Author: I'm currently stuck in quarantine much like other people out there. So I'm working from home. It's to think how other people are fighting over toilet paper like it's a diarrhea pandemic.
Right now, I'm entertaining myself with internet memes so I wouldn't go into an existential crisis.
The events had turned...interestingly...
Observer Alpha lost vision of Tyrant's activities but she is aware the Code is stuck in a closed dimension along with the Tirpitz from a different world.
"Thanks to Code-G's damaging Tyrant, the latter is off doing as she please. This makes getting the coordinates more troublesome"
Rather than feel displeased, Observer giggled in delight as the turn of events excited her.
"With your connection damaged, you can't download the information we need. What's more, if she succeeds..." Tester Beta raised an eyebrow
"The Code will be completed. Yes, I'm aware"
"The previous and original Tyrant was Bismarck but to think she'd transfer the Code to Tirpitz before she gets absorbed. She must have been desperate" Tester frowned
"Bismarck found something about that person but never told anyone, not even Ash or Ember...for obvious reasons. She wanted to keep the secret so badly she passed the burden to her sister and let herself get killed" Observer smirked
"Our [Creator] is unhappy. 'That person' had been in hiding for a long time...and the only one the [Creator] view as a threat"
When mentioning a hint of whoever they are chasing and hunting, Observer broke off from her usual expression and furrowed her eyebrows for a split second.
"We don't know what she's thinking as her mind become that of a human so we need to extract the coordinates from the Tyrant Code" Observer reminded Tester
"Bismarck was a nuisance to the very end. Even I did not expect she would be desperate to transfer the Tyrant Code to her younger sister along with the coordinates" Observer felt annoyed but amused at the same time
Observer Alpha then projected a large screen showing Purifier almost finishing the setup to open a machine capable of opening a rift. Purifier waved her hand and jumped excitedly, showing Observer she's almost done with her current task.
"Hey~ I'm about 70% done here. By estimation, I will complete it in a few days...if there are no interruptions of course"
"You've made use of the Abyssals there, huh" Tester crossed her arms
"Of course! The shipgirls are here are as troublesome as the ones there. They'll be charging here soon and I'll be waiting for them...to make things more dramatic and exciting!"
Purifier's eyes sparkled with excitement, patiently waiting for the shipgirl fleet to attack her while she finishes her current task.
"We wouldn't have this much delay if Tyrant didn't confront her alter ego so soon. Just finish the setup as soon as possible as we can't afford more delays. The [Creator] is losing her patience" Observer reminded Purifier
"Roger that!"
With a salute, the communication between Purifier and Observer have ended. Even if their plans had been going smoothly recently, Observer slightly frowned, cautious at the possibility of Code G or Code T interfering. Not only them but "the others" working alongside them.
Maizuru naval district...
Bismarck, impatiently taps her foot, sitting in one corner while Nelson is unsure how to react at the German battleship looking nervous and restless.
"Can we really trust this Abyssal? For all we know, she could be tricking us into a trap"
Bismarck voiced out her complete distrust towards the Abyssals and as a shipgirl too, Nelson can understand why Bismarck feels uneasy.
"We have to make use of what we have. Aircraft carrier Princess knows where Purifier is and she's the only one who can lead us to her" Nelson pointed out
"Even so, an Abyssal is an Abyssal. They're our natural enemies and the reason we exist in this war"
"They are our enemies, that is true, but you should have learned something after fighting your own sister to the death back in Norway"
"...!"
"Bismarck, to even if you don't trust her, she knows what Purifier had been up to unlike us"
"That's true..."
"Even so, we should never let our guard down. Abyssals can lie and betray like the very humans they despise"
"I'm aware of that. Because they were shipgirls before and us shipgirls...were once ordinary people" Bismarck crossed her arms
While Nelson distrusts Abyssals as much as Bismarck, she is willing to put it aside for the sake of their mission to eliminate the Siren Purifier...unlike Bismarck who is difficult to convince.
