The Azur Key

by KHVSFF

Summary:

After the events of Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:mind, Sora awakens and finds himself floating in the middle of an ocean while hearing the sounds of a battle take place not that far away. Wanting to save anyone caught in the crossfire, he begins to make his way to lend some help but stumbles upon a shocking discovery. The ones engaging in a fight are girls. But not ordinary girls, ones who can summon large ships to battle against each other. This will lead Sora to learn more about this world and will need to put an end to the Kansen war while looking for a way home. [Sora x Harem]

*Slow building romance -- eventual romance

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright of any Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane characters/properties.

Chapter 1: Remembering If I Won or Lost

Blue...a color that emphasizes serenity and coolness. The color also comes off as calm and soothing and spreads across as far as the eye can see.

That was all that Sora could see when he opened his eyes. The clear beautiful blue sky with a scarcity of clouds was all Sora could see. Taking a couple of deep breaths trying to calm down and check to see if everything was intact, Sora realized that he was on his back floating on the surface of the ocean which was in contrast to the final world where his feet could stand on the water without falling in.

Sora closed his eyes and began to process everything that had happened to him after saving Kairi and taking her back to Destiny Islands. Sitting on the paopu fruit tree talking to Kairi telling her...*sigh*...oh boy. Sora couldn't remember what it was that he said to Kairi right before he disappeared.

Not wanting to hurt his head trying to remember, Sora then remembered waking up in the final world again only this time it was nighttime, and the stars could be seen reflecting off the surface of the water. A beautiful sight that could one staring for a long time. However, Sora remembered checking to see if anything was missing and began recalling his encounter with the fictional yet real person, Yozora. Traveling through different worlds and encountering various types of people was something Sora had become accustomed to, however, meeting a character from a video game was something he was not prepared for. Sora then vividly remembers the interaction between Yozora and how he had accused Sora of using a fake someone else's name which did not make any sense.

Given the endless questions Sora had for Yozora, their conversation ended just as fast as it began leaving the two on the roof of a circular building that had once been on his station of awakening and then transformed into a building located within a metropolis city that Sora had never been to before.

However, the thing Sora does remember in great detail was what Yozora had said to him before the two started fighting, "I accidentally wandered into this place, and went through some trials. Then, I was told to 'Save Sora.'

Without a minute to even process what Yozora had said, he activated a sword to his left side and immediately shot several red beams at Sora who barely had time to block the beams coming straight towards him. Once he had blocked the three beams with his Keyblade, Sora rolled out of the way and got into his battle stance ready to take on Yozora.

But alas, that's where Sora's memory recollection had decided to stop.

Shaking his head several times there was just no way Sora could remember what happened next right after he got into his defensive stance ready to strike back at Yozora. Starting to become frustrated, Sora started to grimace and put his right hand on his head, sighing quite loudly with defeat behind his tone of voice. "There's no point in trying to remember. Whatever happened must've resulted in sending me...uh... I don't know where I am" replied Sora clearly distraught with having no real answers to any of his questions.

Deciding to find out where he landed, Sora then turns his body only to find out that the water was really deep which freaked Sora out for a split second. "Ah! Oh right, this is a regular body of water not like the Final World. I wonder...could I float on the water?" questioned Sora wanting to see if his idea would actually work.

Sora then summoned his kingdom key in his right hand and casted an aero spell which helped thrust him out of the water and into the air a couple of feet. While in the air, Sora was unsure if he should try flying in the air, but he wasn't sure if he could stay at the same altitude for so long. Wanting to try something else, Sora closed his eyes and thought of a floating spell that would allow him to either walk on the water or stay above it so that he could cover more area and see if there was dry land.

Taking a gamble, Sora closed his eyes and raised the Keyblade, and yelled, "float!" while still in the air from the aero spell. Hoping for the best, Sora opened his eyes and was met with success. He was clearly on top of the water and yet could still feel the water touch the bottom of his shoes which left him with a goofy smile on his face. Taking note to remember the float spell, Sora then decided to pat himself down and see what he still had in his pockets.

The first item he found was the Gummiphone which still had power; however, in the top corner of the screen there was a red x covering the signal symbol. Thankfully, Sora had been lectured by both Donald and Goofy on how to work the Gummiphone and all the buttons and symbols purposes. Plus using the phone more than once helped Sora to master using the device.

Putting the Gummiphone away seeing that he wouldn't be able to get in contact with anyone, he then reached into his other pocket which held both his Oathkeeper and Oblivion key chains. Noting that all his other keychains were missing which greatly disappointed Sora but perhaps they would show up somewhere in this world. Moreover, realizing that his two most important key chains were still with him left a warm and comforting feeling in Sora's heart.

Wanting to find dry land and where he was exactly in this new world, Sora put his key chains away and decided to start walking forward hoping to see something within the blue sky and never-ending ocean.

Quite some time passed since Sora began his journey walking above the ocean, he was starting to worry that nothing would be found in this world. Not a moment too soon, Sora heard what appeared to be a large boom that echoed across the sky. Taking that as a sign that there was something or someone in this world perked Sora up and forced him to start running in the direction of the echo. Hoping that whatever had caused the boom would help Sora in his journey across this mysterious new world.

How wrong...

And...

How right he was...

Chapter 2: Finding Myself in the Middle

Summary:

Now in a new world, Sora will begin to take steps to learn about this world.

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the Kingdom Hearts Series/Characters or the Azur Lane Series.

Rushing towards the sound of the loud boom's echo, Sora continues running above the water at full speed wanting to find something or someone in this world. Out of the corner of his eye, Sora notices something flying up in the air. Tracing that said object to the left Sora realized that there were a lot more flying objects in the air and what looked to be other objects flying around.

Moving closer to get a better look Sora realized that the flying objects were actually planes shooting at other planes which meant that Sora was walking into the middle of a fight. Not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, Sora frowned knowing that heading in the direction of the planes was his only shot at finding some sort of civilization. Making his decision with a reluctant sigh, Sora continued running towards the planes which made him do a spit take.

Out of nowhere, red and black ships that appeared to have a futuristic look around them appeared out of thin air. Knowing that he was not going crazy, *at the moment at least* Sora started running toward the closest ship trying to avoid being spotted by the crew or whoever had been commanding the fleet.

Successfully, Sora wall ran up the side of the dark ship and onto the main body which appeared to be devoid of anyone or anything. Confused, Sora looked around the ship but still couldn't see anything helpful. Realizing the possibilities, Sora came up with the idea that these ships did not hold anyone on board and were being controlled somewhere else.

About to jump off the ship and start exploring the rest of the fleet, Sora took a quick glance at the other ships and had to double-take and blink twice before recognizing a distinct symbol. On one of the ships in the fleet, this ship appeared to be black and red, but the closer Sora looked at the ship and its' features he noticed a purple hue on the black and a flag at the top of the ship.

A heartless symbol plastered on the flag swaying with the wind.

Taking a moment to process what he had seen, Sora then decided to bolt straight to that ship in particular wanting to stop it from reaching wherever it was supposed to go. Having used his flow motion to jump from one ship to the other, Sora finally landed on the heartless ship, summoning his keyblade and taking an offensive fighting stance.

Unbeknownst to Sora, a figure with white hair and yellow eyes was watching him from a distance on another ship. Wanting to see just who this boy was and why he was so heavily focused on the heartless ship, the figure raised its hand which had tentacles wrapped around their hand along with darkness beginning to form. Not wanting to be seen, the figure then stepped into a portal to avoid being caught.

Meanwhile, on the heartless ship. Sora began looking around to see if any heartless would appear now that the keyblade had been summoned and in his hand which practically worked for attracting darkness like a magnet. Not a moment later a group of shadow heartless started appearing along with multiple large bodies all over the deck of the heartless ship. Smirking with a confident grin, Sora decided to make short work of the heartless and began by getting up close.

Without wasting any time, Sora locked onto the first large body he had seen and used his flow motion ability to dash straight at the heartless, in particular knocking it back with his sudden impact. Following the clash, Sora twirled on his right foot and landed a three-hit combo against the nearby shadows while also casting a blizzard spell to freeze an unexpecting large body not caught in the shocking impact. Immediately freezing the large body, Sora used aerial to launch the heartless in the air only to go chasing after it and slash at its' body until the large body faded away leaving a pink crystalized heart to go floating away. Sora, still in the air, decided to cast a thunder spell wanting to cover the surrounding area and weaken remaining heartless.

Deciding that wasn't enough, Sora decided to start spamming thunder spells left and right to finish this little skirmish and focus on the rest of the ship. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Sora, while slowly falling from the air, locked onto the last remaining large body and used flow motion to slam into the heartless, killing it immediately. Noticing a few shadows not grouped together, Sora casted multiple fire spells ending the once threatening group of heartless once and for all.

Noticing that no more heartless were going to spawn, Sora quickly began charging light into the keyblade hoping that his idea of using a charged attack and stabbing the heartless ship would cause it to become hurt or even disappear. Taking his chance now, Sora yelled while raising the keyblade with both hands and slammed it into the ship which forced the entire ship to start shaking. Having no idea what was going on, Sora decided to book it and jump onto another ship to watch what was going on with the heartless ship.

Following the charged-up attack, the heartless ship began to glow a purple color until a quick flash of light appeared which also disappeared leaving a large pink crystalized heart to fly into the sky. Fascinated and satisfied by the destruction of the heartless ship, Sora rubbed his nose with his right hand and had a big smirk on his face ready to take on more heartless.

However, Sora had been so focused on the heartless ship that he didn't realize that the rest of the dark ships seemed to stop moving as they had reached their destination. Realizing his mistake, Sora then looked around and saw what appeared to be two girls directing a group of planes to attack a white-haired girl wearing a hat and a good distance away from their location. Each of the girls appeared to be standing next to a large ship which Sora figured was under their individual control. Not knowing who friend or foe was, Sora ran towards the two girls who upon closer inspection appeared to have tails and what appeared to be ears on their head.

Landing back on the water's surface, Sora made his way towards the duo wanting to make his presence known, he then yelled out to the two animal featured girls, "Hey! Stop it! Why are you fighting each other? Shouldn't you be fighting the dark ships?".

Time seemed to stop as one of the girls grew furious and immediately turned in the direction spoken to and began yelling at Sora, "Mind your tongue you waste of wis... dom... cu...bes...". The girl who had turned to respond to Sora had suddenly stopped midway through her sentence when she saw Sora standing and staring at her wide eyed.

The other girl who had been commandeering planes to attack the white-haired girl then began speaking to the girl who had spoken out at Sora, "Kaga! What is wrong dear sister! Why did you suddenly stop talking when... you...turned". The other girl who appeared to have brown hair that went past her waist then noticed Sora standing and staring at the two's sudden loss of words.

Feeling nervous about the two girls and their behavior at seeing him, Sora decided to speak up, "Hey, are you two, ok? What's going on here? Why are you two attacking the white-haired girl over there? That's not fair having a 2 vs 1 fight" hoping that his sudden appearance would stop the fight.

However, seeing Sora talk with the two animal featured girls, the said white-haired girl yelled out to Sora, "Hey wait! Don't listen to those two! They are with the sirens!". Sora, having heard everything she said, went wide-eyed and immediately turned to the two animal featured girls with a shocked expression. "What...why are you with the enemy. Do you know how dangerous the heartless are?" asked Sora with a look of disappointment to the two.

Unsure of what to do next, the girl who had yelled at Sora turned towards the brown-haired girl about to comment on the situation at hand only to be interrupted. Out of nowhere, what appeared to be a flat red paper plan flew right in front of the two animal girls directing their attention to the far left and spotting another girl.

This new girl appeared to be wearing a short dress skirt that was red along with a white jacket and sword holstered at her hip. Another feature that stuck out about the new girl was that she was sporting what appeared to be a long ponytail with a ball ornament attached to her brown hair. Having taken up everyone's attention she then spoke up, "My seniors, let's get moving". Having heard the ponytailed girl, the brown-tailed girl turned to the white-tailed girl, whose name appeared to be Kaga, and confided in her, "Hmm it seems this little gathering is over. For now, at least. ... you there boy. Do not trust Azur Lane for they are weak and can no longer protect themselves. Consider the Crimson Axis as your friends. We will protect the weak and save the world".

Having finished her speech, Kaga and her partner then raised their hands which began summoning light above them that soon grew too bright to stare at which forced Sora to cover his eyes. Within a couple of seconds later, the light dimmed away leaving Sora confused by what the brown tailed girl had said about this Azur Lane.

In addition, the white-haired girl wearing the hat had slowly come up to Sora and examined him top to bottom while staring into his eyes. Purple eyes were staring at blue eyes getting read on this mysterious newcomer. After taking a moment to scan Sora the white capped girl then replied, "You're safe now. Azur Lane will protect you from the Sakura Empire and answer any questions you have if you would please come with me".

Considering his options, Sora decided it would be best to check this Azur Lane out and see if they could help him find his way back home in this strange new world.

Chapter 3: An Island Full of Girls

Summary:

Sora continues to learn more about this world thanks to his new friend, Enterprise. Plus, the wielder of the Keyblade will find himself facing a whole new problem.

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright of Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane nor do I own the characters to KH/AZ.

After having agreed to follow the white-capped girl to this Azur Lane base the two decided to climb aboard the girl's ship which beat walking to wherever this base was. Sora decided it was best to start asking questions about this world. "So, do you and those two other girls have magical abilities that summon guns to your side?"

Following Sora's question, the girl stared at him bewildered and tried her best to respond, "Magic...I... I don't know what you mean. We are weapons built by humanity to combat the sirens thanks to the creation of wisdom cubes. Shouldn't you have already known that?"

Confused yet again, Sora processed what the girl had said about being a weapon to fight back against these sirens. The sirens must be what they called the heartless.

Wanting to ask more questions, Sora then realized he didn't even know who it was that he was talking with. "Oh right! I didn't catch your name. My name is Sora. What's yours?" commented Sora hoping he could learn this girl's name instead of identifying her based on her hair color and hat.

Said girl opened her mouth to respond but closed it, taking a moment to think about something until she spoke, "My name is USS Enterprise, Aircraft Carrier for the Eagle Union which is associated with Azur Lane."

Raising his eyes wide, Sora realized that this girl was affiliated with this world's military. Not wanting to disrespect or offend the girl who was now known as Enterprise, Sora cleared his throat and responded, "Ah... Pleasure to meet you, Enterprise. I take it that this Azur Lane is some sort of military base where you are fighting these sirens. Right?"

Noticing the tone of his voice change, Enterprise gained a small smile on her face, but the smile vanished quickly. Enterprise also became curious as to why Sora was speaking about the sirens like it was his first-time hearing about them. Wanting an answer, Enterprise confided in Sora, "Hey Sora, why do you sound unsure as to what the sirens are? Not to mention, you're not freaking out at the fact that a girl can summon a large ship to fight".

Realizing that Sora was walking right into a tough spot, he considered his options carefully. Deep within the back of his mind, he could just imagine Donald screeching at him to remember the world order. Sora was well aware of the consequences that came with telling others that beyond their world there were many more worlds out there. However, Sora decided to think about it and counted the pros and cons leading Sora to chuckle to himself since he had already finalized his answer before giving it any more thought.

Finding the urge to speak up and drop a figurative bomb, Sora called out to Enterprise, "Hey ...so... Enterprise. You're actually right...about me not knowing about the sirens. Because...I'm...I'm not from this world and this is my first-time hearing about these sirens". Once Sora was done speaking, he silently cringed at how he had worded his response to Enterprise and figured that she would classify Sora as crazy.

Surprisingly, Enterprise stayed silent for a minute until her response left Sora bewildered, "... I see. That would make sense since you do not fear the sirens or the Sakura Empire". Unsure of what to think about Enterprise's answer, Sora released a sigh and decided to ask more about Azur Lane.

"Well... onto other things. What exactly is Azur Lane and how big is this military base?"

Taking notice of Sora's question and curiosity towards Azur Lane, Enterprise's tone of voice changed into a confident pitch, "Azur Lane is a joint military operation to engage in combat against the sirens and any who side with them. As to who makes up Azur Lane at the moment, that would be the military faction that I serve which is identified as Eagle Union. The other large military power that is a part of Azur Lane is the Royal Navy."

Taking in all the information that Enterprise had laid out to Sora, he became curious about the two military powers and those who would stand up to fight against the sirens. "Wow...there must be a great number of men and women who want to stand and fight against the sirens" replied Sora feeling excited about arriving at Azur Lane.

However, Enterprise had gone silent for a moment which worried Sora until she responded, "Sora...Azur Lane is a base completely filled with girls who have abilities to summon ships to combat against the sirens. There are no men on the island".

To say Sora was surprised would be an understatement since he had gone completely silent and even paled a little. Not to mention, a blush had covered all over Sora's face which was something he didn't experience often. Realizing that he had been silent for quite some time, Sora took a deep breath and spoke up, getting Enterprise's attention, "...well that's... new... I've never been in a situation like this before. I hope I'm not intruding by going to the island...an island... filled with only girls...crap."

Before Enterprise could respond to Sora's disjointed response, she noticed her ship starting to slow down meaning that they were approaching the island shortly.

Noticing Enterprise's sudden reaction, Sora realized he was getting close to arriving at the island. Which again caused Sora to tense up. Enterprise then turned to Sora wanting to confide in him about his circumstances, "Listen Sora, the majority of everyone on the island has not really interacted or spoken to a man before. Only those of higher military status have interacted with male leaders but never really in person and only on a conference call.

Listening to Enterprise's words, Sora then realized that him being on an all-girls island would not only affect him but the rest of the girls. Coming to terms with this, Sora asked Enterprise, "I see... Then will my presence scare the girls? I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable with me being there."

Wanting to appease Sora, Enterprise confided in Sora that everything would be ok and that he still had questions about Azur Lane and his sudden appearance in the middle of the ocean.

Sometime later after the two continued to speak about various things ranging from the girls using oil to them ranging from all sorts of different ages. The two finally came close enough to the island and spotted a shipping yard filled with many different ships ranging from small to large. Another thing Sora noticed once he got a closer look at the docking yard was that everyone truly was a girl all staring towards Enterprise's ship. Sora also remembered in his talk with Enterprise that she mentioned being well-known at Azur Lane and gained a lot of unwanted attention.

At this point, Enterprise called out to Sora and gave him the game plan for making his appearance known, "Listen Sora, let me go first so that I can explain to my allies about your sudden appearance. Not to mention, you will be the center of attention no doubt, but it will pass overtime."

Hearing Enterprise's words, Sora decided it best to wait behind while Enterprise talked with her allies.

A few moments later, Sora and Enterprise made their way down towards the shipping yard and off of her ship to meet with Enterprise's allies. Once Enterprise got to the door leading her straight to the dock, she motioned for Sora to wait. Understanding her message Sora stood back and waited nervously for the impending doom of facing an island full of girls.

Once outside of her ship, Enterprise encountered several other girls who had run up to her asking her what took her so long, and her encounter with Kaga and some girl named Akagi who Sora put two and two together figured the brown-tailed girl was named Akagi.

"We figured something must've happened, so we were getting ready to send a search party to find you, Enterprise" replied one girl while another spoke up, "That was a worst-case scenario if you did not show up soon. However, everyone at Azur Lane knows the strength that the Eagle Union's Enterprise holds."

After hearing everyone out, Enterprise then coughed into her fist clearing her throat and speaking up, "I'm glad everyone made it back safe. Akagi and Kaga made a statement with their fleet involving sirens. Making them an enemy of Azur Lane unless something changes. However, there's something else that's come up. Now I know I'm asking for a lot here, but I found him out in the middle of the ocean encountering Akagi and Kaga."

Silence filled the once chattering dock where ship girls were running back and forth trying to fix the ships lodged in the yard. No one moved a muscle, and no one spoke up. Everyone was trying to process what Enterprise had just said which left her quite anxious and worried about what she was about to do.

"Sora. You can come out now", called out Enterprise silently cursing her luck for what she was about to do to Sora.

"Huh? Sora? Who's that?" replied one girl. While another girl tilted her head to the side trying to put a name to a face.

Enterprise decided that now was the best time to prepare everyone for Sora's sudden arrival, she spoke up, "Sora is...a boy I met out at sea".

Hearing Enterprise's callout, Sora decided to take a really deep breath and slap his face to get some confidence back realizing that he has faced plenty of bad guys before and even saved the worlds three times already. Not to mention, Sora has time-traveled multiple times and even brought back his friends who had died and restored their hearts. And yet Sora was sweating rapidly and feeling his knees shake.

Deciding to face his fears... Sora stepped out of the door onto the dockyard and covered his eyes adjusting to the bright sun. Moving his hand out of his eyes, he first noticed Enterprise staring at him with concerned eyes silently apologizing for what she had put him through.

The next thing Sora noticed was countless girls all staring at him with wide eyes that showed that they were unsure what to think of him. Figuring that now was the best time to make good impressions, Sora raised his hand and gave a friendly wave while speaking up in a nervous voice, "Hi there. Nice to meet everyone. My name is Sora. Pleased to meet you".

Silence filled the shipyard leaving Sora with a ghostly pale face realizing that he already messed up his first chance to make a good impression with everyone.

"Such misfortune..." replied Sora worried about his journey in this new world and with Azur Lane.

Notes:

*A/N - Yes, you might have noticed but that small quip at the end is a catchphrase from Touma Kamijou from the Toaru Majutsu no Index and his signature catch phrase.

Chapter 4: A Lot of Girls and Questions

Summary:

Sora is now facing the music and has stepped foot onto the island full of nothing but girls. How will our Keyblade wielder deal with this new situation?

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own any characters from Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane.

After stepping out and introducing himself, Sora spent what felt like an eternity but in reality, it was about a minute just staring at all the girls surrounding Enterprise who had all gone silent with their mouths agape staring at Sora with disbelief. Not knowing what to do, Sora thought of stepping back into the ship and staying there for who knows how long until the girls could come back to their senses. However, one girl managed to break out of her disbelief and address Sora albeit her voice was shaky and held a sense of uncertainty at what she saw with her own eyes.

Said girl managed to finally speak up, "Wha...what...wait... are...are you a boy? Like an...a-actual boy?"

Sora jolted at the sudden voice filling the once empty pin dropping dock and turned to look at the girl who spoke up. The girl's appearance was that of golden blonde hair, blue socks with white stars and some red lines, along with a white cap of sorts draped around her neck.

If Sora had anything to say it would be that her attire depicted her as a bit of a carefree yet energetic girl with whom he hoped to get along. Moreover, Sora decided to respond to her disbelief and show that he meant no harm, "Hey there. My name is Sora and ... yep, I am a boy. I don't want to cause any trouble. Enterprise is the one who found me out in the ocean".

Hearing that Enterprise was the one to find this boy who appeared to be named Sora, the golden blonde girl started to calm down and looked over at Enterprise wanting to ask her some questions, "Wait, Enterprise where did you find...er... Sora out at sea? And what was he even doing out there in the first place?"

Once the questions started coming in, the other girls began to overcome their frozen stasis and started throwing questions left and right at Enterprise. Some girls even ran up to Sora and began overwhelming him with questions about where he came from and how he woke up in the middle of nowhere.

Realizing that this wouldn't get Sora anywhere, he called out to Enterprise asking for help to which she became somewhat flustered and began to call out to someone," Wales! Prince of Wales! I need your help!"

Now, Enterprise never really interacted with anyone outside of the assigned groups she deployed with when being sent out on an order. So, to hear Enterprise call out to someone who never really had much interaction to begin with other than rarely reporting in for a sortie was quite astonishing.

Furthermore, the girl who identified as Prince of Wales heard her name being called out by Enterprise and hurriedly made her way over to her. In addition, Prince of Wales managed to address everyone and ask them to calm down, "Everyone! Please Settle down. We still don't know the situation at hand. There are many questions that need to be addressed. However, now is not the time nor place to hound Enterprise's guest".

Managing to get all the girls surrounding Sora to stop and take a step back really surprised Sora. He would need to thank Prince of Wales for giving him some breathing space. Taking a moment to calm himself down, Sora then made his way towards Enterprise who was next to another girl who he figured must have been Prince of Wales. Moreover, given that she was addressed as a prince confused Sora for a moment but ignored that thought and focused on the realization that she was of royalty.

But once Sora started to get a better look at the girl, he had to calm himself down since he had a massive blush on his face. Prince of Wales had a high class yet friendly posture that Sora managed to take notice of immediately since he had experience meeting high-class people.

However, what got to Sora was Prince of Wales' beauty. Her blonde hair seemed to fit just right with her red ruby eyes. The white and black skirt that could be considered short along with the red jacket that hugged her figure quite nicely. Her white thigh-high boots seemed to add to her already outstanding beauty. And to top it all off, Prince of Wales had a sword attached to her hip which intrigued Sora since he began to wonder what sword fighting style she was taught. Nevertheless, all these noticeable features seemed to get Sora's mind thinking and paint his face flushed.

Realizing that Sora had other things to worry about, he reached both Enterprise and Prince of Wales while most of the other girls stood to the side and quietly observed the interaction. Sora being the friendly go around guy he spoke up first, "Hey there, uh...thanks for getting everyone to take a step back. That was a bit much all at once. Anyways, I'm Sora. It's nice to meet you your highness, Prince of Wales."

Once Sora finished his introduction, he gave a little bow directed at Prince of Wales given that was normally what Sora was used to when meeting royalty.

Feeling surprised at what the boy had done to address Prince of Wales, she began to become flustered and began waving her hands in the air given that no one had ever really shown that much respect towards her even with her title. Not to mention, the bow that Sora had given threw her guard off leaving her cheeks as red as her eyes.

Coughing into her fist, Prince of Wales recovered quickly and responded to Sora's greeting, "Hello, it's...it is a pleasure to meet you Sora. I apologize if the girls were a bit... drastic with your sudden appearance. You must understand, we here on Azur Lane have never really had much interaction with a male presence. Furthermore, my name is Prince of Wales, but I prefer to go by Wales. It is easier to say than my full name."

Hearing Wales' friendly voice didn't help Sora's fading blush. Shaking his head, Sora was about to speak up, but another girl appeared to jump and make her way into the conversation. Said girl who jumped into the conversation had blue and white star socks and a short skirt with a white jacket around her shoulders.

"Hey now! I wanna introduce myself to Sora as well. *Looks at Sora* Hi there! My name is Cleveland, nice to meet you Sora, and welcome to Azur Lane!"

Seeing another really friendly face calmed Sora's nerves down somewhat realizing he didn't have to be so stiff when talking with these girls. "Hey, it's nice to meet you, Cleveland, I hope we can get along."

Hearing Sora's friendly response Cleaveland replied with an enthusiastic "Yeah!"

Realizing that Sora was friendly, the majority of the girls began to introduce themselves to Sora, who had a hard time trying to memorize names but didn't want to let the girls down by not being able to remember all their names. So, Sora just played it off with a friendly smile while replying to the girls. Enterprise watched him interact with most of the girls and answering their random questions put a small smile on her face.

---

Spending a good several minutes familiarizing himself amongst a large gathering of girls, Wales realized that they hadn't even asked Sora how he appeared out in the middle of the ocean or who he was associated with. Deciding to take the initiative, Wales called out to everyone "Everyone please, we may all ask Sora questions and introduce ourselves later. For now, we need to discuss with Sora how he was found by Enterprise out at sea. Let us reconvene with the others at the conference hall".

Once Wales had spoken up about the current circumstances, the majority of the girls decided to disperse and go about their day. Leaving Sora, Cleveland, Enterprise, and Wales to themselves which left Sora stumped on how all those girls surrounding him seemed to just disappear and go about their day. Sora rubbed his head feeling a headache coming and decided to face Wales who seemed to take the lead and walk them towards the conference hall. Wales spoke up while walking ahead, "If you would please, follow me to the conference hall Sora ''.

Following Wales's lead, Sora began the trek towards the conference hall which was further inland which was beneficial for Sora since he would get a bit of a tour of the island. While walking, Sora noticed the island functioning as a regular island with all the girls going about their day running back and forth or hanging out and talking with other girls. Sora even noticed that many more buildings were starting to come into view.

At this point, Cleveland would poke at Sora to grab his attention and point towards a specific building and talk about what goes on there. "Look! Over here that's the Merchant shop where we can buy things from new clothes to cute little plushies. And over there that's where we have Tactical Classes and learn cool new tricks that help us when fighting. Oh! *Pointing to her left* That building has the best food. The cooks really know how to make a delicious meal."

Sora having to scramble his brain to remember all the places Cleveland was pointing out proved to be stressful, but he still wanted to remember for her sake and his since he wasn't sure what was going to happen after the meeting at the conference hall. Enterprise and Wales simply smiled at the sight of poor Sora being dragged left and right to memorize specific buildings.

However, Cleveland pointed to a building a good distance away but immediately quieted down which worried Sora as she had been in high spirits for the majority of the walk to the conference hall. Cleaveland then spoke up in a flustered state, "A-And over there is the bathhouse. It's...uh...it's where we go to relax and wash up..."

Hearing what she said, Sora became flustered and wide-eyed. Once Wales and Enterprise heard this, the two of them had their faces tinged with a bright red blush and looked bashful while Enterprise covered her eyes by tilting her hat down and Wales staring at the ground watching her feet while walking.

Fearing for his life, Sora quickly waved his hands in the air shouting, "Ah! Good to know. I mean not good. I mean I'll go there. No! I mean not go there. I'll stay away from there, so you don't have to worry. Not that you should worry. I mean...ok."

Realizing that he could have made the situation worse, Sora quickly changed the conversation to what was going to happen at the conference hall "Er...So, what's going to happen exactly at the conference hall? Should I be worried... more worried I mean instead of the bathhouse...crap."

Sora sighed to himself realizing that he didn't have to deal with this type of trouble in all his adventures and that this was a first for him.

---

Meanwhile, the trio of girls had grown quite quiet when Sora began his rambling about the bathhouse. It didn't help that Enterprise had removed her hat and covered her entire face so that no one could see her face. Wales had begun to walk with a stiff posture while her face was redder than her jacket, and she was staring straight ahead trying to focus intently on the path to the conference hall. As for Cleveland, her eyes were filled with swirls going round and round with her face having a pink tint. Her legs were wobbly trying to keep her from falling over and hitting the ground.

Realizing Sora was trying to change the subject, Wales shook her head and calmed herself before answering Sora's concern.

"No, nothing to worry about Sora. Once the situation is cleared up by everyone then we will begin to evaluate what it is that needs to be done to answer your questions."

Hearing Wales' words of comfort, Sora released a sigh of relief.

Coincidently, Sora realized that his entire time in this world he never even considered asking any of the girls just what the sirens were or how they were able to summon weaponry and even ships to their side. Wanting to make conversation, Sora brought up his questions to the trio.

"Hey Wales, Cleveland, Enterprise...what are the Sirens? I encountered the Heartless but after thinking about it for a minute. No one has addressed the Sirens as Heartless, and what exactly is a Wisdom Cube?"

Taking note of Sora's questions, Wales and Cleveland became serious and looked at each other while having a confused face hearing about these heartless for the first time. Enterprise looked deep in thought before looking ahead and noticing the conference hall. Deciding now would be the ideal time to drop a bomb onto Wales and Cleaveland. Enterprise spoke up.

"Wales. Cleaveland. Sora... is not from this world. He also does not entirely know about the Sirens and has no clue as to what a Wisdom Cube is."

Enterprise also stared at Sora who was wide-eyed at the monumental bomb of information dropped onto the girls.

It didn't help that Enterprise said more, "Also, we're here".

Wales and Cleveland were stunned and for a loss of words at what Enterprise had just said. It didn't help that Enterprise mentioned that they arrived at the conference hall which was true since the two had become tunnel-visioned and did not notice their surroundings.

Sora had been processing what Enterprise had said and how everyone else was going to process the information worried Sora. Hence, his surprise when he found himself staring at the doors of a building which Enterprise had commented on, meaning that he was at the conference hall. Set on preparing himself, Sora took a deep breath and managed to close his eyes, taking a moment, and then open them. He walked up to the doors and pushed them open.

Ready to find his answers as to why he appeared in this world. And what in the world was a Wisdom Cube.

Chapter 5: New Connections

Summary:

The first steps to learning more about this world are about to be taken by Sora. How will the exchange of information go?

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright to Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane.

Once Sora pushed open the doors to the conference hall, he noticed that there was a large table that looked to hold over 30 people. The table had flowers spaced out and chairs on both sides of the table. Sora then began to get a better look around the room and took notice of the decorated windows that gave a great view of the ocean.

There were also flags hanging on the walls that added a sense of pride to the room's atmosphere. Two flags stood out compared to the rest which Sora immediately realized were Eagle Union and Royal Navy. Given that they were the two strongest powers currently in Azur Lane.

Sora turned around and spotted Enterprise entering with an unreadable expression. A moment later Cleveland and Wales were slowly walking in still having a stunned look on their faces. Sora had worry start to rise in his gut feeling that it may have been a bad idea to drop the whole from another world info on them so suddenly.

Enterprise for her part was looking around for anyone that could be in the conference hall noticing that there were some pieces of paper scattered around the tables.

Wales was the first to break out of her stunned state and looked at Sora ready to ask him a plethora of questions but hesitated and slowly bit her lip while closing her eyes. She then turned and started walking towards the front of the conference room and picked up what appeared to be a phone of sorts. Wales seemed to be on the phone for a minute until finally, someone must've picked up.

"Hello... Illustrious, yes, we have arrived at the conference hall...Yes, we are all in attendance. May I ask you to gather everyone here. Unicorn? That's fine. I am sure she is not the only one curious about our dear friend. He's become the talk around the town... Yes, I shall have the conference hall ready by then. See you soon."

After finishing her conversation on the phone, Wales put the phone down and turned towards Cleveland and gave out a little sigh.

"Cleveland, may I ask for your help in getting the hall ready. The others will be arriving soon to discuss the recent siren encounter along with Sora's situation?"

Cleveland happily nodded "Of course! I can't leave you to get everything set."

Once she finished her confirmation, Cleveland took off into the other room most likely to bring out the decor for the conference room.

Sora then perked up seeing that his new friends needed help cleaning up.

"Hey, I can help too. What would you like me to do?"

Wales looked over to Sora and gave him a small smile, "No need, Sora. While I appreciate your offer, I'd like for you to take a minute to consider any questions that you might have for us. Given that there are a number of things each of us would like to learn. I suspect it will be a long meeting."

Once Wales finished responding to Sora, she made her ways in the same direction that Cleaveland took off towards. Sora meanwhile decided to take a seat in one of the chairs next to the main table. Enterprise slowly made her way next to Sora taking her cap off and massaging her temple. Enterprise then released a breath she didn't know she was holding and looked towards Sora.

"Sora...I know that you said you were from... another world. But are you telling the truth?"

Sora tilted his head in confusion at what Enterprise had said. Not knowing how to respond, Sora timidly answered back, "What...what do you mean? Do you not believe me?"

"It's not that I don't believe you. It's just that... When you told me that you were from another world, I didn't have much time to process everything but now I do. Sure, I believe you, but it's a lot to process.

Enterprise looked down at the floor and started playing with her cap and sighed again.

"*sigh* I mean, sure there have been circumstances that I've dealt with where I was sent into a mirror version of this world. But to hear that someone is actually from another world is monumental and really makes you reconsider a lot of things."

Hearing Enterprise's inner turmoil, Sora grimaced and cursed himself for breaking the rule regarding the world order. Realizing that if Enterprise was feeling and trying to process, then Cleaveland and Wales were in a similar situation. Sora began to apologize profoundly to Enterprise but was cut off by her.

"However, you may not be the only one from another world."

Bewildered, Sora questioned her, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"The Sirens. We do not know where they originated from. Only that the technology they possess is far greater than our own. Not to mention, the power they have showcased before is something none of the other factions have gained control of. Honestly, after having fought them for so long I merely depicted them as monsters. Monsters not from this world."

Sora began to wonder if he had encountered any Siren type throughout his different adventures. Coming up with nothing, he then considered asking the million munny question.

"So... the Sirens are like aliens? Not from this world?"

"Yes. I guess that would be the best way to describe them. So, hearing that you are also not from this world is scary, but it's also reassuring."

"Reassuring? How so?"

"From your reaction, I figured you have not encountered the Sirens invading your home."

Sora sighed realizing that the Sirens would not be the only thing this world would have to deal with.

"You're right about that. I've never encountered the Sirens in my life until I ended up here. But... there is something else I've encountered."

Enterprise instantly became alert at Sora's words, "What are you saying? What do you mean by something else?"

"The Heartless. Beings made of darkness within people's hearts. They can multiply quickly and have many different forms. The thing that makes the Heartless so terrifying is that they can be killed but not completely. They will come back later when someone destroys one, but there's only one weapon that can completely destroy the Heartless for good."

Sora didn't want to worry Enterprise anymore about the Heartless given that she appeared to be in deep concentration, but Sora figured she needed to know the sooner the better.

"And Enterprise, the Heartless are here in this world. Right before I met up with you and those two other girls, there was a ship that looked different from the others, and it had a Heartless symbol plastered on a flag. The Heartless also started spawning on the ship's deck where I took them out with the only weapon that can get rid of them for good."

Enterprise was processing everything Sora had said about these Heartless beings and was about to question him on what the special weapon was, but Wales had called out to the two.

"Sora. Enterprise. The others are about to arrive. You two seem to have been in deep conversation and did not notice Cleveland and I prepared the hall for the meeting."

Sora quickly swiveled his head back and forth looking at how the whole room had changed and looked prim and proper with floral decorations and teacups placed at each available chair. The windows had new curtains to them brightening the room's atmosphere. Scratching the back of his head and letting out a nervous laugh, Sora turned to Enterprise who also appeared to be somewhat flustered for ignoring her surroundings.

"Uh... ha-ha. Guess we were in deep conversation and didn't notice you girls. Sorry about that."

Wales shook her head while having a pleasant smile across her lips. "Nonsense. While I wasn't able to comprehend everything you two were talking about. It was nice to see that you two had much to talk about which will for sure lead to an interesting meeting with everyone."

Nodding contently, Sora asked when the other girls would arrive only for his answer to be answered immediately. A knocking sound could be from the front door which had Wales respond, "You may enter."

---

The door opened and what followed had Sora mentally facepalming again. This world seemed to have many beautiful girls. The girl who entered had long silky white hair that appeared to be tied in a ponytail along with her blue eyes that sparkled. She was also wearing a hat that seemed to match her black and white dress. Sora glanced down to admire her dress but immediately went back to staring at her hair for he did not want to be rude and stare at her large chest.

Another girl had followed right behind the white-haired girl, and she seemed to be carrying a plushie of sorts. Sora got a better look at the plushie and noticed it was a unicorn with a purple main. The girl holding said plushie also appeared to be a small girl who had purple hair and a white dress. She looked around at the room and saw Wales and Enterprise. But when she saw Sora, she meekly hid behind the white-haired girl.

Sora feeling like he did something wrong, he began to check himself if anything was out of place. He even started patting his hair and thought that his hair style scared the poor girl. Wales eyed Sora and began to giggle at his antics. Enterprise stared at Sora before cracking a small smile.

Once the purple-haired girl hid behind the white-haired, the two made their way towards the main table. Another girl began to enter through the door and took Sora's breath away. The girl had a slender frame and blonde hair with bangs falling to the right side of her body. She was also wearing a blue skirt that went down to her knees with red and white stripes going across her shoulder. She was also wearing a hat that looked like a ship hanging on the side of her hair.

The girl looked towards Wales and Enterprise and nodded softly at both of them, but when she saw Sora, she went wide eyed but then back to a normal expression and smiled at Sora nodding at him as well.

The boy gave a goofy smile back to which he immediately covered his mouth embarrassed at how he may have looked. The girl giggled sweetly into her hand before making her way to the table with a smile gracing her lips.

Following the blonde-haired girl, a girl that appeared to have long silver hair that reached to the floor and had cat ears... Sora had to take another look before realizing that they were cat-shaped hair clips. She was wearing a while cape with a blue long-sleeved shirt and shorts that seemed to match with her black thigh-high socks that had a name plastered on them.

Enterprise perked up and addressed the girl who had just entered, "Montpelier? I wasn't aware that you would be joining the conference."

The girl now known as Montpelier responded, "Belfast dragged me here. Once that maid sets her mind to something she doesn't back down. Plus, I heard my sister was here, so I figured I'd come and see what all the ruckus has been about on base."

Montpelier spotted Wales and greeted her. Wales responded in kind and was about to speak up before Montpelier glanced at Sora.

"So, you're the guy that's been causing everyone to lose their cool. San Diego was going on a rant about how you were taking away the number one spot. Heh was pretty funny actually."

Sora did not know this San Diego and was worried he might be causing them trouble. He was about to respond but Montpelier beat him to the punch.

"Don't worry about it. She's always going on about being number one. She'll get over it... probably. Anyways, I don't know who you are, and I'll wait to find out until the meeting starts. I'm going to go find my sister."

Montpelier then took off down the same hallway that Cleaveland took off to earlier. At the same time voices were coming towards the door causing Sora to turn his attention back at the door.

This time however, multiple girls seemed to enter the room. The first girl appeared to be a maid dressed for the part and stood out compared to everyone else in the room. The maid had long white hair with a headband and a black necklace. Scratch that. She was wearing a chain around her neck which worried Sora but decided not to bring it up now. The girl also had a large bosom that was barely covered with her maid attire causing Sora to stare directly at her navy-blue eyes that added to her beauty.

The maid girl noticed Sora and smiled at him with her eyes closed. Following right behind her was another girl that had a petite figure along with light-brown hair with two front locks tied by a band. And this girl really did appear to have animal ear-like features on her head. Sora noticed her purple military jacket and buttoned dress and quickly started blushing when he noticed that she wasn't wearing any pants. He hesitantly looked at her boots, but his eyes spotted what appeared to be her undergarments covered by her jacket that hung very loosely.

Sora mumbled to himself about the girls here dressing "unique". However, Sora's attention peered towards the door as another girl with blonde hair appeared. This girl stood out like a sore thumb. She had a crown on her head that was attached to a headband of sorts. She also had a petite frame and a white frilled collar with strapless shirt. Filled with yellow ends and a white skirt that went with thigh-high socks. The small girl also appeared to be holding a staff of sorts that also had a crown attached to the top of it.

The girl with the crown immediately spoke up once she completely walked into the room, "Tis good to see you again Wales. And you as well miss Enterprise."

Wales immediately bowed to the crown girl while responding back, "Thank you your majesty, and thank you for attending this meeting. We have much to discuss."

Enterprise for her part, gave a small nod while humming at the crown girl's greeting. However, the girl with animal ears began to take notice of Sora standing there.

For his sake, Sora struck a saluting pose while bowing his head. He picked up on how Wales had responded to the girl with the crown and should've put two and two together that she was of royal status.

This seemed to surprise Wales and Enterprise along with the two blondes who were staring wide-eyed at what the boy had just done. Before Wales could speak on behalf of Sora, he beat her to the punch. Sora with his head down addressed the crowned girl, "Your majesty, I thank you for attending in this endeavor."

Sora was sweating and hoping with all his might that he did not make a fool of himself for addressing the girl of royalty in a rude or incorrect manner. He had just followed the tips Donald had told him a while back after the three half pints had met Beast back in his castle. The proper way to greet someone of royalty at least in Donald's perspective.

The girl with no pants merely stared at Sora, not saying anything until the crowned girl began humming to herself. "Hmmm hmm, so you are the boy who has been causing a ruckus on the island. Honestly, I expected the worst and was ready to confront you and correct your mannerisms when I heard the others talk about you in all forms of manner. But now seeing that you can greet royalty with respect and confidence no less. I see that I was wrong to see you in an ill light, dear servant."

Sora didn't know how to react to being called a servant, so he chose to ignore what she had said. "Uh... thank you your majesty... sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Hmm my name is Queen Elizabeth, and I expect you to remember it."

"Of course. I Got it memorized." Sora chuckled at using Axel's signature catchphrase hoping that he wouldn't mind.

The other girl decided now would be a good time to introduce herself since her queen and sister did so with the mysterious boy.

"As you have met my Queen, I am Warspite. Sister to her majesty and her loyal sword and shield. I hope you do not disrespect her majesty's favor in you."

Realizing that Sora would be on thin ice with Warspite, he figured it best to just nod at her while appearing to be confident and understanding of the girl's words. Warspite once done analyzing Sora and his presence, she closed the main door signifying that no one else would be joining the meeting.

Once the door closed Warspite and Queen Elizabeth made their way towards the main table where the other girls were sitting waiting for the meeting to begin. Wales pulled Sora to the side to give him some background info on what was going to happen in the meeting.

"Sora, the others and I will discuss current circumstances with the Siren fleet that Enterprise encountered while being on her own of which she will be lectured heavily. Once the discussion on that front is done, we will then move onto your circumstances. Does that sound good to you?"

"Yea that sounds good. I don't want to interrupt so I'll just sit off to the side and wait. If that's ok?"

"Of course. I don't think anyone would be upset that you don't want to disrupt the meeting. I'll call out to you when we are ready to discuss your predicament."

Wales then walked off to the main table getting ready to conduct the meeting. Leaving Sora to himself, he spotted a chair to plant himself in and wait for his turn in the meeting. Once he got comfy, Sora started to gather his thoughts and prepare to find his answers for this world.

In the process of recollecting himself, Sora was thinking about his friends that he left and may never see again. Feeling sadness starting to creep into his heart, Sora reached into his pocket and pulled up his photos. So many photos taken during his latest journey that ranged from silly and hilarious to heartwarming and sad.

Pictures of Sora, Donald, and Goofy posing in the pool of water back in the Kingdom of Corona. Sora splashing Donald with a handful of water only for Donald to hit back with an ever-bigger splash. A picture of Sora retaliating against Donald and casted a Water spell covering the poor duck from top to bottom in water. Another picture of Goofy posing with his signature salute with Sora in the background lying headfirst in the water.

In another set of pictures, Riku and Mickey are talking with each other in the Mysterious Tower looking all serious. The following pictures show Riku looking puzzled at having his picture taken and then a picture of Riku rushing at towards the camera while the point of view is blurry and random pictures were taken. Sora remembers laughing up a storm which then got Riku laughing leaving Goofy the chance to snap a photo of the two friends having fun.

Sora continued to scroll through his pictures, noticing the ones taken in Monstropolis, Arendale, Olympus, The Caribbean, and San Fransokyo. A set of pictures Sora came across that got him to stop scrolling was when Donald and Goofy met with Woody and Buzz in the Toy world. He remembered feeling stiff in his toy form and wouldn't mind going back to visit his friends there. But what caught his attention was in one of the pictures when the gang went to find Woody's other friends. In one of the pictures with Sora posing, there was a video game poster being advertised, and not just any video game.

Verum Rex.

Sora's breathing started to increase rapidly, and his legs started to shake. He still had no idea who Yozora really was or why he decided to attack him. What really got Sora that he hadn't really paid much mind to was what Yozora had said about going through trials. And then having someone tell him to "Save Sora". None of them made any sense. It couldn't have been an organization member since they all were killed in the Keyblade War. And Sora couldn't think of anyone that followed him into the Final World.

So many questions lingered on Sora's mind that he didn't even notice Wales calling out to him. It took Wales to poke Sora in the cheek several times to break him out of his deep thoughts.

Clearly surprised, Sora felt the girl's finger on his cheek and shook his head confused on what was going on. "Ah! Oh... sorry about that, Wales. I had a lot on my mind."

Wales gave a quick look over Sora, noticing that his legs came to a stop compared to a minute ago where they would not stop shaking. She also noticed that his cheerful attitude she had grown to enjoy being around was gone. Now what she saw was the expression of someone who has seen a lot and was tired while having many questions on their mind.

Now she was very curious about Sora's journey and how he ended up in this world. That is still something she hadn't fully processed yet. Sora coming from another world. Overhearing Sora and Enterprise's talk earlier, she did agree with Enterprise on her take that the Sirens were alien. And if they came from another world, it would explain a lot for how they became such a powerful threat.

Realizing that everyone was waiting for them, Sora jumped up from his seat and straightened his jacket while returning back to his cheerful mood, retaining an embarrassed expression while apologizing to everyone for missing his cue. The other girls noticed how Sora seemed to be in deep thought and did not hear his name being called. Concern started to grow within the girls for their new friend.

Sora, not wanting to delay the meeting any further, walked toward the center of the room with Wales following right behind to direct him where he would be sitting. He then took his seat ready to ask and answer any questions that would affect his future in this world.

---

Across the ocean and on another island, therein lies the Sakura Empire with many of the ship girls taking on features from various animals whether it be a cat, dog, or even fox features. Many girls were running back and forth enjoying life with smiles on their faces. A wide variety of stalls selling goods to the girls leaving a serene and comfortable atmosphere.

To add to the pleasant and peaceful atmosphere, Sakura trees were scattered all around the island. From a distance one could spot the island easily for its abundance of pink trees.

However, behind a large section of Sakura trees a figure began to fade into existence. Said figure appeared from a flash of white light and was wearing a large black coat that covered their entire body leaving their face unseeable. The figure then started trotting further into the forest behind the Sakura trees, keeping out of sight.

Once a good distance away, the figure then reached their hand out catching a falling blossom and admiring its beauty and gorgeous pink color. Grasping the cherry blossom with their fingers, the figure chuckled and threw the blossom in the air.

"Hoo boy. Just where did you end up this time? Things are not going in the way I thought they were but... eh who cares."

The figure was waving their hands up and down dramatizing their words.

"Well then, I guess we should give this world a show of what true power looks like. Isn't that right...Sora. Besides, this world is surprisingly connected..."

"Connected to a world that I can't even conceive." the hooded figure said while admiring the view.

Chapter 6: Sakura Revelations

Summary:

Taking a step back from Sora and his journey through this new world, the Sakura Empire have their own thoughts on what has happened.

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright to Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane.

While Sora was about to begin his meeting with Azur Lane, there was doubt leaking into the ocean.

Across the sea in the Sakura Empire, a fleet was returning to its base with two figures having much to think about deep in their hearts.

The two fox girls that Sora had encountered earlier were now standing on the deck of a large aircraft carrier. The brown-haired girl turned to the white-haired girl who was identified as Kaga. Having a lot to think about since the collaboration with the sirens, the brown-haired girl sighed sadly now staring out at the ocean and the clear blue sky.

Kaga turned to the other side of the ship looking for something out of the ordinary. Her eyes then moved towards the top of the carrier and spotted a Sakura Empire flag swaying back and forth in the wind. Next to the flag was an engraving of a name that belonged to the ship, Akagi.

Kaga slowly closed her eyes and called out to the other girl, "Akagi, what is on your mind. I can sense hesitation in your movements. And you've been quiet since we pulled back from encountering the Grey Ghost."

The girl now known as Akagi merely continued to stare out at the ocean before responding to Kaga, "Dear sister, the fundamentals of battle truly pay a toll to the mind, but yes, you're right there is much on my mind. I have many questions regarding the future. And I fear that my actions won't be enough to change the future."

Kaga became wide-eyed at what her sister had said and turned to look at her with a serious expression. The Akagi she knew was strong and confident while this Akagi seemed unsure of herself. Worry began to spread throughout Kaga's heart, and she feared that her sister was going down a path that she might not be able to come back from.

"Akagi, do not worry about what is out of your control. You knew just as much as I did the consequences and difficulties that would be down this path. We must keep on walking forward in order to achieve our goal."

Listening to her sister's words, Akagi nodded her head agreeing with everything said. However, one thing that was troubling her greatly was the sudden appearance of the boy. The boy with the spiky brown hair and a long black hooded jacket with red hemming, and red flannel flaps. She didn't have much time to observe the boy but one key detail that she noticed and remembered being stunned was his necklace. The crown shaped necklace.

When Akagi had been approached by the Sirens to help her achieve her goals, she remembered attending one of their meetings that was kept secret from everyone in the Sakura Empire. She recalled a time that she arrived at a meeting without alerting anyone and overheard the Sirens mentioning something about a key. The Siren leader, Observer Alpha, mentioned something about a key being brought to this world and that it would help them with the lock.

This drop of information was interesting but didn't really make sense at the time, however, Observer Alpha further elaborated on the key being in the form of a person. And said person would have a crown attached to their person somewhere. Such a small distinct feature that Akagi merely decided to ignore and go back to her focusing on her main goal.

Now however, when she was engaging the Grey Ghost, the boy appeared confronting her about the fighting and did appear to have a crown necklace. Something Akagi never expected to happen, especially in front of her. If the boy with the crown necklace was part of the Sirens plans', then she started to consider the possibilities that lied with the boy since he was considered the key to their plan.

While Akagi was in deep thought, Kaga looked toward the ocean and spotted an island covered by pink trees. She called out to her sister alerting her that they were close to arriving back to their headquarters.

Meanwhile on another ship following close behind the aircraft carrier that was carrying Akagi and Kaga, a beautiful girl with waist-length brown hair and orange highlights tied in a high ponytail by a hair ornament. She was wearing a long-sleeved hooded kimono with flower motifs and red strings on each side of her chest with a red skirt and black socks. This girl was Zuikaku, Aircraft Carrier from the Sakura Empire and part of the Shoukaku-class.

Zuikaku also had a great deal to think about. While she wasn't present for the entire skirmish between the Grey Ghost. She was there to alert her seniors to retreat for the moment and what she saw threw her off guard. The appearance of a boy not too old but not young either. The boy also had really spiky brown hair along with a red and black hooded jacket.

However, what was bothering her about the boy was that when she was scanning the battlefield for her seniors, she came across Akagi who looked bewildered and frozen while staring at the boy who had been calling out to her. She had never seen that look on Akagi's face before and that's what is bothering Zuikaku now.

Many thoughts ran amok around her head from her senior's reaction to the boy suddenly appearing and not cowering in the middle of a battle. While Zuikaku was trying to process her thoughts, a shadow loomed behind her until said shadow poked her in the back.

Startled by what had happened, Zuikaku jumped and flashed her head back only to be greeted by her sister, Shoukaku. Her sister's appearance consisted of waist-length silver hair with one side tied in a small side tail by a hair ornament and blue eyes with orange eyeliner. She wore a long-sleeved hooded kimono with flower motifs and red strings on each side of her chest. Now Zuikaku had her doubts about her own chest size when compared to her sisters' but that was a topic she quickly brushed to the side, for now.

Shoukaku was not present when Zuikaku encountered their seniors and only joined up with her sister after the Sakura Empire girls retreated. However, knowing her sister very well, Shoukaku knew something was bothering her and she was going to get to the bottom of it, starting by poking her sister in the back, surprising her.

"If I didn't know any better, I would've thought my sister turned into a statue. That's a shame. I would've liked to place you in our garden for everyone to see, hmm."

Once Zuikaku had calmed down from being surprised by her sister, she pouted in a cute manner and sighed while bringing a hand to rest on her forehead.

"Shoukaku, I'm not in the mood for your games."

"Oh? Has my sweet sister grown annoyed with me? Next, she'll want me to stop teasing her and then I'll have to find someone else to tease."

Annoyed with her sister but not wanting to lash out, Zuikaku sighed.

"*sigh* No, that's not it. I just have a lot on my mind. You weren't there for the engagement between our seniors and the Grey Ghost."

Shoukaku perked up at what her sister was saying about the battle she was too late to appear in. "What do you mean? Did something happen before you all retreated?"

"Yeah, something happened. A boy appeared."

"A boy? Like a human boy?"

"Yes, but he wasn't young or old but around his late teens. The boy also had really spiky brown hair and weird looking clothes that I've never seen before. But the boy had a crown necklace that really stuck out. But that's not even the craziest part. The boy approached Akagi and Kaga while they were fighting the Grey Ghost, and he wasn't even fazed about the Sirens surrounding the area. He even shouted at Akagi."

Stunned beyond belief, Shoukaku took a moment to process everything her sister had said. After regaining her senses, she got a glint in her eyes and a smirk was plastered along her face.

"So, the boy caught your eye, didn't he?"

"...Really sis? I don't even know the boy and I don't think he even noticed me since it happened so fast. Plus, we didn't even interact; I just saw him from a distance before we retreated. But that's not the thing that's bothering me."

Confused, Shoukaku tilted her head while staring at her sister with squinted eyes asking for her to elaborate.

"Akagi was stunned when she saw the boy. I understand being dumbstruck at seeing an actual boy given that only the higher up seniors have interacted with male officers beforehand, but to see a boy in person is strange to say the least. Akagi however, looked almost dazed. Like she knew something about the boy but wasn't sure."

"Zuikaku, are you sure about any of this? Perhaps you were just shocked at seeing an actual boy."

"No! You have to believe me sis. I saw Akagi's body language change while looking directly at the boy and she was analyzing him very closely."

Shoukaku considered calling her sister irrational and needing to rest, but deep down she knew her sister was many things but being a liar was something she was not. Plus, Shoukaku had noticed Akagi and Kaga being more quiet than usual.

"*Sigh*... Ok, I believe you, Zuikaku. But we need to be careful, we don't want to alert those two that we are watching them closely. Not to mention, if Akagi does know something about the boy then it would make sense for her to tell us once we get back home. And if she doesn't... then we will definitely know something is up."

Zuikaku let out a breath she didn't know she was holding onto and smiled knowing that her sister was on her side. Now the real challenge would come with spying on her two seniors to see what they knew about the mysterious boy.

Back with the two kitsune girls, Kaga calculated that they would arrive on the island within a couple of minutes. However, Akagi hummed to herself while her ears were twitching back and forth. Not even a second later a girl appeared out of nowhere seemingly dropping down from the top of the ship and made an entrance.

Akagi kept looking out towards the sea and already knew who the new girl was, "Oh my, what a surprise? Didn't expect to see you here, Prinz Eugen."

The girl identified as Prinz Eugen had long white hair with a red streak on the right side of her hair. Her hair reached down to her waist with twin tails that are held up by a red metal accessory. Her eyes are a fiery red color, and attire wise she wore a very short black dress with long red and grey sleeves along with black thigh-high tights and red boots.

Prinz Eugen merely walked towards the two kitsune swaying her hips back and forth which would've for sure left many people dazed. But Kaga merely kept looking at Eugen with a deadpan expression. Once Eugen stopped walking forward and was close to Akagi she brought both her arms under her chest letting them rest on her forearms.

"Correct. I must say it was quite impressive that you were able to control those Siren ships for so long. Though the ships in your control were mass produced models, you still showed quite some promise. I take it this is another one of your goals in that project of yours?"

Akagi at this point turned to look at Prinz Eugen with a glint of anger appearing in her eyes for a split second before returning back to normal.

"Yes, controlling those Siren ships proved to be a difficult task but I have my own goals and ambitions that cannot be stopped. However, there is one thing that's bothering me. Prinz Eugen, were you present when my sister and I encountered the Grey Ghost?"

Prinz Eugen tilted her head to the side and pulled out a piece of candy and unwrapped it before stashing the wrapper in her pocket. "No, I wasn't there when you fought Enterprise. Why? Did something peculiar happen?"

While Prinz Eugen was asking about the outcome of the fight with the Grey Ghost, Kaga was unsure if her sister would bring up the fact that a boy had appeared out of nowhere. Although the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood were working together against Azur Lane, the two groups still had many secrets they didn't indulge the other in. The sudden appearance of the boy was something major and unexpected which spelled uncertainty for how the future would play out.

Akagi meanwhile decided to respond, "No, nothing of the sort, just that while commanding the fleet of Siren ships something was off.

"Oh, how so?"

"I noticed one of the ships in formation was missing."

"Missing? What did you do with it? Losing a ship is kind of impossible is it not? You would have to be quite scatterbrained to lose something of that size."

Akagi was becoming irritated with how Prinz Eugen was nonchalantly calling her a fool for losing a ship without even noticing. She knew that if she lashed out, diplomatic relations with the Iron Blood would become damaged leaving her and the Sakura Empire to pay the price. Not to mention, she still had plans that she needed to fulfill.

Giving her best neutral face, Akagi responded, "Yes, I had considered the possibility that in my strive towards taking out the Grey Ghost there may have been the off chance I misplaced the ship. However, the ship missing was the infused ship."

Prinz Eugen perked up and looked straight at Akagi trying to make sense of what she had just said. "That...that is definitely not good. In fact, that raises some questions even I would like to know."

Confused by what she had just said, Kaga spoke up from her spot which was to the side of Akagi merely watching their conversation. "What do you mean? What exactly do you know of that infused ship? It looked somewhat normal for its design aside from the strange looking flag."

"That infused ship is a prototype. Something we over at the Iron Blood were given only recently. The thing that doesn't make sense is that the infused class ship has a bit more firepower than a regular produced ship, but the infused ship seems a bit unstable. Almost like the ship can't be controlled by kansen at least."

Before any of the girls could respond, Kaga jolted her head back to the sea and realized that they were about to dock into the shipyard. "It seems we will have to postpone this conversation for later. We are about to arrive."

Prinz Eugen closed her eyes and finished her candy that she was eating while conversing with the kitsune girls. Once done she summoned her rigging which took the form of a mechanical shark and fed it the candy wrapper. The shark destroyed the wrapper and started disappearing in a flash of light leaving making it seem as if there never was a shark in the first place.

Once she de-summoned her shark companion, Prinz Eugen spoke up about her request to the Sakura kitsunes, "Now then, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Akagi turned to look at Prinz Eugen, curious about what she wanted. "Well then, what's the favor you're asking?"

"I'm taking Z23 and that Ayanami girl from your side with your permission that is."

Kaga nodded her head while Akagi responded to Prinz Eugen's request, "That's fine. I'll hold you to it so that nothing bad happens to her under your command."

Prinz Eugen only nodded while having a smirk cross her face. Thinking of what plans of hers needed to start kicking into fruition. She strutted away swaying her hips again while walking off the ship and disappearing from sight.

---

Sometime later after Akagi landed her ship in the docking yard, Zuikaku also parked what appeared to be her ship as well in the yard. Realizing that her seniors were going to report on their endeavors to Lady Nagato, Zuikaku along with Shoukaku took off to go find their friends and discuss their thoughts.

While making their way to meet up with their friends, Zuikaku and Shoukaku were greeted by many girls. The warm feeling of having so many people care about who returned from a mission and celebrating their return was a nice feeling that the red crane would usually grow embarrassed about. However, with a great deal to think about, Zuikaku simply gave a smile and waved at everyone who cheered at her for returning home.

Shoukaku meanwhile was admiring the beauty that her home had to offer. Ranging from the sounds of cheer and laughter surrounding her to the bright stalls and goodies being sold as far as the eye could see. She loved being home where it was never a dull moment with her friends and family.

Once the two continued to trek forward, Shoukaku decided to split from her sister and meet up with her friends saying that she'll catch up later. Zuikaku smiled and waved her sister off before continuing to climb some stairs to a home of sorts. She crossed through the front yard and found herself in a training yard of sorts while spotting a couple of her friends watching a girl training against a training dummy.

Zuikaku made her way towards the group of girls watching the girl the train with her sword. The girl with the sword seemed to have her eyes closed and took a deep breath before slashing at the dummy with impeccable speed cutting the dummy into several pieces.

Everyone cheered her on while Zuikaku started clapping happily. The girl with the sword opened her eyes and spotted Zuikaku front and center and had a smile across her face. "Zuikaku, I didn't expect you to return so soon. Actually, sooner than expected."

Zuikaku nodded while understanding her friend's confusion and began to explain her encounter but not before addressing her other friends in attendance. "It's good to see you Atago, Souryuu, Ikazuchi and you as well Takao."

Takao approached Zuikaku and greeted her back while having a small smile plastered on her lips. Takao's appearance consisted of a slender figure and large breasts. She has long black hair tied in a high ponytail by a white ribbon and orange eyes. She wore a white military uniform with a high collar, yellow buttons and a white miniskirt, black pantyhose, black shoes and white gloves. Not to mention, Takao was very beautiful even with her sincere and determined look she gave off. Honestly, it added to her natural beauty.

Atago also had a slender figure and large breasts. She has a black waist-length black hair tied with a white ribbon and black wolf ears on top of her head, she has brown eyes and has a mole under her eye. She wore a white military uniform with a high collar and yellow buttons, white pencil skirt with side slits, black thigh-highs, white high heels and white gloves. Atago was Takao's sister and the two made a formidable pair in battle. Just like her sister, Atago was very beautiful while also really taking on the role of older sister.

Souryuu for her part had the appearance of a slender frame and a medium bust. She has waist-length dark-blue hair with long bunny ears on top of her head, she has blue eyes and wears round glasses. She wears a dark green onsen-like uniform with a high collar over a white buttoned shirt, black buttoned corset wrapped around her waist, dark-green pleated skirt, black thigh-high socks with black ribbons. Souryuu was someone you could get along with easily especially since she had the simple voice of reason personality that helped in times of doubt.

Ikazuchi appeared to be the smallest in the group because of her slender frame and a medium bust. She has long pink hair tied in a high-zigzagged ponytail and an ahoge on top along with her pink eyes and a small pair of horns. She has a black ribbon lace around her neck and was wearing a black loose kimono with red accents & designs, red tomoe symbols and a gray obi wrapped around her waist over a white top with red linings. If Zuikaku had anything to say about Ikazuchi it would be that she was cute and fun to be around. Although she did mutter to herself about things being strange or in her words 'meta'."

After all the other girls gave their greeting towards Zuikaku, they began to ask her questions about the recent battle that she returned from. This led Zuikaku to hesitantly confide in her friends about her concerns and worry about the whole event, and how Akagi was acting differently compared to usual. Once she finished explaining her thoughts about the whole situation, she asked them to promise to keep everything said to themselves. In fear that if word got out about suspicions towards Akagi then things could end up getting ugly.

Taking a moment to process everything Zuikaku had discussed, Takao was the first to speak up, "If what you are saying is true in any way, then it certainly does raise concerns for what Akagi's plans entail. Not to mention, the boy who appeared is most likely with Azur Lane now as we speak."

Souryuu decided to add onto the conversation, "Azur Lane is probably given him a run-down of the situation which may persuade the boy to see the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood as enemies. We don't know anything about the boy and yet it seems he may play a bigger part in all this."

Ikazuchi was quiet and had been staring off to the side with her hands covering her face. It appeared she was thinking about the boy and the possible reasons for his sudden appearance. She did however start mumbling about how the boy's appearance was something out of a manga. And she started calling his necklace something along the words of meta give its design making the boy stand out even more just through words.

Zuikaku on her part had many thoughts and ideas popping up in her head about the whole thing but it still didn't make any sense. Letting out a tired sigh, Zuikaku informed the rest of the girls that they would need to keep an eye out on Akagi and Kaga to see what schemes the two might be involved in. Atago realizing that now was as good a time as any brought up the idea of going to get something to eat. To which all the girls agreed and began making their way to find something to eat together.

---

In a dark cave under the Sakura Empire Island stood Akagi in the center of a wide-open space holding what appeared to be a dark-purple cube that was radiating darkness from it. Intrigued by the cube, Akagi began to rotate the cube and see if anything would happen.

At that moment, a flash of purple light lit the space forcing Akagi to close her eyes. Once she opened them, she spotted a being with yellow eyes and white hair with tentacles wrapped around the being's body. Observer Alpha was her name. One of the leaders of the Sirens or at least that's what Akagi thought.

Observer Alpha slowly walked towards Akagi and smiled before speaking up, "So, I take it you're nowhere near getting the cube to activate. That's a shame but to be expected. You don't hold enough darkness in your heart."

Confused and angered by what Observer Alpha had said, Akagi retorted back, "Quiet you! I haven't had much time to examine the cube. Besides, why would I need darkness in my heart? I am already strong enough."

"No, you are not. Given time you will be able to harness the cube's power and make it your own. But for now, you aren't nearly strong enough to get the cube to open. However, onto other matters I take it you met the key?"

Akagi was puzzled and nervous. Observer Alpha knew that Akagi had knowledge of something that wasn't directly told to her, and now being confronted about the topic Akagi began to prepare herself in case things were to turn for the worse.

Observer Alpha simply smiled at Akagi waiting for her response before letting out a groan. Annoyed with the kitsune not responding, Observer Alpha began to laugh and enjoyed the confused look on Akagi's face.

"You really are a fool; did you really think that we didn't know about you overhearing our plans? The others wanted to rip you apart right there and then, but I decided against that since it would put a damper into our other projects. Besides, shouldn't you worry about your own business? Doesn't your sister Amagi need your help?"

Furious, Akagi summoned her rigging and aimed all her weapons at Observer Alpha. "Don't you dare say her name! You keep out of my business, and I keep out of yours'. Wasn't that part of the deal?"

Observer Alpha had a mischievous smile on her face while petting one of her tentacles, ignoring Akagi's threat like it was nothing. "Oh, don't worry. I have no interest in the resurrection of a kansen. Honestly, you activating the cube is all I'm interested in on your part. Once that is done, we can go our separate ways. But, if you try to interfere with my plans, you can kiss your sister goodbye."

Finishing her threat, Observer Alpha summoned a dark portal with electricity zapping the ground around the portal. The portal also had a blue and purple light outlining around the portal. Right before stepping through the portal, Observer Alpha turned to look at Akagi and gave her a sinister smile before going into the portal and disappearing which collapsed the portal leaving nothing behind.

Akagi closed her eyes and let out a tired sigh while bringing a hand over her chest. Glad that things did not escalate and take a drastic turn. Akagi opened her eyes and brought the purple cube into view, taking one last good look at it before stashing it away. Realizing that the fate of her sister's life was hanging in the balance and this cube was the key to bringing her back.

Letting out a silent prayer, Akagi then prepared to meet up with Kaga and prepare a counterattack plan against Azur Lane. But not before Akagi let out a whisper in the lonely cave, "Amagi... please wait a little longer. I promise I'll bring you back."

---

Within the deep and concentrated forest of Cherry Blossoms, the figure cloaked in a long black coat was still walking while admiring the beautiful scenery. The figure found a spot hidden well enough and provided a breath-taking view of the outskirts of the island as well as giving a great shot of the ocean.

The figure brought out a book from inside his coat and began to skim through it until he found a marker signaling that they found what they were looking for. Putting the book to the side, the figure got up and started stretching while letting out a yawn before clearing his throat with a cough.

"Well now, here should be a good spot to do a little reading. Can't have Sora be the only one learning the ins and outs of this world. Although... it would appear someone knows a bit too much about hearts."

The figure reached for the book and began to trace down the page that had been marked until he came across something that caused him to close the book again.

"If this someone managed to bring Sora here instead of there, then we're going to have a problem. However, I must say I'm curious to know how they can control the heartless. At least for the moment. Looks like I'll be on the sidelines this go around. Hope Luxu and the others don't mind waiting for me a little longer..."

Chapter 7: First Impressions

Summary:

An exchange of information is about to be conducted. How will the girls of Azur Lane take it when they learn a bit about who Sora is and what his situation is like?

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright or characters for Kingdom Hearts/Azur Lane.

Sitting down where Wales pointed him towards, Sora began to process his surroundings and began to scan the faces of the various girls. Feeling a bit anxious at what questions might arise, Sora took a deep breath while composing himself.

A cough in the room managed to snap him out of his thoughts and look at the source of the cough. Queen Elizabeth was the one who coughed gaining Sora's attention since the meeting had shifted from discussing the recent Siren activity and not onto Sora's case.

Rising from her seat, Queen Elizabeth puffed out her chest and placed both of her hands on her hips striking a pose.

"Now then, dear servant, since I have your attention. Let us move forward with our next discussion regarding you, boy" Elizabeth spoke up in a heightened tone of voice displaying her stature of royalty.

Wales perked up seeing that now would be the best time to take over the case helping Sora with how the meeting would progress.

"Right then, Sora, how this meeting will commence is based on a question-by-question basis. We shall ask you a question regarding your situation and once you give feedback, then you will be able to ask any of us a question. Does that sound fair?" Wales asked, tilting her head towards Sora.

Processing everything Wales had said, Sora nodded while giving a small smile confirming that he agreed with how the meeting would progress.

Before anyone could began to ask a question, Elizabeth was the first to raise her hand or well her staff in the air.

"I, Queen Elizabeth, representative of the mighty Royal Navy, have a question for you servant. Do tell us...Who are you?" Elizabeth said while she pointed her right index finger at Sora demanding an answer from him.

"My name is Sora," Sora replied back.

"Sora? That is a fine name indeed for a servant such as yourself" Elizabeth noted.

Unsure how to answer, Sora gave a confused response, "Er...thank you, Your Majesty."

Realizing that he could ask a question now, Sora decided to start with a simple question and work his way towards addressing the larger and more impactful questions he had on his mind.

"Well, I have a question for everyone. And that is, what are your names? I didn't catch some of your names and have been identifying you based on your attire" Sora asked hoping to learn everyone's names.

The girl with a slender frame and dark blue skirt and blonde bangs on her right side spoke up with a smile, "Greetings, I am Battlecruiser Hood from the Royal Navy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sora."

Another girl spoke up and she appeared to be the one who had long silky white hair and a white and black dress that matched her hat. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Sora. My name is Illustrious, Aircraft Carrier for the Royal Navy."

The small purple-haired girl figured that now was her turn to introduce herself, but she was staring curiously at Sora while hiding behind her plushie, so it was hard for Sora to get a read on her. Illustrious took notice of the young girl's curiosity and began to giggle.

"You'll have to forgive her Sora, she's a bit nervous when it comes to meeting new people. Not to mention, rumors have begun to spread about you once you introduced yourself back at the dock yard." Illustrious said while giggling to herself.

Worried about what was said, Sora hesitantly spoke up, "What...What rumors? What's being said about me?"

Smiling with her eyes closed, Illustrious covered her lips with her hand and replied to Sora, "Oh just the usual girl talk, one girl talks about one thing while another girl twists her words' and so on. Most of the rumors range from calling you dashing and handsome to a mysterious protagonist that is here to whisk girls off their feet. Another rumor I came across was that you are our new commander who used to be part of a boy band with your strange clothing. However, the strangest rumor was that one girl sent out a warning throughout the island for every girl to hide their hairspray and hair products. Your spiky hair style must have made the girls feel anxious since your hair appears to be unique."

Hearing every rumor Illustrious had brought up, Sora had no response. A dead paned stare was all that was readable on his face.

---

Enterprise took a sip from her teacup while silently sympathizing for Sora. She had an idea of how rumors can lead to bad first impressions. Enterprise herself was not a very social person and tended to only focus on her missions and her goal to destroy all Sirens. Of course, she wasn't always like that, but ever since Yorktown...she had only focused on one thing.

The destruction of all Sirens.

Back with Illustrious, she figured that now would be a good time to reel Sora back from his despaired mood. Illustrious motioned for the young girl to introduce herself, she tapped the young girl's shoulder giving her a reassuring smile.

The purple-haired girl clutched her plushie and spoke up, "My...my name is Unicorn. I'm a light Aircraft Carrier for the Royal Navy. And this here is U-chan. Nice to meet... you, Sora."

Snapping out of his defeated state, Sora shook his head regaining his thoughts and smiled back at Unicorn. "Hi there, Unicorn, it's nice to meet you, and it's nice to meet you as well U-chan."

Unicorn seemed to be content and calmed down thanks to actually talking with Sora. She also realized that she shouldn't have paid any of the rumors any attention. She would have to apologize to Sora later once the meeting concluded.

The plushie, U-chan, seemed to move its head slowly while looking at Sora. Not sure what the plushie was trying to say, Sora merely just smiled at the U-chan while waving back.

"I don't think I've ever met a plushie like you before. Sure, I've met toys that moved but this is a first. Pleased to meet you."

Next, the blonde-haired girl with animal ears and no pants straightened herself and spoke up, "Greetings, I am Warspite, battleship for the Royal Navy and her majesty's sister. Wherever her majesty goes, I go as well."

Sora turned to look at Warspite and nodded at her, "Hello, it's nice to meet you, Warspite."

The white-haired maid proceeded to stand up and do a little curtsy directed to Sora while speaking up, "Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sora. I am Belfast, light cruiser for the Royal Navy and head maid for her majesty. If there is anything you require, please allow me to assist you."

Taken aback by Belfast's introduction, Sora simply chuckled and ruffled the back of his hair before responding, "Nice to meet you, Belfast. And if there's anything that comes to mind, I'll ask for your help."

Content with Sora's response, Belfast nodded and sat back down. Queen Elizabeth noticed that everyone had introduced themselves to Sora but being of royalty she decided to clarify something.

"Hmm, it seems you've now been introduced to everyone in the room; however, I assume that Wales and miss Enterprise have yet to fully introduce themselves. Ladies if you would please."

Wales took this as her queue and stood up while looking at Sora with a smile, "Hello again Sora, like I said before my name is Prince of Wales but please continue to call me Wales. I am classified as a battleship for the Royal Navy."

Smiling back at Wales, Sora nodded while processing everything he had been told. However, something was starting to bother him about the way the girls each introduced themselves.

Before Sora could speak up, Enterprise figured she should at least introduce herself properly. "This is awkward, but my name is Enterprise, Aircraft Carrier for the Eagle Union. I'm also the spokesperson on behalf of the entire Eagle Union fleet."

Confused by what she meant, Sora asked for clarification, "Wait, spokesperson? What does that mean? Are you the leader of the Eagle Union?"

"In a way I am. Although I didn't exactly choose this position. Given my reputation and achievements, the girls at Eagle Union figured I should be the one to take charge while we don't have a commander present."

Right as soon as Sora was going to ask another question about Enterprise being the spokesperson for Eagle Union, Elizabeth beat him to the punch.

"Enterprise has become quite the distinguished figure. All the Eagle Union girls look up to her and her accomplishments. Not to mention, she has quite a number of medals to back up her status" Elizabeth stated signifying Enterprise's importance to Azur Lane.

---

Realizing that introductions were concluded, Elizabeth decided to start asking the real complex questions.

"Now then, do tell us Sora how you came to be in the middle of the ocean where miss Enterprise found you?"

Finally making headway into the meeting and answering all of Sora's questions he cleared his throat and gave his answer, "Well, that's a bit hard to explain."

"Hmph. Further clarification is needed dear servant. If we are to ascertain who you are then we need more information on your circumstances" Elizabeth commented hoping Sora could explain his circumstances.

Sora knew he was walking himself into a corner going into this meeting. On one hand if he was to come out and inform everyone that he's from another world then he'd be breaking the world order. Which he already broke telling Enterprise and basically Wales along with Cleveland. And while that seemed like the right option, it did have underlying issues that could arise.

Enterprise was still recoiling and processing the concept of Sora being from another world. Even though it may not look like it, Sora knew Enterprise was putting on a facade while still being afflicted with this groundbreaking information.

Alternatively, Sora could walk back his claim of being from another world and come up with some excuse about hitting his head hard or something. Besides, the world order was created to prevent people from losing their minds and questioning everything about their world which could lead to devastating setbacks.

However, this world was not the same compared to many of the other worlds Sora visited in his past adventures. The people of this world were in a war. A war against an unknown enemy and some were even pushed to the brink. Seeking help from the Sirens for advancement in technology.

Sora had a heavy heart and quite an ordeal to process all within a short span of time. Realizing that he was about to break the world order code again, Sora knew there would be consequences that would come back to bite him in the butt. However, Sora did chuckle at the thought that he already broke the biggest rule in the book. In fact, he broke a natural order that practically kicked him out of his own world with no way to return home. Sora didn't think things could get any worse.

Deciding to follow his heart and go through with telling the rest of the girls about his situation along with him being from another world. Sora became worried when he realized that the girls would ask him to provide some type of evidence supporting his story. However, while sorting out his thoughts, Sora remembered his Gummiphone and how he had pictures of himself and his friends in different worlds. Not to mention, the loads of information he had Jiminy take note of while reiterating it all to Sora to put into his phone.

Figuring that he had everything he needed to support his story, Sora was ready to answer Elizabeth's request. Hence, Sora looked up at Queen Elizabeth and then started to scan the various faces of the other girls. Moving down the table observing Warspite, Illustrious, Belfast, Unicorn, Hood, Wales, and finally Enterprise. Taking a deep breath in while scratching the back of his head, Sora began to spill the beans.

"*Sigh*... Your Majesty, you're not going to believe a word I say, but I plan on defending my story. I even have proof to support my story."

Surprised by Sora's response, Elizabeth gawked at Sora with her mouth wide open confused by what he meant, however, after a second passed she calmed herself and questioned Sora yet again, "You're not making any sense and dragging this meeting on longer than it needs to be. Whatever is your situation we shall hear you out before passing judgment."

"I'm from another world..."

Silence filled the conference room.

---

No one dared to make a move or say anything.

The only ones to remain somewhat calm were Enterprise and Wales. Though Wales on her part was still slowly trying to process everything that was said and to hear that Sora was from another world not only from Enterprise but from Sora himself was still mind-boggling. Enterprise had remained calm yet was juggling around many thoughts around her head trying to get a better grasp of Sora's words.

The other girls however did not fare well. Hood for her part was shocked beyond belief and had a look of bewilderment covering her face while bringing a hand to her mouth trying to comprehend what Sora had just said. Belfast had an unreadable expression while staring at Sora trying to process what he had just said.

Illustrious was wide-eyed and looked like she was in deep thought while staring at her cup of tea trying to process Sora's feedback. Unicorn was silent, not really having a look of surprise on her face, but concern was slowly beginning to show in her eyes until she looked down at U-chan who seemed to reassure her.

Warspite merely stared at Sora like he had grown a second head. She had the facial expression of someone who had just been pranked and was quite fed up with their shenanigans. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth had closed her eyes and crossed her arms while registering everything Sora had said.

After a minute had passed with no one saying anything Queen Elizabeth stood up and started laughing.

"Hahah! Ahaha! My goodness, for a second there I thought you were speaking the truth."

Warspite added to her sister's response, "You are quite ridiculous to make a joke of that sort at a time like this."

Realizing that he would have a difficult time trying to explain to the girls about his situation, Sora let out a sigh while clearing his throat, gaining everyone's attention.

"You're absolutely right. This is no time for jokes. Which is why I'm telling the truth."

Confused by what Sora meant, Belfast raised her hand before responding, "Wait a moment, If I may, you claim that you just spoke the truth?"

"Yes, what I said is the truth. I am from another world."

"Come now, I grow tired of your jokes. If you really are from another world, then would it not suffice to make your claim with some sort of evidence." Queen Elizabeth was starting to become fed up with Sora's attempt at extending his perceived joke.

"You're right Your Majesty, which is why I actually do have proof. On my phone there are pictures I took with my friends along with files that will further explain more about the Heartless to prove that I'm not from this world."

Sora pulled out his Gummiphone while opening his photos and leaving a picture of him, Donald, and Goofy posing next to their ship back in the Caribbean. The picture also highlighted Sora, Donald, and Goofy in their pirate attire.

"The environment around each world tends to be something different in some cases and my appearance changes to suit that world in order to maintain the World Order." Sora continued to explain what the World Order entailed.

Wales raised her hand asking permission to see the Gummiphone and the evidence Sora claimed to have. She was puzzled when the picture came into view of Sora with what appeared to be a large anamorphic duck and dog. The three individuals were posing for the camera with Sora smiling and the duck sticking his arms out while smiling with his mouth? Beak? The dog was posing with a military salute while giving out a smile. The three of them looked so happy together.

Taking a better look at the picture, Wales noticed that Sora's attire was different than what he was wearing now. Instead, he was wearing a pirate's tricorn hat with a crown emblem very similar to the charm he had around his neck. He was wearing a red shirt with a yellow outline and on top of the shirt was a black jacket with some fur around his collar. A brown belt was wrapped around his waist. His shorts were gray with his dark colored boots having a strap go over the top of them.

Wales bit her lip while viewing Sora's pirate look. Sora was already quite handsome and friendly with his current appearance. But in his pirate attire, Wales could not deny that Sora was downright eye-catching. His clothes gave him a more confident and mature look that led to Wales having some interesting thoughts swirling around her head. She quickly pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind while trying to recompose herself to look presentable for the meeting.

It didn't help that a blush had stained her cheeks while she was trying to control her fantasies. Deciding to focus on something else, Wales looked back at the picture trying her best to ignore Sora and focus on his two friends.

The dog in the picture had on a tattered green durag with a white long-sleeved shirt with tan color pants that were ripped at the knees with brown battered boots. The dog also had two noticeable white teeth poking out of his mouth and a round black nose of sorts. In addition, the duck from the picture had white feathers and a blue durag with a battered tank top and rags around his arms.

While finishing her observation of the picture she was curious about any other pictures or information on the device but decided to hand it back to Sora who gladly pocketed the phone. Wales had seen enough to believe that he was from another world, and she also saw something or better yet someone that'll be on her mind for a while.

---

Sora meanwhile carried on with his explanation on traveling to different worlds.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone my secret of being from another world. The reason for that is because if I tell people then they will begin to contradict everything they have ever known. Chaos would ensue and people would begin to doubt everything they know about their lives. Which would lead to people experiencing confusion and fear that allows darkness to manifest a form which in turn becomes the Heartless."

Raising his hand to ruffle the back of his head, Sora also cleared his throat before continuing with his explanation.

"However, when I arrived in this world, sigh, I'll be honest. The ramifications and consequences of telling someone I'm from another world were on my mind. I honestly considered not telling anyone but... I thought of the possibility that if the Heartless were in this world, then I would need to stop them no matter what. And that would lead to me using my abilities which might go against this world's normal behavior. Besides, I've been on back-to-back adventures and... I'm tired. I haven't exactly had a moment to sit down and process everything that's happened in my life."

Sora continued to explain his background to the girls. "Jumping from world to world, fighting back the darkness and saving everyone. After I ran into the two fox girls fighting against Enterprise, I considered not saying anything and continuing to hold up the world order. But, with the Heartless being here and working with the Sirens."

"Then that was when I realized that letting this world know of me being from another world would be important. Letting everyone know of the impending threat that the Heartless truly are. Not to mention, if what everyone has said about having the ability to summon ships to fight back against these Sirens, then we can also combat against the Heartless" Sora finished while scanning the room trying to gauge the girl's facial expressions.

As soon as Sora finished speaking, Illustrious raised her hand to catch his attention before asking him a question, "If what you say is true and that you are from another world, why are you here exactly?"

Unsure on where to start his account of his journey, Sora decided to briefly explain what happened recently that caused him to appear in this world.

"Well... it's a long story but basically my friends and I were caught up in a war against an evil Organization that wanted to recreate a war. A war that would've thrown the balance of light and darkness into disarray. Before the war really even started, my friends and I were defeated...however, I was able to bring them back, but I had to use a taboo power.

Intrigued by this special power Sora mentioned, Warspite spoke up, "Taboo power? What does that mean?"

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Sora answered Warpite's question to the best of his knowledge.

"That taboo power was called the Power of Waking, in hindsight, I still don't fully understand how that power works but throughout the course of the war. I used that power to bring back my friends who had died."

This alerted everyone in attendance. The concept of someone bringing people back from the dead was unheard of. Of course, when it came to Kansens, the wisdom cube served as a method to bring to life into WWII ships and give them a body. The wisdom cubes also allowed for ship girls who had been killed in battle to come back however, their memories and experiences were lost and only helped in bringing back the girl.

Sora continued with his story, "After using the Power of Waking the first time I managed to bring back all my friends to get a second chance to win the war. The war was nonstop fighting on all fronts. All my friends managed to hold their own fighting back against the Organization and in the end, we had the upper hand."

Dejection covered Sora's face while he was recollecting his thoughts before he spoke up.

"But... one of my best friends, Kairi, she... she was killed in the war. The leader of the Organization struck her down in order to motivate me to fight him" Sora said, remembering the battle and how Master Xehanort struck Kairi down in front of him.

Shocked to hear Sora's story, all the girls were taken aback by the grave and twisted tactic used by this leader. Belfast spoke up trying to piece together Sora's story but was left confused, "But... why? Why did the Organization leader want to fight you?"

Sora closed his eyes before letting out a sigh realizing that he was about to talk about a complicated topic.

"The war was a plan he had in the making for many years. And the entire purpose of the war was to create a mystical weapon. One that would give him access to an all-greater power which is why he strived for the war to happen."

"So, when he struck Kairi down, he wanted me to fight him which would've completely created the mystical weapon. I, along with my two most trusted companions, Donald and Goofy, went after the leader and ended up fighting him in a sacred world that trained wielders of the Keyblade in the past" Sora replied, recollecting how the final battle against Master Xehanort played out.

Confused by what weapon Sora was elaborating on in the story, Unicorn quietly chimed into the conversation having been quiet for most of it. "Keyblade? What type of weapon is that?"

Raising his hand for everyone to see, Sora summoned his Kingdom Key which flashed into existence with a bright blue light. Once the light dimmed down, in Sora's hands appeared to be a large classic looking skeleton key that had a gold handle with a silver color for the blade and teeth. A long silver Keychain was extending from the hilt. The rain-guard right above the handle was blue, and the teeth of the Keyblade form the outline of a crown which matches the crown charm Sora had around his neck.

"This is a keyblade. I'm what's known as a Keyblade wielder. There aren't that many Keyblade wielders left. Because of the first Keyblade War, most of the wielders were killed and their Keyblades are left in a world called the Keyblade Graveyard. That is also where the Organization staged their recreation of the third Keyblade War" Sora continued to explain in detail about the war.

"The second Keyblade War happened when I was younger, and it was all orchestrated by the leader of the Organization. His attempt back then failed which led him to pushing for the third war."

Dumbfounded by the lengths that this Organization leader would go to just to get what he wanted, all the ship girls in attendance feared what would happen if something like this were to happen in their world.

" Getting back to my friends and fighting against the Organization leader, we trapped him in the sacred world and were stuck in a fierce fight with the chance of winning slowly diminishing, however, with the power of everyone's hearts we managed to win and beat the Organization."

Hearing that Sora managed to beat the Organization leader relieved many of the girl's hearts. But Enterprise realized that Sora didn't sound all too happy about winning the war. His body language told a different story.

"However, after the war everyone realized that finding Kairi would be a daunting task but... I couldn't wait any longer. My whole journey began the day I lost Riku and Kairi and my home. And now she was gone. I didn't want to lose her for good, so I used the Power of Waking to find her and bring her back.

"Wait? Sora, you said you used this Power of Waking again to bring your friend, Kairi, back? But didn't you already use it a couple of times before? How did you have the strength to continue fighting even after winning the war?" Illustrious had questioned, trying to piece together how Sora was able to keep going forward even after having been through a war.

"My friends are my power. They give me the strength to push forward even when all seems lost. And after losing them once before while bringing them back to life, I realized that alone... I'm not worthless." Sora sounded not only confident now, but he had the look of someone who had been through it all and seen death before.

"Before I would've said that I was worthless, but after seeing that the impossible could be achieved. I learned that even when all seems lost, and the darkness has engulfed everything you love. There's more to light than meets the eye. There's a light that never goes out. The connections made with people; they're never really gone."

The girls all took Sora's words to heart. Managing to see that they all shared a special connection with one another. Given that Azur Lane was composed of many different girls from various shapes and sizes. They all stood together to stop the threat that plagued not only their home but their world.

"And so that's what drove me to search for Kairi. I did some catching up with a little friend of mine who helped me get onto the right path. I had to use the Power of Waking once more only this time I had pushed it too far. The price for using such power was for me to be banished from my world with the Power of Waking stripped away from me. Leaving no real way to ever return home." Sora continued to elaborate on his story getting into the real thick of things.

"After using the Power of Waking this time, I was sent back in time to find a way to save Kairi. It was difficult having to deal with the war a second time but knowing that my friends were with me we managed to win the war again."

Sora began to bring his right hand over his heart while continuing with his story. "Only this time, I found a way to save Kairi and restore her heart. After dealing with the darkness entrapping her heart, we managed to make it back home."

Sadness filled Sora's eyes along with his hands beginning to shake. His voice had also become softer compared to when he first started recounting his story.

"But that's when I realized my time was coming to an end. I didn't... I didn't get to say my goodbyes to everyone except Kairi. And in the end I... I vanished."

"Leaving everyone behind..." Sora said feeling a wave of sadness hit him only for that sadness to be pushed to the side and a newfound strength to hit him.

Before any of the girls could speak up to comfort Sora, he spoke up with his eyes closed. "But... I know they'll be ok. Their hearts are strong and if we remember each other, then our connections will always be there."

Unsure whether to mention to the girls about his experience of waking up in the Final World and meeting Yozora, Sora decided to not say anything about that confrontation. As it would leave everyone confused... well even more confused. Not to mention, he did only give them a brief explanation as to why he appeared in this world. And that alone was bound to confuse them.

If he was to ever explain to them about his entire life's journey, then that would take quite a long time to explain just his first adventure. Something Sora did not mind at all since it would allow for him to recollect his memories and experiences. Besides, remembering all his friends would cheer him up since he might never see any of them ever again.

---

After a moment of silence with everyone having their head filled with thoughts and questions around everything Sora had just gotten done elaborating on.

Hood was the first to respond out of the group and while she appeared calm, her eyes held conflict. She raised her hand and drew Sora's attention towards her.

"Sora, everything you've said so far...normally anyone would surmise that you've made the entire story up. Stories of traveling to other worlds while fighting against an evil group who are seeking a mystical weapon along with the idea of you bringing people back from the dead. It sounds ridiculous..."

Feeling like he walked himself into a corner and the girls will throw him into a crazy asylum, Sora began to feel worried. However, before he could say anything else Hood spoke up.

"And yet, given that we are originally warships from this world's second world war. Given life from the Wisdom Cubes, we were granted a chance. The chance to fight against the Sirens who have all but plunged this world into chaos. And so, while I am still contemplating several ordeals, the truth you speak of that you are from another world, I believe you" Hood finished her speech while giving Sora a reassuring small nod.

Listening to everything Hood was saying, Sora could understand the ramifications of him spilling the beans about other worlds but to hear another person say that they believed him did relieve him somewhat. Of course, there were the other girls and their own opinions on the manner.

Wales decided to voice her own thoughts on Sora's story, "Likewise, I also believe you, Sora. However, given that I was aware of your other worldly status prior to the meeting albeit unexpectedly." Wales frowned and had her eyes staring back at Enterprise who had her arms crossed over her chest and eyes closed while in deep thought.

"I still believe that you are not one to lie about something of this magnitude. Not to mention, there is still all the proof within your device that'll need to be further evaluated later. I hope you won't mind having us look through your Gummiphone, was it?"

Sora let out a little laugh while reassuring Wales that she got the name of his phone right.

Belfast made a humming sound that seemed to indicate she had something on her mind. She then called out to Sora asking for his attention.

"Well now, after hearing your story and the feats you've accomplished. While I do agree with Lady Hood on the manner that your story could be made up and fantasized. I do have to agree that with you providing proof of your tales of being from another world, then it would seem wise to believe you. Of course, I still have some concerns but nevertheless I believe you as well."

Sora completely understood where Belfast was coming from. A lot of information to unload no doubt, but Sora was glad that the girls would hear him out before throwing him into the brink or wherever crazy people are held at Azur Lane.

Illustrious had been sipping on her tea while processing everything about Sora's tale and his cooperation to help support his claims. Once she finished her tea, she brought a hand to her lips, almost hiding her sincere smile.

"I must say, the prospect of someone from another world appearing here seems absurd. And yet, I believe everything you've said Sora. Call it a judge of character, but after observing your eyes Sora I can tell you wouldn't lie about something of this degree. Not to mention, your eyes also showed great sadness when you began mentioning leaving your friends behind."

Before Sora could give his appreciation for Illustrious believing him, Unicorn shyly spoke up while holding U-chan in her lap so he could get a better look at Sora.

"I...I also believe you, Sora. And U-chan believes you too, which means that you're a good person."

Sora gave Unicorn and U-chan one his signature smiles while thanking them for believing his story.

"Um, Sora, since you told us your story. Does that me-mean you are a real hero?" Unicorn asked Sora, still feeling a bit nervous talking with him.

"Huh, what do you mean?" Sora replied feeling a bit confused by her question.

Unicorn embarrassedly held U-chan so that he was covering her shy face.

"I mean... are you a real hero like in the stories of a hero showing up and saving the day. Somebody who fights the monsters and wears a crown on their head."

Taken aback, Sora began to process all his feats that he accomplished in his many adventures. Sure, he fought the darkness in many different worlds and even desired to become a real hero ignoring Phil's claims that he, Donald, and Goofy were still Junior heroes in training. It was then that Sora realized that from someone else's perspective on him that he was a hero.

Sora let out a small smile since if this was how she viewed Sora, then other children throughout his journeys probably saw him as a hero as well. Sora addressed Unicorn's question while speaking in a soft yet understandable state.

"Yea, I guess you could say I am a real hero. Here to do my best and save the day."

Unicorn moved U-chan so Sora could see her face more clearly. Unicorn had a bright smile on her face while her eyes gleamed with a newfound shine. It was clear that she saw Sora in a new light given that she was now in the presence of a hero from another world.

Sora figured that while the younger girls still fought the Sirens, when they returned to base they still had young hearts and were innocent in a sense. Given that they did fight and kill the Sirens the girls still had pure hearts meaning that they acted like girls their age. Searching for someone to look up to and in Unicorn's case she looked up to Sora now.

Moreover, Unicorn wasn't the only one that saw Sora in a new light. Elizabeth had all but written Sora off as one of her new servants when she first laid her eyes on him. Now however, hearing his tale of exploits and a brief overview of the difficulties he faced. She was all giddy inside while plotting a way to have him act as her bodyguard so that she could be near him and continue to hear of all his adventures as a real hero.

Before Elizabeth could say a word, her sister, Warspite, beat her to it. Warspite stood up from her seat and eyed Sora curiously.

"Sora, while it seems like the majority of everyone here believes you. I stand in between. While it seems wise to believe that you're from another world along with your proof of evidence. There are still factors that prevent me from 100% believing you. I will, however, agree with the fact that you have been through a lot. Nevertheless, being a member of Azur Lane, I will help you in any way possible for the time being" Warspite replied, still contemplating things but giving her aid to Sora.

Sora could understand where Warspite stood on the whole person from another world ordeal and was appreciative of her at least lending him her aid.

Elizabeth finally shot straight up from her seat before pointing at Sora demanding for his attention to be on her.

"Dearest Ser...Sora, after hearing your story and travesties you have gone through, I was wrong to see a hero like yourself as a mere servant. I hereby grant you the privilege to become my personal bodyguard. Not just anyone is granted that role."

All Sora could do was just lightly chuckle while giving a little bow to Elizabeth.

"Err, thank you, your majesty, I'll need to think about the offer. Please give me some time."

Content with his answer, Elizabeth merely nodded and was happy that she was able to offer Sora the position.

With almost everyone in attendance having given their own input on Sora's story, Enterprise decided to voice her opinion.

"It seems practically everyone here has said what's on their mind. Well, aside from Cleveland and Montpelier. They probably left using the kitchen exit" Enterprise noted.

Enterprise then readjusted her cap on her head and looked at Sora.

"I'm still of the same mind, Sora. I believe you along with the fact that we still don't know everything about the Heartless. Who knows, they may also come from another world. But whatever the case, they must be destroyed. They've caused this world so much suffering. They've caused..." Enterprise appeared to want to say more but held herself back leaving Sora puzzled by what she was about to say.

---

After a moment passed, everyone got situated into their seats ready to continue the meeting.

Many thoughts ran through Sora's head but one such topic landed in his favor which got him to voice his question.

"Right, so, you all mentioned that during your introductions that you were specified as ships of special kinds. What's the deal with that?"

Belfast smiled to herself before responding to Sora's question.

"Hmm I can see how that would be confusing. Allow me to elaborate. We are recreated vessels from the thoughts and hope of humanity. With the power of the Wisdom Cubes, a Wisdom Cube is a metaphysical object that contains the ideals, thoughts, and beliefs of humanity, we were created in the form of humans with the ability to summon ships connected with our name. Also, every Wisdom Cube used was able to summon a ship along with every kansen in this world taking the appearance of a girl" Belfast elaborated in great detail.

Amazed by everything Belfast had said, Sora was flabbergasted by how the girls were infused with some sort of magic or technology that allowed for them to fight back against the Sirens. Not to mention, a blush came across Sora's face given that the Wisdom Cubes only seemed to summon ship girls.

"That's so cool! So, what you're saying is that the girls in Azur Lane each have their own ship and can fight the Sirens?" Sora asked excitedly.

"Yes, you are correct. Each girl here is prepared to fight" Belfast replied to Sora's enthusiastic response.

Something did occur to Sora hearing that every girl in Azur Lane had the ability to fight.

"Wait, those girls from earlier when I first encountered Enterprise they're not from Azur Lane, are they?" Sora asked curious about his encounter from earlier today.

"Correct, those girls, Akagi and Kaga, are from the Sakura Empire. The Sakura Empire and Iron Blood are the main powers within the Red Axis. They used to be in cooperation with Azur Lane, but circumstances led to each of them parting ways with Azur Lane for various reasons. However, lately it seems that the Red Axis is working with the Sirens." Belfast answered Sora's question, helping him understand where the other factions stood.

A thought suddenly hit Sora that concerned the Sirens that needed to be addressed. But, before he could voice his question, Wales spoke up.

"Sora, you mentioned the Heartless as beings that are formed from darkness flowing from people's emotions. Is it possible that the Heartless are collaborating with the Sirens?"

"Yes and No. The Heartless can be controlled but not completely. In my previous adventures, there have been times where someone was able to control the Heartless, but there are different types of Heartless and some can be controlled by those who have hearts. However, those with hearts who control the Heartless still can be killed since the master doesn't really have full control over them." Sora replied using his knowledge from throughout his adventures.

Sora continued his explanation of the Heartless.

"Honestly, while the Sirens may have control of Heartless now, it's only a matter of time before they mess up. Which will allow the Heartless to rebel against their master."

"I see, while that would be beneficial for us to not have the Sirens or Heartless work together. It does pose an even bigger threat given that the Heartless as you say reside wherever there is darkness." Wales noted while having her hand rest on her chin giving much thought into the Heartless.

Sora took the opportunity to voice his concern.

"Wait, are the girls in the Sakura Empire or Iron Blood aware that they are in cahoots with Sirens and now the Heartless?"

Enterprise spoke while looking down at her teacup, "Most likely no, the higher ups within the two factions are probably keeping the farce of working with the Sirens under closed doors. If word got out that their faction was working with the enemy so closely then problems would arise, and trust would be fractured. What's most likely going on is that the Iron Blood and Sakura Empire are only involving those that can keep a secret or avoid saying anything to the rest of their factions."

Sora was beginning to become frustrated with how the Red Axis was operating given that they were working with their sworn enemy to take down Azur Lane.

"But! That's wrong... How can the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood think to turn to the Sirens for help? Aren't they the whole reason your world is in trouble?" Sora noted.

Hood nodded slowly while reaching for her teacup before responding to Sora's outburst.

"You're right, Sora. They are utterly foolish to turn to the enemy for help. Might I add that sooner or later word will get out that they are working with the Sirens extensively. Discourse will begin to spread throughout the two factions and the girls will begin to turn against their leaders. Of course, Sakura Empire and Iron Blood are not the only one's part of the Red Axis, but those other factions will also begin to become splintered; Moreso then they already are."

Sora began to realize what would happen if the girls in the other factions found out the truth that their superiors were hiding.

"If the girls in each faction learn the truth, then hate, fear, confusion, and despair will start to form in their hearts..." Sora trailed off.

"Which in turn will lead to the rise of Heartless spawning. Causing even more darkness to run amok." Hood finished Sora's speech picking up on what he was realizing.

"It's not right...", Hood slowly spoke up after the atmosphere in the room turned sorrowful for a minute. "The girls in Red Axis, they were...no, they are still our friends. There was a time where all the factions throughout the world stood together ready to defeat the Sirens and save our world. But now... that seems like a distant memory."

Sora listened to everything Hood had said and could hear how much she missed her friends from the other factions. Wanting to do something, Sora spoke up, getting everybody's attention.

"I know that I'm new here. I mean, I did just get here not that long ago but I still wanna help you all. That way all the factions can come together to fight against the Sirens. Please, let me help."

Hood was surprised by Sora's sudden desire to help them bring the other factions back together. Sora hadn't even been in this world for a day and now he wanted to help not only Azur Lane but the entire world.

"Thank you, Sora. I don't think anything could be done now but when the time comes, would you please lend us your strength." Hood let out a smile after hearing Sora's desire to help bring back her old friends.

Sora nodded towards Hood feeling like he was starting to make a connection with her.

---

Wales perked up after processing what Sora had said about lending them his aid.

"On that note, Sora, given that you were banished from your home. And you don't have an idea on how to get back. How would you feel about staying with Azur Lane while we do what we can to help you find a way to get back home?"

"Of course, if you'll allow me to stay here on the base. In return, I'll gladly lend Azur Lane my power to help you fight the Sirens along with the Heartless. Not to mention, I wanna get all the factions back together. It sounds like it's gonna be tough but I'm willing to give it my all to make it possible." Sora happily responded letting everyone know that he wanted to help them in their endeavors.

The atmosphere in the room seemed to brighten up and everyone was enjoying the rather cheerful moment.

However, Enterprise decided now would be a good time to ask Sora a question that's been bothering her.

"Sora, you mentioned that your weapon, the keyblade, is related to that mystical weapon the leader you fought against tried summoning. What is so special about your weapon?"

"The keyblade is a mysterious weapon. I still don't completely understand everything about the keyblade, but it's a weapon that plays a role in the balance between light and darkness. There are many different forms the keyblade can take '' Sora explained the significance of his weapon.

Sora suddenly summoned his keyblade in his hand for everyone to see again and continued to elaborate on his weapon's importance.

"This is my original keyblade, Kingdom Key. During my adventures I was able to find keychains that I could attach to my keyblade that could completely change the design and features of my weapon. For example, I had a frying pan keychain that when I attached it to my keyblade it changed the design to look like a tower along the blade and a sun where the teeth would be."

The girls merely stared at Sora while trying to process how a skeleton key weapon could turn into a tower of sorts.

Sora continued to explain more about the keyblade while either not noticing the girls dead pan stares or he just ignored them.

"The keyblade is also imbued with magic. I'm able to use all sorts of magic spells like fire, water, wind, thunder, ice, and even healing spells. In my past adventures, I was also able to use other crazy spells like summoning a bunch of balloons that blow up or create a bubble shield that would protect me. The keyblade is also able to do a bunch of other crazy stuff like lock or unlock a world or go into people's hearts and..."

"Wait? What did you just say? You just said you could go into people's hearts?!" Warspite having been listening for some time immediately stood up in her seat while getting into a defensive stance against Sora.

Needing to clarify what he meant, Sora de-summoned his keyblade while raising both his hands to calm Warspite down.

"Yeah, that's essentially the Power of Waking I was talking about. I was able to go into someone's heart from within and wake them up. The Power of Waking also allowed me to travel between different worlds to track down my friends' hearts."

Enterprise, who had been listening intently on everything Sora was discussing regarding his weapon and the abilities that came with it realized something.

"Sora, you mentioned losing the Power of Waking after saving your friends, are you able to feel that power missing?"

Baffled by Enterprise's question, Sora had to think about it for a second. He closed his eyes while sorting out what spells and abilities he could feel within his heart. It felt like all his powers were still there. Yet, something felt different. Almost like something was missing.

"I...I don't know. Before when I lost my power in my previous adventures there was a massive backlash where I had to start all over in terms of power level. But this time all my power is still here, but it almost feels like something is missing." Sora responded to Enterprise while opening his eyes and putting a hand over his heart.

Unsure of what to say to Sora and his missing power, Enterprise merely nodded at him while thanking him for answering her question.

---

Illustrious who had been listening intently to the various questions had glanced out at the window noticing that the time of day had changed while the meeting had been in session.

"My, it seems we've been talking for quite some time" Illustrious commented.

Elizabeth also peered out the window, surprised at how long the meeting had taken place. The day was now nearing the end of the afternoon.

"Yes, you are correct, Illustrious. It seems now would be a good time to call this session to an end. We've learned much from this meeting and much to consider for how Azur Lane will move forward."

All the girls in attendance merely nodded following Queen Elizabeth's words.

Sora meanwhile was slowly starting to realize something troublesome.

"Uh... since it seems that I'll be staying at Azur Lane and everyone on the island is a girl... where will I be staying?" Sora muttered.

Silence filled the room as all the girls slowly processed what Sora had said. Blushes appeared on all their faces while some girls were internally freaking out.

Elizabeth was blushing furiously while shaking her head back and forth at an incredible speed. Her eyes were covered with both of hands blocking her view and she had her mouth agape.

Hood's cheeks were tinted with a bright red hue along with her eyes widening. She brought a hand to her face to try and cover her flushed face, but her blush could still be seen. She also appeared to be playing with her hair with her free hand.

Wales appeared to be a mess. Her red eyes stared at Sora while she crossed her arms under her chest while her face matched her red cape. She appeared to be thinking of something while staring at Sora before she started to fidget, and her face became even more flushed.

Unicorn became embarrassed and had brought U-chan up to her face so that the only thing you could see was U-chan hanging there.

Illustrious was slowly bringing up her teacup to take a sip but the cup was shaking slightly. She also had a barely noticeable pink blush covering her cheeks. She did manage to get some words out before taking a sip of her teacup, "Oh, my".

Enterprise meekly pulled her cap down so that it was covering her eyes, but her face was still visible, and a blush had now covered her face.

Warspite was taken aback and had shaken her head while a small tint of red covered her face. She was the first to snap out of the flushed state all the girls were going through thanks to Sora's comment.

"Th-there's bound to be a spare room over at the dorms. Otherwise, we can request for the Manjuus to build a room for you, Sora."

Confused by what Warspite had said, Sora spoke up.

"Manjuu? What's that?"

"Manjuu are... well... I'm not entirely sure. But they are creatures that take the form of small yellow birds. They help us manage the island while repairing our ships and operating stores here on the island. The Majuus also tend to be skilled builders and have constructed many of the buildings on the island" Warspite replied, still a bit unsure about the Majuus.

Sora let out a sigh and was still a bit put off by the fact that he was on an island full of girls, and he would be practically bunkering right next to them.

"Well, there's no way of knowing unless we go check for ourselves."

"Correct, as it stands this meeting has now concluded. Sora, let us make our way over to the dorms to ascertain your sleeping arrangements" Warspite said, agreeing with Sora's take.

Deciding now would be a good chance to get to know Sora better, Wales asked if she could tag along with him to the dorms.

"Sora, would you allow me to come along with you to the dorms? I would like to make sure you are properly situated."

Nodding his head, Sora happily accepted Wales' friendly offer.

Enterprise for her part stood up and stretched before speaking to Sora, "Well then, it seems you're in capable hands. I'll be taking my leave now. I need to go find my sister. Sora, I hope we can chat again later. I still have questions about that weapon of yours."

Hearing Enterprise take her leave, Sora approached her with a slight smile on his face, "Don't worry, I won't be going anywhere for a while. And hopefully next time we catch up you could introduce me to your sister."

"Hmm, she'd like that. Especially since she's probably heard all the rumors by now" Enterprise muttered with a small smile tugging at her lips.

Sora let out a frustrated sigh while chuckling to himself.

"I forgot about that. That's gonna be a pain to deal with. Oh well. But thank you, Enterprise for uh not locking me up for telling you I'm from another world."

Enterprise seemed content with Sora's appreciation and tipped her hat towards him before taking her leave through the front doors.

Illustrious was the next to get up from her seat along with Unicorn following right behind her.

"Do forgive us, Sora. Unicorn, U-chan, and I have some errands to run and will not be able to accompany you to the dorms. I do hope everything will be solved before the evening arrives."

"It's all good, no worries. Thank you for listening to my dilemma and trying your best to come to terms that I'm from another world." Sora replied while swiping his thumb across his face and giving out a smile at Illustrious' words.

Unicorn shyly walked up to Sora while holding U-chan in her arms and address Sora, "I-I hope everything goes well and you find a place to stay tonight, bi-big b-brother."

Wide eyed, Sora looked down at Unicorn who had just called him big brother. An unexpected turn of events given that the two had just formally met. However, Sora could see that she did look up to him after learning he was like the heroes in her books that come to save the day while helping everyone around them. After letting the 'big brother' comment sit for a minute, Sora smiled at Unicorn.

"Ah, Unicorn, did you just call me big brother?" Sora asked while kneeling down to her eye level.

Lifting U-chan so that he was once again covering Unicorn's face, she nodded her head behind the white and purple plushie.

Sora hummed to himself before responding to Unicorn.

"Well now, it appears I'm a big brother now. I... don't know how a big brother acts exactly. I'm an only child, although I always wished that I had a younger sister or brother. Being an only child is a bit lonely unless you're surrounded by friends and family."

Feeling it was somehow right, Sora brought his hand over the top of Unicorn's head and gave her a light reassuring pat on her head.

Unicorn seemed to like this and brought U-chan down from her face and let out a small smile while giggling at Sora's head pat.

Illustrious smiled at Sora playing the older brother figure for Unicorn and how she seemed to enjoy his light head pats. She did however feel a bit of envy and wanted Sora to give her a head pat as well.

Wales was watching the scene play out and had her heartbeat start increasing seeing Sora be so caring for his new younger sister figure. Even having no experience with being an older sibling, Sora was playing the part of an older brother adoring his younger sister pretty well. Wales also started imaging some crazy thoughts that forced her to shake her head.

Warspite observed the scene between Sora and Unicorn feeling a bit of déjà vu with how she would treat Elizabeth when it was just the two of them alone. Adoring and praising her little sister. She had to wonder if Sora really was new to the big brother role.

Elizabeth was blushing at the sight of Sora's head pats and was on the verge of asking Sora to give her a head pat as well. However, she decided to push those desires aside and let Unicorn enjoy her head pats. For she would get her own soon.

After finishing giving Unicorn a head pat, Sora let out a little awkward chuckle while apologizing for giving her a head pat.

Unicorn shook her head while letting Sora know she liked the head pat and began to reach for Illustrious' hand. Illustrious gladly accepted Unicorn's hand and the two began walking out the front doors all while Unicorn was waving goodbye to Sora who waved back at her.

Warspite and Elizabeth were the next to start making their way out before Warspite addresed Sora, "It seems that Wales will accompany you to the dorms. In that case, my sister and I have other matters to attend to. Wales, please make sure Sora is well adjusted with his sleeping arrangements along with being given the proper run down of the island's commodities. Until next time we meet, Sora."

Elizabeth puffed out her chest and cleared her throat before speaking to Sora, "Well then, Sora, it seems you will be in capable hands. Wales here is one of Azur Lane's top coordinators and is someone who knows the ins and outs on the base. If you have any concerns, please mention them to her. When next we meet, I shall send one of the maids to fetch you. Until then, do enjoy your time at Azur Lane."

With that, Queen Elizabeth and Warspite gave a small curtsy while making their way out of the conference hall.

Hood was the next to rise from her seat and re-adjust her hat before pushing in her chair. She turned to Sora before giving him a smile.

"While I would most definitely wish to accompany you, Sora. I'm afraid I have prior arrangements. Maintenance on my ship should be close to being done and I'll need to have a look to make sure all is in order. I do however have a small favor to ask of you, Sora."

Intrigued by what favor Hood might be referring to, Sora responded, "A favor? What do you mean?"

"Why, having a cup of tea with me sometime. So that we can continue to chat and so that I can hear more of your adventures. I'm sure you have quite a lot to talk about and I'm very much looking forward to learning more of your tales." Hood finished while giving Sora a smile that caused a blush to start appearing on his face.

"O-oh, Sure. I mean... of course, I'd be delighted to join you for some tea to talk about my past adventures. Though I must warn you there's a lot that I went through, and it's bound to take a lot of time" Sora said while starting to sweat.

"That's fine, Sora. Time is something I have plenty of. Until next time, take care, Sora. And Wales, please do take care of Sora for the time being" Hood gave Sora a smile before turning to Wales and giving her a nod and taking off through the main doors.

Wales, having been watching Hood's attitude towards Sora and picking up on her attempt at asking Sora for a date but with a different namesake merely stared at her friend. Hood smiled sweetly back at her long-time friend before making her way out of the conference hall doors.

Once Hood got up from her seat, Belfast started clearing the table and picked up after the girls. Gathering up all the used teacups and kettle on a silver tray and reorganizing the room so it looked brand new. After spending a minute cleaning, Belfast carried the now cluttered tray and left to one of the other rooms most likely putting the tray down where the other maids would come to clean the used teacups.

Belfast then dusted herself off before making her way to Sora and Wales.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Sora and discovering that you are from another world is sure to be on my mind for the rest of the day. However, if you have any concerns that come up, please do not hesitate to call for me. It's my job to see all your problems resolved while you are staying here at Azur Lane, master."

Taken aback by Belfast's comment, Sora immediately started blushing.

"Master!? I'm not your master, Belfast."

"Do not be alarmed, Sora. Master is my way of addressing you whenever you need my services. Whatever they may entail, I will do my utmost to fulfill them" Belfast answered with a sincere smile on her face.

Trying to process Belfast's desire to address Sora as her master, he calmed himself down while thinking of something he desired at the moment. After thinking of several things, Sora ultimately decided on one thing that sounded good.

"Err, right. Ok then Belfast, there is something I might need your assistance on once I'm settled in" Sora replied now eager for Belfast's help later on.

"Very well, I look forward to assisting you in whatever way I can. Once you settle in, I will come find you and we can start discussing your predicament. Until then, I do hope you enjoy your time here at Azur Lane. Miss Wales, if anything comes up, please alert one of the maids at the dorms" Belfast pronounced.

And with that, Belfast gave a curtsy to both Sora and Wales before heading out of the conference hall.

With only Sora and Wales left in the conference hall, Sora let out a stretch since he had been sitting down and talking for quite some time.

Wales followed suit with her stretching her arms readjusting her skirt. She then called to Sora indicating that the two should make their way over to the dorms.

Agreeing with Wales, the two made their way out of the conference hall doors and started walking to the dorms, hopefully finding somewhere for Sora to crash for the night.

While walking to the dorms, Sora started to become worried that complications could happen at the dorms since most of the girls on the island must've heard of the rumors around him, and now they are probably suspicious of him. This could be troublesome for Sora in his search to find somewhere to sleep. Worst case he could always camp outside. Sora let out a sigh before continuing his walk with Wales.

Besides, how much trouble could Sora be walking into at the dorms...

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Aaaaahhhh!"

"Wahhhh!"

"It's him!"

"What is he doing here?!"

"Aaaaghhhh!"

"Get out!"

"Interloper!"

"Monster!"

"Thief!"

"Blaaghhhhh!"

"Can you sing!?"

"What the!"

"Are you our new commander!?"

"Hide your hairspray!"

Chapter 8: Boy Meets Girl - Many Girls

Summary:

Thanks to the meeting with the other girls of Azur Lane, Sora now has a better idea of this world and will get to meet others as well. Building connections to new friends - new hearts.

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the story/characters/copyright for Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane.

*DISCLAIMER - I DO NOT OWN THE COPYRIGHT FOR KINGDOM HEARTS OR AZUR LANE.

---

*A/N* - Thank you again for checking this story out. I apologize for things not seeming so… simple and clean. Lol. But I'd like to say that I appreciate you for sticking around with this story. The chapters will begin to get longer so I hope you look forward to that along with where the story will be heading. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

---

After the meeting had concluded at the conference hall and all the other girls went their separate ways only Sora and Wales were left. The duo continued to make their way toward the dorms that hosted all of the ship girls from the Royal Navy and Eagle Union along with other factions that were part of Azur Lane.

Wales was walking next to Sora who looked content while holding the back of his head with both of his hands and with a smile on his face. Peeking at Sora did not help her at all since she was still infatuated with him in his pirate outfit and getting a closer look at Sora made her realize more and more that Sora was cute. The way he presented himself with an easy-going attitude while being friendly to anyone he met and even striving to become friends with everyone. Not to mention, Wales had processed everything that Sora had recounted in his most recent adventure and how he fought in an all-out war over the fate of not just one world but many worlds.

'Ah…'

Just thinking about the hardships that Sora went through and how he was still able to smile even when all seemed lost. All of it got her heart beating faster with her breathing increasing while also having a bright blush grace her beautiful face which was looking closer and closer to a tomato. A small smile had now graced the blonde's lips while her mind planted some interesting thoughts in her head.

'Hee-hee…'

Wales then started to daydream and pictured Sora in different scenarios within her mind. One scenario depicted the two of them walking together on the beach holding hands all while smiling and feeling at peace with the water brushing past their feet. Another scenario had the duo having dinner together while Sora was describing to her many of his adventures while making hand motions which got Wales's attention not only to Sora's stories but how cute he looked describing all the adventures he went on with a smile.

However, the best dream scenario that she came up with was that she was on her ship out at sea with someone sneaking up behind her. That someone was Sora who gave her a warm and comforting hug radiating with love. But the best part was that Sora was in his pirate attire and gave her a cocky grin that made her legs start to shake and breathing start to hitch along with her heart beginning to melt.

Sora seemed to snap out of his tranquil state of mind and noticed Wales looking a bit flushed in her face and staring out into space. Becoming worried for her, Sora called out to Wales while turning towards her and trying to get a good look at her face.

"Wales, are you ok? Your face is red are you not feeling well?" Sora asked concerned for her.

Snapping out of her fantasy, Wales shook her head back and forth while trying to regain her composure in front of Sora but still had a blush covering her cheeks.

"Er...y-yes, Sora, I'm fine. All is well, I was just thinking of something now" Wales said trying to ease Sora's worry. "No need to worry.

Figuring that Wales was ok and just had some stuff on her mind, Sora gave her a nod acknowledging that things were going to change from here on out for Azur Lane. Wales silently let out a relieved sigh seeing that Sora wasn't going to ask any more questions.

---

Not long after

Continuing the walk to the dorms, Sora began to realize something else that he forgot to ask back at the conference hall which was very important and caused him to facepalm at his stupidity. Donald must be letting out a laugh...or a quack at Sora's absentmindedness.

"Hey, Wales?"

"Yes, Sora?"

Not sure where to start this topic, the Keyblade wielder decided to just say what was on his mind.

"I uh... I forgot to bring up a question regarding my situation. How are we going to explain my situation to the other girls?" Sora asked realizing that he really should've asked this question at the meeting.

Wales seemed to be processing several things on her mind and had brought her hand under her chin giving her the typical pose of someone thinking about something. After pondering on the question for a moment, Wales then spoke up.

"Well, for now, I believe the best option to take would be to say that you were found out at sea during Enterprise's incursion with Sakura Empire and Siren forces. After the enemy retreated, she ran into you. As for how you ended up in the middle of the sea, say that you fell into a Mirror Sea which tampered with your cognition leaving you confused on where you awoke" Wales commented trying to come up with a good enough response for Sora's sudden appearance.

Listening to everything Wales was saying, Sora gave her a nod making sure to have his story be on the same level so that no discrepancies would happen if girls asked the two of them. However, Sora did worry about the girls who would begin looking into Sora and fact checking everything he said later on. But for now, Sora pushed those thoughts to the side.

"Got it. That'll be the story for now. But...I hate to say it but sooner or later the others will find out. I still need to find Cleveland and talk with her about the "from another world topic" before she mentions it to anyone else" Sora said feeling a bit worried.

"Yes, but for now it would be best to keep this between only the people who attended the meeting. If word got out that you were from another world, then I'm sure some girls would brush off the idea and call you crazy. But other girls would become curious and ask you outright whether you really are from another world-leading to confusion and frustration" Wales elaborated.

"Right. I don't want to cause any trouble. Everyone I've met so far has been so nice and understanding about my circumstances. Besides, with the Sirens attacking the world, Azur Lane has its hands full" Sora replied feeling grateful for the help Azur Lane was going to provide him.

"Nonsense, Sora. You are lost in a world that you've never been to. Of course, any one of us would help you. Besides, our job as kansens is to do our utmost to help humanity fight back against the Sirens. And though you are not from this world, you are still a member of humanity" Wales stated letting Sora know he was in good hands.

"Hmm. Thank you, Wales" Sora said while giving Wales a bright smile.

Feeling flustered all over again, Wales pulled at the hem of her skirt while looking off to the side with a blush painting her cheeks red yet again. While continuing their peaceful walk, Sora suddenly had a plethora of questions pop up that he wanted to ask Wales before they reached the dorms.

"Wales, you mentioned kansens what does that mean exactly? That word was also brought up back at the meeting" Sora asked a bit curious about the word.

"Kansens is another name for what we are, ship girls" Wales replied to Sora's question.

"Ah okay, gotcha. Well, I have another question that's on my mind if you don't mind answering" Sora muttered since it had to do with Wales herself.

"Ask away, I'll do my best to answer your question," Wales said becoming curious about Sora's question.

"Do you have any siblings here at Azur Lane?" Sora asked wanting to learn more about Wales.

"Why yes, I do. I have four siblings. Two younger sisters and two older sisters. Their names are Monarch, Howe, King George V, and Duke of York" Wales answered feeling proud of the family she has.

"I see, that's good to hear that you have sisters. Hopefully, I get to meet them soon" Sora spoke wanting to make some new friends.

"I believe they would love that very much since word has spread about your sudden appearance. They would most likely want to meet you out of curiosity" Wales said with a small smile.

"Hmm, can't wait. I always wished that I had a younger brother or sister. Being an only child can get lonely. If it wasn't for my best friends Riku and Kairi, then I don't know what I would've done for most of my life" Sora noted with a sad smile.

Taking note of Sora's sad smile, Wales called out to him wanting to talk more about Sora's friends. "Your friends mean a great deal to you, don't they?" Wales asked wanting to try and cheer Sora up.

"Yeah, we have so many memories together. From us wanting to leave our home and try to find other worlds with only a raft. To traveling from world to world all while striving to be reunited with each other. And now having fought in a war over the fate of the worlds. It honestly sounds crazy just thinking about how far we've all come" Sora said taking in the realization that he's been on so many adventures with his friends.

"It sounds like you have a great number of stories to tell" Wales commented to Sora.

"You bet! I could spend a whole day talking about just one of the worlds I've been to and the people I met there that have now become great friends of mine that will always be in my heart" Sora stated feeling happy remembering his old friends.

Feeling a smile make its way to her lips, Wales embraced the incoming smile feeling a great deal of joy and happiness while talking with Sora. Just getting to spend time with him made her heart race and felt like butterflies were flying around her stomach tickling her so that she would smile even more. Realizing that now would be the best time to ask Sora for a date or as Hood called itteatime, Wales spoke up trying to maintain her posture and let her heart speak.

"S-Sora, if it wouldn't be too much of a hassle. Like Hood mentioned about the two of you getting together for some tea to talk about your adventures. Do you...Would you be so kind as to join me for tea as well? Just the two of us, so I could hear more about your adventures" Wales said feeling nervous but proud of herself for telling Sora now before any other girls got the bright idea to do the same.

Taken aback by Wales's sudden request to have some tea together, Sora smiled at her while staring at her beautiful ruby red eyes before replying, "Of course, I'd like that very much. I have a lot of adventures to talk about, so it'll take quite a while if that's alright with you?" Sora said smiling while ruffling the back of his head.

Feeling like she was on top of the world, Wales was mentally cheering and celebrating for asking Sora out on a date. She couldn't help the bright smile that escaped her lips while her ruby red eyes shined bright now looking forward to theirteatime. For now, she decided to play it cool while she shut down any weird thoughts that popped up in her head and let her moment of happiness brighten her day.

"Of course, I'm looking forward to ourteatime," Wales said while smiling and looking forward to her date.

---

A little while later

Sora and Wales were continuing their walk to the dorms while talking about the various girls in Azur Lane and how Sora could make good first impressions with the girls that might take a problem with Sora staying at the dorms.

"So, San Diego has a thing about being number one?" Sora asked Wales while tilting his head.

"Yes, the young girl is the second ship after Enterprise to have earned the most stars in the line of duty in this world's second world war. A total of 18 stars which means that she is highly regarded with respect along with a blast to be around. She has a thing about being a lively idol and strives to be number one" Wales said while explaining a great deal about San Diego to Sora.

"And you mentioned that there are other girls that have siblings. Is that thanks to the Wisdom Cubes? I mean, from what I understand you guys said that you were brought to life with the help of the Wisdom Cubes" Sora said trying to get a better picture of the girls' lives.

"In most cases yes, thanks to the Wisdom Cubes' influence we can summon kansens based on different models and specifications such as light, heavy, or specialized ships. However, the process of using a Wisdom Cube is not a 100% guarantee that we will get the ship we are pinning for" Wales explained hoping Sora could get a grasp of the Wisdom Cubes' randomness.

"Wait, does that mean that there are some girls here that have sisters but can't be together because the Wisdom Cube either works or doesn't work?" Sora asked confused about the Wisdom Cube concept.

"Correct, it's a rather sad and difficult thing that a number of the girls have gone through. Honestly, while we have no commander here at Azur Lane and our orders come in from command. The process of Wisdom Cube summoning is not used very often" Wales elaborated further to the interested Sora processing everything.

"I see, it sounds like a very complicated process of dealing with," Sora said frowning at how some girls couldn't see their families. Sora understood the feeling of helplessness and not seeing those who are dear to your heart. Thanks to his many adventures, Sora was reminded of a few his friends in different worlds that at one point felt sadness at not being able to see their friends and family.

"Yes, yes, it is. There is also the matter that the Wisdom Cube summons materials for certain girls to use and develop their weaponry and ships. Of course, it's all up to chance" Wales mentioned feeling sadden by remembering the many failed attempts at summoning a kansen.

Feeling like he needed to do something to help the girls of Azur Lane since they'll be helping him as well. Sora raised his hand to his chest while feeling his heart and confidently spoke up gaining Wales's attention.

"Leave it to me! I know the feeling of not being able to see those that you care about and there's nothing you can do about it. The heart works in many strange ways. But if you'll let me, then I want to do what I can to help the girls see their sisters again. No one should have to suffer not seeing those that they love" Sora proclaimed listening to and following his heart.

The blonde could only stare at Sora while her admiration for him continued to grow more and more. The feeling of warmth was radiating off him. So many girls were hurt at the prospect of not being reunited with their sisters or friends... If Sora was able to do something about it, then...

Before she could finish her train of thought, Sora let out a chuckle while ruffling the back of his head again while speaking up.

"Well, that is if I'm given the chance to use a Wisdom Cube. As I said, I don't want to cause any trouble for you guys here at Azur Lane. I should get to know all the girls first before I go rushing into something I'm not prepared for. Don't want another Power of Waking situation, I only just got herehahaha" Sora said wanting to help the girls find their sisters but also wanting to go about this problem with a plan beforehand.

Letting out a little laugh, Wales couldn't agree more with Sora's backtracking since he had just arrived at Azur Lane after rushing in to save his friend, Kairi. Such a story was still amazing to comprehend. Perhaps once things have calmed down and the opportunity arises, then Sora can do what he does best and save those that are lost.

Not long after, the duo finally arrived on the outside of the town filled with shops and restaurants, and other buildings surrounding the port town. In the center of the town was a plaza of sorts with a fountain in the middle. Many girls were chatting with each other talking about a range of things all while either standing or sitting and looking happy. Other girls were walking in groups talking amongst one another almost like there was not a worry in the world.

That is… until Sora and Wales started to come into view.

It happened all so fast that Sora had to take a second to process what just happened. One second, he and Wales were walking along the trail entering the port town while looking for the dorms. And the next all the girls who were hanging around suddenly stopped talking with each other and spotted Sora.

"..."

"..."

Silence ensued in the area.

That was until a girl screamed and pointed at Sora yelling out, "Ahhhhhh! It's him!"

After that, the flood gates collapsed with most of the girls in the vicinity running up to Sora and start bombarding him with questions.

"Aaaahhhh!"

"No Way!"

"Wahhhhhh!"

"It's you! Can you sign my riggings?"

"Are the rumors true?!"

"D-don't come near me!"

"Are you human? Are you an alien?"

"Please don't take my hairspray!"

"Where are you from?"

"Why do you look so weird?"

"What's with your weird clothes?"

"What's with your cool clothes?"

"Are you from the Eagle Union? Or are you from the Royal Navy?"

"Is your hair always spikey?"

"You're cute."

"Stay away!"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Are you our new commander?!"

"What's with your big shoes?"

"How old are you?"

"Are you a boy kansen?"

"How often do you wash your hair?"

"You look straight out of an anime!"

The barrage of questions felt like it would not be ending anytime soon.

Sora was not feeling well. Having so many girls rush at him within a split second without letting him prepare himself mentally and emotionally. Some of the questions he heard being asked were silly or confusing but some he heard made him wish that he would've stayed floating in the ocean.

Wales during all the commotion was pushed aside during the chaos and stood outside of the group surrounding Sora. Starting to become irritated Wales yelled out to the girls to give Sora some space but no dice the girls either didn't hear Wales or chose to ignore her. Other girls that did not join in the chaos merely stared wide-eyed at what the poor boy was going through.

Taking a look at who did not join in the ruckus, Wales spotted several familiar faces that brought her a sense of relief. Baltimore, Massachusetts, and Hornet.

Hornet was one of Enterprise's sisters and a reliable yet energetic member of the Eagle Union. She has a slender frame, and a medium bust with long blonde hair tied in twin tails and green eyes. Currently, she's wearing a black bulky collared cape with yellow linings wrapped on her shoulders along with her black bikini top, black denim shorts with a yellow belt, black arm-sleeves with yellow linings, white thigh-high socks underneath a black thigh-high, silver metal boots with red bottoms and a black cowboy hat with yellow bands. Many girls have wondered where Hornet found the cowboy hat, but she has yet to tell anyone where she got it.

Massachusetts was a sweet woman who was kind to all those around her. She is, however, usually quiet and doesn't express herself as often. Nevertheless, if you were to strike up a conversation with her then you would be enraptured by all that she has to say. Massachusetts can be identified as a tall dark-skinned woman with a slender frame and a large bust. She has long and beautiful silver hair with a green feather-like ornament and brown eyes. She also has a marking on her forehead and white body markings that add to her characteristics. She was wearing a black collar with pieces of jewelry, a black & white bikini top underneath a black unzipped jacket, black shorts, a pair of black straps on her right thigh, and black straps crossed around her calves, and black & gray camouflaged sneakers.

Baltimore was known to be somewhat of an overachiever. In some cases, mind you. Baltimore had the mentality of someone who always strives to do their best while also wanting to help those in need. When it came to athletics, she was always the star player. As for her current appearance, she was wearing steel-tipped shoes with black thigh-high socks that reached to the middle of her thighs. A black swimsuit-like outfit that was left open in the middle of her stomach and right under her large bust, and she was wearing a dark navy blue and lime green jacket that could cover her body if she zipped up the jacket. She also had white gloves on each hand and short brown hair that reached her neck along with her dazzling yellow eyes. In addition, Baltimore was not only friendly to everyone and helped them in times of need but very beautiful, leaving the other girls motivated to follow in her footsteps and do their best at everything.

Wales spotted the three girls not taking part in the chaos ensuing with Sora and made her way over to them.

"Baltimore, Hornet, Massachusetts it's good to see you all" Wales called out to the standing-by trio.

"Wales! Good to see you too. We thought the meeting was never going to end. You guys were in there for so long I was planning on heading in there myself. But Enterprise waved me down and told me the meeting was coming to an end" Hornet explained rather energetically to the point that it was almost contagious... almost.

"Likewise, Wales. Hope the meeting went well though gotta say your friend looks like he's in quite the pickle" Baltimore said while catching a glimpse of one girl handing Sora what appeared to be an autograph of herself... never mind that was just Sandy being Sandy. Poor Sora.

"I take it that everyone on the island is aware of Sora's presence now?" Wales asked already knowing the answer but still wanting to hear it outright.

"Yes. That's all everyone has been talking about" Massachusetts uttered while taking a sip of her tea.

Wales could feel a headache coming not only for her sake but for Sora's as well. Looking over at Sora, Wales could see him with his hands up trying to calm a couple of girls who were accusing him of stealing their shampoo last night. Sora wasn't even in this world last night.

Realizing Sora needed her help urgently, Wales turned back to the trio and pleaded her case.

"Right then, Baltimore, Massachusetts, Hornet I need your help" Wales pleaded hoping the trio would help.

"Of course, you needn't even ask. We're friends, aren't we? What's the problem?" Hornet said while the other two shook their heads in agreement.

"Sora and I were on our way to the dorms to see if we could get him a room for the night until the Manjuu can construct a sleeping quarter personally for Sora. But as you can see, he appears to be surrounded all around and the three of you didn't show any interest to run up and surround him as well. Do you think that you would be so kind as to help me get him to the dorms without the mob surrounding him?" Wales asked praying that the trio would help her in her endeavor.

Baltimore turned to look at Hornet and Massachusetts and get a read of their expressions and nodded once she had her answer before addressing Wales's request.

"Sure, we'd love to help you get Sora to the dorms. Though you're wrong about us not wanting to run up and ask Sora questions or get his attention" Baltimore replied while making Wales curious behind the trio's interest in Sora.

"What do you mean by that?" Wales asked interested in Baltimore's reasoning.

"I mean have you seen Sora? Even from a distance, he's pretty cute and the clothes he's wearing look so cool! Maybe I should get a jacket like that with a hoodie. I've been wanting to change my style for some time now since sis won't stop lecturing me about dressing like a lady. Ugh, but if I change my style to a hoodie then Yorktown will still be lecturing me on ladylike attire again" Hornet cried out while going into her reasons for taking interest in Sora.

"Not to mention, while the rumors flying around Sora depict him as some crazy thieving lunatic stealing hair products for that spiky hair of his. The rumors are only rumors. From what I can tell, Sora looks like any ordinary person, but his clothes do look weird. Not in the weird way mind you, just that they look almost like athletic clothes or something one would wear on the go or doing some sort of physical activity" Baltimore continued to elaborate on her thoughts towards Sora.

"Besides, getting a better look at Sora you can see that it looks like he's got a good upper body build with his toned arms. He must be in good shape and his clothes mean that he's used to physical activity of some sort. It would be nice to ask him to join in a game of Basketball one of these days. Plus, he's ve-very eye-catching" Baltimore finished speaking her thoughts while having a little blush pop up on her cheeks.

Massachusetts then perked up somewhat realizing that it would be her turn to give her thoughts on Sora.

"I just thought that with everyone talking about him. I would want to see what the big deal was. I'm curious about him but for now, that's all" Massachusetts said while having curiosity be a big part of her interest in Sora.

Listening to the trio's thoughts, Wales let out a little chuckle while realizing that everyone on the island would have some sort of reason for showing interest in Sora. Be that as it may, Wales smiled back at her friends before getting ready to create a plan of action to save Sora.

"I guess we all have our own reasons of interest towards Sora. Once things calm down if you all would like I can introduce you to him. He's a very kindhearted and all-around fun person to be around" Wales explained to the trio of girls.

"Really?! That would be awesome! I can't wait to ask him all sorts of questions and whatnot" Hornet said while becoming fired up at the idea of talking with Sora.

"Wales, surely you're not exempt from having some sort of interest in Sora. There must be something you're interested to learn about him?" Baltimore asked Wales figuring that the blonde beauty had some sort of interest in Sora.

Hearing Baltimore's question about any interest in Sora, Wales got bright red with her eyes widening and her mind going somewhere perverted. The image of Sora in his pirate outfit and her fantasies of the two of them were brought back to the front of her mind. Closing her eyes and shaking her head rapidly, Wales tried composing herself but wasn't doing so well.

When she opened her eyes the first thing, she saw was the smug looks on Hornet and Baltimore. Massachusetts merely tilted her head and looked back at Wales but if you were to look close enough you could see a small smile tug at her lips. Getting back on track Wales pushed thosethoughtsand began working on a plan to help Sora.

"Ahem,cough,right then, let's get to it and help Sora with that mob surrounding him" Wales prompted taking command and charging well walking to the mob surrounding Sora with the trio following her.

---

Meanwhile…

Sora was busy trying to answer all the girls' questions one at a time, but they weren't even listening to him. Any time he would try to plead his case and dismiss a rumor thrown at him another girl would just jump right into the conversation.

"Please let me fin..."

"Are you sure you're not our commander?"

"Yes, I'm not... at least I think I'm no..." Sora tried answering.

"Do you like ice cream?"

"Of course, I do, I'm a fan of sea sa..." he began to say.

"Why are your shoes so big?"

"I...I don't kn..."

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"I've never even gone on a date"

"Are you a prince?"

"Not that I'm awa..." he couldn't finish saying.

"Where did you come from?"

Right before Sora was going to address that question, he bit his tongue and came up with a solid and reasonable explanation. However, not a moment too soon Wales walked up to the group with three other girls following behind her.

"Alright girls! That's enough, can't you see that you are overwhelming Sora with all your questions. There will be a time to ask your questions later but for right now please give him space" Wales said gaining the mob's attention.

Baltimore, Hornet, and Massachusetts were easing the girls to move away from Sora and give him some space. Some girls were more stubborn on being asked to leave wanting to ask Sora who knows how many more questions, but after some more pushback, the stubborn girls left. Once several girls had spaced themselves out, a good chunk of girls had decided to go back to whatever they were doing before surrounding Sora.

There were still girls hanging around Sora, but the Baltimore and the others were talking with them and trying to get them to leave Sora alone for the moment. Wales moved to stand next to Sora after he was given some space to breathe.

"Thanks, Wales. For a second there I thought I was a goner. So many questions..." Sora said feeling fatigued from being surrounded and interrogated.

"No problem at all, Sora. Besides, I should've realized that the girls on the island would have come looking for you and bombarded you with questions. I'm sorry" Wales proclaimed feeling bad about having Sora overwhelmed by the girls.

"Don't worry, water under the bridge. Besides, it looks like you got some help to break the crowd up" Sora muttered looking at the trio of girls that helped Wales.

"Correct, were it not for them helping me then I doubt the crowd would've dispersed as easily. I will need to make it up to them" Wales replied happily that her friends helped her.

Taking a better look at Wales' friends. Sora noticed the brown-haired girl with the navy and lime green jacket along with the other girl who had dark skin and silver hair standing next to her. The other girl who had blonde hair and a cowboy hat was waving to a few girls who had finally decided to go about their business.

The brown-haired girl was having a conversation with a red-haired girl who was arguing with her about having questions about Sora. The navy blue and lime green jacket girl face palmed herself before nodding to the red-haired girl who smiled brightly while handing her a signed autograph of herself before slipping away.

Letting out a smile, Sora looked to Wales and had a question on his mind, "Hey, Wales. What are your friends' names?" Sora asked curiously about who his saviors were.

"The brown-haired girl with the navy and lime jacket is Baltimore. The girl with dark skin and silver hair is Massachusetts, and the blonde-haired girl who is wearing the bikini and cowboy hat is Hornet. She's one of Enterprise's sisters" Wales said informing Sora of her friends' names.

"Baltimore, Massachusetts, and Hornet" Sora uttered remembering the girl's names.

A moment later, all the girls who were part of the crowd had finally taken off leaving only the five standing there. The trio of girls all walked up to Sora, who now got a better look at the girls and realized that he would need to battle the blush trying to appear on his cheeks. The three girls were extremely beautiful. At this point, Sora was just going to accept that many of the girls in this world are very attractive.

"Hey there, thanks for the help. Things were getting kind of hectic back therehahaha" Sora said while realizing that he was almost toast back there with all the girls surrounding him.

"No problem at all. It was the least we could do, and Wales here asked us for help, and we just couldn't say no" Massachusetts muttered to Sora while observing him, especially his crown necklace.

"Besides, we all were somewhat interested in meeting you as well but didn't want to put you in a corner. And I want to apologize for the girls that did that to you. That was completely rude and inappropriate to do especially since you just got to Azur Lane" Baltimore said feeling guilty for the girl's behavior towards Sora.

"Not to worry, while it was a bit of a panic attack having so many girls surround me all at once. I'm not upset about it. Everyone's curious about me showing up on the island and from what I was told, most of the girls haven't exactly ever interacted with a boy before. Is that correct?" Sora explained hoping to ease the girl's worries.

"That's good to hear. Thank you for your understanding, and yes, most girls haven't ever interacted with a male before" Baltimore replied while silently relieved that Sora did not hate the girls for surrounding him.

"Oh! Where are our manners? My name is Baltimore, pleasure to meet you".

"Hello, nice to meet you, Sora. My name is Massachusetts".

"Heyya! My name is Hornet. You might already met my sister, Enterprise".

"Baltimore, Massachusetts, and Horney. A pleasure to meet you all and thank you for your help" Sora said while giving a small nod to the girls.

With everyone now acquainted, Wales coughed into her hand to get everyone's attention.

"Now then, since everyone has exchanged pleasantries, we should get back on track and get you to the dorms. The day is coming to an end" Wales said wanting to get the ball rolling.

"Right then, well, Sora. It was great meeting you and hopefully, I'll see you around. I'd still like to chat with you if that's ok?" Baltimore asked Sora hoping to get a positive answer.

"Of course, I'm always happy to chat with friends anytime" Sora replied cheerfully while letting out a smile at his new friends.

"Friends? Even though we just met?" Baltimore asked confused if Sora truly meant they were friends.

"You bet! Any friends of Wales are surely friends of mine. Besides, I'd like to get to know you guys and chat with you when things settle down" Sora said happily about making new friends.

Hearing Sora's declaration of making the trio his new friends, Baltimore and Hornet had huge smiles on their faces while Massachusetts had a very small smile tug at the corner of her lips while making it not apparent.

"I'm glad to hear that. Can't wait to catch up with you, but for now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go help Sandy with a project of hers".

"Eh, what project is Sandy making you help her with?" Hornet asked curious about whatever San Diego needed Baltimore's help on.

"She's working on another idol project of hers and she asked me for help in exchange for leaving Sora alone for the moment. She still had a great number of questions to ask you, Sora" Baltimore replied becoming more concerned with what help Sandy might need.

"Oh... uh... I see" Sora said feeling a bit concerned about this girl.

"Either way, I need to take my leave. It was good meeting you, Sora. See you later girls" Baltimore said while making her way away from the group giving a wave to the group before taking off to wherever she was needed.

Massachusetts turned to Hornet who acknowledged her unspoken message before turning to Sora and Wales.

"Well, we will be on our way as well. Massachusetts and I need to meet South Dakota and North Carolina for some maintenance on our riggings. It was nice meeting you, Sora. Next time we meet you gotta tell me where you got that cool-looking jacket of yours" Hornet said hoping to get an answer from Sora on his jacket.

"Ugh... I don't...remember where I got my jacket. My jacket was given to me by a friend. I don't know where they got the jacket" Sora replied honestly not knowing where Master Yen Sid got his new attire.

"Really? Man, that's a shame. Oh! I know, maybe I can someone to use your jacket as a model to recreate your jacket's design" Hornet said while getting excited at the idea of getting her own jacket designed.

"Any way we'll be taking off now, see ya Sora. And see ya later Wales" Hornet said tipping her hat to the two.

"Likewise, it was nice meeting you, Sora. Hopefully, we can get the chance to talk later. Take care, Wales" Massachusetts said before accompanying Hornet to meet her sister for maintenance.

Massachusetts and Hornet gave their final wave goodbye before walking off in another direction. Leaving Sora and Wales alone yet again after having an eventful moment being surrounded by a group of girls.

"Right, shall we continue to make our way to the dorms?" Wales asked Sora ready to get him settled in.

"Hmm, lead the way" Sora uttered while looking forward to settling down somewhere and relax for a minute.

Leading the way to the dorms, Wales started to head to the dorms with Sora walking beside her hoping they wouldn't have any more difficulties to deal with.

---

Later…

After a little bit of walking through the town and quickly greeting more ship girls, the duo finally came across a large building with windows all over the place and fancy-looking front doors. The building also had the Azur Lane flag hanging in the front of the building with a large sign posted on top of the doors with the title 'Dorms' in large text.

Finally, having arrived at their location, Wales was about to open the door and head in when she had a moment of realization and stopped short of opening the door. Confused by her action, Sora tilted his head and looked to Wales for clarification. Wales then turned to Sora with a worried look on her face.

"Sora, perhaps it would be best for you to wait out here for a minute while I go in and check to see if there is a room available for you to use for the time being," Wales said while having a bit of a troubled look on her face.

"O-oh, okay. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, it's just that I would much rather prefer that only a select number of people know where it is you will be settling in within the dorms for now. If word got out that girls knew your exact room, then we would have a repeat of you being surrounded"

Realizing that Wales had a point and that being surrounded would be troublesome, Sora agreed with her idea and gave her a nod understanding her reasoning.

"Alright then, give me a minute to get you situated into a room. I'll be right back" Wales said while making her way into the building leaving Sora alone.

While standing outside the dorm building, Sora was recollecting his thoughts about all the girls he's had the privilege to meet. Everyone here at Azur Lane seemed happy and cheerful even with the fear of war with a mysterious enemy that could destroy the world. Thinking about the girls doing their best to fight back against the Sirens and against other factions who separated from Azur Lane got Sora thinking about his friends back home.

The idea of his friends not here with him physically but still with him in his heart made him let out a small smile. He had to be strong, especially if he was going to help his new friends bring back their lost families and separated friends. Closing his eyes, Sora let out a deep breath he didn't realize that he was holding onto. Opening his eyes and feeling relaxed, Sora adjusted his eyesight and was greeted by three girls staring at him.

---

Feeling surprised by the sudden appearance of the two girls, Sora let out an awkward wave at the two while smiling like a dork. One of the girls was wearing a blue jacket over a white button-up shirt with a red tie around her neck. She also had black and orange headphones on her head with her brown hair reaching her back. Her eyes were blue and the way she wore her jacket made it so her hands were hidden from sight.

The other girl was wearing white boots with white tights and a blue shirt. She had a pink jacket over her shirt and a red bow on her head, along with a pair of rabbit ears stuck in her white hair. This girl also had red eyes that looked to be trying to stay wide open but were forcing themselves closed. She also looked to be falling asleep while standing up.

The third girl had purple hair in a ponytail and a purple scarf around her neck. She was wearing a white tank top with a pink and purple plaid skirt with purple boots. The girl also had what appeared to be a crown on her head.

"He-hello there, how long have you been standing there?" Sora asked feeling embarrassed at the girls seeing him.

"Not long, we only just got here and noticed you with your eyes closed. Why did you have your eyes closed?" The purple-haired girl responded while looking a Sora curiously.

"I was... I was just recollecting my thoughts. Everyone on the island is...very excited to meet me since I'm the talk around the town" Sora replied to the girl hoping she would buy his excuse.

"I see, well then, in that case, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. Apologizes, my name is Javelin" The purple-haired girl now identified as Javelin said.

"Laffey... tired and sleepy. Oh...my name is... Laffey. Nice to meet you" The bunny girl said now known as Laffey.

"I'm Long Island nice to meet you, Sora. Can I just say that you look really cool" The brown-haired girl whose name was Long Island said to Sora.

"Oh, thank you. I don't mean to brag but I also think that I look really cool" Sora replied feeling proud of how he thought of himself and how this girl saw him as well.

"What are you doing outside of the dorms? Are you lost?" Javelin asked confused about why Sora was just standing outside.

"No, no, I'm not lost. Wales asked me to stay out here while she gets something situated" Sora said not wanting to give too much information to the girls.

"I see, hopefully, miss Wales will get things resolved. In the meantime, is it ok if we hang out with you" Javelin asked curiously if the boy would ask them to leave.

"Of course, I wouldn't mind chatting with you girls. By the way, my name is Sora".

"We know. You're pretty much famous now. Everyone is talking about how you look like your straight out of an anime with your spiky hair" Long Island said while explaining what all the other girls were talking about.

"I see, I guess I can see how my appearance isdifferent. But I'm not from an anime" Sora muttered feeling a little self-conscious about his appearance.

"Laffey has... question. Who all have you met?" Laffey said still struggling to stay awake.

Recounting who he has all met, Sora began to process everyone that he's met today. Not to mention, it's big a long day and so many things have happened. Putting his hands behind his head, Sora began to answer Laffey's question.

"Well, let's see. I've met Enterprise, Cleveland, Wales, Hood, Illustrious, Unicorn, U-chan, Elizabeth, Warspite, Belfast, Baltimore, Massachusetts, Hornet, and now you three. I did run into a bunch of other girls but didn't catch their names and the ones I did overhear I'm mixing their names up now" Sora said while trying to remember every name he's been introduced to today.

Before anyone could speak, Wales was coming through the door with a somewhat pleasant look on her face. She spotted Sora and the trio of girls next to him walking up to them.

"Ah, Sora, I see you've met a few familiar faces. Hello, Long Island, Javelin, Laffey. What brings you, girls, here to the dorms?" Wales asked curiously why they were in front of the dorms.

"Miss Wales, we were planning on heading to Long Island's room to try a new video game she got. Along the way we spotted Sora standing out in front of the dorms alone, so we figured we would stop by and see if he was lost" Javelin explained enlightening their situation to Wales.

"That sounds like a great deal of fun. Thank you for spending your time chatting with Sora and not leaving him out here alone. I apologize for making you wait, Sora" Wales said feeling a little guilty about leaving Sora out here alone.

"Haha, no worries. I was daydreaming when the girls spotted me. Besides, I had a lot of fun talking with you guys. Once things settle down, we should all get together, and chat maybe even play some video games" Sora said enjoying his time with the trio.

"Ah! That would be terrific! I can't wait for when we get to hang out. I got a bunch of games to play. Hope you're ready to get your butt kicked, Sora" Long Island said feeling excited to play games and hang out with friends.

"You bet. I can't wait to try your video games, Long Island. And who's to say that I won't kick your butt" Sora proclaimed while feeling his competitiveness start to come out reminding him of his many competitions with Riku back home.

"How exciting I can't wait till we get together again. Well, we'll be on our way. Goodbye, miss Wales and goodbye Sora. Hope to see you two later" Javelin said while giving a little bow to Sora and Wales.

Javelin started to make her way through the dorm rooms with Long Island following suit and waving her ... hands? Actually, it was her sleeves she was waving at the two while smiling before entering the dorms. Laffey was swaying back and forth before she startled herself and followed Javelin and Long Island. Before she entered the doors, she turned to look at Wales and Sora and sleepily muttered to them.

"Laffey sleepy, gonna go to sleep on Long Island's bed. Bye-bye Sora and miss Wales" Laffey said while giving the two a small wave before making her way into the dorm.

With the trio of girls entering the dorm, that left Sora and Wales to themselves. The Guardian of Light smiled to himself as he had just made three more new friends. Moreover, the blonde kansen also smiled at the prospect that Sora was getting along with so many of the girls. He truly was a friendly soul that could get along with anyone.

---

With nothing else stopping them, Wales now turned to Sora and began to explain to him about his living quarters for the moment.

"Sora, I was able to find you a room to settle down in for the foreseeable future. Until the Manjuu finish constructing you a personal quarter. That may take a while since the Manjuu are busy with orders on repairing several of the girls' ships" Wales explained hoping to ease Sora with the news.

"That's alright, I'm truly thankful for all the help you've done for me. I really want to make it up to you for everything you've done" Sora expressed his gratefulness towards Wales feeling like he would've been lost without her help.

Blushing at Sora's words, Wales was left dumbfounded for a second before quickly composing herself and smiling at Sora.

"There's no need, Sora. You've become a dear friend of mine even if it's been a day. Quite a lot has happened today, and I feel like we've gotten closer throughout the day. I truly cherish our newly founded friendship. But...if you do want to make it up to me, then can we still go on our dat... I mean our teatime session" Wales said hoping that Sora would still be accepting of her date.

"Of course, I'm very much looking forward to our get-together. Don't worry I promise to be there, just tell me when and I'll be there...And maybe some directions I'm still not familiar with the entire islandhaha"Sora charismatically replied looking forward to hanging out with Wales.

"Right, once things settle down, I'll arrange everything so we can have a great time together. In the meantime, I found you a room. Shall we go take a look?" Wales elaborated excited to go on a date with Sora.

Nodding at Wales' idea, the duo made their way into the dorms to find Sora's room. The inside of the dorms was decorated with a modern look that had several rooms that looked like offices and bathrooms.

Continuing to look around the dorms, Sora spotted many different doors that were all closed and must've been rooms already in use by other girls.

"As you can see, a great number of rooms are on the bottom floor. We haven't even gotten to the other side of the building where there are even more rooms. There are several levels to this building with many more rooms. Of course, if and when we can reunite the other factions to Azur Lane, then the Manjuu will need to construct another dorm building" Wales explained since Sora seemed amazed at how many rooms, he was seeing just on this side of the dorms.

"Moreover, there have been discussions as to whether we want to include faction-based dorms where an Eagle Union and Royal Navy dorm would be made along with any other faction. However, the usage of one or two large dorms with a mix of different factions may have the tendency to have the girls build better connections and relationships with other girls. Plus, it's more fun to have your friends close by to the point where they are next door to you" Wales finished with a smile remembering the many times she stopped by Hood's room and the two spent the night talking nonstop.

"Wow, that's a bit tough. Maybe the idea of a few mixed dorms would be good for helping the girls make new friendships. But there's still the chance some girls will have grudges and whatnot that could be a problem" Sora said while thinking of the best scenario.

"Honestly, maybe a bit of both. Build a good-sized dorm for each faction-specific but still focus on building the mixed dorms for those who will give it a try. Who knows? Some of the girls might just meet their new friends at the mixed dorms" Sora explained hoping Wales could see his take.

"That's a great idea, Sora. Something I will bring up the next time we have our weekly conference on things going on at the base and in Azur Lane in general" Wales proclaimed happily to hear Sora's thoughts on the matter.

The two continued to walk past many closed doors hoping to not cause a ruckus. However, before the two could get any further, a door suddenly opened revealing a girl with purple hair dressed in a maid's outfit.

"Oh."

The purple-haired girl was wearing thigh-high see-through tights that were accompanied by dark brown laced boots. Her maid attire was mainly themed with black and the middle piece covering her chest was white. Furthermore, she didn't seem all that surprised when she came out of the room. She simply had a deadpan expression written all over her face as she stared at the brunette and blonde.

"Huh… Wales, what is he doing here? Don't you know that this is a dorm used by the kansens? That is a very… risqué thing to do" The maid reasoned in a flat yet demanding tone which caused Sora to straighten himself out of a sudden worry.

Noticing the Keyblade wielder's reaction, Wales decided to clear things up and lend a helping hand at this time.

"Ah, Devonshire, it's good to see you. I hope you are doing well today. As for why Sora is here in the dorms… well, it was decided that until the Manjuu can construct a personal quarter of sorts. He will stay in a room designated to him" Wales answered with honesty.

Appreciating the kind response, the girl now known as Devonshire nodded.

"I'm doing fine on this beautiful day. However, when are we going to have a Commander assigned to the base? Many issues need jurisdiction to be resolved and improve the base's functionality. Not to mention, what is to become of him?" Devonshire asked while gesturing plainly at Sora.

"Err… hello, my name is Sora. A pleasure to meet you, Devonshire, was it?" Sora hesitantly replied.

Giving the spiky-haired brunette a glance, the maid slightly nodded her head.

