"The… Heavy Aircraft Carrier… Taihou?" Isaac asked as the column of flame subsided, revealing a busty woman dressed in a traditional Sakura kimono.
"Union language? I have been captured? Nay. Impossible. But yet, he speaks the language of the Union." Taihou spoke quickly to herself, as if she was trying to make sense of her predicament.
"Lady Taihou? Are you alright?" I-13 asked as a column of fire was launched in her direction. She dodged it easily, putting a rock between herself and Taihou.
"Traitors. Have you fallen so far into the throes of war that you seek shelter among the enemy?! Useless! Useless! Useless! To think that even you, Amagi, would stoop so low as to serve under a weak man like him." Taihou growled angrily. Isaac could see waves of heat emanating from Taihou's hands.
"Get down!" Isaac roared as he barely pushed Amagi out of the way as Taihou's flames ripped across the sands, engulfing Isaac entirely.
"Even without my vessel, I will fight to the end, Union scum." Taihou yelled as Isaac ducked out of the flames, quickly patting his shoulder to quell the flame burning on his armor plates.
"She's a powderkeg. Amagi, what can you tell me about her?" Isaac asked as he grabbed his rifle, the wood of his Garand now scorched black by the divine flames of the Phoenix.
"She was a late war carrier. Heavily armored and an equal to the Union's Essex class. She was commissioned during a time where anti-Union propaganda was at an all time high. And… nearing the end of the war, most people, including rapidly promoted officers of the Sakura Navy believed that they were victims in this conflict. That Pearl Harbor wasn't an act of aggression, but a defensive move to keep the Union from attacking." Amagi spoke as flames sparked up on the small plants that littered the beaches.
"She's attacking!" 13 yelled out as Taihou roared, her voice echoed by the sound of a screeching bird.
"Die Union Scum!" At her declaration, a large fan appeared in Taihou's hands. Isaac immediately noticed the markings of a flight deck on the ribs of the fan that stood nearly as tall as Taihou herself.
"She's getting serious, Shikikan. She's produced her rigging, and with her willpower being as strong as it is… she might as well have her vessel for how tough this fight is about to be." Amagi said as the sounds of gunfire erupted.
"What?" Taihou asked as bullets passed harmlessly through her body.
"Stop shooting her, you idiots!" Isaac yelled before realizing that the bullets posed no harm to Taihou as she was. In fact, every bullet that struck her melted after passing through her body, which seemed to be incorporeal and made of flames.
"Amagi, her body, why is it not reacting to bullets?" Isaac asked.
"Without her vessel, she does not have a true corporeal form, as she inherited the powers of the Phoenix. If one were to connect her to her vessel, she would regain her physical form." Amagi spoke.
"This goes against everything I know about kansens. Are there others like this?" Isaac asked as a wave of flames flew overhead.
"It is unknown. But if other kansens have inherited attributes of a legend, as Taihou has, it would stand to reason that they could share that beast's legendary abilities." Amagi reasoned.
"I see. Well, right now, we can't keep sitting here. If she is a carrier, her power will be needed. So we must find a way to subdue her and force her to see reason." Isaac said.
"Perhaps Lady Shinano could assist us." Amagi suggested.
"Shinano has Yume. I will not expose her or my daughter to this kind of power. What about Azuma? She is from the Sakura Empire." Isaac spoke.
"Who?" Amagi asked.
"The Large Cruiser Azuma?" Isaac tried, earning a shake of Amagi's head.
"Never heard of her." Amagi admitted.
"Get out here and fight me, Union Coward!" Taihou roared, the screech of a bird was heard once more, accenting her every word. Her anger was accented by the closing of her fan, which she then held like a weapon.
Isaac tapped his helmet.
"Thank goodness this thing stood up to the heat. Azuma, can you hear me?" Isaac asked.
"Loud and clear, Shikikan. I saw a pillar of fire coming from the beach, is everything alright?" Azuma asked.
"We have come under attack from a Heavy Aircraft Carrier named Taihou. She has lost any sense of reason and is attacking indiscriminately." Isaac explained.
"I understand. I was with the group to the East, I shall make my way to you posthaste." Azuma spoke as she cut the line.
Isaac tapped his helmet, connecting to the field radios of all of his units.
"Everyone, save your ammunition and avoid engaging Taihou. She will kill you on sight. Azuma is coming to engage the enemy. Reroute any wounded to the beach further to the south. Ben will meet you there." Isaac ordered, turning to Ben.
"Break away when able. Any Sirens or hostiles are to be dealt with at your discretion." Isaac spoke.
"Understood. I will tend the wounded before loading them onto the lifeboats. Where am I sending them?" Ben asked.
"Tell the bulins that all wounded are to be loaded onto the Chinese cruisers. Once we get the wounded evacuated, we can send Perkins and his small fleet south." Isaac said as Azuma strolled up to him.
"I am here, Shikikan." Azuma said as Isaac watched Ben make tracks towards the southern end of the beach.
"Alright, Azuma. She's the target. I doubt she can be killed, which is good. Her strength will be needed for future battles." Isaac ordered.
"I understand, Shikikan." Azuma said as her eyes narrowed.
"Taihou, you have made a grave error." Azuma spoke.
"Eh? Who are you, filthy mutt?" Taihou spat, seeming to enrage Azuma.
