The Azur Key

by KHVSFF

After the events of KH 3 Re Mind, Sora awakens floating in the middle of an ocean while hearing a battle take place. Wanting to save anyone caught in the crossfire, Sora stumbles upon a shocking discovery. The ones fighting are girls. Girls who can summon ships to battle against each other. Sora will need to put an end to the kansen war while finding a way home. [Sora x Harem]

15. Chapter 14: Discussions of Interest

*Disclaimer* – I do not own the copyright to Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane

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*A/N* – Greetings y'all! Hope everything is going well for you and whatever it is that you've got going on. Last time we left off, Richelieu said some things that were… quite surprising to say the least. Let's hope Sora can get out of there alive since that is bound to create some waves. Not to mention, introductions to all the new girls that have arrived and will be arriving along with catching everyone up to speed on everything that's going on. So many different paths and stories come together to not only cross paths but also steer the way to a new future where there are bound to be fun and life-changing adventures along with the fact that there is a growing problem in this world. Something that Sora will have a lot more familiarity with compared to the girls. Therein lies another difficult challenge for the Keyblade wielder to face… the feelings of romance within girls, not just ordinary girls. Girls with the ability to summon guns and weapons and even large ships out of nowhere. Scary stuff. Now, enough of me rambling on, I hope you enjoy this chapter and stick around for more of this story. Take care.

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Sora did not know how he should respond. There wasn't any real way he could respond. What the orange-haired girl had just said to him sounded… very heartfelt. It touched his heart thinking about her conviction and determination to say what she said to him and in front of everyone else. He honestly couldn't help the bright smile on his face.

Out of his sight, however, many girls were glaring daggers right at the Cardinal due to the feeling of something very well known, jealously.

Prince of Wales, Hood, and Enterprise were on one hand still surprised by Richelieu's sudden announcement, but they were also feeling a knot in their stomach and couldn't help but feel a bit… on edge. Moreover, they were the first to have known Sora for a bit longer compared to the other girls which gave them an advantage in summarizing their feelings on the brunette boy. From his unique physical features to his glorified personality that could manage to make anyone stop what they were doing and chat with him for a minute which could be turned into a whole lot longer due to how much enjoyment and comfort there was to his character. Hence, the three girls were earnestly wanting to be close to the boy. Not in a singular way but more akin to being around him or preferably even just talking with him. That is what the three wanted the most while seeing the Cardinal and boy in question so close to each other.

Zuikaku on her part was in quite a predicament for how she should feel exactly. As it would be reasonable to think, she had no precise clue as to why she was feeling these strange and new, well, feelings. Her heart felt heavy in her chest and the rapid thumping of her leg going up and down while still seated did not appease her in the slightest. It just raised the confusion flowing through her heart and head as to why she was reacting like this while glancing over at… the spiky-haired boy being so close to the girl who basically poured her heart out to him without even truly knowing him. The Red Crane would argue that she was closer to him than anybody else in that while Ayanami was the first to engage in actual combat with him, she recalled Sora mentioning back when he was in the prison cell that he first fought Ayanami and then Zuikaku and so on. That alone gave her a triumphant feeling that she and he had done something remarkable which could be noticed by everyone else. She was one of the first to duel with him and lock blades. Creating a deeper bonded relationship between the two. Something that she was internally giddy about.

Prinz Eugen and Akagi on the other hand were… slightly intimidated in a relative way. The Iron Blood girl was known to be a flirtatious trickster that loved teasing people as a way of showing her interest in them. And lately, her attention was now being focused on a certain boy who appeared to be quite the bundle of fun she was beginning to grow very interested in. However, seeing the Cardinal easily walk up to the boy and pronounce what she did in front of everyone. That irked her in many ways. However, she would not let this setback get in her way of having some fun with the spiky-haired boy. Akagi on the other hand… she was seeing the color red. If there was ever a time that she felt a murderous aura enveloping her heart and mind… now would be the time. Seeing how the orange-haired woman seemed so genuine and truthful in her words and directed them right to him. The kitsune woman's face had gone stone-faced with her eyes narrowing on her new target while unblinking and gripping her gloved hands. It was a startling sight for the few girls that noticed specifically Kaga who was unsure how to calm her sister down.

The rest of the girls who had formed relationships with Sora were unsure how they should feel at seeing Richelieu proclaim to him and in front of everyone, nonetheless. It was a strange feeling to register as the girls were not exactly close to the boy and were only beginning to know him but seeing the orange-haired woman look so confident and sincere while she said those things to him… it left all the girls a bit uneasy.

All in all, leaving a moment of pause and stillness as nobody said anything, and were still left aghast at what happened.

However, that moment of serene peace between the two as Sora's blue eyes stared right into hers was abruptly stopped as he saw her face switch between several different expressions. One of happiness and delight to confusion to realization and then shock and anxiousness to finally embarrassment.

"I-I didn't… I only meant… I'm terribly sorry! Pray forgive me of my tribulations and the strange and sudden phrasing of my words!" Richelieu shouted while her cheeks were tinted a bright red.

The spiky-haired boy couldn't help but think that she reminded him of an orange. In a good, sweet kind of way. One of the reddish oranges had a specific name, but he couldn't remember it. He only remembered seeing a red-orange back in Twilight Town while he was cooking with little chef.

Letting a little chuckle escape his lips, Sora ruffled the back of his head while glancing around at the other girls. He only saw a few of their faces and from what he could tell, they also looked a bit confused about what was happening.

"It's alright. Nothing to worry about… um… I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name" Sora said, taking in her appearance and noticing the crown on top of her head.

"Of course, how could I forget such a thing? *Ahem* Greetings, my name is Richelieu, the lead ship of the Richelieu class and Cardinal of Iris Libre. Tis a pleasure to officially meet you, Sora. And once again, I'm truly sorry for saying what I said."

Offering the girl, a smile, the Keyblade wielder merely shook his head.

"It's all water under the bridge, Richelieu. But could I ask what you meant by your words? I'm kind of still confused about it all" Sora replied, scratching his head.

"As would anyone else be." Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Richelieu found the right words and began her explanation. "When I was told of your feats from the others and how you wielded a weapon that appeared out of light… I accustomed myself to seeing you through and helping you in your difficult quest. Whatever it may be. I will lend you a helping hand" Richelieu affirmed to him.

The other girls were now slightly appeased by the Cardinal's words and calmed themselves down. Granted, there were a few that still had their guard up and wouldn't be backing down anytime soon. Those being Prinz Eugen, Akagi, and… Jean Bart.

The pony-tailed woman watched from the side as she saw the spiky-haired boy be so close and casual with her sister. It left her feeling an unregistered feeling in her stomach. Almost akin to having eaten something sour and grimacing in disdain. She had no idea who this Sora was and had only briefly heard about him and yet here he was causing such a ruckus. Not to mention, he looked to be getting close to her sister who… she still had to sort her on the orange-haired girl and what her feelings toward her even were. There was a small part of herself that wanted to jump in between the boy and her sister, but another part that said to keep to herself and just watch. She decided to go with the latter and observe the two closely.

Back with Sora, he began processing what Richelieu had said to him and couldn't help but be taken back by her sheer determination to help him even though they just met now. And he thought he made friends quite quickly.

But there was just one thing he wasn't picking up on. Richelieu said that she would help him with whatever his quest might be… but why?

He had to find out.

"Uhm… Richelieu, what do you mean by that?"

"Hmm? By what do you mean?"

"That part about helping me. I get that we just met and I'm not one to shut down the idea of making a new friend so quickly, but… why are you so keen on wanting to help me? I'm not following on that part" he clarified.

Realizing that there was a bit of missing information on the subject, Richelieu needed to clear some things up.

Several of the Azur Lane girls who were listening in to the conversation simply understood what was going on with the Iris Libre kansen. Her devoted following to her religion and the righteousness of defending and striving for light was one of the sincere aspirations that she held close. It only made sense that hearing about Sora and his ability to wield a strange power that focused heavily on the usage of light would get her to think that way. At least… that's what they were thinking. Her actions showcased that she was not afraid of confronting her feelings outright and in a public setting no less. Now that would be something to worry about.

Collecting his thoughts around her response, Sora started thinking about what he had done to gain the attention of the Cardinal in the way that she was seeing him. He was coming up with nothing until he remembered the obvious realization that this world didn't exactly have the kind of magic that he was used to seeing daily and figured that the depiction around himself gave off the idea that…

"Hey, Richelieu, are your thoughts around me because of this?"

Raising his hand for everyone to see, he summoned the Kingdom Key right into his hand in a flash of blue light which caused everyone who hadn't seen it before to lean forward in their seats to try and get a better look at the strange-looking weapon… that looked oddly like a giant key?

Littorio and Vittorio who had been to the side listening in on everything and waiting to introduce themselves had grown exceptionally interested in the strange piece of equipment appearing out of nowhere. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before given that it wasn't every day that you see a blade that took on the appearance of a key appear out of nowhere in a complete stranger's hand.

Jean Bart was staring right at the strange weapon and couldn't help but think of several things swirling around her head. "It looks… plain. Is it made for a specific chest to be opened? Can it even cut anything? It looks more like a club that can be used to bash against things."

