Chapter Text
A light smoke lingered over the ocean as the sounds of explosions rocked the area, the sky growing darker as the sun was blocked out by the smoke. All over the ocean were the Siren’s forces, sowing the seeds of chaos as they continued their offensive against the city of San Francisco. Their purpose was known only to the ones in charge of the operation; Tester Beta and Observer Alpha, the duo orchestrating the entire act of barbarity.
A few nautical miles behind them however, the now unified fleet of Azur Lane approached the scene, a few pained winces escaping from their mouths. All this carnage, all this brutality; such atrocities were bordering on unforgivable. But none were as stunned as I, my hands trembling at the devastation before my eyes.
“T-This is…” I managed to squeak out, a gripping sense of fear within my heart. My friends…all my former colleagues were getting bombarded by the Sirens; I could already be too late to save them. No…it’s not too late; I just needed to get my head in the right place and focus on the battle ahead of us.
“Commander.” The calm tone of Enterprise called out as she and the other faction leaders made their way towards the command boat, looking up at me as Littorio and I walked out the cabin. “What’s the plan?”
“The fleet will be divided into nine ‘corps’ so to speak, each one lead by their respective faction leaders. But as the Eagle, Sakura and Royal corps are considerably larger than the others, they’ll need to loan a few of their kansen to the smaller corps.” I informed them.
“There is wisdom in your words; equal strength among all fleets would prove beneficial to battle.” Nagato offered her two cents, agreeing with my line of thought.
“From there, the nine corps will act under their leader’s authority, taking out whatever targets they feel would be best. Littorio and I will monitor the battle from the command boat, issuing out orders to any of the leaders should there be a need for a different plan of attack.” I continued, before shifting my gaze towards a small division of carriers lead by Illustrious. “But if things get dicey, that’s when the aptly named ‘Imperial Guard’ come into play. They’ll swoop in to save a surrounded corps before retreating back to their initial position.”
“These tactics you’re employed…” Richelieu began calmly, her red eyes locked onto my face. “They feel reminiscent of tactics employed back during the Napoleonic Wars.”
“I’m not surprised you’d pick that up.” A slightly flustered chuckle escaped from my mouth. “Think of it this way; the Sirens are used to us using WW2-era tactics, right? So if we used a strategy from a different time period, we may catch them off-guard.”
“Huh, that’s so out the box that it’s impressive…” An intrigued mumble escaped from Jean Bart’s mouth. “Well let’s not keep them waiting; time to kick some Siren ass!”
“When I give the signal, that is when we can begin the battle. Until then, hold on tight.” I called out, quickly making my way back into the cabin with Littorio following suit, the two of us making ourselves comfortable atop the plush chairs.
“I must confess, it’s usually not in my nature to sit in the sidelines; I should be out there on the battlefield as well.” The green-haired woman commented off-handed.
“Which is why you’ll be joining Illustrious and the Guard should I need them to deal with a precarious situation. I’m sure the thought of you fighting alongside her excites you, no?” I reassured her, a satisfied grin forming on the battleship’s face. Clearing my throat, I switched on the microphone and gave the all-important signal.
“Azur Lane expects that every kansen will do her duty!”
0000
“I’m feeling great, sis. Come, let’s kick some Siren butt!” Hornet chimed at her sister eagerly, the two Eagle Union carriers leading their sisters into battle. The rest of the corps began moving a few seconds later, the imposing navy slowly approaching their enemy. Notching an arrow, Enterprise fired the first shot of the battle, her arrow striking an Explorer Siren in the forehead. A dying sigh flowed from its mouth as it crumpled into the water, the menacing Siren navy soon turning towards the kansen.
“So, they’ve arrived at last…” Tester mused to herself, with Observer by her side. “I’ll handle the small fry; you continue your offensive.”
With a grim nod, the octopus Siren advanced closer towards San Francisco, her comrade staring down the advancing navy with a smug smile. ‘This’ll be easy…’ She thought to herself arrogantly, blissfully unaware of the rude awakening she’ll soon receive.
