Gamma looked at the screen before her and sighed. It had been difficult work doing so many things at once. Even her body that required no sleep was struggling to stay awake in the midst of all this.
Replenishing the troops was the order of the day. They lost much and she needed to get more. Even though their main base had plenty of humans in captivity, the conversion process was producing more Hybrids than ships. Given that the enemy had weapons that could pierce the Hybrid's armor, they were little more than cannon fodder now. She had to find a way to convert more humans into ships, particularly Capital ships. There were few of them since the war broke out, but she believed that a large contingent of them could counteract the Azur Sky's most powerful team: The Big Three.
Beyond that came the second objective: forging a new body for lady Omega. The injuries she sustained during her last encounter with that despicable human were not much. However, the fact that a half-dead monkey managed to land a critical blow proved that Omega's current from was not suitable. If she were to claim her role as this world's leader, she needed a form that suited such a title.
Gamma strode to one of the tanks and pressed a holographic button. The tank came forward and showed the body it housed inside a translucent fluid. Faster processing speed, greater cognitive processes, enhanced durability, better reaction, and more. The body was crafted from the ground up using everything she knew. Technically speaking, doing this went well beyond her station and there was all the chance that Omega might chastise her for it. But, Gamma believed that her queen would stave off her punishment when weighing the good ant the bad.
Gamma also saw another screen flicker to life next to her and smiled. As much as she felt that this body was capable of definitively crushing the Commander, she had to have a backup. And that's what led to the development of the strongest armor in Siren history. With this and Omega's new form, Gamma was positive that nothing would stand in the way of the Siren Queen's victory.
000000000000000000000000000000
Back at one of the training rooms in the base, James was going through the movements of his sword training exercises. Though he had gotten used to using one arm, he did miss having both, if only for the tactical advantage it provided.
James heard the door behind him click and felt someone enter the room. He turned around and greeted Akagi.
Akagi saw the shirt clinging to his chest, saw him wipe the sweat from his head and put the sword back in the sheath. It was clear he'd been practicing for a long time now and she was intruding. That said, he didn't look bothered to see her and in fact, looked happy.
'That's because he's good at hiding his feelings,' said an unknown voice in Akagi's mind.
She ignored it for now and had James takes a seat on one of the plastic chairs. She told him about their progress against the PR class and he was pleased with it. Of course, she left out certain details for obvious reasons.
'Obvious because you don't want him to think you're weak and leave you behind,' said the voice again and this time, Akagi looked visibly troubled.
"Akagi? Sweetie? Is something wrong?" asked James, noticing the change in her face.
"Sorry," she said, shaking her head again "I thought… I thought I heard something."
"Well I am glad to hear you and Kaga cleared that challenge," he said, in an effort to steer the conversation back to something normal.
"The only problem is that it motivated them to stop holding back," countered Akagi "then again, I'm just glad I'm not the one facing Saint Louis or Roon."
"Are those two causing trouble?" he asked, "I'll go have a word with them."
"No," she said in an unusually loud tone "what they're doing is pushing us forward, helping us grow. The last thing they should be doing is holding back."
"How are things with you?" she asked, turning to him.
He was silent for a moment, looking at his sword in deep contemplation. Then, he turned to Akagi and said "nervous, but I'll be fine."
She paused and wondered where he got that confidence from? What was it that enabled James to face the impossible without hesitation or fear? Then, she noticed his hand slightly shaking and understood. It's not that he wasn't afraid. His past experience training with the maids and the PR class clearly indicated the line between humans and shipgirls.
He was scared, but he did not let that fear control him.
'Compared to him, you're ruled by your fear,' said the voice but Akagi did not respond. As much as she didn't want to, the voice was right about that.
Just then, they saw someone else enter the room, it was Takao. She paused on seeing the couple together but James quickly shook his head to indicate she wasn't interrupting something. With this, she came forward despite taking several hits from her training opponent.
"Commander," she said, looking at him, her expression indicating it was important "are you ready?"
"Ready? Ready for what?" asked Akagi, confused by the question.
"Yep, let's get to it," said James hopping to his feet with the sword in his hand.
"James, what's going on?" asked Akagi.
"Sorry, forgot to tell you today's the day I take the test," he replied and gave her a weak smile.
"Say what?" shouted Akagi, rising to her feet and shifting her attention between Takao and James.
"We knew that if you knew about today, it'll affect your performance during the training," said James "that's why I asked that Takao be silent about it."
"Is everyone ready?" he asked, to Takao and she nodded.
As she watched them leave, a lump formed in Akagi's stomach. It wasn't enough seeing the others overcome their difficulty and move forward. Now, she had to watch as her own husband was moving forward while she got left behind.
