=================

On top of the hill... The series of events was instantly memorized by the girl up on the top... She was still speechless about what happened. From a big fleet of Sirens to a puny destroyer after the counter-attack. 

'Plan G' took a while to prepare and it was time-consuming. But when everyone was on their positions, it took a minute or two to absolutely decimate the fleet. Like if you would blink, you'd miss it.

Her emotions? It could be multiple right now... Her emotions are stirring up a conflict within her heart. Is she happy? Excited? Confused?

"He..." She opened her mouth slightly. "He did it..." As she clutched on the Navy Cap as she wore it. 

"I gotta find him." She ran off the hill. 

=================

'Where are you...' Enterprise thought, as seconds and minutes pass, she was getting more and more anxious on the Commander's whereabouts. Is he alive? Dead? And that second thought, that was the reason that made her break off of the fleet while everyone was still celebrating the victory. 

"Where are you going, Enterprise?" Illustrious said in the communicator. But Enterprise was too focused for any conversation to interrupt her. 

She took a look at the islands nearest to her. No sign of the otherworlder. Another island, nothing. 

'Come on, come on, come on...' As her face was filled with fear. 

"Actually, we haven't heard from the Commander since the victory. Where is he?" Enterprise heard Hornet say that on the other side of the communicator. 

Losing Caster is the biggest fear of Enterprise right now. From his hard-headed argument of the execution of 'Plan G', and his recklessness finally getting him, it was definitely looking like that Caster is KIA...

Tears... Were slowly forming on Enterprise's eyes. She still can't find him after all this time. Caster has single-handedly sculpted the fleet back to its form. A respectable fleet that everyone feared. Unlike what the 1st otherworlder did to the girls, from the harassment, incompetence, and downright inexcusable doings, if Caster was to die here, they will never, ever recover from this. 

Enterprise had a reputation for being one of the pillars of the new generation of Azur Lane. Countless achievements, unbelievable combat skills, and all-time great luck. It was nice to Enterprise at the start to get these said achievements, but as she got more medals, achievements, people started to view her differently than what she was perceived at the start. 

She was just looked at as just a ship that can bring home the victory. And those people were right. She can carry fleets on her own and come home a victor. But her heart was getting lonely... With infrequent meetings with her beloved sister ship Yorktown, other than that, there really wasn't anyone else that could comfort her and keep her company. 

Hornet could accompany her to an extent but it was just not enough. 

And after the 1st otherworlder was ousted from the base by Enterprise herself, her loneliness got even worse. Morale was down on the base, and Sirens right at their doorstep. 

But with Caster's arrival to the base, all the stories that he already made, with the takedown of a Siren raiding party with 4 destroyers, his respectfulness with the girls, and just gossips of positivity about him, completely made her view on him go upside-down. 

And perhaps the most important thing that he could do to her is... Erase that worry. That loneliness. She just needed to find him. 

=================

"Where is he...?" The tailed-fox girl was jumping around from island to island to find the Commander. And finally, after a good while, she found him. 

He wasn't exactly the best condition though. But he didn't have any injuries sustained in his body. It was just his tiredness taking over him and his adrenaline fading away. He was sitting down and sleeping under a tree that gave some great shade. 

She immediately came close to him under the tree and she laid the Commander's head on her lap. She was stroking his hair and murmuring some things while he's sleeping...

"I swear that I'll never, ever let you go." She smiled before her face was closing in on Caster. 

At this time though, and much to the disappointment of Akagi, Enterprise was nearby and finally saw him but she got really irritated at the sight of Akagi getting there before her. And the prospect of Caster's head laying on the lap of Akagi just made her go in fumes. While she was emitting a dangerous aura. 

She really wanted to yank Caster out of Akagi's hands but she really can't because she doesn't want to be rude.

"Jealous?" Akagi was smirking at Enterprise was she's still stroking Caster's hair. And Enterprise is getting angrier...

And guess what happens next?

She yanked Caster out of Akagi's lap and put him away from her. 