Due to the impressive speeds, the destroyers of both Iris and Vichya were among the first to make contact with the enemy, their weapons drawn out for battle. with a quick cry of confidence, Le Triomphant lead the attack, her rapier drawn out as she pierced the chest of another Explorer. Swiftly kicking her fallen foe, the blonde destroyer fired a quick salvo at a pair of Pawn destroyers, puncturing several sizable holes into them. Flames crackled out the holes before a deafening explosion rocked the area, sensing chunks of scrap all over the place.
“H-Huh?! I’m awake, I’m awake…” Le Malin chirped lazily, gingerly rubbing her eyes before pointing her épée at the enemy. With slothful grace, the white-haired girl bobbed and weaved past the incoming salvos of enemy fire, darting towards a third Explorer before twirling around at the last minute and slashed at its Achilles’s tendon. A strangled cry of pain escaped from the Siren’s mouth as she fell to her knee, with Le Malin stabbing the back of her neck to finish her off. “Phew…that was hard work; I’ve earned a nap after th—”
She was promptly interrupted as Vauquelin yanked her back, the white-haired girl narrowly missing an incoming wave of torpedoes from an Assassin submarine. “You can sleep on the job later; we’ve got some chumps to take out!” The redhead informed her quickly.
“Mhmm, thank you…” Le Malin smiled softly at her comrade, with Vauquelin letting out a determined cheer as she glided over the water’s surface. Within seconds, she was able to reach the Assassin, performing a quick twirl before dropping a few depth charges upon her foe. A series of muffled explosions soon permeated throughout the area as the Assassin was struck, a few large splashes of water soaking the redhead’s soft legs.
“MVP! This calls for a celebratory cool pose... Uhh, why's everyone giving me funny looks?” Vauquelin declared out loud as everyone gazed at her, only for a final splash of water to strike underneath her dress, the cool liquid causing her to jump on the spot in surprise. “Aiiiieeee! That’s too cold for my liking!”
“Now you know why I tend to stay on the beach, sister…” Tartu chimed in out of the blue, her sabre glistening in the dim light.
“Well that was just a temporary setback…” The redhead brushed it off, twirling her large polearm within her delicate hands before pointing it at the enemy. “Now then, let’s continue our valiant duel; En gardé!”
“En gardé!” The French destroyers cried out, weapons raised in the air as they continued their charge into the enemy. Several meters away from them, the Ironblood destroyers were dealing with a sizable fleet of Pawns and Knights, bobbing and weaving underneath their relentless barrage.
“Foolish Sirens…none can resist the might of the Devilish Idol herself!” Z36 declared while striking a pose, firing a stream of torpedoes at her foes with astonishing grace. The metal tubes of destruction hurtled towards the Siren Fleet, slamming into the hulls as a flurry of explosions rocked the area. Two Knights and a Pawn were slowly sinking to the bottom of the abyss, while the remainder had sustained some serious damage. A golden opportunity available to them, a strike team consisting of Z20, Z21, Z18 and Z19 fired their guns into the damaged hulls of the enemy ships, striking their ammo storages and blew them up to kingdom come.
“Hahaha, the Z-Class destroyers are invincible, right Nimi?” Z1 grinned at her younger sister, Z23.
“Stay focused, Leberecht. The enemy could surprise us at a moment’s notice.” Z23 replied calmly, her gaze soon focusing on what appeared to be a line of Explorers gliding towards their position. “Z-Class; get into permission and initiate the mass volley!”
Upon her orders, the German destroyers quickly lined up side-by-side with Z1 raising a sort of riding crop on the air. Determined, albeit slightly nervous gazes appeared on the destroyer’s faces, all of whom silently awaited the order to fire. The Explorers drifted ever closer to them, their main guns slowly pointing towards the heroic kansen.
“Feuer!” Z1 declared at the top of her lungs before swinging her crop down, her sisters firing their volley of shells at the Explorers. Loud explosions rocked the area as the Sirens were hammered by the barrage, their bodies getting blown to smithereens as hunks of scrap splashed into the murky water. Relieved cheers escaped from the destroyer’s mouths as they saw no traces of their current enemy, a satisfied smile on the elder sister’s face.
“Good work everyone, but the battle’s not over yet. Come, we shall aid Bismarck and the rest of the main fleet!” Z23 called out, leading her sisters further into the throes of battle.
