"Admiral!" Bismarck called out as she slammed open the door to the infirmary.
One of the nurses who was busy bandaging another patient's head gave her an annoyed look, and the other occupants of the room jumped up in alarm at her sudden entry. There were a bunch of sailors inside being treated for minor injuries, probably from the jolt of having the ship being hit by the Chi-class' torpedoes.
Drake sat on the side of a bed in the back of the room, still dressed in his regular officer's uniform and looking relatively unharmed. He had been doing something on his phone but glanced up when Bismarck entered.
The battleship strode over to him. "Admiral! Are you all right!?"
"Yeah, calm down," Drake blushed. "There are other people here, you know…"
Bismarck wore a confused look. "But… Konteradmiral Schumann told me you fell unconscious."
Drake's blush grew deeper as he looked away in embarrassment. "It's nothing serious…"
"What happened?"
"It's nothing. I guess it's just the shock of being back on the battlefield after taking several months off," Drake admitted reluctantly. And being on a battleship as it's being hit by torpedoes reminds me too much of that day…
"Oh… So you're all right, then?" Bismarck said with relief.
"Yeah. What about you? You don't look too hurt either."
"I just bruised my ribs slightly, but my Fairies can take care of that," Bismarck said. "Gotland was hurt more than I was, but she should be fine too."
"I see. So it looks like the operation was a success, then," Drake concluded.
"Yes, sir."
A silence then ensued, with Drake still seated on the bed and Bismarck standing in front of him. The high of battle was wearing off, the and two were once again reminded of the strain on their relationship.
Bismarck finally broke the silence. "So… Uh, you wanted to talk to me earlier, right?"
Drake looked down at the floor. "About that… No, it was nothing."
"Oh, I see…"
Nevertheless, neither one of them moved.
"So that's it, then?" Bismarck began quietly. "You'll be returning to America, and I…"
Drake hid his face beneath his cap. "I don't know what you want from me."
"Yes you do, sir," Bismarck looked back at him with hurt eyes. "I know you do. And yet… You -"
"Shut up, Bismarck," Drake cut her off, his voice low. "Don't go any further. I can't be the admiral you want, and things can't go back to how they were in Japan. It's over."
"But why! We just defeated an entire Abyssal fleet today, together!" Bismarck pointed out, feeling betrayed.
"No. You're wrong. All of you are wrong. I'm not what you think I am."
Bismarck was beginning to grow frustrated. "You keep saying that, but -"
"Just stop!" Drake interrupted again.
Bismarck was about to protest, but the words died in her throat as Drake slowly began to stand up. His legs were trembling, and he barely made it halfway up before he collapsed and fell onto the floor.
"Admiral!" Bismarck knelt down beside him.
"Don't!" Drake spat. His fists clenched, he grit his teeth. "Just take a good, hard look. I can't even stand up because my legs won't stop shaking. Even though we won and I wasn't hurt at all, that's how afraid I am. Just the thought of having to fight another battle like this paralyzes me!"
Drake screwed his eyes shut in frustration at his own sorry state. "This is the admiral you so desperately wanted, Bismarck."
Suddenly, he felt a strong pair of arms around him, and before he knew it, he was on his feet. Bismarck steadied him with an arm around his back, and Drake had to put his own arm around her shoulders to maintain his balance.
"You're standing now, aren't you?" Bismarck said, her breath hot in his ear.
"... I'm sorry. I'm pathetic," he managed in a tenuous voice, though his grip around her tightened.
Bismarck put her hand on his chest. "Yes, you may look pathetic right now, but that means nothing. Nobody can be perfect all the time, right?"
"But I…"
"Admiral. Do you know how the Bismarck was sunk?" she asked him. "My rudder was damaged to the point where I could no longer move, and in the end, Germany's greatest battleship was reduced to target practice for the Royal Navy. Because of that, I resolved to live my new life as a ship girl stronger than ever before, and I never wanted to end up like that again. But right when I came to Japan, that dream was crushed when I was dealt a humiliating defeat in front of everyone in my very first practice battle. I was frustrated back then, and that's why I was so angry and hostile at first… But it was you who helped me even when I didn't want to be helped, remember? So now, even if you refuse me, I will not leave your side, Admiral Drake."
