The sun shines brightly and the kansens on a day off are enjoying basking under the sunlight and the calm breeze at least relaxes their worries. As for Tirpitz, she deliberately fixates her gaze on the nearby beach to avoid the gentle smile observing her subtle movements.
"Does this feel awkward?" Yorktown softly asks
Yorktown pulls herself a bit, genuinely concerned after Tirpitz is quieter than usual and could barely make eye contact with her.
"...It's not" Tirpitz looks at her
"Then..."
"It's just that, I'm not the type to easily strike a conversation" Tirpitz clarifies to avoid misunderstandings
"Ah, you're not used at socializing after all. It must be hard ever since you were detained and lost your emotions..."
"..."
The reminder of the one year of bitterness confined in a steel prison located at a scorching heat valley only reminds Tirpitz of Bismarck refusing to even look at her when she got arrested. Tirpitz's hands resting close to each other on top of a round table, tenses until she reflexively clenches her hands tightly.
"I just wanted to speak with you because I learned you deeply hated Bismarck because she caused your condition and imprisonment" Yorktown notices
"Yorktown, why do you care?"
"I'm the eldest sister who always looks after my two younger sisters. That's why I feel awful when you sever your relationship with Bismarck and became hostile"
"..." Tirpitz lowers her gaze on her hands
As much as Tirpitz wants to outright voice out how much she blames Bismarck, she couldn't find the motivation in front of Yorktown. The latter is genuinely concerned, without any malice or hidden motive. It's rare for her to encounter someone "soft and gentle", especially that she barely has any faith in humanity and performs her duties because she doesn't care enough to question.
"You two never met before and when this life gave you two a chance...it ended up this way" Yorktown intertwines her fingers
"She did this knowing full well of the consequences. Of course she wouldn't care enough to reconsider because I'm the one who would pay the price"
Tirpitz moves her right hand to lift a bit of her left sleeve, displaying the steel cuffs tightly locked on her wrists. Faint energy flows in the thin lines running across the restraints suppressing the chill she emits from killing normal people.
"It's not just as simple as taking away a limb to spare the rest of the body. That selfish bastard robbed me of my emotions" Tirpitz couldn't bring out her anger
As a result, she could only express through a cold and distant voice. She only has the unpleasant memory to push her away from Bismarck. There's no forgiveness in her mind after even her hatred is stripped from her.
"A sister is someone you can trust and rely on because they're family. I thought there was a chance we could build that relationship because we never had the chance...but in the end, she was only full of pride" Tirpitz squeezes her wrists
"You feel disappointed. I mean, how you would probably feel..." Yorktown isn't sure how to describe it
"Bismarck only cared about fighting and her ideals. She never looked past herself. After all, she couldn't even see enough to care about how I would feel"
In Tirpitz's mind, she briefly recalls a moment where she's standing right behind Bismarck and is about to say something. Seeing Bismarck is completely focused on what's in front of her without even looking back, Tirpitz shuts her mouth close and turns away in dismay.
"In her eyes, I was just a soldier whom she expects to fight until I die for good. She didn't see me as an individual but a soldier who has no right to complain" Tirpitz continues to voice out her past bitterness
"Is that what she showed to you or is that what you believed?" Yorktown tilts her head
"..."
"Tirpitz, you mustn't make assumptions when you two didn't even communicate about the issue"
"I told her that if I were to suffer a mortal injury, I wish to die naturally. Instead, she toyed with my life and restored me in this cursed state"
The temperature around them lowers to the point Yorktown is already shivering a bit from the spreading cold. Tirpitz's restrained condition isn't fatal to anyone, but it doesn't stop the chill from leaking when she loses her focus.
"She even called it a success and described it as a newfound power. How can she tell that to my face without batting an eye? Bismarck how I freeze everything I touch and my body's temperature is permanently negative" Tirpitz tightly squeezes her hands again
That incident is permanently etched in her memory and it's the one she wishes to have been stripped away rather than her emotions. In her memory, Bismarck is standing inside the frozen room, miraculously unaffected, ignoring Tirpitz as she looks at her trembling hands emitting thick cold air.
"Someone who actually cared would choose to peacefully let go rather than sacrifice a normal life just to live. They couldn't even let me die on my own terms..."
