Author: It's been a few days since I logged into Kancolle. I went back to level my Akigumo who gathered dust in a corner along with other "trophy ships" (I'll have to finish some forgotten quest first). Meanwhile, I decided to reinstall my JP AL account and play it again.
How long has it's been...?
There was no room for peace, even for those who had passed away a long time ago. For someone whose consciousness and body still existed somewhere, this one was somewhat an anomaly. She awakened, completely aware of her consciousness and body if another "her" struggled and fought somewhere else. She wasn't supposed to be in existence, yet she was present mind and body in the real world.
"You're quite a mess, aren't you?" The Siren Empress smirked
"Empress..." She recognized the Siren who gleefully looked down on her
"Have you enjoyed your sleep, Bismarck?"
"I am not Bismarck"
"Of course you are~" The Empress giggled
The other version of Bismarck, the one who referred for herself as H-39, awakened not in a peaceful scenery like she hoped. Instead, she found herself in front of the Siren Empress she disliked like how much she disliked the other Sirens no matter who of the two they served.
"There's a Tyrant in this timeline, yet..." H-39 was aware of the overlap
"Your mental cube wasn't fully destroyed as you think. The Creator used that to reconstruct the rest of your mental cube. Right now, the 'you' in this timeline just made an enemy out of Bismarck"
"It's still too early - fourteen months too early..." H-39 clenched her fist
"For the record, we're not the ones who revived you. The real person responsible for powering your mental cube again wasn't Antiochus since she only reconstructed it" The Empress pointed out
"How did I get here? I fled from Observer and the others when I woke up on their side..."
"That girl brought you here, but she left already to avoid suspicion from the Sakura Empire"
"I was wondering what's wrong, and I see now why. You had me fooled for the first ten minutes" H-39's crimson eyes dilated
"..."
"Progenitor, you sick bastard...!"
When she recognized the real being behind the guise of the Siren Empress, H-39 lost her composure near instantly. Her grudge and fury seethed so fiercely, but the Progenitor stared at her with little to no reaction. It was clear H-39 met and even spoke to the Progenitor in the past, but the source of her grudge remained unknown.
"You forced these memories as my own!"
"They were imbedded in your mental cube. I did not force you to emulate those memories as your own"
"What kind of sick joke is this? You are just like your sister..." H-39 partially calmed down
"I do not take pleasure in what I unknowingly done. I also do not have desire to use and trample others after I came to understand the humans in this world as Aurelius"
"Then why...why am I still here?"
"I told you it was not my own desire. That desire was perhaps your own. Your so refused to vanish that your wish was granted by that suffering child"
The Progenitor removed herself from her "throne" and gracefully jumped down. The tip of her right pressed the ground first before the rest of her body softly landed down as if she tampered gravity in that moment. She removed her guise as the Siren Empress and repeatedly changed her physical form to several shipgirls that H-39 recognized such as Yorktown, Belfast, and even Shoukaku before she settled back as the Siren Empress.
"I'm not supposed to be in this timeline. I'm not...I'm not..." H-39 gritted her teeth
"I will not stop you if you wish to bear a grudge on me. So for now, you will enter a brief slumber...and reawaken in a world far different from your own"
"Wait, Aurelius-!"
The moment the Progenitor raised her hand with a regretful expression written on her face, H-39 quickly moved to rush towards her, aware on what those words meant. Several miniature diamond crystals manifested on the Progenitor's palm and rotated around her wrists in a perfectly circular manner. Energy filled each right crystals and further amplified it until light emitted one each one of them.
"Do forgive me, but that girl...had a desire you wished to fulfill. You may no recall now, but I am certain your memory will be reignited"
"I won't forget this-!"
H-39 cursed and screamed her fresh grudge on the Siren whose true body remained a mystery to most Sirens and shipgirls. The revived Bismarck from an alternate future stared right into the melancholic Siren, her resentment ran deep at the last moment before the light emitted by the Siren engulfed her.
In a blink of an eye, she fell into another slumber...
The body and the mind both remained dormant for the next two months while she drifted in and outside of reality. She was thrown in an empty world while she remained in deep slumber and was rudely reawakened in a world indeed unfamiliar to her own.
"...!"
H-39 desperately gasped for air that when her body reacted out of shock, she rolled from the bed and down towards the wooden floor. There was a loud "thud" the moment her heavy and exhausted body met the solid wooden floor, but such thing was a trivial matter to her.
"Quite the shock you have there. Did you have a nightmare?"
A young woman in a traditional German military coat paired with strap boots and a pair of black leather gloves bent on one knee and looked down on the confused but not scared. H-39 pushed herself up and dusted off herself when the mysterious military-like woman in mid twenties offered her hand.
"..."
H-39 blinked her eyes, confused at the sight of an eccentric stranger whose face was concealed with a worn out silver helmet with the only hole visible was the line across the helmet for the eyes to see through.
"Forgive me, you must be completely confused. I am what you can call an experimental and research shipgirl. They sometimes call me Duke of Brunswick, but I prefer to be called Herzog Ferdinand"
"What...?" H-39 frowned
"All you need to know right now is I'm part of the Kriegsmarine"
"Kriegsmarine? You must be a shipgirl, huh. Where am I?"
