Chapter 4 : Half Ahead
The 14th Destroyer Division returned to the port much earlier than the scheduled arrival time.
Kagerou sent the tanker to a different harbor and hurriedly went up to the pier. A short distance away, some shipgirls gathered together. She ran there.
“Excuse me, are you Maya-san?”
A woman with a red ribbon turned around.
“You’re… Kagerou was it?”
“Yes, how is Shiranui…?”
“...Listen, I need you to pay close attention to what I'm about to say,” Maya started slowly, as if she was unsure how to explain. “The reconnaissance was a success. We discovered the location of the enemy boss. But… Shiranui and Takao are missing.”
Kagerou's body tottered. It wasn’t an exaggeration, she was about to fall on her back on the spot.
Maya quickly pulled her upright.
“Get a grip on yourself. There’s no way they could sink. They’re definitely still alive.”
It seemed like she was also trying to convince herself with those words.
Kagerou clung onto Maya.
“Where… Where are they?!”
“They’re near the enemy boss. Myoukou is trying to negotiate with Atago for a re-sortie and to receive the permission to use fast repair materials. The carrier girls will also be joining the fleet…”
“I'm coming too! I'm going to get Atago-san's permission!”
“O, Oi!”
Kagerou ran off without listening to Maya who tried to stop her.
Atago was some distance away from the pier. She was talking to the heavy cruiser Myoukou. There were also the carrier girls who had their bodies equipped with flight decks.
“Please!” Kagerou shouted as soon as she approached. “Please give me the permission to sortie the 14th Destroyer Division into Area E!”
Myoukou had a bewildered look on her face. Regardless, she continued to shout.
“I want to rescue Shiranui!”
Atago halted her conversation with Myoukou and turned to face Kagerou.
“The estimated plan to attack the central formation of the swarm is being done and includes the rescue of Shiranui-chan and Takao, so you don’t have to worry.”
“But I…”
“You guys have just finished your escort mission, haven’t you? You should just rest.”
She wanted to rescue Shiranui. However, Kagerou didn’t really have the intention to sortie the 14th Destroyer Division. She was just letting out an outburst.
“Fatigue isn’t an issue! Please let us participate!”
“This is troubling…”
Atago breathed a sigh. Myoukou sent a momentary glance to her.
“…… Isn’t it fine?”
Atago nodded.
“A concentrated fleet of fast battleships and a fleet consisting of Maya, Myoukou, Isuzu, and in addition, the aircraft carriers, will sortie. Please search the surrounding area while they are attacking in turns. Please do it carefully so you don’t get mixed up in the attack on the Abyssal Fleet. We don’t have the time to help you if you get caught in the middle of it.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“The other destroyer division will also cooperate in the search.”
“Roger that!”
Kagerou saluted vigorously and ran back to the pier.
The members of the 14th Destroyer Division were anxiously waiting for her. She rapidly explained the situation to them.
“We’ll be going soon,” Kagerou told them. “So if you're hungry, finish your meal in under ten minutes.”
There were no complaints, with only Akebono asking a question.
“Kagerou, you… okay?”
“What are you referring to with that question?”
“Aren’t your emotions a bit strange? Are you fine?”
“I'm the same as usual, you know? Passionate and well. Akebono being concerned this much is even stranger.”
“If you say so, then okay…”
Kagerou had already missed Akebono's words. She rushed back to Atago again to work out the details of the operation.
Their boiler was replenished with fuel and their armaments were refilled with ammunition. Then they set sail.
“All ahead, standard!”[1]
Kagerou issued the order. She really wanted to put maximum power to the engine, but she was strictly forbidden by Atago to rush ahead.
She managed to suppress her impatient feeling and proceeded. On the way, she learned that the enormous Abyssal Fleet boss had been named ‘Southern War Demon’. She also learned that a mobile task force concentrated on the 5th Carrier Division had been chosen to participate, and that the admiral intended to devote almost all of the available forces to the task.
With this much war potential, they would surely be able to inflict considerable damage on the Southern War Demon. But that was not Kagerou's concern.
Her mind was only filled with Shiranui.
“Kagerou, hey, Kagerou. Heyyy I’m calling you.”
She barely noticed Satsuki calling out to her.
“What?”
“You're going a little too fast with your speed, you know. Calm down.”
“Isn’t this still the standard speed?”
“Aren’t you going close to 20 black?”
She pointed out that her main engine RPM was too high. When she checked, it was 25 instead of 20.
She tried to reduce the rpm, but she just couldn't do it. She couldn't resist rushing forward.
“…… All ahead, first battle speed!”
Unable to resist, she increased her speed. The engine telegraph made a tinkling sound.
Her body propelled forward, as if being flicked. Satsuki who was following her looked flustered and said, “Wait, if we’re going this fast we'll catch up with Maya-san and the others!”
“That’s not a problem!”
Kagerou was no longer willing to slow down. She could only look ahead.
The Area E where the Abyssal Fleet dwelled. The location where her partner was supposed to be.
We are almost there.
A voice was transmitted on the radio after a buzzing noise.
"…… the enemy fleet including the Southern War Demon have been found… what a great number…… attack, attack!"
Their allies had made contact with the enemy. Listening closely, they could hear the faint sound of gunfire.
“Maximum battle speed!”
She increased the speed even further. The whitecaps[2] grew bigger and more violent, and the wind that struck her face was painful.
She could see several small islands and many wrecked ships ahead. Some girls could be seen beside the wreckage.
“Maya-san!” Kagerou approached. “How about the search…!?”
“Calm down. The carrier girls are engaging the Southern War Demon right now. We'll attack after that.”
Maya managed to speak slowly, trying to placate Kagerou.
“Then how are we supposed to search?!”
“I told you to calm down. The 8th Destroyer Division and the 21st Destroyer Division have just started their search. You guys join them.”
She then told her the area they were assigned to search around.
Kagerou replied, “I'll do it right away!” and then returned to her group.
“Let’s begin the search. Starting from the shadow of that island over there!”
She took the initiative and headed out.
The area they were assigned to search was full of sunken or broken vessels. Numerous pieces of wreckage had washed ashore on the island, indicating that the Abyssal Fleet had gone on a considerable rampage there.
Kagerou searched around.
“Shiranui! Shiranui!”