Drake remembered the vision he saw of Bismarck sinking before he rushed out of the Reichspolizei Headquarters. During the Battle of Okinawa, Kaga was out there fighting and dying while he remained completely clueless to her struggle, and she had been all alone. He could not let that happen again, no matter how hard it was for him to stand up and keep fighting. That much was obvious, but even so, he was held back by his fear of the Abyssals and his doubt in his own abilities. He also feared Bismarck's immense trust in him. Up until her last moments, Kaga had trusted him with her life, and he had failed her. Then what right did he have to accept Bismarck's trust?
Suddenly, Kaga appeared in his mind. She looked just the way she had when he had last seen her, and surprisingly, she wore one of her exceedingly rare smiles. She spoke to him, but no sound came out of her mouth. Nevertheless, her smile remained strong, and as fleetingly as she had appeared, she was gone. Though Drake did not hear what she said, it was obvious when he looked into those deep brown eyes.
"Don't mess up this time, Admiral."
Yeah... You're right. Slowly, Drake let go of Bismarck, his legs still trembling but not nearly as much as they used to be as he managed to stand on his own. I may be a disgrace of a sailor who quakes in fear when he faces his enemy, but what will truly make me a coward is if I don't accept the responsibility of Bismarck's trust right here and now.
"Bismarck... If you're willing to go that far for me, then I've got no right to sit here and complain," Drake decided, giving Bismarck a firm look and a smile. "We'll fight together from now on, Bismarck. Always."
Bismarck looked stunned for a brief moment, but she quickly recovered and grinned back at him. "Thank you, sir. You can count on me!"
Rear Admiral Genji's eyes darted to the phone on his desk as soon as it started ringing, as if he had been expecting the call. Immediately, he picked it up.
"Hello?"
Inside the main office of the Administrative Building, Nagato, Mutsu, and Fleet Admiral Miiro watched him intently. After a few terse seconds, Genji put the phone back down without saying anything. He turned to his comrades with a dark look.
"... The report from the Meiyo is confirmed. Aerial reconnaissance is also saying that she has been sunk."
Nagato frowned. "So there really is an Abyssal fleet heading towards our base… How did they spring up so unexpectedly?"
"It looks like they were traveling underwater for most of the time. We usually use destroyers like Meiyo or other ships outfitted with the proper scanning equipment to detect them, but ever since Okinawa, we've been unable to sortie much," Genji answered.
"So they snuck up on us, huh?" Mutsu looked worried.
Genji scowled and clenched his fist. "It's ridiculous that this was allowed to happen. All because the leadership and naval command are still obsessing over what's going on in Okinawa and are blind to everything else…!"
"Now, now. We can't change that, so let's just focus on dealing with the immediate problem first, right?" Miiro tried to calm him down. "We should sortie to defend the base…"
"Of course. The enemy fleet is large, though. We will probably have to sortie every ship girl at the base," he said.
"If what the Meiyo said is true, then that is likely," Nagato agreed. "Where is the enemy right now?"
"They're sailing towards the Izu Islands. Tokyo itself is going to be threatened soon, and yet I guarantee we won't be given any support from the rest of the fleet," Genji growled in frustration.
"Regular ships and planes won't be much help anyway, and Sasebo is still trying to reorganize. Perhaps it is for the best," Miiro pointed out.
Genji scoffed at that. "I doubt it. But you were right when you said there is no use in complaining. Nagato, I will make the announcement to the base. Get the fleets ready to sortie. We are heading out as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir," Nagato saluted and then left the room with her sister.
The two battleships walked out of the Administrative Building and headed towards the Equipment Building, where the fleet should be gathering as soon as Genji made the announcement.
"Um… Are you sure this is all right?" Mutsu asked as they walked.
"What do you mean?" Nagato glanced back at her.
"Well… The enemy fleet is pretty big. Can we really defeat them by ourselves?"
Nagato stopped, causing Mutsu to do so as well. She turned around to face her younger sister.
