Harry Leferts
Suave Shadow Cabal Kaiju
Evening continued to deepen as the group of six made their way along the roads towards their destination for the night. As they walked, they just chatted with each other as they enjoyed the night air. Noticing that Harry had a thoughtful look on his face, one that he had at various times, Denryuu smiled at him, "Thinking about the two Battlecruisers mentioned?"
Glancing at her, Harry gave a sigh before nodding, "Hai, I mean…" He made a motion with his hand before once more taking Ume's in it, "It just seems so sad and wasteful, you know? That they were so close to completion but then scrapped because some bloody idiot decided that they were not good enough…"
Frowns on their faces, the Twins nodded a little, "It is unfortunate for them, but that is what happened." A sigh then escaped them as they frowned, "Kamo cancelled them because he believed that they would not do for his 'Updated' plans at the time. Sadly, they were not the only such ships scrapped either in the slipways or to free crew for larger, more 'powerful' ships."
Pinching his nose, Harry took a deep breath before releasing it, "I know that I am going to regret this due to how stupid it likely is… but how bad?"
The glance that Ume and Sakura shared was enough of an answer even before they spoke, "Kamo was, very much, someone who believed that the country should reflect his own 'Greatness'. At the very end of the war, from our understanding through conversations with Aki-Kun, Kamo did not see himself as having failed and lost the war. Rather, he saw Japan as having failed him and losing the war that they should have won for his glory. Which does fit the man from the few times we observed him here."
Sakura then took over, "As you know, originally the Magical Imperial Japanese Navy consisted of a few Torpedo Boats, three Light Carriers, one Battleship, two Light Cruisers, and three Heavy Cruisers as well as a handful of small Submarines. This is not counting the Magical Imperial Auxiliary Fleets."
Blinking at that, he frowned some, "Magical Imperial Auxiliary Fleets?"
At the question, Ume grimaced along with her Twin before speaking, "You must understand, Harry-Chan, the Statute was not popular here in Asia, far from it. It took much effort to force it upon China followed by Japan. Korea held out for a decade or two more, using magic to try and block foreigners from reaching their shores. But, in time, they too were forced into accepting it. This generated a lot of hatred towards the ICW even as they toed the line."
Look of distaste on her face, Sakura continued where her sister had left off, "Of course, there were other effects as well. In China you had uprisings against both the 'Approved' Qing Ministry of Magic as well as ICW forces who were in the country to oversee the adoption of the Statute. The Taiping Rebellion on the magic side of things, for instance. With the Boxer Rebellion, unknown to most, they were led by magical martial artists on the magical side of the conflict who were nearly successful in driving out ICW forces, only for them to come back with more Aurors in a far worse crackdown. It was during that conflict that a number of Chinese magical schools burned and were destroyed in the fighting."
Frown on his face, Harry furrowed his eyebrows some, "I remember some of that being mentioned in my family's journals. Though they were there more for both business opportunities as well as getting knowledge in regards to local magics. I think that I had a great-great-great uncle who was drafted as an Auror and sent to Korea though…"
Only nodding, the Twins frowned some, "With Korea, there were also flare ups though not as many as with China. But the ICW was not happy either with how long it took to open up the nation in question. It did not help matters that in their magical schools, they had very much anti-ICW and anti-Statute leanings. The only nation in East Asia who was easy to make fall under the sway of both the ICW and the Statute was…"
Eyes widening as he remembered what he had learned from Haru and the others in regards to how the Statute was implemented in Japan, Harry sucked in a breath, "Was Japan since the magical side of the Boshin War practically destroyed the old Japanese Magical society…" Taking a breath, he released it with a wince, "Ah, bloody hell…"
Simply nodding, Sakura shook her head, "Hai, due to that, the flare ups in China, and the resistance to the Statute and ICW control as a whole in both Korea and China, Mahoutokoro was chosen as the only ICW approved school in all of East Asia, especially with its pro-Statute and pro-ICW leanings and teachings as part of an effort to catch up with the rest of the world on the magical side." She made a gesture with her hand, "Thus, if you were going to get any job higher up in the various Ministries that dealt with the ICW, one would need to go to Mahoutokoro where approved ICW classes were held."
With a shake of her head, Ume spoke softly, "Another thing to remember was that for the longest time before Kamo began to gain power, which happened in the late 1920s, the Magical government here in Japan was very much Pro-ICW for reasons other than it keeping them from being in trouble with the ICW. It also meant power and control. As long as they stayed pro-ICW and Statute? Blind eyes were turned to what they were doing to the other 'Unruly' nations. They could be as brutal as they wanted as long as it was in the name of preserving the Statute and preventing said nations from defying the ICW. When the non-Magical Japanese basically took control of Korea, the ICW basically shrugged at Magical Japan taking over Magical Korea and making the Korean Ministry subordinate. Same with parts of China as well during the 1920s and 1930s." A small sigh escaping from her, she shook her head, "Which is also why the Magical Imperial Navy started as they could use warships to threaten said nations under their guns."
