(Dragon Spirit)

The next morning, it was a calm yet cloudy day. Although peace continued with its gentle reign, they were still some lingering sense of dread among the passengers and crew, especially with the appearance of the Sirens. For them, Hiryuu's presence assured them of some safety thanks to her readily-available airplanes.

As for the shipgirl, she still had a bit of a hard time adjusting to the new world. Unfamiliar technology, unfamiliar lands, and even unfamiliar cultures - it would take a while for her to know much of them. Fortunately, she had the help of Andrew, Captain Velez and the rest of the crew to make use of.

While people were doing their thing such as walking with their children or doing something else to keep them busy, she had not much to do but wait as she had a meeting with the captain at 10:00 AM to discuss her role in ensuring the safety of the ship and everyone onboard. She bid her time by standing by the railing within the promenade deck and looking at cloud build-up in the distance. It looked like a storm was brewing there.

"Hiryuu… I brought you something." Andrew called her while offering something wet and cold on his left hand. It was a small can featuring shades of yellow and blue covering the sides.

"What is this?" She asked curiously before getting a hold on the can. Upon closer inspection, she started reading the contents.

"It's cola." He answered. "You never heard of one?"

"No. I honestly never heard about it until now."

"Here, I'll open this one." A sudden, metallic crack was heard. Andrew pulled a tab to make a hole into the inside. It was then swapped with the one Hiryuu was holding. "Just drink it from here."

She took a brief look on the hole that he made and placed the top of the can on her lips. Her mouth was flowing with cola. She immediately felt the cold liquid before the taste began to take hold. Andrew opened his own can before drinking.

The drink left a lasting impression on the shipgirl. She liked the drink's caramel-like taste, and the fizz provided character.

"You like it?" Andrew asked.

A nod from Hiryuu was given. He mirthed, and the shipgirl got another gulp.

"That reminds me… you and your uncle know about Megalith, correct? I would like to ask some questions if that's okay with you." A request was made.

"Alright, let me see." Andrew agreed. "More than two decades ago, the Usean continent suffered a devastating war. My uncle was a fighter pilot for ISAF, the Independent State Allied Forces. It's a coalition of nations banded together to respond militarily to Erusea's aggression."

"Why did Erusea declare war on ISAF?"

"It's kinda complicated. Before that war, the continent… no. Actually…" He suddenly cut himself off. His facial expression changed. "What the...?"

Hiryuu felt a bit perplexed. "Andrew, what's going on?"

A finger pointed something far ahead of the ship. "Hiryuu, you might wanna turn around."

The shipgirl turned around. What she saw was unexpected. Her mouth dropped. "Oh, no..."

She was not mistaken. A dimensional rift was forming in front of her eyes.

"Sirens…" She turned to Andrew. "We have to go now."

"Right." He started leading the way as the two rushed to get to the room where the shipgirl's rigging was stored.

An alarm echoed around the ship after just moments.

"This is your captain speaking. This is not a drill! An unknown portal has appeared just ahead of the ship. I repeat - this is NOT a drill! An unknown portal has appeared just ahead of the ship. We may expect a naval battle. All personnel, ensure the safety of everyone on board." The two could recognize the voice: it was Captain Velez. He, too, had took notice of the situation. "Hiryuu, if you are hearing this, we need your help now. Protect the vessel!"

When they reached the room, Hiryuu quickly fitted her rigging. With that done, she took one more look at the rift. A few Siren vessels managed to materialize onto the water. The situation was getting worse by the minute.

"Do you think anyone would come and help?" She raised a question, hoping that help would relieve her.

"Let's hope so." Andrew responded. "Be careful, Hiryuu."

Hiryuu was at the balcony. She took one more look at the young man and nodded at him before focusing on the water below. Without fear, she jumped from the balcony for a drop onto the water. Andrew dashed to see where the shipgirl would end up on. A splash of water dotted the ocean.

When the droplets dissipated, Hiryuu was still standing without any visible signs of injury. The man was relieved.

"Go get 'em!" He cheered on as she moved in to engage.

