21—Chromatic Parade

Even though she had been there earlier, Inazuma couldn't help but feel nervous stepping inside Yuu's room. After all, one's bedroom was said to be a reflection of their soul, so she kept wondering if it'd be really okay for them to be there, much less examine every corner of the room unattended. And while Yuu had repeatedly told her that he didn't mind at all, this sort of thing was something she just couldn't dismiss completely.

On the other hand though, she wasn't above her curiosity towards him, seeing this opportunity to get to know him better. She had learned plenty of things about him from their little chats over the phone in the past few months, and this setup would only contribute greatly to that cause.

That said, Yuu's room was simple and organized, each corner hosting a particular function. The two-tone light blue wallpaper and wide windows did their job making the room bright and spacious, while the matching wooden furniture added to the relaxing tropical ambience of their surroundings.

Framed memories aside, what caught Inazuma's eyes was a tall glass cabinet display filled with stuffed toys and action figures. And sitting on the top level was a dog stuffed toy in its lonesome, which greatly intrigued her.

"Miss Iku, why's that on the top shelf?"

"It's one of his favorite toys when he was a kid."

"Wait," Harline said, stepping beside Inazuma, "isn't that a Flipper Pupper?"

"A what?" Kongou uttered behind them.

Her eyes lit up. "Ah, this surely takes me back! My mum bought me the entire first edition set of these!"

"Huh, so you weren't exclusively playing with army men figures when you were a kid…"

She quickly jabbed Kongou with her elbow. "They were very popular back in my country, but I'm surprised he managed to nab a first edition one too."

"How can you tell?" Iowa asked.

She walked to the side of the cabinet, pointing at the dog's puffy tail. "All of their tails looked like that. Newer models can move their tails."

"Wait, it can move?"

"Oh yes, it can."

"You gals wanna see a demo?" I-19 asked, placing a hand on the cabinet door.

Her eyes widened. "That's still working?"

"Crazy, right?" She opened the cabinet and reached out for the toy. "Their house was totally leveled, but this pup got out of it in one piece!"

Harline kept her gaze at the toy. "That's not what I meant, but that's actually even more impressive."

"Alright," I-19 crouched down, "time to see you in action, Marble!"

As she flipped the switch from its underside, the toy started barking, prompting everybody else to make room for it. Once she set it down, the dog waddled and tottered in random directions, melting Inazuma's heart.

And when the dog began to slowly sit, Inazuma couldn't resist the urge to give it a pat on the head.

"Uhh…" Harline uttered. "Don't."

Before she could ask why, the dog sprung up in the air, causing her to fall on her bottom. "I-It jumped!" Inazuma said. "No, it did a backflip! Amazing!"

"Ooh," Iowa said, "now I get it."

Kongou crouched beside Inazuma. "That's so cute! Do they still sell these?"

As they continued their discussion about the current models of the toy, Inazuma noticed some scrapes and gashes along the dog's body. It didn't look like it got them when Yuu's house got destroyed back then, so where did it—

"Gyaah!" I-19 shrieked, tossing her phone to the bed. "It's the demon!"

And almost like a blur, a gray cat suddenly pounced on the toy dog and started gnawing and scratching all over it. I-19 tried to yank the dog away, but she let out a cry as the cat bit her thumb.

Kinugasa grabbed the growling cat from behind and pulled it away. "Mr. Nibbles, that's enough!" As I-19 turned the toy off, the cat quieted down but still squirming. "I never saw him get so worked up over a toy before. What did you do to him, Iku?"

"E-Eh? I-It's not my fault!"

She narrowed her eyes as I-19 cracked a nervous smile. "Really?"

"O-Of course!" She put her hands up in front of her chest. "I was just playing with Marble when Mr. Nibbles showed up and got decked in the face by it!"

"So it was your fault!"

"Well, it wasn't technically my fault!"

"Jeez, why are you even—nyaouch!" Freed from Kinugasa's grasp, the cat sneezed at I-19's direction before exiting the room. "G-Grumpy as ever!"

"Is he actually someone's pet here?" Iowa asked.

She and I-19 exchanged looks. "Sorta."

"What do you mean?"

They then directed their eyes to Inazuma. "It was Inazuma's pet."

Inazuma's heart skipped a beat. "Really?"

"He's quite a handful since he was only ever docile to her. These days, we just leave him alone most of the time."

"I see..."

"But as for you though," Kinugasa huffed, pointing at the toy in I-19's hands, "stop playing with that. If the toy breaks, he's gonna kick you out of here for good."

I-19 widened her eyes before hastily returning the toy to the cabinet. "I-I know!"

"Who knew that the Liberator is a child at heart?" Kongou said, turning her attention to the plastic boxes lined up underneath the bed. "Ooh! What are these?"

Harline pinched the battleship's ear, pulling her away. "You know, I think we rested long enough. Let's start prepping."

"Woo!" Iowa raised a fist in the air. "Time to hit the beach!"

"Let's meet up outside in ten minutes."

As the pair left the room, their attention turned to Hatsuyuki who just booted up a game console. "Y-You're playing a game now?" Inazuma asked.

She pulled her t-shirt up with her free hand, revealing her swimsuit. "I just wanna check something."

I-19 ran past Inazuma and plopped down next to Hatsuyuki. "Ooh, let's play a round of Hover Blitz!"

Inazuma blinked before letting out an embarrassed laugh. "I need to get going…!" She ran to her luggage and grabbed the Curls and Folds paper bag next to it. "Miss Kinugasa, I need to use the bathroom for a bit."

"There's one just before the terrace door."

"Thank you," she replied, stepping out of the room.

