Narrator's POV
It was a scorching, bright day on the island that served as the Azur Lane headquarters. From the sky, numerous ships could be seen anchored, with several shipgirls busy cleaning their decks. Some played on the beach, swimming together, while others read books in the park. A few were enjoying tea parties, while others simply took a leisurely stroll.
Izumo, currently a "guest," was in a meeting room with the four leaders of the Azur Lane and Red Axis factions. Her face was tense, despite Sweet Jolly whispering to her to stay calm—Javelin had assured them they weren't bad people.
"Take a slow breath, Izumo. You don't want to faint here, do you?" Jolly whispered.
Izumo responded with a nod. Beside her, Akaneko gripped the edge of Izumo's kimono sleeve, a hint of fear visible in her expression. Izumo closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them slowly. She looked at everyone in the room, determined to carry herself like a guest at a military base. She noticed the four leaders watching her intently, scanning her from head to toe. Her features were vastly different from most of the shipgirls here.
"Sit down, you three," Queen Elizabeth began. "Javelin, close the door. We are having a closed meeting," she added, commanding Javelin to stand guard outside.
"Sister Izumo, if you need anything, just call for me. I'll be right outside," Javelin said as she exited and closed the door. Izumo nodded and took a seat at the conference table.
"Identify yourself, oh foreign shipgirl," Nagato said softly, her tails swaying back and forth. Enterprise, who had been standing, sat down as well. Bismarck set aside her radar tablet and glanced at Izumo.
Izumo swallowed hard. The atmosphere was thick with tension as these powerful ships fixed their gazes on her.
"I am JS Izumo, an Izumo-class Helicopter Destroyer. I am here with my two companions, Sweet Jolly and Akaneko," she explained, gesturing to where they sat near the door. "I don't know how long I've been here, but I am trapped in this world. As you can see, I am... different from you."
"Different, you say? Are you not a Siren creation gone rogue?" Bismarck asked sternly.
"Siren?" Izumo feigned ignorance. In truth, she knew exactly what Sirens were, but for her own safety, she figured it was best not to reveal that to these elites. They didn't seem quite as approachable as the four destroyers she had met earlier.
"Strange interdimensional beings that cause chaos on the seas. They are our enemies, and they are responsible for flinging us into other dimensions..." Bismarck said.
CRACK...!!!
The table fractured under the weight of Bismarck's sudden, emotional strike. As she spoke, the memory of losing their Commander—separated by dimensions when the Sirens attacked the base—surfaced painfully.
"This is the umpteen-th table you've broken, Bismarck," Nagato said calmly, yet with a sharp, direct tone.
"My apologies," Bismarck replied shortly.
Enterprise let out a long sigh. "You are overworking yourself, Bismarck. Remember to rest." She then turned her gaze back to Izumo, who was breaking into a cold sweat.
"You mentioned an unfamiliar ship type. Errr... what should I call you? Izumo? Or..." Enterprise trailed off.
"Izumo," she replied briefly.
"Right, Izumo. You mentioned a different class. A 'Helicopter Destroyer.' What is a helicopter? And are you not considered an aircraft carrier?" Enterprise asked.
"A helicopter is like a plane that flies using a large rotor on top. Perhaps you'd like to see it for yourself?" Izumo answered. "They can be faster than your Mustangs and Zeros."
"Flying without a runway? Faster than my planes? I'll hold you to that. I want to see it," Enterprise said. "Akashi will be very interested in you as well if she finds out."
"So, you are a type of ship different from what should be. You remind me of some Sakura Empire girls who were originally battleships but became carriers," Nagato added.
"You can see the shape of my ship anchored outside. My design is similar to yours, though some are larger and more modern. At least, stronger than my own. In my world, your names have been reincarnated into new ships, whether of the same or different types. Like the name I carry now. The original Izumo had an ancestor of the same name that was never built—IJN Izumo. It only existed as a concept, which eventually led to the birth of IJN Yamato and IJN Musashi," Izumo explained, drawing from the knowledge of her previous life. She remembered playing as IJN Izumo in a game called World of Warships, so she knew how majestic that ship was.
"Musashi, huh? Reminds me of that purple-kimono fox. Even if the names of our homes are different, it seems the ship names remain the same. It feels as though we are the past of your world," Nagato mused.
"Exactly. In my world, I was created because my country lost a war. Originally, I wasn't even supposed to exist; even destroyers were limited. But my country found its own way, building carriers that aren't officially called carriers—much like how they built carriers from cruisers in the past," Izumo added.
"I see. And these two accompanying you, are they shipgirls as well?" Nagato asked again.
"They... err... you could say they came to this world with me. They are my closest friends, or at least, my family in this world," Izumo answered.
"We both stay by Sister Izumo's side, living and sailing through this world together," Sweet Jolly added, supporting Izumo's statement. Izumo looked at Jolly and smiled, a gesture that was warmly returned.
"Very well. I don't believe you are a Siren anomaly. For now, we shall view you as a guest from another world. However, we must remain vigilant. Since you are also trapped here, you might be able to help us observe whatever is happening in this realm," Queen Elizabeth concluded.
Before ending the conversation, Izumo raised a question.
"According to Z23, you use 'Wisdom Cubes' for energy. I... well, as you can see, I don't even know what a Wisdom Cube is. I'm confused about what energy powers my ship. That's why I'd like to learn from you while sharing the technology my ship carries."
"Interesting. Iron Blood looks forward to... 'dissecting and studying' you inside and out, Izumo," Bismarck said, her eyes scanning Izumo from head to toe, sending a shiver down Izumo's spine.
