How long has it been...?
As far as I can remember, it has always been battle after battle. Everyone, even Bismarck and Victorious, pushes me to keep on fighting. I desperately want to tell them I'm exhausted and I could no longer keep on going, but I couldn't find the courage to say it, especially to Victorious. I want to - I truly want to confess my constant exhaustion, but I promised my friend. Yes, I agreed to a promise I wouldn't fulfill...so I'd die a liar in front of her.
Forgive me...but you have to let go...
On the day I move forward toward where I would meet my end. It's this dread hanging over me that made it clear I wouldn't live any longer. Victorious, she never realized, let alone suspected that I lost my will to live
Finally, I...
I remember the sensation of an Arbiter's projectile piercing through my chest. The heat burns through my body and the damage I sustained is far too much for my wisdom cube to handle. Even if I couldn't see myself, a sigh of relief and a content smile escapes from my lips. Throughout this conflict, I've been pushing myself to the limit to ensure my survival and my comrades' survival.
No, that's not true...
For so long, I've been seeking permanent rest because the metamorphosis rendered me more durable than ever. The ice I cursed so much became my power as if the world played a cruel joke on my history. I never stopped fighting believing it was my sole wish and source of joy, but I'm wrong in the end. All these non-stop battles have taken a toll on me and drained my will and resolve midway.
In the end, I...
I don't know if it's these countless battles or the effects of the metamorphosis, but I've gotten mentally and emotionally weak right before I knew it. My mind crumbled from abusing my own body and power until I could barely feel every wound I sustained. When my body finally feels warm and light, I don't struggle the least. I just let this lightness take my senses and me away.
Why...why...why...?
When everything goes dark, I feel everything leaving me. My body has gone completely numb and motionless the moment I closed my eyes. This is what I wanted, so I didn't struggle or resist even if I heard Victorious screaming at me and calling me repeatedly. I thought that was the end of "me", but after some time, air fills my lungs, and my body is shocked into waking up.
Why...why...why?!
All of my senses returned to my body, and I regained some of my strength, at least enough to turn my head and move my hands. My body is lying on solid ground instead of sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
...!
The horrifying realization finally strikes my mind. My wisdom cube has been fully restored and reactivated, so both my mind and body have been brought back.
"Tirpitz..." Victorious sheds tears of joy
"Why...why would you do this?!"
I covered my face with both of my hands and grit my teeth before this chaotic emotion exploded. My mind couldn't think straight because I could only see red, and my instincts screamed at violence. I'm furious beyond reason because they toyed with my life against my will.
"Why did you bring me back?!"
When I fully regained my consciousness, I shouted at Victorious and a swing of my arm unleashed a field of ice and snow around us.
"I-I...you died...so I did everything to save you..." Victorious backs away
It's as if my reaction is unexpected that Victorious stutters and she's confused at the response she dislikes. The joy she had earlier completely vanishes and all that remains is the fear and dismay mixed in her eyes.
"I didn't ask to be saved! Why did you bring me back?"
Disgust and utter horror flood my mind. I couldn't think straight with this gnawing feeling in my head and prickling itchiness all over my body. My fingers instinctively claw at my skin to the point I'm at the point of tearing through my own body.
"It itches...it hurts..."
All my senses couldn't stay focused with the extreme discomfort and disgust that makes me feel nauseous.
"You...you...just couldn't let me go. Why, why, why?" I keep clawing my neck
"I just wanted to save you!"
"No, you just wanted...to save your feelings" I groan in pain
"Tirpitz, you promised you'd live no matter what...but you chose to die"
"That promise...can never be fulfilled...because I've been longing for death..."
Victorious did something unforgivable, but I still couldn't think straight. The pain is gradually worsening and further throwing my senses into chaos. I can't calm down even for just a second.
"So you promised to know very well you're lying..." Victorious frowns as if I'm at fault
"Why did you toy with my life? You don't get to decide...whether I live or not!" I keep groaning in pain
"I thought you still wanted to live...but you've given up all this time"
"Just...Kill me...kill me already..."
I take one step forward as this pain has grown unbearable. My chest feels strangled by barbed wire, my insides burning, and my head is constantly stabbed. It's the same as leaving an open wound to fester.
"Just let me die!"
Right before I know it, my mind goes blank. Everything still feels heavy and horrible.
The sound of cannon fire...
The strong scent of gunpowder...