"At least, the other Tirpitz and the other me doesn't have to worry about Abyssals since they're made from magical life-giving cubes"
Thinking about about the other versions of shipgirls in the other world, Bismarck is reminded of something. She straightened up and looked at Nelson, wanting to speak out her curiosity.
"You know, Nelson, when I met another Tirpitz and briefly saw another me, it made me curious to how different are the comrades I know in that world"
"Well, I am curious what is the Nelson in the other world like" Nelson is curious as well
"Ah that? The other Tirpitz mentioned you're kind of a tsundere who likes to act aristocratic"
"I-I'm a what now?!" Nelson is surprised
"It just shows how different our counterparts are compared to us. I mean Tirpitz said I'm the strict and stern leader of their version of the Kriegsmarine. Well, she also said my sense of pride hasn't changed"
Bismarck laughed, imagining what kind of leader she is to the counterpart of the Kriegsmarine - the Iron Blood.
"I have to say, my other self looks neat and dignified even if I only saw for like what - five minutes?"
"Hahaha! It makes me want to visit the other world but right now...we have to find a way to bring our Tirpitz back" Nelson quickly returned to the serious topic
"Yeah. This time, for sure...we'll bring her back"
Bismarck clenched her fists, determined to bring back her sister who remained missing for quite some time now.
Meanwhile...
While Nagato plans the next step on the attack on the anchorage where Purifier is hiding, she switched her attention at Warspite who hasn't been active lately which intrigued Nagato.
"You've been quiet. Did something happen?" Nagato shifted her attention for a while
"I've been wondering about the Siren trying to open a portal to an unknown location"
"I've been wondering about that. Fortunately, Aircraft carrier Princess has information"
"She does?" Warspite is surprised
"According to her, Purifier is trying to create and connect a rift for someone trapped in a closed dimension. She's basically trying to get out a trapped friend of hers" Nagato shared the information
"A friend of hers? A fellow Siren?"
"It's unknown who but Aircraft carrier Princess heard said that Purifier mentioned she needed to get her friend to progress their plans. She said Purifier didn't really specify anything"
"Of course she wouldn't share vital information with the likes of Abyssals. She has her own ulterior motives and she needed to use the Abyssals to her advantage" Warspite isn't surprised
"We failed to get her the last time, so we better not fail now. She had given us more trouble than I expected"
Nagato massaged her temple, determined to defeat the Siren Purifier and prevent her from escaping them again.
"The technology the Siren used is the same one that made our Tirpitz disappear and bring another to this world, right?" Warspite raised an eyebrow
"It's the same technology but it was someone else who caused these chain of events"
"That someone was a personal enemy of the Tirpitz from another world. Most likely, ours was accidentally dragged into this mess. As a result, she's trapped in a world much different from hers" Warspite takes a small sigh
"I'm worried whether Tirpitz managed to survive in a world where the enemies aren't Abyssals, but time travelling creatures"
"I like to believe she's alive in some way. Besides, as a shipgirl of this world, fate itself wouldn't allow Tirpitz to die...just like the rest of us"
"It's either she comes back as a shipgirl or as an Abyssals. I hope it's the former. Anyway, we should focus on our next battle"
Nagato returned her concentration on the details about their plan to attack the Siren Purifier thanks to the information Aircraft carrier Princess shared and revealed.
"For some reason, the Siren Purifier moved out of an Abyssal guarded territory and went off on her own"
Nagato points Purifier's previous location then her current location which is far away. Warspite rubbed her chin as she saw no logical reason to why would Purifer move out of the "safe zone" where shipgirls can't easily enter and invade.
"There are Abyssals roaming in these waters but no Princess class has been spotted according to the Australian fleet" Nagato handed over the Australian fleet's reports.
