Out of not quite 1,200 U-boats built, nearly 800 were sunk by the Allies.
U-47 was not one of the lucky survivors.
In February 1941, during her tenth patrol, she vanished without a trace. No wreck, no confirmed sinking—just written down as "missing."
People hoped she hadn't died. That she had simply lost her way.
Hikaru lingered on the steel memories.
In truth, dying early in the war—at the height of Germany's momentum—was almost a blessing.
She had gone down brimming with faith in victory, full of energy, with only a trace of regret that her ambitions were left unfinished.
Not like Tirpitz.
The "Lonely Queen of the North Sea" had been battered by air attack in September 1943, yet endured, limping on until November 1944 before finally sinking. She had watched her sisters die one by one, had seen her homeland spiral into ruin. The bedrock of her personality was painted in darkness.
Her elder sister had told her to look after Germany. But in the end… she had not lived to see it through.
Hikaru sighed at the thought. He'd give Tirpitz an extra hug later. Tonight, he decided, he would have her by his side.
"Eh? Commander, haven't you noticed me yet? Did I scare you popping up like this?"
Two tiny hands grabbed his cheeks, tugging at his eyelids.
A short-haired girl with sea-blue hair, a torpedo hairpin, and a black school swimsuit barreled into his vision.
"U-47!" Hikaru grinned. "Come here and let me hug you!"
"Heehee, this is the Bull of Scapa Flow's greeting!" U-47 giggled, ramming headfirst into his chest and wriggling about with a playful "moo, moo, moo."
"Alright, alright, you're going to gore me to death like a bull, Miss Invincible U-47," Hikaru laughed, scooping her into his arms and rubbing his cheek against hers. "I'm so happy to see you."
"Me too! I was just waiting with everyone in the rec room when suddenly I felt the summons. Commander, U-47 really is the lucky one!"
She lifted her left hand, flashing the oath ring gleaming on her finger.
Tch!
California let out a long, meaningful click of the tongue.
Hikaru turned—only to see her wearing a blankly innocent look, as though to say What are you staring at?
Not just her, either. He felt the weight of other judgmental stares falling on him too.
Helpless, Hikaru thought: Of course submarines benefit the most from an oath ring in the game… and U-47 was a veteran, a leader of the wolfpacks. What was so wrong with her having one?
Hmph!
He chose to ignore the pettiness, hugging U-47 tighter and rubbing his stubbled face against her until her cheeks flushed bright red. After chatting a bit, he finally set her down.
Her face still warm from his bristles, U-47 tilted her head up and asked, "Commander, hurry and summon U-81 and the others too! One wolf can't run a whole wolfpack!"
"Soon," Hikaru promised, ruffling her hair.
Just then, Bismarck called U-47 over, leaning down to whisper something to her. Likely household matters.
Speaking of—where was Tirpitz?
Scanning the room, Hikaru spotted her snoozing in a chair in the construction bay, head tipped back. He went over, pinched her baby-fat cheeks, and hefted her up.
Her body flopped limply, legs folding around his chest as he carried her—enough to make him suspect she was only pretending to sleep.
"Tonight I'm with Tirpitz," Hikaru told Lexington, then ran off with his "cargo."
U-47 watched him disappear with Tirpitz over his shoulder, and with a tiny pang of envy, put a finger to her lips. She looked up at Bismarck.
"Big Cat, why does Tirpitz get to sleep with Commander?"
The nickname "Big Cat" was what the G-Faction little girls called Bismarck. Some of them went even further—calling her "Kitty Sister."
"She's a wedding ship," Bismarck answered evenly. "Commander sleeps each night with one of his oath brides."
Though the words sounded scandalous on paper, the truth was innocent—just sharing a bed. In fact, it was Lexington who had first made the rule of brides accompanying the Commander at night.
Like Renown and Repulse constantly calling him "Master," Hikaru had reluctantly accepted Lexington's decree.
U-47 glanced again at the shining ring on her finger. "Then I can sleep with Commander too, right? Heehee. Big Cat, what's it like?"
Bismarck paused, then said simply: "I'll prepare your room."
[End of Chapter]
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