A-kun: Before anything, sorry. It is been a tough few weeks... Shorter chapters for my sanity from now on... I think. Anyway, please do read now. :D

Hope. You. Enjoy.

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

"Oh, hello."

He opened a door that he saw earlier creaking. When he almost made the Ironblood his enemy not even a minute into meeting their leader, Tirpitz.

And the girl(s) who met him on the other side, was surprised and did not see him coming.

"H-huh?"

'Is this a young girl?' Caster asked himself. And he pans around the room and more girls were showing up to see what's up.

"Look at him!" The girl pointed at Caster. And Caster thought that he was prolonging the awkwardness of the situation and was about to leave the room. Thinking that he sure didn't belong here.

But someone spoke up that made him stop.

"Um, who are you?" The girl asked Caster.

He sighed deeply before turning around to see the person who asked her.

'Why does this world keeps making me meet with 'these' kinds of people?' said Caster. Not still accepting that he may be the only male in this world.

Totally not talking about her chest size but you know, it is fine.

"I-I am Edrich Caster. Commander of Azur Lane. Hope you don't beat me up." He gulped afterward. These girls could sure beat him up.

"My name is Gneisenau. Nice to meet you also." The girl bowed. But Caster's was like:

'Gneisen- what now?"

"Hello!" The girl said making Caster jump.

He snaps his head side to side and can't see the girl that surprised him. As the other girls in the room grin cheekily. Making him confused.

Then he lowers his head. And there she was.

Caster was too tall for that he can't even see them looking straight even if he tried.

The submarine girls laughed while Gneisenau just chuckled. But it was kind of an insult to her, unsurprisingly.

Caster panics to not anger the girl.

"I'm very sorry." He sits down on the ground. "What is your name?"

"U-556. Is that too complicated for a name?" One of the many submarine girls or U-boats of the Ironblood introduces herself to Caster.

'U... U-boat? Submarines?'

And Caster knew immediately. But didn't think submarines would be this cute.

'I can never look at ships the same ever again.'

Caster sees plenty more girls getting out of their rooms. But again, there was an attack outside. And they have to fight it.

And the most intriguing ship yet shows up in Caster's view.

"Come on, girls. Let us destroy the enem-"

Graf froze as she exchanged looks with the Commander. In response, she formed her airstrip and pointed it to Caster.

"Uh... So I am the 'enemy' now?" He sarcastically said. Then the girls all ganged up on Graf to put her weapons down.

"Get off of me." Graf menacingly said to the others. Still, her focus was locked on Caster.

Not wanting any of that, Caster told himself that he needs to leave now.

"I'll leave you all to fight the Sirens outside. I'll do the same." He said, waving at them as he tip-toes out of the room.

Thoughts of what to do that can help the Ironblood for this attack was the only thought on his mind as of now. But he wanted to keep it fresh. Keep hitting them with something unexpected.

Surprises can make even the most intelligent people off-guard.

And that was the plan. Another surprise.

As he was thinking back of the last few clashes he had with the Sirens, he picked up on a strat that was too predictable.

Well, the pattern was:

Attack Sirens, and attack Sirens again, but with more girls.

With the occasional Caster near-death experience.

Not so creative now is it?

As he was so occupied thinking of new strategies, he didn't notice that he was walking outside with Zuikaku and Shoukaku.

Apparently, the 2 cranes were trying to talk to Caster multiple times for what to do next but he just ignored the two.

Then he got an idea.

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

"Everyone. Get in there first before further instructions. I need to set this up to be effective," said Caster. "Pick a direction. But I'll be going left."

Hood, Illustrious, Cleveland, Helena, Zui, and Shoukaku all nodded. They all jumped off the island and went their separate ways to meet the attack.

Caster just stood there with his rifle. Still not thinking of a really good plan yet. And if he doesn't do anything now, the Ironblood might just destroy the Siren ambush.

'And they're probably going to tell me that I didn't help. That's worst-case scenario right there.' He stroked his chin.

Then he heard some steps behind him. He turned around.

Graf Zepplin was there and Gneisenau was trying to hold her back. Caster seriously wanted to make a snarky remark but the task at hand was slapping him in the face to get his head in the game.