"What are you doing now, stupid Eagle?" Akagi hissed at Enterprise. 

"I could be asking the same for you, stupid fox." Enterprise shot back at Akagi. 

The girls were about to do some 'hand-to-hand' combat but not until the 2 were interrupted. 

"Oh, man..." Caster yawned very loudly surprising the two girls, and while Enterprise froze by his sudden yawn, the attentive Akagi went up at Caster and embraced him.  

Enterprise... I could definitely say that she's almost on her breaking point. But again, in a stroke of luck that saved Caster some punches from Enterprise, their individual communicator started spewing some words. One on Enterprise's side and Akagi's side. 

"Akagi, where are you?" Shokaku asked Akagi on the communicator.

"Enterprise? Where did you go? We're trying to find the Commander." 

"Oh, I finally saw him... Not until..." 

As the two girls turned to each other and glared for an uncomfortably long time and Caster, who was fully awake, was noticing it. And he was slowly moving back to the shade for a lesser risk that he might get hurt. 

"Okay, Enterprise. We'll be moving to your position. I see you on the navigation system." Hornet added before closing her communicator. 

"Akagi, stay there and we'll be right there." As Shoukaku turned off her own communicator. 

We have a fight brewing and more girls on the way to Caster's position. But he decided to try to do something about it. 

"What is it about? If you even think of putting me as your main point, go on as you please. But please don't pull me in physically since I'm so tired..." Caster said as he was waving his hands in a 'stop' motion. 

A-kun: I can't even imagine that... Can you? 

Since Enterprise was waiting for her fellow ship girls to arrive, Akagi was already back on embracing Caster and she was...

"Are you sniffing me right now?" said Caster as he was looking at Akagi... Sniffing his hair?

After an uncomfortable amount of time passed, she only responded with "No~" that did little to convince him. 

While Enterprise had to watch that. And she finally had enough. 

"Enterprise!!!" Hornet screamed at her sister before she can even do something about Akagi and Caster. 

"Akagi-sama!" Takao waved at Akagi to get her attention. 

And in a short time, all the girls who fought and won the battle were circling Caster. And of course, he wasn't feeling any comfortable since the girls from the Coalition was staring daggers at him... 

Caster knows the situation he was in and as soon as Enterprise had a chance to turn around, she immediately yanked Caster and she was tightly hugging him. Away from Akagi. While you know, Enterprise was flustered the whole time. 

"Oh, my..." Hood said as she was looking at Caster's position. He was getting gripped pretty hard.

"Alright, Enterprise, you got me now, hooray..." He sarcastically said... While clapping. "You can let me go now. I'm getting crushed."

"Commander, don't get sarcastic with me here. This is a serious situation." She said while not looking at Caster. "Plus, we'll be talking about your behavior after this."

"W-w-what?" He scratched his head. He is quite puzzled right now. 

'Okay, what did I do now?' 

And the former statement that Enterprise said, stirred up an even more misunderstanding amongst the girls. Even with Hood getting shocked. 

He wanted to get out, but couldn't with Enterprise's strong grip. So he needed some external help. First off, he looked at Belfast gesturing her to help him. 

But she just gave Caster the "Hmph!" and looked away...

'I have never seen that before from her... I did not get injured. What did I do to make her angry again?!' Caster thought as he was looking elsewhere. 'I'm sure that I have plenty of friends here to help me out...'

'I think.' 

He tried with Z23. But she just looked away pouting. 

'I'm running out of friends here...' 

Then Caster had a bright idea. 'Javelin and Laffey! They can't possibly hate me right?' 

He looked at Javelin and Laffey and... Let's not say that the 2 hates him right now, but they were nervous to help since you know, Enterprise is holding him. 

'After all this time, my summing-up my totally intended research concludes that I have no friends currently. What a great life.' He sighed in defeat. Knowing he's still getting crushed, and no friends. 

Then he looked up at Enterprise and he noticed something that he didn't back then.

