Author: I'm not forcing anyone to read the story, so there's no need to rant or demand according to their taste. I already heard too much complaining and ranting in my office job alone thank you very much. I'll listen and ask for advice if it's constructive criticism (writing is my forte) and not just straight up whining of an anonymous user.
A weapon or a living being...?
Bismarck and King George V stand by each other's backs while more fodder humanoid Sirens charge of them despite barely dealing a scratch on them. As for the Siren culprit, the Siren Omitter, childishly sways her hips and grins while the two battleships mow through mass produced escorts. Their cannons' roar echo in the quiet open sea and impressed at their strength despite being outnumbered, Omitter whistles as the two shortens their distance to the Siren flagship.
"Omitter, where is my sister?! I know very well Tirpitz is working for the likes of you. I don't know what you did to her-" Bismarck cuts down a Siren Explorer
"We didn't do anything. She agreed to help us on her own accord...even though it's because she had a deal with someone" The Siren Omitter snickers
"What's this deal?"
"Beats me, but she did tell me about discovering something dirty Iron Blood did. It's like she was upset at what she discovered that it pushed her to leave Iron Blood altogether"
"Lies! I'm certain you're using her as another one of your pawns. You've used me as your pawn before, I won't let anyone else in Iron Blood be your pawn ever again"
"Tyrant warned you before? What humans dug up and tried to use as their own bit them back. It's not like you're capable of listening to everyone who isn't yourself"
The Siren Omitter sticks out her tongue, taunting and provoking an impatient Bismarck while King George V narrows her eyes. It's as if the Siren is holding back crucial information to her words to at least invoke frustration and infuriation.
"It's because of you she turned against Iron Blood in the first place. Tirpitz already lost her trust when you didn't tell her she was fighting an alternate version of her. Then you also knew how she turned out that way because another version of you murdered Victorious right in front of her eyes"
"That's because the Sirens from that timeline used Tirpitz as your pawn against me. I won't let that happen in this timeline"
Unfortunately for the Siren, Bismarck is well aware of the truth and doesn't fall for any more of Omitter's taunting. The Siren Omitter clicks her tongue in disappointment seeing Bismarck is more determined in taking her down rather than listening to her.
"Unfortunately for you, separating us did you no good. You can't pick us off that easily!" King George V raises her saber
"Although those shipgirls will find the rest of your group soon, it doesn't really matter. By the time you all go after us, Orochi will be nearly reconstructed"
"What's your goal in reconstructing a failure of a weapon? Enterprise destroyed it before"
"Unlike humans, we learn from mistakes. In fact, we welcome since you can't really perfect anything without trial and error. Besides, we found a way to utilize that piece of junk-"
Since the Siren Omitter keeps speaking in a cryptic manner, Bismarck doesn't wait for her to finish her speech and immediately opens fire. About two shells directly strikes a blow on the Siren herself with his she confidently doesn't raise even basic defenses.
"Bleugh! That was-"
Her rigging modelled after a basking shark spins around her and disperses the smoke from Bismarck's high explosive shells only for Siren drones to bombard her with rockets.
"A Siren drone bombed her?" King George V shakes her head in disbelief
"Infighting now, huh" Bismarck reloads all of her main turrets
While the two prepare to retaliate as soon as the smoke concealing the Siren Omitter disperses, the culprit of the attack from behind flies right to the scene with a familiar maniacal grin.
"My~ Playing without me, huh. This is the first time I had to fight two sides at once, so I just couldn't resist"
The Siren Purifier riding on top of her hammerhead shark-shaped rigging while holding to its dorsal fins, waves at the two sides as if they're casual friends even when they're hostile expressions contradicts it.
"You again?!"
Omitter is clearly upset at the uninvited appearance of a fellow Siren and turns her attention towards Purifier, prioritizing her over the two confused battleships. From a shipgirl to Siren fight suddenly turns to a Siren to Siren confrontation.
"I don't really understand why you and the others suddenly went on your own at your whim, but Observer isn't shutting up about it"
The Siren Purifier does the same and focuses on the Siren Omitter, completely ignoring the two battleships as if they pose little to no threat even in the current situation.