0000
“Ahahahaha! This is a battlefield I am meant for!” Gangut chuckled with glee as she dove headfirst into the fray of battle, her imposing guns firing like crazy upon the enemy. Wave after wave of shells rained down on the advancing Bishops, puncturing their hulls and igniting several larges fires. The smoke drifted into the air and blocked out the sky, dimming the sun's light as things got harder to see. But the kansen were able to adapt to the change, their inbuilt radar pinging the location of various enemies.
“Enemy detected three clicks to your right!” Kirov chimed in, with Gangut turning her head to see a pair of Oceana’s and a Peace Breaker approaching their position, cold glares on the Siren’s faces. Her long sword drawn out, Kirov sped towards the Sirens, her comrade reloading her main guns. With another loud cheer, Gangut fired a second salvo at the incoming Sirens, a flurry of loud booms echoing throughout the area. Unfortunately, the salvo wasn’t as accurate as last time, a few of them missing their mark and splashed harmlessly in the water. But one shell was able to strike the left Oceana in its stomach, a pained grunt escaping from its mouth as they clutched at it.
Eyes narrowing at her target, Kirov lunged at the hostile invader and plunged her blade into its throat, cutting it open as the Oceana gurgled out a few dying gasps. Its body splashed upon the water and slowly sank into the inescapable depths, its eyes lifelessly looking up at the sky. The cruiser’s ears perked up, she jumped to the side and narrowly dodged a retaliatory barrage from the remaining Oceana, the Russian woman skidding back a couple feet.
“I’m not finished yet; far from it!” She declared, gliding towards her enemy and fired a quick salvo of shells at the Siren. The Oceana glared at her and retaliated with her own guns, firing a super-heated salvo at the Russian woman. Both salvos of shells collided into each other mid-air, a string of explosions gracing the area. Kirov used the resulting smoke to shield her next attack, the nimble woman lunging forward and slashed at her stomach, finishing things off with a stab to the heart.
Incensed by this, the Peace Maker aimed its cannons at Kirov and attempted to fire at them, only for a firm pair of a hands to grab onto the metal barrels. Before the Siren knew what was happening, they felt their cannons get bent backwards and snap in half, a searing hot pain coursing through their body. This was followed up by a point blank barrage of shells, their battered body flying several feet in the air before crashing into the water’s surface. Confused, Kirov turned her head to see the satisfied smile of Sovetskaya Belorussiya, the latter dusting off her gloves.
“Nothing’s as satisfying as crushing the spirit and bones of our enemy, right Kirov?” The blue-haired woman chimed in with a hint of energy in her tone.
“True, but it’s important to not get carried away, Belo.” The white-haired cruiser reminded her.
“I know that, but it doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun in decimating the enemy with our superior firepower~” Belorussiya smiled at her comrade.
“When you two children are done talking, you can come aid me in quashing these meddlesome Sirens.” Gangut called out to them in an amused tone, the two Russian’s quickly rejoining their elder as they continued their noble offense. Further left of the Northern corps, the maids of the Royal Navy were locked in a heated battle against a most troublesome foe; several Trackers and Oceanas at the front, with a Strategist stationed behind them, supporting its subordinates with a relentless barrage of bombers. Newcastle and Glasgow were on Anti-Air duties, gunning down the enemy bombers as they hurtled towards the choppy waves.
“Enemy sighted in the air; take cover!” Glasgow called out to her sister, the duo firing their powerful guns at the incoming bombers. The much-needed support enabled the rest of the maids to press forward, a few of them drawing out their weapons and engaged the enemy. Dido in particular was performing admirably, a confident spring in her step as she fired a few shells at a Tracker’s flank. Her Master, the one who had pledged to stand by her side was watching, and she didn’t want to disappoint him. Her eyes narrowed in determination, Dido dove towards the Tracker she had wounded and swung her large sword down, cleaving it into two.
“!...” Her ears perked up suddenly as she turned around, blocking a few incoming shells with her sword. Though the impact pushed her back a couple feet, the lilac-haired woman was unharmed by the sneak attack.
