."
"Not really a fan of prime time dramas," Einrost said.
"Oh, but it just so happens that the contents of the story are also highly classified. How often do you come across information with Level 1 clearance codes on the Nexus Archive?"
A smile crept across his face. "Now that's more like it. I slipped through my sister's security detail to get here, so this better be worth it."
"What are you, a ten year old kid?" Yurie muttered, shaking her head.
"But seriously." He leaned forward, assuming a stern expression. "I've staked our entire business for involving myself in this mess, so I need all of the insider info that I can get before the board pushes my head against the chopping block."
"Getting a bit sidetracked here." She turned to Minako. "Just to get everyone on the same page, we need you to verify whether all of the official information going around the news media so far is true or not."
"The Council has no reason to cover up what's already sitting on the surface, so I'm certain that we're clear on that bit." Minako looked up to the ceiling, seemingly deep in thought. "What do you think, Kiso? Should start after Yuu was admitted in the program? Maybe some time before that?"
Kiso let out an exasperated sigh. "As long as you don't disclose anything more than what you're supposed to, I don't really ca—"
"Wait," Einrost said. "What program?"
"The VOKS program," Minako replied. "Remember that classified subdepartment Emery was a part of?"
"Well, yeah. It probably had something to do with the victims of the Abyssal attack since Yuu was a patient there."
Minako nodded. "The VOKS program and its technologies are the products of that subdepartment. And Yuu's status as a patient only serves as a cover for his involvement in the VOKS program. He was undergoing treatment much like everybody else, but he was also an active participant of the program."
"Basically, a test subject."
"We didn't have an official designation for them in the early stages of the program, so Emery had coined the term 'Technicals' for convenience. Much to the chagrin of her critics, everybody else just went along with it."
"Hold on," Maya said, "isn't that the name of that MAU he uses to do those crazy telekinetic stuff? The VOKS thingy?"
"Yes," Minako replied. "As its core function, the VOKS unit amplifies the user's ability manyfold with synthesized mag-ions."
"Amplify?" Fusou said, looking down at the teacup she was holding. "Does that mean that… he had psychokinetic abilities before being infected?"
Murmuring broke out between the fleet girls, prompting Minako to rap on the desk using her knuckles. "That's one theory. It was hypothesized that people like him had dormant psychic abilities at birth, but the mutations brought about by the injuries they have sustained somehow awakened those powers. On the other hand, maybe it was just a coincidence—maybe the mutation itself has a very slim chance of granting a person said powers."
"Whatever the case is," Prinz Eugen said, exchanging eager looks with I-8, "it'd be awesome to have powers like that."
Minako's face turned grim. "We… didn't have any accounts of fleet girls acquiring such abilities. Irregulars were the next big thing we got and they're incompatible with all of the VOKS modules we have developed over the years."
"What's wrong?" Yurie asked.
She closed her eyes. "Most of the people who lived through the program didn't exactly see their newfound powers as a gift. Yuu was one of the few exceptions, but that just goes to show how desperate it must've been for them to continue living on borrowed time."
"Borrowed time?" Yurie's face soured. "Don't tell me…"
"They've been completely dependent on drugs and mag-ions to function normally. Plus, their bodies continue to mutate, requiring them to adopt new medications and therapeutic procedures every few months."
Inazuma made a dejected face as she looked down to her skirt. "I've heard about the effects of AM mutations from Commander and Miss Mica, but they made it sound like it wasn't a big deal at all. Even someone like me should know that they're carrying a burden much deeper than what they're letting on."
"Speaking of which," Einrost said, "why did he join your task force in the first place? It's one thing to become a test subject, but actively taking part in military operations is just so unlike him."
"His motivations have always been a mystery to us," Minako replied. "His bitterness towards us was definitely a factor, but I don't think he went as far as he did just so that he could undermine our operations from the inside."
"Which reminds me… are those stories about him going around and killing Navy officers even true?"
