Manila, Philippines
September 11, 1942
3:00 PM
Once heralded as the Pearl of the Orient, the island nation of the Philippines had tragically failed to survive the initial onslaught of the Siren invasion, succumbing within the very first month. Its capital city, Manila, with its once dense and vibrant population, now lay in desolate ruins. Historical buildings, alongside structures erected by the Eagle Union during their occupation, stood as skeletal remains against the horizon.
Nature, in its relentless reclaiming, had begun to flourish amidst the scars of destruction. All manner of flora and fauna grew rampant through the ruins; one particular structure was almost entirely swallowed by green, as tenacious vines crawled over its cracks and rough surfaces, weaving a verdant shroud.
An eerie, almost deafening silence permeated the air of what was once a bustling capital. Giant craters and the grim silhouettes of ruined buildings greeted Lafayette as he approached the port. The sight was a stark contrast to the noisy, vibrant metropolis he remembered, its teeming population now conspicuously absent.
In his mind, the Philippines looked as though it had been nuked. Vast craters and scorched buildings were visible even from high above, as one of the V-Bat Drones flew overhead, diligently gathering reconnaissance on the devastated capital.
Lafayette's eyes widened, his mouth agape—these were the only expressions he could manage in response to the ruined capital.
"Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed in a gasp of surprise, as the drone footage revealed an even more extensive scope of the devastation.
"This feels like a setting for Fallout Philippines," he murmured, a memory of the popular Fallout game series surfacing in his thoughts.
"Fallout Philippines?" Bataan inquired, her curiosity piqued by the unusual mention.
"Well... ummm..." Lafayette stammered, unsure how to explain the concept to her. He was also strictly forbidden from disclosing any information about nuclear weapons, as it remained a highly guarded secret by Enterprise-80.
"Everyone in our world predicted this... The Philippines might get wiped out of existence if WW3 ever sparks in Asia."
Bataan felt a pang of concern upon hearing that the Philippines in Lafayette's world could potentially suffer a fate similar to her own. However, Lafayette quickly sought to reassure her, suggesting her worries might never materialize.
"Don't worry about that," he said nonchalantly. "Everyone in our world is wise enough not to start an unwinnable war that could cost billions of lives."
General MacArthur, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, finally spoke. "You speak with such certainty that wouldn't occur."
'Really? A guy who wants to turn a peninsula into an island,' Lafayette thought, recalling the time General MacArthur had famously proposed using nuclear weapons along North Korea's northern border with China.
"Like I said before," Lafayette reiterated, "everyone in our world is wise enough to avoid starting an unwinnable war."
Yet, a lingering doubt gnawed at him—the unsettling possibility that one man's ego could indeed spark such a devastating conflict. The Cold War between America and China, while not as overtly volatile as the historical standoff between the Soviet Union and America, still held a heightened tension than even before.
"I suppose your politicians aren't that stupid," General MacArthur remarked, pondering Lafayette's words.
"I'd be more fitting to say they were idiots rather than stupid," Lafayette clarified, aiming to highlight the peculiar nature of US politicians. They might be a "bunch of idiots," he mused, but they weren't entirely devoid of a certain cunning.
"Oh, I see. Even your own politicians are idiots too," General MacArthur said, a note of understanding in his voice. "I can now see why your superiors aren't too keen when it comes to any of the politicians in D.C." He was referencing Enterprise-80's well-known reluctance to engage with Washington politicians.
"Yeah... Military affairs and political affairs aren't exactly compatible when it comes to winning a war," Lafayette agreed.
After finishing erecting the tents where the rest of the Division would rest for the night, Saint Louis approached them, gracefully cutting into their conversation.
"Sir Lafayette, our search should commence tomorrow. For now, we shall take our rest for the night," she stated, gesturing towards the weary Shipgirls.
Lafayette's Division was utterly exhausted from the day's efforts. Laffey-459 was still fast asleep, and the others were visibly drained from setting up the tent. It had been a genuine team effort, even for those who had merely sat and observed.
Lafayette nodded, acknowledging their collective exhaustion. "Yes, tomorrow. Tomorrow, our search for the surviving locals who retreated into the mountains shall commence."
"You should take a rest too, Lafayette. Leave the rest to us," MacArthur said, informing him that the Eagle Union Army could handle the remaining tasks.
"I'll leave it to you then," Lafayette replied with a nod.
