Author: I'm focused on Kancolle event right now since I instantly like Sheffield's design (like a Zuihou and Kumano hybrid...in a way).
I'm not good at making people drop like flies, but...
The shaky alliance continues...
A weapon unlike any other. Tyrant casually held the defective black mental cube on her left palm. The ominous weapon with no will of its own was tightly gripped by Tyrant's fingers while her accomplice Prinz Eugen quietly sat near her, clearly bored and uninterested with the weapon Tyrant obtained after the future Bismarck died.
"H-39's mental cube survived somehow, but where is it?" Prinz Eugen raised an important question
"I'm not sure what happened exactly. The ghost of this world showed up and in the form of someone I don't expect..."
Tyrant gently placed the mental cube on the center of a steel table. No one knew she had the defective black mental cube in possession, and she intended to keep it that way as long as possible.
"She took off with the alternate Bismarck's badly damaged mental cube"
"And you let her take it?" Prinz Eugen raised an eyebrow
"I just returned from the dead, so I don't really want to die so earlier. I'm the type to not fight someone who can take me out instantly, remember?"
"When are you planning to resolve this situation? I want to remember what I've been doing before all of this happened. I'm the only one not aware of the whole situation" Prinz Eugen pretended to pout
"That much is true. H-39 didn't reversed time, but she altered the present and created this timeline"
"You faced against the ghost shipgirl who took the other mental cube away. Killing her is already impossible since you can't kill someone who was never alive"
"No. That wretched ghost can be killed. It found herself a temporary body to hitch on"
To Prinz Eugen's surprise, the formless being with no proper concept made itself vulnerable for no apparent reason as it manifested into the world.
"It manifested with a developed consciousness. Isn't this bad news?" Prinz Eugen showed mild concern
"Not for us. It has no interest with the world right now. That ghost of this world was called by someone. I'm not certain whether it's my sister, those annoying Sirens, or Enterprise"
"Enterprise, huh. I believe Belfast is keeping an eye on her, and that other shipgirl will draw her blade once the need arises" Prinz Eugen frowned
"Forget those two for the time being. We need to undo this forced diversion. That means, you and everyone else will be returning to the last checkpoint"
"Ireland. I can't really remember what I did there since only you and Bismarck retained your memories"
"Once we manage to open a rift to the other world and track down the Sin's mental Cube, we can revert the changes done to this timeline. You'll regain your memories since you're the Eugen from that battle back at Ireland"
"..."
The chances to undo H-39's diversion of the current timeline was high just by how Tyrant confidently spoke, but Prinz Eugen remained both uneasy and restless because of her true intentions.
"Why do you want to fight Tirpitz again?"
"I thought there was nothing for me to do after I willingly died seven months ago, but it seems it's not yet over for me. As long as that ghost shipgirl remains, we're doomed to repeat a past mistake"
"How are you planning to stop Bismarck or your past version from making the same mistake?"
"The Root of the World Tree itself. It means I have to delete the ghost shipgirl from being anchored from any timeline"
"Huh? Then why do you need to fight Tirpitz exactly?"
"Before this diversion, she told you the reason why she had to work with the Empress"
"What...would that be?"
"Well, my companion, I'll start with the cause of it - the battle from seventh months ago"
Tyrant reached for the dormant black mental cube and gently tossed it then she gently leaned her rear on the edge of the table. It would be a nuisance to explain to someone who was well aware before, but the circumstance was understandable so Tyrant let it be. It took a lengthy explanation since it involved more than just one party, and Prinz Eugen couldn't comprehend it entirely as expected.
"For that reason..."
"It's also the main reason why that damn ghost appeared before me back then. She sensed what's going to happen and decided to come out to see it. Well, that and her current form isn't permanent"
"Then we'll have to kill that one too?"
