What should have been a fairly short trip to the port in Kure in actuality took the better part of a day when the fleet found themselves caught up in a typhoon a few miles off the coast.

The shipgirls had all changed out their riggings for the full ships, steering them into the waves that towered above and collapsed onto them. None of the girls seemed fazed by the foul weather, and Apocrypha had been relieved to know that the typhoon had been expected. From what she'd gathered, Zuikaku's fleet had intended to return to Kure before the typhoon struck and had already been prepared to be cutting it close, but the rescue operation had put them some hours behind.

After a wave had nearly swept her over the side of Vercingetorix's ship, Apocrypha had decided to go up to the bridge where she could stay dry - and hopefully onboard. Her eyes roamed the panels of buttons, switches, and knobs within to distract herself from the sight of the storm outside. Sighing, she sat in the chair, closing her eyes and slowly letting her breath out.

"It's only a storm. A perfectly normal storm," she told herself. "The Sakura fleet has already gone through these waters. There's no Mirror Sea. Everything is fine."

Once her heart and breathing calmed, she opened her eyes again, surprised to find that Vercingetorix had come up to join her. The cruiser held a cup out to her, the scent of coffee wafting up from the dark liquid within and Apocrypha gratefully accepted it, enjoying the warmth of the cup in her hands.

"Thank you."

Vercingetorix nodded, looking out over the water and bringing her own cup up to her lips, remaining silent for a few minutes. "I thought you might be wanting something to help you warm up," she said. "And I wanted to apologize for my rudeness in how I grabbed you while we were in the Mirror Sea. My conduct was impolite and unnecessarily rough."

Apocrypha paused midway in bringing her cup up for another drink, looking at Vercingetorix beside her. "Huh? You mean when you grabbed me to carry?"

"Yes."

She shook her head, taking another drink of the coffee. "I wasn't offended. I could have done with not being thrown over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes, but I understand why you did it. If I did anything to make you think I was upset -"

Vercingetorix shook her head and interrupted. "No. No, you did nothing to give me that impression," she clarified. "Nonetheless, I had no right to lay hands on you. We are not considered equals and I was far out of line."

Apocrypha frowned, setting her coffee cup down and wondering if she saw Vercingetorix flinch when she did so or if it was just a figment of her imagination. "Okay, I told myself I wasn't going to ask and I was going to let you all tell me when you were ready," she began, and this time she could much more visibly see the tension taking hold of the cruiser, "but what the hell happened to all of you? Why is everyone with experience at the base so hostile or scared of me?"

Vercingetorix didn't answer at first, but Apocrypha could see her grip tighten on the cup in her hands. Slowly, she exhaled, closing her eyes as if she didn't want to see what sort of reaction Apocrypha would have. "I'm probably one of the lucky ones in that I seem unapproachable to most, so I'm strictly a weapon in their eyes. The issue arises from the fact that as weapons, we are expected to obey without question, and if you don't, well…" She shrugged. "We're not people, so it's not as if anyone would care about how we're corrected for our transgressions. Most people go on a powertrip thinking that because we're the spirits of ships, they can freely strike us with no repercussions. Unfortunately, that also lent itself to the idea that we can be used in regards to… things inapplicable to war. Some of the girls were more heavily targeted in that aspect than others."

"That's why you and Saint Louis were upset when Duquesne went on her own to get me," Apocrypha realized, trying to hide her wince at the implications.

"Yes. Duquesne is rather… sought after by people with less than noble intentions much of the time. She's also endeared herself to many of the girls at the New York base," Vercingetorix explained, shaking her head with an uneasy laugh. "I don't know how she does it. I understand that the Royal Maids left a warning for you in your office when you arrived?"

"Why are you bringing that up now?"

Vercingetorix smiled tightly, sipping her coffee. "I may have had an indirect role in that," she admitted. "The commander immediately prior to you - well, disregarding the one who came and hardly lasted 24 hours on the base - had an interest in pursuing Saint Louis and decided that the way to go about that would be to threaten Duquesne in order to corner her. Although if I'm being honest, I didn't exactly expect Scylla to murder the man."

Apocrypha blinked, thinking back to the maid who had found her way into her room the day she'd met with the Sardegnians, and how Swiftsure and Wales had both commented on Scylla not being allowed to interact with her as the commander. A chill ran down her spine at the thought of what must have occurred to create a bloodstain like that, but it struck enough fear into her to know that the deceptively sweet maid had already killed a person once. "Oh… So you and Scylla are friends?"

Vercingetorix snorted, trying to prevent herself from laughing after taking a drink of coffee. "You could say it's something like that. Apparently I do a poor job of caring for myself because I'm too busy ensuring the Cardinal and priestess's safety, and so the Royal Maids took it upon themselves to saddle me with an attendant. I'd say it's more like Scylla and I learned to tolerate living in close quarters with each other."

"Did she break into your room, too?" Apocrypha asked.

Vercingetorix smiled wryly, shaking her head. "Thankfully, no. My apologies that she crossed the line into doing that to you. I doubt she meant any harm, even if it was against her orders at this time. I can introduce the two of you properly when we make it back to New York. Personally, when she's not being a nuisance, I would say you may prefer her company over Royalist's."

It was Apocrypha's turn to laugh at the absurdity of the comment this time. "You tell me she just murdered the previous commander and then say I'd like her better than Royalist?"

