Another dream...?
One single step and Tirpitz's left foot sinks inches below the soft and flat snow. It begins to snow and tiny drops melt on her shoulders and head upon contact. There isn't a single living being around, just the stretching land of snow. Tirpitz couldn't see far with the wind carrying the falling snow.
"How nostalgic..."
Tirpitz raises her right arm above her head and stretches two fingers when a large drop of snow exactly falls on her fingertips. As snow continues to only fall, the skies concealed the sky abovr. Tirpitz could only meet the view of thick greyish clouds, unmoving and bleak.
"Hmm?"
A figure appears out of nowhere in front of her. The unknown person doesn't exist earlier and Tirpitz only notices her presence when she stops gazing at the dark snowy clouds.
"You. Who are you?"
Tirpitz asks her even when she could clearly recognize the figure's appearance being exactly the same as her. The only difference is their clothing because the eerily silent figure has more ragged and darkened clothing.
"..." The figure remains quiet
The two of them share a lifeless and dull gaze, but the quiet doppelganger has a distinctive empty stare. One that's similar to someone who could no longer see or someone who had died.
"..." The doppelganger turns around
"Where is she going?" Tirpitz whispers to herself
Since there's no one else around her and being in an unfamiliar location, Tirpitz begins moving forward to the same direction where her ragged doppelganger is heading.
"What kind of dream is this? Why do you have the same face as me?"
"..."
Tirpitz hurries her footsteps and there isn't much effort to close their distance since the doppelganger slowly drags her feet in the snow. She refuses to respond to Tirpitz's question and continues to aimlessly move forward.
"Maybe the Arbiter did this when I passed out?" Tirpitz whispers to herself
There's still no sign of any structures or living beings around her other than the doppelganger continuing to walk while the winter breeze blows right in front of her.
"..." The doppelganger stops in her tracks
"..." Tirpitz does the same
As soon as the doppelganger stops right where she stands, Tirpitz cautiously stops at least two meters behind the doppelganger. The latter remains standing straight as if Tirpitz is staring at a living statue rather than an actual living being.
"It's time you start talking. Unless you're mute" Tirpitz tries to communicate with her
"..."
For the first time, the doppelganger shifts her right leg to the side and partially turns around just enough for her head to take a good look at Tirpitz. Upon closer inspection, their appearance is indeed identical save for the drastic difference in their gaze.
"You...shouldn't have survived..." The doppelganger's lips finally parted
"You finally spoke" Tirpitz reacts by slightly moving her head
"Soon you'll realize...why you should have spared yourself...by dying..."
Like Tirpitz's current state, the doppelganger lacks any emotion in her tone but she struggles to speak straight. Even when she can, she has to pause for a second after letting out several words.
"What do you mean?" Tirpitz takes a step forward
"...Your curse...is because...of your own will..."
"Hmm?"
"...My regrettable past..."
A brief vision not belonging to her flashes right before her eyes. A deadly sharp object pierced right through her chest, but she couldn't identify the culprit. It's something like a spear or blade that pierced her chest. It truly doesn't belong to her but it synchronized with her senses as if she's living through the vision itself. There's no actual injury on her, but her hand consciously touches the area where the sharp weapon pierced her in the vision.
...
...
...
The snowy landscape disappears from her sight and what follows is what seems to be a long time of drifting into darkness. Tirpitz couldn't speak, see, or hear anything as if it's just her consciousness drifting.
"Hmm?"
After what seems to be hours within a blank dream, Tirpitz immediately meets the view of a white ceiling further brightened by the light bulb at the center. Her back recognizes the soft bed, but she weakly moves her head to the right.
"Victorious..." Tirpitz whispers to herself
The usually energetic aircraft carrier is peacefully sleeping at the side of the bed with her left hand loosely holding on to Tirpitz's right hand. Tirpitz is cautious when it comes to someone touching her hand, but she stares at the soundly asleep Victorious.
"You're kind of careless sometimes"
Tirpitz slowly pulls away her right hand from Victorious as to not wake her up. Her hand slides away while Victorious remains peaceful in her nap.
"..."
Rather than choose to either leave the room or shake Victorious awake, Tirpitz keenly observes Victorious sleeping by the bed. The cheerful aircraft carrier is napping with her crossed arms on the bed and her head comfortably resting on top of it.
"Mmm...icy blockhead..." Victorious talks in her sleep
"Even in her sleep, she's calling me that"
"Smile...mmm...already..."
