As North Carolina and her fleet begin to turn away, the sea trembles beneath them. Suddenly, a massive burst of energy erupts from the depths where Fortress-1 had sunk, sending ripples across the water and a shockwave through the air.

“What the hell was that?!” North Carolina’s eyes go wide as she stares at the ocean.

"North Carolina, what's going on? AWACS is reporting something appeared out of nowhere!" Beatrice’s voice crackles through the comms, the confusion evident in her usually calm tone.

North Carolina exchanges a glance with the others, all of them watching in disbelief as a shadow begins to rise from the water.

The surface parts, and a figure emerges—towering, ominous, and unmistakably hostile. It doesn’t just break free from the ocean; it *ands on the water, standing there as if gravity itself obeys its will.

“That’s… not friendly,” Tennessee says grimly, already mentally preparing for the worst.

Before North Carolina can reply, the comms flare up again. "Beatrice, we’re going to need another airstrike. We don’t know what this thing is, but—"

Her voice cuts off, replaced by a harsh burst of static.

Beatrice’s heart skips a beat as the silence lingers for a second too long. She snaps into action, her fingers flying across her controls.

But her aircraft are still in the air, scattered from the previous attack runs. It’ll take time for them to regroup, time her girls on the front line may not have.

“Damn it…” she mutters, biting her lip. Beatrice’s eyes dart to the map in front of her, tracking her fleet’s position as they close in. She knows she won’t make it in time.

“Hold on, girls,” she breathes, forcing herself to focus. "Just hold on a little longer."

She can only hope North Carolina, and the others can hold the line until she arrives.

*

"It's... something. Glowing," Washington says, her voice wavering as she squints at the distant figure.

Suddenly, without warning, the figure explodes into motion, rushing toward them at an inhuman speed.

"Open fire!" North Carolina shouts.

Immediately, the entire fleet reacts. Cannons roar to life, sending volleys of shell fire hurtling across the water, while remaining CAP aircraft veer sharply, turning to engage the incoming threat.

The air fills with the deafening cracks of battle, but every shot misses. The figure moves too quickly, either dodging the attacks or slipping through the barrage with terrifying ease.

Then, in a flash, chaos erupts. One of the color class destroyers is cut clean in half by something unseen—an invisible force, a blade perhaps, moving faster than any of them can track.

North Carolina’s eyes widen in horror. "What the hell just happened—?"

Before she can finish, the glowing figure lands on top of the heavy cruiser Admiral Tirpitz turret.

The impact sends the deck shuddering, and, as if in cruel precision, one of the massive 16-inch shells misfires. It lands directly on the turret, disabling it in an instant.

“Watch your fire! We’re hitting our own ships!” North Carolina shouts, her tone urgent as she tries to bring order to the chaos.

But it’s too late—the figure is already on the move again, this time lunging straight toward her.

For a split second, North Carolina's mind races. Her instincts scream at her, but in the midst of panic and adrenaline, only two words rise to the surface, echoing through her consciousness, she whispers it, barely audible, as if the words come from somewhere deep within her, buried in reflex. “Simple transformation…”

In the blink of an eye, her body shifts. The bridge of the battleship disintegrates reforming into something entirely different—a human shape. A saber materializes in her hand, glinting in the dim light, and just as the glowing figure’s strike is about to connect, she parries it with a sharp, ringing clash.

The enemy’s momentum halts for just a heartbeat, and North Carolina locks eyes with her attacker. Her breath comes in sharp, controlled bursts as she tightens her grip on the saber.

The air crackles with energy as North Carolina stands her ground, the floor beneath her feet disintegrating into shimmering particles as she undergoes her full transformation. Her towering battleship form gives way to a sleek, human shape, yet still brimming with raw power.

As her bridge fully dissolves, she feels her connection to the sea intensify, absorbing the massive hull of her battleship into her very being.

Her eyes lock onto the glowing figure now floating above the water, its movements fluid yet menacing.

