Azur Lane: PT to the Rescue V2

Prologue

My PoV

The clang of metal on metal rings out across the courtyard as I face off against my two opponents, Andy and John—or as we affectionately call him, Doc. The sun beats down mercilessly, its heat only adding to the intensity of our sparring match. I can feel sweat beading on my brow, but I ignore it, focusing instead on the glint of steel before me.

To my left, Andy stands poised with his lahot, the curved blade catching the sunlight. His eyes narrow as he assesses my stance, no doubt preparing some sarcastic quip. To my right, Doc grips his bastard sword with both hands, a mischievous grin playing at the corners of his mouth. I know that look—he's probably got a meme reference locked and loaded, ready to fire at the first opportunity.

As for me, I stand between them, my own bastard sword held firmly in my right hand while my left arm bears the comforting weight of my shield. I can feel the familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins, the battle-lust rising within me. This is what I live for.

"Well, boys," I drawl, unable to keep the excitement from my voice, "shall we dance?"

Andy rolls his eyes. "Must you always be so dramatic, Alex? It's just sparring."

I grin at him, baring my teeth. "Just sparring? Oh, Andy, you wound me. This is life!"

Before either of them can respond, I lunge forward, my sword arcing towards Andy's midsection. He parries with surprising speed, the clash of our blades sending vibrations up my arm.

"Whoa there, tiger," he quips, dancing back a few steps. "Someone's eager today."

I don't bother responding, instead pivoting on my heel to face Doc, who's been suspiciously quiet. As I turn, I see why—he's already in motion, his bastard sword whistling through the air towards my head.

I bring my shield up just in time, the impact reverberating through my entire body. But I'm ready for it, using the momentum to push back, creating some space between us.

"Nice try, Doc," I laugh, adrenaline surging. "But you'll have to do better than that."

Doc's grin widens. "Oh, I'm just warming up, Alex. You know what they say—the early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!"

I blink, momentarily thrown by his nonsensical meme reference. "What does that even—"

My confusion costs me as Andy takes advantage of my distraction, his lahot slicing towards my unprotected right side. I manage to twist away at the last second, feeling the wind of the blade's passage against my ribs.

"Eyes on the prize, battle junkie," Andy taunts. "Or are you too busy admiring your own reflection in that shiny shield?"

Gritting my teeth, I refocus. They're good, these two, but I'm better. Time to show them why.

I feint towards Andy, drawing his lahot up to block, then abruptly change direction, charging straight at Doc. His eyes widen in surprise as I close the distance, my shield held before me like a battering ram.

At the last possible moment, I lower my shoulder and put all my weight behind the shield. The satisfying thud of impact is followed by a whoosh of air as Doc stumbles backward, caught off guard by my shield bash.

"Oof," he wheezes, struggling to regain his balance. "That's... one way to knock some sense into me. I guess you really put your back into it, huh?"

I can't help but grin at his pun, even as I spin to face Andy, who's already moving to capitalize on my momentary distraction.​​​​​​​​​

Andy's lahot whistles through the air, aiming for my exposed back. I can almost feel the blade's approach, my battle instincts screaming at me to move. In one fluid motion, I pivot on my heel, bringing my shield up to intercept the curved blade.