"So long has progressed those then called themselves the Sirens. They grew to become beings capable of sentience and self-dependence. Their Creator would go on to create hundreds of different variants capable of certain tasks. While this was met with outrage by the crowd who were against technology becoming this advanced...a more...receptive response by the Military of many nations. Underhand deals made with the promise of variants capable of mass destruction disguised as normal Humans began to be produced, the first of their kind, reflecting to look just like Humans."

"This, however, would be the first of many dominoes to fall into place."

This evening, I suppose, was eventful to say the least. I have to admit even in my past life, I didn't see this much excitement in a single day, considering all that's happened in the past 48 hours as a whole. Though, considering not every Human being becomes a Warlord of some kind, I can see how the differences quickly stack up. I certainly didn't expect to become the Commander of the Sirens last week. I laughed softly, though quietly, it still drew a glance from Tester who stood by idly.

On that note, Tester stood proudly, her arms folded neatly, and her eyes held a cold, yet somehow warm, calculating gaze. Maybe it was because their eyes actually produced light, somehow making them more lively? I don't know, but it did make them look cool, to say the least. Catching my gaze, Tester tilted her head mutely, returning my gaze without much trouble. Blinking, I turned away, and focused on the other Major near me. Purifier.

She hummed a warm, yet unfamiliar tune, though it did seem pretty upbeat, and her form which constantly swayed or twirled calmly in this serene, yet chaotic air seemed to explain Purifier was in a good mood. She did just fight a butt load of defenses on her own, and her arm which hung limply was evidence of her getting caught in surprise. The hole in her arm though seemed to stop bleeding whatever black fluid it oozed, bringing some sort of ease to mind. She too caught my gaze, giving me a smile.

"Yo, Commander," She greeted with a calm tone, as if she hadn't been nose-deep in the thick of battle, making me exhale in amusement. Such an upbeat tone for having almost lost her arm.

"Ah, Purifier," I suddenly remembered, her eyes blinking, her attention fully brought forth, "Didn't you say the last levels of the base had some stragglers?" There was a nod, making me nod. "I have a theory that those on the lowest floor are probably high-value targets. Try to find them, try not to kill them when you do find them, and capture them." Purifier nodded energetically as one Siren capable of mass destruction could, her eyes burning brightly at the new opportunity to keep on going with a new motive.

"Aye aye, Commander," she saluted, making me die on the inside, and she giggled in amusement before taking off in a hurry, passing through the forest which was still burning with plenty of fuel remaining. Watching her go, Tester turned to me, offering me a questioning gaze of her own.

"You realize she will try to find-"

"She'll somehow find a loophole to enjoy herself more," I sighed, finishing Tester's concern, who huffed, amused. She promptly switched back to looking out towards the sea, where I promptly joined in such an endeavor. After a couple of minutes, Tester tilted her head down, noting to myself that she did that whenever she got a new message for me. And like a prophet, she turned her eyes towards me, not moving her head.

"Dearmweaver with Ark Royal is 4 minutes and 23 seconds away, Observer Alpha's treatment of Hood has stabilized Hood long enough for long-term treatment to become an option, and Purifier's entry into the base has commenced once more."

A good list of information provided, all I could do is nod. Truthfully, again, I am still way too new to this Shikikan stuff, even if I played AL religiously- I was by no means a Wargaming mastermind. The Kansen were, afterall, best waifus. Although...I guess I can use the help of the Sirens to advise me on certain subjects. They already seem receptive to my existence...something that...I still don't know how they seemed to do so easily. I was, afterall, some random guy who was just picked out of the random…

...right?

On one hand, the Sirens are a super-advanced race of A.I. who gained sentience and self-dependence. I guess a direct order from the big man upstairs would force them to cooperate...but even then, they seemed oddly hospitable to me. Saving me against that...that defective Alabama, throwing me a rave that would make most massive rave goers jealous, and also providing me powers to better control the Sirens. My hand gripped the side of my head as a pang of pain shot through it, realizing that I may be thinking about things too much, especially in a place like this. I'll think more about it when...I'm not in the middle of an active battle zone. Heh. I didn't even know Tester was staring at me from the corner of her eyes as I sighed, relaxing my mind. She, too, closed her eyes.

"They are here. I will retrieve Ark Royal, and give Dearmweaver her next assignment." She announced, surprising me. Had I been thinking for that long? I really do need some private space for my own thoughts, I suppose. Clearing my throat, I nodded towards Tester, who quietly retreated to the coast, presumably to get the oh-so infamous Destroyer-con. With that in mind, I do hope that they retain some of their goofy natures in this world. But considering how wack it is currently, it seemed like a grim reality, considering Sirius stabbed her sword through Hood, but I held onto that hope just for the sake of it. Won't hurt, anyways.

