Author: Chapter 30 will be the last chapter while Chapter 31 will just be like a short epilogue. Also, there will be a one-shot story starring Enterprise after this one ends (it will also take place some time after the events of the epilogue).
Will this have a meaning until the end?
The cold no longer bites my skin, but I still sorrow when I'm surrounded by it. It's been three days since the last I have to face off against Bismarck, so her future version is dead by now. Well, it doesn't really matter who lives, and who dies in this sorry excuse of a play. All I care about is finishing what I started. I have to accomplish my one goal.
"Isn't this a tad too strange?"
"...Temperance" I sigh, clearly bored at Sirens like her
"Bismarck's younger sister...and substitute"
"This is some sort of deja vu. Last time I was in this kind of place, I was brooding about what I've been through while carrying on Bismarck's burden..."
I walk away from the Siren, still uninterested in her presence within the deck of my ship and lean forward to the safety rail near the bow. What is there to see? I'm only surrounded by an endless blanket of snow and gray skies within this enclosed space.
"Emotions are your world's driving force. Each intent stems from intense emotions and desire to fulfill a flaw..."
"Humans will do anything to get what they want to make themselves feel good. I know that very well since I was made by humans just like the your folks and my folks..." I lazily wave my left hand
"Living beings are motivated by desire, or else they will cease to function with no purpose but to vanish. How about you, Tyrant? What do you desire for you to pave a path this far?"
"A correction, I suppose. In the end, I'm here to undo the alterations within the pages. None of this was supposed to exist, yet those sadistic bastards made it so...as if they were betting about Bismarck"
"Indeed. Some of the Arbiters noticed that this is not meant to be permanent even if this is one of the countless timelines that exists out there"
Her jellyfish-like rigging eerily floats slightly above her back, giving me slight discomfort of all people. This damn Arbiter is aligned with the Creator much like Strength and Hermit, but I can't predict the Creator's whims, let alone her reflection sadistically observing everything in all timelines. Then again, the complex issue with the Sirens isn't mine to be concerned about. That would be Enterprise's group...which annoyingly includes a certain someone reflecting her design.
(None of these shitty Sirens know about the being they brought here and tried to erase...)
Before this Siren starts guessing what my current thoughts are, I discard it. I'm so close to achieving what I promised, so I can't let an annoying hindrance like an Arbiter immediately realize what I'm planning to do. Well, Temperance wouldn't care...but Observer Alpha is the difficult one.
"It's certainly not aligned with that defective Arbiter if that's your intention" I scoff back at her
"Arbiter Zero: Fool. The degraded one who was believed to have been compressed. I suppose it's because she's an anomaly due to her incomprehensible abilities that we were all lead to believe"
"You overlook about her essence being a vagabond who looks forward to whatever future lies ahead. Even if it's beneficiary or not, she simply traverses each thread of the universe with no apparent purpose - something that contradicts with your thinking, Arbiter" I scoff again
"If my predictions are correct, she's observing Enterprise's group. Since you have regular contact with her, what is it that aiming to accomplish?" Temperance interrogates me again
"Her motives aren't my concern, at least as long as it doesn't conflict with mine..."
"What a complex way of responding you don't have the slightest hint"
"..."
I like to believe now that this Siren is provoking me, so I'll end up accidentally spilling free information to them. I don't like Sirens the least, so there's no way in hell I'm giving them crucial information all of a sudden. They don't have anything that interests me, so their struggles and schemes are their problems shouldn't toss to me.
"Strength went off somewhere. From what I heard, she's not too happy for some reason" I remember to ask
"She encountered the anomaly dubbed as Ghost and was immediately rendered incapable of further combat. Such unstable being should be eradicated, but she possess unusual strength in her incomplete form. They learn to worry about what would happen if she were-"
"..." I faintly smirk at her
"...I see. So that's your scheme as well"
As expected, she immediately realizes my motivation for coming back to this world even if I should remain dead after fulfilling my original goal more than six months ago. I don't have to say anything to let her be aware of my naturally suicidal plan.
"You plan to sacrifice your mental cube, so you can briefly reverse the polarity between this plane of existence...and that certain coordinates outside the boundary. In doing so, Ghost would be able to freely manifest in this world for a certain amount of time" Temperance accurately guesses
"An Arbiter sure is sharp, huh" I mildly scoff
"In fifteen nanoseconds, I immediately narrowed down the only possible method of allowing Ghost itself to be...technically complete. The reason you've been reversing the Pillars back in that ravaged timeline...was all for this purpose alone"
"Right again"
"Personally, I have no interest in meddling with your affairs. The other Arbiters will have to scour through the compiled folders themselves"
"It's your way of saying they should figure it out themselves because you don't really give a shit"
I sigh, feeling somewhat amused how this Arbiter has her own whims and doesn't feel obliged to call forth her brethren. Then again, I keep forgetting that a Siren will only act base on her interest and benefit, specially an independent Arbiter like her.
"Bismarck's ash is gone, so the left to get in my way is Bismarck. She'll try to access the World Tree before I do" I rub my chin
"How are you certain?"
"H-39 already guessed what I'm trying to do and passed the task of stopping me to Bismarck. Tirpitz won't be a problem though"
"She's trying to stop you not knowing what your real intentions are"
"Before I go out on another suicidal last stand, I will have to confront Tirpitz one last time" My decision is final
"Suit yourself. I do not intend to interfere in your affairs. Statistically, Hermit would be more likely to interfere"
"Arbiters sure are the meddling type. Then again, Sirens are inherently meddlers...just like your creators"
"Creator, huh. If it's our truest creator - then it would be that woman"
"...Then you would need that error, right? I wonder...if Bismarck is the best suited one"
Of course, not all of my words are true...but it's up to the Siren to distinguish which is the lie or the truth. I won't give information to them for free so easily because I know better than to trust a Siren.
