Azur Lane: Return of Davis

Chapter 32: Cloaks and Steel

May 14, 1942

The materials McBride brought over onboard the Constitution proved incredibly useful in re-establishing our presence in Midway. It was mostly concrete mix and wood, but that's more than enough.

We also have a rudimentary airbase on the atoll, including a runway. Air support can now not only come from the carriers, but from our skilled pilots on base. This should help us a lot.

In return, we loaded up the Constitution with food, water, and some local clothing for the return trip. Apparently, there's going to be another shipment of stuff about a month from today.

Meanwhile, reports from the 11th and the 17th were intense: they encountered a large force attempting to invade, as expected. Lexington was heavily injured, Sims almost died, and the oiler that was with her was set adrift the ocean, only saved by the aforementioned Sims. The whole task force is now on their way home.

In the meantime, I decided to ask a certain someone to help me out. Out within the forested area north of Pearl Harbour...

Zui-chi: "You want to... what?"

"I wanna learn how you Japanese soldiers swordfight. Teach me, please."

I'm not in my usual uniform, instead in a light and bright aloha shirt over a white tank top and blue waist overalls. A black wrist brace glove is on my left hand.

Zui-chi: "I mean, of course, I'll teach you. Just... why do you want to learn?"

"Morbid curiosity, really."

Zui-chi: "...Alright. Why don't we have a sparring match? To see what you know."

"I'm fine with that. However, I want you to fight. Fight as if you intend to kill!"

With that, I unsheathe my cutlass and hold it by my right side, my free hand by my belt to give me access to my M1911. Instead of drawing her sword, Zui-chi gets into a crouched position, her left thumb near the cross guard of her katana, and her right hand just over the grip.

The wind quietly flows around us as we stare into each other's eyes.

Belfast, from the side lines: "Begin!"

"Wait, Bel, since when were you-"

I quickly swipe my sword up to block Zuikaku's quickdraw strike, the fires almost burning my face off. Why did I suggest "intent to kill?!" Grabbing my cutlass with both hands, I swing downwards, forcing Zuikaku to bounce backwards.

Gripping her sword with both hands, she grounds herself, keeping the sword parallel with the centre of her face, mimicking a close stance. Shifting the hilt down a bit to her left, she rushes forwards, the tip of her blade (still on fire, mind you) tracked to my exposed left side.

Thinking fast, I throw my sword to my left hand in an inverted grip, charging straight at her. This sudden change didn't register in her mind until the moment of impact, where I redirect the strike away from my body.

She suddenly does something I wasn't expecting. Using my cutlass as a fulcrum, she makes a lever with her katana, smacking me in the chest with the pommel, and, with the added momentum, elbows my nose and hits me with the blunt edge of the katana (the fire's dead by this point, but the blade's still hot).

Shaking off the pain, I spin the cutlass around my left hand before charging in. She swings down her sword, but I parry it by using a similar concept as when she smacked me. Using my right hand as a brace against the pressure, I push with my left, swinging the grip and pommel towards Zuikaku. Following through this momentum, I get low, going for a roundhouse kick with my right foot. Once that lands, I push myself forwards, ramming my head against her stomach (I missed and landed on her boobs, but she got winded, so mission success. They're real soft, might I add.)