"Not at all. He may have made plenty of mistakes in the past, but Yuu was no psychopath. He just happened to step on a lot of toes during his service, and I can't really say that all of the animosity being directed at him is totally unwarranted."
"Heh, can attest to that," Einrost said with a smile. "But if we're talking about him, maybe he was just trying to expand his network like he always does."
"But for what purpose? He had acquired some of our Level 1 classified documents when his fellow Technicals staged a rebellion against us and yet he only used them as deterrent against the powers that be."
"Maybe you guys are just overthinking it." All eyes went to Sendai. "I bet his actual motive is much simpler than any of those conspiracy theories I've been hearing on the news."
Minako eyed the light cruiser for a moment. "To be fair, your commanding officer does have the means to destabilize the world order. I'm not saying that they should throw those stories around on mass media so carelessly, but their concerns about him aren't exactly unwarranted either." She glanced at her laptop's screen. "That aside, is there any basis to that claim of yours? You sounded so confident just now."
"Stop playing dumb. I'm sure you already know why."
"And I need you to confirm it for us, being one who had a glimpse of his psyche and memories."
Einrost raised his free hand up, taking a swig of his wine. "Wait, you lost us there. Slow down a bit and give us context."
"You're talking about the… Soul Resonance system, right?" Hatsuyuki said.
"Never heard of it. Care to fill us in?"
Minako nodded. "It's a byproduct of the VOKS program, designed to establish immediate and strong rapport between the fleet girls and their handlers after construction." She made an amused face as she looked at Sendai once more. "Ironically, this side project was scrapped because the fleet girls would often end up knowing more than they should, causing a disparaging lack of trust and confidence towards the chain of command."
"So what you're saying is, Sendai here knows more about him than all of us combined?"
"I only had a small sample size to go by, but the tests we did in the past reported wildly different results when it comes to the amount of information that a fleet girl could recollect from their handler's memories. And furthermore, most of these resonated memories fade into the fleet girl's subconscious within the next forty-eight hour period after construction.
"I obviously cannot speak for Sendai's experience though. I invited her twice to visit my office—during and after said grace period—to get some information out of her, but she failed to show up in both instances."
"What are you trying to pull all this time anyway?" Sendai asked. "Can't you just mind your own business for a change?"
Minako hesitated for a second, folding her arms. "I just want to help him—help ease some of the burden off his shoulders. Since we couldn't get him to open up, I figured that the Soul Resonance system would be our best shot to understand his inner conflicts better."
"Are you… really expecting me to believe that?"
"S-Sendai," Inazuma uttered, facing the light cruiser, "Miss Minako has done nothing but to help us all this time…"
As Sendai avoided eye contact, Minako spoke again. "I'll just bank on your repressed memories to help you decide on that. For now though, we'd like to hear what you know about his true motivation. Or motivations, for that matter."
"Like I said, it wasn't anything dramatic at all." She paused, glancing at Inazuma. "He has this intense longing to see someone. I have no idea who that person is to him, but they could be the reason why he's expanding his connections all this time."
Minako returned to her seat and her hands started to fly over her laptop's keyboard. "If that were the case, this certain someone could possibly be in the same boat as him in the past."
"What do you mean by that?" Kiso asked.
"Think about it: if he's just looking for a specific person, why would he have contacts with the Abyssals and shadow organizations like the Dusk Arbiters in the first place?"
"He even had help from Basilica's fleet girls too," Einrost added. "I'd like to chalk it up as insurance against the bigwigs who want his head, but there's definitely something more than that."
Minako finally stopped typing, reaching out for the glass of iced tea beside the desk lamp. "There's a good chance that this person knew some very sensitive information concerning the Abyssal attack in Tropielle."
"So you're saying that they were abducted or something?" Yurie asked with a puzzled face. "Far from the most unlikely scenario, but how did you end up with that conclusion?"
She sipped a bit of her drink with a bendy straw. "Call this a stretch, but I'm suspecting they're probably affiliated with us. Yuu's island hometown had a co-op supply outpost that handles the everyday logistics within the region. It also served as the last line of defense during the Abyssal attack, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the people stationed there would know the details of the incident more than anybody."
