The day of the sortie had arrived.

Drake stood at the docks, staring up at the sleek, black ship that would take him and his fleet out towards the objective, designated 'Point R.' The ship's name was the Espiritu Santo, and it was a super jet cruiser, a special type of ship created with similar technology to the bullet train and made specifically for deploying ship girls. Since both the US and Japanese navies worked together to develop her and her sisters, the ship didn't belong to one country in particular. Basically, her main purpose was to carry ship girls and their gear to a set location at a very high speed, drop them off, then retreat to safety. Super jet cruisers lacked any sort of guns and armor in order to keep them light and fast, but that also made them vulnerable to enemy attacks, so they had to be kept away from the battlefield.

Luckily, the Espiritu Santo did have an advanced radar system and a decent sonar aboard which would allow Drake to keep a close eye on the battle even from afar, so he wouldn't have to just send his fleet out there and hope for the best. It was also fortunate that he was far away from the action because of his own fears. After Tangier, he was unsure if he would be able to face the Abyssals again, so he was glad that this time, he didn't have to be in the thick of it.

But if there's one thing I don't want to miss… I want to watch those Abyssals suffer. I want them to suffer, just like we did at Tangier…

"All preparations are ready, sir," the captain of the ship said in Japanese, breaking Drake out of his dark thoughts. He was an IJN sailor with a wrinkled face and a crisp uniform. "We may set sail whenever you are ready."

"Good, thank you," Drake replied, also in Japanese. He found that he didn't need to use Japanese as much as he thought he would when he first came to the base, so it was good to get some practice in whenever he could.

"Admiral," Kaga called out as she walked over. "The fleet is ready to depart as well."

Drake nodded, then turned to the captain. "We'll head out to the rendezvous point now and wait on standby until Fleet Admiral Miiro gives the order to commence the operation."

The captain saluted and headed inside the ship. The fleet's rigging was already inside the belly of the ship, so all that was left was for Drake and his ship girls to board. There would also be some IJN sailors on board to assist the rear admiral if he needed anything, but in general, the operation would just be up to Drake and his fleet. He had already developed a battle plan and made sure the fleet memorized it, and over the past week, he added a few things to his training program to make sure that the fleet was ready.

Firstly, Drake had to ensure that the Sixth Fleet would be physically ready for combat. When he first had them partake in his training, they had run into the same problems the Fifth Fleet had, and the more outspoken girls like Zuikaku and Suzuya made it clear that they were not happy at all with his program. However, the Fifth Fleet was in no mood to allow the new members to slack off, especially since the Fifth Fleet had to go through the same exact training already. Thanks to them, Drake managed to whip the Sixth Fleet into fighting form, and now they were fairly competent in CQC and fleet maneuvers as well.

Drake also added a couple things that were new for everyone, one of which was having the ship girls fight against each other. Now that he had more ships, Drake could have them train against each other in more creative ways. At first he just had the Fifth Fleet and Sixth Fleet face off, but soon he changed it up in order to practice various scenarios and fleet maneuvers. For example, one day he had 'everyone versus the carriers,' and another day he made the capital ships try and hunt down the smaller light cruisers and destroyers.

The second addition to his training program was more of a mental sort of training. Since the ship girls would be up against an unfamiliar enemy, Drake wanted to make sure that they had all the possible information on the Abyssals available to them. Therefore, he held a sort of 'class' about the Abyssal weapons, strategies, and ship types. He also made the fleet take a test on the material afterwards, which again annoyed some of his ship girls, but it was for the best. Drake firmly believed that knowledge is the most important part of the battle, and a lack of knowledge about enemy positions and capabilities was the primary reason why the NATO fleet was destroyed at Tangier.

