Author: The next chapter will explain how AL Bismarck and Tirpitz got there since the Extra is about explaining more about "the enemy".
The end of this facade...
Bismarck peacefully observed how her fellow Iron Blood shipgirls spend their their free time in peace with little to no worry. She struggled and overcame every obstacle to preserve this kind of peace even if it was just temporary. It partially pained her that the peaceful scenario in front of her was a but a facade - a distraction.
"It's rare to see you smile...like this" Tirpitz approached her
"I'm a serious person after all" Bismarck responded
Tirpitz stood beside her older sister who both lamented and appreciated the distraction in front of her. Bismarck's sole dream was to secure a future where Iron Blood can live free of outside and inside threats. It was a simple dream to make her nation live a happy and safe life.
"You've been awfully...distracted lately. Even Friedrich der Grosse finds it strange. Eugen knows something, but I'm aware she won't tell the truth" Tirpitz oddly felt concerned
"..." Bismarck averted her gaze
"Bismarck, be honest with me. What's going on? The way you look at me...is filled with sorrow"
Tirpitz was not the type to boldly seek an honest answer to Bismarck, but she couldn't simply ignore it. Frustration mixed in with Tirpitz's sharp and solid gaze that Bismarck chose to gaze back at her right in the eyes.
"Did I...really die at some point?"
"..." Bismarck remained speechless
"Bismarck, what is it you're not telling from me. Did I lose my memories or something"
"...You and the rest aren't aware of what's really happening" Bismarck formed herself to answer
At this point, Tirpitz begun to desperately seek answers and it would be unlikely of Bismarck if she stubbornly refused to confess. They could never understand what truly transpired, especially what Tirpitz experienced.
"I faced my future self. When I tried to engage her in combat, she unleashed something that caused everything that I went through to never happen" Bismarck continued
"What do you mean? What did you experience?"
"Tirpitz, what happened seven months ago...was one of my biggest regrets. Even if everything will go back to normal, I wished you could remain the way you are"
"...I really did die, huh"
Even if Bismarck didn't directly confess the truth herself, Tirpitz already realized the answer to her initial question. It naturally saddened her that she experienced death she wasn't aware of, but most of her sadness were for Bismarck.
"This is the first time you look at me with pained eyes"
"You are my younger sister after all. To lose you...is indeed painful. Especially if the one who took your life is my future version"
"You don't have to tell me how I died anymore. I don't need to know something so trivial" Tirpitz decided
"Tirpitz?" Bismarck blinked in confused
"We will meet our end at some point, may it be in combat of natural reasons. I want to fully experience my life right now, big sister"
"This peace won't last long. Everything will go back to that moment sooner or later. You and I are-"
"...going to clash once again?"
Right before Bismarck could confess more of her experience, Tirpitz already said it in her place which genuinely shocked her. She believed Tirpitz possessed no memory of the initial timeline, so it shouldn't be possible for her to accurately guess the what happened between them.
"I've been having dreams of you and I shouting at each other. You were angry at me, and I was angry at you as well. There was nothing confirm whether it's real or not, unt the moment I went away to clear my head and my conversation with you right now" Tirpitz wryly smiled
"Tirpitz..."
"I really do wish I could remain the way I am right now...because I don't want to go against my own sister. More than anything, I hate pointless conflict and violence"
"That's just like you, but we were forced to go against each other. I swore to protect Iron Blood...and you decided to go against it"
"I don't know what caused me to go against you, but I know I would never use petty reasons such as revenge or power"
It did worry Tirpitz how Bismarck confirmed they had become enemies in the true timeline, but there was no fear or doubt in Tirpitz's eyes. This was the kind of Tirpitz who was less concerned with such things and remained calm in such situations.
"You're right. The reason why you left Iron Blood...is because you sought a way to ease my burdens. Tirpitz, what you wanted was to make sure my alternate ego will never come to be" Bismarck confirmed it herself
"Even if with such reasons, don't hesitate to cut me down. You have the duty of protecting Iron Blood even if it's from your own sister" Tirpitz looked at her right in the eyes
"It's true that I vowed to protect Iron Blood...but I vowed to protect everyone in Iron Blood, including you" Bismarck clarified Tirpitz's statement
"You've become more...gentle"
"It's just that we came to understand each other. Our relationship as sisters...were complicated"
"Did it change?"
"It changed...until we started to oppose each other"
"I'm not certain of the whole details, but do what you must do even if this facade has to end" Tirpitz faintly smiled
Bismarck already mentioned the current time was a facade made by H-39 as a desperate attempt to accomplish her goal. Unfortunately for her, Tyrant broke free from her restraint and now worked with Bismarck to end the diverted timeline.
"Once you accomplish what you have to do, be sure to bring me down or drag me back depending on how it will end. No matter what you choose...I won't hold a grudge to you or anyone else" Tirpitz sincerely let out her thoughts
"Tirpitz..."
"That's just the kind of person I am...even if the me right now is because of a false timeline"
Their conversation was short, but the two of them managed to be sincere in the rare moments they can be honest with each other even for just a degree. At least, they had a moment where they could be with each other as sisters despite the fact that the "real" ones never met because of their fate.
"Hmm...I never thought the great Bismarck would be a caring big sister"
Prinz Eugen revealed herself out of the shadows as soon as Tirpitz left their line of sight. Since she knew Bismarck wouldn't act violently or punish her, Prinz Eugen immediately teased her.
"I have no time for jokes, Prinz Eugen. Did Tyrant discover anything useful?" Bismarck brushed it off
"Of course, but she had been decoding the partially destroyed research ever since we found it" Prinz Eugen giggled
"Did it result to anything?"
