Author's Notes

Made a Tv Tropes page about my story.

Akashi sailed on in silence, hearing and feeling the soothing ebb and flow of the ocean beneath her feet without the blast of cannon fire, the drone of planes on both sides as well as the pained voices of ship girls, the last of which rang out as hollow echoes in the peripheral of her mind and refused to go away in her weary, war-torn mind.

She felt tired as always, especially since the end of the Battle of Twelve Navies only meant more work for her, staying up late several nights in a row in order to revive and stabilize the conditions of the dead and the injured.

Really, this meeting was actually a welcome break for her, being able to see her second love again.

She had some time to herself in order to walk down memory lane, something which she almost never did due to the painful experiences which she went through in her lifetime, and the only one which she managed to recall without either breaking down into tears or drowning herself in drink were her times with Yuubari, back when the base was getting into its groove and when she thought life would give her a break after all that.

Apparently, she was wrong.

"Akashi.

Akashi!"

The repair ship snapped out of her thoughts on the 13th of May, 2006 as she turned to Yuubari, looking at her with half-lidded eyes which barely mustered up the strength to open up all the way even for a day which would be memorialized as a milestone in their relationship.

They were on one of Yuubari's less wacky inventions, a simple swan boat which usually had the bicycle pedals to propel it across the water and was able to carry some snacks while sheltering them from the weather, although the light cruiser's modification was to install an eco-friendly motor in it with car pedals where her feet were now at, along with a steering wheel being installed in order to manually drive it.

They had just left the reclaimed land which was going to be used in order to install a pier there, and before them, a palette of vibrant colors were splattered all over the horizon as it ranged from honey-red to a warm apricot and even a carrot-orange, the setting sun attempting to sneak one last peek at the couple-to-be as Akashi sighed and shifted more of her weight onto the left fist which supported her head, with her fist meeting her cheek while her elbow rested on her knee.

The clouds had parted to grant them this splendid view as the partially-illuminated moon was ready to replace the sun to be the Earth's main light source at night, although Akashi wasn't so much concerned with the view than she was with what was about to happen, and if Yuubari would accept the item in the little boxes that were in her skirt pockets.

Yuubari was looking concerned for Akashi as her sculpted face was creased into a pout, and she wore her usual uniform which was a dark blue sailor uniform which exposed her midriff along with a light green collar resting on her shoulders.

An orange neckerchief hung down from her collar, wearing a green skirt around her hips along with black pantyhose snugly hugging her legs, while a pink wristband was wrapped around her left wrist.

Her medium-length greenish-grey hair was in a ponytail and was secured with a teal hair bow, and her bright and troubled brown eyes contrasted with Akashi's dull and apathetic green eyes as the light cruiser asked.

"Akashi…

Were you thinking about… that, again?"

Akashi winced as she tried to suppress the memories of those two horrid years before she was sent to Yokosuka, closing her eyes and inhaling sharply before exhaling in a practiced and even meditative breath before opening them, allowing the setting sun to light up her retinas as she replied with all the vigor of a bear in hibernation.

" … No."

Yuubari exhaled in relief after holding her breath in anticipation for the answer, but her expression instead darkened as she tried to recover the situation by uttering,

"W-Well then, I'm sorry about reminding you of - "

"No."

Akashi squeezed her eyes shut again to blot out the memories as she exhaled through her nose in slight exasperation, but this was nothing which her world-weary spirit couldn't endure for the sake of her loved one as she answered.

"I'm not angry, but I don't want us to harp on the past too much.

Today's such a good day, I wouldn't want to waste it on focusing on the past and feeling sorry for myself.

Instead…"

Akashi lifted her head from her arm rest in order to face a puzzled Yuubari, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone as she focused on the sight before them.

"I just want to spend this time with you, away from the war and from everyone else."

Yuubari broke out into a relieved smile as she sidled up to Akashi, sitting herself down beside Akashi as the Yuubari-Class light cruiser rested her head on Akashi's free shoulder, and no words were needed for them to enjoy the natural wonder which was displayed before them.

The physical contact which pressed down on the cloth of her uniform caused it to become strangely ticklish, but Akashi sighed yet again as she felt something well up within her, and after some time, she felt Yuubari sit up again as she addressed Akashi, this time with an affectionate tone which addressed a minor pet peeve in a slightly chiding voice.

"You know that whenever you sigh, Akashi, a small amount of happiness escapes from you?"

Akashi felt her body become warm from her increasing proximity to Yuubari, but as a senior, she kept her cool and remained collected in situations like these, going on the offensive as a switch was flipped within her.

"I know.

And now that I have a romantic partner, should happiness escape from my lips, I'd like for it to flow into those which belong to the one I love."

Yuubari's face ripened into a beet red upon mentally connecting the dots, her eyes widening innocently while budding beads of transparent sweat began to form on her face and neck, but before Akashi could do anything else, Yuubari stuttered in her impressive attempt at a comeback, awkwardly smiling all the while.

"A - A pair of lips, hmm?

Which o-one do you prefer?"

Akashi halted her advance, her expression morphing into one of unchecked surprise as she drew back, staring back at Yuubari as the light cruiser stood her ground, Akashi finally doing something which she didn't think she was capable of anymore.

She chuckled.

It was soft and transient in its duration, but it was genuine as her facial muscles ached from forming an expression which was unfamiliar to her, having faded from her memory archives after everything that's happened to her, and she could see that Yuubari was breaking out into a relieved smile upon seeing Akashi laugh, the rarity of such a phenomenon occurring almost equivalent to that of a solar eclipse.

Akashi nodded in order to concede the point, feeling somewhat revitalized all of a sudden as she felt her fatigued heart lift from the playful exchange.

Her aged mind started to regain her creative spark as she thought up of witty retorts to fire back at Yubari in jest as she closed the distance, finally settling with,

"Well, good thing I taught mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to the ship girls in that first-aid lesson two days ago.

Want a practical session?"

Yuubari broke out in a bout of carefree laughter as she lightly punched Akashi on the shoulder, and as happiness welled up within Akashi's heart and filled her with an unfamiliar but fulfilling warmth, she felt emboldened to come out and ask Yuubari the million-dollar question.

She wanted to hang out more with Yuubari, and not just as a girlfriend, daring to voice her question as she reached into her pockets and allowed her expression to become solemn for a second.

Asking Yuubari with a serious, wizened look on her face, she could see that Yuubari now lost her smile and remained silent in order to match the mood.

"Yuubari, I've been meaning to ask you something.

You see, I've lived for quite a while now, and I can safely say that almost none of it was pleasant in any sense of the word."

Yuubari's expression fell along with Akashi's, and the light cruiser uttered out in a grave voice,

"Oh, Akashi…"

But Akashi make an effort to shake her head, not just to clear her mind but also to mentally shrug off the bad memories which clung to her like parasites, sucking all the life and happiness out of her.

She wouldn't allow herself to wallow in her own misery, and she opened her eyes to the sight of an anxious Yuubari looking at her with distressed eyes, and her heart ached upon seeing the light cruiser look so worried about her.

But upon noticing how positively radiant Yuubari looked against the backdrop of the setting sun, this caused Akashi's heart to soften and beat faster upon being conscious of this fact, thinking to herself.

'Yes.

I want to spend the rest of my life with someone who can move and melt my guarded and world-weary heart like this.'

Her throat became uncomfortable for some reason, but she powered on as she freed up both hands for what came next.

"But that's all in the past now.

Nothing can change the past, but although I once believed otherwise, I was eventually convinced by a certain light cruiser that a shitty past need not mean that a bad future laid in store for me.

And that's why…"

Akashi looked at Yuubari and allowed her inner heart to be reflected in her longing gaze, including the painful memories which eroded at her and how she desperately wanted to make new ones, preferably with someone who was able to enrapture and sooth her aching heart with her presence alone.

"I want us to look towards the future.

Our future."

Yuubari blinked twice in surprise, but Akashi saw that she put a mental lid over the questions which threatened to flow out of her, instead sitting up straight and was now at rapt attention.

She took this as a sign to continue.

"Well, I know that we've got a thing going on here for a while now, and…

I just thought I'd make it official with this."

Pulling out one box from each pocket, Akashi relinquished her hold on one in order to allow Yuubari to cradle it with both palms and peek inside it, the light cruiser's eyes now widening in awe as she met Akashi's eyes, which had a twinkle in them for the first time in forever, and they broke eye contact in order to look down at the opened boxes and the items within them.

Two silver rings were nested in the foam that was stuffed inside the boxes, and Yuubari held one hand to her mouth as her eyes moistened and she let out a breath of exaltation, her stretched cheeks a sign of a blissful smile behind her palm as Akashi smirked, an arduous task for someone like her which she carried out anyway for her loved one as she explained herself.

"I know that this isn't the most romantic of ways to break it to you, but I tried, what with getting you to sortie the swan boat, taking several days off and making sure today's weather would cooperate with me.

That's how we have this picturesque view before us today, and it's the perfect occasion for me to ask this question.

Will you marry me, Yuubari?"