Following that brief exchange, Lafayette, Saint Louis, and the other Shipgirls finally took a well-deserved rest for the afternoon. Night descended, and they all slept soundly, recuperating for the coming morning.
The Eagle Union Army continued to build more tents at their temporary base, recently established around the Port of Manila. Security remained tight throughout the night; they would not let down their alertness for any potential dangers lurking within the darkness.
UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) continuously patrolled the perimeter, searching for anything amiss with the naked eye. The thermal cameras of the unmanned vehicles swiveled constantly, scanning left and right. Even the most remote corners of the ruined buildings were meticulously searched by these machines.
That night passed without any incident, allowing everyone to enjoy a peaceful rest.
...
Morning arrived, and the sun rose over the Pearl of the East. Its golden rays gracefully illuminated the gray warships moored at the port of Manila. On the roads, gusts of dust swirled in the wind as four Marine Corps Ultra-Light Tactical Vehicles (ULTVs) moved swiftly through the ruined city.
Bataan confidently took the wheel of the lead vehicle, with California following closely behind in the next ULTV. The lightweight ULTVs adeptly traversed the uneven roads, which were littered with debris and rocks, and often overgrown with flourishing flora right in the middle of the weathered pavement.
Javelin sat beside the driver of the lead vehicle, scrutinizing a pictured map of the ruined capital. The constant bumps on the road didn't help, as each pothole became another jolt to the military-grade cushions and suspensions of the vehicle.
"Is there any sign of people yet?" Laffey-459 asked from the ULTV's backseat, already growing bored.
Lafayette, holding the remote control for a drone, groaned audibly. He had just launched a reconnaissance drone mere minutes ago.
"No, I only just launched the drone a minute ago," he replied, feeling the oppressive humid weather and his own simmering frustration from being bombarded with questions he truly disliked answering.
"Why not just go to sleep or something? We'll wake you up if something comes out," Lafayette offered, motioning to his side to create a space for her to rest.
Laffey-459 accepted the offer, settling down for a nap and seemingly oblivious to the bumpy roads, as the ULTVs' suspensions were expertly designed to absorb nearly all shock.
On top of the vehicle, Charles Ausburne fiddled with the butterfly trigger of the .50 cal. Machinegun bolted onto its mount.
"This is boring..." she exclaimed, the punishing heat of the tropical sun wearing down her composure.
"Well... we're lucky no one is shooting at us," Thatcher said, holding the side-mounted M240 Bravo Machinegun at the vehicle's side, sharing the same sentiment about the harsh tropical sun.
"Yes, we should be thankful that no one is shooting at us," Unicorn added, seemingly the only one unbothered by the tropical heat.
"I just wanna shoot something!..." Charles Ausburne wailed, her frustration mounting.
In the second vehicle, the occupants endured the same harsh punishment under the tropical sun. Langley, like a miniature water dispenser, had beads of sweat trickling down her forehead, despite her attire being perfectly suited to the climate.
"Ugh!... This sucks. I can't believe it's so hot in here," she lamented, fanning herself against the oppressive heat.
"Welcome to my climate," California, at the wheel, chimed in.
"You can say that..."
California chuckled good-naturedly at the sweating Langley beside her.
Yukikaze and Hamman, the two feline, had practically melted like ice cream in the rear seat, bearing the full brunt of the tropical sun's harsh rays.
"I'm melting..."
"Me too..."
"God... I can't believe you two. We've been in this same climate before!" Yuudachi said, chiding the two felines.
"You two are melting like an ice cream," Shigure teased with a playful smirk.
"Oh, shut it!" came the echoed retort from the two.
...
After a few more moments of driving, the convoy of four Ultra-Light Tactical Vehicles came to a halt on a graveled road. It was the end of the weathered concrete; in front of them, thick foliage completely covered the path that supposedly led to Taal Volcano.
Bataan leaned to her side, eyes squinting at the pathway ahead. "Hey. That looks like... a narrow pathway."
Lafayette and the others leaned forward to observe what Bataan was referring to. The narrow pathway she indicated was clearly a trail formed by consistent human footsteps.
"Looks like there are a few people left in this land," Lafayette said, confirming the existence of the narrow pathway.
"Do you think we would find any of the remaining people through that pathway?" Unicorn asked, her voice laced with hope.
"Probably," Lafayette replied.