"Of course. With a physical form, it's very much vulnerable" Tyrant chuckled
"Even so...defeating her is easier said than done. Ember couldn't even cut it in a hundred pieces"
"Then we'll use the backup plan of having a non-violent chat with it. That ghost is emulating the built-in personality"
Tyrant quickly dismissed the initial plan to eliminate the unknown ghost shipgirl for an attempt to converse with it since Prinz Eugen herself was skeptic of confrontation against someone impossible to kill. She still couldn't be fully accustomed with her new laid-back and calm demeanor.
"Belfast confirmed that ghost is in the possession of Akashi, who somehow still stuck in that other world. I know Belfast is still keeping critical information, but she's staying neutral so we can't force her to talk" Prinz Eugen almost forgot to mention
"The Maizuru fleet then. It's odd to why it would be there. I'm guessing it's physical form...expired"
"The Siren Custodian is supposed to be in charge of containing the likes of that thing. What happened with that byproduct Siren?"
"The one in the frigid north right now isn't even her real body. I can't track down the real body either"
"I see. If it's outside this world, then the one who threw away the black mental cube to the Maizuru fleet...is her" Prinz Eugen's curved an amused smile
"The reason why the Empress lost possession of Code: Null in the first place - that was her doing as well" Tyrant added
"Fufufu~ I'm impressed. She played us since the beginning without showing up"
"..."
When they finally realized that a Siren who never took part in the situation directly or even showed up in the front lines schemed from behind, Prinz Eugen wasn't furious but amused instead. The Custodian never appeared even when the situation at Ireland escalated, and the whereabouts of her real body remained unknown, so Tyrant lightly gritted her teeth.
"I need to open the rift to another world fast. That Siren may be the one who triggered and caused the hell in that ravaged timeline"
"If Custodian is another world and toying with both sides, she needs to be dealt with"
"Custodian is due to her huge array of abilities, but there's someone worse than her right now..."
"Hmm...?"
They can agree that their target would be the mysterious Siren Custodian, but Tyrant had a different primary target to be eliminated. Of course it was natural to eliminate the one who possessed the largest threat, but she was clearly concerned.
Somewhere...
Tirpitz slowly squeezed her hands while her thoughts wandered off somewhere. She lifted her head when the sound of gentle footsteps pressed the sandy beach and approached her. The Siren Custodian dressed in white Arctic clothes despite the current location in the beach, proceeded with little care.
"Something's bothering you again?"
"You. You're that Siren from the other day" Tirpitz widened her eyes in shock
"My presence outside the Arctic is questionable, but I have my own agenda not related to you"
"Did you follow me here?"
"My interest is currently towards Bismarck"
"My sister?"
"Bismarck is looking through past records with the help of someone irritating. Well, you wouldn't understand since you're as clueless as everyone"
The Siren tucked her hands almost covered by her jacket's sleeves into her pockets and shrugged her shoulders.
"To make it simply for you, Zero informed me about this location in exchange for giving them a hint on what Tyrant is up to. I think I've just been duped" Custodian chuckled
"Tyrant? Who are you exactly after?"
"Empress carelessly lost an important object in her possession. That object is something Tyrant is after, but it's currently in that other world along with the Bismarck from the Kriegsmarine"
"Kriegs...marine. Where have I heard that before?"
Tirpitz took several steps back when the mere mention of one word triggered confusion and familiarity within her suppressed memories.
"Bismarck. There's another person who claims to be Bismarck, but I can't remember the face. All I remember is an unfamiliar voice calling me"
No matter how much she tried to recall an unfamiliar memory, her mind couldn't force out information other than a vague figure of someone. Tirpitz bit her lip in frustration while Custodian placed her fingers on her chin as she observed the "phenomenon".
"I can confirm your memories have been suppressed. Tell me, did your big sister said anything that made you restless? Surely, she tried to tell you something"
"She said I died...and it's because of H-39. She looked so shocked to see me standing in front of her...as if I really did die in front of her"
"I'm not in the position to confirm anything that far yet. My current interests lie somewhere else after. Well, that and the initial [me] is having difficulty" Custodian chuckled
"..." Tirpitz didn't understand anything
"It may sound confusing, but it is what it is. I'm just a Custodian, a byproduct Siren unit"
"You're a byproduct?"
