Author: I was supposed to upload this yesterday but it slipped my mind and only remembered it when I got to bed. I just woke up so I'll add more in the chapter later.

By the way, I'm currently in Australia and decided to stay longer after seeing how many Koalas and other animals were burned and killed.

What keeps you going...?

The memory was from a long time ago but every time Tirpitz remembers, the experience always refreshens. The unpleasant memory of her twisted future self...back when she doesn't know who she is.

"To die alone fills you with bitterness, doesn't it? I know how it feels to be abandoned by the people you trusted"

Tyrant looked down on her, pitying Tirpitz who is on the brink of defeat. Despite sustaining heavy damages, Tirpitz forced herself to stand and raise her head high, never allowing her enemy to trash her honor as an Iron Blood battleship.

"Frustrating, isn't it? You were made to fight in a war yet you were thrown here - cast aside and forgotten by your own comrades...and your sister"

Tyrant lifted a defeared Tirpitz, viewing her with contempt and disappointment.

"If you're going to kill me...then do it now. Making me feel scared of you is pointless"

Tirpitz showed she doesn't fear being left at the mercy of her enemy. She doesn't fear being sunk as being in a war means you are prepared to die against your enemy.

"Why? Is to because you have nothing to lose? That your existence wouldn't matter even if you die"

Tyrant looked at Tirpitz right in the eyes, her dull eyes to Tirpitz's unyielding eyes. It was a deep sense of nostalgia.

"Ah yes, this takes me back to the old days. The days when I was...you"

"What the hell are you blabbing about?" Tirpitz struggled to break herself free

"You don't have to understand it now. It's a little early after all"

"Just what do you want from Iron Blood? Why are you targeting my sister?"

"Your...sister? You refer to that person as your sister when you only refer to her as her name. It's not surprising that the little sister still respects and cares for the older sister"

Tyrant loosened her grip on Tirpitz but she tossed her a few meters away. It will take some time for reinforcements to arrive so Tyrant has little to no concern about Iron Blood interfering her.

"Bismarck was the reason I became like this. It was her foolishness and weakness that resulted me"

"Was the reason? What do you mean she resulted you?" Tirpitz didn't understand

"It was her last and foolish choice that I came to be. If she hadn't make that mistake, I wouldn't be the one...standing right in front of you"

Her words made no sense to Tirpitz who isn't fond of her cryptic answers.

"In the end, the only way to change that is...something and someone outside of this world. Outside of the world where the Sirens simulated"

With Tirpitz unable to fight anymore, Tyrant turned her back and gazed up the sky.

"It's not something that could be done easily, but I'm willing to try as long as there's a possibility...as long there's...hope"

Before reinforcements could arrive, Tyrant left the immobile Tirpitz with those parting words, leaving her confused and cautious to what she could be planning.

Even after Bismarck comforted her, Tirpitz's heart remained sunk as she has yet to fully cold with the truth of Tyrant being her future self.

"Big sister...if you have told the truth earlier, would it have changed anything?"

She wondered if Bismarck had revealed the truth before, perhaps none of this could have happened.

"Aah. I keep thinking about this..."

Tirpitz wanted to set aside about Tyrant's identity and Bismarck's lie but the topic constantly pops out in her mind. She can't afford to lose focus with here primary objective of returning to her own world.

"Well I can't stop thinking about it after knowing the one I wanted to sink is my future self..."

Her mind is currently in shambles, unable to straighten her focus for days. She bit her thumb, a habit whenever she grows frustrated.

"Tyrant. What would my future self want from me and my sister. She has that immense strength, so why would she go back to the past? What's her true goal?"

Tirpitz focused her thoughts on Tyrant's true goal to why she returned to the past even with all the power she has.

"I have think. Tyrant is my future self so I should know what would I want..."

Tirpitz scratched her head trying to come up with the most possible reason to why Tyrant is making an effort to return to the past and confront her.

"Impossible. I can't think of any..."

Tirpitz gazed up at the sky, vacantly watching the clouds freely drift away. She lifted her hand, slowly trying to reach out to the sky.

"I wonder how is Bismarck doing?"

She worried for her older sister even if she has yet to forgive her for keeping the truth all this time.

"Big sister...you have a lot of explaining to do once I get back"

Taking a deep breath, Tirpitz knew she had to focus first in returning her own world first than being frustrated about what happened a few days ago.