"I'm having this sense of deja vu. This felt like my brooding moment almost seventh months ago. I was near on my suicide last stand back then..." I sudden remember the familiarity
"Perhaps this is the fate humans refer to. Even I cannot say for certain..."
"An inevitable fate, huh..."
I don't know what fate holds for those two, but I'm certain how mine will end. Before my dear sister's complete disappearance, she and Ember are up to something. She takes that secret to her grave which frustrates me a bit. Temperance doesn't care back then since H-39 is about to die anyway, but it concerns me why H-39 decides to help them back then. It doesn't matter anyway...because the rest is up to the little hope of that sin cooperating with Ember and the others. Even if they try to challenge her to gain her cooperation, "that thing" would be in a complete state.
(Will Enterprise would be able to convince her though? I wonder if there's a chance considering that reject was made with that woman's thought being based on Enterprise)
I continue to ponder while I still find it hard to believe how such indfferent and apathetic being is supposed to be someone with the idea of your typical "justice" and a warrior standing at the front. Seriously, what is she thinking? That woman's own creation ends up commiting indiscriminate genocide in some timelines that not even the Sirens are safe.
Bismarck of Iron Blood's current goal is to track down Tyrant before she succeeds in accomplishing her own goal by reaching the supercomputer dubbed as the [World Tree], but right now she is peacefully and silently sitting beside Tirpitz. The battleships of Iron Blood stare at the serene beach while their moods slowly lightens.
"So you really did leave Iron Blood as part of your deal with the Sirens. In exchange for prolonging your life, you will do as they say without question" Bismarck learns the truth
"That's basically it. Eugen decided to tag along with me after I told her about my situation. Well, that and she's afraid you might throw her at the bottom of the ocean yourself ..." Tirpitz shrugs her shoulders
"You gave me such trouble. Had you told me the truth earlier..."
"...There's nothing you can do even if I told you. My mental cube is barely keeping its foundations"
"All of this because of Tyrant's actions. Then if I prevent her from ever clashing with Iron Blood in the first place, then all of this would be undone" Bismarck clenches her fists
"That means all the events for the past seven months never happened. The Maizuru fleet wouldn't learn about our world and vice versa"
Tirpitz lowers her head as if the fact that removing Tyrant from ever interfering with both worlds means the events from seven months ago up until now would never occur. Everyone would live their everyday lives unaware of the other's existence.
"Tyrant has been interfering, and she would continue to interfere if we leave her be. It's time I put an end to her for good..." Bismarck's goal is certain
"If you hit the reset button yourself, then there's a chance only you would retain these memories. Just like the moment you've been stuck at that diverted timeline"
"Now that I think about it, perhaps H-39 prepared me for such eventuality since her left me with this solution" Bismarck theorizes
"It's fine if I don't remember...but I admit it's a bit upsetting I wouldn't be able to remember the Bismarck of this world. I genuinely enjoyed my interactions with her"
"As painful as it is, Tyrant meddling with us is unnatural and has to be resolved"
Bismarck knows how Tirpitz would only lament on how she wouldn't remember meeting the Kriegsmarine's Bismarck and the rest of the Maizuru fleet. To a degree, it's because of their influence that Tirpitz becomes more open and positive.
"While there's still time, you can inform my counterpart about this and resolve any possible issues with her" Bismarck suggests
"For short, spend time with her since this will be the last time we will ever meet. I suppose you're right...to a certain degree"
The downside of Bismarck's plan is how Bismarck herself could possibly be the only one who would retain her memories of the whole event while Tirpitz and everyone else will remain clueless until the very end. It has to be done since Tyrant might find another way to bring herself back even if they destroy her for the second time.
"Once we confront Tyrant, I will put her down myself. You've gotten weak with each days passing, right?" Bismarck raises an eyebrow
"Yeah. I'm not at full strength anymore even if I could still fight for the next few days. Still, I want to face her one last time..."
"I won't allow you to fight her directly. I lost you once, I won't lost you or everyone else again..."
"Since when did you become this kind of older sister. I'm used to the strict version of you" Tirpitz jokingly comments
"In the past, we never met even though we are sisters. Right now, we all have the time to make it up. At least, those were your words to me a long time ago"
"I said that? Huh..." Tirpitz briefly smirks
It doesn't seem Tirpitz recalls every emotional moment she has with Bismarck, but she doesn't find it unlikely considering how they are comfortable with each other now. They have a barely existent sisterly relationship due to their historical counterparts, but the events leading to this moment is the one responsible for that change, specifically Tyrant's intervention.
Briefing room...
Akagi, Sovetskaya Rossiya, and King George V are supposed to track down Littorio in order to confirm whether she is a spy for someone else ends up with the three of them along with Littorio and Gangut returning in a foul mood. If anything, Akagi is the most unhappy one and visibly furious with how the unknown enemy immediately incapacitates all four of them.
"Some faker using Chapayev's face attacked you, huh. I didn't see her face since I felt like I got not by a truck from behind" Gangut scratches her head
"I find it very displeasing. That monster is desecrating our fallen comrade" Sovetskaya Rossiya clenches her fists
"We'll make her pay even if I have to rip that disguise off with my bare hands"
The two Northern Parliament battleships are both equally upset with how the unnamed ghost is using Chapayev's identity to attack them. It's an insult with how their enemy makes a mockery of their fallen comrade, so they both want to forcibly remove the form resembling Chapayev.
