Kaga

Yesterday, spring seemed to have barely passed, and today, the heatwave has arrived relentlessly. Reports suggest this summer is headed for record-breaking heat (though it seems to be the same every year). On the seaside pier, the concrete radiates steam, and the asphalt on the road seems to be melting. Even the toughest shipgirls can't stand the brutal heat. Aside from a few eccentrics who shout about special training and run under the scorching sun, most shipgirls never leave the air-conditioned indoor havens of the Navy Base. Submarines remain submerged constantly, and Houshou's seasonal ice cream is experiencing its peak sales year-round. As usual, Navy Base nationwide are promoting hydration and preventing heatstroke. You walk down the street as usual, but the scorching heat makes your steps unsteady.

You find Nagato and Iowa, one by one, but you can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. The shipgirls have already received their orientation in the briefing room, but those who haven't attended, or those who continue to be restless and uncontrollable, need individual attention. You thought you'd informed everyone, but one face seemed to be missing. You carefully reviewed the list of shipgirls under your command in your mind and immediately understood why.

That person was the very epitome of order. Excluding the occasional rampage of Nagato, she was the least likely to violate the law. Yet, she was nowhere to be seen.

You considered where she might be, and finally decided on the archery range. The wooden building with black tiles was arguably the oldest building on the base outside the docks. It stood alone and quietly at the edge of the Navy Base, exuding an air of indifference. With a hoarse creak, you opened the old checkered paper door, slipped off your shoes, and stepped into the dim hallway. Contrary to its worn exterior, the interior of the archery range was in excellent condition—the plaster walls had been repainted, their white brilliance new; the wooden floors had been meticulously cleaned, even waxed, and polished to a brilliant shine; even the intricate beams were free of dust. You passed what looked like an office and an equipment room and entered the main building of the range. The sun was setting slightly in the west, filtering through the hollowed-out skylight into the archers' sheltered positions. Combined with the accumulated heat from the building for half a day, the range remained oppressively hot.

"Oh? Admiral? What a rare guest! Welcome, welcome~" A leisurely voice called from the side. You turned and glanced over. Standing in the shadows by the doorway was the shipgirl, Akagi, dressed in her usual red and white kimono, but without protective gear. She was clearly not practicing. Her posture in the corner was elegant yet casual, a stark contrast to the posture she would maintain while drawing her bow at sea.

She seemed to have stood there for a long time, leaning back in the same position. This relaxed posture was designed for prolonged periods of standing, and the reason for this was self-evident—

**Swish————**A sharp whistle pierced the air, bringing a roar like a tidal wave before vanishing like a breaking wave. Even after silence returned, the sound of footsteps seemed to still resonate in the silence.

Hit the Bull's Eye

The woman standing on the archery platform relaxed her bowstring slightly, her expression blankly staring at the pierced target: "You've come, Admiral." Her lips parted slightly, but Kaga's gaze and posture remained unchanged, maintaining her releasing arrow.

"Akagi told me you came here to scold me," She bent down, pulled an arrow from the quiver beside her, and turned to nock it on the string.

She was, of course, wearing the same kimono as Akagi: the white fabric was stiff, with a deep blue blouse peeking through the collar. The waist and shoulders were secured with the same blue ties tied with knots. Combined with the ankle-length skirt, her restrained attire highlighted her personality. Unlike Akagi, she wore a traditional black armor gleaming across her chest.

She simultaneously stretched her upper and lower body, her delicate feet, clad in jade-white tabi, gliding silently across the gleaming wooden floor. Simultaneously, her shoulders and arms extended, the bowstring in her hands tightened, the bow bent. Her longbow, as tall as herself, bent gently in her hands, yet with a stubborn, submissive firmness—like a wild horse, untamed, yet subservient to its master. Like a general holding a precious sword, calm yet brimming with murderous intent, there was no doubt that the shipgirl, Kaga, was an undeniable warrior.

"I know the dangers of summer heat, but even in the most dire circumstances, exerting one hundred percent of one's strength, unaffected by the environment, is part of a warrior's cultivation."