'She's quite tall for a girl... She's taller than me! Well, but not that much. But damn. I'm a small man in a big girl world... Or something.' Realizing that he might be the only male in the world. Which makes him uncomfortable to think about that.

Then out of nowhere, a hero appears before Caster.

Cleveland! (Or Clevebro if you're one of those MANY people.)

"Enterprise, he's getting squished badly so let him go," Cleveland said to Enterprise.

The reason yet Akagi wasn't talking yet because she's talking with her sister Kaga about what she's about to do. 

At this time, Caster was let go of Enterprise's grasp and on to Cleveland's hands. And she was surprisingly able to carry Caster. 

'Well, they're human incarnations of famous ships so I can tell that they're strong... Quite deceiving actually...' 

"Thank you so much, Cleveland... Such a hero when I need it." He smiled... He was so thankful that he wasn't even paying attention that Cleveland was carrying him 'Bridal Style'. 

"O-of course! H-happy to help!" She looked away from him with a tint of pink on her cheeks.

In embarrassment, she put down Caster on land quickly and nervously walked away. Thinking about the statement the Caster made about her. Made her happy obviously. 

 "Okay, I think since everyone's here, I have to make this statement that is very important to both sides," Akagi told everyone before...

Kneeling down with one knee, her left hand reached out for Caster's right hand gently and lowered her head. A gesture that made everyone surprised. 

'Uh...' Caster thought. Not knowing what to do in this situation.

"I, Akagi. The leader of the Sakura Empire. Pledge my loyalty to you. From this day forward, you are now my Commander and I will serve your will. Your ideals and ambitions are my own, and your adversary is now my adversary as well... Till the day that I die, I will remain by your side as-"

Before she can even finish, Akagi felt Caster's hand going away from her, then as she raised her head, she saw a blushing Enterprise who yanked Caster once AGAIN but this time he was just put next to the water. Rather than killing him by suffocation. 

"What do you think you're saying, Akagi?!" Enterprise shouted in disbelief at the crimson fox girl.

"Akagi-nee-sama, isn't this a bit too much?" Kaga tried convincing Akagi but to no avail.

"What do you mean?" She said like there was nothing wrong about the statement that she just blurted out. 

"Everybody else knows that pledging loyalty only takes a line or two," injected Enterprise. "But the extra words you put in there was sounding like a... a..." 

"A marriage proposal? Because it is a marriage proposal..." Akagi tilted her head. Saying it so nonchalantly. 

And of course, with no surprise, every girl in the vicinity was shell-shocked. 

"EHH!?" shouted Enterprise with the frankness of Akagi's voice.

"EHH?!!!" shouted Kaga. Surprised by her sister's declaration.

And basically everyone in the fleet w/ the Sakura Empire's aces were also shocked out of their minds. 

While Caster was just surprised with not much of an expressive expression. If he wasn't tired, he would probably scream louder than the rest of the girls. 

"See? Even he wasn't that surprised," said Akagi. "The Commander position is really hard to perform every single day. So when times are getting rough, he needs someone to lean on."

"Sister," said Kaga. Trying to again, convince Akagi. "you can't just do that with someone you just met 3 days ago. I mean, this guy has to be a sicko in hiding."

'WOW...' Caster thought. 'Quite the misleading observation.' 

"Oh, please." Belfast barged into the argument. "He's as dangerous as a dead leaf." 

"Okay, can we please stop ganging up on me now?" Caster trying his best to put the 3rd-degree burns away from him. And it didn't work at all. As the girls just ignored him. Further confirming the 'no friends' research. 

But Javelin, Laffey, and Ayanami went to Caster and tried to comfort him. An ironic twist isn't it?

"Plus, you can't pledge to him because..." smirked Enterprise. Trying to get control over the argument.

"Because?" Akagi asked confused.

"I already did."

"SHE DID?!" Z23 shouted in even more disbelief. 

"SHE DID?!" Hornet also shouted. Afterward, she turned at the man in question. 

'Now, you're just making up stuff for the sake of winning the argument...' Caster facepalmed. He is in disbelief in the turn of events.

