Two META ships, Scharnhorst META and Gneisenau META, both share a definite hostile gaze towards the floating jackal god stuff toy in front of them. The toy quietly floats up and down, showing no signs of malice or killing intent.
"I never thought you'd find us...and in that form" Scharnhorst META narrows her eyes
"Being a toy wouldn't make a difference, Fool" Gneisenau META doesn't mask her displeasure
"Well, I'm frustrated to the point I had to find you two. I got humiliated by your friend a year ago"
"Your precious sample is in Iron Blood's hands and used to save Tirpitz. How many times will you talk about it?" Scharnhorst META crosses her arms
"That's the point! I lost the core after one of your friends let it fall in Iron Blood's hands!"
The jackal toy you frantically flails it's stubby arms and spins in the air due to its cartoon-like design. It's not entire mechanical and surprisingly appears to be a regular stuffed toy with modifications for long-distance communication.
"I heard after you nearly killed Tirpitz, she somehow survived" Scharnhorst META takes one step forward
"Yes, she did survive but she's forced to wear those things on her wrists or else she would turn her surroundings into the Arctic. Aaaah...it's a shame neither of them died after the operation..."
The jackal then lets out a loud dismayed sigh as it leans its body facing the ground. As a stuffed toy, it could only express dismay by moving its entire body as it doesn't have a neck or long limbs.
"It's a powerful core but its use against Arbiters is situational. All it could do is harm humans and kansens after all. Arbiters like me and METAs like you could at least resist it for a while" The jackal tries to cross its stubby arms
"Yeah, but having your hands and legs frozen wasn't a pleasant experience" Gneisenau META takes a step forward too
"Anyway, you're curious about your fellow Iron Blood ever since I informed you two that she's out of prison"
"You planned to kill her and retrieve the core"
Scharnhorst META grabs the "neck" of the stuff toy and freely tightly squeezes her hand to the point it looks like the beady eyes are going to pop out. It's a stuff toy used a means of communication by the actual Siren, but it flails its arms mimicking suffocation.
"Then would you have left Tirpitz as an emotionless hazard? She can't feel anything anymore and being around her is dangerous"
"..." Scharnhorst META and Gneisenau META look at each other
"That was my sample! Iron Blood just went ahead and stole it"
"That was from a dead META you harvested!"
Scharnhorst META tightens her grip on the stuffed toy and her expression grows dim. The toy frantically flails its stubby arms and legs when when the Arbiter watching through the screen is observing the two with slight dismay in her eyes.
"That wasn't my fault. I didn't even kill her!"
"What do you mean?" Scharnhorst META loosens her grip for a second
"There was too much blizzard, but it seems someone else was involved. I just couldn't tell if it's Siren or kansen."
"Unfortunately for you, Iron Blood got it and used to save Tirpitz's life"
"Save her life? Ha! Can you truly call that saved? The little sister is completely emotionless now and couldn't even hold her friend without those restraints"
"I will come for your real body if you ever try to come after anyone from Iron Blood"
After her dead serious threat, Scharnhorst META angrily tosses the toy body down to the ground and it just bounces a few times before rolling by at least a meter.
"Haha...how scary. You should be aware destroying a mainframe is the solution to severing a Siren's existence"
"You're underestimating us, Arbiter" Gneisenau META picks up the stuffed toy
"Do you think...you two are the one I'm concerned about?"
The real Siren moving and speaking through the toy turns her swivel chair around from the large projected screen in front of her. A kansen is present near hers but she's confident enough to casually cross her legs and rests both elbows on the arm rest.
"Huh, so you came back after all"
"..." The kansen takes a step forward
"Hmm-"
In the next two seconds, the Siren's arms falls limp on both side...after an unknown object flies through her and causes her head to immediately explode. The kansen makes no effort to destroy the rest of the body as an Arbiter can transfer herself to a new container so long as the mainframe exists.
"..."
Instead, the kansen moves forward at the screen still projecting the live feed of what the stuff toy can see through the pair of beady eyes. She narrows her eyes and frowns as if she recognizes the META version of the "Ugly Sisters". The two work as partners and seeing them together incites anxiety to the kansen when she clenches her trembling hands.
