'Why are you so unreliable? I thought you'd be better than that idiot Königsberg, but you're just as short-lived—what a let-down.' Upon hearing that Souryu could only last a minute, Dido shook her head in disappointment.
Souryu bristled at Dido's remark. 'What do you mean "only a minute"? How is that my fault? You know exactly how powerful Anchorage Princess is. The fact I held out for a full minute is already amazing—yet you're still not satisfied!'
'If we're pointing fingers, blame yourself. A Ship Skill that needs three whole minutes to cast? In any normal fight you'd be dead long before it finishes.'
'Y-you—how dare you shout at me! You're the one who can't last, yet you blame me. I smashed her ice mirror and killed Anchorage Princess in one shot—if that isn't a miracle, what is?' Dido shot back.
'Fine. One minute is all you get; take it or leave it. If you don't want it, go tank Anchorage Princess yourself.' Souryu had had enough of the 'short-lived' jabs and laid down her terms.
'Argh! You'll be the death of—wait, I've got it. I can make you… last longer.' Dido suddenly remembered a potion that could keep a Ship Girl fighting far beyond her normal limits.
'A drug that lets me last longer? What kind of miracle medicine is that?' Souryu stared, incredulous.
Seeing her disbelief, Dido fished the bottle straight out of her rigging space. A black vial packed with pills appeared in her palm.
'Ta-da! The elixir of endurance. Accept it with gratitude!' She pressed the vial into Souryu's hand, dead serious.
Bemused, Souryu took the so-called miracle drug and read the label—then cursed Dido for the con.
The bottle was branded "Black Sea." Its effect: temporarily prevent a Ship Girl's strength from running dry. Manufacturer: Deep Sea Cult—finest quality guaranteed.
What the hell kind of 'miracle' was this? Souryu recognized the stuff; it eroded a girl's cultivation foundation. Sure, it let you fight longer—for a while—but the price was permanent damage to your future advancement. A classic bad bargain.
'There, it's yours. Later you'd better thank me properly!' Dido beamed, hands on hips, certain she'd done a good deed.
'Forget thanks—where did you even get this?' Souryu looked at her as if she were simple.
Apparently missing the stare, Dido calmly answered, 'Oh, this? Königsberg gave it to me while we were on Long Bridge.'
'She apologized for earlier and handed me that stamina potion as an apology. Her attitude seemed sincere, so I forgave her. Don't bother asking for another—Königsberg's already sunk.'
So that's who'd handed it over—no wonder. Königsberg hadn't mentioned the crippling side-effects; she'd wanted nothing less than to wreck Dido's cultivation and block her Ship Qi advancement.
Unable to watch Dido stay in the dark, Souryu spelled it out. 'Dido, you were played. The drug does let you last longer, but it ruins your foundation. Königsberg gave it so you'd never advance your Ship Qi again.'
'What? You're serious?' Dido studied Souryu's face and found no lie. 'Damn that Königsberg—I thought she was decent, but she's rotten to the core.'
Had Königsberg not already sunk, Dido would have shown her a fate far worse than death.
'If it's that vile, give it back. I'll destroy it.' Still fuming yet powerless to take revenge on a dead girl, Dido reached for the bottle so she could scuttle it.
Souryu whisked the vial behind her back. 'Too late—a gift is a gift. It's mine now. Yes, it hurts our cultivation, but in a life-or-death scrap it's priceless. I'm keeping it.'
'Keep the cursed thing if you want! But what do we do? If you can't last a minute we'll never finish off Anchorage Princess!' Dido groaned.
'What do we do? "Serve it cold," obviously.' Souryu shrugged in resignation.
'Jokes? If we can't even clear the first Abyssal Princess, how are we supposed to tackle the next Abyssal Habitat?'
While the two stewed, a presence equal to theirs—at least Three-Star Epic Ship Girl level—raced toward them as a white streak across the sky.
They exchanged glances and voiced their guesses.
'Could a Princess from Habitat Two have slipped over here?' Souryu asked, unable to identify the blur.
'Hehe, impossible. Every Abyssal Princess is bound by the ruins' laws; none can leave her own Abyssal Habitat,' Dido replied airily.
'Then who? Let's hope it's not another enemy—fighting two at once would finish us.'
'Relax, maybe it's one of ours,' Dido said, ever optimistic.
'Let's hope so.' Souryu fell silent, waiting to see who arrived.
Dido, respecting the hush, waited too.
With a boom the white streak braked three yards away, its glow fading to reveal the newcomer.
A silver-haired girl in a high-slit white qipao stood before them, silver sword in hand. Three hundred meters above her head a hundred-meter-long colossal silver sword hovered in the sky.
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