Author: Well Dyson kai is a bit of a pain in the ass on Hard modo. I'm glad my hardships are paid off when comrade medium one dropped at first run. I don't even know if I have the motivation to clear E-7 right now. I don't hate Intrepid, but I don't like her either...just neutral. I like her design so I might as well dive into E-7 and face Abyssal Zuisashi. Medium comrade dropped easily so I managed to clear E-6 and update a new chapter in a matter of days.

Next chapter will be be more about the admiral and will talk about what really happened at Truk anchorage. I added an Abyssal there and it's obvious who she is. Chapter 11 might discuss about the admiral's past as an Abyssal. I don't know if I would call it a twist, but there's going to be one...even if it's not much of a twist.

Admiral Suveran Schwarze is currently missing...

CarDiv 01 along escorted by a few light ships sortied waters near Solomon islands while Submarine division 01 patrolled the area infested by heavy ships. They patrolled the waters near Chuuk islands and Solomon islands.

"Akagi-san"

"No good. My reconnaissance planes found no signs either" Akagi shook her head

"Mine either" Kaga sighed, also disappointed

Light cruisers Yahagi and Noshiro shook their heads since their reconnaissance seaplanes found no signs either. The destroyer squadron led by Tashkent searched spread out to increase their radar detection are negative either.

"Destroyer squadron flagship Tashkent. It's a negative" Tashkent radioed CarDiv 01

"The Kagerou class found no signs either" Kaga sighed

It seems their current search made no progress as they found no sign of where the admiral could be.

"Abyssal fleet! 25 km to starboard!" Arashi radioed the rest of the fleet

Preparing for combat, Akagi and Kaga prepared to launch a wave of bombers while turning to where the enemy ships are spotted.

"Three light cruiser Tsu class and five enemy destroyers. There's two more! Ru class battleships!"

"Two Nu class light aircraft carriers approaching!"

With two heavy ships, CarDiv 01 avoided detection from the enemy battleships. While the numbers are out of balance, they also lack in firepower with only a fleet composed of two Nu class light aircraft carriers, two light cruisers, and four destroyers.

"We can't take all of them down. Land a few hits and retreat at top speed" Akagi gave the order

Tashkent, Nowaki, Shiranui, and Arashi with aerial support focused on sinking the enemy destroyers and the pair of Tsu class. They lost some planes because of the Tsu class' anti air power, they're still able to sink it.

"Urrraaaaa!" Tashkent torpedoed two enemy destroyers with a large smile on her face

Akagi's fleet can't retreat with shells raining on them. Their planes are too busy with the ones the two Nu classes launched. The fleet slowly became scattered with the relentless barrage of shells and rain of bombs.

"...?!"

As a Ru class aimed for Akagi, she is surprised to see the enemy ship explode and sink when a shell directly hit it. The other Abyssals suffered the same fate.

"What's going on?"

The remaining Abyssals are forced to retreat. A pure white figure with fury seething on its bright red eyes took a deep exhale.

"Have...to...find her..."

It's not a common Abyssal, but a Demon or Princess class Abyssal. Even with their numbers, their firepower isn't enough to take on what seems to be a battleship.

"Have to...find her..."

That's what the Abyssal repeatedly said, muttering it and confusing the ship girls. As Yahagi loads her main batteries, Akagi partially raised her hand, signalling not to shoot.

"H-huh?"

The confused looking Abyssal noticed the ship girls in an offensive position. It would be foolish to immediately provoke a confused looking Abyssal and Akagi knows that so she just stood there.

"Ship girls...ship...girls..."

"Akagi-san" Kaga looked at Akagi

"Wait. Something is different with this Abyssal" Akagi wants to find out more

"Where is she?! Where is she?!"

It demanded to know. While the others are ready to aim and fire, Akagi wishes to talk to it, wanting to know if the Abyssal is the hostile type or not. She knows not all Demon or Princess class attack ship girls so suddenly. Primary examples are Seaplane tender Water Princess, Heavy cruiser Princess, and the last case being the Abyssal

"Who are you looking for?"

"...Friend...she's...waiting...for me..."

"Friend?"

"A...promise...to wait...for me..."