Akashi gently plucked out the ring that was in the box in her own hand, and she held it up for Yuubari to witness, noticing the sunbeams which reflected off of the steel ring's glossy exterior and made it seem sublime, despite the fact that it was a simple steel ring with no intricately crafted jewel being attached to it, and neither was it shaped into superfluous designs which the rich could afford, and it only had a simple,

'AKASHI X YUUBARI'

Etched into the inside of the ring where the skin would come into contact with.

She could see that Yuubari noticed this as she took out the engagement ring with her slender fingers, before angling it in order to observe the three words which were carved into the inside as she huffed disbelievingly,

"Oh, Akashi.

I can't say that I expected this.

But now that you gave this to me, I can say that this was what I wanted from the bottom of my heart."

And with a shining smile which rivaled the sun itself in its ability to provide Akashi some warmth, this time being that of an emotional instead of a physical one, Yuubari finished her sentence with the words which Akashi desperately wanted to hear, melting all the safeguards and walls she had built within her guarded heart to prevent anyone from hurting her again.

"Thank you, Akashi.

I love you."

Yuubari looked back at Akashi, and she looked positively radiant as she basked in the light of the setting sun, and this it awoke something that was dormant within Akashi as she felt something which might have once resembled romantic love, and she held out her hand in order to offer to help put the engagement ring on Yuubari's hand, and she felt Yuubari's palm on hers as the heat transferred from the light cruiser's into her own.

Holding the ring in one hand and Yuubari's palm in the other, she slipped the ring onto Yuubari's fourth finger as the duo kept silent the entire time, since they were too overwhelmed by their emotions to say anything, and Akashi held up a limp hand for Yuubari to do the same to her, Yuubari's fingers trembling from the excitement of finally cementing their relationship as lovers instead of tiptoeing around the situation.

The cool steel wrapped around the strip of living steel flesh on her ring finger, and since the sun had already entered its twilight phase and cast its orange glow upon the clouds that were above them while darkness overtook the territory of the sky and helped to provide some contrast, everything was divided into halves which were either illuminated by the sun's rays or were engulfed in darkness, and Akashi leaned for a kiss.

Her body heated up as her underwear became damp from the lip-to-lip contact, and she could tell that Yuubari was also turned on by the kiss as she broke out into a slight blush, her brown pupils dilating in arousal as she likely tasted the strawberry lipstick which Akashi bothered to put on for the first time in her life.

Tasting the light cruiser's tongue with her own and feeling their saliva mix together in the sweet little cauldron that was their mouths meeting for the first time after being engaged, she broke off the kiss to find Yuubari breathing as heavily as she did, and she was even starting to sweat a little as she tugged her sailor collar downwards in a suggestive manner in order to cool herself down and almost allowed the repair ship a glimpse of her cleavage, turning Akashi on even more as she gulped before asking temptingly,

"How was the taste?

In which Yuubari's cheeks stretched in order to form a coy smile as she answered.

"Exquisite."

Akashi couldn't bear the heat anymore as her nether regions tingled in anticipation for what came next, especially since she had been sexually inactive for several years and had to constantly endure and suppress it for the sake of carrying out her duty.

And as these repressed urges flowed out of her wounded heart for the first time in years, she felt them intensify fourfold as her mind and body were thirsting for more and she was completely soaked down under to prove it, watching Yuubari squirm in her seat as she kneaded her knees together seductively since she likely felt the same, unable to control the lubricant flow.

The nocturnal moon was now fully visible as the last vestiges of the sun disappeared over the horizon, the pale, pockmarked lunar satellite illuminating the duo as Yuubari made her next move by gently pushing Akashi to the floor, mounting her as her legs straddled Akashi's waist and torso, now sounding concerned for Akashi's well-being as her expression softened before she asked.

"Are you hurting, Akashi?

I hope I'm not too heavy…"

Akashi's eyes widened in surprise, before she broke out into an understanding smirk as she understood how Yuubari didn't want to accidentally hurt her, and she chose to answer honestly with a small stinger to get her back into the mood.

"No, I'm alright.

You could stand to lose some weight, though.

Especially with how often you've been helping yourself to Mamiya's food recently …"

Yuubari broke out into an involuntary giggle as she playfully slapped Akashi's left upper arm, the contact's slight sting turning her on and awakening her masochistic side as she allowed herself to enjoy Yuubari going on the offensive, the light cruiser leaning down and planting a kiss on her lips before moving them down Akashi's cheeks, then sliding down her neck and finally into the nape of her neck, which connected her neck to her shoulders.

And in the process, Akashi was unable to stop her body from shuddering and spasming at the electric sensation of Yuubari's deft fingers coming into contact with her most sensitive spots down under while still sensually kissing her neck and shoulder, her skillful massaging movements causing all the tension and backed-up sensations which had seeped into her bones and muscles over the years to build up to a mighty crescendo as she came, her hips buckling while her back arced due to its sheer intensity as it unleashed a floodgate of hitherto unknown, but far from unwelcome sensations as they coursed through every fiber of her being, the repair ship gasping all the while,

"OoOooOOHHhh!"

As she was reinvigorated in ways which only a loved one's touch could accomplish with the right technique.

Yuubari finally pulled up and sat up straight as she wiped the saliva from her mouth, exuding a victorious air as she sat on a wheezing Akashi while the repair ship felt tears start to form at the corners of her eyes, and Yuubari retorted.

"And love-making is quite the physically demanding exercise, no?

Then you better prepare yourself, because I'm not letting you sleep tonight."

Akashi's smile only grew as she felt her uniform cling to her skin due to the all-pervasive sweat on her body, huffing alluringly.

"Why do you think I took several days, including tomorrow off, hmm?"

Yuubari wiped her hand on her uniform top while her clean hand undid the ribbon which held her ponytail together, the light cruiser's green hair falling to her shoulders and covering the nape of her neck as Akashi made a Public Service Announcement.

"I must let you know…

I specialize in repairs, not reproduction."

Yuubari then held the hem of her uniform top and undressed herself as the newly-worn ring gleamed in the moonlight, moving in an undulating motion as she did so in order to reveal her breasts which were a solid B-cup, and her toned abdomen and lean arm muscles were a result of many sorties and training sessions which trained up her muscles for the sake of combat, while her breasts were supported by her white laced bra.

Not anymore, as they too, came off to offer Akashi a splendid view of Yuubari's bare assets as she felt herself getting excited again, and Yuubari pressed her bosom against Akashi's as she felt her lover's nipples pressing against her own through Akashi's uniform and bra, Yuubari now fully in the mood to join bodies with Akashi as the light cruiser whispered into her face and went on the offensive, both their eyes roaming over and taking in every single detail in the facial features of their turned-on significant other.

"Then let's hope you're a fast learner."

Akashi licked her lips hungrily upon hearing that, hurriedly tearing off her uniform with a passion in order to join in the stripping session they had going on, her sweltering, lust-driven body eventually freed of its clothed bondage as she embraced Yuubari, their lips making contact again as Akashi found herself climaxing again simply from the kiss.

They spent the whole night on the swan boat and under the fully-illuminating satellite that was the full moon as the duo's bare bodies, which were driven over the edge by an insatiable heat, passionately pressed and rubbed against each other in order to unwind as well as to help each other forget the horrors of war, lightly and sensually nibbling, kissing, caressing, tickling and licking each other in all the right places.

They helped their significant other hit the vocal high notes several dozens of times with their own techniques throughout the night, wholly invested in consummating their relationship until the break of dawn.

Akashi shook her head in order to clear those memories from her mind, finally seeing some sort of giant, translucent blob in the immediate distance as it floated next to some sort of foldable platform with chairs and tables above and air-filled floats beneath it, two Abyssals standing atop said platform as Akashi approached them.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that the blob was actually a large jellyfish Beast which was the size of a decently-sized hot-air balloon, and there were two humanoid Abyssals standing on the platform along with a large feline Beast that was poised and ready to pounce after detecting her arrival.

She saw that Yuubari hadn't changed too much, save for the uniform being colored primarily Abyssal black with her sailor collar ribbon now being colored white, along with her sailor collar which stayed the same, although she now had jet-black shoulder guards holding up a billowing cape while her arms were enveloped in technological armor of sorts, possessing LED screens and had neon-red Tron lines running up and down the entire contraption and formed an armored glove of sorts.

Wrapped around her waist was a black utility belt filled with stuff she didn't recognize, one of them being a futuristic-looking stick which could be held and had a red button on it, and the midriff baring was still a thing in her Abyssal uniform, except that pale Abyssal flesh was what peeked through the gap.

A black skirt covered her tights which were a lighter shade of black, thigh-high mechanical shoes with short heels being the choice of wear since as a light cruiser who lagged behind others in others in terms of speed, she often chose to physically move around, and high heels would only hinder her.

Her pupils were an uncommon Abyssal blue while her hair was snow white, and she had jet-black steel wings which were attached to where her sideburns would be, covering her ears and flaring out at the ends as though in the midst of taking flight.

Since it had been several years, both Akashi and Yuubari had grown taller yet again, although Yuubari experienced some sort of freak growth spurt which allowed her to catch up as she likely only stood a quarter of a head beneath Akashi, which intrigued her as to what brought this about.