The small U-boats, all 8 of them, almost passed by Caster but he had a realization. For real this time.

"Stop." He stated.

All 8 girls stopped and all stared at him.

"Is their theme being sharks? Or am I stating the obvious?"

"U-um, who are you?" The girl pointed at him while looking at the others for answers. Seems that she was asking her fellow submarines rather than him directly.

She's U-101.

"My name is U-110. U-boat of the Ironblood."

"We're introducing ourselves now... Um." The girl mumbled. "M-my name is U-81. Nice to meet you."

"U-73! Nice to meet you!"

"U-557... I am known for bad luck..."

'Aww... Let's try to turn that bad luck around.' said Caster.

So he's introduced with all of the U-boats of the Ironblood.

A-kun: Okay, I know this is not ALL of the U-boats, but this is as much Azur Lane can offer. Yostar, please make more subs.

Then the same idea is still lingering in his head. Ready to get used.

"So all 8 pf you are the famous "Wolf Pack" right?"

All of the submarines nodded. But one girl raised her hand up.

"Why have you stopped us? Can we help you, at least?" U-101 asked. Being at least considerate for the unknown Commander.

'They seem to not be fazed of me being a guy but that's good. Less explaining.' Caster thought.

"Yes, you can actually help me with this attack. Tremendously, even." He clutched his fist.

The convincing worked, and the girl's attention is all on him.

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

"Okay... Okay! This is not bad!'

"Do you like my shark?"

"Not bad, actually. I'll point you to which direction we're going."

Caster's plan is in motion. And he's on U-101's shark. Or he's riding it with her.

A-kun: That obligatory 'sentence' again.

The waves of the high seas in the Ironblood were rocking the submarine back and forth. Definitely, a hazard if Caster falls into that water. And by Caster's feet submerged in that water, it was cold.

Very cold.

"For the love of god, don't go underwater. I'm not amphibious. And I don't have extra clothes." Caster pleaded to the young girl.

"Okay..." U-101 was hesitant to accept the plea, but she obliged with Caster's commands.

'Should I... Hold her waist for stability, that is a good idea. But I'm running the risk of me getting into a jail cell.' Caster is having a mental breakdown.

But he decided to NOT hold the girl's waist for stability. He just needs to have faith in the person he's riding with. Well, that's at least what he hoped.

And hope it was. As U-101 was actually really nice to Caster. And did not let him fall to the water. Now his equipment is not moist and not annoying to handle.

The submarine girl dropped Caster off on an island. A small one that is. The small island was between the Siren enemy lines. So he can choose to delete a 'fork' from the 3-pronged Siren ambush.

Caster told himself that this is going to be great.

He went off into the woods.

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

"That otherworlder is here just in time. We can strike them down."

"'Two birds with one stone,' you're doing, yes?"

"I can't wait to kill everyone there."

"Be wary. His fleet is nothing to mess with. If anything, go all-out."

"Don't worry."

"They will all crawl before me." The person licked her lips.

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

The girls were fighting valiantly as they always do. But the lack of commands from Caster was a bit concerning to them. But Prince of Wales saw this as a bit of a challenge, weirdly enough.

She thought that he was trying to test them if they can be autonomous without him.

What Caster's really doing was...

"Scope in. Finger on the trigger." A deep breath afterward.

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

"Everyone, let's get them!" U-73 raised up her hand. The water not even bothering her that she can even speak in the water.

Everybody else also nodded or raised their arms up also. And they get their 'shark' submarines to a closer distance to the Siren battleships.

Then all hell broke loose.

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

The 'Wolf Pack' unloaded their payloads and all of them hit the Siren Battleships. Causing extreme damages on all sides. Some were already sinking down the bottom of the ocean.

The Sirens were caught off-guard as the submarines girls actually tore through the 'impeccable' defense that the Sirens were somehow projecting, but not executing.

Also, the nitro-boosted Siren Destroyers were having their own fun with the Ironblood girls, as they can't hit the said Destroyers with their guns. So they were preoccupied and taken out of the fight.

Helena was assisted very well by Cleveland and Hornet and with Helena reciprocating the assistance, all of Cleveland's shots and Hornet's planes were all hitting. Strike after strike, they were chipping away the belt armor of the Battleships.

