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

A crater.

Left by the Siren's biggest trump card, the Dreadnought.

When the momentum seemed lost for the Sirens, Observer swung it right back with one button press. Now, the prerogative is on Azur Lane this time to give a response.

And it started with most of the girls evacuating everyone once again from the island. That one shot from the dreadnought wiped a whole beachside out. The island is not gonna last if the Dreadnought is still around causing mayhem.

On the flip-side of the spectrum, the URs leaped into the Siren fray with no fear.

Shimakaze, using her blinding speed, illusions, and sawed-off shotgun to slice, cut and intimidate the Sirens into wiping them out. That wasn't the last of them though.

New Jersey, after briefly leaving for healing, she came back like nothing happened. Back with her posse once again, San Francisco, and Boise, they shred the Sirens with minimal effort.

Until New Jersey spun her head to her right and saw the Dreadnought's railgun pointed straight at her, already glowing.

She turned around to see what's behind her. The beachside once again, but with some buildings this time. She looked back at the railgun, and made a stance.

"New Jersey? What are you doing?!" San Francisco shouted, "You're going to get hit!"

"There might be girls inside of the building behind me! I've heard of the deaths that happened here before, never letting it happen again!" New Jersey shouted back. Her eyes glow, electricity started emanating for her body and rising up to form a shield.

"Leave!" New Jersey said, "I'll be fine!"

Boise and San Fran looked at each other, and neither moved an inch away.

And by then, the light was blinding...

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

"I shall make my entrance. You stay here, and shall guide everyone in this battle until reach victory." A little girl walked to the exit, upon doing so, revealing a massive rigging surrounding her.

A word before departing. "Take care."

...

...

...

..!

"I sense it..." She spoke indifferently and... Snoozing? "Lady Nagato."

She floated outside...

"Someone's life... Is in danger." Putting out her right hand...

"Let me... Rewrite fate."

An armada of planes rushed from her runways and into the air they go. Scattered within the clouds.

But it won't be the case for long. As the planes started to group together in a "V" formation and a flaming avatar resembling of a bird started to form around the planes.

Every girl in the vicinity stopped in awe as the Phoenix plane formation is racing towards it's target.

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

The railing fired straight for New Jersey... Until the Phoenix plane formation caught the beam mid-travel far enough to not damage the shores.

But close enough for the blast radius to send New Jersey and co. flying.

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

"Whoever did that, you're a hero..."

clink.

"But if that's what it's gonna take to stop a railgun shot, the island's good as done." The Commander exhales as he took another Siren life.

'This was a perfect trump card for the Sirens that I didn't plan for... But no time for praise, everyone's in danger if this Dreadnought stays for longer.'

'Come on, Caster. Think!'

He reached for his walkie-talkie.

"Girls, commence the full evacuation effort. Get the destroyers to disperse to the other naval bases. Cruisers and Heavy Cruisers, occupy the role of convoys for these little ones. They need to be protected."

"Commander, you're okay! What shall we do against the Dreadnought?!" said Hood.

"I demand a massive distraction on the north-east to open a gap for all the submarines to pass by undetected to the other side to find a weak spot on that thing."

"URs, distract Observer for me, please? Thank you..." He politely said to the URs... Feeling intimidated as it's his first time barking them orders.

As he finished all of his commands, massive fireworks started happening on the north-eastern side of the sea, catching the attention massive swaths of Sirens towards the action, and the girls ready for head-to-head combat once again.

The URs on the other hand tore through every Siren that was put between them, and the Observer in a mad dash, while the latter is just standing there idle...

And in a blink, Observer was right in front of Saint Louis' spear, with her tentacle going toe-to-toe with the weapon's durability.

"Don't you start thinking that your lousy plans are gonna get you somewhere." Observer taunted as her other remaining tentacles shot lasers that intercepted the shells that the other URs are spitting out.

The Siren's eyes glowed and with a gust of wind, she pushed back everything around her. She looked behind and had all her lasers shoot at the water.

"The submarines!" Neptune exclaimed.

"You foul beast!" Saint Louis leaped and clashed weapons with Observer once again.

But there was no explosion in the water, the submarines had correctly guessed that Observer had already tapped into their communications and listening in. And they managed to get away by the skin of their teeth by going deeper into the ocean where her x-ray vision couldn't reach.

As they pass this information on to the rest of the fleet, the Dreadnought had a force field appear on it's front end. It wasn't covering the whole behemoth, but it gave vital protections to it's main assets, the railguns, upon which are now so much harder to take down.

But the time taken by all of 3 plans happening, gave enough room for Caster to finally come out of the bushes and revealed himself to his subordinates after lots of begging from everyone.

A quick flick of the tentacle and a parry got Saint Louis away from Observer, and immediately flew straight to Caster, but was blocked by both Akagi and Enterprise.

"Oh, no. You don't!" Both exclaimed.

But the Dreadnought wasn't far behind, as it already finished turning its guns towards Caster.

Everyone started to scrambling to escape the railgun's line of fire, but the courageous one stayed by his side. As he wasn't budging either. New Jersey, Shimakaze, Essex, Warspite, and many others came together around him to see what he'll do next.

He raised his right arm and the remaining girls watched in amazement as the White Wisdom Cube came out of his palm out of nowhere.

"You can thank Akashi for this. I just had to do it in front of you girls for style." Caster said as he grinned.

He somehow still had the time to joke around while the railgun is charging up it's shot.

