Why are you going this far?
The sky can no longer bring forth the light of a better tomorrow. War tears apart the world and sets everything ablaze. The one fresh sea breeze is completely overwhelmed by the choking black smoke from the burning corpses and wreckage littering in the water. What used to be a whole world is beyond recognition now after sins finally breaks the foundation of the once stable world.
"There's nothing to be saved here, Bismarck" Ember softly reminds her
"...I couldn't even save Iron Blood" Bismarck lowers her head
"It wasn't your fault. The one they pitted against you was no longer your sister and you couldn't foreseen Prinz Eugen's betrayal"
"There's nothing left in Iron Blood anymore. Prinz Eugen helped that Leviathan forced a META on Tirpitz...and let her loose like a mad dog"
Iron Blood is no more and the world is already beyond saving. Despite losing everything and having her struggles rendered to nothing in the end, Bismarck firmly stands with concrete will still burning brightly in her eyes. Guilt strangles her heart and she couldn't stop her hands from shaking, but she refuses to surrender to the ground just yet.
"They used me by tricking me into killing Victorious. This triggered the already planted META core to overload Tirpitz and drive her insane. I couldn't put her down back then...and allowed her to escape" Bismarck grits her teeth
"Bismarck, you're already weakened. If you try and fight against your corrupted sister, you won't win. Remember she already absorbed a large portion of your META's primary core" Ember guesses Bismarck's intention
"Tirpitz is beyond saving and will stay a mad dog if I let her be. I have to put my sister to a rest..."
"You're going to put her out of her misery, but you'll die too" Ember grabs her cape
"My body is beginning to break down. This is the least as I can do as the former leader of Iron Blood...and her older sister"
Bismarck gently caresses the eerily glowing crack running from left cheek down to her left arm. Her dulled and exhausted azure eyes alone speak how she's slowly losing vitality from her already weakened mental cube. It's a mystery how she can remain standing firmly when anyone would have collapsed a long time ago.
"How about Prinz Eugen?"
"...I'll deal with Eugen first. It's my responsibility to chase down former allies in Iron Blood" Bismarck resolves to punish her
"Bismarck, you're not reckless. You're not going to go out to a suicide mission without a contingency plan"
"You're right. I have backup, but it's too early to have it set forth" Bismarck nods
"What do you mean?"
"Physical bodies may wither, but resolve and will remains eternal. I will pass that will to my backup plan" Bismarck lifts her hand and clenches it
"That back up plan must be worth it. Your corrupted sister and Eugen are jumping to a different timeline. There's no certainty that past is the root of this future considering how extremely confusing the timelines here work" Ember scoffs
"It may be confusing, but it makes a great excuse to make even the most nonsensical possible"
Ember may still remain skeptical, but even a weakened Bismarck can still muster enough strength to believe in the faintest possibilities.
"You're saying that it's our only hope, huh. Still the fact that you're standing..."
Bismarck is someone who perseveres until the very end which what makes her might almost unparalleled, but Ember can see that hope and stubbornness is likely to be Bismarck's downfall after learning that lesson in a tragic way.
"You overheard everything, right?" Bismarck slightly turns her head to the right
"...?" Ember turns her back to the direction Bismarck is facing
"..." An unknown person sighs in dismay
A young woman clad in black Iron Blood uniform calmly steps out of a destroyed wall and slowly approaches the two survivors. Ember is more wary with how the unknown shipgirl is clad in mystery and how she's quiet behind a disguise...yet Bismarck can only gaze at her in pity and sorrow.
It's nothing but an old ruined memory that a certain someone would wish to forget once everything is said and done. Her body has its limit and so she is forced to rest from time to time despite her will to keep moving for the sake of undoing a mistake.
"You've been sleeping soundly...H-class?"
"..."
Littorio polishes her prized saber with a silk-like cloth and admires the sunlight's reflection on its proud shining silver blade. She greets the exhausted battleship in a sarcastic tone, but the latter groans from how the entirety of her body is still aching.
"H-39. It's H-39" H-39 rubs her head
"It feels weird calling you with that name. Can I go back calling you Bismarck instead? I mean you're the proud Bismarck I've also known" Littorio sheaths her sword
"You're a talkative one, so I suggest you stick with H-39. Besides, you like to be a part of a game when you know it's worth the effort"
"My dear sister Venetto doesn't like taking such gamble, but I don't like being so plain. I prefer where there's a bit of thrill" Littorio winks
"Which one is possessing you again?"