"Then why don't you express all of this to Bismarck? You refused to meet her ever since you were released"
"If I say it to her, would she listen? Of course not. She never listens to anything she doesn't want to hear. After all, she never listened when I begged her not to save me"
Rather than be grateful, in Tirpitz's memory, she couldn't utter a single word the moment she discovers her touch freezes and the chill she emits makes it impossible for life to thrive.
"This won't get anywhere if you don't voice out everything without even trying. You're stubborn and so is Bismarck. That's why you two are never honest with each other" Yorktown massages her temples
"I just don't want to care anymore, but I can't get rid of this memory..."
"You can't turn away from your past. All of us suffered from tragedy, but we never set it aside or try to run away from it" Yorktown lets out a deep sigh
"Then I wish I would have just remained dead..."
"Is that what you wanted or is it what you want to believe? Sometimes, what we think isn't what we truly needed or even want"
"..." Tirpitz averts her gaze
"At this stage of life, you have yet to find out what you wanted"
"I don't have any desire anymore, not even an aspiration. I just want...to stop caring altogether"
Tirpitz furrows her eyebrows, refusing to accept Yorktown's words as the stubborn battleship that she is.
What Bismarck did is something no reconciliation could mend. It's impossible to simply look past the emotions she took from me" Tirpitz lowers her head
"Forgiveness doesn't come easily. It takes time to accept what happened before you can take a single step to forgiving your sister"
"Forgiveness, huh. There's no one who can make me forgive Bismarck"
Tirpitz crosses her arms, believing that someone with an empty like her could never move on from the incident. It's too much for her to bear that the lost thoughts are still flooding her mind.
"I really need to soften her over time. She's still hung up on what happened..."
Victorious eavesdrops on the conversation and mutters to herself, saddened and dismayed how Tirpitz is rejecting the very idea of trying to forgive Bismarck.
As much as it is difficult, Tirpitz is forced to regain her strength in Iron Blood. Even if her injuries are mostly healed primarily thanks to the META's power, she exhausted a large amount of her strength to focus on her recovery. This renders her body weak, numb, and mildly lethargic. Fortunately enough, Victorious is there to keep her company to both ensure her full recovery and to prevent her leaving without notice again.
"It's difficult to keep you in line that if someone tries to put a leash on you, you end up retaliating at first notice"
Victorious, sitting right by the infirmary bed, moves Tirpitz's bangs between her eyes to the side. The battleship always poses a tough and unmoving exterior but appears vulnerable and even gentle once she falls asleep.
"You never expose yourself to others, but once you get attached to someone, you discard your common sense. It's as if you're an innocent child who just learned to cherish something"
Since Tirpitz is deeply asleep, Victorious freely speaks out her thoughts while examining how Tirpitz calmly appears while remaining unaware someone is regularly making sure she doesn't try to leave again.
"Still, you're slowly reverting to how you used to be. Right now, it's bad for your health"
Compared weeks ago, the current Tirpitz is much calmer and more relaxed, making Victorious believe her approach is getting through Tirpitz.
"What are you so worried about, Victorious?"
Less than a meter behind Victorious, Tirpitz META stands with her hands crossed and her hostile glare directed towards the aircraft carrier.
"...!" Victorious could only freeze with a wide-eyed shock and cold sweat on her cheeks
"I didn't want to waste energy just to come out, but I can't ignore why you're not happy with the possibility of Tirpitz returning to her old self"
"..."
Victorious observes for a moment, somewhat noticing the META in front of her is mostly likely a projection rather than materializing in a physical form.
"Tirpitz cried because she felt sad and afraid. What if she remembers what hatred feels like? She wouldn't forgive Bismarck anymore and would try to kill her..."
"That's for certain. Bismarck plays the 'it's for the best ' reason. Only someone who wants to protect their ego would use that excuse" Tirpitz META clicks her tongue
"That's not true! Bismarck isn't that kind of person. It's just that everyone needs her as a leader, so she believes she mustn't show weakness" Victorious stands up
"In her eyes, emotions are a weakness, so she enforced that on her unwilling sister" Tirpitz META turns away
The deceased META speaks calmly but still with the clear resentment and bitterness towards Bismarck.