Finally, there was also the question of who would be the Sixth Fleet's flagship. Although he himself would have overall command and Kaga would still be second only to him, Drake knew he had to select someone to lead his second fleet for future sorties where the two fleets needed to be split up. His battle plan for this sortie also required that the fleets be divided, so he needed someone to command the other portion of the fleet while Kaga was away. Ultimately, he had decided on Shoukaku, the white-haired carrier. She seemed responsible and level-headed, and she was also a good fighter, as she demonstrated during training. Though she didn't show it the same way her sister did, Shoukaku also felt that she had something to prove because of what happened in the past, especially since she was the one who received the most damage at the Battle of the Coral Sea. However, instead of talking back to Kaga like Zuikaku did, Shoukaku showed her dissatisfaction by training harder and fiercer than anybody else. Although Shoukaku was kind and gentle on the surface, during training, her hazel eyes lit up with silent fury, and she shot her aircraft bow with determined strength and precision.

With all that said and done with, Drake was confident that his fleet could handle the upcoming sortie. The airfield he was being sent to destroy wasn't even fully completed yet, so it wouldn't be able to launch Abyssal aircraft. However, he was sure that the Abyssals had shored up formidable defenses around the island after the Sasebo expedition. That foray into Abyssal territory ensured that the aquatic aliens knew that the ship girls were coming, and that they would be prepared to repulse invaders.

Still, we already know their approximate strength and the types of Abyssal craft that will be there, so even if they're be on high alert, we still hold the advantage.

Drake stood out on the deck of the Espiritu Santo as the ship cut through the waves and headed towards the rendezvous point. The sea wind was strong, and it almost blew his officer's cap off his head.

"All fleets are cleared to deploy to their respective targets," Nagato's voice suddenly sounded in the small earpiece that Drake wore.

His fleet (as well as all the other fleets) also had a copy of the earpiece, so they all got the message too. Drake then pulled out the earpiece and changed the settings so that he was now on the frequency specific to the Fifth and Sixth Fleets, and as discussed beforehand, the rest of his fleet should be doing the same below decks. This would allow him to speak to his fleet in case he needed to make changes during the battle, and it would also let his ship girls communicate with him and each other in case they got separated.

The rear admiral headed down towards the ready room where the ship girls' rigging was stored. There he found the members of his fleet milling around, waiting for the large bay door to open and signal the beginning of the sortie. Twelve rigging stations sat stationary behind them, prepared to deploy at any moment. The girls themselves were simply lounging around in the waiting area, some of them seated silently on the white couches and others talking among themselves.

"Admiral," Kaga saluted, standing up as Drake entered. "Any further orders before we sortie?"

"Not really. Just stick to the plan until I say otherwise."

Kaga nodded as she sat back down, her blank face masking her emotions.

"Admiral! Are we going to fight a night battle?" Sendai excitedly asked as she bounded over to her commanding officer.

"It's only about ten in the morning, so no, probably not," Drake replied, wondering why he even needed to answer that.

"Seriously?! Why did the operation have to be this early!"

"Stop complaining," Amatsukaze interjected. "I'd suggest you just shut up and do your job like the rest of us."

"You little -"

"Can you two be serious for once?" Drake interrupted. "This is a real sortie. If you distract yourselves for even one moment, you could end up dead."

The two rowdy ship girls apologized, but not before exchanging heated glares with each other. Drake sighed to himself, hoping that they would take his words to heart. The Abyssals were not an enemy to be taken lightly, so internal conflict could be a death sentence.

Akagi apparently had the same thoughts as she came up to Drake.

"Admiral. About the battle plan… I don't think it is wise to split up the carriers the way you did," she said, her golden eyes disapproving.

Drake frowned. "You mean putting Kaga and Zuikaku in the same group?"

"Yes. You know they don't like each other."

"And so this is the perfect opportunity for them to get over that," Drake countered. "If they work together to defeat a common enemy, maybe they can finally see each other as equals."

"But what if they can't work together? Even in the practice maneuvers we do in training, Kaga and Zuikaku don't have very good chemistry."

"That's practice. This is the real thing. They will work together, or they will sink," Drake simply stated. "The threat of death can get even the worst of enemies to work together. This is the fastest and most efficient way to help the two of them get over their problems."

Akagi was unhappy. "It's too risky. Maybe it would be better to take it slow."

"Maybe. But I'm the Admiral and you're not, so I get to make the decisions."

That clearly pissed her off.