"How rude. I am the shining Littorio of the Sardegna Empire and nothing more"
"...How many times have you been killed, Littorio?"
The other version of Iron Blood's Bismarck, H-39, grabs the battered helmet she would always wear in public but decides to set it aside on top of a small bookshelf beside her. She then turns to question the truth from Littorio.
"Oh my~ Have you found out? As expected of Bismarck who went through hell and back just to reach this timeline ahead of her corrupted sister" Littorio sarcastically applauds
"..."
"My actual deaths have been emulated about a hundred a long time ago. There's only so much a mental cube can handle and in face of such strain...I resulted in high emotional output" Littorio spins her index finger in the air
"I see. That explains your sudden excitable and thrill-seeking behavior"
"Their plan to bring back Orochi won't amount to anything considering who's lurking nearby. No, perhaps that's the reason they decided to even try rebuild Orochi"
"Even so, I have to act as much as possible. It is what I have to do as Bismarck" H-39 stands up
"What you have to do as Bismarck, huh..."
Littorio's expression changes to a pitying one seeing how a ruined version of Bismarck is pushing herself everyday. When H-39 goes to grab her helmet, Littorio couldn't help but frown seeing the battered helmet matching "Bismarck's" greatly exhausted appearance.
"You should regroup with the others. They've been looking all over for you"
H-39 fully conceals her identity as another version of Azur Lane's Bismarck when she inserts the helmet back on without a second doubt.
"I guess the same thing goes for you. Not only you confused the Maizuru fleet, the present Bismarck is going to realize you're a primary suspect"
"I am...Bismarck too. That's why I know what she's up to next"
"Technically speaking? Yes"
"The Regia Marina will be looking for you. Do as you please while I have to annoy the Sirens again"
"You're still moving without looking back? Is your failure to protect Iron Blood driving you with so much guilt?"
"..."
H-39 briefly pauses and barely turns her head to Littorio but remains silent. She will do whatever it takes to correct her mistake even if she doesn't have to rest every step of the way.
Maizuru naval district...
After the whole scuffle the other day, AL Akagi has to be the placed in a mostly empty room sealed by pure white floors and ceiling. Not only the door is tightly locked, the surveillance camera in the top left corner assures that she won't dare try to escape and disappear.
"...?"
The sound of the door's locks being undone causes her ears to be in high alert. Her eyes solely focus on the door slowly opening and a hand still holding onto the doorknob.
"Oh..."
"You still look a bit angry, Akagi" Mikasa approaches the only vacant chair
Mikasa reluctantly waves her hands and visibly smiles awkwardly with how tense the atmosphere between them. Akagi averts her gaze not because she holds a grudge against Mikasa but to someone else instead. As the silence continues, Mikasa takes her seat while observing Akagi's current terrible mood.
"I already answered all of your questions" Akagi softly replies
"I know you're not the type to lie in this kind of situation, but it's really impossible for Bismarck to be there. Everyone testified she never left and surveillance in this base showed she interacted with others whole day"
Mikasa slides printed photos of Bismarck from the surveillance all over the base complete with timestamps. The first image shows Bismarck friendly chatting after the sparring session with King George V and the second one also shows Bismarck being intrigued at what the destroyer trio are showing her.
"Since I was there, I couldn't believe it was an imposter. I have my suspicions because Bismarck would never abandon a fight"
"There was someone else there. When I burned Prinz Eugen, a shipgirl incapacitated me out of nowhere. She knew the cube was already stolen...and Prinz Eugen didn't know"
Akagi grits her teeth when the memory of being humiliated for the second time. When she overpowers Prinz Eugen, someone reverses the advantage and somehow instantly defeats her.
"How did it happen anyway? I mean you being there?"
"...I truly can't remember"
When Akagi tries to dig deep within her recent memories, there's an alarming gap and every attempt only causes her discomfort. It's obviously unnatural to forget such an important detail.
"All I could remember was arriving there with the fake Bismarck. There's no way a Siren guise could fool me, so the impostor perfectly mimicked Bismarck's personality" Akagi is certain
"That's true. Among us, you're quite sharp and perceptive due to your protective nature. I'm only surprised you can actually be fooled just like that" Mikasa leans back on the chair
"It's a surprise you actually believe me?"