His face transitioned back to his 'poker' face as he looked at the White Wisdom Cube one more time... And closed his eyes.

'Whatever you're gonna do, please stop that from obliterating us all...'

He then did what he always does...

...Running straight at the danger ahead.

The girls couldn't believe their eyes, but it wasn't long for everyone to do the same. While New Jersey went ahead and pulled up her electric shield once again.

A familiar white glow is covering the otherworlder's hand.

The tentacles finally overpowered both CV aces, and Observer managed to slip by the blind spot, on a collision course towards Caster.

And the railgun fired.

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

"Akagi, move ou-"

The last words that Enterprise said before getting flashed with a blinding light and stunned with a deafening sound.

...

The light soon dissipated.

The ace carrier looked back at the shores, bow ready, where she saw Caster one last time running. But now he's gone.

'Where did he go?!'

"Where is he?!" The voice made Enterprise turn around, which she saw Akagi. 'She's still here?'

After being frozen for few more seconds, they felt a beaming blue light shining on both the aces' skins. And they turn back around.

Seems that the massive threat is just not going away.

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

A rough landing from Caster as he fells from above, face-planted into the dirt. He soon got up looking unscathed.

As he turns his head and body around to analyze his surroundings, the situation was looking fraught.

A flat space with nothing but cement under his shoes, upon he can only see land as far as his eyes can see... He lowered his sniper rifle, scratching his head.

But something else was amiss, other than the strong wind passing through him, he heard something from a distance. He closed his eyes...

"Waves-"

"Commander!"

His eyes wide open, he spun around quick to see who it was. But by the tone, he already knew who it was.

"Z23..."

It was the German destroyer herself But his eyes widen.

"What a glow-up, Nimi. You look great in your new outfit. That's the retrofit that Akashi promised me, yes?"

The string of compliments made Nimi bashful and made her look away from him. "Y-yes."

The other 3 retrofitted girls came up to Caster to show themselves off with their new gear.

Caster only then realized that there was a cascade of other girls behind the starters just as confused as he is with their location.

Hood, Belfast, King George V, Warspite, Zuikaku, Prinz Eugen, and Tirpitz.

But some newer girls that he hasn't utilized yet before this battle, like the juggernaut ace New Jersey, Elridge, Shimakaze, and Essex...?

'Oh, Essex's here. That promise I made to her, guess she has a chance to prove herself here.'

Everything else aside, Caster is getting confused on how he's going to use the line-up that he has to work with.

'6 Destroyers, a Light Cruiser and a Heavy Cruiser, 5 Battleships, and 2 Aircraft Carriers... Bizarre.'

He pushed aside the strategy-planning for a bit to answer a important question.

"Where's Observer?" asked Caster. But his eyes widen. "Okay, girls. We're using this as an opportunity to set the stage where the battlefield conditions benefit us."

He pointed towards the direction behind the girls. "Go there and get to the water if you see any." The girls soon followed his command, but before barking any more, the ground shook.

"I think this is it, guys! Get ready!" Caster shouted to the girls as they're running, only to be confused as one girl didn't follow the crowd.

Ayanami.

"...Ayanami?" He said as she spun her head towards him.

"I don't want to see you all alone again, Commander. I'll be hurt." She moved closer to him.

He sighed, "Ayanami, get me off the this rock the opposite direction of the girls."

"Why?"

"Just do i-"

The Sakura Empire destroyer spotted cracks on the ground and pounced on Caster, picking him up and started making their way to the other end of the massive island.

Observer has emerged from the ground with force and went up into the air.

She was met with a cannon shell immediately and she staggered as she recovered, seeing who dared hit her.

It was Warspite, with her smoke from her cannons.

"How dare you!" She swiftly flew towards the waters, upon everyone else is located. Except for one.

"Where is your Commander?" Observer demanded answers.

"Don'tcha worry about him, you're dealing with us instead." New Jersey smiled.

The Siren raised her hand, as her eyes glow. "Be my guest."

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

Akagi let out as much planes out as she could to stop the railgun charging it's shot, while Enterprise is getting everyone out of the way so no one is badly injured.

But a massive explosion happened on it's right side stopping the shot entirely.

"Saint Louis and the rest of the PR ships managed to strike a massive blow to it's right side, they're withdrawing for now." Helena reported as she managed to be there when it happened.

Before she can say anything more, the pillars started appearing from the skies, all around the island. And for the girls who are close enough to see, the Sirens are getting enveloped by said red pillars and disappearing as the pillar does.

Soon, the pillars stopped appearing and the Sirens that surrounded the island just minutes ago was now all gone.

But all there was left was the Dreadnought. Still shut down, but the girls still need to move quick or capitalize on it's weakness.

And here comes Nagato. who has finally arrived.

"Where is the Commander?" asked Nagato.

"Some white light took him away. We don't know where he is." answered Enterprise coming from behind her. "Also, Observer is gone, and we're left with this massive ship."

"And the red pillars are taking Sirens?"

"From the looks of it, yes." Enterprise answers once more. As Akagi walks into the picture.

She breathed in deep. "Last time we all worked together, we kicked the Sirens back without a fully-fledged Commander at the helm."

Enterprise and Akagi straightened up.

"We can do it again." As she turned on her radio.

"So I'll shall take the leadership role in Commander Caster's absence. Our objective, either distracting the Dreadnought with our superior numbers for it to not be able to shoot at the island, or seek out a fatal weak spot to be defeated." She announced to everyone around the entire island.

