After two major battles that they considered to be victories, the allied factions of the Red Axis finally arrived back at the home base of the Sakura Empire. Their return was much anticipated as it had been quite a while since they had launched to go off to fight Azur Lane.
The island itself was beautiful to look at from a distance and even better when walking around it. Many cherry blossom trees could be found everywhere you went across the entire island. And in many places, you would be able to find a peaceful place to sit and down whatever you wanted to do to relax.
At the docks, two girls were observing the newly arrived ships with excitement as they realised who it was that had returned into dock.
"It is them! Look, they made it back!!"
Heavy Cruiser Furutaka
"Come on!! Let's go!!" Furutaka grabbed her friend by the hand and dragged her off to the dock where the returning girls were just walking up.
Once they ran into them, the two girls bowed before approaching them.
"Welcome back Akagi!"
Heavy Cruiser Kako
"Good to see you Kako. Furutaka."
Aircraft Carrier Akagi
"Did anything happen during our absence? Anything that is worth reporting?"
Aircraft Carrier Kaga
"No, nothing to report." Kako responded to her superiors.
"But Nagato does wish to speak with you Akagi." She continued as Akagi's smile widened in acknowledgment.
"I know. I shall go to her right away. Thank you Kako." She said.
As this went on, Ayanami who had been a spy on this mission and the one who had initially been scoping out Azur Lane's bade, was reflecting on the two battles that had happened in very quick succession.
First off, she reminisced being on that cliff side and how tranquil it felt. Then she remembered how she met Javelin, Laffey and Unicorn. More importantly, she couldn't get how kind they were to her off her mind.
She had been told so many different things about Azur Lane, but encountering them in the way that she did started to put some doubts into her mind.
"Ayanami!! You're back!!" A cheer came from around the corner of the dock and soon out came a group of girls that seemed to be around the same age or just a little bit younger than Ayanami.
Though it was clear that they were all very excited to see her return.
Destroyer Yukikaze, Destroyer Yuudachi, Destroyer Shigure
"I, the great Yukikaze have taken the time to welcome you home! You should be honoured!!!" The one to the left beamed as the one in the middle leaned in a little closer with an eager smile on her face.
"Go on! Tell us! How many of them did ya sink?!" She exclaimed.
"Well it's not like-." Ayanami began but stopped when the final one of the three girls stood up straight with a proud smile on her face.
"Wait! It's only right that she shares her stories over some tea!!!" Shigure said as Yuudachi's eyes lit up and she leaped at Ayanami, wrapping her arms and legs around her.
Watching the interaction were two girls from the faction of Iron Blood. Both of them had differing views on how they found it to be.
"Ugh...as always, they're so childish..."
Destroyer Z23
A slight chuckle came from the other as she smiled.
"I admit that I find them rather charming." She said.
Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen
Eugen then let out a deep breath before turning to her Iron Blood comrade with a grin on her face.
"You know, you should take this time and relax a little. Your whole serious and focused demeanour is not needed for the time being. Allow yourself to...loosen up a little." Eugen said.
"What exactly do you mean by 'loosen up'? You know very well how seriously our missions need to be taken. I must always be prepared. Besides, isn't it up to me how I spend my time?" Z23 questioned as Eugen just chuckled again.
"It is up to you, but don't complain when you're miserable because you overwork yourself." She said as she turned around she waved her hand.
A moment passed before Z23 sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before conceding.
"Alright...where do you suggest I go? Have you ever been here before?" She asked Eugen who stopped in her tracks when Z23 brought up that question.
"Oh no no I have never been here before...how about we ask some of the locals, hmm? I'm sure they would be more than willing to help us!" She said, gaining a nod from Z23.
"Lead the way. And please, control your mouth while we are doing this. Do not say anything inappropriate to anyone." The destroyer said causing Eugen to chuckle again and smirk.
"I do not know what you are talking about..." She said before walking off.
All Z23 could do was follow on and hope that nothing too bad would happen. In the meantime, Akagi and Kaga had quickly made their way up the trail from the docks to where the leader of the Sakura Empire resided.
Much like the rest of the island, the path was pretty much completely covered by Sakura Blossom trees, making it quite the pretty scene. Had they not been in a hurry, the two carriers would've taken the time to admire them more.
But their presence was required, so they could not waste any more minutes. Eventually, they both arrived at the opening underneath the large tree that could be seen from practically everywhere on the island.
Once there they were greeted by the leader of the Sakura Empire, Nagato.
Battleship Nagato
"Welcome back Akagi. I assume that the battle went well? Did you collect what you required?" She asked, the grin ever present on Akagi's face as she nodded her head.
"Yes we did. Red Axis has achieved its first major goal. And our project is already making good progress." She said as she produced a shining black cube and handed it over to Nagato who took it in her hands and inspected it closely.
"So this is what grants us control over the siren ships?" She asked.
"Yes but it is only a byproduct. You see, this is some sort of wisdom cube. The same ones that we warships are made out of." Akagi explained.
"Project orochi..." Nagato said as Akagi hummed and smiled wider.
"Yes. Sakura Empire's hope for a shining future lies with using this cube to help achieve victory over our enemies." Akagi said.
"But unfortunately we were forced to make the first move." Nagato said.
"Our battles with the sirens were becoming too frequent and violent, we had to find a way to get control over that. Humanity is struggling enough as it is." Kaga interjected.