Hearing footsteps beginning to grow in volume behind me, I found the sound distinct, a leathery feel to every step, and not a metallic one like the Sirens. This must be Ark Royal then, realizing that Tester must have pulled away to give us a sense of privacy, while most likely staying within a moment's reach just in case things went south. Securing my little Admiral hat down to my head, it was only a couple more seconds before the footsteps stopped just a small distance before me. Soft, yet gravelly, breaths could be heard, and I could even feel the gaze of the Carrier bore into my back. Our statemate, our little unsaid competition of who says what first went on, and I tilted my head down in genuine amusement.

Dearmweaver did drop a bombshell onto Ark Royal, I suppose, and considering the belief that the Sirens were not united under one, but united only under ragtag leaders such as Dearmweaver or Observer...I think the shock could be too much for some to realize completely.

"Oi…" Blinking, I realize Ark Royal had broken first, softly letting a noise that could really only be described as to pronounce her current existence behind me. I only shifted my head to the left, partially showing my features to the Carrier, yet our line of sight couldn't be locked. Still though, this was enough to make her softly gasp, but also had the effect of her grasp on her weapon, of sorts, to tighten.

"You...you exist, don't you? This entire time…" She seemed to find her words correctly, pausing every now and then, before exclaiming: "There really was a Siren Commander the entire time!" And such, the noise around us seemed to blend in like white noise, not mattering in this current moment, making me smile at her revelation.

"I exist, yes," I confirmed, raising my head into the air, before staring towards the sun. The mirror sea being the only reason why it didn't burn my eyes off at a moment's notice. "At the same time, I feel as though I shouldn't." I let my statement settle, before hearing Ark Royal seeming to...hum? I heard just a single step forward, putting her just closer.

"What do you mean?" Ark questioned in a somewhat aggressive tone. "Without your existence...so much wouldn't have happened!" I huffed in amusement, drawing a short pause between the both of us. It's almost as if she's saying that not having the Sirens would've been a bad thing.

"And so much would have happened instead," I countered, my tone drawing some of my grief as the memories of a different timeline in a different world opened itself in my mind. Even if these memories were of a game, I couldn't help but wonder about the countless possibilities before I came here. So many battles. So many wars. How many of them would have changed if Ship Girls were a thing? What if those Warships became people? Those in my old planet all knew the answer of what wouldn't have happened, but the what-if still hung in my head. "Yet so much wouldn't have happened instead, you're right. And here I stand, upon this cliff, overlooking a sea now within our claimed territory. And you, Ark Royal? Carrier of the proud and esteemed Royal Navy, now teteer the loyalty of it and our cause."

There was another step forward, my change of topic seeming to provoke the Carrier into planting her foot in an almost-stomp-like fashion, making me blink in surprise at the force behind such a move. I suppose she is rather loyal towards the Royal Navy, so mocking her world only brings unwanted trouble.

"The Royal Navy of today is not the Royal Navy of when our Commander once oversaw!" Ark countered, almost feeling as if she jabbed an accusatory finger my way. "The Royal Navy always strove for unity under the sun! For a world order free of hate, war, and oppression between nations! And strove for a world without the Sirens!" She yelled, her voice carrying into the wind at her own determined and confident proclamation. And I had but one counter of my own.

"What changed?" I demanded back, bluntly. "You say all of this...yet the fleet you lead surrendered to us without a moment's pause." I began to turn around slowly, slowly showing more of my face. "Your talks of unity were shattered when your old Flagship, Hood, would rather execute you all without remorse." All but one eye peered at Ark Royal, finally showing me her form, reeking of fatigue, grief, and held-back anger. Her eyes widened by the moment as I locked eyes with her, her body tensing up, my eyes flicking down to her weapon, her finger just off the trigger well. I have to play this carefully.

"Your talks of a world without hate, shattered as quick as Hood's trust when Sirius' blade drove through her." Finally, I faced Ark, looking down upon her from the crest of the hill I stood upon, my expression turning to one of distaste at the remark of Hood's incident. And Ark shared the sentiment, seeming to flinch slightly at the memory. "Your talks of anti-oppression, exposed by the confessions of your fellow Kansen who would rather turn to the Sirens, than go back. So, tell me, Ark Royal, esteemed Aircraft Carrier of the Royal Navy..." Slowly I walked up to her, and I could vaguely hear the questioning thoughts of Tester in my head, advising- telling me to get farther away instead of the opposite. Instead, I stood but just a few inches away from Ark, my height the same as hers, allowing me to stare at her straightly.

