After flying for a few minutes, Freedom spotted a battleship of Italian manufacture in the distance, probably the Sardinian delegation with his brother in tow.
He sped up and reached for his internal radio, which had finally started working again, and contacted the approaching vessel.
From the bridge of the Littorio, the shipgirl perked up at the sudden signal she was receiving.
"USS Freedom to Sardinian battleship, requesting permission to land on your deck." The voice of a man came in from her radio.
"What's wrong, Littorio?" Giulio Cesare asked her friend and superior.
"Someone called Freedom just requested to 'land' on my ship," the Glory of Naples answered with a confused look.
Sparviero, who was sitting on the couch next to Aquila, jumped on his feet at the mention of the name, taking everyone by surprise.
"It's my brother. He's here for me," he said, stumbling his way to the door. He was so excited that he forgot to pick up his cane and inevitably bumped into the table in front of him.
"Be careful, Sparviero, you are going to hurt yourself." Aquila hurried next to him, wrapping her arms around his and guiding him outside the bridge.
"If it really is Sparviero's brother, he must be here to see him. I see no harm in letting him aboard," Littorio declared, before addressing the voice on the radio. "Permission granted, Freedom. See you on deck."
The two battleships followed the two carriers outside. Littorio tried to spot a ship in the distance, but then remembered that Sparviero and his brothers couldn't summon their hulls. Chastising herself, she squinted her eyes, trying to make out the figure of a man with rigging sailing in the ocean towards them, but wherever she looked, there was just water as far as the eye could see.
Meanwhile, Sparviero brought his hands to his ears, moving his head sideways as if trying to locate the position of something. His radar was still acting up, so he had to rely on his ears to determine the direction of his brother's arrival.
Aquila noticed this and was going to ask him about it when suddenly, the whirring sound of a jet engine reached their ears.
The shipboy turned in the direction of the sound and pointed to the east. "Over there!" He announced, making Littorio and the others shift their gazes in the same direction.
"Ah, so that's what he meant by 'landing,'" Giulio Cesare stated.
Flying at high speed towards them was a man with weird mechanical contraptions on his back; the whirring came from the six jet thrusters on his "wings." He abruptly came to a stop a few feet away from the ship, hovering in the air for a few instants, then he let himself fall on the deck and dismissed his wings, which disappeared in a flash of purple light.
"Freedom…" Sparviero breathed out, reaching forward with his hand, trying to ascertain his location.
Freedom caught him by the wrist and brought him closer for a hug.
"I'm right here, brother," Freedom said, letting out a relieved sigh at seeing him safe and sound. "You have no idea how worried I was; I'm so glad you are okay."
"Freedom, are you crying?" The carrier asked, returning the hug.
"I'm not crying! I just forgot my goggles, and something went into my eyes," the cruiser lamented.
Loosening the embrace, Sparviero put a hand on his shoulder and turned to where he figured the shipgirls were standing behind him. "Freedom, these are the Kansen of the Sardegna Empire that took me in. Littorio, Giulio Cesare, and... Aquila, can you step forward, please?"
The carrier, not expecting to be called out all of a sudden, complied and got closer to them, greeting the bronze-skinned man. "H-hi, I'm Aquila, and I'm Sparviero's… sister," she said tentatively, a bit embarrassed at the circumstances.
Freedom's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. How could he not have thought of that before? If these shipgirls shared the same history as them, based on how the Cubes worked, there could be a degree of kinship between the Kansen of both worlds.
His disbelief was quickly replaced by excitement. "Wait, you mean... you are his actual sister ship?! I can't believe this; we can have sisters! Can you imagine, brother? Oh, of course, you can; you just met yours. Isn't that exciting though?!"
He reached for Aquila's hands and shook them with fervor. "Thank you so much for taking care of him. I promise I'll find a way to repay you."
"We just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It was only natural for us to help him," the carrier replied, taken aback by his exuberance.
"Indeed, and Sparviero also did his part in saving the life of my lovely subordinate. There's no need to feel indebted," Littorio said as she approached to greet Freedom.