"Her scientific explanation gave me a headache, but I understood the gateway needs to be unlocked. It always exists within an intagible space, but it's useless if we can't input the proper code" Prinz Eugen shrugged her shoulders and sighed
"Gateway? You mean the gateway to the other world?"
"Correct. Undoing this facade means you're going to reset it right at the moment before it was enacted"
"Involving the shipgirls from the other world is inevitable, huh..."
Bismarck made it clear to Tyrant how she wished to contain the whole situation within their world, but Prinz Eugen relayed what Tyrant had discovered.
"It's inevitable since this whole diverted timeline is going to be undone. Once that happens, you're going to return to the last checkpoint which is at that place called Ireland. Tyrant can explain more of it"
"Where is she right now?"
"Cramming every information she has into that head of hers. Just say when you want to meet her, and I'll bring you to her"
"Right now"
"Seriously? Fufufu~ okay then"
Of course, Prinz Eugen should have expected Bismarck would hurriedly wish to meet Tyrant with the information she discovered. Much like Tyrant herself, Bismarck would want to return to the normal timeline as soon as possible. There was no time to idle around when everything else remained a part of the diverted timeline.
Later...
Bismarck, guided and brought by Prinz Eugen, arrived at the lone island where Tyrant would usually spend her time in isolation. She was not in the mood to scour the entirety of Azur Lane just to stir any sort of conflict. They had to walk through an eerie hallway where the steel walls had begun to rust due to lack of maintenance.
"Tyrant, how's everything...going...?"
By the time Prinz Eugen and Bismarck arrived at Tyrant's exact location, they both paused and stared with a wide-eyed shock. Tyrant tilted her head, puzzled to why the two suddenly went speechless and froze at one spot.
"Observer Zero...?!" Bismarck prepared to draw her sword
"Calm down. Zero isn't here to fight anyone" Tyrant raised her hand
"That's correct. Tyrant sought help to decrypt the scattered codes in the gateway" Observer Zero added
The half-asleep Siren gently jumped down on her rigging and landed at the cold and dusty concrete ground. She had no footwear or anything to cover her pair of feet, but a Siren had no need to worry for something like temperature.
"I'm puzzled to what's going on. Someone is unlocking the gateway on the other side. From my assumption, someone there has in possession of a black mental cube which can be used as a medium to set the coordinates of the gateway" Observer Zero shared her analysis
"Even if we don't do anything, someone is trying to access the World Tree to tear open a rift. Bismarck, I managed to retrieve the black mental cube Tyrant used...but a mental cube on a completely different scale is being used with little effort" Tyrant added
"Observer Zero, what is it that you discovered?"
"Tyrant here encountered an entity of zero polarity which took off with H-39's damaged mental cube. If we're going by logical scenarios, that being is capable of accessing the World Tree with a proper terminal"
"What?!"
"Accessing the nigh omniscient and nigh omnipotent archive means it or she cause temporal alteration on a grand scale. Hell, anyone can turn back time before humans even came to be" Tyrant joked
Tyrant didn't seem concerned at the possible danger of an even worse scenario compared to the diverted timeline right now, completely different from Bismarck who went silent for two whole minutes.
"You may not trust Observer Zero, but we have no choice but to rely on her to pinpoint the exact coordinates of when and where will the gateway will manifest" Tyrant explained the Siren's presence
"To put it in words you can understand, someone is trying to reenact in projecting the World Tree into this plane of existence. Tyrant will help reenacting the process, but it needs to be perfectly synchronized with the other side" Observer Zero tilted her head left and right
"..."
"It's like those people launching a warhead by turning two keys at the exact moment. What Tyrant needs to do is to perfectly align the process with not even a nanosecond difference" Observer informed the risk
Bismarck had little worry about this since the one who would perform the reenactment would be Tyrant. The latter remained calm with a stern expression. She was rather carefree of the risk she would take and the consequence that would come with it, but she had a default grim and empty expression.
"We have exactly two hours and ten minutes before the World Tree is breached. I've pinpointed the exact coordinates where the synchronization should occur. Honestly, Tyrant owes me a lot for this one"
Observer Zero spread out her arms in the air and displayed a large monitor above her just big enough for the three shipgirls could exactly notice where she had placed the indication of their target location. On the upper right was the countdown of until when would the World Tree be accessed and temporarily anchored.
Everyone had begun their preparations. Everyone...
The scenario seems to focus on Bismarck's and Tyrant's efforts to undo what H-39 did with their timeline. They remained unaware of someone else that impressively remained silent while she observed the whole scenario unfold.
I see. Tyrant will remain as Tyrant after all. I suppose I'll make my move as well now...
The battleship Arkhangelsk was found to be already dead while Ark Royal received critical injuries by both Bismarck and Vanguard. Warspite found it difficult to believe since Arkhangelsk performed poor against Abyssals, but she was killed with combat against fellow shipgirls and humans.
"Someone took out one of our battleships, a former member of the guard at that" Nelson was mildly upset
"..."
Nelson leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms while Warspite keenly observed the photos taken from the crime scene where the murder took place. No random human can stealthily get behind a trained Royal guard without noise. Arkhangelsk should have sensed someone's presence from behind, but a mortal blow was dealt from her back. The two more wounds directed to both her heart and brain were done from the front as if the culprit wanted assure Arkhangelsk was completely dead.
"Who's guarding Ark Royal right now?" Warspite finally spoke
"Sheffield volunteered to keep an eye on her" Nelson responded
"One was murdered while the other almost died. My sister is going to be unhappy about this..."
"I don't think the personnel here was responsible. The autopsy reported the stab wound was too large for a knife, so I believe the weapon is a sword of some sort. She was killed from behind in a near instant manner since we found no traces of a struggle" Nelson reported
"Are you saying one the shipgirls here is responsible. If that's the case, then who would be skilled enough to almost instantly take out a trained operative?" Warspite questioned
"None. There's no one here with enough combat skill. We're shipgirls, not assassins..."
