HelloEver22: Thanks for reading!
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Chapter 15
September 8th, 2023: Late afternoon, last few minutes of the 5th match -
"Yay~!"
"...Ugh, s, stay st, still already...!"
"...Is she even taking this seriously? And she's not even firing back either!"
Innocent(?) giggling could be heard as Anchorage danced about the ring, easily dodging an increasingly frustrated I-56 and I-58's torpedo assault while U-37 was busy keeping Eldridge and Laffey from assisting her with effective use of hit and run tactics. Unfortunately, Eldridge's patience and Laffey's raw battle instinct and aggressive fighting style were quickly pushing the lone sub to her limits... and it would only be a matter of time before they'd break past her. Still, that didn't mean she'd go down without a fight though.
"...Heh, if you think it's gonna be easy gettin' past me then you've got another thing comin'! You hear me? You ain't gettin' through me, so EAT THIS!"
Another torpedo barrage... that would end up whiffed, again.
*BANG, BANG, BANG*
With far more cold, calculated precision and focus than one would ever assume the perennially sleepy rabbit possessed, Laffey shot down each torpedo almost as fast as U-37 fired them, detonating them long before they would've become a threat and leaving nothing but plumes of smoke and steam in their wake.
"...Target, locked, commencing counterattack."
*BANG, BANG, BANG!*
"...Tch!"
With no real options left, the best U-37 could manage now was to not get sunk and taken out of the fight and was thankful that she could still hide underwater... well, at least until Eldridge finally decided to step in anyway, tired of waiting and more than a little motivated to just wrap things up here and now.
"...Bored. You, all go away now...!"
"Huh? Wait, what!?"
*ZZZZAAAAAPPPP*
- With the crowd, a little before Eldridge made her move -
"...Well now, for how much they look like they're just playing around, those three are much more skilled and dangerous than they look," commented the brown haired man as he observed Eldridge's team utterly dominating the last match of the first round.
"True, but it's not as if the submarines are any less skilled though, just a really bad match up unfortunately," the light bluenette observed. "Honestly, I'm surprised the blonde one is just hanging in the rear while letting the other two do all the work. Then again..."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"It's just for how well they're hiding it, and for how small and cute those three look and act, they're giving off a tremendous amount of battlefield pressure. Enough that any seasoned warrior could easily pick up on it anyway..."
The brown haired man nodded in understanding. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that. Been around battlefields so long now that I didn't even notice. But yeah, it's gotta be really rough on those submarine girls too. Especially since most of it's directed solely on them..."
"Shipgirls are made of tougher stuff than that. If anything, it'd only make them that much more determined to try and win. Still, I don't see that as a possibility now, especially if that blonde one decides to act any time soon..."
"She's that dangerous then?"
The light bluenette nodded. "Ja, and she's actually the one giving off the most pressure for sure. Even worse is that she looks incredibly impatient too..."
"I see."
And, sure enough, Eldridge's patience had finally run out and made her move... by releasing a massive discharge of bright blue bio-electricity on the entire ring in the form of a rain of lightning strikes.
"...Wow," was all the brown haired man could say after letting out an impressed whistle. "Remind me to keep an eye on that one...! And she has control over where they hit too! Now that's terrifying...!"
"Still, I'm surprised the other two aren't getting affected at all, being on water and all... hmm... Oh, so that's it," the light bluenette muttered to herself before her eyes suddenly flashed with understanding.
"Hmm? What's up?"
"Just that those three are incredibly clever, especially using something so simple."
"What do you mean?"
"They most likely lined their shoes with a water proofed non-conductive coating."
"Damn, I feel pretty bad for those submarines... They seriously put up a good fight too."
The light bluenette nodded. "Ja. I honestly think these three have the best chance of winning if they can pull off moves and tactics like that..."
"Oh? Even against you know who's team?"
"..."
She didn't reply right away, simply closing her eyes to think about it a little more before answering.
"...Well, it'd be tough to say either way but... it doesn't really matter what I think since they haven't actually fought yet. That, and it depends on who fights who after all. No sense in blindly guessing."