The suffocating black smoke...
And...and...
My left arm got blasted off by an explosion, but cold vapor escaping from the gap reconstructed the lost limb, but I lost it again after a rain of shells directly falls on me. A black figure stands in front of me.
"Bis...marck..."
"Forgive me, but I cannot let you harm others any longer"
"Bismarck!"
"...So please...rest once more"
My head hearts. It feels like I'm being stabbed all over again and both sides are being squeezed. I couldn't think straight enough to think of a logical reason why she arrived and attacked me. Her voice only echoes as it passes my ears...and my eyes are tainted red.
"This is my punishment for toying with your life. That's why I will put you to rest myself...so no one can hurt you ever again"
Tears. I see tears flowing from both sides of her cheeks and her facial expression twisting in pain. It's usually the expression of someone who has to bear what they're usually unwilling to do.
"Don't do it, Bismarck!" Victorious cried out to her
"This is enough! Tirpitz has suffered enough!" Bismarck begins scolding her
"You're...going to kill her again..."
"Can't you see what we did? We brought her back, but that's not my sister"
"My dear sister perished a long time ago. She's nothing but a soulless corpse now"
I don't know what's going on, but Bismarck is berating her not blaming her. My head is still twisted in pain. It's like it's being squeezed in between, and I'm being stabbed all over again.
"I will put her out of her misery myself. This is the least I could do...to save what remains of her reanimated corpse"
Ah, that's right. Tirpitz died a long time ago, so what latched on to this undead body is the dying consciousness from back then. Even if she says that I could see the pain twisted in Bismarck's face.
Why is she crying...?
Why is she in a lot of pain...?
Why is she filled with regret...?
Just why...?
As those questions fill what's left of this drifting mind, my head rings in pain and I stagger back in response. The colors in front of me are tainted red and my vision is growing blurry. I couldn't focus on my surroundings except for Bismarck's figure.
Not this headache again...
I groan in pain, but my headache doesn't subside even after a minute. My remaining hand trembles and before I could make sense of my surroundings...my body moves on its right before I know it. I could barely recall heading towards Bismarck and a flash of muzzle blinds me for a split second. Something happened in a few seconds I blacked out and drifted into a dream-like state again.
"..."
By the time I become lucid again, I immediately realized Bismarck's trusted sword is plunged right through my chest and to the other side of my body. Her other arm is tightly wrapped around me, and she holds me close to her so that we're pressing each other's chest and her head resting on my shoulders.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry. I truly am..." Bismarck whispers to me
Since we're this close, Bismarck's sobbing is clearer now. At a distance, she's gritting her teeth and frowning in frustration. To think there would be a day she would drop her solid demeanor to just break down...and cry.
"If you wish to resent anyone, just blame it on me alone...because I allowed this to happen"
"..." I couldn't say anything
"It's going to be alright now..."
"..." I don't have the strength to say anything
"...because no one will hurt you ever again"
As she plunged the sword deeper into my shredded heart, Bismarck digs her fingers into my uniform. Her faint sobbing and grunts twisted in pain continue making it obvious she is forcing herself to do this.
"So please...rest forever..." Bismarck plunges her sword deeper into my chest
I still couldn't feel anything even if my heart is destroyed. As a reanimated corpse, I wouldn't feel anything or need intact body parts. However, everything is clear again. Both my ears and head aren't ringing anymore. Bismarck still faintly sobs right next to me and her embrace...is warm.
"Ggh...!"
My head begins to throb again and a shock travels throughout my body. Once again, my consciousness becomes dark and hazy that I could only recall pushing Bismarck away and removing the sword from my chest at the same time.
"Tirpitz...I'm sorry...this is my fault..."
A familiar voice cries and her gentle sobs echo in my mind. It's not Bismarck as I vaguely see her being wounded by a shard of ice on her left shoulder and abdomen. It was only when I turned around that I met a fighter aircraft. The sound of gunfire came...then...then high-speed projectiles further damaged this dead body and riddled it with holes.
"It's...suddenly quiet..." I let out a small sigh
The incomprehensible noise finally comes to a stop. There are only the sounds of the whistling breeze and Victorious' faint sobs next to my ear. She holds me in her arms before my body full of bullet holes collapses. Most of my focus is on how my body feels lighter now and warmth courses through the rest of my body.
"What's...this...?"
