Chapter 9
Blinking several times, Kosuke found himself sitting at a circular table in a small pub-like area, looking rather confused for a moment. The pub in question looked strangely familiar to him and it took only a few moments for him to recognize it, of which his eyes glistened as a result. 'This is… the pub I and the boys visited when we celebrated our Graduation…!' he thought to himself, stunned that he would even see this again given his current circumstances. The familiar smells of drinks that whiffed into his nostrils alongside the chatter of the lively pub that filled his ears brought with them a wave of nostalgia but alongside those it also brought a sense of longing to him.
This was likely due to him having quickly figured out that this was just a dream he was having since there was no way that his recent exploits hadn't happened to him.
Furthermore, Kosuke had always known when something was a dream or not and he didn't get why. It was just that he had always been able to identify this stuff ever since he had been a kid, something that even his parents had taken notice of. They didn't call him weird or abnormal or anything just referred to it as a quirk of his that made up part of who Kosuke was.
Nevertheless, all of this got pushed out of his thoughts when he noticed several figures around him who wore various school uniforms, each one of different designs of varying degrees. Some looked minor in their alterations like one sleeve rolled up to the elbow to more significant ones like ditching the school blazer for some suspenders instead. There were about 4 figures around the table, that didn't include himself though so there are about 5 in total. Each of their faces couldn't be seen at the moment though, each of them being shrouded by darkness making identifying them impossible.
But Kosuke didn't need to look at their faces to do so, not when their distinct uniform changes had clued him into their true identities. 'These guys…' the male thought, his eyes wide as they started to get a bit watery. Even though he could hardly see their faces, there was no denying it in his mind that these people were some of the best bros that he could have ever asked for, and this whole setting resembled the last celebration they'd had together…
Before Kosuke had been pulled out of everything he'd known to this world.
At this point, it no longer mattered to him that this was a dream or whatever for Kosuke wanted to enjoy this moment of peace for whatever it was worth. He didn't care that he couldn't see their faces, he'd figured that it was to do with not seeing them for so long which only added to the regretful lounging stinging his chest like he had been hit by a bunch of bees.
Thus, the male simply went and just let the dream play out. It would prove to be one of the few respites he had from all the craziness that was going on.
Like all things bad or good, however, it came to an end and it could not have come at any better time.
Slowly, Kosuke's eyes opened in the real world that he currently resided in which showed him the usual metallic walls that signified the Sea Cabin of his Warship: the [Proto Satan]. The sight of them despite looking through his brows which blurred his vision somewhat told him that this was no dream and that he was back to his current situation. The calm, tranquil silence may have seemed nice to the observer, but the lingering images of that downright blissful dream still lingered in the back of his mind.
'That dream… been having it a lot since when I and Yuubari left that island…' the male thought to himself, frowning in disappointment. Ever since he had left the Eagle Union base, he had been dreaming of times spent with his comrades back in his worlds such as get-togethers, first meetings and the like. Initially, he'd been able to see them in perfect crystal clear clarity but the longer this stuff went on and the more dreams he had, the greater the difficulty in remembering their faces became.
Perhaps this was a sign that he was beginning to get used to this world? Kosuke wasn't sure, and he didn't want to be. At least not this way.
'Guys… How are y'all doing? Are you all doing ok? Are you all eating well? Don't you worry, I'll not be letting these feelings of loneliness beat me, no matter how long it takes I WILL get back to you all?' As the seconds passed and his grogginess faded away by the second, Kosuke's resolve steeled itself against the pain inside of him in preparation for the rest of the day. Not like he had as much to do as he used to though since they were now back on the waters headed for deep Sakura Empire territory.
From what he'd seen and heard from Yuubari, they were just passing by the Philippine Islands and had cleared a large portion of their journey. Yuubari had mentioned that this SE base was located close to Okinawa shortly into their trip, which finally gave him an idea as to where they were headed. Of course, they had to take a roundabout route by staying close to the islands to avoid open waters where Yuubari had detected large clumps of Siren ships. They would have just clobbered them and pushed straight through as they had done so previously, but something about the compositions of each fleet had Yuubari unnerved like she had seen something about them before from somewhere. He'd tried to get some answers from her, but she'd been tightly lipped on where she'd seen them.
Thus, they had taken this route to get to the base in Okinawa.
Kosuke honestly didn't know if the IJN had any Naval Bases in Okinawa during WW2, but it would make sense if there were and in this alternate history, there was. This base had a lot of operations being conducted from it across the Pacific region, although the exact nature of those operations was classified from him so he didn't press Yuubari for information there. It would be a different thing entirely if he were to accept her offer of joining the Sakura Empire as a naval soldier though, as that way he'd be allowed to know more.
Speaking of joining…
'Haaaahh, it's already been a couple of weeks and I still haven't gotten an answer for her…' Kosuke lamented as he lay on his bed, just staring up at the ceiling since he didn't have the energy to do much else for now.
Ever since their journey began, Kosuke had been pondering on whether or not to accept the offer that the Shipgirl had given him. Joining the Sakura Empire as a member of Naval personnel like her sounded like a tempting offer, and there was the stuff that she had used for reasons to support him accepting and part of him wanted to. If it weren't for a few things he might have accepted long before now.
The problem was, aside from his uncertainties about trusting those people considering what his versions of them had done, there was also the prospects of his qualifications. He was someone who would likely have no national profile in their lands nor was he trained in the art of naval warfare in any of the conventional Academies for the country's social elite, his only noteworthy traits in their eyes would be his Ship and the fact that he'd survived this long escorting one of their own back to their waters. Kosuke doubted that their admiralty would be so accepting of someone like that, especially someone who'd they see as a foreigner, and Kosuke recalled that Japan's tolerance for outsiders wasn't nearly as good as it was in his time.
The Shipgirls may have their own thing going on, but so did the humans they protected.
Maybe he should finally ask Yuubari about his prospects for joining and what the chances were that they would accept him. At least then he could get a better idea, and it wasn't like he'd be joining other factions like the Iron Blood or the Azur Lane sides at this point, the former due to what they've done and the latter sides due to likely being viewed with suspicion by the majority due to where he'd come from.
'Yeah, let's do that. But first I should probably get up and do my morning routine…' Kosuke thought to himself with a firm resolution, pumping a fist in front of him. He couldn't stay on his laurels on this, he had to get something done before they got to the Sakura Empire. Otherwise, he would have a much harder time on his hands.