"Azur Lane's strategy is infeasible. The survival of Sakura Empire depends on this project being completed. At any cost." Akagi finished as Nagato nodded and pushed the cube back over to her.
"I understand." She said.
"Also, while you were both away I received more intel on Azur Lane. Apparently they have a new commander now to help with their strategy." She continued.
"A new commander you say? When did this happen? Surely it couldn't have been that long ago." Kaga asked.
"It must've only been a short time after your attack because by the way you reacted, he must've arrived after the battle." Nagato responded.
"He?~" Akagi's interest piqued when she heard that as the grin on her face widened more.
"Yes. At the moment we don't know a lot about him. Only that he is relatively new to all the responsibilities of being a commander. If you would like to know more, then you will have to gather that intel yourself." Nagato said.
"Oh well I certainly wouldn't mind doing that~...you've made me eager now Nagato~...it's a shame he was so late that we missed him~." Akagi said as Kaga cleared her throat.
"Dear sister Akagi please, keep your focus. This is hardly the time or place to be acting this way." She said as Akagi's eyes slowly turning to her, not losing the glint that has formed in them.
"You are right Kaga~...my apologies." She said as she reached out and picked up the black cube, hiding it in the sleeve of her kimono.
"You are excused." Nagato said as she lifted her hand to dismiss them both.
Akagi and Kaga both stood up and bowed before they turned around and let. As they did so, Nagato watched them and spoke as they disappeared into the mist.
"I suppose that no matter the era, war never changes." She said.
Further down the path, Kaga spoke up to vent her frustration she held at Nagato's procrastination when it came to project orochi.
"She is still hesitating...Nagato lacks determination." She grumbled.
"Oh don't speak too ill of her...Nagato is driven by a deep, overwhelming love~." Akagi responded.
Her response didn't quite sit right with Kaga though who turned around to say something back to her.
"Dear sister I-." She began but stopped herself when she saw that Akagi was no longer walking and was stood on the spot with a hand covering her face as she smiled at her sister.
"But it's not enough is it? My love is strong. Strong enough to incinerate the world and burn on." She said before she produced the black cube from her sleeve and gently caressed it with her fingers.
"And that might happen very soon..." She said in a hushed voice before looking up at Kaga.
"But I do hope we cross paths with the new Commander of Azur Lane very soon~...I would love to be able to meet him~..." She said.
"Sister...you forget to remain focused! Project orochi requires our attention more than whoever this new Commander is. If the project is complete, it won't matter anyway." Kaga said as Akagi giggled.
"Oh Kaga...there are many ways that we could use this new Commander to our advantage~. We just need to be patient for now and wait for our opportunity~." She said before she resumed walking as Kaga followed on closely behind her.
Elsewhere on the island after being left on her own by Prinz Eugen, Z23 took the tine time to enjoy the peace and serenity of one of the restaurants that overlooked the docks.
She took a sip from her drink before exhaling and placing her cup down gently again. Then, she picked up her plate and began to eat the food that she had been given, making sure to enjoy it as much as she could.
However, she was disturbed by a loud yell which made her jump and nearly choke on her food.
"Wait you're telling me that this Enterpise woman took out Kaga?! That's intense!!!" Shigure exclaimed as she, Yukikaze and Yuudachi all listened to Ayanami'a stories from the battles.
"If I were in charge, but Eagle Union and Royal Navy wouldn't stand a chance!!" Yukikaze said proudly as Yuudachi hastily ate her food, only to need some assistance from Ayanami when she nearly choked.
"Eat slower and calm down! Here, drink this!!" Shigure said as she handed her friend a cup of water to drink from.
Once she had drunk enough, Yuudachi exhaled deeply and turned to Ayanami with a huge smile on her face.
"You're so lucky to see battle! I can't wait until I'm strong enough to do so as well!!" She said excitedly.
That made Ayanami remember the girls she had met from Azur Lane and how they had acted towards her, despite the fact that they were meant to be fighting. It didn't sit right with her and made her feel slightly uneasy.
"...well the thing is...I don't really like fighting. I only do what is expected of me." She said and was greeted with silence to begin with, until Shigure smiled.
"What's expected, are you kidding?! I thought you were the demon Ayanami!! Admit it, you love it!!!" She said while poking Ayanami's cheek.
"Ayanami the demon!! You have the horns and everything!!!" Yuudachi squealed as she leapt at Ayanami and grabbed onto her mechanical ears.
"Those are just my ears, please let go." Ayanami said quietly, only just being heard as Yuudachi did as she wished.
"Battle takes way more than just strength! You have to be super lucky like me! The great Shigure!!!" Shigure said proudly as she folded her arms.
"Oh look! I won a freebie!" Yukikaze beamed as she held up a stick that she had been eating food off of, much to Shigure's shock and frustration.
"I'M THE LUCKY ONE HERE YUKIKAZE!!! LET'S SETTLE THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!" She yelled as a challenge.
"QUIET IN THE RESTAURANT YOU'RE ALL INSUFFERABLE!!!" An annoyed Z23 yelled, her clothes stained by the drink she had spilled when she was disturbed.
Shigure immediately started bowing and apologising as everyone else laughed, a small smile spreading across the face of Ayanami as well.
After everything that had gone on, she was just happy to be back home now with her friends.
[To Be Continued]