"I was actually observing when Shoukaku and Zuikaku asked you earlier. More importantly, I memorized how you behave even before arriving in this world because I was worried you might go out of line again"
Mikasa reluctantly admits knowing Akagi would be at least unhappy that she's being keenly observed out of fear she might do something drastic again. Fortunately enough, Akagi slightly shrugs her shoulders as if she's aware that someone like her needs other people to make sure she isn't going to cause trouble again.
"The fake Bismarck has the black mental cube. Before she knocked me out, I saw it in her hands" Akagi sighs
"Our suspicions were right. That faker left the battle when it confirmed all of use are occupied by the Sirens" Mikasa messages her temples
"Too much effort for one object. Bismarck is smart, so she wouldn't go the trouble of joining you the battle in the first place"
This only further cements the the proof that the Bismarck in Lerwick is nothing but an impostor and Akagi is tricked into being its accomplice.
"Even if you don't believe me, I truly don't remember if I ever saw her true face. It's most likely she tampered my memories when she knocked me out" Akagi leans on her chair
"While I believe you, Bismarck still has her doubts. She's clearly unhappy that someone used her identity to commit a crime. We even accused her"
Mikasa is somewhat embarrassed at the time she storms back at the Maizuru base believing Bismarck is the one responsible for the deception and theft. Her face reddens just thinking when several shipgirls testifies that Bismarck is at the base the entire time.
"Bismarck does believe you were used though since we found you unconscious by the shore. It looked like your attacked left you near the base and no one detected. She must have used a portal like the Sirens" Mikasa scratches her head
"I've been cheated in battles twice and now I was tricked by the enemy again. There's no way I can show myself to the commander like this!"
As a result, Akagi's pride is hurt and grows more furious than ever. She's unable to contain her bloodlust that even Mikasa is worried Akagi might take drastic measures if she ever gets released soon. After all, Akagi is someone who won't let anyone take advantage of her.
Later...
Iron Blood's Bismarck, along with Mikasa, watched all the available footage from the Lerwick base with the impostor Bismarck in the view.
"Impossible..."
The way she moves, acts, and appears are the mirror image of Bismarck herself with only the difference being the impostor's exhausted eyes. Not only that, the Bismarck that's present there even has the same ship and rigging which would take a lot of effort for the Sirens to perfectly replicate.
"No wonder why you were fooled, Mikasa. This pretender perfectly copied both my appearance and behavior" Bismarck is clearly upset
As she switches frome one feed to another, the impostor never once breaks her character. It's as if the one present there not too long ago is a perfect copy of her rather than a Siren pretending to be her.
"Do you want to try questioning Akagi?" Mikasa suggests
"Akagi was present at the battle when she's supposed to be at this base. I fear she's an accomplice of this impostor" Bismarck has doubts at her thoughts
"We can't let Akagi out for now out of suspicion but for the reason she will hunt down whoever used her on purpose. I believe you already knew Akagi was used"
"...I just became wary of my own allies when Tirpitz decided to discard her honor as a member of Iron Blood to be a mere pawn" Bismarck confesses
"You'll get your answers once you force her to talk. There's no sane shipgirl would even let herself be used by the Sirens without a good reason"
"A good reason, huh. Tirpitz had no ambitions for the future, so her drastic change came as a surprise. I don't think Eugen can convince her just like that"
"There's someone out there leering at you, Bismarck. It's as if it's testing you...or toying with you"
"...?"
Mikasa's cryptic words concerns Bismarck, and her gaze isn't bluffing the slightest. There's an enemy they don't know and already observing each of their movements.
Arsenal...
AL Akashi rolls up her oversized sleeves and squeezes her hands lacking exposure to sunlight. She then proceeds to roll out a mylar paper commonly used for black and white blueprints. At the sight of the completely clear paper, Akashi breaks out a thrilled smile and snickers in excitement and not because she has another scheme in mind this time.
