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No One's POV
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overwhelming power is what Nagaro felt swirl inside him, a forceful presence is what Kasumi felt around her and a dangerous being is what was in front of Azur Lane. they were unsure of what had happened to the boy while he was asleep but something had begun to stir inside of him and what ever it was, it was far beyond them
Nagaro:I have no objections, the lives of your forces are valuable and should be preserved to fight another day, go get them treated,we'll proceed on our own
his words were sharp but held no other meaning. his look of neutrality made it hard to determine his opinion on the decision to leave but Azur Lane was sur eof something and it was that the Sakura Empire would need a miracle to quell the fire that would soon engulf them
deciding to not linger any longer, Yorktown and Q.E ordered the fleet to leave as Nagaro and Kasumi took to the water. the two foxes watched their allies left them before turning to the ruins that the Orochi was residing in
the time had finally come, it was time to end a conflict and set things straight. two ideologies would clash and the victor possibly decided the fates of humanity. a Siren weapon guarded and protected by 3 Factions versus 2 rebels
the odds were not in Nagaro and Kasumi's favor but even the Sakura Empire could feel the heated winds of dread brush against them. a looming danger was near, biding it's time until it was ready, waiting for it's chance to strike
the Sakura Girls were swept over by paranoia, they couldn't describe it, it was if they were being choked or cornered, their instincts for survival told them to run but their sense duty forced them to stay. this dread was contagious and the Officers of the Sakura Empire were no exceptions as they felt the feeling of dread and hatred wash over them
coupling with a sense of regret and guilt, it made it hard to focus on their tasks. they need some kind of plan or strategy to fight against Nagaro, they couldn't just take him head on but with the looming and suffocating presence near them being felt in full force, it was hard to believe that any plan they make would work on the boy
with Nagaro and Kasumi, the two had taken up temporary residence in one of the abandoned buildings to further rest up as they were still tired from the previous battle and Foo still needed to heal more. while Kasumi slept, Nagaro kept watch right by her side, continuing to try and understand his new unlocked power
he couldn't describe it but it felt like he could melt anything, the power he was given was beyond his understanding and now he had to wield it in the most important battle in his existence, which was not far from now. in his train of thoughts, he failed to realize that Kasumi had woken up, sensing the presence of distress coming from her partner as she felt his worry
Kasumi:Sir Nagaro?
Nagaro:hmm? oh, did wake no
Kasumi:no, I- never mind
Nagaro:what is it?
Kasumi:I felt......... a change in you. it was sudden, I didn't get the chance to react
Nagaro:................
Kasumi:what happened
Nagaro:.....................when I recovered the Black Wisdom cube in these ruins back then, I was still unaware of what had happened to Me. when Lady Shinano was killed at the hands of Enterprise in the Mirror Sea, some of the effects of the Black Wisdom Cube came out on it's own and now I understand what it is
Kasumi:what
Nagaro:a Siren of sorts was in the Cube. contact with it allowed it to seemingly merge with one of the Wisdom Cubes used to construct Me, making Me a host for the Siren
Kasumi:you're hosting a Siren!!!
Nagaro:of sorts. it claims to not align with the Sirens we face and only follows it's own goals and wants but I'm skeptical
Kasumi:..... this Siren, it's the cause of your sudden power???
Nagaro:............it was just our officers who hid things from us. even our superiors in the Empire and our scientists are keeping secrets
Kasumi:what!!!
Nagaro:I was made with a Black Wisdom Cube and this allowed the Siren inside the Black Wisdom Cube used for the Orochi to merge with Me
Kasumi:so your powers are-
Nagaro:caused by my Black Wisdom Cube and empowered further by this Siren
Kasumi:you took it's help!
