Who is the player...and who is the pawn?
Sovetskaya Rossiya. She's now far from Sirens and oblivious shipgirls hunting her, but she faces another enemy. It's not a hostile one, but the lone presence is somehow sitting on top of a barely conscious Siren Purifier lying on her stomach. Unlike the Siren being used a cushion, the one sitting is no different from a regular human in terms of appearance and clothing.
"Are you even human?"
The area is in a complete still that all living beings and objects physically ceased. Everyone in the base falls quiet, frozen in a fixed position without even letting out breathes or even blinking. Gangut and Tashkent are also present in the room but stuck in a wide-eyed shock, also frozen like a living statue.
"It's not that hard to suspend one's perception of time. Take it as if I only paused time in a physical sense" The intruder waves both hands
"Aurelius. I've heard about you. There's no mistaking how you're completely human, but I know better" Sovetskaya Rossiya breaks in a cold sweat
"I'm a homunculus, so I only physically resemble a real human. Empress told me to come visit you myself, so here I am"
"Where's your real body?"
"That's not the point right now. I'm here because you're not joining with the others. What's up with that?" Aurelius tilts her head
"You claim to possess omniscience, but your knowledge is limited. Maybe I overestimated you"
"Come on now. I'm just a puppet since I can't walk around without attracting much attention. My very existence here alarms all the Sirens like this idiot over here"
The Siren Purifier struggles to pull herself away from the homunculus, but the latter's size is an illusion compared to her actual weight. She feels like her spine is getting crushed from the pressure of being squeezed between.
"You don't trust Prinz Eugen suddenly joining with the others. No, you tagged along for something else here. What's your real purpose?" Aurelius presses the Siren Purifier's head to the ground
"I've been tasked with the commander to have a separate investigation about Orochi. The Sirens are already halfway from finishing it"
"Three components are the mind, body, and soul. The mind alone would break down, the body alone would remain empty, and the soul alone would be detached. So far the Sirens have the body but it's just a shell without a wisdom cube and ego"
Aurelius raises her thumb for the mind, the index finger for the body, and the middle finger for the soul while describing all three with her left hand stretched. She may have limited knowledge, but it doesn't mean she's ignorant.
"The body is to make it physically exist, the soul is to give it life...and the mind is to make it learn. The mind itself is missing, so neither the Sirens nor shipgirls would win" Aurelius lowers her hand
"Where's the mind then?"
"Yeah, where is it?" The Siren Purifier struggles to speak clearly
"Ahahahaha! That's not up to me. The memories are contained elsewhere and someone has it in their possession. Without such a miniscule component, Orochi would just be another mindless weapon even if it's alive. The last time a mindless weapon was unleashed...an entire timeline was pruned out like weed"
The homunculus uses her knee as a stand for her right arm and rests her head on the palm. Her hint towards a future event is only a source of irritation for Sovetskaya Rossiya.
"You want to avenge Chapayev? Is that it? Her cube had been permanently destroyed. It's a property of Ghost that allowed her to have the highest body count" Aurelius snaps her left hand
"..." Sovetskaya doesn't need to respond
"I'm sure Enterprise will try to reason with it the same way Ash did. Although I wish to help, I'm in a middle of a bet with Bismarck"
"This is just another game to you"
"It's a deal. This world sits on a fragile balance. Just imagine someone always pointing at your back" Aurelius shapes her fingers into a gun pointing at Sovetskaya Rossiya
"..."
"I genuinely feel sorry for the loss of your comrade but not even the Sirens can bring her back"
"Who tried to unleash the weapon in our waters? It didn't just pop out of nowhere"
"There are no Sirens back then, right? So...who do you think unleashed it?"
Everyone falls quiet while Sovetskaya Rossiya straightens herself trying understand when a question is returned rather than an answer.
"I'll leave that to you since I have somewhere else to do. My real body is..." Aurelius slowly stands up and frees the Siren Purifier in the process
"Wait. I want to ask about Tirpitz since Bismarck is only here to bring her back by force" Sovetskaya Rossiya takes a step forward
"Don't get yourself concerned too much. Bismarck is wasting her time trying to save her"
"Why is that?"