"What kind of classified information are we talking about here anyway?" Einrost asked, gesturing at Graf Zeppelin to refill his wine glass.
"The Abyssal attack, or the Awakening as Emery would call it, introduced a never-before-seen variant of Abyssal ships that became the breakthrough for cross modernization and remodeling procedures on fleet girls."
"Interesting. So that's how they were able to pull it off, huh?"
Minako wiped her hands with a piece of tissue and brought out a familiar remote from her desk's drawer. "Certain influential parties took a great interest in their potential, hence the media blackout for most of the details surrounding those abyssal ships." She pointed her remote to the wall monitor. "Here, seeing is believing as they say."
The screen flashed to life, displaying a slideshow of abyssal ship profiles.
These Abyssal variants were designated as 'Virulents'—corrupted forms of their original counterparts. Nearly devoid of rational thought and survival instincts, they would charge into the battlefield with reckless abandon and unmatched ferocity.
While they didn't seem to be any stronger compared to ordinary Abyssals, their bodies had troublesome properties that made them a dangerous adversary: their near-instantaneous regeneration abilities and bloodborne pathogens that affect both humans and fleet girls. The latter proved to be highly contagious on contact, forcing their enemies to engage them at a distance.
And among these Virulents, a handful of them had a special organ system that allowed them to feed on a fleet girl's core engine. It usually came in the form of an elastic appendage with a sucker in its tip for efficient feeding. Assimilated mag-ions would be filtered and neutralized by a vascular organ before they get funneled into the Virulent's body, which would be added to its energy reserves.
It was the perfect mechanism to satisfy an Abyssal's boundless lust for battle.
Hearing these details, Inazuma couldn't possibly be more certain that the abyssal ship she saw in her recent dreams was a Virulent abyssal ship. She shuddered in her seat as she thought about how lucky the commander was to survive an encounter with such a horrible being.
"Inazuma, are you okay?" Hatsuyuki whispered.
"A-Ah, it's nothing." She paused. "I'll tell you later about it."
"Alright," Minako said, turning off the monitor, "I know that this is quite a fascinating subject to discuss, but we got ourselves sidetracked long enough."
"Miss Minako," Fumizuki said, raising her hand. "Fusou wants to ask you something!"
"Oh, go ahead."
Flustered, Fusou lowered her head. "U-Um, I was just wondering how this person could be related to Commander Yuu," she said. "Are they a family member? Perhaps a very close friend?"
"We can rule the former out as his relatives living across the country were all accounted for in the Awakening's aftermath. None of them worked for the Navy, so it's most likely the other option."
"Or maybe his childhood sweetheart," Einrost said, rubbing his chin with his free hand. "I bet that she's a real cutie too if he's that desperate to see her again for so long."
Murakumo rolled her eyes. "Really?"
"For him to reach this far is a testament of his love and devotion to his lover. You'd be hard-pressed to find that elsewhere!"
"You're being ridiculous. Other forms of relationships can be just as deep as that, so how's that any different from what Fusou have already brought up?"
"Ah, I pity those who have yet to experience true love."
Murakumo shot up from her seat. "Y-You…! You take that back!"
"A-Anyways," Yurie said, "this is all assuming that he was looking for someone, right? Not that I doubt Sendai's account, but you already seem so certain about this."
Minako nodded. "I happened to recall an interesting piece of information that I've heard from Yuu's personal therapist some time ago: he was indeed looking for the whereabouts of a specific person." She sighed and propped her elbows on the desk. "In hindsight, we were so close too. It's a shame that he fell out with his therapist before we had the chance to dig further about it."
"Maybe he's looking for a fleet girl?"
Inazuma's eyes slowly widened as everyone's attention gravitated towards her.
Minako perked up. "A fleet girl?"
"U-Um, I mean, there's a chance that he encountered a few of them from the supply outpost."
