Before the catastrophe + Omake

「Azur Lane Academy : Commander Office, dawn」

Returning to the office previously abandoned by Sakura Zeimachi to escape the threat of an intimidating aura formed from the chaos that originated from someone hiding in his office.

From under their commander's desk, there crawled out three shipgirls who had accidentally bumped their heads as they slid out of the small and cramped place they had previously used as a hiding place.

"That was close! Ouchh! That's hurt!"

One of the ship girls was Hamman, she was a ship girl from Eagle Union who is not only a tsundere, but also a white cat girl who always hissed H*ntai at her commander, and once even threatened to contact the marine police, if there was one though.

The reason Hamman was there was because she previously consulted Yorktown about their new life with their new commander as well, although she had seen how his figure was back then when he carried Cleveland to Eagle Union dorm.

But in the end Hamman decided to see how the figure of her commander was doing his job and came straight to his office in order to help him if in case he got stuck in some trouble.

"Ehee~ At least we're not busted, so it's fine."

The other is a ship girl named Abercrombie. She is one of the troublemakers of Azur Lane, but she's basically a good girl who often like crowdy things and collecting shell casings, and she often taunts Hood by calling her a grandma.

The reason she was there was to escape from the pursuit of Hood who caught her red-handed swapping food menus with flavors that would have been disastrous if some other ship girls were to taste it, early when the breakfast was still being prepared.

"Y'know, Mr. Zei already know if we're here. I mean he's our commander though but you gotta know who he really is... But I really can't understand why he's using a blind fold though..."

And last but not least is the ship girl he previously met, U-101. In the previous story, this ship girl was the first to learn about the mysterious identity of Zeimachi and got the forbidden knowledge from Cera about how to upgrade her vehicle.

While her reason for visiting that place in the dawn, was to make sure the man is alright considering ever since U-101 was picked up from the「Void」both of them never met again and suddenly lost in contact. She also thought it would be better to take him somewhere and to see the sun rise before morning arise.

The three ship girls have different motives and reasons, but judging from their characters, Sakura Zeimachi shouldn't feel the danger which could made him run away from his own office.

Nevertheless, there's still a chance where Sakura Zeimachi is afraid of having to "do" three ship girls right at dawn.

"B-But what are you two doing at this morning?! Don't you know you could bother commander if you suddenly broke into his office while he's asleep! (whisper) even though I could watch his sleeping face, he suddenly awake." 『Hamman』

"Well it's not like I'm really aiming at this place... There's a scaaaary granny who keep chasing over me all the way even though I had explained if it's a misunderstanding~ Since there's Hamman I wanted to make her as my partner in crime, and then I saw this hat girl step inside commander office, so I followed her." 『Abercrombie』

"Ah, if you wanna charge at me like "You're the first one who opened this door" then sorry though, this door 'lready got opened when I'm here. I stepped into since there's no on inside, but Mr. Zei is asleep. Then right when I wanna step back you two pushed me inside." 『U-101』

That's their story, they continued the conversation accompanied by an argument that sounded funny according to Sakura Zeimachi if only he's there.

"Mr. Zei? W-Who're you to call commander using his name and acted so close like that?! Even I... Ughh (whisper) even I don't know about his name. Then! What is your relationship with commander?" 『Hamman』

"Well how do I say, he's our commander so maybe it'll be better to call him that. But I feel like calling him Mr than commander or something like that." 『U-101』

"Houuu... Mr. Commander huh... I think I could use this." 『Abercrombie』

*Door closed*

The three little girls finally came out and managed to safely leave the battlefield by closing a door they didn't know why it opened. Their voices could still be heard even though they had left the room indicating that they were still talking on their way to the other exit.

"..." 『#1?』

"..." 『#2?』

"..." 『#3?』

"..." 『#4?』

"..." 『#5?』

"..." 『#6?』

However, unbeknown to them not long after the door has been closed, numerous pair of eyes suddenly gleamed from many directions in that office. Each pair of eyes, vigilantly watch the other's pair movement, a few second passed as they silently watch each other moment, before suddenly each of them retreated to their own secret base.

"...My dear." 『#1?』

First, there's a furry tail that was seen crawling out of the ceiling without any kind of eerie sound and exited through the window. The owner of the voice seemed to have a mixed feelings of sadness and happiness because she had managed to find the person she's been trying so hard to remember.

