Chapter 3: Who's In Charge?
Unknown date, off the coast of Germany
"(coughs)… Where… the fuck… am I?"
The only response the person, who got here by some means he didn't want to think about yet, received was the rhythm of the gentle waves, along with the roar of engines from planes passing overhead, and the occasional explosion blasts from a beachhead further his sight.
Charles, now awake, let his instincts honed back at his time in the navy mixed with the frustrations of his almost certain death earlier get the better of him.
'Haah, fuck that battle! It wasn't even a battle, those Sirens weren't even taking us seriously! They only fired a few shells that damaged some of our ships and disabled some more modules, although the same goes with the air battles… their attempts were not to destroy us directly, seems like they're playing with our fleet! I guess I got their attention somehow, but yeah, the one named Strategist got serious in the end… if not for that experimental shielding, the retreating detachment of the fleet would really be in ruins, and, crap! I forgot to turn the carrier's shields on before that time! Almost cost our lives if not for those cubes... Wait, what did I say?…
Okay, stop that. What's done is done. First of all, I'm atop of what looks like a wreck of an abandoned destroyer, sinking, in the middle of the sea. I'm not sure if any of those are Sirens, but better be safe…'
"Wait, where's Lauren? Oh shit, shit, shit! Oy! Are you okay?", he now turns to his buddy not far off the wreck.
"(cough)… Haah… I'm still worthy of life! Heya… Charles. Tell me, have we busted some Siren ass earlier… I'm not in the afterlife, no? Charles! Where the fucking hell are we?!"
"Ren, I also don't know the answer, but we better get off this mess of a destroyer before it drags us both to the bottom of the ocean!"
"I have planks here! We can make a boat!"
"No time, we're gonna die before we finish that! Come on, grab one of those and swim to the beach!"
"Fuck this shit, I hope there isn't any sharks here!"
Yes, the blonde beauty with bluish irises blessed with an oh-so-sexy body that calls herself Charles' best friend, is afraid of sharks.
"Stop the jinx! If it comes true, I'll leave you! Hold on, why do you have weird attachments on your back?"
"Same goes with you… What the actual fuck? Oh, I see, let me try it out. So it works like this, eh? I wonder if it is loaded…"
As soon as Lauren says it though, two 400mm turret above her shoulders fired to the direction she was looking at, right to an Iron Blood artillery placement aiming at the other ships nearby, immediately destroying it.
And Charles, a bit shocked at what Lauren did, checked the mess his buddy did to the target, and he picks up German-like voices behind the now trashed placement.
"Hoh, I think you struck what appears to be an anti-ship artillery placement. Ooh… so they thought this destroyer was already sunk, huh? I guess for the first time here, we drew attention to us. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad news, but well, let's see if we can do what I think we can do now."
Charles checks the bridge of the now halfway flooded destroyer, and sees its name: USS Cassin, DD-43, Mass-Produced. Confirming the same hull number in its bow, he jumps off the ship, and as he jumps, he saw his reflection. Not of himself, but the 'stuff' attached to his body. He then experienced a miracle he never thought of: he can now walk on water.
"Ren, let's get the hell out of here. Let's try at the beach if we can remove or dismount these things on our backs. I don't want anyone else to see us with this. Also, I hope you remembered the damn countersigns of the navy during that time as well, since I'm not a history geek like you. And I know both of us handled M1s and Colt 1911s back at the academy, so let's try meeting up with the ground forces and help them win this war. I think what I'm planning to do would be tantamount to prison back home, but we're not, so let's make it work!"
"As you say, boss. You know you're my best shot at plans here."
They moved fast, undetected by weak Royal Navy radar due to their small size, except from the eyes of a certain coffee-blonde Royal Navy girl, who witnessed them from the deck of 'her' ship as they strode to the beach, before contacting someone else over her ship's radio.
Ashore, Charles thought of "disengaging" his rigging, as if hiding them from plain sight and keeping their shape and feel on the back of his mind, and seeing blue cubes form before disappearing from the fading rigging, he also told Lauren to do the same, and confirming that their riggings are stowed, they picked up two M1 Garand rifles and a Colt 1911 pistol from the soldiers dead from the earlier landings and loaded them with bullets, carrying dufflebags filled with first aid and ammunition and backpacks with provisions for prolonged survival.