Taking another look at the thing in the boy's hands, she also noticed that there was another distinctive characteristic to his appearance. The silver crown necklace hanging around his neck. This caused the light brown-haired pirate to double-take as she was starting to notice an unusual occurrence taking place with the spiky-haired boy. The crown necklace and the teeth at the end of his weapon were indications of a connection dealing with crowns. Perhaps she was just observing the boy too closely and coming up with false assessments around him but that still left her even more wary around him.

Richelieu on the other hand… was a second away from starting to recite some of the texts to idolize her faith based on seeing the boy wield light and project the strange-looking key in his hand. Many thoughts came to her mind, but she did not know where to act on them. Moreover, she was still eager to meet Sora given that she had heard only a small bit about him in her time here in the Sakura Empire. She would try her hardest to listen to what he had to say and the insight he could enlighten her on.

"…That weapon… It appears to bask in the light" Richelieu commented while still analyzing the blade.

"You're right about that… I think. It's called a Keyblade, and it does allow me to use light along with different kinds of magic" he explained while holding the blade with care.

Glancing at the now-known Keyblade, Richelieu couldn't help but keep her eyes trained on the weapon for a good second all while muttering under her breath.

"…Keyblade…"

It was at this point that Jean Bart made herself apparent to the conversation.

"You're telling me that this…" She proclaimed while pointing at the Keyblade with an annoyed expression. "Is this supposed to be considered a weapon? What a joke."

Having the corner of his mouth transition to a frown for a slight second, Sora figured that he could elaborate to the ponytail-haired girl.

"You'd be surprised. And while this version of my weapon doesn't look that dangerous like some other blades, I can assure you it is still a weapon."

Processing what Sora just said, Vittorio decided to make herself present to the boy since it seemed that the conversation was turning toward a more subsequent and interesting area.

"Excuse me."

The spiky-haired boy turned his head to look over at the girl with gray hair who seemed to be the one who spoke up.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Vittorio, I haven't really talked with you yet" Sora apologetically said, feeling like he had put all his attention on Richelieu's stark statement.

"It's not a problem at all. Things are becoming quite… interesting to say the least. I do have a question about what you just said" Vittorio clarified.

"Sure, what's your question?"

Bringing a hand up to her chin, the gray-haired girl specified what he had said, "You mentioned this version when discussing your blade. What did you mean by that?"

Nodding his head, Sora figured he should elaborate a bit more.

"It's like I said." Raising his weapon for the girl to see, he continued talking. "This is just the regular, default version of the weapon. But if there some charms that I… had that could change its appearance."

"You said had. I take it you lost them?" Vittorio questioned the boy.

Running his free hand through his hair, Sora let out an embarrassed chuckle.

"Yeeeah, haha. I don't know what happened to them. Which kind of leads into how I came here."

"Oh? I take it that there's a story to be told there. Am I right to assume so?" Littorio spoke up, earning Sora to look over at her.

"Yep. You're right about that, Littorio."

"Magnificent! You have my undivided attention now, signore" the green-haired woman affirmed while having a positive aura surrounding her.

Seeing her sister's attitude toward the boy, Vittorio couldn't help but inwardly sigh in recognition.

'There she goes again. Someone seems to have caught her interest. I undoubtedly apologize in advance Sora.'

Meanwhile, all the girls in the audience were once again casting glares at the green-haired Sardegna Empire woman. Even kansens like Akagi and Prinz Eugen were beginning to slightly grind their teeth. The realization that a drastically different challenger had entered the arena now and she had quite the amount of firepower behind her arsenal. Littorio was not a foe they could underestimate due to the underlying fact that whenever she took an interest in something, then she would use everything she could to get what she wanted.

Consequently, Jean Bart was watching the boy be admonished by the three girls surrounding him and trying his best to answer all the questions that they were asking him. Seeing her sister, Richelieu, look at him with a bit of enlightenment caused her to scoff. She wasn't sure what to think of him and would need to pry into his character a bit more. Appearances could be deceiving.

Before Sora could try to answer a question offered by Richelieu about his ability, the clearing of someone's throat stopped the two Sardegna Empire and Iris Libre girls from saying anything else.

Turning his head to the source of his sound, he found it to be Nagato who was getting everyone's attention.

"Ahem, now then, before we barrage our dear friend with many questions…"

Littorio sent a teasing smile to Nagato which caused Vittorio to simply shake her head with a small smile appearing on her face.

"We should wait for our last guest. She should be arriving soon."

As if by coincidence, the sound of knocking could be heard on the doors to the room. Everyone turned their heads including Sora to see who was coming in.

"Pardon the intrusion."

Upon opening the door, he was met with a blonde-haired girl stepping through the door dressed in a dark uniform with red and gold strips going across the clothing followed by a cape on her back. She had black thigh-high socks with what appeared to be a coat of some kind around her neck. And on top of her head was a black cap with a gold insignia in the center of it followed by her distinctive blue eyes.

Sora did not recall seeing her as of late and figured that she was from one of the other factions.

Hood who had been watching the door closely brought a hand up to her lips followed by letting out a sad sigh out of her lips.

"Bismarck…"

The blonde woman now known as Bismarck began making her way further into the council room followed by everyone's eyes on her. If she was feeling nervous from everyone looking at her, then she was doing a good job of not letting the overall presence of everyone get to her. She had an expression clear of showing any doubt or worry and walked right up to the Sardegna Empire girls and nodded her head at Vittorio.

"Tis good to see you again, Vittorio, and Littorio."

"Ha! And you as well, Bismarck" Littorio cheerily replied.

"Likewise. It's nice to see you again" Vittorio respectfully responded.

She then looked over at Richelieu and nodded her head while offering a sincere sense of gratitude.

"Cardinal."

"Greetings, Bismarck."

It was then that Bismarck turned her head to see the other girls sitting there and profoundly lowered her head and took off her hat.

"Lady Nagato."

"Bismarck, I'm glad you were able to come."

"Forgive my lateness. We managed to get delayed by a stray storm along the way."

"Nonsense. I dare say that you've arrived just on time. We were about to start discussing the most vital aspect of the meeting."

Bismarck nodded her head and now turned to look over at the members of Azur Lane spotting Queen Elizabeth sitting nearby with her hands across her chest followed by spotting Enterprise sitting there and watching her closely. Then she saw someone that she figured would be attending the meeting but still felt guilt wallowing in her chest. Hood.

"Your Majesty."

"Here, Lady Bismarck, it's good to have you here."

"Thank you." The blonde Iron Blood kansen then looked over at the Grey Ghost. "Enterprise."

Nodding her head with respect imbuing her simple action, Enterprise responded.

"Bismarck."

Next, she simply looked over at the blonde Royal Navy girl while offering a sad look on her face.

"Hood…"

"…Bismarck."

Sora who had been watching the short greetings offered by the new girl couldn't help but notice the raspy interaction between her and Hood. It made him think that there was history between the two of them which resulted in them having a noticeably stark introduction.

However, before he could say anything, the blonde-haired girl turned her attention over to him and quickly observed him.

"I take it that you are Sora?"

Positioning that his body was now facing the girl, he put on a calm and collected smile on his face.

"Yep. That's me. I take it that you're Bismarck?"

"Yes. It's nice to finally meet you. Prinz Eugen has told me a great deal about you in the little time she has been greeted to you" Bismarck stated while casting a glance over at the white-haired woman who had a cheeky smile on her face.

Hearing this, the spiky-haired boy didn't imagine that word about him was spreading rapidly.

"That's… nice. I think. But was there anyone else coming to this meeting aside from you?"

"There are other girls from the Iron Blood down at the port, but I am the last one to arrive. Nobody else is coming now."

Standing up from her seat, Nagato got everyone's attention.

"Now then, we can proceed with our main objective here aside from the discussion regarding the future relations between Azur Lane and the Red Axis. Even if… that is now only but a name to remember our past."

The members of the Red Axis cast a sly glance off to the side. Many thoughts were swirling around in their heads and how the formation of the Red Axis was initially built upon good intentions. But given that things change over time it was safe to say that their main goal was clouded now. Alas, the same could be said with Azur Lane. Strength in numbers was the one thing that each faction desired and yet there were moments where the Royal Navy or Eagle Union tended to take adventurous risks with trying to find a way to beat back the Sirens.

However, with this new revolutionary opportunity presented at their feet, this could be the start of something new. Something stronger… and that possibility also had a spiky-haired boy accompanied with it.

"Lady Nagato" Vittorio spoke out."

"Yes, Vittorio? Is something aught?"

Gathering her thoughts, the gray-haired woman relayed her thoughts for everyone to hear.

"Forgive me for assuming it so, but wouldn't the relations between all our factions be the main objective to discuss here?"

"…Normally, you'd be right in assuming that. But…" The dark-haired Sakura Empire kansen cast a quick glance at the brown spiky-haired boy. "Things have changed. And might I say, for the better."

Everyone now had their eyes directed at Sora who was starting to feel embarrassed and ruffled the back of his hair letting out a small chuckle.

"I'm guessing that… you're talking about me."

The answer he got from Nagato was a sharp nod of her head.

"Right… well then, where should we start?" Sora asked, knowing that things were about to revolve around him and his entire situation.

