Commander Blaze, a front line commander story

by Dasmara

Meet William Blaze, a veteran who royally screwed his last mission and was thrown into prison. But when The Sirens invaded, Azur Lane High Command need him once more and so he is reinstated. His new job? Command the beautiful ship girls and give The Sirens big F you in the face. Join them as William balanced his daily life between dealing with the girl's antics and killing Sirens.

32. The calm before the storm

…William, who's dressed in his officer uniform, sat inside the VIP meeting room within the Azur Lane Central Headquarters, his face passively unresponsive as he listened to the High Command councilors arguing about what he considered to be 'nonsensical' matters. On one side of the table sat Lucas, Lena, and the other Azur Lane councilors, while the other side had a holographic projection of the Crimson Axis High Council members, including Erich Von Sternberg himself as the chairman of Crimson Axis. William honestly felt tired, he has been arguing regarding the details and operational capabilities of ALASUC for an hour now. While it's good that Lucas, Lena, and Erich got his back, it still unnerved him that a few councilors on Azur Lane's side still insist that he's somehow a 'threat' to the whole of humanity. More like a threat to you cunts…

"Commander Blaze, what do you have to say about ALASUC's operational details?" One of the Azur Lane councilors asked William.

"…I already stated that Azur Lane Anti Siren Unit Command or ALASUC has become an independent unit free from the direct control of Azur Lane High Command Council or Crimson Axis High Council. Without any sides having the power to directly control the unit, it is believed that ALASUC could work at its full capacity and without any bias involved. Both Azur Lane and Crimson Axis would be given the same treatment, if any of the sides wants to request the deployment of the KANSENs or ship girls, then they simply need to request the unit in the form of commissions with rewards for ALASUC. Once ALASUC accepts the commission then they will send out the commission team to handle the said commission, if the commission is large enough that requires a large amount of ship girls to be mobilized then the rewards would have to be adjusted accordingly…With this system, the unit could operate continuously and independently." William said to the councilor in calm and professional tone.

"Commander, do you know the concept of anarchy?" The same councilor asked William.

"I am well acquainted with it." William answered while he shrugged.

"Then you know that strategic assets like ship girls will need to be monitored, with a clear chain of command or risk having a rogue unit that could potentially become problematic in the future. A few files of the ship girls indicate that they are not subservient to a command structure, they have a great potential to go rogue." The councilor said to William.

Sounds like that's just an excuse to have the ship girls being dispersed from their current position. William isn't that well versed in political language or even the whole fuckery that comes with it, but he could read between the lines on some occasions. Monitoring strategic 'assets' like them would mean having them back in their own respective countries. William is quite familiar with how 'reluctant' nations are to send away their strategic assets when they are needed for a mission because they're afraid they will lose them…These councilors aren't here for the betterment of the entire mankind, they're here for the political interest of their own nations. Don't get him wrong, William has no problem with being careful regarding strategic maneuvers since it could determine a fate of a nation or even the world…But, William couldn't help himself but to think that there's even more going on in here…something he couldn't wrap his hands around but knew it's there, and it's waiting to strike him down when he least expects it…

"That's why I am the commander of ALASUC, I exist to make sure anarchy won't happen within ALASUC and to serve as a figure for those ship girls to follow." William said to the councilor with a passive face.

"And who will be in charge to monitor you, commander?" …Ah, this is what Lucas warned him about.

"Admiral Gibson, I have clearly stated that I am the one who monitors ALASUC's activity, and I make sure to cooperate with the Crimson Axis should the need arise." Lena came to the rescue by arguing with Admiral Gibson who had been asking William.

"That is true. Admiral McAllen has contacted us numerous times in the past, all for the sake of preventing miscommunication regarding the handling of the KANSENs." Erich said to Gibson, even the Crimson Axis chairman got his back.

"Then how can we be so sure that you won't use them for your personal gain, admiral?" Gibson asked Lena while he narrowed his eyes.

"My personal gain is the victory over those Sirens, I want nothing but to see them extinguished from the surface of the earth." Lena said to Gibson while she frowned a bit.

"Bullshit, no human has ever been that noble-" Gibson said to Lena while he scowled.

"Enough! This system was agreed both by Chairman Sternberg and I because THIS system is the fairest regarding the use of ship girls. We prevent monopoly by simply not having the ship girls within immediate command, this way both factions won't have any excuse regarding not wanting to lend ship girl support because they want to hold them back for 'just in case' scenarios. A highly capable unit of such caliber shouldn't be controlled by one single faction." Lucas immediately took the reins as he used his rarely authoritative tone…

William stared at the man with an impressed face, he knew the hidden meaning for this hearing? Well of course he does, that man has been dealing with bastards like Gibson for years, and frankly speaking, Lucas is a shrewd politician himself while being a military commander, so if anyone could take them on? It's him. William also realized something, what Lucas just said is basically the purpose as to why he suddenly and immediately implemented the Trident Initiative. He saw this hearing coming from miles away! Lucas took advantage of the chaos created by the assault on Azur Lane Central Headquarters to come up with this countermeasure with the addition of the draft William created for the ship girls' rights and offspring! That way, he has the foundation to argue on why this is a great idea to implement…Holy fucking shit, that man is scary!

"Then why the hell did you put them under the control of a single man, high commander!? That is very contradictory to what you just said! We should just disband this unit early on before they turn on us!" Gibson half shouted at Lucas who stared back with a dismissive face at him.

"We put the control on a single man, who has in depth experience in fighting the Sirens, and frankly speaking has no other interest but to fight against them. William Blaze has been a valuable Azur Lane asset ever since the beginning of his military career. I trusted his skills alongside his abilities, Chairman Sternberg has faith in his ability to command, and Admiral McAllen has noted ALASUC and by extension, his performance to be exemplary…They defeated the Sirens on Terrania, they managed to secure one of the ship girls who was being held hostage on a secluded island even when they have to punch through a Siren blockade to get out of there, ALASUC participated in the fight on Furushima Isle, and a week ago they saved an entire battlegroup from a massive Siren armada…Those were all possible because ALASUC exists, if we disbanded the unit then it might be only a matter of time until the earth is conquered by those aliens." Lucas said to Gibson while he scowled.

"Your fear is unfounded, councilors, so far ALASUC has proven themselves that they are most effective in working with the implemented system. How are they doing back before the formation of ALASUC officially? Do any of you remember that far? Back when Azur Lane was still one big military alliance?" Erich asked Gibson as he folded his hands on top of the desk.

"We know that each country has the capability to defend themselves with their own ship girls, we don't have to fear not having a counter if the Sirens ever attack our beachheads!" Another councilor said to Erich.

"Then imagine this. Exactly how many countries that currently have affiliated ship girls? Eagle Union, Sakura Empire, Royal Navy, Ironblood, Iris Orthodoxy, Sardegna Empire, Dragon Empery, and Northern Parliament. Those eight countries do not represent the whole world, imagine if we go back to our time before Azur Lane was formed when the ship girls were being controlled by each country. What if Dragon Empery requests a reinforcement from the Sakura Empire? They have a close geographical position, a threat to the Dragon Empery Sea border could also mean a threat for the Sakura Empire, could they in that time willingly send away their strategic asset to help their neighbors? There are no guarantees for that, councilor…With ALASUC? All Dragon Empery has to do is to fill in a high priority commission to ALASUC, they accept it, and they could immediately send out the required ship girls. The bureaucratic process is much simpler, so they could react faster compared to when ship girls are being controlled by each country. The bureaucracy process for that matter alone could take weeks while ALASUC would only take hours or even minutes…Furthermore, it's not like ALASUC has complete free reign on this matter. Their freedom does have a cost, their mandate is to protect humanity from Siren forces, and the high priority commissions that come from Azur Lane or Crimson Axis? They are basically orders from us, like it or not they will have to follow it since it has correlations with their mandate which is to fight the Sirens. But unlike our regular military units? We give them free reign to accept other commissions from other parties, that way they could help as many people as they can…That, councilor, is the benefit in giving them freedom." Erich said to the councilor that argued with him.

Erich just basically stated with very simple wording on why ALASUC's independence will benefit them greatly, and William found himself looking at the man with a new sense of respect, because Erich said the right thing according to William…If Azur Lane and Crimson Axis has no direct controls of the ship girls, then they will have zero reason in holding them back to fight against Siren threat. If there's an attack in progress, the corresponding nation or organization would only need to fill in for a commission to ALASUC which will certainly be responded to faster than the national government ever will. All they require is William's own approval, and the ship girls are free to handle the task, no bullshit bureaucracy needed except for maybe the after-report of the whole commission which, while simple, not many ship girls are keen on writing it. What? Of course there would be an after report for every commission! Records! Bookkeeping! That way if something goes wrong in the future, they have a reference on ALASUC's own footprints in the said matters, without any proof or record then the legal side could grab them by the balls easily…

"That still doesn't disperse the concern we have-" Admiral Gibson said to Erich while he scowled.

"You mean you and your other two lackeys in this council, admiral. The majority of the council members have agreed with the implementation of this system and appointing William Blaze as ALASUC Commander. Your disagreement with this matter is quite suspicious." Someone speaks out loud.

"Are you insinuating that I want to destroy this organization from within?! My loyalties have always been with Azur Lane from the start! Besides, you are the one who's the most dissenting with the assignment of William Blaze to ALASUC, General Blackmore!" Admiral Gibson said to the general who attacked him head on, Blackmore.