Even when she called out, there was no answer. It was even questionable whether there was any point for her to shout like that in the first place. Still, she had to do it.
She looked again where she had looked once, and then checked again. She plunged her face under the wreckage, into the shadows, and even into the sea, but there was no sign of Shiranui.
Impatience grew in her heart. She switched the radio on.
“This is the 14th Destroyer Division, I don’t care which Destroyer Division you belong to, please respond! Respond to me!”
All she heard was a buzzing sound. It was a terrible noise.
Long distance radio didn’t work. So she switched to internal radio transmission.
“Gather, gather around!”
The shipgirls of the 14th Destroyer Division assembled under Kagerou.
“Anyone… has anyone found Shiranui yet!?”
They all looked at each other.
“We haven’t found her. There is nothing but wreckage. There are some drifting objects, but those things are unrelated to Shiranui,” Nagatsuki said, turning Kagerou’s face pale.
Where would she be if she wasn’t here? It would be nice if other destroyer divisions could find them, but it’s just outside of the combat zone. The accuracy of their search would inevitably be compromised. Moreover, the fog was coming out and getting thicker.
Her heart began to ache. Even she could tell that she went pale.
Suddenly, Satsuki pointed somewhere on the sea surface.
“What is that? ……A person?”
There was a figure in the direction she pointed. It was lying down, half submerged in the water.
“Don’t tell me……!?”
Kagerou went ghastly pale and quickly rushed over.
It was lying upside down. She grabbed and pulled it with all her might.
The arm fell off to the water with a plop.
“Uwaaah, Shiranui!? Shira...... eh?”
Kagerou was taken aback by the sight of an iron pipe coming out from the inside of the arm.
It was not a person. The figure that was sinking was a puppet made from steel frames.
“It wasn’t Shiranui, geez!”
Relief and disappointment welled up at the same time.
The other members of the group arrived, equally relieved that it wasn't Shiranui.
Satsuki, who was the first to spot it, looked at it calmly.
“Hey, this part in the leg, isn’t this a torpedo?”
Ushio pulled it up and checked it.
“There are two torpedoes…… Uhh, it’s the Type 93 Torpedo. The serial number indicated that it was from YokoBase. It’s new. Did someone attach it to the doll and let it drift on its own…?”
“It's Shiranui…” Kagerou muttered. “Shiranui made this doll.”
“What did she make the doll for?”
“Perhaps she used it as a decoy, so she can escape to the other direction, I think. No doubt, Shiranui is in the direction it came from! Ushio, do you know where it’s coming from?!”
While being confused, Ushio looked at the torpedo and sea.
“I'm just guessing based on the shape of the fallen doll, but I think it's from over there.”
She pointed to the other side of the fog.
“Alright, let’s go!”
Kagerou turned the main engine and started to advance. She was not sure if she’s in the exact direction, but she was convinced that she had been on the right track. There was something that had grown between her and Shiranui during their long life in Kure. She was guided by that connection.
This way, it’s definitely this way.
The combat zone was nearby. The sound of gunfire could be heard. Soon, the sound of explosions and carrier planes mixed in, gradually becoming louder.
Ahead of them was a wreckage that was broken in two.
“There's someone there!”
A figure of a shipgirl, with her body half submerged, was leaning against the wreckage. The wreckage was so badly damaged that it could be seen from a distance, and only the lower half of what appeared to be a Ta-class of the Abyssal Fleet was floating nearby.
Her blue uniform was in tatters and her hair disheveled. Kagerou lifted her up in her arms.
“Ta…Takao-san!?”
Kagerou shook her several times. Her eyes opened slightly.
“Ah……”
“Takao-san, it seems that you are safe.”
“…that…girl…what about that girl…”
“Do you mean Shiranui!? Do you know where she is?!”
With her trembling finger, Takao pointed the direction to the east.
“There…we…escaped… Because…enemies… So… the inner…area…”
“I understand… Thank you very much.”
Takao grabbed Kagerou's clothes.
“But…there…also…enemy… White…and big…”
“Leave the rest to me.”
Kagerou told each of the 14th Destroyer Division, “I'm going to go help. You guys bring Takao back.”
She didn’t listen to the reply. She accelerated like a bullet, and slid across the sea surface.
The battle noise rapidly grew louder. From the sound of engines and gunfire, she could tell that the allied carrier planes were engaged in aerial battle in the sky.
She filled both engines to the maximum output. She rushed forward, plowing the waves. She was in such a hurry that she could painfully hear her own heartbeats.
The fog was thinning. Ahead were shipwrecks. A passenger ship’s stern was protruding out of the water.
She avoided it without slowing down. Suddenly, a sight was unwrapped in front of her.
A shell exploded with a flash, deafening Kagerou.
She was in the middle of the battle.
A fleet of shipgirls and a group of Abyssal Fleet were engaged in an artillery battle. Columns of water splashes were everywhere, while anti-aircraft shells were exploding in the air, scattering debris.
Ahead was a group of the Abyssal Fleet. In the center was the large and white Southern War Demon.
Unbeknownst to Kagerou, Shiranui and Takao were returning to the direction of the Southern War Demon as they fled. Therefore, Kagerou also plunged into the combat zone.
In the rear, the heavy cruiser fleet, centered on Maya and Myoukou, was extensively bombarding the area.
“Oi, idiot! Stand back!”
Maya shouted, but it didn’t reach Kagerou's ears.
Her eyes were glued to one spot.
A small, white object was floating. Despite being in the middle of the bombardment, Kagerou forcibly approached it. She reached down and picked it up.
“A glove…”
It leaked out from her mouth unintentionally. White gloves, one of the official equipment of the Kagerou-class. There was only one other shipgirl in Yokosuka who wore it besides herself.
“…Shiranui!!”
She screamed instinctively.
Had she sunk? Had she instantly sunk so only her left glove remained? She was a girl who rarely took her gloves off. And yet, here it was.
No, that’s wrong. She is definitely still alive. I know it.
She looked in the direction where she thought the glove came from. There, she saw a large group of Abyssal Fleet. In the center was the Southern War Demon.
“Shiranui, I'll save you now!”
She shouted and started dashing. Surely Shiranui was over there. That was why she had to save her.
