A/N: This is chapter 2 and I'm sorry for any error in my grammar. I'm not a native English
But first a message for Zergdramon : While I could see that your Idea is pretty good, but I don't think that it could be implemented, well it could but it will be tough. One of my reasons is because as you know the MC are (still) in the form of abyssal destroyers, and their destroyers cannot talk. It will put an immense obstacle in communicating. Second, I'm planning to make the abyssals in my story to be not as bad as the common people think. After all, I will confess that I got the idea of this story after reading the fics from Mortalitas Borealis, and JdkLeBleau728.(Thanks guys, your story are good.)
So yeah sorry Zergdramon, but I appreciate your idea, I also have already read a few early chapters of your story, and because I didn't follow strike witches so I'm still a little bit overwhelmed. So I will read it slowly. And that's it, thanks Mr Zerg.
Disclaimer: Kantai collection is belongs to Kadokawa. I only own the idea of this story and my OC character.
Chapter 2
Hello guys, for all of those spectators of my new life be it an omnipotent being or some weird freak out there, It has come to my attention that I haven't introduce myself beside my brief self explanation of how I come to be here.
Now let me introduce myself. My name is Lucas Chrom, I'm a third year college student so it makes my age as about 20 years old. Since my transformation my nationalities has been rendered negligible so I won't bother mentioning it.
It was three days later since our first 'work' day, that our Ri-class supervisor telling us that there won't be any work today. Instead she make us follow her into some area outside the base on the shallower part of the sea.
Once there, she told us that this will be our training area because due to our body size we won't be able to train in the base in-build training area, hence we go outside.
She explain to us that from now on twice a week on the third and sixth day we will be training in this area.
The training itself is basically consist of the basic aiming and shooting training and evasion training. Oh yeah I almost forgot to mention the 'endurance' training too, yep it definitely need to be mentioned.
Please note that endurance training in this context was basically we 'destroyers' were told to just stay in one place and endure being shot at by our instructors.
While the shells used are just dummy shells, it still hurt a lot. Uuh.. I'm sure that my rear armor still have some dent from being hit by one of those.
Anyhow the end result of the day was we returning in a battered state. All of my energy seems to be drained and after feeding time, I nearly instantly just plonk down on my resting place and quickly fall into sleep mode.
The next day we were herded into mining work again, and two days after that its training time again, so it began our routine of 5 days of hard labor and two days of training.
It was in the third week that something interesting happens.
That day was the third day of the week, so it means training day. For the past few days I have begun to grow bored of the routine that is taking place in my life as an abyssal.
I mean we are mean to be a warship, a war machine. My inner self as an abyssal and part of my past human self want to feel the thrill of battle.
All of this work while it was useful to toughen up our body, it will mean nothing compared to live experience. Besides not trying to undermined my position but abyssal destroyers was supposed to be a cannon fodder.
We were just mean to be sent to the fight and shoot at those fleet girl and die or if we lucky evolve. Not laboring like this.
So it was in that kind of bad mood that I began my training. When it enters the endurance training part, being hit by dummy shells didn't help my current mood.
It was good to say that I just explode, figuratively of course.
I focused all of my bad emotion into anger and hate at my instructor and I proceed to released out a roar of anger.
Of course my audible roar practically catch the attention of the entire group.
It was after that, that I finally catch myself and realize that I have just practically roaring at my superior. 'F*ck.'
But looking at her face instead of an angry face, she just stared at me with wide eyes.
Looking around all of the people that heard my roar was staring at me too.
Slowly her mouth form into a smirk. "Well well well.. look at what we have here. it looks like we have found our first elite of the batch, and pretty early too."
Huh? what? An elite?
It was then that I finally took notice of some swirling red and black aura wrapping around my body.
'This aura. Is this?' In the game especially the late part some enemy will have some colored aura that signify them to be stronger than normal enemy of the same type.
Red for elite, Gold for flagship and gold aura with one flaming blue eye for flagship Kai.
And it looks like I have just become an elite.
"May I have your attention everyone. Now let me explain what has just happen. Your fellow here has just unlocked one of the stage in abyssal rank in gaining power. Just now your fellow here has formally ascend into the rank of elite destroyer." She point one of her hand to me.
"That red aura is what signify you as an elite. The benefit of it is it will enhance your armor and strength, so in essence you has become stronger than any of your peers, a leader... congratulations." She give out a low clap.