"…I stood by my opinion at that time, back then I considered him a great shame to my country for what he had done. But he proved himself in the past few months, that he's a capable commander with excellent combat skills. I despise his habits to disobey his orders and attitude with some of his commanders because it serves as a bad example to our men. That is why, after the implementation of this system, I know he will fit the gloves as commander of ALASUC well. He knows how to run things with his own way, he knows how to get his job done, and most importantly…Based on his service record, William Blaze is someone who cares about his men, there is no way he would ever put the ship girls in jeopardy…That is my assessment on him." General Blackmore said out loud as he stared at William.

William could only widen his eye because the man who just stood up for him and the ship girls? He's the most vocal one regarding his disagreement on putting William as the commander of ALASUC, how the hell did he turn coat in just a few months? But he guessed that's just how some people are when faced with this kind of problem, they are willing to side with someone they didn't like for common good. William was glad that the old general got his back, to say the least, because with the way he stood his ground and directly went on the offensive both during this hearing and when William was set free? He seems to be the kind of man who won't hesitate to do something should the need arise, maybe even willing to go against the order of his superiors with the right reason...William smiled a bit as he raised his hand, maybe it's time to end this bullshit.

"...Commander Blaze?" Lucas asked William while he smiled a bit.

"Is this talk over yet? Because I have wounded ship girls to take care of, improvement projects to finish, and to make sure they are always ready for action…I have made it deliberately clear before, I don't have any intention to turn the ship girls into a threatening force against Azur Lane nor Crimson Axis. Sure, I have grudges to some people and still pissed at their past actions, but I'm not that petty, and I know my tasks well, so I would never put the ship girls in unnecessary danger. I will do whatever it takes to fight the Sirens, so I will say this once again, you want me to save the world? Then don't get in my way." William said out loud while he frowned, this statement better get through some of their thick heads.

"Right, I think this talk is over already. Keep on doing what you do best, commander." Lucas said to William while he smiled.

Thank you, Lucas Carville, and bless that man's heart! William smirked a bit at the face of Gibson and two other councilors who clearly showed their dislike for him on their face, maybe borderline hate even. William didn't care, all he wanted to do now was to get out of here and go back home. The ALASUC Commander stood up, he bowed a bit as a sign of respect even though it seems he bowed for everyone, in actuality he only directed this toward Lucas, Lena, Erich, and Blackmore for saving his ass. With that done, William turned around and exited the room without hesitation and headed straight for Lena's office…When he arrived the man sat on the couch and sighed hard in relief, at least the stressful part was over, and now he could resume his work. A few minutes later Lena and Lucas enter the room, both of them are ready for some head massage and aspirin for the mess they just temporarily avoided.

"I am terribly sorry for that, Will." Lucas said to William while he frowned.

"I'll say, that hearing is nothing more but a huge mess that shown the incompetence of some council members. But thanks to that, we could finally know who's with us and who is against us." Lena said to Lucas as both of them sat down in front of William.

"It would seem the Azur Lane High Command Council is split into two factions." William commented while he frowned deeply at the conclusion.

"Three, the remainders are unsure on who to follow…There are three of the members you have to be careful from now on, Admiral Johnathan Asheville, General Henry Calhoun, and Admiral Vince Gibson…I believe you're more familiar with the last one, Will. These men have recently been more proactive, disagreeing with Lucas and I." Lena explained to William.

"…What about the rest of the council?" William asked Lena and Lucas.

"Fortunately, they still have common sense, so when the situation calls for it, those three assholes lost the argument. However, we can't keep these three in the council any longer for they could threaten the integrity of the high command council." Lucas said to William.

The situation within the high command council is worse than William thought, he assumed that it's just some disagreement on how things are going, but it turns out there's a bit of cold war happening between the council members too. He sincerely hoped that this would be resolved quickly, hate to admit it, but William didn't know how to help with this except to follow Lucas' and Lena's instructions, so he won't get in their way. This is really troublesome, if those three won against Lucas and Lena, there's a good chance that they will attempt to disband ALASUC again, and for a bullshit reason according to William. What they need right now is a unified command of the forces across the globe, the war with the Sirens couldn't be won by a single nation…they need to be united if they ever want to stand a chance against them, disbanding ALASUC will serve as catalyst that could ruin that chance for unity.

"Yeah, you better kick those three out. Or better yet, relieve them from command." William said to Lucas.

"Don't worry, we're working on it." Lucas said to William.

"Careful Lucas, there could be a trap waiting for us." Lena said to Lucas while she folded her arms.

"I thought so, that is why right now I have some people collecting as much info as they can. We will deal with them as soon as possible." Lucas said to Lena while he frowned a bit.

"You better, because if you can't do it, then I will do whatever's necessary to protect the girls from their hands." William said to Lena and Lucas with a serious face.

That's another thing that he has thought about, the possibility of working away from Azur Lane or Crimson Axis influence. If what he feared comes to reality, then William does have a plan in order to combat the Sirens without the support from either organization…Going rogue? Wasn't the first time he did it, but if that really happened, and the ship girls are being split up to cover each of their own nation's territory? Well, safe to say the Sirens already won because in that case they will be able to conquer most of the earth without even putting in too much effort. Maybe they will have some trouble with the ground invasion, but the battle on the sea is pretty much determined with the ship girls not being there without their own country's approval…and William doubts they'll be sent to help some less powerful country, unless it has a political impact on them.

"I approve, but please don't do anything stupid for the moment, we believe you are under heavy surveillance from the agents of those three who are looking for any dirt they can use to undermine you." Lucas said to William with a serious face.

"Got it." William said to Lucas while he nodded his head.

"Alright. Back to work I suppose." Lucas said out loud as he stood up.

"Thanks for protecting me, Lucas." William said to Lucas earnestly.

"Bah, think nothing of it. Just call me daddy and we're even." Lucas said to William while he grinned.

"I'd rather be in debt then!" William said to Lucas while he frowned.

Lucas only laughed out loud by himself as he exited Lena's office as William stared at him in exasperation while Lena cringed hard at what she just heard, that old man's jokes are so bad on a few occasions. After watching Lucas exit her office, Lena looked down toward the coffee table that separated her and William, her mind wandered toward what William just said before…Lena daresay that William going rogue would be a massive loss for Azur Lane, added if she also goes with him. But if Lucas and her lost this fight with those bunch of jackasses, then Lena won't hesitate to also break off and fight the Sirens with her own way…They are too invested on this path to back down now, it will only destroy them in the end if Azur Lane return to its former path. Both Lena and William were taught on how to run an effective rogue resistance organization, to fight a threat with guerilla warfare methods…They'll be fine.

"…Lena?" William asked Lena.

"I know what you mean by whatever means necessary." Lena said to William while she frowned.

"Hah, of course you do." William sighed then said to Lena.

"There's a chance where that might become a reality. But, what about the ship girls?" Lena asked William.

"…If the time comes, I will give them a choice." William said to Lena as he looked down on his own feet.

"…I want you to know that, if the day comes for you to go 'independent' then I will help you out." Lena said to William.

"Really? I'll be nothing more than a bloody traitor, are you sure about helping me out?" William asked Lena while he frowned.

"A traitor with the intent to save humanity? I'll take that compared to loyal fuck ups who got their heads so far up inside their own assholes." Lena said to William with a serious face.

Both of them could hear the door being knocked, Lena looked at the door as she stood up and opened it to reveal the person standing behind it. An elderly man, with a full greying beard, slicked back equally grey hair, hardened emerald eyes, and a firm expression on his face. William recognized him, it's the same man who defended him from Admiral Gibson. General Blackmore stared at Lena for a bit before Lena nodded her head in understanding, and he stepped inside. William raised his eyebrows at this one...Lena won't just let anyone enter her office without asking, but that showed William that Lena trusts this old man, so William let his guard down…a bit.

"Commander Blaze." Blackmore said to William.

"General." William said to Blackmore as he stood up.

"Don't take the words of those arseholes seriously, those three have been a disgrace for quite some time. I still wonder why Admiral Carville allowed them to remain as members, there are those who are more competent out there." Blackmore said to William while he smiled a bit.

"I believe their days on the seat are numbered." Lena quipped as she walked toward her desk.

"I do hope so, admiral." Blackmore said to Lena with a bemused smile.

"I have to go for now. You're staying for lunch, Will?" Lena asked William as she walked toward the door.

"No, I'll depart immediately. I've visited mum when I arrived." William said to Lena.

"Then have a safe trip." Lena said to William while she smiled before she opened the door.

William nodded his head while he smiled in return, Lena then closed the door as she walked. Why did Lena leave William with the general? Simple, he's on their side…When Blackmore read the reports of what William and ALASUC managed to achieve his opinion changed as well, he approved what William did now compared to his actions during his time in Task Force Nimbus. During that time, William proved to have problems with a commanding officer that had a different view from him. Lena could persuade William easily if she's in direct command, but when she had to tend to other problems? He will be often commanded by someone else, and if that person is a dick toward the task force? Well, William proved that he could be a dick as well toward them.

Not saying he won't follow their orders, but he would be keen on being disobedient if the situation warrants it. For example, Lena remembered Operation GROUND ZERO. At that time, Task Force Nimbus was tasked to recon a small town in Egypt where a rumored new Ironblood weapon is being deployed. All members of the Egyptian Defense Force defending the town were wiped out within thirty minutes, the commander in charge of the operation made it clear that reconnaissance was to be performed from range, but William disagreed. They have been in position for six hours, and they couldn't even get a glimpse on the weapon, so he alongside Michael and Charles sneaked into the town under Ironblood occupation, moving during nightfall and relying on stealth to infiltrate their perimeter…The local citizens are more than happy to help the three of them, Charles was quite fluent in Arabic so gathering intel with this method, usually called human intelligence or HUMINT, isn't a problem deep behind enemy lines.

