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

Saint Louis is slowly making her way to the Commander's office for some huge news. She had to answer to all current factions in the base for the news, and she just compiled and ready to tell Caster about it.

The news might be the biggest yet for the benefit of the Coalition.

But before she can get in the office, she peeked into the window, in which Caster is there, sitting in his lonesome, writing again on his book. Every time she sees it, her curiosity on the importance of it grows. But she's here for one thing.

The door opens, and the unsuspecting Caster got startled at the visitor he has today. He gave her a questioning look.

"Commander, I have major news." She stated, as she sat down next to the desk. "I just got this news from Independence, who couldn't be here for this news due to personal reasons."

Any major news, or any news, can get Caster interested. As for the past few days now felt too normal, nothing's changing. In his thoughts, he would sometimes think that he's living the same day multiple times. Very unsurprising, his lone thoughts are really getting him now. Moreover, he got worried about what 'personal reasons' mean for Independence's absence. But he kept his attention to the news.

"Girls from all factions have gone on to have a verbal agreement since yesterday."

"All current reports from other Factions, Eagle Union, Sakura Empire, and Royal Navy, and the Ironblood... Are all having a single unified move."

"Almost all the ships, are mobilizing... Here."

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

"Commander... Wake up."

Caster woke up in cold sweat, he looked down on what it's supposed to be his bed. But it's a bench.

His eyes were foggy, and him also yawning, he wiped his eyes to get a better view on where he is. He took a look around, this is not his office, he's outside.

The scene was beautiful, a dazzling sunrise was on the horizon, the sounds of the waves crashing on the borders of the island he's standing on, and the winds complimented everything else, it felt so... Zen.

For him, this is a good of a landscape you can get anywhere. Nothing can topple this. But then he realized something. This is too good to be real. And he definitely slept in a bed, not a bench.

He then started to slap himself, trying to wake himself up if this was a dream. No effect.

But then a presence behind him made him more aware. Even as he was half-awake.

"Who's there? From the voice from earlier, is it you, Enterprise?" Caster tried guessing without even bothering to try to turn around to see her. Testing his own wits.

"Commander, how are you this good at knowing who's there."

"It's just self-awareness."

Caster looked at the sunrise, and he also assumed that Enterprise was doing the same, no words came after their prior statements, so it was a minute of this eerily comforting scene.

This could be many things he's experiencing. A vision from the Cube. A dream? Well, it was actually only 2 answers for his question. But as he wanted to expand his mind to think more possibilities, Enty spoke up.

"I have noticed that you have not been feeling well, I want answers to it. I want to help you." Her voice of concern reached Caster, he laid back at the bench and gave it a good minute of thinking...

It all came back at the day he suffered this horrific injury he is still dealing with today. He, and Tirpitz did win. But at a cost of his arm, and everyone's morale. And he isn't sure if he can get it all back.

He's very much aware of the near-idolization of him, and his achievements as Commander, and he has certainly kept his word to Helena of still keeping the winning brand of Azur Lane alive. And he hopes that could reel back some morale, but he inevitably knows that won't do as this injury is permanent and a very real threat of him dying is on the horizon.

And all with that, he took a deep sigh, and raised his head.

"I... Have many answers, but some just raises more questions, so basically, there's too many factors in it. I can't pinpoint which exact one, Enterprise."

"Hope you can forgive for the lack of a decisive answer, Enterprise."

As her presence walked closer, he looked up and to his right.

"It seems to be you're ill-prepared for the worst that war can offer..."

He immediately stood up away from the person he thought was Enterprise, but then his leg was yanked by an unknown force.

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

A shout of fear so loud it was heard inside, and outside of the office. Many girls peer in the office door's window. Looking what could have happened for him to yell that loud.

And Wales and Independence who were in that room were holding Caster tight side to side. As he covered in cold sweat. Independence grabbed a handkerchief and started to wipe off that said cold sweat. Both of them are in disbelief with Caster and his reaction. This sure wasn't the thing they were expecting first in the morning from him.

The door tore open flooded with the 4 starters, Yamashiro, Zuikaku, and almost every girl had got in, or some just fell and got trampled. But one thing's for certain though, they were seeing their Commander stressed, and fear written all over his face. One may already guess what repercussions this would have for the fleet.

But in the moment, nothing mattered for him. Caster looks and is visibly traumatized on what he just experienced.

"Wales... Independence... I think I might..."

"Commander?!" Both of the girls exclaimed, as Caster lost control of his body and possibly passed out on his bed.

