Author: Shinano's event is now over, but I got everyone I need at the cost of at least 300 cubes. I managed to get the frame (?) after MLBing everyone, so I'm recovering my cubes after the nonstop farming throughout the event.
Now I'm off to be carted by Fatalis again by possibly the tenth time this day...
The case of missing shipgirls...
In the distant Westman islands where a decent number humans lived in a peaceful town, the newly recovered Tirpitz drowned her frustration in alcohol by an empty bar. The three ice cubes slowly melted as she gently spun the half empty glass of bourbon rather than the usual beer. The events in the Antarctic lingered in her thoughts since she was forced to retreat when her power begun to seriously harm her.
"You look very upset, Tirpitz. I heard something went wrong with you mental cube when Zero tried to minimize the damage"
Prinz Eugen sat beside her and enjoyed a glass of Marzen, a typical mischievous expression written all over her face. She rested her elbow on the counter while she lifted the hand with the glass full of beer above her head and let the light shine through one of her favorite drinks. She was in the mood to tease Tirpitz, but the latter wouldn't certainly tolerate any mockery even from her companion.
"I couldn't access Tyrant's cognitive chip. It was broken..."
"By who? By Bismarck?" Prinz Eugen took one small sip
"H-39. She did something during our fight. She tried to access my mental cube as if she wanted to search for something" Tirpitz gently squeezed her glass
"Are you saying she emptied the cognitive chip. Now why would she do that? How would she even know about it?"
Prinz Eugen grew intrigued about how Tirpitz lost an important yet borrowed component inside her mental cube. It was literally impossible for a mere battleship from the Kriegsmarine to strip Tirpitz of her power with little effort during their short encounter.
"I think it should be obvious by now that there's a high chance H-39 is either a Siren or a shipgirl from our world" Prinz Eugen guessed
"Observer Zero and Delta were observing the fight and didn't detect any mental cube from her. Not even Empress sensed the pulse of a mental cube"
Tirpitz tightened her squeeze on her glass, already on the brink of a crack. She was visibly unhappy about the unknown identity behind H-39's helmet.
"Then maybe she's a Siren. No one can tamper with a mental cube other than a Siren"
"If she's a Siren, then why is siding with the shipgirls? She sunk other Sirens without a care and poses as a German battleship" Prinz Eugen found it odd
"One thing is clear and it's that H-39 is not a shipgirl. She's using the guise of an H-class battleship and blends among shipgirls with ease"
When Tirpitz tightened her squeeze on the glass again, crack formed where her hand gripped the glass and slowly spread all sides of the glass while the drink begun to leak from the extremely thin gaps.
"King George V reported she's currently in Maizuru along with Littorio and that other Tirpitz" Prinz Eugen reminded after she took another sip
"Three shipgirls went missing on the day she visited the base. Do you think it's a coincidence, Eugen?"
"Hard to say. Those two can't keep a close eye on H-39 since she keeps avoiding them as if it was on purpose" Prinz Eugen rested her head on her palm
"This is because of Ghost who I have yet to find"
"Was there any proper explanation to how the Empress wasn't able to restrain Ghost. That thing is still sealed but she managed to get away from the Sirens' grasp. Something is going on that not even us knows"
"I need that black mental cube to tamper with the source of the world"
"...which looks like a Rubik's cube. Honestly, is everything cubes now?" Prinz Eugen complained to herself
Prinz Eugen giggled and continued to finish the last of her drink. The two had no current plans for the day with how one problem piled up one after another, especially for Tirpitz whose strength waned ever since her last encounter with her sister Bismarck.
Maizuru naval district...
The situation with mysterious shipgirl worsened when not only Z23 was taken, but three capital ships as well. H-39, along with the Littorio from the Sardegna Empire, privately discussed about the the disappearances. H-39 freely lifted off the helmet from her head and let out a sigh of relief. They were both inside one of the naval base's briefing room where no one can disturb them while they freely discuss without the fear of revelation. She set aside the helmet damaged by yet another recent battle and gently leaned on the wooden chair.
"Ghost managed to take out two battleships and one aircraft carrier. Their Vanguard got one of her arms chopped off" Littorio giggled
The proud battleship from the Sardegna Empire rested both of her elbows on top of the sturdy wooden table while her gaze locked into the pale face of the unmasked H-39. The never once took off her helmet, even if she faced humans, so it was like an 'exotic' sight in the eyes of Littorio.