“Dido! Are you okay?” Sirius called out to her in concern.
“Mhmm.” Dido smiled at her softly, watching her younger sister take out her own sword and charged at the Tracker responsible. With a sharp battle cry, Sirius slammed the blade into the Siren’s head, cleaving it in two as they soon splashed into the murky waters below. Backing off slightly, the white-haired maid fired a few rounds at a pair of Oceanas causing them to stagger on the sport. This gave Sheffield the opening she needed, the platinum-blonde maid diving towards the dazed Sirens and fired her pistol-like rigging at the enemy, perforating them with bullets. Their bodies were like Swiss cheese after a few moments, crumpling atop the water’s edge as they slowly sank to the bottom.
“This pile of garbage has been cleaned up…” Sheffield replied in her usual tone, blowing gingerly on the barrels of her rigging. However, she soon hear the light whizzing of an incoming shell, the maid turning her head and saw it splash into the water beside her. “And so another pile needs to be cleaned up.”
“Allow us to aid you, Lady Sheffield.” Sirius offered, with Dido giving a nod of support as well. Returning their gesture with a nod of her own, Sheffield lead the renewed assault on the enemy reinforcements, firing her rigging at them with deft and grace. A few meters behind the vanguard, Belfast and Edinburgh supported King George V and her sisters with their anti-air guns, enabling the imposing battleships to fire their barrages unimpeded.
“Do not hold back sisters; Her Majesty and the Commander are watching us today!” The intrepid Knight Commander raised her officer’s sword in the air as she and her sisters fired a unified barrage, an almighty rain of shells bombarding the Siren’s position. Explosions rocked the area as several Trackers and Oceanas were blown to smithereens, their mangled bodies littering the battlefield. However, the battered enemy were soon reinforced by a Peace Maker and several Explorers, the blonde woman raising an eyebrow in intrigue. “Hmph, how interesting…”
“'t seemeth the foe hath't cometh to seek their demise…a demise I shalt fain bestow upon those folk.” Duke of York purred to herself in amusement, a deadly gleam in her eyes as she tilted her main guns towards the incoming reinforcements. “All ye, weep at your own demise!”
Upon those words, the pink-haired rained fire upon the incoming Sirens, the latter scrambled towards a defensive position but to no avail. Within a few moments, their bodies were bombarded by the explosive rounds, an intense wave of flames coating them skin as they flailed around on the spot for a few agonizing moments, before their charred husk of a body splashed onto the water harmlessly.
“Went for the high explosive rounds again?” Prince of Wales chimed in as her younger sister gave her a quick nod, the blondes eyes soon noticing a pair of eerie-looking Sirens approaching the Strategist’s sides. “Hey…what are those?”
The newcomer’s were not like the Sirens they’ve fought so many times before; their skin was a lot paler, and they wielded what looked like laser cannons. One of them soon raised what looked like an IED and detonated it in their hand, creating an EMP that struck the nearby kansen.
“Ngh?! My rigging’s jammed…” Sheffield muttered in annoyance.
“M-Mine’s not working as well!” Newcastle exclaimed, the tiniest traces of fear in her tone of voice. They weren’t the only ones experiencing trouble; even the main fleet had some difficulty aiming their rigging.
“Seems the Sirens have a new trick up their sleeve; how unexpected.” George commented to herself, before Her Majesty herself made her way to the Knight Commander’s side.
“What’s going on, George? Why am I having trouble with my rigging?!” Queen Elizabeth asked for an answer, with Warspite gazing cautiously at the enemy.
“The Sirens have activated a jamming device that’s affected our rigging; I believe that if we take them out, then the effect will fade away.” The blonde battleship reported.
“In that case, I’ll send the Commander a message to have Illustrious aid us.” The petite monarch replied, quickly taking out her phone in order to make the call.
0000
Things were going surprisingly well for my first major battle; despite some initial pushback, my fleet was able to stem the Siren offensive and begin their own counterattack. The battle was far from over, however, and I really wanted to reach Naval HQ as fast as possible to check up on my friends. If I could punch a line through the Siren’s lines, I could take Illustrious and the Guard with me in order to surround the enemy attacking San Francisco. This would mean leaving Littorio in charge of the other front, but I was more than confident in her abilities.