Her buddy was far taller than her, and Akashi immediately deduced that she was a battleship even though she didn't have her rigging on, but when she was accompanying Yuubari to meet up with a weak little repair ship, there was no need to use a cannon to kill a fly when Yuubari was powerful enough to subjugate even the Abyssal Princesses.

Akashi could see that her flowing white hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her eyes were also the color of the Abyssal luminescent-blue while her hair ribbon was also colored a cerulean blue with a golden ornament adorning it to the right of her head, along with a pair of black wings flaring out to her left.

And whatever was supposed to be gold in color (her hypothesis) was now an ivory white, including the trim, stripes, stars and epaulets on her blazer, and she had the Abyssal shark 'A' as a collar pin on her folded-up collar, with a white cravat wrapped around her neck along with a black waistcoat and skirt covering her main body and hugging her figure, a white, long-sleeved work shirt complementing her white gloves as the cuff pins and trim on this shirt were black this timeto serve as a contrast.

Her belt buckle was silver and similarly had the Abyssal 'A' emblazoned on it, and her black garter belt had star-shaped pins holding up her grey stockings which were further secured by black belts, and what elevated her height were the heel platforms beneath the ball of her foot while she wore fold-down high boots which had golden soles.

Akashi sailed up to the platform as she was hailed by Yuubari, and she worked on removing her boat slippers before stepping onto the steps which were built into the platform, the jellyfish lazily raising a tentacle as an offer to take care of her sortieing equipment which currently consisted of nothing but her boat slippers.

But Yuubari walked up with a concerned look on her face as she spoke, and while the change in voice was enough to surprise Akashi, she was seasoned enough not to let the shock register on her face in order to betray the slight feeling of anxiety within her.

[Ah, ah.

I wouldn't recommend getting too close to Indra's tentacles.

He means well, but you'll be in for a shock should the tentacles brush against your skin.

I'll help you with that instead.]

Akashi watched as Yuubari took possession of her boat slippers and held them in her power gloves, handing them over to Indra as the balloon-like Beast then relieved its master of the burden before inexplicably lifting its muscleless tentacle without any effort and plopping them atop its crown, Akashi feeling the cold steel which made up Yuubari's power glove as her former lover helped her up the stairs like a gentleman, Akashi finally standing level with and meeting Yuubari for the first time ever since her sinking about eight years ago.

On the inside, her heart was a whirlwind of emotions, several elements being identified as love for the light cruiser, a dormant and very short-lived hatred towards Admiral Mako and various ship girls (who shall remain unnamed) for letting Yuubari sink, a more potent, malicious and long-lasting hatred welling up within her which was directed towards the Abyssals for corrupting her lover, and finally, hatred towards herself for not being there to stop Yuubari from sinking.

The one ship girl who she truly loved, and Akashi let her sink just like that…

She narrowed her eyes and maintained her poker face, mentally willing those malevolent thoughts out of her mind as Yuubari held her arms out as if expecting Akashi to run into her loving embrace, a shit-eating grin plastered on her face while the unknown Abyssal battleship took the chance to stand behind and back Yuubari up as the Abyssal light cruiser started their warped reunion with,

[Oh, how I've missed you.]

Akashi kept her hands in her pocket, still feeling quite wary of what this new Yuubari was like as she coolly responded.

"Well, I admit it's been a while, and your little lap dog Woxanne did tell me you wanted a face-to-face.

What took you so long?"

Yuubari's smile grew solemn as she lowered her arms, but she answered nonetheless with a grateful tone, likely feeling elated about being able to meeting her spouse even after death and talk to her.

[Overtime like you wouldn't believe.

Scouting me in order to fill their seats, the first thing they did was to work me like a horse, and that was why I couldn't do anything other than keep tabs on you.

Kept you waiting, huh?]

Akashi lifted an eyebrow in agreement, noting the feline Beast prowling and circling the battleship while baring its elongated canines the entire time, being a Beast of major interest.

Its armor was jutting out at odd angles while superfluous pieces of transparent glass, leather seats and car tires were all attached to its body, and even though it was simple to determine that this was a Beast was a saber-toothed tiger to be utilized for land combat, it still took awhile before it hit Akashi as to what this Beast was really capable of.

Its lithe and ripped steel body definitely weighed above a ton, and it possessed red eyes with pupils possessing apertures which contracted as it laid eyes on the repair ship, and its shiny, dagger-shaped canines hung down as they reflected the sunlight while its throat burnt with a crimson hue, signifying its capability to perform a hyper beam despite being smaller than most Beasts.

Akashi had no doubt that it hid numerous weapons within it to take on ship girls in land combat, and Akashi turned to the mystery Abyssal as she changed the focus of the conversation to try and identify just who this unit was.

"I don't believe we've met, and your model escapes my memory, despite being quite long-lived.

Who are you, exactly?"

The battleship met Akashi's gaze as she responded icily and never relaxed her 'at-attention' stance, her Beast leaning in close in a show of something resembling protectiveness.

[Washington.]

Akashi pulled her head back as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but Yuubari stepped in to explain the situation in the meantime in order to clear the air between them.

[Oh, don't worry.

I created this new Washington by breaking down a sunk Washington corpse and remaking it into a new Washington model, the first of its kind and unlike anything the world has ever seen thus far.

It took a long while for me to create the first Abyssal boss unit who could survive the procedure to gain her powers, but it paid off in the end!

I call this the Mark III Washington, and this is her Beast, Diego.]

Washington remained neutral while her Beast stepped forward, and Akashi didn't retreat even in the face of the Beast as it approached her, emitting a guttural and bestial growl while its muzzle twitched in its desire to simply kill Akashi.

The repair ship kept silent, but she knew that animals could sense fear, although it also worked both ways in that they could sense one's inner threat level.

This Beast was very wary of her, simply because of her vengeful and bloody aura which belied her killing intent which other ship girls could only gain a vague feeling of rather than discern, and it was definitely feeling threatened in her presence despite going on the offensive.

And having been ordered not to harm the repulsive ship girl before her, it did the only thing it could do.

Drawing back and inhaling sharply, the infernal flames within the Smilodon's throat was proudly displayed before Akashi as Diego let out a deafening roar, causing one hell of a shock-wave to blow Akashi's hair back and threatened to blow out her eardrums had it not been for her internal ear mufflers.

And even as Akashi squinted, the red-hot furnace before her brightened and illuminated her pupils through her eyelids while her face was slightly toasted by the drastic spike in temperature while the volume of the roar at point-blank range was not unlike a plane taking off nearby, the Beast before her displaying its ferocity and might in a show of extreme force.

But as the Beast ran out of steam and drew back, Akashi blinked before she remarked idly, having faced off against scarier Beasts in her time,

"All I see is a giant pussy before me."

Yuubari couldn't help but hide a chuckle behind her fist upon hearing that, and Diego cocked its head as it was likely confused as to why a mere repair ship could remain so unfettered even after its menacing roar.

Akashi looked back at Yuubari as she asked, seeing how this new Abyssal type might be one to look out for since she was not in any of their databases, and even though her performance specs might be identical to that of the Mark I and II Washington ship girls, her personality, or rather the lack of one, made her a wild card whose behavior and patterns couldn't be easily predicted.

"So if you created this Mark III battleship, whom you say is the first - "

Akashi stopped herself then, reviewing Yuubari's words before her expression contorted into a sly grin, Yuubari herself mirroring her expression as Akashi boldly pointed out.

"You said 'the first Abyssal who could survive the procedure', and boasted that Washington was the first of her kind, but there was no mention of her being the only one, right?"

Yuubari's smile only grew as she waggled a finger in Akashi's direction, looking glad that her lover was able to read between the lines as she answered.

[Glad you picked up on that.

There are a few more of them, since their minds were destroyed beyond repair or their broken minds were too far gone, although their bodies were still in prime condition.

And so, I made some cosmetic changes and filled their brains with a brand-new personality as an Abyssal unit so that they could dissociate themselves from their past ship girl trauma and deal with it impersonally.]

Akashi widened her eyes in genuine surprise as she asked incredulously,

"And you managed to write all of the personality cores, auxiliary programs and modules all on your own in order to create a fully-functional A.I.?"

Yuubari snorted as her expression softened, turning away as she idly waved her hand and answered offhandedly.

[Kinda, but I definitely didn't do everything by myself.

I got some help from above.

From there, I utilized a rough mental template of their previous life's personalities to avoid too much dissociation from their past selves and experiences, and I definitely had other Abyssal comrades help me with the debugging and stuff.]

Raising an eyebrow, Akashi was only mildly surprised at the fact that Yuubari was under someone else's command as she asked in a genuinely interested tone.

"You're under someone else's command?"

Yuubari nodded as she lowered her gaze in order to look down at the floor, elaborating more on her job scope.

[Well, we all work for someone else.

My masters certainly wouldn't want to entrust me, a light cruiser who remembers her past and might harbor double-agent tendencies, with the entire Abyssal armada no matter how fervently I pledge my loyalty to them.