Saint Louis disembarked from the vehicle, her polearm already in hand. "Sir Lafayette, allow me to scout the pathway ahead."
Lafayette looked at her, then at the rest of the group. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. "Yes, scout the area to see if it leads us to a hidden path."
Saint Louis gave a curt nod as she walked towards the overgrown grass covering the pathway, where some worn footsteps were still visible. After a brief moment of waiting in the ULTVs, Saint Louis radioed back with her findings.
"This is Saint Louis, the pathway is clear—other than overgrown grass. No objects nor terrain are blocking the path."
Lafayette grabbed the radio from the vehicle's HUD. "Copy that, Saint Louis. We're moving on our way."
The engines of the ULTVs roared to life, a quick start-up for Lafayette's waiting convoy. The vehicles then proceeded along the narrow pathway, where enormous, overgrown plants now covered what was once a clear road leading to their destination.
The Ultra-Light Tactical Vehicles were specifically designed for off-road travel and deep reconnaissance in places where heavier vehicles simply couldn't go. Marine Recon units frequently utilized these vehicles to navigate narrow pathways, and their lightweight design allowed them to traverse off-road terrain without any problems whatsoever.
The ride along the narrow pathway was described by everyone as akin to a jarring buggy ride. The combination of the robust suspension and military-grade seats provided them with an authentic experience every service member knew. The rollercoaster-like journey over gravel, through mud, around water puddles, and through tall grasses made them all long to disembark.
And then, miraculously, their suffering ceased. Their ride abruptly stopped as the hovering drone above them detected an infrared reading, indicating figures hidden among the trees and bushes.
"Why did we stop?" Javelin asked, lurching forward in her seat.
Lafayette and Saint Louis stared intently at the dense forest ahead, as if they had collectively seen something within the verdant canopy.
"What do you think?" Saint Louis asked him, her eyes still meticulously scanning the surrounding foliage.
Lafayette glanced at his drone controller. On the screen, an infrared image of a human figure was clearly visible, blending almost perfectly with the trees.
"By the looks of the figure in the infrared camera... it's a human," he confirmed, identifying the shapes among the trees.
"There are movements in the trees!" Charles Ausburne exclaimed, pointing her .50 cal. at the tree where she had seen the rustle.
Lafayette raised a hand, stopping her from potentially "trimming that tree" with the .50 cal. "Hold your fire. It might be a human behind that tree," he instructed.
Then the radio crackled. "Hey! Why did we stop?" Hamman radioed from the back, her impatience clearly audible through the comms.
"We've got contact. Everyone stay vigilant," Lafayette radioed back.
Eldridge swiveled her .50 cal. towards the tree she had observed moving. "Tree is moving."
"Hold your fire. We don't want to injure these people," he radioed again, knowing full well that the girls would likely open up with their main-turret riggings if any more trees started to move.
Hamman let out a low growl, pointing her 5-Inch Turret-Gun Rigging at one of the suspicious trees. She wasn't alone in her readiness; Yuudachi, Shigure, and Yukikaze also pointed their own 5-Inch Turret-Guns at different trees surrounding them.
Then, a resounding rhythm of cocking machineguns sounded from the rear of the convoy, as the Manjuus pointed their firearms at the surrounding trees, prepared to unleash a barrage of bullets.
Lafayette, Saint Louis, Bataan, and Langley disembarked from their vehicles and slowly walked closer to the tree in front. Their aim was to communicate with the locals who had presumably been hiding in the woods for years, living in fear of the Sirens.
Saint Louis positioned herself directly in front of Lafayette, shielding him from any anxiously anticipated surprise attack that might emerge from the bushes.
"Sir Lafayette, stay behind me. I cannot guarantee your safety if you position yourself haphazardly in front."
Lafayette, holding a megaphone, was fully aware of the dangers, but being perpetually behind her was starting to feel quite unsettling. "No need. They are the locals we're looking for; they won't act hostile to us if we clearly distinguish ourselves as allies, not enemies," he said with unwavering confidence.
"As you wish, Sir Lafayette." Saint Louis, still maintaining a degree of caution, repositioned herself beside him.
After settling their brief discourse, Lafayette raised the megaphone closer to his mouth and spoke in Tagalog. "Umm, Kabayan," his voice boomed through the megaphone.
"Nan di-two... ka-mey para makipag... ohsap... sa inyoh. Nan ditwo kami parah twomolong." (We are here to talk to you. We are here to help.)