"Why did you take it with you after getting your hands on it from Iron Blood? You know what's it's capable of despite being a imperfect reconstruction" The Siren Purifier immediately demands an explanation
"I'm surprised it's actually capable of self-awareness and reason. We can't pass off the opportunity, you know. It's rare for a makeshift project to develop its own thoughts" Omitter shrugs her shoulders
"I'm not that dumb to not think that, but it's not something that can be toyed with"
"Why break it apart when it's more useful alive?"
"The other Arbiters doesn't want it alive. It's useless with the way it is"
The two Sirens continue to debate while the two battleships is unsure who to aim first since it doesn't appear they are even on friendly terms. In fact, the two Sirens completely ignore their existence and aims at each other instead.
"Who do we shoot first?" King George V scratches her head
"Both"
With a smile, King George V joins Bismarck in unleashing both the might of their cannons, offended that they are being underestimated by the Sirens again. It's their way of letting them know that they are more cautious of each other than two lost battleships who are partially exhausted from wiping out cannon fodders.
"Wha-!"
The two Sirens jumps back upon noticing the boom of Bismarck and King George V's cannons, barely evading all shells by second. They briefly stare at each then at the two shipgirls, unsure who to prioritize first.
"It's easier if there's only one side fighting. I'm not sure who to toy with first" The Sirens Purifier turns her head left and right
"If you're not so sure, then go kill yourself already. I was dealing with them until you showed up" Omitter jokingly suggests
"I'll get you out of the way first then"
Purifier frowns while her eyes glows brighter, deciding to face against the Siren Omitter first.
"Huh?" All four of them senses something right below the surface
The Sirens themselves are confused, scanning all direction when they couldn't determine the source. Both of their radars and sonars only displays a static screen, but they can clearly sense another presence not far from them.
"I feel something large is heading our way" King George V instincts kick in
"It's faint, but there's someone else nearby" Bismarck frowns at the thought of another interference
The air around them grows heavier matching the anxiety in the sudden shift of the situation. Not even the pair of Siren are certain to who are targeting them this time, but the uncertainty is making them as wary as Bismarck and King George V.
"...?!"
A beast below with gaping jaws almost sends the two Sirens flying away when it surfaces right beside them. It's enormous size comes a surprise to both the Sirens and the shipgirls. The massive creature rains seawater on them following its surfacing upwards. Its serpentine-like body riddle by spikes as dorsal fins and tusk-like growths on both sides of its lower jaws is enough for Omitter and Purifier to recognize the culprit for the brief moment of tension.
"How did it activate? It's not supposed to activate yet" The Siren Omitter briefly glances at a distant direction
"That's - I've seen it before. The higher echelons in Iron Blood planned to rebuild the remains they found somewhere" Bismarck is genuinely in disbelief
"You're meaning to tell me a weapon Iron Blood reverse engineered...is in this world? After being stolen with ease, it reached this world" King George V drops her jaw
"..."
"Bismarck?"
"...Its steel is immune to Siren attacks, so they planned to create a behemoth of their own"
The unknown experiment immediately swoops down on the two Sirens, catching both of them in its mouth rowed with razor sharp teeth and instantly shutting close. The faint circular light in its three pair of eyes solely focuses on Bismarck.
[I see. So...you are...Bismarck...]
"...?!"
[Humanity is...more interesting...than...those lowly Sirens]
Its mouth is still completely shut close from capturing the two Elite Sirens yet voice echoes to to their ears as clear as day.
"How-"
Before Bismarck could question how a beast can even speak with intelligence or learn her name, it swiftly submerges faster than its enormous body can allow. Bismarck tightly clutches her blade, wary of the steel serpent can't even be detected by both their radars and sonars despite its massiveness and the fact that it's aware of her name.
"What...in the hell was that thing? More importantly, I can't believe Iron Blood tried to rebuild that mechanical serpent" King George V is still confused
"It was stolen and whoever was responsible, they unleashed it to this world. The creature may not be the one who's talking but the one manipulating it instead. From the looks of it, it's not friendly with the Sirens either" Bismarck regains her composure
Bismarck isn't certain who may be the enemy responsible for managing to steal an enormous construct and even transporting it in another world, but the two Sirens earlier are genuinely surprised by its appearance.
Maizuru naval district...
