Barcelona, Spain
"Let's recall what happened, DESU!" Kongou answered with quite a long story.
"You called, Admiral?"
Into the Admiral's office came the flagship of the 1st fleet and the secretary ship of the Admiral, Kaga. Her long brown hair was tied up into a side ponytail, and she wore a white and blue Japanese clothes under a muneate, a chestplate Japanese bow-women used to protect their breasts. It was evident by her sharp eyes and quietness that she was an excellent archer, as she should be. She was the flagship, the number one. She cannot give up this position.
"Are you ready... for another sortie?" The admiral sitting behind his chair asked, his backs turned against Kaga.
"Of course." Kaga muttered, her face stoic and expressionless. "
They're all excellent kids, after all."
"Very well, I'll entrust you the second fleet as well for the final push against the enemy Abyssals in this operation." The admiral smiled, the rest of his face hidden by the shadow. Kaga reached for the admiral's desk and picked up the order. Giving a quick nod, she excused herself and left.
"...and then, Teitoku gave me a big hug and said,
'You did well, Kongou, I am going to give you lots of love.'" Kongou was in her barracks, having a chat with her sisters while playing shogi and having tea. While not in a fleet, the ship girls were allowed to do anything and go anywhere within the seaport. The seaport had everything too: from militaristic necessities like docks, repair facilities, and factories, to absolute luxuries like restaurants, movie theaters, and shopping centers. With a group of more than 150 ships and port crew members, the seaport ends up looking like an entire seaside village of sorts.
"Aww, I'm so jealous! I wish Teitoku would give me the same love to me!" Kongou's second sister, Hiei, groaned and stomped her feet in jealousy. Always falling a bit short compared to Kongou, Hiei was often relegated to helping with raising Heavy Cruisers on the side operations. This, however, didn't seem to corrupt Hiei's mind, as she still loves her sisters and her admiral all the same.
"That's wonderful, Kongou-onee-san." Kongou's third sister, Haruna, smiled as she played her turn in her shogi match against her sister Kongou. Haruna was arguably the quietest out of the three, but as is the nature of the Kongou class, she is very competitive in terms of obtaining love from her admiral. "Haruna... wonders if Haruna'll ever become as strong as you."
"Kongou-onee-san, Kaga-san is here to talk to you." Kongou's youngest sister, Kirishima, entered the room and told Kongou of the secretary ship's arrival. An odd thing about Kirishima is that she is the youngest out of the four, but was the tallest as well. Kongou rose from where she was and skipped over to the entrance to find Kaga standing right outside the front door.
"Yo, Kaga, how can I help ya?" Kongou energetically greeted. Kaga thought Kongou was very loud, but she did not complain much. After all, Kongou's performances in sorties were stuff of legends. "Do you want some tea? A lady can't end her day without tea time!"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but we're leaving. Now." Kaga softly uttered, straight to business. "You, and Haruna. Report to the docks."
Kaga walked off, heading to the docks herself, leaving Kongou bamboozled but otherwise excited for sortie. Time to show the admiral what she's got once again!
The operation, however, was not going as well as the admiral, Kaga, and Kongou expected. The enemy ground was too thick, too dense, with the Abyssals to even approach with ease. Every little bit of ground the fleets covered, the more Abyssals appeared, and fiercer their defense became. It was evident that the fleet must retreat and see through the operation in a different angle.
'What about Kongou's fleet?' Kaga asked herself, but the order was to retreat immediately. Kongou's fleet will have to return on their own. As the first fleet broke formation and retreated, Kaga couldn't help but look back at the fierce battle with saddened mood. 'Tsk... I hope you return safely, Kongou...'
Kongou's fleet, meanwhile, was under heavy fire. Three of the fleet's ships, including Haruna, have been heavily damaged and in need of a repair. The abyssal ships were closing on their formation, swarming them like bees. The most optimal choice was to retreat, but a strait behind them made it hard for the ships to retreat by the time the abyssals were in firing range.
