Azur Lane: I Crossed the Graduation Port Area

Chapter 623: Transport Fleet, Thunder and Lightning at Dawn (3000 words)
The next second after Takao and Ibuki finished installing the magatama in their hands, the space that could be seen directly behind the originally ordinary-looking red torii began to slowly twist like a whirlpool.

It only took a few seconds for the distorted space to gradually return to normal.

But from the front of the torii, the world inside the torii is completely different from the empty sea outside the torii.

It was the corner of a large island covered with dense white-leafed trees. On the beach, several mass-produced destroyers were moored in front of a large dock hung with white lanterns and flags of the Shigesakura camp.

From the outside, it looks like just a lone red torii gate on the sea, which is the entrance to the holy enchanted mirror sea outside Snow Sakura Island where the main force of the Shige Sakura camp is now located.

Takao and Ibuki didn't wait long. The figure who opened the ship's suit and turned on the searchlight slowly came to them in the moonlight.

It was the Shigesakura transport fleet returning from Inaba Island.

As a transport fleet, it is natural that the destroyers are the main force.

Soon, Takao and Ibuki saw the black-haired ponytail girl driving at the front of the fleet, with a searchlight on her arm and a white one-eyed mask on her face.

"Finally~ I'm back. Here are Akatsuki, the eldest sister of the Sixth Destroyer Team, Takao-sama and Ibuki-sensei. Thank you for your hard work!"

The little destroyer Lolita, who was dressed in the sophisticated attire of a heavy Sakura ninja, speeded up and arrived in front of Takao and Ibuki, stretched out greatly, and then waved to them excitedly and smiled.

Special Type III Akatsuki-class destroyer, Akatsuki.

Behind Akatsuki, the other three destroyer girls also came to Torii.

It is the Sixth Destroyer Team, Akatsuki's three sisters:
Wearing a red and white midriff-baring miko costume, a lively soot-grey silver-haired little girl holding a huge gray mechanical anchor on her shoulders, the second ship of the Special Type III Akatsuki-class destroyer, Hibiki.

And two little lolita girls in black stockings wearing the same kimono, with cute looks like twins, with ponytails, long hair, and a pair of ghost horns on their heads.

It's just that whether it's the color of their kimono clothes or the color of their hair and eyes, they are all completely opposite pink and sky blue.

The third ship of the Special III Akatsuki-class destroyer, and the fourth ship, Den.

Xiaoxiang Leiden of the Sixth Destroyer Team is the main member of this transport fleet.

Following closely behind them was the eldest sister Kashino, who was a heavy Sakura transport ship, wearing a white navy uniform and knee-length black stockings, with a saber on her waist and a gentle smile on her face.

This transport ship girl with long chestnut hair, small horns and cow ears on her head, and a tired face, slowly controlled the ship and sailed to Kaohsiung, and said with a wry smile in an apologetic tone:

"Finally, we came back before midnight. Oh, I really didn't expect that we were attacked by monsters on the way back. Fortunately, we have the protection of these four children, otherwise Kashino would be in big trouble."

"Ah, yes, this is the New Year's Eve gift I prepared for you~"

After Kashino finished speaking to Takao, he reached out and touched Lei and Dian's heads. Then, as if he remembered something, he fumbled around in the ship's storage space, took out two wrapped gift boxes, and handed them to Takao.

"New Year's Eve gift? Kashino, that's too polite."

Takao took the gift box in surprise, and Ibuki also came to her side and took the gift box from Kashino's hand.

After the two opened the gift box, they took out the flower and vine ornaments inside and looked at them carefully in their hands.

"Huhu~ It's just some handmade specialties from Inaba Island. The islanders are preparing for celebrations like us these days, so I prepared a gift for everyone~"

Seeing the surprised expressions on the faces of his two heavy patrol companions, Kashino narrowed his eyes and laughed.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she felt a dazzling white light hit her face.

"Sister Xiao! It's time to turn off your searchlight!"

"I'm sorry, I was just negligent!"

Hibiki noticed where this beam of light came from and immediately said to the ninja sister who had not turned off the searchlight on her arm.

Xiao also quickly admitted her mistake and turned off the searchlight on her arm in a panic.

"Speaking of which, I was looking at the list of members of the transport fleet at the dock. It seems that there should be six of you in total?"

After Takao Xiong put the flower and vine pendant given by Kashino into his pocket, he looked at the companions in front of him and suddenly said thoughtfully.

"Long time no see, Kaohsiung."

Just as Kaohsiung asked this question, the next second, a cold and emotionless voice came from behind Kashino.

A bunny-eared little lolita with black slanted bangs, wearing a black and red classical kimono and wooden clogs, slowly emerged from behind Kashino.

At the same time as this expressionless little loli came out, several small balls of light with fluorescent purple tail lights, like will-o'-the-wisps, also appeared around her and her ship uniform.

