Palau Place, 1 June. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

With a shot into the bottom pocket, Sosuke Takayanagi turned his attention to the next ball.

There may be only one person who can play billiards on the ship, and the Kii is not idle enough to set up the captain's private billiards room, which is also related to Kii's own preferences.

"Admiral, you almost missed just now, didn't you? I saw your hands shake a little when you came out at the end. ”

"Just thinking about the past." Sousuke Takayanagi picked up the cup next to him and took a sip of coffee. "As you can see, the slightest flaw won't affect your genius Admiral."

Sousuke Takayanagi took advantage of the retreat of the deep-sea fleet to play billiards in his spare time, which was almost impossible in the past. Now it's different, he's no longer the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, and he's no longer burdened with the burden of winning for the Empire. Fighting a war is a war, and there is more time to enjoy.

"In the Maizuru Incident in March, the Kii was attacked and Ibuki was deep-seabed, after which Ibuki was sunk by the pursuing force and the Oi was sunk by the deep-sea fleet that arrived later. The rest of the pursuing ships were not lightly damaged. So far, no investigation has been found, including why the Kii suddenly lived in the deep sea. ”

Sousuke Takayanagi raised his hand to signal Yamato to stop, and he placed the club on the edge of the table. Glancing at the inquisitive Yamato on the side, "You want to know the truth?" But I'll state first, I can only guess. ”

"The Admiral's guesses have never been wrong."

"No matter how the deep-sea fleet sneaks in, there will definitely be an internal response. The pursuing ships, Takao and Atago, of the former Fourth Sentai were not in the ranks. The post-mortem investigation report also made no mention of these two ships, and it must have been their new Admiral Kii who sheltered them. One or both of the two are traitors. Regardless of the hidden circumstances, it is entirely possible that those crazy ship girls will betray them. ”

The person who indirectly killed Rear Admiral Kondo back then was Sosuke Takayanagi, and it was he who acquiesced in sending the four Kaohsiung-class shipwives to the Imperial Research Institute for live experiments, and it was Sosuke Takayanagi who drove them crazy. Now he is the one who mocks them while drinking coffee.

"We're traitors?" Yamato didn't directly judge the other ship girls as betrayers, she couldn't see through human nature like Sosuke Takayanagi.

"If you don't believe it, why should I say more? Anyway, it doesn't affect the situation of the war, Kii will properly deal with the traitor, in the case of her now. ”

"Why?" Although Kii in Yamato's impression is maturing step by step, she is a kind-hearted person, and it is impossible to suspect the subordinates around her, unless it is her secretary who insists on doing it.

Sousuke Takayanagi seemed to have guessed Yamato's thoughts, and the smile on the corner of his mouth became more and more obvious, "You know what? Kii's biggest loss in the Maizuru incident was not the damage to his own ship, nor the loss of Oi and Ibuki. The secretary next to her, Gonjun Sato, was killed in battle. No matter how pure a person is, she can't bear some pain, especially Kii just doesn't know how to hate others, once she masters the ability to convey hatred, she will also become a super terrifying existence. ”

"Is the Admiral happy about the death of Gonjun Sato?"

"That's right, that eye-catching guy died before me. Do you know? Before the Battle of Rabaul, he swore to declare my death, saying that he would die later than me. The result? It's not that he died in front of Kii, he didn't protect anything, he didn't do anything, he didn't gain anything. ”

Sousuke Takayanagi never dreamed that Gonjun Sato would die one step ahead of him, both humans who can be appreciated by the will of the deep sea, and they are both geniuses, they are not pleasing to each other, if there is no war, they will become mortal enemies in other fields, because war has to maintain an ally.

"What's next, what do we do? Lord Admiral, you can't hold the Palau Place, right? ”

Yamato keenly noticed that the number of enemies began to increase dramatically again, and the deep-sea flagship that engaged them head-on was the light air carrier-type perch - the escort perch, leading about 20 ヲ-class regular air carriers and inexhaustible light air carriers, the source of which was probably made from the remains of many light air carriers that were sunk in Rabaul in World War I.

"Suicide attack tactics also have their limitations, the enemy is now smart, not only anti-submarine in place, but also constantly changing bearings. As the enemy's warships increased, we had no choice but to abandon the Palau Anchorage. Then ......" Sousuke Takayanagi pointed to the location of the Philippines on the chart. "Retreat to the Philippines."

"In that case, we are being pushed to the edge of our homeland. Relying on the Philippines to start a war, can we turn defeat into victory? ”

"How do I know? Presumably, Akagi can still find a chance to fight back, although there is little hope. But she didn't get to the point where all the cards were played. The trump cards in his hand have been thrown out, but it doesn't mean that there are no hole cards for reversal in Akagi now. She didn't panic after the Maizuru Port incident, and she didn't even ask Kii. Continuing the repair of her carrier fleet, the Yunhe was also pulled into the dock for mothering. Daho-class Nos. 4 to 10 are also under construction. ”

Battleships have lost their former position as the supremacy of the seas, and the Air Carrier is now the most useful and the most successful large ship.