"Enterprise and Akagi, lead the way on this offensive." Both aces give each other the side-eye.

And right on time, the Dreadnought is now back in operation.

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

"Be my guest."

Red pillars started appearing all around the girls on the shores, one after one, Sirens come out of the pillars and the girls started to dodge, deflect, and retaliate as the numbers advantage turned around to the Siren's side quick.

The Observer however, idle, is still curious upon where that elusive Commander is.

"Oh, snap. That's a convenient spot."

Ayanami dug out rocks with her blade to show a hole that can fit both of them inside...

"Okay, I'll stay hidden here, we need Observer weakened and bait her here." He said as he looks at the very visible explosions in the distance.

"I'll still stick with you, desu."

"I'm aware of that fact."

Caster had seen some dots in the distance, but after squinting he saw some dots becoming bigger.

"Ayanami, get in the hole and cover it." He urgently moved inside the little cave as Ayanami came after and covered it with the said rocks they dug out.

It was pitch dark, but Ayanami's attire was the thing that was brightening up the place. But Caster was starting to sweat and pushed a rock out of the way to breathe and to look outside.

Ayanami stared in a daze that her Commander is fresh off a surgery, and yet still around to battle the Sirens. She admired it. And both of them are in this cave... Alone together.

Upon the retrofitted destroyer's realization that she and Caster are alone together, albeit in the worst possible setting, she went for a hug from behind. Surprising Caster, turning around to see her and feel her hug getting tighter.

"Please don't die... I became stronger for you. I don't wanna see you hurt in battle ever again, desu. I wanna protect you."

He sat down as Ayanami did the same. He took out his right hand and it started to shake.

The destroyer raised her eyebrows. "Commander?"

The white Wisdom Cube came out of his palm once again. Surprising Ayanami.

"Well, but me being here now, I can't exactly promise you that, no matter how good you protect me. We're in the endgame, after all."

He laid aside the Wisdom Cube as he gave Ayanami a head-pat. The gesture made her hug him tighter than ever. The once timid Ayanami had quite more to show to her Commander when no one's around...

And then she raised her head, looking straight into Caster's eyes.

'Her face'--Caster's eyes widen--'it's so close...'

Paralyzed, amongst all the thoughts racing in his head, for a second, he had a thought about kissing her on the forehead... However,

Blood rushed to her Ayanami's face. Visible for Caster to see. "...Commander. Not now." Covering her face with her long hair.

His eyes widen once again, and started to panic. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry for that." He picked up his sniper to move quickly out of the situation.

But before he can put his other hand onto the sniper, Ayanami's hand caught it. He turned to look.

"...Stay..." she crawled towards his face and went straight for his cheek.

He turned his head away from her to hide his embarrassment. "...Even you now?" He shook his head. "Okay, focus up..."

As much it was embarrassing for Ayanami, she smiled at his reaction. But had to stop herself from giving Caster more affection.

Caster realized that the scope of his sniper is not gonna work at all with the setup he's dealt with, and more likely, the glare will just expose their position, spelling doom for both of them. So he retracted the variable zoom scope and laid it on the floor.

The Wisdom Cube, the only thing somewhat illuminating the place, it started glowing. "Ayanami, cover your eyes." He said as he and Ayanami blocked their eyes.

The flashbang came and went, and when both of them lowered their arm, it's again, gone.

His first instinct was to look at his gun, it wasn't glowing. Neither did anything on his waist, if he has some cool new projectiles to throw around, it would have been obvious. Caster was confused, Ayanami even more so.

"Okay, I'll guess I'll just have to wait for it." He shrugged, and aimed down his iron sights.

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

Meanwhile, the shipgirls holding off the Sirens, their movement and positions are all over the place, leaving them open for omnidirectional ambushes.

"Shimakaze!" Z23 shot her cannon on a Siren right behind Shimakaze, saving her from a surprise attack.

"Arigato-!" Shimakaze got sent back, but pulling out her shotgun, and blasting Siren faces off the Earth.

Shimakaze looks around her for something else to cut up, but all the flurry of explosions in the sky, made her instead conjure her illusions to do the job for her while leaving one for her own protection.

Warspite, stuck on the western part of the sea, along with her compatriots, blocked just an explosive shell with her rigging. Her eyes widen, she didn't see that coming. Add to that, her rightmost guns are now inoperable.

A Siren pivoted straight at Warspite. But with blinding speed, it was only met with a sword. Straight through the monster's body.

It happened in a blink of an eye.

King George V pulled back her blade out the Siren, returning to shooting down the Siren in the distance with Hood, while the latter is moving with haste to avoid getting overwhelmed.

And now, with space to swing her own hefty sword, she took a deep breath.

"EVERYONE! CONVOY FORMATION ON ME!"

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

First thing he saw some Sirens... And it didn't seem to notice him the longer he stayed to look out.

"Commander desu, what do you see?" asked Ayanami sitting in the corner.

He positioned his sniper rifle's barrel to peek out of the gap. Taking a position that was uncomfortable for him.

"Targets. Ayanami." He held his breath, and fired.

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

Everything stopped for a moment, and soon her comrades slowly grouped up together and the concentration of Siren fire was now getting focused on one spot. But as right as they were about to spread out again to complete the formation,

And then a mighty gale tipped everyone's balance, some girls fell into the water, and the Sirens were left staggered for crucial seconds, enough for them to be cut or shot down.