'Sucks doesn't it?' asked the voice and Akagi had had enough. She darted into the nearby washroom and looked into a mirror. Initially, she didn't know who the voice was or why only she could hear it. But, after a little reflection and consideration, she arrived at an answer.
Akagi glared into a mirror and said "show your face."
The reflection looking back at her was her own, for a moment. Then, the image distorted, changed and the color faded. Now Akagi was looking at some twisted version of herself with flowing white hair, pointed ears, pale skin and yellow eyes.
"Hello there," said the woman in the mirror "about time you recognized me."
"So it was you," said Akagi "you were the one that took over back then. The one that saved James."
The reflection paused for a moment, wondering what she was referring to. Then, a smile creased her lips as she said "that's right, it was little old me. You know, you still haven't thanked me for saving your husband."
00000000000000000000000000000000000
Contrary to what he was expecting, the area he was led to was an open-air stadium and everyone in the fleet were in attendance. What's more, he even saw Alec, Alexis, Curtis, and many of the men and women that formed the fleet's infantry unit.
"What are you all doing here?" he asked, to the three, unable to hide his nervousness.
"Well duh, we came to see you kick ass," replied Alexis
"Or wipe out," added Alec and got an elbow from both Alexis and Curtis.
"Jokes aside," said Alec, "you can do this. I know you can."
James nodded, turned and headed to the center. Unlike their regular events, there was no sign of Hiryuu or Soryuu as commentators. But, he didn't focus too much on that. Instead, he looked at his opponents standing on the other side, eyeing him warily.
James could sense their intensity even from a distance. This would not be like their practice matches or sparring sessions. Even if they were using the blunt side, the girls had no intention of holding back.
He glanced at the crowd and spotted a few familiar faces. Enterprise, Belfast, Eugen, Illustrious and others. He even chuckled when he saw the kids holding up a banner meant to cheer him on. However, he did not see Akagi anywhere.
Once again, James put the thought behind him and focused on what's ahead. As he neared the group, Takao came forward and the cheering crowd slowly became silent.
"The rules are simple: You will engage in one-on-one combat with one of the students, starting from left to right. If you can survive facing them for one hour or land a hit on them, you win. If you defeat all the students, then the blade is yours. However, if any of the girls land a hit on you, the match is over and you lose."
"Is that clear?" she asked and James nodded.
"Then, take your stance," she said and moved back into the group. Then, they saw Suzuya make her way to him. She met his gaze, the two bowed and took their stance. Silence permeated the air as everyone watched.
Suzuya was the first to charge, moving at incredible speed and attacking with a downward swing. James took a step to the left and avoided the attack. Suzuya spun around about to swing but James was faster her. He lowered his body, extended his foot out and used a leg sweep. The move knocked Suzuya off her feet while James quickly got back up. He pointed the sword and she raised her hands up.
"Match: James Harper," said Takao and the audience were stunned. There were murmurs and whispers going around as everyone was still processing what they had seen.
"Keep it up James," yelled Alec, breaking the silence and the crowd also followed. There were more cheers coming from him as well as girls cheering for Suzuya. He helped her to her feet, bowed and took a stance once again.
Next came Kirishima. Though she was a ninja, she initially started with a long sword and practiced with the girls when she had the chance.
Alec watched as the ninja and James bowed then took their stance. They both began their fight at around the same time and clashed a few times. Alec could not follow Kirishima darting around the battle area but saw that James did.
He saw the way James tracked her movement and recalled how he could do the same thing with Saint Louis. When Kirishima came up behind him to try and attack, Alec was not surprised to see James dodge the move.
But more than that, Alec noted how quick and small James' moves were. He wasn't leaping great distances or trying to block them, instead he relied on sidesteps and deflections to help him gain the advantage.
"it's coming," said Alec, and Alexis wondered what he was talking about. Then, she saw James knock the sword out of Kirishima's hands and see it twirl in the air before it hit the ground hilt up.
"What the?" asked Alexis, turning to Alec "how did you…"
"It's the only way he can win," said Alec "a one-hour match against all those girls is guaranteed to result in a mistake or two'. James can't afford that and is instead doing what he can to defeat them quickly. He may have a large stamina pool but that doesn't make it limitless."
"Also," he added "he'll want to end things quickly to prevent his opponents from figuring out his move set or coming up with tactics to get the better of him."
"Damn," said Curtis, inserting his voice into the mix "they're really stacking the deck huh?"
Alec said nothing. In truth, the girls wanted James to win but that did not mean ignoring the traditions. This was custom set by Takao after Atago passed away and the girls agreed to it. This was how it went for years. The girls had already altered their custom with the one-hour time-limit for James' because he was human. That was about as much leeway as they could give him.
One by one, Alec watched as the girls came up to face James. He'd manage to beat a quarter of the team and had the advantage for now. There were no signs of fatigue and he hadn't revealed too much to his opponents.