"You're in Sardinia, Italy. I found you inside one of the base's storage warehouse like you crashed from the sky. I heard a crashing sound and when I came to check, there was a huge hole on the rooftop...and you lying on top of destroyed shelves and boxes" Herzog Ferdinand further explained
H-39 was forced to return to a temporary slumber by the Progenitor and sent away in an unknown world. When she came to be, she crashed in a forward base where the shipgirls there found her unconscious. H-39 sustained no injury, but she was dragged into a vacant room to rest.
"By the way, where are you from? People don't just crash into a Kriegsmarine base while wearing a military uniform"
"...I can't remember. I feel like I've been on a long journey, but I can't remember how I got to this place"
"I see. Go rest up for the time being while I patrol the Mediterranean. Maybe your memory will freshen up once I get back in a few hours"
Herzog Ferdinand didn't question the source of H-39's memory loss. She wasn't even aware that the stranger she found was a Bismarck from another world of shipgirls. The revived Bismarck's shock over her most unusual encounter lasted about a few seconds because she was more curious about the world around her, an effort to briefly distract herself at towards the Sirens.
It was a peculiar world of shipgirls...
Right before I knew it, days passed in this world...
I actually believed I could have a peaceful life...
That turned out...to be just wishful thinking...
The revived alternate version of Bismarck who took upon the name of someone else as her own didn't steal the identity by force. The peaceful life she desired crashed right before her eyes and turned her own fate against her.
"What a pain. I thought I could be of use to the Kriegsmarine, but I will die as a failure..." Herzog Ferdinand bit her lip
"I won't allow you to die here" H-39 frowned at her
The two battleships was faced with an inevitable situation in the middle of a stormy sea. Herzog Ferdinand, the original H-39, lamented her inevitable fate while the other Bismarck, who suffered her as H-39, refused to let her die like nothing.
"Then will you take my name, nameless battleship?" Herzog Ferdinand offered
"What?"
"You discarded your old name...so at least take mine. This is just a borrowed name after all"
"..."
"This is my last request. If you wanted to forget your old name so badly, then at least inherit mine. I was once a nameless person once. I just held into this name until I could pass it to someone else"
The original H-39 removed her helmet and revealed the kind and gentle expression of someone who sensed her end. Even with her fate, Herzog Ferdinand's emerald eyes gazed right through the sympathetic second H-39.
"I will honor your wish..." H-39 accepted the helmet
"Danke sehr..."
"Are you going to remain here and fight to the end?" H-39 wore the helmet
"That is how we are in the Kriegsmarine. We're quite stubborn and difficult to deal with" Herzog Ferdinand weakly laughed
"..."
"You know, if it didn't turn out like this...we might have been good friends..."
"Charles William Ferdinand..." H-39 uttered the original's true name one last time
"Now go"
"..."
H-39 honored the original owner of her name with a formal salute who also returned the salute. She was not the emotional type, but she did respect the battleship from the Kriegsmarine. Other people would argue that they would remain while H-39 left the scene without hesitation since it was the original's insistence.
The two version of Iron Blood's Bismarck, one from the present and one from an alternate future, sat across each other with warm cup of coffee on their sides. While the heat slowly faded from the coffees and the aroma lingered in the air, the two stared each other, intrigued and puzzled at the other's existence. Bismarck was the one confused and shocked the most the moment H-39 openly revealed herself as indeed another version of Iron Blood's Bismarck just like how the deceased Tyrant was another version of Tirpitz.
"Why? Why is another version of me here?" Bismarck asked first
"I explained it to you. It was that wretched Creator who caused this when she threw my mental cube into the void" H-39 sighed
"You managed to infiltrate this world for months without the slightest suspicion". No one even suspected how you've been going out on your own"
"The real H-39 hid her identity, even to her own superiors. She was the one who found me when Aurelius blasted me away. I can't say if crashing in that base is on purpose" H-39 begun to explain
"Then what happened?"
"She was mortally wounded during a mission...and I replaced her since I needed to freely move into this world and utilize all the resources I can get my hands on. I've been observing the Maizuru knowing this will happen eventually, starting from the whole incident with the Northern Beast"
"You've been waiting for this opportunity. For what moment exactly?" Bismarck was still suspicious
"My timeline is altered. As the original Tyrant, I annihilated Iron Blood when they opposed me. The Sirens' influence swallowed my reasoning and I slaughtered my own comrades in a fit of blind rage. It was only when I struck down my own sister that I snapped back to my senses"
H-39 lowered her, ashamed and regretful of her own actions. She deeply regretted and blamed herself when she annihilated the very comrades she sought to protect. It was a sin that haunted her and weighed inside her heart until it numbed her emotions.
