Palacio Nacional, Madrid

Before the civil war

Espana, Alfonso XIII, Jaime I and Reina Victoria Eugenia were studying the development of the war. Their mostly untouched system should remain untouched. That was the opinion of Alfonso. If they were pressured by Ironblood, Espana would side without hesitation with Azur Lane. At this time, Alfonso shared the same fate. With the capitulation of the Iris Orthodoxy, it seemed unavoidable. After the short meeting, Alfonso XIII was going back to her room. On the way, she thought about the implications. Without a doubt, they would be push back by the sheer power of three big fleets against their outdated forces. With the help of Azur Lane, they could always come back to their homeland later.

"Are you sure about that?" said a little intimidating voice that resonated in her head.

Alfonso looked around for the voice. The ground, the air, everything seemed to have stopped. She was trapped in a time capsule with an unknown voice.

Then she appeared in front of her.

Floating and balancing herself on her guns with a glowing yellow at the end of the barrel, the guns acted like fingers. Her long white hair seemed to never end. She had two mechanical cat ears on her head. Her dress seemed to not cover much of her body. Alfonso was terrified of her yellow eyes that she couldn't mistake for anything else.

"Sirens!" she screamed repeatedly.

"Unfortunately for you, no one can hear."

"What do you want from me! Do you want to kill me!"

"I would not get my hand dirty trying to kill you. I would send my henchmen in that case. No. No! Alfonso XIII, queen, or should I say, you normal-nobody-below-average shipgirl who's title died with the newly founded republic. Do you not feel this flame of anger in your heart?"

"Not enough to side with devils."

The mysterious girl laughed, "You should take notes from me, Observer α, because I already know your fate. I already know everything about you. The Creator has bestowed me with the power to see futures, pasts and presents and know them all at the same time!"

Alfonso XIII stood in awe as she was trying to cope with the amount of information she was receiving.

"You, Alfonso XIII, will be consumed by water as you tried to cover for your little friend, Velasco. In the oncoming conflict, you will all be destroyed in trying to fight Ironblood or Azur Lane. Your sisters, Espana and Jaime I, will meet a similar fate in both scenarios. Your fates can only be averted if you side with Ironblood, one of your sister stay by your side and commander Buiza dies during the civil war."

The grim reaper scared Alfonso XIII who then asked, "Doesn't Victoria count?!"

"She is of another class and doesn't count as your sister. Remember Alfonso XIII, you need one of your sisters to side with you and both need to be on Ironblood's side. If you fail, fate will run behind you… and stab you."

Observer α planted her hand into Alfonso's body. The shipgirl felt something ticking.

"This is a little gift in case you decide to talk about me."

As Observer α was laughing maniacally, Alfonso XIII tried moving, but she was stuck into place. Beside her, she saw a mine drifting toward her. Alfonso was screaming for Observer's mercy. The Siren was drowned in her own laughs. The mine detonated on her side blowing her legs to pieces. The ground below her became black. The suffering was too much. If she did not act, her life would end in a sea of meaninglessness.

"Remember, Alfonso XIII, the normal-nobody-below-average shipgirl, if you don't side with Ironblood, keep one of your sister alive and kill Buiza, you will die in irrelevancy! Don't forget, our contact never happened. Ahaha!"

Her laughs echoed in her head like a bad dream. Then she woke up shaken by a concerned Reina Victoria Eugenia.

"You passed out on the floor! What happened?" she asked.

Alfonso XIII checked her legs. They were still attached firmly to her body. She sighed in relief. Was it all a dream? She did not know.

"I was visited…"

She then felt an immense pressure in her chest. Like an anchor tied to her neck trying to suffocate her. Reina Victoria Eugenia shook her again.

"Nothing. I just feel bad right now."

Alfonso XIII clenched her fist in despair. She had to act, and she had to act fast.

[…]

Teruel and Melilla, ex-Sardignian destroyers, moved in position with their sisters in arm Cesare Battisti, Francesco Nullo and Nazario Sauro who were showing no consideration for their safety. Their carelessness could have been thought has suicidal, but they were following direct orders from admiral Blanco. The slower minelayers, Marte, Neptuno, Jupiter and Vulcano, were trying to catch up to the faster destroyers. Their uncertainty almost made them slow down on purpose. Their diversion had become a suicide mission in less than a minute with the presence of the aircraft carrier that was unaccounted for in the planning of the operation.

The group of nine destroyers was met by more than sixteen destroyers ready to defend Gibraltar at all cost. Amongst them, the Churruca's sisters were eager for revenge. After the death of Almirante Ferrándiz, they wanted to make every red answer for their crimes.

"Your either with us or against us," proclaimed Sánchez Barcáiztegui.

"Nice deduction, idiot," Battisti said.