"Kongou-onee-san! We have to find a way to retreat!" Haruna, the third ship of the fleet, commented as she slid next to the flagship sister. Her sleeves were in tatters, and so was the front of her shirt, revealing a sarashi across her chest. Smoke bellowed out of her twin gun mount as it was busted and malfunctioning. "I detected an elite Ru-class battleship and two elite Wo-class standard carriers! At our ammo reserve, we'll be annihilated!"
"I know, Haruna!" Kongou nodded, dismissing her younger sister ship's concern. She was truly in a bad position. Go forward, and meet a grisly end by the Abyssals. Retreat, and leave one or two ships behind to be sacrificed to the Abyssals. Either choice was not a good idea at all, and Kongou's time was running out. Kongou shut her eyes tight, unable to come to a decision on what to do...
Kongou opened her eyes and looked at her fleet. Other than herself and Haruna, the four other ships were Destroyers: light, fast ships that primarily used oxygen torpedoes to sink the enemy ships. These ships were smaller than the battleships and were generally faster too, so they will not have any trouble crossing the strait and run away. Haruna would take longer time, but she would fit as well. The only problem was buying enough time for the fleet to escape.
But what if Kongou herself bought the time for the rest of her fleet to retreat?
"Destroyers! Retreat beyond the strait! Haruna, stay here and distract the Abyssals as much as possible." Kongou ordered, and the Destroyers crossed the straits in a single-file line. Haruna used Type 3 Shells to take down the aircrafts sent out by the Standard Carriers, and Kongou used her twin gun mount to hinder the Ru-class battleship's movement. The two bought enough time for the last of the destroyer to completely retreat. Then...
"Haruna, go." Kongou said.
"What?" Haruna asked in disbelief. "I'm not leaving without you, sister!"
"Just go, Haruna!" Kongou shouted, a tear dropping from her eyes. "It's an order."
Haruna knew what Kongou had in mind. Tear fell uncontrollably from her eyes as she gave Kongou a last goodbye hug, and sped towards the rest of the fleet while Kongou turned her back against the strait, facing the Abyssals who were close enough to fire their cannons at Kongou.
"May your fortunes hold... Haruna." Kongou prayed, her eyes closed as the Abyssals focused their entire firepower at Kongou. As she sunk, her clothes and equipment completely destroyed, she reached her hand out to the sky and fell into the great depths beyond...
Kongou opened her eyes, regaining conscience. She sat up, unable to recognize where she was. One thing she recognized, however, was that her clothes and equipment were anew, repaired to prime. The shores were gravelly, and the turbulent waves from the battle died down to tranquil lurches. Plants and fauna of unknown species adorned the outskirts and, as Kongou stood up and looked around, she found an elderly couple staring at her with utmost surprise.
"Wait... I recognize this place!" Kongou realized. She heard a lot about this country from a crew member; of how it too joined the Axis power under the rule of General Franco only to be crushed by the Allied. She've heard of the bullfighting, and the local performers' passionate dances, and their food.
She was in Spain.
Kongou asked the people if she was indeed in Spain. However, Kongou did not speak Spanish, and the Spaniards did not speak English nor Japanese. However, a nice farmer's family took her in to give her shelter until she found a way to sustain a life in the world. However, all Kongou knew was how to be a ship and how to blow up Abyssals. She did not know how to plow the field, sew, or raise cattle. Farming wasn't right for her: it was too boring anyway. To find a meaning in her visit in Spain, Kongou used whatever fuel she had left to take off to a larger city, bidding farewell to the nice farming household that took her in.
"Oh, I seem to have put myself in such a hurry I forgot to tour the city!" Kongou came to a sudden realization as she rose from her seat, cutting her story to an abrupt end. "Thank you for the tea and the scone, you guys! When we meet again, I'll make sure I treat you two to some English curry DESU!"