But just when he made a move towards getting off his bunk…
"Moan…"
"...?..."
A muffled female moan sounded off right next to him, catching Kosuke off guard as evidenced by his brief tensing. 'Huh? What the heck, I did NOT just hear that right now…' he wondered internally, confusion wrecking his mind before a bout of dreaded realization crossed onto his features. Various anime scenes played in his mind that Keigo had shown him involving this EXACT process, but none of them proved very helpful in quelling the tension he felt inside. 'Don't tell me this is what I think it is…'
Slowly, Kosuke turned his head to face the source of the moan he had heard while hoping that he was wrong. Instead, his dreaded suspicions got confirmed when he saw a feminine face sleeping soundly beside him beneath the covers, a pair of canine ears dropped low as a faint bit of motion in the covers indicated light breathing. Down below, he could see a certain long bushy tail hanging off the side in a lazy manner, unmoving to indicate the stability of its wielder's state of being.
Regardless, Kosuke confirmed who it was by slightly lifting the covers to see Yuubari sleeping next to him on his bed, her right arm wrapping around his waist.
…
…
…
…
…
'...ok, Kosuke, just breathe. You can do this…' The male thought to himself, a hand gripping the skin above his rapidly pounding heart while grappling with the urge to just explode into a panic attack as he did atop [Proto Satan]. Inside of him, his nerves roared and thrashed against the metaphoric chains he had wrapped around them to keep them in line, demanding that he go into panic mode and immediately scare Yuubari awake so she could explain what the hell she was doing here. He struggled to keep his breathing laboured as various thoughts raced through his mind, some admittingly raunchier than others as he tried to think about how she could have gotten into this Sea Cabin.
He never saw her as someone who did such things as sneak into guys' beds to have her way with them in the game, that was more like Akagi's thing if he wasn't mistaken, Akagi, Roon, Taihou or some of the more seductive temptress kind of Shipgirls like Prince Eugen. Part of Kosuke believed that their seductiveness and body confidence was what made them so popular in the first place. If anything, Kosuke saw Yuubari and a large portion of the Shipgirls as more cautious and conservative types who would do things more old-school by comparison.
While he thought of all these things, Kosuke looked back to Yuubari with his gaze glancing down her arm to where it grasped him. The moment that he saw her hand, his eyes flashed with something akin to a shocking realization when he noticed the way it was gripping him… a way akin to desperately trying to hold onto something to never let go. 'This is…' the male mused mentally, his mouth slightly open as this sight sent his mind down a completely DIFFERENT direction.
He knew this kind of grip, he'd seen it before after THAT incident so for Yuubari to be emulating that grip in her sleep, it made him realize that this may NOT have been an accident, after all, perhaps it was connected to what she had been doing before he'd found her.
'In that case…'
His previous emotions then promptly vanished as Kosuke calmed himself down, his eyes returning to their usual composed state as he slightly adjusted himself on the bed. Discreetly managing to slip an arm beneath the Shipgirl, the male wrapped it around her just enough so that he could pull her close, offering a gentle squeeze which elected a pleased hum from her lips. Along the way, Yuubari's face relaxed into one of bliss as her tail swished about and her Neko ears twitched, the girl quickly snuggling back into his embrace.
The sight looked goddamn cure and it caused him to slowly smirk as he readjusted himself to wait till later. He'll stay with her for now, and when she wakes up perhaps he could ask her what was going on with her and possibly confirm some of the suspicions he had about her.
"Hi-Hi, there! Your friendly neighbourhood Purifier reporting!"
Elsewhere in the middle of a vast ocean, Observer could be seen gazing out into the vast expanses with a tranquil look on her face… though that look could be considered her default expression like it was MADE for her to be that way or something. It'd only add to the weirdness one would get when around her… if they were anything but her kind that is.
That is until she heard a familiar-sounding chipper voice that sounded quite unlike the majority of their brethren. It was a rather unmistakable chipperness, one which belonged to only one kind of Siren so far as the Tentacle-sporting Siren glanced off to the side, seeing a figure land near her. That figure had similar hair and eyes to her, though that didn't faze Observer considering the majority of their species had the same facial features. Yet for some stupid reason, they had adopted some more 'specific' traits to distinguish themselves, such as how this figure had tied her hair into a ponytail whilst wearing an abridged version of a school uniform: a sailor's crop top, a bright yellow bow around her neck, some black fingerless military gloves and some short booty shorts. Her legs were encased in siren-tier armour that clung to their shapely forms, ending in slightly heeled boots.
But like what Observer herself had, this figure also had an additional 'package' with her in the form of a robotic-looking construct. This one resembled what this world would call a Hammerhead Shark with its form being predominantly black like the majority of Siren constructs. Additionally, there was the secondary yellowish interior the construct sported, visible from its mouth and the pairs of long cannon barrels built into its multiple fins.
"Purifier…" Speaking with that same auto-tuned tone which gave no hint to her true emotions due to the fluctuations in the volume like an actual speaker, Observer regarded the newest arrival who'd self-identified herself so many times in the past. Observer quickly figured out why this battle maniac had paid her this visit, remembering a few conversations she'd had before this meeting. "So, the higher-ups sent you to be the lead role in the imminent tests did they?"
Already, the Siren began mentally preparing herself for the trouble that awaited her. Sirens were usually not very emotional beings by nature, the act of manipulating variables to suit their needs and desires meant that such inhibitions got relegated as 'useless' to them. However, there were always exceptions to the rules to make them more flexible, such was the case with their enforcement specialist over here, for in terms of 'human' emotions Purifier could be seen as the most 'emotional' out of their ranks… even if that model included destructive tendencies that bordered on problematic.
Part of Observer did wonder what went into her to make her the amount of crazy that she was.
"Yuppers! Just finished my business elsewhere, was expecting to be back home for a bit when some 'juicy' stuff got thrown my way! Not one for being overworked, but a good fight's always got me grinning!" Purifier proclaimed with a wide, toothy grin which enhanced the maniacal expression she sported at the thought of the future tests they would be conducting. The best part was she got to lead the charge this time! She didn't like having to stay at the rear, no way that was way too freaking boring! She wanted to get in some good licks with her two 'guns'!
Hearing this, Observer would have rolled her eyes was she capable of feeling the exasperation that would have come from seeing such an energetic response, but instead, she simply nodded her head and looked out towards the distance. "Indeed. Your next task will be taking a fleet to Taiwan, which is currently under the Sakura Empire administration. You will be 'testing' their defences there, thanks to our scouts informing us of various research facilities being stored there."
