Part 2
The further south they went, the more islands and ships wreckage they saw.
The islands were once inhabited areas where humans lived. The ships were in a miserable state after being attacked by the Abyssal Fleet.
Aside from food, this area had to rely on transportation for fuel and other necessities. The Abyssal Fleet devoured every single ship that was engaged in these activities. Even after the shipgirls wiped them out, they would reappear again after a period of time. Furthermore, a lot of supplies and blood were lost in the sea. After that, they would reappear and recapture the area again and again, and now there was no one living their life there.
Through long battles and investigation, they had come to understand that the Abyssal Fleet formed groups called swarms. In the center of these swarms, an existence reigned over like a queen bee.
There were multiple swarms. It didn’t seem to be very numerous, but they had learned that it would multiply after a while. The swarm continued to invade the human habitat, taking the sea for itself.
If they didn’t crush it, the Abyssal Fleet would continue to appear forever. That's why the Yokosuka Naval Base decided to launch an offensive operation against the southern waters.
The shipgirls proceeded through the gloomy sea surface.
With Takao in the lead, Maya, Myoukou, Isuzu, and Shiranui advanced silently through the waters where numerous shipgirls had fought and sunk.
There was no wind. It was calm. Perhaps it was a sign that it had been under the control of the Abyssal Fleet, or perhaps they were silently resisting the shipgirls.
In the midst of all this, the girls had to find the Abyssal Fleet. The exact coordinates of the enemy were not recorded in that video. That's why the girls carried out the investigation. Depending on the report, the attack target for the main fleet would be decided. Where were they, what was there, and how many were there? And if it’s possible, attack them.
They were the vanguard of the entire force, and as such, they were subject to reckless demands.
The girls were well aware of their mission. But even so, the weight of their mission often prevented them from speaking much.
“... It’s getting foggy, eh?”
Takao's muttering carried over from the radio, and Shiranui raised her head.
Indeed, the fog had appeared. It’s uncertain whether it's the ocean currents or the weather that was changing at this period of time. She had also heard that there had been climate changes on this planet since the appearance of the Abyssal Fleet.
“If we're not careful, we'll collide with the wreckage. Please be more cautious.”
They changed their speed from cruising speed to half cruising speed.[1] They proceeded with caution. Shiranui muttered “Red 5,”[2] and slowed her engine RPM.
The ship in front of her, Isuzu, turned around.
“You’re not scared, newbie?”
Isuzu was the only light cruiser in the fleet, which was probably why she often paid her attention to Shiranui.
“I'm fine.”
“That's good. You look like you have it all together.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Your attitude. Isn’t that a calm and collected attitude? I suppose that's why you're serving as the rear guard.”
“I can't comment on my character.”
“That’s fine, don't worry about it. I'm counting on you.”
An order from a ‘two-way’ signal radio[3] was sent to them. They changed their direction by twenty degrees to the left.
There was still no sign of the Abyssal Fleet.
“All hands[4], have they gone into hiding?” A grumble could be heard. It was Maya's voice. She was the third ship of the Takao-class, and had no problem working with Takao herself. It was one of the reasons why she was chosen for this fleet. “It'd be a lot easier if they stayed hidden, though.”
“The Abyssal Fleet isn’t that soft, you know,” Takao chided her. “Nonetheless, it's about time we encountered them... Myoukou-san.”
Myoukou, who was called, nodded.
“I'm launching the reconnaissance planes.”
The sound of gunpowder was heard, and the Type Zero Reconnaissance Seaplanes were launched from the catapult. It swayed for a moment, then gained altitude and flew away.
Currently, in this fleet, Myoukou and Isuzu were the only ships that were equipped with reconnaissance seaplanes. It was said that normally, the fleet only needed one ship equipped with the reconnaissance planes, but since the mission this time was this kind of mission, the number of ships was increased.
Myoukou listened carefully to the artificial voice from the reconnaissance planes.
“The presence of enemy ships is... nowhere to be found, huh.”
“I don’t detect anything in the radar either,” Maya said. She was equipped with a Type 22 Surface Radar.
Takao glanced ahead.
“We're moving ahead. Both engines forward, cruising speed.”[5]
They picked up speed and moved forward.
