"In the morning, before the Northern Princess left, she ordered three hundred and sixty servings of Sushi and took them to go." The Inn Owner explained.
Illustrious shouted toward the sky: "Damn it! Northern Princess, don't let me see you again!"
...A month later, sunlight shone into the room. Illustrious was awakened by the Alarm Clock, got up, and changed from her Pajamas into a White Off-Shoulder Dress.
After eating breakfast, Illustrious went to the Royal Navy Dormitory. The reason she came here was that Intrepid had said yesterday that her strength was too weak, so she wanted to spar with Illustrious to improve her Combat Experience.
There are only two ways for a Gold-Plated Ship Girl to increase her Proficiency: one is through combat, and the second is by absorbing azure crystal. However, azure crystal is too expensive, so most Ship Girls choose to improve through combat.
Arriving at Intrepid's room, Illustrious pressed the Doorbell.
The door opened quickly. Intrepid smiled. "Elder Sister, you're here. Come in and sit down! I've brewed tea for you."
"No need, let's hurry to the Exercise Ground!"
"Are you really sure? The Dessert is Strawberry Cake!"
"Strawberry Cake!" Illustrious immediately changed her mind. "Since you've already prepared it, it would be a waste not to eat it. Let's eat first and then go!"
Intrepid smiled. She knew her Elder Sister loved Strawberry Cake the most. Her real goal today was to deepen their relationship with her Elder Sister, and if she could push her Elder Sister down, that would be even better.
The two sat in chairs, looking at the Strawberry Cake. Illustrious picked up her Spoon. "It looks good! I won't hold back then."
After taking a bite, Illustrious praised it. "Mmm! It's so delicious! Cake really is best when it's Strawberry Cake!"
"Elder Sister, you have some around your mouth. Let me wipe it for you." Intrepid wiped the Cake residue from Illustrious's mouth and then ate it herself.
Illustrious blushed slightly. "Um, Intrepid! Although we are Sister Ships, we should still pay attention to some things. It wouldn't be good if others talked about us if we went too far."
Intrepid didn't mind. "No one will. This is just normal affection between sisters. No one will speak ill of us."
Illustrious sighed. It seemed she was being too sensitive, always afraid that Azuma would get angry if she saw them, even though Azuma wasn't here.
After finishing the Cake and drinking the Black Tea, Illustrious said faintly, "Intrepid! It's time for us to go to the Exercise Ground, right?"
"Elder Sister, don't rush. Let's play a Game first, okay?" Intrepid grabbed Illustrious's arm and pleaded.
"This... fine! But only for half an hour!" Seeing the look in Intrepid's eyes that suggested she wouldn't go to the Exercise Ground otherwise, Illustrious could only nod in agreement.
"I knew Sister was the best to me. I love you so much."
"So, what are we playing?"
Intrepid took a box of Chocolate sticks from the table. "Let's play the Chocolate stick game!"
"What's so fun about this?" Illustrious was completely puzzled.
"Of course it's fun! Let me explain the rules. First, I'll put one end of the Chocolate stick in my mouth, and you come and take the other end. When I raise my left hand, we'll both eat our way forward. Whoever bites it off first loses."
"This game doesn't sound proper at all. Let's play something else!"
"No! I want to play this. Sister, don't forget, you promised to play a game with me. You can't go back on your word. Now, let's begin!" Intrepid didn't give Illustrious a chance to refuse; she immediately put a Chocolate stick in her mouth.
"I really can't do anything with you." Illustrious could only brace herself and go for it. In her mind, as long as she bit off the Chocolate stick just before their lips touched, nothing would happen.
Although she might lose, Illustrious thought it was much better than something improper happening between them. Azuma was her fiancée now, and they were getting married soon. If she didn't focus and Azuma found out, it would be bad.
The two of them continued eating the Chocolate stick with blushing faces. Just as they were about to kiss, Illustrious prepared to bite it off.
But Illustrious failed because Intrepid was faster. She suddenly ate a large portion of the chocolate, catching Illustrious off guard, and in the end, their lips met.
Intrepid's kiss was sweet and fragrant, like a honey peach, making it hard not to get lost in it.
Just as she was about to slip her tongue into Intrepid's mouth, Azuma's gentle and sweet smile suddenly flashed in Illustrious's mind. At the thought of that smile, Illustrious instantly lost interest in Intrepid and pulled away from her cherry lips.