Local intel said that Ironblood forces possessed a new vehicle, large in nature and impervious to small arms weaponry…Ironblood was notorious for developing monstrous weapons so this shouldn't surprise William, but when he heard that it was the size of a building? That's when he knew he's dealing with something different than a new Tiger tank. But with a vehicle that big they should be able to spot it even from the high ground they are stationed at, the reason is revealed by one of the people there that the reason why they haven't been able to locate them is because the vehicles are being hidden inside the local town hall. The inner courtyard is massive enough and the buildings around it are tall enough to hide it. That certainly complicates things, and William should retreat? No, he's too invested to retreat at that time despite the commander hollering that Azur Lane shouldn't be spotted in the area, and William could compromise that status…William paid them no mind, he will see that vehicle.

After moving carefully for fifteen minutes William, Charles, and Michael managed to see the vehicle. A prototype being field tested as a mobile firebase, with machine guns coupled with cannons around it, AA guns on top of it, and possess some of the thickest armor William had ever see that he wondered on how the fuck that vehicle could even move. After taking photos of the vehicle and throwing a signal emitter on it, William contacted a frigate stationed in the Red Sea to launch a cruise missile toward the town hall. William and the others retreated, the vehicle blew up, and fortunately no civilian was harmed during the entire operation. The operation is a resounding success because they managed to get the intel, destroying the vehicle, and eliminating the threat in the area. But William is severely reprimanded for disobeying orders even when it brought victory for them, Blackmore is among the ones who disapproved his action, but he admitted that his disobedience produced results…That is why when William was given free rein to lead the ship girls, Blackmore is initially disapproved with Lena's choice, but eventually when William showed that he's fit to lead them, Blackmore admitted that fact openly…William stared at Blackmore with an uncertain face for a bit, maybe he should just talk to him normally.

"…You know, I didn't expect you to stand up for me, general." William said to Blackmore.

"I have personal rules to give credit where it's due commander, you're no exception to that." Blackmore said to William with a serious face.

"In that case, you have my thanks, general." William said to Blackmore as he offered his right hand.

"Think nothing of it, someone has to stand up to those people. They might be small in size, but their obnoxiousness isn't to be underestimated. We let them keep croaking then people might just believe them, stupidity and ignorance knows no bounds, commander…Just so you know despite what happened in the past, I want to say that I'm on your side. You have my full support in this war, just don't do anything stupid with the responsibility in your hands." Blackmore said to William as he shook his hand.

"It eases me to know that. If you need the ship girls to help you, then you know who to call." William said to Blackmore while he smiled a bit.

"Heh, I mostly deal with the land operations but sure, note taken. Take care on your way back, chap." Blackmore said to William while he smiled before he turned around and left the room.

William remained in Lena's office for a bit, that Blackmore is surprisingly a chill guy. William really didn't expect that based on what he saw in the past, but it's good to know someone else other than Lucas and Lena got his back within the high command council. William then exited Lena's office and made his way toward the helipad where he parked the Acheron Dropship, he immediately boarded it and told the Manjuus piloting it to head for their base. The dropship soon fired up its thrusters and they are away, heading to ALASUC base at Mach three…Several hours later the dropship successfully landed on the helipad above the canteen, William stepped out of the aircraft and stretched his arms a bit as he stared at the base from the rooftop. Ah, home sweet home, but unfortunately, he still has some work to do after that visit, so he will have to check in for work in around an hour or Hood would find him and scold him for skipping work. Not that he minds being scolded by his beautiful girlfriend, she is pretty cute when she's angry while trying to stay elegant, but he really didn't want to take the chances where she got pissed for real and her cute lectures turn into a full-blown royal lady rant…

William felt he should rest for a bit before dealing with work, so he opted to head for the infirmary to get some meds he would probably require some time in the future. He walked toward the infirmary while greeting the ship girls along the way, many of them asking how the hearing went which he told them that they got everything under control for now. The man soon reached the infirmary and noted that it's currently empty, except for a few Manjuus working around the building, and Vestal who's taking some notes in the corridors for the new items that just arrived on a trolley. William takes a good look at her face, still looking beautifully cute without eyebags? Good, that means she is well rested and didn't pull any all-nighters for today.

"Hey Vestal." William greeted her.

"Ah commander, you've already returned. Is there something you need?" Vestal asked William while she smiled a bit.

"Yeah, I need some aspirin for the first aid kit back home. I figure there will be an incoming headache in the near future." William said to Vestal while he smiled a bit.

"Okay, I'll go and fetch some for you. Also…Commander, could you help me for a bit?" Vestal asked William as she walked closer toward him.

"What do you need?" William asked Vestal back.

"Graf Zeppelin, she has been worried so much for Z46 that she refused to leave her side." Vestal said to William while she frowned in worry.

"For the entire week? I thought Bismarck handled this already." William asked Vestal while he cocked his eyebrows.

"Temporarily, yes. It didn't even take an hour before she came back here…I've tried to tell her that everything's going to be alright but, well, you know how she is." Vestal said to William while she frowned.

"…Alright, I'll try." William said to Vestal while he nodded.

"Thank you." Vestal said to William while she smiled a bit.

…When Graf Zeppelin found out Z46 was severely injured she personally escorted her back to the base and never left her side during her treatment, Vestal said that her right elbow joint snapped, and she suffered second degree burns to her back and left side. Purifier's beam cannon would've melted her face were it not for her quick thinking to maneuver herself so her rigging would tank most of the damage, as the result her left side rigging was massively damaged, and she still experienced severe burn damage on her skin. Just like Hiryuu at that time, Vestal has been continuously applying Regel therapy for Z46 after she healed her right elbow with her KANSEN ability…It's taxing work, Vestal spends the rest of the evening directly after they return to heal them. Even though her KANSEN ability has near magical properties that allows her to heal ship girls at an incredible rate, it is quite taxing to use so she limited the use to treat the most grievous wounds and settled on modern medicine for the less severe ones. That's why she used her powers to heal Z46's elbow without having to do surgery…

What? Why didn't she just use her power to completely heal Z46? First of all, Vestal admitted that she hasn't mastered her power completely yet, and she still spends some time reading skill books and better understanding her abilities as a repair ship. Second, while it is basically a miracle, her power couldn't just instantly heal the ship girls as her ability requires some time to heal a wound, it needs her to fully concentrate while doing it so it's not very effective in the middle of combat, and it's tiring to use continuously…There are still many flaws with her ability, though Vestal admitted it's significantly better at healing majority of the grievous wounds quickly now at the expense of her stamina, and so, to avoid tiring herself out for being the only active medic on the base (technically Akashi is also a repair ship, but as anyone could guess she prefers to work on projects to gain more money instead being a full time medic like Vestal) she has to really conserve her power, so she won't tire herself in case there's an emergency.

William entered the room where Z46 laid in bed rest, the girl was fast asleep while a woman sat beside her bed on top of a stool while watching over her. Graf Zeppelin stared at Z46 with a serious face while folding her arms, she felt she had made a mistake…back there she's the one who gave Z46 permission to help with Purifier as she's the leader of the western group defenders. She shouldn't have let her dear friend out of sight like that. Look what happened when she did, Graf Zeppelin had been doing this for the entire week that Vestal had given up to tell her not to worry and even Bismarck was involved, but not even she could change her mind for long…Perhaps as their commander, William could make some difference. The man managed to get a glimpse of Graf Zeppelin's face and he frowned deeply, it was clear that Graf Zeppelin hadn't been eating well, and she hadn't rested properly too. She looked pale and her eye bags were black, sheesh, she hasn't been taking care of herself…

"Graf." William called Graf Zeppelin.

"…Kommandant." Graf Zeppelin said to William

"…You looked pale and malnourished; I have heard from Vestal on what you have been doing. Graf, you should rest." William said to Graf Zeppelin while he frowned.

"Nein." Graf Zeppelin only disagrees with the short answer.

"Graf…" William said to Graf Zeppelin, with a firmer tone this time.

"Kommandant, why did this have to happen to her?" Graf Zeppelin asked William…

Why indeed? Why her? Why couldn't it be somebody else? Questions like that always linger on anyone's mind when someone important to them gets hurt. William also thought the same thing back when they fought on Furushima. Shoukaku, Zuikaku, and Hiryuu were all badly injured, and he wondered if he could do something to prevent that from happening. Bismarck said to him that sometimes things outside of his control happen, and there's nothing he could do about it, what he could do next is to deal with the aftermath as best as he could. Z46 could've died, but as it turns out she managed to survive despite being severely injured. It's useless to ponder on what could've happen because it already happened, the next course of action is should be mitigating the damage further and to solve any existing problems because of it, not to ponder on it longer than necessary…Bismarck taught him that lesson, something he won't forget for the rest of his life.

"…Sometimes things just happen outside of our control Graf, sometimes all we can do is to adjust and adapt to the aftermath…Z46 is quite lucky, she's still alive. Vestal has already healed her elbow joints, and I'm sure her skin will return to normal after some intense Regel therapy." William said to Graf Zeppelin while he frowned.

"…As her friend, I should stay by her side. She needs me the most in these trying times." Graf Zeppelin said to William.

"I understand your feeling, however, doing it like this is not the way. You will only sadden her if you're torturing yourself for her sake." William said to Graf Zeppelin.

"She never said such things!" Graf Zeppelin snapped her head toward William who's staring at her while he frowned.

"She's probably keeping quiet about her discomfort." William said to Graf Zeppelin.

"Aren't I her friend? Surely she will say it if I bother her!" Graf Zeppelin said to William while she frowned deeply.

"Some people just can't be that straightforward sometimes. Did you notice anything strange about her?" William asked Graf Zeppelin while he folded his arms.