"It's out of the red zone so it's normal but we can assume Purifier is certainly predicting she will be attacked. Perhaps she believed she is capable on her own so she moved out of Abyssal territory"
"The Siren Purifer hasn't been coming out lately because it seems she's been busy"
Nagato handed several aerial photos of Purifier working and guarding an unknown machine. It's unclear what the machine was since the following photos was Purifer intercepting the reconnaissance aircrafts shooting down some of them.
"She's building a machine to open a rift to retrieve someone"
"Even if we don't know who it is, we can't let this be" Warspite is alarmed
"That's why I'm already assembling a fleet to raid the Siren Purifier. With that kind of technology, she could bring her fellow Sirens to our world" Nagato furrowed her eyebrows
"Since they are an unfamiliar and highly advanced enemy, the whole navy won't stand a chance against them. We'll lose the war with the Abyssals and...the Sirens"
Warspite feared the worst case scenario of an otherworldly invasion of powerful enemies with highly advanced technology.
"But first, we need the Purifier to bring back our Tirpitz here"
"That is if she's still - I still believe it's not too late yet" Warspite shakes her head
"It's either we find her as a shipgirl or as an Abyssal. If it's the latter, then we'll have to take her out" Nagato is aware of the possibility
"To think we would in such a mess because one of us is unwillingly dragged into this"
Warspite takes a deep sigh and massaged her temple, visibly stressed at dealing with the existence of a Siren in their world and one of theirs still missing and uncertain if still alive or not.
"It's not the other Tirpitz's fault if that's what you're thinking. She would have never wanted to involve anyone"
"I'm not blaming anyone" Warspite calmly responded
"I know. Even if this isn't our problem to begin with, we chose to help her in any way we can. I just wished I could have done something before everything became worse"
If Warspite is having problems, Nagato have it worse as the secretary ship of the Maizuru naval district. Warspite didn't respond and instead, she looked away with a slightly upset expression.
Azur Lane side...
Tirpitz found herself in the usual ruined surroundings, the one that was always used as a setting in her own dreams. Her body felt slightly heavy and her head was light-headed, but Tirpitz wandered around the scene, puzzled to why she's dreaming "alone" again.
"These dreams...aren't just dreams"
Just as Tirpitz slowly comes into realization, a memory played right before her. It's Tyrant carrying an unconscious and heavily injured Prinz Eugen. She gently puts down the heavy cruiser on the side and lets her rest peacefully.
"I'll explain the rest once you regain consciousness. Apologizing won't change anything but I'm sorry that I had to sacrifice Iron Blood for my only goal. I'm sorry...that I almost killed you too"
Tyrant sincerely apologized since Prinz Eugen isn't awake to hear and see her apologizing with a slight hint of sorrow in her grim eyes.
"...?"
Tyrant turned around and was about to draw a weapon when she sheathed it back upon seeing a familiar face visit her in the wrong time.
"You really did do it, huh. You slaughtered almost all of Iron Blood and became the new Tyrant"
Tyrant sighed and ignored the unwanted visitor and sat, watching Prinz Eugen rest with the injuries she sustained from the slaughter and Tyrant's attack. On the other hand, Tirpitz, who is watching the memory play out, gasped upon recognizing the visitor.
(King George V! That Royal navy battlecruiser? What's going on?)
Tirpitz is confused to see the Royal navy battlecruiser casually speaking to Tyrant without the slightest intention of fighting her. It's like the two are acquainted to each other.
"Bismarck's gone and I'm the only one who she can transfer the Tyrant Code. It'll be a matter of time before the Sirens will try to pry open my Code to extract that information"
"We can't let it fall into their hands. Bismarck gave up being Tyrant and her life just to protect it" King George V clenched her fists
"That's why I swore to carry on as the new Tyrant...and protect this information"
"Are you sure you'll do this alone? Observer will come after you and break you until you give what they want"
"I'm prepared for that. My sister didn't die without preparing for the possibility of the Siren trying to corrupt my Code"
While the two discuss about the unspecified information Tyrant is carrying, Tirpitz is confused to why is King George V having a conversation with Tyrant. She isn't aware that the two are connected.