"... That may be true. But be warned that no one here is particularly fond of you or your country. Don't give us any more reasons to dislike you."

Drake sighed once again as Akagi stalked off. Ah, well, if they follow my orders, I don't really care. I'm not here to make friends with my soldiers, after all.

The occupants of the waiting room then felt the boat slow to a stop, and the captain's voice sounded through the loudspeakers:

"The rendezvous point has been reached, and the fleet has been given the all-clear signal from Fleet Admiral Miiro. As per orders, the doors to the holding area will now open."

Sure enough, the bay door slid downwards, revealing the shining surface of the open ocean. The atmosphere in the room immediately turned tense, and the ship girls all moved to their riggings with stiff seriousness.

"All right, then," Drake called out as he shot his fleet a lazy salute. "Good luck. I'll be in touch."

"Wait!"

Drake and his fleet turned around to see an IJN sailor sprinting down the stairs and into the room. He rested his hands on his knees as he hunched over and tried to catch his breath, and a camera dangled from his neck.

"Can I help you?" Drake asked in Japanese, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, sorry," the sailor said, holding up his camera, "but I was given orders to take your picture with your fleet before you depart."

"Huh?" Drake was never a big fan of stopping for pictures.

"Sorry," the sailor apologized again, but it was clear that he wouldn't leave until they let him take their picture.

Drake sighed for the third time. "Fine. Everyone, get over here. We need to get our picture taken."

The girls jostled each other as they tried to get into position and fit into the picture. The sailor told Drake and Kaga to stand in the center.

"All right, smile!"

The flash went off, and the sailor viewed the image on his camera with a confused frown.

"On second thought, don't smile if you don't want to," he then said, probably having noticed Drake and Kaga's awful attempts. "One last picture! Three, two, one…"

The flash went off again, and the sailor gave the group a thumbs up after checking the image.

Drake turned to his fleet. "Okay, now you can go."

A minute later, the twelve ship girls were out on the ocean and on their way towards the target.

Kaga scanned the blue waves, dutifully searching for any disturbances that may indicate a scouting Abyssal submarine. She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary as she sailed forwards at the head of the combined fleet, but she also knew that one could never be too cautious. If her experience at Midway had taught her anything, it was to always expect to be surprised.

"Are you all right?" Akagi asked, her golden orbs tinged with slight worry.

"Hm…? I'm fine," Kaga responded in her trademark monotone manner.

"You're not nervous?"

"I've got no reason to be. I trust the Admiral to know what he's doing, and we've trained rigorously for this very moment."

Akagi was silent for a bit before she spoke up again. "Are you sure you'll be all right? With Zuikaku, I mean."

Kaga's lips curled slightly downward. "As long as she doesn't get in my way."

"You two should try to get along, at least for this mission. Arguing with each other could cause you to get hurt."

"Tell Zuikaku that, not me," Kaga said, her voice taking on a hint of annoyance.

"Umm… Excuse me," Haruna interrupted, sailing in between the two carriers. "I think we're approaching the target. Should we get into formation?"

"Yes, please do," Kaga replied, frustrated that she got distracted by her conversation with Akagi.

As they sailed forward, the combined fleet split into two parts. The first fleet was composed of Kaga, Zuikaku, Yahagi, and Fubuki. This fleet would be a sort of surprise striking force, with Kaga and Zuikaku at the center and Yahagi and Fubuki sent along for escort purposes in the unlikely event that they ran into enemies. Their job was to sail in a wide arc around the island and position themselves behind the airfield, undetected by the enemy. They would then wait there until their admiral gave the signal to launch their planes.

The rest of the fleet would be led by Shoukaku, and although they were technically the main force, they would serve as more of a distraction. They would launch an attack on the island simply by charging in and drawing all the attention, allowing Kaga's group to slip by and flank the enemy. Akagi and Shoukaku would start with a bombing run on the airfield and the abyssal fleet on guard. They would then hold out until Kaga and Zuikaku were in position. Though the job of this fleet would be more dangerous than Kaga's, they also had more firepower, especially in the case of Haruna, who would be at the front of the formation in order to dish out and take damage. According to the scouting report from Sasebo, the enemy only had one battleship at this position, so Drake assumed that his fleet wasn't at any great risk of being outgunned.