Charles tapped on his Desert Eagle on his holster and the magazines at his left hip, and knowing his pistol is still loaded, the duo now moved to the cover of the forest, where their clothes, soaked with blood from their previous engagement, helped them blend to the colors of the environment.
"We got three tangos, 300 meters to the southwest. If we miss, the German-like soldiers will kill us, but… meh. Just like old times?", Charles told Lauren.
"Take the two on the right. I'll get the other. Y'know, it's been long since I last fired a rifle, but we've been classified as marksmen back at the drills, so I guess it won't hurt to aim at their necks," Lauren chuckled lightly before they moved near their prey.
"On three. One… two…"
BANG!
The three Iron Blood soldiers fall down lifelessly, their helmets as thin as a tin can in the face of the two.
"Hohohoho, I see I'm still THAT good, eh?"
Former Captain Lauren Mitchell, salutatorian of the 2048 naval academy graduates with Charles as their valedictorian. Best marksman, highest in physics, mathematics, and ship operations simulation during their field training, her commanding abilities are second to Charles, and her physique was almost on par with her buddy, whom she can only goof in front of after losing to him multiple times on physical training.
And former Commander Charles West, valedictorian of their class, was the strongest physically from the graduates, top at logic and strategic command during naval academy, and the only one in his class to fully complete the naval officer training course. His accuracy is just a bit below Lauren's, and the calmness he exudes even when faced with danger made him a remarkable cadet on their officers' perspectives.
"Shush now, we got five incoming, switch to your pistol, I don't want to draw more of them here," Charles said in a low voice, before adding, "although I agree with you. I guess video games were good for us after all."
The same tactic deployed, shots through the body littered the newcomers. They soon reached the German encampment they wrecked earlier, and their hopes flared up as soon as they saw a still-intact communications relay and a working radio.
"Ren, you know how to make that thing work?"
"You got it, boy. It's somehow similar to the old radio we had at the house, so it's sorta intuitive, I guess."
"Okay then. If we tune it to the right frequency and amplitude, to the unit nearest us, I'll take over."
Seeing her nod with his new plan, Charles sat a bit, rifle in hand, until…
"Charles, we got a friendly squad near us! They look like they're trying to assault another artillery post, and they're 750 meters to our south, but defenses are tight. They say the sector needs to be cleared out."
Charles picks up the radio and says, "This is Chief Gunner Charles West of the USS Cassin, or what's left of it. Me and my fellow here are just a few mikes away from your position. We'll provide assistance, how copy?"
"Oh hey there! You say there's just the two of you? Guns are different from cannons, you know? But yeah, we need all the help we can get here, we need to clear the positions for troop landings on the beach!" the squad leader screamed at his radio
"Okay, we're moving! Also, we blasted off one of the placements earlier before we left the ship, just so you know."
"So I have you to thank for taking that off our hands! Alright then, I'll trust your hands, sailor! Once you're on a bit tall cliff face, use the callsign 'Star' and we'll counter with 'Texas', alright?... (static)…"
After dropping the radio and destroying it, they moved towards the cliff, and successful with the regrouping, the two now meet with the Eagle Union squad led by Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, who was as shocked as his squad was in seeing a woman covered in blood and carrying their equipment with confidence and ease. As soon as they finish discussing infiltration plans, had the two of them carry the detonators while two more from the squad had the explosives.
The four now went into a position just a few feet from the artillery position. Covered in bushes, the four looked into each other and nodding off, before crawling further until they reached what looks like an operations outpost. They placed one explosive under the table and moved away right before an Iron Blood soldier returns to operating the table.
Stacks of what look like ammo boxes beside some oil barrels were the next target of the crew, timing their movements with the patrols, before planting the last explosive on the underside of the 102mm cannon, taking out the sleeping spotter. Moments later, they press down on the detonators, before checking on the damage and regrouping with the squad, as they radioed the fleet that the placements were down and troop reinforcements can now be sent.
"Good job, men! Sailors, thank you for your aid. I'd say I want to meet you once after we're done with this war back at the mainland. Also, I'll escort you to the boat at the sea which will take you to USS Langley, Admiral Martin wants to talk to you."
"Got it. Thanks, Sarge."