"Bismarck sees Tirpitz as her younger sister. Those two just don't know how to communicate properly"
Victorious stands up in response to Tirpitz META making Bismarck appear as a terrible person as she believes.
"If she did care for her younger sister, she would have let her die in peace. Instead, she forcibly denied her eternal rest...just like me" Tirpitz META clicks her tongue
"Just because you're her META version doesn't mean you know how she feels" Victorious marches in front of her
"You're one to talk, hypocrite" Tirpitz META faintly growls
"...!"
"You always believe you know what's best for her, so you end up prioritizing your own feelings and ignore hers. That's why I said you're just like her..."
Tirpitz META raises her hand but slowly lowers it, remembering she's a ghost without a physical body of her own and the one in front of her isn't the Victorious META she despises the most. As much as she resents any version of Victorious, she's still sane enough to differentiate them.
"I get it. You're angry at the other me who killed and revived you. It hurts being in that state, so you want to die...but I want to save Tirpitz first"
"How do you plan on doing that? Only now you realize returning her emotions right away will flood the one year of what she went through"
"Tirpitz lived without emotions and it kept her behavior under control"
"You can't save Tirpitz because your idea of saving her would only be disastrous"
Tirpitz META briefly glances at the still unconscious Tirpitz, her expression softening as she pities her past self and unusually worried at the outcome.
"You're acting like the normal Tirpitz except for the lingering bitterness" Victorious suddenly realizes
"I only persist because of hatred but even I can get exhausted. My wish is to finally rest for good..."
"If the fragment is separated from Tirpitz and destroyed, would you finally get what you want?" Victorious swallows her breath
"Your META version has the other pieces of my wisdom cube...and there's one here in Iron Blood" Tirpitz META looks past Victorious and stares at the door
"Huh?! Another piece here"
"Iron Blood is still keeping another fragment of me. Hmph! It's no surprise if Bismarck is keeping it like the scheming bastard that she is"
"Bismarck is not the scheming type! She can be a bit blunt and strict, but she doesn't lie or deceive"
Victorious could only angrily point because she tries to poke Tirpitz META's chest only for her finger to pass through her body, immediately forgetting the META is incapable of materializing a physical body even if it's temporary.
"You believe she doesn't lie but your hesitating voice betrays you. Victorious, you know Bismarck isn't being fully honest" Tirpitz META doesn't believe her
"T-that's..."
"If you want to spare her the trouble, don't try to make her forgive Bismarck...or are you regretting you convinced her to forgive Bismarck" Tirpitz META takes a step forward
"I-I didn't regret it..." Victorious responds by taking a step back
"You're beginning to regret it, aren't you?"
"Don't mess with me! I'm not as weak as you think"
Before Tirpitz META could pressure her further, Victorious shakes her head and puts her hands on her hips. She may know Tirpitz META couldn't physically harm her, but her heart races speaking with the deceased META after strangling her and nearly snapping her neck in their last meeting.
"You encountered your META version, so tell me if you believe if what she's doing is right" Tirpitz META straightens herself
"...I don't know. The other me said she wants to save Tirpitz, but I don't know if I could really trust her"
Victorious doubts herself after being attacked by her META version and nearly killing Tirpitz with little hesitation. It's as if she stared at a completely different person only bearing the same name.
"It's obvious you can't trust her. To be specific, I don't trust either of you" Tirpitz META leans a bit forward
"A-and I don't trust you! Ever since the beginning, you take over my Tirpitz just to get your revenge"
"I have nothing to live for. If I'm still in this world to get even, then I would do anything to achieve it. You and that traitor can't let me die after all"
"..." Victorious sweats coldly again
"My past self would never forgive Bismarck. It was her who sealed revenge in Tirpitz's heart"
"Tirpitz isn't about revenge. Even if she has her emotions back, she didn't blame Iron Blood for the lonely death she suffered in the past. She just wanted to live a free life this time"
"If that's what you believe, then you know nothing about Tirpitz"
For a moment, Tirpitz META blinks in surprise, only to frown again as soon as Victorious responds. Tirpitz META isn't immediately hostile to the regular Victorious, but she dislikes how much Victorious herself refuses to believe and tries to make it as if she's the one who's wrong.
"Saving her isn't as easy as you think. Her wisdom cube is being strained with each battle" Tirpitz META turns to stare down at the unconscious Tirpitz
"What do you mean?"