The girls started to check on Caster, and some were running off trying to find Vestal to help him.

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

All the while, far away from the office, underground, the circle of girls who supposedly made a task force to figure out the problem that is plaguing Caster right now. Is now underground to look for something they have ignored.

"We totally forgot about this..."

Since the Siren's surprise attack, and the retaliation of the Royal Navy to protect the base, there was one thing that they captured, done so by Queen Elizabeth and King George V, the massive Siren Aircraft Carrier, was once the place that they found modern airplane blueprints, and the said blueprints are now being built in some capacity, and now being used by the ace CVs of each faction which made their planes effective twofold.

But now after all this time, the girls did not have a plan after they got the blueprints out of it. The Eagle Union and the Royal Navy are very hesitant to scrap it apart for parts, but the Sakura Empire, meanwhile, had some other ideas.

With the command of Nagato, Akashi, and many other IJN girls who knew some engineering, she ordered to have the teleportation module of the carrier fixed. And due to their experience of using some Siren equipment themselves in the past, particularly at the dawn of their withdrawal from Azur Lane, they managed to get it working, and configured to work at their command.

And it was a form of a holographic screen that Akashi painstakingly worked on without extra pay. But knowing she wasn't getting paid, she made the interface super simple. But managed to use the Siren Carrier's former location data to map out its surroundings, and is able to teleport to those areas that were mapped out with ease.

But sadly, after all her work it was never tested, nor used.

Akagi and Kaga, however, very well knew of this equipment, brought this up when the girls had their meeting a few days ago.

It just so happens to mesh very well to Tirpitz's proposal. An idea of using something she saw to help with the investigation.

And now, they are all seeing the Siren Aircraft Carrier for the first time again in months.

All the girls were there. Akagi, Kaga, Tirpitz, Eugen, Enterprise, Illustrious, Belfast, Edinburgh, and Hornet was there.

But along with them this time were some maids from the Maid Corp along with Belfast and Edinburgh. Sheffield, Sirius, Dido, Newcastle, but with some other newly arrived girls.

Curlew.

Gloucester.

Curacoa.

And Glasgow.

Basically, all the maids are lumped in to assist the mostly Aircraft Carrier fleet who are partaking in this 'mission'. Queen Elizabeth will be questioning their lack of presence for this one day. And they're all now informed with Caster's situation, since it's kind of crucial from everyone to get on the same page.

All of them all boarded the Carrier, not wasting any crucial time that they have on their hands. Everyone boarded, but not Akagi. Who stood at the ground silent. Even Kaga went along, but she insisted on staying.

Enterprise looked over the edge to look at her.

"Can we at least know why you're not coming along?" She raised her voice to make her voice heard to the crimson fox.

"I have a meeting. As 2nd-in-command, I can't afford to miss this." Akagi reasoned, and it got through to Enty. But that's still a hit to their potential firepower.

But they're all hoping that this mission goes flawlessly without much combat... As the massive dock doors opened, and inside the carrier, Tirpitz, and Eugen are currently manning the teleportation module, ready to get to their intended location.

And the mission is a go, and Akagi is off, as she closed the door behind her, with a smile on her face.

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

The sleepy and traumatized Commander of Azur Lane has finally woken back up from either him passing out or his slumber. But nonetheless, he felt even more tired and yawned.

His thought process was that he wanted to look at his desk to see how much papers has accumulated... But he worry not, he had something else to worry about.

Because he did not notice however, was the 3 figures who were now standing next to his bed, he slowly edged to his right, as he slowly turn his head left. He had never seen them before.

"You're the fabled Commander Caster... My name is Howe, King George V-class. I'm very honored to be in your presence." The woman with a fur jacket and glistening blonde hair bowed before Caster.

He smiled slightly in response.

"All of the girls were giving me a hard sell on your appearance. Seems that I got sold on a lie. Anyway, my name's Perseus, did I do alright, Hermione?"

Her words just sank his mood a little bit... But the girl next to her, was *another* maid.

"Jeez, Perseus, don't be so rude to our new Commander. Forgive her rudeness..."

He nodded.

"Thank you, my name's Hermione, Dido-class. Ready at your service. We have just heard your circumstances that led you to that state. Hopefully I could help as much as I can to get you back to speed."

He wiped his sweat off from his forehead and laid on a bookshelf's side that was next to his bed and yawned... As he did that, Vestal, Wales, and Independence cut in line to see the awakened Commander.

His eyes darted over to the 3, as Independence passed a notebook to Vestal in which she started to reading through it.