Everyone fell into stunned silence, question marks practically appearing above their heads. They couldn't quite process what Lafayette had just uttered; to them, it sounded like an unintelligible jumble of garbled sounds. That awkward moment was then punctuated by the distinct sound of a crow, as a thick silence once again permeated the air.
"What the hell was that?!" Hamman exclaimed, having never heard such a manner of speaking before.
"Did he even know what he was talking about?" Yukikaze piped up, equally bewildered.
Lafayette cringed inwardly. He couldn't speak Tagalog fluently. While he had been to the Philippines before, he'd only ever overheard small snippets of conversation and had never actually spoken to any Filipinos, primarily because, well, he was a ship.
"Umm, Lafayette?" Bataan spoke, looking at him quizzically. "What was that? I don't recognize that language."
"Yes, Sir Lafayette," Saint Louis added, "what language did you speak? It seems it didn't reach the locals."
Lafayette looked down, utterly mortified by his oversight. The Filipino official language, as he knew it, didn't exist yet in this world or timeline. It was a massive, embarrassing mistake on his part.
(For context, the Philippine Official Language, Tagalog-based Filipino, was established after the end of World War II to unify the nation under a single common language. Every island and region at the time had its own distinct dialects or languages. The Filipino language adopted some borrowed words from its neighbors, but most of its roots stemmed from the Spanish language.)
He slapped both of his cheeks, a desperate attempt to wash away the embarrassment. With a renewed, albeit slightly forced, vigor, he turned to face them, ready to offer an explanation. "Um, that's the Filipino Official Language. Did I say it wrong?" he asked, genuinely confused as to why she seemed so bewildered by his words.
"No... it's just that... there isn't an official Filipino Language... yet," she clarified. She realized then that she should have provided him with this crucial information earlier. Now, he was completely mortified.
"Perhaps you should let me handle the talking on this one," Bataan suggested, stepping forward. She positioned herself to explain their arrival to the locals and reassure them that they meant no harm.
After several tense minutes of Bataan patiently convincing the hidden locals, one of the bushes rustled, and a long rifle barrel slowly protruded. A man, emerging from the shadows of the trees, cautiously stepped out of the dense foliage.
The rifle was unmistakably visible as its barrel and stock became clearer, extending from the bush.
It was an M1903 Springfield Bolt Action Rifle, a model issued to the Commonwealth Republic of the Philippines back when the Eagle Union still controlled the nation.
Others soon followed suit, men dressed in camouflage made of branches and leaves emerged from their hiding spots, their rifles raised defensively.
"M1903 Springfield," Lafayette murmured to himself, recognizing the rifle in the hands of the locals.
"Don't you dare point that at me!" Hamman, true to form, couldn't keep her mouth shut. She immediately aimed her 5-inch gun turret at the man dressed in bush.
"Stand down, Hamman, I repeat. Stand down!" Lafayette warned, his voice firm. "We don't want to pick a fight with the locals here." He knew all too well how formidable Filipinos could be in jungle warfare, a lesson hard-learned in their world's World War II.
The man who had first approached them appeared to be the group's leader. He conversed with Bataan in a common tongue, their dialogue flowing smoothly. After several minutes of Bataan explaining their mission, they received a stroke of luck: they were granted passage and led toward the hidden encampment.
Everyone in the convoy breathed a collective sigh of relief that the situation hadn't escalated into the shootout they had all feared, especially with barrels pointed at opposing groups. Lafayette and Langley seemed particularly pleased by this new discovery of locals who had been living in hiding, enduring the constant threat posed by the Sirens.
After those moments of miscommunication and misunderstanding, which could have led to a far worse outcome, Lafayette and Friends were guided by the locals toward their concealed hideout. The ULTVs navigated through thick bushes and towering grasses. The entire pathway was quite dark, as tall trees with their thick, interlocking branches completely obscured the view from above. This dense foliage provided perfect cover, concealing local tracks from aerial reconnaissance planes and offering robust protection and concealment from any potential attacks.
It brought to mind a crude, yet fitting, phrase from a certain internet personality: Welcome to the dense forest of the Philippines, Motherfucker.
Lafayette glanced around the trees, his eyes scanning constantly as the convoy traversed the hidden path the locals used to evade detection. He considered the myriad possibilities for ambushes, both from above and within the undergrowth.