"I explained it before, but I doubt you'll completely understand"
Custodian tilted her head and flapped her arms while Tirpitz grew more puzzled at the eccentric Siren in front of her. She would usually be hostile against someone like Custodian, but the latter never displayed hostility or desire for a battle. This was the first time she met a laid-back and somewhat carefree Siren.
"You've been having dream, haven't you? Surely you're at least suspecting something isn't right"
"I've been dreaming about Tyrant. The one I keep dreaming about is seeing myself fighting her at the northern fjords. I would always feel so conflicted...and lost. I want to know what it all means..." Tirpitz bit her lip
"What else did you see other than that? From the looks of it, there's something bigger bothering you"
"Whenever I close my eyes, I keep seeing one particular scene..."
The Siren Custodian narrowed her eyes and focused on Tirpitz as she begun to explain more of her strange dreams. Only when Tirpitz particularly mentioned key words that the Siren faintly smiled.
"You know what? It's no use to remember right now. It's best to let dreams be dreams"
"Do you know something, Siren?" Tirpitz frowned
"I don't know anything yet, but I might know something soon" Custodian shook her head
"..."
"It's fine if you don't believe me right now. I can't be away from my safe zone for long, so I'm taking my leave"
The Siren pulled up her hood and tucked her warm hands back into the deep pocket of her long jacket.
"Wait! What did you come here for?" Tirpitz demanded to know first
"I'm searching for something myself, but I don't have much freedom. You see, I'm a busy person multi-tasking in and out of this world" Custodian vaguely hinted
"..."
"We'll see each other again, Bismarck's clueless little sister"
"What is it you're really after, Siren? I should be attacking you since you're an enemy, but I can't distinguish you at all" Tirpitz prepared to draw her weapon
"I'm not with any Sirens or shipgirls. My only goal in life is to live without being bothered, but Tyrant is going to stir the balance Aurelius is working hard to preserve"
"..."
"I shouldn't really be explaining this since I'm not obliged to do so. Do as you wish, but I will fight you if you get in the way"
The casual Siren turned serious and grim when Tirpitz was about to confront her. Thankfully for Tirpitz, she backed down before conflict could ignite between them. Custodian may seem like a non-combatant due to her model, but she vaguely hinted she was not powerless.
"I'll be taking my leave now. I can't let Tyrant get out of my sight again" Custodian turned away
"One more thing"
"What now...?"
"Did I really die...?"
"...Depends on your actions"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't have the slightest idea. That is your own fate after all, and no one can change it"
The Siren Custodian refused to confirm or deny about the possibility of Tirpitz's death, and gave more vague answers. This infuriated the already frustrated Tirpitz, but the Siren waved her hand and finally took her leave before Tirpitz can ask another question.
In an unknown location...
Bismarck accompanied by both Prinz Eugen and Tyrant, visited an old facility abandoned for years. It wasn't a human operated facility as leftovers indicated it was from a Siren's advanced technology. Other than that, there were scribbles of unknown symbols and words all over the wall of a spacious room.
"What is this place, Tyrant?" Bismarck narrowed her eyes
"An Observer Delta model used to gather information about the World Tree here, but the Siren herself is nowhere to be found" Tyrant immediately explained
"The World Tree...?"
"You saw it, didn't you? To perform a temporal diversion at a massive scale, enormous sources are required. She acquired the defective black mental cube in order to tarnish the Root, but her mental cube gave out as soon as she accomplished her goal"
"..."
"She's dead, so you should be happy" Prinz Eugen giggled
The trio of shipgirls examined the largest room within the hidden base, but little evidence and clues were left which made their search more difficult.
"Is there really a way to get back to that point of time before Odin and Tirpitz perished?"
