Iwo's POV
We were thrown into the fray there, was an opening which we punched through making our way into the middle where the Empress is. Once we arrived at her location, she closed off our exit. It was a trap, memories from that nightmare seeped into my mind, soon the first explosions hit us. I was unable to do anything as if time stopped a bright light soon approached me.
???: "Do you wish it to end the same as you foresaw?"
Iwo: "No, I have so much to protect. The home that I wish to see, the smile of my family and friends. I can't give up now since I made this promise to myself, and it's way too early to give up." The light gets a little more visible which was another version of myself.
Iwo (Alt): "Good, they'll need you now more than ever." Time soon resumes.
Takao: "Ma'am your orders?"
Iwo: "All hands retreat, I'll clear a path!" Good thing I packed special missiles for this, I soon fire off creating a hole back the way we came which was made of layers of Klein fields. "We don't have much time let's go!" They soon pull out, but I decided to stay to face the monster herself.
Empress: "I was certain you'd run."
Iwo: "No this ends now!"
I charge at her with all my strength but was stopped by a wall, soon it changes all-around me showing the rest of the future, voices soon cry out in pain. I know these are all false because I won't let it happen, I close my eyes and focus on the footsteps. I soon hear them to the stern she charges at me, and I repelled it with my blade.
Iwo: "I see so you're using illusions to fool me, not bad." She retreats.
Empress: "Your friends will be captured, and along with it on your knees."
Iwo: "We'll see about that."
It continues to play, but I know they're not real, still with my eyes closed I fight with my blade and bow. I aimed my arrows at specific areas to bring them down. I open my eyes and what followed was an intense duel with her and my blades clashing, I thought to myself 'I'm not fast enough, I need to be faster. I need to focus.' Over and over till I could feel myself being lighter and I saw that a light formed around me, if I'm not wrong in an anime it's called Utsushi which was an energy-like state. No matter I'll beat her with this, I use my Jin'i to propel myself into a range of her inflicting minor injuries.
Empress: "How."
Before she could finish, I go in again scoring multiple hits across her body. Now she's on her knees.
Empress: "I still win in the end everyone prepares to fire on her!"
Iwo: "You might want to reconsider that."
Empress: "Why? Got some secret weapon or reinforcements?"
Iwo: "Yeah, and I've got you right where I want you." Soon after they appeared.
Purifier: "Empress there are multiple bombers in the sky."
Empress: "It's no threat prepare to fire."
The bombers dropped their payload of the 5 aircraft 4 were cluster bombs, and the last was a big bomb. The aircraft overhead we're B-29's, how they're here and remained undetected was because many hours before the briefing and just after I returned, I felt that maybe to be safe I'll get them airborne.
My flight deck enlarges so that I could have those B-29's launched, I modified them to be stealthy by adding reflective panels throughout the airframe as for the cluster bombs, they're to protect the Fat man at all costs. As it whistles the entire Siren fleet opens fire. This was my chance to run away. I slipped past all of them thanks to my new abilities by the time they realize I was gone it was too late the bomb detonated and they're all vaporized by it. I of course was long gone, as I entered the base, they were crying.
Shokaku: "Jeez don't you know how worried we were, and I just told you not to do this by yourself."
Iwo: "Sorry."
Shokaku: "It's fine you don't have to finish it."
Zuikaku: "Let's go home."
Iwo: "はい。家に帰りましょう。" (Yes. Let's go home.) We head back through the portal everyone is finally happy that war is over now.
6 months later
Iwo: "C'mon kids you'll be late." I wake them up.
Fuyu: "I'm up, sis we'll be late if you don't wake up now." The other two wake up. Her sisters are Hokkaido and Tokyo Bay making up the Iwo Jima class carriers.
TB, Hokkaido: "Sorry big sis, mom."
Since they were commissioned, they've called me mom because their class was named after me, and I call them kids. They got themselves ready as I made breakfast after I was done making and sending off. I tend to my new home which was located in between the Sakura Empire and Eagle Union dorms and styled with both styles in mind so it was a 2-story house which was big enough for the 4 of us, and the first floor had a good number of tables of both Western and Japanese styles. I hear the door open and the bell chimes.
Iwo: "いらっしゃいませ。" (Welcome.) It reveals Zuikaku, Shokaku, Haida and Błyskawica.
Zuikaku in a joking tone: "I heard you were recruiting."
Iwo responding in kind: "What do you mean you've already been a member since day 1." I heard a tch since that backfired on her. "C'mon let's get started."
Wiped the tables, cleaned the kitchen, and everything that needs cleaning. We open at 9 am and close at 7 pm the pay is also good mainly thanks to my status as 'Hero of Azur Lane' but even with all that money, I decided to live like everyone else, a nice and normal life. I also give a good portion of it to whatever is good for the future generation.
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Iwo's POV
After entering the portal, I saw a familiar place which I called home now I remembered what was missing from me.
Jintsuu: "ここはどこ？" (Where are we?)
Iwo: "私がどこから来たのか。" (Where I came from.)
We enter a familiar-looking house that I designed during the war, entering the house through the back door I told everyone to wait here till I got something for them to eat knowing my lock picking skills it's not difficult since I did on occasion forgot to bring it with me. Someone comes down from upstairs and hears me baking cookies.
???: "Who's there." I turn around knowing that voice
Iwo: "It's me Zuikaku."
Zuikaku: "I don't trust it if it is you. Then what was my last present to you?"
Iwo: "It was a Kanzashi formed into a Sakura flower."
Zuikaku: "What was my last lesson to you."
Iwo: "Even if my outcome is certain I'll keep fighting against it till the end."
Zuikaku in a crying voice: "It is you. I've missed you."
Iwo: "I guess you could say I was on a business trip."
Zuikaku: "You and you're jokes."
Iwo giggling: "Sorry couldn't help it." Another set of footsteps enters the room.
Shokaku: "Who is she?"
Zuikaku: "Iwo's back."
Iwo: "ただいま。" (I'm home.)
Shokaku: "Welcome back." We head outside where the rest were after baking my cookies.
Zuikaku/Shokaku: "Who are they?" Of course, they don't recognize Haida, after introducing them to each other they were thankful they took care of us while we were there.
Misaki: "No worries, but we should get going soon since were needed back."
Iwo/Haida: "We'll go."
Misaki: "No, you two need some time to be where you belong." She smiles. "You two can come back in a few months whenever you're ready to."
Iwo: "司令官、ありがとうございます。" (Thank you, commander.) After finishing the cookies, they left.
Next morning
As a new set of footsteps approach Shokaku and Zuikaku introduce them to us.
Shokaku: "This is Iwo Jima, Hokkaido." Zuikaku comes in for the finish.
Zuikaku: "And that's Tokyo Bay."
Iwo: "I see, well then nice to meet you."
Fuyu: "Nice to meet you too."
Iwo: "Now then let's set up shop for the day." Soon after hearing that we were back, it was announced that we've returned after being missing for 6 months for us it was 2 years nonetheless, we're happy we're home at last.
Now that line you just saw is saying that the two are separate because they both connect to this story so for the majority of it there'll be no separate stories except for this chapter and the last one because they're meant to share the same story. Just to note I'll have to contend with three of them all simultaneously the other two being, 'After the Storm' and 'Warriors from different worlds'. With that, I'll do my best throughout all three of them.