(What is she talking about?) Akagi thought it might be trying to remember something

"No matter...how long...it takes..."

"A promise?"

The Abyssal could faintly remember the last happy moments of its former life as a ship girl.

"I know...she's still waiting...for me..."

Tears streamed down on its cheeks as it howled in pain and sorrow. The Abyssal aimlessly fired its main guns before leaving the area. Luckily, no one got seriously hurt.

"That was close" Noshiro sighed

The rest of the fleet are baffled to the Abyssal's unusual behavior, but they're somewhat thankful they don't have to engage it. Even with their numbers, it's impossible to fight a Princess class Abyssal battleship even if its triple gun mounts are a bit small for a battleship. Among them, Akagi is the only one who wondered who is the person the Abyssal is looking for.

Office...

After the sortie, Akagi and Kaga reported to the secretary ship about the Abyssal with a strange behavior and how it is looking for someone.

"This is just great. Not that the admiral is still missing, now a new Princess emerged out of nowhere"

"From the looks of it, that Abyssal has existed for a long time" Akagi remembered what it said

"That Abyssal is probably clinging to what's left of its ship girl past"

"It reminds us of the case with Fubuki-san"

"We don't need to focus on that Princess unless it has something to do with the disappearance of the admiral" Nagato massaged her temple

Nagato has already have enough headaches to deal with and she doesn't want to waste time while admiral Schwarze is still missing.

"Submarine division 01 hasn't found anything either. The Abyssals infesting the areas around Chuuk and Solomon islands have increased ever since the air raid on Truk"

It's probably because taking down one of Japan's major forward bases gave way for more Abyssals to occupy the area.

"A new Princess, huh..."

Nagato looked at the files of the unknown Princess that emerged on Norway months after Sorbotn anchorage was raised. The Princess terrorized the Northern waters and sunk every vessel that sailed the area.

"Admiral..."

She closed the folder and looked at the picture on the desk. It's the one with the battleship Tirpitz and Scharnhorst on it. Nagato doesn't know much about the admiral's past with Scharnhorst, but she knows Scharnhorst was a good friend of the admiral and she carried the guilt of unable to save her until now.

Later...

When Nagato informed the whole base about the raid on Truk anchorage and how the admiral is currently missing, Bismarck felt both furious and upset at what happened.

"I will not just sit here knowing my sister is missing!"

"J-just calm down, Bismarck-neesan"

"No! I will not calm down!"

A heavy cruiser like Prinz Eugen isn't strong enough to hold back a fast battleship like Bismarck.

"You're being too emotional!"

"Max is right!"

Even the destroyers Leberecht Maass and Max Schultz are trying to hold back an definitely furious Bismarck.

"Don't get in my way! I'm walking to the office and find out what's really going on!"

Bismarck pushed them away and angrily stormed off. The three didn't bother running after her thinking Bismarck might become violent if they anger her further.

"I demand to know what's really going on!"

She barged into the office where Nagato and Warspite are inside right now. The two turned their heads towards Bismarck, slightly surprised and puzzled.

"...?!" Bismarck noticed the fairies on top of the desk

She glared down at the fairy who was with the admiral before she disappeared.

"You!"

Bismarck grabbed the fairy with both of her hands in a swift motion and raised it up to her eye level. The fairy, terrified at Bismarck's deep glare, shook and turned pale.

"You were with Tirpitz before she went missing!"

She shook the fairy who froze in fear while the other fairies are also too afraid to do anything, the other then wrap their arms on each other watching their fairy comrades being squeezed and terrified half to death.

"What happened to her?! Where is she?!"

The fairy couldn't even answer with Bismarck using force and intimidation on the little fellow.

"I just want to know...if she's still even alive!"

Again, there's no response. Even if the fairy wants to answer, it can't as the only one that could understand it...that would be the ship girl who owns it.

"That's enough usage of force, Bismarck"

"Calm down a little" Nagato suggested

Warspite gently lowers Bismarck's arm, wanting her to let go of the fairy scared half to death...literally.