Just frowning, her sister sighed some, "Which meant that, by the time Kamo came to power, there was a lot of anger and the like against the ICW and nations such as those in Europe and the Americans who were seen as forcing it upon them. Japan was also tarred with the same brush, we will note, being seen as lapdogs of the ICW. That was, until Kamo approached various factions in China and Korea. Asia for Asians he told them. Separately, none of them could fight the ICW. But together, as 'Brothers' in arms, they could win. To throw off the yoke of the Foreign powers. He even began devolving powers back to the nations under Japan's control on the magical side. Or at least giving the illusion of doing so, which was enough."
Now it was Harry's turn to blink slowly as he stared at them in disbelief, "They… believed him. They really believed what he was telling them…"
For their part, the Twins shook their heads, "We are unsure if they really believed him or decided that they could use him for their own ends. The Magical Government of Manchuria was mostly former Qing loyalists who had been chased from the rest of China. They may have believed Kamo only so far as he would help them retake China, at which point they could then kick him out. With Korea… they believed that the coming war would weaken Japan enough to break free, so any promises to that end would simply fall apart once they could strike. We are certain, and after talking with Aki-Kun, he believes as well, that Kamo knew this full well. Which is why he may have approached the Yokai of said countries through Royomaru for Korea and Akiko for China. He offered them their own kingdoms where they could live as they see fit through said emissaries. For the Korean Yokai such as the Kumiho, he would give them northern Karafuto, which was under Russian control, to build their kingdom once the coming war was finished. For the Chinese Yokai, he would gift them Hainan Island as their own kingdom."
Blinking at that, Harry furrowed his eyebrows, "Wait… I thought that the Kumiho and Huli-Jing had their own Kingdom, and Emperor…"
Simply nodding, Ume answered for them both, "You are right, Harry-Chan, they did indeed have their own Kingdom. And Kamo recognized their Emperor as being such, but the island in question is roughly between Jeju Island and Tsushima in size. However…" She shook her head a little bit, "It was not anywhere near the size of the section of Karafuto, or Sakhalin, that was not under Japanese control at that time. Nor was it near the size of Hainan Island. And considering how discriminated they were even before the ICW implemented the Statute for East Asia? The idea that they could form their own countries that they could rule themselves…"
Lips pursed together, the teenage wizard nodded a little, "Would have been extremely tempting for them…" Eyebrow raised, he frowned a little bit, "What sort of ships did they have?"
Pausing for a moment, the Twins slowly nodded some, "They were each given two 'Battleships', which resembled more the German Deutschland Class, but coming in at about nineteen thousand tons with six fourteen inch guns in two triple turrets. Of course, they were slower than even the Yamatai and less firepower. They were also given three Light Cruisers similar to the Ning Hai Cruisers, and finally four Torpedo Boats each with a number of Mine Sweepers. Taiwan was also given a Battleship, but also a Light Aircraft Carrier based on those we were building based on the Zuihou Class that was called the Hou Yi."
Harry didn't need to ask what happened to them after the war, as he had read how the ICW had forced practically everyone to scrap their major warships. Instead, he focused on another bit that he had heard, "So you were building Light Carriers based on the Zuihou Class?"
Nodding at that, Sakura smiled slightly, "Hai, I am unsure as to if you know, but the Zuihou Class was designed as Submarine Tenders, but able to be converted to either a Fast Oiler or a Light Carrier." At his nod and statement that he did know, she continued, "Rather than build and convert them, we instead designed them from the ground up as a Light Carrier and were building two of them in one of the docks, alongside two others built as Oilers…" The former Hitobashira shook her head, "From our understanding, the plan Captain Kaito developed involved him launching an attack on Schjetnan Reef using Yamatai and two of the Light Carriers as well as the Torpedo Boats when the time came for war to be declared with MACUSA, at the same time as Japan would fight the United States on the non-magical side. Meanwhile, at the same time, the two Carriers we built, possibly with others, would launch an attack on Panama alongside Monitors to do as much damage as possible to the locks there."
Ume then took over for her sister, "Finally, the two Battlecruisers would launch attacks on what was likely to be the undefended Alaskan mainland with Anchorage as one of the main targets, before making their way back along the Aleutians to hit targets of opportunity to make it easier for the incoming invasion forces."