Graf Zeppelin looked at Z46 sleeping face as she thought of anything strange for the past week she spent her time here, she tried to think back for the past couple of days, and she found something she thought to be a little strange. Graf Zeppelin always brought Z46 boxed meals of her own homemade cooking, Z46 always received it but urged to eat it together with Graf Zeppelin. The Ironblood carrier never thought too much about it because she only considered that as Z46 being cute as usual, she failed to realize that there might be some important meaning behind that act…

"…I remember that she often asked me to eat with her, sharing the meals that I always brought here." Graf Zeppelin said to William while she lowered her head.

"See? She is worried that you have been neglecting to take care of your own stomach." William said to Graf Zeppelin while he frowned.

"…Ah, I see now…In my sadness for my friend and in my anger toward the one who did this to her, I failed to see her true intentions. I am a bad friend." Graf Zeppelin said out loud while she frowned bitterly.

"Perhaps. But you can still redeem yourself…She's in good hands Graf, you should trust Vestal more." William said to Graf Zeppelin as he put his hand on her right shoulder.

"…But even so…" Graf Zeppelin turned her head toward Z46.

"…Still don't want to leave her side?" William asked Graf Zeppelin.

"…I am reluctant to." Graf Zeppelin admitted to William.

"I have an idea…Walk with me for a bit, let's clear your head." William said to Graf Zeppelin while he smiled.

"…Very well." Graf Zeppelin said to William.

Graf Zeppelin took a brief glance at Z46 with uncertainty in her eyes before she stood up and walked with William who's waiting for her, then he guided her as they walked out of the building. It seems William managed to get her attention for now so he better use this chance to the fullest, the man noted that Z46's nightstand is quite empty so perhaps some flowers would be good decoration. William racked his brain on where to get some until he remembered something, Cleveland once mentioned that she stumbled upon a small plain full of flowers, which is hidden in the middle of the dense forest around their base. If he remembered correctly, the location is around four hundred meters behind the Eagle Union dorms, so that's where they need to go. On their way out, William and Graf Zeppelin encountered Vestal, who for some reason is still performing checkups on the newly arrived items, the woman turned her head around, and she couldn't help but to smile when she noticed Graf Zeppelin trailing behind William.

"Vestal, please drop the aspirin at my house." William said to Vestal as he passed her.

"Got it, commander." Vestal answered while she nodded before returning to her task at hand.

"Where are we going, kommandant?" Graf Zeppelin asked William curiously.

"Somewhere a bit far, keep up with me." William said to Graf Zeppelin.

Thus, she followed him as he led her toward the Eagle Union dorms before going to their backyard and continued their journey into the forest, Graf Zeppelin questioned why they were there? Why did William bring her into the middle of the forest without telling her anything other than to 'clear' her head? She's never fond of forest…After walking for a bit further into the forest, both William and Graf Zeppelin stumbled upon wide plain of flowers, the whole field is littered with the color of white, red, yellow, and purple as all kinds of flowers spurted out beautifully despite the summer season is nearing its end. William turned around and smiled when he saw Graf Zeppelin's confused face. That woman must be wondering why he brought her here when he knows that she isn't fond of things like this…

"This is…" Graf Zeppelin muttered as she looked at the flowers in front of her.

"I bet you didn't know that we have a field full of flowers near our base. Frankly speaking, I also didn't know until Cleveland stumbled upon this place during her little exploration trip…I noticed that Z46 nightstand is quite barren, some flowers would be nice." William said to Graf Zeppelin.

"Flowers, what good does it do? You pluck it out of the ground, it will still wither and die in the end, just like everything else." Graf Zeppelin said to William while she frowned.

"You could make it live longer if you take care of it properly, maybe by putting it in a small vase with water." William said to Graf Zeppelin.

"It will still die in the end, kommandant." Graf Zeppelin said to William as she frowned deeper.

"Yes, they will. But when they're alive? They bloom beautifully, which provides a soothing sight and smell. They cheer and calm those that gaze at them even though one day they will wither and lose all of their beauty before they die…Their physical form might decay, but their smell and their form will always be in your memory. It's not about the flower itself, but it's about the message and the intention behind it…Also, in my opinion, that's the beauty of mortality, for you couldn't live forever, so you make the most of your life to do what you want…You only focus on the beginning and the end Graf, you should try to appreciate the road in between more." William said to Graf Zeppelin while he smiled a bit.

When did he become so philosophical regarding flowers and mortality and shit? William could only shrug because he himself didn't know, but what he said to Graf Zeppelin is indeed what he believes in. When you experience a close call so many times, it constantly reminds you that your life could end at any moment, so you should cherish what you have now. William was reminded of that fact as he was close to death when he fought Midnight. William's expression darkened a bit, and he turned around to prevent Graf Zeppelin from noticing his face…For the past week he had busted his ass hard in training with Warspite, spent his time on the firing range to hone his accuracy with firearms, increasing his endurance limit by running around the whole base, improving his hand to hand combat by practicing with a punching bag or sometimes sparring with several willing KANSENs, and to top it all he still have to work as the full time commander of ALASUC.

…He will improve as quickly as he can to break his own limit because he doesn't want to be defeated by Midnight for the second time! He'll take down that bastard, and he'll end him as soon as he gets the chance! His grim thoughts were interrupted when he saw Graf Zeppelin move to his side and inspected the flowers beneath them, the man couldn't help but to smile a bit when he saw the woman, who could be categorized as nihilistic in her approach to life, has her interest poked by the flowers.

"See anything that she might like?" William asked Graf Zeppelin.

"…Maybe this one." Graf Zeppelin said to William as she crouched down to stare at a bunch of daisies.

"The color reminds you of her eyes, doesn't it?" William commented as he stared at the flowers.

"Ja…How many do we need?" Graf Zeppelin asked William as she stared at him.

"Let's take several for a bouquet." William said to Graf Zeppelin.

Graf Zeppelin nodded her head as she returned to pick up the daisies on the small plains, William watched her for a bit before he also crouched and looked at the flowers in front of him…Flowers, eh? To be honest he's not a man that knows much about flowers, and he's especially blind regarding the language of flowers. All he knows is that they are pretty, smell nice, and provide good concealment. At one point of time during the great war, William and his unit used a large field of flowers as a hiding spot before assaulting a village near Cannes. It's a good thing that the Sardegna marines stationed there weren't equipped with any infrared technology, or they would've been busted before they-

"…Will this be enough?" Graf Zeppelin asked William as she showed him the collection in her hands.

"It is…You took quite a bit. Did you like those flowers, Graf?" William asked Graf Zeppelin while he smiled widely.

"No, I hate it. The bugs around it are disgusting, and the soil dirtied my gloves…But, I could live with the fact that it does smell nice and is beautiful to look at." Graf Zeppelin said to William.

"Heh, alright then…let's take it back to the infirmary." William said to Graf Zeppelin while he grinned.

Both William and Graf Zeppelin made their way back toward the infirmary building, this time Vestal stood outside while looking at her phone. She saw both William and Graf Zeppelin approach from the Eagle Union dormitory, Vestal really wondered what William did to make sure Graf Zeppelin behaves regarding this problem of hers because both of them took some time out there. To be frank, Vestal believes Z46's injuries were mild in comparison to Hiryuu, who almost got ninety percent of her body suffering second to third degree burns. Vestal is glad that Regel exists, it made her job loads easier now, and she began to think of a way to improve Regel capabilities…Oh wait, she got side tracked, she should finish Hood's request on making the ship girls carry a first aid kit for sorties. She probably has to hold a class to teach about first aid…

"You two are away for quite a while. My, flowers! How thoughtful of you Graf Zeppelin!" Vestal said out loud while she smiled widely.

"…Um, this is for Viersechs." Graf Zeppelin said to Vestal.

"I noticed. Oh, Z46 is awake right now, you might want to give it to her personally. Here, use this rubber band to tie up those flowers." Vestal said to Graf Zeppelin as she handed her a spare rubber band from inside her pocket.

"Go on Graf." William said to Graf Zeppelin while he smiled a bit.

Graf Zeppelin tied up the flowers before she walked inside and her gaze was met with Z46's own, the little woman rubbed her eyes with her left hand to dispel her sleepiness. Z46 stared at Graf Zeppelin confusedly because it's rare for her to see that woman gone from the stool that she used to accompany her, Z46 confusion only increased when she saw Graf Zeppelin carrying a bunch of daisies in her hand. She's never the one that has any fondness for anything, so why did she carry a bunch of them? Graf Zeppelin finally moved from her spot and approached Z46 who still stared at her with a questioning gaze.

"…Zeppelin? Where have you been?" Z46 asked Graf Zeppelin.

"I just went outside for a bit, I brought you these." Graf Zeppelin said to Z46 as she handed her the daisies.

"Ah, flowers." Z46 said to Graf Zeppelin while she smiled as she stared at the flower she just received.

"…Did you like it?" Graf Zeppelin asked Z46.

"Mhm, they look pretty and they smell nice…Danke, Zeppelin." Z46 said to Graf Zeppelin while she smiled widely.

"You're welcome…Viersechs, forgive me. I have been a bad friend, you are worried about me, correct?" Graf Zeppelin said to Z46 while she frowned.

"…I am, you have been here most of the time. You rarely eat, you rarely sleep, and even neglect to take a shower." Z46 said to Graf Zeppelin while she pouted a bit.

"Urk…" Graf Zeppelin recoiled a bit, that's a bullseye.

"Please don't worry so much, I'm fine in here." Z46 said to Graf Zeppelin while she smiled softly.

"I understand…But, can I still visit you later?" Graf Zeppelin asked Z46.

"After you eat, bathe, and finish your duties? I think it's alright for you to visit me." Z46 said to Graf Zeppelin.

"…I'll be sure to do just that. I will return tonight, Viersechs. I will bring something for amusement." Graf Zeppelin said to Z46 while she smiled a bit.

