V1C3

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Chapter 3, Ibuki

The narrow interior of the ship was filled with the constant roar of the turbine engines.

Outside the round window of the officer’s quarters, the seven colors of the Ceras Particles flowed like luminescent insects, and the sky was full of stars.

Due to all that has happened, he cannot sleep. He also has a constitution that does not require long periods of sleep. Giving up on sleep, Second Lieutenant Kuroto Kurono, who had been lying on the sofa in the officer’s quarters with his shoes on, raised his body.

It was 2:30 in the morning. The Ibuki was currently on patrol in the airspace around Manila. Deciding to stay at the anti-aircraft command center until dawn for counter-observation training, he left the officer’s quarters and headed for the bow of the ship.

On the way, as he was passing the navigation bridge, he was approached by the officer on duty today, Lieutenant Sasao Kakitsubata , Chief of the Ibuki Air Raid.

“Hey, Kurono-kun. You’re up early.”

He greeted him with a cheerful voice that sounded like he was drunk. He is the direct supervisor of Kuroto.

” I just woke up. I was thinking of doing some observation training until morning.

He replied in a condescending tone.

“That’s great. It seems that the three of you talked for quite a long time in the officer’s quarters during the day.”

Kakitsubata poked his beak of interest at him. It’s a bit of a hassle to answer, but the military is a hierarchical system and you can’t be disrespectful to your superiors.

“Haha. I explained to the captain and vice captain how I came aboard the Ibuki.”

Kakitsubata’s mouth relaxed.

“Well, well, well. It must have been very nerve-wracking for Kurono-kun to be surrounded by two royals.”

He seemed to be implying something in his words.

Kuroto sighs inwardly.

It’s been two years since he returned to Hinoo, but when people hear his last name, they immediately bring up the high treason incident. It was the same on the ” Nozuchi,” the ship he had served on before. Some of the officers even confronted Kuroto and asked him why a renegade was aboard a warship.

“No, not really. We’ve known each other since we were children.”

He delivered the answer that Kakitsubata would have wanted. Sooner or later, the fact that Kuroto is the eldest son of the Kuronomiya family, which was plotting to overthrow the royal family, will be known on board the Ibuki, and it would be better to tell them as soon as possible. He learned from the “Nozuchi” that if you hide it badly, it will become even more troublesome.

“What a surprise! So the rumors are true, that you are the heir to the Kuronomiya family. ……”

Kakitsubata’s eyes lit up with deliberate surprise. After all, it seems that the officers of Ibuki have already received this information.

“Yes. It was more than eight years ago. Now I’m prepared to fight for my country as a civilian.

When he gave the same model answer he had given on the previous ship, Kakitsubata asked the same question as the other officers he had met so far.

“You’re the one who proposed to Her Highness Izaya! Well, this is a surprise! Did you do it because you wanted to become the King?”

Kakitsubata leaned forward, wanting to hear the truth about the incident that had once caused a stir throughout Hinoo from the mouth of the person involved.

“It’s a story from when I was a child. It was just a make-believe story. It just so happened that a three-sentence magazine got wind of it and wrote a big story about it. Now, of course, there is not the slightest trace of such evil thoughts.”

” Oh, well, I suppose that’s true. But to meet Her Highness in Ibuki again like this, it’s just too romantic. ……”

Kuroto made sure that the Kakitsubata was on board to help him. He then made him a trump card to ensure that his future life on the ship would be smooth.

“The military Commander-in-chief has always held me in high regard. He offered me this appointment so that I could be of use to Her Highness and Lady Rio. It’s a great honor to receive such high praise from the Commander-in-Chief, which makes me feel both physically and mentally refreshed.

The expression on Kakitsubata’s face, which had been relaxed, turned pale in an instant.

When Kuroto told the officer that he had been in close contact with the commander-in-chief, Genzaburo Kazenomiya, during his year of service on the warship, he immediately noticed that he became quiet. Even the officers of the “Nozuchi” who had called Kuroto a renegade stopped messing with him as soon as they learned of this fact.

Kakitsubata, without any exception, changed his attitude.

“You’re acquainted with His Excellency Kazenomiya? Oh, but I guess that’ s normal for a little boy from the Kuronomiya family. Excuse me for this…….”

He immediately shut his mouth in a sullen manner.

“Well, I’m off to training.”

Kuroto passed through the narrow space in front of Kakitsubata and headed for the bow of the ship, called the “foremast”, which protruded diagonally downward from the lower part of the hull.

He descended down a narrow staircase. The staircase is so steep that it is more like a ladder than a staircase. There were almost no horizontal passages in the ship, so they had to come and go like moles through these steep stairs and ladders.

Soon, he came to the anti-aircraft command center overhanging the middle of the bow. It was about the size of an eight-tatami mat room. With the light of the stars, the outside air at an altitude of 1,200 meters hits directly on his body.

His lungs, accustomed to the stifling air inside the ship, were glad of the fresh air.

All around him was a starry sky. From the upper deck, he can’t see the zenith because it’s blocked by the floating bodt, but from here, in the middle of the foremast, he can see an infinite number of stars spiraling toward the zenith if he looks directly up. Having been in the narrow confines of the ship for so long, he was once again glad to see the endless depth of the starry sky and the ungraspable grandeur of its contours.

Kuroto lowered his eyes to where the ship was going.

The seven colors of the Ceras Effect that rose near the bow of the ship scattered in the night breeze and blew against Kuroto’s body like sparks of fire. A single, dim figure hovered over the scene that resembled a starship crossing a rainbow bridge.

“Kuroto……?”

He didn’t even need to ask who it was, and his shoulders slumped in dismay.

“What ……. Can I help you?”

Major Izaya Shironomiya, looking unconcerned, asked Kuroto in an abrasive manner.

“I don’t need anything……. I just came here and found you.”

Izaya had probably come here for her night observation training, too. It’s a bit awkward since they’ve been talking for a long time during the day, only to meet again in another place.

“……. Is it bad if I stay a bit longer……?”

Izaya grumbled, placed her hands on the railing of the command center, and stared into the night sky.

Kuroto hesitated, wondering what he should do. Should he stay here and train with Izaya? Or should he go somewhere else?

Izaya turned her back to him and said,

“In the daytime, it’s ………….”

“…………?”

“No. Well, it’s …….”

Unusually, Izaya was stammering about something. She always says what she wants to say in an interesting and resolute manner, but her words were slurred.

“It’s annoying. Speak clearly.”

Izaya hesitated and looked back at Kuroto with a half-hearted smile.”

Her silver hair reflected in the starlight, Izaya scratched her cheek with her fingers, and looked awkwardly at him.

“…… I was wrong.”

“……………………”

“I assumed that since it was you, you must have come to Ibuki for some evil scheme, and I did …… a terrible thing.”

She turned her head to the side and apologized.

Kuroto was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond. He quickly regains his composure, forcing a smile and lifting his face from the foolishness.

” Very true. What you’ve done is disgusting. It is outrageous to use a person’s constitution as an excuse for interrogation. It is the work of a shameless coward.”

“Ugh. …………”

“It’s a shameless and cowardly thing to do. Interrogating me for the purpose of torturing me. You’re dumb bitch. A pervert with a taste for sexual abuse.”