Gobsmacked, the wizard stared at her, "… He was going to invade the US via Alaska…" Harry paused and frowned some before shaking his head, "I mean, there's easier methods of suicide considering how impossible it would be to get from Alaska to the rest of the Continental US."
Shaking her head, Sakura chuckled some, "Actually, it was never to invade the US, but rather as another blow to the morale of said country. He believed that the combination may well have caused the US to consider making peace, if only to buy time for a build-up while providing a place for Bombers to raid Canada from." When Harry nodded, she shrugged some and shook her head, "Of course, a great deal of it revolved around the idea that MACUSA would have Armed Merchant Cruisers, possibly some Destroyers or those tiny Light Cruisers they had. But…"
Very slowly, Harry raised an eyebrow at that, "But?"
The Twins shared a look before frowning a little, "Just after the war started, MACUSA revealed that they had a Battleship that they called the Emperor Norton in the Atlantic. It was soon joined by an Light Cruiser and a Carrier. This besides the three Battlecruisers MACUSA launched as well as an earlier Carrier. Enough of a force that they were a threat to the Magical Imperial Navy, thus he ordered the ships under construction scrapped because they would not work against such a force. And ordered new ships built, such as Ishikari-Chan here and-… Why are you laughing, Harry-Chan?"
Coughing some as he calmed down, Harry grinned at them, "Well… I did read up a bit about the magical side… That Battleship you mentioned? Called the Emperor Norton?" At the confused nods, he snickered a little, "Turns out that it was fake as was some of the other ships."
Pausing at that, Ume and Sakura slowly blinked in utter befuddlement, "… A fake?"
Hum escaping him as he nodded, the wizard's grin widened, "Hai, it had the hull and some guns as well as two boilers, but MACUSA was using it partially for training and partially as a fake-out against Grindelwald as they couldn't get anywhere under their power. Seems it worked against Kamo as well…"
It took a few moments, but the Twins began to giggle as did the shipgirls in utter amusement.
Not long afterwards, they reached their destination and Harry blinked some as he stared a little at the "Base Commander's House". Made of the same volcanic rock as much of the island, it was a two story building with what looked like a loft and was surprisingly large. Once more blinking, he raised his finger and pointed, "Is that really where we're staying?"
Unable to help themselves, Ume and Sakura giggled and nodded as they dragged him along, "Hai, this is the Base Commander's house, Harry-Chan. Hence, it is where we'll be staying for the night at the very least."
Only nodding slowly at that, he blinked some as he looked at the house, "Huh… more a small mansion really." Upon entering the building, Harry felt his eyebrows shoot up as everything was done in expensive woods with ironwork lanterns for the lighting, "Okay… this is a bit more impressive than I thought."
Coming up from behind him, Denryuu smiled as she placed her arms over his shoulders, "Hai, but it is perfect for you."
That only made Harry blush some before he smiled and kissed her, thanking her once they pulled apart which got a bashful look from the Carrier.
A short time later found the teenage wizard leaning back a little in his chair with a smile on his face as he let out a soft sigh of enjoyment while looking at his now empty plates. Shaking his head a little, Harry gave a grin towards Ume and Sakura, "Are the two of you attempting to take my place as a cook? Because I'm reasonably certain that you'll succeed."
Both Twins blushed and giggled at that as they polished off the last bit of their own dinner, "No, Harry-Chan, we would never do something like that." They then gave him a small smile, "Especially as we do enjoy your cooking as well." Moments later, however, Ume and Sakura blinked as Harry got up and began to gather the dishes, "Harry-Chan?"
Glancing at them, Harry smiled a bit, "Well, you both cooked dinner, so it is only fair that I do the dishes." Upon placing the dishes on the counter, he rolled up his sleeves some, "Shouldn't take very long."
With a look between them, Ume and Sakura shook their heads in amusement, "Of course… though once that is done, we believe that we should go and take a bath."
Eyebrow raised after he had paused, the wizard glanced at them, "Well, that does sound nice since we've been walking around all day. Though I haven't seen much in regards to the furo here…"
Leaning back, Ume glanced at the three shipgirls and smiled slightly, "The interior furo is actually quite large, big enough for all of us."
It went without saying that caused Harry to pause for a moment before he glanced at them, "When you say all of us…"
With a huff, Ishikari looked away, "W-well, it isn't a big deal, you know?" She then chewed her lip some as she lowered her voice, "And… you've already seen a lot of me."