"Hey, boss-man, what are you looking at up there?" Charles Ausburne asked, noticing his frequent glances at the trees.
"Just scouting for potential ambushes," he replied simply.
Saint Louis looked up, sharing his thought. "Yes, Sir Lafayette, it would indeed be an advantageous position to lay ambushes in those trees."
...After a few more minutes of travel, they arrived at the hideout of the remaining locals. The hideout, with its numerous hut-like houses, seemed to resemble a small, clandestine village.
This surprised Lafayette, especially since one of his V-Bat Drones had flown over this very area and hadn't detected any infrared signatures that human bodies typically produce. He took a careful glance at each house, then realized the reason his drone had failed to detect any infrared heat.
The roofs of the hut-houses were constructed from layers of stacked dried leaves, effectively blocking infrared detection. This, combined with the thick foliage and the naturally regulated temperature of the forest, masked the heat signatures of each hut-houses.
They were then led toward a cave opening, camouflaged meticulously with hanging vines that resembled natural camo-nets. The cave appeared to be a deliberately dug-in structure, as he could discern several hidden defensive emplacements strategically placed around the entrance.
"So the remaining locals fled into the forest and dug out a cave system to avoid the Sirens," Lafayette mused aloud, gazing in awe at the extensive cave system the Filipinos had created for concealment.
"Well, after the Siren invasion, some nations created underground bunkers in cities near the coast to help people get to safety," Bataan explained, as she halted the ULTV at the cave entrance.
Everyone unbuckled their seatbelts and disembarked. Lafayette gently tapped the sleeping Laffey-459 at his side, who had managed to doze off despite the bumpy ride in the ULTV. Laffey-459 let out a wide yawn, stretching her hands into the air as if freshly awakened in the morning light.
"Morning," he said to her, even though it was already afternoon.
Lafayette and the Shipgirls disembarked, leaving the Manjuus to attend to the vehicles, and walked toward the cave entrance.
The leader of the group, a Filipino Guerrilla, lit an oil lamp as they stepped inside the cave. Deeper within, they found a wooden gate, expertly camouflaged to appear like solid rock. The leader knocked on it in a distinctive, coded rhythm.
A reply came—the exact same coded knock. Then, the sound of intricate locks being disengaged echoed through the cavern. This "intricate lock" turned out to be a simple wooden plank placed horizontally behind the gate, acting as a sturdy bolt.
The wooden gate swung open, and they all entered. At the end of the entrance passage, they were astonished to behold a flourishing underground village, thriving within the very heart of the mountain.
The setting within the cave resembled something out of a fantasy genre, with houses carved directly into the cave walls. But what truly astonished Lafayette was the remarkable ventilation system of this massive cave complex, which housed hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of people.
"Am I tripping, or does this look like Moria, but with less architecture?" Lafayette exclaimed, utterly surprised by the sheer scale of the cave system.
"Moria???" the girls asked, their confusion evident.
He scoffed playfully. "Well, what I just referenced is one of the Dwarven Cities in Middle-Earth, a complex subterranean tunnel network off this cave. It's from a novel called 'The Hobbit,' which was a hit fantasy book and even had its own movie."
"Hmm... Is there a book like that in this world? I would like to get myself one," Saint Louis mused, her hand cupping her chin thoughtfully.
"Enough with that fantasy; let's go meet the Chief or the one in charge of this hidden village," he said, knowing that explaining 'The Hobbit' to the girls would take forever.
They then followed their guide, who led them toward the village leader. As they walked, they noticed many eyes glancing at them, especially those of the children.
The children looked at them with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, particularly intrigued by the mechanical rigging attached to the Shipgirls' bodies.
The older villagers, who likely possessed some fragmented information about Shipgirl Rigging from decades past, were not alarmed by the presence of foreigners walking among them.
However, those born without such knowledge instinctively distanced themselves from the newcomers as they passed.
"Ohhh... I feel a chill running down my spine around here," Hamman exclaimed, shivering slightly, as the eyes of the locals fell upon her and the others with animal ears and tails.
"I think they're looking at our ears and tails," Shigure observed.
"Ha, ha! Cherish your eyes at the sight of the Goddess of Fortune!" Yukikaze dramatically declared to the somewhat frightened and confused locals.
"More like a Misfortune," Lafayette muttered under his breath, as he and the girls continued to follow their guide.