"It won't be pretty but I'll have to play my role in the Royal navy in the present and work in the shadows while you do your thing"
"Won't they notice about a certain something?"
"Hahaha! They haven't even noticed any difference, not even Belfast noticed. It's 'me' after all"
Tirpitz shakes her head, confused at what's happening at what is King George V talking about.
"How about her? You left her alive even though Observer drove you to slaughter everyone else"
"I stabilized my mental cube for the time being after Bismarck sacrificed herself"
"Well that and you can't have her be dead yet. Everyone's gotta play their role after all"
"That's right. We have our own roles..."
When the memory is cut off, Tirpitz turned left and right when her surroundings shifted to an empty ruin and neverending one.
"I don't know why I do this anymore. I'm beginning to forget already..."
Tyrant spoke as if she had lost hope, her head lowered and her shoulders dropped.
"Tyrant...?!"
"This is getting tiring, you know..."
Tyrant stands up and looked at her past self with frustrated and exhausted eyes.
"They messed up my head and forced me to stain my hands with the blood of my comrades"
The scenery darkened as Tyrant voices out her own suffering and frustration.
"It doesn't really matter, does it? We are just weapons. We only know how to fight and when the fighting stops...we get discarded away"
The image of Tyrant begins to voice her frustration before becoming a Code, before losing everything.
"Everyone's going to die at some point. To save yourself from the pain of loss...to save yourself from grief...isn't that why you severed your own feelings?"
Tyrant grabbed Tirpitz by the collar and shouted the inner thoughts of Tirpitz herself. She is clearly extremely frustrated and disappointed at her alter ego.
"Why protect the very people that discarded you. They left you alone in that coldness yet you forgive me? What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
Tirpitz couldn't move or say anything as she couldn't deny that she felt the same. Rather, she had the same thoughts.
"You fight knowing everything's going to fall anyway. You fight even though it wouldn't matter anyway"
"..."
"Tell me, why do you protect and fight alongside the very people who caused your loneliness?"
"..."
"Tell me!"
"Just shut up already!"
Unable to handle the voice of frustration, Tirpitz pushed away Tyrant and freed herself yet she felt her body weakened like she's slowly being paralyzed inside her own mind.
"What do you think fate would choose? You've been wondering about that, haven't you?"
"What?"
"Tirpitz, you had no purpose beyond fighting yet you don't the life you wanted to. You always contain yourself within a boundary...and that's why you can't see the reality"
"The reality of what?"
"The reality that in the end nothing really matters and what you want to do is the only thing that matters"
"That's..."
"Face it, there's a part of you that's at least want to watch the world burn because you can and it gives you purpose"
"There's no part of me like that!"
Tirpitz swung her arm and denied Tyrant's claims but her expression is wavering.
"There's no meaning to our existence right. Why do you think you were tossed aside to be forgotten?"
When Tyrant took a step forward, Tirpitz quickly took a step backward. Her hand was shaking and she couldn't deny the words being thrown at her.
"But meaningless doesn't have to be depressing, you know. It's actually liberating!"
"...?"
"You can do whatever you want without superficial boundaries. That's why deep inside you...you wanted to know who will fate itself would choose"
"No, you're wrong! That's not what I think"
Tirpitz continued to deny Tyrant's words but it won't change that what Tyrant had said is from the truth within Tirpitz's heart.
"No matter how much you look away, it won't change that nothing really matters in the end but you found your own purpose in doing whatever you want!"
"...!"
Right before Tirpitz knew it, Tyrant's hand had pierced her heart and she felt malic crawling to her core. She couldn't pull away Tyrant who looked her straight in the eyes with an expression filled with grim and devoid of other emotions.