It doesn’t sink. Instead, the figure rises, hovering just above the water, its glowing form pulsing with renewed energy.

North Carolina lets out a breath, her feet lightly touching the water's surface as she too begins to float. Behind her, the silhouette of her battleship is disintegrating, the full might of her essence drawn into her transformed body.

The enemy charges, its glowing blade raised high, cutting through the air with deadly precision. But North Carolina is focused, her senses sharpened. With a swift motion, she parries the incoming strike, her saber ringing out as steel meets steel.

The force behind the blow reverberates through her arm, but she stands firm, guiding the enemy's sword away in a perfect arc.

In the brief opening created by the parry, North Carolina acts. With a fluid motion, she materializes a triple-barrel flintlock pistol in her free hand, the barrels gleaming in the dim light. Without hesitation, she pulls the trigger.

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Three thunderous blasts echo across the water as the bullets tear into the enemy, punching through its body with precision.

For a moment, it seems victorious. The figure staggers, its form riddled with golf-ball-sized holes that glow faintly in the aftermath of the attack. But then, to North Carolina’s disbelief, the wounds close in on themselves, the holes shrinking and sealing as the enemy regenerates before her very eyes.

Before she can react, the figure lunges forward again, its glowing blade slicing through the air with brutal force. North Carolina’s saber flashes as she blocks and dodges. Each strike is heavy, carrying the weight of an otherworldly strength, but she remains focused and on the defensive, deflecting blow after blow. Sparks fly as their swords clash, the sound of metal ringing out across the open sea.

The enemy presses harder, its attacks relentless. North Carolina’s movements are a blur, her saber meeting the figure's strikes, block or parrying them away with precision.

Then, it comes—another opening. She sees the enemy overextend its form momentarily unbalanced. With a sharp parry, she forces its sword wide and, in that split second, she fires again—this time aiming directly at its head.

The bullets rip through the enemy’s skull, the impact violent and immediate. The damage is severe; chunks of its face are blown apart, revealing the eerie glow beneath its form.

For a moment, it falters, its movements slowing, the fight seeming to drain from its body.

But once again, it regenerates. Too fast that the torn flesh knits itself back together, the glowing face reforming, now intact t. Its eyes lock onto North Carolina, and without missing a beat, the fight resumes.

Their blades clash once more, the sound sharper now, more desperate. Each strike shakes the air around them, their swords locked in a deadly duel. North Carolina grits her teeth, feeling the weight of the battle.

Then in the middle of focus North Carolina saw her sisters going to help her and she tried to parry again, succeeding and kicked the enemy instead and this time she is on the offensive pushing the enemy toward her sisters.

With a simple communication between her and Kansas rushing behind the enemy.

She made multiple attempts but after one successful parry she shot the hand of the enemy causing it to drop its weapon, this also is followed by a strong roundhouse kick towards Kansas rushing behind with a heavy punch behind its back.

Knocked, North Carolina rushed in with a slash of a sword cutting the figure in half.

As the two halves of the figure float on the surface, a brief moment of relief washes over the girls. But that relief is short-lived.

The water begins to churn violently around the split remains, and before any of them can react, the halves start to regenerate and in a matter of seconds, where there was one, now there are two identical figures.

The girls freeze, taken aback by the sudden transformation.

"Are you kidding me?" Tennessee mutters, her eyes wide with disbelief.

North Carolina, ever the leader, doesn’t miss a beat. Her voice cuts through the shock, clear and commanding. "Kansas, with me. The rest of you—Tennessee, Massachusetts, Washington—take the other one."

Without hesitation, the group nods and splits. Kansas rushes to North Carolina’s side. The two of them move in perfect sync, their eyes locked on one of the regenerated figures, which now brandishes a sword once more, its glowing blade raised in a defensive stance.

Meanwhile, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Washington encircle the second figure, which seems to have emerged out of nowhere, its form equally menacing, but already being surrounded by the trio of warship.