My body feels "cold" but sudden loneliness takes over. Everything feels empty...and quiet. I couldn't do anything about it and I don't want to do anything about it. There's no motivation to struggle like how my damaged wisdom cube is losing its light and about to shut down for good in a few minutes.
"So this is...death..."
Ah, I finally remember what it means to die. This is much more peaceful than before, and I feel like I can accept this outcome. Victorious finally stops sobbing, but she still holds me tightly in her arms. I couldn't look at her because she was pressing her head by my shoulders.
I couldn't hate you enough to kill you...but you couldn't bear my suffering...
I thought I'm not capable of it anymore, but warm tears stream down my cheeks as I unknowingly return Victorious' embrace. The relentless headache and suffocation made me lose my sanity that I constantly black out and hurt those around me. I've become a soulless corpse who rampaged hoping to be put down like an animal, but Victorious made the difficult choice of putting me down herself.
"Thank you...for stopping me..."
It's the least I could say to her after dealing a fatal blow that finally helped me regain my senses. If only I woke up from the nightmare sooner, Victorious wouldn't have to bear the sin of having to end my life. Knowing her, I'm sure she would carry this as her guilt because of her involvement even if all hatred has washed away in this peace.
You have to let me go, Victorious...
I want to tell her that, but I don't have the strength to even utter a single word. I couldn't move my body at all. What remains is allowing myself to be dragged away by this lightness. Her sadness wouldn't immediately leave her be. I'm certain she would do something she would regret again, but I don't even have the strength anymore.
...
...
In the ever-familiar landscape of ice and snow, Tirpitz takes a deep breath and calmly scans left to right.
"Tirpitz..."
The ghost, in a shambled and cracking state, appears right in front of Tirpitz and grabs both of her shoulders.
"It felt like a long dream and I still couldn't remember everything, but...she was in more pain than me" Tirpitz META grits her teeth in frustration
"Where have you been?"
"That's...not important right now. I don't...have much time..." Tirpitz META pulls away her arms
"What's happening?"
"Don't...don't trust Victorious. She's about to make a...worse mistake..."
The blizzard blows right between them, pushing Tirpitz back and shifting her consciousness right where it belongs. Tirpitz struggles to open her eyes and the moment she slowly opens them, the sight of a familiar ceiling greets her.
"Huh?"
In mere seconds, Tirpitz realizes actual tears are streaming down from both of her eyes. Those are warm tears on her cheeks, bypassing the extreme coldness of her body. The sensation from that dream reverberates on her body and prompts her to clutch her chest remembering both her heart being shredded and warmth coursing through her body in her last moments.
"Did you have a sad dream?"
"Hmm?" Tirpitz slightly turns to her left
Victorious sitting right by her head, softly staring at her filled with concern and anxiety.
"I felt...sorrow..."
"Felt?"
"Yes, that's what it is
"How...so?" Victorious swallows her breath
"I had a dream seeing not myself but the other Tirpitz. She wasn't angry all this time - just driven to rampage as a soulless corpse"
"..." Victorious frowns for a split second
"What is a soul? What is a heart? What is...my humanity?"
Questions flood Tirpitz when the dream is more than just something she viewed, but a perspective she unknowingly experienced. The memories are vague and incomplete, but it shows her the thoughts that flowed within the META's dying moments.
"Victorious, can I regain my humanity?"
"What's with the sudden question, Tirpitz?" Victorious nervously laughs
"I had to relive it from her perspective - the thought of being a reanimated corpse without a soul. It made me remember the fear of living a husk of my former self" Tirpitz's left hand clutches the bed sheet
Tirpitz slowly lifts her back off the bed and presses her right hand on her face. Even as Tirpitz META damages her body, her reanimated body numbs her senses and she continues to rampage without reason.
"Losing my emotions robbed me of my humanity - to be an individual with free will. That's why I've become an unfeeling machine"
"That's why...you remembered fear"
Victorious gently touches the back of Tirpitz's left hand. Unlike before, Tirpitz's hand is less cold, but she's visibly trembling. The experience of living as someone else in a dream shocked Tirpitz's body even after she woke up.
"Little by little, I've been forgetting moments in my life. Sensations have been leaving my body, but I couldn't tell you" Tirpitz takes a deep breath
"You're starting to forget the little moments of the past..."
"I couldn't even talk to that ghost anymore. It's like she just mysteriously vanished"
"You don't have to think about her"
"..."