"Good point. Well, I guess it doesn't really matter either way in the end, right?"
Another moment of silence passed before the bluenette gave the brown haired man her trademark, meaningful smirk.
- Back in the ring -
When Eldridge's attack finally ended and the steam cleared up, the only ones left standing, obviously, were Eldridge, Anchorage, and (a barely awake)Laffey. As for I-56, I-58, and U-37? Well...
"...It, it hurts... It really, hurts and I can't move...!"
"... Lightning, sp, spam? R, Really? ..Ugh...!"
"Da, dammit! That, that's not f, fair..."
...at least they were still in one piece, more or less.
...
"...And the winners of the fifth match are, Team Eldridge, Anchorage, Laffey...!" loudly declared the mayor turned referee through his ear mic, secretly terrified at the display of raw power one unassuming little shipgirl could unleash. Needless to say, most everyone present were stunned silent and still trying to process what just happened to say or do anything else. "A, Anyway! With the first round of the tournament concluded, we will now take a twenty-five minute intermission before announcing the first match of the second round and semi-finals!"
- Back with the crowd, shortly after intermission started -
"...That last match was, wow!"
"...No joke. I mean, I thought seeing those super hot ass ninja and gun toting maids duke it out with the weird idol group was awesome enough, but the way those three little cuties just made an absolute joke out of those submarines was something else! Like, that little blonde called down a freaking thunderstorm on them!"
"...Three little cuties? Hold up, did you not see the honey blonde one's figure? She was just as stacked as some of the other shipgirls! Okay, granted, she acted like a little kid and I honestly had mixed feelings watching her... but yeah."
"Yeah, I get it... that one really throws you off. It's like she's purity incarnate or something... She's kinda like the little pink haired one who fought against the maids in a way, but way more, um, authentic? Like it's not an act."
"Yeah, that's it! It's not an act, but isn't the whole story either! Anyway, the way she kept those two submarines away and didn't get hit even once even though they could move underwater and launch surprise attacks was quite a sight! And then there was the one with the cute bunny hair clips! She was a freaking beast with how fierce she fought...!"
"Oh, Laffey? yeah. I remember seeing her sleeping on a beach this morning actually... cutest little thing ever. Huh, to think she was such a capable fighter though... I guess, that's just how shipgirls are, huh?"
"You said it. Still, I feel bad for those submarine girls though... Like, all three teams got knocked out of the first round, huh."
"I mean, from what I saw, they have good support skills, speed and the element of surprise on their side for sure, but in a a straight up fight though? ...Yeah, they just didn't stand a chance. Well, I say that, but I think they put up some of the toughest overall fights in the whole tournament."
"That's true. Hell, even how they managed the only double knock out was pretty epic, honestly."
"For sure. Yeah, maybe they weren't as flashy as the blonde's, maids, or Eugen's teams... but you could tell how hard they fought to win. I dunno, I just couldn't help but wanna root for them I guess."
"So, you think we can get copies of these fights? Like on DVD or something? I wanna share them on my Chirper page."
"Hey, that's actually a great idea! But yeah, it just so happens that I recorded some of the fights on my smartphone! Go me!"
"Oh, shit! Why didn't I think of doing that!? God I'm a dumbass!"
"It's cool, I recorded them too."
"Ooh! Total lifesaver!"
"I know, I know. Oh, but feel free to praise me more though!"
"Anyway, let's go grab something to eat and whatever so we can get back in time for the semifinals."
"Yeah, and I need to take a leak too."
"...Jesus, really?"
- With Liam and some of the other shipgirls -
Doing his due diligence as both a man and their Commander, Liam was visiting the shipgirls and see how they were doing, starting with the two less than happy groups of submarines huddled in their little corner of the makeshift waiting room since everyone had pretty much recovered from their fights by now. It was U-1206 who looked up and noticed him first.
"...Oh, Kommandant. What's up? Here to check up on us?"