"You can't force it to say anything. We can't understand it by words even if we want to"

The fairy was found shaking in fear after the assault on the anchorage and realizing who the fairy belonged to, the custody was given to the Maizuru naval district. With the fairy being the only one who knows what really happened, it can reveal them the truth...but unfortunately, verbal communication is impossible. Luckily, As if unhappy with the way Bismarck treated the fairy, Warspite gently grabs it on her palm and smiled at it.

"Verbal communication won't do. Is there any way you can reveal what you know?"

"...!"

After a few seconds, the fairy nodded and signalled its companions. One fairy brought out two flags and the fairy jumped off Warspite's palm.

"Flag signals? That...might work?" Nagato shrugged her shoulders

"Tell me what happened or else...!" Bismarck slammed the desk

The loud noise and serious face made the other fairies back away and wrap their arms around each other. Shaking, the witness fairy raised its hands and begun making movements.

"Hmm? Are you sure about that?" Warspite tilted her head

"Hey, hey, what did it say?" Bismarck is impatient

"Be a little patient" Nagato pulled her back

The fairy made unusual flag signals that confused both Nagato and Bismarck she Warspite seems to understand the what the fairy is attempting to say.

"Yes. That can't be good"

"..." The fairy nodded

"If that's the case...then we may not make progress at all"

The two battleships are both dumbfounded to why Warspite seems unpleased.

"Warspite, what did it say?" Nagato crossed her arms

"Well...how should I put this?"

She hesitated to speak, seeing Bismarck present inside the office. With a deep breath, Warspite prepares to speak

"During the attack on the anchorage, admiral became wounded. The little fellow said the admiral is certainly alive"

At least Bismarck is glad to hear admiral Schwarze isn't really dead what others say.

"The little one didn't really say much details other than the admiral did manage to survive the attack"

"But where is she?" Nagato asked before Bismarck did

"That is what the fairy is not certain. It hid upon being spotted by an Abyssal"

"If that's the case then we don't know where the admiral is and how she got away"

Like Warspite, Nagato is a bit unhappy their only witness doesn't know where the admiral disappeared alive

"..." Bismarck doesn't know how to react

"There's also a possibility someone might have taken her. The little one said someone else was there. Human or Abyssal...that I do not know"

"As long as I know Tirpitz is still alive, then I'm willing to look for her wherever she is"

"Don't worry. We won't stop until we find her" Nagato assured Bismarck

As the secretary ship and currently the interim commander of the Maizuru naval district, Nagato won't give up on her admiral.

Later...

After Bismarck left, Warspite and Nagato remained in the office with only the two of them again. While Warspite is drinking warm tea, Nagato turned her to attention to the silently drinking battleship.

"There's more to it, isn't it?" She asked Warspite

"You noticed, secretary ship?" She didn't deny it

"Why would you keep something...from Bismarck?"

"Because it's not something I know she would not wish to hear"

She gently places the tea cup back on the saucer and turns towards Nagato. There's something else the fairy had revealed, but Warspite kept it from Bismarck.

"The fairy detailed something I hoped not to happen. It was when the admiral was wounded..."

After hearing what Warspite learned from the fairy, Nagato herself couldn't believe it.

"But that's..."

Nagato angrily clenched her fists and lowered her head, to hide her expression.

"I can see why you want to hide it from Bismarck"

"She would be more upset and will definitely act reckless"

"What if the Abyssals somehow discover her?"

"That I cannot be certain..."

Even Warspite doesn't know how to answer that. The situation is most probably prone to change with each passing second.

"Let's hope our admiral...is still the admiral we know..."

Nagato held the admiral's cap, showing how she worries for whether the missing admiral is in good condition or not while Warspite fears for the worst outcome.

Unknown...

All for the sake of one person...and that person happens to be someone really important to her. Even if the risk and danger is high, she did what it took to protect her.

"It will be fine, amiral. I will not let them hurt you"

She guarded the injured and unconscious body of the admiral even if her own body is much more injured. On a place where no Abyssals or ship girls know where they are, she stayed to protect the currently vulnerable admiral.

"I will not...let you go back down to that cold and lonely place"

Seaplane tender Water Princess sat beside the unconscious admiral, looking at her torn sleeves and the fact that the once pair of red streaks on her hair had turned black. Perhaps a side effect what happened a few days ago.