Tirpitz instinctively moves away her left hand from Victorious the moment she immediately senses the flow of familiar energy from her hands.
"Victorious, is there something you want to tell me?" Tirpitz moves her legs to the side and sits right beside her
"What do you mean?" Victorious nearly stutters
"I feel like you want to tell me something, but you're holding yourself back"
"Tirpitz, I-"
Just as Victorious takes a deep breath and manages to speak, her voice suddenly gets cut off. She struggles to move her mouth and as she moves her hand to her throat, she widens her eyes not in shock but in realization.
"...Nothing. There's nothing to say" Victorious calmly responds
"Is that so...?" Tirpitz stands up
To Victorious, it's nearly impossible to distinguish whether Tirpitz genuinely believes it or merely pretending considering she's still struggling to regain her emotions.
"You don't need emotions" Victorious stands up as well
"What?"
"You don't need to force yourself if you don't want to. I know you're hesitating, Tirpitz"
"I don't want to admit it, but you're right. Ever since I lost my emotions, it's as if I've been free of doubts and my past laments. This puts me in a place where I have to weigh which is more important" Tirpitz lightly lifts both hands
"Then which is it?"
"My happiness or my sorrow. Regaining my emotions means I have to experience the likes of hate, anger, sorrow, and fear. I've begun to doubt whether it's something I'm prepared for"
Tirpitz lowers her head, forced to admit the thoughts she has been keeping since the beginning. Back then, she already realized just as she will regain her happiness and warmth, her negative emotions would be dragged as well. Anyone wished to be free of painful emotions, but Tirpitz isn't certain of what she's willing to sacrifice.
"That's right, Tirpitz. If you wish to be happy, then you must be prepared for disappointment and hatred. Are you willing to suffer again for your happiness?" Victorious leans close to her
"I don't know...because when I briefly experienced being my META version, I wished to escape the chaotic emotions in her heart" Tirpitz turns away
"You're not prepared at all. Rather, you don't want at all" Victorious faintly smiles
"That's just how it is, Tirpitz. As long as you're alive, you will always suffer. It's etched into your memory" Victorious grabs Tirpitz's wrist from behind
"Then wouldn't it be better if I just don't remember at all? To be free of this memory plagued by my past suffering at the hands of Iron Blood?"
It's merely a suggestion in the heat of the moment, but Tirpitz doesn't appear bothered even when she grabs her cap and cape. Tirpitz sneaks a glance at Victorious who couldn't respond at all, just blinking at the unexpected words right out of Tirpitz.
"Of course, it's not easy to be just someone else. To forget everything and be free to live as I wish"
"Perhaps that wish may come true if the future allows it"
Victorious sorrowfully smiles while she walks towards Tirpitz and helps her attaches hang her cape over her shoulders.
"Tirpitz, losing your memories and becoming someone else is no different from effectively dying. The person I know is dead or would die..." Victorious tightly grabs Tirpitz's cape
"Perhaps it's what some of us need - a fresh start" Tirpitz doesn't reject the idea
"Don't think too hastily. We don't want...any more regrets after all" Victorious snatches her cap
"How would I regret it if I wouldn't remember it?"
Tirpitz grabs her cap from Victorious and puts it on her head, twisting it left to right to find the perfect angle.
"I'm going to meet with Alabama. You're free to stay here if you wish as long you don't touch anything" Tirpitz tips the peak of her cap
"Sure..." Victorious lightly frowns
"You're right. We shouldn't be suggesting things we may regret, so...I need to clear my mind for a while"
Tirpitz avoids Victorious' gaze by sheer instinct, sensing she's being keenly observed as if she's prepared to strike the moment.
"That META is still active. Even if she can't manifest herself, she's trying to reach Tirpitz" Victorious META appears behind Victorious
"Y-you should stop doing that..." Victorious lets out her breath
"That's because you were planning to tell her, weren't you?"
Victorious META's voice deepens as she tightly grabs both of Victorious' shoulders, nearly painfully squeezing them.
"I-I just couldn't lie to her..." Victorious looks away
"Tirpitz makes it clear what she wants. You just need to push her in that direction"
"That would mean it wouldn't be the same Tirpitz. You said it yourself" Victorious pushes herself away
"If Tirpitz regains her emotions, that means she's bound to suffer, especially from her condition. Unless she undergoes a metamorphosis, she would be a prisoner forever. Do you want her to be always shackled?"
