Azur Lane: Kaiserin (Book 2)

Epilogue: Arrival

As the battle continues raging around me, I find my eyes drifting from my fight to the surroundings around me. Off to my left, my Mother and Daughter are both relentlessly beating back wave after wave of Abyssals with the assistance of Roon and a few other girls. To my right, the same is true, with Kirov leading the Northern Fleet on a campaign of systematic carnage, cleaving entire sea lanes through the enemy's formation and yet they just keep coming.

Like water bursting forth from a dam, it's like a neverending tide. The more we destroy, the more take their place. We've already had to withdraw 12 girls from the fighting due to extensive damage. Amongst them are Prinz Eugen and Agir, both of whom threw themselves between me and an incoming attack.

Yorktown: I finally found you!

Turning around, I find Yorktown armed and ready for battle even though she should still be resting. She'd received near-fatal damage only a week prior and yet...

Me: I thought I told you to get rest.

Yorktown: I-

Pressing my finger to her lips, I stop her from speaking, pulling her close for a kiss before pushing her towards Rupprecht.

Me: Mother, see to it that she doesn't get herself killed!

Friedrich doesn't verbally respond, merely glancing at her before refocusing on blasting another Abyssal cruiser sky-high. You know it's bad when not even she is willing to take a moment to speak to me.

Jean: Are we even winning?

I turn around to find Jean coming to a halt beside me. She fires off another volley before giving me a look over.

Jean: I'm glad to see you're not harmed.

Me: I'm fully aware of how much chaos my getting "hurt" would cause. I'm following your advice and staying back.

Jean: My advice...was for you to stay out of gun range. You're a carrier. There's no need for-

Me: What if I want to use my guns?

She opens her mouth to argue but I fire my guns at a nearby battleship, with a single round obliterating not just the target but nearby ships as well, leaving nothing but rough seas behind.

Jean: At least have someone with you to watch your back.

Me: That's what you're here for, no?

She rolls her eyes but doesn't complain. Yet, we have hardly finished speaking when another girl pulls up alongside us. This time it is Ulrich and the moment Jean realises she's here, she excuses herself using the excuse of going to look after her sister.

Ulrich: She didn't have to leave.

Me: Ignore her.

Ulrich laughs, scanning me from head to toe as we continue attacking anything that isn't friendly. 

Me: Why is everyone so concerned about my wellbeing?

Ulrich: You're precious to everyone.

Me: Does that include you?

She stops, her cheeks blushing even as I reach forward to pull her towards me but the moment is interrupted as Mother finally comes over.

FDG: Good, sister, you can watch her for me. I know with you by her side she-

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

We all turn to find Rupprecht covered in black but virtually unharmed. 

Me: What just-

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

All at once, explosions erupt all around our fleet. Looking up, my face pales upon noticing for the first time the sheer amount of aircraft being thrown our way. There are simply too many.

Ulrich: What are the SIREN doing? Where's our reinforcement?

Rather than answer, I push her out of the way mere seconds before a bomb drops between us and blasts us away from each other. My own rigging protects me from the effects and from the looks of it, the same can be said for both Mother and Ulrich but-

Ulrich: Look out!

FDG: NOOO!!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!