"Thank you. At the very least, I want to say..." Izumo glanced at Sweet Jolly and Akaneko, "...we are not your enemies."
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The harbor was bustling, especially at the pier where the JS Izumo was docked. Izumo was seen lying down haphazardly on the walkway near the ship's gangway. She looked physically and mentally exhausted.
"Haaaaahhhhh... I'm so tired," Izumo sighed, closing her eyes. Her head was resting on Sweet Jolly's lap. "Was I always this sleepy?"
Akaneko had also fallen asleep on Jolly's other leg.
"You two... just because my thighs are big and soft, you use them as pillows, fufufu," Sweet Jolly giggled.
"Sister Izumo was amazing, being able to talk for so long with those leaders. I probably would have fainted if I stayed in there too long. They are such imposing seniors," Javelin said. She and Laffey had accompanied Izumo back to her ship. Laffey was in a similar position to Izumo, sleeping on Javelin's lap—though in Laffey's case, she was actually fast asleep.
"Yeah, Javelin. If I had answered incorrectly, I might have been cast back into the ocean to drift like a living corpse. I haven't docked anywhere else but here," Izumo added.
A moment later, a figure appeared in the distance heading toward the pier. A pair of green cat ears twitched sensitively. She approached with a sly yet adorable smile, hugging an ammo box or perhaps a large calculator. It was Akashi, coming from the lab to the pier where JS Izumo was docked.
"What a huge ship, nya...!" Akashi shouted as she ran.
"Sister Akashi!!! Don't run... I'm exhausted here," Ayanami complained from behind her.
"I want to see our guest right away, nya! You're the one being too relaxed. Oh, nice to meet you, nya! I'm Akashi," she introduced herself to Izumo with a salute, though her fingers were hidden inside her oversized sleeves.
"Nice to meet you, err... Akashi. I heard you're in charge of logistics and energy. Please take care of me while I'm here. I'm a good girl, I promise," Izumo replied.
"Roger that, nya! But first, I want to see the tech on this ship. Lady Nagato said there are many interesting things here. That's why I rushed over. You have so many antennas, nya. Your ship's color is so smooth. And what do you keep on your flight deck, nya?" Akashi asked.
"The planes I carry might sound foreign to you. They all use jet engines, not propellers. There are MiG-27Ks, Qaher-313s... and maybe you aren't familiar with helicopters?" Izumo said.
"What are those, nya?" Akashi asked, her eyes sparkling. She sat beside Izumo, listening intently.
"A helicopter is like sitting in a car, but there are blades on top, and you can take off without a long runway. I'll show you." Izumo closed her eyes. In her mind, she visualized the hangar inside her ship's hull. Small vehicles called Power Tugs pulled an AW249 Fenice helicopter from its parking spot to the side elevator. It was raised to the deck. The Power Tug moved the helicopter to a launch point. Izumo shifted her consciousness into the helicopter, starting up the multi-role craft until it finally lifted off vertically. It hovered above them, performing acrobatic maneuvers. Akashi watched in pure awe.
"Incredible, nya...! I want to make one! I've never seen tech like this before, except for those Siren girls who fly vertically." Akashi asked.
"Technology, huh? It's more modern, I suppose, even if it's smaller than the carriers here. Well, my ship's actual size is technically that of a destroyer," Izumo said, looking up at her majestic vessel.
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Meanwhile...
Far from the Azur Lane headquarters, migratory birds flew above the clouds. The ocean waves were normal—until they were suddenly broken. Not by a storm, but by the roar of turbine engines shattering the silence.
Across the horizon, the silhouette of a massive carrier appeared. It had a single command tower and a flat, incredibly long deck. The number 19 reflected the light at the edge of the flight deck. It glided with lethal elegance. Atop the deck stood a girl in a long white coat fluttering in the sea breeze, adorned with gold accents signifying high rank and prestige. Her officer's cap was perfectly set, framing a calm face with sharp, golden-yellow eyes—eyes as piercing as her ship's radar, capable of seeing hundreds of kilometers away.
"A lonely ocean... no smell of oil or fuel. Is this still within the domain of the Chinese Dragon?" the girl mused. The glare of the sun behind her cast her face in shadow. A red flag with yellow stars fluttered atop the tower.
"I am CN Type 004, Long Chao. Somehow, I ended up trapped here. If I recall, I was in a final duel between carriers. I was in bomber mode, chasing the carrier JS Izumo as she fled into a tornado. Everything went white and then dark when she entered that storm. My goal is clear: find that Japanese carrier and destroy her," the shipgirl, also known as Long Chao, declared.
Unlike Izumo, who was a reincarnation of a player, Long Chao—the Type 004 strike carrier with hull number 19 (a concept ship in the real world but playable in Modern Warships)—was the ship itself brought to life, carrying the consciousness and "build" of the player who had commanded her.
"Where are you, JS Izumo?" she said, standing in a disciplined, rigid stance. Suddenly, several aircraft from her custom build roared overhead.
Su-39 strike fighters, KB-X bombers, J-36 ASF stealth fighters, Aksungur drones, and several NH-9F helicopters. A heavy combat group, far more powerful than the one carried by JS Izumo.
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Meanwhile, oblivious to the danger, Izumo was chatting with Ayanami, showing off the maneuvers of the Fenice helicopter in the sky as other shipgirls watched in wonder. It was their first time seeing such a thing.
However, deep inside her ship, a warning alarm flashed on a monitor. Several blips were moving hundreds of kilometers away. Three points were circling—not approaching, but observing.
To be continued.
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Next Chapter 5: Something Foreign