"Bismarck should have noticed it six months ago. Tirpitz left because she paid the price..."
While speaking, Aurelius slyly curves her speak and focuses on the Siren Purifier pushing herself up with difficulty. The pressure from being used as a cushion stiffened her back that her knees quivered while trying to further raise herself from the ground.
"Anyhow, I can only tell you how there's also a price for awakening the missing component. There's always an exchange for everything. If the world is nothing but free, it wouldn't progress in the first place" Aurelius wholeheartedly laughs
"What do you mean?" Sovetskaya Rossiya frowns
"I came to visit you to see what kind of person you are. I look forward to what you will face soon. Which one of your allies will you sacrifice for your selfish desire for revenge and pride"
Aurelius has nothing else to say other than warn and further tease Sovetskaya Rossiya. She's no enemy, but she refrains from being specific with her words. It's like the homunculus tells the truth without really lying by omitting key details.
Maizuru naval district...
The situation is certainly tensed now that H-39 reveals herself to be the Bismarck META from Tyrant's timeline. It's not surprise to see one version of Bismarck as several others exist out there just as how Tyrant is another Tirpitz. The only problem is how KC Bismarck isn't too friendly seeing her.
"I told you what you wanted to know" Bismarck META sighs in exhaustion
"The Tirpitz I know died some time I ago" KC Bismarck lowers her head
"That piece kept her alive for so long. She was only alive because it granted her enough power, so removing it killed her..."
"I still have to process about my own younger sister, but your Tirpitz..."
"Victorious meant well but it was her actions that drove Tyrant mad. She tried to protect her only to get killed herself and when she tried to stop Tyrant, she was accidentally killed"
"Then why did Tirpitz still betrayed Iron Blood?"
"Don't concern yourself with her, Bismarck..."
There's no annoyance in Bismarck META's tone, but it's difficult for her to express genuine concern when her tone is solemn and exhausted most of the time. It's the version who lost everything due to being blind from her mistake.
"How about my sister then? Was it really necessary to kill her?" Bismarck takes a deep breath
"Bismarck, your sister had been physically dead for a long time. The power of that fragment reanimated her corpse" Bismarck META frankly responds
"She still acted and spoke like the little sister I knew..."
"It's a miracle her personality was intact. Most of the time, reanimated bodies are reduced to being zombies or mindless beasts"
"...?" Bismarck widens her eyes for a moment
"I wouldn't have done it if she didn't ask me. A life is still a life...even as a reanimated corpse"
"Then why didn't she become an Abyssal?"
"That part of her was separated. Welt ripped that part of her, so she'll permanently die. It's not difficult for someone who managed to preserve the consciousness of people she kills"
Bismarck META lowers her head and vacantly stares at the floor. She's responding to her Kriegsmarine counterpart, but she lacks the energy and motivation to express any emotions right now.
"Do you resent me? I took someone precious to you...the same I did to Tyrant"
"When it comes to Tyrant, I'm not the one you should tell that about" KC Bismarck turns around
"..."
"I still have to process everything, so I'll leave this topic between you and your past self"
There's still confusion left in Bismarck as she just recently finds out how H-39 is Bismarck META all along. What's most difficult is how not only she's using a dead comrade's identity all along, she's also the reason why her world's Tirpitz can no longer exist.
"You deal with...yourself. I'm going to get something to drink" KC Bismarck removes her cap
She groans in frustration as refers to AL Bismarck quietly on standby outside with her arms crossed. Since she's not moving an inch or uttering a single word, an ordinary person wouldn't realize she's there until they spot her themselves.