"You must be the owner of this vessel. Sorry to barge in unannounced, but when I was told the Sardinian delegation was bringing along a male Kansen, I couldn't contain myself. I hope I'm not troubling," Freedom offered a hand for the green-haired woman to shake.
"No trouble at all. In fact, having another handsome man aboard will only raise the morale." Littorio winked at him.
The shipboy laughed sheepishly. "Um... thank you, ma'am." Not knowing what to make of the compliment, he tried to change the subject. "So, how was your trip?"
Bismarck was sitting behind her desk in her office. Across from her was Leviathan, with his eyes closed and a furrowed brow on his face, clutching the yellow Wisdom Cube in his hands. August was standing next to him.
"Any luck?" Bismarck asked him.
"None." Leviathan let out a frustrated sigh. "I've never had this much trouble establishing a connection with a Siren before," he said, depositing the Cube in front of her.
Placing her elbows on the desk, she brought her hands together in front of her. "Do you know what it could mean?"
He shook his head. "This is the first time I meet so much resistance from a defeated Elite. It's hell-bent on not letting me take a look. About why, I can only guess."
"One more reason to do it as soon as possible, then," Bismarck stated.
"Is there a way to work around it?" August asked.
"There is," Leviathan declared. "We just need another person to help me break in. Unfortunately, teaching you how to do it would take too much time. It's better if we wait until we meet my brothers. They'll be able to help me."
After Liebe spat out the Cube from her stomach, they rushed to Bismarck's office to tell her about it. Leviathan, being the only one with proper control over his Cube, tried to initiate contact with the Siren, with the goal of gathering as much information as he could about its presence there, but it felt like its mind was shielded by an impenetrable barrier, and he wasn't even able to take a peek inside.
Normally, a defeated Siren wouldn't put up so much resistance. They didn't have enough self-preservation to care about leaking information to their enemy, but this one was different; it was trying to hide something with all its might, and that genuinely worried him.
"Luckily, we won't have to wait much," Bismarck said, gazing at the Cube on her desk. "I'll have this thing put somewhere safe. You two are dismissed; go prepare for the-" Suddenly, a mysterious voice reached her ears. It was coming from the Cube; unintelligible words were being whispered in her mind, sending shivers down her spine and sending her into a daze. She slowly reached her hands towards it, like a moth being drawn to a flame, her eyes slowly taking on a yellow hue.
"Bismarck, get a grip!" August grabbed her wrist, and her voice brought her back to reality. She shook her head in confusion; the voices in her head disappeared, and her eyes went back to their normal color.
Then she realized the carrier was holding her wrist. "August, what was I…?" Bismarck didn't finish her question, too afraid to know the answer.
The carrier let her go but didn't reply; she just gave her a telling look, and the battleship brought a hand to her head, massaging her temples.
"Frau Bismarck, I think I'll be holding onto this until we get to Azur Lane," Leviathan declared, narrowing his eyes and picking up the Cube.
"Yes, I think it's for the best…" Bismarck breathed out.
"Remember to turn in early tonight, friend. We need you at your best for the trip and for the meeting," August said, trying to encourage her friend and superior.
"Thank you, August. I'll see you tomorrow."
The two left the office, leaving the battleship alone with her woes.
Carabiniere stood up from the bunk she had slept in. The wound on her side had almost completely healed, and the pain had subsided, but she figured she'd be stuck in the dry docks for a while once they reached Azur Lane anyway.
"Easy there, Carabiniere. There's no need to push yourself," Zara said, having just finished bandaging her.
"I know, I just want to take a walk. I'm tired of being confined in here."
"You are not going anywhere until Littorio says otherwise," Pola declared. "It's punishment for your reckless behavior."
The blonde destroyer pouted but decided not to complain. She knew she deserved it after making them worry like that, but she wanted to thank the male Kansen for saving her as soon as possible, and she couldn't do it by being stuck in a cabin for the rest of the trip.
"Is she still mad at me?" The destroyer asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
"Fret not, my lovely subordinate." The door opened wide, revealing the figure of Littorio herself. "My anger has subsided; you are free to come out of your confinement."