"We don't want to do this because we want to!" Nullo added with a shy expression.

Alsedo said, "Prepare your torpedoes! I'm coming for you!"

And for Cossack to say, "That's the spirit! Charge!"

[Battle B-1]

As the battle above ground was unfolding, silhouettes lurked under the sea in the search of the perfect opportunity to strike. On Buiza's side, the Iberian submarines were scattered around their submarine captain. Upholder, alongside Cosme García, C-2 and Espadarte, patrolled the water for any unwanted submarine attack.

It was then when they spotted a handful of Sardignian submarines heading straight to their backlines without any precautions. Not wanting to disrupt the battle above ground, she sent a signal easily intercepted by allies and foes. The Sardignian submarines hesitated, but Upholder charge without hesitation followed by the Iberian submarines.

"Eagle! We will need swordfishes to take them out once they go the surface!"

"Received!" Eagle said. She then turned toward her commander and ask for more instructions.

"We will use our second submarine wave. Unbroken, move your unit in position!"

[Battle B-2]

From the darkened sky, thousand of grey and white, yellow and green dive bombers appeared. The condors and legionaries suddenly scarred endlessly the destroyers who scattered their formation. Libertad, Cairo and Cossack tried rallying them, but even Almirante Grau and Coronel Bolognesi's experience during the Great War were scarred of the intimidating aircrafts.

"Buiza to HQ! Buiza to HQ! Need your air support immediately. I repeat. I need every single plane of this island in the sky!"

The enemy planes were now at less than two kilometers. It was too late. Eagle deployed the entirety of her arsenal to counter the plane. While Almirante Latorre was busy with the planes, Minas Geraes and Jaime I approached the enemy destroyers, the cruisers and the two battleships.

"It seems we will have to this ourselves!" Jaime I said.

"You are going to be tasty food for my snake," joked Minas Geraes whose snake was terribly annoyed by this rain that extinguished the flame of its pipe.

Alfonso looked terrible. She simply ordered to her side, "No matter what, I want Jaime I to be captured alive! Understood!"

"Yes miss," answered an annoyed Canarias who just wanted a good fight.

Libertad, Mendez Nunez and Cairo rallied Grau, Bolognesi, Lepanto, Barcáiztegui and Antequera but the rest of the destroyers had cowered behind Buiza's gunboat under the incessant speech of Buiza who was trying to make them go back in the battle.

The enemy planes were now at less than one kilometer. Eagle deployed everything. Her planes were joined by another ten of them.

[Battle B-3]

The admiral James Sommerville was trying to contact the force he had sent to hunt the Bismarck. He received the news of their success and was awaiting them in the briefest delay.

"We have no ammunition left!" argued King George V.

"I don't care. We need anti-air guns as soon as possible. Bring everything. I want Ark Royal on this island by tomorrow!"

"But sir, we are tired," Ark Royal said.

"I don't want to hear any excuses! If you want some speed stimuli, I promise you. There is a bunch of destroyers awaiting your visit!"

"Then we will be there as soon as possible sir!" the happy carrier said.

"Ark!" screamed Rodney.

The contact cut when a second signal came on the second radio. The man at the post gave him the microphone and the headphones. Sommerville asked for their identities. Bizarre interference didn't render all the message.

"Riche… Almi… Mendo… South… Com…"

"Repeat please."

Complete silence. James asked the radioman to try everything to contact what seemed like friendly forces.

[…]

"What is it with those goddamn mist that destroys radio equipment these days!" said the first cruiser.

"Ne soit pas inquiète mon amie. They will be surprised when we will be there."

"I hope we are not slowing you down," the second cruiser said.

"We have the same speed. The Sardignians have great power when it comes to mobility, like us. I wished they had stayed on our side instead of joining our enemies. I wish I could have seen what happened during the Great War…"

"Not that we know better than you."

"Paris told me about the Great War and the cooperation that used to exist between Iris and Sardegna. Then Littorio and the new government came along and declared us their eternal rivals. Paris told me that the old guard of Sardegna are great fellows. I hope she says the truth."

"I still wished I could do a trip to the Città Eterna. I have never made a step into the legendary city," said the third cruiser.

"Ahah! La Argentina!" laughed the second cruiser. "You were built by the Royal navy. What's the importance of such a city to you!"

"Shut up Mayo!" Almirante Brown said on a harsh tone to her sister. "She doesn't need to be partly Sardignian to like something. Jeez…"

Veinticinco de Mayo sighed. She could never have fun with them. The sweaty, harsh and hot climate of the south made them cheerful under these conditions. The rain and the colder climate made them uncomfortable. Almirante Brown, as the cruiser's pride of the Patagonian Sun, had to dress elegantly and honor the Free Latin Union on Europa's water. Richelieu, her book in hand, understood her struggle. As the pride of the Iris Libre fleet, she had to live up to high standard. The destroyers in front of them slowed down to their side.