"But it was already too late..." Bismarck solemnly added
"Yes. I held my lifeless sister in my arms and saw right before my eyes how I destroyed my beloved Iron Blood. Everything and everyone I worked hard to protect was gone...because I crushed them with these ruthless hands. Wrecked with guilt, I took my Tirpitz's mental cube and assimilated it" H-39 raised her head
"This is exactly like what happened with Tyrant" Bismarck noticed
"I thought I was destroyed in my own timeline, but I was wrong. The void I was thrown...was the domain where the most repulsive side of humans lie. A ghost shipgirl basked in the negative emotions within that space...and its power restarted my mental cube"
H-39 briefly described what she saw when she regained consciousness after her initial destruction within her own timeline. She awakened within a void where the essence of a "blank" shipgirl turned that closed space into its own home filled with sin-filled mud and crystallized agony.
"Do you mean Ghost brought you back to life?"
"In my timeline, that thing is just a ghost shipgirl. Humans call it Anepithymitos, Carthaphilus, or SIN, but ghost shipgirl is more convenient. The Sirens used the humans to create such shipgirls and well...it backfired horribly" H-39 shrugged her shoulders
"You were here for more than a year, but you didn't stop Tyrant or Tirpitz from betraying. If we are the same person, then I would have done it" Bismarck pointed out
"The Empress' creator, the Progenitor who calls herself Aurelius, threw me into this world. I was too weak to even travel back to Azur Lane since I was just resurrected. Right now, I only have half of my original strength due to how improperly I was brought back, so I would have lost if I faced Tyrant"
H-39 knew Bismarck would be upset to know that she, an alternate future version of her, did nothing to prevent the whole incident with Tyrant. It was because of the conflict with Tyrant that resulted in Tirpitz's betrayal, so Bismarck was somewhat angry that another version of her knew it would happen but allowed it to happen. If she had know then she should have acted to prevent it.
"If what you said is true, Tirpitz might end up destroying herself if she tries to access the World Tree since trying to erase a timeline wouldn't end without consequence" Bismarck clenched her fists
"What Tirpitz is trying to do is to prevent you from becoming me, a reflection of the incident more than six months ago. I couldn't show myself to her since if she finds out, then she would listen to reason less..."
"Are you still trying to stop her...?" Bismarck softly asked
"Of course. She is our younger sister after all. Besides, I wish for a future where neither of you will have to suffer. No matter how much I went through, I am still the Bismarck who desires nothing but the prosperity of Iron Blood and those who I hold dear"
"H-39..."
"The timeline I came from could no longer be fixed, but yours can still be saved. Our beloved Iron Blood - I want to see a future where they can live in peace till the very end. That is my wish for returning here"
H-39 looked down towards her cup of coffee that had gone cold after their conversation which lasted half an hour. She gently smiled as she stated her one and only wish for her return to the world. What she experienced was hell that still haunted her, but it was her motivation to pave a future for a timeline that still could be saved.
"If we could stop Tirpitz without the need of taking her life, what will you do next?"
"It may not sound like me, but I wish for a peaceful life like an ordinary human. Although, I want to continue watching Iron Blood just in case I am needed again" H-39 gently squeezed her hands together
"You maintained an iron will and desire for a peaceful and quiet life outside of this war even after all you've been through..." Bismarck was slightly amazed at her desire for a quiet life
"Bismarck, I used to possess an indomitable will...but it's beginning to wane with every moment that passes"
"Used to? What do you mean?"
"There's something you must know, but this isn't the right time to inform you. You have to mentally prepare yourself on what's to come"
"...?!" Bismarck swallowed her breath
Can she really accept the inevitable truth?
A whisper echoed right inside H-39's mind and disrupted her current thoughts. It was as if her emotions whispered her own doubts right beside her ear.
(No, perhaps...ignorance is a bliss for her case...) H-39 secretly lamented
"H-39?"
"It's nothing. I am worried my wish for a peaceful life...would end up as wishful thinking again"
"Your wish won't be granted it you believe it's not worthy of being granted"
"That's right. Doing nothing won't accomplish anything. If I want to achieve something, I have to force my way there. Such is our thinking...as Bismarck"
H-39 wryly laughed at herself, briefly disappointed that she herself as the Bismarck who struggled and strived to accomplish both selfish and selfless wishes. She was naturally reminded of her old and hopeful past who had the possibility to live the life she was never able to reach.
Later...
After the talk with Iron Blood's Bismarck, H-39 then spoke with the Kriegsmarine version under the shade of a tree while the gentle breeze brushed through the leaves and brought a sense of relaxation for the both of them. The Kriegsmarine's Bismarck leaned her back against a tree while H-39 fondly gazed at the blue afternoon sky.
"To think we've encountered someone from another world long before that other Tirpitz showed up. I admit I'm really shocked to hear and see it for myself" Bismarck laughed, slightly amused
"If I recall, we first encountered each other in the Arctic. It was only by coincidence that I stumbled upon you there" H-39 placed her hand on her chin
"Why did you save my sister back then? You didn't know her, but..."
"Perhaps because you are Bismarck and she is Tirpitz that I acted without a second thought"
"Reminds me a bit when I met your world's Tirpitz" Bismarck sighed
"Aren't you upset?" H-39 turned to face her
"About what?"