With eyes on the Sirens, Hiryuu quickly prepared her hanafuda cards for summoning. Almost in an instant, they were thrown up in the air and materialized into fighters and bombers. They were armed and ready to take the fight to the enemy.

"All aircraft, intercept and engage! Don't let them reach the cruise ship!" She shouted the order.

The planes instantly roared to life. The aircraft split into smaller flights to draw out some fire. Hiryuu moved as far away from the Dragon Spirit as she could to do the same. Almost on cue, explosions erupted near her. The Sirens' guns were tracking her.

"C'mon, get me!" She aired a taunt. "That's it!"

Three Siren shipgirls and two of their fighter-bombers were in pursuit of Hiryuu. She opened AA fire onto the the latter, but they dropped their bombs on top of her. Two violent explosions barely missed her.

"Gah!" She shrieked. In response, one of her AA guns scored a hit on the Siren aircraft. Another scored one more hit through the cockpit, severing control. It crashed harmlessly onto the sea.

Two of her Zeroes were on the approach to drop bombs on the Siren shipgirls. They first laid down machine gun and cannon fire unto them. Then, their payloads were dropped. One of them scored a hit on an enemy Siren. The other missed, and the surviving shipgirls opened fire onto the other Zero.

Bullets riddled the now-helpless plane before the fuel tank was ruptured. A fire immediately broke out. The plane dived uncontrollably to the water, and a violent splash spelled the end of the aircraft.

"Dammit!" Hiryuu was taken aback the loss.

The remaining Zero aimed its machine guns and cannons onto the Siren. A short burst was fired onto her. Direct hits were scored but not enough cause significant damage. Hiryuu fired her 12.7-centimeter guns onto the enemy shipgirl. Two rounds scored a hit.

Finally, two Val divebombers arrived. Up until now, they did not dropped any of their payloads. They began their dive towards the two remaining Sirens. The shipgirls opened fire on the bombers, but they pressed on as it took some damage. Moments later, the payloads were released.

Multiple bomb hits exploded to take out the Sirens, removing the enemies pursuing Hiryuu. Her breathing was quite heavy after all the maneuvering she had done.

The same could not be said for her planes. While all of the active Siren forces were wiped out, the rift remained open. Worse, she lost a good percentage of her aircraft. Fearing the arrival of another enemy fleet, she recalled the planes to rearm and refuel.

Unbeknownst to the shipgirl, the Sirens were not the only problems coming her way.

"What do you see?" Hiryuu replied to one of the planes after it saw something coming from the north.

In the distance, four flying objects were closing in at a high rate of speed. They emitted an unusual roar that intensified as it got closer.

Several moments later, they closely flew overhead. Hiryuu was caught off-guard. "What are those?!"

They were not like the Siren fighters. They look like planes, but they have triangular wings, two smaller ones near the cockpits, and no horizontal stabilizers. All of them were painted in a mixture of grey and dark green. Their wings even carried something that resembled rockets of various sizes. The unknown "aircraft" started circling above Hiryuu and her planes like predators stalking on their prey.

Suddenly, they broke off away from the shipgirl. They jettison multiple flares from their fuselages.

"Huh?!" Before she could comprehend what was going on, multiple projectiles were heading for the unknown craft. An explosion hit one of them, sending it on a dive to the ocean. Something was thrown off from the front.

Hiryuu turned to the rift where the smoke trails come from. A squadron of Siren fighters joined the fray and began attacking the three remaining aircraft. Moments later, a girl wearing revealing white clothing came out. Behind her were various mechanical arms and large-caliber cannons for shipgirl standards. Escorting her were two heavy cruiers and three destroyers.

It was an elite "Smasher"-type shipgirl. Even without the escorts, Hiryuu knew she would not stand a chance against her.

Without haste, she prepared her available aircraft one more time. The cards turned back into planes. Their target were the Smasher and the fleet escorting her.

"Target the enemy fleet, but do not attack the unknown aircraft." She gave the order before beginning evasive maneuvers.

The Smasher aimed her guns at Hiryuu. A growing, hissing sound echoed around the enemy as the guns were charging to fire. The bomber planes arrived to try preventing the firing of her weapons. The escorts' anti-air roared to life in response. Despite the bombs and torpedoes started raining upon her, she remained unscathed.