The sakura trees brimming with life and beauty are devoured by the flames of war. No corner is safe in the Sakura Empire as flames tarnish the beauty of their sacred possessions and explosions tear apart everything and everyone as far as the eye can see. The one cursed to see the downfall of the nation proud of the divine is Akagi, who freezes as conflict erase what she has been desperately protecting.
Sink.
One by one, all of her allies fall before her as a weapons erases them all in cold blood. Every single one attempt to retaliate no matter how many fall, but none of them are enough to deal a significant blow against such creature.
Not even Kaga is spared with the onslaught. Her words are her sorrowfully and weakly uttering "Akagi", shedding the last tears of her life. Akagi couldn't determine the expression on her face with how the flames engulfed Kaga and a powerful strike eliminated her like everyone else.
Why?
Why?
Why?
Akagi repeatedly mutters to herself seeing the bright and lively Sakura Empire reduce to ruins and ashes. Her world falls right before her eyes and she is unable to prevent the worst outcome possible. She could break at any moment but the shock to her surroundings freezes both her thoughts and emotions. Tears of despair stream down here cheeks and her lips shake when its unable to describe the horror in front of her.
"..."
A large ship bulldozes through the floating ruins and wreckage within the Sakura Empire's waters and the one speaking to Akagi is an abstract silhouette of what could be a beast or a "girl". The silhouette molds itself to an ideal form of a three eyed fox with two curved fangs protruding out of its mouth.
"You don't see the bigger picture, Akagi. I am not the worst that's yet to come..."
"Oro...chi...!"
"A failure unlike the others...developed independent action. That is...a defect among their brethren. Even so, even an Arbiter is no match against such thing"
"...!"
Akagi, desperate for vengeance even if it costs her life, is immediately swallowed by shadows when the nine tailed demon fox unhinged its jaws and revealed an abyss within its mouth.
"W...what is this...?"
An enormous six-eyed serpentine creature with rows of sharp teeth circles around Akagi in a mixed shape of shadow and smoke. The silhouette narrows its eyes after catching Akagi in sight. It's like those beings born from the deepest depths to the ocean, surfacing at the scent of blood.
Akagi...
The unknown creature possesses a voice partially similar to a human, but Akagi is uncertain to the vague familiarity of the voice.
"...!"
Akagi gasps open for air, forcibly awoken right before the silhouette disperses and reveal a humanoid form. The unbelievable nightmare almost immediately sours her mood, genuinely shocked remembering a glimpse of the Sakura Empire being reduced to ruins.
"Just another terrible dream..."
Akagi falls asleep sitting with her arms folded and used to rest her head. Papers scattered on the table and some of them are crumpled right by her arms. She yawns and ignores her mildly exhausted body, immediately focusing on the reports with some pictures clipped to them.
"You haven't slept last night" KC Akagi enters the room
"Ever since Orochi's piece being stolen from one of your bases, I have to learn where they will strike next" AL Akagi frowns
"You can't find your allies and deal with the Sirens if you're too physically tired"
"I can't idle around. The Sirens are buying time by separating us. Orochi may become more dangerous if they put it back together"
AL Akagi stretches her arms and shakes her head to regain her focus, refusing to unknowingly falling asleep again. Her counterpart already expresses concern, but the Sakura's Akagi is stubborn and determined when it comes to chasing her prey. She is willing to leave her commander's side as per request and the fact that Orochi can be remade into a proper weapon.
"I won't forgive them for manipulating me into activating Orochi..." AL Akagi grits her teeth
"If the weapon was destroyed in your world, how come some of its wreck were scattered in our world?" KC Akagi sits near her
"I don't have full confirmation of it, but it seems someone or something the Sirens resents was involved. As if to provoke the Sirens, it threw away some of Orochi's parts to this world"
"Someone...or something?" KC Akagi tilts her head
"Rather, something the Sirens viewed as a threat. According to Mikasa's investigations, it was something the humans shouldn't have dug up and remade. No one is certain since it might have belong to wherever the Sirens came from and the humans tried to make use of it"
"Is it some sort of weapon?"
"Most likely, but it's not ordinary if it's capable of independent thought. It may be an enemy of the Sirens, but it could also be an enemy of humanity"
AL Akagi sneaks a mischievous as if she's pleased that there's another enemy for the Sirens, but she is also cautious since she's not fully certain to the nature and identity of whatever the humans found. She can only assume right now that it's unlikely that the shipgirls can make use of this unknown threat to the Sirens.