"What you really want to ask is if we can really beat them after our humiliating defeat in Okinawa, right?" Nagato said. "That is the thought on everyone's mind, of course. The fact that the Abyssals have taken over Okinawa completely and are now systematically eradicating the population is possibly the biggest humiliation in Japan's history."
Mutsu frowned. "I didn't mean to sound that hopeless…"
Nagato smirked at her. "Yes, but it's evident in your tone, isn't it? And as I said, everyone is feeling the same way as you. But we have to focus not on our past defeats, but on our future victories… Look at us now."
Truly enough, neither Nagato nor Mutsu looked the same way as they did several months ago. Both of them were now clad in regal-looking black coats, an aesthetic change that came with their Kai Ni remodels.
"We are not the same as we were back then," Nagato firmly stated. "We've got new riggings and new guns, and now the only thing we are lacking is a new resolve to fight. We have no reason to fear anymore, Mutsu."
Mutsu sighed. "You're right. Those who sunk in the last battle will never get the chance to be remodeled, so I guess we have to fight twice as hard for their sake."
"That's the spirit!" Nagato approved with a nod. "Now, let's get to the Equipment Building. We need to coordinate the fleet."
Nagato and Mutsu arrived at the Equipment Building shortly after Genji made his base-wide announcement. They were the first ones there, so the building was mostly empty save for a few engineers and the receptionist, but slowly the ship girls of the Tokyo Bay Base began trickling in and forming up in their respective fleets. Within half an hour, the lobby of the building was packed with ship girls talking excitedly and nervously to each other.
Nagato went up the head of the formation and cleared her throat loudly, a signal to everyone to stop talking. When the chatter died down, she began.
"Fleet! We have recently received word of an Abyssal incursion heading directly towards our base!" she announced in her authoritative tone. "The enemy fleet is composed of about thirty destroyers, twenty light cruisers, ten heavy cruisers, ten battleships, ten aircraft carriers, and two Princesses! If they break through our ranks, they will have a chance to strike at Tokyo itself! We cannot allow that to happen!"
The ship girls broke out into a panicked chatter again after hearing the composition of the enemy fleet.
"Two Princesses! What the hell, desu!" Kongou cried out.
"How are we supposed to win against a fleet like that?!" Murasame demanded to know, exasperated.
The rest of the ship girls echoed those sentiments, and the cacophony in the room grew louder.
"Quiet!" Nagato yelled, forcing the room into an uneasy silence. "What is wrong with you all? Are you really ready to give up before the battle has even begun?"
"We have to know our limits. This just doesn't seem possible," Ise spoke up.
Nagato crossed her arms. "Then what do you propose we do? Retreat? Retreat to where? What will happen to the people of Tokyo? Do you want our capital to end up like Okinawa has?"
"Nobody wants that, obviously, but who's to say that it won't happen anyway even if we stay here and fight?" Hyuuga supported her sister. "The way it looks right now, the Abyssals are just going to sink us and then destroy Tokyo anyway. We need more support."
"Sasebo is mobilizing, but given the state of their base, they won't be here for a while. Other than that, we will get no support," Nagato told the fleet. "That's just how it is. Whining will change nothing, and our only two choices are to protect our country or to run away. Well?"
"You're just using Japan as a prop for this doomed venture! You're no different from the commanders who lost us the War!" Hiyou accused her.
A few other voices murmured in assent, and Nagato bit her lip as she sensed she was losing control of the situation.
"Nagato… It's obvious that you feel responsible for our navy now that Yamato is no longer alive, but… You might want to rethink this," Kongou said, using a softer approach.
"I can't. Besides, the admirals decided to sortie, not me," Nagato countered.
"But you have the most influence among us ship girls, and you can tell them that the fleet isn't prepared to fight," Kirishima pointed out.
Nagato wavered. Could it be that they were right, and that she was just being rash? Were they truly not ready to face the Abyssals again?
Akagi stepped forward and turned to face the fleet. "Before we make a decision, let's remember that everyone here has been remodeled. As someone who has been in combat with the enemy since the remodel procedure, I can say that we are definitely stronger than we used to be. We should not be giving up without a fight."