"Hmph"
"Hey, wai-" Victorious tries to reach her hand to her
Without even properly responding and leaving Victorious in "suspense", Tirpitz META turns her head just to disintegrate in thin air. Her whole body quickly disperses to bits on at least five seconds, leaving Victorious with no time to leave more words to her.
"Dead or not, that icy blockhead is still difficult to deal with"
Victorious wants to stomp her feet several times, but she just pouts and frantically flails both arms in the air.
"Still, I can't let - no, no, I have to focus on what I must do for Tirpitz's sake...even if I know she might not like it once she finds out"
Victorious mutters to herself as she shakes her head and her worried gaze turns to Tirpitz. As much as she wants to be relieved Tirpitz is stable for now, the deceased META's words leave her uneasy...and somehow feeling conflict.
"Who the hell was she talking to?"
Just outside the room, Prinz Eugen furrows her eyebrows and blinks, wondering why Victorious appears to be speaking to someone even if there's only one voice inside the room.
"Tirpitz's friend must have a screw or two loose"
Prinz Eugen withdraws her head from leaning against the door and snakes her head in genuine confusion. The sound may be muffled, but she clearly overheard Victorious' speaking without someone's voice responding.
Bismarck's office...
Neumark, the resident repair ship, lays out several nearly compiled files in front of Bismarck's desk. Other witnesses inside the room who are also focused on what the files contain are Graf Zeppelin and Friedrich der Grosse.
"Those are the results after I thoroughly scanned Tirpitz's wisdom cube" Neumark lets out a deep sigh
"I'm impressed you managed to run those tests while treating her severe injuries" Friedrich der Grosse faintly smiles
"Normally, she wouldn't allow me or anyone else in Iron Blood. She'd throw a fit and freeze the whole lab...and this entire building" Neumark scratches her cheeks
"How do you interpret this...diagnosis"
Bismarck picks up the first paper, briefly reading the first paragraph and turning the page towards Neumark and the others. While she understands some of the terms, she is no repair ship who can analyze wisdom cubes in detail.
"Her wisdom cube was severely damaged in the last battle. I couldn't believe she survived after suffering lethal injuries" Neumark shrugs her shoulders
"You said it's fatal, so how did she survive long enough to be treated?" Bismarck stands up
"The fragment devoted much of its own energy to make up the damage parts. If it didn't do that, the wisdom cube wouldn't be able to sustain itself and the kansen by extension"
Neumark lowers her head and clenches her coldly sweating hands, barely containing her anxiety and fear of a worse outcome for Tirpitz. Both Friedrich der Grosse and Graf Zeppelin turn to face each other, understanding that Tirpitz's survival is by some unexpected miracle, but Neumark's expression isn't the least relieved.
"The fragment functioned on its own and it's the reason why Tirpitz's chill isn't fatal even after her restraints are destroyed. I don't want to assume, but the fragment may either be autonomous or still conscious"
"What do you mean?" Graf Zeppelin takes a few steps forward
"It's a piece of a wisdom cube from a deceased META. Its unusual properties mended the damages needed for the kansen's survival..." Neumark lowers her head
"Then what?"
Bismarck pushes her chair back and slowly walks away from her desk. The other two Iron Blood ships remain right where they stand as the sound of Bismarck's footsteps sounded heavy in the silence.
"I-it's reconfiguring the properties of a normal wisdom cube" Neumark's legs shake
"It's trying to change" Bismarck frowns at the thought
"While I lack evidence, one possible conclusion is the fragment adjusting the wisdom cube to match its level"
"What does this do?" Bismarck stands a meter in front of Neumark
"The last battle was fatal, but Tirpitz's survival allowed the fragment to improve the damaged areas. It made Tirpitz stronger in exchange for suiting her body...to handle it in a more stable manner"
"This means the fragment made Tirpitz adapt to it and improve her abilities as a result"
Friedrich der Grosse is quick to understand and the smile she curves is out of her amusement and intrigue.
"I thought the fragment only cursed Tirpitz, but I didn't think it could have this...capability" Bismarck rubs her chin
"It's beneficial to her and all of us if the fragment improves her strength further" Friedrich der Grosse agrees on the idea
"As long as this doesn't have any side effects, this may be for the best" Graf Zeppelin also agrees
"Huh?" Neumark blinks in confusion
The repair ship frantically turns her head to observe the three ships in deep thought, namely Bismarck who's staring at her right hand.