She made her way to the bathroom, growing nervous about the fact that she would have to wear her swimsuit for the rest of the day. But just as she was about to touch the door's handle, it suddenly turned on its own, revealing Yamakaze in a two-piece swimsuit.

"Oh, hi Yamaka—"

"Mnngh—!"

Yamakaze's eyes widened as she clutched her throat.

"Wh-What's wrong?" Inazuma asked.

She repeatedly whacked her chest, unable to utter anything coherent. Inazuma started to panic, but she soon realized what was happening to her and sprung into action.

"Relax!" She embraced her from behind, arms gripping her abdomen. "Here goes!"

She began squeezing her arms several times until she heard something repeatedly bounce on the floor.

"Um," Inazuma uttered, pulling her arms away, "are you okay now?"

Yamakaze propped herself against the door, still rubbing her throat. "Th-Thank you, and I'm sorry. I just got surprised seeing you there…"

The two of them then turned their attention to the spotted jawbreaker on the floor. "How can you finish a candy that large anyway?"

"A jawbreaker that size will last five days in your mouth."

"Five days?!"

Yamakaze nodded with great enthusiasm. "It also changes flavors as you go through its layers, which I really like." She approached the jawbreaker and picked it up with a tissue. "This one's a combination of papaya, mango, melon and strawberry."

"Mango?"

"Do you want some?" She stood up. "I have smaller, single-flavored ones you can try."

Before she could respond, Kinugasa exited Yuu's room and noticed them. "Lemme guess," she said, staring at the candy. "You choked on it again, didn't you?"

"N-No, I just dropped it!"

"Then let me touch it."

"No way! I will still eat this!"

"Wait, are you saying that you'd rather eat it off the floor? My hands aren't that dirty, you know?"

Yamakaze recoiled. "Th-That's not what I—"

Kinugasa snickered. "You're so adorable when you get flustered like that. Right, Inazuma?"

"Huh?! Well…"

"Anyway," she winked, "you better get dressed quick. That lieutenant of yours doesn't strike me as a patient person."

As Kinugasa walked out of earshot, Yamakaze hung her head and sighed. "S-She didn't have to do that in front of you…"

It really feels like this place's a lot of fun.

Once she was done with her preparations, Inazuma gathered with her friends at the roadside.

"Oh, you're going with us too, Yamakaze?" Iowa asked.

"Tashie told me to bring her along," Kinugasa replied. "And she could use a breather too. Between her work here and the museum, she rarely gets to hang out like this, y'know?"

"In that case, no need to be tense around us!" Kongou said. "We're friends now!"

Their collective gazes caused Yamakaze to shrink as she pulled her hoodie over her eyes. "E-Erm… thank you…"

"She'll warm up to you gals eventually." Kinugasa then looked at Inazuma, who was glancing at the spatial flux in the sky. "Soo… are you planning to take the detour first before heading to the museum?"

"Yes," Inazuma replied, glancing at her forearm terminal. "I wanna see the place with my own eyes. Maybe it will stir up something new within me."

"How vague… and intriguing!" Iowa fistpumped. "I'm so psyched!"

"Waiwaiwait—! Did I miss something here?" Kongou asked. "Where are we going exactly?

"We'll know when we get there," Harline replied. "Lead the way, Kinugasa."

As they began walking, Inazuma heard Yamakaze's voice in her head.

"Um, I noticed that you keep looking at the sky. Aren't you bothered by the spatial flux?"

"I'm getting used to it. And besides, it looks pretty. Kinda hypnotizing even."

"R-Really? I get nauseous when I stare at it for several seconds..."

"But it's hard to appreciate the town's beauty with all the reflected colors though."

"I have the solution for that." Yamakaze walked up to her side and fished out a plastic case from her hoodie. "Here..."

Inazuma took the case and opened it, revealing a pair of framed eyeglasses. She donned the pair and looked at her surroundings. "A-Amazing! The colors are all gone!" She then stared at Yamakaze. "What about you though?"

"Um… I'm wearing contacts. Wearing glasses isn't exactly ideal during work."

As she happened to look to her left, she noticed Hatsuyuki staring at her. "O-Oh, what is it?"

Hatsuyuki averted her eyes. "No... it's nothing..."

"Do I look weird with them on?"

She shook her head. "They give off that secretary vibe, even with that getup."

Inazuma pouted. "So what you're saying is, I don't look like a secretary unless I wear glasses..."

Hatsuyuki stared at her again, taking a step closer to her. "But I like how the color pops out under the sunlight…"

"Oh, I know!" She removed the rectangular glasses and handed it over to Hatsuyuki. "You try them too!"

"W-Why?"

"Just wear them!"

Hatsuyuki hesitantly took the glasses and wore them. "H-How do I look?"

"Cute," Inazuma and Yamakaze uttered.

She turned crimson and averted her eyes, handing back the glasses without a word. "Aww," Inazuma said, "but it fits you perfectly! Don't you think so too, Yamakaze?"

Yamakaze nodded. "I think a pair with a thicker frame would be great on her."

"Oh, I'm starting to see it now! She would look like the main character of My Scribbled Bookmarks!"

"Now that you mentioned it, you're right! Fei has always looked so adorable…!"

With her cheeks still burning red, Hatsuyuki shot them a stern look before walking ahead of them.

"Ah…!" Yamakaze uttered. "I made her upset, didn't I? Wh-What should I do?"

Inazuma gave her a smile. "Don't worry about it."

An odd sense of nostalgia came down on Inazuma as they entered the port area of Elena. She had never been there before, but the place felt so familiar yet so different.

