Symbiogenesis + Omake

The ship has been docked, the anchor has been lowered, and the sails have been rolled back.

With the roar of the waves crashing against the ship at the port side, the pirate ship Black Pearl has now arrived at its destination and has done its job of bringing back Sakura Zeimachi to his destination where the next regret lies.

Hidden beneath the deck of the Black Pearl and shrouded in darkness within the ship's hull, there're Hylia and the figure of blind folded Sakura Zeimachi who was talking to the colorful creatures.

Previously they're on the bridge, but because Sakura Zeimachi was getting suspicious of Hylia and Fuwa's background and their origins, he brought her there to investigate and decide whether she's a threat or not before he could let them step into Azur Lane academy.

"Hylia, I'm sorry for bringing you into this dark place however there's just a little thing that I need to know about you."

"Hn? It's fine! What do you want to know Zei?"

Along with the words of the feasty haired girl, several rays of light slipped through from the cracks of the ship's wooden planks and illuminates the distance between the two of them.

After that Sakura Zeimachi tried to read Hylia's thoughts again, but the result was the same just like when he tried to peek at her while Hylia was singing.

"As expected, I can't read your thought after all. More importantly there's no, there're many things that I request for you, Lia."

The man sighed and tightened the blindfold he's wearing. Based on his tone alone, he already knew and guessed this outcome where Hylia had someway to block the power of his [Feather].

However the reason for pulling Hylia into the dark and cramped place was not only to confirm this conjecture alone, there's still another thing that Sakura Zeimachi wanted Hylia to do because she had the ability to withstand mental attacks from his [Feather].

"You want me to do something for you Zei? What are you asking me to do?"

Meanwhile, Hylia who heard Sakura Zeimachi's submission of request easily showed an expression like a child listening to her parents' errand while showing an expectant look for a few dollars from him.

"... You're not asking why I'm asking you to do this?"

"Asking... Will Zei told me the reason if I ask you then?"

"Hmm, I could, but not now."

Hearing these words, Hylia was stunned.

"Eh... But Cera said if you always told lies at people... Did you, are you lying right now too..."

"... I see that she had planted that stigma at you."

Considering the many things that Cera had talked about the man in front of her, Hylia felt if what Sakura Zeimachi was doing at this time is something he did very often.

"You shouldn't lie you know, Zei. If you tell many lies then people will stop believing in you and you'll be left alone! And being alone is... Lonely!"

The feisty haired girl ended her lecture by raising her head along with her maximal pose to bring out her domineering aura. As for Sakura Zeimachi who saw this scene before his eyes, he only thought that now there's one more idiot who showed concern for his wellbeing.

"But with you in here, I wouldn't be lonely right? I'm not alone after all."

"Umm... Come to think of it you're right too Zei. Then it'll be fine! You can lie and I'll stay with you so you wouldn't be lonely!"

A word that means a lot to people who have nothing left to fight for. If only Hylia said those words to another female character who was in a despair, maybe she would be the light that erased the darkness in their hearts.

But it's different for Sakura Zeimachi who is used to such things.

"... It's too much development Hylia-san. We're not in a childcare manhwa genre after all, so there's no need to be sticky at me as if I'm your golden goose or such."

"Childcare? Who is the child?"

Like someone who saw a stranger waving at her but turned out to be a prank where someone else was behind her, Hylia looked back to confirm her thoughts.

"You?"

"... I'm not though?"

There was a conflict between their respective opinions and in the end the two people started arguing even louder.

The strange thing for Sakura Zeimachi is, even though he's wearing a blindfold that limited his vision, he seemed to be able to see or maybe imagine the facial expressions that Hylia was showing at that moment.

Plus after talking to her, Sakura Zeimachi felt that a softer way of approach would make it easier for Hylia to start opening up to him and he could also investigate many things without needing to act as her enemy.

That way he'll be able to fulfill what Cera wants for their relationship even though he doesn't know what she means by being getting along with Hylia.

"The moment you reject being called a child by using that speech then you're one Hylia. Or perhaps you like being called as a kid and lass?"

"I'm not a child and either a kid! I'm a lady and I could even eat my vegetables unlike you who didn't want to touch them."

"Gehh... That Cera. Alright fine, I'll take this as my defeat. We don't have much time right now."