It was none other than Akashi's other boss lady in the Linlan Port Area - the second ship of the Kagero-class destroyer, Shiranui.

This little lolita, the venomous port boss lady and now the supply specialist of the Chongsakura camp, is a little lolita who has a low sense of presence but possesses the attribute of poisonous tongue.

She had obviously just met Takao and Ibuki on Snow Sakura Island a few days ago, and now she said they hadn't seen each other for a long time, obviously expressing her dissatisfaction with Takao's neglect of her just now.

"I'm sorry, it was my negligence. I was a bit out of touch when I said we haven't seen you for a long time." Kaohsiung had experienced Shiranui's vicious tongue many times, so he immediately expressed his apology.

But while apologizing to Shiranui, Takao couldn't help but glance at Kashino in front of her.

In fact, she can't be blamed for this. The main reason is that all her eyes just now were attracted by Kashino's extremely proud mind.

At the beginning, the commander liked to set up Kashino as a secretary ship, and he giggled when he repeatedly touched Kashino's pair of killing weapons that would make any man salivate.

And Shiranui remained silent behind Kashino, which was why she made such a major mistake by not paying attention to the radar system.

After receiving Takao's apology, Shiranui remained expressionless, but she always had this cold look whether she was happy or sad. It was difficult for Takao to guess whether Shiranui accepted her apology.

"Kaohsiung, another monster has appeared in the sea leading to Inaba Island. Next time, I may have to trouble you sisters to go shopping with me."

Fortunately, Shiranui's opening showed that she didn't take such a trivial matter to her heart.

But after hearing the word "monster" again, Kaohsiung frowned slightly.

"Monster, I know."

She and Ibuki were one of the main members in the last effort to clear away the monsters in the surrounding sea area.

Unexpectedly, not long after this, monsters appeared again in the clean sea area.

Although the strength of those monsters to them is just larger animals with strange attack methods, if there are too many of them, it will also waste the oil they consume using the ship.

Before the commander came back with Akagi and Musashi, the remaining oil on their island could not last long.

"On New Year's Eve, don't discuss these work topics."

At this time, Kashino spoke softly and interrupted the conversation between Shiranui and Takao with a smile. Then she looked at Takao expectantly and asked:
"Takao dear, isn't Choumi taking care of Shinano-sama? Did she tell you how long it will take for the commander and Musashi-sama to return?"

When Kashino asked this, the four little lolita from Akatsuki Raiden and Shiranui all looked at her expectantly.

Even Ibuki was reminded by Kashino, remembering that it was Takao's fourth sister Toriumi who took care of Shinano during this period, and also looked at Takao's face.

"Forehead……"

Kaohsiung is not a ship girl who is good at socializing with others.

She originally wanted to say that it would take at least ten days for the commander and his companions to return, but she thought that if she told the truth directly, she would probably disappoint several of her companions.

Just when Kaohsiung was caught in a dilemma, he didn't know whether he should tell the truth or not.

Suddenly, a "beep" sound of electricity came from the fleet channel of their ship, as if they had received a signal.

"Sister Xiao, have you turned on the voice on the communication channel again?"

Combined with Akatsuki's Madama behavior just now, Hibiki lifted the huge mechanical anchor on her shoulder to the sea with one hand, and reached out to poke her ninja sister's waist.

The twins Lei and Dian also looked at Akatsuki with dissatisfied eyes. This was not the first time Akatsuki had made such a mistake.

Being complained and stared at by her sisters, Xiao was stunned even though she didn't remember that she had turned on the communication voice just now.

Could it be that... I really forgot to turn off the communication voice just now?

So after hurriedly checking his ship's equipment, the little ninja said with great conviction:
"My communication voice is not turned on. This is not my fault!"

Since it was not Xiao's mistake, Kaohsiung immediately thought of another possibility:
"Could it be... that it's the Siren's signal interference?"

Since tonight is New Year's Eve, the search fleets that were sent out to look for Yuki have all returned. The members of the transport fleet in front of them are the last ones to return.

And there are still more than ten days before Commander and the others return, so there is only one possible source of trying to access their fleet channel, and that is the siren's signal interference.

After confirming this, Kaohsiung said to the companions in front of him with a serious face:

"Everyone, you should enter the sanctuary boundary immediately and inform Tosa and Ryuho who are stationed at the dock about this situation."

"Ibuki and I are here to guard the entrance and detect the enemy's tactics..."

Before Kaohsiung could finish his words, the next second, intermittent sounds came from their fleet channel again.

But when they heard the voice on the channel, they were all stunned at the same time.

"The escort fleet at the entrance to the holy realm...please reply when you receive it."

"Repeat, this is Musashi. I am returning with the commander and the aviation mobile team to the Chongsakura escort fleet at the entrance of the sacred boundary. Please reply when you receive it."

(End of this chapter)