Though she tried to put up a front with a smile and some cheer in her voice, it was obvious to Liam that she and the others were still more than a little bummed out that not even one submarine managed to make it to the second round and keep up the lucky streak they started with their successful surprise attacks on the Siren Elite only the day before.
"...Hey, I know you guys might not feel up to it, but you wanna share this with me? See, I have way more than I can finish before the break's up and eating together makes the food taste better anyway, y'know?" Liam opened up, with a huge bucket of spicy fried chicken in hand. "Might be a bit on the spicy side, but I can guarantee it's tasty as hell, y'know?"
He knew it was a bit much, but he wasn't lying. Food really did taste better with company to him.
"..." After a moment's pause, U-410 and the others slowly took a piece of chicken each from the proffered bucket and all took a bite at the same time. "Oh, *munch, munch*, this stuff really is good, and just the right amount of spicy for me too!"
"Ja, they really are!" U-37 agreed, greedily chomping away on her juicy, crispy drumstick.
"...Totemo oishii~!" (x2) was all I-56 and I-58 dreamily said in unison, thighs in hand, Incidentally, be it fried chicken or the real deal, thighs were among some of Liam's favorite snacks, though he'd never ever admit to that out loud... not that most of the fleet didn't already know, but still.
- With Belfast and the other maids -
"Well now, Master certainly has a gift for cheering up those who need it the most," Belfast remarked with a smile as she fondly watched Liam do his best to cheer up her dear, dejected little sisters. 'Fufu~! And such good work and care calls for a reward of your own later~!'
"...Well, someone looks happy," Sheffield observed with no small amount of her usual snark, a warm cup of tea in hand.
"Hmm? And whatever do you mean, my dear Sheffy? Of course I'm happy. After all, I'm having a lovely time enjoying lunch with you and little Enterprise, no?"
Sheffield just rolled her eyes. "...Uh huh, right."
"And you seem to be in more of a sour mood than usual, Sheffy dear. How come?" Belfast asked, genuinely curious why her fellow maid and fleet sister seemed so much more unfriendly than she normally did.
Sheffield didn't answer right away, instead closing her eyes to collect her thoughts for a bit before finally speaking, especially knowing full well how persistent Belfast could be about these kind of tings sometimes.
"I'm just upset at myself more than anything," Sheffield admitted. "I know we won, but it was you and Enterprise that managed to do the bulk of the work while the best I could manage was play support..."
"But, the only reason I could do so well was because you covered me," Enterprise countered; finally speaking up.
"...She's right, Sheffy. Your support was the lynchpin to our victory in the end after all... or wait, was it that you wanted more opportunities to show off for the Master as well?"
Belfast was only guessing, and half seriously at that, but that really was the only thing she could think of that could be bothering her all too serious and typically sharp tongued fellow maid and sister.
"..."
"...Wait, really?" Enterprise was honestly a little surprised that Sheffield, of all shipgirls, really did want to show off.
"..."
"...Is that true, Sheffy?" So was Belfast, for that matter.
...
"...Yes... Okay? ...Yes. I, did... want to show off, at least a little..," Sheffield finally admitted, almost in a whisper and not daring to look at her her fellow maids and sisters... especially not with that very faint blush on her otherwise expressionless, beautiful face either.
"...Oh, oh my...!" 'Sheffy dear, that's absolutely... adorable~! Ah, how I wish I could take a picture of such a priceless expression!'
"...That's, really cute actually..."
"...Oh, leave me alone...!"
"Well, I'm sure Master was impressed with your performance you know."
"Bel's right! Master will definitely praise you aplenty for your hard work in helping us get the win!" Enterprise added.
Cue another round of extremely faint blushing.
...
"...Cute..!" (x2)
"...Shut up!"
- With Saratoga, Vampire, and Nautilus -
"...Uuuuuu..."
"..."
Somehow, a literal dark cloud of gloom was hovering over the deflated figures of Saratoga and Vampire currently slumped on the ground with their heads down and backs to each other. To Nautilus, the two of them looked like the very picture of defeat and depression... and she absolutely hated seeing her them like that more than anything.
