Author: I stopped playing AL lately. I couldn't get away from FGO (ascension material farm)...and I grew fond of sumanai-san (and Nero's "umu").
Ten more chapters left for this story. I was going to end it in five more chapters but I don't like to rush it and omit details like flashbacks. Also, I'm planning on having certain KC and AL girls meet each other.
It's not just inside the mind...
Drifting inside the mind, Tirpitz found herself in different scenario this time. Unlike the sea of flames and smoke, this one is in an abandoned port in an unknown island. There, one figure sat on a ruin of what used to be a port, gazing up in the sky. Then a second figure slowly approached her from behind with arms crossed. The first figure slowly turned her head and sighs upon seeing the second one.
"Who are they? It's all...unclear...abstract"
Tirpitz touched her head, attempting to clarify and recognize the appearance of two unknown silhouettes aches her head. The first silhouette, short-haired and taller than the second one, stood up and faced the shorter one.
"You dragged another version from another world. Why in the world would you do that?"
The second silhouette is visibly unhappy and surprised but the first one doesn't seem to care whether she's complaining or not.
"I just want to test whether a wild card will have an effect. Whether bringing someone unexpected will change anything" The first one responded
"This would have been over if you stop playing around with your alter ego. You're stronger than her and Bismarck. You could have finished this some time ago"
When the first silhouette took a step, the vagueness concealing her appearance dispersed, surprising Tirpitz that it's Tyrant. In a single look, it's undeniable that the Code who occupied the north is also Tirpitz but enhanced and altered by the power of the Sirens.
"Why are you the one complaining when it doesn't concern you the least?" Tyrant took another step
"..."
"You haven't been doing anything yet you come here and complain about my own business"
"..."
The silhouette who Tirpitz has yet to make sense of turned away, unable to respond to what Tyrant had just said.
"You told me not to get in your away. Did you forget that?"
"..."
"It'd be faster if you let me on this one"
Tyrant placed her hand on her chin and turned towards the open sea, considering whether she should allow her to assist in the current situation.
"Perhaps you can do something for me" Tyrant made her decisio
"...?"
Before Tyrant could reveal the task she would give to the mysterious silhouette, the sound of knocking on the door forced her to wake up.
"Ugh...of all times..."
Grunting, Tirpitz raised herself from the bed and stood up, lazily answering the door.
"Leipzig? What is it?"
Seeing Tirpitz might have been disturbed from her nap, Leipzig shivered. In her perspective, Tirpitz isn't pleased to be disturbed and might be angry at her even if that's not the case.
"U-uhm...someone from the Royal navy...is looking for you"
"Someone from the Royal navy? I don't remember expecting any visitors today" Tirpitz scratched her head
"U...uhm..."
"Whatever it is, I hope it's important"
Tirpitz walks past Leipzig as she exits her own room. The headache hasn't subsided yet but Tirpitz held down the pain even if she feels like she would lose her balance.
"...!"
Tirpitz quickly turned around when she sensed eyes locked into her...but there was no one behind her. All she see is an empty hall with her being the only person around.
"I think I'm getting paranoid"
Brushing off the sudden anxiety, Tirpitz shakes her head and hurriedly moved forward until she reached outside.
"Ah, there you are"
Tirpitz jolted when a familiar voice greeted her just as she is trying to calm herself down. The captain of the Royal guard, King George V walked closed but stop seeing Tirpitz nervous and pale.
"Did something happened? You don't look well"
"This is nothing to be worried about. Why you're here is more important" Tirpitz brushed it off again
"I went to speak to Akagi in the Sakura Empire. Surprisingly, she didn't hesitate to inform me more about Tyrant"
"What?"
"Before Akagi was thrown behind bars because of her...troublesome personality, she was tracking the Codes, especially the ones doing the Sirens' biddings"
"..." Tirpitz is in disbelief
"Luckily, she has enough information about Tyrant. Apparently has a little friend working in the shadows. There's another Code lurking nearby and we don't know who she is"
"An accomplice we haven't seen..." Tirpitz bit her thumb
"Unfortunately, not even Akagi knows where this unknown accomplice is and where she is lurking but she does know that Tyrant-"
Before King George V could reveal what Akagi had confessed, she stopped herself for some reason, confusing Tirpitz who's eager to learn Tyrant's motives.