But the guns of the Battleships weren't even focusing on the ship girls at all on the ground. They were targeting the steel fortress of the Ironblood. Since they can't actually hit the girls, they just focused on something else.

And besides, the thick armor will give them time to keep firing on the super-structure.

The Fortress's armor was also getting chipped away also. And bits and pieces were already falling from the towers of the super-structure.

But it wasn't the worse that the Sirens can offer. 

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

Caster as of right now, can't do much but look at the jagged, rough edges of the Siren Battleships his sniper was facing. 

It's not like his 40.8 Cheyenne Tactical round could punch through the advanced armor of the Sirens. 

He was admittedly getting really bored of staying there. But he already made the decision so the boredom he has to endure a bit more longer. 

Then the wind got slightly more chiller.

And a burst of wind that got Caster almost fall off of his sniper spot. He scrambles to get back to his sniper position and scope in.

In which he does get to do but peering into the scope, he saw someone that he never thought he would see in his life. 

His communicator became rampant with alerts and beeps. He guessed it was from the girls telling him to get out of his spot. 

"Looks even more disgusting than the last..." He said before he physically cringed. 

And he didn't care that he the Siren might see his spot. He's camouflaged amidst a war-zone. There's no possible way that someone could see him. 

So with that logic in mind, he just said into the communicator: "Siren spotted. About to snipe her."

After that, he turned his communicator off. 

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

The view turns to Shoukaku and Zuikaku. The crane sisters. Who just also saw the new Siren enemy blaze into the battlefield unannounced. 

And Zuikaku didn't like that Caster was about to take on this supposedly dangerous Siren alone. So she went in there herself to help Caster and also test her strength against this new Siren.

Shoukaku already felt that she's going to fight the Siren so she took the first strike by flying out her planes at the Siren. In which it kind of worked...

Some of the planes got a direct hit but most of them got lasered out of the sky with unbelievable accuracy. Shoukaku gulped at the sight.

Zuikaku, on the other hand, took her time to let her sister distract the Siren before she comes in. Seeing the accuracy that the Siren possessed, she focused even harder. Telling herself that she needs to not get hit by those huge laser guns. 

As Shoukaku gets another batch of planes flown in from the rear, Zuikaku came in the front. Making the Siren make a difficult choice. 

And the Siren made a wise choice. By taking on the planes first and her durable gear holding off Zuikaku. In which her katana was making scratches on her gear but little to no damage being made. 

But this stagnation with the Siren's movement gave someone a window of opportunity. 

A glint. 

Then.

"Agh!!!"

A loud scream shortly after. Caster's ammunition for this shot specifically was the 'Armor Piercing' rounds. 

And the shot went through the Siren's arm and to the other arm. Making a hole on both sides on both arms. And it was bleeding badly. 

The gear she was holding on her two arms also was slowly falling down to the ocean and the Siren retreat a little bit to the air. 

Zuikaku and Shoukaku could only look. They don't have the audacity that Enterprise can display when she can get up in the air using her own planes as platforms for her bow shots that always seem to hit. 

Caster took the time to get off of his spot. 

Then, after some recovery from the Sirens, (is it really surprising at this point?) the Siren comes back down like thunder and commanded the attention of Zuikaku and Shoukaku once more and the 2 went after her again. 

Zuikaku being wary that Caster surely shot that sniper shot to almost defeat the Siren in one shot, she had the confidence to get in there head-first without precaution. 

Shoukaku, being one step ahead, again, foresaw this coming and she sang to her flute and her requiem to summon more and more planes.

Zuikaku this time got close to the Siren and the Siren didn't block her slashes this time with her gear. 

"Your end is near!" Zuikaku let out. As her slashes get fiercer by the second. 

But the Siren was effortlessly blocking all her slashes while her guns shoot down the planes that Shoukaku brought out. 

It was like she was never injured. 

And it worried Zuikaku. So she took a step back and lit her blade up in flames. 

"Hiyah!!!" Zuikaku screamed as she put her katana in the air about to cut the Siren in half. 

