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.

44. Resolution, Christmas, Family

…William opened his eye and he immediately felt lethargic as hell, it's like he doesn't have any strength to move his body. Strange, he should have more than enough to…Oh…William remembered what he did just before he lost consciousness, well he decided to just be glad that he's still alive at the moment…He noticed that the ceiling above him is colored white and he concluded that he's in a medical facility, not surprising that the girls brought him here after what happened last time. The man also noticed that he's currently wearing a medical gown, looks like his armor was taken off. What about TB though? Is she alright? William grunted as he sat up, and he immediately saw someone standing in front of his bed. A woman, with long flowing wavy blonde hair, wearing red glasses and a lab coat. William let his view adjusted for a bit before he recognized the woman, she is Victoria Bordeaux herself.

"…Sleep well, commander?" Victoria asked William while she smirked slightly.

"…I have a shitty dream where I went to an island, fight Sirens and disarmed a nuclear missile. Or was that what happened yesterday?" William asked Victoria while he frowned.

"Technically, it was yesterday. You've only been here for a few hours, now its past midnight…Guess your body is more resistant than we thought" Victoria said to William while she smiled.

"…Hope I don't have to stay here for much longer, wherever the hell this is" William said to Victoria while he frowned slightly.

"Aww, not fond of medical facility?" Victoria asked William while she smiled.

"I've gotten all too familiar with it" William said to Victoria while he smiled wryly.

"A man with your profession? I imagine…Well, to respond to your statement before, no. You're good to go, just let the medical staffs do their final checkup on you" Victoria said to William.

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

"Your girls are waiting outside, what a lucky man~. I have something to talk about with all of you though, let's do it in my office…Now that the threats have been quelled, try not to do some crazy stuff for a while, okay?" Victoria asked William while she smirked.

"The leader of KANSENs division? Not doing crazy stuff? Not very on brand, isn't it?" William said to Victoria while he smiled a bit.

Victoria only laughed as she exited the room and four scientists entered in her place, they immediately get to work by checking the instruments hooked on William and asking him about whether something feels off within his body at the moment. It didn't take long until they concluded that William is good enough to move around, however he had to swallow some vitamins and pills that should improve his stamina. William might seem healthy, but he's not fit enough to go on into another combat situation so he should be taking it very easily. William sat on his bed and raised himself carefully, making sure that he's balanced enough to stand up on his own. After concluding that he could stand and walk normally, William stepped out of the room he's on. Unsurprisingly, thanks to Victoria spoiling it, William is immediately greeted by Prinz Eugen, Bismarck, Hood and Elizabeth.

"Ah, there he is~" Prinz said to William while she smiled smugly.

"The man that rode a nuclear missile, huh" Hood said out loud while she eyed William with unamused gaze.

"…Let me assure you, I wouldn't have done it if they can disarm the missile remotely" William said to Hood while he grinned awkwardly.

"Figures…Well, as long as you're healthy in the end" Hood said to William while she closed her eyes.

"You have become quite accepting with the mad thing he's done" Elizabeth commented while she smiled at Hood.

"I realized that there's nothing I could do to stop him, your majesty. He always had to be in the right place to do all of that" Hood said to Elizabeth while she massaged her left temple.

"Right timing as well" Prinz commented while she smirked a bit.

"Well, it was fortunate that you do have the equipment and skills to survive. Otherwise, we wouldn't be smiling at you right now, kommandant" Bismarck said to William while she smiled slightly.

"Right…Thanks for picking me up, ladies. Come on, Victoria got something she want to talk about" William said to the ship girls before he started walking.

Victoria was waiting by the corner for them to done talking, then she led the group to her personal office. They entered the room that's quite spacious for a one person's office, and the woman furnished the room with a lot of things. TV? Computer? Bookshelves? Personal pantry? Guest space with couches and coffee table? All check. They sat down on the guest space, Hood volunteered to make some tea for them and asked Victoria where she stored her supplies. Prinz sat beside William; a bit too close in fact that her left shoulder's bumping with his right arm. The man stared a bit at Prinz before he patted her head from behind, this caused the woman to widened her eyes as she eyed him and William only smiled widely at her. After knowing her for months, William knew that Prinz is a woman who often weaved her true feelings with tease, jokes or subtle moves. So, when she's being very direct? Yeah, she really wants to get the point across. The way she's sitting so close to him now, William knew that Prinz was worried about him despite not showing it outwardly and currently relishing on the fact that he's alright.

"Chamomile tea, what a splendid product you have here" Hood commented while she smiled slightly.

"Yeah, got to admit, I need a lot of those due to my work environments" Victoria said to Hood while she shrugged.

"Ms. Bordeaux, where's my armor? How about TB?" William asked Victoria.

"Ah, don't worry, I have her transferred to your phone. We're currently making some emergency repair on your armor with Admiral Hipper, it should be done before dawn and it'll be delivered to your room" Victoria said to William as she handed him his phone.

"Hello commander" TB said to William as her face appeared on William's home screen.

"TB, you okay?" William asked TB while he smiled a bit as he picked up his phone.

"I am fine commander" TB said to William.

"Good to hear. How much of my storage did you take?" William asked TB while he cocked his eyebrows.

"You only have six gigabytes left of free space, commander. I have to leave a lot of myself inside your armor's storage, what's in here is my 'core'" TB said to William.

"Core? You mean, you can split yourself?" William asked TB.

"Not exactly. I could reduce my size to what's necessary for my continued survival as an AI. What I left back in your armor are mostly data that I have stored within myself, like memory or sort" TB explained to William.

"Ah, I see. So right now, what's in my phone is only your core programing and not the database that's with you" William said to TB.

"Yes commander. Which is why I currently cannot offer any instantaneous data to present, I have to search the world wide web for that. However, I do have the recording of what has transpired ever since you took me, ready to be presented" TB explained to William.

"I see…Have you been briefed regarding what's going on in that base, Bismarck?" William asked Bismarck.

"I have. It shouldn't be surprising that if Enterprise from alternate reality exist, then Admiral Lena would also exist as well…There could even be alternate you running around somewhere, kommandant" Bismarck said to William.

"I won't deny the possibility. But he's taking his time if he exists, or he simply choose not to appear before us" William said to Bismarck.

"These 'alters'…They're working for or with the Sirens. Are the situation in their reality that horrendous?" Elizabeth wondered out loud.

"Given what we heard about them, it's not a stretch to think that their timelines have been conquered…or destroyed" Prinz said to Elizabeth.

"Right. Then I suppose we have to be more warry about these alters, who knows what their true goals are. One moment they're decimating our forces, the next they're helping us" Elizabeth said to Prinz.

"Can't argue with that" Prinz said to Elizabeth while she shrugged.

"That's not all that happened tonight, I have my own tale to share" Hood said out loud as she put the tray full of tea cups on the table.

After distributing the tea among themselves, Hood told them about what transpired within the cathedral while they're busy with the Siren base. Safe to say, by the time Hood finished with her story, everyone is left stunned. William didn't expect for Nyx to show up, and even more so with seemingly new Siren higher ups in play and she's the one who shot them down. Compiler, she sounded like she's the gatherer or something. So there's Observer, Tester, Purifier and now Compiler…Yeah, they do sounded like a science team or something. What about her powers though? She didn't display any during her encounter with Hood…Wait, there's something else they need to prioritize here! About the whole miracle thing that this island has! Turns out, the source is an advanced pod that's been hidden inside the cathedral's altar. It must've been there ever since the cathedral's creation, which means that the crusaders knew whatever inside that pod is the one that could bring them miracles, and knowingly built a cathedral-castle on it. Isn't that heresy though? Or do they saw it as a sign from their god or something?

"…And what's Richelieu thought about all of this?" William asked out loud.

"…Let's just say, not good" Hood said to William with serious tone.

"Where is she? How about the other Iris KANSENs?" William asked Hood while he frowned.

"Richelieu, Jeanne d'Arc, Le Triomphant, Forbin, L Opiniatre, Le Temeraire and Maille Breze seems to be deeply affected by this revelation" Hood said to William with serious tone.

"…Most former members of Iris Libre, huh…" William muttered while he looked down at the coffee table.

"Richelieu and Jeanne are the ones who took it the hardest, seeing them as the most devout believers" Hood said to William with serious tone.

"…What about the people of Celestial Garden?" William asked Hood.

"That's when the term 'morally questionable' comes in. Do we lie about what transpire here? Or do we tell them the truth? Believe it or not, the outcome from that would be vastly different. The disillusion could cause some of them to stop believing in God" Prinz chimed in while she crossed her legs.

"Had to agree with Eugen on this one. I'm no believer, but even I don't want them to lose their faith" Bismarck said out loud.

"…It's a gamble we have to make. Personally, I prefer to speak the truth. Although, who knows what will happen once we do so, we won't know how many people would stop believing" Elizabeth said out loud.

"Milord, your decision?" Hood asked William.

…When Hood called William with milord or commander? She's in working mode and she's being very serious, not as his girlfriend, but as personal secretary of ALASUC Commander. William rubbed his chin as he contemplated his choices, no doubt that the girls will look at him for the decision making. Though what to decide here? His choice could very well alter the course of history, heck, even the societal aspect of living on this island. It's not an easy choice and the weight of it caused William to pursed his lips…He is no expert on religion, he is no expert on human psychology, he is no expert on policy making or even statecraft. But still, he has to come to decision, any decision, even if it means choosing nothing…Deep inside him, William knew that being truthful would be the right thing to do, but is that the best choice? William shook his head. No, there's a better way to go about this. First, he needs to talk with Richelieu concerning this matter. Then, and only then, they decide on what they should do here.

"…I'll talk with Richelieu first, see what's best to do with this situation" William said out loud.

"Yeah, that might be the best way to go" Elizabeth said to William.

"…Now that it's been dealt with temporarily, I have something to say…The good news first, your dropship has completed its repairs, the Manjuus that are with you managed to make the necessary fix to your transport. It could fly again, so you could go home immediately after this" Victoria said out loud.

"And the bad news?" William asked Victoria.

"Well, I don't know if it could be considered 'bad' per say…But while you're busy with the Sirens, something is going on in here. There are purple butterflies, a spectral looking one, as if it's made of purple light. The butterflies appeared before us all and the next thing we know? We're inside the fallout bunker at the deepest part of our facility. Strangely, it only happened to us, not the townsfolk around the Celestial Garden" Victoria said out loud and caused William to widened his eye.

"Purple butterfly…Me too, I saw it as well" William said to Victoria.

"You did?" Victoria asked William.

"When I fought with Le-…Moirai, I felt time was stopping. A purple butterfly shown me a gap in her defense, then it spoke to me…I could hear a woman's voice, telling me that I cannot perish here for I am her salvation…Then it's gone, time resumed normally after that" William said to Victoria.

"Interesting…I don't believe in supernatural until today…Based from your stories and our experience, it seems that these purple butterflies are trying to help us somewhat. But why now? Why here?" Victoria asked out loud.

"And that woman, who is she?" William asked out loud.

"It seems she knows who you are. Or know your future" Prinz said to William.

"Yeah, problem being I don't know who among my female acquaintances who knows how to peer into the future" William said to Prinz.

"…TB, did you notice anything when that happened to him?" Bismarck asked TB.

"None, Bismarck. I did not detect anything abnormal during the entire fight with Moirai" TB said to Bismarck.

"Not even a hint of them in the recording?" Bismarck asked TB while she frowned a bit.

"None, recording did not show anything about purple butterflies" TB said to Bismarck.

"Shite, we're running to a dead end before we even started" William said out loud.

"Maybe the answer comes with time, I suggest we put this on hold now until we gain more leads on this matter" Hood suggested while she smiled a bit.

"Fair enough…" William said to Hood.

They sipped their tea and talk about couple of mundane things before they decided to pack it up for the night. They journeyed back to the town with a helicopter, they landed on the outskirt of the town and they walked back to their hotel. Throughout the walk, William could sense how calm and serene the atmosphere is around the town. It seems the people are already sleeping, the places he could hear that has any noises are the bar and restaurant. William was walking when he saw someone on the pier, peering into the moon that shone before them as they sat on the edge. The clothing, the long flowing blonde hair gave her identity away as Richelieu herself though. William looked at Hood and she immediately nodded in understanding; William needs to talk to Richelieu by himself. While Hood, Prinz, Bismarck and Elizabeth continued their walk to their hotel, William approached Richelieu who's sitting by the edge of the pier. The woman heard his heavy footsteps, she turned her head around, spotted him wearing medical gown and couldn't help but to smile.

"You could at least try to dress modestly" Richelieu said to William while she smiled weakly.

"Well, my only luggage is my armor, which happens to be messed up at the moment" William said to Richelieu while he smiled a bit.

"Not surprising, after what you did" Richelieu said to William as she stared at the moon once again.

"…Richelieu" William said her name as he sat beside her.

"I know why you would approach me, commandant…Hood must've told you already" Richelieu said to William.

"…I won't pretend knowing how you feel, Richelieu. But let me ask you, are you doing alright?" William asked Richelieu while he frowned slightly.

"Well, in a sense, I am…I should have known that the lord won't hand out miracles like charity just on this place. God is fair, he won't favor one follower than the other…I should've known that, and figures out that there's something wrong with all this…But, I'm sort of blinded…I thought that these people are so devoted that they warranted a special reward, while in reality, it doesn't work like that…How could I forget our own teachings? That everyone is equal in the eyes of God? That he loved us just as much as the so-called unbelievers? I preached about it the hardest, for I am Le Cardinale…Yet I failed to follow my own words" Richelieu said out loud.

"Your faith? You didn't lose them, right?" William asked Richelieu while he pursed his lips.

"Non, not in the slightest. It is my ignorance that caused me to be shaken up with the truth, not the revelation itself. If I have been wiser in my approach to this whole situation, I wouldn't be so disappointed at myself for discovering the truth" Richelieu said to William.

Richelieu isn't devastated to discover that the whole miracle gimmick being a lie, that it wasn't because of faith but an artifact that has been granting miracles presumably ever since the conception of this town. She was disappointed to realized that she has been ignorant to the whole situation. How foolish of her to think that devout believers are granted miracles like they are relief aid package for the poor? No! If that's the case, then this world would be filled with religious people! Everyone would've gotten their 'miracles'! But that didn't happen, this world is divided between those who are religious and those who don't yet believing in something regardless. Richelieu believed that God will help those who believe in him, that God listened to their prayers, but he granted them subtly and would never do it like the miracles on this island. For those that handed the miracles here is not God, but something else. In their blindness to faith, they associated that artifact with their God, pretending that it's his will. What a heresy, now that Richelieu thought a little deeper about it.

"…What will you do about this?" William asked Richelieu.

"I'm afraid I don't follow" Richelieu said to William while she cocked her eyebrows.

"The people on this town, I mean. Will you tell them the truth? Or will you keep quiet about it? You are their cardinal after all, you have the say on this matter" William asked Richelieu.

"…What do you think, commandant?" Richelieu asked William back.

"Me? I'm not an expert on religion, I don't think I have the right answer" William said to Richelieu while he frowned.

"I never asked you for your expertise, commandant. I simply want your perspective on the matter" Richelieu said to William while she frowned slightly.

"Right…Well, if you ask me, it's better that people know the truth. They will notice one day that something is wrong when they pray but no miracle grace them, they will lose faith in their religion in the most horrendous way. Not saying that some won't because of the reveal, but they'll be spared from knowing about it the hard way. I don't know how Iris government will take that decision, but I believe it is best to come clean" William said to Richelieu.

"…Well, I certainly wish not to lie to these people…It will be hard to swallow for them, who have lived with such way for hundreds of years. But it must be done" Richelieu said to William with serious tone.

"I'm counting on you, Richelieu. And to give understanding to your fellow KANSENs…my word won't carry the same weight when it concerns your belief" William said to Richelieu as he patted her left shoulder.

"Oui commandant, you can trust me for that" Richelieu said to William while she smiled a bit.

"…How is it? Fighting with ALASUC?" William asked Richelieu.

"It has been quite uplifting so far, to have so many comrades on our side. We will pull our own weight, as long as you would have us, commandant" Richelieu said to William while she smiled.

"Don't worry, KANSENs are always welcome on ALASUC…Well, I'm looking forward to work with you more" William said to Richelieu.

"As do I…You have proven that you are worthy to lead us, commandant" Richelieu said to William while she smiled slightly.

"…I hope that I can continue to be worthy" William said to Richelieu with serious tone.

"Oui, I sincerely hope so as well" Richelieu said to William while she smiled.

