KanColle X Devil May Cry: Devil Trigger Protocol

Devil May Cry Naval Base, Command Office

Dante, Suzuya, Kitakami, and Ooi sat in the command office.

"Tei-to-kuuu, I'm so bored…" Suzuya groaned, sprawled across the sofa.

"It's naptime," Dante muttered.

"Pay attention to me!" Suzuya whined.

"Didn't you say you were scared of the Admiral?" Dante asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're scary, but not that scary!" she shot back.

"…Which is it?" Dante sighed.

"I mean, this Admiral isn't scary!" Suzuya clarified.

"You were cooler before we saw your real face. Total wild child," Dante teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?! Rude!" Suzuya huffed.

"Kitakami-san, who is this guy?" Ooi asked, glancing at Dante. "He's always sleeping."

"That's just how the Admiral is," Kitakami said. "He only gets motivated when pizza or strawberry sundaes are on the line."

As Ooi and Kitakami chatted on the sofa, Ooyodo entered the room.

"Excuse me, Admiral. There's a job request from a resident," she said.

Dante yawned. "From that look, it's another boring one, huh?"

"Pretty much," Ooyodo admitted.

"Those three are free," Dante said, nodding toward Suzuya, Kitakami, and Ooi.

"Kitakami-san, it's the usual," Ooyodo said.

"Got it," Kitakami replied.

"…" Suzuya and Ooi exchanged confused glances, trailing after Kitakami.

Port Town, Residential Area

"It's gone missing again. Can you help?" the woman asked.

"I'll find it, as usual. Wait here, ma'am," Kitakami said, handling the conversation with ease.

The house had a pet kitten—playful, prone to wandering off, and frequently getting lost. The woman made requests every time it happened, so Kitakami was used to this routine.

"(Our first mission as shipgirls… is finding a cat?)" Suzuya and Ooi thought, bewildered.

The trio headed out to search for the kitten.

"Um, Kitakami-san?" Ooi asked, forcing a smile to mask her confusion. "Why are we, shipgirls, looking for a cat?"

"Back when the base ran out of funds, we started a side hustle as a handyman service," Kitakami explained. "That's when we began taking jobs like this."

"What is that man thinking?!" Ooi fumed. "Making you do menial tasks like this, Kitakami-san!"

"Easy, Ooi-cchi," Kitakami said. "People don't exactly love shipgirls, you know? Helping residents like this makes them more accepting of us around here. It's not all bad."

"…If you say so, Kitakami-san, I'll go along with it," Ooi said reluctantly.

"I said I was bored, but this isn't what I meant!" Suzuya grumbled.

"Then go back, Suzuya-san," Ooi said with a saccharine smile. "Kitakami-san and I can handle it."

"No way! Going back means more boredom!" Suzuya protested. "I'm helping!"

"Tch… read the room," Ooi muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Suzuya snapped.

"Play nice, you two," Kitakami said. "Let's go."

"Where do we start?" Ooi asked.

"There's a stray boss cat who runs this area," Kitakami said. "It often finds lost kittens and looks after them. Let's check there first."

"(She knows way too much about this…)" Suzuya and Ooi thought.

They headed to the boss cat's usual spot, but…

"Huh? Not here today," Kitakami said.

"Now what?" Suzuya asked.

"Let's ask around," Kitakami said. "It's a white kitten with a red bell collar and a pink ribbon on its tail. Split up and gather info."

The trio began questioning residents.

One Hour Later

"No luck at all," Suzuya groaned.

"Worse, no one's seen any cats today," Ooi added.

"Same here. That's weird," Kitakami said, crossing her arms. "Normally, you'd spot a stray or two, but nothing today."

"Now that you mention it…" Ooi said.

"Haven't seen a single cat," Suzuya agreed.

They exchanged puzzled looks.

"Other pet owners said their cats are missing too," Kitakami added, having learned this during their inquiries.

"All the cats in town, gone? That's impossible, right?" Suzuya said.

"Guess we keep looking on foot," Kitakami said.

They scoured the districts but found no trace of cats.

"Hey, what's this place?" Suzuya asked, pointing to an old iron door.

"I'm not sure," Kitakami said. "It's slightly open, though…"

"Do we check it out?" Suzuya asked warily.

"I'll ask the neighbors what this is," Kitakami said, heading to a nearby house.

"Suzuya-san, go check it out alone," Ooi said.