"That thing isn't even Ghost itself, but a left arm attached to a bunch of rug. What took them down can erase matter and store them inside a pocket dimension" H-39 explained
H-39 pressed her hand against three pictures of the three recent victims with a red cross drawn across. She spread the three images, as an easier reference to the three victims and how they would resolve the disappearance. Iowa, Hornet, and Vanguard were all taken by Ghost within a single day and without notice, so this baffled how Ghost timed its attack with such precision.
"How are you going to deal with them? You're planning to use the shipgirls here to your advantage, right?" Littorio guessed with a confident smirk on her lips
"I'll use whatever resources I have available, even if it's other people. Besides, they're somewhat familiar to me...but I couldn't fully remember why" H-39 rubbed her chin
"Your head is still messed up, huh. You don't make a good impostor" Littorio chuckled
"At very center of me is just the fragment I can salvage, so my personality doesn't fully match hers. I am just simulating what remains of her memories and acting based upon it"
"An answer I expected from a disembodied soul" Littorio scoffed
"Our focus right now isn't what I am, but the missing shipgirls"
H-39 immediately avoided further discussion about her nature and true identity to focus on the current situation. While she agreed to cooperate and share her knowledge with the rest of the shipgirls, she had her own agenda which was the reason she needed to speak to Littorio privately.
"Ghost is lingering in this base, but we can't predict when or where she will strike next" Littorio tapped the wooden table
"You can't...but I can" H-39 corrected her
"Wait, you can? How?"
"I've dealt with it before, so knowing it's exact location isn't difficult for me but..."
"But what?"
"I'll have to use these shipgirls to my advantage first"
"You're going to use them as unsuspecting bait? Isn't that a bit...evil?"
Littorio questioned her method since it involved to use other shipgirls as bait even if there was a risk they might lose their life. If one shipgirl lost a body part, then the next one might lose their life. Littorio nervously sweated while H-39 remained stoic and callous about her own idea.
"It's subjective"
"You're going to risk their lives for your own motives" Littorio frowned
"..." H-39 averted her gaze
"You need to find another way that doesn't involve using others as bait"
"Then if I use myself as bait, will you stop complaining?" H-39 immediately suggested
"You're going to do what now?!"
Littorio was heavily against H-39's idea, but the new one shocked her. She shook her head, but it was obvious that H-39 was serious and would proceed with her idea. The German battleship remained stoic as she raised an eyebrow, dumbfounded to why this shocked Littorio.
"You're the only one who dealt with this before, and you're just going to throw yourself into the enemy?"
Littorio slammed the table with both hands and pushed herself up, upset that H-39's other plan was to risk herself instead of the other shipgirls.
"Nothing is going to satisfy you, is it? You were against using other shipgirls, so I volunteered to use myself only for you to complain again"
H-39 rested her right elbow on the table and gently leaned her head on her palm, puzzled at Littorio's reaction and another complaint. She didn't mind if she were to use others or herself even if meant the success of their current goal which was to track and capture Ghost.
"It's not a big deal. Ghost isn't going to be the final enemy anyway" H-39 sighed
"What?"
"Don't mind it. I'm just thinking of the future ahead"
"There has to be another way without using a bait" Littorio wanted a less risky method
"There is no other way. Ghost needs to be lured out soon before another one becomes a victim"
"Then I'll volunteer as bait" Littorio pressed her hand on her chest
"No, you won't do"
When H-39 immediately rejected Littorio's offer to use herself as bait, the latter felt her pride mildly crack since H-39 implied she was not suited to be bait.
Command room...
Some shipgirls of the Maizuru naval district discussed about the issue with the three missing shipgirls. Hornet, Vanguard, and Iowa all disappeared in a single day without any witnesses to how they disappeared. No one knew how they were taken, or where they were taken.
"Our only real evidence of the disappearance is when Vanguard became a victim too"
Ark Royal spread out the report after the initial investigation on where Vanguard presumedly disappeared. The whole warehouse was trashed deep slashes and crushed objects. The sight of blood splattered everywhere disturbed them, but what made them worry the most is the severed forearm on the ground.
"Hornet and Iowa have been confirmed to be missing in action as well. We don't know what time they exactly disappeared, but Intrepid stated she was patrolling the base like Vanguard was doing at that time" Ark Royal added
Six shipgirls gathered around the table and inspected each of the photos taken in the crime scene and the reports on the mysterious disappearances.