…Jean Bart stood not too far behind them and eavesdropped on the conversation between the two just now. She had to admit, her opinions on William did change a little. She trusted him a bit more after what she saw a few hours ago, what kind of commander would attempt to disarm a nuclear missile by himself? Even with the equipment that William has, not everyone is willing to do what he did. She realized that the man really meant what he said to her back then, and for that she could at least testify that he's a man who will try to keep his word. Jean silently exhaled before she stepped forward and walked toward the two of them, her footsteps eventually become loud enough for William and Richelieu to notice that caused the both of them to turned their head around at the same time.

"Jean" Richelieu greeted her sister while she smiled.

"Get back to the hotel already, you'll catch a cold at this rate" Jean Bart said to Richelieu while she folded her arms.

"Fufu, I suppose. Thank you for reminding me" Richelieu said to Jean while she smiled.

"Jean, shouldn't you do the same? Why don't the two of you head back together?" William said to Jean while he smiled slightly.

"I-…Fine. Come on" Jean was about to object but she decided to swallowed her protest.

"I bid you good night, commandant William. Please do get some rest yourself" Richelieu said to William while she smiled.

"Yeah" William said to Richelieu while he nodded.

William continued to watch the night sea with moonlight illuminating it, in the far distance he could see the burning Siren floating base, an aftermath of the short battle that just happened on this area. Even hours after the battle are over, the base is still in flames and William suspected that it's currently being secured by the Iris marines…Well, whatever, he got the job done in the end and he protected the girls alongside this island. He'll take that win anytime…William then grabbed his phone and checked the clock, it's currently 1.48 AM. He better get some sleep as well, though he was surprised to see someone behind him when he rosed up from the pier's edge. It's a short woman, a KANSEN and Le Terrible is her name. She stared at William with knowing smile which he replied with a confused look, it's no wonder since it's the first time he meets with Terrible herself.

"Bonjour~" Le Terrible said to William.

"Ah, hi. I don't think we've met" William said to Terrible.

"Le Terrible is my name, commandant. At your service" Le Terrible said to William while she smiled.

"My name's William Blaze…How can I help you?" William asked Terrible while he smiled a bit.

"Oh, nothing commandant, I was just a bit curious about you" Terrible said to William while she smiled smugly.

"I see, well, I'll do my best to answer any question you might have" William said to Le Terrible.

"Oho? Well that makes things easier…But I just have one question for now. Taking on an entire Siren base from within, fighting against one of their higher ups, disarmed a nuclear missile in flight and throwing the missile at the Siren stronghold…You're doing things that's only been done by fictional characters until now, but technology has allowed you to do so. Tell me something, commandant. Did you do all of that because you thought things through? Or was it simply because you couldn't think of any other strategy to use?" Le Terrible asked William while she smiled a bit.

"Simply because I can't think of other strategy to use" William said to Le Terrible.

"Ho?" Le Terrible was a bit surprised at his blatant honesty.

"I'm not a strategical genius, nor an excellent thinker. I'm a man who want to get a job done, by doing what I could do best. That's right, my only redeeming qualities in my military career is how I could get things done by solving the problem by my own two hands…Though I can't be as reckless and as thoughtless as I do in the past, because I have grander responsibilities and another reason not to die so early now" William said to Terrible.

"And despite those reasons, you still did what you had to do" Terrible said to William.

"When everything is on the line, even if you prefer not to, you'll still throw yourself into it because you simply have no other choice" William said to Terrible.

"Because only you who have the power to do so, yes?" Terrible asked William while she smiled slightly.

"…You're not wrong. I have the power, responsibilities to fulfill and the means to do so…If I didn't do anything, I'll be the greatest shitbag on earth" William said to Terrible.

"Hmm, you sure are responsible man" Terrible said to William while she smiled smugly.

"And for a ship girl that just came out of nowhere, you're quite nosy" William said to Le Terrible while he narrowed his gaze.

"Fufufu~, I suppose I am. Then again, if you're suddenly be transferred to a new commander, who wouldn't want to get to know them a bit?" Le Terrible asked William while she smiled smugly.

"Transfer? Wait, even you? I thought only those who come with Richelieu and Jean Bart who will be transferred to ALASUC" William said to Terrible while he cocked his eyebrows.

"Le Cardinale don't want to leave anyone behind if she could, she pulled some strings to get us 'reassigned' to you. We were on another task before we could go here, that's why we're not with the others" Le Terrible said to William while she smirked.

"That so…" William commented while he stared at Le Terrible.

…How did Richelieu manage that though? Now Iris won't have any KANSENs left and they agreed to reassign them all just like that? William thought that they're already paying a hefty price by allowing Richelieu and Jean Bart to take most of the KANSENs with them, now they're taking everyone? What is the Iris government planning here? Could it be that they just trusted Lucas' strategy or could something sinister is brewing behind them? William have not the slightest idea, but he sure won't mind the fact that Iris ship girls are under ALASUC now. He knows that the countries around the world are stalling to deliver the KANSENs to ALASUC, they have something in the works and William won't waste even the slightest chance to get the ship girls under ALASUC banner. He can't be aggressive about it though, less he'll be accused of 'amassing power' and then being public enemy out of nowhere because ruling fucks would conveniently use that to dispose of him…

"In any case, good to have you with us Le Terrible" William said to Le Terrible while he smiled a bit.

"Oui commandant" Le Terrible said to William while she smiled smugly.

Jean Bart and Richelieu walked to the hotel silently, both of them don't really have anything to talk about, and they're still awkward around each other to talk about mundane things out of nowhere. But it is a whole lot better than arguing every time they saw each other's face, after fighting together, both of them felt that lost connection they longed to feel again deep inside their heart. A sisterly bond, something they rediscovered just by going to this place to fight the Sirens back-to-back. Richelieu and Jean Bart reached the corridor where their rooms are located, Richelieu opened the room that she shared with Jeanne only to find the Iris KANSENs gathered inside, both from Iris Libre and Vichya Dominion.

"Cardinale, Madame Jean, welcome back" Le Triomphant said to Richelieu as she approached them.

"Everyone is here…What is going on?" Richelieu asked Le Triomphant.

"We were talking about what we just know now…It took a bit, but I suppose we come to accept that the miracle is not God's grace" Triomphant said to Richelieu while she smiled bitterly.

"Oui, it is not" Richelieu said to Triomphant while she nodded.

"…Look, I don't want to sound cynical or anything. But the sooner you believers accept that about this whole situation, the better it is in the long run…Being in denial won't do you any good" Jean Bart said to Triomphant while she frowned a bit.

"I suppose. Don't worry, we already come to terms with it…The real problem persists though, the people of this island" Triomphant said to Jean.

"Ah, now that's a hassle…Got any ideas, Richelieu?" Jean asked Richelieu.

"I was thinking of just being honest and direct with it" Richelieu said to Jean.

"You sure that's the best option?" Jean Bart asked Richelieu while she folded her arms.

"I don't know, but doing anything else that wouldn't sit right with me" Richelieu said to Jean Bart with serious tone.

"Fine, just make sure it won't backfire on us later" Jean Bart said to Richelieu while she shrugged.

"I have a plan for that, leave it to me" Foch said to Jean while she smiled confidently.

.

"…People of Celestial Garden! I have gathered you here today in this fine morning, to tell you something of the utmost importance regarding this place! I plead you all, to listen well until I finish with what I have to say!" Richelieu said out loud.

The people of Celestial Garden are gathered in the cathedral today, everyone from children to the elderly. All of them currently huddled closely with one another, looking at Richelieu who's standing on the podium with the broken altar behind her. William, Jean Bart, Jeanne d'Arc, Le Terrible, Le Triomphant, Algerie and Foch stood behind Richelieu who's about to tell the people regarding the truth about the miracle that blessed this island, it won't be easy to tell the truth when she doesn't know how the people will react. That is why Richelieu choose the safe approach, she will explain bit by bit and try to get the people to understand that they have to live without that miracle that this island famous for.

"We have come to a truth about this island, why it would be blessed with miracles. Unfortunately, it is not by God's grace that our prayers are answered, it is due to an artifact that's hidden within the altar, one that the Siren extracted last night…My fellow believers! We have been blinded by easiness! Miracles are called one for it happened very rarely! Not handed out so easily every time we ask for them! God granted miracles through subtle manners! Unlike what the artifact has been doing for so long! We have to accept the fact, that the miracles that have been bestowed to you all this time is not a true sign of God! We need to perish such thought, for any more than that will cause us to tread the path of heresy! My people, from today on, you must make do with your own efforts as you keep praying to God! The time for your faith to be tested has arrived, prove that you are a devoted believers in his eyes-" Richelieu explained out loud for the people.

"Well, where is it!?" Someone asked out loud.

"Where's this artifact you're talking about?" A middle-aged woman before Richelieu asked her.

"What? I have told you; the Sirens took them!" Richelieu said to the woman as her eyes widened, did she seriously just ask that?

"Why would they want that when they don't even believe in religion?!" A young man asked out loud.

"The artifact itself is worth the study-" Richelieu said to the young man.

"Bah! You might be the Cardinal! But you clearly don't know what you're saying huh?!" A man shouted from the backline.

"Quelle?" Richelieu asked out loud as her eyes widened in shock.

"You, who's an outsider, would never understand the miracles that are blessed to us directly! Not by some artifact that happens to be hidden beneath the altar! It comes from the God himself! Only those with the utmost faith who could receive them, and our faith is strong even more so than you, Le Cardinale!" Someone who dressed like a priest said to Richelieu.

"…Who is he?" William asked Jeanne who stood beside him.

"I presume he's the local head priest, judging from his attire" Jeanne said to William.

"He's stirring up trouble…" William commented while he furrowed his brows.

"Tch, this guy's acting high and mighty for some priest in backwater island" Jean Bart commented in low tone.

"We need to do something" Algerie said to Jean Bart in low tone.

"Let's watch a bit, see where this goes first" Foch said to Algerie in low tone.

"Did you not hear what I just said? That artifact-" Richelieu said out loud as her eyes widened.

"Is nothing! Besides, who do you even hear that from!? That the artifact is the source of our miracles?!" The priest said to Richelieu.

"Yeah! You never even tell us! You could've just made this up as you go along!" Someone said out loud.

"Fucking liar!" Someone shouted from the backline.

"Watch your tongue! This woman before you are among those that saved you from the Sirens! Have you any sense of gratitude?!" Jeanne d'Arc suddenly said out loud while she scowled.

"You lacked faith if you can't believe in that miracle, cardinale!" Some woman said out loud.

"Heretic!" Someone said out loud.

"Yeah! She's a heretic who tries to corrupt us!" Someone said out loud.

"Please listen to me! You need to-" Richelieu said out loud while she frowned.

The damage has already been done however, the people are riled up as many of them are either voicing their doubts or even straight up insults Richelieu herself. The people chanted 'heretic!' at The Cardinal could only stand there stunned, unable to move or speak in her defense. They were right to some extent, Richelieu has no proof and telling them that Nyx is the one who revealed that wouldn't sit well with them since he has affiliation with the Siren. Not to mention, his existence is not something they could just disclose to the public. She is quite naïve to think that these people would believe her without a second thought since she's their cardinal, it seems the people has their own say regarding the miracle. Richelieu was about to calm the people down when she noticed that something was thrown at her, a stone from the debris due to the skirmish yesterday. But before she could do anything, something stood in front of her and took the hit for Richelieu. William stood before the cardinal, tanking the rocks that's being thrown at the woman. His shield absorbed the kinetic force but it's so negligible that it will require hundreds of rocks before it can drain his shield completely, something that the populace eventually realized as they stopped throwing things at him.

The people must've realized that something is off when William moved in front of Richelieu, and that he's being completely silent while he's doing it. The man figured out something is going on here, with how vocal the head priest is regarding the whole situation. He had to admit, they have been preoccupied with the Siren so much that they fail to notice any sociopolitical problems that this island might have…and now they finally found one. Yes, the island inhabitants are very devoted to their religion. But something must be wrong if they can't accept the words of their religion's cardinal, she supposed to be the leading figure in their belief…William has a theory. How long has it been since Iris Orthodoxy conducted an inspection to this place? How is this place doing when the great war is at its peak? None of them knows, but there's a great chance that Iris Orthodoxy didn't do a regular checkup. With no one from the central to monitors them, this place is perfect for those who'd like to assert control over the populace with the pretense of religious matter. He doesn't need to be an expert in religion or even sociology for this, William could put the clues together without his biased view as an outsider both from their society and religion.

"You're the head priest, right? If you want to argue, come forward and stand on the podium. Let your voice be heard" William said to the head priest.

"C-Commandant?!" Jeanne was about to protest but Richelieu hold her, it's best that they only watch for now.

"You are the leading figure of this community, correct? Then make your voice heard, step up" William said to the head priest.

"There's no need for any of that! We all have heard enough! That heretic over there needs to be expelled from this place and never set foot here again!" The head priest said to William while he scowled.

"Did you not hear what I just said? If you have objections, step up. The podium is yours…Or, do I have to go there and pick you up myself like a maiden?" William asked the head priest.

The head priest went silent as he racked his brain for a comeback, the situation has turned tense with people looking between the priest and William repeatedly. William is using the tactic known simply as 'asserting dominance' by repeating his order despite what the opponent is saying, this will also need to be followed by a proper show of force that befits him as the dominator between them. Why is he doing it this way? Because he's not eloquent enough to argue about this matter. Right now, he needs that head priest silenced for a bit and to do that? He has to show to the whole chapel that he is not someone they want to fuck around with…maybe quite literally with some ship girls, but that's another story…Sensing that the head priest is almost cornered, William stepped down from the podium and walked toward the head priest in relaxed manner. He immediately noticed that the people are forming some sort of barricade before him, as if they're protecting the head priest. The man felt himself almost laughing at the display of unity before him, looks like these people haven't really seen what he could do to a Siren…a human? It'll be child's play for him.

"I'm only going to say this once. Step aside, or I'll make you" William said to the man in front of him.

"You don't scare me at all, simp!" …Now, William is almost impressed that the guy just used internet insult in real life situation.

Simping for Richelieu? Well, he's sure there's a few men out there who do just that but couldn't be him since he hasn't even known the woman that well. William huffed a bit in exasperation before he grabbed the man's shoulder and gently moved him aside, despite the gentleness though? His raw strength allows him to easily displaced the man who stood his ground while his eyes widened in the process. Another man foolishly stood before him and William did the same to him, one comes after another that they eventually parted themselves at the show of pure strength the titan before them has. A woman dares to try and get in his way, she picked a stone brick from the floor and hurled it at William's head which he effortlessly caught with his right hand. Then he cracked the brick into pieces before letting it fell off his hand, the woman before him sweated in nervousness as she reluctantly stepped aside and allowed William to walk directly toward the head priest. The man's body shook a bit as he rooted in place while witnessing William approaching him steadily, he looked to the sides then noticed that the other priests and nuns put some distance from him as if they don't want to get caught in whatever mess that is about to happen.

"God, let him be merciful" The head priest said in low tone as he clasped his hands.

"Your god is right here, and he is fresh out of mercy" William said to the head priest while he scowled under his helmet.

William's right hand shot toward the priest's collar and grabbed it firmly, then he walked back to the podium while dragging the man with him. The head priest grunted as he resisted with all he has, he tried to break free from William's grip, even tried to make a stand with his two feet. But none of his efforts are successful, he is simply no match for him. William dragged the head priest to the podium before he stopped and looked at the ship girls who are with him. Richelieu has her eyes widened, Jeanne is looking at him with questioning gaze, Jean Bart nodded at him approvingly, Le Triomphant alongside Le Terrible closed their gaping mouth with their right hands, Foch looked intrigued by his act and Algerie rubbed her right temple at what she just saw. Well, they might don't fully agree with him, but at least the obstacle is removed now. William nodded his head at Richelieu who saw the chance to further convince the people, and she immediately took it.

"It is true that we have no visual evidence, but it is clear that last night this chapel has become a battleground in the fight against the Sirens that revealed the artifact. Their leader who goes by the name Compiler, left after she accomplished her goals and told us about the nature of the artifact. The Sirens didn't care for religion, that much is true. But that artifact is important enough that they are willing to go this far to study it, it is the very reason why would the Siren attack this place…My people! You have been saved from a catastrophe that is far worse than the absence of miracle that you have counted on all this time! You could have lost your life! Your home! You could have lost everything, but there's one thing that no one could take from you! Your hope and resolve! Do not forget that before miracles, your hard work and optimism is your steadfast ally! Those are the things that will never leave you, as long as you never give up! Do not let the absence of fake miracle discourage you from doing your best! Do not let it discourage you from your faith! Without the artifact, miracles did happen! Look around you! At your family! At your neighbors! None of you have died despite the raging battle that happened in the past few days! God still protect you! He cared for you, for he will surely let this island perish if he doesn't!" Richelieu said to the people before her.