Victorious is so focused with her current goal that she's sleep-talking while Tirpitz listens as quietly as possible. Even when Tirpitz lifts herself up, she does it slowly while observing if Victorious is being disturbed.
"You're really doing your best...for my sake"
"..." Victorious faintly laughs in her sleep
"No good..."
Just seeing Victorious move her head slightly and mutter incoherent words, Tirpitz instinctively stretches out her hand but stops. Tirpitz freezes her arm just as her fingertips are an inch from making physical contact with Victorious' head.
"I can't just...carelessly touch anyone"
Tirpitz's current condition remains stable, but she doesn't want to risk seeing her cold body is more a liability than an asset. It could be useful in combat but fatal to kansens who have little cold resistance like any other humans. Human bodies are fragile and would break down upon experiencing sub zero temperatures.
"I don't want to hurt you in any way, and I have yet to understand why. You...don't even know the truth"
"..." Victorious continues to be in a deep sleep
"Maybe it's time I try to know whether I'm seeing a ghost...or someone else"
The oblivious aircraft carrier remains peacefully sleeping while Tirpitz softly speaks without caring. Just a while ago, Tirpitz is careful about touching Victorious the slightest, but she musters enough certainty to slowly stretch out her hand again.
"..."
Tirpitz takes it very slowly to even lower her right hand and have her palm at least make physical contact with Victorious' head. The latter faintly smiles for a few seconds when Tirpitz slightly slides her hand down as an attempt to pat her head. It's a rather awkward sight as Tirpitz isn't sure how to gently pat someone's head.
"Is this how they do it?"
Tirpitz repeats the gentle back and forth sweeping gesture while careful not to wake Victorious who would surely make a fuss about it. She doesn't know why she's mimicking how others display comfort to a "friend", but she moves without much thought.
Four hours later...
Rather than Victorious this time, Tirpitz reluctantly spends afternoon tea with both King George V and Prince of Wales. The latter is concerned at the way Tirpitz is blankly staring at her tea while the former is more intrigued observing her trivial actions.
"...I saw what looked like a ghost in my dream" Tirpitz looks at them
"A ghost...?" Prince of Wales tilts her head
"It looked and spoke like me, but she looked more like a ghost"
"I don't understand how this doppelganger is a ghost" King George V is confused as well
The two sisters briefly look at each other with King George V shrugging her shoulders since neither of them are certain what Tirpitz is trying to tell. For starters, they barely know how Tirpitz behaves, specially now that she doesn't possess any form of emotions. Only Victorious understands her best and can easily guess something we confusing about mumbling about a ghost.
"I say it's a ghost because that doppelganger looked dead. She's pale and her eyes is completely dull"
"That's called a bad dream. I once dreamt a doppelganger stabbed me and I died" King George V raises her index finger
"We sees different versions of ourselves. Maybe you perceived yourself as emotionally dead rather than being actually dead" Prince of Wales snaps her fingers
"Is that so?"
Tirpitz briefly remembers seeing her doppelganger stand right in front of her and a pair of lifeless eyes stare right into her. It's not the gaze of someone depressed or emotionally detached, but someone who lacks any form of life.
(It's best not to mention those cryptic warnings right now...)
Since Tirpitz has little reason to believe a doppelganger in a dream and judging the two knights wouldn't understand her the slightest, Tirpitz holds back the information to herself. There's no mistrust towards the two Royal navy ships, but she has little concrete evidence to raise it as a believable issue.
"By the way, how are you feeling? I thought you stopped breathing when I found you" King George V changes the topic
"Victorious wouldn't stop crying and shouting that she'd kill you if you died. We had to drag her out while you rested" Prince of Wales chuckles
Prince of Wales briefly describes it since narrating how she grabs Victorious with both arms and heavily struggles dragging her out since the aircraft carrier flails her arms and legs.
"...That's just like her" Tirpitz just shakes her head
"You're body temperature briefly decreased to twenty degrees Celsius, so I was worried your restraints have been damaged"
"They're resistant to explosions" Tirpitz rubs her left wrist
"Since you're stable again, I'm curious to ask about how you're faring well with Victorious"
As if she's more personally curious than out of duty, King George leans her head a bit closer. Tirpitz blinks seeing the sparkle in her eyes as an obvious sign it's indeed the case.