"Mutt?!" Azuma yelled as she drew her sword from its sheath.
"A Sakura blade? I know not who you claim to be, mutt. But if you fight for that Union scum, then you are no better than he is." Taihou spoke as she grabbed the outer ribs of her fan and unfolded it. Isaac saw it immediately, a silver band on the edge of the fan.
"Azuma, that's a bladed fan, she may be skilled in close combat as well." Isaac said as he leveled his rifle on the ribs of the fan, taking a potshot, only reacting when the sound of the bullet impacting the steel blade reached his ears. Isaac looked up to see the fan over Taihou's head.
"She… cut the bullet?" Isaac asked himself.
"Union dog. You dare to attack me like this?! Did you not do enough to my nation?!" Taihou roared as she leapt towards Isaac, only for her advance to be stopped cold by Azuma, whose eyes had begun to glow blue.
"Woah… she's… fast." Isaac whispered.
"I won't allow you to harm my Shikikan. He took us in. He's treated us like family from the moment I awoke." Azuma growled as sparks flew between the blade of her katana and Taihou's fan.
"The mutt again. You should just lay down and die, traitor." Taihou spat.
"And a flaming pigeon like yourself should learn her place. Now stand down." Azuma ground out, her eyes glowing brighter than before.
Taihou's eyes began to glow red.
"Die, traitor." Taihou spoke as she slashed at Azuma faster than Isaac could follow. Azuma's counter, equally quick, forced the fan off of it's attack path, forcing the blade into the ground, staggering Taihou. Azuma wound up to kick Taihou, but just like the bullets fired from Isaac's troops, her foot went right through.
"You can't hurt me, mutt. The might of the Phoenix rages within me, its desire for the blood of those who attacked us will not be sated until I destroy the Union in its entirety." Taihou screeched.
Isaac realized quickly into the fight that Azuma was at a disadvantage, despite Azuma's combat experience.
While Isaac was thinking of a way to counter Taihou, something caught his eye.
"Her… cubes?" Isaac asked as he saw two deep blue cubes surrounded by wood splinters, remains of the box that Taihou's mask and cubes were found in.
"Yes. The mask contains her Phoenix spirit, while her cubes contain her vessel. Taihou is quite a rare phenomenon." Amagi said.
"So… if we can take her cubes hostage, there's a chance she'll react?" Isaac asked.
"There is a chance. You might also be able to reason with her using her own cubes as leverage. If she feels like her resurrection could be hindered, she may calm down enough for you to explain things." Amagi spoke as she locked her eyes on Taihou's cubes.
"That's not a bad idea… that said… getting there is another issue entirely." Isaac said as he watched the flashing of blades between Azuma and Taihou. Sand was kicked up left and right. Bits of sand hit by the swinging blades hit Isaac's armor with loud cracks, owing their force to the might of Azuma's and Taihou's physical strength.
"I can see how that will be an issue." Amagi said.
"Azuma, try to push her away from the camp! We still have medical personnel on site!" Isaac yelled, trying to conceal his real reason for pushing Taihou away.
"Understood, Shikikan." Azuma said as her eyes shifted from blue to red. Azuma from that point slowed considerably, but the force of her attacks began to drive Taihou back. Taihou realized this but was unable to turn the tide. She had to watch Isaac duck from cover and scramble across the sand to an area behind where she and Azuma had been fighting.
"What is he… MY CUBES!" Taihou screeched as Isaac took the deep blue cubes into his hands and tossed them to Amagi, who quickly whisked them away into the folds of her kimono.
Azuma continued her advance until Taihou's eyes began to glow blue. Taihou's speed and power dampened, but her defensive stance began having more and more of an effect.
"Give them back!" Taihou screeched as she closed her fan, turning the bladed weapon into a club capable of stopping Azuma's blade.
"No. And Since I know Azuma can keep you pinned there, I will take this time to talk. The war is over, Taihou." Isaac declared.
"Lies!" Taihou roared, attempting to pour more power into her defense, only for Azuma to pour more power into her attack, keeping Taihou pinned in a contest of power. Their weapons locked. If Taihou let down her guard for even a moment, Azuma would gain the upper hand, and would she have a physical form, she'd lose her head to Azuma's blade.
"It's not. The Union finished the war in the pacific. And we used the ultimate weapon, the atomic bomb to force Japan to surrender. Despite what you have been led to believe, it was Japan that started this war… we only fought to end it." Isaac explained.
"Stop lying to me!" Taihou screamed as she jumped back, causing Azuma's blade to strike the ground with tremendous force.
"I'm not lying, Taihou. What you were told by the Imperial Japanese were all lies. Your forces… Carrier group 1, 2, and 5 all lead a surprise attack on Ford Island and Pearl Harbor at large. Your forces killed many American soldiers and Civilians. The Sakura Empire started this war! We were the innocent party!" Isaac yelled.
Taihou shuddered a bit, as if the reality of her situation began to sink in. That… or the guns of Amagi's rigging being pointed directly at Taihou's cubes.
Isaac turned to see this.
"Amagi?" Isaac asked.
"It was the most logical way to end this farce right away. Now she has no choice but to stop and listen." Amagi explained.
"I see your point." Isaac said as he turned to face Taihou.
"Well? Ready to give up?"