"What?! No way!" Suzuya protested.

"I'm not letting Kitakami-san go into a filthy place like that!" Ooi snapped.

"I'm not going in alone!" Suzuya shot back.

As they argued, Kitakami returned. "Sorry for the wait. It's an abandoned tunnel, not used anymore."

"Why's there an abandoned tunnel in a port town?" Ooi wondered.

"No one knows," Kitakami said. "It's from way back, and even the locals don't know its purpose."

"So… we're going in?" Suzuya asked, clearly uneasy.

"It's the only place left to check," Kitakami said casually.

Suzuya hesitated. "Call the Admiral!"

"No way he's coming," Kitakami said. "It's just cat hunting, not demons."

"But what if there are demons?!" Suzuya cried.

"No chance," Kitakami laughed. "We've got no choice but to check it out."

"What a hassle," Ooi muttered.

"Noooo!" Suzuya wailed as Kitakami and Ooi dragged her into the tunnel.

Meanwhile, Dante was…

"Mamiya, pizza, hold the olives. Last time had olives," Dante said.

"We're out of ingredients…" Mamiya replied.

"Then a strawberry sundae," Dante said.

"That's out too…"

"…"

Abandoned Tunnel

"It's dark in here… Oh, a switch!" Kitakami said, flipping it. Incandescent bulbs flickered on, but the light was dim, casting eerie shadows.

"Power's still on?" Ooi said, surprised.

"Now that's atmosphere," Kitakami said, grinning.

"No demons, but maybe ghosts… Let's get out of here!" Suzuya whimpered.

"Didn't you say you didn't believe in that stuff?" Ooi asked.

"Not after getting possessed by a demon!" Suzuya retorted.

Suddenly, the tunnel door slammed shut.

"Eek!" Ooi yelped, trying to open it. "It won't budge!"

"This place is weird!" Suzuya said.

"More atmosphere, huh?" Kitakami said, though she was inwardly rattled.

"What now, Kitakami-san?" Ooi asked.

"Only one way—forward," Kitakami said.

The door was sealed, so they pressed on. They found side rooms filled with crates and unknown equipment, but no cats. After a while, they reached a fork in the tunnel.

"What now? Split up to cover more ground?" Kitakami suggested.

"Then you and I take that path, Kitakami-san!" Ooi said eagerly.

For Suzuya, this was no joke. "No way! Absolutely not! You know what happens in movies when people split up in places like this? They disappear one by one! You never split up!"

Kitakami thought it over. "Fine, we stick together."

"Tch… there goes my chance to be alone with Kitakami-san," Ooi muttered.

A cat's meow echoed through the tunnel, but the sound bounced, making it impossible to pinpoint.

"That was a cat, right?" Ooi asked.

"Yeah, but I can't tell which way," Kitakami said.

"Why's a cat in this creepy place?" Suzuya whined. "If I were a cat, I'd never come here!"

As they spoke, a cat appeared from one path.

"Why's it here?" Kitakami said, pulling out a cat toy from who-knows-where and approaching. She crouched and waved it, but—

"Ow!" The cat scratched her.

"How dare you hurt Kitakami-san, you beast!" Ooi shouted.

"Weird… it usually plays along," Kitakami said, shaken by the cat's aggression.

Suzuya noticed something. "Guys, look behind it!"

A horde of cats emerged from the tunnel, all hissing at them.

"Kitakami-san…" Ooi said nervously.

"Yeah, this is bad," Kitakami admitted.

The menacing atmosphere made them step back.

"Run!" Suzuya yelled.

They turned and fled, the cat horde chasing them.

"Admiral, help!" Suzuya screamed, calling for someone who wasn't there.

Meanwhile, Dante…

"Why am I running errands?" Dante grumbled. "Making an Admiral do this? And no pizza here either. What a drag."

After missing out on pizza at the cafeteria, Dante had gone to town, only to be roped into shopping by Houshou. She'd sent him to the port town—the same place Kitakami, Ooi, and Suzuya were.

One Hour Later

Still fleeing the cats, the trio navigated the unfamiliar tunnels. They burst into a wide, dimly lit chamber.

"I'm exhausted," Suzuya panted.

"Kitakami-san, is your hand okay?" Ooi asked.

"I'm fine," Kitakami said. "What is this place?"

"It's massive compared to the other rooms," Ooi said.

