Clemenceau Estate
July 2, 1942
9:00 AM
Clemenceau stood on her room's balcony, her gaze sweeping over the port. She stared at the horizon, her attention drawn to the American frigate sailing near the Casablanca shoreline. She had rejected offers from both Azur Lane and the Crimson Axis, determined to avoid being drawn into their escalating conflict.
A wave of pity washed over her as she thought of the young Kansen whose offer she had just declined, despite his promises of protection and favorable trade agreements with the Eagle Union and the broader Azur Lane Alliance. She sighed inwardly, her eyes lingering on the distant Frigate.
A soft knock on the door announced Le Malin's presence. Clemenceau gave her permission to enter. Le Malin slipped into the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
"Mistress Clemenceau..." Le Malin began, her voice respectful as she prepared to deliver her report.
Clemenceau slowly walked towards her desk and sat, glancing at Le Malin to signal her to continue.
Le Malin focused on the report in her right hand, taking a steadying breath before reading. "Our scout planes have spotted a fleet of Crimson Axis Shipgirls entering our territorial waters, heading directly for Port City Casablanca."
Clemenceau clasped her hands tightly near her face, a worried murmur escaping her lips. "The Crimson Axis is truly that determined to send an invasion force to seize this strategic location."
"What now, Miss Clemenceau?" Le Malin asked, her concern for their safety palpable.
Clemenceau rubbed her temples, a groan of frustration escaping her. "Evacuate the townspeople. Ready the coastal batteries... and prepare yourself, Le Malin. We're going to face them." A sense of foreboding hung in the air as she spoke those words.
Le Malin clenched a fist, fighting to suppress a tremor. Engaging Iron Blood Destroyers was a challenge she could potentially handle. But facing an entire fleet alone seemed an insurmountable task.
"Yes, Ma'am," she responded, her voice betraying a slight tremor. She slowly opened the door and left the room.
Clemenceau leaned back in her chair, her gaze drifting upwards to the ceiling, where angels were painted soaring through the clouds.
"I would rather die in battle than become a puppet of Iron Blood," she muttered resolutely to herself.
~Present~
Regensburg, astride her draconic rigging, hurtled towards Lafayette's raiding force. Her Dragon flew at subsonic speeds, outpacing any propeller aircraft and even the early jet planes of the 1940s.
The thrill of the rapid flight intensified her resolve as she fixed her gaze on her targets. Suddenly, she noticed two fast-approaching projectiles.
A rocket???... no, that might be a missile... she thought, observing their trajectory. With a swift wave of her hand, she commanded her Dragon to veer sharply to the right.
However, the two Missiles tenaciously followed her and her Dragon. Squinting, she confirmed their nature, Anti-Air Missiles.
"Anti-Air Guns... FIRE!" she bellowed, and all the 105mm SK C/33 Anti-Aircraft Gun mounts swiveled rapidly, aiming at the two SM-2 Missiles.
Her Dragon Rigging transformed into a terrifying aerial fortress, resembling a World War II bomber unleashing a torrent of lead from its top, sides, and belly. The sheer volume of fire surpassed even an AC-130 Ghost Rider providing close air support.
Despite the overwhelming barrage, her attempt to shoot down the two Missiles failed. Left with no other option, she ordered her Dragon Rigging into a high-altitude barrel roll. The massive creature executed the maneuver with surprising agility. During the aggressive roll, the two Missiles slammed into the edges of its wings and detonated harmlessly.
With a powerful beat of its wings, sending the surrounding clouds swirling, her Dragon Rigging regained its balance. Regensburg stood at its head, her gaze sweeping the horizon until she locked onto her three primary targets.
Her Dragon Rigging slowly aligned its massive head with Regensburg's line of sight. Its fiery orange eyes also locked onto the targets, slowly opening its jaws as red energy began to coalesce within.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Lafayette exclaimed in utter surprise at the sight of the draconic rigging.
Duke of York and Valiant had drawn their swords, realizing the ensuing fight would be far more intense than they had anticipated based on Lafayette's seemingly flawed plan.