"There might be, but I admit this isn't my field of expertise. Reversing and reverting puts so much strain on my Mental Cube too, you know"
"..." Bismarck frowned
"You can't blame her. She's not someone who would think of a way to save others first" Prinz Eugen cut in
"If I can only pin Custodian, but that seems impossible since her real body is at the other world"
"Custodian? A Siren?"
Tyrant scratched her head, dismayed at the lack of key points and players for her to search for a way to undo H-39's alteration.
"She's an exiled Siren who can access sealed areas even for an Elite Siren like Observer. That scheming Custodian can freely skip between dimensions and timelines. Bismarck, that Siren is someone Ember couldn't cut down no matter how much she tried" Prinz Eugen warned her
"You know a lot about her for someone who doesn't remember anything" Bismarck slightly suspected
"I'm not the Prinz Eugen from where Tyrant came from, but I'm updated with the current situation"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm the Prinz Eugen in this present timeline, maybe even the same one who left Iron Blood. Well, Tyrant is the one who remembers..." Prinz Eugen passed the topic
"There's a lot of explanation to this whole...facade, but let's focus to why we're here" Tyrant scoffed
"How can the World Tree be accessed if you said it needs to consume abundant resources?"
Bismarck approached the relaxed yet focused Tyrant and returned to the main topic. Prinz Eugen, on the other hand, took about a step backwards and chose to sideline herself while the two discuss their plans. Bismarck and Tyrant were the only two who retained their memories with two completely different reasons.
"It's a supercomputer. I need the black mental cube that can deconstruct even a stubborn code in order to bypass its firewall. You can't withstand it, so I will have to be the one to perform it" Tyrant briefly explained
"..."
"From your expression, you're having trust issues" Tyrant faintly smiled
"Even if we're allies now, we're still enemies at the end of the day. After all of this is resolved, we will clash as enemies again" Bismarck reminded her
"I haven't forgotten that. We're only cooperating now because we want to return to the proper point of this timeline" Tyrant can agree
The two locked mild hostility with each other and tension surrounded them, but neither had the intention to draw their own weapons. Prinz Eugen swallowed her breath as the two remained silent for a whole minute. The chance may be little, but there was still a chance they would be in conflict right now.
"Let's not waste our time right now. The main room of this old building is in the next room" Tyrant broke off the tension
"..." Bismarck faintly grunted
The two battleships, despite the slightly hostility, cooperated with each other and proceeded to their current goal.
"The supercomputer called the World Tree...I don't understand its existence" Bismarck changed the topic
"All I know is that it was brought by someone a long time ago. From my investigations, it's likely it originated from an alternate timeline. The World Tree accumulated knowledge from all states of the world, in any timeline and any universe. It's the reason Sirens seems to control it" Tyrant chuckled
"Are you saying it knows everything?"
"I can't tell, but it defies what we view as impossible. Take it as an object that can twist the laws of the universe to perform any tasks just like a wish granting machine"
"It can fulfill anything..."
"Be warned, Bismarck. There's always a price for everything, even salvation and freedom. There's the law of equivalent exchange" Tyrant briefly deepened her tone
"..." Bismarck took the last part of the advice
The three shipgirls reached a certain section of the only worthy area within the facility. A scribble of the cube that manifested above a withered tree was at the very center of the wall in front of them. Around them were steel torn apart or crushed which made the three immediately raise their guard.
"These are from humanoid Sirens. I can tell those are from Explorer units" Prinz Eugen approached the piled remains
"Not even Ember and Ash would do this, so who would?" Tyrant frowned
"I don't believe a monster did this" Bismarck approached the pile as well
Bismarck and Prinz Eugen inspected the brutally crushed and shredded remains of various Siren units while Tyrant walked away and focused her attention to the scattered papers on the ground. Some were either burned, blasted, or in pieces, so Tyrant picked up the intact and readable ones.