“Oh, you’re out of line. ……”

“Don’t ever do that again. I’ve got nothing to hide. I don’t like the way that country is being run by that monster, Kyle McVille. That’s why I came back to Hinoo and became a soldier. I want to make a name for myself, tear up Gameria in air fleet battles, and giving Kyle a barking face. That’s the only reason I’m fighting.”

The truth is, that’s not the only reason. Kyle was serious about making Izaya his own, so he returned to Hinoo to stop him. He is fighting to prevent Izaya from becoming Kyle’s. Of course, he didn’t tell Izaya about that or the fact that Kyle was after her.

“Uh-huh. That’s …… well understood. I don’t doubt it. I’m sorry …….”

Izaya hung her head down apologetically.

“It was not my intention to get on this ship. It was the will of His Excellency, Kazenomiya. He rightfully evaluated my abilities that I demonstrated during the Battle of Luzon and promoted me to the position of Ibuki’s Air Raid Chief. I did not use any unfair means. I rose to this position by fairness and merit alone.”

Turning around, Kuroto smiled arrogantly. Izaya’s mouth quirked up in displeasure, but she did not deny his words.

But the truth is that Kuroto did use illegal means to infiltrate the navy and air force.

He used the money to bribe a high-ranking official at the Ministry of the Navy, and then, using fraudulent claims about his background, he skipped the process of becoming an ensign cadet and went straight to the “Nozuchi” as a second lieutenant. The first month on board, he had a hard time understanding what he was doing and even got beaten up. But he soon got the hang of the essentials of working on a warship, and now he has a knowledge of the military that most officers don’t have.

“Yeah……. Well……I guess so. I believe your story. I have no reason to doubt it.”

When he spoke with Izaya and Rio in the officer’s quarters during the day, he told them most of what had happened in Gameria. There were only two things I hadn’t told them: that he was thinking of Izaya as he slept with an empty stomach in a shack, and that he had made a big show of saying to Kyle, who was trying to get to Izaya, that he wouldn’t let him touch her.

Izaya returned her gaze to the front and announced.

“…… For what you did during the day, I’ll give you permission to train here. You can use it whenever you want. If you want to use it now, that’s fine too.”

He didn’t like the way she said it, but there was no doubt that this was the best place on the ship for night observation training. With a sniff and a couple of strides, he stood next to Izaya and grabbed the railing.

Beyond the starry skies of eternity, a slight serrated effect could be seen. The anti-aircraft command center was only about the size of an eight-tatami mat room, so they could hear each other’s breathing.

The only way to improve night vision was to repeat the “counter-observation training,” in which you look at an object moving in the dark and determine its course, speed, and distance by visual measurement. Some navy and air force officers have acquired this “clairvoyant ability” to see an enemy ship 15,000 meters away at night, like Myuu, by repeating counter-observation training at night.

As a result of the previous encounter, four airships were required to conduct patrols around the Mariveles blockade. The Ibuki was not to patrol alone, but was to be attached to the tail of the four battleships on a short notice. If they encountered an enemy squadron, they were determined to immediately launch a gun battle.

Three hundred meters ahead of us, the seven-colored trails of friendly battleships spread out in the starry sky.

The glitter of the Ceras Effect emitted from the four stern propellers was very easy to observe even at night. By looking at the shadows of the ships that cut through the starry sky, the number of masts, and the shape of the bridge and hull, they can guess the name of each ship.

Flying just ahead of the Ibuki is the battleship “Hokiyou”, three hundred meters ahead of the is the “Kinra”, beyond that is the “Semiore”, and at the head of the single verttical formation is the flagship of the squadron, the “Unra”.

As they moved forward in a line of ships, the shadows of the ships became buried in the starry sky, making them difficult to distinguish. However, if you continue to stare into the darkness, your eyes will gradually become accustomed to the sight, and you will be able to see a new seven-colored wake flowing through the gaps between the stars. Thanks to the Ceras Effect, airships are much easier to see than ships at sea, but even so, at a distance of more than 1,200 meters, it takes practice to determine the course, speed, and distance with the naked eye.

Izaya, who stood two steps away from him, stood motionless, staring into the darkness beyond.

The painfully cold air was cutting out a ring of stars. The galaxies slicing through the night sky were more like dragons ascending to the zenith than rivers. The silence oozing from the depths of the starry sky drove the roar of the engine far away.

The two of them stood side by side, silently gazing into the trails of the flying battleships ahead of them.

When he thought about it, it seemed like a strange fate.

For as long as he can remember, they have always played together. Whenever they met at annual events, they would play all sorts of pranks on the adults, and many times the two of them would slip away and go out to play without being watched. He was so happy to see Izaya that he kept turning the calendar to see if the next event would come soon. After that, he proposed to her, left the kingdom, moved to Gameria, met Izaya in New York, returned to Hinoo and became a soldier to defeat Kyle, who was trying to take Izaya. Now he and Izaya are on the same ship again and are currently patrolling off the coast of Manila.

It’s a strange fate.

It’s a strange coincidence, as if some huge will was playing with him and Izaya. Whether there is any meaning to it or not, Kuroto does not know.

After two hours of training in silence, Izaya snapped back.

“I’m going to take a nap.”

“Mhmm.”

“In an hour, during the morning exercises, I will introduce you to the soldiers. You don’t have to be modest, but don’t treat them with an air of entitlement. Greet them as you would your family, understood?”

Kuroto listened blankly to Izaya’s command. He had been abandoned by both his mother and father, so the word “family” didn’t really appeal to him. Izaya was also separated from her father, the King, at an early age, and her mother, the Queen, ordered her to die on board the Ibuki, so she must not have known a decent family life.

It was a hassle, but he couldn’t disobey the captain’s order, so he reluctantly agreed to greet them during morning exercises.

◆

The morning of the “Ibuki” began with exercises.

Every morning at 5:00 a.m., just as the sun rose, Izaya would announce over the ship’s internal broadcast, “Those who wish to exercise, please do so on the upper deck.” Any available crew members who were not on duty and wished to exercise would gather on the Ibuki’s upper deck in their uniforms. Since the crew wanted to rest as much as possible when not on duty, only those who wished to participate in the exercise were allowed to do so. However, despite their exhaustion, nearly a hundred sailors gathered on the upper deck of the Ibuki, which surprised Kuroto to his core.

Kuroto changed into his officer’s third class military uniform, his normal ship’s uniform, and stood on a pedestal facing the sailors. On either side of him, Izaya and Rio, who had changed into female officers’ fourth-class uniforms, so-called “gym clothes,” stood there looking around at the sailors.

The upper deck was packed with sailors. Some of the sailors who were left over climbed up on top of the air raid launchers and gazed at the pedestals. They were not looking at Kuroto, of course, but at the two princesses with their elongated limbs exposed.

They were wearing white short-sleeved shirts, navy blue shorts, white socks and athletic shoes. Their fresh white thighs and supple, toned calves made the bleak upper deck feel like a cool breeze. Although she looked defenseless in such a large group of men, the deck officer, Myuu Togakushi , who was standing in front of the pedestal, was also wearing a gym uniform and glared at her with her eyes closed. Myuu’s physical prowess is so great that even the Sergeant Onizuka say, “I can’t beat that girl, ha ha ha.”.