Nagaro:............hyprocosy right? it struck a deal with Me. it would unlock the full extents of my power and in exchange it wants Me to destroy the Siren for it's entertainment
Kasumi:you said-
Nagaro:ironic right? I became the very this I swore to destroy
Kasumi:Sir Nagaro
Nagaro:if you're having doubts, I don't blame you. I'm as much of a threat to you and the Empire as the Orochi but I have to correct the Empire's mistakes. as long as you and the Empire are safe and sailing on the right course, then it doesn't matter if I am here on the seas or not
the truth was out and Kasumi couldn't believe what she was hearing. she didn't know what to do, the partner she had trusted had made the same deal as the opponents they were facing, Nagaro had done very thing that caused this conflict, she should have left, she should have ran but her heart told her to stay, deep down she knew she was still on the right side
her arms wrapped around the boys body and soon she remained still for the embrace. Nagaro on the other mellowed at the gesture, he had expected Kasumi to become distant after hearing the truth like how he had become when the truth was told to him but instead she embraced him and the heat in his heart and body suddenly quelled to noticeable degrees as he wrapped his tails around the girl to pull her in closer, wanting to feel the gesture for longer
the thoughts swirled around Nagaro's head again. he imagined what things would be like if he acted the same way Kasumi has now. he knew it was drastically different but how was the questions and would it be better than what was happening now
he wasn't sure of it but like how his Sisters couldn't change the course of their actions now, neither could he and the only way to progress was forward and the time to end the conflict was finally here. the plan was simple, lure the Sakura Empire and Destroy the Orochi
Timeskip brought to you by a small white haired, white tailed, golden eyed fox boy
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Kasumi's POV
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Sir Nagaro was confident in his new powers but I was still unsure, nevertheless I went with his plan. using a powerful fire given to me by Sir Nagaro, I'd it look like that he was going to destroy the Orochi from a distance. the plan banked on Me stalling the majority of the Sakura Empire to buy Sir Nagaro time to actually destroy it up close
I'd be fighting the bulk of the Empire's force but I was confident. I took Iron Blood by surprise and sweeped them before they could get the chance to recover or familiarize themselves with Me. my chances of doing the same with the Empire was slim but I could do it and I had to if I wanted to keep everyone here
soon enough, I found a large Sakura Empire force coming straight towards Me. it looked like they indeed fell for the bait as it was most if not almost all the Sakura Empire ships that came to guard the Orochi that came here as I noticed that it was only the officers and a few others that didn't come
the group was led by Takao and Kawakaze but after seeing just Me, everyone came to halt in confusion. they saw the fire that was nearby and immediately pieced everything together and realized the trap they were lured into as I readied to fight
Takao:Kasumi-
Kasumi:don't bother, I'm not going to be swayed
Takao:think about what you're both doing
Kasumi: you should do the same
Takao:this is for the Empire's well being and benefit
Kasumi:just like what we're doing
Takao:you think this is helping anyone
Kasumi:do you think you're helping the Empire by supporting this weapon?
Takao:where's your honor and loyalty, didn't swear it to the Empire
Kasumi:where's your intellect and sense of right judgement, didn't you say you'd use it to keep everyone safe?
Kawakaze:Lady Nagato's judgement is final but she has said to offer you a last chance
Kasumi:she wasted her time, this could have been avoided but she chose to do nothing. Sir Nagaro and I choose to not do the same. we will set things right for the Empire's sake
leaping forward, I quickly closed the distance with Ms.Takao as I swung my Naginata downwards, which she quickly blocked before I kicked her into her allies and leaped back as Ms.Kawakaze then charged at Me
repeatedly slashing at Me, I dodged and blocked her strike, easily keeping up thanks to my training as I kept up with one of the best fighters in the Empire. Ms.Kawakaze struck with speed, precision and finesse but I was prepared as I had sparred with Ms.Warspite multiple time before we had come here
everything felt so slow when I didn't fight Sir Nagaro but now was not the time for comparison as I launched my counter attack, taking Ms.Kawakaze by surprise and quickly shifting her to the defensive as I pushed her back to her allies with multiple cuts
it was then the rest of the fleet started attacking Me as they fired their cannons, launched their torpedoes and launched their aircraft. they quickly got serious as I watched an overwhelming attack come my way but I didn't back down as I deflected the shells, dodged and the torpedoes and shot down the aircraft while remaining on the offensive as I kept closing the distance between Me and my target
I destroyed my opponents rigging to take them out of the fight while not harming them as I moved between each target and slicing their cannons, torpedoes and flights decks while remaining mobile as to not be cornered but eventually, the Empire caught on to my movements and I was quickly encircled
now I found myself taking shots from all directions and little room to move in. I managed myself very well for a few minutes but eventually, I started taking hits and more and more, I lost my mobility
I had to get out of their encirclement and quickly as I activated my Retrofit despite how quickly it drained my energy as I took the Empire by surprise and began my sweep. even quicker, I destroyed everyone's rigging and even faster, I moved to avoid encirclement and attacks but like I expected, my chances of sweeping the Empire was slim as Ms.Takao, Ms.Kawakaze and a lot of others began to keep up with Me
