"I'm going over there!"
Whale sprayed a mist of clear blue water over its entire body. Its exterior, scorched until it wrinkled and cracked, with grease dripping and flesh curling back, slowly began to shrink and heal:
"I heard Cloud Kun's voice! He came to save me! Since he came to save me, I have to go—I can't let him fight alone!"
With a long cry, it shot toward the escort vessel like an arrow, braking sharply alongside its hull before spraying another cloud of mist.
The mist drifted down gently, enveloping every soldier. In an instant, the severely wounded began breathing deeper, heavier, steadier; the lightly wounded stopped bleeding, their wounds closing; and those uninjured felt their spirits lift as all fatigue vanished.
Whale gently patted the hull with its tail, bidding one last farewell to its friends and comrades. Then, raising a wave, it plunged headfirst into the deep sea:
"Cloud Kun! Hold on! I'm coming!"
Aboard the escort vessel, the sailors in navy blue stared blankly at Whale's retreating figure. One second, two seconds, three seconds—then they jolted awake:
"Then... are we going?"
The soldiers busied themselves cleaning the deck and cabins, repairing and replacing damaged equipment, and reporting the extent of the damage.
In the command cabin, nearly every officer's gaze shifted between the captain and the political commissar, from left to right and back again:
Our allied reinforcements are here!
Are we joining the fight?
"What are you thinking?" The political commissar shot them all a glare. "Carry out damage control! Rescue the injured! Rejoin the escort formation! Reconnaissance team, activate the radar and sonar and locate our allies—communications team, report the situation to headquarters! Move! Now!"
The ship immediately erupted into frantic activity. After being attacked by the firebird, the vessel had suffered grievous