To further put emotional pressure on Victorious, the META grabs her left shoulder and pulls her close to her. She's upset by the deep hesitation and worries in Victorious, especially how she nearly confessed earlier.
"We need more time to remove the META's harmful influence on her and bring out that ghost. Right now, that ghost must have realized what I'm trying to do" Victorious META reminds her
"If Tirpitz META gets out, she'd be upset and angry again..."
"She won't if we get her under control. Our goal is to bind that ghost and keep her forever" Victorious META lets go of her
"Since Bismarck might make her move soon, there's no time to waste. Unlike the others, she's not stupid. She would handle you before you could get to Tirpitz"
"..." Victorious swallows her breath
"You have to be brave for Tirpitz. I did horrible things to save her, and I don't want to fail this time. It would be different this time..." Victorious META turns around
As desperate as Victorious META is, she's consumed by the mixture of guilt, regret, grief, and fear from having to kill her friend twice. The only reason she has to turn around is to mask the single tear from her right eye and how much she can barely contain the resurfacing of her past emotions.
"There's going to be an upcoming sortie. Use that opportunity"
With that reminder, Victorious META walks past Victorious and vanishes just as the latter turns around. It's no surprise how she could pop out and disappear before anyone could notice, but it still skips a heartbeat of shock for Victorious.
A monster...
I can't put my thoughts together. My ears are ringing, and I feel nauseous. There's this unbearable headache like it's twisting my head, so I can't focus on what's in front of me. I just see Victorious confused as her eyes are fixated on me.
"What...have you...done?!" I groan in pain
She's supposed to be my friend, but she and Bismarck revived me. No, this isn't even resurrection. What they did is far worse and unacceptable even in the eyes of others.
"What the hell is this?!" Alabama shouts at Bismarck
Their voices are echoing. All three of them are in front of me saying something, but it becomes distorted when it reaches my ears. The only clear sensation right now is the cold solid steel floor and the four corners surrounding me.
"We tried to reactivate Tirpitz's wisdom cube, but..." Bismarck couldn't continue
"You brought back an abomination instead" Alabama clicks her tongue in disappointment
"..." Victorious' eyes become blank
"It was you, wasn't it?" Alabama turns her attention to her
The moment Alabama stormed to this prison a few minutes ago, she staggered a few steps back and stumbled on her back after seeing me contained within these walls. I stopped counting how many hours or days since I died with how my mind drifts into the nothingness from time to time.
"Reviving someone isn't like waking up. You can make the body move again, but you can't put all the soul back!" Alabama scolds Victorious
"I know she's still there even if she can't think straight" Victorious refuses to listen
"Tirpitz has become aggressive and unreasonable...because her body lacks a soul"
Bismarck casts a downward gaze toward the floor. She's not afraid to accept reality even if she has to admit its harshness. The cruel realization is right in front of her - imprisoned within steel walls.
"You brought Tirpitz back...but she's not quite alive" Alabama barely looks at me
It's clear to everyone, including me that something is wrong - that this is wrong. My memories are intact, but my emotions are jumbled all over the place. Not only that, I feel hollow like not all of "me" is there. It may be the "soul" mentioned earlier, but what is a soul exactly?
"..."
I just look at my palms, staring at them for no particular reason. Bringing someone from the dead would have consequences, especially since I strongly refused to be revived. Unfortunately, it's not clear to Victorious as she forcibly made me regain consciousness.
"This isn't right..." I tell all three of them
"..." They're all silent
"This is...a mistake. Your mistake...!" I shift my gaze at Victorious
"I can still make this right"
Victorious remains stubborn and refuses to acknowledge how wrong this is. My headache is returning, and my limbs are trembling.
"No, you can't..." I groan as I press the side of my head
"You won't understand now, but I'll find a way to save you" Victorious walks closer
"You...you...!" My headache is getting worse
"...Even if...I have to find a new body for you"
My current body is unstable since my wisdom cube is constantly overworking itself to sustain it for my consciousness to continue inhabiting. My exhausted wisdom cube is affecting my mind, causing this constant headache and body pain. It gets worse and it can become unbearable to the point I black out and regain consciousness only to see damaged surroundings.
"I'll make it right this time" Victorious sorrowfully smiles
"Bismarck!"