"He didn't show any interest to you fleet girls back then, so that didn't cross my mind at all." She squinted, staring at Inazuma. "Is there something else that you'd like to share with us?"
Inazuma shook her head frantically. I-I'm sorry, Miss Minako. I can't really be too sure about the things that I've been seeing in my dreams…
"I was hoping you'd know something new since I heard that you've already made plenty of progress with your commander." She looked at Einrost. "What was it about her intimate morning massages again?"
"M-Morning massages?" Murakumo asked. "What are you—"
"N-No!" Inazuma said, jumping from her seat. "I-I did give him a massage, but it wasn't anything malicious at all! I swear!"
Einrost grinned. "Going into a defensive outburst like that isn't going to win you favors, you know?"
Inazuma was hoping to quench this nonissue quickly, but Einrost's words might as well have dumped gasoline on a growing fire as the incessant murmurs among her fellow fleet girls sent her spiralling into a state of panic and humiliation.
But before she could reach her breaking point, Fumizuki got to her feet and stomped on the floor, causing the whole room to shudder. "Enough, okay?"
Inazuma plopped back in her seat, wiping her tears with her sleeves. "Thank you, Fumizuki."
Murakumo leaned forward from her seat, gesturing at Graf Zeppelin. The aircraft carrier crouched beside Einrost in response and jammed a fist into the side of his body. The blow caused him to drop his glass, but a group of maintenance fairies beside his recliner caught it and proceeded to dive headfirst into the drink.
"W-Why do you always go for the waist?!"
"Because you need to hit jerks where it hurts," Murakumo said. "You should apologize too, Commodore Minako."
Minako sighed. "As I thought," she said, closing her laptop. "Are you alright, Inazuma? Since you entered the room, I couldn't help but notice that you're preoccupied with something."
"Y-You can tell?" Inazuma said.
"Your eyes have that razor-sharp attentiveness in them that I've come to adore. But now, they're clouded with a mist of fear and uncertainty."
"Shouldn't that be obvious already?" Murakumo said. "She was isolated from the rest of us for weeks. She must be worried sick about Commander Yuu and Akatsuki too."
"I was about to get to that, but it's just that I am obligated to relay all of the information that I just shared with you before anything else."
"Obligated?" Yurie asked. "By whom?"
Minako looked at Inazuma. "Who else but the man himself?"
"Huh? Yuu did?"
"He requested it to help Inazuma and her unit carefully consider their options from here on out—their ticket to a new beginning, so to speak."
Fusou exchanged looks with Fumizuki. "Wh-What is there to consider?"
"Even though the Section 18 Pathfinding Task Force will remain operational under the Peacekeeper's Auspice branch, its members will also be given the opportunity to be transferred to another unit. And with that decision, you will have to forfeit all forms of connections with him."
"But why?" Fumizuki asked.
"The world sees you girls as victims of circumstance. Unlike your commander, it's not too late for you to return to your normal lives."
"But what about Commander?"
"He's a lost cause, but I wouldn't worry much about him if I were you. He'll be able to pull through, one way or another."
"Stop feeding us crap," Sendai said. "He wouldn't go around asking for help if he was as good as you're making him out to be."
Minako just shook her head. "You have until tomorrow to decide. Whatever decision you end up choosing by then, I can only hope that you'll be able to move forward without regrets."
"That's… a tall order," Hatsuyuki said.
"Not to take sides here," Kiso said, "but you girls should really think about your decision carefully. Not everyone gets the luxury to choose, much less for their own future."
Inazuma looked at her friends from her unit; all of them visibly conflicted except for one.
"I've made up my mind long ago," Sendai said, eyes fixed on her feet. "But as much as I'd like everyone to stick around for a little longer, they also have their own goals to fulfill… dreams to realize. I'm not gonna deny my friends that chance."
"Sendai," Inazuma muttered.
"How about this one though?" Chitose asked from the sofa set, pointing at Zuihou beside her. "She really wanted to join you guys too."
