"How are you holding up, little one?" Azuma asked as she rubbed Akashi's back.
"Akashi is still sad. But Akashi feels the need to keep up her work." Akashi said.
"What will you be doing?" Azuma asked.
"Akashi already knows that Wisdom dust causes a big explosion. Akashi wishes to let Shikikan know." Akashi said.
"Well, I don't have any way to help you there. The Shikikan is a bit too far away for us to reach." Azuma said with a slight smile.
"Akashi understands. Although, Akashi is worried." Akashi said softly.
"Why is that?" Azuma asked.
"Akashi's intuition is telling her that Shikikan is hurt... shikikan is hurt really bad." Akashi said.
"We are at war. It might just be the nerves speaking. From what you told me, the Shikikan is a strong man." Azuma said.
"Akashi hopes so." Akashi said softly as she looked up at Azuma.
Azuma picked up Akashi and held her like a child.
"I'm sure the Shikikan is fine. Let's make sure you're okay." Azuma said as she carried Akashi inside to get her cleaned up.
"Your Majesty." Warspite said.
"Yes, Warspite?" Elizabeth asked.
"We are receiving a transmission from the Pacific. Looks like New Guinea." Warspite said.
"It's the Commoner!" Elizabeth said as she jumped to her feet and ran to the radio.
"Commoner?" Elizabeth asked as she picked up the receiver.
"Queen Elizabeth?" Norfolk asked.
"You're not the commoner... To what do I owe this honor?" Elizabeth asked.
"Commander Odin has asked me to contact you." Norfolk said.
"Commander Odin? Was she not the Vice Commander?" Elizabeth asked.
"Isaac has been stripped of his command until he can recover and pass a Psyche evaluation." Norfolk said.
"WHAT?!" Elizabeth cried as she shot up, knocking over a chair and vase in the process.
"There was an incident." Norfolk said.
"I demand an explanation!" Elizabeth said.
"Nimi... or Z23 as she is also known... is dead." Norfolk said as Elizabeth stared with wide eyes at the floor.
"The Commoner?" She asked softly.
"She was killed in front of him from what I was told. A new class of Siren ambushed him and several others, Nimi included. She was caught while they were trying to escape. Isaac tried to rescue her... but he was unable to. When he was retireving her body... they opened fire on him. His armor was the only thing to keep him alive. He has been out for the past 12 hours. His entire back was burned, he hit his head falling from seven stories, he dislocated his hip and broke several fingers. The reason he survived, aside from the armor, was the adrenaline." Norfolk said as she explained the events.
"That does not fully explain the Psyche evaluation." Elizabeth said.
"His mental health deteriorated rapidly as he grieved. At one point, he had ordered our Carrier force to launch every bomber in our arsenal to obliterate a city that still contained civilians. Odin was able to userp his command at the last second, so nobody was hurt... but it did not change the fact that he was the one ordering it." Norfolk said.
"This is a very serious state of affairs." Elizabeth said.
"That it is. We are fully relying on Odin to keep this fleet in order, especially with a seemingly power hungry Union General." Norfolk said.
"Hmm. Has he awoke?" Elizabeth asked.
"Alice has not said, but assuming that she has him on Morphine, my guess is probably not." Norfolk said.
"Then all I can say is this. He hit his head falling from seven stories up. Most humans would have died from such an event. He was not in his right mind when he gave those orders. Take that into consideration." Elizabeth said.
"We had already planned on it. We need to ascertain that he is able to take command again. At this point, Odin has forced a lockdown of the port and we are fighting against time to defend this place." Norfolk spoke truthfully.
"I wish I could send assistance. But there are two oceans between us and many miles of enemy territory. We cannot afford the risk." Elizabeth said.
"Nobody expected you to, Queen Elizabeth, no offense." Norfolk said.
"Well... I thank you for this update. Please inform me when the Commoner has come to." Elizabeth said.
"I will do so. I pray for your safety." Norfolk said as she cut the line.
"Yours as well." Elizabeth said as she collapsed into the chair that Warspite had set behind her.
"Bad news, Your Majesty?" Warspite asked.
"Lower the flags of the base to half mast. Alert everyone to converge in the square." Elizabeth said as she forced herself to stand and retreated to the Matrix room.
"As you wish, my lady." Warspite said as she walked off to attend to her orders.
"Bismarck... Tirpitz... I would like for you both to come with me." Elizabeth said as she opened the doors to the matrix machine.
Bismarck and Tirpitz both opened their eyes and looked around.
"Where are we?" Bismarck asked.
"Bermuda. Your cubes were retrieved by myself and Warspite as we escaped the Royal homeland." Elizabeth said.
"Escaped?" Tirpitz asked.
"The Sirens have taken over. We lost. And as I have just been informed... we continue to lose." Elizabeth asked.
"Explain." Bismarck said.
"There is a Commoner from the Union. He has taken up the Mantle of Azur Lane's commander. He has made it to New Guinea, but has been met with a trump card from our enemy." Elizabeth said.
"I feel like you're stalling." Tirpitz said.
"Ironblood Destroyer Z-23 has been killed in action by a brand new class of Siren. The Commoner has been severly injured to the point of being medically stripped of his command. The only real fighting force against our foe has been hard countered by a simple yet effective surprise." Elizabeth said.
"Nimi... died?" Bismarck asked as she looked down at Elizabeth.
"I just received the news a couple minutes ago. The Commoner's command ship has informed me that not only has Z-23 died, but the Commoner has been out of action for over 12 hours." Elizabeth said.
"New Guinea, that is south of the Sakura, correct?" Bismarck asked.
"It is. Why?" Elizabeth asked.
"Tirpitz. Man your ship. We are leaving." Bismarck said as her uniform shimmered into view. Tirpitz's body was soon clothed in her usual attire as well.