“Oh? Seems that Her Majesty wishes to speak to you.” Littorio chimed in, her eyes locked on the ringing phone as I gently picked it up, raising it to my ear.
“Everything alright, Your Majesty?” I inquired.
“We’re fine for now but we’ve encountered an unexpected development. The Sirens, they’ve sent out this real nuisance that jammed our rigging. The nerve of them, toying around with MY rigging. Therefore, I would like for you to punish them as swiftly as possible, Commander.” Elizabeth reported, her tone tinged with annoyance at her enemy.
“Very well, we’ll be there as soon as possible!” I pledged, with the petite monarch replying with a huff of satisfaction before hanging up. Quietly, I got up off my chair and walked outside my cabin, gesturing at Illustrious for her attention. “Her Majesty needs us to support her; we’ll be moving out, pronto!”
“As you wish~” The white-haired beauty chimed happily, giving me a quick curtsey as I got back into my seat and revved up the engine, slowly moving towards Elizabeth’s permission. My mind was a little puzzled by this development; in all the reports I’ve read, none of them mentioned Sirens with jamming capabilities. Either this is something they’ve kept as an ‘ace up the sleeve’, or it’s a newly built prototype they just created, and this battle was all one big experiment for them.
“Littorio…” I inquired, piquing the battleship’s attention. “Is the concept of a Siren with jamming capabilities familiar to you?”
“No, not to me at least, but I do recall Signora Bismarck muttering to herself one night, protesting the Siren’s lack of honor. Perhaps this is what she was talking about…” The green-haired woman proposed, her musings making sense. Guess that answers my earlier question then. All of a sudden, I felt the yacht quiver atop the waves slightly, my eyes noticing that a shell narrowly missed the hull.
“Ack, looks like they’re firing upon us! We need to take them out, now!” I called out urgently, with Littorio hopping off her seat to help rally the Guard. Gracefully splashing down atop the water’s surface, the Glory of Naples conjured up her rigging and unsheathed her sword, pointing it directly at the enemy.
“Come, lovely Signoras. Let us show them that they made the greatest mistake of their lives!” She rallied her comrades, with all of them letting out a quick cheer as they advanced towards their allies position. Within moments, they joined up with the rest of the Royal Navy, who were locked in heated melee skirmishes with the advancing Sirens. Years of training paid off well today, for the fine swordsmanship of the KGV-class was to be admired. Even the maids, who weren’t as skilled as the gallant battleships, were able to fend off enemy attacks with deft and speed. It just went to show that even without their rigging, the kansen were a very deadly opponent.
“Your Majesty!” Illustrious quickly called out to the blonde monarch, the white-haired beauty gently bowing at her.
“Good, you’ve arrived.” Elizabeth replied, averting her gaze from the carrier’s soft bosom before pointing at the two Sirens protecting the Strategist. “Those two worms over there have caused us a lot of trouble; I want them taken out now.”
“Very well~” The graceful woman chimed happily, her eyes and hands closed together in prayer as she sent forth a few squadrons of Fairey Swordfish bombers from her rigging. “Holy light, grant me power!”
It was upon saying this that the vanguard fleet saw a light blue shield form around them, a wave of relief flowing through their body as its light began to soothe their growing aches. Their eyes were locked on the bombers as they flew towards the two jamming Sirens, with the Strategist raising an eyebrow in concern. Outstretching a hand, the villainous carrier sent forth a few waves of stealth fighters in order to intercept Illustrious’ bombers.
“Not on my watch!” Ark Royal called out as she unholstered her large rifle, peering through the scope and pulled the trigger a few times. Wave after wave of Hawker Sea Fury’s flew towards the Siren fighters, with Glorious, Eagle and Ryuuhou calling forth their own fighters as well. What followed was a frantic dogfight, with allied and enemy planes gunning each other down, a plane hurtling into the ocean every 30 seconds. But despite their best attempts, the Siren Planes weren’t able to fend off Illustrious’ bombers, the Strategist helplessly watching as its subordinates were blown into smithereens.