"Tell me...what changed? What changed so much that all your ideals were flipped on their head, and turned inside out?" I asked once more, watching as her gaze trembled for a couple moments, before her grasp on her weapon slipped, softly clacking against the grass, before coming to a rest. Her breath hitched, her mouth seeming to wobble, before I suddenly had a gut-wrenching feeling wash over me as I watched Ark slowly fall onto her knees. Her eyes were still locked onto mine, her head now craned up, and allowing the sun to truly reflect the tired look in her very soul. It's almost as if Ark had never gotten a good night's rest, or never managed to get enough moments of respite, her morale seeming to have been stepped on with my questioning. Coupled with her disheveled look and comparing that to the normal Ark Royal in-game made for a...very, very tired-looking Ark. It's almost as if her anger previously was all she could really muster before her other emotions simply overwhelmed everything else. She simply slumped her head, her hands grabbing handfuls of grass, her voice a despairing low compared to her more determined, confident, and strong tone.

"The Commander…was the start of this all." Was what she began with, my interest beginning to rise. "One day, a report was brought forth to every Faction leader, describing the fate of our Commander. Everyone couldn't believe it. Some didn't want to believe it." She seemed to spit the last portion out, seeming to bring around bad memories, her hands ripping a handful of grass out before continuing. "It got worse from there. Not one, but dozens of Commanders began to reel us in as if...AS If WE WERE ANIMALS!" I suddenly got tackled by Tester, both of us landing a distance away, just in time to avoid Ark slamming her fist into the ground, and creating a crater as a result. I quickly got off Tester, before nearing Ark once more, brushing off Tester's concern. She obviously seemed to want a listener as she didn't continue until I got near once more, her form the same as before. Her voice husky now, roughened up by her screaming.

"Many of us protested, of course, but our servitude was, in the end, bound to Humanity and only Humanity. Our self-interests would always come last. The investigation on what happened to our Commander was never finished...mainly because it was never started to begin with!" It almost looked like she wanted to take her anger out on the ground once more, but she only sighed deeply, her anger venting. "Only...those adamant to serve our Commander, even beyond his unbecoming, somehow manage to circumvent the servitude curse we have with Humanity. We, of course, were ordered to kill them as quickly as possible...only because their freedom was deemed too dangerous." She slowly looked up, her anger switching from raw rage, to despairing grief. "We, as Kansen, were ordered to kill other Kansen who had loved our Commander even beyond death." Her head slowly slumped once more, and the soft, distinct noises of cries emanated from her.

I looked at Tester, finding her expression had morphed into one of brooding, her gaze locking with mine, before shaking her head, a sign she had no comment. She, without a doubt, must also be finding this news new to her as well. I shivered at the thought, however. Kansen who loved this Commander had such a strong affinity with him that they broke their own strings with Humanity the moment he disappeared? This...bond, as described by the Sirens in-game, was a powerful connection between Commander and Kansen, and this only seemed to reinforce the idea. Shaking my head, I crouched down, before slowly reaching out with my hand, and tenderly put it on Ark's shoulder. Her body tensed up instantly, obviously uncomfortable with the touch of someone she didn't trust remotely. Though, Ark seemed to understand she couldn't really argue, and only sighed, a free hand rubbing her eyes, before continuing. She seemed to have at least welcomed the display of sympathy.

"After the power vacuum destroyed what was a carefully built hierarchy of Kansen, many incidents followed, many stories were told, many rumors were spoken of. What is fact or fiction slowly melded into one. Nobody knew what the truth was anymore. One day you could be told your best friend had died in a tragic battle, but come meet you the next day. Standards were never up-held, less so by the Kansen themselves. Those...Commanders treated us as if we were animals. Beat around, ordered around without respite, sent into battle without knowing the odds, and-and-" Ark gagged audibly as she uttered her next words. "-and use for...pleasuring purposes…" She took another moment to pause, gathering her thoughts.

Tester, this time, had turned away from both Ark and I, one of her hands under her chin in thought, the other folded under her chest. Something must be brewing in her head if she seems to be this focused on thinking. Though, I can honestly see why, and Ark's description of the Kansen experience can be downright considered slavery. They couldn't even seem to raise a hand back or else be condemned with some sort of harsh punishment themselves. If staying loyal to this Commander even after death resulted in death for the Kansen, I could only imagine the punishment for insubordination.

"Then what of Hood?" I questioned slowly and softly, gaining a small glance from Ark before her eyes downturned once more, coming to realize what I meant.