The fog was getting thicker, and the number of wrecked ships was increasing. Still, there was still no sign of the enemy.
A strange atmosphere flowed through the fleet. The coordinates obtained from analyzing the video should had been reached long ago.
“... Have they already gone?” Maya said. “I wonder if they’re afraid of us.”
It would have been so much easier if that were the case, but even Maya, the one who had suggested it, didn't believe it.
Takao gave an order, “Isuzu, send out the scout planes. This time in the opposite direction.”
“Roger.”
The Type Zero Reconnaissance Seaplanes were launched. It flew in the opposite direction of Myoukou's planes.
Isuzu listened carefully for a while.
“There’s no enemy presence. No encounter with any enemy aircraft either... Takao-san, isn’t it possible that this is a different ocean area?”
“I don't think that’s possible. I’m sure they're here.”
“But the enemy presence is—huh?” She knitted her brows. “... There's something strange about the report. Errr, there's something drifting on the sea surface. It's heading towards the fleet—huh, did it just disappear?”
Everyone listened to the vague report. The next moment, however, Shiranui suddenly realized it.
“—Periscope!”
A series of wakes appeared on the sea surface to their left. They were torpedoes fired from a submarine.
Takao shouted, “Evasive maneuvers! Right full rudder!”[6]
Everyone twisted their bodies to avoid the torpedoes. They succeeded just in time. Bubble trails passed in front of them. If Shiranui hadn't warned them, some of the torpedoes would have hit them.
“A report from the reconnaissance plane! Enemy formation has been detected!” Myoukou said without a pause. “We also encountered a fleet! There are 2 Nu-class light carriers!”
“Isuzu, chase off the submarine. It's the enemy's advance guard. There's probably a main fleet in the back,” Takao ordered in a quick succession. “We're going to sneak deeper. Keep your eyes open.”
“Enemy aircraft!” Myoukou looked up at the sky and urged a warning. There was a sound like a flapping of insect wings.
The black insect-like object was approaching rapidly. It was a formation of enemy dive bombers. They weren't really flapping their wings, but they were making that kind of noises.
The numbers were less than twenty. They were flying straight towards the fleet.
“Incoming bombing raid. Perform evasive maneuvers,” Takao said. All of them started the 之-character movement at the same time.
The bombers seemed flying unsteadily, but were trying to reach the sky above the shipgirls. Since they didn’t descend to the water's surface, those weren’t torpedo attacks. They were going for a dive bombing raid.
Maya grinned broadly, “How nice, I'll take care of it!” The high-angle guns pointed upward. The enemy aircrafts spun around, plunging down one after another in a pack. “Anti-aircraft fire, begin!” The high-angle guns opened fire. The shells exploded in midair, spreading flames and debris.
Takao's twin machine guns were firing at the same time. The main purpose of anti-aircraft fire was not to shoot down the enemy aircrafts, but to disrupt their attacks. It's fine even if they didn’t land a hit as long as they didn’t suffer any damage.
The enemy's aircrafts shook. Flames erupt from the front of the planes, causing them to lose their balance and fall. The rest of the aircrafts attempted to continue the attack, but Takao's machine gun intercepted them.
The dense barrage threw the enemy aircraft's aim off at every turn. A few projectiles were dropped, but they fell in the wrong places and ended up in fountain-like columns.
Maya shot down several aircrafts. The remaining enemy planes passed overhead and pulled up early.
“Heh, they don't even resist, eh?”
There were no more enemy attacks. Isuzu, who had driven the submarine away, also returned.
“We'll ignore the light carrier group. Second battle speed.”[7]
The fleet increased its speed.
The enemy didn’t continue their attacks. It would be a great opportunity to scout out the enemy rear formation.
But Shiranui caught on something.
There were too few of them. According to the preliminary briefing, the number of the Abyssal Fleet lurking in the southern waters was enormous, which is why the Yokosuka Naval Base had decided to launch a major offensive by combining the reinforcements from everywhere. If that were the only numbers, even the vanguards would be able to finish the job.
Something is wrong.
“Takao-san...”
When she called out to Takao, there was an immediate reply, “So Shiranui thinks the same, huh?”
“Yes.”