Carabiniere breathed a sigh of relief.
"But that doesn't mean I'm letting you off the hook just yet."
The sigh of relief became one of frustration.
"From now on you'll be assigned to Sparviero," Littorio declared. "You'll act as his attendant for the foreseeable future."
"What?! Are you being serious?!" Carabiniere snapped. She couldn't believe what she just heard. "Littorio, I'm a Kansen, not a caretaker. I can't afford to waste my time caring for a blind man."
"I've never been more serious in my entire life, Carabiniere. Or do you prefer I ask the Commander to assign you to cleanup duty until the end of the war?" Littorio's voice took on a menacing tone.
"N-nossignora." Carabiniere's shoulders slumped in resignation.
"That's what I like to hear," replied the battleship, satisfied. "Besides, you won't be his caretaker. He is perfectly capable of taking care of himself; you just have to help him adjust to the base since Aquila will be too busy training to stay by his side all the time."
"I understand," the destroyer replied, still a bit dejected.
"Good. Now all of you come to my bridge; there's someone I'd like to introduce."
"You are not going to ask what that was all about?" August asked Leviathan, while the two walked side by side.
"I can guess," the shipboy replied. "Your leader is particularly susceptible to Siren influence, isn't she?"
"You guessed right, my dear." August had a dejected expression on her face.
"This kind of inclination usually doesn't come naturally; what happened to her?" Curious, Leviathan tried to press the matter.
"I figure you have the right to know since we are going to work together from now on," August said. She began recounting the events. "It was right after the negotiations for the reestablishment of Azur Lane. In a show of goodwill, both the Iron Blood and the Royal Navy agreed to partner up in the subjugation of a Mirror Sea. Of course, Bismarck took part in that mission."
"As with any other Mirror Sea, no one knew what to expect, but even keeping their guard up was not enough to prepare them for what was coming; they fought the Sirens they found inside, but when they realized that something was wrong, it was already too late."
"The Sirens targeted Bismarck specifically. They showed her images of the future, apparently, of her sister being murdered and of the downfall of the Iron Blood, then they made her an offer."
"In exchange for betraying Azur Lane, they offered her power. Enough power to prevent the things she saw from happening and to ensure the survival of the Iron Blood, her sister, and her friends. She tried to resist the temptation, but in the end, she accepted."
Leviathan clenched his jaw but didn't say anything.
"The Sirens kept their promise. But the power they granted her was maddening; she wasn't able to control it and lost her mind. She lashed out at anyone who crossed her path without making any distinction. In the end, she was able to break free from their control through sheer willpower, but it was only thanks to the intervention of her trusty attendant, U-556, and not before she had heavily wounded some of her allies."
"After that, the Royal Navy was furious, and we came this close to starting another war between factions, rendering useless all the efforts made for peace up to that moment. It was only thanks to the intervention of Queen Elizabeth and the current Commander of Azur Lane that things didn't spiral out of control."
"Bismarck came out devastated from that incident. She was absolved of any blame because of the attenuating circumstances of being under Siren control, but the guilt is still eating at her to this day."
"And since that moment, her mind hasn't been able to properly come to terms with her actions, making her Cube vulnerable to any external influence," Leviathan finished for her.
"That's a way to put it. Do you have something to say, my dear?" August asked him, after noticing the expression on his face.
"It's best if I refrain from making any comment," Leviathan spoke in a tone she wasn't sure she liked. "Whatever I say may not be pleasant to hear."
She stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh? Do speak your mind; I'm curious to hear your thoughts."
Leviathan turned to face her, eyeing her up and down. "You really want to know? Fine, I won't sugarcoat it. I think what your flagship did was foolish, reckless, and inconsiderate."
"Truly? You consider it foolish to seek power to protect those you care about?" August responded, matching his confrontational tone.
"I consider it foolish to make a deal with the devil, whatever form they might take," The shipboy retorted
"She was emotionally manipulated into it, and she did it for her homeland, not to sate some kind of thirst for power. After she realized her mistake, she fought them with all her willpower."