"I agree," Yamashiro declared. "We must crush the Abyssals for what they did to our comrades!"
"I'll kill every single one of them myself if I have to," Shigure growled.
"You may accuse me of using Japan and its people as a prop all you want, but first, take a look inside yourselves," Nagato said. "What are your own feelings towards our country? Don't you have a desire to protect Japan even if no one told you to do so? Don't forget that we ship girls were born out of the strong feelings of those who fought in World War II. Don't you hear their voices crying out inside of you, begging you to protect what they couldn't?"
The room fell silent again, and many of the ship girls wore conflicted looks on their faces.
"Well… I guess if some of us are going to go anyway, it would be better if we all went, right?" Kongou asked. "We should at least maximize our chances of victory even if they're really low, desu."
Ise sighed in defeat. "Yeah. Running away was never a real option in the first place, was it?"
"Yes! We will sail with all our might and crush the enemy!" Hiei declared, energized by her sister's change of heart.
The rest of the fleet began talking among themselves again, and it was evident that the tone had shifted. They would fight the Abyssals.
"All right, everyone!" Nagato called out. "We need to set sail as soon as possible! Finish all your preparations and meet at the docks as quickly as you can!"
Fleet Admiral Van Dyke sat in his darkened office, lazily dragging on a cigarette as he leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed. The peace was interrupted by a ringing noise from the phone on his desk. Reluctantly, he opened one eye and glanced at the receiver.
'Unknown Number'? That's strange, he thought, putting out his cigarette and sitting up. This phone is for official use within the navy only, so there is no way someone could just accidentally call it. Could it be Rear Admiral Drake…? No, he has my cell phone number already and I never even gave him the office number.
Curious, Van Dyke picked up the phone. "Hello? Who is this?"
"Ah, hello? Fleet Admiral Van Dyke, I presume?" an accented voice said on the other end.
"Who is this? How did you get this number?" Van Dyke asked again in his usual gruff tone. Since the caller knew his name, it was clear that this wasn't an accidental call.
"My apologies. This is Obergruppenfuhrer Thomas Mann of the Reichspolizei."
"The Reichspolizei?" Van Dyke repeated in surprise. Huh. German intelligence must be pretty good if they could even get this number…
"Yes. Excuse my intrusion, but I thought you would like to know that your Rear Admiral Drake has defeated the Abyssal forces that assaulted Lubeck."
"Oh? Abyssal forces attacked Germany?"
"... Are you seriously trying to play dumb, Fleet Admiral Van Dyke?"
Van Dyke smirked to himself. "Well, it was worth a try. How did you know?"
"It was obvious. The Reichspolizei is skilled in uncovering secret plots, but even a simpleton could have figured out your plan here," Mann said.
"Is that so? Then why didn't you try and stop it?"
"I suppose it was only obvious once we got word of the Abyssal attack, and at that point it was too late for me to stop it," Mann admitted. "There was also the chance that Rear Admiral Drake would die, or that he would not even go at all."
"So you left it up to fate? Doesn't sound like something you Reichspolizei would do," Van Dyke said.
"You faced those very same risks by sending Rear Admiral Drake to Lubeck without telling him there was an impending Abyssal attack. Shouldn't you be more careful considering you are one of the heads of the US Navy?" Mann countered.
"Heh. It was necessary for Drake's development. He had to make this decision on his own, and it would have been ruined if I had given him an order to prepare for an Abyssal attack," Van Dyke explained.
"I see. Regardless, there is still the fact that you knew about an imminent enemy attack on Germany and yet failed to warn us in advance. Do you realize how that appears when the United States is supposed to be our ally?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I did send Rear Admiral Drake to assist you, after all," Van Dyke told him. "Also, why do you think the Swedish Ice Navy got there so quickly? Who do you think called them?"
"Do you actually think that makes up for it?"
"Yes. You won the battle, didn't you?"
"And one destroyer was sunk, lost with all hands thanks to your Admiral Drake's strategy."
"Hm, so it was Drake who came up with the successful battle plan?" Van Dyke smiled victoriously after hearing that.