"Is it cards?" Z46 asked Graf Zeppelin.

"If you don't mind." Graf Zeppelin said to Z46 while she shrugged lightly.

"Hehe, I don't. See you later." Z46 said to Graf Zeppelin while she waved her left hand a bit.

…William and Vestal discussed the new rules to make sure the ship girls carried first aid kits during sorties. He thought it'll be a great idea, but that means they will have to hold a special class to teach everyone on how to perform first aid for injuries and safe to say Vestal alone can't manage it. William rubbed his chin a bit, he should help on this one because why not? It eased Vestal's work if the ship girls could perform first aid easily and surely it will benefit them greatly in the future. He heard that some Ironblood ship girls used to patch up their wounds by themselves too, perhaps they also could help? Just as he thought that, both Vestal and William noticed Graf Zeppelin exiting the infirmary with a smile on her face. Both of them aren't used to the sight that they could only stand there and watch the anomaly in front of them in confusion.

"…Danke kommandant, for today." Graf Zeppelin said to William while she nodded her head before walking away quickly…

"…Just what kind of magic did you use on her?" Vestal curiously asked William after Graf Zeppelin had gained some distance from them.

"…Talk no Jutsu from Naruto?" William said to Vestal while he grinned.

"Fufu, I have no idea what you are saying. But I could safely say that it was a correct decision to leave her in your care." Vestal said to William while she smiled.

"I'm just glad I could help." William said to Vestal while he smiled back.

.

…For the next several days William followed a routine, he woke up, get some breakfast, checked in with Hood, trained hard with Warspite, started working, signing papers, took a short break, finished the rest of the work for the day, goes home, have dinner, spend the little free time he had, goes to sleep, and repeat…It's a particularly busy week because it's time for monthly maintenance of the base, and that means William and the secretaries are in for a hard time, lots of things need to be checked on a regular basis and that includes the dormitories. William and Hood actually had to play rock paper scissors to see who would go out to inspect the dorms, and William lost the game. A few days ago, he already checked the dorms for Royal Navy, Eagle Union, and Ironblood so today he will check Sakura Dorms.

Frankly speaking, it's the only building constructed using wood, with the exception of its foundation, so the building is quite tough to maintain in the long run. Much money is needed to keep it in pristine condition and make sure nothing would compromise its structural integrity like termites, weather, or even mold…William made his way after his breakfast while carrying a basket full of fruits, he wants to check up on Kawakaze's condition too, since she hasn't gone outside the dormitory for the past week. Had to admit though, the burn damage is horrendous, and William is certain that Kawakaze won't want him to stare at her burnt face, even though it's under intense regel therapy. He had stopped by the entrance to the dorm because he saw Hiei beside the entrance sweeping leaves on the pavement that fall as the sign of autumn is beginning, didn't they have Manjuus for those menial tasks?

"Youkoso, shikikan-sama." Hiei greeted William while she bowed a bit.

"Hello Hiei. May I come in?" William asked Hiei while he smiled a bit.

"Of course you could, there's no need to ask for permission when you're in charge of this base, is there? Can I help you with anything, shikikan-sama?" Hiei asked William while she smiled.

"I'm here for the monthly dorm inspection, plus I'd like to see Kawakaze." William said to Hiei.

"Ah. Then please follow me." Hiei said to William as she put her broom near the entrance.

Hiei led William through the wooden corridors of the dormitory, surprisingly they hadn't passed a single ship girl on their way to Kawakaze's room. William thought a bit, but he simply doesn't know where they currently are, probably they stay within their rooms doing god knows what. Not that he minds about it, the sky is covered in dark grey clouds, the winds are chilly, he understood if many of them feeling lazy to get out of their own rooms today…Both of them arrived in front of Kawakaze's room, Hiei raised her hand a bit as a sign for William to stop before she turned around toward the door.

"Kawakaze-san?" Hiei asked Kawakaze from behind the door.

"Dareka?" Kawakaze asked back from within the room.

"Hiei desu, shikikan-sama ga kimasuta desu yo." Hiei said to Kawakaze.

"…Wakatta." Kawakaze said out loud after being silent for several seconds.

Hiei stepped forward, and she opened the shoji door before heading inside with William in tow. He's immediately faced with the sight of Kawakaze's room…There isn't much to say about the whole room. It has simple tatami flooring, the building's standard walls, a dresser, a low kotatsu table, a small bookshelf, and a pedestal with a sheathed katana placed on top of it. William turned to the side for a bit, and he saw the woman in question, seated with the lower half of her body being hidden inside her futon. Kawakaze is dressed in a light robe, bandages could be seen all around her body and most of her face, with the exception of her eyes and nose.

That hit she took from Purifier is quite serious, William was glad that Vestal could quickly react when he told her about Kawakaze, so she immediately stabilized her condition. He managed to get a glimpse on her face and the damage is quite bad, her entire face is basically burned. So, she spent her time recovering even days after the battle. Regel has been working wonderfully well, even though it took some time in order for her face to return to its former beauty. Now that William scanned the bedside, he could clearly see a half empty bottle of Regel…At least Kawakaze didn't let up with her medication, the destroyer sat up right and bowed a bit toward William who in return nodded his head.

"…How are you doing, Kawakaze?" William asked Kawakaze.

"…My body is sore all over the place, and I still have trouble moving my face other than my mouth." Kawakaze said to William.

"I see…I brought you something, eat it later alright?" William said to Kawakaze as he handed her the basket.

"…Arigatou, shikikan." Kawakaze took the basket and put it beside her futon.

"Hiei, please get Shoukaku for me. She's the one that will help me with the inspection today, but I haven't been able to contact her." William said to Hiei who stood behind him.

"Wakarimashita." Hiei said to William before she left the room while closing the door.

"…Shikikan. I'm sorry for letting you down." Kawakaze said to William after Hiei left the room.

"What makes you say that, Kawakaze?" William asked Kawakaze as he sat in front of her.

"I…fell so quickly in the last battle, I am useless as a warrior." Kawakaze said to William as she looked on the floor.

"How many did you take out during the defense on the east flank?" William asked Kawakaze.

"…I remember taking out six Explorers and a few Trackers." Kawakaze said to William.

"Then don't worry, you did your part. Sometimes in battle, things happen so suddenly that we can't do anything, you could move around minding your own business when all of a sudden, a stray shell hits you in the face." William said to Kawakaze with a serious face.

"…I still failed to take out Purifier." Kawakaze said to William.

"Don't feel down about that, I'm just glad that you're alive…Now, make sure you eat those fruits alright? Get well soon, Kawakaze." William said to Kawakaze while he smiled.

"…Arigatou shikikan." Kawakaze said to William.

"Think nothing of it, caring for you and the others is my job after all." William said to Kawakaze while he smiled a bit.

He didn't expect that Kawakaze could feel defeated like this, all this time he thought she's a badass warrior, who's very deadly with a katana and a stone-cold face with a strong protectiveness around Nagato. But well, she's a human too in the end as she could also be dispirited when she's defeated…It's his job to make sure the KANSENs did their best and to take care of them, overtime he's grown to care about these girls even outside the context of work. He might not be a psychologist or even a counselor, as he didn't have any qualification for psychology matters other than how to best use them for warfare, but he surely tried his best in case the girls ever had problems that require his attention or help to solve…Surprisingly, there are quite a bit.

Helena's shyness, Honolulu's negative confidence on her physique, Mikasa's problem in understanding modern technology, Bismarck rigidness in some occasions, Hipper's tsundere streaks, Edinburgh's blunders, those are some of the examples he had to deal when it comes to ship girls' daily life. When William thought about it, ever since he became the commander of this base, no days ever felt boring. Sure, working behind desk most of the time could be quite stale, but Hood is always there to accompany him, Belfast would often check in to bring him meals or snacks, and there are others who would bother him during work hours. Sometimes they talk about serious matters, some just ask him to play with them, and on several occasions it's just pure damage control…He might have only been here for few months, but it's sure felt like a long time ago ever since he came to this place…His musing is interrupted when the sliding door is opened again, Hiei stepped inside, and her lips curled into a frown.

"Hiei? Where is Shoukaku?" William asked Hiei while he cocked his eyebrows.

"About that…" Hiei said to William while she frowned.

…So, it turns out Shoukaku suddenly fell ill, William immediately went to check on her room and found the sight of Shoukaku tucked under her futon, her breathing is a bit ragged, her cheeks are rosy red, she has runny nose, her snow-white hair is a mess, and there's an icepack on top of her forehead. William frowned a bit at the sight of her being weak as a newborn kitten like this, he knows that ship girls could be affected with disease, but what could be the reason for Shoukaku to fall ill? As far as he is concerned, there is no epidemic within the base even for the common flu. He saw her yesterday, and she was healthy, so how? Did she eat something bad? Did she stay up late outside?

"…I'm terribly sorry…shikikan-sama…*cough* *cough*…It looks like…I can't perform my task today…" Shoukaku said to William…weakly.

"Huh…Yeah, it's better if you don't." William said to Shoukaku while he frowned.

"Shoukaku nee…" Zuikaku frowned while she stared at Shoukaku from her left side.

"…Zuikaku, when did she get sick like this?" William asked Zuikaku who's taking the thermometer out of Shoukaku's left armpit.

"Shoukaku nee just suddenly collapsed after she woke up, I still don't know how she got sick…Damn, thirty-nine degrees celsius. That's quite high." Zuikaku said to William before commenting on Shoukaku's temperature.

"It is…Have you called Vestal?" William asked Zuikaku.

"Hai, she said she'll be here soon after treating Z46-san." Zuikaku said to William.