"U, Um. Miss, I mean, Sister Sara? Miss Vampire? ...Would, would you like something to eat? Maybe, maybe some juice if you're thirsty instead? ...Maybe?"
Her attempts were certainly a bit awkward for sure, but hey, she had to start somewhere, right?
"...Sweets! Sweets equal life!" was all Saratoga could mumble in reply after a moment.
"...Wine...! I need, some sweet, sweet red wine, the nectar of life!"
...
'...Oh, they weren't feeling down at all. They were just running on empty,' Nautilus observed, relieved that they weren't really sad about their loss. "Okay, leave it to me!"
"..Thanks!"
"...So tired..."
- With Akagi, Taihou, and Strasser -
"...Strange..."
"Akagi-chan?"
"We lost, but somehow, I don't feel as upset about it as I though i would."
"Well, I think it's because even if we did lose, it's not like our opponents really won in the end either. After all, only Alabama was left standing at the end," Strasser explained, beer in hand. "Which means.."
"...Which means that, in reality, the outcome was really more of a delayed draw than anything," Akagi finished, a satisfied smile on her face.
Strasser nodded. "Ja, exactly. Not the best or cleanest win to be sure, but we still achieved our main objectives in showing off our abilities to our prospective clients, impressing the Kommandant with our growth, and making sure that our opponents wouldn't advance even if we lost. All in all, we did quite well."
"Still would've been nice to actually win though, but yes. We did splendidly," Taihou agreed before nibbling on a sandwich.
"Well, I'm sure we'll get another chance before too long, ne? Especially with the Sirens being around and all."
"As long as it's not anywhere near any civilians, of course," Strasser added.
"Of course, but still... I would like a chance to get some real payback soon and... de-stress a bit, you know?"
"Fair enough."
"Speaking of Sirens, it bothers me how quiet they've been... After all, we weren't exactly subtle about making ourselves known either. It worries me a bit that they haven't made a move yet."
"Perhaps they're just waiting for the right time to show up..," Akagi mused aloud, a thoughtful finger to her chin. "Well, in any case, let's shelve all that aside for now and focus on observing the rest of today's matches."
"Speaking of. Who do you think will come out on top in the end?" Strasser asked her fellow (definitely crazy) fellow ravenettes..
"What? Between the maids, Eugen-chan's group and the little ones you mean? To be honest... Eldridge-chan's group feels like the most dangerous and the ones to really watch out for, but then again, Eugen-chan's team are just as dangerous in my opinion, so it's too hard to say," Akagi replied honestly.
"True, the three little ones are certainly much fiercer than they look... but it's Eldridge-chan's precise control of her abilities that concern me the most."
"Ah, right. And they'll be fighting on the water too... Oh, it looks like we're going to get our answers soon either way. Heh, and we have the best seats in the house too!"
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"Alright, a slight change of plans! Due to the results of their first match, Team New Jersey, Alabama, Black Prince have chosen to withdraw due to insufficient numbers meaning that Team Sirius, Sheffield, Enterprise have secured the first spot in the final match! So, without further ado, will Team Eldridge, Laffey, Anchorage and Team Belfast, Prinz Eugen, Jean Bart please make their way to the ring to begin the second match of the Second Round!"
Cue another round of cheers and applause from the gathered crowd as the aforementioned shipgirls made their way into the ring.
- With the brown haired man and the light bluenette in the crowd -
"Oh, it looks like it's time to make your move then, huh?"
"It seems so. Right, I'm off then."
"Heh, This is gonna be good!"
- Back in the ring -
"...And, BEGIN!"
With those two simple words, the final match of the semifinals commenced... with a staring contest from both sides. Well, at least until Prinz Eugen spoke up anyway.
"So, would it be too much to ask for you to forfeit too?"
Instead of a proper reply, Anchorage just smiled and waved, Laffey yawned before pulling out and drinking another oxy-cola(?), and Eldridge... sent out a wave of bright blue bio-electricity straight at the Iron Blood silverette.