"She's at least tolerable" Tirpitz takes a small sip of her tea
"I'm glad you didn't mind being dragged by her whims. She's trying her best, you know" King George V winks
"...I can see that. She keeps saying she wouldn't give up until I smile again" Tirpitz sighs
If anything, Tirpitz doesn't find Victorious' persistence and determination as a nuisance. Tirpitz just lets the aircraft carrier execute her whims while she quietly goes along with it. There's no specific reason for it right now because Tirpitz couldn't even determine even a simple reason for her to believe.
"...I want to go back who I used to be. To be specific, I want to at least try" Tirpitz firmly admits
"That's great to hear!" King George crosses her arms and nods
"I'm glad you're trying too" Prince of Wales smiles proudly
"I know she wouldn't give up no matter how long it takes, so I want to try if I could really go back to the one she calls her friend"
"You're still her friend, you know. It's just that you're both emotionally and physically cold" King George lightly slams the table
"Friend..." Tirpitz stares at her tea again for a few seconds
"Victorious aside, I want to hear the answer from you"
King George V clears her throat and shifts to a more serious and formal tone. Tirpitz immediately senses this and focuses on observing the knight captain's gaze locked to her eyes.
"If Bismarck wishes to meet you again, are you willing to have a discussion with her?" King George V frowns
"If you want my honest opinion, then my answer is negative. I'm not willing to talk about my condition with her yet"
(Sooner or later, Bismarck would insist on speaking with her) King George V worries for the two
"However..." Tirpitz has more to say
"...?"
"...I'm already contemplating if now or soon is the right time. Ignoring each other would only create trouble for both sides. There's still the issue in trust, but I want an answer from her as well" Tirpitz admire her new thoughts
"I'm guessing Victorious managed to change your mind" King George V jokingly guesses
"I can't say you're wrong. That persistent carrier is trying her best not to make it obvious how she wants Bismarck and I to discuss the past"
Tirpitz averts their gazes, taking notes of the moments where Victorious is reluctant to directly say she should speak with Bismarck. She's not the type to force Tirpitz when it comes to serious matters due to her cheerful and somewhat naive nature.
"I want to know whether Bismarck actually cared or not. For her to subject me into this...curse, I want to know if she has her personal reasons"
When Tirpitz touches the cup again, she unknowingly counters the warm tea by momentarily releasing coldness from her touch. The steaming hot tea is practically like tea left on a refrigerator now.
"Bismarck wouldn't openly admit it, but I'm certain she didn't do it just out of duty. She might have done it as your sister" King George V isn't trying to be certain
"We don't know what's going on in her mind, so we can't say if it's for your best or not" Prince of Wales is unsure as well
"I know. I don't even know what's going on in her mind and how she could tell all of me that with a blank expression. What am I to her exactly?"
Tirpitz would constantly remember of when Bismarck fully explained her situation without even expressing the slightest sadness or regret. Her older sister stares at her the same way she's formally discussing business.
"At least, they're making progress..."
Victorious manages to eavesdrop even from a distance and sighs in relief when Tirpitz herself confirms that she might be willing to meet Bismarck again. It just happens today and tomorrow is still a bit early. Although this is supposed to bring gladness to Victorious, she couldn't stop frowning in worry and clenching her fists out of anxiety since the issue has yet to be addressed between the two sisters.
"Anyhow, I better get going. I forgot I left Victorious sleeping in the room..." Tirpitz slowly stands up
"You forgot to wake her up" Prince of Wales crosses her arms
"..." Tirpitz looks away
"Hahaha! Get going then. She would certainly be upset to find you missing while she slept" King George V waves her right hand
Just as Tirpitz pushes back the chair to cut her afternoon tea short with them, she raises her head when she recognizes a figure marching towards her, clearly upset and fuming with displeasure.
"Tirpitz! Why didn't you wake me up!" Victorious hastily marches towards her
"You were having a good nap. I thought I'd disturb you happily dreaming" Tirpitz ignores Victorious' anger
"I was worried when I woke up and you were gone! How can you just walk out like that!" Victorious grabs Tirpitz's cape
"Why are you angry about? It's not like I fled the base"
Tirpitz tries to pull away Victorious arm before the latter could further wrinkle her cape, but Victorious' grip strength surpasses the physical strength of a regular battleship.