William approached Shoukaku and put his left hand on her right cheek, the woman nuzzled her face toward his hand in response. William frowned upon feeling the heat through skin contact, without a doubt Shoukaku will need to rest for the entire day after she takes her medication. Since it's come to this, William would have to continue with the inspection by himself, he didn't really want to bother the other ship girls since they might have other business to attend to. However, William chose to leave only after Shoukaku is treated by Vestal, can't exactly leave her in this state without the diagnose for her illness…Suddenly the sliding door to the room was opened, and Akagi came inside while carrying some sort of brown bag with her, William turned around and his eye instantly met hers.

"Pardon my intrusion…Ara, shikikan-sama! I am surprised to see you here!" Akagi said to William as she immediately smiled.

"Hey Akagi. Hmm? What's with the bag?" William asked Akagi.

"This is medical supplies, Vestal-san requested me to help since she's still busy with Z46." Akagi said to William.

"Is that so? Well, I'll leave her in your care, Akagi-senpai." Zuikaku said to Akagi as she smiled a bit.

"Hai, omakase…Shoukaku? Can you hear me?" Akagi asked Shoukaku in a soft tone as she sat beside Shoukaku.

"Uuuhhhh…Akagi…senpai?" Shoukaku asked Akagi weakly.

"Aww, my poor kouhai has a burning fever…Don't worry, I will make you feel better soon." Akagi said to Shoukaku while she smiled softly.

Say what you want about Akagi, but it is clear that she's a caring young woman that valued the people important to her, and even Shoukaku is not an exception to that. Despite her attitude with Akagi, the brunette kitsune clearly cared a lot about Shoukaku as a senior, and she won't hesitate to help her in case she ever needs it. Akagi rummaged through the contents of the bag, and she pulled out a medical syringe, which she quickly filled with a clear liquid from a small bottle. Akagi smiled a bit as she lightly flicked the syringe in her right hand. Shoukaku opened her eyes for a bit as she prepared to take the medicine, she hopes to anything holy out there that the drug will ease her temperature down and make the headache she's experiencing to go away…However, as soon as her eyes laid on the syringe in Akagi's hand the woman immediately widened her eyes, gets up, and retreated into the corner of the room…in five seconds' flat.

"P-P-P-Please…anything but that!" Shoukaku said to Akagi, while stammering and her face turned blue instead of red.

"It's just a syringe, Shoukaku." Akagi said to Shoukaku with half closed eyes.

"Errr, senpai, Shoukaku nee is afraid of needles." Zuikaku said to Akagi while she grimaced.

"Hmm, no this won't do. You are my kouhai, the esteemed leader of the fifth carrier division. This little injection will not scare you!" Akagi said to Shoukaku as she stepped towards her.

"…YADAAAAAAA!"

BOOOOOOOM!

A huge explosion occurred as Shoukaku in her absolute terrorized state threw her paper plane and unleashed an airstrike indoors, INDOORS! Akagi dived into the floor which caused the paper plane to narrowly miss her head, Zuikaku is relatively safe since she's behind Shoukaku, and William curled himself in a fetal position in the corner of the room. He's quite lucky he managed to dodge the attack in time, if he didn't roll out of the way he would probably end up as thin red mist and a few chunks of flesh splattered on the wall…He looked back and saw Shoukaku with a face full of fear, trembling hands, and with her back against the wall. Man, phobias are something you shouldn't mess around with, but this is for her own good. William sighed as he stood up while Zuikaku was trying to calm Shoukaku down, he's going to check Akagi's condition…

"…Akagi? You okay?" William asked Akagi as he approached her and offered his right hand to her.

"I'm fine…That was a bit close, shikikan-sama." Akagi said to William as she took his right hand to help herself up.

"Yeah, it went out and destroyed the hallway…Don't you have any pills, tablets, or even syrup? This isn't going to work…" William said to Akagi as he looked at the large hole in the hallway's wall.

"No. Also, this is the most effective medicine, and I'm pretty sure it's not meant to be ingested." Akagi said to William as she prepared a second syringe.

"Hah…Where does she need to be injected?" William asked Akagi after he sighed.

"Her butt." Akagi said to William.

"…Well, that's easy. Zuikaku, help me out, will you?" William asked Zuikaku before he looked at her and widened his eye.

"Ryoukaishita shikikan. Eh?" Zuikaku said to William before she cocked her eyebrows, and she turned around.

The three of them saw Shoukaku, who's midway through the window of the room in her attempt to escape, Zuikaku immediately caught her kimono sleeping garb, and William dashed forward before grabbing her waist. Shoukaku immediately panicked and thrashed around while screaming, William sat down as he brought Shoukaku with him, then Zuikaku immediately helped William by restraining Shoukaku's arms. She's really afraid of needles, and if she's not restrained then she might've destroyed the dorm! William didn't like forcing Shoukaku like this, but it's for her own good, if he had to be mean in order for her to be healthy then so be it!

"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GOOOOOOO!" Shoukaku said out loud as she thrashed around.

"Come on Shoukaku nee! Do you really want to jump out of the window?! All the way from the fifth floor?! With your condition?!" Zuikaku asked Shoukaku as she struggled in restraining Shoukaku.

"Sheesh! How did you get this strong Shoukaku?! You laid weak in bed just a few moments ago!" William asked out loud.

"I'M HEALTHY ALREADY! I'M HEALTHY! PLEASE DON'T INJECT ME!" Shoukaku said out loud in fear.

"How did Vestal manage to do it back then!?" William asked Zuikaku.

"She gave her a shot when she was asleep! Clearly, that's not an option here!" Zuikaku said to William.

"Alright, grab her upper body and make sure she can't move! I'll secure her lower half!" William said to Zuikaku.

"Hai!" Zuikaku said to William.

William noticed that Shoukaku could still overpowered him despite her being sick. Her adrenaline must have been in overdrive, so he will have to be careful handling her lower body or she could horse kick him. Zuikaku put Shoukaku's hand behind her before restraining it once again by putting her weight on her back by sitting on her. William did the same as he held Shoukaku's legs with his arms and used his own legs to hold down Shoukaku's thighs. But despite the combined effort between the two of them, Shoukaku still managed to struggle. William had to admit that she is relentless when she's desperate. He rolled up Shoukaku's garb to expose her ass, so Akagi could immediately inject her. He widened his eye in surprise because Shoukaku didn't wear panties, and that exposed her bare smooth white ass for him to see! However, William paid no further attention to it as he refocused himself in holding Shoukaku's legs down.

"KYAAAA! PLEASE! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOO! SOMEBODY! HELP MEEEEE!" Shoukaku shouted out loud in fear and embarrassment as her lower parts were exposed.

"Guh! She's stronger than I thought! Now Akagi!" William said to Akagi as he gritted his teeth.

"This will be over in a second!" Akagi said out loud as she approached Shoukaku.

"LET ME GO! SHE'S GOING TO STAB ME!" Shoukaku shouted out loud.

"Could you please not say it like you're about to get murdered!?" Zuikaku said to Shoukaku while she frowned deeply.

"Make it quick!" William said to Akagi.

"…There! Done!" Akagi quickly injected the medicine into Shoukaku.

As soon as Akagi said she's done both Zuikaku and William let Shoukaku go, the woman immediately ran to the corner of the room and curled up in there as she started sobbing before she cried her eyes out…William cringed while he scratched his head as he honestly felt bad doing that to her, he felt like an asshole even though it's for her own good. They could hear footsteps and the room occupants turned around to find several Sakura Empire ship girls standing near the destroyed hallway, William could see that the girls are Mikasa, Takao, Atago, Amagi, and Kongou who looked at the scene before them in confusion and bewilderment.

"What is going on here?" Atago asked out loud.

"You guys are being so loud! And what's with this hole?!" Kongou asked out loud as she looked at the hole on the hallway's wall.

"Is there an accident?" Mikasa asked out loud.

"Uuuuu…I can't get married anymore! Shikikan-sama has seen it…my embarrassing lower parts! Take responsibility you dimwit and take me as your wife right now!" Shoukaku said out loud while she cried.

"""""""HA?!""""""" Everyone who heard Shoukaku said out loud.

"Na-Nandesute?! Did you just assault her shikikan-dono?!" Takao asked William while she scowled.

"Ara…Shikikan-sama, sexual assault is out of the question…" Amagi said to William while she frowned.

"…I swear, I can explain 'this' properly…" William said to the ship girls in a defeated manner…

Here we go again with the misunderstandings…William thoroughly explained the situation with Akagi and Zuikaku as witnesses, and fortunately, the other ship girls decided to believe him. After making sure Shoukaku is tucked in bed to rest properly, William continues on with what he's supposed to do, and that's the dorm inspection. The man inspected every room in the dorm, and he's accompanied by Takao alongside Atago, who volunteered to take Shoukaku's place. From his brief inspection, it would appear that the dorm is mostly in good condition, and the maintenance would be a breeze. William was done with the inspection near noon, and he opted to eat lunch in the cafeteria with Takao and Atago tagging along, they ate while occasionally talking about random topics until Atago steered the conversation toward his health.

"Shikikan-kun, you look tired. You should take this weekend for rest." Atago said to William while she frowned a bit.

"Can't do that Atago, I need to keep up with my training." William said to Atago as he stuffed his mouth with mac and cheese.

"Training? You've been so busy these days shikikan-kun, you need to rest once in a while. None of us want to see you collapse on the ground later." Atago said to William while she frowned.

"She's right shikikan-dono, it is admirable that you work hard every day and push yourself beyond your limits. But please rest, you will burn out too quickly." Takao said to William while she frowned.

