The day of the speech arrived.
Everyone gathered in the parade ground looked completely drained.
From all around, I could hear quiet grumbling about how we were already on the losing side, so why were we even bothering with this.
I tapped the microphone a few times to check that it worked, then drew everyone’s attention.
"Does anyone here know who I am?"
No one answered.
"Good."
"I am the Commander of Azur Lane, the one who drove you all this far!"
At my words, the audience erupted into noise.
"But not anymore."
The crowd was still restless.
"I was betrayed by the vile Azur Lane.
I devoted my entire life to Azur Lane, and they slandered me and cast me out.
I want revenge!
That is why I came here!
Everyone! It is time to repay Azur Lane for everything it has done to torment you!
If you give me the authority and position to lead you, then I will declare this:
Let us go and see the end of vile Azur Lane.
We will become the mighty Iron Blood once more!
We will take back what was stolen from us!
Look at what you have accomplished so far.
You stood alone against the Royal Navy and the Eagle Union.
What an incredible achievement that is! You are not weak!
If you trust me and follow me, then we will no longer be among the losers. I will belong only to you!
Please, trust me. Just as I had the courage to stand before you all!"
When the speech ended, the mood in the audience had changed completely.
Their empty eyes began to regain their spark, and the listless bodies that had been slumped in their seats now seemed to burn with fighting spirit.
But if there is a front side to a coin, there is always a back side as well.
Some were moved by my speech, but others had doubts.
Deutschland pointed her pistol at me and said, "Hmph. A lowly creature like you, just a lackey of Azur Lane, wants to lead us? Based on what? Why should we believe you’re not still Azur Lane’s lapdog?"
"Don’t worry about that."
Bismarck appeared from behind, pushing a wheelchair, and took the microphone.
"I can vouch for this man’s identity. He is no longer connected to Azur Lane."
At Bismarck’s testimony, Deutschland could only lower her gun, still looking suspicious.
"Then I’ll be counting on you from today onward. Commander of Iron Blood."
After saying that, Bismarck returned to the infirmary.
Even though she was in such poor condition, she still came out to speak for me...
That’s a little touching.
...
"You can’t decipher Red Axis’s code...?"
Queen Elizabeth received the report with a stunned expression.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Since yesterday, the encryption systems for all communication lines, including Iron Blood’s channels, have been changed."
Elizabeth could not begin to imagine it.
How could Iron Blood, which had been beaten to a pulp, suddenly be capable of encrypting its communication channels and code systems?
Even if they had made contact with the Sirens, Iron Blood was currently without even a flagship.
"Did you try breaking it?"
"Yes. We gathered personnel and tried to crack it, but we were unable to decipher it at all."
"Comma..."
Elizabeth was about to call for the Commander before remembering what she herself had done.
There was no Commander anymore.
"Tch... Fine. You may go."
Should they coordinate with the Eagle Union?
But relations with the Eagle Union were not good at the moment.
They had cast out the Commander who belonged to them without even consulting anyone, so it made sense.
"...And when they refused to get involved, saying they wanted no part of it... how dare they..."
Elizabeth ground her teeth.
...
"Bismarck, no matter how much I’ve come here, we can’t overcome such an overwhelming difference in force."
"I know. But the route to the Sakura Empire is blocked by three factions, so there’s nothing we can do."
"Then send in the U-boat unit...!"
Bismarck slapped her bed hard and said, "That’s why I said no...! Ugh...!"
Bismarck clutched her head and grimaced in pain.
"Bismarck..! Are you okay?"
Bismarck waved a hand toward me.
"I’m... fine... The U-boat special forces are absolutely out of the question... If you understand... then... go..."
At Bismarck’s order to leave, I had no choice but to walk out of the infirmary empty-handed.
"Haa... This is the only good idea I have, so why is she so dead set against it?"
I muttered to myself while smoking, feeling stifled.
"Commander, what are you doing?"
Prinz Eugen approached me, yawning.
"Well... I suggested to Bismarck that we send U-boats along the severed route to secure the disaster zone and coordinate with the Sakura Empire, but she flat-out refused."
"Hmm... I see..."
Prinz Eugen’s expression turned sour.
"Do you know something?"
Prinz Eugen explained the situation to me.
When she herself had been heavily damaged, the submarine force had suffered terrible losses.
And although she had formed a knight’s contract with one of those girls, she had been unable to protect her, which left her especially skeptical of using submarines in operations.