I understand their concerns and paranoia, though, so no biggie.]

Yuubari then looked up at Washington and cast a glance in Diego's direction, cocking her head towards Akashi as she teased, and although it wasn't an order, Akashi suspected that due to the way Yuubari built this Mark III Washington, the turned American battleship wasn't the kind to refuse even a silly, whimsical or even suicidal order.

[Wanna show our friend here what Diego can do?

I mean, I bet they've at least figured that out, but even if they haven't, it's worth balancing the scales so that it won't be a one-sided domination match, right?]

Washington bowed slightly in acknowledgement, and Diego growled unwillingly as it got into position and did something which Akashi expected after Admiral Mako shared her suspicions with everyone, but it still managed to catch her slightly off-guard.

Diego's forelegs and hind legs folded at odd angles as its flexible joints, thanks to engineers meddling around in its conceptual stage, allowed for greater mobility and granted it the ability to transform, and its shoulders folded in to cover its head as the wheels on its shoulders hit the floor, its tail being wound back into its body while its head unfolded to form what Akashi assumed was the air intake vents and hood before being hidden by what was to be the front body of the car as it was formed by its forelegs, shoulders and chest.

The plates which previously stuck out from its body were now coming together and formed the body of the automobile it was supposed to transform into, the paws of its hind legs folding back up to touch its buttocks and allowing the rear tires that were jutting out from its hips to touch the platform as it began to form a streamlined sports car, Akashi's breath being taken away by how utterly seamless the process appeared.

Every part was put back into place as Diego transformed into a Koenigsegg Agera R, the transformed vehicle's engine purring smoothly like a well-oiled machine as Akashi observed the streamlined and sleek curves, the design that squeezed out every drop of performance from the parts within it as well as the fact that the car's body hugged the platform while Diego revved its engines in order to show off its tenacity and power, its engine booming as its chassis shook a little as if a wild beast were trapped within it as it bucked and struggled within its steel cage, ready to let loose.

Unable to think of a suitable comeback to such a brilliant display of engineering finesse, Akashi looked down and shrugged nonchalantly as she changed the topic in order to keep the conversation going, asking about what they were meeting about in order to get to the crux of the matter.

"So why exactly did you want me to meet you out here?

I like seeing you again, but aiming an ICBM at Japan in order to force a meeting with us likely means that you didn't intend to invite us for tea, hmm?"

Yuubari pressed a few buttons on her power glove before the entire platform was a gigantic LED screen which was illuminated by Yuubari's command, Akashi snapping her head downwards to find a world map being displayed beneath her feet.

A crimson wave was slowly creeping inland as well as various shark-shaped 'A's pointing towards the coastal regions and encircling them in order to symbolize the Abyssal march onto various coastal states and countries before worming their way into the heart of mankind as Yuubari explained herself.

[I didn't want to have to talk about work when we're meeting each other for the first time, but I had to.

I'm sure you understand that the tides of war are shifting once again, and that you all are going to receive the business end of the stick.]

Akashi nodded, stepping over to one 'A' which was pointed towards California as she asked.

"Hmm.

This reminds me of the 'We Surround You' posters the Nazis dropped on the retreating Brits in Dunkirk back in World War 2.

Nice effects."

Yuubari nodded approvingly, moving her hands in a grand, sweeping gesture towards the rest of the world on the platform map as she strolled from Wyoming to New Mexico while she answered.

[Yep.

A neat little quote says, 'War has changed' while another says 'War never changes', but I don't think either one of them is accurate enough to truly describe our situation.

This war of ours will change in that it will no longer just be about naval combat regarding a ship girl's war doctrine; land combat will have to be fought worldwide while air combat will be left to the human air forces.

But the heart of the Abyssal War will never change, because it'll always be an Abyssal versus ship girl conflict at its core.

And no matter how much war changes or advances in terms of theme or technology, when our forces meet, we will always have to cross swords.]

Akashi nodded along with Yuubari's little monologue, and this probably got the light cruiser to continue on to boast grandiosely, holding her arms out and spinning around like a top as she continued with a carefree voice while stepping onto Utah.

[Wherever I walk, seven trumpets shall accompany the chorus of echoes which follow my every step, and will herald the beginning of the end.

Stepping on the map that is displayed on this platform, all that my cape and shadow blankets shall be blotted out under a hail of missiles, and wherever I walk on this map will be crushed underneath our tracks of steel.

We are the end of mankind.

And as the sun shines upon all of you and grants it color, when we're done, all that will be left is a world of monochrome which will be shrouded in eternal darkness.]

Oh boy.

Akashi couldn't resist pointing out bluntly, having been exposed to Kiso's chuunibyou tendencies for a while to get a good idea of people trying too hard to make others buy into their awesomeness and coming off as cringey in the process.

"You know, I think that might be the corniest shit I've heard in awhile.

I mean, the 'stepping on the map' part was kinda cool in a symbolic and maybe literal sense in the future, but the 'seven trumpets' and 'eternal darkness' shit just sounds like something Kiso or Tenryuu would say in their chuunibyou phase.

Like,

'Hur dur, I'm the Dark-Lord Pussy-Slayer Yuubari, fear me and my Abyssal brethren as we lay down cataclysmic ruination of imminent doom upon our foes, the scrublord humans and their blasted ship girls.

We'll engulf the world in eternal darkness even though the sun literally shines upon us every single day, so bow down in reverence to your new overlords or face your doom!'

You see you cringey that sounds?"

Yuubari chuckled good-naturedly, looking unfettered all the while as she remarked,

[Well, I wonder about that.

It's almost time for the fireworks to begin, so hang on to something.]

Akashi thought hard about Yuubari's words and tried to decipher them, but she finally grasped their true meaning just as she heard Musashi call out over the radio in a strained voice,

"Akashi-san, watch out!

The ICBM's landed with its hydrogen bomb warhead, and the yield is unbelievable!

You should see the detonation aboudsnsoosmdkhrrsss!"

Before fading to static.

It was five seconds later when she saw a white light expanding as it shone over the horizon, causing her head to swivel back in shock at the missile's warhead producing a nuclear yield on such a scale as she was forced to squint in the presence of the sun-like luminosity which radiated from the epicenter.

Akashi's eyes widened in genuine horror as she turned back to look at a relaxed Yuubari, the Abyssal light cruiser merely giving her a shrug and a wry smile as she did her best to reassure Akashi.

[Oh, don't you worry.

We've set up shields around this platform, and we let them down to let you in before putting it back up.

Don't worry, according to my calculations, the shields we put up should be able to protect us from the blast, especially since we're so far away.]

Akashi started to sweat a little as she raised an eyebrow and asked incredulously,

"'Should'?"

But before she could say anything else, the white light eventually materialized as a mushroom cloud whose cap reached up towards the heavens, and Akashi spotted the ocean shifting wildly as the blast wave hit the platform, the invisible air before the repair ship immediately turned red after withstanding the intensity of the blast wave which made waves on the ocean, shielding the platform as well as the jellyfish Beast Indra.

The explosion caused an earthquake-esque motion to shake the platform and caused the LED screen on the floor to tear, all while Akashi fell onto the platform and supported her body with her knees and arms while Yuubari enjoyed herself all the while, Akashi's entire body tensing up for the end as she felt the world itself tremble in fright at the might of the ICBM unleashing hell on earth in a single strike, and the air itself weighed down on the shields as the plates creaked from having to withstand the force of the blast as well as scorching temperatures which could no doubt outright annihilate any living being standing out there.

The nuke's epicenter was several dozens of kilometers away, but the brilliance of the explosion still threatened to engulf them as she squinted, somehow managing to hear Yuubari's manic laughter through the booming, half-human roar emitted by the hydrogen bomb detonation some ways away as if originating from the bowels of Hell itself and was a mere harbinger of the end time that was to come down the road, a column of opaque smoke eventually materializing like an exhaling smoker's breath as it blotted out the sun and the sky, and in the process, cast its ominous and towering shadow upon all that was pure and good on God's green earth.

It felt worse than almost any other earthquake or volcanic eruption which she experienced, and after about two minutes of heart-stopping tremors which were shaking the world and plaguing her body as well as the roaring boom of the mushroom cloud whose intensity could only hope to be matched by that of a space shuttle taking flight, everything finally seemed to stop as Akashi saw the hand that was shielded by a power glove being offered to her in order to help her up, and she gladly accepted it.

She was breathing a lot heavier due to the fright of being incinerated despite having lived for so long, since she had never personally witnessed a nuclear blast, especially one which was powered by a fusion reaction and was far more potent and devastating in its explosive yield, and Akashi shivered as she felt the sweat which coated her skin evaporate due to the heated air within the shields and chilled her to the bone along with the shock of the near-death experience.

Both Yuubari and Washington were hardly looking any worse for the wear, likely having mentally fortified themselves against the explosion beforehand, a mushroom cloud now blossoming from the epicenter and looked to be about 30 kilometers in height and rising rapidly, growing in size like a tree which grew and matured in fast forward.

Yuubari noted something just as Akashi was doing her best to compose herself, suddenly feeling the air surrounding the Abyssal light cruiser icing over due to the lack of anything on Akashi's ring finger.

