Like a sore thumb...

April 1, 2050

PRESENT DAY

Yokosuka Naval Base

"Congratulations!"

"Congratulations to the small destroyer that somehow killed an Abyssal Empress!'

A deafening roar erupted inside a small gallery filled with shipgirls holding wine glasses. Officers and working personnel alike were there as well, wearing their formal gathering uniforms. Round tables were set-up and a huge all-you-can-eat buffet was placed right in the middle of the hall. Each table has around ten shipgirls sitting with white plates, forks, spoons, and wine glasses placed near. Almost every shipgirl hailing from different fleets were here gathered today, and the hall was indeed packed full of them.

One certain shipgirl, in particular, was standing out like a sore thumb. A shipgirl with black hair and blue eyes, she was wearing a blue dress that reaches her knees and her hands covered with white gloves. In this instance, she was wearing makeup for the first time in her life, with help from the local parlor near the naval base.

"I t-thank you all for gathering here today in this wonderful evening. I would like to point out that I didn't kill the empress on my own. It was all thanks to my fleet mates help and Akashi-san's new weapon that I was able to defeat the abyssal...With that said and done, Akashi-san...and my fleet mates on the 15th Main Battle Fleet. Thank you!" The shipgirl then bowed, trying her best not to fall over.

A loud round of applause then followed, with some shipgirls standing up and cheering for the short destroyer type shipgirl.

~o~

Somewhere in Hokkaido

Worst-case-scenario for the rest of the people involved in the recent operation to capture the symbiote was liquidation. After all, despite being a man of honor, Admiral Goto didn't want any information leaking out into the public or to the Emperor. At first, Admiral Goto performed small purges in the officer's division of the Navy. Six high ranking officials were liquidated by per conduct of Yura's actions.

It was Yura who pushed for the harsh liquidations with the Admiral being forced to finalize the order. Yura herself, knew about the consequences and the threat of the Emperor if he finds out about the symbiote's recent capture. The symbiote itself, in its current state, is extremely unstable. One glance at it without proper safety equipment would immediately send a person into a disgusting migraine. Some scientists working near the symbiote were reportedly seen vomiting on the spot after being exposed to it for only a mere second.

With the help of Akashi-san's equipment, recent psychic attacks coming from the symbiote were suppressed albeit barely. Affected individuals were slowly showing signs of recovery and proper procedures to handle the symbiote were implemented. The only problem now was figuring out how the symbiote work...how itfunctions with its host and what makes a symbiote this hazardous towards human beings.

"Test number 42069 on Subject: Gin Toshiki. Testing atomic particles on subject using equipment No.22 as per request of Dr. Karabiri." I let out a loud sigh as I read my objectives as of today.

I could see my reflection on the tank's glass. Dark eye-bags hanging at the bottom of my eyes with skin so pale that one would mistakenly identify me as a walking corpse. That man on the reflection is named Dr. Takamura Hashimoto, the lead scientist that was tasked with performing experiments and examining the symbiote with the equipment personally made by Akashi herself.

And like many scientists in this group, I too have experienced the symbiote's psychic attacks. At first, I thought it was just a normal headache then the pain grew worse the longer I stay near the symbiote's presence.

"Fascinating isn't it?" A female's voice entered my ears.

That voice I despicably recognize. I could feel my heart clenching and entrails churning as I slowly process the thought of her being present inside the building. Her voice was cold and it was a voice that conveys shivers down on one's spine.

Slowly turning my head to the side, I saw the owner of that said cold voice. I could see her pink long hair tied neatly by a single gray ribbon into a ponytail. She wore her signature black serafuku with brown and gray inner clothes and a red ribbon tied on her collar.

She smiled at me when our eyes met. Her cold eyes, devoid of any life met mine. Just by the thought of me staring back at her was worrying.

"Did I say something wrong, Dr…..Takamura?" She asked with a visible confusion on her face.

I saluted at her before saying, "N…No. Forgive me, ma'am. I was not expecting company today." I tried my best not to stutter on my reply.