That got a blush from him, but he still nodded slowly, "That's true enough, Ishikari-Chan…" When he looked at the others, they also nodded with their own smiles, something which caused him to relax a little, "True enough…"
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Right as he was about to enter the bathroom, Harry paused and turned to look at not just Ume and Sakura, but also Ishikari, Miitake, and Denryuu. Not saying anything for a few moments, he took a deep breath before releasing it softly, "Um, are you guys sure about this? I can take my bath later…"
Much to his surprise, Denryuu walked up and gently kissed him for a few moments before pulling back with a small smile on her face, "Hai, we're sure of this, Harry-Chan." Taking his hand in hers, she gave it a small squeeze, "All of us."
When he glanced at them, Miitake and Ishikari flushed, but nodded before the genki one of the sisters flashed him a grin and a victory sign, "She's right~ We don't mind at all~"
Flush deepening, the tsundere of the two looked away some before turning back to him slightly, "Miitake-Chan is right, Harry-Chan."
Very slowly, Harry nodded with a small smile on his face, "I just wanted to make sure."
Looking away, Ishikari scoffed, "Yeah, yeah… I mean, it is no big deal, right? Just having a bath and stuff…"
His lips twitching, the wizard nodded before opening the door and walking in with the others following.
Upon doing so, Harry did blink a little at seeing the bathtub, which resembled in many ways a barrel though bigger, filled with gently steaming water. Most of the floor itself was covered in tile and, off to one side, was a small shower unit. Looking around, Harry took in the bathroom and nodded some, "This… is really nice."
Giggles escaping her as she reached down for her Obi, Ume nodded, "Well, it is the house for the Base Commander, Harry-Chan, of course it would be nice."
Turning, he was about to comment when he noticed that the girls were all getting undressed, which made him blush, 'Speaking of nice…' Of course, within moments Harry internally cursed his hormones and began to metaphorically beat them with a spiked club. Shaking his head, the wizard took a deep breath before doing the same as the others, "Um, true enough…" Looking over his shoulder, Harry tilted his head some, "So, er… how are we going to be doing this?"
Rather than the Twins answering, it was instead Ishikari, "W-well, I mean, you can do our backs, arms, and legs…" At his blink, she flushed, "What? You already did that sort of s-stuff with me before. So n-nothing to make a big deal over, geez…"
His lips twitching, Harry chuckled a little, "That's true enough, Ishikari-Chan…"
Moments later, Miitake grinned and raised her finger, "I vote that we all wash Harry-Chan first, then he can wash us in return! I call his hair!"
Extremely amused, Ume and Sakura shook their heads before a gleam entered their eyes, "And we shall call his arms in such a case."
Needless to say, there was one flustered Tsundere Battlecruiser and Carrier who realized what that meant. And, after a quick game of janken, it was decided who would handle what between the two of them. Thus, when given the cloth a short time later, Ishikari began to gently wash his back, "Um, not that I particularly care or anything but, er… this does this feel good?"
Looking over his shoulder, Harry realized that her face was likely as red as his own, even as he nodded… and ignored the giggling Miitake who was making funny shapes out of his hair, "Hai, that feels very nice."
Flush deepening, Ishikari nodded some, "Well, that's good, I guess."
Of course, the smile on her face as she continued told those seeing it that she was actually rather happy.
Said happiness only increased a short time later when it was her turn and Harry began to wash her own back. Relaxing at his touch, Ishikari closed her eyes and hummed a little bit as she could feel him gently swipe the sudsy cloth over her skin. Each stroke showing the care that the wizard had for her as she could feel her boilers thrum in joy. As he finished with her legs, Harry looked up at her face and smiled some, "You have a pretty smile, Ishikari-Chan."
Cheeks once more becoming a deep red, Ishikari chewed her lip some and looked away, "W-well, I mean… thanks."
Briefly, she stole a kiss from him, which got a flustered look from the wizard in turn.
Miitake, when it came her turn, bit her lip and asked that he be gentle with her, which Harry assured her he would along with a kiss. To his slight amusement, while she was stiff at first, she relaxed like her sister as he continued… Though he did play with her sudsy hair to the amusement of both the genki Battlecruiser and her sister among the others. With Denryuu, it was much the same as the Carrier slowly relaxed as he worked with both the cloth and, after, the shampoo.
Once Ume and Sakura joined the others with Harry helping them get clean, the group of six all got into the tub with soft sighs as they relaxed. Watching as the Twins cuddled into the wizard's side, Ishikari could only smile even as a small part of her wished that it was her. And, glancing at her sister who was beside her, the Battlecruiser knew that she felt the same. Though, for right now, they decided to simply enjoy soaking in the hot bath as it was nice to do so together with the others.