"Only after the damage was already done. If my brother were to do the same, I'd be the first to punch him in the face."
"Then you are much more foolish than I thought you'd be."
"And you are even more foolish for wanting me as your 'familiar.'"
The two stared each other down for a few long seconds.
For August, Bismarck's actions were justified, even if the outcome wasn't what she expected; ensuring the survival of their homeland and comrades was the duty of a leader, even at the expense of betraying their allies and shouldering the hatred and resentment of the rest of the world. All because they firmly believed that only with great power they could protect what they truly cared about and save humanity.
Leviathan, on his part, couldn't even fathom the idea of striking a deal with the Sirens; to him, it was as if a bug tried to negotiate with a spider while being caught in its net. It could never work out to begin with, but maybe he was biased because the Sirens he was so used to were just soulless monsters. And to say nothing about betraying his own allies, he'd rather poke his own eye out before even considering it.
"Um… I'm sorry, Herr Leviathan…" A quiet plea was heard from around the corner, and they both turned to face the disturber. Fidgeting behind them was a short girl with a red streak in her short silver hair. She had a mechanical shark tail behind her and a pair of massive claw gauntlets on her hands.
"Can I trouble you to come to untie my sister, please?"
Ryan was sitting behind his desk in his office, working his way through a bunch of documents.
He stood up late the previous night to file the report of the operation, with both Eugen and Hipper helping him. Of course, the flirty cruiser didn't miss the chance to tease the hell out of him, going so far as to suggest she helped him "release some pent-up stress as a reward for a job well done."
He was so tired and sleepy that he was almost on the verge of accepting her offer; luckily, her elder sister was there to reel her in, and he was able to take his mind out of the gutter. He couldn't help but wonder what Eugen would have done if he had seriously consented to that; would she stop with her teasing act and backpedal immediately, or would she go all the way through with it?
The idea that he even considered it was eating at him from the inside, and the fact that he was genuinely pent up wasn't helping with his restlessness. Being the only man in a base full of gorgeous women and being unable to do anything with any of them because of his position as commanding officer was slowly starting to get to him.
Of course, the more they teased him, the more his resolve crumbled like a crouton. He was sure that one of these days it would eventually collapse, and he would give in to temptation.
He was genuinely worried about it, but not because of how the higher-ups would react to it. What they can't see can't hurt you, right? No, he was worried about how it would change the dynamic between him and the fleet if he decided to get busy with one of them.
He had no intention of engaging in one-night stands with any of them. He was on close terms with many of the girls here and didn't want to lose their respect just because he couldn't keep it in his pants. If he had to do something with one of them, it would require his full commitment; it was the least they deserved from him.
His mind inevitably wandered to Shoukaku. The Fifth Carrier Division had been by his side since the beginning, being the first carriers to be assigned to the base alongside the Yorktown sisters. Coexistence between them wasn't easy at the beginning because of the many bygones they had with each other, but by working together, he was able to turn the barely restrained resentment into a friendly rivalry. By doing so, he inevitably became closer to all of them, especially Shoukaku, who was the first to volunteer for the role of secretary ship.
Soon, he realized that spending time with the Sakura carrier was the part of the day that he looked forward to the most. Her teasing was light and playful, not brash and indecent like that of many other Kansen, and it always left him blushing like a kid talking to his high school crush. Even now, just thinking about her was enough to make him smile. He wondered what she was doing…
As if on cue, the sound of the door suddenly opening brought him back to reality, and Shoukaku herself entered his office with a folder in her hand and a very unhappy expression on her face.
"Good morning, Shoukaku. Did you sleep well-" She cut him off by depositing the folder on his desk with a slam that almost made him jump in his chair.
"Shikikan, this is the performance rating of the Sakura Kansen for yesterday's operation. Also, Musashi-sama requests to speak with you," she declared.
"Shoukaku, is something wrong?" The Commander tentatively asked, perplexed by her behavior. She was standing there, her hands folded in her lap, as if expecting something from him.
"Why do you ask, Shikikan?" The carrier replied with another question, feigning ignorance.