Zuihou covered her face with a small pillow. "I-If those are the terms they're given with, then I'll have to consider my options as well."
"Hmph," Kiso said, "sounds like you've already made your choice like Sendai."
Sendai stood up and nabbed herself an empty plate next to the chocolate fountain. "Anyway, what about that update from Commander, Miss Minako?" she asked, filling her plate with biscuits and fruit slices.
"Shall I tell the good news first?" Minako asked, tapping her tablet terminal.
Inazuma gulped. "Um, please do."
"First off, Akatsuki's condition has stabilized. Mica was able to restore her core engine to its minimum operating capacity, so she doesn't have to constantly pump mag-ions into her body."
She brought a hand to her aching chest. "Thank goodness," she said. "D-Does that mean we'll be able to see her soon?"
"I'm afraid that you'll have to wait a bit longer. They still have to figure out how to wake her up."
Hatsuyuki's eyes widened. "Is she in a… coma?"
Minako nodded. "Even a fleet girl shouldn't be able to survive a direct blow to the heart." She glanced at Murakumo. "Then again, an anomaly like Akatsuki is precisely the reason why Yuu thought it was still possible to revive her."
Murakumo patted her chest. "I don't know whether I should be reassured or terrified about that. What did that woman exactly do to us?"
"Where are they, Miss Minako?" Inazuma asked. "If they can't go back to Auspice, then we'll—"
"Nope," the commodore replied, "I'm afraid I can't allow that."
"B-but why?"
Minako cocked her head. "If you may recall, we were supposed to send your commander to Garnyza. After abusing his body with the VOKS, it is imperative that we have him reconditioned as soon as possible."
"Th-That's true, but how long it will take?"
She thought to herself for a second. "Two months is an optimistic estimate. No, give him five months at the very least."
"Five months?!" She shook her head. "I was told that Miss Ryuujou and Maricelle's group already went ahead to meet Commander, so why can't we at least see them off?"
"We're still making preparations as we speak, so I can't promise an arrangement just yet." She glanced at her tablet. "And as for the other girls who left the other day, they're simply abiding by the agreement that was made between Yuu and the Council."
"What kind of agreement?"
"Let's just say it was one of his bargaining chips to get you out of our custody. Since the Council had wanted his Abyssal companions out of Orion's territory, the negotiations went on for weeks despite meeting plenty of opposition."
Inazuma bowed her head, feeling a bit of heat in her face. "I-I'm sorry for being so impatient. I just want to see them again."
"I know. I'll make sure to notify him later for that."
"Really? Thank you, Miss Minako!"
Minako smiled. "I'm sure Kyrie will be able to help Akatsuki regain her consciousness as well. Until then, I only ask you girls to be at your best behavior while we let this whole incident run its course in the following months."
"More of this waiting game, huh?" Maya yawned as she stretched her arms up. "But hey, at least we'll finally get to do the waiting back at home. I'm already sick of this place."
"We still have some time left though," Kumano said, raising a bottle of sparkling wine. "It's only appropriate that we make the most of it, don't you agree?"
Chitose stood up and walked towards the wine rack at one corner of the room. "If that's the case, we should definitely bring out all the good stuff to celebrate this moment!"
"H-Hey!" Kiso followed suit, putting herself between Chitose and the wooden rack. "I have some of my finest collection here!"
"Sounds like a plan then," Minako said as she grabbed her tablet and stood up. "You girls have to excuse me for a bit. I have some business to take care of."
"Where though?" Kiso asked. "Weren't you supposed to be free until the council hearing after lunch?"
"Yes, but I need to tend to this one meeting personally." She stopped by the door, looking over her shoulder. "And Inazuma, I'd like to borrow you for a moment if you don't mind."
"M-Me?" Inazuma uttered.
"What's this about?" Sendai asked, pointing at the commodore with a chocolate-covered ladyfinger.
Minako pivoted on her heels. "Just returning some favors. We won't take long."
