25 Broken Camera

One week already passed since the battle. The report regarding the battle already gathered and all Admiral could see the result there. A lot of Ship Girls sunk at the battle and now there a lot of new Ship Girl that looks like a stranger for some Admiral.

And today all Admiral gathers at the courtyard and wearing a black Admiral attires. All of them mourning for their comrades that killed that day. Okazaki Kimura is officially deceased and today is his funeral ceremony.

"... Thank you..." says Mo as he finished his speech regarding Kimura.

He then steps down from the podium and with that, the ceremony continues. All of the Admirals are quiet and looks down for a while. After that, all of them could hear the gun salvo together with the music. And together with that, all Admiral puts their hat on their chest as they hoping for Kimura safety at the afterlife.

After the ceremony finished, Haruto could see two Admiral approaching him. Both of them are Megumi and Akihiko. He knows why both of them approaching him, then he sighs, and says,

"I don't know where he is... It's like he is avoiding the three of us."

"We know about that..." says Megumi

"Then, why did both of you comes to me?" ask Haruto

"I believe you are the only one who could help us to talk with him," says Akihiko

"Hehehe... Am I the only one who could do that?" ask Haruto once more

"Yes."

Haruto then sighs again and says,

"He doesn't hear me at all... You could say that I am only talking to a wall after we arrived at Yokosuka."

"..."

"What I saw back then was someone who exhausted mentally... Especially after I saw Aoba ignored me back then."

"But... I believe..."

"No... It's useless for me to do that. Either way, it's meaningless for me to ask him."

Megumi and Akihiko look down after hearing that and then they could hear Haruto says,

"I don't believe I am the one who could help him... But, I believe both of you could do that."

"Why did you think that?" asked Megumi

"Probably a hunch..."

Haruto then looks around him and could see Viltus who standstill and looks above him. He then sighs and says,

"Every Admiral here blame him for what happen to Kimura... But, I know that Viltus gave him the location after Kimura force him. It's because of Kimura stubbornness."

"We know about that..." says Akihiko

"That's why we didn't blame him." continues Megumi

"Then, how about both of you cheers him out? I remember that only both of you and him already get permission to enter his room and takes some of his belonging for memoirs," says Haruto as he still looks at Viltus.

Megumi and Akihiko look at the direction and could see Viltus there. Haruto then start to move and says,

"Just report it to me what happens to him... I believe with both of you."

"Wait!"

Haruto continues to move and ignores their plea. Akihiko and Megumi nod to each other and start to walk to Viltus. When they approach him, they could see a sleepless face and regretful face. His eyes are lifeless and full of guilt. Akihiko and Megumi surprised to see that and Megumi says,

"Viltus..."

"Did both of you are going to blame me? I'm ready to hear that..." says Viltus without looking at them

"No.. we are not going to do that," answer Akihiko

Viltus looks at them with a puzzled face and asks,

"What are you going to do then?"

"We already get the permission to enter Kimura's room... So, could you go with both of us?" asked Megumi

Hearing that Viltus looks away and starts to move away from there. But, Akihiko holds him and says,

"Viltus... Please come with us."

Viltus didn't answer him and that makes both of them really worried about him. Not long after that, Viltus laughs a little and says,

"So... This is your torture, huh?"

"Eh?"

"By making me walks to his room and sees other people glare at me like a convict. That's great."

"No... We are not going to do that!" says Megumi

"..."

"Please, Viltus... Kimura will really mad if you act like that." continues Megumi

"..."

"Please..."

"You have the right to mad at me... He also has the right to mad at me... I just..."

Without any warning, Akihiko punches Viltus and that surprised Megumi. After that, Akihiko takes a deep breath and says,

"Until when are you going to run away from this? Until when are you going to act this way?"

"..."

"Haa... Just follow both of us, please. We want you to take some memoir about him." continues Akihiko

"Could I really take any of his belonging after I sent him to his death? I doubt it..." ask Viltus

"Kimura will gladly let you..."

Viltus only looks away and stands up. He remains silent for a while, then starts to walk, and says,

"I will go... But, I don't think I could stay there for a long time..."

Akihiko and Megumi then pat his head and start to walk to Kimura's office room. After the three of them arrived there, the guard says that every Kimura's belongings are stored there before all of them will be destroyed the next day. And the three of them could take as many items as they like for their memoir.

The three of them nod to the guard and start to enter the room. The one that Viltus sees is Kimura's camera at the table. Viltus takes the camera and sees the condition of the camera. The camera still works fine, but there is a scratch on the glass. He observes it for so many times until he turns it on. He then checks around the gallery and sees the photograph of himself with Kimura, Haruto, and Shiro when they first time appointed at Yokosuka.