"Whoa there!"
Swiftly dodging out of the way, Belfast couldn't help but be impressed at the little blonde's single minded desire to win.
"...Taking lap back, yes! So, crush!" quietly said the little zapper as she let loose another three spikes of bio-lightning at Eugen, Belfast, and Jean Bart while a giggling Anchorage sped over to Laffey and suddenly picked her up and innocently turned to her slightly confused oppenents.
"Sisters, play? Play! Anchorage shares bunny! ...Eeii~!"
...
"Wait, what?"
"Did she just... pick up and throw Laffey at us?"
"...Yes, yes she did!"
"Wait, that look in her eyes!"
"Merde! Move! Move!"
*BANG! BANG! BANG!* (x2)
While in mid toss, Laffey, more serious and focused than they'd ever seen her, summoned a pair of turret pistols to her hands, aimed them right at the bewildered trio and pulled the trigger in one fluid, smooth motion... and then following up with a a front flip into a spin kick right at Jean Bart's head once she got into range.
"...And, kick...!" said the pink clad, gun toting bunny in the flattest, most unmotivated way possible.
'How the hell did she do that!? Actually, forget it! Damn she's tougher than she looks!'
Moving almost on instinct, Jean Bart moved her head just enough to miss taking a direct hit but was still close enough to feel the gust of wind generated from the force and speed of the kick as it brushed past her cheek.
"Tch!"
Luckily, Belfast and Eugen were just as quick to respond and moved to close in on Laffey with a pincer attack, only to get blocked by another series of precision lightning strikes.
"...Eeii!"
*ZAP! ZAP! ZZZAAAAPPP!*
"Lady Eugen, if you please!"
"Ja, on it! Leave it to me!"
With the kind of tacit understanding that only shipgirls born for combat could have, the pair split off to handle the bunny and the zapper respectively while Jean Bart continued her fight with a surprisingly very, very hard to hit Anchorage in what the innocent dear called a game of tag, much to Jean Bart's annoyance.
- Belfast vs Laffey -
Manifesting a pitch black gauntlet over her left hand and a long (blunted) combat knife in her right, the silver haired Head Maid skillfully blocked or evaded Laffey's relentless barrage of dual turret pistol fire while waiting for a lull or opening in the berserker bunny's fierce onslaught compounded by her extremely hard to predict movements, the two weaving around each other in a blur of inhumanly fast speeds that the drones recording match could only just barely keep up with.
'...Miss Laffey is a truly impressive warrior indeed! It is taking all of my concentration just to track her movements, let alone keep up with that insane speed of hers. Heh, no wonder she's always so tired. Perhaps she's just saving her energy for moments like this then? Hm, if so... should we feel honored that she's trying so hard then? Ah, well, best not to let my thoughts wander too far...'
And, just as she had that thought, Belfast barely caught said berserker bunny get in right underneath her and right about ready to plant a kick into her stomach.
'Oh no...!'
Still, as dangerous as the situation was, it still wasn't enough to ruffle a maid of her caliber's feathers as she moved to counter Laffey's attack with a kick of her own.
"Not bad, not bad at all Miss Laffey, but even so! I'm afraid that I cannot afford to yield here either. I do hope you understand."
"...Hmph!"
Seeing as Laffey didn't have the height advantage and now that her surprise attack failed, the little bunny moved back and switched back to fighting at range with her twin turret pistols, forcing Belfast back on the defensive as well, or at least, that was the hope anyway. However, Belfast wasn't known as a Super Maid for nothing as she tossed out a few smoke grenades to obscure Laffey's vision and keep her from locking on to her position while she crept ever closer to try and get an attack of her own in.
"...!"
Naturally, Laffey's now awakened battle instincts sensed the danger and so let them take over as she finally called out her rigging and fired everything she had at the smokescreen in front of her.
"Not a bad call, Miss Laffey, but not good enough I'm afraid!"
"...Huh? Where?"
"Up here!"