Compared to what she had seen in her dreams, the area was transformed into a tourist hotspot, thanks to the Conglomerate's post-Awakening rehabilitation efforts. Towering hotels dotted the port's outskirts, while the ever-popular seafood market received a considerable expansion with all the eateries and restaurants surrounding the place. And at the center of the port stood a giant obelisk, serving as a monument for everyone who gave up their lives during the Awakening.

There were many more interesting places to see for certain, but she had to focus on her own itinerary before anything else.

Passing through the western exit of the seafood market, they followed the road leading to the base of a massive cliff. And from there, they walked on the wooden platform circling the base of the cliff to reach the other side.

Iowa hopped from the platform down to the sandy beach. "There's nothing here. Are you sure this is the place?" she asked.

"Yep," Kinugasa replied.

Kongou looked down at her feet. "The sand here is so white! How come the locals haven't set up shop here?"

"Because this side of the coast is cursed."

"Wh-What?"

Kinugasa placed her hands on her hips. "Well... that's what the people here would tell you. Some say this is a favorite beach spot of a local god. Others think that the souls of the dead congregate here during the night.

"Whatever it is, some unseen force doesn't want anyone disturbing the peace and quiet here..."

"And you actually believe those things?" Harline asked.

"Not necessarily, but I've seen a lot of crazy things out there. You can never be too sure, you know?"

"I've always wanted to see a ghost though!" Iowa said. "How about we do a test of courage here after dinner? Wouldn't that be just perfect?"

Kongou grew pale. "I think that's a bad idea. I mean, we just got here and you already wanna piss off the spirits living here?"

"Oh, you're such a scaredy cat!" She faced the destroyers. "What about you three?"

Before anyone could respond, Inazuma walked past them.

"Inazuma...?"

The world around her faded as she continued dragging her feet against the sand. And with each step she took, the tighter her chest got. Despite that, she pressed on, walking ever so slowly until she found herself staring at the ground before her.

"A-Are you just going to give up like this…?"

"We both know what will happen… if you let this stall… for too long…"

Taking a deep breath, she kneeled and patted the ground.

"I wonder. What really happened to her after they brought her to the Navy?"

A shadow loomed over her. "What do you mean?" came Hatsuyuki's voice.

"The Inazuma whose heart is in me." She paused, clenching her hand. "Commander doesn't know the specifics of the experiment she was subjected to, and the circumstances that led them to transfer her heart to my body."

"Hmm... what do you think happened to her body?"

She raised her hand and let the fistful of sand slip between her fingers. "No clue, but I'm sure they wouldn't just discard her body somewhere."

"Huh... so do you think she's still alive to this day?"

She sighed. "I dunno, but it is possible since a fleet girl can be revived as long as her body's repaired properly. That also means they would have to give her a new heart too."

"But then she wouldn't be the same Inazuma, right?"

"Yeah..."

Harline approached them. "So... remember anything new?"

Inazuma stood up, straightening her jacket. "No, but I could rest easy that I finally got to see this place at least."

A small smile tugged her lips as her pigtails fluttered from the sea breeze. "Ready to go then?"

"Ah, wait. I still need to check one more place." She ran to shrubbery at the base of the rocky wall and started inspecting the vines covering the cliffside. "It should be around this spot, right Miss Kinugasa?"

Kinugasa ran up to her and parted the vines before them, revealing a small gap. "Jeez, it's impressive and scary how accurate your dreams were."

"A cave, huh?" Kongou said.

"Yeah, the chamber further in is much larger, but getting inside is the problem."

Iowa poked her head into the gap. "It's so cramped! I don't think I'd fit inside!"

"Right? Guess it really is the perfect hideout for them. At least for their size." She shrugged. "To this day, it's still a wonder how Satsuki found this cave in the first place."

Inazuma placed a hand on Iowa's shoulder, prompting the battleship to step away from the gap. "I'll just take a peek. I'm curious what's inside..."

"Uh... is it safe to go in though?" Harline asked. "There could be snakes in there."

Kinugasa flashed a smile, waving a hand. "Oh, don't worry. Tsushima crawls in there once in a while and she hasn't told me anything about snakes or other creepy crawlies living inside. Otherwise, Mutsuki wouldn't have dared to hang out in a place like that."

"In that case," she said, looking at Inazuma, "you don't mind if I take a look inside too?"

Iowa pouted, crossing her arms. "Aww, no fair!"

"Take some pictures for us, Admiral!" Kongou said.

"Okay, okay. Jeez, you two are like kids." She patted Inazuma's back. "After you."

Inazuma took off her sandals and crawled into the gap. As she pointed a searchlight ahead of her, she saw what seemed to be a black piece of cloth gently wafting on the other end of the tunnel.

"Is this breeze coming from further inside?" Harline asked from behind.

"Yes. Commander told me that plenty of caves in this island are all connected to each other."

"Hmm. I wonder if we'll end up in that famous cave on the other side of the port."

Upon reaching the other end of the passage, she grabbed hold of the cloth. And then, she froze in place.

"M-Miss Harline… did you hear that?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Hear what?"

"A voice. It felt like someone whispering in my ear..."

"Are you sure it wasn't just the breeze?"

"No. It was faint... but I definitely heard a woman's voice..."

Harline's eyebrows crossed. "Hmph, you had me for a second there. Never knew you had that side of you."

"Huh? No… I definitely—" A sharp ringing assaulted her ears as pain started to spread across her head. "Ngh! A-Again?!"

"Hey, are you okay?" Harline gasped. "Wait, don't tell me...!"

She winced and covered her right ear. "N-No, this is different…! I used to experience this a lot few months ago!"

"But we can't be too sure." She started tugging her jacket. "Come on, let's go back!"

"Somebody must be trying to contact me."