"What are you going to show us exactly?" Nagato leans closer
"Orochi. The piece of junk that was blasted to pieces" Akashi lifts a pen
"I'm surprised you're confident you know what it exactly looks like since you're not combat ship" Nagato is somewhat skeptical
"I did see it once and Akagi secretly kept the blueprint of its exterior and key weaponry. The Sirens rid of the rest it as soon as it was destroyed, nya" AL Akashi folds her ears in dismay
"That's actually helpful"
"We don't know other information such as the engine and parts that makes it functional, but fortunately enough Akagi was able to save the detail for its signature weapon - a missile or Burst Missile"
The way AL Akashi slides her hands with the pen on the paper and begins to shape the hull of the ship feels to natural. In fact, it's as if she's retracing it by pure memory even if she can only print the image of its exterior design.
"We'll start with the aft section because that's where the missile launcher is built, nya"
"Missile. This world's governments tends to hoard missiles and so I have a clear imagination of how devastating it is to ships from the past"
The world advances and so is human armaments. Guns remain common in the world, but the creation of missiles prove to be destructive to their opponents and even the ordinary civilians. As a weapon, it brings nothing but scarring destruction and unfortunate deaths.
"Hmm, this design isn't present to the ones humans have. That should be obvious due to advanced technology"
Nagato points at the drawing of the structure of the Burst Missile just right above the unfinished ship itself. The open launcher itself is right between the V-shape runways.
"According to the participants, not even bombardments from several ships of different types can even scratch its shield. The bullets are like raindrops and the ship itself is a rock - perfectly hitting it but completely pointless, nya" AL Akashi shudders
"What destroyed it if bombardment from a lot of shipgirls couldn't even crack it"
"Enterprise's miracle or something. The MVP herself couldn't properly explain how she returned to the fight and filled with burning will, she delivered a decisive shot that pierced right through the other end of the ship itself, nya"
"A...miracle. Although that sounds nice, I don't think we should always depend on miracle in the last minute" Nagato shakes her head
"Well, one shouldn't always depend the problem would be solved by miracles all the time. People never get far with that kind of thinking or even live" AL Akashi somewhat understands
"Is there any way of countering its durable shield other than believing and luck? We have to prepare in the case we aren't able to stop its reconstruction"
"Azur Lane armaments aren't enough to even crack it the slightest. However, the raw power of META and Siren technology can counter it. If we ever face that, then we're doomed for sure" AL Akashi begins to tremble
"Why do I get the feeling you're referring to something else" Nagato narrows her eyes
"..."
Before AL Akashi could complete Orochi's exterior blueprint, she hurriedly searches for any blank paper. Upon struggling to grab one at the other side of the table, she completely proceeds to work on a new sketch. Rather than a ship, AL Akashi shapes a monstrous head in the shape of a dragon born from the depths. It's first layer of jagged teeth protrudes from its jaws, and it also possesses three pair of eyes.
"What's that?"
"A monster. Right before I was found by your friends in the north, I was running away from the Sirens then this thing. It's how I ended up there to begin with, nya" AL Akashi profusely sweats
"That's not an Abyssal. A Siren?"
"It's far from a Siren. The common ones instinctively fled rather than chase me, nya"
"How did you even escape it? What some sort of luck do you have?"
AL Akashi may be small and not threatening in the eyes of even the enemy, but even someone like her should be have difficulty fleeing from an enormous enemy in the shape of a non-existing creature.
"I forgot to tell you. You know that quiet battleship with a helmet? She appeared out of a ripple and bought enough time for me to escape its detection"
"H-39 appeared out of a ripple?"
At first, Nagato is surprised to learn that a battleship with bare involvement in the situation can perform an unexpected feat, but it immediately turn to heavy suspicion when Akashi mentions a shipgirl of this world possesses an ability she shouldn't have such as travelling through a ripple.
"What else can you tell me of that experience when H-39 showed up?" Nagato eagerly asks
"I'm sorry, I started running without looking back the moment that large monster turned its attention to that faceless battleship. Although..."
"Although?"
Nagato grabs the small green cat on both sides and easily lifts her like a child. Surprisingly enough, AL Akashi isn't panicking, but she is nervous at the dead serious expression all over Nagato's face.
"I caught a glimpse of that shipgirl firing a distortion shell. The one that pulls in both solid mass and energy and rips them apart into nothingness. I think it's what you calla black hole but on a controlled scale and in form of a pitch black sphere, nya" AL Akashi flails her arms
"It looks like someone has an explaining to do" Nagato slowly lowers the green cat
"A-anyway, the Sirens would need a more powerful core to serve its power source. The cube stolen not too long ago is from an existing ship, nya"
"What will happen if they use that one?