Some of the Abyssal Fleet turned their attention to her. They were supposed to be monsters, but they seemed to be bewildered. It was only natural, since the destroyer had rushed in alone in the middle of the artillery battle.
Kagerou didn’t slow down.
The Ro-class destroyers shelled her. Not only the Ro-class, but even the Ri-class heavy cruisers. They tried to sink her with a barrage of shells.
She wasn’t afraid. Or rather, she didn’t notice. Her mind was dominated by her desire to rescue Shiranui, and she was oblivious to her surroundings. So she didn’t even fight back.
Luckily, she plunged into the middle of the Abyssal Fleet group without getting a single scratch. In the midst of the jumbled, grotesque monsters, a destroyer girl slipped in.
A white body moved.
Perhaps sensing the noise, the Southern War Demon approached Kagerou. She didn’t notice it either.
The Southern War Demon waved its destroyer-shaped arm.
“Kyaaah!”
The shock, comparable to being hit with a hammer, sparked in Kagerou's eyes. Only then she finally understood where she was.
“Even then… I'm not going to back down!”
She tried to use her speed to slip through. Surely Shiranui was on the other side of this figure. She’s clever, so she had to be hiding in a safe place in the back. It absolutely had to be that.
But the Southern War Demon stood in her way.
“Move…aside!”
She fired her 12.7cm twin gun mount. However, the white body only received a scratch.
The Southern War Demon swung its arm once more, hitting Kagerou on the side and blowing her away this time.
She let out a scream. She managed to somehow stand on her feet. The shipgirls’ uniform also served as armor, and in addition, a thin protective field was generated over the skin. Therefore, the wound was not fatal, but it was still painful.
She tried to slip through once more. However, the Southern War Demon pointed out its thick gun barrels. It showed its deep black 16-inch guns. If she was struck directly, her destroyer's armor would only be as good as paper. Her whole body would be split in half.
Still, the only thing on Kagerou's mind was to save Shiranui. So, even though she understood that she was being targeted, she didn’t take evasive action. She tried to move forward.
What laid before her was death. A shell was about to be fired.
“Kagerou, evade!!”
A scream brought her back to her senses. At the same time, a small shadow charged toward the Southern War Demon.
It was Nagatsuki. Using her small body with all her might, she rammed herself to the Southern War Demon.
There was a collision. Destroyers were small, and the Mutsuki-class was even smaller. It was difficult to have an effect against the physique of the Southern War Demon. Even so, she didn’t falter and collided with it.
The Southern War Demon swayed slightly.
“One more time!” Then another collision. The white body leaned heavily. “Satsuki!”
“I got it!” Satsuki jumped in as well. She thrusted her 12cm single gun mount at the throat of the white body. “You bastard!!”[3]
Bang! Bang! A series of shells were fired in rapid succession at point blank range. The Southern War Demon was enveloped in a cloud of smoke.
However, it didn’t sink. On the contrary, the wounds inflicted by Satsuki's attack were healing, although slowly.
“What...... it can repair itself!?” Satsuki widened her eyes.
Meanwhile, Nagatsuki yelled, “Retreat! Akebono!”
Akebono, who then rushed forward, grabbed Kagerou's uniform.
“All right, I’ve got her!”
“Astern full engine!”
Nagatsuki also cooperated, pulling Kagerou's body along with Akebono, while Ushio and Arare continued firing and keeping the surrounding Abyssal Fleet in check.
Kagerou's body was pulled. This meant that the gate of life[4] that was about to close for her was opening, and at the same time, the rescue of her partner was getting further away.
“Shiranui is… Shiranui is over there!”
She struggled. Even though she knew there was nothing she could do about it, she didn't stop struggling.
“Let me go, please! I beg you!”
“Don't be absurd! You're going to die, you know!”
Akebono wouldn’t let go. Nagatsuki also yelled, “Don’t let her go, Akebono!”
“I know!”
“Shiranui!!”
Kagerou stretched her hand out. However, those fingers were unable to grasp anything.
○
During the return to Yokosuka with the 14th Destroyer Division, Kagerou had been thinking for the whole time.
She understood that she was on the verge of being sunk. She knew that her life was saved by everyone who jumped in without regard for danger, and that was why she still survived. Had she continued going, she would have become a scrap metal on the bottom of the sea for sure.
But still, the fact that she couldn’t save Shiranui weighed heavily on her mind.
Arare told her that Takao had been rescued safely.
“After that…another destroyer division… towed her back.” It was monotone as usual, but Arare sympathetically added, “Kagerou… are you okay?”
It was hard to say whether she was okay or not. So she couldn’t reply.
“I wonder if Maya-san and the others are okay?”
“They performed the counteroffensive, but it seems like the enemy withstood it. Didn’t they get back before we did?”
She overheard Satsuki and Nagatsuki's conversation. It seemed that the repeated attacks on the Southern War Demon were still being conducted. It seemed that they intended to finish it off with an attack that surpassed its self-repair function. However, there was no news of a successful attempt to sink it yet, so they must be having a hard time.
The lights from Yokosuka Naval Base could be seen. The sky had become completely dark.
She climbed up to the pier. Dragging her heavy body, she tried to head for the naval base office building.
On the way, she met Maya. Although her body was covered in soot, she looked healthy.
When she tried to salute her, she came running toward her.
“Are you all right, Kagerou? That has been rough, hasn’t it?”
She was aware that she plunged herself into the middle of their artillery bombardment, so she didn't even complain.
Kagerou raised her face.
“I’m sorry...... for getting in the way of your attack.”
“It's okay. Don't worry about it.”
“I intend to help with the rescue again.”
Maya hesitated to open her mouth after hearing those words.
“Actually…”
Kagerou's eyes instantly widened.
In the Admiral's office.
A man was sitting in a chair, loosening his collar.
An enlarged map of Area E was put on the wall, with pins stuck in various places. These marked the locations where the Abyssal Fleet had appeared and been engaged.
Whenever an Abyssal Fleet engaged in even one battle, a pin would be placed on the map. The number of pins never decreased, rather, it’s always increasing.
Even if they were mere pins, they contained intensity and tragedy. It was a sign of fierce battles.
He looked at them for a while.
Then he muttered to himself, “The consumption of the fast repair materials is enormous, eh… Then the fuel, steel, ammunition, and bauxite… Then next is the thighs and feet…”
“What on earth do you mean by the last one?”
