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

The battle was already on the Coalition's favor since the Royal Navy and Caster ambushed the 'ambushers'. 

Now, he now has 3 brand-new ships that look really menacing in Caster's eyes. He got the info from Akashi that most of the PR research is almost done. He didn't expect to be done at this time.

And it was at a perfect time too. 

Now, how will he utilize the new 3 girls? 

"Alright. Let's start from the ground up." Caster took out his communicator. "Neptune, cover the west side. Roon, go to the south side. And Saint Louis, take the east side." 

Then he turned to his communicator. "Everyone in the fleet, I have news to break to you all." 

"3 new ships are now added to the fleet. So when you see them on your side, don't engage them. They're friendlies. They'll also introduce themselves." 

"Caster~" A really mature voice came in...

'Sheesh. That's definitely Akagi right there...' He facepalmed. 

"When are we going to push them back?" Hornet asked Caster. "We're all damaged in some way or another."

"Alright. I'll get to the north side. ETA 30 seconds..." He put down his communicator. 

He nodded at the PR ships to know that his command is in action. Neptune, Roon, and Saint Louis went to their respective directions as per the command of Caster. 

Caster went to the north side. His speed helped him greatly to reach there in a timely manner. 

He saw many familiar ships there. But no Enterprise... I guess she's out for now. Caster doubts that she will stay down. But this side was going very well now with his presence alone.

"What's the situation of air dominance?" Caster asked Hornet. Who was still struggling and she was slightly wounded. 

"It's not going great, Commander! What can we do about it?" Hornet asks then Caster just smiled. Like that said question was pointless.

"Just get out more planes than the opposition. I'm really just confident within you. That's why I am smiling." He smiled more widely this time.

Hornet wasn't really in it for positive vibes on a fight that is really intense and the Sirens wasn't giving the Coalition girls any 'breathing room'. 

But she listened, also told every aircraft carrier to focus on the air. Hornet was taking the initiative. Which Caster was impressed by? As he was also trying to tell the others as well. 

He was still looking at the destruction and the flames on the battlefield... Feeling that the battle is basically over if they take the initiative. 'This can't go on any longer. The fight must end.'

Then Caster opened his mouth.

"Girls! In 2 minutes, you'll start taking them head-on. We have the numbers advantage in a long shot." Caster told the girls. 

"Cleveland! On 3, 2, 1, FIRE!" Hornet directed Cleveland to shoot down two planes down with one shot. 

"Got it! Thanks, Hornet!" Cleveland called out and Hornet gave her the thumbs up.

"By the way, Commander! Where is my sister?!" Hornet turned her head to Caster. She was very worried about her sister's condition. 

He also wasn't sure about Enterprise's condition and was just as worried as Hornet.  

"S-she's wounded right now. She needs medical attention. But I doubt she will stay down. Don't worry, Hornet. She is not going anywhere." Caster reassured Hornet.

Then a few more cannon fire was close to hitting Caster. It would seem that the Siren ships detected Caster and they're going for him.

It is a fine choice of a target but what they do not know this unintentionally put themselves in a trap. And Caster didn't even know this also. 

"They're really going for the weakest link first, huh." Caster said as he intentionally mocked himself. But he isn't worried at all. 

'I am the most non-threat to the Sirens. They're really desperate huh.'

He looked at his M4A1 and he thought that he can't possibly do anything this kind of range. Plus, this gun could only hit human targets. Even with this futuristic universe Caster was in, there are still no bullets that can plow through thick armor belts on an assault rifle. Feels bad man.

Then he sniffed something... Blood? 

"Huh?" He turned around and looked at the floor...

He was actually smelling blood but as he looked at the floor, there we stains... But colored white. He became suspicious.

He looked at his gun, the color. And the trail. They were both white. 

"What are you trying to show me..." He mumbled. 

"Commander! We're going to be marching now!" Hornet exclaimed. But Caster didn't respond. 

Then he raised his left hand. Hornet doesn't know what this means... On her view, she doesn't see anything. The only thing she sees is Caster looking at the ground. She thought that he was thinking of an offensive plan. I mean, what else could be thought at the time? What they're going to eat for dinner? 

"Hornet, march now. I'll be right back." As he followed the white trail he was seeing. 

"Alright! Everybody, MOVE FORWARD!" Hornet said and she repeated it and told it in her communicator. 

Everybody is now instructed to finally take the fight to the Sirens now. 

As the girls were marching forward and fighting the Sirens head-on, what the hell is Caster doing?

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

He was following the white blood trail... And his attention was so fixated on the trail that he didn't realize... That his surroundings were... Let's just say getting a bit hotter. 

Flames. 

Flames of the buildings and the heat were increasingly getting dangerous for Caster's skin and body. But he kept moving and following the trail. Almost like he was put under a spell to follow it.  

The trail ended in the...

Commander's Office. 

The place wasn't as badly damaged as others but the room looked unrecognizable prior to the attack. Good thing that the books that Caster was always reading was evacuated by Akashi as she knew that those books are valuable. Not for business purposes but in practicality, but also for symbolical purposes as well.