It was also at this point that he began to realize that he was surrounded by many friends. Girls who he had a blast speaking with and sincerely wanted to get to know better. The insight of meeting so many amazing people and was bound to meet many more. He truly felt that… it would be ok to explain to them about his life. Especially the big overall aspect of his life.

This would be a big risk even though he had already told a few of the Azur Lane girls. Telling a bunch of other people and not knowing if they might freak out or become confused which could turn into a flurry of other emotions. Down trotting into the realm of suspected darkness if not cared for. But still… these girls deserved to know more about him.

Suddenly, he was snapped out of his thoughts as Queen Elizabeth called out to him.

"Sora, perhaps you should confide in our new guests about the appearance of the new foe and their overall goal."

Seeing where Her Majesty was getting at, he nodded his head and cleared his throat. This would get a bit… confusing.

"I'm not sure if you've heard about this mysterious monster that both Azur Lane and the Sakura Empire, plus the Iron Blood girls, engaged in combat with."

Prinz Eugen held a bright smile on her face as she heard him reference her and Nimi being in the area during the battle.

"But this new foe is known as the Heartless."

At this point, he pulled his Gummiphone out and displayed a picture of the dark creature to show to Jean Bart, Vittorio, Littorio, and Richelieu.

The four kansens each took a turn looking down at the strange creature and formed their own opinions about the monster. It was strange, to say the least.

Richelieu was of the mind that this creature depicted something that sought to dismay the light radiating around everyone. From its cold yellow eyes to its disfigured body structure that left her feeling a bit concerned. If Sora knew more about this creature, then she would listen intently with both her ears and heart as well as give the boy her word to vanquish this dark entity.

Jean Bart wasn't sure what to think about the dark creature in that she had no real distinctive opinion toward it. If it was appointed as a foe to her allies and it thought of her as one, then she would do whatever it took to destroy the monster. However, taking a quick look over at Richelieu… her sister… she couldn't help but have another thing to think about. But that sudden thought was soon pushed to the back of her head.

Vittorio on her part was growing curious about the dark creature and how it could be considered as dangerous. Moreover, the question of why Sora was the one who took charge of explaining the situation of these monsters was planted in her mind. Just what did he know about? And why did these dark beings show up now?

Littorio thought of only one thing and that was these dark monsters looked to be a new foe for her to conquer. With the situation displaying itself as something worth paying attention to, then she would do her part and stay primarily focused on everything Sora had to say. In addition, learning a thing or two from the spiky-haired boy might provide her with a detail or two about his character. Something that sounded all the more appealing the longer she thought about it.

After showing each of the girls, Sora took hold of the phone and pulled up the Ansem Reports along with any more information he had gathered to help in his explanation of the Heartless and other elements he knew would be covered in this discussion.

"The Heartless… tell me, Sora, I take it that these monsters are somehow connected to a person's heart?" Richelieu questioned him.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked, making it known that he was saying it in a joking manner.

The orange-haired girl let out a humming sound indicating that she picked up on what he meant.

"It's not hard to point out the name distinction. Nevertheless, the appearance of this creature gives me the feeling that… it has something to do with darkness."

Jean Bart let out a scoff while rolling her eyes at the comment.

"What kind of answer is that? Are you telling me that- "

"She's right."

The light brown-haired kansen instantly turned to look over at the boy who responded.

"What?"

"Richelieu's right." Taking a step forward and moving his head around the room to look at everyone, he continued to speak. "The Heartless can be described as the dark manifestations within people's hearts taking form. The feelings that somebody has enveloped in anger or frustration or malice. With enough darkness building up in a person's heart, the Heartless are then formed."

Silence reigned in the council room as the girls who had never known a thing about these dark creatures were utterly shocked and not sure how they should react. The Azur Lane girls who were more familiar with the creatures still had many thoughts sprouting throughout their heads. Questions pertaining to what amount of darkness within a person could cause a Heartless to appear.

"How is that… How have we not heard of this creature beforehand?" Vittorio spoke up, getting everyone's attention.

"You're right. Surely someone must have at least heard about this kind of creature before" Jean Bart added.

Sora knew he had to break the ice and come out to clear up the situation.

"There's a reason for that."

Most of the girls were now leaning forward in their chairs while others were intently listening to what he had to say.

Taking a deep breath, the Guardian of Light cleared his throat and laid out the truth.

"The Heartless… they are not from this world."

There was no moment of silence to process what he just said and the girls just started voicing their concerns and thoughts on the manner.

"What?"

"Come again?"

"Did you just say- "

"Not from this world?"

"Huh?"

"Wait. What?"

Many heads tilted upon hearing that and were now even more interested.

"The same can be said about me… I'm not from this world either."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Nobody really said anything as that bombshell of a truth was something that needed to be taken at face value. The faces of Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Takao, Atago, Kashino, Noshiro, Kaga, Akagi, and others were left with their mouths slightly open in aghast.

'So then… is that why he's so strong? Why he claimed to be able to slice through a building?' Zuikaku pondered to herself trying to wrap her head around everything happening now.

Another girl who was also having floundering thoughts was a certain brown-haired kitsune who had not taken her eyes off the boy from the moment he walked back into the council room and began introducing himself.

'Another world… heehee… what sights has he seen before? Maybe I can corner him and ask him about it… what a lovely chat that would be… I hope it'll take a long time…' Akagi thought while becoming very interested in the boy now. Granted, she was already interested in him before but now… it was multiplied by a hundred.

Others like Shinano, Amagi, and Richelieu weren't as surprised and could reasonably argue that there was something special about the boy that made the sudden announcement from him not leave them that completely surprised.

Shinano's case was a bit more understandable as she had been given a glimpse from her dreams about the impending doom that was to consume her home but was ultimately thwarted by the help of Sora. He was truly someone special with the ability to do things that she had never thought possible before. At least… from someone not harboring the powers and abilities of a kansen. Not to mention, the white-haired kitsune couldn't help but ponder that there might be even more discoveries to be made around the hero who wields light at his side and fights for his friends. Someone that… she wished to continue to walk with on whatever adventures and difficulties he encounters next.

Amagi's perspective of the boy was something akin to staring at a miracle. He had been able to do something that nobody else could and that was to save her from the brink of death. And not only that but be able to reach deep within her consciousness and give her a second chance at being with her family. Something that she will never forget and continue to do what she could to help the spiky-haired hero with anything that comes his way. He was someone who she could now see herself putting her undoubted trust into knowing that he was more than just a savoir… but a friend as well.

Richelieu's opinion of the boy was arising the longer she got to talk with him and learn more about him. Aside from the fact that he did have the influence of light even if it was not of the heavenly gift she thought of, she still could see that there was much more to him than any first glance impression could detect. Furthermore, she was also enamored by the boy's character and personality given that the other girls had only gotten to know him in a short time, and yet, they all had positive things to say about him and how he wanted to help those around him. Doing all that he could to help everyone without asking for anything in return.

Returning to the forefront of what Sora had just said, everyone was still trying to rattle their brains around what he had just said. Granted, there was also another factor to realize about the boy's statement and that was the ship girls' own situation didn't exactly make any sense either. Girls that were imbued with the power of conjuring weapons, ships, or plans out of nothing while dealing with a foe that they did not entirely know everything about. Along with a great deal more of things that were rather difficult to explain.

Meaning that… it was slowly dawning on the girls about Sora's revelation which caused them to look at him differently. Or rather… they were looking at him even closer now.

"…Another world…" Bismarck muttered while keeping an eye on the boy's face to see if he was pulling a prank on them or not.

The answer she found was that his face did not show any change and in fact, looked to be calm and collected while his posture pointed at him being confident and albeit complacent. He was telling the truth.

"Well, I'll be… that's certainly one way to stand out from a crowd. Hell, there's no way I can top that attention getter" Littorio remarked while staring curiously at the spiky-haired brunette and having her own thoughts swirling around in her head.

"He… Sora…" Vittorio wasn't sure what she should say but could honestly say that she was taken aback by his announcement.

"Perhaps you could explain yourself a bit more, Sora? This is… I don't know how to put it into words…" Richelieu asked the boy.

"I second that thought." Jean Bart said taking a step toward the boy while casting a glance at the orange-haired girl before looking back directly at the boy. "Stating that you are from another world and not providing any substantial proof is certainly not going to win everyone over."

Seeing what Jean Bart was getting at, Sora turned his head slightly to see the other girls in attendance and gauge what they were thinking about the whole thing. He could observe some wanting to believe him while others looked to be hesitant or contemplating on believing him.

Nodding his head, he figured that was the least he could do. The sooner he got to explaining who he was, then the sooner he could change the discussion to how dangerous the Heartless truly are followed by them now being in cahoots with the Sirens.

"Alright, I can do that."

Reaching into his pocket, Sora pulled out his Gummiphone and began to scroll through some of the pictures he took across the different worlds he visited. He also started to piece together what he wanted to discuss with the girls since there was quite a lot of information that he would need to get through. And that would most likely take all day and even longer to get through. But for now, the spiky-haired boy would stay on a basic level of knowledge about the Heartless and other worlds.

"Here you go, Jean, you can scroll through the pictures to see that I'm telling the truth." Handing the phone to the girl, he also began to turn his attention to everyone else in the audience.