"If she wanted you dead, you would not be participating in this operation currently," Vercingetorix informed her. "Does that make it any better?"

"No! It doesn't!" Apocrypha answered, trying but failing not to raise her voice but at least managing to force a smile. "Do you understand how terrifying some of you can be? Full honesty - there's some of you that absolutely fucking terrify me. Coming back to what you said before about powertripping because of having command of these giant war machines that have to obey? I have no interest in trying to force things. Full stop. I have a fear of you all healthy enough for a whole damn army."

Vercingetorix got quiet, looking away from Apocrypha again and out to the water, and Apocrypha realized her mistake. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean for it to come off like that…"

The cruiser shook her head. "It's fine. I suppose we haven't given you many reasons not to fear us. It was foolish of me to expect any different."

"Vercingetorix -"

"We will arrive in Kure in two hours. Let me know if you need anything before then." Vercingetorix left the room without saying anything more, the door shutting behind her harder than necessary and making Apocrypha flinch.

By the time they arrived at Kure, Vercingetorix still hadn't said another word to her. If anything, it came across as if she had taken to actively avoiding any chance of having to interact with Apocrypha. Even when they disembarked, she did little more than help Apocrypha down before getting directions to where they would be staying and splitting off from the group with the excuse of needing rest.

A few destroyers rushed by despite the raging storm to greet the carriers and Kongou, giving both Apocrypha and Biloxi dirty looks in passing. It only took a moment before Biloxi excused herself, as well, whispering something to Apocrypha partially lost to the wind and rain, something about not being welcome here. Apocrypha nodded slightly, recalling what she had read when doing her research on Mobile's past and the rabbit hole it had taken her down with the rest of TF 58. It stood to reason that the Sakura Empire shipgirls would be less than pleased to have her on their soil.

She would have to figure out some way to do something with Biloxi when the port town was less busy in the evening. She'd have to figure out some way to make amends with Vercingetorix, too, but that would have to come later once the cruiser had had some time to cool off. At the moment, she needed to make sure the girls got inside safely and arrange to have the damaged ships moved into drydocks for temporary repairs. Luckily, at a glance, it seemed that most of the fleet had come out with minimal damage, though she noted that Mackensen's ship had taken on a list to starboard. The continuing rain, although far from the torrent that had rocked the seas on the way here, wasn't making this any easier.

She felt a tap on her shoulder, looking to see the blonde battlecruiser that had been with Zuikaku's fleet.

"Sorry. Can I help you, uh…" Apocrypha trailed off, cursing herself for not having gotten the woman's name before.

"Kongou," she said, realizing she hadn't introduced herself. "Zuikaku asked me to handle arranging repairs for our fleet and the typhoons here can get pretty bad. You don't really want to be out here, trust me."

Apocrypha nodded in understanding, but could see the smug smile tugging at Kongou's mouth. "What's the catch, though? You're looking to get something out of this, too, right?"

Kongou sighed, pretending as if she hadn't wanted to be caught and was being forced to admit to an ulterior motive. "Well, if I take care of arranging repairs for your fleet, too, you have to spend tomorrow afternoon with my sisters and me," she explained, seeing the confusion and hesitance growing on Apocrypha's face. "Nothing nefarious, I promise. We're just sating our curiosity about the woman who was able to kidnap Lady Nagato. Or so goes the story from Akagi."

Apocrypha blinked, shaking her head quickly. "I didn't -"

Kongou shook her head to stop her. "No, no. Tell us tomorrow. Get inside before you're soaked to the bone and catch a cold."

Apocrypha nodded, realizing that aside from herself and Kongou, and Zuihou and Mackensen waiting just beneath an overhang that was only barely keeping them dry, everyone else had hurried inside away from the driving wind and rain that was only growing worse. She ran from the pier until she reached the cover of the overhang, smiling apologetically to the two shipgirls waiting for her as she tried to wring the water out of her hair.

Zuihou rolled her eyes with a huff. "Kept us waiting long enough," she muttered, turning to walk away. "I'll show you where you'll be staying. I have some important business to attend to while I'm here, so you'll have to find your way around the town yourself whenever the rain lets up."

Mackensen gave Zuihou an annoyed, knowing look but refrained from commenting on the excuse to split from the group. "I can accompany you, Kommandant, if it would make you feel more comfortable."

Apocrypha wasn't sure if that was better or worse than having Vercingetorix as her shadow, but then she considered the looks the other Sakura Empire girls had been giving her and what Kongou had said - that Akagi had claimed she'd kidnapped Nagato and spread that rumor back home. At the very least, she figured Mackensen was more likely to have some sort of sway as one of Iron Blood's higher ranking members.

She could only hope that this would work out well. In more ways than one.


Apocrypha trailed Zuihou's steps as they walked through the hallways of the inn, their soles clacking on the wooden planks that made up the floor, a dull, muffled echo from underneath attesting to the slightly raised platform the floor was from the ground. It was just the two of them. Zuihou had already identified Mackensen's room for her, and she had excused herself on account of the rapidly dwindling daylight outside.

A set of two keys jangled in Zuihou's hand as she glanced this way and that, peering down various branching hallways and lining her gaze across the walls in search of the disruption of pattern that a door would have provided.