"Correct that is my name. And likewise, Sora. Do be aware of your surroundings. You are in the company of many girls of all ages on the island. Since it seems you'll be staying here for a moment, I suggest you familiarize yourself so that you can do your part here at Azur Lane" Devonshire proclaimed with a straight-to-the-point tone of voice.

Giving a reassured nod, the spiky-haired brunette offered a small smile of acknowledgment.

"Right, understood. I'll do my best to make sure I'm not a nuisance and work to help Azur Lane fight the Sirens" Sora said understanding the importance of helping Azur Lane.

"Good, that's relieving to hear that you are willing to do your best for Azur Lane. In any case, I have some things to do before the day is over. If you'll excuse me, Sora, Wales, then I'll be on my way. Good day," Devonshire said while giving the two a small bow before taking off who knows where.

After a moment passed with the confirmation that she was gone, Sora let out a sigh that he didn't even realize he was holding onto. Wales noticed Sora loosen up and let out a small smile.

"I apologize for Devonshire's strict behavior. She's someone who may come off as harsh and disciplined but that's just because she really cares for everyone. It's her way of pushing everyone to better themselves. Along with being and maid and needing to be professional."

As Wales said this, she couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

"She's seen many of her friends hurt in combat with the Sirens. It's almost like she's ashamed of herself for not protecting her friends. Hence, she pushes everyone to do their best and it tends to be through somewhat harsh words."

Processing this new bit of information, the Keyblade wielder now better understood her.

That feeling of wanting to be there to help your friends was a feeling that he could heavily relate to.

"Everyone has their own way of bettering themself and those around them. I know a guy who acts a bit grumpy and cold to his friends but deep down he cares for them deeply. Devonshire seems like an interesting girl to be around. I hope I can get the chance to chat with her later" Sora reasoned while keeping an open mind about her.

"Well, that's good to hear. She wouldn't show it in public but in private she's a joy to be around. She's just worried about her reputation putting her in a bad light with her somewhat harsh criticism. But I digress, let's get you to your room" Wales finished while focusing back on finding Sora's room.

---

A few minutes later

The duo continued to walk past many doors until Wales stopped at a certain room numbered "137". Pulling out a key from her pocket, Wales began to unlock the door and turned to Sora getting his attention.

"I apologize for the lack of decor. For a moment there while I was getting you a room, I feared there wouldn't be an available room. But as luck would have it, I found a spare room that has not been used. However, there's only a bed and window in the room. The room was used primarily as a storage room when the Manjuu were constructing the other rooms in the dorm" Wales explained easing Sora inside the plain-looking room.

Entering the room, the duo found that the room was plain looking with the walls painted white and the window closed with nothing else but the bed inside the room. Sora gave a small smile while looking at the bed not needing anything else.

"It's ok, Wales. This is more than enough, truly. Thank you for everything you've done today. Honestly, the bed looks so comfy right now. I don't remember the last time I slept on an actual bed" Sora said feeling his eyes start to become heavy and a yawn escaping his lips.

Taking notice of Sora, Wales nodded and moved toward the window to open it up while Sora made his way to the bed and sat down on it.

"Well now, it seems you're due for a snooze. We can continue our guide on the rest of the island later. For now, perhaps it would be best to let you get some shuteye wouldn't you say, Sora" Wales said looking at Sora who was looking like he was going to pass out any second now.

"Yeah, I think I-I'm gonna do that. Thank you, Wales for everything" Sora muttered while laying down and resting his head on a pillow. Not even a second later, Sora started to snore peacefully after having gone through quite a lot of things in one day alone.

Wales smiled to herself while seeing Sora sleeping. Normally she would start to fantasize about Sora sleeping now but seeing his sleeping form reassured her that this boy...no this young man...this hero has been through a lot. And he deserved some rest after going on back-to-back adventures even fighting in a war and being banished from his home.

Making her way towards the door, Wales stopped slowly in front of Sora's sleeping form and smiled down at him before speaking up, "Take care, Sora. You've earned some rest. I'll see you later".

Exiting Sora's room, Wales closed the door and began to make her way to her dorm before meeting up with her majesty to discuss other matters regarding the Royal Navy. Not to mention, she still had to show Sora around the entire island and get some information on the Heartless and their tactics for attacking people.

Tomorrow would certainly be an interesting and eventful day for Sora and Wales. Moreover, the entirety of Azur Lane would need to adapt and come up with a plan for the impending fight between not only the Sirens but the Heartless now.

Meanwhile, while Sora was asleep his mind wandered through many of his memories with all of his friends. But what surprised him most was that he dreamed of the girls he had just met in Azur Lane which made sense since they were all now part of his heart and connections. Tomorrow would certainly be a new day.

---

The Next Day

BRRRR!*

BRRRR!*

BRRRR!*

Without any warning, sirens started going off sending all sorts of sounds to be echoed throughout the island. Sora woke up in a jump hearing the loud sound of the sirens going off alerting the base of an incoming threat. Running to the window, Sora peeked outside to see if the fighting had started and saw what appeared to be a storm brewing in the distance with lightning going off in all sorts of directions.

Sora figured that this must be the Sirens preparing to strike at Azur Lane. Without a second to waste, Sora checked himself to see if everything was in his possession and straightened his jacket. Realizing that a fight was about to start, Sora took a deep breath while calming himself and collecting his thoughts. Letting go of his deep breath, Sora stretched his arms along with his legs getting limbered and prepared for the worse to come.

Running out of his dorm room, Sora ran past many other dorm room doors that were opening with girls exiting and readying themselves for the upcoming battle. Dashing out of the main dorm doors, Sora began running in the direction of the town he was at yesterday hoping to meet up with Wales or someone familiar and get an idea of how he could help.

What no one else realized at that moment with Sora summoning his keyblade with a determined look on his face was that the world was about to change...

The Keyblade's Chosen One had entered the fight.

---

*A/N* - Well, that was quite a heavy chapter for Sora. Coming into a new world and meeting nothing but girls would have anyone sweating bullets. Not to mention, there are so many wonderful girls in Azur Lane that I want to do them justice in this story. Hence, it's with a heavy heart that I have to apologize to those reading this chapter.

There was a retcon done in this chapter that has affected one of the later chapters. The mention of a character (Nelson) has changed to Devonshire. Story-wise nothing substantial has changed. But just the thought that I messed up is enough for me to warrant an apology. I'm sorry about and will try to keep an eye out for stuff like that. There are so many girls in Azur Lane that I need to make double the list of girls mentioned in the story lol. Nevertheless, thanks for checking this story out and I hope you'll keep on giving it a chance. Thanks again and until next time!

Notes:

*A/N - I figure that for simplicity that Wisdom Cubes would either spawn new ship girls or just 'materials' that are configured to certain Kansens. Rather than saying that the Wisdom Cubes summon 'new' versions of the girl(s). Don't know if I can handle the idea of dealing with multiples of the same girl lol.

Chapter 9: Entering the Fight

Summary:

The sudden invasion on Azur Lane has thrown Sora headfirst into a new fight. What will happen to the Keyblade wielder?

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright for Azur Lane or Kingdom Hearts. All characters and rights belong to their respective property owners.

*A/N - Old news but Kingdom Hearts 4 got announced and we even got a trailer. I'm very excited to see what's to come in Quadratum and how the series will be going forward. Here's to another 20 years and I'm all for it. I do hope we get some answers for how FF Versus XIII is going to be incorporated in Quadratum and Verum Rex since Nomura straight up said that he considered making Verum Rex the next game after MoM.

*I also want to point out something that I failed to mention at the start of the story to further elaborate on how I'm going about writing the story. Sora's age for this story will be 18. This is so things don't get too weird and crazy with the girls of Azur Lane gunning for our boy given that some girls are big perverts *Wales*. And many other girls are very lewd. Furthermore, all the girls involved with Sora's slow but soon-to-be harem are all 18+. Plus, using a mix of AZ Slow Ahead, Anime, Manga, and other bits of information around the girls really does paint a picture of how the girls are crazy which I want to find a way to incorporate into the story. *

Enough of me talking nonstop. I want to thank everyone for the reviews and for giving this story a chance. I look forward to what's to come and hope you have a wonderful day.

Sprinting out of the dorm building with his Keyblade hung over his shoulder, Sora began analyzing his surroundings seeing many girls all running around in different directions. Many ran toward the ocean with some of them having summoned their riggings.

Sora was unsure of what to do exactly or how he could be of any help to the girls when they were all equipped with guns and even ships at their beck and call. However, after stopping and thinking about his situation for a second, Sora realized that getting in contact with Wales would be his best bet on what to do with the sudden Siren attack.

Readying himself both physically and mentally, Sora began to run towards the port where he was with Enterprise yesterday and where he was most likely to find Wales and the others. Taking off in a sprint, Sora began to run to the port while also ignoring the alarm sirens going off to alert the island of the incoming attack. Continuing his trek through the island, Sora saw many girls running back and forth trying to most likely find their squad and get their orders for what to do with the attacking Sirens.

Reaching the inner part of the town he visited with Wales yesterday, Sora saw Manjuu locking stores down and putting up barriers around buildings to prevent structural damage. However, out of the corner of his eye, Sora saw a dark object moving around very quickly with none of the girls around noticing the dark object. Unsure of the dark object, Sora began to chase it while moving around any girls who could collide with him.

Moreover, while Sora was chasing the dark object moving at an incredible speed, the bombardment from the Sirens was striking the island managing to leave the once peaceful island now full of explosions and the sound of booms echoing throughout the island. Thankfully, Sora was well experienced given his past adventures and all the crazy battles he was involved in.

Dodging to his left and then his right, Sora managed to stay on his toes while keeping his body nimble to avoid any incoming explosions or debris that could hit him while still chasing after the dark object. Running through the streets of the small town located on this side of the island, Sora took in his surroundings and noticed that most of the buildings were still intact even after being hit straight on with bombs. The Manjuu are truly skilled builders.

Continuing his sprint through the town and after the dark object, Sora bolted down a street while jumping over a destroyed vehicle of sorts landing on his feet and taking off in an instant.

Turning the corner that the dark object bolted towards, Sora jumped off the rail guard and leaped forward managing to lock onto the object with his Flowmotion, and immediately shot forward at the object slamming his Keyblade down. With the weapon being pushed down onto the object, Sora realized just what the dark object was.

Rummaging around beneath both Sora and his Keyblade was a girl. A girl wearing a dark cloak that was covering most of her body with the hood covering her head. The girl then brought her hand up to her head to remove her hood giving Sora a better idea of what she looked like.

The girl was wearing dark boots with a yellow line going down the center of the boots. White socks with one sock reaching above her knee and the other ending right under her other knee. A short navy-blue skirt with a white tank top that reached just above her stomach and silver-like hair tied in a ponytail with what appeared to be horns or a headband of sorts on the top of her head.

Realizing that Sora was in a somewhat awkward position, he quickly got off the girl while still holding his Keyblade and pointed it straight at the girl. The girl then began to sit up.

"Why are you carrying a giant key?" the hooded girl asked not entirely sure why someone would be running around in the middle of a battle with a giant key-looking sword.

"It's my weapon...ignore that. Tell me, why are you running around wearing that hoodie and not running towards the Sirens?" Sora asked to hope to receive some sort of answer.

The hooded girl merely stared back at Sora with a surprised look on her face. Unsure of what to say, the girl let out a sigh before looking at Sora.

"What makes you think I'm not running towards the Sirens?" the hooded girl responded.

"All the other girls are making their way towards the port or searching for their squads for a plan of attack. You meanwhile are slipping around trying to stay out of sight" Sora said while noticing the girl was slightly sweating and becoming nervous.

"My orders come from elsewhere and I was on my way back to my friends," the girl said while looking to the side.

"Elsewhere? But what does that mean?" Sora asked confused by what the girl meant.

"That's none of your concern. Also, why are you here? No one told me about a boy being deployed to Azur Lane" the hooded girl proclaimed not entirely sure what Sora's purpose in being stationed here at Azur Lane was exactly.

"I'm...I'm new here and just got to the island yesterday. I was out at sea when I ran into Enterprise and came to Azur Lane" Sora answered while not exactly telling the complete truth. Something about this girl was not sitting right with him.

"I see..." the hooded girl muttered while taking a better look at Sora.

"What about you? Who are your friends? Maybe I've met them" Sora asked trying to learn anything about this mysterious girl.

"I... I can't answer that. My seniors wouldn't like that" the girl responded leaving Sora concerned about her response.

"Alright... well can you tell me your name?"

"My name... my name is Ayanami" the girl now known as Ayanami responded.

"Ayanami? That's a nice name. My name is Sora. It's nice to meet you" Sora said while having a small smile appear on his face while still pointing his Keyblade at Ayanami.

"Nice to meet you too. Now if you'll excuse me, Sora. I must go report to my seniors" Ayanami said while pulling her hoodie back over her head and beginning to turn away. However, Sora called out to her before she could take another step.

"W-wait! Who is your senior? Maybe they can help me. I'm not sure where the girls I met from yesterday are and I don't know how these Sirens plan their attacks" Sora asked trying to get read on Ayanami.

Beginning to grow worried at how much time she was wasting talking with Sora, Ayanami began to lower her right hand behind her back and into her cloak reaching for her sword. Sora meanwhile was focused on her body language and could tell she was contemplating something which raised red flags in his mind having seen that look many times in his adventures.

Before Sora could say anything, Ayanami beat him to the punch.

"Sora... I'm sorry. But I am already late with meeting my seniors. If I don't leave now, then we will both be blown up" Ayanami said letting out a sigh before turning to look Sora straight in the eyes.

"Blown up? What do you me..." Sora asked before he was cut off by Ayanami.

In a matter of seconds, Ayanami pulled out a sword with a white handle and a mix of a red and silver steel blade with a white piece covering the red and silver part of the blade. The sword itself was not even and had the red part of the blade lower than the silver part. Confused by what Ayanami just did, Sora narrowed his eyes before calling out to her.

"What are you doing, Ayanami?! Where did you even hide that sword?!" Sora yelled out to her while raising his Keyblade and moving into a defensive stance.

"Sorry... I've said too much. Please, move out of the way, Sora" Ayanami said while ignoring Sora's questions and getting ready to strike him.

Realizing that Ayanami was not going to back down, Sora readied himself to fight her and find some answers.

---

*Meanwhile with Wales and Hood*

Taking in their surroundings, Wales and Hood found themselves on the outskirts of the port in the water with their riggings summoned and currently firing away at incoming Siren planes swooping down on the port and dropping bombs.

"How is her majesty handling things on the east side of the island?" Wales called out to Hood before sending a blast towards a Siren ship leaving nothing behind.

"Her majesty and Warspite are handling things well. However, Enterprise is nowhere to be seen" Hood responded while gliding across the water and dodging a bullet that splashed into the water while reloading her riggings ammunition.

"The Sirens are spread out all over the place. I'm sure Enterprise is busy dealing with them all alone as she usually does. Furthermore, the Sirens must've realized that most of our forces are away from the base and decided now was the right time to strike" Wales said while dashing across the water avoiding armor-piercing bullets being shot at her from a Siren battleship.

Suddenly, a large blinding light forced Wales and Hood to cover their eyes and turn away from the sea. Unsure of what had just happened, Wales was ready to turn around and start shooting at whatever was causing the blinding light. However, before she could turn, she heard a voice yell out along with heavy gunfire being shot and a loud mechanized sound start to fade away.

Sensing that the blinding light was now gone, Wales turned around and spotted a familiar face.

"Cleaveland! What was it that you were shooting at?" Wales asked relieved that her friend took care of the obnoxious blinding light.

Wiping her head of sweat, Cleaveland let out a cheeky smile while having a hand on her hip and riggings summoned.

"It was some type of floating orb that was acting like a flashbang. Thankfully, the blinding light doesn't reach that far which let me destroy it" Cleaveland said while looking around the area to see what the Siren's formation was looking like.

"Have any Sirens managed to make their way closer to the island?" Cleaveland asked before arming her riggings and sending a barrage of blasts out towards a Siren ship preparing to launch Siren planes in the air.

"Not that we are aware of. However, her majesty and others are covering the east side of the island" Hood said while gliding across the water thanks to the help from her riggings and fired back at several Siren ships.

"That's great to hear. My sisters contacted me and said the Southside of the island is making good progress with making a dent in the Sirens' formation" Cleaveland said while shooting at several Siren planes flying overhead.

"Cleaveland, do you have any idea where Enterprise is?" Wales said while adjusting her riggings before sending a blast heading right for several Siren destroyers.

Gliding to her left while scanning the area in front of her, Cleaveland started shooting at several pawn ships before responding to Wales's question.

"No, I haven't seen her. Wait! Where's Sora?!" Cleaveland practically yelled while destroying the pawn ships she was aiming at.

"I'm not sure, everything happened so quickly, I wasn't able to get into contact with him. If anything, he is most likely around the docks" Wales said before moving to the side to avoid a blast heading straight towards her.

Before Hood or Cleaveland could respond, a large blast of light could be seen in the distance along with many Siren drone ships being caught in the blast leaving nothing but parts of the ships floating in the water.

Having visibility be blocked, the trio of girls readied themselves while also reloading their riggings for the impending attack. However, what they saw caused them to become worried about how the battle would play out.

A large white fox had appeared in the place of the blast and towered over the girls while having a landing strip placed on its body. The fox also had red streaks going across its body while also giving off an intimidating look. Beneath the wolf were several girls who all had their riggings out and aimed right at the trio.

Taking a better look at who was all next to the fox, Hood was able to make out a few familiar faces.

"It appears we have company. Akagi, Z23, Shoukaku, and Zuikaku" Hood said while recognizing the Kansens characteristics.

Seeing that hiding would not be needed any longer, Akagi was the first to step forward and address the girls of Azur Lane.

"My, my. if it isn't the pride of the Royal Navy, Lady Hood, and the Prince of Wales. How nice to see you two again. Oh, I almost forgot there seems to be an Eagle Union runt here as well" Akagi said while having a sly smile cover her lips.

Hearing Akagi's words, Cleaveland grew angry at her remark and began to glare at her while getting a feeling of her riggings ready to fire at a moment's notice.

Sensing that Cleaveland was becoming distraught at what Akagi had said, Wales steeled herself and turned to Akagi with her hand over her riggings in case she needed to start firing.

"Akagi, can't say I'm too pleased to see you again. I take it the large fox is of Kaga's handiwork" Wales remarked seeing if she could get a reaction from Akagi.

"Why yes, that is Kaga's work. In fact, that fox is Kaga herself. In all her beautiful glory" Akagi said while smiling and looking up at the large white wolf who upon being identified to be Kaga turned to look down at Akagi and nod.

Hood noticed that there were still explosions going off and many of the girls were fighting back against the Sirens. Therefore, Hood decided to speak up and address the Red Axis members before a firefight would start leaving no time for questions.

"Seeing that things are about to turn for the worse, might I be so kind as to ask you all one thing before we let our riggings do the talking" Hood said while giving a tilt of her head and aiming her riggings straight at Kaga's fox form.

"Something you wish to know before we engage in combat?" Shokukau said while looking directly at Hood confused about her question.

"Yes, what is it that the Red Axis or more specifically the Sakura Empire wants with Azur Lane. Striking us out of nowhere with no warning. I take it Siren technology must've allowed you to get this close to the island" Hood asked while observing each of the girls closely.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hood spotted Zuikaku almost looking like she had something to say or at the very least was beginning to think about her question and was processing something based on her facial expressions that appeared for a second before vanishing. However, before Hood could further analyze Zuikaku, Akagi spoke up with a cheery tone in her voice.

"Why nothing much, just that Azur Lane lay down its arms and join us in our goal to rid the world of Sirens," Akagi said while having an intimidating grin on her face.

"And if we refuse?" Hood replied.

Summoning her riggings in a fit of fire, Akagi aimed her weapons right at Hood before responding.

"Then we'll see to it that you find your place in this world. As scraps of metal at the bottom of the ocean" Akagi proclaimed while lifting a hand to her face to try and cover up the smile appearing on her face.

Realizing that there was no real way of talking things out, each of the girls realized that the time for action was nigh. However, with Hood, Wales, and Cleaveland a certain spiky-haired boy was in the back of their mind hoping and praying that he was alright wherever he was.

---

*Back with Sora*

A fury of slashing and blocking was all that was on Sora's mind seeing that Ayanami was not holding back in any regard. Sora was forced to move around and deflect all the incoming strikes coming from Ayanami even forcing him to use the environment to his benefit. Movement such as spinning around a pole or jumping against walls while using his Flowmotion to counter Ayanami's attack or even parkouring over collapsed debris on the ground.

Managing to have made their way further into the port, Sora was on the defensive side trying to ease Ayanami so that she would break face and at least answer one of his questions that he sent flying her way while also blocking all her attacks.

"Ayanami! Listen to me, please, I don't want to fight you! We should be fighting the real enemy!" Sora said while twirling his Keyblade in his right hand and raising it to his face just in time to block a forward thrust by Ayanami.

"Listen to me, Ayanami! The Sirens are only a part of the real problem. We need to work together!" Sora exclaimed but was met with deaf ears and Ayanami brought her sword down in a vertical slash leaving Sora to immediately block the strike and counterattack by hitting Ayanami with several hard strikes around her torso with his Keyblade.

Ayanami was pushed to the side from the impacting strikes and forced to roll on her back and regain her footing.

Ignoring Sora's pleas, Ayanami charged forward and continued to slash at him causing him to block and counter her with a horizontal slash across her chest making her grunt out in pain and frustration given that she has not been able to hurt Sora or land a single hit on him.

Bringing her sword to her right side, Ayanami ran towards Sora before halting for a second and twisting her entire body to spin around and regain her footing while swinging her sword in a circular motion at Sora. Being on high alert, Sora was prepared for Ayanami's attack and was able to block her attack while also kicking her in the side which knocked the wind out of her and pushed her back a good distance.

Once again, Sora continued to overwhelm Ayanami with questions of his as well as talk her out of fighting.

"Please, Ayanami, you have to stop this! What do you gain out of fighting me? Do you want to keep on fighting? The Sirens are who we should be fighting!" Sora yelled while keeping his defensive stance up.

"I... I don't..." Ayanami muttered before falling silent.

"Huh, what did you say, Ayanami?"

"Nothing. I didn't say anything" Ayanami replied while shaking her head and pointing her sword back at Sora.

"No, you started to say something but stopped yourself. What were you trying to say?" Sora asked now wanting to know what she wanted to say.

Saying nothing and just staring back at Sora, Ayanami knew better than to answer his question in fear of what her seniors would say. Shaking her head, she gripped her sword and ran at Sora ready to take him down. Seeing Ayanami charge at him, Sora readied himself in case she tried anything new on him.

Once Ayanami was close enough, she successfully threw her leg forward to side sweep Sora off his feet and have him land on his back so that she could get the chance to stab him. However, what Ayanami did not take into consideration was that Sora was very nimble and experienced in combat. What she saw blew her mind and was a fighting technique she had never seen before.

While Sora was swept off his feet, he managed to extend his arm onto the ground and twist his entire body so that it looked like he just performed a dance move upside down while also regaining his balance which allowed him to push his entire body forward and roll on the ground and land on his two feet back in his signature fighting stance.

Bewildered by what she just saw, Ayanami was growing frustrated by the minute seeing that Sora was a worthy and skilled foe to go against. Ayanami continued to notice that he was able to deflect and counter all her attacks along with his quick reaction time. This was definitely not his first fight. Not to mention, that large oversized key weapon of his packed a punch. Capable of hitting her and feeling all sorts of pain when the key slammed and slashed into her body.

Realizing that she was losing both the fight and time, Ayanami knew that she had to find a way to force Sora back and disarm him to allow her time to finish him off before she returned to her seniors. Letting out a sigh and taking a deep breath, Ayanami readied herself for her next barrage of attacks.

Bolting forward, Ayanami pressed on with her assault against Sora sprinting at him while bringing her body to a halt before using footwork to launch herself at him. Bringing both of her hands and sword up to the right side of her upper body, Ayanami got close enough to Sora to launch a barrage of attacks at him.

This forced Sora to quickly raise his keyblade with both of his hands and block the incoming strikes. At the same time, Sora shouted out a spell to try and stun Ayanami that would allow enough time for him to disarm her.

"Thunder!"

Once the spell was cast, several lightning bolts struck Ayanami managing to force her to start shaking and feel a sense of paralysis which forced her to let the grip on her sword loosen. Seeing this as his chance, Sora quickly slashed at Ayanami's hands which caused her blade to go flying and forced her to fall to the ground on her back while looking at Sora wide-eyed.

"H-how... how did you do that?" Ayanami asked completely stunned by what had just happened.

"I'm sorry for that. I was fine engaging in combat with just our blades, but my friends are in trouble with the Sirens. I need to help them in any way I can and we were wasting time-fighting" Sora said while staring down at Ayanami and lowering his Keyblade so it was down by his side.

Unsure of what to say, Ayanami just stared at the ground still not understanding what caused her body to become paralyzed. She recalled hearing Sora shouting Thunder and then feeling shocked. Sora must've used some type of weapon on her that she did not notice in the middle of her barrage of attacks at him.

Feeling responsible for Ayanami's down casted mood, Sora began to walk closer to Ayanami before kneeling and staring straight at her eyes. Confused by what he was doing, Ayanami became wide-eyed but made no effort to move her body off the ground. Sora then began to talk face to face with her.

"I must say, Ayanami, you are skilled at using that sword of yours. I was honestly sweating quite a bit back there especially when you side swept me" Sora sheepishly said while raising his free hand to pat the back of his head.

"You're not bad yourself... you're impressive with that... key of yours," Ayanami said while getting a better look at Sora's Keyblade.

"Thanks, but I'm no master in the art of the blade. I need to brush up on some of my old skills as well as come up with some new ways of fighting" Sora stated while having a small smile on his face before hearing a plane close by start shooting its guns at something.

Realizing that the fight was still going on between the Sirens and Azur Lane, Sora quickly got to his feet and checked himself to prepare for his next fight. Ayanami stared blankly at Sora who looked like he was just going to leave her and not arrest her or anything. Unsure of what his intentions were, Ayanami spoke up getting Sora's attention.

"Wait... you're not going to arrest me?" Ayanami asked confused by Sora's actions.

"No, I'm not. I don't exactly have any right" Sora said while looking back at Ayanami.

"What do you mean? Aren't you a member involved with Azur Lane?" Ayanami muttered while still not sure what Sora meant.

"I mean that while I'm considered a friend to Azur Lane, I don't exactly have any jurisdiction. But that doesn't mean I'm going to just stand by and let my friends get hurt" Sora replied while offering his hand to Ayanami to help her up.

Surprised by Sora's response, Ayanami looked at his hand and thought to herself for a second before deciding to do the right thing. Grabbing his hand, Ayanami was lifted and regained her footing while also observing Sora's eyes to see if he would try anything. To no surprise, Sora did not do anything but held a small smile on his face and looked back at her. Guilt began to sink in that she had failed her mission and would face the consequences for it. However, Ayanami thought that Sora at least deserved to have some of his questions answered.

"Akagi..." Ayanami murmured hoping that Sora heard her.

"Akagi? Is that what you just said?" Sora asked having heard her loud and clear.

Shaking her head yes, Ayanami began to walk away from Sora with her back facing him before she suddenly stopped. Ayanami then pulled the dark cloak's hoodie over her head and spoke to Sora once more.

"One of my seniors is Akagi, and she is who I need to report to. Since the Sirens have begun their assault on Azur Lane, then the other members of the Red Axis are most likely nearby" Ayanami said while still facing away from Sora.

"The Red Axis... what are their goals? Why did they split away from Azur Lane?" Sora asked not entirely sure what her answer may entail.

"We...the Sakura Empire wasn't always against Azur Lane. I don't hate Azur Lane. It's just that... my seniors became different after Amagi was hurt. Causing Akagi and Kaga to act differently. Along with that, relations between the different factions became strained once the Sirens began to showcase their true power by demolishing cities and leaving none behind. That's when other factions decided it would be best to deal with the Sirens by themselves or to form their own group and handle the Sirens in their own ways" Ayanami proclaimed while keeping her head down and hidden under her hood.

"That's just what the Iron Blood, Sardegna Empire, Vichya Domain, and Sakura Empire did. Working together and forming the Red Axis to find ways to destroy the Sirens once and for all. However, it was the Iron Blood and Sakura Empire who began to work with the Sirens to learn from them. It was also my seniors who brought up the idea of working with the Sirens to some degree. Many of us including myself were against the idea of working with the Sirens, but thanks to the respect and honor that my seniors carry there wasn't anything I could do about it" Ayanami said continuing her speech on the Sakura Empire's involvement with the Sirens.

"But... I doubt the Sirens would have just allowed their enemy to start working with them. There must've been a price to pay to start working with them" Sora said while learning more about this world's history and the challenges it has faced and is still facing.

"Correct, to start working with the Sirens even in a small role the Red Axis needed to do something to prove its worth. By destroying the last remaining hope this world has against the Sirens, Azur Lane" Ayanami answered while feeling guilt run through her body.

Taken aback by what Ayanami had said, Sora didn't know how to answer properly and just stayed silent hoping to find the right thing to say. However, Ayanami spoke up before Sora could say anything.

"I know what you're thinking. I think about it every day when I'm with my friends and seniors as well. We should be fighting the Sirens and not amongst ourselves. I get that... but there's so much we still don't know about the Sirens. And on top of that, my seniors have been acting even more differently than usual and staying secluded from the rest of the Sakura Empire. Everything is just all messed up, but things will get better..." Ayanami said with remorse and frustration in her tone of voice. But before she could say anything else, Sora spoke up.

"No… things won't get better," Sora remarked while gripping his Keyblade and staring right at the back of Ayanami's hood.

"What...what do you mean?" Ayanami uttered while confused by what Sora meant.

"I mean that while the Sirens pose a great threat to everyone, there's another problem you need to start worrying about. Something even worse than the Sirens" Sora said with a serious tone of voice.

"Another problem... what exactly do you mean, Sora?" Ayanami asked nervously about what Sora was going to say.

Taking a moment to think things out, Sora realized that if he were to worry Ayanami about the Heartless now while it seemed like she was already dealing with inner turmoil. The idea of the Heartless being another thing to worry about would cause her to freak out and let her heart be targeted by darkness. Deciding to hold off on explaining what the Heartless, Sora decided to address a different issue for Ayanami to deal with.

"Your heart…" Sora proclaimed while bringing his hand over his heart.

"My heart? What does that mean?" Ayanami asked not understanding what Sora meant.

"I mean that what you're feeling right now is something you should deal with soon. Knowing what it is that you truly want. You say that you feel conflicted about working with the Sirens but don't have any real problems with the girls in Azur Lane. Your mind is clouded with the best method to proceed. Which is why you should just trust in your heart, and it'll lead you down the path you think is best" Sora explained while reminiscing on his past adventures where he chose to follow his heart.

Picking up on what Sora was saying, Ayanami brought her hand over her heart and closed her eyes taking to heart his word of advice. However, before Ayanami could say anything an explosion landed not that far from the two causing water to splash over them. Ayanami snapped out of her dazed state and began to run but not before calling out to Sora.

"Sora...good luck and thank you," Ayanami said before sprinting away and not turning back to look at Sora.

Left alone, Sora realized that chasing after Ayanami would not be the best option given that he was still looking for his friends to help them in any way. Deciding that would be his best option, Sora ran further into the docks and could hear more gunfire originating along with explosions happening every other second.

---

Reaching the edge of the port, Sora could see buildings hit with bullets and bombs leaving a great deal of debris behind forcing him to parkour over metal polls and run alongside a destroyed building. Upon clearing the debris, Sora could see the ocean and was bewildered by what he saw.

Standing out on the ocean's surface was a large white fox that had red streaks along its body with blue streaks of light along with its paws and around its face. The large fox raised its head and let out a loud howl. The body of the fox also had machinery around its body that looked like landing strips for planes to fly off.

Observing the area around the fox, Sora was able to see several figures engaging in combat. Making out the figure's characteristics, Sora was able to spot Hood, Wales, and Cleaveland. However, Sora saw a familiar figure that was fighting against his friends.

Akagi was seen gliding across the water while firing her riggings towards Wales while another girl with white hair was engaging in combat with Hood. Off to the side, another girl with blonde hair and a one-piece skirt with red boots and a hat on her head was fighting with Cleaveland forcing her to go on the defensive and hold all the incoming attacks.

Seeing his friends in trouble, Sora began sprinting on the water's surface using the same spell he used before running into Akagi and Enterprise. Continuing his sprint towards the girls, Sora summoned his keyblade and was gunning it for the girl attacking Cleaveland. However, before he could get close enough to Cleaveland another girl suddenly appeared in front of him with a silver sword pointed straight at him.

Taking a quick look at the girl in front of him, Sora was able to notice several distinctive features around this girl. For starters, the woman had a slender frame and large bust with waist-length brown hair and orange highlights tied in a ponytail by a hair ornament. The girl also had yellow eyes with orange eyeliner. The woman's attire consisted of a long-sleeved hooded kimono with flower motifs and red strings on each side of her chest. A red skirt with black straps on each thigh and black socks that reached below her knees with red linings and red and silver slippers.

The first thought to come to Sora was that the girl in front of him was very beautiful. Given that she was pointing a silver katana straight at him you would think his first thought would be on the weapon. But no, Sora was immediately captivated by the girl's beauty. However, snapping out of his captivated state, Sora realized that she must've been with Akagi seeing that she was pointing her blade at him. Unsure of what the girl would do next, Sora greeted her.

"Hey there, nice to meet you. My name is Sora. I remember you back when I ran into Akagi and Kaga. Why don't we take a second to calm down before things get crazy" Sora said while raising his Keyblade with one hand while the other hand was wide open to show no ill intent.

However, the brown-haired ponytailed girl widened her eyes and began to glare at Sora realizing that he was not taking her seriously. It didn't help that the girl noticed Sora's strange-looking weapon and was offended that he did not bring out an actual blade to fight her. Enraged, the girl called out to Sora.

"How dare you! Are you not taking me seriously as a threat?! You're just like the Grey Ghost. Not seeing me as a formidable foe to duel against. I'll show you, Sora! I'm more than capable of defeating you!" the girl said while charging straight at Sora with a horizontal cut aimed at his abdomen.

On instinct, Sora quickly lowered his Keyblade in time to block the girl's strike causing the two blades to become stuck in a crossing and forcing the two fighters to get close. Coming within inches of Sora's face, the girl was able to get a better view of his face and several distinctive features that added to his character. One such feature that added to his character was his spiky brown hair along with the crown charm around his neck.

Another noticeable feature was Sora's blue eyes which seemed to show confidence in himself along with something else. Seeing that Sora was not showing any fault in his determination to stand against her, the girl decided to at least offer her name to her opponent.

Not sure who the ponytailed-haired girl was, Sora called out to her to try and learn something from her.

"Wait! Who are you? How do you know my name? Can we please take a second to talk things through?" Sora asked confused about how the girl knew who he was.

Pushing her body back so that her katana wouldn't be locked with his strange-looking...key? The girl backpedaled so that there was some space between the two allowing them to breathe and prepare themselves. Deciding that she should at least give Sora her name, the girl spoke out.

"Sora, if we are to have a duel then I will tell you, my name. In return, I ask that you do not hold back and give this duel your all. In any case, my name is Zuikaku member of the Sakura Empire, and I will defeat you" the girl now identified as Zuikaku said as she prepared herself to fight against Sora.

Realizing that he would have to beat Zuikaku to help his friends, Sora let out a sigh before closing his eyes and gathering his thoughts about what he'll need to do to save everyone. All the girls at Azur Lane were all so much fun to be around and had welcomed him with open arms even believing his case of being from another world.

On top of that, Azur Lane confided in Sora about even helping him find a way home. So much kindness from the girls of Azur Lane helped solidify Sora's drive to want to help them. Plus, many of the girls have now become his friends with more on the way. Putting these thoughts to the back of his mind, Sora opened his eyes and readied himself to help his friends in need. Hence, Sora called out to Zuikaku.

"Zuikaku... that's a name I won't forget. But my friends need my help, and you're standing in my way. I wish there was another way. But if it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you're gonna get!" Sora said while twirling his Keyblade in his hand while getting into his signature battle stance.

Hearing that she was going to get a real duel with this mysterious boy, Zuikaku let a grin cover her lips while also narrowing her eyes so that they were focused on only Sora. Ignoring all the gunfire and explosions happening around her, Zuikaku was desiring a fight with a worthy opponent. Although Sora was no Grey Ghost, the boy had become an unknown factor in such a short amount of time to the point where even she had become interested in him. Not to mention, Sora was standing here right in front of her with his strange-looking blade and complying with her desire for a fight. Respect had been earned towards Sora in Zuikaku's book, and now she would not waste her chance at a challenge. Bringing her katana back to her body and transitioning into a battle stance, Zuikaku replied to Sora.

"Thank you, Sora. However, I will not be holding back, and I expect you to do the same! Prepare yourself!" Zuikaku yelled while preparing herself both mentally and physically for the duel with Sora.

Silence ensued in the area as the two fighters as they both realized that the time for talking was over. Now the time for action was nigh, and it would be Sora's first time-fighting someone from this world. Plus, at the behest of Zuikaku, Sora was told not to hold back. And that's exactly what he would do.

---

With nothing holding the two back, Sora and Zuikaku charged toward each other with Zuikaku slashing her katana right for Sora's leg which forced him to quickly block the katana and allow him to counter her attack by slamming his Keyblade into her side. The Keyblade's impact forced Zuikaku to lose her balance and tumble to the ground, but before she could land on her bottom she instantly rolled on her back and was crouching down regaining her balance.

Realizing Sora's quick reflexes, Zuikaku began to analyze his actions more closely so that she could learn more about her opponent. Jumping back on her feet so that she was into her battle stance, Zuikaku shot forward and brought her blade down in a vertical slash that was blocked by Sora's blade. Zuikaku then brought her blade back and again slashed at Sora this time with a horizontal strike which was once again blocked by Sora.

Pulling her blade back, Zuikaku once again slashed at Sora letting him block and go for a strike at her leg to which she flipped her katana and was able to defend her leg from Sora's keyblade. This forced her to switch up her plan causing her to lift her free leg and kick Sora in the side which sent him back several feet.

Landing on his back, Sora immediately rolled over and landed on his knee before standing up and getting back into his signature stance. Seeing that Zuikaku wasn't just sticking with using her katana, Sora figured that if she wanted to go all out, then he should as well. Pointing his Keyblade right at her, Sora shouted out a fire spell to distract her giving him the chance to strike.

"Fire!"

The tip of his Keyblade glowed with a hue of red and shot a ball of fire straight at her. Seeing the fireball heading straight at her, Zuikaku quickly brought her blade in front of her and instantly came up with an idea. She planned to slash the fireball in half and then pivot around him which would leave him confused allowing her to slash at his arm.

However, right as Zuikaku was about to slice the fireball in half, Sora dashed straight at her and appeared right behind the fireball leaving Zuikaku no time to change her plan of attack and went with slicing the fireball. Consequently, Sora saw his chance and began to strike at her right as soon as she sliced the fireball in half. This allowed Sora to start hitting Zuikaku all around her body with his regular three-way attack managing to hit her on her side and right shoulder which left her wincing. Needing to get some distance, Zuikaku slammed her blade right into Sora's ribcage which pushed him back across the water a few feet.

Zuikaku then jumped back and brought her sword up to her right shoulder and held it with both of her hands while maintaining her breathing so that she controlled how much stamina was being used on her part. Sora at the same time twirled his keyblade in his hand watching Zuikaku's movement.

In an instant, Zuikaku dashed forward and brought her blade down in a slanted manner which forced Sora to quickly bring his Keyblade up only for Zuikaku to spin on her back leg and quickly slash at Sora's right shoulder to stun him. However, Sora having a great deal of experience was prepared for Zuikaku's attack and managed to stop the katana from striking him. But Zuikaku's blade was locked in a bind with Sora's Keyblade causing the two to get closer bringing them just inches away from butting heads.

Remaining composed even with being so close to each other, Sora and Zuikaku stared straight into each other's eyes trying to get a read on each of their reactions. Not wanting to be locked in a bind, Zuikaku pushed her blade forward closer to Sora's cheek and quickly backpedaled leaving some space between the two. However, Sora felt something on his cheek and raised a hand to check what it was. To his surprise, Sora felt a small cut along his cheek realizing that he had been nicked by Zuikaku's katana.

Noticing that Sora was checking his cheek, Zuikaku smirked at the fact that the two had been locked in combat for some time and she had managed to finally injure Sora even if it was a small cut. Feeling a wave of confidence hit her, Zuikaku decided to pick up the pace and strike Sora with rapid attacks now.

At full force, Zuikaku shot straight at Sora even leaving a splash of water rise behind her. Zuikaku then leaped into the air and twisted her body so that she was spinning in the air while also letting her sword gain speed and come crashing down at Sora. Seeing Zuikaku jump into the air, Sora readied himself by raising his Keyblade to block the incoming attack.

Within an instant, the two clashed blades with Zuikaku still in the air with her katana being blocked by Sora's Keyblade causing the two to get close again. Not wasting any time, Zuikaku pushed back and separated herself several feet, and regained her fighting stance. Wanting to deal more damage to Sora, Zuikaku readied herself yet.

Realizing that Zuikaku was just getting started, Sora began to think about what abilities of his would do best to counter her attacks along with dealing damage. Feeling a wave of energy course through him, Sora realized that his Formchange was still available to him. Letting a smile cross his face, Sora brought his hand to his heart and closed his eyes calling upon that power. With strength flowing all around him, Sora grasped his heart and yelled out.

"Give me strength!"

Out of nowhere, a blast of white light surrounded Sora forcing Zuikaku to cover her eyes and grunt at being blinded by the light. Once the light died down, Sora stood there with his Keyblade in hand, however, his clothes had changed to his old outfit signifying that he was now in the Second form.

Zuikaku lowered her hand covering her eyes and got a better look at Sora surprised that his clothes had changed. His once red and black jacket was now replaced with a jacket with yellow straps near his collar and white strips around the jacket with the color black being prominent. His shirt under his jacket was now a blue color with a red patch covering his pants pocket near his waist. His pants also had a yellow stripe going across his thigh instead of it being red. And his boots were now involved more yellow than before.

Unsure of what to think, Zuikaku guessed that Sora gave himself a boost of power of sorts to use against her. Realizing that her opponent was giving it his all, a sense of determination hit Zuikaku wanting her to fight with all she had. Zuikaku then called out to Sora.

"Your clothes changed? I'm guessing you gave yourself a power boost" Zuikaku said while observing Sora's reaction.

"Yea, you guessed right. You said to use my full strength, and that's exactly what I'm going to do!" Sora replied while smirking back at Zuikaku who also had a grin start to appear on her face.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, this is where the real fight begins!" Zuikaku proclaimed while also twirling her katana in front of her before stopping and getting into her battle stance ready to fight Sora.

With no words needed, Sora and Zuikaku shot forward at each other with their blades ready to clash and claim a victor.

Sora gained the advantage and was the first to attack Zuikaku by slamming his weapon into her causing her to block the attack and push Sora's Keyblade away so that she could slash at his shoulder. However, Sora using his flexibility quickly crouched and side-swept her feet away causing Zuikaku to come crashing down into the water.

Angered by what Sora did, Zuikaku rolled on her side until she pushed up against the water causing a splash of water to be left behind and landed back on her feet dashing straight at Sora. Bringing her blade around, Zuikaku slashed at Sora who blocked and allowed him to counter her with a kick to which she blocked the kick with her katana causing Sora to use his foot to push back against her katana leaving him to roll back on the water and roll back into his battle stance.

Having a bit of space between the two, Sora pointed his keyblade towards her and shouted out a blizzard spell to hold her in place.

"Freeze!"

The tip of his Keyblade glowed a light blue color before a shard of ice started heading for Zuikaku which left her surprised and wide-eyed at what she was seeing. Without thinking, Zuikaku dodged the shard of ice making its way towards her and kept her eye on the ice still moving forward with no indication of it stopping. However, Zuikaku didn't notice the trail of ice that followed the ice shard.

Moving her head back to look at Sora, she was surprised when she saw Sora inches away from her sliding on ice with his blade inches away from her face. With no time to waste, Zuikaku brought her katana to block the attack but was, unfortunately, too slow to defend herself leaving Sora an opening to exploit.

Seeing his chance, Sora flash stepped towards Zuikaku managing to stun her before bringing his Keyblade back down in a radial blast while following it up with an upward swing knocking Zuikaku back and grimacing at being hurt. Sora then rolled to the side of Zuikaku before slashing at her leg hoping to leave her unable to move.

However, Zuikaku instantly parried the attack and kicked Sora back while also falling into the water. Getting up quickly, she then glided towards Sora with her blade by her side and readied for his next attack.

But Sora was planning something else, he twirled his Keyblade in front of him and prepared to strike her with one of his abilities once she got close enough. Seeing that she was inches away from him and raising her blade to strike her, Sora instantly shot forward and raised his keyblade ready to outmatch her. Wanting to end the duel, Sora was ready to use his Ars Arcanum ability to finish Zuikaku.

In a matter of a second, the two fighter's blades clashed with each other causing sparks to ignite between the two blades. Zuikaku then pushed her blade back and then tried slashing at Sora's torso only for him to parry. Sora then swatted her katana to the side and started stabbing his Keyblade towards her chest several times which caused her to lower her katana to try and block the attack.

With her incredible speed, Zuikaku was able to block the attack from Sora allowing her katana hilt to take most of the attack, however, the force of the attack landed on her chest which made her wince in pain. Wanting to gain the advantage, Zuikaku shoved her katana up causing Sora's blade to go past her head and leave her to slash at his arm causing Sora to grunt out in pain.

Rolling out of the way, Sora twirled his Keyblade and charged straight at Zuikaku ready to use his ability. Before Zuikaku could realize what was happening, she saw Sora charging her with his blade glowing and heading straight for her.

Sora then heaved his Keyblade vertically across Zuikaku's body followed by another slash and then a slash coming from the left side going across her torso with a slash going straight down her chest. With no time wasted, Sora then stabbed his Keyblade right into her shoulder followed by a spinning attack that transitioned into a vertically slanted slash that let Sora flip in mid-air while also striking her in the face.

Zuikaku was left completely stunned by the movement of Sora seeing that he had gone from regular paced attacks to completely nonstop barrages of slashes against her body. She tried raising her katana to parry any of Sora's attacks but was left stunned by how fast Sora truly was.

Following the strike across her face, Sora then slashed in a slanted downward direction across her body which allowed him to spiral upwards in a spinning motion lifting her in the air a couple of feet before slamming his Keyblade down onto her with a blast of light covering her from top to bottom.

Sora then fell onto the water's surface with his clothes returning to his red and black color scheme and made his way to check and see how Zuikaku was affected by the Ars Arcanum ability on her. Once the blast of light started to die down, Sora spotted Zuikaku crouched down on the water with her body covered with scratches and having a few pieces of her clothes look damaged. Zuikaku was wincing in pain with a grimaced expression before wobbling to her feet and trying to regain her footing.

While her legs were shaking and trying to regain her balance, Zuikaku let out a deep breath before closing her eyes and getting a burst of adrenaline running through her. Opening her eyes, Zuikaku straightened her stance and stared at Sora with a grin on her face. She then called out to Sora.

"I'm impressed, Sora! That key of yours really is something special" Zuikaku said while looking even more lively with her sword being held in front of her.

"Likewise, you're really strong, Zuikaku!" Sora replied while letting a smile cross his face.

"You're wrong, I need to become stronger if I'm going to defeat the Grey Ghost. And it looks like I'm going to need to get even stronger if I'm to beat Enterprise and you as well, Sora" Zuikaku said while twirling her katana in her hand and staring right at Sora.

"You want to become stronger? Is there any other reason other than beating me and Enterprise?" Sora asked wanting to learn more about Zuikaku's goal.

"The reason for wanting to get stronger? Why should I tell you that now? We are in the middle of a duel!" Zuikaku proclaimed while growing frustrated at Sora's question during their fight.

"I know nothing about you. Wouldn't it help to at least know what your reason is for fighting so that I could strive to fight you with all I've got?" Sora asked trying to get any type of answer out of Zuikaku.

Zuikaku realized that she and Sora did not exactly know each other. She figured she could at least give some context as to who she was.

"There are many reasons why I wish to get stronger. However, if it had to give a few then I would say that I want to protect those I care about" Zuikaku answered while looking at Sora.

Not wanting to interrupt her, Sora stayed quiet and listened to Zuikaku continue her explanation.

"I also want to prove myself not only to others. I want to become a beacon. A beacon of light to help those that I care about in dark times. With the Sirens threatening our world, we need leaders to help lead the fightback against the Sirens. That's another reason why I'm striving to become strong" Zuikaku said while still looking Sora in the eyes and answering truthfully.

"And... if I had to give another reason for wanting to get stronger, then it would have to be for myself. I know it sounds selfish, but I want to be strong enough to see not only the end of this war but the world after. Seeing what else life has to offer..." Zuikaku said while maintaining a confident look while staring at Sora.

Processing what Zuikaku had said, Sora could relate to several of her reasons for wanting to be strong. The feeling of helplessness was something Sora could relate to, and it was a terrible feeling to experience. Recalling his time back at the Keyblade Graveyard when he lost all his friends to the Heartless swarm and not being able to do anything at all. Seeing his friends die in front of him was something Sora would never forget. The experience would also help to push him forward to make sure something like that would never happen again. Giving his all to make sure his friends could see the end of the war is something he would do again and again as many times as it takes.

Having taken a moment to gather his thoughts, Sora spoke to Zuikaku giving his two cents.

"We have a lot in common, Zuikaku. More than you think. You claim to want to be stronger, but honestly, I think you're already strong. Strong enough to protect those close to you" Sora replied letting a small smile appear on his face while staring back at Zuikaku.

Unsure of what to say back to Sora, Zuikaku became flustered and grateful that someone was able to understand her reasoning for wanting to become stronger.

Realizing that Sora understood her even after meeting him in such a short amount of time, Zuikaku wanted to learn more about him. And she would do so by crossing blades with him. Shaking her head and twirling her katana in her hand before sheathing it in its holder, Zuikaku called out to Sora once more.

"Sora... Although we are still enemies, I ask that you continue to give it your all in our duel. While we may be opponents, I wish to learn more about you and plan to do so by letting our blades do the talking" Zuikaku said while feeling a wave of newfound energy course through her excitement about fighting Sora again.

"Right, we still need to see who the victor in this duel is. But while we may be against each other now. I do consider you a friend of mine" Sora said while spinning his keyblade in his hand letting out a smile.

"F-friend!? We just barely met each other not that long ago! How do you consider me a friend!?" Zuikaku yelled while having a ruffled expression cover her face.

"Of course, I consider you a friend. We've been talking for a bit both literally and with our blades. Plus, I'm friends with plenty of people who have tried to kill me before nothing new there" Sora replied while having a goofy smile plastered on his face.

Bewildered by what Sora was saying, Zuikaku wasn't sure of how to reply. So, she just looked at Sora and had a small smile start to appear on her lips. Putting a hand on her katana's handle, Zuikaku was ready to continue their duel to see who the victor would be. Sora also nodded his head and spun the keyblade getting into his signature stance.

---

However, before the two could continue their fight, a large explosion caught their attention with water flying all around them causing them to be drenched. Sora then remembered that he was in the middle of a battlefield with other girls locked in combat fighting to gain the advantage. Having had tunnel vision and been locked in combat with Zuikaku, Sora began to take in his surroundings. Sora spotted Wales and Hood along with Akagi directing planes to attack his friends. Moreover, Sora looked at where the explosion occurred and saw something that worried him greatly.

In the spot where the explosion happened was the large white fox with its eyes glowing blue and staring down at the water's surface. However, upon closer inspection, Sora spotted a girl laying on the ground beneath the fox. Spotting something familiar about the girl, Sora noticed what appeared to be a white animal of some kind. Before Sora could do anything, he saw another familiar girl in the corner of his eye running toward the fallen girl.

Upon closer inspection, the familiar girl running was Cleaveland who had her hands reaching out to the fallen girl. Cleaveland then yelled out the fallen girl's name.

"Unicorn, No!"

Hearing Cleaveland shout out Unicorn's name triggered something in Sora's heart causing him to take off instantly towards the fox leaving an explosion of water behind him. With no time to waste, Sora narrowed his sight onto the fox's mouth and used his flowmotion ability to instantly shoot forward and strike the fox leaving everyone bewildered by what had just happened.

Moreover, right before Sora shot off toward the fox, another spectacle happened to cause Akagi to look around due to her senses being alerted. Catching a blue glowing bird in the air, Akagi whirled her head to keep up with how fast the glowing bird was moving. However, the glowing bird was heading straight for the large fox's back to which the bird morphed into an arrow that managed to impact the fox in the back causing it to yell out in pain not only from the arrow but from Sora's attack as well.

Seeing her sister be struck by both attacks at the same time, Akagi became furious and cried out for her sister.

"Kaga!"

Turning her head toward the direction that the glowing bird came from, Akagi spotted something in the distance behind many Siren ships. What she saw irritated her and made her narrow her eyes and give off an intimidating aura.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up," Akagi remarked while staring down at the person who fired the bird morphing arrow.

In the distance, Enterprise stood there with her bow and arrow in one hand while the other was holding onto her cap staring back at Akagi with a glare. Seeing Enterprise's glare pissed Akagi off to the point where she aimed her riggings at her ready to fire, however, she remembered that her sister had another nuisance to deal with. That being the boy.

After Sora slammed into Kaga's fox form and performed an aerial dive slash across the fox's face, the fox stumbled to the water's surface having been stunned by the sudden attack on both her face and back. Sora then dropped to the ground and began to rush towards Unicorn and U-chan who were hurt and still floating on the water's surface. Pushing himself to reach his friends in time, Sora activated his Flowmotion ability once again and shot toward Unicorn while a blue glow illuminated around him. Within reach, Sora grabbed onto Unicorn and U-chan with both of his hands and dashed straight towards Wales who was helping Hood with fighting against another girl.

Unicorn was shocked at what had happened along with being blown out of the air while riding U-chan was in trying to sort out what was going on. One moment she was crashing and hitting the water and the next the large fox was growling right at her ready to eat her. Then out of nowhere Sora appeared slamming into the fox's mouth and a flash of blue light hit the back of the fox. And now Sora was carrying her and U-chan in his arms while running away from the large fox leading her to safety. Not entirely sure what was happening, Unicorn felt a wave of tiredness start to consume her but not before she called out to Sora showing that she was aware of what was going on.

"B-big brother...?" Unicorn murmured while her vision was leaving her.

Getting closer to Wales, Sora was able to identify the silver-haired girl and the features around her. She was a tall woman with a slender frame and a large bust. Her hair had one side tied in a small side tail by a hair ornament, and blue eyes with orange eyeliner. She wore a long-sleeved hooded kimono with flower motifs and red strings on each side of her chest, yellow designs and linings, black designs at the end of the sleeves and a black sash wrapped around her waist, black hakama skirt, white thigh-high socks with red strings, red & silver slippers and black partly fingerless gloves.

In Sora's mind, he thought that the girl had a similar-looking hair ornament that looked like Zuikaku's. Perhaps they knew each other. Either way, Sora was about several meters from Wales and called out to her while still holding Unicorn and U-chan.

"Wales! I got Unicorn and U-chan!" Sora yelled while dodging explosions that landed around him.

Noticing where Sora was, Wales called back out to him before sending a bomb targeting the silver-haired girl.

"Sora! Thank goodness you're ok. And what about Unicorn? How is she?" Wales asked while spotting Cleaveland who was finishing off a Siren ship. Cleaveland immediately turned towards Wales and spotted Sora and Unicorn causing her to start gliding towards the trio.

Checking to see how Unicorn was faring, Sora realized that she was fading into unconsciousness trying to keep her eyes open, but her body was too tired to stay awake.

"Unicorn is ok, she's just tired and fell unconscious. U-chan is good as well" Sora replied while seeing that Cleaveland had just arrived and greeted him with a confident smile.

"Glad to see you're alright, Sora. Thank goodness Unicorn is ok" Cleaveland said while looking down at the young girl.

Swerving his head to the side, Sora spotted the fox getting back on its hind legs and staring straight at Sora with a glare. Seeing the fox targeting him, Sora gently handed Cleaveland both Unicorn and U-chan before turning to look at Wales.

"I managed to make the fox mad, and now it's targeting me. Cleaveland, please watch over Unicorn and U-chan. Wales can you keep the silver-haired girl and Zuikaku busy while I deal with the fox?" Sora said while observing the fox get ready to charge at him.

"Understood I'll keep a close eye on her. But Sora... are you sure you can handle Kaga in her fox form?" Cleaveland said while becoming concerned about Sora's safety... and sanity.

"So, that's Kaga? Don't worry, I got this. Besides, I've dealt with bigger creatures before" Sora replied, with a confident grin on his face. Wales and Cleaveland could only look at Sora and the confidence surrounding him while going up against a foe such as Kaga even in her enlarged form.

Summoning his keyblade in his right hand, Sora then started sprinting towards Kaga planning to attack her in the face or anywhere else. Kaga then lifted her head and howled out before the landing strips on her body began to rotate and glow blue. Once the blue light faded, many planes appeared and were all beginning to take off from the landing strip.

Kaga seeing the boy running towards her began to glow an even brighter blue around her face and body. Kaga then shifted her body so that several of the land strips were in the middle of transition and now pointing towards Sora. With another loud howl, all the planes on the landing strips immediately took off aiming straight at Sora.

With all the planes coming at him, Sora raised his keyblade in the air and shouted out a spell that would help him deal with the planes.

"Wind!"

The spell cast created a green vortex of wind that started to pick up in speed. However, Sora wanted the spell to get bigger so that planes would be affected by the wind. So, Sora raised his keyblade in the air again and started yelling out the wind spell again and again.

"Storm!"

Creating a blast of green light to leave the tip of his keyblade, a large green vortex suddenly appeared splashing water all over the place with winds picking up at incredible speeds. Within a few seconds, a small tornado was created from the wind spell allowing Sora to use the tornado to get sent flying into the air.

Sora looked over at where Kaga was currently and found her still standing in place with her body glowing blue with the landing strips connected to her body launching plane after plane that were heading straight for him. Knowing where he needed to land, Sora instantly jumped into the vortex and was shot vertically up reaching the top of the tornado and being shot out of the funnel.

Soaring in the air, Sora flipped his body around so that he was free-falling while still maintaining his balance so he could move around if any planes were to start targeting him. Coincidentally, several planes started making their way towards Sora to which he twisted his body so that he was looking right at the incoming planes.

Pointing his body towards the planes, Sora aimed his keyblade at the closest plane and cast a fire spell to destroy it.

"Fire!"

The fireball blasted from the top of the keyblade and was closing in on the closest plane. Upon impact, the fireball managed to completely ignite the plane which caused it to explode leaving nothing but smoke behind. Realizing that all his spells so far had been extremely powerful, Sora took note of the rest of the incoming planes heading his way.

Flipping his body around so that his feet were pointing towards the ground while free-falling in the air, Sora held his keyblade with both hands on the handle and aimed the tip of the blade in the direction of the incoming planes sent by Kaga. With the planes in sight, Sora started to nonstop cast fire spells at the planes hoping to destroy most of the enemies.

"Blaze!"

Instantly many fire spells were cast from the tip of his keyblade leaving the blade glowing red. So many fireballs were being shot at the planes that once contact was made explosions started going off almost acting like fireworks. Observing his handiwork, Sora noticed that only a few more planes were still heading his way and immediately came up with a plan. A crazy plan that was for sure going to leave him in a heap of trouble.

Locking his sights onto the closest plane, Sora used his Flowmotion ability to target the top of the plane and shot forward while landing on the plane. Scrambling to keep his balance on the plane, Sora stabbed his Keyblade through the top of the plane and pulled the plane back which jerked the plane but did move the plane.

Seeing his plan coming together, Sora looked below him to see where Kaga's fox form was currently and saw the fox looking up in the air while still launching planes from the landing strips. Realizing that he would need to be quick with his attack, Sora let out a worried sigh before shaking his head and gaining a serious yet confident look on his face. Grasping the hand on his keyblade, Sora pulled the plane so that the plane was diving through the air straight at Kaga.

---

Back on the ground, Wales was still firing back at Shoukaku who was dodging every bullet heading her way. Dashing side to side, she was able to force Wales to become irritated but also on her toes given that the two were moving nonstop trying to best one another. Cleaveland on her part was shooting at Shoukaku as well as staying next to Unicorn who had gained some of her consciousness but was still fatigued and needed U-chan to support her by hanging over him.

Hood meanwhile was fighting against Akagi who was gliding all over the place throwing her red paper planes that caught fire and acted like distractions forcing Hood to stay alert. Having been surrounded by planes not that long ago, Hood summoned her ship providing cover fire for her by dealing with Akagi's planes giving Hood breathing room. Along with the opportunity to deal with Akagi who was proving to be a formidable foe.

Enterprise was busy destroying Siren ships nonstop with her bow demolishing ships with just a single arrow shot. However, out of nowhere Zuikaku appeared with her red dress and brown hair swaying in the wind while yelling at Enterprise.

"Grey Ghost! I've found you!" Zuikaku exclaimed while bringing her katana forward and slashing at Enterprise with a horizontal strike at her torso only for her attack to be blocked.

Enterprise hearing Zuikaku quickly brought her bow closer to her body which left her barely enough time to catch the katana attack by the end of her bow leaving both Zuikaku and her to be inches away from each other.

Having fought with Sora earlier, Zuikaku was filled with eager energy and excitement to duel someone yet again especially since it was now the Grey Ghost that she was going up against. Narrowing her gaze so that she was staring directly into Enterprise's eyes, Zuikaku called out to her.

"Grey Ghost... Enterprise, we still haven't decided who is the real victor in our many duels. That ends today. I challenge you!" Zuikaku said while feeling adrenaline running through her blood eager to hear what Enterprise will say.

Staying silent for a second while keeping her bow locked against Zuikaku's katana, Enterprise let out a quick sigh before looking back at Zuikaku and nodding her head.

"Very well, Zuikaku, we'll settle this now" Enterprise responded while pushing the katana back to Zuikaku and jumping back a couple of feet leaving space between the two.

Hearing Enterprise's response, Zuikaku eagerly nodded her head and had a grin appear on her face ready to push her strength to the limit to defeat the Grey Ghost.

"Get ready Grey Ghost. Here I come!" Zuikaku said while charging at Enterprise twirling her katana and dashing at Enterprise who had grasped her bow and quickly pulled the string back summoning a yellow arrow. Ready for the impending duel.

---

Continuing to push his weapon forward and directing the plane to dive downwards, Sora was holding onto his Keyblade for dear life given that control of the plane was not stable. The plane was also shaking back and forth causing Sora to start sweating given that he's used to jumping from high heights but controlling a plane to dive into a giant fox was something new.

Seeing that he wasn't that far away from Kaga's form while in the air, Sora jerked the plane one more time so that it was aimed to hit the fox's body head-on. With everything set in motion, Sora let go of his Keyblade and jumped off the top of the plane seeing the plane dive down and gain speed. Sora then held his hand out which immediately summoned back his weapon and let him twist his body so that he was skydiving with enough balance to slam into Kaga.

Within a matter of seconds, many things happened. The plane that Sora commandeered started swirling in the air spinning a complete 360 degrees before it made an impact on Kaga's side causing a large explosion and forcing Kaga to get pushed and let out a pained howl.

Upon seeing the explosion happen and hearing Kaga cry out in pain, Akagi rapidly turned her head towards Kaga and ignored Hood only focusing on her sister being hurt.

"Kaga!"

Beginning to rush towards her, Akagi was ready to start sprinting to check up on Kaga only to be stopped by Hood who dashed in front of her and had her riggings out and pointed at her.

"Sorry, but we're not done here," Hood said while staring down Akagi who was beginning to become furious with flames igniting around her.

"How dare you..." Akagi said but turned her attention towards the sky where she saw something falling in the air.

Hood also turned her attention to where Akagi was looking and saw an object flying through the sky coming in at an incredibly fast rate. However, as the object was beginning to come closer Hood was able to make distinct features around the object and was flabbergasted at what she saw. Spiky hair and dark pants with yellow boots were part of the falling object. There was only one person that Hood knew that had those features.

"Sora!?" Hood exclaimed while her mouth was left open and confused by what he was doing.

Falling through the air was Sora who had his keyblade in one hand with the rest of his body sprawled out and moving at an incredible speed. However, Sora was not showing any indication of slowing down and was gaining speed. With no idea of what he was doing, the two girls could only watch as Sora was getting closer to the water's surface.

In a single moment, Sora flipped his body so that he was no longer sprawled out, but he had his Keyblade raised higher than his whole body and seemed to be focusing on the area where Kaga was hit with the plane. With as much force as he could muster, Sora slammed right into Kaga sending her flying and yelling in pain as she was hit in the same spot as the plane.

The impact caused by Sora hitting Kaga caused a large explosion sending both water and smoke around the area. The smoke caused all the other girls to stop fighting with each other and try to find their surroundings. Confusion made its way into all the girls' mindsets on what exactly happened given that Hood and Akagi were the only ones to see Sora slamming into Kaga's fox form.

---

While the others were watching Sora fighting against Kaga, Zuikaku and Enterprise were engaged in combat with both sides not letting up. Zuikaku's attacks would be blocked by Enterprise's bow which gave her the chance to hit slam the bow into Zuikaku's torso. Moreover, Enterprise would shoot arrows at Zuikaku who was forced to either dodge the arrows or even deflect any arrows coming her way. The two continued this charade until Sora slammed into Kaga causing a cloud of smoke to cover the area that all the girls were occupying.

Enterprise was unable to see where Zuikaku was and began to dash to the side but was attacked unexpectedly by Zuikaku forcing her to be pushed back. Enterprise then backpedaled so that she was now able to see her surroundings and even the cloud of smoke that covered a great deal of area. However, before Enterprise could relax Zuikaku jumped out of the smoke and slashed right at Enterprise forcing her to raise her bow to block the attack leaving the two to continue their duel.

---

At the same time, the other girls were busy trying to find their surroundings and see what was going on. Wales had pulled her sword out of its sheath and was calling out to anyone that could hear her.

"Cleaveland! Unicorn! Hood! Can you hear me?" Wales said while gliding across the water trying to find her friends.

After searching for a moment, she bumped into something or someone causing her to point her sword at whatever it was that she hit. Not a second later a familiar face made itself apparent in the form of a head with a cape behind their head.

"Wales! There you are!" Cleaveland said relieved that she found one of her friends.

"Cleaveland it's good to see you. But wait! Where's Unicorn and U-chan?" Wales asked not seeing the young girl or her plushie friend.

"I thought she was with you?" Cleaveland replied with worry beginning to appear in her tone of voice.

Before Wales could say anything, a shout was heard that made both her and Cleaveland could process what was happening.

"Wind!"

Within a few seconds, the cloud of smoke was beginning to fade away thanks to the sudden green vortex that appeared out of nowhere. Now with the area being cleared the girls were able to get a clear picture of what just happened.

Standing there next to Kaga's large fox form was Sora with his weapon pointed right at her ready to attack if she tried anything. Sora's head was also turned to the side looking at something. Baffled by what they were seeing, Wales began to move closer to Sora until she followed where Sora was looking. And what she saw worried her greatly.

Unicorn was standing there holding U-chan while also looking scared at the three girls that were next to her. One of the girls was Akagi who was not supporting any malicious smile on her face but rather had a frown, and her right hand was shaking. Shoukaku another girl there was fiddling around with something in her kimono sleeve while also observing what Akagi was going to do seeing that Sora was pointing his weapon at Kaga. Z23 was also there standing to the side of Akagi not sure what to make of the whole situation. Uncertain of what to do, Wales continued to observe what either Sora or Akagi would do next.

While pointing his Keyblade at Kaga, Sora was staring back at Akagi worried about what she was planning. Especially since she was near Unicorn and U-chan. Sora didn't know much about Akagi which was worrisome so for now he would just stay on high alert.

With no one saying anything, Akagi was the first to speak.

"Well now, it seems we are at a crossroads... Sora" Akagi said while twirling a red paper plane in her fingers while staring back at Sora.

"How do you know my name?" Sora asked not exactly sure how Akagi learned his name.

"Why, your friends were calling out to you right before you attacked my sister..." Akagi replied with a cold tone in her voice.

Seeing that he needed to be careful with how he answered, Sora then let out a sigh before responding to Akagi.

"Your sister is Kaga, right? I'm sorry about attacking her but you and the Sirens attacked Azur Lane first" Sora said while being truthful in his words.

"Your apology would mean a lot more if you and all of Azur Lane lay down your arms," Akagi said while holding onto a red paper plane.

Realizing that Akagi was asking for too much, Sora knew one way to get her to stop her assault against Azur Lane. However, before Sora could say anything Kaga's fox form began to glow blue all around her body forcing Sora to close his eyes and wait for the light to fade away. Once the light died down, Sora looked to where Kaga's fox form was last seen and became surprised when he saw the white-haired girl crouching on the water's surface.

Seeing that her sister was back to human form, Akagi called out to Kaga checking to see if she was alright.

"Kaga! My dear sister are you ok?!" Akagi asked having turned her attention towards her sister.

"Y-yes, I'm alright. I just need a moment to regain my strength" Kaga said while her body features betrayed what she was saying. Kaga was covered in dirt with parts of her clothing having been damaged, and she looked to be breathing heavily.

Before Akagi could say anything else, Sora spoke up offering his idea for how Akagi could stop her assault against Azur Lane.

"Akagi, I ask that you stop your assault against Azur Lane and call off the Sirens. In return, I offer something of interest" Sora proclaimed while observing Akagi's reaction.

Unsure of what Sora was trying to accomplish by asking her for a request, Akagi decided to play along.

"My, my, you certainly have courage I'll give you that. However, what is it that you are offering?" Akagi asked becoming curious as to what Sora would say.

Cleaveland having been hearing everything that was happening between Sora and Akagi began to grow worried when Sora offered her an offer to stop her attack on Azur Lane.

"Sora... don't do something reckless..." Cleaveland muttered knowing that Sora heard her.

Turning to get a glimpse of Kaga still crouching on the water's surface and then looking back at Wales, Cleaveland, and Unicorn. Sora knew his plan was a bad idea, but it was a plan that was beneficial not only for Akagi but for himself as well.

"Akagi... my offer is that I go with you as your prisoner and you along with your reinforcements stop the assault against Azur Lane and leave the island," Sora said while realizing how idiotic his plan sounded.

However, Sora saw this as an opportunity too good to let go of. If he were to be taken as a hostage to the Sakura Empire, then he could find a way to get them to call off their alliance with the Sirens and warn them of the impending doom that the Heartless brought. Plus, Sora was curious as to what else this world had to offer and if getting taken hostage allowed him to see another part of the world then he could manage to be a prisoner. It wouldn't be his first time being taken as a prisoner.

Akagi on her part was puzzled by the strange offer and was silent for a moment thinking of the pros and cons behind taking Sora hostage. Of course, the Siren ships under her command were not enough to overthrow the entirety of Azur Lane and were merely just to demonstrate the power behind the Red Axis. In addition, Sora was a target of interest especially since his power was fascinating to observe given that he was carrying around a giant key, and the charm around his neck further solidified that he was the one that the Sirens were looking for.

Considering all the benefits that would come from taking Sora hostage, Akagi let a mischievous smile appear on her face before responding to Sora's offer.

"Well, that is some offer. I must say you are peculiar aren't you, Sora? Either way, I accept your offer" Akagi said while twirling her hand and letting a red paper plane fly into the air before catching on fire and turning to ash.

Upon Akagi's command, the Siren ships around the area started to phase out of existence almost like they were consumed by a portal of sorts. One by one the Siren ships disappeared leaving only Wales, Cleaveland, Unicorn, Shoukaku, Akagi, Kaga, and Sora standing in the area.

---

While Sora and Akagi had begun talking, Wales began to look around for Hood to see if she was anywhere to be seen. Swerving her head back and forth, Wales did not spot her friend anywhere and was beginning to become worried.

However, before she could do anything her riggings radiofrequency started to pick something up. Fine-tuning her radio system on her riggings, Wales called out to the sound being transmitted.

"Hello? Is someone contacting me?" Wales asked unsure of what was going on.

Through the static frequency, a voice could be heard becoming clearer until the voice was completely understandable.

"H... hello Wales? Wales are you there?" the voice asked on the radio.

"Hood!? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. What is the situation over there?" Hood asked while the radio frequency was devoid of any static interruptions.

"We have a problem. Akagi and Sora are talking with each other, and Unicorn is here in the crossfire. Sora is doing his best to manage the situation" Wales replied while glancing over at the two still talking.

"Unicorn is in the crossfire? Has Akagi threatened her at all?" Hood said while trying to understand just what Wales said.

"No, not yet. However, Sora and Enterprise were able to injure Kaga in her fox form which angered Akagi leaving her as a wildcard" Wales said while growing more worried by the second.

Unsure about what to say, Hood took a deep breath before responding to Wales.

"Understood, do keep me updated on the situation. As for me, once the smoke screen appeared I planned to surprise attack, Akagi. However, I ended up outside of the smoke and was able to check our surroundings. It was then that her majesty contacted me about the east side of the island having been cleared of all Sirens, and that she along with Warspite and Illustrious were making their way over towards us. Belfast was already sent to your location so she should be there any minute. I, however, was tasked to meet her majesty halfway and inform her of our situation" Hood said while clarifying her whereabouts during the matter.

Listening to everything Hood said brought relief to Wales given that reinforcements were on their way. However, she turned her attention back to Sora and Akagi and realized that something was wrong. Hood had just heard what Sora had said. He had just offered himself as a hostage to convince Akagi and her forces to retreat.

---

With everything happening all at once, the Azur Lane girl's reactions were all over the place not believing that Sora just offered himself as a hostage to ensure their safety would be promised. Wanting to say something, Unicorn looked at Sora with wide eyes wanting to say something or anything but couldn't. All she could muster was a small murmur.

"Big brother..."

Hearing Unicorn, Sora turned to look at her and gave her a big smile while nodding at her and essentially telling her that everything was going to be ok. Sora then turned to Akagi and began to question her.

"So, Akagi, what do you say? Do you accept my offer?" Sora asked still not sure if she would take the offer.

Bringing a hand to her lips, Akagi decided what her answer would be.

"After giving the offer some thought I will accept," Akagi said while raising her hand in the air and waving it around three times signaling her forces to pull back.

Instantly after Akagi have the signal, Siren ships began to stop their attacks and turn away from the island. Then, a dark color began to appear all around the ships before entirely covering them and creating a portal with purple outlines. The ships once they entered the portal disappeared out of sight leaving nothing of their existence behind.

Seeing their reinforcement begin to leave, Z23 and Shoukaku got the memo and began to make their way from Wales and Cleaveland. Shoukaku realized that she should go and check on her sister who must've been engaging in combat with Enterprise.

Kaga on her part was struggling to stand up on her feet and was wobbling back and forth. Hence, she grunted in pain before forcing herself to stand up straight and regain her balance. Kaga then looked over at her sister to see what her next move was.

Akagi then looked down at Unicorn who was trembling and afraid of her. She then turned to look at Sora and began to slowly walk towards him with her gloved hand extended out. Akagi then looked at Sora in the eyes before letting a smile appear on her lips.

"And now, Sora, you… are… my… prisoner," Akagi said with a menacing tone of voice while still having a smile on her face.

Sora had no idea what he just got himself involved in. Or better yet... who he got himself involved with.

Chapter 10: Exchange of Words and Dreams

Summary:

Sora now at the hand of Akagi and Sakura Empire, will have to deal with being a prisoner while also making small talk with the crane sisters. Making new connections as always.

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright for Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane

*A/N - Once again thanks for all the reviews and comments about the story.

I'm also aware that there was some confusion on the part of the Sakura Empire not wanting to destroy Azur Lane, but also leaning on the mindset of defeating AL while also in cahoots with the Sirens.

*Comment made from reviewer in the past*

That is my fault. I didn't properly explain it and I'm sorry for that. What I had wanted was for there to be some discourse between what the Sakura Empire and Akagi truly wanted.

Hence, Akagi working to find a way to help Amagi with her sickness while working with the Sirens, but then what would happen after Amagi is healed? Moreover, the Sirens are the real enemy, and now with the Heartless things are going to change. I never really saw that all the girls in each faction wanted to kill and destroy each other. Completely that is. Therefore, I'll make sure to get this issue resolved and clear than being confusing.

Thanks again for giving this story a read and sticking along the ride. I'm still somewhat following the path of the anime, but soon things will divert greatly thanks to Sora.

In any case, I hope you have a great day and look forward to more to come.

Staring right at Akagi's gloved hand, Sora knew it was wise not to try any tricks against her since she could lash out at any given moment. He had no idea who Akagi was and only knew of her in passing. Plus, he already offered himself willingly to be her prisoner. If he tried to back out, then things would most likely go from bad to worse in a matter of seconds.

Letting out a sigh, Sora looked Akagi right into her ruby red eyes and nodded his head while de-summoning his Keyblade and speaking to her.

"Alright, I ask you to keep up your end of the deal, Akagi," Sora said with a serious expression on his face.

"Heehee, why of course, Sora, I may be many things, but I at least honor my word" Akagi replied while raising her right gloved hand in the air and flicking it back causing a flash of fire to appear and then disappear. However, there was something now in her hands.

Walking slowly toward Sora and getting closer and closer, Akagi gave a sweet yet mischievous smile while closing her eyes. She then raised her gloved hand and a bright flame appeared. A moment later the flame faded away and within her grasp was a pair of handcuffs.

"I trust you know what to do with this ~," Akagi said while handing Sora the handcuffs causing him to remain quiet but pick up the cuffs.

Beginning to place them in his hands, Sora was about to finish but was stopped short by the yells of his friends from Azur Lane.

"Sora! Wait! Stop! You don't have to go through with it! We can beat her" Cleaveland yelled while looking exasperated at what was going on.

"Sora there has to be another way! Let us help you!" echoed Wales who was looking very distressed at what was transpiring.

"Please! Listen to us, Sora! Together we can get through this! Her majesty is not that far we can rely on her to help us! Please stop!" Hood exclaimed while looking back and forth between Akagi and Sora.

"Sora! Stop acting foolish and let us help you!" Enterprise said while clutching onto her bow while her knuckles were beginning to change colors. The feeling of helplessness was flooding her vision. Memories of when Yorktown was badly injured and there was nothing she could do.

Unicorn on the other hand looked devastated. The sight of her newly appointed and admired big brother putting handcuffs on himself while also being taken away to save her and the others. Something new and amazing brought into her life is now being forcibly whisked away. Turning to look at Sora with sadness in her eyes, Unicorn quietly muttered, "Sora…".

Turning to look at Unicorn, Sora could tell that she was feeling many emotions running through her heart. Sadness and worry were being expressed on her face. He felt terrible at making his newly appointed sibling sad, but this was something that he had to do.

Getting Akagi and the Sirens to back off from Azur Lane at least until they were ready to strike back was Sora's goal. Plus, being taken prisoner would allow him to get closer to the Sakura Empire and see how things were going on her there.

Deciding that he had delayed long enough, Sora gave a confident and warm smile to Unicorn while confiding in her.

"Hey, it's going to be alright, Unicorn. We'll see each other soon. I've got this".

Hearing and seeing Sora give off a reassuring attitude, Unicorn felt a vote of confidence that things would be okay. In return, Unicorn nodded at his words.

Sora then turned to look over at Wales, Hood, Cleaveland, and Enterprise seeing that they also had signs of worry stricken on their faces. He then looked each one of them right in the eyes almost as if he was telling them, it'll be alright. One by one each of the girls' faces transitioned from concern to understanding.

The realization settled in that while they could not do anything now, the time for them to act would soon come.

Seeing that things were calming down, Sora finished putting the handcuffs on and looked over at Akagi who seemed to be staring at him intently. She then asked, "I take it you're done here".

"Yeah, I am," Sora said walking toward Akagi leaving his new friends behind.

"Very well, until we meet again, Azur Lane…" Akagi proclaimed before pushing Sora ahead to take him to her ship.

Not wanting to set Akagi off, Sora continued to walk forward and most likely toward the ship that was moving away slowly. Akagi followed closely behind Sora causing him to slightly tense up. He even felt something brush against his leg.

Looking down, he spotted one of Akagi's tails touching his leg. Any normal person would begin to freak out or get worried about a girl with real fox-like characteristics. But Sora had been to many different worlds where the people there had many different features.

Hood was feeling many emotions running through her head and was coming up with solutions to try and save Sora, but alas before she could do anything, her radio started to pick up and someone was trying to reach her.

Activating her radio, Hood responded, "Hello? Do you read me?".

"Hood, do you copy? This is Belfast coming up on your position. What is the situation?" the voice of Belfast responded.

"The worst case I'm afraid. Sora has elected to offer himself as a prisoner to Akagi to stave off her forces" Hood answered with a frown.

"This is grave news… her majesty will not take kindly to how the situation has transpired. How is everyone else?" Belfast asked.

"Wales and Cleaveland are alright. Minor injuries and restock of ammunition are all. Unicorn, however…" Hood said while looking over at Unicorn who had her head down while clutching onto U-chan. "She…she's going through quite a lot right now. Shock and sadness are most likely what she's feeling" Hood explained.

"I see… Unicorn has never had something like this happen to her before" Belfast said, realizing that Unicorn must be at a loss.

However, before Belfast could say anything else her radio picked up another channel requesting her to answer.

"Excuse me, Hood. Her majesty is calling for an update. I'll let her know what has transpired and request she hastens to reach your destination" Belfast said.

"Understood, Belfast. See you soon" Hood said before silencing her radio and confiding in Wales and Cleaveland.

Wales on her part was still watching Sora and Akagi getting further and further towards her ship. Seeing Sora both so close yet so far was bothering her very much. The desire to chase after him and help him get away from Akagi was tempting, Wales knew it was a bad idea.

Thankfully, before she could act, Hood appeared in her vision and looked as if something was on her mind.

"Hood! Was that her majesty that you were just talking with right now?" Wales asked.

"No, that was Belfast. She inquired about the situation" Hood responded while looking out at the sea to see that Sora and Akagi were a great distance away and now making their way onto the deck of the ship.

"And? Are she and her majesty going to help us bring Sora back?!" Cleveland asked, looking anxious and eager to help her friend.

Shaking her head, Hood answered, "No, Belfast was sent on a scouting mission to reconvene with us but since the situation has changed, she will fall back and catch up with her majesty who will then make her way to our location".

"But… What about Sora?! Are we just going to let him get taken away?" Cleveland said looking out at the sea and the ship that Sora was now on.

"Cleveland, I know how you feel. I too want to rush out there and bring back Sora. But we must be careful with how we proceed from here" Wales said, looking at Akagi's ship in the distance.

"Wales is right. Most of our forces are not here. If we try to launch a counterattack, then we will be overwhelmed and most likely suffer significant casualties. The best way forward is to wait for her majesty and go from there" Hood explained.

Letting out a sigh, Cleveland could only watch as the ship that Sora was on was now getting further and further away. The trio all wanted to help their new friend but could see that now was not the time. However, the time would come when they would fight with everything they had to save Sora.

---

Having been pushed onto the deck of the ship, Sora was still staying silent while trying to get a better read on Akagi. She had also been quiet while sticking next to him the entire trek over to the ship. Seeing that she had not lashed out at him, Sora was about to ask her something when several individuals appeared on the deck.

Sora could recognize two of the individuals that showed up on the deck. Two he did not know or interact with. Zuikaku and Kaga were the two he recognized. The other two not so much.

Before he could think about who the other two were, Akagi began speaking to everyone, "Now then, I'd say that the operation was a success~".

"Dear sister, are you sure it's alright for him to be here?" Kaga said while glaring at Sora.

"It's fine, Kaga. Even if he tries anything, I'll make sure that his friends are the ones to suffer the consequences" Akagi said, waving her gloved hand in the air to summon fire and threaten Sora.

"As long as you keep your end of the deal, I'll keep mine," Sora replied, not fazed at all by Akagi's fire.

"Well, at least he has some bravery," Kaga said, still glaring at Sora.

"Some bravery huh… hey sis, what do you think about him? You've gotten to duel against him?" the white-haired girl asked Zuikaku.

Looking at Sora and then her sister, Zuikaku responded, "Having dueled against him only for a short time, I can also vouch that Sora is indeed brave. He knows how to handle a blade".

"Well now, that's certainly a compliment. My sister isn't very good with her feelings so to hear that she thinks highly of you, Sora is something noteworthy" the white-haired girl said.

"Uhm… Thank you… sorry I don't know who you are exactly?" Sora said.

"Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Shoukaku. I'm Zuikaku's big sister" the girl now known as Shoukaku said.

"Wait? Sis! I don't think highly of him! All I said was that he was brave and knew how to fight! I wasn't complimenting him!" Zuikaku shouted with a blush appearing on her face.

Sora could only chuckle at Shoukaku teasing Zuikaku and seeing that the two had a close sisterly relationship.

"..."

However, the other girl wearing the hat with short platinum blonde hair with a black, red, and yellow ribbon was not saying anything and continued observing Sora closely. She had a different attire compared to the others and looked like she was from another faction.

Seeing that there was nothing more to do until they reached the Sakura Empire, Akagi called out to Sora.

"Now then, Sora, I believe I have some questions for you seeing that you are the esteemed guest of honor here," Akagi said.

"...And what are your questions?" Sora responded while going from happy-go and cheerful to serious and observant.

"You are not affiliated with Azur Lane. Seeing that you did not know who Enterprise or I was back when we first crossed paths. Correct?" Akagi stated while crossing her arms under her ample chest and staring right at Sora's blue eyes.

"You're correct about that," Sora answered.

"And since you have no real allegiance with Azur Lane, you're free to go wherever you please. Is that right?" Akagi asked.

"You could say that. But it was thanks to everyone back at the island that I was able to learn more about where I ended up" Sora answered, knowing that Akagi was going to start grilling him about more sensitive topics.

"I see… And just how did you manage to end up in the middle of the ocean?" Akagi asked.

The other girls were remaining quiet and listened to the two conversations while also learning more about Sora.

"... I don't know," Sora said, closing his eyes.

"You don't know? What kind of answer is that? I asked how you ended up in the middle of the ocean. You should, at least have some kind of an answer" Akagi said, growing irritated by Sora's answer.

"That's the truth. I remember being in one place and then I blacked out. And then I woke up in the middle of the ocean. After walking for some time, I heard gunfire and explosions going off and ran toward the sounds. Once I spotted some ships, I then found you, Kaga, and Enterprise" Sora replied.

Akagi glared at Sora, not believing his answer, and realizing that he was lying. Kaga on her part was analyzing him and thought that his response was suspicious. Part of it sounded real, but there was something about waking up in the water that wasn't entirely making sense. Either way, Kaga continued to watch Sora closely. Shoukaku brought out her flute and began to clean it while also observing Sora, not having any opinion on Sora's answer yet. Z23 continued to stay quiet and off to the side.

Zuikaku however processed everything Sora said and began to enter deep thought. If what Sora said was true, then there was more than meets the eye with him. Perhaps he's from a Mirror Sea or suffering from amnesia. Or he's an undercover spy that will act on command. Many thoughts were racing around in Zuikaku's head that caused her to let out a frustrated sigh. She figured that it would be best to continue to watch him and learn more about him.

Akagi scoffed at Sora before closing her eyes and then opening them ready to ask the boy more questions.

"Alright then… since you have no real affiliation with Eagle Union or the Royal Navy or even Azur Lane, why don't you lend the Sakura Empire your support?" Akagi asked with her ruby red eyes peering right at Sora's blue eyes.

"I'm sorry. But my answer is no" Sora proclaimed.

"No? You do know that you are on my ship. If I wanted to, I could burn you in flames and turn you to ashes in an instant" Akagi said, threatening him while summoning fire in the palm of her hand.

"I understand, Akagi. But I'm not going to turn my back on my friends. Especially since they welcomed me with open arms. I won't betray my friends no matter what you say" Sora said, confidence coming from his words.

Most of the girls were taken back by how determined and strong-willed Sora was acting even against Akagi who was known to be dangerous at times. Nobody knew just what to say therefore a wave of silence consumed the area. However, after a few seconds passed, Akagi began laughing.

"Heheheh, my my, you really are something, Sora. Even with the threat of me turning you to ashes, you are still not going to betray your friends" Akagi said while narrowing her eyes at Sora.

"My friends are my power and without them, I wouldn't be here. Besides, you're not the only one who can play with fire" Sora remarked, having a cocky grin on his face.

Akagi was taken back and wide-eyed at Sora's comeback given that she was not expecting him to say something along those lines. All the other girls were shocked and looking right at Sora who still had his cocky grin. Akagi in any other situation would've lashed out but this time she wanted to see how confident Sora was and if he could back up what he said.

"Well now, you sure are confident in your abilities," Akagi said.

"I have to be. Many people are counting on me" Sora replied, remembering all the lives he's saved.

"So, you see yourself as a hero? Well then, why don't you lend a hand to the Sakura Empire and help us? Hero." Akagi asked extending her hand to Sora.

"And side with the Sirens? No thanks. You do know they are a lot more troublesome than you think" Sora said, taking a glance at Akagi's extended hand.

"Siding with the Sirens is a gamble, no doubt. But… with their help, we may have a chance to save not only our home but the world. The Iron Blood came to that same realization hence the creation of the Red Axis" Akagi explained pulling her hand back.

"…"

Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Z23 were silent and had complacent expressions on their faces. The two sisters understood that their superiors were the ones to make the call for siding with the Sirens and that there wasn't much they could do to change the situation. Even if it didn't sit right with either of them, the cooperation with the Sirens did bring a sense of relief that their home and friends would be out of danger. For the time being.

Not to mention that not everyone in the Sakura Empire agreed that their superiors were working with the Sirens. If lines were crossed or lives were lost, then that would surely lead to some big problems. The kansens of the Sakura Empire would look at their leaders differently and rifts would begin to form. The thought was quite worrisome.

Z23 on her part was quietly watching the situation play out. Her order from Prinz Eugen was to follow Akagi's command and record all incidents that occurred under her watch. Hence, the involvement of this Sora would be something that she would need to document and report to Eugen. This mysterious boy was an unknown factor that appeared out of nowhere.

However, Z23 or well Nimi as her friends would call her to tease her. Did feel regret deep in her heart. Having been told by her superiors that the Iron Blood was to be working to some degree with the Sirens was something she didn't quite know how to feel about. In addition, other factions had struck a deal or two with the Sirens already. On one hand, the impending doom the Sirens presented would be stopped or better yet delayed. But the realization that she was siding with the enemy against humanity did make her feel sick at first.

But orders are orders. She would have to put her trust in the Iron Blood and her friend, Bismarck, that siding with the Sirens would be the best path forward.

Undoubtedly, Sora had problems with Akagi's statement along with some confusion. Deciding to seek some answers, Sora began to question her.

"Akagi…I don't understand what you are saying. First, you tell me that want to crush Azur Lane with the Sirens' help. Then you tell me that you want Azur Lane to lay down their arms to help you defeat the Sirens. And now you're asking for my help regarding the Sakura Empire? I don't get it…" Sora explained, looking distraught at Akagi's behavior.

Akagi briskly closed her gloved hand and slowly began walking in front of Sora looking out at the ocean. She then started to speak in a somber yet determined tone of voice.

"… there is no victory if you have failed to protect what it was you were fighting for"

Shen then turned around to face Sora while her brown tails swayed in the wind. Red eyes once again encountering blue eyes.

"What I seek… what I truly seek is power. Power to change not only my fate but the fate of those I love. Even if I must challenge the entire world. I will do whatever it takes to achieve that power. Hence, even siding with the Sirens who are the whole reason we as kansens exist. I'll do whatever it takes to change fate. Because…love makes you do crazy things…" Akagi said closing her eyes and then opening them.

However, Sora could've sworn that for a split second there Akagi had two different emotional expressions on her face. One is that of determination and malevolence. The other being that of sadness and… Remorse? Regret? Sora wasn't entirely sure, but he did feel that something was wrong with her.

Deciding to take a better look at Akagi as a whole, Sora closed his eyes and called upon his heart to guide him in finding out what was wrong with her. Upon opening his eyes, Sora looked right at Akagi's heart and then peered around the rest of her noticing something alarming.

The aura around Akagi was that of darkness. A darkness he was experienced in identifying thanks to his many adventures. Understanding more about the heart and the impact darkness had on a person was something Sora could sense.

Sadness. Regret. Anger. Malevolence. Fear. Grief. Worry. Anxiety.

Darkness was something Sora wanted to learn more about. Thanks to Riku and the trials he went through conquering his own darkness. Sora could count on his best friend to explain more about the dangers that darkness brings and how to counter the darkness. Or better yet find a way to make peace with the darkness while staying true to the light. Finding another choice or better yet another road. The road to Twilight.

Before Sora could continue to observe the darkness around Akagi, Kaga venomously shouted at him.

"You insolent pervert! How dare you! How dare you look at my dear sister's bosom like that!" Kaga shouted, summoning blue fire around her.

Sora fell silent as he realized what he was doing. Blinking several times, Sora shook his head as he realized where he was looking. His eyes were directed right at her large breasts that were barely being held back by her shirt. Sora paled.

The other girls were shocked at where Sora was looking and couldn't believe that he was acting outright like a pervert. Before anyone could say anything and before Akagi's sanity could snap, Sora screamed.

Waving his hands in front of him so fast that they started to become hard to see, Sora stuttered while sweating furiously, "I-I-I'm Sorry! I wasn't looking at your c-chest! I was looking at the rest of you!... No, wait! I was looking at yo…" Sora shouted but was cut off by Akagi's death stare.

"So, you were staring at me? Have you come to the realization that this body is perfection? If that's so, then know that this is the closest you will ever get to seeing my body" Akagi said while summoning a large ball of fire in her hand.

Realizing that he was in a pickle, Sora shouted out his true intentions, "I was looking at your body because of the darkness!".

Akagi stopped herself from turning Sora to a crisp and was dumbstruck at what he said. For someone who was checking her out, saying that they were checking her out because of the darkness on her body was puzzling. Becoming curious as to what Sora meant, she stopped her flames and questioned him.

"Explain yourself. Why were you looking at me like that?" Akagi asked.

Feeling extremely nervous about his answer and the trouble it could bring his way, Sora began to explain his actions.

"I…I sensed something was bothering you. So, I looked at your heart and then the rest of you and spotted something… off" Sora explained hoping that was a sufficient answer.

"…"

Akagi remained silent while glaring holes into Sora. Either his explanation was ignored entirely, and she was utterly pissed and wanted nothing to do with him. Or… what he said about noticing something off was right on the money. Kaga meanwhile was fuming and summoned her riggings that appeared after a blue cube started to glow around her.

The other girls were staying silent and waiting to see what would happen next.

"…Zuikaku, Shoukaku, take him down to the brig. Make sure your ships are on standby mode in case Azur Lane tries anything" Akagi said turning to the two crane sisters.

"Understood, Akagi" Shoukaku replied while looking at her Zuikaku who was walking up to Sora to take him to the brig.

"Follow me. Don't try any funny business" Zuikaku remarked while walking forward with Sora letting out a sigh and following her.

Shoukaku walked behind Sora ready if he tried anything, but if he was smart, then he wouldn't dare try anything. Even Sora was thinking the same thing that if he tried to bust out of his cuffs and the jailcell with his Keyblade, the Sakura Empire girls would be on his butt. Plus, he's not familiar with this world yet and doesn't even have a map.

Watching Zuikaku and Shoukaku take Sora to the brig, Z23 began to wonder what exactly Sora meant when he was explaining himself for looking at Akagi's chest and body. He didn't exactly strike her as the flirtatious type. Hence, Z23 began to consider his words carefully.

Kaga on the other hand was livid, "That perverted dastard. Does he have any idea just who you are, Akagi?!".

"No, Kaga, he doesn't know who I am. Which is why I did not burn him to a crisp" Akagi replied while looking out at the sea with much to think about. What Sora said… at least the part about something wrong with her. That was something to worry about.

---

Continuing to follow Zuikaku, Sora examined his surroundings and took notice of Akagi's interior design of her ship. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with many large metal doors and stairs. However, coming up into view, Sora saw Zuikaku opening a door with several locks on it and stepping inside. He followed right behind her and noticed a cell all prepared and ready.

Zuikaku stepped aside and called out to Sora, "If you would, please get in the cell".

Slowly nodding, Sora walked into the cell and sat down on a bench located there. Getting himself situated, he looked at Zuikaku and Shoukaku to see what they would do next.

"So… what's going to happen now? Since I'm basically a prisoner of war now" Sora asked.

"Well… for now it looks like Zuikaku and I will be watching over you in case you try anything funny. Once we return to base, you'll be transferred to our command center. Our faction leader will like an update on the situation as well as a word with you. After that, you'll most likely be placed into our prison holding until further notice" Shoukaku said while pulling out her flute to polish it.

"I see… that makes sense," Sora said, relaxing his body on the bench.

Internally, Zuikaku was fighting the urge to ask Sora what he was trying to explain back on the deck with Akagi and something bothering her. She shouldn't be conversing with the enemy or speaking behind her superiors' backs. But her heart was telling her to ask, and she knew that if she did not ask, then it would eat at her later for not asking Sora. So, Zuikaku prayed to Kami for forgiveness and asked Sora.

"You… what you said back there about Akagi. What was your aim?" Zuikaku said narrowing her gaze on Sora.

"Huh, my aim? You mean when I was, er, staring at her?" Sora asked feeling embarrassed.

"Y-yes, that's what I meant! Were you just ogling at her or… was there really something wrong with Akagi" Zuikaku said growing quiet.

"I wasn't ogling her. Sure, she's very pretty and her tails and ears are very… eye-catching, but there was something wrong with her. I could see that something was bothering her and that her heart was looking clouded" Sora replied while trying to simplify what he noticed.

"Her heart not looking good? What are you even saying?! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You're just trying to cover up your perverted tendencies!" Zuikaku shouted, pointing a finger at Sora.

"…Zuikaku. Weren't you the one that was saying that Akagi was acting weird earlier?" Shoukaku asked.

"That was just me being paranoid! You don't actually believe him? Do you sis?" Zuikaku asked while looking exasperated.

"While Sora's explanation does seem farfetched, I believe that his words have some merit to them. Besides, if he was able to notice something about Akagi in only a short period of getting to know her. And we've only noticed something off about her now, then I'm willing to listen to him" Shoukaku answered, looking at Sora seeing that he had a small, tired smile.

"Sigh…alright sis, you win. *Turning to look at Sora* We'll hear you out" Zuikaku said.

"Thanks, Zuikaku. I'll do my best to explain everything" Sora remarked with a friendly smile.

"W-we'll see about that!" Zuikaku replied with a very faint blush.

Nodding his head and taking a deep breath, Sora began discussing what it was that he noticed.

"Alright, so when Akagi was talking about seeking power and wanting to change fate was when I noticed something off about her. One minute she's fine but then her heart is going through various emotional stages. And then there was something quite worrisome about her body" Sora explained, trying to make it so the two girls could understand what he was saying.

"Her body?" Shoukaku asked, confused about what Sora meant.

"I've had experience sensing people's emotions and the energy they give off. After Akagi said those things, I noticed a sort of dark cloud surrounding her. It was like a dark mist oozing off her body. I've seen something like that before" Sora said, remembering the many times in his adventures when someone was being corrupted by the darkness.

Zuikaku remained silent trying to understand what Sora meant about seeing darkness around Akagi. It sounded like crazy talk. But… she lived in a world where attuned World War II ships had come to life from a cube and were forced to fight against an enemy that not much was known about. Closing her eyes and then opening them, Zuikaku decided to truly hear Sora out.

"Sora… what you're saying is… well it's hard to understand," Shoukaku said tugging at her kimono.

"…Though I am not one to easily believe strangers. What you are saying, Sora does have a chance of being true" Zuikaku said looking down at the ground with her arms crossed under her chest.

"Akagi senpai has been different for quite some time. She wasn't always closed off from everyone. Sure, she can be a bit rude or blunt with her insults, but she always tended to be in the public eye and interact with people nonstop" Zuikaku said, reminiscing about Akagi's behavior in the past.

"Wait sis, didn't Akagi start acting differently after... Amagi?" Shoukaku commented which earned Sora a head tilt.

"Amagi? Who is that?" Sora asked.

"Amagi is Akagi and Kaga's older sister. She was badly hurt in an operation that was given to her by our higher-ups. Her Wisdom Cube was damaged in battle and left her injured. After Amagi returned to base, she was forced to be on bed rest until her condition improved. However, her condition never really did improve" Zuikaku said, looking down at the jail cell's floor.

"Amagi's injury impacted all of us in many ways. Amagi had a special relationship with everyone in the Sakura Empire acting like their best friend or even older sister giving words of encouragement and advice whenever needed. Even Lady Nagato has a friendship with Amagi and was ashamed of herself for not doing more to ensure Amagi would come back safe" Zuikaku explained, wincing at how Amagi's injury affected herself.

"As for Akagi and Kaga… well, Kaga has managed to keep herself calm and composed most of the time when it comes to Amagi. Sure, she has moments of weakness but honestly who wouldn't? Akagi on the other hand…" Zuikaku said while cutting herself off.

"Akagi tended to be wrathful and despise anyone coming close to Amagi. It took some time before doctors and healers could help Amagi or even see her. Akagi was always there threatening anyone who tried to get close to her sister. After some time, Akagi let only a small number of people see Amagi, but even then, Akagi has become much colder and distant from everyone. She even acts differently towards Lady Nagato" Shoukaku said, frowning at her rival and friend's strange behavior.

"But what happened to Amagi? Did she…" Sora asked not sure if he should finish what he was implying.

"No, Amagi is still with us. However, she does not have that much longer. At best she has seven more weeks until she… until she no longer has the strength to push on" Zuikaku said, feeling tears start to swell up in the corner of her eyes. Shoukaku was already having tears come down her cheek.

Lowering his head, Sora could understand how important Amagi was to the Sakura Empire and her sisters. The feeling that you could lose someone close to you was something he could understand very well. Even if he was able to save his friends and Kairi, Sora thought of someone that he hasn't seen in quite some time and dearly missed. Someone that meant the world to him and was always there to cheer him on or make him stop crying and smile. His mom…

Not wanting to be enveloped in sadness, Zuikaku patted her eyes and let out a shaky breath before calming herself down.

"Getting back to the topic at hand, Akagi senpai has been acting different ever since Amagi was badly hurt. Hence, the dark mist you saw around her…might be connected to her change in behavior" Zuikaku said, having composed herself.

"That's what I'm thinking. It's not much and I know it's difficult to understand, but Akagi needs to be careful. Although she's acting differently than before, Akagi has the chance of doing something really bad that could be considered irreversible. Not only could it bring down the Sakura Empire and Red Axis… but the entire world could be doomed" Sora proclaimed, wanting to get to the root of Akagi's darkness and the problems it could bring to everyone.

"What? What are you saying, Sora? Are you trying to mess with us? We just discussed with you something private and here you are manipulating us!" Zuikaku shouted, having her hand balled up in anger.

"Zuikaku calm down. Let's hear what he has to say" Shoukaku said, wanting to remain calm-headed before doing something rash.

"…Alright, Sora. Explain yourself" Zuikaku muttered.

"Right. Before I first encountered Akagi, Kaga, and Enterprise, I ended up running into a fleet of many Sirens ships. Ring a bell, Zuikaku?" Sora asked, remembering his encounter in this world.

"The first time I saw you in the distance…" Zuikaku said.

"Yeah, I recall also seeing you from a distance. But before I ran into the others, in the middle of the Siren fleet there was a ship that appeared different from the others" Sora said.

"A different ship? Maybe it was a high-class Siren battlecruiser?" Shoukaku asked, not sure what Sora was getting at.

"No. This ship had a very specific design. A design that… I'm very familiar with" Sora said, with a more serious tone of voice making the crane sisters shift their bodies at how serious Sora was getting.

"You've fought a ship before, Sora?" Shoukaku asked, looking surprised.

"Er… yes. I have fought a ship before. But I've also fought other monsters that have had the same design as the ship I spotted" Sora explained.

"Monsters? Like the monsters, you hear in bedtime stories or folklore?" Zuikaku asked, becoming curious about what Sora meant.

"I…I'm not sure. But the monsters I'm talking about are very dangerous. Dangerous to the point that Akagi has no idea what she's getting herself into" Sora said.

"What are these monsters then?" Shoukaku asked.

"Before I tell you guys, I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone until the time is right," Sora said while considering that telling these two may or may not be a good idea.

However, the more people that knew about the Heartless, there would be more awareness. Plus, these two were the only ones to hear him out. Heading into a new area with no one on your side will be difficult, but with Zuikaku and Shoukaku to believe then he'll have more support rather than no support at all.

"Why exactly are you asking us to keep this information secret? Is it worrisome?" Shoukaku asked, becoming nervous.

"Yes. This information is worrisome and if word got out then panic would ensue leaving everyone to be corrupted by the darkness" Sora explained, looking at the two sisters.

Zuikaku considering looked at her sister and could see that she was contemplating what to do. Reaching for her hand, Zuikaku squeezed Shoukaku's hand which snapped her out of her deep thought. Letting a small smile grace her lips, Shoukaku nodded her head which gave Zuikaku the confirmation on what to do next.

"Alright, we'll keep our word and not say anything to anyone," Zuikaku said.

"Hmm…the creatures that I've faced before are known as the Heartless. The Heartless come in various types and sizes. Moreover, the Heartless have distinct features, one being an emblem somewhere on their body that consists of red and black. The other notable feature of the Heartless are the large yellow eyes" Sora said.

"The Heartless? Are they really something we need to be worried about?" Shoukaku asked, looking not that worried.

"Although the Heartless don't sound that scary they are something that can't be underestimated. The Heartless are physical, living manifestations of the darkness within people's hearts. They go after people's hearts and end up killing them. People that are killed…they…they end up losing their heart and can even become a Heartless" Sora explained while remembering everything he could about the Heartless thanks to the many Ansem reports he encountered in his adventures.

The two sisters were quiet and in deep thought. The idea that a monster could go after a person's heart and then even turn that person into a monster was something that needed to take time to process. It sounded ridiculous. But hearing Sora go into detail about these monsters made all objections they had to go away.

"There are two types of Heartless. One is an emblem Heartless which is what it sounds like. They usually have an emblem somewhere on their body. The other type of Heartless is known as a Pureblood. They don't have an emblem anywhere on their body which is usually completely covered in a dark color. Purebloods are the most dangerous and the ones you need to look out for" Sora said.

"Do these Heartless have a point of origin? Where do they exactly come from?" Shoukaku asked, standing up straight and now paying close attention.

"Some do. Some don't. It depends on the Heartless, but most of the time the Heartless can appear anytime there are large amounts of darkness in the area. Or there's the chance that Heartless can be spawned from a bigger Heartless that acts like a commander of sorts" Sora said while scratching the back of his head.

"And these… Heartless… how worried should we be about them?" Zuikaku asked, not sure if she would like the answer.

"Very. You should be very worried. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. The Heartless are a threat that should be considered the most dangerous. Honestly, if the Sirens are working with the Heartless, then things are going to get worse" Sora said while frowning at the possibility.

"Sora… how exactly do you know about these Heartless? It sounds like you've encountered them before, but you seem to have an abundance of knowledge about them" Shoukaku asked.

"I have encountered them many times. Having to adapt and survive against the Heartless is something I've been doing for the past few years now" Sora said.

"Sounds like you've been through a lot of hardships" Zuikaku muttered, earning a sad smile from Sora.

"Yeah, you could say that…" Sora said feeling a tinge of sadness at remembering his friends.

"Sora, this is just a guess but I'm willing to bet that you told the girls over at Azur Lane about the Heartless. Right?" Shoukaku said, wanting to see if her hunch was correct.

"Yes, I did. After they brought me to the island, they welcomed me with open arms and helped me get rested for the day. It was only right I warn them of the lurking danger that the Heartless pose. In return… they told me about the Sirens and the Red Axis" Sora elaborated while looking at the two girls to gauge their reactions.

"I see… must be awkward then. Knowing that factions are willing to side with the enemy" Shoukaku replied, feeling an unknown weight weighing down on her.

"Not really. You'd be surprised what people will do when things start to go from bad to worse. Fight or flight kicks in and people tend to do things that'll surprise you. I have a best friend who sided with the darkness and even wanted to hurt me at one point. But over time he found himself and used the darkness inside of him to not only help me and my friends but to protect us as well" Sora said, remembering the struggles that Riku went through and how the darkness was something that he now had control over.

"Was it difficult for him to control the darkness inside of him?" Zuikaku asked, growing curious about Sora's friend.

"Yeah, it was difficult for him. There were times when he doubted himself to the point that he wouldn't tell me or my other friends about what was going on. But over time, he learned to find a balance between the light and darkness. Walking on a new path that he forged himself. The road to Twilight" Sora explained with a smile and feeling happy about his friend becoming so much stronger.

"…Sora. We've been talking for some time now and you don't seem that threatened by us? Although we haven't exactly threatened you, don't you think that we might just be hearing you out but not believing anything you're saying?" Zuikaku asked, curious as to why Sora was so friendly and chatting with them about things that any normal person would consider crazy.

"It's not that I'm not threatened by you guys. I have no idea how strong the Sakura Empire or the Red Axis truly is. But what I do know from talking with you two is that you're not bad people. You guys are actually worried about Akagi and the newfound threat that is collaborating with Sirens. I've had firsthand experience with bad people and you guys are nowhere near that" Sora explained.

"And that's why you explained to us about the darkness coming from Akagi along with witnessing these Heartless monsters working with the Sirens," Shoukaku said, looking

"Yeah. Plus, you guys were the only ones I could talk to. I don't think that the other girl with the hat would've heard me out" Sora said, chuckling to himself.

"And there was no way Akagi or Kaga would hear me out" Sora added.

Nodding at his words, the two sisters figured they had some time to chat before they would reach their homeland. Besides, although Zuikaku wouldn't admit it, she was enjoying talking with Sora.

---

Elsewhere in the Sakura Empire, sitting inside a minka with the doors open letting the fresh and calm air inside was a woman with her eyes closed and body not moving.

This woman sleeping was IJN Aircraft Carrier, Shinano. She was a part of the Yamato class along with being a respectable and noteworthy figure in the Sakura Empire. Moreover, she has foxlike features on her which wasn't that out of the normal for the girls of Sakura Empire, but there is one unique characteristic about her. She tends to fall into a slumber quite easily. Nothing worrisome but more along the lines of spiritual.

Within her slumber, Shinano has the ability to see events through her dreams. Whether they are glimpses of the past or future, Shinano would be shown dreams that would show her eventful events that have happened or the possibility of happening. Some dreams could be blissful while other dreams may be tragic. Either way, she was a renowned figure in the Sakura Empire that many people looked to in times of need. Her dream of seeing power was something that many in the Sakura Empire listened to closely.

No matter how absurd or worrisome Shinano's dreams were, everyone paid close attention to the contents that each dream held. Though Shinano did have the tendency of dozing off quite a bit, she still dreamed of various things. Which is what she was doing now. Sleeping away with no one to disturb her. However, her body posture seemed off and almost shaky. Almost as if she was nervous about whatever it was, she was dreaming about.

Within her dream, Shinano was seeing many things revolving around her life and the lives of everyone else in the Sakura Empire. Seeing through the eyes of who she guessed was herself within the dream, Shinano could clearly hear and see everything the dream offered her. The sounds of children laughing and playing with each other. Young and old enjoying themselves and chatting away. The petals from the Sakura trees gently fell to the ground and covered all you could see in various pink colors. A peaceful time.

Shinano could see all her friends or well essentially her family living the best of their lives without any worry. A moment of peace and tranquility that she wished would last forever.

However…

Things would not last.

The area around Shinano began to grow dark and storm clouds appeared out of nowhere with the wind picking up. The sounds of what was just cheerful happiness now turned to screams of malevolence. The Sakura trees began to wilt away and die in a matter of seconds leaving the once beautiful pink tress to become dark and empty. Thunder began to blast the once calm island and lightning streaked across the once peaceful blue sky.

Shinano began to look around her to see if there was anyone else, but she saw no one. Swerving her head left and right and growing anxious, Shinano hoped to see anyone or anything, but all she found was a sight she along with everyone in the world feared.

Sirens.

Countless Siren drones were all making their way toward Shinano. Drifting across the ocean surface with their red ship bodies glowing and weapons pointed at where Shinano was located. Overcome with fear, Shinano tried to get a count of how many Sirens there were but lost count at the sheer number. In the lead were Elite Sirens that she was familiar with both in having an encounter and reading up on. Purifier, Omitter, Compiler, Tester, and Observer. Their eyes glowed bright yellow and a dark mist surrounding them that gave off a dangerous feeling.

Shinano could only do one thing and that was to summon her riggings and prepare for the worst that was to come.

Or so she thought.

Suddenly, everything in front of her began to be consumed in darkness. The Sirens were enveloped by the darkness. The sky was now pitch black. The land she calls home was covered in a blanket of darkness. Everything was being taken over by darkness.

Left alone in a void of nothingness. Shinano could only fear what this dream meant. This wasn't the first dream she had where things looked grim or the message filled with good intentions. The implications that were showcased within this dream were something she was very worried about. It was something that everyone in the Sakura Empire dreaded. The day the Sirens would mark their home as their next target.

Closing her eyes and waiting for whatever else this dream may hold, Shinano prepared herself for the impending doom. However, nothing ever came. Opening her eyes, Shinano noticed that something was shining in the distance. Growing curious about what it may be, she started walking closer to it and could begin to make out what it was.

"What…what is this?"

Upon further inspection, Shinano got close enough to the shining light and realized that there was something on the ground that was causing the area to get brighter. Shinano was confused about what she was seeing.

On the ground was a crown emblem that was glowing in a bright white light.

Getting close to the crown, Shinano felt weird. But… it was a good type of feeling. The best similarity that she could compare it to was that of the feeling of having friends and loved ones next to you.

Family. Love. Happiness. Kindness. Warmth. Inspiration. Hope.

The feeling was so strong that Shinano was beginning to tear up at how hopeful the light was to her. Even being inside a dream, the feeling of the crown's light consuming her was a feeling that she had never experienced before. However, before Shinano could bask in the warm light any longer, the blanket of darkness around her began to be consumed in the light instead of the darkness.

Out of nowhere, a flash of light came out of nowhere causing her to cover her eyes. Once the light died down, she lowered her arm to see what happened and where else this dream would take her. But… she was not prepared for what she saw.

In front of her was a place that took her breath away and made her blink several times to make sure what she was seeing was real. A place that was filled with water as far as the eye could see. Even stranger was that Shinano was standing on top of the water and not sinking into the water. The sky above her was also calm with blue skies and white puffy clouds. This place felt… peaceful.

Shinano continued to look around and see if there was anything noticeable in this tranquil yet empty place. Beginning to walk around, she was becoming more and more confused about what this dream was trying to tell her, but her question would be answered immediately. Suddenly, a flash of blue light appeared in front of her.

There in front of her was a small boy. The boy was looking right at her and smiling sweetly at her. Getting a good look at the young boy, Shinano noticed the boy's characteristics. The boy had brown hair that was spiky in the back while coming down in the front. He was also wearing a white shirt with a blue v collar and red shorts pockets. On his feet were brown sandals with orange straps over his feet.

Shinano was not sure what to think about the boy or why he was here, but she figured he was very important. Before she could do anything else, a mist of darkness appeared several hundred feet behind the young boy making Shinano jump.

"Look out!"

The boy continued to stare at Shinano with a small smile before turning around to look at the dark mist. He just stared at the mist that was slowly making its way towards him and Shinano.

Before she could summon her riggings to protect the young boy, Shinano felt chills running down her body. Her tails and ears began twitching and she felt her heart beating faster. Feeling that something was not right, Shinano was about to make her way to stand in front of the boy when something strange happened.

The boy's body began to fade away into nothingness. But at the same time, the boy's body was reappearing in the same spot. Once the boy completely faded into existence, Shinano took note of his older-looking appearance.

The boy was now wearing a red onesie with a silver zipper and a silver chain hanging around his thigh. He was now wearing a white and black hoodie over his onesie that was unzipped. One striking feature about the boy was his giant yellow boots. There was a crown necklace hanging around his neck that did look slightly interesting. His hair had also drastically changed to be very spiky compared to his younger look.

Once again, the boy continued to smile at Shinano but this time he turned around to look at the dark mist. But the boy still did nothing but observe the dark mist. Shinano was at a loss at what to do. However, the strangest thing was that she heard a voice in her head start saying something but… there was no one really saying anything. It was almost as if someone put those words in her head so that she would think about what was being said.

"So much to do.

So little time…

There are hearts to save…"

You are the key."

Right before Shinano could react to the mysterious set of words being placed in her head, the boy's appearance began to change once again in a flash of blue light.

This time the boy was looking at Shinano but was not in his onesie but wearing a blue and red shirt with a black unzipped hoodie that had yellow and white outlines. The boy's shoulders were also grey with a white outline and looked almost like shoulder guards. The jacket the boy was wearing wasn't a long sleeve and ended at his elbows. His pants were dark with a mix of yellow straps going around his waist and thigh with red pouches and white lines around the pants. His boots now consisted of mainly black but still featured yellow in the boot along with black fingerless gloves with a white x going over the top of his knuckles. The boy still had his crown necklace around his neck.

He looked older now and his hair became even spikier which was surprising to Shinano. The boy continued to look at her while giving her a friendly smile that made her feel…happy. Like the sort of happiness, you feel when something good is coming your way.

However, the boy was once again enveloped in a bright blue light that forced Shinano to cover her eyes. Feeling the light dim down, she lowered her arm and was bewildered by what she saw. How many different outfits was she going to see the boy in?

The boy's outfit changed once more. This time the outfit was more on the simpler side of things. His boots were back to being quite big but mainly yellow with some black. The boy's pants were red with white strips and black at the end near his knees. His hoodie this time was black and grey with some white and his hoodie was red. His shirt was black but with a very large x going across his chest. He had black fingerless gloves with a strange piece over the back of his hand on the glove. And he once again still had his crown necklace.

Shinano was beginning to wonder just how many outfits this boy had and was going to change into. However, before she could ask him, the dark mist was several feet away from the boy and had begun to rise in height. Giving her best judgment, Shinano guessed that the dark mist was growing up to 20 feet tall and still increasing. At this point, the boy turned around to look at the mist and watch it grow.

Having no idea what to do, Shinano was losing time and figured her best option right now would be to grab the boy and run away or at least get some distance from the dark cloud. But before she could run up to the boy, she felt something off about herself. It was almost as if she couldn't move her own body and was frozen in place. She tried moving her legs and arms but to no avail, nothing happened. Worry began to set in and Shinano feared for what may come next.

But…something happened. Even though she was beginning to be overwhelmed and fear filled her heart by not being able to move her body, something inside of her wanted to say something to the boy. At this dire moment, she spoke to the boy and asked him a question she was pondering.

"Aren't…aren't you scared?"

The boy heard her and slowly turned around to face her. His face still had that warm and comforting smile. Suddenly, his body began to glow blue, and his appearance returned to his youngest form. The youngest version of the boy then held up his right arm in front of him and closed it gently while bringing it up to his heart. The boy then closed his eyes and looked to be thinking of something. Shinano was utterly lost at what was going on. But before she could do anything, he opened his eyes and looked at her with the biggest smile he had yet given while nodding his head.

"No. I'm not scared. And neither should you be miss. It's ok. I'll help you"

Hearing his voice for the first time, Shinano was taken back by the youngest version of the boy. Just who was this boy and why was he so important in this dream?

Right before Shinano could respond to the boy, the dark mist began to start swirling in a circle and gaining speed causing water to be splashed and the mist to fade away. However, lifting her head to see the top of the dark mist, Shinano was at a loss for words at what she saw.

Where the top of the dark mist cloud reached now appeared ahead. A head of a dark monster. The creature's head had vines wrapped around its' head that had yellow glowing eyes that were staring right at her and the boy. The body of the creature was completely enveloped in a dark color with the bottom half of its body missing in what appeared to be a heart-shaped cut-out. The creature had long claw-like arms and feet that were bent crooked.

This creature looked to be something out of a nightmare.

However, before Shinano could scream for the boy to run away, he had already turned around to face the creature and even took a step forward staying silent all the while. Fear was now written on Shinano's face as she was now shaking while watching the boy walk up to the creature. Was this what the dream was meant to show her? That darkness would consume everything? Was this boy going to die?

Before she could think of any more questions to ask herself, the boy's body began to glow blue yet again. Only this time the blue color was the brightest it had ever been and now a bright white light exploded onto the scene forcing Shinano to close her eyes while remaining frozen in place.

In front of her now stood a boy, no… a young man.

A young man wearing a mix of black, yellow, and white boots that went up his calf. Black pants that had a red strap going across each thigh with several empty pockets. A dark shirt with a white collar. His crown necklace was around his neck. A black and grey jacket with red outlines and gold buttons. Around the top of the jacket were red and black plaid corners held down by gold buttons. Gauntlets that covered his wrist were mainly grey with red and white, and a yellow strap wrapped around his wrist. These gauntlets replaced his fingerless gloves in his other outfits. The man's hair was also very different compared to his younger counterparts with it still staying spiky but swaying more toward the right.

Shinano was amazed at what she was seeing. The young boy who had appeared in front of her took the form of different ages in his life to now where he stood looking older and mature. She felt all the stress and fear she had been feeling fade away and now hope filled her heart. In addition, Shinano could now move her arms and legs and wobbled around before balancing herself and turning to look at the young man.

This dream was something else.

First is the sequence of a peaceful and enjoyable Sakura Empire. Then the sudden invasion of the Sirens. And now appearing in this place with an endless ocean floor and peaceful skies with the dark creature and this mysterious boy. Shinano had to say that this was the strangest dream she had ever experienced. But the implications that this dream had were very concerning.

Undoubtedly, she would need to ask the boy who he was and at least get his name. However, the area around her suddenly began to fade away. Shinano realized that she was waking up from this dream.

Quickly, she called out to the young man for his name.

"E-excuse me… please. What is your name? Who… who are you?"

The boy turned to look at her still holding onto that warm and confident smile of his only this time he gave her a nod while looking right into her blue eyes.

Blue eyes meeting blue eyes.

In a flash of light, the boy and dark creature were gone leaving Shinano to watch as the water-filled place was fading away. All she could do was close her eyes and…

…

Open her eyes once more.

---

Shinano slowly opened her eyes and had to blink several times to fully wake up. Her whole body felt groggy, and her head was ringing, but that was nothing more than a nuisance. She fully remembered what transpired in her dream and the significance of each scenario played out for her to see. Reaching for a quill, ink, and paper, she began to write down as much as she could remember. Getting every small detail written down would be the best way to inform her superiors about her dream.

Hearing Shinano wake from her slumber, a girl with a white and purple militarized skirt that went down to her waist and black thigh highs with dark shoes and brown hair entered the room. This girl also had animal characteristic features that resembled a cow.

"Lady Shinano! I see you've awoken from your slumber. I take it… you had an eventful dream?"

Hearing the girl, Shinano perked her head up and gave a reassuring smile to her.

"Ah, Kashino. It's good to see you. And yes… I did have a rather eventful dream. The dream itself was… explanatory in some ways. But… the dream also had a strange conclusion" Shinano said, finishing up with writing all the details she could remember.

"Was… the dream really bad?" Kashino asked, feeling nervous about the answer she might receive.

"…Yes. And no" Shinano responded, putting away the quill and ink.

"Lady Shinano… was it about the Sakura Empire," Kashino asked.

"Yes… it was. And it was also about what the future might hold if we continue to side with them" Shinano said while straightening her white skirt.

"I-I see… but you also said that it wasn't a bad dream?" Kashino said, grabbing her arm and looking worried.

"Correct. In my dream, I was shown several things. The first… was a symbol of a crown that was emitting a beautiful light that rid of the darkness, and the second was a mysterious place. A place that I've never seen before. It was beautiful, Kashino. A place with nothing but calm water and peaceful skies. It was different than being at sea. In this place, there was nothing to worry about at all. I wish there was a way for you to see it in person. But… it was there that I encountered a young boy" Shinano explained.

"A young boy?" Kashino asked, growing confused.

"Yes. The boy was young but what was strange was that the boy was changing his age" Shinano said.

"Huh? Lady Shinano, did you just say that the boy was changing his age?" Kashino asked, looking beyond confused.

"Correct… The boy was young at first but then an older version of himself appeared. And from there on, different versions of the boy appeared in flashes of blue light. Until the boy stopped changing ages and stayed in an older and more mature version of himself" Shinano said, remembering all the boy's appearances.

"When you say his older version, about how old do you mean?" Kashino asked, worried about why a young boy was appearing in Shinano's dream.

"I… I'm not sure. But he looked to be in his late teens. His appearance was that of a young man. Maybe 17 or 18 or even 20. Either way, this mysterious boy appeared in the place with water. But… while we were there, a strange dark mist appeared and was making its way toward us. Once it was close enough, the dark mist unveiled a large dark creature that was unlike anything I've ever known" Shinano explained.

"…" Kashino remained silent and was growing anxious.

"However, the boy in his oldest appearance… told me that he wasn't scared of the monster and that he'll help me. But after that, that's where the dream ended. Leaving me with more questions than answers" Shinano said, looking down at the paper that contained everything she could remember about her dream.

"I see… it sounds like you experienced quite a lot in your dream, Lady Shinano," Kashino said, giving Shinano a small smile of reassurance.

"Yes, the dream is something I will be pondering over for quite some time. However, please tell me… has anything happened while I have been slumbering?" Shinano asked.

"Ah! Why yes! Something did happen. Lady Akagi and Lady Kaga along with Zuikaku and Shoukaku are making their way back from their mission. Lady Kaga radioed in to inform us of what transpired in their attack against Azur Lane. Moreover, Kaga said that they had managed to take a prisoner who willingly offered themselves to protect their friends at Azur Lane" Kashino reported while looking energetic.

"My, it seems unexpected things are happening all around us. Kashino how has everyone else been taking the news of Akagi and Kaga and the crane's return?" Shinano asked.

"Everyone is excited and curious about who was taken as a prisoner. From what I overhead from Suzutsuki and Kumano, a bunch of the girls will be waiting at the shipyard for their return. Along with seeing who the prisoner is" Kashino said while her turn was wagging back and forth excitedly.

"Hmm… well then, let me get this recording documented in my dream archive and then why don't we step outside and go for a walk while waiting for Akagi and the others to return? Sound like a plan?" Shinano asked.

Despite asking to see who Akagi and the others returned with, deep down Shinano disliked the idea that everyone became excited at the idea that someone from Azur Lane was taken, prisoner. She did not agree with the Sakura Empire leaving Azur Lane and siding with the Iron Blood who were also cooperating with the Sirens. There were many girls from each faction that she was friends with back when the Sakura Empire was with Azur Lane, and to see that those friendships were destroyed or lost due to the separation and constant bickering of war. It made Shinano not only sad but opposed to fighting with Azur Lane.

However, for now, she would go down to the shipyard and see who was taken prisoner and see if she can make sure they were treated with care while being held captive.

"O-of course! That would be wonderful. It's also a beautiful day to go for a walk and I'm sure everyone would be delighted to see you" Kashino said, looking cheerful at getting Shinano out of the house.

Nodding to Kashino, Shinano began to put away the dream-filled paper but not before looking out at one of her doors that was open and had a view of the ocean. The calm blue water was there in front of her, but it wasn't the calm and peaceful water she experienced in her dream. Letting out a sigh, Shinano realized that she never really did solve one mystery that her dream presented her with. The name of that mysterious boy.

---

Inside Akagi's ship down in the brig.

Sora was sitting on the bench still chatting away with Zuikaku and Shoukaku about random topics regarding the Sakura Empire.

"So, wait, does everyone in the Sakura Empire have animal-like characteristics?" Sora asked, with a hand under his chin in a thinking pose.

"I wouldn't say, everyone. But a good majority of the girls do have some type of animal feature. Whether it be bunny ears or cat ears or even dog ears. And then there are girls with tails from different animals" Zuikaku replied, counting on her hand.

"I see… that's really cool. With the girls that have animal ears, are they able to hear better than a normal human or do they only hear from their human ears?" Sora asked, looking confused.

"I…uh, Zuikaku. Do you know the answer?" Shoukaku said, becoming totally lost at the question and even feeling a headache coming on.

"Well, let's see… if a girl has dog ears can they hear better than normal girls… I… I don't know. I've never thought about this… I'll have to ask Takao about this" Zuikaku replied while looking completely lost at the question and dazed.

"Err, that's alright. We can solve that later. But wait, does that mean you guys don't have animal features?" Sora questioned.

"That's right. Zuikaku and I don't have any animal characteristics. But we're known as the Crane Sisters!" Shoukaku said excitedly.

"The Crane Sisters? I like it! Not only does it imply that you guys are graceful and elegant but that you're both beautiful and great fighters. I haven't fought against you yet Shoukaku but from fighting against Zuikaku, I'm sure you have similar battle techniques" Sora said with a friendly smile.

However, the two cranes were both blushing messes. Or better yet Zuikaku was. Shoukaku's face had donned a pink blush while she began giggling and waving her kimono around. Zuikaku on the other hand was a stuttering mess. Her entire face matched the redness of her skirt, and her mouth was agape trying to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out. Seeing Zuikaku's face, Sora was worried that he said something wrong.

"Hey, Zuikaku, are you, ok? Did I say something to upset you?" Sora asked, confused about why she didn't look alright.

"Oh my, Sora, I didn't know you had a way with words!" Shoukaku said with a giant grin on her face.

"Huh? I was just saying what I thought about you two. I'm sure each one of you has different strengths and weaknesses. There are probably some things Shoukaku is better at than Zuikaku and vice versa. It's good to be different. It shows you are your own person" Sora said with truth and sincerity.

Zuikaku was now broken.

Always being compared to her older sister as well as thinking of herself as inferior. It was a characteristic fault of hers that she thought this way, but hearing Sora say that she was elegant and graceful along with beautiful and a respectable fighter. That was the kicker that launched her into a stuttering mess and made her look as red as a cherry. Shaking her head back and forth causing her ponytail to go flying, Zuikaku took a deep breath and tried composing herself. With much luck, she was able to cool off and think straight. Turning to look at Sora, she was met with him looking back but not being phased about what he said to her.

That just caused her to go back to being a cherry.

Before Zuikaku could break down, even more, Shoukaku drew everyone's attention.

"I must say, Sora, I think you've broken my adorable sister!" Shoukaku said covering her face with her kimono.

"I…Uhm…I'm sorry?" Sora said reluctantly.

"Oh! Don't be. I'm happy about what you said regarding us. But I think Zuikaku is over the moon. Hahaha!" Shoukaku replied while giggling.

"Haha. Well, let's hope she doesn't stay broken for long. By the way, Shoukaku, how did you guys get the nickname Crane Sisters?" Sora asked.

"Oh, it's quite the tale. You see…" Shoukaku said before being cut off by her radio in her kimono.

"Shoukaku. We are nearing the homeland. Prepare the prisoner for transfer"

Reaching into her kimono, Shoukaku replied, "Understood, Kaga. We'll have him ready". Shoukaku then checked to make sure the radio was not transmitting any longer and put it away.

Realizing that he was about to be entering the Sakura Empire's headquarters, Sora was excited. Getting to explore a new place was something he enjoyed very much, especially while visiting new worlds. However, this time he would be a prisoner. Before thinking about anything else, Zuikaku seemed to snap out of her broken state and coughed into her hand before opening the brig door. Looks like Zuikaku is back to being self.

"It shouldn't be that long till we dock into the shipyard. Sora, if you would, please stand up" Zuikaku said but compared to when he first arrived on the ship, she sounded different. But a good kind of different.

"Ok, and about what we've talked about… I'm not sure how you both really feel about it all. It's honestly quite a lot to process, but if you want to spend some time thinking about it, I don't blame you. But until I can find a way to a way to speak with your faction leader, I'm not sure if spreading the news around would be the best method. I mean, I'm sure you guys would only tell your close friends or at least people you know could keep an open mind. However,… if someone heard about the Heartless and Akagi being corrupted by darkness, then I'm worried that they would be open for darkness to latch onto" Sora explained while having a concerned look.

"That's understandable, Sora. Honestly, it is quite a lot of information we've talked about. Regarding Akagi, Zuikaku and I have already mentioned this to several of our close friends. They've also been considering what next steps should be taken" Shoukaku said, recalling the talk with Takao and the others.

"Sora, if it's alright with you since it's your account on the Heartless. I'd like to stay silent on the situation. At least until you've spoken with Lady Nagato which is most likely a guarantee since it's protocol to inform headquarters about a prisoner on board. That way it… it gives us more time to process everything you told us" Zuikaku explained.

"Besides, after your interrogation with Lady Nagato, I'm sure there are going to be girls who hear what you have to say and will be conflicted about it all. At that point, sis and I will be able to pull them to the side and slowly catch them up to speed about the darkness and the Heartless" Zuikaku explained.

Processing everything Zuikaku said, Sora agreed that her way of thinking could work to steadily inform those in power about the impending darkness and the threat the Heartless posed. Moreover, he'll need all the help he could get and Zuikaku and Shoukaku were his best bet.

"Alright, that sounds like a good plan, Zuikaku. Just make sure you don't overwhelm whoever you're talking with about the darkness. One slip up and we could be dealing with Heartless spawning all over the place" Sora said.

"Understood. We'll do our best to make sure everything is good" Zuikaku replied.

"Don't worry, Sora. With Zuikaku and I, we're bound to get the situation under control!" Shoukaku said, pumping her fist in the air.

Before Sora could respond, Kaga's voice came out of the radio.

"Shoukaku. Zuikaku. We've arrived. Take the prisoner to the deck. We'll be docking in a few minutes" Kaga said.

Pulling her radio out, Shoukaku replied, "Got it. Making our way up". She then turned the radio off completely and stashed it away into her kimono.

"Well, Sora, ready to get going?" Zuikaku asked, now looking at him in a new light. Spending time with him and talking about both random and important things was something Zuikaku didn't realize until now that she enjoyed it. In fact, she enjoyed being around Sora quite a lot. When she wasn't acting like a stuttering cherry.

"Yeah, let's get going. Let's hope nothing goes completely wrong and I find a way to get this Lady Nagato to listen to me" Sora said.

Stepping out of the cell, Sora followed Zuikaku with Shoukaku on his six making their way to the deck of the ship where Akagi and Kaga would most likely be. However, after walking for a few seconds something clicked inside Sora's head. Something nerve-racking and quite worrisome that he'll have to deal with soon.

Seeing Sora looking all nervous, Shoukaku called out to him, "Hey, Sora, what's wrong?"

"Uhm…since Akagi or Kaga probably notified your superiors and your headquarters… does that mean that everyone is going to be waiting for us?" Sora asked.

Wide-eyed, the two cranes realized just how much trouble Sora was going to be in. Many girls from Sakura Empire will be seeing a boy for the first time in their lives. Since there were only a select few that had actual discussions with the Sakura Empire naval superiors who were men back on the mainland, the girls will most likely go crazy and barrage him nonstop. Just like he was surrounded back at Azur Lane.

Realizing that this was his fate, Sora lowered his head and let out a sigh. If Riku could see him now, he'd probably be laughing to the point of falling out of his chair. And criticizing him for being able to save the worlds not only one but three times.

"Oh, man…" Sora said, feeling the sensation of being defeated.

---

Making their way to the deck of the ship, Akagi and Kaga were standing on the edge of the deck. Noticing the Crane Sisters and Sora, Kaga walked up to them.

"Once we've docked, you'll be escorted by me to meet our leader. She'll be the one to decide your fate" Kaga said with a harsh tone of voice.

Deciding to keep to himself, for now, Sora just nodded. Kaga on the other hand was still glaring holes into Sora for what happened earlier. In her eyes, Sora was a perverted leach that was staring at her sister very observantly. If it were up to her, he would be thrown straight into the prison and locked away.

Akagi meanwhile was focused on something else entirely. The prospect that Sora might just be the person who the Sirens are interested in. There were too many coincidences that fit the memo. First, the information regarding the significance of the crown and key that the Sirens talked about. And now, Sora's weapon while being odd was definitely a key. Plus, the boy was a total mystery in that he seemed to appear out of nowhere. Along with his strange powers. No normal human would've been able to fight against Kaga the way he did.

Nevertheless, once Lady Nagato meets him and prods him with questions, then she'll learn more about the mysterious boy and how he plays into the Sirens' plans.

Sora, however, was growing more and more nervous as the ship came to a stop. Now, only a few hundred feet away from stepping onto Sakura Empire land, he knew that there would be many girls waiting to inspect him. This was something that he would never get used to. The idea that there could be islands full of nothing but girls and not just regular girls. Really beautiful girls that not only looked elegant but girls that could probably be dangerous. Perhaps being surrounded by dangerous girls was the universe's way of slapping Sora on the wrist, given that he did commit a nature taboo.

To answer Sora's question, Akagi and Kaga began to push him down a ramp that led onto the dock which was connected to the shipyard's bay. Upon looking down onto the dock, Sora held his breath and knew he was in trouble.

The screams of countless girls were heard.

Chapter 11: Explanation of a Dream

Summary:

Sora has now landed in the Sakura Empire. What chaos will ensue and who will the Keyblade wielder meet now?

Notes:

*A/N - Hope everyone is doing well. Feels like the summer went by quickly. At least it did for me. Either way, I hope all goes well. This chapter will be where things start to derail from the anime. With Sora's involvement and placement in this world, everything is going to change. And how will the Keyblade's Chosen Wielder fit into everything? Get ready for chaos. And of course, the ship girls causing chaos.

Screams.

The sound of many girls screaming in shock from the dock was all Sora could hear. Peeking down toward the dock, he could see many different girls with various characteristics. Girls with cat ears, dog ears, rabbit ears, and horns. It was all very interesting. Sure, he had been to other worlds where the people there had animal characteristics or were even animals. But to see human girls with animal features was something else.

However, his thoughts would be interrupted when Kaga pushed him forward further down the ramp leading to the dock.

"Get a move on. And quit staring" Kaga commanded.

"That's going to be a bit hard. Everyone is already staring at me."

"Don't pay them any mind."

Letting out a sigh, Sora knew it was better to listen and follow her instructions rather than make her angry which could lead to him getting harsher treatment.

Continuing to make his way down the ramp, Sora kept his gaze straightforward to not make Kaga angrier. He hadn't heard Akagi speak in a while which felt weird. You would think that she would be the one to push him toward the location where this Lady Nagato was but instead it was Kaga. Perhaps she was just behind Kaga but hadn't said anything. But Sora couldn't exactly look back and check.

Having now stepped foot onto the dock, Sora shifted his eyes while staring forward to try and get a good look at the girls of Sakura Empire. Sora was met with girls staring at him with wide eyes and pointing at him while almost being amazed. The Sakura Empire girls were displaying similarities with the Azur Lane girls. They must have not been so familiar with seeing a boy before.

"Keep going straight. If you try to make a run for it. Don't" The sound of something mechanical and heavy appeared out of nowhere. Kaga then told Sora to look back at her. There in her hand was a very large gun that practically covered most of her arm. She summoned her rigging to threaten him. "I won't hesitate to shoot you."

Getting the message, Sora nodded his head and continued to look forward and make his way in the direction Kaga told him to follow.

With Sora walking toward the building housing Lady Nagato with Kaga, Akagi stayed back a bit and watched the two in front of her. She had many thoughts running through her mind right now. Thoughts that concerned what her next course of action would be.

The Sirens had given her the power to attack and forcibly crush Azur Lane but she had returned before she could complete her invasion. Plus, she had brought back a prisoner but not just any prisoner. She had brought back Sora, who might just be the person that the Sirens had taken an interest in. Moreover, if she were to give Sora to the Sirens, would… would that be enough for them to finally give her the power to save Amagi?

Her thoughts would have to be left on hold as she was being questioned left and right by the girls who were waiting at the docks for her and Kaga and the Crane Sisters.

"Akagi! Who was that?!"

"W-was that a boy?!"

"Did you find him?"

"A-a boy?!"

"He looks cute…"

"He's probably evil. Stay away from him!"

"How did you find a boy?"

"Why did you bring back a boy?"

"Is he your prisoner?!"

"Did you beat him?!"

Questions were thrown at her from everywhere. She would have to deal with this now rather than let this bother her later.

Clearing her throat, Akagi began to speak.

"Now, now, everything is alright. I can't answer all your colorful questions, but I can say this" Bringing her hand in front of her, Akagi held her hand out in a friendly, almost comforting way. "His name is Sora. And he was fighting with Azur Lane. Not much is known about him but… Lady Nagato will be the one to decide his fate. He did offer himself as a prisoner. In exchange for the attack on Azur Lane to be stopped. For now…"

Most of the girls quieted down after hearing Akagi's words. Others continued to ask her random questions about the fight with Azur Lane or how she was or if Sora was dangerous. Many girls continued to follow Akagi when she started to catch up with her sister and Sora. All the attention was directly focused on Akagi, Kaga, and Sora.

Z23 or Nimi as some called her had stayed back from the large crowd and looked around, hoping to see if there was a spot she could rest and report to her superiors. There was quite a lot to discuss. Hence, Nimi decided to lay low at the moment.

Zuikaku and Shoukaku had made their descent to the dock and just watched everything play out in front of them. Some girls noticed the Crane Sisters and waved or smiled at them to which they returned those feelings. However, no one really made their way to talk with them, leaving Shoukaku to sigh and puff out her cheeks.

"Hmph. That doesn't seem fair at all. We were also there in the fight with Azur Lane. Don't they want to know how the fight went or that my dear sweet little Zuikaku fought Sora in a one-on-one duel?" Shoukaku asked with her hands on her hip and looking irked.

"Please don't make a big deal out of it, sis," Zuikaku said while looking on and seeing that Akagi was smiling and talking with everyone that was surrounding her.

"Besides, remember our discussion with Sora? A lot is going on here that we need to do something about."

"You're right. My bad, Zuikaku" Now with a frown on her face, Shoukaku shook her head at her carelessness. "Well, seeing that most of the attention is on those three *pointing at Sora, Kaga, and Akagi* should we meet up with Atago, Takao, and the others?"

"Yeah. We should. And then make our way over to where Sora will be interrogated by Lady Nagato" Zuikaku said.

However, before either of the Crane Sisters could start to move, they saw two girls start to make their way toward them.

"It's good… to see you again, Crane Sisters" one of the girls said.

"A-ah?! Lady Shinano!" Making herself look presentable, Zuikaku tried to straighten her dress out and look dignified. But that only made Shoukaku and Shinano giggle.

"It's alright…Zuikaku. I… *looking off to the side* I was just lost in thought" Shinano said, while the tone in her voice sounded…distant.

"Kashino, it's good to see you again," Shoukaku said, noticing the other girl.

"Likewise, Shoukaku and Zuikaku. I hope everything went well in the attack against Azur Lane. That boy being the prisoner was quite the surprise" Kashino remarked.

"Yeah. No kidding. He was also a very skilled opponent to fight against" Zuikaku added.

"Wait? Did you fight him, Zuikaku?" Kashino asked.

"Yep. My adorable little sis was able to fight Sora head-on. The two weren't able to finish their duel so who knows who would've won the fight" Shoukaku said.

"I…I"m not so sure about that sis" Having had this feeling in the back of her mind, Zuikaku knew that after her duel with Sora and seeing his calm and carefree nature up close and personal. He was a very adaptable and skilled fighter. To the point that she wasn't really able to get an idea of how strong he truly was. Plus, when he changed clothes, it was like… like he unveiled only a glimpse of his power. If the fight were to go on any longer, then…

"Even though we didn't conclude our duel against each other, I have a gut feeling that I wouldn't have won," Zuikaku answered, feeling not that upset about saying that out loud.

Surprise shook Shoukaku and Kashino. Shinano however, remained silent on the matter.

"What do you mean, Zuikaku? Are you saying that Sora is a lot stronger than we originally thought?" Shoukaku asked.

"Yeah. I think so. Remember what he told us while in the prison cell, he's had quite an amount of time and experience fighting. It's honestly safe to assume he's skilled but knows how to play it off" Zuikaku replied.

"Incredible…he sounds very interesting," Kashino said.

Noticing that Shinano had not said anything in quite some time, Zuikaku decided to ask her.

"Hey, Lady Shinano, is everything alright? You've been awfully quiet."

Tilting her head at Zuikaku's question, Shinano had a lot on her mind. That boy… there was no denying it. Her dreams told her many things. Things that would come to pass or things that were important for her to learn. That boy she had seen with the spiky brown hair and beautiful blue eyes along with his distinctive crown necklace was the one from her dream.

Surprise had taken her the moment she saw him. It was almost as if fate was dangling a glimmer of hope in front of her and telling her to pay close attention to every detail her dream showed her. This boy was someone of great importance. And with that in mind, she decided to voice her thoughts to the two girls who had actually talked with the boy.

"I'm… I would like to say that I am fine. After waking from a peaceful slumber, that is not the case. I am… both worried and hopeful."

This caught the girl's attention fast and forced them to become worried immediately.

"In my most recent dream, I dreamt of our land. Our home. All was peaceful. The land was prospering, and everyone was basked in happiness and warmth. It was the perfect picture of perfection. That was… until the dream started to turn…"

The rest of the girls were silent and processing everything Shinano was saying. Paying close attention to the details being said.

"The dream shifted to a dark setting with thunder roaring across the island, and then the sky turned dark with the wind picking up and the screams of everyone being echoed. I could hear the screams of everyone and the agony felt in the air. Hope was all but lost. Trifling away as darkness began bearing its claws into our world. Our home" Closing her eyes, Shinano let out a breath she didn't know she had and regained her bearings before continuing. "Soon enough, countless Sirens surrounded the island and were about to take me away. But… the dream then faded to darkness and when I opened my eyes I was greeted with a magnificent sight. A bright white crown emblem that was glowing on the ground appeared. The crown was giving off this… warmth. A sense of light in the darkness and when I approached it…"

A moment of silence passed before Shinano started speaking again.

"I awoke in a world with nothing but endless skies and a sea that you could walk on without falling in. It was a sight I'd never seen before. But what happened there was unlike anything I've ever experienced before" Bringing a hand over her heart, Shinano began to describe meeting…him. "There in the water world was a boy. A boy that appeared to be really young. He had spiky brown hair and dark blue eyes that made me feel calm. It was all too surreal" Shinano explained while earning confused looks on the girls' faces.

"However, the boy began to change form and took on a different appearance. He looked older but still young wearing a onesie. After a moment, the boy began to change into an older form with a black outfit and presented a confident yet happy appearance. He then transformed once more into another outfit with a very large *X* on his chest."

Taking a moment to recall every detail in her dream, Shinano let out a tired sigh before continuing.

"And then the boy went back to being the youngest form of himself. But behind him, a monster started to rise out of the water. A monster that you would imagine in your nightmares. And it was making its way toward the boy but… the boy just looked calm. I asked him if he was scared and he said no. He wasn't scared and that I shouldn't be either and that he'll help me."

Zuikaku's hands were beginning to shake as she was feeling… something. Call it eagerness or concern or worry but she felt something when hearing what the boy said. Shoukaku was silent and hanging onto every word Shinano said. Kashino was silent on the matter taken aback by how different this dream was compared to Shinano's other dreams. This dream felt… like it was foretelling of things to come.

"The boy then started to transform into another of his forms but this time… the boy's appearance was now that of a young man. A man that was ready to deal with the monster in front of him. And the man's appearance… was that of Sora's" Shinano said, leaving Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Kashino to be wide-eyed with their mouths agape.

"Wait?! You're telling me that Sora was the boy you saw in your dream?!" Zuikaku shouted.

"Yes. When I saw him coming down the ramp there was no denying it. The last form of the boy I saw being that of his older form was for certainty him. Sora… the boy from my dreams" Shinano answered.

"This changes everything! Zuikaku, we need to meet with Lady Nagato and tell her of Lady Shinano's dream. She's gotta see that Sora is someone of great importance" Shoukaku said.

"You're right. *Looking at Shinano* Lady Shinano, I'm sorry to ask this of you seeing that you have just woken up from your dream-filled slumber, but we need you to come with us to meet with Lady Nagato and tell her of Sora's importance."

"Lady Shinano, this sounds like an urgent matter. I know that you're still feeling tired but please. We have to get to Lady Nagato and save the boy from your dream" Kashino said, hoping that Shinano would lend her help. "If you need me to, I'll even carry you on my back to help you get there"

"It's… it's alright. *Turning her body toward the direction Akagi went* I will lend Sora my help and inform Nagato of the importance that lies with that boy… with that man" Shinano replied.

With their fears being diminished, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Kashino, and Shinano began to make their way to save Sora and inform Nagato of his fateful presence being here.

---

Back with Sora

Continuing to walk, Sora was utterly confused about what was happening. Behind him, he could hear Akagi answering many questions that were directed toward her about the attack on Azur Lane and how he ended up as her prisoner. He wanted to take a look but was worried that Kaga would keep her word and shoot him if he tried anything suspicious. Hence, his hesitation and focus on walking forward.

With Akagi, she was talking with a girl about the operation.

"And that's how things played out. With Azur Lane having been dealt with an unsuspecting blow, they'll be slow to launch a counter-attack" Akagi said.

"Ooh. I take it that the whole attack left a bunch of them pretty upset huh? Well, not to worry, most of our forces are here at the base and waiting for orders! Plus, with me around there's nothing to be afraid about. I'm sure that I can be a distraction or pull a fast one on Azur Lane that will leave them wondering just what it is that I have in store for them. Not to mention, once I get my aircraft going and covering the skies there won't be anything stopping me from…" one of the girls explained. Or better yet, kept saying and would not stop talking. This girl was Katsuragi, she was part of the Unryu-class aircraft carrier.

"Uh…Katsuragi I think you're speaking too fast for Akagi senpai to understand you. Besides, you can't be talking crazy about fighting Azur Lane like that. They're probably really upset about our senpais launching a surprise attack and taking their friend captive. Even though he came voluntarily. Still, you'll need to be careful" Another girl said while shaking her head at Katsuragi's antics. This girl was Shouhou, part of the Zuihou class.

"Hehehe~ There's nothing to worry about! With me around, we'll be able to fight the Azur Lane girls with no problems. Why? With the great Yukikaze around, things are sure to be in our favor!" this girl…doesn't need an introduction as she introduced herself.

"Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Before anything else, we need to report to Lady Nagato about the prisoner along with the results from our attack" Akagi said, which got the other girls to quiet down a bit.

Speaking of meeting Lady Nagato, Sora was now a few hundred feet away from a tall and decorated building with flags that he surmised were the Sakura Empire's hanging on the outside. This would be where he would meet with this Lady Nagato along with being his chance to tell her about the threat of the Sirens and Heartless. Where would he start his discussion with her about the Heartless? How would he exactly tell his tale of how he got here? Would they believe him like his friends in Azur Lane? Would they question him harshly? Will they even give him a minute to speak? Many questions were rummaging through Sora's mind but that would all come to a pause.

In a matter of seconds, Sora was now in front of the building's doors and was told to now follow behind Akagi while Kaga stayed behind him. The other girls seemed to either calm down or dispersed. He couldn't exactly look behind him thanks to Kaga.

Entering another door, Sora was now greeted with a large room that had practically nothing in it except floor mats on the wooden floor. There were doors on each side that were open allowing for wind to blow into the room. The room was also lit up with lights all over the place. And there sitting in the room was a young girl. A girl with long fox-like ears and a red dress. She was sitting there with her eyes closed. It left Sora a bit confused about the whole thing.

Akagi was the first to bow and greet the girl, "Lady Nagato. It is good to see you again. My sister and I along with the Crane Sisters have returned and wish to report to you on the situation. However, we were able to… bring back a prisoner" Akagi said.

Hearing Akagi's words, Nagato opened her eyes and was greeted by Akagi still bowing along with Kaga bowing in the background as well. But the strange part was that she saw someone she's never met before. A boy standing there looking at her with interest in his eyes rather than fear or nervousness.

"This is… unusual. I was not aware that *he* was here" Nagato muttered.

"Forgive my negligence, Lady Nagato, but during our attack on Azur Lane, he was present and was locked in combat with Zuikaku. And then engaged in combat with Kaga. After a set of circumstances, he offered himself as a prisoner of war in order to guarantee Azur Lane's survival. At least for now" Akagi said.

"State your name."

"My name is Sora."

"Sora… very well. I am the manifestation of the soul of the Sakura Empire. I am called Nagato, flagship of the Sakura Empire's combined fleet. Why have you come to my home?" Nagato asked.

"Huh?" Kaga uttered in the background.

"Lady Nagato, what exactly do you mean?" Akagi asked, not sure what was going on.

"Akagi. Kaga. There's still much you need to learn. Can you not see that Sora here does not show any signs of fear for his life while in the presence of the Sakura Empire's leader? There is more to Sora being here than just acting as a prisoner of war" Nagato noted, which earned a small smile appear on Sora's face.

"You got it right on your first try, Lady Nagato."

Feeling a smirk appear in the corner of her mouth, Nagato relished the moment.

"Of course! One who stands as the flagship of the mighty Sakura Empire needs to have quite keen observation skills. Moreover, I still cannot tell what it is that you are here for exactly. But whatever it is, you seem intent on discussing it with me" Nagato replied.

"You're right about that, Lady Nagato. There's a lot to discuss with you… if you would permit me to speak" Sora asked, feeling like he should at least keep acknowledging her as the leader. Something he picked up on after meeting so many royalty and leader figureheads in his adventures.

"Lady Nagato, if I may. It would not be wise to listen to anything this boy has to say. *Pointing right at Sora* His goal will try to encompass you to stop the attacks against Azur Lane along with ushering you to stop the tempered stalemate with the Sirens. He knows nothing of the Sakura Empire!" Akagi proclaimed, showing a bit of her angry side.

Sora knew that his word wouldn't mean much while considered a prisoner, but he would at least have to warn Nagato about the Heartless if nothing else.

"You are right in that regard, Akagi." Bringing both her hands into her lap, Nagato began to finish what she was saying. "However, seeing that…there is something peculiar with this boy. I wish to question him further. Perhaps there is something he can say that would… benefit the Sakura Empire. *Looking at Sora* Tell me, what is it that you wish to say to me?"

Realizing that this was his chance, Sora decided to go all in.

"Well… for starters, your involvement with the Sirens. How did that come into play? And how could you turn your back on Azur Lane?" Sora asked.

"The Sakura Empire's involvement with the Sirens is one of…great stipulations. We lend a degree of support to the Sirens by attacking Azur Lane and its allies. In return, the Sakura Empire is spared from having to deal with an invasion from the Sirens" Nagato answered, but her tone of voice was… off.

"But… why?! How could you choose to side with the Sirens?"

"You would not understand. You were not here when the Sirens first invaded. Striking at each faction. Friends and families… torn apart at the hands of an unknown enemy. The situation escalated at a rate that we were not prepared for. Hence, an agreement was discussed and followed up with a confirmation" Nagato said.

At the mention of friends and families, Akagi and Kaga's bodies had tensed up and were balling up their fists. Memories of the Sirens attacking and their older sister, Amagi, being commissioned out on a mission. Only to return badly injured and suffering a deadly disease. Recalling all the moments of despair and sadness seeing Amagi suffering caused Akagi to ball up her fist to the point that it had changed color.

"But…" Sora started but was immediately stopped by Nagato.

"I despise the fact that we are in collaboration with the Sirens. I despise fighting… but at that time I was not left with many options. I know that sooner or later my actions will have dire consequences and I am ready" Placing her hands in front of her, Nagato slowly balled them up. Knowing full well what she did in the past. "I am ready to face my consequences headfirst. If only things could have been different…" Nagato cut herself off from saying any more.

Grimacing, Sora could hear the regret in her voice. When Akagi mentioned working with the Sirens, she said that she wanted power. The power to change fate. And now, Nagato's confession about the crucial decision she made when it came to the Sirens fighting and defeating the Sakura Empire. But… something didn't sit right with Sora.

Why was it that while the Red Axis decided to side with the Sirens, Azur Lane and the factions aligned with them still decided to fight the Sirens?

"...And now you fight against Azur Lane. The last source of unity is doing its best to beat back the darkness that the Sirens bring to this world. Are you serious?"

Kaga and Akagi were wide-eyed at Sora's response. It was not what they were expecting. Nagato thought the same thing but kept a stern face.

"Azur Lane is still out there fighting against the Sirens even with the realization that other factions have decided to opt out of the war and just gave in to the Sirens. Aren't you worried that the Sirens would turn around and stab you in the back?!" Sora shouted, feeling upset about the whole ordeal.

"...That's where you are wrong. You believe that we are sitting here twiddling our thumbs and ignoring the dangers that threaten our home. Our world. You're wrong. Do not underestimate the Sakura Empire" Nagato said.

"At this point… you have no idea what's really going on. And siding with the Sirens is definitely going to lead to bad things" Sora remarked.

"How dare you?! Don't you dare speak to Lady Nagato like that! Know your place, prisoner!" Kaga shouted.

"Lady Nagato, allow me to teach this brute a lesson," Akagi asked, summoning a large flame in her hand.

Before Nagato could say anything, the door to the large room opened, and stepping inside was a familiar white-haired fox followed by several other girls.

"Lady Shinano?! I was not aware that you had awoken from your slumber. What brings you here?" Kaga asked.

"Kaga. Akagi. It's good to see you two. *Looking at Nagato* "Nagato, you look well," Shinano replied.

"Lady Shinano. It's good to see you again. I take it you are here regarding your most recent dream?" Nagato asked.

"Yes. My most recent dream was… puzzling, to say the least," Walking closer to Nagato, Kaga, and Akagi, Shinano was now able to get a better look at Sora who was standing there not turning around to see her. Probably due to Kaga or Akagi threatening to attack him for moving.

Making her way toward the boy, Shinano was now right beside him and could see him stiffen a little while still unable to see her. Wanting to help the boy who was shown to her to be special, Shinano calmly walked right in front of the boy and met his blue eyes with her own. She had to force herself to not make a sound. Seeing the boy from her dream right there in front of her was…unexplainable.

Sora was left wondering just who this girl was. He heard her name was Shinano, but it seemed that she was some kind of guest of honor or something. Her appearance was that of another fox-like girl with her long silver flowing hair and her blue dress with her long fox tails and ears. She was really pretty but there was something off about her. When she first saw him, it looked like her breath was taken back for a split second. Almost like she had seen him before.

At the same time, thoughts quickly filled Shinano's head as she became overwhelmed with emotions and questions that were revolving around the boy.

Why was he here? What was his role in all this? Was he dangerous? Did he come here to help us? Questions without any answers flooded Shinano. But before she could do anything else, Akagi spoke up.

"Lady Shinano. I ask you to be careful with him. He's the prisoner we brought in from Azur Lane. He offered himself to us in exchange for the assault on Azur Lane to abruptly stop. We were currently in the process of interrogating him when he remarked that Lady Nagato and the Sakura Empire had no idea what they were doing, and that siding with the Sirens will lead to bad things."