"If Tirpitz completely adapts to the fragment, then she wouldn't suffer another near-death experience" Bismarck mutters to herself
"I don't mean to offend as your subordinate, perhaps we need to reconsider this further. You're about to make the same mistake as you did a year ago" Neumark finds enough courage to speak out
"Tirpitz faced a META and nearly died. If it wasn't for that piece, she wouldn't be here and be at the ocean instead. I would have lost my sister for good this time"
"Bismarck, twenty five percent of her wisdom cube had become similar to that of a META!"
Unable to keep her mouth shut, Neumark raises her voice and the loud echo surprises the other three ships due to how she mentioned "META".
"If we only think of how this will benefit us, you'll have something much worse than the incident last year. You might lose your sister and I'm not talking about dying" Neumark grits her teeth
"...but Tirpitz needs the strength to protect herself. My younger sister completely disregards her life and would gladly die without struggling to live"
Bismarck's voice becomes slightly deeper, restraining her frustration and worry as an older sister. She isn't blind to the consequences, but she believes she's at the position where she has to choose for the sake of someone.
"I don't want Tirpitz to grow stronger just to fight for Iron Blood. What I want is to be capable of being strong enough that I can be rest assured of her safety" Bismarck insists
"Victorious is softening her. That's why she was quick to be taken down because the META she faced was another Victorious"
Friedrich der Grosse tightly grabs Neumark's shoulder that the latter jolts and her heart rapidly races. She's the only one opposed to the idea since Bismarck is being selfish again even if her intentions are noble.
"Victorious META is without a doubt an enemy, but Tirpitz couldn't fight back against her. She needs the strength to fight back. This might be our only opportunity" Bismarck takes a step forward
"Bismarck, she's going to fight back at you and not the enemies you recognize. If the fragment alters her further, you're going to bring regret to all of us, especially to yourself"
Neumark stares at Bismarck right in the eyes without blinking much to Friedrich der Grosse and Graf Zeppelin's surprise. For a repair ship, she remains unfazed at the grim gaze unintentionally intimidating her.
"...We'll discuss this another time. Neither of us are calm enough to have a civilized conversation"
Fortunately for everyone, Bismarck exhales deeply to regain her composure. She's not impulsive or reckless, so she's the one who cuts the tension first because she doesn't want to argue with a fellow Iron Blood ship.
"Think this through, Bismarck. All of you believe you know what's for the best when it's your misguided attempt that caused all of this"
Neumark decides not to pursue the matter after realizing she's being emotional and that she's disobeying the fleet leader. Rather than extend her stay or wait for Bismarck to ask her to leave, she turns away and is quick to storm off the room without saying anything else. Friedrich der Grosse and Graf Zeppelin could only follow her with their gaze right before she closed the door behind her.
"That disobeying girl should be punished, you know" Friedrich der Grosse folds her arms
"Leave her be. Neumark is responsible for most of Tirpitz's repairs in the past, so she worried for a good reason" Bismarck returns to her chair
"Still, Tirpitz is compatible with the fragment and it saved her once more. As long as she has it, she won't easily die" Friedrich der Grosse points out the benefits
"Neumark still has a point. We can't ignore the risks just" Graf Zeppelin admits
"I need some time to think in peace..."
"It's rare to see you upset, m child. Is it because Neumark actually talked back at you" Friedrich der Grosse tilts her head
"I believe what I'm doing is for Tirpitz's best, but she insists I'm being selfish again"
Bismarck relaxes her back on her chair and breathes out deeply as her nerves have yet to fully relax.
"I can't always be there to keep Tirpitz safe, so I want her to be at least strong enough that no one can hurt her" Bismarck closes her eyes
"We understand you're trying to act more like an older sister to her while trying to fulfill your duties as our leader" Graf Zeppelin tries to understand at least
"Take the rest of the afternoon off. Clearly, you need some peace and quiet to rationalize what just happened"
Without warning, Friedrich der Grosse hurriedly walks over to Graf Zeppelin and grabs both of her shoulders from behind.