"All right, we will be heading to our position," Kaga announced as she grouped together with the three other ship girls in her fleet. "Shoukaku, it is up to you to lead the rest of the fleet. Do not fail."

Shoukaku nodded as her sister and Kaga sailed off along with their escorts. She looked up at the sky briefly. Clear skies today… The bombers should have no trouble finding their targets.

"Launching planes!" she then called out, and she and Akagi notched their bows with an arrow, then let them fly.

The arrows sailed into the air for a couple seconds before exploding into a squadron of miniature dive bombers along with an escort of Zeroes for fighter protection. The plane squadrons, piloted by the mysterious creatures known as Fairies, circled around in the air as Shoukaku and Akagi launched a few more arrows. The formation of planes grew larger, and soon afterwards took off towards the direction of the island in a disciplined and orderly fashion.

After the planes had taken off, the fleet continued onwards in a sort of arrowhead formation. Haruna sailed at the tip of the arrow while the carriers, unable to do anything now that their planes had been launched, sat at the back. The remainder of the surface forces fanned out around Haruna, prepared to provide firing support for the battleship.

A few minutes later, the fleet made first contact with the Abyssals.

"Enemy spotted!" Haruna called out, her golden eyes narrowing as her big, 35.6 twin guns swivelled to take aim.

Shoukaku nodded to herself as the black shapes of the abyssals came into view. "All ships, open fire!"

A flurry of cannon fire rang out as six ships shot their guns almost simultaneously. In the distance, pillars of seawater exploded as the shells landed around the enemy fleet. It appeared as if most of the shots in the initial volley had missed, but that was to be expected. Besides, the main purpose of this fleet was to distract the abyssals, and since the enemy ships were now advancing on their position, the tactic appeared to have worked.

As her fleet continued to sail towards the enemy, Shoukaku was able to get a better look at the opposition. Six demonic, black, whale-looking things jumped in and out of the water as they charged at the ship girls, and Shoukaku recognized them as Ro-class destroyers. Behind them were six column-like figures that appeared to just be giant jaws with big white teeth and cannons jutting out from their bodies. These were Ho-class light cruisers. Behind them were a trio of pale-skinned women with glowing eyes. They carried black sticks with them, and they seemed to be wearing huge black helmets with cannons attached to them. Two of the Wo-class carriers hung back while one of them waved her stick and launched a squadron of sleek abyssal fighters and bombers from her helmet. Since she could remotely control where her planes would go and could keep tabs on them from afar, Shoukaku already knew that the reason why the other two Wo-class carriers didn't launch their own planes was because they were busy flying after her own.

Finally, there were a pair of Ru-class battleships, their giant cannons fixed on the position of the ship girls.

Shoukaku bit her lip nervously. There was only supposed to be one battleship…

The sound of cannons filled the air again, though this time, the Abyssals fired back. Most of their shots missed, but the abyssal aircraft were getting closer. The anti-air guns on Shoukaku's hips fired, appearing as puffs of white smoke in the sky. She frowned as she saw the planes simply fly past the anti-air fire.

"Brace for air attack!"

The fleet performed evasive maneuvers while simultaneously firing back at the Abyssals. All around them, the sea exploded as the black aircraft made their dives. As the enemy craft got closer to the sea's surface, Shoukaku was able to position her anti-air guns more accurately, allowing her to shoot down some of them. Luckily, the Wo-class carrier did not land any direct hits on anybody, but there were a few near misses.

"Augh, there's seawater in my eyes!" Amatsukaze called out as she rubbed at them after a bomb exploded dangerously close to her starboard side.

"Enemy fleet incoming!"

The Abyssals were now very close, and they were firing mercilessly. The enemy destroyers jumped in and out of the water like porpoises, firing their guns as they leapt into the air. The light cruisers fired from behind, and the battleships, which hung further back with the carriers, launched long-range projectiles which tore apart the sea wherever they hit.