"You're Mikasa sure is hardworking. Not only she did all she can to dig this kind of information but to gather allies for this mission as well" KC Akagi is genuinely impressed
"Mikasa should be at the age where she should just retire and drink tea at the countryside, but she felt Nagato needed guidance. It can't be helped since our Nagato had little experience of the outside world and can be naive of her surroundings. She has a huge burden for someone as small as her" AL Akagi rests her head on her arms
"It's a bit the same here. Our Nagato-san would always shoulder the troubles and burden of her fleet. She felt that if she can't protect everyone here, then who will? That's why she can be a bit tough and strict, but she loves all of us"
The two Akagis can only sigh when thinking about their respecting Nagatos being a leader who is willing to carry all the burden of their comrades that it might lead to self-sacrifice.
"By the way, I seemed to have notice that while you and your Kaga are close, she can be a bit shy" AL Akagi's fox ears straightened
"Kaga? She can look blank all the time, but she's actually has a caring and shy side. She even blushes if I hold her hand" KC Akagi giggles
"That's not good. As something similar to sisters, you two shouldn't be shy with skinship. In fact you should be touching her everywhere to really know her"
"Uh...that kind of thing...is banned here after a certain party incident. Let's just say it ended with one of our destroyers being traumatized"
"Oh~ I wouldn't mind hearing that" AL Akagi leans closer
"L-let's not deviate from the real topic"
KC Akagi raises both hands in front of her, blocking her Sakura Empire's counterpart advance after seeing predatory eyes locking to her nervous eyes.
"My apologies. We have Sirens to hunt down and a toy to break apart for good"
(I forgot she's actually dangerous. It's not just she's like a rabid fox when she gets all excited) KC Akagi swallows her breath
"Back to the main topic, according to this new information, another piece has been found" AL Akagi picks up one of the papers her counterpart delivered
"It was found washed away on shallow Norwegian waters. Curious at the strange wreck, they towed it to the nearest naval base. We immediately sent some of our fleet members there"
"Then this is another target for the Sirens. They're certainly watching everything if they managed to steal a piece within a naval base"
"I suppose you're planning on heading there as soon as possible?"
"As much as I hate it, I'll have to bring along that bird brain. We'll have to search other seas for our other lost allies. Then there's the fact I need to hurry before the Sirens raid another base"
AL Akagi reluctantly decides to search for the others along with Shoukaku even if she's the type to work by herself rather than someone who she isn't compatible. That annoyance is little compared to her concern that the Sirens would collect another part while she's sitting there without being able to do anything.
A Norwegian Naval Base...
The Sakura Empire aircraft carrier Akagi, now joined by the recently found Admiral Hipper, inspects Orochi's piece towed to shore by some members of the Kriegsmarine and safely stored in the nearest naval base. What the Kriegsmarine found happens to be one of the many broken parts of Orochi's primary weapons, but it's almost indistinguishable if Akagi isn't present to confirm it.
"I've been told Mikasa got arrested by the local police in a nation they call Switzerland and Littorio could possibly be some place called Italy. Unfortunately, no one found Bismarck and the rest..." Admiral Hipper grunts
"That's fine. Our priority right now is to learn what use a failed experiment to the Sirens. Separating us is their tactic to delay us"
"The fact that none of us are even hunted by the Sirens means they don't want to waste time tracking us down one by one and killing us. Even the Sirens are busy..." Admiral Hipper groans
"...I don't personally care about what's in their minds, but I won't allow them to rebuild this piece of junk. If I have to sink the traitor responsible for this situation - pardon, I almost forgot Prinz Eugen was a traitor" Akagi smirks
"...!"
"Speaking of traitors, why did Bismarck allowed two traitors among her ranks. Prinz Eugen helped the Siren foil Iron Blood's attacks against them and Tirpitz fled with information against the Sirens"
"It's not like Bismarck knew they would even think of backstabbing us!"
"Bismarck knew of the possibility that Tirpitz will abandon Iron Blood, yet she foolishly trusted her own sister to remain loyal. Not only her superiors begin to doubt her, she still believed she could peacefully bring home her traitor of a sister" Akagi faces Admiral Hipper with a clear dismayed expression
"That's going too far!" Admiral Hipper stomps her feet
"Hey, hey, allies shouldn't be arguing with each other"
Taihou repeatedly clasps her hands loudly and interrupts the two shipgirls from Azur Lane before they could reach into a heated argument. The appearance of an unfamiliar shipgirl partially distracted AL Akagi and raises her curiosity with a hint of caution.