She saluted back before she gave a throwaway smile. As lightly as I could, I slowly hid my shaking right hand behind my back. I have to keep composure in front of Admiral Goto's right hand, Yura.

"I was informed by Akashi the other day that you will be doing some experiments today with this bad boy." She said while slowly checking on the symbiote that was stored inside the glass.

"Yes, ma'am." I answered, "With the subject currently on a tamed disposition I was ordered by my superiors to take some samples."

She stared directly at the symbiote without any type of mental protection, a kind of mental protection which would safeguard a normal human being from receiving the nasty psychic attacks of the symbiote. I watched her walk around in circles around the symbiote, seemingly not affected by the psychic attacks.

Yura crossed her arms and gave a glance at the equipment that was placed above the wooden table. Her eyes then turned towards me, before saying, "I would like you to postpone the extraction for now…"

"Pos-postponed?! But my superiors are—"

Yura didn't say a word. Her mere squinted eyes alone made me swallow the words that were about to exit my mouth. She let out a tsk before closing her eyes.

"I have spoken." She said, this time with a more intimidating tone.

Unable to do say anything, I could only bow my head and swallowed my saliva. The worst-case scenario is pissing off the ruthless right hand of the Admiral. I would consider myself lucky if nothing happens to me after I overstepped myself.

"Also…" Yura spoke once more.

I turn around with a confused expression. I have met an expression that is usually present when a shipgirl comes home from a sortie.

"What's the news about the second one?" She asked suddenly.

"Despite my membership in the science team. I was not informed about the experiments that were performed by Unit 731." I answered.

Yura fell silent before turning her eyes towards the symbiote. A smile was written on her face once more, a smile that I have not seen before.

"No matter…" She said faintly.

"Pardon me, Ma'am. But I'll be going now." I spoke.

Yura only gave me a nod and shooed me away, like a bothersome stray dog. With a sigh, I turned around and headed towards the exit.

I came back to the lab room a few hours later. The quartermaster called me and asked for the equipment that I burrowed to be returned for storage. I ostensibly forgot that I left the equipment inside the lab room.

Little did I know at the time, it was a mistake that would cost me everything.

~o~

Yokosuka Naval Base

April 7, 2050

In a small room with its windows opened is a green-haired shipgirl, seemingly engrossed by the calm sea breeze that is softly hitting her face this late in the afternoon.

After arriving from a long reconnaissance sortie, she came home utterly unscathed. None of the 15233 shells, six torpedoes, plus two back-ups that she brought with her were expunged after performing a 12-hour sortie.

For her, it was just a boring sortie. The sortie itself was a waste to precious fuel to her; high command just wanted them to check-out the recent sea sector where a supposed Abyssal Fleet was spotted.

It's been going on like this for almost a couple of days now after a certain destroyer managed to eliminate a high ranking Abyssal Empress. And with the head cut-off—the most dangerous Pacific Sea became quiet…almost too quiet for the ten Main Battle Fleets that were assigned to that area.

"Did we finally grasped that sea…?" Asked the destroyer to herself.

As she closed her eyes, she remembered the time when she faced her first death experience while on an interception sortie. She remembered it vividly if it weren't for her lead ship's actions, she would've sunk and not see another day.

They say in the fleet, that once you are assigned to the Main Battle Fleet. It is either you are a gifted shipgirl that caught the Admiral attention, or you were just unlucky enough to be grouped in one during a sudden invasion.

In Nagatsuki's case, she was the latter. Nagatsuki and her sister Fumizuki were assigned to the 12th Main Battle Fleet because they were the only destroyers stationed near the approaching invasion fleet inbound for Okinawa on that fateful day.

She and ten other shipgirls were gathered in Okinawa before they headed straight to the invasion fleet. Suffice to say it was only because of Yura's leadership that they managed to go home in one piece.

"Hey…"

A knocked then came behind her room door. The door opened, revealing her sister Fumizuki soaking wet.

"What the hell…What happened?" Nagatsuki asked.

"It was that fucking Amatsukaze again! She's cleaning her window with a bucket of water again!" Fumizuki roared in anger as she removed her black serafuku, then taking a dry towel to wipe her soaked body.