And all of a sudden, the Sirens harassing them was now cut in half by that one event.

"What the heck is that?" asked King George after lowering her sword.

"I don't know, but we can get some of us to chase after Observer." Warspite remarked, "Shimakaze, Elridge, push ahead and don't let Commander be found." both nodded as they race to the other side of the island.

Javelin deflected a Siren shot, as Z23 returned fire. "What are we gonna do next?" the former brought up.

"We're..."—3 cannons shot, and 3 Sirens hit and sink—"Defending this position until he shows up again." said Warspite as she raise her sword.

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

The shot pushed back Caster slightly and a tingle spread all throughout his body. "That's definitely not..."

A splash can be heard from Ayanami's point of view. "...Hitting."

The cross-hair placement was so off the mark because of his back-breaking posture, he was sure that first shot was a absolute miss, but he followed a Siren's body falling into the ocean from his scope...

He also heard a distant thud.

"...Okay? That hit?" his eyebrow raised... "Wait..." he immediately tried finding another target, and let loose another shot.

After observing the bullet path to his target, and hearing a gust of wind outside, his suspicious were confirmed.

thud-

"The shots are getting assisted by the Wisdom Cube. That's creative."

'Also, what the heck is that sound? Something's getting slammed into the ground?'

He spun his head around, "Ayanami, we might need to get out soon."

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

"Argh..." New Jersey grunted as she tried getting up, with Tirpitz protecting her while Observer is standing above them, just letting them get up for some reason.

The gust of wind that interrupted their battle was not just ignored by both parties, but Observer in particular, 'Feels like I'm getting close to whom I'm looking for if this is happening.'

Wanting to confirm this as soon as possible, she tried to leave the aces in the dust, not until before a hit to Observer's side raised her anger once again.

With her signature glare, "Don't you dare run away." said Tirpitz.

Observer soon blinked towards New Jersey with a fist about to collide her face, wanting a final blow. Tirpitz blocked it with ease, confused with her point of attack, until a tentacle whipped on her side that hit so hard she flew far, far away from the battlefield. With the girls on the edges of the island seeing her.

The velocity of the hit soon made her disappear from all of their sights.

She looked down at New Jersey, and her jets started to burst.

"G-g-g-g-gah!!!" her speech started to stutter as she was sent way back. She looked at her hand, shaking along with electricity leaking out of her. She looked back up to see Elridge. "Goddamn you!!!"

"That kick... Hurt." said Elridge as she floats back up in the air, looking at an afterimage.

Until that said afterimage turned out to be Shimakaze. "Gomen... I should've not kicked you that hard."

"You two... I got this." New Jersey readies her rigging and her electricity field starts to permeate around her.

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

"Come on, make haste!" said Howe, pushing the little destroyers along. As she pushed the last ones of her batch, she looked at the skies, still looks dark and bleak, but there's no Siren up in the air. And the evacuation effort has gone suspiciously smooth with near to no resistance.

As for the one thing standing in their way and their objective to distract the Dreadnought, it wasn't going to plan.

The monstrosity of a ship was so large that it cannot move anywhere to its sides. So the best alternative they have is forcing their guns to face somewhere else but even that isn't working as the Dreadnought has pulled up all of its shields and has gone full defensive for some reason. So the distraction brought upon most of the fleet was just a waste of ammunition.

Nagato had thought of the same thing, and so she acted swift by pulling back half their fleet to preserve ammunition.

Down below the island, Monitor and Erebus has been working with constant blackouts trying to scan the Dreadnought for any discernible weak point to exploit but along the way, they've been getting SOS alerts from the Sakura Empire island, and Royal Navy but it took 2 blackouts for either of the monitors to answer back because of the outages.

But when they did so, they wasted no time relaying this information.

"Miss Nagato, your mainland is currently under heavy fire from afar by the Sirens. They desperately need reinforcements! Along with the Royal Navy!" the leader's eyes widen.

And now she's forced to a decision that might change the outcome of the battle itself. She's staring at her enemy, they need her leadership in the absence of Caster. In silence, she pondered about her choice, until... She put her radio right next to her.

"Everybody, my home is getting attacked, I shall withdraw and I'm bringing along reinforcements with me.

"I've also gotten the news that the Royal Navy base is getting attacked as well, I'll be making calls, no need to return there.

"Takao, Yukikaze, Hiei, Yamashiro, and Souryuu. This is Nagato, our destination is our home. We leave, now."

The radio ended with everyone stunned.

Now, the loss of Nagato wasn't that much, but her vocal presence is going to be bad for the ones left on the island. There's still the unbreakable aces, Akagi and Enterprise, along with the majority of Eagle Union and Royal Navy girls still around.

But after all of that, they still haven't done anything severe to the Dreadnought's armor since it started to put up it's regenerating force field. And after Nagato's command, everyone was unsure upon what to do with this thing other than dodge it's small arms fire.

Akagi and Enterprise told everyone to conserve ammunition and let the submarine loose by trying to weaken it's force field from down under.

All of a sudden, lights started to permeate from the Dreadnought, and as the aces look back at it, it's the railguns are charging up once again.

Panic set in as they all of them unloaded their ammunition to try and pry off the force field, and it's going away, but not fast enough to interrupt the guns from charging.