Leaning back, Ishikari sighed as she closed her eyes, feeling her legs press up against Harry's, 'Yeah… this is definitely nice…'
Glancing at her, Harry gave a sigh before nodding, "Hai, I mean…" He made a motion with his hand before once more taking Ume's in it, "It just seems so sad and wasteful, you know? That they were so close to completion but then scrapped because some bloody idiot decided that they were not good enough…"
Frowns on their faces, the Twins nodded a little, "It is unfortunate for them, but that is what happened." A sigh then escaped them as they frowned, "Kamo cancelled them because he believed that they would not do for his 'Updated' plans at the time. Sadly, they were not the only such ships scrapped either in the slipways or to free crew for larger, more 'powerful' ships."
Pinching his nose, Harry took a deep breath before releasing it, "I know that I am going to regret this due to how stupid it likely is… but how bad?"
The glance that Ume and Sakura shared was enough of an answer even before they spoke, "Kamo was, very much, someone who believed that the country should reflect his own 'Greatness'. At the very end of the war, from our understanding through conversations with Aki-Kun, Kamo did not see himself as having failed and lost the war. Rather, he saw Japan as having failed him and losing the war that they should have won for his glory. Which does fit the man from the few times we observed him here."
Sakura then took over, "As you know, originally the Magical Imperial Japanese Navy consisted of a few Torpedo Boats, three Light Carriers, one Battleship, two Light Cruisers, and three Heavy Cruisers as well as a handful of small Submarines. This is not counting the Magical Imperial Auxiliary Fleets."
Blinking at that, he frowned some, "Magical Imperial Auxiliary Fleets?"
At the question, Ume grimaced along with her Twin before speaking, "You must understand, Harry-Chan, the Statute was not popular here in Asia, far from it. It took much effort to force it upon China followed by Japan. Korea held out for a decade or two more, using magic to try and block foreigners from reaching their shores. But, in time, they too were forced into accepting it. This generated a lot of hatred towards the ICW even as they toed the line."
Look of distaste on her face, Sakura continued where her sister had left off, "Of course, there were other effects as well. In China you had uprisings against both the 'Approved' Qing Ministry of Magic as well as ICW forces who were in the country to oversee the adoption of the Statute. The Taiping Rebellion on the magic side of things, for instance. With the Boxer Rebellion, unknown to most, they were led by magical martial artists on the magical side of the conflict who were nearly successful in driving out ICW forces, only for them to come back with more Aurors in a far worse crackdown. It was during that conflict that a number of Chinese magical schools burned and were destroyed in the fighting."
Frown on his face, Harry furrowed his eyebrows some, "I remember some of that being mentioned in my family's journals. Though they were there more for both business opportunities as well as getting knowledge in regards to local magics. I think that I had a great-great-great uncle who was drafted as an Auror and sent to Korea though…"
Only nodding, the Twins frowned some, "With Korea, there were also flare ups though not as many as with China. But the ICW was not happy either with how long it took to open up the nation in question. It did not help matters that in their magical schools, they had very much anti-ICW and anti-Statute leanings. The only nation in East Asia who was easy to make fall under the sway of both the ICW and the Statute was…"
Eyes widening as he remembered what he had learned from Haru and the others in regards to how the Statute was implemented in Japan, Harry sucked in a breath, "Was Japan since the magical side of the Boshin War practically destroyed the old Japanese Magical society…" Taking a breath, he released it with a wince, "Ah, bloody hell…"
Simply nodding, Sakura shook her head, "Hai, due to that, the flare ups in China, and the resistance to the Statute and ICW control as a whole in both Korea and China, Mahoutokoro was chosen as the only ICW approved school in all of East Asia, especially with its pro-Statute and pro-ICW leanings and teachings as part of an effort to catch up with the rest of the world on the magical side." She made a gesture with her hand, "Thus, if you were going to get any job higher up in the various Ministries that dealt with the ICW, one would need to go to Mahoutokoro where approved ICW classes were held."
With a shake of her head, Ume spoke softly, "Another thing to remember was that for the longest time before Kamo began to gain power, which happened in the late 1920s, the Magical government here in Japan was very much Pro-ICW for reasons other than it keeping them from being in trouble with the ICW. It also meant power and control. As long as they stayed pro-ICW and Statute? Blind eyes were turned to what they were doing to the other 'Unruly' nations. They could be as brutal as they wanted as long as it was in the name of preserving the Statute and preventing said nations from defying the ICW. When the non-Magical Japanese basically took control of Korea, the ICW basically shrugged at Magical Japan taking over Magical Korea and making the Korean Ministry subordinate. Same with parts of China as well during the 1920s and 1930s." A small sigh escaping from her, she shook her head, "Which is also why the Magical Imperial Navy started as they could use warships to threaten said nations under their guns."