It would seem the ship girls have started to notice that William has been working in overdrive recently, there's just so many things he does for the entire day, and it's mostly training or working. Takao has sparred with him a few times, and she noted that William's swordsmanship improved on a daily basis as he got used to wielding a broadsword. He still has trouble landing a solid clean hit against her, but he's able to put her in the corner if she's not careful in facing him. Atago noticed that if William has finished his work for the day he will either train himself further for the rest of the afternoon or spend his afternoon reading books about military strategy, learning about the past battle details to learn about the tactics used during the fight, learning about the weapons that will be implemented soon, learning about the experimental technology which are being developed, trying to formulate a counter in case a situation develops, or he will try to come up with equipment that Akashi could make.

…Now that William thought about it, a few of the ship girls have given a few hints here and there…Belfast tirelessly distracted him during the afternoon, Hood recently often talks about going somewhere with him outside the base during weekends, Amagi often intrudes in the afternoon to talk about something else other than military matters, even Warspite, who he meets with every day, shortened his training to one hour from the previous two. But so far none have told him off bluntly like Atago and Takao, did they do it because both of them rarely saw him, so they felt more at ease in telling him off? Strange, usually Belfast, Hood, or Amagi will be quite blunt if he made mistakes, why didn't they tell him directly like Atago and Takao?

"…Maybe I will just rest this weekend." William murmured to himself.

"It's not a bad thing you know? Everyone is worried that you will collapse if you continue at this rate." Atago said to William while she smiled.

"Really? Everyone?" William asked Atago with cocked eyebrows.

"Soudesuyo…All of us noticed that you're pushing yourself every day. Maybe they're confident that you can handle the burden, given your background…But I don't think so, you're still a human in the end, and there will be a time where you will collapse…It's better to prevent it from happening than dealing with the consequences later." Atago said to William while she smiled bitterly.

"A blade that is not maintained will eventually lose its edge and breaks when you push it beyond the limits, it's the same as our body if you constantly push it without rest…Some time off will benefit you shikikan-dono, I'm sure your weary muscles and soul are in need of some relaxation." Takao said to William.

"…I think both of you are right, it looks like I've been neglecting in pacing myself with the training." William said to Takao and Atago as he leaned on his seat.

"Speaking of weariness, care for some relaxing massage, shikikan-kun? I'm pretty good at it." Atago asked William while she smiled.

"Ah, you might want to take her offer shikikan-dono. Atago does have proficient hands." Takao said to William while she smiled.

"Very proficient, even Takao-chan was moaning excitedly when I touched her~" Atago said out loud while she grinned.

"D-Don't make it sound lewd!" Takao said to Atago as her cheeks reddened.

"Ufufufufufufu!" Atago could only giggle when Takao got flustered.

…Yeah, after giving it some thought, William felt he's been pushing himself too hard lately. Maybe it's time for him to cut some slack and get some rest. Atago's offer sounds enticing to say the least as when was the last time he ever got a massage? William couldn't remember, at all. Wait, did he ever get a massage? As far as he can remember he only ever corrected his joints when they dislocated…Belfast did offer him some, but if he remembers correctly, he didn't accept her offer at that time. William only shrugged to himself because he forgot the reason, in any case he saw no harm in accepting Atago's offer for one session of massage, especially if Takao could vouch for her skills…William felt his phone vibrate, and he looked at the screen. It would seem break time is over, and he's required to be in the office.

"I might want to take on that offer later, Atago. But now I have to go back to my office." William said to Atago as he stood up.

"Is that so? Well, take it easy, shikikan-kun." Atago said to William while she smiled.

"Thanks, Atago. I'll be sure to do that." William said to Atago as he smiled back.

"…Did his defeat back on Furushima really affect him that much?" Atago asked Takao who's staring at William's retreating figure.

"Hai, and I suspect his recent encounter with Purifier and Tester Beta also played a part in why he wanted to get stronger…Did he feel useless against them?" Takao asked Atago while she frowned.

"Probably…Hah…I'm worried about the possibility of him doing something reckless to attain the power he needs to fight." Atago said to Takao while she frowned.

.

…Diana is, safe to say, very ecstatic regarding what happened today. They finally solved the problem regarding mass acceleration theory and were finally able to create a truly functional railgun. It's not exactly a new technology as they already have a large prototype at the size of a ship grade cannon, but the real achievement here is successfully miniaturizing the cannon into a handheld weapon. Yes, a handheld railgun with enough power to send a 9mm sized projectile through a concrete slab or even armor with relative ease. That way their troops would be able to punch through any Siren trooper's armor or even Brawler's thick skin easily, this technology might just improve the overall combat strength of the human infantry. Five hours ago, the wisdom cube that is attached to the lab's data server reacted and gave a stream of data that the scientists needed, the scientists have worked hard to assemble the tech's basic component…When they succeeded in making the component work, Diana wasted no time as she immediately gathered the engineers in the lab, for they have a job to do.

"Ma'am, everyone is here." Julia, Diana's assistant said to her with a team of engineers behind her.

"Excellent. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a few things to create for codenames Knight and Athena. This is a direct order from High Commander Carville, so we got no say in this, and we have to modify the timeline a bit…We will need a carbine sized weapon alongside pistol designs that could function well with the new railgun model we created this evening, a longsword, a broadsword, and a handheld shield with the best combined material to perform effectively against Siren armor and durable enough for extensive use against Siren units and weaponry. Any questions?" Diana said out loud to the engineers.

"…Any preference for aesthetic designs?" One of the engineers asked Diana.

"How about 'futuristic'?" Diana said to the engineer.

"You'll get them, boss…Alright, let's get to work everyone." The engineer said to his team and they are off to work.

Diana is confident that they could do this, why? The engineers at central headquarters could make anything as long as it's within the realm of possibility. They're among the brightest minded people that Azur Lane recruited directly whenever people with bright potential appeared before them. Now with the appearance of the Sirens, bright minded people are even more valuable, and Azur Lane went to great lengths in order to make sure these people's talent are put to great use in the defense of mankind…Engineers and scientists are given clearance to work without restriction, some labs, even conducting experiments with questionable ethics to their test subjects. To achieve victory, sacrifices must be made to gain as much knowledge as possible and advance the technology of human civilization as rapidly as they could. For the first time in history, the world is united to fight a new threat and look at the result! Humans banded together regardless of nations, their combined military power formed formidable defenses across the earth…Earth will throw everything she has to fight off these invaders, and if they survive through this war? It shall be a lesson-

"Ma'am, there's a call from the naval laboratory in Scotland." Julia interrupted Diana's musing as she handed her the lab's phone.

"Diana Blaze here." Diana answered the call.

"What absolute madness!" A man said to Diana on the phone.

"Good night to you as well…What is it?" Diana asked the man on the phone.

"It works! It actually works and that baffled me! Ma'am! We'll be able to let the ship take to the skies in the near future! I can't believe it! The cube really gave us what we needed! The solution for our anti-gravitational device!" The man said to Diana on the phone.

"…The cube?" Diana muttered to herself in thought.

"Yes! The wisdom cube! It gave us what we needed! I'll contact you for the update shortly!" The man said to Diana on the phone before hanging up.

...The wisdom cube also reacted in their lab? Wow, what a lucky coincidence, furthermore, it's the lab that's working on anti-gravity technology, so they will have floating warships in near future. Floating warships? Is that a great idea? Well, a target at the size of a warship would be easier to target from the ground, but who will say no to deploy a warship high up ready to rain death from above?! Besides, with this they should be able to help the transport ships in their supply runs, and it won't be restricted by the ports at coastal areas only. If the ships could fly, then they could very much reach every place on earth before unloading their cargo! It's a problem-solving method with so many angles if you look at it…Though, does that mean the ship girls will lose their job in fleet escort service? Oh yeah, there's that one too…Diana thought that this technology won't be able to be implemented widespread for at least a decade, and at that time Diana is sure the ship girls will be given the necessary upgrades in order to keep up with this improvement-

"Ma'am, another call from the lab in St. Petersburg." Julia said to Diana as the phone in Diana's hand rang.

"Yes, Diana Blaze speaking." Diana answered the phone.

"Hello? We would like to report that our research on the Titan bomb modification as mobile generator just received a breakthrough. We will soon be able to complete the schematics for the portable nuclear generator." A woman said to Diana on the phone.

"…Did the cube attached to your lab give you the necessary information?" Diana asked the woman on the phone.

"Da, how did you know?" The woman asked Diana in confusion on the phone.

"…Something's not right. Just complete the schematics for now, we'll talk about the details later." Diana said to the woman on the phone.

"Understood madam." The woman said to Diana before she hung up.

…That's three cases in one day where a breakthrough happens, now it's the lab in Russia that modifies the Sakura Empire Titan bomb into a nuclear-powered energy generator. Heh, just what the rest of humanity needs right now in order to expand their arsenal because many were locked out of the development due to power issues! With this, gigantic railguns, gigantic machines…Oh boy, there are a lot of things that could function properly with a compact nuclear reactor! But still, three breakthroughs in one day? Something is definitely going on, and right now Diana doesn't know what, but she'll get to the bottom of it once she gets sufficient evidence on what caused this event. The phone in Diana's hand rang once again, and she looked at the screen, it's a call from a research lab on Iris Orthodoxy…

"Ma'am, another call, this time from the lab in Paris…What is going on?" Julia informed her while she stared confusedly at the tablet in her hand that showed the incoming caller ID.

"I guess we'll find out soon…This is Diana Blaze." Diana said to Julia before she answered the call.

"Mon dieu! Madame Blaze!? Our research into the energy barrier is successful! Combined data from Ironblood scientists and the wisdom cube have yielded an excellent result! We should be able to implement this technology in a matter of weeks and perhaps mass produce it next year!" A man said to Diana on the phone.

"The cube again…Alright, great work. Please develop the barrier projector for immediate testing, we have much to do." Diana said to the man on the phone.