"These Sirens lack enough automation to perform complex investigations, so someone is researching about the World Tree. The symbols on this side are formulas"
The other two switched their attention when Tyrant analyzed the almost destroyed research papers and the symbols all over the wall. She gently pressed her index finger on an unfamiliar symbol then dragged her finger to other symbols.
"Incredible. Whoever was present here, they might have caught a glimpse of the World Tree's archives. They managed to learn about the gateway to anchor it to this world but not the method to access it"
"Gateway? Anchor?" Bismarck didn't understand
"You saw what H-39 did, right?" Tyrant raised an eyebrow
"The giant tree she manifested which caused all of this to happen?"
"That's the one. H-39 managed to at least project the World Tree by utilizing this formula to reverse its primary defenses"
" ..."
"We need to do the same if we want to return to that moment"
"How about Tirpitz and Odin's fate?"
"We need to time it correctly. One slight error, and we might return to the moment those two were killed...or worse"
Tyrant's knowledge on Sirens and anything involved with them proved to be very helpful for Bismarck's goal to undo what H-39 did. She wanted to prevent the death of others if she can return to that moment at Ireland, and Tyrant might be able to piece together the solution.
"It's incomplete, but someone is studying on how to access the Root's archive. If we can make sense of this formula, we may access the World Tree to undo this diversion. That's the summary of it" Tyrant informed Bismarck
"How do we reenact what H-39 did?" Bismarck approached her
"To hunt down Custodian, since she's the only one who safeguards ancient and forbidden knowledge"
"So, have Iron Blood track her down using numbers?" Prinz Eugen stepped in
"Correct. I'll try to track her down as well in the meantime"
"That Siren is an elusive one. How can we track down someone like her?"
"I'll work on it as well and have Eugen inform you as soon as possible" Tyrant faintly smirked
"Just a little more, and everything will go back to normal..."
Bismarck found possible hope from the unexpected work of the Sirens when the entire situation was the result of her future version's desperate attempt to accomplish her own goal. Bismarck's fiery determined eyes turned to gaze at the scribble of the World Tree, almost the same as when H-39 briefly projected it.
Tyrant is really helping Bismarck, huh. It seems I have to take this situation seriously...
At the other world...
The separated Sakura Empire ship, Akashi, dropped her jaw and widened her eyes in awe as her curious and incentive side instantly emerged at the sight of an enormous yet dormant object in the possession of the Royal navy.
"The Hydra. I believe that's what it's called" The Kriegsmarine's Tirpitz rubbed her chin
The damaged and inactive weapon was thankfully quiet and motionless while it was somehow confiscated by the Royal navy.
"What a curious case. Both that black cube brought by that cat and this enormous mechanical being" Warspite approached the two
"So this is what you said was part of our deal?" Tirpitz raised an eyebrow"
"Correct. In exchange for the assistance, you need to help us learn more about this creature. It appears you have knowledge none of us possess for an unknown reason" Warspite's curiosity was piqued
"..." Tirpitz frowned
"I can certainly help you if you let me inspect it, nya. I might devise ways to counter this thing once my stranded problem is solved" Akashi immediately went in between
"Then, do you know what this creature is, little cat?" Warspite slightly tilted her head
"It's a Siren weapon...and an ancient one at that, nya!" Akashi raised both arms
"A weapon?" Warspite turned to face the motionless multi-headed dragon
"According to that weird tree I saw a long time ago, it was used in an old war by beings who possess advanced technology. I'm not sure how you lot got a hold of this" Tirpitz cut in
"It was abandoned here at Ireland, and we towed it to a drydock before anyone can report this to the higher ups" Warspite immediately explained
"Why in the world would Sirens leave an enormous and important weapon lying around..."
"Can I inspect it? I would like to know its armaments and parts, nya" Akashi eagerly asked for permission
"Analyze it to your heart's content" Warspite gladly agreed
The tiny green cat immediately ran towards the restrained and inactive weapon, in pure excitement and thrill to inspect every screw and bolt used to put it together. This might be her only opportunity to study an ancient Siren weapon no one figured out how to destroy due to its self-repair ability.