"Because you are clearly upset about something, and you won't tell me what it is."
"And what makes you think that?"
He straightened his posture, clearly starting to get annoyed at her attitude. "Shoukaku, is this about what happened on sortie?"
She pursed her lips but didn't say anything. He understood that his guess was correct.
"Listen, I've already apologized for making you all worry like that. I know my plan was reckless, but it was the only thing I could do to relieve some of the burden of the battle from your shoulders. It was dangerous, but I decided to take the risk, and I'd be ready to do it again if there was no other choice." He tried to explain his reasons to her, but he didn't notice Shoukaku's expression darkening.
She remained silent for a few seconds, trying to process what he just said.
"You are ready to do it again? Do you even hear yourself? Fine, do as you please! But next time, don't count on me to humor your suicidal tendencies!" She snapped at him, turned on her heels, and strode towards the door.
For a second, Ryan was unable to react. Shoukaku was the personification of elegance and composure. He never expected her to lash out at him in such a manner, and it left him speechless. Before she could leave, he bolted out of his chair and went after her, grabbing her by the wrist and stopping her right in front of the door.
"Shoukaku, wait! You can't just yell at me like that and walk out as if nothing happened. Can you calm down and tell me what's wrong?" He spoke more forcefully than he intended.
"You are so smart, and yet you don't get it…" she muttered. "Fine. I'll explain it to you."
She turned her face to him, revealing a distraught expression and eyes on the verge of tears.
"Do you have any idea how I felt when you asked me to use you as bait? How hard it was for me to send you away with all those Sirens following behind you?" Her voice cracked, and the tears started flowing. "Do you know how distraught I was when my planes were shot down? I thought you had been killed! I thought I lost one of the most important people in my life! I thought… that you were dead because of me! And you have the courage to say you are ready to do it again in my face?!"
Realization hit him like a truck. He pulled her back and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, patting her head while the shipgirl sobbed in his chest. He understood immediately what he did wrong and chastised himself for not realizing it sooner. At least, now he knew what he had to do.
"I'm so sorry, Shoukaku," he apologized. "I was so focused on the best thing to do that I completely disregarded your feelings. I wanted to help you all, but I ended up hurting you, the person I hold most dear in this base. I swear I'll never make you do something like that ever again, so please, stop crying; seeing you like this hurts my heart."
Her sobbing quieted down a little, enough for her to sniffle and ask, "You promise?"
"I promise."
The two remained like that for a few seconds, basking in each other's warmth, until the commander broke the silence. "Hey, Shoukaku?"
"Yes, Shikikan?"
"I love you."
Her heart jumped in her throat. She raised her head and looked him in the eyes, as if to ask if her ears weren't deceiving her. In response, Ryan leaned in and kissed her.
Her mind went blank for a few seconds, and she was unable to do anything other than kiss him back. For a few moments, everything else around her disappeared; there was only him and his fervor, coming down on her like a landslide.
"This is unfair, Shikikan," she also wanted to proclaim her love for him, but she was too busy reciprocating the kiss to do it, and she wanted the moment to last as long as possible.
Ryan shared the same thought; he didn't want this to end too soon. He slowly pushed her toward the edge of the room until her back hit the wall right next to the door. None of them gave a sign of wanting to stop. Their hands started wandering over their bodies, desperately looking for an opening in their clothes.
Luckily, the interruption came before they could disrobe themselves.
"Commander! The Italians are coming!" Cleveland barged into his office like a train. She had notified Freedom first because the mess hall was closer and because there was still some time before the delegation reached the harbor, but after that, she rushed immediately to her commander's office.
The two froze like statues at the sight of the cruiser. Cleveland's eyes widened and her jaw hit the floor at seeing Ryan and Shoukaku getting busy right next to the door. Then a shit-eating grin appeared on her face.
"I knew it!" She pumped her fists excitedly as the two separated from each other. "It was only a matter of time before you two started going at it!"
Shoukaku covered her face with her hands and Ryan sent a warning to the light cruiser. "Cleve…"
"So, who made the first move? I bet it was you, Commander-"
"Cleveland!"