"Eh?" Blinking her eyes owlishly, Purifier's expression shifted from psychotic madness to befuddled confusion at the words she had been hearing like they were spoken in some foreign language. That hadn't happened in a while, and Sirens were capable of speaking every language conceivable by humanity. "Those guys? Don't we let them use our tech or some shit like that? Why would we be attacking them like this?" The somewhat insane Siren questioned, not minding the fact that they were talking about attacking a member of the Crimson Axis instead of Azur Lane, but it still surprised her since they were somewhat lower on the priority list due to multiple factors.
For a moment, Observer remained silent as she processed internally if that information would play a part in affecting the outcome of the impending tests. Testing was part of their core directives as a species, with those 'up top' dictating these things on scale mankind wasn't ready to comprehend just yet. She had also only been informed of Purifier's change in assignment to her at the last minute so she hadn't had the chance to contemplate her strategy around this essentially loose cannon.
In the end, she deduced that knowledge definitely WOULD affect the test in a few ways which weren't that detrimental to their overall objective. One way it would do so is to raise Purifier's morale and desire to stick to the parameters they would be assigned for the tests ahead, there WERE after all cases when such deviations occurred and a lot of them had her as a participant in them. They didn't negatively impact their tests and in some cases, the data recorded proved more valuable than their initial estimations, but more often than not it was rather difficult to reign Purifier in sometimes.
Another way it'd affect the outcome was that it will ignite Purifier's curiosity about the 'other' problems slowly arising within this world. Such problems include the reports of their fleets being destroyed before they could reach their destinations throughout the Asian pacific. There were investigations already launched to find out why this had been happening, but Observer had her theories already not to mention that if any of them proved to be true it would alter their plans for future tests DRASTICALLY. Also, she could imagine Purifier being drawn to that part of the planet like a moth to a flame, drawn in by the promise of a fight, unlike anything she had ever faced previously.
"Let's just say that those facilities are… about to discover something that could throw a wrench into the works… one we've made sure never gets used against us again. You are also authorized to use THAT thing for this mission."
"...Wait, you mean…! Ooooohhhhh, ohohohoho! Now, THIS is even better than I thought! Red Axis, ya better watch out cause Purifier's-a-coming!"
POW-PAT-POW-POW-POW-POW!
"Hya!"
"Guh!"
The sounds of skin smashing against skin filled Kosuke's training room with great ferocity and speed, the male in question gritting his teeth as one such fist flew past his face after he barely leaned his head sideways in time to dodge it, returning the gesture with a twirling back kick that his opponent promptly dodged.
Said opponent turned out to be Yuubari who had taken off her Kimono, exposing the fact that she had bandage bindings across her torso and a loincloth beneath her. Let's just say that Kosuke had a field day when he found that out, but anyways the said Shipgirl sidestepped the strike before rearing an elbow upwards to then thrust it down towards the leg's thigh. Sadly the male had managed to pivot that leg out of the way and placed it behind his other leg in a makeshift boxing-like stance.
Thanks to there being little for them to do outside their usual patrols and watches for any enemy vessels or fleets, one such activity that the duo had to pass the time ended up being sparring with one another. They'd been doing this ever since they'd first embarked on their journey together, mostly to pass the time like previously stated, but it also served to keep their minds sharp when not in combat against enemy Siren fleets. They'd been sparring today since the afternoon had started post lunchtime, after conducting morning maintenance patrols across their respective vessels and surveying their respective radar systems for any potential ambushes.
Sparring proved to be quite a fun exercise for Kosuke, especially, however, as he got the chance to see how Shipgirls would fare in a situation outside their usual naval engagements. To be frank, whoever taught Yuubari how to fight hand to hand must have had some experience because her fighting skills showed remarkable excellence, to the point where one would doubt her scientist occupation as her actual job. The only reason why he could still consider her one was because of her attitude to whenever she saw something new, those who liked to study things often got that 'glint' in their eyes and Yuubari had shown it several times during their initial days as a travelling duo.
From what he remembered from his WW2 history research, the IJA primarily practised mainly with bayonets, Knives, and swords. Hand to hand combat without weapons was mandatory only for those in the military police whilst being voluntary for the regular troops, of which Kosuke figured Shipgirls fell into as well. He did know that the IJN and the IJA didn't get along historically but he figured that these military branches had similar customs for training across the board.
Nobody knew where they'd end up during a conflict after all.
In Yuubari's case, her being a scientist didn't mean that she had no training in these fields as evident by how she kept striking at areas on him with a lighter guard, testing the waters and evaluating Kosuke's defences. Even then she kept probing him with fast, yet precise strikes usually in the form of jabs towards areas she found worthy of attention, of which Kosuke assumed this meant she favoured those types of moves as her default option. They hadn't started weapon sparring yet, but it made the male curious about what weapon she'd favour. He knew that the Japanese Katana may be an almost iconic weapon in their culture, but that didn't mean EVERYBODY used them.
However, there was something that Kosuke had noticed about her movements shortly into the sparring which had been why he had opted to remain on the defensive side, for the most part, not striking back unless in retaliation. He couldn't pinpoint it completely accurately, but her strikes seemed to carry this hint of frustration, like embarrassment and indignation… and if that was the case, then he had one big idea as to what it may have been.
WHOOSH!
"Whoa!" Kosuke made a startled exclamation when he managed to just BARELY avoid a rapid palm thrust towards his face by leaning backwards before shooting his arms up to grab the offending limb by the wrist and forearm. This caused his opponent to gasp similarly when he pulled her off balance and delivered the final blow by launching a low kick at her remaining foot.
In the following seconds which felt as slow as a turtle, they both began to fall to the ground beneath them with Kosuke landing first and unwittingly providing his body as a cushion for the Shipgirl who fell atop him.
"Guh!"
"Kya!"
Both of them cried out on impact, the male more so due to his body being used as a cushion by Yuubari. Briefly, a low rumble occurred seemingly out of nowhere, but neither of them was in the best state of mind so they didn't notice it, instead, they lay on the floor in a sprawled heap, letting the seconds pass by to allow themselves to recover from the fall.
