Abyssal Ryuujou knew that if she hadn't gotten hold of this intel in advance, she absolutely would have walked straight into the trap—because the entire battle plan was designed to exploit her personality flaw.
The Abyssal Yamato was arrogant and overbearing, and Ryuujou's personality was little different—both were the type to be easily provoked into reckless action.
"What a pity, what a pity. Such a good plan… ruined by your own people. No, correction—it was snatched away by one of my spies."
As she muttered to herself, a green carrier plane glowing faintly gold fluttered back to her side, whispering like a confidante.
"Taihou wants me to sit still here? Why should I let her have her way? An N-class flagship is coming? Hah! Those little things are nothing but manufactured weaklings—thinking they can lead me? Not a chance. I won't let them steal the glory. Since the humans want to lure me in, I'll just play along. Orders? What orders—I haven't received a thing."
Ryuujou swiped away the floating black text in front of her and patted the massive mantis-shrimp-like abyssal gear beneath her.
"Spit out my oden. Once I've eaten my fill, I'm going to raise hell today!"
"I'm going to raise hell today!" Hikaru rolled up his sleeves, speaking with absolute confidence.
Lexington chuckled behind her hand. "And just how exactly do you plan on raising hell? Are you going to help Yat Sen with the cooking again—and burn it like last time?"
Vampire shot her hands up. "Commander's grilled fish is the best, even if it's burnt!"
Glowworm stared, aghast. "Vampire, when did you turn into such a bootlicker?!"
"What do you mean bootlicker? Can't I simply have unique taste?" Hikaru gave Glowworm a mock glare before scooping up Vampire and rubbing his stubbly face against hers. "Vampire's still the cutest."
Hikaru's beard stubble, unshaved for days, tickled her so much she burst into helpless giggles. She squirmed, half trying to escape, half clinging tighter around his neck, her shy laughter betraying her flustered delight.
"Gentler, Commander, your beard prickles so much—kya-ha-ha!"
Glowworm's eyes went wide, her expression screaming, Wait—you can do that?! She hesitated, then planted her fists on her hips and declared, "Well… I think Commander's grilled fish is the best too!"
"You little bootlicker."
Hikaru pinched her cheek with exasperation. "That was so fake. No hug for you."
"Come onnn, hug me! If you hug me, I'll eat ten burnt fish! Twenty!"
"That doesn't make me feel any better."
Glowworm clung to his pant leg in mock despair while Yat Sen covered her smile with one hand. "In truth, Commander's cooking ideas are always good. It's only at the very last step where things fall apart…"
She trailed off, unable to continue under Fletcher's scornful glare and Lexington's meaningful grin.
Cooking fish wasn't difficult. Even Hikaru's sloppy cooking wasn't so bad that it should turn into charcoal. The real reason was that Yat Sen had coaxed him into lying on her lap while she gave him a pillow and head rub.
Hikaru, buried in Yat Sen's embrace, was perfectly content to forget the world. Grilled fish? What grilled fish?
The two of them had been caught red-handed on a little beach outside the base by Lexington and Fletcher. Hikaru had said he was going to "test out a secret recipe" with Yat Sen, and so naturally, everyone blamed her for distracting the Commander.
Thin-skinned Yat Sen could only blush furiously and drop her gaze as the two stared her down.
Nearby, Tirpitz was dozing on a stone table while California eyed Hikaru's scruffy beard, tempted to give it a trim. But one look at Lexington, clutching his arm, made her shiver and quickly abandon the thought. She hadn't been under Lexington's "house rules" for long, after all.
Lexington gently traced Hikaru's jawline with her slender fingers, chiding softly, "Commander, you really should shave."
"No way. I think this makes me look manly." Hikaru grinned wickedly at her. "Don't you think so too, my dear wife?"
Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and she swatted his shoulder. "Honestly—you never act proper."
As his wife, and seeing as even Tirpitz had already kissed him, Lexington certainly wouldn't allow herself to be left behind. She had even indulged him in his new "beard-prickling" affection game.
Hikaru cackled, rubbing his stubbly face against Vampire even harder.
Shipgirls couldn't actually be hurt by stubble, but the mix of embarrassment and delight on Lexington's face as she tried to shy away only made him want to do it more.
Caught up in their playful chaos, they nearly forgot the matter at hand—until Ella, the bespectacled shipgirl, finally spoke up in a small voice.
"Commander… what exactly is this 'big thing' you said you were going to do?"
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]