"... Yes, I will admit that much. And to be entirely fair, perhaps his plan resulted in fewer casualties than a plan developed by our own Konteradmiral Schumann would have since he has had very little experience fighting Abyssals and commanding ship girls. None of that changes the fact that it was completely inappropriate for you to withhold information from us."
"And what about Bismarck?" Van Dyke probed.
"She performed well, as expected. Her remodel seems to have served its purpose. Now are you going to take responsibility for this or not, Fleet Admiral?"
Hm… Maybe this guy doesn't know as much as I thought, Van Dyke observed after listening to Mann's reply.
"Come now, everything worked out in the end, didn't it?" Van Dyke continued to smile smugly to himself. "Besides, even if this information became public, it wouldn't do much good for anyone, would it? All it would do is turn Germany and the United States against each other, which is detrimental in long term."
"Except that your entire plan here was to bring Bismarck out of Germany and get her back on Rear Admiral Drake's side. Not only have you subverted the proper military and diplomatic channels when it comes to an Abyssal attack, you have also tried to rob Germany of its most prolific ship girl," Mann accused.
"Hah, I don't know what to say to that," Van Dyke remarked. "But either way, it doesn't matter. As you have probably figured out by now, I only answered this call because this line is made with the same technology that the Fairies developed for our naval communications, and so it cannot be heard through recordings or tapes. There isn't anything you can do with this information without escalating things anyway."
"And one again, I am forced to admit that you are correct," Mann replied bitterly. "Your strategy has played out as you had hoped, Fleet Admiral Van Dyke. I can see why the Citizen's Council places such confidence in you. However, do not think that I will forget this. Auf Wiedersehen."
The call then ended, and Van Dyke put down the receiver.
So Admiral Drake did it…
Van Dyke had been a bit worried that Drake wouldn't be up to the task, but he was glad that that was proven to be not true. His decision all those months ago to pick Drake for the Kancolle Program had been validated, and from now on, Drake would be stronger than he was before.
Picking up the phone again, Van Dyke began dialing a different number.
Looks like you're getting your wish, Rear Admiral. You will be going back to Japan after all.
Shoukaku narrowed her eyes in apprehension as she looked out towards the horizon where the sun was beginning to set. She, along with the rest of the Tokyo Bay Base's ship girls, was currently sailing to intercept the Abyssal fleet, which was steadily making its way towards the Japanese mainland.
"Is there a problem, Shoukaku?" Zuikaku, who was sailing beside her sister, asked.
"The Abyssal fleet. It's a large one," Shoukaku answered, viewing the enemy fleet through the eyes of her scout planes. Their black forms stood out against the orange blaze of the setting sun, and they sailed uniformly towards the ship girls, though they were not in visual range yet.
"We already knew that, didn't we?" Zuikaku pointed out. "At least the good news is that there don't seem to be any enemies on our peripheries according to my scouts, so we can focus fully on the fleet in front of us."
Yes, but will that be enough? Shoukaku thought over their strategy.
Developed by Rear Admiral Genji and his superiors in Naval Command, the 'comb plan' was essentially a plot to drag the Abyssals through the Izu Island chain and continuously assault them with more and more firepower, hopefully destroying them before they reached Tokyo. As previous experience had taught them, the Abyssals seemed to prefer the Izu Islands route when attacking Japan because it provided a direct line to the capital, and so the admiralty had outfitted the island chain accordingly.
The military had placed missile launchers on every single island in the vicinity, and missiles on the mainland and in Tokyo Bay were ready and waiting if the Abyssals got too close as well. Though human-made missiles did not work well on Abyssals and were often shot down, they were still effective at doing a lot of damage on the rare occasions they did hit, and it is entirely possible to hit an Abyssal with a human-made weapon if the Abyssal is distracted. The ship girls were the distraction. Of course, it would be ideal if the ship girls could take out as many Abyssals as possible, but given their low numbers, their main role would be to continuously engage the Abyssals in a fighting retreat, dragging the Abyssals closer and closer to Tokyo. Meanwhile, as the Abyssals passed through the island chain and drew nearer to the mainland, the missile sites posted up along the way would be firing on them, thinning out their numbers. By the time the Abyssals actually reach Tokyo, they would hopefully be so depleted that the the ship girls would be able to finish them off. The Sasebo base, whose ship girls were mobilizing as quickly as possible, would also join the battle at some point.