"Hornet is currently working together with Arkhangelsk and the others after the latter squeezed out information from our two Abyssal Princess prisoners. Someone from what you call Azur Lane might pose a threat" Warspite whispered to Tirpitz
"What do you mean? I heard there's a traitor and everything..." Tirpitz crossed her arms
"Someone has been playing a game behind our backs. The Abyssals said a shipgirl who claimed to be someone we know is observing the whole situation" Warspite added
"That's probably the traitor before. My sister mentioned it to me, but she ran off somewhere..." Tirpitz looked around
"I'll speak to Bismarck later, but you have more knowledge in this area. I'm not certain why only you retained your memories of an unknown event, but this is concerning for our world..." Warspite expressed her worry
"We'll get at the bottom of this once we study more about the black mental cube. If my suspicion is right, someone might interfere since that mental cube is extremely dangerous for anyone to even touch" Tirpitz furrowed her eyebrows
"Why is it you're unharmed upon contact while others suffer a terrible consequence?" Warspite was both suspicious and intrigued
"...I'm not sure. Perhaps it's because of my heart-" Tirpitz immediately covered her mouth
"What's the matter?"
"I meant to say it's probably because of my experience seven months ago. Although it saddens me I cannot speak more of it" Tirpitz faintly muttered her second statement
"If you have more secrets, then I suggest you don't refrain yourself from confessing. We are allies, are we not?" Warspite was serious
"...You're persistent, but it can't be helped. The returning point is here at Ireland after all"
"The returning point. You really do have a lot to confess"
While Akashi continued to inspect and even accidentally pry off one its metal plates, Warspite and Tirpitz focused on the threat to their world who might have a connection to the Sirens, but none of them were sure of the identity.
"Black mental cube, another world, and now an enemy shipgirl. One thing after another...and this is indeed worrying" Arkhangelsk thought to herself.
The concerned loose member of the Russian navy, listed down key points at the corner of one of the base's warehouse storage.
"Tirpitz is collaborating with Warspite to solve the entire situation. I don't know what she's up to, but her help is needed...for some reason"
Arkhangelsk possessed no memories of the true events that transpired not too long ago, so Tirpitz's mysterious awareness of the previous events were both a possible solution and something questionable.
"Sheffield and Edinburgh said they might identify the shipgirl Heavy cruiser Princess is talking about, but I don't have the time to relax"
Even without the memories, Arkhangelsk took the situation seriously and even cooperated without much resistance. In fact, she acted as if she was genuinely concerned with the safety of not just the Royal navy but her other allies as well.
"First, I have to-!"
Arkhangelsk dropped her notes when an instant pain pierced right through her. The silver and sturdy blade had pierced her body. Her own blood stained her uniform and slowly spread out in a small area around the wound as the blade was pushed deeper.
"Just...how - I didn't...even notice..."
It may be just because Arkhangelsk was inside the base that she was completely off guard, but the attack was so sudden. No footsteps or any sound that someone approached her, let alone be within her detection range.
"...?! So...that's why...I didn't notice..." Blood dripped from the side of Arkhangelsk's lips
...
"All this time...you were the one...the traitor we were looking for..."
After the blade was pulled, a mortally wounded Arkhangelsk clutched the sleeve of her attacker who wielded with a bladed weapon with clear lack of knowledge on how to handle a blade or any kind of melee weapon. She then collapsed down to the concrete ground while the culprit silently looked down at her victim with no remorse.
"Why...would you..." Arkhangelsk lifted herself when she used to press her arm to the ground
...
"All this time...you're..." Arkhangelsk coughed out her own blood
...
(I have to do something before she strikes another blow...or before I bleed to death...)
The turn off events became a desperate moment for Akrhangelsk who suffered a mortal blow from an enemy who had observed the shipgirls from the shadows. The culprit raised her weapon in order to deal the final blow to the battleship who couldn't die instantly even with a mortal wound.