First, Izaya held out her chest and raised her voice loudly.

“Good morning, gentlemen!”

“Good morning, ma’am!”

The greetings came from the upper deck, as if from a giant beast.

“Before the exercises, I’d like to introduce you to a new officer! Before we begin the exercises, I’d like to introduce you to a new officer, Second Lieutenant Kuroto Kurono , who has been transferred from the “Nozuchi”.

Prompted by the look in their eyes, Kuroto kept his Buddhist face and looked around at his new subordinates.

“I’m Kuroto……. I’m not going to get along with you guys. …… Leave me alone…… .”

He greeted them with a look as if he had swallowed something bad and was extremely unsociable.

“Ha!””

Nearly a hundred sailors accepted Kuroto’s greeting with smiles. Their eyes are all fixed on Izaya and Rio’s limbs, so they don’t seem to care about Kuroto’s greeting.

This time, Rio smiles and says,

“Kuro-chan is usually a bit of a prick, but I’m sure he will become a dere dere in time.”

When she called out to them in a cheerful voice, the sailors broke out into an audible sigh of relief.

“Yes!~”

The response was like something out of an elementary school.

Idiots …….

Kuroto looked at the exchange between the princess and the sailors in the distance, dumbfounded.

Izaya glared resolutely at the soldiers and gave the order.

“Now then, the first exercise of the Navy and Air Force is to do the jump with both feet!”

As soon as Izaya gave the order, the soldiers began jumping up and down on the spot.

Izaya, Rio, and Kuroto all jumped with their hands straight down in front of the sailors. The rhythm was set by Rio.

“One, two, three, four! Two, two, three, four!”

With a vigorous shout, Rio’s chest swayed like another living thing, just beyond the fabric of her gym uniform.

Once again, an almost audible smile spread through the crowd of soldiers.

“Bow to the chest!”

Izaya gave the order, and everyone stomped their feet backwards in a wide circle. The creature in Rio’s chest also flipped over backwards with the force that hit her directly in the face.

One of the soldiers collapsed in a fit of shock, spewing blood from his nose. But the exercise continued.

“Body twisting exercise!

“Swing diagonally backwards!”

Rio stepped up on both feet and swung her arms diagonally backwards. The huge object inhabiting her chest jumped backwards and forwards with such force that it broke through the gymnastics uniform and then returned.

“Woah!” “Geez!” “I can’t take it anymore!”

The upper deck is filled with a variety of reactions, some of them fainting, some of them spurting nosebleeds, and some of them bending forward and aiming for the bathroom with sluggish steps.

Myuu, the deck officer in charge of the ship’s manners, did not move. She just kept her eyes on the pedestal for any soldiers who might be attacking her, and paid no heed to any fallen soldiers.

“Bend your body back and forth!

“Bounce forward three times, and finally a big jump!”

Compared to Rio, Izaya’s chest was normal. It’s not as flashy as Rio’s, but it’s still managed to scratch her fans’ heartstrings in a way that’s not too over the top.

“Deep breathing!”

“Inhale deeply. Exhale. Inhale…….”

The blissful time passed in the blink of an eye, and the sailors were filled with disappointment and sadness. There are a lot of sailors who endure tough warfare for this exercise, and they never miss it no matter how exhausted they are from the hard work.

Idiots……….

With invisible sweat trickling down his temples, Kuroto knew that he was on a warship that deviated from the norm in every way. Can they really fight for their lives in such a manner? I mean, can he really make a career out of this on this stupid destroyer? He looked over at the sailors smiling as they returned to their quarters with a distant look of anxiety……

◆

July 29, 1938.

The patrol mission off the coast of Manila had entered its twelfth day without incident.

Since its departure from the Ari Air Base, the Ibuki had been at the tail end of the four airships, monitoring the air and sea.

While the ship is on alert, the troops keep an eye on the air raid launchers and anti-aircraft guns, while the engineers keep an eye on the maintenance and inspection of the machine room (turbine) and boiler room. On the upper deck, there are endless drills for firing air mines, assuming various situations.

At the moment, the ship is in the midst of a drill in which the firing angle determined by the bridge is transmitted to the launchers, based on the assumption that the ship’s telephone is broken and the voice pipes are out of order. Chief of Air Raids, Kakitsubata, relayed the determined angle of fire to Kuroto, who ran down the ramp to the upper deck as fast as he could. He ran to the launch command center with a megaphone in his hand and said,

“Third lightning speed, angle of fire forty!”

At the same time, the commanders in charge of the detonation at various locations shouted in unison,

“Boom!” “Boom! “Boom!” “Boom!”

The onomatopoeic sounds were released at a tremendous volume, drowning out Kuroto’s voice.

“You’re messing with me!”

Kuroto shouted, but Sergeant, Onizuka Hibiki, turned his body and laughed.

“I can’t hear you unless you speak from your belly, Lord Kurono! One more time, come on!”

Kuroto bites his lip, pushes down his diaphragm as hard as he can, presses the megaphone directly to Onizuka’s ear, and shouts from the bottom of his stomach.

“Third lightning speed, angle of fire forty, Sergeant!”

At the same time,

“Doh!” “Doh!” “Boom!”

The pseudo-explosions drown out Kuroto’s voice.

The voice of the messenger, who has been repeatedly trained to speak well even on the battlefield, easily drowns out the untrained voice of Kuroto. The soldiers have experienced actual warfare, so their imitation of the sound of explosions is strangely realistic and loud.

Onizuka laughed loudly, as if to provoke Kuroto, and said,

“I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you at all! What’s the matter, Lord Kurono? Do you think that a voice as thin as a woman’s scream can be heard on the battlefield?”

He raised his voice, which sounded better than anyone else’s, and laughed at Kuroto’s vocalization.

Kuroto’s gaze flashed to the point of materialization, and with the megaphone pressed against Onizuka’s ear, he shouted with all his strength in his abdominal muscles.

“I’ll make sure you regret those words, Sergeant! I’ll get a louder voice than yours soon enough, so be prepared!”

Onizuka’s laughter drowned out Kuroto’s voice over the megaphone.

“I’m looking forward to it! I’m sure you’ll have a great time. You’re a little girl with a little voice! You think you can make a voice louder than mine? Hahaha! This is the ramblings of a dreaming woman, Lord Kurono! Hahaha!”

“Ha-ha-ha!” “Ha-ha-ha!” “Ha-ha-ha!”

In the end, even the air raid crew began to laugh along with Onizuka in a loud, clear voice.

He has never been so humiliated since he became an officer of the United Fleet. He couldn’t let himself be laughed at by these idiots.

Kuroto glared at the men who were ridiculing him, then firmly turned his chest and waved his right hand in front of his chest in a strong horizontal line before declaring.

“Who do you think I am? Nothing is impossible for me! The all-powerful genius has decided to shout louder than you, and now that he’s decided, I’ ll achieve it! Wait for it, Sergeant, one of these days I’ll break your eardrums with my brilliant vocals!”

In response to Kuroto’s reckless challenge, the soldiers shouted “Oooh!” and cheered “Good luck, sir!” Onizuka nodded vigorously and looked around at everyone.