"Duke..." Valiant glanced nervously at her comrade.
"I know... bad timing..." Duke of York replied grimly, her gaze never wavering from the floating Dragon above.
Lafayette's targeting system suddenly blared an urgent warning of an imminent attack. He quickly turned back to Duke of York and Valiant.
"Evade!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to warn them of the incoming danger.
Duke of York reacted swiftly, grabbing Valiant and pulling her out of the path of the attack. Barely a moment later, a Massive Laser Beam slammed into their previous position, sending towering plumes of water and scalding steam erupting into the air.
The intense heat from the laser beam unleashed by Regensburg's Dragon instantly vaporized the seawater.
"What was that?!" Lafayette asked in stunned surprise. He had no idea that laser weaponry was part of the Iron Blood arsenal.
Duke of York released Valiant, her eyes fixed on the origin of the devastating attack. "Regensburg," she muttered to herself, her gaze unwavering.
Valiant slowly regained her balance after being pulled and dropped by Duke of York. "That attack came from Regensburg's Dragon rigging... she's what we call... 'Dragon Empress'."
Lafayette swiftly summoned his M4A1 assault rifle with its underslung grenade launcher and cursed under his breath. "Shit!"
Regensburg was momentarily taken aback by the sudden, silent disruption. Her Dragon Rigging's breath attack had been focused on the two Royal Navy Shipgirls when, without warning, her targeting systems went haywire.
It didn't take her long to deduce the cause, noticing the sleek, modern frigate nearby. That kid... that must be the one the Sardegnans mentioned... quite young, I must say.
She pointed a finger directly at Lafayette, directing her Dragon Rigging's attention towards the modern frigate. "Let's greet him," she said with a predatory smile.
Regensburg's Dragon folded its massive wings and plunged downwards towards the frigate with incredible velocity, a shimmering energy shield activating as it entered a dive-bombing run.
Seeing the draconic form hurtling towards him in a diving arc like a hawk descending upon its prey, Lafayette quickly fired another two SM-2 Missiles at the diving threat above.
The SM-2s failed to penetrate the energy shield. Reacting instantly, he raised his M4A1 with its underslung grenade launcher, aiming to fire a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) directly into the beast's open mouth. But everything was happening too fast, a blur of motion and impending doom.
With incredible speed, Duke of York stepped forward, her sword flashing as she blocked the razor-sharp claws of Regensburg's Dragon. The force of the collision sent a shockwave rippling outwards across the water as she held off the monstrous attack.
Duke of York strained with all her strength, blocking and holding back the crushing force of the Dragon's claws. Metal shrieked against metal, sparks flying as the Dragon's claws clashed against her sword. But the sheer size and power of the creature were overwhelming her.
"Valiant!" Duke of York cried out, urging Valiant to attack.
Valiant unleashed a full broadside from her main guns at the Dragon Rigging, while Lafayette also fired every weapon he had, peppering the creature's body with a hail of different caliber rounds.
However, Regensburg's "Scarlet Supernova Fortress Skill" activated, a shimmering barrier deflecting all of Lafayette's and Valiant's attacks harmlessly.
"Shit! It's all useless!" Valiant exclaimed in frustration as she watched her shells bounce off the impenetrable shield.
"Is that all you got? ... how pathetic!" Regensburg mocked them, their futile attacks only fueling her arrogance. She pointed directly at Lafayette. "You! ... I will make you pay for humiliating Iron Blood!" Her voice dripped with murderous intent.
"Shit! Now I really wish Laffey was on my side," Lafayette muttered under his breath, glancing at the Dragon Rigging's malevolent eye, which seemed to be staring directly at him.
Then, Regensburg's Dragon turned its massive head towards him and opened its jaws wide. Lafayette instinctively knew what was coming and dodged just as another searing laser beam shot past him.
Without hesitation, he returned fire with his MK-110 57mm Bofors naval gun and his M4A1 with its underslung grenade launcher. The 40mm grenade transformed mid-flight into a Naval Strike Missile, slamming into the energy shield. A few smaller rounds managed to penetrate, inflicting minor damage on the Dragon Rigging's plating.