"Arkhangelsk! Hey, Akrhangelsk! Are you-"
Just as the enemy was a out to land the final blow right to her head, Ark Royal's voice interrupted them. The aircraft carrier called out the battleship once more, but she made the mistake when she unintentionally stumble upon Akrhangelsk sounded on the ground with the attacker still present.
"Run! This bastard is the enemy!" Arkhangelsk wasted no time to warn her
"...!"
Ark Royal was briefly frozen shock at the unexpected sight, but her body instinctively choose to flee the moment she was warned.
"Wha-!"
Unfortunately, the blade used to deal the mortal wound to Arkhangelsk was also used to deal the same kind of wound to Ark Royal. It was the moment Ark Royal made the attempt to toe that the culprit responded in return. Just as Ark Royal turned to run, their enemy managed to get within reach and pierced the weapon through her chest as well.
"Why...are you..."
The culprit pulled out her weapon and pushed Ark Royal down to the ground. Their enemy left Ark Royal be even if she was half conscious as focused on the first target, Arkhangelsk.
"You're not going to have it your way. I'll make sure of that..."
Ark Royal was about to faint from the critical yet single blown done to her, but she forced herself to remain conwicous even if the scene in front of her was the culprit about to deal the second and last strike to already wounded Arkhangelsk. She wanted to call out the enemy, but her vision faded as soon as the murder weapon struck the battleship right through her heart and head.
"..."
The culprit abandoned the two where one became completely motionless while the other was just unconscious from the serious wounds. Their bodies remained unseen for the next ten minutes as they were both at the spot where people don't always usually pass by.
"It's rare to see my sister be this serious, but more importantly - where the hell did she go?" Bismarck grunted
"Hmm...?" Vanguard stopped her in tracks
"What's the matter?" Bismarck stopped as well
"Is that...Ark Royal's hand at the corner?" Vanguard pointed
"...!"
Anyone would be worried to see someone's hand motionless at one corner, so Bismarck immediately rushed with how sudden worry coiled around her chest. Vanguard quickly rushed to Bismarck's side who did confirm it was Ark Royal.
"Ark Royal is stabbed a few times, but she will live..."
Bismarck sighed in relief when she inspected Ark Royal's several stab wounds and checked her pulse. On the other hand, Bismarck frowned at the sight of Arkhangelsk and the pool of her own blood.
"Akrhangelsk!" Vanguard rushed to her
"How is it...?" Bismarck swallowed her breath
"..."
Vanguard turned over Akrhangelsk's body and jolted at the sight of a stab wound right through her heart and head which were both fatal blows. The fate of a complicated ally was already clear, but Vanguard quietly continued. She pressed her fingers on Arkhangelsk's wrist and neck.
"She's dead. Arkhangelsk is dead..." Vanguard lowered her head
"Report this immediately. It's either a human...or a shipgirl. I'll get Ark Royal fixed up"
Bismarck placed her arms on both Ark Royal'd back and legs as she gently lifted the unconscious and heavily injured aircraft carrier. The wound didn't instantly kill Ark Royal, but it might prove fatal if they didn't rush to get treatment.
"Someone caught her off guard and dealt one decisive stab from the back. What kind of monsters managed to end her instantly?"
The two may not be always friendly towards each other most of the time, but it genuinely upset Vanguard that she lost an ally, to either a human or a shipgirl. She gritted her teeth and bit her lip, the anger for punishment seethed to her eyes.
"Huh? What's this in her hand?"
Vanguard placed the lifeless Arkhangelsk on the initial position she saw her when a small object partially slipped out from Arkhangelsk's left glove. She wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't for the faint glint of the silver object small enough to fit in someone's glove.
This is nothing personal. Really...
I cannot idle around anymore...
The turning point will be undone...
...and everything would play just the way I saw it...