"Right, sorry. See you later at the docks. Don't be too late." She winked at him and departed for the harbor, closing the door behind her.
When Cleveland left the room, Ryan let out a long sigh. He turned to Shoukaku and noticed that the carrier was still hiding behind her hands. He delicately pried them off her face and smiled in amusement at seeing her as red as a tomato.
"I gotta go, duty calls," he said.
"I understand," the mortified shipgirl replied.
He lifted her chin with her hand. "See you later?"
"Later..." she said with a smile.
He leaned forward for a goodbye kiss, but she stopped him by putting her fingers on his lips. "Wait, Shikikan."
He looked at her with confusion.
"I love you too," she said while looking him in the eyes. Then, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and left the office in a hurry.
"Do you have any idea how long I've been like this, you lowly animal?!" Deutschland barked at seeing Leviathan enter the building.
"Not enough, apparently," the shipboy said, walking up to her.
Deutschland was laying on one of the armchairs in the main hall of the dormitory, with her head on an armrest and her legs over the other, still chained up.
Admiral Graf Spee and August were following Leviathan from behind. The carrier would have found the scene pretty amusing if she wasn't upset with her familiar, while Spee was simply worried about her sister.
"Herr Leviathan, my sister hasn't gone to the bathroom in hours. Can you please hurry up and untie her?" The timid cruiser asked him.
"Spee! Don't say that out loud! It's embarrassing!" The bound shipgirl lamented, blushing slightly.
"She still hasn't apologized for insulting me, and she doesn't show any sign of remorse. I'll do it if she says she is sorry," the male Kansen declared.
"You expect me, the great Deutschland, to grovel at your feet begging for release?! Know your place, lowly animal!"
Leviathan turned around to leave. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Ah! No, wait! Please don't leave!" The shipgirl cried out in panic. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you, I regret it, I truly do! Please, let me go; I really need to pee!"
"And you won't attack me out of spite once I release you?"
She shook her head vehemently. "No! I promise I won't!"
The chain wrapped around her suddenly came undone, unraveling from her body, and slithering on the floor like a snake. It went to wrap itself around Leviathan's forearm before disappearing in a flash of light.
"I'm finally free!" Deutschland cheered, jumping to her feet. Then she turned towards him with a murderous glare. "It's time for retribution, fuckboy!" She summoned her rigging, but before she could lunge at him, Spee put herself in front of her, widening her claws to prevent her from attacking him.
"Spee, don't you dare get in my way. I have a score to settle with that arschloch," the offended cruiser barked.
"Schwester, no. You made a promise."
"I can't just let him get away with this!"
"Deutschland, go to the restroom," her sister stated with a tone that didn't admit any objection.
"Ugh, fine. But this isn't over; you hear me, plebeian?!" The shipgirl sent an ultimatum before hurrying outside the hall.
Spee watched her go and turned to address the shipboy. "I'm sorry if my sister's behavior caused you trouble, Herr Leviathan. And thank you for not hurting her when you punished her."
"You are thanking me for not hurting her?" Leviathan raised an eyebrow at her.
"Yes, she would have deserved a spanking, but I don't like seeing my sister hurt; that's why I'm thanking you. And don't worry about her rants, she'll forget about this in a couple of days," the shorter shipgirl replied. "I wish you both a good night. Now, if you'll excuse me." She turned towards August and brought a fist to her chest, dismissing herself and leaving the room.
"She's weird, but she's a good kid, unlike her sister," the male Kansen said out loud.
"Do not assume the bad or good-naturedness of others, Leviathan," August berated him. "Deutschland has her own demons to deal with, and that's how she comes to terms with them. It's not in your place to judge her."
"It is when she verbally attacks me for no reason," Leviathan declared, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What about me, then?" She closed the distance between them, entered his personal space, and locked eyes with him. "I did physically attack you with the goal of making you submit to my will. Doesn't that make me a bad person? You also heard my opinion on Bismarck's matter, and you were quite displeased with it. Do you consider me weird or even evil after hearing that? I wish to know, my familiar. What do you see when you gaze upon me? What am I to your eyes?" Her voice had a pleading undertone to it. She didn't care about being considered a good or bad person; she only cared about his opinion and nobody else's.