"Oui madame!" The man said to Diana before hanging up.

"Ma'am, another call…it's from the Sakura Empire Science Division." Julia said to Diana while she looked at her tablet with widened eyes.

"Yes, Diana Blaze here." Diana answered the call.

"Blaze-san? Yes, we are told to notify you regarding the current progress for our experimental mechanized walker. We are able to make it work properly; we will be able to field test it next week and commence production within a month." A man said to Diana on the phone.

"Really? Great news. Carry on, we will share any data you need later." Diana said to the man on the phone.

"Thank you very much, we will certainly need the data for the portable generator. Azur Lane lab in Russia has contacted us earlier, but we will definitely need your approval first." The man said to Diana on the phone.

"Of course, we will send the schematics when it's ready." Diana said to the man on the phone.

"That puts us at ease, this might be the beginning of a new age Blaze-san. Combat might have just evolved." The man said to Diana before he ended the call.

…Sakura Empire's mechanized walker, Crimson Axis is the vanguard when it comes to robotics due to their involvement with the Sirens, but so far only Sakura Empire seems able to produce a working prototype for the one that can be used by anyone. If Diana remembered correctly, the machine stood at around ten meters high and moved quite slow, not to mention it still requires to be tethered with a power supply cable which should be replaced by the generator that the lab in Russia managed to create…Diana is not a strategy expert, but from her point of view the mechs would be impractical in combat since they are lightly armored, with huge bodies, and slow movement speed. However, Diana is confident that those problems will be mitigated soon. Hey, for starters, if the Sirens could make a spider tank with efficient mechanical limbs why couldn't they? So far, humanity has proven that they could reverse engineer those aliens' tech if they put enough effort!

"Ma'am, a call from the Washington Lab…" Julia said to Diana…this time however, her voice is quite low.

"…What is it?" Diana asked Julia as she approached the young woman.

"No, it's just…I'm scared, there's so many breakthroughs at the same time…This is extraordinary, scarily extraordinary. It's impossible." Julia said to Diana while she frowned.

"I know it's confusing, but we will have to seize any chance we get for now. Focus, we have much to do." Diana said to Julia as she tapped her shoulder while she smiled a bit.

"…Yes ma'am." Julia said to Diana while she nodded.

"…Diana Blaze here." Diana answered the call.

"Mrs. Blaze? We would like to notify you regarding the progress of our heavy artillery platform, we have just succeeded in creating the new system for rapid firing artillery. We will be able to modify our tanks to have an automatic loader!" A man said to Diana on the phone.

"Great news…Wait, how fast is the loading of this system?" Diana asked the man on the phone.

"We could make it to be able to fire two hundred rounds per minute but given a tank's usual ammo capacity, I think it would empty their ammo reserves too quickly. Besides, I'm not sure their body could withstand fully automatic cannon fire without being heavily affected by the recoil." The man said to Diana on the phone.

"Does this only work for the 120mm cannon our standard Main Battle Tank has?" Diana asked the man further on the phone.

"Well, technically we could modify it according to our needs." The man said to Diana on the phone.

"Then here's an idea. Contact the Sakura Empire science division, they have just successfully created a fully operational mechanized walker. Consult with them regarding the spec of the mechs and create a fully automatic cannon that would fit well as their main weapon." Diana said to the man on the phone.

"A-Ah! This will definitely fit to be implemented in the mech's weaponry! We will require some time to work on developing the artillery system as basically we're going to make a gigantic assault rifle…Though, I think right now what we need the most is probably a significant upgrade for the infantry." The man said to Diana on the phone.

"Why is that?" Diana asked the man on the phone while she cocked her eyebrows.

"You haven't heard? Brawlers have been spotted in New York's underground railway system; the whole city is in unrest right about now since even the military analysts are baffled about their supposed point of entry!" The man said to Diana on the phone.

"…When did this happen?" Diana asked the man on the phone while she frowned.

"Five hours ago, the news went viral immediately." The man said to Diana on the phone.

"Alright…Thanks for the info." Diana said to the man on the phone as her eyes widened.

…Five hours ago? The exact same time as when they achieved a breakthrough for the mass accelerator technology? Diana immediately racked her brains in effort to connect this new piece of evidence with the event that happened a few hours ago. Does the appearance of the Brawlers in New York could serve as the catalyst for the technological breakthrough? Logically speaking, that doesn't make any sense because there is no connection between that appearance and the technological breakthroughs they experience even if the timing is correlated perfectly with one another! But she's not going to drop this just because it doesn't make any sense for now, there must be something she overlooked…

"Julia, find out the time for every breakthrough that has happened in the labs that contacted us." Diana said to Julia.

"I already asked ahead of you ma'am, the breakthrough happened at the exact same time as one another." Julia said to Diana with widened eyes.

"Exact same time?" Diana asked Julia as she also widened her eyes.

"Yes! Zero second difference between the labs! It's like the wisdom cubes reacted simultaneously!" Julia said to Diana.

"When did this happen?" Diana asked Julia with a serious face.

"Five hours ago, ma'am…" Julia said to Diana.

"…These wisdom cubes…just what exactly is their true nature?" Diana asked out loud as she walked away.

"Aren't those cubes the only thing that's capable of producing miracles? You know, like summoning the ship girls and giving us raw knowledge on a few things?" Julia asked Diana as she followed her.

"I know that much Julia." Diana said to Julia while she frowned in annoyance.

"Uh, right, of course you are…" Julia said to Diana while she cringed at her conversational blunder.

"Except when we used it to summon a ship girl, the timing that it gave us knowledge always happened to us randomly. The cubes are unpredictable…Then why did those cubes react five hours ago? Not just here, but throughout the labs across the globe that have the cubes connected to their computers? What happened five hours ago? The viral news that Brawlers have been spotted in New York, that's what happened…It's a place where millions of people live, a very crowded place, and where one of the regional headquarters of Azur Lane is, which could be said to be a symbol of humanity's resistance against the Sirens. But now the Sirens were there, people across the world are anxious…confused…scared…that those creatures could also be lurking near their homes…a constant fear, that puts the entire world at edge all because the Sirens did what they haven't done before…To actually present within a large population center…" Diana spoke out loud as she entered the lab's data server.

"…What does that have to do with the wisdom cube?" Julia asked Diana as she kept following her.

"Wisdom cubes are said to be the physical form of humanity's collective thoughts that are able to manifest what are basically a miracle for us, at least that's what the general consensus is. There are those that research into 'what' actually fuels those cubes, and the only theory they came up with is psionic energy that comes from the entirety of humanity, from each single human…If that it's true, then the very nature of wisdom cube could react accordingly to how the ENTIRETY of humanity's thoughts and feelings then adapt itself to it…" Diana said to Julia.

"Oh my god, is it possible that those cubes actually gave us the chance to fight back against the Sirens because we are so afraid of them!?" Julia asked Diana as she slowly widened her eyes in realization.

"…It does give us the chance to fight back with so many breakthroughs that happened today…It sensed our fear but at the same time, it must've sensed our hope. Our hope and wish to fight back against this threat, our desperation in knowing that unless we improve quickly…we won't survive this war. That collective thought across the entirety of humanity, manifested into the wisdom cubes that heard our wish, and it realized our hope." Diana said to Julia.

Of course, that's the theory she could come up with based on the knowledge she has and the evidence she attained until now. The Wisdom cube is one of the most mysterious artifacts that humanity ever stumbled upon, even now with many institutes and labs using the artifact for multiple purposes they still haven't figured out its true nature…Diana approached a special chamber within the data server room with a machine like pedestal in the center of it, a wisdom cube placed on top of the machine and attached with various cables and sensors on it…Diana stared at that small cube with a complicated face, sometimes Diana shudders at the potential it has. The knowledge, the mystery, the horror…there are so many things that could go wrong in exploring the cube's true power, yet why did they keep doing it? Humanity fears the unknown, doesn't it? Then why keep playing with fire if they didn't know its danger?

"If that is true…those cubes will save us all no matter what enemies we face in the future! This is great news! Our civilization would improve rapidly with this!" Julia said to Diana while she smiled widely.

"…No…this is also a critical weakness, Julia." Diana said to Julia in low tone.

"What do you mean? Your theory basically proved that we will be fine as long as we have the wisdom cube in our possession!" Julia said to Diana with a confused face.

"Think broadly…What if this phenomenon works only because we as an entire human race actually felt threatened? What if we are divided like we were in the past once again? Would the cubes respond to us when not every human thought of the same thing? Remember, collective thoughts are what gives the wisdom cube its power, and we don't know its exact measurement on how many humans would the cube consider 'collective' in order for it to work like this…In order for it to work on this scale again, we as an entire human race might need to have one thing that unite us all, and in this case, it's a common enemy. But that unity alone could be disintegrated in the future, we could never know what will happen…This method of improvement is not reliable because there are just too many flaws in it, we shouldn't be too hopeful, and we better treat this as a simple coincidence…at least for now, until we could unravel the mystery of this phenomenon…" Diana said to Julia with a serious face.

---

Updated: 14-02-2022 (Beta readed by Culture-Hunt3r)

Yup, I know I've been gone for quite a while. College stuff hit me straight in the gut and as the result I had to shift my resources to the college business and…the writing side had to take a severe hit on the progress, not to mention the pacing is so slow because I got distracted by playing Genshin Impact for quite a while, so fuck me for I screwed up the writing progress and came up super late with this chapter! But enough of that, as usual, thank you for the follows, favorites, and reviews dear readers…Oh yeah, I might haven't replied to your reviews so do forgive me if I haven't done so yet. This one chapter serves as an interlude, real shit will begin in the next chapter so yeah…stay tuned for that.

See you next time!

- Dasmara