A destroyer's shell bounced off Haruna's armor as the abyssal leapt into the air a few meters in front of her. Though it didn't do much damage, it still caused her to grunt in pain, and she returned the favor by crushing the destroyer with a savage kick to its stomach.

I guess that was quicker than having to position my guns towards it, she thought as she realized that her admiral's CQC training did have some use.

"Haruna! You need to do something about those battleships!" Sendai called out, wincing as one of their shells landed close by and drenched her in seawater.

"Yeah! The rest of us can't reach that far, and our guns wouldn't damage it anyway!" Amatsukaze cried out as she swerved to avoid a light cruiser's shell.

"Understood!" Haruna replied as another burst of water exploded beside her, soaking her uniform. But I didn't know there would be two of them… The carrier planes would be useful right now, but they're attacking the airfield and busy with the enemy aircraft…

Nevertheless, the Kongou-class battleship resolved herself to her task. Her mouth was set into a thin line as shells burst around her, and she attempted to take aim on one of the Ru-class ships with her 35.6 cm guns. However, just as she locked onto her target, a low whistle sounded in her ears, indicating an incoming shell. To her horror, she saw two shells from the enemy battleships heading towards her. Preparing herself, she stood her ground and fired her own shells, her cannons bursting.

Moments later, the first shell hit her, though due to her speed as a fast battleship, she was able to maneuver so that her rigging took the brunt of the hit. Though she avoided direct damage to her body, the impact of the shell on her left rigging caused her to tilt backwards and towards her portside, leaving her unable to avoid the second shell, which hit her hard in the stomach. With a pained gasp, Haruna was flung a few meters backwards as the shell made contact with her. She skipped along the surface of the ocean for a bit before weakly rising to her feet, her breathing labored.

"Haruna! Are you all right?!" Akagi called out.

"Guh… Haruna is… I am all right," the battleship assured her comrade as she tried to collect herself.

Though she had been hit, she was not out for good, and she coughed a couple times before surveying the damage. Her portside guns were completely trashed, and her main guns on her starboard side had been slightly bent from her hard impact on the ocean, rendering them mostly useless.

What bad luck… "Shoukaku! Akagi! My guns are finished! I can't fire on the battleships anymore!"

Shoukaku grimaced as she sailed over to Haruna to inspect her rigging. "I see… At least you managed to destroy one of them."

Haruna looked up towards the enemy fleet in surprise, and sure enough, flaming parts of one of the Ru-class battleships littered the ocean, the actual body presumably having slipped into the sea.

"It was a direct hit. Very nice," Akagi complimented. "Though we're now going to have to wait for our planes to return before we can attack the remaining battleship…"

Shoukaku turned her attention to the rest of the battle, which thankfully seemed to be going in their favor. Almost all the enemy destroyers had been sunk, and only half of the light cruisers remained. Aside from Haruna, everyone else in the fleet had only taken minor damage, so they had the advantage.

For now, at least. There's not much we can do that battleship, and things will become even more complicated if the Wo-class are able to recover their planes. It's a good thing that the airstrip we're attacking hasn't been finished yet, or else we would have to deal with land-based bombers as well.

Shoukaku was snapped out her thoughts as a shell from the enemy battleship hit the water right next to the three capital ships, sending a tower of seawater into the air and momentarily blinding and deafening them.

"Is everyone all right?" the white-haired carrier asked as the spray settled.

Akagi and Haruna nodded, and the rest of the fleet appeared to be undamaged as well.

"Everyone, watch out for the battleship's shells!" Shoukaku called out to the girls fighting on the front lines. "If one of those hits you, you'll sink for sure!"

Shoukaku frowned as she watched the battleship fire another shell into the air.

We just need to hold out a bit longer until our planes return, or Kaga and Zuikaku get into position…

"Are we there yet?"

Kaga shot Zuikaku a glare. "No."

"Well, how much longer?"

"... Can you please shut up?"

"The hell? What's your problem?"

"You're asking stupid questions, that's my problem. We will get there when we get there. If you bothered to pay attention during the briefing, you would have a better understanding of the distance to our destination."