"To think another version of me still existed. I thought Tyrant killed you" AL Bismarck walks in
"I'm already dead inside...after what happened in my timeline" Bismarck META lifts her head
"You're the reason Tyrant became the way she is. You had your Tirpitz take the power of META. She's not supposed to have that power, so she became like that" Bismarck is unfriendly to her future version
"We rampaged before, remember? That power was unstable, so Tirpitz took the volatile portion for herself. I've been sacrificing myself for Iron Blood, so she made the choice to bear the burden as well..."
"Clearly it didn't work out the way you wanted..."
"It was too much for her to handle. Tirpitz may have struck Iron Blood, but the one who finished it off...was Ghost"
"Ghost..."
"A malevolent copy of Enterprise. The plan was to anchor her core to Orochi to give her a corporeal form. That Sirens succeeded in my timeline only for her to immediately ravage several timelines in the process" Bismarck META begins to reveal everything
"You didn't stop it..."
"I tried, but it was no longer a shipgirl or a META. It's far worse than I imagined. The prototype Leviathan didn't want to help us...and casted me out to this universe instead"
The two Bismarck silently stare at each other for a whole minute, but the present Bismarck is the only one displeased towards the future version of her even if it's from an alternate timeline. There's no guarantee she would become the way Bismarck META is, but it's still unbelievable how a version of herself abandoned her pride and ideals due to a fatal mistake.
"Aurelius is no human or Siren. She's simply a homunculus puppet of that beast lurking beneath the ocean" Bismarck META reveals another inform
"Who?" Bismarck is clearly clueless
"If you want to save Tirpitz, you have to find her. As if this is just a game, Aurelius is using her"
"I don't even know who she is..."
"You won't have to find her because she's always observing closely. Aurelius, or commonly known as Welt, tracks all of our moves but she's not an enemy. Bismarck, she can be anyone around you...so trust no one but yourself"
"A shapeshifter, huh"
Bismarck is aware of the lesson to trusting even her right hand after the long-time betrayal from someone in Iron Blood. Although she still has faith in her fellow Iron Blood ships, she decides to believe her future self's words seeing no lie or deception this time.
"To think my future self gave up this badly..." Bismarck is dismayed at her state
"Only very few Iron Blood ships survived and they became META like me. Tirpitz wasn't suppose to be one because that power was designed to me. It's only because she's my sister that she didn't die or became mindless from it..." Bismarck META expresses regret
"I still refuse to give up on Tirpitz. She's being used because I'm the target" Bismarck clenches her fists
"The only way to fix this is to make sure the events six months ago never happened. Welt will only agree to do it if you pass her test. It had something to do with encountering another version of us in a destroyed timeline and something about repaying a debt"
There's a guaranteed solution for them, but to gain it for themselves has a cost. Of course, a free solution is too good to be true so it's more believable to put it behind one certain condition. It's a difficult bargain, but the only one available for Bismarck right now.
"I heard earlier you were on this world for quite some time posing as someone else" Bismarck asks another thing
"I didn't kill her. Rather, she died trying to fight a Siren because she refused to abandon me" Bismarck META becomes solemn again
"So I've heard..."
"Ever since I let Iron Blood fall, I deemed myself unworthy of bearing the proud name of Bismarck. She gave me her name and identity so I can freely walk in this world"
"You really gave up on yourself. I refused to become like this...to wallow in hopelessness"
"I suppose I'm like Tyrant. An example to avoid falling down the same path. Unfortunately for Tirpitz, she went into a worse path" Bismarck META doesn't blame her
"I'll bring her back before...I have to put her down" Bismarck remains determined
"That's good to hear"
Bismarck META has faith in her past self seeing th seriousness behind her words. She finds enough solace that even in her solemnity and self loathing, she could still express even a faint smile on her face. Her expression briefly brightens for a moment as if there's still a path to a future where everyone could be saved.
"Are you two done?" AL Akagi interrupts them
"Akagi..." Bismarck senses her hostility
"You're still upset. Well, that's normal considering I deceived you" Bismarck META steps forward
"You and I have a lot discuss" AL Akagi stares with malice
"Are you going to be fine with her?" Bismarck whispers to her META self
"Akagi won't be able to scratch me if she tried" Bismarck META scoffs
"Then I'll leave you two for now"
Bismarck doesn't even argue or protest even if Akagi is in a terrible mood due to recent events. The problem now is between them, and she's somewhat confident that their conversation won't escalate to physical confrontation. Bismarck META is still Bismarck, just more solemn and retains her levelheadedness.