"You live knowing the pointless end but you live without fundamental reason. Whether how this war will end won't matter because all you really wanted is to fill your own purpose while the world burns"
Tirpitz stopped struggling when every ounce of strength left her body. She slowly closed her eyes as her consciousness fades away and her visions fills with pitch black darkness. What she felt next was familiar coldness...
"...!"
Gasping for air, Tirpitz quickly rose herself up, the horrible dream made her heart race with terror. For a moment and felt her paralyzed body sinking in an endless abyss but opening her eyes brought her back to the surface.
"Damn it...!"
Tirpitz rubbed her head, her mind slightly dizzy after she quickly move a second after she woke up from a long dream.
"Who does she think she is? Invading my mind and spouting nonsense"
Remembering the words that stung like a serpent's venemous fangs, Tirpitz shakes her head and refused to acknowledge those words.
"All of those were lies. I don't believe in an absurd thinking like that..."
While she continued to deny Tyrant's words in her dream, Tirpitz didn't immediately realize her hand is holding the black mental cube she has been keeping in secret.
"The black mental? How did it get to my hand? I don't remember holding it before I slept? Maybe I did bring it out?"
Tirpitz has no clear memory about the black mental cube being in her hand so decided to ignore how it got there in the first place.
"Before I deal with my own issues, there's someone I need to help first...but a traitor within Iron Blood makes it difficult"
Tirpitz stared at the black mental cube until she fell into a trance for a brief moment before snapping out by shaking her head.
"For a moment I felt like I saw something"
Tirpitz hid back the black mental cube before she left her room since she overslept again and she's been getting scolded for missing daily activities. She cautiously walked the hallway, anxious whether she might hallucinate again.
"No shadows or ghosts today. That's good...I think..."
Even if she hasn't hallucinated seeing distorted and dark figures, Tirpitz still worried that she might lose her mind again. While she mumbled to herself, she jolted when someone called her.
"Oh? Tirpitz? Good timing, we were coming to wake you up in your room" Admiral Hipper sighed in relief
"Hipper? Eugen?"
"My sister over here was sent to wake you up but I got dragged along" Prinz Eugen softly groaned
"Anyway, just like Eugen said, Bismarck told me to come wake you up since she's worried or something. I didn't bother asking since you know how she is" Admiral Hipper shrugged her shoulders
"...!" While Admiral Hipper talked, Tirpitz focused on a shadowy figure staring at her from the end of the hallway
"Are you alright?"
Admiral Hipper approached and waved her hand in front of Tirpitz's face when it's clear she wasn't listening to anything she just said.
"Hey, can you even hear me?" Admiral Hipper snapped her fingers
"I'm sorry, were you saying something?" Tirpitz jolted
"This is what happens when you haven't been eating lately and you haven't been sleeping properly lately"
"I was just thinking about something. No, I've just been overthinking things"
"You're stressing yourself again" Prinz Eugen shakes her head
"I've been having bad dreams lately and I couldn't understand them. Maybe, I should just ignore it. I just need to clear my mind for a while"
"Hey-"
"Tell my sister, I'll go see her later. I've been having a bad headache until now" Tirpitz hurriedly walked past the two
Roon, who heard the conversation frowned, sensing danger when Tirpitz changed from her usual tone when talking. She followed after them, maintaining her distance and stealth. As Tirpitz went away from the common places where other shipgirls are, she stopped and looked behind her.
"I'm beginning to see things again. I have to keep calm or I'll start losing my mind again"
Tirpitz takes several deep breaths and dread she felt behind her temporarily vanished.
"I can't let these things mess up my head. I have to focus right now"
Feeling a pain in her chest, Tirpitz leaned against a wall and fell on one knee, sensing like the pain is in her mental cube, her core.
"Don't let Tyrant's thoughts get to you. They're not real...!"
Tirpitz repeatedly tells herself to calm herself down as Tyrant's words is etched into her thoughts no matter how much she tries to forget or deny those words.
