Running alone on the sea surface alone made you feel lonely.
In this vast world, there's no one to see.
Akebono was advancing at full speed.
It's not like she hoped that someone would come. 'Should we fight together?' She heard. However, once she turned around, no one was there.
It couldn't be helped. It's natural that no one would come to be mocked as like being detested. She have never thought of her being a fool and fooling others.
It would be a violation of orders if you came. Going to detention barrack With such a contrary person, any Fleet Girls would refuse .
She shook off her attachment. I wouldn't remember about the 14th DesDiv. Right now, I'm running to get rid of my past, she thought.
She already brokethrough the compass place unconsciously.
She looked ahead, there was figures of ships. Not only one but many. No doubt, it's a fleet. There's no escort, but somehow only the fleet line were maintained.
"Wait!"
Akebono's waving her hands and drawing attention. As that wasn't enough, she fired and sprayed black smoke for smoke screen.
The first cargo ship noticed. The captain came out to the deck.
"You're... a Fleet Girl!?"
"I'm a destroyer!"
Akebono shouted back.
"Is it alright!?"
"The last ship in the line has been captured! We are still being followed!"
The captain looked backwards fearfully.
"There's a lot of them! If it continue like this......"
"Don't worry! Because I'll drive them away!"
"You alone!?"
"Leave the rest to me! You should evacuate the fleet to Yokosuka at full-speed! Go, go!"
She didn't dare to answer the captain's question and went forward.
A group of ships escaped. For the time being, She went to the direction of which the fleet came.
As she went on, a gust came. It stroked Akebono's cheek with a tingle.
She shivered. She felt that something unknown's approaching.
They came.
After she recognized the shadows, she lowered her posture, in order to prevent her from being discovered by the enemy, but it's unclear how effective it was. But they were a lot. An enormous shadow was approaching.
It looked like the sea surface was filled with ship, ship, and ships. No, something like ships. Abyssal Fleet, a strange-looking existence that's neither living being nor a warship.
The eyes of the Abyssal Fleet shone big and blue, and they were looking for a prey. A group of leading Ro-class destroyer were raging and agitated to find a fleet. They resented that the cargo ship has escaped. Where is the prey? Where is the prey? Was there a prey that could be bitten for food?
The waves stroke like a lethal weapon and the sea breeze pierced like a sword. It seemed as if the ocean itself has been transformed into an enemy encampment. She felt that they were able to control the sea from the sensation on her skin.
Akebono shook her head. No no calm down, there's destroyers here and there. It's proved by statistics that the Fleet Girls were stronger than the Ro-class. The seniors shed their own blood to earn those data. That's why it's said that in the Naval District there's no fear. If one-on-one, it's advantageous.
But, what thing it was? On the opposite side of the Ro-class was, something with upper half of a beast-like hull. She remembered she have seen it on the Abyssal Fleet Identification List. It's definetely a light cruiser of the He-class. A mad sebeast that much more ferocious than the destroyer. And yet, futhermore, that's not the all of them.
On the upper body, there were grown arms. Even it has fingers. The face was covered and plastered, and it's unclear whether there were eyes, nose, or even a mouth. It's also unclear whether it could see the front, definetely a monster. Was it the torpedo-cruiser Chi-class? They were piling such ridiculouly powerful torpedo like a fool, striking and firing at anything, the gods of death. The Fleet Girls who were charged with the guiding-role kept saying that you musn't being careless when you met them by chance.
And then, ah, what was the one behind that?
Standing with two legs. Long black hair. Flexible limbs. It had eyes that looked suspicious, and the cannons that were very long, grown from the both shoulders, were facing the sky. A gigantic shield was equipped on both arms, and shocking amount of gun barrels were sticking out from it. Then those pair of blue eyes that were intimidating the vicinity.
It's neither non-humanoid or semi-humanoid type. It's unmistakably a humanoid type.
Battleship Ru-class.