"Vanguard tried to fight it, but she got her arm lopped off cleanly" Bismarck pointed at the photo of the severed arm
"She tried fighting it even with just one hand, and I'd say it lasted for at least five minutes before she disappeared" Ark Royal added
"According to the investigation, she fell down and tried to leave a clue before she dragged away" Nagato pointed
Nagato pressed her finger on the specific image and dragged it to the center for everyone to get a clear view of the message Vanguard desperately attempted to leave a clue. She desperately brushed the smooth concrete ground with her right hand as a brush and her own blood as the paint. It would seem the message was left unfinished with how the last written slid down until the blood faded away, a sign that Vanguard had been dragged before she could complete the message.
"I can't read this code..." Yamato furrowed her eyebrows
"Neither can I" Nagato tilted her head left and right
"I can't decipher it either" H-39 sighed
"Warspite, do you know what this means? Vanguard is your guard, so..." Ark Royal asked
"..."
The other four shipgirls turned their solid gaze towards Warspite whom they hoped could recognize the code Vanguard shortly before she was dragged away by Ghost. They believed the closest person to Vanguard would decipher it and hopefully make progress of how they can retrieve the missing four shipgirls.
"Hmm..." Warspite fixed her eyes on the image
"Can you decipher it?" H-39 calmly asked
"... Unfortunately, I can't"
Warspite analyzed the code that confused everyone present in the command room then turned to face each one of them. She then shook her head and shattered their expectations. They believed they would make progress even with just one clue, but not even Warspite can decide to what Vanguard wished to inform everyone before her unfortunate disappearance.
"Damn. Not even Warspite can figure it out" Bismarck scratched her head
"My apologies. The only one who can decode this is possibly another Royal guard since she closely worked with them, but we cannot inform the Royal navy about the disappearances" Warspite deeply apologized
"We can't ask anyone outside of the naval base for help because it would risk revealing about the situation with the Sirens. They'll also find out we're sheltering shipgirls from another world" Nagato clenched her fists
"Is it alright if I were to borrow this photo? Perhaps there's someone I can ask for assistance who is also aware of our situation" Warspite asked Nagato
"Feel free to do so, but inform me as soon as you find something"
"Thank you. Ark Royal, accompany me for a moment. We need this to be deciphered as quickly as possible" Ark Royal furrowed her eyebrows
"Sure..."
Warspite left the scene first while Arm Royal immediately trailed after her even if she was dumbfounded and confused to the sudden decision or need to bring her along. This left four shipgirls to discuss on what they need to do about Ghost, and how to stop her before another shipgirl can become the next victim.
"H-39 or was it Herzog Ferdinand?" Nagato wasn't certain what to exactly call her
"H-39 is fine. I'm not used to being called Charles Wilhelm Ferdinand or a duke..."
"Then H-39, you dealt with a shipgirl from Azur Lane before, specifically Ghost. How do we draw her out?"
After they discussed about the code Vanguard hint which Warspite took upon herself and unknown shipgirl to decipher, Nagato quickly moved on to the next topic which was Ghost herself. It needed to be dealt with before another shipgirl can be targeted.
"It's a being not fully conceptualized, but it manifested into the world. Other than that, it's physical form is unstable, so it keeps phasing out of reality - fitting its nickname"
"So can we even take it down like Abyssals and Sirens?" Bismarck frowned
"...Yes. There is a way to stop it, but I need to draw it out. Littorio wanted to volunteer, but the risk was high...so I decided to use myself as bait" H-39 revealed
"You're going to use yourself as bait? What if you lose a body part like Vanguard?"
Nagato was concerned with the life of another even if H-39 didn't belong to the Maizuru naval district. She valued the life of another shipgirl, specially that someone from another fleet would risk her life for a situation that didn't directly involve them.
"It can be harmed from its pocket dimension where it's body can implode. Ghost doesn't have a true physical form, just a core with dirty rags making up its body" H-39 pointed out
"It's still too dangerous" Yamato showed concern as well
"All I need to do is to get hold of its mental cube, and it will be both immobile and powerless. That means I have to be devoured as well since its core is inside its closed space"
"Then let me do it. This our problem to deal with" Bismarck slammed the table
"Don't be stupid. You have a sister, and she asked me not to involve you" H-39 briefly raised her voice
"..." Bismarck backed away
"I will be needing the help of those girls from Azur Lane, so I'm going to explain more of my plan to them"
"Then what can we do.?" Nagato crossed her arms
"Clear out the arsenal two hours from now. Don't let any other shipgirls be in that area to avoid any setbacks"
"Then I'll inform everyone in the fleet, so they won't get dragged in while you draw Ghost out" Nagato agreed
"Is it really alright? What if something goes wrong?"