"What does she know about Tyrant?"
"...that she's specifically targeting you but she's not aiming to kill you. The other Tirpitz being involved might have been unintentional but she made so everything would still go into plan" King George V replied
"Akagi didn't say anything else?"
"Akagi suspected that accomplice might reopen a rift to free Tyrant from the closed dimension"
"...but along with Tyrant is the other Tirpitz who had become a monster" Tirpitz added
"You need to find the accomplice since she might be lurking within Iron Blood as Akagi suspected she's near you"
"There's an enemy...within Iron Blood...?!" Tirpitz is genuinely shocked
"Don't say it out loud. If there's a traitor within your ranks then I suggest not to trust anyone, not even your fellow Iron Blood"
While Tirpitz isn't particularly attached to her comrades due to her cold and indifferent, she somewhat trust them as allies. She never would have thought that she had to treat them as suspects one day.
"I came here to warn you that your enemy is closer than you think" King George V crossed her arms
"An enemy within. So do you have any idea who it is?"
"It could be anyone within your fleet. It could even be Bismarck"
"Tyrant already killed her in her timeline. She'd do it again if she feels like it"
"...Ah. That's right"
King George V scratched her head after being reminded that Tyrant had eliminated the Bismarck from her timeline and wouldn't hesitate to sink the one in the current timeline.
"Even if it's not Bismarck, it could be anyone else..."
While King George V keeps talking, Tirpitz's focus slips out as she senses a gentle yet sinister caress on her shoulder. A shadowy figure leaned closer from behind and whispered to her ear in an echoing and alluring voice.
"Fufufufu~ Can you feel your mind slipping away by the minute? I'm sure it's tormenting to slowly lose your mind"
"...!"
In a panic, Tirpitz stood up and almost screamed but her sudden reaction almost startled King George V.
"What's going on with you? It seemed like you saw a ghost"
"T-there's this shadow...and whisper...and I'm seeing and hearing things that aren't even there"
Tirpitz sits back while trying to steady her breathing to settle down her anxiety and paranoia infesting her thoughts.
"You're suffering hallucinations and by the looks of it this has been happening for a quite a while"
"It started when I got back here. It's going to drive me insane sooner or later"
"Perhaps you need to come with me so we could analyze the cause of your hallucinations" King George V suggested
"Y-yeah. It's best to check on what's really happening with me"
"Good. Because if this is left unchecked... your mind will be damaged beyond repair"
As Tirpitz taps Tirpitz on the back and comforts her to soothe her growing anxiety, Friedrich der Grosse worryingly observed Tirpitz while Roon leans on the wall not peaking and barely caring.
"Tirpitz looks so restless. Someone is going on with one of my beloved daughters"
"Something is indeed going on and the others are noticing it too" Roon responded
"Isn't Bismarck worried for her dear little sister?"
"Bismarck is away so she isn't aware of what's going on right now" Roon reminded her
"Tirpitz had always been calm but to see her constantly nervous is aching my motherly heart"
"Even if we ask her, she would refuse to talk about it"
Friedrich der Grosse is at the brink of rolling on the ground out of her motherly worry for "one of her daughters" while Roon shakes her head, unsure what to feel for her fellow research ship right now.
"Please don't do that. It's...unbecoming of you as an Iron Blood battleship"
"You're a bit mean to your mother"
Roon looked away when Friedrich der Grosse tried to make her feel guilty and sorry. Unfortunately for Friedrich der Grosse, Roon has a steel-solid heart.
Later...
Bismarck returned to port exhausted at her trip away to another nation but she still has work to do as the leader of Iron Blood.
"I've been hearing about something is going with Tirpitz. Do you know what's going on?" Bismarck turned her head
"Even I am unsure. Tirpitz is not the type to open up about her thoughts and feelings" Graf Zeppelin shrugs her shoulders
"How about you, Eugen?"