"And you are?"
"I am Taihou, an aircraft carrier from the Kure fleet. Although I'm not from the Maizuru fleet, I've spoken with Nagato and briefed me about why there are three strange shipgirls here, so you two can rest assured you won't get found out. Although hiding this from my admiral isn't going to be easy"
"...?!" AL Akagi mildly gasps
Upon learning the aircraft air with a pre-teen appearance is the counterpart of the Taihou that Akagi knows, she shakes her head and softly giggles, confusing Kure fleet's Taihou.
"Oh my, this is certainly a surprise. If there stupid commander-stealing bird saw this..." AL Akagi couldn't hold back her laughter
"W-what are you talking about?" Taihou widens her eyes in confusion
"Ah, if only that pest is here to see this. I could savor her despair and mock her for days"
"Why do I feel like I'm being insulted...?" Taihou drops her shoulders
"Anyhow, you have no need to interfere. I simply pointed out our Bismarck's mistake and that is not dealing with her younger sister. Although, I admit I would cling and hesitate if my Kaga were to betray the Sakura Empire. Love is both a blessing and a curse after all"
AL Akagi willingly and calmly admits that she is capable of making the same mistake as Bismarck if a similar situation applies to her. She and Kaga may not be sister ships but they work well as a pair and have known each other since the beginning that they developed a sisterly relationship.
"I-I see. Regarding this thing, I don't really understand much but I know some futuristic Abyssal-looking enemies are after this because it used to be a really large ship with missiles" Kure's Taihou clears her throat
"Correct. Preventing said enemies from reconstructing the ship is our main goal because it could be actually dangerous this time. Well, our Bismarck's goal is to drag back her Tirpitz even if she has to use force" AL Akagi lightly nods
"New Siberia or something was attacked because of this piece of junk. They bombed the base there and stole the piece in the chaos, so they might repeat the tactic here" Admiral Hipper adds
"The Russian base, huh. I don't why pieces of a weapon destroyed in another world ended up here, but I'm willing to cooperate because our world is being disturbed by your enemies" Taihou places her hands on her hips
"Fufufu~ Any form of help is welcomed" Akagi smirks
"I don't know if she's being sarcastic or grateful"
Admiral Hipper mutters to herself, observing Akagi's sharp expression and catches a brief glimpse of Akagi focusing on Taihou's chest and seemingly holding her laughter.
Meanwhile...
The Sakura Empire's Shoukaku clings to the Maizuru fleet's Zuikaku by wrapping her arms around her while the Maizuru fleet's Shoukaku is trembling in one corner while tightly holding Mutsuki and Yuudachi's shoulders. KC Zuikaku, noticing her sister's shocked and confused glare, coldly sweats while she remains frozen in one spot.
"Uhm...why are you being clingy all of a sudden? I know you're also Shoukaku-nee, but I'm not your Zuikaku" Zuikaku whispers
"I'm trying to cope as much as I can! My poor Zuikaku is still alone and lost while I'm stuck with a rabid fox of a senpai!" AL Shoukaku complains
"I-I understand it's because I'm Zuikaku too, but I don't think you can ease your worries like this"
KC Zuikaku is doing all the best she can to convince AL Shoukaku to voluntarily let go of her without sounding like she's rejecting her. AL Shoukaku deeply misses and worries for the safety for her Zuikaku because of the possibility she may be fighting Sirens or whatever monstrosity is out there.
"Zuikaku, I can't believe you chose that Shoukaku as your big sister" KC Shoukaku whimpers
"Is this what they call NTR, poi?" Yuudachi whispers
"I told you not to read Akigumo-san's books" Mutsuki frowns
"The admiral taught me that"
"I have another secret stash to burn..." For a moment, Mutsuki's eyes loses liveliness
KC Shoukaku tightly squeezes the shoulders of the two destroyers when the Sakura Empire counterpart refuses to let go the slightest while KC Zuikaku isn't even struggling to break free.