"Seriously? Fuck you, then!"

"We should not fight among ourselves," Yahagi intervened, a bit hesitant about getting in between the two riled up carriers.

Fubuki nodded. "I agree. Can you two please try to get along?"

"I am being perfectly cordial. It is Zuikaku who continues to make such crude remarks."

"Well, if you weren't being an ass, I wouldn't have to!"

Yahagi and Fubuki sighed in unison as the two carriers refused to disengage their hostile behavior.

"I just wanted to know when we'll get there, that's all!" Zuikaku yelled. "Our comrades could be dying back there, so is it so wrong of me to want to speed this up?"

Kaga glared at her again. "That isn't the issue. Besides, our comrades are not 'dying back there.' The Admiral wouldn't have sent us away if Akagi and the others couldn't handle themselves on their own."

"Oh, the Admiral, huh? Because he cares so much about our well-being... Did you forget that the Americans are the ones who sunk us in the first place? Or are you just sucking him off now because he made the dumb decision of appointing you as Secretary?"

"I'm warning you, shut up!" Kaga finally snapped, her emotionless facade breaking.

"Please stop, you two!" Fubuki cried, though she knew it was futile.

"Kaga are you at the destination point yet? You're out of the range of my radar, so I can't tell."

Luckily, Drake's voice over the radio managed to stop the argument from escalating any further.

"... We will be there in about fifteen minutes," Kaga answered, regaining her calm. "How is the rest of the fleet doing?"

"I haven't contacted them yet, but judging by my radar, several abyssal signatures have disappeared while all of ours are intact. It looks like it's going well for now, but I don't know how long the fleet can hold out. The vast majority of our bombers were shot down as well, and I don't know if they managed to destroy the airfield or not. I'll check with them and get back you."

"Augh!"

Sendai cried out in pain as a shell from an enemy light cruiser collided with her abdomen, sending her flying backwards.

"What are you doing, you idiot?!" Amatsukaze shouted as she watched the night battle enthusiast reel from the impact.

"S-shut up," Sendai said as she slowly recovered from the strike. "I was busy watching the trajectory of that battleship's shell, so I was distracted. You heard Shoukaku: if that bitch hits us, we're dead."

"These enemy light cruisers are annoyin'," Suzuya noted as she sailed up beside her two teammates. "We can take 'em one-on-one for sure, but they've got shelling support from a battleship while we don't have shit!"

Amatsukaze nodded in agreement as she wiped sweat and seawater off her brow. "Something needs to be done about that battleship. We can't fight if we're constantly dodging shells."

"I'm sorry, everyone," Shoukaku said after listening to their complaints. "We weren't able to recover many of our planes from the initial strike, and Haruna's guns are damaged. You'll have to make do with what we have until Kaga and Zuikaku can launch their planes."

"And when will that be?" Kashima asked as she clutched her right arm, which had been broken by a savage hit from a pair of shells. Her usual serene smile was twisted into a grimace of pain.

"... I don't know."

"We can't fight like this much longer," Akagi observed. "We're going to run out of endurance and fuel at this rate…"

"Shoukaku, can't you ask the Admiral what we should do?" Amatsukaze asked her flagship.

"But the Admiral said to hold this position until further orders…" the white-haired carrier said quietly, unsure of whether it was appropriate to bother her commander.

"Shoukaku, do you read me? How is the situation down there?" Did you destroy the airfield?"

"Admiral?" Shoukaku said in surprise as Drake's voice sounded in her earpiece. The rest of the fleet's ears perked up as they also received the message through the shared channel, though they had to focus on the battle now that the Abyssals had resumed their onslaught. "The airfield has been destroyed. However, we lost a lot of our planes due to the enemy carriers' counterattack. We did manage to shoot down most of their planes as well, however."

"That's good, I guess. What about the enemy surface forces?"

"Most of the hostiles have been eliminated… Though there was one more battleship than we expected, and we can't seem to sink it. It keeps firing its shells at us, and if we have to keep dodging while fighting off the remaining light cruisers, someone is going to sink eventually."

