The New Blue Steel: Redesigned

The Game

Since Gunzou's and Takao's party decided to have a small break, they are currently on the beach having some fun.

"Kongou, still stylish even though you're only on the beach ,huh," Takao commented as Kongou walks towards the group wearing dark purple bikini paired with sunglasses.

"I ain't like you," she replied as she takes her seat, facing the vast, blue ocean. "I won't compliment you since you look average."

Takao rolled her eyes out of annoyance. "Such a mood killer."

"The food is ready," Gunzou said and everyone gathered around to have some.

"I have installed some of the modified gravitons on your ship, Takao. You better use them wisely. I don't have much any of them left. Kongou, I added some photo cannons on your ship plus I modified a little on your wave-force armour since it got a little nasty when you got defeated," Hyuuga said.

"Hyuuga, is it also possible for you to make my ship invisible from the radar?" Takao asked.

"I can," Hyuuga replied which made everyone froze to hear more to what she has to say. "I can make it disappear with super gravitons."

Kongou hits her head with the joke she just made. "Die."

Hyuuga rolled her eyes as she eats some barbeque. "I can't do that, seriously speaking. I could not find something that could make such event possible."

"Then how is it possible for I-401?" Haruna wondered.

"The creator and I are totally different",Hyuuga pointed out. "He is a real genius unlike me."

"That makes a lot of sense," Kongou agreed.

While they were having fun, a white-haired girl appeared out of nowhere which made everyone flinch.

"Iona!" Takao exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?!"

"None of your business, I presume," the girl replied as she walks towards the table. Her eyes got stuck on the barbeque stick and wondered what it was.

"What..." she paused. "What is this?"

She poked the little octopus that was served on the table. She picked it up and tasted it. Her eyes shimmered with the food's juicy taste.

"Who are you to just barge in here?" Takao complained as she pushes the girl away from the table.

Iona, being smaller than her, hooked her foot on Takao's and made her fall on the sand.

"Don't you want to ask what I am here for?" she asked as she continued munching on the foods on the table.

Gunzou sat across her and started eating as well.

"What are you here for?" he asked. Takao sat beside him and the others are behind the two, leaving Iona alone on the right side of the table.

"Father told me to come here," Iona replied. Everyone waited for her to continue speaking but she simply focused on the food.

"For what reason?" Kongou asked.

"Guess," the white-haired girl simply replied.

"This is not a guessing game," Haruna pointed out which made Iona stop. She puts down the barbeque stick and smirked.

"A game," she said. "It would be fun if we play a game."

"Hide-and-seek? What are we? Kids?" Takao snorted.

"Shoukd we play that?" Iona asked. "But we will add some mechanics to make it more exciting."

"The Scarlet Fleet has joined your side. You have connections around the world. And I also have my Bluesteel fleet and we are only a few. But numbers aren't the issue here but the skills and strength of the members."

"What exactly is your point?" asked Gunzou is now impatient.

"I will reveal some of my missions to you as part of the game. We will call it the winning race. My fleet's mission is to stop the communication in this world and stop any kind of trade among countries. We will be taking down the countries with active Fogs that are against me. But we will let Japan be for now."

"So you are saying that we should stop you?" Kongou interrupted.

"That is your mission, right?" Iona asked. "I have given you important clues so you could know where to find and stop my fleet. And as for the time, we will start next week so you could have time to finish your repairs."

Iona stood up and walks away but she suddenly stopped midway and faced them once more.

"Oh, every Fog that I will defeat will join my fleet even if it is against their will. Just a warning, you need it. Especially you, Takao."

Iona raised her hand and I-401 surfaced. She gave them a small smile before disappearing from sight.

"What was that about?" Kirishima commented.

"Takao, give the list of countries who develops the mediums of communication in the world. Kongou, I want you to gather all the Fogs of the Scarlet Fleet. Inform them about what Iona had said," Gunzou instructed. "You guys relax for a while."

Gunzou left and went to see Hyuuga who is happily repairing the ships.

"Do you think you will be able to finish until next week?" he asked.

"I will be done this week," Hyuuga replied. "Probably on Friday."

"That's good news, then," Gunzou said. "Can you make the repair of the ship of Takao last?"

"Sure," replied the lady, "But why?"

"I will be sending the others overseas for some missions," replied the captain before leaving.

"What are your plans?" asked Takao who had secretly followed him.

"The others will rejoin with the Scarlet fleet and will prepare before the coming week starts," replied the guy. "We will make preparations earlier so we could have a chance of winning against Iona."

"But do you really think she will start by next week?" Takao asked. "It feels like she is lying."

"Either she is lying or not, we will still stick to the plan. We've got no choice but to wait for all of your ships to be repaired and fully function before going against her," Gunzou replied.

Takao was quiet after that. She went back to where the others are and everyone felt the gloomy atmosphere around her.

"Is something the matter?" Kirishima asked.

"That Iona is so irritating," the blue-haired girl replied. "She is taking all the time of Gunzou when he and I are supposedly going on dates right now!"

Everyone ignored the usual babble of the blue-haired girl who seems to be her usual self. They do not need to worry about her.