Chapter 5: Wood
Part 3
Running alone on the sea surface made her realize the meaning of solitude. In this vast ocean, there was no one who could look after her.
Akebono was advancing at full speed.
Maybe, just maybe, someone would come. Is there anyone who wants to fight with me? It wasn't like she had no such expectation. However, when she looked behind, no one was there.
There was nothing she could do about it. It was only natural that no one would come, given that the only thing she had done was throwing jeers and being disagreeable. Even Akebono herself wouldn't think that she would be liked by making fun of others.
It would be a violation of order if they followed her. Any shipgirl would refuse being sent to the detention house together with such an infuriating person anyway.
She got rid of her lingering attachment. She stopped thinking about the 14th Destroyer Division. Right now, she was just dashing on the sea, as if being driven by her own past.
Unbeknownst to her, she had broken through the compass.[1] When she looked ahead, there was an outline of a ship.
And not just one, but many. No doubt, it's a convoy. There's no escort, but the formation was maintained somehow.
“Hey!”
Akebono waved her hands to draw their attention. And since that wasn't enough, she fired a shot and even generated a plume of black smokescreen.
The leading cargo ship noticed her. A person who seemed to be the captain came out to the deck.
“You're…a shipgirl?!”
“I'm a destroyer!”
Akebono shouted back.
“Are you okay?!”
“The rearmost ship has been caught! They are still chasing us!”
The captain looked backwards fearfully.
“There's a lot of them! At this rate…”
“Don't worry! I'll chase them away!”
“Alone?!”
“I'll take care of rest! Keep going full speed to evacuate the convoy to Yokosuka! Now go, move!”
She didn't answer the captain's question, instead urged him to proceed.
The group of ships continued escaping. She was relieved for the time being, then headed to the direction where the convoy came from.
As she went on, the wind picked up. It struck Akebono's cheek with a tingling sensation.
A shiver ran down her spine. She had a premonition that something mysterious in nature was approaching.
There.
As soon as she became aware of the shadow, she instantly lowered her stature. It was to prevent herself from being detected by the enemy as much as possible, but she didn't know how effective it was. Despite that, she was the kind of person who would still do it regardless.
Enormous shadows were approaching.
It looked as if the sea was completely filled with countless, innumerable ships. No, not ships, but something resembling ships. A grotesque existence that's neither a living being nor a warship, the Abyssal Fleet.
The Abyssal Fleet's eyes were large, bright blue, and glared in search of prey. A leading group of Ro-class destroyers were still raging in excitement after discovering the convoy. They resented the fact that the cargo ships had escaped. Where is the prey? Where? Is there any edible prey that can be devoured?
The waves rose in disarray like a lethal weapon and the sea breeze pierced like a blade. It seemed as if the ocean itself had been transformed into an enemy encampment. She could feel why they were able to rule over the sea from the sensation on her skin.
Akebono shook her head. No, no, calm down, it's all just destroyers. The statistics have proven that shipgirls are stronger than the likes of Ro-class. The seniors shed bloods to collect those data. That's why there's no need to fear them, as they said in the naval district. If it's one-on-one, I'll have the advantage.
But, what are those things? Those creatures, on the opposite side of the Ro-class, with a hull like the upper half of a beast. I remember seeing it once on the Abyssal Fleet Identification List. If I'm not mistaken, they are the He-class light cruiser. A mad sea-beast that is much more ferocious than the destroyer. And yet, and yet, it's not just them.
A different creature has arms growing from their upper body. The arms even have fingers. The portion of the face is covered and plastered, and I can't tell if they even have eyes, nose, or even a mouth. A monster, I'm not even sure whether they can actually see ahead. Are those the Chi-class torpedo cruisers? They are ridiculously carrying such absurdly powerful torpedoes, striking at anything and everything, the gods of pestilence. The shipgirls who are in charge of guiding us keep saying from time to time again that we mustn't be careless if we encounter them.
And then, ah, what is that thing at the furthest back?
Standing on two legs. Long black hair. Flexible limbs. It has unbelievably long and large cannons grown from both shoulders, facing the sky. Equipping a gigantic shield on both arms, and an astonishing amount of gun barrels sticking out from it. Then those pairs of blue eyes that are simply intimidating those around it.
Neither the non-humanoid class nor semi-humanoid class. Unmistakably, the humanoid class.
The Ru-class battleship.
Akebono turned pale. The closer the Abyssal Fleet resembled humans, the more powerful they became. The Ru-class was so powerful that the shipgirls across the ocean gave it the name ‘Terminator.’ It was a waste of time to even think about the number of shipgirls who had been sunk by that thing.
She couldn't believe that even that thing was here. If Akebono was told that this sea area was actually the entrance to hell, she would've believed it.
Still lowering her posture, Akebono steered out from the Abyssal Fleet course. Inconspicuously, she circled around to their flank.
The Abyssal Fleet didn't notice Akebono. They were following the cargo ships. They wouldn't just send off their precious feast they've painstakingly discovered with a smile. They would chase the convoy with all their might.
The whitecaps grew distant.
(I-it might be better for me to escape now…while I still can...)
So Akebono thought. Fighting against that many Abyssal Fleet was nothing but foolish. Sending radio transmission to ask for reinforcement would also draw their attention. So, keeping her mouth shut, she made use of the mobility of a destroyer to get away from them quietly.