Eventually, Kosuke beat Yuubari in the first recovery race when he lifted his head and checked on the Shipgirl's condition, confusion and concern visible in his eyes like two finely maintained mirrors. "You alright there, Yuubari?" he questioned, worriedly, running his gaze up and down her form to check for any injuries to her person. It was more of a reflex action really as he briefly forgot what this girl's true nature was, favouring making sure his companion hadn't somehow gotten injured from the fall.
However, there was another meaning to that question he'd asked as well, one which Yuubari swiftly noticed as she lifted her head to gaze down at him. "Y-Yeah… I'm fine." she stammered slightly, a slightly pinkish hue having formed on her cheeks. Additionally, she didn't maintain eye contact for long as she shifted her gaze to the side in a slightly awkward manner. "Just had a bit on my mind is all…"
"Which probably had something to do with that bed incident this morning, right?"
"Eh?! You knew?!"
'Called it.' Looked like Kosuke's guess had been dead on the money, judging by the way her cheeks inflamed themselves to an almost tomato-like shade. Back then, he'd sensed Yuubari waking up a while after he first did so, but in the interest of avoiding many conflicts between them that might negatively impact their fighting capabilities, Kosuke had managed to fake being asleep enough for the still drowsy Shipgirl to stumble her way out of his room, fortunately taking her clothes along with her. The lack of limping when she walked (something he noticed through a slightly open eye) only further indicated that nothing had happened, much to his relief.
Ordinarily, Kosuke would have just forgotten this had happened and ignored it, letting them both get along with their daily tasks without turning it into some big incident. He had learned from his mother that women tended to be quite nagging creatures when they wanted to be especially if they believe their partners had been a bit naughty or did something stupid, plus the few anime he'd watched had scenes like that in them so Kosuke decided he'd LEARN from those outcomes.
However, that spar had confirmed something for him, and that was that the incident this morning had much bigger connotations behind it. What those connotations were, Kosuke wasn't sure but he DID have some ideas.
He liked to think he had a decent grasp of Yuubari's true character, and by that he meant what she was like as a person and not a character in a mobile game meant for horny yet lonely weebs, so he believed she wasn't the type of person who would just sneak into someone's bed out of the blue. She felt far too practical for that, and then there was the likely scenario where she still held suspicions about him.
"Yeah, woke up briefly this morning and saw you next to me. Fell asleep right after though, was way too tired to be up at the time." Kosuke spoke in a relaxed tone, making sure not to break his gaze from her. It may have caused her to become increasingly flustered due to its intensity, but there was indeed a method in the madness.
What he was doing was putting up the image of calmness and a collected attitude, hoping that it would help calm Yuubari down enough for her to not feel as embarrassed. They were both warriors here, so stuff like this deserved a mature outlook on it and additionally, every instinct in him kept saying that there were more subject matters connected to why Yuubari was acting this way.
"I-I see…"
"...You want to talk about it? It's not good keeping things to yourself, especially if you're ashamed of it. Who knows, maybe an outside perspective could be of use to you." Kosuke questioned, frowning at the way that his previous efforts to soothe the Shipgirl's worries phased themselves out of existence. This wasn't as bad as her potentially punching him out of embarrassment, but he didn't like seeing that look in her eye.
"... it's ok, I'll be fine."
Whelp, Kosuke couldn't help but not be surprised by her refusal. Suspicions aside, it was obvious that he had a big connection to her embarrassment, so she wouldn't want to discuss it with him at least right now. Maybe in the future, they could talk about it, but for the time being, he figured that perhaps they could get down to some other business. "Then let's change topics for a bit. Maya ask something related to the Sakura Empire?" Looking at her, Kosuke saw how Yuubari now had her gaze focused on him, a hint of curiosity behind her eyes that had returned to their usual monotone. The girl knew how to regain her composure, he'd give her that. "What are my chances of actually being accepted into the Sakura Empire's navy? I doubt that their admiralty would be overly eager to have someone with unknown credentials and origins into their ranks."
Hearing his question prompted a spark within the shipgirl's eyes, of what Kosuke wasn't sure since it vanished moments after it had appeared as all sparks did as part of their very nature. Following that spark, Yuubari pondered for a moment with her gaze becoming calculating. Kosuke knew that look due to having seen her sport it whenever they talked about how to pick their battles and survive on this journey till they reached less hostile waters. "Well, while there will be those who will raise a few eyebrows at your origins and credentials, I will not deny that. However, there will be many among us who will be interested in your Drillship and its capabilities. I can easily see the majority of the admiralty willing to give you a chance to prove yourself just from this ship alone."
Kosuke arched a confused brow at this, dripping his usual calm collected demeanour for that of a dumb kid being told something he'd believed in for years was false. "Wait?" He questioned, getting a nod from the Shipgirl that didn't douse his confusion. "Is there such a value based on my ship? [Proto Satan]'s only a Drillship, one ship at that. It shouldn't raise that much of an issue with them." The male mused, pondering this intel with a troubled yet concerned expression quickly forming while he cupped his chin with his right hand.
From what he could recall, the age of Carriers had been brewing before the second world war started back in his world. The Japanese carrier fleets had been built beforehand after they saw potential in them that others had laughed at due to their beliefs in big guns being naval warfare's future. Even the Germans had briefly considered employing their Carriers but those projects fell through due to factors like lacking resources, time and manpower. This gave Kosuke the impression that the Sakura Empire currently would have been still in the process of making more of their ships into Carriers and building others from scratch with what little resources they still had.
Yuubari had guessed his train of thought because she provided him with the answers to the questions brewing within his mind. "There is a growing focus on Carrier groups, yes, however, big guns may still have a role to play for other theatres of war. This mindset is what's dominating at the moment, but in [Proto Satan]'s case its capabilities with those guns it has will make it a highly sought after asset for their cause." She told him, her lips pursed as she remembered what she had heard through listening to the grapevine of military command.
She didn't have much clearance so she didn't know the full scope, but her nature as a researcher and scientist did allow her SOME leeway to learn some things as long as it concerned her role. Thanks to this, she had heard how the higher-ups in the Sakura Empire Navy were beginning the process of mass-producing Carriers for the benefits highlighted by their researchers, not just herself. However, there were still many that had the old-fashioned belief in big guns and they currently had higher positions of power.