She stood up and set her half-empty plate on the table. "We just got her back, Commodore. The last thing we needed right now is one of us disappearing right before we get off this island."
As if to defuse the building tension between the two, Inazuma rushed to Sendai's side. "Sendai, it's okay. Miss Minako won't let that happen."
"I don't know. We can't be too sure if they're gonna hold up their end of the bargain."
"I… I can take of myself just fine, so don't worry."
"But still—"
Hatsuyuki rose from her seat, walking towards Minako. "If it's okay… I'll accompany her for you."
Sendai heaved a sigh. "That'd be nice," she muttered. "W-Why am I being so fussy lately?"
Inazuma squeezed Sendai's shoulder, smiling. "We'll be back, okay?"
"Are we clear then?" Minako opened the sliding door. "Let's go."
"Y-Yes!"
Inazuma and Hatsuyuki followed suit into the hallway, keeping up with the commodore's strides. "What do you need her for, Miss Minako?" the latter asked.
"You'll see."
Left musing with another of Minako's cryptic answers, the pair of destroyers just continued tailing her until they reached a lounge area lined with food stalls. From the general layout to its cozy and laidback atmosphere, Inazuma was surprised at the striking similarity of the place to their headquarters' central lounge back at Auspice.
She would probably appreciate the place more if it weren't from all of the attention they were getting.
Minako, on the other hand, was just as cool as always as they led them to an unoccupied table in front of a drink and salad bar. "Can you wait here for a moment?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder. "I have to talk to a colleague of mine over there."
"S-Sure," Inazuma said as she pulled a chair out and took a seat.
The commodore started to walk away, but she turned around only a couple of steps after. "In the meantime, feel free to get some drinks. I personally recommend trying their latte macchiato."
"Okay," Hatsuyuki replied, squinting at the wide chalkboard menu above the bar's counter. "What do you want, Inazuma?"
"Um, I think I'll just go for the latte macchiato."
Hatsuyuki nodded and made her way towards the counter to make their order. She returned not long afterwards, sitting next to her. "They have a nice selection… but I just went with Miss Minako's suggestion too."
"What do you think this is for?" Inazuma asked, leaning close to Hatsuyuki. "What did she mean about her repaying someone's favor?"
"Dunno. You know how she likes her surprises."
Inazuma rested her head over her arms on the table. "Knowing that it's something that Miss Minako can't tell to the others just makes me even more nervous."
Hatsuyuki leaned on the table with her arms as well. "I thought you were already used to it by now… being a fleet secretary and all…"
"C-Certainly not at this breakneck pace," she replied, squeezing her arms. "If the past me somehow learned the situation that we're in now, she would definitely be freaking out already…"
Hatsuyuki flailed her hands close to her head. "I already hear you going 'Hawawa!' in my head."
Inazuma gasped as she lifted her head up, cheeks rapidly heating up. "A-Are you going to start making fun of me too?"
She covered her mouth before letting out a brief chuckle. "It's not going to be a habit at least."
"That's not convincing at all!"
"But you know, I do understand what you're feeling right now..."
"About being bullied?"
Hatsuyuki shook her head, making a solemn look. "I'm talking about the feeling of being forced into something completely new and foreign at the drop of a hat. When I can't pace my own actions, I freeze up… unable to respond appropriately to the change imposed on me. And if someone else threatens to shove me in that direction, I'll make a lot of excuses even though I'm just delaying the inevitable… or simply make things worse.
"That's why it's one of my biggest fears—you'll never know if you're strong enough to overcome it. Or if you'll have enough time to set things right before it's too late." Her lips formed a smile. "But for some reason… what we've experienced here isn't as bad as I thought."
"What do you mean?"
"This isn't me taking lightly of everything we had to go through. I've come to realize that I have people like you that I could rely on." Their eyes locked for a moment until Hatsuyuki looked away with flushed cheeks. "I really wish… I've met you guys sooner."
"Th-that's what friends do anyway! You don't have to be all that serious!"
"But I mean it," she muttered before smiling. "I finally found my place now."