Letting a moment of silence envelops the room, Shinano was the first to say something while slowly making her way toward Nagato. They needed to know about her dream.

"...He is not wrong" Shinano muttered, earning a confused look on Nagato's face.

"What do you mean? Lady Shinano?"

"I mean that… in the dream, I was just shown, the Sakura Empire was consumed" Turning to look at Akagi and Kaga, seeing their faces twist at his news. "Our home was lost to darkness. Sirens had begun to make their way here. Destroying everything and everyone. And the screams of everyone could be heard. Darkness consumed everything. The sea. The land. The sky. All of it" Shinano explained, which got Nagato to stay quiet but Kaga to speak out.

"How can that be? Darkness consuming everything?"

"My dream did not end there. After being enveloped in the darkness, moments before the Sirens had me in their clutches. I found myself in a place with no light. Left alone… That was until a blinding light appeared before me. It had the appearance of a… crown. And it was giving off a bright white light. Having no idea what it was, I cautiously walked toward the crown's light and immediately appeared in a different place" Bringing a hand over her heart, Shinano closed her eyes and began to tell detail for detail about the place she saw in her dream.

"The location I found myself in was a place with endless calm water on the surface that you could stand and walk on. The sky was soothing with very few clouds in the sky giving off a warm and peaceful feeling."

Hearing Shinano's words instantly shocked Sora. Everything she was describing sounded exactly like something he's encountered before. The crown symbol appearing on the ground. And the Final World. But… How did she end up there?

Internally facepalming, Sora remembered what Chirthy said to him upon his visit to the Final World after he lost at the Keyblade Graveyard.

"The edges of sleep and death touch, and one can't help the occasional crossover" Sora recalled Chirithy's words.

Now left with more questions, Sora wondered how the rest of Shinano's dream progressed.

"A world with an endless ocean and a calm sky?" Kaga questioned.

"What was it that you were shown there, Lady Shinano?" Akagi asked.

"What I saw there… was a boy. A young boy who was standing in front of me."

This confused all the girls that were hearing this story for the first time. The other girls were standing in the background watching and waiting. Having the chance to process exactly what it was Shinano saw in her dream again.

"The boy, however, began to take different forms. Older forms to be exact. While his appearance and attire changed, the boy continued to smile at me."

Nagato had many thoughts about what Shinano's dream was trying to tell her, but she would listen until the very end of her dream to give her opinion on the matter.

"Alas, after the boy changed for the third time something happened. Behind him, a monster began to appear out of nowhere. This monster… was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. And it was making its way toward the boy" Shinano explained.

"However, before the monster could make its way toward the boy, I asked him… if he was scared?" Opening her eyes and looking straight at Sora, who was listening to her tale. The boy's eyes met hers. In that instant, Shinano felt that familiar sense of warmth that she experienced back in the dream. Only this time it was for real.

"The boy's response was along the lines of, "No, I'm not scared. And neither should you be Miss. It's ok. I'll help you" and once he said that he took the form of an older and more mature look. The last thing I remember from the dream was the older boy rushing right at the monster. Not afraid of it at all…" Shinano said while having finished retelling her dream.

Neither Akagi nor Kaga said a word. They had many thoughts in their minds. Akagi had begun to piece together just who this mysterious boy was. The detail about the glowing crown sigil was an alarming clue. Moreover, the looks that Shinano was giving to Sora while elaborating on her dream were a dead giveaway. Sora was not only an interest to the Sirens, but now from Shinano's dream, he was an individual that would be watched by the Sakura Empire.

"And… that's where the dream ended. Not long after, Kashino informed me that Akagi and the others were returning with a prisoner. As you might guess, I became curious and went down to see who the prisoner was and… *Turning to look at Sora* It ended up being the boy from my dream" Shinano said.

Sora now had many questions lingering at the forefront of his mind. But the one he was curious about was why was he featured in her dream? Especially different versions and ages of himself? Having had his fair share of involvement in destiny and fate, Sora was leaning more on the idea of Shinano's dream being a look at what could come. The outcome of siding with the Sirens who are also somehow involved with the Heartless. And he happened to be involved with this world's struggle in the fight between light and darkness.

Just another day in the life of a Keyblade Wielder.

Akagi on the other hand was beginning to grow worried. With Shinano's dream having been told to Nagato, there was no doubt that she would want to keep a close eye on Sora. Shinano's dreams were something that everyone should take seriously. Consequently, Akagi was beginning to feel uncomfortable with what was mentioned in the dream about the Sirens invading the Sakura Empire and darkness conquering everything. Was that a foreshadowing of what would happen by siding with the Sirens?

Before Akagi could give her idea more thought, Nagato began talking, "The Sakura Empire falling to the Sirens and being consumed by darkness. And you were able to find light from someone unexpected. There are details laid right before our very feet yet the answer may just be complex" Nagato commented.

"With everything I've said, I'd like to request the release of Sora," Shinano said, leaving the girls surprised.

"What do you mean, Lady Shinano?" Kaga asked, confused about the sudden request.

"Even with the dream displaying many elements of foreshadowing, there are questions I have about what I was shown. Questions that can be answered, here and now. But only if the one who has the answers is willing to share them. And… I doubt he would be willing to share them while locked away in a cell" Shinano explained, leaving no room for misinterpreting her words.

Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Kashino were on the balls of their feet. Waiting to see what Lady Nagato would say next or how she would take Shinano's request. Kaga as well was curious how the situation would play out. She was of the mind that Sora was still affiliated with Azur Lane which meant that he was an enemy. Hopefully, Lady Nagato would acknowledge that in her decision.

"...you have not said anything for quite some time. What are your thoughts about this whole thing?" Nagato asked, directing her question at Sora who was still looking right at her without saying anything.

"Well… I have questions about this dream and why I appeared in it. But that can wait. I need to warn you about the dangers of siding with the Sirens" Sora answered.

"We already know what you're going to say," Akagi said, waving her hand in front of her. She already knew what it was Sora was getting at. "How it's wrong to side with the enemy and that destroying Azur Lane is not the right way to go about things."

"No. What I was going to say is that there is something worse than the Sirens out there" Sora stated, managing to get Akagi to look at him with a confused look.

"What do you mean?" Akagi asked, now giving Sora her full attention.

"What could possibly be worse than the Sirens?" Kaga questioned.

Now having the room's occupants' attention, Sora took a deep breath as his explanation of the Heartless was bound too long. Plus, he had to make sure that he didn't blab about anything regarding being from another world. That would make things even more difficult to explain.

"All right, well, before I met with Enterprise, Kaga, and Akagi the first time, I ran into a fleet of Sirens. After jumping onto one of the Sirens' ships, I spotted another ship that looked different from the rest. Upon getting closer to the ship, I realized that this ship was not a Siren but something worse. Some monsters have various shapes and sizes. This monster is known as the Heartless" Sora explained.

Zuikaku and Shoukaku had heard Sora's explanation on the Heartless already and were familiar with the severity of danger this new enemy presented. Moreover, once Lady Nagato hears what Sora has to say about the Heartless, then maybe she will reconsider the Sakura Empire's cooperation with the Sirens.

"The Heartless are physical, living manifestations of the darkness within people's hearts. Their appearance is of a dark color with large yellow eyes. They'll stop at nothing to take people's hearts away" Sora said while letting a moment of realization settle in before continuing his explanation. "And those that have had their hearts taken away… ultimately turn into Heartless as well"

Kaga and Nagato had gone wide-eyed at the explanation. Shinano closed her eyes and was recalling the monster that she saw in her dream. The large figure with claw-like hands, vines around its head, and startling large yellow eyes. That must have been a Heartless. Kashino was shaking where she stood. The idea that a monster that went after people's hearts and could turn its victim into a monster as well was downright terrifying.

Akagi, however, was very silent. Feelings of anger and frustration were all she could feel. Her hands were closed tightly into a fist and had begun to change color. Sora's explanation of this monster could spell trouble for her agreement with the Sirens. If Nagato were to believe the boy and his warning, then she would call a meeting with the other factions in the Red Axis and discuss whether siding with the Sirens would be for the best. This would destroy the deal she made to achieve power. Power to save…

Before Akagi could finish her train of thought, Sora continued to speak, "I don't know how long you and the other factions have been working with the Sirens, but I do know that if you continue to side with them… it'll only lead you to be betrayed. And with the Heartless in cahoots, the Sirens have no idea how dangerous they truly are."

"…What exactly do you mean by that? Are you suggesting that the Heartless will cause distress with the Sirens?" Nagato asked, straightening herself and sitting up.

"No. I'm saying that the Heartless are a foe that is riddled with mystery. Even if someone is commanding the Heartless, that won't last long and pretty soon the Heartless will turn their sights onto the one who is trying to control them. The Heartless want only one thing and that's hearts. Everyone's hearts…" Sora stated, leaving a heavy presence in the room.

Shinano had finally opened her eyes and was looking directly at Sora. She now had an inkling about what it was her dream was trying to tell her. The wave of darkness brought by the Sirens was most definitely followed by the Heartless. Consuming everything and enveloping it in darkness. But… there was a spark of light to be found in the darkness. Sora. He was the one to stand against the darkness. He was the one they needed.

With nothing more to add at least for now, Sora watched Nagato's reaction. Hoping that she would say something or anything about the Sirens or the Heartless. However, after a few seconds, he would receive his answer.

"The Heartless… Sora. If Lady Shinano were not here and had not shared her dream with us… then, I would have given your statements more time to think about" Finding her balance, Nagato began to stand up and make her way closer to Sora. "However, seeing that Shinano's dreams are not something to scoff at. There is much I still need to learn about this new enemy. And… much I still need to learn about myself as a leader. We are now at a crossroads…"

"Crossroads can create many opportunities."

"Opportunities that could lead to light and darkness."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Is it? I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Everyone's heart is different. That's what makes us who we are. We get to decide what we want to do with our lives."

"Even those who choose darkness?"

"Yes. My best friend chose to follow darkness and though there were many challenges he had to face. He still managed to push through and find balance within his heart and use the power of darkness to protect those in need" Sora explained, recalling Riku and the many challenges he has faced.

"Choosing darkness and wielding it for those in need… I take it you chose the path toward the light."

"*Shaking his head* Not exactly. I was forced into the mantle of responsibility regarding light. My best friend was supposed to be the one, but he chose darkness. Hence, I was next in line."

"Responsibilities that are given to one who did not ask for it."

"Mm. But it's thanks to those responsibilities that I was able to meet so many new people. People whose hearts I've connected with. Making many new friends that I will forever cherish. Memories that will remain in my heart no matter what happens. Opportunities that I would have never experienced if it were not for my friends" Sora replied.

"…You are quite different, Sora."

"You think?"

"You have a certain affinity surrounding you."

"I see… thank you?"

"You're welcome"

"Well, what now?"

Looking back at Akagi and Kaga followed by looking at Shinano, Nagato knew that she would need to carefully consider her next move. But she would need a moment for that.

"Now…I ask that you be watched by someone until I am ready to give my decision on the matter. The Sirens. The Heartless. The Darkness. These are grave threats that must be considered carefully. I do not wish to lock you in a cell, but I also do not want you to leave the island. So, I ask that you are watched but are allowed to explore the island" Nagato explained.

Nodding his head at Nagato's answer, Sora figured that this was the best-case scenario. Not only would he not be thrown into a prison cell, but he'd now get to explore the island and learn more about the Sakura Empire and this world in general.

"Thank you, Lady Nagato" Sora said, bowing his head to show thanks for her decision.

Humming at Sora's gratitude, Nagato looked over at Shinano and called out to her.

"Shinano. Can I trust you to watch over Sora? Until I can give my decision on what to do next regarding all this information sitting in my lap?"

"Of course, Lady Nagato. I also have questions about my dream that I would like to ask him as well"

With that said, Nagato began to stand up from her seat and address Akagi and Kaga.

"Akagi. Kaga. I hope this decision of mine is understandable"

"Of course, Lady Nagato" Kaga answered.

"We trust in your judgment, Lady Nagato" Akagi replied.

Hearing the two sisters' words, Nagato nodded and excused herself from the room, and began to walk away toward another door that must've taken her somewhere else. The rest of the girls were wondering what to do next.

"Lady Nagato must be summoning her advisors about what to do next. Considering the hefty load of information thrown into her lap" Kaga considered.

"Be that as it may, we still have some errands to finish, Kaga. Shall we take leave?" Akagi asked Kaga to which she nodded.

"Lady Shinano, we leave the prisoner in your hands" Glaring right at Sora, Kaga spoke directly at the spiky-haired boy. "It would be wise to listen to her."

The two kitsune girls then began making their way out of the room. Walking past Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Kashino and not paying them a single glance.

Zuikaku just huffed at her senpais' actions. Kaga pouted and began to ridicule Akagi for dismissing them. Kashino just watched the two girls walk away. Sora continued to stare at Akagi while she was walking away. Trying to spot any darkness surrounding her body. Much to his luck, right before she exited the room's doors, Sora spotted a small thin cloud of darkness surrounding her feet. It was barely noticeable and if it were anyone else, they would've missed it completely. But Sora was used to identifying darkness in people's hearts, so he had a better eye at spotting things like this.

"I apologize for those two's actions. They haven't been exactly welcoming" Bringing a hand through one of her tails, Shinano let out a sigh. "Actually… they haven't been friendly to anyone for quite some time. Not since…"

Sora had a feeling he knew what she was referring to. Or better yet who she was referring to. Perhaps, while he was given this chance to roam around the Sakura Empire, he could talk to the Sakura girls about Amagi and get a better idea of who she was.

"Amagi. Zuikaku and Shoukau told me about her while we were on our way here" Sora answered.

Hearing their names, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Kashino began to make their way to Sora and Shinano.

"Honestly, Akagi did not look very fond of Lady Nagato's decision to let you off the hook. On her way out, it was a quick see or miss moment where she had a frown on her face" Zuikaku stated.

"She's probably just got her tails in a twist" Kaga muttered.

"But it was Lady Nagato's decision to make. Why would she be upset with that decision?" Kashino wondered.

"Whatever the case may be… the decision has been made. Now, Sora, we haven't properly met yet. My name is Shinano. It's a pleasure to meet you. Both in my dream and now in the real world"

"Uhm… Likewise. I think? Ehehe…" Sora awkwardly laughed.

"And this here is Kashino" Directing Sora's attention to the girl with cow-like characteristics. She was standing next to Zuikaku and Shoukaku giving a friendly smile. "I ask that you please get along with her and everyone here. Even if they may… give you some trouble" Shinano said.

"Don't worry. I know that my being here is confusing and has everyone all excited. I'm just glad that I'm not being locked away in a prison cell" Turning to greet Kashino, Sora gave off a bright and friendly smile. "Hey there, you probably already know my name but it's nice to meet you, Kashino."

"Likewise, Sora. It's very nice to meet you!" Kashino replied, happy that the boy was very friendly.

Deciding to get the ball rolling, Shinano began to speak to Sora about what was to come.

"I'm sure you have many questions about my dream. I would gladly answer them as best as I can. However, I too… also have questions for you."

"Right. It seems we have much to talk about. Did you… want to talk here?"

"Not really. If you would be so kind, I'd like to move to a more comfortable location. One with a great view of the island"

"That sounds great! I'd be happy to go there."

Clasping her hands together, Shoukaku was becoming giddy with excitement.

"Mm! It sounds like you two are going on a date. I'm not sure whether rooting for you will ruin my adorable little sister's chance of going on a date with Sora. But either way, I'll root for you!" Shoukaku exclaimed which caused Zuikaku to start blushing.

"S-Sis! Quit it!"

"You'll have to excuse her, Sora. She's a bit shy when it comes to her emotions. She's not used to these types of feelings."

"I didn't know Zuikaku was shy like this. She's always shown herself to be serious about things. Seeing her blushing is a surprise" Kashino muttered.

Not sure what Shoukaku meant by Zuikaku being shy with her emotions, Sora looked down at his hands and could recall the many times he felt confused about his own emotions during his adventures. Feelings that he had no answers for or when he bottled up his emotions only for them to come exploding out like back at the Keyblade Graveyard. But it was thanks to his heart that he managed to push through and find himself again.

"The heart is a remarkable thing. I would know since I've found myself lost with no direction to follow many times" Bringing his hand up to his heart, Sora knew what to say. "But over time, I've learned to trust what it is that my heart is telling me. So, anytime you're feeling conflicted about something. Just know to listen to your heart and let it guide you to the answer you are seeking. May your heart be your guiding key."

All the girls were taken aback by Sora's words. Something so simple yet so complex. Shinano had a bright smile appear on her lips at the wisdom behind his words. Kashino liked what Sora said and nodded happily. Zuikaku had looked at Sora and saw how positive he was about the whole thing. Not even afraid of sharing his thoughts with everyone. It left her feeling her blush becoming more apparent and her heart starting to beat faster. Being true to herself and her feelings… Shoukaku, however, was giggling to herself.

"My, my, Sora! You're making it really hard for me to keep on cheering for my amazing little sister. At this point, I'm about to try my hand at…"

"Sis!" Zuikaku shouted.

Laughing at the sisterly teasing going on, everyone had a chuckle. Enjoying the peaceful moment after a stressful and tense meeting. Zuikaku once again had a blush spread across her face which lit her face up bright red matching her dress. Shoukaku had brought her hand to cover her mouth but was still giggling at her sister. All in all, it was a fun moment. Sora had to admit. He was happy. Even having to be a prisoner, he was able to meet new people and from the sounds of it, they were quickly becoming his friends.

After a moment passed and everyone was able to catch their breath, Shinano spoke up, "Well then, shall we get going, Sora?"

"Sure! What about you guys? What are you going to do now?" Sora asked, directing his questions to the Crane sisters.

"Well, seeing that Lady Shinano will be watching over you, I figured that Zuikaku and I would go and check up with our friends and let them know you're here" Shoukaku answered.

"That's right. We should let Takao and the others know about what's happened" Zuikaku replied.

"I don't have anything going on right now. Would it be ok for me to accompany you, Lady Shinano and Sora?" Kashino asked.

"Of course! I don't have a problem with that. Do you, Lady Shinano?"

"Not at all. Also, Sora, it's fine to call me just by my name" Shinano said.

"Thank you!" Kashino replied.

With that being said, the Crane sisters excused themselves to go see their friends and began to walk out of the room, but not before Zuikaku took one last look at Sora who noticed and waved back at her. This threw her off and immediately forced her to stiffly wave back but from everyone else's perspective, it looked really awkward and funny at the same time. Zuikaku quickly dipped out of the room and even pushed Shoukaku out the door before she could say anything embarrassing.

Left with Shinano and Kashino, Sora was eager to get out of here and explore what else the Sakura Empire had to offer.

"Right then, shall we get going?"

Together, the three began to make their way out of the room and to another location. Sora silently hoped that the next time he would come to this room, things would get better.

---

In a dark cave located underneath the base of the Sakura Empire, Akagi and Kaga were standing around waiting for something.

"Sister Akagi, is everything alright? You've been quiet ever since we left Lady Nagato's council room" Kaga asked, grasping Akagi's shoulder.

"It's nothing dearest Kaga…ok. That was a lie" Bringing her hand over Kaga's, Akagi let out a frustrated sigh. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"I'm guessing it has something to do with Sora and Lady Nagato's decision that she will soon make?"

"Yes. Along with Lady Shinano's dream encounter. I hold no anger toward Lady Nagato or Lady Shinano… it's just that… what was said in that dream and how the island was consumed by darkness. The Sirens destroying everything and everyone we love. And now these mysterious monsters are known as the Heartless."

"Given what Sora said about encountering the Siren fleet and how there was a Heartless ship within the fleet, I don't know what to make of that revelation. I did not notice anything different with that Siren fleet we were provided with. Did you?" Kaga asked.

"No. I noticed nothing wrong with that fleet. Then again, we were mainly focused on the Grey Ghost. And soon after was when Sora appeared" Akagi replied.

"Do you believe everything Sora said? Is that what's bothering you, Akagi?"

"…I don't know. Whether or not I believe him is not that important" Looking up at the ceiling of the dark cave, Akagi closed her eyes and began to rationalize her thought which forced her to open her eyes and look at Kaga. "However, what Lady Shinano sees is something that should not be taken for granted. It would be unwise and idiotic to write off what she has seen in her dream."

"But…no matter what decision Lady Nagato decides to make, I will still follow the path I've forced upon myself. Whatever it takes to get the power I need" Akagi stated.

"Sister. We both knew the risks that we would have to take to achieve that power. We are so close…"

"I know. But we may not have as much time as we originally thought. With Sora here, things will most likely be sped up. And…" Akagi said but heard something get closer.

"To think, the key would be brought right to us. You've exceeded my expectations, Akagi" a mysterious voice said aloud causing the two sisters to look around until Akagi noticed someone high above them.

The sudden appearance of a large Siren ship that was glowing with red highlights left the kitsune girls to become alert. A figure was seen standing at the very top of the ship looking down at the two girls. Then, the figure began to slowly make their way toward Akagi. Now with a clear view of the figure, it appeared to be a Siren and it was the one to call out to Akagi. Only this was no ordinary Siren.

"Observer…" Akagi muttered.

"With nearly so much energy already gathered, I'd say we are about ready to launch Project Orochi" Observer stated, having made herself only a few inches away from Akagi and Kaga.

"Though, with how things are playing out. We might as well launch right now. Seeing that things are about to get hectic" Observer said while twiddling with the tentacles slithering around her body.

"I'm surprised you didn't intercept us earlier when we were on our way back to the Sakura Empire with him" Kaga answered, implying him as Sora.

"I considered it. Once my spies informed me of what was going on I had to force myself from stepping in. However, I had an amusing thought hit me" Petting one of her tentacles, Observer let out a malicious smile. "Why not let Azur Lane think that the Sakura Empire still has the boy in their possession only for me to whisk him away~? Leaving you all to deal with their anger. Oh, what a sight that will be!"

Kaga had a frown on her face realizing that Azur Lane is indeed planning a counterattack to rescue their friend. Akagi, however, glared at Observer but didn't say anything. Instead, she held out her gloved hand and beckoned Observer to give her something.

"If that is the case, then shouldn't we begin the initial process for Project Orochi?"

"Someone sounds eager. Very well, let us begin the transfer process" Observer said while bringing her hands in front of her and using her fingers to make various shapes.

Shapes such as a triangle, square, pentagon, circle, and then back to a square. Once her fingers held the shape of a square, a dark purple light began to appear in her hands causing there to be a purple glowing cube to appear. The cube's light began to grow and grow until it stopped. Now in Observer's hands was a dark cube that had a purple glowing outline around it. If anyone else were to see this, they could claim that the purple cube looked exactly like a Wisdom Cube.

With the dark cube in her hands, Observer handed the cube over to Akagi who willingly accepted it and began to look at it from every angle. Kaga cautiously eyed Observer to see if she was deceiving her sister.

"This cube… it's a Wisdom Cube, correct?" Akagi asked.

"You could say that. The complexity behind the cube and what it does would take too long to explain. So, I'll be brief" Observer's eyes then began to glow. "If you truly have enough power within you, and the cube doesn't end up killing you, then you'll be granted power. With this power, you'll be able to bring your sister back to full health."

Looking at the dark cube in her hands, Akagi had many thoughts swimming around her head and could only mutter a few words, "Power. Huh…"

"I take it you're making this all sound much easier said than done" Kaga proclaimed.

"Why, of course. It's not like you can just take the cube right now and use its power on your sister."

"Then, what needs to be done? What do I need to do now?" Akagi asked, having donned a determined look on her face.

"That's the spirit. Well, seeing that the boy is still on the island and isn't planning on leaving any time soon. Now would be the best time to start. However, it would be unwise to have the both of you go missing all of the sudden" Observer said.

"I see… then, in that case, Kaga, will you be so kind as to stand in for me and await Lady Nagato's decision" Akagi questioned.

"Of course. When I'm asked where your whereabouts are, I'll just say that you needed to step out for a minute and went for a walk" Kaga replied.

"Thank you, Kaga. I promise. Once I master this cube's power, I will bring back our beloved Amagi. Better than ever. Then, nothing will ever separate us again" Akagi proclaimed.

"I know you will, Akagi. Take care. I'll see you soon" Kaga said, making her way out of the cave and back to the surface.

"Now then, Observer, what next?"

Smiling at Akagi's question, Observer was going to enjoy what happened next.

"Now, open your heart…"

---

Back at Azur Lane

The sight of many ship girls running back and forth might have been a normal thing to see. However, the reason for all the girls running around now was because just moments ago an announcement was made alerting everyone that a rescue operation was about to commence. Given that the last 24 hours had been rather eventful, many girls wanted to be a part of the rescue operation.

Girls who had befriended Sora and gotten to know him even in the short amount of time that the was on the island. Having him around honestly brought many of the girls' newfound happiness. Not only was he fun to be around, but there was something special about him that just clicked. Almost like… he was able to share his positivity with everyone.

This is where we find Enterprise right now in the dockyard. Getting her riggings checked by Vestal along with Wales and Hood. These three had a brand-new connection with the Keyblade's Chosen One. And they would be damned if they could not be a part of the operation to bring back their friend.

Coming into view, Belfast was followed by Warspite, Sirius, Illustrious, and Unicorn.

"Belfast. I take it Her Majesty has received word from our girls on the inside?" Wales asked.

"You are correct, Wales. It seems that the last they saw of Sora was that he was being taken to meet with Lady Nagato" Belfast replied.

"I see…then, we'll just have to wait until we hear from them, and they have rescued Sora," Wales said.

"This does however raise some concerns. What will Lady Nagato do with Sora?" Illustrious asked.

"Th-they won't do anything bad, right?" Unicorn asked, clutching onto U-chan. The poor girl was still feeling down about Sora.

"Of course not, dear. Even knowing Akagi, she would at least want to question Sora about what he knows of Azur Lane which is barely anything. Plus, I'm sure Lady Nagato will have many questions for him" Hood said, wanting to calm Unicorn's worry.

"Be that as it may, Sirius, can you ask the maids to prepare ample supplies and ammunition? We don't know what the situation will entail, but I have a feeling that we will be in for a firefight" Warspite asked which earned a nod from the maid kansen.

"Understood. I'll inform them now. Please excuse me" Sirius said before running off to find the others.

All while everyone was talking with each other and discussing the plans regarding the mission, Enterprise was silent. Vestal noticed this being a friend of hers for quite some time and have grown accustomed to the Grey Ghost's behavior, she asked what was wrong.

"Enterprise. You've been awfully quiet. What's on your mind?"

"Same thing that's on everyone else's mind. The mission"

"I think after having to repair your equipment and riggings countless I've gotten a good handle on your emotions. And when you're hiding something. Or…" Tapping Enterprise's shoulder, Vestal gave the white-haired girl a hard stare before using her ultimate trap card. "I find Hornet or Yorktown or even the both of them and get them to make you say what's on your mind."

Tensing up at Vestal's threat, Enterprise let out an annoyed sigh. She was stumped.

"Alright fine. It's Sora. He's the one that's on my mind."

"And why is that? It's normal to be thinking about him. I mean, you're all heading out on a rescue op to save him."

"It's just… the way he looked at us with a smile on his face as he was being taken away knowing full well that Akagi would take him in as a prisoner. I am fully aware that Sora can take care of himself. But… seeing that he was ok with forfeiting himself to ensure our safety. I don't know… it just. Brought up some… memories" Enterprise explained.

"Well, when you guys find him. I'm sure you'll be able to relax" Vestal said.

"Yeah… you're probably right," Enterprise said while readjusting her cap.

Before she could say anything else, Unicorn appeared in front of her while holding onto U-chan and looking like she wanted to ask Enterprise something.

"Huh? Unicorn? Is… something wrong?"

"U-um…Enterprise. Will you… will you please bring back my big brother… I miss him" the young girl asked, clutching onto U-chan and feeling her eyes water up.

Enterprise was surprised by the young girl's words. Even only being here for a short time, Sora managed to connect with so many people. Brightening up their day and even getting them to be happier than usual. Enterprise was one of those people.

Crouching down to meet Unicorn's eyes, Enterprise raised her hand to pat the girl's head which calmed her down.

"Don't worry. I promise. I'll bring him back" Enterprise said, managing to get the young girl to shyly smile.

With the others watching the scene unfold in front of them, they all gained a boost to their morale and were even more determined to find Sora and rescue him.

---

Back in the Sakura Empire up on the island's surface

A girl was standing on a small hill looking out at the sea in front of her. The events of today were certainly unexpected. Specifically, the sudden appearance of a boy. A mysterious boy that was taken in as a prisoner. Z23 had called Prinz Eugen to give her a detailed report on all that has happened. And now she was talking with her.

"Yes. He was taken to Lady Nagato. I don't know if they are still talking with her" Z23 replied to her radio who had Prinz Eugen on the call.

"I see, that's very interesting. And tell me, Nimi, what are your thoughts about this boy?" Prinz Eugen asked, curious about Sora.

"He is… different. Though I don't have much experience with meeting a boy, and I haven't exactly interacted with him. But I can say that without a doubt, he's not afraid to speak his mind. He even argued against Akagi. The boy also has an attitude to him that I can't quite put to words" Nimi explained.

"Oh? Is that so? It seems that this Sora has gotten my attention. I'm looking very forward to meeting him~. Nimi, please continue to watch how the situation plays out over there. I'll be reporting back to Bismarck and the others to see what our next move will be."

"Understood. I'll keep watch. See you soon" With that, Z23 ended the call and looked around her to see if anyone was listening in on her conversation.

Seeing that no one was around, Z23 began to make her way back to a café where the other girls were including Ayanami who was acting a bit weird since she got back from her mission.

However, once Z23 was far enough away from the hill she was just at. A black hooded figure appeared out of nowhere and stood exactly where Z23 was at. The figure had his hands behind his back and looked out at the sea.

"Well, I will say, this world does have its sights."

Freeing his hands and crouching down to look at a red flower on the ground, the figure plucked the flower out of the ground and examined it closely. Such a delicate and beautiful flower. Only to be plucked from its home.

"Too bad that it's all going to come crashing down soon."

Raising the flower high above his head, the black-hooded figure let the flower go causing it to fly away in the calm wind and out to the sea. The Lost Master watched as the flower continued to get further and further away until it was out of sight. The figure then clasped his right hand.

"The real question is, will you be strong enough to save it, Sora?"

Chapter 12: Conversations and Conflicts

Summary:

Now on somewhat friendly terms with the Sakura Empire, Sora will now get the chance to meet and form new connections with some of the other girls. At the same time, Akagi and Kaga have been up to something. Something that'll bring harm to the island. How will Sora fit in with the girls of Sakura Empire?

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright to Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane

*A/N - Elements of Light and Darkness will begin crossing paths for the first time in this world. Sora will be making some new friends and learning more about this world. Things are going to get crazy. Therefore, I wish you all well and hope that you'll stick around for the story as there are many things to come. Take care and enjoy this chapter.

After having left the council room where he met Lady Nagato, Sora followed Shinano and Kashino to somewhere more comfortable where they could have a two-way conversation and ask all the questions they wanted. Along the way, he began to explain what happened during the Sakura Empire's attack on Azur Lane and how he was engaged in battle with Zuikaku when he had to rush and save Unicorn from Kaga in her fox form. He also mentioned steering one of Kaga's planes right into her which knocked her down and stunned her which threw Akagi to act.

That caught the two girls' attention and gave Shinano something to think about in the depths of her mind. Akagi had been acting rather strange as of late. Or well, stranger than usual. Alas, this thought would have to be saved for a later time.

Walking along a road that was paved, Sora noticed all the food stands and the stores being run by many different girls whom he guessed were also kansens. It seemed like everyone was minding their business going and going about their day running around or chatting with friends. That was until one girl spotted Sora walking behind Kashino and she pointed at him which drew the attention of everyone else in the area.

Left standing there awkwardly and at the center of attention, Sora could only raise his hand and wave at everyone.

"H-hey there. Nice to meet you all…" Sora said, bringing his free hand to ruffle the back of his head while awkwardly laughing.

Before any of the girls could yell or run up to him, Shinano stepped to Sora's side which caught the girls off guard and stopped them in their tracks.

"It's all right… Sora is not a threat" Shinano said, which made most of the girls confused.

"B-but Lady Shinano, that boy is the enemy! Kaga and Akagi told us that he is with Azur Lane" one of the girls said.

"That is Lady Akagi and Kaga's opinion on the matter. But … I believe that Sora is not our enemy. Even if he is aligned with Azur Lane, right now, he is my friend" Shinano said loud and clear for everyone to hear.

The rest of the girls had uneasy looks on their faces. It was one thing to hear from your senpais about a strange boy being considered an enemy and listening to them. But now to hear it from someone else that had not only brought prosperity to the Sakura Empire but been a beacon of wisdom and light to say that this boy was not the enemy left the girls confused.

However, one girl decided to step forward and take a few steps toward Sora and was only a few feet away from him while she scanned the boy up and down noticing his spiky hair, strange clothing, and crown necklace. The girl then looked over at Shinano before nodding and looking back at Sora.

"If what Lady Shinano says about you is true, then I'll be the first to welcome you to the Sakura Empire" The girl then closed her eyes and let a moment pass before she glared at Sora. "But… if you so much as lay a finger on Lady Shinano or betray her judgment, then you'll be granted a cruel fate"

Sora could only pale at the girl's threat. One minute she's coming off as somewhat friendly and the next not so much. At the same time, he took notice of the girl's appearance and could see that she had the appearance of a schoolgirl with black leggings and a dark shirt and skirt that gave off a uniform theme. Along with two horns coming from the top of her head with long dark hair reaching past her shoulders.

"It's all right, Noshiro, I trust Sora. You don't need to worry… about anything" Shinano spoke up.

"...ok. I'll trust your judgment, Lady Shinano" Noshiro responded.

After the girl now known as Noshiro calmed down the other girls in the area slowly made their way to both Shinano and Sora asking the two questions about what happened at the meeting. Sora had a feeling that this was going to become a common routine. But before he could say or do anything else, one girl began to laugh quite loudly which drew everyone's attention to her.

"Aha-ha-ha-ha!" said the girl who was now at the center of attention.

Sora turned to look at the girl and could now make out some of her characteristics. The girl had long silver hair that was tied in two pigtails with several ribbons spread out on her head. She had orange eyes and cat ears on top while wearing a cropped white sleeveless sailor uniform with a black collar and a red bow over her black frilled crop top. She also had on a black miniskirt with white linings and frills attached by black suspenders, white thigh-high socks with red trims, and gray shoes with black ribbons tied on each arm.

Now with everyone's attention on her, the girl pointed at Sora and began to speak in a haughty tone of voice.

"Worry not everyone! If Lady Akagi and Lady Kaga were able to defeat this boy during their fight, then we have nothing to worry about. If it were up to me, Yukikaze, then I would have no trouble beating both Eagle Union and the Royal Navy" the girl now identified as Yukikaze said for everyone to hear.

Biting his tongue so that he didn't cause any more trouble, Sora could only let out a sigh while internally shaking his head at what Yukikaze said. Frankly, he only fought Kaga but that was only when she was in her large fox form. The two haven't really had a real duel yet so there is no real way to say who would win in a fight. Besides, he hasn't had a start-to-finish fight with anyone while being in this world. The fight with Ayanami was short and the duel he had against Zuikaku was abruptly stopped when he went to save Unicorn.

But his thoughts would be dispersed as Shinano began to speak to Yuikaze.

"Yukikaze… while it is good to see you have much confidence in yourself, you must remember to not underestimate your foes" Shinano stated.

"Lady Shinano, it's great to see you again, but why would I need to worry about underestimating my enemies? You've seen my strength before, haven't you?" Yukikaze asked, putting her arms on her hips and striking a pose.

"I have and I will say you are both strong and determined… but you're not getting the full picture here, Yukikaze"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Yukikaze asked, dropping her stance and now having a confused expression.

"Sora was not beaten by either Akagi or Kaga… he offered himself willingly as a prisoner to save his friends from the surprise attack on Azur Lane" Shinano explained.

"...huh? But I thought… after Lady Akagi said… then…" Yukikaze was having a mental dilemma about the whole thing. She misread the situation and didn't get the exact picture of what happened.

"Then… how strong is he?" one of the girls asked, pointing to Sora who waved at her.

None of the girls in attendance said anything as they were all considering just how strong Sora was. They had underestimated the boy and were now growing a little concerned over the boy's power. To put them even more on edge, Sora offered a friendly smile to everyone in an act of kindness. But that's not what the girls thought.

Shinano decided that the girls' questions could be asked later once things calmed down and Nagato gave her decision on the whole Heartless and Siren situation.

"Everyone… Please, I ask that you hold your questions for later. After Lady Nagato has given her decision on what to do next, then you can ask both Sora and I questions you might have" Shinano said, calming everyone down.

Hearing this, most of the girls simply nodded and chatted amongst themselves before deciding to disperse and go about their activities or continue what they were doing beforehand. Noshiro stayed for a moment longer before she also joined the other girls in going about their day. Most of the area was clear except for a certain girl with cat ears still standing by.

"Yukikaze, what seems to be the matter?" Shinano asked, not sure what was going on with the girl.

"N-nothing! I'm just merely watching this boy to see if he does anything wrong. And as soon as he does, I'll be the first to jump and get the best of him" Yukikaze stammered which earned an eyebrow raise from Sora.

"I see… well then, we will be heading off as well. Take care" Shinano said while bowing to the girl before beginning to walk away.

Sora, left confused about what was happening, just gave Yukikaze a slight nod while also following behind Shinano. Kashino also began to walk away. Left alone in the same spot she had been for a minute now, Yukikaze could not wrap her head around what was happening. Didn't Lady Akagi and Kaga say that they beat the boy and brought him as a prisoner? Did they lie? Did she just make that up in her head?

These thoughts and many more began to become plotted in Yukikaze's mind as she wasn't sure what was happening. The only thing she did know was that Sora was a strange individual which meant that there was more than meets the eye with him, and that made Yukikaze worried.

---

Having walked for a solid minute now, Sora noticed a large open area that had many different flowers sprouting out of the ground with a variety of colors. The area reminded him of some of the scenery that he noticed back in Rapunzel's world and the beautiful colors present. Now looking at the area around him there were more different colors in the flowers which caught his attention immediately

Before he could get lost in the flowers, Kashino called out to him signaling that they had arrived. Snapping out of his thoughts, Sora followed her to what appeared to be an outside lounge that offered a great sight of the ocean and the island. In the lounge were several chairs with what appeared to be a teapot on the table. Shinano was the first to take a seat followed by Kashino. Sora also took a seat while the two began to pour themselves a cup.

"Would you care for some tea, Sora?" Kashino asked, offering the boy a cup.

"Sure. I'd like that"

Placing the cup down on the table, Kashino began to pour the tea into a cup and once done put the teapot down and handed Sora the tea which he greatly appreciated and thanked her for. Taking a sip of the tea, Sora was greatly surprised by how good the beverage was and had a large smile. After a moment passed of everyone enjoying their tea Shinano was the first to place down her cup and let out a relaxed sigh. She then closed her eyes and seemed to ponder something before opening them and speaking to Sora.

"Sora… could I ask you some questions?"

"Of course! I'm all ears"

"All right. Well, the first thing I want to ask… or rather the thing that's bothering me is my vision" Shinano explained.

Sora perked up hearing that her dream was giving her some distress. What could be bothering her?

"When I was shown the scenery of the Sakura Empire being consumed by the Sirens and darkness that didn't exactly need any explanation. But… when I appeared in that… plain of existence…" Shinano brought both of her hands together close to her chest and looked down at them while recalling the sight she saw.

"It was a sight that I've never seen before in my life… It was breathtaking, to say the least. If there was ever a place that I would like to visit once more, then that would be the place"

"That place you're talking about was the water place, right?" Sora questioned.

"Yes. That place…"

"That place is called The Final World" Sora answered, leaving Shinano and Kashino who were listening intently both stunned that he knew of the place.

"Y-you know what that place is?" Kashino asked.

"Yeah. I'm familiar with that place"

"Can you tell me more about this place? That place… there's something about that place that I can't put my finger on. It's also making my heart race" Shinano said, looking right at Sora.

Taking a second to gather his thoughts, Sora knew that explaining everything about the Final World would be quite confusing but if he needed to then he would clear up any confusion. Nodding to himself and the girls, he began to elaborate on that world.

"Well, the best way I can explain that place is that it's a place where the edges of sleep and death touch"

"Edges of sleep and death…" Shinano murmured, taking in everything Sora was saying.

"I was told that one couldn't help the occasional crossover. But if someone's heart and body were to perish and they had the strength to push on, then they would appear in the Final World" Sora explained.

Kashino was baffled beyond belief and had to wrap her head around everything she was hearing. Shinano on the other hand was thinking about something after hearing Sora's explanation. 'If this Final World is accessible by chance through sleep, then… Why have I not visited this place before?'

Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to ask more about this place, Shinano asked her question to Sora.

"Sora, if you can reach this place through sleep… Can you please explain why this is the first time I am seeing it through a vision?"

"You have the ability to see visions or premonitions of the future, right, Shinano?" Sora asked, wanting to clarify something.

"Yes. To see destiny, yet to be unable to change it…" Shinano replied.

"Destiny huh? Sora muttered, grasping his right hand. Thoughts of the Keyblade War came rushing back at him.

"To answer your question, Shinano. It's honestly your choice. An unconscious one that you don't really get to make" Sora responded. "And…usually only a heart is able to reach the Final World"

"Only a heart? What the… What does that mean?" Kashino asked, now completely lost at what was being said.

"A heart… Sora, could you explain what you mean" Shinano asked, having an inkling of what he meant but still wanting confirmation.

"Hmm... Right. I probably should have clarified some things at the start ehehe. My bad" Sora said, chuckling at how confusing this must've sounded. "Well, I guess the easiest way to think about a heart is that it's your feelings and the hope you have within yourself that gives you strength that you might have never known about. Memories also play into how your heart is formed. The aspect of light and darkness also help form your heart"

Shinano and Kashino both looked at each other and had a lot to think about. Hearing that you had a physical organ heart but another heart that involved your feelings and the idea of light and darkness was a lot to take in. But at the same time, it all sounded believable. Both of the girls realized that they were beings that were given life and form through a Wisdom Cube and used to fight against a mysterious threat that was on the verge of destroying their world.

Humming to herself, Shinano began processing her thoughts around the matter and how to proceed with the conversation. However, Kashino had a thought come to mind and was left confused and decided to announce her question.

"Sora, you said that this Final World is only accessible to those who choose to go there, but it sounds like you've been there before. Why is that?"

"I…I've been there a few times actually. Sometimes I went there unconsciously and had no idea how I got there. And not that long ago I ended up there because my heart and body had perished" Sora said which left the girls once again confused.

"Wait… perished? As in…" Kashino said but was stopped by Sora.

"Yeah… I died" Sora said, leaving a heavy feeling in the air.

Shinano and Kashino both stared at the boy and were speechless. What could they say? To hear that he had visited the Final World not only through sleep was one thing but hearing that he had visited that plane by death was a lot to take in.

"...But how are you here? You're still alive right?" Shinano asked, scanning the boy up and down seeing if there was anything off about him now.

"I'm alive and well so don't worry about that" Sora replied, brushing off her question. But deep down he had to ask himself that question. 'Was he still alive?' Shaking his head and casting that thought to the back of his mind, he continued to answer her question.

"But my friends and I were caught up in a war involving light and darkness and… things didn't go exactly as planned" Sora stopped short and let out a sigh before continuing. "It was then that I found myself in the Final World and learned from a new friend about what that place was and how to save my friends"

"A war involving light and darkness?" Kashino asked, not sure what Sora was talking about now.

"When you're talking about the darkness, do you mean the Sirens? Or the Heartless?" Kashino added.

"Not the Sirens. And the Heartless were involved but not the central driving force. But what I mean is that there was this evil organization that was starting a war involving light and darkness" Sora explained.

"Wait… a war involving light and darkness? Where… where was this taking place? Why were we not informed of this by our leaders?" Shinano asked, confused about the idea of a war taking place and not knowing about it.

"That's…" Sora stopped himself abruptly.

He knew sooner or later that he'd have to confess about being from another world in order to drive home the fact that the Heartless are dangerous beings that if not dealt with can become a real problem. However, coming right out of the gate and announcing that he's from another world might not be the right idea. Recalling how Wales and Cleveland took the news. Hence, taking a second to clean up his story while not exactly telling the truth would be his best option. And later he can clear up his story.

"The war between light and darkness took place in a barren land that was already war-torn from the last war. And… it's in a place that's not well known" Sora stated which drew the two girl's attention.

"Plus, the war was only between some people. But if the outcome of the war had played out differently, then things would have gotten worse and everyone would have seen it" Sora added.

"I take it that… that's not the case?" Shinano asked, already knowing the answer.

Nodding his head, Sora offered a small friendly smile. "Yeah. My friends and I were able to win the war and save the day. But… not all of us managed to make it out"

Kashino and Shinano's expressions shifted to a more somber and saddened look upon hearing that. They knew that feeling too well. Fighting the Sirens and having to suffer losses and injuries that hit hard both physically and mentally.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Sora," Shinano muttered.

"It's all right. I…" Before Sora could say anything else the sound of someone making their way over to them could be heard.

Turning his head to the side, Sora spotted a girl with what appeared to be a girl with large fluffy ears popping out of the top of her head and white hair sprawled past her shoulders while what appeared to be two red dots in the very front of her head. Sora wasn't sure as he was a bit away from her. The girl also looked to be young and was wearing a short black skirt with a jacket hanging off both of her shoulders while wearing what appeared to be sandals that did not look like sandals.

Not sure who this was, he was about to ask but was stopped when Shinano seemed to recognize who this was.

"Huh? Shimakaze? Is something the matter?" Shinano asked.

"N-no! Nothing is wrong, Lady Shinano. I was just informed to get Kashino for her help. Kirishima and her sisters require Kashino's help" the girl now known as Shimakaze responded.

"Me? Does Kirishima need my help? What for?" Kashino asked, surprised by the sudden request.

"I'm not sure. All I was told was that she and her sisters needed you for something but that was it" Shimakaze elaborated while casting a glance at Sora but then immediately shifting her gaze back to the others.

"I see… Well, it would be rude of me to make them wait. I apologize, Shinano but I should see what's up"

"Don't worry, Kashino… best to not keep them waiting"

Nodding her head, Kashino looked over at Sora and slightly bowed her head. "And I'm sorry Sora. I hate to leave so soon"

"Hey, it's all right. Nothing wrong with helping your friends" Sora stated, offering a smile at the thought of helping one's friends.

"Well then, I'll hopefully see you two later. See you" Kashino said before departing to wherever she was needed.

Shimakaze seemed to stop for a second as if she wanted to say something but decided against it and gave a quick bow to Shinano before she joined Kashino. However, she quickly shot Sora a look and caught his surprised expression. This must've put her on edge because she just quickly looked forward and followed Kashino.

Left confused about what happened, Sora tilted his head and was left with many questions. Shinano began to quietly giggle and brought her hand up to cover her face. She had a feeling that this would be a recurring thing for Sora.

"I take it she was shy?"

"Hmm. Yes, she was. You'll have to excuse her along with most of the girls here. Most of us kansens haven't had much contact with humans let alone a boy. It's only reasonable that some will have no idea how to really act" Shinano explained.

Reminded of how Rapunzel acted when she first saw him, Donald, and Goofy after leaving her tower for the first time.

"It can be a scary thing. Before I ran into Azur Lane and Akagi and Kaga, I'm now friends with someone who had never been outside before"

"Never been outside? How… how is that possible?"

"Her mother, well, her fake mother kidnapped her when she was younger for her power which was to heal people with her hair. All her life she was locked away in a tower with no one but her mom and her pet chameleon. But after meeting another one of my soon-to-be friends, she decided that that was the time to leave the tower, and once she did, she was amazed by everything and everyone" Sora said while recalling the energetic behavior that Rapunzel was showing off.

"That's awful… who could do such a thing to a child?" Shinano asked, anger seeping into her voice.

"Someone with bad intentions. But in the end, the fake mother succumbed to darkness which forced me and my friends to step in and help defeat her" Sora stated, remembering the wooden Heartless that appeared after Mother Gothel fell out of the tower.

Putting his hands behind his head, Sora added to the conversation. "Besides, I've met many different people in my travels and there were times that they were cautious of me and my friends. But after some time they warmed up to me and now we're friends"

Taking a moment to process what he had just said, Shinano looked down at her cup of tea and asked a head-turning question.

"...Sora. Who are you really?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"All of your stories… experiences that I doubt many have ever had the privilege of experiencing and yet… you continue to talk about more situations you've been through before" Shinano said.

"I'm…I'm not anyone really special. I just like making friends everywhere I go. Helping those in need" Sora said, speaking from his heart.

Shaking her head, Shinano did not think so. "Sora, although we have only just met each other I am confident enough to know that that is a lie. Hearing that you were involved in a war and have more than once visited a place that lies on the border of life and death…"

"You are far from being someone that's not special" Shinano finished.

Letting a small chuckle escape from his mouth, Sora figured that after everything he has been through calling himself not special would be nothing more than a lie.

"…Heh. Well, you got me" Sora muttered.

Realizing that Shinano was gradually making progress on who he really was, Sora began to think about the possibility of telling her who he was. Not a half-truth but the whole truth. But a more thorough explanation rather than just springing out the truth. There were more pros to tell her than cons at the moment. Plus, Shinano would be a very big help to him while in the Sakura Empire since he was lacking in the friend and ally department.

Taking a second to reaffirm his thinking, Sora decided to go through with it and tell her who he really was. He also mentally made a note to cook Donald a big meal the next time he saw him. A sort of hearty apology for continuing to break the world order. At this point, he would owe the mage duck a whole full-course buffet of food.

"The truth is… that I'm not from this world," Sora said, watching the white-haired woman for a reaction of some kind.

"…I see. That does make sense" Shinano said which puzzled Sora.

"Uh… what do you mean?"

"I mean that… after thinking about it carefully, over the time while we've been talking there was something about you that struck me as off" Shinano explained while reaching for her teacup and looking at the tea inside.

"To hear that a boy such as yourself was found in the middle of the ocean by Akagi and Kaga was strange. But then to hear that you offered yourself as a prisoner to save your friends was even stranger. Most humans wouldn't dare think of doing something like that. And now…speaking with you and listening to the many things you have experienced. You truly are special which is why it makes sense that you are from another world" Shinano stated.

"When you put it like that…" Sora said, thinking about everything that had happened in the short time he was in this world.

"The real question I would like to ask you, Sora… is how did fate manage to place you here in this world?"

Closing his eyes and preparing his explanation, Sora let his heart do the talking.

"Going back to what I was talking about regarding the war for light and darkness. I mentioned that not everyone managed to make it out…" Sora said, noticing that Shinano nodded her head and remembered the topic from earlier.

"Well, that's true but not the whole truth. You see, in order for us to win the war… I had to break some rules. Rules that would I have to pay the price for…" Bringing a hand close to his heart, Sora began telling Shinano his story. "One of my best friends, Kairi, was struck down by one of the members of the evil organization called Organization XIII. They were the ones who wanted to start the war. We were winning the fight but as a last-ditch effort to cause the war to reach its conclusion, the leader of the organization was the one to strike Kairi"

Shinano couldn't believe that Sora had to experience something as dire and gruesome as this war for light and darkness. She wanted to say something or at least console him but decided to hear the rest of his story first.

"After the leader did that… it seemed like we lost. But… with the help of my friends, we were able to defeat the leader and stop the war. However, I couldn't stand by while Kairi was gone. So, I did something reckless…"

"Reckless? In a war… I doubt anything you do would be deemed as such" Shinano stated.

"…I used my power to travel back in time to save Kairi," Sora flat-out said.

Hearing this, Shinano didn't exactly react or do anything for a solid minute. Her mind kept replaying what Sora had just said, not sure if she heard right or imagined what he said. It wasn't until she looked over at him and saw the small comforting yet understanding smile on his lips did, she truly realized what he said was the truth.

If she were standing, then she would've stumbled for a seat to process everything but since she was already sitting, Shinano could only slump back in her seat and begin to unravel every sort of question that popped up in her head. Time travel. Such as foreign and unimaginable power truly existed. And such a deed was done by the man sitting in front of her now. She had to ask…

"Did…were there consequences for using such power?"

"Yes. There were consequences for using time travel the way I did it. I used a power called the Power of Waking. I…I still don't really know how it works but I managed to restore my friends' hearts before so I figured that I could do the same thing again. But this time was much different. I ended up reliving the war over again trying to find a way to save Kairi" Sora said while remembering Chirithy's words about how the Power of Waking should have been used correctly via traversing hearts to worlds and not the other way around.

"Having to relive a war you had just won in order to find a way to save your friend…" Shinano repeated, bewildered by the boy's conviction and determination to save his friend.

"I would've done it for any one of my friends. Besides, I couldn't just leave her all alone" Sora told her.

"Be that as it may… by using this Power of Waking, you managed to save your friend?" Shinano asked, leading Sora to answer.

"Yeah. I managed to bring Kairi back home but… the cost of doing so was that I would vanish from my world and lose my powers leaving me no way to return" Sora somberly said but continued to tell his story before Shinano could say anything. "By then I was already out of time and my entire body began to fade away. I only had enough time to get her back to the others… I didn't even get to say anything to them" Sora replied, sadness could be heard in his voice.

"…" Shinano didn't quite know what to say. What could she say in a situation like this? Sora risked his life to bring back someone from the dead and still ended up vanishing from his world. Fate truly was evil in Sora's case.

"After I vanished, I ended up in another version of the Final World where instead of it being in the daytime it was now at night. I…" Once again, Sora stopped himself from explaining too much right now and decided to brush the confrontation with Yozora to the side… for now.

"I wasn't there long and the next thing I knew was that I woke up in the middle of the ocean which is how I ended up running into the Sirens, Akagi, Kaga, and Enterprise" Sora stated, having explained a very short and sweet recap of his situation.

"…Sora"

"Hmm?"

"Do you… Do you believe it was fate that led to you appearing in this world?" Shinano asked, throwing the Keyblade wielder off guard.

"Huh? Fate…" Contemplating on an answer, Sora crossed his arms and decided to give an honest answer. "I'm not sure about fate. But… if I had to guess then I would say it was my heart that led me here"

"Your heart?"

"Mm. Following my heart is something I'm quite good at!" Sora cheerfully said, while having a bright smile on his face. "Maybe… my heart could sense that this world needed some help and just pulled me here unconsciously?"

Left speechless and with even more questions, Shinano could only cast those thoughts aside as she marveled at Sora's positivity. A beacon to shine away the darkness. Someone to step in and help without even knowing what was going on. Such a strange individual.

"You're not wrong. Whether it be by fate or… your heart. This world does need help"

"The Sirens… and now the Heartless" Sora responded with a frown.

Raising her cup of tea and taking a sip, Shinano placed her cup down and directed her full attention to Sora which he noticed. She had one thought appear in her head and it made her body tense up. Her vision…

"Sora… hearing your story and the hardships you've gone through, I know it is unwise of me to ask this but…" Bringing a hand over her heart and letting one of her ears move slightly, Shinano spoke true to her heart. "I ask you to please help us. Please help me save my friends and my home… I don't know what lies ahead in the future. And I don't know how we will persevere, but what I do know is that you are important. Seeing you not only in my vision but here now and at this time…"

"Shinano…you don't even have to ask," Sora said, stopping her from saying anything else.

"I was already intent on helping everyone. I can't just sit by while the Heartless are working with the Sirens. I'm following my heart and it's telling me this is the right path to follow" Sora added.

Not having anything else to say, Shinano could only look at the boy in front of her and offer a friendly smile. To think that her vision would lead her to meet someone like Sora. Before she could speak up, a girl appeared to be walking closer to the two. This caused Sora to stand up and see who was coming. He was surprised when he saw a familiar face.

"Shoukaku? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, you two. Glad to see you're getting along well. Not too well I hope~" Shoukaku said, making Shinano's ears move a bit after hearing that comment.

"And to answer your question, Zuikaku and our friends sent me here to get you two. Our friends wanted to see and get to talk with you"

"Huh… I take it you talked about me?" Sora said, ruffling the back of his head.

"Yep. How could we not? Besides, Zuikaku was gushing about you and how your skills with your blade are top-notch and that you have definitely had experience fighting" Shoukaku explained.

"Well, I wouldn't want to make them wait too long" *Turning to look at Shinano* "What do you think, Shinano? Is there anything else we should talk about?"

"I don't believe so. Of course, there are other topics we could discuss but perhaps… it would be best to wait until after Lady Nagato has given her decision on the alliance with the Sirens and the Red Axis" Shinano stated.

"Right. Shall we head off then?"

"Mm… Let us make haste. Shoukaku, please lead the way"

"Of course! This way Sora. Our friends have much to talk about with you" Shoukaku said while leading the two to another location.

Sora couldn't help but wonder just what the crane sisters' friends were like. Maybe they also had animal characteristics on them? Or maybe they had a lot to say?

At the very least, he hoped that he could get along with them and become friends.

---

Under the Sakura Empire in a hidden cave

A faint purple glow could be seen spreading throughout the cave managing to brighten the once dimly illuminated cave. However, the source of the light was coming from an object. A Wisdom Cube to be exact, only that this cube was covered in a purple color and was glowing very brightly.

Moreover, the one holding the cube was none other than Akagi who had her eyes closed and seemed to be concentrating. As she continued to do so, the cube began to pulse while making a strange noise.

All while this was happening, the Siren Observer was watching the kitsune woman with a sly mischievous grin on her face. Everything was going according to plan.

"Heh…it shouldn't be too long now. Preparations are already in place. The only thing we need now is the kitsune hag to finish and… the boy" Observer thought in her head.

It would still be a minute before Akagi was able to enhance herself with the dark cube's power. That should be enough time for the others to arrive and get the party started. A swift surprise attack would leave the Sakura Empire weakened and ready to be devoured.

Raising her left hand in front of her, Observer twisted her hand like she was rotating something. However, once was finished rotating her hand, a sudden yellow light appeared in front of her that looked like radio waves appeared out of thin air. Observer then began to speak into the radio waves.

"Purifier…"

"Ah! It's about time! I take it the kitsune lady is done with her so-called power to save her dead sister?"

"No, she's not done yet. I'll say though, she's taking her sweet time. Either way, it won't be that long until she's done. Once she is then it'll be easy for me to give her the… push she needs" Observer said while glancing at Akagi who seemed to be grimacing like she was having a bad thought or bad dream.

"In any case, once she's done, I'll give you the go-ahead to strike the island" Observer added, petting one of her tentacles that wrapped around her hand.

"Ooh! I'm getting all excited"

"Remember, once the attack begins, the boy is our main goal" Observer stated.

"The boy, huh? So what? We just kidnap him and take his car keys? Why is he known as the key?"

Hearing this, Observer could only close her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. Sometimes stupidity was so far deep in one's mind that no matter what one said it would come out as idiotic.

"No. As we've been told countless times, that boy holds a special power. A power that we could use to achieve all of our goals" Observer said, staring at the radio waves and waiting for feedback.

"You mean destroying not only Azur Lane but the whole world? We're already strong enough to wipe the floor with that bowling lane of kansens. Why do we need this guy?"

"You're thinking inside the box, Purifier. The evolution of a living being is such an interesting thing don't you think? But the real question is if there was a way to speed up the process wouldn't you want to find that path?" Observer asked, silencing the other Siren on the call.

"…I take it that's the reason the boy is the key?"

"That's one of the reasons. The other… well, best leave that as a surprise. Just know that the boy is more than meets the eye"

"In what way?"

"In that, he's seen far more than either you or I have seen…"

"That's cryptic. You been spying on him in his sleep?"

"No. But our empress has been granted a glimpse of just who he is"

"Well… I certainly can't wait to get a closer look at him now!"

Before Observer could say anything else, she heard what sounded like an electronic pulse begin to speed up and the cave get brighter and brighter. She turned to look at the source and found Akagi with a strained look on her face while dark energy began to appear all around her. A smile could be seen on Observer's face as she realized that her plan was now ready to begin.

"Purifier…it seems like you'll be getting your chance sooner than you think. It's time"

A gleeful but maniacal laughter could be heard through the radio waves before the line was cut and the call was dismissed. Observer began to slowly walk toward the kitsune and scanned her up and down to see if there had been any change. Luckily, the dark cube started glowing extremely brightly, managing to cause Observer to close her eyes and wait for the light to dim down.

Once she opened her eyes, she was met with a sight that caused her to smirk. There in front of her was Akagi. However, there was something off about the kitsune. Instead of having a pained or confused expression on her face, Akagi had a dead-panned stare while staring right at Observer. On top of that, Akagi's eyes seemed to be almost dilated but had a dark red glow to them. In addition, all around the kitsune was a dark aura that surrounded her.

Looking at all the differences with Akagi, Observer knew that her plan was successfully accomplished. Now, it was time for her to get things in motion. Snapping her fingers in front of Akagi, the long brown-haired woman looked at Observer with a blank stare still on her face.

"Hello, Akagi. I take it that you are still adjusting to your new power. While I wish we had more time for you to get used to said power, things are already in motion"

"…" Akagi remained silent.

"With that in mind, for you to fully complete your goal, you'll need to do a little something before you can save your sister" Observer said which seemed to get Akagi's attention.

"…Amagi…"

"Yes. Your sister. To save her, there's something you need to do…" Observer said while slowly walking closer to her and coming up to her ear and whispering what it was, she needed to do. "I need you to bring me a certain prisoner that you brought to your home. You know whom I'm talking about. Bring him to me. By any means necessary. Once you do that, Amagi will be saved"

Hearing that her sister could be saved, Akagi seemed to close her and take a second to process something before her eyes opened and had a bright red glow that changed to purple. It also seemed like Akagi gained hold of herself and shook her head.

"Sora…"

Observer couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her lips. Things were about to get interesting.

---

Back with Sora

Having followed Shoukaku for a minute passing by many different stylized buildings and continuing to get weird stares from some of the other girls the trio managed to come across a large building with many open windows.

"Everyone is in the back. There's a small lounging area and training dummies all around the place" Shoukaku explained.

"Training dummies?" Sora muttered, confused by what the white-haired girl said.

Making their way around the building, Sora was met with an intriguing sight in front of him. There sitting in the apparent lounge were several girls that he hadn't met before. In the center of the area were what appeared to be several training dummies that looked worn down and even had parts sliced off.

Taking a look at the girls in the lounge, Sora spotted four other girls along with a familiar face that belonged to Zuikaku. Getting a better glance at the girls, he began to notice them one by one.

The first girl he noticed had a very… attractive figure with black waist-length hair tied with a white ribbon. This girl had what appeared to be wolf or dog ears on the top of her head while wearing a white military uniform with a white skirt and black thigh-high socks. She also seemed to be wearing white high heels and white gloves. All in all, she appeared to be prim and proper along with matching.

Another girl, Sora noticed had a slender frame with dark-blue waist-length hair with what appeared to be long bunny ears popping out of her head. She wore a dark green uniform with round glasses and a green skirt with black ribbons attached to her clothes.

The next girl he saw appeared to be the smallest in the group and had long pink hair tied in a ponytail with a piece of her hair sticking up. This girl also had a small pair of horns sticking out of her head with pink eyes. A black ribbon was laced around her neck, and she had on a black kimono.

The last girl that was present had a similar military outfit that the first girl with wolf or dog ears wore. Alas, this girl also had an attractive figure with her black hair tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon. The difference with this girl's appearance was that she had black shoes on instead of high heels.

And then there was Zuikaku who spotted Sora and gave him a friendly smile now that the two were friends.

"There you two are. We thought you would take all day" Zuikaku said.

"Heh. Sorry about that. Wanted to take in all the sights" Sora replied.

"Oh, don't be so harsh on them Zuikaku. Anyone would be excited to see somewhere new for the first time" *Looking over at Shinano* "Hello Lady Shinano, it's good to see up and about" said the girl with the white high heels and dog/wolf ears.

"Hello Atago… thank you for inviting us here"

"Nonsense! You're always invited here even if it's to take a nap or chat. We love the company. Besides, everyone on the island has been wondering about the boy that arrived here with Akagi and Kaga" the girl now identified as Atago said.

"I take it that you're Sora?" Atago asked.

"Yep! That's me. It's nice to meet everyone"

"Hmm. Likewise, Sora. Zuikaku has told us a bit about all that has gone down" the girl with the black ponytail said.

"I hope nothing bad…err… miss?" Sora said, not sure about the girl's name.

"Do forgive me. My name is Takao. As you might have guessed…" Takao said pointing to Atago before continuing to introduce herself. "Atago and I have similar appearances. That's because she is my sister. Older sister to be exact"

"Oh, Takao. Don't sound so upset. Your big sis will always be here for you. It's not that strange for every big sister to shower their younger sister with love. Isn't that right Shoukaku?" Atago stated, shooting the white crane a smile.

"You're right about that" Shoukaku replied while giving Atago a thumbs up and looking over at Zuikaku who closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"But enough about sisters. Sora, let me introduce the others" Raising her hand, Takao pointed to the pink-haired girl first. "May I introduce you to Ikazuchi"

Now in the spotlight, Ikazuchi gave Sora a peace sign while having a cheerful smile on her face.

"Hiya! Nice to meet you, Sora. You're not as scary as I heard you were"

"Scary?"

"Never mind that. Next, I'd like to introduce you to Souryuu" Takao said to him.

"Greetings, Sora. It's a pleasure to finally meet the man who has been throwing the island into chaos" Souryuu replied.

"Y-Yeah. Nice to meet you. Honestly, it's nice to meet everyone. I hope we can get along even though I'm sort of a prisoner. Haha," Sora added.

Putting a hand on her hip, Atago couldn't help but look Sora up and down noticing his stylish jacket, spiky hair, cerulean blue eyes, and the crown around his neck. She couldn't help but find the boy cute and interesting.

"Say, Sora, you wouldn't be against me being…" Atago didn't get to finish what she was saying as Takao stopped her.

"Sora. While I'm sure everyone has questions for you, would be so kind as to listen to a request of mine" Takao said, making sure Atago didn't ask Sora something embarrassing.

*Giggle* *Giggle*

Off to the side, Ikazuchi had her hands clasped over her mouth to prevent her from laughing anymore but was doing a bad job stopping herself from giggling. Shoukaku also seemed to stifle a laugh at the sight of poor Atago getting shot down.

"Should have figured" Souryuu said while shaking her head and smirking.

"Uhm… sure. What's on your mind?" Sora said, confused about what the other girls were thinking.

"It is said that to get to know someone better, the way of doing so is by crossing blades. And judging by how Zuikaku managed to ramble on about you being a skilled warrior…"

"Hey!" Zuikaku yelled.

"I wish to see for myself. Besides, while we were told that you would pose no threat, I still wish to see your ability as a fighter. If that is all right with you, of course," Takao said, having a thoughtful expression.

Taking a moment to think about her offer, Sora had no problem at all with her request. Plus, this could be a chance to learn something new that he could use in battle. And it could hopefully win everyone else's trust in him.

"Sure! I don't mind at all, Takao" Sora replied.

"Excellent. Now then, shall we get ready? We can have our duel here just have to move aside the training dummies" Takao said while gesturing to the downed training dummies.

With everyone's help, they all gathered the broken pieces from the training dummies and cleared the area so that Sora and Takao would have room to commence their duel. Shinano and Souryuu took a seat in the lounge chairs with Ikazuchi leaning back in her chair getting comfortable. Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Takao stood up and watched from the side, becoming excited at what was to come.

Back in the arena, Sora was standing a good distance away from Takao and began to analyze his opponent. There she stood with her body positioned in such a way that she had one of her hands on the sheath of her weapon and the other on the handle of her blade. Seeing that he should get ready, he raised his right hand in front of him and summoned the Kingdom Key in a flash of blue light which caused the new girls to gasp at the sight.

"Huh? Is that…" Souryuu started saying.

"My house key?" Ikazuchi said with a cheeky smile.

"A giant key? That's a strange weapon to consider a blade" Atago said, admiring the weapon and spotting the three circled objects dangling at the bottom of the handle.

Takao from her perspective had many questions about Sora's weapon let alone the fact that he summoned it out of nowhere. It didn't appear that he used any Wisdom Cube or any slight hand trick. This left her stumped.

"Sora, that's a unique weapon you have there" Takao stated.

"Mm. It's called the Keyblade and it's been with me for a long time now" Sora responded while looking down at his weapon and holding onto it tightly.

Flashes of his previous adventures and the many difficult battles that he had to go through while using his Keyblade. So many adventures with his Keyblade. He still didn't know everything about the weapon but what he did know was that he owed it a great deal for helping him many times.

Stepping back and winding up his arm and blade, Sora got into his signature battle stance and prepared for the duel.

However, before the duel could start, Takao seemed to take her hands off her sheath and blade and walked calmly over to Sora.

"Sora. I… This may come off as rude and I'm sorry for that, but your posture is different, to say the least"

"Ah… well…" Rubbing the back of his head with his free hand, Sora couldn't blame her for thinking that. After all, he never really did receive any lessons on how to fight or even use the Keyblade. "I'm self-taught actually"

"Huh!? Wait. Sora, you mean to tell me that you've never had any training before?" Zuikaku said, shooting from her spot on the sidelines and dashing up to the two.

"Nope. I've never had actual blade training before. When it comes to magic though I did have a couple of teachers help me learn and relearn spells" Sora said, scratching his cheek.

"Magic?" Ikazuchi said from her comfortable spot.

"Is…magic not that common? Wait, does magic exist here?" Sora asked, becoming concerned about what he just said.

"Magic exists but…" Shoukaku started but her statement was finished by someone else.

"It's not exactly something that everyone can just do" Stepping closer to the boy, Shinano began to observe his weapon with a close eye.

"But that doesn't mean it's too rare. Akagi can control flames. And Lady Shinano is able to have visions that can tell the future. And…we're able to summon guns and giant ships to battle. Magic can't be any weirder than all that" Ikazuchi said, getting up from the lounge chair and joining the others.

"Still… for a human boy to be able to summon his weapon out of thin air and not use any sort of Wisdom Cube technology is interesting" Souryuu said, bringing her hand under her chin.

"You seem to get more interesting by the minute, Sora~," Atago said with a strange smile on her face.

With the topic of magic now in the minds of everyone, Takao seemed to have an idea pop into her head after she took another glance at the Keyblade and nodded her head.

"Sora. Tell me, since your weapon can conjure magic are you able to use magic in your fighting style?" Takao asked, wondering if her idea was right.

"Yeah, I am. I'm able to shoot magic spells along with using magical attacks"

"What kind of magical attacks?"

"Hmm… let's see" Bopping his free hand into the side of his head, Sora began thinking of the many various attacks he used with Keyblade. "Well, I was able to slice a building into several pieces to go and fight a dragon in the sky"

Silence filled the area as all the girls stared wide-eyed at what Sora just said almost like it was nothing that special. In fact, many more questions popped into the girls' heads as they had no idea what was even going on anymore. But one girl did realize something after hearing about Sora's feat.

"Wait a minute… does that mean you were going easy on me?!" Zuikaku shouted, getting within inches of the boy's face.

A pout could be seen on the brunette crane's face as she was both angry and flustered at the same time. Frankly, it was getting harder to tell the difference with her at this point.

"T-that's…" Before Sora could respond Shoukaku started giggling to herself which drew Zuikaku's fury.

"Now sis if I could interject and save Sora's behind. You two haven't exactly had a real start-to-finish duel yet. Only a quick… skirmish if you will. Besides, things were pretty hectic when you two did fight"

Staring back at her sister, Zuikaku couldn't help but let out a sigh and close her eyes realizing that she might've lashed out too soon. Speaking of lashing out, the crane immediately realized something and that was that she was super close to Sora right now.

Opening her eyes, she was so close to the boy that she could clearly see his blue eyes. Such a pretty color. It was also at that moment she turned into a cherry again. Jumping back several feet, Zuikaku let out a loud but cute sound. Everyone aside from Sora had a knowing smirk on their faces. Sora on his part was just confused about how she was able to jump that far back. He was also starting to worry about the fact that he was indeed holding back against her in their fight.

But he would worry about that later. Now it looked like Takao had something to say.

"I see… and yet you haven't received any proper blade training. Tell me, Sora, would you be against learning a quick lesson? Takao asked.

Atago couldn't help the smile that appeared on her lips. Hearing Takao talk about swordplay and bringing up the idea of giving a lesson in blade training brought joy to her heart. Her sister tended to take things too seriously. Not at everything, of course. Takao did have her silly moments and her own hobbies. But when it came to blade training, she opened herself up and let her heart do the talking through her sword.

"I wouldn't be against it. Plus, it would give me some new ideas about my fighting style" Sora replied, seeing nothing wrong with learning a new way of fighting.

"Well then, shall we get started?" Takao asked, offering her hand to the Keyblade wielder.

---

Inside the Sakura Empire war council building

Sitting on a comfortable mat was Nagato who was joined by another girl that was pouring a cup of tea while also reading a document that was in her hands. It would be a minute before either one of them would say anything. That is until the girl with the document laid it flat on the table in front of her and let out a somewhat tired sigh.

"We're really going to have our hands busy for quite a while. This letter of disbanding from the Red Axis is sure to get the Iron Blood and Sardegna Empire talking. Especially the Vichya Dominion"

"Indeed. However, giving it much thought… I believe that this is the right path to take. Many factors are pointing to bad things to come if we continue to let things go the way they are" Nagato replied.

"You are right about that. Things have become different and recently it's beginning to be more noticeable everywhere I look"

"I know that this is going to be a monumental shift for all of us. Disagreements have managed to split us apart from Azur Lane, but with this new threat that Sora has informed me about… we need to be prepared." Nagato said while standing up and straightening her clothes. "Alas, there is also Shinano's vision that she had recently that leads me to believe that dark times are going to be upon us. I know that there will much hardship to deal with, but I hope you'll lend me your strength and support, Mikasa"

The girl now known as Mikasa managed to smile at that comment. Standing up and making her way to Nagato, she brought her hand up to her chest and responded with reassurance.

"Of course, Lady Nagato. You've managed to lead us this far. Caring for everyone in the empire and working to let us see a brighter future. Let's see what's to come next" Mikasa said, making Nagato smile.

"Now then, shall we go find that boy? I'm sure you'll get along with him. He's quite the character"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you'll see," Nagato said, taking a few steps toward the door.

Mikasa was left confused by what Nagato was saying. Just how unusual was this boy?

---

Back with Sora

"Just what else can you do with that key of yours?!" Zuikaku shouted as she was watching Sora demonstrate an old classic move of his.

Standing on the sidelines, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Atago, Ikazuchi, and Souryuu were watching as Sora stood several meters away from a training dummy with Takao at the side of him all flabbergasted at what he was doing.

Without really moving his feet and staying in one position, Sora was throwing his Keyblade right at the dummy with such force that it would create sparks that looked like stars to appear around the impacted spot on the dummy. And in a flash of light, the blad would disappear and reappear in Sora's hand ready to be thrown again.

This special move was known as Strike Raid, and it was something that Sora picked up on his first journey. Not only was it a very efficient ranged attack but it was a move that he could improve upon given that he was not only more experienced with fighting but stronger than before.

Summoning his Keyblade back into his hands, Sora twirled the blade and then let it rest on his shoulder while putting on a goofy smile.

"Well, that's one of my abilities" Sora stated.

"A unique ability that is for sure," Takao said, having many more ideas about such a move.

"That seems like a cheating trick. I wish I could resummon my weapon…oh, wait" Ikazuchi realized that with the Wisdom Cubes she was able to do as such.

"My blade doesn't work like that…this definitely feels like he's cheating" Zuikaku complained while pouting about the fact that if she were to throw her blade then she would have to go pick it up since it wasn't part of her riggings.

"Hm…" Souryuu was silently watching the Keyblade wielder for any other special tricks he had in store.

"My, my, Sora did certainly look cool throwing his key at the dummy," Atago said, tilting her head and looking the boy up and down noticing his stylish attire.

"Impressive, Sora. Now then, if you'll allow me to show you a trick of my own" Takao said while re-adjusting her stance and narrowing her gaze at the training dummy.

Within a split second, Takao appeared right in front of the training dummy, but her katana was out of its sheath and in her other hand positioned to the side. Nothing seemed to happen. That is until the training dummy's head began to slide off and fall to the ground. A clean cut.

The rest of the girls began clapping and admiring how swift and fast her strike was against the dummy. Atago couldn't help but begin to cheer loudly at how her adorable sister was improving. She knew firsthand how much Takao trained to become strong not only for herself but to protect those she cares about. It made Atago very proud.

Seeing Takao's katana slash, Sora was reminded of his time back in The World That Never Was and the samurai nobodies that he had to face. Their method of fighting and the duel stance he had to take to get the upper hand on them was what he remembered while watching her attack. Now that he thought about it… maybe he could do something special with that fighting style. Tweak it to fit his own need.

"Hey, Takao, would it be all right if I put up another dummy? I wanna try something" Sora asked, pointing at the damaged training dummy.

"Of course, I am a bit curious about what you have in mind" Takao replied, wondering what Sora meant exactly.

Shoukaku and Shinano were waiting patiently to see just what Sora was going to do. Souryuu began to make a mental note about what she was about to see. Ikazuchi was getting excited. And Zuikaku was practically leaning forward with eager eyes to see what he was going to do while also taking notes mentally.

Having set up the training dummy, Sora took a few steps back and summoned his Keyblade taking a second to think about how he would go about his idea. With a grasp of how it should go, he positioned his blade to his left side like how Takao had her blade. Still holding onto the Keyblade's handle, Sora then narrowed his line of sight at the dummy and followed through with a slash similar to that of a samurai.

The strike against the dummy caused it to shake in place but not be cut anywhere. All the girls were somewhat surprised by Sora's attempt. Takao and Zuikaku had perked up and were getting excited at the idea of stepping in and helping him learn the technique. But before either of the girls could step in to help, Sora was already back in position to strike the training dummy.

Now with an idea of what to follow through with, Sora got into position but this time there was something different. At the tip of the Keyblade was what appeared to be a blue light glowing and getting brighter. Before any of the girls could say something, the Keyblade wielder slashed at the training dummy only this time there was an area of effect that came into play.

The area around him and the dummy was covered in a ring of water that splashed into the dummy. To say that the girls were confused would be an understatement. Nobody really had any idea what Sora just did. Ikazuchi tilted her head and looked at the boy seeing that no water got on him just around the area. That is until she looked at the training dummy and saw what appeared to be a slash across its' chest.

"He actually hit the dummy!" Ikazuchi said, pointing to the training dummy.

Everyone now looked where she was pointing and were amazed but the slash they saw. Though it wasn't very deep, the cut was still there. Sora on his part let out a sigh and got up closer to see his handiwork which left him with a goofy grin on his face.

"It worked!" Sora exclaimed.

"Was this the idea you had?" Shoukaku asked, walking up to the training dummy with everyone else.

"Yep! After seeing Takao's stance and sword technique along with remembering other enemies I've fought before, I wanted to try and give that style of attack a try. And after giving it a shot I wanted to try and use magic. See how it went and it turns out I can do that" Sora explained, feeling proud of himself.

"Very creative of you, Sora. Though…I'm sure you're upset that the cut did not go as deep or thought the training dummy" Shinano spoke out.

"Not at all! Now that I know my idea works, I can continue to practice that technique and improve myself" Sora replied, sincere in his words.

"Undisturbed by wanting to improve yourself… And looking forward to it. I think we'll get along nicely, Sora" Takao said with a smile.

"Hmm…" Zuikaku began to have her own thoughts on hearing what Sora said.

However, before anyone else could say anything else there appeared to be a brown-haired woman with horns coming out of her head standing near the side of the training ground waiting to be seen. Souryuu was the first to address her.

"Mikasa. How long have you been standing there?"

"Not that long. It looked like you all were in a very thoughtful conversation" Mikasa said, now drawing her attention toward Sora who looked confused about who she was.

"You must be Sora, correct?"

"Yeah, that's me. I… don't believe we've met yet?" Sora replied.

"Correct. This is our first-time meeting. My name is Mikasa, and I've been sent to take you to Lady Nagato. She has made her decision and is awaiting your presence to discuss further details about the as you called them, Heartless"

Hearing that Nagato was ready to announce her decision, Sora was eager to see what her decision would be. However, another thought suddenly appeared in his head, or rather a certain someone. Throughout his time in the Sakura Empire, there was mention of one girl who seemed to be someone that everyone held close to their heart or considered a dear friend. Amagi.

Now having her in his mind, Sora couldn't help but grow concerned more so now that he had grown to learn about her from the others. And now that Nagato was going to give her decision on the future of the Sakura Empire, he wondered if it was possible to see Amagi herself and tell her the news. Taking a deep breath and preparing himself, Sora asked.

"Hey… Mikasa before we go to see Lady Nagato could we stop somewhere"

"Hmm? Do you wish to go somewhere? It's not a very wise idea to keep Nagato waiting. Remember, you are still considered a prisoner of sorts" Mikasa replied.

"I know that but… I was wondering if there was any way I could see Amagi?"

Everyone's eyes widen hearing what Sora just requested. This was certainly not what anybody was expecting. Zuikaku and Shoukaku both looked at each other and had the same thought passing through their mind. The conversation they had back in the cell on the ship and how Amagi wasn't doing so well.

"Why would you want to go see Amagi now?" Atago asked, unsure of Sora's reasoning.

"For most of the time that I've been here, in the Sakura Empire, everyone I've talked with has at least mentioned Amagi. Both as a significant figure and friend that has offered much help. I… I don't know what her situation is like, but I know that I want to help her" Sora explained.

"But why would you want to help Amagi? I mean, you've never met her" Ikazuchi stated.

"Is it so wrong to want to help someone out? Hearing about Amagi and who she was to some people along with the kindness she showed others, I would really like to meet her" Sora replied, bringing a hand over his chest.

Each girl couldn't help the smile appearing on their face. Amagi really was a figurehead in that she would always hear out anyone's problem and do her best to provide the best feedback or the many times she would help someone in a time of need. It had been a minute since she was hurt and forced into bed rest. Maybe…

Mikasa was the first to start saying something but stopped short. Was it ok for a stranger like Sora to see her? Would he try anything? What could he do to help? Questions such as these began to flood her mind. But something inside of her clicked. A feeling of butterflies flying around in her stomach made her feel both queasy and excited. Deciding on the latter, Mikasa knew it was a big risk, but it was one that she was willing to risk.

"Ok… let us make a quick stop to see Amagi"

The girls all looked at Mikasa and were surprised she would grant Sora's request. Shinano couldn't help but wonder what made her decide to do so. In any case, maybe this would be the turning point in it all.

"Thank you, Mikasa" Sora answered.

"Mm. Let us make haste then. Shinano, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Ikazuchi, Takao, Atago, Souryuu please stay aware that Lady Nagato will be announcing important news later that will be of major importance" Mikasa explained.

Every one of the girls had an inkling as to what the announcement would be. Perhaps they should find the rest of their friends and prepare for the decision to be announced. Deciding that would be the best course of action, Souryuu and Ikazuchi both looked at each other and nodded without saying anything and excused themselves. Next would be Takao and Atago who began conversing about whom they should catch up with. Zuikaku and Shoukaku were tempted to ask if they could accompany Sora and Mikasa but realized that it would be best to find their other friends before the news broke and began to leave the training ground.

That left Shinano who was looking to Mikasa to see if she would say anything else.

"Is there… anything you would like to ask of me, Mikasa?"

"Have you heard any news about your sister?"

"Musashi? No, I have not heard anything about her. But… I take it that's good news then?" Shinano asked, curious about why Mikasa asked her about her sister's whereabouts.

"I see, I was curious about Musashi because of Nagato's decision that she'll be announcing soon. Life around here is going to get… difficult and we'll need all the help we can get" Mikasa explained.

"I take it that Lady Nagato is going to…"

"Yes. You're correct, Sora. Although there are factors that would normally be needed to make such a decision as big as this one, there are even bigger signs that change is needed" Mikasa addressed.

Both Shinano and Sora had an idea of what signs Mikasa was talking about. Things really were going to be changing for the girls of the Sakura Empire. Sooner than expected.

"But it is a decision that Nagato has given much thought and I believe she will lead us to a better future. Now, shall we quickly visit Amagi?"

Nodding at Mikasa's suggestion, Sora was ready to head out but realized that Shinano did not say if she was going to head out as well.

"Hey, Shinano, are you going to come with us? Or are you heading out to alert some of the other girls?"

"I believe that I'll be returning to my home for a minute. There's something I wanted to pick up" Shinano stated.

"Got it. Well, wish us luck and see you later" Sora said, offering a friendly smile to his new kitsune friend.

"Likewise, Sora. Mikasa, I wish you well, and… if Amagi is conscious please tell her I send my regards and wish her better health"

"Understood. Take care, Shinano"

With that said, Sora and Mikasa began heading to wherever Amagi was located and Shinano began heading back home. Things would certainly become eventful here soon.

---

Spending a few minutes following Mikasa, Sora saw that they were coming up on a large building that had an impressive design to it with a large tree off to the side. It had a warm yet sad feeling to it based on a first glance. However, Sora stopped walking when he saw Mikasa begin slowing down.

"Huh? Mikasa is something…"

"Wait. Something is not right"

Looking around the area, Mikasa felt that something was off and could not see anyone which made her feel even more on guard. But before she could think of anything else, someone began making their way toward the two and were coming from inside the building.

"Kaga? I didn't expect you to be home"

"Hello Mikasa, I take it Lady Nagato has come to a decision?" Kaga replied with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Yes, she has. We were actually on our way there, but Sora had a request that we see…"

"I wanted to see Amagi" Sora stated flat out.

If looks could kill, then Kaga would've done so to Sora. There was no way that was going to happen at all.

"What the… Why do you know about her? Why would you even want to see her?!" Kaga yelled, becoming very aggressive.

"The whole time I've been with the Sakura Empire, I keep hearing things about Amagi and how much everyone cares about her. I want to try and help her" Sora explained, trying to give his reason.

"And you think that by learning about someone troubled you can just walk right in and help them even without knowing them? Who do you think you are?" Kaga asked, glaring holes into Sora.

"Kaga. We don't know if Sora can truly help her. We would just like to see if she's awake" Mikasa reasoned.

"Mikasa… please don't associate yourself with him. Isn't he supposed to be our prisoner and yet he's asking for something such as this?"

"Kaga, there's nothing to…"

"I'm sorry Mikasa, but there's no way I'm letting him get anywhere near Amagi" Kaga stated while summoning her riggings and aiming right at Sora.

Due to instinct, Sora summoned his Keyblade and got into a defensive stance waiting to see if Kaga would indeed attack him. Startled by the sudden reaction from the two, Mikasa called out to the two.

"Kaga! Sora! Stand down!"

"She started it!" Sora exclaimed.

"Oh, that's quite funny saying that I started it. Aren't you the one who's going to see someone who's been severely hurt and bother them" Kaga retorted.

"Enough both of…" Mikasa started saying but was stopped abruptly by a loud sound.

All around the three, there was a loud alarm sound that was going off. Sora had an idea of what was going on as he recalled a similar alarm back with Azur Lane.

Mikasa stated while looking out to the sea to see if something was happening or if there was a sudden surprise attack.

"…" Kaga stayed quiet while still watching Sora.

And on Sora's part, he was growing worried that something was happening. Did Nagato already contact the Sirens about her decision? Was this a surprise attack? Azur Lane?

Before he could think of anything else a blast of light slammed right into his body and sent him flying back a couple of feet. With such force, Sora felt his body hit the ground and begin rolling several times until he stopped and was on his side. Groaning and feeling the wind get kicked out of him, he looked up to see where the attack had come from and could not find anyone. He then turned his head over to Mikasa and Kaga who looked confused about what had just happened.

Stumbling to get up, Sora prepared himself and began scanning his surroundings for anything that might have been threatening. Finding nothing, he was about to call out to the girls but suddenly stopped. A cold feeling began to make its way up his arms giving him goosebumps. Turning his head to look out at the ocean, he knew exactly what that feeling was now. Darkness.

"Mikasa! Kaga! We have to warn the others!"

"Huh? What are you talking about? You were just hit and went flying back" Kaga stated.

"I don't know what that was, but we don't have time to worry. The Heartless are here"

"The Heartless? The creatures you informed Nagato about?" Mikasa asked, getting a nod from Sora.

"But how would…"

"I can discuss that later. Right now, we need to warn everyone" Sora stated.

With time not on their side, Mikasa noted and began to make her way to the central radio station where she could alert the island and prepare for the attack. Sora noticed that Kaga wasn't following suit with them and called out to her.

"Kaga? Aren't you coming?"

"I will once I have made sure Amagi is safe…" Kaga replied, still angry toward Sora.

"…Got it"

Having nothing else to say, Sora began to follow behind Mikasa and warn the others about the impending Heartless attack.

---

However, still standing and not moving, Kaga watched as the two began to get further and further away. It wasn't until they were completely out of sight that she closed her eyes and began speaking aloud.

"For a second, I thought it was someone else that attacked out of nowhere. I take it that's a new trick you've come up with…"

Footsteps could be heard getting closer to Kaga as she now opened her eyes and saw her sister calmly making her way toward her. At a first glance, Kaga could tell that there was something off about Akagi in that the most distinctive factor was her glowing eyes. It was almost like they had a purple glow to them rather than red.

"Apologies about that. I figured that a regular noise would not be able to draw Sora's full attention. Besides, my job was to only bring him to them. They would deal with the rest" Akagi explained, twiddling with her gloved hand.

"Mm. I'm glad you drew their attention away. If Mikasa wasn't with Sora, then it would have been easier to threaten him to leave but I could never raise a weapon toward Mikasa" Kaga stated, looking at the building next to her.

"Of course, let us be grateful that he didn't do anything rash to see her. That fool would've been in for a rude awakening"

Kaga was glad it did not come to that as the truth of the matter was that Amagi was not in her room resting nor was she in the building at all. After Kaga left Akagi in the cave, she made sure to move Amagi successfully and safely to a more secure location. Somewhere that she would be protected and away from others. Hence, why she was hanging close to the area, in case someone tried to pay her a visit.

"The time has come, Kaga…"

Looking at Kaga, Akagi couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her lips.

"We are about to save our sister… we are about to save Amagi"

---

Inside a metallic pod located in a fortified building on the Sakura Empire Island was the brown-haired kitsune, Amagi. Sleeping peacefully with nothing to worry about in the world, the pod had been modified to stabilize her Wisdom Cube from breaking even further. This plan of Akagi and Kaga's to use the power gained from the Sirens was something that they had been prepared for.

However, the pod would not help Amagi for long as the energy being used to power it was something that the Sirens had with them, and they only gave the kitsune sisters a limited amount. If there was any chance of Amagi getting better, then Akagi would need to act now. Otherwise… the worst would come, and sorrow would loom over the Sakura Empire.

---

Miles away on the deck of an Azur Lane ship

Standing on the deck of a ship with many other ships surrounding the area all moving in the same direction, Enterprise was looking out to the ocean with a blank stare. Prince of Wales, Hood, Belfast, and Illustrious were all chatting with each other preparing for the conflict at hand.

"How goes the girls? Any word from them?" Wales asked Belfast.

Shaking her head, Belfast replied, "No, nothing yet from them. Granted, the last we heard from them was that Sora was being taken to meet Lady Nagato. Something must have caused them to go radio silent"

"I see…"

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Wales. Sheffield and Edinburgh are highly trained and prepared for a mission like this. I'm sure they will respond shortly" Illustrious stated, reassuring Wales.

"I hate to be the one to bring down the mood, but aside from worrying about Edinburgh and Sheffield, what about Sora?" Hood asked.

Before any of the other girls could respond, Enterprise spoke up while making her way to join the group of girls.

"Knowing the Sakura Empire and the potential source of information with Sora it's likely to think that they'll keep a close eye on him along with try and find something out from him" Enterprise added.

"I don't know whether that's good news or bad news. While Sora was only with us for a short time, he didn't exactly have an idea of what we had strategized and really only focused on his situation" Belfast said, straightening one of her gloves.

"Nevertheless, the Sakura Empire doesn't know that. Besides, it's not the girls there that I'm worried about…" Wales stated.

"The Red Axis" Illustrious affirmed, lowering her hat.

"Yes. And along with them are the Sirens. Granted, the girls last said that Sora was being taken to meet Lady Nagato. There's still a chance that they are having a long conversation" Hood said, looking out at the ocean.

"Hopefully, we can use that to our…" Wales started saying but suddenly stopped.

Coming from one and then all their radios, Warspite's voice could be heard.

"Come in, Wales. Hood. Enterprise. Everyone"

"We hear you, Warspite. What's the situation?" Hood answered.

"We've just received an update from Edinburgh, she says that something is going on. Alarms were triggered suddenly before either she or Sheffield could continue their reconnaissance mission. Edinburgh also said that she saw Sora leaving the council room with Shinano and Kashino but could not keep an eye on them due to complications" Warspite explained.

"Lady Shinano? What could she be doing with Sora?" Illustrious asked, bewildered by what was going on.

"Whatever the case, it had something to do with Sora" Enterprise commented, coming up with reasons for that being the case.

"What's the situation like now?" Wales asked Warspite.

"Edinburgh said that they were going to lay low and cover as much area as they could while searching for Sora. However, she knows for a fact that neither she nor Sheffield were spotted or are the reason for alarms going off"

"Understood. Keep us posted" Hood replied.

With a sound of approval, Warspite muted her channel on the radio and went back to supervising the situation all while listening to Her Majesty boast about how the Royal Maids were truly the best for a mission such as sneaking behind enemy lines.

"Alarms going off… could it be due to Sora?" Illustrious suggested.

"Unlikely, there's a chance that something else is going on" Belfast replied.

"A revolt? Someone pulling a prank?" Wales asked.

"It's likely that something we haven't taken into consideration is happening" Hood stated.

"Which is why we need to be ready for anything," Enterprise said, preparing herself for a fight.

Nothing else needed to be said as each one of the girls had their own thoughts on the matter but it all came down to one thing. Saving their new friend.

---

On the deck of an Iron Blood ship

The mischievous and seductive kansen known as Prinz Eugen was currently in deep thought while chewing on a piece of chocolate. There was much she had to consider.

After she met up with Akagi and Kaga last, she asked to borrow Z23 and Ayanami. However, since then she had been quite busy. After picking up Ayanami, she began to get to work on her main objective. Official orders were that she watch and support the Sakura Empire meaning that she had to stay in good relations with the kitsune sisters.

However, she was given a more direct mission by her leader and friend, Bismarck. According to the reports she had been briefed on, the Sirens were conducting tests on something but there wasn't much information to determine what it was. However, after a thorough investigation, it was determined that this test project was something that the Sirens were hiding from the Red Axis. Due to this revelation, Bismarck asked her to keep this to herself and continue to observe the Sakura Empire and Sirens.

But after her encounter with Akagi and the subject of the infused ship acting strange. Her mission was to now uncover what was wrong with that specific ship. Which is where she's been lately. The infused ship was taken to a docking bay on a nearby island where it would be examined and checked for any issues with its programming. Seeing this opportunity, Prinz Eugen began taking notes on the infused ship and seeing if there was anything strange about it. It was then that she pulled Z23 to the side and explained to her in brief about her mission of researching the ship as well as for Nimi to keep a close eye on the kitsunes. While it sounded redundant to pull both her and Ayanami away just to watch a ship there was a reason for that.

"Eyes and ears where they shouldn't be~," Prinz Eugen told Z23 after she complained about the situation.

Moreover, Prinz Eugen also pulled Ayanami to the side and asked her as many questions as she could about Kaga and Akagi. Trying to get the girl to spill any information about the two kitsunes but to no avail, Ayanami didn't exactly have a clue on the matter. Doing her best to get the girl to slip up but not getting anything definitive or suspect regarding the kitsunes. After spending much time surveying the infused ship nothing seemed to happen which disappointed Eugen and led to her letting Ayanami and Z23 return to Akagi and Kaga. Along with Nimi complaining about being taken away from the frontline for nothing but watching a Siren ship.

Hence, some time passed, and she was running out of sweets and boredom was to the max. With nothing else to really do, Prinz Eugen was about to call off her mission and report back to Bismarck when the infused ship started doing something unexpected. While the infused ship started to act up, Akagi had just finished harnessing the power of the Dark Wisdom Cube. The ship started to glow a bright purple color with a red pulsating light appearing around the exterior of the ship. Out of nowhere, a dark cloud appeared to cover the entirety of the infused ship and soon spread out to a large degree leaving her with no visual.

What Prinz Eugen found after the dark cloud began to disappear left her both confused and angry.

There were now multiple infused ships appearing all around the docking bay. Each ship appeared to have the same appearance along with a strange emblem that appeared on the deck. Getting a good look at the area, she counted over a dozen ships with that strange insignia and began to grow worried. The infused ship itself already had a great deal of firepower for being a prototype but seeing that a dozen copies appeared out of nowhere made her furious.

Was this what the Sakura Empire was hiding? Was this all the work of Akagi and Kaga's plan? Or… was this the work of someone else?

Left with nothing but questions, Eugen noticed that the ships were beginning to move and looked to be heading toward the Sakura Empire base. Wanting to find out the truth behind these strange ships, she jumped into the water and began making her way to the main island to find out what exactly was going on. And how this would all play out.

Notes:

*A/N – I always enjoy reading all the reviews and PM's that I get regarding the story and would just like to say thank you. Also, shoutout to TruebladeModder's Hearts of the sky/ocean/land mod for KH3. I've been using this mod and most of the other mods that have been published and they really change up the game. I want to include even more crazy combat moves for Sora to use and I'll be taking notes from the other mods that TruebladeModder has made. Go check him out on Youtube. From one's thoughts on the story to the amazing ideas I'm presented with, I truly appreciate it all. Therefore, I wish everyone a Happy Holiday and look forward to more to come. Take care.

*A/N* - I wasn't exactly sure if weapons like swords or katanas were part of a ship girl's rigging. Like if Zuikaku's riggings were damaged, then they could be repaired but if her sword was broken, she would need a new one. I may be wrong but for the story, I'll go with this idea.

Chapter 13: Tide of War and Changes

Summary:

With the Sirens and Heartless now invading the Sakura Empire, how will Sora go about fighting back against an old foe while dealing with an all-new kind of enemy?

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright to Azur Lane or Kingdom Hearts

*A/N - Hiya! Hope you're all doing well. Thanks so much for sticking through this hectic story and for all the reviews and messages I've been getting regarding the story. I seriously want to let you know how much I appreciate your feedback and ideas. There are so many crazy ideas I have for this story and how Sora will thrive in the world of ship girls. But enough of me rambling. Let's get back to the show. Got a lot of stuff going on here so hopefully, that'll go over well lol. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the chapter and take care.

Continuing to make their way across the island and toward the central radio station, Sora checked his surroundings for any signs of the Heartless appearing. Shifting his sight left and right the boy found nothing but the surprised and defensive stares from the girls of Sakura Empire.

Mikasa was not that far from the boy and began to alert the girls who looked puzzled about the encounter.

"Girls! We have a situation. I repeat we have a situation! Code Red. Prepare yourselves for an incursion and find your squadron leaders. This is not a drill."

Hearing their senpai and superior alert them to the news all the girls in the area immediately bolted from where they were standing and suddenly began running to prepare for the incoming trouble.

Sora meanwhile looked ahead and could see what appeared to be a large building with what appeared to be a saucer-like dish with multiple antennas around the place.

"Is that the central radio station?"

"Yes. It's under construction for improvements made to be implemented into our riggings thanks to the experimentation of Wisdom Cubes" Mikasa answered.

Nodding at the brunette's words, Sora began sprinting to the building in question with Mikasa following right behind him. Worry was starting to crawl up her arms and she had a nauseous feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.

'An enemy that this boy could sense… just who is he?' Mikasa thought while looking at the spiky-haired man next to her.

Before she could ponder any more questions about Sora, a large purple cloud shot appeared in the sky and instantly lowered itself while being placed out at sea. The duo quickly shot their heads to the purple cloud and were shocked at what was happening.

Out at sea there now appeared to be a large dark cloud that covered a grand area making it impossible to see what was happening. But Sora knew for sure what was happening now.

Once the dark cloud started to fade away there in the water stood an entire fleet of dark ships that he easily recognized. It was the ship that he encountered when he first woke up in this world. The Heartless ship.

Letting out a quick sigh, Sora turned to look at Mikasa who had a confused look on her face.

"What… Those aren't Siren ships."

"Mikasa, get to the radio station and alert everyone. It's the Heartless."

"The Heartless? I thought you said they were monsters? Not ships!" Mikasa exclaimed, confused about the whole situation.

"You're not wrong but I'll explain everything later. Right now, you need to let everyone know and get ready. Things are going to get rough."

"Wait? What are you going to do? Why aren't you coming with me?"

Shooting the older girl with a confident yet collected look, Sora explained his on-the-spot plan.

"The Heartless are attracted to Light and Hearts meaning everyone on the island. And the Heartless ship I encountered a bit ago had an insignia on it which means someone or something is trying to control them. Also, the weapon I wield acts like a beacon that the Heartless hate. I'll use that to draw them away from the island."

"You're going to use yourself as bait? That's ridiculous!"

"Maybe. But I can't let the Heartless start attacking the island while everyone is rushing to get prepared. I'll buy you guys some time!"

Leaving no room for Mikasa to bicker with him, Sora summoned his Keyblade and took off toward the ocean ready to buy some time for the kansens of the Sakura Empire to help him. Besides, if the Heartless were here and in the form of battleships, then the Sirens were not that far away.

---

Now staring at Sora's form getting further away from her, Mikasa shook her head and began to mumble to herself all while running to the radio station to alert everyone on the island.

"That boy… he doesn't even know us that well but is risking his life to give us some time…"

Mikasa's opinion of the boy didn't really have much merit when she first encountered him. Now, however, it was safe to say that changed for the better.

Narrowing her gaze at the radio station and seeing girls everywhere starting to prepare for battle, she would not let Sora's opportunity go to waste.

---

Elsewhere on the Sakura Empire Island

Zuikaku and Shoukaku had found themselves chatting away with another friend of theirs by the name of Kongou. They were currently situated outside of a food stall and were discussing where their other friends might be when all of a sudden alarms started going off all around them.

"Huh? Isn't that-" Kongou started saying.

"That's the warning alarm for an incoming attack."

"An attack? Who could be attacking us? Azur Lane?" Zuikaku asked, turning to her sister for an answer.

"I'm not so sure. That wouldn't be a smart thing to do as Sora is still here" Shoukaku responded to the younger crane.

"You mean that boy that Akagi and Kaga brought back from their assault?" Kongou questioned the two cranes.

"Yes, that's him. But I doubt that-"

Before Zuikaku could finish speaking the alarms suddenly stopped and a familiar voice began to play out of the alarm speakers.

"Attention all Sakura Empire! Report to your battle stations! I repeat. Report to your battle stations! We are under attack from a new enemy. I repeat-" the voice of Mikasa was being broadcasted.

"Under attack by a new enemy? What does that mean?" Kongou asked, puzzled about what was going on and turning to the two girls.

"Zuikaku does that mean-"

Wide-eyed, the brunette crane turned to look at Kongou before shifting her attention to Shoukaku.

"Yeah, the Heartless. Sora was right."

As soon as Zuikaku said that the sound of explosions could be heard coming from out at sea drawing everyone's attention.

"Explosions? And he was what now? I'm out of the loop here" Kongou stated to the short red dress-wearing crane.

"We'll explain on the way. But we need to get going and fast, "answered Shoukaku, beginning to move toward the port.

"Mm. Let's hurry, Kongou" Zuikaku said to the blonde-haired girl.

"Right! Let's go."

Rushing to find out how the situation was coming along, the trio prepared themselves for the upcoming battle. However, a certain ponytailed brunette couldn't help but wonder where a brown spiky-haired boy was right now. That thought would soon be answered in what Zuikaku could describe as a large explosion out at sea.

---

A few minutes prior to the explosion out at sea

Having finally reached the water after rushing past so many ship girls who looked confused about the whole situation. Sora cast the same spell that he used the last time he walked on water and began darting toward the Heartless ships.

The whole situation in front of him was strange, to say the least. None of the ships looked like they would be advancing on the Sakura Empire Island and were merely watching. That is until he raised his Keyblade in the air and summoned a beam of light to shoot at the end of the weapon toward the sky.

Once the light was seen by the ships, every single one of them started to glow red and began shifting their guns and pointing them at the Keyblade wielder. Sora quickly counted how many ships there were but lost count at over thirteen when several ships started firing at him.

Dashing at the closest ship in front of him, Sora began to run in a zig-zag path to try and avoid being hit by the explosions hitting the water. Still moving, he swiped his weapon to the side of him and managed to block a cannon blast causing an explosion right next to him and getting his clothes wet. Grunting at the attack, he continued to keep on charging toward the closest ship and was just about to reach the side when several Heartless appeared over the water and were swinging around on anchors.

A foe Sora recognized from his latest journey to the Caribbean. Anchor Raids.

Counting at least five Anchor Raids, Sora rolled to the side narrowly dodging a slash from one of the Heartless. Back on his feet, he swung upward right under the closest Anchor Raid and managed to force it up but couldn't follow through as he had to block another incoming attack.

Managing to shift his Keyblade upwards, Sora was able to counter the attack and slashed diagonally across the Anchor Raid, hurting it greatly. He then started to commence consecutive slashes at the Heartless before he thrust his weapon right at the head of the Anchor Raid and killed it instantly. Sora then jumped back before another Heartless slammed its sword into the water causing a large splash.

Seeing the Heartless all bunched up, the boy raised his weapon at the group and started casting multiple area-wide spells.

"Thunder!"

Paralysis hit the group and caused the Heartless to slow down allowing for Sora to leap right at the closest one and hit it by swinging his Keyblade horizontally repeatedly until starting a barrage of stabs at the Heartless managing to finally kill it. Without wasting any time, he shot his gaze at another Anchor Raid and activated his Flowmotion causing his entire body to glow blue before he shot like a bullet at the Heartless and managed to bring his Keyblade down in a vertical slash across its body causing it to disappear.

Left defenseless and falling in the air, Sora was suddenly slammed right into the water face first while dropping his Keyblade and letting out a pained grunt at the sudden impact.

"Gah!"

A splash of water covered the area leaving Sora sprawled on top of the water thanks to his water-walking spell. However, he quickly rolled his body to the side barely missing the edge of an Anchor Raider's sword. Jumping to his feet, the Keyblade wielder re-summoned his weapon and countered another incoming strike from the Anchor Raid. This time, Sora was ready as he pushed his Keyblade back into the Heartless' sword and jumped back in the air before flipping his body around and shooting right back at the Heartless but this time kicking it in the face with a drill-like power. The impact threw the Anchor Raid back and killed it before it could hit the water.

Turning to look at the last Heartless in his path, Sora gripped his Keyblade and charged at the Heartless who was also making its way toward the boy. Swinging his weapon to hit the Heartless, Sora was startled when he was now in a blade lock. Pushing back against the one-handed Heartless pirate, the spiky-haired decided to pull a fast one on the foe and loosely let go of his weapon while dropping and rolling to the side. The Heartless lunged forward due to all the force it was giving and saw the boy out of sight but couldn't do anything as the Keyblade was now lodged through its chest with Sora letting out several breaths. The Anchor Raid immediately disappeared after admitting defeat.

Checking his surroundings, Sora took a deep breath before composing himself and getting ready to jump back into the fray.

Finally getting to the side of the Heartless ship, he began activating Flowmotion and started running up the side while preparing himself for any onboard guests. Now at the top, Sora flung himself over and rolled his body until he landed on his feet and readied himself for a fight.

---

There on the deck of the ship were several Shadows all lingering around almost as if they were waiting for him to arrive. Summoning the Keyblade and twirling it in his hand, Sora ran straight at the expecting party and instantly slammed his weapon down causing sparks to go flying around him. He then swung at one Heartless, killing it. Shifting his body to block a Shadow from leaping at him, this gave him the chance to reprisal the attack and strike back at the Heartless decimating it instantly.

Dashing forward and shoving a Shadow to the side, Sora spun on his back foot and cast a wind spell to send the small fry flying away.

"Wind! Scatter!"

The sudden green vortex began picking up the Heartless and throwing them all over the place. Some Heartless were thrown into the water below while others were slammed across the deck of the ship which managed to kill them with the force of impact. Sora wasted no time and began cleaning up the remaining Heartless until he was scanning the area trying to see if any more would pop up.

To his relief, there were no more Heartless on the deck of the ship leaving him all alone. Wasting no time as he glanced around and saw just how many Heartless ships there were in the area, he began setting his sights on the control room of the ship and pointed his Keyblade at it trying to see if he could cast several Fire spells and blow the room up. But he wasn't sure if that would stop the ship from working.

Taking a look around him, Sora realized that there were many Heartless ships around him and that it wouldn't be long before they started firing on the island. He wasn't sure if his distraction bought the girls enough time to get ready to fight but he'd have to trust his heart that it did.

Deciding to brute force his way to destroy the ship, Sora began running toward the control room and made it up to the next level of the Heartless ship when he looked back at the deck and tried to see where he should attack. Frowning at his sudden plan, he was about to start making his way higher onto the ship when a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, need some help?"

"Huh?"

*Ka-boom!*

An unexpected explosion hit the boy causing a cloud of smoke to cover the area as well as the Heartless ship to start lowering into the water. The middle of the ship had a large hole in it due to the blast shooting right through the ship leaving debris everywhere. No trace of the boy could be seen.

The source of the voice that spoke to Sora was now swiping away at the cloud surrounding the area. Standing there with strange black and yellow riggings, bright yellow eyes, and long white hair tied into a ponytail while wearing a white shirt that cut off above the stomach with short black shorts was a girl. The girl also had an unfaltering large smile on her face. But she was better known to everyone as the Siren, Purifier.

"Oh, man! You should have seen the look on your face. Haha!"

Jumping down onto the barely holding deck, Purifier began looking around the place for any signs of the boy. Bringing her hand above her head and mimicking someone looking for something, the chipper girl began pouting.

"C'mon! Don't tell me that was all it took to take you out? Hello! Where are you?"

Upset that there was no sign of the Keyblade wielder, Purifier was about to begin searching the surrounding water around the drowning vessel when all of a sudden she was sent flying back with a kick right to her abdomen making her smile at the impact. With enough speed in the attack, she was sent flying off the damaged ship and several meters across the water.

Rolling her body around across the water, Purifier managed to shift her body so that she now stood up at full attention and looked at whoever attacked her. To her surprise and excitement there in front of her stood Sora who was glaring back at her.

"Oh! Goody! You're still breathing! I thought that blast would've left you down for the count. Had me worried for a second."

Gripping his Keyblade tightly, Sora was now eyeing the girl closely to see what her next move would be.

"Who are you? Why did you attack me!?"

"Well, duh! I'm the enemy. And you're who I need to bring in."

"What… Wait, you're a-"

"Yep! Took you long enough. I'm a Siren! Well, not like these guys over here" Purifier said while pointing out in the distance to what appeared to be a swarm of ships that weren't there earlier.

"I'm more of a cleaner-upper. Taking care of unexpected problems. Like you for example" Purifier added.

"But… what's up with your eyes glowing yellow?!" Sora questioned, confused about the girl's appearance.

The sight of the yellow eyes brought back paranoia to the boy as one of Organization XIII's biggest attributes was the distinctive yellow eyes thanks to Xehanort splitting himself off into thirteen vessels. Now seeing it here made Sora feel anxious and defensive.

"Hey! What are you trying to say?! Making fun of my appearance. Didn't anyone tell you not to make fun of the way someone looks?!" Purifier exclaimed to the boy.

Shrugging off the girl's comment, Sora pointed his Keyblade at the Siren and began questioning her.

"Why are you here? What do you have to with the Hear-"

"I'm here because of you!"

"Why?" Sora responded while having a shocked look on his face.

"Why? Because my boss and my boss's boss want to talk with you. We heard you'd be a big help to us."

Confused about what the girl was saying, Sora realized that he still hadn't gotten her name. If she even had one.

"Who are you?"

"What! You don't know me? Just what have those kansens been doing? Ah. Whatever. It doesn't matter. Not like they're going to be around for much longer."

"You're planning on attacking the Sakura Empire? I thought-"

"You thought wrong. Do you really think we'd want to partner up with them or even the Red Axis? Man, is everyone really that clueless? No way we'd want to partner up with some girls who can turn into ships. Sounds boring. Best drop their hopes now rather than later~" Purifier explained, poking at her rigging.

"You're wrong if you think you can defeat the girls. They'll stop you."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. *sigh* Since no one cares to tell you anything important…" Purifier then struck a pose by waving one of her arms in the air while using her other hand to point it at Sora and shifting it into a gun and making a *pew* sound effect.

"My name is Purifier. Pleased to finally meet you, Sora."

"...How do you know who I am?" Sora asked, puzzled about why she knew him. Maybe someone in the Sakura Empire told her about him.

"Heehee! That's a secret."

Becoming annoyed by Purifier's attitude, Sora shot a look behind her and could see several Heartless ships now making their way toward the island all while preparing their weapons to attack. Another problem to deal with.

"You do know you're making a big mistake working with the Heart-"'

"Ugh! Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?" Purifier stated to the spiky-haired boy.

Extending her arm out and letting her riggings begin to appear out of a purple light and becoming what looked like a shark with smaller sharks on each side with a black and yellow appearance. The smile on Purifier's face grew all while her eyes started glowing.

"That's enough exposition. Why don't we go meet up with my bosses? They'd love to meet you!"

"That's not going to happen."

Twirling his Keyblade in his hand, Sora took an offensive pose and readied himself to fight the mysterious Siren girl. He had no idea how she fought and judging from her surprise attack, cheap shots were not out of the realm of possibility.

"Hmm. Sounds like we're going to be doing this the hard way then. Yippee!"

In a matter of a second, the two were glaring at each other ready to see who would strike first, and in the next instance, the two were now rushing at one another. Sora knew that the Sakura Empire girls would need help dealing with the Sirens and that meant he had to beat Purifier. And fast. Which led to the Siren and Keyblade wielder duking it out all while in the middle of a warzone.

---

Back on the Sakura Empire Island

Making her way to the port, Zuikaku followed right next to her sister and Kongou who was trying to get as much information as she could about everything going on.

"So, this boy told you about this new enemy that he's familiar with and the Sirens might be using them or in cahoots with them?" Kongou asked the crane sisters.

"Yes. That's the gist of it" Zuikaku replied.

"But-"

"Kongou, I know that you have more questions, and frankly so do I. But now's not the time" Shoukaku stated, stopping the blonde girl from speaking any further.

"...Right. I'll ask later."

"Look! There's Takao and Atago" Zuikaku pointed out the two standing in front of them with all their riggings summoned.

"Takao! Atago!"

Hearing their names called, the two black-haired girls looked at who was calling them and had surprised looks.

"Zuikaku. Shoukaku. And Kongou. Good to see you all. What's going on?" Atago asked.

"I'm not sure. We just heard the alarms going off. Where are our senpais?" Kongou replied.

Before any of them could start asking even more questions an explosion appeared to hit an area on the island that was thankfully nothing but trees in the vicinity. All the girls turned their attention to one side of the island and saw nothing, but Siren ships start firing toward the island.

"Those are…"

"Sirens. What do we do? If we attack that'll be an end to the agreement, right?" Kongou asked, weighing the options.

"I-"

"Then we attack."

Looking behind them, the group of girls was surprised to see one of their senpais.

"Mikasa? What do you mean?"

"The announcement from Lady Nagato that was supposed to be said to everyone was that… due to recent revelations and analyzing the whole situation. Sakura Empire would disband from Red Axis as well as disregard their current agreement with the Sirens" Mikasa explained while watching more explosions rock the area around the island and port.

"So, that means…" Zuikaku said, pulling out her blade and taking on a determined look.

"All units. By the order of Lady Nagato herself, engage in combat. Eliminate all Sirens in the area."

"Understood. Shall we?" Takao asked the others to which they agreed wholeheartedly.

However, while the other girls were summoning their riggings and rushing to meet the water to begin their counterattack. Zuikaku stayed behind for a second and spoke to Mikasa.

"Where's Sora?"

Sighing was all Mikasa could do as she remembered the boy's words.

"He was the first to alert me of an enemy presence. Fortunately, his ridiculous actions managed to buy me enough time to warn the island and the girls who should all be reaching the water and preparing to attack."

"But where is he now?"

"Sora said that he could sense them coming."

"Them?" It took a second for Zuikaku to realize whom he meant. "Wait! Do you mean the-"

"Yes. The Heartless."

Turning on her heels, Zuikaku was about to rush and help the boy when Mikasa called out to her.

"Zuikaku! Wait. Deal with the Siren forces attacking the island first."

"But-"

"We still don't know everything there is about these monsters. Sora is the only one who does. So, let's let him handle them for now. Besides, he doesn't know everything about the Sirens. I say, let's help him there."

Knowing in her heart that her senpai was right to let the brunette crane relax a little. All while feeling a bit off not being able to help the boy in his fight. But… the sooner the Sirens were dealt with the sooner she could help.

Nodding at the older girl's words, Zuikaku began sprinting to catch up with her sister and the others to engage in battle with the invading Sirens. Plus, Sora was a skilled fighter during her short time together with him. He would be fine right?

---

*Clang*

*Clash*

*Woosh*

*Clang*

From a distance, one could only see sparks flying and guns shooting around two individuals. Those two were Sora and Purifier. The two had been engaged in a nonstop clash against one another. As it was standing now, the Keyblade wielder had done a great deal of damage to the Siren girl given that some of her clothing was cut and one of her small sharks was cut off completely. This also led the once chipper girl to take on a visibly frustrated and angry look on her face.

"Damn you! Why won't you just stay still?" Purifier shouted.

"Not going to happen."

Twirling his Keyblade in his hand, Sora had bruises all over his body followed by his clothes becoming damp and still wet in some areas thanks to having rolled atop the ocean waves and even being thrown into the water multiple times due to being hit by attacks from the girl.

He knew that there was another fight waiting to happen once he was done with Purifier and wanted to defeat the girl before anything else could happen. Hence, he aimed his sights at the girl and prepared to trick her.

Rushing at her with his Keyblade to his side, Sora looked like he was going to slam full force into the girl which forced her to raise her battered riggings but that's exactly what Sora wanted. Casting a Thunder spell in front of him, he then jumped into the still with his Keyblade pointed at her and began locking onto her with his shotlock ability.

Ragnarok.

The Thunder spell hit Purifier causing her to flinch which gave Sora just enough time to finish his attack.

"Gotcha!"

Suddenly, several bright projectiles blasted from the tip of his Keyblade and shot straight at her causing an enormous explosion that sent water flying all over the place along with the outline of the girl's body flying back and landing several meters back.

Purifier could be heard groaning while getting back up on her feet, her riggings glowing an even brighter yellow color. The girl looked extremely pissed now and glared right at the Keyblade wielder.

"All right then, you wanna play rough? I'll give you rough. Don't blame me for how bad this is going to hurt!" Purifier shouted.

Having a crazed smile on her face, Purifier shot forward and began shooting bullets out of her main shark rigging all while getting closer to the boy.

Lunging forward, Sora quickly bolted to the side and raised his Keyblade to defend himself while trying to get some distance between the Siren. However, what Sora didn't account for was the sudden explosion that threw him forward and face-first into the water.

Wincing at the pain, he quickly looked behind him and could see the Heartless ships were now firing on him. Which was different from the Siren ships that were attacking the island.

"Weird. Seems those ships have taken a liking to you. Oh, well. They made my job easier!" Purifier stated while aiming her riggings at Sora and about ready to blast him.

But before she could blast Sora, the girl was sent flying back due to an explosion landing right into her abdomen. Purifier let out a disheveled groan at being attacked.

"What the- who?"

To answer her question, standing a few meters away from her and behind Sora was another girl. Upon seeing her, the boy let couldn't help but think about his time in this world.

'Whoa… another really beautiful girl. Just what kind of world did I end up in?'

The had long white hair with a red streak on the right side of her hair followed by her hair reaching to her waist with twin tails that were held up by a red metal piece. She had red eyes with an attire that… Sora could say was very… attractive. Her attire was that of a very short black dress with long grey and red sleeves. She was also wearing black thigh-high tights with red boots. All in all, she was very beautiful which made Sora feel his cheeks warm up even though he was standing in the middle of the water.

The girl then began making her way closer to Sora and was only a few feet away from him when her red eyes matched his blue eyes. It didn't help that she flashed him a very eye-catching smile.

"Oh? I take it you're whom everyone is rambling about. Huh, mister popular~?"

Before Sora could respond, Purifier began to chuckle while getting back to her feet.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Prinz Eugen. I have to say, you don't know a damn about friendly fire."

"I'll have you know I have perfect eyesight. And to be frank… it's not friendly fire if you weren't my friend. Don't you think?" Prinz Eugen replied, crossing her arms while at the same time summoning her riggings which took the appearance of red and black sharks.

"Heh. First Sakura Empire and now Iron Blood. Seems like quite the timing to drop a revelation like this don't you think?"

"Funny. While Sakura Empire's defect is sudden. Thanks to him," Prinz Eugen shot a look to Sora who continued to watch Purifier closely. "But Iron Blood has been considering backing out of the pact for quite some time. It's only thanks to you and your friends for keeping things under wraps."

Chuckling at the Iron Blood girl's comment, Purifier turned her attention back to Sora who glared back at her.

"Well, while it was nice to hear that Iron Blood is back to being our enemies and that you yourself decided to tell us, which thank you for that Prinz Eugen, I fear you're in the way. I've got orders to 'escort' Sora back with me. But you're in the way. So, if you don't mind. Move."

Casting a glance at Sora and then back at the infused ships around the area, Prinz Eugen had a thought come to her.

"Those infused ships. They aren't of Siren making, are they?"

"Oh? Quite the wrong place to be asking about something like that don't you think?"

"Not necessarily. Having dueled a few ships on my way here, I can safely say that they aren't under your orders."

Smirking at Prinz Eugen, Purifier was curious about how things would turn out now.

"What gives you that idea?"

"The ships paid me no mind while I was laying waste to some of their numbers. They just kept coming this way and wouldn't you know it? Their only target so far has been him" Prinz Eugen said pointing to Sora.

"*sigh* I don't think I need to tell you anything. Besides, you're still in my way."

"Sora, was it? While I would love to get to know you a bit better, it seems like you could use some assistance in dealing with her. What do you say?" Prinz Eugen asked the spiky-haired boy who looked confused about the whole thing.

"I… Yeah. I would like some help. The sooner we deal with her, the sooner I can get to destroying those ships" Sora replied, noting the Heartless ships.

"Oh~, think you can take on all those ships alone? You're a confident one."

"If they were normal ships then I'd be for all the help offered. But those aren't normal ships. And if I'm not the one to destroy them, then they'll just come back later."

"Come back later?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, we have to deal with her."

"Uh, hello? Are we gonna keep talking or are we going to get back to fighting? I'm sick and tired of talking. All it is with you people is talk, talk, talk! Let's finish this!" Purifier said, powering up her riggings.

"Mm. Let's get this show on the road. Sora, I'll back you up."

"Got it. Let's knock her out of the picture!"

Twirling his Keyblade, the boy with the aid of another ship girl immediately launched an attack at the Siren girl all while she was smiling widely with her damaged riggings flashing a bright yellow color. Ready to get back to the action.

---

Meanwhile, back on the island…

Standing outside what appeared to be a fortified building was Kaga who kept her eye out on the situation happening around her. The island had soon turned into a battlefield with ship girls running back and forth while others were now combatting the Sirens. Thanks to Akagi's warning of the attack, Kaga had a better idea of how the plan was coming to fruition.

With the brunette kitsune knowing about the attack beforehand this would provide the two sisters enough time to get to work on healing their older sister. The power of the Dark Wisdom Cube could be felt coursing through Akagi's body and as a result, she felt powerful. More powerful than she ever felt in her life.

Now alone with her sister, Akagi placed her hand on her sister's chest while her body was laying on what appeared to be a pedestal. She began trying to get a read on how damaged her Wisdom Cube was now compared to the last time she checked. The sleeping kitsune's chest began to cast a bright light that lit up the room followed by what appeared to be a cube in Akagi's hands.

To her dismay, Akagi could see her sister's Wisdom Cube right in front of her and it was far worse than she originally thought. The cube itself was cracked everywhere you could see. Lines tracing into other lines and parts of the cube looked ready to fall apart.

How could I let this happen to my sister?!

That was what Akagi was thinking while holding the fractured cube. Now more determined than ever to help her sister, the brunette woman began to channel energy into the cube all while having her entire body covered by dark energy. Purple lightning was soon being shot all around the room and Akagi became startled by the sudden action until she looked to the source of the lightning and realized what it was.

Reaching into her clothing, Akagi pulled out the Dark Wisdom Cube that she received her powers from and saw that it was reacting quite violently. Feeling something begin to trickle down her hand that was holding the item, she could see a dark mist surround her and it came from the cube.

Without even considering the implications or cautions around the cube, Akagi suddenly began imbuing it into Amagi's broken Wisdom Cube. One would think to wait and consider their actions but that would not be the case with Akagi. The reason is that her eyes were now glowing a bright purple instead of red.

With the two cubes beginning to merge, a blast of darkness covered the whole room and shook the place causing a distraught Kaga to come barreling into the room. What she saw left her puzzled.

Standing there with dark energy spewing all around the room was Akagi who was watching as the Dark Wisdom Cube and what she suspected to be Amagi's Wisdom Cube were trying to combine. While Akagi looked over at her sister with a sly smile on her face.

"Amagi. We're so close to saving her, Kaga."

Suddenly a blast of light forced Kaga to cover her eyes while the entire room lit up blinding all from knowing what happened next.

---

Out at the surrounding sea around the island

Standing out in the water with her rigging summoned and firing away at the Siren ships was Shinano who was being supported by several girls. To name a few, Shimakaze, Noshiro, Yukikaze, and Yuudachi were the closest next to her fighting against the Sirens.

Overall the group was making good progress in pushing back the Sirens but that would soon be stopped as a burst of light appeared a good distance behind the group of Sirens she and the others were fighting.

However, once the light began to die down, Shinano felt anxiousness appear in her heart. Now in the water were more Siren ships that appeared out of what looked like a giant dark portal that summoned reinforcements. It didn't help that when she glanced to the left of her to see the other group of girls fighting against the Sirens she spotted Takao who also had a shocked expression at seeing the reinforcements.

Pushing those thoughts to the side, Shinano was prepared to do her best to inspire the girls around her who had grown quiet at the appearance of more enemies when the sound of planes began to appear overhead. Looking up, the white-haired and eared girl saw that those were Sakura Empire planes now taking aim at the Sirens. The sudden action brought those whose spirits were weakened and now revitalized them to fight even harder now.

The entire area as far as anyone could see now turned into a battlefield. Downed Siren ships were left floating atop the water with random fires somehow staying lit while sitting on the water. Gunfire and explosions were all one could hear, and the once bright sky now had a darkened look. But with the sudden rally call from the Sakura Empire planes, the girls began fighting even harder than before.

However, Shinano could not cast aside the feeling of worry that was still apparent in her heart. It was as if she knew that something bad was about to happen. Turning her attention back to the Sirens, she wondered how Sora was doing or where he was for that matter.

---

Back with Sora

Heaving his Keyblade down at the Siren, Sora put all his weight into his attack and managed to force Purifier to raise her rigging to block the strike. Forcing the blade back, she managed to send the boy flying in the air which allowed him to flip his body so that he adjusted his landing which led to him diving straight into the water.

However, at the same time, Prinz Eugen started rushing Purifier by landing a kick to the Siren's leg before her sharks could start biting. But Purifier brought her own hammerhead shark to combat the kansen's sharks leading to a fierce sight of the two riggings tearing into each other.

As the sharks were tearing into each other, Purifier landed a punch to Prinz Eugen's face which threw her back a few feet and caused her sharks to back off with her leaving behind one heck of a sight. The hammerhead rigging looked even worse now with only the main shark present and that alone was all battered and part of its face missing. The Iron Blood girl had a sly smirk on her face at the weakened Siren's state.

Groaning at the white-haired smug look, Purifier instantly summoned what appeared to be a large one-handed canon and aimed it right at Prinz Eugen who looked puzzled.

"See ya! Haha!"

Before Prinz Eugen could react and bring her riggings to defend her the blast from the canon was lit and should have hit the lone woman but instead, it did not. Rather, a certain spiky-haired someone was standing in front of her with his weapon held by both hands.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm good. Can't tell if her punch left a mark though."

"Doesn't look like it."

"That is good to hear. Can't be looking all disheveled. Would ruin my chance."

"Your chance?"

"To catch y- "

"You two! Think you can take me, Haha!"

"Coming from you who's taken quite the beating, I'd say you're wrong," Sora remarked to the Siren.

"Ha. Just wait. You'll be-"

Suddenly, Purifier stopped talking and her eyes began glowing yellow as if they were flashing. Sora and Prinz Eugen had puzzled looks on their faces. Unsure of what to do the Keyblade wielder was about to call out to the Siren but she suddenly shook her head with a giant grin on her face.

"Hahaha! Oh man, well, what do you know? I'm being told to step back. Said there was something special they wanted to see before we take you away."

Confused about what Purifier said, Sora tried to ask her to clarify.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry. You'll see soon. See ya later!"

Immediately after Purifier said that the area around her began to change color and take on the form of something Sora knew quite well. A dark portal.

Not like the dark corridors that Organization XIII used but something akin to that. Purifier had one last look at the two with the same crazed smile on her face before disappearing through the portal leaving the two by themselves in the midst of battle.

Turning to look at the Heartless ships, Sora found that they hadn't really changed or even attacked anymore and were just sitting there. Prinz Eugen followed his gaze and had also taken on a thinking pose.

"So, you're from Iron Blood?" Sora asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah. And you're the talk around the town."

"Huh?"

"Don't act all surprised. I had someone fill me in on what was going on. I would've come to see you sooner but got caught up in some things."

"I see…"

"Besides, up close. You're a lot cuter than what I was told~" Prinz Eugen answered while licking her lips.

"Uh…" Sora tried to find a response to the girl's comment but ended up with nothing.

Before either of them could respond an explosion could be seen coming from where the Siren ships were stationed. Sensing that things were going on over there, Sora shot Prinz Eugen a look to which she nodded. Knowing what the boy was thinking before he said it.

That led to Sora sprinting to the other side of the island while Prinz Eugen followed right next to him gliding across the water with her riggings summoned and ready to fight.

However, the Keyblade wielder took one last look at the Heartless ships and saw no action coming from them. While it was stupid of him to leave the ships, he had to make sure his new friends were ok. Once he was sure, he would come back and destroy each ship and make sure nothing would happen.

Consequently, once the two had gotten far enough all of the Heartless ships began to emit a cloud of darkness around each ship. Leaving a dark cloud to slowly appear around the area.

---

Dashing to the side and swinging her blade across the side of one of the Siren ships, Zuikaku was moving at top speed around the ship causing a great deal of damage. She then summoned her riggings which took the form of a runway where multiple planes began to fly right at the ship and start blasting it with firepower all while she was running around and slashing at the vessel.

Behind her, Shoukaku also had her riggings summoned and was firing at low points on the ship while summoning planes of her own to attack. In hindsight, the two cranes were a duo that meant business dropping one Siren ship after another. Once Zuikaku somersaulted through the air and brought her blade down on the ship it started emitting sparks of light until it blew up throwing the brunette back into the air.

Which was all according to her plan as she maneuvered her body to flip and land flat on her feet all while brushing a strand of hair out of her face. Another down more to go.

Shooting her sister, a nod, Zuikaku also noticed more of her friends all appearing around her. Takao, Atago, Shimakaze, Mikasa, Shinano, Kongou, Noshiro, and Ayanami to name a few. Feeling confident about the support behind her, she turned to look at the incoming Siren fleet that just seemed to keep growing in size leaving her to sigh.

But before anything else, she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey! Zuikaku! Everyone!"

Spotting the source, Zuikaku found a familiar spiky-haired boy grinning back at her with a bright smile on his face.

"Sora!"

The girls familiar with him got closer while the others still kept their distance.

"You're ok?! We thought that…" Mikasa started to say.

"It's all good. I managed to keep the Heartless stopped for now."

"The Heartless? one of the girls questioned.

"Who or what are they?"

"Girls, everyone calm down," Mikasa said, drawing everyone's attention.

"It's good to see you again, Prinz Eugen" Mikasa addressed the white-haired girl.

"Likewise, Mikasa. I take it this is retaliation for defecting from the Sirens?" Prinz Eugen asked.

"We're not sure. Lady Nagato's announcement of leaving the Red Axis and cutting ties with the Sirens was supposed to be now, but with the sudden attack… we aren't sure."

"Mikasa. Just what's going on?" Noshiro asked the brunette with horns.

"We will discuss everything that is going on once things calm down and the threat is taken care of. But for now, we have to-"

Out of nowhere, a sudden blast of light caused everyone to groan and cover their eyes due to the blinding light. Once Sora lowered his arm and opened his eyes was he shocked.

Standing there out in the open was Akagi who had red flames surrounding her with her signature red paper planes in her gloved hand.

"Akagi!" shouted Mikasa.

Shifting herself so that she was looking right at the older girl, Akagi had a strange expression on her face. Something that Sora noticed right away.

"Hold on! There's something wrong with her."

Eyeing the kitsune girl more closely, Sora could see something appearing around her feet. It looked almost like a… dark mist.

Darkness.

Summoning his Keyblade and preparing himself, Sora saw that Akagi raised her gloved hand and pointed it right at the boy.

"Lady Mikasa. Hand Sora over and I will barter with the Sirens to leave."

"Akagi. What are you talking about? And why do you sound so… different? What's going on?"

Smiling at Mikasa, Akagi had the look of someone who had been influenced by Darkness. Something Sora knew quite well at this point.

"Everything will be all right, Lady Mikasa. Once we hand the boy over then things will calm down."

"Senpai… something's off about you" Zuikaku muttered noticing the drastic personality change.

"Yeah, you're sounding very… robotic and flat-toned. Like… you're not thinking straight" Shoukaku added.

"I'm thinking perfectly fine. It's like I said just hand him over and everything will be ok."

"Akagi…" many of the other girls uttered the brown kitsune's name all thinking that something was very wrong.

It wasn't until Sora decided to speak up that everyone had their attention pulled to him.

"Your heart…"

"Excuse me?"

"There's Darkness in your heart. I can sense it."

Scoffing at the boy's statement, Akagi narrowed her gaze at the Keyblade wielder.

"Now you're the one that's speaking crazy. Talking about hearts. Now that's a sign of you not thinking right."

"You can say whatever you want. But I know… without a doubt that your heart is calling out in pain."

"Enough of this! Lady Mikasa, if you would, hand him over so we can get things back to normal."

Every one of the Sakura Empire girls and even Prinz Eugen turned to see what Mikasa's decision would be. The older girl closed her eyes and began walking toward Sora who was unsure of what she'd do.

However, his answer would be presented when Mikasa positioned herself in front of him with her hand extended.

"I am sorry, Akagi. But I reject your idea. If we had him to the Sirens, then we would be handing them something… someone of great importance. Sora has done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong!? Lady Mikasa, he's aligned with Azur Lane. That alone makes him our enemy."

"Are you sure about that?"

Unexpectedly, it was Prinz Eugen who spoke up earning the kitsune's attention.

"From where I'm standing, that would also make Iron Blood your enemy."

"Tch" Akagi scoffed at the white-haired girl.

"Akagi. You're not thinking right. Please. Take a moment to calm down and-"

"Calm down? Would you stop? I… for the first time… I have it… I have what I need to save my sister. To bring my family back as a whole. And now you're saying to stop…"

Widening his eyes, Sora saw dark energy begin to surround Akagi.

"I'm not stopping until I save her once and for all!"

Lifting her hand in the air and sending one of her paper planes high into the sky, Akagi flicked her wrist and suddenly the plane caught fire.

Instantly, the Siren fleet that had been ignored this whole time was now suddenly sending bombardment to the area.

"Dammit! We forgot about the fleet!" Zuikaku shouted, dodging an incoming blast.

Left out in the open, most of the girls began to disperse and take fire against the Siren fleet while Mikasa, Prinz Eugen, Sora, and the crane sisters paid close attention to Akagi.

Seeing a dark portal open up beneath her, Sora shouted at Akagi to get back but was too late as she disappeared. Now unsure of what to do, the boy was about to turn to Mikasa when he spotted something that made his stomach become sour.

The Heartless ships that were left motionless were now covered completely by dark clouds. The sight just screamed something bad was happening and Sora would not let the Heartless attack his friends.

"Sora! Where are you going?" Zuikaku shouted.

"It's the Heartless! I think Akagi is doing something to them. I have to get over there."

"We're coming with you!"

"No. Wait. We don't know what's really going on. The Sirens, Heartless, Purifier, and now Akagi are around here somewhere and we need to be ready."

"Purifier!? She was here?" Shoukaku questioned.

"Yes. Sora and I were able to beat her back, but she suddenly retreated. Said that her higher-ups wanted to see something happen" Prinz Eugen answered.

"Then that's all the more reason to go with you!" Zuikaku repeated.

"Zuikaku, wait. Sora might be right" Mikasa said.

"Huh? What do you- "

"Think about it, the Sirens want him to be split off but at the same time we can't let the Heartless reach the island, and from the looks of things they want Sora as well. We can deal with the Sirens and force their attention on us while he deals with the Heartless" Mikasa explained.

"It's as good of a plan as we can get right now."

Turning to look at the dark cloud, Sora gripped his Keyblade and readied himself. He had a feeling that a fight was going to happen.

"Mikasa, do you think you can hold back the Sirens?"

"Heh. Do you know who I am?"

"Uh… Mikasa?"

Smiling at the boy's answer, Mikasa could only chuckle and shake her head while summoning her riggings.

"I'll tell you all I've been through once we're done here. So, you better not die. Lady Nagato says you're one interesting individual."

"Heh. I must have made quite an impression on her."

"Very. Now, get going!"

"Right! See you guys soon!"

"Good luck Sora!"

"Be sure not to lose. We still haven't properly introduced ourselves, no~?" Prinz Eugen stated while winking at the boy.

"D-Don't you dare die! We still have our duel to get through!" Zuikaku said, stuttering due to hearing Prinz Eugen's comment which was out of nowhere.

"Got it!"

And with that, Sora began sprinting back to the Heartless ships that should have been destroyed in the first place. His mistake was sure to bite him in the butt. However, he would own up and clean the mess up.

---

Back on the Sakura Empire Island

Standing next to a splintered Sakura Blossom tree, a hooded figure was looking down at the destruction. Taking note of how he was almost hit by a stray bomb.

The figure then looked out to the darkened sky and could see all the ships locked in combat. Kansens fighting against the Siren fleet and off in the distance was another fleet of ships all covered in a dark cloud. And in between the two was a familiar boy wielding a distinct Keyblade.

"Haha! There we go! Man of the hour! Finally, I thought you would manage to talk your way out of the fight. But now we're back to the action!"

In order to understand who this figure was… he was best known as a Lost Master. And right now he was doing nothing more than watching the spectacle happen right in front of him.

"I wonder how that fox girl was able to channel the Darkness in her? In such a short amount of time no less… unless… Ohhhhooo! They didn't!? Did they!? Oh, man!"

The Master of Masters let out a low-toned chuckle while beginning to make a note of something.

"Sora, I wish you luck. That fox girl is high on energy. Which… should make what's going to happen all the more exciting!"

---

Some distance away from the fighting

Standing on the deck of one of the many ships striding along together, Enterprise was making conversation with Hood and Prince of Wales when suddenly Warspite made her way over to them.

"We have an update on the situation."

"How are things?" Hood asked.

"Not good. It appears that Edinburgh and Sheffield have taken refuge inside one of the Sakura Empire's storage facilities. The island is currently being attacked by Siren forces."

Startled by the sudden revelation, Wales was the first to respond.

"What… Sirens are attacking the Sakura Empire?"

"That's what they've confirmed. A massive fleet is currently invading one side of the island while they also informed me of another fleet in the distance."

"Another Siren fleet?" Hood questioned.

"However, this fleet was not attacking the main island. Rather it was only engaged in combat when someone began making their way toward the fleet."

"You don't think…" Enterprise muttered.

"Sora!"

"Mm. Sheffield can confirm that while sneaking her way around the base for any clues on the boy or Project Oroshi she overhead Lady Mikasa discussing Sora acting as a distraction for them to prepare for combat" Warspite explained while recalling everything Sheffield told her.

"…How long until we reach Sakura Empire waters?" Enterprise asked or rather demanded in the tone of voice she was using.

"About 20 minutes. However, we will be seeing the Siren fleet coming into view soon."

Summoning her bow, Enterprise was already preparing herself for the impending fight to come. She promised herself and Unicorn that she would bring Sora back and that is exactly what she was going to do.

"A fleet that only reacted when Sora made himself known… Correct me if I'm wrong but that sounds an awful lot like-" Wales started saying.

"The Heartless" Enterprise finished.

"And just like Sora said, he wanted to help everyone he could" Hood stated, drawing the girl's attention.

"You're right. That boy certainly is noteworthy" Warspite said, recalling the spiky-haired boy.

"Which is why we need to get there as soon as possible. He needs our help" Enterprise said which was something all the girls agreed on.

With the mood switching to that of one being determination, Azur Lane was ready to save their new friend and bring him home.

---

Back with Sora

Having finally gotten closer to where the Heartless fleet last was, Sora now saw the dark cloud up close and couldn't really see anything behind the dark wall. He was about ready to walk into the wall and see what the situation was on the other side when all of a sudden somebody landed right behind him.

Spinning around to see who was behind him, Sora was startled to see a familiar face.

"Kaga! What are you doing here? Where's Akagi?"

Not answering the boy's question, Kaga suddenly summoned her riggings and pointed a stack of blue paper planes right at the Keyblade wielder.

"Huh?! What are you- "

"You've been nothing but a problem since you got here."

"A problem? You've got to be kidding me" Sora retorted.

"Enough! Akagi told me that they wanted you brought in and since I don't see Purifier here, then I'll be the one to stop you" Kaga exclaimed while having her eyes glow blue.

"That's not going to happen, Kaga. You and Akagi have no idea how dangerous working with the Sirens is."

"And you do!? You have no idea who they truly are or what they can accomplish. And yet here you are spewing nonsense!"

"Call it whatever you want. But I know for a fact that if the Sirens are working with the Heartless then that's all I need to know. The Heartless are not a foe you should be underestimating" Sora said, seriousness written all over his face.

"Tch. I care not about these Heartless. The Sirens have given my sister what she needs to make things the way they once were. That's all that matters now."

Realization slowly dawned on Sora as he heard what the white-haired fox said.

"Wait… did you just say the Sirens gave Akagi something to save Amagi?"

"…I'm done talking."

And with that, Kaga angrily raised her hand and threw several of her blue paper planes into the air which immediately turned into small planes that started flying higher and higher until a flash of light turned them into regular-sized planes.

Not letting her get the first move, Sora sprinted at her while keeping an eye on the incoming planes which were now firing rounds at him which caused the boy to dash side-to-side and block any incoming shots. Frowning at his situation, the Keyblade wielder rolled to the side and aimed his weapon at the planes, and started casting multiple Fire spells which managed to cause two planes to explode.

Getting desperate now, Kaga threw the rest of her paper planes into the air and commanded them to target the boy who was getting closer to the point that she had to start moving away from the boy while directing her planes to shoot the boy down.

Seeing his chance to attack the white kitsune girl, Sora while still running activated his Flowmotion and locked onto her, and shot right at her with his Keyblade ready to strike her when out of nowhere he was slammed into a blue plane. The collision sent him and the plane slamming across the water leaving Kaga to smirk at the sight.

However, what she didn't account for was that Sora quickly got up and activated his Flowmotion ability again which caused a blue glow to surround him and shot him straight at the girl heaving his Keyblade right into her side.

"Aaahh!"

The blue skirt-wearing girl was sent flying back and slammed right into the water managing to cause her body to go flopping across the water. The blue planes flying overhead suddenly began fading away in a blue light. Struggling to get up, Kaga lifted her head but suddenly saw black boots in her vision followed by a giant key being pointed right at her by a stern-looking boy.

"It's over, Kaga! Stand down."

"I… I can't…"

"Can't? Or won't?"

"Both! You don't understand! My sister… we are so close to saving her! Akagi just needs a little more time."

"More time to do what?" Sora asked, confused about what she meant.

"Time to- "

"Time to stop her from leaving us!"

Snapping their heads to the side, the two say the woman of the hour.

"Akagi! What are you doing here!? Where's Amagi?" Kaga questioned the brunette kitsune.

Pointing her gloved at something in the distance, Sora squinted his eyes and saw something that left him beyond puzzled.

"A sphere?"

Kaga, however, knew exactly what that was and showed a relieved smile on her lips to her sister.

"Is it almost done?"

"We're nearly there. She just needs a little more time. Which is why I made sure to give us enough space to work…"

Analyzing what Akagi just said, Sora took a moment to dissect every word until he had a frustrated look on his face. Even gripping his Keyblade tighter in his hand.

"You…"

"Kaga. Make sure that everyone is busy while I deal with him" Akagi commanded.

"Understood, dear sister. Make sure he doesn't get in our way again."

Taking off at a high speed, Kaga was now moving toward where the others were still engaged in fighting the Sirens which made Sora get ready to chase after her.

However, Akagi began twirling her right index finger and addressed the boy.

"I don't think so. I was told these ships had a certain… affinity to you."

"Who- "

"Purifier sends her regards. She's around here somewhere. Said you two had unfinished business to get to" Akagi commented, recalling the Siren's words.

"Figures."

"But… she did say that her higher-ups wanted to see something. Which is what I leave you to deal with."

"Ngh. Quit with the secrecy and just say what you mean!" Sora exclaimed, getting tired of all the cryptic statements.

"Heh. Very well. Have fun!"

Raising her right gloved hand above her head, Akagi created a flame and shot it into the dark cloud that was covering the area where the Heartless fleet was last spotted revealing something that made Sora lose his breath for a second.

Where the Heartless ships were last stationed now there was nothing. Nothing but numerous dark portals beginning to spew out Heartless in large groups. Sora began to look all around him and soon found himself surrounded by dark blobs beginning to take shape.

Akagi on her part merely looked at the boy with a crazed look before raising her hand into the air again and summoning a red plane to appear overhead which she grabbed on and began flying away. But not before Sora caught one last look into her eyes and saw the once-red eyes now glowing purple.

Throwing his attention back at all the Heartless around him, Sora threw his right arm back while twirling the Keyblade and keeping his other hand to his side. The once-dark blobs coming out of the dark portals were now taking on the form of a Heartless that Sora hadn't really seen since his time in Hollow Bastion.

Armored Knights.

Shifting his head around and noticing how many Heartless were now visible, Sora had a feeling that the number was reaching past 500. Quite possibly 1,000 Armored Knights were surrounding him now. A sense of déjà vu hit him as he remembered his fight in Hollow Bastion with the King, Donald, and Goofy chasing after Xemnas.

Smirking at the memory flashing before his eyes, Sora closed his eyes and calmed his nerves while evaluating the entire situation going on around him.

'Akagi and Kaga. Those two are working with the Heartless to try and save their sister, Amagi. The Sirens… Purifier and her leaders are trying to destroy Sakura Empire and using the sisters. And now the Heartless… Haha… today's been one crazy day. But… I'm not gonna let it end here. I'll find a way… I'll find a way to save everyone!'

With newfound conviction and determination swelling in his heart, Sora opened his eyes and confidently looked at all the Armored Knights surrounding him. Bringing his free hand to his heart, the world-saving boy knew what he need to do.

Bolting toward the army of Heartless, Sora knew one thing that let him know he would win and get back to the others. And that was that he was not alone or afraid anymore.

---

With Azur Lane

Standing and gazing at the sight in front of her, Enterprise was wide-eyed at all the fighting going on.

The sight in front of her was showcased with dark clouds swarming the sky and gunfire and explosions rocking her ears. So many Siren ships were fighting back against the Sakura Empire kansens who were doing their best to push back the enemy. Enterprise easily recognized a few girls from where she was standing.

The Auspicious Crane, Zuikaku, was seen sprinting toward a Siren cruiser and spinning around the ship's backside managed to slash at the ship while having planes firing at the top of the ship. It wasn't long until the ponytail-haired girl jumped into the air and began spinning before striking one more time down the side of the ship causing it to explode instantly.

Enterprise looked over at her allies and saw that they were also watching the fight play out. The next thing to happen was that everyone summoned their riggings and looked ready to fight. Suddenly, Queen Elizabeth appeared right next to Warspite with her riggings summoned as well.

"I say, this is turning out to be a lot worse than what Sheffield and Edinburgh described" Queen Elizabeth stated.

"However, nothing we can't handle" Warspite added, gripping her sword.

"If I may, what's the plan now? We walk up to the Sakura Empire and say that we are here to help?" Hood asked the group.

"Why not? We all share a common enemy whether we are Azur Lane or Red Axis" Wales commented.

"Besides, they might like the surprise" Belfast replied.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Enterprise questioned before jumping off the ship and dashing to where the fighting was happening.

The rest of the Royal Navy girls soon followed suit and started firing away at any Sirens in sight. Turning this fight around on its head.

---

Shrugging off a shot to the shoulder, Zuikaku let out a pained grunt as a Siren vessel managed to hit her while she was caught off guard. This led to her looking back at her sister who was working with Takao to take down a group of Sirens that was firing heavy roads at the two. The crane gritted her teeth and wanted to rush to aid her sister and friend, but before she could the sound of a projectile being fired could be heard and it sounded like it was getting close.

Turning her head to the side, Zuikaku saw what was coming toward her. Time seemed to slow down as the brunette saw a missile coming from a Siren ship making its way toward her. She knew there was no time to dodge the attack or try to counter it and could only watch as it gets closer. Hence, she threw herself back to try and get away from the incoming projectile.

However, out of nowhere the missile that was heading straight for her suddenly blew up causing the crane to cover her eyes from the bright explosion. Left confused, Zuikaku began looking around her to see what happened when her eyes caught sight of someone she did not expect to see anytime soon.

"Grey Ghost?! W-What are you doing here?"

Making her way to the fallen girl, Enterprise put her bow to the side and lent Zuikaku a hand to lift her up. Shocked at the gesture, the brunette crane decided to take the offer and was now back on her feet.

"We're here to help."

"We?"

Enterprise gestured her head to the side which Zuikaku followed and saw several Royal Navy girls fighting back against the Sirens. To say that she was surprised was an understatement. But before she could say anything, the crane knew better than to let this chance go to waste.

Looking back at Enterprise, Zuikaku took on an appreciative look while having a small smile start forming on her lips. She also reached out her hand to offer the Grey Ghost a handshake.

"Thank you, Enterprise."

"Don't mention it, Zuikaku. Besides, what's that saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend" Enterprise replied.

"Heh. That's one way to put it."

"Mm. Tell me, what's the situation here?"

"Well, most of the girls on the island are out here fighting against the Sirens who appeared out of nowhere. More appeared on the other side of the island which is where most of our forces are now. It also appears that Akagi and most likely Kaga have decided to side with the Sirens."

"Akagi and Kaga? Why?"

"She confronted us not that long ago about handing Sora over to the Sirens. For what reason I don't know. But she helped the Sirens attack and also did something to the Heartless" Zuikaku explained to her rival.

"The Heartless? Where are they?"

"Over…there…"

Zuikaku pointed to where the Heartless ships were last spotted which was also where Sora ran toward. But now the area had taken a darker atmosphere in that the water looked black now.

"What happened?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, there were ships over there but now… they're gone."

Growing concerned by what Zuikaku was saying, Enterprise suddenly grabbed her bow and shot an arrow forward which spawned a plane covered in light. Running up to the plane, she jumped onto it and began flying to the area where Sora was at.

Not wanting to be left behind, Zuikaku followed suit and summoned a plane of her own and hopped onto it, and flew right behind the white-haired and cap-wearing girl.

The rest of the Royal Navy girls shot a glance at where Enterprise and Zuikaku were heading and decided to meet up with the Sakura Empire girls. Time to let bygones be bygones.

---

Destroying a Siren vessel and leaving nothing behind, Mikasa checked her riggings and could see that she was running low on oil to keep her weapons functioning and turned to call out Kongou and Noshiro to cover her. However, when she shifted her head to the side, she saw someone that left her puzzled.

"Queen Elizabeth?"

"Ah, Mikasa. Tis good to see you."

"Likewise. But what are you doing here?"

"Originally, we came to bring back our dear friend. But along the way, we were alerted to the sudden attack and figured why not lend you a hand."

"But…"

"And before you say anything about us being on opposite sides, I would like to concur that isn't our responsibility to get rid of any and all Sirens? For the betterment of our homes?" Queen Elizabeth commented which left the older girl stunned.

But a second later, Mikasa could not help the grin that she had on her face. A new feeling of confidence appeared to flow through her body.

"You are definitely right, Your Majesty. And might I say, the Sakura Empire wishes to speak with you about quite a trivial decision we've made. If you're willing to listen?"

"Why of course! But at the moment we have quite the predicament to deal with, don't we?"

"Yes, yes we do" Mikasa replied while preparing to jump back into the battle. The sensation of hope could be felt in her heart. Royal Navy and Sakura Empire arm-in-arm fighting back against the Heartless.

---

In the air with Zuikaku and Enterprise

Dodging any incoming explosions being shot at the two, Enterprise and Zuikaku continued to get closer to where Sora was last seen heading when the two of them were now shocked at what they were seeing.

"No way… you've got to be kidding me…"

"This… This is the Heartless…"

The sight below them was something that nobody could have guessed in their wildest dreams.

Sora was seen surrounded by an entire army that was at least more than 500 hundred. The dark monsters around the boy were covered in knight-like armor with a sharp pointy tip on their head and sharp-looking feet. In addition, the monsters were carrying a mid-sized sword in one hand. But the most distinctive feature about the knights was the strange-looking emblem on their chest which looked like a heart with a red x on it.

But the girl's focus went back to the one they were looking for and that was Sora who looked to be fighting with everything he had against the army.

Slamming his weapon into one Heartless and managing to throw it back into another before swiping his blade across and killing the monsters instantly. But not before slashing at another Heartless and stabbing it with his weapon before jumping into the air and beginning to strike at any other monster close enough to him.

Sora then pushed himself forward and landed on several other Heartless before raising his key-shaped weapon into the air and yelling something. Right then, lightning strikes began hitting Heartless everywhere which gave him enough time to leap into the air and twist his body so that it looked like he was spinning in the air while attacking at the same time. The boy managed to kill a group of Heartless that way and once he finished his last slash, he rolled to the ground and spun around using his back foot to swing his weapon in a wide area.

The wide-sweeping attack managed to give him some room which also made him look up at hearing the planes getting closer. The boy's face switched from confusion then to happiness and then back to shock all within a matter of a second.

"Zuikaku! Enterprise! What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to help!" Enterprise said back to the boy.

Before he could respond, Sora saw an Armored Knight lunge at him with a sword which forced him to block the attack and shove the weapon back allowing him to slice the knight's head clean off letting it disappear instantly.

Drawing his attention back to the two girls flying in the sky, Sora was glad to see that they were coming to help but remembered how grave the situation was becoming.

"Wait! Zuikaku! Enterprise! Get back to the others!"

"Huh?! Why? We came to help you and that's what we're going to do!" Zuikaku yelled back.

"It's Akagi! She's planning something with Amagi!" Sora shouted.

"Where is she?" Enterprise asked, taking aim with her bow and firing at an Armored Knight killing it with a clean shot.

"Over there!" Sora said while pointing out in the distance.

Following the direction he pointed, Zuikaku and Enterprise were surprised to see even more Siren ships appear but they looked to be forming a wall of some kind. That is until Enterprise caught a quick glimpse of what appeared to be a giant sphere in the water with what looked to be several brown tails. Akagi.

Turning to look at Zuikaku who was confused about the whole thing, Enterprise nodded which immediately let the crane know that Sora was right.

"Please! Stop her from doing anything too crazy! I'll finish dealing with these guys and join you soon!" Sora replied while at the same time slamming the guard of his Keyblade into an Armored Knight and then slashing across its chest killing it.

Not wanting to back off from the fight happening in front of her, Zuikaku summoned several more planes to fight the Heartless before looking over at Enterprise who did the same thing while sharing an understanding nod with her. The two would go to stop Akagi while leaving Sora to fight the army of monsters.

Without anything else needing to be said, the Grey Ghost and Auspicious Crane began flying to where Akagi was located to stop her from doing something drastic.

---

This left the Keyblade wielder to gaze around him and see that compared to before the quantity of Heartless left was far less than before.

Confidence was now swelling with Sora to the point that he felt that enough energy had been stored up and he was now ready to finish the army off. Grasping at his chest or more specifically his heart, the boy felt energy ready to be released and immediately a blast of light surrounded him which even hit some Heartless.

Now, Sora was in his Second Form and dashed at the closest knight while striking at its chest and heaving his Keyblade up through its body which killed it. He then shot forward at another Heartless this time slamming his weapon down which caused several balls of light to explode and surround him hitting a large quantity of Heartless.

This led to a fierce montage of the Guardian of Light slashing against every Armored Knight he could get close to. Dodging and blocking swords left and right and counterattacking every chance he got.

Firing off spell after spell and causing flashes of Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, and Ice to hit groups of Heartless leaving nothing behind. Along with explosions of light to cover the battlefield and throw Armored Knights across the water.

Even Flowmotion was being used to let Sora bounce against multiple knights letting him kick them in the face before jumping high into the air and come slamming his Keyblade down in the middle of a group causing an explosion to kill any nearby Heartless. Without wasting any time at all, the boy would also use Flowmotion to find a lone knight and shot straight at him while twisting his body and slashing in a circle around the monster managing to hit other knights before he rolled to the ground and stabbed the lone knight in the head killing it swiftly.

Rolling across the water, Sora then spun in a circle with a spiral slash causing multiple knights to go flying back before firing off a Thunder spell which caused the knights to disappear. However, the boy was forced back when several knights got the upper hand and managed to hit him causing Sora to grunt out in pain but quickly get in a Payback Strike by heaving a horizontal slash across the knights' chests.

Moving his body through the air, the spiky-haired boy began barraging another group of knights with stabs across their bodies at the arms and legs before striking at the Heartless and slamming his Keyblade with force into the ground causing a giant beam of light to appear better known as a Flash Step.

Twisting his body to the side, Sora narrowly dodged a sword that was being thrust toward his shoulder and quickly slammed his weapon under the knight. This gave him the chance to perform a Radial Blast by once again slamming the Keyblade back down toward the water which caused a small area around him to burst into light while also killing the knight.

Seeing that he had a second to breathe, Sora looked around himself and could see that not that many Armored Knights were now in the area.