The two returned to the beach where a patrol boat was waiting for them, and as soon as they were on board, the boat sped towards the flat-top ship.
Inside the boat, the two talked on what they would do next.
"Ren, let's see what we have here. What date is it on you?"
"It's November 8, 1942. Wait, why do I get a feeling I had sort of an onboard computer in my mind?"
"I get the same feeling, but yeah, I'm reading the same date. Okay, we're just a month before World War 2 in the Pacific starts in this world, and I don't want to reveal our hand yet to the Navy of this time. I doubt they'll try to keep us alive."
"I didn't wish to live for us to die as lab rats, so yeah, let's do just that."
Fifteen minutes later, they got aboard the Langley and was led to Admiral Scott McCall, occupying what looks like the captain's office.
"Sir!" the two saluted as the eyes of the veteran sailor fell to his emerald eyes, before turning to Lauren's sapphire ones.
"At ease, lad and lady, although I admit, I'm still surprised a fine woman like you helped our gunner here blast those fucks to kingdom come. You dreamt of serving the Union, young miss?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Ooh, well I have a job to offer you. Gunner West, I'm hereby promoting you to the rank of Fleet Commander. And what's your name, milady?"
"Sir, Lauren Mitchell, sir!"
"Alright Miss Mitchell, you're also promoted as Commander West's executive officer due to your courageous efforts earlier. Haah… I thought I lost all the crew of that boat there, and we're almost weeping out here because if not for that hell of a shot you did, we're stuck in here until the Royal Navy battleships blast the fuck out of that mountain. I'm sure you didn't notice earlier, but that mass-produced destroyer you were on was the last of our gunboat out here. Now, I'll take a photo of you two and attach it to the reassignment order I have for you two."
"Sir, permission to talk, sir!"
"What is it, commander?"
"Sir, with all due respect, I appreciate the promotion, but where will the fleet I should command be?"
"Gentlemen, seal the door as you get out. This one's for their eyes and ears only."
The sailors guarding the door went out and closed the room with them after hearing the Admiral's orders.
"Right, right. I forgot. I'd say they should speed up memory research already… Anyways, sorry for that commander. You'll be commanding the fleet under the joint organization of the world's most powerful navies. This hasn't leaked out in the public," the Admiral spoke as he draws out a folder from the drawer on the desk, before continuing, "but we have encountered some strange women who called themselves 'Sirens' after the Great War ended."
The look on the face of the two now showed a mix of confusion and rage as they saw in the photographs the trademark tentacles belonging to the siren present, Observer Alpha, giving out what looks like a cube.
"As you see, they reached out to the navy, through me, and before they left, they gave me a blue cube, and they called that a Wisdom Cube. They told me to let them see what sorts of miracles we can create by our own hands, or if humanity of this time will fail defeating them 'again'. And right then, all of us started scanning the cubes, and when we brought it to a shipyard, a new ship manifested with it, but what was different was that a girl, no, a woman, went together with the ship. We then tested their capabilities, and it turned out the 'shipgirls' exercise control over the ship they appeared with. And that they're really powerful, in a physical sense.
So here's the deal, commander. You'll be leading the shipgirls under the Union, and continue shipgirl and cube research. I also give you the authority to order attacks that threaten the shipgirls or your base of operations, especially if the threat of these Sirens become real. Speaking of, we have two operational bases for the shipgirls, one at the coast of Greenland and another in the Pacific. So there we have it. Both of you, welcome to the Azur Lane Command. I look forward to working with you two as the Eagle Union representative."
"Sir, yes, sir!" Charles and Lauren both answered at the same time.
"Good. I have a briefcase here with relevant files, so read all of them, information might help us win against the Sirens. Also, have you met the shipgirl of this carrier? If you haven't yet, get the bunks at the room to the end of the corridor from the ladder two floors below the hangar bay. She'll be in there, and you'll be roommates for the duration of our trip. The sailors will return to the Union homeland, before we depart with a few more trusted ones to the Greenland base."
The two, after saluting to the admiral before leaving the floor and going to their designated room, was met with a green-haired short woman wearing glasses.
"Oh, so you two are our first commanding officers? I'll be looking forward to sorties, okay?"
Charles, a bit confused now, spoke for Lauren, "W-well yeah, I guess. How did you know though? And I presume you're Langley, miss?"
