The door clicked shut.
Outside, the corridor fell into an uneasy silence.
Aircraft Carrier stood still, her hand hovering near the handle, knuckles white. Every instinct in her screamed to break the door down—but she forced herself to stop.
"…She told us not to interfere," she said quietly.
Ayanami leaned against the wall, arms crossed, crimson eyes fixed on the door. "If something happens, we break it."
Haman scoffed, though her voice lacked its usual sharpness. "Tch… as if we could stop a Legendary Ship Girl anyway."
Laffey, half-asleep, hugged her bottle and mumbled, "Admiral… will be fine…"
No one answered.
Time passed—slow, suffocating.
Azuma sat on the edge of the bed, her thoughts racing.
Taihou stood by the window, back turned, shoulders rising and falling as if suppressing something violent inside her.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then—
"You're afraid of me."
Taihou's voice was soft, but it carried a dangerous edge.
Azuma forced herself to stay calm. "You're a Legendary Ship Girl. Anyone would be."
"That's not it." Taihou turned, her crimson eyes locking onto Azuma. "You're not afraid of my strength… you're afraid of what I want."
Azuma didn't respond.
Because she was right.
Taihou stepped closer, her oppressive aura restrained—but not gone.
"I didn't come here to kill you," she said. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have lasted a second on that deck."
"…Then why are you here?"
"To offer you a choice."
Azuma narrowed her eyes. "A choice?"
Taihou raised a hand. A faint blue glow flickered—three azure crystal cores materialized in her palm before fading again.
"You're gathering Authority cores, aren't you?"
Azuma's heart skipped a beat.
So she did know.
"You don't need to answer," Taihou smirked. "I can feel it. That power… it doesn't belong to an ordinary Ship Girl."
Silence filled the room.
Then Taihou leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"I can help you become stronger."
Azuma's fingers tightened against the sheets.
"There's no such thing as free help," she said.
"Of course there isn't," Taihou replied lightly. "Everything has a price."
"And what do you want?"
Taihou didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she reached out—stopping just short of Azuma's chin.
"Loyalty."
Azuma's eyes hardened. "I already serve an Admiral."
"I'm not asking you to betray him," Taihou said. "Not yet."
That yet made the air turn cold.
"I want a promise," Taihou continued. "When the time comes… you will stand on the winning side."
"And you think that's you?"
Taihou smiled.
"I know it is."
The pressure in the room spiked again—not enough to crush, but enough to suffocate.
Azuma met her gaze head-on.
"I don't make promises like that."
Taihou's expression darkened slightly.
"Careful," she said softly. "You're not strong enough to refuse me."
"Then why are you asking?"
That question hung in the air.
For a brief moment, something flickered in Taihou's eyes—something almost like conflict.
Then it vanished.
"…Because you're interesting," she admitted.
Minutes later, the tension eased.
Taihou stepped back, exhaling slowly as if regaining control over herself.
"Fine," she said. "We'll do this differently."
Azuma stayed silent, waiting.
"I'll leave you something," Taihou continued. "Consider it… an investment."
"And in return?"
"Nothing," Taihou said.
Azuma frowned.
"I don't believe that."
"You don't have to." Taihou turned toward the door. "Just remember this—when you reach the point where you have no other path left…"
She glanced back, her gaze sharp.
"Come find me."
The door opened.
Aircraft Carrier immediately stepped forward—but froze when she saw Azuma standing unharmed inside.
Taihou walked past them without a word.
No one dared to stop her.
A streak of light shot into the sky—and she was gone.
Inside the room, Azuma stood still.
On the bedside table—
Three faintly glowing blue cores rested in silence.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"…What does she want from me…?"
Outside, the sea stretched endlessly ahead.
And far beyond the horizon—
Something far more dangerous than Taihou was already beginning to move.
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