"Contact? You mean, like Abyssal telepathy?"

"And here I thought I'm already used to it. Please wait, I'll try to establish this link..."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused all of her thoughts to decrypt the psionic transmission. A few seconds later, another transmission interrupted her.

"Don't."

"Y-Yamakaze?"

"Linking up with them will give your location away, so don't."

"Okay, but it seems like this is already a direct link. Whoever's sending it should already know where I am, right?"

"No. Apparently, it's a special broadcast that can only picked up by someone like you."

"Huh?"

"They've been broadcasting it for a couple of months now, but they actually made several adjustments with its psionic frequency since you entered Mangifera's waters. They probably did it so they can establish a much more reliable link. After all, you are an Irregular."

"So... they want to contact me? For what reason?"

"I don't know, but you can ask Miss Tashie about it later."

"Then how did you figure out that I was about to link up with them?"

"W-Well... you weren't exactly discreet when you were doing it..."

"Oh..."

"And also... I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything! I was just trying to help! I'm really sorry..."

She took another deep breath as the ringing in her ears started to subside. "Relax, I appreciate your concern. Thank you."

"Ah... glad to hear that then! The broadcast switched to a different frequency again, so I'll excuse myself now. Sorry!"

She laughed softly as she ended the link. "How cute."

"Your thoughts are leaking."

She gasped, turning to look at Harline. "Oh! Um, sorry for making you wait."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine now."

She looked at her in the eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Alright. If there's anything wrong, just let me know. I can't have you frenzying in a place like this."

After giving Harline a nod, she moved the curtains out of the way and crawled into the chamber. But just as she was about to comment on the spacious interior, she let out a yelp and moved backwards, smacking Harline's head against the ceiling.

"Oow! Why did you suddenly—?!"

She gasped. "I'm so sorry! I thought it was a real alligator!"

"Alligator?"

She crawled beside the nearby table and pulled out the life-sized toy from under it. "See?"

"Ugh, that's a crocodile."

"Really?" She turned it around, taking a closer look. "They always looked the same in the picture books I've read..."

She winced as she groaned again. "Just light the lamp over there."

"O-Oh, right!"

Inazuma reached out for the gas lamp, flooding the walls with a warm orange glow. As she set the lamp down on the table, she took notice of the same framed picture she had seen in Yuu's room. Beside it was a small plastic envelop containing a piece of paper and a flip phone.

"Phone numbers?" Harline muttered.

Inazuma smiled. "Yeah. The first one's his."

"Even after all this time, he's still holding out hope. Or maybe he just can't bring himself to move on already."

"But there's nothing wrong with hoping, right?"

"Of course, but you won't make any meaningful progress living in the past like he does." She looked into her eyes. "As someone who knew him more than anyone, can you really say that he has lived a good life in the past few years?"

Inazuma averted her eyes. "I think... the only one who can answer that is Commander himself..."

She shrugged. "If you're really his friend, you shouldn't keep covering up for him like that."

"I-I know. It's not like I do that all the time too." She pursed her lips, looking at Harline. "Why do you think so poorly of him anyway? Do the two of you have some history together?"

She crossed her arms. "Well, no. I just think Commodore Minako has wasted so much time looking after him. Why bother when the guy doesn't even care?"

"He does care."

She had an annoyed look on her face before shrugging again. "Fine, forget about him for a moment. Remember anything new?"

"No, but," she said, looking around, "being here makes me feel nostalgic too…"

"Nostalgia, huh?" She glanced at Inazuma. "So it really is true."

"What do you mean?"

A flash of hesitation went by Harline's face. "I've been researching Irregulars for a while now." She paused, looking at Inazuma. "What I saw in Hatsuyuki's footage made me really curious. Especially you—it almost looked like you became a different person."

She grimaced. "Why does everyone keep bringing that up?"

"Did you even have to ask? The unit you faced there will never look at another Inazuma the same way again."

"Can you not—"

"In all seriousness though, I'm just concerned. As much as I deeply respect Commodore Minako, she's just as tight-lipped as the others when it comes to this Irregular business." As their eyes met, Harline put on a more sheepish expression. "With that said, can I ask you a favor?"

"Um... sure. What is it?"

"I know this is a bit redundant as I'm your probation officer, but can you let me stick around your unit for a while? I feel like I'll eventually get all the answers I need that way."

"Oh, I don't mind at all. You've been a great help to us in the past months." She made an aside glance. "But what do you mean by that last bit though?"

"Nothing serious, I assure you. I just want to expand my knowledge about Irregulars and Technicals."

"Why?"

Harline directed her gaze to the frame picture. "Well... I'm just interested in them."

Inazuma pursed her lips. "Is that really all?"

After a short standstill, she grumbled. "You're definitely sharper than you let on. Doesn't help that Kongou can't seem to shut her mouth when it matters."

"Um... so what's the real reason?"

"It's a bit of a long story though."

"Please tell. I don't mind at all."

She sighed and hugged her stomach. "My mum. I'm searching for her whereabouts."

"Your mother?"

She nodded. "She got caught in the Awakening when she was on a business trip in Izumi. The place wasn't hit as hard as the other island nations over here, but it was still pretty bad.

"Anyway, she suffered a nasty wound on her thigh as they were escaping from the Abyssals' onslaught. At first, we were glad that she made it out of there alive, but her condition grew worse not more than a day later. My father flew there to supervise her treatment, but he came back a few weeks later carrying my mum's urn."

"I-I'm confused. So you think she's still alive somehow?"

"Two years after the incident, news of a medical facility allegedly conducting shady experiments broke out. And by some twisted luck, it just happened to be the same facility my mum was brought to.