Regensburg was not amused by his persistent attacks. She roared an order, and her Dragon disengaged from Duke of York, who was still desperately holding off its claws, and flapped its massive wings, giving chase to the smaller, more annoying target.
Duke of York collapsed to her knees, utterly exhausted from the immense effort of blocking the Dragon Rigging's powerful claws. Valiant swiftly sailed towards her to offer assistance.
"You alright?" Valiant asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Don't... mind me..." Duke of York gasped weakly, struggling for breath. Coughs "How's the kid?" she asked, looking towards Valiant's previous position.
"Well..." Valiant hesitated, unable to find the right words, her gaze fixed in Lafayette's direction. Duke of York followed her line of sight.
Lafayette was in full reverse, desperately trying to evade the pursuing Dragon. All his available guns barked, sending a stream of bullets towards the massive creature.
He tried to target its eye, but his shots, like before, proved ineffective. The Dragon Rigging was now visibly enraged by his persistent attempts to blind it.
"Shit! Looks like I pissed off this Big Guy," he muttered, his voice laced with apprehension.
Regensburg's Dragon Rigging opened its jaws for a second time, this time clearly intending to bite his head off. With a desperate maneuver, he swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws of death.
"The fuck!" he cursed, his head having just escaped a gruesome fate. In his momentary lapse of concentration, he failed to notice the dragon's massive tail whipping towards him.
"Oh, shit..." He braced himself for the inevitable impact, but it never came. Someone had blocked it.
He slowly opened his eyes, confused as to why he felt no pain. He looked at the figure who had intervened. It was Valiant.
Valiant had dashed towards him, her sword raised, blocking the dragon's whipping tail. Sparks flew as her blade collided with the massive, scaled appendage.
"I'll hold it off! Go!" she yelled, trying to get his attention.
Lafayette scrambled to his feet and readied his VLS cells. Two Tomahawk Missiles shot out of their canisters, heading directly for the dragon.
The dragon absorbed the impact as if it were just another minor attack. However, these particular Tomahawks were configured for anti-ship duty. The powerful explosions rocked Regensburg and her Dragon Rigging, and the energy shield that had protected them shattered like fragile glass.
Regensburg's eyes widened in disbelief. This was the first time anyone had managed to break through her "Scarlet Supernova Fortress Skill."
"H-How???" was the only word she could utter, utterly stunned by the absurd attack that had shattered her seemingly impenetrable defense as if it were made of glass.
Lafayette seized the brief window of opportunity, quickly reloading his M203 underslung grenade launcher and firing. The 40mm grenade transformed into another Naval Strike Missile, striking the dragon squarely in its torso.
Regensburg's Dragon roared in agony, recoiling violently and attempting to put distance between itself and the two attackers.
"You made that thing recede..." Valiant exclaimed, panting heavily. Blocking those massive claws had taken a significant toll on her, just as it had on Duke of York.
Lafayette reached out and grabbed her by the waist to prevent her from collapsing into the water. "Thank you..." she murmured, grateful for his assistance.
"No need... we still have a problem," he said somberly, their gazes both fixed on Regensburg and her wounded dragon.
Valiant and Lafayette engaged in a tense staring contest with Regensburg for a few moments, until her dragon unleashed a sudden hail of projectile fire at them.
Lafayette's "Aegis Shield Skill" activated, a smaller version of the powerful energy shields typically found on larger destroyers and cruisers. Despite its size, it possessed sufficient strength to block the incoming barrage.
Both Valiant and Regensburg were taken aback by this unexpected display. They both knew that only heavy cruisers and battleships were usually capable of possessing such a powerful defensive skill.
"Wa-What—how???" Valiant muttered in utter surprise.
His unprecedented move caught Regensburg's full attention. She squinted at him, trying to analyze his rigging. 'Your rigging is too complex and compact for any destroyer, yet... your capabilities exceed those of even the lightest light cruiser. No wonder Herr Bismarck wanted to capture one of these Modern Kansens.'
"I didn't know you could do that?" Valiant asked, genuinely amazed by his 'unique' skill.