Both Bismarck and Graf Zeppelin looked towards Prinz Eugen who casually relaxes inside Bismarck's office as if she's not sensing the serious atmosphere and Bismarck's glare.
"Well, I've heard Tirpitz is acting a bit strange recently but when I talked to her she seemed like her usual self" Prinz Eugen tilted her head
"Are you certain about that?" Graf Zeppelin narrowed her eyes
"I talked to her more than once and I didn't find anything strange. Do you want me to make her talk? I'm good at charming people into telling me everything" Prinz Eugen giggled
"Tirpitz will probably open up if she's speaking to someone relaxed and laid-back"
Bismarck leaned on her chair, supporting on the idea that Tirpitz might talk to Prinz Eugen on what's happening since the heavy cruiser isn't the serious and intimidating type unlike the others.
"In fact, I suggest you do it now"
"Eh? Right now? Can I just do it later-"
"..."
"Fine, fine. I'll go talk to her"
Somewhat intimidated by Bismarck's dear serious gaze, Prinz Eugen is forced to listen to her direct order and leave the office right now.
"Why Prinz Eugen? That girl doesn't take anything seriously" Graf Zeppelin immediately asked
"It's a bet whether Tirpitz would be convinced to talk to someone my opposite"
"I see. Since she's doesn't open up to you, she would open up to someone different from you"
"Even so, I'm not certain whether letting Prinz Eugen do it the right thing to do. There's...something different about her"
"Something different? I didn't notice anything" Graf Zeppelin raised an eyebrow
"It's like she's more laid-back and playful than usual. Like nothing is going on with her surroundings"
"For a moment I thought it was something to be alarmed of"
"Forget what I said. Maybe I'm just imagining things"
Bismarck lightly shakes her head and resumed to her paperwork while Graf Zeppelin assists her as she had been busy since morning.
Meanwhile...
Prinz Eugen cheerfully hums as she walks to where Tirpitz's room is. She knocked a few times and she knocked again...but there's no answer.
"It's quiet..."
She leaned on the door but she couldn't hear the slightest noise so she slowly opened the door and found Tirpitz in a corner, heavily breathing and in a panic.
"You're a mess, aren't you?"
Prinz Eugen slowly and calmly approached to prevent startling her. Tirpitz, raises her head and noticed Prinz Eugen on her knees and smiling at her.
"Your mind is a real mess right now"
Prinz Eugen leaned closer but Tirpitz didn't find in uncomfortable even if she dislikes anyone invading her personal space.
"I can't think straight all the time. I keep seeing and hearing things...but they're not real"
"From the looks of it, you're suffering hallucinations"
Prinz Eugen tilted her head, her eyes locked into Tirpitz to make her admit and stop denying what's happening to her.
"You've been having bad dreams about Tyrant. You were even saying...interesting things while you were asleep"
"...!"
"I won't tell Bismarck if you would tell me what's going on with you"
"...I keep seeing these shadows. There's a voice...whispering to me..."
"What kind of voice?"
"A soft but sinister voice. It sends a chill down my spine"
"You're like a scared child...lost in the dark"
Prinz Eugen slowly pulled Tirpitz to her and gently caresses her head an attempt to comfort her. Surprisingly, Tirpitz didn't resist and allowed herself to rest on Prinz Eugen's chest and listen to her calming voice. She's at the point where she's desperate for someone to comfort her.
"What you're seeing is not real. They're just your thoughts created from your fear and anxiety"
"Eugen...?"
"There's nothing wrong with you. This is just something you're experiencing because you're just tired"
"I'm just tired?"
"Yeah. You haven't gotten enough rest lately. You've been pushing your consciousness too much"
"..."
"Just let the thoughts flow and relax. Your anxiety is what's feeding your hallucination. Just relax and don't mind what's around you"
"I...think I need some sleep..."
"You haven't been sleeping recently. You need to put your mind at ease for a while"
Prinz Eugen hummed to calm Tirpitz into closing her eyes and sleep but it's interrupted when Friedrich der Grosse shouted and barged in.