"I can't say it might become a shipgirl like us since it's structure and origin is far too different. Even if it's possible, it wouldn't be controllable or fully functional. They would need a complex mechanism for that, nya"
"Does your Tirpitz or Prinz Eugen know about this? Why would they do the Siren's bidding if they know its existence alone is dangerous"
"Only our Bismarck can answer that since she's the big sister and all" AL Akashi shrugs her shoulders
Nagato returns her focus on Orochi's sketch that AL Akashi is continuing, specifically the missile with unknown destructive power since it's destroyed right before the ship could launch it the targets/
Somewhere in Italy...
Aquila, in the company of Duca degli Abruzzi and Giuseppe Garibaldi, patrols the territorial waters of their homeland. Abruzzi is slightly worried at how the area is awfully silent while Giuseppe yawns in complete boredom. The wind blows along the piece that even Aquila is being relaxed while gazing at the sky as her aircraft circles a large area.
"It's been a while since Abyssals wandered off our waters. I wonder if they finally learned not to mess with us" Giuseppe Garibaldi snickers
"Someone has been clearing them and it's not us" Abruzzi presses her hand on her chin
"We're also on the lookout for what they call another Littorio. I don't recall the details, but they said it's a shipgirl from another world"
"Another world? This stuff isn't my specialty..." Garibaldi drops her shoulders
"You're away from your base and the next thing you know is issues like another world and unknown enemies" Abruzzi giggles
"Things like this isn't easily understood, so it's best to not let everyone know. I suppose my admiral owes Warspite because of this" Aquila responds
The issue is in secret and the activity of Azur Lane isn't mostly known by the shipgirls. Others encountered "unknown shipgirls" but never reaching a conclusion thanks to some shipgirls of the Royal navy aiding in controlling the information.
"Queen Elizabeth is spoiling Warspite, huh. Letting her borrow the Royal Guards and all" Garibaldi smirks
"Royal Guards? Oh, those English battleships" Abruzzi immediately realizes
"A-anyway, if we spot another Littorio who matches the sketch given to us, we have to inform the Maizuru fleet" Aquila reminds me
"Don't worry. You can count on us" Garibaldi puffs up her chest
"Huh? What's this?"
As soon as her aircraft goes into formation, the fairy pilots radios her of the sudden change in situation. They head north and informs their carrier of the presence of unknown ships just at the edge of their detection range.
"Two damaged heavy cruisers about eight hundred meters away. Their not Abyssals and appeared to be unidentified shipgirls" Aquila reports to them
"Two heavy cruisers? Did we have any allies passing by here?" Garibaldi scratches her head
"Maybe they fled in this direction when they were attacked?" Abruzzi isn't certain
"If it's damaged shipgirls, then we have to reach them before Abyssals stumble upon them"
Aquila then retreats signalled her aircraft to not engage the two unknown presence in combat and instead circle around their area in the case of wandering Abyssals.
"Both you and I...faced quite the trouble today"
One of the two damaged heavy cruisers sigh in exhaustion and lazily observes Aquila's aircraft patrol the area around them. From her view, the friendly aircraft only appear to be flies swarming around food rather than protecting them.
"You're a troublesome cruiser. Maybe you shouldn't have come alone after all"
As the three Italian shipgirls draws closer to their location, the heavy cruiser surrenders her knees on the surface while the other is completely unconscious in front of her.
"Huh? Who are you?"
The moment Aquila spots two heavy cruisers, she instinctively draws her bow and prepares to launch a dive bomber squadron. She's only reluctant seeing one of them unconscious while the other is visibly exhausted and moderately damaged.
"...Prinz Eugen. Someone that used to work for Iron Blood"
Prinz Eugen, who still retains her eyepatch from the last encounter with Akagi, reluctantly responds at the three suspicious shipgirls.
"Are you a shipgirl?" Garibaldi remains on guard
"Shouldn't that be obvious? You're suspicious even if you can see my rigging is completely battered trying to calm this fool down"
Prinz Eugen points at the unconscious heavy cruiser who turns out to be Saint Louis.
"I was hoping to reach Maizuru to leave her there, but she swung madly. Good grief, those Sirens really did try to force that on her..." Prinz Eugen mutters to herself
"Maizuru? What do you mean?"