"Oh... I see."

This got Caster's attention and without a word and from a look, he wordlessly telegraphed what he wanted to hear from Vestal.

"Commander, This report gives a reason on why Enterprise has been gone for an extended period of time. Comes from Yorktown herself..."

As she told the report in its entirety, the things he understood from the report, is that Enterprise was gone for 'personal reasons'... As vague as that reasoning is, fortunately, Yorktown went into specifics so the reasoning is valid and well-defined. Among many key-words Vestal said, 2 words stood out... Self-reflection, and change of mindset.

Those 2 words, it made something click in Caster's head. A chill goes up his spine.

This feeling of... Epiphany.

Granted, he always knew all this time that this was the answer, but was too lazy and too demoralized to make it happen and change himself. But seeing how Enterprise herself, did it on her own (presumably.), those words comes ringing back in his head ringing the loudest as it's ever been.

He cleared his throat, which the six girls noticed and looked at him for.

"I apologize for my lack of words of gratitude earlier, but I'm happy that you are in my fleet now. If you excuse me, I just got reminded of something." He gave his signature smile to the newcomers, and slowly got himself off the bed, in his messed up uniform in which he tried fixing walking out the door, passing the other girls doing his paperwork for now.

"I'm sorry girls, I'll be back to help with the papers sooner than later." He said to the tired girls before closing the office door.

He soon walked towards and into the cafeteria. Which he felt the cold breeze... Of the new ACs put all around the place. And it's running full-blast. He had requested this a few months earlier but it may have installed a few weeks ago, in the middle of his discouragement arc, but this is the perfect time to use it.

And he's very much liking the temperature. He walked to the cafeteria's kitchen. Which King George V was actually the cook for today, much to his surprise. 'Royalty or not, she sure doesn't act like one...'

Just before he was about to greet George, he got bumped by something soft, but then he got pushed nearly to the ground.

"Commander! My apologies!!! I went too fast."

After some calming down, and resisting the urge to get angry, he got up to face who bumped him...

In which it was Hermione. And Caster got kind of spooked that Hermione is taller than him by a tad bit. But the thought got interrupted because she took his hand didn't seem that she didn't wanna let go. Maybe from the regret...

Her presence got Caster asking the question:

"Hermione, where is your sisters? and Belfast?" He looked a bit up to meet Hermione eye to eye. In which she looked befuddled as much as he was.

"Well, I know my sisters, Dido and Sirius are probably back from serving the Queen as she's coming here not too long from now, but I haven't seen them both." She responded.

The answer already delivered on the its purpose, but there was things there that put up more questions. Queen? Queen Elizabeth's coming to the base? Well, the report from Saint Louis kind of gave it away but he sure didn't expect her Majesty is about to grace this base for the first time.

After the momentary shock he had, King George V got caught looking at Caster for a bit of time. Seemingly taking pleasure with the confused Caster. He himself caught on pretty quick to her actions. And gave her a wink to snap her out of her stare.

This prompted George to turn around and look at the dish she's making, and turning off the stove, after fanning herself with her own hand, she then wore 2 oven mitts near her and brought over the pot she presumably cooked in.

"Commander, I made soup today, courtesy of yours truly. I hope you like it!" She said before she started to ladle some soup over to a huge bowl. After that, she put a tray under it, and got put a pitcher of water and a glass next to the bowl.

It was passed over to Hermione. With she handled it well.

"If you want seconds, don't hesitate. Okay?" She gave a cute smile to him which he smiled back and nodded.

**A-kun: Is it just me or did Caster just turn into a mute all of a sudden?**

They both went over to the far southeast side of the cafeteria, nearby the entrance he came from. And also the spot he sat by when he talked to Saint Louis. It would seem that he might have chosen that spot as the 'spot' whenever he's in the area.

And it didn't take long for Caster to start digging in for his meal. And it was very, very good. Hermione came back from the kitchen to bring him something she cooked up for him.

A 3-course meal in one plate. Fried rice, 2 scrambled eggs, and a steak to top it all off. The meal alone aesthetically made Caster smile. Which got him to start to get through his soup faster so he can get to his next meal.

Hermione, even though the Commander is eating with one hand, the enthusiasm he was emanating because of her dish made her heart warm. And as she couldn't keep it in, she took out her hand and head-patted Caster.

Caster stopped, and looked at her. There was no particular look on his face that would have given off what he was feeling, but he smiled afterwards and kept eating, not minding the head-pat at all.