After detecting several consciousness signals that're waiting for his arrival, Sakura Zeimachi quickened their conversation and intended to tell Hylia about his plan when they're already in the Azur Lane academy.

"Yatta!"

"... She teach you that?"

"Yes! Cera teach me many kinds of new things... Cera... She... Uhn..."

Unfortunately Hylia's emotions which were still very similar to those of a 12 year old child, changed very quickly according to her mood. She did try to hold back her tears and act tough, but that was because she would be embarrassed if her friends saw her acting like a crybaby.

After repeatedly saying Cera's name from her mouth, it seems that Hylia is now starting to feel sad again. However this time Sakura Zeimachi decided to act rather than monitoring how the little girl in front of him dealing with her own emotions.

"You know, Lia."

"Hnn... Know what?"

In the midst of Hylia who was wiping her eyes to prevent the tears from flowing out, Sakura Zeimachi stepped on the wooden board and walked towards her with a spherical object floating out from behind his back.

"Cera used to say the same as you. "Go and get friends!" or "Stop wasting your veggies!" and such, but it's not like she's perfect either. Command summon weapon, Alastor, Doujigiri Yatsusuna, the last is Seilenos. Total three swords."

[Commencing search... Numerous Roots founded... Loading...]

The circular object was none other than one of the weapons he used to summon many things connected to other worlds, or Astra Sphere. He then uttered a sentence that made the stars within the Astra Sphere started to move like they're searching for something.

[Loading complete... Constructing the weapons... Success.]

After the process performed using the Astra Sphere was completed, three blades appeared on Sakura Zeimachi's hand. The swords not only had names of their own but they also had a very powerful appearances, so powerful that it made Hylia confused as to what is happening.

"Cera hold her own sword that is called as "Devasta", that sword is strong enough to be able to sent all kind of order and discord away from the holder sight. It's also the symbol of her who chase after [Balance], a different concept of [Perfection]."

"... Devasta, Cera's sword..."

Hylia looks like a child who hears the tales of those brave heroes for their bed time.

"Actually Cera told me to give most of her things for you, just like that piece of earrings and many more. I'll give it to you okay, but not everything in one go!"

Without further ado Sakura Zeimachi handed the three blades to Hylia who had not yet asked what he meant by not being able to hold Cera's weapon. The girl kept looking at the three blades that were definitely taller than her own height.

"I'm really sorry, but her blade is not like the one on your hand. Devasta was similar to mine weapon and it comes with a huge cost to use it."

"Will Zei be fine with it? "

"I'll be the last of your worries. I don't think you could handle "Devasta" for now, and that's why you could use these swords to practice your skill to be able to hold par with that blade."

One sword that looked sinister with demonic air and ornaments, the other blade was in the form of a katana with the same powerful aura as the first, and a sword that took the form of an Azure sword that looked like a cross.

"Umm but Zei, I already have mine..."

Hylia who felt that she had had enough with the first weapon she found then manifested a stick with the tip full of thorns.

The staff is Hylia's friend who had accompanied her when she arrived in this story, indeed the weapon does not have its own name or aura that can match the other three swords, but for Hylia the staff has a deep meaning for her.

"... That staff huh, I understand. For now please just accept it, who knows when it'll come in handy and thought of this as my gift since I take you've agreed with my request."

Sakura Zeimachi then lied again, and the lie he told this time was related to his predictions about what would happen in the future.

"Ah! Zei I almost forgot about that! What is it about anyway?"

When Hylia who had just remembered the original topic of their conversation and turned into Hyper kid-mode again, the girl accidentally let go of her grip on the three swords and let them fall to the floor of the ship.

Unfortunately at that time Sakura Zeimachi could not see the three objects due to his blindfold, otherwise he would have been able to prevent what'll happened (Sarcasm). I mean he could, but he chose not to because he detected few consciousness beneath that pirate ship.

When the three swords fell with their aim right onto to the floor of the ship made out of ordinary wood...

"Ah."

*Slash*

The three blades easily shattered the wooden floor in the Black Pearl's hull area. Water began to enter the hull of the ship, the ship girls above them began to become alert, and the two of them stared at each other, or at least they tried before the torrent of water gushes out and burst onto their head.

"...Lia."

"I'm sorry..."