"I can only hope my Zuikaku is doing well on her own"
(She worries too much...just like my Shoukaku-nee) KC Zuikaku faintly smiles
"Well, at the very least my dear senpai is actually serious about this mission. I only joined because Zuikaku is tagging along"
"Then why didn't you convince yours not to tag along?" KC Zuikaku speaks out right before she knows it
"She's as determined to destroy Orochi for good as Mikasa-senpai. Even though I'm her big sister, she refused to listen even if it's good for her. At least you listen to your Shoukaku" AL Shoukaku finally lets go
"I wish I could say the same for myself..."
KC Zuikaku dryly laughs at herself while she averts AL Shoukaku's puzzled glance.
Later...
Nagato accompanies AL Akagi to an isolated room only secured by a door installed with all sorts of state of the art security systems. The room located almost at the corner of the facility has barely any contents inside, save for a black mental cube sealed within shatterproof glass and metal frames on all sides.
"That's the same kind of mental cube used to power Orochi, but I sensed the energy stored is denser" AL Akagi faintly growls
"So it's just a battery for a weapon and not a shipgirl like you?" Nagato is mildly surprised
"Its exterior is different from the ones used on Orochi and the mass-produced types. This is...from another project of theirs"
"A mixed Royal navy and Kriegsmarine patrol fleet discovered this during an expedition in the Arctic. The U-boats catch a glimpse of an enormous structure buried under the ice. From their description, they initially mistaken it as a massive alien-looking whale"
Nagato isn't part of that expedition, so she wears a visibly confused expression while summarizing the report. AL Akagi rubs her chin and goes to think deeply, pondering what Siren toy washes in the shore of another world.
"Destroying it isn't recommended, so the best we can do is to contain it" AL Akagi suggests with little option they have
"Leaving this in human hands isn't recommended either. Who knows what they will do with this? They might nuke a country the moment they poked into this" Nagato massages her head
"Fufufu~ You're not wrong about that. Humans are not only cowardly, they will pry into anything to sate their greed...even if it means sacrificing others
"It's as if you're talking from personal experience" Nagato's voice becomes solemn
"Scorched Earth. I didn't think I'd witness it during one of my confrontations with Fool and Star. The Sakura Empire...is reduced to nothing...like the bad dream I had"
The tragedy that scarred in AL Akagi's memory reminds her if her recent dream about the Sakura Empire's downfall and the inevitable deaths of her beloved comrades. Her nation burns to the ground while her fellow shipgirls are engulfed by flames, which forces to silently admit that such tragedy may come as long as conflict exists.
"The worst part is that my commander's last message to me was to prevent the same mistake and believed in me..." AL Akagi bites her lower lip
"It seems your commander is the one you loved the most" Nagato faintly smiles
"Of course~ My commander is my one and only soulmate which I don't plan on sharing with vixens"
"...and I'm reminded you're actually dangerous. Well, it's not a surprise since the Nagato of your world is smaller...and adorable" Nagato clears her throat
"Our Nagato once expressed the wish to discuss more about our respective worlds. She hasn't seen much of the outside world, so she's naturally curious"
"If there aren't any wars in both of our worlds, I would like to have another cup of tea of her"
"Yes, only if-"
Their supposed casual conversation about longing for peaceful times after the war is interrupted by what seems to be faint explosion which increased and grow closer in a matter of a minute.
"An enemy raid?!"
Nagato hears the alarm ringing throughout the naval base, even reaching to the secured room in one of the facilities.
"The Sirens are being lazy today. They repeat the same tactic twice. Not to mention, it's so direct and simple that I'm certain something is amiss" AL Akagi grits her teeth
"That could be a possibility, but they know brute force is enough in this world because humanity here doesn't even know what Sirens are"
Nagato and AL Akagi rushes outside the room, into the hallway, and finally at the open ground where human personnel are fleeing in a panic.
"I'll be heading out. I'm certain they're here to either steal Orochi's parts or that Siren power source" Nagato immediately leaves AL Akagi's side
AL Akagi mildly nods shortly before Nagato rushes to where her rigging is safely stored. Most likely, every shipgirl posted in the base are already confronting whoever is responsible, but Akagi frowns when she immediately recognizes Siren aircraft near the base.
"There's no need for a complex plan when humans here doesn't even know how to deal with advanced weaponry~"
"...?!"