Speaking of charging, the Dreadnought now decided to charge forward. Forward... Forward... It wasn't stopping. As the ship-girls try to move alongside it and keep trying to take out the shield, it was getting closer and closer to the base.

But soon the force shields went down, and all of the PR ships at the back, saw and took the opportunity as they combine their shots to hit the railgun cannon and managing to blow cannon itself.

The explosion sent everyone in its proximity flying and some were injured from the blast.

But the Dreadnought didn't lose any momentum. And it's intentions undeterred, the bow of the ship is about to make contact with the island.

It didn't matter if the next shot from the girls would immobilize the Dreadnought, if they can manage to even do so, no matter how good the resistance would be, the fate of the island is sealed.

The remaining submarines under the water let out the last of their torpedoes making a last ditch attempt to tear a hole on it's underbelly, there wasn't a profound effect, but the shields are down.

The girls are still wading through the water, just following it to it's inevitable destination until the ground started to shake. Severe enough to shake the water, the Dreadnought, and the girls with it.

Some lost their balance and fell over and the keen-eyed tried to look for something that might be the epicenter of this earthquake.

And then a portal started to open up close to the Dreadnought's side, and dangerously close to the aces as Enterprise and Akagi leaped into the air, bringing some girls to save them as well from any potential collision.

The bow of the ship was peaking through the portal, the ace carriers thought that it was a Siren CV (Aircraft Carrier).

They were right.

And as Akagi leaped up to see the deck, she saw someone that she thought she would never see again.

"KAGA!!!"

The Aircraft Carrier rammed into the side of the Dreadnought. Causing a massive shockwave reverberating through the waves and felt by everyone in the entire island, putting a big dent into it's side. And it was slowly tilting broadside.

But it was not about to lose it's luster that easily, as one of the other railguns is charging up quicker in a desperate attempt to nuke the island.

As for the returning Kaga, and the other Royal Navy maids who were swooped as well, the former jumped off covered in a blue flame that was visible for miles.

"ARGHHHH!!!!" the flames intensify, visible beneath the dark skies, she roared as massive sets of paws were conjured by her side.

The railgun shot fired, but it snapped out of sight.

Then a massive blast popped up in the distance as another powerful shockwave.

Another roar can be heard everywhere.

But it's not Kaga...

As Unicorn floats unconscious, the beast walks forward to protect her from any more harm.

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

The water around is blue, and as crystal clear as it can be. The skies, are clear, but not beamed down by the sun.

And another unconscious girl is floating in the waves.

It's Tirpitz.

The serene atmosphere soon started to shake. Perhaps literally, with land emerging from the ground out of nowhere to push her up to dry land.

Wind around her starts picking up speed.

At the center of it all, some voices... Scattered voices starts to seep into Tirpitz's head.

'it's so close...'

'finish the war, once and for all...'

'your moment is now. victory is in your hands.'

"You're stronger than this...

Sister."

GASP.

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

The last of the rocks were pushed out of the way, giving an opening big enough that Ayanami and Caster can pass through to the surface. He couldn't handle the heat in there for much longer.

Caster spots a Siren just hanging out in the air and shot it down quick.

He pivots to looking at the surface, which he saw Observer and New Jersey fighting head-to-head with Elridge at the back making targeted attacks with her electricity. The fight was moving at such a fast pace that it made Caster think for a second, hiding in the cave again.

'Should I even intervene? What if my sniper shots just hit New Jersey instead?'

"Commander, there's a Siren above us again." Ayanami unsheathed her sword.

"Okay, you should just fire from a distance first. Only use the sword when the Sirens closes in on you." Ayanami hummed a little before jumping away. With Caster hearing nearby splashes.

Cannon fire soon ensues and Caster still indecisive, he huffs- "Screw it."-and moves and lies down on the floor to assist Ayanami.

He shot his sniper, and the bullet 'corrected' itself to hit the Siren square on the head.

"Oh..." he trails off, realizing an important fact. "Right..."

'Okay, I'm helping now.'

He got out of the cave again, just as Ayanami was returning back to him and he scoped in.

The first shot was fired, and it hit Observer, but with the 'correction', the bullet managed to hit a collateral with 2 tentacles hit. Staggering her, giving way for New Jersey to overwhelm her with shells with the split second opening.

"So you just decide to show yourself?" The statement from Observer stopped New Jersey, confused.

Multiple red beams appeared around her, and her tentacle shot a laser straight at Caster from behind.

He dived to his right to dodge that laser, in the meantime, the Sirens in the air started descending towards the Commander. With Ayanami sitting at Caster's side to protect him.

Ayanami fought her heart out for Caster, and the other was just letting bullets loose as the aimbot was doing the hard work for him while New Jersey and Elridge moved to also protect her Commander with the former moving faster than the Sirens and got to Caster first.

But not even her can stop the sheer amount of Sirens throwing themselves at Caster as he's slowly starting to run out of ammunition, which he expected to never run-out as his prior experience with the cube's powers. Along with that, the fatigue is slowly setting in.

And the Observer couldn't be more happier to just float in the air and watch them struggle. And right as she saw an opening, she pounced, using all of her remaining tentacles as individual spears to pierce anything in its way.

And when New Jersey tried to defend against it, an individual Siren took advantage of that and shot a hole on her side. Making her kneel, but still not out of the fight.

Ayanami then managed to grab Caster and dashed out of that jam along with Elridge, just dodging the tentacles by a hair.