The doors open from the outside of the building and as some girls stepped in, they immediately saw Caster, and Hermione patting him. Suffice to say, like every other time, the girls were jealous.

But as he was still so enamored with Hermione's dish, his lone of thought got broken up by Cleveland, who shouted in the distance.

He kept on eating though but as soon as Cleveland entered the cafeteria, he took a break and paid attention to Cleveland. And the 2 new girls who were with her. They were even taller than Hermione...

He looked at them with awe as much as them looked at him right back with awe. But after that brief, 'awe'some staring contest they had, the 3 snapped out of it.

"They're my close friends in the 1st otherworlder's stint. I convinced them to come back due to your reputation." Cleveland elaborated on why they're both here...

"Heya, Commander. I'm Bremerton, Eagle Union heavy cruiser! The pleasure's mine! Also, do you mind telling me your name, birthday, and favorite thing?" Bremerton started speaking really quickly.

"Come on now, Bremerton, don't pressure him already." The girl next to her spoke.

Cleveland gave Caster a bit of a nervous, but reassuring look. Which got Caster to chuckle. In which Cleveland started to hit him lightly on his right shoulder.

"My right shoulder, this damage I may never recover, oh, that rhymed." He paused, which got Cleveland to pause also. Cleveland laughed at him right back. He only smiled for a response.

The girl next to Bremerton sighed a little before speaking.

"My name is Baltimore. The lead ship of my namesake class. I'm very happy to meet you, Commander. The atmosphere since last time has been vastly different now." She gave a nervous smile at him.

"Yeah, looking at Juustagram before we came here and so many girls there are all expressing their fondness of you, all in public, Commander. You're seriously popular with everyone!" said Bremerton before she took out her phone and looked through Juustagram to give him examples.

He put her hand away slowly. "Flattering statements, but I kind of know that. I feel it everywhere. That's just how it is and that's what I'm living with."

"Anyway, thank you for joining my fleet, strength in numbers, as they say."

Both of them nodded in approval. Cleveland offered them to sit down in which they did so.

Hermione in all of this was just playing the introvert, observing everyone. But then Caster came back to his food and finished it fully and drank the glass of water and emptied the pitcher.

"Thank you so much. It's a good change of pace with the vegetables I've been eating the past month." He commented on his diet. The maid took heed of those comments and took his tray back to the kitchen.

As he was looking at his still injured arm, he saw someone sit across from him from his peripheral vision. He raised his head up to see who is it...

"You look like the Commander. I have many questions to ask of you. Be ready." She just sat down, looking at Caster dead in the eyes.

Her aura as of now is to put it in a word: Serious. And Caster felt something's bad is going to happen soon...

"Well, fire away..."

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

Somewhere far away from the base, a familiar sight that the girls see... As the massive portal closes behind them.

The maids following this expedition, they aren't holding back, as they are prepared as they can manage in a short amount of time. In the teleportation process, all of the girls were changed into winter attire to fight off the cold while they are there.

The atmosphere of the place they just teleported to, was ready to welcome them. As the cold winds immediately felt amongst all of them. And the repurposed carrier gets snows spot it as the winds weren't calming down.

And on the deck, Enterprise, her sister Hornet, and Belfast was behind her. They were confused on the sudden attire change but it worked out.

But after some time, Tirpitz walked by 3, as she came out of the central part of carrier.

"This place again... I was fine following your idea, but you better make this quick." Hornet remarked to Tirpitz, who stretching her neck and her back.

"I'll try my best to make this work. But for this, you all need to come with me. I'll show you something." The Queen stated...

"...What is it?" Enterprise raised an eyebrow. As she has never been here before.

"To the place where your Commander almost lost his arm."

After that ominous remark from Tirpitz, they found a spot to dock the stolen Carrier. Exactly where Tirpitz came in from. And all the maids were tasked to keep guard of their entrance and their exfill location later, except for Belfast and Edinburgh. But for everyone else, including the aforementioned 2, they came with Tirpitz back to that 'place' again.

While walking to the town through unforgiving weather, every girl who was present with the exception of Tirpitz, they all started to imagine in their heads if they were in the battle with Caster instead of Tirpitz. On what they would do, and what lengths they were willing to go to protect Caster.

But in retrospect, Tirpitz was probably the best case scenario at the time, but she wasn't enough to beat Siren Beta without sacrificing Caster's left arm. So the what ifs was sort of valid.

And after more walking, and as the weather was slowly tempering down it's intensity, they finally reached what Tirpitz points to be her main crux of her idea to help Caster. She called it: 'The Time Crystal'.