He for a split-second thought about retracting his claim about being from another world but remembered that the girls deserved to know just what they were dealing with. Especially if the Heartless were now in cahoots with the Sirens. Another enemy faction that he did not know all that much about and would need to learn more about. Hence, he brought a hand up to his heart and knew that telling everyone the truth was the right thing to do.

"And… I guess I should start explaining what I meant."

"That would be nice, yes" Noshiro commented across the room.

Taking a deep breath, the Guardian of Light began speaking.

"I'm from another world and… I also travel to other worlds to help fight back against the darkness that's trying to take over and claim the heart of that world. Wanna take a guess as to what I'm referring to when discussing darkness?" Sora said to the entire room.

It didn't take that long for one of the girls to say aloud the answer and the one who did was a certain white-haired kitsune girl who tended to doze off randomly.

"… The Heartless" Shinano muttered which earned a nod from Sora.

"Yeah. They also travel around to different worlds."

The atmosphere in the council room went from a more cheerful mood to serious in a matter of seconds. Realization settled in that these dark creatures that they had encountered not that long ago were a more dangerous foe than they originally thought.

"How is that possible? Are they… aliens?" Ayanami, who had been sitting quietly for most of the time finally spoke out.

"No, the Heartless are created from people's hearts giving birth to darkness on their own through negative emotions" he responded but could see that confusion was evident on some of the girls' faces.

He did not want to worry the girls as he could see this turning sideways and decided to clarify his explanation.

"When I say negative emotions, I mean those really dark feelings flowing through someone's heart. Something like undoubted anger, fear, malevolence, hate, elements like that." Letting what he said to sit for a moment, he then continued. "We all have elements of darkness in our hearts."

Some of the girls' eyes widen in shock and looked like they wanted to say or do something, but before they could react, Sora appeared to have a smile on his face. One that conveyed reassurance and confidence in his expression.

"But that's ok. It's what makes us who we are."

A sense of calmness seemed to sit within the council room now thanks to his words. Several of the girls from Azur Lane who had heard about the Heartless from the boy already were still intently listening to what he had to say. Others were looking earnestly to hear what else Sora had to discuss.

"Aspects of Light and Darkness give us feelings that prove that we all have hearts. Laughing, being angry, feeling sad, becoming happy… those emotions are what gives us strength" he stated confidently.

Several of the girls in the room looked like they wanted to say something but were beaten by Atago who spoke up.

"But still… that's scary to think about." Holding her left arm with her free hand, the black-haired girl turned to look at Sora and continued voicing her thoughts. "Doesn't that scare you, Sora? I'll be honest and say that I'm understanding half of what you're saying, but knowing that emotions play a big part in these monsters…"

Hearing Atago's concern, Sora let a small smile appear on his lips while nodding his head.

"Yeah… it has and does scare me at times. But after everything I'm experienced, I know that all those feelings I just mentioned whether they are good or bad we have… they are amazing."

Once again, nobody said anything, and wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Ha, I see… guess I'm just scaring myself" Atago commented which got Sora to shake his head.

"No, no. It's ok to be wary. But just know that even if you do feel worried that something like that could happen to you remember the most important thing of all."

"And what's that?" Takao asked, making herself relevant when it came to her sister's worry.

Sending a warm and bright smile at the two dog-eared girls, Sora spoke in a calm and reassuring tone of voice.

"You're not alone."

Atago tilted her head slightly while having her mouth open ready to say something, but no words would be uttered.

"You have friends and family who are here ready to help you feel loved and appreciated while also ready to have your back no matter what. And if you'd allow me, then I will also be there to help you. Help anyone no matter what. Besides, it's good to have friends…" Sora said while letting the thought of Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and all his other friends appear in his mind.

Even though they weren't here with him now, they were still with him.

Inside his heart.

The girls were once again left amazed and in wonder at how sincere and heartfelt the boy's words were. Even Atago had brought her gloved hand up to her mouth while feeling a smile start to widen on her face followed by her cheeks turning a hue of pink. Granted, it wasn't very visible on her face, she knew for a fact that she was blushing. Her fascination and interest in Sora shot up tremendously.

Others agreed at how the spiky-haired boy radiated a positive atmosphere around him and wanted to be a part of that overall aura. Richelieu could now see an imaginative ray of light surrounding the boy that was drawing her in out of curiosity.

Feeling like the conversation went a little off-topic, Sora cleared his throat and went back to addressing the four girls who had stopped looking at his Gummiphone and had the impression that they wanted answers for the pictures that they saw.

"I take it you guys finished looking over the pictures?"

"Yes… and I have questions" Vittorio stated while still reeling in just what she saw on the boy's device.

Pictures of various people and creatures that she had never seen before in her entire life. Nothing in her memory could explain the things she saw.

Some of the photos she saw left her quite confused. There were pictures of Sora standing next to a giant blue hairy being next to a small green one-eyed… something. But the kicker with that picture was that the boy's appearance had also changed to a strange-looking animal. Another set of photos was the boy looking like what could be described as a toy standing next to what appeared to be a cowboy and… armored looking guy with a purple head?

The gray-haired girl shook her head trying to process that picture but continued to think about the other ones that she saw. In another set, she saw Sora wearing what appeared to be a pirate outfit with the tricorn hat atop his head while having the garb that you would imagine a pirate to wear. This sight caused her to set her eyes to glance over at Jean Bart given her close persona to such a lifestyle. From what she could see, the light brown-haired girl did not have any sort of reaction or expression and simply kept looking over at Sora.

Whatever could be running through her head?

Coming back to the situation, Sora crossed his arms and nodded positively.

"Sure, go ahead, Vittorio. Ask away."

"Thank you. Now then, your claim of being from another world… while it is a large arduous thing to consider- "

"No kidding" Jean Bart muttered from the side.

Not making the pirate's comment affect the conversation, Vittorio continued like normal.

"…These photos you have provided are very appealing. Is there anything else you can tell us to paint a better picture of your situation?"

"I'm sure there's also a story to be told there" Littorio added into the conversation.

Agreeing with what the Sardegna Empire girl was asking for, Sora decided that he could move the topic into that area.

"Right, well then, I'm originally from a set of islands called Destiny Islands where I lived with my friends and family. But after the Heartless attacked my world, I ended up getting sent to another world. One that was called Traverse Town which acted as a waypoint for those who had their worlds lost to Darkness. That's where my first journey really began looking for my friends who were lost and where I also met my other two best friends, Donald and Goofy. Haha, the large duck, and dog featured in a lot of my pictures for a better idea of how they look."

The four girls instantly recalled the large duck and dog that accompanied him in all the different pictures and also had their appearances change drastically. Those two seemed to resonate a great deal with Sora based on how he said their names with great joy and respect.

"When was your home… you know?" Littorio questioned him trying to be as polite as one can be when hearing that someone's home was assumedly gone.

A few girls had grown sad and worried about the boy, hearing that his home was destroyed by the Heartless. What would his reaction be? Would the question cause him to become sad?

"It happened a few years ago, but to make a long story short my home was restored after my friends, and I stopped the Heartless from affecting other worlds. So, you don't have to worry about saying anything wrong, Littorio" he said, easing the tension that was growing in the room.

Letting out a sigh she didn't realize that she was holding onto, Littorio felt a sense of calmness wash over her.

"I see, that is good to hear. I suspect your parents were happy to see you again."

This statement got Sora to look down at the ground which resulted in Littorio silently swearing inside her head.

'Dammit. That got a bad reaction out of him.'

Left momentarily stunned at what he should say, Sora shoot his eyes up and could see the concern on some of the girls' faces. He really was making things more difficult than they had to be.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to look all negative. But my parents were really happy to see me again. Even if it was for a moment."

"Huh? Sora, what do you mean?" the orange-haired girl questioned.

Shifting his head to look over at Richelieu, he relayed the next part of his entire adventure which would also lead to him being here.

"After I had finally been able to find my friends and defeat the Heartless which had been involved in a plot from an evil organization trying to take over other worlds, I was home and then received a letter from one of my friends. The letter told me that there were others who needed my help and… I wanted to save them."

His thoughts moved to think about the others who were lost at the time and how their hearts were either lost or hurt and needed help. The Keyblade wielders of the past and those who were hurting.

"Soon after, I went through an exam to become strong enough to save those who were hurting but ended up finding out that the evil organization that I thought my friends and I stopped was forming again, and this time they were working to create a war for light. Basically, making light and darkness fight each other. It was also during that time that I almost became a puppet for the organization to use, but thanks to my best friend, I was saved. However, I had lost my power and had to get it all back before the war against light and darkness" Sora explained to everyone who was listening very closely to everything he had to say.

To say that the girls hearing this were at a loss of words would be an understatement. Every time it seemed like things were somewhat calming down in Sora's life, then something else would appear and leave his tale to be something that some might consider ridiculous or outright unbelievable, but the truth was that it was really all true. And all that information still hadn't covered the boy's abilities.

"I… How…" Jean Bart muttered, trying to find the right words but couldn't.

"Sora…" Mikasa quietly said while glancing at the boy…no, the man before her.

Girls like Zuikaku and Takao had one thing come to mind now while looking over at the spiky-haired boy. He was a warrior unlike any they thought possible. The difficulties he had gradually glossed over led the two to believe that based on the war he was involved in that he was a stronger opponent than they originally thought. Even the Red Crane who had thought she was starting to get an idea of the boy's power was left feeling like she hadn't even come close to just how strong he was. Something that got her feeling… excited and eager to speak with him again.