Just frowning, her sister sighed some, "Which meant that, by the time Kamo came to power, there was a lot of anger and the like against the ICW and nations such as those in Europe and the Americans who were seen as forcing it upon them. Japan was also tarred with the same brush, we will note, being seen as lapdogs of the ICW. That was, until Kamo approached various factions in China and Korea. Asia for Asians he told them. Separately, none of them could fight the ICW. But together, as 'Brothers' in arms, they could win. To throw off the yoke of the Foreign powers. He even began devolving powers back to the nations under Japan's control on the magical side. Or at least giving the illusion of doing so, which was enough."
Now it was Harry's turn to blink slowly as he stared at them in disbelief, "They… believed him. They really believed what he was telling them…"
For their part, the Twins shook their heads, "We are unsure if they really believed him or decided that they could use him for their own ends. The Magical Government of Manchuria was mostly former Qing loyalists who had been chased from the rest of China. They may have believed Kamo only so far as he would help them retake China, at which point they could then kick him out. With Korea… they believed that the coming war would weaken Japan enough to break free, so any promises to that end would simply fall apart once they could strike. We are certain, and after talking with Aki-Kun, he believes as well, that Kamo knew this full well. Which is why he may have approached the Yokai of said countries through Royomaru for Korea and Akiko for China. He offered them their own kingdoms where they could live as they see fit through said emissaries. For the Korean Yokai such as the Kumiho, he would give them northern Karafuto, which was under Russian control, to build their kingdom once the coming war was finished. For the Chinese Yokai, he would gift them Hainan Island as their own kingdom."
Blinking at that, Harry furrowed his eyebrows, "Wait… I thought that the Kumiho and Huli-Jing had their own Kingdom, and Emperor…"
Simply nodding, Ume answered for them both, "You are right, Harry-Chan, they did indeed have their own Kingdom. And Kamo recognized their Emperor as being such, but the island in question is roughly between Jeju Island and Tsushima in size. However…" She shook her head a little bit, "It was not anywhere near the size of the section of Karafuto, or Sakhalin, that was not under Japanese control at that time. Nor was it near the size of Hainan Island. And considering how discriminated they were even before the ICW implemented the Statute for East Asia? The idea that they could form their own countries that they could rule themselves…"
Lips pursed together, the teenage wizard nodded a little, "Would have been extremely tempting for them…" Eyebrow raised, he frowned a little bit, "What sort of ships did they have?"
Pausing for a moment, the Twins slowly nodded some, "They were each given two 'Battleships', which resembled more the German Deutschland Class, but coming in at about nineteen thousand tons with six fourteen inch guns in two triple turrets. Of course, they were slower than even the Yamatai and less firepower. They were also given three Light Cruisers similar to the Ning Hai Cruisers, and finally four Torpedo Boats each with a number of Mine Sweepers. Taiwan was also given a Battleship, but also a Light Aircraft Carrier based on those we were building based on the Zuihou Class that was called the Hou Yi."
Harry didn't need to ask what happened to them after the war, as he had read how the ICW had forced practically everyone to scrap their major warships. Instead, he focused on another bit that he had heard, "So you were building Light Carriers based on the Zuihou Class?"
Nodding at that, Sakura smiled slightly, "Hai, I am unsure as to if you know, but the Zuihou Class was designed as Submarine Tenders, but able to be converted to either a Fast Oiler or a Light Carrier." At his nod and statement that he did know, she continued, "Rather than build and convert them, we instead designed them from the ground up as a Light Carrier and were building two of them in one of the docks, alongside two others built as Oilers…" The former Hitobashira shook her head, "From our understanding, the plan Captain Kaito developed involved him launching an attack on Schjetnan Reef using Yamatai and two of the Light Carriers as well as the Torpedo Boats when the time came for war to be declared with MACUSA, at the same time as Japan would fight the United States on the non-magical side. Meanwhile, at the same time, the two Carriers we built, possibly with others, would launch an attack on Panama alongside Monitors to do as much damage as possible to the locks there."
Ume then took over for her sister, "Finally, the two Battlecruisers would launch attacks on what was likely to be the undefended Alaskan mainland with Anchorage as one of the main targets, before making their way back along the Aleutians to hit targets of opportunity to make it easier for the incoming invasion forces."
Gobsmacked, the wizard stared at her, "… He was going to invade the US via Alaska…" Harry paused and frowned some before shaking his head, "I mean, there's easier methods of suicide considering how impossible it would be to get from Alaska to the rest of the Continental US."
