Chapter 35

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35. Prelude to the Sortie

What is the meaning of war? Why do we fight?

Such a pretentious question can only be asked by those who still have the luxury to do so.

Because they don't have to struggle for survival in the midst of gunfire, nor do they have to wait in trenches for bombs to fall at any moment.

For humans, the word "war" is something that can only be reflected upon after the war. Only when one side wins and the other loses, or when neither side wins, will this hypocritical question be raised. Because they no longer need to fight.

Only when there is another choice will this question be raised.

But it's different for the shipgirls.

Shipgirls are completely different from humans.

Shipgirls always have the luxury, no matter when. And no matter when, they have delicate and unique feelings, allowing them to view this question from another perspective.

Gradually clearing all the thoughts that surfaced in her mind, only a clear and bright heart remained. No. 111 slowly opened her eyes, looked at the massive object in front of her, and gently exhaled.

The black clothes on her body fit perfectly, which was good. Mr. Admiral is a rare good person, which is also good. All the seniors are good people with quirky personalities, which is also good. The next mission is not too difficult, which is even better. No. 111 was very content with everything about her existence in this world.

Therefore, No. 111 also decided to repay this world, which has given her countless kindness and affection, with the best performance. Fighting is a trivial matter, not worth mentioning.

"Cough, cough, is the microphone volume okay? 1, 2, okay. No. 111, can you hear me?"

"Completely, Senior No. 001."

No. 111 answered without any confusion to the sudden voice in her ear.

And she also knew that somewhere outside this room, her five seniors and No. 001 were waiting for her test results by the Admiral's side.

Even the craziest person wouldn't send someone to war without any preparation. This hour was given to No. 111 to familiarize herself with combat. To get her slightly accustomed to the combat style of the Imaginary Fleet and the combat strategies they needed.

"Due to time and space constraints, we won't do a gunnery test. So we'll go straight to the main point. Acceleration rules and such, No. 111, you're naturally good at them. You just need to shift your mindset to use them freely. After all, if we can do it, you have no reason not to. So what we need to do is a close combat test."

No. 001 said to No. 111 with her distinctive high-pitched voice.

"Because you are a Japanese ship, what is the most famous thing about Japanese ships? Besides shurikens, it should be their swords, right? So your weapon is a long sword."

"And what you need to do next is very simple: destroy the one cubic meter iron ingot in front of you in the shortest time possible. Whether you carve it or slice it, as long as you meet the bell indicator within a certain time, it's fine. Any questions?"

"Sort of, Senior."

Her fingers caressed the handle of the weapon from a different era, slowly assuming the stance known as "chanshu," her eyes slightly narrowed, focusing on the massive iron ingot in front of her.

"What weapon does my sister use?"

"At first, it was a long sword, but now it's a naginata. Any problems?"

"No, not really. I was just wondering what would happen if we overlapped."

"It wouldn't be much of a problem, just an extra naginata."

"A naginata, huh..."

No. 111, feeling the weight of the long sword in her hand, said to No. 001 with a somewhat leisurely tone.

"Senior No. 001 never doubted that I would perform better. This feeling of being underestimated isn't too pleasant, is it? One must show their strength to be recognized, right?"

"Of course. But as a newcomer, it's unlikely you'll meet the standards of the seniors. So just accept the training honestly. Although your sister has a dark history as an armored carrier, that's not something a newcomer like you can compare to. Hurry up, hurry up."

"I'm ready. But I think I might surprise everyone."

"I'd be the happiest if that happens."

No. 001 said indifferently.

"But the chat time is over, No. 111. Prepare to attack—"

"Yes, yes, I'm ready."

Her hand gently gripped the hilt of the long sword, her eyes focused only on the silver-gray iron ingot. No. 111 clearly felt the power flowing between the weapon and herself.

The weapon in her hand was an unimaginable divine weapon, she was a shipgirl surpassing human capabilities, and the iron ingot in front of her was only one cubic meter in size. So, showing off a bit of her excellence should be fine, right? It might make the Admiral a bit more at ease?

The image of that man's weary figure flashed in her mind, and No. 111's lips curved into a smile.

"Begin!"

The girl gently closed her eyes.

As if by coincidence, a drop of water fell from the ceiling. Gradually passing through layers of pipes, it seemed to fall by fate between No. 111 and the iron ingot.

Then, a faint light flashed in the room.

The water droplet silently blossomed into a cherry blossom in mid-air, leaving a beautiful wet imprint on the ground. The water-colored cherry blossom on the ground and the cherry-colored imprint on the iron ingot behind it combined to form a scene with a distinctly Japanese aesthetic in the basement.

Even the sound seemed to be cut off, and the entire room fell into a dead silence. Only the two cherry blossom imprints could prove what had just happened. Even No. 001, who should have announced the completion immediately, lost her ability to speak. She allowed the silence to spread, as if giving people time to digest this shocking scene.

After a long time, the basement finally came to life again.

"Phew..."

No. 111 exhaled softly, like the fluttering of a butterfly's wings, and opened her eyes. She looked at the scene in front of her and nodded in satisfaction. Then, the sharp bell sound, like a tardy police officer in a movie, suddenly rang out in the basement.

"This humble one's skills end here. Please inform me, Senior, if this performance is satisfactory?" She gently placed the weapon, with the switch turned off, on the ground and bowed slightly to a camera in the corner, a mischievous smile on her face.

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