Takao, the leader of the group, also seemed to be wary. Then she continued, “Myoukou, try scouting—”
That line was drowned out by Isuzu's shout, “Contact from the main fleet! We have encountered and currently are engaging a powerful enemy fleet that includes the Ru-class battleships and the Wo-class carriers!”
“That's the real deal...” Takao clicked her tongue. Perhaps those bombers took the risk to pass them by and aimed for the main fleet that followed the vanguards. The submarine and light carriers from earlier were the forces meant to hold them back. “We’re going to withdraw and link up with the main fleet. Hou Z—”[8]
Maya's voice interrupted Takao's words as she was about to order a right 180 degree turn.
“Wait, the radar picked up something!” She looked surprised. “Enemy fleet ahead!”
“There's another one here...?” Takao groaned. Maya's eyes widened as she was about to continue her report.
“That's a lot of ships! Ta-class battleships, Ri-class heavy cruisers, and there’s also—wait... Huh?”
“Give me an accurate report!”
“That’s... h-huge! Battleship—no, that’s not a battleship—what the hell is that!? That's too huge, it's the biggest thing I've ever seen!”
Suddenly, the fog cleared up.
Ahead of them was a fleet of the Abyssal Fleet. And it was within visual distance. They were sitting in a flock beyond the shipwrecks.
Swimming on the surface of the water were the Ro-class destroyers. Their mouths were open as if threatening just like stray dogs. The pitch-black tongue and the dripping drools were indescribably creepy.
In the vicinity were the Ri-class heavy cruisers. They were almost humanoid in shape and had an eerie appearance, with destroyers-like figures attached to both arms. The pale blue eyes glistened, perhaps because they had caught sight of the fleet.
Even though there were many of them, and the one behind them was even more grotesque of a monster. It wore a sailor uniform just like a shipgirl, had beautiful hair just like a shipgirl, and yet it was far from human, and was emitting bloodthirst. From around her waist, a number of turrets with three thick gun barrels attached to them protruded.
It was a Ta-class battleship. Moreover, its eyes were shining gold instead of blue. This was no ordinary battleship. It was a monster that could be called the supreme.
But that was not the reason why Maya was astonished. It was not about these guys.
In the middle of the Abyssal Fleet, there was a figure with a pure white appearance.
A hair that seemed to sparkle, tied in two, and swept to the side. The tied parts burned like a blaze, creating both beauty and terror at the same time. The arms were covered with thick armor plates, furthermore, there were excessive turrets attached to them. The legs were covered with a misshapen mobility device, and the armor was so thick that it might bounce a battleship's artillery off.
The body seemed to be clad in a swimsuit, but you could tell at a glance that it was just a facade. The barrels of the 16-inch gun were sticking out from the surroundings. Being targeted by that would mean getting obliterated, leaving no bones behind.
The shipgirls didn’t know. They didn't know that this thing was the monster called the Southern War Demon,[9] and that it was the head of the swarm that controlled Area E. With the appearance of this thing, the area had been placed under the control of the Abyssal Fleet.
But even without knowing the true identity of that thing, it was clear to everyone that it was a fearsome enemy.
“What is that...?” Maya was dumbfounded and uttered a few words. “Is that the one in the video...?!”
“This is the true main fleet...” Takao said. As the girls made their way into the enemy's rear formation, they found themselves directly in front of the enemy's main force. She signaled them immediately, “Radio silence lifted! Isuzu, inform the naval base. We've encountered the enemy's main force!”
“No good! The secondary radio communication system has been lost!”
“What did you say!?”
“There's nothing but static except for the internal radio in our fleet!”
Isuzu's cries were cut off frequently.
The enemy laughed. The colored golden eyes and the blood-like eyes fell on the shipgirls at the same time.
W̷̧̒e̴̩̊l̴̟̍c̷͈̀o̴̰̓m̷͎̑ę̸̓……[10]
Shiranui was startled. However, it was not only her, Takao and the others were also surprised and stunned. The enemy was speaking.
It wasn't a mishearing nor a random noise. It had indeed said something. It spoke.
Y̷o̴u̴'̸r̶e̶ ̶w̸e̵l̵c̸o̶m̷e̴ ̶t̷o̴ ̵j̵o̶i̶n̶ ̵u̷s̴.......
They felt a shiver run down their spine. A moment later, the Abyssal Fleet gunports all shone at once.