Shaking her head, Sakura chuckled some, "Actually, it was never to invade the US, but rather as another blow to the morale of said country. He believed that the combination may well have caused the US to consider making peace, if only to buy time for a build-up while providing a place for Bombers to raid Canada from." When Harry nodded, she shrugged some and shook her head, "Of course, a great deal of it revolved around the idea that MACUSA would have Armed Merchant Cruisers, possibly some Destroyers or those tiny Light Cruisers they had. But…"
Very slowly, Harry raised an eyebrow at that, "But?"
The Twins shared a look before frowning a little, "Just after the war started, MACUSA revealed that they had a Battleship that they called the Emperor Norton in the Atlantic. It was soon joined by an Light Cruiser and a Carrier. This besides the three Battlecruisers MACUSA launched as well as an earlier Carrier. Enough of a force that they were a threat to the Magical Imperial Navy, thus he ordered the ships under construction scrapped because they would not work against such a force. And ordered new ships built, such as Ishikari-Chan here and-… Why are you laughing, Harry-Chan?"
Coughing some as he calmed down, Harry grinned at them, "Well… I did read up a bit about the magical side… That Battleship you mentioned? Called the Emperor Norton?" At the confused nods, he snickered a little, "Turns out that it was fake as was some of the other ships."
Pausing at that, Ume and Sakura slowly blinked in utter befuddlement, "… A fake?"
Hum escaping him as he nodded, the wizard's grin widened, "Hai, it had the hull and some guns as well as two boilers, but MACUSA was using it partially for training and partially as a fake-out against Grindelwald as they couldn't get anywhere under their power. Seems it worked against Kamo as well…"
It took a few moments, but the Twins began to giggle as did the shipgirls in utter amusement.
Not long afterwards, they reached their destination and Harry blinked some as he stared a little at the "Base Commander's House". Made of the same volcanic rock as much of the island, it was a two story building with what looked like a loft and was surprisingly large. Once more blinking, he raised his finger and pointed, "Is that really where we're staying?"
Unable to help themselves, Ume and Sakura giggled and nodded as they dragged him along, "Hai, this is the Base Commander's house, Harry-Chan. Hence, it is where we'll be staying for the night at the very least."
Only nodding slowly at that, he blinked some as he looked at the house, "Huh… more a small mansion really." Upon entering the building, Harry felt his eyebrows shoot up as everything was done in expensive woods with ironwork lanterns for the lighting, "Okay… this is a bit more impressive than I thought."
Coming up from behind him, Denryuu smiled as she placed her arms over his shoulders, "Hai, but it is perfect for you."
That only made Harry blush some before he smiled and kissed her, thanking her once they pulled apart which got a bashful look from the Carrier.
A short time later found the teenage wizard leaning back a little in his chair with a smile on his face as he let out a soft sigh of enjoyment while looking at his now empty plates. Shaking his head a little, Harry gave a grin towards Ume and Sakura, "Are the two of you attempting to take my place as a cook? Because I'm reasonably certain that you'll succeed."
Both Twins blushed and giggled at that as they polished off the last bit of their own dinner, "No, Harry-Chan, we would never do something like that." They then gave him a small smile, "Especially as we do enjoy your cooking as well." Moments later, however, Ume and Sakura blinked as Harry got up and began to gather the dishes, "Harry-Chan?"
Glancing at them, Harry smiled a bit, "Well, you both cooked dinner, so it is only fair that I do the dishes." Upon placing the dishes on the counter, he rolled up his sleeves some, "Shouldn't take very long."
With a look between them, Ume and Sakura shook their heads in amusement, "Of course… though once that is done, we believe that we should go and take a bath."
Eyebrow raised after he had paused, the wizard glanced at them, "Well, that does sound nice since we've been walking around all day. Though I haven't seen much in regards to the furo here…"
Leaning back, Ume glanced at the three shipgirls and smiled slightly, "The interior furo is actually quite large, big enough for all of us."
It went without saying that caused Harry to pause for a moment before he glanced at them, "When you say all of us…"
With a huff, Ishikari looked away, "W-well, it isn't a big deal, you know?" She then chewed her lip some as she lowered her voice, "And… you've already seen a lot of me."
That got a blush from him, but he still nodded slowly, "That's true enough, Ishikari-Chan…" When he looked at the others, they also nodded with their own smiles, something which caused him to relax a little, "True enough…"
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Right as he was about to enter the bathroom, Harry paused and turned to look at not just Ume and Sakura, but also Ishikari, Miitake, and Denryuu. Not saying anything for a few moments, he took a deep breath before releasing it softly, "Um, are you guys sure about this? I can take my bath later…"
Much to his surprise, Denryuu walked up and gently kissed him for a few moments before pulling back with a small smile on her face, "Hai, we're sure of this, Harry-Chan." Taking his hand in hers, she gave it a small squeeze, "All of us."