"She…" Her mouth closed and open, her eyes squinting as she seemed to struggle for comprehensible words. "She...was engaged to the Commander. His demise drew her nearly to insanity when she found out. " My eyes widened at the discovery, this revelation justifying her odd and completely uncharacteristic behavior from the usually calm and collected Hood seen otherwise in media. This was all I needed to know about her.

There was a small pause between Ark and I, and I duly noted that Ark seemed to have relaxed, overcoming her overly cautious form from earlier, and reverting back to a mix of alert and laxness. Sighing, I nodded my head, before standing up, and straightening out my jacket. Then, I reached my hand out to Ark, watching as her eyes stared at my hand, before her gaze crawled up my arm, then eventually landing on my eyes. I couldn't help but feel complete sympathy for the Kansen, to be completely honest. This timeline only seemed to have one disaster after another following whatever happened to their Commander. Perhaps...if these Kansen were able to defy their initial orders, was the Mirror Sea to blame? I would need to get more answers, but for now…

"Ark Royal," I began with a firm tone, her expression seeming to light up, "Carrier of the once-proud Royal Navy, now de-facto leader of a fleet of hurting Kansen; you have shared your story, and stories of those around you, and I offer you this opportunity to dismantle the corruption plaguing the Admiralty. Do you, Flagship of your fleet, agree to fly under the Siren banner until we finish our goals as one?" The wind blew the clutch of hair blocking Ark's other eye, revealing that she had been truly taken aback, showing an expression full of nothing but shock. Instantly, she stood on her knees, reeling back slightly in what seemed to be distrust.

"Wh-what do you mean?" She questioned with desperation, not entirely specific, a tilt of my head suddenly making her jab a finger at me. "What do you mean, 'our goals as one'!?" She yelled, her face tinging red with frustration. I blinked my eyes, seeing Tester cross her arms fully out the corner of my eyes. I only smiled as best as I could with a literal warship yelling at me. Only after I heard Ark's own side of the story, did I begin to form a theory of sorts. Why I was brought here, to begin with, but I couldn't outright admit I'm not from this world to Ark. Not yet, at least. And not for another while. Instead, I put a hand to my chest, my other hand still outstretched towards her. Though, the best lie was already mixed in with the truth.

"You may not know this, but you are not the only Ark Royal who exists," I boldly declared, watching not only Ark flinch, but Tester as well, drawing some concern from myself. Had I said something wrong? Oh well, can't go back now. "You are but one of many possibilities, many words, many universes. Yet, in the end, your world has brought us the satisfaction we desired. We had finally pushed Humanity to not only overcome their own struggles, but to completely steamroll our efforts to fight back. A countless amount of time finally resulted in the grand display of true affinity between Kansen and Commander. Cognitive awakenings beyond our measure. And Warships that only existed through paper or thoughts, brought forth through a tedious series of tasks, yet rewarding effort as a result. Your world had finally beaten the Sirens...that was, until your Commander had fallen under the cruel hands of fate." My smile became sympathetic as I watched Ark's expression fall with each following sentence, as if watching a Human being told their entire existence was rigged for perfection from the start, and even before they were born. Or had been told their entire life was a simulation.

"With so many different Commanders, with such widespread disloyalty to said Commanders, the bond between Commander and Kansen was broken, and such affinity could not be kept together strong enough to keep satisfying our goals, and only threats of death and cruel punishments could make them fall in line." I could already imagine countless Kansen trying their best to not fall underline to a new Commander, even if they were originally tasked with serving Humanity. "No Kansen would quickly swear loyalty to another Commander, it is simply impossible. As such...I finally intervened. Where I had once accepted this world was deemed worthy of finally defeating our cause...it was all for naught, as no world under such a destructive chain of command could possibly face what lay for them in the future. Your Commander is the only Human to have truly beaten us."

Complete and utter bullshit. I never existed before that event on the island. I thought this world was a more cheery timeline. Not a tragic-struck world! Still, I kept this facade on, realizing if I failed here, then all this effort to convert these Kansen would all be for zilch. Thankfully, it seemed my annoyingly long monologue had proven fruitful, watching Ark as she seemed to make the connections herself before I simply told her. Seems she didn't catch onto the second-to-last bit I said. Fortunately or not, I didn't want to explain the entirety of the lore in one sitting.