"To the locals, we are entirely foreign. Decades of living underground have kept them isolated from recent knowledge, or even our very existence," Saint Louis noted perceptively.
Lafayette nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're right about that. In their eyes, we are indeed foreign."
Langley looked around, her head swiveling left, right, up, and down as she gaped at the sheer engineering and manpower required to excavate a tunnel system of such immense width. She was utterly amazed by the sight, imagining herself truly walking through a fantasy world.
"I can't believe they dug this kind of tunnel system," she said in awe.
"Filipinos are known in our world for making crazy things out of necessity," Lafayette responded, equally awestruck.
Unicorn and Javelin both shared a profound sense of sympathy for the people living underground for decades because of the Sirens. They felt particularly sorry for the children, who couldn't explore the outside world without being in constant danger from the Siren threat.
However, their initial feelings of sympathy subsided as they, along with the others, observed that the children were genuinely having fun, with several of them happily at play.
"Here we are," the leader announced, drawing their attention as he pointed to the entrance door of the Chief, or the person in charge.
The door creaked open on its hinges. Inside the dimly lit room sat a man in his 50s, wearing a US Army WWI Uniform of khaki brown. Lafayette had an immediate idea of who this man was: he believed him to be a former Eagle Union Army Officer leading the remnants of the Philippine Army.
"My apologies if I didn't prepare a welcoming party for your arrival. I'm Lieutenant George Martin, and I'm in charge of the remnants of what was once the Philippine Army," the man said, greeting the newcomers and motioning for them to sit.
Everyone took a seat on the wooden chairs, some made of bamboo. The rest settled onto a bamboo sofa set positioned parallel to Lieutenant George's seat. Saint Louis remained standing beside Lafayette, like a towering Paladin from an RPG game.
Langley spoke with diplomatic grace. "No need for such a welcoming party, Lieutenant George. We just stumbled upon your scouts in the forest by accident. The main Eagle Union Army is currently searching for the remaining locals hiding in the forest."
As the man heard about the Eagle Union's return, his apprehension and suspicion transformed into unbridled delight. He had evidently been dreaming of the Eagle Union's return, hoping they would finally push the Sirens out of the Philippines.
"Did the Alliance push the Sirens out of the islands?" Lieutenant George asked, his voice brimming with overwhelming joy at the news.
"Well... I'd say not quite," Langley said, a heavy tone in her voice.
"Wha—what do you mean?" Lieutenant George asked, his face contorting in exasperation. He hadn't expected her to say that.
"Our current mission is to find the remnants of the Sirens and their hidden facility. The current location of such a facility is here," Langley explained, handing him a high-resolution aerial photograph of Taal Volcano.
Lieutenant George's eyes widened in horror at the revelation of the Siren Facility's proximity to their hideout. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he quickly looked up at Langley.
"Impossible... this is too close to our hideout," he mumbled, the full horror of the realization sinking in.
"Our first priority is to eliminate that Siren Facility before dawn. You and your men can now rest assured, because this island nation will no longer be threatened by the Sirens," Langley stated with unwavering confidence.
"Are you sure? I mean..." He motioned toward the girls. "They're only girls; you'll need Battleships to handle this kind of task." Lieutenant George expressed his concern for the girls' safety in facing a Siren threat.
"Hey! Are you underestimating us?!" Hamman barked, annoyed by the Lieutenant's statement.
Lieutenant George jolted in his seat as the "cat" hissed at him in surprise. "So-Sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that. I just meant you'll need more firepower in dealing with a Siren threat," he stammered, flustered.
Then, a sudden slap on Hamman's back silenced her, sending her face momentarily diving toward the ground. She quickly sprang up, ready to confront whoever had dared to strike her. "Why you—"
Laffey-459 looked at her directly, her eyes glowing red in the dimly lit room.
"Shut up," she said, just two words. But that single, direct phrase was enough to keep the annoying cat quiet.
"Hey, let's give the old man the benefit of the doubt; he hasn't seen us kick some ass yet," Shigure interjected, a slight smirk playing on her lips.
Langley smoothly reverted back to their discussion. "Yes, you're right, Lieutenant George, we do lack the numbers when it comes to facing a Siren threat. But..." She raised a hand, surprising the Lieutenant.
"We have Lafayette on our side," she concluded, shifting her attention to Lafayette, who sat beside her.