“Did you hear that? His Excellency never lies! He will shout louder than us and drown out any explosions! He’s as unreliable as a woman now, but I’m sure in time he’ll break our eardrums with his manly voice! Isn’t that right?”

“Ha!”

After cutting off Kuroto’s retreat, Onizuka shouted so loudly that the floor of the upper deck trembled.

“Now, again, the third lightning speed, firing angle forty! Fifth and sixth, begin firing!”

With smiles on their faces, the air raid crews adjusted the gyroscopic axles of the launchers with agile movements. They couldn’t fire because they were on patrol, so that was the end of that drill.

Captain Izaya’s order arrives at the launch command center through the voice pipe.

“Good. Next, left air raid, counter-attack. The ship’s telephones and voice tubes are down, and the drill resumes on the assumption that the Sergeant is dead.”

“Aye, aye, Captain! Sir, since I’m dead, I’d like you to give the firing angles to the launchers yourself!”

Kuroto’s face was filled with joy.

“So, you’re dead! I’m glad you’re dead. Watch me. I’ll use my beautiful voice to make them work like arms and legs without you!”

Kuroto was running back to the navigation bridge with a smile on his face.

“I’m in charge of the explosion sound!”

“Stop it!

“Ohmmm… ！”

“Shut up!

With Onizuka’s loud voice, which is comparable to the sound of a real explosion, Kuroto ran back to the navigation bridge as if his life depended on it.

◆

Izaya and Rio looked over the upper deck from the navigation bridge and watched Kuroto’s training.

“Kuroto, you’re getting used to it.”

Rio nodded.

“Kuro-chan, gets called “Your Highness” and is very popular with the sailors. He’s a little pushy, but when you make fun of him, he gets really angry.”

“He’s more like a mascot than a toy …….”

“Something like that. The other day, Kuro-chan was eating rice balls as a snack with the sailors.”

“Hmmm, ……. He’s surprisingly adaptable. I was expecting him to be all high and mighty and use the sailors like tools.”

“I knew he’d get over it sooner or later, but it was too soon. He’ s so easygoing.”

Izaya was also puzzled by Kuroto’s unexpected side. It’s a lot better than being awkward, and Izaya encourages her officers to actively interact with the soldiers. Perhaps he is obeying orders in his own way, and that’s not a bad thing, so it’s okay.

The voice of a happy watchman came through the transmission tube.

[Squall on course!]

Izaya’s eyes lit up as she stared at the Ibuki’s path.

As the watchman had said, at an altitude of about 1,600 meters above Ibuki, a thick squall cloud loomed over the area, black and blue with lightning running across its surface.

It was the first squall in a long time. Izaya grabbed the microphone for the ship’s internal broadcast.

“It’s coming. All hands, prepare for a squall!”

Immediately, there were shouts of joy from the ship’s crew, who lined the edge of the upper deck and the passageway overhanging the port side with as many buckets, pails, and drums as they could find. In the case of ocean ships, they could bathe in the rain on the upper deck, but not in the case of airships, as the floating body covered them. One of the watchmen on top of the floating body lowered a rope ladder, and the men on the upper deck followed it to the top of the floating body, where they unrolled their laundry, rubbed soap on their bodies, and waited for the squall cloud.

“Hurry up, Your Excellency, we don’t know when we’ll get to bathe again!”

At the urging of one of the air raider crew members, a younger private named Heisuke Hirata , Kuroto took off his uniform, stripped to his underwear, and climbed up the rope ladder. The top of the floating body was full of soldiers, and if he slipped, he would fall 1,200 meters into the ocean below.

“Oh, my lord! Your body is still very weak, hahahaha!”

A loincloth-clad Onizuka looked at Kuroto and immediately began to laugh at him. He is one meter ninety centimeters tall, muscular and hairy all over his body. Kuroto’s body, on the other hand, is as unreliable as a schoolboy’s when he is in front of Onizuka, who smells like a man. Kuroto glared up at Onizuka with anger in his blue eyes.”

“My body is still developing! I’m going to have muscles and hair twice your size, so be prepared!”

The sailors in the vicinity praised Kuroto with whistles and applause as he proudly declared.

” Your Highness! “Cool, Your Highness! “We’re all with you, Your Highness!”

Obviously, this was ridicule, but Kuroto was satisfied, smiling fearlessly and slumping over.

At that moment, a fierce squall struck.

Everyone shouted with joy once again.

The cold rain felt good on their bodies, which had been heated on the deck in the middle of summer. The soldiers lathered their bodies and laundry with soap and washed them.

Water is a precious commodity aboard an airship. Each sailor is allowed only one basin of water per day. The sailors use this water to wash their faces, brush their teeth, wash their clothes, wipe their bodies, and drink. Unless they encounter a squall, they do not have the opportunity to bathe as luxuriously as they would like.

“It feels so good!”

Heisuke smiled as he lathered up his body and enjoyed the natural shower. Kuroto didn’t smile, but his expression was more relaxed than usual as he joined the sailors in taking a bath.

◆

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the forward watchtower set up at the top of the foremast, Izaya, Rio, and Myuu, all dressed in navy blue school swimsuits, were spreading out a plastic pool to catch the squall.

In addition to the pool, more than a dozen buckets and tubs were lined up around the three of them to collect rainwater. Rio smiled at Izaya as she soothingly lets the rain fall on her face.

“Let’s take a bath with the water we’ve collected!

“I think we should. Yes, at least for today.”

There is a bathtub in the captain’s quarters, but it is usually used for wiping the body with a wet cloth instead of taking a bath. Filling the bathtub with hot water is one of the greatest luxuries of living on a ship.

“We’ll keep an eye on you, so you should come in too! You haven’t bathed at all lately, have you?””

When asked by Rio, Myuu kept her eyes closed and her face expressionless as ever.

“There’s no need to worry about me.”

“Don’t say that. You need to relax once in a while too.”

“No, no. The rain is enough for me. My status is not the same as yours.”

Myuu refused Himemiya (the princess’s) offer without hesitation.

“Myuu, in the army, social status is irrelevant. Only rank defines hierarchy. Rio and Myuu are both second lieutenants, so there’s no need to hold back.”

Izaya admonished, but Myuu did not change her opinion.

“My role is to serve you both. It is not right for a master to stand guard over her subordinate.”

She was resolute and unconcerned.

Rio smiled and nodded in annoyance.

“…… You’re right. If Myuu says so. But don’t overdo it. If you want to take a break, let me know, okay? If something happens to Myuu, we will be in trouble.”

“Huh. Thank you very much.”

Myuu, still in her school swimsuit, dropped to one knee and hung her head. She doesn’t doubt her sincerity, but her stubborn attitude toward her work is somewhat painful.

Myuu is a descendant of the Togakushi family, who for many years have worked in the shadows as guardians of the royal family. She was dispatched by Commander-in-Chief Kazenomiya to keep Izaya and Rio safe on board the male-dominated Ibuki. She has on several occasions caught sailors who had lost their wits and tried to touch Izaya or Rio with their uncanny quickness. Thanks to Myuu’s constant watchful eye, there are no more sailors who have any illicit plans for the two princesses, and the ship’s morals are maintained.

“Your Highnesssss!” “Himeeeee!”

