Author: I'm hunting food like any other admirals. 1-3 is being an asshole to me so screw that map. I'm also hunting for Fukae at the same time so there's that. I'm going to get that catapult for my Taiyou since the crane sisters and sister Sara doesn't need it anymore. Also Nui nui kai ni...
Anyhow, next chapter is the one going to be titled "Sisters" since it will be a battle...and all. Well they're certainly going to duke it out and will kind of conclude like the movie (probably). Basically it's obvious why the title for the next chapter is going to be called "Sisters". Remember, the story will end in Chapter 25 so the admiral isn't going to die just yet.
Your story will soon come to an end...
Waking up, I find myself lying on shallow water. I keep waking up in this world again. I don't want to go back here where there's nothing but darkness and loneliness.
"My head hurts..."
I tried to remember the last thing that happened. What happened again?
"Oh yeah. That's right..."
I remember reliving one of my old memories. The one where I returned to this world as a ship girl again. I came back where I sank. I couldn't take all the memories that returned...my mind almost collapsed.
"That's why I fell unconscious again...because I couldn't accept the truth" I sighed deeply
After who knows how long of screaming and hating myself, I lost consciousness right before I know it.
"It's quiet..." I thought
I could barely move my aching body. I don't know what's happening out there, but I know it's not good. I'm not in control of myself, but I feel deep rage stirring in my heart. What's the cause of all these emotions.
How did it felt when you stopped lying to yourself?
The "beast" appeared before me again. Her expression changed again. She's filled with resentment...and regret. I really am looking at myself.
"..."
To begin with, you quickly discovered I'm inside you...but you were too afraid to let me out
"Why would I let you out? All you do is hurt everyone!"
Is that what you really think it is? You're as stupid as any other human
"Why don't you just get to the point?!"
Her cryptic words are really getting on my nerves. I feel really violent right now.
We'll get there soon enough, but first...
"...?"
I'll sink anyone that stands in my way...
There's a huge hole right through the walls. It looked like a huge explosion occurred. Airfield Princess twitched her lips seeing the collateral damage done to one of their bases.
"Ah. Crap..."
There are also dead Abyssals outside. It was a ruthless massacre.
"Tch! That damn beast!" Battleship Princess came out of the rubble
"You're still alive?" Airfield Princess softly mumbled
Battleship Princess' "pet" had been brutally beaten and so does she.
"How can you let her get out?! How are we going to explain this?!"
Airfield Princess panicked as she feared their leader's wrath. Battleship Princess, on the other hand, is extremely furious to how she got caught off guard so she was beaten.
"To think that Abyssal broke out of her chains...and beat the hell out of you before escaping to who knows where"
"Shut up! No one, not even a ship girl, had ever beaten me!"
"...But an Abyssal did" Airfield Princess mocked her even more
As Battleship Princess felt like hitting Airfield Princess in the face...
"I asked you to do one simple thing and you couldn't do it"
Central Princess found the two about to argue. The two Princesses swallowed their breath, seeing how upset Central Princess is.
"You let one battleship beat you and escape" She looked at Battleship Princess
"I won't let it happen again" Battleship Princess swore
"Alright..."
"...?"
Airfield Princess is a bit surprised how Central Princess became less angry.
"Bring me that Abyssal alive and your failure today will go unpunished..."
"..."
"This is your last chance. If you fail me again, there will be severe consequences"
Central Princess left, warning Battleship Princess what would happen if she fails again. Battleship Princess clenched her fists, frustrated at how Central Princess thinks she is a failure.
"No one beats me that easily. I'll sink that beast with my own hands!"
"Didn't she tell you to bring that monster alive?" Airfield Princess raised her hand
When Battleship Princess glared at her, she jolted and stopped talking, intimidated at the glare.
Meanwhile...
Shells fired from large caliber guns fired everywhere, making big splashes and raining carnage. Two battleships faced one another and neither sides surrenders.
"You're...annoying..."
"Just listen to me" Fast battleship Princess pleaded
Both of them are exhausted from as they fought on equal level.
"It's me...Scharnhorst..."
"Scharn...horst. Scharnhorst is dead..."
It's obvious Northern Fjord Princess is hostile towards the other Abyssal.
"You are suffering..." Fast battleship Princess noticed
"Suffering?"
"Tirpitz...I can see...the pain in your eyes. You...are begging for help..."
"..."
Right now, the beast of the north could barely feel her "other self". It's completely silent inside.