"The real H-39 died and I replaced her without anyone noticing. I took her place and even took her identity...to do what I wish without regard for codes and laws"
"You didn't kill her, so why should I be angry? I never even formally met the original H-39 since it was you who I met eight months ago" Bismarck raised an eyebrow
H-39 was speechless, somewhat surprised and curious to how Bismarck was calm and collected even after she learned that a Kriegsmarine comrade of hers had been dead for months, and not a single person had realized it. She thought it would anger Bismarck that she stole the real H-39's identity and used it ever since the real one's death.
"Besides, you want to save your Tirpitz as much as the other Bismarck. I also want to save her too..." Bismarck was clearly determined
"I think I remember why I also saved your Tirpitz. You're determined, strong-willed, and caring just like your counterpart in Iron Blood. That's why even as a rage-filled Beast, your sister couldn't bring herself to hurt you"
"I don't want to see another tragedy like what the Abyssals did in Wilhelmshaven a long time ago. I still remember how my sister almost broke down when we visited an inhabited island ravaged by Abyssals since it reminded her of what we experienced" Bismarck bit her lip
"Every time I see the fragility of human emotions, I am reminded of that woman" H-39 lost her smile
"That woman?"
"She was a researcher who I held dear. You could say she was like a mentor and mother figure to me..."
"What happened to her? It sounds like something tragic happened" Bismarck straightened herself
H-39 aimlessly reached out her hand towards the sky, her sorrows visible on her expression even with eyes dulled and darkened with the horror of reality and disgust towards human conflict.
"It's a long story, but I resented my world because of what happened. I would have turned against humanity if it weren't for her teachings. She was someone who tried to save Tyrant when she was breaking down as Tirpitz. It was her loss that further strayed off Tyrant...until she annihilated Iron Blood"
"The painful thing about being attached to someone is bearing grief and loss once they disappear right before your eyes..." Bismarck tipped off her cap
Bismarck may not be aware of who exactly H-39 referred too, but she knew how much H-39 fondly spoke of the unnamed researcher and even expressed deep grief upon her implied death. To show at least a form of respect, Bismarck lowered her head before she pressed her fingers and tipped off her cap.
"Hmm?" H-39 turned to another direction
"What's the matter?"
"I have to excuse myself. There's something I almost forgot to take care of"
"Oh, okay?"
H-39 slightly nodded her head and hurriedly left the scene while Bismarck scratched her head, both puzzled and dumbfounded on what she needed to take care all of a sudden. They just had a casual conversation when H-39 saw something and left as quickly as possible.
"Littorio, what's the problem?" H-39 approached her
Littorio, who somehow acted like a secret accomplice to H-39's true intentions, appeared from around a corner with pleasant smile curved on her lips. While the Sardegna Empire battleship was in a good mood, H-39 clearly felt the complete opposite.
"I just got word from our Bismarck's Wolfpack that they reportedly spotted someone that matched the description of our Prince of Wales in Hawaii" Littorio looked around first before she spoke
"What? It's not Essex?" H-39's mood turned sour
"No. This base's Atlanta reported that someone with the same uniform as King George V is currently wandering in Hawaii. This further increased the possibility that it's indeed our Prince of Wales"
"..."
H-39 initially planned to handle Essex first since she was aware that the aircraft carrier secretly worked with the Sirens like King George V, but she was forced to scrap it now that another of the four stowaways was in there instead.
"What are we going to do now?"
"I'm going to take care of Prince of Wales. I'll have to smoke out Essex even if I have to use force and remove anyone in the way" H-39 clenched her fists
"Ruthless - fitting for a tyrant" Littorio giggled
"..."
It was very much obvious that the tyrant Littorio used to refer to H-39 was the deceased shipgirl defeated by both Bismarck and Tirpitz more than six months ago. Completely displeased, H-39 furrowed her eyebrows and caused Littorio to briefly avoid her hostile and sharp glare that stung her joke. This reminded Littorio how H-39 was not someone who took mere jokes to a stride.
"You wouldn't destroy Wales, would you?" Littorio turned serious
"No. I wouldn't use lethal force on a fellow shipgirl. I wouldn't mind annihilating a Siren though, especially that Empress"
"You're still upset that her creator didn't stop your doctor from being killed by fellow humans" Littorio pointed out
"...!"
H-39 was calm and stern most of the time, but she lost her composure and swung her hand on a nearby wall when an unforgettable event was directly mentioned in front of her. The sudden force from her swing pieces from the wall and tore a small chunk of it. It was a mistake to remind H-39 of a crucial factor that shaped her current personality and negative perspective on the world.
"I am going to Hawaii to handle Prince of Wales while you remained here and report if anyone here is making their move"
"Fine..." Littorio sighed
"Also, don't ever mention that event in front of me ever again. I may shatter your mental cube if you provoke me again"
I know that Tirpitz is sure to show up willingly...
H-39 returned to her usually calm and serious state after the brief moment she blindly reacted out of her trauma. The event still shocked her memory that she violently reacted and almost struck Littorio's head and give her a serious concussion.
(Wales. She's going after Wales...! I can't let that happen. I have to stop her...even if I have to risk it!)