The next thing they knew, sailors were leaning over the edge of the floating body and the outer edge of the upper deck, waving and cheering at the two women in bathing suits, who were bathing in the open-air command center. Rio waves back with a bright smile, Izaya hugs herself with both hands and quickly flees indoors to the forward watchtower, and Myuu stands there with her eyes closed without any reaction.

The blessed rain soon subsided, and the intense midsummer sunshine returned.

Soaking wet, the soldiers climbed down the rope ladder with a satisfied look on their faces, picked up their trophies of buckets and tubs, and went back to their living quarters.

” Let’s fill the bathtub with this water.”

When Rio said this, Myuu silently took the two buckets and walked to the captain’s office at the back of the officer’s quarters.

◆

That night.

On the upper deck, about eight drum baths were set up, and sailors were enjoying their first bath in a long time.

There was also a “liquor store,” which was the ship’s own store, and sailors were gathering here and there after their baths, drinking and talking nonsense.

Kuroto was shoulder-deep in his drum bath, staring up at the starry sky with a sullen expression on his face.

His body was exhausted from the daytime training, and the simple bath, heated by the steam from the rainwater boiler, was soothing to him. Each person is allowed to take a bath for five minutes, and he wanted to enjoy this golden time as much as possible.

The constellation of the summer stars twinkled beyond the steam. The clouds that had broken at the bow of the Ibuki were flowing past Kuroto with the seven colors of the Ceras particles. There was nothing more he could wish for: a starry sky and a nice bath. Kuroto loosened his mouth and deeply inhaled the night air. Until now, he hadn’t realized how grateful he was to be able to use both hands to scoop water and wash his face.

In between the chatter of the sailors, he heard someone singing a song. It was a song about a distant homeland. The voice was quite good, and everyone listened to the song in silence.

When Kuroto looked over at the singer, he saw that it was Heisuke, who had grown quite fond of Kuroto recently. Everyone rushed him to sing some songs, and he was good at it too.

“It was an unexpected skill.

Kuroto, who had just gotten out of the bath and changed into his Type 3 military uniform, told Heisuke, who had rushed over with a hand towel. Heisuke smiled embarrassedly.

“I have twin sisters who are good at singing. They trained me as a child.”

“Hmm. Are Chie and Tae your sister’s names?”

“Yes!”

Each of the personnel were assigned a particular air raid launcher to maintain and inspect, and many of them gave their assigned launchers a name to identify them. On the outer shells of the two air raids Heisuke was in charge of, the names “Chie” and “Tae” were written in paint. Heisuke carefully cleaned the outer shells and inspected the mechanical systems day and night as if he were treating his family.

“They are two years older than me. When I was twelve years old, they both were sold to make ends meet. I don’t know where they are now. They loved to sing, and their harmonies were so beautiful that it was enchanting…… The three of us used to sing on the riverbank until nightfall.”

”I see,” Kuroto replied shortly.

It is not unusual for children to be sold. According to one account, hundreds to thousands of children were sold in the thirty years since the phrase “laying down one’s life for the sake of others” was coined. The heavy taxation that accompanied the construction of ships made life difficult for the common people, and many children, especially in the cold villages, were sold to traffickers. The boys were mainly sent to work in the cold regions doing hard cultivation work, while the girls were sent to the brothels.”

“With the money from selling our sister, we were able to lead a decent life and I was able to join the Navy. So I’m very grateful…… I hope I can meet them someday.”

Kuroto listened to Hiesuke’s story in silence.

The night breeze blew through the air, ripping at the suspension cord and making a high-pitched sound.

“If this air raid strikes, maybe it will be in the newspaper and my sisters will notice me. I thought that maybe I could meet them again, so I gave them this name. …… I want you to listen to my sisters’ song, Your Highness. It’s really a beautiful song.”

Kuroto patted Heisuke’s head lightly with one hand.

“I hope you get to meet them too.”

“Waaa”

Parting ways with Heisuke, Kuroto returned to the officer’s quarters alone.

Myuu stood guard in front of the doorway to the captain’s quarters while the other officers and Kakitsubata chatted.

“The captain and vice captain are taking a bath.”

Kakitsubata secretly whispered to Kuroto, who stretched his nose. Kuroto sniffed and thought about what he was going to say, then turned to the chief accountant who was there.

“I’d like to discuss something with you.”

“?”

He looked at the chief accountant, who looked at him closely, and then said with a smile, “All right”.

◆

The bathroom at the back of the captain’s quarters was a far cry from the stuffy upper deck and was filled with the fragrant scent of roses.

After filling the bathtub with warm rainwater, Izaya and Rio stripped off their uniforms and took a bath together. By taking a bath together, they could reduce the amount of time Myuu had to keep an eye on them outside to make sure no one came too close.

They slowly dipped their toes into the water, made sure it was lukewarm, and soaked their shoulders in it.

“Oh, …….”

Without thinking, Izaya let out a sigh and looked up at the ceiling with enraptured eyes. Rio also soaked her whole body in the hot water, squeezed her eyes shut and let out a groan. She then smiled ecstatically at the ceiling.

“It’s a paradise …….”

“Oh, ……. It’s the best…….”

“Izaya, you’re looking good!”

The expression of Izaya, which was always tight and dignified on the ship, melted into a vulnerable and innocent face of an eighteen-year-old girl, now that she was alone with Rio.

“I’m okay ……. I usually look like this…….”

The usual ruggedness has been stripped away, and Izaya, with a loose, untied expression, lets out a grandmotherly exhale, and dips the lower half of her face into the hot water. She starts puffing and spitting bubbles.

“It would be nice to take a bath every day. ……”

Rio said this and put the back of her head on the edge of the bathtub. As she did so, her chest fluttered and swayed in the water.

After looking at Rio’s chest for a long time, Izaya looks down at his own and blows out a big bubble in frustration.

“We are from the same family, so why ……”

“Hmm? What?”

“Nothing, nothing. Now, let’s wash your body.”

“Oh, I’ll wash your back. Let’s wash each other.”

Izaya replied, getting out of the tub and sitting on the chair. Lathering the towel with soap, Rio scrubbed Izaya’s back.

“It feels so good.”

Izaya smiled and enjoyed the scent of the soap as she felt his muscles relax.

“Let’s switch.”

They turned each other’s bodies, and now Izaya was lathering Rio. Rio smiled and inhaled the fragrance.

After rinsing off the lathered soap with a generous amount of water, Izaya put her hands on Rio’s shoulders and began to rub them.

“Thank you. It feels amazing.”

” You’re so stiff.”

“Oh, that’s good. Right there.”

She looked at Rio, who was squirming and swaying as Izaya massaged her.

“It must be hard carrying all that luggage.”

“No, not really. It’s nothing compared to Izaya’s.”

“…… Are you being sarcastic?”

Izaya looked down at himself and muttered lowly. Rio laughed.

“It’s about work.”

“Hmm? Oh, that luggage…..”

Izaya’s cheeks flushed a little when she realized what Rio meant.

“It’s a tough job, being a captain. You’ re doing a fantastic job. It’s great, Izaya

“I don’t think so, …….”

Rio took the soapy towel from Izaya and the two of them spun around again, this time Rio rinsing Izaya’s back.