"Don't do anything reckless, Akagi. I won't hesitate to report back to the commander if you go over the line" Bismarck warns her as soon as she passes by her side
"You're acting like you're the secretary ship, Bismarck. The one who has the commander's attention is me" Akagi retaliates
"..." Bismarck just sighs
There's no need for Bismarck to turn around as she goes past Akagi, entrusting that neither of them would hurt each other or cause damage around them.
"Just because you're Bismarck doesn't mean I won't go easy on you" Akagi warns her
"You're clearly unhappy..."
Bismarck META begins to take her step forward but not to approach Akagi. What she does is walk past her while Akagi herself never takes her eyes off her even for a second. She observes her movements, cautious at the slightest chance she would either escape or attack which is highly unlikely. Bismarck META simply steps out under the sunlight where she can finally breath in fresh air rather than be inside a dusty room.
"The others trust Prinz Eugen like nothing happened and they don't care about you being also Bismarck" Akagi begins to complain
"Prinz Eugen? I see, so that's what's going on right now..." Bismarck META doesn't seem to care either
"Why go all the trouble of hiding your face all this time? You could have helped earlier. Instead, you deceived me and used me as bait" Akagi grits her
"I won't deny I deceived you..."
"What's your goal in all of this. Your world is long gone"
"I just want to avoid the same mistake"
The truth of her world being permanently destroyed is something Bismarck META accepted for a long time, but she still has enough will to live and move forward. Even if the hope is faint, she clings even to the speck of a chance.
"Ghost mustn't awaken early. That means preventing the Sirens from completing Orochi" Bismarck META turns away from Akagi
"Ghost?"
"An ideal Grey Ghost. The idea of another Enterprise who's nothing but a pure weapon without human emotions"
"En...terprise...!" Akagi softly growled
Until now, Akagi and Enterprise remain as rivals even when working under the same commander now. There's still trauma of facing defeat both from history and back when Akagi went astray.
"A weapon's only purpose is to destroy. They forgot that fact when giving Ghost life. No, she was in excruciating pain when she came to be...so she was insane and destructive" Bismarck META faces Akagi
"Why only tell us now?!" Akagi stomps her right foot
"I was gathering information on my own. Ghost lost her physical form and was thrown into this world. To reform her, the Sirens thought of reconstructing Orochi to use it as an anchor. Of course that would mean half of the world will be destroyed once more because a META is only enough to put it back to sleep"
Bismarck META clutches her left shoulder where she once displayed her coat-of-arms, but it's now again after the last fight with her timeline's Tirpitz.
"Surely there's a way to permanently kill that weapon" Akagi couldn't admit her anxiety
"There is..." Bismarck sadly replies
"Then-"
"Every single human in this world has to die"
"What?"
"The only way for its existence to break down is the death of every single humans in Azur Lane, including your commander. She was born from humans and feeds on their emotions, so as long as there are humans, she'll just keeps coming back"
"The commander..." Akagi's hands tremble
"There's another option but it also involves heavy casualties. I don't recommend it because Ghost only went quiet when my world was in so much conflict that the world itself...decided to purge us"
Akagi is someone who would make the heavy sacrifices to protect the one she loves, proven during the whole incident with Orochi. The one person she wouldn't include or allow in that sacrifice is her beloved commander.
"What's the truth in those words?" Akagi takes a step back
"Believe it as you wish. I'm not insisting whether it's the truth or not. After all, you're a difficult one no matter the timeline" Bismarck META speaks without a hint of emotion
"..."
"Which one will you focus, Akagi? Your grudge on me or to protect your loved ones"
"That's..."
"Well, it's up to you in the end. I'm just here to see things through and hope the mistake would never be repeated. I don't have much time left anyway..."