Then, it happened. A large beam of blue light roared towards Hiryuu at a near-instantaneous rate.

"Ah?!" She stopped and made a reverse. The beam missed her by mere inches. Hiryuu wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but the threat of the Smasher remained active. She even took a brief look at the Dragon Spirit as she was starting to head southeast.

Almost immediately, another unknown aircraft exploded. On cue, the Zeroes joined the fray by opening fire on the nine enemy planes attacking them. Some broke off to defend themselves. It looked like a two-on-one battle was underway. The two remaining unknown aircraft fired two of their projectiles at some of the Siren fighters. Both scored hits on the two enemy aircraft. With that, the Siren's airpower started dwindling.

Amidst this, the Smasher suddenly turned away from Hiryuu and pointed southeast. She began to charge her guns for another firing.

"What is she doing?" It took a moment for Hiryuu to realize what she was trying to do. "Is she going to attack the Dragon Spirit? Oh, crap! All aircraft, attack the Smasher! Hurry!"

The bombers began to focus their fire on the Smasher. The enemy's AA weaponry continued to be relentless. More of her planes were being shot out of the sky. It looked like that a tragedy is inevitable. Hiryuu began to sail towards the enemy in an attempt to draw attention away from the Dragon Spirit.

"Dammit, I can't make it!" She was in a panic.

Gunfire exploded around her. A round then hit her.

"Agh!" The force knocked her onto the water. Much of her strength was suddenly taken away from her. She could not get up in time. "Mngh…!"

Then, two projectiles flew above her and towards the enemy Sirens. They exploded in a large fireball. The Smasher took a hit.

"Huh?" Before Hiryuu could comprehend, another pair flew above her. They struck the remaining enemies. Before long, the now-smoking Smasher was the remaining threat still standing. The two unknown aircraft made a pass, likely to do another attack run.

With that, the shipgirl mustered the remaining strength and stood up. She was more than encouraged thanks to the aircraft's actions.

"Finish her off!"

The bombers began their dive. Realizing what was about to happen, the Smasher attempted a retreat back to the rift. Her remaining AA fire did all they could to cover.

BOOM!

Alas, the Vals scored direct hits. The Smasher was the one who was crippled to the water. The AA fire fell silent. Her movement slowed and slowed until all of her strength was gone.

Another explosion erupted. This time it was way larger, and the light was almost as bright as the sun. The Smasher vanished, nowhere to be seen. She was very close to the safety of the rift.

Moments later, the rift closed. The battle was won by Hiryuu and the squadron of unknown aircraft. The former finally sighed in relief and took a look at the Dragon Spirit, happy that they narrowly escaped death a second time. She may be injured thanks to a gun shell, but she was still capable compared to yesterday.

"Hey! Hey!" A loud voice was heard. Hiryuu turned to the direction where it came from. "Over here!"

The shipgirl moved in to the source. When she was close, she was surprised to see a human floating on the water. He was wearing something bulky and dark, decorated by a patch on his left shoulder. Surrounding him was a colored cloud within the water.

"Thank goodness..." He sighed.

"Are you alright?" Hiryuu asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thank you for rescuing my squadron." The man expressed his gratitude.

The shipgirl took one more look at the unusual aircraft. "Those 'aircraft' above... they are your squadron?"

A nod was given.

"From what air force?"

"Erusean Royal Air Force, ma'am." The man replied. This caught Hiryuu off-guard.

"'Erusean'. You said 'Erusean', correct?" She requested confirmation. Things began to slowly heat up. "Are you from Erusea?"

"Yes, I'm from Erusea."

The answer confirmed what Andrew told her early on. The man was from a nation which declared war on ISAF more than two decades ago; however, the employee was not able to comprehensively explain to her the root causes of it.

Hiryuu calmed herself down and sighed. "I'm bringing you to the Dragon Spirit for recovery."

"Thank you." The Erusean felt relieved once again.

The shipgirl grabbed hold of the pilot. The latter was quite surprised.