"Akagi's very angry right now, but at least it's not my fault. I got thrown to a wall like a ragdoll, so I was unconscious before all of you got beaten to easily" Littorio whispers to King George V
"It can't be helped. That thing is designed to be a shipgirl...but left in an incomplete state. We can't even kill that thing since it doesn't have anything resembling a soul" King George V whispers back
The event turns against them quickly than they can react. Right after Littorio is knocked out, the three are immediately defeated as well. None of them expects for such enemy to appear all of a sudden since they are supposed to expect Littorio alone.
"I can't believe this. For such hideous creature to defeat me without even a single touch" Akagi mutters to herself
"You do realize that hideous creature is using Chapayev's face" Gangut reminds her
"But what is that being exactly? How are the five of you beaten so easily?" Kaga looks at everyone
"I went out on my own investigation. The second I saw that thing, it felt like something smashed my head...and I passed out" Gangut faintly recalls
"Littorio was tossed like a trash bag while the three of us felt like a heavy force pushed us and smashed our heads" King George V also briefly recalls
None of them has a chance to fight back with an unknown forcing quickly incapacitating their bodies. The unknown being takes out the lone Gangut first, then the vulnerable Littorio, and lastly the trio who are couldn't react in time. None of them expects how am incomplete shipgirl possesses of "supernatural" strength.
"Before the three of you came, I was trying to find Tyrant's main hiding place. An Arbiter I never heard of showed up the other day, so I'm trying to find out about her" Littorio clears her throat
"So did you find anything useful? Surely, you haven't been slacking of while the rest of us are trying to eliminate Bismarck's enemy" Akagi crosses her arms
"Arbiter Zero: Fool, is helping Tyrant pry open a path to this timeline's archives. This means she possibly has plans to defy universal laws by accessing the core of the world itself" Littorio giggles as she reveals crucial information
"Wait, so they might blow up our world?" Gangut stands up
"It seems Arbiter Zero is searching for something...or someone while Tyrant is only targeting Bismarck for some reason" Littorio shrugs her shoulders
"The core of the world itself. Doing so means that Sire can alter the state of this timeline as she pleases"
"Like I said, she needed information. There's no better place to search it than a hard drive containing data from other timelines as well. Even so, trying to tamper a vital component is like threading to the wires of a ticking time bomb. One wrong cut and we all go bye-bye"
"Then it's simple. We kill the Siren before she ends up blowing us" Gangut beats her fist
"We're up against an Arbiter even if she's in a degraded state. Besides, there are other Arbiters here like the Empress"
Arbiters are in the same category as Elite Sirens since they possess unique weapons and high intelligence. To defeat one is no easy feat and usually requires combined effort. There's also the risk of other Arbiters interfering since they would detect the presence of the defective outcast.
"We at least know Tyrant is hiding in the northern seas again according to CarDiv 02's reconnaissance. They also spotted a unique Siren wandering there, so we need to act fast since it looks like they're already preparing" Kaga informs the rest
"Then we will have to plan a large-scale assault since we're up against countless Sirens cooping up there. Not to mention, the Empress controls three colossal Siren weapons the tie almost impossible to destroy" Akagi grunts
"We'll have to discuss our strategy for the assault once Mikasa comes back. Bismarck is already preparing" Sovetskaya Rossiya faintly sighs
They are chasing after a Siren whose goal is unclear, but they feel a need to hinder whatever that Siren. In Akagi's case, she personally wants to track down the unknown being who surprises them all with an unusual power.
Royal navy base...
Saint Louis and Prince of Wales sit idly on the side while a relaxed Zuikaku peacefully mows down on snacks at the other side. Shoukaku approaches her and places both hands on her hips at the sight of her younger sister being so casual.
"You want some, Shoukaku-nee?" Zuikaku offers some biscuits
"Zuikaku, how are you so relaxed? Mikasa-san over there is brooding on one side"
"It reminds me: Mikasa-san, how did your search went?" Zuikaku stands up and raises her voice
Right now, Mikasa is standing right beside a busy Akashi as if she's guarding the greedy cat who tends to sneak of whenever a chance allows her to. She briefly turns away from Akashi when Zuikaku is waving both of her hands to get her attention.
"Let's just say a giant whale almost ate me when I accidently struck it" Mikasa avoids revealing everything
"I wish I could have seen that whale" Zuikaku's eyes sparkle in excitement
"Besides, this information is something I wish for the commander to learn before everyone else"
"It must be that important, huh" Shoukaku sighs
"If it's that important, then we can't force Mikasa-san to tell us"
Both Shoukaku and Zuikaku are disappointed, but they respect it when Mikasa deem her search to be confidential enough that she intends to inform the commander first.
"Arbiter XX: Judgement. What is she up to? It seems she knows what Fool is up to but keeps it a secret from the other Arbiters. Even Hermit doesn't seem to care..."
"What are you whispering under your breath, nya?" Akashi's ears twitch
"It's a secret that's not for sale" Mikasa crosses her arms
"I'm just curious, nya..."
Akashi jokingly replies while she lifts one box to another and transfers parts one section to another. She is small and just a repair ship, but her stamina when it comes to building and repairing is second to none, specially when she is motivated by her personal desires.
"I find it obviously suspicious how the Sirens let humans pry open one of their vaults and loot their throwaway junk" Akashi mentions it while she twists a large screw
"I'm not certain whether they deem it useless to enough for humans to have it or studying on what the humans will do with spare parts lying around" Mikasa replies
"The second option is more likely" Saint Louis joins in
"It's obvious those Sirens are messing with us, but we need to repair a way back home" Prince of Wales joins in as well
"They might just want all of us out of here as fast as possible, nya" Akashi guesses
"I guess that's likely too, but why help us?" Prince of Wales scratches her head
"Even if they have their plans here, we can't stay here for long since this isn't our world. We still have a war to fight back in Azur Lane" Mikasa almost gives up thinking of a logical reason
"Is it okay to leave the shipgirls here with the Sirens?" Prince of Wales is visibly concerned
"We'll get rid of that Custodian and those other Sirens, then we can leave. We cannot meddle with the war of this world and also bring our war here" Saint Louis speaks out
To begin with, their target is to handle the Sirens who are inhabiting this world, but they don't intend to complete meddle with the life of the humans and shipgirls outside their world.