"There's certainly someone here who has enough skill to kill other shipgirls"
"Vanguard and Bismarck aren't suspects since they both found the body" Nelson ruled out the two
"Perhaps the attacker is after the black mental cube Tirpitz brought, but how did they infiltrate the base undetected" Warspite went into a deep thought
"We'll find out who took out Arkhangelsk and almost ended Ark Royal. We're not going to let the culprit go unpunished" Nelson sought justice
Nelson, clearly furious towards the unknown attacker, slammed her curled up fist at the table. Ark Royal may have survived the attack, but she might have lost her life if Vanguard and Bismarck didn't find her in time.
"Vanguard is still gathering information about the attacker. This proves to be difficult with how the cameras around the area were all simultaneously destroyed" Warspite sensed foul play
"Then are you saying it's really one of us here? No random person would just know the position of the cameras and layout of this base" Nelson stood up
"That's my suspicion. I fear the culprit still lingers here"
"Damn this. A shipgirl...killing another" Nelson impressively restrained her emotions
Ark Royal survived the attack, but she cannot reveal the attacker with how she remained unconscious and barely in a stable condition. This left Nelson and Warspite to discuss about the possible identity and motive of the sudden afraid within the Royal navy base.
"...?" Nelson turned her attention towards the door
Someone knocked about five time before they entered the room where the two privately discussed the sudden turn over events.
"I finished reviewing the security footage as requested" Vanguard reported back
"Did you find anything?" Nelson immediately asked
"None of the shipgirls were nearby the scene where Arkhangelsk was killed, save for Ark Royal who searched for her shortly before she was nearly killed as well. Tirpitz and that Akashi were both with the black mental cube, so the attacker is unseen" Vanguard stated the result of her investigation
"Then who destroyed the cameras. Surely the intact cameras would have seen someone walking towards the crime scene"
"The ones that were destroyed were on locations where it isn't crowded. According to the footage, not a glimpse of the attacker was seen when the cameras were destroyed. I'm not certain, but there was no one in the footage the moment the cameras were destroyed"
To further clarify her findings, she placed a tablet at the center of the table and played the footages from the destroyed security cameras. She held the tablet on each side as she let the two other battleships to view the last record of the security cameras before they were destroyed.
"Not even a shadow is there, but the cameras got smashed?!" Nelson widened her eyes
Seconds before the security cameras were destroyed, the area where it was pointed caught not the slightest shadow of a human personnel and shipgirl yet they were destroyed. It seemed completely far-fetched, but what Vanguard showed them were from the control room itself.
"As for Arkhangelsk's murder, we did confirm the murder weapon is a large bladed weapon from how her skin and flesh were cleanly pierced through. A knife is deemed impossible to be the weapon...so we believe it was from a sword" Tyrant pulled away the tablet
"A sword? Who could sneak behind Akrhangelsk while carrying around such aj obvious weapon" Nelson shook her head
"Tirpitz believe it could be one of the mysterious Sirens, but she isn't certain which one. No human can perform such stealthy murder, but she says the Sirens possess technology capable of accomplishing such task" Vanguard added
"Vanguard, about the clue you found earlier..." Warspite stood up
"I may need to roam around to confirm it, and possibly speak to someone"
Nelson looked at the two back and forth, unsure what they meant. It appeared that they have a lead, but needed more evidence to confirm it. They needed to confirm the suspect without suspicion due to how the culprit may not be a Siren.
Meanwhile...
The Akashi from the Sakura Empire ducked with her two arms wrapped above her head while Tirpitz laughed in pure amusement. The black mental cube that remained inactive yet in defensive eerily let out a faint glow while sealed behind half an inch thick fiber glass with steel frames.
"There are codes encrypted within the mental cube itself, but it's hard to pinpoint which part of it is safe to poke, nya!" Akashi jumped out
"It's a small cube. How hard it is to find the switch?"
"It would be easier if it doesn't release condensed energy, nya"
"Are you perhaps even more nervous now that one shipgirl just died?" Tirpitz sighed
"I'm scared because we don't know if it's a Siren after the black mental cube, nya"
"If they wanted the cube that badly, why not just grab the cube while they can. Whoever she is, she managed to sneak behind a trained battleship and easily kill her"
"We're both here constantly trying to reconfigure it, so I doubt even a Siren would just walk here like that, nya"
Sirens are indeed powerful, even outside of the open seas as their technology didn't just limit them to one kind of battlefield. Tirpitz felt it was strange a Siren would not overpower shipgirls without their rigging to ease the retrieval of the black mental cube.
"At least, this black mental cube has its use and not just a piece of dangerous junk. This cube travelled through my world and this world back to back, so it mapped the coordinates to align a gateway leading back to my world, nya" Akashi excitedly revealed
"So, you're bringing back the huge piece of Siren junk with you? The one called Hydra" Tirpitz raised an eyebrow
"There's no way I'll bring that back, nya. That thing is equipped with anti-air defenses, so you guys can salvage it and upgrade your onshore defenses" Akashi pointed out
"Hahahaha. That's a good idea" Tirpitz petted Akashi's head
"Its armor plates can shrug off any form of attack that not even drilling through it worked. You can also use that to improve your hall and possibly increase humanity's advantage against Abyssals" Akashi suggested
"I don't think such advanced weaponry is for humans. I imagine another war will break out if one side possess invaluable technology and materials" Tirpitz turned serious
"Well, you guys can just ditch it somewhere far, nya"
Akashi shrugged off her shoulders and returned her focus to the black mental cube while Tirpitz rubbed her chin and thought about Akashi's suggestion to abandon it rather than wield it because of the risk of human greed that might lead to another war.
Dry dock...
