KanColle X Devil May Cry: Devil Trigger Protocol

"I'll melt these things!" Ooi snarled, eyeing the weapons.

"Chill, Ooi-chi," Kitakami said. "Those belong to the Admiral."

Days after the clash with Geryon, the demon hadn't reappeared, its next move a mystery. The naval base soaked up a rare break.

"Aren't you sick of it, Kitakami-san?" Ooi pressed. "That racket every night—no sleep!"

"Eh, it's punishment," Kitakami said, shrugging. "Gotta roll with it."

Agni stayed quiet, brooding.

A young visitor showed up at the base's gate.

"Little one, what's your business?" Cerberus's deep growl echoed.

"A talking dog!" the boy squealed, eyes gleaming.

The kid, dazzled by Cerberus, bounced with excitement. "I wanna meet the shipgirls!"

"Why?" Cerberus asked.

"I'm a huge fan!" he beamed.

"Fan?" Cerberus tilted its heads.

"I love shipgirls!" he insisted.

"What's up, Cerberus-chan?" Naka called, drawn by the noise.

"Naka!" the boy shouted.

"Eh?!" Naka blinked.

"Shake my hand!"

"My first fan?!" Naka grinned, gripping his hand with glee. "But why're you here?"

"I wanna meet all the shipgirls!"

"Uh, outsiders aren't allowed…"

"Please!" he begged.

Naka wavered. "An idol's gotta treasure her fans! C'mon, I'll show you around!"

"Thanks, Naka!" he cheered.

"Call me Naka-chan, okay?"

"…Naka!" he said.

Naka pouted, bummed he didn't comply, but let him in anyway.

Cerberus watched, silent.

After meeting the destroyers, Naka and the boy sat on a courtyard bench, chatting. Jintsuu strolled up.

"Naka-chan," Jintsuu said.

"Hey, Jintsuu-chan!" Naka waved.

"Jintsuu!" the boy gasped.

"Why's a kid here?" Jintsuu asked.

"He's a shipgirl fan!" Naka said. "Came to meet us!"

"You can't just let outsiders in," Jintsuu scolded. "Send him home."

"Shake my hand!" the boy pleaded.

"Uh…" Jintsuu, softened by his earnest gaze, reluctantly shook his hand.

"What's going on?!" Ooyodo rushed over, alarmed about an intruder.

"Well…" Jintsuu started.

"Ooyodo! Handshake!" the boy chirped.

"…Huh?" Ooyodo sighed, shaking his hand. "You can't be here. Go home."

"I wanna meet more shipgirls!"

The argument looped, the boy's stubbornness unyielding. His youth made it tough to be stern.

"Is that the kid everyone's buzzing about?" Houshou appeared.

"Houshou-san!" they chorused.

"Houshou!" the boy exclaimed.

"Hello," Houshou said, kneeling to his level.

"Hi!" he replied.

"Why're you here?" she asked softly.

"To meet shipgirls!"

"Why?"

"I love them!"

Houshou smiled. "Thank you for loving us."

Shipgirls were often viewed as weapons, making his admiration rare.

"But this place has dangerous stuff," Houshou said. "You know you shouldn't sneak in, right?"

The boy went quiet.

"Where are your parents? They might be worried."

"Dad and Mom aren't home," he said. "They work late."

"You came alone?" Houshou stroked his head. "That's brave."

The others marveled at Houshou's ease—she was Dante's motherly stand-in, after all.

"But you have to go home," she said. "Rules are rules."

"More shipgirls!" he insisted.

"If you meet them, will you go home?"

"Yes!"

"How'd you get in?"

"Naka let me!"

Houshou's smile turned to Naka, who froze, sweating. I'm so dead…!

"No helping it," Houshou said. "Let's take him to the cafeteria."

She guided them to the less-sensitive cafeteria, where the remaining shipgirls were called to meet the boy.

In the office, Dante leaned back. "A kid?"

"Naka let him in," Ooyodo reported.