Yamato feared the odds of success for H-39 as it may cost her life if the slightest mistake was made. H-39 planned to use herself as bait to draw out Ghost and destroy it's core, but she would be devoured in the process.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't be doing it if I don't know I can succeed" H-39 assured her
"We have to do something about Ghost before another shipgirl gets taken away" Nagato explained why she easily agreed
"As much as I want to volunteer, I don't want my little sister to worry when she went all the way to ban me from volunteering" Bismarck added
"This will work. It has to - or more will be imprisoned within its closed space"
H-39 showed what appeared to be genuine concern for the sake of the shipgirls in the Maizuru fleet, but her helmet concealed something much more. She had her intentions, and the Maizuru fleet eased her method to accomplish it. Even so, her exact intention was to stop Ghost.
Later...
Tense atmosphere surrounded between King George V, Bismarck of Iron Blood, and H-39. The two shipgirls from Azur Lane locked their sights on H-39 alone, something the latter guessed as a sign of distrust and uneasiness. The three remained quiet for about a minute. While H-39 slightly adjusted her helmet left and right which clanked the constantly worn down headgear, King George V raised her hand and cleared her throat.
"Hmm?"
H-39 immediately stopped the adjustment and focused her two eyes shadowed by the helmet and focused on King George V who prepared to speak to her.
"Your plan. How do you exactly plan on drawing out such a dangerous weapon?" King George V crossed her arms
"Do you know why I know about the existence of something from another world? Well, it's because when I'm not fighting Abyssals, I'm investigating strange places that no one dared to venture"
"I don't understand. How is this related?" Bismarck lightly shook her head
"Let's start off with this naughty cat whom I restrained for safety measures"
The German battleship turned to direct a sharp glare to a bound Akashi she tossed to the side. She went to grab the rope tightly wrapped around Akashi's arms and dragged her back at where she originally stood.
"I was wondering why Ghost appeared here of all times. It turns out, this greedy cat managed to get a hold of a dangerous object"
H-39 lifted Akashi for the two Azur Lane shipgirls to see on eye level. The greedy repair ship flailed her legs and sweated profusely when she begun to fear for her life.
"This naughty cat secretly brought an object back to this base and attempted to experiment on it several times. This resulted in sending a beacon to a Siren weapon"
"I didn't know it. I swear Akashi didn't mean to cause harm, nya" Akashi defended herself
"Akashi, what did you do this time?" Bismarck's eyes dilated
"Akashi found something that looks expensive when I joined in an investigation mission. It was something I didn't see before so I took back with me, nya" Akashi, out of fear, confessed
"What did you find?" King George V prepared to draw her sword
"She found this..."
When H-39 rudely tossed Akashi to the side, cold and harsh towards the primary culprit of their current situation, she dug through the inside of her coat for half a minute.
"...!"
King George V and Bismarck slightly back away, in complete disbelief in the object Akashi found but was confiscated by H-39 when she found out the cause.
"That's a piece of mental cube?!" King George V directly pointed at it
"It belonged to an unknown shipgirl, but it doesn't matter who it is. The main point is that this shard stored within a miniature core is amplifies the energy stored in it as a beacon, so the unique energy it emits deliberately attracts a being who feeds on energy"
"Ghost..." Bismarck clenched her fists
"The Sirens are probably trying to capture it as well...but it didn't go well"
"Let me see that" King George V approached
"Sure"
H-39 shrugged her shoulders and freely handed over what remained of a mental cube modified to be a beacon to draw Ghost to King George V. The latter raised the device that could fit in one's pockets above her head and flipped it on both sides.