"I can do that, but I can only use it in emergency situations," he replied, gripping his M4A1 and pointing it towards Regensburg.
Regensburg suddenly laughed, drawing their attention. "My~My... I didn't know you would pull out such a unique skill... Too bad... it won't help you in this fight."
"Really? ... then where's your shield?" he retorted cockily, channeling Lucas's penchant for taunting his enemies to throw them off balance.
Regensburg clicked her tongue in annoyance. She knew her primary defense had been compromised by that last Missile strike. For now, her skills were in cooldown, recharging. Without her "Scarlet Supernova Fortress Skill," she was a vulnerable flying target for his Missiles.
The two locked eyes in a tense standoff. Valiant, standing beside him, sensed the shift in the atmosphere. This battle was about to reach a critical point.
She furrowed her brow, bracing for another attack. In a swift motion, Lafayette pulled the trigger of his M203 underslung grenade launcher, the projectile striking the dragon's left shoulder.
Regensburg retaliated instantly, her dragon unleashing another searing laser beam and a barrage of fire from the turrets mounted along its back.
"I won't let you escape!" Regensburg roared, her Dragon Rigging raining down fire upon the two.
Lafayette grabbed Valiant's hand, pulling her out of the path of the falling shells and laser beams. His grip was tight as plumes of water erupted around them, followed by the sizzling impact of the laser. His Aegis Shield flickered, providing a momentary barrier against some of the smaller projectiles.
Regensburg's Dragon was like a heavily armed infantry fighting vehicle, spewing suppressive fire from its array of mounted weaponry, ranging from 15cm main guns to 105mm anti-aircraft cannons.
"Can you do me a favor?!" Lafayette yelled to her, dragging her through the hail of fire.
"What favor?" Valiant asked, confused by his sudden request.
"Can you distract that Dragon for a while?"
"What?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"All I need is only a second... will you do it?"
"Are you gone mad! No! It's suicidal... Are you planning on charging it alone? Even with your skill, you wouldn't stand a chance!" Valiant said, her voice filled with alarm and concern.
"Leave it to me... I have a plan," he said with a confidence that belied the perilous situation.
Valiant hesitated for a moment, knowing the slim chances of facing that Dragon alone and surviving.
"Okay," she agreed hesitantly, realizing they were running out of options.
Besides, if he trusted her to distract the Dragon, she also needed to trust him to face it alone.
"On the count of three... three... two... one. Go!"
As soon as the countdown reached zero, Valiant broke away, Lafayette releasing his grip. Valiant drew most of the Dragon Rigging's barrage towards herself, maneuvering erratically to avoid being hit.
With all the Dragon's attention focused on Valiant, Lafayette wasted no time. He leaped into the air, gaining the high ground. He aimed the sights of his M4A1, preparing to fire his M203 underslung grenade launcher.
Regensburg anticipated this move and pointed a finger at him. Her Dragon Rigging's massive head followed her gesture.
"I won't let you!" she shouted as her Dragon began to charge another powerful laser beam in its mouth. This time, all its energy seemed to be focused on this single, devastating attack—an attack capable of melting even the thickest battleship armor.
Valiant saw the Dragon turning towards him, preparing its massive, all-out attack. "Lafayette, NO!"
Dread washed over her as she could only watch helplessly as a line of concentrated laser energy rapidly approached him.
A cruel smile spread across Regensburg's face at the prospect of defeating him with a single, overwhelming blow. "Goodbye, little boy..." she said with a chilling glee.
Lafayette had anticipated this. He had just needed a bit of space to make his attack a success. He saw the Dragon's jaws open wide, drawing together a massive amount of energy.
"This is all I need," he mumbled to himself, a flicker of determination in his eyes.
As the Dragon unleashed its devastating, concentrated laser breath towards him, he swiftly launched a Mk 53 Nulka decoy to divert its attack.
The laser beam shot right over his head, missing him by mere meters, and slammed into the decoy he had deployed. Both he and the Dragon Rigging exchanged a tense glare. He couldn't be sure if the Dragon was capable of understanding his intentions, but he knew, instinctively, that the creature was in deep trouble.