The crowd continued cheering for James as he overcame challenger after challenger. James however, remained focused on his opponents.
Alec saw Kinu approach and bowed. He frowned a little in worry. Kinu was an expert with the sword, particularly her ability to launch blinding-fast thrusts from impossible angles. Alec watched the two begin their fight and noticed it right away.
"Damn it," he said, under his breath, hoping that no one heard him. Unfortunately, Alexis did and wondered what Alec saw that she didn't. From the look of things, the fight was going on well enough that both sides were evenly matched.
Alec however did not see it that way. He saw the way Kinu moved, from her incredible speed to how she kept James on the defensive. He saw the frustration on James' face become apparent.
As noted, James wanted to end his matches quickly so as to conserve stamina and not reveal most of his tricks to the opponent. However, Kinu picked up on that and purposely drew the fight out. Her intent was clear; either she wore down the clock in which case he used up his stamina or force him to reveal a trick.
Alec understood Kinu's tactics and wondered what James was going to do. He was in a pinch right now with both options being less than ideal. Alexis also picked up on this, noticing how this fight was taking longer to end than the previous ones.
James finally created a fake opening on his left side which Kinu had gone for. It was a momentary mistake she regretted but it was one that James did not ignore. He sidestepped her lunge then tapped her on the back of the head.
The cheers came around as the two shook hands.
"This is where things get really difficult," said Alec.
"You're right," chimed in Curtis "Kinu just proved that a long drawn out battle has better potential for a win. The girls will now try the same thing, forcing James to be more offensive and use up his stamina."
Curtis was right. After Kinu came Ayanami who used her swords to attack James then move out of his range before he could counter them. The move forced him to chase after her and engage in a protracted fight. Alec seemed to be the only one who noticed James making a few mistakes but quickly correcting them. In the end, the only reason James won was because of a lucky hit he managed to land on Ayanami.
Next came Noshiro. Alec saw the cracks in James' strategy growing with each exchange. The plan was collapsing and he had to think of something new.
Noshiro leapt back after their last encounter. She had only a second to react when she saw James suddenly hovering over her with his sword ready. She leapt to her side and James' attack stopped mid-swing. It amazed her that he could control his movement so perfectly. He pointed the blunt end to her again and chased after.
Noshiro skidded to her side and avoided his thrust, but did not see the next move coming. James immediately pointed his sword down and dug it into the ground. Then, he raised himself up on the sword and quickly spun around with a kick aimed to Noshiro. She raised both fists up to stop it but felt nothing. She saw the foot had stopped a few inches from her face. This was the chance to move, but she failed to react. James took this chance to gently tap her on the shoulder with the base of his shoe then nimbly returned to his feet.
Alec watched the exchange and grew more troubled. That move must have cost James some energy and constantly stopping mid-attack would also have an effect on him. The good news was that James was down to three opponents now. The bad news was they were the worst opponents for anyone to face.
First came Ibuki- a two-handed sword user and a member of the PR class. She had speed and used that speed to dominate much of the fight. Her attacks were quick, precise and took significant effort to dodge. Alec saw him struggle against the onslaught and understood that she backed him into a corner. In the end, James won because of the one-hour limit but the fact that he was sweating worried Alec.
Next came Izumo. Where one relied on speed, the other relied on power. Izumo's power as a battleship was felt in every strike she let out. She was not as fast as Ibuki but the force behind her attacks caused James to use more energy to avoid them. Once again, she forced James to expend more stamina while running out the clock.
By the time the match was over, Alec, Alexis, Curtis and a few others saw the state he was in. Though not injured, facing more than a dozen fighters in one-on-one combat for a long duration was starting to show. He was breathing heavy, sweat practically drenched his body and… there was still one more fight to go.
Roon saw all this, turned to Saint Louis and asked "what's your verdict?"
"In truth, I can't tell," she replied "my liege is running on empty by now and he's used almost every trick possible. Add to that, his last opponent is Takao- her swordplay is on a whole other level compared to the others."
"Sounds like you think our Commander can't win this," commented Monarch.
Saint Louis wanted to say something but did not. Instead, she focused on the fight and wondered what she'd do in his position.
As the crowds watched and cheered the last fight, Takao came close to James and whispered so that only the two of them could hear.
"Before we begin James," she began "I wanted to ask you… why aren't you interested in surpassing the Azur Lane?"
The question coupled by the weariness in his body made James hesitate for a moment. Then he took in a deep breath and did his best to provide an answer.
"The short answer is: I'm weak," he replied.
This response caused Takao to smirk followed by a chuckle.
"And yet, I have evidence to the contrary," she said, extending her arms out and indicating what James did was not something a weakling was capable of.
