In a Pinch with the Hiei!

***In a Pinch with the Hiei!*** (比叡でピンチ！ *Romaji: "Hiei de pinchi!"*) is the eighth episode of Hai-Furi.

The Harekaze raced to stop an infected Hiei from reaching a populated settlement in Chuuk Lagoon.

## Episode Summary

### The Musashi?

As the Harekaze sailed through a semi-dense fog, Noma spotted a battleship approaching them. Initially identified as the Musashi, she reported that it was the Hiei (hull number Y-102) based on its forward twin main guns.

The Harekaze reported the Hiei's location to the school, which requested Blue Mermaids reinforcements. It would take them four hours to arrive, but Kouko warned that they didn't have the time to wait. At its current heading and speed, the Hiei was heading for Chuuk Lagoon, a populated settlement of 10,000 residents and 1,000 ships. An outbreak there would mean the beginning of an epidemic, if not on a worldwide scale.

Akeno decided to take action now. The Harekaze's mission would now be to delay the Hiei's arrival at Chuuk.

### The Plague Revealed

Mashimo brought some news to Principal Munetani about the virus.

Off the coast of the Nishinoshima New Islands, a sunken lab ship was pushed to the surface by volcanic activity. With approval from Principal Munetani, a team went to the islands aboard the Sarushima. Under the pretense of studying local marine life, the team's true intentions involved recovering the lab ship's data and sinking it.

Later identified as the Totalitarian Disease, not only does it induce aggression on the host but also affects bioelectric currents, explaining the loss of communication from the infected ships. The school has received the vaccine developed by Minami, whose findings include seawater negating the effects of the virus temporarily. The report also pointed out that cats like Isoroku exhibited immunity from the virus, allowing them to round up the rodents safely.

### Maze Runner

Meanwhile, the Harekaze managed to lead the Hiei into an area of rocky islands far from Chuuk. Mashiro suggested attacking the Hiei, even if it meant sinking her. Akeno disagreed, saying that their schoolmates would be in mortal danger.

Upon seeing Isoroku get stuck on a pipe, Akeno got the idea of forcing the Hiei to run aground using the changing tides. They asked Principal Munetani to approve of their plan, which she did despite Mashimo's objections. However, the principal advised Akeno to gain the class's consensus, which she got almost unanimously.

Leading the Hiei on a wild chase, the Harekaze bracketed the battleship with artillery and torpedo fire to make sure it stays on the path. Despite not running aground on the first pass, it did on the second.

### Shot in the Arm (or Rear)

That afternoon, a Blue Mermaids response team led by the Benten (hull number BPF-10) arrived. To Mashiro's fright, it could only mean that her other older sister Mafuyu was coming.

A curious Akeno asked to be "infused with confidence," to which Mafuyu agreed. The infusion turned out to be buttocks fondling, which Mashiro stopped before Akeno embarrassed herself.

## Trivia

* The Hiei was used as a test bed for the prototype superstructure that would be used on the Yamato-class battleships. This explains Noma mistakenly identifying it as the Musashi earlier.
* The Harekaze has a draught of 3.76 m and the Hiei has a draught of 9,72 m

9,72 m