"Sora."

Seeing who was talking to him, he found out that it was Nagato who spoke up.

"Yes, Lady Nagato? Is something up?"

"Based on what I'm hearing, it seems like there is more to your story."

"Heh, you have no idea. I'd like to think I'm giving a very short description of everything that I've experienced. And yet, there is so much more that I need to discuss" he replied while ruffling the back of his head.

"And I truly thank you for telling us all this information, but I do have a question for you that is piquing my interest."

Curious about what she was thinking, the boy decided to find out.

"I'd be happy to answer."

"Thank you. Now then, on the subject that you are from another world… I believe that you are telling us the truth. I believe you and I believe that if we are to better prepare for the Heartless as they have aligned themselves with the Sirens, then I would ask that you continue to help us deal with this strange foe."

Without evening needing a second to respond, Sora made his stance very apparent.

"Of course! I'll do everything I can to help you all. And speaking of the Heartless working with the Sirens, that's a situation that I fear will backfire on them soon."

"Oh? …Why is that?" Shinano asked aloud.

"Because the Heartless aren't exactly what I would call the most loyal servants. Sure, someone might be able to control them due to how strong their influence with darkness might be. But the Heartless have conquered many other worlds before. Who's to say that they wouldn't randomly change sides and attack whoever is commanding them" Sora explained to the white-haired girl.

This set an uneasy mood to become once again apparent in the council room.

"…Is there any way to stop this darkness? To stop these Heartless?" Richelieu asked, hoping that Sora would have the answer.

His response was to raise his right hand out and summon his Keyblade in a burst of light while raising it for everyone to see.

"This. The Keyblade is the only weapon that I know of that will completely defeat the Heartless. Of course, anyone can kill a Heartless with any weapon but given enough time they will come back and continue to seek out people's hearts and ultimately the heart of the world."

"So… they are like zombies?" Shoukaku commented which stopped Sora.

"I… I guess? Maybe? Not sure what a zombie is but if it keeps on coming back after you think you defeated it, then yeah, it's like a zombie" he responded, not sure if he's encountered a zombie before. He would have to think about it some more later.

Some of the girls immediately wanted to start chuckling at not knowing what a zombie was but instead, they kept quiet.

"That seems like an unfair situation," Jean Bart said, voicing her inner thought.

"It is. There aren't that many Keyblade wielders around anymore. Sure, my friends are Keyblade wielders but compared to in the past there are only a few. Not to mention, the place where the evil organization wanted their war was in a place called the Keyblade Graveyard."

"And…" Mikasa spoke up earning Sora's attention. "I take it that this Keyblade Graveyard was in a different world?"

Noticing how Mikasa said that he nodded his head solemnly.

"Yeah, that was the place of the first Keyblade War where wielders fought over the ownership of light. I'm not as familiar with that story and haven't looked all that deep into it but…"

"I see, thank you for answering, Sora."

Nodding at her response, the spiky-haired boy now turned to Nagato who hadn't said anything else aside from earlier. Maybe she was just listening intently?

It would be a moment until anyone said anything, but Nagato was the one to break the silence.

"Thank you, Sora. There's a lot to consider but for now, I would ask if there's anyone else who might still take issue with the fact that he claims to be from another world."

Scanning the council room, he saw that the girls who had looked a bit unsure about whether he was telling the truth were now expressing that they believed him. He was also sure others were still iffy on the whole idea of him being from another world but were doing their best to believe him even if it didn't make sense. He would have to thank them later.

Nobody seemed to say anything.

---

"Well then, with nothing else to add to Sora's situation now, we can begin addressing our next overall goal of this meeting" Nagato proclaimed for everyone to hear.

An overall change in topic and conversation.

"As we discussed before Sora arrived, the teardown of the Red Axis is something that we in the Sakura Empire and members of the Iron Blood have agreed upon. Those in the Sardegna Empire and Vichya Dominion is there anything else you wish to say now?" Mikasa addressed Littorio, Vittorio, and Jean Bart who were on the spot now.

Looking over at her sisters, Littorio did not appear to have anything to say but her eyes conveyed a message to her sister. One that she immediately understood.

"No, there is nothing we have against this decision. However, therein lies the topic that I believe we should at least discuss seeing that we have almost all the other factions associated with Azur Lane here now" Vittorio stated aloud.

"Hmm, please do tell us, Vittorio, what it is that you wish to discuss," Queen Elizabeth said from her seat having remained quiet for most of the meeting since Sora arrived as had been the case with those in Azur Lane who had heard a version of his tale before.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Taking a step forward, Vittorio began her speech. "We are well aware that this dismissal of the Red Axis is sure to send shockwaves across our different nations… things will be different. But I do hope there is a common ground that you all have abided by or at the very least given some thought to."

Enterprise, who was another who had been quiet this whole time, was the one who spoke up this time.

"We have. We in Azur Lane already discussed this prior to your arrival but we will abide by our already established grounds. *sigh* With the involvement of the Heartless now working with the Sirens, it's time that we find a path forward together as one force to fight back against the foes that wish our world harm."

Many of the girls could wholeheartedly agree with the Grey Ghost's comment. They had spent time and effort fighting against one another when in reality their true enemy was getting stronger and becoming more dangerous, and now involving the Heartless, it escalated the situation to an even more extreme level.

"As Enterprise says, we have no desire to make our soon-to-be allies our enemies once again. Time is of the essence as we saw with the invasion from the Heartless and Sirens" Queen Elizabeth affirmed Enterprise's answer even more.

"Nevertheless, it's also something that needs to be considered that the Siren fleet working in collaboration with the Heartless which was assumed to be commanded by Purifier who Sora had a close encounter along with support from Prinz Eugen" Hood stated which got the white-haired girl to nod her head.

The Iron Blood girl wanted to make a witty remark about helping Sora but could see that now was not the time. Perhaps she would say it later…

"Purifier was not that threatening of a foe. However, seeing that she reappeared so quickly after her first bout against Sora, and I is concerning" Prinz Eugen said.

"Which supports what I'm trying to ascertain. The Sirens working with the Heartless might be having affiliations that we know nothing about" Hood continued saying.

"Dark power…" Sora mumbled which everyone heard. "It's not crazy to think that the Sirens are looking into what kind of power they can take or manipulate while working with the Heartless meaning that things might get flipped upside down."

"Leaving us behind in the dust. Witnessing their forces gain access to a power we do not have an ounce of" Bismarck contributed to the conversation while glancing over at Hood who had caught her staring at her.

The idea that the Sirens were gaining new power and abilities by working together with the Heartless who had just been talked about by Sora destroying worlds left the girls feeling a bit worried. However, their concerns would be halted as Amagi spoke up from her seat.

"Then… what is to be our next move?"

Moving her hand to press what looked to be a button next to her, Nagato did so and immediately a bright blue light appeared from the back of the council room followed by what appeared to be a giant white screen to drop down behind her while being suspended in the air. It was the setup of a projector broadcasting on a white backboard.

"Here."

On the screen, there was now what appeared to be a map of the world with several flags planted at what could be considered the other faction's home bases. Sora also spotted what looked to be Azur Lane's base on the screen.

"We are receiving live updates from our scouts and have also collaborated with Azur Lane's reports regarding any sightings of Siren activity and were met with this."

Reaching under her seat, Nagato pulled out what could be described as a little pen that sent out a red beam of light. Something that reminded Sora of a laser without the burning part of it.

"In the north of the Pacific, there was a ping sending out quite the signal. Her Majesty and others in Azur Lane are awaiting any further updates regarding this ping but that is where we should focus a portion of our attention" Nagato elaborated to everyone.

"We are also waiting for our allies up north to confirm if there is any activity near their borders" Prince of Wales stated.

Seeing that there was a plan in play, Amagi hummed to herself. Glad to hear that even with all the chaos that had occurred not that long ago, there were steps forward to clear away the darkness that had parked itself at their island… their home.

"That's good to hear…"

"Mm. So then, what is to be our next move?" Richelieu asked, staring up at Nagato.

Pressing another button at her seated area, the screen popped up what appeared to be blue ships covering most of the area highlighted on the map. Sora suspected that those would be the girls.

"Once we have received intel from our scouts abroad, then we can make ready to have several fleets out on a striking mission. It all depends on how the situation is playing out there in the area" Nagato stated as a matter of fact.

"But until then, there isn't really much anything we can do but be on standby" Mikasa replied, casting a glance at everyone listening.

With that being the game plan, Sora let his thoughts wander while it appeared that the other leaders from the other factions had something to say, but he tuned everyone out and began considering his own plan of action.

'The Heartless could also be sprouting from something else happening in this world. Not that it wouldn't surprise me if it was somehow connected to the Sirens, but still, what should I do next? I haven't really had a chance to do a checkup on myself and what other abilities I might still have, or which powers have been affected. Nothing felt off during the Heartless and Siren invasion but I'm also missing a few of my keychains. There were a couple that would have come in handy if I still had them. *sigh* I still haven't even considered how I can help the girls in their fight with the Sirens. I need to see if I still have the ability to summon that pirate ship attraction again. That could allow me to help the girls out on the water when it comes to ship fighting. The closest thing I know about naval fighting was from Captain Jack and I don't think those same rules apply here…'

For a good minute, the spiky-haired boy had taken a thinking pose while he was pondering what his next steps would be not just when it came to dealing with the Heartless but what else he should be doing since he still wasn't that familiar with this world. There was a great deal for him to learn and knowing that time wasn't something he had, he would need to find a way to progress forward with a plan that-

"Uh, Sora, hello?"