"Do you and Akagi have any dive bombers left?"

"No, sir. They were all destroyed in the initial strike. We do have a few fighters remaining, however."

"All right… Where's Haruna?"

"Haruna is right here, sir!" the battleship piped up, still sailing at the back of the fleet since her guns had been nullified and she had taken a direct hit from a battleship shell.

"Okay. Why haven't you taken out the other battleship?"

"Er… I was hit by a shell and my guns were destroyed," she replied, somewhat embarrassed.

"I see… And your body? Can you move?"

"Yes, sir. I took a hit, but I can still sail."

"Good enough. Go charge that battleship."

"W-what?"

"Admiral, she'll be a sitting duck!" Shoukaku interrupted. "She can't fire back, so what if she's hit by another shell?"

"Huh? But she said she could still sail just fine. She won't sink if she pays attention. Send a fighter escort with her as well."

"Fighters can't defeat an abyssal battleship!" Shoukaku protested.

"Oh, really? Thank you for that enlightening bit of information," Drake spat sarcastically. "Just shut up and do as you're ordered. Haruna will draw the battleship's fire while the rest of you finish off whatever abyssals are left. Haruna, once you get close enough, defeat the battleship in CQC. Either that or Kaga and Zuikaku will have launched their planes by then and killed it."

"But Admiral -"

"What did I just say, Shoukaku? You are not to question my orders."

The transmission cut off, and Shoukaku sighed in defeat.

"It's all right, Shoukaku," Haruna assured the carrier, giving her a smile. "I can still sail fairly well. I won't get hit."

Shoukaku nodded as she notched her bow with her last arrow, then fired it into the air. Akagi did the same, and soon, a small squadron of Zeroes began buzzing around Haruna as she prepared to take off towards the battleship.

"Good luck," Shoukaku said.

Haruna gave her a nod, then set off at full speed, cutting through her own fleet, which had heard the entire conversation and made a path for her, as well as blazing past the enemy light cruisers, who were too confused to even attack the battleship.

"I would ask whether we're there yet or not, but I wouldn't want someone to get her panties in a twist again," Zuikaku said as the quartet continued to sail along the peaceful seas.

Kaga turned around, prepared to lay into her fellow carrier, but before she could reply, Drake's voice interrupted them once again.

"Kaga, Zuikaku. Launch your planes. The airfield has been destroyed, but there is an enemy battleship that you need to sink. Focus on that as your primary target. The light cruisers and the enemy carriers are your secondary targets."

"We are not at the destination point yet," Kaga radioed back, confused.

"The original plan rarely survives first contact with the enemy. I had to make some adjustments."

"But won't the enemy spot us…?"

"The remaining surface forces can't do anything to you from this distance, and the enemy carriers don't have much firepower remaining. The only thing you should watch out for are submarines, but hopefully Yahagi and Fubuki can detect them before they arrive. It's best to just launch your planes now."

"Finally." Zuikaku grinned as she pulled out an arrow and notched her bow.

Kaga did the same, and a few moments and arrows later, the sky was filled with dive bombers and fighter planes. However, the four ship girls watched with confused looks as the planes circled about each other, unable to coalesce into one strict formation.

"Zuikaku, what are your planes doing?" Kaga demanded.

"My planes? What are you doing?"

"I am following the planned formation."

"Huh? Are you dumb or something? Why? The enemy is weakened, so just send our dive bombers on ahead! Organizing a fighter escort's going to take too much time!"

"You imbecile, we must continue according to -"

"Did you launch yet?"

Kaga shot Zuikaku a dirty look before responding to her admiral. "No. Zuikaku refuses to get her planes into formation."

"I was just saying that it's better if we don't waste time splitting this huge air force up into individual squadrons! Just send a mass of bombers since it's quicker!"

"And what if you underestimated the enemy's anti-air capability, you idiot? Then our bombers will be -"

"Can you two shut up? The longer you waste time, the higher the chance for an enemy victory!" Drake snarled through the communications channel.

"It's not my fault that Zuikaku does not want to obey the chain of command," Kaga shot back.