As I thought I have become stronger huh? Wait a minute, what did the last thing she says, a leader. Me?
As if sensing my confusion she speak again. "Yes congratulations, it is tradition for the first destroyer in a group of newbie packs that achieve elite aura to become the leader of said group. All of these newbie here along with your own pack will be under your care if there is no higher rank ship present." She said with a smile.
Hearing her explanation my mind briefly shutdown itself.
REBOOTING
'...'
'WHAT THE F*&CK!'
Me?! As a leader?! I just barely could lead my own pack, how could I lead a much bigger group!?
Are you serious?! Oh you must be kidding me, why don't you just sunk me and be done with it.
Leading few peoples are one thing while leading what practically an entire battle group of destroyers was other thing. S%*t!
Those thing above was what is swirling about in my mind, while on the outside I just let out a low shriek of despair.
While I'm glad to become stronger but the cons and responsibility that comes with it just offset all the gains in my opinion.
Besides there's nothing I could do but to just follow the current and just see what happens in the future, so it's better to accept it and get used to it, I though while releasing a sigh of forced acceptance.
Then as if mocking me the Ri-class continued. "Oh yeah it also doesn't need to be mentioned that with your new increase in power that your own training portion will also be added." She said nonchalantly.
Hearing this I was again rendered speechless. Besides my added responsibility she also will train me harder?!
The normal endurance training itself already left me exhausted mentally and physically. And she will added more on top of that!
A nudge on my side, drawn my attention.
It was Iwa, she just nudge me on my side. Looking at her face or the equivalent of it. I could imagine she making a 'just let it go' face to me while shaking her head.
Great now I'm being lowered into needing to be consoled by an abyssal destroyers.
Sigh... don't let it get to you Lucas, just think positive, think positive. This way you will become more stronger, and more stronger means greater survival chance.
"Alright now, that it has been taken care of, and now... GO BACK TO YOUR POST! We will resume the training!" Shouted the Ri-class.
And with that we began to get pummeled again by our instructor. Sigh... Oh woe is me...
The next day found me and my fellows mining minerals in our usual area.
After training yesterday I have experience the difference made by my new elite status.
Many of my peers have begun to look at me in respect, their gaze and their new behavior at me clearly showing it.
For example when its meal time, me and my pack have been given the first chance to take our own meal first instead of the usual competition of who eat first.
On the side note, I also notice that Iwa has become a little bit more clingy to me, I notice it when I awoke this morning I found her destroyer body lay closer than usual to me.
Nikku and Nina too I notice, they has become more docile around me.
A strange thought formed on my mind that maybe they have a crush on me. But that thought was quickly being kicked out because of how absurd that thought is.
How could a mere abyssal destroyers, that usually being pictured to have an intelligent barely more than an animal to possess a crush, don't make me laugh! Well maybe is she was a Ta-class or a Wo-chan I will jump her but nope, not now.
For the rest of the folks, the more logical thought is that maybe because I'm an elite they now think I deserve the respect that I deserve.
All things considered, as time began to pass I have become more closer with this batch of destroyer that I have considered them my friend.
/One and a half month later/
Right now it was noon, me and my fellow destroyers along with some other type of abyssals are cruising on high speed on the open sea.
I could feel the nervousness of my destroyers friends. Hell even the other higher rank abyssals in the group are a little bit nervous too. The only one who has serious face was our long time Ri-class supervisor which I has begun to call her as Rin-sensei.
The reason for this tense atmosphere was because it was our group first missions, since we were born as destroyer.
It all began in the morning. Right after our morning 'refuel' we, the destroyers are about to prepare for our usual routine, that's when our supervisor hurriedly approach us.
To make things short, a group of our transport ships that suppose to be making some supply run has been ambushed by the ship girls. So far the escort fleet is holding them back but not for long.
Because our base are the closest we must dispatch some aid for transport fleet. And in some coincidence our group was the only available group, it falls to us the greenhorn to do the job.
And that pretty much sums it up. We have been going at it for about two hours now and we are near the engagement zone.
Suddenly my communication device comes to live. The voice of Rin-sensei could be heard.
"Alright listen kids, we are about to enter the battle zone. Just stay with your pack and don't engage the enemy alone. Our job is to give time for the transport fleet to get to safety. According to HQ they are carrying high value cargos. Don't let them get sink."
