Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Thorny Mission
On the seventh day aboard the Silent Horizon, Cumberland finally brought a task for Hikaru.
She hurried into the main hall, which had grown even more crowded instead of thinning out. The pressure of the war had become so overwhelming that the forward command had pulled defensive forces. But with the Abyssal Barbossa advancing one hundred nautical miles per day, they didn't dare split their forces. On the opposing side, over five hundred thousand Abyssal shipgirls had already gathered.
The biggest problem now was the lack of hope for victory. Multiple all-out bombing raids by entire carrier squadrons had wiped out tens of thousands of Abyssals, but had barely scratched the enemy flagships.
Worse, rumors said that Abyssal Barbossa had already recovered from the effects of the nuclear strike, further deepening everyone's despair.
Not to mention, the catastrophic casualties over the past few days had left countless Commanders grief-stricken.
It was under these circumstances that Hikaru passed through faces clouded with gloom and arrived at the left side of the long table—where Yamato sat.
There seemed to be a cold, heavy pressure in the air. Yamato had her arms crossed, her face ashen, seated stiffly in the center.
A few dozen Marshals were sparsely gathered around her. Fleet Admiral Gorou appeared to have just lost his temper—his face was deathly red, and his chest heaved like a bellows.
Hikaru stepped forward. "Commander Kuramoto Hikaru, reporting to receive mission."
Yamato glanced at him and tossed over an envelope. "Authorization and mission target are inside. If you have no questions, then go."
Fleet Admiral Gorou tried to suppress his fury. "Yamato, I'm in charge here. If you want to arrest someone, you'll need my approval!"
Yamato stood up in a flash and roared, "Then are you challenging the Shipgirl Headquarters?! Just say the word, and I'll pull every last one of my people out. You can go ahead and fight however you like!"
Gorou was so furious that his face turned purple, his fingers trembling as he pointed at her, speechless with rage.
Hikaru opened the envelope. Inside was not only Yamato's official authorization from Shipgirl Headquarters but also the mission objective:
Arrest Senior Marshal Kazeharu for violating Article 13, Section 7 of the Alliance Pact Between All Human Nations and the Shipgirl Headquarters. Lethal force authorized if he resists.
Shun approached with slow steps and murmured, "This one's a hornet's nest. If I were you, I'd steer clear. Touch this, and your career is over."
Wakayama clapped Hikaru on the shoulder and shrugged. "Welcome to the real world. Now you see how it works, huh?"
A cluster of Marshals all stared him down. Their gazes could practically pierce holes into his body.
Fleet Admiral Gorou muttered gloomily, "Kazeharu is an old comrade of mine—we've been through hell together. Let him redeem himself in battle."
His words were vague, but they instantly rallied the senior officers present. They all turned on Yamato, unleashing criticism. As for Hikaru, a mere Captain, he might as well have been invisible.
Yamato swept her icy gaze across the gathering of old men, then turned to Hikaru. "So, are you accepting the mission or not? If you won't, I'll go myself."
Technically, Hikaru belonged neither to the Navy nor the Shipgirl Headquarters. His current employment status was... let's say "pending."
Helping Yamato was a favor, not an obligation.
"I'll take it. Why wouldn't I?" Hikaru shrugged. "If he resists, shoot on sight, right?"
A short Senior Marshal nearby snorted. "You? A little Captain barking about killing a Senior Marshal? Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Another Mid Marshal gave Hikaru a once-over and scoffed. "You look like a soldier to you? Where's your hat? Why's your badge pinned to your chest? Where's your uniform? You're out of regulation—should be court-martialed just for that. Lock you up for a few days, at least."
Of course, it was just empty bluster. None of the generals were perfectly regulation themselves. But at least their insignias were properly affixed to their hats. Hikaru, on the other hand, had just clipped his badge casually to his tactical gear. No ID tag either.
And his uniform? He'd only received his badge a few days ago. The uniform hadn't even been issued yet—so he still wore the standard low-tier Commander attire.
Hikaru ignored all the threats and looked at Yamato. "Shall I head out now?"
She nodded with pursed lips. Then, as if recalling something, added, "Take Cumberland with you. She knows the protocols."
All the senior officers watched with cold, judging eyes. It wasn't until Hikaru was several steps out that Gorou finally called after him, voice low:
"You really mean to involve yourself in this?"
Hikaru didn't reply. He simply walked away.
But that single question from Gorou shocked many of the sharper minds present.
If the Fleet Admiral spoke that way, it meant he knew who this Commander was—and more than that, believed this Commander could actually pull off the mission of capturing or killing Senior Marshal Kazeharu.
So... just who was this Kuramoto Hikaru?
[End of Chapter]
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