"There are things you can't just get away from, huh"
For a moment, Tirpitz felt like she is hallucinating again and almost jumped back. It turned out to be Prinz Eugen who followed her with a worried expression.
"Eugen?"
"Are you being suffocated by your own thoughts again?"
"I'm fine. I just had a bad dream where I saw a damn shadow again"
"Again, huh? She showed you Tyrant's memories"
"...Eugen"
"Hmm-"
Tirpitz grabbed Prinz Eugen's throat and slowly squeezed her grip as she pinned the heavy cruiser in a wall.
"How did you know they were Tyrant's memories even if I didn't mention"
"Hahaha. Well, I messed up that part. I guess it's also probably because I need to make my move before Bismarck finds out"
"Answer me...!"
"Because I know she has been showing it to you"
"She? Who is she?"
"You met her already, didn't you? What remains of the future Bismarck. She wanted her sister in the past to understand so she's showing you certain memories"
"She was...showing it to me..."
"Forcing someone's memories into another person isn't the best thing to do. As a result, foreign memories being mixed in your thoughts caused you to hallucinate because it's stressing our your mind"
"You knew about this all this time?! You knew why I'm losing my mind!"
Furious, Tirpitz tightened her grip and slowly suffocates Prinz Eugen who struggled to breath.
"You are the traitor after all...!"
"Yeah. I'm the obvious traitor within Iron Blood and it's surprising Bismarck haven't figured it out yet"
"Why? Why betray Iron Blood?"
"I stood against Tyrant because she lost her damn mind. Both the future Bismarck and you"
"I saw it in a memory. You wanted to stop Tyrant and I thought she killed you. But I also saw she spared you..."
"If you saw that memory then you should already know I'm playing my own role"
"The role of a traitor"
Tirpitz gritted her teeth, obviously furious at Prinz Eugen being the "traitor" within Iron Blood.
"It can't be helped, she asked me to keep an eye on you when things didn't go as planned. A wild Abyssal interrupted her and kept her trapped so I had to make my move too"
"Where's the Prinz Eugen I know?"
"You're looking at her"
"...?"
"I'm still the Prinz Eugen you know but with the memories and abilities of my future self. The one you saw in Tyrant's memories"
"You killed Prinz Eugen" Tirpitz's eyes dilated
"Aren't you listening? I'm still the Prinz Eugen in this present...with my future self being a part of me now. It's still me just with the addition of future memories and the strength of a Code"
"..."
"Tirpitz...my future self allied with Tyrant not with the Sirens. Tyrant just wants to carry on Bismarck's wish"
"Her...wish?"
Tirpitz slightly loosened her grip, allowing Prinz Eugen to breath more easily. Tirpitz looked away for a brief moment, remembering one of the memories, the one where she saw Bismarck and her future self.
"The future Bismarck sacrificed so much and your future self wanted to accomplish Bismarck's goal not just for her own sake, but for our nation"
"..." Tirpitz slightly loosened her grip again
"It's not Tyrant's fault she's like that. Observer messed her up. I was forced to follow what she says for Tyrant's sake. Well right now, she isn't going to be happy that I back-stabbed her instead of Iron Blood"
"Eugen, tell me...why should I still trust you? You knew what's been messing with my head"
"Because you don't really have much of a choice. I won't force you if you don't want to trust me"
"..."
"Well, if now is not the right time... we'll just have to talk again when you're in the mood of not strangling me"
"What-"
Before Tirpitz could react, Prinz Eugen grabbed Tirpitz's arm and sent a shock to her body, causing Tirpitz to immediately collapse and fall unconscious on the ground.
"It's clear you're not in the mood for talking and hearing me out right now so let's do it when you wake up and in the right mood...after a couple of hours"
Those were the last words Tirpitz heard before her consciousness starts to fade away. Tirpitz weakly clenched her fists before she completely passed out while Prinz Eugen smiled as she watched the battleship, unconscious on the ground.