"…Well…she does have a point…"

"…Yeah, I didn't lose my life. None of us does"

"…I'll take not being granted a miracle compared to dying, anytime"

Murmurs could be heard coming from the townsfolk, it seems without provocations the people could think a lot clearly and not be blinded by anger, William's action also helped with calming the people and prevent them from further opposing Richelieu's words. Richelieu sighed in relief before she smiled and begun instructing the people on what to do next regarding their faith. William glanced toward the high priest on his right hand and proceed to dragged him to the backroom, once they're out of public view, William threw the man to the wall before he held him in place by grabbing his head. This man is the most vocal in opposing Richelieu, he holds the position of high priest. What happened here? Might be the simple case of a high priest who got a little more power than he should and feels threatened when someone with higher authority comes? Maybe, William's going to force an answer out of him.

"So, head priest of Celestial Garden huh? What a position. That afraid to lose it because the miracle you rely on no longer exist?" William asked the head priest.

"W-What are you talking about?" The head priest said to William while he struggled.

"You take me to have shite for brains huh? It is blatantly obvious on what's going on here. But tell me, why are you doing this?" William asked the head priest as he tightened his grip around his skull.

"Agh! Please! I don't understand what you are talking about! I truly believe that she is spreading lies! She is an outsider; she will never know how in tune we are with this land! How God's miracle only blesses the people of this island because of our strong and unwavering devotion!" The head priest barked at William.

"…This is the problem that I have with a devoted person but close minded at the same time. You are so deep into your bubble of reality that when it breaks, you are unable to accept the truth" Jean Bart suddenly said to the head priest as she appeared behind William.

"Jean?" William looked back at her and saw Jean standing with two men behind her, they are dressed like a cross between a knight and a priest.

"You heard Richelieu, there's nothing we could do about it. You should just think about it instead denying it from the get go, not to mention you tried to use the people as your shield and megaphones to echo your narrative. Despicable, and for that? I think these men could make for some nice chatting buddies" Jean said out loud as she motioned the men with her right hand.

"Monsieur, allow us to take him off your hands" One of the men said to William who nodded and let the head priest go.

"…Who are they?" William asked Jean Bart as they witnessed the head priest being escorted away by the two men.

"Templar Religious Police" Jean said to William.

"They're here too?" William asked Jean Bart while he cocked his eyebrows.

"There are some who comes with Amiral Roux fleet, Foch made a request to have them stationed here out of sight to wait for something like this to happen" Jean Bart said to William.

"Huh, good thing you ladies have a precaution in place. I honestly don't know what to do with him" William said to Jean Bart.

"Me neither. It's better for everyone to have someone specialized in that to decide" Jean said to William.

"…Yeah…Anyway, as soon as we're done here, we are leaving immediately. I will be going ahead to check on our ride, have the others meet us on the west plain" William said to Jean.

"Oui" Jean said to William while she nodded.

William walked toward the side entrance of the cathedral before he engaged his jet thruster, the man flew to the west toward a small plain where the repaired Acheron Dropship is parked. From above, he could see the ship girls already gathered there. They only have to wait for some of the Iris Orthodoxy girls to finish their business in the cathedral before they could go home, then it'll be a long journey on the high sky as they travel across half of the earth. William landed smoothly and walked toward the dropship, he noticed that the KANSENs are currently either waiting with bored looks on their face or busy entertaining themselves to make the wait bearable. A few of them immediately greeted him when they spotted him, William returned it with a simple greet of his own as he headed for the cockpit. He opened the hatch that separates it from passenger bay and found someone sitting on the co-pilot seat being accompanied by two Manjuus.

"Elizabeth?" William called her name.

"Oh, you're here" Elizabeth said to William.

"Why're you hiding alone in here?" William asked Elizabeth.

"Is it wrong for me wanting to be alone for a bit? Even I want some peace and quiet on occasion" Elizabeth said to William while she folded her hands and puffed her cheeks.

"Well, I can relate with that" William said to Elizabeth as he sat down on the pilot seat.

"…How did it go?" Elizabeth asked William.

"We got a bit of a problem at the start, some bloke started yelling in defiance to the cardinal and tried to rile other people to think like him. We dealt with it and the rest seems to be going well before I left here" William said to Elizabeth.

"Just as predicted huh" Elizabeth said to William.

"Yup. We are too focused on the Siren that we fail to see other problems" William said to Elizabeth as he took off his helmet.

"We did nothing wrong, William" Elizabeth said to William.

"Huh?" William asked Elizabeth while he cocked his eyebrows.

"Our purpose here is to take care of the Sirens, whether the Celestial Garden has any problems or not? It's not our concern, its Iris government's problem. It is better that we don't meddle with something we shouldn't, this time our hands are forced though because of Richelieu" Elizabeth said to William.

"You're saying Richelieu is the reason why we have to get involved?" William asked Elizabeth.

"I am. We wouldn't have to deal with this if we didn't bring any Iris KANSENs with us, we might already be on our way from this island once we're done with that Siren base. Instead, we are stuck here to explain on why should this people work hard and hope for the best instead of work hard and always expecting miracle to save the day" Elizabeth said to William while she frowned.

"Not much we could do about it, right? Richelieu is the cardinal of her religion; it is expected of her to guide those people down the right path. I don't think she's the type to just let this happen anyway" William said to Elizabeth.

"Yes yes, I don't mean to make it sounds like I detest her or anything. I'm just saying that with her joining our ranks, it is inevitable for this to happen. All we could do is to trust that our meddling here will be for the greater good…Still, that does makes me wonder. What do you think is inside that artifact?" Elizabeth asked William.

"Hood said that the artifact is cylinder in shape, like a pod. It's colored white with glowing blue parts. Rings any bell?" William asked Elizabeth.

"Nothing comes across my mind" Elizabeth said to William.

"The pod that Hood described sounds like a containment pod, coupled that with cylindrical shape and its size? We can assume that it will even fit a human" William said to Elizabeth.

"Are you insinuating that whatever is inside that pod must be a humanoid that has the power to grant your wishes?" Elizabeth asked William while she narrowed her gaze at him.

"…Sounds more plausible than some inanimate artifact, don't you think?" William said to Elizabeth.

"Anyone who has that power could be considered a god in our eyes, besides, how do they survive for hundreds of years without sustenance? How could they stay conscious as well?" Elizabeth asked out loud in genuine bafflement.

"Beats me. But it is clear that Nyx know something about its content, not to mention the fact that he's going so far as to appear here personally to make sure that pod is secured" William said to Elizabeth.

"Right…Well, nothing much we could do about it now, other than throwing that tidbit to mission report…Changing the topic, I am looking forward to the christmas party on our base. The maids have notified me that they have finished with their preparation, it'll be one fun christmas for sure" Elizabeth said to William while she smiled.

"I see. You're really looking forward to it" William said to Elizabeth while he smiled.

"Of course I am. Compared to last year, the port have become even more bristling than before. In the months since you join us, our numbers have swelled that we could hold bigger party without being awkward about the budget. As they say, the more the merrier" Elizabeth said to William while she smiled widely.

"Never thought you as a partygoer type, Elizabeth" William said to Elizabeth while he smirked a bit.

"A monarch needs to let loose on occasion as well! Same goes for you, I trust you'll be attending this party?" Elizabeth asked William as she pointed at him.

"What kind of commander I am if I don't? Everyone's working hard on it, I need to at least show up" William said to Elizabeth while he smiled slightly.

"Fufu, good answer" Elizabeth said to William while she smiled widely.

"Commander, incoming transmission. Lucas Carville" TB suddenly said to William.

…Seems Lucas get his message; he has a lot of explaining to do. William glanced at Elizabeth who nodded in understanding as she got up and left the cockpit, William then took out his phone that displayed Lucas' name as the caller ID. The man accepted the call and connected it with the dropship's dashboard holographic interface, Lucas' face shown up and it seems he's currently somewhere else. The area around him doesn't look like his office, it's like a room but…wait, William noticed that he could see an airplane window behind Lucas. Where is he heading? Judging from the hotel like appearance but inside a plane, William suspected that Lucas is currently inside that one plane which rivaled Air Force One that Eagle Union has, he must be inside the Sky Chariot. An airbus custom made for Azur Lane higher ups, equipped with vast array of defenses from flare to signal jammer. Damn plane could take a lot of punishment as well, a perfect transport for some important VIPs such as Lucas.

"Where are you heading?" William asked Lucas.

"A meetup with Royal's prime minister. Political bullshit happens due to that nuclear missile, he wants to know who actually launch it and I want to know how the Royal Navy fucked up" Lucas said to William.

"Crimson Cleanser, it's certainly them. But I want to talk to you about other problem…Lucas, I received a document that detailed about the ship girl's creation, plus the subsequent acts that happened during the great war" William said to Lucas while he scowled.

"Hah…I predicted that Ashville will leak it to you" Lucas said to William while he sighed.

"Why do you keep quiet about this? I have been patient and pretend to be dumb all this time, but I can't ignore it anymore, not after what I read inside that folder" William said to Lucas while he scowled.

"…I admit Will, I was scared that it will change your perspective on them. Both of us know, that as commanders, there's a chance that we will have to throw bodies at the enemy to complete our objective. I'm afraid that you will do that to those girls" Lucas said to William while he frowned.

"How could I do that when I see them as people?! You know I don't like to sacrifice my men! I naturally despise the thought of having to sacrifice the girls, even when we can resummon them to this world!" William said to Lucas while he scowled.

"Who knows what will happen in the future, Will. I want you to fight your battles with the thought that their lives are irreplaceable, just like a human…That's out of the field now, isn't it?" Lucas said to William while he folded his arms.

"It didn't change my view of them, not in the slightest, not when I'm closer to them than you biologically speaking" William said to Lucas while he frowned.

"Then good…It's true, everything that document detailed is true. Yes, we have lost some ship girls in the past, that we resummoned them. We are prepared to resummon them in this Siren War too, in case when one of them falls in battle. But now that the KANSENs knew about it? How can we do that without disturbing their psychology? Impossible, I say. This threw a massive wrench into one of our plans, Will" Lucas said to William while he frowned a bit.

"Then rely on the other plans! This is out of the picture, not unless you find a way to back up and store memories! Even then, I don't plan on sacrificing these girls!" William said to Lucas while he scowled.

"…You become quite protective of them" Lucas said to William while he smiled.

"I watched their struggle, I watched them doing their best. They have been brought to this world without their consent, with sole purpose to fight for our future. The least I could do is to make sure they could live comfortably and without some human society bullshit, they at least deserve that much!" William said to Lucas while he scowled.

"…It was the right move to pick you as their leader…William, I trust that you won't give up this fight?" Lucas asked William.

"I don't back down from a fight, especially one that we can win. This war might seem unwinnable for now, but we'll definitely find a way. Not now, maybe not next year. But we will find a gap in Siren's defense to strike a meaningful damage to them…Though that can only happen, if the government across the world won't interfere with us" William said to Lucas while he scowled.

"Ah, that's the big problem, isn't it? I could try to push our agenda to have the girls stationed in one spot during the next meeting with the world's governments, Erich will also be there and will certainly help me on that front. You do your best with the frontline war, let us handle these political matters…" Lucas said to William while he smiled slightly.

"…If you fail, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get them on our side" William said to Lucas while he scowled.

"Careful now, we can't have you become enemy to an entire world. Don't just haphazardly do things, Will" Lucas said to William while he frowned.

"Of course I'm going to be subtle about it. I'm just saying that if the government are so scared as to lose their 'strategic' asset, well, they're blind to the investment they got with them being on ALASUC" William said to Lucas.

"…Human politics 101, I guess…Now that you know their true nature though, I expect you to do the right thing" Lucas said to William.

"Define the wrong things?" William asked Lucas while he folded his arms.

"…What am I saying, of course you won't put them in a hard position. But I want to give you an advice, in the event we failed? Azure Archipelago needs to be a self-sustaining territory" Lucas said to William.

"…That's going to be hard, isn't it? Not like the island has abundance of resources or facility to feed and sustain its population at the moment" William said to Lucas while he shook his head.

"That's why if you found a solution, implement it immediately. Prepare to control the whole area, I don't care if it means you become the governor. If everything falls apart, at least there's a safe haven for those girls" Lucas said to William with serious tone.

"…You know something that I don't know" William said to Lucas while he squinted his eye.

"Haven't I always?" Lucas asked William while he smirked.

"No, not that. You know something could potentially happen in the future, that's why you're telling me all this" William said to Lucas.

"Pays to be prepared, Will. You know me for being a bit paranoid, though that's all I'm saying about it…Now, I have to go. Think upon it, there's a lot of able minds around you. I'm sure you'll be able to do it" Lucas said to William while he smiled.

"…Alright fine, I'll let you know if there's any progress in that area" William said to Lucas while he frowned.

"Great. Good luck on that end…Oh by the way, Lena is on your base. Something has happened…Its better if you talk about it with her personally" Lucas said to William while he smiled.

"…Okay" William said to Lucas while he nodded.

The call ended and William leaned on his seat while he rubbed his right temple…Honestly William wasn't that satisfied with Lucas' answer on why he would hide this thing from him, but he's going to force a more complete answer when they meet again. Lucas wants him to prepare for the ultimate dire situation where they are being hunted all across the world for some reason, they will want an area where they could regroup and hold out, Azure Archipelago is a natural choice with how much asset and fortification they have there. But the people? What about them? Will they follow William and the others? Or evacuate back to their country of origins? Well, William could think about that later, he doesn't even know where to start…Lena though, something happened to her? Why didn't she say anything? The jammer isn't active anymore so if she sent a message, it should have arrived by now…William stared at the two Manjuus on the dashboard, both of them tilted their head before starring at one another.

"…Growing our own food and procuring our own materials, think you little fellas could do that?" William asked the Manjuus.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!" One of the Manjuus chirped to William.

"Possible huh. We might want to start lessen our dependency on imported food source, think we can build some sort of underground farm?" William asked the Manjuus.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!" One of the Manjuus chirped to William.

"Money, that's it? That's all you lack?" William asked the Manjuus.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp? Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!" The Manjuus chirped to William.

"…I always wonder how you guys could get shite done" William said to the Manjuus while he cocked his eyebrows.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!" The Manjuus chirped to William.

"…Better if I don't know? Well, I got a feeling I'll go insane if I know how you guys' work for real" William said to the Manjuus while he smiled bemusedly.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp?" One of the Manjuus chirped to William.

"Yes, getting revenue from other sources too. Any possible ideas?" William asked the Manjuus.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!" One of the Manjuu chirped to William.

"Ha? The hell do you mean we can gain more money by running a strip club?! No, screw that one!" William said to the Manjuus while he scowled.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp!" The Manjuu chirped to William.

"Not on the base but on Valencia? Wait, you want me to become a mob boss or something?!" William asked the Manjuu in disbelieve.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!" The Manjuu chirped at William as it flapped its wings.

"I know they make a fuckton of cash but crime boss is definitely not an option! Any other ideas?" William asked the Manjuu while he frowned.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!" The other Manjuu chirped to William.

"You want me to be a porn star now?! The fuck is wrong with you lads?!" William asked the Manjuus while he scowled.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!" The Manjuu chirped to William.

"It's not like I can't do it, it's a problematic revenue in the first place despite the cash we'll got! Fuck's sake, you birds are messed up in the head!" William said to the Manjuus while he facepalmed.

"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!" The Manjuus chirped to William.

"Being realistic without moral grounds equals to being fucking stupid you damn KFCs! Don't be like Ashville!" William said to the Manjuus while he scowled.

"Commander? Is now a good time?" Shangri-La opened the hatch then asked William.

"…Yeah, what is it?" William composed himself before he asked Shangri-La back as he turned his head towards her.

"Richelieu and the others have arrived, we're good to go" Shangri-La said to William while she smiled.

"Right, get everyone in. We're going home…I just had enough of this place" William said to Shangri-La.

.

…After hours of going high up in the stratosphere in Mach three, their Acheron dropship descended from the twilight sky as they approached ALASUC base. William carefully approached one of the helipads on top of the canteen, piloting the dropship manually as he engaged the stabilizer thrusters. Once he confirmed that the dropship is in the right position, William carefully lowered the thrusters' powers and landed the aircraft. The man sighed a bit, powered down the dropship before he stood up and walked toward the passenger bay. He watched as the KANSENs slowly disembarked from the dropship, a lot of them suffering jet lag. There are few ship girls waiting for them, but amidst all of them William could see Lena herself standing just behind everyone. William walked towards her and he immediately noticed that she's not wearing military uniform, she's wearing casual winter jacket with skirt and black stocking alongside boots…So something did happen, and she's here not on official business.