Akebono turned pale. Abyssal Fleet became stronger as they looked closer to humans. She turned to the flank so she wouldn't be noticed. The Abyssal Fleet didn't notice Akebono. They're following the cargo ships.
They weren't smiling because of losing the precious feast they've discovered. They're going to chase them with full force.
The white waves were going away.
(The...The escape route will be wiped out...without delay...)
Akebono thought so. To attack so many Abyssal Fleet was a foolish thing, but she has no choice. She would draw their attention by sending a reinforcement radio. So, carefully, she took the advantage of destroyer's mobility.
She looked at the direction of the Abyssal Fleet movement. There should be the cargo ships they’ve lost earlier. Could they catch up? She wondered. They would catch up. Cargo ships didn’t have leg like the destroyers. They would be caught by the Abyssal Fleet after a while.
“What should I do....”
She recalled her past memory. It was a scene that flashed back and forth during late at night on the bed, during meal in the First Officer Station room, even in the front of the counselor. The sea, the black sea. The blown up transport ships. The sea surface that were thickly plastered with oil. The flickering burning flame. The dull sound of a broken keel was nothing but a scream emanating from ships. Then the Abyssal Fleet screams echoed from all directions. Even the color and smell were running around inside her mind.
Clankclankclank. Her mouth resounded. She's trembling. Fear dominated her whole body, and it turned into shivers. Scary, scary, scary. Her usually confident and sharp tongue were vanished so far away.
Akebono thought desperately with her discernment that was barely left. What should I do? She asked herself what should she do. For whose sake and what kind of thing she should do? She wondered. Should she kept escaping? They were a group of monsters that couldn't be opposed alone. 'Who would blame you for protecting yourself?' They said. She would abandon the cargo ships.
No.
No.
No way.
Akebono thought so. She blamed herself. Blame yourself on your own. I would endlessly make myself a fool for my entire life as a fleet girl if I let the fleeing fleet destroyed. Well, my original role was battleship and cruiser tsuyuharai, but it didn't mean that I wouldn't be on a fleet escorting mission. Throwing away the weak was a life-time disgrace. It's a shame for the Ayanami-class destroyer.
She recalled a vague memory. Many of the ships bearing this name failed to escort. Every last one of them sank to protect, ended without even disposing their torpedo attack. The distant past memories, the memories that should have been sealed.
I hate all of it. I hate all of it already. Absolutely absolutely hate it.
I will protect anything and everything.
Akebono gritted her teeth. She sternly glared forward.
"Here, you!"
An unbelievable loud voice came out.
She waved her hands to draw attention.
"This idiot myself! Because I'll become your opponent! Have my plenty of thanks, okay!"
It followed.
A pair of eyes faced her. The first thing she found was, that monster woman, Ru-class battleship.
The deeply eerie blue eyes perceived Akebono.
The Ru-class battleship was spreading her arms and turning her posture towards the sky and opened her mouth.
Uoooon.
A thunderous roar that could even affect the mind echoed across the ocean. She howled. The abyssal fleet emanated a war cry of founding a prey. A sign of death to notify their companion that there's a prey here, to scare the prey.
All of the abyssal fleet reacted. Several eyes turned around at once. Blue radiance that penetrated the atmosphere.
A flash of death were poured to the tiny fleet girl.
But Akebono wasn't afraid. She resolved herself from the bottom of her heart.
I'm not afraid because I've resolved.
With the small barrels facing forward, she kicked the white waves to advance.
"From here, this ship is going to attack the Abyssal Fleet, the assault purpose is to pulverize the enemy and to support the convoy evacuation! Executing surface action!"
She took a breath and made a loud voice.
"Let's go!"
She confronted a group of Abyssal Fleet, equipped with only one 12.7 cm gun and a triple torpedo mount launch tube.
[TL's Note : Yay it's done! Such brave Akebono! Well, but a bit reckless though... Anyway, for the next chapter it'll take more time, the things I had to do suddenly increased, so I'm sorry!]