The enormous Siren weapon, the Hydra, remained completely motionless while chains shackled it from where they left it. Since it was deactivated for an unknown reason, it couldn't utilize its self-repair ability to undo the damage on its body and regrown one of its blasted off heads.
"This is one giant robot dragon...snake...thing?" Aquila tilted her head
The Hydra, both in name and appearance, was obviously designed after the mythical Hydra itself. Just like its legend, the dragon-like monster possessed several heads with each unique ability and the ability to regrow its head even after decapitation. The only difference was this mechanical replicate was as a big as a modern day warship and armed with highly advanced defenses, primary anti-air defenses that can intercept cruiser missiles.
"It's beat up now, but it's a bit amazing" Tirpitz walked into the scene
"Oh? Tirpitz? Aren't you with that green cat?" Aquila briefly jolted
"I need to take a break. I've been trying to understand calculations and algorithms for five hours straight" Tirpitz massaged her temples
"That's right. You haven't taken a break since you arrived here...and now the whole base is full of tension because Arkhangelsk was killed while Ark Royal barely survived"
"Ark Royal survived? That's...a relief" Tirpitz exhaled
"No one is allowed to leave until the culprit is found, but there's little progress with no witnesses and the security cameras near the are have been destroyed before the crime took place"
"Are you worried, Aquila?"
Tirpitz noticed how Aquila's hands shook and squeezed them together together to hold her own fear and anxiety at bay. She wasn't even a member of the Royal navy, but a murder took place and the killer might still be around.
"O-of course. Someone just snuck into this base and committed murder. I'm worried for both my safety and everyone else. It doesn't mean I will let my fear paralyze me" Aquila genuinely felt concern for allies
The way Aquila straightened herself and mustered up her courage was indeed an admirable trait that Tirpitz couldn't help appreciate it with a faint smile.
"Nyaaaa! We have no time to take it easy! Come back here and help me, nya!" Akashi screamed from a distance
"Hahaha. I'm coming, I'm coming" Tirpitz responded
"Looks like your break is over"
"Be careful out there. I have a cat to assist"
Tirpitz quickly tapped Aquila's shoulder while the green cat continued to scream for the German battleship.
Meanwhile...
Nelson, Bismarck, and few other shipgirls ventured near outside the base's territorial waters as they responded to an emergency. Rather than what was believed to be stray Abyssals, one single opponent stood out in the open. To Bismarck's confusion and shock, what met the shipgirls wasn't even close to an Abyssal.
"..."
A battleship in a pure black military style uniform wielded a sword with an intricate pattern carved into its silver blade, stood in a complete silence and slowly tilted her head.
"A shipgirl...?" Bismarck blinked
"..." The battleship sheathed her weapon
"She's awfully quiet..." Graf Zeppelin whispered to Bismarck
"..."
The battleship narrowed her eyes and studied each of the shipgirls that stared at her with utter confusion.
"A Bismarck class rigging? Bismarck, did the Kriegsmarine made a new one?" Nelson whispered as well
"State your name and the fleet you're assigned to"
Bismarck walked away from the rest of the shipgirls and approached the unknown battleship who appeared to pose no threat to anyone. Rather, it was that she displayed no intention of conflict even if she just randomly appeared at the Royal navy territory.
"Bis...marck. I am you...but not the one from here..."
The battleship cleared her throat before she spoke. She had difficulty even with few words like her vocal chords was somehow damaged without visible injury.
"I'm sorry, what?" Bismarck scratched her head
"We met...before...but your memories were gone...except for your so-called sister"
"I don't really understand, but answer my question first"
"H-39. Call me...that...like all of you always do. I no longer...deserve to be Bismarck..."
The rest of the shipgirls first stared at each other and shrugged her shoulders. H-39, another instance of someone brought back from the dead, stood before them with a defect in her voice.
"You people...found the Hydra...and the cube..."
"Hydra? That giant robot dragon-thing. How do you know about the wrecked junk and cube in our base"
"It was...from my world..."
H-39 coughed after she strained her recently resurrected body. This was the second time she revived against her will which weakened her more. Even with her current strength, she remained superior than any shipgirl. The way she coughed was severe, but she didn't appear to be terribly ill.
"You're a shipgirl, but I don't think you're part of the Kriegsmarine. State your purpose of entering this Royal navy territory"
"The Hydra...is kept in the Royal navy base here, right?"
"The Hydra? The giant mechanical dragon-thing? How do you know about that?" Bismarck took a step back
"It is from my world. What's more is that the black mental cube in your possession is more dangerous. Where is it? I need to secure it right now"
"Hey, hey, you can't just walk in here and demand anything" Nelson stepped in
"I have no time to waste...but I have to convince...as I don't wish for conflict we of the moment..."
H-39 wouldn't attack anyone just because she was in a hurry even if she still had the advantage against those shipgirls in terms of combat. The weakened H-39 let out a mildly annoyed sigh and chose to be a bit patient.
"Where did you come from anyway?"
"I'm from another world of shipgirls as well...but the timeline I originated from...is long gone after I was forced to take the life of Tirpitz"
"Tirpitz? What?"
"It truly is difficult...now that the events from seven months ago never happened. No, the correct term would be it was as if those events never occured in your perspective"
"..."
The shipgirls, which included Bismarck, all blinked in confusion since none of them understood what H-39 attempted to say. Fortunately, H-39 remained stoic and solemn rather than frustrated that the shipgirls were all completely oblivious as the whole event were erased from their memories.
"Are you perhaps from the same world as that Akashi? She keeps yapping and whining about us not remembering anything" Nelson raised her hand
"That...Akashi? By any chance, is she a child with cat-like ears and tail" H-39 reacted
"So you really are from the same world as that Akashi. Are you trying to go home as well? That cat says she's stuck here and wants to go home" Bismarck crossed her arms
"I wish to prevent a tragedy from ever repeating..."