Langley replied, "the admiral was talking about that surprise attack against the Iron Blood earlier, telling me, 'those two would be good additions to our anti-Siren capabilities! Ha-ha-ha!' but doesn't matter. I guess that briefcase also contains research about us, right? Better read it as soon as you can. I got a bad feeling with this trip to the base, better talk to Scott about it," before leaving the room, apparently heading to the captain's quarters where the admiral is still in.
The two, now left more confused and alone in the room, now went to read about this world and their new assignment.
'Okay, so Azur Lane is a multinational effort in shipgirl and cube research advancements, and also serves as an anti-Siren unit. Hmm… a conductive matrix containing varied amounts of cubes beside a small dockyard for shipgirl manifestation to succeed… it is still unidentified why ships manifest with women that has a stable rate of metabolism despite aging for five years… cubes can be disassembled to form a shard, and shards can still form cubes as long as they come from the same source… unidentified energy signatures present inside cubes… shipgirls possess human features as per x-ray, where the cube lies in their physiology is not known… Eagle Union aircraft carrier manifested with Sakura Empire designs… Sakura Empire cruiser manifested with Eagle Union technology… Royal Navy battleship mounted with Iron Blood turret designs… Iron Blood destroyer equipped with Royal Navy hull layout… efforts of Dragon Empery and Northern Parliament in cube research not shared… it is still unclear whether these are the final form of the shipgirls… both Royal Navy and Eagle Union continue manning the ships with crew… so there's a lot going on here…'
Charles, done with reading the stack of papers and folders from the briefcase, now turns to Lauren to share what he gathered.
"Phew. Ren, listen. I know you're not the type to read very much, but here. Everything in this world except for shipgirls, the countries, and maybe future events are the same as with ours. World War 1 was done a few decades ago as I thought, and countries in this world are divided into the Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Iron Blood, Sakura Empire, Dragon Empery, and the Northern Parliament, along with other neutral states as well. I guess from the names, you can figure out what countries are which. The shipgirls here come from Wisdom Cubes, which I guess was the same cube we got during that battle which brought us here and gave us the rigging. The cubes can be broken into shards and form from them again, and yeah, I guess I'll be the first-ever male ship manifestation… or fusion, to be exact. Also, we'll battle the Sirens again here, and we should make sure this world doesn't suffer from our earlier mistakes."
Lauren, immediately understanding his layman translation of the whole briefcase, nods and gives him her 'okay, got it' look.
They now enjoy the amenities inside the carrier, and the duo enjoyed the company of the sailors, minus one incident where Lauren beat the sailors in almost every physical exercise, which Admiral McCall found entertaining and did not bother stopping the rumors of a new female navy officer stronger than them, which is true, except when she squared off with Charles on the same course of activities.
November 21, 1942 05:00
A few miles off Greenland
A few days earlier, they dropped off the sailors back at the Union mainland, and now, the three of them set into the bridge of the Langley as they look to the early morning horizon and spotting the small base, which has an unusually large amount of flak, tracer rounds, and smoke. Knowing what was occurring, the three now move into the radio only to be met with Langley over the communications post.
"(static)… This is Azur Lane Atlantic Command, does anyone read, over?!"
"Command, this is Admiral Scott McCall, give me a sitrep, how copy?"
"Sir! We're under attack!"
"Langley, send your planes for airspace control and anti-ship attacks. How did it happen, soldier?"
"Sir, we brought a critical piece of intelligence from the Crimson Axis! Our spies managed to reach the base, but they never saw the Kriegsmarine fleet tailing them! They now knew the location of the base? What should we do?"
"Listen up! Place all classified documents to a briefcase then bring it with you and hold your position. Burn the rest. We're using the Langley for evacuations. Make sure you get control over the docks to the south side of the base!"
"Yes sir! Everyone, hold your positions then push for the southern docks! Langley will be here any moment!"
"Where are the shipgirls?"
"Sir, they were sent to the canal for passage to Pearl Harbor! We received an order saying so!"
"Okay, I'll call you back when we deem it safe for boarding. Hold tight! Over and out."
After the radio calls, Charles came up with a solution.
"Langley! Can you lend me one of your planes? Let me shoot down these fucking Luftwaffe. Also, allow Ren to man the 50mm below."