Victorious backs away the second Scharnhorst's furious voice booms and her marching footsteps echo all over the place.
"Scharnhorst, calm down" Gneisenau holds her arms
"I thought it was a shitty joke when I heard you brought Tirpitz back, but it's real" Scharnhorst is unsure what to say to the last part
"Just kill me already...if it's that bad for you..." I beg Scharnhorst
Sooner or later, I might stop thinking straight for good. I'm afraid I'd move by instinct and be no different than a typical zombie.
"This is wrong in so many ways" Scharnhorst stomps her left foot
"I know that...but I can't bring myself to put her down again" Bismarck clenches her fists
"I'm the one who brought her consciousness back...after making a deal with an Arbiter"
"It was you?!"
Scharnhorst would have lashed out at Victorious if it wasn't for Gneisenau pulling her from the back and Alabama stepping in between. It's natural for Scharnhorst to react that way because she believes living again is violating one's honor.
"You defiled a dead person by resurrecting her! Why can't you fucking respect her wish to stay dead?" Scharnhorst doesn't hold back her anger
"I know apologizing won't do anything...and I won't make excuses either" Victorious turns away from her
"You don't bring someone back because they never come back the same" Scharnhorst takes a deep breath
"Even if you think you brought back their soul, not all of it...is there" Gneisenau briefly looks at me
To all of them, I'm just an abomination or a mistake, and they're right about it. Even I see my reanimation as a mistake that I want to be killed. I tried ending myself, but this body is effectively dead. I need to exhaust my core so much that it couldn't keep my consciousness attached to my body.
"Nngh..." I press my forehead
There's this throbbing headache again. My vision is getting blurry, and their voices have become incomprehensible again. It feels like my mind is drifting into a dream again.
My mind feels hazy again...
...
...
Tirpitz presses her left hand on the scorching concrete ground, but it causes ice to spread to a small area where her palm is pressing.
"Ggghh!"
The pain from that memory reverberates into her real self, causing her to experience it for herself. It's as if daggers stab and twist through her body while thorns prickle her head.
"This... isn't...make it stop!"
Tirpitz's body responds by further lowering her body temperature and spreading ice beneath her. Her breathing grows heavy as unknown fear looms behind her.
"Just take it easy" Bismarck taps her shoulders
"Bismarck...?"
Rather than being alone, Tirpitz blinks a few times, unsure if the Bismarck kneeling beside her is the real one.
"You nearly collapsed" Bismarck helps her stand up
"What are you doing here?" Tirpitz takes a step back
"We were having a conversation, remember?"
"We were?"
In a matter of seconds, Tirpitz reverts to her usual stoic demeanor, but her voice faintly hints she's still shaken by having the META's emotions reflect on her.
"I feel like I've been forgetting more and more things lately..." Tirpitz shakes her head
"We were talking about the META residing in the fragment"
"We're... talking"
Tirpitz takes a few steps back, forcing herself to be distant from Bismarck and uncertain of her surroundings. One moment she's still about to leave the hallway and the next second she's suddenly out in the open and walking with Bismarck of all people.
"Are you mad at me again?" Bismarck's tone is softer
"I can't easily forget, Bismarck. I lost one year of my life...and my heart in the process" Tirpitz looks her straight in the eyes
"I tried to forgive you, but I lost part of what makes me human. The truth is I've been beginning to think that it's better if I just forget everything..."
The burden of the memory ever since her near-death experience had caused her to begin questioning whether she should return to her former self.
"It won't be the same, Bismarck. I've come to realize that because the old me would bear a grudge and never trust you or Iron Blood again" Tirpitz turns around
"What I took from you might never be regained. That you might be like that for the rest of your life. I feared that possibility, but I have to prepare for it..." Bismarck confesses
"I could barely remember what I felt in the past like moments in my mind began to disappear too, yet you want me to remain this way"
"Taking away your emotions is no different from removing a part of your soul"
"I couldn't experience being alive. What does it mean to live? What drives me forward now? Even now I'm slowly losing attachment to Victorious. Sooner or later, I might not recognize my friend" Tirpitz's hands tremble
"You couldn't regain your happiness and hope. Instead the emotions of doubt and fear plagued you"
If anything, Bismarck furrows her eyebrows seeing Tirpitz slowly losing motivation to live and move forward. It stings Bismarck's heart knowing how she initially caused Tirpitz's situation and the consequences being her sister losing the will to live and being detached.