Furthermore, she didn't say this to Kosuke but she remembered the size of the [Yamato]'s guns and they were practically dwarf-like compared to the ones on this vessel, which also meant the ammo for this ship would be DEADLY if applied properly. She could see Kosuke being enrolled in some training programs about gun control, such courses existed for the many Shipgirls to better understand their Rigging so they could fight better. Shipgirls may be born with the knowledge on how to use their various armaments, but further research had been conducted by scientists and such knowledge had proven invaluable before, hence it'd been decided to arm them with this knowledge.
Knowledge was power, after all. A fact that had withstood the test of time.
Considering this alongside the fact that apparently, only Kosuke seemed capable of remote controlling this Warship, then Yuubari could see the Admiralty of the Sakura Empire be VERY interested in having him join their cause.
As for what he would be designated as Yuubari wasn't sure. She didn't think he would be classed as an officer as they mainly came from the Academies throughout the mainland and those were reserved for those born out of high standing. There had been very few exceptions to this rule, such as with one of their oldest members, Mikasa who was a heroine of the previous great war but otherwise the standards for those academies were just insane.
On the other hand, it would seem like such a 'waste' for him to be designated as just a regular old seaman. A common soldier wouldn't be a good fit for Kosuke if one were to ask Yuubari considering the kind of firepower he wielded. She would like it if Kosuke were designated as something similar to herself and the Shipgirls of the Sakura Empire, due to his unique situation. That way they could get better use out of the [Proto Satan]'s abilities, as compared to their human commanders the Shipgirls in similar positions could better utilize Kosuke's Warship.
They WERE warriors born from the ocean, after all.
"Huh, I see…" Kosuke mused, thoughtfully as he processed this information. From the looks of things while the Sakura Empire may be transitioning towards Carriers there were still enough officials who had older-fashioned mentalities, which made him think about how people first saw WW1.
This proved to be both a boon and a concern for the male, and the reasoning behind this proved to be quite complex. On one hand, it'd be a boon for him since joining the Sakura Empire was still an option and at least initially they were on the winning side of the war back in his world. However, the difference between them and imperial Japan the Sakura Empire got stronger and stronger the more he progressed through the main Azur lane storyline which didn't involve those events. It was also apparent that they were getting into using Siren tech like the Iron Blood, meaning that he could potentially access that stuff should he need to.
But then this proved to be a double-edged sword, which led to the other side of the argument. While he could gain access to way more than just simple information and resources, for example, connections to influential people if he played his cards right and made himself as valuable as possible, it also exposed him to no small amount of individuals who would try to either take advantage of him, steal credit and achievements he'd do, or simply try to usurp his control over [Proto Satan]. Essentially there were a bunch of dangers that could come from this…
But like what Yuubari had told him before, nothing came without risks and whether he liked it or not he'd have to take a stand. And although he preferred Azur Lane just from the historical standpoint, he had to admit that the research into Siren tech might just make the Crimson Axis more likely to know how to help him understand his current standing.
"Also, I must inform you that odds are you would be inducted into our IJN, not the ground forces." Yuubari then quipped, briefly realizing that she was still on top of the male and had at some point shifted her position to where she now straddled his waist. Once more her features turned pink and squeamish, but she hurriedly dispersed it all whilst hopping off him. He gave her a thankful glance and took the hand she offered, allowing her to help him get back to his feet. "There's a bit of a rivalry going on between our naval and army branches that are a bit too complicated for me to put it into words. But since you've had mostly naval battles with me, you'll be joining that side of things most likely so I'd suggest making preparations for potential sabotage by the armed branch. They can be some real nasty pieces of work at times."
At this, Kosuke internally rolled his eyes not being surprised about this piece of intel in the slightest. 'There was something similar back in my world during WW2 as well. Whelp, I'll deal with them when the time comes, for now, I'll focus on our current issues.' He thought, dusting himself down before patting his torso a few times. He then looked back towards his sole companion, then promptly got back into his default martial arts stance to which Yuubari did the same.
They then resumed sparring.
'Tch, we're not going fast enough…!'
Clenching her teeth behind a firm line that was her mouth, Takao gripped her sword by the bottom of its hilt with the weapon being used as a cane in front of her. Her gloved fingers could be seen bending under the strain of the emotion she put into these motions as the black-haired warrior gaze forwards towards the open sea in front of her. The cool, chilling winds brushed through her hair making it flutter behind her, alongside the proud Sakura Empire flag hoisted atop her ship's FWD bridge.
Although right now, she could hardly consider herself proud at this moment in time. More so she felt confused, uncertain and anxious about the events that were to follow, these feelings having sprouted within her after taking root once she'd finished that radio transmission.
{Takao sure seems to be quite alarmed right now…}
Having secured a private channel so that the group's leader wouldn't hear her, one Yamashiro frowned in concern as she lay on her front atop one of her ship's forward guns, the one furthest away from the FWD bridge. The cat-themed shipgirl's heart pounded within her chest as worry tore its way through her being, worry for their leader and the way that she was currently acting.
{Well what do you expect? That tip-off, if true, isn't something we can ignore.}
Another message came through this time from Ryuujou who currently stood alongside some of her Planes which had been readied on her main deck. Each one had been positioned in double file, the classic formation for takeoff, a formation in which all carriers launched groups of their aircraft at a line. As for the shipgirl in question, she had a look of apprehension on her face with worry seeping out of her gaze like blood from a wound, all the while she gazed out towards their Flagship.
It had happened rather drastically, one moment they had been scouting around for any signs of their fallen comrades' remains. These remains consisted mostly of the Wisdom Cubes that were used to bring a Shipgirl into the world, and as such, they had high priority when launching retrieval missions. These Wisdom Cubes not only were their primary sources for spawning Shipgirls into the world though, or perhaps it's better to call them their ONLY way to create more Shipgirls, but Wisdom Cube technology provided various benefits to society as a whole to the point that one could find entire communities reliant on them. They were also of particular value to small Siren Cults that started popping up shortly after said beings' arrival onto their oceans.
Then the next thing they knew, Takao had promptly and unexpectedly ordered them to cease their efforts, retract the scouts, and reassemble into their formation before they were to head on out. When their two Shrine Maiden-like Shipgirls had understandably questioned why Takao had done this she had explained that she'd received a communication from an anonymous source that there was a Siren Fleet headed towards Taiwan.
Instead of paying attention to her bickering subordinates, Takao herself pressed her lips together while she grappled with the desire to go full throttle towards their destination, a look of great frustration and unease burning within her pupils. Beside her on her ship, Atago could be seen showing a similarly concerned expression directed towards her sister, though she didn't say anything since she knew her sister wasn't in the frame of mind for teasing at the moment.