With their subsequent deaths, the jamming effect had faded away within a few seconds, sighs of relief escaping from the British ships. Realizing that it was on it’s own, the Strategist attempted to retreat from the battle, but Littorio wasn’t going to left that happen. With astonishing speeds, the green-haired woman dove towards the enemy carrier and plunged her sword into its heart, a dying gasp escaping from the Strategists mouth as it slumped into the waters below.
“Arriverderci!” The Glory of Naples replied, giving her sword a quick wipe before twirling it in her hand. Noticing that one of the jamming Sirens was in somewhat good condition, she called for Sirius to come pick it up, the white-haired maid happy to do so.
“Littorio, what do you plan on doing with that Siren?” I inquired from the cabin.
“If we bring it back with us, we can run a few tests on it and figure out a plan to better counter the jamming effects.” She answered clearly. “After all, we do need every advantage we can get in this war, no?”
“That’s a good point, but I’m not sure if it’s the most moral decision out there…” I admitted cautiously.
“A fair point, Commander. But consider this; they have no problem testing and experimenting on us in order to advance their goals.” George chimed up in support of Littorio, the green-haired woman shooting her an appreciative smile.
“That’s another good point…” I replied, mulling over my decision for a few seconds. “Very well, bring the Siren here; we’ll run a few tests on it once the battle’s over.”
“Right away, my honorable mast—Ehh?!” Sirius began gliding towards me, only to be pushed forward by a sudden splash from behind her. Quickly turning around, the maid soon found herself face-to-face with the ominous Tester Beta, her mantalike rigging fully loaded.
“I don’t think that belongs to you…” She crooned mockingly at the fallen Sirius, the latter quickly getting back up on her feet and aimed her rigging at the villainous woman. “The Intruder prototypes are still in their testing stages; despite the setback, they’ve provided me with a lot of useful data.”
“Intruders…so that’s what they’re called.” I mused to myself, my lingering voice flowing into my enemy’s ears.
“Oh, I didn’t see you there…I’m surprised that you haven’t turned tail and fled back to base like your predecessor.” Tester called out to me, an amused smirk on her face.
“Well I’m not like him! Sure, I’m a little terrified, but I’m not going to abandon my friends in order to save myself.” I shot back at her, my hands firmly gripping the sides of my chair.
“Bold; stupid, but bold. I could just fire a single laser at you and incinerate you…sounds like a very good idea.” The twisted woman began, charging up one of her cannons and aimed it at me, only for Littorio to knock her rigging aside with her sword, the laser firing harmlessly in the sky.
“Try picking on someone who can fight back, codardo!” The green-haired woman shot back, narrowing her eyes at her foe.
“Heh, I should’ve known that you’d be the first to rally to his side; you’ve always been a tricky one to read, Littorio.” Tester taunted her.
“Only because you fail to grasp my immense splendor; as one of the Mediterranean’s mightiest battleships, it’s my duty to protect her from those who seek to do her harm, which includes you, Tester.” Littorio rebutted confidently, her other hand holding onto her cape. “But this time, I’m not on my own; I’ve got the lovely Illustrious watching my back, as well as the rest of her esteemed allies.”
“So I see…” The Siren mused, noticing just how outnumbered she was. That said, she was more than happy to see just how stronger they were under the Anomaly’s watchful gaze, the cold-hearted research smirking to herself. Her lasers fully charged up once more, she fired them upon the kansen, with the shielded vanguard intercepting the attack as a few startled cries escaped from their mouths. Though their shields were destroyers, they were unharmed from the attack, a slight huff escaping from Tester’s mouth as she had to recharge her laser cannons.
“Do not hold back; she’s vulnerable while recharging!” Prince of Wales called out, with the kansen all converging towards her in an attempt to take her out. The carriers all chose to stay behind the vanguard, sending out planes to protect their colleagues from the stray bombers and fighters lingering in the sky. Leading the attack, Sheffield and Belfast took aim and fired upon Tester, the latter dropping a few smoke grenades for additional protection. The ever-so slippery Siren managed to bob and weave past their shell fire, diving forward towards the platinum-blonde maid. However, the latter was able to deliver a swift kick to Tester’s face…and unintentionally showed her a little more than she bargained for.