You followed her gaze. Twenty or so arrows were already stuck on the target paper. Five of them had hit the bull's eye with pinpoint accuracy, while the remaining arrows were precisely placed in a circle on the paper, forming the shape of the ancient Chinese character for 'Sun.'

"Since we can't shoot through the tail of an arrow like in the movies, how about just changing the target paper more often? Diligence is also a warrior's skill, right? I can help too~" Akagi nodded slightly and smiled. Even so, she clearly had no intention of moving a step, completely enjoying watching Kaga practice. She also knew that Kaga would not leave until the end.

Kaga didn't answer, but took a deep breath. You noticed that there was a gap about one centimeter wide right below the sun character, and you knew that was where the last arrow would go. You stared at Kaga, watching her prepare to launch the final blow.

The arrow was on the string, ready to be released

Kaga released the arrow

Swish————the sharp whistling sound echoed again, followed by the soft and perfect plop of the arrow sinking into the target.

However, the arrow didn't land correctly, and the loop that should have been hidden was exposed. "Down five millimeters." Akagi spoke quietly, her tone gentle; without even moving closer, she accurately judged the impact point. Her eyes were no longer as intense as before, but her smile grew even brighter, her gaze flicking back and forth between Kaga and you.

Tsk… Kaga's gasp echoed quietly. You saw her lower the bow and remain silent, as if acknowledging her mistake.

For the first time at the range, you took a closer look at Kaga. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing rapid, and her whole body exuded moisture, making her tied-up hair look especially soft.

Her white dress, damp with sweat, had become thin and transparent. She wore her shirt loosely, so the line of her collarbone was easily visible beneath it.

You saw her steps sway slightly, her skirt swaying with it. Looking up, you observed her expression, still revealing nothing. The only difference from before was a slight frown on her brow.

The fully armed aircraft carrier accelerated, her wheels spinning at full speed, splashing water and sending vibrations through her legs. Destroyers cleared a path for her, but she gritted her teeth anxiously, cutting through the churning sea at maximum speed. The falcon was swooping down on her target.

She smelled gunpowder, then the blue water turned black with oil and soot, and then she was certain she had seen the enemy.

When she came to her senses, she felt resistance in her right hand. The longbow was drawn back further, a moment's delay, aim, and the arrow shot out like a cannonball. The destroyers all turned to look at her in surprise; their target range hadn't been far enough. The arrow passed between them at a very low angle.

After firing that arrow, she inexplicably felt calmer, at least that's what she thought. The ship girl quickly launched several attack aircrafts, then stepped forward. She casually tightened the straps of her sleeve, her longbow-wielding posture exuding murderous intent: “First Carrier Division, regular carrier Kaga, sortie!”

The destroyers, which had begun to slow down, were immediately left behind, crying out in panic: “Kaga-san? We’re about to engage the enemy! Please keep your distance from the enemy ships, we’ll provide cov…”

“I’ll directly merge with the Akagi Squadron. You all follow behind and coordinate a pincer attack. My rear is in your hands.” Having given her instructions as if to hold them back, Kaga charged into the enemy ranks.

A carrier without main guns fighting alone against abyssal ships—if anyone else did this, she would surely give them a severe dressing-down. A small destroyer charged towards her; she maintained her charging posture, looking up at it angrily.

Today, it’s they who will get a severe dressing-down.

The abyssal destroyer was blasted into the air by her attack, exploding in mid-air. She didn't look at the wreckage of the ship, calmly taking out three more arrows from her back. Kaga caught a glimpse of a group of abyssal aircraft approaching from the horizon. Nocking the arrows, she fired them one by one. The two sides' aircraft clashed, but hers was faster, overtaking the enemys. Her machine guns shot down the monsters one by one, turning them into flames.

"Eh, Miss Kaga, is that you?!" She passed the petite ship girl with a gray-white ponytail, engaged in fierce combat with the enemy ship. Casually firing four torpedoes, destroyer Kasumi raised her twin-mounted guns and unleashed a fierce barrage of fire on the enemy, her own black-gray uniform covered in soot.

"I'll leave this to you. Reinforcements will be here soon." Kaga glanced at her, not slowing down. "Is Akagi ahead?" "Ah, yes, Miss Akagi, she…" Receiving a positive answer, Kaga reached for her quiver again, having just used two more arrows.