He turned his chair. There Atago looked astonished.
“Since when you’re there?”
“I am a secretary ship afterall.”
There were application forms for the permit to use the fast repair materials on her hands. She put it on the desk.
“Here's for today.”
“It has increased, huh.”
“The battle has been fierce. It inevitably comes to this.”
“These battles are a spectacular waste. It’s no wonder the country's going down the tubes.”
“Thanks to you, we’ve stockpiled beforehand, so we've been able to save a lot of materials.”
“That was a hassle. I haven't seen any feet because of that.”
“Like I said, what on earth does that mean?”
While signing the form, the admiral said, “I'm interested in shipgirl's breasts, butts, legs, and feet. And yet, I'm so busy that I don't have time to look. I'm in the mood for a truce with the Abyssal Fleet.”
“The feet aren’t something you usually look at.”
“That’s the point.”
Atago received the signed application form with a troubled look on her face.
“Admiral’s reputation will rise if you’re more serious, and yet Admiral is like this.”
“It's suffocating, isn't it?”
“Should I take it as a sign of broad-mindedness? If so, I will announce that the battle is in our favor.”
“If it will boost our morale, then fine, but for now it might backfire.”
The shipgirls on standby were desperate for the battle situation reports. While at the same time, the shipgirls who took part in the combat were weary and might react strongly, saying ‘It’s not that easy.’ Even among shipgirls, differences in enthusiasm existed.
It was true that the battle was fierce. When the shipgirls returned to port, they suffered damage in some way or another. Even so, there were many shipgirls who were eager to attack immediately after resupplying, and they felt that this was the crucial moment.
The admiral looked at the map again.
“I can say that we have the upper hand at the moment. However, strictly speaking, it’s fluctuating between them and us. Possibly… Hmm…”
He tapped his temple.
“…We are missing one final push…”
He moved his chair and turned to Atago.
“Can you make me some tea? Or maybe, you can let me lick the nape of your neck.”
“There's some unnecessary words on your request.”
“I want to lick it.”
“Why don't you try licking the nape of your own neck?”
“I've tried, but my tongue couldn't reach it.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“What about the tea?”
“Please do that by yourself too.”
Atago flatly refused with a smile. The admiral made a disgruntled face, but he knew that she was adamant once she’s like this. He gave up and tried to get the tea by himself.
And then the phone on the desk rang.
He picked it up, then exchanged a few words.
The conversation continued over the phone for a while.
He put down the receiver, letting out a small sigh, then glanced up at the clock on the wall.
“How is Takao doing?”
“Waiting to be docked. The dock is full at the moment.”
“I see…”
He moved his body. The chair creaked.
“… Those girls will come here, won’t they?”
“Yes,” Atago continued, “Shall I explain the reason to them?”
“No thanks, it’s my duty,” The admiral shook his head and told her so.
Kagerou was running. She felt no fatigue nor pain. Maya's words from earlier were reverberating in her mind, which in turn gave her energy.
She ran on the stairs to the naval base office building and went into the Admiral's office. She, together with the rest of the 14th Destroyer Division, entered the room.
At the back of the room was a large office desk, and a chart of the sea area with several pins attached to it was hung on the wall. The Admiral sat in his chair, with Atago waiting beside him.
Kagerou hurriedly saluted and raised her voice, “Commander, I heard that the rescue operation will no longer be carried out.”
The man nodded, “That's right.”
“Why is that? We haven't rescued Shiranui yet. Please let—”
“The naval base considers the rescue mission a success,” The admiral told her solemnly. “Well done.”
Kagerou was dumbfounded. It’s not just her, Satsuki, Nagatsuki, Arare, Ushio, and of course Akebono, were perplexed. She couldn’t believe the words she heard.
“A success…”
“I’ll give you a day off. You should take a rest.”
“Please wait! We haven't done anything yet, we’ve only just returned. Shiranui must be somewhere else, we only found Takao-san—” The next moment, Kagerou's complexion changed. “Don’t tell me… it's because Takao-san was already rescued…?”
The admiral didn’t reply.
“Because we've rescued the heavy cruiser, we don't have to continue rescuing anymore…?”
“……”
“Does that mean ‘Rescuing Shiranui is unnecessary’…?” Kagerou clenched her fist. “So that's what it is.”
The word ‘sacrificial pawn’ swirled wildly in her mind.
It was a common practice to expect a certain amount of losses in an operation, but that was usually carried out by destroyers with low defenses. Since they couldn’t afford to lose heavy cruisers or battleships, let alone aircraft carriers, destroyers served as the shields. Even then, they would still continue the combat operation.
Shiranui didn’t sink as a shield. Therefore it wasn’t correct to say that she was a sacrificial pawn. But to Kagerou, it was the same thing.
The man spoke indifferently, “I appreciate your efforts.”
“‘I appreciate your efforts’… is that all?” Kagerou unconsciously took a step forward. “We are shipgirls. We are prepared to sink. But Shiranui has not sunk yet. She is still alive! We have to rescue her!”
She shouted loudly. She wasn’t doing it consciously, it was just a spontaneous outcry.
Shiranui, that Shiranui is missing. She might be damaged. She might not be able to move anymore. I want to save her as soon as possible. I want to bring her back to Yokosuka.
That's all she could think about.
“Please, let me rescue her!”
She would repeat it over and over again. It was the only thing that came to her mind.
But the admiral wouldn’t even shake his head.
Kagerou pleaded desperately.
“Then, then, after we defeat the enemy, let me search for her. We will search the vicinity after we defeat the Southern War Demon!”
“The procedure has already been initiated.”
“Eh…?”
The words confused her. What is this man talking about?
“The damage is within our projections.”
As soon as Kagerou understood the meaning of the Admiral's words, she screamed.
“Y-you're going to remove Shiranui from the navy list!? Deciding she's sunk…?!”
“The procedure will begin the day after tomorrow.”
It meant that the second Kagerou-class ship, Shiranui, was sunk and gone.
The so-called “sinking” include not only those who were visually confirmed, but also those who were missing. Although a 48-hour grace period was given, it was almost always a formality, and there were almost no cases where the ship was actually found.
In other words, the admiral was telling them to give up.