[You aren't wearing your wedding ring.

Why?]

It took Akashi some time to register the question, but she blinked and answered the question as she was still too taken aback to come up with any lies, using her free hand to reach into the collar of her uniform top and into the steel ring which was hung around her neck and rested above her cleavage.

"Oh, I wear it as a necklace.

After your sinking, I was too distraught about wearing it on my ring in order to remind myself of you, but I didn't want to throw it into a corner and allow myself to forget about you entirely.

Besides, this way, our memory will be closest to my heart, figuratively and literally."

Pulling out the steel chain which was threaded through the familiar-looking steel ring, Akashi's gaze rested on its as her expression became forlorn and heartfelt since the wedding ring contained far too many painful memories to be slipped on her finger, and although Yuubari probably felt miffed about it before this, she relaxed her stance as she looked away and released Akashi's hand before speaking up, changing the topic before it got too awkward.

[Anyway, I wanted to tell you before the fireworks started.

I wouldn't worry about dying.

We are situated way beyond its immediate destructive range, and I calibrated my shields to be able to withstand forces way beyond what we just experienced.

You really didn't think I would allow my baby to die on me, and allow myself to follow in a double suicide, hmm?]

Akashi brought her breathing under control and put the ring back into her uniform as she sat down on a steel chair which was brought over by Washington, and even in the whirlwind of powerful emotions swirling around in her paralyzed mind, she still found it within herself to fire back a retort.

"Well, we'd both go out with one hell of a bang.

And isn't part of the ancient belief that those who commit double suicide would be reunited in the next world?"

Yuubari lifted an eyebrow as she retorted,

[But I am reunited with you right now in my next life.

I would never risk losing you again and forget all our times together if I were to be reincarnated into another life.]

Yuubari sat herself down on another chair which was brought to her by the subservient Washington, and Akashi looked her in the eye as she admitted her loss in that minor debate.

"Touche.

But as enemies, you realize that only one of us will prevail while the other falls, right?

You understand our dynamic well enough to know that since you have all that…"

Jerking her head to her right in order to indicate Washington and Diego, as well as the apocalyptic mushroom cloud whose growth had finally plateaued and was finally dissipating into thin air, Akashi predicted how the ship girls and humans would react to this, and it certainly wasn't going to be a plea for a ceasefire.

"The humans will certainly fight even harder to win, and it'll definitely be even harder for you all to kill them.

You know that when their survival is at stake, they'll be harder to kill than even the toughest and most resilient of cockroaches.

And if we are to cross paths and fight as enemies, it'll definitely be a fight to the death between us."

Akashi rolled with that idea as she leaned forward, because ever since she found out that her lover was resurrected by the dark side and had been behind almost all of the events which occurred recently, and was now revealed to be the Abyssal high commander who took an obsessive interest in Akashi, she had often mentally compared Yuubari to a certain nefarious criminal mastermind in fictional literature.

"I think in this case, you'd probably be the Napoleon of Crime?

I mean, you masterminded all these cunning schemes, created cutting-edge inventions, moved your pieces about whilst keeping track of your enemy like a spider weaving a web to ensnare a prey, and our movements are but calculated reactions to your grand design's machinations as you lead the Abyssals on a crusade against mankind and ship girls alike and herald a new age of warfare."

Yuubari squirmed excitedly in her seat as she look down at her lap, clearly appearing elated and even bashful at the amount of praise she was getting from her lover.

[Oh, you really know how to praise a girl, Akashi.

I always told myself that it'd all be worth it when I met you again, and today's turning out even better than I thought it would be.

I feel sad that we'll have to cross paths and fight from now on, but I think of it as a way for us to get closer to each other and know each other better, in ways we never would have as ship girls…]

Leaning in closer, Yuubari continued her little speech about what she knew about Akashi.

[Well then, I know you well enough to predict that you wouldn't debase yourself by defecting to our side, and despite all that's happened, the reason why you fight with the humans - ]

"But not for the humans."

Akashi made sure to clear up the air regarding that distinction, and Yuubari nodded as her smile grew and she continued with her speech, understanding Akashi's blatant disdain for mankind despite being compelled to fight for them.

[Yes.

The reason why you fight with them is because of some sort of warrior's pride which still resides within you, to never stop so long as there's a fighting chance, right?]

Akashi nodded sadly, because even though she was a medic first and foremost, she was also a soldier who was created to fight, and to her, giving up when it really mattered was unbecoming of a soldier, who was expected to literally soldier on in the face of increasingly overwhelming odds unless one was ordered to stand down.

Yuubari seemed to understand this as she tilted her head forward dangerously, a shadow being cast over her face as the darkness within her seeped out from her very being due to Akashi's defiance and unwillingness to roll over and go along with her plans.

[I must warn you, Akashi.

My love and magnanimity, which motivates me to capture and tame you without killing you, does not translate to tolerance towards forceful retaliation and rebellion against my plans and intentions.

If you should attempt to bring destruction down upon me, know that I shall endeavor to do the same to you.

My love for you and respect for your skills is why I haven't simply steamrolled the world and crushed them with overwhelming force from the get-go.]

Akashi considered her words for a moment as she looked away, finally raising her right eyebrow as she turned back and boldly retorted in the face of Yuubari all-too-credible threat of killing Akashi by defying and thwarting her plans.

"You didn't fall in love with me because I possessed a compliant nature.

Besides, the fun lies not just in catching a prey which fights back and resists capture, but also in breaking in and taming one."

She could see that Yuubari's steely gaze lost some of its edge as she lowered her eyes and softly bit her lip, a sign that she grudgingly found a point in the opposing party's argument and had nothing to say, finally speaking up as she looked away and spat.

[Fine.

I won't try to convince you to join me, because I understand you well enough to know that I'll be wasting my breath.

I'll only stop when you're mine, or when one of us is dead.]

"When we're dead."

She looked into Yuubari's slightly taken aback ghostly-blue eyes as she shared her perspective on their relationship and the dark turn it had taken due to circumstances that were beyond either of their control.

"Face it, Yuubari.

Without me, you wouldn't find any more reason to live, since you would never find another damaged ship girl who'd catch your fancy and match wits with you like I do right now."

Yuubari's expression changed to look distressed as she asked out of genuine curiosity and concern towards Akashi, and she managed to look upwards as she give Akashi a puppy-dog gaze since she leaned forward and was thus very close to Akashi, allowing Akashi an enticing view of her cleavage which hadn't grown much in size, remaining fun-sized while not becoming overly cumbersome to the bearer.

[But then, that means…

Did you ever feel lonely and wanted to end it all when I was gone, since back then, you were almost certain that I sank and was lost to the ocean forever?]

Akashi remembered the grieving stage which she went through immediately after Yuubari had sunk, and had never truly ended until the day in which she confirmed the windmill rumors which whispered the possibility that an Abyssalized light cruiser Yuubari was the one leading the Abyssal invasion, as insane as the idea of a light cruiser being in charge sounded back then.

" … The thought had crossed my mind, several times in the past.

And that's why I predict, that if one of us were to die permanently, the other wouldn't survive for very long without the grief consuming us from within before offing ourselves.

But we're on opposing sides of the war, we must fight, and because of our fatal attraction, we will be the only ones allowed to kill the other, drawing us together like magnets with opposing poles."

Yuubari nodded, giving Akashi a look-down as she remarked yet again,

[Like I said, if we were to to do battle in a game of wits after today's meeting, you will either be mine… or dead.

I'll be extra careful to catch you, and when I do, I'll keep you secured like a bird in a cage, safe from everyone else… including yourself.

I don't want anyone else to have you, and should worst come to worst, and I'll be the one to take your life before reviving you with the utmost of haste.]

Leaning closer such that they could see their own lust being reflected in the dilated pupils of the other while their killing intent merged into one, Yuubari huffed seductively as she continued on her grim little monologue about how Akashi's supposed death-slash-sinking would play out, a dangerous glint being expressed in her ravenous glare.

[I want to be there and be the one who's closest to you when you exhale your last breath by my hand, and I want to be the last thing you see as a sinking ship girl as well as the first person whom you see when you wake up as an Abyssal.

If anyone were to deny me the honor of killing you, a battleship, cruiser, even a Princess, I'll kill them all, and then I'd likely kill myself should it prove impossible for me to revive you.

Only you can fill this hole in my heart as my one true lover, and I won't accept anyone else in me.]

Most people would find that kind of obsessive love horrifying.

Akashi wasn't 'most people'.

She was getting excited from Yuubari's words and the level of her commitment, because spending any time with the light cruiser made her feel fulfilled romantically, and when Yuubari displayed homicidal tendencies towards everyone else, Akashi had to admit that she felt the exact same tendencies back when Yuubari sank.

Any Abyssal whom she thought was responsible, imagined or not, she sank, and she often lashed out at comrades who were responsible for Yuubari's sinking back then, making her wrath known around the base as Yuubari's sinking partly helped to form her current bloody fighting style, toxic personality and nihilistic worldview.

