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Chapter 40 - Chapter 39: Reunion ~ Gather at the Admiral’s Side ~

Main Naval Base, Front Gate

A crisp breeze swept through the gate as Dante stood, days after his return. The Devil May Cry Naval Base, long sealed, awaited him. Preparations complete, he was ready to depart.

The Marshal's voice rumbled low. "Stay sharp, Dante."

Yamato's gentle tone followed. "Take care."

Fubuki's eyes shimmered with reluctance. "Akagi-san…"

Akagi smiled warmly. "We'll meet again, Fubuki-san."

Dante and his shipgirls piled into cars, engines humming under the military police's steady hands, bound for their new home.

Yokosuka Naval Base, Front Gate

The Yokosuka Admiral's gaze lingered, heavy with nostalgia. "It'll feel empty without you all."

Kongou, Hiei, Souryuu, Junyou, Aoba, Jintsuu, Naka, Akatsuki, Ikazuchi, Inazuma, Kisaragi, Satsuki, and Fumizuki stood ready to leave.

Jintsuu bowed. "Thank you for everything."

The admiral's lips curved. "Tell him I said hi."

Souryuu nodded. "Understood."

"Junyou," the admiral teased, "no drinking sprees."

Junyou flushed. "W-What do you mean…?"

"And Hiei," she added sharply, "no more cooking disasters."

Hiei hung her head. "Sorry…"

Another culinary catastrophe, it seemed.

"Aoba, you too—stay out of trouble."

Aoba laughed nervously. "W-What's that supposed to mean…?"

"Tell him to call me," the admiral said, eyes glinting. "He owes me."

Kongou's brows shot up. "Why's that?"

Kisaragi giggled. "A date, maybe?"

Kongou's voice flared. "I won't let him steal the admiral's heart!"

The admiral's smile was razor-sharp. "This is between me and him. Stay out of it."

Kisaragi tilted her head, playful. "But maybe the commander forgot that promise~♪"

"Souryuu, pass that along too," the admiral ordered.

Souryuu stammered, "Y-Yes…"

Kongou's eyes blazed. "Absolutely not!"

Naka groaned. "We're late—let's move!"

"Take care, everyone," the admiral called.

"Yes!" the shipgirls chorused, climbing into their cars.

Maizuru Naval Base, Front Gate

Sunglasses glinting, the Maizuru Admiral stood with Sazanami, his secretary ship, surrounded by Haguro, Suzuya, Kitakami, Ooi, Tenryuu, Tatsuta, Yuubari, Hatsuyuki, Miyuki, Murakumo, Shiratsuyu, and Shigure.

"What!?" the admiral wailed. "You're really leaving!?"

Tenryuu shoved him back. "Get off, you're annoying!"

He clung to her waist, desperate. "Don't go! Please!"

Tears streamed down his face, a man unraveling.

Suzuya sighed. "We wanna see our admiral. Can we go?"

The admiral's voice cracked. "I'm right here!"

Murakumo rolled her eyes. "Not you."

Hatsuyuki muttered, "…This is a mess."

Shigure glanced at her watch. "We're way behind."

Shiratsuyu whined, "We'll be last at this rate!"

The shipgirls' patience frayed. Maizuru was far from Devil May Cry, and time was slipping.

Ooi muttered, "Should've stayed away from Maizuru."

Kitakami shrugged. "Now what?"

Haguro fidgeted. "W-What do we do?"

Sazanami tugged at him. "Master, let go. Tenryuu's reaching for her sword."

Tatsuta's smile was venomous. "Wanna die~?"

"No way!" he sobbed.

Miyuki groaned. "Just stop…"

The shipgirls pried him off, scrambling into the cars.

Devil May Cry Naval Base, Front Gate

Dante's group arrived first, the base's gates looming like silent sentinels.

Akagi exhaled. "We're here."

Akashi beamed. "Can't wait to see everyone."

Kaga's sharp eyes caught Dante straying. "Where are you going?"

Dante shrugged. "Standing around's boring. They'll show up."

Houshou's voice was gentle but firm. "Admiral, please greet them first. They're eager to see you."

Dante groaned. "The whole time?"

"Please," Houshou pressed.

"…Fine," he muttered, slumping against the gate.

A car roared up, and the Yokosuka shipgirls spilled out.

"TEITOKU!!" Kongou's voice echoed, her body launching at Dante. "Burning Love!!"

He caught her with ease, her arms locking around him.