"This is abandonment and betrayal!" Victorious pouts while her face remains red from frustration
"...You're overreacting" Tirpitz still couldn't pull Victorious' hand away
"I can't help but feel angry. While I slept, you ran off on your own. You could have at least left a note"
"I can't believe I have to deal with this right now"
Tirpitz just wants Victorious to let go of her cape, but the latter begins to shake her and shout all of her complaints without restraint.
"They're like an old married couple" Prince of Wales whispers to King George V
"Hahahaha. That's what a real friend is like" King George V whispers back
"Right..."
King George V places her index finger between her lips as a gesture of silence to her younger sister because she finds Tirpitz just wanting to run away quite entertaining. Victorious is unhappy after she worried she might have gone somewhere or something happened again, but she expresses it in a form of "betrayal" instead.
Near the North Sea...
Iron Blood ships Prinz Eugen, Admiral Hipper, and Friedrich der Grosse survey some abandoned or unusable somewhere at the North sea. There aren't any suspected Siren activities for a while, but the three ships are out in the open for a mission outside of their regular duties.
"It's chilly here. More than usual!" Admiral Hipper tightly wraps her arms on herself
"Hmm. I'd usually say Hipper is overreacting, but I don't think it's supposed to be winter around here" Prinz Eugen narrows her eyes
Prinz Eugen looks left and right, scanning every detail around her. She even takes notice of the calm sea waves and the breeze carrying what appears to be snow or ice. The oil and gas fields around them remain as they are, free of tampering from either Sirens or humans. Not a peep of any living being in sight aside from Admiral Hipper chattering her teeth and mumbling her complaints.
"Even without using radars, I can tell someone is certainly observing our movements"
Friedrich der Grosse agrees to a degree as her enormous monstrous rigging hover on both of her sides. The wind and sea remains calm, but the silence is too eerie to ignore. Their senses are at their sharpest in the very case someone is tailing them, but it remains a speculation since not a single ship or Siren are in sight.
"The sound of an aircraft. It's almost silent, so this is a reconnaissance aircraft" Friedrich der Grosse closes her eyes to focus on her hearing
"Huh? I can't hear anything" Admiral Hipper whispers to Prinz Eugen
"Neither do I" Prinz Eugen admits
"..." Friedrich der Grosse raises her head while her eyes remain closed
The two heavy cruisers intently observe Friedrich der Grosse trying to confirm if it's truly the sound of an aircraft or the wind howling in the distance. She's mostly certain on what passes to her ears, so she relaxes her nerves to pinpoint the exact location to where the almost silent sound of an aircraft's engine and whirring blades are coming from.
"...!" Friedrich der Grosse opens her eyes
The moment she swiftly moves one of her enormous rigging in front of Prinz Eugen. A split second after and a bullet pierces through the wind. The sharp steel flying through the air pierces the rigging but lacks force to go through the other end of the rigging.
"A gunshot from a rifle" Friedrich der Grosse studies the hole on her rigging
"Someone wanted to bust my kneecaps, huh" Prinz Eugen lowers her head
"Someone just tried to snipe you!" Admiral Hipper stops shivering and shouts
"It's a regular bullet from the glimpse earlier, so it's less likely from a Siren" Friedrich der Grosse leans closer at her rigging
"I don't think an aircraft carrier would carry a rifle" Prinz Eugen takes a close look as well
"...!"
Friedrich der Grosse straightens herself again and moves her other rigging to Admiral Hipper, shielding her torso and legs at the same time thanks to its bulky size. Just like earlier, Friedrich der Grosse manages to stop the bullet one second after it flies into the air. There isn't the slightest sound upon firing and the shooter itself is nowhere to be seen.
"It seems we came to the right place if someone waited just to ambush us" Prinz Eugen giggles
"Come out, coward!" Admiral Hipper shakes both fists in the air
"What could be important here that you tried to assassinate us?"
Friedrich der Grosse constantly scans her surroundings unsure if the enemy is hiding in one of the oil rigs or behind its foundations somehow.
"Assassinate? No, you're wrong. You three are my prey, and thus I'm hunting you"
A voice echoes from a distance, but Friedrich der Grosse couldn't pinpoint where the unseen sniper is hiding. The voice is rather young and soft so it couldn't possibly be an adult like battleships or matured like some heavy cruisers.