Of course it'd be karmic for Yuubari to develop the same tendencies as she did, to the point where Akashi momentarily wondered if it was meant to be the moment it was reported that Yuubari sank that their love for each other, no matter how pure, would be tainted and warped either by Akashi's twisted past or the Abyssal influence on Yuubari's psyche to the point where they'd become twin yanderes who obsessed over either killing or enslaving the other, and everyone else involved would be manipulated before being shoved aside.

She felt a blush coming on after surviving a nuclear explosion which was partially detonated in order to serve as an entertaining sight, and the adrenaline which previously coursed through her body out of fear had now turned into one of titillation as she was slowly but surely aroused by their exchange, and she responded.

"I would expect nothing less from you, my dear.

I want to feel the last of my body heat be transmitted into you through my lips as I die, that's kinky and romantic in a twisted sense.

But I don't dislike that kind of romance."

Yuubari hummed in acknowledgement, now leaning in close enough to invade her personal space as she held Akashi's uniform top by the hem, shortly before partially lifting her top while her other hand gently pulled down on the elastic waistband of her skirt, revealing Akashi's lower abdomen as well as Akashi's mysterious C-section scar.

Akashi looked down at a kneeling Yuubari as the Abyssal light cruiser looked up with a twinkle in her eyes, huffing teasingly.

[Don't get excited.]

But Akashi, feeling turned on after enduring the light cruiser's teasing actions, was unable to hold back her feelings for Yuubari (even if she was turned) and she responded with a tinge of lust which seeped into her voice as she huffed, feeling her cheeks start to color in the process.

"Too late."

Yuubari hummed in acknowledgement as she looked at the C-section scar, Akashi struggling not to squirm as the cold steel of Yuubari's power glove traced out its outline, the Abyssal light cruiser lowering her voice into a hoarse whisper which held a rare tinge of solemnity.

[Look, Akashi…

Look at what they've done to you…]

Akashi kept her hands in her skirt pockets and stabilized her breathing so as not to let her body betray her feelings for Yuubari as she retorted.

"Well, technically, I was forced to do this to myself…"

Yuubari looked up again, traces of annoyance filling her crimson eyes as she hissed, genuinely feeling malice towards mankind as a full-fledged Abyssal.

[Still their fault.

They experimented on you for two whole years, and you were one of the handful to be rescued ala Schindler's List and sent to various naval bases all over Japan in order to recover psychologically and physically before being worked to the bone again.

They deserve what's coming to them.]

Her eyes then softened, but still contained traces of simmering anger towards mankind in general as she asked.

[But then again, right now, this is our time; their destruction will come sooner or later, so let's not bring them into this.]

Akashi now felt Yuubari's fingers, which were wrapped in the power glove's steel, rubbing against her womb titillatingly, and it worked its erotic magic on the repair ship as Yuubari's skillful fingers moved in a circular motion and slowly spiraled towards her quivering womanhood.

And although Akashi was loathe to ruin the mood like this, she found the fact that they had a certain Abyssal battleship observing their little moment of intimacy like some voyeur ruined the atmosphere, especially considering the dead-fish personality of Washington and the blatantly hostile aura around Diego.

And since Yuubari was powerful enough to hold her own in combat and command even the Abyssal Princesses, there really was no need for Washington to be here at all.

The only reason why she was brought here was to be shown off to them, to drive home the fact that they were utterly screwed.

All this registered in her mind as she whispered into Yuubari's ear.

"You know, I'm sure that you could've killed me with your powers several times over, whatever it may be, so there really isn't a need to keep her around and watch us do our thing.

Unless, you know, you're into exhibitionism and the like…"

Yuubari tingled at the shameless thought of the both of them allowing others to watch them in the act like a pair of harlots, but she nodded as she turned to Washington and ordered, having resumed her professional aura as she turned to Washington, narrowing her eyes and ordering the American Abyssal and Diego.

[Leave.

I'm sure I'll be capable of holding my own against a mere repair ship.

And since there doesn't seem to be any chance of a fight breaking out, I'm fairly certain I'll be fine.]

Washington displayed a rare show of emotion as her expression creased out of concern while Diego revved its engine again to indicate its dislike of such a dangerous order, but the mood became tense and silence loomed over the four beings there before Washington finally acquiesced, bowing in order to acknowledge the order before walking over to the platform's edge while Diego transformed back into the ripped smilodon Beast, slinking over to the ocean along with its master before they both leapt off the platform, sinking back into the ocean while Yuubari relaxed and turned back to Akashi before she whispered expectantly.

[As I was saying…

Their end will come eventually, and it really isn't our intention to deliberately prolong this drawn-out execution, but theirs.

Mankind has an expiration date, after all, and if they should resign themselves to their fate and give in, this would be so much easier on everyone.

But if they wish to delay the inevitable, we will oblige by boxing them in, before turning up the heat and roast them slowly…]

Cocking her head towards the colossal mushroom cloud in order to make her point, she continued.

[ … and it'll only hurt them more as the odds are increasingly stacked against them.]

Akashi smirked as she added her own opinion to the conversation,

"But it's not as if you mind, right?

Our essence precedes our existence, and without this war, there is no reason for us to exist.

True, some of us can can a life outside of this war, but our entire existence revolves around conflict as it defines our daily lives and is our raison d'etre; to fight wars.

This is why the rate of suicides amongst retired veterans is practically nil, but that's only half of the story.

They only count the successful suicides, but the rate of attempted suicides is surprisingly high, and it's because of our superhuman bodies which ruins their attempts and deters most of them before they come around and adjust to civilian life the hard way."

Yuubari nodded, adding to that train of thought by commenting.

[It does sound scary to move from a life of war, which you've become accustomed to, into one of a mundane civilian life, where almost nothing happens.

If war was the background noise which humans hear in the distance and peace be represented by tranquility, to us ship girls, a lifetime of noise, which is war, is what we've gotten used to, but to be thrust into a world of deafening silence that is the peace which mankind experiences would drive almost any ship girl insane.

The nightmares and flashbacks which are borne from the horror and chaos of war are amplified in the silence that is peace, and can only be soothed by plunging themselves back into the chaos, to fulfill their destiny as warriors that are free of all societal norms while in the heat of combat in favor of sheer force of will.

That is the truth of all ship girls, and to deny this truth in favor of living in peace is to essentially deny their true nature.]

Akashi nodded, citing how the utilitarian and simplistic nature of the war machine which they came to terms with during war would clash with the outside world, which was a world of (relatively) uninhibited freedom.

"A world where you're used to working under pressure, where you make life and death decisions every other second as they weigh down on your soul and where you follow orders that come from above, into one where you get to choose from several dozen brands of cereals and get to make countless choices with significantly lighter consequences, the minutiae of civilian life grinds away at a ship girl's fighting spirit.

And that's not to mention the constant war updates keeping them on edge, the flashbacks, as well as the nightmares which start to haunt them when the noise of war dies down…

To us, war is more than a drug, it defines us, and it's what fulfills us.

Peace is our Kryptonite, it eats away at our nature and dulls our senses, and it's why quite a number of ship girls volunteer for re-service after getting a taste of civilian life.

And after more than a decade of polite refusals, with what you're planning, we might have to consider accepting applicants…

After all, there's little to no thrill out there which can hope to match being shot at from seven different directions, to get the heart pumping and the blood racing with the rush of battle."

Leaning in and whispering into Yuubari's ear to give her lover a pleasant tickle with her husky breath, she huffed.

"Of course, there is one other activity we can engage in right now that'll fulfill both criterias…"

Yuubari inhaled sharply as her familiar, pheromone-filled scent reached Akashi's nose and told her all that she needed to know about Yuubari's state of arousal as she changed topics, teasing both her lover and herself by holding off on the gratification for a while longer in order to ripen the pay-off, for it to come as a lush and satisfying reward in order to relieve both the stress of war and the pressure of their jobs which gradually edged their backed-up bodies beyond the limit and over a period of eight long years, driving them insane and towards each other with a fervent passion to either murder or make love to each other.

"Do you have anything else to impress me with?

I mean, eight years is a long time, and you must've kept yourself real busy."

Yuubari nodded as she got up, gripping the metal rod thingy on her utility belt as she responded cheerily, clearly looking forward to the show-and-tell that was to come.

[Oh, oh course!

This one's also a personal invention of mine, and I'm proud of it.]

She pointed the rod's tubular opening away from the both of them before pressing the red button, and right before Akashi's eyes, a red-hot light beam was emitted from the opening and formed a light-saber along with its signature kshoom as a beam of contained light shot out, as well as the iconic vreem and vroom sound effects as Yuubari idly swung it around, speaking up boastfully.

[Made this bad boy by myself, and I got it in your color, crimson-red, to remind myself of you and your pink hair that is marred with blood due to your past.]

Akashi lifted an eyebrow in genuine surprise and awe as she noted the design, and how it was possible for Yuubari to craft such a weapon.

"Interesting.

Let me guess.

Electromagnetic coils within which contain super-heated plasma, all neatly tucked inside heavy-duty ceramic which can withstand insanely high temperatures which can melt steel, of course, to kill ship girls.