"A week of investigations passed and we found out that mum underwent a heart transplant. She didn't have heart conditions, so this set off a huge red flag. A few more days of record searching then brought us to a transfer order of her body to another facility. When we got there though, the place was already spotless."

Inazuma rubbed her chin. "Could it be that she's the same as me?"

Harline nodded. "My father was livid as you'd expect, going so far as to join the Naval Domain to personally supervise the investigations. But there's something about that decision that always bothers me."

"What is it?"

"The Freedom Arbiters owned and operated that facility while the Navy supervised them for transparency. But for some reason, my father has only been focusing all of his efforts on the former. With the Arbiters always passing the blame to their supposedly independent Dusk subsidiary, they never really got anywhere with their investigations to this day."

"Do you think he's covering for the Navy?"

"Our family and business have supported the Naval Domain for two decades, but he'd be a fool if he just let them get away with it."

"Is that why you joined the Navy too?"

"Not really. I've always wanted to join the Navy back when I was a kid." She clenched a hand over her chest. "Commanding my own battleship was a dream of mine. Seems like a pipe dream now with all the Abyssals infesting the seas though."

"Well, you at least have Kongou with you."

"Oh, don't give me that. It would've been nice if she was at least as half as diligent as you are when it comes to work."

Inazuma put a finger on her chin. "But you know, you don't have to come along with us. I could just report to you when—"

"No!"

She flinched. "I'm sorry!"

"I just know it. I know mum's still out there somewhere. I want to see her again. I want to show her how much I've grown since then, that's why I need help from someone I can truly trust."

"Alright. I can't promise you anything, but I'll help as much as I can."

Harline's face brightened as she extended her right hand. "That's more than enough. Thank you."

As they shook hands, Inazuma tilted her head. "The next time I call Commander, I'll ask him if he knows anything about—"

"No!"

"Hawa! W-Why? I get most of my information from him and his contacts anyway, so—"

"He doesn't have to know. And besides, the less I involve myself with the likes of him, the better."

"But you're completely fine hanging around with us?"

"Th-That's different!"

Inazuma smiled. "I'm just joking. Please lighten up."

Harline turned pink before heading towards the tunnel. "Ugh, let's get going already!"

"Um... you're not mad, are you?"

"Of course not! Why would I be—" She let out a cry as she bumped her forehead against the edge of the tunnel. "Argh! Harline, you stupid blind woman!"

Inazuma crawled to her side. "A-Are you okay?" As Harline brought her head up to look at her, she let out a panicked cry. "Y-Your forehead!"

"Yeah, I know! That was dumb of—" Harline's eyes suddenly went wide as a trail of blood ran down between her eyes. She wiped it off with a shaky hand and stared at her bloodied fingers. "Ah...!"

But before Inazuma could utter another word, Harline went limp and fell to the side.

"Gyaaah!"

And so, Inazuma dragged the unconscious lieutenant back to the others and went straight to a small clinic within the port's memorial park. As Kongou and Kinugasa accompanied Harline, the rest of them stepped outside and basked on the park's festive atmosphere.

With all the bustling food, game, and souvenir stands lining up the park's perimeter, they reminded Inazuma of the funfair she used to go to with her classmate back at Mintrime. Unlike the big city though, the tropical flora surrounding them made a whole world of a difference for the park. And as a fleet girl, the faint scent of the sea and its gentle breeze elevated the ambiance a couple of notches further.

"Is it just me," Inazuma said, "or it has gotten colder since we entered the park?"

Hatsuyuki put a hand over her eyes. "We're closer to the sea... but this doesn't feel natural at all."

"O-Oh," Yamakaze uttered, "it's because of the large abussionite they placed at the base of the obelisk."

Inazuma gasped. "Wh-What? That rock's an abussionite?" They moved closer to the front of the obelisk to get a better view of the purplish rock. "It's huge! So that's why this area feels a bit colder!"

"You sound so amazed, Inazuma," Iowa said, leaning on the steel barrier circling the obelisk. "So, is there anything special about that rock? It's definitely not abussosium since it generates mag-ions."

"Well," Inazuma began, "abussionites are crystallized core engines of Abyssal ships and their familiars."

"H-Hold up. Core engine? But that rock's taller than me!"

"Apparently, they found a way to make them grow like that. These rocks produce mag-ions proportional to their size and the amount you give them."

"That thing's alive?! What happens if you don't feed it?"

She blinked. "It dies and dissolves into the ether."

"Hmm... I've heard about abussionites on the news, but this is way different from what they've shown there."

"General details about abussionites were declassified only after Operation Shallow Shores. The Navy and Conglomerate members have been using them for more than a decade now, particularly on their omniplatform vessels and supercarriers."

"Okay, then what's that doing here?"

"Um," Yamakaze chimed in, "it powers about eighty percent of the buildings within the port."

"I mean, why here?"

She rubbed her cheek with her forefinger. "B-Because it looks pretty?"

Iowa chuckled. "Can't deny that."

"H-Honestly, I don't really—" Her eyes widened. "Oh! Is that...?"

Inazuma followed her gaze and saw a pair of knights in white armor approaching the obelisk. "Basilican knights?"

"Yup. Stargazers too."

"Stargazers?"

"Knights who go on a pilgrimage around the world." She clasped her hands. "And what luck! One of them is a trobairitz too!"

"A trobawhat now?" Iowa asked.

As the pair of knights reached the obelisk's platform, the one with the silver shoulder cape removed her helmet and rang the hanging bell next to an obelisk guardsman. The distinct chime of the bell caused the world around them to stop that very moment.