H-39 was no longer in her peak strength and currently unstable, but she refused to abandon her initial goal to prevent the downfall of her world. Tyrant wasn't bound to her anymore, so this further increased the danger she sought to prevent.
Back at the base...
Akashi tirelessly tried to decipher the jumbled and scrambled codes encrypted within the black mental cube. The green cat managed to discover there were coordinates recorded within the cube's main core, but the obstacle on how to utilize those coordinates remained in front of Akashi. Mentally exhausted, Akashi lied on the cold solid ground and moaned her frustrations.
"It's hopeless. I don't have the right key, nya..."
Akashi lazily rolled side to side when her progress came to a stop due to the lack of proper component to solve her stranded problem.
"Akashi"
"This cube has enough power to create a breach, but..."
"Akashi"
"...I need the right tool to make it more precise, nya"
"Akashi!"
"Nya!"
After her name was screamed right near her, Akashi immediately jumped and almost lost her balance due to the sudden shock. She was so lost in her frustrations that she couldn't hear her own name that it needed to her shouted at her by the third time.
"Bismarck? What's up...nya - why is she here?!"
"So you do know each other" Bismarck sighed in relief
"How odd. Someone like you is stranded..." H-39 expressed little curiosity
Not only the Kriegsmarine's Bismarck was in front of her, but H-39 well. Akashi briefly met H-39 since she stayed at the Maizuru base for a while and disappeared after the event back at Hawaii. H-39 may not have any reason to be hostile to Akashi, but the battleship that towered over her unintentionally intimidated her.
"Why didn't you return to Azur Lane like everyone else?" H-39 walked towards Akashi
"I-I'm not sure since I wasn't at Ireland when all of this happened, nya" Akashi shrugged her shoulders
"More importantly, why do you have the black mental cube in your possession? Why would you also bring something so dangerous all the way here?" H-49 frowned
"It wasn't my idea. Their Tirpitz here suggested to bring it here so the Royal navy can help me"
"What?"
"Nya...!"
For only a brief moment, H-39's expression instantly turned grim while she maintained a calm and collected facial expression. She didn't intended to express anger or intense emotion, but it was difficult for Akashi to not believe she was not angry.
"You see, unlike everyone...she remembers everything perfectly and can even touch this weapon with no consequences, nya" Akashi added
"That's not right" H-39 clenched her fists
"Why is that?" Bismarck stepped in
"No one in this world should be able to retain their memories or even touching the cube without suffering serious injuries. There's something not right with your sister" H-39 revealed
"E-even if it's not normal, she's trying to help me, nya" Akashi nervously replied
"Didn't you think she might be using you?" H-39 turned to glare at Akashi
"Using this cat? What's that supposed to mean?"
H-39 made an obvious point how the Kriegsmarine's Tirpitz managed to retain all of her memories from the previous event and make contact with the weapon with no consequences whatsoever. This disappointed H-39 since not a single shipgirl, specially Akashi, questioned this obvious abnormality.
"That cube is purely a defective mental cube. A person with enough authority can utilize it to form a gateway back to Azur Lane. That thing is useless if the firewall passively blocks you out" H-39 informed the two
"I...I didn't know that, nya..."
"I don't think that Tirpitz is telling the whole truth to everyone"
"I...I don't understand..." Bismarck's voice shook
H-39 arrived in the right time as danger itself unexpectedly moved on its own and used the oblivious shipgirls for an advantage. Of course, Bismarck couldn't easily believe her own sister meant harm to everyone when H-39 claimed that their Tirpitz might have lied to them in order to use them for her own benefit.
"What exactly is going on here?" Tirpitz herself walked into the scene
The slightly puzzled and surprised Tirpitz stumbled on H-39 who locked a deadly glare at her. Tirpitz, unfazed by the hostility, took several steps towards them with no doubt or hesitation.
"I see. So that's what's going on? I can see why no one noticed" H-39 gripped the handle of her sheathed blade
The revived battleship prepared to engage Tirpitz in combat since her expression changed from casual to one with a hostile intent as well.
"Hey, don't even think about attacking Tirpitz" Bismarck warned her
"Bismarck...that's no longer your sister. No - rather, it's that she was never your sister"
"What?" Bismarck blinked in confusion
"Ahahaha. Perceptive as always, alter ego"
Tirpitz couldn't help but chuckle at how sharp H-39's instincts were despite the fact she was only recently revived. Her senses and strength shouldn't still be in sync, yet H-39 managed to detect the abnormality the moment Tirpitz appeared before them.
"Tirpitz...what's happening here? That sinister smile of yours is making me worry" Bismarck wanted the truth from her
"Bismarck, you didn't really realize?" Tirpitz's laugh gradually faded away
"Realize what?"
"The shipgirl Tirpitz, who is also your beloved little sister, has been dead for months"
"...?!" Both H-39 and Bismarck were shocked to hear it
"What are you talking about? You're not making any sense!"
Bismarck's confusion turned to immediate frustration in order to conceal the fear that started to stir within her chest. H-39, on the other hand, prepared a stance on the case Tirpitz would take time off guard and strike all three of them down in a blink of an eye.
"Your sister is gone"
Tirpitz dug her fingers on her left arm and scraped off her skin with a single swipe to reveal not flesh and blood...but a purplish black void. This obviously indicated the Tirpitz who stood in front of them was never the real one.