“You’re really doing a great job, you know. I sometimes cry when I see Izaya. You’ re amazing.”

In a sincere tone of voice, Rio suddenly began to say something like that.

“What’s with the suddenness? You won’t get anything out of me even if you praise me.”

While rubbing Izaya’s confused shoulders, Rio continued to speak.

“There are 200 sailors and a lot of older officers, but you always stand tall and strong……. You never show any weakness. It’s amazing.”

“It’s not like that. I’ve been trained that way since I was in the …… Royal Academy. It’s normal for us royalty.”

The Royal Academy is also a place to study imperialism. Both Izaya and Rio had learned from an early age how to control the hearts and minds of the privileged class, something that is not taught in ordinary schools. In Izaya’s mind, she has learned how to stand above others, how to maintain her dignity, and how to avoid expressing her emotions.

“But you’ re only eighteen. You can’t do that normally. I can’t even do that.”

“I can do it because of Rio. I can’t do it by myself. Because of Rio and Myuu, I can do it……”

“Yeah. But Izaya ……”

After rinsing the foam off , Rio rubbed Izaya’s shoulders with her hands and said quietly.

“Just let me know when you’re having a hard time, okay? I’ll help you with anything.”

“Rio……”

Izaya turned her head to Rio.

“You don’t have to worry. There’s nothing hard about it.”

“Yeah, ……

“I’ll rinse you off. Turn around.”

With a slight slump, Rio showed her back to Izaya. Izaya washed down Rio’s back.

“I am happy. I’m surrounded by good sailors and I consider Ibuki to be like family.”

“……………………”

“Until the day of the final battle, I want to spend my training days like this, both friendly and strict. That’s what I want. So help me, Rio.”

“Yeah ……. I’ll help you.”

Rio looked back at Izaya only in profile and smiled.

◆

As the night wore on.

In the middle of the foremast, in the open-air anti-aircraft command center, Izaya and Kuroto were working side-by-side tonight on counter-observation training.

Despite the fact that both of them work hard day and night, it has become a routine for them to train their night vision skills here until late at night.

Today, however, Kuroto was training for something else at the same time.

“A, E, I, U, E, O, A, O! KA, KE, KI, KU, KE, KO, KA, KO!”

“Shut up!”

Izaya shouted at him, but Kuroto did not stop shouting into the starry sky.

“SA, SE, SHI, SU, SE, SO, SA, SO!”

It was hard to concentrate on the observation when he was shouting with his teeth and gums bared beside her. She became irritated and yelled at him.

“Everyone is asleep! Do it in the daytime!”

Kuroto stopped his vocal exercises and glared at Izaya.

“The daytime is occupied with air mine firing exercises! It’s a great idea to do both training at the same time, counter-observation and vocalization. NA, NE, NI, NU, NE, NO, NA, NO!”

Izaya’s face was full of anger, but it was true that no matter how much he shouted here, his voice would only be blown away to the rear of the ship. The only problem is that it annoys Izaya, who’ s standing next to him.

“I’m going to show that asshole Sergeant how it’s done! I’m an almighty genius, and I can’t lose my voice, body, and hair to that lowlife! Ha-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he!”

It seems that Kuroto was quite frustrated at being made fun of in training, and he continued to shout while observing the scene. The new second lieutenant was no match for Onizuka, who had been a sailor on a warship for more than ten years.

” Intellect, body, voice. Only I, who are superior to the soldiers in every way, will be qualified to drive them to their deaths with a single command! M-m-m-m-m-m-mo!”

“You’re a lot more serious than I thought. ……”

Izaya said in disgust and returned to her training. She’s annoyed, but she’s also proud of Kuroto for putting his all into everything he does. The fact that he is not disliked by the sailors, despite his pompous and brusque attitude, may be due to his hidden seriousness and life-long devotion.

After about thirty minutes of loud shouting, Izaya asked him when his throat had finally dried up and he could no longer speak.

“Can I ask you something?”

Izaya asks.

“Hmm?”

He took a sip of rainwater from his water bottle and looked at Izaya with one eye.

“You’ve really delivered the bath water to the chief accountant, haven’t you?”

When Izaya and Rio got out of the bath earlier this evening, Kuroto, who was in the officer’s quarters, asked them to give him the leftover bath water so that he could use it to wash the dishes in the accounting department. They had no reason to refuse, so they left it to Kuroto to dispose of, but in retrospect, they wondered why the Chief of the Air Raid was so concerned about the accounting department.

“Ah. I delivered it.”

Kuroto said firmly. Izaya glared at him with a single eye, as if he was suspicious.

“You’re not using it for something strange, are you?”

“What do you mean, “something strange”?”

“‘………… Well, never mind. But you seem to have grown quite accustomed to being a sailor. That’s good.”

“No, I’m not. I’m in the process of making them obey me. Expect them to become my emotionless pawns that will happily charge into enemy territory shouting my name.

“What kind of expectations? You don’t need to make them pawns, just make sure they can obey your orders. Hopefully, before the battle with the Grand Ocean fleet.

He laughed thinly and said suddenly.

“You’re taming your troops so that they’ll die willingly, aren’t you?”

Izaya listened in silence and combed her hair with one hand.

The seven colors of the Ceras Particles were scattered on the ends of her hair.

“I don’t like the way you said that. We are all united as one to fight without the fear of death.”

Against the background of the great galaxy rising in the night sky, Izaya’s dignified profile shone through the starlight, as if she was no longer of this world.

“Are you prepared to die from the start?”

When I asked him again, Izaya replied without hesitation.

“It is a soldier’s duty to fight and die. I am just doing my duty solemnly. The crew of the Ibuki is ready to do the same.”

“………………”

Kuroto accepted Izaya’s words in silence. He didn’t like something about it, but he couldn’t determine what that something was.

A painful feeling of frustration built up in his chest, and he shifted his eyes to the stars. The dreamy colors of the stars were glittering more brightly than usual, as if they were mocking the foolishness of this world.

The wind blowing at an altitude of 1,200 meters was made visible by the seven colors of the Cerasus Particles. Ships flying within the floating zone could see the currents of the wind.

Izaya was told by his mother, the Queen Empress, “In this war, you will die.” In other words, Izaya is living to die.

The haze in Kuroto’s chest thickened.

“If you want to die, then die.”

He said hatefully, disguising his inner turmoil. Izaya chuckled thinly.

“Are you going to survive?”

“Yeah. I”m a genius. Losing me in a trivial battle would be a national loss. If I sense danger, I’ll take my parachute and run overboard.”

“That’s very you.”

“I don’t like Kyle and the Gamerians, so I’ll hit them as hard as I can. That’s the only reason I’m fighting. I’m not fighting to die.”

The truth is that he’ s only fighting to protect Izaya from Kyle, but he doesn’t say that.

“We don’t fight to die. There is another reason we fight. Before the start of the war…… Rio and I were summoned by the Commander-in-Chief, Kazenomiya, to go to Kasumigaseki. General Nangou was also there. I was able to hear some valuable stories. You should know about it, too, so you can understand why they challenged Hinoo to a reckless battle.