"... Milord." 『#2?』

Uhh yeah second.

But it turns out there's more than one furry tail, there's also another one long tail that moved under the shadows and zoomed rapidly without leaving a sound that anyone could hear, before finally stopping in a room filled with chains and spikes.

"Zei... Ahh... Yes, that name *Giggle* It's slowly returning, huhuhu~" 『#3?』

Hmm... And then more... As for the third, this one doesn't have a tail but she had a vampire like traits and after this one escaped from her commander's office, she lets out a maniac laugh behind a building full of empty boxes.

"There you are." 『#4?』

Hmm... There's more of them... Continue to the fourth. This one hold a huge sword with her. She escaped through the roof and arrived in her dorm's room.

"Finally we meet again!" 『#5?』

Hmm... Why not? There's more...Next is the fifth. This one looked pretty uplifted with a captain hat on her head. She then escaped with a grappler and perfectly landed on a well that connect her to underground.

"Master, founded. Formulating plan in order to secure my master." 『#6?』

Hmm... There's another one who looked emotionless. She's the sixth. As for her, she escaped through a secret door that only a handful amount of people know and then arrived in a room full of red valve.

...

Looks like... Yeah, she's the last of ship girls that quickly escaped from his room, but since it's not clear of how many ship girls that need some wake up slap from him a.k.a. received his「Feather」, there could be more of them.

It turned out to be quite a lot of them.

And it seems, this is the source of the danger that Sakura Zeimachi previously felt.

-----------

- Let's check at how that feasty haired girl doing -

「Azur Lane Academy : Royal Navy dorm; Unicorn's room, dawn」

"Hnnn..."

"Hhhh..."

Moving into a room that looked very grand and filled with royal-themed decorations, there was a bed that was being slept on by two little girls. One little girl with violet hair was hugging a unicorn-shaped doll, while the other was a little girl with ombre hair hugging a fur ball.

The two little girls sleeping on the same bed, with their cheeks pressed against each other, and with nightwear that added more of their cuteness, looked just like a mythical sight of a fairy and her unicorn who slept beside a colorful sandwich with her fluffy filling of another colorful cotton candy.

"Hhhhknn... Yuni... Don't... Eat... It..."

"Gmnynyny... Fuwa... Run... Don't... Let... That... Horsey..."

Who knows what kind of dream taking place in their wildest mind, but it seems the two little girls look quite familiar with each other because they have reached the stage of sleeping together while using the same pillow.

- Seems they've gained a new friend -

------------------

Soon...

Soon the first disaster involving dream and hope is imminent.

For the hope of being remembered in someone's mind, and the hope for another bright future that will be fall upon them. From the beginning, many people don't want the end of their dream since it can provide both of those things, and they could even gain unlimited amount of it.

However...

When there's dream and hope, there's also despair and yield.

The despair of knowing the imminent failure, and the yield from accepting one's fate. The despair of being stuck in one place, and the yield from knowing one's own limitations.

And many kind of form.

...

This part should've been told by her the dim light that continue to shine the fool's path. However, it turns out even the dim light has ceased and passed its torch for the adventurer's lamp.

The road that should have been forgotten has been changed into a path to the unknown, and the foolish holder that should've been the pitiful person who'll face his tragedy has been changed into a fool that'll continue to walk on his own path with the light of his own sin.

...

Back again to the dream and hope thing.

If the feasty haired girl, Hylia really wanted to find those thing, then she'll bound up to face another part of tragedy. A part that Cera already anticipated when she gave her "belonging" to Hylia as she has once seep into the inner structure of this story.

As the first step is one of the most hard thing to take, she'll need to face the bitter truth of the things she has been looking for.

Such as when their dreams are shattered for the sake of a new chapter in their respective lives, and their hope will gave birth to another pair of shoes for their journey on the thorny path.

Another complicated thing like that. And then, she'll continue to search for her answers.

Hylia will face the first part of her tragedy, and Sakura Zeimachi will be the one who protect her from the burden of the said pain.

Just like a story of an old fox who protected the little red riding hood from her own parents who want her dead. The two of them will grow into a pair of wanderer in this maelstrom of adversity. What a warm and fluffy story isn't it?

Hmm?

Why am I doing this? Telling the basic plot line of this story and such?

...

Who knows.

It's just one plot line after all...