they quickly learned my patterns and began attacking Me in groups. I couldn't take them all on and I was quickly running out of strength and tiring but I had to buy more time, I needed to give Sir Nagaro as much time as I could as I continued to delay everyone
the fight dragged on and I was beat, adrenaline was keeping Me away from the verge of collapse. I had done major damage to the fleet but it wasn't enough, too many were still combat capable and too many great fighters were still standing, I needed to somehow buy more time
I looked around for anything I could use but there was nothing, running away would lead a few of them away but it wouldn't be enough. soon, I ran out of energy and fell to my knees while reverting back to normal. if I only knew how to properly use my Retrofit like Ayanami or Yuudachi, then I wouldn't have been drained so quickly
despite the fatigue, I got back up and blocked an attack from Takao who clearly felt the damage I inflicted on her but I was ultimately knocked down by the push of her strike. I only managed to damage them but not take them out of the fight and I was now paying the price for my failure as I got back up
I barely dodged a salvo from the fleet but I knocked down again by Ms.Kawakaze and held down by her using her foot as she stepped on my neck while pointing her blade at my face. she was also clearly tired from the fight but again, I didn't manage to take her out of the fight as she forced Me to surrender
I didn't bother trying to escape using Foo's ability as I wouldn't be able to escape from Kawakaze so easily and Foo wouldn't be able to do much on his own. in the end, I surrendered and I was taken in by the fleet.
at the same time, the ruins shook violently as I saw fires and smoke raise into the sky near the Orochi's position, Sir Nagaro was putting on a fight on his own against the rest of the fleet, the Officers and the Orochi, I could only hope that I bought him enough time
Meanwhile, with Nagaro near the Orochi
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No One's POV
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while Kasumi fought the majority of the fleet, Nagaro took the fight straight to the Orochi and he was destroying his opponents with ease. all that stood between him and victory were morals as his opponent's close proximity to his target prevented him from using large and powerful attacks to destroy the Siren Ship
Nagato and Amagi had figured out this glaring weakness in his attack and abused it with no regard as they ordered the Shipgirls they had near them to stay close to the Orochi. if body blocking the objectives wasn't bad enough, the Orochi was now semi operational as it's cannons were now firing at Nagaro
the shots themselves held little effect as Nagaro easily blocked each one but one hit could seriously damage him as the force from each shot could easily be felt. time was running out, Nagaro needed to finish this fight before the Orochi could get fully operational and he was just about ready to put aside everything to complete that goal
but, thing could never go the way they were planned as the Sirens arrived to help defend the Orochi. a clear sign for Nagaro to get serious but an unsure stance of actionable happenings for the Sakura Empire as the Orochi was still in fact seen as a Sakura Empire made weapons, made to be used against the Sirens
nevertheless, the battle got heated as Nagaro disregarded all safety for others to focus on his objective. he meant nothing to the Empire now and so he's reputations amongst them mattered little, he didn't care they thought of him now, so putting them in danger was no more than little problem, as long as their safe at the end of the fight, then all that matters as he charged at the Sirens
cleaving through the Siren ranks, Nagaro pushed forward towards the Orochi. halting him further was the Sakura Empire, who refused to back down as they shot at the boy, trying to take him down or bring him in
caring not for his safety, he hacked and slashed through the Sirens and avoided the Empire girls as he closed the distance to the Orochi. he raised his blade to put a strike down but was blocked by the Orochi's shields. it wasn't unbreakable like how Azur Lane had thought but he it broke, it launched back through a powerful shockwave, creating distance between him and the ship
with the shield gone, it was now a lot easier to strike the Orochi but just as things got easier, thing got a lot harder as Observer and Purifier arrived with more Humanoid Sirens, blocking Nagaro's path and reinforcing the Orochi's defensive line
now out even further outnumbered and possibly further outgunned, reaching the Orochi looked like a death sentence while keeping the Empire's girls safe from harm. if things weren't bad enough, the rest of the fleet arrived and in their possession was a struggling and injured Kasumi
the very sight made Nagaro waver as he now had to think carefully of his next move. the Sakura Empire knew all to well he'd think twice before taking action now that Kasumi was restrained and this made things only harder for the 2 rebels
Takao:Sir Nagaro, we implore you to surrender now, we can't guarantee yours or Kasumi's safety if you keep resisting
Kasumi:DON'T LISTEN TO THEM SIR NAGARO
Kawakaze quickly struck Kasumi at the neck, quickly knocking her out and silencing the small fox. if not for the current situation, Nagaro would have already jumped Kawakaze mercilessly but he had to remain calm and composed, one wrong move could bring this fight to an end and not in a good way
Nagato:you're outnumbered and outgunned, what choices do you have left
Mutsu:make this easy on everyone, Brother, end this peacefully
Nagaro:..............