However, in what seemed like time stopped moving, Sora quickly felt dazed and began shaking his head and looking around the area nonstop before realizing that there were no more Heartless around him. Confused, the boy began to freak out and checked began rubbing his eyes and pinching himself to see if he was really seeing things correctly.

Deciding to try and calm himself, Sora took a deep breath and closed his eyes before opening them and still seeing no more Heartless around the vicinity. He then glanced at his hands which were shaking while holding onto the Keyblade. Taking another deep breath, the boy realized that a chunk of time seemed to pass while he was fighting and that adrenaline was rushing through his body.

At that moment, all he wanted to do was fall back into the water and relax due to the sudden wave of exhaustion flowing through his body. But the sound of gunfire and explosions happening in the distance is what forced him to keep on standing. His friends were in trouble and… there was no way he would abandon them now.

Pulling his tired body to where he told Zuikaku and Enterprise to go, Sora had to stop Akagi from being taken away by the Darkness.

---

Running across the water and past the debris of many destroyed Siren ships, Sora could see two individuals that looked to be in a stand-off. Those two being Kaga and Zuikaku.

"Zuikaku! What's going on?"

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, Zuikaku saw Sora and felt better about the situation now.

"Sora, Akagi is over there with Enterprise, but Purifier showed up leading to the three fighting."

As if by coincidence, explosions could be heard not that far away from the three. Sora turned and saw Enterprise dashing across the water while firing shot after shot at Purifier who looked like she did when he first met her almost like their fight didn't happen. And Akagi was seen crouched on the water right next to a weird-looking sphere that was glowing.

Unsure of what was going on, Sora then looked over at Zuikaku who had her blade pointed right at Kaga who was acting strange.

"What are you doing, Zuikaku? What happened?"

"Enterprise and I got here after you told us to check on the situation which is when we found Akagi about ready to open the sphere. But before she could, Purifier showed up and started antagonizing her about Amagi which led to the two fighting. Soon after Enterprise joined the fight. And Kaga over here wanted to help her sister but I fought her back to try and knock some sense into her!" Zuikaku explained.

"Ngh…" Kaga could only groan at the situation in front of her.

"Kaga… please stop. This isn't going to solve anything!"

"Shut your mouth! What do you know? Akagi and I are so close to saving our sister… so close… and yet you and everyone else is getting in the way" Kaga explained to the boy.

"But siding with the Sirens will get you nowhere! They are working with the Heartless and that alone is bad news. The Heartless could destroy this world if given the chance!" Sora exclaimed, gaining the two girl's attention.

"Sora… what are you- " Zuikaku started saying.

"I know because I've seen it. I've lived through it." Sora began closing his hands into a fist while recalling the travesties he's gone through in his life. "The Heartless and Sirens need to be stopped. Just because they gave Akagi power to save Amagi doesn't mean you'll be really saving her."

"What…" Kaga muttered.

"The Darkness in Akagi's heart will begin to take over… leaving her heart open and for the taking. Which will cause her to succumb to Darkness and turn her into a Heartless."

'Followed by a Nobody' Sora thought to himself but didn't want to make things complicated.

"No… You're wrong!"

"I'm not! Kaga! You know it yourself. Akagi has been acting differently for quite some time now, hasn't she?" Sora questioned the white kitsune girl while knowing within his heart that Kaga knew as well.

The sound of explosions could be heard as Kaga had nothing to say. Nothing to retort to Sora's claim. Everything he said was to some degree true.

Akagi was not the same. She had grown more… distant. Even though she stood right next to her, Kaga knew that her sister was putting up a façade.

Left with nothing but the truth, the white-haired girl could do nothing but start tearing up. Causing her vision to become blurry. Zuikaku seeing her senpai letting her feelings show decided to lower her blade and give Kaga some space.

Sora began walking closer to the white-haired girl until he was right in front of her and giving her a sympathetic look.

Rubbing her eyes to get rid of the tears that were beginning to flow down her face, Kaga looked at the Keyblade wielder right into his blue eyes and spoke what her heart was telling her to say.

"…Please. Help me… Save my sisters!"

Bringing his hand over his heart and offering Kaga a calm yet confident smile, Sora nodded his head at the girl's plea.

"Don't worry. I'll bring them back. Both of them."

Hope could be seen appearing on Kaga's face from the boy's conviction.

Turning to look at the fight happening between Enterprise and Purifier, Sora knew that his chance to strike was now.

"Kaga. Zuikaku. Help Enterprise deal with Purifier. I'll stop Akagi from falling any deeper into Darkness" Sora affirmed.

"How? How will you stop her?" Kaga asked, wary of what the boy would do.

Walking a few steps away from the two, Sora then turned around and gave Kaga a thumbs up.

"By listening to my heart…I've got this!"

Not hearing what either of the girls had to say or if they said anything, Sora began sprinting toward Akagi and the strange sphere she was next to while Zuikaku and Kaga merely looked at each other before running to support Enterprise with her fight.

---

'Maybe I should've stopped to think about this?' Sora thought to himself while continuing to run to Akagi's location.

'Getting through to Akagi might be a lot easier than saving Amagi. But… how could I help her? I mean, she has her heart, but it's damaged from what everyone has told me. So… would I be able to heal it? Wouldn't that be using the Power of Waking?'

Snapping out of his thoughts and seeing that he was close enough to Akagi, Sora put his thoughts to the side and decided that things would be ok. Hopefully.

"Akagi!"

Moving her head to the side, Akagi looked over and saw Sora calling out to her. From when he saw her earlier, the brown-haired kitsune girl looked tired. Beaten down. Wincing at the weakened girl, the Keyblade wielder was a few feet away from her when she suddenly threw out several red paper planes.

Sora easily countered the planes by slicing through them without letting them become a nuisance. He then watched as Akagi pushed herself to stand up almost losing her balance but thanks to her tails pulling her back she was now on two feet.

"Akagi. Please, you have to stop."

"Stop… I can't… I'm too close…"

"Your body can't handle any more strain. The Darkness is crawling deeper into your heart."

"Tch… What do you know…"

"I know a lot more than you do when it comes to dealing with the Darkness. It sounds appealing having all that power. But it takes time. You can't expect to know everything about it in such a short amount of time. The power will overwhelm you and soon… it'll creep into your heart" Sora explained to the girl who seemed to be listening.

"…It doesn't matter."

"Aka- "

"I don't care what's going to happen to me. As long as Amagi is safe… As long as she gets to see tomorrow and the day after and so on. It'll be fine."

"But… you won't be there" Sora stated.

"That's fin – "

"No, it's not! I promised Kaga that I would save you and Amagi and that's exactly what I'm going to do" Sora affirmed to Akagi.

"What gives you the right… to save both of us. We're not even close… I don't know anything about you."

"Then let's change that! We might have not started on the right foot, but I still consider you and Kaga my friends. And friends help friends."

Now, Akagi could be seen using her right hand to grip her left arm. She must've been hit there. And now she looked like she was truly considering something because her hair covered her eyes. It wasn't until she shifted her head to stare right at Sora did he realize what her next move would be. And it was thanks to her eyes glowing purple again.

"Akagi. Don't."

Without saying anything else, Akagi suddenly summoned a flame into her hand before waving her hand at him which suddenly caused several fireballs to come flying at him.

Sora hesitantly swung his Keyblade through each fireball destroying them without much hassle before he dashed right at Akagi. The kitsune couldn't do much except throw out as many paper planes to attack him but they were completely demolished due to the boy raising his weapon and casting a vortex of wind that threw the planes into the water.

What happened next left Akagi both shocked and at the same time… relieved.

The Keyblade wielder had now found himself in front of the girl with his weapon pointed right at her chest more specifically her heart. The tip of his Keyblade was glowing as a beam of light shot right into her heart.

The girl's eyes widened and tried looking down at what the boy just did to her. However, something didn't feel right as the world around her was starting to become dimmer and darker. Her vision was starting to leave her as the last thing she saw was Sora reaching out to her and feeling one of his hands on her back while the other went to comfort her head from falling.

"Sorry, Akagi. But I promise that Amagi will be ok."

"Am…Amagi…"

That was the last sound Akagi made before letting sleep take hold of her. Sora felt guilt starting to appear in his consciousness. But letting the girl rest, would give him the chance to save Amagi.

Besides, all he did was follow his heart and give her heart the light needed to clear her mind. The Darkness within her wouldn't be completely gone but… that would be a later problem. Right now, he had to worry about Amagi.

Resting the brown-haired kitsune's body atop the water, Sora now directed his attention to the sphere where Amagi was. But before going ahead to open it he took a quick glance and tried finding Enterprise. To his relief, he saw her along with Zuikaku and Kaga firing planes against the gleeful Siren who was dodging all their attacks. Providing him with enough time to act.

Placing his hand on the sphere, it started to light up with a red color that spiraled all over until the sound of locks could be heard moving. Suddenly, the top of the sphere started to slowly break apart and dissolve until there was only a platform left. And laying down on a pedestal in the middle of the platform was a brown-haired girl with fox ears and tails. Someone that Sora had not seen in his time within the Sakura Empire.

Amagi.

Next to her on the pedestal was what looked to be a Wisdom Cube only that it had a different color and vibe to it. Almost like… it was spewing malicious intent.

Picking up the dark cube, Sora examined it closely and could feel traces of Darkness coming from it which resulted in him putting the cube down on the platform and focusing back on Amagi. Looking down at her, Sora would've figured that she was just sleeping. Sort of like how he was back after falling to the depths of sleep back during his Mark of Mastery.

But now he had no idea what to do next. How would he be able to help her?

Letting out a sigh, the boy looked down at the sleeping girl and then up at the sky. Dark clouds were still blocking the once calm and clear blue sky. Sora had no idea what would happen once he helped Amagi or if he even could help her. But…

Taking one last look at his friends who were fighting against the Sirens or dealing with Purifier, he made his decision. A rash decision but one he would not regret.

"I promised I would help you and Akagi, Amagi. But if anything happens… I don't even know if you can hear me but… just tell everyone that I will never forget them and they are now a part of my heart."

And with that, Sora summoned his Keyblade and pointed it right at the sleeping brunette kitsune's heart which caused a small beam of light to spew out of the Kingdom Key and hit her chest. Instantly, a blast of light covered the area enveloping the two and leading Sora to close his eyes taking one last look at the sky…

---

Unknown Area

Upon opening his eyes, Sora was amazed at what he was looking at in front of him.

The sight was that of a large Sakura tree with pink petals falling gently to the ground while the area around the tree was nothing but water as far as the eye could see. It sort of reminded him of the Final World and yet… it wasn't.

Beginning to walk closer to the tree, Sora soon spotted a figure leaning against the tree holding what appeared to be an umbrella. Getting closer, he soon realized who it was by the tree.

"Amagi?"

Pulled out of her trance-like state, the older girl simply looked over at Sora and had a startled look on her face.

"Huh? Who are you?"

"My name is Sora. I… I'm a friend of Akagi and Kaga."

"Oh. I didn't know that. It's nice those two are making more friends."

"Mm. Do you know where we are?" Sora asked, taking another look at the Sakura tree.

"We are…"

Amagi stopped herself from saying anything else and began to have a puzzled look on her face. Sora was worried for a second but it looked like she had something to say.

"We're somewhere special."

"This place? Or… this tree?" Sora questioned while looking up at the beautiful pink tree.

"Hmm, This tree is where Akagi and Kaga, and I would enjoy picnics or come here to get away from the world" Amagi explained.

"It's a very beautiful place. Cozy and peaceful."

"It is… I have many happy memories here."

Sora looked at the girl and couldn't help but feel sad. The wonderful smile that she had displayed on her face. He didn't want to take that away from her. But he had to save her. Break her from her peace.

"Amagi. Do you know what's going on right now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I… I don't know how to explain this but we're inside your heart."

"What?"

"Right now, you're asleep. And… Akagi was trying to help you. Fix your damaged Wisdom Cube so that you would get better."

"But… that's… how long have I been asleep?" Amagi asked, her words becoming shaky.

"I don't know. But all I know is that your sisters love you, and… they wanted to help you on their own without anybody else."

"Akagi… Kaga…"

"But it's ok now. Because I'm here to help."

"How? My Wisdom Cube… it's badly damaged. I fear that… I don't have much time left."

Suddenly, Sora summoned his Keyblade and held it right in front of him to showcase the weapon to Amagi who looked startled by the weapon.

"I have the ability to help connect people's hearts together. I'm not exactly sure what I should be doing. I don't even know if I'll be able to heal your heart. But…" Raising his Keyblade so that it was raised to the sky, Sora felt his heart soar with hope.

"I know that by following my heart, I can help you get back to your sisters. You don't have to worry about leaving them any time soon."

Tears could be seen now flowing down Amagi's face as she had her mouth open and tried to form words, but nothing was said. She closed her eyes and tried calming herself down before looking at Sora with a bright smile on her face.

"Sora… thank you."

With newfound conviction, Sora knew that whatever happened next… he would not fail her.

"Amagi, it's time."

Nodding at the boy's words, the brunette kitsune closed her eyes and lowered her arms. Waiting for whatever was to come next.

Gently pointing his Keyblade at her, Sora did the only thing that he could do now.

Follow his heart.

Right then, a small beam of light was shot right at the kitsune girl leading her to gasp at the sudden impact. The light that hit her chest suddenly began glowing brighter and brighter until it covered not only her chest but her entire body lighting up the area.

The Sakura tree that was once behind Amagi was now beginning to fade away while the light continued to grow until… what happened next caused Sora to have a sad smile.

A small ball of light could be seen floating above Amagi until it began manipulating itself to form what appeared to be a small cube. A Wisdom Cube.

The sight brought back memories of when he helped Roxas. It also made him realize that things... wouldn't be the same and that this might be his last time in this world. He still had no idea how the Power of Waking worked or how much of his power he could use rightfully, but if he was going to be punished then...

The last thing Sora saw before being enveloped in light was the sight of the Wisdom Cube floating higher and higher into the sky and disappearing into another flash of light. Making him smile one last time…

---

Shifting his body to the side, Sora could feel something under him. Something… soft? Forcing himself to open his eyes, the brunette boy had to cover his eyes as the first thing he saw was a bright light.

Refocusing his eyesight, the boy soon found that what he felt was actually a pillow. This realization made him begin to start taking in his surroundings and found that he was in what looked like a hospital bed.

Confused about what was happening and what happened, the boy began to get up and lift his feet off the bed he was currently in when all of a sudden a door could be heard opening followed by a loud gasp and multiple people running over to him.

"Sora!"

"Sora!"

"You're awake!"

"S-Sora!"

Shaken by the sudden barrage of voices, Sora turned to look at who was coming to him and he now had even more questions than before.

"Huh? Enterprise? Zuikaku? Wales? Hood? Mikasa? What's going on? How did- "

"It's all right now, you're safe. Calm down" Enterprise said to the boy.

"But what happened?"

"After you met up with Akagi, Kaga and I managed to beat back Purifier. Thanks to Enterprise" Zuikaku replied which made the white-haired girl look distant for a second before she responded.

"No, it wasn't just me. You and Kaga helped me greatly, Zuikaku" Enterprise stated.

"How did Purifier come back? I thought Prinz Eugen and I dealt with her?" Sora asked, remembering the war-torn Siren girl.

"It's likely she returned to her base of operations and got an upgraded body" Hood added to the conversation which made Sora turn to look at her.

"Hood! It's great to see you again. Oh! Right, sorry. And you too, Enterprise and Wales" Sora said, realizing that he hadn't greeted the girls yet.

"Likewise, Sora. I'm glad to see you too" Wales said, happy about the boy greeting her.

"Same to you, Sora" Enterprise replied.

"But wait, what about Purifier and Akagi? And what about Amagi?!"

"Once Purifier had taken enough damage, she mentioned something about the higher-up Siren leaders having enough sufficient data and said she would see everyone later" Enterprise informed Sora which made him grunt in annoyance.

"Akagi along with Kaga are now speaking with Lady Nagato about their actions. I'm not sure what is exactly happening in there, but I can assure you those two are getting heavily lectured and reprimanded" Mikasa explained.

"And… what about Amagi?" Sora asked.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Zuikaku commented to the boy which left him confused.

However, the door to the room soon opened, and in stepped an older girl with brown hair, tails, and ears while adorning a bright smile on her face.

"Hello, Sora. It's nice to see you… in person that is. Haha."

"Amagi! You're awake. Are you feeling ok?" Sora asked, sitting up straight.

"I'm *cough* *cough*" Amagi tried saying but started coughing.

"Huh? What's wrong!?" Sora exclaimed, worried about the girl.

"It's…It's all good, Sora. I'm in perfect health… ok. That was a lie. But I'm doing far better than I was before. And it's all thanks to you."

"But that cough…"

"I believe it's something more complex than what we are aware of now. But that's all it is. My Wisdom Cube is healed and repaired. And it's all thanks to you" Amagi stated, expressing gratitude by bowing her head.

"Thank you, Sora. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."

"Heh. Don't worry about it, Amagi. Besides, we're friends, aren't we? Friends help friends." Sora said, flashing the girl a friendly smile.

Taken back by what the boy said, Amagi couldn't help but begin laughing. Laughing with absolute joy.

This peaceful moment could have lasted a bit longer, but Mikasa drew Sora's attention.

"Sora, after we managed to defeat the incoming Siren fleet, we made our way over to where Zuikaku said you were and found you floating atop the water asleep. All while Amagi was beginning to wake up. What exactly did you do to help her?"

"Uh…"

Unsure of how he should answer her question, Sora was about to say something, but Wales decided to help him out.

"It was your power wasn't it, Sora?"

Confusion began to appear on the Sakura Empire girls' faces as they weren't sure what the blonde Royal Navy girl meant.

"His power? What does that mean?" Zuikaku questioned Wales.

"He… actually, should we wait for everyone to hear this? It might be… a bit easier to hear from him" Wales clarified.

Both Enterprise and Hood nodded at Wales' suggestion and decided to support her idea.

"Mikasa. Zuikaku. Amagi. I believe we should wait till we have Lady Nagato in our company. Sora's tale is… quite a lot to take in, to be honest," Hood stated while flashing Sora a warm smile to which is returned a smile of his own.

"*sigh* I guess that's all right. Besides, Lady Nagato should be done talking with Akagi and Kaga now" Zuikaku replied, feeling a bit left out of Sora's secret power.

"*nod* I agree. Lady Nagato will want to hear this along with thanking him for all he has done in his short time here" Mikasa said.

"Well then, shall we get going to the council room? Amagi spoke up, gaining everyone's attention.

"Sora, are you able to stand up?" Amagi added, making note of the boy still in bed.

"Yeah. I'm good. I was just tired. Today's been… quite busy. Haha."

Beginning to move the blanket over him, Sora found his feet touching the cold floor and soon put his boots back on before following behind the group of girls and heading to wherever Nagato and the others were.

But not before he took a glance at one of the posters on the wall that showcased what this world's landscape looked like. He would have liked to study the map more but his eyes did catch something that made him double-turn. There was also a star on the spot that he was looking at.

And he could feel his breathing starting to pick up.

However, before he could stare any longer, Wales had gently patted him on the shoulder waking him from his daze.

"Sora? Are you ok?"

"Huh! Oh! Yeah. I'm good. Sorry was just looking at the map."

"I see… well, once things calm down. I could show you a map of the world. Give you a bit of insight on everything" Wales said, tilting her head and smiling at the boy.

"I'd like that! Thanks, Wales."

"Not at all, Sora."

Zuikaku couldn't help but eye the blonde Royal Navy woman closely while also feeling a twinge in her heart. Not sure what it was, she merely shook her head and continued to follow the rest of the girls to the council room.

---

Sakura Empire Council Room

Making their way into a large room with many chairs scattered throughout the place, Sora immediately spotted Lady Nagato and a few other girls that looked familiar while others he had not met yet. And sitting nearby was another face he recognized.

"Ah! Your Majesty. What are you doing here?"

"Sora! I mean… Hm. Sora, it's good to see you again" Queen Elizabeth corrected herself from almost breaking character.

"Likewise, Your Majesty. Thank you for coming."

"Not at all. Besides, while there is much to discuss why don't we let Lady Nagato take over at least for now."

Nodding at the blonde-haired girl's suggestion, Nagato waved at everyone to find a seat to sit which they all did except for Sora. It was at this time that he caught sight of two familiar kitsune girls and another white-haired girl who had a red streak in her hair and had their eyes glued to him.

Akagi, Kaga, and Prinz Eugen.

However, there was something different about the two fox girls. For starters, Kaga looked at him with a strange expression. It was something akin to gratefulness while also being timid. And Akagi… well, she was looking right at him. Not blinking at all. She was looking at him with an even stranger expression.

Prinz Eugen merely winked at the boy before licking her lips which left Sora too stunned to react.

But before Sora could analyze the three any longer, Nagato began to speak up gaining everyone's eyes and ears.

"Thank you all for coming. Things have been not easy for us. And today could not have proved that anymore. But… I would first like to thank Azur Lane for supporting us when they did. While the Sakura Empire would have been able to deal with the Sirens… we do not know what the cost might have been."

Nobody said anything as every girl in attendance knew that the fight had caught them off guard. The amount of destruction could have been even more drastic let alone the possibility of casualties. However, that was not the case.

"Which leads me to finally announce that…. After much consideration, the Sakura Empire will no longer be a part of the Red Axis and instead like to ask that we be reconsidered to join back into Azur Lane."

At this point, Queen Elizabeth and Enterprise stood up from their seats.

"I, Queen Elizabeth, have already discussed with Lady Nagato all of the necessary agreements and reconciliations that the Sakura Empire will need to go through to make amends for their decision to side against Azur Lane."

"However, it is with great interest and approval that we accept the Sakura Empire back into Azur Lane" Queen Elizabeth affirmed for everyone to hear.

"I am Enterprise acting as a representative for the Eagle Union. I also approve of the Sakura Empire's request to join Azur Lane" Enterprise stated.

"And while actions speak louder than words, I would still like to thank you two for accepting our proposal. We have much more to talk about but…" Taking a look at the spiky-haired boy who looked surprised at all the attention he was suddenly getting. Nagato began speaking once more.

"For now I would like to address the man who not only helped defend our island during its time of need but the hero who saved our dearest Amagi."

Feeling the spotlight land on him, Sora looked around the room and saw many ship girls all greeting him with warm smiles and appreciative looks compared to when he first got to the Sakura Empire.

"Sora. You have undoubtedly helped the Sakura Empire in ways that… we never thought possible. And for that, I would like to reward you."

"That won't be necessary, Lady Nagato."

"Nonsense. No matter what it takes I would like to reward you for your hard work in helping not only save my friends but my home. Whatever it is you wish for I will do my utmost to make sure it comes to fruition."

Too stunned to speak, Sora began looking at Nagato and then Queen Elizabeth who both shared the same appreciative expression. That did not help his situation.

"Whatever you ask for I will approve. Money. Weapons. Land. Secrets. Anything" Nagato continued to say.

"Or anyone" Prinz Eugen stated for everyone to hear while smiling dangerously at the Keyblade wielder.

Taking a second to calm himself down from blushing and the overall situation he found himself in, Sora began thinking of things he might want.

However, before thinking too long his mind did begin to wander. The sudden realization of what he wanted most began to form in his mind.

To go home.

But before he was about to open his mouth to respond…

A lone tear slipped down his face.

All the girls in attendance had worry flow through their hearts and widened their eyes at the sight of the boy crying. Hood and Wales brought a hand up to their mouths. Belfast and Enterprise's faces softened. Zuikaku and Shoukaku had puzzled expressions while feeling sad suddenly. Prinz Eugen stopped her flirtatious actions and looked worriedly at the boy. Queen Elizabeth and Warspite both were beyond surprised and felt melancholy as well. Mikasa and Nagato felt a twinge of sadness at seeing the once lively boy crying. And Akagi, Kaga, and Amagi felt uneasy and sad at the same time.

Hence, at that moment every girl in attendance felt dismayed at seeing the boy who had done so much for them in such a state. It was a feeling that hurt each of them no matter what their relationship was with the boy.

In a hurry to wipe away the tear, Sora lightly slapped himself with both his hands to snap him out of the sad state he was in.

"Ahaha… Sorry about that."

"Sora… are you ok?" Nagato asked, unsure of what was happening.

"Y-Yeah! I'm good. Just got to thinking about something. But I promise everything is all right" Sora reasoned, hoping he didn't cause any more trouble.

Every girl that had a relationship with him realized that there was more than what he was saying but now would not be the time to ask him about it. Instead, the boy tried to move the conversation forward while thinking about something to ask for as a reward.

While scrounging up an idea of what to ask for, Sora suddenly remembered the map that he saw on his way to the council room. How there was something there that drew his attention away from everyone and made him remember a certain duo.

Realizing that's what he wanted to ask for as a reward, he cleared his throat getting everyone's attention on him now.

"Lady Nagato, I know what I would like to ask for as a reward now."

"I'm glad you've decided. Now, please, tell us what it is that you would like."

Bringing his right hand over his heart, Sora then asked the question that now eating away at him.

"What can you tell me about Shibuya?"

Notes:

*A/N – Hey there, long chapter huh? If you could believe it, I originally had the chapter run even longer but decided to push a few things into the next chapter. There's a lot of stuff to cover but I can't wait for what's to come. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will stick around for more to come. And once again sorry for the wait. Take care and stay safe out there wherever you are.

*P.S. - Azur Lane came out with a valentine's day short with Essex and Enty and holy crap. It's good. Too good. Essex stole my heart lol.

Chapter 14: Insight to Conversations

Summary:

In the aftermath of the attack on the Sakura Empire, Sora was offered to ask for anything he wanted. However, he decided to ask whether or not the city that he thought would hold his friends was the exact one but... how could he know? And what if it was true or not? These are questions lingering on his head along with understanding more about what happened during the battle. Along with a better picture of this world and what's to come to the boy in his journey.

Notes:

*Disclaimer - I do not own the copyright to characters or series of Azur Lane nor Kingdom Hearts. All rights belong to their respective owners.

*A/N - Hey there, how's it going? Hope you're doing all right or well. The last chapter ended with a few things not discussed or mentioned which for the record will be addressed here in this one. Along with the bomb drop in the last chapter. That will most definitely be answered and explained. So, without further ado, I would like to once again say thank you for showing interest in this story and the craziness of this crossover idea. Sora's still got a whole lot of things to do and girls to meet. He's in for a rough time but knowing how he is, then he is bound to make friends with everyone. And with that, until next time. Take care and enjoy.

"What can you tell me about Shibuya?"

Those words coming from the Keyblade wielder had left everyone in attendance confused. This was what the boy wanted to know about?

Immediately after processing what he had said, all the girls started looking at one another while starting to ask each other if there was any sort of significance in what he asked. Those that had grown closer to the boy in such a short amount of time were nonetheless puzzled. In the time that they had spent with him, Sora did not mention anything about… well, anything superficial.

Rather… the few that were close to him knew that he was from another world but to hear that he was interested in a certain city was quite intriguing.

"Sora, why the sudden interest in Shibuya?" Mikasa asked the boy.

Looking down at his hands, the spiky-haired boy couldn't help but smile to himself. Flashbacks to his time in Traverse Town during his Mark of Mastery and the encounters he had with his new friends. Neku, Shiki, Beat, Rhyme, and Joshua.

Along with the last thing that he and Neku said to each other before his friends returned to their home world.

"See you in Shibuya."

Thinking of those words again and what he saw on that map while making his way to the council room, Sora felt a flicker of hope and excitement flood his heart. The chance that some of his friends might actually be here… He felt like cheering and happily singing along!

However, he soon stopped and started thinking about everything on a grander scale.

'If Neku and the others are here in this world, then does that mean they've had to deal with the Sirens along with whatever game it was that they got caught up in? And…'

Lifting his hand in front of him, another thought suddenly appeared in the Keyblade wielder's head. The memory of waking up in that city… followed by encountering Yozora on top of that strange cylindrical building and…

Now that he was thinking about it, the building where he dueled against Yozora was the same building that he saw in his dream or whatever he was experiencing at the time. There had to be some sort of importance to that building, right? So many questions started to fill the boy's mind which was making him on the verge of overloading his brain.

Forcing himself to calm down, Sora let out a sigh before looking back at Nagato and Mikasa who had graciously given the boy a second to gather his thoughts while the rest of the girls either watched him curiously or were silently talking with one another about the question regarding Shibuya.

"I… A few of my friends that I encountered on one of my journey's happened to mention that Shibuya was their hometown. And on the way here, I happened to notice a map that had the location marked with a star. Which is how I arrived at that question" Sora stated clearly to the brunette woman who smiled warmly at him.

"Well, Shibuya is doing fine if that's what you are asking" Nagato finally responded to the boy.

"Moreover, I hear that the city is beautiful around this time of year," Mikasa added.

"I see… Wait, Mikasa, you said that like you've never been there before?" Sora questioned the girl.

"That's because none of us have ever stepped foot on the mainland," Nagato answered.

"Huh? How come?"

"Many reasons. But the most obvious one is that we've been engaged in nonstop combat with the Sirens. Not leaving us much time to go out and have a vacation of sorts. Not that we need one, of course. We may have differences with each other but the one thing that we can all agree on is preventing the Sirens from hurting anyone else" Nagato affirmed to the Keyblade wielder.

All the girls in attendance nodded their heads in agreement with what the subjective leader of the Sakura Empire stated. It didn't matter if they didn't like one another. When it came to the safety of this world and its people, then they would do whatever it takes to beat back the darkness.

Hearing this though, Sora couldn't help but feel sad for the girls. Unable to have the chance to take a break and relax or experience new sights… but at the same time, he also understood the feeling. Recalling how rushed for time he was to regain all the power that he lost to be prepared for the Keyblade War.

He couldn't help but frown.

"But… aren't you all curious about what's out there?" the spiky-haired boy asked.

"Out there?" one of the girls in attendance muttered loud enough for Sora to hear.

"Yeah! Aren't you curious about what amazing sights there are? Maybe you've seen pictures or heard about them. Wouldn't you want to go there and see them for yourself?"

Taking the boy's words into thought, many of the girls did have their own thoughts about what he was saying. For instance, Enterprise wanted to visit all the historical sights that the Eagle Union had like the great lakes or Grand Canyon. Getting to go camping and take pictures or even purchase little knick-knacks from each location was something she really wanted to do. Especially with her sisters by her side. The sight of Yorktown and Hornet posing next to each other while standing there waiting to have their picture taken warmed the girl's heart.

Across the room, another girl was now imagining what it would be like to travel and that was Hood. Fantasizing about visiting many different places and getting to indulge herself in all the tasty foods that Paris had to offer while sitting atop the Eiffel Tower and just taking the view in. Followed by visiting all the museums and renowned sights the city had to offer before moving to another location and doing it all again. Not to mention, purchasing varieties of poems along the way and taking to heart to remember them word for word.

Another girl lost in thought now was Zuikaku who could imagine herself attending the high-prestige kendo tournaments being held throughout Japan and learning what techniques and methods that could be used to improve her fighting style. Along with stuffing her face with all the amazing foods that she would go searching for in her journey leaving her with a suitcase full of sweats and clothes that would have probably caught her eye. Not to mention, she would drag Shoukaku with her to visit all the onsens that they could find and spend countless hours in.

Consequently, one girl, in particular, was having many fond thoughts at the possibility of getting to travel and step away from all the fighting and that was Prinz Eugen. Her mind drifted back home and started imagining the idea of just traveling across the land without having to worry about whether or not a Siren would show up and cause mayhem. But the idea of visiting bars with all of her close friends who she practically considered family and doing nothing but singing along to songs that didn't make any sense while having a bright smile on her face.

Which coincidentally brought these four girls and, of course, the others whose imaginations started to take form into another idea. One that superficially included a certain spiky-haired boy that was smiling at them and causing their hearts to flutter.

Almost as if on demand, most of the girls snapped out of their senses and shook their heads while all looking at Sora who had a confused look on his face. He must've figured that everyone was daydreaming about what he was talking about and went back to addressing Nagato.

"While that is a lovely thought… That is one that I believe everyone is willing to put on hold. At least until we have rid the Sirens from our homes and this world entirely" Nagato stated, pulling everyone to an agreement and nodding their heads.

Seeing this, Sora couldn't help but decide to push the conversation back to what he wanted to know more about.

"So… seeing that you have never been to Shibuya, then…. Is there a way that I could see what it looks like?"

"You'd like to see what it looks like?" Noshiro commented from the side which drew Sora's attention.

"Yeah… I'm really curious about what the city looks like. And if I'm right…" Sora replied while leaving that last part to himself.

"I see, then if you'll give me a moment."

Standing up from her seat and letting her ears twitch, Nagato soon started typing away at something that was in front of her before a screen appeared right in front of the Sakura Empire leader. The screen was fairly big to the point that everyone in attendance was able to see what was being displayed. Sora was even more intrigued by what he was seeing.

A city with tall buildings and so many people walking along the streets looking almost like ants from where he stood. The boy wanted to know more about this place.

"Lady Nagato, is there a… How do I say this… Is there a certain building that is circular?"

"Circular?" Mikasa repeated.

"I mean, it's like a circle but it goes up. It's not that tall but it stands out. And it has numbers on the side" Sora explained, well at the very least he hoped he did.

Taking a second to process what Sora was trying to describe, one Sakura Empire girl immediately knew what he was talking about. That girl happened to be a certain brunette girl with horns and a special taste in cosmetics and clothing.

"Oh! I know exactly what building you're talking about."

Spinning himself around, the pointy-haired boy looked to the audience who all pointed at one girl in particular.

"Hi! I don't think I've actually met you yet?"

"That's all right. My name is Kirishima. And I know what building you're trying to describe" the girl now known as Kirishima responded.

"What is it? Or does it even have a name?"

"The building is mainly directed toward women's clothing and accessories. Fashion of varying different styles. Since I've never been there any chance I can get to see what's new or being promoted in the store I tend to try and make myself or get one of the other girls to make" Kirishima elaborated to practically everyone in attendance.

Some girls even started writing down notes.

"As for its name…"

The boy leaned forward as he kept his ears ready.

"It's called Shibuya 109."

…

…

…

Silence consumed the council room.

Sora had to blink several times while also making sure that he heard her right and had to take a step back. He felt his heart drop.

The defeated look on his face said everything that needed to be said.

Many of the girls once again looked concerned for the boy as he did not take the news kindly. It didn't sit right with them to see the young man now identified to many as a hero to look so… sad.

Wanting to make sure or at the very least see with his own eyes, Sora turned to look at Nagato who was watching him closely. The same could be said with Queen Elizabeth and Enterprise. Amagi had also begun to wonder why the boy looked strange.

"Lady Nagato, would you- could you please pull up a photo of the building Kirishima is talking about? Please?"

Sympathizing for the boy, Nagato did as asked and pulled up a picture of the building in question. Soon the screen shifted to another scenery, and it turned out to be one that left the Guardian of Light even more confused.

The buildings surrounding the picture being shown were downright similar to what he saw both in the strange dream sequence he experienced and his encounter with Yozora. But at the same time, it wasn't. And the building that he was looking at with his own eyes… it was the exact same. Only… it wasn't the same!

The key difference between what he saw and what he was seeing now was the numbers used to describe the building. During the dream and fight with Yozora the building had a distinctive 104 on its side. And now the building he was looking at now had a 109.

"Could the building change the numbers on its side?" Sora asked aloud but primarily directed to Kirishima.

"No. It hasn't changed. It's always been 109."

Hearing this caused the boy to feel weak in his knees in his entire body and even felt himself start to stagger while he was standing. This caused everyone in attendance to jump to their feet and get ready to spring into action. However, the boy caught himself and was now standing up straight. As dramatic as he was acting it was certainly valid. None of what he was seeing was making any sense.

'Always been 109… Then… what did I see? I know for sure what I saw. The building had 104 on its side. But… if that building is not here, then is it in another world? Another Shibuya? Like in the dream worlds where Riku and I went through two versions of a world? Wait, is that possible? No. Focus. I've never encountered a city with the name Shibuya… I… Maybe I'm just freaking out. How do I even know the 104 Shibuya building is where Neku is? Maybe he and the others are here? Or maybe I'm wrong? That doesn't answer why the building is so similar… what's going on? I… I don't understand. None of this makes any sense at all…"

Sora was left with a bundle of thoughts infiltrating his head and leaving him confused beyond belief. There were so many questions that he had and no real sense of an answer for any of them. And the only one who could understand what any of the nonsense that he was thinking about… was him. Nobody else could help him.

Noticing that the boy looked to be utterly lost, Amagi had a feeling and let her heart speak.

"Sora?"

Hearing his name called out, he turned to look at the brunette kitsune that called out to him.

"Huh? Amagi? What's up?"

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. I've just… got a lot on my mind."

"If something is bothering you, then don't be afraid to ask for help. It's the least any of us could do after all that you've done to help us" Amagi stated to the boy while offering a friendly smile.

Processing what the older kitsune sister said, Sora couldn't help but realize that he may have been jumping the gun thinking that no one else would be able to understand him. Sure, not everyone would be able to know everything about him but that didn't matter. As long as he was able to express his feelings and open his heart out to others who were willing to listen, then he'd be alright.

"Amagi, thanks."

Feeling the mood start to move back to normal, Mikasa was the first to bring the boy's attention back to the topic at hand.

"Sora, was there… anything else you wished to know about Shibuya? You mentioned your friends living there."

Giving what Mikasa said some thought, Sora knew what to say even if he didn't agree with himself.

"…I think I'm ok now."

"What?"

"But didn't you- weren't you excited to see your friends again? Mikasa asked, completely baffled by the boy's change in decision.

Looking at the open window inside the council room, Sora truly wanted to see if his friends were there. To get the chance to see them… to see someone familiar. But at the same time, he wasn't sure if he should.

Sure, it would be great to see Neku and the others again but what if by going to see them he manages to bring them into the conflict regarding the Sirens and now the Heartless. And not to mention, what if they aren't here? What if there's another world out there that could have an exact city named Shibuya? That was something that Sora was putting some deep thought into. But again, how could he know? What if he was wrong?

Then that's another mistake that he would have to take responsibility for.

Coming back to his senses, Sora knew he had to clear up some things.

"I was. I still am excited at the idea that my friends could be there. But… I think I'll wait to see them." Grasping at his hands in front of him, the Keyblade wielder continued. "I don't want to drag them into the conflict with the Heartless and Sirens. In fact, now this just makes me want to work harder into stopping them. To make sure that the next time I see my friends it will be on good terms, and I won't have to worry about them getting hurt. It's the least I could do…" the spiky-haired boy explained to everyone in attendance.

Many of the girls were saddened to hear what the boy said, but at the same time, most of them now had a better view of him. To see that he would valiantly give up the chance to see his friends in order to make sure that they would be safe and away from all the fighting.

"Sora…" Amagi whispered, feeling a twinge of sadness in her heart at the boy's expense.

"Well then, seeing that you now have your answer. Is there anything else you would like?" Nagato asked.

"Huh? But all I asked was for more about Shibuya?"

"Yes. However, seeing that you've done so much for us, I still would like to gift you with something."

Wanting to decline the generous offer once again, Sora was about to but stopped himself when he started thinking about something else that bothered him. Something that he remembered encountering. The black cube.

"Actually, there is something I would like."

"Of course! Please, do tell us. What is it you'd like?"

Making sure to have his request heard, Sora spoke loud and clear for everyone to hear.

"What was the black cube that Akagi had? And what happened to it?" the brown-spiky-haired boy questioned.

Akagi who had been sitting quietly with her head down next to Kaga and Amagi suddenly had her ears twitch and look up at Sora. Red and blue eyes met each other.

"The black cube as Akagi reported to me was a device that was given to her by the Sirens. We confiscated the dark cube and have some of our technicians looking over it right now as we speak. Moreover, the cube was supposed to amplify her abilities and give her the power to save Amagi. You should ask her for any more details, Sora" Nagato elaborated.

Nodding his head, the boy began to walk across the council room and found himself standing in front of the brown-haired kitsune girl. Said girl was now feeling a bit awkward at having the spotlight shined right on her.

"Akagi. What exactly is the dark cube?"

Nodding at the answer, she began to elaborate.

"The dark cube is a sort of conduit. Or another way of explaining it would be the usage of a drug that strengthens one's power. I had struck a… deal with the Sirens. In exchange, they gave me the cube along with the false promise of protecting Kaga and saving Amagi."

Clutching her gloved hand, Akagi frowned to herself while casting a glance over at Amagi who was watching her carefully with a softened look.

"But… that wasn't the case. When I first touched the dark cube, it was too much. All the power within it was flowing right through me. I could feel myself getting stronger. Like I was on top of the world and could do anything. However, that didn't last long. Once I started thinking about what I wanted most the cube started to feel different almost like it was weighing me down and pulling me into a trance-like state of being. Not knowing what was happening to me, I let go of the cube and was left with my mind being thrown all over the place. I… there are moments that I have no real recollection of what transpired" Akagi continued in her explanation.

"What do you mean you have no recollection? Like you forgot?" Sora asked, paying close attention to everything the girl was saying.

"More like I lost a sense of what was going on around me. But at the same time… it was still all me. I still acted against the Sakura Empire and collaborated with the Sirens on a level that is undoubtedly treason. I put not only my family in danger but also my friends… my home. I take full responsibility for my actions…"

"As you should, Akagi. And while there is a bit of blame that lies with you… it also lies with me" Nagato stated while jumping in on the conversation.

"Lady Nagato?"

This was repeated by many of the girls in the room.

"I knew that Amagi was hurt and suffering for so long. I tried to help find a way to heal her but in truth… I should have done more. Including not aligning myself and the Sakura Empire with the Sirens. The enemy working to defeat humanity and take over this world. Things should have been different. I should have been a better leader…" the young girl said while reflecting upon herself.

"You're not the only one of the same mind."

Looking at who said that the girls and Sora were met with Prinz Eugen who had stood up and had a down-written expression on her face. Gone was the flirty and flashy girl and now stood someone who looked to have regret on her face.

"There were many of us within the Iron Blood who over time began to realize just what kind of predicament we had found ourselves involved in. Working with the Sirens to gain power and study how to manipulate their own technology against them… it wasn't until recently that plans were set to be in motion to start distancing from the Sirens and find a way to strike back at them."

Z23 who was also sitting in the council room let her head move down slightly. She had been one of the girls who was aware of the complex movements within the Iron Blood.

"Prinz Eugen, while I'm not one to barge into others' methods or plans of operations. Is it all right for you to indulge us in this kind of information? Won't your superiors become upset with you for telling us this?" Hood asked the white-haired girl.

Offering a small smile, the Iron Blood kansen elaborated on her situation to the blonde.

"Normally, yes. However, I've been given full authority to tell you this. Bismarck also sends her regards, Hood. She would also like to… talk with you if that would be all right?" Prinz Eugen stated to the Royal Navy girl.

"Bismarck? Wait, does that mean- "

"Yes. We've received word that a fleet of Iron Blood girls will be arriving here soon. Along with representatives from the Sardegna Empire and Vichya Dominion are on their way as we speak" Nagato spoke up.

"Oh? How intriguing! It appears we'll soon be joined by others as well" Queen Elizabeth said while also standing up.

"I take it others from Azur Lane are in contact with you?" Mikasa asked the Queen.

"Correct. Before we helped engage in combat, I asked Warspite to send an alert to the Iris Libre about what exactly was transpiring here. They said they would be on high alert and ready to join in if needed."

"Hmm. It'll be great to see Richelieu again" Shinano said from her side of the room.

"It'll also be interesting to see her, and Jean Bart interact. They haven't been in contact since the split, have they?" Kashino added.

"No, they have not. It will also be something else to see Littorio and Vittorio" Illustrious pondered for everyone to hear.

Those who were familiar with the green-haired woman knew what was coming. Except for Sora whose mind was focused elsewhere. Primarily toward the story being told by the brown-haired kitsune who had a stricken look to be considering many things.

"I see, well then, back to the topic at hand. Akagi, is there anything else you could share with us?" Illustrious asked the kitsune woman.

"There… there was something else that happened while I was under the dark cube's influence."

Everyone was now paying attention to what the girl had to say.

"While I was power hungry, I could start to feel that something was off. It happened several times and when it did I… it's hard to explain but it honestly felt like I was acting against myself" Akagi tried explaining.

Confused looks were spread across the room. Except for a certain someone. And he was starting to realize what the girl was describing.

"Akagi, did you feel… angry?"

"Huh? Angry? I mean, of course, I was. I believed that I had the power to save my dear sister but- "

"Did you also feel lost? Sad even?" Sora asked, having abruptly stopped what she was saying.

"…Yes."

Now that she thought about it, her emotions were everywhere. She recalled one moment when she felt anger flowing through her and at everyone due to her thinking that they were holding her back from saving Amagi. And another time she remembered feeling a wave of confusion and sadness overwhelm her. It didn't make any sense now that she thought about it.

"Then, I know what happened to you," Sora said earning everyone's attention.

"Sora? What do you mean?" Wales asked, becoming even more invested in what was happening.

Looking down at his hands and then over at Akagi who had a mixed expression on her face. She was also very curious to know what exactly had happened to her. Taking another second to gather his thoughts and come up with explanations for the things he was about to say, Sora was ready.

"Akagi, you basically had darkness try to corrupt you."

Processing what she just heard, Akagi wanted to question the boy about what he said but knew that she was already in hot water and decided to stay quiet on the matter. Plus, it calmed her down to feel her tails be entangled by Kaga's tails since she was sitting next to her staying quiet as well. Followed by feeling a hand placed on her shoulder. Without even needing to look back, she knew that it was Amagi who she could feel making her feel better.

"From what I'm understanding without seeing the dark cube, there was some kind of power within it that was not only giving you power, but it was also corrupting you with darkness. Making you lose yourself and leave your heart open" Sora stated loud enough for everyone to hear.

"What do you mean the heart?" Zuikaku said, drawing the boy's attention.

"The heart is not like what you're thinking. It's more like the light inside of you that makes you who you are" Sora said to the audience.

This just made everyone look at him strangely before causing him to sigh. It was always difficult to explain just what the heart was and in truth, he still wasn't sure about everything. He'd only gotten a better idea of it after gathering all of the Ansem reports throughout his journey and learning from the mad scientist about the heart and how complex it really is to understand.

"So…" Hearing someone start to talk, Sora whipped his head around to find none other than Takao who was trying to understand what he was getting at.

"The heart that you are referring to is something within us, and it does not correlate with the actual heart?"

"Right. Another way to think about it is by considering the light within you that pushes you forward" Sora elaborated.

It would be another moment of quietness as all the girls were doing their best to wrap their heads around the idea and concept of what the spiky-haired boy was describing. And they thought understanding how a Wisdom Cube worked was complicated.

"Then, is Akagi okay now?" Shoukaku asked, drawing her attention to the brown-haired girl.

"Akagi? How do you feel now?" Sora questioned her.

Bringing a hand close to her heart, Akagi had a mixed expression on her face.

"I don't feel all that different. But…"

"Hm?"

"It's almost like I could feel that my powers are… different. If that makes any sense?"

The Sakura Empire girls were all looking at her with cautious expressions. It was still a fact that she had gone behind everyone's backs and made an extremely dangerous deal with the Sirens. One that could have hurt them greatly was it not for Sora and Azur Lane's help.

"I think I might know exactly what you're talking about."

A few of the girls' heads tilted to the side and leaned forward in their seats to what Sora had to say.

"Now, this is just a bit of a guess, but I think the dark cube not only made you stronger, but it also gave you the influence of darkness" Sora explained.

"Darkness… so, I'm corrupted. Bound to turn into an enemy" Akagi weakly said which caused Kaga and Amagi to look worried.

"Akagi…"

"No."

Everyone looked at Sora now.

"The opposite actually. One of my best friends was also influenced by the darkness. He even tried to kill me at one point."

Eyes went wide and several girls like Atago couldn't help but be startled by how nonchalantly Sora said that.

"But over time, he realized his mistake and felt really bad about what he had done. He knew that it would be difficult to fix what he had done and even more challenging to overcome the darkness. However, he wasn't alone in his journey and knew that everyone was cheering him on to be better. That helped him to start making a difference and take responsibility for the dark power that lay in his heart now. And he did it. He beat the darkness."

Sora couldn't help but have a bright smile on his face while recalling the journey that Riku went through to seek redemption for his mistakes. Along with where he now stood today in that he was a Keyblade Master. Making everyone including him proud of the silver-haired boy's actions.

"But how? Wasn't he scared that he would fail and be lost to this darkness?" Akagi asked, unconsciously grabbing her arm.

"Yes. He was. But there was one thing pushing him to conquer the darkness in his heart and that was his friends. Everyone believed in him. It took some time along with a lot of challenges along the way but now he has mastered that darkness and uses it to fight with the light. An equal balance to protect what he cares for."

Akagi was unable to say anything now and could only nod her head. The same could be said for everyone else listening to the boy's words.

"It seems Project Oroshi is more dangerous than we initially thought" Mikasa stated, bringing the original topic to 1hand.

"And you guys said that you had taken the dark cube into lockdown or put it somewhere to be analyzed?" Sora asked.

"Yes. Until we make sure that there's no radiation or anything dangerous coming off the cube, then we'll keep it locked away."

"I see, then I don't have anything else to say at the moment."

"All right then, now, we can discuss- "

"W-Wait! Lady Nagato" Akagi called out to the young leader.

Moving her gaze over to the kitsune girl, Nagato knew that Akagi was already in the hot seat and repercussions were to be announced. She had also made a mistake. One that she would need to fix by herself.

"Yes, Akagi. What would you like to discuss?"

Standing up from where she was sitting, the brown-haired girl was now looking into Sora's blue eyes while doing something that no one expected. She bowed in front of the boy.

"Sora. Please. I know that we have not seen eye-to-eye or that I haven't exactly come off as the friendliest… I know for a fact that I have a lot to make up for. And that I will accept any responsibility for my actions. But… Please, I ask you to help me with this power. I just got back my sister… and now my life is changing due to my decisions. I don't know what- "

"Of course, I'll help!" Sora exclaimed.

"But I'll do whatever it takes to… Wait. What? What did you say?"

"I said I'll help."

Akagi was stunned. That quick of a response.

"But aren't you afraid that I might lash out and betray you?" Akagi asked, knowing that right now she considered herself broken and carrying many mistakes on her back.

"No, I don't think you would do something like that. You already have set your heart to know what you want. And that is to be with your sisters again. But to do that you're going to have to overcome many challenges along the way" Sora replied while folding his hands behind his head and wearing a casual smile on his face.

Seeing the boy's smile made something start to appear deep within Akagi's heart. Almost as if… her heart rate started to increase, and her breathing was beginning to hasten. She felt… warm. Having the boy keep his eyes on her and no one else was a feeling she did not want to ever let go of. It also didn't help that she could feel her eyes start to get wet which caused her to blink away the water.

"Besides, everyone needs a little help once in a while. Some things are too much to handle on your own. And while mastering this newfound power of yours is going to be something that you have to do on your own. It's okay to ask for help. No matter what happens, I'll always be there to help my friends!" Sora proclaimed for everyone to hear.

"Friends… Do you consider me a friend? Even though- "

"Yep! We might have started off on the wrong foot, but that doesn't matter. Sometimes, the best friendships start rocky but soon turn into something amazing."

Akagi couldn't help but just close her eyes and ponder what she was hearing. It was also noticeable to the others that she had a smile on her face.

Noticing that Akagi was now taking a different approach to everything that was happening to her, Nagato seemed content and even more thankful to the Keyblade wielder.

"It seems that we've reached a better understanding of everything that's transpired here today. Sora."

"Yes, Lady Nagato?"

Offering the boy, a smile while reaching for something that looked to be a tablet. She figured that he could use some rest.

"We have been able to discuss much here and there is still much to get through. But for now, I ask that you go ahead and take a load off."

"I'm not sure I follow?"

"Sora, basically she means that we're going to be discussing more about how our factions will work together now that the Red Axis is breaking apart by having the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood disbanding from the Sirens. And frankly, it's going to be a long talk. So, why don't you go get some fresh air? It'll be a bit before anything interesting happens" Enterprise stated to the boy while earning a few chuckles at her explanation.

"Are you sure? I mean- "

"We are sure, Sora. You've helped us in so many ways. Besides, the other factions won't be here for a bit so we will have to wait a bit" Mikasa explained.

Wanting to say that he didn't mind waiting, Sora knew that he wasn't going to understand everything that was going to be talked about. Hence, he decided to take the offer and happily nodded to the girls before excusing himself from the council room. But he missed seeing the brown-haired kitsune girl stand up from her seat and watch the boy's every move until he was now out of the building. Her eyes were still glued to where he was last and had something begin to appear in her irises. It looked quite similar to hearts in her eyes.

"He certainly has a way with words, doesn't he~?" Prinz Eugen said, leaning back in her seat and biting her lip.

"Tell me about it…" Wales added while looking at the door that Sora went through.

Coughing into her fist while also having her own thoughts about the spiky-haired boy, Queen Elizabeth wanted to bring the conversation back to important matters. Not that Sora wasn't an important matter mind you.

"Now then, we have much to discuss but for now I ask that we put anything involving Sora on hold. At least until the other factions have joined us. They have much to catch up on" Queen Elizabeth announced to which everyone agreed.

The discussion regarding the future of Azur Lane would now begin.

---

Standing outside the council room, Sora was bombarded with many thoughts running through his head. However, one thought that loudly made itself apparent was the sound of his stomach crying out in pain.

"Ahaha… Yeah, it's been a minute since I last ate. I wonder what they might have here?"

Making his way down the road leading away from the council building, Sora made sure to memorize the place before continuing inward to the island where most of the shops were located. He had noticed many stalls when he first arrived on the island. The boy was hungry and figured he could try out some of the stalls.

Spending a few minutes walking along the streets and waving at ship girls who either shyly waved at him or greeted him, he realized how drastic a change had taken place compared to when he first appeared. Everyone was either wary or scared of him but now the girls were still a bit shy and curious about him, but they now knew who he was.

After spending a few more minutes walking around the place, the spiky-haired boy now found himself standing in the area where all the stalls were, and boy was it packed. Many of the girls were hanging around the area almost as if a big fight hadn't happened at all. Save for a few stalls that looked to be under construction probably from an attack hitting the place.

Scanning the various stalls and seeing what food was being offered, Sora decided that it was becoming harder and harder to pick just one stall to visit. So, not knowing what to do, the boy decided to do the one thing that he excelled at. Following his heart… or better yet his stomach.

Sniffing the delicious foods all around him, he found that his body was moving on its own and taking him to wherever his body wanted it to go. Rather than try to fight the sensation, he just let things proceed onward.

Suddenly, he felt his feet stop while also smelling something amazing. Opening his eyes, Sora was met with a strange yet delicious sight in front of him.

There sitting on trays and all donning various-looking sauces and spices were strange-looking ball-shaped foods. The boy couldn't help his curiosity and got up close to the food before someone called out to him.

"Oh! It's you!"

Turning to look at who called him, Sora was now face-to-face with another girl that he did not recognize as in truth he had only truly met a handful of the girls on the Sakura Empire side.

For further insight, this girl had a white skirt-like dress that stopped right above the middle of her thigh followed by white boots that went all the way up to the bottom of her knee. A white decorated jacket was also draped over her shoulders and tied with a red ribbon around her neck. She also had long black hair that reached to the middle of her back with what appeared to be two horns on the side of her head. There was also a flower on her left horn and a small bow on her right giving her an elegant look.

Letting one hand scratch the back of his head, Sora put on a friendly smile while getting to work on making this girl a new friend of his.

"Um… I'm sorry. I don't think we've officially met. Or if we did it was only briefly."

"No, no. Don't worry about that. We haven't met yet. I just heard about you from all my friends and then saw you from a distance while the Siren invasion was going on" the girl with horns replied.

"Ah. Right, well, why don't we do this in the correct order? My name is Sora."

"I'm Hiei. Battlecruiser of the Sakura Empire. It's so nice to finally meet you, Sora."

With introductions out of the way, the Keyblade wielder got straight down into business.

"So, Hiei, what are you selling here? The food smells delicious!"

"Haha! You must have a great nose to smell the Takoyaki from a distance then."

"Takoyaki? What's that?" the brown-spiky-haired boy asked while tilting his head and giving the food another look.

Wide-eyed at what she was hearing, Hiei's thought process shifted from surprised to excited as she would now get to give a cooking lesson.

"Well, Sora, have I got an explanation for you! Takoyaki is a staple Japanese dish that is also commonly referred to as octopus balls."

"Heh. That's a neat name."

"Mm-hm. The dish is basically small golden balls of batter filled with octopus tentacles, pickled ginger, spring onion, and fried tempura bits. Of course, this is just one way of cooking Takoyaki as everyone has their own style" Hiei reiterated to the otherworldly boy.

"Of course."

"And this Takoyaki is topped with mayonnaise, custom sauce, nori, and bonito flakes to finish it off."

"Wow… the way you described it is making it all the more appetizing!"

Giggling at Sora's comment, Hiei lifted her hand and gestured to the closest tray of food.

"Why don't you try one then?"

Sora bit his lip as an important thought came to mind. Did they accept Munny in this world? This was the first time he pondered the idea. He would have to ask for one of the girls' help with this but for now, he would not cause any trouble to Hiei.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't exactly have any err… money on me."

"Oh, don't you worry about that. Consider this on the house!"

"But I couldn't. You worked so hard on these" Sora tried retorting but was countered.

"Nonsense, Sora. I'm quite enjoying your company and it's fun to talk about food to someone who has never tried this dish in particular before" Hiei cheerfully said.

Feeling like he was now stuck in a good situation, Sora caved in and grabbed a piece of the Takoyaki tray, and took a bite of the foreign food. His taste buds were met with an exciting and new flavorful dish. The last time he tasted food this amazing was back in Twilight Town while cooking with little chef.

"Whoa! This is amazing!"

"I'm glad to hear that! I was worried for a second there" Hiei weakly stated.

Making sure to not talk with his mouth full, Sora finished the piece of food before responding to the girl's comment.

"Why would you think that? The food was great!"

"Oh, you know how it is with self-criticism."

"I totally get where you're coming from. When I started cooking, I was worried that anybody who tried my food would end up with stomach problems or worse" Sora said while recalling the first few times he cooked and ended up throwing food out of his hands or almost causing a fire in the kitchen. Or another time he was worried that he gave stomach problems to Donald and Goofy.

Flashbacks to him getting ready to summon his Keyblade to cast Water on one of the pans being engulfed in flames even with nothing in it. But thanks to little chef for guiding him around the kitchen, he was much more experienced and knew what safety precautions to follow.

Now giggling at Sora's tale, Hiei also wanted to share a story of similar circumstances.

"One time while I was trying to get a fish dinner ready for me and my friends, I ended up using brown sugar instead of a brown spice that I had planned to originally use on the food. You can probably guess how that went" Hiei explained, having a shaken look on her face at remembering the incident.

"Hehe. That must have been an unforgettable moment."

"It really was. I almost stopped cooking after that incident as ridiculous as that sounds."

"That would have been devastating" Sora quietly commented to Hiei.

"Mm. But thanks to my friends, I was able to learn from my mistakes and started picking up on cooking and learning to be better."

Nodding his head, Sora suddenly remembered something that he was told when he got into cooking.

"Yep. It reminds me of a quote that one of my friends told me as he was the one who helped teach me to cook."

"What was the quote?" Hiei asked, growing interested.

Remembering the time that he was in the kitchen and feeling down about his cooking not coming out well. Little chef pulled out a whiteboard and marker and wrote down the quote that's been with him ever since.

"Anyone can cook."

Hiei was startled by the quote. Something so simple yet… inspiring all at the same time.

"Huh… that's definitely a quote."

"I know, right? I didn't pay it much mind at first but as time passed and I continued to cook more that quote sat home with me."

Before Hiei could say anything else, she peered behind Sora to see a line of girls waiting patiently behind the boy. Seeing the dark-haired girl's surprised expression, the boy turned around and flinched when he saw everyone behind him. So many girls that he hadn't met yet were all quietly watching him or offering him a friendly smile.

"Uh… Hi? Am I taking up the line?" Sora awkwardly asked.

"No, no. We don't mind. You two looked to be having a lovely conversation" one girl with turquoise hair and cat ears replied.

"Aaah! How embarrassing! Why didn't you say anything sooner, Aoba?" Hiei questioned the girl now identified as Aoba.

"None of us wanted to interrupt you two" Aoba responded while gesturing to all the other girls behind her who simply nodded their heads.

"Haha, sorry for holding the line. I'll be going now." Sora stated and then looked over at Hiei. "It was really great to meet and talk with you Hiei. I hope we'll get the chance to talk more later."

"Same here! I had a whole lot of fun talking with you. Time seemed to just pass by."

"Too fast if you ask me. Well, I'll be going now. Thank you for the food!"

"You're welcome! Come back anytime."

Sora also turned to face the girls waiting in line and apologized once again.

"Sorry for holding the line. I hope you guys enjoy the food. It's really amazing! Hiei is an amazing chef!" Sora exclaimed for everyone to hear.

This caused the girl in question to feel her cheeks warm up at the loud and supportive praise.

"Anyway, see you, Hiei!" Sora said while beginning to walk away and offering a wave to the girl.

"Hm. Bye Sora. Hope we can talk again soon!"

Seeing the boy's form get further away from the stall, Aoba was now next in line and couldn't help the giant smirk on her face as she greeted her friend with a large smirk on her face and asked Hiei a random question.

"So, when are you two going on a date now?"

"Aoba!" Hiei shouted.

---

Walking along the road with his hands behind his head, Sora wondered when the other factions would arrive and get the discussions moving forward since they probably had a whole lot to talk about. This also led him to think about everything that's transpired while being in this world.

Appearing out in the middle of the ocean followed by his first encounter with the ship girls and learning more about this world and how it is currently facing an enemy that has caused the different factions to split apart. Followed by being a formidable enemy with abilities and weapons that he had no clue about, such as being able to harness darkness and imbue someone with that power. But the one thing he was aware of was that the Sirens were in some way working with the Heartless.

That part alone was enough for the boy to consider the situation quite dire. Plus, who knows how long the Heartless had been in this world. Just thinking about what the Sirens would want with the Heartless left a bad taste in Sora's mouth. He'd have to get to the bottom of this. And… he would need some help to do that.

He already knew that many if not all the girls would jump at the chance to help him. But he would still ask the next time the topic came up which would probably be when the other factions arrived. But until then, the Keyblade wielder continued to walk along the road while also shifting his thoughts to something that he hadn't been able to do so as of late. His friends.

Slowing down and standing next to a small pond with various fish swimming around the body of water, Sora began to imagine his friends.

His imagination started kicking in which got him to think that Riku and Kairi were standing next to the water while the two of them were pointing to the different colored fish. Actually, it was Kairi who was leaning over and pointing at the fish while Riku was standing on the side with his arms crossed in front of him laughing at the redhead's excitement and curiosity. The sight of those two made the boy smile even if he knew they weren't really there.

Next, the boy turned to look over to the side and noticed what appeared to be a somewhat medium-sized statue of a fox on a pedestal. However, his imagination went to work and he imagined more of his best friends. This time it was Donald and Goofy. The two were striking poses right next to the statue almost like they were getting ready to take a picture. The sight of the two of them laughing and looking like they were having fun forced the boy to look down at his feet.

Even if they weren't really here that didn't matter. They were still with him. In his heart.

Deciding to look off to the side, Sora spotted a fairly large cherry blossom tree and figured he could sit down and relax for a bit. The weather was nice with clear skies and a small breeze that made everything just right.

Planting himself next to the tree, he began to realize how comfortable the spot was and could start to feel his mind wander. The calm atmosphere began to work its wonder which let him slowly close his eyes until in the next instance, he was now passed out. His last thoughts were that he was extremely comfortable.

---

Feeling that the tree proved to be very comfortable, Sora began to turn his head to the side and felt that his face was melting into the tree, and… it felt soft? Did trees ever feel that way?

Pulling himself out of his state of sleep, the spiky-haired boy started opening his eyes and had to squint at the bright light infecting his sight. However, once he was now attuned to the sun, he turned his head around and saw something that was definitely not a tree. It was a leg. Someone else's leg.

Throwing his head up, Sora was met with something completely unexpected.

"S-Shinano!?"

Snapping out of her slumber, the silver-haired girl with fox ears looked down at the boy and had a friendly smile on her face.

"Greetings… Sora. I hope you had a good nap."

"Wh-What are you doing here? I thought you were still at the meeting? And why am I… on your lap?" Sora asked, moving his head to look down and realize just where he was now, and it certainly was not on the tree.

He realized that he had his head on Shinano's lap right now along with one of her hands resting on his chest. That would explain why he felt something soft. And all the more reason to jump up.

"Aaah! I'm sor- "

"Sora."

Gulping while still having his head on the girl's lap, Sora worriedly answered.

"Yes…?"

"It's all right… I'm the one who moved you from sleeping on the tree" Shinano calmly said.

"Oh… Um. Why?"

Looking down at the boy, Shinano brought her hand up to the boy's face and laid it gently on his head.

"Because… it's the least I could do. You've done so much. Especially for me…"

"Could you explain a bit more?"

A smile now appeared on her face while one of her ears perked up right.

"Not only did you help us fight back the Sirens and the Heartless who have never appeared here before. Along with managing to help the Sakura Empire see the true enemy and how we were so close to ending up in a situation that… would have resulted in us losing. But… you were able to save my friends… my family… my home."

Waving his free hand that was out in the open, Sora responded to the girl's words.

"I didn't do much. It was all thanks to you guys. Everyone managed to stick together to make a real change. Fighting back the Sirens and coming together to talk about what's to come next. That was all you."

"And yet… you still stepped in to help even after everyone treated you harshly."

"I wouldn't say that. I've had rougher encounters with new people. Plus, this was one of the first times most of the girls had ever seen a boy. It must have been a… scary experience. Haha!" Sora replied while recalling all the shocked reactions to him both in Azur Lane and the Sakura Empire.

"Hm-hm. You're right about that… However, no matter what you say about not contributing much to saving us. I along with everyone else owes you so much."

Letting out a humming sound, Sora wanted to tell her that she didn't owe him anything, but something did pop into his mind. You could call it selfishness, but one idea did seem really intriguing.

"…Actually, there is something I would like. Is that all right with you?" Sora asked the silver-haired girl.

Nodding her head, Shinano would greatly approve of anything he would ask for.

"Of course, whatever it is that you would like I will do my best to help you achieve it. Even if… I need to offer myself. If you'll have me?" Shinano said, showing a hint of emotion in the last thing she said.

"Great! Then, do you know where I could find a kitchen?"

"I'll do my best to give you… wait. What did you say, Sora?"

"Uh… I asked if you knew where I could find a kitchen? That's what I would like" the spiky-haired boy responded while tilting his head in confusion.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry… Yes, I do know where you could use a kitchen" Shinano confirmed, clearly misunderstanding the situation, and cursing her imagination for thinking of something… lewd.

"Yes! But maybe we should wait until the other factions get here."

"Sora, the other factions… they are already here."

"Huh! They are? Wait, how long have a been asleep?" the Keyblade wielder questioned while picking himself up.

Beginning to move her legs after the absence of Sora's head on her lap.

"It hasn't been that long… close to about half an hour. The other factions arrived about ten minutes ago and are now at the council room talking with Lady Nagato and the others."

"I see. Then, why are you out here? Wouldn't you be in the council room with everyone?"

Feeling her cheeks start to warm up, Shinano did not want to outright say that the reason that she left the meeting was to catch up with Sora. Hence, she came up with a quick explanation.

"I-I… I was starting to fall asleep and asked if I could go for a walk or find somewhere to nap."

"Hehe. Well, I guess you found somewhere to nap then, huh?" Sora jokingly said to her which got a giggle.

"Yes… I suppose I did. Come, we should go greet the other girls. I'm sure they're eagerly waiting to meet you."

Offering his hand to the silver-haired kitsune, Shinano gladly accepted it.

"Now then, shall we head back to the council room?"

"Yep. Let's go meet them."

And with that, the two began walking to where the other factions were currently located. Followed by Sora starting to ask Shinano more about the Sakura Empire to which she had much to talk about. Moreover, she also decided to unsuspectingly take a step closer to the boy while walking so that it looked like they were really close to each other. Something that made her smile.

---

After walking for a few minutes back to the council room, Sora had a giant smile on his face after talking with Shinano about the time that he slid down a mountain while escaping from an avalanche with Donald and Goofy on top of the dog's shield.

"But… how did that shield able to hold the three of you up without even breaking or being dented?"

"Hey! What does that mean?" Sora asked the girl while trying to sound serious, but his face betrayed that idea.

Bringing a hand up to her face, Shinano was forcing herself to stifle a fit of laughter.

"Oh, dear Sora, I mean nothing by that in a negative way… just that your heroic muscles being on top of the shield."

"Haha. It's junior hero actually. I don't think I've achieved the status of true hero yet" Sora replied, recalling what Phil said about him, Donald, and Goofy.

"Says who?"

"My personal trainer."

Before Shinano could ask more about what Sora meant about not being considered a true hero or who his personal trainer was the girl now noticed they were several feet away from entering the council room.

"Hmm… We will have to pick this conversation up later, Sora."

"Right. Anything I should know before I meet these girls?" Sora asked, curious about who was on the other side of the door.

"If it's who I think it is that came here as representatives for the different factions… then you should expect to see Vittorio, Littorio, Jean Bart, and Richelieu."

"Littorio, Vittorio, Jean Bart, and Richelieu. Got it" Sora repeated.

"As for what you should know. Richelieu is a religious follower but from our past experiences, she is a very friendly and lovely girl. Jean Bart, Richelieu's sister, can come off as a bit cold or intimidating but once you get her to open up, she's someone who will have your back no matter what. Vittorio is also a kindhearted girl who strives to be a good leader of her faction. She'll be easy to get along with. As for Littorio…" Shinano suddenly stopped herself.

Worried about the sudden pause, Sora spoke up.

"What about Littorio? Is it something bad?"

Shaking her head, Shinano realized she made the green-haired woman seem like a bad person. Which was entirely wrong.

"Not at all. It's just… she's a bit of a flirt. Along with having a proud personality where she considers herself in high regard. She's also another girl that if you're able to build a strong connection with, she'll do everything it takes to help you."

"That's great to hear! Based on what I'm hearing, I want to become good friends with them now."

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" Shinano asked while nodding her head to the council room door.

Now beyond excited, Sora pulled open the council room door and was expecting the girls to all look his way but was proven wrong when he heard someone talking with grey hair and a red jacket.

"With all due respect, Lady Nagato, the inclusion of these strange monsters, or as you called them, Heartless, should have prompted you to alert us immediately. Project Orochi as it is reported was not only a great risk but undoubtedly proved to the Sirens that they have the makings of a new weapon that could be used against us."

"As we've discussed, we know that by not contacting the rest of the Red Axis, we put ourselves at a great risk" Nagato reiterated.

"Alas, it is a great shame you did not. If I were to have graced the battlefield with my presence, then I could have shown up the entirety of Azur Lane. Along with leaving a certain someone impressed at my accomplishment. Isn't that right, Illustrious?"

Offering a soft look to the woman calling her name, Illustrious couldn't help but sigh.

"Littorio, while your boasting is welcoming. Now is not the time. There are still many factors that we are not fully aware of."

"I agree. For starters, the Sirens and their actions are undoubtedly concerning. Yet, there is another factor at play that we have yet to discuss and that is the strange creatures you all reported seeing" Another girl's voice rang through the council room.

"The Heartless. That's what they are called, Richelieu" Enterprise stated.

"Yes. Thank you, Enterprise. These Heartless have never been seen nor reported in our records. And yet, to hear that so many appeared out of nowhere and working with the Sirens should be our next point of discussion."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Jean Bart?" Queen Elizabeth muttered.

"We have no idea who or what these Heartless are. How do you expect us to start discussing something that we clearly have no idea what we are dealing with."

"Jean…" Richelieu said while staring at her sister. The two of them hadn't exchanged words with each other while being in the same room.

"That is where I regret to inform you that you're incorrect in thinking that way, Jean Bart" Nagato stated to the girl.

"Wrong? How so?"

Noticing someone standing by the entrance, Queen Elizabeth couldn't help the giant smirk on her face which confused Hood, Wales, and Amagi at seeing the young girl's face. However, following where her eyes landed, they also had smiles appear on their faces. Things were about to get interesting.

"The person to help better explain the Heartless. He will be able to enlighten you all more about how dire the situation has become."

"Right… the boy that everyone has mentioned. If he's the one to explain everything, then where is he at? Shouldn't he be here?" Jean Bart questioned everyone.

"He's right behind you" Prinz Eugen bluntly said while leaning on one of her hands and just watching the show about to play out.

Confused by what the white-haired girl meant, Jean Bart turned around and expected to see no one but was in a world of surprise. Now face-to-face with someone she had never met before, Jean Bart was left aghast.

"Uh…Hi?" Sora replied, now having the spotlight shined on him.

Jean Bart had to blink twice before she took a defensive step back. The other girls who hadn't seen Sora arrive now had amused looks on their faces.

"Y-You're…"

"A sight to be seen" commented one of the girls from the other factions with the distinct feature of having green hair.

Another one of the girls with orange-like hair took a step toward the boy and began to observe and take in his appearance.

"You are… Sora, correct?"

"Yeah. That's my name."

Nagato began to beckon to the boy as proper introductions would be needed.

"Sora, may I introduce you to Jean Bart member of the Vichya Dominion and Red Axis."

Jean Bart merely nodded her head while staring back at Sora. Almost like she was sizing him up.

"Next, I would like to introduce Vittorio Veneto and Littorio. Members of the Sardegna Empire who are also part of the Red Axis."

Vittorio began to offer an elegant bow while Littorio merely winked at the spiky-haired boy.

"*Ahem* And Sora, may I introduce to you, the Cardinal of the Iris Libre, Richelieu. Member of Azur Lane" Queen Elizabeth said while getting everyone's attention.

The girl now known as Richelieu simply nodded her head while offering a friendly smile to which Sora returned one of his own.

Sora on the other hand was taking in the girls' appearance. Jean Bart had two different shoes on with one being up to her knee and the other stopping above her ankle which sported a patterned thigh-high sock. She was also wearing short shorts with a belt and a tank top that had a belt wrapped around her chest and a jacket covering her arms. The girl also had grey hair that was tied into a ponytail. But above all, she was still eyeing the boy closely.

The next girl he noticed was the one he heard talking when he entered the council room. She had long grey hair that went down to her legs while wearing what appeared to be a red and black skirt dress. He could have been wrong about that as he was just going off a glance. It also appeared that she had a red and black cape wrapped around her shoulders with black boots that went up to her knees. She also had white gloves on, and a sword holstered at her side while smiling at the boy.

However, the next girl certainly caught his eye due to her having a flashy look on her face while winking at the boy. She had long green hair that went past her shoulders white wearing a white militarized top and a black jacket that included a mixed dark green and black cape. She also had black tights that covered her legs along with white boots engraved with gold patterns just short of her knee. There also appeared to be a pointy headband on her head along with a streak of red in her hair. Moreover, once Sora was done analyzing the girl's appearance, he moved his gaze to her eyes and noticed that she was looking right at him with a… strange look on her face. Something akin to how Prinz Eugen peered toward him before but now the green-haired girl pulled a rose out of nowhere and tucked it on her shirt.

And finally, the last girl to notice was the one that asked him for his name. She had orange hair that when down her back while also wearing a crown on her head. She was wearing boots that went slightly above her ankles while having red tights that went up to her thighs. Her attire consisted of a white and red shirt that reminded him of some of the princess dresses that he saw throughout his adventures. She also had black gloves on while smiling warmly at him.

"Hello! It's nice to meet you all" Sora greeted.

"Hmm. I must say, hearing everyone talking about the hero who managed to not only defeat the new mysterious threat but bring the different factions together. It's making me a bit nervous to be in your presence" Vittorio said while not meaning any offense in what she said.

"Come now, Vittorio, there's no need to be nervous. I can see that Sora here has qualities that are reminiscent of my own. Perhaps one day he shall become closer to being my equal? What say you, Sora?" Littorio asked the boy who was absolutely lost.

"Uh… yes?"

"Excellent! See! Nothing to worry about. Though I am curious, for being the hero of the battle I don't see you carrying anything superficial or impressive. Is there a weapon you have stored that helped you to take the spotlight?"

With his mouth open from still being confused about the comment given by Littorio, Sora decided to show off his weapon that as she put it "helped him take the spotlight."

In a flash of blue light, the Keyblade appeared and caused those who had never seen the weapon to jump up in their seats. Along with many questions flooding their heads.

"But how?"

"Whoa…"

"How did he do that?"

"Is he a magician? Can he do any other tricks?"

"Is he a kansen? Does that mean he can summon a ship?"

"Why is it a giant key?"

"Someone's house key?"

"Do we know of a ship that has the name Sora?"

So many more questions were being blurted out for everyone to consider all while Sora couldn't help but let out a sigh.

'Whenever I traveled through the different worlds, no one ever really criticized my Keyblade. Did they just not say anything?' the boy thought to himself.

However, he was dragged out of his thoughts when he saw Richelieu start to walk toward him. This prompted everyone to stop their chatter and watch as the Cardinal of Iris Libre walked up to the spiky-haired boy. Sora on his part didn't know what was going on but decided to see how things played out.

Now with Richelieu standing in front of the Keyblade wielder, she did something nobody expected. Not even Littorio or Prinz Eugen, who seemed the most forward in their intentions, were prepared for what was about to transpire.

The orange-haired girl knelt on one knee before taking Sora's free hand into her own and began speaking with such conviction.

"Sora…as I am the one who currently guides the Iris Libre, I vow to offer myself in any way possible to not only protect and support you for as long as I breathe. But give my all to you and the divine light residing within you that seeks to purge this world of the darkness at bay. May your power guide us all to a better tomorrow."

…

…

…

The entire council room went silent to the point that if there were crickets making noise even they would be silent.

And then everything went to chaos with all the girls shouting out in shock.

"WHAAAAAAATTT!"

"Richelieu!" Jean Bart called out from the side while being taken back by her sister's action.

"What the hell? She's more daring than I thought. Dammit. I'll have to strike soon" Prinz Eugen muttered while biting her lip.

"Oho? It seems I'll be having a competition to push him in the right direction to make him my equal" Littorio said while crossing her arms and sporting a smirk.

"T-T-That's not fair!" Zuikaku shouted while having her face match her dress again.

"Zuikaku… it seems your big sis is going to have to put in some overtime to help you" Shoukaku stated while putting on a determined face.

"T-To do something of that magnitude!" Takao practically yelled.

"My, my it seems I'll have to be going on the offensive now…" Atago muttered to herself.

"Did I hear that right? My head must be playing tricks on me…" Wales said while checking her temperature and seeing if she was hallucinating.

"I'll say… the Cardinal certainly managed to surprise us all. But I won't let that stop me…" Hood commented while playing with her gloves.

"Maybe she meant that in a different meaning? She had to… right?" Enterprise questioned Belfast who was sitting near her while sporting red-tinted cheeks.

"Perhaps so. The Cardinal does tend to phrase things differently with a religious state of perspective. However, her statement and the degree to do so in front of everyone does force me to investigate more direct measures" Belfast said, beginning to take a sip of her tea.

"What does that mean?" Enterprise asked the white-haired maid who simply smiled back at her.

"A statement that direct and forward…" Queen Elizabeth openly said.

"I never expected Richelieu to be so… meaningful. Perhaps I should take note of her actions" Illustrious stated.

"I… did not foresee something like this happening… why couldn't I see this happening?" Shinano questioned herself while Kashino who was next to her started getting worried at seeing the kitsune confused.

"To do that not only here and now but with everyone watching her…" Mikasa muttered while bringing a hand up to her mouth.

"Oh, my. How direct" Amagi surprisingly commented.

"…" Akagi did not say anything while sporting a downright scary look on her face. The brown-haired kitsune's eyes started glowing red. Forcing Kaga to try and snap her sister out of whatever was going on.

"Akagi! Akagi! Snap out of it. What's wrong?"

Meanwhile, the one who Richelieu had directed her sudden feelings toward was left puzzled and feeling the gears in his brain start to slowly move until his senses came back to him causing everything to function back to normal. Resulting in him opening his mouth to say one thing that described how he was feeling.

"…What?"

Sora was completely lost.

---

Meanwhile, on another part of the island

Sitting on top of a rock that had a good view of the town housing the Sakura Empire kansens while jotting something down on a piece of paper, the Master of Masters was writing down everything that he had seen transpired. And while it seemed somewhat interesting, his attention was mainly focused on taking note of how Sora's involvement managed to not avert a crisis waiting to happen, but how he was able to restore a heart.

"Once again, you've managed to leave me on the balls of my feet, Sora. You were able to restore that girl's damaged heart. But will there be any consequences? Hmm. Nah. But… Showing up out of nowhere and now playing a role in this world. You really do manage to become the key that connects everyone and everything."

Beginning to finish what he was writing, the Master of Masters took another look down at the town and turned his mind to another matter.

"Also… I'll need to take a look at that cube that was given to the fox girl. Whoever managed to manipulate darkness into that thing surely knows what they are doing."

Taking a second to respond, the Lost Master merely looked down at his hands before continuing.

"Or… someone lent a helping hand…"

The Master of Masters said before looking out to the ocean and just watching the calm and beautiful sight. There was certainly something special about this world. Along with something wrong with it as well.

Either way, both he and Sora were in uncharted territory.

---

Somewhere unknown...

Within a dark cave that allowed no light to escape sat a girl all by herself while twirling around what appeared to be a black cube. This girl was also wearing minimal clothing and was barefoot while sitting on what appeared to be a glowing rock. However, that rock soon began to move and slithered up to her chest where she appeared to be patting it... in reality, the rock was actually a tentacle. Which now appeared to be connected to something even more strange... the girl.

Suddenly, lights began to appear all around the room offering a better look at the girl and her appearance which immediately gave insight into who she was. Observer Alpha.

Turning her head to the side, Observer now noticed what caused the lights to illuminate the once dark room or rather... whom.

"Heya! I'm back!" yelled a familiar voice.

The person to have now entered the dark area wore a sailor uniform that seemed a bit shorter than usual all while having her long white hair tied into a ponytail and a bright smile on her face. Another distinctive feature of the girl was her glowing yellow eyes. The Siren better known as Purifier.

"I take it you failed in your task?" Observer questioned the girl while still being occupied with her tentacle.

"Geh! It's not my fault you know! Those annoying Azur Lane girls showed up and prevented me from grabbing Sora" Purifier quickly said while maintaining a sly smile.

Out of nowhere, the spot that Observer was sitting at began to move toward Purifier while showing what appeared to be a large glob of tentacles acting like a seat for the Siren.

"We shall let them have this glimmer of hope. Besides, we have other factors to consider now."

"Oh? Like what? I thought our main goal was to capture Sora. Since he's the key or whatnot?" Purifier asked while tilting her head.

"It is. However, I've received word from the Arbiters. There's been a change in plans."

"A change in plans? That's strange. Aren't we leaving a bunch of things unattended?"

Smirking while still examining one of her tentacles, Observer added to the conversation.

"Care to elaborate?" Observer asked the energetic cleaner.

"Well, what about Sora? Are we just going to let him go?"

"No. He is still at the top of the list."

"Then what about the dark cube? Project Otoshi?"

"Project Orochi you mean."

"Yeah, that one."

Rubbing the top of one of her tentacles, Observer held an amused look on her face.

"You do know that not much work went into that project."

"Really? Huh? I did not know that. Had me worried for nothing."

"Shouldn't you have known about the plan to disregard the Wisdom Cube? Is your connection to the network malfunctioning?" Observer asked, narrowing her gaze at Purifier.

Crossing her arms across her chest, Purifier began to think about the question.

"Hmm. Maybe I just ignored it?"

"Or perhaps you need to transfer to another model? I can help with that."

"Ahahah! No thanks! Besides, I'll just go stop by and see one of the Enforcers for a checkup. I'd prefer not to die this time around" Purifier stated while shaking her head.

"Fine then. Anything else?"

"...Yeah, who is the one that's telling the Arbiters about Sora?"

Looking a bit surprised, Observer was a bit surprised by Purifier's question.

"Why so interested in the boy? Did he catch your attention?"

"You bet! He proved to be a bit of a challenge. But then again, I'm not as strong as the Arbiters. Maybe the Enforcers could give me a bit of a challenge? But other than that, I'm just curious. How did you know about him being the key?"

"Because I told her."

Shifting her head to the side, Purifier expected to see another Siren standing there but was met with nothing being there. She looked around the room once more to try and find who just talked but couldn't see anyone. Until... a dark cloud appeared out of nowhere in front of her.

"Whoa! Didn't see you there. Huh. What are you? A new type of invention? A ghost maybe?"

"Oh. You'll find that I'm more than just a ghost."

The dark cloud replied or at least that's what it was looking like to Purifier. Soon, the dark apparition started to take form and contort itself until it now looked to be a dark figure with nothing to its appearance.

"May I introduce you to the one who has been so kind enough to tell us about the key" Observer stated to the white ponytailed girl.

"Strange. What's your name?"

"... My name... is of no importance."

"What!? Really? You're not going to tell me? Observer, did... uh... did you get a name?" Purifier asked.

"Nope. But honestly, I don't care. Names don't matter that much. Besides, we've got a working deal in place and so far, everything said about Sora has rung true."

"Still though, what do I call you then? Or better yet, what are you?"

Taking a second to answer the white-haired girl's question, the dark figure let out a small chuckle before responding.

"I do not need a name to be addressed. But... you could refer to me as... darkness. One of the Thirteen."

Chapter 15: Discussions of Interest

Summary:

After chatting with the girls about the aftermath of the attack, Sora will also begin his introduction to the new arriving girls about everything that's been going on followed by a bit of insight into how the world moves forward now that Azur Lane and the Red Axis are coming together to fight as one. Not to mention, with so many girls in one place, it's only fair to reason that the Keyblade wielder is in for a rough time of getting surrounded by eager girls looking to learn more about him and the many stories he has to tell.

Notes:

*Disclaimer* – I do not own the copyright to Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane

*A/N* – Greetings y'all! Hope everything is going well for you and whatever it is that you've got going on. Last time we left off, Richelieu said some things that were… quite surprising to say the least. Let's hope Sora can get out of there alive since that is bound to create some waves. Not to mention, introductions to all the new girls that have arrived and will be arriving along with catching everyone up to speed on everything that's going on. So many different paths and stories come together to not only cross paths but also steer the way to a new future where there are bound to be fun and life-changing adventures along with the fact that there is a growing problem in this world. Something that Sora will have a lot more familiarity with compared to the girls. Therein lies another difficult challenge for the Keyblade wielder to face… the feelings of romance within girls, not just ordinary girls. Girls with the ability to summon guns and weapons and even large ships out of nowhere. Scary stuff. Now, enough of me rambling on, I hope you enjoy this chapter and stick around for more of this story. Take care.

Sora did not know how he should respond. There wasn't any real way he could respond. What the orange-haired girl had just said to him sounded… very heartfelt. It touched his heart thinking about her conviction and determination to say what she said to him and in front of everyone else. He honestly couldn't help the bright smile on his face.

Out of his sight, however, many girls were glaring daggers right at the Cardinal due to the feeling of something very well known, jealously.

Prince of Wales, Hood, and Enterprise were on one hand still surprised by Richelieu's sudden announcement, but they were also feeling a knot in their stomach and couldn't help but feel a bit… on edge. Moreover, they were the first to have known Sora for a bit longer compared to the other girls which gave them an advantage in summarizing their feelings on the brunette boy. From his unique physical features to his glorified personality that could manage to make anyone stop what they were doing and chat with him for a minute which could be turned into a whole lot longer due to how much enjoyment and comfort there was to his character. Hence, the three girls were earnestly wanting to be close to the boy. Not in a singular way but more akin to being around him or preferably even just talking with him. That is what the three wanted the most while seeing the Cardinal and boy in question so close to each other.

Zuikaku on her part was in quite a predicament for how she should feel exactly. As it would be reasonable to think, she had no precise clue as to why she was feeling these strange and new, well, feelings. Her heart felt heavy in her chest and the rapid thumping of her leg going up and down while still seated did not appease her in the slightest. It just raised the confusion flowing through her heart and head as to why she was reacting like this while glancing over at… the spiky-haired boy being so close to the girl who basically poured her heart out to him without even truly knowing him. The Red Crane would argue that she was closer to him than anybody else in that while Ayanami was the first to engage in actual combat with him, she recalled Sora mentioning back when he was in the prison cell that he first fought Ayanami and then Zuikaku and so on. That alone gave her a triumphant feeling that she and he had done something remarkable which could be noticed by everyone else. She was one of the first to duel with him and lock blades. Creating a deeper bonded relationship between the two. Something that she was internally giddy about.

Prinz Eugen and Akagi on the other hand were… slightly intimidated in a relative way. The Iron Blood girl was known to be a flirtatious trickster that loved teasing people as a way of showing her interest in them. And lately, her attention was now being focused on a certain boy who appeared to be quite the bundle of fun she was beginning to grow very interested in. However, seeing the Cardinal easily walk up to the boy and pronounce what she did in front of everyone. That irked her in many ways. However, she would not let this setback get in her way of having some fun with the spiky-haired boy. Akagi on the other hand… she was seeing the color red. If there was ever a time that she felt a murderous aura enveloping her heart and mind… now would be the time. Seeing how the orange-haired woman seemed so genuine and truthful in her words and directed them right to him. The kitsune woman's face had gone stone-faced with her eyes narrowing on her new target while unblinking and gripping her gloved hands. It was a startling sight for the few girls that noticed specifically Kaga who was unsure how to calm her sister down.

The rest of the girls who had formed relationships with Sora were unsure how they should feel at seeing Richelieu proclaim to him and in front of everyone, nonetheless. It was a strange feeling to register as the girls were not exactly close to the boy and were only beginning to know him but seeing the orange-haired woman look so confident and sincere while she said those things to him… it left all the girls a bit uneasy.

All in all, leaving a moment of pause and stillness as nobody said anything, and were still left aghast at what happened.

However, that moment of serene peace between the two as Sora's blue eyes stared right into hers was abruptly stopped as he saw her face switch between several different expressions. One of happiness and delight to confusion to realization and then shock and anxiousness to finally embarrassment.

"I-I didn't… I only meant… I'm terribly sorry! Pray forgive me of my tribulations and the strange and sudden phrasing of my words!" Richelieu shouted while her cheeks were tinted a bright red.

The spiky-haired boy couldn't help but think that she reminded him of an orange. In a good, sweet kind of way. One of the reddish oranges had a specific name, but he couldn't remember it. He only remembered seeing a red-orange back in Twilight Town while he was cooking with little chef.

Letting a little chuckle escape his lips, Sora ruffled the back of his head while glancing around at the other girls. He only saw a few of their faces and from what he could tell, they also looked a bit confused about what was happening.

"It's alright. Nothing to worry about… um… I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name" Sora said, taking in her appearance and noticing the crown on top of her head.

"Of course, how could I forget such a thing? *Ahem* Greetings, my name is Richelieu, the lead ship of the Richelieu class and Cardinal of Iris Libre. Tis a pleasure to officially meet you, Sora. And once again, I'm truly sorry for saying what I said."

Offering the girl, a smile, the Keyblade wielder merely shook his head.

"It's all water under the bridge, Richelieu. But could I ask what you meant by your words? I'm kind of still confused about it all" Sora replied, scratching his head.

"As would anyone else be." Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Richelieu found the right words and began her explanation. "When I was told of your feats from the others and how you wielded a weapon that appeared out of light… I accustomed myself to seeing you through and helping you in your difficult quest. Whatever it may be. I will lend you a helping hand" Richelieu affirmed to him.

The other girls were now slightly appeased by the Cardinal's words and calmed themselves down. Granted, there were a few that still had their guard up and wouldn't be backing down anytime soon. Those being Prinz Eugen, Akagi, and… Jean Bart.

The pony-tailed woman watched from the side as she saw the spiky-haired boy be so close and casual with her sister. It left her feeling an unregistered feeling in her stomach. Almost akin to having eaten something sour and grimacing in disdain. She had no idea who this Sora was and had only briefly heard about him and yet here he was causing such a ruckus. Not to mention, he looked to be getting close to her sister who… she still had to sort her on the orange-haired girl and what her feelings toward her even were. There was a small part of herself that wanted to jump in between the boy and her sister, but another part that said to keep to herself and just watch. She decided to go with the latter and observe the two closely.

Back with Sora, he began processing what Richelieu had said to him and couldn't help but be taken back by her sheer determination to help him even though they just met now. And he thought he made friends quite quickly.

But there was just one thing he wasn't picking up on. Richelieu said that she would help him with whatever his quest might be… but why?

He had to find out.

"Uhm… Richelieu, what do you mean by that?"

"Hmm? By what do you mean?"

"That part about helping me. I get that we just met and I'm not one to shut down the idea of making a new friend so quickly, but… why are you so keen on wanting to help me? I'm not following on that part" he clarified.

Realizing that there was a bit of missing information on the subject, Richelieu needed to clear some things up.

Several of the Azur Lane girls who were listening in to the conversation simply understood what was going on with the Iris Libre kansen. Her devoted following to her religion and the righteousness of defending and striving for light was one of the sincere aspirations that she held close. It only made sense that hearing about Sora and his ability to wield a strange power that focused heavily on the usage of light would get her to think that way. At least… that's what they were thinking. Her actions showcased that she was not afraid of confronting her feelings outright and in a public setting no less. Now that would be something to worry about.

Collecting his thoughts around her response, Sora started thinking about what he had done to gain the attention of the Cardinal in the way that she was seeing him. He was coming up with nothing until he remembered the obvious realization that this world didn't exactly have the kind of magic that he was used to seeing daily and figured that the depiction around himself gave off the idea that…

"Hey, Richelieu, are your thoughts around me because of this?"

Raising his hand for everyone to see, he summoned the Kingdom Key right into his hand in a flash of blue light which caused everyone who hadn't seen it before to lean forward in their seats to try and get a better look at the strange-looking weapon… that looked oddly like a giant key?

Littorio and Vittorio who had been to the side listening in on everything and waiting to introduce themselves had grown exceptionally interested in the strange piece of equipment appearing out of nowhere. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before given that it wasn't every day that you see a blade that took on the appearance of a key appear out of nowhere in a complete stranger's hand.

Jean Bart was staring right at the strange weapon and couldn't help but think of several things swirling around her head. "It looks… plain. Is it made for a specific chest to be opened? Can it even cut anything? It looks more like a club that can be used to bash against things."

Taking another look at the thing in the boy's hands, she also noticed that there was another distinctive characteristic to his appearance. The silver crown necklace hanging around his neck. This caused the light brown-haired pirate to double-take as she was starting to notice an unusual occurrence taking place with the spiky-haired boy. The crown necklace and the teeth at the end of his weapon were indications of a connection dealing with crowns. Perhaps she was just observing the boy too closely and coming up with false assessments around him but that still left her even more wary around him.

Richelieu on the other hand… was a second away from starting to recite some of the texts to idolize her faith based on seeing the boy wield light and project the strange-looking key in his hand. Many thoughts came to her mind, but she did not know where to act on them. Moreover, she was still eager to meet Sora given that she had heard only a small bit about him in her time here in the Sakura Empire. She would try her hardest to listen to what he had to say and the insight he could enlighten her on.

"…That weapon… It appears to bask in the light" Richelieu commented while still analyzing the blade.

"You're right about that… I think. It's called a Keyblade, and it does allow me to use light along with different kinds of magic" he explained while holding the blade with care.

Glancing at the now-known Keyblade, Richelieu couldn't help but keep her eyes trained on the weapon for a good second all while muttering under her breath.

"…Keyblade…"

It was at this point that Jean Bart made herself apparent to the conversation.

"You're telling me that this…" She proclaimed while pointing at the Keyblade with an annoyed expression. "Is this supposed to be considered a weapon? What a joke."

Having the corner of his mouth transition to a frown for a slight second, Sora figured that he could elaborate to the ponytail-haired girl.

"You'd be surprised. And while this version of my weapon doesn't look that dangerous like some other blades, I can assure you it is still a weapon."

Processing what Sora just said, Vittorio decided to make herself present to the boy since it seemed that the conversation was turning toward a more subsequent and interesting area.

"Excuse me."

The spiky-haired boy turned his head to look over at the girl with gray hair who seemed to be the one who spoke up.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Vittorio, I haven't really talked with you yet" Sora apologetically said, feeling like he had put all his attention on Richelieu's stark statement.

"It's not a problem at all. Things are becoming quite… interesting to say the least. I do have a question about what you just said" Vittorio clarified.

"Sure, what's your question?"

Bringing a hand up to her chin, the gray-haired girl specified what he had said, "You mentioned this version when discussing your blade. What did you mean by that?"

Nodding his head, Sora figured he should elaborate a bit more.

"It's like I said." Raising his weapon for the girl to see, he continued talking. "This is just the regular, default version of the weapon. But if there some charms that I… had that could change its appearance."

"You said had. I take it you lost them?" Vittorio questioned the boy.

Running his free hand through his hair, Sora let out an embarrassed chuckle.

"Yeeeah, haha. I don't know what happened to them. Which kind of leads into how I came here."

"Oh? I take it that there's a story to be told there. Am I right to assume so?" Littorio spoke up, earning Sora to look over at her.

"Yep. You're right about that, Littorio."

"Magnificent! You have my undivided attention now, signore" the green-haired woman affirmed while having a positive aura surrounding her.

Seeing her sister's attitude toward the boy, Vittorio couldn't help but inwardly sigh in recognition.

'There she goes again. Someone seems to have caught her interest. I undoubtedly apologize in advance Sora.'

Meanwhile, all the girls in the audience were once again casting glares at the green-haired Sardegna Empire woman. Even kansens like Akagi and Prinz Eugen were beginning to slightly grind their teeth. The realization that a drastically different challenger had entered the arena now and she had quite the amount of firepower behind her arsenal. Littorio was not a foe they could underestimate due to the underlying fact that whenever she took an interest in something, then she would use everything she could to get what she wanted.

Consequently, Jean Bart was watching the boy be admonished by the three girls surrounding him and trying his best to answer all the questions that they were asking him. Seeing her sister, Richelieu, look at him with a bit of enlightenment caused her to scoff. She wasn't sure what to think of him and would need to pry into his character a bit more. Appearances could be deceiving.

Before Sora could try to answer a question offered by Richelieu about his ability, the clearing of someone's throat stopped the two Sardegna Empire and Iris Libre girls from saying anything else.

Turning his head to the source of his sound, he found it to be Nagato who was getting everyone's attention.

"Ahem, now then, before we barrage our dear friend with many questions…"

Littorio sent a teasing smile to Nagato which caused Vittorio to simply shake her head with a small smile appearing on her face.

"We should wait for our last guest. She should be arriving soon."

As if by coincidence, the sound of knocking could be heard on the doors to the room. Everyone turned their heads including Sora to see who was coming in.

"Pardon the intrusion."

Upon opening the door, he was met with a blonde-haired girl stepping through the door dressed in a dark uniform with red and gold strips going across the clothing followed by a cape on her back. She had black thigh-high socks with what appeared to be a coat of some kind around her neck. And on top of her head was a black cap with a gold insignia in the center of it followed by her distinctive blue eyes.

Sora did not recall seeing her as of late and figured that she was from one of the other factions.

Hood who had been watching the door closely brought a hand up to her lips followed by letting out a sad sigh out of her lips.

"Bismarck…"

The blonde woman now known as Bismarck began making her way further into the council room followed by everyone's eyes on her. If she was feeling nervous from everyone looking at her, then she was doing a good job of not letting the overall presence of everyone get to her. She had an expression clear of showing any doubt or worry and walked right up to the Sardegna Empire girls and nodded her head at Vittorio.

"Tis good to see you again, Vittorio, and Littorio."

"Ha! And you as well, Bismarck" Littorio cheerily replied.

"Likewise. It's nice to see you again" Vittorio respectfully responded.

She then looked over at Richelieu and nodded her head while offering a sincere sense of gratitude.

"Cardinal."

"Greetings, Bismarck."

It was then that Bismarck turned her head to see the other girls sitting there and profoundly lowered her head and took off her hat.

"Lady Nagato."

"Bismarck, I'm glad you were able to come."

"Forgive my lateness. We managed to get delayed by a stray storm along the way."

"Nonsense. I dare say that you've arrived just on time. We were about to start discussing the most vital aspect of the meeting."

Bismarck nodded her head and now turned to look over at the members of Azur Lane spotting Queen Elizabeth sitting nearby with her hands across her chest followed by spotting Enterprise sitting there and watching her closely. Then she saw someone that she figured would be attending the meeting but still felt guilt wallowing in her chest. Hood.

"Your Majesty."

"Here, Lady Bismarck, it's good to have you here."

"Thank you." The blonde Iron Blood kansen then looked over at the Grey Ghost. "Enterprise."

Nodding her head with respect imbuing her simple action, Enterprise responded.

"Bismarck."

Next, she simply looked over at the blonde Royal Navy girl while offering a sad look on her face.

"Hood…"

"…Bismarck."

Sora who had been watching the short greetings offered by the new girl couldn't help but notice the raspy interaction between her and Hood. It made him think that there was history between the two of them which resulted in them having a noticeably stark introduction.

However, before he could say anything, the blonde-haired girl turned her attention over to him and quickly observed him.

"I take it that you are Sora?"

Positioning that his body was now facing the girl, he put on a calm and collected smile on his face.

"Yep. That's me. I take it that you're Bismarck?"

"Yes. It's nice to finally meet you. Prinz Eugen has told me a great deal about you in the little time she has been greeted to you" Bismarck stated while casting a glance over at the white-haired woman who had a cheeky smile on her face.

Hearing this, the spiky-haired boy didn't imagine that word about him was spreading rapidly.

"That's… nice. I think. But was there anyone else coming to this meeting aside from you?"

"There are other girls from the Iron Blood down at the port, but I am the last one to arrive. Nobody else is coming now."

Standing up from her seat, Nagato got everyone's attention.

"Now then, we can proceed with our main objective here aside from the discussion regarding the future relations between Azur Lane and the Red Axis. Even if… that is now only but a name to remember our past."

The members of the Red Axis cast a sly glance off to the side. Many thoughts were swirling around in their heads and how the formation of the Red Axis was initially built upon good intentions. But given that things change over time it was safe to say that their main goal was clouded now. Alas, the same could be said with Azur Lane. Strength in numbers was the one thing that each faction desired and yet there were moments where the Royal Navy or Eagle Union tended to take adventurous risks with trying to find a way to beat back the Sirens.

However, with this new revolutionary opportunity presented at their feet, this could be the start of something new. Something stronger… and that possibility also had a spiky-haired boy accompanied with it.

"Lady Nagato" Vittorio spoke out."

"Yes, Vittorio? Is something aught?"

Gathering her thoughts, the gray-haired woman relayed her thoughts for everyone to hear.

"Forgive me for assuming it so, but wouldn't the relations between all our factions be the main objective to discuss here?"

"…Normally, you'd be right in assuming that. But…" The dark-haired Sakura Empire kansen cast a quick glance at the brown spiky-haired boy. "Things have changed. And might I say, for the better."

Everyone now had their eyes directed at Sora who was starting to feel embarrassed and ruffled the back of his hair letting out a small chuckle.

"I'm guessing that… you're talking about me."

The answer he got from Nagato was a sharp nod of her head.

"Right… well then, where should we start?" Sora asked, knowing that things were about to revolve around him and his entire situation.

It was also at this point that he began to realize that he was surrounded by many friends. Girls who he had a blast speaking with and sincerely wanted to get to know better. The insight of meeting so many amazing people and was bound to meet many more. He truly felt that… it would be ok to explain to them about his life. Especially the big overall aspect of his life.

This would be a big risk even though he had already told a few of the Azur Lane girls. Telling a bunch of other people and not knowing if they might freak out or become confused which could turn into a flurry of other emotions. Down trotting into the realm of suspected darkness if not cared for. But still… these girls deserved to know more about him.

Suddenly, he was snapped out of his thoughts as Queen Elizabeth called out to him.

"Sora, perhaps you should confide in our new guests about the appearance of the new foe and their overall goal."

Seeing where Her Majesty was getting at, he nodded his head and cleared his throat. This would get a bit… confusing.

"I'm not sure if you've heard about this mysterious monster that both Azur Lane and the Sakura Empire, plus the Iron Blood girls, engaged in combat with."

Prinz Eugen held a bright smile on her face as she heard him reference her and Nimi being in the area during the battle.

"But this new foe is known as the Heartless."

At this point, he pulled his Gummiphone out and displayed a picture of the dark creature to show to Jean Bart, Vittorio, Littorio, and Richelieu.

The four kansens each took a turn looking down at the strange creature and formed their own opinions about the monster. It was strange, to say the least.

Richelieu was of the mind that this creature depicted something that sought to dismay the light radiating around everyone. From its cold yellow eyes to its disfigured body structure that left her feeling a bit concerned. If Sora knew more about this creature, then she would listen intently with both her ears and heart as well as give the boy her word to vanquish this dark entity.

Jean Bart wasn't sure what to think about the dark creature in that she had no real distinctive opinion toward it. If it was appointed as a foe to her allies and it thought of her as one, then she would do whatever it took to destroy the monster. However, taking a quick look over at Richelieu… her sister… she couldn't help but have another thing to think about. But that sudden thought was soon pushed to the back of her head.

Vittorio on her part was growing curious about the dark creature and how it could be considered as dangerous. Moreover, the question of why Sora was the one who took charge of explaining the situation of these monsters was planted in her mind. Just what did he know about? And why did these dark beings show up now?

Littorio thought of only one thing and that was these dark monsters looked to be a new foe for her to conquer. With the situation displaying itself as something worth paying attention to, then she would do her part and stay primarily focused on everything Sora had to say. In addition, learning a thing or two from the spiky-haired boy might provide her with a detail or two about his character. Something that sounded all the more appealing the longer she thought about it.

After showing each of the girls, Sora took hold of the phone and pulled up the Ansem Reports along with any more information he had gathered to help in his explanation of the Heartless and other elements he knew would be covered in this discussion.

"The Heartless… tell me, Sora, I take it that these monsters are somehow connected to a person's heart?" Richelieu questioned him.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked, making it known that he was saying it in a joking manner.

The orange-haired girl let out a humming sound indicating that she picked up on what he meant.

"It's not hard to point out the name distinction. Nevertheless, the appearance of this creature gives me the feeling that… it has something to do with darkness."

Jean Bart let out a scoff while rolling her eyes at the comment.

"What kind of answer is that? Are you telling me that- "

"She's right."

The light brown-haired kansen instantly turned to look over at the boy who responded.

"What?"

"Richelieu's right." Taking a step forward and moving his head around the room to look at everyone, he continued to speak. "The Heartless can be described as the dark manifestations within people's hearts taking form. The feelings that somebody has enveloped in anger or frustration or malice. With enough darkness building up in a person's heart, the Heartless are then formed."

Silence reigned in the council room as the girls who had never known a thing about these dark creatures were utterly shocked and not sure how they should react. The Azur Lane girls who were more familiar with the creatures still had many thoughts sprouting throughout their heads. Questions pertaining to what amount of darkness within a person could cause a Heartless to appear.

"How is that… How have we not heard of this creature beforehand?" Vittorio spoke up, getting everyone's attention.

"You're right. Surely someone must have at least heard about this kind of creature before" Jean Bart added.

Sora knew he had to break the ice and come out to clear up the situation.

"There's a reason for that."

Most of the girls were now leaning forward in their chairs while others were intently listening to what he had to say.

Taking a deep breath, the Guardian of Light cleared his throat and laid out the truth.

"The Heartless… they are not from this world."

There was no moment of silence to process what he just said and the girls just started voicing their concerns and thoughts on the manner.

"What?"

"Come again?"

"Did you just say- "

"Not from this world?"

"Huh?"

"Wait. What?"

Many heads tilted upon hearing that and were now even more interested.

"The same can be said about me… I'm not from this world either."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Nobody really said anything as that bombshell of a truth was something that needed to be taken at face value. The faces of Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Takao, Atago, Kashino, Noshiro, Kaga, Akagi, and others were left with their mouths slightly open in aghast.

'So then… is that why he's so strong? Why he claimed to be able to slice through a building?' Zuikaku pondered to herself trying to wrap her head around everything happening now.

Another girl who was also having floundering thoughts was a certain brown-haired kitsune who had not taken her eyes off the boy from the moment he walked back into the council room and began introducing himself.

'Another world… heehee… what sights has he seen before? Maybe I can corner him and ask him about it… what a lovely chat that would be… I hope it'll take a long time…' Akagi thought while becoming very interested in the boy now. Granted, she was already interested in him before but now… it was multiplied by a hundred.

Others like Shinano, Amagi, and Richelieu weren't as surprised and could reasonably argue that there was something special about the boy that made the sudden announcement from him not leave them that completely surprised.

Shinano's case was a bit more understandable as she had been given a glimpse from her dreams about the impending doom that was to consume her home but was ultimately thwarted by the help of Sora. He was truly someone special with the ability to do things that she had never thought possible before. At least… from someone not harboring the powers and abilities of a kansen. Not to mention, the white-haired kitsune couldn't help but ponder that there might be even more discoveries to be made around the hero who wields light at his side and fights for his friends. Someone that… she wished to continue to walk with on whatever adventures and difficulties he encounters next.

Amagi's perspective of the boy was something akin to staring at a miracle. He had been able to do something that nobody else could and that was to save her from the brink of death. And not only that but be able to reach deep within her consciousness and give her a second chance at being with her family. Something that she will never forget and continue to do what she could to help the spiky-haired hero with anything that comes his way. He was someone who she could now see herself putting her undoubted trust into knowing that he was more than just a savoir… but a friend as well.

Richelieu's opinion of the boy was arising the longer she got to talk with him and learn more about him. Aside from the fact that he did have the influence of light even if it was not of the heavenly gift she thought of, she still could see that there was much more to him than any first glance impression could detect. Furthermore, she was also enamored by the boy's character and personality given that the other girls had only gotten to know him in a short time, and yet, they all had positive things to say about him and how he wanted to help those around him. Doing all that he could to help everyone without asking for anything in return.

Returning to the forefront of what Sora had just said, everyone was still trying to rattle their brains around what he had just said. Granted, there was also another factor to realize about the boy's statement and that was the ship girls' own situation didn't exactly make any sense either. Girls that were imbued with the power of conjuring weapons, ships, or plans out of nothing while dealing with a foe that they did not entirely know everything about. Along with a great deal more of things that were rather difficult to explain.

Meaning that… it was slowly dawning on the girls about Sora's revelation which caused them to look at him differently. Or rather… they were looking at him even closer now.

"…Another world…" Bismarck muttered while keeping an eye on the boy's face to see if he was pulling a prank on them or not.

The answer she found was that his face did not show any change and in fact, looked to be calm and collected while his posture pointed at him being confident and albeit complacent. He was telling the truth.

"Well, I'll be… that's certainly one way to stand out from a crowd. Hell, there's no way I can top that attention getter" Littorio remarked while staring curiously at the spiky-haired brunette and having her own thoughts swirling around in her head.

"He… Sora…" Vittorio wasn't sure what she should say but could honestly say that she was taken aback by his announcement.

"Perhaps you could explain yourself a bit more, Sora? This is… I don't know how to put it into words…" Richelieu asked the boy.

"I second that thought." Jean Bart said taking a step toward the boy while casting a glance at the orange-haired girl before looking back directly at the boy. "Stating that you are from another world and not providing any substantial proof is certainly not going to win everyone over."

Seeing what Jean Bart was getting at, Sora turned his head slightly to see the other girls in attendance and gauge what they were thinking about the whole thing. He could observe some wanting to believe him while others looked to be hesitant or contemplating on believing him.

Nodding his head, he figured that was the least he could do. The sooner he got to explaining who he was, then the sooner he could change the discussion to how dangerous the Heartless truly are followed by them now being in cahoots with the Sirens.

"Alright, I can do that."

Reaching into his pocket, Sora pulled out his Gummiphone and began to scroll through some of the pictures he took across the different worlds he visited. He also started to piece together what he wanted to discuss with the girls since there was quite a lot of information that he would need to get through. And that would most likely take all day and even longer to get through. But for now, the spiky-haired boy would stay on a basic level of knowledge about the Heartless and other worlds.

"Here you go, Jean, you can scroll through the pictures to see that I'm telling the truth." Handing the phone to the girl, he also began to turn his attention to everyone else in the audience.

He for a split-second thought about retracting his claim about being from another world but remembered that the girls deserved to know just what they were dealing with. Especially if the Heartless were now in cahoots with the Sirens. Another enemy faction that he did not know all that much about and would need to learn more about. Hence, he brought a hand up to his heart and knew that telling everyone the truth was the right thing to do.

"And… I guess I should start explaining what I meant."

"That would be nice, yes" Noshiro commented across the room.

Taking a deep breath, the Guardian of Light began speaking.

"I'm from another world and… I also travel to other worlds to help fight back against the darkness that's trying to take over and claim the heart of that world. Wanna take a guess as to what I'm referring to when discussing darkness?" Sora said to the entire room.

It didn't take that long for one of the girls to say aloud the answer and the one who did was a certain white-haired kitsune girl who tended to doze off randomly.

"… The Heartless" Shinano muttered which earned a nod from Sora.

"Yeah. They also travel around to different worlds."

The atmosphere in the council room went from a more cheerful mood to serious in a matter of seconds. Realization settled in that these dark creatures that they had encountered not that long ago were a more dangerous foe than they originally thought.

"How is that possible? Are they… aliens?" Ayanami, who had been sitting quietly for most of the time finally spoke out.

"No, the Heartless are created from people's hearts giving birth to darkness on their own through negative emotions" he responded but could see that confusion was evident on some of the girls' faces.

He did not want to worry the girls as he could see this turning sideways and decided to clarify his explanation.

"When I say negative emotions, I mean those really dark feelings flowing through someone's heart. Something like undoubted anger, fear, malevolence, hate, elements like that." Letting what he said to sit for a moment, he then continued. "We all have elements of darkness in our hearts."

Some of the girls' eyes widen in shock and looked like they wanted to say or do something, but before they could react, Sora appeared to have a smile on his face. One that conveyed reassurance and confidence in his expression.

"But that's ok. It's what makes us who we are."

A sense of calmness seemed to sit within the council room now thanks to his words. Several of the girls from Azur Lane who had heard about the Heartless from the boy already were still intently listening to what he had to say. Others were looking earnestly to hear what else Sora had to discuss.

"Aspects of Light and Darkness give us feelings that prove that we all have hearts. Laughing, being angry, feeling sad, becoming happy… those emotions are what gives us strength" he stated confidently.

Several of the girls in the room looked like they wanted to say something but were beaten by Atago who spoke up.

"But still… that's scary to think about." Holding her left arm with her free hand, the black-haired girl turned to look at Sora and continued voicing her thoughts. "Doesn't that scare you, Sora? I'll be honest and say that I'm understanding half of what you're saying, but knowing that emotions play a big part in these monsters…"

Hearing Atago's concern, Sora let a small smile appear on his lips while nodding his head.

"Yeah… it has and does scare me at times. But after everything I'm experienced, I know that all those feelings I just mentioned whether they are good or bad we have… they are amazing."

Once again, nobody said anything, and wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Ha, I see… guess I'm just scaring myself" Atago commented which got Sora to shake his head.

"No, no. It's ok to be wary. But just know that even if you do feel worried that something like that could happen to you remember the most important thing of all."

"And what's that?" Takao asked, making herself relevant when it came to her sister's worry.

Sending a warm and bright smile at the two dog-eared girls, Sora spoke in a calm and reassuring tone of voice.

"You're not alone."

Atago tilted her head slightly while having her mouth open ready to say something, but no words would be uttered.

"You have friends and family who are here ready to help you feel loved and appreciated while also ready to have your back no matter what. And if you'd allow me, then I will also be there to help you. Help anyone no matter what. Besides, it's good to have friends…" Sora said while letting the thought of Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and all his other friends appear in his mind.

Even though they weren't here with him now, they were still with him.

Inside his heart.

The girls were once again left amazed and in wonder at how sincere and heartfelt the boy's words were. Even Atago had brought her gloved hand up to her mouth while feeling a smile start to widen on her face followed by her cheeks turning a hue of pink. Granted, it wasn't very visible on her face, she knew for a fact that she was blushing. Her fascination and interest in Sora shot up tremendously.

Others agreed at how the spiky-haired boy radiated a positive atmosphere around him and wanted to be a part of that overall aura. Richelieu could now see an imaginative ray of light surrounding the boy that was drawing her in out of curiosity.

Feeling like the conversation went a little off-topic, Sora cleared his throat and went back to addressing the four girls who had stopped looking at his Gummiphone and had the impression that they wanted answers for the pictures that they saw.

"I take it you guys finished looking over the pictures?"

"Yes… and I have questions" Vittorio stated while still reeling in just what she saw on the boy's device.

Pictures of various people and creatures that she had never seen before in her entire life. Nothing in her memory could explain the things she saw.

Some of the photos she saw left her quite confused. There were pictures of Sora standing next to a giant blue hairy being next to a small green one-eyed… something. But the kicker with that picture was that the boy's appearance had also changed to a strange-looking animal. Another set of photos was the boy looking like what could be described as a toy standing next to what appeared to be a cowboy and… armored looking guy with a purple head?

The gray-haired girl shook her head trying to process that picture but continued to think about the other ones that she saw. In another set, she saw Sora wearing what appeared to be a pirate outfit with the tricorn hat atop his head while having the garb that you would imagine a pirate to wear. This sight caused her to set her eyes to glance over at Jean Bart given her close persona to such a lifestyle. From what she could see, the light brown-haired girl did not have any sort of reaction or expression and simply kept looking over at Sora.

Whatever could be running through her head?

Coming back to the situation, Sora crossed his arms and nodded positively.

"Sure, go ahead, Vittorio. Ask away."

"Thank you. Now then, your claim of being from another world… while it is a large arduous thing to consider- "

"No kidding" Jean Bart muttered from the side.

Not making the pirate's comment affect the conversation, Vittorio continued like normal.

"…These photos you have provided are very appealing. Is there anything else you can tell us to paint a better picture of your situation?"

"I'm sure there's also a story to be told there" Littorio added into the conversation.

Agreeing with what the Sardegna Empire girl was asking for, Sora decided that he could move the topic into that area.

"Right, well then, I'm originally from a set of islands called Destiny Islands where I lived with my friends and family. But after the Heartless attacked my world, I ended up getting sent to another world. One that was called Traverse Town which acted as a waypoint for those who had their worlds lost to Darkness. That's where my first journey really began looking for my friends who were lost and where I also met my other two best friends, Donald and Goofy. Haha, the large duck, and dog featured in a lot of my pictures for a better idea of how they look."

The four girls instantly recalled the large duck and dog that accompanied him in all the different pictures and also had their appearances change drastically. Those two seemed to resonate a great deal with Sora based on how he said their names with great joy and respect.

"When was your home… you know?" Littorio questioned him trying to be as polite as one can be when hearing that someone's home was assumedly gone.

A few girls had grown sad and worried about the boy, hearing that his home was destroyed by the Heartless. What would his reaction be? Would the question cause him to become sad?

"It happened a few years ago, but to make a long story short my home was restored after my friends, and I stopped the Heartless from affecting other worlds. So, you don't have to worry about saying anything wrong, Littorio" he said, easing the tension that was growing in the room.

Letting out a sigh she didn't realize that she was holding onto, Littorio felt a sense of calmness wash over her.

"I see, that is good to hear. I suspect your parents were happy to see you again."

This statement got Sora to look down at the ground which resulted in Littorio silently swearing inside her head.

'Dammit. That got a bad reaction out of him.'

Left momentarily stunned at what he should say, Sora shoot his eyes up and could see the concern on some of the girls' faces. He really was making things more difficult than they had to be.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to look all negative. But my parents were really happy to see me again. Even if it was for a moment."

"Huh? Sora, what do you mean?" the orange-haired girl questioned.

Shifting his head to look over at Richelieu, he relayed the next part of his entire adventure which would also lead to him being here.

"After I had finally been able to find my friends and defeat the Heartless which had been involved in a plot from an evil organization trying to take over other worlds, I was home and then received a letter from one of my friends. The letter told me that there were others who needed my help and… I wanted to save them."

His thoughts moved to think about the others who were lost at the time and how their hearts were either lost or hurt and needed help. The Keyblade wielders of the past and those who were hurting.

"Soon after, I went through an exam to become strong enough to save those who were hurting but ended up finding out that the evil organization that I thought my friends and I stopped was forming again, and this time they were working to create a war for light. Basically, making light and darkness fight each other. It was also during that time that I almost became a puppet for the organization to use, but thanks to my best friend, I was saved. However, I had lost my power and had to get it all back before the war against light and darkness" Sora explained to everyone who was listening very closely to everything he had to say.

To say that the girls hearing this were at a loss of words would be an understatement. Every time it seemed like things were somewhat calming down in Sora's life, then something else would appear and leave his tale to be something that some might consider ridiculous or outright unbelievable, but the truth was that it was really all true. And all that information still hadn't covered the boy's abilities.

"I… How…" Jean Bart muttered, trying to find the right words but couldn't.

"Sora…" Mikasa quietly said while glancing at the boy…no, the man before her.

Girls like Zuikaku and Takao had one thing come to mind now while looking over at the spiky-haired boy. He was a warrior unlike any they thought possible. The difficulties he had gradually glossed over led the two to believe that based on the war he was involved in that he was a stronger opponent than they originally thought. Even the Red Crane who had thought she was starting to get an idea of the boy's power was left feeling like she hadn't even come close to just how strong he was. Something that got her feeling… excited and eager to speak with him again.

"Sora."

Seeing who was talking to him, he found out that it was Nagato who spoke up.

"Yes, Lady Nagato? Is something up?"

"Based on what I'm hearing, it seems like there is more to your story."

"Heh, you have no idea. I'd like to think I'm giving a very short description of everything that I've experienced. And yet, there is so much more that I need to discuss" he replied while ruffling the back of his head.

"And I truly thank you for telling us all this information, but I do have a question for you that is piquing my interest."

Curious about what she was thinking, the boy decided to find out.

"I'd be happy to answer."

"Thank you. Now then, on the subject that you are from another world… I believe that you are telling us the truth. I believe you and I believe that if we are to better prepare for the Heartless as they have aligned themselves with the Sirens, then I would ask that you continue to help us deal with this strange foe."

Without evening needing a second to respond, Sora made his stance very apparent.

"Of course! I'll do everything I can to help you all. And speaking of the Heartless working with the Sirens, that's a situation that I fear will backfire on them soon."

"Oh? …Why is that?" Shinano asked aloud.

"Because the Heartless aren't exactly what I would call the most loyal servants. Sure, someone might be able to control them due to how strong their influence with darkness might be. But the Heartless have conquered many other worlds before. Who's to say that they wouldn't randomly change sides and attack whoever is commanding them" Sora explained to the white-haired girl.

This set an uneasy mood to become once again apparent in the council room.

"…Is there any way to stop this darkness? To stop these Heartless?" Richelieu asked, hoping that Sora would have the answer.

His response was to raise his right hand out and summon his Keyblade in a burst of light while raising it for everyone to see.

"This. The Keyblade is the only weapon that I know of that will completely defeat the Heartless. Of course, anyone can kill a Heartless with any weapon but given enough time they will come back and continue to seek out people's hearts and ultimately the heart of the world."

"So… they are like zombies?" Shoukaku commented which stopped Sora.

"I… I guess? Maybe? Not sure what a zombie is but if it keeps on coming back after you think you defeated it, then yeah, it's like a zombie" he responded, not sure if he's encountered a zombie before. He would have to think about it some more later.

Some of the girls immediately wanted to start chuckling at not knowing what a zombie was but instead, they kept quiet.

"That seems like an unfair situation," Jean Bart said, voicing her inner thought.

"It is. There aren't that many Keyblade wielders around anymore. Sure, my friends are Keyblade wielders but compared to in the past there are only a few. Not to mention, the place where the evil organization wanted their war was in a place called the Keyblade Graveyard."

"And…" Mikasa spoke up earning Sora's attention. "I take it that this Keyblade Graveyard was in a different world?"

Noticing how Mikasa said that he nodded his head solemnly.

"Yeah, that was the place of the first Keyblade War where wielders fought over the ownership of light. I'm not as familiar with that story and haven't looked all that deep into it but…"

"I see, thank you for answering, Sora."

Nodding at her response, the spiky-haired boy now turned to Nagato who hadn't said anything else aside from earlier. Maybe she was just listening intently?

It would be a moment until anyone said anything, but Nagato was the one to break the silence.

"Thank you, Sora. There's a lot to consider but for now, I would ask if there's anyone else who might still take issue with the fact that he claims to be from another world."

Scanning the council room, he saw that the girls who had looked a bit unsure about whether he was telling the truth were now expressing that they believed him. He was also sure others were still iffy on the whole idea of him being from another world but were doing their best to believe him even if it didn't make sense. He would have to thank them later.

Nobody seemed to say anything.

---

"Well then, with nothing else to add to Sora's situation now, we can begin addressing our next overall goal of this meeting" Nagato proclaimed for everyone to hear.

An overall change in topic and conversation.

"As we discussed before Sora arrived, the teardown of the Red Axis is something that we in the Sakura Empire and members of the Iron Blood have agreed upon. Those in the Sardegna Empire and Vichya Dominion is there anything else you wish to say now?" Mikasa addressed Littorio, Vittorio, and Jean Bart who were on the spot now.

Looking over at her sisters, Littorio did not appear to have anything to say but her eyes conveyed a message to her sister. One that she immediately understood.

"No, there is nothing we have against this decision. However, therein lies the topic that I believe we should at least discuss seeing that we have almost all the other factions associated with Azur Lane here now" Vittorio stated aloud.

"Hmm, please do tell us, Vittorio, what it is that you wish to discuss," Queen Elizabeth said from her seat having remained quiet for most of the meeting since Sora arrived as had been the case with those in Azur Lane who had heard a version of his tale before.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Taking a step forward, Vittorio began her speech. "We are well aware that this dismissal of the Red Axis is sure to send shockwaves across our different nations… things will be different. But I do hope there is a common ground that you all have abided by or at the very least given some thought to."

Enterprise, who was another who had been quiet this whole time, was the one who spoke up this time.

"We have. We in Azur Lane already discussed this prior to your arrival but we will abide by our already established grounds. *sigh* With the involvement of the Heartless now working with the Sirens, it's time that we find a path forward together as one force to fight back against the foes that wish our world harm."

Many of the girls could wholeheartedly agree with the Grey Ghost's comment. They had spent time and effort fighting against one another when in reality their true enemy was getting stronger and becoming more dangerous, and now involving the Heartless, it escalated the situation to an even more extreme level.

"As Enterprise says, we have no desire to make our soon-to-be allies our enemies once again. Time is of the essence as we saw with the invasion from the Heartless and Sirens" Queen Elizabeth affirmed Enterprise's answer even more.

"Nevertheless, it's also something that needs to be considered that the Siren fleet working in collaboration with the Heartless which was assumed to be commanded by Purifier who Sora had a close encounter along with support from Prinz Eugen" Hood stated which got the white-haired girl to nod her head.

The Iron Blood girl wanted to make a witty remark about helping Sora but could see that now was not the time. Perhaps she would say it later…

"Purifier was not that threatening of a foe. However, seeing that she reappeared so quickly after her first bout against Sora, and I is concerning" Prinz Eugen said.

"Which supports what I'm trying to ascertain. The Sirens working with the Heartless might be having affiliations that we know nothing about" Hood continued saying.

"Dark power…" Sora mumbled which everyone heard. "It's not crazy to think that the Sirens are looking into what kind of power they can take or manipulate while working with the Heartless meaning that things might get flipped upside down."

"Leaving us behind in the dust. Witnessing their forces gain access to a power we do not have an ounce of" Bismarck contributed to the conversation while glancing over at Hood who had caught her staring at her.

The idea that the Sirens were gaining new power and abilities by working together with the Heartless who had just been talked about by Sora destroying worlds left the girls feeling a bit worried. However, their concerns would be halted as Amagi spoke up from her seat.

"Then… what is to be our next move?"

Moving her hand to press what looked to be a button next to her, Nagato did so and immediately a bright blue light appeared from the back of the council room followed by what appeared to be a giant white screen to drop down behind her while being suspended in the air. It was the setup of a projector broadcasting on a white backboard.

"Here."

On the screen, there was now what appeared to be a map of the world with several flags planted at what could be considered the other faction's home bases. Sora also spotted what looked to be Azur Lane's base on the screen.

"We are receiving live updates from our scouts and have also collaborated with Azur Lane's reports regarding any sightings of Siren activity and were met with this."

Reaching under her seat, Nagato pulled out what could be described as a little pen that sent out a red beam of light. Something that reminded Sora of a laser without the burning part of it.

"In the north of the Pacific, there was a ping sending out quite the signal. Her Majesty and others in Azur Lane are awaiting any further updates regarding this ping but that is where we should focus a portion of our attention" Nagato elaborated to everyone.

"We are also waiting for our allies up north to confirm if there is any activity near their borders" Prince of Wales stated.

Seeing that there was a plan in play, Amagi hummed to herself. Glad to hear that even with all the chaos that had occurred not that long ago, there were steps forward to clear away the darkness that had parked itself at their island… their home.

"That's good to hear…"

"Mm. So then, what is to be our next move?" Richelieu asked, staring up at Nagato.

Pressing another button at her seated area, the screen popped up what appeared to be blue ships covering most of the area highlighted on the map. Sora suspected that those would be the girls.

"Once we have received intel from our scouts abroad, then we can make ready to have several fleets out on a striking mission. It all depends on how the situation is playing out there in the area" Nagato stated as a matter of fact.

"But until then, there isn't really much anything we can do but be on standby" Mikasa replied, casting a glance at everyone listening.

With that being the game plan, Sora let his thoughts wander while it appeared that the other leaders from the other factions had something to say, but he tuned everyone out and began considering his own plan of action.

'The Heartless could also be sprouting from something else happening in this world. Not that it wouldn't surprise me if it was somehow connected to the Sirens, but still, what should I do next? I haven't really had a chance to do a checkup on myself and what other abilities I might still have, or which powers have been affected. Nothing felt off during the Heartless and Siren invasion but I'm also missing a few of my keychains. There were a couple that would have come in handy if I still had them. *sigh* I still haven't even considered how I can help the girls in their fight with the Sirens. I need to see if I still have the ability to summon that pirate ship attraction again. That could allow me to help the girls out on the water when it comes to ship fighting. The closest thing I know about naval fighting was from Captain Jack and I don't think those same rules apply here…'

For a good minute, the spiky-haired boy had taken a thinking pose while he was pondering what his next steps would be not just when it came to dealing with the Heartless but what else he should be doing since he still wasn't that familiar with this world. There was a great deal for him to learn and knowing that time wasn't something he had, he would need to find a way to progress forward with a plan that-

"Uh, Sora, hello?"

The sound of someone calling out to him dragged him back to his senses which also threw him off when he saw someone's hand waving in front of him.

"Huh? Oh! Enterprise, what are you doing?"

The white-haired girl was right next to him while observing him for anything unusual but kept a small grin plastered on her face.

"I think I should be the one asking you that."

"What? How come?"

"Have you checked your surroundings?"

Not sure what she was getting at, the brunette did so and expected to see everyone staring at him while having confused looks on their faces for him being lost in thought when he was met with an even bigger surprise. Nobody was in the council room anymore.

"What the- What happened?" Sora asked his white-haired friend.

"Well, after Nagato continued discussing more of the situation at hand along with a rough idea for a battle plan once our scouts sent word back, she dismissed everyone while she and a few others went to continue their talks about what else needed to be talked about regarding the future of the factions working together. Queen Elizabeth and a few others went with her, but I decided to stay back once I saw that you weren't moving when the meeting was adjourned. Everyone kind of thought you were in a trance and decided to not bother you and wait until you were done gathering your thoughts" Enterprise explained to the spiky-haired boy.

"Oh… that's kind of embarrassing."

Letting out a happy-sounding chuckle, Enterprise shook her head.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. After all, you did explain quite a bit of information to everyone. It's only fair to think that you needed a break."

Putting on an awkward smile, Sora had to agree with her there.

"Yeah, and truthfully, I still haven't told you or anyone else the true extent of how deep my journey goes. I think even the short version of my long story will still be long if you can believe that" Sora sheepishly said to her.

"Hm. Well then, seeing that things are calming down, maybe we'll have the chance to sit down and hear that story." Tipping her hat to the side, Enterprise took a few steps forward before glancing over at Sora. "If that's alright with you, of course."

Smiling widely at her, Sora happily replied.

"Of course! Though, that does lead me to wonder how I should tell you about my adventures in the other worlds. Should I start from the beginning or sprinkle in some parts from other adventures that stood out? Gah! There's so much to tell."

Walking toward the council room doors, Enterprise beckoned for the Keyblade wielder to follow her.

"Well, why don't we grab a bite and sit down? That way we can talk and see what happens next. What do you say?"

The answer Sora wanted to give her was a resounding yes but the answer he did give was the sound of his stomach grumbling quite loudly that it caused him to bring a hand up to his mouth and cough into it. An awkwardness was now present for the world-traveling boy.

"Ah… does that answer your question?"

This caused the two of them to start laughing while making their way out of the council room. Along with Enterprise letting out a small barely noticeable fist pump with her hand that was furthest away from Sora to see. She was now another step closer to spending time with the boy while also getting to hear more about his adventures and the experiences he lived through which might give her an even better depiction of his character. Something that she wanted to learn more about as of late.

---

Meanwhile not that far away from the council building

Zuikaku and Shoukaku were standing next to a small pond that was housing various fish that were swimming around quite peacefully. The meeting in the council room had been dismissed and while everyone seemed to venture away from the building to go about their day since there wasn't anything major, they could do now, the two decided to spend a minute processing everything that had been said along with the stark truth bomb about Sora.

"*sigh*"

"Zuikaku? Is something bothering you greatly? You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"Sis, it's nothing."

Bluntly staring at her younger sister, the white-haired crane calmly walked up to Zuikaku and flicked her on the forehead.

"OW! What? Why did you do that!?"

"Because you're not saying what's bothering you. All you're doing is mopping around while leaving me with nothing to work with."

"It's not like that, sis. I'm just… trying to process things still."

"About the resolving conflict between Azur Lane and what Lady Nagato and the others had to say… or…" A wide grin appeared on Shoukaku's face. "Are you thinking about a certain spiky-haired boy?"

Seeing that there was no getting out of this situation, Zuikaku let out a defeated groan while mumbling something to herself before addressing her sister.

"Yes… I'm not that concerned about what was discussed in the meeting. Rather, it's Sora who is on my mind."

"Oh! This is surprising." Bringing a hand up to her mouth, the white crane let an amused chuckle escape her lips. "I would have thought you'd be too shy to truly say what was on your mind."

"I-I might be shy at some things, but when it comes to him I… there's a lot to take in."

Shoukaku knew exactly what Zuikaku was getting at. The realization was that Sora was more than they initially thought and even then, he exceeded any of their prior speculations. The boy was not from this world at all.

"You're right about that. Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I'm becoming quite curious to hear a tale or two about his adventures in the other worlds that he's visited" she said to the brunette.

The Red Crane simply nodded her head while glancing down at the fish again. Her thoughts wandered around her head at an incredible speed.

It was at this point that a moment of silence resonated itself between the two that Shoukaku decided to straighten her clothes out and grabbed her sister's hand.

"Huh? Sis? What are you- "

"I have a plan."

"You do?"

"Yep. We are going to go see Sora."

"Wait! Now!?"

"Yep."

"B-But won't others be surrounding him? How are we going to be able to talk to him?"

Pulling Zuikaku's arm so that she was now forced to look into her eyes, Shoukaku laid it out flat and bluntly what was currently on her mind.

"Easy. We walk up to him and ask if we can find a place to sit and chat. Besides, if we don't take the initiative now, then there will be others who jump at the chance of talking and overall getting closer to him."

The brunette couldn't fathom why her sister was jumping at this solution. "But wouldn't it be best to ask him to chat some other time?"

"Zuikaku."

A look of outright seriousness was displayed on the White Crane's face. Her expression read that this was a serious matter.

"There is no time to waste at all. These are dire circumstances… We are at war."

The girl blinked her eyes several times before saying anything.

"Well, yeah. The Sirens now working with- "

"No, no! Not that kind of war. A war of love."

"Love?"

"Hai… I swear, sometimes you are the smartest person I know but there are times when you are utterly clueless. It's like you turned your brain off."

"H-HEY!"

If she was going to help her younger sister not only in the friendship department followed in the romance category, Shoukaku was going to need to knock some sense into her.

"You like Sora, don't you?"

"G-Geh!? What does that have anything to- "

"Yes, or no?"

"Like is a strong word is it not?" Zuikaku tried aruging.

"..."

Silence followed as Shoukaku was waiting for her sister to realize her blossoming feelings.

"…Yes…"

"Well then, seeing that we have just met it would be right to get to know more about him. Find out his likes and dislikes and since you two seem to have a good time chatting with each other, then getting to him the sooner will be better for you" Shoukaku explained to her beautiful yet dumb at times sister.

"But where would he be? Is he still in the council room thinking?" Zuikaku questioned her.

"Hmm. That's a good point. Well, it wouldn't hurt to poke our heads in and see what he's up to. Come on."

Seeing that there was no way to dissuade her sister, Zuikaku followed suit while also feeling her cheeks warm up and her stomach feel like butterflies were bouncing around her insides. Is that what the feeling of having a crush was like? It was an entirely new experience for the Red Crane, and she had to be honest… it felt nice.

---

Elsewhere not that far away from the council building

Standing next to what could be described as a fox shrine structure, three kitsune sisters were stopped in front of a small fox statue and taking in the pleasant view before them. They had thought it would be a far-fetched dream to be together like this once again. Akagi and Kaga were hesitant quite more so for Akagi, but Amagi seemed to take in the breath of fresh air surrounding her.

The older kitsune sister seemed to become quiet which caused Kaga to reach out to her.

"Sister Amagi? Is everything… alright?"

Turning to address her sister kindly, the brown-haired girl smiled kindly at her.

"All is well, Kaga. I'm just… taking in everything around me that I thought I never would be able to experience again. As that saying goes, people don't really appreciate what they have until it is taken away from them. And while you may think that I did so before, now I would truly like to do so with the second chance I have been given. All thanks to Sora" Amagi stated while spotting a lone fox dragging along two other small foxes.

Almost as if she was staring at a mirror. A coincidence if you could believe it. But one she would happily welcome.

"Amagi… what can you tell us about what Sora did for you? I- " Kaga had stopped herself as she shot a look over at Akagi who had been suspiciously quiet for quite some time. It was starting to become out of character for her.

"It's alright, Kaga. What's done is done. I have simply accepted my punishment and will continue to work toward redemption from those I hurt" Akagi responded while off-handedly spotting the trio of foxes bustling away from sight.

The girl was going through many different emotions plaguing her along with the realization that her sister was truly saved. It might have clicked with her earlier after the battle but to see her standing there watching her now… it made everything seem so surreal.

"…Akagi."

Hearing her sister call to her, she looked over at her waiting to hear what she had to say.

"You know that I love you, right?"

"O-Of course! Why would I- "

"Because you've been acting not like yourself."

A pained expression was now on Akagi's face.

"I… Everything that I did. It's all starting to settle in now. I was planning on hurting those I care about… all so that I could save you…"

Seeing that the young girl, in her eyes, was reflecting on her actions and how the fallout was starting to play out, Amagi knew that soon enough she would find a way to put things back to the way they were.

"I know, I know. And I know for a fact that you will do what's right to make up for your actions." Coming up to the girl and wrapping her arms around her, Amagi could feel her slightly trembling. "Besides, with our future looking to be filled with hardships, now is the time to right your wrongs."

"That… That will be difficult. Everyone now sees me as a traitor. My friends have distanced themselves while- "

"And?" Amagi bluntly stated.

This left the brown-haired girl confused.

"W-What?"

"Do you really believe that to be the case? That they would all just leave your friendship like that. Sure, there will be difficult times… but you forget who already said they will be in your corner. Who considers you a friend even though you did fight him."

That's right. There was someone who said they would consider her a friend even though she put him through hell in the short time they had met each other. The feelings of everything on top of what may occur in their future had left her feeling emotions that were bottled up inside her that she simply forget the one positive that was in her favor.

Sora.

Just thinking about the boy got the brown-haired kitsune woman to feel her cheeks warm up while also her tails starting to move back and forth slightly.

"Right… I'm sorry, Amagi. I don't know what happened to me… Perhaps it was just the realization of everything happening so far or what will happen that I let dark thoughts stop me from seeing the truth" Akagi hopefully said to her sisters.

This entire situation was something that the three kitsune sisters had not expected to happen at all. Everything they had learned about the Heartless and Sora left them reeling in the fact that many new things were being discovered around them. Along with the fact that more discoveries were waiting to be introduced to them and everyone else.

"Mm. Well then, seeing that you have gotten your balance back…" Amagi moved her head to take a glance over at the council building which wasn't that far away.

Perhaps he would still be there?

"Why don't we go pay our hero a visit? Hm?" she said to both Akagi and Kaga.

"You think Sora is still there?" Kaga questioned Amagi's comment.

"I do. He looked to be in great thought, and I'd like to think that's understandable. A lot has happened involving him in such a short amount of time" she clarified to her younger sister.

Akagi didn't say anything, but it was very telling that she seemed happy with that suggestion based on her tails beginning to move back and forth. Whether it was done purposely or unconsciously neither of the sisters knew, but it was easy to tell that she was having a unique reaction to the boy's name.

"Right then, shall we?" Amagi asked the two girls.

"Will there be others there? Looking to seek his company?" Akagi asked her sister.

The thought of having others surround the boy made her start feeling irritated and even more eager to reach the boy.

"If there are, then it still wouldn't hurt to ask him to join us. Whether it's now or later. I'm sure Sora will find a way to make it happen. Now then, let's get going."

The answer she got was a visibly excited nod from Akagi while Kaga begrudgingly nodded her head while having a distanced expression on her face. She seemed to be having her own thoughts about the boy.

The truth of the matter Kaga was dealing with was that she was feeling a sense of guilt toward the boy and wasn't sure how she should make things right. Sure, she had also been greeted with the consequences of her actions by Lady Nagato, but her sensibility and common sense knew that she had to thank Sora in some way. And in her opinion, a simple thank you would not be enough to truly thank him for what he has done.

He saved her dying sister when nobody else could.

Akagi's attempt was what she originally believed in, but hearing about the ramifications of her actions and how she was ultimately being manipulated to do so. Allowing her to let darkness corrupt her heart and possibly even hurt her if Sora's explanation of dark feelings was to be understood.

This is why she was currently going through quite an internal dilemma when it came to meeting him again.

"Yes! Let's go" Akagi excitedly said which drew Kaga out of her senses.

With no further objections, the three sisters began making their way back to the council building to see if they could take this chance to sit down and have a chat with the boy.

---

Not that far away from the council building

Standing next to what appeared to be a large Cherry Blossom tree, a certain white-haired girl with a red streak in her hair was listening to what her friend had to say.

"Yes, yes, Nimi. I hear what you're saying… but I'm not listening" Prinz Eugen said while admiring the petals that were beginning to fall from the tree offering a beautiful sight before her.

"*sigh* Of course you're not" Nimi defeatedly replied.

"I was listening," Ayanami who was accompanying the hat-wearing said to give her some support.

"Hah… Thanks, Ayanami."

Pushing herself off the tree, Prinz Eugen looked over at the two girls and couldn't help but let a large smile appear on her beautiful face. She was feeling the effects of boredom and wanted nothing more than to find some excitement to appease her. Or rather… a certain someone she had yet to really meet and talk with.

"Say, Nimi, Ayanami, why don't we go and pay our spotlighted hero a visit?"

"Huh? Spotlight… you mean Sora?" Z23 questioned the Iron Blood girl.

"Yep. I'm quite curious to get to know him better. If you know what I mean~" Prinz Eugen said in a very… worrisome tone that Nimi and Ayanami picked up on.

"Won't he be busy?" the Sakura Empire girl commented.

Picking up a petal that was floating right in front of her, the white-haired woman brought it up to her and examined it closely before gently laying it next to the bottom of the tree.

"Perhaps. But I'll be honest… I really do wish to talk with him. We didn't exactly get the chance to have a real conversation. I'd like to change that."

The two shorter girls both looked at each other while realizing that it wouldn't hurt to go and find the boy. They were also a bit curious about him aside and wanted the chance to talk with him. Based on the little that they had heard about him that just made them eager to hear more about his adventures.

"I'm okay with that," Ayanami said.

"…Fine. Don't be surprised when you find a line of girls wanting to talk with him."

"Oh. I won't be. Quite the contrary. Sora is the one who is in for a surprise."

Prinz Eugen stated this while also licking her lips and having an excited look on her face. She could not wait to finally get the chance to have a real conversation with him. It was sure to be a good time.

---

Back with Sora

After coming out of the council building with Enterprise walking right next to him, he had to admit that there were quite a few interesting sights inside the official building. He hadn't had the chance to explore inside and the two spent a few minutes looking around while making sure to not break anything or go anywhere that was off-limits. The Sakura Empire's architecture and art were truly something else.

"Hey, Enterprise, how is everyone back in Azur Lane? Things kind of happened so fast back when I offered myself as a prisoner" Sora asked the white-haired girl.

"Well… to say they were a bit hurt would be an understatement. Some of the girls wanted to charge headfirst into the Sakura Empire and go guns blazing to bring you back. Others were feeling really sad that you were taken away. Unicorn being one of the ones who was sad" she responded to his answer.

"I see…"

The weight of causing the young girl and many others worry due to his rash action to save them from the surprise attack commenced by Akagi and Kaga was starting to weigh on him. He especially felt bad for the purple-haired little girl that saw him in the limelight as a big brother of sorts.

Sora knew that he would need to make it up to them whenever he gets back to the island. Especially when it came to Unicorn since he must've worried her the most. Perhaps he could start working on making her a gift of some kind that would cheer her up. There were several ideas that came to mind but one out of the others stood up greatly. Partly because he was also interested in the idea.

However, that process could wait for another time as he and Enterprise continued to walk a few steps away from the building and were now outside taking in the bright and sunny day slowly coming to a close when he spotted several familiar faces all heading toward him.

Scratch that.

The more his eyes scanned his surroundings, the more he realized that there were now a bunch of girls all walking in the same direction. That direction was toward the council building.

"Uhm… Enterprise?"

"Yeah… I see them, Sora."

One by one, girls that he was familiar with and girls that he hadn't had the chance to meet yet were swarming all around him until it appeared like he was surrounded. Never in his life had he been caught in a situation like this. A drastic and complete change compared to the time when he arrived at Azur Lane and then in the Sakura Empire. Where everyone was once frightened and wary of him were now looking eager to run up to him and do who knows what.

"H-Hi, everyone! Um, what's going on?"

"T-That I-I mean…" Zuikaku was trying to find the right words but ultimately couldn't get anything out.

"Oh? It would seem that… everyone was of the same mind" Shinano spacely said, losing count of how many girls had just appeared out of nowhere.

"Curiosity got the best of us. Or should I say some more than others" Noshiro who was part of the crowd proclaimed.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" Hiei who Sora spotted behind a few other girls said.

"Nay. There's nothing wrong with that. I'd say it's only natural for someone of Sora's standing to gain this much attention. Besides, I was hoping that he and I could have a little… chat" Prinz Eugen stated in a tone of voice indicating that she was here on a mission.

Beads of sweat could be felt on the back of the Keyblade wielder's neck.

"Hey, maybe we can take a minute to- "

"Sora, I hope it wouldn't be too much of a bother, but my sisters and I would love it if you'd join us for a cup of tea and chat for a little while," Amagi asked the boy causing waves to be felt from the crowd.

"…Sora…" Akagi muttered, never letting her eyes wander away from him.

"Sora! Zuikaku and I were just on our way back here to ask you if you wanted to go and grab a bite to eat with us. Plus, my dear sister was really wanting to hear a story or two about your adventures in the other worlds you've visited. Isn't that right, Zuikaku?" Shoukaku said while nudging her sister to take affirmative action.

"Y-Yeah! I would like to hear a story or two… If that would be alright, Sora?" Zuikaku asked in a gentle voice that seemed to be exactly what her sister wanted to hear.

Striking while the iron was hot and since they were surrounded by many others, this was starting to look like the start of the war Shoukaku talked about earlier.

'Two can play at that game' Prinz Eugne thought to herself seeing the Red Crane try to use that shy and gentle tone of voice to win the boy over.

"Sora, we haven't officially had the chance to sit down and chat. I was hoping that you and I would be able to find a cozy spot around here and get to know one another better." The white-haired girl was soon poked in the side by her fellow Iron Blood friend who made it apparent that she was there as well. "Plus, Nimi and Ayanami would like to chat with you."

That did sound nice to the brunette boy, he hadn't been able to chat with Ayanami since their bout back in Azur Lane during the sudden invasion.

"Wait a minute. We would also like to speak with Sora" Noshiro had stated out loud. "There are things we need to ask him to make sure we can trust him."

"Trust him? Where have you been for the past- "Hiei started to say but was abruptly stopped.

"Shouldn't it be obvious? Sora's a boy. W-We have to make sure that he isn't thinking of doing anything shady" the dark-haired girl said which earned several of the girls in the crowd to blush on command.

"Can I speak?" Sora tried asking but was soon drowned out by others speaking up.

The atmosphere surrounding the boy was starting to become worrisome as some of the girls were now either talking amongst each other or were still trying to talk directly to him. Enterprise who was a bit baffled by what was happening slowly moved herself closer to the boy so that her hand was basically a few centimeters away from grabbing hold of his jacket or his hands. She was the first one to ask him to hang out and she wouldn't be giving up so easily.

"Wait! I need to speak with him!" the sound of Yukikaze could be heard.

"Ah! But Lady Shinano and I would like to have a meal with Sora and listen to his tale of saving Amagi" Kashino proclaimed while standing next to the white-haired kitsune woman who had her tails also slightly moving around.

"Takao and I would like to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea with you, Sora. Along with hearing about the various kinds of enemies, you must have fought in your many travels" Atago requested to the boy, smiling brightly at him while her sister was next to her looking hopeful to learn from the otherworldly boy.

"Sora, do you mind if we catch up? I want to tell you a bit more about Shibuya and introduce you to a few of my friends that haven't gotten the chance to talk with you" Kirishima said, gesturing over at several others who were standing next to her. Those girls were Kongou, Akatsuki, Ashigara, and Haruna.

"Nyaa! Sora! We haven't officially met yet, but we should definitely talk. I wish to hear of the different kinds of businesses that you've had the privilege to deal with Nya" a green-haired girl with cat ears and cat-themed sleeves said aloud while having dollar signs imprinted in her eyes.

Being bombarded with questions left and right from all the girls, Sora was starting to become dizzy with all the commotion going on that he didn't know what to do.

That is… until a certain brown-haired kitsune girl slowly walked up to Sora which got everyone to become quiet. Even Enterprise slowly moved so that she was alarmed at what was happening.

Walking up to the spiky-haired boy was none other than Akagi who had a calm normal looking expression on her face. Nothing really seemed to be out of place. However, that soon changed when Akagi's eyes seemed to glow with a red hue around her irises which startled Sora. His confusion would hit a whole new level as he watched the girl bow her head and start speaking to him.

"Sora, if you would so kindly, please join my sisters and me for a meal together where we might chat and thank you for all that you've done for not only my family but… for me as well" Akagi calmly said to the boy.

Such bold words from Akagi caused everyone to raise their eyebrows. Even Prinz Eugen could feel that something wasn't sitting right. She must have had a card up her sleeve for what she was doing.

"And also, that we may discuss your future arrangements given… that I will be with you for now until the end of time seeing that I will be happily and gladly offering you my everything. My love… my heart… and… my body. It's all yours' now~. Heehee."

Annnnnnd that's when everyone realized just what the brown-haired woman was getting at. An uproar began to spread around the buzzing crowd. Eyes went wide and many mouths were left aghast at what was happening before them.

'Sis was right! This is a war!' Zuikaku shouted internally while feeling her cheeks match her dress color.

'Dammit. That sly fox. If she wants to play like that, then so be it. I was only playing it casually but now… 'Prinz Eugen thought to herself, seeing that she would need to heavily go on the advance.

'I-I… can I do or say something to that extreme!? Shouldn't we get to know each other more first?' Enterprise said mentally while not letting Akagi's actions get the best of her.

'Grrr. Senpai! I won't let you get away with this! My dear sweet Zuikaku is getting a win today!' Shoukaku proclaimed loudly in her head.

'Oh my! Sora really is popular now. Looks like Takao and I are going to need to put in some extra effort' Atago commented to herself.

'Things are heating up. And there are other girls who aren't even here yet. What's going to happen when Littorio shows up?' Kashino thought, knowing full well about the green-haired girl's personality.

'This is… troubling. Perhaps I can try to work on my dreams showing me important events like these for the future…' Shinano said to herself, seeing how drastic things were getting for Sora's attention.

After seeing and hearing everyone chatting and somewhat arguing with each other all because of him, Sora knew that he had to do something, and it needed to be fast.

"EVERYONE! PLEASE STOP!"

That did the trick.

Everyone seemed to stop talking and was now staring at the spiky-haired boy with stunned faces.

"Sorry, but I didn't want fights to start because of me." Ruffling the back of his hair, Sora prepared himself for the eager crowd. "*sigh* I really do want to talk with everyone. And getting something to eat sounds good, but maybe we can start working on a plan of sorts."

"What kind of plan?" Enterprise asked, curious about what he had in mind.

"Something that will let me meet with people faster and not cause any problems. I know there's a lot you all want to ask of me, and I would be happy to do so. However, I won't do that if fights are breaking out" Sora stated with a tone that some could even say sounded like a leader.

"Something to get things done easier…" Kaga muttered.

Taking a second to think about his plan, Sora had just the right idea to make things right.

"*snap* How about this, if you girls can get into groups, then I can try to go around to different groups and chat with everyone while having a good time rather than forming a line or something silly like that" he added.

Each of the girls took a moment to think about his idea and decided that that would be the best way to meet with many girls while still being able to enjoy himself without being bothered.

"I'm ok with that."

"Yeah, that works."

"Nobody has to get hurt this way."

"Yeah!... wait what?"

"So, who is grouping with who?"

Another problem that he would have to work around.

"What about this…"

Glancing over at Enterprise, he knew that she was the first person to ask him to chat and he would not dismiss her at all. Plus, out of everyone here, she was the one who he knew the longest. She was someone that he could rely on a great deal.

"How about Enterprise, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Kashino, and Shinano as the first group? And then Amagi, Kaga, … Akagi, Noshiro, and Hiei. And then, everyone else grouped up together. Does that sound ok?" Sora questioned the girls standing all around him.

Nods were being sent his way as he had managed to find a way out of a situation that could have turned so much worse. Not to mention, he was still a bit shocked by what Akagi had said to him and was doing his best to keep it at bay until he had a chance to talk with her. Plus, he also wanted to check on Amagi and Kaga to see if they had any questions, they couldn't ask him earlier.

"I think that works out well. What do you two think?" Enterprise asked the Crane sisters.

"We'd be honored to join you, Grey Ghost. I know my sister thinks the same way, right Zuikaku?" Shoukaku said to her sister.

"Yeah, thank you for hearing us out, Sora" Zuikaku happily replied.

"I'm also grateful that we'll get the chance to listen to your stories, Sora" Kashino added while she and Shinano were walking up to the group.

"Yes… I'm quite excited" Shinano responded with a smile on her face.

From the side, Akagi's hand had turned into a fist but slowly let go and went back to a relaxed form. She would for sure get her chance to speak with the boy and it would be with her sisters along with Hiei and Noshiro who didn't seem to pose that much of a problem to her. Her excitement for getting the chance to talk with the boy was swelling in her chest.

It was also at this point that the other girls started to form groups amongst themselves to pair up for when Sora would be able to talk with them. Prinz Eugen was fine with this idea since she was with Ayanami and Nimi and had room for a few more girls to join them. She looked over to spot Takao and Atago chatting with Ayanami and suspected that those two would be joining her group. However, she couldn't help but be slightly worried that other girls were not present but would hold more merit due to having closer relationships with him.

'Hood, Prince of Wales, Illustrious, Littorio, Vittorio, and Jean Bart. Oh, can't forget the Cardinal. She's an unexpected wild card that needs to be watched closely.'

With the girls starting to disperse and leave the area likely to give Sora and the others some space the once tension and bombarding area outside the council room was calming down. However, he was now left with another very important question that lay at his feet. He needed to confide in Enterprise, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Kashino, and Shinano for help in this matter.

"So… does anybody know where we can get some good food?"

Notes:

*A/N* - Greetings again. Glad to see you reach the bottom of the chapter. I apologize for the super long wait on this one. June has been an eventful month that I did not foresee. But I can say that things are progressing somewhat well story-wise. We have a bit of a rest period where nothing new is happening until the scout ships return which means that Sora will be dealing with even more craziness. In the form of girls gunning for his attention and other things regarding the heart. As much as I would love to get through to everyone one of the Sakura Empire girls, I'm going about it in groups so that way multiple girls spend time with him, but later on expect more one-on-one moments between the Guardian of Light and the girls that are part of his eventual, soon-to-be harem. Thanks so much for sticking around and checking the story out. Until next time, take care.

Chapter 16: Sakura Hangouts

Summary:

In the midst of all the new and exciting events developing within the Sakura Empire with the other factions coming together, Sora's going to be finding himself spending some time with a number of the girls. Three groups of girls will be meeting with the boy and get the chance to hangout with him. It's going to be quite the eventful time for the Guardian of Light. A moment of peace and tranquility before things gets hectic again.

Notes:

*Disclaimer* - I do not own the copyright to Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane

*A/N* - Hello there, glad to see you again. First off, I'd like to thank everyone who has checked the story out along with leaving their thoughts on what's going on. I enjoy reading everyone's thoughts and opinions about what's good or bad for the story. Secondly, with the situation that Sora's gotten himself in, it's safe to say that things are going to get… scary for our beloved Keyblade wielder. The girls of Azur Lane are… not a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, there will be some plot points that should answer some questions I've seen along with showcasing how Sora's power will continue to wonder and amaze the girls. Nevertheless, I hope you'll enjoy or find the chapter and story entertaining and stick around for the foreseeable future. Take care and enjoy.

The old saying of doing anything with a group of friends will be twice as enjoyable could heavily be applied to Sora's current situation.

After having somewhat sorted out the issue of the barrage of girls asking him to hang out and get the chance to talk, he was now walking along one of the paved roads to a restaurant that Kashino suggested that they all head to as it would allow them to sit down and talk as well as eat.