A familiar and at the same time unpleasant voice directly speaks to AL Akagi. She can't mistake the owner of that teasing and laid-back voice that is sometimes accompanied by a mischievous giggle.
"It's you...!" AL Akagi summons paper aircraft between her fingers on both hands
"It's been a while, you vicious fox~"
"Iron Blood's supposed traitor who committed suicide, Prinz Eugen"
The heavy cruiser who is confirmed dead after destroying herself right to her mental cube, winks at AL Akagi with confidence and in a teasing manner. Her silver hair tied in twin tails gently flutter in the wood while her chestnut colored eyes gazes at Akagi with pure curiosity as if the red fox is a hostile toy in her perspective.
"Well, I'm glad you recognized me"
AL Prinz Eugen, who should have perished after detonating an explosive powerful enough to destroy her whole body, stands in front of AL Akagi brimming with life. Both shipgirls known for their cunningness and devilish nature faces each other with complete hostility even if an enormous weapon is wrecking havoc near the base.
"You should really keep an eye on this" AL Prinz Eugen tosses the black mental cube used as a power source before making it disappear into particles
"Are you that prideful? You came here to reveal yourself when you could have fled with your objective" AL Akagi feels insulted
"If it was Tirpitz, then she would have done that logical choice...but I'm not her. Since she's busy somewhere else, she had me run an errand here"
"Not only you confidently revealed yourself, you spilled out that you're Tirpitz's accomplice as well"
AL Akagi lights up her paper aircraft, preparing to incinerate the proud heavy cruiser and make sure she doesn't miraculously return from the dead in one piece ever again.
"I'm not generous enough to tell you the most important part. It's a bit early for you and everyone else to spoil the fun" AL Prinz Eugen giggles
"I don't need more answers. I need you to permanently stay dead!" Akagi throws the flaming aircraft like shurikens
"Say, ever heard of Iron Blood's failed project? I heard the Sirens wasn't amused, specially some Arbiters"
To AL Akagi's surprise, her flaming paper talismans are all extinguished before it even makes physical contact AL Prinz Eugen. The paper aircraft clearly strike an invisible wall which causes every single one to be reduced to dust in a split second.
"Iron Blood discovered few dismantled junk of unknown technology which mysteriously washed up in our timeline. They made a little project about it, and so it was stolen before it was activated" Prinz Eugen shrugs her shoulders
"I thought you aren't being generous?"
"Oh, I just bought enough time for the Sirens to steal another piece"
"...!" Akagi prepares another batch
"I decided to come out early because I got bored hiding, but I'm even bored now"
"You won't be bored once I send you to hell!"
"You're free to try-"
"Eu...gen...?" Another one enters the scene
"What-?!"
AL Prinz Eugen suffers a split second of distraction when she immediately faces away AL Akagi because the third shipgirl in the scene is Admiral Hipper, who freezes in complete shock when her supposedly deceased younger sister is alive and healthy as if no death occured on her. That brief moment is enough for Akagi to toss explosive paper aircraft from both hands and bypass the invisible force protecting Prinz Eugen earlier
"Ggh!"
The several explosion all over her body surprisingly deals enough damage for her to stagger back and collapse to the floor, still alive and nowhere close to death. Prinz Eugen coughs and shakes her head, slightly irritated that she allowed herself to be distracted and made her forgot she's confronting Akagi of all people
"Eugen!"
In that moment, Admiral Hipper doesn't even think about how Prinz Eugen is alive because her instincts as the older sister overwhelmed her, so she rushed to her aid instead. Admiral Hipper firmly stands in front of Akagi as if to shield Prinz Eugen while the latter raises herself while one knee is on the ground.
"She just died! Are you planning to give her a second death?!" Admiral Hipper angrily scolds Akagi
"There's no benefit in keeping her alive. Prinz Eugen made it clear she has no loyalty to her fellow shipgirls when she almost got some of her allies killed from the several leaked operations" AL Akagi retaliates
"If Bismarck is here, she wouldn't allow anyone to judge her because only us from Iron Blood have jurisdiction!"