"Do you girls ear that?" the destroyer Mendoza asked.

Distinct Siren noises came from the mist far away. Richelieu recognized this iconic and fear inducing noise. She had experienced it herself at the beginning of the war.

"The battle is near."

The Patagonian Sun's reinforcement had no idea what that sound meant.

[…]

Geraes' impressive broadside impressed both Alfonso and Victoria. In one salvo, she had damage all their cruisers screen. Alfonso and Victoria concentrated their fire on the single battleship. Alfonso hoped Jaime I would not be wounded by their gunfire.

Geraes' roaring guns hit Marte and Jupiter. The minelayer let go of their unstable mines, some detonating at the contact of the water. The damaged destroyers broke off formation in disarray.

"Run! Run before my gun become too hot for you to handle."

Jaime I and Geraes' plan worked out. Their diversion drove them away and would give them time to deal with the planes now at less than five hundred meters. Their cockpit was visible. The staggering sound of the condors contrasted with the more silent and faster Sparviero torpedo bomber. Little black capsules, bombs, and long cylindrical tubes, torpedoes, started raining down on the ship formation. Water was spurred in mushroom's shape. The valiant fighters emptied their machine-guns as they were harassed by the secondary armaments of the bombers. Eagle was powerless as she watched her little children torn to bits. Multitude of planes started falling from the sky in balls of fire.

Gibraltar's port was now invaded by smoke and fires. Oil tankers detonated and blasted with oily fire their surroundings.

Sailors aboard Buiza's gunboat were manning their machine-guns. Buiza was maneuvering his ship out of harm's way.

In the middle of the battle, the destroyers and cruisers still lead the attack against the heavy cruisers. Canarias was happy that their enemy were not retreating. Both side opened fire and deployed their torpedoes.

Jaime's guns had downed multiple aircrafts when an aerial torpedo hit her riggings' secondaries. The 102mm ammunition detonated setting fire to her forward rigging. Geraes, too busy with aircrafts, did not see anything.

[Battle B-4]

Eagle's Swordfishes bomber had reached the enemy formations and launch their torpedoes. In the middle of the chaos, Cesare Battisti and Nazario Sauro were sank by both torpedoes and gunfire. Francesco Nullo, seeing her sisters engulfed in flames, ran away chased by Eagle's bomber. A torpedo struck her side and slowed her down considerably. The minelayers imitated Nullo and steamed away from the battle.

When Baleares tried to reason with them, the destroyers' torpedoes from Barcáiztegui, Lepanto and Antequera had reach them. Canarias warned her comrades of the danger. San Giorgio, who had been slowed down earlier, was hit again. San Marco and Navarra decided to retreat.

In the middle of the confusion, Canarias saw for a moment her sister crying in the water gradually becoming redder. A second torpedo hit her. The subsequent detonation illuminated the battlefield in a reddish glow. Canarias could not believe it. She tried approaching the hot carcass, but Navarra held her firmly.

"We have to retreat for now!"

"Baleares! Baleares!"

[…]

Jaime's fire had become uncontrollable and the trail of smoke reached the sky. She had no fire extinguisher. Geraes tried asking Buiza's for extinguishers. They were gone far away to the base. Almirante Latorre joined in the effort to control the flames.

"It burns! It burns!"

Part of Jaime's costume was now burning in a fierce fire that was not about to give up. She tried washing it with water. From the other side of the battlefield, Alfonso saw the gruesome scene and rushed to her side. Victoria Eugenia tried restraining her. To no avail.

"I have to rescue her!"

"They won't let you through!"

Ignoring her words, Alfonso traveled the battlefield when she was met by gunfire from the light cruisers.

"Do you think we will let you through!" Cairo said.

"My sister is on fire! I need to save her!" repeated Alfonso with an expression bordering insanity.

The cruisers finally allowed to let her through with the only condition of her surrender. Alfonso did not hear the last part. She rushed to Jaime's side and washed her with water when she saw that oil had leak and cover her surroundings. They were effectively covering her in gasoline.

"Stop you two! You are throwing oil!"

"It looks like water and what the fuck are you doing on our side?" Geraes said.

Latorre said, "No time for such squabble! And what is it with this useless rain!"

The small rain had made no difference in slowing the spread of the fire. Alfonso knew why.

"Jaime! Uncouple your riggings now!" Alfonso screamed.

With no ounce of hesitation, Alfonso stepped into the oily water. She tried unscrewing her riggings, but the screw had become so hot it burned through alfonso's white gloves. Alfonso tried again burning her skin and intoxicating herself with the smoke. She knew that the rain could not extinguish the fire. The fire was inside the rigging when some ammunition detonated. No amount of burning would make her stop.