"Who...are you? What did you do to Tirpitz?" Bismarck clenched her fists
"Tirpitz's existence was fragmented by me when she was thrown to Azur Lane by none other than Tyrant. I suppose thanks to being vacant, I managed to briefly manifest despite only existing within a place nicknamed Pandora's Box"
"So that's what happened" H-39 drew her weapon
"What did she mean?" Bismarck asked H-39
"Bismarck, just like she said, your sister's identity had been consumed by a defective living being. Whoever that is, she's been living as Tirpitz without anyone noticing. That thing is using your sister's corpse to walk freely" H-39 explained
"...?!"
"I've been emulating her memories and set this ego to act automatically. Had you cut me down when we last met, none of this would have happened. Then again, I was the one who restarted you" Tirpitz spoke to H-39
"Yeah, I should have ended you when I revealed my face back then" H-39 raised her blade
No one present knew who was the real identity beneath the false ego of the shipgirl who was once known as Tirpitz. The only clear thing for them was that Tirpitz wasn't even human...or alive at that matter.
"Tell me, are you the one who killed H-39 and almost killed Ark Royal?" Bismarck furrowed her eyebrows
"So what if I did?"
"You killed someone...and that's your response? For what purpose you did that?"
"I need to distract all of you, so I thought something shocking might do the trick. I admit I might have gone a bit far with the whole murder thing, but Arkhangelsk is just a measly battleship. Losing such useless shipgirl wouldn't hurt"
"You really aren't my sister. The Tirpitz I know wouldn't view anyone's life as utterly trivial. You're just a demon using my sister's husk"
Anger filled Bismarck to the very core when the impostor in front of her openly admitted the murder and felt no remorse whatsoever. In Tirpitz's eyes, her victim wasn't worthy enough to grief which truly indicated she wasn't even close to a human.
"Give me back my sister, you demon!" Bismarck angrily pointed
"Bismarck, didn't your what I just said? Your sister has been dead since the beginning. This is just but a husk I'm borrowing. I'm a bit disappointed you never suspected anything. Then again, I was emulating what remains of her memories"
"...!"
Bismarck wanted to directly land a direct hit to Tirpitz's face, but H-39 stepped in front and leaped forward before she could act easily. H-39 thrusted her blade forward while Tirpitz herself stood without the intention to evade the strike even when she could.
"That truly is a husk..." H-39 pulled her blade and herself away
"Yes, this body is already empty. As for me? I'll leave it to your imagination whether if I'm a Siren or something else. I wasted enough time here, so I will be taking my leave"
"I won't let you flee, demon" H-39 prepared to strike
"Do you know why I had to be here? What do you think this base has that I needed to distract everyone?"
"...?!"
Muffled explosion reached to their current area and the ground begun to shake as well. H-39 briefly lost her focus, so Tirpitz took this moment to casually turn her back and walk away from the scene.
"Who are you? What's your purpose of lurking in this world for months? Where's the black mental cube? Answer me, nameless fiend" H-39 demanded answers
"If I tell you right now...it would ruin the surprise. For now, have fun with the Hydra I reactivated while everyone were worried about my little fatal stunt" Tirpitz saluted as she left them to their fates
The muffled explosions grew weaker until it completely died down, but the roar of an enormous mechanical beast rang out throughout the base. Hydra, one of the three ancient colossal Siren weapons, begun it's rampage while the powerless humans desperately fled. The mechanical titan, thanks for Tirpitz, became completely operational again and the damaged it sustained were immediately undone due to its "immortality".
"W-What's going on?"
A wounded Ark Royal ran outside only to see the Hydra destroy the drydock it was contained and demolish every building in front of it as it aimed to head for the sea.
"There's no time to think about it. We have to move!" Nelson shouted
"You have to leave with the other humans. You're still not in the condition to intercept it" Sheffield recommended
"I am not standing by after I got stabbed by Tirpitz" Ark Royal refused to flee
The Hydra continued its march towards the shore. Onshore defenses proved to be useless against the enormous mechanical beast with how the Hydra's anti air defenses intercept any missiles thrown at it. While it lacked destructive firepower, it made up with its rapid anti air guns and countless secondary guns mounted and installed in it.
All systems online
Port 1 to 10: Full capacity
Directing route to estimated target area
All mobility functions: Set
The Hydra made it outside the base and into the sea, but the shipgirls continued to intercept its escape. Due to its massive size and sturdy protection all over its body, the ancient weapon merely shrugged every shells and bombs they threw at it. It had no personality or the slightest will of its own, so it couldn't feel annoyed at the their futile attempts.
"It's not budging at all!" Hornet clicked her tongue in frustration
"Ggh! Fighting with these injuries is more difficult than I thought..." Ark Royal almost reeled back in pain
"Ark Royal, don't push yourself too much" Vanguard approached her
"Where's Bismarck?"
"She run off after that fake Tirpitz"
"What?"
"I'm not really sure, but it seems Tirpitz reactivated this thing and was actually a backstabbing hidden enemy all this time..."
"Tirpitz. What's going on with her?"
No one was really certain to how their Tirpitz became their enemy, but it was certain she was never the real one to begin with.
"Let's deal with this thing first. If it escapes to the opens seas..." Nelson stepped in
The main head of the Hydra only focused on the path ahead while the rest of the heads flailed left and right while it dealt with the pesky aircrafts and the shells thrown at it by battleships. Other than that, destroyers and cruisers and somewhat slowed it down with their torpedoes.
"Those shipgirls are lively, but I shouldn't lose focus. There's five minutes left before the World Tree manifests again. It seems Tyrant and Bismarck are going to open the gate to the other side as well"
Tirpitz, whose real identity behind the husk remained unknown, observed at how the black mental cube slowly spin while it floated on her right palm. She predicted of Tyrant's actions at the Azur Lane side, and she anticipated it rather than worry.
"Unlike the shipgirls from Azur Lane, I can manifest myself and move freely even with my core separated from my body. I guess, leaving my mental cube on purpose with Akashi was the right choice"
The one Akashi had all this time was actually the mental cube of the unknown being who had used Tirpitz's existence to blend in with the Maizuru fleet with no suspicion for months.