But just as she was about to pull away, Illustrious saw a flash. After blinking, Illustrious froze. The source of that flash was a phone in Intrepid's right hand, which had captured a photo of her and Intrepid kissing.
Intrepid looked at the photo and said happily, "Great! This is my first kiss with Sister. I'm going to save it and then send it to everyone to see."
Hearing that Intrepid was going to show it to others, Illustrious nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood. If her Ship Girls, especially Azuma, saw this, it would be a disaster!
"Intrepid! Quickly delete that photo for me."
"No! This is a beautiful memory of me and Sister. How could I delete it?"
Illustrious didn't care about any of that. She immediately snatched Intrepid's phone and quickly deleted the kissing photo.
Once the photo was deleted, Illustrious breathed a sigh of relief.
Returning the phone to Intrepid, Illustrious warned, "Don't go taking random photos in the future, or a world war will break out in our Naval Base."
Seeing the photo gone, Intrepid became upset. "Waaa... Sister, you're so mean, actually deleting my photo."
Illustrious said calmly, "It's wrong to take photos without permission! So don't blame me, Intrepid. This was all your fault to begin with."
"Sister! If you think it ends like this, you're too naive. I'll show you—even if you delete the photo, I can still get it back." Intrepid immediately began operating her phone.
Illustrious smiled and said, "Don't be silly. Once a photo is deleted from a phone, it's gone. Do you think it's like a computer with a Recycle Bin where you can recover it?"
After a moment, Intrepid held the phone up to Illustrious. "Done. Sister, look, what's this?"
Seeing the photo she had just deleted back again, Illustrious was in disbelief. "How is this possible? I clearly deleted it just now! How did you do it?"
"Using Qiandu Cloud! Luckily, I uploaded it to the cloud before you deleted it, otherwise I really might not have been able to get it back!"
"So that's how it is!" Illustrious realized, then said, "Then quickly delete the kissing photo from the cloud for me."
"No!" Intrepid refused without a second thought.
"Intrepid! Don't push me, or I'll have to spank your little bottom." Illustrious raised her hand threateningly.
"Go ahead! Spank me! If you dare hit me, I really will send the photo to the other Ship Girls."
Illustrious was almost in tears. Hitting didn't work, scolding didn't work; in the end, she could only raise both hands in surrender. "I give up. Name your conditions! What will it take for you to delete the photo?"
"If you want me to delete it, that's fine, as long as you promise me one thing."
"Fine! But let me make one thing clear first." Illustrious crossed her arms and leaned back slightly. "Nothing lewd!"
Intrepid gave a faint smile. "That would be nice too, but don't worry, the thing I'm asking you to do is well within your power."
"Then just say it!" As long as that photo wasn't deleted, Illustrious wouldn't feel at ease!
Intrepid smiled mysteriously. "I can't say yet. I'll tell you when the time comes."
Illustrious reminded her, "Then you mustn't let any other Ship Girls see that photo, do you hear me?"
Intrepid nodded. "Don't worry! I know what I'm doing. I know what can be done and what can't."
"Alright, let's continue the Chocolate stick game! There are still plenty left!" Intrepid put another Chocolate stick in her mouth and signaled for Illustrious to come over.
"Again? Let's not!" Illustrious said reluctantly.
Intrepid looked at Illustrious with a beaming squint, took out her phone with her left hand, and turned the screen toward Illustrious.
Looking at the photo on the phone, Illustrious knew she had no right to refuse. In the end, she could only obediently take the other end of the Chocolate stick.
After they finished the whole box of Chocolate sticks, they finally arrived at the Exercise Field.
"Sister! You have to go easy on me!" Intrepid said softly.
"Don't worry! I will." As if! How dare you threaten your sister; I'll show you what's what in a moment. Illustrious was already planning to give Intrepid a harsh lesson.
"rigging—Activate!" Countless blue cubes appeared out of thin air around Illustrious, and before long, they transformed into Aircraft Carrier rigging in her hands.
Creating some distance from Intrepid and looking at her as she also manifested her rigging, Illustrious shouted, "Are you ready, Intrepid?"
"I'm ready, Sister! Let's begin!" Intrepid shouted back.