She had to undo the Siren's prophecy that was unfolding beside her.

Almirante Latorre and Minas Geraes had to stop their effort when gunfire reached their position from the north and south. Retreating forces had return to the hailstorm unleashed upon the port.

It did not matter for Alfonso who had destroyed two of the four screw on left rigging. Alfonso could not feel her finger when Jaime I collapsed in the water. Jaime I burst as the main gun ammunition reduced her to ashes. Alfonso was pushed back further were the rain washed the fire and the oil away. Devastated, burned and paralyzed, Alfonso called relentlessly for Victoria Eugenia. After minutes, she finally reached her side.

"Sorry I couldn't be your shield," Eugenia said.

"It doesn't matter," Alfonso said with a voice poisoned by carbon dioxide. "Listen carefully, I won't live for long."

"What do you mean? You are still alive. Wounded but alive."

"No. I failed. Listen. I failed," Alfonso said while her face was washed by the rain. Eugenia couldn't recognize if it was rain, tears or both. "Informed everyone from both side about the return of the…"

As she was about to pronounce the word, she felt a grip compressing her heart. To Eugenia, it looked like an epilepsy crisis. Alfonso returned to normal.

"We are in danger. They are back. The greatest threat to mankind has returned. Please! I might be condemned now, but at least don't let me go in vain. I don't want to be forgotten!"

Eugenia cuddled her when Alfonso's voice asked her to go.

"Go to whomever you like. You are now free from me. Understood? Don't let anyone dictate you anymore. You are free."

"I will be honoring your legacy. Your majesty."

Reina Eugenia Victoria put her down and bowed one last time before joining the battle on Azur Lane's side.

Alfonso thought, "And she only followed me because I was the one to pressure her into existence. How cool and dedicated you were. I should have followed my heart. Not some bitch with stupid prophecy. God, if you exist, would you grant me another chance? A chance alongside my sisters and a great commander. Can this commander defy the odds for me? Can our destinies be avoided? Can I finally see a battle and shine like everyone else? I only ask to be the sun to someone's heart."

As she was thinking, waves had pushed mines dropped earlier by the minelayers in the middle of the battle. She fixed these spiky balls as they were pushed slowly by the waves. The objects formed a minefield. The first time, she had stepped into them. Now, the minefield had come for her. She watched hopelessly as balls menacingly approached. Three meters. Two meters. One meters. When she was struck, she did not cry nor scream. She let the sea claim her as she was drag to the bottom by invisible hands.

[…]

Somewhere

Tester β looked at the parameters. Everything had followed a single overdue path. Observer α, still glued to her blue screen, let the first battle ended and arranged her observation.

"I am right when I say that destiny always catches up to someone."

"That was fantastic!" The Purifier jubilated behind Observer α. The spectacle has satisfied her, and she thanked Observer α for her efforts.

"It should have been you!" Observer α laughed. "You made me move from my chair you stupid buffoon"

"I made you do a little bit of sport to lower the fat around your belly. You should thank me!"

They both laughed as The Compiler and The Swordman entered the room. Silence followed.

"Did we interrupt something?" The Swordman asked.

"I thought that maybe destiny could be played with, but it failed miserably," noted Observer.

"The second part of the battle of Gibraltar is still to be looked at," Tester β said.

"I hope you will have great data for me to stock," The Compiler took Observer's data key from her hand. On the top of her gigantic machinery, the Compiler stored her key in the storeroom of her riggings. The blue thing then walked out of the room without saying another word. The shipgirl with spider-like riggings asked to be deployed to the Österreich immediately.

"Not now," answered Observer. "The Sardignians won't move on their prey until they have the support of the Ironblood. For now, Ironblood's admiral and commandants are showing restraint in the war."

"Should I… pressure them?"

"Stay patient. I know you are eager to avenge them. Everything will happen in due time. You do not want to anger our Creator, do you? Especially since he sees a lot of potential in you."

"But one of my target, Bismarck is already dead! Why didn't you let her live like in line R?

"This was an anomaly in the space-time continuum. And you still have Tirpitz, Gneisenau, Scharnhorst, Littorio, Vittorio Veneto, Roma, Impero, Giulio Cesare, Conte di Cavour, Yamato, Andrea Doria, Caio Duilio, Reina Victoria Eugenia, Musashi, Shinano, Ise and Hyuuga that are alive. My god your list is long. Shouldn't you reduce it a little bit?"

"They will suffer my wrath."

"But the one in every other universe are innocent of the crimes committed in line R. Has your brain fried?"

The Swordman stayed silent. She had but one objective and would follow it until the end. Observer α reiterated the contract she had between them. She excused herself and reiterated her unfaltering loyalty to the Siren's cause.