"How hard is it to find one door alone in a corner of a place like this…" she muttered to herself. "Things are so much easier with planes to be eyes up above."

But as if to answer her grumbling, her eyes caught the plain brown door standing in contrast to the lighter wood shade of the wall, and the keys in her hand jangled one last time as she twirled them into her fingers' grip. She deftly fit them into the lock and turned to the resolute click of an opening.

"First time I've ever been all the way down here," Zuihou commented. "Never had the opportunity to guide anybody important enough to have this ryokan, but you know, first time for everything."

Zuihou pushed open the door with an audible squeak and stepped onto the dark grey stone tile in a small room, sliding open a yellow-brown sliding door and peering into the room beyond.

"Yup, and everything's ready too. Normally I'd ask that you change into the yukata they left out and use the sandals on the rack there if you step out, but given how soaked you are I probably don't need to tell you."

The keys flew across the air and landed in Apocrypha's hands, and Zuihou stepped out of the stone-tiled room.

"I don't know who's on service duty today, but they seem to already know you're here, so you should meet them soon enough."

"Thanks, Zuihou," Apocrypha responded. "Do you want to come in and stay a little? You've been running around quite a lot ever since we arrived."

"No, I still have things I need to deal with, so make yourself at home for tonight," Zuihou said with a shake of her head.

"Alright then, so I'll see you tomorrow if we're lucky?"

Zuihou nodded, but a darker expression came across her face. "This is unrelated, but you need to be careful during your time here, Shikikan," she warned. "You saw how the others looked at you and Biloxi. Even if you didn't do what Akagi claimed you did, even if I know your intentions for Azur Lane and Sakura Empire are anything but, first impressions are difficult to shake."

The shipgirl raised her hand to point towards the sliding door she had peered into shortly before. "As long as you're in there, nobody will dare bother you. So if you want to stay there for as long as the repairs take, then I won't blame you. But there will still be the service staff, so if that is your intention then at least try not to do anything to confirm their bias against you or give them the wrong impression. The Empire needs you more than it would like to admit, but even it cannot easily change hearts and minds."

"Yeah, I figured," came the reply with a sigh. "Kongou told me as much - they think I kidnapped Nagato back when we first met. But…"

Apocrypha straightened her posture and returned Zuihou's gaze. "I'm not going to hide in my room. Thanks for worrying about me, but I think it's important that I introduce myself as long as I'm here. I'll be going out with Mackensen tomorrow, and I have a promise to keep to Kongou anyway."

Zuihou nodded with a slight bow. "Well then, I hope you enjoy your stay, Shikikan, and I hope Sakura Empire's hospitality is sufficient."


As the sound of Zuihou's shoes against the floor turned towards the other direction and distanced itself from the room, a figure flattened itself against the wall of an adjacent, unlit hallway some distance from the door Zuihou left behind.

The figure carefully listened as the pitch of the clacking footsteps faded into the distance, and tentatively peered around the corner into the still-lit hallway, sprinting with soundless steps towards the door in the other direction.

The figure carefully slithered around the corner it was hiding behind and approached the slightly ajar door, a pair of black thigh highs voiding any possible sound on the wooden floor. The only brief sound came from the clack of a scabbard at the figure's waist, which was quickly muffled by the quick interception of a finger.

Zuihou was right. Nobody would bother the room's new guest.

All the easier to approach unnoticed.


Leaving her sodden boots and socks behind, Apocrypha's bare feet took the first steps into the room as she glanced around to take in the surroundings, silently walking across the gentle firmness of tatami arranged like a puzzle to cover all parts of the floor.

A sliding glass door at the far end of the room led to a large porch, with two chairs, a small table, and a large circular wooden pool - a hot tub - all sheltered from the rain by an unseen awning. Beyond that, although obscured by the darkness, Apocrypha could make out trees and greenery, swaying in the wind and rain. It must be some sort of private garden tied to the room.

Scrolls and paintings were arranged across the walls, depicting scenes of landscapes or flowers, illuminated by their own small lights set just above them. These same lights also cast onto cushioned chairs against the wall at intervals, all facing inwards.

And at the center of it all sat a simple low wooden table with two ornate cushions placed on either end for seats. On the surface of the table was a folded brochure and a small wooden square like a coaster, upon which sat a kettle of red-hued porcelain, letting out a faintly visible trail of steam, next to a cup of identical make. Next to it was a larger wooden box, its lid open to reveal a paper-wrapped object, the translucent material unwrapped to show folded pink clothes with a pattern of multicolored flowers.

There was no bed, but Apocrypha could see a large closet that had been opened and a rolled-up mattress - a futon - had been left leaning against the wall, no doubt soon before her arrival with Zuihou.

In the meantime, Apocrypha deftly peeled her wet jacket off of herself and threw it over the backrest of a chair underneath a scroll depicting a blossoming tree. She could probably request laundry whenever the same helper that had clearly set up the room beforehand appeared again. The two keys Zuihou had handed her also flew through the air and landed on the left pillow, labels "BATHROOM" and "DOOR" visible on the bows.

Still conscious of the rest of her damp clothes, Apocrypha leaned forward, eyeing the box on the table with the pink clothes. Perhaps the brochure had some information on how to wear…whatever it was?

As her hand reached forward, the clack of a latch bolt and the creak of hinges perked up her ears. Her gaze glanced back towards the door to the hallway, the sliding door still left open.