"Why's a kid at a place like this?"

"He loves shipgirls," Ooyodo said. "Came to meet them."

"Alone?"

"Seems so."

"Gutsy kid," Dante said. The base, a military outpost, sat far from town to avoid collateral damage.

"What's he doing now?"

"Meeting everyone in the cafeteria," Ooyodo said. "Houshou's with him, so no major trouble."

"As long as it's not a mess," Dante said.

"What about Naka's punishment?" Ooyodo asked.

"Punishment?" Dante raised an eyebrow.

"Absolutely."

"Have her take him home," Dante said. "Her screw-up, her job."

"Got it." Ooyodo left to deliver the order.

In the cafeteria, Kaga squirmed as the boy clung to her. "W-What do I do…?"

He wouldn't let go—Kaga was his favorite.

"Time to go," Houshou said. "You met everyone."

"I wanna stay with Kaga!" he whined.

The shipgirls exchanged uneasy glances.

"You promised," Houshou said. "Break it, and I'll be upset."

"…Okay," he mumbled.

Motherly authority won. Ooyodo entered, relaying Dante's verdict to Naka.

"I have to escort him?!" Naka wailed.

"Admiral's orders," Ooyodo said.

"No way…" Naka slumped.

The boy tried dragging Kaga along, clutching her hand, but Naka finally pried him away.

After a long trek, Naka and the boy reached town.

"Finally!" Naka sighed.

"Park!" the boy pointed, excited.

"You gotta go home," Naka said. "Not playtime."

"Just a bit!"

"Ugh… Fine, but just a bit, or Naka-chan's toast!"

It wasn't quick. They played hard at the park.

"We used to go there a lot," the boy said, pointing to a shopping mall. "Let's go!"

"Wait!" Naka yelped as he dragged her along.

Back at the base, Houshou, Akagi, and Kaga chatted about the cafeteria chaos.

"Missed seeing Kaga squirm," Dante teased.

"It was wild!" Akagi laughed. "He was glued to her!"

Kaga glared. "…What's that mean?"

"Nothing," Dante smirked.

"That sounded loaded," Kaga snapped.

"Just saying, a kid who likes a naggy woman's in for trouble," Dante said.

"Training ground," Kaga growled. "If a sword doesn't kill you, my bombs will."

"You'll be crying," Dante shot back.

"Child's play," Kaga retorted.

Houshou and Akagi sighed at the squabble. Ooyodo burst in. "Admiral! The TV! A demon!"

Houshou flipped on the screen, showing Geryon wrecking the town, far from the army's cordon. The phone rang.

"Devil May Cry," Dante answered. "…Just saw it. Yeah, I know."

He hung up. Houshou asked, "You're going?"

"Gramps says stop it before the army," Dante said.

"We're coming," Akagi said.

"Car's busted, bike's two-seater," Dante said. "Last time with Tenryuu's crew was too loud. I'm solo."

Tenryuu, Kitakami, and Ooi barged in.

"Demon fight, right? Take me!" Tenryuu said.

"Take these!" Ooi shoved Agni and Rudra forward.

"I'm going alone with Cerberus," Dante said. "Not falling for your weapon-dumping trick."

Tenryuu and Ooi collapsed, deflated.

"Give it up, Ooi-chi," Kitakami said.

As Geryon rampaged, demons swarmed the mall, sealing exits with barriers. Shoppers fled a Dullahan—a knight's armor possessed by an evil spirit. Naka and the boy ran, chased by the floating Dullahan.

"Stay close!" Naka shouted.

"Okay!" the boy gasped.

Dante chased Geryon on his bike, dodging spear barrages. "This'll hit civilians," he muttered, veering into an alley and vanishing.

Naka and the boy hid in a clothing store. "Stay here," Naka said.

"Where're you going?!" the boy cried.

"I've gotta protect everyone," Naka said. "I'll come back, I swear."