"You're a shipgirl?"

"Yes..." She mumbled in reply.

For a few minutes, there were no further questions. The Erusean's expression became more of mourning.

"Is something wrong?" Hiryuu took notice.

The pilot took a few moments before responding. "The other plane that was shot down by those… enemies. He was my best friend… and he didn't make it."

The girl was touched by his sadness. Had things turn out differently, the entire squadron would had made it out alive.

"I'm sorry…" She tried to comfort.

XXXXXXX

The two finally reached the Dragon Spirit. The waiting crew watched as she brought in the Erusean pilot. The staff began attending to his medical needs.

"Alright, let's get you patched up." One of them told the man.

As he was being sent away for recovery, he turned to Hiryuu one more time.

"Wait for a moment, wait!" The staff complied, giving him a moment to say something the shipgirl. "Shipgirl."

"It's Hiryuu." She responded with her name.

"Thanks for everything. I'm grateful." A smile came from the pilot. And with that, he continued on.

Despite this moment, Hiryuu could not fully relax yet. With much of her airpower shot down during the battle, defending everyone aboard the Dragon Spirit would be harder. Her hit from a gun shell even put a strain on her body. The staff came to her aid.

"I copy." Another staff member came foward to her. "Excuse me. Hiryuu, correct?"

"Hmm?"

"The captain will see you shortly. He has something urgent for you." He relayed the message from Captain Velez.

"Understood."

Hiryuu was sent to the sick bay for further examination and recovery. Unlike last time, she was in a different room. What was the same, however, was the nurse who took care of the shipgirl the first time she was brought in.

A knock came. With the door opened, Captain Velez appeared.

"Hiryuu." He spoke. "Are you arlight?"

"I'm alrignt, captain. Took a single shell, but it's not serious."

The captain sighed in relief. "Thank God."

"Captain, you have something urgent for me, correct?" Hiryuu began discussing the topic.

"Correct. Unfortunately, it is not just us that have an encounter with the Sirens." He brought in some unexpected news.

"What do you mean?"

"Multiple rifts have been reported around the world as we speak. Sirens are appearing left and right and are attacking multiple areas."

This brought shock to the shipgirl. "What?! You mean…!"

"Afraid so. The Eruseans are dealing with one at Anchorhead Bay."

One thing was clear: Hiryuu's fears had been realized.

(Earlier)

(Tyler Island - February 18, 2027)

"This is not a drill! I repeat, this is NOT a drill!"

"Get those birds in the sky!"

The moment the notice for an emergency sortie was given, everyone within the base immediately assumed their assigned stations. Multiple aircraft were armed and waiting at the taxiway as they await for their take-off clearance. Behind the scenes, updates regarding the situation kept on coming and not necessarily for the better.

The roars of the F-15E Strike Eagles' twin engines were felt by many as they raced down the two runways and lifted themselves up to the skies. The shock diamonds coming out of the afterburners offered a spectacular sight.

The next planes to take off were the F-35Cs of the Reaper Squadron.

"Reaper 1 to tower, I'm standing by at runway 35 L. Requesting permission for take-off." Motier radioed the tower."

"Tower, this is Reaper 2. I'm standing by at runway 35 R. Requesting take-off clearance." Ben followed.

"Tower to Reaper 1 and Reaper 2, roger. You are cleared for take-off. Godspeed." The tower cleared the two.

"Wilco."

With that and their flaps set, their planes roared to life. Compared to their usual carrier operations, the dash to take-off speed was a bit slow. This did not matter as in a matter of seconds, the planes were rising up towards the blue yet cloudy sky. Their landing gears were retracted.

"This is Reaper 3, I'm at runway 35 L. Requesting permission to take-off." Elize asked.

"Copy, Reaper 3. You have permission to take off. Godspeed." The tower gave her the clearance.

She barrelled through the runway and, with enough speed, took off from the runway.

"Reaper 3, form up with Reaper 1 and 2."

"Reaper 3, roger. Forming up now." The pilot responded. A few short minutes later, the squadron was whole.

With that, the Osean fighter squadrons were on their way west to Anchorhead.