"I thought she was reprimanded by Nagato like a month ago. Why is she cleaning her windows again?" Nagatsuki asked in confusion.

Nagatsuki poked her head out of her window and checked the room that was above the Destroyer Dormitory entrance. And there she saw Amatsukaze, cleaning her window with a rope tied on her waist.

"You've got to be shitting me." Nagatsuki cursed.

"This is the fucking ninth time already. By admiral's balls, I'm going to skin her alive if this happens again!" Steam was coming out of Fumizuki's brown head.

"Now-now sister. you just need to calm down and change to a new fresh set of clothes." Nagatsuki suggested.

"Calm down?! You want me to fucking calm down?!" Without wearing any dry clothes Fumizuki rushed towards the window and poked her body out, "I SWEAR TO ADMIRAL'S BALLS IF YOU DON'T FUCKING STOP CLEANING YOUR FUCKING WINDOW I WILL PERSONALLY THROW A DEPTH CHARGE IN YOUR ROOM RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

"Ahhh…..there goes her temper…" Nagatsuki muttered as she pulled her sister back into the room.

Just as Nagatsuki let out a deep sigh a knock came into their room. The door opened, revealing Ooyodo in her officer's uniform, a rare sight for Nagatsuki herself.

"Nagatsuki?" Ooyodo's serious expression was then immediately replaced by a confused look as she saw Fumizuki on the window, continuously spatting swear words one after another.

"Oh, Ooyodo. Back from the meeting, I see. So, what brings you to our room?" Nagatsuki asked, feigning attention to her cursing sister.

Ooyodo could only make a sigh as she scratched her temple. Held on her hand was a long brown folder. Using her dominant hand, she extended it towards the destroyer before talking in a rather serious tone.

"Gather the rest of your fleet and meet me in the sortieing area in four hours."

~o~

It was something like an old 90's film. She could see them so clearly so vividly it was as if these….memories are hers. But no matter how hard she looks at it, she knew for certain that these memories aren't hers at all.

She wasn't born on an island. She wasn't born in a home filled with energy and warmth. She wasn't born in a family that is filled with love…

No…

These aren't her memories, and when she saw the owner of these said memories, she felt something deep inside her crippling her. No more like something inside her was eating her inside out.

She saw the owner, reflected on a mirror that was left on the floor. She saw his bright brown eyes, filled with curiosity and wonder. His black hair waxed amusingly resembling a porcupine's back, his fair skin, silky smooth with no freckles or signs of wrinkles reflected clearly on the mirror.

A smile was written on her face as she saw the little toddler, that she somehow recognizes. Yes, these are the memories of the man she…corrupted, abused, bitten, and worst of all…

"Wake up you bumbling fool." Called a deep voice.

In an instant, she was awakened. Her cheeks were bright red after being hit by an unknown perpetrator.

"I didn't bring you here so that you could keep whispering his bloody name. Yes-yes, Call him all you want, but you can't recover a severed symbiote….he is gone. So please shut up because I didn't recover your remains, pump you full with my blood, so that I could hear you muttering over a dead symbiote that you failed to sustain and protect." The unknown person says in an indifferent tone.

Confused the woman slowly raised her head. With her vision slowly clearing up, she saw a white-haired woman with dead pale skin. She wore a black burial dress with two bright orange eyes.

"Why…?" She the woman asked.

Confused, the other woman crouched down and grabbed the other one by the hair and raised her to the point that their eyes were parallel to each other.

"Mother has ordered me to bring you back home. Alive, my dear sister Marianna." The orange-eyed woman explained.

Marianna grins as she stared at her sister, Pacific. She could only smile as she rummages her thoughts to the things that will happen to her once she comes home—once she comes face to face with the Queen once more.

"Fucking, bitch." Pacific spats, throwing a left hook on her sister's face.

Marianna was nailed to the wall behind her. The walls shook as the force from the impact was dissipated throughout the dark cave.

"Before we go home, I have some business with you first…Well, first in the list is this—" Pacific added with another hook to Marianna's solar plexus, "This is for my arm that you dismembered."

