"Abyssal Ships" as they were called, appeared in the place I belonged to.

Our own strength was completely useless against them.

On a certain day, those with shapes of girls called "ship girls" were then assigned to places including Sasebo.

Those girls proved to be very effective against Abyssal Ships.

It was a great feat coming from those young and beautiful girls.

It was at that moment that I realized that we're already warhorses.

The sea that was once the battlefield I thought I belonged to, was now a grand stage for those girls.

The only things we can do were hiding behind the line, giving orders and watching over those girls—

and removing those mines for them to fight easier.

Throbbing pain on the feet, exhilaration from running first through the waves, thundering sound in our stomachs when guns are fired—those things were not for us anymore.

One after another, my comrades who once went through the same battles as me, left the navy.

I understood their feelings; when one couldn't adapt themselves to the new battles. I understood it excruciatingly well.