It was open.

She hadn't left it open, had she? Zuihou had closed it behind her. Hearing the latch bolt meant it had been.

Which only left the answer of a human hand. The helper that Zuihou had mentioned, perhaps? Odd of them to approach without saying anything. Was it a Sakura custom?

Apocrypha oriented herself back and retraced her steps towards the open door and the boots and socks she left in front of the sliding door in front of it.

A few steps from the sliding door, a force slammed into Apocrypha's back, sending her crashing into the wall adjacent to the opening. But the force also followed Apocrypha to the wall, pushing a hand on her back to immobilize movement as another hand simultaneously seized Apocrypha's wrists together and pressed them against her back as well.

An attempt to turn her head to identify her assailant was swiftly responded to by the hand that had initially propelled her towards the wall moving in anticipation and pressing Apocrypha's forehead against the hard wood.

There were plenty of reactions to have to this development, especially for someone like Apocrypha. She could panic, she could freeze, attempt to fight, attempt to call for help, plead for her life, maybe just attempt to identify who was attacking her.

So what response arose?

"This is the third time that somebody from Sakura threatens to kill me as a hello!" Apocrypha snapped. "Do you have some cultural thing where you routinely threaten one another's lives?!"

"That's quite uncouth for someone of your position," came a low, even female voice. "I expected something more diplomatic from the Commander of Azur Lane."

"Yeah, well, I'm cold, I'm wet, I'm exhausted, and I'm probably still motion-sick, so bite me and let a girl sleep for three years."

The removal of the hand on the back of her head triggered thoughts on whether she should try to turn her head, but the sharp scrape of a sword being drawn from its scabbard registered in Apocrypha's ears and terminated the thought, a black-bladed katana threading the space between her neck and the wall, the red-trimmed edge turned inwards and pressed against her skin.

"Do not overestimate my tolerance of this sort of gall," said the voice, with a harder edge behind the maintained evenness.

Apocrypha gulped as she waited for the inevitable explanation.

"In matters concerning Nagato-s- Lady Nagato's safety, no standard is considered high enough."

Apocrypha let out with a sigh, despite herself. "Is this about the idea that I kidnapped Nagato at the Azur Lane base?! I've already seen the dirty looks everybody was giving me. Why are you threatening me to cover up for Akagi's negligence?" she demanded.

"Lady Akagi's negligence?" came the reply. "Ignoring your disrespectful address of Lady Nagato, out of my sheer curiosity, whatever might you mean?"

"All she went on about is how important a person Nagato is. Wasn't it Akagi herself that was supposed to know where Nagato was? Her glare could have fooled me."

"You seem to be under a misunderstanding," the assailant said. "Lady Akagi may be around Lady Nagato frequently and have much concern for her well-being, but it is not her station to watch Lady Nagato every hour of the day when she has her duties to the Empire."

"You talk as if you know who is responsible, then," Apocrypha countered.

"Indeed I do. You are speaking to her," came the response without hesitation.

"You?"

Apocrypha took the opportunity to attempt a turn of her head to see her assailant, but a shift of the sword's position forced her to raise her chin to avoid the suddenly-closer blade still at her throat.

It was a precarious position, but Apocrypha took a risk. "If you were her bodyguard, why did I never see you?"

The blade angled slightly upwards at this, the light glinting off of its sheen as if to make a point.

"I have no obligation to answer that. And has it occurred to you that I should be the one asking questions here? The indulgence I permitted from my selfish curiosity will only take you so far."

Apocrypha let out another sigh. "Fine, have at it. Awkward position to interrogate someone in though."

The assailant ignored that.

"Did you know who Lady Nagato was prior to the incident?"

"How could I have even acted the way I did if I had any idea who she was?" Apocrypha responded.

"Answer the question with an affirmative or a negative."

"No!"

"Were you the one responsible for what Lady Nagato was found wearing?"

"No."

"Then why did she refuse to-"

"Look!" Apocrypha finally interrupted, regardless of the aforementioned threat. "Can you please just get to the heart of the matter?! You seemed to have believed Akagi when she said I kidnapped Nagato for a motive she probably never bothered to specify. What benefit do I have in kidnapping a leader of a nation that I've yet to interact with officially, much less anybody that high in its ranks? And even if I did, how am I supposed to coerce a shipgirl into changing clothes that don't even fit and proceed to parade her openly within the Eagle Union sector without being smashed into a grease spot on the floor? If I had a death wish, I wouldn't be causing an international incident to fulfill it!"

"Do all motives require logical justification? How much better the world would be if that were the case."

"Fine then! If you're Nagato's bodyguard, why did you never confront me before? Did you even talk to Nagato about it? Because I have to assume she must have ditched you to show up where she did."

Apocrypha felt a slight tension in the hand restraining her wrists.

"Lady Nagato has declined to answer my questions regarding the incident, and I detected no desire from her to explain to anybody in Sakura."

The assailant's voice was as even as it had always been, but a hardness was now audible, as if she were clenching her jaw.

"So why are you here then?" came the follow-up before Apocrypha had fully computed it, the words tumbling out of her mouth. "Wanted to interrogate the person you heard secondhand was the perpetrator? I assume this little late night visit hasn't been cleared by Nagato or in any official capacity?"

"She is not aware. This is of my own accord."