"Pathetic." The Siren plainly stated as she slapped Zuikaku aside straight to an island. 

Zuikaku really felt that pain so she was slow to get back up. 

Shoukaku got her planes out more to distract the Siren from going after Zuikaku. 

"Zuikaku!" She flew quickly to her sister.

The Siren just fought off the planes but she started to float over to Zuikaku.

But she stopped. As she felt a disturbance. Zuikaku and Shoukaku also felt the disturbance.

And then the Siren used all her lasers to decimate the island she was facing. Burning every tree and grass conceivable. 

Hood, and Prince of Wales, who was on the side where the 2 can see the Siren, was terrified on what damage this Siren can do with her laser weaponry. 

Shoukaku brought Zuikaku up on her arms and left the island, thankfully. 

And as the two cranes look on the destruction of the island, the 2 realized something.

"COMMANDER!!!" Zuikaku screamed out loud for everyone to hear. 

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

As the scream got to everyone's ears, Caster could be seen running down a steep slope railing towards the water. 

His face was showing all kinds of panic. But he looked forward and saw a nearby Siren ship. 

The Siren finally see the Commander of Azur Lane. And didn't waste any time attacking him. 

"I'm the least threatening here! Leave me alone!" He said before leaping, just before he got cut up in half by the Siren. Who was flying by with two blades on an 'X' position.

Caster stuck the landing. And this gave him valuable time to runs to a preferable position. 

"You're the otherworlder? The Observer got beaten by this?" said the Siren, and she rushed to the Siren where Caster was on. 

Zuikaku, and Shoukaku, still jarred by Caster's survival on that laser attack, finally got the composure to intercept the Siren.

But the Siren wasn't really looking to cut Caster up... She was targeting something else with her blades. 

WHOOSH!

In a swift cut, the Siren cut the Battleship that Caster was on. And with the weight of the Siren ship, it was sinking fast. 

And the Siren wasn't done, while underwater, she locked on Caster's position via x-ray vision. 

He is screwed. 

"Take this!" Then a sound of a torpedo going out. 

Multiple impacts. 

The Wolf Pack got to intercept the Siren with a few direct hits. 

The Siren still got up to the surface...

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

Caster already felt that the Siren is going to go back up and try to cut him from below. 

The ship was again shaking. As the Siren comes out and at a distance where she could finally kill Caster. 

In response. Blindly, he just jumped off the Battleship. 

With no plan after the splash to the water, he's going to be dead after that. 

With Zuikaku distracting the Siren, Shoukaku is the only one that can do anything about Caster's situation. 

So she let out some planes. 

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

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Shoukaku's planes were going straight at Caster.

And let's just say...

He caught one of the plane's wings. And he's in the air in near-mach speed. 

"NONONONONONONONO!" 

'If I keep gaining altitude, the impact when I land. I become human goo.' said Caster to himself. And he finally made up his mind.

His skin from his face is about to peel off his face. So he let go of wing of the plane and he is going into the water.

I wonder how is he going to survive this one...

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

"Get out my way." The Siren plainly stated. As she drill one of her blades through Zuikaku's arms. Only hitting the sides.

But the arm was bleeding. 

But she kept fighting. Still deflecting the Siren's blades before Shoukaku can reach her and get her out of there. 

But as soon as Shoukaku was about to attack the Siren and help her crane sister, the Siren pointed her laser cannons to the 2 and they were hit. 

The laser wasn't strong enough the pierce through their body due to the upgraded armor but it sent the 2 to the ocean. 

"Little weaklings. Now, that otherworlder." said the Siren in a malicious tone. 

She turns around and her x-ray vision activated and found him. 

But before she can get after him, the 2 big explosions. 

"AGH!" 

With the help of Helena, (hooray!) she assisted Hood, Prince of Wales, and Cleveland to line up their salvos to successfully hit the Siren and her gear is now inoperable. 

And more salvos, and more salvos. Until the Siren had no choice but to retreat. 

The girls were happy that Siren is gone, but they still have a battle to fight. But most not if all Siren threats are eliminated. 

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

The girls finally got to finish up the battle. Zuikaku and Shoukaku are picked up by Hood and Wales respectively and underwent injury tending by Graf Zepplin herself. 