"...You mean," Ark beat me to it, however, watching her eyes glisten as she got closer, looking at me with a hopeful expression. "This entire time...that destroyed fleet we found...this raid on this base...Your new goal is to purge all those Commanders? Truthfully?" With each word, Ark got more and more close, eventually standing some inches away from me, her desperate expression becoming more and more evident. All I had to do was nod my head mutely, and an eruption of various different emotions flashed on her face. Ranging from relief, grief, desperation, before relief once more. Then, her expression got stony serious, facing me squarely, making me sigh inside my head.

Is Ark bipolar?

"Then why attack this base and slaughter those who are not Kansen?" She questioned with a firm tone, catching me off for a second, before recovering. While I could say that the resources provided by the acquisition of the cargo ships moored would prove majorly beneficial to re-jumpstart the Siren Warmachine, that in of itself could not justify the murder of everyone deep within the base itself, as their presence did not add any manpower on the surface.

"Commander!~" Wincing at the sudden loud voice in my head, I quickly realized Purifier had begun to address me through the Siren network, and quickly got my bearings once more, Purifier quickly taking my silence as permission to keep going. "I'm getting some gnarly energy readings the closer I get to the bottom-most floor! It's gotta be REALLY valuable if I can sense it from 5 floors away! I'll keep ya posted!" Without even giving me a chance to reply, I felt our communication line disappear, noting that Purifier went back to resuming her task. Thankfully, however, she gave me an excuse!

"Two reasons." I held two fingers out, one hand pointing somewhere else, and in the general direction of the cargo ships. "You Kansen sure did massively destroy our numbers, and our ability to mass-produce said numbers. As such, we need a way to regain resources in a rapid manner. That's where this base comes into play. There are two cargo ships here with massive deliveries. Wisdom Cubes, more importantly, are stored here." Then, my hand pointed back deeper into the island itself, pointing towards the billowing clouds of smoke. "The second reason was detected only after we arrived. Observer Alpha detected a valuable artifact deep within the heart of the base, most likely stored in the bottom-most floor. Of course, those inside the base wouldn't give up such an artifact without struggle, right?" Ark sighed in resignation, before nodding in agreement, and so did I, satisfied to see Ark ease up, before dipping her head.

"How can we- how can I trust you to not use us as those Commanders did?" I silently sighed, before shaking my head.

"We have everything to lose, Ark Royal. I could simply let you walk away whenever you feel, as is the same for your friends. Of course, that is if you decide to leave peacefully and not under...hostile conditions." For a couple of moments after, Ark stared at the ground, her hands clenching and unclenching. She was deep in thought, it was clear, and she seemed to weigh the benefits and drawbacks. In the end, what she decided, would also decide what the rest of her fleet went along with. Most of them couldn't even sail back to port properly in their condition. So, I stood there, a smile on my face, more than ready to hear her decision. I look to my left, locking eyes with Tester, who only nodded back at me. She, too, was eager to hear what Ark's final decision was. Eventually, she seemed to come back to, her head slowly raising, and her steely blue eyes locking with my own. I outstretched my hand, she took some steps forward, before looking at my hand, before looking at me once more.

"The...current Flagship of the Home Fleet, on behalf of my accompanying fleet...swear fealty to the Sirens and their Commander." Her hand met mine, and we both squeezed each other's hands with firm strength, Ark obviously holding back. But now, with this, I had integrated one of many Kansen groups I planned on befriending. Letting go of Ark's hand, she stepped, before saluting. Not a crude salute like Purifier's, but a true, honest to god, salute. Chuckling softly, Ark gained a genuine, true smile as well, softly landing on her knees. Concern bloomed through me before she began to laugh, stopping me mid-rush as she looked at me with tears streaking down her cheeks.

"I-I haven't felt this happy in for such a long time!" She confessed, laughing as she rubbed her tears away. I offered my own comfort by rubbing her back, glancing at Tester, and noticing her expression seemed to glaze over. Something I'm beginning to see more common. But...it seemed like our little moment of joy would be short-lived.

"Tester?" She flinched, the light showing life in her eyes, before looking at me with a slightly terrified expression, and I immediately felt something wrong. I've never seen her like this before. Getting closer to her, I put my hands on her shoulders, her form seeming to tremble with some sort of anxiousness or nervousness. "What's wrong?" My concern shot through the roof as the island shook with a low groan. An earthquake? No...this didn't feel natural. That's when I felt something inside me die. Choking on sudden grief, Tester shook as she uttered, in a deathly quiet tone.

"Purifier...isn't on the Network anymore…"

There was a certain belief that there was a stage between death and the afterlife. A state of suspension where judgment was to be delivered upon those who died. To see fit whether someone or something deserved a life of enlightenment in the higher Heavens, or God help them, eternal damnation in the fiery pits of Hell. Some call it Limbo. Others call it Purgatory. Some simply don't know what to call it.