This plan is probably the best they could come up with on such short notice, Shoukaku decided. Besides, it's not an entirely bad strategy… I just don't like how close we are allowing them to get to Tokyo, and how we are relying on human weapons instead of the ship girls…
"You look lost. Are you sure you're all right?" Zuikaku asked again with a frown.
Shoukaku tried to push away her doubts. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a bit worried about how the operation will go. Surely that's understandable."
"It's understandable, yeah, but you're the flagship, at least of this fleet. You can't let them see doubt on your face," Zuikaku said.
Maybe that's true. Shoukaku again took a look through her planes, admiring the sunset-tinted scenery of the Izu Island chain and its surrounding waters in spite of the situation. One of her planes flew past Hachijo-jima, and she felt a bit of nostalgia when she took in the sight of the bay in the waning sunlight.
Admiral… What would you do if you were here? Shoukaku tried to get rid of those thoughts as well. It had been months since Drake had left, and he likely wasn't ever coming back. Besides, this fleet had done well on their own in Australia. They didn't need Drake to be successful.
Shoukaku clutched her bow tightly. But it wouldn't hurt to have him back.
"Enemy fleet is coming into visual range. Prepare for combat!" Nagato ordered over the radio from her position at the head of the formation. "Remember that our objective is to draw them in. We must make it seem like we are retreating and get them to follow us back towards Tokyo. Under no circumstances is anyone to press too far forward!"
Shoukaku tried to refocus on the battle as she called her planes back to her. Since this was a defensive battle, she was supposed to only send out a few fighters as skirmishers in order to draw in the Abyssal air force. Most of the aerial battle would be done under the cover of her escorting destroyers and light cruisers so they could provide anti-air support.
"The enemy carriers have launched their planes! Get ready!" Zuikaku warned.
At least they're taking the bait, Shoukaku thought as she ordered her planes to intercept.
The other ships in the fleet also began shelling the enemy, and likewise, Abyssal shots started raining down near the front of the ship girl formation.
"Forwards! Crush them!" Shoukaku heard Yamashiro yell in rage as she sailed past her with surprisingly fast speed.
Didn't Nagato say not to go too far forward? Shoukaku thought disapprovingly as she watched the furious aviation battleship. Ever since Fusou had sunk in the Battle of Okinawa, Yamashiro had never really been the same, and it was clear that she was letting her desire for revenge overtake her senses.
Nothing I can do about it, I suppose. She's not even in my fleet. I'm sure Nagato will handle her, Shoukaku assumed.
However, she then saw Shigure sailing past her as well, the destroyer's blue eyes glowing ferociously. Evidently she was bent on joining Yamashiro's charge as well.
"Shigure! Where are you going!" Shoukaku called out to her, but the destroyer ignored her.
Murasame and Yamakaze sailed up beside Shoukaku.
"Sorry, we tried to stop her!" Murasame told the carrier. "She and Yamashiro insisted on fighting on the very frontlines instead of staying in formation…"
Shoukaku sighed. "Hopefully they don't go too far out… Those two seem to have lost their minds as of late."
"Yeah… As you know, Shigure's been like this since the remodel, and Yamashiro was always obsessed with Fusou, so…" Murasame trailed off as she looked off towards the front of the fleet.
"W-Will they be all right?" Yamakaze asked apprehensively, almost as if she were scared to hear the answer.
Shoukaku's frown deepened. "After the meeting with the Abyssals on Hachijo-jima, we learned why and how ship girls and Abyssals were created. Ship girls are borne from positive emotions and Abyssals from negative, but Fusou and Shigure certainly don't seem to be following that tenet anymore. I don't know what's going to happen, but it certainly can't be good."
"Shoukaku! You can't just say that!" Zuikaku chided after noticing the horrified looks on Murasame's and Yamakaze's faces.