'Okay focus Lucas, you hear the teacher, all you gotta do is to delay those fleet girl. You don't have to try to kill them, just rough them up. Remember you are an abyssal now. They won't hesitate to kill you. So now focus!'
After psyching myself up, I have become more focused, while the nervousness and the bad feelings are still there, it has lessened a bit.
Suddenly Rin-sensei shouted out. "Enemy bomber! Disperse formation!"
What the hell! I quickly veered my body to the right dispersing from the group. The sound of enemy bomber planes could now be heard.
BOOOMMM! BOOOMM! BOOOMM!
Shit! the water around me, are being shaken by multiple explosions. According to my sonar one of the accompanying light cruiser has just blip out. Sh*t, not even five minutes and one of us already going down.
Fortunately my personal pack has regrouped with me. In abyssal language I told them.
"Alright guys, keep close don't go alone. We must find those transport first."
After wandering around for about 10 minutes finally on the far left I could see the silhouette of the transport ships. And not far behind them was Rin Sensei along with other abyssals fighting a group of ship girls.
Closing in, I could see the girls. I could see two destroyers, Kagerou and Ayanami, 2 Light cruiser Kuma and Tama.
Because we are approaching from the side, my pack are in the best positions to help, from this direction a support fire will have a large chance to succeed.
'Alright, it's now or never.' Once reaching acceptable range, I reared up my head and deployed my 5 inch dual cannon along with my pack doing the same as me.
Because there were 4 of us and 4 of them, each of us got our own target. I choose Kuma as my target because at least a light cruiser was more durable than a destroyer. 'Sorry Kuma.'
I let out a shriek, a sign to open fire. We fired as one.
The sound of our cannons firing catch their attention but it was too late. My two shot hit directly against my target, Nikku also succeeded in hitting her target. But our last two members missed their shot by a small margin.
"Keep firing!" I shrieked and my pack is doing just that.
Suddenly being placed under barrage of shot from their flank along with their initial enemy causing the ship girls to lose their composure.
"Don't underestimate me Kuma!" Shouted Kuma, she fired her gun at me, but only succeeded in glancing my armored hide that is reinforced by my elite aura. I retaliate back at her.
My comm flickered to life and I could hear Rin-sensei voice.
"Good job, you four. Keep them pinned, this transport group are almost out of combat zone."
With that the shootout continued.
/Fleet girl side Tama PoV/
The two pair of destroyers and light cruisers are in a tight spot. Not long ago they were just in the middle of attacking a group of wa-class transport ship. Their escorts previously been distracted by another of their group.
The suddenly appearing Ri-class are not considered as much of an obstacle either because there only one of her and 4 of them.
It was the sudden reinforcement of 4 abyssals destroyers hitting them from the flank that turn this fight around. One of them even possessing a red aura.
Kuma nee-san along with Kagerou have been hit by the initial surprise attack. Now it was 5 against 4, and the transport are already going away. Wincing from another shots landing too close to me, I drifted to Kuma nee-san.
"Kuma nee-san, we must retreat meow!"
"What do you mean retreat? Kuma!"
"We are outnumbered and you and Kagerou are injured meow! The transport also already gotten away Meow! There's no use for us to be here meow!"
Hearing my reasoning finally Kuma nee relented. "For Kuma to be in this shape, what a disgrace, kuma... Fine, Kuma! Let's retreat Kuma!"
I quickly follow Kuma-nee retreating form, luckily the abyssals didn't deemed to pursue us further.
/Back to Lucas PoV/
Phew, that was pretty intense. We succeeded in forcing them to retreat. Maybe I have a decent chance to survive this entire battle.
"Good job all of you. Is there any one of you who got damaged?" Ask Rin-sensei.
All of us give out an equivalent of no. Satisfied she give out our next order.
"Good, now follow me." She proceed to move and we follow her.
"We have clear this area. Most of the transport ship group are already reach safety if not they are in progress of it." Her next word cut out my internal sigh of relief. "But, unfortunately there's one group that is still under heavy fire. Enemy carrier seems to be focused on this transport group, so expect heavy air attack. We mustn't let the enemy sunk the transport ship, its cargo are too precious to be wasted. All destroyers are to converge on that positions."
Well it seems the action are still not over, now that bad feeling has come back to me tenfold. Enemy carriers huh? Looking up front from the distance I could see and hear the intense fighting over that area.
/30 minutes later/
I knew it. I knew it! There's no way this fight will gone smoothly.