“Evade!” Takao screamed, while the 16-inch shells rained down like a shower.
The shells exploded, sending up columns of water. The girls' bodies jolted extensively from the impact.
The Ro-class destroyers jumped out from the flock. Like hounds, they were heading towards them at once.
Takao made an immediate decision, “Ready artillery battle! Fire a salvo and turn back at once, we will retreat from this area. Shiranui.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You'll be our lead ship when we retreat.”
Shiranui replied, “Understood.”
The Ro-classes approached. Opening their mouths wide, they were about to spit out their torpedoes.
“Fire!”
The shells were fired in unison. At the same time as the sound of bombardment, Takao's voice came through, “Sei Z!”[11]
A simultaneous 180 degree turn to the right. Shiranui took the lead and started their retreat, followed by Isuzu, Myoukou, Maya, and Takao in that order.
“Both engines forward, maximum battle speed!”[12] Shiranui communicated over the radio and gave the signal. The main engines roared.
There was the sound of impact behind them. It seemed that there were several direct hits on some of the Ro-classes, but they didn’t have the time to confirm it. They had to get out of there as soon as possible.
Once more, the 之-character movement started. They made a zigzagging motion to try to throw off the enemy gun's aim. The shells fired by the enemy came down considerably in a scattered manner.
Even though they escaped as fast as they could, the enemy still fired at them.
“Their range is really long!” Maya complained. She did so without slowing down.
The Abyssal Fleet guns glowed again, and columns of water formed around Shiranui and the others.
There were no direct hits. Even though the shipgirls had inferior range, they had superior speed. Aside from the Ro-class, the Southern War Demon wasn't moving much. Perhaps, if this continued, they might be able to retreat with ease.
However, in the next instant, such optimistic views were blown out of Shiranui's mind.
There was a ship silhouette. Reflecting the sun, it glittered dazzlingly. There were gigantic gun barrels.
“—Enemy fleet approaching ahead.”
The submarine that had been driven away has returned. And not only along with the Nu-class light carriers, but also with the battleship.
Leading the Abyssal Fleet was a woman with both arms equipped with shields that had guns growing out of them, the Ru-class battleship.
“We've been caught in between, huh...” Myoko groaned.
An enemy battleship ahead. While the Southern War Demon behind. Meanwhile, they weren’t equipped with larger guns beside the 20.3cm guns.
“We’re out of luck eh? Come!” Maya said, but Shiranui shook her head.
“It could be on purpose.”
“What do you mean?”
“They even sent the Ru-class. They must have intended to not let us return.”
“We're only a recon group, you know. Why would they”—Maya clicked her tongue—“It’s precisely because we’re the recon group huh...!”
Because now they knew the whereabouts of the Southern War Demon. The Abyssal Fleet wanted to finish them off, just like the shipgirl who took the video.
They knew what the enemy was up to. But that didn’t make the situation any better. For some reason, they couldn’t get through the radio, so there was no way to ask for reinforcements.
What should we do?
“Let's break through,” Shiranui said. “We'll go full speed ahead and try to cut through the fleet in front of us while conducting a head-on engagement, breaking through the enemy and escape. If we are lucky, we will be able to link up with the main fleet.”
Isuzu asked, “What if we are unlucky?”
“Is it necessary to answer?”
“You’re an interesting girl, aren’t you,” Isuzu was amazed.
Maya laughed as she bumped her turrets against each other, “I like it. I'll go with your idea. Don’t you like it, going with a bang?”
Myoukou, too, said, “If that's the only way.”
Takao in the rear nodded in agreement, “Alright. Shiranui, my bet is on you.”
“Thank you very much.”
Shiranui was the lead ship. She issued the order, “Hou 1! Both engines forward, maximum engine! Ready artillery fire to starboard!”[13]
They changed the direction ten degrees to the right and mobilized their main engines to the limit. The equipment on both legs and the boiler on their backs roared all at once.
They rushed towards the center of the Abyssal Fleet armada.
The enemy figures rapidly started becoming larger. Shiranui didn’t slow down. On the contrary, she didn’t even change direction. She rushed into the leading ship, the Ru-class battleship.
“Aren’t we going to collide……?” Isuzu muttered. That much, Shiranui was aware of.