Marianna fell to her side. But before she could let out a quick gasp, Pacific filled with rage kicked her on the gut once more but she was not yet satisfied.

"And this is for my dead children!" Pacific shouted after she pummeled Marianna's head into the ground.

The ground shook once more, and the air was filled with dirt. Pacific covered her mouth as she waited for the dust to dissipate. She closed her eyes before crouching beside the passed out sister of hers.

"Tsk, I didn't know that you are this pathetic once you lost your symbiote. This is the second time you've lost one too. I still wonder why mother even bothered to bring you back alive." Pacific complained as she shoved the dust off her skirt.

Pacific furrowed her eyebrows as she watched her sister that was curled into a ball. A pool of crimson liquid could be seen, forming a halo around Marianna's head.

Pacific crouched once more. She was filled with confusion but at the same time, she couldn't help but recognize the scent that was entering her nostrils.

Using her right hand, she reached out to the pool of crimson liquid. She then placed her two fingers that were saturated with the blood to her nose and gave it a deep whiff.

"That can't be…" Pacific muttered.

She then placed her two fingers inside her mouth and tasted the liquid. Pacific immediately received a nasty headache, right after her taste buds made contact with the fluid. Immediately, she spits the fluid out of her mouth and rubbed the saliva that was trickling out her mouth with her sleeves.

"This is rather problematic..." Pacific muttered as she turned her attention towards her unconscious sister.

A low snarling voice then entered Pacific's ears. Her nose twitched as she picked up the scent coming from the creature behind her. She turned around and watched her symbiote slowly dropped its head, its body shuddering uncontrollably not by fear but rather due to its immature brain nerves.

"Have they properly seized control of the whole island?" Pacific asked to the ten-foot symbiote.

"Yes. They too have started gathering the human corpses for…consumption…The thicker ones are already separated for yours truly." The symbiote didn't have an organ that allows it to speak to its host's verbally. Instead, the symbiote communicated with its host through a synapse connection.

Among the Abyssal Empress', Pacific and her sister Atlantic have the strongest synapse connection with their millions upon millions of abyssal minions spread across their respective areas of responsibility.

"Good. Has Abyssal Princess Kuril—"

"She has the whole Kyushu peninsula surrounded…" The symbiote interrupted.

Pacific prefers to give autonomy towards lower Abyssal Princess, who then controls the abyssal minions, giving them limited freedom to do what they want as long as it remains aligned with Pacific's laid out objectives. Pacific prefers her subordinates to grow and mature, develop tactics on their own as the war against the land walkers continued without her direct supervision.

"What about the other princesses?"

"We lost four during the ensuing battle to seize control of the whole peninsula, my empress." The symbiote replied.

Abyssal Empress Pacific furrowed her eyebrows as she placed her right hand on her chin. She let out a 'tsk' before rotating on her heel and grabbing the unconscious Marianna with her right hand.

"Have the dead princesses replaced immediately with the candidates of your choosing." Pacific complacently barked her order.

The symbiote only hummed softly before slowly deforming, its nostrils suddenly twitched as it picks up the scent of something appetizing. Eventually, the symbiote disappeared and not a trace left behind.

"Four out of the six princesses…" Pacific muttered, "This isn't the last time I have lost that many princesses in a single battle." Pacific fell deep in contemplation, as she slowly reminiscent the first years of the war when she fought against humanity's so-called shipgirls.

Among the countless shipgirls that her minions have encountered, one shipgirl sticks out like a sore thumb. A shipgirl who always wore a murderous smile on her face, and whenever she is overwhelmed, her eyes would turn purple with the same murderous intent painted on her face. Pacific yearned to meet that shipgirl once more, and now a lead has shown itself.

"Hheheheheheheheheheheehehhehe. I guess once I'm done with my errand, I'll finally meet that girl personally once more…I wonder what she tastes like…" Pacific muttered as she walked along the cave with saliva slowly dripping on the ground.