Later...

Bismarck paced back and forth while Nelson follows her movements. Just as she takes a sip from her tea, Bismarck lets out a scream before deciding to sit down.

"Good grief. You're stressing yourself out and you almost made me spill my tea"

"I just wish I could help Tirpitz more" Bismarck crossed her arms

"There's only so much you can do, Bismarck"

Nelson is normally calm while Bismarck is agitated and uneasy. The more Nelson looks at Bismarck being restless the more she gets annoyed.

"Why do you worry so much about her?"

Nelson raised an eyebrow and asked the first thing that came to her mind whenever she would see Bismarck spending time with Tirpitz.

"She's Tirpitz from another world. She's just another version to your sister"

"Tirpitz is still technically my sister. She's what I like to call an alternate sister"

"Even if she's from another world, your big sister instinct is still kicking in"

"How about you, Nelson? What would you do if another Rodney shows up?"

A curious Bismarck pointed and asked Nelson since they're talking about another version of a younger sister.

"No comment"

Nelson looked away and refused to respond how she would feel about it.

"Tirpitz is Tirpitz no matter what world she came from" Bismarck crossed her arms as returned to the main topic

"Other than Tirpitz, what about your other self? The other Bismarck you saw?"

"I only saw her for a couple of minutes and she didn't say much. The one called Tyrant was there and then there was this really bright light"

Unfortunately, Bismarck didn't get to know her other version from Iron Blood due to the situation at that time. They were all in a middle of a fight and the introductions were cut shortly after they were engulfed with a flash of light.

"She looked like me except she looks really serious and she's basically black compared to the white Tirpitz here"

Bismarck waved her hand, describing Bismarck's appearance as the black version of Tirpitz's white motif.

"I wonder if that Bismarck met and taking good care of my Tirpitz. I'm really worried for her"

"You've been worried about the Tirpitz here, I thought you forgot about your own sister" Nelson snickered

"Shut it! Of course I'm really worried of my sister. I can't stop thinking whether she's okay or not"

Bismarck stood up, puffing in anger as Nelson joked that she had forgotten about her actual younger sister.

"It's been weeks already and I still don't have a clue how the hell two Tirpitz switch places"

"Relax. Warspite says she might have found a useful lead" Nelson sighs

"Really?! Tell me!"

"Remember the smiling...what's it called that not-Abyssal enemy again - right, Siren. That Siren might give us a clue to how another Tirpitz ended up here and how ours vanished"

"That creepy girl the other day? I remember she did something that trapped me in a weird place"

"What she used could possibly the same or similar technology when our Tirpitz vanished. I'm not sure if she was the one who did it though"

Remembering Purifier, Bismarck did noticed the Siren used a device to transport her in a dimension where she encountered her Iron Blood version.

"Then we'll just have to find that Siren and beat the shit out of her to force to tell us about Tirpitz"

"It's not that easy, idiot. We're dealing with a being from another world with tricks up her sleeve. We're dealing with an enemy capable of opening a gateway to another world"

"You're right. That Siren has all sorts of devices...probably" Bismarck grunted, slightly frustrated

"Besides she shoots laser and all sorts of projectiles like the ones in the movies"

Nelson also added the enemy they're going to track down possessed technology far superior than the modern world. Purifier won't be like the Abyssals they faced so far.

Meanwhile...

Inside the briefing room, Nagato privately discusses with Yamato about the Tirpitz from another world.

"Is there something wrong with Tirpitz-san?" Yamato tilted her head

"I'm not really sure but she's been...different lately"

"How different? I haven't noticed anything odd lately"

"Just yesterday, Bismarck told me that Tirpitz passed out all of a sudden. When Bismarck brought Tirpitz to her room to rest, she attacked her for a moment"

"She attacked Bismarck-san?" Yamato is confused

"Yes but the day before that, just after the last encounter with the Siren Purifier, she wasn't feeling well after the battle. When I checked on her, her eyes turned yellow for a moment"

"Suddenly attacking Bismarck-san and change in eye color. That is odd indeed...but how is it alarming?"

While Yamato agreed the two instances can be classified as unusual, she isn't sure why there's a need to be alarmed.