"I missed you SO much!" she wailed.

Dante smirked. "Still full of energy, huh?"

"I was SO lonely!" Kongou pouted.

"My bad. Been busy."

Hiei's eyes sparkled with envy. "So jealous!"

"Commander!" Akatsuki cried, piling on with Ikazuchi and Inazuma.

"We missed you!" Inazuma squeaked.

Dante grinned. "Still tiny, huh?"

"Don't call us tiny!" Inazuma huffed.

Akatsuki puffed out her chest. "Treat me like a proper lady!"

Dante raised a brow. "Can you hit the bathroom alone at night yet?"

Akatsuki froze. "…Ugh."

No progress there.

Ikazuchi grinned. "Cling to me all you want now!"

"I'll think about it," Dante chuckled.

Kisaragi's giggle was soft. "So happy to see you again♪"

She joined Satsuki and Fumizuki in the hug pile.

"We waited forever!" Satsuki declared.

Fumizuki bounced. "I've got so much to tell you~"

"Calm down," Dante said, patting her head.

Junyou grinned. "You're really back!"

Jintsuu bowed. "It's been a while, Admiral."

"Welcome back!" Naka chirped.

Aoba's eyes gleamed. "Aoba's thrilled!"

Souryuu crossed her arms. "You kept us waiting too long."

"My bad," Dante said.

"The Yokosuka Admiral wants you to call her," Souryuu added.

Dante frowned. "Yokosuka? Maybe later."

"And about the date—" Souryuu started, but Kongou's murderous glare silenced her.

Another car pulled up. Ooyodo stepped out, eyes glistening.

"Admiral!" she called.

"Ooyodo," Dante replied.

"I've waited so long for you," she said, voice trembling.

"Kept my promise," Dante said.

Kaga muttered, "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Forgot!?" the others gasped.

"Don't stir things up," Dante growled.

Houshou smiled. "He has his reasons. Go easy on him."

Dante glanced at Ooyodo. "What were you doing alone?"

"Guest lecturer at the officer academy," she replied.

"Strict?" he asked.

She laughed. "I was kind."

"Wish you'd been kinder to me," Dante grumbled, recalling days locked in a room, drilled on duties.

Hiei's voice rose. "Commander, what's this about forgetting!?"

The interrogation began.

Later

The Maizuru group was still missing.

Ooyodo frowned. "They're late."

Dante yawned. "I'm beat. Can I go inside?"

Houshou's voice was soft. "Just a bit longer."

A car finally screeched in.

Shiratsuyu groaned. "We're last!"

The Maizuru shipgirls disembarked, Suzuya leading with a wail.

"Teitoku!" She crashed into Dante, sobbing. "Why didn't you come back sooner!?"

"Hey, don't cry," Dante said. "I had my hands full."

Tenryuu smirked, her rough tone warm. "You jerk, making us worry!"

"Worth the wait, right?" Dante shot back.

Tatsuta giggled. "Hehe."

"Welcome back, Commander," Haguro said softly.

Yuubari beamed. "Welcome back!"

Shigure nodded. "Welcome home."

Shiratsuyu cheered, "You're back!"

Miyuki echoed, "Welcome back!"

Hatsuyuki scaled Dante's back, settling on his shoulders.

Dante blinked. "What's this?"

"…Shoulder ride," Hatsuyuki mumbled, clinging tight.

"Unfair!" some destroyers whined, but she didn't budge.

Dante glanced at Murakumo. "You good?"

"Doing fine," she said. "Welcome back."

Ooi sighed. "You took too long."

Kitakami pouted. "Could've come back sooner. Maizuru was rough."

"Maizuru, huh?" Dante asked.

Shiratsuyu grimaced. "Their admiral's a bit nuts."

Tenryuu snorted. "And emotionally unstable."

Tatsuta's smile was chilling. "Should just die~."

Was that admiral okay?

Houshou clapped her hands. "Everyone's here. Shall we head inside?"

Dante nudged Hatsuyuki. "Get down."

"No way. Tired. Carry me," she mumbled.

(Patty was easier…) Dante sighed inwardly.

Office

Dust coated the office where Dante, Akagi, Kaga, Houshou, and Ooyodo gathered. The others explored the base.

"Place is a mess," Dante muttered.

Ooyodo nodded. "Abandoned for years."

Everything sat untouched. Dante tried the jukebox—nothing. He kicked it.

"What are you doing!?" Akagi yelped.

The jukebox gave up entirely.