Victorious cheerfully swings her legs and tilts her head while stirring her favorite steaming hot tea. On the other side is her sister Illustrious, proudly watching her in a such a good mood. Unfortunately enough, the Indomitable and Formidable aren't present so the ship class could have a full tea party.
"You've been in a good mood lately" Illustrious asks in a teasing manner
"Well...after a year, I managed to drag that icy blockhead out of jail" Victorious pouts
"Tirpitz had to be imprisoned by her own sister because of the danger she brought to Iron Blood before"
"It's not like she wanted to be like that. I get it that she's alive because of the procedure but she ironically looks miserable while emotionless"
"Like it's torment to be alive?" Illustrious' voice turns serious
"The thing is she's unsure on how to see her situation. Tirpitz couldn't easily touch anyone, but she doesn't want to die. That idiot is unsure if she wants to live or die"
"Of course, Tirpitz is in a difficult place right now. She's experiencing the outside world and interacting with another. Even if it's only been a year, being contained inside a room without seeing the sun is tormenting"
When Illustrious mentions Tirpitz's situation before, Victorious clenches her fists remembering seeing Tirpitz quietly sitting with her gaze often on her hands. It's a painful moment for Victorious since Tirpitz herself doesn't care being detained in steel walls without experiencing actual sunlight.
"It makes me question if the old Tirpitz clild return. Even if she's avoiding me back then, at least she expressed her emotions like how she frowned and smiled at me" Victorious is on the verge of crying
"There, there. There's need for tears. I know it's difficult to see a dear friend in a terrible state like that"
To comfort her younger sister other than words, Illustrious takes the initiative to stand up and stand right beside Victorious. Illustrious lets her lean on her chest while gently petting her head.
"I miss the times when she gets angry at me for bothering her all the time and when she smiles when I do something silly. Right now, Tirpitz looks like she doesn't have any will to live like she's completely empty" Victorious voices out her frustrations
"You made it your goal have her remember warmth
"How could I leave her like that? I just couldn't let her be empty forever"
"You're a good friend, Victorious. You wanted to save her more than anyone"
"Can I really do it?"
"I believe you can. More than anyone, you know Tirpitz best. That's why I believe you would figure out how to make her smile at least"
At the very least, Illustrious' sweet and gentle tone is assuring Victorious into comfort and providing a bit of encouragement.
"Illustrious, do you think Bismarck did the right thing? She may have just wanted to save Tirpitz, but those two stubborn sisters couldn't be honest with each other" Victorious continues to voice her frustration
"Fufufu. They ended up misunderstanding each other, right?" Illustrious giggles
"I want the two of them to talk, but Tirpitz wouldn't like it and she might lose her trust on me"
"That's why you're letting her loosen up until you can convince her to willingly meet Bismarck again"
"Yeah. That way, the incident in Iron Blood wouldn't repeat here"
Victorious refers to the cause of Tirpitz's imprisonment, but she's primarily worried at Bismarck and Tirpitz's sisterly relationship being more strained that it already is. Her feelings are genuine, so she wishes to remind Tirpitz what it means to emotions again.
"I won't give up on her. I promised myself a long time ago, I wouldn't let that icy blockhead be alone anymore and remind her of warmth" Victorious gently straightens herself
"Fufufufu. Your sisters are always here to support and comfort you" Illustrious pets her head again
"Hehehe. If that icy blockhead tries to run away, I'll drag her by force again and beat some sense into her!"
"Uhm, let's not resort to violence so quickly..."
"I-I was just joking. Hahahaha..."
Victorious scratches her cheek as she nervously laughs at herself. Even if she may be just joking due to spur of the moment, she wouldn't hesitate to use force to someone stubborn as Tirpitz.
The next day...
It's been four days since Tirpitz experienced the outside world, but she's not making use of her time as she still tends to avoid interaction and often spends her time in seclusion. The only way for her to talk is whenever Victorious finds her sitting in deep thought and has to drag her from always trying to escape.
"The beach?"
Tirpitz stares at the ground beneath her. It's not but sand hot enough to scorch anyone's bare feet. However, this doesn't affect Victorious, who's gleefully kicking bits of sand and even digging with her own hands in search for sea shells or burrowing crabs.