"I smell humans," a voice purred from the shadows. A massive, sinister cat-like creature emerged, barely recognizable as a cat.

"What is that?" Suzuya gasped.

"It's huge…" Ooi said, stunned.

"Humans in a place like this?" the creature said.

"It talks? And it's massive!" Kitakami said.

"You saw Cerberus at the base," Ooi said. "Big talking dogs exist, so why not cats?"

"You know the Cerberus clan, human?" the creature said in a syrupy tone to Kitakami.

"You know them too, so you're a demon?" Kitakami asked.

"Exactly. I'm thrilled you came as my feast," it purred.

"No cat's eating me!" Ooi snapped defiantly.

Suzuya scanned for anything useful and pointed. "There!"

A gray cat lay bleeding, a kitten beside it.

"The boss cat?!" Kitakami exclaimed.

"The kitten's unharmed!" Ooi added.

"They resisted my spell and defied me, so I punished them," the demon said.

"Your spell?" Kitakami said. "So you're why the town's cats vanished?"

"I turned them into my soldiers. Once we dominate the human world, you'll all be our food," it sneered.

Kitakami clenched her fists, glaring. Manipulating and harming innocent cats for such a ridiculous goal? Even her usual calm gave way to anger.

"For that?!" she spat.

"Resisting with those toys? Good luck," the demon mocked.

The trio deployed their rigging, ready to fight, but a flood of cats poured in, surrounding them. The demon stood behind the cats, using them as shields. The cats were innocent, making attack risky.

"What now?" Suzuya asked.

"Annoying," Ooi muttered.

"If the Admiral were here…" Kitakami said, thinking. "This is ridiculous."

"Huh?" the demon said.

"Cats ruling the human world? What, building a cat theme park? That'd only appeal to cat fanatics. Your brain's smaller than a regular cat's," Kitakami taunted.

"Kitakami-san?!" Ooi gasped.

"Why are you provoking it?!" Suzuya hissed.

Kitakami figured Dante would taunt to create an opening. "Grab the boss cat and kitten when there's a chance, then run," she whispered.

"Whispering, are you? Insulting me, human scum?" the demon growled.

"Cat scum talking about ruling humans and eating us? That's a bad joke," Kitakami shot back.

"Fools! I'll devour you all!" the demon roared, its temper snapping. The cats lunged.

The trio dodged, Suzuya grabbing the boss cat, Ooi the kitten. They disengaged their rigging and ran.

"The boss cat's alive!" Suzuya called.

"The kitten's fine!" Ooi said.

"Not much of a plan, but it worked! Run!" Kitakami shouted.

"This boss cat's heavy!" Suzuya complained.

They spotted a door like the one they'd entered. Fearing it was locked, Ooi deployed her rigging, aiming her main guns.

"What are you doing?!" Suzuya cried. "That could collapse the tunnel and bury us!"

"We'll die if we stay!" Ooi retorted. "Kitakami-san, okay?"

"Do it, Ooi-cchi!" Kitakami said.

Ooi fired, blasting the door. Smoke and dust cleared as they burst out.

"We're out!" Suzuya cheered.

"Is this the mountains?" Ooi asked.

"Didn't know it led here," Kitakami said.

As they spoke, cats poured from the tunnel, followed by a roar as the demon emerged, kicking up dirt.

"You humans!" it snarled.

"No time to talk," Kitakami said. "Get the cats to the hospital and fetch the Admiral."

"But what about you?!" Ooi asked.

"I'll hold it off until the Admiral arrives," Kitakami said.

"Then I'll—" Ooi started.

"Got it. I'll get the Admiral," Suzuya said, dragging Ooi away. "Let's go!"

"Wait, Kitakami-san!" Ooi protested.

Kitakami faced the demon and its cat army alone. "Now what…"

"Oh, Admiral, shopping alone?" a resident asked.

"Something like that," Dante replied.

"Those shipgirls were looking for cats again. Tough job," the resident said.

"Not really," Dante said, since he wasn't involved.

A commotion echoed from the mountains, dust rising. "Hold this," Dante said, shoving his bags at the resident and running off. "They better not be in some mess again."

"Let go! Are you abandoning Kitakami-san?!" Ooi yelled.

"I don't want to!" Suzuya snapped. "But we can't fight while protecting the cats!"

"Kitakami-san's more important! She could die!" Ooi said.