"Her behavior had been changing recently like she's a different person. Haven't you noticed that?" Nagato raised an eyebrow

"Well when I tried to speak to her earlier this morning, she looked at me with hostile eyes and walked away. It's like...she's different"

"Tirpitz isn't our enemy but we need to keep an eye on her. I have a bad feeling about what's happening lately"

Nagato already deemed Tirpitz to be suspicious due to her recent behaviors but Yamato is skeptical as she viewed Tirpitz as an ally like everyone else.

"Did Warspite-san say anything about this?"

"Oddly she didn't say anything. She has her own business to deal with which she doesn't tell anyone what it is of course"

"Warspite-san has a tendency to do as she please. It makes it difficult to guess what she has been up to"

Warspite's secretive nature makes it difficult for others to know what she will be up to next. It's making building up trust among each other difficult as well.

"Maybe Tirpitz-san isn't feeling too well. Let's not jump to conclusions yet"

Yamato raised her hand and suggested they shouldn't be suspicious of Tirpitz quickly as there might be a reason behind her strange behavior recently.

"I'm not thinking she's up to no good. I'm getting worried at her sudden change" Nagato clarified

"Maybe it's because of what happened the other day"

"Tirpitz didn't say much about what happened during the fight with the Purifier. Bismarck seem to avoid reveal something when I asked her"

"Bismarck-san interacts the most with her more than anyone so she should know something"

Yamato thought Bismarck might answer to why Tirpitz had been acting strangely lately and to confirm whether it is connected with the last encounter with the Siren Purifier.

"Anyhow, Nagato-san, we should focus on tracking the Siren Purifier again. Warspite-san and Tirpitz-san believed that Siren used a similar technology when our Tirpitz disappeared"

"Hmm..."

"Bismarck-san and Tirpitz-san said they suddenly found themselves into an unknown dimension. Like they were transported from a place outside this world"

"That's a high possibility. Tirpitz did say the Sirens are capable of defying the laws of time and space" Nagato nodded

Their discussion on what to do with tracking the Siren Purifier is interrupted by Mutsu entering the briefing room.

"Sorry for interrupting but 2nd carrier division might have spotted our target during an investigation"

Nagato puts down the post sortie report and the images captured by the reconnaissance aircrafts from both Hiryuu and Souryuu.

"Is she building something?"

Nagato narrowed her eyes and she looked closer at one of the pictures. She couldn't tell what it is but she could identify Purifier in a single glance. There was a glowing object but Nagato couldn't recognize what it could be.

"Perhaps. She's in Abyssal territory so the fleet couldn't get close" Mutsu isn't sure

"The Abyssals working with an unkown being. Either that Siren is smart enough to convince them or the Princesses are all simpletons" Nagato shrugged her shoulders

"Should we prepare for the next raid on her?"

"We can't charge in recklessly, especially when she's in Abyssal territory. We need to assess the forces we're going to deal with before we could assemble our own to counter it"

Nagato chose to be patient as she had to make sure Purifier won't escape easily again so they could find the slightest lead or hint on what they did that made two Tirpitz switch worlds.

"Our target possesses futuristic technology and her strength is much different compared to the Abyssals we fight. Tirpitz is the only one who knows how to fight her so we're going to need her the next time we launch an assault"

Nagato pointed on the clearest picture of Purifier, deciding to include Tirpitz in the next battle too even if she's been acting strangely lately which worries Yamato and even Mutsu.

"Are you certain, Nagato-san? To include Tirpitz-san I mean"

"Even if her behavior had been unusual, as long as it doesn't affect her battle then I'll include her"

"..." Yamato and Mutsu looked at each other

"Besides, Warspite advised it's best to bring her along if we're targeting the Siren since it's clear she's the target"

"It's like baiting..." Yamato isn't too happy pointing it out

"..."

Nagato doesn't like using someone, even Tirpitz from another world, as bait against the enemy but Warspite insisted it's their best choice and Tirpitz would charge at the opportunity to confront the Siren again.

In an unknown dimension...

To open a rift to another world in the precise location and time, Tyrant slowly squeezed and crushed a small black cube in her hands, the crumbled pieces falling beneath her. Opening the rift with her own power proved to be difficult without the black mental cube she once possessed.

"The black mental cube. I need to take it from the other Tirpitz but it seems Iron Blood will get in the way more than ever"

"Having trouble now, Tyrant?"

Observer surprised Tyrant by actually appearing behind her but the latter blankly turned around and looked up at the smug Siren.