No matter how much Akagi tries to remain on guard, Bismarck META is completely non hostile towards her. To be specific, she's simply uninterested with conflicts and arguments with her fellow shipgirls.
"You came here not just to redeem yourself from the trouble you caused before, but your sole wish is to protect your beloved. I'm not saying it's wrong, but I think you should know your priorities right now" Bismarck META somewhat berates her
"Don't tell me-"
"Don't lose focus on what's dear to you again if you wish to avoid your sin from the last incident. I've seen you lose everything and you were in a state where you wanted to die more than me" Bismarck META gives her a piece of advice based on experience
"..."
"It's just that the last time I saw you, the commander was dead in your arms..."
Bismarck META feels there's no need for her to say anything else and ends her words with informing her of one of the tragedies in her timeline. She walks past Akagi again and whispers that warning to her as soon as she stands beside her before proceeding to walk away without even turning her head.
An hour later...
In the infirmary, the Sakura's Akashi is the only one available from Azur Lane to check on Bismarck META's condition. The small green reluctantly approaches the unintentionally intimidating battleship with a downward gaze. Akashi drags across the floor whatever tools she have in her bag. She knows Bismarck META isn't hostile or aggressive, but that version of Bismarck is more quiet and melancholic.
"You don't have to be that scared, Akashi. Feel free to check on my condition" Bismarck META tries to ease her fear
Her voice lacks any liveliness, but it's honest and holds no hostility towards Akashi. In fact, Bismarck META remains to be out of mood that she doesn't simply care unless she's in combat.
"Are you really Bismarck? You're a more depressed version of Bismarck, nya" Akashi couldn't help but compare
"Depressed? That's a natural state considering my timeline was wiped out after Ghost rampaged. It was deemed pointless so most of us were purged. Those who survived have nowhere else to go or lost their purpose in life. Only few still struggled to live"
"That really is depressing, nya..."
While Bismarck META lets out more of her thoughts, Akashi begins to inspect her health after wandering in the world with little attention to her well-being. Fortunately enough, Bismarck META isn't moving an inch, just speaking with her gaze back on the newly polished floor.
"Does it really matter if it's depressing? There are other versions of us out there. Some are still fighting, some have been lost, and some have found a better future" Bismarck META have long been aware of it
"Still, nya..." Akashi folds her ears
"I know I can't retake my Iron Blood, but I could still save this one. This is just one of Welt's games and Tirpitz used herself as a pawn..."
"How would you beat her, nya?"
"It's not up to me anymore. I've done my part..."
Akashi lifts what appears to be a tablet salvaged and built using Siren technology from the fleet's several encounters. Her tiny hands grip the handles on both sides and scans for Bismarck's vitals but not as efficient as her tools back in Azur Lane.
"By the way, how come no one found out you replaced a dead battleship, nya?"
"That lizard took pity on me because Amagi asked her to alter the memories of anyone caught in the range. Well, it didn't take much effort since only few shipgirls knew what H-39 looked under a helmet" Bismarck META briefly explains
"That's like magic, nya..."
"Human ingenuity is one of a kind...but the knowledge of an ancient human was long lost along with the sunken city"
"Are you looking for that knowledge, nya?"
"Not everything is meant to be unearthed, Akashi. Humans live not knowing a large portion of the ocean...and perhaps it's best not to discover what's lurking beneath there"
"Nya..."
Akashi has just finished scanning Bismarck META's current physical state and moves backwards while the results load. Only when the machine signals by bleeping twice that she sees the results for herself.
"Nya!"
What first appears in her screen is the state of Bismarck META's mental cube, seeing only red numbers and letters. The results continue to load, and she focuses on the key words flashing all over the screen.