"Those people. You trusted them yet they did this to you. You haven't learned learned after what happened ten years ago"

She sighed, wondering why the admiral almost let the same thing that caused her sinking ten years ago happen again. Exhausted, she rested beside the unconscious admiral Schwarze.

"Bonne nuit, ma amiral"

The abyss was cold so admiral Schwarze's warm body made her feel great comfort...it put a faint smile on her lips as she lied down right beside the admiral and wrapped her arms around her. Seaplane tender Water Princess' face is a few inches close to the admiral and it's almost like she could hear her steady breathing. She closed her eyes and fell asleep to recover the strength she lost when she had a fight during the air raid on Truk...not knowing the danger that will come.

This is...sending report to the naval base...

Confirmed engagement...with a Princess class Abyssal...

One fast battleship type...

Enemy has escaped...pursuing is impossible...

Casualties...one light cruiser...one aircraft carrier...and two destroyers

There's nothing but wreckage left. The smoke is already fading away and the loud battle has ceased to a deafening silence. What remained is an Abyssal driven by instinct with little reasoning left on her. Just the lingering memories of her long forgotten past.

Where...are you...?

The Princess class Abyssal breathed heavily staring blankly at the vast ocean surrounding her. Her mind wanders off, but it still remains on the real world. Something...something inside her...she's looking for something...or someone...

...Tirpitz

Extra

It was a tragedy. Something that was never foreseen. The loss was too much, it burdened her with so guilt...but she had to carry on the promise she made to an important to friend. Tirpitz couldn't do anything to prevent it.

Both of us knew we will suffer this fate. It seems I lost the fight

Don't talk...anymore. I'm not leaving you...

You have to or you'll die. It's better to have one casualty than two

...

You're not fated to sink just yet. That's why you have to leave now

She couldn't do anything at that to prevent it. She was torn apart between staying or fleeing. If she had chose to stay, she could have suffered a terrible fate and sink as well so Scharnhorst forced her to leave as it was too late for herself. She didn't want Tirpitz to sink with her...she was not fated to.

Tirpitz! Go and tell Bismarck what you feel when fate comes for you. Cherish your moments together...because she's the most important person to you!

Those were Schanrhorst's last words before Tirpitz was forced to leave by the former. She didn't understand how can Scharnhorst smile at the face of death...until she faced her own at Sorbotn...but that's a story...for another day.

"Scharn...horst..."

When the silence fell, she stopped even with a dreadful storm swallowing the sea. As the violent rain endlessly pours, Tirpitz couldn't stop her tears while she howled with pain. The destroyers managed to find her, but not Scharnhorst. Z29 and the others escorted the heavily damaged Tirpitz back to the naval base as soon as they found the heavily damaged battleship...

"Tirpitz..."

Bismarck rushed immediately right after learning what happened at the ill fated operation. She ran and found Tirpitz on the ground, bleeding, drenched, and still couldn't stop bursting to tears.

"Are you alright?"

She never saw her like that. Tirpitz lost someone she viewed as important. She was there...but Scharnhorst's fate was sealed. The latter chose to lose one battleship than two. It's either both of them sinks or Tirpitz lives. What she chose was obvious.

"Nee-san...Scharnhorst...Scharnhorst is..."

"It's alright now. It's alright now"

To comfort her, Bismarck tightly wrapped her arms around Tirpitz, sensing the excruciating emotional pain suffocating her right now. Tirpitz couldn't stop sobbing and Bismarck has no words to lessen her pain.

"I couldn't do anything to save her..."

"It's not your fault"

"...But I was there. I could have done something...I let Scharnhorst sink..."

It's because of a foolish mistake by a rear admiral, the Kriegsmarine lost one of their four active battleships. What happene that day is a deep guilt she carried up until to the present...wracking her with regret for not being able to protect someone important to her.

"I let my own best friend...die..."

Bismarck truly wanted to say something, but she doesn't have words to comfort her sister tortured by guilt and regret. She hated it...seeing Tirpitz howling in pain...unable to undo what has happened.

On December 26...

North cape, Norway...

At 19:45...

Battleship Scharnhorst...sunk...