"Aren't you worried about yourself? Before Akagi officially kills you, we can ......"

"Yamato, please keep your mind and sanity, my secretary is not an idiot who indulges in romance novels. My life is the same for everyone, but the important thing is that I, Sosuke Takayanagi, have realized the value of my life. Not to mention other merits, the suicidal attack tactics I created single-handedly were able to buy enough time for Akagi in the face of absolute disadvantage. Her kind of cold-blooded woman, who only sees victory in her eyes, and who hates my actions, has always acquiesced in my actions. That's enough, I'm right, it's just that I have to pay the price for this anti-human idea. ”

What Sosuke Takayanagi pursued was such a simple thing, money, fame, power, etc., which was only a bargaining chip for him, and what he really cared about was to realize the value of life as he understood it, and to interpret all of Sosuke Takayanagi, a "demonic" gambler who survived the shipwreck, and he exited the great gamble of the Pacific War in perfect shape. He doesn't even care about winning or losing in the end, knowing that there is little hope and still pressing all the chips boldly, that is the real evil gambler.

"Even I'm going to be your gambling chip, right? In the last moments of your life. ”

"Definitely. Yamato, everything you have is given to you by me. Raising a worthless prostitute into a ship girl, I recoup the money I spent. A natural thing. You're good, the Kawauchi-class and Agano-class and many destroyers are my bargaining chips, Yamato, you're willing to give me everything back when I need it, right? ”

Sousuke Takayanagi's ugly side is fully revealed, if Gonjun Sato is just a spectator who admires it coldly, he Sousuke Takayanagi is an evil demon on the stage, with no humanity at all, and a pure evil person who cannot be redeemed. The only salvation was probably to pierce the sword of judgment, which was more than ten years late, into his dark heart.

Yamato was disgusted with the real Sosuke Takayanagi in her heart, and was still a little scared, she closed her eyes and bowed in response. "Yes, Admiral Sosuke Takayanagi. Be willing to be your last-minute gambling chip. As long as you need it, I can give you everything you need at any time. ”

Without the boldness of the original time in Schottland, the gamblers are like this, walking towards destruction, they have been stripped of the fine clothes of the upper class, and all that is left is a demonic skin that destroys humanity.

"I rarely talk to you like that, do I? Yamato, you know what I mean? Sousuke Takayanagi restrained his murderous side, reverted back to his usual calm demeanor, and threw the empty coffee cup on the pool table.

Yamato put the cup back into the tea tray next to him and brought a rag. "Coffee stains ......"

"This pool table belongs to me!" Sousuke Takayanagi clapped his hands and motioned for Yamato not to wipe the smudge. "My things will be enjoyed only by me until I die, and I will be buried with them. From today onwards, I won't play billiards anymore. ”

"Is that okay?"

"I'm satisfied."

Receiving an affirmative answer, Yamato put down the rag in his hand and stood still. Sousuke Takayanagi ignored Yamato's changes, picked up his military jacket, and walked out of the cabin.

Sosuke Takayanagi was tired of women's crying, and he remembered the ugliness of his mother when he was dying. Crying "Don't hurt my child", he was not killed by other shipwreck survivors to eat meat. The gods have declared that only one person can leave, which means that everyone will eventually make sure that they survive. Therefore, I would rather be hungry and crazy than resist the idea of biting my mother, let my mother become my substitute ghost, play the role of a reserve food reserve with no ability to resist, and wait for the opportunity to seize the one in ten million opportunity to win a gamble with a slim chance of winning. It was his ability to show under the gaze of the gods, so that he could survive from the will of the deep sea and become an "excellent human being" recognized by the will of the deep sea.

He hoped that Yamato would calmly end his established fate, but in the end he was disappointed. Yamato expressed the desire to escape with him, and that Yamato was imperfect. withering on the battlefield like cherry blossoms, Yamato, who has no regrets, is the most beautiful partner in his heart, and can draw a perfect end to his life as Sosuke Takayanagi.

"Flee with me? Where to run? Stupid woman! "Sousuke Takayanagi was still complaining softly after he walked away." How can a man accept the truth of a woman's confession", his first reaction at that time was very simple, directly blocking Yamato's ridiculous remarks. He doesn't need human love, that kind of thing only affects the judgment of a gambler, and an ugly gambler does not deserve to have a beautiful praise.

In the distance, the bomber formations of the deep-sea fleet flew again, and the IJN troops stationed at the Palau anchorage began air defense preparations again. Although it won't cause much damage, Sousuke Takayanagi knows it well. The enemy's main force is about to arrive here, and it must be evacuated from here before the arrival of the central suihime. There is a possibility that the Palau berth will be surrounded by the enemy, and if that happens, the entire combined fleet of IJN will lose its warship forces.