"The Maizuru base. Some shipgirls I know is being safely kept there, but they'll kill me as soon as I show my face - specially there rabid fox" Prinz Eugen scoffs
"Azur Lane. You're one of them. Err, I mean you're both?" Aquila lowers her bow
"Huh, so you're one of them. Well, there's...that..."
When Prinz Eugen voice begins to fade away, so does her consciousness. She overused the last of her strength against Saint Louis. The damages from the previous battle has yet to fully recover and the force battle now finally pusher to her limit. She doesn't even try to struggle against her draining strength and allows herself to fall motionless refusing to let her body collapse to the surface like Saint Louis.
"We're going have to tow them back, aren't we?" Garibaldi scratches the back of her head
"L-Looks like it..." Aquila awkwardly laughs
"I'm surprised she managed to stay conscious long enough to be found by other shipgirls"
On the other hand, the worried Abruzzi approaches the unconscious Iron Blood heavy cruiser and analyzes the damage of her rigging about a meter away from her. It's confirmed she's completely unconscious while her knees are still on the surface and so is Saint Louis.
Back at the base...
Littorio rushes to the scene when several base personnel are unsure how to handle the situation.
"Unhand me!"
The cause of the commotion and causing such a scene is AL Littorio who keeps speaking unfamiliar terms but somewhat similar to an artistic way of speaking Italian. H-39, who is quietly observing the commotion just a couple meters from them, shakes her head in disappointment.
"E-excuse me, what's going on?" Littorio is visibly worried
"Ms. Littorio! This lady stormed into the front gate and demanded to meet the shipgirls stationed here" A guard tips off his cap
"I am Littorio of the Sardegna Empire"
"What? This is Italy" Littorio tilts her head
"Littorio, did I tell you to let me handle the talking?" H-39 finally speaks
"Aren't you that German battleship? The experimental H-class?" Littorio barely recognizes her
"I need to speak with Aquila. Since she's from the Maizuru fleet, I could just hand it over to her" H-39 explains
"They just arrived and a bit busy as of the moment, but..."
KC Littorio couldn't properly explain while AL Littorio lifts herself from the ground and sends the one pinning her down flying at the back. The unusual strength shocks the personnel into backing away by a few steps.
"Perhaps you can explain it without causing a ruckus" Littorio wryly laughs
"Did something happened?" H-39 suspects
"It's better if I explain it over a cup of tea because this concern-"
"...Azur Lane" H-39 guesses
"How - I mean..."
The personnel look back and forth, clearly confused to what the two Allied shipgirls are discussing. From their expressions alone, they can already guess that it's not something they can openly speak about it.
Later...
After AL Prinz Eugen loses her consciousness shortly after she encounters three shipgirls from the Regia Marina, she floats in her sea of memories. Old ones still burn brightly, but her consciousness chooses to dwell into the recent ones and slips it into her dreams.
"You're going to make same mistake as Bismarck did"
She remembers sternly reminding Tirpitz who refuses to even look at her directly in the eyes. There's sorrow in Tirpitz's eyes, but she refuses to let that emotion overtake her due to her sole goal.
"It will erode your mental cube, so it's nothing but suicide" Prinz Eugen continues
"You're right. The input is far too much for me to handle, but it's possible if..."
Even if Tirpitz does accept the truth, she behaves as if she has no other choice and the risk is worth the sacrifice. This borderline desperation is what worries Prinz Eugen the most.
"Stop that. If you keep going that way, you'll play into that monster's hands"
"It's there under the ocean. Under the glorious names engraved in the surface is a pit of forgotten ones. If I could erase one specific point in this reality..."
"A strong wish requires a large sacrifice. Besides, removing something that was part of the flow of this world will have consequences"
Prinz Eugen angrily marches towards Tirpitz and grabs her sleeve when she sees that she might sacrifice others in order to accomplish one desperate wish.
"I know that...but I won't let you stop me"
Tirpitz's tone suddenly changes and her icy blue eyes fades into a shade scarlet ones. An unknown aura surrounds her and possibly influences her internally as well. She grabs Prinz Eugen's hand clutching to her sleeve and begins to squeeze it while she pulls it away from herself.
"Sirens...humans...the Sakura Empire. - it was them who stripped her of happiness. The one who made the world was humanity and not us!"