Meanwhile, the audience saw this and wondered what was going on. They all tried to listen in but got nothing.
"Takao, the AL represent your world's best and brightest," he said after taking in another deep breath "those six girls have the traits and qualities that make them stand out from the rest."
"You're no coward James," said Takao "need I remind you that you won the Second War with one arm?"
"A victory that only came about thanks to everyone's help," he said. Takao was about to respond when James held his hand to stop her.
"More than that though, the girls in the AL have the traits of heroes and the strength to back it up."
"But power isn't everything James."
"True. But as I said before, the AL are heroes. They're the standard bearers that every girl here measures themselves against. And so, do I really have any right to surpass them? Me? The one who could lose an arm wrestling contest with any of the kids?"
Takao once again chuckled and asked "so what then?"
"I'd like to imagine that if I keep trying hard and do enough, then one day, I may not surpass them, but I'd at least be on the same level as them."
Takao sighed and nodded.
"Regardless of the outcome," she said, now taking a stance "I want you to know it is an honour to serve you."
"Thank you," said James and did the same.
There was a tension in the air as everyone gulped instinctually. The two regarded each other carefully for a moment. Then, James came forward attacking with a thrust. Takao evaded with a side step and charged for his stomach. James stopped the attack mid-swing and turned the sword just in time to deflect her charge. Takao staggered back but quickly rose her blade to block a downward swing. She saw James' foot take a step back and knew what was coming. James shot forward with his foot aimed at her chest. Takao motioned to grab it but was surprised when the foot suddenly came down.
She barely had time to register the second leg coming to her head and immediately ducked down. However, what she did not expect, what no one expected was that James would jab his sword into the ground and use it as a base to fling his body forward, aiming a dropkick at Takao. If she were to avoid or dodge, it would make him open to attack and thus bring the match to a close.
But, Takao did not expect such a move and did not retaliate fast enough to block the kick. The audience watched as James feet crashed into Takao's face, sending her skidding back.
There was silence among the audience. Everyone practically forgot to breathe as they saw Takao recover from the attack while James regained the sword. The two did not take a stance as they both understood.
Takao gave a deep bow to the Commander in acceptance of his victory. Seeing this, the girls all cheered loudly as it was the first time they saw such a sight. James though, grew nervous but did his best not to let any of it show.
And while everyone cheered for him and showered him with congratulations on his efforts, all Akagi could do was watch as everyone was moving forward and she wasn't.
0000000000000000000000000000000
Gamma took a step back and let the pod open. She thought the body inside would fall when released but that didn't happen. The body landed on its feet and rose up. It looked at its surroundings, then to Gamma, and then, to itself.
"Gamma," said Omega in her new form "is there a reason why I am completely buck naked right now?"
"The result of the transfer process my lady," said Gamma, with a lowered head "any impurities in the tank would endanger the transfer's success and I could not take a risk my queen."
"Ah, that's right," said Omega, the recollection of why this happened quickly flashed in her mind.
"This body," she said, opening and closing her fists "it feels different compared to what I used before."
"I have taken the data of your last fights and used it to build you a body that will have you stand head and shoulders above all else my queen," said Gamma.
"Oh, and how are you so sure about that?"
"I modelled this body with the six of them in mind," said Gamma and Omega smiled.
"I've analysed the Azur Lane's skills and combined them into a single form-you. You have their combined power, speed, endurance… but that's not all."
Omega raised her eyebrow as Gamma tapped on the console and caused a platform to come forward. On it was what looked like a special latex suit with pieces of armour on the chest, hands, arms, legs, feet, crotch and helmet.
"This suit was built to withstand a direct attack from Friedrich wielding that sword," said Gamma "it is the ultimate shield that will protect you from anything the Commander can muster."
"With this shield and your body as the sword, there is nothing to stop you from achieving victory my Lady."
Omega eyed the suit up and down. Then, she turned to Gamma and asked "and what of the power draw?"
To that, Gamma remained silent for a moment then said "unfortunately, I have been unable to find a way to reduce the power requirements."
"Such a shame," said Gamma, admiring her new body "if it weren't such a big drain on the system, I could have an entire army of clones ready to pick up the slack if anything happened to me."
"I apologize for that my queen"
"Don't," said Omega, causing Gamma to raise her head up in surprise then immediately lower it.
"You've done well overseeing things while I was recovering," said Omega "additionally, you've gone beyond your role to create something that will help in what's coming. And for that, you deserve a reward?"
Gamma was surprised once again, but this time did not raise her head up.
"Gamma," said Omega "how long did it take to build this armor?"
"Less than a day my Queen," she said "our printers can…"
"Make one for yourself."
"Come again?" she asked, blinking.
"Consider it a reward for all your hard work. I want you to have the same protection I have. After all, they're going to come at us with everything they have now."