Now ordinarily Takao wouldn't have trusted such a baseless claim from a source she didn't recognize, even more so when she had her sister try to see who they were talking to by hacking into the channel between them only to come up with nothing. Ordinarily, Takao wouldn't have given this unknown contact much thought and allowed their operation to continue as planned. It was just downright ludicrous for her to be affected so much by just a simple tip-off from a source neither she nor any of the group particularly trusted, and rightfully so.
However, there was one thing which had changed her opinion INSTANTLY:
The fact that Yuubari, one of those who had been part of the fleet they had been collecting the remains for, was also on course towards Taiwan.
According to the caller, the Siren Fleet was predicted to reach Taiwan first and if she didn't change her course she would likely reach that place during the invasion. Her course also indicated that she would be sticking to the islands on a return trip to Okinawa, of which Takao figured that if this tip was true Yuubari had survived the fleet's destruction but had been damaged, that was the only reason she could think of as to why she'd take such a roundabout path instead of beelining back to their base. The open seas were a greater target for raids by enemy forces since there were few places to hide.
In the end, after much deliberation, the final nail in the coffin for Takao had been the report from Ryuujou that they had caught about 11 cubes. There had been only 12 Shipgirls alongside a fleet of Mass-produced ships sent to Hawaii, and Mass-Produced ships don't leave any Wisdom Cubes behind further providing evidence towards the mystery caller's claim.
Hence her decision.
{How long will it take for us to reach Taiwan?}
Fusou questioned on their main comm channel, sitting cross-legged atop one of her guns while looking around at the various planes soaring overhead. They had just been launched by Ryuujou on a quick order from Takao to provide air cover in case of any ambushes, and unlike normal planes those created by Shipgirls were powered by their energy, making it easier for them to keep them out for greater periods than ordinary carriers which required various resources.
{Going from our current speed, I would say no more than a week. Chances are the fighting will have begun when we get to Taiwan, so everyone should be ready to activate our Rigging at a moment's notice.}
{Yes ma'am!}
After hearing the response given to them by Atago in place of their flagship, the said flagship gave her indirect approval by briefly glancing to and nodding her head towards her sister, the other Shipgirls gave their affirmatives before deactivating their comm channels and focusing on their duties. All the while their ships sailed at cruising speeds towards Taiwan in the hopes of defending it from this Siren incursion.
All the while, Atago couldn't help but wonder why those things were headed towards their lands at this point. What was it in Taiwan that got their attention so?
After their little sparring session had ended, Kosuke started wandering about his Ship like he'd done many times by this point. His [Proto Satan] tore though the ocean surface like a hot knife through butter, with the [Yuubari] close behind barely keeping up with the larger Battleship. Cool winds whipped at his skin, brushing through his hair whilst the male put his hand on his forehead to keep some of his bangs outside of his vision when he stood atop his ship's Bow.
Judging from the time of day that it was according to his estimates, and the maps that they possessed, Kosuke deduced that they were getting close to Taiwan, approaching their waters essentially. If he recalled correctly then Taiwan would be under Sakura Empire jurisdiction just like its alternate world counterpart, which meant it would be a friendly territory for Yuubari at least. He wasn't so sure, but even though he'd already established his plan of action going forward the thought of meeting people who lived during the age of Japan's imperialism sent waves of nervousness down his spine. He wasn't sure what to expect since this would be his first time meeting anyone from the military at all, let alone those who had rather fanatical ideas about honour and never surrendering.
'I'll just have to put my trust in Yuubari when we reach that point…' he thought to himself, thinking back to the Shipgirl in question. She had gone over to her Ship to check it out for any abnormalities, as well as to clear the slightly awkward air between them born from that bed incident.
The male could only sigh to himself, having hoped that sparring with her would have helped get rid of that awkwardness completely. However, guess things wouldn't be so easy for this problem, was this what his dad had to deal with when dating? He never really dated back in high school, as he had other problems and issues to deal with that shrunk his free time to 'very small'.
Maybe he should have asked him for more advice on how to handle things like females.
Speaking of females…
RING-RING-RING!
Sounds coming from his phone resonated from his pocket, prompting him to pull it out and look at the screen. At this, Kosuke saw that the caller was Yuubari herself, making him press the 'accept' button before putting it into his ear.
{What is it, Yuubari?}
{Any enemies on your radar?}
Briefly pausing the call, Kosuke brought his radar up within his mind to check their surroundings. After coming up blank, the male opened his eyes again and promptly gave his response.
{Nothing so far. Things seem rather quiet… relying on previous experience, we're likely gonna be attacked.}
Thanks to constant months worth of fighting against Siren attacks, Kosuke just couldn't trust the moments when the seas were calm and tranquil, mostly because those conditions usually served as a prequel to Siren ambushes. These conditions pretty much cemented the expression 'calm before the storm' to his brain, resulting in him being rather antsy and stuff whenever he saw this being the state the seas were in. Fortunately, they hadn't been hit by submarines or anything like that yet, but it was only a matter of time for the Sirens to finally wise up and deliver those murderous death machines to them. Though for the life of him, Kosuke couldn't figure out why they hadn't encountered any subs on their journey, not like he was complaining tho but still.
'Perhaps something big may be happening soon…' Kosuke mused internally as he narrowed his eyes at the vast ocean surface waves that crashed into [Proto Satan]'s Hull. He couldn't describe well why he thought something like that, but it was what his instincts and previous experiences had told him about this situation's implications.
Perhaps even Yuubari was aware of this possibility as well, she had a better sense of intuition about these matters than him due to having more battle experience. Not to mention this was basically what she had been made for in the first place, so maybe he could ask her for her opinion.
Just when the male decided to try and call Yuubari on their Comm channel again…
BZZZZZZT!
The tranquil silence got broken when Kosuke felt a massive electronic buzz rip through his mind, but since the male had experienced this many times in the past Kosuke didn't react all that much. He'd long since gotten used to it by now, although he did show some surprise at the suddenness of it all.
Immediately he looked at his phone and pressed the receiver icon. When he did so, Kosuke found himself listening in on an already ongoing conversation between Yuubari and the caller, so he paid attention to what was being said to get a better grasp of what had been going on. Also, Yuubari had been designated as their official communicator considering she had more experience handling stuff like this, somehow since Kosuke had figured being a scientist was a largely introverted job.