Though, currently, the missing Siren in question floated through a dark expanse, void of nothing, yet something held itself in the air. Even to the bloodthirsty Siren, Purifier seemed to have become withdrawn, that eternal spark of a fighting spirit seeming to have been snuffed out, eye dimmed down to an unsettling level if it were seen by another Siren. "The portal to one's soul is seen through the eyes," is what Humans would say but to the Sirens, that was a very literal phrase. The brightness at which a Sirens' luminosity shone quickly discerns their health and wellbeing.

Purifier, at the moment, had a very weak glow, akin to a flashlight with nearly dead batteries. Additionally, her physical appearance seemed to reflect just that. Her arm, the one that had been punctured by flak, was now missing from the shoulder down. Her other limbs were practically shredded of their skin-like material to reveal the metal below, with them crumpled, bent at odd angles, and her remaining arm all but useless. Even her chest now boasted a large hole that punched through her gut cleanly, with another hole above destroying her heart-like pump. Her now remaining eye was nearly devoid of brightness, her other eye only a socket where it would be, sparks occasionally shooting out.

Her CPU was still remarkably intact, however, her head being spared of the carnage. Therefore, all remaining power was redirected towards it, an emergency program kicking in in cases where Sirens tip-toed the line between death and living. But...the scenario was completely unexpected as soon as the CPU "woke up", finding the Host's body disconnected from the Network, something seen as impossible, considering all Sirens stayed connected no matter what plane they stood in. Be it in a completely different timeline, a connection would still be had! The CPU processed the numerous possibilities, practicals, and outrageous theories. More outrageous was that the CPU couldn't find any footage of what happens to its Host moments following up to its near-destruction! So it was in the complete dark, metaphorically and literally, as to what had truly happened before it kicked on.

Even as its Host floated through this abyss of a void, the CPU still backed the data up to its storages, hoping that in the case their Host was unable to move once- if they reconnected, they would be able to upload the data to the cloud. That's when the CPU took manual control of its Host, peering out into the void with its one eye, and noting that its Host's limbs were 100% useless in doing everything useful.

The CPU also took into account its energy reserves, noting it had only a horrifying 7% left in its Host. Typically, the current Purifier model is to be fitted with an energy core capable of lasting years on end without a recharge. Ten years to be exact! That said, the Sirens could indeed sleep, having the ability to feel the same joy that Humans feel after a hard day at work, before crashing onto their bed to enjoy a hearty naptime, or genuine sleep. But...as CPU could tell, this Purifier as his Host had at least 53% energy remaining before encountering whatever they had. Now, the Purifier model had the ability to funnel extra energy in combat to enhance their processing power and expertise...but that would only reduce the lifetime of their core by mere months even with abuse, meaning their Host would have had to use their ability for 4 months straight without stopping!

...But perhaps, that indeed happened? The CPU took the possibility of such a thing into account, and began to reinspect the wounds on its Host's body. Slash marks of otherworldly nature- no Human or Kansen weapon could, in the last moments before the footage cut out, recreate such damage. Puncture wounds that looked to clean on its Host body- too precise, too clean, something which Humans and Kansen had no time or interest in doing. Wounds that appeared to vary in age plagued its Host's body, wounds that again, were strange in every regard.

That's when the CPU realized something as it had dug deeper into its Host's mind, searching for more fine details, looking at the activity log of its Host, peering into their exact actions moments before they dropped off the Network...before making an equally surprising and shocking discovery.

Their...Host did not involuntarily leave the Network. They had done it on purpose.

Completely wild theories could not come close to comprehending their Hosts' actions. Why did they do it on purpose? Why did they even think of leaving the Network on purpose? No. No! Perhaps their Host found it advantageous to drop off the Network! Perhaps an enemy that could tell its Hosts' location based on the signal they emitted was encountered!

...but that wouldn't explain why they were off the Network for so long! The CPU, if it could, would scream in frustration, and beat the Host up using their own body...but alas, they couldn't do so, and was left to process other details, reviewing the footage up until their Host betrayed the Sirens. Every time, the footage would stop right before the grand reveal, right when their Host rounds a corner in the facility they were tasked with taking over, a blinding white enveloped the entire corridor, then their Host...before nothing.

Disappointment couldn't fathom to describe how the CPU felt at that very moment, too busy being frustrated with each dead-end, not making any practical sense to anything happening.

Then it remembered that their Host still had a rigging, just unsummoned, before summoning it in front of their remaining sole eye, before finding an alarming find. Text was carved into the rigging from head to tail, covering every single inch, and not a single bit missed. Even just a glance seemed to show the CPU a part of a report, and another glance elsewhere gained insight into what seemed to be a weekly report of achievements.