She looked at the direction of the Abyssal Fleet course. The cargo ships that had escaped earlier should've been in the direction they were heading to. Could they catch up with the convoy? They definitely could. Cargo ship didn’t have the speed of a destroyer. The convoy would be caught by the Abyssal Fleet in no time.
“What should I do…”
The memory from the past resurfaced. It was a flashback of a scene that appeared sporadically late at night, during meals in the First Officer's Mess, even in front of the counselor. A sea, a dark sea. Blown up transport ships. Thickly oil-covered sea surface. Flickering blazing flames. The dull sound of keel breaking apart was nothing but the screaming voice emanating from the ships. Then the echoing Abyssal Fleet roars from all directions. Even the color and smell ran through her mind.
*Clackclackclack* Her teeth chattered. She was trembling. Her whole body was overtaken by fear and it came with a shiver. It's scary, it's scary, it's scary. Her usual bravado and wicked tongue were vanishing away.
Akebono thought desperately with the last bit of her judgment that was barely left. What should I do? What should I be doing now? For what reason, and what kind of things should I be doing? Perhaps I should escape, after all? They are a group of monsters that couldn't be opposed alone. Who would criticize me for prioritizing to protect myself? Even if that means abandoning the cargo ships?
No.
No.
So Akebono thought. She criticized herself. I will be the one who will criticize myself. I would spend the rest of my life making a fool of myself if I let the convoy who painstakingly managed to escape be destroyed without helping them as a shipgirl. Well, my original role was an attendant[2] to the battleships and cruisers, but that doesn't mean I can't do a convoy escort mission. Abandoning the weak is a life-time dishonor. It's a disgrace to the Ayanami-class destroyer.
Vague memories resurfaced. A ship bearing this name[3] failed to escort many times. Everything she was supposed to protect all sank, and it turned into a difficult situation where she even had to scuttle them with torpedoes.[4]
The memories of a distant past, a recollection of memories that should've been sealed away.
I hate all of it. Enough, I hate it all. I absolutely, absolutely hate it.
I will protect everything no matter what.
Akebono gritted her teeth. She sternly glared ahead.
“Hey, over here!”
It was an unbelievably loud voice.
She waved her hands to draw their attention.
“Hey numbskulls! I'll be your opponent! You should be very grateful to me!”
Glare.
A pair of eyes turned toward her.
The first to discover her was, that monster woman, the Ru-class battleship. Its deeply eerie blue eyes caught sight of Akebono.
The Ru-class battleship turned its back and spread its arms, then opened its mouth toward the sky.
G̵̤͆̓̏̚r̵͇̱̈͐̓ô̷̥͝ô̶̙͔͑͝á̶̬̒̌à̸̡̜̘̭̙̺̏͐͝.
A thunderous gut-wrenching roar echoed across the ocean. It howled. It was the Abyssal Fleet war cry, emitted when it had found its prey. The signal of death, frightening its opponent and notifying its pack, ‘The prey is here!’
The Abyssal Fleet all reacted. Several eyes turned around all at once. The blue radiance penetrated the air. The glints of death showered the tiny shipgirl.
But Akebono wasn't afraid. She was resolved from the bottom of her heart.
I've resolved, so I won't be afraid.
Pointing the small gun barrel ahead, she advanced, kicking up the whitecaps.
“This ship will now carry out the attack to the enemy Abyssal Fleet armada, pulverizing their assault objective and supporting the convoy evacuation! Surface action!”[5]
She took a deep breath, then let out a loud voice.
“Execute!!”[6]
The girl, equipped with only a single 12.7 cm twin gun mount and a single[7] triple torpedo mount launcher, confronted the Abyssal Fleet horde.
Note :
[1] : Meaning, she managed to arrive at the correct route or path.
[2] : Tsuyuharai (literal translation: “dew sweeper”) is one of the two attendants that accompany a yokozuna (highest rank sumo wrestler) when he performs his dohyo-iri or ring entrance ceremony. The other attendant is called the tachimochi (literal translation: “sword carrier.”) Both the tsuyuharai and the tachimochi must be makuuchi (top division out of six division) ranked sumo wrestlers. During the ceremony the tsuyuharai will precede the yokozuna into the ring. He will usually be following the gyoji (referee) who leads the three rikishi (wrestler) to the dohyo (ring.) As the yokozuna performs the ceremony he will squat on his left hand side. After the yokozuna has completed his ceremonial dance the tsuyuharai will once again precede him away from the dohyō.
Basically Akebono meant that she is just an escort or accompanying ship to the battleships and cruisers.
[3] : The actual IJN Akebono in real life.
[4] : Referring to the historical events in real life. IJN Akebono was assigned as an escort several times, but she also failed to protect the ships she was escorting each time. It included Shoukaku during the Battle of Coral Sea, a supply convoy in January 1944, Mogami during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, of which she was forced to scuttle her, and Nachi during Manila Air Raids after the Battle of Surigao Strait.
[5] : She is reporting in a (presumably) standard IJN military report. Just like the shipgirls in the KanColle 1944: Itsuka Ano Umi de.
[6] : In-game Attack voiceline. A literal translation would've been something like, “Gooo!” but I adjusted it according to the reports she previously said.
[7] : This might be a mistake from the author. KanColle Akebono should be carrying two triple mount launchers on both legs, while the real-life IJN Akebono was equipped with three.
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