"So that means you're going behind her back? Who knows what she's doing now if you're here wasting time and playing hero by interrogating me about an incident she clearly places no significance behi- Ugh!"

A knee rammed into Apocrypha's lower back, slamming her torso against the wall and pressing her throat against the blade still held unmoving in the exact same position. Apocrypha could almost feel the edge nicking into her skin, even if it didn't seem to actually have cut anything.

"Do not. Make light. Of the lengths. I would go. For Lady Nagato."

Apocrypha squeezed her eyes shut, but a third voice cut through her panic.

"Alright, alright, that's enough."

Apocrypha felt slight movement from her assailant, probably from turning her head. All restraint was immediately released from Apocrypha's wrists and the katana deftly pulled out from in front of her throat.

Apocrypha quickly caught her balance and stumbled the few steps towards the open sliding door, desperately grabbing at the newcomer with one hand as she gingerly held her neck to check for injuries or nicks with the other. Feeling the texture of cloth on her fingers, Apocrypha quickly pulled herself up and hid behind the newcomer, looking up to see the mane of red hair belonging to Mackensen.

Only then could she turn around and see her assailant.

She was a girl with long, loose white hair and almost equally pale skin, sharp blue eyes standing out like a shock of color in an otherwise blank sheet of paper. Fox ears of the same black and white stood on top of her head. The monochromatic color scheme continued with her outfit: a sailor uniform with a white outer layer and a black underside, most visible in the enormous flowering sleeves that trailed from her arms like banners. The only color was a blue collar ribbon and smaller ones at her shoulders, matching the blue of her eyes. In her hand and in combat stance was the katana Apocrypha had only seen the murderous parts of: a black blade with a red trim, supported by a black grip wrapped in white.

Mackensen's rigging stood between her and Apocrypha, itself crouched in a combat stance, ready to lunge at the assailant and growling like the rabid wolf Vercingetorix had described it as in the Mirror Sea.

"I thought somebody would try something in defiance of the importance placed on this room. Expected maybe a stink bomb or some insulting vandalism, but I didn't expect it to be an infiltration by Nagato's guard dog of all people," came a statement tinged with the smugness of a parent catching a child in the act of breaking the rules.

Mackensen looked down at the woman clinging to her side. Perhaps the parental metaphor extended further, what with Mackensen's direct superior now huddled against her like a child hiding behind their mother.

"I'll assume she went right into the questioning without introducing herself, Kommandant. This is the ninth of the Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, Kawakaze. Bodyguard for the Nagato-class battleships around here. She's been at the Azur Lane base from the start; you just never saw her since she probably didn't want to talk to you after you supposedly kidnapped her liege from under her nose."

Kawakaze's face didn't change expression, but Apocrypha could feel a scowl in spirit resonating from her.

"Call off your rigging, Iron Blood shipgirl. This is a matter between the two of us, and you have no authority to stop me."

"Actually, I do have authority. It's called 'I have my riggings deployed to fight and you don't.' Perhaps it'd be in your best interest, not mine, to consider the consequences for all involved if I were to crush you here and now."

Kawakaze's gaze narrowed as she lowered her already crouched stance. "An authority that I believe will be trivial to cut down and neutralize."

"I'm not particularly concerned with how this confrontation ends," Mackensen said with a shrug. "This is your turf, so whatever happens probably reflects more poorly on the entire empire than me. But in the interest of being the bigger man…"

Mackensen flicked her thumb behind her towards the open door. "Allow me to bring in the one person you'd likely actually listen to in this scenario, because I just so happened to come here with her in tow."

Kawakaze moved her head slightly to the side while maintaining her stance to see who it was.

Both Apocrypha and Kawakaze instantly recognized the long black hair and amber eyes on the girl stepping into view of the doorframe. But only Apocrypha could attest to having met the girl for the first time in an outfit different from what she had now.

A short red ruffled dress was adorned with golden tassels, aiguillettes, a choker with a golden ornament, and two phoenix decorations on either side of her temple. A translucent white robe hung downwards, with black fox ears standing proudly on top of the girl's head.

She didn't have her riggings with her, but Apocrypha remembered the braided red-and-white ropes, the strips of zigzagged cloth, and the bells that lined the enormous high-caliber guns. The symbols of a miko, a high priestess of Sakura Empire.

"She asked me which way it was to the room that der Kommandant was staying in," Mackensen commented. "So if you'll give me a second to call off my rigging as promised, now you can do whatever you were going to do, Kawakaze."

The moment Mackensen's riggings stood itself up and bounded back to its owner, cuddling like a pet on the leg opposite of where Apocrypha was still partially hidden, Kawakaze quickly sheathed her sword and gave a deep bow from a fully standing position.

"I apologize that you witnessed that, Nagato-sama. I was not aware you were around this late at night."

"You would be usually correct in that assessment, Kawakaze," Nagato stated matter-of-factly. "There is no need to apologize."

"But if I may be so bold," Kawakaze asked tentatively, even as her posture stood rock-firm. "What business do you have with the Azur Lane commander at this time of night?"

"I had some matters I desired to discuss with her," came the reply.

"Then please allow me to stay here with you, Nagato-sama. Whatever matters you need remembered, or anything you require protection from, I will-"

"I'm afraid not, Kawakaze. I thank you for your concern, but unfortunately this is a private matter for our ears only."