{Unknown vessels, This is Fleet Admiral Gozaburo Seto, Sakura Empire Navy Taiwanese Branch. You are about to trespass onto Taiwanese waters. Identify yourself before we assume you are hostile and respond accordingly.}
{Fleet Admiral Gozaburo, this is Light Cruiser Shipgirl Yuubari, of the Sakura Empire. With me is an escorting Battleship [Proto Satan]. We are currently on a journey back to Okinawa and are simply passing by.}
It sounded like they were speaking to someone with experience and rank, Kosuke assumed upon hearing the speaker's gruff and stern voice. He could imagine the speaker being this rough rugged older male who had seen many battles and commanded respect from his subordinates, yet wouldn't hesitate to punish those who stepped out of line. A cold, ruthless kind of person but also someone who had a sense of reason to them, at least that was what Kosuke assumed since assumptions weren't as good as proper face to face interaction.
{Yuubari? Ah, I remember, one of our more prominent researchers regarding Shipgirls and their applications. Well, we'd normally allow you safe passage but there's a problem. A Siren Fleet has been detected massing for an attack on Taiwan, quite a large one at that.}
Huh, Kosuke blinked owlishly when he took a few moments to process that bit of info. Looked like Yuubari had some influence in the Sakura Empire, though if he thought about it their research department wasn't focused much on in the game. Maybe they didn't even have one, though that wasn't likely since that was a stupid thing to consider. Nonetheless, he remembered how the [Yuubari] had been the basis for new technologies which likely meant Yuubari had considerable sway as a scientist in this department due to her ship self's contributions.
That had to be why this gruff-sounding man had said that.
Though the revelation that there was an amassing Siren Fleet also had his attention though he remained silent, mostly because Yuubari herself had a similar question in mind.
{Sirens? What would a fleet be doing closing in on Sakura Empire territory? And how is this supposed to affect us?}
{They were detected starting to manifest through their freaky portals north-northeast of Taiwan, putting them between us and Okinawa. Frankly, I have no idea either, but from the reports we've been getting from scouts forces, this fleet will likely be headed towards our shores shortly. We've requested reinforcements from the mainland, but then we detected your signatures approaching.}
Kosuke hummed to himself, now he could see the bigger picture going on here. If these folk weren't lying then it would appear that their path was going to be a lot harder to navigate and from the sounds of it one would call rushing towards that fleet head on a suicide run. They had only been picking off small fleets of ships for the most part along their journey, making sure to pick their battles as best they could, but from the sounds of it, Kosuke figured that this fleet would be the full package. One could call it the first TRUE Siren fleet he had encountered since coming to this world.
For an analogy, before he'd been facing enemies from the earlier chapters of Azur Lane's main story mode. Now, he would likely be facing enemies from the mid to high tier chapters.
'Well, since Yuubari's got her Rigging now and my [Proto Satan] still has some decent speed in him, we should be able to do something to help even the odds.' Kosuke thought with several ideas coming to his mind. He remembered one of his friends, who liked the Royal Navy faction, talking to him about some of the famous sailors throughout history.
Nelson was one of them, but there was another called Thomas Cochrane who originated from Scottland.
Perhaps Kosuke could look at some of his tactics for guidance.
His thoughts then got abruptly halted with the sound of a radio grinding to a halt spreading through his mind when he heard the next line.
{May I speak with your Escort's captain, Shipgirl Yuubari?}
Huh? Did he hear that right, did this guy just ask to speak with him directly? That was so, Kosuke mused after pinching himself to make sure he wasn't losing his mind.
{Eh?}
Yuubari had a similar reaction to him cause neither of them expected that kind of answer.
{That escort of yours looks nothing like any Sakura Empire vessel, but that doesn't matter. Those guns look like they work, and that's all I care about right now.}
{I can pass the information along to the captain instead. The topic of this vessel… would require time to explain. Time none of us has.}
Yeah, wasn't that the truth? Regardless this wasn't anything special Kosuke mused, it just sped some things along. If he introduced himself and did well protecting this Nation from the Siren invaders, then he would be earning brownie points with the Sakura Empire Admiralty. Now that he thought about it perhaps he would get a chance to see what it was that the Sirens wanted with this place because something in his gut told him that it wouldn't be anything good.
{...I see. Very well. Tell the escort to make port behind our defensive lines. We'll speak in person about how to deal with the Siren menace later.}
{Hai!}
…Whelp… no turning back now, his time for initiating his joining the Sakura Empire had begun. Hopefully, he didn't screw it all up.
(Scene Change)
Moments passed before the big meeting finally came.
Beforehand, Kosuke and Yuubari had followed Gozaburo's orders and placed [Proto Satan] within the slight canal leading into the small continent located near Keelung City, northeast of the country's capital. The [Yuubari] had followed suit with the vessel's manifested Shipgirl travelling across and boarding Kosuke's ship to give him some last-minute tips and guidance when addressing this high ranking member of the Sakura Empire Navy.
Once this had been done Yuubari had called the man and told him of their current scenario prompting him to inform them that he would be arriving to board the [Proto Satan] himself momentarily.
There had been moments when Kosuke had gotten the willies due to being nervous about his first meeting with these kinds of people, especially considering the cultural differences between them and the eagle union. Growing up away from anything to do with the military aside from his games gave Kosuke little about what to do when addressing these kinds of people, even with Yuubari helping him by giving him pointers and tips about what he should expect from this encounter.
"Light Cruiser Yuubari. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance face to face like this."
"Likewise, Admiral."
Arriving at the port housing the two warships, Fleet Admiral Gozaburo stood on top of the vessel's deck with the two travelling seafarers standing opposite him. The man had a rather imposing demeanour, more so than a typical man of his stature. He stood over 5 foot 8, sporting a build of a professional soldier who regularly exercised and trained themselves, some tanned skin alongside his dark spiky short hair. His eyes like black dots bore down on the duo as part of his imposing, domineering demeanour aided by the vertical scar running down the side of his left cheek from the top of his forehead down to near his jaw, alongside the horizontal one running directly across the middle of his face. Almost like a blade had tried to slice his head off right across the centre. Add in the white uniform he wore consisting of the jacket, black dress shirt, red tie, white pants and black slacks one could easily see this was a man who wasn't to be messed with.
Behind him were a set of men serving as his escorts, their uniforms giving away their identities as officers of lower rank and a bunch of sailors.