"Fighters! Launch!" Under Illustrious's control, five Carrier-based aircraft immediately appeared on the deck. Their propellers spun rapidly, and after taxiing across the deck, they soared into the sky toward Intrepid.
Seeing Illustrious launch her aircraft, Intrepid immediately launched five of her own.
As the two sets of Fighters encountered each other, they immediately engaged in a fierce dogfight.
Illustrious used to be a Legendary Ship Girl. Although her strength had been sealed and reduced to that of a Gold-Plated Ship Girl, even then, she wasn't someone a newly built Aircraft Carrier like Intrepid could handle.
Illustrious's aircraft moved into a wedge formation, while Intrepid's aircraft had no formation to speak of. Right at the start, two of Intrepid's Fighters were shot down.
After dealing with two of Intrepid's planes, Illustrious's aircraft split into two groups to perform a pincer attack on the remaining ones.
Intrepid's aircraft couldn't understand why Illustrious's other three planes were flying straight up into the sky.
The battlefield changed in an instant. Intrepid could only act immediately, maneuvering her remaining two aircraft to attack the two planes in front of her.
However, just as they were about to attack Illustrious's two planes, Intrepid's aircraft were destroyed and sent crashing by the three planes that suddenly appeared behind them.
"So flying straight up was for a sneak attack from behind! Sister, I didn't expect you to be so shameless!"
"You're wrong. This isn't being shameless; it's called strategy!"
"Curse you! Don't get happy too soon." Intrepid was very indignant; she didn't believe she would lose to her sister so quickly. "Carrier-based aircraft, all units launch!"
Plane after plane flew off Intrepid's rigging deck, heading toward Illustrious like lightning.
Illustrious shook her head and said, "Intrepid! Your control is far too clumsy, and your movements are too simple. They're obvious to the enemy. How could you possibly defeat me like this?"
Operating her rigging, Illustrious also launched all of her aircraft.
Each of them had over seventy aircraft. Once they took to the sky, they literally darkened the heavens.
Upon entering attack range, the aircraft from both sides began a fierce assault.
After five minutes, all of Intrepid's aircraft were completely wiped out, while not a single one of Illustrious's planes had been shot down.
Intrepid slumped onto the sea's surface, a look of disappointment on her face. "How can this be? I didn't even shoot down one of Sister's planes. Am I really that bad? Or is Sister just too powerful?"
Illustrious came over to Intrepid. "Of course it's because I'm too powerful, so don't be sad. And I believe that as long as you work hard, Sister, one day you'll be as strong as me, and maybe even surpass me in the future."
Intrepid said with a lack of confidence, "Really? Can someone like me really do that?"
"Of course you can, because you are my cute little sister!"
"I understand. Sister, I will work hard."
Illustrious said with satisfaction, "That's the spirit! Well then, today's training ends here."
After leaving the Exercise Field, the two walked toward the Royal Navy Dorms.
Halfway there, Illustrious ran into Azuma. "Azuma! Hello! Where are you going?"
"Where else? To find you!" Azuma said grumpily. "I didn't see a trace of you all morning. Where did you run off to?"
Illustrious immediately explained, "Nowhere special, just helping Intrepid improve her proficiency. Why? Did you need something?"
"What else could it be? To drag you back to the Admiral's Office to work, of course! There's a whole pile of documents on the desk waiting for you to review!" Azuma grabbed Illustrious and began pulling her toward the Admiral's Office.
Illustrious's face went pale when she heard about the documents. She immediately shouted to Intrepid, "Intrepid! Save me! I don't want to go back to work!"
Intrepid laughed and, instead of helping, raised her hand and waved. "Sister! Take care! Make sure to work hard when you get back!"
"Intrepid! You're actually leaving me to my fate? I hate you." Illustrious couldn't help but feel sorrowful. "It really is true that sisters are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways!"
Azuma turned her head to correct her, "Admiral! You said it wrong. It should be: Husband and wife are like birds in the same forest."
"That's not the point. I clearly finished reviewing all the documents yesterday. How can there be another huge pile today?"
"You ate yesterday, so why are you eating again today? So, Admiral, yesterday was yesterday, and today is today. They are two different things."
Illustrious was stunned for a moment, then said, "You have a point. I'm actually speechless."
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