Slightly dazed by the sight, Tester didn’t notice Duke of York slipping behind her, the pink-haired vampire slashing at her back with her elegant sword. A quick grunt of pain escaped from the Siren’s mouth as she turned around to glare at the battleship, firing a small salvo from her secondary guns in retaliation. Seconds later however, the white-haired woman turned her head and narrowly dodged an incoming slash from Wales, and ended up sliding into an incoming thrust from George. Another wince of pain escaped from Tester’s mouth as she saw all three sisters staring daggers at her, their swords pointed at her injured body.
“And with that, you’re officially surrounded…” The mocking voice of Littorio rang out in her ears as the green-haired woman waltzed behind her, her sword pointed at the Siren’s back. “It’s over for you, Tester. So why not admit defeat and surrender? Unlike you, we treat our prisoners with respect.”
“Heh, I’m not surprised that you’d be behind me; you’ve always had a thing for eyeing up a woman’s back.” The surrounded Siren taunted her.
“I suppose you’ve got me there; there is much to appreciate regarding the figure of a lovely Signora...” The Glory of Naples admitted playfully, a soft smirk forming on her face. “That said, you’re clearly not my type, Tester.”
“You’ve been a thorn in our side for too long; come with us quietly and if you’re lucky, I’ll make up something for you.” George proposed, her words catching the Siren by surprise.
“Heh, thinking about food now, Georgie?” Wales chimed in amusement.
“What can I say? We’ve all earned ourselves a lavish feast~” The Knight Commander replied with a smile, only for a subtle chuckling to escape from Tester’s mouth.
“If you think I’m going quietly, then I’m afraid you’re mistaken…” She smirked, taking out a small grenade of sorts and detonated it, creating a small wormhole that she promptly slipped into. “Until we meet again, Anomaly…”
“S-Stop right there, Test—” I called out, but to no avail. Within seconds, she had managed to escape from the battle, a sense of frustration growing within me. That slippery cretin…she accused me of cowardice yet was the first to flee the battle herself.
“A pity…The foe hath did flee from us once again.” York muttered to herself in disappointment.
“Again?” I inquired.
“The Sirens have this irritating habit of fleeing from us just as we’re about to deal the finishing blow. At this point, I’m starting to get used to it.” George chimed in, an impressed smile forming on her face. “That aside, you handled yourself pretty well, Commander. Though it was your first major battle, you commanded it as if it were your fiftieth battle.”
“I was only able to do so because of everyone here; all of you trusted my unorthodox strategy and pulled it off perfectly. The faction leaders, Littorio, Illustrious, all of them showed impeccable leadership skills and were able to handle the enemy without me constantly hovering over their shoulder.” I continued, a sense of pride welling within me. “Of course, everyone else fought valiantly as well; it would be rude of me to not give them the credit they deserve.”
“Indeed; all of us performed splendidly because we worked together today. It is important to remember this trust between us as we continue forward.” Illustrious stated with a serene smile, the phone in my cabin ringing once more as I picked it up.
“Hello, who is this?” I inquired.
“Ritchie, it’s me, New Jersey. My crew and I have managed to chase off their leader, but we could use a little back-up. Not that I’m worried about defeat; nothing could scare the indomitable Black Dragon into retreating.” New Jersey requested some reinforcements, her tone as bubbly as ever.
“I’m on my way!” I told her, ending the call before turning to face Illustrious and Littorio. “Illustrious, I need you and the Guard to come join me in assisting New Jersey. Littorio, I’m entrusting the clean-up operation to you; make sure Tester’s navy is fully quashed.”
“Easy enough; the enemy’s on their last legs anyway.” The green-haired woman accepted, with Illustrious giving me a quick nod. On cue, the elite carrier division and I made our way towards San Francisco, with the rest of the ships dispersing to lend their allies a hand.
0000
Devastation…that was all that greeted us when we arrived at the great city of San Francisco. Buildings in ruins, cars reduced to smoldering husks, and large craters punched into the road. Bodies were strewn across the place, though not as many as I initially expected; perhaps New Jersey was able to buy the evacuation crews some much-needed time. Quickly arriving on land, I hopped off the yacht and joined the Guard, with all of us making our way into the city. Soon enough, we joined up with New Jersey and her crew, the six kansen effortlessly fending off the remaining Siren forces.