Unknown to the two, King George V overheard their conversation and begun to panic when she learned that Prince of Wales had been spotted and H-39 planned to go after her even if the initial target was Essex. She feared H-39 might harm Prince of Wales just to track down Essex, so she didn't hesitate to act on order to assure her younger sister's safety.
Hawaii...
Somewhere in Oahu, H-39, with a new helmet worn this time, surveyed the large crowd of humans that gathered near a beach. Others walked on their own destinations, while others either took pictures of the beach or sit on the available benches. Her faint grunt echoed inside the steel helmet as there were no one else around her but mere humans.
"What's the matter? Are you looking for something...or perhaps someone?"
"Sovetskaya Rossiya..."
H-39 turned herself around when she immediately recognized the voice that briefly startled her while she was focused on what was in front of her. The last time the two met was when H-39 informed her and the Royal navy shipgirls that there was a traitor among the shipgirls of Azur Lane. They were neither glad nor displeased to see each other again, but tension surrounded them the second they made eye contact.
"I know who you are behind that helmet, and it genuinely shocked me when I was informed you're actually another Bismarck" Sovetskaya Rossiya frowned
"I expected that since the Royal navy is sheltering you"
"I want to ask one thing only - why did you almost cut down Gangut?"
When H-39 immediately went to the point with no intention to hide the fact that she was aware of how H-39 almost cut down a fellow shipgirl from Azur Lane.
"Gangut? I see, so that was Gangut..."
"What?"
"I may be Bismarck too, but I originated from a different timeline. There are shipgirls I haven't personally met...because they all died before me"
"...?!" Sovetskaya Rossiya widened her eyes
H-39 revealed how possibly most of the shipgirls in her timeline were wiped out before she could directly meet them. This might seem like a half-hearted lie, but she gazed at Sovetskaya Rossiya with eyes that had grown accustomed to war and discarded almost everything after countless losses.
"I can't blame you for being upset at what I did since the Northern Union has a strong sense of camaraderie, but you have to remember I am not the Bismarck you know"
"I don't care if you're not the same one I know"
"That's a lie. You are concerned that I don't have the same personality as my past self. Why else are you tensed and reflexively holding your scabbard right now?" H-39 scoffed
"...?!"
H-39 took one step forward then another step until she was two meters in front of the speechless and cautious Sovetskaya Rossiya. The two battleships maintained eye contact and remained wary of each other in the case either would make the first strike.
"There's someone I need to deal first, so I can't have you getting in my way. Guten nacht, Sovetskaya Rossiya"
"Bis-"
Sovetskaya Rossiya quickly reacted when H-39's words clearly implied danger. She drew her own saber to retaliate even before H-39 could make her move, but the shipgirl in front of her was not only different in personality but in strength as well.
"Kkh!"
With little effort, H-39 pushed Sovetskaya Rossiya and her drawn blade to the side as swift as the wind that passed by her. The moment H-39 pushed the Northern Union battleship behind her, she reached out her hand and gently pressed the back of her head which caused Sovetskaya Rossiya to immediately collapse on the ground.
"It's true that I don't recognize some shipgirls because of my timeline, but I did recognize Gangut. It was rather unfortunate Roon got in my way, but at least I took care of one..."
Since Sovetskaya Rossiya completely fell unconscious to the ground, H-39 boldly revealed about her encounter with Gangut and how she did attempt to struck her down mercilessly, only for Roon to hinder her temporarily. Nearby onlookers gasped, puzzled to why an unknown woman with a sword collapsed to the ground while another one in black uniform casually left the scene.
Somewhere in the island...
Prince of Wales looked and left as if she was in search of something. All she saw was ordinary citizens, unaware that she was a shipgirl from another world. Several people who passed by couldn't help but awkwardly stare at with how she frantically searched around her while dressed in a flashy outfit compared to the ordinary humans around her.
"Damn that Tirpitz. I've been going in circles for a week now. I can't find Gangut, Roon, or Essex ever since Tirpitz teleported us" Prince of Wales muttered to herself
Prince of Wales rushed to the edge until her body pressed against the safety rails of the public port, lost and frustrated at how she was no stranded by herself with no allies around her.
"For some reason, my ship suddenly got compressed into a cube whenever I try to unequip it"
Prince of Wales brought out her ship now compressed in a form of a cube that she can fit in her palm. While it wasn't damaged or unusable, there was never an instance where anyone's ship turned into a cube whenever they exit combat and return to land. It would usually revert to their original ship form when the shipgirls unequip it.
"I wonder if those three are okay...? I hope they're in a better situation compared to me"
Right now, Prince of Wales worried about the current situation of the other three accidental stowaways. The four of them were dragged into another world due to the gateway's malfunction, but Tirpitz managed to locate and separate them. She didn't even know where the rest of her allies went, especially the one who were supposed to travel in the first place.
"I'm certain they are not in any danger, Wales..." H-39 managed to track her down
"Who are you? How do you know my name"
"Former fleet leader of Iron Blood, Bismarck"
H-39 saw little to no humans around the surroundings while she faced Prince of Wales, so she removed her helmet and revealed her identity as another version of Iron Blood's Bismarck. Unlike the one clueless one in Maizuru, this one had empty icy blue eyes and white streak on her hair.