More and more abyssal ships appeared. Fighter jets, destroyers, scattered submarines, and even light cruisers mostly engaged the ship girls, while a few attacked her. Kaga didn't even glance at them, defeating them with minimal losses. Although the ship girls were overwhelmed, they still looked in astonishment at the blue-clad carrier, who charged in like a thousand troops.

Akagi carrier was in the center of the enemy formation. The fleet had done its best to establish multiple layers of protection, but the enemy used new high-speed ships to penetrate our lines and then used heavy naval bombardment to forcibly separate the escort ships. Akagi fought bravely, drawing her bow and fighting fiercely. Even high-tier humanoid ships couldn't cross the line, many being hit and sunk. However, Akagi's anti-aircraft machine guns were insufficient against the overwhelming air attack. Strafe and explosive shells rained down on her, the thick smoke forcing her to cover her mouth and cough incessantly.

Kaga blasted a hole through the enemy destroyer encirclement and rushed in, reaching Akagi's side. Back to back, Kaga drew her bow, firing in unison with Akagi's rhythm. The enemy fleet screamed, a brief lull appearing in their relentless attacks.

"Kaga-san? What brings you here?" Akagi's body moved naturally, firing several shots in quick succession before she looked back at her companion, still drawing her bow. "Has Admiral's reinforcement arrived? Where's your escort ships?"

Kaga didn't turn around, her usual composure returning as she calmly drew her bow, casually replying, "My escorts went to support the girls outside. I came in to help you break through."

Akagi pouted, then suddenly laughed, "Help me break through? Aren't you just walking into the enemy's trap? You should stay outside, and we could attack from both sides, right?"

Kaga finally lowered her bow and turned to look at Akagi. Akagi returned her gaze.

'Because I couldn't help wanting to see you—' Kaga couldn't bring herself to say these words, so she could only feign normalcy and reason. “A coordinated attack from within and without can eliminate the enemy, but if they crazily focus fire on you, you'll be the one in trouble,” she added, then clicked her tongue in regret. “and you might die.”

Akagi, upon hearing this, merely narrowed her eyes and smiled at Kaga. Kaga felt heart pause a bit and stared intently at her. Akagi's beautiful face remained unchanged, her hair still jet black and glossy, but now stained with smoke and dust, and a graze from shrapnel on her left cheek.

Kaga tenderly reached out to Akagi, gently touching the scar.

“I won't let that happen.” Kaga turned, assuming a fighting stance. She could feel Akagi's smile as she also drew her bow. “Let's finish this!”

When you approach Kaga, she's sitting on the stone embankment facing the sea, silently munching on a rice ball.

The final battle, after a long and brutal melee, saw the enemy's formation finally crumble.

As for Akagi, she was taken to the canal for emergency treatment. Although they dared not say it to Kaga's face, every participating ship girl agreed that it was a miracle that an aircraft carrier could return to port under such concentrated fire.

You stopped beside Kaga, remaining silent. Kaga chewed for a while before finally speaking, seemingly annoyed by your presence:

"You probably have a lot to say, but let me make it clear first, I refuse to apologize." After saying this, she took another large bite of her rice ball.

"Both fleets have returned to port with all their personnel, which is the best outcome. I admit I acted arbitrarily, but that was the best strategy I could propose as the on-site commander. It was Admiral's fault, your mistake, to have Akagi and I resist such a large formation with such a small force."

She finished her rice ball and wanted to take another one. Beside her lay a large, floral-patterned cloth, upon which lay six or seven glistening, round rice balls, each terrifyingly large as a face, resembling tiny cannonballs—Houshou's prized creation, aptly named 'Victory Energy Bento.'

"I heard Akagi's treatment is over, and she's taking a bath now." Kaga glanced at the rice balls, then at you. "She's been soaking in the bath for most of the day. Once relaxing, I get so hungry," she explained. She intended to eat all the rice balls.