Inazuma was unsure of what to say at first, spending the next few moments in awkward silence to think of a speech of her own. Eventually, she settled on a response that would convey her thoughts in a simple and straightforward manner:
"Thank you for everything, Hatsuyuki. You did a great job."
It was Hatsuyuki's turn to bury her face in her arms. "B-Being praised… isn't so bad, huh?"
Smiling, Inazuma started patting her head. "Here, I'll give you lots of praise!"
Hatsuyuki's body shivered as she looked up with a pouting face. "A-Aren't you getting carried away now?"
"Not if you deserve it." Using her free hand, she started poking Hatsuyuki's arm. "Take this, and this!"
She continued teasing Hatsuyuki until she finally noticed the ponytailed barista standing across the table, holding a plastic tray with a single hand.
"A-Ah…"
The barista smiled. "I hope you don't mind me interrupting your heart-to-heart moment."
"Hi-Hi-Hibiki?!"
"Pipe down," Verniy said, pulling down the visor of her baseball cap with her free hand. "You're just attracting even more attention to yourself."
"I'm glad to see that you're well, Hibiki."
She made another smile as she began serving their drinks. "Likewise."
Upon receiving her latte macchiato, Inazuma brought its bendy straw close to her lips. "So, um, is this what you do on your free time? Maybe a part-time job?"
"Not even close." Verniy sat across them, placing the tray over her thighs. "Community service. I'm stationed here today since the other baristas are currently out in the field."
"Huh?"
"Did you actually think that letting you go that one time would go unpunished?"
"But," Hatsuyuki said, stirring her glass with her bendy straw, "Captain Tatsuki and his accomplices were basically attempting to sabotage the operation… right?"
"Even though they had a different agenda in motion, I still released a person of interest when she was already in our custody." She titled her head to the left. "Not to mention blasting a hole in one of our transport VTOLs."
"Ah… that too…"
Verniy closed her eyes. "I was already lucky enough that I only went through a summary trial. Probably because they needed more fleet girls like me to help out with the rehabilitation of the island chain."
Inazuma pursed her lips, squeezing her glass. "I'm sorry."
She stared at her for a bit, eyebrows knitted. "For what?"
"You got your record tainted by helping me."
She shook her head. "Such records are the least of your concern right now. Besides, I just did what I think is right at the time."
Inazuma took a sip of her drink, savoring its foamy and milky goodness. "I guess I'm also lucky to be surrounded with wonderful people like you."
"If you don't mind me asking, how's your commander doing?"
"Miss Minako didn't tell us much, but they seem to be fine at the moment." She took a deep breath as if to release her lingering anxieties. "But the good news is, Akatsuki was able to survive."
For a moment, Verniy's face underwent an expressive transition—a deep shock almost bordering on disbelief, a pang of disappointment and regret, and finally culminating into a tired yet contented smile.
"I'm happy to hear that."
"Honestly, I wouldn't know what to do at this point if she was gone. Maybe I've just depended on my big sister too much, but I don't want her to just disappear like that."
"You surely made that message clear to each and every one of us during that battle a month ago."
Inazuma's eyes widened as she was sipping her drink. She swallowed a mouthful before casting a bashful downward gaze. "U-Um, about that," she began. "I'm really sorry for being so reckless."
Verniy lowered her head, causing her cap's visor to cover her eyes. "If you truly mean that, how about I ask you an arm's worth of favors right now?"
She gulped. "I-If that's what it takes for you to forgive me… then... I won't mind…"
Verniy didn't respond for a few seconds. "You're too kind, sister." She made an aside glance, letting out a sigh. "I can't even bring myself to do it…"
"A-Are you making fun of me too... ?"
"But in all seriousness though, you don't have to apologize. I just hope you've learned your lesson from that experience."
Inazuma drank the remainder of her drink in a single sip. "Yes… I've reflected on it a lot…"
Verniy looked at the digital clock hanging at the center of the chalkboard menu. "That's all I need to say," she said, standing up. "I don't want to take more of your time."