"Well, before that..."
"Hold it right there!" The Kriegsmarine's Bismarck shouted at her
"So, you're really going to temporarily anchor the World Tree. For what reason?" H-39 arrived as well
The battle with the enormous Siren weapon continued at a far distance while H-39 and Bismarck confronted the one who fooled them as Tirpitz since the beginning.
"I'm undoing what you did H-39. It was terrible that you killed Gangut, Odin, and Tirpitz"
"Chapayev's death. Was that yours?" H-39 retaliated
"No, that was an imitation by the Creator. You can't copy someone who's at zero polarity. Neither good nor evil, neither light nor dark...and neither alive nor dead. Something in between" Tirpitz immediately responded
"You used the face of my sister. You're not getting out of here in one piece" Bismarck clenched her fists
"It's not my fault she died. Well, it's not like I have time with you people right now" Tirpitz groaned
"...?"
"The real show...is about to begin"
Tirpitz raised her right hand while the black mental cube remained on top of her palm.
"I told you I'd undo whatever you did, Bismarck Meta"
Tirpitz chuckled and referred by an odd name that would distinguish her apart from her past self, the current Bismarck from Azur Lane. Circuit patterns drew on all sides of the black mental cube and rapidly spun.
"The sky!" Bismarck pointed
A large halo was carved into the sky as the space that kept current world and another plane of existence completely isolated was forcibly torn apart by raw power of someone who manifested from a void.
"The World Tree is manifesting. To anchor the archive itself with no consequences...then she is not an ordinary Siren nor shipgirl"
H-39 only realized that when Tirpitz calmly projected what she recognized as the mysterious World Tree that was described to hold just about anything and everything. To a certain degree, it was an exclusive object that could grant miracles if the right conditions were set.
"The sky is turning dark...and the sea is shaking" Bismarck can barely maintain her balance
"Stay back, Bismarck. This being is beyond a shipgirl like you" H-39 drew her weapon
"But I-"
Just before Bismarck could protest at H-39's sudden decision, the World Tree had successfully been projected. A colossal white tree with not a single leaf on its countless branches partially manifested in the middle of the sea and begun to spin a halo with indicate patterns around it counter-clockwise.
Light had consumed them just like before...
H-39 reached out to grab Bismarck a second before they and everyone else were consumed by the light that the World Tree unleashed in response to Tirpitz's will.
The events were undone...
The battle set not too long ago were restored to how it was. Everyone present from both sides returned to their previous positions the moment light faded away. Although they were slightly confused but unaware they lived through a overlayed timeline for a short moment.
"I feel strange for some reason..." AL Kaga slightly tilted her head
"So do I. It was as if we all awaken from a fleeting dream" AL Akagi
The aircraft carriers from the Sakura Empire sensed something was amiss even if it felt like not a second had passed in their surroundings.
"I-I feel weird for some reason" Admiral Hipper shuddered
"Is this a deja vu of some sort?" Mainz shook her head
"I think I was supposed to remember something..." Prinz Eugen whispered to herself
It wasn't just Akagi and Kaga. The heavy cruisers from Iron Blood sensed an oddity in their current position but couldn't pinpoint the exact reason.
"I think something happened..." King George V blinked
"Y-yeah..." Prince of Wales nervously laughed
More and more shipgirls sensed the oddity in the situation but remained unaware of the true cause. They don't have knowledge that H-39 briefly succeeded in her plans and would have remained that way if Tyrant and the nameless demon didn't get in the way.
"What's going on? Why is everyone..."
The Bismarck from the Kriegsmarine was somehow aware of her surroundings and the current situation unlike the rest of her comrades who were occupied with the damaged Hydra. Her counterpart on the other hand...
"This feeling. Could it be..."
Iron Blood's Bismarck, shocked and partially confused, shook her head before she studied her surroundings.
"Ireland. I'm back...all of a sudden. So it did work after all..." Bismarck blinked her eyes in disbelief
"It did work, but I find it rather annoying. Good grief...just when I started enjoying a peaceful moment back at Iron Blood" Tirpitz responded
"Tirpitz, you're alive? So your death was prevented"
Bismarck of Iron Blood slightly jolted when the Tirpitz she knew stood beside her with no hint of hostility. Rather, her hostility was instead focused on someone else.
"I honestly don't like dying in a horrible way, but it's an eye opener I suppose..." Tirpitz sighed
Before the sudden alteration, the two of them were almost at the brink of another clash...untill H-39 appeared before them and immediately destroyed Tirpitz right in front of Bismarck.
"King George V, Eugen, Akagi, and the others returned to their places in this chessboard...all because of that sneaky bastard" Tirpitz frowned
"That's the other Tirpitz...and H-39" Bismarck frowned at the sight of H-39
H-39 faced the false Tirpitz whose left cheek had been peeled off and revealed what seemed to be darkness contained inside. Meanwhile, both the Bismarck and Tirpitz from Iron Blood concentrated on the new enemy in front of them.
"Thank you for playing how it's supposed to be...Tirpitz"
The impostor lowered her hand and slowly inserted back the black mental cube which actually belonged to her, back into her chest. Even if she could act independently and freely without her mental cube, she still needed it to fully function. Now that the situation had return to how it was supposed to be, she was so prepared to face all three shipgirls at once.
Extra
Everything would fall into the exact place as intended by the one who stood in the shadows for so long. That shadow plotted for personal interests while everyone around her went their day unaware a monster used one of theirs. The one who wore the identity of the Tirpitz from the Kriegsmarine, oddly sat with Observer Alpha in one afternoon.