Sora's sudden infatuation with being hungry all the time was starting to make him realize how much Donald and Goofy helped provide meals while traveling to different worlds. It also got him thinking that he hadn't exactly had still moment to do some cooking of his own. He'd have to change that once he had a moment to himself which… based on how things were looking that might not be happening for quite some time.

Nevertheless, coming back to his surroundings, the blue-eyed boy was now feeling a pair of eyes staring at him with such intensity that he felt that holes were going to appear in his body. Turning his head, he found the culprit that was looking at him. A certain brown ponytail-haired crane was the one.

"Uh… Zuikaku, is something wrong?" he asked, unsure what the girl was doing.

"N-No! Nothing's wrong. I'm just… trying to find the right words to say to you" the Auspicious Crane stated while looking a bit thrown off.

A confused expression was now present on the Keyblade wielder's face.

"Ah, don't mind my silly little sister, Sora. She's just feeling a bit… what's the right word… "Shoukaku said while putting on a cheesy smile and thinking of the right word.

"Awestruck?" Enterprise commented while walking ahead of the Crane sisters.

"Yes! That's the word. Thank you, Enterprise" the white crane addressed.

A humble nod was seen from the cap-wearing white-haired girl.

"Why… is that so, Zuikaku?" Shinano who was walking next to Enterprise asked.

Put on the spot, the ponytailed brunette couldn't help but start feeling her cheeks get warm with all the attention drawn toward her.

"It's nothing… I've just got a lot of questions on my mind, and it all revolves around Sora" Zuikaku reasoned.

"Me? Does it involve what I said back at the council room?" the boy in question asked.

"Yes, it does. A lot actually."

At this point, she glanced down at the ground and then back over at the boy. Her mind was considering asking him one question that was bothering her now and ultimately… she decided to go for it.

"Sora."

"Hmm? Yeah, what's up, Zuikaku?"

"How… how strong are you… really?"

With everyone still walking, each of their reactions could be summed up as wanting to turn around and stare at the girl while being taken aback by what she just asked. It was an out-of-the-field question that neither of them expected her to ask, or at the very least the way she asked it was in no way predicted. Shoukaku even had a slightly concerned look on her face as she glanced over at her sister.

Wanting to gather his thoughts and provide a sure enough answer to the girl, Sora lowered his gaze down to his hands which had been lifted for him to see clearly. That was certainly a question he had glossed over during his time in this world but being asked it outright, he wasn't sure what to think. A sudden summary of his thoughts started to play out at a fast pace covering every challenge he had encountered. It took less than a moment to know what his answer would be.

"I'm… I'm not sure exactly" he said in a distant tone.

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Eh?"

"Hmm, that's a strange reply."

Reactions from the girls were varied but Zuikaku hadn't said anything and looked over at his eyes which had been shifted to look at hers as well.

"You all heard my story back at the council room. Enterprise has known about it the longest followed by me telling Shinano myself…" the spiky-haired clarified.

The two girls that knew of the boy's situation before the meeting simply nodded their heads.

"But I didn't go into great detail back at the meeting. Some of the stories I have to share are…hard to comprehend. To the point that you'll be thinking that I'm making things up. But… it's all true. From fighting regular people to magical beings to the Heartless. I have a lot to talk about…" Sora explained for everyone to hear.

Everyone had intrigue written all over their face and was growing eager to hear what the boy had to say even more than before.

"How many stories do you have to share?" Kashino asked.

The boy couldn't help but grin at what she was asking.

"A whole lot more than you're thinking. Some of the stories I can share range from multiple stories from one of my adventures while others are a collection of experiences that I've had visiting just one world."

Once again, excitement and intrigue were captured on the girls' faces. Moreover, Zuikaku had a soft-looking expression on her face which was soon followed by sporting an even more determined look on her face.

"And…how exactly did you get to be so strong?"

"Well, that's going to be tough to explain…" Sora muttered.

It was at this point he really had to ask himself how exactly he got to be so strong. Granted, he lost his powers more than once due to unusual circumstances. His memories being messed with in Castle Oblivion, sleeping for a whole year, going through the Mark of Mastery, and almost getting corrupted by the real Organization XIII. He really did draw the short straw on losing his powers. Riku also went through having his powers tampered with several times, but it was still less than him. Hence, he had to think about where his strength resonated.

This led him to bring a hand over his heart and mumble out the words he was thinking.

"…If I had to give you a straight shot answer, then it would be thanks to my heart."

A stupefied expression was visible on the crane's face with her eyes scanning the boy for any fault with his answer but what she found was sincereness.

"Huh? Your heart?" Zuikaku uttered while surprised by his answer.

The other girls also tilted their heads to the side or raised their eyebrows while processing what the spiky-haired boy just said. An answer like that was something neither of them expected. And yet, it felt oddly satisfying.

"Yeah, my heart is the true answer to my strength." Sora then decided to lean more into a magical explanation along with saying exactly what his heart wanted him to say. "Now that you guys are aware of me being from another world, I can explain what exactly I mean with my heart being what gives me strength."

As if by coincidence, the Red Crane had also shifted herself to be a step closer to Sora while still managing to be walking to the restaurant. From another's point of view, it looked like she was getting closer to the boy so that she could earnestly listen to what he had to say.

"Well, to describe my power in one way, I've gone through several different adventures with every journey having one primary goal to accomplish. And each time something happened where I managed to lose all my powers and had to start all over again from zero" he explained.

"What do you mean start over from zero exactly?" Shoukaku asked, curious about what the boy meant.

A small, defeated laugh escaped his lips.

"I basically lose all my powers."

Wide eyes were on each of the girls' expressions followed by the sudden shift to confusion as it didn't make sense when they thought about it.

"But… wait. You did all those things during the attack and when we invaded Azur Lane's Island?" Zuikaku questioned.

"I guess a bunch of my powers stuck around even after my last journey… I don't really have an answer for that, Zuikaku."

Understanding Sora's entire power level was starting to cause their heads to hurt and resulted in Enterprise throwing a question out there to change the topic.

"Sora, have you ever tried using other weapons aside from your Keyblade?"

"Yep! There's a variety of other weapons that I use."

"Like what?" Kashino added.

The boy brought a hand up to his chin and took on a proper thinking pose.

"Let's see… there's dual pistols, a spear, a hammer, a drill, a rocket launcher, honey pistols, dual wielding, and- "

"Wait, wait, wait. Time out!" Zuikaku said, trying to list everything he was saying down in her head.

"That many weapons…" Shinano commented while in awe.

"I didn't expect you to be a fan of guns, Sora" Kashino said, donning a surprised look.

"A hammer? That doesn't sound too strange, but did you really say honey pistols or am I hearing things?" Shoukaku asked.

"Nope. You heard me right. The honey pistols are like my other pistols only they have the added effect of honey to them" Sora clarified.

While everyone was pondering about the weapons he just listed, Enterprise was curious about something that he didn't say.

"Sora."

"Huh? Yeah, Enterprise?"

"You didn't mention anything about a bow. Is that a weapon you're not well versed in using?" the white-haired girl asked, interest rising in her chest.

Ruffling the back of his head while still moving his feet, Sora had to give it a thought and soon realized that he did not use a bow at all. And neither did any of his weapon transformations switch into a bow and arrow model of attack.

"Hmm. No, I don't think I am. Thinking about it, none of my weapons shift into a bow and I don't ever recall using one so, for the most part, I don't know how to use one."

'Checkmate' Enterprise thought to herself.

"Well, when we get the chance, would you like to learn how to use one?" she asked the boy while taking the opportunity.

The reaction from Zuikaku was that of stunned and with her mouth slightly opened while her sister also sported a shocked expression. This was an out-of-left-field scenario that no one could see coming. Shinano also had one of her fox ears droop down slightly while mentally chastising her vision ability for not seeing this sudden attack from the Grey Ghost. Kashino also looked puzzled and brought a hand up to her mouth.

"Sure! That would be great, Enterprise. Thank you!" Sora replied enthusiastically.

"Not a problem, it's good to learn new things. Though, I've not been a good role model of that saying. It's something my older sister keeps on reminding me and… I think it's time I actually listened to her" the Grey Ghost said while mentally applauding herself on her quick thinking.

The Eagle Union girl figured that this would serve as a double win for the both of them. One was that Sora would learn a new ability and one that he hasn't had the privilege of mastering, and the other was that she could spend some time with the boy seeing that there wasn't anyone else around that knew how to use a bow. It truly was a win-win for her.

The spiky-haired boy couldn't help but nod with a smile on his face. The chance to learn something new… He was always open to trying new things.

Suddenly, without warning, Shoukaku shot up and got close to Sora's face.

"Sora! Don't forget, my sweet and adorable little sister also knows a great deal about various sword techniques. Seeing that you also wield a blade as your main go-to type of weapon, I'm one hundred and ten percent sure that Zuikaku would be more than glad to show you a few new techniques. Isn't that right, sis?" the White Crane said aloud while her voice seemed to zone in solely on Zuikaku in the last part.

"O-Oh!? Right! Shoukaku's absolutely right, Sora. I would be elated- no! Excited to show you a few of the various blade words I've managed to learn. You know what they say, teaching someone is the perfect way of demonstrating what you've learned" Zuikaku eagerly replied while putting on an excited yet anxious face.

It was clear as day what her sister was trying to do for her and seeing that the Grey Ghost had stepped up and played an unexpected card, the Red Crane was not about to be outdone by her rival. The situation revolving around Sora was already apparent at how much attention he was getting, if she didn't swallow her nervousness, then she would be left to watch as the boy was surrounded by others. The Auspicious Crane was not about to let that happen.

"Really? I mean, I wouldn't want to bother- "

"You wouldn't be. Trust me. You wouldn't be a bother at all. Plus, maybe I'd also get to learn more about the different kinds of sword fighting there are out there from the other worlds you've visited, Sora. And…" Zuikaku seemed to slow herself down before being drawn to one aspect of the boy from having talked with him. "…Maybe I'd be able to get a better idea of what strength lies in my own heart."

The way she had said it, Zuikaku had seemingly earned all the girls' understanding with what she said. Trying to completely understand the heart that Sora talked about was something that needed time to fully comprehend but hearing that it played a great deal in how a person evolves and grows… was something they could all agree upon.

"And I'd like to help you in any way I can, Zuikaku."

Hearing the way Sora said those words in a calm yet deeply understanding tone, the brown-haired girl couldn't help but feel a sense of eagerness and excitement wash over her heart. Strengthening her heart might just be the key to becoming stronger for those she holds dear.

"That also goes to you all as well," Sora said, referring to the others. "I know this is a lot to take in all at once. Believe me. Even now there are times I feel confused and need to talk to someone" he said with an aura of friendliness.

"Then… Sora, would you mind telling me more about some of the other worlds you've visited? The ones that are dear to you" Shinano politely asked the boy.

Sporting a wide grin on his face, several worlds instantly popped into his head, and he figured that they would be quite the story to tell.

"Sure thing, Shinano. Let's see… Hmm. One world that I still hold very dear to my heart would have to be when my friends and I became pirates!" Sora exclaimed while thinking of Port Royal.

"Pirates?" Enterprise repeated.

"Huh? That's… not what I was expecting" Shinano mumbled.

"Like actual pirates?" Kashino asked.

"Yep. The kind that sails the open sea though it was in a world where magic was also enthralled in the world" he explained to the girls listening.

At this point, Shinano was heavily interested in what Sora had to say to the point that she barely realized that the restaurant they were heading to was right in front of them.

"Sora…"

"Err. Yeah, Shinano what's- oh! We're here."

Everyone else now realized that the restaurant and open lounge was right before them. Deciding that he could wait to talk more about Port Royal, Sora let everyone else know.

"Hey, why don't we sit down, and then I'll tell you all there is to know about Port Royal."

"That would be lovely."

Hence, the group entered the open area and seated themselves while encountering a few Sakura Empire girls that Sora had not had the chance to meet yet. They looked to be the ones managing the restaurant. What they didn't know at the time was that things would get quite rowdy here soon.

---

The appearance of the restaurant could be described as having a large open lounge area where multiple chairs and tables were spread apart with different kinds of seating followed by a large circular building that had open windows and a door leading to what could be interpreted as the kitchen. It also appeared that a dark-haired girl was inside, but Sora didn't get a good look at her as another girl was coming his way.

"Welcome! How can we help… you… oh! It's you. Sora" one of the new girls addressed the Keyblade wielder.

"Hello. I don't think we've had the chance to meet yet" he reasoned with the girl taking in her appearance.

The girl who he had been speaking to had the appearance of a pair of black slip-on shoes followed by black tights and a dark miniskirt with a red outline followed by a black tank top that cut off above her stomach. She also had a black jacket covering her shoulders and a red bow sitting at the back of her head. Long black hair that reached past her lower back and a set of two short horns were sprouting from her head.

"Nope! But it's still a pleasure to meet you. Everyone is talking about you with high regard. My name is Sakawa, a light cruiser from the Agano-class" the girl now known as Sakawa said, introducing herself.

"Hey there, Sawka, nice to meet you. Do you think we could get a table for six?" Sora kindly asked.

"Not a problem! Hey! Taihou we've got customers" Sakawa shouted out.

Suddenly, another girl appeared coming from the circular building and looked over at the group. Her appearance was that of black thigh-high socks followed by silver and red heels. She was wearing a colorful dress that had part of her sleeves dropping down past her knees. The main color of her dress was focused on red ]with beautiful art on the sleeves. There was also a gold hair ornament in her black hair which was tied into two pigtails that went past her waist.

"Oh? It's you. The boy everyone's talking about."

Making her way over to the group, the black-haired girl also seemed to recognize a few faces.

"Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Kashino, and Lady Shinano it's a surprise to see you here."

"It's nice to see you too, Taihou" Kashino warmly replied.

"I didn't know you were working here?" the White Crane commented.

The girl identified to be Taihou let out a sigh before wiping a hand across her head.

"Wakatsuki had to go and help Suzutsuki with a few things that got destroyed in the Siren attack. We managed to come across each other, which is when she asked me for help. Hence, why I'm here" Taihou clarified.

"Ah, that makes sense" Zuikaku commented.

Turning her attention to Sora, Taihou now tilted her head while taking in his appearance.

"Well, seeing that everyone knows you I should introduce myself. My name is Taihou, aircraft carrier for the Sakura Empire" the black-haired woman said to the boy.

"Hi there, Taihou, it's a pleasure to meet you. I take it that you're also going to be cooking our food?" Sora asked, offering a friendly smile.

"Unless someone else would like to step in and cook, that seems to be the case."

Hearing this, Sora couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth lift into a smile.

"Huh… interesting."

"Sora?" Sakawa muttered.

Glancing over at everyone, the boy knew that he owed them a lot for helping him not only get familiar with this world but for allowing him to help them with their fight against not only the Sirens but now the Heartless. Alas, he figured cooking up a little meal wouldn't be much but still a kind gesture to go by.

"What exactly have you been cooking here Taihou?" he questioned her.

"Yakisoba. Are you familiar with the meal?" she asked.

"Don't think I am. Would you mind telling me about it while I get ready to cook?"

Confusion was evident on the girls' faces especially Taihou who looked more confused than the others.

"Wait. What?"

"Hold up, are you serious?"

"You're gonna cook?"

"Huh?"

"I…I didn't mean it like- " Taihou started to say but was stopped by Sora.

"It's alright, Taihou. I kind of want to take this opportunity to repay everyone here for helping deal with the Sirens and Heartless."

"Heartless?" Sawkawa repeated.

"That can be something we talk about while I'm cooking. Think we could grab a table by the kitchen?" Sora asked the girls.

Still taken aback by the boy's actions, the girl awkwardly nodded before he looked over at Taihou and gestured to her to lead him into the kitchen. Feeling a bit awkward about it all, she hesitantly agreed and made her way into the back with Sora following her. The others were now seated right next to the circular building which had a window directly pointed at them from the kitchen.

It would be a minute before Sora or Taihou showed their face from the kitchen but after eagerly waiting for something to happen the Sakura Empire girl walked out of the building with a smile on her face.

"Taihou? What happened? Where's Sora?" Zuikaku questioned her ally.

Pointing her hand back toward the kitchen, Sora popped his head out and looked to be wearing an apron while holding a pot in his hand.

"I'm here I'm here. I'll be whipping up some Yakisoba for you guys while also telling you a bit about Port Royal."

Interested expressions were now present on the girls' faces.

"I'm feeling a bit giddy now haha" Kashino commented.

"This truly is… exciting," Shinano said, sporting a smile.

"I expect big things from you, Sora!" Zuikaku shouted while smirking in a friendly way.

"Ooh! I can't wait to tell the others about this. It's sure to cause some waves" Shoukaku idly muttered.

"I'm looking forward to however it'll turnout" Enterprise added her own two cents.

Wearing a determined look on his face, the blue-eyed boy did not want to disappoint the girls and would give it his all to get this meal cooked and perfected even though it was his first time working with this dish.

Meanwhile, as he was beginning to cook, he beckoned the girls to listen to what he had to say.

"So, where was I… Oh! Right, Port Royal. Or should I say The Caribbean? Either way, this world has got to be one of my favorite worlds to visit. Granted, I think all the worlds my friends and I visited are amazing. But this world just rings a bit differently for me. I don't know why exactly but the idea that I get to be a pirate is just awesome!" Sora exclaimed while still working on the Yakisoba.

He was also helped by the fact that he had a quick chat with Taihou about how to make the dish along with a recipe to go from.

With Enterprise, Zuikaku, and Shoukaku they were caught a bit off guard when they heard the word Caribbean. It reminded them of a certain light brown-haired pirate that was the sister to the Cardinal. Perhaps there was some sort of connection or otherworldly terminology shared.

"Favorite worlds to visit? Am I missing something here?" Sakawa asked, looking utterly confused.

"Oh right. You weren't at the meeting, huh, Sakawa" the brunette boy asked.

"No, I wasn't. What happened exactly?"

Deciding to get straight to the point, Sora calmly yet nonchalantly caught her up in one sentence.

"I'm from another world and discussed it with everyone that was at the meeting but it's likely to be announced by the others or even Nagato later."

A moment of silence passed while Sakawa was trying to process what she just heard while Taihou wasn't exactly sure what to say or do now.

"…What?"

The dark-haired girl wasn't sure what to think right now.

"It's a bit crazy but the others can speak for me" Sora replied.

Looking at the others, Sakawa was left astounded when she glanced over at the girls and simply saw them nod their heads or smile in a reassuring way to support her. This was a very strange thing to be openly confessed. Taihou on her part was relatively quiet but still had a confused expression on her face.

"I…That's… wow."

"Yeah, it's… a lot to take in. We were lucky to have a moment to process it" Shinano responded.

"If you have any questions, then we'll be here to help" Zuikaku comforted the two girls.

Nodding at her offer, Sakawa decided to go about it at her own pace which also meant that she would hear what Sora had to say. The same could be hypothesized about Taihou as she was still shaken up a bit.

"O-Ok. Um… Sora?"

"Yeah?" he replied from the kitchen.

"You can keep going on with your story…" Sakawa weakly replied.

"Okay! Starting from the beginning, this world was truly something else. The first time I visited that world, my friends and I ended up in the middle of a pirate invasion and had to deal with a bunch of them raiding the town which was called Port Royal."

Realization hit the girls with what he just said.

"Oh! The town was called Port Royal."

"Yep, that's where I first appeared in that world. But following the pirate invasion, we found out that the pirates were imbued with some kind of magic that didn't let my friends and I thrash them. Whenever the moonlight was cast upon them, they became skeletons and basically couldn't die by normal means. However, that just let us get to work on showing them who was new in town."

As Sora told his story, each of the girls was listening in their own unique way paying close attention to everything being said. Enterprise had tipped her hat upwards while tilting her head sideways so she could hear what he had to say clearly. Zuikaku and Shoukaku had leaned forward with the Auspicious Crane sporting a dazzled look while enjoying the story so far, and her sister had a pleasant smile on her face. Kashino and Shinano were seated comfortably while also letting their tails wag a little showing their attention was focused on the boy. Sakawa and Taihou merely had their eyes trained on the window to the kitchen and on the boy as well. Still coming to terms that they were now hearing about an entirely different world.

"After managing to deal with the pirates who later we found out to be cursed, we managed to run into two other interesting characters that soon became our friends in that world. Will Turner was a bladesmith looking to save the love of his life, Elizabeth. And the other being the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow."

Sora couldn't help but smile widely thinking about the friends that he made in that world and how things continued to become even more crazy.

"Oooh. This is getting good" Shoukaku whispered.

"Once introductions were done and over with, we came to a bit of a rough start but managed to make our way to save Elizabeth. Come to find out there was more to the situation than my friends and I thought. You see, after we went to save her, it turns out that Jack had tried to sell Will out to the pirates that took her, but it wasn't just any ordinary backstab. Jack used to be the captain of a ship called the Black Pearl and was betrayed by her crew and the current captain known as Barbossa. They attacked Port Royal and kidnapped Elizabeth because she called herself Elizabeth Turner. This was a twist as Will's blood was needed to stop the curse and allow the pirates to finally stop being immortal along with taking back a gold coin that was a part of the cursed treasure. The pirates came after Elizabeth because she had one of the stolen treasure coins and tried to protect Will by using his last name…" he explained to the girls.

As this continued to go on, the story just became more and more interesting as Sora told everyone how the story progressed and how Jack was captured, and they had to step in to help him along with stopping the cursed pirates and their leader Barbossa. He then went into detail about how Jack was caught up in a close fight and had been bested by being stabbed in the chest. This caused the girls who were actively listening to gasp but then the Keyblade wielder threw them for a loop when he told them that Jack was still alive. Alas, there was a reason for that, and it was because Jack took from the cursed treasure which was in the form of a gold coin. Doing so allowed him to technically become a cursed pirate unable to die.

Undoubtedly intrigue in the story shot up among the girls to the point that even some other girls who were walking by managed to get roped into sitting down and listening to Sora tell his story. Pretty soon, the entire lounge around the building was filled with girls listening to him talk.

Continuing the story, Sora went on to talk about how the Heartless were in cahoots with Barbossa and how he had to deal with both in a final encounter. After a long duel, Jack was able to throw his coin back into the treasure chest with the other coins and managed to shoot Barbossa causing him to laugh but ultimately feel pain as all the pieces were put back leaving the cursed pirates to become normal again.

"Wait? How did this Jack know that all the pieces were in the chest?" Kashino asked.

"The cursed pirates had come together before this all happened and hunted down all the missing pieces. Their goal of wanting to feel and taste and just be normal was an agreed thing. Hence, they went after the missing coins and didn't stop until all the pieces were back in place" Sora explained.

"Oh. They went to that length to be normal again…"

"Living a cursed life must have gotten to them over time" Zuikaku commented on the story.

Nodding with what she said, Sora picked up the story and told them how Barbossa was now defeated leaving the pirates on an even playing field now and stopping the fighting. Moreover, he also said how Will and Elizabeth had managed to get together and that Jack had now reclaimed his ship again.

The girls were all enthralled to hear that this story had a happy ending, but Sora was about to pull a fast one on them.

"But that's not where the story ends from my first time visiting that world."

"It's not!?"

Shaking his head, he then started explaining that he and his friends were brought back to Port Royal later and came across Jack dealing with even more cursed pirates that were destroying the town. After dealing with them, they came across Elizabeth who had told them that Will went to check up on the cursed gold coins which resulted in the gang getting back together again. The story progressed as Sora told them that not only the Heartless, but an evil Organization was the one causing all the problems in this world. The situation quickly changed to him and his friends having to go around the world and gather all the stolen gold pieces again leaving quite the thrilling adventure. The spiky-haired brunette then went on to finish the story about locking the treasure chest for good and tossing it in the middle of the ocean.

Some of the girls were surprised to hear that happened while others were questioning why they didn't do that in the first place. Either way, the cursed treasure was not a problem to worry about now.

Sora then went on to talk about how the group was ready to part ways from each other but mentioned the bit about Jack wanting to take his Keyblade away as a reward for helping deal with the treasure again.

This left the girls shocked that his friend would do such a thing, but Sora had a smug grin on his face as he then told them that the Keyblade can just be summoned back to his hands. This left Jack confused and even more curious about the mysterious blade leaving a heartily good mood to end their adventure in Port Royal and finishing up his first time encountering that world.

"That was… I mean…" Shinano tried to say the right words but was still a bit flabbergasted at what she was hearing.

"No kidding. I'm in awe" Zuikaku added.

"Haha! I'm feeling excited after hearing that story" another one of the girls said.

"Me too! It was so good!"

Enterprise had a thinking pose on her face as she consumed and processed the story into her mind and recalled the discussion, she had heard the first time Sora introduced himself to Azur Lane. How he shared his phone around and based on what she heard from Wales later that same day, she had come to learn that Sora had been wearing a pirate outfit in one of the pictures the Royal Navy girl saw.

"Sora."

"Hmm? Yeah, Enterprise, what's up?"

"When you shared your Gummiphone back in Azur Lane, there was a picture of you in a pirate outfit. I take it that was the other time you visited this world?" she elaborated to the boy.

"You're right on the money. That was the most recent visit to that world."

Confusion was evident on all the other girls' faces.

"Huh? What do you mean pirate outfit, Enterprise?" Kashino questioned the cap-wearing girl.

"The first time Sora broke the news that he was from another world, he told a few of us in Azur Lane and provided some pictures from his phone as proof. I didn't exactly see the picture, but I heard from Prince of Wales that he was dressed as a pirate in one of the pictures. She was also very adamant about how he looked as well" Enterprise explained while keeping that last part to herself.

An abundant amount of interest shot through the metaphorical roof at that point. A good number of the girls were now very interested to see what the boy looked like as a pirate.

"Sora! Do you think… we could see how you looked?" Shinano asked, excitement evident in her voice.

"Yeah! I wanna see!"

Other girls started joining in on the demand and asked the spiky-haired boy to see the photos.

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"Show us!"

"Please! I'm quite curious how you'd look!"

"I-I would like to see too," Zuikaku said, maintaining a red tint on her cheeks.

'Of course, you would sis, hee-hee!' Shoukaku thought while seeing her sister's face match her dress in color.

Hearing all the commotion and interest in wanting to see how he looked dressed as a pirate, the spiky-haired boy couldn't help but shake off a sigh. Making sure the food would not get burnt, he quickly pulled out his Gummiphone and tapped at it several times before gesturing over to Enterprise to come and pick the device up.

"Here you go. You can also check the other pictures of where I visited in the other worlds."

"Thank you, Sora."

Nodding at her thanks, he went back to finishing up the Yakisoba while also realizing that he had gained quite the crowd around the place. This just meant that he would need to make sure the food tasted especially good now.

With Enterprise, she began to look at the pictures and couldn't help but understand why Wales had seemed so… interested in the pictures.

Standing there and posing next to what appeared to be a large duck and dog was Sora who had a red shirt with a yellow outline and a black jacket wrapped around his body with a brown belt around his waist followed by a tricorn hat atop his head. Gray shorts and dark boots while smirking at the camera.

Overall, the boy looked to be giving off a more mature vibe about him but also seemed to still resonate a friendly personality about him. And seeing his friends next to him made the girl smile a bit. His connection with others was truly something to admire.

"Hey! Enterprise is hogging the phone!" one of the girls shouted out.

"H-Hold on, let's just pass it around so everyone can see the pirate picture" she tried to calm the situation brewing.

"Then pass it already!"

Doing as told to prevent a fight from starting, Enterprise handed the phone over to Shinano and Kashino who had gone wide-eyed and were looking back and forth between the actual boy and the image of himself.

"Oh, my!"

"He does… look very dashing."

Next came Zuikaku and Shoukaku who got a chance to look over the picture.

"Well now, I'll be, doesn't he look quite handsome and eye-catching huh, Zuikaku?" Shoukaku teasingly said to her sister.

The Red Crane's reaction could be summarized as her keeping her eyesight on the picture and considering all the little features of his pirate attire. She also couldn't help but stare in a great deal of intrigue at how he looked in different clothes.

"Yeah… he does… I mean! Sure. He does. Why wouldn't he? He's already wearing quite fashionable clothes now. It's only reasonable that he would have other clothes" Zuikaku tried arguing back but was digging a deep hole around herself.

The passing of the phone now reached Taihou and Sakawa and they were quite surprised by how he looked. It was like staring at two different versions of a person and yet it was still the same person.

"Huh? He really does look like a pirate" Sakawa replied, approvingly nodding her head.

"He reminds me of Jean Bart in these clothes" Taihou commented, visualizing the girl's pirate appearance.

Now the phone had gone to the other girls and their reactions were what anyone would expect when something shiny or interesting was in their headspace.

"Wow! He looks good!"

"Those clothes make him look so mature!"

"Can I be a part of his crew?"

"Is he a captain?"

Random comments were made by all the girls which caused the ones part of Sora's first group to sigh outwardly while realizing that everyone seemed to agree that he had looked quite good in pirate gear.

Before anyone else could say anything else, Sora had appeared out of the kitchen and was holding multiple bowls of Yakisoba looking quite delicious. He also made the skill of carrying multiple dishes look like it was something so simple yet many of the girls could remember trying to do such a thing and losing all the food to the ground or watching as someone else slipped and dropped the food.

"Here you go, right out of the kitchen!" the boy shouted with sheer joy.

One by one, all the girls who were seated had been served as the boy confidently walked back into the kitchen and came out ready to serve even more of the girls' Yakisoba. Without waiting too long, Enterprise and the others were now served as it appeared everyone else had a plate in front of them and was waiting for the food to cool down. The time for chow had now commenced as girls all around started tasting the food and had mixed reactions on their faces.

One of the girls even managed to drop what she was holding onto and couldn't help but go wide-eyed. Another was so shocked by what she was tasting that she couldn't believe it and had to pinch herself.

"It's… It's so good!"

This caused the other girls to taste the food and all express immense positivity around the dish. Enterprise and Zuikaku shot each other a look before trying the food out and they also became shocked. The Red Crane's face flushed with a bright red color before she started diving headfirst into the food. The others also started eating the Yakisoba and couldn't stop themselves.

All in all, everyone was enjoying the food.

Sora had made sure the kitchen was all tidy and left as he found it while taking off the apron he borrowed and grabbed himself some Yakisoba before heading over to the girl's table.

"How is it?" he asked, trying to get a review of his cooking.

"Are you kidding me!?" Shoukaku shouted.

"Huh!? What? What is it?" Sora asked, feeling a bit worried now.

"This is amazing! How did- How did you make this!?"

"I… just cooked it by following the recipe?"

Taihou on her part couldn't help but tear up at how good the food was tasting. There was no way she could ever achieve this kind of taste and deliciousness. Letting Sora take over as cook was one of the greatest decisions ever made.

"Sora…"

"Yeah, Taihou, is something wrong?"

"…Thank you. *sniff* Thank you for this delicious meal!"

The boy got his review on his food right there.

"That's great to hear. Let me see how it ended up tasting."

Taking a moment to enjoy his food, Sora had to agree that it tasted good but realized that there were some things that he could have done better. His time cooking with little chief had taught him how to handle food critique and what to do to get a better result the next time.

"Mm-hm. This is good. There's a couple of things that could have been done better but for the most part, it's really good" he said while digging into his Yakisoba.

"Things that could be good!? What can you do better? This is amazing!" one of the girls shouted.

Swiping his thumb across the top of his nose, Sora cleared up a bit of his thinking.

"Just a few little things that would have made a difference. I don't want to downplay or boast about my cooking, but I learned from one of my friends that it's okay to keep on wanting to improve your cooking. Funny enough, the one who taught me how to cook was actually a rat."

All the girls suddenly stopped eating and had extremely confused expressions covering their faces.

"…What? Sora, do you want to repeat what you just said…" Zuikaku stammered.

"My friend who taught me to cook was a small rat. Is that what you want- "

"EEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!"

Screams were heard from the girls causing quite the shockwave to spread around the area.

"WHY!?"

"How could…"

"Wait, wait, hear me out!" Sora exclaimed seeing that they all got the wrong idea.

"Explain yourself!" Enterprise shouted out while still in disbelief at what she was hearing.

Standing up and gaining everyone's attention, Sora cleared his throat and began his explanation.

"My friend, who is a rat, is named little chef and he helped teach me to cook by controlling my hands with my hair" he explained.

This did not give him the result he was expecting as the girls looked even more weirded out.

"I-I don't know what to say…" Shoukaku replied.

Other girls also nodded their heads agreeing with the White Crane's comment.

Seeing that he was just walking putting himself into a deeper hole, the Keyblade wielder decided to do his best and show how little chef controlled his hands.

"Ok, ok. Just watch."

With his plan in action, Sora lifted his right hand to his head and started fumbling around with his hair and took a minute to find the exact way little chef maneuvered his body. The girls simply watched and had many more questions pop into their heads about the boy. Before any of them could voice their newfound concern, they were momentarily stunned by what was occurring now.

Suddenly, Sora's left hand went flying upward and slapped right through the air. He then adjusted his grip on his hair to lift his hand into the air and began to lightly wave it at the girls. Questions and disbelief were abundantly flowing around the lounge as everyone was utterly flabbergasted and unsure if what they were seeing was true or not. Some girls even had to be pinched or splash some water on their faces to understand what was going on.

"No way…"

"You've got to be kidding me…"

"I…I have no words…"

"Sora… how?"

A smirk appeared on the boy's face.

"It's like I said, I have a friend who is a little rat that is an amazing chef. Don't worry, he's a master chef and understands all the policies and rules about cleanliness and sanitization around the kitchen. Using people's hair is one way he's able to get things cooked faster than trying to lift heavy things which would take a lot longer. He's also able to get multiple things done as well" the brunette explained his friend's methods.

Were the girls to hear this kind of conversation from anyone else, then they would be labeled as crazy and might need to go talk to someone. But because it was Sora saying all this and he already clarified that he was from another world, it was more understandable. Besides, nobody had ever seen anybody control another part of their body with their hair. This was a whole new concept unveiled before their very eyes.

"Wow…"

"Did not expect to see something like this ever…"

The girls were still reeling from the situation and couldn't help but gawk and slowly come to terms with how Sora was taught how to cook. This would be something they would never forget about.

"So, seeing that you all learned how I started cooking, what did you think of the Yakisoba?" Sora asked, getting the conversation to go back to a normal topic.

This proved to be a good move on his part as the girls had a re-realization that the food tasted beyond anything that was thought possible for a dish like Yakisoba. The idea that Sora learned from a small rat who controlled his body started to get them curious as to what else the boy could cook or for some girls the thought of tasting something the little chef whipped up by himself was becoming a more sought-after idea. Besides, when the kansens really thought about it, the idea of little chef started to sound more relatable to their own animal supporters with sensible behavior.

The Meowfficers and Manjuus.

They were companions who helped manage and support the girls with their equipment, ship maintenance, and daily life foundations. Essentially taking the role of supporting crew for the girls throughout the different factions. Hence, with this idea now in play, the idea of little chef didn't sound as bad. Some girls started scolding themselves for being so distraught with the idea at first but were now feeling a bit bad about thinking negatively about Sora's teacher.

Alas, one girl did decide to speak up while everyone else seemed to be going through an internal conflict on what to say.

"I think the Yakisoba was one of the best dishes I've had in quite a long time. That said, I will be the first to apologize for thinking badly about your friend, little chef, and learning that he was a rat. It was rude and uncalled for and when I realized that we also have animal-like companions that help us in our daily lives… I felt guilty for thinking that. I'm sorry, Sora."

Everyone was startled by what was said and waited to hear what Sora's reaction would be.

"Hey, I honestly wasn't that upset that you guys had the reaction you did to little chef. Trust me, I was surprised as well when I found out he was the chef that was cooking food for everyone at the restaurant a friend of mine owned. So, don't feel bad about thinking that. And thank you for the honest review of the food. And… I don't think we've met before… have we?" Sora asked the girl who responded to him.

"No, we have not officially met yet. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the fourth ship of the Takao class, Choukai. You might have already met my sisters seeing that you've been hanging around Shoukaku and Zuikaku" the girl now known as Choukai replied.

"I have?" the Guardian of Light asked while glancing over at the crane sisters.

The two nodded their heads in return.

"It's more apparent with some girls compared to others, but she is one of Takao and Atago's sisters" Shoukaku explained to Sora.

"Oooh! Hmm. Now that I think about it, you guys do have similar hair color."

"That's not exactly… *sigh* Maya is going to have a kick when she hears about this" Zuikaku muttered.

The Keyblade wielder didn't exactly hear what Zuikaku said and instead focused his attention on Choukai.

"Have you talked with your sisters yet?"

"No, not yet. I was planning on catching up with them later today. That way, I'd be able to hear what they had to say about how the meeting went, but… based on what I'm hearing it sounds like there was quite the story told."

"You have no idea…" Kashino comedically mumbled.

"Well, what do you say that you join me when I go to hang out with them?" Sora asked the dark-haired girl.

"Huh? Hang out with them? What do you mean?" Choukai questioned.

"Sora has formed a plan of spending some time with different groups of girls while answering questions or just chatting since everyone wants to talk with him now" Enterprise explained the boy's current situation.

A tilt of the head was commenced by Choukai.

"Oh. That's certainly one way to be able to meet everyone. Well, if that wouldn't be too much to ask- "

"Of course not! I'd be happy to have you join us and I'm sure your sisters would be thrilled to see you hanging out with us" Sora happily replied.

A nod of her head was the response Choukai gave to Sora.

"Thank you, Sora. When will you be leaving to meet up with them?"

"Uhm… I'm not sure."

The spiky-haired brunette then looked over at his friends to see what they thought about the situation. Zuikaku, Enterprise, and Shinano on their part wanted to keep talking with Sora for a bit longer. Kashino was neutral but if she could she'd like to ask him a few more questions, and Shoukaku would fight the others to make sure that her dear sister got the chance to get closer to the boy.

"Maybe… here in a few?" Enterprise spoke up.

"I'm a fan of that…" Zuikaku offhandedly said.

"Same here…" Shinano added.

Seeing that the girls still wanted to keep hanging out with him, Sora turned his attention back toward Chouaki.

"Well, there's our answer."

"Haha! It's alright. There's no problem with that. If anything, I feel like I intruded" the dark-haired girl responded.

"No! That's not what we meant!" Zuikaku shouted out.

"I kid, I kid. I know, Zuikaku. Besides, I'll have another chance of talking with him soon. In fact, I'll go ahead and meet up with my sisters and let them know what's going on. Take care, everyone."

Everyone bade Choukai farewell while either going back to eating or chatting with one another. Sora meanwhile was back to enjoying his dish while wondering what the other girls might want to talk about. They seemed pretty adamant about still spending time with him and from his point on it all there was quite the deal to discuss. Hence, he figured he might as well eat and talk with them.

"So, what else did you guys want to talk about?" Sora asked his group of friends.

Tilting her cap forward, Enterprise glanced over at Zuikaku and Shinano seeing that they also spoke up about wanting to keep talking with him. She was about to leap at the chance to start speaking but the white-haired vision seeing fox beat her to it.

"Sora… what are your thoughts on the Sakura Empire?" Shinano asked the boy while narrowing her gaze to him.

"Hmm. What do I think… Well, I can say off the top of my head that it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. The atmosphere is full of love and comfort while the scenery everywhere I've gone is truly one of a kind. Granted, I haven't been to a lot of places in this world but so far, I'm liking it. And the food is top notch there's no denying that, haha!"

"You've got that right" Enterprise added before going back to her meal.

"But… I think the one thing that makes the Sakura Empire stand out to me… is the people here."

Shinano didn't say anything and let the boy finish his thought as it appeared that he had more to say. The other girls at the table also leaned a bit forward to listen to him.

"Everyone has been so friendly. Not considering what happened when I first got here since we weren't exactly on good terms." Sora said while remembering what it was like getting here. "But now it's like I'm able to see just how lively and exciting the island really is. I also know there are a lot more girls I want to meet but that'll take a minute until I know everyone. However, just seeing how much fun everyone is having shows me that there is much love and care spread throughout the Sakura Empire. That's what I think."

As he finished up his speech, Sora couldn't help but send a warm and friendly smile to the kitsune girl which ultimately caused her tails to start swaying back and forth while she fought vicariously hard to stop herself from letting a blush appear on her cheeks. The other Sakura Empire girls also felt giddy knowing that he thought of their home so highly. Even having been introduced on the wrong foot, he still had positive things to say.

Who wouldn't be happy to hear such great things about your home and nation?

Sora then ruffled the back of his head while looking over at Enterprise.

"That said, I would still like to check out the rest of Azur Lane. There were a lot of girls I got to meet there along with seeing a few sights on the island, but there were a whole lot more sights I didn't get to see. Plus, the other factions' homes are something I'm interested to learn more about" Sora reasoned.

"Mm. Hopefully, when things manage to calm down and steps on what to do next are discussed, we can head back to base. I know plenty of girls would be happy to see you safe and sound. A certain young purple-haired girl to be exact" Enterprise claimed while hinting at someone.

Realization settled into Sora's heart.

"Ah… Unicorn. I hope she's ok."

The thought of his newfound little sister being worried about him made Sora feel sick to his stomach.

"Don't worry. I made a promise to her that I'd bring you back. And I have a feeling that she knew that you wouldn't let her down" the Grey Ghost alluded.

"Heh, that's good to hear. It's honestly nice and nerve-racking to have someone look up to you like that. As an older brother…" Sora commented.

"Hm? Sora, do you not have any siblings?" Zuikaku questioned.

Shaking his head, he responded, "No, I don't. I was an only child growing up all my life. I do have a best friend named Riku who I've always thought of as a big brother. It made our rivalry growing up a whole lot more fun that way as well."

"I bet hearing that Unicorn thought of you as a big brother made you happy" Kashino spoke up.

A bright smile appeared on the boy's face.

"Yeah, it did a lot."

Curiosity seemed to win the girls over as Shoukaku decided to voice what everyone was thinking.

"Sora, do you have a picture of your best friend by chance?" the crane sister asked.

"I do actually. Here." Reaching for his Gummiphone, Sora pulled up pictures that he had taken the night before they all went to the Keyblade Graveyard. The calm before the storm. "This one is of me and Riku messing with each other. The photo was taken by our other best friend, Kairi."

Handing the phone to the girls, Shoukaku was the first to see Riku and couldn't help but feel an intense amount of intrigue directed at the silver-haired boy.

"Oh, wow! He's definitely a looker…" Shoukaku commented while all the other girls noticed her eyes not moving away from the device.

"Shoukaku!" Zuikaku blurted out.

The White Crane easily lifted her hands and waved them at her sister.

"What? What's wrong with a little tease? He looks quite nice, and the silver hair is quite nice."

"He had it longer but got it cut not that long ago. Though, I'm not sure when he exactly got it cut now that I think about it…" Sora said while pondering Riku's hair now.

'Just when did he get it cut? After going to the Realm of Darkness for the first time to look for Aqua? Did Mickey go along with him?' the Keyblade wielder was lost in thought now.

Enterprise and the others were now handed the phone and viewed the picture of Sora's best friend.

"It might just be me, but he looks a bit older than you, Sora" Enterprise casually said while examining the picture closely.

"He's just a bit older than me. Not that much."

"How long have you two known each other? Based on what I'm guessing it sounds like you two have known each other for quite some time. Am I right?" Kashino asked.

A smile appeared on Sora's face as he began to get into how long he and Riku had been best friends along with telling a bit about the fun rivalries they had growing up. Enterprise, Shinano, and Kashino were listening intently.

Meanwhile, Zuikaku and Shoukaku shifted to the side and were now arguing with each other quietly.

"What was that!" Zuikaku whisper yelled.

"What?"

"What you said about Sora's friend."

"Oh, you mean Riku?"

"Yes!" another whispered yell came from the Red Crane.

"Quit worrying yourself. Besides, I do find him pretty cute" Shoukaku said, sporting a flirty smile.

This caused the brunette to facepalm at her sister's antics.

"*sigh* You're lucky Sora didn't say anything."

"Like what? He seems pretty enthralled speaking about his best friend, see" the White Crane replied while gesturing over to the boy.

Checking up on Sora, Zuikaku found him standing up and mimicking what could be described as sword fighting with nothing in his hands, but his behavior and energy were going into talking about a time he and Riku picked up sword fighting with wooden sticks.

"Besides, think about it… maybe in the future, we could plan a double date!" Shoukaku whisper-yelled to her sister.

"W-What does that mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. You and Sora. And me and Riku. Sounds like a plan huh?" she said with a bit of excitement in her voice.

Zuikaku wasn't sure what to do with her sister at the moment and figured she would keep on blurting out random things. Hence, she went back to listening to the conversation and plop herself back into the chat. Shoukaku couldn't help but stifle a little giggle.

However, the Auspicious Crane couldn't help but let a thought linger in her mind that her sister planted in her head. The idea of her and Sora together… just thinking about it caused her heart to start beating faster than normal while a noticeable heat could be felt on her face. In the short amount of time that she had gotten to know the boy who had come from another world, she was starting to see qualities in him that she wasn't entirely aware of before. Moreover, her interest in him sparked not only in his fighting ability or his unusual sense of power but his overall persona and how he had an infectious positivity about him.

There was also the truth of the matter that this was a first for Zuikaku as she had never really dealt with anything relating to romance. She was now on a whole new battlefield and would have to do her best to sort out what exactly she was feeling. Not even Shoukaku could help her in this matter. This was all about her and how her heart responded to what it was feeling. In addition, she couldn't help but feel a bit excited at the prospect of it all. If what Sora said was true about his strength coming from his heart, then…

She couldn't help but smile brightly to herself.

---

"… And that's how I ended up getting smacked in the face by Riku's sword."

Sora had just gotten done telling the girls about one of the times he and Riku first started sword fighting and managed to get distracted and ended up taking the wooden sword to the face. That was a fun day… not.

"Does that mean you self-taught your whole life?" Kashino questioned the boy while clearly interested in what he had to say.

"Yeah, that's how it has been. Granted, I did get help when it came to learning new magical spells and whatnot, but when it came to swordplay it has been all me."

"That's… very impressive, Sora" Shinano said, recalling the one time she tried wielding a weapon but wasn't good at using it at all. She would prefer to stick with her current rigging arrangement.

"Swords are truly a simple yet complex weapon to handle. I can't say I've ever been completely interested in wielding one and would prefer to stick to my bow" Enterprise reasoned while picturing herself trying to swing a sword around.

It was not a pretty sight to see or even imagine.

Hearing the Grey Ghost claim this, Zuikaku couldn't help but puff her large chest out knowing there was something she excelled in that Enterprise didn't. Her tendency to think of them as bitter rivals was still present.

"Everyone has their own unique skill sets. Nothing wrong with that. Each one of us has goals and personalities that differ which makes us who we are" Sora said, getting everyone to agree with that statement.

It was also with that statement that each of the girls shot one another knowing looks that seemed to confirm that their time with Sora should come to an end for now. Of course, they could continue to talk with him throughout the night, but they did remember that others were looking forward to chatting with him as well.

"Sora. Thank you for spending some time with us" Enterprise said, brushing some hair out of her face.

"Of course! I had a great time getting to talk with you all. I wouldn't mind talking longer but the others are also probably waiting for me."

"Mm. Wouldn't want to keep them waiting any longer. Besides, Choukai is probably with them right now" Zuikaku added.

Scratching his cheek, the brunette boy now wondered where the next group of girls might be.

"Where do you think Amagi and the others might be right now? The next group I planned on seeing was Amagi, Akagi, Kaga, Noshiro, and Hiei" Sora explained his current question.

"It's likely our senpais are hanging around one of the picnic spots."

"Amagi… she's sure to want a peaceful moment between you and her sisters. Hiei and Noshiro are sure to tag along with them as well" Shinano reasoned.

Considering what Amagi was saying, Sora suddenly recalled the memory that played out when he entered Amagi's heart to help her with the sickness that was close to killing her. The place beneath the tall Sakura tree where the brown-haired kitsune was seated. That was a place that meant a great deal to her so, it was safe to say that is where she and the others might be.

"Right, I think I might have an idea of where she is then. Do you know where a picnic spot is under a big tree?"

Taking a second to think about Sora's question, Enterprise wasn't able to answer as this was also her first real-time getting shown around the island. It hadn't been considered that way since Sora was currently reigning in the spotlight, but she didn't mind. All the new scenery before her was all the more amazing.

Shinano and Kashino on the other hand started to think about just what picnic spot matched Sora's description and seemed to align their thoughts on one spot.

"Sora, I think we know where they might be."

Hearing this, the spiky-haired boy couldn't help but sport a smile and nod. Where one group of friends parts ways with him, another is awaiting him with open arms.

---

Meanwhile, at a picnic spot next to a large and blooming cherry blossom

Three kitsune sisters and their two guests were quietly sipping on a cup of tea while admiring the view before them. With the cherry blossom petals falling from the tree and swaying in the slight breeze added to the clear sky above them, it truly was a sight to behold. Not to mention, this was one of Amagi's favorite spots to simply sit down and watch as the day passed by. Many fond memories of her past have taken place here. Hence, why she decided to pay this place another visit.

Compared to the previous times she was here; those instances were met with somber and distraught-filled memories of her trying to put on a brave face to her dear sisters. Alas, this time around she was not confided to feel sad but quite the opposite. She now had the chance to live. Live and see what other wonders awaited her and her family in this new and developing world. With the other factions slowly but surely coming to reason and working together, the future was a bright one to ponder.

Nevertheless, the future also held one significant difference this time around. He was now a part of their lives and would lend his hand to help them rid the darkness cast throughout this world. He truly was-

"Amagi… when is he coming?" Akagi asked with a hint of eagerness in her voice.

A brief smile appeared on the older sister's face.

"Patience, Akagi. You know how many people wished to speak with him. Besides, we wouldn't want to completely ignore our friends who have joined us here" Amagi said, gesturing over to Noshiro and Hiei.

"Thank you for inviting us, Amagi. Even if Sora was not going to meet with you all, it's still nice to be welcomed for some tea" Noshiro gratefully stated.

"I concur. It's nice to sit and wind down after so much activity has happened as of late. Plus, it's been a minute since we've had a chance to sit down and chat" Hiei added.

"Likewise. There's a lot I'd like to talk about now that… I have the chance to see more of this beautiful world of ours. I'm almost at a loss for what to do or say. I never thought something like this was a possibility" the older kitsune murmured loud enough for everyone to hear.

Kaga on her part lifted her head to look up at the Sakura tree towering above them and let a small smile grace her lips. The realization of what happened was still settling into her head and her sister was not going to leave them any time soon. And the person who was able to do what she nor Akagi could do was-

"Hey, guys! Sorry, I'm late!"

Moving their heads to the side, all the girls spotted a familiar spiky set of hair coming their way.

Having broken into a jog to reach them, Sora had a relaxed expression on his face but, he was silently glad that this spot was the one that had been picked by Amagi and the others. This was the fourth picnic spot under a tree that he ran past after listening to what Kashino and Shinano had to say about locations in mind.

He also parted ways with Enterprise, Zuikaku, and Shoukaku making sure to tell them that they would definitely have to do another hangout together along with seeing them later. Enterprise would be accompanied by Zuikaku and Shoukaku to return to the council building and catch up with Queen Elizabeth and Nagato. Shinano and Kashino mentioned going to meet up with a few of the girls leaving a pleasant and approving end to their hangout. And while there was still a great deal to talk about, Sora had to admit that he had fun with his first hangout.

Now onto the second hangout planned.

"Sora! I'm glad you could make it" Amagi said, displaying a sincere smile on her face.

Akagi meanwhile hadn't said anything and had her eyes solely focused on Sora while taking in his entire presence. Her eyes started scanning the boy's appearance from his spiky brown hair to his blue eyes and lips. Next, she focused on his crown necklace and fashionable jacket to his dark shorts and large boots. Everything about Sora to her was simply amazing. To the point that her heartbeat was picking up as she continued to linger her gaze on him.

"Hey, sorry for being late. I had some help on where you might be" Sora replied, not mentioning how he had been running around for a minute.

"Not at all. You're just in time" Hiei added while shooting him a smile.

This immediately caused Akagi to widen her eyes and look over at the two-horned girl with an expression that meant trouble would be brewing.

"Great! It's good to see you all."

"Mm. Come, Sora, have a cup and seat" Amagi offered to the boy.

Doing as told, he plopped himself right between Hiei and Amagi while Akagi and Kaga were on the other side of their sister and Noshiro was on Hiei's other side. They all sat comfortably on the seat provided while enjoying their tea and what looked to be small snacks.

"Thanks. So, what were you guys discussing before I got here? I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"Not much really. Just pondering what new possibilities await us now with the other factions at a standstill or at the very least working toward a more united front" Noshiro elaborated to the boy.

"I see, that hasn't been a thought you guys have had, has it?" Sora questioned them.

A contemplative sigh escaped Hiei's lips and Kaga seemed to cast her eyes downward.

"No, it hasn't. With the looming threat that the Sirens pose and the differing stances that Azur Lane and the Red Axis had, we didn't exactly have a lot of time to ponder on what would happen afterward. It's been a nonstop battle on both sides. Against other kansens and worry toward the Sirens" Hiei explained.

"…There's also a lot that we have to make up for…" Kaga muttered which caught Sora's attention.

"Kaga. I thought I already told you that- "

"I know… I know. But it's not something that I can easily accept. There are still a few… reservations I have about everything and until I feel that I've truly apologized to you, then I'll still do what I can to earn your respect and show my appreciation for saving my sister" Kaga proclaimed to him while staring right into his blue eyes.

Sora could partially understand where she was coming from. And truthfully, he could see that she meant everything she was saying. Her regret for going against her friends' backs to save Amagi. Desperate times call for desperate measures and while the Sakura Empire was one side she would have to worry about, he would make sure to let her know that he forgave her completely.

"…You know, Kaga, hearing you say all that makes me happy. Happy that you actually care about making amends for your past mistakes. And while you may have to worry about your friends' point of view toward you, just know that I forgive you and will continue to say so. If you do one thing for me."

"Huh? One thing… what's that?" the white kitsune asked.

The Keyblade wielder let a giant grin appear on his face before bringing both of his hands behind his head striking one of his signature poses.

"Continue being my friend is all I ask. Think you can do that?" he challenged her.

A stark moment of silence passed as the girls were a bit puzzled by his strange request, but after a moment the mood was met with a stifled laugh coming from the white-haired girl who began to shake her head.

"You're honestly strange, Sora."

"I'm pretty sure I've heard that remark a lot haha!"

"I'll bet. If only I had your sense of positivity all the time…" Kaga muttered which elicited a reaction from the boy.

"Well… this might surprise you all but there have been times that I haven't been the ray of positivity that I like to be."

"Really? That's…" Hiei started saying.

"Surprising" Noshiro finished.

A shake of his head was how Sora responded at first.

"Not really. Seeing that you all know that I'm from another world I can talk about it more openly compared to before. The time that… I wasn't a source of hope for my friends…" Sora said, recalling the Keyblade War and how his emotions and feelings were vindicative of what was happening.

The war showed a different side to the boy. One that not everyone had gotten a glimpse of seeing that he put it off and kept a façade of a happy-go cheerful expression on his face while helping everyone else. Seeing his friends all die right before his eyes… will forever be a memory that will reside in his mind forever. But… it will also be a reminder that with the power within him, he was able to change that outcome. Even if there were consequences, he knew that everyone was still with him through the bonds forged and connections made.

He would not let something like that happen again. He would be better.

"Did… did something happen?" Akagi carefully asked while analyzing the boy's reaction.

Deciding to get to the root of it and make it simple to understand while conveying enough of an idea of what transpired, Sora took a deep breath before beginning to speak.

"Yeah, something bad happened. Before I arrived in this world I was caught up in a war of Light and Darkness caused by an evil organization that was using complicated methods to make sure a war started. Things didn't go our way and…" Sora stopped himself for some unknown reason.

Even though he had accepted what happened and changed the course of events to happen, he still felt a pull in his heart remembering one of the lowest moments in his life. Perhaps it was a mark of remembrance. Either way, it was something he would need to move away from and accept what happened and strive forward.

"We lost the war. My friends all died right before my very eyes."

All the girls were quiet and unsure of what to say. Sora's case had continued to surprise them with everything they were learning about him. And now, to hear that he lost a war and witnessed all his friends' deaths…

"Before long, I'd given up on everything. I thought that it was all over. They were what gives me strength and seeing them all just vanish within a moment… it hit me hard. But… it was thanks to my best friend Riku and what he said to me that snapped me out of my fear at the last second before… I died."

The shock was evident on the girls' faces.

"You… died?" Hiei quietly said.

"…" Noshiro didn't say anything or rather couldn't say anything.

"Sora…" Amagi whispered his name.

"Death…" Kaga muttered.

"…How… How are you here now?" Akagi confusedly asked.

A sigh escaped the boy's lips as he was starting to get into some complicated and hard-to-comprehend stuff happening. To make sure that he didn't confuse any of the girls too much, he decided to briefly mention what exactly happened throughout the Keyblade War.

"After I died, I found myself in a place that borders life and death and can be accessed through sleep. The Final World is what it's called…"

And from there, Sora began to tell his tale about how he managed to lose his entire body and had to put it back together while encountering Chirithy and learning about what happened. Followed by how he could fix things so that his friends didn't die and that the war could be stopped. A short and direct explanation was given regarding the real Organization XIII and how their goal of forging the X-Blade was something that could affect all worlds. He then started talking about the Organization battles with brief explanations to them followed by Kairi's kidnapping and saving his friends who were in trouble.

As the girls listened, their minds were met with even more confusion and outright puzzlement. But what they could understand was that Sora had suffered. Not just the effects of war itself but a whole new centralization of fatigue and stress having to live with the fact that he saw his friends die before his very eyes. Their hearts went out to the boy along with Amagi truly bewildered and astonished by what he had been through. Making his actions of saving her even more impactful.

"After beating back all the Organization members, the man behind it all, Xehanort, brought Kairi before him, and… he killed her. While we all watched…"

Akagi and Kaga were left speechless at what they were hearing, Hiei and Noshiro had saddened looks on their faces as Amagi remained motionless. She wasn't sure what to say at this point and continued to let Sora talk without interrupting him.

Sora then began to tell the rest of his story about how he trapped Xehanort with his friends' help and went after him resulting in a long, grueling battle. However, when Sora reached the end of the battle, he didn't waste any time and went right into him finding a way to bring Kairi back which resulted in the start of him reliving the war once again only this time there was no changing the future. This began his second time going through the war only he now had the chance to help change the outcome of several events along with finding clues that would allow him to save Kairi.

To say that the girls understood the ramifications of his actions would be an understatement. Even if they were not familiar with this kind of power, the one thing they were heavily aware of was that Sora had just time-traveled into the past to find a way to save his friend. To go to that length… was honestly unthinkable. And yet, here Sora was proving that he could defy all expectations that had been placed on him or the situation he was involved in.

He then started discussing what happened after gathering all the necessary pieces to bring Kairi back, and after finding the connection that would lead him to her, he found her. Along with a final battle waiting for the two of them marking an end to the Keyblade War.

Amagi let out a worried sigh she didn't know she was holding onto that was soon accompanied by a fit of coughing. This resulted in everyone worried for the kitsune woman but in all fairness, she apologized for taking away from the moment which got Sora to speak on the matter.

"No, no. It's alright, nothing drastic happened after the war. Just… my friends celebrating and taking the chance to finally relax after many years of dealing with this conflict. It was at this point that I wanted to make sure that Kairi was okay and had the time of her life because…" Sora slowly brought up his right and examined it before delving back into the story. "There was a price I had to pay for using my power the way I did."

The silence was staggering in the group before Amagi was the first to open up.

"What… What was the price?"

A strained yet forced smile appeared on Sora's face.

"I had used the power that brought my friends back incorrectly. And doing it seven times caused a nature taboo to take effect. Causing me to vanish from my world with the looming fear that I might never be able to return as I would lose my powers… "

"Wh-what? That doesn't make any sense… How?" Kaga tried reasoning but couldn't find the right words.

"Vanish…" Hiei slowly mumbled.

"…Sora…" Amagi called his name while unsure what to really say.

Seeing that he was causing such distraught reactions from his friends, Sora decided to stop with all the gloomy talk and finish telling his story of events.

"Please, don't worry. Even looking back on the situation now, I wouldn't have changed it at all. Whether it was for Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, or anyone else. I would have still gone through it all for them" he said, conveying what could be described as confidence and truth in his words.

"Even… Even knowing that you might not ever see your friends and family again?" Akagi questioned, bringing a hand up to her arm.

Hearing that he was willing to give himself up wholeheartedly to the point of vanishing just so his friends would be safe and sound… made her question her own actions and brought about the roundabout question.

Would she have gone as far as he did to bring back the one, he cared for so much?

To answer Akagi's question, Sora lifted his hand to be above his heart and held a content look on his face. One that undoubtedly showed he had made up his mind.

"I would do it again in a heartbeat. Besides, knowing that everyone is safe makes it all that matters."

The girls had a vivid idea of the boy before them from their previous encounters and discussions with him but now after learning a bit of what he had been through it was hard to convey what they were feeling. A sense of admiration and respect along with worry reigned in their hearts. This boy who had suffered through so much and so willingly stepped in to help them. Words couldn't acutely state what they were feeling.

"I… I don't know what to say now ha-ha…" Hiei said, starting the conversation back up.

"No kidding. How do you follow up on that" Noshiro lightly remarked.

"You don't have to say anything. I'm sorry if it was a bit sad or worrying but I just want you all to know that while I was brought here from my own actions, I don't regret it at all. Plus, I got the chance to meet you all. And no doubt I'll do all that I can to help make sure the Heartless and now Sirens are dealt with. You're all close to my heart now. That is… if you'll have this half pint haha" Sora proclaimed while mentioning the nickname that he shared with Donald and Goofy.

"Of course, we'll have your help. You've done so much for us… so much for me. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you, Sora" Amagi confided to the boy.

"And you won't ever have to. The only thing I ask is that you continue living and experiencing all the amazing things waiting to be experienced in your heart. You've got your life back now. Go do whatever you want with your life now."

"A life with limitless possibilities…" Kaga muttered, taking the boy's words to heart.

Hearing his supporting words, the other girls held a nod and a smile on their faces. Perhaps it was the way Sora spoke about what he was feeling but it made the girls feel a bit inspired and realize that there was a hopeful future awaiting them. Things were going to be okay now.

Although, Noshiro and Kaga were a bit stumped at what Sora called himself. That was something they were going to have to ask him later for clarification.

Alas, Akagi being the broad and forward kind of woman that she was, had decided to suddenly stand up from her seat which obviously garnered everyone's attention, and watched as she slowly made her way over to Sora who was understandably confused. Amagi and Kaga meanwhile had an inkling of what she was going to do and simply continued to observe her actions.

"Uh… Akagi? What's up?" Sora asked the kitsune girl.

Coming within a few feet from the boy, the brown-haired girl stood there for a moment with her head lowered making it so that part of her hair was covering her eyes. Everyone was questioning what exactly was going on but in the next moment, they were met with a surprising answer.

Within a split second, the brown-haired kitsune girl leaped right at Sora and nuzzled herself right into his chest while placing her arms around his back. She had hugged him and from the looks of things it appeared to be the kind of hug that conveyed many various emotions. And the kicker was that no words were needed at this moment.

Left not sure what to do, Sora thought about glancing over at Amagi or Kaga to help him deal with Akagi's sudden action but after giving it a brief thought, he decided to do something that he felt was right in his heart.

He returned the hug.

A visible movement of shock coursed through Akagi's body as she was not expecting the boy to hug her back, but who was she to decline such an action directed at her? Her happiness was evident not only in her flushed face which was facing away from everyone but in how her tails began to sway back and forth at a rapid rate. This also resulted in her nudging her head and pushing her body closer to Sora's. Both of her sisters couldn't help but let out a sigh at the kitsune girl's actions. Akagi's way of dealing with these newfound emotions toward Sora was something that they would need to watch out for. Especially for the boy's sake. Moreover, Kaga also realized that looking after her sister's rambunctious actions could be a sort of way to repay the spiky-haired brunette's kindness and forgiveness.

A simple act to repay a monumental action.

After being caught in the hug for quite a long moment, Sora moved his hands away from Akagi's form and expected her to do the same but was met with her grip around him tightening around him.

"Ah… Akagi?"

"Yes, my love~"

The Keyblade wielder's irises widen at hearing what she said.

"C-Could you please let go now?"

"Hee-hee. And what if I said no?"

"Uhm… then I'll ask again. It's getting… harder to breathe" Sora cried out.

"That just means you're starting to really feel my love directed toward you" she retorted rather quickly.

The spiky-haired boy was now starting to feel a sense of fear that he hadn't ever really faced before. He also shot his head back toward the others and nonverbally yelled at Amagi and Kaga to help him.

"Akagi. Sora needs a moment to breathe" Amagi called out to the love-struck girl.

Immediately, she let go of Sora and stood right next to him even taking a small step next to him making it look like they were really close. The boy on the other hand caught his breath and readied himself to learn her reasoning for the hug.

"Err… Akagi, what was with the sudden hug?" Sora asked, recalling a similar experience with Tron before they said their goodbyes from the data world.

The brown-haired girl held a beautiful smile on her face while lowering her head and then looking the boy right in the eyes. A plethora of emotions were present in her eyes and body language.

"There are many reasons why I hugged you but… to point out a few of them. One reason was to show just how much appreciation I have for you." Akagi was now looking right into his eyes. Blue orbs meeting red orbs. "And another reason is that it's like I told you before. I give my all to you. You saved my sister when I failed to do so. You saved my family. Besides, the more I learn about you and your selfless and kind heart, it's hard for me not to fall in love with you, my hero~"

The Guardian of Light was left speechless. He couldn't form a single response to the girl and was left there trying to say something. But he was utterly stunned. He wasn't one to fall into obviousness as he had witnessed romance from many of his otherworldly friends and picked up on the signs that were there. Now, however, he was taken aback by it all.

"Well, I… I'm… huh?"

Suddenly without any warning, Akagi was pulled back by Amagi who had an authoritative expression on her face.

"Akagi, don't you think that you're leaving quite the impression on Sora already?"

"But- "

"*sigh* What are we going to do with you?" the older sister teasingly said while gesturing over at Kaga to take her sister back to her seat.

Hiei and Noshiro were still reeling from the sudden proclamation of love directed to Sora and watched as he wasn't sure how to react. It was truly an out-of-left-field play from the brown-haired girl that two reactions were present in their minds.

'She was so confident in her actions… 'Noshiro thought to herself.

'L-Love this soon? Shouldn't she be trying to form a sincere relationship with him first? I mean, I kind of did… in a friendly way… right? Am I doing it right?" Hiei questioned deep in her heart.

Sora on his part was starting to feel his face become heated. He was not expecting Akagi to say all that with such a straight face and sincerity in her voice. It sounded like she meant everything she said.

Alas, before he could ponder the situation any further, Amagi called out to him.

"Sora, I apologize for Akagi's directness."

"No, it's okay. I'm just a bit… stunned. I think?"

"As would anyone be if they got suddenly hugged and confessed to like that."

"I mean, it's not the first time that's happened."

Hearing this, Akagi's eyes seemed to darken immediately along with her turning her head to stare directly at the boy. A sense of doom and gloom was radiating off the girl.

"One of my friends from another world did the same thing. It was so sudden when he did it that I was taken aback by it" Sora explained while describing the hug from Tron.

The Red Spider Lily's eyes, which was another title given to Akagi, went back to being normal as she heard that it was a guy that hugged Sora. Her tone shifts instantly from suspense to intrigue on the flip of a switch.

It was at this point that Sora waved his hand in the air to move the conversation along.

"So, ah-ha, jumping to another strange topic, what do you guys think will be the next move?"

"Next move where Sora?" Noshiro questioned.

"About where we go next. As obvious as this sounds, I'm not familiar with the Sirens' tactics and how they operate seeing that I've only really encountered them a few times now compared to everyone else. But I can help with determining where the Heartless might be due to experience dealing with them" Sora explained.

"Where indeed. Until we hear of any sort of motion garnered from our scouts as well as Azur Lane's forces it'll be tough to say where we head next" Kaga reasoned.

"Right… We're stuck waiting around for something to happen."

A momentary pause of silence settled into the group's mood as everyone was left pondering Sora's question. It was also due to the post-processing of Akagi's actions that left them wondering what the boy's reaction was ultimately. He seemed to acknowledge her and her feelings but didn't go any further than that. Such an interesting take.

However, before any more thought could be dragged about, Hiei decided to take this opportunity to ask Sora some questions about himself.

"Sora. Would you mind telling us a bit more about yourself?" the black-haired girl asked, leaning herself in his direction.

"Huh? What do you mean? Like just what I like and whatnot?"

"Sure! Or anything that we might not know about. And I don't mean talking about the challenges you faced before but more about who you are. If that's alright to ask?"

A smile appeared on the boy's lips.

"I'd be happy to tell a bit about me. Heh, where do I even start?"

And so, the boy from another world began talking about himself and the things he liked and didn't really like concerning who he was as a person. A great deal of it was found to be silly while other aspects of himself were rather charming. From his cheerful demeanor to his willingness to help others in need even if it ended up leaving him in quite a predicament. His self-indulgence was something that interest the girls. Some more than others of course. But overall, it was a pleasant time together.

Plus, at times Sora would branch out and ask the girls a bit about themselves when discussing parts of his character. Not only to get to know them better but build a stronger bond with them as well.

Learning a bit more about how the kitsune sisters treated each other and those that they cared about. He also found out from Akagi's sisters that she tended to be quite competitive and intelligent when prepared for a situation but had a strong affectionate and attachment kind of personality. That was something he was starting to find out rather abundantly. She was also a bit playful when it came to friendly opposition and had a very caring personality for the young girls.

Kaga was also an interesting case to learn about as she was described to be calmer and more analytical than her sister but could emit a cold stance against her foes. Sora did recall a brief showing of that during that fight. She was also said to be headstrong and abrasive at times which did make sense when thinking about how she still felt off about wanting to make it up to the Keyblade wielder. Overall, she was an ambitious and strong-hearted girl that wanted nothing more than to protect those she cared for, and defeat however appeared to ruin her peace.

Not so surprising was Amagi who didn't exactly boast about herself, but it was thanks to Akagi and Kaga commenting on how she had a polite but assertive personality. Her humbleness was something that everyone in the Sakura Empire enjoyed about her along with her friendliness and composed, tactful stance on everything. It was said that girls in other factions even looked up to her in high regard of respect which Sora could believe.

Surprisingly, Hiei was said to be quite the organizer with her main stay interest in participating in banquets. Hearing this announced and confided to Sora, the two-horned girl started to blush while playing it off to the best of her ability. It didn't help that the spiky-haired brunette said he'd be interested in attending a banquet the next time one came around which got the girl excited both mentally and internally with her heart pounding. She was also said to be quite the warfare confidant and relied on wisdom and courage to win her battles and protect everyone.

Finding out that Noshiro was a thoughtful and organized person who tended to be a bit too serious at times but had a kind heart was something that Sora understandably totally see. From the seriousness that she showcased against him in their first encounter, he could tell she was kindhearted when it counted. He also hoped that now that she had learned a bit about him that their friendship could take a turn for the better.

Moreover, the topic of conversation soon shifted to treats and Sora voiced his personal favorite.

"Sea salt ice cream?" the girls all voiced out.

"I don't think I've ever heard of that flavor before?" Kaga stated.

"Do… Do you put real sea salt in the ice cream?" Noshiro asked, confused by the treat's name.

"How did it get its name? Did someone make it out at sea?" Hiei questioned.

"Is it a flavorful treat?" Amagi pondered.

"Yep! It has a salty but sweet taste to it. When you try it for the first time, you'll think it's bad but after you start to think about it and how there's an aftertaste to it, then you'll grow to love it. It's even better in a cone because…"

As Sora continued to talk about the delicious treat, Akagi couldn't help but linger on a growing thought that started roaming in her head. It would be quite the adventurous and risqué move, but it would for sure get the boy's attention. She would put this idea on the back burner for now and use it at a more suitable time. It was sure to leave the boy shocked.

After some more time passed as the group continued to converse with each other, Sora realized that the day was coming to an end, and he had at least one more group of girls to meet up with. He was also starting to think about just how many more girls there were on the island that he had not met yet.

He was surely going to be busy meeting people for the next while.

Nevertheless, he excused himself saying that he had to go meet up with the other girls which everyone understood completely. Akagi had also not done anything dramatic when Sora announced that he was going to meet the other girls. But that was because Amagi had her arm patting the back of Akagi's shoulder indicating that she was watching her dear sister. Both kitsune girls were heavily familiar with their older sister's impactful slap to the head which was something they were familiar with a good deal.

With his time coming to an end, he bid everyone a "See you later" and left the area causing the girls to observe him as he disappeared. This then started another conversation to break out regarding the boy's positivity and other aspects that they all liked about him. He was truly going to make their lives better.

---

Not that long later...

Passing through one of the arches hanging over a small pond, Sora was left pondering where the other group of girls might be now. Several ideas were swimming around his head but ultimately, he decided to go with his gut and start making his way over to where he first encountered Takao and Atago.

As he walked there, he also waved at all the girls who were enjoying the evening mood as the sun appeared to be getting lower by the hour. A full day of nonstop excitement and discussions was starting to weigh on the boy and he was looking ever forward to what sleep would bring him. However, that could wait as he had one more planned group to visit before calling it a day and heading back to the council building. Perhaps someone could get him situated on what was going to happen as night truly fell.

Now standing in front of the residence that had him meeting the two dog-eared sisters, Sora knocked on the front door and waited for someone to answer. Without waiting too long, the door opened and the spiky-haired boy was met with an engulfing hug by someone familiar.

"Oh my! Sora! We were wondering if you'd come to look for us" the sweet voice of Atago said aloud.

The boy tried to respond but his voice came out as muffled.

"A-Atago!"

"Yep, it's me! Ha, this feels nice" she said while wrapping her hands around Sora.

About ready to take a step back, he was met with surprise as Atago let go of him and grabbed a hold of his hand. His thought that she would keep him locked in a tight hug like Akagi was instantly dismissed as he was now being pulled.

"Come on, everyone's waiting for you inside."

Taking a step inside the building, Sora was met with the beautiful artistic design of the house and couldn't help but see how intriguing the place looked to be.

"Ah, there you are, Sora."

Moving his head forward, the Guardian of Light spotted several familiar faces all sitting around a living room setting with Takao being the one who called out to him. Sitting next to her was Choukai and Ayanami. In the next area was Prinz Eugen sitting next to Z23 holding what appeared to be a fancy-looking glass with red liquid in it. Sora had an idea of what her drink might have been.

"Sora! Glad you could join us" Choukai cheered out.

"Hey there, sorry I'm late. We didn't exactly talk about where we were going to meet. That's my bad."

"Nonsense. We should have clarified it further with you otherwise you'd still be wandering around the island looking for us" Takao added.

"But thankfully you thought about going to the last place you saw us," Atago said.

"Yeah, it took me a minute to think about where you guys might be. I was almost tempted to go find Zuikaku or Shoukaku to ask them where I might find you guys, but then I figured checking this place first wouldn't be too bad of a thing."

"Smart choice to go by" Ayanami casually commented.

Nodding at what the younger-looking Sakura Empire girl said, the brunette then looked over at Prinz Eugen to see her with her eyes closed and swirling around her drink. As if knowing that he was looking at her, she opened her eyes and let a warm, yet beautiful smile grace her lips.

"Sora, I'm glad you came."

"Of course, I wouldn't miss out on sitting down and hanging with you guys. I might have been with Enterprise's group a bit longer than Amagi's but I'm here now. And I don't think I'll be able to meet with everyone today" Sora affably said while rubbing the back of his head.

"That's understandable. There are too many girls for you to meet and sit down to chat with" Z23 said while repositioning herself in her seat.

"Honestly, I've been having the time of my life getting to meet so many new faces and learn a bit about them. If there was a way to meet everyone all at once and still get the chance to talk with them that would be amazing."

"Alas, that alone would probably take a full day. And even then, you would be met with no break and still not be able to meet everyone on the island let alone one of the Sakura Empire" Takao reasoned while beginning to take a seat in the area that looked to function like a living room. "Please, take a seat anywhere you like."

"Or preferably with me~," Atago said, sending a cheerful tilt of her head at the Keyblade wielder.

"Right… then I think I'll go sit next to Prinz Eugen" he narrowly replied.

"Oh? Coming straight to me? And I thought I'd have to try a bit" the white-haired woman said while sporting a flashy smile on her face.

Not replying to her comment but nodding his head, Sora walked himself over to the now open space between Prinz Eugen and Z23 who also began to massage the front of her head. She had already heard a great deal of what her friend was planning on saying and doing to the boy given the chance. It would be a long hangout.

"So, Sora, would you care if I asked some things about you now?" Takao kindly questioned the boy.

"Not at all. We are technically hanging out to learn a bit more about each other. I'm open to all questions you might have for me."

"Thank you for your kindness. Now then, could you perhaps explain a bit more about your situation?"

"What do you mean by that, Takao?"

"In the sense that… you only told a few about your secret of being from another world. This might just be a guess, but I assume there is more to that subject and why you didn't outright tell everyone from the start. Am I right in that assumption?" she questioned the boy while unknowingly hitting the nail.

Letting a humored chuckle escape his mouth, the Keyblade's Chosen One readjusted himself in his seat so that he was leaning forward a bit. The other girls noticed his change in posture and realized it was going to be a serious topic of discussion.

"I didn't really blurt out that I'm from another world because for starters I knew that most people wouldn't believe me or think that I'm crazy."

"That's a tactful take. I for sure would have called you ridiculous for saying something like that" Z23 said, imagining herself saying such a thing.

"It sounds like something from a video game or manga" Ayanami added.

"I don't blame you for thinking like that. This is one reason why I planned on not telling anyone, but that didn't happen. The first time I encountered Enterprise, I told her that I was from another world."

The girls sitting around had startled expressions on their faces for that kind of information bomb. Prinz Eugen let out a low whistle while folding her arms under her ample chest. She had an amused expression on her face.

"That's one way to start a conversation."

"Hey! It wasn't the first thing I said to her… more like the second" Sora replied, shooting the Iron Blood girl a comedic smile.

"Ha, I take it Enterprise was flabbergasted?"

Spending a moment to recall how the Eagle Union girl exactly responded to what he said, the Keyblade wielder started awkwardly laughing.

"Ahaha… no, actually, she was more on the side of being quiet and then responding to all my questions while realizing that I truly wasn't from this world. And to be honest, I did appear out in the middle of the ocean and not that far away from a fight breaking out between her and Akagi and Kaga."

"Hmm. Well, that's surprising" she replied.

"Yeah, but getting back to Takao's question, another more suitable reason for not telling everyone that I'm from another world is to uphold what's called the World Order. It's meant to be a rule to not tell individual worlds that there are other worlds out there. The chances of causing a stir or making everyone go crazy and let fear and darkness worm its way into people's hearts would be staggering" Sora explained the basic foundation of the World Order.

Registering this new bit of information, Takao and Z23 began processing and thinking it through before coming to a depictive conclusion.

"That is a cautionary task to preserve."

"Haha… you have no idea how many times I've almost let it slip that me, Donald, and Goofy are from another world. But there are times that I wonder if my friends in other worlds conclude on their own that we aren't from their world" Sora assumedly reasoned with himself.

"Your friends… Donald and Goofy. What do they look like exactly for you to say that?" Ayanami asked, pondering their appearances.

Smiling at the mention of his friends, Sora reached for his Gummiphone and pulled up a picture of them together, and handed the device to the Sakura Empire girl.

"Here. Take a look for yourself."

Respectfully taking the phone from the boy, Ayanami and Choukai because she was sitting next to her began examining the photo of Sora and his friends up close and couldn't help but smile with the photo.

The photo being showcased was one where the three of them were sitting at what looked to be some kind of lounge out in public with other people in the background and what appeared to be a train following a set of tracks. Moreover, the picture was taken by someone as they snapshotted Sora and what was surmised to be Donald and Goofy. One had the appearance of a duck in blue clothing and the other was a dog with long floppy ears and wearing a mix of yellow and green. The three of them were smiling widely at each other with the picture taken at the right moment with the trio laughing.

A sense of radiant happiness seemed to rub off on the girls as Choukai and Ayanami couldn't help but smile as well. The spiky-haired boy looked to be so happy in the image.

Deciding to share the picture with the others, Choukai handed the device over to Atago and Takao who were sitting together and had the same subtle reaction as their sister. An elegant and peaceful smile graced Takao's lips as she admired seeing the boy so happy while Atago couldn't help but feel her cheeks get warmer and guessed that they might appear pink due to her feeling a swell of merriness from the photo. The two sisters also realized that one of Sora's companions was a dog and couldn't help but acknowledge his presence more so than the other friend who was a duck.

Now the phone was being handed to Prinz Eugen and Z23 who also noticed the trio's cheerfulness oozing off the device and had their smiles grace their lips. Nimi was curious about the duck and dog companion and wondered a bit more about them, but Prinz Eugen had her eyes set on Sora in the picture and how joyful his smile was while laughing with his friends. She didn't exactly know why but… she desired to see that smile for herself. The impact of seeing the spiky-haired boy before her with that kind of reaction made her heartbeat pick up and her overall excitement increase drastically.

Prinz Eugen had found an additional goal to achieve with the Keyblade wielder.

"You all look so happy!" Choukai cheerfully announced.

"Where was this picture taken?" Z23 pondered.

"Yeah, that was a good day. It was taken in a place called Twilight Town and that is the world where I learned how to cook from one of my other friends."

"Ooh! I bet that world holds a special place in your heart" Atago gleefully responded.

A bright smile appeared on the brunette's face as he brought his hand up to his heart. Twilight Town did hold a special place in his heart. It was where he woke up after having his memories tampered with, it was where Hayner, Pence, Olette, and more of his friends lived, and… it was a special place to Roxas.

"Yeah, it is a special place to me" Sora kindly said with the tone in his voice adding to how impactful that world was to him.

"Hmmm…"

"Huh? What's up Atago?"

The black-haired girl took a thinking pose with one hand on her chin and the other folded right under her… large chest while tilting her head.

"I'm just wondering if we have a picture of all of us smiling like Sora was with his friends" she commented in curiosity.

Takao, hearing this, began to ponder her sister's words and concluded that they did not have a picture of her family together. That thought left her feeling a bit embarrassed even if she wasn't the most outgoing person. It would have been nice to have a picture of them all together.

"I… I don't think we do. Not even a picture with you, Choukai, or Maya all together" Takao stammered out.

"Haha, that's quite the embarrassing dilemma."

Listening to the sister's unique problem, Sora let a smirk appear on his face before standing up and causing everyone to give him their attention.

"Then why don't we change that!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'm a bit confused."

Politely gesturing to Prinz Eugen to hand back his phone, she did so while also quite curious about what he was proposing.

"Why don't we get a picture of you and your sisters together now?" Sora asked, holding up his Gummiphone.

"Here? Now?" Atago rightly questioned.

"Sure! I mean, we could take pictures of each of you individually or the three of you together, but you'd be missing your other sister" he explained while referring to Maya who he'd heard from Takao.

A tempting idea that the sisters were all thinking about with Takao feeling a bit sheepish at the thought of taking a picture all by herself, but if it was with her sisters… that would still be a bit embarrassing but less so than being alone. Atago meanwhile was on cloud nine with Sora's thoughts and the idea of getting a picture with all her sisters together made her heart soar. Choukai was equally excited at the idea they'd have a true family picture together.

"I think it's a wonderful idea!" Atago exclaimed happily.

"We could get it framed and hung up as well" Choukai added.

"I-I wouldn't mind that in the slightest. Plus, it would be a unique and one-of-a-kind art piece" Takao reasoned.

"Then it's settled! Now, where is your other sister?" Sora asked, realizing he might have jumped the gun.

The three sisters all stared at one another before saying anything.

"I don't know."

"She isn't off the island, is she?"

"No, I saw her a few hours ago sitting and chatting with Yamato and a few others."

"Shall we ask her to come home then?" Atago suggested to the other who agreed.

As the three sisters moved to another part of the living room and worked to call their sister, Sora sat back down next to Prinz Eugen who had finished her drink and placed it on the table closest to her while having a glint in her eyes and a sly smile directed toward the boy.

"Are you by any chance a photographer?"

"Eh… I wouldn't say I'm the best when it comes to taking photos, but I'll do what I can to make sure it's a nice photo" Sora remarked.

"Hmm. Interesting." Prinz Eugen then raised her hand to move some hair to the side of her head while sending a teasing smile at the boy. "Say, Sora, why don't we take a picture together?"

The spiky-haired boy widened his eyes at her request.

"Really? You'd be down for that?"

"Of course. Not only would it be good practice for the sister photo but… it'd be something that we do together seeing that you've been quite busy making memories with the other girls today."

Z23 who was observing her friend and her usual behavior couldn't help but shake her head and sigh. Prinz Eugen was taking quite an offensive approach now. Probably because of her intuition as a woman.

"Sure! I wouldn't mind that at all. Besides, it'd be the first picture I've taken with anyone in this world."

"Heh, how lucky I am that I get to be your first~ "the white-haired girl slyly commented with a wink.

An unreadable expression appeared on the Keyblade wielder's face but with as much strength as he could muster, Sora could feel his face getting warm but focused on getting his Gummiphone ready to take the picture of him and Prinz Eugen together.

Ayanami and Z23 who were watching this scene play out merely looked at each other with knowing looks and let out silent sighs. They were on the same wavelength of thinking regarding the teasing girl's intentions.

With the Gummiphone ready to take a picture, Sora now wondered how they would go about taking a picture together.

"How should we take it? As a selfie or let one of the other girls take it?"

"Mm. How about a selfie and then if that doesn't work, we can hand the phone to Nimi or Ayanami."

"Sounds good to me. Here let me- "

"Allow me."

Suddenly without any warning whatsoever, Prinz Eugen moved her body so that she was leaning right onto Sora's right side with her hands reaching around his neck and her ample chest… being pushed into his shoulder causing the boy to feel a soft sensation. Two sensations to be exact.

The white-haired girl then moved her head so that she was situated right next to his face. Were he to shift his head to the side, then he would have encountered her head or likely hair. This left the boy undoubtedly feeling a bit embarrassed as well as for sure knowing that his face was red. However, still wanting to have a picture taken with her, he lifted his left hand and positioned it so that the two of them were in the frame. Everything was looking good so far which gave him the go-ahead with the picture.

"Ready?"

"Of course. Just say the word."

"Ha, then say cheese!"

"Cheese~"

*SNAPSHOT*

The picture of the two was now captured on the Gummiphone which allowed Sora to bring the phone close so that Prinz Eugen could also see the picture. The two of them were smiling warmly at the device with him realizing just how close she was and how comfortable she looked to be even right now after the picture.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect. But…" Prinz Eugen stopped herself.

"Huh? Is something wrong?"

Tilting her head so that it was now even closer to Sora's body, the Iron Blood girl decided to take another affirmative action in the romantic warfare category.

"…I was thinking we could take one with the two of us standing next to each other. What do you think?" she asked, letting her eyes stare right into his.

Takao and her sisters were now coming back from their little rendezvous regarding calling Maya and were startled at what they were seeing.

"W-What are you two doing!?" Takao stammered out.

"Oh my, taking an opportunity like this" Atago proclaimed, eyeing the Iron Blood girl closely.

"I-I…" Choukai was too stunned to speak now.

Prinz Eugen, seeing their reactions got a boost of confidence and pride swelling in her heart. She decided to make another move forward while striking right at the feminine level.

"Oh? We're not doing much. Just taking a picture with Sora. Making memories with him and whatnot."

The spiky-haired brunette could only awkwardly laugh at the situation he was caught in.

"Did you get into contact with your sister?"

"Yes, we did. She's on her way… Also, Sora, do you think that I could get a picture with you as well?" Atago asked, growing a bit envious.

"That'd be great! We can for sure do that once we take Prinz Eugen's picture" Sora replied.

"Could I get one too, Sora?" Choukai excitedly asked.

"Yep! Takao, do you want one as well?"

Using her right hand to grab her left arm, Takao had a somewhat shy look on her face while her serious posture quickly broke before coming back to normal.

"I… I would not mind one."

"Great. Let's get this picture taken first then it's pictures all around" Sora explained as he gestured over to Prinz Eugen who shot him a gentle nod before slowly lifting her arms and body off the boy.

Now standing along one part of the living room, Prinz Eugen and Sora were standing right next to each other with the boy deciding to take on the pose of his arms folded across his chest while standing comfortably with his body sideways. Prinz Eugen decided to follow suit and mimicked the boy's posture with her back meeting his. The two looked quite like a pair with their clothes having some matching colors and bright smiles content on their faces.

A moment passed as Prinz Eugen suddenly realized something strange about their situation.

"Uh… who is taking the photo?"

Sora had a deadpan expression on his face before bursting out into laughter.

"Hahaha! Sorry. I still have the phone. Ayanami, do you think you could take the picture?"

"Pfft… yeah, I can do that" the girl replied while stifling a chuckle from her lips at the odd situation.

With that embarrassing moment out of the way, Sora got back into position with Prinz Eugen leaning her back into his and finding a sense of comfort in being so close to the boy. It was a strange and stark feeling for her and on some level of depth, she was growing more accustomed to it and… liked it a great deal.

"We're all good here. Ready whenever."

"Got it. Say cheese."

"Cheese!"

*SNAPSHOT*

Moving to check the photo out, Sora and Prinz Eugen concluded that it was another successful picture taken with the two of them. She also questioned the boy if there was a way that she could get a copy of the photo sent to her which made the boy pause for a moment. His train of thought went right to the Gummiphone and started tapping away at it.

"Do you happen to have a phone, Prinz Eugen?"

"Of course. Let's trade contacts. That way, we can always. Stay. In. Contact. Haha," she replied, flashing a bright smile at him before bringing a hand over her lips.

The other girls noticed her more directive behavior and were now realizing what she was doing. She was playing quite an adventurous game now.

With her contact now stored in his phone, Sora sent over the two pictures to her, and within seconds she got them. Without wasting any time at all, she got to work making the picture of her with her arms wrapped around him as her screen saver while the other photo was her background. Now she could flaunt this achievement to a certain kitsune-haired girl to annoy her. That would be a sight to see.

"Sora, let's take that picture now."

And so, the Keyblade wielder was caught taking different pictures with the three different sisters. Each had their own pose with the boy with Atago deciding to take a picture standing right beside the boy before leaning her head on his shoulder which startled Sora, but he then eased into the picture and took it with a bright smile.

Choukai decided to take a more fun approach with the picture by having the two of them standing right next to each other while holding a thumbs up. A playful smirk appeared on both of their faces which resulted in them laughing at the result.

Takao's picture was more in line with a regular photo with the two standing relatively close by and keeping their hands to their sides and smiling at the camera. However, upon hearing the snapshot of the phone, the black-haired girl was met with disappointment as it was pointed out that she was not smiling enough, which was met with a retort from the girl. Alas, with everyone pointing out her odd smile, she defeatedly decided to take another picture. Only this time Sora whispered something to her that managed to break the icy, serious state of her character and caused a quick smile to appear on her face. But that moment was successfully caught by Ayanami who had fast hand reflexes and snapped the photo at the right time for the image to depict both of them smiling. Takao couldn't help but become a bit quiet but ultimately liked the picture captured.

Sora then asked Ayanami and Z23 which they agreed to, but their pictures were more on the normal side as well with the Sakura Empire girl holding up a friendly smile followed by a peace sign with both hands. Sora did the same as well. And Nimi tilted her head while having a regular smile plastered on her face and the boy followed suit with the casual approach.

With everyone's picture taken, the Keyblade wielder set to exchange numbers with everyone else as they all had their phones handy and began to realize that he should have done this earlier but alas, he'd do it later.

A peaceful mood settled into the comfy living room as everyone was pleased with the outcome of the pictures.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening could be heard as everyone turned their attention to the front door. Standing there looking a bit uncomfortable with all the stares sent her way was a girl with white hair and two ears resting at the top of her head. She also had on a dark long-sleeved shirt that looked to be cut off above her stomach followed by a red bow tie hanging in the middle of her attire. In addition, she was wearing a short skirt and black slip-on shoes with socks that came up her thigh. She wore a confused expression on her face as she now turned to look at Atago.

"I thought you said it was an emergency?"

"It is, Maya. Just not a capital "E" emergency" Atago sweetly replied.

A sigh escaped the girl who appeared to be Maya's lips. She then looked over at Takao and Choukai giving them a deadpan expression.

"Were you two involved with this?"

"I mean, in a way, yes, maybe, kind of," Choukai said, trying to beat around the bush.

Takao couldn't help but shake her head, "Yes, we were involved. And for good reason mind you."

Registering what her sister said, Maya then looked around the room and saw several familiar girls along with one who was the talk around the town.

"Ayanami, good to see you again."

"Likewise, hope your ship got cleaned up" Ayanami replied while referring to the girl's ship being caught up in a blast of sea debris battering her vessel during the Siren and Heartless invasion.

"It's all good now. I had some of the Manjuus helping clean it up. It's also nice to see you two again. Z23. Prinz Eugen."

"Ya, it's good to see you again."

"Same can be said."

Maya then turned her attention to the boy who was staring right at her.

"So, you're Sora."

"Yep, that's me. Nice to meet you, Maya. Glad you could come. Your sisters wanted you here for something special" Sora said, starting to pick up on her serious persona.

"Hm? Something special? What didn't you tell me?" Maya questioned Atago.

A sweet smile was evident on the older girl's face. She kept that expression as she speedily leaped at Maya engulfing her in a hug with her face buried deep in her chest. A muffled sound could be heard coming from the white-haired girl as she tried to break out of her sister's grip.

"Mwweeehh! Leehhh gwah! Ataaagooo."

"Sora has given us the bright idea of taking a family picture. As sad and unbelievable as it sounds, we don't have a picture of all of us here in the house even though we've taken pictures together before. But thanks to talking about picture taking, we decided to do one altogether!"

A moment of silence passed before Maya weakly raised her right hand and gave Atago a thumbs up which resulted in the older sister picking the younger girl up and crushing her in a deep hug.

"Ack!"

"Thank you so much, Maya! Now, Sora, where should we take it?" Atago asked while seemingly letting go of her sister who was gasping for air.

"Uhm… I'm not sure. It's getting late so we won't have the sunlight to brighten up the picture. How about where the rest of us took our photo against the wall?" he suggested.

"That will be a fine background. Come on, Takao! You too, Choukai. And bring Maya right in front."

Listening to their older sister take charge in this situation, the sisters all looked at each other knowing that if they tried to go against her now, they would be suffering under the wrath of an older, loving sibling. This meant they would have their backs broken and air whiffed right out of them due to her monstrous hugs.

Once they all got themselves situated, Sora now stood ahead with his Gummiphone ready to take the picture. The girls were situated with Atago standing in the middle, Takao to her right, Choukai on her left, and Maya in the front. Each one of the sisters had a different expression ranging from serious to cheerful. All in all, they looked to be happy in their own kind of way.

Garnering their attention, Sora called out to the sisters.

"Okay, you guys ready?"

"Yep! All set, Sora" Atago happily replied.

Adjusting his phone for the picture, he gave a thumbs up.

"Alright, say cheese!"

"Cheese!" Atago and Choukai cheerfully responded.

"Cheese…" Takao and Maya also replied but with not as much enthusiasm as their sisters.

*SNAPSHOT*

---

Sometime later

Standing right outside the sister's home, Sora was looking up at the evening sky and began to realize just how busy his day had been, what with the meetings and encountering so many new faces and building new connections. He couldn't help but smile brightly at the fond memories he had just created.

"Enjoying the evening air?"

Turning around to see who talked, Sora was greeted by Takao sending a friendly smile his way.

"Hey, needed a break from all the activity?"

"Not really. Just figured I'd walk with you back to the council building. Along with… thank you."

A befuddled expression was visible on the spiky-haired boy's face.

"Thank me? For what?"

"For today or rather this evening. While things have been developing on our island and among our faction, it's been noticeable that Atago has been feeling a bit distraught for some time now."

"Really? Are you sure? I mean, I haven't really known her for long, but she seems so happy."

"The benefits of being an older sibling. She's able to hide her concern and sadness behind a layer of happiness. But there are times that it's noticeable that her positivity façade cracks. Hence, with your arrival and learning that Azur Lane will be working to build a new connection with the Sakura Empire, my sister has been looking a bit happier. Not to mention, she's taken an interest in you."

Hearing this, Sora couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hasn't everybody taken an interest in me?"

"True. But Atago has taken a deep interest in how your positivity manages to affect those around you. I mean, in the simplest way that I can phrase this, you have gotten friends of ours to show sides of themselves that aren't exactly shown to just anyone. Or that you manage to not only lend your support but your positive attitude which in turn shows that even in dark times there are those willing to stand against it all" Takao calmly explained.

"Ha, I'm glad that I can inspire others to open their hearts. But they should know that everyone has their own strength within them that is one of a kind. There are certain things that others are better at than me. Honestly, Takao, I don't see myself as all that special. I'm just glad to be a small part of something much bigger."

An interesting point followed by a broad response was what Takao was thinking of at the moment.

"And what would that be?"

Bringing his hand close to his heart, the Guardian of Light replied with a sincere answer.

"The people I've met. The bonds I've created. The ties that bind us all together whether it be from one faction or one world. Those are what I hold dear and are much bigger than just me alone. Everyone I've met has a special place in my heart. That includes you too, Takao."

"M-Me? We haven't even known each other that long. And now you're saying something that extreme" the swordswoman replied, feeling her cheeks slightly warm up.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Sora immediately asked.

Considering what they've encountered and the times that they've talked followed by even entering and hanging out in her home, Takao had to agree with his stance on their newfound relationship that had been formed in such a short amount of time.

"Yes. I consider you a friend now, Sora."

"Then that's all there is to it. You matter to me and are a part of my heart now along with your sisters and Prinz Eugen and Z23 and Ayanami and everyone else I met today. Besides, with how things are set to appear in this world, we're going to be in for a challenging future together."

"…On that, we can agree wholeheartedly."

Shifting his head back toward the house, Sora had one last thought in his mind before returning to the council building.

"So, seeing that it's going to be a little walk to the council room, what other kinds of training do you know about? Zuikaku said she wanted to share some techniques with me but I'm sure there are some that you might know that she doesn't" Sora reasoned with the girl while striking up a conversation as the two started walking together.

"Zuikaku's skill with the blade is truly something else with her learning new things every day. But there are points at which she might be missing a tune to her blade along with a few techniques that she isn't as familiar with as I am. Would you care to hear them?" Takao asked, feeling a bit of excitement at the chance to talk sword dueling.

"Yes, please. I would like that a lot. I have a feeling that I'll need to switch up my fighting style the more I learn about the Sirens. And since I don't have all my equipment on me now, I'll need to improvise."

Nodding at the boy's reasoning, Takao then began to divulge a great deal of information regarding sword techniques for the brunette to think about all while his attention was directed straight at her. To add even more eagerness to her explanation, the boy would make comments on everything that was discussed showing that he was paying attention.

In hindsight, the walk back to the council building was one that Takao found herself enjoying a great deal. To the point that she wished the walk would have been longer.

---

Later that night

After reaching the council building and meeting up with Enterprise and Prince of Wales who were talking with Nagato and Vittorio, Sora bid Takao a good night as she dismissed herself for the night. But not before she let the boy know that she enjoyed their time together and would hope to get the chance to chat again, with which he wholeheartedly approved.

Now standing next to Enterprise and Wales, he began asking them what the situation would turn out to be now since the meetings and whatnot all died down and everyone was now free to talk.

"At the moment, we are unsure what the situation is looking like in the Pacific. For now, thanks to Lady Nagato's gratefulness we've managed to take up a few rooms at their lodging. Her Majesty and the others have already departed for there" Wales explained.

"And you guys didn't go?"

"Why would we? We figured you might be making your way back here since we hadn't exactly come up with a plan on where to meet up."

Nodding his head in acknowledgment, Sora glanced over at Nagato and waited for her to notice him looking in her direction as she finished speaking with Vittorio.

"Oh. Sora, sorry I didn't see you sooner."

"Not at all. I didn't want to interrupt your conversation."

"Why, thank you, Sora" Vittorio commented. "We were just discussing what our next action should be as I'm thinking of asking a few of the girls to take up a residency program within Azur Lane."

"Residency program? Like, some of the girls will be sent to Azur Lane?" the boy questioned, seeing if he was on the right track.

"Precisely. I also have a few names that I'm thinking of sending to Azur Lane. As a showing of our newfound peace treaty and working relationship to connect our two sides in unity. Bismarck and Jean Bart are also deciding on which girls they should send as well" Vittorio added to the conversation.

Sora started pondering something about what they were saying.

"Why are they all going to Azur Lane?" Everyone looked at him now. "I-I mean, why there and not to another faction."

"Azur Lane serves as a center for other factions to collaborate. The Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Dragon Empery, Northern Parliament, and Iris Libre. Moreover, where its main base is located serves as a vantage point for crossing over between the Pacific. Plus, it's on the side of the planet that has the most amount of vast open ocean to cover" Enterprise explained to the Keyblade wielder.

"In addition, with Azur Lane being the one to maintain a stable connection with all the other factions, it's only natural that we would be sending girls who approve of the transfer. Besides, everyone seems to be in high spirits now knowing that's where you'll be going" Wales applied to the subject.

"Huh? Am I that important of a figure?" Sora asked, clearly underestimating himself.

The four girls all shot each other looks that conveyed the message of "really" and shook their heads all at the same time causing the spiky-haired brunette to mouth the words "ok".

"But I'm not a commander."

"And that's even more of a reason that some of the girls wish to transfer over to Azur Lane, Sora. A joint operation if you will where there will still be faction leaders taking the lead but conversing with the other leaders for the operation. Since we don't exactly have a commander in charge of Azur Lane, and it has been in the hands of the kansens and upper command- your presence will be adding unique functionality to our newfound unity with all the factions" the blonde-haired battleship explained.

Sora had to admit, he hadn't considered how the girls were being commanded during this entire war amongst themselves and the Sirens. He just thought there was a commander in charge and that he hadn't met them yet. But hearing that there was no one in charge and it was all of them made his appreciation and admiration shoot up at just how hard-working the girls really were.

"That makes sense… a new front where I can provide information about dealing with the Heartless and Azur Lane telling me all that I need to know to deal with the Sirens. That sounds like a powerhouse to be worried about" Sora said, letting a bit of confidence spill into his words.

"My thoughts exactly" Enterprise added while tipping her cap forward and sporting an energetic look in her eyes.

Wales also couldn't help but wear a brief smug expression before going back to a professional standard. Vittorio noticed how quickly Sora's words managed to get a reaction out of the two girls and began wondering just what else the boy from another world could do. Nagato held a comfortable smile on her face as she was eager to see how the girls would react tomorrow when it was announced which girls could vouch to go along with the transferring process.

"Well… what now?" Sora asked, putting his hands behind his head.

"Now, we go and check our rooms. I'm sure Her Majesty is making adjustments to her room and Warspite is running around while Belfast is helping her" Wales guessed.

Figuring that was happening, Sora turned to look over at Nagato and Vittorio.

"Will you be coming along with us, Nagato? Vittorio?"

"Sadly, there are still a few things I must get done before I can enjoy the evening ambiance" Nagato replied.

"Likewise, there are a few more things that I would like to discuss with Nagato and Bismarck wherever she might be" Vittorio stated.

"Okay. Well, see you later, and thank you again for the rooms" Sora kindly responded to the young girl.

"Of course, Sora. May you have a pleasant evening."

With that being a good note to leave on, Sora turned to Wales and Enterprise and gestured to them that they should take off, which they both agreed on. Soon, the trio were now walking down the road and toward the lodges which were hosting them. The glimmer of moonlight slowly rising into the night sky left the elegant and beautiful Sakura Empire a sight to see. The calm nature around the island was sure to leave many with a pleasant night.

---

Elsewhere on the Sakura Empire Island…

Standing on the beach with the water drifting up due to high tide, a black hooded figure was simply staring out at the night sky with their hands behind their back.

The Lost Master had been quite busy. Well, not as busy as a certain Keyblade wielder.

Lowering himself so that he was a few inches away from placing his head into the sand, the Master of Master reached forward to pick up a light-colored seashell that had floated its way up the beach due to the tide. Now with the item in his hand, he brought it close to his face before suddenly dropping it to the ground and walking away from it. He then started walking along the beach while listening to the sound of the waves in the distance coming crashing down into the water.

"Another long day… I hope you're enjoying your leisure time, Sora. It looks like you'll be busy here soon."

As soon as the Master of Masters said this, he felt as if something had just happened in another location within this world. Something that caused him to keep his body directed out toward the sea with his hand clasping out into the distance before stopping himself.

"Where there be light… darkness shall follow… and where there be darkness… light shall follow…"

The Lost Master then began walking away from the beach entirely and into the forest of Sakura trees before glancing back at the ocean and opening his mouth.

"Take care, Sora. Because you are in for quite the fight. Alas, I could say the same thing for myself. A world trifling between the radiance of light and the inflection of darkness. Perhaps our paths will cross sooner than expected, Guardian of Light…"

---

Sometime later while everyone was asleep

Lying down fast asleep in the bed and room provided to him by one of the Sakura Empire girls who he had not personally met yet, Sora was asleep to the point that he could not hear if there was a sound playing right next to him. He was in total slumber with nothing going to wake his lazy bum persona at all.

This meant that the creaking of his door slowly opening was something that he would not hear, nor would he be able to hear the footsteps that slowly and gradually roamed around his room and had gotten right up to his bed. He didn't even shake or feel when another source of weight was applied to his bed and had even gotten to be under the covers with him.

None of this had caused the spiky-haired boy to wake up or even react which meant that… he would certainly have quite the morning when he woke up.

Notes:

*A/N* - It's great to see you reach the bottom of the chapter. There was a great deal of stuff happening here with Sora getting into the hangouts with the different established groups of girls. I originally wanted to have a bunch of the girls in one or two groups but even that led to some trouble trying to give every girl the chance to shine along with a momentary highlight moment. And I'd argue some girls definitely got more screen time in this chapter than others. Make no mistake, I'll work on giving Sora some time to meet the newer girls introduced as well as some of the first-introduced girls.

I also wanted to do a bit of lore explaining from Sora and briefly cover the events of his adventures. Pirates of the Caribbean will heavily be mentioned and discussed in this story since the pirate outfit applies to the boy's knowledge of the sea. I have an idea that will be heavily discussed and implemented next chapter that is sure to get the girls crazy. There will be a few other times of lore explanation but I'll do what I can to make it not so crazy and headache inducing. Practice and experience be thy teacher.

Nevertheless, things are about to take place what with the MoM noticing something occurring somewhere in this world. We haven't seen what the Sirens or Heartless are up to yet but expect a look into what's going on behind the scenes in the next chapter along with the eventual lead-up to another fierce fight. In addition, regarding Sora's conception of Akagi's upfront claims to falling in love with him. I want to try and stick to a reasonable in-character reaction from the spiky-haired hero as it's been shown in the series that he notices when things like romance take place along with the signs being out there.

Granted, him being oblivious to some things is bound to happen with a half-pint like him but he'll soon have a genuine reaction to the girl's interest in him. Along with a bit of self-realization of his connection and feelings for Kairi. I don't want to completely throw her off to the side but slowly have thought about romance in a different light and listen to what the girls who will eventually or are already crushing on him think. It's undoubtedly going to be war… a war that Sora has never fought before. A War of Love lol.

Once again, thanks for checking this chapter and story out and I hope you'll stick around for the next update. Until then, take care out there.

Chapter 17: Incoming Hope and Trouble

Summary:

With a new day to greet everyone, the newly formed and combined forces of Azur Lane are about to endure their next greatest foe... action toward the Keyblade wielder. Sora's in for a bit of a strange morning as well as getting pulled left and right from all the girls that want to speak with him.
How will he get out of this situation?
Also, just what is the Sirens' next move?

Notes:

*Disclaimer* - I do not own the copyright to Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane

*A/N* - Hello again! Hope things are on the up and up for you. Things certainly have gotten rather interesting with our fellow Keyblade wielder. I do hope that he'll be okay in the upcoming fight… over his heart. But alas, being the author, I have an idea of what's going to happen and… I'm sorry, Sora. Nevertheless, we are also getting ready to get back into the action with things once again going to start picking up and with Sora's involvement in the world of Azur Lane, things are going to get interesting. I'd like to thank everyone for dropping by and giving this story a read. All the reviews and thoughts around this story are greatly appreciated. Now, with that bit of author commentary out of the way, I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter of the Keyblade's Chosen One's time in the world of ship girls. Enjoy.

Everyone has experienced this feeling once throughout their life. The feeling of utter bliss and relaxation while lying in your bed. The sensation of having your body relaxed from head to toe with all your worries and tiredness seeping away. Followed by the overall conclusion that you did not want to get up at all and just keep lying there… that was exactly how Sora was feeling right now.

With his body unmoving and a dorky smile resting on his face, the Keyblade wielder of light looked to be in a state of peace. In all honesty, the fruitful and ever-positive spiky-haired young man had not gotten sleep like this in a long time. The days of him searching for Riku and dealing with Organization XIII, taking the Mark of Mastery, and then preparing for the looming Keyblade War had left him on edge for quite some time. Hence, he could honestly say that he was at peace.

This resulted in him turning to his side and smiling brightly while still asleep.

That is… until he felt something pushing back on his arm that was extended out quite a bit.

"…*groan*…"

He moved his hand a bit more while still on the border of sleep and expected to feel nothing. But instead, he felt something strange. Something soft and not the kind of soft he expected to be felt on his bed. Deciding to see what was going on, Sora slowly opened both of his eyes while readjusting his vision to get a good look at what was going on.

As he did so, the blue-eyed boy couldn't help but feel his body tense up and his eyes shoot up in utter shock as well as embarrassment. This situation was something that he'd never had to deal with and couldn't help but feel like a fish out of water. He had to catch his breath while also feeling that his face was on fire.

Sleeping right next to him was a familiar brown-haired kitsune girl who was wearing the brightest smile he had ever seen on her. For a moment, he couldn't help but let a small smile appear on his lips before immediately widening his eyes and looking utterly shocked. Words couldn't fathom the exact reaction he was having. Hence, the only thing he could do was mutter out a simple response.

"Um… Akagi… What are you doing in my bed?"

There was no movement coming from the brunette girl as expected. Sora should have figured that she would not wake up with a simple-

"I would also like to know the kitsune's reasoning for doing such a thing," another voice said off to the side.

"Yeah. I have no idea when she- What are you doing here Belfast!?" he shouted as he turned to the side and saw the white-haired maid doing a curtsey bow.

"Good morning, Master Sora. It's a pleasure to be here at your side ready for your orders upon you awaking from slumber" Belfast calmly said while flashing him a gentle smile.

So many more thoughts were starting to pile up in the spiky-haired boy's head. This was all too much to handle upon waking up.

"I…I… Belfast…"

"Yes, Master Sora?"

"…Why are you in my room?"

The maid flashed him another smile while clasping both of her hands together.

"Because a maid must be at her master's beck and call whenever and wherever he may need help."

A sigh escaped the boy's lips as he was now standing up from the bed and folding his arms across his chest.

"Belfast. Didn't I already tell you not to call me master? Just call me by my name."

Nodding her head, the head maid could see the error on her part, "Yes, of course, you did tell me that upon our prior encounter. I do humbly apologize mas- I mean, Sora. A slip of the tongue there."

"Right… well, do you mind explaining to me why you're kind of just standing there? Watching me and… Akagi sleep…"

Saying that out loud, Sora couldn't help but feel his face getting warmer. This was certainly proving to be a whole new situation that he'd never faced before. It also got his heart picking up the pace and beating faster. Honestly, the Keyblade wielder would argue that the speed at which his heartbeat was going rivaled some of his most daring and dangerous fights in all his adventures. That's how nerve-racking this situation was to him inside.

"For clarification reasons, I would have remained in your room and ready to help you in any way even if Miss Akagi were not here. As it is my duty as a Royal Maid to help the Commander and Her Highness. However, you are a very special individual. One that can be viewed as just as important."

'Important huh… That does feel nice to hear. Still, watching over me while I sleep… I mean, at least sit-down, and don't stand up the entire night' Sora mumbled to himself while processing what Belfast was saying.

Additionally, several other thoughts and curiosities popped into his head now that the conversation was revolving around sleep.

"I see… well, can you explain a few things to me really quick?"

"Of course, Sora. I work to help and serve you in need. What are your questions?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, hearing such a thing was not what he ever expected to hear. It sounded too surreal to even really break down. Hence, he began the questioning to move the topic along.

"Well, first off, how and why is Akagi here… sleeping next to me?"

Hearing this question, the white-haired beauty simply cast her eyes down at the sleeping kitsune and could only shut her eyes from making any obvious remarks or gestures with her eyes. She then began to answer her master's question.

"Miss Akagi managed to sneak into your room hours after you had fallen into the depths of slumber. I was fortunate enough to spot her doing such the act that I followed close by and… with methods I shall not divulge to you here as there are too many eyes and ears around here, made sure to keep my presence at a minimum. Fortunately, Akagi was so fixated on you that she slowly crawled next to you and in the essence of happiness passed out from being so close to you. Moreover, I made sure that she did not do any questionable deeds to your sleeping form."

The look on Sora's face was all that anyone would need to see how he was processing this surprising bit of information. To say that he was shocked could not fathom the truth as to what he was feeling. The only thing he could do was look at Belfast in her blue eyes and then down at Akagi who was still sleeping away on his bed.

What a way to start his morning.

"Uhm… err… thank you, Belfast… I think. This has never happened before."

"Of course, Sora. Do be aware, however, that I shall take the necessary procedures to make sure that you remain unbothered during your time of sleep. This will not happen again" Belfast proclaimed while flashing the boy a kind smile.

"But… wouldn't that affect you as- "

"Mm…hmm? Ah…."

Suddenly, the sound of someone trying to break out of the hold that was known as slumber could be heard, and it was undoubtedly coming from the brown-haired kitsune as she started blinking once and then twice to adjust to the sight of light. Turning her head to the side, Akagi soon found her red eyes staring right into Sora's blue orbs. The sight caused her to immediately wake up and put on a flirtatious smile.

"Good morning, my love. It seems as if fate managed to put us together again hee-hee!" Akagi gleefully said while her tails started to sway back and forth.

Before Sora could say anything, Akagi then moved her eyes to the side and spotted Belfast standing there with a deadpan expression on her face.

"What the hell are you doing in my beloved's room?!"

"I believe you are mistaken, Miss Akagi. For you see, this is Sora's room. Not yours. And may I remind you that you were the one to sneak into this room and improperly behaved in quite the act by crawling into his bed" the white-haired Royal Navy kansen matter-of-factly stated to the girl.

Hearing all this being said, Akagi couldn't help but glare at Belfast with a look that conveyed she had one or two menacing things to say to the Royal Navy Woman. However, as soon as she moved her head to look at Sora, the kitsune's face immediately shifted to a pure-hearted expression. One that also conveyed a sense of affinity and interest in the spiky-haired boy.

"I think you are misinterpreting some things, Head Maid. I am simply doing as any loving soon-to-be wife would do for this magnificent… this amazing… this wonderful hero of mine. There's nothing wrong with me accompanying him to bed" Akagi determinedly proclaimed.

Sora's eyes went wide, and he had to rub his eyes and head to make sure he wasn't hearing things. It took him a second to realize that what Akagi had said was true and that she thought about him and the situation in such an… interesting way. He couldn't help but not want things to escalate.

Unfortunately, things were never so simple, and misfortune seemed to settle in the room.

"If I may, Miss Akagi, it's rude to proclaim such false-headed statements. You acted on an ill-rooted thought and took the action of sneaking into Mas- Sora's room. Additionally, you did so without his consent. Luckily, I was here to watch over him and prevent any dangerous acts against his life."

"Dangerous acts? How dare you! You think I would harm my beloved!?"

"I did not say such a thing. Merely, I only said that your actions were not of the benefit and approval of him. Sora, what do you say about this entire situation?"

Both girls were now looking over at the brunette hero and waiting for him to say something. Alas, Sora could only open his mouth, but nothing would come out. No sound or audible language. He was utterly flabbergasted at this whole situation breaking out as soon as he woke up.

"I…I-I don't know. I mean, I know that it wasn't nice to sneak into my room." As he said this, he first looked at Akagi who had her ears drop slightly, and then he looked over at Belfast who smiled sweetly at him. "I also know that it's surprising to have one girl sleeping right next to me while the other… is watching me sleep. *sigh*"

Adamantly, he also did not want to yell or say anything harmful to the two women as there was no harm done to him or the room. He honestly could not give a right or wrong response to this whole thing.

"Akagi."

"Yes, darling~?"

The Keyblade wielder couldn't help but blink once and then twice before beginning to talk to her again.

"…Why did you sneak into my room?" Sora asked the kitsune woman who appeared happy.

The red-eyed girl's face shifted into one that could be described as enthusiastically happy to be asked that sort of question.

"Why not? Is it not normal for lovers to do such a thing when they are happily in love?"

"I…I… Huh?" Sora tried to reply but couldn't say anything due to how puzzled he was now.

Belfast couldn't help but keep her eyes trained on the kitsune girl as it appeared that she had something else to say. For the sake of Sora's sanity, she would step in and protect him if Akagi tried anything.

"My love for you, Sora, is true. Not only have you spoken to my heart and forgiven me and my sister for our actions that could have ultimately caused the Sakura Empire's downfall. Moreover, you helped save my sister. That is a gift I will never be able to repay fully. My feelings for you are sincere and I would gladly offer myself to you till the end of time. Hee-hee. Imagine that…"

Having become someone who can tell when someone means what they say, Sora could honestly tell that everything Akagi was saying was true. Granted, there was still a good deal he needed to learn about love, but based on what the brown-haired girl was saying, she truly did feel those kinds of thoughts toward him. This barrage of love being directed at him from the energetic fox girl was something else. He couldn't help but take a step back and try to reel it all in. Was Akagi always this upfront about her feelings? Was she like this before?

Nevertheless, he determined that this was a bit too much to take in upon waking up. Sora was about to say something to her but was stopped as Belfast raised her hand. Stopping him from saying anything.

"Akagi… while it is commendable for you to announce your feelings to Sora… Perhaps you could have gone about it in another way?" Belfast tried to reason. "Sneaking into his bedroom without his consent is one thing but seeing how blatant your feelings are… that is- "

"And who are you to say anything, Head Maid?" Akagi retorted. "You don't have feelings of deep love for him. How would you know what I'm feeling now?"

"The same could easily be said to you as well."

"What did you just say?" the kitsune questioned while having a dangerous glare in her eyes.

"I merely meant it in a more…" Belfast started to say.

"Rationale kind of way…" Sora finished that thought while drawing the girls' attention back to him.

"D-Darling?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, he decided to take a more neutral route in this whole sudden situation.

"I-I mean… we should- "

Suddenly, before he could say anything else, the door to his room busted open revealing a group of girls all standing at the door with Enterprise and Prinz Eugen being the ones at the forefront of the group. Behind them, the appearances of Hood, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Atago, Takao, Littorio, Richelieu, Hiei, Prince of Wales, Mikasa, Illustrious, Ayanami, Z23, and a bunch of other girls were all standing there looking at the boy and then noticing that Akagi and Belfast were also there.

The reaction from seeing Sora in this situation was vividly varied by each of the girls.

Zuikaku had become a blushing and stuttering mess while pointing her finger at Sora. Shoukaku was next to her and had a hand on her shoulder while her mouth was left open in surprise. Hood had brought a hand up to her lips while analyzing the situation as it seemed that there was more going on here than suspected. Mikasa had started immediately yelling about how Akagi was here and had a faint tint of pink on her face. Littorio looked to be somewhat surprised while smirking widely and looking directly at Sora. Atago had a teasing smile on her face while clasping her hands together. Takao kept her eyes trailing on the Keyblade wielder while looking slightly downward and somewhat blushing red. Richelieu's face was painted as red as her leggings as she let out a silent prayer at seeing such a compromising sight. Hiei kept a slightly shocked expression on her face while having her cheeks look a bit red. Prince of Wales was in utter disbelief while her face matched her outfit, and she kept glancing over at Belfast. Illustrious had brought both of her hands up to her face with a look that showcased her surprise in this situation. Ayanami and Z23 looked confused and a bit unsure about what exactly was going on but kept tamed looks on their faces.

All in all, the girls witnessing what was going on were in absolute confusion about what was going on or why Belfast and Akagi were present in Sora's room.

To add even more drama to the situation, Amagi and Kaga had now joined in and were standing with wide eyes at seeing Akagi's tails sprawled out on the bed and sitting upright. The only thing that could come to the white-kitsune's mind was to blurt out what was on her mind.

"What are you doing to my sister, Sora!?"

---

A few moments later

After managing to squeeze all the girls present into the boy's room with him in the back corner and sitting down in a chair while having over fifteen girls in his room, he explained the situation along with Belfast's input.

"S-So nothing… happened?" Zuikaku stammered out.

"No. It's like we said" Sora replied, gesturing over at Belfast who nodded her head.

'…phew…' Enterprise said to herself while standing by.

With the situation of Akagi sneaking into Sora's room and how Belfast seemingly followed suit, some of the girls had small smirks on their faces at how this whole thing was blown out of proportion. Meanwhile, other girls seemed to let out a silent sigh of relief knowing that nothing happened.

"I will say, you are quite the daring one, Akagi" Littorio said while slyly smirking.

"Daring is not the word I would use. More akin to doing what's right in my heart. And my heart wanted to be close to my one true love" the brown-haired girl proclaimed for everyone to hear.

Once again, some of the girls' reactions shifted to look at Akagi with what could be described as something akin to frustration and irritation. It was more prevalently evident in Wales' face as she looked Akagi right into her red eyes.

"However, putting your reasons aside, it was still wrong for you to just appear in S-Sora's bed!" Mikasa announced to Akagi.

"I am terribly sorry, Mikasa. Yesterday's situation with Akagi should have caused me to… have a closer eye on her" Amagi apologized.

"Yesterday?" repeated Richelieu.

A small fruitful smile appeared on Amagi's face.

"As Sora had come to spend time with us as he said he would, we were enjoying a moment of peace at our picnic spot and some choice words were said. Nothing bad but… quite the opposite…" Amagi said this while looking over at Akagi and Kaga who also had smiles on their faces. "It was there that Akagi out of nowhere ran up to Sora and hugged him while thanking our hero for all that he's done for us… for our family. The hug soon turned to be a bit more… *cough* direct and apparent."

Hearing Amagi's explanation for what happened yesterday, a few of the Sakura Empire girls all glanced over at Akagi who seemed to relish in all the attention she was getting by not letting all the eyes on her deter her from displaying a calm and collected smile. Seeing this, Littorio and Prinz Eugen couldn't help but realize that the kitsune girl was a foe they would need to be wary around.

"My, my I didn't think Akagi would be this bold" Atago muttered out.

"Talk about it. T-To do such a thing b-before marriage" Takao stuttered out while using one hand to clasp around her other arm with a blush on her face.

Sora on his part had let out a tired sigh as it had still only been a few minutes since he woke up. This truly was one of the strangest ways that he had ever been woken up. This definitely beat the time he woke up in Twilight Town after having been asleep for a whole year.

"Right… but now I have to ask. Why were you all standing outside my room?" the spiky-haired brunette questioned all the girls.

This sudden question threw everyone into little fidgeting movements with some girls stiffening up like a statue and others having a light blush on their faces. And some… Littorio, Atago, and Prinz Eugen, simply kept a level head and smiled dangerously at the boy.

"Why wouldn't I? I wished to spend the morning regaling our tales of triumphant moments of hope and happiness together as well as getting the chance to sit down and listen to your heart. Seeing that I was preoccupied yesterday. I am also appearing to be the last in the race…" the green-haired woman dramatically explained while keeping a confident grin on her face.

"I wanted to spend the morning showering you with a heartfelt breakfast and continue our lovely chat from last night. It ended too soon, and you even said to yourself that you may have spent a bit more time with the other girls. That means that you have to make up for the time you missed with your big sister. And not to worry, Takao can come with us" Atago happily replied while grabbing a hold of Takao who was blushing.

"A-Atago!"

Sora did remember saying that he spent a bit more time with the other groups and not a lot of time with Atago and Takao's group. He'd like to make that up sooner or later.

"As for me, well…" Prinz Eugen said this while winking at Sora which caused the other girls to glare at the Iron Blood kansen. "It's like Atago said, you didn't spend nearly enough time with me last night. There's still a great deal of things that I want to do with you. Things I want to ask you as well. Besides, maybe we can take another photo just like last night. Hmm~."

The room had now gone down several degrees causing Sora to slightly shiver and feel goosebumps down his arm. He also remembered the selfie that he and Prinz Eugen took and couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Yeah, I'd be cool with another photo together!"

"Wait!? Another photo? What does she mean, Sora" Wales suddenly shouted out.

"Here, let me show- "Sora started to say but felt a tug at his shoulder with Prinz Eugen stepping up to him and smiling brightly while speaking out.

"Allow me, Sora."

As she said this, the white-haired Iron Blood kansen reached right into her modest chest and pulled out her phone. She then tapped on it and flipped it around in a stylish kind of way making it very apparent what she was doing. With the phone now displaying what was on her screen, Prinz Eugen couldn't help but feel her heart swelling up in absolute superiority.

There on the screen was the picture she took with Sora last night with her body right next to him making it look like the two were… very close.

"T-That's- not fair… "Zuikaku stammered.

"Oh my, we're going to need to rethink our strategy…" Shoukaku declared.

"I see…" Hiei commented with a bit of earnestness in her voice.

"So forward!" Mikasa stuttered while blushing.

"Oh? Seems like I'll be needing a picture of my own with him now" Littorio stated with a flirtatious smile on her face.

"That's rather… "Takao started saying while recalling her own photo.

"Hm. It seems as if Sora and I will need to be doing a bit of photography ourselves then" Wales proclaimed with a glint in her eye.

"…I want one now" Illustrious announced.

"Hehehe. You call that a picture?" Atago confidently retorted.

"I didn't think he'd like something like that…" Richelieu voiced quietly.

"Quite daring don't you think? Or perhaps… I'll need to follow suit" Hood noted.

"They both look happy," Z23 said, recalling last night's photo that she shared with Sora as well.

"Cute" Ayanami bluntly stated.

"What is this!?" Akagi shouted.

The last person to be heard was Akagi who had now stood up from the bed and was marching up to Prinz Eugen who held her ground and merely had a shit-eating grin on her face.

"Oh? What was what?"

"Don't play dumb, Prinz Eugen. When was this taken?" Akagi roared.

Retaining a cocky yet flirty smirk on her face, the white-haired and red streak girl replied.

"It was last night when Sora stopped by to spend some time with me and the others in my group. We had a pleasant time together even if it was cut off short due to him spending more time with the other groups."

A sense of worry began to settle in the boy's heart as he looked over at the two girls arguing and could see that Akagi's eyes were glowing red. Not to mention, the thought of the nice room turning into a war zone was something that he did not want to see happen.

"Why you- "

"Hahaha! Hey, we should all go get something to eat. You know? Away. From here. It's gotta be packed trying to fit all of us in here and whatnot" Sora rapidly said while putting on a cheerful façade to hide the fact that he was a bit scared of what might happen.

Seeing his attempt to calm the situation, Enterprise and Hood immediately jumped onto the bandwagon and prompted the idea further.

"That sounds like a marvelous idea, Sora!" Hood eagerly replied. "Let us be off, Wales. You're more than welcome to join us, Littorio and Illustrious."

Thankfully, the white-haired Royal Navy kansen picked up on what was being said and nodded her head.

"It would be a pleasure to do so. Will you join us, Littorio" Illustrious asked the green-haired woman.

"Of course. Let us be off to prepare a breakfast to be remembered. Not only because I am here but our resident hero deserves one."

With that, Hood, Wales, Littorio, and Illustrious all left the room. This suddenly sprouted a chain reaction to start going into effect.

"I'm also in support of this idea. Akagi. Kaga. Let us be off. Hiei and Ayanami would you care to join us? The same goes for you as well, Takao and Atago."

"Not at all! Thank you for the offer Amagi" Hiei cheerfully responded.

"I'm okay with that" Ayanami added.

The black-haired and dog-eared sisters also nodded at the offer presented.

"We would be honored to join you, Lady Amagi" Takao respectfully said.

"Haha! A nutritional breakfast sounds like a great way to start the day. And then…" Atago started to say before stopping and having a sweet smile appeared on her lips.

Kaga also seemed to agree with her sister's suggestion and nodded, "I'd like that."

However, there was one girl who wasn't all that thrilled with the idea.

"…Amagi. I think I'll catch up with you and Kaga later. I'll be- "

"Akagi."

Hearing her name called through her sister's voice, the kitsune girl couldn't help but nervously look over at Amagi. The older kitsune woman held a stare that could be best described as a mother looking at their child and conveying that they were not going to be dealing with any nonsense.

"…I understand." Akagi begrudgingly said before looking over at Sora. "May we meet again soon my love…"

With a final forceful gesture, the brunette kitsune waved her gloved hand at the boy while staring longingly at the boy's blue eyes. She then joined her sisters and friends to attend breakfast.

Now left with only a few more girls in the room those being Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Prinz Eugen, Z23, Enterprise, Mikasa, and Richelieu were the only ones left in the room now along with the Keyblade wielder who looked to be recoiling from his rather eventful morning.

"*sigh* I apologize, Sora. Akagi's personality and rather blunt attitude are something that needs to be addressed. She should not have done such a thing" Mikasa elaborated on.

"It's alright. Nothing bad happened. I was… just thrown off is all. Didn't expect to be woken up like that at all. Especially with someone else watching me sleep" he said while looking over at Belfast.

The Head Maid had a sweet smile on her face as she simply tilted her head forward.

"Of course, Sora. As I have already told you, you are a rather important individual on the same level as the Commander or Her Majesty. I must see to it that all your needs are taken care of and that you are at your best."

"Yeah… but I don't think that includes watching me sleep."

"Oh, but it does. Making sure that you are safe and undisturbed is only part of my job. As your personal maid, it is my duty to see that you are- "

The spiky-haired boy quickly began waving his hands dramatically.

"Wait, wait, wait. Time out. Who assigned you to be my personal maid!?" Sora exclaimed.

"Nobody did."

"…Then why- "

"Which is why I've assigned myself to do so. Making sure that you are taken care of and do not need to worry about such trivial things now" Belfast explained to the Keyblade wielder without breaking eye contact with him.

This was such a strange situation to be in. Sora wasn't entirely on board with having Belfast be his personal maid. It just didn't seem right. Hence, he figured that aiming for a middle ground might be his best bet.

"I… *sigh* Okay, Belfast. But I won't allow you to do such things as watching me sleep or not sleeping yourself. And I'll take care of my own things including making my bed and doing my laundry" Sora reasoned to the white-haired girl.

"Of course. Thank you for allowing me to continue as I would normally."

Mentally, Sora wasn't sure how he should go about this whole situation. This was entirely something new to him. But for now, he would partially deal with it. He was sure that he'd get bitten in the butt later, but he would worry about that when the time arrived. Now, however, he had a few more of his friends still in his room.

"So… what about you guys? Zuikaku? Shoukaku? Are you going to come join us for breakfast?"

Sending a glance to her sister, Zuikaku received a sort of nonverbal message from her sister and confidently nodded her head at Sora. In a desperate attempt to control the strange new feelings bubbling up inside of her, she calmed herself down mentally and directly talked to Sora.

"If it wouldn't be too much, we would also like to join you for breakfast, Sora. Thank you so much for the invitation" the Red Crane happily spoke.

Shoukaku simply felt happiness pouring out of her head as well as a bit excited at seeing Zuikaku be the first to speak up. Seeing all the other girls as well as their Senpai start to make a move against the spiky-haired brunette must have sparked a fire inside her sister's heart. Being her older sister, the White Crane felt so proud of Zuikaku and was now more than determined to help her get with the Keyblade wielder.

"Great! What about you Mikasa? Prinz Eugen? Z23? Would you guys like to come with us? The same goes for you, Richelieu."

Hearing the hero's friendly offer there was no way that any of the girls would decline such an act. Moreover, it was apparent that spending time with Sora would soon be a rather difficult task as he had now met many girls who would probably be looking to surround him and ask him for attention. Such was the thought floating in Prinz Eugen's mind right now.

'Akagi took a rather risqué move this morning. I doubt I'll be able to do anything like that now. However, that doesn't mean I'm giving up. Far from it…'

"I would love to join you for breakfast, Sora~" the white-haired Iron Blood girl responded while also flashing him a wink.

"I would more than gladly join you, Sora. I would also like it if we had but a moment to talk more about your unusual circumstances regarding your affiliation to light. If that would be alright with you?" Richelieu kindly responded.

"I'd be alright with that. But… just a heads up. I don't know everything there is to know about the Keyblade. There's a lot about its origins and mysteries that even I don't have a clue about" the Guardian of Light said while rubbing the back of his head in a comedic matter while sweat dropping.

"That is completely fine. Hearing you talk about the light within the blade will be more than enough. I honestly cannot wait for our chat to begin" the orange-haired girl cheerfully responded.

A small reaction could be noticed on a few of the other girls' faces but as soon as the reaction appeared, it disappeared as if it never happened. Fortunately, one girl did see the sequence and that girl was none other than Shoukaku who was analyzing everyone closely. This would be a bitter fight for her dear sister. The other girls had 'qualities' and 'attributes' that her lovable Zuikaku did not have but that didn't make her any less of a worthy contender for the Keyblade wielder's heart. No, it was the opposite.

Moreover, Shoukaku knew that Richelieu was not someone to underestimate, especially with her little stunt at yesterday's meeting with everyone present. She would need to keep an eye on that wildcard.

"I would also like to join you. If that'd be alright. It wouldn't be for too long as I still have matters that need to be finished with Lady Nagato" Mikasa added to the conversation managing to get it back on track.

"Of course! The more the merrier. I take it that you'll also come along Z23. Since you're hanging with Prinz Eugen."

The Iron Blood girl simply nodded her head while addressing Sora's claim.

"Yes, you'd be right in assuming that Sora."

Letting a smile grace his lips, it seemed that everyone was on board to join him and Enterprise for breakfast. It was starting to sound even more enjoyable with so many of his friends being there.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!"

Everyone couldn't help but smile at the brunette's enthusiastic tone of voice and how excited he looked regarding the idea of breakfast. To be honest, there were a few girls who also shared that same sentiment. Zuikaku, Enterprise, and strange enough Richelieu. Even if she appeared to be so graceful, the Cardinal could not hide the faint blush appearing on her face at the thought of enjoying a freshly made breakfast among friends. Her stomach also looked eager as she was worried it would groan out and attract everyone's attention.

Needless to say, the group was now marching to the cafeteria located on the Sakura Empire Island.

---

Several minutes later

After walking along one of the paths for a good while, Sora managed to successfully have a full conversation with each of the girls in a meaningful manner. Showing each ship girl enough attention to not make it seem unfair.

His conversation with Enterprise revolved around different kinds of transportation that the two have used. Her first time revolved around traveling on a train when she had to go in for a supply run to the nearest mainland base for Eagle Union. She along with a few other girls went and were able to experience a bit of actual human interaction and the overall trip was one that they'd never forget. Sora then talked about the many transportation methods he used from ships, trains, light cycles, teacups, and pirate ships. Suffice it to say, their talk sparked Enterprise's interest tenfold in the boy.

Zuikaku and Shoukaku's conversation delved into various kinds of sweets that the two tended to like. The kind of sweet that the White Crane mentioned as her favorite were Dango treats which were a dumpling made from rice flour. It was a treat that Sora had never heard about but gained a great deal of interest in learning more about it. As for Zuikaku, her favorite sweet was chocolate strawberries. It was mentioned from the older sister's perspective that the Red Crane was often seen roaming around the house and had a bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries wherever she went during her time of relaxation. This ultimately caused the younger sister's face to match that of a strawberry.

Mikasa's chat delved into talking about aspects of the Sakura Empire Island having a great deal of historic lore. Additionally, there were many things that the Keyblade wielder had glanced over during his time which happened to be of great importance. This caused a drastic barrage of apologies mixed with laughter as Mikasa didn't find it offensive. Granted, she took this time to teach the spiky-haired boy about memorable and historic monuments or locations that he had simply passed by. Sora thoroughly enjoyed listening to the brunette ship girl talk about her culture and asked many questions. This resulted in Mikasa having a bright smile on her face and looking utterly happy.

Prinz Eugen and Z23's chat shifted to a bit about his own likings and the various worlds that he visited. Now that the cat was out of the bag about him being from another world, Sora was more open to discussing things about the various worlds he explored. Nimi happened to ask him about some of the intricate qualities of some of the worlds that he visited. This caused him to bring up places like Monstropolis and how that world had a different power structure, being centered around laughter as the main power. Seeing the girls' reactions to that bit of information caused the spiky-haired boy to burst out laughing. He then clarified what he meant which still left everyone confused. However, Nimi had found his talk about this monster world fascinating.

As for Prinz Eugen, well… her desire to learn about some of the most romantic worlds that he visited caused most of the girls to stare daggers right at her. The white-haired kansen simply flashed them a winky face while still looking at Sora as he thought about the different places, he visited that conveyed a sense of romance. The thought also made his cheeks warm up as he began to truly think about the locations that dwelled on romantic feelings. Some of the worlds that came to mind were the jungle found in Simba's world, the ballroom in Beast's castle, the lantern festival in Corona, and another spot that happened to be in the Caribbean. Though the Caribbean location was on a ship with pirates it conveyed a sense of comfort in knowing that there's always enough time to be with your loved one. Like with Will and Elizabeth being separated but still having that one moment together. Once Prinz Eugen heard his explanations, she had a very flirtatious appearance on her face as she narrowed her eyes on the Keyblade wielder. She especially liked the story behind the Caribbean spot.

Richelieu's interest stemmed from the romantical locations, and she asked him if he'd ever visited a place of faith before. Granted, when she asked him this question, her entire face matched the color of her leggings and she tried desperately to calm herself down. This caused Sora to talk about his time with Quasimodo and the cathedra Notre Dame de Paris. As soon as he mentioned that name Richelieu's eyes shot up exponentially as she bolted right up to him and caught both of his hands into hers. She then started asking him if he'd already been to their world before as there was a Notre Dame de Paris just like he mentioned. This caused Sora to stop talking and go into a state of confusion.

"I…I'm not sure. I don't think so…"

"Could you perhaps have just been focused on the problem you were involved in without knowing about the Sirens?" Richelieu asked, becoming more curious by the minute.

"I didn't really look around… a lot was going on at the time. But I feel like if it was such a big problem, then maybe Quasimodo would've mentioned it to me. I'm sorry I can't give a clear answer" Sora replied, rubbing the back of his head.

His reasoning about this question seemed valid given that if the Sirens were a part of that world, then maybe Quasimodo or the others would have mentioned something to him. Even after dealing with the Heartless, they could have said something to him. Making it seem likely that he was in another world that just so happened to have the same church as the one Richelieu was alluding to.

Alas, he didn't think too much about this question and just kept a smile on his face.

"Don't be, Sora. It's my fault for pushing you into this situation" the orange-haired said apologetically.

"Hey, come on now, you were just curious is all. And seeing the look of happiness on your face when I mentioned the church made me happy that we could talk about something of interest to you."

Left smiling at the boy's kindness, Richelieu moved a strand of hair out of her face and gathered her thoughts. Once she was settled, she then brought the conversation back on track.

"Well then, could you please describe the church to me? I would like to know if it's like the one back in Paris."

Sora then happily began describing the church he visited in great detail to the point that Richelieu looked glued to his every word. The other girls watched how easily she swooned over the brunette's words. It was true what they all thought about the Cardinal. She was not only a wildcard but a threat as well with her calming and peaceful aura.

All the girls currently there could agree on one thing.

The Cardinal was a dangerous foe that could not be underestimated.

Nevertheless, Sora and Richelieu's conversation proved to be an eventful one.

Lastly, Belfast was the last girl to have a lively conversation with Sora and their talk was… not what he was expecting.

"Uh… Belfast?"

"Hmm? Yes, Sora?"

"Why do you want to my clothes size?" the spiky-haired boy asked with wide eyes and a brimming tone of worry in his voice.

The Head Maid simply smiled at him.

"Why wouldn't I? It would save me a great deal of time making sure I know what size of pants and shirts you wear. Honestly, you don't expect to be wearing that same outfit during your time with us, do you?" she questioned him with a serious tone.

"I-I mean, my clothes don't smell bad… do they?" Sora then quickly sniffed his jacket and didn't have any sort of reaction. "My clothes are fine."

"That may be so, however, now that I am attending to all your needs, the first necessity that must be addressed is a set of spare clothes for you to wear."

"Uh ahaha… I'm good Belfast. Thank you for- "

"I don't recall you having a say in the matter, Sora?"

The boy's eyes went wide as he continued to walk next to the maid. He was also starting to feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

"Belfast."

"Sora."

At this point, he let out a quite the exhibiting sigh and couldn't help but glance over at her and stare into her blue eyes.

"I… How about a compromise?"

This seemed to earn her interest a great deal. "Oh? A compromise you say. Well then, what do you propose?"

Sora folded his arms across his chest and looked directly at her.

"Seeing that we know each other a deal more…"

"That we do."

"Why don't I help you by giving you my sizes? You can't criticize me for wearing this outfit all the time."

"Hmm… I'm not quite sure- "

"I have a valid reason for saying that."

"Then would you please help me by explaining it?"

The entire time this conversation was proceeding, the other girls were all watching with careful eyes. For the girls familiar with Belfast's tendencies, Enterprise specifically, the Head Maid was someone who could not be stopped once she had a plan in mind. Hence, seeing the Keyblade wielder stand his ground against her was causing quite the scene to play out.

"My clothes help allow me to access a full range of various weapons and whatnot. It's called a Formchange and plays a heavy role in letting me gain newfound powers and abilities. Plus, my clothes are also enchanted to defend against the forces of Darkness which makes them essential for me to always wear."

Scanning the boy's eyes for any signs of him lying to her with that reasonable answer, Belfast knew that he was telling the trough from the beginning. She doubted anyone could ever give a valid reason for wanting to wear the same clothes repeatedly. Or at the very least a believable reason.

"I see… yes, that is a very solid reason for continuing to wear your clothing. However, it wouldn't hurt to consider some other options for clothing. You don't expect to be always on alert against the Heartless, do you?"

"*sigh* You make a fair point, Belfast."

Realizing that he couldn't get out of this situation, Sora decided to go along with her thinking. Besides, he had to admit, getting some extra clothes to wear did sound a bit fun. He figured he could expand his attire choice as well.

"Alright, I can see your side of things."

"Excellent! Not to worry. I shall confide in a view of my sources about what clothes would fit… a dashing and handsome young man like yourself. Not to mention, the clothes should adequately be fine fitted to alleviate your charm as well…" Belfast cheerfully explained.

"Ahaha… why do I all of a sudden feel worried now?"

The only response he got from the white-haired maid was a giggle from her lips. She didn't say anything else at that moment making Sora start to become concerned that he would probably be walking into a tough spot later.

Coincidentally, before he could try to ask Belfast any more questions, he noticed that they had now arrived at the mess hall and could see dozens of ship girls all getting their breakfast and sitting amongst each other at some of the tables. He even spotted Akagi and her sisters and friends along with Littorio, Illustrious, and the others. This made him realize that he was walking into another battlefield now.

The battlefield of who he would get to enjoy breakfast with as all the tables seemingly noticed his presence and made some room in the middle of their tables for him to come and sit down. Many sets of eyes were now on him and waiting for his response.

Alas, the only thing the Guardian of Light could do was to let out a silent sigh and hope that he got out of there alive.

---

Elsewhere in an unknown location

Sitting inside what appeared to be a cold and empty cave stood the ranked Siren, Purifier. She was perched on what could be described as a fissured decay rock that sat comfortably like a chair while looking utterly bored.

"*sigh*"

"…"

"*SIGH*"

"…"

"**SIGH**"

"Purifier, just what are you doing?" another voice called out from the side.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I AM BORED!"

Stepping out of the shadows was a woman with long white hair with a black overall aesthetic to her appearance with black thigh-high boots and a short two-piece outfit that was of a dark color. In addition, along her chest and legs were yellow lights added to her clothing. Not to mention, it appeared that she had bags under her eyes… which happened to have a yellow glow to them. This girl was known as an Elite Siren officer better identified as Tester.

"Then how about you take a test run on my latest project? I'm currently in the process of working on a few kinks in how frequently Executor classes should appear. Mainly it's the Tracker and Breaker classes that I'm working on right now. But I would get through this kink if I had some outside help. Care to join as the punching dummy?" Tester asked Purifier while having a lazy smile on her face.

"Ahahahaha! Very funny! But no. I'm good. I'll just stay here. Sitting on this rock. Maybe I'll make this place my rock home. That sounds pretty fun now that I think about it…"

"Please don't do that."

Purifier simply tilted her head at Tester and had a wide grin on her face. She even started rocking back and forth while still sitting on the rock.

"Come on! Imagine this, ok, so this area where I'm at would be my area. I'd cut some rock out, obliterate the excess area, and make myself a small bed. And then, in your area, I could even make you a little desk to sit at made of rock. That way you could keep working on whatever you're working on now."

"Hmm… that wouldn't be too bad."

"Right? Right? And then that area over there would be for- "

"Me I suppose?" said another voice not belonging to Tester or Purifier.

Both Siren girls turned their heads to spot another Elite class Siren walking their way. This girl's appearance was that of a black outfit and two strange-looking black ears that extended upward. She was also not wearing any shoes and had black tentacles surrounding her while also having yellow glowing eyes. Her name was Observer.

"Yep! You got it right, Observer!" Purifier cheered.

"Mm. Before you do go ahead and start renovating there is something that I should be discussed."

Tester's interest had been caught as she narrowed her eyes on Observer and began wondering just what was going on.

"Oh? I take it that you're done with your project?"

"Huh? What project? You left me out of something fun? *Gasp* How could you?!" Purifier yelled out while looking betrayed.

A simple silent chuckle was the only reaction that came from Observer as she then started walking over to the two girls while gently massaging her tentacles which coiled up her hand.

"It was merely to keep up the suspense for you. No real harm. Besides, you'll be excited to see what I have in store."

"You said that like I would be seeing whatever you're working on?"

"Have you finished it completely?" Tester asked.

"I have. It's ready to go. Thanks to the influence and data analysis that we obtained through Akagi and Project Orochi's power structure, I was able to harness the information and create a powerful enough device to let us access a grander array of power."

"You ignored me!" Purifier exclaimed.

Either paying the Siren girl no attention at all or just focusing on her project, Observer and Tester continued about their business.

"Oh? I'm guessing that you're going to need my resources huh?" Tester questioned.

A sly grin appeared on Observer's lips as she seemed to chuckle darkly.

"I won't be needing your resources. Rather, he will" she said while pointing her hand and tentacle to the side.

Expecting to see nothing, Tester and Purifier thought that they'd be staring at an empty wall but were surprised to see a dark figure surrounded by a black puff of smoke that was covering their entire body. Not even the figure's face could be identified as they took a few steps closer to make themselves evident.

"Oh! It's you! Cloud Guy."

The figure that was enshrouded with dark mist hiding its face and any other characteristics simply let out a snarky laugh.

"Cloud Guy? Well then, that's a new name to put in the book" the dark figure commented in a tone that radiated a deadpan interest.

"Yeah, I mean, it fits you. You sound like a guy, and you have the form of a human under all that dark mist surrounding you. Taking all that into consideration you get cloud guy" Purifier happily explained.

Hearing the Siren's comments about their appearance, the dark figure's body soon began distorting itself with a puff of dark smoke to the point that the figure looked different.

"How about now? Does this sound like a man's voice?" said the dark figure but in a woman's voice.

"Oh? Whoa. Ok. That happened. Guess you're not cloud guy… cloud girl?"

"Purifier. You already know their name" Observer proclaimed. "Don't play dumb."

Shaking her head and causing her ponytail to sway back and forth, Purifier had a few things to say on the matter.

"Hold up! I know deep down that you also thought Cloud Guy was a guy. And now that they can just change their voice and whatnot… you were probably surprised as well and just kept it hidden with a plain-looking expression."

Observer simply kept staring at the girl with a sly smile on her face all while massaging one of her tentacles in a calming fashion. Darkness on the other hand simply raised their hand and another puff of smoke covered their body appearing to change it back to a male form.

"For simplistic reasons, this is not my true form but a more splintered version of myself. I can take any form I want and for reasons I shall keep to myself, I stick with a male form. As I said before, I am one of thirteen other pieces of Darkness."

"Right… no wonder I forgot your name. Your entire character is too complicated to understand!" Purifier once again shouted.

Tester let out a stifled chuckle while glancing over at the white ponytailed girl, "Heh. You're really on one today, Purifier."

"Hmph. It's not my fault this guy shows up and complicates things. I totally understand our whole game plan but now this cloud guy shows up and starts talking about all sorts of things that don't make any sense."

Deciding to get the conversation back on track, Observer gestured over at Darkness.

"Now then, Darkness here will need your resources, Tester. I've sent you the required reinforcements now."

Without even moving a finger, Tester was having the needed information broadcast to her head and a wide grin appeared on her face betraying the bags of tiredness under her eyes.

"Oh my. That's a lot of force. This has me interested. And not to worry, I'll have those forces ready in a minute for deployment."

"Good. Thank you for that. It's not every day you get trivial things like this done in a matter of seconds" Darkness commented.

"Speaking of… what is all this talk about your project?" Purifier addressed to Observer.

Sending a smirk to her, Observer figured she could explain it to this dolt.

"Here. This ought to catch you up to speed and get you to stop pestering and wasting time."

Right at that moment, the Elite Siren tapped her head and sent all the information to Purifier who had her eyes widen in surprise, and then a snarky displaced smile appeared on her face. The Siren's interest had shot up exponentially now.

"Oh! So that's what's going on. Why didn't you tell me it was going to be a party!?"

"Keeping it a surprise seems to have paid off" Darkness muttered.

"Of course, it did. Purifier's not one that you have to try at all to surprise. Now then, since we are all in agreement on what's happening…" Observer now had her eyes on Darkness and figured he could take over for now. "Why don't we have our esteemed guest take over now and explain all that he can for us."

Appearing to take a few steps forward into the middle of the Siren girls, Darkness then let out a small but gruff chuckle escape their lips.

"Mind you, I'm just simply lending your Arbiter a hand in something. There's something, or rather, someone that's of great interest to me. We all know who that is."

An imaginary lightbulb went off in Purifier's head.

"*Gasp* It's that guy with the porcupine hair! Ooooh! I both hate and like that guy. He's a good opponent to fight against and is not like the ship girls. Granted, we didn't fight for long, and he soon got help from that Iron Blood girl."

"Yes, Sora, you mean."

"Yeah, yeah! That's his name. I forgot what it was for a minute there."

Once again, Tester could only let out a sigh and shake her head in a disapproving manner. Mentally, she was wondering if this model of Purifier needed to go in for a system reboot or had a few screws loose. Either way, she was starting to be a pain with her cluelessness.

"Now that we are all on the same footing my plan is simply this… the Sirens commence their operation while I provide a bit of external power supply to your forces. This will not only please your superior but also lend credence to my own plans. A win-win if you ask me" Darkness elaborated to the girls.

"Wait. What exactly do you mean by your own plans?" Tester asked after having listened carefully to the figure's words.

"It's simply that. There's a reason why I told your Arbiter, well, one of the Arbiters about him. He is not a foe to take lightly and underestimate. Furthermore, he is also someone of great power and influence which could get you far in life."

"So, what? We pull him aside and ask him nicely for some power?"

Darkness simply turned its head to look over at Purifier and didn't say anything for a solid moment until…

"Purifier, correct?"

"Yep! That's me."

"…"

Silence roamed through the dark cave for a superficial moment that seemed like ages until Darkness asked a simple question to the Elite Siren.

"…Tell me, what is it that you fear?"

The atmosphere in the cave quickly turned to a sense of bone-chilling and slight worry to be felt in the air.

"Hah? What do I fear? Well, I fear losing my weapons. There was this one time that- "

Suddenly, Darkness raised its hand forward and shot a dark light right at Purifier's chest causing a small purple beam of light to go through her chest and not harm her in any way. The next thing she knew, she could feel goosebumps around her entire body and looked around at everyone with widened eyes. The sense of worry and fear had settled into her heart and as quickly as it had happened, it was gone in the next moment leaving the white ponytailed girl's face to shift from carefee to worried to shocked.

"Whoa… talk about emotional manipulation… that was super weird. It was like… uh… what's it called when you go through something in your head?"

"A simulation?"

"Yes! That's what it's called. I was going through a whole episode. It was strange though because I don't necessarily feel fear at all, but this time I was really feeling it!"

A harrowing chuckle escaped from Darkness's mouth even though there was no real movement from their form.

"That's just a glimpse as to what I'm seeking. To feel that rush of emotions flowing through one's heart. And you proved how easy it would be, Purifier. Thank you."

"Uh… your welcome?"

Raising their hand, Darkness formed what could be described as a small sphere of energy that soon began revolving and rotating at a crazy speed before coming to a stop. Now in his hand was what appeared to be a small purple flame.

"Observer. I was told that you would know what to do with this by your Arbiter. I trust she was right in assuming so…"

With a flick of their finger, Darkness sent the small flame floating over to the girl in question who nonchalantly caught the flame and began examining it. Within seconds, her eyes seemed to shoot up in keen interest as she now had a smile on her face.

"Oh, yes. I do know what to do with this. This will go nicely with what we have planned."

"Good to hear. I was told that there would be quite the… experiment going on soon."

"Indeed, you heard right. However, I have to wonder…" At this point, Observer had begun walking around Darkness and keeping a close on the dark figure. "How much do you know about our plans?"

A stark moment of silence passed before Darkness began speaking up again.

"Enough that your Arbiter decided I was trustworthy. You were there. You have an idea of what I know."

That was certainly the truth. Observer was there when Darkness introduced himself to the two of them. It was one mystery after another with that mysterious figure. However, when the topic of power and influence was brought up in a last-ditch effort to make headway into a proper conversation with the Sirens, that's when things really took off. There was then much said about Light and Darkness and how this world was filled with bountiful sources of power and energy. Darkness then told them all that they needed to know.

About the Heartless… Light… Darkness… the Keyblade… and… Sora.

"Mm. You're right about that…" Observer said while staring right at the formless figure for a good minute until she decided that was enough. "Very well. Per our Arbiter's words, we shall utilize your support in our forces and operation. Will you be joining us?"

"Not on the front lines. There is something that… I need to look over. But make no mistake, I'll be there keeping an eye on how things play out. I am very interested to see what transpires with the forces of Light and Darkness coming to a head. You remember what I said about that power, correct?" Darkness addressed Observer.

Lifting her hand and summoning a black orb into the palm of her hand, Observer knew exactly what the dark figure was referring to.

"The power of Darkness or should I say amplified power…"

"I'm looking forward to what you do with it. I know your Arbiter is as well." Darkness then started to walk away until a Corridor of Darkness appeared nearby. "Well then, best of luck ladies. Until we meet again…"

And with that, the being of Darkness walked through the portal and disappeared leaving the Elite Sirens to their own thoughts.

That is… until Purifier went and ruined the moment.

"Gah! That guy is a total weirdo!"

"Hehehe… he's certainly the mysterious type. Was everything he said the truth?" Tester asked the tentacle girl.

Keeping an eye on the spot of the dark portal, Observer had a small frown on her face before turning to answer Tester's question.

"Yes. I was there when he showed up out of nowhere. He was seconds away from being wiped off the face of the planet but managed to… bribe his way out. Granted, we don't know what he is…"

"Ooh? So, he really is the mysterious weirdo type" Purifier added.

"It doesn't matter who or what he is. What matters is how he obtained this kind of power… and how he learned to harness it."

Observer stated this while extending the palm of her hand out and examining the energy being coursed and condensed into her hand. It was a foreign feeling yet commanded great respect. Wanting to prove this further, she extended her hand forward, and within seconds several dark pools of liquid appeared on the cave floor. What came out of the puddles were the very same creatures that had appeared during the invasion of the Sakura Empire Island.

"Hey, it's those guys… err…things."

"They appear quite small. I hope that's not all they can do" Tester directed to the one summoning these creatures.

A smirk appeared on Observer's face.

"You're in for a surprise. Here's just what they can do."

Saying this, Observer's eyes instantly lit up glowing a bright yellow which was then followed by Purifier and Tester's eyes glowing simultaneously followed by grins appearing on their faces as well.

"Oh, man! This is going to be so much fun! Hahahahah!"

"Heh. I can't disagree with that. I didn't think these little guys could do that. Let alone reach that state of mass and density. Not to mention, they multiply at a crazy rate. Imagine the possibilities I could accomplish with them…"

Enjoying the two Sirens take on the Heartless, Observer whipped her hand to the side and the Heartless instantly sunk back down into the dark puddle before having the entire thing fade away. There was work to be done now.

"Now then, let's get started."

The Sirens' next operation to launch against this world's forces of Light was about to begin.

---

Meanwhile, back with Sora

Things had been going rather swell for his time at the mess hall with the group that had arrived with him. Now, however, things were very much on the awkward side of things.

All the ship girls currently in the mess hall were either talking amongst themselves or staring directly at the Keyblade wielder while he enjoyed his breakfast. As luck would have it, he had gotten used to all the staring from the encounters he had back in Azur Lane and now the Sakura Empire that he was pretty much used to it and didn't pay any attention to it now.

Unfortunately, the kind of staring that he had grown used to was in no way related to the staring he was receiving from the girls now. Gone were the nervous and cautious takes toward him, and now, the girls were staring at him out of sincere and unbridled interest. Some girls, Akagi, were pretty much staring right at him without really blinking and still managing to eat her breakfast. It took some deliberation from Amagi to snap her out of this daze but every so often she would continue to lock her gaze on the spiky-haired boy.

Additionally, the girls who had split off from his room first were now right next to him in the mess hall with Hood and Wales being right next to him and chatting about how delicious the food was which had been made by a few of the Sakura Empire girls. Sora would have to make a note to stop by the kitchen and thank them personally for the meal. Moreover, the spiky-haired boy was pulled left and right by various girls wanting to speak with him and answer some of the wacky questions they had for him.

"Sora, what has been the strangest world you've visited before been like?"

"Hmm. Let's see, there was the Pride Lands… but then there was Atlantica but that wasn't too weird. Oh! There was Woody and Buzz's world where I became a toy."

As soon as Sora said the words, 'become a toy' a certain green-haired cat girl zoomed right up to him and stole the whole conversation to her convenience.

"Nya! Sora! Did I just hear you right? You said that you became a toy?" Akashi questioned the boy while holding a small notebook and pen in her… cat paw sleeves.