Extra
The farthest part of the world where even the surface of the ocean frozen was a perfect place for the Siren Custodian to isolate herself even while Tyrant begun to search for her in order to undo the reversion within the timeline.
"Bismarck is acting just like how the sequence Progenitor had seen, I admit I doubted you when you said you were certain at the one true outcome"
The lone Siren pulled back her hooded jacket while two separated projectef monitors have been displayed on both her left side and right side. The first screen on the left displayed a still image of Bismarck, Tyrant, and Prinz Eugen's arrival within the old facility where unknown experiments took place. On the second screen, it displayed the moment Tyrant and Bismarck study the partially destroyed formula left by an unknown person.
"Tyrant is resisting the outcome, but she should know she couldn't change what will happen. Well, she tried to reverse it...so she doesn't have enough power to even nullify it"
Custodian pressed her two fingers and stretched it out to zoom the image of the focused yet unaware Tyrant who discussed the contents of the leftover research and clues.
"Well, I'll have to get rid of you at the perfect time. I have to get rid of those shipgirls from another world first, but I guess she's doing the work for me"
A third screen above the other two popped out which displayed Arkhangelsk lifeless on the ground while she continued to bleed. The battleship suffered blood loss from the open wound which pierced right through her from her vital spot near her heart. The culprit callouously left the scene with how her victim's fate was sealed even if one of them confirmed to have died.
"It's foolish. Don't you agree...Ember?" Custodian partially turned around
As soon as she turned her body to face the renegade shipgirl from an alternate future, a extremely sharp blade insanely passed right beside her and cut off several strands of her snow white hair.
"This isn't your real body after all just like Tyrant warned me about" Ember pulled her katana away in disappointment
"You're in a bad mood just like Ash. Wells you two are always in a bad mood" Custodian was unfazed
"What are you planning, you filthy Siren? Where's your true body?"
Ember raised her blade once again and pointed its tip an inch close to the unfazed and amused Siren's throat. This was a serious threat from Ember as she knew the one in front of her was either a duplicate or an extension since it mostly bear the thoughts of the true body.
"For your first question, I'm behaving and acting based on the instructions left to me. All Sirens are like that, you know? I'm somewhat given will of my own yet dependent on someone else for reason of existence" Custodian raised both arms
"Now answer my second question. I want to cut down the real one this time. I'm tired of slashing effortless copies" Ember tightened her grip on her blade
"It's outside of this world just like what Tyrant should have told you. Unless, you're doubting I'm deceiving all of you"
"You lie and use others as pawns until you dispose them like a typical Siren. So, where is the exact location of the real Custodian?" Ember raised her voice
"It's somewhere in Maizuru at the other world. The Tirpitz there managed to encounter that [me], so you should ask her"
"You reek of deception. Hmph! You're not even trying to hide it"
"Do as you wish. Even if you cut me down because of that assumption, it will have no effect whatsoever. The boundary has been broken after all"
"Boundary...? You don't mean that boundary?! You set that thing free?" Ember gritted her teeth
This turned Ember's irritation to pure anger with what Custodian confessed this time. The latter visibly enjoyed her visibly shocked and upset reaction.
"The dumpster of a dimension is Pandora's Box after all. If you know the story, then you know what happens next"
"I will hunt down your real body and permanently cut you down to the afterlife" Ember vowed
"Heh. Good luck with that..."
Ember gripped her weapon's handle with both hands and swiftly swung her blade with no remorse. She mercilessly separated the false Custodian's head from its body which immediately collapsed to the ground. Thankfully, Custodian couldn't remain active even if she suffered little damage to her physical body.
"It seems I have to let you help me on this one...H-39"
Right after Ember sheathed her blade, she turned to face another shipgirl who had just walked into the scene. H-39, somehow resurrected like Tyrant, quietly lowered her head and stared right at Custodian whose head and rest of her body was separated. She uttered not a single word, but she tipped her cap and nodded at Ember.