"Fine. Make sure that returns in one piece, okay? And… don't dare die on us, commander."
"Roger that. Have it the next to deploy in the rear elevator. I'll hop in before it reaches the deck."
Ren hurried to the only battery in the carrier, while Charles ran towards the hangar bay and finding the now-ready F2F Gulfhawk, he carried a parachute before getting into the cockpit and starting pre-flight checks, finishing just before the rear elevator lifts the pane to the flight deck.
He then throttles the engines for short-distance take-off, and realizing he cleared the flight deck, he now heads toward the burning base.
"Langley to Commander… do you copy?"
Charles, forgetting that radios still operate in these kinds of planes, replied, "Uh, yes. I'm on the air now, and I'd say we need to hurry, they're bombing the hell out of our base! Can you soften the ships up?"
"Uhh… wait. Okay, I'll be launching bombers and torpedo bombers to the Iron Blood ships. They're away… All right, I scored hits on all but four. Ren has just scored piercing shots on their superstructures. Everything else is sinking. Can you finish them off?"
"Wow, nice hits! I can see the ships sinking fast! Let's do it!"
Charles timed the reload of the enemy ships' forward batteries, and matching it with the shells loaded on the turrets, fired one rocket towards each, immediately causing the battery, and the magazine to explode, which tore the ships' bows apart.
He then proceeded to a dogfight with the confused Iron Blood pilots, taking them down easily. As soon as he ensures air superiority over the base, he moves the plane to land back to the carrier, which was now on its way loading evacuating base personnel, a few important equipment, and dead bodies back at the docks, he noted the fading red shine of the now-sunk Iron Blood ships.
Langley, helping herself to the secure Azur Lane channel, started broadcasting, "all Eagle Union and Royal Navy units nearby, please relay to your teams, this is USS Langley. Atlantic Command was attacked by the Crimson Axis and is now destroyed. I repeat, Atlantic Command is now destroyed."
November 22, 1942 09:00
Somewhere in the North Atlantic Ocean
The base now scuttled and destroyed for good, the carrier now made its way back into Eagle Union waters to unload the personnel whose base was no longer existent.
"Haah… that was one good base, now gone forever. That leaves us with one, and I hope the Sakura doesn't know the base, or if they do, at least the have not bombed it to smithereens because the intel we obtained from the Crimson Axis mentioned a possible attack at the Pacific, precisely because the Sakura has officially joined them." Admiral McCall sighed at the loss of property, before telling Langley to steam towards Pearl Harbor after confirming that no one ordered Union ships from Atlantic Command to retreat to the naval base there. Returning his gaze to Charles, now seated in front of him, he continued.
"And commander, sorry for allowing you to see such state for your first weeks into the alliance. I have just confirmed from the navy that there was no order for the shipgirls to vacate the base. Have you noticed anything out of place during the attack?"
The admiral hinting at the exact thing running in his mind, Charles answered, "A lot, sir. Their planes and ships are manned. They did not send shipgirls for eliminating a valuable information carrier. Also, they weren't attempting to capture the base or take down the spy, but rather they put their forces into destroying it. I think they did not expect our arrival, as we did not notify anyone of it, I guess. That means the Iron Blood have a way into our communications system, and they might be the ones who spoofed the order. Either they wanted Azur Lane control over the Atlantic fade, or they're pushing us into one hell of a trap at the Pacific with the Sakura, sir."
"They're mass-produced ships to avoid interference with shipgirl control over her own, I guess. We also have them, only one copy each ship. The originals are with the ladies, except for carriers like Langley. Hmm… I'll have the rest of the allied forces change frequencies and amplitudes for communications. I also confirmed a decoded message from our Sakura Empire agent that an attack at Pacific Command is imminent," the admiral replies after agreeing with Charles' inference.
However, before he got up from his chair, he gave him a warning.
"Oh, before we head to Pearl Harbor, the representatives of the Royal Navy would steam with us until we reach the Mediterranean latitude. In short, they want to meet you, commander. I don't know what they want with you, though, and I'd say they're too confident on their shoreline defenses against the Iron Blood especially we're in the middle of another world war. I hope you're still sane after meeting them, though."
"I would be grateful to meet them, but why the long face, admiral?" Charles asked, unsure what the warning was for.