The sound of someone calling out to him dragged him back to his senses which also threw him off when he saw someone's hand waving in front of him.

"Huh? Oh! Enterprise, what are you doing?"

The white-haired girl was right next to him while observing him for anything unusual but kept a small grin plastered on her face.

"I think I should be the one asking you that."

"What? How come?"

"Have you checked your surroundings?"

Not sure what she was getting at, the brunette did so and expected to see everyone staring at him while having confused looks on their faces for him being lost in thought when he was met with an even bigger surprise. Nobody was in the council room anymore.

"What the- What happened?" Sora asked his white-haired friend.

"Well, after Nagato continued discussing more of the situation at hand along with a rough idea for a battle plan once our scouts sent word back, she dismissed everyone while she and a few others went to continue their talks about what else needed to be talked about regarding the future of the factions working together. Queen Elizabeth and a few others went with her, but I decided to stay back once I saw that you weren't moving when the meeting was adjourned. Everyone kind of thought you were in a trance and decided to not bother you and wait until you were done gathering your thoughts" Enterprise explained to the spiky-haired boy.

"Oh… that's kind of embarrassing."

Letting out a happy-sounding chuckle, Enterprise shook her head.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. After all, you did explain quite a bit of information to everyone. It's only fair to think that you needed a break."

Putting on an awkward smile, Sora had to agree with her there.

"Yeah, and truthfully, I still haven't told you or anyone else the true extent of how deep my journey goes. I think even the short version of my long story will still be long if you can believe that" Sora sheepishly said to her.

"Hm. Well then, seeing that things are calming down, maybe we'll have the chance to sit down and hear that story." Tipping her hat to the side, Enterprise took a few steps forward before glancing over at Sora. "If that's alright with you, of course."

Smiling widely at her, Sora happily replied.

"Of course! Though, that does lead me to wonder how I should tell you about my adventures in the other worlds. Should I start from the beginning or sprinkle in some parts from other adventures that stood out? Gah! There's so much to tell."

Walking toward the council room doors, Enterprise beckoned for the Keyblade wielder to follow her.

"Well, why don't we grab a bite and sit down? That way we can talk and see what happens next. What do you say?"

The answer Sora wanted to give her was a resounding yes but the answer he did give was the sound of his stomach grumbling quite loudly that it caused him to bring a hand up to his mouth and cough into it. An awkwardness was now present for the world-traveling boy.

"Ah… does that answer your question?"

This caused the two of them to start laughing while making their way out of the council room. Along with Enterprise letting out a small barely noticeable fist pump with her hand that was furthest away from Sora to see. She was now another step closer to spending time with the boy while also getting to hear more about his adventures and the experiences he lived through which might give her an even better depiction of his character. Something that she wanted to learn more about as of late.

---

Meanwhile not that far away from the council building

Zuikaku and Shoukaku were standing next to a small pond that was housing various fish that were swimming around quite peacefully. The meeting in the council room had been dismissed and while everyone seemed to venture away from the building to go about their day since there wasn't anything major, they could do now, the two decided to spend a minute processing everything that had been said along with the stark truth bomb about Sora.

"*sigh*"

"Zuikaku? Is something bothering you greatly? You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"Sis, it's nothing."

Bluntly staring at her younger sister, the white-haired crane calmly walked up to Zuikaku and flicked her on the forehead.

"OW! What? Why did you do that!?"

"Because you're not saying what's bothering you. All you're doing is mopping around while leaving me with nothing to work with."

"It's not like that, sis. I'm just… trying to process things still."

"About the resolving conflict between Azur Lane and what Lady Nagato and the others had to say… or…" A wide grin appeared on Shoukaku's face. "Are you thinking about a certain spiky-haired boy?"

Seeing that there was no getting out of this situation, Zuikaku let out a defeated groan while mumbling something to herself before addressing her sister.

"Yes… I'm not that concerned about what was discussed in the meeting. Rather, it's Sora who is on my mind."

"Oh! This is surprising." Bringing a hand up to her mouth, the white crane let an amused chuckle escape her lips. "I would have thought you'd be too shy to truly say what was on your mind."

"I-I might be shy at some things, but when it comes to him I… there's a lot to take in."

Shoukaku knew exactly what Zuikaku was getting at. The realization was that Sora was more than they initially thought and even then, he exceeded any of their prior speculations. The boy was not from this world at all.

"You're right about that. Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I'm becoming quite curious to hear a tale or two about his adventures in the other worlds that he's visited" she said to the brunette.

The Red Crane simply nodded her head while glancing down at the fish again. Her thoughts wandered around her head at an incredible speed.

It was at this point that a moment of silence resonated itself between the two that Shoukaku decided to straighten her clothes out and grabbed her sister's hand.

"Huh? Sis? What are you- "

"I have a plan."

"You do?"

"Yep. We are going to go see Sora."

"Wait! Now!?"

"Yep."

"B-But won't others be surrounding him? How are we going to be able to talk to him?"

Pulling Zuikaku's arm so that she was now forced to look into her eyes, Shoukaku laid it out flat and bluntly what was currently on her mind.

"Easy. We walk up to him and ask if we can find a place to sit and chat. Besides, if we don't take the initiative now, then there will be others who jump at the chance of talking and overall getting closer to him."

The brunette couldn't fathom why her sister was jumping at this solution. "But wouldn't it be best to ask him to chat some other time?"

"Zuikaku."

A look of outright seriousness was displayed on the White Crane's face. Her expression read that this was a serious matter.

"There is no time to waste at all. These are dire circumstances… We are at war."

The girl blinked her eyes several times before saying anything.

"Well, yeah. The Sirens now working with- "

"No, no! Not that kind of war. A war of love."

"Love?"

"Hai… I swear, sometimes you are the smartest person I know but there are times when you are utterly clueless. It's like you turned your brain off."

"H-HEY!"

If she was going to help her younger sister not only in the friendship department followed in the romance category, Shoukaku was going to need to knock some sense into her.

"You like Sora, don't you?"

"G-Geh!? What does that have anything to- "

"Yes, or no?"

"Like is a strong word is it not?" Zuikaku tried aruging.

"..."

Silence followed as Shoukaku was waiting for her sister to realize her blossoming feelings.

"…Yes…"

"Well then, seeing that we have just met it would be right to get to know more about him. Find out his likes and dislikes and since you two seem to have a good time chatting with each other, then getting to him the sooner will be better for you" Shoukaku explained to her beautiful yet dumb at times sister.

"But where would he be? Is he still in the council room thinking?" Zuikaku questioned her.

"Hmm. That's a good point. Well, it wouldn't hurt to poke our heads in and see what he's up to. Come on."

Seeing that there was no way to dissuade her sister, Zuikaku followed suit while also feeling her cheeks warm up and her stomach feel like butterflies were bouncing around her insides. Is that what the feeling of having a crush was like? It was an entirely new experience for the Red Crane, and she had to be honest… it felt nice.

---

Elsewhere not that far away from the council building

Standing next to what could be described as a fox shrine structure, three kitsune sisters were stopped in front of a small fox statue and taking in the pleasant view before them. They had thought it would be a far-fetched dream to be together like this once again. Akagi and Kaga were hesitant quite more so for Akagi, but Amagi seemed to take in the breath of fresh air surrounding her.

The older kitsune sister seemed to become quiet which caused Kaga to reach out to her.

"Sister Amagi? Is everything… alright?"

Turning to address her sister kindly, the brown-haired girl smiled kindly at her.

"All is well, Kaga. I'm just… taking in everything around me that I thought I never would be able to experience again. As that saying goes, people don't really appreciate what they have until it is taken away from them. And while you may think that I did so before, now I would truly like to do so with the second chance I have been given. All thanks to Sora" Amagi stated while spotting a lone fox dragging along two other small foxes.

Almost as if she was staring at a mirror. A coincidence if you could believe it. But one she would happily welcome.

"Amagi… what can you tell us about what Sora did for you? I- " Kaga had stopped herself as she shot a look over at Akagi who had been suspiciously quiet for quite some time. It was starting to become out of character for her.

"It's alright, Kaga. What's done is done. I have simply accepted my punishment and will continue to work toward redemption from those I hurt" Akagi responded while off-handedly spotting the trio of foxes bustling away from sight.

The girl was going through many different emotions plaguing her along with the realization that her sister was truly saved. It might have clicked with her earlier after the battle but to see her standing there watching her now… it made everything seem so surreal.

"…Akagi."

Hearing her sister call to her, she looked over at her waiting to hear what she had to say.

"You know that I love you, right?"

"O-Of course! Why would I- "

"Because you've been acting not like yourself."

A pained expression was now on Akagi's face.