"Nothing matters now, does it? I'm no longer loyal to my nation, and I'm slowly questioning my friend, and the path ahead of me feels hazy" Tirpitz drops her shoulders
"What's gotten into you? There is no way you'd just give up all of a sudden" Bismarck walks in front of her
"I'm reliving the META's memories because we're nearly one person, so I only realize now how...maybe I'm just looking for an easy way out. That ghost got herself killed after losing faith in everyone and losing hope for herself"
"You're not going to end up like that!"
The burden of having to experience the memory for herself is like a fog clouding Tirpitz's judgment - something she fails to notice. Bismarck, annoyed at Tirpitz's sudden change, grabs both of her shoulders and pulls her close to her.
"Bismarck, I didn't try to save myself back then. That's why I asked not to be saved when I'm about to die" Tirpitz takes a deep breath
"You wanted to die..." Bismarck pulls away her hand
"Where do we draw our life, Bismarck? For what greater context do you live? Is it for destiny? Morality? Belief in an external force? Or a God who would never answer you"
"..." Bismarck remains in disbelief
"You're right, Bismarck. What you took from me might never be regained. It's because of your actions that led me to realize I have no loyalties and I can't believe in anyone anymore..."
Tirpitz ends the conversation right there and immediately marches away from the scene without even looking back at Bismarck. Bismarck lifts her arm by a few inches as if she wants to reach out to Tirpitz, but the latter is quick to move away from her line of sight.
"You heard all of that, right?" Bismarck takes a deep breath and turns to the left
"Victorious entered her room earlier this morning and Tirpitz walked out losing faith in the world. I'd say something is amiss" King George V walks out of the corner
"I don't like anyone eavesdropping, but you know something is wrong"
"Of course. I'm always vigilant for troublemakers" King George V approaches her
"What do you mean?"
"Hmm? Ahahaha, you have yet to realize. You see, Victorious had always been honest to herself and everyone around her. So even a single lie would stick out like a sore thumb as they say"
"You're saying her lies are obvious"
Bismarck walks to the knight until they're only one meter apart since it catches Bismarck's attention and interest.
"I'd say she's not being honest. That's all" King George V shrugs
"Then, what if we're dealing with someone else"
"Oho~ What do you have in mind?" King George V rubs her chin
"That Tirpitz may not realize she's being fooled by Victorious META"
"The META? Now, that's interesting"
"It isn't for me. The fragment's influence is already at thirty-five percent and her behavior is changing"
"She said she lost contact with the ghost whose consciousness is within the fragment. It only happened ever since waking up"
"Not to mention it's as if Tirpitz was about to say something when she nearly had a seizure. Something, something let me die and something Victorious" King George V mutters to herself
King George V closes her left eye as she keeps her fingers on her chin and her elbow on top of her folded arm. She's curious enough to dig into the details herself but lacks the connection to make sense of everything.
"If the fragment isn't actively influencing her, then..." King George V tilts her head
"Victorious..." Bismarck frowns
"She's the prime suspect considering she keeps Tirpitz close to her even when Tirpitz herself is keeping her distance. Well, she did mention that she's questioning her friend now" King George V has her doubts too
"I'm afraid if we're dealing with an impostor then I would need to resort to...the traditional way of solving problems" King George V draws her saber a few inches from the scabbard
"I need your help to determine the real enemy before it completely endangers Tirpitz. We need to deal with Victorious META"
"Huh, so no with the..."
King George V straightens her left hand and draws her hand towards her throat, lightly swinging her hand as a throat-cutting gesture.
"Since you're doing it for your sister's sake, I'll help you as much as I can" King George V confidently smiles
"We can use this"
Bismarck lays out her left palm and a fragment of Tirpitz META's wisdom cube manifests out of thin air and quietly floats a few centimeters from her hand.
"Have you been keeping that with you all this time?"
"For the moment I have to draw out Tirpitz META. If she's still there with Tirpitz, then I need to provoke her"
"Hahahaha! To ruin our culprit's plans since she suppressed the META for a reason" King George V snaps her fingers
The fragment rests harmlessly on Bismarck, but it emits a faint icy blue glow contrasting its dark crystal-like appearance. It appears as an inanimate object, but Bismarck's softened stare invokes an unknown sadness and a bit of regret knowing it's more than just "a piece".