As the laser beam dissipated, he quickly pulled the trigger of his M203 grenade launcher, uttering a classic line with a confident smirk.
"Hasta La Vista, Baby."
"No! It can't be?" Regensburg couldn't believe he had survived that attack. She had focused all of her energy into that single blast, fully expecting him to use his 'unique' skill to block it.
But she had been wrong. He had simply stood there and deployed a decoy to divert the attack aimed directly at him. Now, with all her energy drained, there was nothing she could do. She was a sitting duck for his Missiles.
She watched in disbelief as the 40mm grenade transformed into a Naval Strike Missile, streaking directly towards her Dragon's throat, impacting just before its massive jaws could close.
Regensburg's Dragon was humbled with brutal swiftness. Though its expression couldn't be clearly seen, its reaction would have undoubtedly been one of wide-eyed shock and gaping mouth.
The Naval Strike Missile, swallowed whole, detonated violently inside its throat, triggering a chain reaction that resulted in a massive internal explosion, rocking the surrounding kilometer.
Regensburg was thrown violently by the blast, knocked unconscious and sent tumbling into the ocean. Her tight-fitting latex swimsuit was torn, barely covering the most sensitive parts of her body.
Duke of York merely smirked as she witnessed the massive fireball erupting in the distance. She knew Lafayette had dealt with the threat decisively, with a literal bang.
"I knew you could do it... young man," she murmured to herself, a sense of satisfaction washing over her.
Lafayette landed back on the water's surface with a large splash, slowly standing up and raising his M4A1 closer to his face. He then turned to face the worried Valiant.
"See... told you. You just have to leave it to me," he said with a cocky smirk.
Lafayette recalled Lucas's words in similar situations: "If the situation is all fucked-up and beyond fixing, you just have to tell a girl, 'Just leave it to me.' It did help the situation, but it sure put a reassurance to her."
Valiant dashed towards him, hugging him tightly, ignoring her exhaustion and the few aching parts of her body.
"I thought you were gone with that attack..." she said, her voice thick with emotion as tears welled up in her eyes. Lafayette was taken aback, unsure how to react to this sudden embrace. It was the first time someone had hugged him this closely.
"Please don't do that again..." Her embrace tightened with each passing second.
"Umm... can you please let go now? I-I mean, this is getting awkward," he said, feeling increasingly uneasy in Valiant's tight grip.
Valiant paid no heed to his complaints, simply holding him tighter. Their earlier tension had been momentarily forgotten, replaced by a newfound trust forged in the intense confrontation with Regensburg.
Lafayette had also momentarily forgotten that tension, but convincing royalty with mere words was proving futile. He simply waited for her to loosen her embrace.
Suddenly, a bright flash caught both of their attention. They turned towards the source.
It was Duke of York, who had silently sailed closer and was now holding a film camera, having just taken a photo of their embrace.
"My~My. I did not expect you to get along so well after the earlier drama, Miss Valiant," Duke of York said, teasing Valiant about her sudden change of heart towards Lafayette.
Valiant looked at her, then back at Lafayette, realization dawning on her face. She pushed him away as if he were a spent shell casing. Both of them flushed crimson, but quickly composed themselves as Lafayette once again faced the ocean surface.
She had been carried away by her emotions, not realizing she had been hugging him for nearly a minute. She bolted towards Duke of York, intent on confiscating the incriminating camera and the evidence that could potentially ruin her future ascent to the throne.
"Give me that!" she shouted, reaching for the camera that Duke of York held just out of her grasp.
"It's not what you think," she tried to explain, but Duke of York had already made up her mind.
"No need to make an excuse... I already saw you," Duke of York said, gesturing with the film camera. "Good thing you two are getting along again."
"P-Please! Don't show it to anyone! Please!" Valiant pleaded, desperate to keep the photograph a secret.
Duke of York simply offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I won't show it to anyone." She then looked at Lafayette.
Lafayette was petrified, lost in a whirlwind of terrifying scenarios. His imagination conjured images of Lucas, Essex-12, Denver-856, or even Arizona plastering that photo on every front page of Azur Lane news.