"Besides, Bismarck plan involves erasing the events starting seventh months ago. Which means, we might not be able to remember all of this. At least, that's what was explained to me" Saint Louis shrugs her shoulders
"Then if it can undo all the humans caught in the crossfire, then it's even better, nya" Akashi's ear twitch again
"Well, I spent most of my time here being lost...so there's not much to remember" Prince of Wales shyly admits
"Then why am I doing my best rebuilding this tweaked Siren transference gateway?" Akashi realizes
"I suppose it's because the effect isn't immediate. It might be that the moment we cross back to our world, it would be like we went to a long dream"
Saint Louis places her hand on her chin, calculating on how Bismarck's solution to her problem would actually affect the event with how it would be undone to prevent any more future troubles.
"Altering the events by removing the interference of one factor is difficult to predict. It means the effect and speed of it is unpredictable to us...but Bismarck seems certain a certain condition is fulfilled first" Saint Louis narrows her eyes
"I think Bismarck owes me a simpler explanation" Mikasa massages her head
"This is making my head hurt too, nya..."
Akashi tilts her head left and right all while focusing stuffing a fuse and power cell within a vacation section at the bottom of the machinery.
"I wonder what they're talking about?" Shoukaku is curious
"They look depressed, so I'm guessing it's depressing" Zuikaku half-heartedly guesses
"Take this seriously, Zuikaku" Shoukaku shakes her head
"There's no point in being depressed, Shoukaku-nee. I'm trying to remain positive here while everyone is busy brooding. Besides, the commander told me that I won't be able to face what's in front of me if I just look away even for a second"
"That doesn't make any sense" Shoukaku gently smacks her face with her right hand
Zuikaku is serious despite her current calm and relaxed demeanor, explaining that she's maintaining her composure rather than wallow in anxiety and nervousness. There's no point in stressing her own thoughts after all.
"Nya?"
"Hmm?"
Akashi is still occupied repairing a Siren machinery they use to stabilize gateways between two worlds, but it suddenly reboots itself. When the sphere whirs and the engine hums, Akashi immediately jumps out and seems shelter behind Mikasa. The other shipgirls, unsure of what's happening, slowly take several steps back from the activating machine. The whole circle splits into two and repels each others as bright blue circuit lines begin to flow on each corner of the machinery.
"This looks bad...!" Zuikaku immediately stands up, drawing her sword
"Don't go near it!" Shoukaku pulls her away
Mikasa and Prince of Wales draw their sabers while Saint Louis positions herself with her spear, preparing to whatever Sire or monstrosity pounces at them the moment the gateway successfully connects to the other side. The engine continues to hum as energy forms at the center, solidifying a stable gateway.
"...!"
Unlike what they are anticipating, rather than a Siren or monstrous weapon lunging at them, Iron Blood's Graf Zeppelin throws out of the gateway, heavily wounded and her rigging heavily damaged as well. Since a shipgirl somehow appears out of an unfinished gateway, everyone lowers their weapon and loses the tension, sighing in relief that it's not a Siren.
"Graf Zeppelin?!" Mikasa shakes her head in shock
"Bismarck's right hand?" Saint Louis widens her eyes
"Well...uhm...this is unexpected" Zuikaku lowers her katana, dryly laughing at the unexpected person that suddenly tosses out of the gateway's machine.
"That wretched...Devil...!"
Graf Zeppelin furiously hits the ground as she pushes herself up despite her injuries. Mikasa sheathes back her weapon and rushes to the aircraft carrier's side in worry due to the fresh injuries all over her body.
"Where am I? How did I get here?" Graf Zeppelin looks around her and recognizes the shipgirls surrounding her
"Graf Zeppelin...this is the other world..." Mikasa replies
"The what...?"
"This is the world we all agreed to travel in search of answers and to hunt down a Siren" Saint Louis clarifies
"That Arbiter. She threw me here on purpose, and now Iron Blood..." Graf Zeppelin grits her teeth
"We might need to call Bismarck, but I'm sure she would be baffled and surprised at...this"
Prince of Wales isn't certain on how to properly react at the situation since their Graf Zeppelin suddenly comes flying out of the gateway and land in front them after what seems to be a result of an encounter with one of the Arbiters.
South Pacific ocean...
The Maizuru fleet with the Kriegsmarine's Bismarck as the flagship sorties on high alert, anticipating an enemy. The more they venture further, the more their visibility and detectability range shortens, much to their anxiety. Bismarck grips her firearm with her mounted secondaries, growing cautious and slightly nervous.
"This is bad news" Iowa scratches her head
"W-where did this fog came from?" Gambier Bay begins to tremble
"Those outsiders did warn us that entering a fog means we might be in a Mirror Sea" Yamato furrows her eyebrows
"If this is a Mirror Sea, then we need to reach outside again since it will only engulf a certain radius" Bisnarck arranges her cap
Eight shipgirls find themselves within a possible trap by the Sirens. Their visibility is low, so each one of them is one high alert and ready to fire as soon as they confirm sighting of an Abyssal or a Siren.