昨天，春季彷彿才剛走過，今天，熱浪毫不留情地襲來，根據報導，今年夏天似乎正面臨破紀錄的猛暑(雖然每年好像都是如此)。海邊的碼頭上，水泥散發出蒸蒸熱氣，路面上的柏油也幾乎要融化。即使強悍如艦娘，也難耐殘酷的高溫，撇開某些高喊著特訓，在毒辣的艷陽下跑馬的怪人在外，多數艦娘壓根不會離開有著冷氣的鎮守府室內天堂，潛水艦鎮日都泡在水裡，鳳祥所推出的時令冰品更是迎來整年的銷售巔峰，全國的鎮守府也一如既往地開始了宣導補充水分與預防中暑的工作；你一如往年的走在街上，酷暑卻讓腳步也搖晃起來。

你依序找到了長門與愛荷華，卻無法擺脫不對勁的感覺。艦娘們已在簡報室接受過宣導講習，但未到者、在那之後仍不知節制地好動者，需要個別提醒。你覺得已經知會過所有人選，但似乎有個面孔沒有出現。你認真在腦海中盤點了一下旗下的艦娘名單，馬上理解了原因。

那人宛如秩序的代名詞，排除掉偶爾暴走的長門，可謂最與違規沾不上邊，如今卻不見其蹤影。

你想想她最可能出沒的地方，最後還是決定前往弓道場，木造配黑瓦的建築可說是基地中碼頭以外最古老之處，獨自靜靜佇立在鎮守府邊陲，散發難以親近的氛圍。你吱啞一聲拉開老舊的格子紙門，脫鞋踏上昏暗的過道。 與老舊的外表相反，弓道場的內部狀況良好——灰泥牆壁經過重新粉刷，亮白如新；木製的地板被仔細清潔擦拭，甚至上過釉蠟而光可鑑人；就連複雜的屋樑上都不見一絲灰塵。 你經過像是事務室和裝備間的地方，踏入了靶場本殿。天光以微微西斜，從簍空的天井曬進應有遮蔽的弓手站立之處，加上建築半日累積下來的熱量，使得靶場依舊悶熱不已。

「喔呀?是提督呀?真是稀客，歡迎歡迎~」一旁傳來悠哉的話聲，你回頭定睛一看，門邊的陰影下站著艦娘赤城，穿著她一貫的紅白色和服，卻沒有佩戴護具。她明顯沒有在練習，站在牆角的姿態優雅但透著隨意，與在海上張弓奮戰的姿態大相逕庭。

她似乎倚著同樣的姿勢在原地站了許久，如此放鬆的動作便是為了長時間的站立，至於理由，也十分的不言自明——

**咻————**尖銳的嘯聲劃破空氣，帶來海潮般的轟鳴巨響又旋即如碎波般消失，靜寂回歸後，跫音卻彷彿仍在無聲中激盪。

正中靶心

站在射箭台上的女子微微放鬆弓弦般繃緊的態勢，表情只是木然地瞪視著被射穿的目標:「你來了，提督。」嘴唇微張，加賀的眼神和姿態都絲毫未動，仍維持著放箭的姿勢。

「赤城和我說了，你是來罵我的，」她彎腰，從一旁的箭袋中取出一支箭，轉身搭在弦上。

她理所當然地穿著和赤城同款的道服式和服:白色的布料硬挺，領口處透出湛藍色的襯衣；腰際和雙肩用同樣的藍色綁帶以繩結牢牢固定，加上長至腳踝的裙絝，拘束的穿著盡顯她的個性；與赤城不同的是，她的胸前繫著漆黑的傳統護甲，閃著黑光。

她同時張開上下半身，套著玉白足袋的纖纖小腳在閃亮的木地板上靜靜滑過，同時，她的肩臂延展，手中的弓弦繃緊，弓被拉彎。她那挺和自己等高的長弓在她手裡和順彎曲，卻又帶著倔降的強硬——像烈馬桀敖不馴，卻臣服於牠的主人。像總大將手裡握著寶刀，沉靜，卻透著濃濃殺氣，毫無疑問，艦娘，加賀，是個無庸置疑的戰士。