Sixteen years allows you to read up on a lot of Wikipedia pages.

The entire thing also unfolds like a telescopic baton, from what I saw just now when you flicked it out.

And it probably ties into how your power glove transmits power to your light-saber handle, so that no Tom, Dick and Harry can use it when they pick up your light-saber."

Yuubari nodded, a proud smile rivaling the light saber beam in its radiance as she turned off the light-saber and held up her power glove, forming an arc between her middle finger and thumb while pocketing the light-saber with the other.

Akashi was surprised to find a bluish-white electric spark jumping from thumb to finger, everything now clicking together in her mind as she spoke with a sagely tone.

"Your New Wave power is the power to control electricity, yes?

That's the lightsaber's power source."

Yuubari nodded yet again while Akashi noted how it made perfect sense for Yuubari's Beast to be a jellyfish, because they both shared the same electrifying touch.

Lifting an eyebrow after being impressed by the array of technological wonders which Yuubari boldly showed off to her to gain her approval and affection, she spoke up in a praising voice to a smug Yuubari.

"Impressive.

What other toys do you have on you?"

Akashi then leaned forward in a sensuous manner as she crossed her legs, being able to see the desire, both romantic and sexual, which Yuubari felt towards her and her alone being expressed through her gaze, the repair ship letting out a humid breath as she teased.

"Or in you?"

Her lover-turned-Abyssal was also starting to get turned on by the sexual friction which heated up their exchange, and she leaned back as she inhaled sharply, allowing her cape to cover her clothed body in ways which almost tempted Akashi into simply digging in and tearing her lover's clothes off, what with how the cape's fabric hugged her contours and made her seem even more attractive as an agent of evil than if she were to bare her entire body, the light cruiser shooting back with a retort of her own.

[I bet you'd like to find out.

Would you like to perform a strip search, dear?]

In which Akashi answered honestly,

"Head to toe."

Yuubari leaned in hungrily, the fact that she was now an Abyssal doing nothing to change the fact that she lusted after Akashi and loved her with all her heart, even if they were supposed to be enemies.

[That thought excites me, how we'll get to sleep together again after so long.

This time, I'll probably start by stripping you down to your underwear, and after those come off…]

The excited Yuubari then ran her tongue across her lips erotically in anticipation for the reunion sex which came next, and Akashi, keeping her cool all the while, sat up straight in her seat as she smirked and fired back a truthful retort despite sharing the same sentiments.

"When I'm this excited about seeing you again, Yuubari, what makes you think I'll be wearing anything underneath?"

This seemed to put a dent in Yuubari's advance towards her, pulling back as her expression morphed into one which was surprised at the insinuation that Akashi went through their entire exchange while going commando, but she was much more sexually charged after hearing that tidbit of information as she huffed disbelievingly.

[Oh…

Oh my, Akashi.]

Akashi uncrossed her slender legs, and since she wasn't wearing a bra or any underwear, she could feel her drafty nether regions overflowing with excitement while her stiff nipples were rubbing against the fabric of her uniform top and further stimulated them.

She leaned forward to meet the excited light cruiser halfway, and she allowed Yuubari to break off the heated staring contest in order to look down at Akashi's exposed cleavage and fact-check her claim, and upon seeing two points poking through the fabric which was wrapped around her supple bosom, Yuubari's face started to color for the first time today as the Abyssal light cruiser hastily crossed her own legs and looked away, attempting to play it cool and amusing Akashi to no end.

She uttered a simple fact,

"You look deathly pale, Yuubari."

Before using it to further her advances as she leaned in to whisper yet again, feeling the reproductive pheromones practically bleeding from both their pores as she huffed, her insides burning up while her fiery passion made her sweat, which in turn caused her restrictive uniform to cling to her sweaty skin and would have become unbearable by now had she worn undergarments in the first place.

"Lucky for you, I'm a doctor.

I know how to bring the color back into your cheeks with the right massage and workout…

All you have to do is close your eyes, and surrender your body to me…"

Yuubari's heavy breathing reached a fever pitch as she pressed several buttons on her power glove, and Akashi shifted her gaze to find a simple steel bed unfolding as it was summoned from beneath the LED platform, Yuubari elaborating on how she predicted this might happen.

[This was supposed to be a television platform which we used to iron out our plans and used it to brief Abyssals on our strategy, but since it's mine to play with, and especially since I knew we hadn't seen each other in a long time, things would certainly come to this in the end between us.

Now then,]

Yuubari activated something which caused her mechanical gloves to disassemble themselves and fold up into a portable size as if they were naturally created with this function, and as it retracted into a sort of thick steel band around her elbow which consisted of screens and protruding steel parts, Akashi spotting the steel engagement ring which Akashi gifted to Yuubari back then being worn on her left hand.

She then uncoupled them from her arms and placed them on the floor before continuing what she was doing, the retracted power gloves being picked up by her jellyfish Beast Indra while her mechanical heels started undoing themselves to also be picked up by the transclucent tentacles, Yuubari standing up and leaning forward in order to unbutton her skirt as she finished her question.

[Shall we test the bedsprings?]

Akashi couldn't bear the heat which built up within her anymore as she started tearing off her clothes and skipped along with an undressing Yuubari towards the plain steel bed, feeling the relative coolness of the ambient air caressing every square inch of her exposed skin as it tantalized her senses and drove her over the edge.

Feeling the cool sensation of her own ring necklace on her bared chest, she ignored the unconscious feeling of shame upon being naked out in the open since the only one who was there to gaze upon her naked self in all her glory was Yuubari, who also bared her body as her lover mounted her on the bed, their positions giving her a strong sense of deja vu.

Her Abyssal ex-girlfriend gave her a look-down in order to take in the scars on her body, including the '047' tattoo from her previous career as a mental hospital orderly, the few scars which lingered even after healing up as well as the cutting scars disfiguring her forearms.

And to the last one, she gave Yuubari an awkward but genuine smirk as she confessed,

"All for you, my dear.

All for you."

One thing which Akashi noted was the tattoo on Yuubari's left breast which was composed with black ink, looking to be the outline of a lotus flower's top profile while resembling a sun with its outstretched petals, and while this symbolic image registered in Akashi's brain and memories, her lust-addled mind was too caught up in the heat of this lurid moment of intense intimacy to decipher and understand its significance.

Yuubari's Beast then intervened as Indra's tentacles slithered closer so that it could hover over their naked bodies before inching closer, causing Akashi to shrink back a little out of uneasiness and hesitation at what was going on, but Yuubari assuaged these concerns as her eyes started to glow with electricity, raw lightning flowing out of her pupils to indicate her superpowers as the Abyssal light cruiser's fingers sparked and produced lightning from its tips, uttering her next lines salaciously.

[Don't worry.

I'll show you a little secret of my power, one which I'm sure you'll want to keep between the both of us.]

Brilliant, bluish-white sparks were emitted from and danced across her pale palm as she pressed it against Akashi's stomach, causing her to convulse as if having a seizure due to the overloading of pleasurable sensations radiating from the point of contact, electric currents coursing through her arcing steel back and nervous system as she felt a big one gush out of her quivering nether regions like a torrential waterfall and caused her to soil the sheets with her love nectar, hungrily gasping for breath as her bosom heaved while tears involuntarily formed on the corners of her eyes, huffing in astonishment.

"Wha…

What was… that?"

Yuubari's palm charged up with sparks again along with Indra's tentacles being illuminated by a bright-blue electric current as they drew ever closer, Akashi's heart pounding away like a jackhammer cranked up to the maximum setting as the electrified palm disappeared beyond her respectably-sized breasts and slipped down in between her legs, which she forced apart in order to plead for and receive more of that addictive stimulation, Yuubari's lightning-emitting eyes narrowing as she answered simply.

[A taste of paradise.]

She tag-teamed with Indra's electrified tentacles and made use of her lightning-manipulating palm as they pressed and dug into Akashi's tender and vulnerable flesh, Akashi peaking again as she threw her head back and gasped in absolute delight upon being non-lethally electrocuted from several different sensitive points on her body, feeling alive in ways she hadn't known as if she had been a living corpse the entire time after Yuubari's sinking, and had long forgotten the delectable and carnal pleasures of the flesh.

Her memories of her happier times with Yuubari, previously feeling as if they had occurred an entire lifetime ago, jolted back into the forefront of her memory banks and became clearer in her mind than ever before as she sang for her lover like she did in the past, feeling as if she was the Adam being brought to life by Yuubari ala Victor Frankenstein, the flame of life being reignited within her and revitalizing her very being through the use of raw electricity.

She grasped Yuubari's face by its sides and brought her in for a kiss, feeling the harmless surge of electricity being transmitted through their lips as both ship girl and Abyssal climaxed from the kiss, losing themselves in their combined passion and love for the first time in forever.

Akashi slipped her uniform top back on just as the sun was rising, dressing herself up being a simple task when she didn't wear anything underneath and didn't have to bother with the constrictive device that was the bra, and the mushroom cloud had long since faded away to allow the sunrise to shine in all its brilliance, shades of orange ranging from muted to vibrant being splayed on the canvas that was the sky before them.