But that didn’t mean she was going to change direction. For a destroyer who was trained by Jintsuu, changing direction at this degree was not worth considering.
The Ru-class's face grew wide. Normally, when a destroyer collided with a battleship, the destroyer would be crushed. Even so, she would not change direction.
In her mind, the match with Akebono floated around. If she had to dodge at such a point, that girl would surely laugh. That would be much worse.
Rather, if she boasted that she had played a game of chicken against a battleship, Akebono would be surprised. Or perhaps, would she sulk and become unable to talk? Shiranui imagined the look on Akebono's face when that time came and smiled. Seeing that, the Abyssal Fleet face somehow seemed to be filled with surprise.
It's a distance that could have been covered by a spit.
The Ru-class shouted something. It steered portside.
The ship course and gun aims were disrupted.
With that, there was no crash. Shiranui shouted, “Commence firing!”
The turrets were pointed to starboard and the bombardment began. A thunderous roar split the air. The shipgirls and the Abyssal Fleet were engulfed in a cloud of smoke.
Due to the head-on engagement, the artillery battle was over in a short time. A ship that looked like an enemy heavy cruiser moved away, billowing black smoke.
Shiranui looked back, “Are you guys okay?!”
“There’s no problem!"
It was a reply from Isuzu. She also said, “I thought we were going to collide,” to which Shiranui would like to apologize later. There were no reports of damage from the other shipgirls either.
Shiranui looked behind her using a binocular scope. That white monster could be seen in a small size. Black dots appeared from its body.
The next moment, a deafening sound of wings buzzing pierced her ears.
Shiranui looked overhead. There were another flying objects that looked just like insects. And those were bigger than the previous one.
“Enemy aircraft, directly overhead!” She shouted. Then a left full rudder.[14]
The enemy dive-bombers flashed for a moment, then dropped their bombs and flew away.
Shiranui's body vibrated. The anti-ship bombs exploded in the water, bringing the impact to her feet.
It seemed that the shipgirls following her were also attacked. There were explosion sounds and cursing words.
“Where the hell did that come from?!”
Shiranui responded to Maya's cursing, “It's from the white thing.”
“The huge one?!”
“It was only for a moment, but I saw them leaving the body.”
“Not only does it have absurdly big guns, but it is also equipped with attacker planes?!”
“Maya-san, how’s the damage?”
Maya was hit by debris and part of her rigging was scratched. There were other direct hits, but it seemed like it didn't explode and she was only bruised.
“I'm okay, but Myoko is damaged.”
“I'm fine.”
Myoukou had a shoulder turret that was torn off, but she seemed fine.
“I’m still seaworthy.[15] Apart from that, how about you, Isuzu?”
“Only the catapult that was broken. No problem,” Isuzu replied.
Shiranui was relieved, but the buzzing sounds roared again from the sky.
“Here they come again!”
This time the attack force was aimed at the lead ship, that is Shiranui.
The attack planes were dropping bombs. They did evasive maneuvers. The first attack was evaded. The next one was near misses. Columns of water blocked her vision, and she was involuntarily blinded by sea water in her eyes.
When she opened her eyes, her field of vision darkened. The shadow of an enemy bomber had descended just in time.
“This is not good...”
The bomb exploded. Her body shook greatly.
But Shiranui was not damaged as much as she had expected. The guns were safe and the boilers were fine. The main engines also worked just fine.
Instead, it was the heavy cruiser right next to her that was damaged.
“Takao-san?!”
It was Takao, who was supposed to be at the end of the formation. She saw the enemy dive bombing and immediately covered for Shiranui.
Half of the ship's rigging was scorched, and smoke was billowing out of it.
“Ouch... It's all right.”
Takao opened one of her eyes and smiled.
It's obvious that she's pushing herself too hard. The guns on her back were completely destroyed and some of her uniform were torn. The scarf on her chest was shredded and gone, and her hat had disappeared somewhere.
Both of her feet were also sunken considerably under the water surface. It must have been because it was submerged with water.
“I have stopped the flooding. No problem...”
Shiranui looked back. The enemy was turning around and coming their way. Their numbers seemed to have increased even more. The sailor woman in the lead must be a Ta-class. She had joined up with the Ru-class. The attack planes had flown away, but it’s certain that they would repeat their attack sooner or later.