With everyone's attention on them, the knights kneeled in front of the obelisk and muttered a prayer for the fallen. And some moments later, the short-haired woman stood up and started singing. No music or instrument accompanied her voice, but it didn't matter in the slightest.

Her vocals were strong, crisp—almost felt like her very voice was charged with invigorating magic. Inazuma was completely entranced, unable to process the emotions swelling in her chest. Her body tensed, afraid that it might overwhelm her. But instead, she freed herself from such doubts and further reveled in the lullaby.

As the song ended, the knight turned around and bowed, prompting the crowd's applause.

"Her range is something else, huh?" Harline said.

Iowa turned around to face her, rubbing her arms. "Yeah, I still have goosebumps! I didn't know singing knights are a thing!"

"They're a rarity among their ranks," Yamakaze said, "but their performances are nothing short of amazing!"

"I mean, I didn't expect she would suddenly sing like that."

"Trobairitz sing arias to match different occasions." She glanced at the knights chatting with the guardsmen. "That said, the aria you just heard is called Beyond Oblivion. It's a song that supposedly inspire peace and hope to those who perished in armed conflicts."

"Wow," Kongou said, "you sure know a lot about them!"

Kinugasa chuckled. "Yeah, she gets all giddy and starry-eyed when it comes to those lady knights. Adorable, isn't it?"

Yamakaze turned pink. "W-Well... don't you find them cool?"

She paused, staring at the knights. "I like their armor."

"J-Just their armor? There are lots of things to like about them! They're strong, they protect the helpless, and they—"

"If you like them that much, why not join them?"

Her eyes widened. "What?! There's no way they'll accept someone like me!"

"They have a problem with Irregulars? That's not very inclusive, don't you think?"

"Ah, no! I mean, I don't think I'm devoted enough to be able to adopt their lifestyle."

"Well, it can't be that bad. The Basilican Church's probably the most lenient religion in the world. You haven't even tried, but you're already making excuses. Talk about procrastinating."

"P-Procrastinating?!" Yamakaze furrowed her eyebrows, cheeks turning red. "Hmph! You're doing it again!"

"But she's right, you know?" a tall woman said behind her. "You just need to gather your courage and take the plunge. Life's unpredictable, so might as well live in the present."

"Ahh! M-Miss Catrine?! Since when did you show up?"

She exchanged smiles with Inazuma as their eyes met. "I've been standing next to you the whole time, you know?"

"Y-You were?"

"How did you not notice me?" Her smile turned upside down, taking a step away from Yamakaze. "Or maybe you did, but you're actually avoiding me, aren't you?"

"Oh, not at all! I didn't mean to! I was just too focused on the song that I didn't—wah!"

Catrine patted her head with her prosthetic hand. "Ooh! You're so adorable today too! Keep that up!"

"Grr!" She slapped the hand away. "If we're done here, can we enter the museum now?"

"You got a shorter fuse than usual today. That's no fun." She looked at Kinugasa. "What did you do this time?"

"Don't give me that look. I didn't do anything. She's probably shyer now because of our visitors."

"Ah, yeah. Right. That makes sense."

Yamakaze growled some more before retreating behind Inazuma. "Ugh, you two! Can we not do this now? Let's go already!"

"Oh, fine. But what about Amatsukaze?" Kinugasa asked. "I thought we're supposed to meet her here?"

"Yeah, but she's running an errand right now. She'll just drop by later at the eatery."

Catrine nodded. "Sorry about that. We need to stock up for tomorrow's bazaar or we'll run out of ice cream before nightfall." She looked at Harline, extending her hand. "Oh, sorry. The name's Catrine, by the way. I work as a tour guide around these parts."

"The pleasure's mine," Harline replied, shaking her hand.

She looked over her shoulder, pointing at the museum's entrance with her thumb. "Let's get a move on then? Once you're done with your business with Tashie, I'll show you everything what Elena has to offer."

As they followed Catrine, Inazuma gave the knights one last look. "What's wrong?" Hatsuyuki asked, walking beside her. "You keep staring at them..."

"A-Ah, it's nothing. I guess I just got too caught up with her song. Like, it somehow cuts through your soul."

"You think so too?" Yamakaze chimed in. "I've tried singing some of their songs, but it doesn't feel quite right compared when an actual trobairitz sings them."

The other two destroyers looked at her. "Oh, you can sing?"

She turned pink, eyes widening. "A-Ah, yeah! Not all the time though! I mean, I'm not even that good! Really!"

Hatsuyuki narrowed her eyes. "You know... people who say things like that often end up being the experts..."

"Oh, no! Absolutely not! I just sing as a hobby! I can't even sing in front of a crowd!"

"Hmm... I think I saw a karaoke machine at the eatery..."

"Ah, now that you mentioned it," Inazuma said. "I want to hear you sing, Yamakaze."

"Wh-What? N-No! I can't!"

"Eh?! Even if it's just us two?"

Yamakaze averted her teary eyes. "Just you two?" She heaved a sigh. "F-Fine. It's my fault for bringing it up in the first place..."

She clapped her hands. "Great! Thank you, Yamakaze! I can't wait!"

"P-Please don't expect too much...!"

Cutting through the crowd in front of the souvenir shop, Inazuma's group entered the museum through the employee entrance. Catrine led them to a small lounge and asked them to wait while she fetch Tashie in the laboratory next door. A few minutes later, she appeared before them with an annoyed look on her face.

"I figured this would happen," she began, "but she has to hold off meeting you guys for another hour or so."

"Weren't she in a hurry to meet us?" Harline asked.

"That's what I thought too, but she has to attend an online conference a few minutes from now. She told me to show you around in the meantime."

"Sweetsauce!" Iowa shot up from her seat. "Where do we go first?"