"Wait, you're not Tirpitz. How long have you been - no, you did this on purpose because of Bismarck"
The memory replaying in her dream ends there right before it could reach a xonclusion. Prinz Eugen regains consciousness and immediately feels the comfort of soft mattress on her back. Not only that, she opens her way feeling somewhat refreshed and comfortable like she has been asleep for hours.
"Looks like you had it rough, former member of Iron Blood?"
The moment Prinz Eugen raises her back and massages her still dizzy head, she is almost startled at AL Littorio stand at a corner with her arms confidently crossed.
"How long have you been standing there?" AL Prinz Eugen frowns
"You were starting to wake up when I just entered the room, so I decided to just wait here" Littorio half-heartedly replies
"..."
"So how did you get yourself beaten like this? It doesn't look like you were attacked by Sirens"
"I got into a fight with Tirpitz and almost struck me down. Before that happened, they were trying to infuse Saint Louis with something not even I could explain" Prinz Eugen stretches her arms
"What in the world happened to you? I mean you have an eyepatch"
"Akagi happened"
"Oh..."
Those words alone are enough to explain the lose of her left eye and burn marks concealed by the eyepatch. Touching it alone brings forth the unpleasant experience and excruciating pain of Akagi's flames filled with murderous intent.
"I suppose this is punishment for betraying your own nation. If it was me, I would have hung you upside down to a tree"
AL Littorio's words appear to be a bluff but her confident smile may also mean she wouldn't hesitate to do that to someone like Prinz Eugen.
"I suppose you're going to drag me to Maizuru now"
"Well, about that..." Littorio chuckles
"Don't tell me they decided to call them here instead"
"That would be H-39 who mysteriously appeared as soon as she informed the so-called Kriegsmarine stationed there. I think it's the Iron Blood of this world" Littorio shrugs her shoulders
"You might as well hang me now. I don't want to hear Hipper crying and ranting about me pretending to be dead for half a year. It was already annoying back in Norway"
The way Prinz Eugen shifts her laid-back demeanor to an unhappy one causes Littorio to burst out in laughter. For a moment, Prinz Eugen actually panics at the thought of having to face Admiral Hipper which is a rare reaction for someone who never breaks her forced smile.
"More importantly, you let her go when she had the black mental cube?" Prinz Eugen slowly gets out of the bed
"Who? What? Wait, explain first why Tirpitz attacked you" Littorio marches to her
"It was an argument first because I let a certain someone steal my objective before. As if possessed, she attacked me without hesitation. It made me think Tirpitz isn't herself the whole time" Prinz Eugen scoffs
"Possessed? Oh~ this is intriguing. I'm certain Bismarck will try to make you answer all of her questions once you tell her about it" Littorio rubs her chin
"Not if she draws her sword against me. Bismarck isn't the type to listen first, specially that she would think it's my fault why Tirpitz left Iron Blood"
"If Tirpitz is being used, then I'm certain she would listen. I don't like to think we have another enemy aside from the Sirens we are already facing"
"As long as Hipper isn't going to berate me for an hour, then I'm willing to speak"
Prinz Eugen sits back down at the bed, still physically and emotionally exhausted from the recent events, namely the thought of having to face her former allies sooner than she expects. Rather than panic like Littorio expects her to be, she refuses to submit to that emotion and remains with a mildly bored and relaxed expression as of now.
EXTRA
It almost feels like the world has become a pure white canvas. Saint Louis, in a feverish state, staggers to thread the empty the starts and ends nowhere. The world is completely empty yet the Iris Libre cruiser mindlessly wander without caring where her feet is dragging her. Only the sounds of her slow heavy footsteps fill the air, but her senses are as scattered as her thoughts.
"...?"
Not long, the world around breezes right through her as if a wind sweeps her from the everlasting emptiness back to the living world. The warm sunlight blesses her skin and the gentle breeze finally reconnects her senses back to reality.
"This base is..."
Saint Louis isn't anywhere near her homeland, but her familiar allies around her are unmistakable. The suspicious scenario disorganizes her thoughts again since she's fairly certain that the present time in front of isn't what she remembers.
"I'm supposed to be in another world along with several other shipgirls yet they're here acting like nothing's wrong"
Just relaxing by a cafe, Richelieu is lecturing Jean Bart about the importance of following the base's rules and on another side, AL Littorio is seemingly flirting with KC Abruzzi who is gently holding by a shocked Garibaldi.