"Hey there" Lena said to William while she smiled a bit.

"Hey…You didn't tell me you were visiting" William said to Lena as he took off his helmet.

"Long story, I'll tell you about it in detail later. I'm just glad you're here safe and sound, everyone heard of what was happening on Celestial Garden" Lena said to William while she frowned.

"Really, I won't miss it. Shame, the island's beautiful" William said to Lena while he shrugged.

"So, it's 'not the people' case huh?" Lena said to William while she nodded her head.

"I wouldn't know if this whole thing regarding miracles didn't happen" William said to Lena while he scratched the back of his head.

"I see…Oh by the way, everyone has read the KANSEN document. Myself included" Lena said to William with serious tone.

"…How did it go?" William asked Lena as he stared at the collection of KANSENs before them chatting with one another.

"Like what you'd expect. Many of them found themselves questioning everything, some like Arizona even locked herself inside her room for a day" Lena said to William while she frowned a bit.

"Any of them still experiencing that now? I'm going to talk to them, it's not something I could delay" William said to Lena while he frowned.

"No need Will, they heard your little speech just before Operation Kraken. Eugen recorded the whole thing, they able to pull themselves back up with your words as assurance" Lena said to William while she smiled.

"…That woman has a habit of recording me secretly" William said to Lena as he stared at Prinz, she saw him staring and just winked in return.

"Master William, welcome home" Someone said from beside William, the man turned around and saw Belfast curtsied at him.

"Bel, good to be home. How are you doing?" William asked Belfast while he smiled.

"Excluding my morning sickness, I am completely fine, master" Belfast said to William while she smiled.

"Ah, well, nothing much we could do about it heheheh…" William said to Belfast before he chuckled awkwardly.

"Commandant, what's next on the agenda?" Richelieu asked William as she approached him.

"We have decided to combine the welcoming party with the christmas party tomorrow, master" Belfast informed William.

"Then you should rest. It's been a long flight, and you ladies must be tired" William said to Richelieu while he smiled.

"Thank god, I don't think I can attend to a gathering right now" Richelieu said to William while she smiled a bit.

"Madam Richelieu, please talk to Madam Souryuu over there. She will guide you and the other ladies to your dormitory" Belfast said to Richelieu as she motioned her hand toward Souryuu who stood near the rooftop access.

"Our dormitory? It already exists?" Richelieu asked Belfast with widened eyes.

"Long before your arrival, madam. It is kept pristine so it can be inhabited at any moment" Belfast said to Richelieu.

"…I am impressed. Quite a welcome you have for us, commandant" Richelieu said to William while she smiled.

"And that's not all. Don't forget your welcoming party too, it's customary to celebrate the new KANSENs arrival in our base" William said to Richelieu while he smiled.

"I see. We are most grateful for the warm welcome, now please excuse us. I imagine everyone would like to get acquainted with their new home" Richelieu said to William before she bowed and left.

William, Belfast and Lena watched as the Iris girls gathered around Souryuu before they descended the rooftop access stairs. The other Royal Navy and Ironblood KANSENs also started to get down the stairs, eager to get back to their room so they can rest. Belfast then said to William that she will prepare a dinner for him and she walked to his cabin, leaving William and Lena alone on the canteen rooftop. Lena sneezed due to the cold weather and William looked at her when he noticed something, there's nothing on her ring finger…So this is what Lucas mentioned, something happened to her marriage with Garry. William knew that both of them has a plan to break their marriage, did they do that already?

"Lena, your ring. What happened to it?" William asked Lena.

"…I'm a widow now" Lena said to William as she looked at the floor.

"Oh, so Garry is 'dead' huh?" William said to Lena while he smiled.

"He's dead for real, Will. Like, really dead" Lena said to William while she rubbed her left arm.

"…What?" William's smile faltered as he stared at her with widened eye.

Lena told William everything that has happened while he's away on that mission, she told him on how it goes down and the fact that Crimson Cleanser was the perpetrator. Whole Valencia is currently under high alert, local police armed with rifles are being stationed all around hot spots filled with people and patrol cars are being deployed on the road. It doesn't matter that it's nearing a holiday, when the safety of the entire city is at risk. Some of the police did groan about their nonexistent off day for christmas, but every human being on Valencia knew about the bomb threat and assault that hit Lena a couple days ago. They always live under the fear of being attacked, whether by Crimson Axis back during the great war and now the Sirens. Terrorist threat won't shake the population too much with what they have to face every day, but it pays to be prepared for any situation…William finished listening to what Lena has to say and he tightened his fists so hard it's shaking heavily in his attempt to hold back his fury, Lena almost lost her life to the ambush and would be if not for Garry's action. Those bastards chose a convenient timing as well, they somewhat knew that he's away at that moment? Or was it all a big coincidence? One way or another, Lena is safe and she achieved her goals…but her husband had to lost his life.

"…Where's Garry's body?" William asked Lena while he frowned.

"…On the way back to Britain. He will be buried in his family's private cemetery" Lena said to William while she frowned.

"Shame…He's a good man, I respected him a lot for what he's done" William said to Lena.

"Yeah, he deserves better than dying like this" Lena said to William while she frowned.

"True" William said to Lena as he wrapped his left arm around her shoulder and pulled her in a hug.

"…I'm tired of it, Wlll…Losing family, losing friends…I have lost so much…I don't want to lose you too" Lena said to William while she hugged him tightly.

"Not if I can do something about it…I don't plan on losing, to Sirens or Crimson Cleanser" William said to Lena as he rested his right cheek over her head.

"I know you won't…But still, don't do anything stupid for no good reason, okay?" Lena said to William.

"Okay…Nyx is right, we're in for a long fight Lena…But we have each other to count on, we will make it through. Just like we always do" William said to Lena while he smiled.

"…Will, I love you" Lena said to William as she stared at his face.

"…So sudden, it's been years since I heard that from you too" William said to Lena while he smiled softly.

"Sorry that it took so long…But now…I can say it whenever I want to, wherever I want to and however I want to…You always be the one for me, Will. Always has been" Lena said to William while she smiled softly.

"Sappy much?" William asked Lena while he grinned.

"It's on brand, isn't it?" Lena said to William while she smiled as she separated from him.

"Well, you're always kind of sentimental when it comes to other things than your job" William said to Lena while he smiled.

"You know me so well…Alright then, you better get some rest. You have big job to do tomorrow" Lena said to William before she winked.

"Big job? I thought tomorrow is a day off for everyone?" William asked Lena while he cocked his eyebrows.

…After resting for the entire night, the time has come for ALASUC base christmas party and Iris Orthodoxy KANSENs welcome party. William woke up normally in the morning with Belfast waking him up, after dressing himself properly, Belfast escorted William to the school gym where the event will be held. Not surprising since there's more than three hundred KANSENs on their base now, the canteen simply won't fit them all. William entered through the large entrance before he smiled pleasantly, the girls did well with the decorations. Christmas tree, well prepared tables alongside chairs dressed in red and white ribbons, plentiful of food and drinks served in buffet style, and other miscellaneous decorations, seems they are ready to begin. That was what William thought before Sheffield and Edinburgh suddenly shown up beside him, grabbed his arms and dragged him to the backroom where the maids are doing their prep work alongside several volunteers from each camp. Just as fast as he appeared, the maid sat him down on a spare chair, stripped his clothes and put him in big red clothes with white fur on its hems and edge…

"…The fuck is going on?" William asked out loud in confusion.

"Ah he's here, seems the cosplay match him well" Lena, who's dressed in white sweater and jeans, said out loud.

"Lena? What is this?" William asked Lena while he cocked his eyebrows.

"You'll be playing as the Santa, Will. The secretaries and I already agreed on it" Lena said to William while she grinned.

"Don't tell me I have to hoof around the whole base to deliver presents?" William asked Lena while he grimaced.

"Hahaha! Of course not! Let's leave that to the Manjuus, we only need you to let the little girls sit on your thigh as you listen to their wishes" Lena said to William while she smiled.

"Sounds easy enough, is that what you'd expect me to say?" William said to Lena while he cocked his eyebrows.

"Yeah, since we did a survey on what they want so we already get them their presents. Good luck~, I'm going to pick up Mrs. Diana and Serina from the airport~" Lena said to William before she left.

William stared at Lena's retreating figure with half closed eye before he sighed, she should have told him about this yesterday. Diana told him that she alongside Serina will be spending the christmas on the base, both of them are about to land on the airport and Lena have decided to be the one picking them up.…Dido approached William before she put on the fake beard on his face while Curacoa and Curlew put on the black boots on his feet, Charybdis alongside Hermione put on the red mitten gloves on his hands and Newcastle put the Santa hat on top of his head. In just thirty seconds flat, William is transformed from their base commander to the Santa Claus. The maids scanned his appearance before deeming that he is good to go and left to attend their other task, Dido left him a mirror so he could check his face by himself. After making sure that he doesn't look like an awkward discount Santa, William was about to stand up when he saw Shoukaku and Zuikaku entering the room and the both of them stopped talking with one another the moment they saw him.

"Shikikan? Wow, you fit in more than I expected" Zuikaku said to William while she smiled.

"Indeed. I half figured the maids will put some stuffing on your stomach so you can be more 'lore accurate' though ufufufu" Shoukaku said to William before she giggled.

"That keen seeing me with bloated belly, Shoukaku?" William asked Shoukaku while he smiled a bit.

"For gags, I wouldn't mind. Though I will certainly berate you if you lose that cheese grater on your stomach~" Shoukaku said to William before she winked.

"Cheese grater? Did shikikan really have those on his stomach?" Zuikaku innocently asked Shoukaku.

"She meant my abs, Zui" William said to Zuikaku while he smiled widely.

"Mou Shoukaku nee, you really have to use confusing terms just to mention abs?" Zuikaku said to Shoukaku while she folded her arms.

"It sounds more sensuous, don't you think?" Shoukaku asked Zuikaku while she grinned.

"W-W-Well…" Zuikaku stammered as her cheeks reddened and she looked to the side.

"Anyway, are you two here for something?" William asked Shoukaku and Zuikaku.

"Oh, we will be the one helping you, we'll be dressed in Santa suit as well" Shoukaku said to William.

"Not as covering as me, I reckon" William said to Shoukaku while he smirked.

"Fufu~, of course not. We'll be changing over there" Shoukaku said to William as she pointed toward the curtain on the corner of the room.

"No peeking shikikan!" Zuikaku said to William while she put her hands on her hips.

"What if I ask nicely to watch you change though?" William asked Zuikaku while he smirked.

Zuikaku's face reddened before she grabbed a lump of clothes on the table, crumpled it and thrown it at William's face. Zuikaku then huffed as she walked toward the curtain with a giggling Shoukaku following her from behind, William only chuckled as he grabbed the clothes from his face and set it aside…He realized something though, for the lack of better word, the man has become even more of a pervert lately. He is always been one, though he didn't show it openly like he did in the past few weeks. William instantly remembered what the doctor on Terranova said to him, regarding personality shift. Could it be it's the effect of his mod that finally show up? He knew he's trying to be more honest with his desire, like trying to romance multiple girls without hesitation. But he usually able to keep his own perversion in check, lately he just blurted out everything and even lowkey being more like an open pervert instead of being the closet one.

"…Eh, not like the girls didn't know already" William muttered while he shrugged.

William is absolutely sure that the mature girls around the base already knew about his perversion, they do share Intel with one another so it's obvious that they'll knew about his antics. Still, William didn't go so far as to peep at them in the bath or anything. Hell, if he wants to see them naked, he'll ask them directly. He doesn't need to beat around the bush, many of the ship girls are more than willing to jump him. As a human, his balls would've been kept empty with the amount of sex that he does every day. It's only due to his modification that he always has semen and stamina to spare, William honestly can't imagine what would it be like if he didn't receive any modification and he has to contend with dozens of ship girls who wants to get frisky. Then again, if he didn't receive any modification, he wouldn't be in the current situation as he could take it easy…William scratched his cheek for a bit before he stood up, that's enough thinking for the day. William stepped out of the backroom and into the gym hall, he's greeted by the sight of hundreds of ship girls filling the entire venue. More than few pairs of eyes fell upon him, and they looked amused at his little cosplay, some even pulled out their phone and snapped some pictures.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, shikikan-sama" Souryuu stopped by his side and greeted him.

"Souryuu, how's things going?" William asked Souryuu, the event coordinator.

"So far so good, shikikan-sama. Our kitchen is running properly and we are prepared for any emergencies, all we have to do now is to start the event" Souryuu said to William.

"What's the first thing on the agenda?" William asked Souryuu as he scanned around, oh the Iris girls are already here.

"That would be the opening speech by you and followed by the Iris representative" Souryuu said to William as she inspected her paperclip board that contains the rundown.

"Then let's not waste any time" William said to Souryuu as he walked to the podium.

"After that, please meet me back here shikikan-sama" Souryuu said to William and he just nodded in response.

William received a microphone from one of the Manjuus on stage before he stood in the center, facing the hundreds of KANSENs before him. He briefly took in the sight of everyone chatting with one another, having breakfast or just simply mingling in the corner by their own. True sample of unity, they might come from different camps but right here right now? They are the KANSENs that are part of Azur Lane Anti Siren Unit Command, they are comrades in arms. William don't want to make this a long speech, there's only so much thing he could say without it starts to get stale and he definitely have used his weekly charisma point back on Celestial Garden. He should just do a simple greeting, say a few words then hand it over to Richelieu.

"Attention please…Good morning, ladies. As you might be aware, this is a christmas party and a gathering to welcome our new comrades from Iris Orthodoxy. Let's all have a good time today and welcome the Iris KANSENs warmly, this place will be their new home from now on and we all like for them to settle in nicely. I know that today is the holiday many of you are waiting for, but I'd like to remind you ladies that you shouldn't go overboard just because you can cut loose for a bit. The last thing we want to happen is canceling this event because of a mess that we have to handle, so have fun while keeping it within reasons…Okay, I'm not going to go on a long speech about camaraderie or other things you already knew, so let's get straight to the main point. Richelieu, please get up here and say a few words as Iris representative" William said out loud while he smiled.

Richelieu looked around at the other ship girls that are staring at her before she nodded her head a bit and walked to the podium, William handed her the microphone and stepped aside for a bit. Richelieu stared at the ship girls in front of her for a bit, she broke into a small smile before she cleared her throat. William don't have to say it, the ALASUC KANSENs already gave the Iris girls a warm welcome without him telling them to. Souryuu have been very helpful with her guidance to their dormitory and even stayed for a while to make sure everyone could get accustomed to their new home, she answered their questions and even helped them settling in by coordinating their room placement. Then Kongou and Hood gave them a tour of the base's main compound before they go to the gym, familiarizing the Iris ship girls with the base's facility and location. Richelieu thought that their arrival has been greeted with open embrace by the ALASUC KANSENs, they seemed happy to have more allies stationed here.

"Thank you, commandant. I am Richelieu, the representative for the Iris ship girls that just arrived yesterday. We'd like to thank everyone in ALASUC for being so welcoming to our arrival here, you ladies have been very helpful in helping us settling in. As newcomers, we would like to prove that we can carry our own baggage and be a valuable addition to ALASUC's combat strength. We will fight together under the same banner, facing whatever adversary out there that seeks to destroy us all. So, let's get along from now on, and may everlasting friendship and camaraderie blooms between us!" Richelieu said out loud.

Richelieu's words are greeted by applause and claps from the ship girls before her, she smiled as she glanced toward Jean Bart who looked back at her with small smile on her face. Seems her sister approved her words, that immediately put Richelieu in a good mood as she descended from the podium. William was about to take to the stage before two people jumped on to the podium, it's Cleveland and Hornet dressed in a one-piece Santa suit, they even got the hat as well.

"Alright! Now's that the formality is thrown out of the way, it is time to get the party started! Oh wait, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Cleveland! And I'm one of your emcees for today! Why do I show up just now? Well, I got held back on the dressing room hahaha!" Cleveland said out loud.

"And I'm Hornet, the other emcee! I was having the same issue as Cleveland but we are good to go now! It's time for us ladies to have some fun! First thing to do after the greetings? Yup, we are playing a game! The quiz game show and we already have the participants as well!" Hornet said out loud.