“Such a thing, I won’t accept it!!” Kagerou was screaming so loudly that her ears hurt. “Shiranui… Shiranui is still alive! She's downed and suffering in enemy waters right now! That's why…”
“You should step back.”
Kagerou's vision turned red. Despair and anger emerged at the same time.
“You…!”
She tried to run to the admiral. The next moment, Akebono signaled Nagatsuki with her eyes.
Kagerou's left arm was caught by Nagatsuki. She tried to shake Nagatsuki off, but her right arm was also being held by Satsuki.
Her movement was restrained in the blink of an eye. Kagerou shouted, “You guys, let me go! Let me—”
Arare covered her mouth. Ushio rushed to open the office door, and Kagerou's body was carried out by the four girls as it was.
Only Akebono remained in the office.
“The lead ship of the 14th Destroyer Division, Kagerou, has left the office,” Akebono spoke with an extremely serious attitude. “She seems to be tired from the battle.”
“I see,” the man replied. It was obvious to anyone what was going to happen next, but it was passed off as an unspoken agreement. “Akebono, you too should rest.”
“Thank you.”
She saluted.
“Before I go, may I say a few words?”
Atago, who was listening, looked doubtful at her overly polite request.
The admiral granted it.
“What is it?”
Akebono took a breath and said, “You… shitty Admiral!!”
She ran out of the office before they could respond.
It was so sudden, so he couldn’t blame her. The next thing they knew, Akebono had disappeared.
Atago was shaking her head, “That girl……”
The admiral, trying to keep her emotions in check, quietly told her, “I didn’t hear anything."
“But, what she said to Admiral…”
“I. Didn’t hear. Anything.”
Atago opened her mouth, but didn’t utter a word, and slumped her shoulders a little instead.
“I think you are being too lenient.”
“Is that so?”
“The cancellation of the rescue operation, Shiranui's removal, and even the decision of why the mission was deemed successful after Takao was rescued were not made by Admiral, but by the higher ups. I heard just how you opposed it many times here. And yet, those girls…”
“That's enough.”
The admiral raised up his hand to stop Atago.
He picked up a pen from his desk, signed something on a document, then handed it to Atago.
“Here.”
She read the content of the document. Then she said, “… Admiral, you’re always making me the one who informs everyone the good news, while you’re informing the bad news yourself,” Atago asked, “Why is that?”
The man sat back on his chair.
“I forbid you to ask questions.”
“Please.”
“… I didn't become an admiral because I wanted to be liked by shipgirls.” The man spun his words in a matter-of-fact manner. There was neither loneliness nor sadness. There was only the conviction of a man who had accepted his duties. “That is all.”
For a few moments, Atago stared at the admiral.
Eventually, she said, “I'll make you some tea.”
“I'll do it myself, you know.”
“No, let me do it.”
Atago picked up the teapot.
○
When was that again?
If I’m not mistaken, it was my first day as a shipgirl candidate, and I was on my way to the training unit.
I thought she was a nasty woman.
When they met for the first time, the rain was pouring down, and Kagerou’s hair was soaked mercilessly because she didn’t carry an umbrella. She became that girl's first guest in the eaves of a private house that she had leaped into.
The girl glanced over, but then returned her gaze. Had I been exposed as a shipgirl cadet? Kagerou wondered.
A candidate emitted a peculiar atmosphere. Something like anticipation that they might be chosen as the humanity guardians, the anxiety about what might happen, the future they could not see, or missions they would have to do. A mixture of all of these things emerged from their body. Anyone would instantly notice the moment they see it. Even more so if they were shipgirls candidates too.
So I guess this girl would be the same, Kagerou figured.
“… The rain… won't stop, huh?”
Kagerou vaguely looked up at the sky and said so.
“If this keeps up, we're going to be late on our first day.”
The girl next to her didn’t reply. She just looked straight ahead.
After a few moments, she said to Kagerou, “You are a shipgirl candidate, right.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
As a conversational habit, Kagerou smiled and then gave her name.[5]
“And you are?”
“……”
No reply.
“Hey.”
Even when she asked repeatedly, there was no reply.
After a while, the rain stopped and they managed to avoid being late. During that time, the two of them were together the whole time, even though they weren’t talking to each other.
(What's with this girl? Is she being shy?)
Even if that was the case, when she tried to talk to her, she got no reply at all. Kagerou classified her as an uncommunicative type of person in her mind, then left it at that.
We would never see each other again, wouldn’t we? There are many shipgirls candidates. It would be impossible for me to find her even if I wanted to. Goodbye to that pretty but expressionless face.
That was why Kagerou was surprised to death when she was assigned to the same group as her in the training unit.
Now Kagerou was in her room, sitting with her back against her locker. Just waiting for the time to pass.
There was a lock on the door. Normally, dormitory rooms didn’t have locks, so it’s impossible to lock yourself in. However, mops and broom handles existed, and with some ingenuity, those could be used just as effective as locks.
Although there’s no point in locking the door because nothing could be stolen and men were forbidden to enter the dormitory, there’s no harm in knowing how to do it. Especially in a case like the one she just had.
When she was forced out of the Admiral's office, she felt anger at first, but then it was followed by despair. It was as if everything in her heart was being taken away, rather than just being blank, and she couldn't even cry.
Venting her violent emotion to the 14th Destroyer Division wasn’t right. She understood that. So Kagerou had no choice but to lock herself in her room to restrain herself.
She was in a daze. Soon, there was a knock on the door.
“Kagerou,” It was Satsuki's voice. “Hey, Kagerou, open up.”
She didn’t reply.
“My bed is inside though.”
“Sleep elsewhere.”
Eventually, the door made a creaking noise. It seemed that she was leaning against the door.
“… The commander is one of the top five idiots in the world, if you ask me,” Satsuki continued, “For stopping the rescue mission, I mean.”
“That's admiral business, isn't it?”
“I’m not sure on the part about removing Shiranui from the navy list. I think it's a little too soon.”
“It may not be the Admiral's will, perhaps he was being pressured.”
“Kagerou, are you okay?”
“…I don't know.”
They went silent for a while.
It was already night. Dinner time has passed. But she had no appetite. She didn’t feel hungry.