"How are you even alive, nya?" Akashi stumbles on her behind
"I fought...a shadow version of Enterprise, one that's far deadlier than Ash and the other is...the failsafe that activated when the ley lines were severed. The damage was too great it reached my core" Bismarck META immediately confesses
"A normal kansen wouldn't have survived as long as you did. Don't tell me you've been persisting with just willpower"
"Maybe. Until now, I couldn't release much of my power or it would accelerate my degradation"
"Y-you shouldn't fight anymore or you'll die for good, nya"
"I can't. I have to make sure the Iron Blood of this world won't be erased along with the rest of the world"
No words could convince Bismarck META to stop fighting after struggling for so long and clawing through so many hardships. She's more than halfway through, and she refuses to surrender.
"Please don't tell anyone. I'm so close to finding a solution..." Bismarck META sorrowfully pleads
"Close to what?"
"To not make the requirement fulfilled. It was Eugen who did it in my timeline, As long as its contained within a lifeless timeline, no one will be able to use it"
"Trap in a dead world, nya..." Akashi swallows her breath
"Tirpitz wagered herself as a pawn. I honestly can't tell if it's because she had faith in your Bismarck or she didn't care anymore...when she saw the same thing I did" Bismarck META murmurs to herself
(Their relationship is more complicated than I expected, nya...)
Akashi awkwardly twitches the side of her lips seeing Bismarck META displaying what could be described as disappointment even when she speaks and acts solemnly. Bismarck META continues to mutter barely coherent words to herself, forgetting how Akashi is still standing right in front of her, afraid she would disturb Bismarck META in her dele thought.
Royal navy base...
Three U-boats are all locked up in a detention room with a wide one-sided glass like the ones used in interrogation rooms. Those three U-boats are the Wolfpack members U-556, U-47, and U-81.
"We should be with Lord Bismarck right now" U-556 pouts
"Well, we unknowingly crossed this world's Royal navy territory and got found out by patrolling destroyers" U-47 rests her head on top of the table
"Then we got cornered until we were forced to surface..." U-81 continues
The three share a mutual frustration on how they're captured and not by their leader's side. They may be the Wolfpack, but they're just three U-boats unfortunately spotted by the Royal navy and forced to surrender.
"Hey, I'm also here too" Ark Royal clears her throat
Ark Royal's left eyebrow twitches when the three speaks to each other and completely forgets her existence. It's as if they're doing it on purpose since she's sitting right in front of them with only a meter apart.
"We need to be with Lord Bismarck. Take us to her" U-556 slams both hands on the table
"Yeah. We got lost, but we didn't slack off" U-81 nods
"Bismarck? Ah, the one from Iron Blood. The problem is which one. There's two of them in our base right now" Ark Royal immediately realizes
"There are two?" The three U-boats express their surprise in unison
"To confirm, you three are from Iron Blood? I'm aware of Azur Lane since several of you are here and taking refuge in Maizuru naval district"
Ark Royal relaxes her back on the foldable steel chair and crosses her arms. It's likely the three are part of the initially separated group, but she needs to confirm as part of safety measures.
"Lord Bismarck made it safely?" U-556's expression brightens
"You know about Iron Blood? Then you must be part of the fleet that knows our world" U-47 narrows her eyes
"Your Tirpitz escaped to this world and your Bismarck chased after her. I know the story but not everything" Ark Royal confirms
"We need to be with Lord Bismarck. Orochi is halfway done, and the Sirens are searching for the wisdom cube containing its combat data" U-556 stands up
"The Sirens are also looking for more of its weapon systems like its missile launcher and the reactor producing those missiles" U-81 also stands
"Missile launcher...reactor...?" Ark Royal scratches her head
Ark Royal only understands Orochi itself, but her mind is clearly confused with more technical terms due to its advanced technology.