"U-Um, it's not like we're in a hurry either. We can talk some more if you want..."
"I've heard from the commodore that you're scheduled to return to Auspice today." She placed the empty glasses back on the tray. "That's why I asked her a favor to see you one last time."
"I-I see," she muttered.
"And besides, my commander would definitely give me an earful if he wasn't already occupied over there."
Inazuma stood up and followed her gaze, staring at one of the couches facing the windows. She let out a panicked gasp upon recognizing one of the officers alongside Minako. "Co-Commodore Niro? H-He's your commanding officer?!"
"Y-Yes," she replied, facing the pair completely. "But why are you surprised? I thought you already knew…"
"Well… the thought already crossed my mind once, but I just didn't want to accept that you're working under someone like him…" It was only brief, but Inazuma noticed the disappointed look on Verniy's face. "A-Ah, I didn't mean to—"
"No," she said, "I don't mind. He deserves every criticism he gets."
"I have to ask," Hatsuyuki said, standing up. "How come he was removed from the list of suspects during the early parts of the investigation?"
"Because he was never a member of the instigators in the first place."
"What? Is that true?"
"He was planted in their insurgent group months prior to this incident." She smiled. "Where did you think Commodore Minako got some of her evidences?"
"He… he's on our side?" Inazuma said.
"Yeah, with the rotten attitude and all."
"But why is he being a jerk to Commander?" Hatsuyuki asked.
Verniy heaved a sigh. "Those two have butted heads for as long as I can remember, stepping on each other's pride along the way. It was only pure happenstance that they ended up crossing paths again, and my commander relished on the opportunity to antagonize him with little repercussions."
"Are all men always like that… when it comes to pride?"
Silence befell the three destroyers as they offered shrugs and head shakes at each other. "Too bad for him though," Verniy said, glancing at something behind the pair. "He was still given sanctions for pushing his liberties a tad too far."
"But now that it's over," Inazuma said, "he isn't going to bother us anymore, right?"
"As long as Commodore Minako's around, you should be able to rest easy."
"I guess that's always been the case since we got here. Well, mostly."
Verniy tugged her cap's visor downwards. "A bit more time, please? I got a bit sidetracked here."
"Huh? Why are you…?" As the pair turned around, they saw a fleet girl standing behind them. "U-Um, good morning."
Kaga returned her greeting with a curt nod before facing Verniy again. "Don't you want to be relieved from your penalties sooner? You have to show everyone that you mean it."
Verniy folded her arms. "I know. If only I was still the secretary…"
She laughed softly. "Should I tell him that you're interested in the position again?"
"No, I much prefer this set up. Mutsu knows her priorities anyway."
"Is that so?" Kaga glanced over her shoulder. "They're just about to finish. If you still have something else to say to them, make it quick."
"Honestly, I was just about to say goodbye. And you appearing out of nowhere are making our cover even more conspicuous."
"F-Fine," she muttered, marching towards the counter.
It was her turn to laugh as she stepped closer to Inazuma. "This is it then. Keep that banner of the Akatsuki destroyers held high." She took off her baseball cap and slipped it on Inazuma's head. "I'm sure you'll make our big sister proud."
"A-Ah!" Inazuma fished out the nightgown from her skirt pocket. "Are you sure that you want me to keep this?"
"Of course. There's no way I'd wear that with your scent deeply infused in it." As Inazuma took a step backwards out of shock, Verniy closed the distance just as quick to embrace her. "I'm just kidding."
Inazuma sniffled. "I-It's okay if you just tell me that you're still angry about last time…"
"Hm, if anything, I'm angry at myself for letting my guard down."
As they broke out of the hug, she mustered up the courage to look at Verniy in the eyes. "Thank you for giving me this second chance."
"You know, if you really insist to pay me back, can I ask you a favor?"
"O-Of course! What is it?"
Verniy picked up the tray, lifting it to shoulder level with her fingertips. "Tell your commander that we're even."