Musashi:there's no gain in prolonging this
Observer:a choice must be made boy and you don't have time to think
Nagato:this is your last chance, Nagaro, you can still reclaim your place in the Empire
Nagaro thought long and hard about his options but as he did so, his power swirled violently inside him, he felt empowered, he felt like he could win the up front fight while also saving Kasumi but he felt like that same power was consuming him. every second of using the power felt like a part of him was disappearing, he didn't know what would happen to him but it didn't matter, all he had to do was complete the mission
Nagaro:..........................you said it yourself............................I have no place your ranks
in the blink of an eye, Nagaro drew his sword and at the same time, a wall of fire raised and hid him from sight. using this opportunity, Nagaro slashed at Kawakaze's sword and broke it, quickly releasing Kasumi from her grasp and taking her somewhere safe before quickly leaving to finish the fight
still processing the attack that just occured, the Sakura Empire slowly readjusted themselves for a fight while the Sirens headed to the Orochi as Nagaro lowered the wall of fire and closed the gap between him and his opponents in the blink of an eye as he began dismantling the fleet's rigging in mass
it only took him second to incapacitate the fleet and that meant all that was left was the Officers and the Sirens and they weren't far from his reach. just as he got ready to move against the Sirens however, time ran out. the Orochi had gotten enough time to become fully operational as it began to move forward at alarming speeds that Nagaro didn't think it could achieve
it toppled the buildings as it moved forward while it aimed it's cannons at Nagaro, hoping to slow him down at it fired it's shots, only for them to be deflected. seeing the Orochi attempting to escape, Nagaro jumped at it but was met with Purifier and Observer, who blocked his strike and pushed him back
most of the humanoid Siren reinforcement took to the air to assist their superiors while others remained on the Orochi to guard it. attempting to break through the defensive line, Nagaro ignored the Sirens and tried to rush through but was met by Observer and Purifier every time as the two were reading his movements
his urgency was making him predictable and Nagaro knew this but he had to break through and fast. Azur Lane was the one at risk as the Orochi was built to neutralize them completely, if he allowed it escape, there was no telling if his allies would survive the Orochi
after numerous attempts of simply trying to run through the Sirens, Nagaro gave up and drew his sword as his eyes began to glow a bright gold. his blade ignited and in one slash, cut through Observer and Purifier, then followed by the rest of the humanoid Sirens
with the nuisances, Nagaro hastily chased after the Orochi, unaware that he was beginning to change as he went after the massive Siren ship. having been stalled so long, the Orochi managed to get into open waters relatively quickly but was quickly caught up to by Nagaro as he fired his cannons at the massive ship, rocking it a it's shields hadn't returned yet
seeing their superweapon under attack, the Officer of the Sakura Empire and the Sirens, who were aboard the Orochi jumped down to face Nagaro, with only Nagato and Yamato remaining aboard the ship
Nagaro, saw who he was fighting but didn't stop for a second as Mutsu stood front and center, ready to meet Nagaro head on despite knowing full well that she stood no chance. both drew their swords and clashed but Mutsu was expectedly pushed back as Nagaro moved past her and chased after the Orochi
unable to stop the speeding fox, Nagaro rushed past the rest of the officers and sped towards the Orochi. not even the Sirens could keep up with his speed as they quickly lost track and sight of him before long
despite what his opponents might have been thinking, Nagaro was tiring. the usage of his power draining him of his energy, rapidly. he wasn't sure if it was a side effect of his powers but he was losing consciousness despite his adrenaline, it no longer felt like he was moving on his own, his actions didn't feel like they were his anymore, he no longer felt in control and he hasn't realized that he was changing quickly
seeing that the rest of the officers and not even the Sirens could delay him, Nagato and Yamato prepared for the worst. the Orochi had gotten enough time to regain it's shield but it would only for so long as Nagaro approached quickly