Both Valiant and Duke of York looked at him, surprised to see him so utterly terrified for the first time. All the cockiness and smugness he had displayed moments ago had vanished, leaving him pale and trembling.
Valiant shook him gently to bring him back to reality. "Hey, take the camera!"
Her words didn't quite register. In a reflexive action, he activated his MK-110 57mm Bofors naval gun and aimed it directly at the camera. A short burst of 57mm rounds obliterated the device.
Duke of York stared in surprise at the precisely destroyed camera. "Well... there goes my leverage," she said solemnly.
Valiant jumped for joy that the incriminating evidence was gone. "Hah! I can finally secure my position without that hanging over my head!"
Lafayette finally returned to the present, his thoughts still reeling from the potential fallout of the leaked photo. "What happened?" he asked, his voice slightly dazed.
He then noticed the shattered remains of the camera in Duke of York's hands. His eyes then darted to the unconscious Iron Blood shipgirl floating nearby.
"What should we do with her? We can't just leave her there," he said, pointing at Regensburg.
Both Valiant and Duke of York looked in the direction he indicated. "We will take her into custody. Royal Navy reinforcements will arrive here soon," Duke of York stated.
"Good... good. I really hate leaving her lying there unconscious," Lafayette said, feeling guilt at that one in a life time big-bang.
~Time Skip~
Indomitable waited aboard her ship for the arrival of the other three, standing on her flight deck and overlooking the horizon.
Her reaction had been a mixture of shock and concern after witnessing the laser beam and the large explosion in the sky. She watched alongside her escorts, relieved that no one appeared to be seriously injured.
She then saw Duke of York's battleship sailing towards her and her escorts. They were all glad that no one had been critically hurt in the fierce exchange.
"Sir Lafayette, Mistress Valiant, are the two of you alright?" Indomitable asked, noticing the small burns on their clothes.
Lafayette raised a reassuring palm. "Yes. I'm alright," he said.
"Yes. Me too, I'm alright," Valiant echoed.
"But, Mistress Valiant, your clothes? They're burnt."
"I said, I'm alright. It's only burned fabric," Valiant replied, her tone slightly irritated by the persistent questioning.
"Sorry, Mistress Valiant, I'm just worried," Indomitable apologized for her concern.
Lafayette interjected, addressing the pouting Valiant. "You don't have to be like that; she's just worried about your health."
"I'm not a baby to be constantly watched," Valiant retorted, still pouting.
Duke of York chuckled. "Yeah, right. Not a 'Baby'." She said with a knowing hint, causing Valiant to blush as she remembered her recent embrace.
Lafayette ignored the playful banter, trying to bury the memory. He then faced Indomitable, his earlier shyness returning. "Umm... Indomitable."
"Yes?" dr turned her full attention to him, making him even more nervous.
"Ca-Can you do something for her?" He pointed at the unconscious Regensburg lying on the deck.
Indomitable covered her mouth in surprise at the sight of the unconscious Iron Blood Shipgirl. This was her first time seeing one of the feared enemies knocked out.
"Wha-What happened to her?" she asked, her voice filled with astonishment.
"Well..." Lafayette scratched the back of his head, searching for the right words.
Valiant interjected dramatically. "Sir Lafayette defeated her! And also slew her Dragon!" She declared, placing a hand over her chest for emphasis.
Indomitable and her escorts gasped, their jaws dropping and eyes widening at the news. Lafayette was thoroughly embarrassed by Valiant's dramatic pronouncement.
After a few moments of being bombarded with questions, Valiant yanked Lafayette away from the group of surprised shipgirls.
"Indomitable. Where are your manners? You're making Sir Lafayette here uncomfortable," she scolded Indomitable and her escorts.
Lafayette raised a hand in protest. "Can you please remove the 'Sir' part from my name? I'm not used to such formalities."
Duke of York rested her right arm on Lafayette's left shoulder and spoke with a warm smile. "You deserve to be called 'Sir' because of your heroic and brave act of slaying that Dragon."