「我知道暑熱的危害，但，在最嚴峻的情況下，發揮百分之百的實力而不受環境影響，也是戰士的修為之一。」

你順著她的視線望去，靶紙上已經插著二十來支箭，五支箭分毫不差，正中靶心，其餘的箭矢，則精確地插在紙上的圓環，構成中國古字般「日」的模樣。

「既然沒辦法像電影一樣一支箭射穿上一支的箭尾，就乾脆勤換靶紙怎麼樣?勤勞也是戰士的修為吧?我也可以幫忙喔~」赤城微微頷首，微笑著說。話雖如此，她卻明顯沒有要移動半步的意思，而是全意的享受觀賞加賀的練習，她也知道，在結束前，加賀不會離開箭臺半步。

加賀沒有回答，而是深深吸氣。你注意到日字的正底下留了約一公分寬的空隙，你知道，那是最後一支箭的去處，你注視著加賀，看著她準備放出最後一擊。

箭在弦上，蓄勢待發

加賀放箭

咻————尖銳的嘯聲再次響起，然後是箭矢沉入標靶的撲通一響，聲音柔和而完美。

然而，箭矢沒有落在正位上，應該被遮住的環線漏了出來。「向下偏移了五毫米。」赤城靜靜開口，語氣溫柔；沒有走近便精準判斷了落點。她的眼神不再如同剛才熱切，笑容卻益發燦爛，目光在加賀和你之間來回掃視。

嘖……加賀的咋舌聲靜靜響起，你見她將弓放下，沉默不語，像是承認了自己的失誤。

進入靶場第一次，你細看加賀的身影。她的雙頰潮紅，鼻息快速，渾身散發著濕氣，綁起的頭髮也因此顯得特別柔軟。 她的白衣也被汗水沾濕，變的薄而透明，她把襯衣穿的很鬆，因此可以輕易看到上衣下的鎖骨線條。

你見她的腳步微微搖晃，裙襬隨之搖曳，向上察看她的表情，仍然什麼都沒有透漏，與方才唯一的不同，只有眉頭微微促緊。

全副武裝的空母加大馬力，鞋底輪葉全速運轉濺起了水花，震動也順著雙腿傳到她身上來。驅逐艦們在前方替她開路，但她仍焦急地咬牙，最大航速在波濤起落的海上劃開數道沫跡。獵鷹正朝目標俯衝。

她聞到硝煙味了，然後藍水被油污與煤灰染成黑色，再然後，她確信自己目視到了敵機。

回過神的時候右手已經開始感到阻力，長弓進一步被拉開，瞬間的延遲，瞄準，箭矢宛若砲彈般射了出去。驅逐艦們全都驚訝的回頭看她，她們的索敵距離不夠遠。箭矢以極低的射角從她們之間穿過去。

射出這一箭，她莫名感到冷靜了下來，至少她這麼認為。艦娘迅速射出了數架艦攻，然後挺身往前。她隨手拉緊袖子的綁帶，撐著長弓的模樣殺氣騰騰：「一航戰正規空母，加賀，出陣！」

開始減速的驅逐艦馬上被她落在後頭，驚慌地叫道：「加賀小姐？我們就要接敵了，請和敵艦保持距離，我們來掩護⋯⋯」

「我會直接和赤城隊合流，妳們隨後跟上，協同進行夾擊。我的背後就交給妳們了。」好似要絆住她們般交辦完任務，加賀便衝向敵陣。

沒有主砲的空母隻身與棲艦戰鬥，要是其他人做出這種事，一定會被她罵得狗血淋頭。一艘小型驅逐艦朝她衝過來，她維持著衝刺的姿勢，抬頭怒目向牠。

今天，要狗血淋頭的是牠們。

深海驅逐艦被她的攻擊轟得飛起，在空中爆炸。她沒有去看棲艦的殘骸，從容又從背後拿出了三支箭矢，加賀的眼角瞥到天際飛來深海機群。搭在弦上，一一放箭，兩方的戰機對衝，她的更快越過了敵機，機槍將魔物一一擊落，化作火炎。 「咦，加賀小姐，是你嗎?!」她越過綁著灰白馬尾的嬌小艦娘，正與敵艦激烈交戰。隨手射出了四發魚雷全彈，驅逐艦 霞舉著連裝砲向敵人猛烈開火，她自己的黑灰制服也沾滿了煙灰。 「這裡交給你，增援馬上就到。」加賀瞥了她一眼，沒有減速。「赤城在前面嗎?」「啊，對，赤城小姐她……」得到肯定的答覆，加賀再次把手伸向箭筒，剛剛又消耗了兩基。