"...I see."
Even so, I would not withdraw the submarine operation.
With the disparity in surface strength as it was, Iron Blood’s only way out was the submarines.
Then—
Wee-ooo, wee-ooo
The air raid siren blared loudly in my ears.
"Multiple Royal Navy vessels approaching from the north-northwest! All units to battle stations!"
"Tch! I’ll go first, Commander!"
Prinz Eugen deployed her rigging and leapt into the sea.
This was my chance.
A chance to raise my influence.
I summoned the submarines.
"Your role today is the most important. What you do will change the battle dramatically."
The submarine girls wore determined expressions and plunged into the sea.
...Then let’s begin my revenge.
...
I took the command ship out to sea.
I was probably the only Commander in the world who deployed while towing his command ship behind him.
Everyone else commanded from behind while watching the battle footage, but I preferred to see the situation with my own eyes and issue orders quickly.
That was my secret.
I cut through the waves and headed into the open ocean.
Then a radio transmission came through.
"Unidentified vessel there! You have now entered Iron Blood territorial waters! Identify yourself at once... Commander...?"
Eugen’s voice trailed off in shock.
"Good. Keep the route. Once you reach the operation zone, spread out in a ring formation."
"What are you doing! Why is the one giving orders out at sea!"
Hipper snapped over the radio, sounding irritated.
"Don’t worry about it. Contact me again once you reach the operation zone, and maintain radio silence until then. Over."
A few minutes later, Eugen reported that they had reached the operation zone.
"All fleet units! Open fire! Commence engagement as of this moment!"
I locked onto the Royal ships detected by radar and shared their positions.
Of course, all of this information was encrypted with [Enigma], and they would never dream that their own positions were being exposed.
"What?! We’re still far from Iron Blood waters! What is this bombardment...?"
Prince of Wales was busy dodging the incoming shells.
The Royal Navy only began to counterattack in earnest twenty minutes after our first volley.
It was a pathetic response.
"Good! Now pull back! Full speed, withdraw from the operation zone!"
And now the real stage began.
The U-boat unit quietly moved in on the Royal Navy’s rear.
"A... torpedo?! Since when?!"
"Eek...! Ugh..! My engine’s been hit...!"
With Royal heavy cruiser Suffolk taking a hit, the Royal fleet was in bad shape.
"Damn it...! How can they still have this much strength...?"
Prince of Wales could not accept it.
Not long ago, people had been talking about total extermination, so how could they still have this much fight left in them?
It was a tremendous victory for Iron Blood.
"We... We really beat the Royal Navy...?"
"Waaah!!!"
Cheers erupted from Iron Blood’s side.
The Royal Navy, which they had thought impossible to defeat, was fleeing with its tail between its legs.
The result was something no one could have imagined before, and everyone hugged each other in joy.
"We really... won...?"
Prinz Eugen could only stare blankly beyond the horizon.
"Everyone did well! Today’s result was made possible by everyone’s teamwork! All units, return to base. Over!"
Grrrrrr...
I hadn’t expected this either.
And it was proof of just how rotten Azur Lane’s current situation really was.
To think I had once commanded those people.
No wonder I can’t stop smoking.
After returning to the main base first, I waited at the harbor for the girls to come back.
"Commander~!"
I could see the destroyer girls waving as they returned from afar.
"I was really scared today, but I kept going. I did well, right?"
I gently smiled and patted the little destroyer on the head.
"Yeah, you did really well. Thanks to your efforts, we were able to win today’s battle."
"Yay~"
The little destroyer smiled brightly.
"Hmm... Commander, do you like little girls?"
When I turned around, Eugen was looking down at me with a cold expression.
Trying to slap a lolicon label on me, are you?
"No, I like women with big breasts and a mature vibe."
As I said that, I patted Eugen on the head.
"......!"
Eugen froze for three seconds, slapped my hand away, and turned around.
"H...hmm... I see..."
Then she quickly disappeared.
"What was that...?"
I went back to patting the destroyer girl’s head.
There was something healing about seeing the girls like this.
Hey, no misunderstanding. As I said, I like women with big breasts and a mature vibe.
...
I went to see Bismarck before anyone else.
Then I explained today’s achievements to her.
But,
Smack!
"........"
Bismarck slapped my cheek.
"So... in the end, you used the submarine girls?!"
I was a little angry.
My cheek didn’t hurt that much, but Bismarck’s stubbornness was infuriating.