I move to the left dodging a bomb dropped by an enemy bomber. I then shot my cannon at an enemy plane that is zooming in on Nikku.
Shit! I knew it's too good to be true. How could this happening. All around me was a hectic battlefield. Many abyssal destroyers corpses floating here and there, smoking and slowly sinking.
Not 15 minutes ago there was almost three dozens of us. Now only a little bit over a dozen was left.
Our enemy was only there, just a little bit out of reach from our cannons, they stood there shooting their damn arrow-planes at us with their destroyers escort blocking anyone from nearing.
It was the first carrier fleet, Akagi and Kaga along with their escort the seventh destroyer squadron. While usually I wouldn't mind meeting them, but right now I just wanting to curse those two.
Although our friendship was short, many of the destroyers here are my friend, my generation. And now they are sinking left to right.
My right sides are already bruised and dented a bit from being hit once by those planes. F&%k! Rin-sensei also already gone, she sacrifice herself as a shield for one of those Wa-class. Even then those ship girls already sunk two of the transports.
I shrieked in frustrations. Then suddenly on the corner of my eyes, I see something that makes me freeze.
There just over 50 meters from me, was Nikku and Nina. Wounded, their figurative back at each other firing desperately against the swarm of planes surrounding them.
A single plane slipped through their AA fire and dropped a bomb in the middle of them. An explosions and shockwave of water later and I could see the broken form of Nina floating there, unmoving. "Nina!"
Nikku released a loud shriek. Saddened at the lost of her sister, not noticing a pair of planes approaching her from the back, each dropping a torpedo which proceed to hit a distraught Nikku. "NO, Nikku!"
A rising wave of water and explosions later and Nikku lay there joining her sister.
No no way. while yes I was saddened by the other destroyers death but those two are different. Those two are there with me from the start, we share our sleeping bay together, train and work together. And now two out of three is dead, right in front of my eye.
I make my way to the broken form of the twin Ni-class, ignoring everything else,hoping that they could be still be somewhat alive and not dead.
When I was about to reach them, Something hit me and pushed me away. Then came the explosions and shriek of pain. But it was not me who got hurt.
Turning my head I froze again. Right in front of me was Iwa, half of her face armor was gone. The side of her body was also torn open, revealing the combination of machinery and organic matter inside.
She just shove me aside and took a bullet for me. I approach her slowly, my last friend in my new life is dying in front of me.
When I'm in front of her, staring unbelievingly, she with her last energy, weakly nudge me with her snout and let out a small sound, like saying it's okay to me and to leave her and for me to escape.
I move my body and nudge her back, she is dying. This abyssal destroyers, something that could only be called as a monster in front of me are dying. And I just can't bring myself to not care.
Right when I was about to move my body to support her form so she won't be sinking an explosions blossomed in front of me.
I was thrown back a few meters. Accidently I caught the form of a bomber plane flying away after its delivery flight.
Then my mind caught up with reality. Just now, my last friend has died. Iwa is dead, Nina and Nikku is dead. Rin-sensei also dead her form to damaged to be recovered.
Looking around I could not sense any other abyssals around me. Then it hit me, I was the last. I was the last destroyers of my generation, everybody was dead.
Rage boiled in me. I turn my face to the one responsible for this. The 1st carrier divisions.
In my rage I charge blindly towards those carrier positions. They also noticed my approach, a lone abyssal destroyer with red aura blazing doing a suicide run.
The planes up above begun to try to strafing me with their gun. The carrier escort also begun firing on me.
I soaked up every hit, not minding my body being torn apart by the projectiles that manage to hit me.
I rear up my head and deployed my cannon, I aimed it at the red one and fired. My last shot, that is filled with my fresh rage and sadness.
And I missed. I missed her by a f*^king meter.
Then the retaliatory fire came. A low flying bomber plane dropped its bomb on me, but not before one of the ship girl destroyers escort cannon fire hit me.
Two explosions blossomed where I'm used to be.
My body was wrecked in pain. My vision rapidly darken. After the initial shock, all I could see was the bright sky of the sea, marred by black smokes of the battle. And then I know it that I am sinking.
'So this is it, huh? This is how my life is gonna end? To sink in the bottom of the sea, as a mere destroyer.' I sink deeper and deeper, a glance to my surrounding, I could see other bodies of abyssal slowly sinking with me.