"The other cube is its energy supply. In order to make Orochi functional, they need its experience from its previous defeat and the absurd amount of energy to power all of its weapon systems" U-47 stands up
"About that...the black mental cube with containing enormous energy was stolen by your Prinz Eugen" Ark Royal reluctantly reveals
"What?!" U-556 leans closer
"A lot happened and your Prinz Eugen is in our base along with your other friends, but she no longer has it. Apparently, she gave it to someone but not your Tirpitz"
"Well, that sucks" U-47 is upset but not overreacting
"Then we need to find the combat data! If they manage to install it, then we won't be able to destroy it so easily again. Worse is that not only it will learn, it will upgrade to a more dangerous version" U-556 flails her arms in the air
Ark Royal is aware how everyone believes Orochi is dangerous once completed, but she's clueless as someone who doesn't even know what Orochi looks like. Obviously, the one who knows its thread are those from the same world.
EXTRA
Normal Abyssals aren't usually a threat until the moment Sirens decide to intervene. The new Abyssals are usually just a distraction since shipgirls can still sink them like they sink normal Abyssals. This is due to AL Akashi integrating salvaged Siren technology on their rigging. A dead yet intact To-class light cruiser is lifted a meter or two off the ground by several chains on its limbs.
"One of the first ones Iron Blood studied was a destroyer. I remembered how our scientists were baffled by its physiology" AL Bismarck approaches the lifeless Abyssal
"This one had Siren technology infused to it. What a horrible mess to force unknown steel in their fleshes. It's like they put an Abyssal and some parts in a blender" Nagato shudders at the thought
"Its hull is similar to mass-produced Sirens. Same goes for its turrets" AL Bismarck knocks on the black metallic portion of the Abyssal light cruiser
Its limbs hang loosely on the sides just as its broken jaw drop wide open. Unfortunately, one of its arms have been blasted by a shell and the armor already cracked. Even its riggings got damaged as well and the turrets are barely intact.
"That time, an unknown cruiser helped defeat these Abyssals. It turned out to be Prinz Eugen. I should have noticed that the unknown cruiser only appeared at the battles Eugen was present and she would deliberately get lost in the storm as an excuse..." AL Bismarck lets out a dismayed sigh
"You accepted her back even after conspiring with the Sirens. Aren't you letting your guard down?" Nagato still has her doubts
"She cooperated with Tyrant. They both survived a ruined future but chose not to try and save the past like my other self. They helped the Sirens trick the Abyssals into being their experiments"
"Central Princess' forces are desperate to turn the tides of war even if it means accepting a dangerous deal. Too bad all they got was excruciating pain..."
Nagato approaches the Abyssal corpse and gently touches a spiky crystal on its arm with her index finger. The same kind of black crystals are spread to some areas of the corpse ranting from the size of a pebble to large enough to grab by a person's palm.
"Eugen said she didn't know about the deal between the Sirens and Abyssals because it wasn't even the same Prinz Eugen. All she knew was that she was ambushed one day and her META future returned as if nothing happened" AL Bismarck also expressed her own doubts
"It took you a long time to figure out the traitor because the traitor itself was technically the same person" Nagato scratches her head
"I'm still skeptical about it because Eugen wouldn't commit suicide just like that. She detonated her own wisdom cube to keep Tyrant's secret" AL Bismarck's hands tense up
"Tyrant. She also killed herself without gaining anything. Even now we don't know why she came to this timeline..."
"She smiled as she died. That was the moment I realized she accomplished her goal"
"...Shortly after that, your Tirpitz stabbed you and took a special wisdom cube Tyrant originally possessed. Then she took with that cube..."
The two fleet leaders fall quiet, specially on Bismarck's side since there are still several unanswered questions. She doesn't know Tyrant's true goal until the very end, and she finds no logical reason for why Tirpitz decides to work for the Sirens.
"Your world shouldn't have been involved with my...issues. I had to ask your fleet for help in order to track and capture my rebellious sister" AL Bismarck takes a deep breath
"We're fighting the same war with different kind of enemies. As much as possible, I want to continue this situation from the rest of the world"
Nagato stares at the modified sections of the Abyssals which would be an obvious abnormality if humans discover their upgraded yet twisted enemies. This would cause a chain reaction starting with pinpointing the concentration of modified Abyssals.