"I will not stop you. You gave me and my colleagues quite a hard time during the war. I only ask that you do the same to our common enemy." Elizabeth said.
"On my pride and honor as the Leader of Ironblood... I, Bismarck, will not rest until those who have felled our sister have been made to pay." Bismarck said.
"Then you need no orders from me." Elizabeth said as she stepped aside.
"Sister, we may have to delay our departure." Tirpitz said.
"Why?" Bismarck asked.
"Eugen and Roon are approaching rapidly. They are 15 kilometers and closing quickly." Tirpitz said as an explosion rocked the base. The raid sirens began to blare as Elizabeth and the two Ironblood battleships made their way out from the command building.
"Warspite, report." Elizabeth asked.
"They refused to answer my hails and defied orders after I had asked them to slow their speed. I was about to issue more commands when Roon opened fire." Warspite said.
"I thought she had been sunk by Unicorn back in France. "Elizabeth said.
"She was. We returned to search for her after Zeppelin had confirmed that your forces had vacated the area." Bismarck said.
"Well... then someone or something decided that she deserved to float again. Because that Heavy Cruiser is unmistakable." Warspite said.
The other girls on base all convened on the courtyard as the sirens continued to blare. Heinrich and Spee immediately kneeled once they set foot in front of Bismarck.
"Lord Bismarck, what are your orders?" Spee asked.
"Spee. You and Tirpitz take on Eugen. I know you two can subdue her without killing her. Heinrich. You're with me. We need as much strength as we can muster to put a stop to Roon. If someone is controlling her, we need to break that control quickly." Bismarck said as the two heavy cruisers stood and saluted.
"Glory to Ironblood!" Heinrich and Spee spoke loud and clear.
"Glory to Azur Lane." Bismarck corrected them, much to the surprise of Elizabeth and Warspite.
"Glory to Azur Lane!" Everyone yelled as they ran towards their ships.
"Isaac?" Shinano asked as she looked up at him from his lap.
"Yes?" Isaac asked.
"I seem to have come across an ally. My bulins are speaking with her. I can hear them." Shinano said.
"Where are you?" Isaac asked.
"500 miles from Leyte. Thankfully my ploy worked as intended." Shinano said.
"I see. Do you know who this ally is?" Isaac asked as he scratched her ears gently, eliciting another satisfied mew.
"Not currently. The bulins are instructing her to follow us. She can help just in case Observer gets a bit too wise for her garments." Shinano said.
"Well, now that gives me two reasons to keep going." Isaac said.
"Oh?" Shinano asked as her tails swayed lazily against Isaac's chest and chin.
"Well, I would definitely like to see you with my own eyes, instead of in a dream, where I won't remember it." Isaac said.
"Ah yes. That would be quite the reason. Tell me, Isaac, would I be in consideration for one of those rings as well?" Shinano asked.
"When we find time to learn more about each other outside of dream land, I would be delighted to have you as a lover. Soft, huggable, and charming." Isaac said as he rubbed her head.
Shinano smiled brightly.
"Hey. You want to see something?" Isaac asked.
"Hmm?" Shinano asked as she looked at him.
The world around them changed again. The Sakura trees and picturesque landscape was replaced with the smell of cigarette smoke and bourbon. Smooth Jazz played from faceless performers on a small stage in what looked like a bar.
"Where are we now, Isaac?" Shinano asked as she sat up. The two of them stood and walked to a table for two right in front of the stage, sitting down in the chairs.
"This is an old jazz club that I went to a lot. I remember all of it like the back of my hand. My dad would run the bar, while my mom would bus the tables." Isaac said as a friendly looking woman walked past their table like they weren't there.
"Was that her?" Shinano asked.
"It was. She would always wear a rose on her left lapel when she bussed. I used to sit in the back of the bar with my dad... he would make me these fake little cocktails with apple juice or soda water. He would always try new recipes for drinks on me before adding the alcohol. We never saw much disturbance. It was always peaceful like this, for as long as I can remember." Isaac said.
"This places holds comfort?" Shinano asked.
"It is one of the last real memories I had of my mother and father. Sure we did more after this, but most of my time was spent at college or at work. I never really got to do too much with them. The last memory I have is one I have tried to bury deep down. I don't want to visit it again. So when I want to remember my parents... I think back to this." Isaac said as Shinano looked around the bar. Faceless patrons sat at the tables and bar as a stern faced man tended the bar.
"They seem like they would be very nice." Shinano said softly as she looked at Isaac.
"They were. Mom never let me go hungry, and Dad would always have a few cents to give me for a piece of chocolate down at the drug store. I never knew how he always had it, especially since out home was owned by people who didn't like us much. They would always find some reason to charge more for us to stay." Isaac said.
"It is such a shame that a child would have to know about those things." Shinano said as the kind woman set two glasses of bourbon on the table. Shinano was the first to take a sip.
"It doesn't taste like much of anything." Shinano said.
"I didn't know what bourbon was at this point. I always thought it was just some strong smelling water that all the big guys would drink. I guess it seems silly now, but back then, the closest thing I had tasted to bourbon was what my dad gave me after he burned away the alcohol." Isaac said.
"Why did he do that?" Shinano asked, chuckling.
"I wouldn't stop bugging him to let me try the big manly drinks. So he made one and lit it on fire. He waited until it burned out to give it to me. And this is what it tasted like." Isaac said as he sipped the drink he had been given.
"Such a different way of life from those in the Sakura Empire. It is often lost on others that not everyone grew up the same." Shinano said softly.
"That it is, Shinano. But all one can do is move forward." Isaac said as the two of them sat in the stuffy bar, created from Isaac's memories.