"Then why are you hunting us? You clearly planned ahead of time, so it's either by yourself or someone asks you to do so" Friedrich der Grosse tries to pinpoint the attacker
"...You're right. I'm doing this in someone else's request. I've been asked not to hastily put you down, just incapacitate you for days"
The unseen attacker loads her rifle, letting the used bullet fall down the surface water and load an armor piercing bullet. Unknown to the three, the fragile sniper could see them as clear as day while the three are forced to guard themselves at the slightest chance she would show herself.
"Well, I can't take all three of you down under these conditions. I would have finished my business if only one of you is here, but Iron Blood is as cautious as ever" The attacker sighs in dismay
"So that's how it is. You knew we were coming" Prinz Eugen crosses her arms and smiles proudly
"Are you a kansen or Siren? If you're a ship, then I'm willing to let you leave here alive" Friedrich der Grosse raises her monstrous rigging as a threat
"Bold of you to threaten me when you can't even see me"
The attacker positions herself with her rifle stretched out at the edge of the gun pointing at Prinz Eugen's right shoulder. There's no scope in the rifle yet the attacker confidently angles her arms and her aim is fully steady.
"We came here to learn about the core taken from a defeated META. That core is implanted in Tirpitz. Perhaps you're aware of that already"
"The Lonely Queen of the North. I'm afraid you're wasting your time if you wish to save her"
"Mind giving us the details? You seem to be confident enough to have a chat"
"You can't undo Tirpitz's condition. She already realized that and slowly learned to control it during her imprisonment" The unseen sniper pulls the trigger again
"...!"
Friedrich moves to use one of her riggings to shield Prinz Eugen and being careful that it doesn't pierce any part that would lead to detonation or malfunction. The attacks are trivial as regular bullets lack raw power and rely on hitting vital spots like the heart and lungs.
"We're here to learn about that core. Just an inch from touching at and anyone's fingers would start to freeze. It fused with Tirpitz's wisdom cube became one with the core and it was irreversible" Friedrich der Grosse moves forward a bit
"I see. So no one expected it would fuse with her. How careless can you be?"
"..." Friedrich der Grosse focuses on the oil rigs
"It doesn't really matter. Your people aren't my business, but I can't let you find more about it"
"That's a shame"
With a single wave from her baton, the pair of bulky animated rigging roars and let the boom of all cannons shatter the peaceful air around them. Shells after shells mercilessly rain down on the oil rigs. The structures are already fragile due to lack of maintenance and rusting metals, so the rain of high explosive tear through the metallic structures like styrofoam.
"Isn't it a bit too sudden?!" Admiral Hipper backs away
"If you can't tell where she's hiding, then blow everything up. A bit reckless, but we need to force her out somehow" Prinz Eugen just tilts her head
Metallic shards and debris fly in all directions, scattering through the once calm sea. Other pieces manage to float while the others helplessly sink through the surface the moment they fall from the sky.
"Your abnormally sharp sense...is a bit admirable"
The explosion mixed from the rain of shells and metallic debris forced the unseen attacker to flee the affected area the second Friedrich der Grosse opened fire.
"You immediately figured out I closed in after every shot"
Some sort of glitching effect forms out of thin air, but it also slowly reveals a small and petite figure with a musket in her hand. Other weapons include a giant pair of scissors strapped by her waist and a modified cannon on her back.
"...!" The two heavy cruisers are shocked to learn the sniper is a destroyer
"Have we met before?" Friedrich der Grosse tilts her head
A gloomy girl with pale skin and bleached hair stands right before them as her cloak is damaged from the explosion earlier. This forces her to a disadvantage where a lone destroyer is out in the open against three ships.
"Hunter META. Just like my name suggests, I hunt"
The former destroyer of the Royal navy dons tattered and dark clothing representing a grim alternate much like other ships from her faction. It doesn't appear she is equipped with the same rigging as her normal self as she is equipped with different kinds of weapons depending on what kind of prey she needs to take down.
"I have no grudge against you, but what you're doing would only get you killed" Hunter fearlessly aims her other rifle
"Oh~ Do enlighten me" Friedrich der Grosse points her cannons at the destroyer
"You seem to be mistaken. The one you call Tirpitz will end up killing you once she wakes up"
"Once she wakes up? You better spill out important details before I blast any of your limbs" Prinz Eugen moves forward to threaten her as well
"None of you would understand since no one saw how Fool and Empress snatched the frozen core in the first place. That person wouldn't just go down unless..."