He held her gaze, peering into her eyes, trying to figure out the best way to respond without hiding the truth. Then he smiled, feeling the irritation from before washing away from him. "To me, you are the worst of them all." He watched as a sad glint passed through her eyes. He brought a hand to her face and caressed her cheek. "And maybe that's why I feel so attracted to you."
August smiled at his words, snuggling in his touch. "Come, my familiar. We should prepare for our departure, and I need to take a look at your wounds."
She took his hand and guided him back to her room.
Leviathan was sitting on August's bed, having removed the bathrobe from his shoulders. The shipgirl was kneeling behide him, slowly unraveling the bandages wrapped around his torso. She was taking her time with it, and he was content to let her do as she pleased. Her hands caressed his chest, gliding over his broad shoulders and coming down on his back, where the burn wound he had gotten when the laser hit him was and two big, discolored blemishes interrupted the smooth texture of his skin, marking the spots where the Siren embedded its blades within his flesh.
After removing the last of the bandages, she wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Your wounds have completely healed; the scars should disappear in a couple of days," she whispered in his ear, making him shiver in bliss. "But these…" Her hands traveled alongside his arms, stopping at his forearms, where the marks caused by the strain of using his chains were permanently engraved in his skin. She let her hands glide over them, tracing the imperfections and blemishes under her fingers.
Leviathan turned to face her and put his left arm around her waist. "I don't mind them so much anymore, and I don't wish for you to fret over them either."
He leaned forward and kissed her, to which she responded eagerly. He switched from her lips to her neck alternately, eliciting a sigh of bliss from the woman as his hands wandered over her body, one squeezing her sizable bust through her clothes, the other taking a handful of her rump.
August's hands didn't sit idly; she lowered the shipboy's pants and slowly started massaging his manhood, making it stand to attention after a few deliberately slow strokes.
"My dear, lay down on your back," she whispered again in his ear.
Being the guest here, he decided to comply. He took off his pants and laid back on the mattress. August, not wasting any time, straddled his waist with her legs, but not before having removed her own underwear, leaving everything else on her person.
"It's a bit unfair when I'm the only one completely naked, isn't it?" Said the shipboy.
He could feel his erect member being sandwiched between her exposed nether region and his groin, but he couldn't see either because her black dress covered everything from her navel down.
"Indeed it is, my dear," the shipgirl said, unable to contain her amusement. She leaned down on him, locking eyes with him, and let her long hair cascade around his face. "This is comeuppance for your behavior when we first met. Surely you didn't believe I'd just forget about it?"
"Of course you wouldn't," Leviathan replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Let's see how much of that mettle of yours is real, and how much is just a façade you are putting up." She straightened herself and started slowly rocking her hips, back and forth.
"Oh, scheisse!" He breathed out.
Her slit was sliding along the length of his girth, coating it with her fluid, but she was making sure it stayed outside, denying him access to her core and almost making him lose his mind.
He grabbed her hips, trying to control her movement, but he only succeeded in pushing her further down on him, increasing the pressure on his member.
With an expression of bliss and her face flushed red, August hastened her pace. She was panting slightly in both arousal and exertion, trying her best to keep him on the verge of pleasure without letting him get over the edge. Leviathan gritted his teeth, trying not to let out any sound that could give her satisfaction, but the friction of her snatch grinding on his girth was driving him crazy, and he didn't know how long he could resist.
Eventually, the rhythm of his breathing increased until he reached his climax. He couldn't contain a groan and unleashed a load of semen that stained the underside of her black dress, remaining out of sight.
August slowly came to a stop, milking his erection of every drop of cum while still being careful not to let it slip inside of her. She took an immense amount of satisfaction from simply watching his face writhe in the throes of pleasure as she rode him, but the friction caused by his member sliding along her slit had only accentuated her arousal, leaving her with an overwhelming need for release. This time, it was her turn to take her pleasure from him.