Sakura Zeimachi's face was clearly written with a warning for her to not repeat this again, and of course Hylia was able to realize such a trivial thing even though it had to be paid by the sinking of their ship and also having to be drenched in the sea water.

"It's not like I'm angry. Just don't be careless again alright? "

"Yes... I will be more careful."

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

===Omake===

For today's Omake, we're going to focus on what's going on at Azur Lane academy and dive a bit into each of the dreamland some ship girls have. It's a shame Cera isn't here so I can't continue how her wacky adventure for fame continues.

"What do you mean wacky!?" Ah wait up ◼️◼️◼️◼️! If you wanna go then could you pick between Arizona, Perseus, or Prinz Eugen? Please, please, please!

So you're here.

"Well... The me in the "Main story" should've know about these things after all. Anyway could you go to theirs one? Just one is fine, so please!"

...

"Good? Alright? Okay with that?"

Let's move on.

"Hey! Which one!?"

...

....

.....

*Arizona*

"No... Not this nightmare..."

The ship girl's dream started from her dark past.

The airstrikes that drowned her comrades, the blazes that claimed many lives, and the cries for help for anyone who could hear their voices.

That's where Arizona is, the ship girl who can only watch the incident repeat itself in her dream without being able to do anything to change the past in her dream.

And as if her guilt kept repeating itself in her heart, the torment didn't stop at that.

Her dream then continued the scenery around her changed and turned into a time where many lecherous men groped her body and used her like a meaningless object.

"No more..."

She who was drowning in guilt and remorse for her own weakness could only watch everyone sunk and lose their lives with a facial expression filled with fear and terror.

"Please, this once someone... Anyone... Please end this dream... Please let me being selfish for this once..."

Even so, her dream kept repeating itself regardless of her selfishness who are expecting someone to be able to grant her small wishes. The ship girl could only slump while hugging herself and trying to hold back her fear from the dream that was swirling in her mind.

No one knows how many times this dream has been repeated and how long Arizona has tried to resist the urge to give up, but if this situation continues, the ship girl will inevitably lose her hope for tomorrow.

At least that's what will happen before that man arrives.

"... Comm...mander? Eh no..."

Hearing Arizona calling him by that name, the man just shook his head and reached out his hand for her to grab it.

Arizona herself didn't know the identity of the man because she had not met Zeimachi at the time of the incident in her port, but somehow, it was just a fleeting emotion in her heart, she felt that nothing bad would happen if she grabbed the man's offered hand.

"..."

As soon as Arizona took the man's hand, he lets out a smile and all the recurring nightmares disappeared like a miracle. All the bad memories that kept repeating and became a tragic never ending movie in her dreams suddenly disappeared as if they had been erased by the man in front of her.

After she saw her surroundings, Arizona was amazed and became touched because there's someone who listened and granted her wish.

The airstrikes that ravaged land and sea had disappeared, the flames that could take a person's life had disappeared, and the screams that had dragged her into the darkness had also disappeared.

There're only Arizona and a man who promised that he would help her to end her nightmare.

"You're going to help me' you say? Uh- Excuse me! Can you tell me who are ...you? Why would you for someone... like me..."

Looking at the ship girl in front of him who was still gloomy and had yet to gain her confidence, the man simply said something like this… "I'm just a passing fool, an idiot who wants to see your brightest smile and make you cry out of happiness."

...

....

.....

*Perseus*

Continuing to the next ship girl, the ship girl from the Royal Navy named Perseus.

For this one ship girl, the story begins more advanced than the previous one. If Arizona's dream is told from the starting point, for Perseus her dream will be told from the middle where she already knows the figure of the man who always appeared in her dreams.

The scene contains a tea party that is usually held by the ship girls of the Royal Navy. There're many ship girls who gracefully drinking and eating the dishes in front of them, along with their respective maids standing by on their back.

There's also Perseus who took her seat on one of the chairs between her sisters who looks as gorgeous as her, yet for some reason, Perseus seems to be daydreaming while staring at the empty teacup in her hand.

"A dream, yeah..."

A word that Perseus let out of her mouth unconsciously after pondering the information in her head, and after she said those words, the surrounding scenery instantly turned into her beloved room that she used to have in Azur Lane academy.

"Mysterious-person-who-didn't-want-to-be-called as commander. You are here right?"