Kosuke and Yuubari hit the jackpot with this person here.
Speaking of the said male, Gozaburo looked over towards him and narrowed his eyes, his tone darkening at the state the male was in. The said teen mentally winced, knowing that he wasn't likely in the best stare of dress for such an occasion, but hey it was out of his control alright?! "I assume that you know where your captain is, young man?"
Yuubari made to say something in Kosuke's defence, likely only succeeding in getting scolded by the Admiral, but her companion simply beat her to it with his following actions. He raised his right arm to the side and mentally established his connection to his vessel, prompting the Admiral and his retinue to widen their eyes when they saw the massive guns move following his arm motions. Kosuke swung his arm from side to side, the forward turrets mimicking those movements like a marionette.
Satisfied that he had gotten their attention, Kosuke then lowered his arm and returned the guns to their default position, disconnecting from [Proto Satan] afterwards. "I am the Captain of this vessel, sir. As you can see, I command him remotely," he said, his gaze firm and unyielding as he stared up at the taller Admiral's eyes.
A short silence followed as the admiral and officers regarded the male briefly with anger alongside some temporary bristling. Temporary as it soon gave way to intrigue and curiosity especially when a couple snuck a few glances towards the guns that Kosuke's ship sported. During this time Kosuke stayed firm and refused to break his gaze from the Admiral's, who responded in kind as if the two were having a silent standoff like in those western movies or something.
Eventually, Gozaburo huffed roughly and glanced towards the guns that his men had been so fascinated with. "I see. What are these guys?" he questioned, short and direct to the point which Kosuke was starting to see was just the type of person this guy was. As Yuubari said, this person seemed to not be the type for bullshit or long-winded answers, rather he was as blunt as a hammer alongside being straight to the point too.
'Whelp, at least that speeds things along…' Kosuke internally remarked with approval, before he gave his response. "These are 60cm guns, sir."
"?!"
To his surprise, Kosuke saw how his words seemingly shot a wave of shock throughout the Admiral's retinue with even the man himself briefly arching a brow before running his gaze along the gun barrels. Kosuke discreetly shot a questioning glance towards Yuubari for clarification prompting a slightly smug look to form on the said Shipgirl's face. It looked like she knew this would be the case, so was this the reason she seemed so confident about his chances before?
Before he could ponder this further, Gozaburo's composed demeanour returned as he cast his gaze towards this vessel's 'captain', although he hardly looked the part. Internally he wondered how his family could have withstood the disgrace, but then he rationalized it with the signs he saw that this boy had been at sea for a long time, and had likely seen plenty of combat against the Sirens. Such action could certainly damage one's uniform if not careful, he'd seen it happen himself a few times. "How long is their range?"
"...Between 50 to 70km, mind you, it's limited by my ability to accurately aim the guns. I've been getting a LOT of practice throughout my journey with Yuubari, however." Kosuke replied after thinking for a short moment. Well, he figured that could be [Proto Satan]'s the max range if he were a good coordinator for the launched rounds, but most of the time Kosuke preferred getting in close so his guns properly hit their marks.
There HAD been times when Kosuke did some bombardment of enemy ships from a distance but his accuracy was a bit lacking, even so, he could still feel the potential behind [Proto Satan]'s main guns due to sometimes measuring how long he could fire rounds, it had been part of his training in the weeks before he had met Yuubari with his highest record being about 65km. He could probably push 70 if the situation was dire enough, but that would decrease his accuracy quite a bit.
"...Some training on some gun ordinance should help with improving your accuracy, then," Gozaburo remarked whilst the officers behind him now regarded Kosuke with looks that… honestly unsettled him a bit. Maybe these guys were amongst those still fixated on the era of battleships unlike those who saw the aircraft carrier's potential, that was the only explanation for the almost predatory looks aimed his way. Like lions surrounding a delicious steak ready for eating.
One of them, after listening to a frantic sailor who ran up to them, then proceeded to step forward and whisper something into the Admiral's ear. Whatever it was Kosuke felt sure it wasn't good, due to how grim Gozaburo looked.
By the end of it, the man regarded the duo with a newfound intensity. "I've been told that the Siren fleet's activity is intensifying, meaning there's a high likelihood of an impending attack. Would you two follow my commands and assemble with the rest of our task force? Boy, you should stick to the rear and focus on the mass bombardment, provide as much fire support as you can. Yuubari, you stick to the front lines, keep as many Siren ships away from our own." he ordered.
'Not like he's giving us much of a choice here…' Kosuke couldn't help but notice despite the sting of irritation erupting within his chest. The way Gozaburo had framed it implied that they DID have a choice… in the beginning, but then he switched to an overbearing Admiral's tone right afterwards as if he wanted to bring their hopes up then smash them into pieces.
Nevertheless, he couldn't say no to this due to there being little another choice he did have. It is not like he intended to in the first place though since his benefits outweighed the cons ESPECIALLY that training in aiming the warship guns. Any accuracy training would go a long way for Kosuke, whom he knew all too well.
"Ryokai!"
Chapter end!
Hey, yall! Sorry for the long wait, there are a bunch of reasons why this chapter came out so late. Most of them are IRL related like Covid, helping other writers and general motivation issues. But there are also two big factors:
One, I managed to get my hands on Warship Gunner 2 and I played that a ton... holy shit, the Superships in that game are freaking INSANE! I thought the ones in the first one were wack, the second one blows that one out of the water! I'm debating on bringing those Superships into the setting as well as indoctrinating some of the lore, something that I was impressed by since there was more focus on story elements compared to the first game. I was also trying to build a British war fleet in that game since I've gained an increased sense of patriotism in games like these, converting myself to a proud royal navy faction player on Azur Lane with Iron blood and Northern Union as secondary factions.
Two, I've been trying to get stuff from my ps2 like my blueprints and images of my ships kicking ass onto my laptop, and it's been a goddamn hassle. I've managed to figure out ways to streamline the process by listing the states on a private discord server I have, so I'll have to square with that for the time being. Also managed to get the first game on an emulator so I can easily put more stuff on that server for myself. Who knows, I could even make a proper wiki site for public viewing.
Oh yeah, this chapter was meant to include a battle scene but I figured a full-on invasion scene would be best served for the next chapter. I'm honestly looking forward to this one, considering the stuff I've been building up to.
Whelp that's all for now, lemme know what you think of the chapter and see you in the next one.
PEACE OUT!