What she saw in this crystal after the fight, was one of the main driving points that she was finally convinced that she, and the Ironblood should return back to Azur Lane and follow Caster as their new leader. And also the reason she wanted to help with his problems in the first place.

All the other girls though looked at the massive, floating foreign object with awe.

'If I could do it again... She may have the answer to his problems...'

"This crystal is going to help us? What does it do?" Hornet said to Tirpitz... But she couldn't reach her, as her head was down, and eyes closed...

'Sister... You said I can trust him with my life... So I shall never let him perish. This is for you...'

The weather started to pick up all of a sudden, as if the weather is making them decide to do something now...

"Tirpitz...! I advise doing what you wanna do now!" Belfast exclaimed to Tirpitz.

"Close your eyes." The Queen of the North commanded.

As everyone was confused over her sudden, vague command, she opened her eyes, and reached her hand out to the crystal and it reacted by blinding everyone in light brighter than the snowstorm.

...

...

As the blinding light dissipated... The fog around them also from the rough weather was lessening... So as all the girls open their eyes, the surrounding buildings looked more damaged, even smoke from the lasers was making its way into the air...

But before anyone can even tell what's happening, a loud gunshot is heard in the distance.

This sound... Gave Tirpitz flashbacks, so much so that she didn't even say a word, but she bolted off to where she thought she was last time she was here.

The other girls however was left reeling as they scramble to follow her as well, very much confused with Tirpitz's wordless actions.

Tirpitz, Enterprise, Hornet, who took cover behind a small structure, both Enterprise and Tirpitz peeked on the other side of the building, which they saw a Siren-like figure with massive weaponry on its back...

Illustrious, Belfast, Kaga, and Eugen, in the back, also saw a Siren-like figure, but fell down the cliff-side, but it looked like a hologram, and then suspicions were confirmed as the Siren figure fell down ever further, it turned to dust...

Then a holographic sniper was tossed up and landed on the ground.

Right after was a loud shout... Possibly even louder than the gunshot earlier.

Enterprise's instincts kicked in as she rushed to the edge of the cliff, to see Caster... In disgusting condition. With his shoulder blades nearly visible and blood seemingly pouring out of it to the chasm below...

She tried getting his hand, but her hand was going through him. She only just now remembered...

"Are you okay?" The voice came from behind Enterprise and she quickly turned around, bow in hand.

The figure moved through her, and Enterprise was so freaked out by this she leaped back... It was another hologram. And a familiar one too. It was Tirpitz.

Everyone else was now all behind Enterprise, as they watch past Tirpitz pull up past Caster...

"The arm is all right. Can't... Say the same for my left."

All of them watch in horror and some gagged on what Caster's injury looked like when it first occurred... Even Tirpitz, who was the one who held him, couldn't bear watching it the 2nd time.

'I... Wanted my involvement in any conflict to end. I think I had that in mind before I was tossed here...'

The voice came from nowhere.. And everywhere, as the girls look around on where could that voice be coming from. By then past Tirpitz already bolted with past Caster. Enterprise was the first to notice and notified everyone to follow it, which they all did.

"But I'm really about to die... Alone... Without even enjoying the greater parts of life... Love..."

"All this attention and affection... I'm... Wasting it."

"Please, don't let me die now..."

As all the girls heard this inner monologue from perhaps, Caster himself... This suggestion by Tirpitz may have gotten this issue blown right open.

The language of this monologue is unmistakable. They finally all know what is the solution of his problems...

But someone... Back in port, has already figured it out way before them.

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

"Come on, come on... I might miss the sunset. Run up faster..." said Caster, he looked up as he was so close to the top of it...

And after almost tripping and rolling down the mountain of stairs, he got to the top, exhausted. So much so he sat down immediately on the pavement, and laid his head down for a bit.

After some deep breathes, he got up, and look down below. He saw so many figures down there... And more gathering at the start of the stairs...

He gulped after realizing what this could mean.

Wanting to do something now, he looked left, and immediately got blinded by the sunset. He soon got towards the balcony after covering his eyes from the sun.

He soon leaned on the railing... Basking in the immaculate view he's been blessed upon tonight.

And then... Someone whispered in his ear.

"Commander~~~"

A chill went up his spine, and as he turned around to see who it was, it was Akagi... Who looked at him with eyes filled with desire... And the more time passed staring at his face, she only started to crave him more...

Caster then just took out his hand and put it on her head, patting her. Taking out her train of 'thoughts.'

