"Exactly!" Souryuu chimed in. "Today next year will be your memorial. Surrender and we might spare you."
"Surrender and we're friends," Illustrious threatened. "Keep resisting and we'll hit you with something even worse. Don't blame us when you die."
"Despicable Ship Girls, I will never surrender. A proud Abyssal Princess fights to the death."
Anchorage Princess wondered why the two weren't pressing the attack and why their auras felt halved—were they bluffing?
Yet what if it was a trap?
"Stubborn fool," Illustrious growled, raising her silver sword. "Then return to dust."
"Pity—you chose wrong," Souryuu cooed, caressing her Tachi. "My rigging blade is starving."
Fearing imminent death, Anchorage Princess blurted, "Wait! If I surrender, will you truly let me live?"
Few nightmare-tier Abyssal Princesses want to die; better to live on.
She didn't believe they would release her, but every minute let her repair her mirror—soon she would wield twin Moon Ice Absolute Divine Mirrors, immune even to a stronger sword-qi.
Then she would kill Illustrious first, then Souryuu.
Illustrious's silent answer was absolute: impossible. Anchorage Princess had to die; otherwise, in seven days she would escape and strengthen the Abyssals outside, making the war even harder.
But Illustrious would never say that out loud, so she radiated maternal warmth and said, "Poor child, of course we'll let you go. As the old saying goes, 'People are born good.' I believe you'll put down your blade, turn from evil, and become a proper Abyssal Princess."
Pfft— Souryuu nearly burst out laughing at Illustrious's nonsense. The woman was talking in her sleep. No way would they ever release Anchorage Princess; kill her and a golden chest drops, after all!
And if we don't kill her, how do we reach the next Abyssal Habitat? Expecting an Abyssal to turn over a new leaf is even more absurd—she's a living mass of negative energy. You might as well slit her throat and be done with it.
'Exactly!' Souryuu lied without batting an eye. 'Just as Illustrious says, we'll absolutely spare you. Lay down your weapon and we'll all forgive you.'
'Really? I'm so happy—someone's finally willing to accept me as an Abyssal. I'll definitely reform and contribute to humanity!' Anchorage Princess spoke words she'd sworn never to utter. Damn it! Contribute to humans? Just wait, Illustrious—once my Moon Ice Absolute Divine Mirror is repaired, you're the first one I kill.
'With those words, we can rest easy. Nothing can't be solved by talking. See? We've just resolved our differences through dialogue.' Illustrious lectured Anchorage Princess in a preachy tone.
'Yes, yes! You're absolutely right.' Anchorage Princess forced a bright smile while fighting the urge to clap—preferably over Illustrious's mouth.
'Good, you're teachable. Then let me expound on the Four Books and Five Classics—listen patiently.' Illustrious nodded in satisfaction.
Thus Anchorage Princess endured Illustrious's fly-like droning, praying fervently that the Moon Ice Absolute Divine Mirror would finish repairing so she could butcher this insufferable woman.
A clear chime rang out; the mirror was whole again. No more lectures. Anchorage Princess snarled, 'Shut the hell up and die!'
A hundred ice swords flashed into orbit around her, each brimming with a cold might that made even Illustrious shiver. They spun in place, ready to skewer the two Ship Girls into sieves at a flick of her wrist.
Just as she was about to swing, she heard Illustrious shout:
'Dido, what are you waiting for? Three minutes are long past—attack now or save it for New Year's?'
Illustrious had yammered just long enough. Anchorage Princess, today it's not me who dies—it's you!
What—Dido? That sky-blue-haired Ship Girl? Where— Her senses swept the sky and found Dido hovering nearby, aura skyrocketing, a black sphere of energy in her hand—power that inspired dread.
'Sorry to keep you waiting! Take this, Anchorage Princess—something you can't withstand.' Dido spoke with utter confidence.
Dead aura swirled around her; the nail-sized black light at her fingertip had swollen to basketball size, deep and terrifying as a stellar black hole, a single glance enough to drown in.
Above her head two Eastern black dragons, each nearly a foot wide, floated like living beasts, majestic and dark, so overwhelming one feared to look lest one kneel.
'Abyssal Dragon Black Star Cannon!'
In an instant the air froze. She pointed at Anchorage Princess; the two dragons shrank and spiraled into the black sphere. A sharp cry, a blinding flash—a basketball-thick black beam blasted forth.
Twin dragons coiled around the beam as it ripped across the sky, leaving a trail of torn space scored across the blue heavens, its annihilating might chilling every heart.
Anchorage Princess's face tightened, cold sweat beading as the beam bore in too fast to dodge. She saw no reason to run—her twin Moon Ice Absolute Divine Mirrors gave her all the confidence she needed. 'I won't flee. That beam is far from enough to kill me!'
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