"Tashie suggested that I take you to the ashen whirlpools up north. What do you say?"

Kongou followed suit, exchanging a high five with Iowa. "The whirlpools? Finally! We'll finally get to take a dip!"

"That's good and all," Harline said, standing up with the rest, "but do we really have that much free time? We have to take a ferry first to get there."

"That won't be an issue," Catrine replied. "I already asked a colleague from the coast guard to take us there."

"And they're fine with that?"

She nodded. "They also wanted to meet Inazuma too."

"M-Me?" Inazuma uttered. "Why?"

"Well, do you even have to ask?"

"I know, but still..."

"Just roll with it. You don't have to do anything special, you know?"

"I guess so..."

"Hmm." She glanced at the glass doors leading to the museum proper. "How about you ladies take a look at the exhibit hall over there until the boat arrives? You'll find relics of the otherworld in there."

"Relics?" Harline shook her head with a smile. "They're not that special."

"But everything that slips through the cracks of our world helps us understand theirs better. Science and history don't discriminate like that."

"Aw, come on," Kongou said, "you're being a buzzkill again, Admiral! Come on, let's check it out!"

"Huh? I never said they're not interes—agh! Stop pulling! You're gonna tear my arm off!"

They stepped into the exhibit hall and marveled at the amount of items on display. Most of the showcases housed military equipment and weapons, but everyday household objects and devices had their own brightly-lit sections as well. While it felt rather odd and amusing to see such mundane items used as a big attraction for a museum, the fascination stemming from their mysterious histories was there all the same.

They started following the wall to their right until they stopped in front of a faded yet eye-catching flag hanging from the ceiling. "Oh!" Kongou said. "I remember this flag in your condo, Iowa."

"Yeah, I just knew I had to get one after seeing all those stars and stripes on it!"

"Hmm, so what's the deal with this flag anyway?" She leaned towards the marble label directly below the flag. "USA? So it's a country flag?"

"Yup," Catrine replied. "This nation seems to have a sizable military force in their world. The shipwrecks belonging to them had weapon systems specifically made to combat the Abyssals."

"Have you guys worked out how effective were they?"

"They fall short compared to our first generation mag-ion weapons. The guidance and tracking systems are okay for the time they were built, but they won't be able to dent heavily-armored Abyssal ships."

"How about their newer weapons?" Harline asked. "An equivalent to our MAUs or something."

"We didn't find any so far. Other nations included."

"What? Don't tell me that the people there are just content making their fleet girls do all the heavy lifting."

She crossed her arms. "I don't think that's the case. We don't even know the circumstances surrounding the Abyssals and fleet girls in their world, and that could greatly affect the development of the war they're fighting."

"Makes sense. Even just the timing of the Abyssals' appearance could easily snowball to their favor."

"I'd say this world lucked out," Kinugasa said, "since us fleet girls showed up before the Abyssals could ever do serious damage."

"I wonder what's happening over there right now?" Iowa asked, staring at the flag. "Are they winning? Losing? Maybe they already won?"

Catrine blinked. "Who knows? For now, we'll just have to keep collecting all the stuff that drifts to our side." She looked at her terminal affixed to her mechanical arm. "Hmm? Oh, looks like our service's almost here. Everyone ready to go?"

"Ah! What about the field rations next to the souvenir shop? I thought we're gonna try them?"

Harline shook her head. "After all that food earlier and you're still not satisfied?"

"But they're otherworld rations! Aren't you curious what they taste like?"

"I tried a pack before. They're just as appetizing as the stuff you'll find here."

"Oh, but I really want to try some! Please?"

"Ugh, just go already. If the line's long though, you better head straight back."

"Awesomesauce! Don't worry, I'll get a sample for everyone to taste! Wanna come with, Kongou?"

As the battleships made their way to the hall's exit, Harline just sighed. "Maybe it would've been better if I asked Zuikaku instead..."

Catrine laughed. "But people like them makes outings like this livelier and more exciting."

"We're not on a vacation, you know?"

"You surely don't mean that, right?" she replied, staring at Harline's body.

With a flushed face, Harline pulled her shirt down her thighs. "Okay, I get it. I'll just... shut up now..."

"Um, Catrine?" Yamakaze uttered. "Have you seen Tori inside the lab? I figured she might want to tag along, but she isn't responding to my messages."

"No, I didn't see her."

"What about Akigumo?"

"She isn't there either. Maybe they went out together?"

"Probably. Tori never leaves the museum alone."

Catrine smiled, glancing at her forearm terminal. "Well, if we're done here, let's head to the docks."

Once the battleships made their return, the group boarded a Peacekeeper patrol boat and headed to the island directly north of Elena. As they made their approach to the island's eastern bay, one of the famed ashen whirlpools came into sight. Tourists dotted the entire length of the charcoal-colored whirlpool, either letting themselves get carried away by slow-moving currents or gliding across the waves as if they were fleet girls. Meanwhile, cottages and restaurants lined up the beach area, only stopping before an otherworld shipwreck near the end of the coastline.

"This place looks fun..." Hatsuyuki said, leaning on the railguard. "Like a small amusement park."

"Um," Inazuma uttered, adjusting her glasses, "are you guys really sure it's safe for them to swim there?"

"Of course," Catrine said, "from the whirlpool's eccentric physics to the water's chemical composition, they made sure everything's up to standard here."

"But it still isn't safe," Yamakaze replied. "Especially when you have chrome pockets directly under those whirlpools."

"Chrome pockets?"

As the patrol boat came to a stop at the edge of the whirlpool, Yamakaze led the rest of them closer to the center of the whirlpool. "Just focus your gaze below and your eyes should be able to adjust and see it."