"Uh... Yeah, I did. How did you hear that from- where were you just sitting now?" he asked while trying to recall if he even saw her in the mess hall.

"That's not important now nya! What is important is that you tell me what you looked like as a toy."

Hearing this sudden question caused a good number of girls to stop their conversations and pay close attention to what Sora was about to say. Some of the girls he was close with evidently leaned their bodies closer toward him to hear clearly what his response would be.

"Well, as a toy I looked to be… Hey, wait a minute! I can just show you."

Reaching for his Gummiphone, Sora began scrolling past all his pictures and soon found a cheerful photo of him back in the world of Toy Box. The picture was of him, Donald, Goofy, Buzz, and Woody posing next to one of the giant mech toys that he had piloted.

"Here, you can see what I looked like. I have a few more pics of what my pants look like, but you might get the idea."

Gladly taking the phone and examining the image, Akashi's first went wide and then they comically turned into money symbols as it looked like she was now salivating. The realization of how much profit she would be receiving for making and selling Sora toys was on her mind. It was a no-brainer for how many girls would be willing to pay a pretty penny for having their very own toy of him.

"Nya! Sora, how would you like to start up a business?" Akashi suddenly asked the spiky-haired boy.

"A business? What do you mean?" Sora then looked at her closely and spotted the money symbols in her eyes. "Akashi, what are you planning?"

Many of the girls decided to keep a close eye on the brunette boy and green-haired girl as it looked like Akashi was getting closer to Sora so that they would only be talking clearly to each other without being heard.

"Huh? Why are you looking at Akashi like that? Nya?"

Folding his arms across his chest, Sora gave the green-haired cat girl a stern look almost like a big brother ridiculing their younger sister for doing something bad.

"Akashi. What are you planning? I saw your eyes go big when you saw my toy appearance."

Feeling like she was outed and now had her back against the wall, the monopolistic cat girl figured her best option to get out of this situation would be to explain it outright to the boy who was central to her monetary plans.

"Nya… you've found me out, Sora. *sigh* I'm a merchant by trade and heart. You know that right?"

"Yeah. Even if we haven't known each other for long, I know based on mentions of you across the island that you help the girls in battle at times and provide them with supplies and whatnot."

Nodding her head, Akashi leaned further into her monetary goal now.

"When I saw what you looked like in that picture on your phone, I had the sudden idea to make a pro- I mean, make many of the girls extremely happy with the idea of buying toys featured around you."

A bit of shock appeared on Sora's face as the first thing he thought of after hearing Akashi's plan was his time in the shopping mall where he spotted all the various toys being displayed. Not to mention, when everyone was comparing him to Yozora based on his dark clothes. Taking this all into consideration, the Keyblade wielder decided to be a bit selfish and let out a defeated sigh.

"…"

"Nya? Are you upset? I can not go through with- "

"No, no. It's alright. *sigh* I might regret this later but… I'd be lying if I said that it wouldn't be cool to see a toy of myself. Akashi…"

"Yes?"

"…Go ahead. I give you permission to make toys out of me."

Immediately as soon as he gave her the go-ahead, Akashi pulled her own phone out and quickly put her number in his phone followed by sending herself the pictures of Sora as a toy.

"Whoa! You're going really fast. Your hands are typing away at both the screens" Sora muttered.

"Nya! I have to be quick and jump on this business opportunity before anyone else."

Another sudden thought came to Sora while still on the topic of toys featured around him.

"Hey, Akashi, are you only going to be making toys of me in my… well, toy outfit?"

"Hmm. I hadn't thought about it. Do you have any other outfits that you took pictures of?" the green-haired girl studiously asked.

"Yeah, I do. Swipe through the pictures."

Happily doing that, Akashi's eyes shot up while noticing his various appearances. His outfit as a gray monster was something she figured would be something that girls might like. The next set of photos that she found had her grinning quite madly. This would for sure be something that would be sold out instantly.

"Ooh! You have a pirate outfit. You look so cool nya!"

As if by comedic convenience, once Akashi mentioned his pirate outfit, Prince of Wales immediately sat up straight and abruptly stopped her conversation with Hood and Belfast and leaned her head toward Sora and Akashi who were right next to her. Her full attention was now directed at the spiky-haired hero and small cat girl.

"Thanks! I really miss that outfit and hope that I can- Oh? Wales? Is something wrong?"

The Guardian of Light had now noticed the blonde-haired girl moving ever slowly closer to him practically to the point that she was only inches away from his face.

"Not at all! I just happened to overhear you mention your pirate outfit. Is that correct?" Wales asked, making sure to keep her overall interest at a tempered level even though internally her gears in her body were at an all-time high.

"Y-Yeah. We are just talking about my various appearances in some of the worlds that I appeared in. Though, there were some other appearances of mine that I didn't have a Gummiphone at the time to take a picture of myself."

Interest instantly shot up in Akashi's mind and she had to find out what he looked like.

"Oh? What other appearances did you take visiting the other worlds?"

Sora had now taken on a thinking pose and tried recollecting all his appearances to fit with the world order.

"Well, one time I was a merman…"

Some girls overheard this and were now staring right at him.

"Another time I had a Halloween outfit where I was a vampire with dark clothing and bat wings on my back and an orange mask on the side of my face. Oh! I also had vampire fangs in my teeth."

Now, more girls stopped their conversations and were staring at Sora while processing what he said.

"Following that, I had a Christmas outfit where I had dark clothing and black socks with elf shoes and a fluffy hat. And my clothes changed colors based on what ability I was using at the time as well."

Once again, more girls stopped eating and were now leaning forward in their seats to listen to what Sora was saying.

"Funny enough, one of the worlds I visited had me turning into a small lion and- "

*BAM*

*CLATTER*

Many of the girls had now jumped up from their seats with multiple girls rushing over to his seat and plunging themselves up close to ask him about his lion cub form. Even girls like Littorio, Zuikaku, Hood, and many others were really close to him beginning to ask him questions.

"How small of a lion cub were you!?"

"What color were you as a cub?"

"How did you even fight? Did you eat your enemies?"

"How cute did you look?"

"What did you look like?"

"Why a lion cub? Why not a full-sized lion?"

"How big were you?"

"Could you fit in a small bag… like this one?" one girl asked while holding up her purse for… reasons.

"Did you have small wittle paws?"

"Would you be about this size?" another girl asked extending her hands out.

Dealing with the barrage of questions directed at him, Sora raised his hands to try and calm the girls down.

"Girls! Please! I was this size. I had brown skin with my spiky hair still on my head. I also had my crown necklace around my neck. I used my Keyblade by biting on it and swinging my head around to fight. I guess I could fit in that purse… I also don't know why I was a lion cub, but I didn't mind. It helped with my speed moving around and dodging Heartless."

Having their questions answered, many of the girls had eager looks on their faces. It was a shame that Sora didn't have a picture of himself as a lion cub but based on his description it provided some girls with enough of an idea. However, one girl in particular was writing at Mach 5 in her notebook with ideas and details about what she could do for a project. One that would most definitely earn her a massive stack of money and profits.

"Nya ahahahah!"

This situation that Sora found himself with all the girls still bombarding him with questions about his lion cub form along with mentions of his other appearances would go on for another short while making it the end of his breakfast meal and prepare him for the rest of his eventful day.

---

Later once things finally calmed down

Sora was now standing outside the mess hall alongside Enterprise, Richelieu, Hood, Wales, Illustrious, and Belfast. The rest of the girls had decided to go about their business and await further orders from their superiors. Ideally, the same could be said about him and his friends as they were waiting to meet with Queen Elizabeth and Warspite to get a better idea about what would be happening next.

"Ah, there you all are."

Everyone then turned their heads to the side noticing that it was Warspite who said that.

"Warspite! It's been a minute since we've seen each other" Sora happily said upon seeing her.

"Likewise, Sora. It's been a rather busy time since we entered the meetings with Lady Nagato and the other faction leaders."

"I take it things ended well?" Richelieu asked the blonde-haired girl.

Before saying anything, the presence of another girl caused the group to look behind Warspite right as she put her hands on her waist and raised her head high.

"Indeed! And yes, it has been a minute, Sora. And I for one want nothing more than to enjoy a nice cold beverage and bask in this lovely day we have been given."

Queen Elizabeth was now present and had a boisterous expression on her face while looking over at Sora. Inside, however, she was jumping up and down at the chance to finally interact with the Keyblade wielder.

"Ah! Your Majesty, it's good to see you again" Sora replied with a smile.

Elizabeth couldn't help the quirky smile that appeared on her face now that the Guardian of Light's attention was on her.

"Sora! I am glad to see you again. I also apologize for being able to talk with you much since arriving here in the Sakura Empire."

"Don't be. Things have certainly been lively. Besides, you're here now."

Hearing this reassuring statement made Elizabeth nod her head.

"You're right about that. Thank you. Now then, I'm sure you're all wondering what our next move will be, yes?"

The other girls all nod and are eager to learn what will be the next move seeing that things are calming down on the island.

"Yes, Your Majesty, we would like to know what exactly the plan is now seeing that the Red Axis and Azur Lane are no longer enemies and now working together" Hood questioned the blonde girl.

"I'm glad you asked that, Hood." Queen Elizabeth cleared her throat and puffed out her chest. "Lady Nagato and I along with the other faction leaders have decided to form a new standing relationship by allowing several volunteer girls to be sponsors and lend their overall aid to Azur Lane."

At this point, Warspite stepped into the conversation.

"Essentially, as we don't have a Commander to lead us, the appointed leaders of each faction will be acting per a council where we share our agreements and disagreements on steps moving forward to deal with the Sirens and Heartless."

"That would help to get a clearer vision of what we do next. I take it that we are heading back then?" Wales questioned Her Majesty.

"Correct. We shall be leaving shortly once Lady Nagato and Bismarck have finished up with their preparations. There will be several familiar faces accompanying us back to base."

Listening to what she had to say, Sora wondered just who would be joining them on the journey back to Azur Lane. Just the thought of heading back to the first place he visited when arriving in this world had him smiling and feeling warm. Not to mention, there were all the girls he had befriended who were probably worried about him after everything that happened. Including his newly appointed younger sister, Unicorn.

He was definitely going to need to make it up to his little sister. She was probably the one most worried about him this entire time and here he was being the center of attention and enjoying the new friendships he was making. This caused him to start wondering what the purple-haired girl would like as a gift. Maybe something handmade? A card? A cake? He would have to give it some thought.

"Ah, there they are," Enterprise said, looking off to the side.

Coming into view appeared to be a moderate-sized group of ship girls all heading toward the group with Nagato at the front talking to Mikasa. Behind her happened to be Amagi, Akagi, Kaga, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Kirishima, Hiei, Ayanami, Kashino, and Shinano.

Aside from the Sakura Empire girls stood the others all heading this way with Bismarck, Vittorio, and Jean Bart all appearing to be heading their way as well. Soon, everyone was in a big group with Azur Lane on one side and Red Axis on the other. Nagato broke the silence and started greeting everyone.

"Good morning, everyone, I'm glad that we're all gathered here now and ready to take the next step forward in building a new relationship together." Nagato then turned to look at everyone before landing on Sora. "Under one flag fighting against who our true enemy has been this entire time."

Queen Elizabeth now stepped into the conversation.

"Though we have had our differences. We can all agree that the time for cooperation is now. With this moment now witnessed by many we can begin anew!"

Everyone cheered at that glorified statement as this was the start of something new and hopeful.

Now, having had enough of this excessive happiness, Jean Bart let out a sigh and couldn't help shaking her head. Richelieu seeing this brought a hand up to her lips and stifled a giggle at seeing her sister's discomfort. Sora also spotted this and smiled at the two.

"Now then, shall we discuss what our strategy is now?" Bismarck stated.

All the faction leaders' heads nodded and began to get down to business.

"We've decided to send a few volunteers to help Azur Lane and incorporate stronger connections with the various factions. As for who will be going with you now…" Nagato stopped talking and gestured to the girls now present.

"I thank you for this opportunity, Lady Nagato," Amagi said, stepping toward Sora and co.

Akagi and Kaga followed her and had reserved looks on their faces. That is until the brown-haired kitsune girl looked over at Sora, flashed him a flirty smile, and had hearts in her eyes. A few of the other girls saw this and simply stared at her.

"Amagi? You're coming with us?" Sora asked, moving his attention to the older kitsune sister.

"Yes, I along with my sisters wish to support you with all that we can in the upcoming battles. I know you feel that we don't need to do anything for you, but… even still, I wouldn't be here were it not for you. Besides, this is not only for you but to help make amends for my dear sisters' actions."

Kaga then spoke up.

"We know that it'll take a long time for everyone to truly forgive us for our actions but with this opportunity in front of us… we won't let it get away from us. We'll give our full support to Azur Lane and you, Sora."

Akagi proudly continued that sentiment.

"Were it not for your help, Sora, and to Azur Lane… Amagi would not be here now. I know we've settled our regrets and accepted our punishments, but as long as we have life in our bodies, we will work to prove ourselves and get payback against the Sirens for using us."

Though there were still some thoughts directed at the kitsune sisters, everyone could agree that they were willing to work through their mistakes and help. That was something to be noteworthy.

Everyone on the Azur Lane side nodded their heads and accepted the three sisters with open arms. Sora also had a bright smile on his face as he was happy to see that they had found their path forward and were doing it partially on their own behalf. The bit about still owing him was something he'd have to talk to them about later.

The next group of girls to step forward was Atago and Takao.

"Hello, everyone. Thank you for letting us do this, Lady Nagato" Atago happily responded.

Nagato simply nodded her head, "It's you who I should thank. Especially since you two will be leaving your sisters for some time."

"We've already discussed it with them, and they said it was alright. We'll still stay in contact and whatnot so there's no concern over that" Takao replied.

"What's making you guys want to volunteer?" Enterprise asked, glancing at the two.

"We want to do more for the Sakura Empire and more for ourselves. After the attack on the island, we realized that we want to be there fighting on the front lines and… "Takao then looked over at Sora who had a surprised look on his face. "With Sora's influence and positivity, we think it would be best to accompany you all."

"Besides, there's a guaranteed chance we'll run into the Sirens and Heartless if we are with Sora. Not to mention, we haven't spent that much time with him yet. This will let us get closer to him don't you think~?" Atago sweetly said.

Some of the girls narrowed their eyes onto the black-haired girl and knew she would be a versatile foe to deal with.

"I see, well, the more help would be great. Thanks, you two" Enterprise added while nodding to the two.

The next group of Sakura Empire girls to step up were Zuikaku and Shoukaku. Funny enough, the Auspicious Crane was blushing and had an awkward smile on her face.

"Ahaha…ha… this shouldn't be that much of a surprise," Zuikaku said while stuttering a bit and glancing over at Sora.

"You guys want to come?" Sora questioned the Crane sisters.

"Yep! There's no way we're going to shy away from an opportunity like this. Not only will we get the chance to strike back against the Sirens, but we will get to spend more time with you, Sora. There are so many things I want to talk to you about. As does my sweet little sister. She's the most thrilled about being with you!"

"SHOUKAKU!"

The sudden yell by Zuikaku caused everyone to simply chuckle at the Red Crane's loud reaction. Plus, seeing her face match the color of her dress was an entertaining sight to see.

"I-I… I would indeed like to get to fight against the Sirens and Heartless. I-I would also like to spend more time w-with… Gah!" Zuikaku tried to speak fluently but covered her face with her hands.

Before anyone could say anything, the brunette girl realized that she was being dramatic about this whole thing and didn't want to be like this. She then lowered her hands from her face and glanced over at the Guardian of Light as he simply flashed her a warm and friendly smile. Just seeing that simple gesture caused her heartbeat to pick up immediately. This led to her pushing down her fear and nervousness and listening to her heart and what it was telling her to do right now.

"*sigh* Sorry about that. But yes, I want to help fight back against the Sirens and Heartless. But more than that, I want to get stronger. And to do that, I need to step out of my comfort zone and learn new techniques and experiences. That's where my desire to be close with you, Sora, comes from. Please allow me to be by your side!"

Zuikaku's proclamation was something to admire with how she poured her heart and feelings into her words. It was honestly very effective as many of the girls could see what she was getting at. Consequently, hearing her state her feelings aloud, especially that last part, raised some eyebrows as the truth of the matter was now clear.

The Auspicious Crane was another foe to keep an eye on as she was now someone who could be considered dangerous in the war for getting closer to the Keyblade wielder.

'Oh, my, Zuikaku's heart is set on this path. I hope she's ready for the rough road to Sora's heart. There are already many striving for it. Including his big sister's heart,' Atago thought to herself while smiling.

'I see, that makes another foe to consider. This is getting exciting now!' Prinz Eugen said to herself while feeling eager to make her move toward the spiky-haired boy.

'Way to go, sis! That's the spirit. Listen to your heart. Keep this up and you'll have your man in no time!' Shoukaku cheered within her mind and even did a mental fist pump at her sister's actions.

The next group of girls to walk up were Kirishima and Hiei.

"Like everyone has said, thank you for this opportunity, Lady Nagato. And I'm looking forward to helping knock the Sirens and now the Heartless down for good. Plus, I'm sure there's a great deal you want to learn about Shibuya, Sora" Kirishima energetically said while flashing a friendly grin to the boy.

"Yeah, there is. I might not get the chance to visit it anytime soon, but I'd like to learn more about it. Heh. Thanks, Kirishima" he sincerely replied with his own smile.

"Following what Kirishima said, I also want to help in any way I can. The experiences this opportunity may give me are too good to pass up. Plus, it'll be even more special getting to hear more about your crazy stories, Sora" Hiei answered.

"Haha! You have no idea how crazy my stories can get."

With the two now done speaking, Kashino and Shinano stepped forward but their stance seemed to indicate something else going on.

"Hi, everyone. Ah… this is a bit embarrassing!" Kashino mumbled, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on her.

"It's alright, Kashino… I'm also feeling a bit awkward as well" Shinano replied with a tint of pink on her face.

Taking a few breaths, the white-kitsune woman was the first to gather her thoughts and continue with her speech.

"Sora, our intentions of joining this opportunity are a bit different. While it is true that we want to help fight back against the Sirens and Heartless…"

Kashino picked up for Shinano, "We also want to learn more about you and all that you know about the heart."

This took everyone back a bit as this was not what they were expecting.

"About the heart?" Richelieu muttered while going into a thinking pose.

"What do you hope to find?" Bismarck asked, intrigued by this statement.

"Everything and more to what the heart is."

Shinano's short and simple answer drew in many of the other girls.

Sora on his part was quite surprised but, in a way, could understand why she was curious about the heart. It truly was a magnificent part of everyone and their individuality. He could on good account recall the many times he called upon it for help in the many adventures and battles he was a part of.

"That's going to be one challenging task, Shinano. Even I don't know everything there is to know about the heart."

"That's alright. That's even better… we'll learn together."

All at once, the girls turned their heads to look at Shinano. Her saying that last bit was… suspicious.

"I also wish to help in this endeavor. I might not be the strongest ship girl here, but I want to help!" Kashino exclaimed, raising her hands, and looking determined. "And talking with Shinano about the heart has me very interested. I want to help on that as well."

The sentiment of wanting to fight was understood by many of the girls along with the new interest in learning more about the heart. It was seemingly like many interesting and aspiring things would be happening soon.

"I can't wait to work with you two. Let's do this!" Sora happily cheered while looking determined as well.

At this point, the Sakura Empire girls who were volunteering had ended leaving the other Red Axis girls to stand by and take their turn to speak.

"Well then, it appears we are up next" Bismarck replied, chuckling a little bit.

Hood seeing this couldn't help but have a small smile on her lips but as quickly as it appeared it disappeared. Sora spotted this and recalled the understanding that there was history there.

"As of now, seeing that I only arrived here with a few girls under my supervision, the girls who have volunteered are- "

"The ones you already know about."

Prinz Eugen strutted over to Sora and in a move of confidence and intimidation, she looped her arm around the Keyblade wielder and had a brilliant smile on her face.

"Ah… *sigh* I apologize in advance, Sora" Z23 said to the poor boy as she was now walking up to the scene with Ayanami following next to her.

"I-It's all good. I don't mind the closeness. She's already done this before."

"Yep. And I'll keep on doing it~" Prinz Eugen said, flashing him a wink.

Akagi seeing this was starting to see red all around her until Amagi gave her a stern look that calmed her down instantly. The older sister was quite aware of her younger sister's feelings for Sora, but it would do no good to let her attack anyone due to the jealousy in her heart. If Akagi was serious about him… Amagi could feel a headache coming on now.

"Sorry, we're late. I had to grab a few things" Ayanami announced.

"You guys are coming to?" Sora asked, seeing that Ayanami had a small suitcase with her.

"Yep. Had to grab all my games and whatnot."

"You know we might not even have time to relax" Nimi countered.

"…We still might."

The Hero of Light couldn't help but laugh a bit at the scene playing out between the two friends. Soon enough, the others all began laughing while Nimi and Ayanami started blushing.

"Well then, that's all who will be appearing from Iron Blood to volunteer for now. Once I return to base, I'll speak with the higher-ups about letting me be a volunteer" Bismarck stated.

"Y-You'll be joining us?" Hood mumbled out louder than she expected.

"Yes… is… is that okay?" Bismarck asked, feeling a sense of tension.

Hood seemed to be a bit taken aback that she would say such a thing.

"Yes… I don't have a reason to decline your decision. Even if I did have a say… I still wouldn't do such a thing."

Processing what the Royal Navy woman said, Bismarck simply gave a small barely noticeable nod and moved her head back to look at the others.

The longer Sora watched these two interact, the more he figured there was a history behind them that had become a strain on their friendship.

'I wonder what happened?'

Vittorio raised a hand to her chest and offered a friendly smile gaining everyone's attention.

"The same could for me. I need to return to base and inform my superiors as well. I'm sure there will be other girls who may want to volunteer themselves." Vittorio then seemed to realize something. "Speaking of… where is my dear sister?"

Before anyone could say anything, a voice called out to everyone from behind.

"Making her stunning entrance!"

Landing right in the middle of everyone, Littorio had performed a superhero landing with grace and had a rose tucked into her hair. Picking up the rose, she elegantly walked over to Sora while making sure her hips were full on display and handed him the flower.

"For you, my dear hero."

Taking the flower from her, Sora was confused and wasn't sure what to say. He was not expecting a gift like this to be given to him now. The only thing he could do was keep a confused expression plastered on his face.

"Thank you…"

"Of course. I also look forward to our time together now that I will be joining you in your adventures now" Littorio happily stated.

"Oh? You'll be joining us" Enterprise asked the Sardegna Empire kansen.

Flashing the Grey Ghost a smile, Littorio had the perfect response.

"Why, of course! Not only am I raring for a fight against the Sirens and now the Heartless for attacking my allies, but this opportunity will allow me to be with the senoritas and dashing hero who has caught my attention."

One girl who simply understood the green-haired girl's statement was Illustrious who simply sighed away at Littorio's antics. Being someone whom the Sardegna Empire girl flirted with constantly, she lent a bit of sympathy to Sora as she had a very clear idea of how Littorio acted.

"I see… well then, does that make everyone accounted for that's going?" Wales said, bringing the conversation back to a head.

One by one, the girls all looked at each other and saw that everyone that was-

"Jean? You haven't said a word yet" Richelieu commented while glancing over at her sister.

Jean Bart simply had her arms folded across her chest and looked like all the stares directed toward her were slowly becoming a bother. Alas, she frowned and looked right at her saintly sister.

"Didn't think I'd need to. I'm not volunteering myself to go…"

"Oh. I thought that- "

"…Yet."

This last-minute comment caught the Cardinal off-guard.

"O-Oh… "

"There are a few things that I need to get done back at base. Along with a few girls I need to ask whether or not they'd be interested in joining this… experiment." Jean then glanced over at Sora and then Richelieu. "I take it that you're going to be part of this group already?"

Nodding her head, the Cardinal immediately picked up on what her sister was suggesting.

"Yes, I am. Granted, I'll be making a pit stop to rendezvous with some of the girls under my command as well as asking who all may want to come. Once done, I'll be catching up with Azur Lane."

"I see…" Jean Bart then looked over at Sora and kept a clear view of him to which he also stared back at her slightly confused about what was going on.

The two stared at each other for a good moment before Jean Bart stopped and went back to keeping to herself. Leaving the boy utterly perplexed about what had just happened.

"Right then! We've dilly-dallied long enough."

Queen Elizabeth proclaimed this while also wanting to spend some time with the boy at the center of everything.

"Let us head back to base. Also…"

She then turned over to address Sora.

"Sora, would you be so kind as to accompany me back to Azur Lane? There's a good number of things I wish to ask you as we have not had a proper moment to speak. I daresay now would be an excellent chance for us to catch up. I-If you wouldn't mind."

The way she conveyed this request/desire held a tone of eagerness and a slight worry that he wouldn't accept her idea or get pulled to another. Normally, whenever she requested for something to be done her maids would be right there to help. However, Sora was someone entirely different and special meaning that the wants and desires she would typically have could be dismissed entirely and there wasn't a thing that she could-

"Sure! I'd be happy to ride along with you, Your Majesty."

This was not the answer she was expecting at all.

"H-Huh? You want to accompany me?" Queen Elizabeth wasn't sure what to think.

"Yeah! I think that's a great idea. We haven't exactly had a chance to chat together aside from the meetings that we get pulled into. This will be a good chance for us to get to know each other and I can tell you a bit about the other royal kings, queens, princes, and princesses that I've met in the other worlds I've visited" Sora gleefully replied.

"Oh… *Ahem* Excellent news then! I-I can't wait for the journey back home which I daresay starts…" Queen Elizabeth then looked toward all the girls who were now glancing back at her as well.

The blonde-haired Royal Navy ship girl of royalty decided to let the moment play out for a bit longer but once she saw Sora's eyes fall onto hers, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous with him looking at her so intently. She had to get things moving along now otherwise she'd become a blushing mess.

However, before she could utter a word, Sora had beaten her.

"Now? But… I was hoping to get the chance to say bye to everyone. It might be a minute till I see them again."

"Don't worry, Sora, I'm sure that… your paths will soon cross again" Shinano warmly said to him.

"Moreover, I think you might be wrong about not being able to say goodbye" Mikasa replied while nodding her head to the side.

Confused about what she was getting at, Sora turned to look over to the side and could see dozens of girls from the Sakura Empire wave at him. The Keyblade wielder couldn't help but break out into a grin and wave back.

"When did everyone- "

"It was a sort of snowball effect Choukai and a few other girls had in mind. To see you off with a joyful goodbye as well as a thank you for helping us all" Kashino voiced to the spiky-haired boy.

Feeling a wave of pleasant emotions hit his chest, Sora waved back and flashed one of his biggest smiles to date in this world. He had made so many new friends and knew that there was certainly more to be made.

"Ha…thank you all for this."

"No, Sora. Thank you. Things may have turned out differently were it not for your influence and support in fighting back against the Sirens and Heartless. You've helped us in ways that we will remember forever" Nagato proclaimed while flashing him a content and appreciated smile.

This moment was one for the books as the Guardian of Light felt his heart shimmer in happiness at the praise and thanks he was getting. It wasn't every day that he got thanked for his help.

"Everyone… thanks!" Sora then turned to Nagato and the others who were staying behind or not joining him in his journey with Azur Lane. "I can't wait to meet everyone again."

He then brought his hand up to his heart and placed it there while looking up at the girls.

"May your hearts be your guiding keys."

All the girls within hearing range were slightly taken aback by that comment. Not that it was bad or anything of an ill nature. But it rang a sense of… comfort and warmth in their hearts. The kind of sensation that one needs to hear when feeling down or conflicted about one character or direction. It was also simple yet held a level of depth behind the meaning being interpreted.

"Our hearts…" Jean Bart repeated while looking at Sora closely.

"Hmm. I've never heard that saying before. What does it entail, Sora?" Bismarck questioned.

Maintaining a heartfelt smile on his face, Sora thought about what the saying was meant to convey and fell onto his viewing of it. He had heard it various times in his journey and knew that its meaning, and influence could be directed toward several various interpretations but decided to go for a clearer understanding.

"The saying is meant to convey a sense of encouragement whenever you feel that things are going bad or that you're doubting yourself. I've also used the saying to help push me in the right direction that I thought was best even when I was stuck with no clear way forward. I listened to my heart to find my way again."

The girls all looked over at Sora and started to think deeply about the saying now and how it might be more influential than they originally thought.

Alas, before spending any more time on the saying, Vittorio was the one to break everyone's concentration.

"Such a wonderful quote. Who told you it, Sora?"

A chuckle escaped the brunette's lips as he ruffled the back of his hair.

"One of my friends who helped me on my second big adventure. His name was Master Yen Sid, a retired Keyblade master. At first, I didn't pay it much attention but, when one of my friends, Goofy, told me about Yen Sid saying it quietly anytime anyone was sent on a mission. I didn't believe it until I finally heard it."

"A retired Keyblade master… an intriguing thought, no?" Littorio added, tilting her head at her sister.

"True enough. I wonder how powerful he was back when he was a master. Sora, do you know?" the grey-haired Sardegna Empire kansen asked.

"Uh… I'm not sure. Based on what I remember Donald and Goofy saying about him, he was someone with a lot of respect earned meaning that he must have been a master for a long time as well as powerful."

"Interesting…"

With that bit of information out in the open, the mood had come to a close as everyone was now in peaceful contempt and nothing else seemed to be said. Sora then looked over at Queen Elizabeth and the others of Azur Lane and simply gave them a nod before turning over to Nagato.

"Thank you for- "

He was stopped right there.

"No, Sora. Thank you. From the bottom of our hearts…"

---

Sometime later

The voyage back to Azur Lane was one filled with a sensible tone of ambient fun and cheerfulness. Sora could recall his last moments within the port of the Sakura Empire Island. Seeing all the girls wave goodbye to him and others calling out his name and yelling that they couldn't wait till the next time they met. Nothing but kind and positive things were said in his parting now.

Furthermore, here he was sitting in a lounge chair next to a fancy table that was full of sweets and tea to be offered for the ride back to base. Turning his head to the side, he could see various faces of the girls he had grown quite familiar with. Some decided to ride together and were now standing on the deck of their ships chatting with one another like Atago, Takao, Zuikaku, and Shoukaku. Along with Amagi, Akagi, Ayanami, and Kaga chatting with one another. And so on…

However, before he could glance around at the other girls' ships, he was being called out to by a certain blonde-haired girl who was wearing a crown and had a pout on her lips.

"Hmph! It would appear that you're ignoring me" said Queen Elizabeth who was feeling a bit upset that she had called out to Sora multiple times back hadn't gotten his attention.

"Sorry, Your Majesty. I was just in thought glancing around at all the girls traveling with us. To think, some of them were your enemies and are now your allies and friends" Sora replied with an intrigued expression on his face.

Seeing the boy's positivity, Elizabeth couldn't be upset with him as he was stating the truth. It had also dawned on her how truly significant this moment should have been viewed. Kansens who were once enemies are now friends and allies working together to defeat a familiar and new threat. This truly was a time of change.

"No, no. You're quite alright, Sora. I'm the one being rude now. This should be a moment that we all relish and acknowledge just what has happened in such a short time. None of this would have been possible were it not for your help" Elizabeth stated in a highly respectful tone.

"Hey now, it wasn't just me that made all this possible. It was everyone's help and determination to stop the fighting. Even if I wasn't here, you girls would have still pushed through the darkness and worked together to find a better path forward. Not just for Azur Lane or Red Axis but the world. Every single ship girl holds the light within their hearts to beat back the darkness" Sora said, using a more confident stricken voice.

"That may be, but still, there's no denying that your help turned the tide. You've been in this world for some time now… I think you can understand that when I say several girls need a leader you get where I'm coming from" the blonde-haired girl stated in a somewhat serious tone.

Sora had a feeling about what exactly Elizabeth was referring to. His time in this world showed him that the ship girls of each faction had respective leaders but not anyone that they could call a Commander.

"You're talking about not having a Commander, correct?"

"Yes, that's what I'm getting at. Of course, not every girl needs to have orders directed from a Commander. It's more in line with the fact that we don't have someone standing by our side to help us in the many fierce battles we face. We have our superiors, but orders from them come rarely, and when they do… "

Queen Elizabeth stopped herself from saying any more. However, Sora picked up what her train of thought was revolving around.

"So, you're saying that having me around is something that inspires some of the girls?"

"In a way, yes. We know that you're not the Commander. No one is asking that of you. You, a Guardian of Light who has fought in many battles and prevailed in the war of Light versus Darkness…" Queen Elizabeth then took a sip of her tea and looked out to the vast sea surrounding them and let a peaceful moment of silence fill the area.

Taking this information at heart, Sora felt an array of various feelings regarding this revelation presented by Queen Elizabeth. It did make sense though; the girls of Azur Lane and Red Axis and all the different factions were part of a military. As obvious as that sounded it also made sense that they would need someone to help them in battle or look out for them. Sora's mind drifted to remember his time with Mulan and how Captain Shang led them to battle. If he wasn't there to help whip them into shape, then maybe he'd have a better idea of how the girls were feeling.

"And… you think that me being here will help the girls?"

The Royal Navy girl nodded her head in full earnest.

"I know it will help." Elizabeth then let out a self-deflecting sigh as she was debating on keeping this line of conversation going. However, she ultimately decided to go through with it and take a note out of Sora's book.

She would listen to her heart.

"Even I, in all my greatness, need help at times. Of course, with the Royal Navy girls, I have support on all sides. I wouldn't say this outright due to embarrassment but… I need them. Every single one of them."

Listening to how much she cared for the Royal Navy girls had Sora smiling warmly as he learned more about the young queen in front of him.

"However, that also goes into play for needing someone else by my side. The decisions we, as faction leaders, have to make are quite daunting. I know Enterprise feels the same way. As does Lady Nagato, Bismarck, and the other leaders. So much is relying on her decisions, but the feeling that there is someone who is not from any faction or under our leadership being by our side and lending us their aid… it speaks wonders, Sora."

Queen Elizabeth at this point was blushing quite profoundly but found it in her heart to keep on speaking and pouring her inner feelings out to the boy. His influence on her had made her strive to want to be better. It would be challenging, but that was ok. Growth was what everyone needed occasionally, and Sora's positivity was the push, she needed to keep steady on this path. Plus, his experience with other members of royalty in other worlds had her wondering about their leadership.

"Heh… I'm just one person, you know. I'm proud to be a small part of all the people's lives I've interacted with. My friends… they are the ones who have helped me get this far in my journey and life. The same goes for everyone here that I've met. You all have given me the strength to push forward. I want to help you guys find happiness. I want to help rid the Heartless and Sirens of this world. And… I want to make more amazing memories with everyone including you, Elizabeth."

The Queen's eyes shot open when she heard him say her name without any title or honorific. Sora also realized what he had done and coughed into his fist awkwardly.

"Err… haha… sorry. I meant to say Your- "

"No… it's fine. Besides, nobody has addressed me as such. You shall be the first to do so. Making it even more memorable as it is a moment between the two of us and no one else" the girl replied while her face matched the color of Wales's skirt.

"Haha. Thank you, Your Majesty."

Another moment of peaceful settle down between the two. That is until Sora chuckled a bit.

"Oh? Is something amiss?"

"No, no. It's just thinking about us chatting like this has me remembering all my friends who are of royalty in the various worlds I've visited."

The blonde's eyes shot up in curiosity and she leaned her chair closer to Sora. Eager to learn and learn more about other forms of royalty.

"Splendid! Would you care to tell me a few encounters and stories about these individuals?"

"Of course! Now then, who should I start with…"

Memories of all the princes, princesses, queens, and kings he had met in his adventures came flooding into Sora's mind. He had no idea where to start. Hence, he decided to start sharing a story about a certain mouse that came to mind.

"Let's see… how about I tell you a bit about His Majesty, King Mickey. Along with Her Majesty, Queen Minnie."

And so, Sora began to delve into the characters of Mickey and Minnie while the journey back to base continued smoothly.

---

Meanwhile, with the other girls

Zuikaku shot the occasional glance over at Queen Elizabeth's ship and let out an audible sigh. This was not ignored by her friends, of course.

"Zuikaku? Are you okay? This is the fourth time you've sighed in the last ten minutes" Shokaku muttered.

"O-Oh. Sorry. I was… thinking about something" the Auspicious Crane explained.

"Or you were thinking about a certain someone who has spiky brown hair hmmm~?" Atago proclaimed in a flirty voice.

"That's… possibly true."

"Don't deny it, Zuikaku. Besides, you're not the only one feeling this… unusual feeling" Takago clarified.

A sigh escaped the brunette beauty's lips as she had to agree with her friend.

"Yeah, you're right. I know that we got to spend time with him yesterday, but I wanted to talk with him some more on the way to Azur Lane's base."

"Sorry sis. You better get used to this now. Once we get back, I'm sure that there are going to be a ton of girls all pining for his attention. And I mean, he was pulled away from them due to our invasion" Shokaku stated.

"*Groan* Don't remind me." Zuikaku then looked over at Queen Elizabeth's ship and could see her and Sora laughing and chatting while having a cup of tea.

"I think that's fine. Once Sora is done meeting with everyone, then it'll be his big sister's turn for attention!" Atago gleefully replied.

The other girls all looked at the dark-haired girl and kept a close eye on her.

"Right… Please don't go over the top against him, Atago" Takao noted to her sister.

"You worry too much my dear sweet loving sister. Do you want one of my reassuring hugs now?"

The three girls immediately took a step back from Atago as they were all too familiar with her famous bone-crushing hugs that sucked the life out of you. Takao could argue that the last time she received her sister's hug she felt a few of her ribs crack. That's how dangerous her hugs were.

"N-Not now! Thank you. Maybe… later."

"Aww. Ok. How about you, Zuikaku?"

"I-I'm goo- "

"Too late!"

*Crack*

"G-Gwah!" the Auspicious Crane let out a groan as she felt her ribcage crack and quite possibly break.

Shoukaku had wide eyes and was starting to shuffle back until Atago instantly let go of Zuikaku who flopped to the ground with Takao rushing to help her up. The White Crane on the other hand was fearing for her life.

"Shoukaku… come here. You may not be my actual little sister, but I've always thought of you and Zuikaku as family. Now, come here please~" Atago sweetly said while holding her hands out.

"No…No… NOOOOOO!"

---

With a few other girls in the fleet

The sound of Shoukaku screaming out had caused goosebumps to glide up Enterprise and Hood's arms while Wales went rigid. Each of the girls looked at each other worryingly while wondering if they should see if everything was alright. Enterprise, however, held her hand up and shook her head seemingly indicating not to get caught in the crossfire.

The two Royal Navy girls simply nodded their heads and went back to chatting about what the situation might look like when they got back to base.

"I expect Sora will be bombarded with questions and attention" Wales muttered to Hood.

"Indeed. Granted, there is a part of me that wants to simply steal him away for the chance to sit down and have that cup of tea and chit-chat we talked about upon our first meeting. It feels like that was so long ago" Hood replied with a hint of remembrance.

"Oh? That's quite surprising."

"How so, Wales?"

Before the blonde-haired girl could reply, Enterprise interjected herself into the conversation.

"Because what you just said sounds like something Wales would do instead."

Hood couldn't help but let a smirk appear on her face and stare directly at her best friend. That certainly did sound like something Wales would do. Something that not everyone knew about the elegant and determined Royal Navy kansen was that she was a massive-

"Ahem. While that does sound like something within the realm of my actions, I would not do such a thing now. Many of the girls have been worried greatly for Sora's well-being and it would be bad sport to take him away from them" Wales interjected immediately.

"I'm sure that train of thought will be handy in the future." Enterprise then let out a sigh at what she was insinuating. "Once things calm down, there will be girls trying their hand to claim his time. Akagi for starters."

"Don't forget, Prinz Eugen is a daring foe to watch for" Wales added.

"Littorio is another one that we should not underestimate."

Another girl that appeared in the three girls' minds was someone whom they were in no way expecting to become such a stronghold figure in the presence of Sora. Her actions in the Sakura Empire council room were one for the books.

"Lest we forget the Cardinal and her… surprising confidence. Or should I say her misconceived actions" Hood clarified.

"Right… I still can't believe she was so upfront and direct with her words."

"Tell me about it. Richelieu certainly surprised me and Belfast for that matter."

This started the overall conversation regarding the Cardinal and how the three Azur Lane kansens viewed their friend and ally. Along with a brief mention of the challenges that Sora would be facing when all the girls back at base would swarm him. Not to mention, the reaction to seeing Red Axis girls siding with them. Belfast had met up with the girls who had been sent to the Sakura Empire as spies and reconvened them to inform everyone back at base about all that had happened.

Suffice it to say, things were certainly going to get interesting.

---

Meanwhile, at another ship

The deck of this ship was holding Amagi, Akagi, Kaga, and Prinz Eugen. The group was discussing what to expect from the Azur Lane girls.

"Do you think their allies know that the Red Axis has disparted and formed a new alliance with Azur Lane?" Kaga asked the group.

"I would suppose so. I doubt they would just return without keeping their allies and teammates uninformed" Akagi answered.

Amagi seemingly was silent and looked out at the vast ocean before her.

"Amagi? Is something the matter?"

"No… just the opposite. I never thought I'd get the chance to see the lands and sea outside of the Sakura Empire ever again. I had… accepted that my time was coming to an end. However, thanks to Sora's help…" Amagi didn't finish and simply held a content smile on her face.

From the other girls' perspective, Amagi held an aura of radiant light around her. Positivity and happiness were brimming off her body.

"There's a great deal for you to see and do again. And we will be there with you the entire time."

"Yes. As a family. Together again."

Prinz Eugen couldn't help but smile at the happy family time. Moreover, she also smirked at seeing two individuals laughing in the distance on Queen Elizabeth's ship. Sora and the short queen were talking about something that caused her to spit out drink in a manner that was certainly not fit for a queen. It must have been ridiculously funny… it slightly made the Iron Blood girl jealous. She wanted to spend time with the boy.

"I must say, I think it's time we get to talking about war tactics" Prinz Eugen suddenly proclaimed.

"Huh? War tactics?"

"Yes, we are in a difficult position."

Kaga seemed to take this literally and was taken aback by Prinz Eugen's stance on wanting to be prepared.

"I commend you for that, Prinz Eugen. I wasn't aware that you were one to come up with battle strategies. Granted, that's not a jab to your character. I'm simply saying that- "

"What are you talking about?"

"…Huh?"

The white-haired woman flipped her hair to the side and reached into the side of her outfit and right into her bosom pulling out what appeared to be a lollypop. She then began enjoying the candy in a way that could be described as 'extra'.

"I merely meant that we should ally on behalf of getting Sora to ourselves."

"…Oh."

The white-kitsune girl was dumbfounded.

"I see… I was thinking of the wrong war tactics."

"Must you take such an approach, Prinz Eugen?" Amagi questioned the Iron Blood girl.

"Yes, Amagi. This has to be done. Think of it like this, Sora was only in the Sakura Empire where he managed to gain such an audience of attention directed toward him. Imagine Azur Lane now. Where multiple factions of girls are located. Furthermore, he was first introduced to them before any of us. It's only natural that there are already groups of girls interested in our Hero of Light."

The older kitsune sister wasn't sure what to say and simply let out a sigh. These girls were certainly putting a whole lot of effort into becoming close with Sora.

"…I'll take you up on that offer, Prinz Eugen" Akagi muttered out loud.

"You will? This is surprising… "Kaga noted.

The brown-haired kitsune girl tilted her head in confusion.

"What makes you say that dear sister?"

It was Kaga's turn to provide a reasonable explanation for her comment. However, she already had a very astute idea about her sister's behavior and actions toward the spiky-haired boy.

"I didn't think you'd be willing to work with another for Sora's attention. Your… actions back home proved that you are more than willing to venture into great 'danger' to be close to him."

A simple fit of creepy laughter escaped Akagi's lips as she smiled warmly at her sister.

"You misunderstand me, Kaga." She then looked over at Prinz Eugen and flashed her a smile. "While I am willing to work with Prinz Eugen in this matter, as soon as things calm down, I will make sure that it is only me and Sora who are on the battlefield of love."

Amagi figured this was more in tune with her sister's emotional attraction to Sora. The more she heard Akagi talk in a scary tone, the more she was tempted to step in and stop her in her tracks. Alas, before she could say anything, Prinz Eugen let out a giggle.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Such a useful and perfected time to use that phrase. Very well, Akagi. I'll agree to work with you regarding getting Sora alone. However, do prepare yourself. I won't be going down so easy."

"I don't doubt it. But know that my love for Sora will be the driving force behind my victory over you."

The two girls kept glaring at each other while having a creepy smile on their faces. There was a drastic difference in how their body language and facial expressions conveyed a sense of comradery in this battle for Sora's attention and love.

Frankly, the rest of the voyage back to Azur Lane was filled with Akagi and Prinz Eugen making subtle comments toward each other while coming up with plans on how to get Sora away from everyone. Amagi and Kaga merely listened and hoped that nothing bad would come from their sister and friend's scheming.

---

Later, back in Azur Lane

Sitting at a lounge table drinking some tea while chatting away with two other girls was a small girl with purple hair and a white dress. This little girl also happened to be carrying a unicorn plushie. She was better known as Sora's little sister, Unicorn.

Furthermore, she was accompanied by two other familiar faces. Javelin and Laffey. The two members of Azur Lane had decided to spend some time with the young girl as news about Sora and everyone's return was bound to happen soon. Unicorn couldn't help but smile brightly and talked to her plushie, U-chan, about the spiky-haired boy's return.

Now, the three girls were sitting down and starting to talk about the things that they wanted to do when the brunette-haired boy returned.

"Ahh. I think I'd like to spend the afternoon questioning him about some of the cool sights that he saw while traveling around the worlds." Javelin then let out a small giggle. "That's still weird to think about. Sora's from another world and he goes to other worlds."

"*Yawn* I wanna ask him if there were any worlds that had good napping spots…" Laffey tiredly said.

The two then looked over at Unicorn who had a shy smile on her face.

"I-I wanna ask Big Brother about some of the cute animals he's seen in the other worlds."

This got Javelin looking excited.

"Ooh! I didn't think of that kind of question. I wonder what sorts of strange animals he's seen before."

Soon enough, the three girls started discussing what kinds of animals Sora might have seen in his adventures. Random ideas were being thrown across the table with Javelin thinking about small little creatures he might have come across. Laffey thought about animals that may have been soft and cozy to nap on while Unicorn thought about large, cute animals.

Before she could say anything else, Unicorn spotted something unusual on the ground next to her. Reaching down to pick it up, she examined the strange item in her hand and wondered exactly what it was.

"Huh? Unicorn, what's that in your hand?"

"I… I don't know. I didn't see it when I sat down. Do you think it could be somebody's?" the purple-haired girl asked.

"…*Yawn* Never seen that before…"

Taking another look at the item in her hand, Unicorn could see that it had a weird shape to it and almost felt heavy in her hands. Not based on the weight but… based on something else. A sudden thought popped into her head as she looked at the object closely. It was almost as if… she knew who this belonged to.

Suddenly, without any warning, the object started glowing a bright white color which caused all the girls to jump out of their seats and become worried. Before long, the white light died down to the point that the front of the object had a distinctive insignia starting to glow red, blue, and green. The insignia was something that Unicorn had immediately recalled seeing as it reminded her of a certain someone.

"This is…!"

"What is that symbol? A crown?" Javelin muttered, looking at the object closely.

Laffey was struggling to stay awake even after the short jump scare of the object glowing.

Unicorn wasn't sure what was going on but deep down in her heart, she knew that whatever she found would be something of interest to Sora. It had to be.

"I don't know what it is, but I think Sora might know…"

"Mm. Well, when he arrives you can ask him what it is. Besides, weren't you going to give him the present you've been working on?" the Royal Navy girl asked Unicorn.

A sigh seemed to escape Unicorn's lips as she shook her head and prodded U-chan's nose causing the plushie to move slightly.

"I'm not done with it yet. I wanted to ask a few of the other girls for help. I only have it partly completed but hopefully I'll have it done soon. Dido and Sirius said they would do their best to help me get it done soon. And when Belfast returns, she said she would also help."

"I see, I bet Sora will love it!"

Smiling with all intent and purposes, Unicorn let a wave of happiness course through her body and displayed a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah… I hope he likes it."

The gift that Unicorn was referencing was a charm that she had been wanting to make ever since Sora offered himself being taken as a prisoner by Akagi. The feeling of seeing her new big brother be taken away caused her to want to give him something to support him to come back to her. Having him become her family was something she never thought she'd grow to love so much. Even if they hadn't known each other for a long time… she wanted to be close to him. He inspired her to want to be better.

With this happy moment playing out the group of girls were startled when they heard footsteps coming their way. Turning their head to the side, they soon spotted a woman with red and white clothing, long black leggings that covered her entire legs up to her skirt, blonde coming past her shoulders, and a confident smirk on her face.

"Ah! King George!" Javelin called out.

The new girl who had just appeared was King George V. She was a member of the Royal Navy as well as one of Wales's sisters. She had been stationed on the defensive front for Azur Lane while the group including Wales, Enterprise, and Her Majesty had been away. Now, however, she was here to deliver some positive news that would make the young Unicorn's day.

"Greetings everyone. Laffey, good to see you."

"Mm… Hello… "

"Hello, King George."

"I have some news to share with you all that is sure to make your day more interesting. Especially you, Unicorn."

"Me? I don't understand?" she replied, tilting her head while holding onto her plushie.

A smile graced King George's lips as she relayed the news.

"I've just received a call from Her Majesty. They are about 30 minutes away from making it back to base."

This got the young girl's eyes widening and for her to jump up in her seat startling everyone.

"He's almost here!? I-I need to hurry!" Unicorn stated getting ready to bolt out of there but was soon held by the blonde-haired woman's hand.

"Whoa there, Unicorn. Take it slow. Yes, Sora and Her Majesty are almost here. You have enough time to prepare."

"No! You've got it wrong. I don't have enough time to finish Big Brother's gift. I still need to get it painted and put together. I-I need to find Dido or Sirius quick."

Seeing the eagerness in her eyes, George couldn't help but feel a ping in her heart. Seeing the young girl want to do something nice for the boy who had come into her life and protected her from harm as well as becoming something of a brother figure was enough to make her feel warm. She wanted to help in this matter.

"Ok. I understand. In that case, Laffey. Javelin. May I ask for your help?"

Curious about what King George had to say, the two girls snapped to attention and nodded eagerly.

"Yep! You can count on us. Isn't that right, Laffey?"

"*Yawn* Uh-huh…"

Filled with earnestness, King George would support Unicorn in her project which she seemed to be putting her heart and soul into.

"Now then, Unicorn, where do we go from here?"

Taking the lead in this task, the young purple-haired girl clutched her plushie tightly in one hand while the other held onto the strange item she picked up. Time was against them, but she would work to make it count and be ready for when Sora returned.

"We need art supplies and then Dido's help with putting it together. After that, it'll take time to cool down so… maybe something cold to help it cool faster?"

With a plan in mind, the girls set out to complete this task all before the Guardian of Light could make it back. It was a race to the finish but with their hearts set to complete this project, they would get it done.

---

Elsewhere in the middle of the Pacific

Staring out at the cloudy sky around her, the Indomitable Black Dragon Eagle Union kansen, New Jersey, let out a tired and bored groan.

"*Groan*"

"…"

"*GROAN*"

"…What are you doing, New Jersey?" another girl called out to her from the side.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm bored!"

"You know, you should find some solace now."

"Solace? What does that mean? We've been out here for days now when we could have been on the front lines with Enterprise and the others fighting back against the Sakura Empire and saving that new guy that showed up" New Jersey explained while folding her arms across her large chest and frowning.

The two other girls with her were also Eagle Union kansen by the name of San Francisco and Boise. They had been assigned by the high command to monitor this sector of the Pacific Ocean and watch for any Siren activity.

"You forget, NJ, that we're now allies with the Sakura Empire and pretty much the entirety of the Red Axis" Boise clarified to her friend.

"I know that! But still, I bet Enty and Wales and everyone else part of the mission had quite the time fighting back against the Sirens and those new monsters we were told about."

"Heh, I wonder how dangerous those new foes really are. Based on the reports sent our way, they don't seem all that bad unless they group up" San Francisco replied while swinging around a baseball bat.

Suffice it to say, the information that had been broadcast to them about everything that was going on in the Sakura Empire was beyond any of their predictions. Hearing that the Sirens were now working with an unknown enemy faction that made them twice as dangerous was something to worry about. But with the help of this boy, Sora, they felt that things were going to get even more interesting.

However, before any of the three girls could say another word their radio channels started picking up a voice.

".*.*.*. Co-.*.*. Come in!? Hello? New Jersey? San Fran- *.*.*. Bois- *.*.*. * Anyone?"

"Huh? What was that?"

"That sounded like- "

"Vanguard?"

The other girl being mentioned was a Royal Navy kansen by the name of Vanguard. She was also assigned the task of monitoring the Pacific with New Jersey and had brought along a few other Royal Navy girls. Together, this group of Eagle Union and Royal Navy girls consisted of six.

"Hello? Come in? We hear you, Vanguard."

"bbbbbzzzzzttttttt"

"What is going on? Why are the radio channels being cut out? And why does it sound so… different" San Francisco questioned out loud.

"I don't know. They were just working fine a few minutes ago" Boise responded.

Beginning to slap her radio frequency module, New Jersey was able to land a connection.

"Hello? Vanguard?"

"Ah! There you are. What happened with the radio frequency?"

"Hiya! Good to hear from you and we have no clue. They just started going haywire."

A moment of silence played out on the other end of the radio before Vanguard started speaking again.

"I… see…. *.*.*.*. Report from base- *.*.*.*.* Her Majesty and- *.*.*.*. Have returned. We are now assigned to- *.*.*.*. "

Suddenly, before New Jersey could fully understand what was being said, the area around them started to feel a bit hazy. Almost like someone had coated the area in a darker tone of atmosphere with the dark clouds above them growing.

"What's going on?"

"I-I don't know! It's almost as if…"

"Report to Vanguard, NJ! This is- "

"Awwwww! Don't spoil the fun yet. We are just getting started" said another voice that didn't belong to the three girls.

Turning their heads sharply to the side, they all saw a familiar-looking Siren who was known to cause trouble wherever she was.

"Purifier! What are you doing here?" New Jersey called out to the Elite Siren.

"Oh, you know. Just… minding my own business…. Hahahaha! Just kidding. I'm here to help with the project."

"What project?" San Francisco started looking around the place.

A sly grin appeared on the white-haired girl's face as she raised her hands to the side.

"I think you know the answer to that. Take a gander around you!"

Doing as suggested, Boise didn't think much of the area around her until she realized that the water around them had come to a stop. No waves or ripples were visible on the water's surface. This was a supernatural situation playing out and the only viable option for this came to her mind instantly.

"*Gasp* We're in a Mirror Sea?!"

"Yep! Bingo! You got it on the first try! Though, to be fair it was kind of a dead giveaway."

New Jersey scowled at this and summoned her riggings and pointed them right at Purifier. The others did the same and ready themselves for a fight.

"How about you let us out and we don't have to send you in parts back to your Siren buddies" NJ commented with a bit of attitude.

"Naaaaah. Where's the fun in that? Besides, you won't be fighting me."

"What does that- "

Raising her right hand, Purifier snapped her fingers and let out a gleeful chuckle.

"Oh, boys!"

Suddenly, multiple dark portals appeared all around the three kansens leaving them utterly confused.

"How is… what is this?" Boise mumbled.

"I don't know but we need to- Watch out!" San Francisco cried out before swinging her bat forward and hitting a dark figure back.

Soon enough, all the portals started allowing tall, dark figures with weird long horns on their heads and long claw-like hands to appear. The creatures had distinctive dark-colored bodies with some white veins coursing through their legs and head. To top it all off, the monsters had bright yellow eyes that looked lifeless.

"What are these!?" New Jersey yelled out.

"They look like… what the report said that Enty and the others encountered. The Heart stealers are what I think their name was" San Francisco muttered.

"I think it was more like Heartless" Boise clarified.

"Hearts stealers or Heartless it doesn't matter! They are still going down!" New Jersey proclaimed before firing her riggings at a group of monsters blasting them away.

However, to her total surprise, the monsters simply crawled back to their feet and got down into a pouncing stance. Their emotionless faces were causing a sensation of goosebumps to go up the girls' bodies. This was a foe that they'd never faced before. They would need to be always on guard.

"Hoo boy! I didn't think they were that strong?! They wipe the floor with the smaller ones. These guys can take a hit. But can they dish out a hit as well? Let's find out!" Purifier rambled out.

This would soon lead to a conflicting sequence of events for New Jersey, San Francisco, and Boise. Along with Vanguard and the other girls who accompanied her. Moreover, this would also be the starting point for the Sirens' next act. Acquiring the dark power from the formless figure known as Darkness would come in handy now.

A start to a more experimental campaign for the Sirens and now the Heartless.

Notes:

*A/N* - So… it's been a minute. Ahaha. I feel like I keep saying that every time I post a new chapter for any of my stories. However, this time around I have another… valid… excuse. Nah. I'm gonna own up to it. I got plagued with life. What was once a day that allowed me to crank out a hefty amount of work toward a chapter has now become nonexistent. I apologize for that as well as take the blame.

*Ahem* Now then, moving past my choppy apology for the long wait, I can't wait for this next arc that's coming up. It has to do with Mirror Seas, Heartless and Sirens working together, Darkness being mysterious, and Sora dealing with a little-known challenge as an island full of girls who are falling for him. Things may not play out as you expect or want, and I apologize for that. But to be honest… that's what makes this story and any story so much fun and intriguing to read. If everything was plain and simple, then wouldn't it be boring? Either way, sorry for that little blurb of words.

Thanks for checking this chapter out and continuing to show interest in this story. I would say to expect chapters more frequently but… I'm not going to say that. I can't when my busy life is unpredictable now. However, I will say it's always a joy to see/read all the comments about this story. All feedback is constructive and considered. I know I'm not a genius when it comes to writing these stories but it's still fun either way. Again, thanks for stopping by, and until next time… take care out there in this crazy world of ours.

 

*I meant to update this one chapter sooner but time got the best of me. Apologies for that.*

Chapter 18: Emotions and Explosions

Summary:

With the return to Azur Lane's base, Sora will get the chance to form new bonds with some of the girls while others reflect on their own feelings. Moreover, the girls on base have decided to throw a "Welcome Back!" party and share their excitement at Sora's return. Emotions will be put out there and understandings will be met. However, while there is reason for celebration, there is also reason for worry. Steps are being taken and things are heating up for an eventual confrontation.

Notes:

*Disclaimer* - I do not own the copyright or characters to Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane.

*A/N* - Salutations! It's been a minute. A long minute. Sorry about that. I had an eventful end of the year with a lot of things all happening around the same time. However, I'm back and still working on this story as well as others. A great deal of things will be playing out as we follow Sora and Azur Lane's return to base now featuring a few shipgirls from the Red Axis. Additionally, we've got Unicorn and the other girls wanting to collect their thoughts and feelings to welcome the spiky-haired boy back with open arms.

Emotions will be realized or pushed even further, and characters will get to truly think about how they feel regarding the strange boy from another world. Although the girls have only just met Sora, that boy sure tends to build and form bonds through his heart at crazy speeds. Connections that push others to become stronger or find the light within themselves to be better. Not to mention, moments between the Keyblade wielder and ship girls are bound to happen which will be quite the spectacle to see. And lastly, the rising threat of the sudden appearance of a Mirror Sea. So many things are happening… how will the Guardian of Light get through it all? Read and find out.

Also, while you're still here, I'd like to offer my thanks once again for checking this story out. I apologize again for the long wait between chapters for this story. The difficulties of implementing a schedule only for it to all come crashing down is real. I'll do what I can to get chapters out somewhat faster but bear with me… I'm a slow cook. Moreover, I'd like to thank everyone who messaged me during this intermission period of waiting for a new chapter. Some amazing ideas were sent my way that I would like to include in the crazy shenanigans that are this crossover story. Thanks again and enough of me rambling. Enjoy this chapter!

---

*Music – Kingdom Hearts Missing Link Scala Ad Caelum Theme*

---

The journey back to Azur Lane had been a rather pleasant one with the skies devoid of any storms or threats on the path back to base. Hood and Wales had made sure to keep a watchful eye on their radars as well as making sure to keep constant communication with Azur Lane's headquarters. Alas, the two blonde Royal Navy girls had also been diverting their eyes over to Her Majesty's ship where it appeared that Queen Elizabeth and Sora were now sitting down at a small table and enjoying a cup of tea provided by Belfast, which was suspected.

Moreover, the sound of laughter from the spiky-haired boy and the Queen herself was loud enough for everyone to hear. The bit about Elizabeth laughing was something that caused the girls to be shocked. It didn't take long for the Keyblade wielder to get the royalty ship girl to open up and enjoy herself to the fullest based on how joyful her laugh sounded. Hood and Wales had never heard Her Majesty snort in laughter before, so listening to her now caused them to feel somewhat weirded out. But in a good way mind you.

Hence, Sora was now doing his best to stifle his laughing while Elizabeth was hunched over and giggling like a madwoman.

"Pfffft… Pfffttt… Ahahaha! You must be jesting!"

"Not at all, Your Majesty! I was overconfident at the time. Having just met Her Majesty, Queen Minnie, I thought I could protect her safely from the Heartless without breaking a sweat. But! Before I knew it, I had left her all alone down the large hallway. I forgot to call her over and follow me once it was safe!" Sora jokingly explained to the young queen.

The story being told to Elizabeth right now was an account of Sora's first time meeting Queen Minnie after getting a distress call from his small chipmunk friends, Chip and Dale. This all started after the two sat down comfortably and started chatting away. The conversation soon turned to Sora recalling several of his adventures where royalty was relevant.

"So- Pfffttt Hahah! This queen just stood there on the opposite side of the hall?! Standing there… pfft!"

"When you put it like that…" Sora had rubbed the back of his neck while cringing at his actions at the time.

Just the visualization of Queen Minnie standing there on the opposite side of the hallway watching him battle against the Heartless, and once he was done, she just waited there… while he also waited for her. Neither of the two made any sudden movements and were stuck in a moment of miscommunication.

"A lot was going on at the time with the Cornerstone of Light being threatened. I wanted to make sure Her Majesty was safe and sound first, but I did forget about her for a second."

"Bwahahaha!" Queen Elizabeth was stricken with hysterics. "How could you just forget about- "

"It wasn't my fault! Honest!" the brunette boy also couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips.

Belfast who was standing next to the happy duo also had a sly smile appearing on her face. In all honesty, it would be deemed undeniable to not smile while listening to Sora's unique and fun tales. Additionally, listening to Her Majesty laughing with so much happiness was something that would make anyone smile.

"So, you say. Hmm. But please continue… I've calmed down now and would like to hear the rest of your encounter with this Queen Minnie" Queen Elizabeth said.

"Mm. Well, after we had cleared the hallway, we then had to clear the throne room which was… huh…"

"Eh? Is something wrong, Sora?"

The spiky-haired boy suddenly had a thought come to his mind while thinking about his time in Disney Castle's throne room. The realization of what the room looked like caused the Keyblade wielder to consider something.

'Do all royalty just have big open rooms?'

He decided to be upfront and just ask the royal individual who sat right next to him now the question lingering in his head.

"Hey, Elizabeth?"

"Hmm? Yes, Sora? Is something the matter?" She then turned to Belfast. "Would you like for Belfast to fetch us- "

"No, no. I'm okay. I've just got a strange question on my mind that I'd like for you to answer. Is that alright with you?"

Confused by his request, Queen Elizabeth had no reason to outright decline him, "Of course! As one so positively interested in forming a stronger bond with you, I would be happy to answer any question you have for me."

Nodding his head, Sora laid out his question as clear as day.

"Well, I'm not sure if you have a castle or big place mansion of your own but… do you also have large open rooms that serve no purpose?"

The reasoning behind this question could be summed up to the Keyblade wielder's memory of King Mickey's throne room and how… empty it was. He then started to think about all the other worlds that had royalty involved in his adventures and how there tended to be a large empty room. This was something that only seemed to pop into his head consciously now.

"…Well… I… Err…"

Elizabeth could not give a straight answer to Sora's question as she started to consider her quarters both in Azur Lane and back in the Royal Navy's headquarters. In both cases, she did tend to have a fairly large room that was empty for most of the time. However, there was a somewhat valid reason for that.

"I do tend to have a room or two that is what you'd consider to be empty. So, yes. I do."

"But why?" Sora then causally waved his hand up to not disrespect her. "I was just curious is all. In several of the worlds that I've visited that had me meet royalty, there was always at least one large empty room. I think I know why that is but would like to hear another person's explanation."

Watching the young man engage in casual conversation with Her Majesty brought a glimmer of happiness to Belfast. Perhaps this is what Elizabeth needed. Someone who would not see her as a Queen but as a young and positive girl.

"Indeed! You've come to the right person, Sora!" Elizabeth then grabbed a muffin graciously supplied by Belfast and took a bite of the sweet before going into her explanation. "You see, rooms such as the one you're explaining are meant to hold festivities or banquets of grand design. Hosting a party is something the Royal Navy knows how to do well! Do let me know if you have any special events coming up soon. I would be more than happy to make it a magnificent celebration."

As Queen Elizabeth proclaimed this, Sora couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Elizabeth standing in the middle of a large room and directing everyone on how to decorate. This visualization was something that has honestly already happened before. He would have to ask Belfast if this has happened before.

"Hmm. I don't think I have any special event coming up right now, but if I do, then you'll be the first person I speak to about it."

"I would have that no other way!"

On that note, Sora was about ready to start his story back up with him and Queen Minnie in the throne room when suddenly, he heard what sounded like tired panting coming from across the deck of Her Majesty's ship. The trio then started scanning the area to find the source of the strange sound and were met with an odd sight.

"Akashi?"

Sora said this aloud while spotting the green-haired girl hunched over and gasping for air. It also looked like she had just jumped out of the water and was drenched.

"Hah! *gasp* Hah… *gasp* N-Nya! I thought I wouldn't catch up!" the cat girl said while wiping her face with her cat-themed sleeves.

"Catch up? What do you mean by that?" the brunette was confused by this.

"Hold on! You mean to tell me that you- "Elizabeth started saying before she was cut off.

"Nya! You'd be correct, Your Majesty! Akashi meant to join you all while you were getting ready to take off. However, I forgot to pack some things that I'll need to get my business around Sora ready. Once I was ready, you all had left already. It was pretty nerve-wracking traveling alone… But! I was not dissuaded. Nya!" Akashi explained while looking mighty proud.

Furthermore, the obvious reason why Akashi was also adamant about catching up with Sora and the others was so that she could make quite a significant impact o̶n̶ m̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ m̶o̶n̶e̶y̶ on making new connections with Azur Lane. Being able to provide the girls with the right *equipment* to get them through battle. That equipment is focused on merchandise focused on the Keyblade wielder. She'll be rich in no time!

"You should have said something. I would have waited for you" Sora replied while feeling a bit bad for making the business-savvy girl travel alone.

He could understand how scary it was traveling alone or even just being alone. As much as he gave off a happy-go attitude… there were moments when he still felt sad. That much was obvious. He had committed a forbidden act. An act that had consequences, and those consequences resulted in him being cast away from his home… his world… his friends. And now, with no real way home or any indication that he could ever return home… Sora could understand the worry of being alone.

His time in this new world had also taken his mind off the sad fact that he might not see his old friends again. As much as he held his head up high and followed his heart, being alone was something that Sora would have to dismiss. He was not alone now…

"Nya? You would have?"

"Of course! You're my friend, Akashi. Even if the others would have gone on ahead, I'd have stayed behind and gone with you. And even if we just met each other, I see us as friends already and want to become even better friends!" Sora finished saying this with one of his signature smiles.

Tilting her head to the side, Akashi couldn't help but feel really touched by his words. She was almost half tempted to let out some tears of happiness. Instead, she realized that she was overcome with feeling tired and gave a soft nod followed by a happy smile.

"Thank you, Sora."

"You bet!" The spiky-haired boy then glanced over at Queen Elizabeth and Belfast. "Would it be ok if Akashi accompanies us?"

"Why wouldn't it be? The Sakura Empire is now considered an ally of Azur Lane. Besides, if we had known that she was tagging along, then we would have waited for her. You have my sincerest apologies Akashi. I should have been aware of your inclusion" Belfast stated while offering an apologetic bow.

"Nya?! It's alright. There's no need to do such a thing for me."

Puffing her chest out, Elizabeth also felt a pang of guilt in her heart at the idea of the poor girl traveling alone. Not to mention, it seemed she and Sora had some prior friendship established which made her not want to be seen in an ill light with the boy. Hence, she would need to make an even grander apology for such an issue.

"Akashi!"

"Huh?! Nya!? Y-yes, Your Majesty?" Akashi said, confused and worried about the drastic up tone.

Right then, Queen Elizabeth did something that nobody ever expected her to do. She lowered her head in what could be described as a straight-up bow.

"I'm sincerely sorry for not knowing that you were accompanying us back to Azur Lane. Had I known, I would have simply demanded everyone to wait for your arrival. Hence, I shall display an act of forgiveness and ask that you pine the blame on one such as myself!"

"…"

"…"

Those were the reactions coming from Sora and Akashi as they both stared at the young blonde-haired girl with confused expressions on their face. They had no idea Elizabeth would make such a dramatic apology. Even Belfast had a somewhat slightly stunned reaction to seeing Her Majesty perform such an action.

"Err… Uh… It's alright… I accept your apology… nya?" Akashi murmured while still not sure what to say.

"You didn't have to do… whatever that was, Elizabeth. A simple apology would've been more than enough. It was an honest mistake" Sora reasoned while rubbing the back of his head. "Besides, we're all friends now."

Attempting to calm herself down but ultimately failing, Queen Elizabeth had her entire face matching Zuikaku's dress color with red, being all that anyone could see from the girl. The head maid even had to do her best to stifle a bit of laughter as this was a cute and amusing sight for her to see. Akashi wasn't sure how to react and simply tilted her head to the side while Sora smiled brightly at her.

Now, feeling everyone's gazes on her, Elizabeth quickly shook her head and tried to move the conversation along.

"W-Well! Now that we're done with that… why don't you join us for some sweets and tea, Akashi!"

"Nya! I'd be happy to join you."

Happy to see the green-haired girl joining them, Elizabeth turned over to Belfast and addressed her, "Belfast? Would you be so kind as to fetch us some more tea please?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll be right back."

A simple hum was Elizabeth's response as Belfast could tell that was her way of saying thank you.

"Hey wait… Akashi?"

"Nya? What's the matter, Sora?"

"You said you had to gather supplies and whatnot for your business ideas… where are these supplies?" Sora asked while scanning around the girl. "I don't see you carrying a bag or anything like that."

A sheepish smile appeared on the girl's face as she waved her cat-pawed sleeves up.

"That's a merchant's secret nya!"

Hearing this, Sora gave her a deadpanned stare while Elizabeth stared at her with a curious look. She was intrigued by where Akashi had hidden her supplies.

"Are they on the ship? Shall I fetch Belfast and some of the other girls to help you with them?"

"No, no nya. I have them right here!"

Reaching into her outfit, Akashi pulled out a huge notebook that looked to weigh more than did from a quick glance. Granted, ship girls were stronger than any normal human and could lift tremendous objects with ease.

"Where'd that- You know, what I can't even say anything haha."

As Sora said this, he instantly thought about all the crazy things that his pockets were able to carry. All the potions, crystals, keychains, and other items were in his pockets. He never really did understand how that was possible. Probably the simple explanation of magic at play.

"Yep! I've got lots of notes on my ideas not just for the merchandise around you but other things that could come in handy for the others."

"Oh? Like what?" the spiky-haired boy asked while becoming interested. "Cool designs or something like that?"

In a comical effect, Stars appeared around Akashi's eyes while she stood up a bit straighter while holding her notebook up high.

"What you might not know about me, Sora, is that I'm actually a scientist and researcher! I work on implementing new equipment and experiments to help the girls in battle. I also managed to delve into trade and business as well. I'm always busy with something nya!"

A chuckle escaped the boy's lips as he saw the excitement in Akashi's face. He was now starting to get curious about how the toys she was determined to make would work. Maybe he'd even buy a toy for himself?

"That's really cool! You're a scientist and all. I'm guessing that'll make your idea of making toys of me easier?"

"Nya! You're right about that! I have a good idea of what designs and sizes these toys will be of you. I wrote a few significant ideas in my notebook which is why I needed it along with some other stuff. Once I'm able to get a place for myself in Azur Lane, then I'll get right to working on a trading scheme to help support the girls. After enough build-up in finances and support, I'll be ready to start construction of the toys. I've got a good plan figured out nya!"

Listening to Akashi say all this with outright confidence, Elizabeth couldn't help but let curiosity get the best of her and inquire about what this business idea was.

"Excuse me, Miss Akashi?"

"Eh? Akashi is fine, Your Majesty, nya."

"R-Right. You mentioned these toys… what do you mean by that? I don't believe I've heard of these before."

Snapping his fingers, Sora soon realized something crucial to Elizabeth's question and way of thinking.

"Oh yeah! Elizabeth wasn't there in the mess hall. She didn't hear you announce your idea."

The spiky-haired brunette recalled when he was in the café and how crazy the girls got when learning about his various appearances.

"Ah! That makes better sense nya!"

At the same time, Belfast had returned from inside the ship with a tray full of snacks and tea ready to be served. She displayed an elegant smile while placing down the plate of refreshments before addressing the group.

"Hm? What's this about the mess hall?" the white-haired maid asked the group. "Have I missed something exciting?"

"We're talking about Akashi's idea about making toys based on me" the boy replied casually.

A look of realization and a soft blush appeared on Belfast's face. She was also present in the mess hall when talk about Sora's Halloween and lion cub forms were discussed. Personally, she was more interested in his Christmas outfit given that she had a plethora of various holiday-occasioned outfits. Perhaps she could get one of him in that seasoned costume? Better yet, the two could pair up their outfits…

"Ah… I see. That was a rather exciting conversation."

"…If you could call it that," Sora said while scratching the side of his cheek.

Shaking her head, Belfast continued, "You might not be aware, Sora, but your presence has certainly brought a lot of morale amongst the various factions."

Taken back by this, Sora had to know more.

"What do you mean? I haven't done anything- "

"Hmph. Either blissful ignorance or unwanted attention on the matter is blanketing your viewpoint on the matter, Sora" Queen Elizabeth added with a small pout. "You seriously fail to realize just the impact you've had in the short amount of time spent with many of the girls."

Crossing his arms, the Keyblade wielder wasn't exactly sure what the young queen meant, but he did know that some of the girls wanted to become better or grow stronger thanks to him. One girl that immediately came to mind was Zuikaku and his brief explanation of his skills and power. The look of awe and intrigue on her face spoke quite a lot about her personality. She was someone who wanted to become stronger after having met him and learned about his challenges.

"I… I know that by sharing my past I've gotten a few girls to want to be better. But I don't think I've made that much of a difference in the girls' lives."

Tilting her head to the side, Akashi had a small smile appear on her face while getting Sora's attention.

"I don't think so nya!" Her cat ears then twitched cutely. "While you were busy with the others, I heard mention of your name plenty of times from the girls back in the Sakura Empire. You've made everyone happy and excited. Plus, you were on the front lines fighting back against the Sirens and Heartless! You're a hero to many of the girls nya!"

Letting Akashi's words sit in his mind for a moment, Sora realized that he might have underestimated his effect on the girls. He also recalled the discussion he had earlier about there being no commander within Azur Lane and how the girls were the ones leading it by themselves. So, with him around, he was someone the girls could rely on for help both on the battlefield and in their personal lives.

"You guys do make a good point…" He then let out a sigh. "*sigh* I do want to help everyone that I can, but I don't want to be seen as some big hero. I'd rather just be seen as your friend. That's all I could ever really ask for."

Hearing this, the three girls couldn't help but have smiles spread across their faces. Sora was truly one of a kind. It was no wonder that the girls all held him to some degree.

"An excellent desire to have! And on that note, Sora, could you please describe to me these *other* appearances that you can take?" Elizabeth asked while bringing her hands together in a cute manner.

The look on Elizabeth's face was quite an energetic and curious expression. Hence, Sora began to tell her in detail about his various forms.

---

Meanwhile… on the other ships

Hood and Wales were still leading the fleet back to Azur Lane but were now chatting idly away while also glancing over at Her Majesty's ship and hearing her laughter. While it was a heartwarming sound… it also made them feel a pang of jealousy. Wales made that very apparent as well.

"…Hood."

"Hm? Yes, Wales? What seems to be troubling you?"

Swaying her head to look over at her friend, Wales let out a defeated sigh.

"You know what's troubling me. It doesn't necessarily need to be said aloud." She then brushed some hair off her face while frowning. "I also know it's troubling you as well."

With this said Hood's entire body stiffened for a split second before going back to being relaxed.

"Ah… you know me too well, Wales."

"Of course. We've been friends for how long now? I'm able to ascertain how you feel at times given your posture or facial expression. And right now, you have a somewhat longing look in your eyes" Prince of Wales explained.

Bringing a hand to brush some hair out of her face, Hood couldn't help but let a steady and sweet smile appear on her lips. She then turned to look at her friend.

"I could say the same about you. You've been fiddling with the bottom hem of your skirt. You're now wishing that you were over there with Her Majesty and Belfast and… Akashi? Huh… I wonder where that young girl appeared from?" Hood replied. "But you also wish to be with a certain spiky-haired young man."

The sudden appearance of the green-haired cat girl was surely going to be a topic discussed once they arrived at Azur Lane. Moreover, the discussion was now being focused on a certain boy from another world as he was at the top of both their minds.

"Ah… am I really that easy to read?" Wales muttered before letting out a dry chuckle. "Nevertheless, while I do desire to hang out with Sora now… I'll wait until a moment presents itself. Better yet, I'll wait till we have our tea time together.

"You do know that it'll be rather difficult to get a moment with our spiky-haired friend. Many of the girls back at the base are certainly going to be surrounding him."

Nodding her head, Wales knew exactly what she meant. To say that the Keyblade wielder was not popular was an outright lie. Heck, she'd even go as far as to say his popularity skyrocketed compared to his first time appearing.

"*sigh* A statement of undeniable truth. However, you can hold your head up a bit higher compared to the rest of us" commented Wales while frowning at Hood. "You are a step ahead of all of us… even me…"

"What warrants that kind of tone, Wales? You seem to have a bit of a grudge" Hood inquired while holding a somewhat teasing tone. "I couldn't have possibly wronged- "

A brief chuckle escaped the short blonde-haired girl's lips.

"Very funny, Hood. You know what it is that I'm referring to. You've already managed to secure a date with him. And while I've done the same, you hold an aura of elegance that catches everyone's attention" the short blonde-haired woman remarked with a hint of jealously.

Unable to bestow a calm and collected expression, Hood raised a gloved hand to her face to try and hide the growing smirk on her face. While she knew her dear friend was also attracted to the Keyblade wielder, the blonde-haired kansen couldn't help but relay a simple phrase in her head.

'You have to strike while the iron is hot, my dear Wales.'

"Mm. Indeed I have, and it is one that I'm eagerly anticipating. Knowing how true Sora is… I can't wait till we have a moment to ourselves. I also understand your point about my…. Elegance, shall we say. I'm truly excited to get the chance to learn more about him. What other fascinating stories he has to tell is causing me to become quite giddish if you will."

Processing what was just said, Wales seemed to ponder something for a second while glancing over at Queen Elizabeth's ship and seeing Sora enthusiastically chatting with Belfast, Akashi, and Her Majesty… it got her thinking about something rather intently.

"…Hey, Hood…"

"If you're still upset about me enjoying a cup of tea with- "

"No, no. It's not that. I'll manage to one-up you once Sora and I have our own hang-out together. However, another thought has come to mind..." Brushing some hair out of her face, Wales jumped right into her leading thought. "How do you view our dear friend?"

Somewhat taken aback by that sort of question, Hood removed her hat from her head and began examining it all while gathering her thoughts. Wales's question was certainly one that had quite the merit going for it along with how she viewed Sora.

'How do I view Sora…? Huh… a simple word or two won't specifically give him enough justice or appreciation so… perhaps I… hmm… yes… that's right…' the Royal Navy girl thought to herself for a moment.

Taking a second to gather her thoughts on the spiky-haired brunette, Hood graced her friend with a bright smile and looked ever positive now.

"I see Sora in a bright light. When I think of him, I think of someone that I can count on as well as learn something new from him. His caring and kind attitude and positive aura are something I relish to have one day. His ease of making friends is truly admirable and unlike any I have seen before. Alas, as I said already, I can't wait to spend time with him and grow our newly formed bond. He is truly a one-of-a-kind person."

On that note, the two blonde-haired Royal Navy girls could agree. Sora was a unique individual with qualities and traits that you would become quite intrigued and attracted to. Always seemingly positive yet shows a more open side of himself, and he likely is one to step first into a conflict and do his best to resolve it. Not to mention, his strength was unreadable given that he came off as kind and overall friendly. Just what else did that spiky-haired boy have in store for them to see?

---

Meanwhile, with Akagi and her sisters

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Akagi?"

"…"

"…Kaga?"

"Hm? Yes, Amagi? Is something the matter?"

Giving her sister a close look, the eldest kitsune sister let out a worried sigh before turning to face her other younger sister. It would appear that she would be the troublesome sister now.

"Kaga, would you please pay attention to what I'm about to do? Given how your sister is acting now, it's safe to say that this is going to be a recurring thing during our time in Azur Lane. I will also not always be with you or Akagi so if she does act a foot- "

"Don't worry, Amagi. I understand where you are coming from. Please go ahead with your actions. I will be taking note of how you get Akagi to come back to her senses."

Nodding her head, Amagi took a few steps forward and waved her hand gently in front of Akagi's face. This received no reaction at all and forced the older sister to then reach for her sister's head. Specifically, the part of her head where her ears were. She then lightly caressed the side of her ears before immediately…

*Whack!*

"Gah!"

"I see, you decided to take a slower approach and then went for immediate action. Very clever of you, Amagi" Kaga said while taking on a thinking pose and nodding her head back and forth. "I was honestly expecting a more complex method of getting Akagi back to her senses. I recall in the past when you'd whack us repeatedly on the head for getting into fights."

Figuratively, what Kaga meant were the many arguments Akagi and Kaga would get into when it came to living a somewhat peaceful life back before Amagi had been stricken with her sickness. Brief moments of the two sisters yelling and fighting with one another before being reprimanded by their older sister in the form of a smack either by her hand or sometimes sandal. For a moment, the two kitsune sisters never thought moments like these would be viable for them given Amagi's sickness getting worse. However, thanks to a certain spiky-haired brunette boy, many more moments would be happening again.

"*sigh* Yes, I remember. I even recall a situation where you were given an important mission from Lady Nagato and Akagi was so upset with you that she was ready to burn the hair off all your tails. You two certainly didn't make my job as your older sister easy" Amagi replied while letting a small smile crawl onto her lips.

"Amagi! What was that for?!" Akagi shouted while having a shocked look on her face while patting the top of her head. "And you just let it happen, Kaga!"

"Ah. There she is. Back to normal. It would appear that you need a good slap on the head occasionally, dear sister" the white-haired kitsune girl remarked teasingly.

Letting a frown take over her face, Akagi turned her attention to her older sister.

"But why was I slapped on the head? I didn't do anything wrong!"

"That's precisely the point, Akagi. You were lost in your own little world again. Moreover, you've been staring over at Sora while he's on Queen Elizabeth's vessel" Amagi stated.

"And what's wrong with- "

"It's wrong because I know what's going through your mind. You wear your emotions so easily on your sleeves. Let's be honest, your heart yearns for the chance to be close to Sora."

Being lectured by her older sister, the younger brunette kitsune girl folded her arms under her large bosom and let one of her fox ears flatten itself against her head.

"Can you blame me? These… feelings I have for him are…"

"They are scary, yes?"

"Yes…no. I mean, I don't know…? I know these feelings in my heart are true. I also know that the drastic jump from viewing him as my enemy to considering him as my future love is..."

"A very big jump" Kaga casually muttered.

"…Yes. It is a very big jump. However, if there's anything I've learned from Sora is this… following your heart is not a wrong thing to do. I know that I still have to face myself and work to redeem and apologize to everyone I've hurt with my actions. That much is true. Alas…" She then brought her gloved hand up and clutched it slowly while bringing it to her chest. "I just want to be with him…"

Listening to the emotions coming from her beautiful sister, Amagi couldn't help but realize that Akagi truly did have a special place in her heart for the Keyblade wielder. Even with it being so brazenly soon and undoubtedly out of nowhere, the Red Spider Lily kansen was enamored with the boy from another world. This in turn caused her to be realistic and level with the love-struck girl.

"Akagi…"

Letting out a stark sigh and brushing some hair out of her face, the younger brunette kitsune woman smiled shyly to herself. Her body language gave off the impression that she had said something that had been weighing down on her mind and heart.

"Hah… you must think I'm ridiculous…"

Shaking her head, Amagi pressed herself into Akagi and gave her a reassuring hug. A simple action like this conveyed so much care and comfort. Words would do it no justice.

"No. I don't. Your heart is your own. No matter what you feel, you have my support. Not only as your big sister… but as your friend." Amagi said all this while smiling warmly. "However, I do have my reservations about some things."

Kaga immediately knew what she was talking about or rather… who she was talking about.

"It's about Sora, isn't it?" Akagi asked, staring at her expectedly like she already knew the answer.

"Mm. The way you've gone about admitting your feelings to him is… admirable- "

"It's blatant," Kaga mumbled. "Over the top."

"Not the way I would have phrased it, but yes. It has been quite on the nose" Amagi reiterated while glancing over at Kaga in an older sister kind of way. "While there's nothing wrong with saying what your thoughts and feelings are, you do need to take in mind how he would react. I mean, you did just surprise him with how direct you are."

Sporting a blushing face along with eyes of endearment, Akagi let out a happy giggle while glancing over at her sisters. It was evident that she was a love-struck girl.

"Heehee. That is true. I have been direct with Sora. Maybe not direct enough? Perhaps I need to step it up a notch? There's no doubt that other girls have managed to become enamored with our dear Keyblade wielder. He is, after all, an amazing person! I already have over ten different ways to- "

"Akagi."

Hearing her name being said in a simple tone was all it took for the brunette girl to stiffen up and cause several of her tails to stand at attention. Even Kaga briefly jolted while not being on the receiving end of attention. That went to show just how much respect and power the older sister had in the family.

"Y-Yes, Amagi?" The brunette answered carefully.

"For the sake and respect of Sora, I am only going to say this once. Please do not make another attempt to sneak into his room or invade his privacy. Respect him."

"But- "

"If you try to even step into his room without his permission, I'll see to it that you're reprimanded in the finest manner possible."

Interest had gleamed over the white-haired kitsune girl's face as she tilted her head at that statement.

"What sort of consequences are you talking about?" Kaga spaciously asked. "We don't exactly have a commander present."

"No, we don't. However, Lady Amagi saw to it that representatives from the Sakura Empire would be present. And until Mikasa or anyone else joins us in Azur Lane- "

"You're technically in command then?"

Nodding her head, Amagi wore a pleasant yet somewhat bashful look on her face. The decision to be made as a sort of interim leader for the extended Sakura Empire forces coming to Azur Lane was something made on the fly. During the last hour of being on the island, Lady Nagato had asked to have a minute with Amagi to discuss a few things that would be going on with the Sakura Empire. Additionally, this is where she had been given the news of being assigned a significant role.

At first, the brunette declined the role but with Nagato's reluctance, Amagi finally decided to accept the position. Ideally, it wasn't long-term and would only be until the next group of Sakura Empire girls transferred over to Azur Lane. Moreover, with how the other factions had commanded themselves, it would be more discussion-based given that they would now be conversing amongst one another for tactics. A sure-fire way to take the pressure of leading away.

Also, there was another significant factor to consider… or rather a certain someone's presence which inspired those around him.

Sora.

The spiky-haired boy had truly become someone that meant a great deal. Whether it was his friendly and go-getting personality or the fact that he was willing to help anyone in need. Or even the realization of his otherworldly status. He was something that many of the girls had been wanting for a long time.

A friend. And not just any kind of friend. He was the kind of friend to have your back and drop everything he was doing to help as many people as he could. Not to mention, he had a strange and unusual power that could do unimaginable things like save someone who was on the brink of death and give them a second chance of life. Even though he has only been in this world for a short time, he has managed to change the lives of so many.

"So… we answer to you then?" Akagi lightly asked. "And for any problems we encounter or cause- "

The girl was then interrupted when the sound of heels clacking along the deck of the ship could be heard. The trio of kitsune women then turned to see who it was and were met with a friendly wave from a certain Iron Blood kansen.

"Oh? It appears I'm intruding on something special. Family time is quite special, is it not?" Prinz Eugen said while strutting over to the group.

Ignoring her comment, Akagi directed her attention to the girl, "Where have you been for the past hour? Sneaking away without telling any one of us… One might figure you'd be up to no good."

"Ha! You certainly wish that. But no. I was merely confiding in Nimi about some stuff. Ideas for what we can do to make the other girls' arrival special."

Kaga's ears twitched lightly after hearing what Prinz Eugen said.

"That's awfully considerate of you. I didn't picture you for the comforting type."

"Hm? Is that so? Well then, I need to work on my appearance. Especially since I don't want to be seen as some sort of cold and distant figure in front of you know who~"

Hearing this, Akagi let out what could be described as an annoyed and pissed-off groan under her breath. Both Amagi and Kaga could immediately tell where this conversation might end up. The result of both kansens threatening one another with their riggings and weapons could cause quite the ruckus even before getting to Azur Lane.

"Prinz Eugen, may I suggest you two not start anything rash? I would hate for our dear friend to become involved and worry" Amagi instantly suggested to calm the flames of conflict.

"Mm. You make an astonishing point, Lady Amagi. Forgive me for my direct teasing toward your sister. Akagi is someone I consider to be… easy to tease."

Smiling at that, the older sister could not entirely argue, "Yes, she does come off like that at times."

"Amagi?! Don't pick her side!"

Without wasting a beat, the other sister chimed in with her own assumptions about her sister.

"She does make a fair point. Your cold and harsh moments are quite different from your more open-hearted and teasing side."

"Not you too, Kaga?!"

A small chuckle was heard coming from the girls around her, making Akagi feel like her face was warming up. This three-on-one battle was not what she had expected in the slightest.

'Just how much longer until we get to this island?!' she screamed in her head.

"I do wonder…" Prinz Eugen said after calming herself down. "Would it be wise to come up with a plan of attack?"

The trio of sisters were quite puzzled by what she said and had grown momentarily curious for a split second before Akagi immediately knew what was being brought up.

"Yes. The sooner the better. We have no idea what the situation will look like once we arrive."

"I hope our little conversation from before has nestled itself into your mind and heart," asked Prinz Eugen.

"It has. Nothing has changed. However, taking to heart what my dear sister said…" Akagi then glanced over at Amagi who held a bright and proud smile on her face. "I will do what I believe to be right."

"*cough* *ahem*"

The sudden cough and clearing of the throat from Kaga caused the brunette woman to pause and then shake her head realizing the error of her words.

"What I meant to say was that knowing what the right way of going about things is… I will take the somewhat short but long road ahead to seeking Sora out. Even if that means…. Even if that means…"

Kaga and Amagi both looked at each other and could see that Akagi was fighting with herself to try and stay in the correct lane of going about things. If it were her way, she'd have dashed over to where Sora was now and scooped him away while never letting go. However, that would not happen anytime soon thanks to Amagi's presence. Hence, the only way of going about her feelings would be to go at a steady and realistic pace. At least, as realistic as possible.

"…Even if that means I need to… work with another and try to distance myself from him at times…"

"Wow. I never thought I'd hear those words coming from you. The world must be ending then."

Another glare was sent toward the Iron Blood kansen's direction.

"Easy. I mean no harm. In fact, this might be good for us. With you calming down and taking a back seat for now, we can plot how each of us gets some time with Sora" Prinz Eugen explained. "This can also go over to you two as well."

This new bit of information seemed to catch Kaga and Amagi off guard.

"Oh? Are you including Kaga and me?" Amagi asked, tilting her head in surprise.

Raising her head, Prinz Eugne let out a satisfied hum before gathering her thoughts and explaining everything to the trio of sisters.

"Why not? Even if you're not after Sora like Akagi and I are, getting the chance to be with him is certainly something nobody will take for granted now. I'm honestly a bit jealous of the little queen over there listening to all his stories and hearing her laugh has me feeling quite distraught. And I know the other girls around are feeling the same. Wales, I know for sure is feeling jealous. Hood… a reserved lady like herself is bound to feel anxious at hearing how much fun her queen is having. Enterprise is certainly one to try and brush off any jealousy but ultimately feel it deep down. The crane sisters are easy to read. Zuikaku is probably trying to distract herself but failing while Shoukaku is supporting her sister while also plotting ways to help her get with Sora. Takao and Atago are also in similar boats. One sister is probably trying to think about training but can't and the other is putting a façade of sweetness while also eager to spend time with Sora."

The white-haired girl then took on a thinking pose while also glancing over at the other ships sailing across the water and thinking about the girls not yet mentioned.

"Hiei, Kirishima, Kashino, and Shinano are also probably in similar situations. Can't say anything definitive about them yet. Alas, I'm sure many other girls are sorting their own feelings regarding our spiky-haired hero. He is, after all, someone remarkable."

"Hence, why you are proposing the idea of working together to get close to him?"

"Mm-hm. Better to have had at least some time with him before not even getting a moment away with him."

Before any of the other girls could get a word in, the sound of a beeping noise drew everyone's attention away. This included Sora who was still sitting on Queen Elizabeth's ship's deck.

Suddenly, the sound of Enterprise was heard by everyone as her ship had taken to lead the front of the fleet returning to base.

"Everyone. We're five minutes from making landfall."

Hearing this, Prinz Eugen let out a content hum before turning her attention back to the kitsune sisters.

"Think about what I said. Or don't. Just know it's going to be an all-out war for Sora's attention, and I intend to use whatever tricks I can to win."

And with that, the Iron Blood kansen stepped away from the group while having a sly smile on her face. There was no telling what was going through her mind.

Left with Prinz Eugen's words revolving around their heads, Kaga was the first to speak up.

"…I suppose she's not wrong about Sora being busy," Kaga muttered while looking out into the distance. "What are your thoughts?"

Being addressed, Amagi wanted to give a clear response but decided to hold off and see what Akagi had to say. The brunette's appearance could best be described as someone holding themself back from doing something.

"…I… I won't go back on my word. I've already caused a great deal of problems for everyone. It hadn't really registered to me until now but… I'm sure there are going to be a lot of girls angry with me."

Kaga and Amagi both wore expressions that agreed. The entirety of the kitsune sisters' actions had been pinned on what the Sakura Empire girls might think when the Azur Lane girls would also have some thoughts about the two.

"I assume you two will own up to your actions?" Amagi calmly asked. "Not shy away from what you've done in the past."

"Yes. There's no way we'd walk away from our actions. We got ourselves into this mess and we will deal with the consequences" Kaga answered right away.

Picking up right behind Kaga, Akagi also said her own two cents, "Of course. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I won't deny my actions. I'll accept them."

Hearing them speak with such confidence and conviction caused Amagi to smile sweetly. Her sisters were growing up and it couldn't have made her prouder. This moment of realization and growth was something she could experience all thanks to Sora's help. He truly was their hero.

---

Several moments later

Taking one step forward and then another, Sora now found himself standing back on the docking platform of Azur Lane's base. This moment gave him a sense of déjà vu and caused him to let a bright smile appear on his face.

Enterprise who had joined him and Queen Elizabeth was now standing right behind him and sharing a smile with him.

"Feeling a bit nostalgic?"

"Hehe. Was it that obvious?" Sora asked, ruffling the back of his hair.

"Observing the expression on your face gave you away. However, given that I was there with you when you first got here, I got the feeling that you were feeling that way" Enterprise politely explained.

Chuckling at her explanation, Sora now fully stood on the platform and glanced over at Enterprise. A wave of memories came flying through his head now. His first encounter with Enterprise, Akagi, and Kaga to arriving at Azur Lane and all the girls reacting to his presence. He then recalled how he met up with everyone in the council building and got to know everyone while describing his situation. Meeting Unicorn and becoming her older brother, encountering Ayanami, and being taken prisoner by the Sakura Empire. And finally, meeting the girls of the Sakura Empire and fighting against the Sirens and Heartless while also sharing his story with the other factions. So much had happened in such a short amount of time.

The Keyblade wielder let out a content sigh after gathering his thoughts. A lingering sense of want appeared in his mind which led to him taking a second for himself. Sora also figured that much of his time would be occupied by meeting up with everyone again and that he wouldn't get a moment like this till much later.

'I wish you guys were here… Donald… Goofy… Riku… Kairi… everyone… I'm ok. I'm not alone. I've made so many new friends here in this world. And now… they need my help. I won't let them fight this fight alone!' Sora vividly said to himself while feeling a sense of comfort and hope.

---

At the same time, the other girls had also stepped onto the platform leaving a few of them feeling quite out of place. This was obvious in how Zuikaku's eyes were flying all over the place.

"Hm… This feels a bit exciting! Don't you think, Zuikaku?" Shoukaku said.

"Eh? I-I guess so. But aren't you kind of worried?"

"Worried? Why would you think that?"

Giving her sister a blank stare, the Red Crane simply face-palmed herself and started wondering if her sister was pulling her hair. It was kind of hard to forget what happened the last time they were here.

"You do remember what happened here, right?"

"Of course! Do you doubt your sister's memory? I'm hurt Zuikaku. Besides, things are different now. We're on the same side. There are no more differences between us."

"You make it sound so simple."

"Because it is."

Right before Zuikaku could retort, Ayanami had made her way over two the two cranes and wore a distant expression on her face.

"…I think it'll be ok."

"Huh? You think so, Ayanami? I mean, you were also here last time. Plus, you did fight Sora" Zuikaku replied while curiously glancing at her. "You aren't worried about- "

"Even if we do get ridiculed it's fine. That's in the past."

As Ayanami said this, the crane sisters simply let out a light-hearted laugh before shaking their heads.

"Yeah… I'm probably just letting my head wander" the brunette girl responded.

For a moment, a comforting silence played out amongst the group. That is until someone decided to pop into the conversation.

"If you keep that up, then you'll be left in the dust, Auspicious Crane" came the reply of someone behind them.

Turning around, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Ayanami were greeted by Prinz Eugen wearing a smug smirk on her face followed by Z23 who looked annoyed. Immediately, they knew who was the one to say that.

"Why do you say that?" Zuikaku questioned while observing the Iron Blood girl. "Kind of hard to understand what you're saying."

Clicking her tongue, Prinz Eugen simply offered her a daring smile before speaking up, "Letting your head wander won't get you what it is that you desire. Or rather who you desire~"

Processing her words, Zuikaku instantly felt her cheeks warm up but stood her ground and eyed the woman closely. She would not be intimidated or dissuaded from her feelings.

"…I'd be wary if I were you, Prinz Eugen. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the one left in the dust."

"Oh? The crane won't back down. Good. You're going to need that drive in your heart to get what you want" the white-haired woman clarified while walking up to her and patting her on the shoulder. "It also helps to have someone supporting you."

Surprised by her sudden comment, Zuikaku was confused by what was going on.

"I-I… what? Are you supporting me? What's going on?"

"Take the support sis!" Shoukaku muttered from the side. "Every advantage is a good advantage."

"Ha! You two are a lively bunch. But no. I'm not necessarily supporting you. Rather, I'm giving you some advice. I undoubtedly have confidence in myself to get close to Sora. However, make no mistake that not everyone will be pushovers. That boy has a way with his words. Expect many girls to chase after him or try and get his attention."

The evidence in Prinz Eugen's words was evident. Even back in the conference room in the Sakura Empire, when Sora was sharing his life and journey his words were listened to by everyone. Along with him accepting Akagi and Kaga's apology and treating it like it was nothing too big. His way with words and kindness was certainly something that could make you reflect on yourself. Not to mention his comment about following your heart. That was the statement that won many girls over.

"Right… thanks for the heads up, Prinz Eugen."

"Of course. We're all friends here, are we not?"

"I see no problem with that" Shoukaku added. "I'm also guessing that we should consider you a rival and friend?"

A sly smile appeared on Prinz Eugen's face, "Certainly~ There's nothing wrong with that. I only wish you good luck… because you're going to need it."

As the two Sakura Empire sisters and Iron Blood kansen continued chatting away, Z23 and Ayanami were standing next to each other and watching the scheming and befriending going on in front of them. They had no part in this fight and would simply remain spectators.

"*sigh* This is going to be a repeating thing" Nimi mumbled while rubbing her head.

"Is that a bad thing?" Ayanami blankly asked, looking over at Z23. "I don't see it that way."

"It's not entirely bad. It's just going to be a repeating thing. One girl greets another girl and then warns the other to not be surprised when they lose the chance at being with Sora. But they keep up an aura of friendliness while also being rivals. It's going to be a bother."

Listening to her point, Ayanami then had a thought come to her that might make things more interesting.

"Then… why don't we make it a game?"

"Huh? A game…? What do you mean?"

Pulling out her phone, Ayanami started typing away at incredible speed before showing Nimi what appeared to be a scoreboard with tally marks ready to be made.

"We keep track of the girls who start fighting with one another and make it a game. Get some entertainment out of it."

Wanting to dismiss her idea, Nimi also had an epiphany about the whole thing. There were hundreds of girls across the various factions. Sora's kindness which she had experienced first-hand and seen was something that came at ease for him. The ability to swoon a girl with nothing but him speaking from the heart was a deadly weapon. She may have not known the Keyblade wielder for a long time, but she knew that he was someone special making Ayanami's idea more enticing.

"…I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

"Do it. It'll be fun. Maybe we can get others to join us?"

"Ugh. Fine. I'll join you in this game."

Ayanami's response to Nimi's acceptance was a single fist pump while quickly jotting down Zuikaku and Prinz Eugen as being the first girls to bicker and become friendly rivals. She expected the list to grow exponentially within the coming days. This was going to be a fun game.

"Nya! We finally made it! I can't wait to set up shop. I'm going to be so rich! Nyahaha!" cried a green-haired cat girl now joining the others.

---

Back with Sora

"Hey… where is everyone? I would've imagined that they'd be waiting for us on the dock?" Sora questioned while folding his arms. "You'd think they'd all be lining up to see us?"

"I'm honestly surprised by that as well. We gave the base a heads up that we were heading back" Enterprise replied.

Coming up to the two, Wales had a peaceful expression on her face as she quietly positioned herself to stand right next to the spiky-haired boy.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much you two."

The two then glanced over at the blonde and waited for further clarification.

"What I mean by that is everyone for sure knew you were coming. They are likely working to make your return special."

"Really?" Sora muttered before scratching his cheek which had become somewhat flushed. "They didn't have to do anything like that."

"No, but they wanted to do it."

Nodding at Wales's comment, he was about to say something else but in the corner of his eye, he spotted a small tuft of hair. Whoever he saw was crouching down behind a box but doing a terrible job of hiding themselves.

"Um… does anybody else- "

"Yep. I see them" Enterprise immediately responded in a plain tone.

Coming up on the trio was Hood who had brought one of her gloved hands to her face and let out a disappointed sigh.

"Honestly. I don't see why she's still hiding. We know she's hiding behind the box."

As the Royal Navy lady said this, the tuft of hair seemed to have heard her and instantly moved to the other side of the box only for their hair to still be visible. The other girls now stepping foot onto the docking platform were beyond confused at what was happening.

"Uh… sis what's going on? Is this a sneak tactic I'm not aware of?" Zuikaku whispered to Shoukaku.

"No, it's nothing like that… I think?"

"Such a strange way of concealing oneself…?" Takao proclaimed.

"Oh, come now, Takao. Perhaps it's just a technique you've never heard about" Atago countered her sister's claim. "Besides, it would appear that whoever is hiding could be doing this on purpose to throw us off?"

As soon as Atago said this, a somewhat worried yelp could be heard coming from the girl. Based on how loud the yelp was, the older black-haired sister shot her sister a faltering look which could be described as a simple "oops". Takao on the other hand wore a smirk on her face at her sister's refuted claim.

"…*sigh* No need to say anything Takao."

Takao's only response was to pat her sister's shoulder and give a pleased humming sound which was all she needed to say. She then turned her attention back to the girl hiding behind the box to get a better look at the top of her head which was still out in the open for everyone to see.

The details of her appearance were that of white hair with two cat ears moving around along with what appeared to be a red and black bow on the top of her head. Takao was just about to say something when Enterprise spoke up and addressed the girl.

"Hammann. We can see you."

"Eh?! What?! No, you can't!"

"Yes, we can."

"No, you can't! Quit lying!"

Enterprise then donned a deadpan expression on her face having to deal with her friend's behavior. This was turning out to be a waste of time.

"…Hammann."

"W-What is it, Enterprise?"

"…We can't see you."

"Yes, you can!"

"No, we can't."

"You're lying!"

"Wales. Can you see her?" Enterprise asked the blonde girl while giving her a knowing look.

Sora, who was watching this strange interaction going on didn't say a word and just stepped back while holding his hands behind his head. He'd had strange and unusual ways of communicating with some of his friends. Everyone had their own unique quirks.

"Hmm. No. I'm afraid I can't. I lost a visual of her."

"Same can be said for me" Hood added while performing a look-out gesture. Hand above the eyes and shifting her head around. "I don't know where she went."

"Ok! You're just being rude now!" yelled out the girl known as Hammann.

"We are not. Come out so we can see you now" Enterprise announced.

A small huff could be heard before the not-so-hidden girl stood up from the box and was now visible for everyone to see. Her appearance was that of silver boots with black stockings and a white and black outfit that looked somewhat like a maid's attire. She also had what appeared to be a tie or ribbon hanging from her neck with three colors in a decorated fashion. Red and white stripes with a blue bottom base and a few white stars to add to the design. Her eyes also appeared to be a light blue followed by her face being completely red. This girl was better known as USS Hammann.

With a flushed look, Hammann made her way over to the group and was doing her best to fight the blush on her face. However, that was a losing battle.

"Hammann. It's good to see you again."

"L-Likewise, Enty" Hammann then turned over to the Royal Navy girls. "Same goes for everyone else."

"Thank you for the kind words, Hammann."

"Mm. So, where is everyone? We were all kind of expecting a big return party for Sora."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the spiky-haired boy commented, "Again. That's not necessary" he added while walking over to them.

"A-Ah… you're Sora…" the cat-eared girl carefully spoke while eyeing the spiky-haired brunette.

Giving off a friendly smile, the Keyblade wielder nodded his head, "Yep! That's me. I don't think we got the chance to meet the last time I was here. And if we did, then I'm sorry for forgetting your name. It's kind of hard remembering everyone's name, so if I did forget your name or mess it up, I'm sorry."

Shaking her head, the Eagle Union girl lent some kindness to him, "No, we haven't officially met. I saw you from a distance the last time you were here. Everyone was swarming around you. Also, i-it was a bit scary seeing a boy for the first time" Hammann clarified with a hint of anxiousness.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Hammann! I'm Sora."

"Li-Likewise! Hmph. That was harder than expected…" Hammann muttered that last part to herself.

Turning his head back, Sora got a glimpse of the rest of the girls who had traveled with him back to Azur Lane. He then looked back toward the main part of the island and further ahead of the platform and was growing even more confused about what was going on.

"So, Hammann, where is everyone?"

Standing up a bit stiff, the young girl was stuck at a crossroads. On the one hand, this weak attempt to spy on the group had ended up a failure and put her mood slightly down. On the other hand, she knew that the ones who put her up to this deserved to get a bit of payback. Hence, she decided to just get the ball rolling.

"They're up ahead in the town. Everyone is working together to put a little party for your return. I was told to stay incognito and see when you all arrived. That… didn't exactly go to plan" Hammann weakly explained.

A look of realization seemed to appear on Prince of Wales's face after hearing this.

"Ah. Now I get it. There are quite a few that come to mind who would plan something like this" Wales said while having a few names come to mind.

"Do you suppose it was Sandy?" Enterprise asked, giving her idea a voice.

"That's rather likely. However, she must have had help" Hood replied while taking on a thinking pose. "Several names come to mind on those who love parties. One of them happens to take a great deal of inspiration from you when it comes to- "

"There's no need to say her name, Hood" Wales solemnly remarked while face palming herself. "She's likely to have set out a good number of drinks for her to devour. We both know she's something else."

"Um… I'm lost? Who are we talking about?" Sora mumbled.

Once again, the rest of the Sakura Empire and Iron Blood girls were staring over at the members of Azur Lane with a bit of confusion. Evidently, this appeared to be an inside joke among them.

Wearing a somewhat embarrassed look on her face, Wales was the one to answer, "We… We're talking about my sister, King George V. She's quite the drinker."

"Oh."

"Yes, she's a handful at times" Wales idly commented.

A small chuckle escaped from Hood's lips as she blankly stared at her friend, "I seriously doubt you're one to talk, Wales. Out of everyone here in Azur Lane, you are one of the first people to come to mind when involving parties and drinks."

"Ahem! Shall we start heading to where the others are? We've wasted a lot of the day just standing around here" the blonde Royal Navy woman immediately said before taking a few steps forward and walking up to Hammann.

Hood then looked over at Sora and winked at him before giggling to herself. The Keyblade wielder instantly picked up on her playful banter which related to Wales. It would seem like she was quite a different person when it came to parties.

Suddenly, right before anyone else was able to take another step forward, Hammann let out a startled yelp before stepping back and getting defensive.

"Eeeek! What's she doing here? And her?! A-And… all of them?!" she yelled while pointing to Akagi, Kaga, and the rest of the girls standing behind Sora and the others.

"Hammann? What are you talking about? You knew they were coming" Enterprise confided to the white-haired girl.

"N-No! I didn't know *they* were coming!" Hammann stated defensively. "I was only told that Sora and you guys would be coming back with some others from the Sakura Empire. I didn't think… Oh man, what's everyone else going to think?!"

Hearing the girl's worrying words, Amagi and Kaga both looked at each other and then at Akagi who seemed to have a somewhat unconcerned look on her face. She did not look bothered in the slightest.

Additionally, Zuikaku was looking quite anxious followed by Shoukaku patting her sister's back and reassuring her without needing to say anything. Prinz Eugen merely gloated a bit as she had a playful grin on her face while processing the unexpected news. Ayanami simply looked down and didn't say anything given that she was also here during the attack and taking of Sora. Alas, the other girls weren't exactly bothered but still had their reservations.

Before this grim atmosphere could go on any longer, Sora stepped forward nonchalantly by holding his hands behind his head and wearing one of his signature goofy smiles.

"Hey, it's going to be alright. There's nothing to worry about. Let me make an appearance first and then talk to the others about who is here. That way, we avoid causing a big stir. Sounds easy, right?" Sora cheerfully said to everyone.

A moment of silence passed until Shinano was the one to start giggling sweetly.

"You make everything sound so easy, Sora."

Sporting a giant grin on his face, the spiky-haired brunette took on a relaxed stance with his hands behind his head.

"Haha! Because it is easy! We're all here to work together against the Sirens and Heartless. Sure, things might be a bit awkward with you guys and what's happened in the past, but you can't let that hold you back."

The Keyblade wielder then brought a fist up to his heart and held it there while giving off what could best be described as a smile filled with both confidence and openness. It was the sort of look anyone would be happy to find in someone to call a friend. Someone to have your back when the going gets tough.

"I've had those kinds of thoughts before. Being held back by something in the past, but I learned to accept what's happened and move on. The enemies you considered yesterday, can now be your friends of today."

"Oh? So, you suggest that we befriend the Sirens?" Prinz Eugen said while flashing Sora a teasing look.

"You know what I mean" he mumbled back.

"Of course, of course."

Taking what the boy said, several of the Sakura Empire girls glanced over at each other with hopeful expressions. While the realization that things might be a bit awkward given what's happened, the chance of making amends and working together was something they all wanted. Plus, the chance to make even more friends was always a positive.

"…Well then, shall we meet with everyone?" Shinano commented to the group.

Nods of approval were all set in place by everyone.

"Great! I'll head on ahead. You guys take your time," Sora happily replied before getting ready to jog over to where Hammann said everyone was.

"I'll join you, Sora" Enterprise quickly added while walking up to him.

"Got it. See you guys in a minute!"

And with that, the two including Hammann briskly set off to see what the rest of the Azur Lane girls were up to. This left the others to simply either smile or nod at the boy's radiating positivity.

'He certainly knows how to brighten everyone's mood' Atago thought to herself while watching the Keyblade get further away.

This train of thought was shared by the other girls as they watched the spiky-haired boy catch up with the others of Azur Lane. Alas, just one thought seemed to wander in each of their minds, how would the reaction be to their arrival?

---

Running up ahead, Sora looked back at Enterprise to pick her brain about something.

"Hey, Enterprise, have the others done something like this before?"

"A return party?"

"Yeah."

A pondering expression was worn by the white-haired girl as she had to give it some thought.

"To a degree, yes. But the parties have either been focused on a victory or a celebration of sorts. Birthdays are obviously a separate topic."

"That's a no-brainer. But hearing that does make me… feel… what…?"

Sora was stopped in his tracks as he was now staring at quite the strange sight ahead of him.

There in what could be considered the center plaza of the town were decorations covering the entire place. Streamers hanging around light posts or off the side of buildings with balloons bundled together to give a sort of colorful sight. Music was also blaring out from somewhere with what could best be described as a happy-go pop song playing. Additionally, many ship girls were all around the area chatting away with one another or being given orders on how to decorate something. It looked like a functioning workshop out in the open. Several familiar faces were also part of the entire process with Sora recognizing Baltimore and Sandy putting up a banner that said, "Welcome Back Sora!"

The entire thing left the boy with an open mouth and happiness filling his heart. Enterprise who was next to him also had a similar reaction. Except, she was feeling a bit of anxiety. The girls were still in the middle of decorating meaning that once they saw Sora they would-

"HUH?! What are you doing here?!" yelled one of the girls who took notice of Sora and Enterprise.

"S-Sora!?"

"Wait! What?!"

"You're kidding!?"

"Is he really here?"

"It's too soon!"

"EHHHHH!"

At this point, everyone immediately took notice of the brunette standing there. Some girls fell right over and dropped everything they were doing. A few other girls who were blowing up balloons either managed to pop them or let them go causing quite the comedic scene. Whoever was managing the music must've smashed the stop button because the music instantly stopped. And a few yelps were also heard.

Not sure what to do at this point, Sora simply took a step forward and ruffled the back of his hair.

"Um… Hi?"

"…"

No response came from the many ship girls. Everyone simply just stared at him.

"Ehehe… I'm back!" greeted the Keyblade wielder trying to make light of the situation before him.

Stunned silence was all that he got back… that is… until a certain purple-haired girl ran right up to him and tackled him right to the ground.

*CRASH*

"Oof!"

Feeling the wind knocked out of him, Sora turned his head down to see who had pushed him back, "Ow? Huh? Unicorn?"

Staring at him with a slightly nervous yet happy face was the young girl who he had taken to calling his little sister, Unicorn. The feeling of being appreciated in a sibling aspect was one that Sora had never really known. However, the feeling inside his heart was all he needed to know how good it felt to have someone to call family… even if they weren't truly family.

"S-Sora! You're back!"

Before he could say anything, a white horse plushie with purple features crawled its way out of Unicorn's hands and up to Sora's face before whacking him square in the face.

*WHACK*

"Aah! Hey, what was that for?"

*WHACK*

"U-chan. It's ok. I'm sorry about him. He was really worried about you being gone" mumbled Unicorn as she had gotten up and picked the plushie up. "He has a funny way of showing his emotions."

U-chan still kept staring at Sora head-on. The emotions displayed on the plushie's body could tell a dozen words even without any real facial features. It was like the plushie was now glaring at the Keyblade wielder.

"It's nice to see you too, U-chan. I'm sorry for worrying you" Sora said as he picked himself up and stared at all the other girls watching in silence. "I'm really sorry for causing trouble for everyone. I know it might have been sudden."

"You can say that!" cried a random ship girl's voice in the large crowd.

Chuckling at that admission, the brunette had to agree, "Yeah… but I'm honestly so happy right now! You guys didn't have to do any of this."

He then started pointing at all the various decorations being put up and displayed for his return.

"You guys helped me when I was lost and alone in this world for the first time. Sure, it was all strange and new at the same time. Yet, you all managed to make me feel not alone. Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me" Sora then wore one of his signature goofy smiles and glanced around at everyone he could with positivity beaming with his blue eyes. "And all of this- it's amazing! You guys didn't have to go all out. A simple get-together would have been enough haha!"

Smiles were now all being shared across the town's plaza as all the girls could appreciate that their hard work and effort were being paid off. The genuine appreciation in Sora's words and voice could be felt. He was truly happy that they had done something like this for him.

"W-Well, it's only fair. I mean, you did help us at a crucial point" Baltimore spoke up with a bit of a stammer in her voice. "This is the least we can do for you."

"Besides, there are many here that never got the chance to fully meet you. I, for one, definitely wanted to get to know you better!"

This comment came from a blonde-haired girl with twin tails while also wearing a black and yellow cowboy hat barely hanging on her head. She also had green eyes, a black bra, short-black shorts with knee-high stockings, and silver metal boots. It also appeared that she wore a black jacket around her shoulders. Furthermore, she also wore a bright grin on her face as she was a familiar face.

"Hornet!" cheered Sora at recognizing another familiar face.

"What? Did you forget about me? Did I not make a lasting impression?" the blonde-haired kansen teased while placing one hand on her hip and using her other hand to adjust her hat.

Laughing while patting the back of his neck, the boy from another world had a sad admission to make regarding the numerous amounts of girls he had met as of late.

"No, no. There's no way I'd forget a friend's name that easily. It's just… there's a lot of names and faces to recognize."

"I can't fault you there" Hornet understandingly said before glancing over at Enterprise. "I take it things went well, Enty?"

Giving a stern nod, Enterprise casually replied, "As well as we hoped. Though, given Hammann's job to stake us out…"

A brief bit of coughing could be heard from the large crowd of ship girls.

"Who was the one that gave her that task?"

Having said this, Enterprise noticed that Hammann was at her side and wearing an embarrassed expression on her face. She then straightforwardly pointed over at one of the girls in the back group.

The girl that was pointed out had long flowing light purple hair that appeared to be tied on the back of her head. A set of black boots with the sides folded out and long black leggings that went past her skirt outfit which was a mix of blue colors could be seen. The girl was also wearing a blue jacket and had it hanging around her shoulders. She was currently hiding behind another ship girl to avoid the spotlight pointed at her.

Unfortunately, Enterprise immediately knew who this girl was.

"Essex! Did you really make Hammann try to hold down the fort?"

Letting out an awkward chuckle, the girl known as Essex poked her head over the shoulder of the girl she was hiding behind. A look of guilt appeared on the ship girl's face.

"I… might have done something like that."

All eyes were now on Essex as she tried to casually wave off the stern looks thrown her way. However, what she failed to realize was that even Sora had folded his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrows expectedly.

"G-Gah!? Why is everyone staring at me like that?"

"You set her up to fail, Essex" Baltimore directly commented. "There was no way she could stop Sora and the others from seeing what we had planned."

"Plus, what was she going to do? She could only hold them for so long" reasoned Hornet who had her hands on her hips.

Essex was left dumbfounded as everyone looked at her. The only thing left for her to do was to shift the balance due to the heat from the spotlight on her getting too hot.

"Uh…Uh… Ahem! Look! Sora's back! Why don't we let bygones be bygones? Right…?" Essex pleaded with comedic tears starting to form in her eyes.

The large crowd of ship girls simply shook their heads and kept staring at her.

Deciding to get back to the overall excitement of Sora's return, Enterprise took notice of Unicorn standing next to Sora. It also appeared that she had a small wrapped-up box and a strange-looking item held by her side.

"Hey, Unicorn, I kept my word, didn't I?" Enterprise reaffirmed while giving the girl a warm smile.

Nodding her head with a bright smile on her face, the young girl let her eyes gleam with happiness.

"Yep! You did! Thank you. I can now-"

She then stopped talking while glancing off to the side and noticing someone approaching.

"Huh? What's wrong, Unicorn?" Sora asked, growing concerned over her voice, abruptly stopping.

Suddenly, another ship girl with blonde hair and attire that reminded the Keyblade wielder of Wales's outfit took a step forward with a dazzling smile on her face.

"King George?" mumbled Unicorn as she watched the older girl come up to her.

"You mustn't let this opportunity go to waste, Unicorn. Let your Big Brother know how much he means to you. You already have the gifts in your hands. There's nothing to be worried about."

As King George said this, she then turned her attention over to Sora.

"Greetings! We finally meet at last. And might I say, you look rather dashing. In a confident yet hopeful way!"

Taken back by her directness, the spiky-haired brunette could only let out a slight chuckle while scratching the side of his cheek.

"Thanks…? Unicorn said your name was King George. You must be one of Wales's sisters, right?" Sora asked the beautiful blonde.

"Ah! I'm known by you. This is truly fantastic news! My prestige exceeds even my expectations. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sora. I've heard a great deal about you. As has everyone else here today" King George answered with great delight.

"…I mean, Wales told me about you."

"And my hopes are dashed away!" King George dramatically said while bringing a hand up to her face.

Observing her some more, Sora was able to see that King George and Wales were very alike. Granted, that was based on a first appearance centered around their attire, but he had the feeling that they were a fun pair of sisters to be around.

"Alas, now is not my time for the spotlight. Rather, it's our dear Unicorn's time" King George said while pointing over at the young girl who had been relatively quiet this whole time.

Feeling the spotlight of attention on her now, Unicorn's face was now doused in a complete red apple color with her hands shaking nonstop from the nervousness. U-chan had his head bobbing back and forth due to the shaking and the present in her other hand was rattling against the palm of her hand. A sense of worry filled everyone's hearts at seeing the kind and bright girl anxious.

However, before this could go on any longer, a certain someone had gotten down on one knee and lightly grasped her hand in a warm and comforting tone.

"Hey… it's alright. There's nothing to worry about."

Came the words of a boy who was now part of Unicorn's life in a meaningful way.

Filled with a sense of reassurance, the purple-haired girl gave a light smile to the boy before pulling U-chan to her side and lifting her hand which held the presents she prepared for him. Everyone around the area watched with a rather close eye while also making sure not to ruin this heartfelt moment.

"I… I got you a gift. I-I mean, I got you these gifts. One I made with the help of Laffey, Javelin, George, and many of the other girls" Unicorn said while handing over the small, decorated box."

Hearing all who helped her make her gift, Sora turned to the side and immediately spotted Javelin, who was blushing and awkwardly giggling, and Laffey, who was doing her best to stay awake. He then gave them one of his bright smiles while also thanking them. This got smiles to appear on their faces.

He then glanced over at King George who sincerely nodded her head while also gesturing for Unicorn to continue with her gift-giving.

"And… this gift was something I found. I… I'm not sure why, but it reminded me of you…"

Unicorn then handed over the strange-looking object that had a distinctive insignia on it of red, blue, and green with a crown symbol. Even now as she handed it over to Sora, she still wasn't sure what it was.

Looking at what was given to him, the Keyblade wielder's eyes shot right up and caused him to stand up straight while holding onto the gift. A giant grin appeared on his face as he examined it closely before grasping Unicorn's hand gently.

"Unicorn! Do you know what this is?!"

Startled by his reaction, the young girl nervously shook her head, "N-No. I don't know what it is. I just… found it by chance. Do you know what it is?"

Bringing the strange item closer to him to examine it, Sora was growing even more excited at the revelation of just what it was.

"Haha! You bet I do! This is called a Heartbinder."

Many of the girls had confused and puzzled looks on their faces. None of them had ever heard that name before nor had they seen an item like that in their lives.

"Heartbinder…?" mumbled King George as she observed the unusual object.

Enterprise had simply taken on a thinking pose while making some assumptions about what it did based on the name alone. Hornet was in awe of the item's strange design and could easily see the red, blue, and green colors on it. Baltimore, who was not as close as them, simply watched with a keen eye on what it could turn out to be. Hammann was standing next to Enterprise and peered her head to the side to get a better look at the Heartbinder while not having much to say yet. Unicorn was the closest one to Sora and the Heartbinder, so she kept her eyes trailing between the two. The same could be said for U-chan as he seemed to follow whichever way Unicorn was looking by tilting his plushie head back and forth.

"The basic gist of it is that it allows me to connect with others that I've met in my journeys. With enough strength, I'm able to call upon my friends to help me in battle" Sora explained in an excited tone of voice. It was quite evident that he was happy with this gift. "You could also think of it as a good luck charm."

The interest in this strange item shot up tremendously as everyone started chatting with one another about the possibilities that might come from this item. While a great deal of conversation was taking place, Sora couldn't help but realize that this Heartbinder was different than the ones he had on his last adventure. This Heartbinder had no distinct color focus like the ones and featured three sources of colors. Red, blue, and green along with a familiar crown symbol in the middle. Additionally, there was a sense of familiarness while holding onto the new Heartbinder. It was almost as if… several hands were placed on his shoulder providing a sense of reassurance. There were no real words for this feeling except that it felt… nice and comforting.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's see what that bad boy can do!" cheered Hornet while pointing at the Heartbinder.

Eager to follow Hornet's request, Sora shook his head and figured that there was another topic that required greater importance now.

"Maybe in a minute. There's something else I'd like to talk to you all about first."

Hearing a bit of seriousness in his voice, all the girls were now keen on listening to what he had to say. Enterprise and Hammann

"Right. Well, I know that you all know about us returning and we brought along a few of the girls from the Sakura Empire."

Nods were shared all around by the ship girls.

It was at this point that Sora gave them the news, "*cough* Yeah… well, some of the girls that returned with us are… you'll recognize them easily."

"Huh? What does that mean?" one of the kansens in the crowd muttered.

Hammann who had kept her head down nervously shook her head. She already knew who had come to the base. Now, it was just a matter of time before the rest knew.

Deciding to come out of the gates and put it out there for everyone to process, Sora took that leap.

"…The girls that are here are the same ones that attacked the island not that long ago" casually replied the Keyblade wielder.

A moment of stillness consumed the area for what felt like an entire hour. However, as soon as the news was truly processed, many of the girls' eyes shot up, and were about ready to say something.

Alas, that would not happen as Sora raised both of his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Hey! It's alright. Please. Just listen to what I have to say."

Seeing and hearing his request, many of the girls were adamant about listening to what he said while others hesitantly observed what his next action would be.

Now, with the spotlight on him, he decided to be upfront and honest.

"It's okay to feel confused. To feel angry or upset. Trust me, I've been there before" Sora stated clearly for everyone to hear. "But what I will say is that I vouch for the girls that are here with us. Zuikaku. Shoukaku. Ayanami. Kaga. And… Akagi. Back in the Sakura Empire, I got the chance to know those girls. To learn a bit about them and their thoughts about everything that has been going on. While Zuikaku and Shoukaku and many of the other girls weren't so keen on fighting… I was able to learn who Kaga and Akagi really are."

As he said this, many of the girls who were defensive or still uneasy about the Sakura Empire girls were slowly calming down. While not completely letting their guard down, some of the girls were curious to hear what Sora had to say.

"Kaga and Akagi took a significant risk in coming here. I also know what they've done to get the chance to save someone precious to them. They understand the consequences of their actions. Along with the others. They knew that they would be getting backlash for what they've done. Same with the others. Knowing that what has been going on between Azur Lane and the Red Axis… I don't know everything that's happened…" Sora took a moment to let this information rest in everyone's minds before continuing. "But that doesn't matter anymore. Things are changing. It's not just the Sirens you have to worry about. The Heartless are also here in this world and they won't stop until your world has been lost to darkness."

The serious tone in his voice forced everyone to realize that their focus on the Sakura Empire girls wasn't the only thing that they should be focused on. There were other fish to worry about.

"The… Heartless… Hornet and the others briefly told us about them but… "one of the girls said while being in the crowd. "What exactly are the Heartless?"

Ready to give a quick explanation, Sora swerved his head to catch everyone's eyes.

"The Heartless are a sort of living, physical manifestations of the darkness in people's hearts. When I talk about the heart I don't mean the actual organ, but the hope you have inside of you."

Eyes had shot up and were now looking at Sora like he had grown another head. For the girls who were somewhat familiar with details regarding the Heartless spread via word of mouth, they were even wanting to listen to what he had to say.

"I know none of this makes sense. Trust me. I even find myself questioning all this information" Sora affirmed while ruffling the back of his hair and letting an honest chuckle escape his lips. This seemed to get the girls to relax and relate to him. "But what I'm telling you is the truth. Everyone has a heart. Those feelings you have of happiness, sadness, good, bad, hopes, dreams, desires… those all play a part in your heart. Think of it as a magical feeling inside you. One that may or may not guide you to the choice or path you want, but it'll be something that you can decide.

It would be a good minute before anyone said anything. The first person to say something was Sandy of all people. She stammered a bit before saying what was on her mind.

"…That's…"

"I know. It's kind of- "

"That makes total sense!" shouted the excited red-haired Eagle Union girl.

Several of the ship girls were utterly shocked while others stared at her with puzzled looks on their faces. It would appear that no one expected her to agree with Sora's broad statement so quickly.

"You do? Just like that?" Sora asked, making sure that San Diego got the right idea about his description of hearts. "Nothing sounds too complicated?"

"Well, duh! It's all confusing. None of it really makes sense to me!" San Diego proudly proclaimed.

This got many of the ship girls to nod their heads with acceptance. Now that sounded like a Sandy answer.

"But! I also understand what you mean, Sora. About the heart that is" San Diego took a step forward and did her best to look at everyone. Stage fright was nothing to the cheerful girl. In fact, stage fright feared that girl always aiming to be number one. "Knowing that the feelings of happiness and dreams are close to you is something I've always believed in. Even during the times when things weren't going well for me, I never gave up! And I don't plan to any time soon! So, hearing that the heart is responsible for that makes me totally believe in what you said!"

Revelations seemed to be dawning on everyone's minds now as Sandy's interpretation and relatability were something that they could understand. Granted, Sora's point also stood solid. It was just that… hearing San Diego even had her low moments but didn't let that hold her back from her dreams was something that brought smiles to them. It was also at this point a certain purple-haired young girl clutched onto her plushie tightly while also nodding to herself reassuringly.

"I-I…" Unicorn had also started to speak up. This entire topic also brought her a sense of confidence. Hearing what was said about the heart by both Sora and San Diego, made her think about herself and her insecurities along with what she wanted to do now. "I also think the heart is strong. I don't think… I'd normally be able to do this for someone. But I wasn't alone. I had friends with me helping me every step of the way. Which is why… I want to give this to you as well, Big Brother."

Taking a step toward the Keyblade wielder, Unicorn then gently gave him her other gift which was wrapped with paper in a fashionable yet appealing color of white. This was a big step for her, but there was no way she would be backing out now. Not when Sora was here and in front of her.

"Unicorn… You didn't have to but thank you. I mean it. Thanks!" replied the spiky-haired boy as he was smiling ear-to-ear.

Not wasting a single second, Sora unwrapped the present and was now staring at a small box. With ease, he then opened the box and was pleasantly surprised at what he saw inside.

There resting in the box was what appeared to be a keychain that had the design of what appeared to be a unicorn painted with purple and white highlights to give the animal detail. The chain connecting to the charm was also a stainless-steel color. It made Sora smile to see that the keychain was a great reminder of both Unicorn and U-chan.

"Unicorn… this… is… amazing!" exclaimed the otherworldly boy.

"You… you do?" Unicorn nervously asked.

"You bet! Oh, man! Let's see how this looks now."

Quickly summoning his Keyblade out, Sora then latched Unicorn's keychain on as he was eager to see what the appearance might be. Given the color scheme and theme of it, several ideas were popping into his head. Guess those ideas would be answered now.

With a flash of purple light, the Kingdom Key took on a different appearance almost instantly. From the bottom handle of the weapon, the handle was that of a purple and white color with what looked to be a downward-flowing crease. The grip was also a white color with enough space for his hands. Moving up the new blade, the centerpiece now had what appeared to be a dark blue hexagon with an anchor in the middle featuring several small white stars. On the blade part, it was straight with a purple base and white wings on both sides giving it an elegant appearance. Where the teeth of the blade usually were now had an anchor in place. Overall, the blade was a thematic resemblance to Unicorn, U-chan, and Azur Lane featuring colors that involved the three main aspects of the blade.

Sora raised the new weapon high up for everyone to see while grinning madly with so much appreciation.

"Unicorn, this is seriously one of the best gifts I've ever received. Thank you. Thank you so much!"

Seeing just how sincere and happy he was, Unicorn couldn't help but smile happily while waving U-chan up and cuddling into his plushie body.

"That's so cool!"

"I want one!"

"How did he…?"

"Can I give him something? Will that change his weapon's appearance?"

"What if I give him my lucky charm?"

"I need to make one now! See what it turns out to be."

Various comments were made by the many ship girls all staring in awe at the beautiful blade in his hands now thanks to Unicorn's gift. This was sprouting even more ideas into the girls' minds. The possibility of Sora being bombarded with strange gifts could become a reality soon.

"That's… I have never seen a blade like this before" Enterprise commented in awe.

Hammann who was by her side had her mouth open at seeing the elegance in the new blade held by the spiky-haired boy. Everything that was happening did not make sense to her or a bunch of girls.

"*whistle* I must say, such an elegant weapon. It has colors that represent Unicorn and her character. Even the Royal Navy…? Ah. I digress. It is a blade worthy for you, Sora" King George graciously said while eyeing the blade further.

Waving the Keyblade around, Sora liked the weapon's new appearance and was grateful to Unicorn and everyone involved in making the keychain. He managed to steal a glance at her and could see her admiring the weapon and even lifted U-chan's head to help him get a better view of his Keyblade. This brought a smile to the boy before a sudden realization took foot. The others…

"Right. I think we've gotten off-topic, but I hope that with everything that's happened and will happen, you can at least try to get along with the others" Sora interjected for everyone to heart.

This brought everyone's attention back to the Keyblade wielder and realized that the drastic shift from being wary about the Sakura Empire girls to Unicorn's gift was a leap in attention span. Now that things had abruptly gone back on track, some of the girls could only weakly nod. This was as good as he could make things without giving too much push.

"Alright. Let me get the others. They are probably- "

"There's no need for that, Sora" came the soft reply of a certain kitsune girl.

Dragging his eyes to the side behind him, Sora spotted Amagi and then the rest of the crew. Hood and Wales were also looking a bit nervous about the whole thing walked over to where Enterprise and Hammann were standing. Soon enough, Queen Elizabeth and the other Royal Navy members came waltzing right in.

"Well now, I must say that I'm very impressed with how this has turned out" Elizabeth stated while examining the whole area. "For it being a quick put-together, I have to commend you. I might even wish to enlist your help the next time the Royal Navy is throwing together a celebration."

"Always eager for a celebration, Your Majesty" Belfast commented.

Nobody said anything to Her Majesty's comment. Everyone was focused on watching the Sakura Empire girls closely. Things were becoming tense and showing no real signs of stopping.

That is… until Unicorn was the first to take a step toward the group and more specifically at Akagi and Kaga. This straight-up confused the two kitsune girls as they watched the young girl not back down from making her way over to them. Hence, Akagi was the first to swallow whatever sense of anxiety within herself and stared right into Unicorn's eyes. Sora was also surprised by Unicorn's actions and was watching her closely to see what might happen.

Now standing in front of the brown-haired fox girl, Unicorn nervously clutched onto U-chan's plushie body while she continued to shyly stare at Akagi. Neither of the two said a word and continued to watch each other closely. However, before anyone could speak up, Unicorn decided to take the lead.

"…Is… Is she close to you?" Unicorn quietly asked while pointing over at Amagi. "Is she someone precious to you?"

Taking what Sora said earlier about Akagi and Kaga's actions and how they were in part to save someone precious to them, Unicorn decided to use that as a way of starting a conversation with her.

"…Yes, she is close to Kaga and I. She's our older sister" Akagi replied kindly while glancing over at Amagi who held a smile on her face. "She… she was sick for a long time… but now she's ok."

Looking over at Amagi and noticing how nice she seemed followed by the friendly wave she gave, Unicorn thought to herself for a moment before addressing Akagi.

"Were you and Kaga trying to help her? Is that why you…" Unicorn trailed off.

"…Yes. What we did… we did to help her. That includes hurting you and everyone here. And for that… and many more wrongdoings that I can't name right now… I'm sorry. I am truly sorry for doing that to you…" Akagi said in what could undoubtedly be heard as remorse. This was further proven as she and Kaga lowered their heads in an apologetic tone. Nobody would have expected either of those two to do such a thing before.

Akagi then continued with her speech for everyone to hear.

"I know that you and everyone may hate Kaga and me for the rest of our lives. And that is okay. We deserve that kind of hate for all that we have- "

"…I don't hate you."

The swift and soft reply given by Unicorn left everyone's eyes to now be on her.

"…H-Huh?"

Flabbergasted by the young girl's words, Akagi had to glance over at Kaga to see if she made it up in her head. Alas, Kaga merely had a shocked expression on her face meaning that what Unicorn said was the truth.

"You… You don't hate us?" Akagi surprisingly asked. "We've done a lot against you and Azur Lane."

Nodding her head at that admission, Unicorn still kept a lighthearted stance and continued to look Akagi right in the eyes.

"While that is true, you and Kaga did what you had to for your big sister. I can't say I understand it all, but if my big brother was in trouble and I couldn't save him right away… then… I'd do whatever I could. Follow whatever lead came my way. Even if it got me into trouble… I would still do it because he's my big brother."

Left unable to speak, Akagi didn't know how to react. Except… the small smile that appeared on her face and continued to grow. It would appear that Unicorn and she had found some sort of common ground. Willing to do whatever it took to bring back the ones they cared about.

Sora, who was listening to all this, couldn't help but break into a giant grin. On one hand, it was extremely heartwarming to hear that he had this much of an impact on Unicorn and her life. Becoming her big brother unexpectedly from a chance encounter to getting to know her a bit more while still wanting to learn all he could about her. On the other hand, hearing that she'd be willing to do something reckless just to protect him was something he'd need to talk with her about. He already had experience when it came to doing stuff on the fly. Actions had consequences.

"Unicorn…" Illustrious uttered while smiling proudly at what the young girl had said. She had come a long way from her once shy persona.

"Heh… I guess that's one thing we have in common, Unicorn" Akagi quietly murmured. "Though, be sure to learn from our mistakes."

Responding with a nod, Unicorn smiled brightly before glancing over at Sora. A look of hope and happiness gleamed across the young girl's face. Things were looking to get better.

---

A few minutes later

After Unicorn's heartfelt speech, the girls that had returned with Sora and co were now making short work to converse with as many of the other girls that wished to talk. Some had encountered one another in battle while others were getting the chance to truly chat for the first time. It was a sight to behold given what has happened between Azur Lane and the Red Axis.

Sora on his part was now chatting away with Unicorn, King George, and several other girls that he had not met during his last stay in Azur Lane. Moreover, with a glance, he managed to catch and see who the other girls were chatting with.

Everyone had split up and was chatting with familiar faces along with new faces that he had not met yet. There were so many girls around now it painted a clear picture that Sora would have quite the challenge to meet everyone and remember their names. But that was a challenge he was ready to face.

"Sora? Are you okay?" pondered Unicorn as she spoke up to him. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm good. Sorry about that. I just couldn't help but see just how many girls there are here. I thought there was a lot already but now seeing the place filled… I'm speechless!"

A set of giggles were heard from the fresh faces that accompanied him and Unicorn.

"It's thanks to the secretaries from each faction working their hardest to make sure no one is forgotten. Or at least, doing their best to make it so. At least, that's from my perspective" said one girl with warm red eyes and long brown hair.

She also wore a pair of red glasses and an outfit that consisted of a blue and white dress with a long-sleeved jacket. She had dark socks and white boots that matched the gloves she was wearing. This girl was known as the lead ship of the Royal Navy London class, London.

"Oh, come now, London. You think it's easy to forget a person's name?" commented another one of the girls.

This girl had grey hair and dark blue eyes with what could be described as a black tank top that highlighted her large bosom and the necklace that hung around her neck. She also wore short black shorts with black tights that went down her legs with boots that reached past her knee. On her right arm was a black sleeve that matched the same material as her tights. The white-haired girl also wore black gloves on each hand. A white and gold jacket was also hanging along her shoulders with a blue interior. Additionally, along her tank top, shorts, boots, and even jacket were gold highlights that added a sense of style and fashion to her attire. With all this said, this girl was identified as North Carolina class ship number two, Washington.

"Easy for you to say, Wash. Some of us have the fear of not being prominently known" stated a dark yellow-haired girl that stood next to Washington.

Having said this, the girl's appearance was that of long yellow hair that reached down to her hips and elegant blue eyes. She also wore a white headband that matched the outfit she was wearing which was composed of a white button-up shirt. The shirt was also open at the top and showed her ample chest and a black bra. What appeared to be a short white dress could also be seen worn by her and the standout black tights that went all the way down her legs. A pair of white heels on her feet also went along with the rest of her outfit. In addition, a set of black gloves were on each hand followed by a familiar necklace around her neck that matched Washington's. Her name was North Carolina, and she was the first ship of the North Carolina class. Meaning that she was considered the big sister battleship of the Eagle Union.

"There you go again with the negativity. There's nothing to be gained over reminiscing about the same thing countless times."

The girl who said this was the last member of this newly formed group featuring Sora and Unicorn. She had the appearance of long blonde hair that went down to her hips and a black ribbon hanging on the right side of her head. A black scarf or collar was wrapped around her neck barely covering her mouth along with the navy-blue outfit she wore which featured a red tie at the center of her collar. She also had a navy jacket around her shoulders like that of Essex's outfit. Long black tights could be seen around her legs and black boots. Furthermore, she also had an owl resting on the top of her head. Her name is Bunker Hill. She is an Essex-class aircraft carrier meaning her sister was indeed Essex.

"You don't get it, Bunker Hill. At least you're recognized for your feats. I'm not exactly famous like Enty or Sandy or NJ by any means" replied North Carolina while frowning.

"How many times must we tell you that fame isn't everything, Carol?" Washington commented while resting one hand on her hip.

"If I may, it's not that fame isn't everything one could aspire for. Her Majesty has made that clear in promoting one's success when it feels deserved. But while celebrating every single achievement sounds nice, there could also be the issue of over-celebrating. Does that make sense?" London said, adding her own two cents to the situation.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying. Guess I'm just feeling down again."

Unable to hold himself back, Sora decided to do the one thing that he's known for. Let his heart speak and help those in need.

"Hey, Carol, was it?"

"Huh? Oh! I'm terribly sorry. You don't exactly know our names yet. Yes, my name is Carol. Well, North Carolina to be exact but I don't mind Carol."

"The name's Washington. It's nice to meet you finally. We've heard quite a bit about you from those who met you last time. Cleveland had much to say."

Sporting a smile, Sora wondered what the energetic dark yellow-haired girl had to say about him.

"Oh? I hope it was all good" the Keyblade wielder asked in an anxious tone.

Snickering a bit, Washington couldn't help but laugh at Sora's worried expression. It was quite a drastic turn from how he was depicted by Cleveland and others who knew of him. Even the reports of seeing him do battle against the Sakura Empire during their attack on the base had him described as a skilled fighter. Now, seeing him anxious amused the grey-haired woman.

"You worry too much, Sora. It was all good things."

"You can never be too careful haha!"

It was at this point that Washington nodded over at Bunker Hill to introduce herself now. With a sigh, the blonde-haired girl turned her attention to Sora.

"I'm Bunker Hill. Nice to meet you. If it looks like I'm annoyed… I'm not."

"I didn't get that feeling from you at all. It's nice to meet you, Bunker Hill" the spiky-haired brunette greeted politely.

The last girl to introduce herself was the one wearing the glasses.

"Pleasure to make your acquittance, Sora. I am London, a member of the Royal Navy. I thank you for your service and help to Her Majesty."

"Hey, it was nothing. Don't worry about it. We're all friends here now. Besides, Elizabeth is fun to talk with and has a lot to say."

Surprised by Sora's comment about Queen Elizabeth, London could only muster a pleasant smile.

"That's good to hear."

"Hey, Sora, mind if I ask you for something?" Washington suddenly asked.

"Sure. I'm all ears" replied the Keyblade wielder enthusiastically. "What's on your mind?"

Glancing down at Unicorn and then Sora, Washington's question involved those two on a substantial level.

"Your new weapon… would it be possible to see it again?" Washington asked, curiosity evident in both her eyes and voice.

"Not a problem! Here."

Extending his hand, Sora summoned his Keyblade with Unicorn's keychain attached to it. This resulted in several other girls shifting their attention to the boy and seeing what was going on.

"Whoa… that's more beautiful on a close-up look."

"I didn't recognize it before but the references to Azur Lane's logo are part of the blade. That's really cool!" exclaimed North Carolina while admiring the blade.

"Yeah. Unicorn went all out with her keychain" Sora happily said while smiling at the young girl.

Feeling her face warm up, Unicorn had to bring U-chan to cover her red face. As expected, giggles were heard all around as everyone couldn't help but smile at her. Illustrious, who had been chatting with a few of the Royal Navy maid girls, walked over and joined in on the conversation.

"Aww. I haven't seen her this embarrassed since- "

"Ahh! Please Illustrious! Don't say anymore!" cried Unicorn.

Unable to break the gleeful smile on her face, Illustrious brought her hand to her lips.

"Mm-hm. It seems another time then."

Anxiety could be seen on Unicorn's face as she was now on thin ice. Knowing how Illustrious was, it was likely that she'd be sharing some embarrassing stories sooner rather than later. Moreover, Sora could obviously see the young girl's blazing red face and figured that he could step in to help his little sister.

"Hey, Unicorn, everyone, I don't think I mentioned it but… "A giant smirk appeared on his face as he was expecting some dramatic reactions to what he was about to reveal. "There's more to Unicorn's gift than you might think."

Hearing this, Zuikaku who was chatting with Enterprise, Shoukaku, and a few other Azur Lane girls had her head turn on a swivel as soon as she caught wind of Sora having more to show. Other girls like Littorio and Richelieu who were also split apart and chatting with some of the other girls also decided to see what the commotion was.

"Huh?! What did he say?" Zuikaku muttered while steadily walking over to where Sora was.

Within a few seconds, everyone in the area now had their attention pointed at the Keyblade wielder.

"Guess everyone wants to see this haha…"

Looking back at Unicorn, Sora figured that she should be the first to know what was about to happen. Enough energy had been stored for him to perform one of his unique abilities, Formchange.

"Unicorn, this ability of mine allows me to use keychains specially. A sort of extra boost of power is given to me and my Keyblade."

"Oh… wait? My keychain will give you power?" the young girl confusedly asked.

"Yep! Ready to see what power your keychain has?"

Nodding her head, Unicorn took a step forward and leveled her eyes right onto the weapon.

With a flick of his right wrist and extending his arm out, the Keyblade flashed with a burst of blue light along with water coursing through the air. The weapon's appearance split into multiple pieces swirling around with water droplets flying around his body until they all came together into one piece. Soon enough, a shield was formed featuring an assortment of colors taken from the Keyblade's original appearance. A mix of waves and feathers applied to the metal outside of the shield, and the centerpiece had the insignia of the Azur Lane logo behind a picture of a Unicorn. The shield was now formed.

However, before the excitement could end, Sora's left hand had a glowing blue light appear and then expand into that of a blade. Once the light died down, his Keyblade using Unicorn's keychain was fully in his hand. This surprised not only all the girls but the wielder himself. He had never experienced this before while utilizing a Formchange.

"No way… how am I…"

The boy's blue eyes shifted between his shield and Keyblade taking in the two weapon's appearances.

"T-That's not fair!" cried Zuikaku who had rushed over to him and was now shaking him back and forth. "How can you keep surprising me?! How did you do this!?"

"I! Don't! Know!" yelped Sora while being shaken back and forth.

"Zuikaku! Don't break your future hubby!" Shoukaku shouted while rushing over to her sister and pulling her back.

The whole scene playing out right now was comedic. Even Unicorn, who had front-row seats to the shaking, was bursting into a giggle at seeing her big brother get shaken. Several of the Sakura Empire girls facepalmed at Zuikaku's reaction. Takao simply lowered her head at her friend's action.

Once the Auspicious Crane was pulled off the Keyblade wielder and he caught his breath, Sora then looked down at the sword in his left hand and shield in his right. Both weapons felt comfortable in his hands leaving him to immediately speculate on what kind of abilities he'd be able to perform. Given his other crazy Formchange weapons, the spiky-haired hero couldn't help but wear a dorky smile on his face.

"How did you…" muttered Unicorn as her eyes were drawn to the shield which held an image of a Unicorn. The sight of it caused her to feel great joy in her heart.

"I'm not entirely sure what just happened. But it's thanks to my Formchange" Sora happily replied.

"Formchange? What's that?" Littorio asked, getting close to the boy's weapons before turning her attention to him.

Alas, right as she was about to make a witty remark about him, the green-haired woman noticed something quite peculiar about Sora's appearance.

"Uh… Sora? What's with your clothes? I thought you wearing red?"

Breaking down what she just said, the Keyblade wielder immediately shot his eyes down to look at his attire and was struck with an even bigger smile crossing his lips. The color of his clothes had taken on a blue tone which was in line with his Element Form which focused more on magic and long-range attacks. However, this also raised the question of why he was in his blue attire.

'Huh? Blue… Well, that makes a lot of sense. Azur Lane's color scheme revolves around blue. Same with the Royal Navy's colors based on what I've seen of the Royal Navy girls. Plus, it does go well with the color of the shield' Sora thought to himself as he continued to examine his new Formchange.

Most of the other girls simply continued to admire his new attire color and couldn't help but whisper amongst themselves. A few of the kansens also started donning a blush on their faces as their eyes caught various details of Sora's new appearance. It was not only a flashy outfit featuring stars and a dark blue color, but it also gave off a sense of confidence coming from the otherworldly boy.

"My, my. You continue to impress me, Sora~" Littorio blurted out while taking a step toward him. A sly smile appeared on her lips. "Hmm. What other specialties are you hiding under your sleeve?"

Giving Littorio's comment some thought, Sora glanced down at his new weapons and figured that he wanted to see what he was capable of.

"Let's find out!"

Stepping to the side, Sora was now in a spot with some space given that the girls had an idea of what was going on and helped clear the area. He was now free to act.

Twirling his Keyblade in his left hand, Sora adjusted his right hand's grip around the handle of the shield. This would be his first time using a setup like this. Tapping his blade onto the front of his shield, this made a clanking noise before he got into position and prepared himself.

---

*Music – Kingdom Hearts III Version – Working Together*

---

Thrusting himself forward, Sora swung his Keyblade down in a horizontal slash before swinging the shield from the side and throwing his body up. This caused him and his shield to come swinging down to the ground in fluid momentum. The weight was not as heavy as he expected and could honestly fling the shield at something or someone if he wanted to. As he continued to strike at the air in front of him, bursts of water appeared to come from the shield leaving him to realize that this Formchange utilized water in his attacks which made sense given his circumstances. Swiping both the sword and shield back and forth, splashes of water would douse the ground leaving one to wonder just how much the attacks would hurt if you were on the receiving side of things.

It was at this point that Sora realized just where he was and saw the massive crowd of girls all staring at him. He had sort of forgotten that he had an audience watching him swing around his blade and shield.

"Oh… Uh… haha… sorry. I got tunnel vision there for a second" he admitted.

Fits of giggles could be heard as everyone did not mind. Watching the boy's new weapon in action was something spectacular. Seeing how his mysterious and magical abilities let the shield fire off water while in use was quite exciting.

"Oh, don't worry about it. We're all excited to see what your new weapons can do" Hornet excitedly replied. "Is there anything else your sword and shield can do?"

"Heh. You haven't seen anything yet!" Sora gloated before looking back at his weapons. "I've got an idea!"

Turning his attention back to the open area in front of him, Sora then tossed the shield up in the air before whacking it with his Keyblade at the ground and causing it to cause a blast of water. The blast then caused the shield to come flying back at him to which he easily caught it and unknowingly posed right then.

Several of the girls, Wales and Akagi, had their eyes glued onto Sora's every move and couldn't help but feel their heart rates pick up. Some girls like Kaga, Atago, Hood, and Prinz Eugen were watching how fast the boy's attacks were and how quick of a learner he was from just swinging around his sword and shield. Zuikaku and Takao also kept close eyes on him while they analyzed his quick thinking and reaction time to perform different abilities with his new weapons.

*SWISH!"

"SWASH!"

"Hyaa!"

The visual of Sora swinging his Keyblade followed by shoving his shield forward and causing water to spray around was what everyone could see. He then swiped the Keyblade down to the ground but positioned the shield in a position where it attached to the edge of the blade and started spinning around at an incredible speed. This caused water to start striking the ground. Sora then flipped himself around at a moment's notice and started spinning around while having the shield in front of him. His constant spinning then ended with him heaving his Keyblade up in the air sending him hurling up in the air. While airborne, he then lunged the shield right at the ground causing a stream of blue light to follow him.

*WHOOSH!"

"BOOM!"

*SPLASH!*

A blast of water shot around him as he had now slammed into the ground. Everyone was in pure amazement at his versatility and how quickly he was performing these crazy moves.

However, within a moment's notice, Sora then flipped himself in the air while leaving the shield face first into the ground and angled himself just right before-

"KA-BOOM!*

Torrents of water forming what could only be described as a circle of water pillars appeared all around him from slamming back onto the shield. The entire area had been covered with water leaving quite the scene. Sora then pushed himself up while clutching onto the shield and had a smug grin on his face.

"Haha! Not bad! It's like a mix of my other shield forms, and I'm able to move around with ease."

He then twirled both the sword and shield around before doing a striking pose with the shield held to his side and the Keyblade pointed up in the air. His stance could be described as a Paladin's stance.

The faces of all the girls in attendance could be described as utterly shocked and intrigued by Sora's unbelievable power. He seriously was a bag full of tricks, and it was starting to feel like they'd only seen a glimpse of his true power.

Suddenly, the Keyblade wielder had a thought land on the top of his head for what he should test out next.

"Mm. I wonder… Let's try this… Hey, Zuikaku!" Sora called out to the pony-tailed girl.

"H-Huh? Yes?" the brown-haired crane asked with vivid wonder on her face.

"Mind helping me with this new attack? I need some help to get it working right."

Getting excited now, Zuikaku rushed over to the boy and was ready to see what other tricks he had yet to show with his new weapons.

"Alright! What do you need help with?"

With a straight face, Sora smiled brightly at the brunette crane and told her what he needed.

"I need you to hit me."

"…"

"…I'm sorry… what?"

---

All the girls simply had to blink once and then look over at one another to see if their ears were betraying them or if Sora had accurately asked for Zuikaku to attack him. It was common sense to think that such a request as ridiculous as the one declared by the spiky-haired boy might be fake or a prank, but the steadfast and affirmed reaction coming from him was making the situation get flipped on its head.

"What did he say?"

"I must have heard that wrong."

"Me too. Sora said he needs to be hit."

"Sora?"

"I think he's confused… maybe…?"

As more comments were said by the girls, Zuikaku simply shook her head and looked Sora right into his blue eyes to see if she was just hearing things wrongly. The answer she got was as honest an answer as she could get.

"…You're serious."

"Yep! Hit me!"

Deciding to trust his word for it, Zuikaku pulled out her sword that had been resting on her hip and got into a battle stance ready to strike at the boy. Sora also got ready by twirling his Keyblade and adjusting his grip on the shield. Depending on how this would go, he might have to position his counterattack away from the girls and Zuikaku.

"Give me your best shot!"

Grinning confidently, Zuikaku nodded her head before pointing her sword at Sora and getting into her battle stance. Within a split second, she dashed right at him from the side before slashing right at his abdomen, but her blade was abruptly blocked by his shield causing quite the sound to play out.

*CLANG!*

Additionally, once her attack was blocked, the shield glowed a faint blue before going back to its normal appearance. Noticing this, Zuikaku then retracted her hand and started sending a flurry of strikes against his body which were all blocked. The shield continued to glow brighter and brighter until…

"Alright! That's good enough, Zuikaku."

Jumping back, she lowered her blade and watched carefully what his next move would be.

Raising the shield and making sure that nothing and nobody would be in the way, Sora let his curiosity run and activated whatever counterattack the shield had stored up.

"Back to sender!"

Thrusting the shield forward, Sora was expecting to see the massive yellow glowing fists that were part of Hero's Origin whenever he charged enough energy into the shield. Now, however, he was undoubtedly shocked and impressed.

Within a flash of blue light, a large glowing cannon appeared and immediately shot a round right at the empty area that Sora thrust the shield toward.

*BOOM!*

Dirt and debris went flying as everyone was left with their mouths open. Never in their wildest dreams did they expect to see a canon appear out of a shield. Adding onto that, the fact that the shield came from a blade which then came from a small little keychain made no sense at all. It was utterly ridiculous!

"…H-How?! S-Sora! Explain!" Zuikaku stuttered while realizing the nerve-wracking fact that if they were fighting and he pulled that trick against her, she'd be getting shot with a magical canon point blank.

"Such firepower…" Hood muttered with her gloved hand resting on her lips. "Not to mention, the way Sora knows how to handle it and be aware of those around him."

"*whistle* Now that's one way of knowing the hero packs a punch~" Prinz Eugen coyly said while having wide eyes still observing the Keyblade wielder closely.

"What's that saying, Takao? Don't bring a knife to a gunfight?" Atago commented to Takao who was standing next to her.

"Yes… that's the correct term. However, that certainly can't be applied here…" mumbled Takao as she was still trying to wrap her head around the idea that a blade could ultimately make this happen.

"Ah~ You truly are magnificent, Sora!" Littorio cheered while clapping her hands together. "Whenever you whisk away the spotlight, you manage to outdo every expectation I've placed on you. Bravo sir!"

"…Whoa…" Unicorn muttered while in awe of the power being shown by Sora.

Once the dust settled, Sora was still holding the shield out in front of him before the large, glowing cannon started to fade away in a burst of light. At the same time, his Keyblade came back to his left hand leaving him back wielding both the sword and shield. There was another point that he had grown curious about. The special attack in this Formchange.

"Hmm…"

"Sora? What's up?" Shinano spoke up while seeing the look of contemplation within the Keyblade wielder. "Is something wrong?"

Adding to this, Kashino gave her two cents off Shinano's concerned question, "Did something not go to plan?"

"No… it's not that. I'm just doing a bit of thinking. There's another special attack I have yet to do, but I think I might know what it is."

"…Another attack…?" muttered Zuikaku who had eyes the size of saucers.

"Wow. You really do pull all the punches" Kirishima said from a distance while standing next to Hiei who simply nodded at her statement.

"Should we be expecting another cannon then?" Hood asked, leaning her body forward to gauge the boy's reaction.