William is left stunned before he saw a huge LCD screen is wheeled to the back center of podium, looks to be the one they will use for the score system. He saw Souryuu waving her right hand at him and he immediately remembered that he supposed to meet her again once he's done, is it really though? It felt so short that it lacks impact! But the man shrugged as he stepped down from the podium and headed for Souryuu, seems he will begin the job and the reason why he's currently wearing Santa outfit. There are five participants for the quiz show, they are Lexington, Atago, Gneisenau, Prince of Wales and Formidable. Five of them stood in line with a small pedestal in front of them, there's a buzzer on top of it and a light indicator on the middle so everyone knows who pressed the button among them.

"Didn't know there would be games as well, can I have a look at the schedule?" William asked Souryuu.

"Here you go" Souryuu said to William as she handed him her paperboard clip

"Quiz show, talent show, musical performance, a play and a talk show? Huh, it's quite packed. Attendance is not mandatory, but everyone's here instead of doing their own thing" William said to Souryuu after he inspected the schedule.

"Well, they might be here, but they're still off to their own little world. Look" Souryuu said to William before she pointed to the corner of the gym.

"…Oh…" William commented when he saw Long Island, Ayanami and Bunker Hill seated together with portable game console on their hands.

"Everyone is eager to make the event a success, even if they have to come and be nothing but a background static" Souryuu said to William.

"You ladies are quite determined to make this a success" William said to Souryuu while he folded his arms.

"…You know that this base only been operational for one and a half year, right? Back then, tension is still high amongst everyone and each side is still learning to forgive. Fight didn't break out because the previous shikikan enforced a strong warning for everyone that he won't tolerate any acts of violence, the war just ended and the grudge is still strong. It got better with given time, and now? With everyone already become friendly with one another? We can hold this kind of events without the fear of infighting breaking out and sour the mood" Souryuu said to William as they watched Hornet and Cleveland hyping the audience.

"I see, that's true...You ladies have come a long way" William said to Souryuu while he smiled a bit.

"Hai, though thanks to you, the process is sped up, shikikan-sama" Souryuu said to William while she smiled slightly.

"Really?" William asked Souryuu while he cocked his eyebrows.

"You are unbiased, you treated us all equally no matter where we came from. You're an Azur Lane Officer but able to treat us who comes from Crimson Axis with kindness, that allowed this whole port to become even more hospitable for everyone no matter their sides in the previous war. I'd like to think that you are picked for that singular reason, shikikan-sama" Souryuu said to William.

"Well, that's not the only reason but yeah…I never been the hate mongering kind of person, yesterday's enemy could be tomorrow's friend…and vice versa" William said to Souryuu while he smiled.

"That is very true, such is the way of the world" Souryuu said to William.

"Because we have newcomers today, it's better that we introduce the participants for today's quiz game show! First off, Lexington or as she known as Lady Lex! She is Eagle Union Aircraft Carrier with extensive combat records, do not let her gentle appearance and her fondness for idol stuff fool ya! She'll whoop yo ass if ya piss her off!" Hornet said out loud.

"Ufufufu, what a big compliment~" Lexington said out loud while she smiled.

"Second participant is Atago! Heavy cruiser from Sakura Empire! Sensuous, gentle, erotic and charming are her brand! Give her a katana though and she'll be one of the fiercest swordswomen we have on ALASUC!" Cleveland said out loud.

"Araa~, I'm a bit embarrassed~" Atago said to herself while she held her right cheek.

"The third participant is known as Gneisenau, Ironblood's battlecruiser! Cold, analytical and likes lollipop! She is a cold beauty alright, but ya will be stunned once ya saw her smile!" Hornet said out loud while she grinned.

"…Is this a race to embarrass us in public?" Gneisenau muttered to herself.

"…Is it just me, or this sounds like introducing a fighter for MMA or something?" William asked Souryuu while he cocked his eyebrows.

"Just you. I think it's a good introduction from those two" Souryuu said to William while she smiled a bit.

"Fourth one is the Prince of Wales, Royal Navy's battleship! She is what you would expect of a high-class noblewoman! Elegant, dignified, full of grace and courageous. Now, if only she wasn't so perverted!" Cleveland said out loud while she grinned.

"…I spoke too soon" Souryuu commented while she pursed her lips.

"Oi! This is slander!" Wales said to Cleveland as her cheeks reddened.

"Your groping victim begs to differ, Wales~!" Cleveland said to Wales while she smiled wryly.

"Urk…" Wales honestly have no reply to that one, her hands can be a bit…adventurous.

"Last but not least, The Royal Navy Carrier Formidable! If you think you can't combine beautiful and cute at the same time then look no further, for this lady is the embodiment of one! Despite that image though, she is a big fan of rock music! Quite lazy and not to mention quite heav-" Cleveland said out loud while she smiled.

BONK!

"Whoops~, my hand's slipped~" Formidable innocently said out loud while she winked then stuck her tongue out.

Formidable's buzzer got 'accidentally' thrown at Cleveland's backside, the poor woman fell down after she grunted from the hit and causing the audience to gasped. Souryuu had a tick mark on her forehead while William facepalmed, not even ten minutes since his short speech and things already gone sideways! Though he should expect this by now, since this kind of thing always happened in the past events they held! Everyone still remember that sport festival day…After Cleveland recovered and the buzzer is replaced by a new one, the event resumed. Both emcees explained to the audiences that the game will be based on point system. There will be around fifty questions prepared for the contestant, each question will have value of ten points and the one with the most points simply wins the game. The questions will be limited to basic knowledge for your everyday living, things regarding naval combat and details about their fellow ALASUC members.

"Okay! Are the five of you ready!?" Cleveland asked out loud.

"Yes~" "Hai~" "Let's do this" "Ja, let's begin" "Yes I am" Lexington, Atago, Wales, Gneisenau and Formidable said out loud.

"Alright, take it away Hornet!" Cleveland said out loud as she pointed at Hornet.

"Game on ladies! Here's question one…What is the favorite brand of cola that Washington often chugs out in public?" Hornet asked the participants.

BZZTT!

"Pepsi!" Formidable is the one who surprisingly answered.

"Ooh! Correct! Ten points for Formidable!" Cleveland said out loud while she grinned.

"Question two! What is the torpedo type that the Kriegsmarine prefer to equip on their ship?" Hornet asked the participants.

BZZTT!

"Magnetic" Gneisenau said to Hornet.

"That's right, ten points for Gneisenau!" Cleveland said out loud.

"Question three! The most important ingredient in making a cookie?" Hornet asked the participants.

BZZTT!

"Flour" Lexington said to Hornet.

"Ten points for Lexington!" Cleveland said out loud.

"Question four, what do you call two knights atop of horses charging at one another?" Hornet asked the participants.

BZZTT!

"Jousting" Atago answered, surprising even Wales that she answered that question quicker than her.

"Correct! Ten points for Atago!" Cleveland said out loud while she smiled.

"Question five! What is the genre of manga that Glasgow often reads?" Hornet asked the participants.

"What in the bloody hell?!" Glasgow said out loud while she went frozen solid in the gym corner when she heard that question.

BZZTT!

"A-Ah, this one! S…Sho…Shoujo, yes!" Wales answered the question.

"That is true! Ten points for Wales!" Cleveland said out loud.

"…It looks like you are exposed, Glasgow" Newcastle approached and said to Glasgow while she smiled.

"I never expected that they know anything about it" Glasgow said to Newcastle with her shoulder sagging as she covered her face with her hands.

"I heard these questions are the courtesy of Aoba, who knows what other ship girls' secrets that woman will expose today?" Newcastle wondered as she watched the podium.

"And it's just question five, hah" Glasgow said to Newcastle before she sighed.

"Question number six! What is the caliber for Sakura Empire common cruiser guns?" Hornet asked the participants.

BZZTT!

"140 millimeters" Atago answered Hornet.

"Correct, ten points for Atago!" Cleveland said out loud.

"Question seven! What is the snack that Amagi often purchased from the canteen?" Hornet asked the participants.

BZZTT!

"Dango!" Formidable said to Hornet.

"True! Ten points for Formidable!" Cleveland said out loud.

"…Looks like at least one of them know about something, I haven't heard them abstaining from a question" William commented.

"They sure are…Come shikikan-sama, it is time to begin your event" Souryuu said to William.

William nodded his head and followed Souryuu to a big red armchair by the corner just to the right of the podium, William immediately noticed the huge number of little girls lining up before the chair and all of them looked excited when they see him and started shouting 'Santa!' excitedly. Don't they know it's him behind this cosplay, especially with the eye patch? Well, whatever, William chose to get in character by waving at the girls while 'ho ho hoing' around before he sat down on the chair, time to practice his role-playing skill which is nonexistent so he will wing it as usual. Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Enterprise and Warspite, who are dressed in their own Santa suit (or snowwoman with Enterprise's thick white clothing), arrived by his sides while carrying sacks filled with presents for the little girls. Yorktown then walked up between the Santas and the little girls, she's in charge of handling the girls who will be meeting with William. She's not alone though, there's Amagi, Tirpitz, Zara, Rodney and St. Louis keeping the girls in line.

"Alright everyone, today you will be meeting with Santa~! All of you have been good girls, I hope? Oh, very good~, I think all of you is definitely on the good list!" Yorktown said to the little girls with motherly smile and was met with enthusiastic answers.

"…Yorktown is good at handling kids" William commented while he stared at Yorktown briefing the little girls.

"Believe it or not, she's the one who have been keeping Hornet and I in line. I think it's natural for her to be so good at it" Enterprise said to William while she smiled.

"A very good sister, huh?" William said to Enterprise while he smiled.

"The best" Enterprise said to William while she smiled fondly as she stared at Yorktown.

"Now, Bailey? Why don't you go ahead and meet Mr. Santa?" Yorktown said to Bailey.

"Okay!" Bailey said to Yorktown then walked toward William.

"Ho ho ho~, now, who you might be?" William deepened his already deep voice then asked Bailey as he lifted her up and put her on his right thigh.

"I'm Bailey!" Bailey said to William while she smiled widely.

"Bailey, have you been a good girl this year?" William asked Bailey while he smiled.

"Yes, I have!" Bailey said to William while she smiled widely.

"Could you tell me what good things you have done?" William asked Bailey while he smiled.

"I helped big sis Fletcher every day! And I didn't make a mess of anything!" Bailey said to William proudly.

"Really? So, you're not the one that painted a corner of the canteen brown with curry a week ago?" William asked Bailey while he cocked his eyebrows.

"Eh? How did you know that!? Are you Commander William?!" Bailey asked William while she looked shocked.

"N-No, of course not! B-But he is my friend!" William quickly answered nervously.

"Oh! I see! Commander William even friends with Santa, he is so cool!" Bailey said out loud while she grinned.

"N-Now, you made mistakes, but you're still on the good list. So, what do you want for your christmas present?" William asked Bailey while he smiled.

"Bunny" Bailey answered without any hesitation.

"O-Oh, bunny, sure, I can give you one…Ladies, please hand me hers'" William said to the KANSENs to his sides.

"Here you go" Zuikaku said to William as she handed him a wrapped gift box with a tag that has 'Bailey' written on it.

"Alright, for little Bailey since she's being such a good girl this year. Here you go, open it later, okay?" William said to Bailey as he handed her the box.

"Wooow! The new bunny animatronics that has AI that can function like real bunnies! Thank you, Santa!" Bailey said out loud while she grinned.

"You're welcome-, wait what?!" William said to Bailey before he doubled back as his eye widened.

Bailey jumped off his thigh and ran to Fletcher who's watching at them from the distance…William looked at Souryuu who's watching from the side and that woman immediately made some hand signs…Do not…worry…about…the budget…William tilted his head in uncertainty but Souryuu immediately assured him by giving a thumbs up with a flat look. Now he's even more worried, how much did they spend for the little girls' gifts? Sure, ALASUC has some money to spare, but the thing that Bailey requested sounds expensive as fuck! William is worried that they could be in the red when new year start, that's some fuel for tonight's nightmare. In case it wasn't clear, they can't afford being flat out broke, not when their income depends on commission and merchants that didn't pay DAILY. They'll be fine for a while but they're in for a hard time in the long run.

"Okay, next up is Mikazuki" Yorktown said out loud.

"Haaaii!" Mikazuki said out loud.

"…This is going to take a while" William muttered to himself.

…Yup, after the first ten girls, William kind of gain some respect for the Santas he saw in public doing this kind of event, for they can do it for a very long time and possibly with hundreds of kids. William is quite drained when the line is finished and the little girls get their presents…Some like Mutsuki and Radford asked for simple things like candies and such, others like Nicholas asked for something outrageous like eternal night so she can always sleep comfortably. Either way, William and the older girls managed to successfully distributed the gifts and the little girls are happy with theirs. But William can't feel relieved just yet, because a new line formed up in front of him and this time? It's the older girls and a few adults. There's not many of them, but William could easily see there's at least ten of them, some like Enterprise, Shoukaku and Zuikaku also lined up with them as well. Seeing their confused commander, Souryuu approached the man and stood to his left side before she leaned in and whispered something to his ear.

"Shikikan-sama, these girls won a lottery and has the right to make one request to you. Please let them sit on your lap and listen to their wish" Souryuu whispered to William.

"Hold up, how come I was made the center piece of that lottery without my consent or knowledge?" William asked Souryuu while he narrowed his gaze at her.

"We believe you would not object to it. Besides, the money from the lottery was used to buy the presents we hand out just a moment ago" Souryuu whispered to William.

"I see, so that's how we can afford them" William said to Souryuu.

"With the more mature girls like them, I also believe that their request will be a lot more reasonable. So please listen to them properly, shikikan-sama" Souryuu whispered to William.

"Hah…I don't really mind but can you ask me first the next time you're doing something like this? This kind of surprise could be bad if I don't have preparation in hand" William sighed then said to Souryuu while he smiled wryly.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Souryuu said to William while she smiled before she walked to his side.

…William stared at Souryuu with half closed eyes before he snorted in amusement, he honestly didn't expect Souryuu to pull cheeky move like that. Since he was thrown to the pit and stuck on the situation like he's in at the moment though, he has no way out other than do what Souryuu wants him to do. Besides, the girls before him have expectations and he honestly don't want to disappoint them…When did he become such a wimp? That he found himself easily swayed to do things by these girls? Though he didn't find himself mind the fact that he wants to please them, to make sure he stays in their good grace. Has he become that caring for the KANSENs? Seems so, and William thought it's natural thing to happen after what has happened ever since his assignment to this post. Not everyone might become like him if they're in his position, but William thought that must be one of the core reasons why Lena and Lucas pick him. They wouldn't have put his name if William isn't the man he is, they would've found another way to free him from prison, just not as KANSENs commander.

"Um, can I start?" Javelin, who's in the very front, asked William while she smiled nervously.

"Alright, come here. Sit on my lap Javelin" William said to Javelin as he tapped his left thigh.

"A-A-Ah, okay" Javelin stammered a bit before she approached him and sit on his left thigh.

"I heard you could do this because of lottery, how much did you spend?" William asked Javelin.

"Not much, just around forty gold hehehe" Javelin said to William sheepishly.

"…That's even more than triple A games price tag" William said to Javelin while his eye widened.

"I have some to spare, I don't need early paychecks, promise! All of us see this as a way to get a direct favor from you too so…you know, it's kind of worth it?" Javelin said to William as she waved her hands in panic while she smiled nervously.

"It's fine, I'm not going to berate you in how to spend your money. And there's so many of you that it makes sense to do this since I can't always connect with so many people at the same time…So, what do you want?" William asked Javelin while he smiled a bit.

"U-Um, c-commander? I-If you don't mind, can I get…a little bit of kiss?" Javelin asked William while she's fiddling with her fingers as her cheeks reddened.

"That's all? You don't want something more?" William asked Javelin while he smiled amusedly.

"Really, it's fine! I have been working hard lately, especially at fighting so I want…some kind of reward" Javelin said to William while she pouted a bit.

"Hmm, yeah, I suppose a reward is in order, eh? Okay then, close your eyes" William said to Javelin.

Javelin nodded her head eagerly before she closed her eyes, William leaned in and then proceeded to kiss her directly on the lips. Javelin's brain crashed for a second before it reconnected and the young woman opened her eyes wide in shock, when she requested for a kiss, she thought he'll kiss her on the forehead or the cheeks! But he's straight up kissing her on the lips right now, taking her first kiss in the process as well! William kissed her a few seconds longer before he pulled back, he was surprised however to see Javelin's whole face being red, her eyes opened wide and her mouth struggled to form coherent words. Then, Javelin eyes rolled back as the shock was too much and her body decided that fainting would be the best solution for a quick reboot to her whole thought process. William caught the young woman from falling, he's quite confused since Javelin did ask for a kiss…did he went too far with that?