棲艦越來越多。戰鬥機、驅逐艦、零星的潛水艦甚至是輕巡，大多與我方艦娘糾纏，少部分朝她襲來的，加賀看也不看他們一眼，用最少的消耗將其擊破。艦娘們雖然分身乏術，仍吃驚地看向藍衣空母，她一人彷彿千軍萬馬般襲來。

赤城空母在敵陣中央。艦隊已經盡力設下重層保護，然而對方使用新型的高速艦切入我軍，又用大量戰艦砲擊強行將護衛艦分開。赤城英勇地拉弓奮戰，即使是高階的人形棲艦也難以跨越雷池一步，紛紛中箭遭到擊沉。然而赤城的防空機槍不足以面對當前鋪天蓋地的空襲。掃射與爆彈朝她襲來，濃煙讓她摀住嘴，不住咳嗽。

加賀在敵驅逐的包圍網上轟出了一道破口衝了進來，來到赤城的身邊。她們背碰背，加賀拉弓，配合赤城的節奏向外掃射，棲艦群發出慘叫，接連不休的攻擊也出現一絲空白。

「加賀桑?!妳怎麼來了?」身體先是自然地配合，接連了做出好幾次攻擊，赤城才邊拉弓看向身後的同伴。「提督的增援到了嗎?你的護衛艦呢?」 加賀沒有回頭，不知何時已經恢復往常的神態，冷靜的拉弓，隨口回答道:「我的護衛去支援外頭的人去了，我進來幫你突圍。」 赤城噘起嘴，忽然笑道:「幫我突圍是嗎?你這不是自己衝進敵人甕裡了嗎?應該要待在外面，我們裡外夾擊才對吧?」 加賀聽了，終於放下手中的弓，回頭看向赤城。赤城也回望她。 因為我忍不住想見妳――這些話加賀說不出口，只能故作平常地講道理。「裡應外合是能消滅敵人，但要是敵人發瘋了向妳集火，倒楣的可是妳唷，」她多嘴了一句，才忍不住咋舌。「可能會死喔。」

赤城聞言，只是瞇起眼睛，向加賀微笑。加賀看了卻心頭一荒，定睛注視對方。赤城優美的臉蛋依舊，頭髮也烏黑滑亮，然而染上了煙塵，左頰上還有一個爆炸破片割出的擦傷。

加賀疼惜地向赤城伸手，撫摸那個傷疤。

「我不會讓那種事情發生。」加賀轉身，擺出架式，她能感覺到赤城露出微笑，同樣拉開弓。「讓我們把事情結束吧!」

你走向加賀時，她坐在面海的石堤上，默然啃著飯糰。

最後的戰鬥結果，在悽慘的長時間混戰後，對方的編隊終於土崩瓦解。

至於赤城，入渠進行急救。雖然不敢當著加賀的面說，但每位參戰艦娘一致認為，一位空母在那種程度的集火下，能僥倖返航，便已是奇蹟。

你在加賀身邊停下來，默然不語。加賀咀嚼了一陣，才受不了你的存在，厭煩似地開口: 「你大概有很多話想說，但先說好，我拒絕道歉。」她說完，又咬了一大口飯糰。「兩支艦隊都全員返航了，已是最好的結果。我承認我獨斷專行，但那已經是作為現場指揮的我，所能提出的最佳策略。要我和赤城用那麼少的兵力抵抗那麼大的編隊，是提督的不對，是您的過失。」

她吃完了飯糰，還想再拿一個。她的身旁鋪著一條大花包袱巾，上面是六七個晶亮的圓潤飯糰，每個都恐怖地有著臉一般的大小，活像是一枚一枚的土砲彈，是鳳翔的得意之作，號曰「勝利的元氣便當」。

「聽說赤城的治療結束了，現在在洗澡。」加賀看向那些飯糰，又看向你。「她已經泡澡大半天了。一放鬆下來，肚子就很餓。」她解釋道。她打算把那些飯糰全部吃掉。