"Do you remember how I always have to drag you outside whenever you shut yourself in your room?" Victorious manages to dig a sand dollar instead
"...I remember. You would barge in and even threatened with an axe that one time" Tirpitz slowly walks towards her
"Bismarck even banned me from bothering you, so I sent dive bombers crashing to your window instead" Victorious grabs all the shells she can dig in front of her
"That reckless stunt resulted a week of detention for you" Bismarck is quick to remind her
"Hehehe~ It was worth it since you agreed to hang out with me" Victorious proudly grind
"I see..."
"...I wonder if there will be ever a chance if the Tirpitz I know comes back. They say you lost your emotions, but somehow...I feel like you're miserable"
Victorious tosses the broken shells she collected aside and focuses on the serous topic.
"Save your pity for someone else. It won't change anything..."
Although Tirpitz immediately rejects Victorious' attempt to sympathize, she turns towards the horizon facing the shore. The sea is calm today as the waves does out on the shore on long intervals.
"Victorious, why do you insist on helping me? I know very well you're trying to rekindle the emotions I lost" Tirpitz turns to face Victorious
"Why wouldn't I? You're stubborn, aloof, and uptight...but you're my friend even if you're initially hard to deal with"
"Despite the negative first impression, why didn't you leave me alone?"
"I just want to be friends. There's no ulterior motive or anything. Don't tell me Iron Blood blockheads like you are paranoid now"
"...No. You're naive, hardheaded, and too optimistic. That's what makes you obviously honest...and tolerable to deal with"
"Wait, wait, wait! Does that mean you like hanging out with me?"
"..."
Victorious immediately rushes towards Tirpitz until their faces are only inches from each other. Tirpitz moves a step back and pulls her head away just seeing the sparkling enthusiasm in Victorious' eyes. She refuses to respond other than distracting herself by turning her head towards the shore.
"How come you're only honest when emotionless? Don't tell me you felt shy to tell me all of that before?"
"It's obvious that anyone wouldn't want the company of a devious person. Well, naive and impulsive people are more difficult to predict. I never expected you would come and drag me out of my prison after all"
"I can't tell if you like me or insulting me?!" Victorious grabs Tirpitz's cape with both of her hands
"Not to mention you're loud and brash yet..."
For a few seconds, Tirpitz hesitates to lift her hands and gently grabs Victorious' wrists since she wouldn't let go of her cape. There's no concern, just cautious because her current ability is nothing but an inconvenience to her. That inconvenience is why others bother her so much, and she wishes to be left alone as much as possible.
"Your optimism is out of place most of the time, but it doesn't mean I dislike it" Tirpitz carefully pulls away Victorious from clutching her cape and wrinkling her uniform
"Tirpitz?"
"I still don't understand why you're trying so much, but it caught my attention"
"That means...?"
"I wonder...if there's really a chance I could feel anything again. Would it be worth the effort? Mixed emotions cloud our judgment, but I have nothing to motivate me now..."
"Don't let yourself go down so early! I'm trying my best to make you smile at least"
Victorious pinches both of Tirpitz's cheeks, ignoring how the mere touch of her skin make sit obvious she lacks warmth. No one would get frostbite touching Tirpitz with the restraints on her wrists, but Victorious feels a weight on her chest. The person she sees as her friend is incapable of experiencing joy and could no longer touch someone with her bare hands.
"Who knows? We might at least find a way to deal with your icy cold body temperature" Victorious brightly smiles
"You're way too optimistic, but you're more honest than Iron Blood"
"I'll have to find a way to make her trust Bismarck again and avoid freezing a base again..." Victorious mutters to herself
"..." Tirpitz looks at her hands
"What's the matter, Tirpitz?"
"...I can't stop thinking about how I'm alive. That operation did this to me, but I'm still here talking to you"
"You're alive, but it took something from you. I can't dictate how you view how you're living right now..." Victorious sees her blurry reflection in Tirpitz's eyes
The procedure is both a blessing and a curse, but Tirpitz couldn't understand it since she couldn't feel confused or glad. Even if the one Victorious calls an important friend stares at her with uncertainty. Whenever she lifts her head to gaze at Tirpitz, her chest tightens at the sight of a completely stoic expression with a pair of dull sapphire eyes.