Letting a chuckle out, Sora shook his head, "No, I don't think so. I think it has something to do with a certain little plushie here with us."

Everyone's attention was now turned to U-chan who was resting in Unicorn's arms. This caused even her to look down at U-chan who simply glanced up at his owner.

"U-chan?"

Readjusting his grip on the shield, Sora then eagerly got everyone's attention.

"Alright! Let's see if I'm right!"

With one momentum-filled lift, Sora heaved the shield up to perform the special attack within this keychain. However, he was wildly surprised by the splash of water that hit his body along with the shield spinning around him before he found himself sitting atop a familiar animal.

"Pegasus?!" cried out Sora once he got a better look at who he was riding.

"*HEEH-HEEH-HEEH!*"

The glowing white horse then let out a loud neigh before seemingly shaking his head. While doing this, Sora immediately had his eyes widen as he realized a distinctive feature on this horse's body. Instead of blue hair on the head or on the rear like Pegasus from Herc's world, this horse had purple hair flowing freely.

"Wait… no. You're not Pegasus."

"*Huff!*"

Came the reply from the horse in what could be described as an annoyed grunt.

"Heh. Looks like somebody doesn't like you" Washington joked while wearing a grin and seeing the annoyance in the steed's behavior.

"Maybe they started off on the wrong foot?" reasoned North Carolina as she observed the creature.

"…Try food? That usually helps" casually replied Bunker Hill. "That usually helps when I'm in a bad mood."

Before Sora could reply, Unicorn had beaten him to it and taken a step toward the horse. She also had a bright smile on her face as she realized another distinctive characteristic of the animal. A horn could be seen on the horse's head seemingly making it not a horse but…

"That's… U-chan?" Unicorn clearly said while getting even closer to the white-haired steed.

"Huh?"

The repeating sounds of girls muttering "Huhs?" could be heard around the crowd as everyone was staring the horse up and down. With a glance, everyone now spotted the unicorn horn resting on the horse's head. Essentially, this made the horse's identity become… a Unicorn.

"It's you, isn't it!" Unicorn happily cheered while walking up and petting the side of the large animal's face.

The creature's reaction was to let out a huff of air while happily neighing.

"So, it is U-chan…" mumbled Sora as he looked from the plushie to the large-sized one. "Guess you got an upgrade huh?"

This got a reaction as a loud neigh was directed at the Keyblade wielder.

"*Neigh!*"

"Right. Sorry. Didn't mean no harm."

Both the plushie and glowing mount seemed to shake their heads at the same time resulting in a chuckle from everyone watching.

"But… why is U-chan here when he's still in my arms?" Unicorn commented while glancing between the two. "Did my gift… do this?"

Left only with speculation, Sora decided to give a reasonable answer.

"There's a lot of things that don't really make sense when it comes to magic. But what I do know is that your gift meant so much to you and for me that it gave U-chan the chance to not only help me, but the keychain also gave him the chance to take charge and help everyone."

Processing what he said, Unicorn could only smile at that warm thought. Thoughts of happiness and wanting to protect the people she cared about must have done something to make all this happen. Either way, it made the gift even more special.

"Say, U-chan, why don't we see what you can do in this form?" Sora asked, getting the feeling that there was more to this trusty steed.

"*HEEH!*"

"I'll take that as a yes," the brunette said before holding on tight around the steed's body. "Let's giddy up!"

In a burst of energy, both Sora and the large steed charged forth and began to put on a show for everyone to see. With bursts of water coming from the ground, the entire area was becoming engulfed in water. This left Sora to realize that this special attack from Unicorn's keychain and his Formchange was like Hero's Origin with Pegasus shooting thunderbolts across the area. Instead, torrents and bursts of water shot around the ground leaving a plethora of ideas to pop into the Keyblade wielder's head for how to use this special attack.

From the sidelines, the rest of the girls were in continued amazement at how this was at all possible. The topic of magic was certainly something to marvel at, but with what Sora was able to pull off… anything seemed to be possible.

"…I want one…" muttered Essex who had been watching with a giant grin on her face.

"So cool!"

"He looks like a hero from a fantasy book!"

"Somebody snap some pictures!"

"Already on it!"

"That's crazy!"

As the girls chatted about Sora, the boy in question appeared to be smiling brightly while seemingly loosening his grip on the steed's body.

"Annnnnnd done!"

In a flash, the large steed seemed to fade away while Sora rolled to the ground and got back to his feet. This idea to test out the new keychain proved to be a success. While questions were lingering in his head, he decided to not pay too much attention and just go with the flow.

"Haha! Thanks, Unicorn. I know this gift is going to help in the future."

Getting appreciated by her big brother left the young girl to smile brightly. Her gift had gone above and beyond anything she initially thought it would do. Not to mention, there was still the other gift she gave which seemed to have a positive effect on him. Overall, Unicorn had to admit that her gifts were a success.

As soon as the two shared one last look, Sora was then bombarded by a swarm of ship girls running up to him and questioning him on how he was able to do all that. This excessive presentation of his weapon's capabilities and powers left many of the girls dumbfounded. But still, the moment was nothing but laughter and joy as everyone appeared to be having a good time. That also included a few of the Sakura Empire girls who were now chatting with various Eagle Union and Royal Navy girls. Even Akagi and Kaga were approached by a woman with long white hair who was also seen chatting with Amagi.

In hindsight, this was a moment to be remembered for a while. The two factions have gone from enemies to now on friendly terms and hopefully… soon becoming friends. This was surely a moment where nothing could go wrong.

---

Sometime later…

After being bombarded by many of the girls, Sora was now seated at one of the many tables laid out for the coming back party. Additionally, he was accompanied by several girls. Some he was already familiar with while a few others he hadn't officially met yet. Those that he knew were Hood, Littorio, North Carolina, Washington, King George, and Hiei.

Unicorn had parted ways with him after giving him one last big hug before joining Illustrious and making their way over to where a bazaar of food had been placed for everyone to enjoy. Manjuus had been catering to the party and were carrying around plates of food or party decorations. The sight of so many yellow birds doing manual labor made Sora and many of the other girls chuckle.

"Are you sure I shouldn't go help? I don't mind."

"Sora. You do realize that this party is meant for you" Washington bluntly said. "There's no need for you to go and help."

A growing frown could be seen appearing on his face, "I know. But I still feel a bit bad seeing the Manjuus working so hard."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Sora. A good number of them wanted to make this party a big deal. After all, with you around there's been an increased enthusiasm to partaking in big events" King George explained while taking a sip of her tea. "That's not to say that everyone wasn't against large festivities. It's just that with you around the idea of parties having an even bigger turnout is a guaranteed thing."

"And don't forget. With the Red Axis now dissolved and the other factions coming back into relations with Azur Lane, there's bound to be even more girls transferring over. Especially with you being here" Hiei added while smiling over at Sora.

Sora had to agree. They made a good point about relations growing and the impact he was having by just being himself and being involved with fighting back against the Sirens and Heartless. Morale was something that held great power. He'd seen it firsthand in many situations. It would be a significant key in the many battles ahead.

"Yeah. I can see that making sense."

"To make you feel better, Sora, if the Manjuus had to deal with a task that required extra assistance, then they'd ask for help. It's happened before, so don't worry too much about them" Hood said, alleviating some worry from the boy's heart.

Hearing this, he felt his body relax a bit, "That makes me feel better."

"Mm. Now then, may I introduce some new faces to you" King George asked, looking for a guaranteed answer from the Keyblade wielder.

Nodding happily, Sora glanced over at the girls he was unfamiliar with and could see three new girls staring at him with varied expressions. One girl had a bright and confident smile, another girl had a bright and excited look on her face, and the last girl seemed to hold a serious face but also had a hint of shyness to her.

"Hey there, it's nice to meet you all."

"Ahem! Introductions are in order" King George gleefully proposed before poking one of the girls. "May I introduce you to my sister, Duke of York."

Duke of York's appearance was that of long flowing pink hair that reached past her shoulders followed by bright blue eyes and a sly smile gracefully resting upon her lips. Her ears were also a unique characteristic as they appeared to be long. Her outfit consisted of a red and black uniform with her cleavage expressed openly showcasing a black bra along with a black cape hanging from her side. A black skirt could also be seen overshadowing long dark tights that covered both her legs, matching her heels that were black as well.

"Pleasure to meet you, Sora. I've heard a great deal about you. Thou have piqued my interest greatly and I'm eager to see how kind of a heart you have. And… perhaps you'd let me have a bite down the line…"

Hearing this, the Sardegna ship girl's eyes shot up and were now focused squarely on the pink-haired Royal Navy woman. Duke of York's comment was certainly one to not scoff at.

'Well, well, well… someone wants to test their mettle with the hero. I won't be giving him up so easily. Neither will the others. You're in for one harsh fight' Littorio thought to herself while sporting a competitive grin.

Surprised by that last comment, Sora could only chuckle and give her a friendly wave before thinking to himself about something regarding her.

'Huh… I kind of get the feeling that she might be a vampire… maybe it's just that last thing she said…'

Nevertheless, he didn't pay too much attention to that idea and now focused back on King George who gestured over to the next girl who was the more serious one in the group.

"Next, may I introduce you to the ever-so-serious, Renown."

This girl had dark yellow hair with what appeared to be a hair accessory resting on the side of her head along with dark blue eyes that held a calmness to them. Her outfit consisted of a white and blue uniform that was cut off right at her tummy showing off some skin. A blue skirt with a white outline could also be seen; in addition, she wore white boots that reached up to the middle of her thighs. On her hands were two white gloves that went with her entire outfit, giving her a sense of carefree seriousness.

"Hello, I am Renown, Battlecruiser of the Royal Fleet. Thank you for working with Her Majesty and the rest of the Azur Lane fleet while they were away."

"Nice to meet you too, Renown."

With her introduction pretty much over, Hood decided to join in on the conversation.

"Mm. It's good to see you again, Renown."

"Likewise, Hood. You've become quite accustomed to sticking around Sora. Based on what I've been hearing from the others."

Bringing her cup of tea up to her lips to try and hide the growing smile that appeared on her face, Hood responded in a too-casual tone.

"Is that so? Well, I don't see the harm in that. Do you, Sora?"

With a shake of his head, Hood had her answer.

"There. You, see? Nothing wrong with being around a friend" Hood said with an extra hint of positivity.

It was at this point that Renown's serious face had broken and now she was smirking.

"Hm… Say, Hood, did you ever happen to tell Sora about the time you *bumped* into me? Quite the interesting story for someone so refined and elegant" Renown teased with a dangerous grin.

"Huh? Hood bumped into- "

"Ahahaha! Sora, I believe we have one more girl who is eager to meet you" the blonde Royal Navy kansen quickly said while trying to get the conversation moving along and away from this embarrassing topic.

The rest of the girls couldn't help but laugh at Hood's attempt to get away from talking about the comedic slip-up she had a while back. It wasn't anything major, but for Hood, who was usually so refined, this was a moment of great embarrassment for her.

Deciding to throw Hood a bone, King George simply sighed before glancing over at the last girl to introduce.

"And lastly, may I introduce to you Reno."

The girl's appearance was that of grey hair short hair with a black headband resting atop her head with a few accessories. She wore a thin white shirt that allowed visibility to a black bra followed by a dark skirt with a star logo on it. White sleeves were resting along her arms and she also had mechanical gauntlets that went over her hands and had a blue circular light in the middle of her hands. Thin black tights could also be seen going down both her legs and feet. In addition to her attire, Reno also had an excited look on her face as evidenced by the bright smile she was sending to Sora.

"Ahh! It's you! I've been wanting to meet you for so long! My name is Reno, an Atlanta-class cruiser for the Eagle Union" Reno greeted with positivity oozing from her words.

"Hey, Reno, nice to meet you. I'm- well, you already know me haha!" Sora happily responded.

"Yep! Balty and Mass told me all about you. And based on what everyone's said about you and your story that basically makes you a hero!" Saying this in an excited tone, Reno nodded her head. "Say, wouldn't that make me your sidekick?"

"Sidekick?" Sora muttered, confused about what she said.

"Uh-huh! Me and you could take on the Sirens and those other baddies you've been talking about. Together, we'd kick so much butt that we could save- "

"Reno" Washington called from the side. "Go easy on him. You just met him and now you're blurting out about being his sidekick."

Rubbing the back of her head, the chipper grey-haired girl had her cheeks start to turn pink.

"Er… haha… I guess I'm jumping the gun too soon."

"Give him a second to catch his breath" North Carolina commented, seeing Sora's perplexed face.

A set of muffled laughter could be heard from Hiei and Hood who saw how energetic Reno had become when interacting with Sora. It was a different take to meeting the spiky-haired boy. Hence, it was also a joy to see.

"I… It's alright. Just thrown off guard there. But why do you want to be my sidekick, Reno? Wouldn't you want to be the hero?" Sora asked.

It was at this point that Reno's face was turned up a notch with how bright her blush had gotten. She quickly stammered from the super friendly and enthusiastic girl to one who looked shy and nervous. Bunker Hill, North Carolina, Washington, and Renown seemed to understand what was going on. Given that they were friends with her, the topic of becoming a superhero was something already discussed. This also meant that it was a private matter and one that wasn't their place to say anything.

However, that didn't stop Washington and North Carolina from facepalming while Bunker Hill had a deadpan stare directed at Reno, or how Renown quickly glanced down at herself before staring narrowly back at the grey-haired girl. Even King George, Hood, and Duke of York glanced at one another before slowly turning their eyes at themselves. While they weren't exactly best of friends with Reno, they had still heard of the discussion and figured it would be best to respect her privacy.

"I… that's… how do I put this…" Reno tried replying to Sora but kept pausing while her face kept getting redder. "I… let's just say I had a mishap happen. That's why!"

"Oh… I'm sorry about that. But you shouldn't let mishaps stop you from pursuing your dreams. I don't know what's happened to you, but I know that by following your heart… you'll be able to achieve the impossible. Don't let one little thing hold you back. That goes for all of you guys as well" Sora affirmed while placing his hand on his heart and smiling brightly.

This got all the girls to feel a sense of comfort knowing that at least someone was willing to believe in them. Something that wasn't considered as much but meant a great deal.

"Sora… "Reno started to say. "I- "

Suddenly, before she could continue what she was saying, the sound of someone huffing and puffing could be heard behind them which caused the group and other girls to pay attention.

"*Huff!* *Huff!* Ah…"

The one causing the noise was a girl dressed in maid attire with a very large bosom to the point that you could see the bottom part of her chest. A black skirt could be seen along with white tights that went up to the middle of her thighs. She also had white hair that reached just past her shoulders and had a black headband resting near the front of her head.

"Dido? What's wrong?" Duke of York said, giving the name of this girl.

"*sigh* *sigh* It's… *sigh* It's the reconnaissance group!" Dido worriedly shouted.

A look of realization dawned on King George's face.

"Vanguard's team?"

A quick nod was given from Dido, "Yes! I just received a transmission from Nelson. Something's wrong."

At this point, Queen Elizabeth, Warspite, and Enterprise had made their way over to hear what Dido had to report.

"Dido!"

"Yes! Your Majesty!"

"When did Nelson report to you?"

"It was about several minutes ago. It was my shift to help monitor the command center. Sirius, Ark Royal, and South Dakota are currently on standby in case anything else is sent our way" Dido explained.

Not quite sure what was going on, Sora interjected himself into the conversation.

"What's going on?"

"*Gasp* Oh. Um. Hello. I… "Dido nervously replied at seeing Sora. "It's nice to finally meet you. My name is Dido. Maid of the Royal Navy and serving Her Majesty."

Giving a reassuring smile, Sora could hear the urgency in her voice.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm guessing we could chat more later. Sounds like something is wrong."

Nodding at a fast pace, Dido continued speaking and catching everyone up to speed.

"We recently sent out a reconnaissance group to survey an area that has been under investigation for Siren activity. It's been an area of real mystery."

At this point, Enterprise joined in and gave a bit more information about the operation.

"The group was made up of several girls in the Eagle Union and Royal Navy."

"Correct. Vanguard, Nelson, Repulse, New Jersey, Boise, and San Franciso were the ones to volunteer for this mission. Several others accompanied them but were not part of the main team" Queen Elizabeth adamantly explained. "They had been sent out around the same time we had set out to rescue you, Sora."

Getting a better picture of the situation, Sora was starting to put two and two together for what might have happened.

"So, what's happened now?"

"Nelson reported that something had happened to New Jersey and the girls accompanying her. It was then that Vanguard and Nelson were engaged in combat with a small platoon of Siren drone ships. At the same time, communication has also been met with interference leaving the girls unable to perceive where the others have gone" Dido anxiously explained while hoping everything she said made sense. "Nelson didn't have much time to clarify before the radio signal cut but… she believes it to be-"

"A Mirror Sea" answered Littorio who had been quietly listening this whole time while standing beside Sora. "Those details sound too close to prior encounters I've had involving Mirror Seas."

A stern nod was given by Dido before she continued, "Yes. The signal interference was one thing, but Nelson did report seeing strange and unusual Siren ships involved in the firefight."

This bit of information caused several eyes to shoot up. Sora immediately knew what was being described and wore a frown on his face.

"The Heartless. They're involved in what's going on. We have to get going before things get bad."

"No argument there. We need to get a team to support them as soon as possible" Enterprise stated before turning her attention to Queen Elizabeth. "Your Majesty, your thoughts? We're not exactly going by proper protocol."

Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest and nodded in agreement, "You're right about that, Enterprise. Granted, things haven't exactly been normal, and I doubt they ever will be. Nevertheless, it sounds like you'll be stepping in to lend support. Hence, I'll gladly send some girls with you for support."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

With a nod, Elizabeth then began to call upon the girls who would be involved in this sudden operation, "King George. Duke of York."

"Yes, Your Majesty?" King George asked, stepping forward.

"Yes?" Duke of York questioned, realizing what was going on.

"You two will be assigned to helping Enterprise and her team lend support to the reconnaissance team. Link up with Vanguard and the others. I will send more girls your way once we have prepared ourselves properly. We mustn't allow ourselves to slip up and allow the enemy to take advantage of us in this hour of openness."

All the girls listening to what Queen Elizabeth was saying understood her intentions. Relying on the girls who had already been involved in fighting could tire them out which might lead to mishaps and mistakes happening. It was a better move to deploy girls who hadn't been involved in fighting as of late.

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Alas, a certain Eagle Union girl nudged her sister in the side while whispering in her ear.

"The same can't be said for Enty."

"Nope."

Washington and North Carolina could undoubtedly agree that their friend was a battle fanatic and would always be down to fight. This was a shared train of thought by all the Eagle Union and Royal Navy girls who knew Enterprise. She was someone who no matter what wanted to fight. Even at the behest of her sisters and friends. However, what these two didn't realize was that a certain someone could hear them.

"Wash. Carol. You two are with me."

"Ah. Should have figured" Wash lightly joked.

North Carolina then burst into a fit of giggles before shaking her head and looking forward to this new mission.

'Maybe this is my chance…?' the blonde kansen thought to herself while feeling chipper.

"Baltimore. You nearby?" Enterprise called out to the brunette ship girl.

Making her way through the large crowd of girls, Baltimore now stood up straight and with a determined expression washed over her face. She even had a sly smirk on her face.

"Count me in. I'm ready!" Baltimore cheekily replied.

Nodding at her friend's confirmation, Enterprise was glad to have Carol, Baltimore, and Wash lend their support.

"Alright! Sounds like we're- "

"Not so fast! Don't forget about yours truly!"

Littorio's glorious statement cut Sora off leading to him staring at her somewhat surprised by her desire to join in the team.

"You want to come with us?"

"Of course! I missed out on my chance to have the spotlight shine on me during the last battle. This is my chance to not only have your eyes on me, but to take the limelight for myself" Littorio confidently admitted for all to hear.

This bold statement earned several jealous and annoyed stares sent her way. Zuikaku, Prinz Eugen, Wales, Akagi, and several other girls now had their eyes trailing the green-haired woman. The desire to join the Keyblade wielder on this operation went up drastically.

"This is turning out to be quite the formidable team, but may I suggest sending one or two girls of my choosing?" Amagi suddenly spoke up after realizing several things about the situation.

"Amagi?" Sora uttered while surprised by her sudden appearance.

The brunette kitsune woman held a kind smile while striding over to where Sora and the others were standing. A sense of humility and intrigue could be seen in her warm eyes.

"A formation of Eagle Union, Royal Navy, and Sardegna Empire. I would say that this certainly calls for some Sakura Empire involvement. Moreover, why don't we think of this as our first newly formed operation with relations mended?" Amagi proposed.

An exchange of glances was sent toward the eldest kitsune girl as everyone was becoming curious about who she might suggest joining in the team heading out to help.

"Hiei. Kaga."

Akagi's eyes immediately shot up as Kaga's name was called. Even the white-haired girl had a moment of shock course through her before she nodded and walked over to her sister. Hiei who had been next to Sora simply smiled brightly. This would be a chance for her to get to know her new friend better.

"May I rely on you two to support Sora and the others in this mission? Time is of the essence, and I think we've spent enough time taking a roll of everyone prepared" Amagi calmly asked in the tone of that of a big sister.

"I'd glad to help, Lady Amagi!" Hiei cheerfully added.

"Yes… My support will be given."

A simple nod was how Amagi responded before looking over at Enterprise, "Well then, it seems your team is ready to go."

"That's right. Now…" Enterprise then turned to everyone who had now made their way over to her along with Sora who had a ready look on his face. "Let's make some waves."

And with that, the team made up of Sora, Enterprise, Washington, North Carolina, Baltimore, King George, Duke of York, Littorio, Hiei, and Kaga were formed and ready to move out. A team of old and new faces was ready to set out and help those in need while being aware that something loomed on the horizon. This was evident as clouds could be seen in the distance.

In the pit of the Keyblade wielder's stomach, Sora couldn't help but feel that something seemed off about the clouds he could see far out in the distance. Something that ultimately spelled trouble.

'I've got a bad feeling about this… But if we stick together, then we'll make it!'

The journey to save the lost girls had now begun.

---

Meanwhile… back with New Jersey and company

*BOOM!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

"Boise! Look out!" cried New Jersey while firing her rigging at a Siren ship.

"Gah!"

The cyan-haired girl then dashed to the side and was met with a large splash of water drenching her in water which also threw her across the water. She then brought herself up and had her rigging pointed right back at the Siren planes that were aiming for her.

*POP!* *POP!* *POP!*

A flurry of shots was directed right at the enemy planes and immediately caused a large explosion in the air. Boise then moved around and continued to provide supporting fire to the foes that San Franciso was dealing with right now.

*WHOOSH!*

*POW!*

"Hyah! Haah!"

The sight of San Francisco using her bat and swinging away at the strange dark creatures while also using her rigging to fire away at the Siren ships currently targeting her.

"Bam! Haha! Come on! These guys aren't so bad! They're really just annoying. Same with the Sirens!" San Francisco yelled out while finishing off a Siren ship. "I can do this all day!"

"Don't get careless, Fran!" New Jersey replied before firing a large blast from her riggings at one group of Siren ships. "One wrong move and we're screwed here."

"I'll be fine! Besides, look at us now. We're kicking a lot of a- "

*KA-BOOM!*

The sight of New Jersey's intimidating riggings firing a large barrage of shots at the Siren ships and causing quite the explosion gave the girl both a cool and stylish finish stance.

"Pssh. Show off" commented San Francisco as she rested her bat on her shoulder.

"Heehee. What can I say?" teased New Jersey as she wore a bright smile on her face.

Boise, who had finally gotten a moment of rest, took her mask off and got a whiff of fresh air. Or… as fresh as air could get from being consumed with the constant firing of guns. She then glanced around and saw that there were no Siren ships in sight nor were there any of the strange dark creatures she and the others came across. The once calm area had now become darkened from the sudden fighting.

"This place went 180 on us," the bat-carrying girl exasperatedly said. "One minute we're fine. The next, Purifier and her band of misfits showed up, and now, we have some weird-looking monsters showing up."

"Look on the bright side. Those strange monsters aren't that strong. Sure, there's a lot of them, but if you make sure not to get overwhelmed, then it's not a big deal to take them out" NJ answered as she took in her surroundings.

"True…"

A moment of silence consumed the trio as they all began thinking about their circumstances and how this reconnaissance mission had proved the number one thing that was on their minds.

Something was absolutely going on here.

"Any word from Vanguard or Nelson?" Boise quietly asked while fiddling around with her mask.

Deciding to give her idea some merit, New Jersey began adjusting her radio to try and contact the other girls. It had been a minute since they'd heard from them.

"Hello? Come in, Vanguard. Nelson? Anyone? I repeat. Vanguard? Nelson?"

"Are you on the private channel?"

"Yeah. But if the signal is getting jammed like a perfectly made PB and J sandwich, then we might need to switch between radio channels. Don't you remember what happened to Lexington, Helena, and Lou? Their communications were cut off from an elite Siren squadron leaving them in the dark for a few hours. They had to go back and forth to get a sentence through the radio chatter" New Jersey explained while recalling that specific situation.

"Oh yeah! I remember. St. Louis was so mad about static radio frequency having her channel be muted thanks to the Sirens. Nobody had ever seen her like that before. It was scary! It took Helena a good ten minutes to calm her down. She's usually so calm and collected" San Francisco replied with a chuckle.

Before either of the two girls could continue this conversation any longer, a sudden appearance of something unusual happened in the distance.

"What's that!?" Boise shouted while pointing away from the group.

The area being spotlighted by her happened to have a strange dark mist swirling around the water's surface causing the area to have low visibility. This was a major red flag to the girls as it meant that they had no clear idea of what might be going on.

"I don't see anything- BOISE! MOVE!"

"Huh?!"

*WHOOSH!*

*BOOM!*

"Ahh!"

A blast had covered the area where the trio were standing causing New Jersey to go flying and end up on her back with the wind knocked out of her. Dark smoke covered the area leaving a dark visual to take place. Taking a split second to get her senses in order, NJ then rushed up to see how Boise and San Francisco were.

"Boise!? Fran!? Where are you!?"

"We- *cough* *cough* we're over here. It's Fran!" cried Boise which only made NJ's heart drop into her stomach and her throat swell up.

Rushing through the dark clouded area, NJ instantly found Boise sitting on her knees atop the water right above San Francisco who appeared to be on her side.

"Fran! Fran! Talk to me!"

"…Ow. That hurt."

Relief washed over the two girls as they quickly turned San Francisco over.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"That blast… I thought it was nothing because I couldn't see anything, but it happened so fast. I just had a feeling that something was coming" San Francisco woundedly responded. "And boy… whatever they shot at us packed a punch. That wasn't your usual Siren attack."

"That's why you jumped in front of me…" Boise muttered loud enough for the two to hear her.

"Yeah. I didn't know where it was coming but I knew that I needed to act. Sorry, NJ. I left you high and dry haha…"

Shaking her head, the blue-haired woman smiled, "Don't be. I'm glad you did what you did. But I think we're in for a fight."

She then started to notice the cloud around them was fading away slowly.

"I'd say we've got a moment until it clears. Then we get a better picture of what's going on."

Nods were shared by the two others before a moment of realization dawned on the dark-haired girl.

"No kidding. Also, hate to make things even more dramatic, but I think my rigging took a pretty bad hit" San Francisco said while slowly standing up to check herself out.

While her clothes had been battered and even cut up in some areas, her riggings on the other hand had taken quite the hit with one set of guns being completely shot off.

"Shoot. That's gonna be a pain to get fixed."

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Boise. I told you. It's ok. Although, there's one thing you could do to make it up for me" the girl with hair horns cheekily replied.

"O-Oh. How do I make it up?" Boise asked San Francisco while looking slightly guilty.

"Buy me a tub of strawberry ice cream."

Processing the simple demand from her friend, Boise couldn't help but start laughing. Her laughter got the trio to laugh before realizing their surroundings. A moment of ease before a fight was what they needed right now.

"Deal."

"Great! Now then, let's kick some ass!"

With this battle cry radiating with each of the girls greatly, the trio now prepared themselves for the cloud to clear completely.

"I'll still be providing support fire but I'm going to be going full melee class," San Francisco said while twirling her bat around. "These punks are gonna learn how a bat to the face feels."

"Give them hell, Fran! We've got this!" NJ cheerly replied while readying herself.

The same could be said for Boise as she put her mask back on and made sure her ammunition count was ready for a successful battle.

The moment was now here.

With the mist now having faded away, the trio were staring at a sight that brought them a sense of worry and mystique.

In the water was now a fleet of dark-themed Siren battleships each having an intimidating aura surrounding them. In addition, there appeared to be strange dark creatures on the decks of each of the ships leaving the girls to squint and see what exactly was on the ships. Their minds were then met with a plethora of questions filling their heads.

"Th-That's…"

"No way…"

"Those dark creatures… they got a new appearance."

What they were referring to was the appearance of the dark creatures now wearing strange-looking armor on their bodies. Among them were also other variations of the same creature based on their large yellow eyes and dark bodies. Another factor that hit them was that the Siren ships now had a different kind of emblem plastered on the sails and body of the vessels. The emblem had what appeared to be a red and black heart with a strange bottom followed by a weirdly designed "X" in the middle of the heart.

"I've never seen a Siren ship like that before."

"None of us have."

"Oh~ I have!" came the sweet reply of someone who was not one of the three Eagle Union girls.

Turning their heads to the side, the girls spotted a familiar yet annoying Siren girl simply standing there with her hands extended out and smiling over at them.

"Hiya!"

"…"

*BOOM!*

New Jersey had wasted no time and fired a round right at Purifier causing her to jump back and have an angered look on her face.

"HEY! What's the big idea!? Shooting someone with that. You could have killed me?!"

"That's the point" New Jersey calmly replied as she had her sights set on Purifier. "You're our number one target right now."

"Hmph! You guys are mean. I was going to give you a bit of exposition on these new babies, but since you're being a complete ass I'm gonna leave you high and dry. I hope you get sunk first!" Purifier shouted while pointing at New Jersey.

"Don't count on it."

"Hahaha! That's what you think. By the way, have you realized just how screwed you guys are now?"

"Huh? Do you mean the Siren ships?" Boise asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Nope! You should have realized it once you lost contact with your friends" the white-haired Siren gleefully explained. "Anyone with a brain would have figured it out."

A look of confusion was now on each of the girls' faces while trying to break down what Purifier was saying. That is until New Jersey realized what was being said.

"…We're in a Mirror Sea…"

"B-B-Bingo! You got it! Maybe you do have a brain? Hahaha!"

"Well, that explains things" San Francisco muttered.

Loud laughter could be heard from Purifier as she took a few steps forward, "Well, now that I've got you right where I want you to be good dolls and test these bad boys out."

Purifier then pointed over at the strange Siren fleet just sitting there and watching them.

"I'll go deal with the bums outside while I get ready for the main course to arrive."

"Main course? You're not talking about Vanguard… are you?" questioned NJ.

"Right again! Man, you're good. Smarter than your average kansen. Alas, you're right. The Keyblade wielder is who I want. Or… more specifically what Tester and Observer want. But! That has nothing to do with any of you. That's above your pay grade."

Doing their best to process this sudden dump of newfound information, Boise and San Francisco glanced at each other to see if the other had a plan for what to do. Suddenly, everything went awry as Purifier summoned her black and yellow rigging and started firing at the girls causing them to dash away. What was barely caught by New Jersey while moving away was that there appeared to be a strange dark mist coming from Purifier's body. Something that wasn't there before.

"Well, enough standing around! Have fun!"

And with that, Purifier gave them one last wave before a dark portal appeared right behind her. She then started walking backward with a gleeful smile on her face before she and the portal disappeared.

"How did she- "

"Look out! Incoming fire!"

*BOOM!*

*SPLASH!*

*WHOOM!*

Gunfire and explosions had covered the area with water being splashed all over. Boise, San Francisco, and New Jersey were now caught in the middle of a new firefight while also having many questions regarding everything that was going on.

"Alright! Back to bus- "

*CRUMBLE*

*VRRRRRM!*

*BZZZZ*

*WHOOSH!*

"What's going on?!" Boise yelled out while having to hold herself up.

"The water is shaking like crazy! I can't focus!" San Francisco shouted while trying to balance herself with her baseball bat.

"This has to be- Look!" pointed out New Jersey as she was now staring at an unbelievable sight.

In the distance, parts of the water were beginning to swirl up into a water tornado while also being replaced and moved under the water like pieces of a puzzle being swapped out. Even some of the strange Siren ships were caught up in the strange phenomenon causing NJ to grab a hold of both Boise and San Francisco.

"Eh? What are you- "

"In case the floor gives out. We have to stick together. Who knows what's the deal with this Mirror Sea" New Jersey quickly replied.

The area had essentially become a sandbox with many parts and pieces before their very eyes changing into something else until…

*WHIRR!*

*PEW!*

"It stopped?" Boise idly commented while looking around. "The water's stopped moving…"

"And… it looks exactly the same?" commented San Francisco.

"What the heck…? What was the purpose of…"

Suddenly, New Jersey stopped what she was saying as she looked behind them and saw something that caused her to ready herself.

"NJ? What- "

"Move!"

*BOOM!*

The unusual Siren fleet that had been in front of them at a distance had now swapped places and were a great deal closer to them. At that point, several ships had fired on their position causing the trio to back off. The situation had gone from bad to worst in a matter of seconds.

And… it looked like this would be a fight the trio were not prepared for.

---

Elsewhere…

Standing in the middle of a vast body of water, Purifier simply let out a chipper giggle before letting her rigging go and disappearing in a flash of light.

"Ha… that was fun! I can't wait for Sora to get here!"

Just as Purifier was about to say something else, a dark portal appeared right in front of her leaving another white-haired girl to walk out. This woman had long white hair that reached past her shoulders and even past her hips. She wore a two-piece outfit followed by knee-high black boots. Additionally, she had yellow lights glowing all around her attire and had a strange black set of riggings attached to her. She was also known to be an Elite Siren. Better known as Tester.

"Hey there buddy old pal! About time you got here. I take it Observer was talking your ear off and finally let you join me?" Purifier asked her fellow Siren ally.

With a smug grin, Tester simply shook her head and walked ahead of Purifier before speaking up.

"Heh… normally, I'd ignore what you said and go about my day. But… you're right about Observer this time."

"Oooooh! I am?! Tell me! What was she talking to you about this time? What topic got you to the point that you wanted to get out of that creepy lair and catch up with me?"

Raising her hand, Tester then summoned what appeared to be a highly advanced control panel of some kind and tapped away at it for a moment before…

*WHOOOSH*

"There we go. The Mirror Sea is now ready."

Soon enough, the entire area began changing shape with what appeared to be a duplicate version of the same area. At first glance, the area didn't look to be changed at all. However, for those that had a keen eye, they'd be able to feel something off, but even then, it would be hard to realize what was really going on.

"As for your question, that weirdo wearing a cloud around his body was talking to her about darkness and what things to do with it."

"Haha! You know, it doesn't make sense. That weirdo's name is Darkness… but he's talking about using darkness to make us stronger. Darkness is darkness. Pfft."

Finding her words to ring a certain amount of truth, Tester simply shook her head while continuing to tap away at the control panel.

"You have to admit, Darkness does have quite the resources. Even if I don't trust him fully."

"Oh? I thought what happened in the cave was enough to get you to trust him."

"What a stupid thing to ask. Trust and cooperation are two different things in my book. While Observer and our Arbiter trust him to a degree, I remain reserved. Of course, if things play out well in this Mirror Sea once this "Sora" arrives, then I might change my judgment."

Scratching her head, Purifier then began to peer over at what Tester was doing.

"Say, what are you tinkering with? Can I see?"

Upon getting a close-up look at what Tester was working on, Purifier was met with complete confusion about what she was seeing. It was a completely new concept to her.

"…I have no idea what that is."

"Good. That means it's an original design. Based on the resources provided by Darkness, I'll be using this Mirror Sea to test out several things. One test will be on the implementation of that power he showed us and having it put into our mass-produced ships. The other test… well, I was given some liberty by Observer to try out some new reinforcements graciously given to us by that weirdo."

"Ooooh! That makes sense now. I was kind of surprised to see the grunts on the ships I sent after that Eagle Union trio. I'm starting to catch up to your plans now" gleamed Purifier.

"Yes… however, I'm also working on one final test. This one was requested by Observer from Darkness's own words. It has something to do with messing with Sora and getting him to break. Well, a better attempt at breaking him than sending a fleet of Executor-class ship girls at him."

Intrigue had now struck Purifier as she got excited to learn more about this special test that Tester was working on.

"Oh, c'mon! You gotta tell me what this test is? What is it called?"

A mischievous smile appeared on Tester's face as she tapped away at the control panel and brought up a thin glass screen to showcase the test for clearer viewing.

"After doing a bit of analysis and breakdown, and taking into account the one who commissioned this project to a certain level… I dub this test with the title… Project Copycat."

On the screen appeared to be numbers and data charts all showing information that made no sense at all. However, the one thing that did make clear sense was the image of a figure dressed in a long black coat with a hood covering their face, leaving their appearance up to speculation.

This was the central subject of Project Copycat.

---

Nearby Azur Lane Naval Base

Standing in the middle of the vast open sea with a clear view of the island hosting the factions brought together by Sora's help, the Master of Masters simply had his arms folded along his chest. He had kept his distance the entire time that Sora returned to the base and then left the base in a hurry. The Lost Master had even watched as the boy and his friends sailed away to their next designation.

This also caused the hooded figure to do a bit of thinking to himself.

"…This world is beautiful. Caught in the middle of a war against an alien force, yet still able to allow for moments like this. I envy you, Sora."

The Master of Masters then waved his hand out and summoned a dark portal to appear and take him to another location. That location... is where Sora and the others would be heading. Alas, he'd be playing it safe and keeping a good distance behind the spiky-haired Keyblade wielder and his friends. Making sure to stay unnoticed by anyone or anything.

"To feel hope and joy about being in a new world… meeting new people… making new friendships… falling in love… finding family… when you've seen what I've seen… things aren't as simple anymore. Granted, things never really were simple in the first place."

Taking several steps forward, the Lost Master was now several small steps away from the portal before stopping and looking down at his gloved hands. A sense of intrigue coursed through his body… and his heart.

"You've got a long life and journey ahead of you, Sora. And right now, you're in for a rude awakening. Darkness has made his first move. Let us see how you will handle things…"

And with that, the Master of Masters went through the portal and teleported away leaving nothing behind that would allude to his presence ever being there.

The next step in his journey would be to keep a watchful eye on Sora and see how else this world will be changed thanks to his presence. Things were only truly beginning to get interesting.

Notes:

*A/N* - …Well… I only have one thing to say regarding this chapter and the time it took to get a new chapter… I hate writer's block lol. Also, I blame Persona 3 Reload and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. I dropped over 100 hours into both of those games.

In all seriousness, thanks again for checking this wacky story out and reaching the bottom of this chapter. Hitting over 30k was not in the books when I originally had this rough draft. However, as time continued to pass and breaks were happening left and right, I figured this should be a chapter with a touch of everything. I'll admit outright, that I'm no genius writer or author. I started this story out of my love for playing and getting into Azur Lane and my eternal love for Kingdom Hearts. I didn't really know how to start it, but I do know now. I also know that it won't be ending any time soon. No matter the time it takes to get a chapter out, I'll try and make an interesting story that has callbacks and love shown to each series. So, with that in mind, I wanted this chapter to feature some character interactions along with introducing more girls, giving some other girls the spotlight, showcasing some new battle ideas, and building up the next chapter for what will happen. And wouldn't you guess, the next chapter is going to be a battle-focused one along with new and old character interactions.

Now then, a bit of clarification, from the get-go this story was/is going to be a harem story with Sora at the center of it all. Hence, my way of going about this is to do groups of girls at a time. Try and give everyone a moment to shine but also not let them be left behind. Moreover, I also want to make sure the girls feel like their actual personalities and characters, which is something I've been doing by diving into Azur Lane lore and studying them closely. I wanna do everyone justice while still making an original story. Alas, I already feel like some girls have done that injustice and I apologize. I'll make it up to them later. Furthermore, thanks to FF7 Rebirth and P3 Reload, I have a fascination with team-up attacks and will start to include that in the next chapter. I know that's kind of a spoiler, but I owe it to those who still want to check this story out to give them something to look forward to… along with an entertaining story that draws interest.

In hindsight, I just want to thank everyone for checking this story out, and to those who reached out to me in the past few months, I'd like to apologize for not getting this out sooner. I don't wanna promise that the next chapter will be out sooner. I do want to put out chapters that I think are both good and fun. Hence, I'm a slow cook. But the casual/friendly messages asking about the story are always a joy to read. Along with the ideas given to me for the story. Unicorn's keychain that transformed into the shield was something I already had but thanks to discussion around the story I added the sword to give it a new stance of battle. Plus, thanks to the crazy KH3 mods out there I have plenty of ideas to make things go absolutely crazy. Things are going to get wacky, and the reactions are going to be fun to see.

TLDR: I want to thank everyone for waiting and sticking with the story. I'm a slow cook. Writer's block is a pain. I also blame video games for taking up my time. And I hope you'll continue to get some form of entertainment from this story. Both good and bad are fine by me. I'm just writing for fun and strive to get better. Until next time, take care and see ya!

Chapter 19: Specchio di Mare

Summary:

With the splintered Azur Lane force and Sora heading to find and rescue the lost squad of girls, the group will find themselves dealing with a bigger plot at hand. One that will show the Keyblade wielder just how strong and deceptive the Sirens truly are.

Notes:

*Disclaimer* - I do not own the copyright or characters to Kingdom Hearts or Azur Lane

*A/N* - Hello, long time no see! You've heard this song and dance before, so I'll cut it short and apologize for the wait. Things did not go as I planned and before you know it, I was left with no time to work on the chapter. Following this, I also have to pin a bit of blame on Writer's Block. That was quite an ordeal. It wasn't anything major, but I just seemed to find excuses for not writing. And then, when I did get to writing I managed to get great work done. Alas, that was soon followed up with good ole procrastination. Nevertheless, this story isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I still have crazy ideas in mind and interactions that'll leave poor Sora confused and conflicted with the ever-challenging task of understanding girls.

Moreover, I'd like to thank everyone for sticking around with me and this story for over two years now. It's seriously crazy to think that I've been working on this story since February 2022. Where has time gone? I also didn't want to do anything exceptional on the anniversary of this story because… I feel like I failed it in a sense. Not updating it as much and only having a handful of chapters. I need to do better and hope to do so, but then I remember that I'm only human and make errors. A bunch if I'm being frank. Therefore, I've rambled on long enough and will probably continue to do so at the end. Thanks again for checking this story out. Feedback is always a joy to read whether it's positive or negative. I like seeing my ridiculous story be viewed and liked by others. Take care and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

*Music - Kingdom Hearts III OST – Little Lovely Moments*

---

"Sora! You must try this!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you… you have no idea what she put in there."

"Oh, hush you! You're ruining a good thing I have going for me."

"Shouldn't you taste what you just made? Where's Belfast when you need her?"

A cheerful bit of laughter was soon followed by a passionate woman's voice ringing out.

"Ah~ What do you think, Sora? Is your heart pounding at the realization that you are surrounded by fair maidens? Not to mention, one senorita is offering you a special drink made by her own hands. Will you accept her fair offer?"

The person who had said this was none other than the green-haired beauty, Littorio. She was also currently standing right next to Sora as he was sitting down at a small table placed on the deck of King George's ship. She kindly invited the boy to have some tea with her before they reached the waypoint to search for the lost girls.

In addition, the identity of the girl offering Sora a drink was none other than Duke of York who was being ridiculed and cut off thanks to her sister, King George.

"Don't listen to her, Sora. She's just spouting nonsense. Something she always does" George idly added.

"Quite the lie, Your Majesty" Littorio replied, keeping a teasing tone to her voice while eying the blonde. "I'm simply an adventurous woman who is eager to see how this valiant hero will react to a maiden's offering. Nothing more. Nothing less."

A smug sound then came from the pink-haired woman who was described by her friends and colleagues as carrying the charism of a vampire.

"Yes, and that maiden is still waiting for an answer from the dashing hero before her…"

Stuck in the middle of this situation, Sora could only let out an awkward chuckle before nervously nodding. In the back of his mind, he was also thankful that he still had a few spare Ether potions to use in case of anything. Not that he didn't trust Duke of York… he was just… cautious is all.

"Err… I mean, sure… I'll accept your gift of tea" he slowly responded.

"Excellent! I promise you won't regret it."

It was then that the pink-haired girl gently placed a pink beverage right in front of him which caused the boy's eyebrows to shoot up. He'd never had a pink drink like this before.

Off to the side, Baltimore, North Carolina, Washington, Enterprise, Hiei, and Kaga all watched the exchange go down with Duke of York practically strong-arming the boy.

"Should… we step in?" Baltimore asked, feeling unsure of the drink before Sora. "I mean, it would be rude to step in, but it would also be rude to not step in…"

"Hmm… I say, if she keeps demanding that he drink it, we step in. Besides, I also don't like the look of that… tea. I've never seen pink tea before" Washington muttered while also glancing at the strange drink.

"Maybe it's homemade?" North Carolina added before realizing just what that might entail. "Um… if Sora goes limp or anything like that then I'm stepping in to help."

As the three Eagle Union girls said their piece, Hiei and Kaga couldn't help but chuckle. Even Enterprise had to lower her head and shake her head. Her friends' reactions were something else.

"I believe you're all looking at the tea in a bad light" Hiei calmly stated.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" the white-haired Eagle Union girl questioned.

"That tea has a stark resemblance to- "

"Wow! This is really good!" Sora immediately cheered after taking his first sip of the beverage. "It has a rich almost flower taste to it. And… is that cinnamon?"

As he asked Duke of York this question, he also got to see the pink-haired girl's face light up in pure delight. Moreover, she also had a smirk on her face while glancing over at her sister, George, who simply waved her off.

"You're correct, Sora! This tea is better known as Kashmiri Tea. It has a rich, slightly floral, milky tea taste with hints of minced nuts, sweet cardamom, and cinnamon which adds up to a rich taste when mixed just right. I also brewed it with green tea leaves which add a bit of caffeine to the drink seeing that we need to be prepared for the upcoming operation" Duke of York reasoned.

"When did you manage to get your hands on Kashmiri Tea? I don't recall you ordering something like this?" King George questioned her sister with a stern look.

"I received the tea from Formidable as she was into making various types of tea for Her Majesty to try out. It was a while back and I wasn't sure when the right time to use it would be. However, I dare say this is the perfect time for such an occasion, wouldn't you agree?" Duke of York charismatically said while gesturing over to the Keyblade wielder who was sipping away at his tea and left in his little bubble.

Sora's attention had solely been on the taste of the tea and how he was beginning to love the taste of it. He hadn't ever really had a drink like this before and could almost imagine something like this being served at Le Grand Bistrot in Twilight Town with Little Chef being the one to whip this drink up.

A few of the other girls noticed his fascination with the drink and couldn't help but begin to laugh. Enterprise brought her hat over her mouth to hide the laughter coming from her lips. North Carolina and Hiei covered their mouths with their hands as best as they could. While Washington, Baltimore, and Littorio laughed openly at the boy's intrigue in the tea. Kaga on the other hand simply stared at Sora with a half-smile appearing on her face as one she could only imagine Akagi gushing at this sight.

"Huh? Is something funny?" Sora asked, snapping out of his tea-focused bubble.

"No, nothing is wrong. I'm just happy that you've taken a liking to the tea I prepared" Duke of York replied while smiling pleasantly.

"Coy, aren't you?" King George said with an annoyed tone.

Duke of York's only response was to wink at her sister with a smug look.

Confused by the girls' reaction, Sora glanced over at Littorio who simply shook her head with a smile.

"Pay them no attention, Sora. But I would like to pick your brain for but a moment."

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

Taking a seat right next to the boy, Littorio made it quite apparent of her actions. No words were needed to see just what she was doing. Each one of the girls' eyes were focused squarely on her.

"Given that we know about your circumstances, I was hoping you'd tell us a bit more about your adventures. We know a bit about what you've gone through, but I was hoping to hear more about a certain area of your journey" Littorio asked with a sense of truth and genuine intrigue in the boy.

Scratching his cheek, Sora began to see all the other girls get closer to him showing that they were also interested in learning more about him. From obvious looks of curiosity to the girls trying to hide their intrigue, the Keyblade wielder felt happy that his new friends cared about him.

"Of course! What do you want to know? Anything in specific?"

Taking a second to come up with a solid question, Littorio then had an idea come to her which caused a glint in her eye to appear.

"Mm. I do have a question that I'm quite curious about. What has been your toughest fight in all the worlds you've traveled?"

This was a question that several of the girls could get behind as it was something that could have quite the story. Moreover, it would also give them a bit of insight into the kind of trouble that Sora has dealt with.

However, what the girls didn't account for was the pale look that appeared on the Guardian of Light's face. Along with a sense of confusion etched around his eyes.

"Sora?" Washington murmured.

"…What's wrong?" Hiei quietly asked.

"Are you okay?" Duke of York gently questioned.

"Huh?" Baltimore muttered with a hint of worry.

"Ah…" Kaga's reaction was brief as she watched the boy's reaction.

"Sora…" Enterprise timidly spoke.

"…oh…" King George idly mumbled as she could see something was up with him.

Watching and witnessing the boy's stark reaction, Littorio was quick to offer an apology on her part for asking this kind of question. The last thing she intended to do was offend him.

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't know that question was- "

"No, no! It's fine. It's… It's ok. I just…" Sora tried to explain what he was feeling but kept stopping himself. This topic was something that he hadn't thought about for a while now. However, he knew it was something that he'd have to process sooner or later. "It's a loaded answer."

"If you don't feel comfortable talking about this then- "

Shaking his head, Sora offered the green-haired girl a small smile on his face. He didn't want to appear as if he was offended by her question.

"No… maybe… it would be a good thing to talk about…" Sora spaciously said while looking down at his hands and clenching them with a solemn look. "I haven't really talked about most of the things that have happened to me. Not even to my friends back home. I just… kind of brushed it to the side and moved forward with things.

Genuine interest was now apparent on Littorio's face as she tilted her head to the side. It was also apparent that she wanted to hear what he had to say thanks to her body language being pointed at him.

"In the time that I've gotten to know you… that we've gotten to know you it seems rather weird to hear you being the type to keep things to yourself."

Scratching the back of his head, Sora simply let out a chuckle.

"I'm not usually like this. Holding my feelings back and not letting anyone else know… it's been a slowly growing thing now" Sora answered while reflecting on everything that's happened from the Mark of Mastery to the end of the Keyblade War and encountering Yozora. "I don't really have a valid explanation. I guess… I just don't want to bother anyone else with my problems…"

Before Littorio could speak up, another girl had managed to beat her to it.

"You don't want to bother anyone… what kind of nonsense is that?!" Washington shouted, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"I- "

"I'm certainly not the best person to criticize you on this matter. But I know that holding things for too long will do more damage than good. And knowing your entire situation, I'm betting that you have a lot of things to talk about."

Listening to Washington's explanation, Sora couldn't help but start to truly reflect on everything that had happened to him. Granted, he already knew the big hits he had taken and kept to himself, but he still began to recall everything in his journey.

From receiving the letter from His Majesty to being tasked to complete the Mark of Mastery and earn the title of Keyblade Master. However, the memory of being led astray and into a trap by the real Organization XIII and losing his powers yet again reminded him of his faults. And lastly, the entirety of the Keyblade War and his unexpected encounter with Yozora where… he lost.

"…You're not wrong, Washington. *sigh* Where should I start?" Sora asked, staring at Washington and then Littorio.

"For simplicity's sake, why not go off Littorio's question" North Carolina suggested with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Right… the hardest foe I've faced. Well, I hope you're ready for a strange discussion haha."

Smiling at Sora's positivity coming back, Hiei couldn't help but giggle.

"Stranger than learning that you're from another world?"

Glancing over at the Sakura Empire girl, Sora gave her a knowing look followed by a nod.

"Yes, a lot stranger."

Hiei had a shocked expression appear on her face now.

"Oh… you're serious."

"Interesting…" King George idly murmured.

"How strange can things get?" Baltimore quietly said to herself.

Sporting a small smile, Sora was ready to leave the girls utterly shocked at the variety of foes he had faced before.

"Well, I've fought all kinds of foes before. Monsters, dragons, giant Heartless, dangerous people, armored knights, and foes that I can't even begin to describe. But… the toughest fight I've encountered would be a man called Yoz- "

*Bzzztt*

*Beep*

*Beep*

Everyone's attention was suddenly pulled away from Sora as an electronic sound was coming from somewhere on King George's ship. This caused the blonde-haired woman to jump up, reach into her pocket, and pull out what looked like a receiver.

"Hello? Come in? This is HMS King George V of the Royal Navy. I repeat this is- "

"Geo- *Bzzzt* G- *Bzzzt* Hel- *Bzzt* George!"

Hearing a voice break through the static coming through comms, George began to adjust the radio frequency while also gesturing for Duke of York to come to her for help. The two sisters then began to tamper with the radio device before speaking into the receiver again.

"Hello? Come in. We hear you now."

"Come in *Bzzt* George, can you hear me?"

"That voice… Vanguard?!" George excitedly identified the voice.

Recalling that name, Sora immediately realized that she was one of the girls they were looking for. Vanguard, Nelson, Repulse, New Jersey, Boise, and San Francisco were their names.

"Finally! This frequency is too low. I also have to say that you're late!"

"Ha! You insult me. Besides, things have been rather exciting on our side of things. But we can discuss the details later. What's your status now?"

A moment passed with no response before the sounds of gunfire could be heard through the receiver.

"Ah! These creatures are everywhere! They're putting up quite a fight. Not to mention, the Siren fleet being obnoxious" Vanguard quickly explained.

"What are your coordinates, Vanguard" George called out while gesturing for Duke of York to take note of this incoming information to which she nodded.

"I'm- *Bzzt* at four- *Bzzt* but we're on the move. And George, we're- *Bzzt* a Mirror Sea now."

Frowning at how distorted the call was coming in, George spoke loudly to the receiver again.

"Vanguard! You're breaking up. Where did the Mirror Sea start?"

*Bzzt*

"Vanguard!"

Suddenly, before George could get a response from her Royal Navy friend, the entire area around them started to distort along with a burst of energy consuming the area.

*WHOOSH!*

*BZZT!*

*BOOM!*

"Gah!"

"What the- "

"Huh?!"

"No!"

Shutting his eyes, Sora gave it a second before slowly opening them and seeing a bizarre sight before him. Instead of clear blue skies all around him and calm waters, waves were now splashing in the distance while the sky had darkened explicitly. What was a once calm area was now the exact opposite.

"Where are we…?"

Coming to her senses, Enterprise carefully analyzed the area while summoning her bow. They were now in unfamiliar waters and the last thing they could afford was to be surprised by an attack.

"We're in a Mirror Sea."

"A Mirror Sea? You guys mentioned it earlier when Dido reported to Elizabeth, but what exactly is it."

"I can answer this one" North Carolina instantly said before beginning her explanation. "A Mirror Sea is basically an Alternate reality created by the Sirens to test different things. Simulations if you will on how fights against the forces of this world."

"Or another situation that we've come across before was that the Sirens were running different scenarios against themselves" Kaga suddenly answered making everyone turn their attention to her.

"That's… I don't think I've heard of that before" commented Hiei.

"It's not a common thing to come across. However, while Akagi and I were… working with the Sirens…" Kaga knew her response would negatively reflect on her and her sisters' decision to work with the enemy.

However, what's done is done and now there are bigger things to focus on.

The girls all glanced at Kaga before realizing her actions were now in the past. Attention would need to be paid to what's to come.

"During a brief meeting with Observer, we came across a small Mirror Sea with elite Siren units engaging in combat with smaller Siren forces. We didn't think much of it due to our sights being on helping Amagi, but now…" Kaga continued.

"Now it makes things even more interesting" Littorio finished off that statement while eyeing the area around them. "We need to hurry and find the lost girls. The situation could change at any moment."

"Agreed. Let's make haste and- "

*KA-BOOM!*

The area around them was then suddenly warped once again but this time it was like a veil pulled right from their very eyes. Instead of an empty sea before them, now there were dozens of Siren ships all laying fire to something out in the distance.

"Again!?" Sora shouted, this time summoning his Keyblade.

"The simulation has to be going haywire or whoever is in control here is messing with us. They must have known we'd be here" Kaga reasoned while summoning her rigging.

Glancing at the Siren ships, Littorio also summoned her rigging but had a rigid expression across her face.

"No, I think the Mirror Sea's range was far beyond where we just were. If it was cloaked so well, then it would have been hard for us to notice" the Sardegna Empire kansen reasoned.

"Or… we had our guard down" Enterprise quietly said.

As much as the girls wanted to come out and take responsibility for not paying attention to their surroundings all that much, Sora knew just what everyone was feeling and was the first to speak.

"Guys. Don't feel bad about this. I'm the one that was taking up all the attention."

"Sora- "

"No, it's alright. I should have been more aware of what we were getting ourselves into. But right now, that doesn't matter. Finding the others and then looking for a way out of here should be our main priority."

Looks of agreement were shared with the girls as they all nodded to one another.

"Right. The others need us. Let's get moving," Duke of York responded.

With nothing else needed to be said, the girls and Sora all prepared themselves while King George's ship began to increase in speed. The further the group ventured into the Mirror Sea; the more Sora began to understand just what this special zone was.

All around him, small flashes of lightning appeared while also casting a distorted haze. It was almost as if the longer he stared out in the distance the more things seemed to bend and twist into two visuals. It didn't make any sense, but it still let him know that he was in Siren territory.

"Sora, you alright?" Hiei called out to the boy.

Snapping out of his thoughts, the brunette turned to meet the dark-haired girl. It was also apparent that everyone had sort of taken a step back to prepare themselves with Enterprise chatting with North Carolina and Baltimore while Washington and Duke of York were pointing at something. And Kaga, Littorio, and George were looking down at a tablet.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Hiei. Just thinking is all."

"Mm. Aren't we all" she replied while holding onto the katana and keeping a calm complexion about her. "Nervous?"

"Not really. But I'm also wanting to stay alert. This is my first time dealing with a Mirror Sea, so I'm not sure what's in store for me. But if the Heartless are said to be here, then things could get ugly."

A reserved look on Hiei's face could be seen but rather than keep him guessing what was on her mind, she decided to come clean with what she was thinking about.

"Honestly, I'm a bit nervous about what's to come. But knowing you and the others are here is good support. Heck, I'm feeling more inspired if you will."

"Really?"

"Yep. While Zuikaku has made it abundantly clear that she now looks up to you and what you've accomplished, she's not the only one. Many of the other girls in the Sakura Empire can't thank you enough for stopping the invasion on the island as well as saving Amagi. In the little time that you've entered our lives, there are a bunch of us who want to be better. I also feel that way as well" Hiei clearly explained with a peaceful look on her face.

Letting out a pleased hum, Sora couldn't help but feel happy. His actions had inadvertently inspired others.

"I'm not that amazing. Even I make mistakes."

"Then that makes looking up to you even better. Knowing that you're able to make mistakes and not get things right the first time is what makes you special."

"…I tend to screw up a lot haha."

"You'll have to tell me about that sometime."

"Mm. Will do. After we get out of this situation, and we have a moment to relax, there's a lot I've got to do. So many of the girls want to chat with me. I'm not sure there's enough time in the day to do that ehehe…"

"Well, we'll need to fix that. Maybe have a group meeting or something like that? Take a few girls at a time and hear what they have to say. I hear you did that back in the Sakura Empire with Atago, Shoukaku, and Kaga" Hiei said, recalling what she heard from her friends.

"Yeah. That was a lot of fun. Being able to sit down and talk with a few people. It's a nice way of getting to know someone faster and really learning about them. I think that might be the best way to go about things" Sora agreed while also picturing that same scenario playing out again.

The day that he spent meeting up with various groups of girls was quite a spectacle, but it also let him get to know his new friends better. Given the chance to do that again, he would gladly do it.

Plus, he was sure the girls also liked it. Hopefully…

"Well, when that time does come again, would you mind if I joined the group?" Hiei carefully asked.

"Not at all! The more the merrier."

"Thanks, Sora."

Nodding at her thanks, he was about to speak up but caught wind of something forming a good distance ahead of him. Additionally, he had a gnawing feeling form in his stomach. Something was off.

"What's that?" the Keyblade wielder said while pointing straight ahead.

It was at this point the strange sight he noticed was beginning to grow and with a strange dark mist. Everyone also began to see the dark mist and felt their battle instincts start to grow.

"That's… not coming up on the radar," said George as she was looking down at the tablet in her hands.

This tablet had been fitted to her equipment and acted as a communications device for her ship.

"Is it a Siren? Or something of theirs?"

Giving the dark mass another moment of his time, he knew exactly what it was. Granted, it was only a guess, but after having dealt with them for so long… that guess was bound to be right.

"No. It's the Heartless."

"Heartless? As a mist? That's new…" Kaga replied while examining the dark mist. "How can you tell?"

"When you've dealt with them as long as I have, you know."

Just as the white-haired kitsune woman was about to talk, the dark mist grew exponentially to the point that a dark cloud expanded across the area leaving a dense fog before them. The girls all knew this spelled trouble and boy were they right.

Once the fog started to die down, several Heartless ships were all present with their black sails and dark-themed bodies. Not to mention, on the deck of the ships were Heartless of varying shapes and sizes. Some looked familiar while others looked completely new.

"Those…"

"Sora, do you recognize those Heartless?" Enterprise questioned, letting her hands tighten around her bow. "A few looked familiar but others…"

"The purple one with four legs and a glowing body is known as a Devastator. The other one with an orange glowing body and pointy body with pointy arms is known as a Surveillance Robot. But the others… I don't know what they are."

The Heartless that Sora was confused about had a humanoid body covered from head to toe in silver and grey armor. The armor on its legs sport white spikes and steel blue highlights. Its helmet sported two short, white spikes and a long, twisted, black antenna. A small opening in the front just barely exposes the Heat Saber's black face and glowing yellow eyes. Its most notable features are the jagged, seemingly molten blades in place of each of its hands. It has two Heartless emblems, one on each of its shoulder pauldrons.

This Heartless was one that he had no direct memory of…

However, that wasn't entirely true… as he did somehow recall encountering this Heartless.

A sudden memory played out in his head as he recalled encountering this Heartless and striking it down with his Kingdom Key. Unable to find a reason for suddenly thinking about this random memory, Sora tried rattling his head and all his thoughts at once before coming to an immediate realization.

This memory of this Heartless… this… Heat Saber… it wasn't his memory… it was his Nobody's… Roxas.

'Roxas… he fought this Heartless while working under Organization XIII…' Sora thought to himself while trying his best to quickly summarize these random memories playing out in his head.

"There's so many of them…" North Carolina trailed off while counting all the Heartless ships that were present.

She accounted for a total of a dozen Heartless ships.

"There won't be once we get to them, right?" Washington added, giving her sister a confident look. To which the blonde girl returned a competitive grin on her beautiful face.

"You're absolutely right."

Seeing the sisterly bonding, the others all donned positive and determined expressions on their faces as they also prepared themselves for battle. Sora did the same while making sure to keep an eye out for any other Heartless that he wasn't familiar with. However, aside from the three he identified, Neo Shadows and regular Shadows all crawling around the deck of the Heartless ships.

"We've got this."

Hearing Sora's confident words, everyone readied themselves. Those with weapons all got ready.

Littorio glided her gloved hand along her sword with a daring glint in her eyes, Duke of York tapped the tip of her sword on her gloved hand with a smirk on her face, George unsheathed her rapier and took on a proper stance while keeping her head on a swerve, Enterprise pulled back on her bow and set her sights at the middle Heartless ship in the fleet, Hiei had her katana by her side with an intensifying stare, and Sora twirled his Keyblade in his hand while holding onto the handle tightly.

Everyone with a weapon was ready for battle.

As for the others who didn't have a weapon, Baltimore, North Carolina, and Washington, they were also ready with their riggings summoned and prepped to unload a barrage of fire upon their foes.

This group that had been formed together on a whim was now united on one front with a main goal on their minds. Find the lost girls and help them get home.

And there was no way they would lose.

*Zzzttttt*

*PEW!*

*BOOM!*

"HUH?!"

"WHAT THE HECK!?"

"CRAP!"

"The Mirror Sea! It's changing!?"

All around the group, the water beneath them was now parting while also explosions were happening right under the water causing large splashes of water to rain down on them. The area around them had also begun to distort in a fog with electricity flying all over the place.

*KA-BOOM!*

However, what caused things to take a turn for the worst was a large explosion that rocked right beneath King George's ship which caused everyone to become defensive and watch their surroundings.

Duke of York and George were now rushing to each side of the ship to get a clear visual of what was attacking them from a blind spot while the others all kept their eyes trailing around. Sora, on his part, stumbled on his feet to balance himself before looking all around him and once he did… he knew things were going to get bad.

"MOVE!"

"SORA!"

*PEW!*

*PEW!*

*PEW!*

*BOOM!*

Right above the Keyblade wielder and kansens was a large menacing automaton with a saucer-like bottom that connected to a robotic body with a head that had two orange horns. The shoulders of this foe were large and spherical but each arm had a different weapon in its hands. On one hand, a rocket blaster with four barrels could be seen smoking from the shots it fired, and the other hand had what appeared to be a claw-like hand with a rocket-themed base around its limb. The color of this enemy was orange and black causing the girls to be utterly confused by this random antagonist.

"An Astrowarrior!" Sora shouted, easily recognizing this Gummi Heartless.

"A what now?!" George shouted, glaring right at the large foe floating right above her and her ship.

"It's a boss Heartless that I've encountered while venturing to different worlds! This guy is tough. Don't let him intimidate you. Keep up your attacks and you'll take him down before you know it!" the Guardian of Light rallied to the others.

"Oh? The bigger they are the harder they fall… this will be interesting!" Littorio cheered, pointing her sword at the massive Heartless.

"Hey! Hey! We've got trouble! The fleet is preparing to barrage us with fire!" Baltimore yelled while pointing to the Heartless fleet in the distance.

*WHOOSH!*

*BOOM!*

*SPLASH!*

An explosion of water appeared several meters from the group as they were hit with water. The situation was escalating at an astounding rate.

"George! Get your ship out of here!" Duke of York shouted to her sister.

"Already on it! Everyone! Hit the water!"

Not needing to say anything, all the girls leaped right off George's ship while Sora did the same but not before flipping himself off the ledge of the ship and into the air. While airborne, he cast the Float spell upon himself to be able to stand atop the water just like the previous times.

Now on the water, Sora turned to look at George's ship and was left amazed at seeing the once large mass of metal now glowing blue before flashing away. Even though he knew of the girl's unique ability to summon their riggings and ships, seeing it up close was still amazing.

"Get ready! It's coming down!" Enterprise shouted while watching the Astrowarrior lower itself to the water.

With its arm pointing right at Sora, the Keyblade wielder got into his signature battle stance and was ready to jump into a fight. Plus, with his friends by his side, he had nothing to worry about.

*SCREECH!*

*BZZZTTT!*

*BOOM!*

*ZAP!*

A flash of light appeared off to the side causing everyone to wince and try to see what was going on. And to the best of Sora's ability to see, he saw what could be described as a mirror appearing right in front of him. The mirror showed only him and the sea and dark sky surrounding him. It made no sense at all.

Left confused by the mirror, he reached his hand out to see what would happen and expected his hand to touch the mirror and nothing else.

However, that did not happen.

Instead of his hand hitting the mirror, his hand caused a ripple effect to appear almost as if he dropped a rock in a still body of water. And the feeling of the mirror felt quite unreal which caused him to feel that things were wrong.

With the situation still at an all-time high, Sora decided to move headfirst into the unknown and walked into the mirror with no expectations at all.

*FOOSH!*

As soon as he stepped through the portal, he was then met with a bright flash of light hitting him which felt bothersome and then… painful. It was then that he realized that he was now suspended in the air and flying back and hitting the water with a thud.

*THUD!*

*SPLASH!*

"GAH! Ngh! What the- "

"Sora!" someone called out to him.

"Get up! Please!"

*BOOM!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*THWIK!*

Shaking his head and clutching his chest, Sora rattled his vision and saw a better picture of what just happened to him.

Standing several meters ahead of him, the Astrowarrior was now engaging in combat with Washington, Kaga, Hiei, and Duke of York with the two white-haired girls firing their riggings right at the Heartless while Duke of York was dashing forward and striking at the large foe while also shooting her rigging. Meanwhile, Hiei appeared right behind the armored Heartless and began slashing it before being forced back. The group was making sure to keep the dangerous Heartless focused on them.

In addition, his eyes shifted to the side and could see North Carolina, Baltimore, and Enterprise engaging in distant combat with the Heartless fleet. Enterprise was firing high-speed arrows from her bow followed by her rigging sending a barrage of fire against the Heartless. Carol on her part was dashing from side to side while making sure her ranged attacks were hitting the ships head-on. Baltimore was firing rapid rounds from her riggings

Everyone seemed to be engaged in combat of some kind.

However, two girls were not seen to be with-

"Sora! Are you okay?"

Turning his head, he saw Littorio and George standing next to him with the green-haired woman's hand extended out to him.

"You good?"

"Y-Yeah… what just happened?"

The Keyblade wielder responded while accepting her hand and winding himself back to his feet. A look of hastened concern was crossing his face.

"The last thing I recall was watching the Astrowarrior and then... I was staring at a mirror…"

"That's a Mirror Sea for you. They're all different based on the simulation being run by the Sirens" George explained while readying herself with her rapier. "In one minute, things can seem normal, the next you'll be stuck in an unbelievable situation. And the worst part is that Mirror Seas can almost spawn anywhere."

"Really? Anywhere?"

"Not exactly. It's just you're more likely to find them out at sea. Especially in areas sighted to have Siren activity" Littorio added to the topic.

Realizing that there was more to a Mirror Sea than he thought, Sora marked it as a topic he'd have to ask more about later. Right now, his concern was focused on the Astrowarrior who was putting up a fight to the girls.

"I'll have to ask more about this later, but first that Astrowarrior needs to go down!"

"Well then, what are we waiting for?!" George shouted while dashing forward at the large foe.

Sora and Littorio didn't need to say anything else and joined the fight.

---

*Music - Kingdom Hearts 0.2 OST - Wave of Darkness Phase 1*

---

*BOOM!*

A blast of light had been directed at Washington which forced her to jump back and send another barrage of gunfire right at the Heartless which ended up doing minimal damage.

"Seriously?! What the hell is this thing made of? That armor is taking everything we're throwing at it!"

Waving her hand through the air, Kaga had cast several small blue paper planes that immediately flashed a blue light before appearing as several large planes soaring overhead and targeting the Astrowarrior. The planes flew at an incredible speed while keeping a distance from the large foe.

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

All shots fired from the planes were taken at face value before the Astrowarrior's shoulders started glowing a bright orange color followed by small orange pill-like beams being hurtled at the planes.

*KA-BOOM!*

One of the planes had been shot down while the other flew back in the air to make another attempt at weakening the armored foe.

"Tch. Aerial shots aren't doing much either. That thing's attacks are quite strong. Stronger than most Siren ships."

"Don't think about it as a Siren!"

Hearing a new voice join in, Kaga turned to see Sora running up to her with his Keyblade held in both hands. A battle-stoic look graced his face as she had recognized when the boy had become serious.

At the same time, Littoiro and George began firing their own riggings at the menacing Heartless while Washington and Duke of York joined in the attack. This then forced the Astrowarrior to raise its left arm which was the barrel arm up to block the gunfire and explosions hitting it.

*BOOM!*

*BAP!*

*BAP!*

*BANG!*

Just as Kaga was about to summon another set of airplanes to take to the sky, Sora dashed to her side and caught her attention.

"Heartless are going to act and behave differently than a Siren. No matter how small or big the Heartless, don't underestimate it!"

"Hmph. Our attacks aren't doing much to it. So, since you're the Heartless expert, what do we do? How do we take it out?"

"The last time I dealt with this guy, I was in a Gummiship and had several guns equipped. A few were fire-based while the others were- "

"A Gummiship? What even- that doesn't- what?!" Kaga repeated while being at a total loss.

"That's another topic for another- Look out!"

Leaping right at the kitsune woman, Sora jumped on Kaga and pushed her to the ground while coming seconds away from being hit by something large and fast.

"What was that!?" Kaga shouted while realizing that Sora was so close to her.

The sound of a projectile flying extremely close while moving so fast caught everyone's attention as well as forced them to move.

"Sorry! That was- "Sora started to say.

"Wah! Watch it!" North Carolina shouted.

"Gah!" Washinton lunged down while yelling.

"Where did that- "Littorio began to ask before turning her head.

*CLINK*

*CHIK*

The object that had just flown past everyone turned out to be the Astrowarrior's right arm which had a claw-like hand with the rocket-designed arm. With a simple injection, the arm that had been launched like a missile was now back on the armored foe's arm.

"That was the Astrowarrior's arm. That Heartless can do other dangerous attacks that we need to be careful of."

As Sora said this, he got back to his feet and offered a hand to Kaga to which she accepted the offer and was standing next to him.

"So, what's its weakness? You said you've dealt with one before in your… gum ship as you said" Kaga reiterated while glancing at the armored Heartless engaging in combat with the others.

"We strike quick and at its blind spots. It's able to move around fast, but there's more of us than it. We've got the upper hand and with the others keeping the Heartless fleet off our back there's nothing to worry about."

Coincidently, as Sora said this the sounds of explosions could be heard from a distance as well as the sight of Enterprise, Baltimore, and North Carolina moving along the water with impeccable speed. The Heartless were unable to hit the three women as they made sure to keep the creatures' focus directed at them.

"Good enough for me. Let's finish this pest."

"I'm with you on that!"

Together, the two dashed forward and joined the group of girls all engaging in fighting against the Astrowarrior.

Duke of York, Hiei, Littorio, and George were all focused on close-up attack while striking their blades against the foe's body. While Washington was providing support by aiming her weapons at the armored enemy's head causing it to shrug off each hit its face took.

Once Kaga was close enough, she threw several more paper planes in the air before they flashed and appeared as full-sized planes that took to the sky. She then aimed her rigging and began laying fire on the Astrowarrior to support Washington's efforts.

However, before he joined in on the fun, Sora quickly let go of his Keyblade and immediately flicked his wrist to then summon a weapon that might just prove to be effective in this fight.

*FLASH*

Now in his hand, he was holding onto the blade that took on the appearance of Unicorn's charm that she had given him. The purple and white themed Keyblade with an anchor on it was now in his hands and he was ready to see how well this weapon worked in battle.

"Let's go!"

Dashing forward and aiming straight for the Astrowarrior's left side, Sora instantly swiped the Keyblade but was forcefully met with the armored Heartless left arm pushing him. The Heartless then fired more projectiles from its shoulders at the boy causing him to roll to the side and break into a sprint to avoid being hit.

Hiei and George both sprinted and leaped into the air to strike at the boss's back but were met with the Heartless spinning around rather quickly and hitting them back into the water. Littorio then jumped into the fray and landed a barrage of stabs at the Astrowarrior's shoulder causing it to slightly tweak and activate its shoulders immediately.

"That bothers you, huh?" Littorio gloated to the Heartless.

To answer her remark, the Astrowarrior lifted its left arm with the four-barrel canon and had the barrels start revolving before pointing it directly at the green-haired woman.

"Ehe. Spoke too soon."

*PEW!*

*PEW!*

*PEW!*

*PEW!*

*PEW!*

"Hah!"

Rotating her foot and dipping out of there, Littorio narrowly got out of the way of a barrage of pill-like beams being shot out of the Astrowarrior's weapon. The beams of light were not as fast as other weapons using beams, but what they lacked in speed was replaced by in number.

The barrage of beams even forced a few of the other girls to retreat and get some distance from the attack. However, that didn't stop a certain someone from rushing straight forward into the attack.

"Hyah!"

With agility and dexterity on his side, Sora quickly deflected and blocked as many beams as possible that got in his way, and before he knew it, he was a few feet away from the Astrowarrior.

"That does it!"

Throwing his arm out, the Keyblade then transformed into a shield that featured a center insignia of the Azur Lane logo. In addition, the Keyblade flashed back into his other hand which allowed him to strike a quick pose against the bothersome Heartless.

Banging the Keyblade against the shield, Sora caught the Astrowarrior's attention.

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size!"

The armored Heartless then launched its right rocket arm at the boy without any warning whatsoever.

However, Sora quickly adapted to the sudden attack and instantly held the shield in front of himself and successfully blocked the rocket arm.

*BAM!*

Once the arm encountered the shield it bounced off and landed right into the water before blasting off and returning to the Astrowarrior but not before leaving a large splash of water behind.

"Bah! That was rude!" Washington shouted after being soaked from the splash.

As the Astrowarrior latched its arm back into itself, Sora immediately set forth to push the Heartless back. However, he had a sudden thought on how to do such a thing.

"Guys! Give me an opening! Please!" Sora shouted aloud for everyone to hear.

Sporting smirks on their faces, the girls were immediately all in favor of helping the Keyblade wielder with that favor.

"Ask and you shall receive!" Littorio cheered excitedly.

"We've got you covered!" Enterprise fired back.

"Leave it to us!" George added.

This was then followed by the girls all breaking into a dash across the water and beginning to lay wave after wave of gunfire and explosions against the Astrowarrior while making sure its attention was away from Sora.

Seeing his opening before him, the brunette smirked widely before grabbing hold of the blade and shield while making sure his wit was about him before striking back.

Stepping forward once and then adjusting his upper body, Sora chucked the shield right at the armored Heartless causing it to slam into its head before hurtling back to him. Alas, instead of grabbing the shield, Sora decided to deflect it with the Keyblade causing it to go flying at the Astrowarrior. This once again slammed into the Heartless's head and sent the shield back to its wielder who then deflected it again.

*BANG!*

*WHACK!*

*BANG!*

*WHACK!*

*BANG!*

*WHACK!*

After the third time this attack happened, Sora grabbed onto the shield instead of deflecting it and lunged himself forward toward the Astrowarrior. With enough energy stored in his shield, he then thrust the shield forward which instantly summoned a large glowing cannon and fired an explosive round at the Heartless which caused a massive explosion.

*KA-BOOM!*

The others who were provided cover fire against the Astrowarrior were left in awe at the incredible power of Sora's abilities. Granted, this had not been their first time seeing this special attack before, but it was the first time against an actual foe and the impact it had was even greater than they thought.

"*whistle* Damn" Washington muttered while watching the Astrowarrior be flung back and fall into the water. "That's some cannon."

"I think you mean shield, Wash" Enterprise said, sporting a smile.

"True."

Meanwhile, Littorio and George had their eyes trained on Sora as he landed on the water and managed to land on his feet. He then twirled the Keyblade and held the shield by his side managing to strike a pose without even realizing it.

'Wow…'

At that moment, the two shared the same thought while observing the Keyblade wielder. Hearing about the boy's power was one thing, but to see it for themselves and how quickly he was able to go from a happy and friendly guy to a powerful foe on the battlefield was something else.

Moreover, it wasn't just Littorio and George who were captivated by Sora's actions, off to the side, Washington, Hiei, Enterprise, and Duke of York were all thinking the same mind. Amazement was written all over their faces along with the swelling of other emotions. Some lingering on appreciation or invested interest in the spiky-haired boy.

Other emotions that most of the girls had lingered on an increased beating in their chests at seeing the heroic boy before them.

Sora, on the other hand, had his focus directed toward the downed Astrowarrior. It would only be a few moments before the Heartless got back up and started attacking them again. Hence, the Guardian of Light made a swift assurance that it would not be getting back up.

"Not this time!"

Dashing in front of everyone and right toward the Astrowarrior, Sora hurled the Keyblade right at the armored foe's head before leaping into the air and slamming the shield at its body.

*WHAM – BAM!*

*BANG!*

*SWISH!*

"HYAH!"

As soon as the shield was slammed into the Astrowarrior, a blast of water shot around the shield which was due to the Keyblade's elemental attribute. He then slammed the shield against the Heartless to make sure it wouldn't be getting up again. At the same time, Sora swiftly extended his left and summoned the Keyblade before slashing at the armored enemy's chest.

Like the practice attacks, he displayed back on the island, with every slash of the Keyblade and shield, torrents of water were instantly cast after every attack. What seemed like an aggressive onslaught of attacks left the girls momentarily paused before realizing that this was their opening shot to which they immediately joined in.

*SWOOSH!*

*CLINK!*

*BANG!*

*BAM!*

*POP!*

*BOOM!*

Everyone joined in on the attack against the large meddling Heartless as Sora remained on top of the foe while the others either fired point-blank rounds from their riggings or used their weapons to strike against the heavily armored fiend.

"Keep it up!" Kaga chanted.

"This guy's not getting up!" George roared.

"There's no escape!" Duke of York stated.

"Strike it down!" Littorio yelled.

"Pass on!" Hiei shouted.

"Bite the dust!" Washington called out.

"You're through!" Sora declared.

With everyone's attacks being directed at the Astrowarrior, the armored Heartless was left with only one option in its arsenal to fight back against its aggressors.

*BZZT!*

*CLINK!*

Moving its body back, the Heartless lifted its bottom half and pointed it right at the group before firing up a bright beam.

"That thing's getting something ready!" Washington yelled.

"Get back! It's going to start firing like crazy!" Sora shouted before getting into a defensive pose with the shield held in front of him. "It's getting desperate!"

"How far back do we have to- "

Before George could finish asking her question, the Astrowarrior's bottom half started firing a multitude of beams at everyone in sight. There was no time to get out of the way.

"Everyone! Behind me now!"

Not needing to be told twice, all the girls instantly leaped behind the Keyblade wielder as he continued to block every single beam of light directed toward him and the girls. As ridiculous as this plan seemed, it was working, and no one was hurt by the desperate attack coming from the Heartless.

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

"Hah!"

Putting his weight in every step he took, Sora slowly moved closer to the Astrowarrior while everyone else stayed right behind him. Before they knew it, the group was only a few feet away from encountering the armored foe. This was the perfect opportunity.

"Now! Attack it!" the Keyblade wielder shouted while holding the attack back.

In a swift strike, all the girls who wielded a blade dashed to opposite sides and immediately began slashing at the Astrowarrior. The attacks on its side caused the Heartless to turn its body to the left which was just the opportunity that Sora wanted.

"It ends here!"

*WHOOSH!*

Leaping into the air, Sora thrust the shield forward which caused a massive cannon to appear and blast the Astrowarrior square in the chest causing a massive explosion.

*KA-BOOM!*

Everyone was now on guard as the cloud of dust from the explosion blocked their view of the Heartless. It wasn't until the cloud faded away that they could see the Heartless start to fade away into nothing meaning that they had achieved victory.

"Yeah!" Washington cheered loudly.

"That was… a lot more difficult than I thought it would be…" Kaga muttered while letting out a sigh.

"No kidding. That foe… whatever armor it was wearing proved to be a pain" Hiei added.

"Heh. But with our glorious might, we achieved victory. And it's all thanks to our hero!" Littorio chanted while gesturing over at Sora.

However, as everyone looked at the spiky-haired boy, Sora leaned down right where the Astrowarrior was and found him leaning down on the water holding something strange.

"Sora? What's that?" Duke of York called out to the boy while also growing curious at his action.

Standing up and turning to the girls, the blue-eyed hero had a giant yet dorky smile on his face as he was holding what appeared to be an item of some kind. A few of the girls wondered if it was part of the Heartless.

"This…" Sora replied while holding up what appeared to be a strange-looking key. "Is something I lost a while back. I don't know how the Heartless had it, but it's back in safe hands and that's all that matters."

Once he said this, Sora held out his Keyblade and immediately attached the weird-looking key to it which caused a flash of light to appear before everyone. It was then that another flash of light appeared only this time something new happened.

In the boy's hand was a new weapon or at the very least a blade of some kind with a general focus on wood and in a predominantly dark grey color. There was a simple handle with a guard engraved with various designs along with the base bearing a pirate skull with a red bandanna. What could be described as a mast of some kind was attached to the bladed part and was surrounded by two climbing nets that converged on three red flags. Near the top of the weapon was a steering wheel giving it a ship kind of them. All in all, the weapon looked to be complex in nature but also beautiful in design.

The first one to speak up was Washington who let out a whistle before speaking up, "That's one hell of a weapon."

"No kidding. It looks to be completely made of wood" Hiei commented while examining the boy's new blade.

"Can… does it even cut?" Kaga questioned with curiosity.

Hearing the girls all question his new weapon, Sora twirled it once before letting it rest on his shoulder and offered a confident smirk.

Unaware of how he appeared now, several of the girls all had the same thoughts bouncing around their heads.

'That was cool…'

Duke of York was the first one to break the silence while keeping a close eye on the wooden weapon.

"Sora, mind explaining how you happened to get that… weapon?"

"It's just like before when Unicorn gave me her gift which was the charm. Certain items like that can change the appearance of my Keyblade" he explained to the pink-haired woman.

"Interesting. Should I be afraid?"

"Huh? Why?"

With a glint in her eye, Duke of York winked at the boy before gesturing to the wooden weapon.

"You know how it is with vampires. A wooden stake to the heart will be the end for dear ole me. But you wouldn't want that, would you, Sora~?"

An eye roll was immediately acted upon by George who stared at her sister with an annoyed expression.

"Well, actually, funny story. You see I've talked to a vampire before and- "

*BOOM!*

Just as Sora was about to diverge the conversation, a loud ringing could be heard before a large splash of water hit several meters away from the group. Everyone then turned their attention to the fight currently going on out in the distance. The brief moment of respite had been broken and reality settled back in.

"Enterprise and the others are still fighting" Washington muttered while watching the gunfire between the kansens and Heartless ships play out.

"It… doesn't look like they've destroyed any of the Heartless ships" Littorio grimly noted.

"Something is off" claimed Kaga.

Alas, Sora could also agree with what Kaga said and began to contemplate something that didn't seem so obvious at first, but now considering what was happening with Enterprise, Baltimore, and North Carolina it was starting to make complete sense.

'The Heartless appeared in forms that I didn't expect and with the Mirror Sea being a simulation of some kind… could that mean that the Heartless are part of the simulation? And if that's the case, then wouldn't that also mean that- '

"Hey guys! Heads up!" Washington yelled, causing the Keyblade wielder to snap out of his thoughts.

"What's going on?"

*BZZT!*

*BZZT!*

*WHOOSH!*

"Not again!" screamed George.

The entire area before them was becoming distorted again leaving the water and sky to change from a blue sky to a darkened sky. One second there was not a cloud in the sky, and in the next, dark clouds were casting a blanket over them with lighting striking across the sea. Moreover, a fuzzy haze was dampening their vision forcing everyone to squint and try to make out what was happening.

"Is the simulation breaking?!" Littorio yelled.

"No! It's changing again!" Duke of York answered while trying to stand up straight.

"Look out! It's- "

*BZZT!*

*SWOOSH!*

*KA-BOOM!*

"Ngh! Gyah!"

"Sora!?"

---

A few moments later

Hit by an unknown explosion, Sora was sent flying back and landed right into the water. The confusion surrounding this Mirror Sea followed by not understanding it clearly could be felt in the boy's chest. A sense of annoyance was growing in him as he was getting tired of being attacked unfairly.

"Enough with the explosions! If you want a fight, then face me head-on!"

"Heh! I couldn't agree more with you!"

Taken back by what was said, Sora did not recognize the voice that just spoke leaving him to perk up and look around for whoever spoke. As he turned around, he noticed that a girl he had never met before was standing there and looking right at him.

This girl had a slender figure with a medium bust and short brown hair tied in a short ponytail with bright blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of white thigh-high boots that had a blue outline around her thigh, a short blue mini skirt, a white top that appeared to reach just above her stomach, and two arm sleeves that went up to her shoulders. Two white gloves could also be seen on her fingers. Another characteristic of this girl was that she had a set of riggings also out.

"Uh… Hi?"

"Hello. I take it that you're surprised to see me."

With a chuckle, Sora couldn't help but wholeheartedly agree.

"Yep. You read my mind."

"Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Sora."

"Huh? You know me?"

"I mean, you are the only boy I've seen in… well, ever" the brown-haired girl replied with a friendly smile. "Besides, your name has been ringing off the radio repeatedly."

Realizing that should have been obvious, Sora scratched his cheek but not before recalling another important factor in what she said.

"Wait. Does that mean you're one of the girls we've been sent to help find?"

"Yes. You've got that right. My name is Repulse. A Renown-class battlecruiser for the Royal Navy. It's nice to finally meet you!"

Offering the girl a friendly smile, Sora straightened himself up.

"Same goes for you. You wouldn't happen to know where we are now, would you?"

A sigh left Repulse as she shook her head with a slight bit of distraught.

"Well, I don't think this will come as a shocker but we're inside a Mirror Sea," Repulse said while carefully analyzing how the boy would take this news.

"I knew about that already. As soon as George heard Vanguard's voice coming into her radio, we were then flashed or teleported into the Mirror Sea."

A look of surprise crossed Repulse's face as she processed what Sora had said.

"You managed to hear Vanguard… that's good news."

"Why? Shouldn't she be with you?"

With a shake of her head, the brunette answered.

"We got separated a while back. After New Jersey, Boise, and San Francisco entered the scouting zone, they were then pulled into the Mirror Sea where they encountered Sirens. We also lost solid contact with them leaving us in the dark."

Listening to Repulse and visualizing what she was describing, Sora could picture the moment the two groups lost communication with one another.

"We then encountered some Sirens which were nothing more than grunts messing with us. However, the others and I were separated and dropped somewhere in the Mirror Sea."

"How large are the Mirror Seas? I mean, I get that it's called a sea but… "Sora reasoned to the girl while looking around.

"Well, it depends. As weak of an answer as that is, Mirror Seas vary based on the location and whoever is manipulating what goes on in the simulation. The Royal Navy has recorded a few examples of Mirror Seas that encompassed so much area that it was a real hassle to keep track of."

"Huh… So, how do you go about getting rid of a Mirror Sea?" the Keyblade wielder asked while taking in his new surroundings.

While the sky was still darkened with storm clouds, the wind had picked up and lightning randomly struck in the distance. The atmosphere conveyed a sense of dread, mystique, and darkness all in one.

"Either you take out the one controlling the simulation, or you wait till the Sirens finish doing whatever experiments they have planned" Repulse answered while looking out at the sea with a sour expression. "There's still a great deal that we don't know about regarding the Sirens."

Understanding just how she felt, Sora couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"You could say that again. But change Sirens with Heartless."

"Heartless… those are the creatures that have popped up suddenly, right?" Repulse asked.

"Yeah. Even though I've dealt with them for a few years now, there's still a great deal that I don't know about them. And now that they've appeared and are working with the Sirens…"

"That only spells more trouble…"

Nodding at her words, Sora gave her another look before speaking up.

"You didn't seem all that surprised when I mentioned the Heartless, why is that?"

With a shrug of her shoulders, Repulse could see that it was an interesting point to make.

"We were briefly filled in on the situation developing on the island. From your first arrival to being taken as a prisoner, many of the girls in Eagle Union and the Royal Navy are aware of you and your situation. And let it be known, you've realistically only encountered a small number of girls."

Hearing that there were many more girls to meet, the Keyblade wielder decided to let that bit of information reside in the back of his mind and focus on the situation at hand.

"I see... That makes things not so chaotic anymore" Sora replied, feeling a bit of relief while recalling his first encounter with the girls of Azur Lane and the Sakura Empire.

"I won't lie, there are many things I wish to ask you about about your entire situation, but now doesn't seem like the right time. Right now, we need to find a way to regroup with everyone. And then we need to put a stop to this Mirror Sea."

Agreeing with what Repulse was saying, Sora nodded while summoning his Keyblade.

"Right. Do you have any leads or ideas on what we should do next? I'd rather not go wandering around and get stuck in some loop."

"I do. See that haze in the distance?" she asked while pointing to something odd in the east. "I've been in this area for a good hour and that area has not changed at all."

Glancing at the area she pointed out, Sora gave it a close look and couldn't really see anything happening there. However, he did feel like his eyes were being strained while staring in that area. Almost as if it was a hallucination.

The best example Sora could think of at the moment would be his time back in the Caribbean when he, Donald, and Goofy ran into Captain Jack and his ship, the Black Pearl, being carried by crabs. The heat was getting to him and causing his vision to blur and questioned if what appeared in front of him was real at all. That same feeling was how he felt staring at the area Repulse pointed out.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to check it out. Shall we?"

"We shall."

The two then began to walk right to the hazy area and kept their guards up. The chance that they could be attacked at any moment was something very likely. Sora could vouch for that. His entire time in the Mirror Sea had ended up with him being hit by random attacks.

"So, you don't know where your friends are now? The girls that were with you?" the spiky-haired brunette questioned.

"No, I have no idea where Vanguard or Nelson are now. I hope that they're alright, but I know those two. If anything, there's nothing to be worried about" Repulse sincerely answered.

"Mm. The same can be said about George and the others. They're strong."

"Mm. That they are."

As the two continued to approach the haze, it became abundantly clear that something was up. The entire area was now beginning to distort once again and show something abnormal.

*ZzZz*

*BZZT*

*WHOOSH*

*ZING*

*SWOOSH*

Suddenly appearing right in front of them was a structure that had not been there before. A sense of eerie aura could also be felt emanating from the area's atmosphere causing the two to stop walking and take in the sight.

"Repulse?"

"Yeah?"

"Was that… castle there before…?"

"Nope…"

A frown could be felt appearing on Sora's face.

"Are buildings like this common in Mirror Seas?"

"In a Mirror Sea, anything is possible with the- "

*BZZT!*

*ZAP!*

*WHOOSH!*

Before Repulse could finish what she was saying, a burst of light blinded the two leaving Sora to cover his face.

"Gah! What's going on!?"

"Sora! Run!"

"Repulse!? What's happening!"

*BZZT!*

"Huh!?"

The light had now faded leaving the Keyblade wielder to be standing in what appeared to be a large empty white room with nothing in sight. There was also a strange sound coming from somewhere. Almost like electricity was running from one power source to another. In the corner of his mind, Sora couldn't help but think back to the Grid and how that place was all technology-based. An area where he was not the most proficient.

---

Left with no one by his side, Sora's eyes scanned the area and tried to find anything that could give him an idea of where he was now.

"Hello? Repulse?"

No response was given.

"Anyone? Hello?"

No response was given.

"Grr. Come on! What's going on now!?"

"Boy. Do you talk a lot?"

A response was given. This time by an unknown voice.

"Huh? Who is there?"

*BZZT!*

Out of nowhere, a girl with long white hair, bright yellow eyes, thigh-high black metal boots, short underwear, a top that showed much of her slime figure, and a smug smile appeared right before him.

"Huh… you're a lot less intimidating up close. Purifier said you were this tough fighter and based on the footage capture of you I thought you'd be more… well, I'm not sure what I thought. But you're not up to my expectations" the elite Siren said to the Keyblade wielder.

"Are you this rude to everyone you meet for the first time?" Sora angrily questioned while pointing his Keyblade at her.

"For your information, I'm being nice. But where are my manners? My name is Tester. I'll be overseeing your trial to completion. Whether you live or die is up to you. But I'll be making sure I get the proper data from this project."

"Project? What are you talking about? Why are you and the Sirens so mysterious?"

A smug smile appeared on Tester's face as she tilted her head and stared bluntly at the boy.

"Tired of it? Who isn't? We don't have to tell you anything. All you need to do is sustain our needs. And right now, our main need is to run this project on you."

"Yeah, no thanks. I'm not going to go through whatever you have planned for me!" Sora countered.

"Hehe. Don't worry. You'll involve yourself in our project without any hassle. I just need to tweak a few things…"

"What are- "

*PEW*

*BZZT*

*BOOM*

The environment had now changed from being an empty room to now becoming a space with purple lighting in the distance striking the ground followed by advanced technology displayed all over the place. Purple glowing lights could be seen diverting in various directions along with the place having a futuristic feel to it.

Moreover, the more striking part of this whole situation was that Sora found himself standing on a large circular platform with Tester simply standing right in front of him. It was almost as if she had no care in the world.

"Welcome! To the testing ground! Hrm… I don't really have a name for this place. I usually just run experiments on a close basis here. Getting recording and detailed analysis on the scenarios I operate."

As Tester said this, multiple screens popped up out of nowhere and in front of her. Her hands then went to work tapping away at a console keyboard that appeared before her in an illuminated state.

"Let's see… for starters, I'll have you fight some Enforcers. That should help get you limber and prepared for the fights to come."

"I told you. I'm not getting involved in whatever tests you plan to run on me!"

"Mm-hm. How about now?"

With her hands rapidly tapping away at the console, Tester had now caused a part of the platform to glow a bright purple color before something was digitally placed. That something… happened to be two girls who were bound in digitized chains. Their arms were bound behind their backs and their feet were forced together. One of the girls looked annoyed while the other had a stern expression written all over her face.

"Where are we now, Tester? questioned one of the girls.

"Unhand us now! How about you put up a fair fight instead of using cheap tricks!" yelled the other girl.

Tester shifted her body to look at the two girls and simply feigned a concerned look on her face.

"Hmm… You're right. I should have given you a fair fight. But…" Lowering her eyes toward the two girls restrained, Tester grinned with malicious intent. "I don't fight fair. Honestly, I'm not usually on the front lines. I'm more of a backup support if you will."

"Grr! Let us go!"

Getting a better look at the restrained girls, Sora could easily see he had not interacted with or even met them and that they must have been more of the lost girls. The situation was quite dire now that these two were here and it was hard to get a clear read on Tester. He would have to play it safe for now.

"What's your goal, Tester? You clearly have a plan to take them hostage. What are you after?" Sora carefully questioned the elite Siren.

"I already explained it to you. You're not very smart, are you?" Tester rudely replied with a smirk. "My main goal for this entire Mirror Sea… is you."

The two ship girls were now left shocked by this sudden announcement.

"What? This whole Mirror Sea is- urgh! " one of the girls shouted.

"Yes. Granted, the entirety of this whole simulation project was also to test the commencement of Heartless and Sirens together in combat. Which reminds me…"

Suddenly, a dozen monitors appeared out of nowhere around Tester while she furiously started typing away at her main console monitor. The Siren's eyes were also bouncing around at an incredible speed with her attention being on one monitor before being shifted to another and then another all while her hands were typing away and never stopping at all.

*BZZT*

A strange chime appeared out of nowhere and seemed to come from one of the monitors. However, bright flashes began to appear on all the monitors leaving Sora and the two girls confused on what exactly was happening.

"And… there… we… go!"

"What did you do?" the Guardian of Light directly asked, trying to keep up with whatever she was doing on the monitors.

"I decided to raise the stakes" Tester casually stated while typing away at her monitor. "This should make things more interesting. Here- take a look."

With a swipe of her hand, Tester had now caused several monitors to appear right in front of Sora as well as the restrained girls.

---

Upon a closer look, he could see Enterprise in one monitor while George, Littorio, Hiei, Kaga, North Carolina, and Baltimore were spotted in other monitors.

On the restrained girls' monitors, it showed Repulse and the other Eagle Union girls all showcasing weary expressions on their faces. It was quite evident that they had been fighting for their lives.

"Repulse! Where is she!?" one of the restrained girls yelled.

"Oh, don't worry. She and the others are still in the Mirror Sea. Think of it as the lay of the land separated into different quadrants. Each quadrant will be running an experiment and I'll be the one overseeing it all!" Tester excitedly replied while her eyes seemed to glow brighter.

Flustered and beyond upset at what was happening, one of the girls started wiggling her body around to try and break the electric binds around her but was stopped when she saw Sora step forward.

"Hm? Is something the matter, hero?" Tester antagonized the Keyblade wielder.

Rather than give a verbal response to the Siren, Sora decided to go for a different kind of reply.

Before either of the girls could react, he aimed the Keyblade right at Tester and chanted a magic spell that would prevent the elite Siren from continuing her plans.

"Stop- "

"Not so fast!"

*PEW*

*PEW*

*PEW*

*PEW*

Without any warning, the area around Sora's body was soon digitized leaving him utterly shocked by how fast Tester had acted. Alas, upon closer inspection he also found himself staring up at the castle from a different point of view and could see that he was now at the entrance of the structure.

"Haha! That was a close one!" came Tester's voice through a speaker somewhere in the area. "If I hadn't prepared for a rapid attack like you just tried, my plans and the project would be in shambles. I have to say, that was a good move, Sora!"

"Grr! Enough with the games!"

"You're right. I've dilly-dallied long enough. It's time to get the project rolling at full speed. I wouldn't want to keep my superiors waiting any longer."

Not expecting that kind of response from the Siren, Sora fired a question back at her.

"Your superiors? What do you mean?"

A stark bit of silence soon echoed across the area leaving the Keyblade wielder feeling a knot in his stomach. While Tester didn't appear as chaotic as Purifier, she was talkative. So, not hearing her immediately respond left the boy feeling a sense of trepidation.

"Hmm… should I answer? Or should I leave it up for you to find out… Hehe… I think I'll go for the latter!"

"Wait!"

"Apologies but I'm done waiting. The simulation project has now begun. Full control of the Mirror Sea and its properties are on standby. I will now commence with phase two of the plan."

*BZZT!*

*VRMMM!*

Electric chimes and beeps could be heard across the area leaving Sora utterly perplexed on what was happening. Since this was all a simulation, that pretty much meant that he was at the mercy of the Sirens and whatever game they had in store for him and the others.

"Here's a quick little glimpse at what your friends are going to be dealing with. As a courtesy gesture, you'll get one peek."

Suddenly, several monitors appeared right before Sora showing him a few of the girls in real time.

---

Meanwhile, with Enterprise

*BOOM!*

*BANG!*

*POP!*

"Baltimore!"

"Got it!"

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

"That ship's down!"

Swerving her head to the side, Enterprise then called out to her North Carolina.

"Carol! How's our flank?"

"Holding! But not for long. We're being overrun here!"

The current situation the three were dealing with was becoming quite dire as the first Heartless fleet of ships they fought against had been decimated. However, another fleet of ships bearing Heartless flags appeared out of nowhere causing the three to become stressed.

"You guys see that?" Baltimore murmured.

"Yeah… more trouble."

"How are we on ammo?" Enterprise asked while pulling on her bowstring.

With a quick check of their equipment and riggings, North Carolina was the first to speak up.

"Do you want the good news or bad news?"

"Might as start good and end bad" the brunette said while clutching her right hand that had been injured during the fight.

Nodding her head, Enterprise gestured for North Carolina to give the good then bad news.

"Good news, I'm good on ammo for this fight. Bad news… I'm going to have to learn how to fight with my hands if this keeps up."

"I'd be more than happy to give you a quick lesson on hand-to-hand combat, Carol. It might hurt hands, but it's also a hell of a way to get rid of some stress" Baltimore claimed while smirking.

"Tempting. But I'd rather not break my hands punching a ship" the blonde-haired kansen replied with a light chuckle. "I'm sure Washington would gladly take you up on that offer."

"You'll have to remind me to ask her after we get out of here."

Glad to hear her friends were keeping a level head with the current situation, Enterprise knew that she was also running low on ammo due to the never-ending waves of Heartless ships that were appearing out of nowhere. The situation was out of their control.

In addition, it had been some time now that she lost visual and contact with Sora and the others. Whatever that electronic sound had been was causing the Mirror Sea to act up in strange ways. It was almost as if someone was manipulating her every move.

Either way, she would not fall here, and neither would her friends.

"Heads up. Looks like the next wave is about to start" Enterprise said to the two.

"Heh. You still keeping count, Carol?" Baltimore playfully asked.

"Absolutely. I'm currently in the lead now."

"For now, that is…"

And with that, the next barrage of bombs fired from the Heartless ships was sent toward the trio of Eagle Union ship girls as they all prepared themselves for the fight to come.

---

Elsewhere with George and the others

---

*Azur Lane OST – Urgency (Kaga's Battle Theme)*

---

"Ugh… this place is getting on my nerves!" screamed a flustered Kaga.

"Please take it easy, Kaga" Hiei said, trying to calm the kitsune woman.

Stepping forward and taking in her surroundings, Littorio had several thoughts regarding their current predicament. And the main concern of hers was where everyone else was.

"This area hasn't changed yet…"

"And yet, Sora is gone" Washington argued while passing a hand through her hair. "We're being messed with big time."

Letting a puff of air out of her nose, George had to agree with Washington's remark. Ever since they entered the Mirror Sea it's been nothing but unfair situations hitting them. From that armored Heartless appearance to losing Sora, and now being led astray in this simulated place. Whatever the Sirens were planning did not spell good news.

"Huh? George, what's that?" Duke of York gestured to the side while speaking loud enough to get everyone's attention.

Looking to where her sister pointed out, George could see a faint glow beginning to arise under the water and grow rapidly. Before she or anyone else could react, the light had now emerged from beneath the water's surface showcasing what it really was. The truth caused everyone to summon their rigging and get their trigger fingers ready to fire.

"Hey everyone! It's good to see you!" came a familiar voice.

The glowing light had turned out to be the elite Siren none other than Purifier who appeared as her usual self. A wicked smile appeared on her face as she gave a little bow while being extremely dramatic.

"Hello! Hello! I'm deeply sorry for making you and the others wait. Although, that second group of girls should be busy right about now…"

*SWISH!*

In the blink of an eye, George had appeared right in front of Purifier and managed to swipe the side of her cheek causing a small cut to be visible. Had she been a second slower from backing away, Purifier would've had the Royal Navy kansen's blade doing critical damage to her body.

"Whoa! What was that about!? You could have hurt me!"

With a single glare, King George conveyed her annoyance and overall irritation at the current predicament. If looks could kill, then hers would fit the mold.

"That's the point."

"Geez! Who knew you were dangerous?" Having said this, Purifier broke out into a grin and tilted her head to the side, "Hehe! Just kidding! I already knew you were a hothead. It's good that you've got spunk. You're going to need it here soon."

Keeping a wary stance against the Siren, Kaga was the first to break the staggered silence.

"What is the purpose of this Mirror Sea?"

"And a hello to you too, old pal!"

A scowl escaped the white kitsune woman's mouth as she glared at the Siren. The simple acknowledgment of her past actions caused Kaga to feel a twinge in her chest. However, this was a topic she would not allow to hold her back. Mistakes were made and now she would work to make amends.

After all, actions speak louder than words.

"Save your breath, you wench."

"Ooh! Those are some fighting words! I like it!"

*WHIK*

*BOOM!*

*SPLASH*

Unexpectedly, an explosion right under Purifier's body caused her to go soaring through the air and leave a massive splash of water as a distraction.

"Agh!"

"Really!?"

"Come on!"

Covering her eyes and focusing on where Purifier was now, Kaga had to instantly use her arms defensively with her rigging taking a heavy hit.

*BANG!*

"Ahhh! That was supposed to hit you!"

"It did!" Kaga yelled back.

"But not the way I wanted it!"

*WHOOSH*

*BOOM!*

An explosive round hit the exact area where Purifier was standing, but the chaotic girl avoided it by merely a second. Littorio let out a grunt of disappointment.

"Damn. That would have knocked some sense into her."

"I think it's going to take more than one shot to do that" Washington jokingly added.

Alas, before the girls knew it, Purifier was now on the assault and firing all her guns at the group of girls forcing them to all spread out and return fire.

*PEW*

*PEW*

*BANG!*

*BOOM!*

*POP!*

*POP!*

*CHIK-CHIK*

*KA-BOOM!*

All the girls were now focusing their firepower on the humanoid Siren trying to put an end to her annoying attendance.

"Ahahahahah! This is fun! You guys are making this even better!" Purifier gleefully cheered while dodging a blast that was aimed right at her shoulder. "Keep this up! I'm raring to go!"

"She's quicker than I thought!" Duke of York commented while dashing toward her with her blade in hand.

"And the first to try a physical attack goes to- "

*CLINK!*

"Ah-ha! Gotcha!"

Duke of York's blade had been blocked by Purifier's black and yellow equipment which allowed the ponytailed girl to propel forward and kick the vampiric kansen away.

"Ngh!"

"No! Grr!"

George, seeing her sister get attacked, charged forward and set her sights right on Purifier who simply smiled at her incoming foe.

"What? It wasn't that hard of a kick. Sheesh. You're coming off as a real- "

*SWOOSH!*

*BANG!*

"Oof! You were a bit too slow for that strike" Purifier taunted the blonde as her blade had been deflected by the Siren's equipment.

"Heh. Think again!"

"Oh?"

*KA-BOOM!*

A massive explosion impacted right where Purifier was standing which was exactly what George was hoping for. Turning her head back, she saw Washington and Kaga nod their heads at the team attack. It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of tactic that turned out to be great.

"Nice- "

"Watch out!"

"I win!"

"No!"

*TING!*

In a blink-or-miss moment, Purifier had tried to sneak attack George as she barely let her guard down. However, Littorio had managed to dash forward just in time to counter the attack with her blade causing the elite Siren to don a frustrated expression.

"Oh. Come. On! I almost had her! This is so unfair! It's a six-on-one fight. That's clearly cheating!"

"You're one to talk," Hiei remarked with dislike.

"Can it! You already have home field advantage" Washington countered.

"Hm… you're right about that. And it won't be long until the project is ready to commence forward. All I need to do is keep everyone here busy. Simple as that!" Purifier simply replied.

Looks of confusion worked their way across each of the girls as they eyed the Siren with suspicion.

"I call that an obvious lie. An absolute hinderance to the most believable level of stupidity" George remarked loudly. "You're not telling us the whole truth."

"Haha! Yep! You're right about that" Purifier replied while waving her arms around happily. "But you're not getting anything else out of me. I've got to make sure I stick to the plan."

"What plan?" Kaga questioned aloud.

"Oops! Said too much again! Oh, well!"

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

In a matter of seconds, the area had now been filled with gunfire from both sides as Purifier was dashing from side to side while looking for a fight.

"Ahahaha! Let's get this party started!"

With a snap of her finger, several bright flashes of light appeared right behind her.

"I hope you don't mind if I invite a few friends to our shing ding!"

As the light died down, several individuals had now appeared leaving the girls of Azur Lane on guard. Littorio and George knew right away who or rather what these new individuals were.

"Enforcers."

"You're really upping the game now, Purifier," remarked George as she glared at the Siren.

"Can you blame me? It's super unfair for me to fight you all. Besides, my lovely friends are totally fine being destroyed by you. I'll just call some more to help me. Tester's got that covered. Isn't that right, Tester!" Purifier happily shouted in the air.

The girls now had a better idea of what was happening in the Mirror Sea. The Siren better known as Tester must have been the one messing with them.

"The sooner we deal with you, the sooner we can find Sora and the others!" Kaga shouted at Purifier.

"Ahahaha!"

The clash between the girls of Azur Lane and Purifier's Siren forces had now begun.

---

In another location within the Mirror Sea

---

*Azur Lane OST – Continued Willpower*

---

"And… that… is… another…*sigh* one… down…"

San Francisco was out of breath and keeling over with her body covered in cuts and bruises as well as her hair looking messy. It was evident based on her battered appearance that things had not been easy for her.

"Chin up, Fran. They're all done and dusted."

Looking to her side, San Francisco could see the ever-positive New Jersey giving off a weak yet vibrant smile on her face. Even in the face of unrelenting fighting, the dark-haired girl was there to lend a helping hand to her friends and allies.

"You're one to talk. You didn't get hit as much as I did" San Francisco countered.

"Not true…" came a quieter voice behind New Jersey.

Coming into view, Boise also appeared to have bruises and cuts around her body with a visible bruise on her cheek. The incident that caused that injury was thanks to a Siren battleship taking its shot against New Jersey but was then blocked by Boise's self-sacrifice and act of support.

"…R-Right. Sorry, Boise."

A grimaced look appeared on San Francisco's face as she felt horrible for making mention of injuries when Boise looked to be hurt the most.

"It's ok. It doesn't hurt as much as it did before."

The sound of a gloved hand clenching up could be heard coming from New Jersey. While the reliable kansen was a ray of positivity, she could also hold quite a grudge. Especially to those who hurt those close and dear to her. Seeing that Boise's injury was because of her… the nice and friendly New Jersey would not hesitate to take on a darker tone for a moment.

"Boise…"

"It's okay, NJ. We've already talked about this. I'm ok" Boise said, trying to reassure her friend.

A solemn mood took over as San Francisco and New Jersey could see Boise smiling weakly while still having her face guard over her mouth. The trio of girls all looked at one another with mixed feelings.

However, after staring at one another for a dramatic moment, Boise was the first to burst into laughter followed by San Francisco and then New Jersey.

"Hahaha!"

"Pftt! Bwahaha!"

"Hehehe!"

This continued for a few more minutes before New Jersey wiped her eyes and worked to calm herself down to speak clearly.

"Ah… I needed that laugh."

"Yeah, me too."

"Me three. I say, when we get out of here, we all take a week off and spend some hard-earned R ."

"You know what, Fran, you've got my vote on that idea. I would kill to kick my feet up and eat a burger!" New Jersey happily answered while having a delighted expression on her face. "Maybe even hitting the beach would be nice!"

Following this train of thought, Boise nodded her head happily.

"I… normally I wouldn't be all for the beach, but with everything that's happened, I wouldn't mind spending a day at the beach with friends and just relaxing."

"We'll conquer the beach then!" New Jersey exclaimed while wrapping her arm around Boise and cheering with her.

Boise couldn't help but smile under her mask and nod her head in agreeance. The idea of spending time with friends at the beach and doing nothing but having fun sounded great to her.

"Ha! Maybe we could get some games going on the beach? I'm thinking of the competitive type. Or maybe some casual games for the girls who aren't too into competition. Volleyball?"

"I'm there!" New Jersey adamantly shouted.

"Or something like watermelon smashing?"

"That would be fun" Boise chimed in. "I heard a few of the girls did that before and it sounded like a lot of fun."

A smug grin washed itself over San Francisco's face as she couldn't help but twirl her bat around and let it sit comfortably on her shoulder.

"Heh. I feel like I'd be a natural at that."

The mood between the three had improved drastically from the once solemn and depressed feeling that was starting to take over. Now, the girls had something to look forward to after this whole debacle with the Mirror Sea. The feeling of hope and enjoyment canceled out any sadness that lingered around.

"Ooh! I'm getting excited just thinking about this idea! It would also be the perfect time for me to try out my new bikini that I've been meaning to wear!" New Jersey excitedly proclaimed.

"…It would also be a good chance to meet- "

*BZZT!*

*BOOM!*

Suddenly, a large explosion appeared right in front of the girls causing a massive splash of water to hit the girls and covering their vision.

"Gah!"

"What the heck!?"

"Bwah!"

Wiping the water from her face, New Jersey cleared her vision, and could now see what caused the random explosion.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

15 ships.

That was the number of Siren battleships that the blue-haired girl could see with just a glance. All the ships had appeared out of nowhere causing the Eagle Union kansen to scowl.

"Whoever is in charge of this Mirror Sea is really getting on my nerves!"

"You're tellin me! When I find whoever is teleporting or causing these Sirens to keep annoyin us, they're getting a kick to the face followed by my bat knocking them out cold!" San Francisco shouted while clutching her bat handle tightly. "And that's all before I even use my rigging!"

Examining the ships closely, Boise noticed something odd with the rear guard of ships in the fleet. A few of the ships had a strange glow to them that was irregular to the usual red-glowing Siren ships.

"Guys. Those ships in the back… they're glowing purple and- "

*KA-BOOM!*

*BZZT!*

A beam of light had been fired right at the girls but was nowhere near them. In a way, this form of attack was meant to be transcribed as a form of aggression. A warning of what will become of them.

"Tch. This Siren is sending us a warning. Get real!" San Francisco remarked while pointing her bat at the Siren fleet. "I say we teach these losers who they're messing with!"

With a nod of her head, Boise was supportive of Fran's idea.

"I'm not giving up here. Not now! Especially since we have plans to look forward to!"

Feeling a wave of hope hit her chest, New Jersey donned a confident grin on her face while preparing herself for the fight to come.

"You're right about that! Let's give them a show they'll never forget!"

---

Somewhere in the Mirror Sea

---

*Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories OST – Face It*

---

Dashing along the water's surface and pushing her body to dodge every incoming attack, Repulse had donned a determined yet tired expression along her face as she kept on moving.

'There's no end to them! Every Siren I destroy; another just spawns out of nowhere. Whatever Siren is in control of this Mirror Sea must have it out for me!'

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*SPLASH*

*BOOM*

Explosion after explosion managed to hit the area around her and not directly at her. This may have been a slight error on the Sirens' part due to her being agile and on the move. However, this had been a recurring thing for the past few minutes which was anything but normal. Something was up.

It was then, as she continued to hastily move forward, Repulse began to realize another important factor to her current predicament.

'The Sirens aren't attacking me… they're antagonizing me!'

*WHOOSH*

Another missile had flown several feet to the side of Repulse causing another explosion of water to hit her and stagger her back. She now had a better idea of the Sirens' game.

"Seriously!?"

Turning tail and dashing away, she kept on turning her head from side to side and watching as the Siren ships were continuing to follow her. She knew for a fact that if this were any advanced team of Sirens, then she would have been hit and possibly sunk minutes ago. However, the fact that they had missed every single one of their shots made it apparent that they were messing with her on purpose.

With this revelation, Repulse continued to get some distance from the fleet and try to find any sort of anomaly in the area. There had to be something that she could use to her advantage.

'Dammit! I don't see anything that can help me. The only idea I have is to keep on running…'

Left with this desperate decision, Repulse continued to stride along the water and avoid being hit by a random explosive. Sure, it wasn't the most efficient method of survival, but it was a decision that has continued to keep her alive. At least until she could find a way out of here.

---

Back with Sora

After spending a moment watching every monitor that showcased what each group of girls was dealing with, Sora glared right at the castle. Tester, who was still not present, let out a little laugh.

*BZZT*

In a flash of digital light, Tester reappeared along with the two girls still constrained and wearing upset looks on their faces as they glared right at the elite Siren.

"Get a good look at what your friends are dealing with. Each group is helping me run tests on a few new ships we have in production. Getting a firsthand experience in battle should provide us the proper data for mass production" Tester explained while having a nonchalant attitude about it.

"You're disgusting!" shouted one of the girls.

"Huh… that's a new insult. I would have thought that Purifier would be the one to get slammed with that sort of insult."

Hearing her name, Sora also recalled that Purifier was currently fighting with George and the others along with her backup of Siren ships. He needed to do something to help them.

"Let them go."

Smiling at the boy's sudden declaration, Tester began to shake her head.

"No can do, Sora. I've still got a multitude of several hundred different proxy battles to go through. I'm barely getting past the algorithm to run- "

*HISS!*

*SIZZLE!*

With no warning whatsoever, Sora aimed his Keyblade and cast an unexpecting Fire spell at the Siren causing a fireball to hit her.

The two girls looked absolutely surprised by the attack and couldn't help but break out into grins at the incredible timing of Sora's attack.

"You got her!"

"Hey! What's the big idea!" yelled Tester as she swiped the flames off her body. "If you're so eager for a fight…"

Waving her hand in front of her, a console monitor and keyboard appeared which allowed for Tester to begin typing. In a matter of seconds, lights began to flash around Sora along with his surroundings beginning to distort in a glitchy kind of way.

"What's going on?!"

"You kicked the hornet's nest now. Do you want a fight? I'll give you a fight. I hope you enjoy it!"

Suddenly, a glitchy effect appeared around the two girls as worry worked its way on their faces.

"What are you doing!?"

"Unhand me! Let me go!"

"Don't worry! I'll give you the chance to stretch your legs and move around. But… "Tester now had a menacing grin enveloping her face. "I'll make this a bit more interesting on my part."

*BZZT*

Before Sora or the girls could utter another word, a digital light had surrounded the girls and teleported them away leaving only the Keyblade wielder and elite Siren.

"Where did you take them!?"

"Easy hero. I merely put them somewhere in the castle."

As Tester said this, she then gestured with her hand up at the castle which had now been remodeled to have a more ruined theme. With parts of the structure either damaged or destroyed, Sora immediately noticed a problem with the place.

"Heartless!?"

"Yep! I figured with the testing going on between Sirens and Heartless, why not turn the situation up a notch and make things more intense? You're going to love this! And with those two somewhere in the castle, you're on quite the time limit, hero."

Immediately wanting to rush at Tester and take her down, Sora knew that saving the two girls was more important. Their lives were at stake and there was no way he'd let something bad happen to them.

"Grr. After I find and rescue them, I'm coming for you" declared the Guardian of Light.

"Ooh! The hero has some bite. I was not expecting that. I kind of figured that you were the goody two shoes that only fights when he has to."

Glaring at the Siren, Sora shifted his focus to the castle that stood before him. It would be a race against the clock, but no matter what… he would not fail those two girls.

---

*Final Fantasy XIV – Anatomy of Existence OST*

---

"Good luck! You're going to need it!" called out Tester before she flashed away leaving Sora alone again.

Not about to waste any more time, the spiky-haired brunette rushed toward the entrance of the castle and could see that the entrance had been covered in debris. Stuck with this minor inconvenience, Sora flicked his hand out and summoned his Keyblade which had Unicorn's charm.

He still hadn't given this blade a name yet.

"Move!"

Twirling the blade and channeling his energy into the blade, he was now donning his Elemental outfit along with the Keyblade and shield. In a matter of a second, he charged at the debris-filled wall causing quite the recoil from the shield being hit.

'I don't know if this will work. But I have to try!'

As he pushed himself from the debris, he aimed his sights on the center of the destroyed entrance.

*KA-BOOM!*

The Keyblade's ability fired a point-blank blast causing a massive cloud of dust to form along with an opening for him to use.

*WHOOSH*

Jumping through the opening, Sora now held onto the Kingdom Key while sprinting forward and quickly examining the layout of the castle. Several corridors were on each side followed by a staircase that led to another floor.

*BZZT*

"Whoa!"

Dodge rolling to the side, he managed to narrowly miss being hit by a Neo Shadow that appeared out of nowhere. Following this, several dark portals began to appear on the ground along with more Heartless spilling into the room.

"I don't have time for you!"

Leaping forward, Sora managed to slice at one Neo Shadow before blocking an attack from another Heartless before performing an area-wide slash. One Heartless was flung back while another dodged the attack and went right for his face. Seeing this attack, he stepped to the side and stabbed the monster in the side managing to kill it.

Stepping forward, Sora slashed at another Heartless before kicking it in the face and sending it back. He then lunged at another and managed to slice at its chest before pummeling back. Before he could act any further, another Neo Shadow had leaped right at him causing him to block the attack and then counter with a slice to the end.

Leaping back, he then aimed the Keyblade right at a small group of Heartless clambering out of a dark portal.

"Thunder!"

Bolts of yellow lighting scattered across the ground managing to kill all the Heartless coming from the hole.

Rolling to the side, Sora side-swiped another Heartless by the legs before stabbing it right in the chest and defeating it completely. He then twirled his weapon and cast another spell point-blank.

"Wind!"

A green vortex soon picked up what Heartless were crawling around and either tossed them around or were lost to the winds. This also provided him with another prime spell to use.

"Fire!"

Several fireballs were sent right into the vortex just as it was dying down, but not before it couldn't ignite the Heartless caught in the attack managing to clear all the Heartless in the area.

Nodding at a job well done, Sora continued moving up the stairs and slashing away at every Heartless that got in his way. Luckily, there had only been Shadows and Neo Shadows that stood in his way.

'So far so good… at this rate…'

*KA-BOOM!*

*PEW!*

*PEEW!*

*PEEEW!*

"Gah!"

Ducking to the ground, he narrowly missed being hit by several lasers directed his way. The lasers then blasted through another part of the castle causing the room to shake and his focus to find what had just tried to hurt him.

Up ahead, several familiar glowing Heartless with designs centered around technology were the culprits for who tried to hit him.

"Great. Surveillance and Devastators. I don't have time for you!"

Grasping onto the Keyblade, Sora charged forward where could now spot five Devastators along with six Surveillance Robot Heartless. These were foes that he was used to fighting against so, this would be a cakewalk for him.

The Heartless all set their sights on the Keyblade wielder and began to enact their plan of attack. The Devastators all repositioned themselves and began to charge their cannons. At the same time, the Surveillance Robots began to fire beams of light at him.

"Hyah!"

Running up to the nearest wall, Sora activated his Flowmotion causing his entire body to glow blue as he ran across the wall and dodged every beam directed at him.

*PEW!*

*BZZT-BOOM!*

Blasts of light hit the wall as Sora managed to avoid every attack. Before long, he was now close enough to the nearest Devastator which gave him the chance to go on the offense.

Releasing the Keyblade, he pushed himself off the wall and into the air but not before quickly reaching into his pocket and pulling out a certain charm. One that would offer him the power and abilities to make swift work of these Heartless.

*SWISH!*

In his hands was now the appearance of Oathkeeper. A smug grin appeared on Sora's face as he spiraled himself right toward the Devastator before slamming himself down to the ground.

"Take this!"

*BOOM!*

Slamming into the Devastator allowed Sora to momentarily stun the Heartless before he dashed forward and began slashing at its body with incredible speed and accuracy. A real show of his experience in dealing with this kind of foe.

"You're done for!"

Spinning the Keyblade, Sora now exploded in a flash of light before he was now in his Dark Form.

"Let's go!"

Dashing forward as a blur of purple light, the Guardian of Light then appeared right next to the Devastator before slashing its legs. Sora then began to assault the Heartless with a barrage of stabs before casting a point-blank Thunder spell causing lightning bolts to strike the foe.

*POOF!*

The other Devastators now started firing shots at him even with the other Devastator in the way.

"Hah!"

Dodge rolling to the side, Sora swiped his Keyblade upwards at the Devastator before charging forward in and commencing a Zantetsuken strike across the mechanical enemy's body. This one attack was coerced with such speed, strength, and timing that the Devastator had now collapsed and begun to fade away leaving it as good as defeated.

*PEW*

Seeing a beam coming at him, Sora quickly raised the Keyblade to block which caused a purple bubble shield with a chain around the sphere. This shield not only blocked the attack but allowed Sora to dash forward, dismiss the shield, and slash up at the Surveillance Robot that had tried to attack him.

Following up with this momentum, Sora activated his Flowmotion, dashed toward the nearest Surveillance Robot, and swiped at it causing the Heartless to be flung back. He then Airstepped to another Surveillance Robot and grabbed it before hurling it at a Devastator.

*BOOM!*

An explosion occurred but was soon followed by a bright blue light hitting the Heartless. This light was then found to be an Ice spell that froze the group of Devastators encasing them completely.

However, the ice around the Devastator's bodies was beginning to break which forced Sora to double the effect of the spell.

"Blizzard!"

The Heartless were once again encased in ice along with icicles covering parts of their bodies. This was exactly what Sora wanted.

Jumping into the air, he then started slashing at each Heartless with a flurry of strikes before leaping into the air and slamming to the ground with a blast of dark energy. This onslaught of attacks allowed him to leap back and flick his wrist which let go of Oblivion and now use his Kingdom Key. His attire had now gone back to normal.

"It's over!"

Rushing forward, Sora then began to slash at the Heartless with horizontal and vertical strikes before raising his Keyblade and screaming out a spell that would finish the Heartless.

"Light!"

*PEW-BOOM!*

A burst of light soon exploded causing a blinding light to cover the area for a brief second before going back to normal. This then showed an empty room with no more Heartless.

Knowing that he could celebrate later, Sora then began to sprint up a flight of stairs that led to two large doors. He didn't know where this way would lead, but he'd improvise if needed.

*CREAK*

Pushing the doors open, he was now staring at another level of the castle. This time a large courtyard could be seen along with a sight that caused him to feel anxiety swell in his chest.

"No!"

There in the middle of the courtyard was one of the girls restrained and sitting in the middle of a group of Neo Shadows and girls with white hair, short black tops and shorts, and glowing yellow eyes. At first glance, they had a similar appearance to that of Purifier and Tester. The obvious assumption would be that they were Sirens.

Nevertheless, it didn't matter to Sora as he immediately rushed into the courtyard by casting a spell that would throw things into disarray.

"Water!"

An explosion of water hit the Heartless and Sirens causing the area to be covered with a few puddles, but the spell ultimately cleared the area enough to give the girl some space.

"Hang on! I'll be right there!"

Dashing forward, Sora then performed a Quick Blitz and leaped right at the closest Neo Shadow managing to knock it down. He then fired a point-blank Fire spell at one of the Siren girls sending her flying back.

*WOOSH*

One of the Neo Shadows then leaped at him causing him to roll to the side and cleave the Keyblade right under the Heartless and sending it flying.

*BANG!*

One of the Siren girls fired a beam of light right at him which caused him to tilt his head to the side and easily dodge the attack. He then heaved his arm back and performed a Strike Raid right at the Siren girl which was a solid hit. The attack left her staggered but not down for the count.

However, she was soon thrown back as the Keyblade had once again been hurled right at her before flashing back into Sora's hand. He immediately started attacking another one of the Siren girls while spinning his weapon and lunging forward while performing a Fire Windmill attack.

The ship girl who was still trapped and, on the floor, watched in awe as the boy made short work of the Heartless and Sirens. Each one of his attacks was performed with such precision and focus that it was evident that he had combat experience. Given all that had been reported on him, he was incredible.

"Gotcha!"

With one final slash, Sora managed to defeat the last Siren girl watching as she dropped to the ground before fading away into a dark mist. The area had been cleared allowing him to rush over and help.

"Here. Let me."

*CLINK*

The Keyblade tapped on her constraints and had them unlocked with magical ease.

"Are you okay?"

Rubbing her hands and legs while feeling quite sore, the girl now turned her attention to Sora and began to inspect him closely. With her eyes scanning the top of his spiky brown hair to his large black and yellow boots, the ship girl let out a huff of air through her nose.

"What took you so long?!"

"E-Excuse me?"

Folding her arms across her bountiful chest, the kansen seemed to sigh at his response.

"Hmph. I guess part of the blame shouldn't be all your fault. The situation has turned dire with Tester taking Vanguard as a hostage. We need to act fast."

"Vanguard… you mean that other girl…" Sora muttered, putting two and two together as he recalled George mentioning her name earlier.

"Yes, that was Vanguard. And you, as everyone now knows, are Sora."

"Yeah. I'm Sora…"

With a stern expression on her face, the ship girl nodded her head.

"Hm. While I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, Sora. Now doesn't exactly call for proper introductions. To keep this brief, my name is Nelson. Proud battleship of the Royal Navy!"

The ship girl, now known as Nelson, had the appearance of long blonde hair that was tied in two long twin tails with a black ribbon on each side. She also appeared to be wearing a white and black uniform that showed off her curvy figure and large chest while a red jacket was wrapped around her shoulders and body. Down her legs were red thigh-high leggings with the bottom showing that she was wearing white heels. Lastly, she also wore a serious-like expression with her red eyes watching him closely.

"Nelson, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Nelson then took a few steps while spotting a large two-door entrance leading to another part of the castle. The courtyard had been cleared which meant that they were good to move on.

"We don't have time to dilly dally. Vanguard is in the enemy's hands and if we don't do something- "

"You don't need to finish that sentence. I won't let anything happen to her" Sora affirmed.

"…I'll be holding you to that."

"Count on it."

The two then stared at the entrance before glancing at one another and giving a nod of cooperation. Their mission to save Vanguard was now a go.

---

*FFXIV: Dawntrail Alexandria Theme - OST*

---

Quickly reaching into his pocket, Sora pulled out the Oathkeeper charm and attached it to his Keyblade while also stashing the charm that Unicorn gave him. With the situation as it was now, defense would no longer be needed. It was time to go on the offense, and the key chains he had on hand to switch into were Kingdom Key, Oathkeeper, and Wheel of Fate. The situation called for action and he would respond.

"Let's go!"

Sprinting ahead, Sora made his way to the entrance followed by Nelson who had now summoned her riggings and was right on his tail. The two made their way through the doors and picked up the pace while noticing that something was going on with the castle.

"The environment is changing!"

"It must be under Tester's plan. Whatever that might be it doesn't matter. Saving Vanguard is our top priority" Nelson fired back.

"Right!"

Entering a new part of the castle, the two watched as the interior of the room began to change right before their very eyes. One moment it appeared all fancy with no damage at all, but then in the next moment the entire room was a mess. Parts of the walls were either broken, had holes, or were completely missing. Debris could be seen scattered around the place and a small entryway into another room could barely be seen.

"There!"

"Let's hurry!"

As the two moved through the messy room, Sora caught a quick look at the outside and could see the sky was also switching between being calm and filled with storm clouds. A distorted visual was the best answer Sora could give after seeing this brief scene.

Coming into a large hallway, the two were glad to see that it was empty and devoid of any enemies.

However, before the two could get any further into the new space…

*BZZT!*

With a quick flash, several groups of Neo Shadows and a few Siren girls appeared all while rushing at the two. In addition, the hallway had now distorted into a battered and destroyed place with parts of the walls missing and debris everywhere.

"Damn! Tester is slowing us down!" Nelson grumbled.

"Not for long!"

Charging his arm up, Sora summoned the Keyblade which was now with the appearance of Kingdom Key, and instantly sent a wave of fireballs at the Heartless managing to knock them back.

Nelson, seeing this ranged form of attack, joined in and started firing her riggings while aiming specifically for the Siren girls.

Seeing his attack do some damage, Sora rushed forward and heaved the Keyblade against one of the Heartless before dodging and throwing himself to the side to hit another square in the face. At the same time, he deflected gunfire coming from one of the girls who was then taken out by Nelson's explosives.

Sora then hurled the Keyblade at the wall where it bounced right at one of the Neo Shadows. He then resummoned the blade and slid forward across the ground while slashing at the monster's legs and taking it out swiftly. He then set his sights on one of the Siren girls before performing a Sliding Dash and appearing right in front of the enemy girl before hitting her right into the air. Nelson, seeing this opportunity, then fired a decimating shot right at the girl managing to end her before she could even hit the ground.

The Keyblade wielder then slammed his weapon into another Shadow with his Flash Step ability before striking the Heartless against a wall where he cast a Thunder spell which sent bolts of lightning down the hall. This magical attack managed to kill most of the Heartless while providing Nelson the chance to barrage another Siren girl with her guns.

Before the two realized it, the area was clear of Heartless and Sirens leaving them to nod and continue sprinting through the castle.

"Tester is testing my nerves. She's just throwing obstacles in our way to slow us down" Nelson said while sprinting alongside Sora.

"Did you manage to see or hear whatever she's planning?"

"Sadly, no. Vanguard and I were kept relatively close to her the whole time. I don't even know how we ended up taken as hostages."

"Blame the Mirror Sea. She's been doing nothing but messing with me and the others" Sora replied while parkouring over a broken ledge and rolling across the ground of another level.

Observing the boy's moves, Nelson leaped off the ledge but made sure to come down as elegantly as possible before catching up with him.

"Good to hear that it wasn't just us that she was messing with. On that note, how were the others before you got separated?"

"They were doing alright. Enterprise and two others were dealing with a Heartless fleet while the others and I dealt with an armored Heartless boss that- "

Just as he was about to get more into the details, Sora spotted a closed door and could see a prominent lock attached to it. Twirling his Keyblade, he simply tapped the lock which caused a clicking sound as well as causing the lock to drop to the ground. The door was now open.

"Sorry about that. But the armored Heartless was one that I'd dealt with before, so we managed to defeat it together. However, as soon as we did that, Tester separated me from the others."

Processing what the boy had just said, Nelson was glad to hear that her friends and allies were still in the fight. Alas, there was one other factor that she just had to know.

"Those monitors that Tester threw in your face… Repulse was there, wasn't she? I couldn't get a good look at them from where I was tied up, but… how was she?"

As the two continued to run through the castle's newfound area, Sora couldn't help but quirk his eyebrow at the tone that Nelson had taken with her question.

The way Nelson had asked this question seemed to indicate that she was worried about the Royal Navy girl. It was quite clear that she cared deeply for her friend even though she gave off quite a serious persona.

"Well, from what I saw, she looked to be on the run from a group of ships chasing her. She looked a bit tired but not to the point that she'd give up. Even though it was a glance, Repulse looked confident" Sora explained what he saw of Repulse.

Displaying a pleased look, Nelson nodded her head while looking off to the side. Unbeknownst to Sora, the blonde-haired kansen was smiling due to hearing that Repulse was doing okay. That bit of news gave her reassurance.

"…That's good to hear. Now then, let's keep moving."

"Right."

The two then continued to sprint through the castle and found themselves in a destroyed part of the structure. Based on an assumption, Sora figured that this might have been a storage room. Alas, the state that it was in didn't make it seem like that.

"Heads up. We've got more trouble" Nelson suddenly said.

Looking ahead, several Devastators were stationed and charging their attacks to be sent at the two.

*BRRR!*

"Tester is seriously starting to become annoying" Sora muttered.

"You have no idea."

Needing no words, Sora dashed forward with his head on a swivel for any incoming fire. Nelson also began firing away and targeting the heads of the Heartless.

*BANG*

*BANG*

The Heartless, feeling the brunt of the ranged attacks, then focused their attention on the kansen and began to fire right at her.

"Oh, no you don't!"

Stepping to the side and rolling across the ground, Sora let go of the Keyblade and then resummoned it to now take the form of Oathkeeper. He then raised his weapon while yelling out a spell that would leave quite the mark.

"Get a load of this! Spark!"

*WHOOSH!*

With a burst of light coming from the tip of the Keyblade, a ring of revolving light crystals soon shot out and started targeting the various Devastators. Dealing heavy light damage, Sora followed this attack with a Thunder spell which caused numerous bolts of yellow lighting to hurt the Heartless.

*ZZZTTTT!*

A few of the Devastators lashed out and began firing their shots at Sora but were then stumped when an explosion hit them. The explosion came from Nelson who was smirking confidently before continuing to fire at the mechanical foes.

Sora then dashed forward to Speed Slash against one of the Devastators which killed it before lunging at another Heartless and stabbing it three times across the chest. This resulted in another Heartless down for the count.

*BANG!*

One final shot managed to hit the last Devastator causing it to flop down and begin to disappear. Nelson walked up to Sora while letting out what could be described as a huff of exasperation.

"These Heartless… they're stronger than most Siren grunts."

"I hate to say this but… there are stronger Heartless that we've yet to encounter" Sora responded while glancing over at the blonde girl.

"Of course there is. What should I have expected? *sigh* Come on. We have to be nearing the top."

Nodding at her response, Sora broke into a jog soon finding a flight of stairs that led to somewhere new. The two began to skip steps and felt the atmosphere change drastically. It was almost as if someone told them devastating news causing their stomachs to drop. A heavy tone settled in the air.

The compounding aura in the area had now grown impeccably as they found themselves in a damaged hallway with parts of the building missing and offering a visual of the outside. They could see that they were nearing another courtyard on a higher level. Almost as if a foreboding warning of what was to come.

"Sora… do you- "

"Yeah… I feel it. There's a lot of darkness up ahead" Sora replied, resting his hand on his chest.

Whatever was happening further into the castle, the more the Keyblade wielder could sense that darkness was being used at a dangerous level.

"Nelson."

"Yes? What is it? I better not hear that heroic take of me staying back and- "

"No. The opposite. Whatever happens up there… I need you to take Vanguard and get out of here. Find the others. Gather everyone together" the young man said while looking ahead.

"Take a tactical retreat? That's a stupid- "

"It may be. But… we don't know what Tester is up to or what her whole purpose for creating this Mirror Sea is. For all we know, she could be manipulating the Heartless in a way that's beyond her understanding" Sora reasoned to her.

Biting the inside of her mouth, Nelson couldn't help but agree with that train of thought. Tester was not as rambunctious as Purifier and had a more analytical way of thinking. That meant that she could program whatever she wanted in this Mirror Sea.

"…You're asking for a lot."

"I am. But Vanguard's life matters more than anything right now. Once we can get everyone back together, then we can set things right and take this simulation down."

Hearing the boy's rally, Nelson simply hummed pleasantly.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

Nelson began heading for the door that would lead to the supposed courtyard that awaited them while Sora rushed to stand right next to her. Together, the two pushed open the door and found themselves looking at a peculiar yet ill-boding sight.

---

"You made it! Finally!" Tester's voice illuminated the courtyard.

Standing in the middle of the destroyed courtyard, Tester was smiling widely while Vanguard was crouched on the ground next to her. The area also had several fountains overflowing with water causing parts of the area to be soaked with puddles. In addition, a few flower beds could be seen with roses, lilies, and carnations could be seen wilted away.

"I will say, I'm kind of surprised that it took you so long to get here. I guess the reason for why you're so slow is because of her" Tester said while pointing directly at Nelson.

Insulted by what the Siren said, Nelson glared angrily at her.

"Hmph. I'd be counting my blessings if I were you."

"Ooh! Someone's getting angry."

Searching the area for any other Sirens or Heartless, Sora then looked down at Vanguard and could see her wincing a bit but still alive and aware.

"Enough. Tell me what your plan is, Tester" the Keyblade wielder demanded while pointing Oathkeeper right at her. "What is your goal here? To get me to fight Sirens and Heartless that I've already dealt with?"

Gleefully smiling at the boy, Tester hummed to herself before waving her hand in front of her and summoning a monitor to appear out of nowhere. The monitor then began to expand until it was large enough to be seen by everyone.

"Since you made it this far and preparations are still going on… I might as well tell you a bit about what's going on in this Mirror Sea. You've earned that much at least."

With another swish of her hand, a keyboard appeared before Tester where she began to type away and show something new on the screen.

"This Mirror Sea is specifically designed to be a testing ground for a few projects that we've got going on. One of those projects is one that's been in the works for quite some time and has even been used outside of simulations and in real battles. Its name is Project Copycat."

"Project Copycat?" Vanguard muttered, shifting her body to look right at Tester.

Staring intently at the restrained Royal Navy girl, Tester grabbed her by the collar so that she was now suspended in the air leaving Sora and Nelson to jump and get their weapons ready for battle.

However, in a surprising move, Tester threw Vanguard right at the two causing Sora to drop the Keyblade and catch Vanguard before she could hit the ground. Nelson on the other hand had her riggings and guns prepared to blast the Siren to smithereens.

"Relax! I'm giving you what you wanted, right? She's unharmed and back in your hands!"

Helping Vanguard up, Sora summoned the Keyblade and tapped at her chains causing them to release her and set her free. The blonde-haired and blue-eyed girl stared right into Sora's eyes while offering him a slight smile.

"Thanks for that. I'm Vanguard."

"Sora. And it's alright. We can save a proper introduction for later."

Nodding at his comment, the two were now facing Tester while Nelson was ready to drop the playful Siren.

"You're just as crazy as Purifier!" Sora remarked.

"Aww. Don't compare me to her. She's aloof, lazy, and a total scherzo… but honestly, aren't we all?" Tester replied with a tilt of her head. "Ahaha!"

"You're not helping your point."

Shrugging off the boy's insult, Tester then pulled up a visual on the monitor which showed a familiar-looking object that had been involved in a rather recent event.

"That's…"

"Yep! You're right, Sora. It's another dark cube. Didn't think you'd see another? Better yet, did you think there was only one dark cube?" Tester asked while leaning forward to catch a better view of the boy's reaction.

Scowling at how she sounded, Sora did not have a strong response. He honestly didn't think that there would be another dark cube in the Siren's possession. Now that he had given it some thought, it should have been an obvious thing to know. Azur Lane still had the other dark cube in their possession, but that didn't matter as much now that he was seeing another before his very eyes.

"I'd be lying if I didn't think that…"

"What… is that?" Nelson questioned while making sure to keep an eye on Tester.

"Hm! Hm! Seeing that you two weren't involved all that much in the events going on over in the Sakura Empire, I'll keep things brief. This dark cube, also called black cube by a few other Sirens, is a device to help… strengthen someone to greater potential. Another term would be Metamorphosis and while that rule still applies to this beautiful cube… details and discoveries have been a part of the project."

Two sets of reactions could be seen on the group's faces. The first was that of Sora who now had a better idea of these cubes and how the effects that Akagi dealt with could be applied. More than that, the dark cube also had darkness involved in it which may have been the discovery that Tester mentioned. These thoughts were what the Keyblade wielder thought of.

However, with Nelson and Vanguard, their reactions were a bit tamer but also conveyed a sense of wariness. Almost as if they were aware of what Tester was talking about. Sora wasn't entirely sure, but his gut thought that way.

And how right his gut was.

"Metamorphosis… you mean- "Vanguard started to say but was cut off.

"Yep! The black wisdom cubes are a way to expand our reach of power and with the help of a certain benefactor… the Heartless and dark powers presented to us will make absolutely sure we reach our goals!"

"Certain benefactor?" Sora repeated.

"Hehe! I'm not sure whether I should be the one to spill the beans, but I'll let you know one thing…" Tester then stared right at Sora for the longest moment of anyone's life before speaking in a slow yet clear tone of voice. "…They happen to know you…"

"…"

Feeling a chill come up his back and down his arms, Sora couldn't help but swallow a lump of air while trying to calm his mind and process what Tester had just said to him.

'Someone… knows me?' Sora thought to himself.

This revelation caused him to start racking his brain around and try to recall all the people that he'd met during his time in this world. Everyone he could remember was now part of Azur Lane or a Siren. There had been nobody else that he met or recalls being in this world…

"What… What do you mean? Who are you talking about?"

"Oh? Is that a little desperation I hear? Did the Guardian of Light get a rude awakening?" Tester antagonized him. "Haha! Would you like to know who I'm referring to?"

A palpable sense of tension was in the air as Sora tightened the grip around the Keyblade's handle. In the depths of his mind… he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. It was a stupid thing to consider given the situation, but the gnawing feeling that it would be problematic caused the Guardian of Light… caused Sora to let out a shaky breath.

Vanguard and Nelson could easily see how Sora's body language had stiffened up so fast. The boy, who appeared confident as well as backed up what he meant along with carrying high morale in the brief time they had met him, had appeared shocked. Even they could see that something was wrong.

"…*gulp*… Who… Who told you about me…?"

Wearing a dangerous smile on her face, Tester was enjoying this moment of anticipation very much.

"Hmm. I don't know whether he or they or it has a real name, but they called themselves…"

WHOOSH*

Suddenly, a Corridor of Darkness appeared to the side of Tester leaving Nelson and Vanguard to become alert and ready to fire on whatever came out of the dark portal.

---

*Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover OST – Master of Masters*

---

Sora on the other hand felt his breath leave him for a split second before angrily glaring at the Corridor of Darkness. There was no denying what it was. He had seen this portal so many times while dealing with Organization XIII. He would be a fool to dismiss the truth.

*clap*

*clap*

*clap*

"Thank you for that stellar introduction, Tester, was it?"

"Tch. You don't even remember my name" Tester bluntly replied.

"Can you blame me? There are so many of you Sirens that I'm losing track. Even though you're all tuned into the same programming" came a mysterious voice from within the Corridor of Darkness.

"You're wrong about that. Not every Siren is established to the same functioning program."

"Ah. Apologies. I forgot about them…"

Stepping out of the Corridor of Darkness, a figure with no solid form could be seen. The figure appeared human, but it was difficult to confirm that due to the pitch-dark mist that surrounded them. It left a daunting yet mysterious vibe to the figure or being standing before them.

"Now then, this is a stark first meeting if I must say so…" the dark being said while supposedly looking right at Nelson and Vanguard. "Members of Azur Lane… It's a pleasure to meet you. However, not as pleasant as it is finally meeting you, Sora."

Grinding his teeth, the Keyblade wielder made sure to be careful with what he said.

"Who are you?"

"I'm what you could call… an old friend of a friend of yours."

"…I meant your name."

A stunted chuckle came from the dark being before they continued to speak.

"You already know who I am. You've just never seen me like this… or rather you didn't see the other part of me as open as this."

"Grr. That doesn't make any sense!" Sora yelled at the figure.

"You already know the answer. While I never met you… a part of me did. In a way, my sibling is the one you encountered in the Keyblade War."

Taking a second to think about what was just said, Sora began to recollect everything that happened during the Keyblade War and how he was faced with many challenges. From dealing with the real Organization XIII to finding a way to use the Power of Waking to restore Kairi's heart… he couldn't pinpoint of meeting this dark being's sibling or other part of…

It was right then that Sora had a thought come to him.

'It… can't be… right?'

During his travel to the past to find a way to save Kairi, Sora ventured through the hearts of his friends and dealt with the strife that they felt. However, there was a certain someone who had something… odd inside his heart. Something… dark.

A flashback to what happened inside Ventus's heart played out in Sora's head immediately.

---

(*Ven!

*Ven!

*No, leave him be.

*What?!

*He's too pure… and a pure heart can be most careless.

*Who are you?

*…Darkness.

*Darkness?

*…Vanitas?)

---

Coming to this dangerous realization, Sora slowly looked at the dark being in the face, or at least where its face was supposed to be. The dark mist hiding the being's figure now had a whole new sense of ambiguity.

"You're… Darkness."

"Congratulations, Sora. You actually have a brain up there" the dark being now known as Darkness replied.

Growling at the insult, Sora continued glaring at the dark being.

"I want some answers. Now!"

"And answers… are something we don't have time for. At least not now."

"No! I want answers now!"

"Heh. Is that anger I detect coming from you, hero?" Darkness mocked with a teasing tone. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're showcasing a bit of Roxas here…"

This comment seemed to annoy Sora even more as he was now focused solely on Darkness. At that moment, Tester didn't even matter that much anymore. The most dangerous foe right here in the Mirror Sea was Darkness.

Moreover, Nelson and Vanguard were a bit taken aback by how angry and upset Sora was right now. Based on the things they had heard about him, seeing him like this was a sight to behold. While they didn't know the whole story or connection between Sora and the being known as Darkness, they knew right away that something significant happened.

"Sora…" Vanguard quietly muttered.

"Whoa. You managed to make him snap so easily. What happened between the two of you?" Tester asked, interjecting herself into the conversation.

"Nothing. I had no part in what he went through. That was my other part's doing. I only heard what happened there in that war" Darkness answered truthfully.

"So, you've got qualities like a program?" Tester asked.

"That's none of your concern. What matters now is that your Arbiter's project proceeds successfully."

"Arbiter!?"

"Arbiter?!"

The two ship girls screamed aloud while having their eyes go wide and bodies tense up. Sora didn't know why they had that sort of reaction, but based on how serious they sounded he figured it wasn't anything good.

"What's an Arbiter?" Sora abruptly questioned.

"It's a topic that we are not privy to understanding. They are essentially from an alternate timeline where things… didn't go as planned. They were not gifted the power that you hold, Sora" Darkness explained while gesturing to Tester who simply frowned at the dark being.

"What are you talking about now?" the elite Siren questioned with a hard glare.

With this stagnated question lingering in the air, even Nelson and Vanguard were left perplexed about what exactly was being discussed now. The idea that this dark being knew Sora along with knowing that he had a special power that the Sirens did not have… none of it made any sense.

"Something that is above your pay grade" Darkness coldly replied.

"Jokes on you. I don't have a pay grade" Tester argued back.

Taking a few steps forward, Darkness seemed to reach its dissolved yet barely noticeable hand forward and out toward Sora who simply stepped back with his Keyblade ready to be used.

"Don't."

"Hmm… very well. Tester, I believe the project is ready to be activated" Darkness said while summoning another Corridor of Darkness.

*WHOOSH*

"We are ready to go! Just give the word and I'll send it out" Tester called out.

"What's going on?! What are you plotting?" Nelson yelled while pointing her riggings at the Siren. "Answer me!"

"Geez. You must have fun at parties."

With one final look at the Guardian of Light, Darkness let out a low chuckle.

"We will have to meet again, Sora. When the time is right and after you have become stronger."

"Huh? What do you mean? I'm already strong enough to beat you!" Sora shouted while frowning at the mysterious figure's comment. "I beat Vanitas. I can beat you."

For what felt like the longest moment ever, no one uttered a single word. The sound of waves hitting the water could be heard in the distance. Thunder shook with lightning scattering around and illuminating the sky. And the silence between the two kansens, Siren, Keyblade wielder, and dark being was monumental.

That is… until Darkness simply let out what could be described as a humming sound.

"…Beating me… won't defeat me for good. There is still so much you don't know. Even now, you're going to need your strength for what you'll be facing. I look forward to the act you put on…"

Once Darkness said this, a single head nod could be seen directed at Tester.

"Do it."

"And with that, Project Copycat is now a go!"

*BZZZT!*

"Wait!"

Before Sora could utter anything else, Darkness had now walked through the Corridor of Darkness and disappeared completely while Tester was smiling while having her eyes glow yellow.

"Alrighty then! For the hard work that's been established in Project Copycat, we originally had it established to be used as a sort of mimic-designed program to take after a ship girl."

Hearing this, Nelson and Vanguard were wide-eyed at this mind-blowing news.

"Copying a ship girl… just like- "

"Nope! Well, yes. But no. Past projects have done this already with how the various factions encountered copies of ship girls on the battlefield. Obviously, those copies aren't up to par with the original version of ship girls. Hence, the implementation of the black wisdom cubes was to propel the power within a being to achieve and surpass all expectations" Tester explained while holding an excited tone in her voice.

Sora continued to listen to everything she said as it had something to do with Darkness.

"However, when our dear friend requested to meet us… how could we say no to such significant help? Darkness helped give us a better look at how true darkness can be harnessed. So, we put two and two together along with a bit of advice from our shadowy friend and…"

*CLICK*

Out of nowhere, a distortion of data and lights appeared right in front of Tester while working to form what looked to be a figure. As soon as what appeared to be a pair of black boots materialized from the data being created… Sora knew exactly what was happening.

"No way…"

"Sora? What's wrong?"

"Sora! Do you know what this thing is?"

Taking a step forward, the Keyblade wielder donned a battle-hardened face as he twirled his Keyblade around and got into his signature battle stance.

"It's not a thing… it's a who…"

"Who?"

*BZZT*

Once the data materialization was finished, there now appeared to be a cloaked figure standing there with their hands behind their back. The girls were utterly taken aback by this new person's presence.

A figure wearing a long, dark cloak with a hood covering their face could be seen. This figure was one that Sora could easily point out now thanks to all the encounters he had in the past. This hooded figure was better known to be dressed as an Organization XIII member.

"Did you just create this person, Tester!?" Vanguard questioned the white-haired girl.

"Yep! With the data that we've collected from our battles with Azur Lane and the information and power kindly given to us by Darkness, I helped format the project and get it rolling. At least, that's what can be described for this project."

"This project?"

Another devious grin appeared along the Siren's face.

"You'll see that one very soon as well. But for now, Sora, would you kindly test out the battle capabilities on Project Copycat? Please?" Tester teasingly asked.

Not about to let this project go on any longer, Sora immediately dashed forward and primed his Keyblade to hit the cloaked figure.

*FLASH*

Suddenly, the hooded figure summoned what looked to be a blue and black blade in their hands before blocking Sora's attack and coming to a blade bind. The figure then simply stared at Sora, who glared right back at where the figure's face was.

"You've got to be *grunt* kidding me!"

"Hmph. Still stubborn as ever" came a new voice not heard before.

Pushing against the weapon, Sora now got a better look at who just spoke and could easily recognize who was under the hood.

"You! How are you here!?"

"Have you learned nothing? It's been told right to your face what this is… what I am."

Reaching up and pulling back the hood, a young man with mildly tanned skin, pointed ears, golden eyes, and silver hair could be seen. In his hand was a blade that had what appeared to be a blue hourglass for a charm along with a blue and black blade that held what appeared to be a clock near the top of the weapon.

"Who are you?" Vanguard questioned, keeping a defensive stance.

"Better yet, what are you?"

Scoffing at the questions, the man simply shook his head.

"You two are just as dimwitted as he is," the silver-haired man said before looking directly at Sora. "Go ahead. Tell them who I am…"

Glaring right at the man before him, Sora spoke up clearly for Vanguard and Nelson to hear.

"His name is Xehanort. Both a member and the founder of an evil organization that tried to destroy many worlds more than once. Along with trying to gain ultimate power. That group was known as Organization XIII."

"Organization XIII…" Vanguard muttered, making sure to remember this important information.

"But what you so idiotically fail to realize is that I'm not the real Xehanort" Young Xehanort stated in a mocking tone for Sora to hear. "I am merely what you could call a possibility. A possibility made of data."

"Data…" Sora mumbled while looking the boy up and down.

"Huh… how about we call you Data Xehanort?" Tester asked, prying into the discussion.

"It doesn't matter what you call me… so long as I fulfill my task at hand."

Baffled by the dismissal of his name, Sora spoke up.

"If I understand this right, then Darkness helped make you, right?"

A dull expression could be seen along the man's face. He simply frowned at Sora before pointing at him.

"You already know the answer. Why waste time working your slow brain… when you should be fighting for your life!"

*BZZT!*

*WHOOSH!*

Suddenly, the entire castle courtyard began to dissolve and de-digitize leaving the girls and Sora to be standing over water. However, in the next split second the entire area was now distorted to appear in the middle of a battleground.

Looking out, Sora could see several familiar faces as well as new faces he had not met.

"Enterprise!?"

"Sora!?"

"Repulse?!"

"Vanguard?!"

"New Jersey!?"

"George!?"

"What the heck!?"

*BZZT*

Without any warning, Nelson and Vanguard were teleported away from Sora leaving him, Xehanort, and Tester to be close to one another.

"Ahh. Those two were nothing more than a distraction. With just the three of us, this should be more interesting!" Tester gleefully claimed.

*BZZT*

Finding themselves face first in the water, Nelson and Vanguard were right next to a Siren ship and were about to start firing at it but were met with an explosion along with a familiar hand reaching out to them.

"Need a hand?"

Gladly taking George's hand, the two girls looked joyful to see their old friend.

"Good to see you're still up and at them."

"You too. What's the situation looking like?" Vanguard asked, seeing Nelson being helped up by Duke of York.

Meanwhile, Nelson was looking up at Duke of York while she had a smug grin rolled up on her face.

"I don't want to hear it" Nelson blurted out.

"What's there to say? The Sirens have been throwing us around the entire time we've been in this Mirror Sea. I get what you're feeling completely."

The pink-haired ship girl extended out her hand to help Nelson up.

Sighing as well as taking her hand, the blonde was now back on her feet while seeing that she and Vanguard were teleported a few hundred feet back.

"That guy… Sora seemed to know him."

Alas, before anything else could be said, something began to happen.

"Hey! Something's happening!" yelled out Washington.

The area around Sora began to glow with a distorted haze settling in before lights activated along the ground. Having a better view of the ground from their point of view, the group of girls could see that the area was lit up along with Tester now appearing off to the side of the two boys.

"Alright! Let's get this project rolling!" the elite Siren cheered aloud. "Girls! I'll give you some grunts to deal with. Just do your thing and get me some battle data to go record. However, my main concern will be this wonderful fight!"

"Tch. You think we'll just let you do what you want!?" Nelson shouted.

"Yeah."

Tester's immediate and casual response left the blonde girl to be fuming.