"What do you know about Ghost exactly?" Bismarck approached as well
"Hmm. The Ghost you encountered is just a byproduct, meaning it's not even the real one. I believe it's a failed attempt by the Sirens to mold a humanoid weapon"
"So, the Ghost whose responsible for kidnapping Nimi isn't real?" Bismarck shook her head again
"Correct. What you face is something that only exists because it reacts on the mental cube of shipgirls. Ghost was never real to begin with, and only few Sirens are aware of it"
"Mikasa said Ghost came from a different world and was just brought here. I don't understand" King George V felt even more confused now
"It's an anomaly that because it's not truly alive even if your eyes can physically see it"
When H-39 further explained how Ghost never truly existed since it only appeared before them because their mental cubes projected an anomaly out of the same human emotions that molded their physical forms
"This isn't making any sense. Ghost is said to be made out discarded human emotions" King George V protested
"You are not wrong. It's a mass off energy and clumped human emotions that wasn't properly contained. What your seeing is a mere projection, and you are all just gullible"
"So it doesn't have a body because it's real body...is a good" King George V dropped her shoulders
"How do we make it cease to exist? You wouldn't devise a plan unless you have a method to destroy it and retrieve the missing shipgirls" Bismarck clenched her fists
"It cannot contain its own form without a foundation. It is a black hole that can collapse due to its imperfect state. I only need to topple down one of its foundations...to finish it once and for all"
"If you're going to destroy from the inside..." King George V wanted to raise a concern
"Don't worry. When that body collapses, I and the others will be simply expunged. Take it as spitting us out before it implodes"
H-39 assured King George V of everyone's safety once they defeat and destroy Ghost. She guaranteed the Royal guard captain that neither she or the missing shipgirls would be in danger once Ghost couldn't maintain its body anymore.
"Uhm, is it...supposed to blink?"
King George V lifted the device and pointed at the mental cube shard that begun to mysteriously blinked.
"It's here again, nya!"
Even with her arm bound, Akashi mustered all of her muscles in her free legs sprung herself back up in desperation and complete fear. The green cat panicked and sought safety behind the three battleships. Akashi trembled like a corner prey while the three prepared to face what made Akashi flee to their side faster than a destroyer.
"Ghost..." H-39 recognized the inhumane figure
"Why is it here? I didn't do something, did I?"
King George V thought she might have been at fault since she held the device that was supposed to serve as a lure to their target later. Their plan was completely scrapped the moment their enemy appeared before them, just the three of them plus a terrified Akashi.
"..."
Ghost twitched its head clad by a deep black veil that reach the bottom of its body. Beneath the black veil ruggedly tipped by a blood red shade, bandages tightly wrapped around its core which possessed a void that can absorb anyone.
"Bismarck, run!" H-39 warned
"...!"
The evil creature split open its veil and finally revealed the appendages that sealed its "true body". It revealed ripple that lead to a space that outside light cannot reach so easily. Ghost targeted Bismarck rather than King George V who had the lure on her hand, and H-39 attempted to reach her the second Ghost planned to trap her.
"Bismarck!"
The second Ghost blasted an unseen blast in a shape of a direct line, King George V attempted to spare Bismarck from her fate and quickly pushed the Iron Blood battleship that she landed on her back because of the desperate attempt.
"You idiot-!"
H-39 tried to jump and pushed both her and King George V to prevent any of them to become the fifth victim, but the unseen attack struck them within its range. As a result, Bismarck was pushed out of the way, but two battleships were caught in it when they attempted to save another.
"H-39! King George V!"
The device King George V rolled to the ground when she and H-39 instantly vanished because they failed to escape the range in time. Only Bismarck and Akashi remained in the scene, but if left a mark of physical matter it disintegrated. There was a wave that erased a portion of the concrete ground and any object in a wide line.
"Ghost-!" Bismarck drew her sword
"Don't! You'll get sucked in too, nya!" Akashi jumped and clung to Bismarck
"..."
The black animate appendages sealed the rift within its own void-like body and followed by a veil that softly covered what barely resembled a head down to the bottom as if had no limbs to be recognized as its feet.
"..."
Ghost, uninterested anymore after it unintentionally trapped King George V and H-39 within the unstable void that made up the core of its body, spread shadows beneath it. The unknown creature broke down the matter beneath it and opened a pitch black ripple of its own similar to how Sirens transport their vessels and themselves.
"It's gone...and it took two of them..." Bismarck lowered her sword
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! If I didn't toy with that defective Siren machine, none of this would have happened, nya!" Akashi genuinely felt guilty
"Damn it! That thing was expecting us...and foiled our plans"
Thankfully, Bismarck chose to heed Akashi's plea, so she was spared. She wanted to retaliate and attempt to damage its core, but she realized she would be dragged in as well. If Bismarck was taken too, their chances to free the others would be next to impossible.
"Akashi!"