"Observer Alpha..."

"Why do you react like it failed? It succeeded, didn't it?"

"..."

"Your old self's mental cube is slowly destabilizing which meant the safe wall protecting her core from harmful interference...can be breached now"

"I know that"

"You wanted to retrieve the black mental cube first. Is that it?"

Observer leaned closer, not knowing what personal space. In fact, she doesn't care about personal space whatsoever and is rather...playful when making physical contact.

"Because not only it contains cultivated energy, but some of yours too. Well it took a bit of your energy which you can regain when you have the cube again"

"Not only I need my full capabilities but it's an important component for me to use the improvised version of my Awakening Protocol"

"So you're really after that, huh? You've been after that since the beginning but you're not in a hurry"

Observer lifted Tyrant's chin with her index finger and have the dull-eyed battleship look at her straight in the eyes.

"There is no reason to make haste and no matter what path, the outcome is always the same. No matter what Tirpitz does, I will always get what I want"

"That is true. Simulations always resulted in 99% inevitability...but the remaining 1% is something to be cautious of. After all, humanity is capable of explosive growth even in the worst situations and their unpredictability is beyond logic"

Observer doesn't always view humans as a threat to her plans but she is still cautious as she has been told humanity can alter their own fate beyond any simulations and calculations if they are left to grow and learn.

"What is Purifier doing? The last time it failed since she let the other Bismarck be dragged as well"

"Purifier allowed it to happen" Observer responded

"Why?"

"Your past self, Tirpitz...seems to have grown attached to the other Bismarck according to Purifier at least"

"You're adding an unnecessary wild card just to make it more fun. Really..." Tyrant sighs

"You can use the other Bismarck to your advantage. You just have to manipulate the piece, Tyrant..."

Observer giggled again, advising Tyrant before she disappears who knows where again. Alone in the empty space, Tyrant gently touched the coat of arms that once belonged to Bismarck.

"...?!"

She bit her lip upon suffering a splitting headache which made her collapse on the ground in one knee.

"You're... trying to get me again...even after you're gone. Even as just broken pieces...you're still...getting in my way...my older sister"

Regaining control of herself, Tyrant stood on her two feet and cracked her neck before leaving the dimension with the intention of following Observer's advice which she rarely does.

"It looked like Observed Alpha came to bother you. Rather, she's been curious to what have you been up to. The other Codes have been doing as they please"

Just as Tyrant thought she wouldn't get any more visitors, Code T appeared as soon as Observer Alpha left. She isn't the mood for anothrr discussion but she let her fellow "Code" continue talking.

"You're going to deal with both your old self and the other Tirpitz. How are you going to handle two problems at once. It looks like you need help"

"You're going to offer your help? What's the catch?"

"You're perfect for the job"

"You're asking a former Iron Blood than someone from the Sakura"

"I could use your firepower and high durability against Akagi"

"The aircraft carrier Akagi, huh. Alright, I will lend you my strength"

Code-T is somewhat surprised that Tyrant didn't hesitate to agree with her proposal. Then again, Tyrant doesn't question the motives of other people if doesn't concern or affect her.

"I don't mind helping you as long as the job isn't too bothersome"

"I will just need your support...and the other one"

"The other one?"

"Your heavy cruiser friend who likes to tease other people, especially you"

"Silver, huh. You asked me knowing she'll tag along since that girl follows me everywhere"

"There's no problem, right?"

"Fine. I'll bring her along. She could a distraction other than annoying me"

Tyrant isn't clearly fond of the heavy cruiser they are both referring as she doesn't like people testing her patience all the time.

"By the way, where is she?"

"The girl went around to play in the Baltic sea. She's keeping some of the Eagle Union girls occupied for the the past two weeks"

"Once she comes back, tell her of our conversation"

Code-T turned away, preparing to leave as the proposal is settled with Tyrant agreeing to lend her a hand.

"I'll deal with Tirpitz first and that girl said she wanted to come along. You can handle the other one being protected by Bismarck and those Royal navy girls, right?"

"I can deal with them by myself. As long as you keep the end of your bargain"

"I always keep my word. It's a trait I still keeep even after I became like this"

"I see..."

Cutting the conversation without dragging it out further, Code-T left the dimension. Alone again, Tyrant rested in the silence and emptiness, unable to stop thinking about the past even after she vowed to abandon it.