"We won't be playing your game, Tester" Enterprise remarked while pulling her bowstring back and aiming right for the Siren's head. "Give up."

Ignoring Enterprise's remark, Tester simply waved her hand in front of her and summoned a glowing keyboard while typing away. At the same time, Sora was still glaring right at Young Xehanort while holding onto the Keyblade. The two Keyblade wielders were staring down at one another waiting for whoever would strike first.

"Alrighty! Let's get this show on the move! You're up!"

*BZZT – PING!*

A forcefield soon shot up around the area that Sora was in causing a dome-like structure to appear all around before fading away leaving it like nothing happened at all.

"That's just a precaution. In case any one of you tries to get the bright idea of helping Sora" Tester stated for all the girls to hear.

"You just think of everything, don't you?" Littorio questioned the Siren.

"It pays to be ahead of everyone. Now then, let the battles begin!"

*BZZT*

Appearing out of nowhere, dark portals flashed into existence before flashing away and leaving an assortment of Siren and Heartless ships to appear all around the area. The girls of Azur Lane all stood close to one another before seemingly glancing over at Sora.

"Don't worry about me!" the spiky-haired boy shouted for them to hear.

"But…" Hiei started to say.

"I'll be fine!"

Looking directly at Young Xehanort and knowing what needed to be done. Whether or not he was the real Xehanort or just a copy made from Darkness's influence with the dark cube, Sora would not let him hurt his friends.

"Leave him to me."

"Heh. Do you honestly believe you can beat me?"

"I know you're not the real Xehanort. But you should know that doesn't matter. I still beat him. And I'll beat you too!"

Shaking his head, the Organization XIII member simply shook his head before twirling his Keyblade around in a flashy yet intimidating manner.

"You are all alone. Time… is a cruel prison!"

*WHOOSH*

---

*Kingdom Hearts III Re:Mind – Data Young Xehanort Theme OST*

---

With one final glare sent at one another, the two Keyblade wielders charged toward each other with nothing to hold them back. This was their battle, and they would see it through to the end.

*FLASH*

Immediately, Xehanort teleported himself to the right side of Sora before teleporting to the left side, and then he teleported right in front of Sora swinging his Keyblade which had now turned into a glowing teal whip.

Trailing the man, Sora already had his Keyblade ready to go in a defensive stance and managed to block several lashes of the glowing whip. Xehanort then teleported on his left side with a follow-up slash of the whip which was easily blocked, to then appearing on the right side and swiping at his feet.

Sora expected this and blocked the attack in time only to be met with another attack from Xehanort only this time it was with his Keyblade. With impeccable timing, the Guardian of Light managed to swing his weapon and block the blade while having his weight shifted and allowing him to finally counterattack.

*WHOOSH*

As soon as Sora saw his chance, he pushed himself forward while drifting along the ground and bringing his Keyblade to strike Xehanort right in the chest.

However, the older boy predicted this and swung his Keyblade down right at Sora but not before turning it back to a whip. This forced him to pull his arm back and try to block the attack. Alas, this move was too fast for the spiky-haired boy forcing him to be flung back as well as taking a powerful blow to the shoulder.

"Gya!"

Rolling along the ground and then coming back to his feet, Sora brushed off the hit and started charging at Xehanort but was thwarted before he could even get another step forward.

*WHOOSH*

*WHOOSH*

The silver-haired boy continued to teleport from side to side in front of Sora before lunging out his whip to hit him but was met with the boy's Keyblade blocking the attack. Xehanort then tried appearing in the air to hit him but was once again met with Sora's weapon stopping the attack.

While the Organization member was fast, Sora was just as fast. His agility had been honed thanks to all the experience he had attained while fighting not only in general but against the Organization not just once but twice.

"Too slow!"

Xehanort then appeared behind Sora, but not before disappearing and reappearing to the side of him.

"Too weak!"

Sora rolled across the ground and managed to avoid being hit by another whip attack before jumping to his feet.

"Too- "

"Smart!"

With a quick slash, Sora managed to knock Xehanort off balance by predicting where he would teleport to next. This attack also allowed him to knock the silver-haired boy up into the air and then teleport in a flash of blue light right in front of him followed by a few strikes across the chest.

Xehanort heaved himself back from the attack and tried casting a spell with his Keyblade but was met face first with Sora's weapon as he had performed a Strike Raid while in the air.

This attack propelled Xehanort to skitter across the ground while clamoring back to his feet. Sora also landed on the ground but with more grace and style as he simply rolled and then bounced back up while summoning his Keyblade. The two continued to glare at one another. Watching to see who would be the first to act.

*WHOOSH*

Before Sora realized it, Xehanort had disappeared and reappeared behind him leaving Sora to throw himself backward to avoid being hit by the Keyblade whip. However, this is exactly what the Organization XIII member wanted as he instantly fired several Blizzard spells set to target the spiky-haired boy.

*BRRRR*

Four soon-to-be-five Ice spells were now hurtling through the air and aiming for Sora which caused him to flip himself to the side. The time to escape this targeted attack was sadly not in his favor as in the next moment, he found his entire body frozen and unable to move.

"Haha!"

*WHACK*

*CRACK*

Sora was flung across the ground from the powerful slash across his frozen chest as he recoiled from the hit. He was now on his side before rolling to the side and getting back up. The Ice attack was something he should have expected but there was also a lingering feeling building up in his chest. Something was off.

It felt like Xehanort was toying with him in a way that didn't make clear sense. However, there was no time to ponder this any further. The silver-haired man now fired another barrage of Ice spells his way which Sora was ready for now.

"Not this time!"

Twirling his Keyblade around, Sora began sprinting away from the Ice spells targeting him but instead of not doing anything, he did just the opposite.

*WHOOSH!*

The Keyblade was thrown right at the closest Ice spell causing a blast of ice to hit the air. The Strike Raid Sora had just pulled allowed him the chance to counter the magic being sent his way.

*WHOOSH!*

*WHOOSH!*

Soon enough, each of the spells was stopped letting Sora fire his own Ice spell at the man which was easily deflected. Alas, that was exactly what the Guardian of Light wanted.

Aiming down his sights on the man, Sora's entire body soon glowed with blue energy right before he Airstepped toward Young Xehanort and swung the Keyblade right at his shoulder. This attack was then blocked by another Keyblade as Xehanort glared right at Sora.

"Arrogance will get you nowhere!"

"Then how about you give up!"

"Tch. You're done here."

Heaving his Keyblade forward and pushing Sora back, gave the brunette the opening he was waiting for.

"Hyah!"

Lunging forward, Sora flicked his wrist which let go of the Kingdom Key and now summoned Wheel of Fate into his hands. Moreover, with his body thrust forward, he began to stab at the cloaked man while also transforming his wooden Keyblade to take on the Formchange of the blade which turned it into a spear.

However, it was right at that point that Xehanort raised his free hand causing what appeared to be a glowing blue circular platform right under him. The platform had taken the appearance of a clock not fully materialized but was enough for the black-coated man to smirk.

Before Sora could hit Xehanort at all, he was then whipped from the back and forced to stop right there at that point in time.

*SWISH!*

*SWOOSH*

*SWISH!*

Several critical hits slammed into Sora while he was still frozen in time but once the spell wore off the only response to have was to yell in pain.

"Gyah!"

Throwing himself back and reprising from the attack, Sora clutched his shoulder and called out for a Curaga spell.

"Heal!"

A green glow soon cascaded over him as he narrowed his sights on Young Xehanort who simply wore a smug look on his face. The Organization XIII member then disappeared and reappeared again leaving Sora to closely watch his moves. The Guardian of Light also realized that right as soon as he was about to be hit he switched his Keyblade to his original leaving his other form at the ready. This gave him an idea.

It wasn't long before he had the right idea of what Xehanort was planning and dodge rolled to the side before immediately turning back and heaving his Keyblade up by his face.

*DING!*

It was right then that Xehanort appeared right before him and was set to strike his head but was met by a counterattack.

Slicing the Keyblade across his torso, Sora landed several blows across the man's body before firing a point-blank Fire spell causing flames to coat his attire. Sora then lunged forward and switched Keyblades only to now wield a large wooden spear.

The spear which had been transformed from the Wheel of Fate Keyblade was on full display leaving Sora to boldly smirk while dashing forward at the silver-haired man. In addition to this, his clothes had changed to match the new form provided with Wheel of Fate. Now, his clothes attained an inverse color scheme, becoming a deep red in most areas, while also donning a camouflage-like pattern. Even his boots had taken a red color as well.

*BAM!*

With a swipe of the spear, Sora whacked Young Xehanort right in his shoulder leaving him to wince in pain before trying to strike back at the brunette. Unfortunately, he was met with another swing of the spear, but this time managed to deflect the attack.

Sora then tried stabbing him in his leg but was once again met with another deflection. He then tried to cast a point-blank Thunder spell at the silver-haired man but soon found himself staring at the sea as Xehanort had teleported to the side of him.

*WHOOSH!*

Another whip attack targeted Sora, but this time he was able to easily block it with the range of the spear. Soon enough, an onslaught of teleportation and whip attacks were directed at him causing Sora to hastily block each attack and even manage to pull off a spinning attack with the spear.

In the next instant, Xehanort appeared right above Sora and primed his whip to strike the boy's hands leaving him defenseless for an opportunity to attack.

"You're annoying!"

Enabled with reaction time speed, Sora barely managed to avoid the attack and let go of the spear before causing it to flash away, but not before summoning Oathkeeper and swiping right at Xehanort's torso.

"Back atcha!"

The attack sent Young Xehanort back into the air while grimacing at the attack before he teleported and appeared several hundred feet from Sora, who was now back to his regular clothing but this time holding onto Oathkeeper.

The two continued to glare at one another before a heightened sense of battle kicked causing the Keyblade wielders to charge forward.

"There's no victory waiting for you!" Young Xehanort shouted while swinging his weapon forward.

Bringing his weapon to the forefront and coming to a blade lock, Sora was up close and glared back at the tan-skinned man while pushing all his weight forward.

"That's what you think! But I'm *grunt* going to win!"

"You have no idea what lies up ahead."

"Obviously! *grunt* I don't! But I don't care!" Sora shouted while standing his ground.

"Hmph. There's no saving you. Your friends will be powerless."

"Grr! I've heard that one before" Sora remarked with a glare.

The immediate callback of his interaction with the real Young Xehanort back in San Fransokyo, while he was looking for a way to save his friends, played through his mind. Even now, it didn't matter. He would find a way for everyone to make it back safely. No matter what.

"I don't know what Darkness or the Sirens have in store, but what I do know is that my friends… we'll beat it together!"

A sly smirk appeared on the fake Xehanort's face.

"Even if it comes at a price?"

"What…? What price?" Sora demanded while still pressing his body forward in the blade lock.

The sound of the two Keyblades grinding against one another led to the sound of metal screeching

"The price of putting those you care about in harm's way," Young Xehanort said while still pushing back against Sora's Keyblade. "This whole Mirror Sea… this whole simulation is an attempt to enhance one of the Sirens to a higher level. And what do you think is the key element that will be used?"

Thinking this through, Sora immediately thought about several different things that would fit what Xehanort was saying, and within seconds, he knew exactly what was going on.

"The Sirens are harnessing Darkness…"

"Heh. You're smarter than most give you credit."

"Grr. Why are you telling me this?"

*SCHING*

The two Keyblades were pushed apart as Young Xehanort jumped back and spun the weapon in his hand before aiming it at Sora again.

"It's obvious what I am. A mere copy meant to imitate someone of a higher caliber. A Siren project given life and intelligence harnessed from Darkness. I know what it is that I'm supposed to do, but my actions do not need to be in common with my thoughts."

Perplexed by this bit of information being laid before him, Sora shook his head while grimacing.

"Basically, you're a project going rogue from the sounds of it."

"Heh. In a way, I am. But that will not stop me from defeating you."

Dashing forward, Young Xehanort teleported forward and then to the side of Sora before lashing out his whip against the boy.

On Sora's end, he immediately used the Keyblade to defend against the whip attack but was then forced to block another strike to his back. Losing his balance for a split second, he then rolled to the side and blocked another attack before getting back on his feet.

*WHOOSH*

Sora then spotted the fake Xehanort teleport right in front of him and swung the whip out, but this time would be different.

As soon as the whip was blocked by his Keyblade, Sora flashed away in a bright blue and then reappeared in front of Young Xehanort and barraged him with three stabs across the chest. This attack threw the cloaked figure back forcing him to teleport and then reappear next to the brunette.

Before long, Young Xehanort lashed right at Sora but then his weapon was deflected away. Sora then tried to swipe at the man's arm but was met with another block of the Keyblade. The two continued this sequence of actions with one going on the offense and the other defending, and then it flipped with the other going on the defense and the other taking a strong offensive approach.

From a distance, one could also guess that their fighting styles match a song and dance rhythm with the focus being a display of offense and defense. Two skilled warriors trying to beat the other and having the battleground devoid of any interruptions.

"Just give up!" Sora yelled out while striking at Young Xehanort.

The silver-haired man then blocked the attack and tried casting a Blizzard spell right at the spiky-haired boy but was met with quite a surprise when Sora leaped high into the air and shot a Fire spell at him.

*WHOOSH*

Swiping the spell away, Young Xehanort was about to raise his hand and commence another time-stopping attack but was immediately forced to bring his Keyblade up and block Sora's blade coming straight for him.

*CLANG*

Falling to the platform, Sora rolled across the ground and summoned back his weapon before grinning.

"Let's go!"

Spinning the Keyblade and extending his arms, a burst of energy exploded around him while his clothes flashed brightly. Once the light died down, he swiped his blade and stood confidently while donning his Light Form with Oathkeeper by his side. His clothes now had a white and gray color scheme along with a strange symbol appearing on his pant legs and even on his hood.

"Deal with this!"

Dashing forward while seemingly leaving a trail of white light, Sora dealt an impactful blow right to Xehanort forcing him to wince at the attack but follow it up with one of his own. The brunette then dashed to the side of the Organization XIII member which forced him to teleport away. This continued into a repeated sequence of Sora dashing and Xehanort teleporting.

It wasn't long before the silver-haired man grew annoyed with this standstill and stopped ahead of where Sora now stood.

"Enough! Time is a cruel prison!"

*DING*

---

*Kingdom Hearts III Re:Mind – Data Young Xehanort – Time Stop Mix*

---

All around the platform, time seemed to stop as a fully transparent clock appeared on the ground with the hands of 12, 3, 6, and 9 being visible in their Roman numeral form. Furthermore, the clock's hands were ticking backward while the entire area appeared distorted.

Out of nowhere, Xehanort started teleporting at an incredible speed forcing Sora to block all the attacks with Oathkeeper and continue to bear the onslaught coming his way. Each attack was followed up by the sporadic foe teleporting and then hitting him with a whip attack.

"Time is waning down, Sora."

"Grr!"

"There's no hope for you."

"That's it!"

Causing a burst of energy to appear after blocking another of Xehanort's attacks, Sora lunged forward and tried attacking the silver-haired man, but he was met with disappointment as he had teleported away. Xehanort then reappeared and tried stabbing the brunette in the shoulder but was met with a Keyblade hitting him right in the face.

This forced the transparent clock and distorted haze to disappear while also knocking Young Xehanort backward.

"Ngh!"

Regaining his balance, Xehanort then tried firing several Ice spells at Sora who had broken out into a dash causing the white trail of light to follow behind him.

As soon as Xehanort was about to send another Ice spell at him, he was met with an explosion rocking the barrier around him. Looking to the side, he saw one of the ship girls glaring right at him.

"You're a real pain in the arse you know that!?" George proclaimed while firing another shot at the protected dome.

"Tch. Your friends are a real annoyance, Sora."

"That's what makes them so great!" Sora countered with a grin.

Teleporting away and reappearing in the center of the battle platform, Young Xehanort then raised his hand in the air before looking directly at Sora.

"Then let's see if they can help you with this!"

*DING*

Once again, all around the platform, time had seemed to stop as a fully transparent clock appeared on the ground with the hands of 12, 3, 6, and 9 being visible in their Roman numeral form. Furthermore, the clock's hands were ticking backward while the entire area appeared distorted.

However, there was something different about this ability this time around.

The hands on the clock began to move backward at an even faster rate compared to the last time while also having a more distorted visual of the area begin to play out.

From the outside, George and a few other girls could see that something odd was truly beginning to happen as the area around the platform was showing two very different things.

"Wait a second… why are there two Soras?!" Nelson shouted while pointing at where the boy was.

"That's not… wait… you're right!" North Carolina added as she inspected the area.

The best explanation for what was happening with Sora was that there were two Soras that could be seen. One was dodging and weaving all the attacks that the silver-haired man was sending his way while another Sora could be seen frozen and standing in a battle stance. The same could be said about the man in the black coat as one version of himself was attacking the brunette while the other stood still with his hand in the air.

Two versions of the same person could be seen conveying two very different sets of actions.

"George! Can that shield be destroyed?" Enterprise called out to the blonde-haired kansen.

*BOOM*

Another explosion rocked the barrier preventing the girls from reaching Sora.

"Dammit! That shield is strong. None of my attacks are even making a dent in it" George responded while sending gunfire at the barrier.

"Don't bother wasting your ammo!" Littorio commented while finishing off another Siren ship. "We don't know how long this fight will last. Nor do we know how strong that barrier's shield is."

"We need to come at this from a strategic point" Vanguard added.

Glancing at the situation playing out with Sora and then back at the Heartless and Siren ships coming at them, Kaga let out a low growl.

"Where is Tester!? She's been too quiet."

*FLASH*

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared before them.

"Heehee! I wondered when someone would notice that I had disappeared."

Sending a glare at her, Enterprise spoke up first.

"What are you up to?!"

"I'm busy. That's all you need to know. And might I say…" Tester then glanced over at the situation unfolding with Sora and Xehanort. "Project Copycat is going far better than I projected. It's doing wonders for my other project."

Perplexed by this sudden admission, the girls all looked at one another with questions written all over their faces.

"Other project?" Duke of York spoke up.

"Hehe! That's a slip of the tongue. But you'll be seeing it soon enough. She's very eager to get to work."

This new bit of information just raised the flags in all the girls' minds as they stared right at Tester who was simply smiling away.

"Ooh! What's going on in there? That's not what I predicted."

Drawing their attention back toward Sora and the mysterious foe, the girls watched as Sora was now locked in close combat with the other man. Their blades continued to meet one another with even sparks sometimes flying as the two blades clashed against one another.

"Sora…" Littorio muttered while watching the fight commence.

"It looks like a dance…" Hiei said while observing the fight closely. "The rhythm and speed are impressive."

"Why are there two of them?" Washington questioned.

*BOOM*

Suddenly, several explosions appeared out in the distance with the Siren and Heartless numbers going down drastically. Azur Lane's forces were fighting back and gaining the advantage.

"Oh? You guys managed to clear those grunts faster than I anticipated. Kudos to you!" Tester said while typing away at her keyboard that materialized out of nothing. "Guess that means more- "

"You're powerless!" came the voice of the silver-haired man.

Everyone then turned their attention back to the fight and couldn't stop watching.

"Let's see how you handle this!"

"You're not getting away!" Sora shouted while lunging right at Young Xehanort.

"You shall wander forever!"

*WHOOSH*

*TICK*

*WHOOSH*

*TOCK*

*WHOOSH*

*TICK*

*TOCK*

*WHOOSH*

---

*Repeat - Kingdom Hearts III Re:Mind – Data Young Xehanort Theme OST*

---

With one final glare sent at one another, the two Keyblade wielders charged toward each other with nothing to hold them back. This was their battle, and they would see it through to the end.

*FLASH*

Immediately, Xehanort teleported himself to the right side of Sora before teleporting to the left side, and then he teleported right in front of Sora swinging his Keyblade which had now turned into a glowing teal whip.

Trailing the man, Sora already had his Keyblade ready to go in a defensive stance and managed to block several lashes of the glowing whip. Xehanort then teleported on his left side with a follow-up slash of the whip which was easily blocked, to then appearing on the right side and swiping at his feet.

Sora expected this and blocked the attack in time only to be met with another attack from Xehanort only this time it was with his Keyblade. With impeccable timing, the Guardian of Light managed to swing his weapon and block the blade while having his weight shifted and allowing him to finally counterattack.

*WHOOSH*

As soon as Sora saw his chance, he pushed himself forward while drifting along the ground and bringing his Keyblade to strike Xehanort right in the chest.

However, the older boy predicted this and swung his Keyblade down right at Sora but not before turning it back to a whip. This forced him to pull his arm back and try to block the attack. Alas, this move was too fast for the spiky-haired boy forcing him to be flung back as well as taking a powerful blow to the shoulder.

"Gya!"

Rolling along the ground and then coming back to his feet, Sora brushed off the hit and started charging at Xehanort but was thwarted before he could even get another step forward.

*WHOOSH*

*WHOOSH*

The silver-haired boy continued to teleport from side to side in front of Sora before lunging out his whip to hit him but was met with the boy's Keyblade blocking the attack. Xehanort then tried appearing in the air to hit him but was once again met with Sora's weapon stopping the attack.

While the Organization member was fast, Sora was just as fast. His agility had been honed thanks to all the experience he had attained while fighting not only in general but against the Organization not just once but twice.

"Too slow!"

Xehanort then appeared behind Sora, but not before disappearing and reappearing to the side of him.

"Too weak!"

Sora rolled across the ground and managed to avoid being hit by another whip attack before jumping to his feet.

"Too- "

"Smart!"

With a quick slash, Sora managed to knock Xehanort off balance by predicting where he would teleport to next. This attack also allowed him to knock the silver-haired boy up into the air and then teleport in a flash of blue light right in front of him followed by a few strikes across the chest.

Xehanort heaved himself back from the attack and tried casting a spell with his Keyblade but was met face first with Sora's weapon as he had performed a Strike Raid while in the air.

This attack propelled Xehanort to skitter across the ground while clamoring back to his feet. Sora also landed on the ground but with more grace and style as he simply rolled and then bounced back up while summoning his Keyblade. The two continued to glare at one another. Watching to see who would be the first to act.

*WHOOSH*

Before Sora realized it, Xehanort had disappeared and reappeared behind him leaving Sora to throw himself backward to avoid being hit by the Keyblade whip. However, this is exactly what the Organization XIII member wanted as he instantly fired several Blizzard spells set to target the spiky-haired boy.

*BRRRR*

Four soon-to-be-five Ice spells were now hurtling through the air and aiming for Sora which caused him to flip himself to the side. The time to escape this targeted attack was sadly not in his favor as in the next moment, he found his entire body frozen and unable to move.

"Haha!"

*WHACK*

*CRACK*

Sora was flung across the ground from the powerful slash across his frozen chest as he recoiled from the hit. He was now on his side before rolling to the side and getting back up. The Ice attack was something he should have expected but there was also a lingering feeling building up in his chest. Something was off.

It felt like Xehanort was toying with him in a way that didn't make clear sense. However, there was no time to ponder this any further. The silver-haired man now fired another barrage of Ice spells his way which Sora was ready for now.

"Not this time!"

Twirling his Keyblade around, Sora began sprinting away from the Ice spells targeting him but instead of not doing anything, he did just the opposite.

*WHOOSH!*

The Keyblade was thrown right at the closest Ice spell causing a blast of ice to hit the air. The Strike Raid Sora had just pulled allowed him the chance to counter the magic being sent his way.

*WHOOSH!*

*WHOOSH!*

Soon enough, each of the spells was stopped letting Sora fire his own Ice spell at the man which was easily deflected. Alas, that was exactly what the Guardian of Light wanted.

Aiming down his sights on the man, Sora's entire body soon glowed with blue energy right before he Airstepped toward Young Xehanort and swung the Keyblade right at his shoulder. This attack was then blocked by another Keyblade as Xehanort glared right at Sora.

"Arrogance will get you nowhere!"

"Then how about you give up!"

"Tch. You're done here."

Heaving his Keyblade forward and pushing Sora back, this attack gave the brunette the opening he was waiting for.

"Hyah!"

Lunging forward, Sora flicked his wrist which let go of the Kingdom Key and now summoned Wheel of Fate into his hands. Moreover, with his body thrust forward, he began to stab at the cloaked man while also transforming his wooden Keyblade to take on the Formchange of the blade which turned it into a spear.

However, it was right at that point that Xehanort raised his free hand causing what appeared to be a glowing blue circular platform right under him. The platform had taken the appearance of a clock not fully materialized but was enough for the black-coated man to smirk.

Before Sora could hit Xehanort at all, he was then whipped from the back and forced to stop right there at that point in time.

*SWISH!*

*SWOOSH*

*SWISH!*

Several critical hits slammed into Sora while he was still frozen in time but once the spell wore off the only response to have was to yell in pain.

"Gyah!"

Throwing himself back and reprising from the attack, Sora clutched his shoulder and called out for a Curaga spell.

"Heal!"

A green glow soon cascaded over him as he narrowed his sights on Young Xehanort who simply wore a smug look on his face. The Organization XIII member then disappeared and reappeared again leaving Sora to closely watch his moves. The Guardian of Light also realized that right as soon as he was about to be hit he switched his Keyblade to his original leaving his other form at the ready. This gave him an idea.

It wasn't long before he had the right idea of what Xehanort was planning and dodge rolled to the side before immediately turning back and heaving his Keyblade up by his face.

*DING!*

It was right then that Xehanort appeared right before him and was set to strike his head but was met by a counterattack.

Slicing the Keyblade across his torso, Sora landed several blows across the man's body before firing a point-blank Fire spell causing flames to coat his attire. Sora then lunged forward and switched Keyblades only to now wield a large wooden spear.

The spear which had been transformed from the Wheel of Fate Keyblade was on full display leaving Sora to boldly smirk while dashing forward at the silver-haired man. In addition to this, his clothes had changed to match the new form provided with Wheel of Fate. Now, his clothes attained an inverse color scheme, becoming a deep red in most areas, while also donning a camouflage-like pattern. Even his boots had taken a red color as well.

*BAM!*

With a swipe of the spear, Sora whacked Young Xehanort right in his shoulder leaving him to wince in pain before trying to strike back at the brunette. Unfortunately, he was met with another swing of the spear, but this time managed to deflect the attack.

Sora then tried stabbing him in his leg but was once again met with another deflection. He then tried to cast a point-blank Thunder spell at the silver-haired man but soon found himself staring at the sea as Xehanort had teleported to the side of him.

*WHOOSH!*

Another whip attack targeted Sora, but this time he was able to easily block it with the range of the spear. Soon enough, an onslaught of teleportation and whip attacks were directed at him causing Sora to hastily block each attack and even manage to pull off a spinning attack with the spear.

In the next instant, Xehanort appeared right above Sora and primed his whip to strike the boy's hands leaving him defenseless for an opportunity to attack.

"You're annoying!"

Enabled with reaction time speed, Sora barely managed to avoid the attack and let go of the spear before causing it to flash away, but not before summoning Oathkeeper and swiping right at Xehanort's torso.

"Back atcha!"

The attack sent Young Xehanort back into the air while grimacing at the attack before he teleported and appeared several hundred feet from Sora, who was now back to his regular clothing but this time holding onto Oathkeeper.

The two continued to glare at one another before a heightened sense of battle kicked causing the Keyblade wielders to charge forward.

"There's no victory waiting for you!" Young Xehanort shouted while swinging his weapon forward.

Bringing his weapon to block the attack, Sora was now locked in a blade bind while glaring right at the silver-haired man and doing his best to fight back.

"No way…" Enterprise mumbled while stepping forward. "Did he just…"

"These guys are crazy…" San Francisco muttered while being fascinated by the fight before her.

'They're so fast… and they are not holding back' Boise thought to herself watching witnessing the fight.

"Such skill…" New Jersey spoke quietly while having her eyes focused squarely on the spiky-haired boy.

Witnessing this battle closely, the girls of Azur Lane one by one began to realize what had just happened. It shouldn't have taken them this long, but with how fast-paced the fight had been… it had now clicked.

"You've got to be kidding me!? No freaking way!" Washington exclaimed. "He went back in time!"

"More like reversed time. Making it so he repeated the start of their battle" Littorio clarified as she watched Sora continue to fight the man. "That's a dangerous ability. Unlike any I've ever seen before…"

"He needs to kick this guy's ass now!" Baltimore shouted before preparing her rigging." Otherwise, he'll be caught repeating this fight."

"Agreed. We need to act" George replied.

The blonde ship girl then fired a barrage of gunfire at the barrier separating them and Sora causing the shield to appear. Each explosion was showing more and more of the barrier giving them a better visual of it.

"That's not going to work~" Tester teased.

Noticing the gunfire, Sora quickly turned his head to the side and could see all the girls now firing on the shield. The repeated explosions and gunfire hitting the barrier were a sight to see.

"What's going on?!"

"Sora! Watch out!" Enterprise shouted.

Throwing himself to the ground, Sora was met with a kick to the chest causing him to gasp but also be thrown back as he saw Xehanort go in for another attack.

*CHING!*

The two Keyblades met one another which allowed Sora the perfect opportunity to counterattack. But not just any sort of counterattack. This one involved a bit more force. That being the bottom of his boot kicking someone in the face.

*BAM*

"Ngh!"

"Ha!"

Sora then teleported and kicked Young Xehanort right in the face before following it up with a flurry of slashes across his chest. He then started landing slash after slash before slamming the silver-haired man down to the water's surface.

*SPLASH*

"Sora! He went back in time! You've already fought him before!" Kaga yelled out to the spiky-haired boy.

Paying close attention to what Kaga said, Sora nodded and began to focus on the fight before him. In his chest, he knew that something was up but to get confirmation on that something was good news to him. This meant that he had this fake Xehanort by the ropes.

"Tch."

As Young Xehanort briskly stood up, he glared right back at Sora before spinning his Keyblade summoning several shards of ice and hurling them forward.

"You're condemned!"

Seeing the icy projectiles heading his way, Sora was about to break into a sprint but realized that he had enough energy stored up to access another one of his Formchanges. This one would guarantee his victory over Xehanort and stop him from using his time abilities.

"Think again! GIVE ME STRENGTH!"

*WHOOSH*

*BOOM*

A bright explosion appeared around Sora before it faded away revealing the Guardian of Light's clothes had changed colors once again. This time, he was now donning his Second Form attire which closely resembled his outfit from his previous adventure. Black pants with a yellow strap going along both of his thighs, red pockets sitting along his waist, a blue tank top with a white trim, a black jacket with bright yellow buttons along the top, white trim around his jacket's hoodie, and his arm gauntlets took a grey and black color scheme with a yellow strap along both of his wrists. Along with the defining feature of a cocky grin on his face.

"Gotcha!"

Dashing forward, Sora immediately rolled along the ground to narrowly avoid a few of the icy projectiles before leaping into the air to avoid another projectile coming for him. Once in the air, he aimed his sights at the cloaked foe, and Airstepped right to him before striking fast.

Xehanort didn't have time to react and was hit back with quite the recoil before swinging his weapon in return. The two Keyblades clashed once more before Sora heaved his blade upwards and then back down to land a critical slash along the Organization member's chest.

Reprising from the attack, Xehanort began striking at Sora but was met with a constant barrage of blocks from the brunette. His quick reflexes allowed him to block each attack and even try to land a counterattack. This continued to happen several more times with each of their blades clashing against one another and open-ended slashes being avoided. The skills of a Keyblade wielder were now in full display.

Alas, Sora was able to turn the tables by blocking another attack and then pushing Xehanort's blade back before twirling his own and going for a low strike. This forced a response which caused the black coated foe to block the incoming blow. But this was exactly what Sora wanted as he slammed the bottom of the Keyblade right into Xehanort's face.

This forced Young Xehanort back along with a strained look to graze his face.

Sora saw this and immediately lunged forward to deal another damaging blow but was stopped abruptly by a sudden burst of light.

"You won't get away this time!" Young Xehanort asked before lifting his Keyblade. "You shall wander endlessly forever!"

*DING*

---

*Kingdom Hearts III Re:Mind – Data Young Xehanort – Time Stop Mix*

---

All around the platform, time seemed to stop as a fully transparent clock appeared on the ground with the hands of 12, 3, 6, and 9 being visible in their Roman numeral form. Furthermore, the clock's hands were ticking backward while the entire area appeared distorted.

Deep in Sora's chest, he knew that there was a time limit to how long it would take for Xehanort to complete whatever spell or ability allowed him to reverse time. He couldn't let that happen again.

"This time will be different!"

"That's what you think."

Suddenly, Young Xehanort began to teleport and reappear out of nowhere forcing Sora to dive to the side and avoid being hit with a whip strike. This continued several times with the silver-haired foe teleporting and trying to hurt him.

Grimacing at this tactic, Sora had enough and blocked a sudden attack gunning for him before he sprinted forward near the center of the platform.

"There's no escape!"

"You're wrong!"

*WHOOSH*

*WHACK*

Heaving the Keyblade forward and performing a vertical slash through the air, Sora managed to hit Xehanort just as he was teleporting causing the man to recoil. This was it. The moment needed to end this battle once and for all.

"You're through!"

*SWOOSH*

*CRASH*

*SPLASH*

Slamming the Keyblade down at the fake Organization XIII member, an explosion of light hit the man causing him to come crashing atop the water and for the distorted field to disappear. This left Sora standing there victorious as he had not only stopped the time ability but defeated Young Xehanort.

Glancing at the defeated foe, he watched as Xehanort tried to get up but ultimately fell onto his back and let out a sigh. The lower half of his figure began to disappear slowly with a glowing light. At the same time, the barrier around them had faded away letting Enterprise and a few of the other girls rush toward the brunette boy.

"Heh… not bad…" Young Xehanort weakly muttered.

"…Why?" Sora quietly asked while looking at the defeated foe.

"Why what?"

Clutching his hand around the Keyblade's handle tightly, Sora spoke up louder.

"Why you? Why did Darkness decide to use you? Or why are the Sirens working doing all this?"

Hearing these questions, the experiment simply laughed.

"You're asking the wrong person… or thing. I merely did what I was tasked."

"To lose?"

With the light growing brighter and reaching the defeated man's torso, Xehanort gave his final response.

"To distract you. From what's to come. Your journey… has no…"

The light had now covered his entire body and in the blink of an eye, the experiment known as Project Copycat which had taken the face, personality, and abilities of a member of Organization XIII was now gone.

Staring at the exact spot Young Xehanort was just at, Sora couldn't help but feel frustrated by everything that had just happened. It all annoyed and angered him. Which is why he couldn't help but noticeably frown.

"Sora…?" Enterprise called out to the boy.

Coming out of his thoughts, Sora glanced over at the white-haired girl and nodded.

"I'm ok. Just… confused."

"Aren't we all…"

"Yeah… how's the situation?"

Turning around, Enterprise gestured to the rest of the girls joining them.

"We've cleared all the Sirens and Heartless. Tester has also disappeared. She snuck away while you were fighting that man."

"By the way, who was that man? He seemed odd. To put it one way" Nelson addressed, earning a few nods of agreement.

"That weapon of his… I'm no expert when it comes to weapons, but… it reminded me of yours, Sora" Washington said, resting a hand on her hip and staring right at him.

"You're right about that, Washington. He was also using a Keyblade. He's… also someone I fought against not that long ago."

Raised eyebrows were shared by all the girls now as this was startling news.

"So… he was the guinea pig for Project Copycat?" Vanguard questioned. "The Sirens and that Darkness… being helped create him?"

"That's what it sounds like…" Sora replied while calming himself down and looking at everyone. "I think right now we need to be careful of what Tester has planned. She mentioned something about an Arbiter."

For the girls who hadn't heard that part before, their eyes shot up in concern as the situation had now taken a drastic turn for the worse.

"That's very concerning," Littorio said in a low tone.

"We need to alert the others back at base" Duke of York responded with haste. "The situation has jumped up a few levels."

"Agreed. Reinforcements may be needed" Kaga added.

"Who would have thought… "San Francisco muttered while scratching her head. "The entire time that we've been here, we didn't encounter any Arbiter."

Moving his attention to the girl who just spoke, Sora now realized that the three girls he observed were new faces that he hadn't met before.

"You're the other girls that were missing, right?"

"Yep! Nice to meet cha! Name's San Francisco" said San Francisco as she nodded to the Keyblade wielder.

"It's nice to meet you, Sora. My name is Boise" came Boise's friendly response with a nod.

With a slick and flirtatious smile, New Jersey waved at the spiky-haired boy, "Hiya! It's a pleasure to meet you, Sora. I'm New Jersey! I hope we get to know each other a bit more- "

*BOOM*

*BZZT*

Before New Jersey could finish her lively greeting, an explosion rang out around the area along with the entire sea beginning to distort leaving a few of the girls to stumble. North Carolina instantly grabbed a hold of her sister, Washington, along with Baltimore while Duke of York latched onto George's shoulder. Hiei and Kaga helped each other stand while Littorio was close enough to support Enterprise. Vanguard helped balance Nelson and Repulse as San Francisco held onto Boise.

The entire area continued to shake and deteriorate until a bright flash of light covered the entire sea and field causing everyone to shield their eyes.

"Not again!"

"Gah!"

"I can't see!"

"My eyes!"

"Too bright! Too bright!"

"Turn your brights off!"

"Come on!"

Suddenly, the bright light dimmed away leaving Sora to open his eyes and readjust his vision to see that his surroundings had changed drastically.

Inspecting the area closer, he could see that he and the girls were on a square platform in the middle of a large space. However, as he got a better look around, he could see that lights were lighting up the space around them. This place was very different compared to the open sea, castle, or circular platform that he had been to.

All around them, the area instantly lit up with glowing lights spinning around and electrical systems as far as the eye could see. It didn't help that this new place looked empty and devoid of any life. This technological chamber.

"What the hell…?" George mumbled while looking around the place.

"It's huge!" San Francisco shouted while shifting her eyes to see everything.

"It's all lit up. Are we in a facility of some sort?" Enterprise questioned while keeping her guard up.

"Wherever we are, it has got to be bad news" Kaga replied in a serious tone of voice.

"The technology here is something else…" Littorio said as she began observing the lively space before her. "It's something the Sardegna Empire has never encountered."

"Same goes for the Sakura Empire" Hiei added.

"Azur Lane can't say the same. This Mirror Sea is all sorts of strange" New Jersey commented.

Stepping forward, Sora was the first to realize that they were not alone. With a quick turn of his feet, he pointed the Keyblade at the end of the platform which startled a few of the girls, but once they saw what was going on they also summoned their riggings and felt tense about the situation.

Floating there with not a care in the world, Tester had a smug look on her face.

"Hello. Nice to see you all again. I hope you got a moment of respite. It'll be the last one you ever get."

"Enough games, Tester! What's going on here?" Sora asked, not taking his eyes off her.

"It's like I've told you for the third time now. Or maybe it's now the fourth… who knows? You're quite the idiot when it comes to remembering stuff."

"Funny. Coming from someone who is about to be broken and at the bottom of the ocean here soon" San Francisco fired back.

"Ooh! Scary. But not to worry. You won't be dealing with me that much longer."

Confused by this comment, Enterprise questioned the Siren girl.

"Why is that?"

With a gleeful smile, Tester slowly pointed behind everyone.

"Because she's ready."

*BZzZzZzZT*

A portal had now appeared along with a pale white foot wearing a black heel stepped out. Then, another foot appeared this time a white heel was wrapped around the limb. Before long, two long white legs could be seen leading up to hips then a large chest, and finally two bright pink eyes staring back at everyone. The full appearance of a pale woman with white hair that reached past her shoulders could be seen. Her attire showed very minimal white clothing covering her breasts and lower region but with a thin white veil wrapped around both of her arms. A black hair ornament could be seen along with the side of her hair in a bun with a black bow. Alas, the most fruitful characteristic of this mysterious woman was the slow yet menacing smile she donned while looking at the group.

"Well now, isn't this quite the party?" came a seductive voice from the pale woman.

In the minds of several of the girls, a sense of dread and worry soared through them as they gripped onto their riggings. This was an Arbiter standing right before them. Better yet, this was The Empress III. An Arbiter that much was not known about. Meaning that they were walking into unknown territory on all fronts. The situation was about as bad as one could get.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, hero," the Arbiter said directly to Sora.

"I take it you're the one in charge of everything here?" the Keyblade wielder warily asked.

"To a degree, yes. But that isn't to say that I should take all the credit. Tester has done an outstanding job running tests and making sure this Mirror Sea would provide substantial results for our tests."

"Hehe! You're too kind" Tester casually replied while standing off to the side.

"And Darkness?" Sora questioned, making sure to pay close attention to what the response might be.

"That fellow… he's certainly a mystery to behold. One that challenges many of our programming systems. You are aware of who we are, no?"

Slowly shaking his head, Sora had an idea of what an Arbiter was but wanted to know more.

"I only know what you are but nothing else."

"Oh? Shall I give you a little exposition then? Let's see, we're a Siren force from another timeline. Searching for what we deem as… worthy."

"Worthy?"

"Ha. Don't worry too much about it. We simply seek to rule. That much is certain" Empress remarked with her eyes glowing brightly while staring right at Sora. "As to who I am, my name is Empress."

Not about to be intimidated by her, Sora took a step forward while making sure his blue eyes never broke contact with her pink eyes.

"And now you're working with Darkness and the Heartless…"

"If you could believe it, this is our first time encountering a force such as them. Strange, isn't it? With how vast and superior we Sirens are, for this to be the first time we counter a force such as the Heartless and the mysterious being that is Darkness… I'd say we've hit the monumental jackpot" the Arbiter said while having a content look on her face.

Looks of irritation could be seen on the ship girls' faces as they were glaring harshly at the Arbiter. Moreover, George had silently reached into her pocket and activated a radio that would contact the other Azur Lane forces and let them listen to the situation at play. At least, that's what she hoped for.

"But that's not even the biggest prize we have. Now, we have you…" Empress proclaimed while pointing directly at Sora. "From what Darkness has said about you… you are the finer trophy to claim. Your power is something else entirely. And I want that~"

"Excuse me?" North Carolina interjected immediately.

"You heard me, girl. Sora is what I truly want. Which is why…"

Hearing this, Tester immediately started typing away while smiling brightly.

"You got it, boss!"

*PEW*

*BZZT*

Flashes of light fired from all across the technologic space and started hitting each one of the girls causing what appeared to be electrical shocks hitting their bodies.

"GAH!"

"WHAT THE- "

"LET GO!"

"DAMN!"

"GYAH!"

"OW!"

"BLEH!"

"Everyone!" Sora cried out.

Seeing all the girls be hit with an electrical attack causing their bodies to spasm and be unable to move, Sora was about to try and help them when the Empress spoke aloud.

"Let's move things around so that it's just us, Sora."

BZZT*

Out of nowhere, portals appeared all around the space followed by beams of light hitting each of the girls and sending them flying into the portals.

*PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW*

"NO!"

"STOP!"

"AHH!*

"CHEAP SHOT!"

"NGH!"

"GRR! AH!"

"WAIT!"

"OH, COME ON!"

"DAMMIT!"

"WHAT?!"

"SORA!"

Every one of the girls had now been shot into a portal leaving the platform to only hold Sora as Empress and Tester were now floating above and in front of him.

"That's much better. Those girls were quite the nuisance. Tester, mind watching over them? Running the secondary Enforcer project would be a good test to observe now" Empress reasoned to the other Siren girl.

"I'd gladly do that! Everything should be good on your end. I look forward to how things will play out!"

*BZZT*

And with that, Tester flashed away leaving only Sora and the Empress in this massive technological space.

---

The Siren and Keyblade wielder stared at one another before the Arbiter let out a small chuckle followed by a sly smile.

"Finally, we're all alone."

"Where did you take them!?"

"Don't worry. They're not dead… yet. We still have over a hundred more tests we could run on them. The Siren network is a vast one. And we haven't even gotten close to testing any of the analytical projects under Code- "

"Just stop it!" Sora shouted while getting fed up with everything that was happening. "I'm stopping you here and now. Then I'm going to find my friends and destroy this Mirror Sea once and for all!"

"Oh? Those are some redeeming fighting words. And just how will you go ahead and beat me?" the Arbiter antagonized while grinning down at the Keyblade wielder. "Why not submit to me? I promise to treat you fairly. Give you everything you've ever wanted. Grant you your every wish? Why do you keep on fighting? What do you hope to gain?"

Lowering his head and processing Empress's questions, Sora knew what he wanted to say. That was never going to be a problem. However, he couldn't help but reflect and think about how his time in this world allowed him to meet so many wonderful people. People whom he will never forget and who have become a powerful force of light in his heart. And there were still so many others he had to meet that… he could not fall here. He would not fall here.

On top of that, there were still so many others in his heart that he shared a connection with. Countless bonds with the people he's met throughout his journey. From the time he first received the Keyblade to preparing for the Keyblade War, there were so many people that his heart connected with. All his friends… his best friends. He would not lose here.

*TING*

A flash of light appeared to come from his pocket leaving Sora to reach down and quickly pull out whatever had flashed.

The Heartbinder.

Realizing that this was what caused the light to appear, a confident smile began to appear on his face. Empress, who was watching closely, also became curious about the strange act.

"What is that object in your hands?"

Deciding to ignore her comment, Sora twirled his Keyblade around before taking off the Oathkeeper charm and stashing it away with the Oblivion keychain. Leaving him to only have Kingdom Key and Wheel of Fate on hand.

"The reason why I do this… why I keep fighting is because of them… "Sora then placed his hand across his heart and looked proudly at Empress. "My friends! They are my power! They give me the strength to be better! They push me to be me!"

Hearing the strengthened morale in his words, the Empress couldn't help but be pleased by him.

"Very well, Guardian of Light. I shall respect your answer. And in twofold, reply with my own. Know that before your death, I will offer you one last chance to be mine. My plaything~"

"That's not going to happen!"

"We shall see… now then, let us begin!"

With a flick of her wrist, the Empress's body was now coated with a distorted haze surrounding her. Before long, her entire body had begun to disappear and transform into something new. Something different.

*BZZT!*

*BRRRR!*

*BZZT!*

*CLING!*

*CLANG!*

A colossal mechanical body could be seen along with what looked like shark-like features at the top of the towering figure's head. Spikes could be seen along the body of the humanoid armor and glowing blue lights could be seen all over the place. Two silver armored arms could be seen intertwined along with another set of arms raised above the other arms. The entirety of the mechanical body was that of a black and white color scheme with strange blue glowing insignias that were in the shape of a triangle. At the center of the armored figure's core was a small window that held the Empress as she smiled gleefully at the Keyblade wielder.

*BZZT*

*BRR!*

"(Identification. Arbiter: The Empress III. Protocol. Systems are all clear. Commencing battle strategy. Neutralization. Mirror Sea systems are on standby. Frequency level of dark energy. Sustainable. Combat systems. Approved. All systems are a go.)"

What sounded like a robotic female voice could be heard and was drastically different from the Empress or Tester's voices.

"The greatest threat to our goals is you. And I will make sure that is no longer the case!" Empress stated while preparing to move her machine and take on a battle stance with one set of arms ready to strike.

With one final breath to take, Sora pointed the Keyblade at the Arbiter before spinning it around and getting into his signature battle stance. There was no hesitation written on his face. He was ready.

"I'm stopping you and saving my friends!"

Notes:

*A/N* - Now that… is one way to end on a cliffhanger lol. Hello again and thanks for reaching the bottom of the chapter. As I've repeatedly said, I apologize for having taken quite a bit of time writing and shipping this next chapter out. Things have been… busy to say the least. But progress was slowly being made on this story. Funny enough, I originally had this done back in August. However, I was not happy with how the chapter had turned out. It wasn't anything too extreme it was just shorter than I expected. Hence, I decided to start from scratch and work around making it more thrilling. At least, I hope I did that. If not, that's fine. Learning curve to conquer.

Again, thank you for checking this story out and keeping up with it. We've reached past two years now which is crazy to think about. Even crazier to think that we've been in the dark on KH4 since April 2022. But I'm still here and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. Much less stopping after that cliffhanger. I honestly thought about including the fight, but I decided that deserved a good chunk of time and attention. I mean, the chapter is already sitting at 35k. Not sure if people would be down to read a 40k chapter lol.

Now then, onto a bit about the chapter, I wanted to focus on a new group of girls given that we've been with the other group for quite some time. Granted, a few familiar faces are here but the majority are new or didn't have as much screen time as last time. The romance aspect is something I want to get right, but have developed somewhat naturally. I know my way of writing is nothing impressive, but it's something I'd like to achieve. I mean, there's already a bunch of girls in Sora's eventual harem now… there's undoubtedly going to be more added. Azur Lane is growing by the day.

On that note, this chapter's release is far beyond the 6th-anniversary event which was cool being cowboy-themed. And yes, those girls will be added, but not for quite a while. I've got a list of girls that need the limelight as well as developed in the story. So, I apologize if you're expecting Sora to hook up with the girls in the next chapter. That won't be happening… yet. It's going to happen and when it does… Sora is in for quite the dilemma. An island full of girls fawning over him. That's going to go well lol.

I also took quite a bit of influence from FFXIV Dawntrail. Given that I was playing that throughout July, it inspired me to use a few things from that game as well as things to come. I still have so many other ideas to use so I hope you'll be able to recognize what's used. Nevertheless, thank you so much for sticking around this story and continuing to support it. All feedback is welcome, and I enjoy reading what's liked and disliked about it. I'm still a growing writer so stick with me, will you?

I hope this was an entertaining chapter to read, and I hope you'll stick around for the next one. Thanks again and until next time. Take care.

Chapter 20: Empress's Assault

Summary:

With the tide of battle centering around the Keyblade wielder of Light going up against the Siren Arbiter known as The Empress III, how will Sora manage to make it through this fight? Will he be strong enough to deal with a mysterious foe, or will his heart be enough to see his friends again? At the same time, mere distractions stand between the girls and their friend. How will things play out?

Notes:

*Disclaimer* - I don't own the copyright to Kingdom Hearts, Azur Lane, or any other series involved.

*A/N * - *whistle* Hahaha… It's been a while. I'm sorry about that. I've been talking about getting chapters out sooner, but here I am dropping a chapter so many months later. I truly am sorry about that. To keep things brief, I'll blame procrastination, Trading Cards, life in general, video games, and friends. Nevertheless, I would also like to reassure everyone who reached out and asked if I was continuing this story. Yes. I am. I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon. I would also like to say that I'm a slow cook. Don't let me in the kitchen. I'll cook you something but at least it won't be too burnt… maybe. It'll for sure take a while to make.

Moreover, this chapter has a lot riding on it. The end notes of the chapter will go into much more detail about what I wanted to do with the fighting and stakes being raised. Before this chapter, it seemed that Sora was at a comfortable level of difficulty. But my goal for this chapter was to test that level. So, I hope I can convey that throughout the chapter as well as further develop the romantic elements between him and the many girls. I still want that to be something noteworthy. Giving as many girls as I can a moment… their moment.

I'd also like to once again thank everyone for checking this story out. We're reaching close to 3 years now from the first chapter. From me barely knowing how to write a chapter to now having this wacky wahoo story. I appreciate all the feedback given. Good or bad. I take it all into account. Now then, enough stalling. Onto the chapter!

*UPDATE* - We have news! I repeat. We have news! Kingdom Hearts 4 lives! Sadly, at the cost of Missing Link. A real damn shame. However, we have new screenshots, and hoo boy… there's a lot to consider. However, there is one significant (well, not really that serious, but still…) factor that I am going to be using from the KH4 screenshots we were given. I won't spoil the surprise now but expect me to mention it in the end notes. Stay tuned and above all… May your hearts be your guiding key.

Inside the Mirror Sea

---

*Azur Lane: Crosswave OST 11: The Roar of Thunder*

---

"New Jersey! Can you get a signal now?!"

"No! The frequency channels are being jammed. All I'm getting is static!"

"Dammit! We need to find a way to reach base command."

*PEW*

*BOOM*

"Gah! These guys don't know when to quit!"

"They just keep coming!"

"We're running low on ammo. Pretty soon we'll just be using our fists!"

"Heh. For you, that may be the case, but for us, in the Royal Navy we tend to have weapons- "

"I don't want to hear it, George!"

"Besides, I've got a bat!"

"But what if it breaks?"

*PEW*

*POP*

*BOOM*

"Then someone's getting a knuckle sandwich! With no cheese!"

*BANG*

Doing her best to see past all the madness, Enterprise whipped her head to the side and fired an arrow straight into the deck of a Siren ship.

*KA-BOOM*

"That's another one down!"

"These pests just keep on coming" Kaga muttered while summoning several of her airplanes to take to the skies.

"Enty! We can't do this forever!" Yelled New Jersey as she fired a barrage of bullets into another Siren vessel. "I'm running low on ammo and I'm sure you guys aren't fairing much better either."

Enterprise knew that New Jersey was right. While she resorted to using arrows, the others were reliant on their weapons. This onslaught of Sirens was nothing more than to distract them from the real fight.

"We need to find a way out of here!" King George shouted before dashing forward and piercing a Siren grunt in the chest.

"These things still creep me out!"

"Even though they're like the other elite Sirens?"

"No! At least with them, you know they're real as with these… ugh."

"I kind of see what you're getting at, but you should also remember that the elites are also simply- "

"CAN WE SAVE THIS TALK FOR ANOTHER TIME AND FIGHT?!"

*BOOM*

*WHOOOSH*

*BZZZZT*

*BOOM*

*SPLASH*

The fight continued to rage on with the girls of Azur Lane giving it their all to push back the seemingly never-ending horde of Sirens.

However, out of the corner of her eye, Boise spotted something glimmering. It was almost as if a monitor was dinged and distorting between a clear image and a fuzzy one.

"There's something over there!"

"Where?"

"To the west, 19 meters out. It's almost like- "

"Boise! I see it!" Vanguard replied while stabbing a Siren grunt right through the chest.

The grunt's body fell limp before dissolving into bits of data.

*PAP*

*PEW*

"Gah! Does anyone have a clear shot?!"

"Hngh! Nope!"

"Hrah! Dammit! They keep coming!"

"I'm too far!"

"These guys are becoming real pains!"

All around the girls, Siren ships had materialized out of nowhere and were now laying down a barrage of gunfire. Explosions were flying everywhere, planes were flying overhead, and Sirens' grunts were rushing at them to try and take them head-on.

A firefight had broken out within this subsection of the Mirror Sea, and it didn't look like it was stopping any time soon.

"Does anyone have a shot!?"

"I've got quite the fan base right now! Bit occupied!" exclaimed Littorio as she was busy dealing with a group of Siren grunts rushing at her.

"Little busy right now!" yelled New Jersey as she was dodging and weaving incoming attacks.

*WHOOSH*

"Blasted Sirens! I can't get a shot!" King George stammered while dashing forward and narrowly avoiding an explosion.

"I don't have an opening" shouted Hiei as she dealt with incoming fire.

"No!"

*WHIP*

*BOOM*

"Oh, come on!" Washington complained. "I almost had one!"

"Gah! I was so close to getting an opening!" San Francisco shouted before whacking a Siren grunt across the face.

*PEW*

*PEW*

"Hmph! The nerve of these pawns" Nelson said while firing at an incoming plane.

"Hold on! I got one!" North Carolina shouted out with clear confidence.

Several meters away, a static flashing could briefly be seen hanging in the air. This phenomenon was not natural, which made it even more noticeable.

"Carol! Take it!" Enterprise yelled while letting an arrow fly free and pierced a Siren plane.

*BOOM*

"Aim with fury and send your shot screeching!" Roared Littorio as she provided cover fire.

"Carol! You've got this!" Washington yelled out to her sister. "I believe in you!"

"Go blondie!" San Francisco shouted with a grin.

"Strike with all your heart!" Vanguard declared while stabbing another Siren foe.

"Don't miss or I'll tell Sora!" Baltimore blurted out with a cheeky grin.

A flash of red could be seen on the blonde's face before she focused her sights on the flashing distorted piece of the Mirror Sea.

"I won't miss."

*PWOOSH*

With a single shot, North Carolina fired her riggings and instantaneously hit the static phenomenon causing a crack in the sky to appear.

"What the- Carol broke the sky!?" Boise yelled in shock.

"Everyone! Fire at it!"

*BOOM*

*KA-BOOM*

*PEW*

*POP*

*BZZZZ*

Altogether, the girls of Azur Lane fired on the damaged structure leaving nothing but a barrage of gunfire and explosions to consume the sky. Before they knew it, the entire place flashed in a bright, blinding light causing everyone to cover their eyes.

"Grah!"

"Dammit!"

"I can't see!"

Within seconds, the bright flash died down letting everyone regain their vision.

However, what they saw left them feeling a sense of uneasiness. A chill could be felt moving up their bodies and causing the hair on the back of their necks to stand up.

A consistent flashing within the Mirror Sea showed a peaceful landscape with clear skies and a calm sea to a distorted mess of dark clouds, lighting cascading through the air, and waves slamming across the ocean. But that was only the beginning of the overall shock.

Between the Mirror Sea flashing from the real world to the false world, they could all see a colossal humanoid machine towering over the Keyblade wielder.

It didn't take longer than a second for the girls familiar with Sora to jump into action.

"Sora!"

"No!"

"What the- "

"We need to get the hell out of here!"

"There!"

Pointing ahead, Baltimore spotted an opening.

"Go!"

Wasting no time, the group of girls blitzed toward the narrow and distorted exit that Baltimore had spotted. The Mirror Sea was beginning to contort and flip onto itself all while remaining a convoluted mess.

Their shot at getting out was slowly closing. This was a one-time opportunity that they'd need to take.

*BOOM*

New Jersey had fired a shot right at the flickering distortion causing a cloud of smoke to block their view.

Nothing appeared to happen for a split second before…

"GAH!"

"AHH!"

"AGH!"

"OOF!"

"OW!"

"HUH!?"

"Someone is on my boob!"

"Sorry! That's me."

"My ass!"

"You didn't even fall that hard!"

Pulling herself off the jumbled mess of ship girls, Enterprise was the first to stand up and take in her surroundings. The sky above her was no longer filled with dark grey clouds or crashing waves. Instead, it was clear without a cloud in the sky and calm waters for miles to see. It was a vivid experience jumping from bad to good.

"Whoa… we're back?"

"Are we?"

"Where else would we be?"

"Texas?"

"What kind of- "

"Don't let Houston hear you say that."

"Uh… guys? Look behind us" Baltimore said while pointing behind the group.

In one motion, the ship girls of Azur Lane could see a distorted picture of the Mirror Sea and the real world. The barrier separating the two was beginning to crack.

"That's not good. What's going to happen once it breaks?" Hiei asked, glancing over at the white-haired girl.

"Nothing good that's what. We need to get a move on" Kaga replied while examining the distortion.

"Agreed. Can anyone pick up a signal now?" Enterprise asked.

"Nada."

"Nothing for me" Repulse commented.

"Oh! I've got one!" cried New Jersey as she beamed with eagerness. "It's not strong, but it'll do."

Tuning into a secure and stable communication channel, New Jersey made a direct call to Azur Lane in the hopes that their cries for help would be answered. It was a shot in the dark, but it was one worthwhile.

---

Meanwhile, back at Azur Lane

---

*Azur Lane – Royal Navy Base/Party OST*

---

Sipping on a cup of tea, Prince of Wales was currently enjoying a freshly made cup of tea while engaging in conversation with several of her long-time friends. Additionally, some new faces had graciously joined her for this relaxing moment.

"Mm~ This tea is hitting the spot."

"You don't have to make that sound you know, Eugen."

"Why not? I am simply expressing how I feel. Are you that heartless to deny me a moment of pleasantness, Nimi?" the sly white-haired girl teasingly questioned the Iron Blood girl.

"*sigh* I'm not even going to bother…"

"You've been bested," Ayanami said with a straight face.

"T-The tea is really good! But maybe Prinz Eugen likes it… more?" Javelin commented with a strained smile.

"*snore* Tea… Laffey… like… *snore*" the ever-sleepy Laffey murmured.

"L-Laffey! Please be careful. If you're tired, I can hurry and make you a small bed to sleep in?" Dido inquired to the sleepy Eagle Union girl.

"We'd need to get some things. A pillow and blanket will be needed" Sirius added.

Turning her head to the side, Laffey sleepily moved her head right to Dido and landed right on her bountiful bosom.

"Zzzz. Pillows… nice…"

"E-Eh!? L-Laffey?!"

"Oh? It would seem she found her pillows. Heh," Prinz Eugen remarked with a giant grin.

"Oh dear, Dido, are you alright?" Wales called out to her friend.

Blushing brightly, the Royal Navy maid simply nodded her head while stuttering to get a response out.

"I-I'm alright. It's… not that bad actually. Feeling her on my chest is… nice."

"Oh? The plot thickens" Ayanami whispered while observing the two girls.

"H-How can you do that so easily!?" Nimi shouted with a flushed face. "You're already asleep!"

"That's Laffey for you. I am quite jealous of how easily she falls asleep. There have been countless times when I am left wide awake in the middle of the night and want nothing more than to fall asleep. How I envy her…" Wales said while sipping on her tea.

"I do wonder if there has ever been a time where Laffey wasn't tired?" Javelin asked before looking over at the sleeping girl.

"Heh. What a cute sight to see" Prinz Eugen commented while smiling contently.

"To be honest, I'm not exactly minding this… it's kind of nice…" Dido quietly said in a peaceful tone.

Just as Sirius was about to say something, a familiar face began rushing over to their group.

"Wales! Everyone!"

"Huh? Is that… Shoukaku?" Ayanami questioned while squinting her eyes.

"Oh? What's that crane doing here?" Prinz Eugen asked in a slightly teasing tone.

Coming up to the group, Shoukaku let out a weary sigh which managed to snap Laffey out of her slumber.

"Zzz… Mm? Huh?"

"Shoukaku? What's wrong?"

"An order has just been called!"

"Called?"

"Order?"

"Slow down. What do you- "

*ALARM*

*SIREN*

"There's the call."

"Shoukaku. Please explain what's going on" Wales directed in a serious tone. "Did something happen?"

"It's Sora!"

This immediately caught everyone's attention.

"What do you- "

"Explain."

"He and the others encountered a Mirror Sea and were separated for some time. The details are a bit sparse due to New Jersey's summary, but things are not looking good."

"How so?"

"They encountered an Arbiter."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Each of the girls was now fully awake and had goosebumps crawling up their arms. Their attention was now that of concern.

"According to what they saw, Sora is now engaged in combat with The Empress."

"You've got to be shi- "the white-haired Iron Blood ship girl started to say.

"What's the call?" Wales forwardly asked.

"All girls are to remain on standby. A group is now being put together and sent to rendezvous with the others. New Jersey informed us that they would try to find a way to help Sora, but they weren't sure how to reach him. The Mirror Sea appears to be malfunctioning and phasing in real time" Shoukaku explained while being left out of breath.

Without wasting a moment longer, Prinz Eugen stood up and sprinted in the direction of the docks. Her actions relayed that of the utmost haste.

Standing up on her own volition, Wales gave a quick nod to the Royal Maids before chasing after Prinz Eugen. It was obvious that she would want to be part of the team heading to help Sora.

This left Nimi, Ayanami, Laffey, Javelin, Sirius, Dido, and Shoukaku to process what just happened.

"Maybe we should go too?" Dido carefully asked.

"I'm not sure, but Elizabeth was working diligently to get a group together. My sister was the first to jump in and help."

"…That's to be expected. She's smitten with Sora" Ayanami bluntly remarked.

"Tell me about it. She needs to make a move now or else she'll get left behind… but that's a conversation for later. Right now, Sora needs our help!"

Nodding with the Sakura Empire girl's assessment, the group of girls got up and began making their way to the docks where the others would be. If things really were as bad as they sounded, then the only question that mattered was the most important one to think about.

How was Sora handling things on his end?

---

Meanwhile…

---

*Final Fantasy XIV – Paved in Solitude OST*

---

Lifting his head and staring right at the large humanoid mech standing right in front of him, Sora was not going to back down from the Siren Arbiter's intimidating aura.

"Let this be a harrowing reminder that your life is about to end. I will make sure it ends slowly!"

Getting into his signature battle stance, Sora readied himself.

*WHRRRRRR*

Dashing forward, Sora prepared to land several attacks against The Empress, but he was forced to lunge to the side and roll across the ground to avoid being swatted away by the large mechanical hand.

*PEW*

Lighting up along the mech's body, several orbs of light appeared and immediately fired beams of light at the Keyblade wielder causing him to block as many attacks as he could. Sora then jumped to his feet and cast several Thunder spells against the colossal foe.

"Thunder!"

Waving its hands in the air, The Empress commandeered the mech to block all the electrical attacks causing yellow lighting to surge all around its hands. The mech then slammed its hand down onto the platform which sent trails of lighting to scatter across the ground.

Blocking this attack, Sora managed to avoid being hit and tried analyzing the mechanical armor for any weak points or anything he could use to his advantage.

Unfortunately, this attempt did not last long as he was thrown off by The Empress raising her left hand which caused the mech armor's left hand to also raise. Out of nowhere, a purple circle of light appeared and began to expand in size while growing in light.

*WHOOSH*

*BOOM*

Bringing the Keyblade up to block the attack, Sora was a moment too late and got hit with a strong beam of light that sent him flying back.

"Agh!"

Raising her right hand, the armored mech now summoned another purple circle of light that began to glow brightly. Not going to let the same mistake happen again, Sora pulled himself up and rolled to the side which let him narrowly avoid being hit.

"Tsk. Is that really all you've got?" The Empress remarked while sounding disappointed. "I was told that you were some great hero… a Guardian of Light."

Stabbing the Keyblade into the ground, Sora used it to lift himself while wincing in pain. The purple circle attack managed to hurt more than he expected, but that still wasn't an excuse. There was much at stake now and he knew better than to give up now.

"We're just getting started!" Sora fired back before getting into his signature battle stance.

"I would hope so. Your ending should come slowly. Not in the blink of an eye!"

"Grr. Whatever plan you have in store, I'm putting a stop to it!"

"Mindless chatter!"

*BRRR*

*BRRR*

Out of nowhere, the giant mech fired several dozen projectiles into the air which then began firing lasers down onto the ground causing a wide area of effect that took on an orange color.

"System operation active. Firing Jericho Missiles" a robotic voice relayed around the Arbiter's mecha.

*POOF*

*POOF*

*POOF*

*POOF*

One by one, missiles began firing from the armored machine's back causing Sora to break into a sprint and serpentine across the area.

*BOOM*

The first missile hit and exploded before another landed and then another and so on.

*BOOM*

Darting his eyes across the sky, Sora continued to move with his feet zigzagging from one spot to another. His reflexes were being pushed to their fullest and so far, he had been playing defense.

Leaping forward and rolling across the ground, he then landed on his feet and aimed his Keyblade right at The Empress.

*PEW*

*PEW*

*PEW*

Three Fire spells were shot right at the Siren Arbiter causing her to wave her hand and bring forth the mech's arm to block the attack. However, this is what Sora wanted to happen.

Raising his weapon, the Keyblade wielder let out a sharp yell.

"LIGHT!"

*PEW-BOOM*

Light exploded right in front of the mech causing The Empress to groan in annoyance.

"The hell was that?!"

Before she could counterattack, Sora reached into his pocket, grabbed onto the Heartbinder, and held it tightly to his chest. The Heartbinder then began to glow with a bright white light as well as give a radiating strength to him. In this time of need, his heart gave him strength.

"Let's go! Give me strength!"

Bursting from a spark of light, two Keyblades could be seen floating around the Guardian of Light as the blades now had two distinct colors lighting them up. One blade was coated in a purple light while the other was glowing in a white light.

Just seeing the two glowing blades brought a sense of warmth, familiarity, comfort, and strength.

Oathkeeper and Oblivion were now by his side and would fight with him.

This ability was something that he had used against his fight with Roxas back in The World That Never Was. A vivid reminder of the strength in his bonds with his friends. It was called… The End.

"Tch. How amusing. Using cheap tricks like this" The Empress bluntly stated. "Unable to use your own strength."

"That's where you're wrong! I may not be as strong as others or I may be stronger in other ways, but the one thing I do know that makes me stronger than you… is that I treasure those I've met!"

"Enough of your sappy- "

"Alone… I'm worthless. At least that's what I thought for a time. But I've learned that I'm more than that. No matter where I go. No matter what I fight. I'm not alone. I'm fighting not just for myself but for everyone I know and care about as well as those I'll meet in the future!"

A look of disdain crossed The Empress's face as she glared at the Keyblade wielder.

"If you think that'll save you some solace, then see where your friends get you now! Fire!"

Appearing all around the mech, five purple circles began glowing brightly leaving Sora to react within a moment's notice.

Taking one step forward, he then leaped high into the sky and was prepared to jump once more but found something propelling him higher into the sky. Glancing down, Sora immediately saw Oathkeeper giving him a boost.

A confident smirk appeared on his face as he was thrown higher into the sky where he somersaulted through the air and angled his body to align with the Siren foe. In this instant, Oblivion flashed right in front of him which let him use the Keyblade as another propelling force.

*WHOOSH*

As he continued to get higher in the sky, Sora grabbed onto his Keyblade with both hands and heaved his arms above his head. His sights were set right on the top of the armored mech and there was no way he'd miss this chance.

"Take this!"

*FWOOSH*

Soaring through the sky and holding onto the weapon's handle with all his might, Sora could not let this opportunity fail.

"Oh no, you don't!" screamed The Empress as she stared up at the incoming Keyblade wielder.

The entire armored mech's body now shifted to look upward and summoned several purple orbs to appear all around its body. In addition, two cannons began materializing from the back as The Empress began straining her face.

"Shoot that bug out of the sky!"

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*PEW*

*PEW*

*PEW*

*BZZZZZ*

A barrage of gunfire, bombs, and explosions was directed right at Sora as he continued to fall through the sky. The Empress was not going to let him get close.

"Ngh!"

Caught up in the gunfire, Sora flipped himself around while still holding onto the Keyblade. He knew that one shot would throw everything off and did everything that he could to avoid being hit.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Oathkeeper and Oblivion trailing right behind him through the air. This gave him an idea.

"Guys! A little help!

As if heeding his call, the two glowing Keyblades flew ahead of him and began blocking every projectile heading his way. The sight of the magical weapons tanking explosion after explosion or deflecting gunfire… was something else.

*WHOOSH*

*PWOOSH*

*PEW*

*TING*

Continuing to soar through the sky, Sora was getting close to The Empress and was ready to strike.

"Annnnnnnnd…"

"NOOO!" screamed The Empress as she began firing the mech's weapons with no control at all.

*BOOM*

*PWOOSH-BOOM*

There was no real way for the mech to fly and meet him in the air, so the Siren Arbiter was left to ranged attacks. She was growing desperate now and had donned a glare along her face.

Oathkeeper and Oblivion were now trailing right behind him and ready to follow his command.

"NOW!"

*SWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!*

Altogether, the Kingdom Key, Oathkeeper, and Oblivion struck the Siren mech all at once causing vital damage to the machine.

"ARGH!"

Electricity exploded around the area of impact along with sparks spewing all over the place. The Empress let out a strained gasp as she angrily glared at the Keyblade wielder as he landed down on the platform.

At the same time, Oathkeeper and Oblivion flashed away leaving him alone once again.

"You little…"

"What? One attack was enough to hurt you this bad… I thought you were stronger than that!" Sora smugly remarked while staring back at the Arbiter.

A hint of ego was evident in his voice as he recalled a certain someone taunting him with similar words. That someone being Riku and how his words pushed him to be better and push past the challenges ahead of him.

"To hell with you!"

*WHRRRRR*

*BOOM*

The Empress aimed the mech's right arm forward which transitioned one of its shoulder cannons to be primed right at Sora before blasting a large beam of light at him.

Barely dodging the attack, Sora dodged rolled to the side, and jumped back to his feet only to be forced to roll again to avoid being scorched. This soon became a repeated sequence as he rolled from side to side as beam after beam was targeted for him.

"Stand still!"

"Not gonna happen!"

Once he got back to his feet, Sora sprinted forward, pointed his Keyblade at the towering mech, and began casting a barrage of spells of different elements.

Flames scattered across the armored mech causing The Empress to swing both of its arms forward to dispel the fire. Water soon coated most of the armor which was instantly followed up with Thunder shocking most of the mech's functions causing it to momentarily be stunned.

Growling in frustration, The Empress waved her hand forward which then caused dark spears to digitize out of data and eliminate the Keyblade wielder.

Sensing an attack coming, Sora immediately leaped forward and brought his Keyblade into a defensive position which managed to block one of the digitized attacks from cutting into him. He then twirled the Keyblade to the side and blocked another attack primed for his legs.

Kicking off one of the spears, Sora was now breaking into a sprint and trying to get back to casting magic spells against the Arbiter but soon found himself with another problem.

"Let's see how you handle this!"

Bringing her two hands together, a dark orb began to materialize in front of The Empress as she wore a menacing grin. Her attention soon shifted to Sora where she could see him moving away.

"You can't escape nothingness!"

Keeping the dark orb between her hands, it began swirling and bursting spouts of dark energy before she simply clasped it with her hands. In the next moment, she simply snapped her fingers with a loud clap.

*WHRRRR*

Out of nowhere, a black hole appeared right behind Sora as he was still sprinting away from her and the mech.

"Gah! What the- "

*WHOOSH*

Stabbing the Keyblade into the platform, Sora held onto the weapon while trying not to be pulled into the growing black hole.

'I. Can't. Let. Go!'

Banging his head for any ideas to get out of this predicament, the Guardian of Light examined everything around and he could not see any that would help it. With one last glance at his weapon, Sora gritted his teeth as he was prepared to make a leap of faith.

"Here it goes!"

Letting go of his weapon, Sora allowed himself to be pulled into the black hole and could feel the intense pull surrounding him and his entire body. An ominous dark force could be felt tugging on his heart and pulling him into the void.

He would soon be lost to darkness…

However, that would never come to pass.

Flipping his entire body through the air, Sora summoned his Keyblade back into his hand and readied himself.

"Hyaaaaah!"

*SWISH*

Performing a single slash across the black hole's center, Sora now appeared ahead of it and kept his gaze focused right on The Empress all while the black hole began to crack and dissolve into digital distortion.

"Tch. You think that's impressive!? That you're all amazing!? Your ego exceeds no bounds!" screamed the Arbiter.

Clasping her hands together, another black hole soon appeared above Sora. Following this, The Empress continued to snap her fingers multiple times causing more black holes to appear all around the Keyblade wielder. This resulted in water beginning to spiral through the air and become warped from being pulled into different black holes. Parts of the Mirror Sea were also starting to distort.

"There's no escape now!"

Grasping onto the mech's controls, The Empress now began channeling energy into the robot's cannons which were being targeted right at Sora.

Left surrounded, he tried to put his weight down on his boots but was unfortunately being pulled off the ground in various directions. It was difficult to try and move his body but with no clear opening on his side, he was left to struggle.

"Grr! Come on!"

*FWOOSH*

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared in his pocket which went unnoticed by him or The Empress.

*WHISH*

*WHOOSH*

"Huh?"

"What?!"

Flashing into existence, Oathkeeper and Oblivion were now back by his side and went straight for a black hole and performed a slash in the shape of an X. The attack immediately dispelled the black hole allowing Sora to regain some mobility.

"Yes! Take out another!"

"NO!"

Spamming the control system in front of her, The Empress was losing her edge and launched every attack she could.

"Disappear!"

*PEW*

*PEW*

*BOOM*

*BRRRRRRR*

The cannons that had been channeling energy were now firing beams of dark energy right at Sora while missiles and gunfire sprayed in his direction all while he was still immobilized from the black holes.

Immediately reacting, Sora pulled his right hand forward and raised it to block the attacks coming his way. One defensive spell came to mind, and he yelled it out with all his might.

"REFLECT!"

*TING*

A bubble shield appeared all around him as explosions rocked the barrier causing smoke to fill the area along with all the other projectiles hitting his shield.

Simultaneously, Oathkeeper and Oblivion were continuing to perform synchronous attacks on each black hole which eased the distortion on the Mirror Sea.

"I know you're not dead yet!" The Empress yelled while preparing another barrage of ranged attacks.

*PWOOSH*

The Reflect shield exploded in light causing Sora to fall right to the ground, charge right at the closest black hole, and perform a clean cut down the middle of it. Oathkeeper and Oblivion were now by his side as he prepared for the next barrage of projectiles.

Raising the mech's right arm, The Empress was prepared to launch another barrage of attacks toward him but quickly changed her mind. Instead, she slammed the mech's arm down onto the platform causing shockwaves across the ground.

This forced Sora to leap into the air and roll across the ground before jumping back to his feet. He was expecting something else and not whatever she had done.

Reaching into the air, the Arbiter began to channel a burst of light which materialized hundreds of dark cubes all just like what Akagi had been corrupted by. The dark cubes then formed together into dozens of jagged spears which were then launched right at the Keyblade wielder.

"Uh-oh."

Dashing to the side, Sora narrowly dodged one spear before having to jump back from being impaled by another spear. In the nick of time, he managed to block one spear coming right for him. At the same time, Oathkeeper and Oblivion were also deflecting as many spears as they could leaving the ultimate display of teamwork between wielder and blade.

*WHISH*

*BAM*

Blocking another spear, Sora turned his attention right to The Empress and knew he needed to go more on the offensive.

Spinning his Keyblade and taking a broad stance, the Guardian of Light channeled his power and reached out for his Formchange.

"Try this!"

*KA-BOOM!*

A burst of light surrounded him before fading away and leaving him in his Second Form outfit.

*PEW*

*PEW*

*BOOM*

*WHRRR*

The Empress started firing her mech's cannons right at Sora without wasting a single moment. Furthermore, she raised her hand causing dark energy to coat her entire arm before bringing it down in a slashing maneuver.

Once she did this, a stream of light came hurtling toward him which caused Sora to skillfully sidestep the attack. Oathkeeper and Oblivion were also acting as shields for him as he broke into a sprint and aimed his sights squarely at her.

"You dare!?"

Swiping her arm frantically and desperately, The Empress heaved her arm up and down, side to side, and even in rushed scribbled shapes. Immediately, streams of light followed in the patterns that she traced with her energy-coated arm.

Projectile after projectile came soaring right at Sora causing him to time his movements precisely and dodge each attack. It reached a point where he was moving so discreetly with his feet that it seemed like he was dancing along the platform.

"Your end is here!"

Aiming her arm right at Sora, The Empress let out an aggressive yell before having the mech's cannons coated with dark energy as well as her arm creating what appeared to be a rapier. The rapier was then grasped onto while the cannons began firing right at him.

Rolling to the side, Sora dodged one cannon blast before blocking another head-on. Oathkeeper and Oblivion were also by his side and helped him defend against each explosion. This lasted for another few seconds before the cannons on the mech stopped firing.

Twirling the rapier in her hand, The Empress's eyes glowed a bright yellow color before she proclaimed her steadfast goal.

"KNOW THIS – KEYBLADE WIELDER. ALL LIGHT WILL ONE DAY BE ENSHROUDED BY DARKNESS. AND TODAY IS YOUR DAY!"

Swiping the rapier forward in a horizontal manner, a tide of dark energy crossed through the Mirror Sea causing the sea right in front of Sora to digitize out of existence.

This left the boy to throw himself backward along with the help of the two Keyblades to push him back.

"What?! How did that- "

"You are in my domain now. Imagination is within the palm of my hand. And I will see to it that you meet your end. Whether it be through darkness or de-resolution. You will fall!"

Slashing the blade in a brutal yet elegant display, parts of the Mirror Sea were condemned to dark bouts of energy exploding all over the place. Sora was forced to make a beeline for any undisturbed piece of sea, but this graceful period would soon be thwarted by more dark energy striking toward him.

Before long, The Empress began striking her rapier from where she stood within the Siren mech and sending slashing projectiles right at him. The barrage of dark energy and projectiles pushed the Guardian of Light to act quickly on his feet.

*SWOOSH*

*TING*

*FLING*

*WHOOSH*

"Grr! Why are you doing this!?" Sora yelled as he deflected an incoming projectile while running away from being bombarded. "There has to be a reason!"

"You seek for answers where there are none! And even then, out of anyone in this world… you don't deserve the privilege of knowing!" The Empress shouted back.

"What does that even mean!?"

The Empress narrowed her yellow eyes on his blue eyes.

"You are not of this world. Of this timeline. Your presence is that of an anomaly. Creating a timeline of unknown events and consequences."

"Timeline? What are you talking about!? I don't understand- "

"Tch. Of course, those worthless ship girls have not told you all there is to their fight. I bet you haven't even had the chance of meeting one of *them*."

Growing frustrated by how she was straying away from the topic and introducing something else entirely mysterious, Sora was not having any of it.

"One of them? Who?"

"Hmph. It's not my place to speak of them. Although… that does present a fun aspect…"

"Hey! Empress! Quit making things harder to understand and just tell me!"

Gracefully swiping the rapier forward, several more projectiles came hurtling straight at Sora, who simply deflected them with ease and glared right at her.

"Oh? Is that the face a hero should be making? I must admit… having you glare at me like that is… exciting!"

Raising her other hand and swiping it forward, a wave of dark energy came jolting out of the ocean to strike at Sora, but he swiftly moved to block the attack.

"Heh. You really want to know all there is to why I'm doing all this?"

"Yes!"

Sliding her left hand across the control panel, The Empress set forth a new operation for the mech to follow.

*SYSTEM COMMAND. ACKNOWLEDGED. COMMENCING DATA ERASURE PROTOCOL SEVEN. THIRTEEN. FIFTEEN. ENERGY DEPOSITS. ACTIVE. SERIAL IDENTIFICATION. ONE. ONE. SEVEN. MIRROR SEA FRACTURE. ENVIRONMENT TRANSFORMATION. IMMINENT. *

"What's going on!?" Sora shouted while glancing around the place.

Everywhere he could see, the Mirror Sea was starting to become a mess with waterspouts shooting high into the sky. Lightning shot far across the sky with rain starting to come down.

"You seek the truth behind our goals, yes?" The Empress questioned in a cold tone.

Leveling his blue eyes onto her own, Sora could feel his heartbeat wildly as well as his determination rising.

"Yes. I want to know the truth."

Tapping on the control panel once more, The Empress commanded the mech's cannons to aim right at Sora but instead of firing on him, the cannons began glowing with a small purple light.

"Fine then. If the truth is what you so desperately desire, then I shall fulfill your needs…"

The Arbiter then brought the rapier close to her face before swiftly swiping in the air next to her. Out of nowhere, a glass-like monitor appeared. She then tapped her fingers in a rapid sequence.

"This is our… current purpose."

Digitizing itself right in front of Sora, several dozen monitors appeared clear enough for Sora to make out various bits of information being displayed.

Scanning the different screens, he spotted on one of the screens a picture of a girl with white hair and strange machines operating all around her. Another screen provided a battle recording of Siren ships going against ship girls that he had yet to meet.

"You are… studying the girls?"

"Yes, that's one goal we strive to develop further. And with this data, we can perfect ourselves and become stronger."

On the screen that showed the picture of the white-haired girl, another picture showed that her eyes were now open and glowing a bright yellow. Another picture showed a side view of her and how her hair was now tied into a ponytail.

It was now apparent who this girl was now.

"Purifier?"

Ignoring his comment, The Empress pointed her finger at him while keeping her eyes trailing on him.

"Let's see how well you have been paying attention, Sora. You recall how I mentioned timelines, yes?"

Nodding his head, Sora had no idea what this could mean, but he decided to listen closely.

"What the girls in Azur Lane have failed to mention to you is this… the discovery of foreign timelines is something that has been known by them."

Wanting to say something, Sora bit his tongue and waited to see what else he could learn. The temptation to respond was high, but the situation called for it.

"The Sirens' primary objective is always changing, but overall, there remains consistency. Conducting tests and observations is something that fuels our interest greatly. The reasoning behind this is simple… ship girls and wisdom cubes are a complex wonder."

Confusion covered Sora's face now.

"Limitless capabilities and incredible strength all stored within a kansen's body. Let alone the ability to wield weapons of mass destruction. Those are quite commendable feats. However, the opportunity for growth is ever present. That's something that can not be replicated in its entirety."

"But… that's common sense? Everyone has the chance to be better. To learn and grow stronger. It's not something so hard to understand- "

"That's where you are wrong. Call it a simple act of ignorance, but understanding a being's strength of will is difficult. We Sirens are not like humans. We are… different. So, when the opportunity comes to learn more about the heart… who better to learn from than someone with a bit of experience."

Realization appeared on the Keyblade wielder's face as he immediately knew who she was talking about.

"Darkness…"

The Empress donned a smug smile across her face.

"Yes, he was more than willing to share his knowledge with us. And wouldn't you know it? His knowledge far exceeded our own. Conducting tests is one thing, but to hear of actual experiences is another. The heart is quite an extraordinary tool, don't you think?"

Feeling his chest rise, Sora let out an outburst that he didn't know he was holding onto.

"You're wrong! Hearts aren't just tools that you can use or break! They're real!"

Pointing his Keyblade right at The Empress, Sora was not going to let this insult slide.

"Hearts are made of the memories created by the people we meet. No matter if it's good or bad. They're what connects us even through the worst of times. And… they're what make us who we are!"

"Oh? Sounds like I stepped on a mine. Darkness mentioned that you have a strong connection to hearts. I figured he meant it metaphorically, not literally" the Arbiter teased while grinning at him.

"Whatever Darkness told you, he's wrong!"

"I beg to differ. What he taught us not only overshadowed our own research, but it shined a new light on the strength of the heart. The power found there is unfathomable…"

Worry began to drip within Sora's heart.

It was already hard enough to deal with the mysterious dark being and his secretive intentions. There was still so much he didn't know about Darkness. But now, with the Sirens learning more about the heart and what could be done… this did not spell out anything good.

"I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

A playful look appeared on the Arbiter's face as her lips twisted into a gleeful smile.

"Well then, it sounds like we're going to have a problem here, Sora."

Snapping her fingers, the Siren mech's interface switched to a red theme with the entire machine beginning to function. The cannons were also glowing bright with a purple color.

*SYSTEM OPERATION. TRANSCONFIGURATION OF MIRROR SEA. SEQUENCE ON STANDBY. AWAITING SERIAL CODE. ONE. ONE. FIVE. DERESOLUTION. ACTIVATED. *

"Let's see how flexible you really are!"

*WHRRR*

*ALARM*

*BRRR*

"Erase him!"

*BOOM*

*PEW*

*PWOOSH*

Feeling a torrent of wind slammed into him, Sora braced himself with his Keyblade along with Oathkeeper and Oblivion holding him from flying away. This continued for a moment before everything around him flashed in a bright light.

"Huh!? What's going on?"

Once the flash disappeared and he opened his eyes, Sora had to hold his breath as he was now staring at a bottomless hole instead of water. The platform around him had changed its entire shape and was now that of a giant X floating above nothingness.

The Mirror Sea had beckoned to The Empress's demand, and now he was paying the price.

"Let's see some footwork, shall we?"

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

One by one, missiles were fired from the giant mech and now targeting the Keyblade wielder who immediately broke into a sprint and paced himself on every step.

A single misstep could be the end.

---

Elsewhere, back with the others

"Agh! This is getting us nowhere!" screamed New Jersey. "Sora's still in there with that Arbiter. We have to help him!"

"And how do propose we do that, NJ? Not sure if you've noticed but it was a real pain in the ass to get out of the Mirror Sea! Now we're trying to get back in?" Washington countered with a frustrated look.

"Speak for yourself, Wash" San Francisco interjected while stepping toward her fellow Eagle Union ally. "You weren't the one caught up in the Mirror Sea for long. You only just showed up. We've been stuck in there dealing with Sirens nonstop. And now you make it sound like you're tired and don't want to go back in there."

Stepping in to try and calm things down, North Carolina spoke plainly to San Francisco, "Easy now, Fran, Wash didn't mean anything- "

"You think I don't know that? I know for a damn fact that you and the others have been through crap!"

Witnessing this debacle grow with unease, Vanguard glanced over at Enterprise.

"I do not like where this is going."

"Neither am I. We can't lose ourselves."

"Agreed. While this isn't the exact situation Akagi or I faced, it does share similarities of where we became… lost" Kaga maturely responded.

"Huh…?" Hiei quietly muttered to herself as she watched and listened to the Eagle Union girls start to become more divided.

Something more was amiss here.

"G-Guys. We still need to come up with a plan" Boise hesitantly replied. "Sora needs our help."

"State the obvious why don't you" Nelson quickly remarked.

"Hey! Where the hell did this sass come from, Nelson? You don't get to act all prissy out of nowhere!" San Francisco remarked.

"Excuse me!? I'm not the one looking to start swinging my weapon around like a deranged idiot any time someone argues with my point."

"I know you didn't just say what- "

"Here's a pleasant note for you. I did."

"Whoa. Whoa. Let's not lose sight of our main goal" Baltimore quickly jumped between the two girls.

Sensing that things were beginning to grow tense, Littorio stepped in to offer a peaceful stance.

"Ladies! What in the world is going on? Aren't we here for a purpose?"

"We are. But it's only a matter of time before you try and steal the spotlight. As always" King George bluntly responded.

"That's a you problem, milady. Perhaps if you tried to act more original, then you'd be remembered more instead of being known as Wales's sister."

"You're one to talk. Always boasting about claiming maiden's hearts or making things about yourself. And yet, I never seem to see you with anyone outside of your faction on a personal level. That speaks volumes" Duke of York piled onto the green-haired woman.

Sensing the explosion of tension amongst everyone, Repulse, who had been relatively quiet most of this time, was about to step in and try to de-escalate the in-fighting.

However, Hiei immediately grabbed her shoulder and gestured over to Enterprise and Kaga.

"Wait. Can't you tell? Something is wrong."

"You're right… I thought it was the stress getting to everyone but…" Repulse muttered while watching everyone else closely.

"One minute their focus was on helping Sora. The next, they're now picking fights with one another. That's not normal" Enterprise added.

"It's almost as if… their emotions are being… amplified?"

"Or manipulated."

Coming to this hypothesis, the girls who had yet to pick a spontaneous fight with anyone immediately summoned their riggings.

"What now!? Are you trying to start a fight or something?" New Jersey shouted while being perplexed about this whole thing.

"Hush! Can't you see what's happening?" Repulse remarked while gesturing to everyone. "You've all made a flip in your attitudes."

"What's that supposed to mean?" North Carolina asked, eyeing the Royal Navy closely.

"Tch. Ignore her. She's probably upset that she hasn't done anything notable. Hell, when has she ever?" Washington rudely commented.

"I'd watch that mouth if I were you" King George coldly said. "Otherwise, you're about to see just how hard my fist can hit."

"Oh, please. You Royal Navy women are all talk and no bite. Lose your blades and you're just as worthless as… as…" Kaga had suddenly stopped herself by bringing her hand to her mouth.

"Kaga?" Hiei quietly murmured.

"Did it… really affect her that suddenly?" Enterprise questioned as she examined the white kitsune woman.

"What are you two talking about?" Boise carefully asked, starting to notice something was off.

A dismayed expression was clearly noticeable on the Sakura Empire kansen as she held her face in her hand.

"Dammit. That… was a lot harder to fight than I expected."

"Hold on. What's going on?" New Jersey questioned.

"The issue that we've started to uncover…" Vanguard explained to her and the others.

"Something is tampering with our emotions. Taking advantage of what we're feeling and the uncertainty of the situation. One minute we're fine and the next- "

"I want to punch someone" King George replied while glancing at her gloved hand.

"Yes. We're losing track of our main goal. Sora."

Everyone's eyes seemed to snap open and recall that their spiky-haired friend was currently engaged in combat against a very dangerous foe.

"Crap. We're wasting time. He needs our help."

"But we still don't have a way to get back into the Mirror Sea" Boise added.

"And don't forget… whoever messed with our emotions probably did it to distract us."

"Yep! You guessed it!" came an unknown voice.

Throwing their heads around, the group of girls were now staring down an old foe.

"Oh great. This hag."

"Who are you calling hag!? I'm basically the same age- wait. No, I'm not. I'm way younger than you old farts. Ha!"

Glaring at the Siren better known as Purifier, Enterprise readied her bow. While her rigging ammunition may have been low, she'd have enough arrows to silence this foe.

"I was wondering when you'd show your ugly mug again" San Francisco responded while cracking her knuckles.

"Is there just a facility of cloned Purifiers ready to be disposed of?" Vanguard asked while preparing her blade for work.

"You guys are mean! Hmph! I'm glad you're about to get what you deserve!"

Several of the girls all glanced at one another before looking right at Purifier.

"What are you talking about? Do you plan on sending more grunts for us to destroy? Well, don't bother. We're busy."

"Hehehe! I don't think so! I'm afraid you've got bigger problems to deal with."

It didn't take a genius to realize that this didn't sound good.

Scanning the area, New Jersey tried to find anything that might pop up out of nowhere, but she couldn't see anything.

"There's nothing here. You're just yanking our attention away from Sora and that Arbiter!"

Purifier couldn't help but break into a snort while whipping her head back.

"That's because it hasn't shown itself yet dummy!"

"It?" Nelson repeated with caution. "Speak clearly vermin!"

"Sorry! It's not a vermin. You need to use your head" the elite Siren responded in a smug tone.

"I'll be slamming my bat on your head!" San Francisco yelled back.

"Easy Fran. We need to think smart here. She's messing with us. There's got to be something more here" Boise commented.

With all the ship girls glaring at her, Purifier shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"You're all being quite rude today. That's totally fine. You're going to need that rudeness if you wanna make it out alive."

"Quit your sidestepping and tell us what's going on!" Littorio demanded while brandishing her blade.

A fit of giggles escaped the Siren's lips.

"Heeheehee! You're about to be eaten!"

Summoning her weapons and pointing them right at the girls, Purifier was met with equal force as everyone was ready to barrage her with gunfire and explosions. However, this only caused her a sense of joy.

They had fallen right where she wanted them.

"See ya!"

*SPLASH*

*BOOM*

Explosions underneath the sea caused the girls' attention to be thrown in all sorts of directions all while Purifier seemingly disappeared out of sight.

"What the heck!?"

"Where'd she go!?"

"Huh?!"

"What came out of the water!?"

"Is that… holy- "

"Get back!"

Exploding out of the water, numerous Siren grunts were bursting out of the water and all staring blankly at the kansens causing them to be on alert.

"How many are there!?" Kaga shouted.

"I gave up counting after spotting thirty of them" King George responded while preparing her stance.

"Where did they all come from? Under us?" Vanguard questioned aloud.

"Doesn't matter. We take them out!" Washington declared.

Suddenly, before any of the girls could attack, all the Siren grunts began walking toward one another until it looked like they were bunched together with no space at all.

"The hell?" North Carolina muttered while astounded by what she was seeing. "They're piling up?"

"This ain't Black Friday!" New Jersey shouted in annoyance.

"Hold on. They're- "

Before Enterprise could say what she wanted, several things burst out of the water all around them.

*POOSH*

*POOSH*

*POOSH*

"Heartless!?"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Why now!?"

"Get back!"

Swarming around the Siren grunts, the Heartless began leaping at them causing a dark mist to fill the air preventing anyone from seeing what exactly was going on.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Boise quietly said.

"You and me both, Boise" Enty added.

*SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS*

A slithering sound could be heard causing everyone's bodies to feel a sense of goosebumps. Even with no proper field of vision, the girls knew that something bad had reared its ugly head.

"No way…"

Swinging its entire body forward, what appeared to be a massive serpent with bright yellow eyes, a body coated in a dark purple color, metal spikes appearing throughout its form, and a mouth glowing with purple light.

"Bad time to say that I don't like snakes" Vanguard admitted while slowly stepping back.

"Then it's a good thing that we're going to kill it!" Kaga retorted before throwing several of her blue paper planes which flashed into real planes.

The planes then began to take to the sky and maneuver back into fighting position.

*PEW*

*PEW*

Gunfire pelted down onto the snake which didn't even flinch at the incoming projectiles.

"This thing is a Heartless, isn't it?" North Carolina asked Enterprise as the two were standing close together.

"Yeah, and if we don't do something about it now, then it's going to become an even bigger problem."

"What about Sora?"

Grimacing at this question, Enterprise pulled back on her bowstring and kept her eyes trained on the Heartless snake. The others were all engaged in combat with it and landing slashes with their blades or barraging it with firepower.

"…We have to trust in him. Even though he's never dealt with an Arbiter, a good number of us in Azur Lane have yet to do so as well. But I have faith he's got this."

Feeling her heart come to a steady rhythm, the blonde kansen could only nod her head in agreement.

"Yeah… I just hope the others will get here in time."

"You know as much as I do that there are some girls back at base that dropped everything to come and help us. Realistically, help him more than us."

"Ha. You couldn't be more right."

*SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS*

The Heartless snake whipped its tail right at Nelson who was prepared to leap out of the way, but in the nick of time, San Francisco appeared right in front of her and slammed her bat right at the tail.

*WHA-BAM!*

The snake's tail recoiled before rearing its head and getting ready to strike.

"Tch. Thank you for that" Nelson begrudgingly replied.

"You're welcome. Sorry about earlier" San Francisco hurriedly replied.

"Water under the bridge."

"Heh. Golden Gate Bridge more like."

"*sigh* Whatever you say."

Readying themselves, Nelson and San Francisco were now on defense while the others all charged forward. This fight would not be an easy one. But it was a lot easier than what the Keyblade wielder was dealing with.

---

Back with Sora

---

*Final Fantasy XIV – Paved in Solitude OST*

---

*BRRRR*

*BOOM*

Dark spears were being hurled right at the Guardian of Light as he did his best to dodge and weave past every projectile. It didn't help that the platform had once again changed its shape and formed a circle with a large hole in the middle.

"Ngh!"

*WHOOSH*

Deflecting a spear that was primed for his shoulder, Sora stayed on his toes before rolling across the ground to avoid another flurry of spears being hurled at him.

*TING*

Behind him, Oathkeeper and Oblivion were also doing their best to block every attack coming his way. He wasn't sure how much longer the magic making them stay by his side would last, but he knew it wouldn't be for too long.

"You're quick. But not quick enough!" The Empress shouted from inside the mech before swiping her hand across the control panel.

*POOF*

*PEW*

*WHOOSH*

*BZZZZT*

*KA-BOOM!*

All the cannons on the mech fired at Sora but did so with a trajectory that caused the explosion to fuse and become even grander in strength.

"Grr! Refle- "

However, Sora was a second too late as he was thrown back from the blast radius causing him to ragdoll across the platform and head directly off the side.

*SCHING*

Alas, at the last second, he stabbed the Keyblade right into the platform and could feel half of his body hanging off the platform. A sense of anxiety filled his heart, but he couldn't let that stop him.

"Agh! Come on!"

Pulling himself up, Sora flopped onto the platform before looking over at the colossal Siren mech and could see The Empress looking quite pleased with the attack.

"What's wrong? Getting tired? You can always give up. I'll offer you mercy in the form of becoming my prisoner. I promise it won't be all bad~."

Weakly standing up, Sora gritted his teeth and glared right at The Empress.

"That's… not going to happen."

"We both know this fight won't be going on for much longer. You're already reaching your breaking point. You've been putting on an act of heroism through this battle. But there is no victory to be had."

Shaking his head, Sora placed his left hand over his heart while sensing Oathkeeper and Oblivion floating right behind him. He could sense that the Keyblades' time was nearing its end.

The time to act was now or never.

"You're wrong! I don't care if I'm seen as a hero or not. I'm doing what I believe is the right thing to do, and that's to follow my heart. My friends need my help, and I will not let them down!"

Processing the hero's declaration, The Empress waved her rapier through the air which caused all the mech's cannons to be digitized and immediately removed from sight.

"Hearing that conviction… your ambition to help your friends… I'll be disobeying orders, but to hell with it!"

Swiping the air next to her, The Empress placed her rapier in what could only be described as a pocket dimension which then flashed away leaving her without any weapon. However, she then began typing at a ridiculous rate on the mech's control panel while smiling dangerously.

"I'm taking you as my prisoner!"

"What?!"

"I have plans for you, but until you submit to defeat… I will not hold back. This Mirror Sea is under my influence. Whatever I say will be deemed as my full authority. And I demand you fall!"

*PWOOSH*

Everything around the Mirror Sea flashed brightly before Sora could see the circular platform turn into a very small rectangular platform. He was working in a very small space.

But that was the least of his problems.

Appearing in front of the Arbiter, an enormous translucent grid appeared leaving Sora utterly dumbfounded by what was happening.

Unfortunately, he found his answer in the form of small openings appearing in just a few spots throughout the grid.

"Let's see how well you do with shapes!"

Before he could even open his mouth to respond, the grid started moving toward him while picking up speed. He now only had a few seconds to act.

Leaping high into the air, Sora flipped his body around so that his feet were forward and his head was back. With the right amount of space, he perfectly shot through the small opening on the grid and landed back on the platform. Oathkeeper and Oblivion were still by his side.

"Good form. Now try this!"

Waving her hand forward, another grid appeared only this time, the entire projection was spinning counterclockwise while a narrow, horizontal opening was now barely visible.

"Quit playing around!"

"No, I don't think so!"

Appearing digitally out of nowhere, several small drones glowing purple were sent flying around the Keyblade wielder and proceeded to fire laser beams right at him all while the grid was picking up speed.

*TING*

Blocking each beam coming his way, Sora diverted his attention back to the small opening in the grid and began plotting what to do.

Casting one eye to another drone and then to another, he knew exactly what to do.

"This ends now!"

Blue energy began surrounding him while he concentrated on the first drone then the next, and finally the small window of safety on the dangerous grid. His Flowmotion ability was ready for takeoff.

*FWOOSH*

Airstepping to the first drone, Sora slashed at it before soaring to the next drone and doing the same thing to it. His entire body then flung right to the small grid opening where he dropped down onto the platform and immediately rushed toward The Empress.

Taken aback by this, The Empress immediately grabbed onto the control handles and thrust the mech forward to attack the Keyblade wielder head-on.

At the same time, Oathkeeper and Oblivion flashed right behind Sora as he was coming up on the giant armored creation.

"Hrragh!"

*WHOOSH*

Deciding to confront the attack, Sora did not dodge.

Instead, he did the opposite.

*BAM*

He parried the mech's fist while spinning around on his back foot and preparing for another attack.

*WHOOSH*

*TING*

"Grr! Stop that!"

"Make me!"

Slamming the control handles, The Empress caused the mech to start acting hectically. Her only goal right now was to cause as much hurt to the boy as possible.

*TING*

*TING*

Every attack being directed his way was blocked with pristine timing to the point that his reactions were faster than her attacks.

"Damn you!"

Bringing the entirety of the mech's arms down onto the platform, Sora leaped into the air and landed right on the armored foe's metal right arm.

Breaking into a sprint, Sora began slashing the arm at a heightened pace as well as having Oathkeeper and Oblivion burst into light with how quickly their attacks were in synch with his. Before long, he was standing atop the mech's shoulder and instantly cast a Thunder spell.

"Hrraah!"

"Take this!"

Stabbing the Keyblade into the mech's shoulder, the two glowing Keyblades did the same but elevated the attack by causing explosions of light and darkness to impact the assault.

Leaping off the armored mech, Sora rolled across the ground and prepared his blade.

"ENOUGH!"

A burst of energy exploded around the platform while The Empress's eyes flashed yellow.

"I MAKING TAKING YOU WITH ME. WHETHER YOU'RE CONSCIOUS OR NOT! YOUR LIGHT IS MINE!"

Thrusting the mech's head forward, Sora had to immediately throw himself off to the side before a massive stream of glowing dark purple light shot forward and vaporized everything in its path. The mech continued to thrust its head where the Guardian of Light was forcing Sora to run across the entire platform. Stopping for one second would not be pretty.

"System! Launch overdrive protocols!"

*SYSTEM OPERATION. COMMENCING. ALERT. ALERT. POWER LEVELS FLUCTUATING AT AN ABNORMAL RATE. MIRROR SEA UTILIZATION ENCOUNTERING SHIFT IN PROCESS. RECOMMEND LEVEL DOWNSHIFT*

"I don't need to listen to any damn instructions! Launch everything!"

"What's wrong? Your tech not that reliable after all?"

"Shut up!"

Tapping away on the mech's control monitor, The Empress was ready to launch another barrage of missiles at the Keyblade wielder.

However, she would be met with an unexpected event to come.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

"W-WHAT?! NO!"

"Huh?"

One second the mech was fine, the next… the entire mech's back exploded in flames followed by countless explosions barraging the Siren creation.

*SYSTEM OVERLOAD. AN ERROR HAS OCCURRED*

"NOOOOOOO!"

Dark energy surrounded the mech and continued to act in a wild manner with electricity and energy intertwining to destroy the armored foe.

*WHOOOSH*

*BING*

*KA-BOOM!*

A wave of energy exploded and sent Sora flying onto his back all while dozens of glowing orbs appeared across the Mirror Sea causing a sense of dread to swell in the brunette's chest.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

Explosions caused everything in sight to be covered in white light.

Once the light dimmed down, Sora squinted his eyes to see what exactly had happened and was left shell-shocked at the aftermath.

The platform was miraculously still standing, but the entire Mirror Sea was digitally altered. Seeing this place as it was now, made Sora recall the time that he and Riku were left to face Xemnas in The World That Never Was and how the entire place was distorted during the final battle. In the back of his mind, he was also wondering if he'd have to deal with skyscrapers being flung at him again.

'Why'd I have to think that now…'

Just as he was about to look over the edge…

*RUMBLE*

An armored hand grabbed onto the platform and began pulling itself up.

"G-GRET-GRETTINGS… A-AN-AND…G-GOOD-GOODBYE!"

The Siren mech was back and the armor on it had taken a black color scheme all around with purple lights glowing across the mechanical foe. The opening area where The Empress was before had been closed off leaving no sight of her at all.

"Where'd she go?!"

*S-SY-SYSTEM OPERATION. COMMENCING. DERE-DERESOULTION. PRIORITY COMMAND. CAP-CAPTURE AND DETAIN. GUARDI- WARRIOR… OF LIGHT. *

Thrashing its head down onto the platform in a brutal way, the Siren mech then thrust its head forward and fired a beam of dark energy right at Sora. This caused him to dodge roll to the side and prepare his next move.

To his dismay, he was forced to leap to the side once again as the mech's lasers had shot out faster than before.

"Whoa!"

Doing his best to avoid being hit, Sora slid across the ground before jumping back to his feet and leaping forward while twisting his body to immediately roll away. Performing this action allowed him to dodge several more beams aimed at him, but the powered-up mech continued to target him.

"Stop!"

Swiping its arms forward, he was forced to block the attack and could feel his body becoming strained.

Part of him wanted to switch his Keyblade to fit the keychain that Unicorn had given to him as it was defense-focused. But with his current situation proving to be more dire… that chance was risky.

"Ngh!"

*RUMBLE*

The weight of the mech's arms was starting to get to him and the fear that he'd be squished was rising tremendously.

"No!"

Throwing around any ideas that might help him out, Sora decided to go with the first one that seemed best. He'd have to trust his gut in a life-or-death moment.

"Nghhh! Now!"

In a flash of light, he shot forward, striking the mech's arms before zooming to the side and slashing at its upper arm. Once again, he zoomed higher and aimed for the mech's head before barraging the mechanical foe with several Sonic Blade attacks. Each slash with his Keyblade had Sora ending up in a different position all while making sure each hit counted.

Finally flashing onto the mech's left shoulder, Sora's Second Form had come to an end, but he continued to quickly bolt across its back while avoiding the arms trying to reach him. Doing his best to fend off the hands, he swiped at each hand before coming up to its head and stabbing it with the Kingdom Key.

"Hurrah!"

*BOOM*

Yellow lighting sprayed all over the mech causing electrical sparks to fly all over the place. The mech's immediate reaction was to aggressively throw its arms back to try and grab onto Sora, but to no avail it could not reach him.

Lunging forward, he sliced at the back of its head before stepping around its shoulders and spinning around to come face-to-face with the mech. While The Empress was still in the pod section of the machine, Sora still stared it down before pointing his Keyblade at it.

One magic spell immediately came to mind that would take the Siren creation down or at the very least. This spell had been one that he lost the ability to use during his latest adventure, but things had changed. New and old powers had come to him, and he would not let this opportunity be unused.

Shouting with his heart and conviction, Sora let loose the spell that would leave quite the punch.

"THUNDER!"

*BZT!*

*BZT!*

*BZT!*

A flurry of three plasma spells hit the mech square in the face causing it to recoil and slowly look back at him with a hole burnt through part of its head.

Landing back onto the ground, Sora smirked as he admired the damage that spell had caused, letting him also get ready for more. Flipping his hand, he switched out his Kingdom Key and was now holding onto the keychain that Unicorn had given him.

His Keyblade had now changed.

*SY-SYS-SYSTEM ERROR. DAMAGE TO FRONTAL SYSTEMS. COMPROMISED. DIRECTIVE. ENCOUNTERED. ERROR. ERR-ERROR. REQUESTING MAINTENANCE TO SECTORS. SIX. TWO. SIX. ONE. ONE. SEVEN. ERROR. ERR- *

Suddenly, the entire mech stood still for a split second before letting its arms dangle down and its damaged head dropped down onto the platform causing a slight rumble.

Unnerved by what just happened, Sora carefully prepared himself for whatever may happen next.

*PSSH*

The pod sitting within the mech suddenly opened revealing The Empress simply stepping out and walking right up to the Keyblade wielder. Part of her hair had been disheveled, but other than that there was no damage to her face or body at all.

"Tch. The mech did not last as long as expected. I'll be sure to have a word with Tester" the Arbiter said in an irritated tone.

"Looks like you Sirens can also be failures. Good to know" Sora smugly said while sporting confidence in his voice and body language.

"Enjoy this small victory. I am still standing, and I intend to make you submit."

"Yeah, right. You had this powerful machine to fight with and yet, you still lost. You underestimated your foe."

"…Not quite."

Perplexed by this response, Sora narrowed his eyes on The Empress.

"While your comment carries a fraction of truth… if every one of our actions were met with victory, then we would have taken over this world long ago. However, where there is a failure, there is something to be learned. Victory within defeat is the best sort of source to learn from…"

"Yet you keep on losing. Thanks to the girls protecting this world!"

A sinister smile graced The Empress's lips as she stared intimately at the boy.

"You want to know what's so funny about what you just said? Recall my mentioning of foreign timelines… those failed timelines that we are aware of all had one thing in common. Do you know what that one thing was?"

Trying to come up with a reasonable answer, Sora simply did not respond and kept his eyes trained on The Empress. His blue eyes stared right into hers as he waited for her answer.

"Heh. Those timelines didn't have you…"

A faint sense of confidence mixed with unease settled upon his heart.

"Your presence… your heart gave the kansens of this world the strength to fight and even come together. There are some timelines where Azur Lane is nothing but a name. A fallacy of a once-desired united front. I recall one timeline Observer mentioned where the Sakura Empire was wiped out before the Royal Navy could even try helping. The remaining girls of that faction became… loose cannons."

Hearing this retelling, Sora couldn't help but grit his teeth in frustration. He wanted to ignore everything being said and call it all a bluff, but part of him knew that there could be a small percentage of truth in her words.

"Another timeline had the Royal Navy being destroyed from the inside. And do you wanna know how that happened? I'll tell ya! The famous Lady Hood was the one who caused the Royal Navy's downfall!"

Anger flared inside Sora as his grip on Unicorn's keychain started hurting his hand.

"She was sunk by Bismarck, of all girls, and taken in by the Iron Blood. In that timeline, they had joined forces with the Sirens and used our tech to bring Hood back in a … new kind of way. The Repulse and Renown of that timeline were quite the sad duo whenever we encountered them."

"Shut up!"

"Oh? Did I hit a nerve? Isn't the hero supposed to be calm and collected? That's not very hero-like of you. I'm quite surprised."

Doing his best to calm himself down, Sora took a deep breath before getting into his signature battle stance and glaring at The Empress. A mixture of anger, frustration, eagerness, and conviction were coursing through his entire body.

If there was anything to take away from the Guardian of Light's posture it was this… he would not fail.

"Even if those timelines are real… even if those girls are hurting… I won't let anything happen to the girls of this world!"

"Hmph. Strong words for someone about to be taken as my prisoner."

"Don't bet on it."

"Heh… maybe I will…"

Reaching in front of her, The Empress summoned her rapier once more before taking on a fencer's stance and preparing for battle. Sora didn't know what to expect, but that didn't matter.

He would not lose.

---

*Azur Lane OST – A Rose on the High Tower – The Empress III Theme*

---

Beginning the fight with a flashy start, The Empress shot forward at the Keyblade wielder bringing her rapier right to his side.

*SLASH*

Fortunately, he was quick to block the attack and counter with his own going right for her thigh.

*TING*

This ended up being deflected and returned with a quick jab to his foot.

*WHACK*

Twirling his Keyblade downward, Sora blocked the attack and swung upward to try and catch a full-body slash.

*SWOOSH*

To his surprise, The Empress kicked the blade to the side and spun on her back foot before sending a barrage of stabs across his body.

*WHOOSH*

*WHOOSH*

*WHOOSH*

With quick reaction timing, he deflected each attack while finishing off with a fast casting of Thunder to strike her by raising his Keyblade.

Noticing this attack, The Empress had paid close attention to the boy's magical capabilities and knew something was coming. Lifting her rapier in the air, she managed to block the yellow lighting from shocking her.

"Tch."

Deciding to add her own abilities to the fight, she leaped back but not before slicing at the air and ending with a jab forward which sent a dark projectile in the shape of the slash straight to Sora.

Reacting fast, he blocked the attack while grunting at the impact it had caused. Turning his attention to The Empress, Sora now saw her arm pulled back and preparing for another attack.

"Hah!"

Stabbing the rapier forward multiple times at record speed, dark orbs appeared and shot toward the Keyblade wielder leaving him only a second to respond.

"Oof!"

The attack sent him flying back with his boots finally stopping the pushback. Glancing back at the Siren, Sora was shocked at seeing her bring her weapon down in a chopping manner which created a dark purple spear to flash into existence.

*SWOOSH*

In one fell swoop, the dark projectile came hurtling right at him which didn't seem all that bad.

However, the projectile soon splintered into a large grid-like preface that forced him to instantly change his game plan.

Gripping his Keyblade's handle, Sora could feel that enough power had been channeled into the weapon which got him grinning.

"You're not gonna like this!"

Rushing forward, Sora readied himself by raising his Keyblade with both hands and charging headfirst into the attack.

Confused by the action, The Empress did not lower her guard.

Once he felt that the attack was close enough, Sora lunged forward while an explosion of light surrounded him and impacted the grid projectile.

*KA-BOOM*

Smoke covered the area leaving The Empress unable to see what had exactly happened. Unfortunately, she would soon find the answer in the form of a cannon exploding right in front of her.

*BOOM!*

"Grr!"

Whipping the rapier forward and clearing the smoke around her, The Empress had some cuts across her arms while being dismayed at what she was seeing.

Holding a shield in one hand and a Keyblade in the other, Sora was smugly smiling at her while his attire had changed colors. The Formchange from Unicorn's keychain had come into play.

"Oh? How cute. You have some tricks up your sleeves."

"You have no idea. We're just getting started!"

"Glad to hear."

Flicking her left wrist, several dark orbs appeared around her and began glowing brightly before sending gunfire right at him.

Acting fast, Sora raised the shield to use as a form of defense all while charging at her.

*PEW*

*PEW*

Not about to sit still, The Empress sped away and kept a good distance from him all while swiping the rapier and sending projectile attacks to him.

*BAM*

The shield continued to block all the attacks coming at him while he also used the Keyblade to deflect the gunfire coming his way.

"Hyah!"

Slashing the rapier across the water, The Empress summoned numerous dark spears across the water to try and stop Sora from moving.

But this proved to be worthless as he slammed the Keyblade into the attack and continued to charge at her.

"You're not leav- Whoa!"

Beneath him, a whirlpool had appeared out of nowhere leading to a pit of darkness that was trying to suck him into it.

Pulling himself back, Sora struggled to fight the current of water but could feel himself slipping.

Tempted to try running away, the Guardian of Light had another idea.

'Here goes nothing!'

Focusing his eyes on The Empress's form, Sora prepared himself for what would happen next.

"Now!"

Airstepping right at her, Sora appeared in a flash of blue and prepared to slash right at her with his Keyblade, but he was met with her rapier locking him in a blade bind.

*SCHING*

"Is that all you've got?"

"Not even close!"

"Good~"

Slamming the blade forward, The Empress pushed him back a few steps and raised her left hand causing a dark orb to appear in the palm of her hand.

"Drown in darkness!"

*WHISH*

All around him, the Mirror Sea began to distort and glitch showing a visual of the darkened world and the real one phasing between the two. In the next instant, spears came flying at him from all directions causing Sora to cast another Reflect spell.

*PEW*

Countless spears barraged the bubble shield surrounding him as he tried to get an idea of how long this attack would last.

"Hrgh!"

Waving her hand in a fluid motion, The Empress smirked at the sight of Sora being pushed to defend himself.

"Got ya."

In what could only be described as the Mirror Sea coming to life, water began to spiral into the air to the point that Sora was feeling a bit nervous about what was happening. Digital blurs also began to cover the sky as parts of it began phasing between an electrical static buzz and clear skies.

Soon enough, the water began warping into sharp razor-like tentacles and slammed into the shield causing the brunette to grimace in frustration. It was starting to become difficult to hold the bubble shield and if this continued any longer…

"N…No!"

*WHOOSH*

*!*

*BOOM*

Being sent spiraling backward, Sora landed on his back as he felt the wind being knocked out of him. Rather than taking a second to catch his breath, he rolled himself over onto the platform and barely missed a spear aimed right at his shoulder.

"What's this? Is the hero getting tired? Too bad!"

Twirling her fingers, The Empress began to use her influence on the Mirror Sea.

*SPLASH*

Out of nowhere, spirals of water lunged themselves right at Sora who tried to avoid the attack but was ultimately pulled into the air where he was unable to move clearly.

"Ngh!"

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

Sora was then slammed into the water repeatedly before being dropped onto the platform and drowned by the water forming a sphere around him.

Regaining his sight, Sora could feel himself floating and then realized that he was trapped in a water bubble.

'Oh, come on!'

*SWISH*

Slashing at the water bubble with the Keyblade, Sora managed to break it and drop down onto the platform while drenched in water. The Empress merely smirked at the sight of the downed hero.

"I have to admit… this is the most fun I've had in a while! Normally, when dealing with the kansens, the fun ends after a few bouts of gunfire and explosions. Or on the off chance one of the girls thinks they're hot stuff and try lasting through all the constant attacks, they'll soon bite the dust. You, however, have lasted through and show no signs of stopping. I like it!"

Standing back up, the Guardian of Light wore an expression that simply said that he was done with this.

"You're not going to hurt anyone else."

"…"

Snapping her fingers, the entire Mirror Sea came to a halt as the water around them simply vanished and a digital echo chamber appeared. In the next instance, the sight of a city near water appeared before him where he could only identify one unique structure. The structure had four…

*BZZZ*

The Mirror Sea flashed once more only this time he could see the Mirror Sea become nighttime leaving a clear view of the stars above. At least, that is what Sora wanted to think. There was a possibility that this was nothing more than a fake sky.

"Why the change in scenery?"

"I figured this would be a suitable place for our last dance… before I take you with me" The Empress smoothly said.

There were over a dozen things that he wanted to say, but Sora knew the only appropriate thing to say was nothing at all. Words were overshadowed by actions.

"That's not going to happen."

"I beg to differ…"

Knowing that this would be a difficult fight, Sora flipped his wrist causing the Keyblade and shield to flash away before he held onto Kingdom Key again and brought the blade up to his cheek with both hands.

The Empress also readied her rapier as she prepared for this final dance.

This battle was inevitable.

---

Meanwhile…

---

*Azur Lane – The Animation – 14. Enterprise OST*

---

*BOOM*

"Grah!"

"Damn!"

The ship girls were having a tough time dealing with the Heartless Serpent and by the looks of things it was only going to get a lot tougher.

"There's… no way… this thing isn't hurt…" Enterprise tiredly said.

"It's hurt. It's just… got a lot of… something…" Littorio replied, sharing the same level of tiredness.

Exhausted with how this fight was going, Kaga summoned another one of her planes and watched as it began firing down onto the serpent all while King George and Hiei used their blades to slash at its body.

"We have… to do something…"

"Agreed. We're almost out of ammo completely" Nelson chimed in while having donned many cuts along her face and body. "I… don't know how much longer…"

"Ngh. Stay… with us… Nelson" San Francisco added while limping by her side. "This snake needs to die."

*SSSSSSSSSSSS*

Baring its fangs at the group, the Heartless foe was soon bombarded with gunfire from North Carolina, Baltimore, Washington, and Vanguard. The four were doing their best to try and find a sweet spot on the dark serpent.

However, their efforts were met in vain as the large foe whipped its tail back and slammed into the group sending them flying back.

"Gah!"

"Agh!"

"Crap!"

"No!"

Watching the four go flying, Repulse and King George glanced at one another and seemed to share the same thought. With a quick dart of her eyes, Repulse gestured to the top of the snake to which George nodded.

"Hiei! Think you can take its attention away?" the blonde ship girl asked the Sakura Empire kansen.

"That's quite the challenging endeavor… I can handle it."

Nodding at her admission, George looked over at Repulse and gave her the go. Together, the two booked it and went opposite ways while Hiei charged right at the Heartless Serpent.

Not about to let her do this alone, Enterprise and the others fired their weapons and began hitting the serpent causing it to open its mouth and decide who would be its next target.

*WHOOSH*

*BAM*

An explosion hit the snake's face and allowed Hiei to dash forward and slash its neck in a rapid succession of strikes. The speed of her blade was something to take notice of as well as her mobility to not stay in one spot.

*SLASH*

"Hnh!"

Hiei did her best to distract the Heartless foe while landing as much damage as possible.

At the same time, the two Royal Navy girls leaped into the air and timed it so that they would land right on top of the serpent's back.

"George!"

"Now!"

Syncing their movements together, the two girls dashed along the snake's back and began slashing it over and over to the point that the Heartless boss recoiled in pain.

"Everyone! Attack!" Littorio shouted with high emotions.

With newfound morale, the girls all went into full offense with some using their blades against the Heartless monster while others continued to use as much firepower as they had available. Even San Francisco was using her bat and called out to Boise for some help.

"Boise! Give me a boost!"

Stunned by the request, the blue-haired girl simply nodded and prepared her hands to help her friend.

"Fran, now!"

Rushing at her, San Francisco jumped right at Boise and was propelled up toward the Heartless serpent where she heaved her bat right onto its head causing the beast to come crashing into the water. Due to her super strength as a kansen, made San Francisco bask in gleeful joy at her handiwork.

"Heck yeah!"

Up on the snake's body, George and Repulse were continuing to slash their blades into its body and had managed to make it closer to the head.

"Give it your all!"

"Right!"

With one more flurry of strikes, Repulse swiped at the serpent's head while George stabbed her weapon right in the center of its head.

*SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS*

*RUMBLE*

The snake recoiled and began thrashing around while still trying to pinpoint a single target, however, due to the constant attacks on all sides, it was unsure what target to go after first.

"Keep moving! Don't stop!"

*BOOM*

"No kidding!"

*PEW*

*PEW*

"We're kicking its ass!"

"Don't jinx us!"

"Crap! It's going to get stronger, isn't- "

"Quit it!"

*SPLASH*

"Look out!"

Whipping its head upward, the snake let out a mighty roar before summoning a purple light to appear in its mouth. The light continued to get brighter until…

*BRRRRR*

*BOOOOOOM*

A laser came flying out of its mouth and down at the girls.

"Dodge!"

Jumping back or dashing away, the girls scattered from their original spots all while continuing to attack with their everything.

Even San Francisco had broken her bat in half and was using one end to stab the Heartless snake before throwing her fists into its side.

Pulling back on her bowstring, Enterprise tiredly set her sights down the middle of the snake's head and did her best to take a deep breath. Calming her senses to perfect the right shot.

"Girls! Buy Enterprise a moment!" Vanguard yelled for everyone to hear.

The girls still barely hanging on top of the snake did their best to try and make that happen. Unfortunately, George tried to pry her blade from the snake's head but managed to only pull the handle as her weapon had been broken.

"Dastard!"

*WHIP*

Whipping its head to the side, George was not in a good position to withstand the sudden movement and was flung out into the sea while Repulse managed to stay on top.

"Aghh! Come on!"

"Repulse!"

Knowing that only she had the right opportunity to help Enterprise, Repulse grit her teeth and yelled out in frustration. Her body stayed close to the snake's as she worked her way back to its head.

"Haaaaaaaaaaah!"

*SCHING*

Stabbing her blade into the snake's head, she did her best to keep it occupied.

"Enterprise!"

*WHOOOOOOOOSH!*

Letting the string go, the Grey Ghost's arrow shot forward and went right through the snake's head causing it to thrash around in pain before ultimately slamming into the water. Repulse had gone flying and splashed into the water. Vanguard and Nelson rushed to help her.

"Are you alright?"

"*sigh* I need a bath…"

"Don't we all."

Walking up to the defeated Heartless boss, each of the girls examined the beast with concerned eyes.

"Is it over?" Boise carefully asked.

"Yeah. It's starting to fade away."

"Whew. That's a relief" Baltimore commented with a sigh.

Feeling a sense of appeasement settle in her chest, Littorio couldn't help but feel that something was off.

"Littorio?" Vanguard spoke aloud.

"Something is off. We won but…"

"What the- "

Out of nowhere, a ripple effect appeared within the fading away snake allowing the girls to see inside, and what they saw left them utterly confused.

*RUMBLE*

*PEEEEEEEEEEEEEW*

"Sora!?"

Inside the ripple was the sight of Sora holding what appeared to be a great sword of some kind or something that matched that description. The fight between the Keyblade wielder and Arbiter appeared to reach a turning point or at the very least its ending.

*TING*

The intensity of what was going on left the girls in awe at what was happening as well as The Empress looking shocked at what was transpiring.

"He… he…"

"What did Sora do?!"

"Whoa…"

"No way!"

"What's going on!?"

"Wait! What's that!?"

Turning their attention back to the ripple, the girls were left dumbfounded at what was going on. It was also apparent that their perspective was not at a right angle, but that didn't matter in the slightest.

It wasn't until North Carolina meekly spoke first.

"…Sora?"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The events inside the Mirror Sea forced the girls all to lunge right for the ripple. Something had just happened to the Keyblade wielder.

---

A few minutes before

Doing his best to keep up with the Arbiter's fast moves, Sora continued to stay on his toes while blocking every attack primed for him. The constant barrage of attacks had forced him to play defense and with how things were going, he wasn't sure when he'd get the chance to act.

*WHISH*

*SWOOSH*

*TING*

Swiping the rapier right at his shoulder, The Empress stared coldly at Sora as he managed to deflect the attack, however, she did not let him have a chance to counter.

*WHOOSH*

Landing a flurry of stabs toward him, Sora blocked every attack until the last one where he decided to act fast.

*PSSH*

Flashing away in a blue light, Sora reappeared and enacted a counterkick against the elite Siren.

Unfortunately, The Empress had a feeling that something was coming and simply held her hand out and caught his foot while lifting him in the air.

"Too slow."

"Gahh!"

Throwing the Keyblade wielder high into the sky, she simply swung her rapier in rapid succession causing projectiles to come flying for Sora.

Still in the air, he began to flip his body from side to side to avoid being hit. Once he was close enough to the ground, he leaned his arm back and performed a grand slam right in front of The Empress.

*BAM*

*SPLASH*

Dashing forward and slashing at the Siren, Sora did not hold back.

*DING*

The rapier met the Keyblade causing the two weapons to be locked in another blade bind. Being so close to The Empress, Sora could see that she had taken a more serious approach to him and was not showcasing a playful attitude. She was treating him as a real opponent now.

"Tell me, what will your friends think when the curtains open and they see you defeated? Will they cry? Will they beg for your life? Will they try and fight?"

Pressing her face closer to his while their blades were still locked against one another, the Siren Arbiter let her voice reach a soothing yet suspenseful tone.

"Sora… are the bonds you've made truly worth risking your life?"

Feeling a surge of emotions flow through his heart, the Guardian of Light only had one answer to her question. One that came right from his heart and conveyed just how strongly he felt about the people in this world.

Flashes of everyone that he has met during his journey began to fill his mind and heart. The bonds formed with those from the Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Sakura Empire, Iron Blood, and other factions as well as those he had yet to meet.

Even if things were different now, he would follow his heart and do what he thought was the right thing to do.

"…Yes. The bonds I've made are worth it!"

*PWOOSH*

Sliding back across the water, The Empress wore a bewildered expression as she was not expecting that burst of energy to throw her back. Her eyes now glazed over the Keyblade wielder and was mildly surprised at what she was seeing.

Surrounding Sora, an aura of light was beaming brightly around him while what appeared to be two larger Keyblades began twirling through the air. Once the two blades connected, another burst of light appeared in the form of white feathers coating the Keyblades and sparkling away.

Unnoticed by Sora, his pocket had been glowing thanks to the help of the Heartbinder which helped bind his heart to the bonds he made throughout his life and many adventures.

The two larger Keyblades had very unique appearances to them whereas one blade was that of a yellow color with vibrant colors while the other was a darker blue color with similar matching colors.

"This is my proof! My friends are with me no matter where I go! I'm never alone!"

Using both of his hands to grab the two handles, Sora was now wielding the large Keyblade while raising it high above his head.

*FLASH*

A dazzling array of various colors in a rainbow appeared all while Sora prepared himself for what was to come next.

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

*PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW*

*GLASS BREAK*

*CRACK*

A ripple appeared at the top of the fake sky causing the Mirror Sea to start breaking down and glitching at a rapid rate. Things did not look stable in the slightest.

"Your flashy moves won't work here! This is my domain! My world! Hyaaaaaaah!"

Stabbing her rapier into the sea, The Empress summoned a dark portal which began to cause dark electricity to scatter across the Mirror Sea followed by dozens of orbs of darkness.

"THIS IS YOUR END!"

With the Guardian of Light and Siren Arbiter's powered-up attacks prepared to meet one another; a moment of silence ensued on the battleground.

In the next instance, an explosion of light consumed the Mirror Sea and everything in it.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

…

…

---

*Final Fantasy XIV Answers – Piano OST*

---

…

…

The first thing Sora began to see was that of a bright blue sky followed by the coolness of water surrounding him.

"N-N-Ngh… o-ow…"

Trying to open his completely, the spiky-haired boy could feel his entire body hurt.

"A-Agh… "

His mind began to race and recall everything that had just happened to him. The fight and summoning the Keyblades that he and Riku used whenever something challenging appeared as well as the feeling of Kairi's support when the feathers appeared… a lot of it didn't make total sense. But at the same time… it did.

Pulling himself up, he began to look at his hands and could see how battered and bruised they were. Even his fingers were beginning to twitch with how weak he was feeling in general. Part of him wanted to just sit back down in the water, but the other part wanted to know what would happen next.

Casting a glance around him, his eyes immediately caught the presence of someone else. Someone that he had just been fighting with.

Standing there with her hair disheveled, rips across her clothes, cuts around her body, and a content smirk appearing on her face.

"…Heh. Not bad, hero."

The Empress did not look tired at all. At least, that's how she tried to appear, but as soon as she tried turning her body slightly, an obvious limp appeared as well as her biting down on her tongue through her expression.

"I don't think I've ever fought like that before. I commend you… you're no joke. You are a real threat."

"Is… that supposed to make me feel better?" Sora weakly replied while resting his right hand over his left shoulder.

"Wear that compliment with pride. This battle will be examined and reviewed countless times. You will be one of our next goals to survey and learn from. And with the help Darkness has provided us… it'll be glorious. Alas, this resolution comes at a sad price…"

"W-what?"

For a split second, Sora could have sworn he saw The Empress frown sadly before having a defeated look across her face.

"I don't think I have the patience to take you as a prisoner this time around."

"Why's that? I thought… *cough* you were so strong…"

"Make no mistake. If I wanted, I'd take you right here, right now. However, we'd been in for another fight. Especially with them."

Unsure of what she just meant, Sora was about to ask but was startled by a slow flash of light appearing before him.

*BZZZZZ*

Out of nowhere, the girls of Azur Lane were standing right next to Sora with their weapons at the ready.

"H-Huh?! Where'd *cough* where'd you guys come from!?"

"What? You didn't see us?" Repulse asked in confusion.

"The whole time? At all?" Littorio added.

Shaking his head, Sora didn't understand what was going on at all.

"Tch. Her influence over the Mirror Sea is still strong. She hid our presence from him. We need to end her now!" Kaga shouted while glaring at the Siren Arbiter.

Shifting her eyes onto Kaga, The Empress smugly greeted her.

"The traitorous white kitsune. You and your sister caused us quite a setback. Nothing major. But it did slow our plans down by a day. That wasn't very nice."

"Grr. Zip it!"

"Easy, Kaga. We will get our chance" Enterprise called to her as she pulled the string on her bow.

Examining the Grey Ghost, The Empress seemed almost excited to encounter her.

"Enterprise. Your other self has been on quite the rampage lately. I'm surprised she's not here sticking her nose where it doesn't belong."

"…"

There it was again, the claim that there were alternate versions of the ship girls. This was something that Sora would need to investigate, but that would be for a later time.

"Careful. We don't know if the Mirror Sea is still operational" Littorio chided while watching the Siren.

"There's no need for concern. My work here is done for now. I've obtained the necessary data for this project to be successfully concluded" The Empress countered before turning away from the group.

"Don't think you can run away!" San Francisco said while readying her fists.

"If you truly want a fight, then I'll gladly oblige…"

Scowling at her friend's actions, New Jersey was pointing her riggings right at The Empress's head. If she were to make a single move, then…

"However, that'll have to wait. I'm being summoned by the others. Most likely to discuss what has happened. Don't worry. We'll have our fight another time."

Flicking her wrist, a Corridor of Darkness appeared out of nowhere allowing The Empress to make her exit.

Right as she was about to disappear, she glanced over at Sora and winked at him.

"Until next time… hero. Keep holding onto that light of yours. I look forward to seeing what you do next…"

*WHOOSH*

The Corridor of Darkness disappeared leaving the group of girls and Sora alone.

A moment of silence was shared by all the girls before they all turned their attention to the only boy in the group.

"Sora!"

"You're ok!"

"Are you hurt?"

"Sora!?"

"Sora?"

"Sora?"

"S-Sora?"

Trying his best to look at each one of the girls, the last thing Sora could recall was feeling his body falling and seeing the worried expressions on everyone's faces…

---

Later…

---

*Kingdom Hearts Before the Daylight OST*

---

Feeling his entire body scream at him to keep on sleeping, Sora couldn't help but push himself to open his eyes and see where he ended up this time.

"…"

The first thing to come to his vision was that of long brown hair followed by two fox ears on top of someone's head.

"*gasp* He's awake!" came the shout of someone very familiar.

A rustling could be heard coming from the side where he wasn't looking. And by the sound of it, there were a lot of footsteps.

"Huh…?"

Moving his eyes slowly, Sora could now see Akagi looking at him with absolutely worried eyes. There even appeared to be tear marks down her cheeks as she looked right into his eyes.

"Sora? Darling? Can you… Are you okay?"

"Easy, Akagi. Give our hero some space. He's been through a lot" came the voice of another familiar presence.

Looking like she wanted to argue, the brown-haired kitsune simply listened to her sister's words while still looking quite worried.

"It's good to see you again, Sora" Amagi claimed with a gentle smile.

Turning his to the side, Sora now saw over a dozen girls all staring at him with mixed reactions. Some were relieved, others looked like they were crying, and a few were trying to appear calm and collected but still had anxious expressions.

One familiar face came close to him while trying to remain stoic.

"Sora… don't strain yourself please."

"W-Wales?"

"Yes, I'm here" the blonde-haired woman kindly replied. "Take things slow. There's no need to rush."

"What… what happened? How did I… get here?"

"According to Enterprise and the others' report, you fainted from your wounds after the fight with The Empress. The girls then brought you back while rendezvousing with the squadron that was rushing to aid you in your fight with the Sirens and Heartless. You've been asleep for over thirteen hours."

"That long…?" Sora mumbled to himself as he processed what he was hearing.

Giving a nod, Wales glanced over at Vestal, who began walking over to them.

"You were in excellent hands. Vestal is the best there is."

Stepping forward and wearing a shy smile, the ship girl known as Vestal tilted her head at Wales.

"No need for the flattery, Wales. I simply did what I was best at, and that was taking care of the sick or injured. You were hurt pretty badly, Sora. I can go into the details of your medical report, but… I think there's something you should know."

Concerned with the serious tone of her voice, Sora tiredly looked at her.

"…Did something bad happen?"

Deciding to join in the conversation, Hood appeared with a concerned yet calming smile.

"Sora… what are you wearing now…"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Hood? I'm wearing- "

It was then that Sora realized that he felt lighter and… different. Looking down at his clothes, he found himself in a white medical shirt without his jacket.

"My clothes…?"

Appearing before the bed now, Zuikaku was holding onto Sora's jacket and showed him what the problem was.

Across the back of the jacket was a giant rip where it looked like a blade had pierced the clothing followed by all the burn marks and cuts.

"Your jacket took a toll."

Staring in awe at the rip on his clothes, a sense of sadness hit Sora stronger than he expected it to. Throughout all his adventures, his clothes had always taken a beating or ended up on fire, frozen in ice, and more. But realizing that a rip was going to be the way they were destroyed… made him sad.

"…*sigh*…"

"Sora?" Zuikaku cautiously called his name.

"Are you… ok?" Amagi quietly asked.

Shifting his eyes to look at the two Sakura Empire girls, he was about to say something but stopped when the doors to the room opened and the sound of someone running could be heard.

"Y-you're ok!"

Coming into view, the sight of Unicorn holding onto U-chan while smiling warmly at him caused Sora to forget any of the pain he was feeling across his body.

"Unicorn… I told you. I'm back."

Feeling a rush of emotions, the young girl raised the plushie to cover her face as she was overjoyed at seeing her big brother back. She didn't want everyone to see her tear up.

"Sorry for making you worry."

"D-Don't be. I knew you'd be back" Unicorn said as her voice was still muffled by U-chan covering her face. "When we heard about you fighting an Arbiter, I-I… I was scared. But then I knew you'd come back."

Giving her a reassuring smile, Sora extended his hand and gently patted her head.

"I couldn't let my sister be alone."

Everyone in the room watching this tender moment between the two was dying of cuteness. Even though their familial relationship had only begun, this moment made it seem like this was something natural to Sora and Unicorn.

A few of the girls, those heavily interested in Sora, were feeling their chests rise and hearts throb at the sight of the Keyblade wielder so good with the young girl. Akagi's eyes were not leaving him as her tails were waving back and forth in a rhythmic kind of way. Just one look at her conveyed the kinds of thoughts she was having.

Other girls like Zuikaku, Hood, Wales, and more were blushing brightly at how kind and open he was. It was getting to the point that inner desires were pushing the girls to take a page out of Sora's book and follow their hearts. They had to make their feelings present no matter what.

Prinz Eugen bit her lip at the imaginative thoughts currently flooding her mind. The same could be said for Atago who just simply smiled at the touching moment. Belfast also wore a pleased expression, but her eyes told a different story.

"Y-Your clothes…" Unicorn pointed out in a worried tone.

Looking back at the ripped clothing in Zuikaku's hands, Sora let out a sigh before shaking his head.

"It's ok. They're just… clothes."

"But you have such a strong attachment to them. That much is obvious with how you're looking at them" San Diego said while in the middle of the crowd of girls.

"Were they given to you?" Helena asked.

A sad look crossed the Keyblade wielder's face as he tried to force a small smile.

"Yeah, they were given to me by a friend. The magic inside them let me Formchange and use different abilities. Now that they're damaged… I don't know if that's the case anymore."

"I beg to differ, Sora" came the voice of another Sakura Empire girl who stepped up to his bed.

"Kirishima?"

"Zui. May I?"

Surprised by Kirishima's request, Zuikaku shifted her eyes over to Shoukaku who had been silent the entire time. It also appeared that she gave her sister a look. One that spoke volumes.

"S-Sure? Here you go."

Respectfully taking Sora's damaged clothing, Kirishima began examining it before making her assessment.

"Well, I think I've got good news… and bad news."

"Err… what's the good news?"

Flashing him with a bright smile, Kirishima let one of her hands rest on her hip.

"I think I might be able to fix your clothing."

Joy was the word that could best describe Sora's reaction.

"Really?! How?"

"Well, I don't think I'll be the only one to help with this project. However, this leads to bad news. It might take some time to get it completely fixed. Since you mentioned magic was involved in making the clothes, wouldn't it be fair to use our own kind of special powers to fix it?"

The gears in Sora's head began to turn.

"You mean- "

"That's actually not a bad idea" Sirius replied from within the crowd.

Nodding her head, Kirishima continued, "Using Wisdom Cubes might make up for whatever magic was used to make them. Now, I'm not saying it'll be a perfect job, but it's leagues better than just trying to sew it back together."

"I'm also sure that everyone in this room and on the island is more than happy to help in this endeavor. You've done so much for us, this is the least we can do for you" Belfast added with a pleasant tone.

Touched by the kindness from Kirishima and everyone else, Sora couldn't help but smile and feel his eyes water up. However, he fought back the temptation to cry and smiled brightly.

"Thanks! You guys are the best."

Everyone's mood shot up tremendously with those simple words of appreciation.

"Hey… where is everyone else? How are they?"

"We're doing alright" came the voice of Enterprise from the door.

"Enty!"

"I'm glad you're doing ok, Sora. You scared us."

"What happened? Where is everyone?"

"Our injuries were not as intense as yours were. We got the go-ahead to leave and rest from Vestal hours ago. The others are all taking some R&R right now. I'm sure you'll see them soon enough."

"Shouldn't that R&R also apply to you too?" Belfast chided while raising her eyebrow at the Grey Ghost.

"…I had to make sure he was ok before anything else."

Before this could become a moment, Hornet snorted from within the crowd.

"Pfft. My sister has got a crush!"

"S-S-Shut up, Hornet!" Enterprise weakly replied.

"Ooooooh!"

"The battlefield grows stronger, my dear sister" Shoukaku whispered to Zuikaku. "You'd best jump in and mark your territory."

"Shut up, Shoukaku!" Zuikaku whispered back to her sister.

From the side, another pair of sisters were caught up in the same sort of conversation.

"Heehee. Now's our chance, Takao. We should ask Sora if he'd like some personal maids to help take care of him" Atago gleefully asked.

"S-Sister! That's completely- "

"Ah. Ah. Ah. No backing out now. I know some feelings are building up for Sora in your heart. Why not take the chance and see how you really feel?"

A shy expression appeared on the dark-haired girl's face as she didn't want to outright dismiss her sister's words. In the innermost chamber of her heart, she knew that there was something there. And that scared her deeply.

Back with Sora, Unicorn continued to enjoy being pampered by her big brother but also had a sudden thought pop into her head.

"Sora?"

"Yeah, Unicorn? Are you okay? Oh! Wait a second. I have something to tell you!"

Confused about this sudden burst, the purple-haired girl silently nodded her head. Hood, Wales, and the others were also curious about what needed to be said.

"I used the keychain you gave me in battle against The Empress."

"You did!?"

"Really?!"

"Cool!"

"Interesting."

"How did it go?"

A sly smirk appeared on the boy's face.

"Let's just say it caused her to take things seriously!" Sora excitedly relayed.

Unicorn could not help the brilliant smile that appeared on her cheeks. Even U-chan began bobbing his head back and forth in excitement. The rest of the girls were also intrigued by what he was saying.

"Wish we had a recording of it" Ayanami replied from somewhere in the room.

"Serves that Arbiter right," Z23 remarked smugly.

Turning his attention back to Unicorn, Sora continued where she left off.

"So, what did you want to say before? And sorry for cutting you off."

"N-No! It's ok. I was just wondering… what are you going to wear now? Since your clothes are ripped."

"…"

"…"

"…"

At that very moment, the once calm and collected hospital room now turned into a warzone. Where friends once stood… now there were only rivals. The prosperous idea of getting to help dress the Guardian of Light was so infectious that even those such as Amagi had taken a serious face.

There was no way anyone would get out of that room unscathed.

"HOLD ON! I'VE GOT AN IDEA!"

"LET ME DRESS YOU, SORA!"

"I KNOW WHAT YOU CAN WEAR!"

"PICK ME! PICK ME!"

"DON'T PICK HER! PICK ME!"

"NONE OF YOU KNOW FASHION AT ALL!"

"EXCUSE ME!?"

"YOU'RE EXCUSED!"

"SORA! DON'T LISTEN TO THESE BUMBLING IDIOTS!"

"SORA! DON'T LISTEN TO THAT BUMBLING IDIOT!"

"YOU'RE ALL MAKING THIS A BIGGER PROBLEM!"

"BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!"

"WHY NOT LET ME HELP!?"

"I BET YOU'D LOOK GOOD IN WHITE!"

"NO! GREY!"

"MAYBE YELLOW!?"

"EWW!"

"WHAT IF HE WORE- "

"DON'T FINISH THAT SENTENCE, AKAGI!"

"GIRLS! GIRLS!"

"NOBODY IS LISTENING!"

Tuning out all the girls currently locked in a clothing war, Sora looked over at Unicorn who held onto U-chan while appearing scared at the frightening women around her.

"Hey, Unicorn, got any ideas for what I should now wear?"

Doing her best to focus just on Sora, Unicorn began to ponder the question closely.

"Hmm. What if… you wore a red hoodie?"

Barely hearing the young girl's answer, several of the girls began to quiet down.

"A red hoodie… It wouldn't be the first time I've worn red like that. Sure! I wouldn't mind that. What else?"

"Uh… how about… shoes?"

"What kind?"

"May I interject here, Sora" Kirishima politely asked.

"Sure. What do you think?"

Sporting a grin, she began to analyze all the qualities that fit the Keyblade wielder and soon settled on an idea that would suit him best.

"Why not sports shoes? Or maybe…"

"Why not… include colors from his old clothes?" Shinano, who had been sidelined this entire time, tiredly replied.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea!" Sora happily agreed.

Giving a sleepy smile, Shinano blushed at the praise and closed her eyes while enjoying the attention she got. A victory nap sounded nice after scoring some points.

"So, yellow should be on the shoes then?" Hornet asked, hoping that was the case.

"Yep. Any other ideas?"

Having an idea come to her, Zuikaku wanted to throw her idea into the ring.

"Why not have your red hoodie be unique?"

"Unique? How so?"

Folding her arms across her bountiful bosom, Zuikaku's face appeared red while she explained her idea.

"Maybe no zippers? A button-up?"

Processing the idea, Sora couldn't help but like it the more he thought about it.

"Yeah… yeah! Let's go with that!"

'YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!' Zuikaku cheered happily in her mind.

"Alright. Anything else?"

Raising her hand in a lady-like way, Hood took the spotlight.

"Perhaps you could add another jacket onto your person?"

"Another? Are you trying to overheat him" Wales asked her long-time friend.

"I know I would~" commented Prinz Eugen with a sultry look.

Ignoring her comment, Wales continued to look at Hood for a response.

However, Amagi jumped at this chance to talk.

"I concur. He'd look much more… refined and emboldened with another jacket. Might I suggest a black one?"

"Ooh! He'd look so cool with that!" Javelin cheered.

"Mm… Sora cool…" Laffey lazily spoke before passing out again.

"Alright, now we're cooking! Anything else?" Kirishima asked the group.

"Oh, my. I've just had an idea" Illustrious said, making her appearance now known.

With this many girls in the room, it was quite surprising to see who was all there. It seemed like one by one they were just appearing out of nowhere.

"And what might that be?" Akagi asked, staring narrowly at the white-haired woman.

"Why not change up your hairstyle, Sora?"

This garnered many wide-eyed reactions from the girls.

"…please do" whispered Wales.

'Do it. I wanna see Zuikaku faint or something' Shoukaku said to herself.

"Change my hair…"

Patting the top of his head, Sora couldn't help but wonder how he'd look with a different sort of hairstyle. Part of him had gotten used to how his hair was now, however, there was another style that he'd been hoping to try for a while now. He hadn't ever thought about changing his appearance, but with the girls showing support and eagerness, the idea was growing on him.

"Ok. I think I can do that. Anything else?"

"Pants" Belfast bluntly said aloud.

The entire room was filled with girls' faces turning a bright red. There were some girls that were having some… thoughts float around in their heads.

However, before this topic became something else entirely, Kirishima stepped in to resolve it.

"Done. No butts. That'll be covered by my sisters and I. We'll get that done."

"No fair! Hiei is cheating again!" Akagi growled out.

*WHACK*

"Gah!"

The sight of the elder Kitsune sister reprimanding her younger sister's antics was quite a comedic sight. Especially since the smack on her head wasn't hard at all.

"Well then, Sora will be in good hands!" Atago positively stated.

Sensing that the topic had reached its ending, Sora smiled brightly.

"Great! How long do you think it'll take to get the clothes ready?"

Grinning with confidence, Kirishima gave her answer proudly.

"Give us an hour and you'll be fitted in all new clothes."

"That fast?"

"Damn. You're a pro."

"Awesome!"

"Ooh! Maybe later you can make me an outfit too!"

"Me too!"

"I'd like a new outfit as well!"

"M-Maybe U-chan and I could get something too… please."

The once intense room full of eager women was now filled to the brim with positivity all around. This is how Azur Lane was meant to be. People coming together and forming new friendships while creating bonds that'll provide not just strength but kindness.

Sora couldn't wait for his new outfit.

---

Elsewhere…

---

*Final Fantasy XV – Lurking Danger OST*

---

Inside a dark and mysterious cave, the sight of Purifier and Tester arguing could be seen from within.

"Why did the snake die off so fast? I thought it was supposed to last longer than that?!"

"We encountered a formidable error in our diagnostics."

"Oh, yeah? And what was that?"

Wearing a sly, dangerous smile along her lips, Tester nodded her head.

"Sora."

"Ah. Okay. That makes sense. Buuuuuut wait! He wasn't involved at all! He wasn't even there!"

"That's because his influence is so grand" came the reply of another.

Walking toward the two, The Empress appeared while stepping out of a Corridor of Darkness.

"Heh. Ever since you learned that trick you've been using it nonstop."

"What can I say? It's fun. Besides, I can only use it to get to locations where I've been before. There's still much to learn. The tests we have yet to run with it."

"Ugh. Tests. Tests. And tests! That's all we ever do" Purifier complained. "Why not call them… experiments!"

"That's the same thing as a test, idiot."

An annoyed look could be seen on Purifier's face as she flopped down onto the ground.

"*sigh* Where's Observer? Heck, where is everyone else? Shouldn't they be here talking about how we didn't gain enough research material?"

Flicking her wrist at the wall and summoning a chair out of energy, The Empress gracefully sat down before smiling at the elite Siren.

"Oh, my dear… you're in for a surprise. The data we gained was more than sufficient. In fact, I must thank our dear hero for providing us with vital insight" The Empress declared with an infatuated tone of voice. "Thanks to our duel and crucial conversations, we now have a better understanding of the strength within the heart."

"Don't forget, Darkness is also giving us loads of knowledge" Tester added.

"Indeed. And with all this research data in our hands… I'm happy to announce that the other Arbiters are ready for our next phase of plans."

An excited Purifier began jumping up and down.

"Yay! We're gonna start a riot! What's the plan? Are we dropping more Mirror Seas?"

"That was the plan, no?"

Giving the two girls a careful look, The Empress nodded her head.

"Yes, but we currently have two locations in mind. We're not exactly sure which place would provide us with more resonant energy. We could obviously drop a Mirror Sea at both places, but we'd back lacking that extra oomph power that could be brought forth in one spot."

"Where are the two places then?" Tester questioned.

Deciding to answer in a fun sort of way, the Arbiter summoned her rapier and slashed at the space in front of her causing two distorted portals to appear.

In one portal, the sight of a city known for its history with romance and historical monument standing tall on four legs could be seen. The structure becomes an astonishing beacon of light once nightfall reaches the land it calls home.

In the other portal, a city near an ocean could be seen followed by a famous intersection where fate tends to bring possibilities. There also appeared a building with the numbers one zero four could be seen.

"If it were up to you, where would you like to go next?" The Empress excitedly asked the two Sirens.

---

Back with Sora

---

*Kingdom Hearts Missing Link OST – Scala Ad Caelum*

---

Having stepped into the changing room after getting the go-ahead from Kirishima, Sora was now trying on his new clothes that had been made for him. It was still a wonder how fast Kirishima and her sisters worked to get this done.

"Should I ask if he- "

"Don't, Akagi."

"Aww."

"Heh."

"Wipe that smug look off your face, Kaga!"

"…Nervous?"

"Nervous? Me?"

"Zuikaku. You're sweating."

"No, I'm not!"

"Your eyeliner is gonna get ruined."

"Stop!"

"I'm excited!"

"Mm. As am I."

"Oh? You're not showing it well, Takao."

"What do you mean? I'm being- "

"Not honest enough!"

"Atago… please stop."

"Nope! Heehee."

"Wales."

"Yes, Hood?"

"You're drooling."

"*gasp* I am certainly not!"

"I know. You just have a very concentrated look on your face."

"As do you. Don't lie. I see your eyes scanning the door and waiting for it to open."

"Mm. I won't lie. I am very eager to see how our dear hero appears. No matter how he might appear, he'll be quite the dashing hero to me~"

"Careful now. All is fair in the battle for love."

"Touche my friend. Touche indeed."

"He's been in there for a minute…"

"Don't worry, Unicorn. It's going to be alright."

"I'm surprised you're keeping calm, Your Majesty."

"HUH?! What's that supposed to mean!?"

"I hear you are quite smitten with Sora. Is that true?"

"Lady Vanguard!"

"What? I'm just saying what I heard."

"…You're not wrong."

"Belfast!?"

*CREAK*

All the chatter in the room stopped immediately as everyone watched the door open slowly. With bated breath, they were extremely eager to see how Sora now appeared in new clothing.

Stepping back into the hospital room, Sora now appeared wearing the new clothes that had been given to him. The sight of him caused several girls to faint and plop to the ground while others forgot how to breathe.

Akagi had to hold onto Amagi and Kaga's arms for support as she didn't know how to function. Wales forgot where she was or what her name even was for a split second before coming to her senses and instantly wiping her mouth for fear of drooling. Zuikaku had become a gushing schoolgirl as her nerves were shot up and her confidence flared up and down in nervousness. Atago had hearts appear in the middle of her eyes while Littorio let out a low whistle as she knew what she wanted. Prinz Eugen's reaction was… about what everyone expected, and Enterprise had to tip her hat downward to help hide the blush covering her face.

Everyone else's reactions were that of lovestruck maidens or bewildered girls at how different the Keyblade wielder appeared. The change to his hair had been one point of difference, but the change in clothing made him look more mature. An aura of confidence had also surrounded him.

"So, what do you guys think?" Sora asked while flashing everyone a wholesome smile.

"You look like a hero!" Unicorn happily replied.

Laffey, Nimi, Ayanami, and Javelin all agreed and gave him two thumbs up.

The rest of the girls were still too stunned to speak.

That is until New Jersey was the first to break the silence.

"You look out of this world… honey~!"

Once her statement was said, the room turned into another war zone. Feelings within the heart were about to be unleashed and there would be no stopping the wave of affections that'll soon hit the Guardian of Light.

Notes:

*A/N* - Howdy. You reached the bottom of the chapter. Congrats! I want to thank you for having checked the chapter out. I also have to apologize for the long wait. I planned to get this out sooner, but things didn't pan out like that. I could blame it on a bunch of different things or do a little pity paragraph. However, I won't do that. I'll just say that procrastination, work, family, Expedition 33, Pokémon TCG, writer's block, and life all played a role in preventing me from getting this out sooner. I know I keep saying that chapters will come out sooner, but that's going to be a repeating thing I say. I don't wanna promise anything and get hopes up. So, I'll only say this. I'm a slow cook. Very slow. But know that I don't intend on stopping any stories. There's still so much to do. This leads me to the next point…

KINGDOM HEARTS 4 LIVES!

As of finishing this chapter, we have gotten real screenshots of KH4 and how the game looks updated. I'm still hoping for a late 2026 or early 2027 release, but I'll keep expectations low. (Especially since I'm putting this chapter out before Summer Games Fest 2025. We may or may not get a trailer there.) However, Sora's new close-up look is amazing! I also love the new Heartless designs and how serious things look. The Versus XIII influence is there and I want more! Playable Mickey will also be interesting as it looks like he might be in Scala Ad Caelum. There's so much to say. Which… also leads to another discussion topic. It was time to let Sora wear the new outfit. Plus, I'm not getting rid of the KH3 outfit. It's just on break right now.

RIP Missing Link. I was heartbroken when I heard the news. The game had some unique premise, but I do think a GPS game wouldn't have lasted. And with how Square Enix is being, (They cancelled Toaru IF!) I think it wouldn't have lasted long either. So, I do hope that the story is featured in the future and used within the story as well as music. Man… we would have gotten some amazing music. Give us a movie or game after KH4 that uses what was already made or something. Who knows about game development anymore?

The next point is Azur Lane. At this very moment of publishing (6/5/25) I am definitely going to include the girls that are newly featured in the game. HMS Lion is going to be a fun character to involve. Sora is gonna have to deal with a lioness soon. He should be fine. He was a lion once lol. The other girls are also a joy and the costumes that have come out since then as well… hoo boy. Now that we are on the cusp of the girls starting to take to the battlefield of love, feelings will be addressed at full force and Sora is in for a hard fight. I'll continue to do what I can to make it, so he is not completely OOC or changed as a character completely, but that's what's fun about fanfiction. Let the fun begin!

Next, I wanna talk about the hint at what's to come. The Empress was a bit of fun to utilize in the story and will continue to play a part along with the other Arbiters. Their purpose will become more acknowledged as we begin to learn what Darkness truly wants. The same goes for the Master of Masters. While it may seem like he's watching the chaos go on, I do have plans for him. And those plans have been further elevated after playing Expedition 33. Hence, why I put forth the idea of going to Paris in the story. I miss Expedition 33 and want to experience it all again for the first time. That game inspired me with so many new ideas that I'm eager to write some more. Plus, I also put forth the idea of going to Tokyo, specifically Shibuya. Now, doing this might bite me in the butt, however, I do want to include the story in both locations and have plans to do so. But that takes time, so bear with me.

The Empress' fight also included a heavy bit of inspiration from Queen Sphene's trial from FFXIV Dawntrail. I've been wanting to do a fight involving that theme and overall fight for so long. It had to be done. For those who have played FFXIV, I hope I did the fight some justice. Obviously, it wasn't a one-to-one recreation, but something I enjoyed writing about. That's going to be a common thing for me.

To conclude this long-winded blabbering, I'm not going anywhere, I'm a slow cook, I appreciate all the feedback, and thank you for checking my stories out, I'm excited about the future, KH4 lives, love is in the air, and I'm excited for more to come. Thank you again and until next time. Take care!