"Ara ara~, she got more than what she bargained for, I presume" Amagi commented as she approached William from the side and gently picked Javelin up.

"I was being quite presumptuous; I better apologize later" William said to Amagi while he cringed.

"Fufufu, I don't think you have to shikikan-sama" Amagi said to William while she smiled before she walked away with Javelin in her arms.

"…If you say so…Alright, next one?" William said to Amagi before he asked the next person.

"That would be me~" Prinz said to William as she walked toward him and sat on his lap without being told to.

"Why am I not surprised that you also participate?" William asked Prinz while he smiled.

"I would be disappointed if you didn't expect it" Prinz said to William while she smiled smugly.

"Hahaha…Anyway, I suppose you want something for this christmas?" William asked Prinz while he smiled slightly.

"Hmm, how about a daughter?" Prinz asked William while she smiled smugly as she rubbed his jaw with her left hand fingers.

"…Careful, you're treading into dangerous territory there" William said to Prinz with serious tone.

"Oh? Mind telling me why it is?" Prinz asked William while she smirked.

"Because I won't hold back. You know how I treat my woman so your cunt is as good as pregnant when I'm done, you might can't walk straight for a week" William said to Prinz while he grinned as his index finger traced down her spine.

"Oooh~…As much as I'm pleased to hear that, I think we need to put it on hold with what's going on right now. Crimson Cleanser is on the loose, and I'd like you to quell them first before we can…take another step" Prinz said to William while she smiled.

"Right, good thing we have pills in stock...Any other wish then?" William asked Prinz.

"I want to reserve a spot tomorrow night, for a simple dinner date on your cabin. I want to test my cooking skills~" Prinz said to William while she smiled a bit.

"Done. What would we be eating?" William asked Prinz.

"How about a tasty Bratwurst Sauerkraut Casserole with Pretzels? As for dessert, there's this dish that people called pussy, for mouthwash. Heard it's your favorite~" Prinz said to William while she smirked.

"…I'm eager for tomorrow night, that's for sure" William said to Prinz while he growled in approval.

"Perfekt, you're in for a good time, mein liebe~" Prinz said to William while she smirked.

Before she gets up, Prinz pecked William on the lips then she walked away with a beautiful happy smile on her face. The other girls lined up with considerable distance from the chair so they didn't hear what were the two talking about, they only put on confused face as they watched Prinz walking back to her table that she shared with Bismarck in a VERY good mood. Only Souryuu who could hear what William and the girls talked about, and she have been keeping quiet about what she heard. The next in line is Enterprise, the woman looked around nervously before she walked and approached the man. William couldn't help himself but to chuckle lightly when he saw how nervous Enterprise is, so he smiled warmly as he patted his right thigh. Enterprise nodded to herself, approached William and sat on his right thigh nervously. William smiled before he patted her head, she looked adorable being this nervous despite fully knowing what she'll be getting into by winning that lottery.

"I assume you know what you're getting into?" William asked Enterprise while he smiled.

"Y-Yeah, well, I just heard the part that we can wish something to you…I didn't know I have to sit on your thigh" Enterprise said to William while she pouted.

"Did you know how this wishing thing with Santa usually goes?" William asked Enterprise.

"Of course I know" Enterprise said to William.

"Well, you shouldn't be embarrassed about it. Don't worry, I don't bite~" William said to Enterprise while he grinned.

"…That's not what I heard from the other girls" Enterprise said to William while she pouted as her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Heheheheh, alright then, occasionally…So, is there anything you want from me, Enterprise?" William chuckled then asked Enterprise while he smiled.

"…I was talking with Hornet yesterday and she suggested me to take a bit of break. Just a day or two is enough, so…I…want to go somewhere with you, commander" Enterprise said to William while her cheeks reddened.

"Oh, you want to go on a date?" William asked Enterprise while he smiled.

"Da-. Y-Yeah, that's right…We can do what you want to do, sir" Enterprise said to William.

"Date is not simply what one person want to do, the other person also has to agree or at least not repulsed by the activity…I'm fine with doing whatever, so what do you really want to do, Enterprise?" William asked Enterprise.

"Ah, uh…There's a lot I want to try, but winter really makes it hard to do so" Enterprise said to William while she frowned a bit.

"It's fine, you can pick what's the most convenient for the season" William said to Enterprise while he smiled.

"T-Then…we can go skiing? The resort on the island next over already open for business, I heard they also has place for skiing" Enterprise said to William while she smiled.

"It's always something to do with outdoors when it's you" William said to Enterprise while he smiled.

"Oh, w-we can-" Enterprise said to William while her eyes widened.

"No no, I don't mind. You're the outdoor type, I'm fine with that. We can go skiing, how about sometime after new year?" William asked Enterprise while he smiled.

"That sounds great commander!" Enterprise said to William while she smiled widely.

Want to know why Hornet suggested Enterprise to take a break? The damn woman has done it again, pushing herself beyond the limit when she's doing her job. Yesterday, a Siren scouting fleet was sighted around fifty kilometers off Azure Archipelago. It's a mass produced fleet consisted of two battleships, two heavy cruisers and four destroyers. Enterprise was sortieing alone on a patrol and she immediately engaged that fleet in combat, soloing the Siren mass produced ships might sound easy for the KANSENs but it's dangerous nonetheless. Furthermore, she was engaging them in close range that she's within range of their cannons. She wasn't hurt in the slightest, but her actions earned a good deal of scolding from Yorktown. She meant well, but once again she was blinded by her ambition to keep everyone safe and risking herself to the point of pure recklessness. Hornet said that Enterprise might haven't shake off the whole ordeal from Operation Eagle Storm, that she was afraid of what was shown to her comes to pass that when she saw such threat being so close to her home, she immediately acted to remove it no matter the cost.

Her sister honestly has a point, because deep down Enterprise knew that's what she felt back then. She hasn't unwound from that fight and no one noticed until yesterday happened, so Hornet was quick to suggest her to relax. When Enterprise won the lottery, she immediately gets an idea to relax somewhere with her commander. Her first option is to go flying around Azure Archipelago with an aircraft, but after considering a bit, it'll be easier to just go skiing and play around in the snow. They might stay on the resort for a day or two, maybe they will get to know one another even better. Enterprise won't deny it, her commander made her feel funny things, like how the other girls felt for him. She doesn't know whether it's just a crush or an outright love to be honest, but she won't mind treading down that path to find out. Enterprise imagined that during that break, both of them hit it off really well, Enterprise could finally assert her own feelings, she might end up kissing him on the lips, undress him and both of them might be going at it…Enterprise really wants to know how does it feels to be Illustrious back on Terranova, being pinned to the mattress intimately from above as she's being bred in a position called-.

"Question thirty eight! What is Commander William's favorite position during sex?!" Hornet shamelessly said out loud.

BBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!

"""""Mating press!""""" Lexington, Atago, Gneisenau, Wales and Formidable brazenly answered at the same time.

"Wait what?!" Cleveland said out loud then checked her answer sheets with bright red face.

"Correct! Ten points for everyone, since ya guys answered them at the same time!" Hornet said out loud while she grinned.

Yup, that's what it is called…Collective gasps or intrigued sounds could be heard coming from the crowd of girls inside the whole gym before their eyes went toward William who is still seated on the chair by the corner with Enterprise sitting on his lap. The man's eye widened comically with his jaw dropped in disbelieve, they did not just reveal that to the public! But no matter how much he's trying to deny it, William has to face reality soon and his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. Great, now the entire base including the new girls from Iris knows that he likes to do that, this would make it quite awkward for him to talk to them after this! William could see how Richelieu is staring at him with red cheeks, how Jean Bart looking to the side while she smiled amusedly, how Jeanne is kind of embarrassed but confused by the situation and even Algerie alongside Foch who looked at him while they giggled to themselves. Meanwhile, Enterprise is lost in her own little world, imagining herself buck naked, face flushed, leg spread wide open, William on top of her as his raw cock pounding her virgin cunt to submission-. Enterprise shook her head as she jumped off William's lap and walked to find the restroom, she needs to cool herself down…

"…Souryuu, who was it that compiled the questions for this quiz?" William asked Souryuu who stood beside him.

"Aoba-san, if I recall correctly" Souryuu said to William.

"Find her and bring her to the backroom, I might need to chat a bit with that woman after this" William said to Souryuu as tick mark surfaced on his forehead.

"Wakarimashita, shikikan-sama" Souryuu said to William while she smiled a bit.

.

…Serina got off the SUV that she rode for the past half an hour, the blonde woman stared at ALASUC's main compound with a small smile on her face. Honestly, she was quite excited when Diana mentioned they will be spending christmas at William's place. She is looking forward to meeting him after so long and to finally meet with the fabled KANSENs, Serina have always been fascinated by the idea ever since they are being disclosed to the public and would like to meet one. Now though, with her brother in charge of the whole base full of them? Yeah, she expects herself to have a very good time. Lena and Diana sorted out their belongings, just two duffle bags belong to each of them since they didn't plan to stay here for long. Diana has to go back to headquarters tomorrow and Serina has to work as well, she has a full-time job as a waitress while she's going to college so she's quite busy...and she already used up her sick days, she could go here due to paid leave for around three days.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Diana asked Serina.

"Yeah, very well maintained from the looks of it. Will must be having the time of his life here" Serina said to Diana while she smiled.

"Oh, you can count on that. Though, the responsibility he got is also quite massive as well. It's one thing to run a base full of soldiers, it is another to run a base full of quirky girls that can flatten this base with their own power" Lena said to Serina while she smiled wryly.

"You sure he doesn't get stressed from that, Lena?" Serina asked Lena while she looked unsure.

"Your brother's not the same one you know years ago, Serina" Lena said to Serina while she smiled slightly.

"Well, I can already see that he's not as awkward during high school. Still, I can't see him as the type that can handle a lot of women at the same time" Serina said to Lena.

"You'll be surprised at how capable he is then, you're even going to have nieces in around half a year" Lena said to Serina.

"…Wait what?! You're pregnant?!" Serina asked Lena as her blue eyes widened in shock.

"Nah, not yet~" Lena said to Serina while she winked.

Serina is about to ask another question until something struck her, Lena mentioned nieces? How many girls did her brother knocked up?! Serina is still in shock until she saw William coming towards them dressed in Santa suit. Diana immediately embraced her son in a hug and Lena chatted a bit with William, then it's time for her to come face to face with her older brother who she hasn't met for two years. Serina had to look up because her brother is not just tall, he's freaking towering above her! Her brother is around 190 centimeters when she last saw him, he's around two freaking meters and two dozen centimeters now! Serina did saw him in action with the videos being spread around the internet, but she didn't expect him to grow this big even way past his puberty! His hair changed to dark grey in color, his eye turned red but…fortunately, by the looks of it, he's still the same man that she knows as her brother. Serina could recognize that damn smile anywhere, she saw it almost every day for the past eighteen years. William felt a big smile formed on his face as he approached Serina who's around his upper stomach in height, his sister isn't exactly tall so it is no surprise to see her only measured up that much.

"Serina, you haven't changed" William said to Serina while he smiled.

"And you have! Blimey, you're always been a giant but you're even more so now!" Serina said to William while she smiled.

"Long story. Besides, with what I'm doing, being this big is a blessing in a sense" William said to Serina while he smiled a bit.

"Well, yeah, I saw how fast you're moving despite your size on those videos…So, super soldier huh?" Serina said to William while she grinned.

"In a sense. You're not scared of me, aren't you?" William asked Serina while he smiled.

"Nah, I know you wouldn't hurt me no matter what. You love me, don't you~?" Serina asked William while she grinned.

"Yeah yeah" William said to Serina while he patted her head.

"Hey! Don't mess my hair up! You know I don't like headpats!" Serina said to William while she pouted as she tried to get his hand off of her.

"I'm your big bro, you got no choice. You already got a lifetime supply of headpats, free of charge" William said to Serina while he grinned.

"No thanks! It's hard to keep my hair straight you know?! Can't you make it like free money or something?!" Serina said to William while she gritted her teeth.

"Hahahaha! Ah you two, first time meeting after years and going at it is the first thing the two of you do…" Diana laughed merrily before she commented as she watched from the side.

"He started it, treating me like I'm a kid or something" Serina said to Diana while she pointed at William.

"The two of you will always be one in my eyes, no matter how big and mature you two become" Diana said to Serina while she grinned.

"Fufu, real familial love, kind of jealous…Anyway, let's not continue outside like this. We should get inside" Lena murmured then suggested to them while she smiled.

The four of them then walked toward the gym and entered the building, they are immediately greeted by the sight of the whole gym's attention being directed at the talent show in the podium. There's a bunch of destroyers from all factions dancing on stage, they're singing some kind of kid song and with a matching choreography to boot. They do look like elementary schooler in a talent show…William and the others is greeted by Belfast, they are brought to their table and the four of them seated themselves while Dido, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Charybdis served them their breakfast. A plate filled with two chicken breasts, mashed potato, beans and some vegetable. Serina started eating her breakfast as her eyes wandered to the maids around them, they are a real maid and not to mention, a KANSEN. Just as everyone said, their beauty is out of this world, Serina considered herself beautiful but against these girls? Even she doesn't have the confidence to compete with them. Charybdis notice that Serina is looking at her, she smiled as she approached the young woman.

"How may I help you, madam Serina?" Charybdis asked Serina while she smiled.

"A-Ah, nothing in particular. Though I must say, this serving is pretty good" Serina said to Charybdis.

"Why thank you, our kitchen committee members have worked hard since last night. I'm sure they will be happy to hear that you enjoyed their cooking" Charybdis said to Serina while she smiled.

"Really, I do. Hey bro, don't tell me you've been eating delicious meals like this every day?" Serina asked William who's sitting to her right.

"What do you think?" William asked Serina back while he smirked.

"…That smirk is all I need to know, and it pissed me off somewhat" Serina said to William while she frowned.

"Ahaha! You can work here for ALASUC, then you can enjoy something like this every day" William said to Serina while he grinned.

"Wait, you can hire me to work here?" Serina asked William as she widened her eyes.

"I sure can, nepotism is a powerful tool if used right" William said to Serina while he winked.

"Yeah, you might want to take his offer, Serina" Lena said to Serina while she smiled.

"I'll…think about it, still got college and all" Serina said to Lena while she smiled wryly.

"It's fine, the offer will always be on the table" William said to Serina.

…Yeah, Serina have gotten too used to do everything by herself that the thought of taking the easy way doesn't suit her at all. She like to be independent, she thought that by doing it, she won't put a burden on anyone else. Though Serina couldn't see that she actually made her family worry by doing that, Diana especially who feels that her daughter has been estranged from her. Diana might not be at home often, but every time she did, Diana tried her best to be a good mother to her children. William was a bit more understanding with her job compared to Serina back then, Serina was in her age where parental affection and care would affect her the most and with both of her parents often not at home? Well, it's up to William to guide her, and he's also quite a mess back then with how much of a shut in he was. That's why Serina like to solve her problems by herself, she has been conditioned to do so from early age. It carries over even now, Diana was just glad that Serina didn't resent her or anything because both of them can interact normally. Though the damage is already done, Serina will never ask her mother for help if she can, especially now that she's an adult and can take care of herself even better.

"…Anyway, where is Hood? I haven't seen her around" Diana asked William.

"Now that I think about it, yeah, where is she?" William asked out loud.

"She's preparing the play participants, master" Edinburgh said to William.

"She's in the team? She just got back from a fight yesterday" William said to Edinburgh while he frowned.

"The practice has been going since late November, master. Madam Hood is in charge of coordinating the performer's attire" Edinburgh said to William while she smiled.

"She didn't say anything about it. Though I can understand her being there now, she will want to make sure they are good to perform" William said to Edinburgh.

"Shikikan-sama, pardon for the interruption. Radar picked up an unidentified contact, fifty kilometers out to the south. I have told Akagi and Kaga to send their reconnaissance wing, investigation is currently underway" Amagi approached then said to William.

"Are our automated defenses online?" William asked Amagi.

"Maintenance was done, they're ready" Amagi said to William.

"Good. Monitor the situation, I don't expect anything but we should be prepared to cancel the whole event if they turned out to be a direct threat" William said to Amagi.

"Tasukomarimashita, shikikan-sama…Ara?" Amagi said to William before she noticed something.

"Hm? Serina?" That something is Serina who looked fixated at Amagi's tails.

"…Are those real?" Serina asked Amagi with serious tone.

