"She did WHAT to you?!" Akagi asks as Shikikan fesses up to what Bismarck and Tirpitz did.
"Yeah... They did just that..." Shikikan replies sheepishly.
"But... Why?" Akagi asks again. "I don't get it. You're not interested in them at all, why'd they suddenly try to mess with you like that?"
"The hell do I know? All that I know is that I'm getting pretty suspicious of those two." Shikikan replies.
"I don't blame you." Kaga says as she walks over. "They've been acting like this ever since Shinano came."
"Shikikan, there's trouble coming our way." Takao says as she walks over with Atago and Ayanami.
"What's wrong? More enemy movement?" Shikikan asks.
"Worse. Follow me." Takao replies as Shikikan rushes off alongside her.
"Is it what I think it is?" Shikikan asks. "I've had some suspicions poking at my mind as of late."
"Well, It'd be better for you to see personally..." Takao replies as everyone rushes into the projector room where there are blips popping up all along the west coast.
"What in the world is going on here...?!" Shikikan asks as he looks at the map. "There are blips from the Eagle Union, the Royal Navy... What are the Ironbloods doing? Are they fighting?"
"If they were fighting we'd be seeing some of them vanish but for the past few hours we haven't seen any losses..." Atago mumbles.
"No losses whatsoever?" Shikikan asks nervously.
"Nothing..." Takao replies. "They've been standing idly, and the blips that represent the Ironblood seem to be moving closer to the others..."
"Something tells me that things aren't going as well as I thought they'd go..." Shikikan grumbles. "I have a feeling that the Ironbloods have betrayed us..."
"I had those same thoughts in mind..." Shinano says as she walks in. "Something is gravely wrong, I can feel it... We must prepare."
"I agree, we now have three nations going against us..." Shikikan replies. "If this is our last battle, then we shall embrace it with all the blood and glory that comes with it."
"I have a feeling this might be so..." Akagi mumbles. "Shikikan, please follow us... Should this be our final fight, at the very least, we'll be ready for it."
"Huh?" Shikikan mumbles as Akagi leads him along. From there the Sakura Empire carrier takes the rest of the unit to what appears to be a large onsen "What are we doing here?"
"Should we fall, we expect to be in heaven, or at the very least the afterlife." Takao explains. "By doing this we shall cleanse ourselves both physically and spiritually, purging our bodies and souls of any regrets and sins we might have. One never wants to die with regrets."
"Well let us hope that it never has to come to that." Shikikan says as everyone strips down and relaxes in the onsen. For the first time Shikikan is seeing all of the Sakura Empire girls nude before him, and Takao instinctively covers herself with her arms.
"Shikikan... Please don't stare... It's a little rude." Takao says.
"Oh- um... Sorry..." Shikikan replies sheepishly.
"I certainly don't mind, it IS an onsen after all." Akagi giggles as Shikikan turns even more red. "I'm almost used to it."
"As am I." Atago adds.
"Well you two are different." Takao says, still trying to cover herself up a little bit and lowering her body further into the water.
"Now I'm curious though..." Akagi mumbles. "Shikikan, do your people believe in an afterlife like we do?"
"They did, but not in the same way that you girls may believe it." Shikikan replies. "We believe there is an afterlife, but our souls need things to function just like we do now. Our ghosts still require money, still require food and clothing, and if they're not given those things when they die they enter the world of the living to rob others of what they need. We don't exactly believe in vengeful ghosts as much as we do paranormal burglars in a sense."
"Well... Do you have the things that you need for if you die?" Akagi asks.
"If there is such a thing as an afterlife for me, I'm gonna lose everything to this battle." Shikikan chuckles. "I promise not to rob you if I do become a ghost." And with that everyone begins laughing. "Well, I think we've sat in here and cleansed ourselves enough, let's not keep the battlefield waiting."
YOU ARE READING
Petals of Soliloquy: Legend of Shinano
FanficMore often than not, legends are meant to stay as legends- very rarely are they ever found out to be true or false... Such was not the case when the Sakura Empire found the dreamwaker herself. When legends are found out, they also tend to attract a...