Fortunately, there was still some distance to go. If they moved away at full speed, they might be able to escape.
Only if they could go at full speed, that is.
“Maya-san...”
“Hmm?”
“Please accompany Myoukou-san and Isuzu-san to retreat first. Shiranui will stay with Takao-san."
Maya was taken aback.
“Don't be ridiculous. You'll be targeted, you know?”
“If we remained together, we might all die. It's better to split.”
“You'll be the enemy's target!”
Shiranui shook her head, “No, I won’t.”
“You will be targeted.”
“I won't.”
Maya seemed about to yell ‘This blockhead,’ at her, but perhaps because she was amazed by the stubbornness, she only squinted.
“I get it, I get it. Then I'll stay, too.”
That was also rejected by Shiranui.
“There will be no one left to escort Myoko and Isuzu. Besides...” She took a glance at Takao. “As expected, protecting Takao-san and Maya-san at the same time is a painstaking task, so...”
“......Sigh,” This time, Maya was seriously astonished. “You’re always talking big.”
“Is that so?”
“Does everyone in the Kagerou-class like this?”
“My partner is only slightly normal.”
Shiranui signaled them, “Please go.” Maya became the lead ship and took off to retreat with Myoukou and Isuzu.
It was just the two of Shiranui and Takao now.
“Even though you had said something like that...” Takao said, trying to stifle the pain. “I wonder if we are really going to be rescued.”
“I wonder about that.”
Shiranui's response was blunt.
“Sheesh...” Takao took a breath. “I feel like complaining to the admiral. Why did he transfer a destroyer like this?”
“I think it’s better to discuss those matters after we survive,” Shiranui said while turning to face the swarm of the Abyssal Fleet. “Prepare for combined anti-surface warfare.”
Note :
[1] : About the speed category, I will explain it someday, but to put it simply, the Imperial Japanese Navy has Cruising Speeds and Battle/Combat Speeds instead of just 'X' Ahead/Astern like the US Navy or the Commonwealth Navy.
[2] : Black increase, Red decrease. I should really make a dedicated page to explain those terms.
[3] : Two-way radio means it can both transmit/send and receive radio waves.
[4] : It's like saying "Guys," but in a militaristic manner in this context. But in military terms, it's for calling all the crews of the ship.
[5] : Cruising speed is the speed at which a ship normally maintain when moving at long distances and also to conserve fuel.
[6] : Turning the rudder at maximum possible angle without jamming it against the ship. Used in the United States Navy and it's strictly has to be Left/Right and not Portside/Starboard when it comes to controlling the rudder. Don't know why.
[7] : Imperial Japanese Navy has several stages for the Battle/Combat speed. Unlike the United States Navy or Commonwealth Navy which is respective to the determined speed category. One-third and two-thirds are the respective fractions of standard speed. Full is greater than standard but not as great as flank. In surface ship nuclear marine propulsion, the difference between full speed and flank speed is of lesser significance, because vessels can be run at or very near their true maximum speed for a long time with little regard for fuel expended, an important consideration for oil fuelled ships.
[8] : Hou in the Imperial Japanese Navy Flag Signal means bearing/course, and should be followed by how much degrees to indicate the direction, but in this novel it was followed by 'Z.' It's usually used for circle or circular shape. Perhaps it was meant to be something like 'Circle around' since a ship would make a circular motion when turning back.
[9] : E-3 Boss (Summer 2013 Event) and Boss of node E at E-5 (Fall 2013 Event).
[11] : Sei in the Imperial Japanese Navy Flag Signal means simultaneous turn. So it's probably 'Turn back at once' without having to circle around.
[12] : The maximum battle/combat speed at which the engine can still safely operate.
[13] : Hou is already explained above on Note 8. While maximum engine or full engine is equivalent to Flank Ahead in the United States Navy term and Full Speed Ahead in the Commonwealth Navy term. It refers to the true maximum speed of that ship. It's reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger, such as coming under attack by aircraft. It's very demanding of fuels and unsustainable because of propulsion system limitations and has the potential to damage the engine itself.
[14] : Note 6.
[15] : Seaworthy means still fit or safe for a sea voyage and capable to perform basic maneuver.
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