Kawakaze's eyebrows leapt upwards in surprise, and a trace of earnestness crept into the corners of her voice. "B-But Nagato-sama…"

"Yes?"

"I must protest you being alone in a secluded part of the ryokan at this hour. Even if we are on Sakura Empire soil and not the Azur Lane base, it would be a dereliction of my duty to allow you to be alone in a room with someone who has previously abducted you."

Nagato cocked her head slightly, her eyes reflecting a sudden understanding, even as her expression reflected little more than mild surprise. "Is that why you are here, Kawakaze? Did you intend to interrogate the Commander about my supposed abduction because I declined to give you a satisfactory answer?"

Kawakaze opened her mouth, but froze short of pushing out an answer from her vocal chords, suddenly at an impasse on how to answer to her liege.

"I suppose your silence is answer enough. I do not condone such behavior towards guests of the Empire, Kawakaze, but I also cannot condemn your rash behavior. I am at fault for being indecisive on conferring of the incident when you were no doubt fraught with concern and acted with my interests at heart. It is only natural that you would brave seeking out the only other person with knowledge, even if said individual is the supposed perpetrator."

Kawakaze closed her mouth again as her answer was no longer required, but a slight quiver of her lips was visible to Apocrypha as she did, the only external manifestation of the emotions that were no doubt torrenting inside her. The only reaction from her was a smooth lowering of herself to her knees in prostration as she bowed with her forehead to the ground, no doubt in apology.

"Rest assured, the Commander did not kidnap me. It was my own curiosity that led me to enter the Eagle Union sector, where I happened upon the Commander. She assumed me lost and in need of help, despite being unaware of who I was, and led me to the Union shipgirls she was to have lunch with without so much as skepticism. That was why I declined to comment, nor consider it something worthy of your concern."

Nagato let out a sigh and put a hand against her cheek in discontent before continuing. "And to think I was unaware that Akagi had been spreading her perspective of events amongst the shipgirls of the Empire because of my indecision and lack of explanation… I have much to rectify over the coming days."

As Kawakaze raised her head and her posture with surprise on her face, although still on her knees, Nagato gave a slight bow, identical to the one Kawakaze had given when Nagato first entered.

"So allow me to apologize to you first and foremost, Kawakaze. For all my speak of being a more connected ruler, I considered a matter relating to my personal safety something that concerned no one, when the exact opposite was true. As my bodyguard, I take pride in the lengths you were willing to go for me, even if it was somewhat excessive in this instance."

"T-There's no need to apologize to me, Nagato-sama," Kawakaze said, a torrent of conflicting emotions clearly churning within her.

"No, I insist on it." Nagato said. "But that aside, Kawakaze."

"Yes?"

"My previous requirement still stands. This meeting is to be between me and the Commander only. And as for your concerns of my safety, I am the Flagship of the Fourth Imperial Fleet. If anything were to be attempted, whether from the Commander or otherwise, I would have my riggings brought to bear and the perpetrator vaporized in an instant. I am capable of protecting myself with the safety of Sakura Empire soil under my feet."

Kawakaze got back to her feet, her sheathed sword in her hand, and gave another bow. "If that is your will, who am I to object, Nagato-sama? I apologize for my previous selfishness and stubbornness."

"You are neither of those things, Kawakaze," came the response. "You are dismissed. I will discuss this with you at a later date."

With another bow, Kawakaze walked towards the sliding door, passing to the side of Mackensen that her riggings were dutifully standing, which gave an almost jokingly small growl towards her as she walked past, which Kawakaze ignored. On Mackensen's other side, Apocrypha timidly maneuvered herself more to the side for some distance from the departing shipgirl, her grip on Mackensen's sleeve clenching somewhat tighter. But even just a moment after Kawakaze had stepped out of the room and Apocrypha risked a quick glance, she was gone like a breeze of wind.

"Now then, Lady Mackensen," Nagato continued. "I thank you for your assistance in defusing this conflict without bloodshed. May I request privacy for myself and the Commander?"

"Sure," came the reply, although not before stifling a yawn. "I'll assume that threat of reducing der Kommandant to ashes was a bluff to get rid of that guard fox of yours, so I think I'll turn in myself."

"Try not to stay up too late yourself, Kommandant," Mackensen said to the person at her side. "We have a big day tomorrow, if you intend to follow through on what you agreed to with Kongou."

Apocrypha reluctantly let go of Mackensen's clothes and stepped back into the room, and Mackensen walked out of view and disappeared down the hallway, although this time with more noticeability as the sound of her boots slowly faded into the background.

Apocrypha's gaze was towards the door when another force pressed against the front of her torso, with hands reaching out behind her back, sending a chill and jerking her body in an involuntary reflex towards the open door, as if to attempt a run for it, but it was merely Nagato, giving Apocrypha a hug now that they were finally alone.

"Thank you for choosing to come to Sakura Empire, Commander," Nagato said as Apocrypha exhaled a shaky breath as a release of all the adrenaline still coursing through her system. "It's been a while since we've met, and even longer since we've not been in a diplomatic environment."

"Y-Yeah," came Apocrypha's tentative reply. Despite Mackensen's observation, the comment Nagato had made about her riggings wasn't being easily shaken after the encounter with Kawakaze.

Nagato's eyebrows arched in concern. "Are you all right, Commander?"