A-kun: I'm confused as hell with that sentence. That's the best that I could phrase. 

As for Caster's whereabouts...

"God damn it... I'm pissed, and I'm cold."

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

The 'throne' room in the Ironblood fortress. It was Illustrious, Hood, and Prince of Wales. 

And well, according to the history of the 2 factions they're representing, it was the WORST lineup you can think of trying to do 'business' with the Ironblood.

And the tensions before the Siren attack was back once again. But a bit more calmer this time. And it is not because of Caster.

He's outside. And wet. And cold. And pissed off.

But back to the throne room... It was a minute of pure silence. With tension slowly building up again.

"Shall... Shall we settle our differences for unity?" said Hood as took the first move. 

Unlike Eugen, who is already made up her mind, Tirpitz pondered at the their situation as of right now. But it's a no brainer really. But she wanted something good out of this possible deal they're going to talk about. 

"Okay... We'll get to a deal quick. Time is paramount." said Tirpitz.

The 3 Royal Navy girls were genuinely surprised that same Ironblood that left the Coalition is coming back. 

But with the sudden rise to near-juggernaunt status of Azur Lane by the 2nd otherworlder made this again, a no-brainer. And winning and being safe is the Ironblood's intentions as of now.

"But we want something out of this deal in exchange for our loyalty to Azur Lane again." said Tirpitz. 

Hood wanted to get this done and over with, PoW and Illustrious also. But they wanted some comfirmation from Caster himself. But again, he is outside and probably exhausted. 

But they're just 'winging' it. 

"Alright." Hood nodded. 

The wind gets a little tighter in the throne room. 

"There is this discovery by my sister, Bismarck, she was very secretive about this. Until we found her notebook," Tirpitz started explaining. 

The 3 girls were surprised. They didn't expect Bismarck to come up in the conversation. 

"The notebook contained info on information that could help us and probably you also. And we found it." continued Tirpitz.

"And you were just coincidentally there on that exact location." said Eugen. Dropping her head down and closed her eyes.

After a brief pause of Tirpitz looking at the very tired Eugen, she looked back to the 3 Royal girls. 

"So that location. That snowy mountain town that Eugen was describing. If we can get to the place in question that was so alluring to my sister, we could get some answers."

Hood turned around to look at Prince of Wales and Illustrious and the 3 discussed a little bit. 

And Hood turned back around. 

"Alright. It looks like we're just achieving the same goal. Can you please excuse us? We have to take a look at our Commander." Hood said before she left with the Illustrious and Wales. 

"Eugen." 

"Yes?"

"Prepare the group." 

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

"Commander's clothes are going to be freezing cold if he's planning to go back to that place." Illustrious said as they were walking out of the fortress.

"I'll call back to base for extra clothes. Acutally, he looked pretty angry before we came in." said Wales. Extremely worried for the Commander. Very rare for her to do so. Development?

Then the 3 are finally outside. And they look to their left...

"..." The girls just stared...

It was Caster. He has fallen asleep. His clothes are dry now, but he'll get cold for sure. 

"My, my. Shall you call the base now?" Illustrious asked Wales. In which she nodded and took out her communicator to talk back to base.

Hood knelt down to Caster's level. His sleeping face was rather 'cute', Hood said to herself. 

Then she looked at Caster's hand. There was a pen. And a paper. Curious, she took the paper and looked at it. 

The paper was wet, guessing from the swim, but somehow, Caster still wrote something comprehensible. 

"Ironblood girls, coming with me. Also, some of you will stay here and protect the fortress. If you can, call the 2nd fleet for backup." Hood said what was written on the note. 

Upon hearing the plan he has, Hood and Illustrious stared again at Caster's sleeping face. 

"What are you planning again...?" 

A-kun: Guys, I'm so sorry. This thing could only be attributed by my incessant long chapters. So, question for all of you readers. (If you can, answer. It really helps me.)

Should I just make shorter to not kill my sanity? Or still write on the moderate side? 

Your choice everybody. :) Anyway, see you in a few days! (I'm going to be writing immediately after this.) 

Word Count: 4317 Words.

9:13 PM
7/31/20