“Me, before I came to Yokosuka, I was in Sasebo you know?” Satsuki muttered. “Nagatsuki was also in the same destroyer division as me, but we didn't talk much, though.”
“……”
“I don't mean to say that we didn't get along. But, how do I say it, the Mutsuki-class is not well-balanced, and everyone has a complex about it. That's why I thought, perhaps out of desperation, that if anyone was going to die, it would be us first.”
Satsuki seemed to be talking about herself.
“I thought that the reason why Nagatsuki and I were transferred to Yokosuka was because of our poor performance in training. Because I have become desperate, I can’t get good results. But you see, I feel like perhaps, it might have been for the sake of meeting Kagerou. I used to think that muscle training would make me stronger, but I guess there was more to it than that.”
Kagerou listened while holding both knees.
“Because I was able to be with Kagerou in the 14th Destroyer Division, I learned some important things, and I became stronger. When my lead ship is this depressed, it has to be the Commander who is wrong. Surely.”
“……” Kagerou was silent for a while, but then blurted out, “Satsuki…”
“Yeah?”
“You're so cool,” She quickly added, “Sorry, that’s wrong. You're cute.”
“Ah, Kagerou is cute too, you know.”
Even from inside the room, she could tell that Satsuki had sat down with her back against the door.
○
When she was assigned to Kure Naval Base, she was already Kagerou. Then she learned that that girl had become Shiranui.
Both of them were assigned to the 18th Destroyer Division. As the new Kagerou-class, they were sent to where Kasumi and Arare were.
Even though they both were the same ship class, that doesn’t mean Kagerou did get along with Shiranui. Shiranui was selected as the secretary ship upon her arrival, which reduced their chances to interact. Kagerou, playing dumb the fact that she too was the same type of ship, sarcastically remarked, “Being the new type ship sure is nice, isn’t it?”
Meanwhile, the one who came to supervise the destroyer division training was the light cruiser Jintsuu.
At first glance, Jintsuu was very timid, and her manner of speech was hesitant. She rarely looked people in the face and often looked away. So it was not surprising that Kagerou underestimated her the first time she saw her.
Shiranui was different.
“Don't be deceived by her look.”
“Huh?”
“I'm sure it was just a facade.”
At that time, I thought, ‘This woman is insisting her opinion only if it’s the opposite of me.’
But she was right. When Jintsuu found out that Kagerou's shelling performance was not good, she first showed her disappointment by saying, “You may not improve under my guidance.” The moment Kagerou felt flattered and said, “I don't think that's true,” she then set her to intense training.
The training used twice the amount of the usual ammunition consumption, and Kagerou was left rolling her eyes and vomiting from it. Shiranui, on the other hand, excelled from the start, and Jintsuu praised her with open arms, “I have very little to teach you.”
In addition, she announced, “So let’s make this training more rigorous,” and added more ammunition consumption that even doubled that of Kagerou. And as expected, even Shiranui was rolling her eyes and vomiting, and Kagerou thought, ‘This girl is just the same as me,’ and for the first time, Kagerou felt a sense of closeness with her.
Kagerou postured herself as if she had her face buried in her knees. She looked rugged and stiff. When you became a shipgirl, these kinds of things changed. She wondered if her body would return back to what it once was when she retired and become an ordinary girl.
She heard a noise outside the door. Of course, she had no intention to open the door, perhaps because they knew that, so they didn’t knock.
“…Kagerou,” That monotone voice was Arare. “You okay…?”
“If you want to talk, do it from outside.”
There was a rustling sound, and Arare seemed to have sat down next to Satsuki.
“You should leave the room… The food will be running out.”
“I'm not hungry.”
“You will eventually be hungry…”
“Then I'll get food from somewhere else. Though I’d like to have some drinks.”
“I think Satsuki had hidden a beer…”
From outside the door, a voice could also be heard, “Don’t reveal it!”
Kagerou moved sluggishly. ‘It must be around here,’ she figured and searched under the bed.
She found a beer bottle with Mamiya's sticker on it.
“You've hidden it in an obvious place, huh,” she said.
“Don't open it!”
“I don't have a bottle opener.”
She crouched while holding the beer.
Although she didn’t drink alcohol, she sometimes used beer as a means to trade. She would give it to the guards at the naval base gate and ask them to bring over some stuff in return. Contraband was out of the question, but it was useful to get rare sweets or those kinds of books that you couldn't find in the stores.
She threw the beer on the bed.
“You got this from Hoshou-san, right? You probably stole it, though.”
“Me? I don't do ginbai you know.”[6]
“Kagerou used to do ginbai…” Arare said.
She didn't do it all the time of course. She only did it because she was asked. Like when she was asked by Shiranui at that time. She couldn't refuse if someone asked her to do something while they were sick with a cold, could she?
“Because Kagerou and Shiranui were in the same room…”
“Arare was with Kasumi, right?”
“Because Kagerou was there, she kept us all together… Those were good memories.”
“But you didn't notice me when I came to Yokosuka.”
“I couldn't afford to… because I didn't do so well here… I didn't know anyone, so I didn't know what to do… So I relied on Nagatsuki.”
“Nagatsuki said she was relying on Arare, though.”
She sensed that Arare shook her head.
“I think I depended on Nagatsuki too in the end… I can feel relaxed the most right now… This is also thanks to Kagerou…” Arare continued to speak in her usual tone. “That’s why I'm very worried that Kagerou is feeling down…”
“……”
’Am I making you worry too?’ Kagerou wondered absentmindedly.
There was a noise outside the door.
“Are you still inside?”
That voice was Nagatsuki.
“Is it wrong if I stay inside?”
“There’s nothing wrong with that, but Kagerou is our lead ship. You can't just hole up inside when we’re on standby.”
“I can give the lead ship position to Nagatsuki if you want, you know?”
“As I said the other day, you surprisingly are a bad judge of character.”
The words stopped. Was she conversing with Arare in a whisper? She was sure that they’re talking about something like ‘Since when was she inside?’ or something.
“…… Just now, I had a conversation with Arare about you."
“Is that so? If talking about me makes you feel better, go ahead and do it.”
“You guys look different from before.”
“Everything is thanks to Kagerou.”
“Are you saying that I must be blind?”
“No, you’re a wonderful lead ship.”
Nagatsuki said just that. She could tell that Nagatsuki was sitting outside the door.