"And it's not my fault that Kaga has a stick up her ass!"

"Shut the fuck up, both of you. Kaga, if you bothered to take a close look at the situation, you would see that Zuikaku is right. Speed is of the utmost priority right now."

Kaga grit her teeth as she stared the ocean's surface, while Zuikaku grinned haughtily.

"See? I told you you were being stupid!"

"Didn't I just tell you to shut the fuck up?!" Drake roared, causing Zuikaku to recoil a bit from the volume. "Don't act like you weren't at fault, Zuikaku. You need to learn to respect your superiors. If you have a suggestion, then say it in a way that won't make you sound like an immature brat."

The two carriers soaked in shame at their commander's rebukes, while Yahagi and Fubuki stood by awkwardly, listening to the whole exchange.

"... I know you two have some problems with each other, but this is a different time and a different place. There's no room for past grudges here. Kaga, just because Zuikaku wasn't at Midway doesn't mean that she can't fight or that she doesn't know what she's doing. Zuikaku is still a powerful aircraft carrier, and it wasn't her fault that she couldn't be at Midway… And Zuikaku, even though you shouldn't be blamed for it, you should also realize that you weren't at Midway and so you don't know what Kaga went through. Don't act as if you do, and show some respect… That is all. Now, get your damn planes to that battleship."

Haruna charged forward, her resolute gaze fixed on the enemy battleship. White seafoam trailed from her skis as she rapidly sailed toward the Ru-class, and she nervously swallowed as she watched the abyssal stop firing towards the rest of the fleet and fix her cannons on Haruna's position. The abyssal carriers, who were stationed around the battleship, stood silently, launching a small handful of fighters out of their helmets that took off and flew towards Haruna.

As the jet-black abyssal aircraft approached, Haruna braced herself. Bullets whizzed in the air around her, and one of her escorting Zeroes went down in flames, leaving a trail of smoke behind. The abyssal aircraft began to fall as well, though her own escorts were taking a beating too.

Suddenly, one of the abyssal fighters banked dangerously towards Haruna, and the battleship inhaled a sharp breath of air as she tried to maneuver away from it. She managed to avoid the fighter's suicide strike, which was aimed at her head, but her portside rigging once again took a hit. This time, however, the impact caused some of the leftover ammunition to burst into flames, creating an explosion.

Haruna shrieked as her entire left side went up in flames. Her knees weakened from the searing pain, but her fuel supply propelled her forward anyway. She grit her teeth hard as she attempted to stabilize herself, even as the white-hot flames licked at her side. The fairies that maintained her rigging would be able to put out most of the flames as long as they didn't spread too much, so she just had to endure the agony and continue onward.

Cringing in pain as she swerved to avoid a shell from the battleship, which was getting closer and closer, Haruna tried to calm herself. I have to distract this battleship… I have to!

Even though she knew her orders, her body ached and burned all over, and she wanted nothing more than to collapse and rest. Her heart sank as she watched the battleship reload and prepare for another shot, unsure of whether she had the strength to dodge this time, especially since she was only getting closer to the enemy and therefore increasing its accuracy.

However, her spirits were lifted as she heard the familiar buzzing of planes in the distance.

Reinforcements…?

Sure enough, a large armada of friendly bombers appeared overhead, momentarily distracting the battleship and the Wo-class carriers. The Abyssals quickly realized what was happening, but since the carriers had exhausted the last of their fighters on Haruna, they could do nothing but put up a wall of anti-air fire, most of which completely missed. Haruna sighed in relief as she watched the planes make their dives, most of them focusing on the battleship and completely enveloping the Ru-class in a flurry of explosions. The remaining bombers turned to the carriers, who attempted to evade but were overwhelmed and destroyed as they screamed in pain.

The planes then circled in the air above the flaming remains of the abyssals before turning back the way they came. Haruna let out a sigh of relief as the fire on her portside lessened in intensity, then turned back to return to her own fleet. She sailed back at a much slower pace, but it didn't matter. Without the battleship to assist them, the enemy light cruisers would soon be destroyed.

In other words, the battle was as good as won.