"Gamby, can't you launch scout planes?" Iowa raises an eyebrow
"That's impossible. It's so hard for me to see that my pilots can't see anything either. Besides, not only my radars are malfunctioning, the equipment in my planes render it impossible to fly through the fog" Gambier Bay shakes her head
"You know the rules: don't separate from the fleet. The moment we get scattered is the moment we become easy pickings"
Bismarck briefly turns to face the others and reminds them the danger if they happen to be separated from the rest of the fleet. Everyone nods in agreement while this only make Gambier Bay even more nervous.
"Hopefully one of those enormous Siren weapons doesn't show up. I don't think...I can wrestle with it like Musashi did" Yamato nervously laughs
"If it's the sea dragon, then we might beat it. The multi-headed one is the pain in the ass" Bismarck grits her teeth"
"Even so, such weapons is too difficult for us to damage" Vanguard sighs
"It's fine. That greedy cat used Siren parts to enhance our riggings. This way, we can fight the Sirens the same way those outsiders shipgirls do" Bismarck smiles confidently
Initially, battling the Sirens is difficult for the Maizuru fleet as they are completely different from the Abyssals they have been fighting. They are not equipped to battle sea-based beings with highly advanced weaponry and knowledge of other timelines.
[How confident. Let's put it a test, shall we?]
"...!"
A voice echoes at all directions and speaks as if the source is right near them. There's no one else within their limited field of vision but the fleet itself, but the voice speaks as if she can clearly hear and see each one of them.
"Wha - where did everybody go?"
In a blink of an eye, Bismarck's allies suddenly vanishes behind her, leaving her alone in the middle of the mist-covered. She immediately steels herself and readies her armaments, an effort to match the enemy's element of surprise.
[It's not yet in a perfect stage, but you people will make excellent sparring units against these Pawn]
"What game do you want to force one us, Siren?" Bismarck clicks her tongue
[For you? I made something special. She had existing data before her extermination, so her combat and movement patterns almost mirror the original]
"Huh-"
Shells rain on Bismarck before she can process whatever the Siren is implying. Bismarck quickly move herself backwards and twist her body to the left, prompting a supposed direct hit to be near miss. Even if she can't evade the continuous barrage, she can at least minimize the damage. She needs to retaliate in order to interrupt the barrage, but it's impossible to pinpoint the exact location of her opponent due to the fog.
"Damn it. I can't just fire willy-nilly with this damn fog hindering my vision. My radars can't even detect the enemy ship"
Not only the fog is limiting her vision, but it also renders her radars almost useless since the source of the barrage can't be detected.
"Someone's coming this way..."
Bismarck moves herself backwards by a meter or two even if the barrage suddenly ceases raining down on her. A figure takes form in the fog, shaping a humanoid figure with the bulk of the rigging on both sides.
"...It's you...?!" Bismarck grits her teeth as her eyes dilate
"..."
"Beast...!"
The lonely Queen of the North meets her end, so the savage Beast takes her place. Unlike the old one, this one soullessly stares at Bismarck. Her eyes lack the impulsive frustration and lack of reasoning, just empty.
"What are you doing here? Why are you shooting at me?"
"..…..."
"Say something...Tirpitz!"
"..…..."
"...Are you even the real one...?"
Her opponent remains silent as if none of Bismarck's reaches her. It doesn't even look the Beast can recognize her words, let alone her existence. Clearly, this one is just a mindless puppet being moved by the perpetrator lurking somewhere in the Mirror Sea.
[That's correct. The Abyssal right in front of you is a Pawn reproduced from the countless testings she has been subjected some time ago]
"Testing? So it was you...who imprisoned the Beast in the North and have her lash out at us" Bismarck clenches her fists
[It's exactly me, but I have knowledge of the event. Subject A12, experienced countless simulations in which she dies in all of them. According to the leftover data, both her physical body and mental state breaks down after two months]
"Why would you subject my sister and other shipgirls to your sick experiments. You are when worse than the Abyssals" Bismarck grows to resent the Sirens even more
[It's for the betterment of what's to come. One cannot advance without trial and errors. How do you think humanity progressed after so many generations? Of course, it's logically to test then sacrifice over and over again - until the desired result is achieved]
"...!"
[Of course, you and everyone else wouldn't understand. Well, human hypocrisy is why conflict emerges since the first civilization. It is the core reason why Sirens came to be...]
"I don't care whatever your reason, I will not allow you to toy with the lives of others just because you believe it's for the better cause"
[Huh. Hypocrisy at its finest]
The Siren immediately grows silent and leaves Bismarck with silent and still Beast who she thinks just frown...even if it's for a brief moment.
"A...copy..."
(She spoke?!)
The Beast clenches her fists and bites her lip, displayed deep frustration which genuinely surprises Bismarck. A Pawn based on an Abyssal shouldn't be capable of speech, let alone a single hint emotion, but it appears the Pawn begins to display sentience.
"Bismarck..." The Beast raises her hand and pierces her own chest
"What...did you just do...to yourself?"
"...Go"
"Go?"
"That wretched ghost kept a piece of Tirpitz's soul, information, in order to produce a copy like me"
"..."
"...I know what happened. Bismarck, I don't like what that damn ghost did to Tirpitz...and it pisses me off even more with how I'm forced...as a Pawn"
The Beast crushes her own heart and blood spills from both sides of her mouth. Her eyes remains soulless, yet she is filled with mixed emotions.
"Tirpitz...never wanted to hurt you...but her soul is destroyed when that fucking ghost used her corpse. That's why...you have to destroy her and the Siren who used her like their own toy"
"...I will" Bismarck takes a deep breath and nods
"Even outside, that you lose someone without knowing it. The moment they learn it...the betrayal just twists horribly"
"What are you trying to say?"
"...That's it's always like this. So, you must go ahead...before other Pawns take out your allies"
"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for Tirpitz..."
"I should...be...the one saying that..."