But Leviathan wouldn't have it. He took advantage of the breather to pull himself up in an instant, pushing her down with her back on the bed, and eliciting a yelp of surprise from the woman as he reversed their positions.
She tried to regain control, but he grabbed her wrists and brought them over her head, holding them in place with one hand. With the other, he reached between his own legs and prodded her folds with his already erect shaft.
"So soon…?" She shuddered in anticipation.
"Don't underestimate the stamina of a male Kansen," he told her, before pushing the entire length of his manhood inside her with a single thrust.
"Ahn!" She cried out at the sudden intrusion. Her snatch was already soaking wet from their previous activity, and she was able to receive him smoothly. Her folds clasped around his member up to the hilt, enveloping it in a warm and wet embrace that sent shivers up his spine. It felt like he was melting inside of her.
Without giving her time to adjust to him, Leviathan started pumping his hips back and forth, pulling back until his dick was almost out, only to plunge the entirety of his length inside of her with each thrust. Soon, August's moaning joined the sound of their flesh slapping.
"Darling… ahn… yes, that's it…" She tried to say something between the throes of pleasure that were assaulting her. "That's what I wanted… ahn… I tried to enshackle you precisely so you'd want to rebel and make me submit to you… mn… haah…"
"August?" He let go of her wrists and slowed down his pace, trying to comprehend what exactly she was telling him.
"No, don't stop!" She grabbed his hand and cradled it against her chest, bringing it closer to her neck. "I want you to defy me. Use me to satisfy all your desires, show me that fearsome potential that sleeps within you, darling. Take me and make me yours!"
At that moment, the last thread of sanity in his mind snapped. Her words awakened something inside of him, and he was determined to let it out.
He grabbed the collar of her dress with both hands and ripped it from her body with a swift motion, finally setting free her sizable bust and throwing on the floor the torn-up fabric. Not content, he grabbed her neck with both his hands and squeezed, increasing the pace of his thrusting once again.
August's eyes widened in surprise, and she tightly clutched the bedsheets with her hands; her cries of pleasure suddenly stopped when he choked her, only to come back even louder when he released the pressure on her neck. Her breasts, now free of any confinement, bounced back and forth with every single one of his thrusts. He grabbed one of them with his right hand and squeezed it, sinking his fingers into the supple flesh eliciting another high-pitched cry from her.
Reason had completely abandoned him. He looked down on the woman he was ravishing. Her face was drunk in pleasure, her long hair sprawled over the mattress, her eyes marred by tears from the choking, her mouth wide open, letting out cries of ecstasy, the pale flesh on her breasts marked with red where his fingers dug deep, and the meeting point of their lower bits completely soaked in her fluids.
He couldn't hold back anymore. His breath slowly became more labored, and his pace increased even more until he felt release slowly build up from his loins. With his last thrusts, he bottomed out inside of her, releasing load after load of semen into her depths. August's climax hit her like a wave at the same moment, eliciting one last cry of pleasure from the woman; her walls clamped around his member in a vice, sucking him dry of every drop of cum.
After the wave of pleasure that hit him subsided, Leviathan was brought back to reality. He removed his member from her folds and leaned closer to August, looking her in the eyes to assess her condition.
"August, are you okay?" He asked her, moving a fringe of hair away from her sweaty forehead to uncover her eye.
She took a few seconds to compose herself, trying to bring her breathing back under control. "I'm fine, my dear." She reassured him, a big smile coming to her lips. "It takes a lot more than that to send me out of commission."
"Good." He flipped her on her stomach with a swift motion, eliciting a surprised gasp from her. "Because I'm not done with you yet."
August could only bite her lips in excitement.
AN: I just realized that five of the endgame couples will have white-haired shipgirls. I swear I didn't do it on purpose; I totally don't have a preference here... Nope, not at all. Wait, Massachusetts doesn't count because she has underside black hair, so it's not five, but four and a half...
Also, my first smut ever. Opinions?
Next Chapter: The Gravity of the Situation