"You want to be saved"
"You talk too much" The beast clenched her fists
Even in her worn out state, she readied her main guns and aimed them at her opponent. For some reason, she can't find the strength to shoot at her old friend.
Why won't you say anything...?
She tried talking to her other self who remained quiet inside. The inner world is much silent compared to the usual days.
Tirpitz...say something. Anything...
No responded because there's no one there other than the Abyssal itself. There was no sign of "Tirpitz" anywhere.
I told you before I seek freedom, but not for me. It's for you...and I will give it to you in the right time...
The beast touched the surface water she is standing on as she had realized the admiral is 'sinking'.
Tirpitz, I interrupted the cycle when I forced myself to return. Because of me you're stuck in a limbo...
Now both of her hands are touching the surface water, while continuing talking even if no one is around to listen.
I an your Abyssal self born out of negative feelings much like the others. Yet I felt your feelings too. I rejected them and remained hateful to the world...
Faint breeze blew past her as if the admiral can hear her or some sort.
We're one being. That's why we have the same feelings. Yet I have to fulfill my purpose. To do that...Northern Fjord Princess must sink...so you can be free...
She opened her eyes and found Fast battleship Princess strangely looking at her.
"I have to...fulfill my purpose. I will sink Bismarck..." She had decided
"Tir-"
Before Fast battleship Princess could finish what she is about to say, the beast opened fire and left immediately.
Maizuru naval district...
While the other girls are still worried about their missing admiral, Bismarck is still trying to deal with what Warspite had told her.
"Tirpitz...an Abyssal. Don't screw with me..."
She sat on a corner, refusing to believe the truth told to her the other day.
"There's just no way..."
Bismarck then thought of when she faced Northern Fjord Princess a couple of weeks ago.
How can you forget the person you left alone to die ten years ago...?
Deep inside, Bismarck realized the Abyssal resembled 'Tirpitz', but with little emotion and humanity. Also, ten years ago, the beast first appeared two months after Tirpitz had sunk...and at the same location too.
Your sister was waiting for you to come back...
During Operation Catechism, that was the first thing the beast had said to her when they first faced each other. Back then, Bismarck didn't care enough to know what it means.
"I don't want to believe it"
Her first hit the floor violently, letting out the heavy feeling in her chest. Bismarck then remembered the beast's last words...it was haunting as if it was a burning vow.
"Tirpitz..."
She lowered her head, sobbing as she both thought of the memories about the beast and her sister.
"I don't want to sink my sister...again"
Bismarck couldn't hold back her tears and started crying while looking at an old picture of the two of them back on their early days as ship girls.
Meanwhile...
While at Mamiya's, Prinz Eugen took a deep sigh while her four German comrades blankly looked at her.
"Bismarck-neesan is still in a bad mood. She doesn't even want to talk to me" Eugen laid her chin on the table.
"Ever since the other day, Bismarck has been like that" Graf Zeppelin stirred her cup of coffee
"She doesn't even want to talk to any of us" Leberecht Maass added
"I wonder what could have put Bismarck in that mood?" Max Schultz looked at the others
U-511 tilted her head left and right as if she's trying to remember something.
"Yuu might know" U-511 raised her hand
"You do?" Prinz Eugen raised her head
"Yamato and Warspite was talking, you see?"
U-511 tried her best to remember Yamato and Warspite's conversation she overheard just this morning.
"Maybe telling Bismarck-san slowly might have been the best choice"
"That is something I do not specialize" Warspite shrugged her shoulders
"Her comrades are worried since she's been acting strangely ever since you told her the truth" Yamato is concerned for Bismarck
"I know how much it affects her. The admiral happens to be her sister who had sunk ten years ago"
Still, Warspite displays a stoic and stern expression, minimizing in using her emotions.
"The day might come where she would have to fight her own sister as an Abyssal...and sink her again" Yamato clenched her fist
"If Northern Fjord Princess returns, then the best thing we can do is put the admiral out of her misery"
"It's because she would have wanted it, right?" Yamato took a deep exhale
"Still...the outcome is unknown" Warspite told Yamato
Curious, Yamato tilted her head and blinked her eyes.
"What do you mean, Warspite-san?"
"You see-"
Just before Warspite could continue what she is about to say, she noticed someone.
"...!"
When U-511 realized Warspite saw her peaking, she quickly ran away. That's what U-511 remembered as she had fled after being spotted.
"That's what Yuu heard" U-511 clapped her hands once
"Warspite. To think she's hiding something like this from us" Graf bit her lip
"I'm not surprised" Max tilted her head
Clenching her fists, Graf Zeppelin stood up.