~o~

Admiral Goto let out a sigh as he observed the sunset with a cup of coffee on his right hand. This is his fourth coffee as of today. Nobody can blame him after all who wouldn't want a cup of coffee after signing and examining multiple papers coming from multiple areas around Japan?

"Admiral?" A knock then echoed inside his office.

"Come in." The Admiral announced without checking who the person was.

With four swift footsteps and then a salute, the person was none other than Ooyodo herself wearing her shipgirl attire.

"Welcome back." A female's voice then abruptly interjected.

Ooyodo turned her green eyes towards the owner of the said voice. Sitting on the couch with a cup filled with red tea was a pink-haired shipgirl with her legs crossed.

"I see that the flagship of the 12th fleet is here calmly taking a sip…" Ooyodo says with scorn.

Yura only smiled before placing her cup on the table than standing on her two feet, her hands placed behind her back.

Sensing a bloodbath in his office, Admiral Goto coughed twice before turning towards Ooyodo. He smiled before sitting on his chair and extended a hand towards her.

Ooyodo smirked at Yura before approaching her admiral, handling over a brown folder with bold kanji's written at the front.

"The operation was a failure…" Ooyodo announced as she handed over the folder.

"mmh." The admiral glanced at the folder before opening it.

His eyes narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed to a degree. Ooyodo herself could hear her Admiral's teeth-gritting as he read the report that she compiled.

Admiral Goto leaned his back and dropped the folder on his table. Ooyodo moved closer and sat on the chair that was placed parallel to the Admiral Goto's table, sensing his infuriation.

"The more I read the more my migraine is acting up…"

"Want me to enumerate them myself?" Ooyodo suggested.

Admiral Goto nodded as he leaned forward and placed both of his hands underneath his chin. He closed his eyes and silently listened to Ooyodo's soft yet blunt voice.

"Four heavily damaged shipgirls. Another four lightly damaged, and two shipgirls sunk in battle." Ooyodo enumerated.

"It seems that the information that was given by the Intelligence Division was inadequate after all, dear." Yura complacently declared while sipping her tea.

Admiral Goto fell in deep thought. His eyes still closed and his right-hand trembling in fury. With a loud sigh, Admiral Goto opened his eyes once more turning his attention to Yura.

"You know what to do." Admiral Goto spoke bluntly.

Yura smiled brightly before emptying her cup of tea. She then stood up, rotated her arms, and cracked her fingers.

"As you wish, dear!" Yura declared before disappearing in an instant.

The room immediately fell silent. Ooyodo, while sitting on the chair near her admiral, had her attention still fixed to the place where Yura used to be standing.

"Monarchist." Admiral Goto moaned loudly.

Ooyodo thought so as well. It was, after all, an operation that was proposed by the intelligence division. The reports were in-depth and the intelligence gathered seemed solid with the assurance of high success rate.

He was made a fool of himself. And with the operation concluding with such horrible results, including the loss of two shipgirls under his command, it's only a matter of time before the Emperor would find a replacement. One that is controlled directly by the Emperor himself.

"Have their remains recovered, Ooyodo?" Admiral Goto asked with a heavy tone.

"Yes." Ooyodo answered, "Their remains are currently placed in Akashi's workshop. The other sisters are currently there right now, saying their last words to their deceased sisters.."

Ooyodo could feel the aura around her Admiral becoming heavier and heavier as he read contents of the folder once more. Only stopping on the page, where a single photograph of an Abyssal Empress could be seen, accompanied by her ten-foot symbiote

"The package was lost during the operation, I presume?" Admiral Goto asked as he flipped over the following pages.

"Yes. The abyssal took the package containing her. We do not know right now the current location of the said abyssal fleet that attacked the convoy. They may have retreated to the Kyushu Peninsula but nothing is for certain at the moment."

"Well, that doesn't matter anymore." Admiral Goto declared, standing up from his table before turning his back towards Ooyodo.

Facing the now blue-hued sky, Admiral Goto muttered underneath his breath. Ooyodo stared at the broad shoulders of her admiral. Having been summoned with sharp ears, Ooyodo listened to her Admiral's muttering breath smiling quietly.

Chapter End