"Their bodies are incompatible which caused the swelling and rabid behavior. The Sirens are really just experimenting on how much they can withstand" AL Bismarck traces her finger on the bumps located in its arms
"We'll have to track them soon before they turn their eyes on the people here"
"All of this just to find Orochi's dismantled parts. What's the point of rebuilding a mindless piece of junk" AL Bismarck clicks her tongue out of annoyance
"Didn't your future self reveal it's because Orochi is just an anchor to this mindless shipgirl called Ghost?"
"It's not easy to manifest a formless kansen by merging it with a ship. Ghost is just a shadow to begin with and has no solid form. What it needs is a physical body of a kansen. One that's strong enough to sustain it" AL Bismarck contradicts the information
The two fall quiet again, unable to find the best candidate to withstand the unstable core of Ghost. An ordinary kansen would deteriorate over a short period of time due to Ghost's ability to dismantle and wither wisdom cubes with just a touch.
"Hmm. She's really planning on dragging Tirpitz by force..."
AL Prinz Eugen overhears the entire conversation from an upper level of the facility and keeping her figure by a corner for stealth. She's not amused the least, but her eyes curiously observe the two battleships inspect the Abyssal's corpse, unaware of her spying on them.
"It's unusual to see you with a burnt eye" Bismarck META approaches her
"Akagi fought me with the intent to kill, so it wouldn't heal so easily" AL Prinz Eugen gently touches the eye patch covering a portion of her face
The burn not only damaged the eye but the skin above and below the eye. This forces AL Prinz Eugen to completely conceal the hideous burns which still mildly stings even a after a few days from when it happened.
"What's Tirpitz up to?" Bismarck META immediately asks
"I should be asking that. You have Ghost's wisdom cube and keeps it a secret"
"You didn't answer my question"
Bismarck META may behave solemn and melancholic in front of others, but she still retains the no-nonsense side of her past self. Her expression lack any sharpness and intimidation, but tone is enough to express her hostility and lack of trust.
"Apparently this is some sort of bet and test. If Bismarck wins, that stupid lizard will make an exception for her"
"What if Bismarck loses to this bet?"
"I'm not certain myself..." AL Prinz Eugen is genuinely unaware
It doesn't appear AL Prinz Eugen is evading the truth with how she raises her eyebrows and frowns to express confusion.
"Why go along with Tirpitz other than the fact everyone thought you died?" Bismarck META asks something else
"Your past self refuses to believe the truth. I already told everyone how it was better to stick with her than get shot the moment I show up in Iron Blood" AL Prinz Eugen laughs at herself
"Did you see something else?"
Bismarck META's eye briefly glances at her last self who's still having a conversation with Nagato. Then there's AL Akashi struggling to climb the Abyssal corpse as large as an elephant.
"What exactly is Welt? Tester said she's a Leviathan...but that lizard is ancient. Not to mention, not even the Sirens know about the technology used to make her" AL Prinz Eugen's mood turns serious
"She was made by a human but not the same kind as the ones in this era. Her father died at the age of two hundred due to old age but she remained at her prime...for millennia.
"At another timeline, it took an excruciating long time to perfect the tower but that lizard can walk to another universe like visiting a house next door. Are you sure that thing is man-made?"
"Ask Amagi. Her ghost is in this timeline and the only one willing to talk to us unlike the other seven" Bismarck META turns away from Prinz Eugen
"Hmph. Your calm and confident...for a limping zombie" AL Prinz Eugen smiles
"..."
"I know you don't have any strength left. What's keeping you alive is your stubbornness to kneel. How will you pass on without regrets this time? It's your fault Iron Blood collapsed in the first place" AL Prinz Eugen expressed a bit of resentment
"I have to make sure it's disconnect from this world. To do that, I have to kill the one who would damage the ley lines"
"A certain bird said that person joined with Bismarck for her own amusement and Kirov... might go after the same person"
"..."
As if AL Prinz Eugen pities the hollow of a battleship, she at least informs her of what could start more trouble in the future. Bismarck META just lightly nods and lazily waves her hand while she continues to walk away from the heavy cruiser.