"Fufu, hai~. Want to touch it?" Amagi offered to Serina.

"Can I?!" Serina asked Amagi as her eyes widened.

"Sure" Amagi said to Serina as she directed one of her tails to Serina's lap.

"…Uwaaa…this is a real deal…So soft and fluffy!" Serina said out loud as she strokes Amagi's tail.

"Ufufufu, here, let me show you something that Kaga and Akagi likes" Amagi said to Serina after she giggled.

Serina cocked her eyebrows when Amagi moved then stood behind her, but her curiosity is sated immediately because all of Amagi's tail enveloped Serina in a tight wrap. The woman couldn't help but to let out a squeal of satisfaction as she's drowned in fluffiness of Amagi's tail, it's like being wrapped in a very warm and inviting blanket. William, Diana and Lena subtly gritted their teeth in jealousy because damn that must've been so comfy! William however is kicking himself mentally for never thinking about it until he saw it, he has plenty of chances to experience something heavenly like that! But wait, Amagi herself never offered it to him…

"How can I get this privilege?" William asked Amagi.

"Simple. You just need to ask" Amagi said to William while she smiled.

"I regret not doing it sooner" William said to Amagi with serious tone.

"You think her tails could wrap your whole body?" Lena asked William.

"I don't need my whole body! I just want to feel how it is being wrapped in fluff like that!" William said to Lena while he scowled.

"Fret no shikikan-sama~, I'm willing to do it for you anytime~"

William is suddenly enveloped in a fluffy tail wrap and he let out an involuntary satisfied noise, the man even chuckled a bit because some of the tails are tickling his nape and ears with how soft it is. William found that being wrapped like this is really causing him to feel sleepy due to how comfortable it is, he might want to nap while being wrapped in fox tails from now on, he's sure he can reason that with Amagi as a way to 'boost' the benefits of resting so he can work more productively later…Wait a fucking second! Who else has fluffy fox tails like Amagi? Of course its Akagi and Kaga, so why there's one wrapping him now when Amagi is still busy with Serina? William opened his eye and noticed that the color of the fur is dark brown. William immediately turned his head around and his face come in close contact with a kitsune woman with deep red eyes and red eyeliner, he could immediately tell who she is.

"Akagi? Didn't Amagi tell you to check for an unidentified contact?" William asked Akagi while he cocked his eyebrows.

"We have, it's just a small civilian turboprop plane that's flying without turning on its identification nor contacting control tower. A flight of jet from the base next door is forcing the plane to land now" Akagi said to William while she smiled a bit.

"Wait, how come we just detect it fifty kilometers away from here? It must've come from outside Azure Archipelago" Lena said to Akagi.

"And I agreed, their trajectory suggested that as well. I checked the window and it is flown by two people dressed in civilian clothing, I can't see anything else suspicious" Akagi said to Lena.

"…Probably just people being dumb" William said to Lena.

"Yeah, but this island is currently on high alert. We shouldn't take any chances, it's good to know that Johnson is already on the case. We'll just have to wait for the report from him" Lena said to William.

"…Your job never ends huh? Even during the holiday" Serina commented as she stared at William.

"It's the fate of those who served in the armed forces, threats won't care whether it's holiday or not" William said to Serina.

Before the atmosphere could turn even more serious though, something happened on the podium. Columbia comes up on stage for some standup comedy because she lost a bet and had to roast an entire base somewhat in five minutes, the materials? Yeah, the KANSENs themselves. Eagle Union for being quirky girls whose fashion is limited to blue and having unhealthy obsession with cola that they're lucky not being a fat ass already, Royal Navy for being stuck up in mannerism and horrible native cuisines that could kill Gordon Ramsey himself, Sakura for being such a furry bait with their animal traits and Ironblood for their edgy, gloomy, eight grade syndrome personalities and obsession with black. Needless to say, aside from earning a laugh out of some KANSENs, many are naturally offended but forced out an offended chuckles nonetheless. Columbia dropped the mic and immediately made her escape the moment she's done, though no one chased after her for she did make a good roast because what she said are somewhat true…and the fact the girls knew she didn't mean any real harm.

"…Now I know why this base could potentially get flattened to the ground so easily" Serina said out loud with half closed eyes.

"Hahahaha, damn Columbia, she can be quite funny when she wants to!" William commented after he was done laughing.

"Um, you sure? Some of the girls seems pretty mad from that burn" Serina asked William while she frowned.

"Nah, they're not really angry, none of them activates their rigging and blast the podium off with their weapons. I'd figure they are only offended, especially with George regarding the Royal Cuisine part or Graf Zeppelin with her acting like a demon lord or sorts" William said to Serina while he grinned.

"Your danger prioritization might be a bit screwed, bro" Serina said to William with half closed eyes.

"Live here for a week and you'll be just like me" William said to Serina while he smiled and shrugged.

…After eating breakfast, the group went on their own ways for a bit. Diana sat down with Belfast and Illustrious, she is overjoyed to know that she will be a grandmother soon and so she offered plenty of advices for the both of them regarding their first pregnancy. Diana told them some tricks to lessen the effect of morning sickness, what they should do for light exercise to keep them fit, what they should do so they could get a good sleep when their stomachs start to bloat and even what should they expect during child birthing later so they could prepare. Lena opted to talk with Bismarck and Richelieu regarding what happened on Celestial Garden, she wants to know what kind of trouble they found over there and how they resolved it in detail. As for Serina, she's currently outside with William, both of them stroll around the pier where nobody is around.

"You know Will, I'm really glad that you managed to get out of prison and get to where you are right now…I half figured that I might be a pretty old lady when I can see you again due to your sentence" Serina said to William as she stood at the edge of the pier.

"Me too honestly, I also thought about jailbreaking more times than I care to count…But Lena and the high commander comes in to save the day" William said to Serina.

"Yeah, thanks to them, it only took two years…It felt just like yesterday, both of us being little runts, playing in the snow and having fun as kids…Next thing I know, we've become adults" Serina said to William as she stared into the horizon.

"You're still a late teenager, Serina" William said to Serina as he stood beside her.

"I feel like an adult already, with how much I'm in control with my own life…Sure, you're eight years older than me, you have more experience living as an adult compared to me" Serina said to William while she smiled a bit.

"It's not sunshine and rainbows, isn't it? Being one? Unlike what you thought back then" William asked Serina while he smiled.

"Yeah, we always thought that being an adult is pretty fun. You got to do what you want to do without anyone scolding you, you can buy anything you want and even live your life however you want to…Then, we find out that we're basically as lost as we are when we were kids, and this time there's no one else we can look up to for guidance" Serina said to William as she looked down at the water.

"Well, you got what you wish for. To live your life however you want" William said to Serina while he smiled bemusedly.

"True…Responsibility is a bitch though" Serina said out loud while she frowned slightly.

"Yup…But having one means you're a functional member of society, so there's that at least" William said to Serina.

"And you're about to have more by being a dad…I saw the two women that's pregnant with your child, they are really pretty, seems like nice ladies too" Serina said to William while she smiled.

"Without a single doubt, mighty catch, eh?" William said to Serina while he grinned.

"With the KANSENs? Not surprising…Though will they be the last?" Serina asked William.

"No, they won't" William said to Serina.

"Figures, though it's kind of surprising that you're being very honest about it" Serina said to William while she cocked her eyebrows.

"…You know, I once fought a Siren that handed my arse to me despite being in full armor. Back then, I thought I'm going to die there and with so much regret. I survived and I resolved to always be true to my desire ever since then, to make sure I won't have anything to regret later…Besides, many of them see me in 'that' sense so I want to respond them accordingly" William said to Serina.

"Lucky you, eh? Drowning in sea of cunts" Serina said to William while she smirked.

"Oi, since when did you learn to speak like that?" William asked Serina while he frowned.

"You forgot we hail from Royals?" Serina asked William back while she put her hands on her hips.

"…Fair enough" William said to Serina while he shrugged.

…Both William and Serina fell into silence for a bit, just enjoying the moment between the two siblings. William glanced toward his little sister and he involuntarily frowned slightly, there's something he want to address with Serina and that is her boyfriend. Well, William have run through his face with Azur Lane Intelligence Division and so far? He found nothing that indicated Serina's boyfriend is a dangerous man or anything. William was worried that it might be a false Intel but he had to remind himself that Lucas already cleaned house, all members who worked with Crimson Cleansers are supposedly captured or killed in their attempt to escape. Still, William decided that he can't trust the Intel one hundred percent, but telling Serina to break off with the young man just because William is suspicious of him? No, that's not how to keep her safe, it will just make him look paranoid in her eyes and if William wants to keep his little sister safe, then the first thing he need is her trust in him.

"So, about the bloke that you call boyfriend…" William slowly broached the topic.

"Ah, yeah, I haven't told you about him. S-Sorry that your first impression of him might be a bit bad" Serina said to William while she cringed.

"A bit? He doesn't seem that happy when you called me, you sure he's not abusive?" William asked Serina while he folded his arms.

"No! We were in emergency at the time due to preparation for the Winter Festival on my university, we had to go ASAP so he was being a bit forceful! I guarantee you he's a nice and sweet man outside from that one incident, promise!" Serina said to William while she smiled.

"…Look me in the eye and say that again" William said to Serina.

"He's a good man, sweet to me and he takes care of me properly, Will" Serina said to William in serious tone as she stared at his right eye.

"…You seem pretty absolute about that" William commented while he frowned slightly.

"I've been with him for months, so far so good. He's been there for me; he treats me properly and he's a very loving man, he'd make for a good little brother for you~" Serina said to William while she grinned.

"I'll believe it when I see it, right now I'm suspending my suspicion on him because you vouched for him and you seem okay at the moment…But the moment he treats you wrong? You better tell me and I will meet him so he can answer for his wrongdoings" William said to Serina with serious tone.

"Fufu! Doubt he will want to do that since he knows who you are, even a fan of your work against the Sirens" Serina said to William while she smiled.

"Really? Well, that certainly helps. But if he still dares, don't you dare hide it from me or mum, got that?" William said to Serina with serious tone.

"Alright, promise" Serina said to William while she nodded.

"Good" William said to Serina while he smiled a bit.

William racked his memory and pull up Serina's boyfriend dossier. His name is Matthew Whites, born in West Sussex on 15th January 2009, a year older than Serina. He spends most of his childhood there before moving to London for his high school, he also entered the same university as Serina and currently working as a part timer in Starbucks. His internet track records consisted of Call of Duty, random Youtube videos including generic popular music, Twitter, Reddit, 9gag and cosplay porn here and there, dude even got a membership for the cosplayer's more 'exclusive' stuff. There's no record regarding how he met Serina, but William could guess it's due to the inauguration for college freshman. Criminal records, none. Academic achievements, none. Other nonacademic achievements, also none. He's a totally average young man with nothing to his name, kind of wondering what did Serina see in him but William could point it now that his personality might shines a bit. The man might be a bit bland in skillset, but if his personality is a good one? William might be fine with him dating his little sister. But that's someone's optimistic approach to the dossier, want to know what William thought of him when he first read it? He is too clean, a blank slate like him is a perfect subject for identity theft. Crimson Cleanser, no, Ronald, would've been putting a massive effort if he is somehow connected to Crimson Cleanser. The timing is also a bit too convenient, assuming that Serina and whites started dating a few months ago, it's still fell within the timeframe when William was freed from prison.

Could Whites be a member of Crimson Cleanser? If he does, something must've come up in the network that points his involvement with the group. Hell, even a track record of conversation with certain keywords would've been there if he really does have connection with those terrorists. But Whites' record is clean, the only way for Crimson Cleanser to recruit him is if they made direct contact with him. Given that Crimson Cleanser managed to set up a base of operation in London under MI5 nose? Yeah, there's a big chance that he could be the entry point for Crimson Cleanser to reach Serina. So? What are they waiting for? Ronald had months if he wants to kidnap Serina or inflict harm on her, why is he waiting for so long? William has no clue, so far Intel didn't report anything suspicious about Whites too…There is a slight chance that William could be overthinking about all of this, slight, but a chance nonetheless. Serina is also not a gullible woman, she would've noticed if her boyfriend has red flags on him, William witnessed just how intuitive her senses are during sixteen years of them being siblings.

"Still thinking about my boyfriend, Will? You'll make me jealous with how attentive you are to him~" Serina said to William while she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Stop with the BL jokes, my interest is solely on women" William said to Serina with a deadpan stare.

"Hahahaha! I can see that clearly" Serina said to William after she laughed.

"I'd like to meet with him though, sizing him up for a bit shouldn't hurt" William said to Serina.

"Heheh! You'll put him on his best behavior, without a single doubt. So, when do you plan on going?" Serina asked William while she smiled.

"January, for sure. I'll let you know before I fly there, might want to treat your brother with your authentic home cooking" William said to Serina while he smiled.

"Hey, you're the one who interned in a restaurant, you think my cooking could beat you?" Serina asked William while she frowned.

"I never said it has to, right? And my own cooking is not that great either. Come on, it's been years, I want to taste your Omelet Wraps" William said to Serina while he grinned slightly.

"Agh, fine. Yeah yeah, Omelet Wraps it is then. Out of all dish you've tasted, hard to believe it's the one that you longed the most" Serina said to William while she sagged her shoulder.

"It's the first ever creative dish you make, of course it's going to leave a mark with me" William said to Serina while he tapped her shoulder.

"Fuh, all this sappiness started to make me cringe. Come on, let's go back to the gym" Serina said to William while she turned around and walked away with her cheeks reddened a bit.

"Oh, come on, it's not every day you can bask in my mature brotherly love now" William said to Serina while he grinned.

"Shut it, doofus!" Serina said to William without turning around.

…After going back to the gym, William and Serina found that they're just in time for the play. The ship girls' play is based on a custom script that was created by Nagato and King George V, what happens when you combine the Sailor Moon with Warrior Princess from the west? That's how they managed to come up with the script. The story is based on two group, one is the group that can transform into magical girl dressed in sailor uniform while the other group could transform with heroic spirit of the past warrior kings. They fought one another due to disagreements in culture and ways to fight, but they become united when the princess reconciled them to fight the demon queen who shows up as the final boss with her minions. William widened his eye when he saw Portland dressing up as a demon, she hardly makes a convincing expression as a demon who ruled over her kind. At least until she saw Indianapolis in a princess uniform that caused Portland to go Super Saiyan and started taking down the heroes and magical girls single handedly. And those girls are consisted of Takao, Warspite, Washington, Hiei, South Dakota, Graf Spee, Hipper, Haruna, Baltimore, Hiryuu and Scharnhorst…all of them being seasoned veterans…

"Uwooooohhhh! Indy will be mineeeeee!" Portland roared out loud as she blocked a fist coming from Haruna.

"Nani?!" Haruna exclaimed out loud when her fist is blocked by Portland.

"S-She is so strong!" Takao said out loud.

"…Uh, is this still going according to the script?" William asked George who sat next to him.

"Yes milord, though to be honest they kind of adlibbing this one" George said to William while she smiled.

"…Explain?" William asked George as worry started to creep up on his face.

"We have an idea to dress Indianapolis in a beautiful outfit and set Portland loose, simple as that" George said to William while she smiled.

"Wait, she is chosen because of that reason?" William asked George as his eye widened.

"Yes, I mean, look at her! She is absolutely owning the stage!" George said to William while she grinned.

"INDYYYYYYYY!" Portland shouted out loud as she body slammed Scharnhorst to the floor.

"Agh! Mein Rücken!" Scharnhorst exclaimed out loud as she rolled around in pain.

"Not so fast, demon queen! Today you-" Warspite said out loud.

"UWOOOOOOO!"

SMACK!

"W-W-Warspite!" Baltimore said out loud when she witnessed Warspite get thrown to the side by Portland's slap.

"You won't get away with that, demon!" Takao said to Portland as she charged with her katana in midswing.