"Nya?!" Akashi stood up with her tail raised
"You caused this mess...and you will be helping us to resolve it" Bismarck picked up the mental cube shard
"I'll atone for my stupidity! I didn't mean for something like this to happen, nya!"
Akashi may be greedy and kleptomaniac, but she was deeply regretful that she unintentionally caused harm to others. She swore to help resolve the situation since two more shipgirls became additional victims.
Inside the closed space...
After the unexpected interruption from Ghost, King George V and H-39 instead became victims instead of rescuers. The only fortunate news for them was that neither of them lost any limbs and fell down from a height and collapsed not far from each other.
"That didn't go well as planned. Well, even if I'm secretly working with the Sirens, I'm not an evil person..."
King George V shook her head while she pushed herself up from the ground that almost crushed every part of her body. Oddly enough, she fell right straight to the ground, but she had little to no injury when she stood up.
"H-39? H-39? Are you here?"
At the last second before Ghost absorbed her, King George V caught a brief glimpse of the Germanbattleship. She suspected she was caught within the range of the void and was dragged in as well.
"I'm still alive. Well, physically that is..." H-39 grunted
H-39 at least fell about fifteen meters from where King George V initially found herself. The German battleship massaged her injured left shoulder and somehow snapped back her shoulder back into place. It was not sensible to simply reanimated snap back a broken shoulder to repair it but H-39 did so with little concern for her own physical health.
(It looks like half of my helmet broke when I got dragged in...) H-39 touched the exposed left part of her face
Air begun to sweep to her skin and towards the gaps of her partially torn helmet. The situation turned against H-39's favor in an instant since her face had been exposed now, and there was no other way to conceal now that she was trapped inside a pocket dimension.
"H-39!" King George V spotted her
"Tch..."
King George V rushed to her, but H-39 immediately turned away since when half of her helmet broke, her identity would be inevitably be exposed to H-39. She didn't expected for Ghost to appear and imprison them only for half of her helmet to be broken in the process.
"There you are. I thought-!" King George V widened her eyes and froze in one spot
There was no point to keep her identity a secret when the only thing that concealed it was partially broken due to unforeseen circumstances. H-39 pulled of the right half that remained and tossed it to the side before she turned to face King George V. What remained of the helmet rolled to the side when it became completely unnecessary since it exposed her face.
"What's the matter, King George V? It would seem like you've seen a ghost?" H-39 chuckled
"This can't be right. What remains of you should have been destroyed, and besides Tirpitz has your cognitive chip-" King George V shook her head
"Ah that. I took back what's rightfully mine when I knocked her out. It was a pain since I can't use my strength until I retrieved it"
"Your mental cube was destroyed a long time ago. There shouldn't be any remains of you left!"
For the first time, King George V felt anxiety and completely shock stir inside her which threw her once organized thoughts into chaos. The events weren't in her favor nor it was expected, so this immediately put her in a tight spot.
"Let's just say a miracle happened, but it's difficult keeping that miracle in my grasp. You, who have abandoned your knightly honor to work with the Sirens, should have expected something like this" H-39 frowned
"I never expected it to be you or all people. I mean, you even cut your own hair!"
(What is she talking about? It's always been - no, nevermind about that)
The moment H-39 moved her foot one step forward, King George V did the exact opposite and moved one foot backward. This was a sign of vulnerability, and a sign that her mere presence intimidated someone bold and courageous like King George V. H-39 refused to reveal her identity, but the genuine shock unexpectedly brought pleasure in H-39's faint smile.
"You secretly vowed allegiance to the Rogue Sirens while your sisters believed you were still the same loyal and honorable knight. I'm curious to know what made you change sides"
"Hahaha. Let's just say I'm honoring someone's last request. Besides, Tirpitz's goal isn't just for Iron Blood" King George V reached for her scabbard
"Oh?"
"Now tell me something. Why go so far to hide your identity? You even took the guise of a Kriegsmarine battleship"
"It's unnatural to have Bismarck and I in the same place. It's also obvious I don't want my plans to be ruined. Not to mention, I didn't expect you're not the only lackey I have to deal with at that base" H-39 scoffed then frowned, genuinely furious about the last statement
(She knows?!) King George V swallowed her breath
H-39 slowly approached her and gazed at the utterly surprised King George V with a pair of dull crimson eyes that were rarely seen because if that helmet that constantly concealed her identity. She never thought she would have to reveal her real face, especially towards a secret traitor.