"It's the truth. It will only hurt more if it's concealed," Shoukaku replied back sharply. "Besides, acknowledging the problem is the first step to solving it. But now's not the time for that. We need to focus on the battle, got that, Murasame, Yamakaze? Give Shigure fire support and try and keep her from doing anything stupid."
"Yes, ma'am!" Murasame affirmed as she and Yamakaze hurriedly sailed after Shigure.
"Can they really control her?" Zuikaku asked, casting an apprehensive look at the destroyers.
"I don't know. But though Shigure has definitely changed since her remodel, the one thing that hasn't changed is her love for her sisters," Shoukaku said. "Hopefully that will be enough."
Shoukaku and Zuikaku then went silent as Akagi sailed up to them. The red-clothed carrier wore a stony expression as her long, dark hair blew behind her in the breeze. A few of her fighters buzzed angrily overhead, and her remodeled gray flight deck glinted in the last remaining rays of sunlight.
"Have you two finished scouting the area?" Akagi asked, her voice strained.
"Yes. The enemy composition is mostly as we expected, and Rear Admiral Genji has ordered that our strategy remain the same," Shoukaku answered apprehensively.
Akagi's expression darkened. "Right. Did you see that the Airfield Princess is part of the enemy force?"
Shoukaku and Zuikaku remained silent, both of them avoiding Akagi's eyes.
"Well? Nothing to say?" Akagi asked with a slight edge in her tone. "We need to sink her. You understand that, correct?"
"... Our strategy doesn't change. We need to draw the Abyssals into our envelope, and then once we've done that, we will sink them all, including the Airfield Princess," Shoukaku said.
"Do you seriously think human weapons can sink her?" Akagi scowled. "After having fought her before, do you actually think that this sort of soft defensive strategy that relies upon the weapons that have failed to kill even standard Abyssals in the past can sink the Airfield Princess? We need to destroy her ourselves, with our own hands and our own planes!"
Shoukaku refused to budge, though her expression also became tense. "If you're so confident of the Airfield Princess' power, then you know that the three of us alone can't sink her. We have to use our own abilities in conjunction with the plan -"
"I don't give a fuck about the plan!" Akagi interrupted. "Don't forget that all three of us have been remodeled! This is our chance to take our revenge! We will assault her and sink her right here and now!"
"We will not! I am the flagship, not you!" Shoukaku shouted back, losing her calm as well.
"Stop!" Zuikaku finally interjected, stepping in between the two carriers. "Are you two insane, fighting at a time and place like this!? Whether we've been remodeled or not, we will never be able to beat the Airfield Princess if we're not acting as a cohesive unit!"
Akagi and Shoukaku backed off, though both of them still wore frustrated looks.
"This is what I suggest we do," Zuikaku started, "we stick to the plan for now. Fighting the Airfield Princess in open waters when she still has a full escort fleet is too dangerous. But, when we've pulled the Abyssal fleet within range of our surface assets, we should take that chance to strike the Airfield Princess and finish her off. Akagi is right in saying that we can't rely on the humans to sink her, but attacking her head-on right at the start of the battle won't work. What I propose is that we radio the humans to temporarily focus their fire to her aft, therefore preventing her retreat and not letting her see what's going on behind her. Meanwhile, we will send all our planes around the wall of fire, positioning them to hit the Airfield Princess' back as soon as we radio the humans to stop their attack. It will be a mobile assault from the direction the Airfield Princess is least expecting since there will be no reason for her to cover her back if there are no ship girls there and the humans are just hitting the water behind her."
"... I suppose that is acceptable," Shoukaku assented. "In that case, we should plan to be a bit more conservative with our planes so that we can face her at full strength."
Akagi nodded. "Then it's settled. But I have to admit, I'm surprised you came up with a plan like that so quickly, Zuikaku."
"It wasn't really that quick. I've been thinking about it ever since I first spotted the Airfield Princess with my scouts," Zuikaku said, her eyes blazing with fury as she clenched her fists. "Besides… You're not the only one who wants to kill that bitch. I'll send her to the bottom of the ocean tonight!"