"Where are you going, Graf?" Prinz Eugen asked
"Warspite has a lot of explaining to do"
The aircraft carrier planned to confront Warspite, but is stopped by Prinz Eugen who blocked her way.
"Just wait a minute! Don't act so rashly"
"Why not?"
"If we let our feelings get the best of us, it will just end up in a fight"
"Eugen has a point. You'll end up having an argument that will end very badly" Max agreed
U-511 and Lebe nodded, showing they agreed with both Prinz Eugen and Max Schultz.
"Right. Right..."
Graf Zeppelin calmed down after the moment of silence. She's not usually short tempered. She rarely does so.
"I shouldn't rush things without thinking twice"
When she sat down, the others took a deep sigh of relief.
"Still...Warspite needs to explain what she really knows"
The Kriegsmarine girls agreed on that, though they shouldn't act too emotionally like Graf almost did.
Admiral's office...
While the unexpected help from an unlikely person made the plan progress faster, Nagato still has to deal with the fact the admiral is yet to be found.
"You're too tense, you know"
Mutsu put down a cup of a steaming tea on the desk after she saw Nagato in deep thought.
"It's because we still don't have a clue where the admiral is, right?"
"Yeah. The one admiral Sajin captured said after gunning down the admiral, she was handed over to the Abyssals" Nagato's hand tensed up
"Knowing the Abyssals, I doubt they'll keep their prisoners alive for long"
"You don't have to remind me" Nagato is displeased hearing that
Mutsu knows Nagato worries that since the admiral has no means of fighting back against Abyssals, she's completely powerless.
"She can't fight as a ship girl, but..."
"Don't even say it" Nagato warned her
"I'm just saying the possibility. It's not just my opinion"
Right now, Nagato looks both angry and concerned, judging by the face she's making.
"If that were to happen, what will you think come out of it? Will the admiral return to the bottom...or to the surface?"
"...I don't know" Nagato replied
"It may be just wishful thinking, but I hope this won't end as another tragedy..."
Nagato didn't respond as thinking about it makes her chest feel heavy.
"If it comes down where I have to fight my own admiral, I will have to put her down myself if I have to"
Nagato told Mutsu as she leaves the room. Mutsu noticed the slight shaking in and hesitation Nagato's voice. It's like she doesn't want it to come to that.
Sea of Japan...
Northern Fjord Princess took a deep breath as she had just wiped out a patrolling Abyssal fleet. Like any other who crosses her path, she didn't hesitate to annihilate them.
"Something...inside me...is calling me..."
She can hear a voice calling her out repeatedly, but it's faint. She couldn't hear and sea the person calling out to her.
"My name is..."
She gazed up the sky and as she aimed to reach out her hand, she stopped midway upon sensing unwanted presence.
"...!"
Shells are fired upon her, but missed. Of course she isn't too happy after being attacked out of nowhere.
"Time for payback!" Battleship Princess grinned
Her "pet" roared as she ordered it to elevated the main guns and opened fire. Northern Fjord Princess retaliated, but she find it hard to accurately hit Battleship Princess when she is accompanied by several Abyssal escorts.
"Always...all of you...disturbing me..."
She hated anyone interrupting her when she's alone, especially being attacked. Just like what the Royal Navy and Kriegsmarine did to her at Norway.
"It's really getting on my nerves...!"
She didn't mind the numerous enemies. The only real threat to her is Battleship Princess who wants revenge for the last skirmish.
"You won't catch me off guarded, beast!" Battleship Princess laughed
One by one, Northern Fjord Princess sank her opponent's escorts until only the two of them remained in the battle.
"I won't let you get away for shooting at me by surprise!" Battleship Princess isn't really happy
The two battleships exchanged shell to shell while fighting on equal footing. Northern Fjord Princess' advantage against Battleship Princess are her torpedoes and speed.
"You're not going to get away this time! I'll make sure you won't see the light of day again!"
The beast find Battleship Princess' superior firepower very troublesome as she couldn't match it.
"Ggh!"
When one of Battleship Princess' shells heavily damaged one of the beast's turrets, it did significant damage on her.
"Grr!" Northern Fjord Princess roared
She kept having flashbacks of her defeat at the hands of ship girls ten years ago. She could never forget about it. All the array of negative emotions that stirred inside her back then.
"I will never go back to the bottom where it's cold and lonely!"
Alone at the fjords in the north, she faced repetitive attacks from ship girls who are determined to sink. She suffered over and over again, but she kept bearing it all. It was the first and final encounter with someone she cared about that struck her the most.