"I-It's nothing," Apocrypha managed. She had more to say, but nothing else came out of her mouth.

It wasn't a convincing answer for Nagato, terrible acting that it was.

"Was it what I said to placate Kawakaze?"

"Yes, but- …No, it's nothing." Apocrypha replied, stopping short of bringing up the inherent difference between herself and Nagato.

Shipgirls could threaten each other with combat and death, even jokingly or as leverage for other intents, as much as they pleased. Kawakaze being willing to call Mackensen's bluff in defense of her liege, despite being a destroyer facing off against a battlecruiser, said as much.

But what did Apocrypha have? The vaguely-described "Wisdom Cube affinity" Mobile had mentioned all the way back in San Francisco? Her given rank? Those hadn't stopped much from Akagi, Tosa, and now Kawakaze. It hadn't stopped the teasing from Eugen, or the lecherous behavior from Littorio. The previous Commander candidates would have had these factors too, and fat lot of good it did the last one, thanks to Scylla.

The shipgirls, even the one in front of Apocrypha, one that she had assumed a child when they first met (or if she had known any more, a destroyer), had used the claim of flattening her with a high-caliber shell to convince another shipgirl who was willing to slit her throat to back down.

The words she had spoken to Vercingetorix echoed as a memory.

"Do you understand how terrifying some of you can be?"

"I have a fear of you all healthy enough for a whole damn army."

"Commander?" came the second question, cutting through Apocrypha's thoughts.

Apocrypha looked down to the amber eyes, previously unmoving and unreadable, now shining with a childish worry, like a little girl worrying about her older sister.

What was Apocrypha to think of her?

To the world she was the battleship Nagato, a relic of an age that was considered passed a mere thirty years later, nevertheless surviving the new battlefield, and only sunk in the testing of a weapon that ushered in a new age.

To Sakura Empire she was the Flagship of the Fourth Imperial Fleet. The Empire looked to her for guidance, for leadership, for direction. They would spare no expense to ensure her survival, and would go great lengths in the name of loyalty to ensure her comfort and her happiness.

So what of Apocrypha? Who was Nagato to her? She had initially been a girl in need of help, wandering lost through Eagle Union's sector, on a base leased from Eagle Union soil.

But that had been in ignorance of her identity, hadn't it? Apocrypha hadn't known she was a leader, wandering undercover in the sector of a nation with not exactly the best history with the Empire she led, just out of curiosity. It was twice now that Apocrypha had been threatened for trying to interact with her. Many times they had interacted in formal settings, arranging strategy and negotiating on how best to end the Sirens threatening humanity's connections via the ocean. What else could Apocrypha treat her as?

"Is my presence perhaps a burden, Commander?" came Nagato's inquiries, cutting through Apocrypha's thoughts for a third time. "Does my selfishness impose on your respite after the operation?"

"No, far from it," Apocrypha replied, before her mind could fully internalize it. "I'm glad to be able to meet you like this."

Nagato's face, long since filled with worry, rapidly blossomed into joy, her eyes now twinkling with happiness and relief. "Do you really mean it?"

"I do! After all, it's a treat for both of us, isn't it? But I have one request as we go forward."

"Of course," Nagato replied earnestly. "Anything!"

"Whenever we meet like this, away from the positions that either of us have, can you call me 'Apocrypha'"?

"I would love to!" Nagato said, excitement never more obvious in her voice! "What can we do first?"

"I don't know," Apocrypha replied. "But I don't think it matters, does it?"

It didn't matter who Nagato was anywhere else. The way she was right now, she wasn't a shipgirl, and she wasn't a leader of Sakura Empire. She was somebody that had willingly come to spend time with her.

"Well, actually… my clothes are still sodden, and I think the outfit in that box is meant to be the replacement. Can ask you for help in putting it on?"

"Of course!"

That much Apocrypha could settle with. That much she could do. As Commander of Azur Lane, many shipgirls would come before her, various names and circumstances aplenty. No matter how she saw them personally, and vice versa, she would accept them under her command. Each new shipgirl wasn't a mere cog added to the machine, but another ally willing to work to the end of the war against the Sirens.

"Now then, I suppose it's my turn to be perceptive. I don't imagine Kawakaze would breach Nagato's orders, so may I assume that you are the helper that previously set up this room?" Apocrypha called out to the still-open door, which Mackensen hadn't closed entirely on the way out and had since swung open.

A nervous laugh came from the hallway, and a figure, for the third time of the night, stepped into view of the doorway. "You really live up to your name, Commander. I thought you'd be distracted by having Lady Nagato of all people visiting you, but it seems nothing escapes your notice."

The girl's kimono, pink blending into white with flower patterns throughout, flowed through the air as she gave a deep bow towards Apocrypha, her flowing sleeves structurally identical to Kawakaze's but filled with color and more like a friendly flag of welcome than banners of war. Long pink hair flowed down the girl's back, fox ears standing like a friendly servant awaiting orders. A set of hairpins arranged in the shape of a sakura blossom, as if there was any doubt as to the motif this girl carried, jangled from the side of her head.

"It is an honor to be able to extend my humble greetings to you, Commander of Azur Lane," she said with her bow. "My name is Hanazuki, an Akizuki-class destroyer. I am a staff member at this ryokan, and have been assigned to ensure your comfort."