Bismarck tips her cap right before she passes the heavily bleeding Beast who keeps killing herself while her fragmented consciousness remains. Even without words, she faintly smiles towards Bismarck who already leaves her in order to aid her other allies within the Mirror Sea as well. Bismarck succeeds against her opponent without so much lifting a finger.
[I never expected how that Pawn will immediately rebel and end herself. Even so...]
The Siren Custodian, a false name an Arbiter like her uses, continues to observe the other shipgirls within the Mirror Sea.
"Even as fakes, Suzutsuki and the others are strong..." Yamato steadies her breath
"...Punch!"
"Wha-!"
Iowa's fist drives through Pawn versions of some allies from the Maizuru fleet, much to Yamato's great surprise. No one would just barge in and immediately land a blow even if they are against fake versions of people they know.
"Iowa-san, you could have punched the wrong shipgirl!"
"No, I'm certain since I heard you fighting these fakes!"
Iowa continue to eliminate the Pawns as they lack intelligence comparing to the original versions which is why even Iowa can easily take them down.
"There's no point in hesitating right now. I was almost done for a while ago since I was up against another me. Too bad they couldn't even capture my whole strength" Iowa pouts
"What about the others?"
"I don't know, but let's try to find them before we get out of this fog"
"R-right!"
The two battleships head out to foil the rest of the Siren's plan to toy with them as part of an experiment, a typical Siren behavior. On the other hand, Bismarck traverses through the fog by herself, searching for both her allies and the boundary of the Mirror Sea...only for the mastermind to meet her directly.
"No matter which version, Bismarck tends to defy what's laid in front of her and reject the so-called fate" Custodian clicks her tongue
(Who's this Siren with a winter coat?) Bismarck readies herself
"Tyrant needs to access the archives, so I can't let any of you interfere"
"Why are you helping her? If I recall, Sirens use shipgirls for their own benefit" Bismarck is aware of the obvious fact
"I am not like the Empress and the others. The reasons why I was made this way because a certain humans interfered in the creation of the Arbiters. My perspective of this world is aligned with the one person who I deem as my creator"
The Arbiter removes her white winter coat and reveal and partially armored dress beyond it. She summons her rigging who circle around her with fangs and jaw bare wide open, ready to tear Bismarck in a single command of its owner.
"Enterprise is a complete waste. Ghost was mirrored as designed by that woman, but Enterprise couldn't discover it herself. Even those two children are a complete waste"
The Siren gestures her rigging to close its jaws and remain on standby while she continues to converse with the cautious Bismarck.
"It doesn't matter. There's no time to regret, and your world won't be involved in the near future"
"What do you mean?"
"Whoever wins, the outcome remains the same. The events more than seventh months ago will be undone. Everything will be just be a fleeting dream save for the other Bismarck"
"Tirpitz already informed me about that"
"That girl knows about the outcome but wastes her time idling around. She's no better than her more stubborn sister" Custodian sighs
About a minute ago, the Custodian prepares to engage Bismarck in a one on one combat but immediately loses interest. She even lowers her animated rigging in a shape of a sea creature.
"I'm not the one who would toy with your right now"
"Tell me about my sister, Siren"
"That's no longer of your concern. You'll have her back and you won't remember losing her anyway"
"...!" Bismarck blinks in confusion
"I forgot to tell you..."
"...?"
"...I borrowed the Leviathan from the Empress"
"The what-?!"
The Siren Custodian raises her right hand and weakly sways her index finger, causing faints waves around their area. As the Siren slowly backs away, the sea slowly rumbles that Bismarck can barely maintain her balance.
"Wait, we're not done yet!" Bismarck calls her out
"Like I said, this will no longer concern you soon. The events will flow naturally on its own..." The Siren smirks
"Wait-!"
The path between her and the Siren is cut when the enormous being emerges out of surface, leaving a wake that almost shakes Bismarck off from her balance and drenches her from the large splashes of the waves.
"That's the same one form the Bermuda!" Bismarck recognizes the enormous sea monster
She is aware of its existence since her fleet encounters it during an investigation at the Bermuda Triangle. The creature flees from the scene as soon as they engage it in combat, but it doesn't matter now. The fearsome Leviathan is summoned to eliminate Bismarck who is completely no match against an ancient weapon that even an Elite Siren would have difficulty destroying completely.
"You have got to be kidding me..." Bismarck clenches her fist
The Siren slowly disappears from her view while Bismarck is unable to pursue her due to the enormous Siren weapon locking its sight on her. If she tries to ignore the Leviathan, it will certainly try to eliminate her without a doubt. One direct strike from the Leviathan will mostly likely sink her.
"Bismarck-san!"
In an instant, Bismarck's body moves backing away from the Siren when a familiar voice loudly calls out her name. Shells pierce through the fog in the Mirror Sea, landing several hits on the Leviathan's body, causing it to let out a shaking roar. This force of that road echoes so much that it paralyzes Bismarck for at least five seconds.
"Fire!"
Yamato emerges from the thick fog, reloading as fast she could and unleashing every ounce of strength she has right towards the enormous weapon. This only causes the Leviathan to weakly pull itself back, barely fazed by the amount of raw firepower Yamato is blasting to it. Each shells causes a power explosion yet it only dents and cracks the armor but not enough scrape it off.
"That voice-"
"Bismarck-san, is that you?"
"Yamato!" Bismarck brightly smiles at the sight of her own ally
"Thank goodness, you're not one of those fake ones" Iowa is also with her
"That fake Destroyer Princess scared me half to death..." Gambier Bay sighs in relief
"I was almost beaten up by copies of certain Royal navy battleships..." Vanguard grunts
"This fog is messing with us" Atlanta shakes her head
Behind the anti-air cruiser are the destroyers Yuudachi and Shigure, the former looking she goes through heavy fire while she is lost in the fog. The eight shipgirls assemble, facing against the one yet enormous Siren weapon. The Leviathan can be destroyed, but it is made to withstand heavy fire due to its obvious flaw of its size.