Lieutenant George was even more surprised to discover the existence of a "ship-boy." "Are—are you a ship-boy?" he stammered, utterly taken aback.
"Yes, I'm a ship-boy," Lafayette confirmed, as if it were no big deal. But to Lieutenant George, it was a very significant revelation. He had never in his life seen one, nor had he ever conceived of such a possibility, always assuming Lafayette was simply a girl dressed in a different fashion.
"Sorry, I was surprised to find out you were a 'boy.' I thought you were a girl," Lieutenant George apologized, his face reddening slightly.
Lafayette's brows twitched. 'A girl? You thought of me as a girl because I was surrounded by girls!' His thoughts screamed at him for being misidentified once again.
Langley spoke, noticing Lafayette's expression sour. "You see, Lieutenant, Lafayette possesses firepower comparable to a Battleship," she clarified, hoping to explain his unique abilities.
Lieutenant George simply went along with her explanation and didn't question further. The discussion had veered into Naval matters, and he was an Army Officer. He was still puzzled by the workings of Shipgirls and Wisdom Cubes, but he pushed those thoughts aside. What truly mattered was that reinforcements had finally arrived after 30 years of hiding in the dark.
"I would greatly appreciate your cooperation, Lieutenant. We will inform the Army about our findings and your situation," Langley said, extending her hand to shake his.
"I too appreciate that my prayers for years have finally come to fruition. God truly answered our prayers," Lieutenant George said, tears slowly streaming down his face, a look of profound delight on his face.
"I pray that your mission of eliminating the pocket of Siren forces remaining in this nation is successful."
...
Taal Lake
The four ULTVs stopped at the basin of the lake. Everyone onboard disembarked, gathering their gear and ship riggings. They stood at the basin's edge, gazing across the expansive lake toward their target, which sat nestled in the middle of a volcano. Within the crater of that volcano lay the Siren Facility.
"I didn't think it was a volcano at first," California commented, observing the unique landscape.
"It's a sunken volcano, after years of eruptions, to say the least. The whole lake is the volcano," Lafayette explained.
"You're saying we've been stepping on a goddamn volcano this whole time?!" Hamman exclaimed, aghast.
"Not really," Lafayette responded, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"How big was this volcano back then?" Langley asked, trying to visualize its original scale. The crater of the Taal Volcano, in its current state, could easily be considered an island itself.
"Nobody knows," Lafayette shrugged.
At the ULTV
Bataan began putting on her gear, which drew unexpected attention. Everyone fell silent, clearly surprised by her unique preparations. Bataan donned a Filipino Traditional Straw Hat, and in her hands were two Bolo knives, each with ropes attached to the ends of their handles, all alongside her flight deck rigging.
(Any of those who know what I'm referencing here, know what's going to happen next.)
Lafayette held his chin thoughtfully as the image of a scene from a Classic Philippine Movie popped into his head. "Wait... I think I've seen this one before, but where?..."
"What?... Is there something wrong?" Bataan asked, as every eye in the convoy was now fixed on her.
"No—nothing..." Lafayette replied quickly. "We're just surprised that you're using Bolo knives with ropes attached to their ends, and that reminds me of someone."
Shigure spoke up. "Well, everyone here has their own weapons, so... there's nothing wrong with it."
Yukikaze, Yuudachi, and Ayanami nodded in agreement. Ayanami pulled out her sword, and Javelin also raised her spear in a gesture of support.
"A fine choice of weapon," Saint Louis nodded, offering a compliment.
"Good to see that you're using a traditional weapon that represents you, Bataan," Langley added, smiling.
After their light-hearted conversation, the Manjuus finished inflating their inflatable boats. The Manjuus gave each other a thumbs-up, then leaped into the water and began to paddle toward the Island Volcano.
Lafayette and Friends anticipated potential surprises from the Sirens, as High-Command had warned them about the Sirens' heightened alertness. Their primary mission was to rescue any abducted people the Sirens might have used for experimentation. After rescuing the abducted individuals, they were ordered to destroy the entire facility, as Lafayette had been given a weapons-free order.
Saint Louis and Bataan both jumped into the water, their rigging gracing the surface as their melee weapons gleamed under the sun. Both Shipgirls surged forward, leaving a wake of their dashing trails behind them.
"Let's kick some Siren ass!" Lafayette roared.
"Yeah!!!!!" the girls cheered, their voices echoing across the lake.