"Everyone seems to pity me as if standing here is far worse than being dead. I keep thinking about my survival ever since" Tirpitz averts her gaze
"Bismarck isn't a cold-hearted person, you know. There must be a personal reason why she wanted you to live, but you don't even want to talk to her. She's just too stubborn to be honest like you"
"Like me?"
"You wouldn't admit anything even when I could tell you look so miserable. That's why I had to do something and slap some sense into you"
"..." Tirpitz gently rubs her cheeks
In Tirpitz's recollection of the past, Victorious means her words literally. Even with a full forced swing of her hand, Victorious furious slap barely hurts someone like Tirpitz. The latter head turns to the side, only surprised at the aircraft carrier who's desperately holding her tears.
"Just after one faithful meeting, you made it your goal to force me out of my loneliness. Even now, you wouldn't give up trying..." Tirpitz pokes Victorious' forehead
"That's because you're my good friend, you icy blockhead. Even if you try to run away, I'll drag you back as many times as I need"
"You're unbelievably bold and honest. To be specific, you're extremely persistent"
"Why would I hide anything from you? Besides, I don't like lying and anyone who lies. So, if you lie to me again, I'll have tallboys drop on you!" Victorious points at her
"I get it. You don't need to shout it at my face"
The way Victorious threatens her is more on the adorable side rather than the menacing side since she's a cheerful and friendly person with a bit of a naive side.
"All this yelling is making me hungry. Let's go get some desserts!" Victorious grabs Tirpitz's wrists
"..."
Tirpitz just allows the cheerfully humming Victorious to drag her as she wishes since she's one of the few people she tolerates. Although there's still no signs of emotional reaction even if from a person she trusts, Tirpitz unknowingly and instinctively focuses her gaze at Victorious.
Unknown Azur Lane base...
Two strong figures sit across each other and Belfast quietly serves them coffee and tea from their specific preferences. The first one is Friedrich der Grosse as a proxy for Bismarck and the other is King George V, a representative of sorts. Seeing as the two's gaze prepares to engage in a conversation, Belfast slowly walks back and stands behind King George V.
"It's almost a week since Tirpitz is staying with that bubbly aircraft carrier and you've been watching over them as per the commander's suggestion" Friedrich der Grosse leans on her chair
"Indeed. I've been keeping track of their interactions. Fortunately, Tirpitz remains stable and surprisingly behaved" King George V lightly nods
"My child acts like a puppy when around the aircraft carrier. However, Graf Zeppelin is concerned that someone from the Royal navy is reigning in Tirpitz"
"I don't see it that way. It's more like Victorious is keeping her calm and in control. Tirpitz has yet to freeze anything"
"Of course. Iron Blood worked hard to craft them with special nickel steels since Tirpitz once emitted the maximum of negative eighty degrees Celsius"
"I've heard about it. That was when she and Bismarck clashed. Every kansen there had to evacuate and Bismarck had to incapacitate her quickly before Iron Blood headquarters turned into a frozen wasteland"
King George V stirs her cup of tea and takes a brief whiff of the pure tea's aroma. Since she isn't present at the site itself, she bases her knowledge on reports from the commander.
"That much is true. Before Tirpitz lost her emotions, she lost her composure and it ended violently. Tirpitz only stopped because she has no full control over the chill in her body"
"So no one has information on what caused it" King George V sighs deeply in dismay
"Bismarck refuses to explain either, but it's a matter classified to Iron Blood"
"It's understandable"
King George V restrains her curiosity as to avoid souring the civil discussion between them. As much as she wants to press the matter further, Friedrich der Grosse's sharp gaze directed towards her is a silent warning not to speak of it further. It's the gentle and friendly ones who often hide a ferocious side.
"Judging from the past report, the core fused with Tirpitz was from an Arbiter's collection. Said Arbiter also snatched it from a deceased kansen at an unknown point of time" King George V clears her throat
"Truth to be told, not even our Intel could dig more information on that. No one in Azur Lane knows where the Arbiter got it. All we know is an Arbiter fought a kansen in the past and stole what remains of the ship's wisdom cube"
"A battleship, huh. To fight an Arbiter means...a META, correct?"