"After him." said Observer as she stabs New Jersey in the chest. As the Sirens give chase. "This is what you're beloved Commander will feel in a minute."

She leaves New Jersey, with her almost passing out. But a white glow can be seen in her peripheral.

But as for the chase, Elridge's creating a electric force field as Ayanami moves closer to the other girls. And the tactic was working, until with supersonic speed, Observer tore through the force field by sheer force and was met with an after-image instead of Caster.

Observer tried to push harder, but as she heard sounds of slicing in the air, the Sirens dropped like flies, and the after-image was replaced by Shimakaze.

"You're not touching him!" shouted Shimakaze.

The stalemate was cut short as her boosters went into overdrive and tossed Shimakaze out of the way, and caught Ayanami and Caster at their weakest. Tackling both of them and tossing them in the air.

Elridge, tried as she might, was all too late.

"ACK!"

His eyes widen...

He looks down...

As he saw a tentacle in front of him.

From his chest.

His blood was dripping into the clear, blue ocean. But he's still alive. Because Observer went for his right side of his chest.

But the impact saps all remaining energy that Caster had, and falls limp, with his sniper rifle falling out of his hands, and into the ocean.

Observer on the other hand, could only be seen with a evil grin on her face. She turned around to face and taunt the girls. Showing off the nearly incapacitated Commander as a trophy.

And things only got better for her, as the White Wisdom Cube showed up right next to Observer. She smiled, tried grabbing it, but her hand passed through it.

The cube appeared again on the other side. Her tentacle pounced on it, but it disappeared again. Her happiness, now replaced with rage, as she was cocked a tentacle back to pierce Caster...

"die."

BOOM!

The blast threw both Observer and impaled Caster off until the former was met with a speeding building from below, the impact so great that she was sent tumbling in the air, and the tentacle severed from Caster.

Shimakaze caught Caster, but his weight sent them took her down with him.

Until New Jersey swooped in and caught the two.

She leaped further away from Observer, still getting stuck between suffocating buildings blocking her way out, as New Jersey she landed in a circle of girls from the shores earlier.

Caster was laid to the ground as the girls Belfast was first one to try and treat Caster.

The maid looked at Eagle Union's ace. "New Jersey, please buy us time. Keep Observer occupied." And she soon soared off into the distance.

And he soon woke up. But feeling immense pain from his abdomen.

"Everybody, move over." said Warspite, as he raised her sword.

Everyone was in a panic, but Caster was too much in pain to hear her to panic himself.

Up until the sword struck down the tentacle to half it's length... As Warspite pulled back her blade, Caster was left wide-eyed and his heart rate spiked that almost collapsed but Belfast caught him before falling.

The ground shook again, as Observer broke through the buildings as wrestled with New Jersey.

"Stay DEAD!" yelled Observer as she threw New Jersey to the ground powerful enough to produce a little crater and a massive smoke cloud.

She shot a laser blast into the smoke cloud, producing another shockwave. She made her way to the circle of girls protecting their Commander. Above them and looking down upon them.

Caster could only watch that happen, but as he coughed out blood, he could only ask a question: "Tirpitz... Where is she...?"

Hood lowered herself to Caster.

"Commander Caster... Ever since your arrival, a better chance of winning this war came with it. From your first engagement till now, your heroics inspired all of us to unite once again and fight harder.

"But this war started with us, versus the Sirens. And we're going to end it.

"For you."

"For humanity."

Red lasers come out of the sky, still with more Sirens as the girls prepare for the onslaught.

The Sirens descend upon the girls and the ground started to rumble aggressively as the buildings once again strike out from the ground and block their approach.

The girls couldn't do anything but wait. As the buildings were popping out way too quickly. But they wouldn't have to wait for long however.

They hear a noise from their front, then smoke from the falling buildings started to overrun the girls, along with making them cough, it's ruining their visibility.

Caster was left with only one gap to watch for, and was waiting for the inevitable moment to come.

A tentacle revealed itself from the smoke, but it was met with a white force field, with the White Wisdom Cube directly colliding with the tentacle.

The Commander was in too much pain to act upon it, as he didn't have his rifle.

Then Observer came out of the smoke, Hood and Warspite altered their fire for the close range barrage, but the shots making no impact. In fact, it seemed to just dissolve into air.

Furthering the flaunting of Observer, she dug through the shield with her fist, nabbing the Wisdom Cube, and cracks are showing from her vice grip. Leaving a petrified look on the otherworlder's face.

The shields were dropping, and as a tentacle was about to stab Caster, the Wisdom Cube fla-

...

...

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

"Harumph!" as Kaga's beast form hurled another railgun shot into the skies. But Akagi knew that she wasn't able to last any much longer.

Every single able shipgirl were dropping all their ammunition to one side of the Dreadnought, and the collective impact(s) has fully tilted the Dreadnought to its left. And now rapidly sinking, with one of the two railguns unable to fire.

But the another railgun shot was sent again to the island, and Kaga fatigue turned her beast form into mist, but she conjured portals which 4 paws came out stopping the shot again.

Until she tried to push it out of the island's way upon she was overpowered and was sent flying far away, but it redirected the shot once again, saving the island once more from more damage.

Akagi tried catching Kaga herself, but the latter's velocity outran hers.

Shinano teleported and covered herself in her plentiful tails. "You've done enough, let yourself rest." as she felt a small bump that pushed her back a little.

Akagi caught up, and looked at her beloved sister... She looks worn down physically, some visible scars, but some covered up by bandages.