She stashed him in a fitting room and bolted, facing the Dullahan outside. Drawing it away, she reached an open area, deployed her rigging, and blasted lesser demons, downing them. The Dullahan shrugged off her shots.

"Not working?!" Naka gasped.

Its armor was too tough head-on. The Dullahan slashed, grazing her shoulder. "Ow…! Naka-chan won't break that easy!"

She kept firing, undaunted.

Dante rode parallel to Geryon. As their paths converged, he leaped, slamming Cerberus into Geryon's face. It crumpled.

"You slipped away last time," Dante said. "I'm done with this chicken race."

Geryon rose, stomping, igniting blue flames. "Getting serious?" Dante taunted, dodging and firing Artemis's magic arrows. Geryon countered with arrows. Dante ran, shooting Ebony and Ivory, evading as Geryon drifted its carriage to crush him. He jumped, forming a magic circle mid-air for a double leap.

"That won't take me down!" Dante yelled.

Geryon stomped, unleashing flame waves. Dante leaped, closing in, hammering Cerberus into Geryon. It fell, but its eyes glowed, slowing everything. Geryon slipped into a dimensional rift, reappearing behind Dante, charging. He flew back, recovering, but arrows and homing black orbs followed. Touching an orb slowed him. He fired Ebony and Ivory, dodging. A stray arrow hit the mall where Naka fought.

Naka struggled against the Dullahan, her shots bouncing off. "Why won't you fall?!"

"Naka!" the boy shouted, emerging.

"Why're you here?!" she cried.

The Dullahan targeted him. "Run!" Naka yelled, firing at its back. The armor clattered down, hit.

"It worked?!" Naka realized the spirit clung to the back. Targeting it could stop the demon. "Take that!"

The Dullahan's slow speed let Naka circle and fire, downing more. A stray arrow from Geryon hit the mall, dropping debris over Naka and the Dullahan. She dove clear; the Dullahan was buried. The barrier vanished, letting Naka evacuate shoppers and escape with the boy.

"Admiral?!" Naka gasped, spotting Dante battling Geryon.

The fight was ending. "Showdown's over!" Dante roared, unleashing ice pillars on the battered Geryon. He stomped its face, pressing Ivory to it. "Vanish or come back—choose."

Breathing hard, Dante watched Geryon's eyes glow. Its body dissolved, light merging into him. "That's that… Exhausted."

"Admiral!" Naka waved, the boy beside her.

"She was joyriding?" Dante muttered.

The mall's sign fell toward Naka and the boy. Naka shielded him, eyes shut. Dante activated Quicksilver's Time Lag, slowing everything but himself.

"Always making me work," Dante said, strolling over. Naka, battered, still guarded the boy. "Fighting hard out of sight, huh? Protecting fans as an idol? Not bad."

He smashed the sign away with Cerberus. Naka, unharmed, opened her eyes, startled by Dante. "Admiral…"

"You were supposed to take him home," Dante said. "Why're you here?"

"Uh… Haha!" Naka laughed nervously.

Dante and Naka escorted the boy home.

"I'll be Naka's biggest fan!" he said.

"Call me Naka-chan!" she urged.

"Bye, Naka!" He ran inside.

Naka slumped, still not getting her way. "At least you got a fan," Dante said.

"Yup!" Naka grinned.

They rode back to the base.

At night, Agni asked, "What's an idol, Naka?"

"What?" Rudra echoed.

"Someone who makes people smile!" Naka said.

"Why?" Agni pressed.

"Why?" Rudra repeated.

"Goodnight!" Naka dodged.

"Answer, Naka!" Agni said.

"Yeah, answer!" Rudra insisted.

Jintsuu groaned. "So noisy…"

Naka's detour landed her managing Agni and Rudra as punishment. Ooi, freed, threw an unladylike fist pump. "Yes!"

In a strange void, Jester cackled. "Thanks to you, it's ready. It's almost time, Devil Boy! Ahyahyahya!"

His laugh echoed alone.