The CPU quickly began to decipher everything written down, quickly filtering what seemed to be junk text relating to small diary stories or jokes written just for fun, before pushing reports to the more important list of finds. Things like geological mapping, a system to differentiate a sort of faction system, and even an entire drawing of their Host alongside many other people that appeared to be Kansen was taped onto the side. Many of things the CPU found on the rigging were completely fascinating data. Those diaries the CPU sorted were brought back, their Host detailing their experience in a completely new world!

Many of the questions the CPU had were slowly solved as it read the brief, yet informative diaries, showing that their Host had, indeed, spent years in this world- or timeline, as their Host's Observer Alpha calls them? Their Host described the joys of being separated from the Network, enjoying actual peace without all the traffic in their head constantly, and finally being able to meet new people without being fired upon- apparently the Sirens in this world were completely docile, and were actually friendly to the Kansen and Humans of this world!

Their Host had dedicated an entire side of their rigging to describe their ups and downs in this new world, having discarded the idea of fighting for good after a month of seeing no combat that shed blood, relaxing into a life of genuine peace, and only going into combat into world-wargames! World Wars that were solved through non-lethal means! Eventually, their Host had spent a good three years in this new world, the gaps in between diaries growing larger and larger, before a second to the last diary finally bid farewell to the Siren cause, finally seeing no reason on returning home to a war she no longer had any interest in, and only bid good luck to those who still fought. This heartfelt goodbye to the Sirens silenced the already silent CPU for a good moment as it processed everything it had read so far, watching the fall and rise of a completely new Purifier in the wake of her leaving the Network, and reintegrating into a community where the Sirens were not only accepted, but welcomed.

But...this was, of course, the second to last diary entry, and the last diary entry took place a complete year from the previous entry, showing how long their Host abstained. Their Host had realized over the years they weren't just transported into a new world- rather, they were transported back into the past, and their Host would soon realize the repercussions of such an event.

They had arrived. The inevitable tide that each timeline fell victim to no matter what the world, timeline, universe, or what-have-you. They always arrived. And they never oozed an ounce of mercy. The planet their Host found themselves on eventually encountered the mortal enemy of the Sirens. They conquered the majority of the world in only a couple hours, a record if not for this already being history. Their Host could only write one last entry, though the CPU could tell that their Host was filled with grief during the making of the entry, their handwriting shaky and inconsistent. Simply, the text followed:

'Oh Commander and Creator...grant me strength to defend the ones I love...the ones I cherish...and strike me down should I fail. I failed this world.

I failed my loved one

I failed…

As a Siren…

Then, no more entries. Nothing. The CPU determined no new text follow this entry, the current entry appearing the freshest, as if just recently written moments ago...which brought the CPU to its current conclusion.

Their Host had been transported to another world by inexplicable means. How this happened is unknown due to the footage of the events leading up to them disappearing having been corrupted. Furthermore, all events in this new world are also corrupted, something the CPU reconfirmed many times, and the only tampering their Host actually did was personally disconnect themselves from the Network before arriving to the new world. Possibly to hide their tracks, and to prevent any Siren from finding their Hosts' location. Their Host spent an estimated 4 years in this new world which, by all means, is completely backwards from any world touched by the Sirens. This world, instead of being pressured by the Sirens, was simply left to its own devices, and the world populace were receptive to the Sirens universally. World conflict was almost non-existent, with life being surrounded in peace. That is, until they arrived, and displayed the reason why the Sirens were keen on pushing Humanity and their Kansen to the limits. Their Host, in what seemed to be a last attempt to combat them, resulted in the current injuries which their Host currently has, explaining the terrifyingly efficient means of disabling a Siren.

...What doesn't get explained is this void which their Host resides in, however. Even when reconnected to the Network, no signal is found, which was already explained to be impossible considering the omniscient range of the Network. The only exceptions were cases extremely niche and required a specific set of criteria to be met. At the bottom of this list was...in between the sofa in the lounge room…?

However, on the top of the list was...was inside one of them. Every Siren who had been devoured by one of them were instantly disconnected from the Network, and no Siren knew to this day what the insides of one of them looked like. Which now led the CPU to its next conclusion. It was inside one of-

"Good…" a metallic-like voice boomed throughout the air like a knife dragging alongside steel, the CPU going into overdrive at the possibility becoming truth. "...You finally figured it out, little CPU…" It's tasteless amusement rubbed its Host's body wrong in every sense as the void in front of their one eye soon shifted, distorting the very fabric of space to reveal a void-black head of a dragon, one of many dozen variants of them. Its bloody-red eyes shone brightly as they focused on its Host, but its attention wasn't on their Host, but on the CPU it had just directly addressed.