A rumbling sound could be heard followed by a massive pillar of red filled the sky covering the sinking Dreadnought that got everyone's attention.

But somewhere else, a white flash could appeared for a second.

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

A gasp could be heard as the Commander shot awake.

After a second, he didn't feel excruciating pain like he thought, he didn't see a tentacle protruding from his chest either.

And all of his injuries were erased.

He soon remembered a recent bout with the White Wisdom Cube upon which he 'died' in his vision, but lay awake which his injuries healed... But the pain he felt was very much real.

But he was snapped out of his trance, and heard static noises on his waist. It was a radio...

He picked it up, and put it at his lips. As he looks at the red pillar in the distance.

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

The girls could only watch as the pillar dissipated and the Dreadnought now gone.

Enterprise knew what's going to happen. She took out her radio. "Everyone, resupply one more time. This fight is not over yet."

"Akashi... Use the last of our reserves, why don't you..."

'That voice...' her voice trails off, "COMMANDER?!

"Where are you?"

Though he didn't respond, she could hear faint noises from the other side. "girls? Are you all okay? Thank goodness."

"Commander?"

"Don't mind me right now, Enterprise. I'd be looking to that light-show again."

From Caster's point of view, looking from the smoked crater of the island, he saw the Dreadnought at its original spot before he got teleported. Looking as strong as ever.

And for everyone else who was left to fend for themselves while Caster was gone, the word 'demoralized' doesn't even start to describe their feelings.

He lowered his head... And after a few seconds... He took a deep breath.

Hood came over to New Jersey, who just regained her consciousness.

Speaking of conscious, everyone is back on their feet except for the Lone Queen of the North. Who is also just now awoken.

"New Jersey," he tapped her waist, "get her out of the hole, please." As she did just that moments later. As he climbed out of the hole himself.

But as the cluster of barrages were getting sent to the Dreadnought, Observer teleported appeared in front of it and cast a massive shield protecting her and the Dreadnought.

The Observer has taken out all of the cards she hid from Azur Lane, and yet, each one was thwarted at every turn. She has the full deck, she's done her very best, but she hasn't gotten nowhere close to her decisive victory.

And she's had enough of it.

A blinding red glow started to permeate from behind Observer.

The one remaining railgun on the Dreadnought is starting to charge up again. But as the shot grew bigger, the hue started to turn purple...

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

Caster was now left on the island with the 4 starters who refuse to leave him be anymore. As they stare down the Dreadnought, he gave headpats to every single one of them.

"Nothing can last forever."

"One battle can take away everything we hold dear."

"And one day... This coalition, will keep going without me."

He glances to his right, and saw a stream of water trails off of someone.

"But with a person like her...

Tirpitz was on a mission, and picked her decisive spot. Her between the island and the Dreadnought and Observer. Staring down the barrel of the railgun...

Waiting...

"This is the end of Azur Lane." Observer scoffed at Tirpitz's defiance.

And in the distance, she saw a group of PR ships sneaking by past the shield. But didn't even bother to stop them one bit. "And this universe will be just a check in a box after I'm done."

"Our demise...

An indescribable aura started to emanate from Tirpitz. As she put out both of her hands to create an immense pressure forming around her hands.

The water started to rise, along with her.

"Just like my sister..."

The railgun fired.

"Will have to wait another day..."

He put the radio to his mouth once more.

"Everybody, fall back to the island. Your life will depend on it." he puts down his radio. "As for us, grab onto something." As pressure started to build up pointing them into a certain direction.

Straight to the ocean, and straight to Tirpitz.

The radiant railgun shot was snuffed out of the air. And Observer couldn't believe her eyes.

Bismarck, though her service wasn't as long as the other legendary battleships of her time, continues to be a massive walking 'what-if' scenario. Due to her ridiculous capabilities and achievements in her short tenure, as she's built up a whole shrine of stories ang legendary moments all to herself.

But one of the lasting myths about Bismarck's powers is that she possibly have the capabilities to create a black hole. No one has ever seen her do it for obvious reasons, but the story seems so ridiculous on its face that it continues to be a go-to even to this day. But in reality, it was only a rumor, and it'll always be.

Tirpitz on the other hand, hailing from the same class as that legendary battleship, was never expected to come close to her sister's limits.

But facing a threat this dangerous and this imminent, Tirpitz has ended all the myths once and for all.

She threw the black hole like a fastball hurling towards the Dreadnought. The extraordinary gravitational pull was pulling debris away from the Dreadnought and getting stuck behind the shield that Observer has created.

And the Observer, no matter how much more gears she can shift into, is not trying to contend with such a powerful matter and so she bails.

But has already made up her mind upon what she'll do next.

The Lone Queen didn't fall back and stared at the Dreadnought in its entirety getting crushed into pieces and absorbed into the void. Her footgear was gripping itself to the waters that even with the gravitational pull couldn't take her.

"Hail Ironblood."

Observer wanted to make it faster for her, but as she was about to shoot Tirpitz, a bullet pierced her chest.

The pain didn't matter to her anymore. And she didn't have to look over to know anymore, as she created her shield and rushed straight for the head of the snake.

"Just like old times... Right, girls?" a smile formed on his face.

The tentacle about to stab Caster was blocked by both Ayanami's blade and Javelin's... Javelin.

But both of their weapons were about to rupture.