"Yamato, can you guns blow through it?" Bismarck needs a confirmation
"I'm sorry, but it's unlikely. If I was remodelled like Musashi, I might be able to blow through its armor" Yamato sadly replies
The salvo earlier from Yamato's main turrets should be proof how even after receiving a direct hit from Yamato, the colossal weapon remains standing with little to no damage from the force of two battleships.
"Then are we just going to brute force our way out of here?" Bismarck sighs
"Seems like it" Vanguard frowns at the growling sea monstrosity
"Even if we beat it, going after the Siren is no longer possible...but we need to escape from this Mirror Sea"
The opportunity is presenting itself, yet the enormous weapon remains in place without firing a single blast from its cannons or launching any rockets right at the sight targets in front of it. It continues to silently stare them, making them inside whether it can recognize them or simply has an order to hinder them but not kill them.
"W-why is just staring at us?" Gambier Bay swallows her breath
"Is it me...or is it looking away?" Atlanta rubs her eyes
Atlanta isn't hallucinating. The enormous weapon turns its head away, but the sheer size is forcing it to move slower than it needs to. Both of its brightly crimson eyes shifts from the shipgirls beneath it to a faraway direction, perhaps somewhere outside the Mirror Sea.
"I think that thing's busted..." Iowa tilts her head
"...!"
To everyone's surprise, not only the Leviathan completely ignores them, it begins to move the rest of its enormous body away from the enemies ready to engage it any time. The wake of its movement creates wave after wave that is strong enough to shake the three battleships off from their balance.
"Why is it ditching us?" Bismarck is visibly confused
"I don't know, but let us use this opportunity to escape this fog" Vanguard suggests
"It's better to escape rather than risk fighting it when it's moving away from us" Yamato adds
"Then we need to search for the boundary of this Mirror Sea before it changes its mind"
Bismarck prioritizes the safety of her and everyone else's life rather than risking every single one of them by provoking the fleeing Leviathan. She doesn't want to also get whether they can destroy such an enormous weapon as it is a creation by the Sirens, not their usual enemies.
"I never expected for you to interfere yourself..."
The Siren Custodian sighs as she somehow finds a replacement for the coat and tosses away earlier and inserts her arms back into its sleeves. When she adjusts the barely thick winter clothing, she flips the hood back on, covering everything except for her own face.
"That is...almost beyond my acceptable limit. Besides, this Mirror Sea is alarming for a certain reason. You are "
A young woman with short dark hair and wearing a typical lab coat for scientists and researchers, gazes at the large area the Mirror Sea is encompassing.
"Alarming? For someone who is sadistically observing while humanity is tearing each other apart..."
"I don't hold the future of humanity or their fate. Rather, it's because there is one person this one entrusts it to. Although the cause of it is someone who is seen as the source of that burdened girl's suffering"
"That particular human back in Azur Lane..." Custodian sighs in disappointment
"I have yet to understand why she and the error creation seems to be attacked to that particular human"
"Then go see that human for yourself"
"I don't believe I would be able to restrain myself against those humans"
"..."
"What do you strive for, Fool? You strayed off from the other Arbiters on your accord the moment you were activated. Much like a child, you threw a tantrum and slaughtered a whole base in which you awakened to"
The reminder of an unpleasant memory causes the incomplete Arbiter to bite her lip, restraining intense anger. This emotion stems from someone else as she bursts out the second she awakens into the world.
"There is only one result and that is the erasure of Sirens and shipgirls alike. My source instinctively avoids erasing humanity, so I at least want to fulfill her wish without disrespecting it" Custodian clutches her chest
"Even if weapons are eliminated, humans will simply rebuild a new one. Their own creation only results to self-destruction. It is...a cruel cycle of progress after all"
"Last time I attempted such wish...I ended up somewhere where a mineral causes incurable disease to...humanoid beings. Hopefully, I don't return to that...extreme reality" The Custodian shudders
The unnamed woman chuckles while the Leviathan is now faintly visible within their field of vision. Its eyes are locked to the two Sirens awaiting for it to return to both its owner and current wielder. Whether the shipgirls are outside the Mirror Sea now is no longer their concern, specially the Siren Custodian who almost clashes with Bismarck.
Extra
The Pillars are gathering as the clash for the one miracle the World Tree can grant draws near between Bismarck and Tyrant. They seek to undo and change the outcome. There can be only one wish the archive at the very center will heed, so an inevitable clash between them is unavoidable. Bismarck seeks to save Tirpitz by making sure Tyrant never exists begin with, but Tirpitz herself has her own concerns.
"How long will I pretend to be dead? I mean I survived and all" Essex raises her own concern
"You can show up tomorrow once everyone starts duking out at each other" King George V suggests
"We should really be talking about the outcome of tomorrow's last face-off with Tyrant. After this concerns you, Tirpitz"
When Prinz Eugen reminds everyone of why they are even gathered in the first place, the three of them shifts their attention right towards Tirpitz who is just sitting right beside Prinz Eugen, not uttering a single word for the past five minutes.
"Tyrant doesn't want to kill or destroy anything, but still..." Tirpitz bites her thumb
"She got angry at me because we know what you're up to, but we're not doing anything. Even though she asked us in thr first place" Essex groans
"Tyrant is going to pry open a gateway to the outside of the boundary. Doing so will destroy her existence since her mental cube wouldn't withstand such pressure"
Much like the others, King George V is aware of the suicidal method Tyrant is willing to go through in order to achieve her goal. Bismarck sees her as someone behind saving due to her nonsense realization and desperation, but she has no other choice.