Why would this story even ended up with a predetermined plot as such, when they're the one who'll decided it at the end of their story.

I'll just be their writer.

Just like who I'm meant to be.

What they would do, is their own choice. Just like a predestined fate did for the Ragnarok.

-----------

#Omake#

Next is we're entering the section-

"Welcome~ To the corner where you need very small amount of brain cell to work with~ With me your dearest presenter Cera! Ready to deliver some amazing report for your uncooked meat bowl~"

...

"Ah hello there ◼️◼️◼️◼️~ Nice to see you again after a while. How long has it been? Five chapter?"

...

"Alright alright enough with the wall breaking. Now then, since I'm in full control of this Omake section hmm... What should I do I wonder... Ah! ◼️◼️◼️◼️ why don't you show me Zei's fight scene? If you don't want to, then I'll just tell mine."

Is there any specification for his fight.

"O-Oh... You immediately answer me. Wait are you that unwilling to let me tell my fight scene?! *Sigh* I don't have any, but since we're in omake section, so use some no brainer fight scene alright! Don't give me that Ayanokoplak fight scene or some part where Zei played a chess with intense music."

Much obliged, then how about when he need to fight an army of Truck-kun since he keep getting alive after being crashed.

"Hmm... It's too common ◼️◼️◼️◼️, Truck-kun and chan is some common trope that has been used by many right now. Give me another one."

Then... How about when he need to battle the legendary Willy Chonka the Venerable lord of Easter chocolate.

"Nope, not that one! I got stuck in frozen chocolate for a few days since that idiot Zei left me alone to complete his mission!"

When he fight Yujiro Baki in the battle of using rice cooker as their helmet.

"Too much silly point, next."

You're surprisingly asking a lot for someone who don't have any need. How about when Zeimachi need to fight Muzan with Michael Jackson as his hidden identities.

"Uhh I really want some epic fight scene, not some Yee Hee and Muzan."

Harry potter but with guns.

"Yeah ahahaha! He really got bodied by Voldemort-chan with that gun. But no."

When he and Herrscher of Sentience combined their power to avenge Fu Hua after she got beaten by Otto.

"AHaha no, not that one! They're acting like a real like siblings in that one so I'm going to laugh my aura off if I got to see their face again."

When he saved the little rabbit but that animal turned out to be the Lord of Pekoland kingdom and then they ruled the world under their feet, however in the end Zeimachi got betrayed by that rabbit lord.

"Somehow... That rabbit is really familiar. But no, kingdom building is too long and did you forgot the part where I want the fight to be dominant."

When he need to be the dyad of Yukari Yakumo.

"I'm talking about fight scene, not bloody scene."

If it's bloody, then how about when he turned into the hanged man when he fight Makima.

"FIGHT. Not bloody! And somehow I don't want to eat rendang for a while."

When he need to save the world from an invasive alien granny that hungry for baguette.

"...As expected, you're playing with me don't you ◼️◼️◼️◼️. Well let's stop it at that, I actually only want to gain more info from you as well. So let's put it even at here."

Is that so.

"Yeah... Although I have those memories inside of me, but they could only resurfaced again when we talked like this. It's very unbelievable right? They're there, but only when you remember them. What a frightening thing to do at a sentience being."

What do you want to say.

"Huhu~ Nothing~ These days I'm getting used to act like Bochi-chan after all!"

Does that even count as a compliment on yourself.

"When I did that, it will."

Is that so.

"...You know, ◼️◼️◼️◼️."

...

"In fact, the most epic battle in my opinion was when Zei chose to move on with his life."

Right when a human pick their path to the future and such.

"No like, I mean, I do like every time he fought and whenever he released all of his power, but I liked it more when that idiot stopped from blaming himself and stop deciding if everything is his fault."

...

"His fight will keep moving on, but so the same with his life. I also certainly hope when Zei sees his unrecognizable past, he wouldn't chose to return to his starting point to become a new."

...

"Just be and continue to turn like how he want to be. I really want, to see how he'll be when he never turning back only to pick one or two forgotten things."

A human will always had the time to forget, he can't escape that.

"Yeah... I know. That's why even thought you'll keep forgetting many things, please never look back again Zei."

Even if that's you.

"Yup. Even if that's me, so please ◼️◼️◼️◼️."

...

"When the time comes for Zei to forget me, don't let Hylia to stand in his way."