"I… Everything that I did. It's all starting to settle in now. I was planning on hurting those I care about… all so that I could save you…"

Seeing that the young girl, in her eyes, was reflecting on her actions and how the fallout was starting to play out, Amagi knew that soon enough she would find a way to put things back to the way they were.

"I know, I know. And I know for a fact that you will do what's right to make up for your actions." Coming up to the girl and wrapping her arms around her, Amagi could feel her slightly trembling. "Besides, with our future looking to be filled with hardships, now is the time to right your wrongs."

"That… That will be difficult. Everyone now sees me as a traitor. My friends have distanced themselves while- "

"And?" Amagi bluntly stated.

This left the brown-haired girl confused.

"W-What?"

"Do you really believe that to be the case? That they would all just leave your friendship like that. Sure, there will be difficult times… but you forget who already said they will be in your corner. Who considers you a friend even though you did fight him."

That's right. There was someone who said they would consider her a friend even though she put him through hell in the short time they had met each other. The feelings of everything on top of what may occur in their future had left her feeling emotions that were bottled up inside her that she simply forget the one positive that was in her favor.

Sora.

Just thinking about the boy got the brown-haired kitsune woman to feel her cheeks warm up while also her tails starting to move back and forth slightly.

"Right… I'm sorry, Amagi. I don't know what happened to me… Perhaps it was just the realization of everything happening so far or what will happen that I let dark thoughts stop me from seeing the truth" Akagi hopefully said to her sisters.

This entire situation was something that the three kitsune sisters had not expected to happen at all. Everything they had learned about the Heartless and Sora left them reeling in the fact that many new things were being discovered around them. Along with the fact that more discoveries were waiting to be introduced to them and everyone else.

"Mm. Well then, seeing that you have gotten your balance back…" Amagi moved her head to take a glance over at the council building which wasn't that far away.

Perhaps he would still be there?

"Why don't we go pay our hero a visit? Hm?" she said to both Akagi and Kaga.

"You think Sora is still there?" Kaga questioned Amagi's comment.

"I do. He looked to be in great thought, and I'd like to think that's understandable. A lot has happened involving him in such a short amount of time" she clarified to her younger sister.

Akagi didn't say anything, but it was very telling that she seemed happy with that suggestion based on her tails beginning to move back and forth. Whether it was done purposely or unconsciously neither of the sisters knew, but it was easy to tell that she was having a unique reaction to the boy's name.

"Right then, shall we?" Amagi asked the two girls.

"Will there be others there? Looking to seek his company?" Akagi asked her sister.

The thought of having others surround the boy made her start feeling irritated and even more eager to reach the boy.

"If there are, then it still wouldn't hurt to ask him to join us. Whether it's now or later. I'm sure Sora will find a way to make it happen. Now then, let's get going."

The answer she got was a visibly excited nod from Akagi while Kaga begrudgingly nodded her head while having a distanced expression on her face. She seemed to be having her own thoughts about the boy.

The truth of the matter Kaga was dealing with was that she was feeling a sense of guilt toward the boy and wasn't sure how she should make things right. Sure, she had also been greeted with the consequences of her actions by Lady Nagato, but her sensibility and common sense knew that she had to thank Sora in some way. And in her opinion, a simple thank you would not be enough to truly thank him for what he has done.

He saved her dying sister when nobody else could.

Akagi's attempt was what she originally believed in, but hearing about the ramifications of her actions and how she was ultimately being manipulated to do so. Allowing her to let darkness corrupt her heart and possibly even hurt her if Sora's explanation of dark feelings was to be understood.

This is why she was currently going through quite an internal dilemma when it came to meeting him again.

"Yes! Let's go" Akagi excitedly said which drew Kaga out of her senses.

With no further objections, the three sisters began making their way back to the council building to see if they could take this chance to sit down and have a chat with the boy.

---

Not that far away from the council building

Standing next to what appeared to be a large Cherry Blossom tree, a certain white-haired girl with a red streak in her hair was listening to what her friend had to say.

"Yes, yes, Nimi. I hear what you're saying… but I'm not listening" Prinz Eugen said while admiring the petals that were beginning to fall from the tree offering a beautiful sight before her.

"*sigh* Of course you're not" Nimi defeatedly replied.

"I was listening," Ayanami who was accompanying the hat-wearing said to give her some support.

"Hah… Thanks, Ayanami."

Pushing herself off the tree, Prinz Eugen looked over at the two girls and couldn't help but let a large smile appear on her beautiful face. She was feeling the effects of boredom and wanted nothing more than to find some excitement to appease her. Or rather… a certain someone she had yet to really meet and talk with.

"Say, Nimi, Ayanami, why don't we go and pay our spotlighted hero a visit?"

"Huh? Spotlight… you mean Sora?" Z23 questioned the Iron Blood girl.

"Yep. I'm quite curious to get to know him better. If you know what I mean~" Prinz Eugen said in a very… worrisome tone that Nimi and Ayanami picked up on.

"Won't he be busy?" the Sakura Empire girl commented.

Picking up a petal that was floating right in front of her, the white-haired woman brought it up to her and examined it closely before gently laying it next to the bottom of the tree.

"Perhaps. But I'll be honest… I really do wish to talk with him. We didn't exactly get the chance to have a real conversation. I'd like to change that."

The two shorter girls both looked at each other while realizing that it wouldn't hurt to go and find the boy. They were also a bit curious about him aside and wanted the chance to talk with him. Based on the little that they had heard about him that just made them eager to hear more about his adventures.

"I'm okay with that," Ayanami said.

"…Fine. Don't be surprised when you find a line of girls wanting to talk with him."

"Oh. I won't be. Quite the contrary. Sora is the one who is in for a surprise."

Prinz Eugen stated this while also licking her lips and having an excited look on her face. She could not wait to finally get the chance to have a real conversation with him. It was sure to be a good time.

---

Back with Sora

After coming out of the council building with Enterprise walking right next to him, he had to admit that there were quite a few interesting sights inside the official building. He hadn't had the chance to explore inside and the two spent a few minutes looking around while making sure to not break anything or go anywhere that was off-limits. The Sakura Empire's architecture and art were truly something else.

"Hey, Enterprise, how is everyone back in Azur Lane? Things kind of happened so fast back when I offered myself as a prisoner" Sora asked the white-haired girl.

"Well… to say they were a bit hurt would be an understatement. Some of the girls wanted to charge headfirst into the Sakura Empire and go guns blazing to bring you back. Others were feeling really sad that you were taken away. Unicorn being one of the ones who was sad" she responded to his answer.

"I see…"

The weight of causing the young girl and many others worry due to his rash action to save them from the surprise attack commenced by Akagi and Kaga was starting to weigh on him. He especially felt bad for the purple-haired little girl that saw him in the limelight as a big brother of sorts.

Sora knew that he would need to make it up to them whenever he gets back to the island. Especially when it came to Unicorn since he must've worried her the most. Perhaps he could start working on making her a gift of some kind that would cheer her up. There were several ideas that came to mind but one out of the others stood up greatly. Partly because he was also interested in the idea.

However, that process could wait for another time as he and Enterprise continued to walk a few steps away from the building and were now outside taking in the bright and sunny day slowly coming to a close when he spotted several familiar faces all heading toward him.

Scratch that.

The more his eyes scanned his surroundings, the more he realized that there were now a bunch of girls all walking in the same direction. That direction was toward the council building.

"Uhm… Enterprise?"

"Yeah… I see them, Sora."

One by one, girls that he was familiar with and girls that he hadn't had the chance to meet yet were swarming all around him until it appeared like he was surrounded. Never in his life had he been caught in a situation like this. A drastic and complete change compared to the time when he arrived at Azur Lane and then in the Sakura Empire. Where everyone was once frightened and wary of him were now looking eager to run up to him and do who knows what.

"H-Hi, everyone! Um, what's going on?"

"T-That I-I mean…" Zuikaku was trying to find the right words but ultimately couldn't get anything out.

"Oh? It would seem that… everyone was of the same mind" Shinano spacely said, losing count of how many girls had just appeared out of nowhere.

"Curiosity got the best of us. Or should I say some more than others" Noshiro who was part of the crowd proclaimed.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" Hiei who Sora spotted behind a few other girls said.

"Nay. There's nothing wrong with that. I'd say it's only natural for someone of Sora's standing to gain this much attention. Besides, I was hoping that he and I could have a little… chat" Prinz Eugen stated in a tone of voice indicating that she was here on a mission.

Beads of sweat could be felt on the back of the Keyblade wielder's neck.

"Hey, maybe we can take a minute to- "

"Sora, I hope it wouldn't be too much of a bother, but my sisters and I would love it if you'd join us for a cup of tea and chat for a little while," Amagi asked the boy causing waves to be felt from the crowd.

"…Sora…" Akagi muttered, never letting her eyes wander away from him.

"Sora! Zuikaku and I were just on our way back here to ask you if you wanted to go and grab a bite to eat with us. Plus, my dear sister was really wanting to hear a story or two about your adventures in the other worlds you've visited. Isn't that right, Zuikaku?" Shoukaku said while nudging her sister to take affirmative action.

"Y-Yeah! I would like to hear a story or two… If that would be alright, Sora?" Zuikaku asked in a gentle voice that seemed to be exactly what her sister wanted to hear.

Striking while the iron was hot and since they were surrounded by many others, this was starting to look like the start of the war Shoukaku talked about earlier.