Inazuma kneeled on the water and did just that. A few seconds later, the darkness below her feet dissipated. "Wow, it's looks so beautiful down there. But the seafloor somehow looks so deep when we're this close to the shore..."

"Huh?" Yamakaze kneeled beside her. "Y-You can see... everything inside?"

"Yeah. Tall coral reefs, strange glowing fishes... and is that a ship's funnel? Oh, it is!"

"A-Amazing. Is it because you're different from ordinary Irregulars?"

"What about you, Yamakaze?"

"I can only see the topmost outlines of the reef through the darkness."

Inazuma leaned closer to the water's surface. "So this is a chrome pocket? It doesn't look like there's anything dangerous in—huh?" She saw a kimono-clad girl sitting on a giant clam. As the girl looked up to the surface, a chill ran down Inazuma's spine. "Y-Yamakaze, there's a humanoid Abyssal ship down there."

"An Abyssal ship? It's probably one of Tori's subordinates."

"Tori? You mentioned her before."

"She's in charge of monitoring the chrome pockets from the inside, as well as guarding them from potential threats."

"So that means Tori is also a—"

"Inazuma, under you!" Hatsuyuki cried.

Inazuma didn't even get the chance to react before she was dragged into the water by the ankles. As she looked down, she saw her abductor staring at her while swimming further into the depths.

"Now, now. Don't struggle. I only wish to borrow you for a bit."

Gritting her teeth, Inazuma summoned her core structure to free herself from the Abyssal ship's tentacle-like protrusions."What do you want from me?" she asked, aiming her forearm turret.

"My, how feisty! Just cooperate, will you? I'm sure it will be worth your time."

"Cooperate with what? Just tell me!"

"My friend is down there. I want you to meet her."

"Who's this friend of yours?"

"So many questions. I'm not really cut out for this sort of job." She smiled, eyes glowing a deep purple. "Oh, forget it. I'll just do this my way."

"What are you—" Inazuma detected another energy signature approaching behind her, prompting her to turn around. But just as she was about to fire her turret, the monstrous Abyssal familiar stopped in its tracks. "Wait...!"

"Oops. Made you look."

Another tentacle seized her by the waist and flung her straight to the seafloor. Still reeling from the impact, Inazuma quickly picked herself up from the ground and looked up with her turrets at the ready. She didn't follow me. What is she trying to do?

She then noticed a particularly bright-colored eel swimming past her, turning her attention to her surroundings. It felt like she had entered a fantasy underwater realm with all the glowing plants and fishes around her. As she had never experienced deep diving before, she could never tell if this phantasmagorical scenery was the norm when exploring underwater.

Her awe-induced trance ended as a glowing blue jellyfish bumped into her arm. She tried to nudge it away, but the jellyfish turned translucent, phasing through her hand. Bewildered, she tried grabbing its body, only to yield a similar result.

"That jellyfish can slip through dimensions when threatened. It's one of the many oddities you'll find in closed spaces like this one."

Inazuma turned towards the voice's direction and saw the same kimono-wearing Abyssal ship sitting on the hull of a fishing boat. The Abyssal girl propped her chin in her palms as Inazuma trained her turrets at her.

"Who are you?"

She blinked. "Tori."

"Tori? Are you Yamakaze's friend?"

"Friend?" She glanced to the side. "I'm not sure, but I am acquainted with her."

She lowered her turret. "An Abyssal submarine dragged me here. Are you also friends with—huh? Wait. Did you just...?"

"What is it?"

"You did it again! We're underwater, but I can hear you talk like we're on the surface!"

She tilted her head. "Why won't you try it?"

"What?! That doesn't make any—" She gasped. "I can talk! Wait, I can breathe too! What's going on? Is this because I'm an Irregular now or—"

"Water doesn't work the same way in spaces like this. So, you can breathe here."

"But this is just...!" She sighed. "I think I'll need a moment to process all this."

She leaned backwards, supporting herself with a single hand. "Sure."

She shoved the jellyfish away again. "So, um… Yamakaze told me you're the one monitoring these chrome pockets."

"Yes, at least most of them within our jurisdiction."

"So there are more of them out there? I thought they were made along with the spatial flux in the atmosphere."

"Chrome pockets are spaces that are spliced off from our world into a separate dimension."

"Spliced off?"

"Ordinary humans and fleet girls won't be able to see what's inside these spaces."

"But what if they tried to go inside?"

"They'll get eaten by the void, never to be seen again."

"It's that dangerous?!"

She blinked. "I jest. We Abyssals don't have that kind of power." She looked up, crossing her legs. "What they find there depends on the Abyssal ship who made them. They're usually filled with mines and other hazards for submarines."

"So Abyssals are the ones making these pockets?"

She paused. "Have you heard of Virulents?" When Inazuma nodded, she stood up. "They generate these spaces as a kind of ethereal field."

"Then they would have to maintain it somehow, right? What about this particular chrome pocket?"

"Some pockets like this one are generated from an abussionite of a fallen Virulent. But once the abussionite's mag-ions are exhausted, the pocket will cease to exist."

"I see. I wonder why they can make these spaces in the first place."

She blinked again. "That would be a lesson for another time."

"Oh..."

"By the way, have you calmed down yet?"

"Ah, yes. Thank you for—"

"Good." She unsheathed a short sword from her back. "Shall we start?"

"H-Huh? Start? What are you—"

Her eyes glowed a deep purple as she crouched into a stance. "What else is there to do among weapons of war like us?"

Inazuma summoned her mace and shield. "And here I thought you're different from the rest of them."

"Don't disappoint me now, Liberator's right-hand."