○
Kagerou learned from Shiranui that the violent motions they experienced during a storm were called ‘Oiran shake.’[7] Although it seemed that it was an old sailor's expression, the first thing that came to her mind was ‘How does this girl know such a thing?’ rather than being impressed.
Not only that, Shiranui's navigational skills in the stormy seas were also outstanding. Her figure, not losing her bearings and position even in midst of a storm that even prevented the use of celestial navigation, was dependable, and Kagerou was able to learn by looking at her.
“Don’t go against the waves. You must sense the feeling of going with the flow. It’s exactly like when you would have a bit of fun with it.”
“I’m being tossed around so much that I’m feeling sick though?!”
“The center of gravity of your rigging and stabilizers are off. It’s preferable if it can be restored, so please have them fixed in the naval base. After that, just do the same as Shiranui.”
As she struggled to do what she was told, her body strangely stabilized itself and she began to feel better.
“You really can do anything, don’t you?”
“Is that so?”
Whenever Kagerou praised her, Shiranui would always give a doubtful expression.
“Yes, that's right. You're good at teaching, too. Somehow, even in the middle of this storm, I feel like I can sense where you are. A girl who is good at ship maneuvering would also be able to make sure that the following ship doesn't lose sight of her, huh.”
“Kagerou isn't bad either.”
“Except at shelling. I was able to get Jintsuu-san approval about once every five times.”
“It's just the beginning. If you show even the slightest sign of timidity, that person will show no mercy,” Shiranui said on the way back from training inside the storm. “It’s just that, it’s necessary for destroyer girls to put in more effort to be the mainstay in the fleet.”
“Yeah, Jintsuu-san always said ‘Destroyers are our pride,’ you know?”
“We have to be better than their expectation.”
“But then again, we’re just a destroyer, so what's the point?”
Shiranui replied to such pessimistic questions appropriately, “We just have to be strong.”
“Mm, ‘strong’ huh? But for a destroyer to be strong, I wonder what does that mean?”
“It doesn't have to be just one person. We can take on large ships as a destroyer division.”
“I see. But if it’s Shiranui, you probably can handle it all by yourself somehow, you know?”
“So does Kagerou.”
At those words, Kagerou burst out laughing.
“No way. You're better than me.”
“No, Kagerou will soon overtake Shiranui.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” Shiranui replied with a serious expression.
How many hours had she been in that posture? ‘It’s so unbecoming of me to look like a child throwing a tantrum,’ she thought, but she didn’t have the energy to do anything about it.
There was another noise outside the door.
It was Akebono saying, “Why are you guys sitting here?” and Ushio who was asking, “Kagerou-san, are you still there?” Recently, these two were often together.
Unlike a few months ago, Akebono no longer hated Ushio unilaterally, and her unnecessary tension had disappeared. That's quite a feat.
The door was being knocked violently.
“Come out, or I'll smash it.”
“I’ll hate Akebono if you do that.”
“If you have the energy to talk back, then you should come out.”
She still didn’t have the energy to go outside.
Akebono stopped banging on the door.
“Come out of there quickly. Satsuki, Arare, and Nagatsuki are sitting in the corridor, you know? It’s a problem… Ah, even you too, Ushio?”
Ushio's voice could be heard, “Akebono-chan, why don't you sit down too?”
“… We’re not chained sea-mines you know.”
Even as she said that, the sound of her sitting down outside the door could be heard.
The 14th Destroyer Division was now all lined up inside and outside the room, though they were all sitting.
“… What are you guys doing?”
Akebono retorted, “I'm bored just lazing around in my room.”
“The Commander went to the trouble of giving us a day off, you know.”
“Are you saying that sitting down and holding your knees like that is considered resting?”
“… How did you know?”
“Your response told me as much,” Akebono continued, “Are you really Kagerou? Get a grip on yourself. Your stupidly cheerful and positive energy is gone, even though those are your redeeming feature.”
“Because I couldn't help Shiranui,” Kagerou retorted in a small voice. “‘Destroyers are weak’… that was what Akebono said.”
“You're the one who said it wasn't true.”
Both of them went silent at the same time.
They were all aware of the weakness of destroyer girls compared to other shipgirls. Therefore, they were trying to become stronger in every possible way. However, Kagerou couldn’t help but think that the result of their efforts had been the failure to rescue Shiranui.
And now, Shiranui is gone.
A sense of hopelessness that couldn’t be stopped hit her.
Akebono said, “Why don't you stand up for now? It’s fine even if you do it inside.”
“It's too much trouble.”
“We’ll be sitting down too, then.”
“Shouldn’t you stand?”
“It's the destroyer dormitory, even if we’re obstructing the way, there won’t be an immediate complaint. Though it’s different if the secretary ship came to patrol around.”
"Oh my, are you talking about me?”
“Ah, Atago-san?!”
She could tell that the girls outside the door stood up instantly.
’Did the esteemed[8] secretary ship come?’ Kagerou wondered. For her to be personally visiting the destroyer dormitory even when the offensive operation was still underway, did she have that much free time?
She could hear their exchange of words. “Is Kagerou inside?” “Yes.” It was probably Ushio who answered honestly. Why didn't she just lie to her and drive her away?
A knocking sound.
“Kagerou-chan, are you listening?”
Her voice was as soft as ever.
“Yes, somewhat.”
“I understand very well how Kagerou-chan feels, but you shouldn't have done that to the Admiral. I have to thank everyone who stopped you.”
“…Yes.”
“You know, the admiral tried until the last minute to talk to his superiors so that they would let him search for Shiranui. But it was no use. He was ordered to attack whenever possible. We felt helpless, just like you.”
“……”
“But because of my position, I can't say that, and I won’t. In fact, I don't think you would appreciate me telling you this.”
Kagerou didn’t know much about the Admiral. Her only impression of him was ‘What a strange person.’ However, she could vaguely picture that his duties were something beyond the imagination of a destroyer girl.
Atago was the secretary ship. When she asked Shiranui about the secretary ship’s duty, she said that it’s hard. Assisting on the work of the Admiral was also included in the role.
Even if it meant doing things that the admiral didn’t even want to do.
“Tomorrow, there will be an all-out attack in which the majority of Yokosuka's mainstay fleet will sortie,” She said. “Perhaps we can defeat the Southern War Demon with that. There is still a chance to save Shiranui. You must hold out hope.”