"You are now honorary member of the Wolfpack" U-556 pats U-511 on the back
"I am...?" U-511 tilts her head
"I, Percival of the seas, baptize you"
"...and I, the leader of the Wolfpack, welcomes you" U-73 steps forward
"C-can I go back ...to sleep now...?" U-557 can barely stand up straight
U-73 and U-556 pouts at each other and playfully slap each other while U-511 keeps tilting her head in confusion. U-557 then finally collapses on the floor and completely ignores the cold solid concrete and slips into a deep sleep.
"Titanic!" AL Saratoga drops her jaw
"My this tiny version of me is actually adorable~"
KC Saratoga lifts her Eagle Union version seeing how child-sized and light she is. The sensation of KC Saratoga pressing her smaller version to her soft bouncy chest causes the latter to be flustered and on the verge of passing out. In fact, AL Saratoga is already deep between the chest that she goes silent from suffocation.
"This isn't real" Saint Louis slaps herself
Saint Louis shakes her head the moment she realizes the one in front of her is not the present she knows. Confused at the extremely realistic scenario, Saint Louis backs away and refuses to accept the smiles of the supposed allies in front of her.
"You're right, this isn't real..."
A sorrowful Amagi manifests from behind and softly replies, only to briefly startles Saint Louis. The deceased Sakura Empire ship appears before her without a doubt and it almost appears Amagi is in full health.
"You are...?"
"Just someone from the Sakura Empire, but I no longer belong here" Amagi passes by Saint Louis
"What do you mean?" Saint Louis remains cautious
"My body has longed expired. What remains of me chose to stay with a lonely being born from the depths - a Leviathan. Although she is feared by both Sirens and humans due to her brethren, she's capable of experiencing sorrow and guilt much like us"
Amagi lowers her umbrella and stretches out her hand, reaching for the bright sky filled with hope of another one like it. Even if hope exists, the sorrow lingering in her heart continues to pain her.
"I don't understand" Saint Louis walks towards her
"No one did. Which is why she ended up doing what she did. Although she is a monstrosity serving as an enemy of the world, she is yearning for something" Amagi shakes her head
"Who are you talking about anyway?"
"Azur Lane will meet her soon enough. Whether you recreate the mistake is no longer up to me. All I can do is to ease her sorrow even for just a moment..."
"You haven't really explained anything" Saint Louis frowns and raises her voice
"As much as I wanted to, I lack proper words to describe that rejected Leviathan. If you were to meet a shadow of a beast similar to me...please try to reason with her. She will cease to harm you so long as you prove you will not harm her"
The bright world then begins to wither away bit by bit and Amagi is helpless against it. Only Saint Louis is unaffected by the false world fading away right before her eyes, and all she can see is Amagi sincerely leaving her advice. She doesn't know exactly who is the outcast Leviathan, but Amagi pleads just seconds before she completely disappears along with the world.
[Amagi...]
An unknown voice on the verge of tears that belongs to know existing shipgirl howls and echoes within Saint Louis fading consciousness. When she finds herself unable to move further into a world now reduced to nothing but pitch black emptiness, an imposing presence looms above her.
"...?"
A shadowy fox-like beast with several tails and eyes brightly seething with unbridled rage unhinges its jaws while Saint Louis finds herself unable to move away from the towering monstrosity. She widens her eyes the moment the beast moves its neck and snap its jaws shut as soon as her entire being is in its mouth.
You have terrible luck, aren't you?
As she drowns into another endless pit and begins to suffocate, a whisper of a somewhat familiar shipgirl forces her to struggle and attempt to reach the source of the voice.
I don't what you're planning, but you're throwing a tantrum again...
If you want to vent out, do it on someone else and somewhere far away...
Besides, that girl won't be able to sustain herself if you continue like that...
Sorry, but I suppose I have to hurt you to calm you down...
In the brief moment Saint Louis catches a glimpse of a light, a blurry scene of Prinz Eugen seemingly pushing right through some sort of portal while a familiar beast is roaring and growling behind her. The beast's echo is enough to paralyze her already exhausted body, but its attention is right to Prinz Eugen. Before she can even witness the outcome of the struggle, her consciousness slips back into the endless pit and suffocates again.