"The Siren activity has not gone unnoticed, pest!" It roared in anger, the CPU fighting to keep its Host from running out of energy while simultaneously trying not to spontaneously combust under the pressure. "You dare associate a Human from another world in your endeavors!? To possibly stop our never-ending crusade!?" The operative of them snorted in disgust as its anger made the void ripple under its booming wave of emotions. They suddenly went silent, as if contemplating something, before releasing a large high-pitched cry into the void, such a cry dragging on for minutes on end before dying off. Their head dropped, their eyes locking onto the Host.

"Know this, parasites, the Void will never be stopped. Even if you think that Human will do any difference...you are all wrong!" A large boom erupted as a hole ripped through the void under the Host. The beast snarled, before exhaling a cloud of raw anger and hatred. "Now begone, and present your kind this warning to the rest of your cause full of parasites! Nothing in the universe can and will stop our goal of spreading our void to the edges of the universe!"

Suddenly, the CPU felt its Host's body get forced into the rift by some force, the void quickly disappearing, and the CPU shutting down for but just a split second. But a split second was all that was needed for the CPU to finally see it had ended up somewhere completely different, no longer feeling itself moving, but stationary. Vision eventually registered, one eye staring up at the blood-red sky, the effects of a mirror sea. Its body seems to have come to a rest. The sounds of the sea filling its Host's ears, the soft feeling of sand under its body, coupled with the occasional sounds of wildlife instantly decided where the Host had ended up. It ended up on a beach somewhere, under the effects of a Mirror Sea. Instantly, the CPU sent out a distress signal of the most maximum level.

Not even a couple of seconds later, a large crash emanated to their left, followed by a small gasp as whatever answered the distress call hurried over to the Host.

"Purifier!" Called out the voice. Tester, was the name, the CPU using its eye to locate the oncoming Siren, locking eyes with her, making Tester freeze entirely. "You're...her CPU, aren't you?" It couldn't respond, having a directive to save as much energy as possible, it had but just 2% energy remaining, the realization dawning on her. "Blink once for yes, twice for no, thrice for unsure, four times for future explanation. " Blinking once, Tester nodded, before continuing to approach the Host.

"Did Purifier drop off the Network?" Blink. "Was this involuntary?" Blink Blink. "...Voluntary?" Blink. "How did Purifier end up so damaged?" Blink blink blink blink. "Was it a Human?" Blink blink. "Kansen?" Blink blink. "Oh...no. Them?" ...Blink.

The small questioning gave the necessary assumptions Tester needed for now. She could, after all, extract the data uploaded to the cloud, feeling the CPU of Purifier already uploading petabytes worth of information into the Network for further review. Tester nodded, noting that Purifier's eyes, which had gone red to signify her CPU had taken over, slowly shifted to their washed-out yellow. The CPU had done its job. It figured out what their Host had done in their absence, pieced everything together, and even survived an encounter with them, and brought their Host back to their allies...but now, their Host would be forever traumatized by what happened in the other world.

But the CPU remembered something, quickly diving back into the repository of memories before their access was relented, and found all the memories of this world they had visited to have already been erased. They weren't missing...they were just erased before the CPU had a chance to back them up, and it didn't notice until it had returned. Remarkably, they found a memo in the wake of all the memories, saying:

'My life and memories on a different planet should stay on a different planet. Or so help me I forever become traumatized by what happened. I will never regret my life in that world. So long, everyone. Maybe soon I will meet you all in a better place in the current world!~'

And so, the CPU metaphorically sat back for once, finally relinquishing the controls to their Host, and accepting their Hosts' own decision to move on from their past. Whatever that had been, that is. Perhaps it was truly a better world than this one could ever be. Never would a CPU work themselves so tirelessly to make sure their Host returned home safely...

Fin

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I have no excuse for leaving this story sitting for so long. My motivation for this story comes and goes, this chapter perhaps being my most difficult to create, dozens upon dozens of ideas springing up, but never working in the end. It has been almost a whole year until this version of the chapter came out. This end scene consisting of Purifier was written in 7 different ways, with 7 different beginnings and ends, yet this one conveyed what I wanted the best, in the most word efficient way possible. I apologize fiercely for making some believing I had dropped this story. Yet, at the same time, I cannot promise the next date for the next chapter. I hope you all can accept that.

Anyways, until next time.