After another plot twist from Enterprise, Akagi took a step towards Enterprise and examined her closely. Then stepping back with a smug smile. 

"Lies," said Akagi. In which a scoff afterward. "There's isn't a whiff of Commander's scent on you." 

"So you were sniffing me!" Caster sat down on the sand trying to not get another headache. With the girls staring even MORE daggers into him. He might just die of the daggers that are pointed at him...

"Either way, you're still not getting him," Enterprise said as she crossed her arms. 

"Oh, yeah?" As the two have a staredown moment.

'A fight is coming soon oh, god...' Caster said in fear. But his tiredness is taking over him again... 

"Sister, please be reasonable here. You don't know anything about the otherworlder." Kaga pleaded to her sister.

"Then I'll get to know him better. Isn't that right, Commander?" She looked at Caster and winked at him. 

'I'm so done...' 

"Then let's settle this like what we would do before." Akagi declared.

As much as Enterprise wants to get the fight going, she had an even better, pacifist idea. 

Then as Caster was walking away from the situation unnoticed, he was immediately yanked back by Enterprise and put in between Akagi and Enterprise. 

"Uh, oh..." Caster said while a bead of sweat is going down his forehead. 

"Now choose," said Enty. "Two of us. Who do you choose?"

Caster was just there frozen not wanting any of the smoke. He didn't really wanna answer since he knows if he does, the other girl would definitely get angry and ruin the so-called 'friendship' that he always convinces himself. 

Knowing the circumstances, he must answer... But he really doesn't wanna answer. But his tiredness of not sleeping for so long finally came through and perhaps saved him.

He was almost fainting and he kneeled down to try to save himself.

"Girls... I can't take the heat anymore... Let's get back to the base." He weakly stood up and walked the other direction.

Fortunately for Caster, he got both of the 2 girl's sisters to calm the two down and let Caster decide for another day. So he's safe... For now. 

After a mindless expedition of Caster trying to remember where he parked his submarine, and with Prince of Wales manning the driver seat of his submarine, the fleet finally came home... 

Needless to say, he was inexperienced to handle that crazy situation right now... 

A-kun: Okay, for y'all readers. Akagi or Enterprise? I want a definitive answer to this age-old question right here, right now.

=================

Caster was doing down on a staircase. It was also the 2nd day of the Coalition partying because of the recent victory. He's going down on a secret location of the base. 

Well, he could have used the elevator, but the role-model that he is, instead just used the stairs just to get some little exercise as he can.

While the girls were still partying and stuff, Caster was still working... Weird right? But he finally got to a room that was labeled: "???"

oooooh, confusing...  

He opened the door. Meeting with Akashi and with an 'old friend' that Akashi told him about.

"You're here, nya... I thought you're going to be late nya..." Akashi said to Caster in which he just shook his head.

He took a gander inside the room. Dark and creepy. It looked like a secret lab of some sort. 

'I do hope that we're not doing something shady down here...' Caster silently told himself. 

"I mean, this room looks important so I gotta be here right?"

"Greetings, Commander."

"My name is Shiranui. The second ship of the Kagerou-class destroyers."

"Greetings. I do hope you'll have a good time here." Caster bowed to her. Before he raised his head back up.

"Thank you, but this is not why I'm here. Now." Shiranui pointed at Akashi for it's her cue to explain to Caster why he's called here. 

"T-thanks, Shiranui." She thanked Shiranui. But at the same time, confused. "I have something to show you nya." Akashi gestured Caster to come with her. 

He obliged and followed her to some scientific tubes. The large ones to be exact. 

And he was seeing some people inside of them. 

"What... Is this?" Caster said slightly horrified. Caster is only for the frontlines. Not underground scheming up some weird things. So it's understandable why he's confused. "Are they ship girls?" 

"Yes, I and Shiranui are trying our best to research into it with the resources that we currently have a lot of thanks to your commissions nya." 

"What are they?"

"Priority ships."

Word Count: 3114 Words.

6:49 PM
4/29/20