"Tirpitz - Oh? My little Eugen is here too"
(Hmm?) Roon noticed something
"Really, you people came in the worst timing. I was about to calm her down"
Prinz Eugen pulled herself away, displaying that she's unhappy with the moment being ruined by an unexpected interruption.
"Tirpitz hasn't been herself lately and I was about to make her relax and sleep"
"I didn't mean to ruin it" Friedrich der Grosse hugged Prinz Eugen
"You really don't look well" Room approached Tirpitz
"I'm just a bit tired. I haven't gotten a decent sleep recently after all" Tirpitz stood up as she reassured them
Even if she says that, Roon doesn't believe she is completely fine. Roon catches a glimpse of Prinz Eugen's playful smile, something she will never get used to.
"I see, you were about to finally get some rest. I guess we bothered you" Roon grabbed Friedrich der Grosse's wrist
"Eh? We're leaving already?"
"Sorry about that"
"We're leaving already even if we just arrived?"
Roon didn't listen to Friedrich der Grosse's complains and drag her out of the room and out of the hall, leaving Prinz Eugen with Tirpitz alone again. The exhausted battleship sat on her bed, clearly seeking a decent rest.
"Eugen, I don't know if I'm just tired but my head is spinning and my body is feeling numb"
"You are tired. You pushed your mind too far and refused to acknowledge that"
"I'm starting to get sleepy..."
"Then rest...and don't think of anything else"
Tirpitz followed what Prinz Eugen said and slowly closed her eyes, her consciousness drifting away again. When Tirpitz finally fell asleep, Prinz Eugen takes a deep sigh of relief as she sits beside the sleeping Tirpitz.
"That's right. You've been unknowingly using your mental strength to hold something back"
Tirpitz had been looking exhausted lately that seeing her relaxed in her sleep amused Prinz Eugen but her eyes shifted on a dark glow coming from the inside of a drawer.
"Hmm?"
Curious, Prinz Eugen opened the drawer and smiled when she saw the glow had come from the black mental cube. She lifted the cube seething with negative energy and inspected every corner.
"The black mental cube. So you have this in possession?"
She turned towards the still unconscious Tirpitz and smiled as she sat right back at the side of the bed.
"No wonder your mind is deteriorating but then again it's not the main cause, is it?"
Prinz Eugen softly giggled as she returns the black mental cube back at the drawer she found it.
"A peaceful rest is all you need"
To make sure Tirpitz won't be disturbed from her sleep, Prinz Eugen slowly leaves and closed the door.
"Perhaps I should have asked her first what that nosy battlecruiser came here for. I'll just ask her when she wakes up"
Prinz Eugen shrugs her shoulders and gleefully left the hall, seemingly unaware of Roon observing her from the other end.
Meanwhile...
Graf Zeppelin enters Bismarck's office bringing important papers and placing it right in front of her.
"I've come across Prinz Eugen and she told me she managed to convince Tirpitz to get some rest" Graf Zeppelin reported
"I see..."
"Tirpitz is currently sleeping right now and hopefully it will ease her mind once she wakes up"
"I hope so..."
"Is something wrong? I thought you'd be worried" Graf Zeppelin raised an eyebrow
"..."
Bismarck remained quiet but Graf Zeppelin understood the meaning of the silence.
"This is the first time Tirpitz has been...unwell. She had always been calm and collected so seeing her like this makes me think there's something wrong going on"
"What kind?"
"The kind that isn't visible to us. That is hidden to us and we'll only realize it once it's too late"
"The Royal navy guard paid a visit to Tirpitz earlier this morning. That's not usual, is it?"
Now that Bismarck suspects, Graf Zeppelin reported the unusual visit from one of the Royal navy.
"King George V, huh. What did she visited Tirpitz for?"
"No one is certain since the two spoke in private"
"Hmm..."
"It's suspicious but it's more important to find out the cause of Tirpitz's condition"
"Correct. I'll deal with the Royal guard captain soon"
Bismarck takes a deep breath, unable to figure out what's causing Tirpitz to act strangely and her mental state to deteriorate.