'Two can play at that game' Prinz Eugne thought to herself seeing the Red Crane try to use that shy and gentle tone of voice to win the boy over.

"Sora, we haven't officially had the chance to sit down and chat. I was hoping that you and I would be able to find a cozy spot around here and get to know one another better." The white-haired girl was soon poked in the side by her fellow Iron Blood friend who made it apparent that she was there as well. "Plus, Nimi and Ayanami would like to chat with you."

That did sound nice to the brunette boy, he hadn't been able to chat with Ayanami since their bout back in Azur Lane during the sudden invasion.

"Wait a minute. We would also like to speak with Sora" Noshiro had stated out loud. "There are things we need to ask him to make sure we can trust him."

"Trust him? Where have you been for the past- "Hiei started to say but was abruptly stopped.

"Shouldn't it be obvious? Sora's a boy. W-We have to make sure that he isn't thinking of doing anything shady" the dark-haired girl said which earned several of the girls in the crowd to blush on command.

"Can I speak?" Sora tried asking but was soon drowned out by others speaking up.

The atmosphere surrounding the boy was starting to become worrisome as some of the girls were now either talking amongst each other or were still trying to talk directly to him. Enterprise who was a bit baffled by what was happening slowly moved herself closer to the boy so that her hand was basically a few centimeters away from grabbing hold of his jacket or his hands. She was the first one to ask him to hang out and she wouldn't be giving up so easily.

"Wait! I need to speak with him!" the sound of Yukikaze could be heard.

"Ah! But Lady Shinano and I would like to have a meal with Sora and listen to his tale of saving Amagi" Kashino proclaimed while standing next to the white-haired kitsune woman who had her tails also slightly moving around.

"Takao and I would like to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea with you, Sora. Along with hearing about the various kinds of enemies, you must have fought in your many travels" Atago requested to the boy, smiling brightly at him while her sister was next to her looking hopeful to learn from the otherworldly boy.

"Sora, do you mind if we catch up? I want to tell you a bit more about Shibuya and introduce you to a few of my friends that haven't gotten the chance to talk with you" Kirishima said, gesturing over at several others who were standing next to her. Those girls were Kongou, Akatsuki, Ashigara, and Haruna.

"Nyaa! Sora! We haven't officially met yet, but we should definitely talk. I wish to hear of the different kinds of businesses that you've had the privilege to deal with Nya" a green-haired girl with cat ears and cat-themed sleeves said aloud while having dollar signs imprinted in her eyes.

Being bombarded with questions left and right from all the girls, Sora was starting to become dizzy with all the commotion going on that he didn't know what to do.

That is… until a certain brown-haired kitsune girl slowly walked up to Sora which got everyone to become quiet. Even Enterprise slowly moved so that she was alarmed at what was happening.

Walking up to the spiky-haired boy was none other than Akagi who had a calm normal looking expression on her face. Nothing really seemed to be out of place. However, that soon changed when Akagi's eyes seemed to glow with a red hue around her irises which startled Sora. His confusion would hit a whole new level as he watched the girl bow her head and start speaking to him.

"Sora, if you would so kindly, please join my sisters and me for a meal together where we might chat and thank you for all that you've done for not only my family but… for me as well" Akagi calmly said to the boy.

Such bold words from Akagi caused everyone to raise their eyebrows. Even Prinz Eugen could feel that something wasn't sitting right. She must have had a card up her sleeve for what she was doing.

"And also, that we may discuss your future arrangements given… that I will be with you for now until the end of time seeing that I will be happily and gladly offering you my everything. My love… my heart… and… my body. It's all yours' now~. Heehee."

Annnnnnd that's when everyone realized just what the brown-haired woman was getting at. An uproar began to spread around the buzzing crowd. Eyes went wide and many mouths were left aghast at what was happening before them.

'Sis was right! This is a war!' Zuikaku shouted internally while feeling her cheeks match her dress color.

'Dammit. That sly fox. If she wants to play like that, then so be it. I was only playing it casually but now… 'Prinz Eugen thought to herself, seeing that she would need to heavily go on the advance.

'I-I… can I do or say something to that extreme!? Shouldn't we get to know each other more first?' Enterprise said mentally while not letting Akagi's actions get the best of her.

'Grrr. Senpai! I won't let you get away with this! My dear sweet Zuikaku is getting a win today!' Shoukaku proclaimed loudly in her head.

'Oh my! Sora really is popular now. Looks like Takao and I are going to need to put in some extra effort' Atago commented to herself.

'Things are heating up. And there are other girls who aren't even here yet. What's going to happen when Littorio shows up?' Kashino thought, knowing full well about the green-haired girl's personality.

'This is… troubling. Perhaps I can try to work on my dreams showing me important events like these for the future…' Shinano said to herself, seeing how drastic things were getting for Sora's attention.

After seeing and hearing everyone chatting and somewhat arguing with each other all because of him, Sora knew that he had to do something, and it needed to be fast.

"EVERYONE! PLEASE STOP!"

That did the trick.

Everyone seemed to stop talking and was now staring at the spiky-haired boy with stunned faces.

"Sorry, but I didn't want fights to start because of me." Ruffling the back of his hair, Sora prepared himself for the eager crowd. "*sigh* I really do want to talk with everyone. And getting something to eat sounds good, but maybe we can start working on a plan of sorts."

"What kind of plan?" Enterprise asked, curious about what he had in mind.

"Something that will let me meet with people faster and not cause any problems. I know there's a lot you all want to ask of me, and I would be happy to do so. However, I won't do that if fights are breaking out" Sora stated with a tone that some could even say sounded like a leader.

"Something to get things done easier…" Kaga muttered.

Taking a second to think about his plan, Sora had just the right idea to make things right.

"*snap* How about this, if you girls can get into groups, then I can try to go around to different groups and chat with everyone while having a good time rather than forming a line or something silly like that" he added.

Each of the girls took a moment to think about his idea and decided that that would be the best way to meet with many girls while still being able to enjoy himself without being bothered.

"I'm ok with that."

"Yeah, that works."

"Nobody has to get hurt this way."

"Yeah!... wait what?"

"So, who is grouping with who?"

Another problem that he would have to work around.

"What about this…"

Glancing over at Enterprise, he knew that she was the first person to ask him to chat and he would not dismiss her at all. Plus, out of everyone here, she was the one who he knew the longest. She was someone that he could rely on a great deal.

"How about Enterprise, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Kashino, and Shinano as the first group? And then Amagi, Kaga, … Akagi, Noshiro, and Hiei. And then, everyone else grouped up together. Does that sound ok?" Sora questioned the girls standing all around him.

Nods were being sent his way as he had managed to find a way out of a situation that could have turned so much worse. Not to mention, he was still a bit shocked by what Akagi had said to him and was doing his best to keep it at bay until he had a chance to talk with her. Plus, he also wanted to check on Amagi and Kaga to see if they had any questions, they couldn't ask him earlier.

"I think that works out well. What do you two think?" Enterprise asked the Crane sisters.

"We'd be honored to join you, Grey Ghost. I know my sister thinks the same way, right Zuikaku?" Shoukaku said to her sister.

"Yeah, thank you for hearing us out, Sora" Zuikaku happily replied.

"I'm also grateful that we'll get the chance to listen to your stories, Sora" Kashino added while she and Shinano were walking up to the group.

"Yes… I'm quite excited" Shinano responded with a smile on her face.

From the side, Akagi's hand had turned into a fist but slowly let go and went back to a relaxed form. She would for sure get her chance to speak with the boy and it would be with her sisters along with Hiei and Noshiro who didn't seem to pose that much of a problem to her. Her excitement for getting the chance to talk with the boy was swelling in her chest.

It was also at this point that the other girls started to form groups amongst themselves to pair up for when Sora would be able to talk with them. Prinz Eugen was fine with this idea since she was with Ayanami and Nimi and had room for a few more girls to join them. She looked over to spot Takao and Atago chatting with Ayanami and suspected that those two would be joining her group. However, she couldn't help but be slightly worried that other girls were not present but would hold more merit due to having closer relationships with him.

'Hood, Prince of Wales, Illustrious, Littorio, Vittorio, and Jean Bart. Oh, can't forget the Cardinal. She's an unexpected wild card that needs to be watched closely.'

With the girls starting to disperse and leave the area likely to give Sora and the others some space the once tension and bombarding area outside the council room was calming down. However, he was now left with another very important question that lay at his feet. He needed to confide in Enterprise, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Kashino, and Shinano for help in this matter.

"So… does anybody know where we can get some good food?"

---

*A/N* - Greetings again. Glad to see you reach the bottom of the chapter. I apologize for the super long wait on this one. June has been an eventful month that I did not foresee. But I can say that things are progressing somewhat well story-wise. We have a bit of a rest period where nothing new is happening until the scout ships return which means that Sora will be dealing with even more craziness. In the form of girls gunning for his attention and other things regarding the heart. As much as I would love to get through to everyone one of the Sakura Empire girls, I'm going about it in groups so that way multiple girls spend time with him, but later on expect more one-on-one moments between the Guardian of Light and the girls that are part of his eventual, soon-to-be harem. Thanks so much for sticking around and checking the story out. Until next time, take care.