"She told us to escape with the cats!" Suzuya said. "We're getting the Admiral to—"

She stopped, spotting someone running toward them—Dante.

"Admiral! There's a demon!" Suzuya shouted.

"Save Kitakami-san!" Ooi pleaded.

Dante sprinted past without a word.

"So fast!" Suzuya said.

"Kitakami-san, please be okay…" Ooi whispered.

Kitakami was losing ground. Dodging attacking cats, she couldn't fire at the demon without hitting them. A swipe from its massive arm sent her crashing into a tree. She hit the ground, unmoving.

"(This is bad. I can't move. Sorry, Ooi-cchi… Admiral, I can't take this thing down…)"

As the cats lunged to finish her, an ice wall appeared between them.

"What's this?!" the demon hissed.

The wall shattered, revealing Dante standing protectively in front of Kitakami.

"(Admiral…)" she thought.

"Another human?" the demon sneered.

"A talking cat, huh? We've got one of those too!" Dante said, tossing his Cerberus nunchucks. They transformed into the beast Cerberus, scaring the cat army into fleeing.

"Don't run! …Cerberus," the demon growled.

"Deal with him," Dante told Cerberus.

"A cat? Easy," Cerberus said.

"Don't underestimate me!" the demon roared.

The beasts clashed. Dante approached Kitakami, using a Vital Star. A faint light enveloped her, healing her wounds. She slowly sat up.

"You're late, Admiral," she said.

"Sorry. If I'd known cat hunting meant fighting a giant demon cat, I'd have come along," Dante said.

"No way I could've known," Kitakami said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I tried your taunting trick, but I couldn't handle it."

Dante placed a hand on her head. "Going solo like that? Not cool."

Kitakami blinked. "Oh?"

"Stay put. This is my job now," Dante said, charging toward the fight.

The demon cat spewed sand, creating a smokescreen. Cerberus searched for it in the dust.

"Sneaky!" Cerberus growled, kicking the demon as it tried to ambush from behind. Cerberus unleashed a freezing breath, but the demon dodged.

"I won't lose to a Cerberus—argh!" the demon yelped as Dante, wielding Beowulf, punched its flank. It tried to crush Dante, but he evaded. Distracted, the demon was hit by Cerberus's ice blast, staggering. Cerberus tackled it, and Dante leapt onto Cerberus's back, then its head, firing Ebony & Ivory at the demon's face. It stumbled back, spewing sand, but Cerberus countered with another ice breath. Their attacks clashed until Dante leapt from Cerberus, driving Rebellion into the demon's forehead.

"Aaaargh!" the demon screamed.

Dante pulled Rebellion free, landing on Cerberus as the demon's breath faltered. Frozen solid, it shattered when Dante fired a single shot from Ivory.

"Kitakami-san!" Ooi and Suzuya rushed back, Ooi tearfully hugging her.

"You're okay!" Ooi sobbed.

"You're crushing me, Ooi-cchi," Kitakami said. "The cats?"

"They're fine," Suzuya said. "The boss cat will make it."

"Good," Kitakami said.

"Uh, Admiral, can you lend me some money?" Suzuya asked, batting her eyes.

"Huh?" Dante said.

"We got the cats treated, but I didn't bring cash…" Suzuya admitted.

"Don't have any," Dante said.

"What?! You're the Admiral!" Suzuya protested.

"Doesn't mean I'm rich," Dante said.

"We're a broke base," Kitakami added, nodding.

"I know a guy who can cover it," Dante said.

The boss cat recovered, and the kitten was returned to its owner. The other cats, freed from the demon's control, returned to their homes. Dante retrieved his shopping bags, and the four headed back.

Kitakami clung to Dante's arm.

"What are you doing?!" Ooi yelped, paling.

"What's that about?!" Suzuya gasped.

"What?" Dante asked, confused.

"Thanks for saving me," Kitakami said.

"Suzuya too!" Suzuya said, grabbing his other arm, blushing.

"Hard to walk like this," Dante grumbled.

"Why? You've got a girl on each arm, you lucky dog!" Kitakami teased.

Dante sighed. Kitakami's cheeks flushed slightly. "(A bit bold, huh? Sorry, Ooi-cchi.)"

"I'll make you pay, Admiral!" Ooi shouted, trying to shove a torpedo in Dante's mouth as Kitakami and Suzuya frantically stopped her.