Until Caster let go for a second, let himself get pulled, and as he slid under Observer, he threw an EMP on her unprotected spot which caused her shields to disappear, and fall onto the ground literally powerless.

But her tentacles wrapped itself to a nearby tree as Z23 and Laffey were raining hell from up close, and made a wrap around straight to his-

"COMMANDER!!!"

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

"Oh... It's... Materializing finally." she puts her tea down next to a spear laying on the table. As gold dust started to form around the chair next to hers.

One other retracted their umbrella. "I guess we'll finally have a new friend after all this time..."

It was slowly forming into a silhouette of someone familiar, but it dispersed.

The 2 remaining members kept their silence as they all watch the 5th chair as now there's white mist forming around it... With the sounds of children in the backdrop.

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

Everything is painful, but he held on a guard rail tight with his right hand as he raised his sniper rifle with his left.

BANG!

A bullet hole to the chest... wasn't enough.

But as the pull slowly gets weaker, a electromagnetic pulse grenade hit Observer, then a javelin cut through the tentacle piercing him.

"My last kill..."

"I'm... an otherworlder... Baby..."

As he eyes flash in and out of consciousness, he saw Ayanami and Javelin in front of him.

"This is not th-"

A slice and deafening cannon shots before silence.

Vestal then appeared out of nowhere, and held Caster in her arms. The tentacle that pierced him, it was in his stomach. The starters look over in horror once more.

But Caster didn't seem all too concerned about taking it out. He smiled... Before closing his eyes.

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

"Ughh..." He felt awful sensation at his abdomen... He felt... Empty. He plopped his head to his right. And met with many faces.

He tried to hover his hand to his stomach, but the hand was held by Hood. Her expression couldn't be more heartbroken. "Please. Caster."

"I'm still healing you, Commander. Just stay put."

His head plopped down unconscious once more.

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

Vestal scribble on her clipboard until..."Here..." she clicks her pen. "All vital organs are damaged, but with Akashi's new medical equipment he's okay for now. And his left arm, somehow didn't get damaged at all-"

A yawn could be heard... And everybody's attention is back on the guy laying on the floor.

"Did we win...? Is it over?"

Enterprise lowered herself to him. "Yes," she held his head. "We won."

He let out a sigh.

"Well... No time like the present." The reply made Enterprise confused. "Girls... If my office is somehow not burnt down, can you get my book? I think my secretaries-" he winced in pain as he tries to get up, "-know what it looks like."

The starters were the first to run off, along with some others.

He tried moving to the rocks nearby, but with an empty stomach, he needed the help of Akagi, Hood, and Enterprise combined to get him there.

As he waited for the book, the dark clouds above them slowly start to cut open, and behind him, the sun was peeking through the nearby island.

Light. Started to return.

"Commander! Here's your book!" Javelin handed it to him.

At that point, nearly the entire fleet was in front of Caster. Waiting for him to say something. And were all amazed with the determination to stay conscious with a hole in his stomach.

"First of all, I'll acknowledge that I could've saved this after the celebration, but my impatience has won over me once again."

"But this book here," he raised said book, "Some girls who passed by in my office should've seen this, mostly my secretaries, this book...

"Was written in the occasion that I'll reach my untimely death. To give to the next Commander of this powerful coalition. May it be another otherworlder or just plain-old human from this universe."

He opened the book, flicking through the pages. "I know my existence alone in this port means a lot to you all. And I thank you for that. And to be honest...

"My mission is complete. And I would like to come back to my world and redo it all again."

He took a second to see everyone's reaction. Not sure what he was expecting other than frowns from everyone.

"Is what I would've said months prior. But I've come to realize that what I've done here is way more impactful and substantial than what I could ever do back home. And I finally accepted place as my home, from the deepest parts of my heart."

He closed the book, "And so this is where the book comes in." he tossed his book into the ocean behind him. As the crowd audibly gasped.

"A question."

"Your answers and my future here hinges on what you do to this book..."

"You can either retrieve this book, that means you're all ready to move on from me, ready for your next Commander, or the other scenario, dropping all the rigging, the Coalition disbands, and back to your normal lives, finally in peace. And I can finally rest and pass away."

"Or destroy this book. Azur Lane remains a coalition led by me, protecting Earth from future threats, may it be Sirens or not, and you'll have my word that I will stay alive for as long as I can. Ironic, considering the circumstances..."

Akashi and Vestal came over to heal him. With the former sitting next to him.

"But here's the choices that you girls have. I'll give you time to think about it. I hope you all choose wisely."

Everyone started to talk amongst themselves.

"Commander, what do you think will happen, nya?" Akashi asked.

And soon, everybody slowly started to stand up.

"Okay, what's your deci-"

Most of the girls shot their cannons, and Aircraft Carriers letting out dive-bombers. He turned around to look at the ocean.

A sigh... "No need to wait for an answer, I guess." as he chuckled at the end.

And all of the girls finally can celebrate as the sun finally rises for a new day.

A-kun: Sorry about the delay. I just had a massive motivation boost since my 1st semester is about to end in a week, actually, I'm in my finals week, good luck to me.

But anyway, the chapter was once again more than I bargained for, and that's reason it took so long to release.

I feel a massive weight off my shoulders again. Consider this my Christmas gift to y'all. (Merry Christmas, btw.)

Anyway. That's all for now, and I'll be back soon. The book's not done.

Word Count: 8432 Words.

11:28 PM
12/13/22