As the seven-colored droplets of water danced in the night wind, Izaya told Kuroto what had happened about two months earlier, two days before the start of the so-called “Grand Ocean War”. It was the tragic outcome of two soldiers who held Hinoo’s fate in their hands: the General and the Commander-in-Chief of the United Fleet.

◆

June 8, 1938.

Izaya and Rio visited the Ministry of the Navy in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo, dressed in Hinoo’s first-class naval and air force uniforms. It had been announced the day before that the rainy season had begun, and the sky was covered with light gray clouds, looking as if it would soon start raining.

The Military Command Office was located on the third floor of a red brick building in the style of Ringland.

More than a dozen operations staff members belonged to the First Section, also known as the Operations Section, which was in charge of planning operations for the Grand Ocean War. Compared to the vastness of the war zones it is responsible for, the Military Command is a very limited organization. Izaya and Rio were now entering the “inner sanctum”, the very heart and soul of the Hinoo Navy and Air Force.

[Office of the Commander-in-Chief]

After checking the nameplate of the room in an unflattering font, they knocked on the oak door.

They straightened up, opened the door, and entered the room, clicking their heels together and saluting.

“Major Izaya Shironomiya, present.”

“Second Lieutenant Rio Kazenomiya, present”

Rio’s father, Commander-in-Chief Genzaburo Kazenomiya, smiled and offered her daughter and niece a sofa.

“There you are. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

At first glance, he looks like a nice guy with a gentle manner and a smile, but he is a well-trained soldier who fought in the Battle of the Hinoo Sea aboard a warship in the Russo-Hinoo War more than thirty years ago. 65 years old, he is currently in charge of all operations of the Hinoo Navy and Air Force. He is the younger brother of King Hinoo, and the only one who has the authority to speak directly with the King.

“I’m sorry for calling you here. You know who I am, right?”

“Wa!”

Izaya and Rio once again salute the sallow-tanned, white-haired man with a strong sense of the tide, who is standing beside Commander-in-Chief Kazanomiya.

“I am Nangou. I’ve met your highness at a viewing ceremony, but this is the first time we’ve spoken.”

The Commander-in-Chief of the United Fleet and General Sadaharu Nangou, sat down on the sofa facing them with a friendly face.

A staff member served tea while General Kazenomiya, who was sitting beside General Nangou, made a few small talks before getting down to business.

“Yesterday, at the Imperial Conference, it was decided to terminate diplomatic negotiations with Gameria.”

Izaya’s fist shook as she heard this.

“You mean the war has started?”

“Oh. Yes, I have spoken and His Majesty has given me a grand command.”

Kazenomiya’s words weighed heavily on the office. Both Izaya and Rio know that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Commander-in-Chief of the United Fleet in front of them have been working tirelessly to avert a war with Gameria. What kind of situation forced these two to decide to start a war?

“Gameria’s diplomacy was nothing but a farce. After the war, they probably wanted to create an established fact to send a message to the international community, saying, ‘We wanted to settle the issue through talks, but Hinoo suddenly attacked us.” Just as we were about to conclude an agreement, they turned it upside down and suddenly asked us to withdraw our troops from the Zen(?) Continent.”

Kazenomiya said this with a self-mocking smile. Izaya and Rio could not help but widen their eyes. To ask them to throw away their lifeline, which they had grabbed at the expense of so many others before them, was as much a declaration of war as a request for Hinoo to die.

“Why would Gameria demand such a thing from Hinoo?”

“Well, you know. Maybe it’s because we’re people of color.”

The cold smile on Kazenomiya’s face said it all. From the beginning, Gameria had spent a lot of time preparing to trap Hinoo in a trap.

The sudden escalation of the war with Gameria was caused by the oil embargo against Hinoo four months earlier.

Gameria had made it difficult for Hinoo’s troops to move south in the region and, in collusion with the Western powers that had colonies in Asia, had blocked the sea routes connecting Hinoo and the Middle East, preventing Hinoo from importing oil.

If Hinoo remained passive, the stockpile of oil would run out in less than a year and the United Fleet would become scrap metal floating on the sea. Without the United Fleet, Gameria would block the sea traffic around Hinoo and make even more absurd demands. Each time the demands are met, Hinoo will weaken. Eventually, the Gamerians will take their place at the center of Hinoo’s government, rewriting the constitution and taking away citizenship. In both Hawaii and Filfin, the Gamerians used similar tactics to deprive the locals of their citizenship and turn them into colonies.

Since the oil embargo, the media has been writing about the atrocities of the white man and criticizing the weakness of the government. The people of the country have been clamoring for the “iron hammer of justice” to be used against the arrogant white men. In the face of the media and public outcry, the leaders of Hinoo, including King Hinoo, Kazenomiya, and Prime Minister Saijo, knew that if they fought against Gameria, they would lose.

The leaders commissioned the Akizuki Institute, a group of economists, to study the competitiveness of Gameria and Hinoo. As a result, they came to the conclusion that it did not matter how many times Hinoo won a fleet battle against Gameria, as there was a twenty-fold difference in steel-making capacity and a ten-fold difference in shipbuilding power. No matter how many enemy ships they sank, the enemy would use their industrial strength to repair the damage and come at them with even greater strength than before. Hinoo, who was inferior in shipbuilding power, would have no time to recover from the damage and would eventually be swallowed up by the overwhelming volume of goods. According to the predictions of the Akizuki Institute, the two sides would be evenly matched in the first year, Gameria would have the upper hand in the second and third years, and the United Fleet would be destroyed in the fourth year.

No matter how much the people and the media wanted it, such a war could not be started.

The leaders had made diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the oil embargo, but their efforts were suddenly ignored. Gameria told them that if they wanted oil, they should withdraw from the Zen Continent.

“Hinoo had spent thirty years building a foothold on that continent. We have to be self-sufficient. Otherwise, without resources, Hinoo would not be able to mobilize an army and would be invaded by other countries. Now that being weak is bad, we have entered the continent to make ourselves strong.”

Without realizing it, Izaya’s words became rough.

“If they demand that of Hinoo, shouldn’t Gamelia also withdraw her troops from Filfin and Hawaii? What is the logic behind the white men’s invasion of Asia, but not Hinoo’s?”

Even though Izaya knew there was no point in getting angry with Kazenomiya, she couldn’t stop herself from getting angry.

“A strong country can demand whatever it wants. They have the ability to beat their opponents to a pulp with violence. If you accept their demands, they can profit without fighting. If you refuse, they can profit by trampling you down without leaving a trace. Unfortunately, diplomacy itself is not possible with Hinoo’s strength.”

General Nangou said with resignation.

Izaya bit her lip. An inexplicable sense of frustration rose up from the depths of her lungs, but she knew that the two soldiers in front of her had persevered in their efforts to avert war, biting down on their pain and frustration even more than Izaya, so she had no choice but to swallow it down.

Kazenomiya continued to speak.

“This ultimatum, which sealed the end of negotiations,…… which we call the Gull Note after Secretary of State Gull, has not passed the Gamerian Congress…… according to our research. We call it the Gull Note after Secretary of State Gull. It was prepared by the president and some of his aides, and it was thrust upon Hinoo without regard to the will of its people. In other words, President Wimbert has given the people of Gameria an ultimatum that amounts to a declaration of war without their consent. It is the young people of Gameria who will die in the war, and the parliamentary democracy …… is appalled. The war that is about to begin is one that Wimbert and his entourage, just a few of the privileged, want to start. Hinoo had no choice from the beginning.”