But Portland body tackled Takao to the floor and accidentally disarmed her in the process, all heroines were eventually downed singlehandedly by Portland that her minions that consisted of Ark Royal, Yamashiro, Repulse, Renown, Mikuma and Z1 could only stared in astonishment. Portland grabbed Indianapolis hands, clasped them together and asked her for marriage. Indianapolis reluctantly nodded her head and Portland jumped happily that Indianapolis agreed to marry her even if its fake scripted one, the narrator then explained that the world is now ruled by the demons and the queen alongside the princess lived happily ever after…Wait the fuck up, it's a bad end?! William had his eye widened as he sat on his chair stunned while he processed the whole story, Serina shrugged then clapped in appreciation at the unorthodox approach in the story narrative formula, Diana smiled forcefully at the plot twist while she clapped her hands and Lena chuckled as she shook her head because she can't believe they really going with that script…There's another script that has happy ending, but Lena could guess that this one has happy ending on its own…for Portland that is…

The talk show is hosted by Bremerton and the last event for the day, the guest for the show is Diana Blaze herself who got teased for being 'future mother-in-law' by Bremerton which caused Diana to laughed heartedly. They talked about a lot of things, Diana's job, her life experience, and even snippets about William, Lena and Serina in the past alongside their antics that Diana knew. She told Bremerton about child William's masterpiece which was a huge igloo like fortress that he built on the backyard of their house, which was destroyed when their father returned home in a little bird helicopter which hovered on the backyard. William was pissed for a week after that, he refused to talk to his own father who eventually bought his forgiveness by getting him a new video game. Serina who liked Harry Potter so much she cosplayed as Hogwarts student then used some fire cracker so she can pretend she's shooting spell, the projectile went over to the neighbor and exploded in their backyard. She got a good scolding from that, and she locked herself in her room for three days. Lena? How did she know about her antics? Simple, Lena came to their home during her second year of high school to introduce herself to William's family. She brought a lot of gifts, flowers, food and some expensive champagne because she had no idea what to give. Then, Lena acted a bit awkward during dinner and worried that she made a bad impression. She confessed that she cringed every time she remembered that night.

Safe to say, the three of them had to stave off their embarrassment for having such events known by the ship girls. Well, they got a good laugh out of that at least, the three of them had to finish the talk show with almost permanent red cheeks. After wrapping up the talk show, the event officially ended and everyone chose to disperse so the Manjuus could clean the venue. Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Hornet, Prinz, Victorius and Hiei kidnapped Serina and brought her to canteen for some 'get to know' session between girls. William alongside Diana and Lena headed for William's cabin, the man finally took off the Santa costume and switched to a blue denim polo shirt and jeans. The three of them sat on the living room's sofa, each of them has a mug with hot cocoa in it.

"…You know, Serina seems happy" Diana said to William.

"Yeah, she is. I guess, things are going right over there" William said to Diana.

"It would seem so" Diana said to William while she smiled bitterly.

"You don't seem alright with that, mum" William said to Diana while he cocked his eyebrows.

"Hah. It's just that I'm feeling my little girl is growing up too fast, I wasn't there for her, not enough for her to feel a strong bond with me at least. She knows I'm her mother, but does she feel I'm really one deep inside her heart? I tried to talk with her about it, she did assure me that she will always see me as her mother" Diana said to William as she stared at her mug.

"…I think you don't have to worry too much, Mrs. Diana…Serina definitely appreciates your presence in her life, no matter how small it is" Lena said to Diana while she smiled a bit.

"What makes you so sure of that, Lena?" Diana asked Lena while she frowned.

"As far as I know, Serina is not a selfish woman. A bit stubborn, yes, but selfish is not one of them. Despite her not liking to ask for help, Serina definitely appreciates the people in her life" Lena said to Diana while she smiled.

"Well, you're the one who invited her to go here, right? I don't think she'll accept if she doesn't want to have anything to do with you, mum" William said to Diana while he smiled.

"…You're right, both of you…I'm overthinking this, but I can't help it. I'm an old woman, and my family is all I have left to care about. You, Serina and even Lena" Diana said to William while she smiled.

"Eh? Me?" Lena asked out loud as her eyes widened.

"I have considered you my own daughter since years ago, Lena" Diana said to Lena.

"A-Ah, I-I'm honored to hear that…" Lena said to Diana as her cheeks reddened.

"Richard said the same thing about you, said he always wanted you as his daughter. We would've welcome you with open arms to our family, Lena. it was unfortunate with what happened in the past, but I want you to know that when you decide to be with Will once again? We're more than happy to have you with us" Diana said to Lena while she smiled.

"…Thank you, I just need some time since I just became a widow this week…Arranged or not, Garry was my husband and a friend to me. I'd like to wait a bit" Lena said to Diana.

"I understand. Will, you heard her" Diana said to William.

"What kind of man do you think I am? Of course I'm going to wait" William said to Diana while he frowned.

"Just making sure…Anyway, about Belfast and Illustrious. I want to ask you something…the babies in their womb, are their accidents or intentional?" Diana asked William with serious tone.

"Both are intentional. Admittedly, I wasn't thinking too clearly with Belfast. But I have no regrets" William said to Diana with serious tone.

"Just so we're clear, I don't care if they are accidents or not. Both are still going to be my grandchild in the end, I'm asking because I want to know whether you'll take responsibility for them properly, to be a good father…They are good girls, all of them are. Do not ever hurt them, son" Diana said to William with serious tone.

"…This has something to do with the fact I've read the file concerning KANSENs origins, isn't it? You knew about them all this time" William said to Diana with serious tone.

"Of course I know about them, but they're not my area of expertise so I have no real say about them. But since you're their commander and know about them in detail now, I want to remind you about it" Diana said to William.

"You're telling me to do something I already know and will do, mum" William said to Diana in firm tone.

"…You're right, sorry if I sounded overbearing" Diana said to William before she rubbed her left temple.

"…Something's up. What is it?" William asked Diana.

"…Nothing, I guess I just have been a bit stressed with my work and my worries manifested so openly. You're even older than Serina, you're well on your way in being an adult…I have to remind myself that my children have grown up now, there's not much I can do left for you or Serina…I guess…I'm afraid that the two of you won't be needing me anymore" Diana said to William while she frowned.

"What are you saying mum? No way that happens, no matter how old I will be, I'm still your son and I will never consider you as someone unimportant to me" William said to Diana with serious tone.

"…Thank you, I feel better about it…Maybe I'm tired from the long journey and the christmas event, I'm starting to talk nonsense. I'll be hitting the hay first…Good night you two" Diana said to William and Lena while she smiled.

Diana stood up and walked upstairs to the guest bedroom that William's cabin has, she entered the room and laid on the bed before she sighed. A lot of stuff has happened lately, Diana is just afraid that something could happen to any of her children, as any mother would. Serina is a lot safer than William when it comes to their job, but what worries her the most is her own relevance with them. William is going to be a father soon, Serina already lives by herself, both are becoming adults so quickly. Diana asked herself, did time flew past her or something? She remembered their childish face just like yesterday, while in reality that was more than a decade ago. People were right when they said that time goes by faster the older you get, Diana just felt the effect now when she got a chance to contemplate on her civilian life. She has to accept that she is an old woman in her fifties, her kids have grown up and she have to let them explore the world on their own. Their hands don't need to be held by her anymore, the time has come for her to sit back and watch them from behind. Diana sighed again as she closed her eyes, she better sleep.

"…She must be worried since she heard you rode a nuclear missile" Lena said to William while she smiled slightly.

"Yeah, what kind of mother wouldn't…Though she's right, maybe she just need some rest. She tends to overthink when she's tired" William said to Lena before he slurped his hot cocoa.

"Don't we all? Maybe it's about time we take a break again" Lena said to William while she smiled.

"Yeah…where to? Eden again?" William asked Lena while he smiled a bit.

"Would be nice, but how about a completely desolated island? Camping in raw nature sounds fun" Lena suggested to William.

"Desolated island huh? With right preparation, we should be fine for two or three days. It will definitely give a different vibe than a resort" William said to Lena.

"Right?" Lena said to William while she smiled.

While William and Lena discussing on the possible short vacation place, Serina found herself being surrounded by ship girls with a glass of beer in her hand. Serina took this chance to gather info as much as she could while getting to know these girls, she managed to pull it off with how easy going she is and the KANSENs themselves are quite friendly. Serina was planning on including the ship girls on her new novel, she immediately took this chance to know them better. She found just how alike they are with your ordinary people despite them technically being a ship, though it is understandable why some people are afraid of their raw power. Not Serina though, she found their strength fascinating. Serina thought that KANSENs has no virtual weakness, they can engage in a long range fight and are no pushover in close quarters. Not all of them has martial art prowess or close quarter techniques, but their raw strength alone is enough to make even the Siren goons think twice before engaging them. Serina could understand why they are considered a strategic asset by nations, the arguments between experts she watched a few days ago flashed back to her mind. And she wholeheartedly supported the guy who said that Azur Lane and Crimson Axis decision to group them in one spot is the best solution.

"Does this place feel like home to you girls?" Serina asked out loud while she smiled.

"Definitely, I always consider this place as one" Zuikaku said to Serina while she smiled.

"Been here ever since its completion, it's a natural home for me" Hornet said to Serina while she shrugged.

"Why the question, Serina-san?" Hiei asked Serina.

"Oh, it's because I get this homely feeling when I first step here. It doesn't feel like a military base" Serina said to Hiei.

"There are no armed men everywhere, no combat vehicles nor an airstrip to house fighter jets. All you have here are beautiful girls who happens to be manifestation of a ship and yellow borderline magical chickens, no wonder you feel like it's anything else other than a military base" Prinz said to Serina before she sipped her beer.

"Right. Still, despite that…it feels like a housing complex or a small town, with a tight community" Serina said to Prinz.

"Probably because it is one in a sense" Shoukaku said to Serina while she smiled.

"Still, I prefer this base compared to my old one anytime" Victorious said to Serina.

"How bad was it?" Prinz asked Victorious.

"It wasn't that bad for a living place with a beautiful scenery, though you don't have the ease of getting things like we have over here. There's also no place to shop for our necessities, everything is handed down by the logistic department" Victorious said to Prinz while she frowned.

"Ah well, I can relate to that somewhat. Our old base was in the middle of nowhere" Prinz said to Victorious.

"Guess we're a bit lucky with ours having local shops and bath houses" Zuikaku said out loud while she smiled.

"Ufufu, oh we are. I kind of glad that this place has them as well" Shoukaku said to Zuikaku while she smiled.

"…Ya know, Serina? I think you're the first ordinary people that visited here, quite the bragging rights, eh?" Hornet said to Serina while she grinned.

"Eh? I am the first?" Serina asked Hornet as her eyes widened.

"Yup, this place is locked tight from outsiders without William's say" Hornet said to Serina while she smiled.

"Your brother holds that much power, it's a wonder how his ego doesn't blow up~" Shoukaku said to Serina.

"Nah, he won't. Being arrogant never suits him, even when he tries to. He'll just come off as a budget villain" Serina said to Shoukaku before she sipped her beer.

"You said that so confidently" Victorious said to Serina while she smiled.

"I'm his sister, I know him more than any of you combined~" Serina said to Victorious while she smirked.

"Such bold words~, think you can compete with us~?" Prinz asked Serina while she smirked, she loves challenge.

"Unlike you, we are not restricted to being a blood related sibling. We know much more about him, even in a more intimate ways~" Shoukaku said to Serina while she smiled and winked.

"Heh! Bring it on ladies, I'll knock you down a peg or two! My pride as his little sister is on the line here!" Serina said out loud while she grinned.

As it turns out, William did change ever since the last time Serina saw him as the girls not only match Serina in the knowledge contest but also knows a lot about him outside her knowledge. The KANSENs have total dominance over her with the more intimate knowledge regarding her brother, like just now Serina found out that William likes to cuddle after doing the deed, thanks to Prinz who blurted it out shamelessly to Serina while she's smirking victoriously, Shoukaku mentioned that he likes to lay on her lap and have his head caressed gently, Zuikaku mentioned that William has trouble with low angle attacks due to his stature, Hornet said that he would drink pure black coffee during overtime which surprised Serina since her brother used to hate that and Victorious said that William likes black tea more than the usual one, possibly influenced by Belfast and Hood. Before Serina could continue though, her phone rang and she excused herself for a bit to the corner before she accepted the call. Who is the caller? It's her boyfriend.

"Hey, Serina. When will you come back?" Matthew asked Serina on the phone.

"Aww, miss me already, Matt?" Serina asked Matthew on the phone while she smiled.

"Heh, I admit I do. But I just want to know since I'll be picking you up from the airport myself later" Matthew said to Serina on the phone.

"Eh? You will?" Serina asked Matthew on the phone as she cocked her eyebrows.

"Why are you sound so surprised?" Matthew asked Serina on the phone.

"With what? Both of us commute everyday" Serina asked Matthew on the phone.

"Oh, my gaming mate visited me all the way from Exeter. He brought his car and he said I could use it to pick you up" Matthew said to Serina on the phone.

"What a sweet lad he is! I should be on Heathrow Airport the day after tomorrow" Serina said to Matthew on the phone while she smiled widely.

"Alright then, seems you really got a long flight ahead of you" Matthew said to Serina on the phone.

"Heh, really. Why don't you bring your friend with you later? We all can eat together" Serina suggested to Matthew on the phone.

"You sure? Don't you tire from all of the outings over there?" Matthew asked Serina on the phone.

"Nah, I'm recharged in fact. Besides, we're just eating outside, shouldn't be too taxing" Serina said to Matthew on the phone while she smiled.

"Right. Then we can go do just that later, you're having fun over there?" Matthew asked Serina on the phone.

"Oh, you bet I am…I have to go, was in the middle of something. Love you~" Serina said to Matthew on the phone while she grinned.

"Sure, love you more" Matthew said to Serina on the phone.

.

Matthew stored his phone and put out the cigar on his mouth to the ashtray on the balcony's small table, the apartment he shared with Serina need to be free from the smell of cigar since she doesn't like it. Serina compromised with his habit though and told him to do it outside of their apartment, that's how their balcony ends up being his getaway spot to smoke. Matthew stood up and went inside the apartment, he saw his brunette friend in the living room, his blue eyes focused on the intense match of Call of Duty before him. It ended up in his victory, he dominates the free for all match that begun shortly around three minutes ago. Ronald sighed a bit in relief, been a while since he gamed this hard but glad to see that his skills with controllers hasn't diminished, it helps that the franchise hasn't change at all so gameplay is downright predictable which helped him despite playing a new one…Alright, he managed to be on London ahead of schedule and things are going well. Preparation should be done tonight, so they should be good for action from tomorrow on.

"You're blazing it" Matthew said to Ronald while he smiled at the victory screen.

"What did I tell you? Second to none with SMGs, especially MP5" Ronald said to him while he grinned as he rubbed his chin, his fake face mask seems to hold up well.

"Still, I wonder how you have this much stamina mate. Straight up gaming despite you just arrived here a couple hours ago?" Matthew asked Ronald.

"I told you, good workout regiments and balanced diet. I can game straight for twenty four hours as well if I want to" Ronald said to Matthew while he grinned.

"What a beast…Anyway, my girlfriend said that you should come with us tomorrow. She wants to meet you, Jason" Matthew said to Ronald while he smiled.

"Meet me?" Ronald said to Matthew while he smiled.

"Yup. We'll be eating lunch with her tomorrow, you're up?" Matthew asked Ronald while he smiled.

"Sure, I'm dying to meet her. She sounds like a lovely woman~" Ronald said to Matthew while he smirked.

---

…Um, one sense of dread and apprehension please? Serina is about to walk into a massive trap. Anyone afraid or nervous for her fate in the next chapter? Will it goes down like the movie Taken or something worse? Stay tuned for the reveal though hehehe…Anyway, this should be a wrap up for the Celestial Garden arc. I admit, this chapter took a while due to how much rewrite it's subjected to. Originally, it's going to be a fanservice kind of chapter but I want to speed up the plot a little bit, we can always have a bit of fanservice later when the situation has calmed down. Anyway, Serina made her debut on this one, the little sister of Commander Blaze. A novelist, cosplayer and a hard worker, I believe she's a nice addition to the casts and her role in the story would definitely expand in the future.

Thank you for your patience dear readers, thank you as well for the follow, favorite and reviews! I am pleased that we finally get the long awaited Royal Navy event! Even getting an Ultra Rare ship as well, and the last Illustrious class joining us, oh alongside Bellona, Jervis, Revenge and even little Chesire! I just want to say the ultimate FUCK YOU to our lord and savior RNG-sama for completely taking my only 76 cubes and fucked me in the anus with the horde of Pensacola, Kent, Nevada, Suffolk, Chicago, California, Repulse, Oklahoma and Wichita. Fuck RNG, fuck the rate up symbol on the banner, fuck those who says first pull gang in the comments and fuck those who says Vanguard is a B tier waifu just because her boobs aren't that big! Big is good! Medium is premium! Flat is justice! Shame on you, kink shamer! For not seeing the absolute waifu out of Vanguard! Anyway, that's all for this chapter. I hope you guys have better luck than I do, and have a wonderful day ahead of you! Mwah, much love, no homo though!

Until next time! See you later!

- Dasmara