(Something is going on with you, little sister. I'm not sure whether you are aware yourself...)
Graf Zeppelin isn't surprised that Bismarck is showing concern even if it's not visible. She had always been the type to act like she doesn't care but actually cares.
In a closed dimension...
Even with her left arm severed, Tyrant's immense strength kept her standing and resilient against a vicious Beast.
"Looks like that girl is taking too long. She hasn't even taken any action yet"
She looked at where her left arm is supposed to be, slightly annoyed that she allowed a "mere Beast" to catch her off guard and rip off her arm that quickly.
"And you...have reverted to your weak, human self. To think someone like you managed to rip off my arm"
The exhausted and bleeding Tirpitz stood up even if her breathing is unsteady and her body couldn't fully revert back to her shipgirl self.
"Abyssals are the counterpart of Sirens after all, minus the science fiction shenanigans" Tirpitz laughed
"..."
"Besides, I'll be a goddamn animal again later. Even so, I wouldn't have any problem since there's only the two of us here"
"You're a fool to sacrifice your own freedom for the sake of someone you don't even know"
"I do know her. She's another 'me' from another world. That's all I need to know"
Tyrant doesn't simply understand the mentality of the Tirpitz in front of her despite bearing the same name and history as the Tirpitz from Iron Blood.
"For someone stuck here with a monster, you don't seem to be in a rush"
"..."
"Rather, you have a way to open this dimension from the other side. If you had a way from this side, you would have done it by now"
Seeing Tyrant react, Tirpitz confirmed that Tyrant has a contingency plan even if she's stuck in a dimension with no exit from their side.
"So you have a backup plan. It's odd you haven't done it yet. We've been here for like three days, four...or maybe a week. You lose your sense of time in these kind of places"
Tirpitz laughed despite being injured all over her body and barely in the condition to fight.
"It doesn't matter. I'm going to stand in your way and undo everything you messed up starting with dragging me here...even as a mad Beast"
"You talk too much"
"Sorry about that. I'm just...pissed off at you right now"
Tirpitz clenched her fist and faintly smiling despite stating she is angry. Tyrant frowned, irritated at how "a mere Beast" is calm on the outside and furious in the inside.
"...?!"
Before they could resume their fight, Tyrant fell on one knee and covered her face with her hand. Even with Tyrant in vulnerable state, Tirpitz doesn't want to risk of a bait so she stood defensively and awaited her opponent's strike.
"Keeping you in check is proving to be very difficult. Well, that is no surprise considering you integrated what's left of me"
Tirpitz blink her eyes, confused and shocked to why Tyrant's way of speaking became calmer and her voice slightly matured. Even Tyrant's facial expression changed.
"Don't get in my way. The only way to stabilize is through my alter ego" Tyrant's voice returned to normal
"You will...recreate that event if you were to destroy your alter ego. Do you wish for another [us]?!"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! It's because of you I'm like this! You're in my head...in my core!"
Tyrant begun hitting her own head, slightly scaring Tirpitz who grew more confused to why Tyrant is verbally having an argument to herself and even physically harming herself.
"It's because of you...it's because you-"
"No. It's because of Observer Alpha, who used you against me...and made me physically sacrifice myself...in order to prevent your own destruction"
The incoherent arguing stopped and Tyrant assumed a stern and calm behavior and speech as she faced the still confused Tirpitz.
"Tirpitz, hailing from another world, I ask of your cooperation"
"Huh? We were killing each another...now you want my help after hitting yourself?"
"Forgive me. I have yet to explain of our circumstances. Perhaps, I should introduce myself first"
"...?"
"I am Bismarck but different from the one you presumedly met"
"What do you mean?"
"You see, I am also Tyrant but there is deeper truth to that..."
'The Bismarck side' of Tyrant spoke what the other Tirpitz should have heard but failed to do so due to reasons yet to be specified. Even after hearing only half of it, Tirpitz widened her eyes as she never would have thought...that such thing is possible. Rather, it has been like "that" the whole time.