"...You idiot. In the end, how are you any different from Azur Lane?"
"What...?"
"Girls who were born to fight. And you’re going to stop them from fighting on your own authority? What the hell is wrong with you? Did you even ask the girls themselves? Did you ask whether they didn’t want to fight? If you ask the submarine girls yourself and any of them say they don’t want to fight, I’ll kneel and apologize to you. If not, then from now on, don’t argue with my operations."
Bismarck stared at me blankly.
I put Bismarck in her wheelchair and went to the submarine girls to ask them.
I told them that if any of them didn’t want to fight, they could opt out right now. That this was Bismarck’s order.
"What...? What kind of stupid thing is that, Commander?"
The result was my victory.
The submarine girls were all burning with fighting spirit.
"We have to get revenge on the bastards who did this to Bismarck!"
"Ooooh!!"
"...See?"
Bismarck looked dazed, but somehow relieved.
"Heh... Heh heh..."
"Huh...? Bismarck, why are you crying...?"
"Aah! The Commander made Bismarck cry!"
I was subjected to all kinds of slander!
"It wasn’t me, you idiots!!"
"Waaah!! The Commander is a really bad person!!!"
You all know this is a lie, right?!
...
Bang!
"...So you got beaten up by those guys who were on the verge of surrender?"
"...My apologies, Your Majesty."
Elizabeth’s head throbbed.
Why?
How had Iron Blood, which had not even been able to keep up with us, turned the tables on us like this?
It was impossible.
"Any word from the Eagle Union, Warspite?"
"No... We still haven’t received any contact."
"Tch...!"
Elizabeth bit her fingernail.
Why? We’re winning.
So why do I have such a bad feeling about this?
...
Eagle Union - NY
"You still haven’t found him?!"
Enterprise could no longer hold back her anger and shouted.
"Enterprise senpai... please calm down..."
"Shut up! I don’t remember having a junior like you, someone who didn’t even cast a precious vote in the impeachment of the Commander...!"
"Ugh...! But..."
Essex froze at the sight of Enterprise, a side of her she had never seen before.
"Fine. If you won’t do it, then I’ll go find him myself."
Enterprise stormed out of the meeting room.
Saratoga let out a long sigh as she watched her go.
"Haa..."
One wrong choice had caused a split.
"Commander... where are you...?"
...
Scratch, scratch...
Prinz Eugen and I were working in the office.
Why was Eugen serving as my secretary ship?
Because she was the only shipgirl I was close enough with...
Bismarck wasn’t in any condition to handle paperwork, and when I asked Hipper, she said,
"Haa?! Why the hell should I clean up after you!"
"Oh, never mind then lol."
"Huh?! What kind of attitude is that! I don’t feel even a little bit like helping you now!"
And then I just left, while Hipper kept yelling after me from behind.
So Eugen it was.
Eugen was the best.
Eugen was working through the paperwork with a blank expression.
"Hmm..."
"You really don’t show much expression, do you?"
I rested my chin on my hand and said that to Eugen.
"Mm?"
"I mean, you don’t smile much. You don’t really have much of a smile on your face."
I rambled at Eugen without much thought.
Ah... I sound like such a loser. She’s probably insulting me right now, isn’t she?
Contrary to my worries, Eugen stretched and said, "Mm... Then why don’t you try making me laugh, Commander?"
Huh...? Make her laugh?
The only skill I had was my hundred ways to make a department head laugh at a drinking party...
"Uh... Do you know what you call a duck that freezes?"
"?"
"A hill."
It was cold.
A dagger flew into my chest and lodged there.
Eugen looked at me with a completely dead expression.
I’m an idiot.
"Commander, are you okay...? Are you hurt...?"
It hurts. My heart hurts.
"Let’s just get back to work..."
As I turned my eyes back to the paperwork, I felt something soft against the back of my head.
"Mm... Commander has a lot of white hair."
Wait.
If she wanted to look at my hair, then there was only one way she could be standing.
What was touching my head...
Yup☆
Eugen was patting my head.
"...I looked at you a little differently during the last battle. At first I thought, what kind of reckless person is this?"
"You’re amazing in all sorts of ways, Commander."
I could feel her gentle hand stroking my hair.
Just as I was enjoying the touch, there was a knock at the door.
Knock knock
"It’s Bismarck. I’m coming in."
...Huh?
She’s coming in now...?
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