Lafayette sighed in mock defeat at his new title of "Sir Lafayette the Dragon Slayer," already imagining the teasing he would endure from Arizona and Lucas. Lucas was already known as "Loco Lucas" by his crew, and Arizona had dubbed him "Chad-rizona."
"Guess I'm Sir Lafayette now," he mumbled to himself.
Suddenly, his radar detected two ships speeding towards their location. He quickly informed the others about the approaching vessels.
Duke of York immediately recognized the silhouettes of the two ships. "There's no doubt. It's Clemenceau and Le Malin."
"What are they doing here?" he asked, confused by their sudden appearance.
"I think they also detected the Iron Blood invasion force heading to Casablanca," Valiant answered.
"I guess you're right, but the battle is over." It then dawned on him that this was the 1940s; information traveled slowly and was often delayed. "I forgot, I'm in the 1940s," he mumbled to himself.
Clemenceau and Le Malin sailed closer to the Royal Navy Shipgirls, all of whom were standing on the railing, looking at them. Duke of York gave a hand signal, motioning them to come aboard her battleship.
Clemenceau and Le Malin jumped onto the deck and saw Lafayette and Valiant with their slightly burned clothes.
"My, what happened?" Clemenceau asked in surprise.
Duke of York gestured to her side. "Sir Lafayette here... defeated Regensburg and her Dragon."
Both Clemenceau and Le Malin were flabbergasted at the news of this young Kansen defeating Regensburg and her Dragon Rigging.
"What??? How???"
"Yeah, I know... it's hard to believe, but that's what really happened," Duke of York said, a hint of pride in her voice at Lafayette's accomplishment.
Clemenceau quickly regained her composure. "I-I see... I greatly thank you for your help."
Lafayette seized the opportunity. "So, can you join Azur Lane now?"
Clemenceau slowly shook her head, still choosing to remain neutral. "Sorry, Sir Lafayette. I am truly grateful for your help, but I wish to stay out of this conflict," she said solemnly.
Lafayette was disappointed. He had risked everything to defeat Regensburg and her Dragon, hoping to convince her to join Azur Lane. But she still chose neutrality, fearing she might drag her people into the conflict between Azur Lane and the Crimson Axis.
"I-I understand... Miss Clemenceau," he said, looking down in defeat.
Duke of York rested her right arm on his left shoulder, her voice filled with reassurance and optimism. "This might not be the day we convince her, but there's still another day."
Lafayette looked at her and offered a small smirk. She returned the gesture.
Valiant received a transmission from Alexandria, the news causing her face to light up with excitement. "Lafayette! I just received an encrypted message from Alexandria!"
Lafayette looked at her, his curiosity piqued. "What does it say?"
Valiant answered with a wide smile. "Unicorn just woke up!"
This news delighted him, instantly restoring his usual cheerful demeanor. He regained his motivation after hearing that Unicorn was awake.
Valiant continued, her expression shifting slightly. "You and your division are ordered to return to Pearl."
After that brief conversation, Lafayette, Valiant, and Duke of York set sail back towards Alexandria. Indomitable and her escorts continued their journey to the Royal Isles, carrying the unconscious Regensburg onboard. Clemenceau and Le Malin returned to Casablanca to resume their administrative duties.
Port of Alexandria
Unicorn stood at the port, waiting for Lafayette and his escorts to arrive. She was covered in bandages on her head and arms, having only recently woken up from her coma.
"Unicorn, you need to take some rest," Javelin cried out, rushing towards Unicorn, who was standing out in the open despite her injuries.
Unicorn turned to face the concerned Javelin, who ran towards her frantically. "Javelin..." Javelin was followed closely by Cheshire and the others.
Laffey-459 casually walked along, her ever-present cola in hand.
"Miss Unicorn, you need to come inside. Sir Lafayette and the others will arrive here shortly," Cheshire said reassuringly, employing tactics she had used back in the Royal Isles to calm anxious younglings.
Unicorn relented, lacking the strength or energy to argue with Cheshire. "..... right...."
Cheshire extended a hand to help her walk, but Unicorn insisted on managing on her own.