"Damn it…" Dante cursed.

Kaga rolled her eyes. "Obviously it'd break."

"Time for a big cleanup," Houshou said.

As the shipgirls cleaned, Dante patrolled. Near the arsenal, a fairy approached—the one he'd saved from a fire.

"You…" Dante said.

"You doing alright?" he asked.

The fairy beckoned him inside. There, his leg rigging, once destroyed, gleamed—rebuilt by the fairies.

"Nice surprise," Dante said.

The fairies, no longer wary, seemed grateful.

"I'll take it," he said, grinning.

Cafeteria

Cleaning done, the shipgirls gathered for a late lunch.

Mamiya smiled. "Let's eat—"

The lights flickered out.

"Now what?" Dante groaned.

"I'll check," Yuubari said, heading out with Akashi.

Kitakami frowned. "Bad omen."

Lunch done, the shipgirls swarmed Dante.

"Commander~" Fumizuki chirped.

"Still got stories?" Dante asked.

"Now I wanna hear yours~" she said.

"Not much to tell," Dante said.

Tenryuu grinned. "Got any epic tales?"

Dante leaned back, thinking. "Alright… Quiet night, then a woman on a bike crashed into my office."

He spun the tale of Mallet Island, his battle with Mundus, the Demon Emperor.

"—escaped the collapsing castle in a plane," he finished.

Kitakami blinked. "Didn't crash?"

Naka sighed. "Poor Vergil…"

Houshou nodded. "So, you avenged your mother?"

"Sort of," Dante said.

Akagi frowned. "Sort of?"

"Didn't destroy him completely," Dante said. "He'll probably be back. My son can deal with him then."

"Son!?" the room gasped.

Kaga's eyes narrowed. "You have a kid?"

"Figure of speech," Dante clarified. "My dad, then me, then the next guy. No kids."

Some shipgirls sighed in relief.

Kisaragi leaned in. "What about Trish?"

"Partner for a while, hunting demons," Dante said. "Now ex-partner."

Murakumo raised a brow. "You fight?"

The shipgirls' gazes sharpened, suspecting Dante's fault.

"She wanted to see the world," he said. "Comes back sometimes."

Kisaragi smirked. "I meant, are you together?"

Dante froze. The shipgirls leaned closer, Aoba ready with a recorder.

"I said ex-partner," Dante muttered.

Ikazuchi piped up. "What about Cerberus?"

Dante explained: his weapons were with Enzo, a one-armed info broker turned weapons dealer. Some were pawned, others sold—like Agni & Rudra. He, Trish, and Lady once tricked Enzo to clear a debt and retrieve them, but they were back in his shop now.

Kaga frowned. "You left magic weapons with a human?"

"He's no amateur now," Dante said. "It's fine."

Houshou smiled. "You trust him."

"Old friend," Dante said. "What about the Abyssals?"

The shipgirls' faces darkened.

Houshou's voice was grave. "They've grown strategic. Tougher than before."

Akagi nodded. "Every base struggles to hold the seas."

Dante grinned. "Won't be boring, then."

Night

Dante stood at the pier, moonlight dancing on the sea.

Akagi approached. "Admiral."

"Akagi," he said. "Late nights aren't good for you."

"Still an hour till lights-out," she replied.

They gazed at the sea in silence. Akagi spoke first.

"How many years since you left your world?" she asked.

Dante shrugged. "Lost count."

"Ten years, maybe?" she pressed.

Dante braced for a lecture. "Feels like three weeks."

Akagi's brow arched. "That's your joke?"

He stayed silent.

"Make up for it," she said.

"Every time I leave?" he asked.

"I know your duty," she said. "You'll return to your world when it's done. We get it now. But back then…"

"How many apologies do I need?" he asked.

Akagi smiled. "A lifetime's worth."

"That a joke?" he shot back.

The moment hung, peaceful—until Ooyodo raced up, breathless.

"Admiral! The Marshal called—demons in the city!"

Dante's grin was feral. "Just when I'm beat. Akagi, car keys."

"No bike?" she asked.

"Yuubari took it apart," he muttered.

Ooyodo tossed him her keys. "Use mine!"

Dante caught them, heading for the car. "Be back."

"Go get 'em," Akagi said.

Ooyodo watched him go. "Same old Admiral."

Akagi nodded. "Yeah."

They stared at the car's taillights until they vanished into the night.

To be continued…

Note: New story is out, if you want to check it out. 

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