"Bismarck? No, you can't be the Bismarck I know" Prince of Wales readied to unsheathe her saber
"I'm Bismarck that hailed from an alternate timeline that is beyond saving. Well, it's not like I planned to undo my ruined future. It was humanity's fault, and their arrogance was their undoing"
"The way you talk gives you away who you really are. You had me fooled for a moment" Prince of Wales finally drew her saber
"You really are King George V's younger sister, but unfortunately your sister happens to be - no, it's something she should say herself" H-39 shook her head
"What are you talking about?"
"She's talking about how to mislead and provoke you" A third person showed up
"...!"
H-39 and Princes of turned to face a third person who walked into the scene uninvited. While H-39 was mildly unhappy and annoyed at her sudden appearance, Prince of Wales widened her eyes and almost dropped her weapon.
"Eugen! What's the meaning of this? You're...still alive..."
Prince of Wales had to rub her eyes to confirm the supposedly deceased heavy cruiser that entered the scene was indeed the Prinz Eugen she knew. What she saw was indeed the real one without a doubt, the mischievous smirk was the basic proof of it.
"It's been a while, Wales. That complete shock is very adorable, you know. I wish I could tease you more like the old days~" Prinz Eugen giggled
"Eugen...Eugen..." Prince of Wales' hands shook
"It's me. I'm alive and in front of you" Prinz Eugen softly spoke to her
"H-how...but you're..."
The two had a long history and they treated each other as both allies and enemies at the same time. Prinz Eugen teased Prince of Wales a lot, but the latter viewed the former as someone she wished fight beside her. The fact that Prinz Eugen appeared to be completely alive almost brought tears of joy to Prince of Wales, but it baffled her how she survived her confirmed death.
"Eugen, if you're here then I assume Tirpitz is here as well" H-39 interrupted their moment
"That's correct, but I told her I'll face you myself since you went after Wales" Prinz Eugen frowned
"Wales isn't my target. She was the perfect bait to draw you out. Tirpitz is just a bonus"
"...?" Prinz Eugen slightly took one step back
"Eugen, I can't let you and Tirpitz alter this timeline further"
"Says the one with ulterior motives"
"..."
"You may fool the others, but I know your dirty little secret"
"I know very well you're bluffing to make me reveal that specific secret. You just know I have one, but if the two of you can overpower me...then I'll confess it myself"
H-39 drew her sword and spread her arms as she challenged the two of defeat her if they want to know what was her other secret. Prinz Eugen attempted to trick her, but H-39 immediately saw it as a bait to reveal it herself.
Meanwhile...
When Sovetskaya Rossiya was immediately incapacitated by H-39, the latter immediately left her since she was not her target to begin with. Sovetskaya Rossiya grunted about fifteen minutes after she was left unconscious on the ground. She felt light-headed and dizzy at the same time while she slowly regained consciousness.
"Ugh..."
H-39 left her on the ground, but Sovetskaya Rossiya oddly found herself sat upright on a bench.
"Did you have a nice nap? She surely poked your mental cube, huh" Tirpitz sipped what seems to be soda
"...!"
Tirpitz stood right behind Sovetskaya Rossiya and greeted the dumbfounded Northern Union battleship with casual and faint smile on her lips.
"Tirpitz!"
"Don't be hostile right now. You were put aside by H-39 right?"
"How-"
"I came here not to deal with you but her. When Eugen came back from her last errand, she surprised me by telling me how H-39 is indeed another version of my sister. Hmph, to think I have to deal with three different kind of Bismarcks"
Tirpitz implied her shock when she learned about H-39's identity, but she felt completely unhappy on the unexpected identity behind H-39's helmet.
"Eugen won't be able to hold her off, so I'm going to deal with H-39. Feel free to go after me if you like" Tirpitz sighed
"Wait" Sovetskaya Rossiya stood up
"What...?"
"Tirpitz, why did you turn against Bismarck and the rest of Iron Blood?"
"Leaving Iron Blood was already fated to happen, and Tyrant tried to make sure I won't lose myself even when I betrayed Iron Blood. This was the only method for Bismarck to remain as the leader and protector of Iron Blood" Tirpitz turned to answer her
"If you care about Bismarck that much, then surely betraying here isn't the only way to do it..." Sovetskaya Rossiya frowned
"The reason I needed to leave Iron Blood-"
Just when Tirpitz was about to freely confess to Sovetskaya Rossiya on the true reason to why she was forced to abandon Iron Blood and betray Bismarck in the process, an explosion rocked the casual peace. Humans fled against the two's direction and muffled explosions echoed in the air.
"That's not good" Tirpitz rushed to then source without a second thought
"Wait-!"
Tirpitz immediately ignored her due to the sudden emergency, so she left Sovetskaya Rossiya dumbfounded and slightly upset after their discussion was halted by the explosion. The explosion continued several times and louder the faster she rushed to where the black smoke originated, so Tirpitz rushed to the coast.
"...!"