“What…is hope?” Reflexively, she argued. “Who will be looking for Shiranui? Maya-san and the other destroyer division have assisted us. Many people have helped us. But Shiranui is not here. She didn't come back with me.”
“Kagerou-chan…”
“I thought I had found Shiranui. I was sure she was near that monster. But I couldn't save her. I don't know if it will work this time either. There is nothing we can do. Even hope…”
Kagerou kept her mouth shut.
There was silence outside of the door. Not only Atago, but Satsuki, Nagatsuki, Arare, Ushio, and Akebono. Everyone was silent. They were all members of the same destroyer division, and they all understood Kagerou's feelings painfully. That was why they couldn’t say anything to her.
The silence continued. A long, really long silence that seemed like an eternity.
Eventually, one of the women opened her mouth, “That's not true,” Atago said quietly. “This battle has made me despair, too. But thanks to Kagerou-chan, I was saved. At least, you saved me. You don't have to give up hope, because you’re the hope itself.”
“That's not true.”
“No, it’s true. Because… you found her… Takao.”
It reminded her. Atago was the second ship of the Takao-class.
Atago didn’t talk about Takao much in her day-to-day life. Even though she showed those fluffy gestures, she treated her sister ship like any other ship. Kagerou assumed that it was probably a kind of discipline rooted in the duties of a secretary ship.
But that didn’t mean she wasn't concerned.
“I don't want to get personal, but… Let me say just this,” Atago choked up for a moment. “Thank you for finding Takao. Really, thank you…”
Was it a tearful voice? Kagerou couldn’t make out what was going on outside the door.
Atago said in a small voice, “So, don't give up hope…”
Something was inserted under the door.
She could hear Atago walking away.
Kagerou unintentionally stood up. She picked up the folded document and read it.
She held the document tightly without realizing.
After confirming Atago's disappearance, the members of the 14th Destroyer Division were finally able to relax.
“That was close. I thought I was going to be punished…” Akebono exhaled, and Ushio asked her in suspicion. “Did you do something?”
“Yeah, some stuff,” Akebono replied vaguely.
Satsuki stared at the door. There was no sign of it being opened.
“She didn't come out. What should we do?”
“It's obvious. We’ll do what we can,” It was Nagatsuki who said that. Her face was full of determination.
Satsuki asked back, “Kick down the door?”
“No, we will sortie and save Shiranui. That's the only way.”
At that, all of them, not just Satsuki, looked surprised.
But Nagatsuki was serious.
“If Kagerou can't do it, then we will do it ourselves. We’ll sortie and join the fleet. It’s just…” After hesitating a bit, she continued, “We are destroyers. I don't know how far we can go when fighting the Abyssal Fleet swarms. Our chances of survival are slim. You may not like it, but…”
“That’s fine,” The first to express her support was none other than Akebono. “Let's do it, shall we?”
Everyone was staring in bewilderment at the unexpected statement from an unexpected person.
“I know I’m the one who proposed this, but you were competing with Shiranui, weren't you? Are you sure?”
Akebono denied Nagatsuki's question in a strong tone, “I don't mind. I don't like her that much, but she is Kagerou’s friend, isn't she? Kagerou is so depressed just because she’s not here. So I’ll do whatever it takes to help her. Kagerou is my… our lead ship. We can’t have her depressed like this…”
Search for Shiranui in Kagerou’s stead.
That meant fighting the Southern War Demon. If they waited too long for the battle to be over, Shiranui would be treated as sunk. If they didn’t fight it, it would be impossible to find her.
Yokosuka Naval Base’s fleet would launch the attack with all its might, and Area E would be engulfed in an iron storm. Even if those tiny shipgirls went there, they might only be tossed around. It’s also impossible to determine the probability of it being a successful search.
But those girls were destroyers, carrying a great pride in their small bodies, the destroyer girls.
When there’s a friend in trouble, they would do everything they could to help.
For a moment, Akebono was unable to find the right words, but then she said, “That's why I'm going to do it. Even if no one else goes, I will go.”
“Akebono-chan…” Ushio put her hand on Akebono's shoulder. “I agree with you.”
“Ushio…”
“I'll go, too. Kagerou-san has helped me. Now it's my turn to help her.”
“Me too…” Arare raised her hand a little. “For Kagerou's sake…”
“Me too, I'm in! I’m sure bringing Shiranui back will make Kagerou back as usual again.”
Satsuki said in her usual manner, and Akebono gave a small nod.
Then she looked at Nagatsuki.
“We are all settled.”
“Yeah, let’s do this together,” Nagatsuki said. “But as I had said before, destroyers are weak. There is no hope of survival. Even then, are you still going to go?”
It was needless to answer.
There’s no hesitation. They didn’t even need to look at each other.
Everyone, out of their own volition, had decided to sortie.
“All right, let's go.”
“Wait.”
Everyone turned to the speaker.
The door was opened. Kagerou stood there.
“You shouldn’t leave me behind, you know.”
“Kagerou…” Nagatsuki muttered in surprise, and Kagerou grinned.
“Thank you, guys. For doing this for me… I’m very happy. But you guys shouldn’t be feeling down that destroyers are weak. After all, we can be strong too.”
“How can we be strong?”
“By doing this.”
She was holding a written order for remodel, signed by the Admiral and Atago.
Note :
[1] : After contemplating for a really long time, I decided to just use standard. So it will be Full Standard, Standard, and Half Standard.
[2] : Waves with those whiteish foamy crest, you know, like creams.
[3] : Konoyarou, I don't think it suits Satsuki's speech, but I don't know how to translate it with other words.
[4] : It's kind of like poetic way to say life, not really sure though.
[5] : Name as in, real name. Don't forget that shipgirls in this novel is real human being that being turned into shipgirls by using the shipgirls equipments.
[6] : Ginbai, Imperial Japanese military terms of directly asking the chef or logistics for some food that usually won't be served because of regulations.
[7] : Oiran, literally means high-ranking courtesan, but in this case, it refers the rocking movement of a ship in the stormy weather, called like that because, you know, the movement is 'up and down.' You know what I mean.
[8] : Secretary Ship-dono, she was being sarcastic.
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