That's right, sunrise.

The date displayed on her HUD read,

'31 May 2015',

As she made out with Yuubari for half a day and an entire night, having cut off all radio contact with her base aside from allowing her signature to be detected in order to let her comrades know that she hadn't perished in the thermonuclear explosion.

Clouds had been forcibly displaced by the hydrogen bomb detonation, and this cleared the sky for the sun rays to extend in a hundred-and-eighty degree angle above the horizon, illuminating the duo as Akashi slipped on her thigh-highs, her white bandanna never leaving her forehead the entire while as it soaked up copious amounts of sweat during their entire meeting, and especially during their rigorous love-making session which lasted more than half a day, and would require a thorough washing when she got back.

[Akashi.]

The repair ship turned around to find Yuubari leaning on the bed in a 'Draw me like one of your French Girls' pose, using her black cape as a blanket which was provided courtesy of Indra, who was lowering Yuubari's discarded uniform and various accessories for her to put on as it had done for Akashi, and Yuubari was naked underneath her own cape as she spoke, having seemingly realized something over the course of their exchange.

[I used to wonder why you became so much more attractive to me when I was turned into an Abyssal, and many frustrated nights have been spent brainstorming over this question and thinking about you.

But today, I finally came across an epiphany as to why.

Despite being so close to you, you're as unreachable as the moon is to the sun, and our status as enemies plants a metaphorical transparent wall between us, which means that we may never truly be together.

At least, not when our current relationship continues to exist as Abyssal and ship girl.]

Akashi shrugged as she turned away, taking the time to internalize that thought as she commented.

"Some things are beautiful because they cannot be obtained.

Maybe that's why you're so obstinate about capturing me, yet your affection towards me may cause you to hesitate for fear of killing me, thus allowing me to escape.

Perhaps that's why."

Yuubari nodded, sinking further into the pillow as she released a husky sigh, sorely tempting Akashi to hop back into bed and continue where they left off, but she held back as she listened to what Yuubari had to say.

[That's likely the case.

My reach is capable of stretching across the world and making whatever I desire mine, either through persuasion or force.

And yet, in your case…]

Yuubari looked contemplative as Akashi looked back, the naked light cruiser looking to be deep in thought as she explained how Akashi appeared to her from an Abyssal point of view.

[You're a flighty sparrow in which patience and finesse must be exercised in spades, as well as blinding speed at the correct moment to catch you in my grasp.

But if I should make a mistake in gauging my strength or overestimate your toughness, you may very well end up dead in my hands.

The entire war is one entertaining chess game, but the thought of capturing and turning you is what really pushes me on, because that's what really matters to me.]

Now feeling quite interested in what her lover had to say, she shifted on the bed in order to lie parallel to her girlfriend as she coaxed more information from her.

"How so?

We may be on opposite sides of the war, but I do want to hear from your side."

Yuubari shrugged in her position, looking pensive as she elaborated.

[Well, you know how mankind is gonna get wiped out, and I no longer feel the obligation to protect them right?

Achieving a kill count of six or seven billion human corpses isn't that hard when you've got resources in bulk and an armada at your fingertips.

It's capturing one weak little repair ship that's the hard part, to perform heart surgery with a chainsaw.

Well, statistically weak, anyway.]

Yuubari relented as she saw Akashi giving her a strange look, and she looked towards the sunrise as she continued.

[If you should die, reviving you isn't the hardest thing to pull off.

But it's highly dependent on circumstances and is not without with its risks and possibility of failure, and with your 'Never say die' attitude which might force my hand…

Perhaps it's the difficulty in catching you which attracts me so, and the fact that we'll have to clash with each other in the future by virtue of being on opposing sides of a war…]

Yuubari sharply inhaled as she let out an expectant and anticipating,

[Ooh!]

Before she commented on how she wanted to keep her lover in a pretty little cage either before or during her ushering in of Armageddon worldwide, and she wanted to make sure that the romantic atmosphere was perfectly captured in said cage.

[Well, if I do capture you, I'll have you wearing a dog collar and leash on your neck, your headband… and nothing else.

Maybe some rope, if I'm in a kinky mood.]

Akashi chuckled as she turned around to see Yuubari hiding a shit-eating smile behind her cape while Akashi retorted with her own little bloody way of reconciling their relationship.

"Hmm.

That's marginally better than my idea of cutting your head off, and getting a nice boat for me to cuddle with your decapitated head till the end of time."

Yuubari broke out into laughter upon hearing that reference, her eyes starting to spark again as her expression turned into a slightly more menacing yet turned-on one, remarking offhandedly.

[Aww, that's just cruel and unusual.

How am I going to scratch my nose like that?]

Akashi shrugged as she got off the bed, standing up as the evening breeze tickled her thighs and drafty nether regions, threatening to lift her skirt up as she pressed down on her skirt and heard her lover out, Yuubari raising her left hand to allow Indra to put on her folded power glove for her, the power glove reversing the deconstruction process which Akashi witnessed just now in order to wrap itself snugly around Yuubari's slender, pale arm.

[Well, when this war is over and when the both of us are standing over the ashes of all mankind, will you join our side and marry me then, assuming you evade my capture for that long?]

Akashi nodded without thinking twice, since one of the core principles of a ship girl (and Abyssal) was to bestow a 'golden cap' of sorts for them to follow the orders they receive much like the famed winged monkeys of Oz.

Their free will and powers were tempered by an external force which could moderate and control their actions to some extent, and while Admirals were preferable since they were accomplished military personnel with respectable leadership and planning capabilities, technically, any human could qualify should the standards drop low enough in times of crises, say, in a post-apocalyptic world recovering from a nuclear world war, for example.

"Yes.

After all, I would have no more humans which I could transfer Admiralty to in order to activate continuity of leadership.

With no more humans to receive orders from, I'll be all yours."

Akashi got up and walked over to the steps which led into the ocean wile Yuubari contemplated her words, multitasking by pressing buttons on her power glove while discussing about their future from her point of view, which in her twisted mind had no more humans on earth.

[Well then, we'd obviously get married immediately, since we were too preoccupied with our work to bother holding one in my past life, and we took our bond for granted last time and thought we'd live long enough to make it to our wedding date.

And in preparations for the wedding, shall I color the church ivory-white and fertilize the plants with the powdered bones and remains of mankind?]

The repair ship retorted cheekily as she sat down on the platform's steps in order to put on her boat slippers,

"While we're at it, why not paint the roses red with mankind's blood as well?

Bring a little color and variety into the equation in order to liven up the wedding reception."

Yuubari giggled giddily at the morbid thought while Akashi sported a wide grin on her face, and she accepted the occasional comparison to her and a rose, where the crimson-red petals were meant to represent her hair (it was actually pink, but when she bathed in Abyssal blood so often, it might as well be) while the thorns represented her bloody fighting style which drew blood from any enemies which came too close, keeping everyone at a distance as a result and producing a femme fatale persona as a result.

Yuubari lifted an eyebrow again in order to concede the point as she uttered noncommittally, although her tone already belied the fact that she liked the idea.

[Maybe…

You know, in the time when we're below the ocean and couldn't meet you, I missed the land so much due to my time as a ship girl and with you all, and should we get married, I want to move as far away from the ocean as possible.]

And upon Akashi turning back and giving her a strange look at the thought of an Abyssal preferring staying on land instead of in the sea, Yuubari elaborated.

[As a ship girl, being underwater is rather uncomfortable for us as it reminds us that we've sunk, and being surrounded by nothing but ocean for years when we remember our time on land does make a ship girl sick of the ocean no matter how much we've gotten used to it, and you just want to taste the air in your lungs and feel the sun on your skin again.

Besides, the sea, despite being our domain, is a place where we wage war with each other, and when you're firmly in my grasp as I achieve world domination, we'll no longer have any reason to hang out anywhere near the ocean, for there will no longer be a war to fight.

And on that note, I think that this song, which I listened to, best represents my feelings for you as well as my situation the entire time, Akashi.

I'll be seeing you soon.]

Akashi recognized the song as a post-World War 2 song sung by Bobby Darin named Beyond the Sea, and a quick search through her memory banks helped her to recall the lyrics just as the song came on, being broadcast by Yuubari's power glove and was heard by Akashi until she had sailed out of range, after which Akashi hummed the tune while reciting the lyrics in her head, imagining an Abyssalized Yuubari thinking about her and how the lyrics strangely fitted the light cruiser's situation as the song played.

Somewhere beyond the sea

Somewhere waiting for me

My lover stands on golden sands

And watches the ships that go sailing

Somewhere beyond the sea

She's there watching for me

If I could fly like birds on high

Then straight to her arms I'd go sailing

It's far beyond a star

It's near beyond the moon

I know beyond a doubt

My heart will lead me there soon

We'll meet beyond the shore

We'll kiss just like before

Happy we'll be beyond the sea

And never again I'll go sailing

I know beyond a doubt

My heart will lead me there soon

And we'll meet, I know we'll meet beyond the shore

We'll meet just as before

Happy we'll be beyond the sea

And never…