Tirpitz was forced to stop in her tracks all of a sudden when a heavily injured Prinz Eugen was rudely tossed right in front of her. Her eyes then shifted to H-39 who was barely scratched compared to Prinz Eugen. This alone showed that not even a shipgirl strengthened by the Sirens can even put up a decent fight against another version of Bismarck.
"H-39, the other version of the Bismarck. No, it's like the case with Tyrant" Tirpitz frowned
"Hmm. Seeing you is quite nostalgic..." H-39 faintly smiled
"What?"
"It's nothing important. I'm just having difficulty with this overlapping cognitive chip"
H-39 gently pressed her chest and sarcastically laughed to match her mild annoyance at her current situation.
"Between the two of us, you're the bigger threat. To be specific, you are pretending as a wolf in sheep's clothing" Tirpitz drew her own blade
"It depends...on who you are referring"
"It doesn't matter who you really are-"
Tirpitz was suddenly cut off when H-39 slightly bent her knees and sprung herself forward with her blade drawn and pointed right towards Tirpitz. Their blade clashed and sparked with each time they slam and slide their steel weapons.
"I can't let you speed up your own death. Tirpitz, I don't wish to lose anyone more than I already did. I will stop you...before I reach my time limit" H-39 made her intentions clear
"You're not as strong as you used to be even after you damaged Tyrant's cognitive chip" Tirpitz pushed her back
Tirpitz then followed with an unrestrained trust and successfully struck the pinpointed location of the heart. Her blade not only pierced H-39's chest, but it also went through the back. It was clear Tirpitz had every intention to kill her with little to no remorse.
"For once, stay dead - permanently. You're already low on power, yet you forced that undead body to move" Tirpitz pulled out her sword and push H-39 away
The Bismarck from an alternate future went silent as her motionless body collapsed on the ground. Just as Prinz Eugen slowly regained consciousness and shook off her dizziness, she was both speechless and genuinely surprised how Tirpitz stood while H-39 collapsed to the ground. The one who mercilessly beat her suddenly lost her life.
"Eugen, where's Wales?"
Tirpitz turned to face Prinz Eugen when she noticed she finally regained her consciousness after a quick and horrible defeat at the hands of H-39.
"She's happily sleeping over there while I get beaten to pull" Prinz Eugen turned her head slightly to the right
"Go drag her out of here before anyone sees and take her away" Tirpitz sighed as begun to walk away
"You just stabbed Bismarck and leave? Just like that?"
"That is not my sister..." Tirpitz clarified
"I wonder what's that supposed to mean?"
As Tirpitz begun to walk away the scene, no longer interested after she strangely finished off H-39 with a single strike right to the heart, Prinz Eugen dusted her sleeves and limped towards the unconscious Prince of Wales. Someone like her shouldn't have left any openings even for a split second, but she was wide open that Tirpitz didn't bother to doubt at the possibility of a deliberate loss.
"Honestly, King George V should be the one here but was too afraid to expose herself" Prinz Eugen complained to herself
"Ugh..." Prince of Wales groaned
"Rise and shine. You can't sleep here or the humans will capture you for interrogation" Prinz Eugen gently kicked her head
"Eu...gen..." Prince of Wales forced herself to wake up
"Stand up. You can't stay here, you know"
Slightly confused at Prinz Eugen's casualty and lack of hostility, Prinz Eugen pressed her forearms on the ground and lifted her back despite the damage she sustained from the one-sided fight.
"That Bismarck...is she...?" Prince of Wales noticed the motionless body fifteen meters from her
"Tirpitz finished her off. She was unusually strong, but laid dead for some reason. I guess she reached her limit after so long..." Prinz Eugen shrugged her shoulders
"Eugen..."
"I have no intention to play with you right now. I just need you to get out of here before anyone else sees you"
"Right..."
Prince of Wales proceeded to lift herself up and stand on her two feet, confused and utterly dumbfounded since she didn't forget how Prinz Eugen killed herself but returned from the dead after six months.
"There's a lot you need to explain"
"It depends on what you want me to explain" Prinz Eugen giggled
"For starters, you being alive again" Prince of Wales crossed her arms
"Hahahaha. You're still predictable as-"
"Eugen, watch out!" Prince of Wales desperately reached Prinz Eugen
Just one minute ago, they both saw how H-39 lied in the ground completely lifeless with her heart clearly pierced to the back by Tirpitz's blade. The moment they lowered their guard with no regards to their surroundings, H-39 was already right behind Prinz Eugen. Before the vulnerable cruiser can meet her end, it was reversed by Prince of Wales who rushed to save her without the slightest hesitation.
"...!"
Prince of Wales grabbed Prinz Eugen and pulled her out of the way. Her saber, without hesitation, pierced right through the middle of H-39's chest. The blade may have struck H-39, but the latter casually grabbed it with her right hand to pull it away and push the shocked Prince of Wales away.
"This is annoying. I keep forgetting...I am not as strong as I used to be..."
That resilience only lasted briefly as she fell on one knee with her hand pressed on the ground before her entire body collapsed right to the ground again.