"That person? So you witnessed how the Arbiters got the core in the first place" Admiral Hipper grits her teeth
"Ask the criminal yourself. I'm wasting my time here now. I can't deal with either of the Ugly Sisters once they get a whiff of my scent"
Hunter META grabs her cap and lightly presses her head, triggering the same glitching effect earlier to surround her body in a matter of three seconds. Just like the beginning, she completely vanishes from their field of vision, making Friedrich der Grosse unsure if she's moving away to the left or right.
"A ghost who died horribly could never rest. Do remember that"
Prinz Eugen and Admiral Hipper desperately turned left and right, searching for the META who disappeared faster than they could react. All that's left is her echoing voice fading until the last word silences the atmosphere completely.
"She managed to escape..." Friedrich der Grosse takes a deep breath
"That gloomy destroyer gave us hints but it made no sense" Admiral Hipper scratches her head
"I really thought we'd be fighting an aircraft carrier since you heard an aircraft earlier" Prinz Eugen reminds Friedrich der Grosse
"It was strange. I was certain an aircraft circled above us, but the sound disappeared somewhere in the commotion earlier" Friedrich der Grosse gazes up at the sky
"So what do we tell Bismarck?"
"...That she needs to meet with Tirpitz again as soon as possible. I fear something terrible might happen if we let Tirpitz be"
Friedrich der Grosse isn't certain of Hunter META's hints earlier, but she immediately understands danger looms over them now that they're searching for the truth. The destroyer warns them of the danger Tirpitz would bring, but she clenches her fists out of doubt to the hunter who tried to stop them.
Unknown abandoned base...
Hunter META drags her unscathed yet exhausted body back to a hangar with only boxed spare parts and pieces of aircraft now covered in cobwebs. Her musket rests on her shoulders while she steps inside the hangar empty of any aircraft...save for two sisters sitting on top of crates covered by a large sheet.
"You two are here?" Hunter META sighs in exhaustion
"If you're looking for that depressed girl, she went out to the sea to probably blame herself again" Repulse META, sitting near the bottom, shrugs her shoulders
"Iron Blood is trying to learn more about the sample, huh"
"They can't study it now since Tirpitz has it. If they try to take it from her, well...history might repeat itself"
"History, but we're from the future. This is hurting my head" Repulse META presses both hands on her head
"I don't know what she has in mind, but is this for the best?"
"I'm not the right person to ask that. I only want a proper solution where neither of them has to die"
Hunter META lowers her gun and lets it rest at the nearest wall behind her while she slams her back on the same wall. Exhausted from waiting and escaping from her targets, Hunter META slides her body down until her rear touches the dusty concrete.
"Tirpitz used the core when Lovers tried to corner her. People like us persist whether we're alive or dead" Hunter META takes off her hat
"We have to deal with Tirpitz, but it will take a while since her carelessness weakens her"
"Even if she's not in her top shape when she sorties again, a bit of heat is enough to stop her" Repulse META slams her fist on her palm
"Even if heat-based attacks counter her annoying ability, we're talking about a battleship who took a lot of bombs just to keel over. That's engraved in the kansen herself and boosted her even if she's..." Hunter META grunts to stop herself
"I think I can guess why that person remained restless. She's too angry to die" Renown META crosses her arms
"Ironic because she's supposed to be emotionless-"
Repulse META almost laughs but clears her throat seeing the other two META ships aren't in the mood to be laid-back.
"We need to destroy those inhibitors placed by Iron Blood on her"
"The pair of shackles on her wrist? If that's destroyed, Tirpitz might go berserk" Repulse META raises an eyebrow
"Normal kansens can't survive the ice she unleashes. Only METAs and Arbiters have resistance to it"
"Yeah, because it's a part ripped off from her META self" Repulse META throws her hands up in the air
"Bismarck would be alarmed now that you showed up and told them some important details. She'll try to reach Tirpitz, so we'll let them be"
"Victorious is there, so I'm mostly certain there wouldn't be any risk of going berserk. After all, Victorious kept her under control until tragedy struck"
"..." Hunter META narrows her eyes
A glimpse of a moment in the past reminds Hunter META of when Arbiter III: Empress has the frozen core floating above her palm. The original where it's plucked no longer exists in their sight as the blizzard slowly fades away.
[Simulation: 86% Complete]
[Internal Temperature: 32° Celsius]
[Wisdom Cube Function: 100%]
[Integration Status: 68%]
[Base Maximum Temperature: -80° Celsius]
[META Negative Threshold: 100° Celsius]