Following Belfast's voice, Laffey turned her head up above and in front of her just in time to see the knife wielding maid only a few feet away from her.
"..."
However, contrary to Belfast's expectations, and far from panicking, Laffey looked as calm as ever and without a hint of fear about her.
'...How odd. Just what is she...-oh no!"
Now wreathed in lavender colored ether, Laffey simply pointed her two turret pistols and rigging's main guns up at her, as if intending to attack her at point blank range regardless if it meant she'd get taken out as well.
...
'...Truly a berserker indeed. Ah, I do hope the others are faring better than I am,' was all Belfast could think as the rest of her mind worked overtime to try and think of a way out of this very dangerous situation.
- Jean Bart vs(?) Anchorage -
'...Dammit! Just stay still already!'
Rather than getting a decent fight from a worthy opponent, it would be more accurate to say that Jean Bart was playing a game of tag... and losing, badly. She just couldn't hit Anchorage no matter how hard she tried. Anchorage would either keep evading all her sword strikes and gun fire by the barest of margins or be outright deflected by her ether barrier while lazily firing back every now and then... all while giggling her head off without a care in the world.
'...I know that's just how she is, but I'd be lying if I said that her not taking this seriously wasn't ticking me off... though I feel bad thinking that seeing how happy she looks. Ugh, she really is the worst kind of opponent for me... I wonder if I could maybe switch with somebody? Ah, but she's smarter than she lets on with how she's keeping me totally focused on her...! Dammit! I can't tell if she's just an airhead or if it's all an act...!'
Sadly, the only conclusions Jean Bart could reach were that she would not be able to end her own fight any time soon and that she would really need a stiff drink later on.
- Prinz Eugen vs Eldridge -
*ZAP!* (x12)
*RRRROOOOAAAARRRRR*
"Wow, you're quite motivated to win aren't you, meine liebe kleine schwester~!"
"Hmph1 Tease went on date! Took lap away! Mad! Win, get lap back! And... get date too! Yes!"
"Heh!"
Being evenly matched in skill, power and sheer stubbornness, neither one managed to land one real good hit on the other yet even after more than a dozen bouts of trading blows and words so far.
Every time Eldridge's lightning got close to Eugen, it would be devoured by her rigging while at the same time being kept at bay and forcing the two to engage in a shooting match that kept them in a tense stalemate.
'Damn she's fast. But luckily she can't get completely through my defenses either. Still, one slip up from either of us is all the other needs to win... My, how exciting~!'
And, it was then, just as the the thirteenth bout was about to commence, that the unexpected happened.
...
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
"...!"
"What!?"
- With the crowd, just moments before Eugen and Eldridge's match was interrupted -
"Whoa! Look at them go!"
"That little blonde's not just cute, but crazy powerful too! I mean, throwing lightning all over the place is one thing, but she can make arrows and use it as a shield too!"
"Still, that silver haired one, Eugen was it? She's no slouch either, what with her rigging thing chomping through the little blonde's attacks while looking as sexy smug the whole time!"
*BOOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
"..Huh? What the! Wait, who's that!?"
Before long, the crowd grew silent while they tried to make sense of what just happened as the six shipgirls currently in the ring stopped fighting when someone dramatically came out of nowhere and got between Prinz Eugen and Eldridge's fight... someone that a few in the crowd even recognized too.
"...Wait, that girl... wasn't she here watching the fights like the rest of us? Hold on, are you telling me she was a shipgirl too!?"
"...Holy shit! Yeah! I remember seeing her around the island with that tall friend of hers a few times! Wait, speaking of that guy, where'd he go? Just what the hell is going on around here!?"
- With Liam -
[Commander...!]
"...Yeah, I know. She's a shipgirl. Also... I know I haven't seen her before, but..."
[About that... Based on the scans from the drones observing the tournament, as well as cross-referencing the records I have on the shipgirls in our fleet... that shipgirl's 'wisdom cube and ether wave signature is an almost exact match for for one of ours]
...
"Wait, seriously!? Who!?"