"You two may leave. I need to compose myself and rethink my decision" Bismarck sways her hand
"..." The two quietly nod
As Bismarck places her elbow on the arm rest relaxes her head on her fists just as the two ships leave, she let out another exhale and faintly groans under her breath.
"Maybe it was a mistake to accept the other fragment given to me...by Victorious"
Bismarck frowns at herself, still conflicted at the idea because she still thinks about Neumark , of all people, berating her actions. She's not as stubborn as appears as her current thoughts waver when thinking about the moment she witnessed the horrified expression in Tirpitz's face when she regained consciousness after the procedure a year ago.
"No, perhaps my mistake was letting our relationship worsen, especially when I said that to her"
Bismarck shakes her head, somewhat irritated at herself due to how what's already bad turned worse in more than a year.
...
...
[When and where did it go wrong?]
In the past, almost forgotten by Tirpitz, there are indeed moments where Tirpitz doesn't view Bismarck with hostility. It's one of those 'early days' buried under the countless memories of Tirpitz viewing the world in a different light. One of those moments she has long forgotten was a conversation, or at least Bismarck's attempt to have a meaningful conversation with her.
"Everyone's impression is how you're cold-hearted and unsociable"
Bismarck fondly smiles as she gently stirs the cup of her warmly brewed cup of tea. As she slowly twirls the cup, her expression immediately turns serious and somewhat disappointed.
"And...?" Tirpitz briefly stares at her own cup before taking a light sip
"And you shouldn't keep that kind of impression. People would misunderstand you as someone emotionless" Bismarck crosses her arms
"Why should I be concerned with what others think of me? I don't care who I am in their eyes because I don't need their perception of me" Tirpitz rolls her eyes
"Tirpitz, you mustn't forget you're a Bismarck-class, my only younger sister" Bismarck lightly taps the table
"Do relationships matter to you, Bismarck?"
Tirpitz rests her hands on top of the table and clasps her hands together, focusing on the conversation once Bismarck reminds her or position.
"The higher echelons assumed you should be next in line for leadership, someone who should be leading alongside me. I do believe it as well, so why do you view Iron Blood with distrust?" Bismarck tries her best to control her voice
"..." Tirpitz falls silent
Silence between them gradually forms the tension, especially from Tirpitz frowning at one of the reminders she dislikes.
"Tirpitz, you have the potential to grow stronger. You're a competent battleship and you possess the same strength as I, so why do you reject your capabilities" Bismarck sternly demands an answer
"I only fight with necessary strength. Bismarck, I'm not like you who focuses on further seeking might because I don't have the same ambition as you" Tirpitz answers with a sigh
Rather, it's that Tirpitz is in no mood to have someone point out her actions and attitude, but she wants to avoid problems with someone like Bismarck. She wishes to be left alone in peace, so she bears answering Bismarck in hopes she would leave as soon as possible. Staying silent would only annoy Bismarck and cause her to further scold her to no end.
"Tirpitz, answer me why you distrust Iron Blood. It's why you're only battling with sufficient strength and never letting loose - not even once"
"You would never know after all..." Tirpitz lowers her head
"Tirpitz?"
"In the past, you sunk first...so you wouldn't know why I hold both my strength and my thoughts to the people around me"
"..."
Bismarck straightens her back as her eyes blink when she clearly recognizes frustration in Tirpitz's eyes. The younger sister who only speaks when necessary and barely expresses emotions now frowns with the side of her lips lightly twitched and her leering eyes dilated.
"We're sisters...so I don't want to argue with you..." Tirpitz closes her eyes for a moment to relax her expression
"I want to know"
"...?" Tirpitz raises an eyebrow
"I want to know how angry you are deep inside" Bismarck frankly tells her
It's more of a demand she doesn't want Tirpitz to refuse. Her younger sister clearly has resentment running deep after forcing herself to return to her default stoic expression because Bismarck sees the unintentional change in behavior.
"All you need to know is I don't trust anyone because of my historic fate"
"Tirpitz..." Bismarck hears sorrow rather than hatred
"I don't hate you, but I can't bring myself to open up to you"
Tirpitz is somewhat conflicted in how she views her supposed older sister. The two are distant with how they barely take the initiative to open up. In the current case, it's Tirpitz who deliberately keeps her distance from Bismarck for reasons she refuses to tell.