After Perseus sat on the bed which she thought was very admirable because it was able to imitate the softness she often felt, Perseus tried to talk to a large mirror in her room with a piercing tone aimed to the person who could heard it.

"Stop hiding and come out... There's something that I wanted to ask, though it'll be fine if you keep hiding anyway."

Not long after Perseus acted as if she's being serious with her words, a man appeared from inside the mirror. The man really seemed to have come from inside the mirror, because when compared to the other reflection, there's no one to be seen who had the appearances of that man in Perseus room.

"Oh hello there. Sorry for calling you out, how are you doing?"

Perseus easily made the mirror floated onto her way, while the man in the mirror only replied to Perseus's question with a casual answer.

"There's only you in here, with whom did you think I'm talking to? ...Huh? It's not like I hate to chat with my other sister either, it's just weird you know."

Judging from their conversation, it seems that Perseus has realized that she's currently in a dream world created from her subconscious. Maybe that's why she was able to did things like moving a mirror with just the will of her mind.

"I can hear you just fine, so stop lecturing me about importance of family again... No, I mean, not like that..."

As if he had understood what Perseus really wanted to say, the man in the mirror just laughed at the ship girl's inability to speak more freely.

"Honestly... This is my dream, so stop being amused on your own by looking at me from the mirror... I really mean it."

Seeing the man she could only see but not touch, Perseus began to move her delicate hand to where the man's hand is in the mirror.

However, Perseus could not feel anything there. The man was living in the mirror while his real self was somewhere, and it seemed that Perseus agreed with this notion.

"Can you tell me, about the way to get out from this place? There's one thing I need to do, so... What am I going to do? ...What's wrong with it? If I say I'm fed up with this place, will you understand?"

Even though it was the man who initially asked what she's going to do, Perseus looked a little panicked because she thought she had crossed the line and said something rude to the man.

"... My bad, I shouldn't shout at you like that."

Yet once again, Perseus met the man who laughed at her words which she considered to be rude for others.

"You really laugh at me as if I'm being funny or what... Shouldn't you like... Angry at me or something?"

After the urge to laugh disappeared, the man answered Perseus's question in his usual manner and tried to reach Perseus' pink hair from the mirror.

"Don't worry... I'll let you touch my hair when we met in the real world and whatever you want at me... "

Hearing Perseus's very frontal and brave words, the man began to tease the ship girl again from the mirror.

Meanwhile, Perseus who realized her own carelessness with words was not so easily provoked by the man's mockery from the mirror and instead looked back at him with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"..."

And from here the man can see, if whatever he wants to do to Perseus in the real world after she woke up from this dream, the ship girl will not refuse.

...

....

.....

*Prinz Eugen*

Let's see.

...

It looks like Prinz Eugen didn't received the [Feather] from Sakura Zeimachi back then in the port. She indeed got involved within the "Three days of hell" and also got several men who tried to rape her during those days, but apparently she resisted and instead fought those man to the point of killing several people.

For that reason Prinz Eugen had to be killed by Yulijer as an example for the others not to fight back. Her body was also still in the "Pure" state from any male perverted lust due to the protection of her friends from Iron Blood who wanted their comrades' bodies back.

"Ah... I should've didn't ask."

I have no intention to hide the truth, as long they want to hear it.

Prinz Eugen is currently at the academy with her body condition returned back to normal thanks to the reconstruction of Sakura Zeimachi through his Astra Sphere, perhaps this shouldn't be brought up again considering how strong the ship girl was, but Prinz Eugen appeared to be enjoying her live at this moment.

"As if I could believe it, *Sigh* If only I could still enter the main story."

...

"Nope, I didn't regret it. The me who chose to leave her path in search of clues for his future is an amazing feat from my point of view."

Is that so.

"... Let's meet again then, ◼️◼️◼️◼️. I don't know if we're going to meet again, but trust the me in that side."

Tomorrow's mystery, shall be tomorrow's surprises. Be it the chance where you could met him again, or the abrupt end of this story. As long you continue to walk on your chosen path, something will changes.

"... Uhh, what are you doing? Socrates? Tsun Zu? Baden Powell? I don't know whose words' you're using, but stop it alright. Perhaps I should be glad that I don't have to talk with you again..."