"Please allow me to apologize for leaving your room in a state of incompleteness," Hanazuki said as she straightened herself. "I was preparing your futon for the night and left in search of additional items but was pulled away by the sudden inflow of other guests, and we were very short-handed this late at night. I tried to return as fast as possible, but I hope that it hasn't inconvenienced you or reflected poorly on our hospitality."

"No, not at all," Apocrypha replied. "I was… occupied by one thing after another, and even if it had been quiet I would have rolled out the mattress myself and gone to sleep. You needn't feel guilty about it."

Hanazuki smiled and stepped into the room, passing by Nagato, still hugging Apocrypha but following Hanazuki with her eyes. She headed over and hefted the rolled futon to place on the floor.

"Oh, and I came here to ask something else," she said as she rolled out the futon and retrieved bedding from a closet nearby to set up. "Several of our new guests have requested a light meal to satiate themselves before going to bed. The kitchen was already closed, but there were some preemptively made meals for just such an occasion. I'm afraid it's but a poor imitation of what we would have served at the height of the evening, but I and this establishment would like to offer anything we can if you so desire it."

"That would be fantastic, Hanazuki. Thank you," Apocrypha replied, now perceptive of how empty her stomach was as the adrenaline from her encounter with Kawakaze wore off. The last thing she'd eaten was the cup of coffee Vercingetorix had given her on the way to Kure, and that had been over four hours ago.

"And what about you, Lady Nagato?" Hanazuki asked. "Would you like a portion to eat with the Commander? If it doesn't impose on your meeting, of course."

Nagato seemed to give it some thought while still clinging to Apocrypha in her hug, but Apocrypha could easily tell that her mind had been made long before Hanazuki had even been done talking. As long as it meant having something to do with Apocrypha, it probably didn't matter to her what it was. Nagato had already agreed to Kawakaze's observation that she rarely stayed up this late. What was the indulgence of a late-night meal? Apocrypha herself had known plenty such meals before her time at Azur Lane, and even after joining periods of intense work had necessitated a revival of the old necessity-based habit.

"I would like to have some too."

Hanazuki finished her setup of Apocrypha's futon and stepped towards the door with a bow, promising to bring the food as soon as possible.

But as she did so, Zuihou's words suddenly re-emerged in Apocrypha's mind.

There will still be the service staff… at least try not to do anything to confirm their bias against you or give them the wrong impression.

Even if it hadn't been any sort of negative or confirmation bias-stoking impression so far as she could tell, the lack of a negative didn't make a positive.

"Actually, Hanazuki, can I add on a request to that?"

"Yes?" Hanazuki reacted, stopping before she stepped out of view.

"Do you have any other duties after taking care of me?"

The pink-haired fox girl frowned. "Well, I do have my duties in preparing for tomorrow morning, but if you mean anything urgent, no."

"How long have you been working?"

"My shift started about eight hours ago. I was about to take a break after delivering your meals."

"Then…"

"Yes?"

Apocrypha swallowed her hesitation, both physically and metaphorically, and opened her mouth. "Would it be imposing on you if… I asked for you to bring a third serving? So you can have it for your break with the two of us?"

Hanazuki blinked in shock. "Far be it from me to intrude on your meeting with Lady Nagato, Commander. I'm sure you had a lot of important things to discuss, even over a meal."

"No, the thing is, er…" Apocrypha mumbled as she glanced down at Nagato, still hugging her without a care in the world.

"It wasn't… really… official business in any capacity…" came the words accompanied by an embarrassed eye drift. "That was an excuse that Nagato made to Kawakaze to get her to leave us both alone…"

"Do you mean to tell me that Lady Nagato has come to you this late at night purely in order to spend time with you in a friendly manner and nothing else?" Hanazuki asked, her eyebrows raised in intrigue.

"Er… Yes. I think the fact that she's been clinging to me this entire time despite your presence can attest to this."

Hanazuki stood there, blinking in surprise, her eyebrows still raised in shock as her gaze flicked between Apocrypha and Nagato.

Apocrypha gulped again. She probably deserved a personal pat on the back for gathering the bravery to ask Hanazuki to spend some time hanging out with her and Nagato, but she also deserved five slaps on the face for how risky such a claim was. Even if Apocrypha had resolved to treat Nagato as an individual, everybody in Sakura saw her as what Apocrypha had previously thought she had to treat her as.

Hanazuki let out an exhale, then an inhale.

Then came a laugh. Then another. Struggling to keep her posture, Hanazuki finally let it all out, laughing herself almost to the floor, not in condescension, but in pure shock-based joy and surprise.

"You're full of nothing but surprises, Commander!" Hanazuki said, still partially laughing. "I was wondering what Lady Nagato was doing here from the moment I walked in, but I never imagined that she had found a friendship with you."

Hanazuki regained her composure, and gave Apocrypha a deep bow. "I'm amazed at what sort of person Azur Lane has chosen to be its leader, and you've surprised me beyond what I thought possible. It would be an honor to be able to join you, and I look forward to getting to know you more. I believe Sakura Empire would benefit greatly "

"Oh, uh, thank you." Apocrypha replied. "After a day of everybody glaring at me, I'm glad I gave a positive impression."

Hanazuki gave a friendly wink. "We can discuss precisely that over our little late dinner. I will be back as fast as I can, and we can talk then."