"Even if you hide it, I know you're bearing loneliness. All this time, you-"
"Bismarck, I may be lonely in your eyes but I don't feel the need to seek companionship from others" Tirpitz immediately corrects her
"No, you're keeping up that facade of a cold-hearted person because you don't want to admit you're lonely"
"Perhaps it's better that way..." Tirpitz stands up
"We're not done here yet" Bismarck stands up as well
"Tirpitz...?"
To Bismarck's surprise again, she sees Tirpitz blankly staring downwards, her eyebrows are nearly furrowing, and her lower lip slightly pulled down. It's the clear indication of someone unable to hide the emotion of sadness. No matter how much one tries, their facial expressions and gestures would always give their inner thoughts away.
"If you can't understand why I distrust both Iron Blood and you, then you know nothing at all. So please, don't try to say like you know anything" Tirpitz turns away
"Why aren't you at least trying?" Bismarck goes to grab her wrist
"What's the point? Every little hope I had in the past was always returned with disappointment...because of Iron Blood and you" Tirpitz pulls her wrist away from Bismarck
"Is that why you distrust me too?" Bismarck clenches her fists
"You said I was lonely, but what do you know of my loneliness? Do you perceive the same world as I am? Tell me, Bismarck, do you really believe we could understand each other?!" Tirpitz presses her hand against her chest
Tirpitz doesn't want to speak further, but she couldn't contain her frustrations. As a result, she ends up voicing out her bottled up thoughts right before she realizes she's starting to berate her older sister.
"We live in a different world Bismarck. While you march to a blaze glory, I remained shackled in a frozen prison" Tirpitz turns away again
"Just because we had different fates, doesn't mean we couldn't be sisters..."
"I don't just distrust Iron Blood, Bismarck. From the bottom of my heart...I loathe this nation. Don't make me hate you too, Bismarck"
As much as Tirpitz wants to keep her thoughts to herself, she made the decision to make it clear it's more than being upset and disappointed. Deep inside, she has come to realize her fate caused negative emotions to pile up inside her as a ship who never once experienced warmth in her entire career. Tirpitz tightly closes her eyes for a brief second because she couldn't bear the thought of their strained relationship being severe to the point Tirpitz would extend that resentment too.
"If you are just like that, maybe it would have been better if you were emptied of all emotions"
"..." Tirpitz nearly speaks out of shock
"Tirpitz, I didn't-"
"..."
Tirpitz doesn't say anything else as she clenches her fists and only relaxes her hands just as she quickly marches away from the scene. Since she refuses to even pause or turn around, Tirpitz couldn't see how Bismarck at least attempted by reaching out her hand. Her lips part as she's about to call Tirpitz, but shuts them close when her figure is quickly vanishing from her view.
If only I told her back then how I want to understand her because I truly care as her big sister...
....
...
...
Bismarck removes her cap and puts it down at the upper right side of her desk. As she rubs her face to lessen her stressed emotions from the current situation with Tirpitz, she comes to remember something.
Victorious.
The discussion earlier involved Victorious due to her close bond with Tirpitz, but it's not the regular Victorious she remembers. Tirpitz's current situation isn't just the result of the normal one's recklessness and naivety, but the direct culprit being the META. The same META who tried to kill her too.
I always believed kansens vanished upon destruction, but she refused to stay dead...
...But it's impossible to get rid of her thirst for revenge. She wanted to kill me so badly that her consciousness persisted in one of her fragment
...She woke up not knowing how and why she was alive. Forcibly revived in the body of her past version made her go berserk
No matter how much the deceased META despised you, Tirpitz's consciousness restrained both the META and herself...
As soon as Bismarck wakes up from her shortened comatose state, her focus directs on Tirpitz until the current situation reminds her of Victorious META posing a threat to Tirpitz. More importantly the words she mostly ignored in their battle.
...The same META who sent you into a coma nearly took out Tirpitz
"Shit! Why didn't I realize sooner...?" Bismarck immediately straightens her back
Irritated at how she only regained focus at the META version of her younger sister's closest friend, Bismarck slams her desk with both of her fists. Her complete frown is out of complete disbelief on how she could disregard what her enemy bluntly revealed to her and compare it with a recent conversation.