"You probably know this, but the shipgirls of the Royal Navy are, how should I say it, their own monarchy? They treat the Admiralty as advisers, and they only act with approval of their leader. I am not sure why they joined us, either, but I guess it's better than them allying with the Crimson Axis." Admiral Scott answered.
"Whoa. I never knew of it. What about our own at the Union?"
"Well, they didn't like their commanders back in the navy, so I had to pull strings just to move them to us at Azur Lane. However, when I'm not around, they usually form ragtag bunches and wander around."
"They probably hate you now for that order, sir. Pearl Harbor, both of us know it, would be a lot of sailors. I can see our shipgirls blasting the crap off any sailor trying to check their ships."
"I don't know about that, since we have a separate area for them inside the base, with a few docks, a lab, and a small dormitory. With their numbers, though, I just hope no one upsets them for taking over a few dock spaces beside the facility."
The two chatting with each other did not notice Langley entering the room.
"Gentlemen, although I appreciate your friendliness with one another, I'd like to notify you that our visitors have arrived and are now running at the same speed beside us."
"Crap, Langley, hide me in a barrel!"
"No, admiral. You shall face them properly this time. Although I'm uncertain about your blood pressure, so I'll bring you to the sick bay. Good luck, commander."
Langley now closing the door and pulling the limp admiral to the sick bay, Charles was left nervous at the room until he heard a knock a few minutes later.
"Who is it?"
"Is Azur Lane Commander Charles West inside?"
"The door's open, help yourselves inside."
As soon as the door opens, his eyes went wide as a coffee-blonde haired woman whose beauty screams 'British women are HOT!' on Charles' standards enter the room, along with a white-haired lady wearing a maid outfit that's shy on hiding her ample chest.
"Ahem… good afternoon, ladies. I am Charles West, recently designated commander of the Azur Lane naval forces. To whom do I owe the pleasure?"
"I am the Royal Navy battlecruiser Hood, milord. Together with me would be Belfast, head of our special division, the Royal Maid Squad. I hope we can be acquainted before we part ways, Commander West," the woman named Hood said as she shook his hand tightly and as she does, a tingling sensation confirming her suspicions weeks ago surged through her body.
"I am Belfast, commander. Glad to be of service," the maid gives a curtsy with Charles returning the respect with a bow.
"Please be my guests, then. I hope the seas are looking fair back on your home front."
"They got us once, commander. They took one of our observation posts int the channel, but hopefully we've reinforced it to avoid such dangers again. With regards to danger, milord, how did you do?"
"Well, we had to scuttle our Atlantic base due to a recent Iron Blood attack."
"We've heard of that, milord. But I am not referring to that. I'm talking about your bravery during the landings at the Northern Iron Blood territory… ufufufu ~"
Charles, now aware of what she's talking about, decided to play along. "Well, I never thought we'd pull it up with that destroyer. What can I say except that was a lucky shot?"
Belfast interjected with their conversation, and decides to whisper his secret on his ears, "both of us were on that battle, commander. And we saw the things strapped to your backs. Are you a Siren, no, probably…"
Charles, now nervous as hell as sweat falls from his head, replies unsteadily, "I-I don't know what you're talking about… ha-ha-ha… oh, maybe that was the bag containing our provisions, I guess…"
"Oh, milord. I'd say that was a peculiar bag! A rotating antenna above what looks like an island for a carrier, with what I think were lots of turrets mounted on plates, and you had a flight deck-like structure to your waist, and to top it off, you got shoes that allowed you to stride over water! What a nice bag it would be, commander ~" Hood blurted out the words that nearly described his rigging with ease.
"We were there, commander. You may have been able to lead the admiral away from that 'incident' but you can't lie to us, commander. Not if we come from Her Majesty's Naval Forces," Belfast stopped his attempt to divert the question at hand.
"Now, milord… care to explain?" Hood, now giving him a look that seems to pierce his soul and accompanied with a sadistic grin, asked him.
Charles, left without avenues of escape, thought, 'now I understand why he's afraid of the Royal Navy shipgirls… Better be on their good side, especially with these two.'
He was about to spill his and Lauren's true identities, when…
"Haah, I love normal blood pressures! Oh, commander, thank you for entertaining our guests, but I guess I better join you, a few hours from now and we'll approach these girls' destination! Well commander, get Lauren and head to the dining area below, and have Langley accompany you."