"Fufufu~ That husk your using - I believe it's one of the four out of twenty subjects that survived up until the last phase of the tests. It's a bit amusing she survived despite the fatal field tests" Observer Alpha tilted her head
"This Tirpitz died the moment she was dragged by Tyrant to Azur Lane. The shard within her kept her lifeless body functioning for a little while"
"No wonder we couldn't find you. You're ego has been laying dormant within her corpse. I admit you're quite the stealthy one" Observer Alpha rested her back on her rigging
"Ironic how one of your throwaway toys is standing right before you. Well, if her ego remained...she might have attacked without a second thought"
Observer Alpha licked her lips at the unknown entity that overtook Tirpitz's ego after the latter had died some time ago. If the actual Tirpitz had been there, she might have lashed out at the Siren due to what she had experienced as their guinea pig.
"In their world, when shipgirls die, they revert to their primitive forms as Abyssals. It's either you subdued the infamous Beast or you have eliminated its ego as well"
"I wrestled with the irritating monstrosity when this body died. To use it on my advantage, I didn't fully destroy its soul and let it remain in this body. After all, I'm the type who wanted to experience life in all forms even as a twisted Beast" Tirpitz cheerfully laughed
No matter how much she behaved and sounded like the Tirpitz from the Kriegsmarine, anyone with keen instincts would immediately realize something was amiss. Malicious intent seeped through the false smile while Observer Alpha studied her up close.
"I believe it's more like you're aware of the Abyssals' natural ability to regenerate fatal injuries and their physical strength"
"Well, that and the Abyssal was already present the moment I completely assimilated her corpse. I suppose I'll call it an unexpected bonus" Tirpitz placed her hand on her chin
Tirpitz retreated to the edge of a large Siren ship and enjoyed the empty view that surrounded her. At first glance, it was indeed strange to see someone with a grudge to be casual towards the cause of said grudge, but a volatile being had taken Tirpitz's corpse as her own.
"What do you have in mind this time? Surely, you have a particular reason to why you remain with those non-valuable shipgirls"
"They will have their use soon. H-39 is going to temporarily anchor the World Tree itself and lay over a diverted timeline. She can't force to reroute the whole timeline, but she will simply lay another one on top not it" Tirpitz explained
"I see. Your true target is Bismarck of Iron Blood. Do you have a grudge against her?"
"I have my reasons on that one. What I need are both Bismarck and Tirpitz. The end of the line will determine whether what I had foreseen is the one where one of them would end up"
"Hmm..."
Not even a Siren knew what this false Tirpitz had in mind, so even someone like Observer Alpha was born suspicious and intrigue to the context behind the vague response. Tirpitz didn't directly made her move, but she made preparations, so this did pique the Siren's curiosity.
"Creator and I have already talked about this, and she surprisingly discovered what I'm up to. She was slightly unhappy, but I managed to convince her using mutual benefits"
"Mutual benefits? How would this benefit the Sirens?" Observer Alpha furrowed her eyebrows
"It won't right now, but it will once they reach the end of the line. I wonder which will fall and which will survive"
"I'm a bit curious myself, so I will perform my basic duty of observing"
"I don't like unnecessary attention, so don't do that. I'm not in the mood for pointless mass-destruction again"
"Fufufufu~ You're not the type to play along"
"I have a limittles supply of power source thanks to humanity's rejection being dumped to me"
Tirpitz raised her left hand and folded all fingers save for her index finger. She then partially manifested a translucent form of her black mental cube with visible outlines on all edges.
"Humans created shipgirls using their hopes and dreams, but their goodness is false. With their act of kindness and compassion lies selfish and greedy intent...but their hatred and resentment is pure and wild. That's why my very nature is clear yet volatile"
"I suppose you can be identified as a weapon, but using that corpse will put you in a great disadvantage against Code G and the others despite your...empty nature" Observer Alpha caressed one of her rigging's tentacles
"That's true, but this will only be temporary. The information of this corpse has bee archived already, so I can restore it even if they completely destroy it" Tirpitz was confident
Her current body was no longer completely filled with flesh and blood, so its restoration would be effortless even if the shipgirls were to completely annihilate her current form.
"Besides, Tyrant has a promise to fulfill soon. That bastard may not seem like it, but she would keep her word even if it kills her...for the second time"
"My traitorous puppet, huh. Fufufu~ I wonder how will you pull the strings from behind"
"I'm not pulling anything. I'm shoving those measly shipgirls into situations where the weight of their decisions would seal their final outcome"
"Well, only time can tell whether what you had foreseen would indeed play out. I suggested not to be overconfident as only the Creator and us can mold the outcome to how we see it fit"
"Suit yourself. I've seen humanity ignite and scorch themselves, so this war is just another trivial matter to me"
Despite her nature tied to humanity's worst emotions, the one who assimilated the Kriegsmarine's Tiroirz shrugged her shoulders and genuinely displayed her lack of obligation to preserve humanity's future.
"By the way, have you seen Purifier? Tester was sent to track her down, but failed for two weeks now"
"Empress took her in after you permanently severed her from the network" Tirpitz immediately revealed
"Fufufu~ The Siren Empress, huh. The defacto leader of the separatist faction"
"Civil war, world war, doesn't matter. It's not my issue to solve anyway"
Tirpitz grunted at the mere mention of another conflict with the main concern on the Sirens' side this time. Human conflict were both tedious and trivial while Siren conflict were both complicated and repetitive in Tirpitz's perspective.
"Fufufu~ Whatever you say...specter lurking among humans"
For a moment, Tirpitz paused the moment Observer Alpha accurately identified her, but Tirpitz felt no need to be concerned whether Observer recognized her or not. Since she had no reason to overstay with such a devious Siren, she left without so much a word. It was unknown whether she found such description offensive since she immediately left Observer Alpha as soon as she lost interest in their discussion.