'Maybe if I'm lucky, a recovery team will salvage me and repair me back.' I mentally snort at that. 'Yeah right, like they would care about one destroyer out of many. There still many other higher rank ship that is sinking in this place. A mere destroyer won't be worth their time.'
'The best they would do, is just to scrap us for any usable parts...'
Finally after some moments of sinking, my wrecked body finally reach the ocean floor. All around me lay the broken body of abyssals. I'm just one among the many.
'I couldn't even take a measure of revenge, all of us died and the culprit just got away unscathed. I bet they will celebrate their victory in their base along with those human admiral of theirs.' Just now I unconsciously said human to mention about the ship girl admiral like I was putting myself as a different species from them.
This is further proof of the growing influence of my abyssal aspect. But I cannot bring myself to care.
'Please forgive me, Iwa, Nina, Nikku.' Then the face of two pair of people I haven't seen since my reincarnation appeared in my mind. The faces of my parents. 'Forgive me, mother, father. Forgive me for becoming a useless son.'
Then I close my eye and let the darkness of the abyss embrace me.
...
...
...
SKREEEEEEE!
What the hell! A loud shriek is blaring in my head.
Skreeee! There's something pounding in my head. Then I feel it. In the corner of my mind, something is ramming its way, trying to broke free.
Then I knew what this is. It was my abyssals side, the one that so far is suppressed by my consciousness. The instinct of abyssal destroyer.
Now that my body is dying, it try to break free. It is trying to find a way to survive.
Skreeeee! It shrieked again and again, each time it shriek It feels like my mind is being stabbed repeatedly. The pain was unbearable.
I wriggle here and there, trashing around with my severely damaged body in pain. Aack! the pain is too much
I could feel myself giving ground to the beast even though I try to not to, but I know that my resistance is futile because I know it deep inside myself, I too want to survive.
As I give more ground to the beast, a new feeling appeared in me. It was the sense of hunger. The beast and I know that in order to regenerate, food is staple. And it has been sometimes since my refuel.
HUNGRY! MUST EAT! MUST SURVIVE! EAT TO SURVIVE!
I feel my body move on its own albeit still trashing around every few moments here and there.
Then I see it, in front of me, a large strange chunk of metal.
FOOODD! MUST EAT! bellowed the beast in its shrieking destroyer language.
The hunger inside me intensified, I could feel my body slowly bend down, and bite the piece of metal. The taste of metal assaulted me. While usually when I eat my share of metal, the tastes are different for each metal. Some are sweet, some are salty. But this time, it feels like ambrosia.
That does it, that was the last straw of my resistance. The feeling is too much, I just give myself in to the hunger.
I swallow the metal and proceed to bite more. I bite and I eat, and as I continue eating I could feel my body regenerated itself. Absently I also notice some liquid and squishy things that also comes with the texture metal each time I chew. But I cannot bring myself to care, at this moment
It was not long before I finished the chunk of metal, but I still want more, I'm still hungry. I look around and then I spotted another chunk and over here and there, spread out among the sea floor was this chunks of metal.
FOOODD!
I bite down on a chunk of metal that is shaped to be more rounder than the other. As I eat my way to the inner layer, my next bite of metals comes with a strange taste. It was a little bit harder, and spicier. But I don't care, as long as it gives me energy. I continue to eat, I don't know how long that I eat.
But it was after I finished my second serving and I move to the third that I could feel my body changing. But as I was completely driven by my instinct this moment, I gladly receive this change in me. So, I eat more.
Author note: This will be a pretty long A/N.
Alright, and that is the closing of chapter 2, sorry for the long update, I'm just returning from Hong Kong. So there's not too much time to write. And I want to see the Kancolle anime first, to mine some idea.
If any of you says the battle is too short or suck, well how about you try to make your own battle scene with your MC in a mechanical killer fish form. It's difficult I tell you. The limits on movement is just too many.
Oh yeah in the previous chapter I write that the cannon of the I-class are inside the head. Well the anime proves me wrong, it is in their mouth, so please ignore my statement about it in the previous chapter.
Oh yeah if any of you are not satisfied with me making Kaga and Akagi to look likes the villain here, well sorry. I'm more on the Wo team and not those two.
For the anime, I'm pretty torn here. Half of me says the anime is suck, while the other half saying it was pretty good. Maybe if the MC is not Fubuki I will be more amicable. But oh well, what could I do?
Anyway, please give me your review and Idea.