Let's just say that Caster, days before the attack, and his meeting with the Royals, he was starting to write a book. Not just any book though.

He knew that he wouldn't last in this world and he knows that the dangerous nature of the Sirens would sure one day get him and kill him. So in preparation, he started to author a book that gave his advice for future otherworlder's. 

Battle skills, leadership advice, fleet formations, you name it all. He planned this as per the reason earlier. For the next otherworlder to not mess up like the 1st and the 2nd. Which is him. If he died. 

And of course, Akashi also evacuated that said book with all the others. 

But his M4A1 turned back to the white Wisdom Cube that has given Caster trouble in figuring out why it does all of this. All of these 'visions' and 'dreams'. He knew what they meant but not all of them. And he still doesn't know what intentions does the cube have with showing all of his past memories. 

He assumed that the cube was a 'sentient' being that is capable of talking to him by using words of former people he met before. As he was always hearing his 'old man's' voice talking to him.

And then white light blinded him once more and he was ready for another flashback.

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

His eyes were closed... He can't open them. 

But his ears. Were hearing something in the distance. Coughing. Rough coughing. He really wanted to know what that was but his eyes won't open.

'Don't make deals with the devil...'

He heard the voice. He was shaking. But he also can't move his body. 

'Don't do it for your good... Or else, this will happen.'

He finally got to open his eyes. He looked around immediately. He noticed that the burning sensation from the flames of the destroyed buildings was gone. 

He also noticed that the office was pieced together. As if nothing happened to it. And lastly, noticed that the general look and style of the room was vastly different from his version of the Commander's office. Suffice to say, it looked like from the recent past. 

When the 2nd otherworlder was still out there in his world kicking ass.

"What does this mean..." He muttered. As he was hearing the rough coughing once again and it was getting louder. Nearer. Closer. 

He looked behind him, at the door of the office. Then. 

It barged open with no warning and Caster was on the floor in surprise. 'HOLY FU-'

Then a male figure came in the office with blood dripping from his mouth. It seems that he is wounded. 

'Wait a second...' He stood up and looked at the guy. 'The 1st otherworlder? This guy doesn't look threatening at all.' 

The 1st otherworlder was skinny. Like, really skinny. He looked like a toothpick. His hair was messy and his uniform was untucked and also messy. He really looked improper. Caster told himself that it is a true red flag if a guy looks messy as he is right now.

But he is blooded up and some bloodstains were peeking in his white Naval Commander uniform. 

And then another figure came through the door that surprised him the most. 

The Siren Observer from the attack and the victim of 'Plan G'. It seemed like she was chasing the 1st otherworlder. And she cornered him... And just like the 1st otherworlder, Caster was feeling the hope disappearing in the air...

He glared at the Observer. 

"Your incompetence is almost laughable. Just let it happen and all the power and girls will be all yours. Forever." The Observer was slowly walking to the 1st otherworlder with a deadly glare... As her yellow eyes glowed. 

"NO! I'll do it my way! And you're the enemy!" The 1st otherworlder was grabbing anything in the room to shield himself. As he was thinking only of defense. Not trying to get the upper hand against the Siren.

And the Observer expected this. And she sighed...

"Touche... I don't have to convince you," As she licked her lips in bloodlust. 

"I'll make you."

Her tentacles got up to speed and impaled the 1st otherworlder's right arm. And then the other. Basically putting him in a helpless position. And the otherworlder was raised up off the ground. Caster could only look in horror. 

Then her eyes met his. And the Observer's eyes were glowing. Like he was putting the 1st otherworlder in a spell. Or... Brainwashing him...

Then after that, her tentacles let go of the otherworlder's arms and put him on the ground more blooded up than before... 

The otherworlder didn't even have the strength to use his arms to try to stand up. He could only squirm and crawl. 

The brainwashing part is completed. But the changes won't be in effect for a few minutes. And the Observer knew this and took the time to taunt the dying otherworlder. Just like she did with Akagi. 

"Goodbye..." She waved bye in such a condescending way to the otherworlder. Who could only stare as he slowly goes out the door. "Come on, call on your girls to help you. See if they will help after all you've done."

Then the Observer finally left the guy alone. 

The 1st otherworlder could only scream.

"ENTERPRISE!!!" He shouted.

No one. 

"CLEVELAND!!!!!" He shouted once again.

No one. 

"B-BELFAST!!!!!!!" He shouted before he was feeling light-headed. Losing consciousness.

No one.

No one came. None.

The words of the Siren Observer resounded in the 1st otherworlder's head and in Caster's head also. 

The 1st otherworlder fell out of the good graces of the girls because of his prior actions and he could only repeat those words again and again with no response. 

His doings have been the undoing of him. No girl wanted to help him or even associate with him anymore. He's done so bad that the girls don't want to feed him any food anymore. Thus giving him the skinny look that Caster sees him in. 

Then after this, he was ousted from the base. By none other than Enterprise.