The sound of clashing steel rings out as both battles begins simultaneously.

North Carolina leads the charge against their opponent, her saber striking with the precision of a seasoned warrior.

Kansas follows up each of her strikes with powerful blows of her own, her fists hammering into the figure's defenses with unrelenting force. Despite their combined strength, the figure holds its ground, parrying and dodging their attacks with alarming speed.

On the other side, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Washington move in tandem, their swords flashing as they press their advantage.

The second figure defends itself valiantly, but it’s clear the coordinated assault is overwhelming it. Tennessee’s blade crashes down, forcing the figure to deflect it, only for Massachusetts to thrust forward from the side. The figure barely manages to block the strike, its movements becoming more desperate as Washington moves in with a heavy slash from the other side.

Back with North Carolina and Kansas, the sword fight intensifies. The glowing figure swings its blade with terrifying speed, sparks flying as North Carolina meets each strike with her own. Kansas throws in a brutal punch, forcing the figure to stumble, but it recovers quickly, bringing its sword down in a wide arc.

North Carolina anticipates the move, parrying the strike with a graceful twist of her wrist, pushing the figure back toward Kansas. The moment it falters, Kansas steps in, delivering a crushing punch to its chest, sending it skidding across the water. But the figure rises again, its sword gleaming as it launches itself at them once more.

Kansas finally using her saber, with a fierce determination, swings her saber in a powerful arc. The blade connects with the figure’s sword, knocking it from its grasp with a sharp, metallic clang. The sword flies from the figure’s hand, spinning into the air before splashing into the water. Kansas steps back, giving North Carolina the opening she needs.

Without hesitation, North Carolina charges in, her saber glinting as she thrusts it forward. The blade pierces the figure’s chest with deadly precision, and in one smooth, practiced motion, she twists her wrist, angling the blade upward. The sharp edge cuts cleanly through the figure’s torso, splitting its head in half with a final, decisive strike.

The glowing figure falters, its body shuddering as it begins to dissolve, the eerie light flickering out as it slumps lifeless into the water.

“That’s how you deal with this thing....” North Carolina’s voice echoes through her mind, her breath heavy but steady. “Cut the head and heart at the same time!” She quickly said in the comms, her eyes locking onto the distant figures of her sisters still locked in battle. Without wasting another second, she dashes across the surface of the water, her saber gleaming as she moves to join Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Washington.

The remaining figure, though still fighting valiantly, is clearly outnumbered. Its movements grow more desperate as the girls close in. Washington rushes forward, her saber flashing as she thrusts it into the figure’s back. The blade pierces through the glowing body with a sickening force, causing the figure to stagger, its head snapping around to look at her with glowing, hollow eyes.

Washington meets its gaze for just a second, her breath caught in her throat, but before the figure can react, Massachusetts seizes the opportunity. Her saber plunges directly into the figure’s chest, the blade sinking deep into the heart.

The figure jerks, its glow dimming further, but Tennessee is already moving. With a swift, precise motion, she raises her saber and drives it straight through the figure’s skull, the blade piercing cleanly through from top to bottom. The figure freezes, its entire form shaking violently before it goes still.

As the girls pull their sabers free, the figure collapses, its body quickly losing its glowing aura. Slowly, it begins to sink into the ocean, the water parting as it slips beneath the surface, disappearing into the depths from which it came.

The sea grows calm once more, the waves gently lapping at the ships and the girls standing on the water’s surface. There’s a heavy silence for a moment, the adrenaline still coursing through their veins as they watch the last remnants of the figure fade away.

Washington lets out a breath, the tension finally leaving her shoulders. "Glad we got them before they got us."

Kansas grins, her saber resting on her shoulder. "Hell of a fight, but we showed ‘em who’s boss."

North Carolina, ever quiet, just nods in agreement, her gaze still fixed on the now calm sea.