"Huh. So that's why you're hiding your face...Bismarck" King George V smirked
"Bismarck? I see, so that's who I am to you..."
The German battleship faintly smiled, amused at King George V's reaction when she was forced to reveal herself. Beneath the helmet was a pale skin, almost ghost-like, that wasn't visible because of the dark military clothing. She cherished the speechlessness and wide-eyed shock of King George V as not even a secret traitor was aware of an unexpected addition to the situation, especially since that person was believed to be another version of Bismarck.
"Now then, should I start by saying I lead all of you to believe an unreal enemy?"
H-39, who turned to be an unknown verison of Iron Blood's Bismarck, slightly tilted her head to the right and smiled deviously, excited to reveal more on how she managed to deceive with little to no difficulty. She even managed to freely walk around without the slightest suspicion from both the Maizuru fleet and the group from Azur Lane. Even the Sirens failed to suspect about the identity behind the helmet.
It seems the event took another step forward...
There's no turning back now...for you at least...
Someone who passed away had returned...
What is it you wish to be fulfilled that I couldn't read?
Perhaps, you conceal darkness more than you let on...
Extra
Warspite paced back and forth while Ark Royal followed her with a confused and dumbfounded gaze. On the other side, Nelson wasn't confused but speechless at how restless Warspite became.
"Warspite, just tell us what's wrong already?" Ark Royal stood up
"It's because of the message Vanguard left"
"Wait, you figured it out?" Nelson stood up as well
"Of course I figured it out the moment I saw it. Ah, that's right. No one knows Vanguard had been my attendant event before entering the Royal navy" Warspite stopped in her tracks
"What?!"
The two were clearly surprised that they looked their each other with their eyes widened and their jaws dropped. Warspite deciphered the code, but she left the room and pretended not to recognize the message.
"Wait, if you knew from the beginning - why didn't you tell everyone?" Ark Royal's hands fidgeted in midair
"That's because H-39 is there..." Warspite placed her hand on her chin
"What is it about H-39?" Nelson marched to Ark Royal's side
"H-39 is a shipgirl from the same world...as the other Bismarck"
"She's a shipgirl? What is so about it? Aside from hiding her true identity and all" Epson scratched her head
For a moment, they believed H-39 was either a Siren or an Abyssal that worked as a spy or possibly an accomplice of Ghost. Since she turned to be a shipgirl from Azur Lane, there was little to no need of worry.
"She is a shipgirl, but she shares the same identity as Bismarck of Iron Blood"
"Two Bismarck from another world? Is this another case of time travel again like Tyrant?" Ark Royal tilted her head
"Wait, how did Vanguard figured it out when Ghost chopped her arm and trapped her within a pocket dimension?" Nelson raised her hand
Warspite furrowed her eyebrows and approached the table where the clearest picture of Vanguard's last message laid flat at the center. She pointed right towards the part were the words were written.
"H-39 equals Bismarck. Do not trust. Not who she seems"
Her fingers traced with each jumbled symbols she translated with little to no effort which baffled the two on how she easily deciphered them in less than an hour. Even with the amount of words and letters as the equivalent, there were less codes written as the final message.
"There was something else written beneath it, but Vanguard was already dragged" Warspite pointed on the last sentence
"What does it translate?" Nelson stood beside her
"The enemy isn't real. Ghost is - it cut off from that" Warspite read it out loud
"Not real? Like it's just our imagination?" Ark Royal scratched her head
"I'm not certain since Vanguard wrote this in a hurry that it's barely readable"
Warspite shook her head and pointed the code hurriedly drawn seconds before Vanguard disappeared. It was the best she can do in her situation, but she managed to provide enough information to them.
"She warned us that one of the shipgirls from another world is working for the Sirens. She said that to draw away her attention when she's the real spy!" Ark Royal gritted her teeth
"That's right. If she didn't have bad intentions, she wouldn't need to hide herself. I bet she's the reason Ghost is attacking us right now" Nelson added
(Vanguard figured something about Ghost while fighting it. She said it wasn't real, so what is Ghost exactly...?) Warspite went into deep thought
The other two continued to speculate about H-39's ulterior motives and possible connection to the current danger the naval base faced, Warspite sensed something was amiss. Vanguard revealed H-39 turned out to be another version of Iron Blood's Bismarck, but there was something else about Ghost that might be related to H-39's presence and need to hide her identity.