Admiral McCall, who just rested at the sick bay, came running to the office after confirming the absence of a small, golden-haired lady to meet their representatives, not wary of the talks the three in the room had before he barged in.
"Thank you, admiral. Ladies, I better eat now, healthy bodies are kept that way with proper eating, after all." Charles spoke as he hurried out of the room.
"Apologies, admiral. I was still quite in a story with the commander, although I appreciate the company. Can you tell us what transpired earlier? We also received the call but you beat us to it, I guess," Hood now turns to the admiral.
Charles, now met up with Lauren, told her what happened with the two Royal Navy shipgirls.
"Ren, I think they saw us back at our first battle here in this world. From their reactions, I'd say they have an inkling as to what we are."
"No shit, it's my fault… if I didn't fire those turrets behind me, I guess we're still lowly grunts, no? Just don't give out the entirety of our identities, it would probably help us in the long run."
"No, I guess it's our fault we didn't move off that destroyer immediately."
Langley, overhearing the two as she hid in the corner of a corridor, gasped with what the two seems to hide, but nonetheless played dumb as she came out of hiding.
"Oh, it's you two. Let's go grab lunch."
"H-hey, Langley, how long were you there?"
"I just came down seconds ago. Is there any problem?"
"No, not really. Let's go."
The same feeling Hood got earlier was the same as with Langley two weeks ago, to be precise. It was a feeling that the person in front of them has attained an even greater power only those similar to them were supposed to achieve. During her first mission, she was lucky to escape from one, and she knew the aura those witches possessed. That was why she was wary of the two, but the more their interactions became more frequent, the more she felt the two weren't of Siren in origin. This proved to her that somehow, these two were like her, but also different. Her curiosity now greater than what she wanted, she swore to herself to gather more information on how they achieved 'that' state. And her efforts won't be revealed, yet.
It was now evening, and the two ladies from the Royal Navy decided that it would be a good time to part ways. Their ships, HMS Hood and HMS Belfast, drew closer to the carrier, as Charles saw them off.
"Well, I want to tell you this won't be the last time we'll meet, Commander Charles West. Pray to all gods you know, this won't be the last time we're getting the answer we deserve from our inquiry earlier. And rejoice, we'll bring MORE OF US the next opportunity we'll have of meeting you. Please tell the admiral and Langley our gratitude for their hospitality. See you soon, milord ~" Hood said as she jumped off the flight deck of the carrier into the deck of her own ship.
Belfast spoke after Hood jumped, "I'll have to warn you, Master West, what Miss Hood spoke of was true. If we need more people to give us the truth we seek as shipgirls, we'll come with full force. And yes, I believe it will be sooner than you think it will. Now excuse me, master. I still have a duty to fulfill."
Charles, shocked and confused with their statements, asked, "how can you say so? No one can predict the future."
"Call it a maid's intuition, master," Belfast answered before she jumps to her ship and the two now away, Charles just muttered to himself as he saw the two ships steam away, 'who's actually in charge?!'
Woohoo! Longest chapter so far, guys! And more so, our lovely shipfus Hood-sama and Belfast-sama is here! As much as I want to see them battling, I'm afraid it would take a chapter to do so.
[Edit - 4/02/2020 #1] Also, to answer one review that kinda piqued my interest, from user Overtale, the answer is: well, I wrote him carrying the DEagle before his voyage to the battle in the previous chapter. It was of course not used during that event, and I thought, after assembling the outline for the next chapter, I'll let the gun be in his possession. What happened was not really a usual isekai for both of them, so I'd rather keep the gun with him, as I had, and will have, uses for that pistol in this story.
[Edit - 4/02/2020 #2] And my take with starburst98's review: I had a hard time figuring out where to place their introductions, so I was thinking of gradually introducing them across the chapters to not start off like most of the AL fics out there. And to your last question, well I wanted the scheming side of the Sirens from canon into the story, so I wrote them like that, our villains playing our little commander in the palm of their hands.
Anyways, thank you so much for reading this fic! Again, I'm encouraging you guys to drop your reviews, suggestions, or questions, if any! Hold your horses, and be healthy and safe! See you in the next chapter!