the two had never unsummoned their rigging since they were at ruins, in anticipation for Nagaro's arrival which came at lightning speeds as the Nagato and Yamato barely had time to react to the Orochi's shield break before Nagaro landed on the deck
his eyes were glowing and his expression was clearly seen but what caught the attention of the two older foxes were the large white areas that now tipped Nagaro's hair and tails. they were sure that he didn't have those before, which only indicated to them that it was something that was happening very recently to him
though wanted to know more, they didn't get the chance to think about it much longer as Nagaro fired his cannons at the two, alerting both of them to dodge as the Orochi rocked side to side from the force of impact and explosion
from the smoke, Nagaro came charging at the two as he swung his blade with animosity that the two had never seen from before. he was relentless but still remained as deadly and precise as he always is and it wasn't long until Nagato and Yamato were forced to jump off Orochi to make distance
seeing his opponents flee, Nagaro found the perfect opportunity to do damage to the massive Siren Ship as he began to slicing everything in sight, cuts and holes lined the Orochi's deck, he sliced through the auxiliary guns and though the Anti-Air guns were used to fire at Nagaro, they were also quickly dealt with as Nagaro tore into the ship and began damaging the inside as well before cutting open a part of the deck to get outside again
Nagato and Yamato were hopeless to stop him as the rest of the officers arrived along with the Humanoid Sirens that immediately began opening fire on Nagaro. the shots had little effect as Nagaro simple protected himself with an aura fire before launching fireballs and burning the Sirens quickly
turning to finish of the Orochi before anything else could stop him, Nagaro raised his sword and ignited it with flames that wouldn't be extinguished so easily. before he could swing however, the Orochi put in one last ditch effort to survive as it released another shockwave, knocking Nagaro off and away at the same time that Observer and Purifier returned with more humanoid Siren
Nagaro gritted his teeth, he was too slow but he could end it here as his hair and tails became even whiter and his eyes glowed even brighter. this didn't go unnoticed by the Officers of the Sakura Empire who quickly saw the resemblance to what Nagaro was turning into
Nagaro didn't pay attention to girls however as he dashed forward one last time putting everything he had left into one attack. Purifier and Observer saw this and immediately entered portals to evade while the humanoids attacked Nagaro mindlessly. in a split second, it was all over. the Sirens were incinerated and the Orochi was melted in half and sinking
Nagaro fell to his knees, the rest of the black in his tails and hair turning white while the Officers of the Empire watched their super weapon sink beneath the waves. at the same time, what remained of the combat capable ships of the Sakura Empire arrived along with Purifier and Observer's exit from their portals
they all bore witness to the Orochi's destruction. nothing went as the Sirens planned, the Orochi never even got to fire it's secret weapon, that opportunity of sight now forever gone, but the battle wasn't over
Observer did as she always did and observed the boy that was on his knees, she felt something different in him then she smiled as Nagaro got back on his feet and grasped his sword
Observer:oh? what an interesting turn of events
Purifier:something happen?
Observer:something did in fact happen and we get bear witness to it
the Sakura Empire could only look at Nagaro as he turned around, showing them his glowing golden eyes and white hair, even his fire, when summoned had turned white. Nagato and Mutsu looked at what was once their Brother, he seemed dead inside, as if he wasn't there, as if they were only looking at an empty shell, they didn't know what to do
Nagato:Nagaro, what happened
Observer:hehehehe, in his pursuit to "save" you all, his fire burned what WAS his very being, now all that's left is his body and without a host to hold them back, Calamities can bring out their fullest potential
Author:that wraps up this chapter, I personally think it's pretty sloppily made and I don't know why but I'm glad I got update this story again. more chapters to come, hopefully sooner rather than later but other than that, I hope you all look forward to the next one, until next time
Shadowgamer254 out