A heavy silence hung over the office. The two princesses were at a loss for words, and could only take in the words of the two men at the top of the navy and air force.

President of Gameria and his entourage represent the interests of the WASPs (White Angelo Saxon Protestants), who make up less than one percent of the population. A handful of upper class whites have launched a war …… to monopolize their interests in the Grand Ocean Rim. That is what the Grand Ocean War is all about.

“Gameria can’ t help but want to control Hinoo. As long as the major powers want to do so, the options for the weaker nations are limited. They can fight and perish. Or perish without a fight. The only choice we have left is how to perish.”

Kazenomiya’s withered words echoed sadly in the ears of Izaya and Rio. No matter how hard they tried, the impoverished nation of the Far East had no choice in the matter. This fact was unbearable and too regrettable.

There is no choice but to perish without a fight. For more than thirty years, the people of Hinoo have endured heavy taxes to expand their armed forces under the slogan, “Lying down and licking wood”. The common people got two meals a day for the price of three, national government employees gave up 10% of their salaries, and the wealthy bought and supported ship-building bonds equivalent to the navy’s budget. On top of that, 30 percent of the national budget was allocated to ship-building in order to build the world-renowned Hinoo United Fleet. The fact that a small, impoverished nation in the Far East was able to build a large fleet of ships with a total capacity of one million tons just over 60 years after the opening of its doors is unprecedented and can be called a “miracle”. What made this miracle possible was the power of the people, who scrimped and saved and gave up all their surplus to pay for the construction of the ships. If they let go of this miracle without a fight, the people would rise up and start a civil war.

“We chose to fight and perish. Some people may laugh at the foolishness of reaching out for a little glimmer of light when they know they cannot win. But if we don’t reach out, people of color will have to live as slaves of the white man for eternity. We refuse to accept that future.”

Therefore, they would fight and perish.

Hinoo has chosen that path.

“We will fight for a future in which all human beings living on earth are equal. Even if we are defeated, we believe that the pride and courage we have shown will be handed down to future generations and will help Hinoo to grow even more than it already is. One day, there will be a future where Hinoo people will be able to stride proudly around the world. It is for this future that we will die.”

In a halting voice, Commander-in-Chief Kazanomiya spoke to Izaya and Rio.

The two princesses could only nod their heads with somber expressions.

No matter which path they take, they must choose one that leads to hell.

She wondered how much weight and suffering must have accompanied the decision.

By fighting for their lives, they were passing on human pride and courage to their children. How many struggles did these people have to go through to arrive at this context?

“The long and painful war of national power is about to begin. Just by you fighting on the front lines, the people will be inspired. Please fight fair and square with the ”Ibuki”.

As Nangou added his words, Izaya realized.

The General has also asked us to prepare for death…….

That’s probably why he called them together in the first place.

“I’m not afraid of death. I fear shame. If we choose to become slaves without a fight, it will be our descendants who will suffer. I will fight with the pride of the royal family to the end.”

Izaya said firmly. Nangou and Kazenomiya nodded their heads in pain. Both of them were probably feeling bad about using girls who were not even old enough to be on a billboard to raise the spirits of the war effort. The wrinkles on their faces were deeply and painfully etched with years of heartache.

I’m ready to die.

People will die someday. The only difference is whether it is now or later.

If you live your life as if it were on fire, even if it is short, isn’t that a happy life?

A future where people of color can live as human beings.

A future in which Hinoo people can walk around the world with pride.

For the sake of that future, I will die.

Izaya made that decision in his heart.

Outside the window, the cloudy sky showed no signs of sunlight, and the birds could not even be heard.

◆

One or two shooting stars slid diagonally down the starry sky.

It was four o’clock in the morning. Even though it was the middle of summer, the chill prevailed in the anti-aircraft command center located at an altitude of 1,200 meters.

After finishing the words of Commander-in-Chief Kazanomiya and General Nangou, Izaya said to Kuroto as he continued to observe the situation.

“We will fight and die for a free and equal future. That is the will of the Commander and General. I, too, can see no regret in fighting and dying in that context. Do you deny the will of the Commander-in-Chief?”

Kuroto, who had been silently listening to Izaya, opened his mouth.

“I will not deny it. I hate the situation where Hinoo is treated with contempt as a monkey. But I’m going to fight to win. I will not fight to die.”

“……………………”

“It may be an unwinnable war, but you never know what will happen if you keep winning air fleet battles. Gameria is not monolithic, and if the Gull Note has not passed Congress, simply informing the people of Gameria of this fact can cause unrest. There are a lot of people in that country who are against the war, hopefully we can stop it in the right place.”

“…… Yeah. …… But as you know, the country of Gameria is not a coward. It is stubborn, intelligent, and persevering. It’s not an easy road.”

“No matter how strong the enemy is, we will fight to win. No matter how much Gameria tries to push us with their industrial power, floating stones cannot be produced since it is a natural resource. The total number of airships has nothing to do with industrial power, but instead with the total amount of floating stones they possess. If we continue to increase the number of airships by winning the air fleet battles, as well as capturing floating stones from the enemy, Gameria will probably raise its voice. In addition, it takes three years to train a full-fledged sailor. It’s useless to have a ship if you don’t have sailors who can operate it. The only way for Hinoo to see the light of day is to continue to win …… air fleet battles. That is why I am on a flying airship, to make the impossible possible.”

Kuroto said at once, smiling fearlessly as usual.

“I’m going to save this kingdom. Future generations will revere the hero of the nation’s salvation, Kuroto Kurono, for all eternity. That’s the only reason I’m fighting.”

He turned around and looked up at the starry sky, laughing aloud.

Izaya listened to Kuroto’s pompous laughter, half in disgust, half with envy.

“I admire your genius, but you’re also a complete idiot.”

“Keep talking, mere mortal. You will shed a tear or two and thank me for my genius.”

Kuroto looked up at the sky again and laughed, probably drunk from his own words. Izaya was impressed by the fact that there were people in this world who laughed like that in real life. Although she had read about it in a three-sentence novel, she was also somewhat envious of Kuroto.

Just keep on winning the air battles of the fleet and make the enemy raise their voice…….

It’s a selfish dream like a child’s, but when Kuroto said it, it seemed like a no-brainer. In light of Kuroto’s ability to rise to the top of Fall Street in just over five years after being abandoned by his father in a foreign land at the age of 11, it seems not entirely impossible.

I wonder if I’ve been poisoned by this man.

Izaya stood with Kuroto and looked out at the starry sky while secretly mocking herself in her mind.

The great galaxy that stretched across the night sky seemed to be unconcerned with the strife on earth, twinkling its infinite stars above their heads.

Notes/Thoughts:

I had a little more fun editing this chapter…. cause you know….. IT ADDED MORE CONTEXT TO THE STORY. Not cause of Rio or anyone ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).

Also, in chapter 2, I used term “Jap”, when it was actually suppose to be “Yap” (I assume its suppose to be short for Yellow APe). Also Miyu’s name is also suppose to be Myuu. I updated the posts and made the corrections.

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