"Most likely. From the information we can only gather, a violent blizzard engulfed the battlefield. The commander once said bombs could be heard from what the Northern Parliament reported to him"
"An aircraft carrier, but that doesn't narrow everything down..." King George V massages her temples
"That's as much as I can tell you. The rest is up to the knight to investigate"
"Well, information isn't free of charge after all"
To disperse a bit of the tense mood, King George V lightly jokes and laughs at herself. Belfast continues to faithfully stand beside the knight captain and subtly observes the situation.
"The commander is planning to test whether Tirpitz is ready for combat again" Friedrich der Grosse tilts her back forward
"Of course, a kansen still has to perform their duty after all" King George V immediately replies
"I want to be honest. You don't plan on trying to have Tirpitz use her condition as new power?"
"No. I may be a knight, but I wouldn't stand idly for an ill intent. That's why I'm ensuring no one takes advantage of Tirpitz's situation for their own gain"
"You're not referring to humans...but Sirens"
"The core Iron Blood retrieved is from a Siren who doesn't like being humiliated. Arbiter Zero: Fool"
"The Fool never shows up with her real body. Instead, she uses toys and other Sirens to communicate and battle"
"I want to be transparent here. Does Iron Blood think of curing Tirpitz? She's miserable in her current state...but she doesn't know it"
A moment of silence surrounds them, but neither of them breaks eye contact. Their gazes are focused on determining what the other feels through the slightest change in their expressions.
"There are attempts. All we could manage is a temporary solution to keep the sheer cold at bay. Personally speaking, I worry there are other effects of the core. While it caused her body to be at sub-zero temperature, I suspect it may have altered her wisdom cube in some way" Friedrich der Grosse intertwines her fingers
"I see where you're getting it. If it's fused with her wisdom cube, then it should have the most concentrated effect. Iron Blood couldn't determine because none could get near Tirpitz without restraints and she wouldn't allow anyone to perform tests on her"
"Correct. I wish to observe if she's aware of what changed in her wisdom cube, but I'm certain she would refuse to say anything"
Belfast sneaks a glance at Friedrich der Grosse first before King George V as she continues studying how their discussion is going on. Neither of them are in bad terms, but the two remain on guard on what they should say to the other.
"You don't appear personally upset at Tirpitz not returning to Iron Blood"
"Fufufu~ I have no issue since Tirpitz willingly stayed since it's someone she deeply trusts. Perhaps I even believe Victorious could pester her enough to incite any reaction" Friedrich der Grosse lowers her head for a moment
"...Like a smile?" King George V raises an eyebrow
"...Yes. Bismarck doesn't openly admit it, but I'm certain she wishes for her sister to return"
"This is between sisters, so I'll leave that matter up to them"
King George V immediately recognizes that the issue is something she shouldn't touch. She respects the difficult sisterly relationship between Bismarck and Tirpitz, but her stare lingers for a few seconds. She briefly examines Friedrich der Grosse remaining composed but equally worried for the two sisters as she acts as the motherly figure of all Iron Blood ships.
"Although it's still not the right time to directly assign someone to keep an eye on Tirpitz, Iron Blood is expecting regular updates from you, knight captain" Friedrich der Grosse crosses her legs
"Of course. That's the agreement after all. I will keep my word so long as no side is harmed" King George V nods lightly
"If I may..." Belfast raises her hand
"...?" Friedrich der Grosse and King George V look at her
"We all suspect there's a kansen out there keeping a close eye on the core used on Tirpitz. Perhaps the active Arbiter XXI: The World could provide some clarifications as she's storngly connected to the Arbiter who possessed the core in the first place"
"..."
Belfast has been meaning to speak for a while but finds it rude to intervene while the two are tensely having a discussion. The second she finds an opportunity, she immediately ceases by raising her hand. After voicing out her suggestion, King George V and Friedrich der Grosse exchange an intrigued gaze towards each other for a few seconds before turning their attention to Belfast. It subtly appears they come to a silent yet mutual agreement.