It's a tragic end. 

He is experiencing his last moments as a human. Crawling out of the office door.  Before...His eyes.. Were slowly... Turning yellow. The signature look of the Sirens. And a monster... Was eating him inside out. 

Caster could only look in total horror. But he also realized something. That trail that he was following before this, that was the blood trail that the 1st otherworlder left off. He ran, from the shore to the office. 

After seeing what just happened, he looked at the otherworlder shaking sporadically. He felt bad for his fate. That is a tough way to lose grip on who you are... Even if you did something bad in the past. 'He didn't deserve this,' he thought.

"I... If this is the fate of the one before me, no. I'll NEVER let this happen. The girls care for me enough that I have to control my desires. My actions."

Then a sudden realization was put in his head. 

"Okay... Okay!" Caster looked back up. Looking like he has won the lottery or something. 

He finally knows why he's pushed into this world. A newfound purpose was put into his head. Giving him courage.

Then the light blinded him once more... 

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

His eyes open with a sigh of relief. The burning sensation returned to his body and he immediately ran away from the office before his skin turns into barbecue. 

As he was running away from the office, his communicator was going crazy. With calls of girls doing well, and some others too.

He looked at his waist and sees his M4A1 positioned there now. And the flashbang and the grenades were still on their normal positions on his chest. 

He went in a random direction. To his right. He is running to the east side. To Akagi and Kaga's side.

As he was running back to the beach, he was... Smiling?

He was really happy that the girls was cooperating and supported him and he was thankful that he didn't fall into that pitfall that the 1st otherworlder fell in. In which he NEVER came out of. 

This realization gave him slightly better morale. And a new conviction.

"Give your care to them, they will return it tenfold." 

He finally arrived at the east side of the base with his quickness. And the girls were kind of far away from Caster as they were doing his directive from earlier. 

March forward to the Sirens.

Then a Siren destroyer detected him and pointed its guns to Akagi. Trying to get a hit on her. But he had other plans.

With his instinct, he loaded the M203 Grenade Launcher and he shot it. He felt that it wouldn't do anything but then...

BOOM!!!

The Siren destroyer's left side gun exploded. And it cut the destroyer down. And sinking it with one grenade shot. 

His eyes widen in surprise on what he just did.

The girls of the Sakura Empire, who were on the east side, just stopped and took the time to realize what just happened. Even on the battlefield. 

Akagi, Kaga, Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Soryuu, Yukikaze, and all the other girls turned around to see Caster. Just standing there at the beach. Then Shokaku took out her communicator. 

"Did you... Do that?" Shoukaku said in awe of what just happened. 

He heard what she said as Caster's communicator was left on full volume. And his response?

A shrug. Pretending that he did it on purpose. 

Spoiler (once again): He sure didn't do it on purpose. And again, he was very surprised at the prospect of hitting that shot at all. 

And his supposed 'calmness' about what he just did just made all the girls of the Empire just speechless and wide-eyed. 

Akagi and Kaga and all the other Sakura Empire girls on that said side, (including Saint Louis)  were seeing their first look of what bail-outs Caster could get. 

But the battle is still ongoing. And the girls turned back around. But with that recent memory stuck in their minds. They sure know now that Caster can make/do miracles out of nowhere. 

A-kun: And yes, I'm basically giving Caster deus ex machina if he needs it. But don't expect I'll be doing this often. 

He looked back at the buildings behind him. Destroyed and tattered. The Sirens must be the same. 

He took out his communicator. And told the whole fleet.

"Everyone, keep kicking them until they can't get up." Caster said with noticeable anger in his voice.

"Let us show the Sirens how tough we are!" Kaga declared. And everyone was given a jolt of motivation. And everyone did their part.

Even with the upgraded armor that the Sirens were specifically using for this ambush of the Azur Lane base, it wasn't enough as the numbers advantage was getting too hard to deny for the Sirens. And they were getting squeezed on all sides. 

And Caster's sheer presence on the battlefield made all this happen. 

And after long, the Sirens were now getting pushed back and retreating but using their teleportation technology. Caster is getting annoyed. And called for even more aggressiveness. 

But one Queen Elizabeth and King George V said otherwise... 

"Commander Caster, we have cornered a Siren aircraft carrier," The King said through her communicator.  "And it would seem that this thing can't teleport away."

"Okay. Don't destroy it." Caster answered.

And as the Sirens were running away, the dark clouds that loomed over the base was slowly going away. 

The fight is over... It's over...

Caster just sat down on the sand and his weapon turned back to the white Wisdom Cube. He sighed. Thinking about what he should do on the following days after this battle.

He was hearing all screams of joy in his communicator. But Caster is in no illusion of the Coalition's position. Their base is almost destroyed. With a few buildings somehow not getting the wrath of the Sirens than the other buildings. 

Then a voice spoke through the communicator. It's Vestal.

"Everyone... I have... News to break to you." Vestal said with a slight bit of hesitance. 

Word Count: 3089 Words.

5/24/20
5:35 PM