"Good evening, Akagi. Nice spot for a sunset viewing, isn't it?" He gave a smile to her, which she was smitten by. His charm is slowly coming back as he is getting more and more better.

"Commander... We haven't talked for so long... I miss you, you know?" Akagi scooted very close to Caster, who was just taking the affection, seeing his face not reacting much, she pouted a little bit, but she then had a different idea.

"I apologize for it, Akagi. And also, I've not told this to anyone outside of my secretaries, but for the past months, I haven't been giving your faction the attention they so deserved. I, admittedly was deferring to other factions than yours. I just want someone like you to hear it from me so this burden won't hurt me anymore."

His face turned very sour, and for this atmosphere, this is something Akagi can't afford.

"Commander..." She went in for a very tight hug. Akagi definitely was feeling the bias of Caster from months ago... But kept to herself about it rather than Kaga, who was outspoken with the criticism.

But for at least being honest, she forgives Caster... And also... She was really enjoying that hug.

After some time, her face looked at his face with the same lust she was having earlier... She then closed her eyes, and starts to get it closer and closer to his.

But then Caster put a finger on Akagi's lips. "Could this wait? Can it?"

She hesitantly nodded, and was visibly frustrated with his interruption.

But she realized what she really needed to do here.

At first, an epiphany. A stark realization, and perhaps the solution that everyone was looking for. And luckily for her, she only knew about at the time. Second, it was prediction turned right, and now that he is here, she just needs to do the rest. The time and place couldn't go more right for her, she has to do this or else there might never be another chance.

"Commander... No, Caster... Do you... Looking for someone that you love?" She let go of her embrace and looked at Caster dead straight in the eyes.

His eyes however, did not stay connected with hers. As he leaned back on the railing, looking at the sunset once again and the silence fills the air.

"You're correct... I had some before I came here."

"...Caster..."

"Don't get me wrong, I have been so fortunate with everyone's display of admiration and genuine affection, but..."

"You don't have a single one that you truly love?"

Silence grew even faster as time just seem to stop for both of them... One party anxiously waiting for an answer, while the other is hesitant.

And this what she was looking for... 'This is it.'

"Caster, I could be the one for you. You don't understand how deep is my love for you. Ever since you saved me, you pulled me in and I loved every part of it."

"I lost my sister Amagi when I didn't know any better. When I was helpless. You remind me of her."

"And if I lost you... Without knowing what love feels like from a person you truly adore, it will be a regret that'll stay with me forever."

"I know there's other girls gunning for your affection, and I know I am part of that race... But please, if nothing else, heed my selfish request. Consider it, even. I would wait for an eternity for your answer."

"But know this, Caster... If you choose me... I'll love you even more than you'll ever love me."

...

...

...

Her hand is trying to reach Caster... As she couldn't take his silence anymore...

"COMMANDER!!!"

It was a crowd of girls at the top of the staircase, and all of their eyes were dead set on Caster himself. And he's most likely won't be able to deal with it.

Caster immediately tried to look around for something to use as an escape. But before that however, he looked back at Akagi...

"Akagi... I almost cried hearing it all... I am honored to be such recipient of such love..."

"But... There's still a war that's still on my mind."

"Know this however, you will get your answer. One of these days. My heart and mind, is undecided. So please, let me think."

He immediately positioned himself in front of the railing... Looking at the long drop below him.

Akagi tried doing something about it but it was too late, as Caster jumped off, his jump seemingly aimed at the water...

She understood his message, but she was confused, frustrated, and a sense of her heart breaking... But she's left with nothing else to do.

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

Back to him though, the White Wisdom Cube, saved him from being ripped apart from the impact of the water he was colliding with, but still emotional from Akagi's confession, he sat there in the water... Already thinking on what he should do...

But he was interrupted with some girls on the shore.

A-kun: The last 4 was planned to be included in my story A YEAR AGO. Where did all the time go?

"I almost killed myself running away from a crowd of girls just to be met with another one..." Caster let out a loud groan...

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

After running for what it felt like forever and some mobility improvisation from the girls, Enterprise doing the Enterprise, Tirpitz imitating what her hologram did with shooting the ground to gain air, etc. They all finally reached the final destination of the holograms.

But a blinding light met their eyes on the last second as they're back from where they started..

They open their eyes...

To see this.

Her eyes glowed, after which a sadistic smile formed on her face.

"Oh... How the hunter, finds its prey..."

Word Count: 5830 Words.

12:06 AM
9/13/21