While Viltus looks around the camera, Akihiko and Megumi look around the room and search for something. Megumi finds a photo album and looks inside it. She could see the image that already taken by Kimura while he still around at Yokosuka. Not long after that, she sees one small book there. Meanwhile, Akihiko finds a small box at one of the compartment and looks inside it. Two small rings. Akihiko takes a deep breath and then hears Megumi says,

"Viltus..."

"..."

"Viltus... Hey..."

"Ah... What is it?" ask Viltus

"Here... Read this book."

"That book... Isn't that his diary?"

"Yes... Just read this book."

Viltus takes the book and reads it thoroughly. After he finished reading the diary, he takes the album and looks around it. He could see a lot of Aoba's photo and then he mumbles,

"Am I really could repent it?"

Akihiko and Megumi look at Viltus and then they could hear he says,

"I will give all of it to her."

"Her?" ask Akihiko

"Yes... To Aoba," answer Viltus

"Are you sure about that? She says that she..." says Akihiko that being interrupted by Megumi,

"Please, give them to her..."

Viltus looks at Megumi for a while and then smiles a little bit. The smile that missing from him from past one week. He then says,

"So this is indeed your punishment..."

"Half of it..." answer Megumi as he gives Kimura's camera to Viltus

"Eh..."

"Just make sure Aoba comes back to all of us again. I believe you are the one who could do that," says Megumi

Viltus quiet for a while and then walks towards Akihiko. He then takes the small box and says,

"I will give it to her tonight. Just let me go alone..."

"Are you sure about that?" ask Akihiko

"I'm sure... I will give the details to both of you tomorrow."

Megumi and Akihiko really surprised with Viltus sudden change and they want to say something to him. But, Viltus forcefully smile at them and leave them there. Akihiko then says,

"I can't believe he could handle his guilt really fast."

"Rather than he could handle this, more like he put a mask on it," says Megumi

"Eh?"

"So, we will not bother him at anymore... Really, why did you want to do all of it alone?"

"..."

"But, what could I do to him? That's our Viltus, right?"

Akihiko nods at Megumi and starts to search any item for them to take, including one bottle of Vodka that they think is a payment for Viltus regarding something.

That night, Viltus move slowly towards the Ship Girl dorm with Kimura's belonging that he will give to Aoba. He follows his instinct in order to pass the guard and bring the key that Kimura always uses to open the back door. After one hour, he arrived at the dorm and enter the building. He walks aimlessly until she sees two women walking together. Both of them are Houshou and Taihou. He then says,

"Houshou! Taihou!"

Both of them are really surprised to hear someone calls them in the middle of the night. When they look behind them, they could see Viltus that walking towards them with a lot of items. Viltus then bows to the two of them and both of them also bow to him. After that Houshou says,

"It's really rare for you to come here, especially after you avoided all of us in the past one week."

"Well..." says Viltus

"Then, are you going to hold that party again?" ask Houshou

"No."

"Then, why are you here?"

"Could you tell me Aoba's room?" ask Viltus

Hearing Aoba being mentioned by Viltus, Houshou immediately looks at Viltus and says,

"What are you going to do to Aoba? You know, the higher up already interrogate her a lot. Are you going to do the same to her? You are really a demon."

Viltus didn't answer her but continues to look at both of them. Taihou who quiet all of the time suddenly look at Viltus face and she knows what Viltus intention by going there that night. She then takes a deep breath and says,

"Aoba' room located on the second floor at the southern side of this dorm. You could take the stair there and go to the left."

"Taihou! Why did you tell him?" ask Houshou

"Thank you very much, Taihou. I appreciate it," says Viltus as he smiles at her.

"In exchange, please return the smile from the most energetic Ship Girl in this Naval Base to us, Admiral Amarov," says Taihou

"I will."

Viltus then leaves both of them and start to walk to Aoba's room. Meanwhile, Houshou looks at Taihou dan asks her again,

"Why did you tell him?"

"I don't know..." says Taihou

"Huh?"

"It's just it feels so nostalgic by seeing his eye."

"..."

"And I have a hunch that he could do that, so I tell him," says Taihou as she laughs a little

Houshou looks at Taihou for a while, takes a deep breath, and says,

"Then, could you look after him?"

"Eh?"

"Just go."

"Alright..."

Taihou then leaves Houshou that really worried about Viltus. After Taihou leaves her, Houshou then says,

"At least... Everything that you hope little by little become a reality, Kimura. Hope you happy to see all of it."