- Back in the ring -
"Guten abend all. Apologies for the intrusion, but after seeing such a riveting fight I simply had to come and say hello. Ah, I do hope you can forgive me my capriciousness, ja?" said the light bluenette shipgirl now equipped with her rigging and wielding a pair of longswords with red and grey blade held in a reverse grip in each hand.
"...Hmm?" Eldridge observed, curiously tilting her head as she looked back and forth between the Prinz Eugen next to her and the newcomer in front of her. "Tease, why are there... two of you?"
"...! What do you mean, 'two of us'?" Eugen asked, though she likely already knew the answer.
"Hmm? Um, that other Tease, feels like you? Same... um, energy? Mm! Same!"
"Well now, I shouldn't be surprised that the little one would catch on, but my are her instincts sharp. But ja, I do believe introductions are in order then, nein? Though I suspect you also have a good idea of who I am as well," said the bluenette, impressed with Eldridge's deductions while never once taking her own red eyes off of her silver haired 'other self's' own amber orbs. "Iron Blood Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen serving under my Commander, Yang Wen-li, Fleet Admiral of the Azur Lane Alliance Navy's 13th 'Remnant Fleet' currently operating here in the Pacific. A pleasure to finally meet and make your acquaintance. Especially yours, my 'other self'."
...
"Oh my, so it did turn out to be a 'Resonance' you felt earlier then, Lady Eugen," Belfast quietly said as she moved over next to Eugen.
"...Ja, it seems so. Now that we're face to face like this, it's a bit like looking at my reflection in the mirror. Still," she then turned her head back to address the other, blue haired Eugen. "Not that we aren't glad for the visit, but what really brings you here?"
"Ah, right. About that. I know it's rather sudden, I do, but watching you all fight so hard really got my blood pumping, and I was hoping... that you would indulge me with a spar? ...Pretty please?"
The silver haired Eugen quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? But, wouldn't that just amount to you picking on your juniors? After all, we haven't been awake and in service for very long, barely even a week really, but you on the other hand..."
The blue haired Eugen nodded. "True, my own sisters and I have been awake and in service for about a year now and have that much more experience and power, true, but.. try to think of this as a special bonus level and training stage before the finals?"
"...Not a bad idea, but it's a bit much to just suddenly drop on us out of the blue. Not to mention what our own Commander or other fleet sisters will think," Jean Bart said.
"...Um, what's going on?" Anchorage asked, very much confused by what was going on and wondering why her game of tag stopped. Just then.
"Okay, okay! I know this is sudden and not quite what we had in mind for today but... it seems Commander Liam has arranged for a last minute special 'guest fighter' to come!" Mayor Mason said, his voice amplified through his ear mic. "Ah, as this is a special exhibition match, the battle will be a six on one fight with an increase match time of fifteen minutes! Oh, and as a special compensation to everyone who participated, your Commander said that he'll make sure to spend time with each of your groups for a whole day once everything's settled.
...
"...You heard the man girls," Jean Bart said with a gleam in her eyes and a truly savage grin on her face.
"...Eeii!"
However, faster than anyone else could move Laffey sped off to make the first move, turret pistols already discharging, followed by Eldridge and a slightly confused Anchorage on either side of her with Eugen's team right behind them.
"...I don't get it, but Anchorage still wants to play, so yay~!"
"...Hmph! Whatever, lap will be ours so beating Blue Tease is no problem!"
"Ugh, you two might not look alike, but damn if that annoying smirk ain't the same!"
"...Hey!"
"Now now. I happen to find that smile of your quite charming, Lady Eugen. And I'm sure Lady Jean Bart is just teasing you."
"Ah, whatever, let's just kick that blue haired strumpet's ass already!"
"I guess you were right, Belfast. Heh, well alright then! Let's go kick my ass then!"
"Oh me oh my, what's a girl to do? Being so popular and all," Blue Eugen remarked with faux worry before releasing her own ether reserves as she got ready to take on the six charging shipgirls head on, swords in hand and main guns ready to fire.
xxx xxx xxx