"It seems she talked with Ash and the others. If Tyrant allows Ghost to finally implement herself within the inner machinations, she would be complete" Essex tilts her head
"In order to do that..." King George V frowns
"..." Tirpitz lowers her head
"Tirpitz isn't going to back down, and it's not up to us anyway. This isn't just for Iron Blood's sake...but for everyone else's. I'm just not sure whether that thing will be cooperative or send this world to ruin once again"
"Who in the right mind even made that thing anyway? I mean, no sane person would make something so unstable with Enterprise in mind-"
"..." King George V whispers to her
Essex immediately closes her mouth shut, surprised that she isn't aware on the human responsible for creating an incomplete being that is trapped outside the boundary due to the danger in possesses towards both shipgirls and Sirens.
"It was made as a failsafe against humans and Sirens. Rather, it was left by that person before some filthy scums camd" Prinz Eugen wraps her arms around her legs
"I wonder what it felt after losing its own creator before it can even be born"
"Whatever it is, I still have a goal to fulfill even if my mental cube is barely holding on" Tirpitz finally speaks
Essex looks at King George V, showing concern since Tirpitz is refusing to back down no matter the cost. She is willing to push through with her own plans without Bismarck and everyone else knowing.
"Those two won't succeed. They can fight over it, but at the end of the day..." Tirpitz couldn't continue her own words
"Hey, everybody~!"
The energetic and battle-loving Siren Purifier interrupt the four shipgirls while they are in the middle of an important discussion. Her appearance replaces the serious mood around everyone with a rather annoyed one due to her uninvited presence.
"Something's neat is going on back in Azur Lane. You guys better check out the feedback~"
The Siren Purifier tosses in the air what looks like a projector and displays a large holographic screen featuring an Iron Blood fleet going against Arbiter XV: Devil. To be specific, Graf Zeppelin is having difficulty evading and retaliate against a Siren with a pair of horns proturding on both side of her head much like a typical western devil.
"Graf Zeppelin?" Prinz Eugen frowns as she stands up
The four shipgirls have all their attention at the clash between an unusually silent Siren and the already annoyed Graf Zeppelin. The latter is sustaining heavy damage from countless rockets raining on her while the Siren herself is observing her every move.
"There are potential improvements, but I doubt that would be possible in your case"
"Are you mocking my incomplete state, Siren?"
"...Perhaps, but I have to get rid of you for the time being"
"What are you-"
The Siren stretches out her arms, spreading out as pillars of sorts as pillar-like sticks align in front of her forming what seems to be an octagon.
"This is-"
Graf Zeppelin withdraws herself, sensing immediate danger on whatever the Siren is planning to do. Her aircraft responds to her order of showering the Siren with her Stukas.
"Her armor isn't wavering since the beginning of the fight!"
No matter how much Graf Zeppelin puts her effort in interrupting the Siren's next move, a barrier ensures no bombs or torpedoes will reach through the Siren herself. In a span of two minutes, the Siren finishes charging each of the pillars and synchronizing all of it at once.
"Farewell, oh steel wings of Iron Blood"
Essex, one of the four shipgirls watching the live scene unfolding, also witnesseses the Siren snapping her fingers and successfully opening what appears to be the same gateway they use to travel from one world to another. King George V and Prinz Eugen frown at the sight of Graf Zeppelin being pulled by the sheer force of the gateway, much like the kind during King George V's sabotage.
"Where was she sent?" Tirpitz walks to towards the Siren Purifier
As if she is upset at she has to watch earlier, she smacks away the hovering projector, causing it to break upon impact to the concrete ground. She then grabs the Siren by the collar and raises her voice while demanding an answer from the maniacally grinning Purifier.
"That gateway would lead to another gateway. If you want to know, ask any of the Arbiters since they are more aware of the actions of other Arbiters" Purifier raises both of her hands
"..." Tirpitz frowns
"Don't look at me. I just came here to show it to you guys"
"..."
"Your concern should be with the upcoming head-on clash between Tyrant and Bismarck. For all you know, Devil is just aiming for a distraction on both sides"
Tirpitz pushes Purifier away and almost makes her stumble down the ground, still visible upset when one of the Arbiters snares Graf Zeppelin in their trap.
"You people shouldn't be wasting any more time. Tyrant is erecting a Singularity at the location where she's planning to pry open a direct path to the World Tree" Purifier snickers
"Go run back to the Empress, Purifier. I have no intention to whims right now"
"I'm being serious. Empress told me to inform you on what's to come"
The Siren Purifier corrects Tirpitz as she is about to leave the four shipgirls who are clearly not friendly towards her. She mockingly tells them about it while she hope away from the scene as quick as she suddenly interrupts them earlier.
"Facing Tyrant is up to them. We're just here to see this through" Essex shrugs her shoulders
"I'm not certain what Littorio's is up to, but I'm keeping an eye on her after this whole situation" King George V adds
"Then I'll be leaving the rest to you, Eugen..." Tirpitz crosses her arms
"...Go do it yourself" Prinz Eugen immediately refuses
"You know that's not possible, at least not for the me standing here right now"
"You are...just like Bismarck" Prinz Eugen laments it
Tirpitz removes her cap and reminds Prinz Eugen on why she shouldn't be really sturbbon and not in the mood right now since what Tirpitz asks to leave in Prinz Eugen's care is serious and urgent matter. Of course, Prinz Eugen is aware how this is urgent, otherwise Tirpitz won't entrust it to her or the other two. Her only reply on how it's saddening that Tirpitz is beginning to sound like Bismarck.