“Good timing, Ritchie. We could really use the air support; all of Tico’s planes were shot down and it’ll take some time before they can get replenished.” The blue-haired battleship called out to me.
“No worries; I shall bless you all with my light.” Illustrious pledged, calling forth her Fairey Swordfish bombers to give her allies some much needed air support.
“Thanks; those damn Siren cultists are a real pain in the neck. If I could clobber those suckers, I’d do so in a heartbeat!” One of the cruisers chimed in, twirling her baseball bat in her hands as her main guns fired at a small nest of enemy machine gunners.
“S-Siren cultists?” I inquired, only for the tall, blue-haired carrier beside New Jersey to quickly pull me onto the ground, the whizzing bullets flying over our heads.
“People who have joined the Siren’s cause. They worship them as gods, believing them to be the ones who’ll create a new world.” She answered me, her arms cradling me as I felt her warm body against mine. “By the way, the name’s Ticonderoga, but you can call me Tico~”
“N-Nice to meet you, Tico…” I greeted her, a faint blush forming on my cheeks as her bosom was pressed up against my head.
“Tico’s a very lovely friend; her hugs are just the warmest~” New Jersey cooed merrily, firing an impressive barrage of shells that obliterated a nearby camp of Siren cultists.
“By the way…how is Naval HQ?” I inquired, a gripping sense of fear growing within me as the usually boisterous battleship grew silent. A sinking feeling in my stomach, I quickly leaped out of Ticonderoga’s arms and ran towards my former home, my ears filled with the concerned cries of my comrades.
I ran as fast as I could down the damaged roads, climbing over debris and leaped over fallen lamp posts as my heart raced a mile a minute. I hope everyone was alright, I hope they haven’t fallen victim to the Sirens or their cultists. Minutes later, I arrived at a most horrifying sight; the once proud Eagle Union Navel Headquarters was reduced to a smoldering wreck, with who I assumed was Watkins heading the emergency medical operations. Quickly, I made my way to her, my presence catching her by surprise as her looked up from her clipboard.
“Cunningham? What are you doing here?” She inquired.
“I heard about what happened her from New Jersey, so I opted to lend you a hand in any way I could…” I panted in mild exhaustion. “We were able to deal with Tester’s Navy before arriving here, and Illustrious is busy aiding the others in repelling the remaining forces.”
“Is that you, Ritchie?” The familiar voice of Riley called out to me, my trusted friend quickly making his way over the debris. His body was caked with dust and debris, and a few cuts littered his arms and legs, but apart from that, he was still in good condition. “Thank goodness you came; Fleet Admiral Wellington, he’s…”
“W-Where is he?!” I called out urgently, with the brown-haired man gesturing me to follow him. We ran across the rubble and came across the aging fleet admiral pinned underneath a pile of debris, with Lieutenant Page tossing chucks of rubble aside in an attempt to save him.
“I…I told you, d-don’t worry about me…” Wellington called out weakly, s severe gash on his forehead oozing blood all over his face.
“Like hell I’m abandoning you; we’ve fought beside each other for who knows how many years, and I’m not throwing that away!” Page rebutted, quickly noticing my arrival. “Good timing, Cunningham. I need you to drag Wellington out from underneath the rubble; Riley and I will hold onto it, but we can only do so for so long.”
“Got it!” I replied, getting into position as my colleagues lifted the heavy slab of concrete with all their might. I gingerly grabbed onto Wellington’s arms as her held onto mine, as I began slowly dragging him from underneath the pile. “Hold on sir…you’re almost free…”
“R-Ritchie…Is that you?” He inquired quietly.
“Yes…it’s me, sir. I’m here to save you.” I replied, rescuing him from the pile as Riley and Page let go of it, a loud crunch echoing throughout the area. Gingerly, the three of us helped lift him off the ground and carried him towards Watkins and the medical staff, a nervous feeling welling inside me. The Sirens…they’re the enemies of peace; I’ll make them pay for their crimes.