When he glanced at them, Miitake and Ishikari flushed, but nodded before the genki one of the sisters flashed him a grin and a victory sign, "She's right~ We don't mind at all~"
Flush deepening, the tsundere of the two looked away some before turning back to him slightly, "Miitake-Chan is right, Harry-Chan."
Very slowly, Harry nodded with a small smile on his face, "I just wanted to make sure."
Looking away, Ishikari scoffed, "Yeah, yeah… I mean, it is no big deal, right? Just having a bath and stuff…"
His lips twitching, the wizard nodded before opening the door and walking in with the others following.
Upon doing so, Harry did blink a little at seeing the bathtub, which resembled in many ways a barrel though bigger, filled with gently steaming water. Most of the floor itself was covered in tile and, off to one side, was a small shower unit. Looking around, Harry took in the bathroom and nodded some, "This… is really nice."
Giggles escaping her as she reached down for her Obi, Ume nodded, "Well, it is the house for the Base Commander, Harry-Chan, of course it would be nice."
Turning, he was about to comment when he noticed that the girls were all getting undressed, which made him blush, 'Speaking of nice…' Of course, within moments Harry internally cursed his hormones and began to metaphorically beat them with a spiked club. Shaking his head, the wizard took a deep breath before doing the same as the others, "Um, true enough…" Looking over his shoulder, Harry tilted his head some, "So, er… how are we going to be doing this?"
Rather than the Twins answering, it was instead Ishikari, "W-well, I mean, you can do our backs, arms, and legs…" At his blink, she flushed, "What? You already did that sort of s-stuff with me before. So n-nothing to make a big deal over, geez…"
His lips twitching, Harry chuckled a little, "That's true enough, Ishikari-Chan…"
Moments later, Miitake grinned and raised her finger, "I vote that we all wash Harry-Chan first, then he can wash us in return! I call his hair!"
Extremely amused, Ume and Sakura shook their heads before a gleam entered their eyes, "And we shall call his arms in such a case."
Needless to say, there was one flustered Tsundere Battlecruiser and Carrier who realized what that meant. And, after a quick game of janken, it was decided who would handle what between the two of them. Thus, when given the cloth a short time later, Ishikari began to gently wash his back, "Um, not that I particularly care or anything but, er… this does this feel good?"
Looking over his shoulder, Harry realized that her face was likely as red as his own, even as he nodded… and ignored the giggling Miitake who was making funny shapes out of his hair, "Hai, that feels very nice."
Flush deepening, Ishikari nodded some, "Well, that's good, I guess."
Of course, the smile on her face as she continued told those seeing it that she was actually rather happy.
Said happiness only increased a short time later when it was her turn and Harry began to wash her own back. Relaxing at his touch, Ishikari closed her eyes and hummed a little bit as she could feel him gently swipe the sudsy cloth over her skin. Each stroke showing the care that the wizard had for her as she could feel her boilers thrum in joy. As he finished with her legs, Harry looked up at her face and smiled some, "You have a pretty smile, Ishikari-Chan."
Cheeks once more becoming a deep red, Ishikari chewed her lip some and looked away, "W-well, I mean… thanks."
Briefly, she stole a kiss from him, which got a flustered look from the wizard in turn.
Miitake, when it came her turn, bit her lip and asked that he be gentle with her, which Harry assured her he would along with a kiss. To his slight amusement, while she was stiff at first, she relaxed like her sister as he continued… Though he did play with her sudsy hair to the amusement of both the genki Battlecruiser and her sister among the others. With Denryuu, it was much the same as the Carrier slowly relaxed as he worked with both the cloth and, after, the shampoo.
Once Ume and Sakura joined the others with Harry helping them get clean, the group of six all got into the tub with soft sighs as they relaxed. Watching as the Twins cuddled into the wizard's side, Ishikari could only smile even as a small part of her wished that it was her. And, glancing at her sister who was beside her, the Battlecruiser knew that she felt the same. Though, for right now, they decided to simply enjoy soaking in the hot bath as it was nice to do so together with the others.
Leaning back, Ishikari sighed as she closed her eyes, feeling her legs press up against Harry's, 'Yeah… this is definitely nice…'
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The more history we get on the ICW, the more it becomes apparent that the sole purpose of that organization is enforcing the Statute of Secrecy, with a few odds and ends that have been tacked on through the decades to make it look like a respectable diplomatic organization. One has to wonder how well it's going to hold up after the Statute shatters.