"No time to be shocked. We have to go" Prinz Eugen grabbed Prince of Wales' hand
"But-"
"You don't want to be her second victim"
H-39 pressed her chest with the two injuries in her chest still fresh. The supposed fatal thrust by Tirpitz earlier did struck where the heart was located, but she somehow stood back up with little to no problem. Prinz Eugen hurriedly grabbed Prince of Wales away before H-39 could recover her strength and take down the two.
"Eugen..."
H-39 weakly called her out, unable to incapacitate or pursue them with how her damage greatly weakened her. Even if she forced to stand back up, she would collapse in an instant and lose consciousness again.
"What...?"
Sovetskaya Rossiya, who arrived after the so-called battle ended, found Prinz Eugen flee with Prince of Wales while H-39 was unable to pursue them. Shortly after the pair escaped, H-39 finally collapsed back to the ground.
"Bismarck! Hey - you've been stabbed in the heart, but you're still breathing"
She rushed the unconscious H-39, but the latter fell to unconsciousness once again. The sounds of curious human voices and footsteps reached to Sovetskaya Rossiya's ears and placed H-39's right arm over her shoulder.
"I don't know what's going on, but I'll have you explain it once you wake up"
Just a while ago, the two almost had a confrontation because Sovetskaya Rossiya doubted both her identity and intentions. Even if Sovetskaya Rossiya was incapacitated by H-39, she chose to drag the unconscious battleship away before the situation grew worse.
Extra
What happened in Hawaii was not what everyone expected or desired. This applied to the Maizuru fleet the most since shipgirls from Azur Lane had a reckless brawl which resulted in collateral damage and unwanted attention. The supposed target of the situation, Essex, learned of the situation hours after it ended.
"Wales is gone and taken somewhere safe by Eugen. At least, we only have Roon to worry about now" Essex calmly sips a cup of cappuccino
"Why are you so calm? It's because you stuck in one place that H-39 went after you!" King George V raised her voice
"I didn't even know she was there, okay? If I went to her rescue earlier, it would risk revealing we're both working with the Sirens" Essex retaliated
"I know that. Which is why I asked Eugen to go there rather than me. H-39 knows about us secretly working with the Sirens, but she doesn't know what we're up to" King George V crossed her arms
"That doesn't mean we should be confident right now. It's Bismarck we're talking about"
Tirpitz entered the scene and interrupted their discussion. She viewed the situation serious enough for her to interfere and discuss it with both King George V and Essex. The two quietly observed Tirpitz calmly approached them and went in between.
"She's bigger trouble than the past one, since this future one can't be killed even if you stab right through her heart. Not to mention, her mental cube is abnormal according to Zero" Tirpitz added
"How abnormal are we talking about? By technicality, we're all abnormal here" Essex raised an eyebrow
"She has a reactive mental cube and her cognitive chip is unstable. There's something wrong with her, and I believe it has something to do with how she was even revived" Tirpitz speculated
"None of us right now can even take her on if we're basing on our chances. H-39 managed to immediately catch Eugen off guard twice in two different occasions with no problem" Essex raised her hand
"The same thing happened when I dealt with my counterpart in this world. I couldn't sense her until she spoke from behind. It's like she's-" Tirpitz recalled
"She's a what?" The two curiously asked
"Forget it. I just thought of something ridiculous"
Tirpitz thought of something wild and ridiculous that she shook her heard and laughed at herself while the two stared at each for a few seconds, confused and worried at the same time. They wanted to know what Tirpitz cut off from her own words, but to force her was out of the question.
"Tirpitz, how are we going to deal with her if the Sirens doesn't even know what's wrong with her?" King George V was visibly concerned
"If you're so concerned with Wales, then go to her and ensure her safety yourself" Tirpitz frowned
"You know that's impossible. If Wales find out right now that I dishonored the Royal navy..." King George V bit her lip
"So what's your plan, Essex? You've done nothing for the past two weeks" Tirpitz changed her focus
"Whatever I'm needed to do. I don't have the means to act directly and casually go out there after the stunt you and H-39 pulled in Hawaii" Essex shrugged her shoulders
Just like what Essex said, the damage caused from the clash between shipgirls from Azur Lane must have alarmed the humans, so their movements right now was restricted. It wasn't even Tirpitz who caused the damage, but H-39 herself when she mercilessly beat both Prince of Wales and Prinz Eugen in a battle among shipgirls.
"Before coming here, I've been informed Akagi is on the move again. Essex, since Eugen is being uncooperative right now, you're going to run the errand this time" Tirpitz immediately gave her a task
"I can handle Akagi, you know" King George V pointed out
"Since the situation was because Wales was targeted, you' be focused by Bismarck and the others. Besides, I have something else in mind" Tirpitz faintly smiled
"Is that a scheme?" Essex chuckled
"Thanks to a certain someone's cooperation, there's something we can use to our advantage. This will buy us time by having Bismarck and the others to against each other"
Tirpitz remained quiet recently, so her sudden plan to deal with the shipgirls from Azur Lane came as a surprise to both King George V and Essex. She gave off the impression of someone who would rather go along with the scheme of others than go through the trouble on to make one herself.
The one who calls herself H-39 isn't truly my sister because she is no longer the "Bismarck" I know...