I will sink you right where you stand, beast of the north!
It's when she fought against Bismarck while dealing with the relentless aircrafts that did not bombing her. She kept taking hits from boths bombs and shells. She was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of aircrafts and ship girls who had been pushed to a corner. Fighting Battleship Princess felt like she was fighting Bismarck again. This pushed her fury to the limit.
"Never again...never again I will go back to the bottom of the dark ocean!"
When the memories overwhelmed her completely, she let out a loud roar that surprised Battleship Princess a bit.
"What the...!"
She noticed the waters changing as if it's reacting to the beast's anger.
(Territory...) Battleship Princess realized
In a matter of minutes, a large portion of the surrounding waters had turned crimson and the sky grew darker.
What's happening...?
Inside, the admiral noticed the drastic change around her. Everything is like breaking down around her. The emotions stirring inside grew chaotic.
"This is...!" She suddenly noticed chained restraints on her wrists
The admiral couldn't break of it no matter how much she tries. Not far in front of her is the manifestation of her Abyssal self, the beast itself.
I will not go back down there...
"You..."
Tirpitz...I will not let the cycle...drag me down once more...
There are tears streaming down the beast's cheeks as if she's suffering.
That's why...I will imprison in this eternal loneliness!
With a loud echoing roar, the beast used her power to have the admiral be dragged down below while chains bind her so she couldn't be set free.
"You're in a lot of pain. We're the same person after all..."
Admiral Suveran Schwarze regrettably said that to herself as she is dragged down below the surface while bound by chains. She closed her eyes as she sunk while the beast roared in agony.
We've been lonely for so long...
A ray of dark light pierced right to the clouds and a protective barrier formed around it with the Abyssal as the source of it in the center.
EXTRA
The naval districts in Japan had received bad news from the headquarters as the threat they thought wouldn't appear again...caused a commotion. Nagato, upon receiving the letter from the headquarters is rendered speechless.
"It comes to this, huh..."
"Nagato..." Mutsu worried for her
"To think...we will have to fight our admiral. What a cruel twist in fate"
While Nagato didn't show any emotion, Mutsu can still notice the pain she has to accept and the responsibilities along with it.
"What will we do...secretary?" Mutsu looked at her
"What must be done..."
Nagato exited the office and Mutsu followed after her shortly. Mutsu then realized Nagato is going to announce 'it' to everyone in the base. Nagato picked up the microphone and took a deep exhale before beginning to speak. The ship girls all over the base all stopped to listen.
[This is secretary Nagato speaking. I have received urgent news from the headquarters and it must be announced to the ship girls as soon as possible]
Bismarck, who are currently with Prinz Eugen and the others felt a bad omen about this as she swallowed her breath.
[The supposedly sunken Abyssl fast battleship, Northern Fjord Princess reappeared...and created a territory within the Sea of Japan and therefore...considered now as huge threat]
She stopped her hand from shaking as she bit her lip as if she's forcing herself to say it.
[The headquarters had given our naval district to deal with the beast of the north]
The ship girls in the base all listened to Nagato, genuinely surprised at the sudden announcement of an upcoming operation.
[The Maizuru naval district are tasked to conduct an operation to eliminate Northern Fjord Princess...at all cost]
"...?!" Bismarck dropped her glass
[The operation will be in 72 hours. Tomorrow, I will announce the ship girls participating in the operation. That will be all]
Nagato lowered her head and took a deep breath before looking at Mutsu who is unhappy at how the situation had gotten worse. While most ship girls are surprised at the upcoming operation, certain ship girls are aware of the situation. Those certain ship girls accepted the fact they will be forced to fight their own admiral...and sink her. Bismarck is the one who isn't taking it well.
"Eliminate - no...just no. Tirpitz..." Bismarck lowered her head
Graf Zeppelin and the others just looked at Bismarck who is clearly distraught and refusing to accept the cruel reality. They don't have anything to say that will comfort Bismarck...so all they can do is accept this truth. Seaplane tender Water Princess learned of the 'inevitable tragedy' as well, but isn't very surprised.
"The ship girls will make their move soon, so I must do as well..."
Staring at the sea, she briefly turned her head towards the base, sadly gazing at it.
"Je suis desole. I have to fulfill my primary goal...and that is to set the admiral free..."
She summoned her 'rigging' that manifested on her back in a form of a monstrous catapult for a tail. After softly speaking her farewell, Seaplane tender Water Princess stepped on the water...leaving the base while the ship girls discuss about the operation