"Bismarck isn't here right now and rules doesn't apply to traitors. I won't allow any traitors who might lead the commander to their death"
"I-I don't care if you're vicious, this traitor is still my disrespectful and mischievous sister" Admiral Hipper trembles, but she remains right where she stands
Admiral Hipper stretches out her hand, mustering every ounce of courage she has just to stand firmly between Akagi and Prinz Eugen. To the latter's surprise, Admiral Hipper is certainly determined to never back down even if Akagi has little concern for injuring a fellow shipgirl. The red fox's expression darkens as both her irritation and bloodlust mix into a deadly glare.
"Good grief. You haven't changed a bit after six months. Talk about lack of growth in both mind...and chest" AL Prinz Eugen stands up and dusts off her sleeves
"Shut up! Once I find Bismarck, we'll tie you up and toss you in jail" Admiral Hipper declares
"Fufufu~ I'm not going down without a fight...but I am glad you are still you. Unfortunately, there's no time with reunion and childish games"
"...?!"
AL Prinz Eugen grabs the back of Admiral Hipper's collar and tosses her at least a few meters meters, sending her older sister sliding to the concrete. There is little violent intent with the action, possibly a way for Prinz Eugen to express that she still recognizes Admiral Hipper as her older sister.
"It's too bad Bismarck isn't here. I would love to tell her more about Tirpitz~"
"I won't let you get away! You're going to hell right where you stand!"
AL Akagi wastes no time and tosses more of her flaming talisman but a four-fingered mechanical arm stretches out of a faint ripple right beside Prinz Eugen and smacks Akagi with little effort. Prinz Eugen sends the violent fox flying up into the air which curves an amused smile on the side of her lips. This time, Prinz Eugen shows no restraint whatsoever. In fact, she gestures pointing two fingers at AL Akagi about to stand up, resulting the hand to appear above AL Akagi and repeatedly smashes her to the ground.
"Guah!"
The mechanical beast arm curls its hand into a face and swings its incomplete arm to the injured red fox and sends her crashing to the steel door of a warehouse, knocking her out after a direct blunt strike to her head.
"I never thought you'd help yourself even if it only manifested as an arm today. Thank goodness Iron Blood made effort in that little project, huh" Prinz Eugen chuckles
"..." The arm retreats and slowly disappear along with the barely visible ripple
"If you're looking for Bismarck, she and King George V ended up in the Fiji islands because they faced someone...unpleasant. Don't worry, it's as if they're in an unwanted vacation" Prinz Eugen informs Admiral Hipper
"Why are you telling me this?" Admiral Hipper hurriedly stands back up
Even if AL Prinz Eugen is supposedly an enemy now after betraying Iron Blood, she reveals Bismarck and King George V's current location. Of course there is still a possibility that Prinz Eugen is misleading her knowing Admiral Hipper is still soft towards her.
"I'm not a fan of the Sirens and so is Tirpitz"
"Then why are you two with the Sirens?"
"Tirpitz has a goal and she isn't going to stop even if Bismarck gets in her way. As for me, I know her true goal and that's the reason why I'm sticking around"
"What are you two up to? Why do you need to betray Iron Blood?"
"It's a little too early for that..."
Prinz Eugen refuses to reveal more as her voice solemnly fades away and turns away from a conflicted Admiral Hipper.
"Don't get killed. I don't want to show up and save you" Prinz Eugen softly reminds her
Shortly after leaving those genuine words, Prinz Eugen stretches out her right hand and summon a sky blue ripple. She briefly pauses just as she is an inch from the ripple, but she doesn't turned her head to face Admiral Hipper, who is both upset and confused. Instead, Prinz Eugen waves her hand a few times before completely disappearing from the area.
"Idiot little sister. If only Wales is here...because she can certainly convince you to go back" Admiral Hipper angrily mutters herself
She angrily stomps the ground, annoyed that she isn't even able to try and convince Prinz Eugen to surrender peacefully, fearing she might be killed or kill herself again. At the very least, she remains the Prinz Eugen she knows, but her eyes are dead set on helping Tirpitz with an unknown goal.
Near the Naval Base...
A Hydra, a mythical being that is either described as dragon-like or serpent in appearance with several heads, now exists as an autonomous weapon built by the Sirens. One of the seven heads flailing around snaps its jaws on three torpedo bombers about to launch torpedoes while another head catches and chews battleship shells like candy.
"You damn steel monster!"
Musashi grabs the one of the heads' jaws and barely keeps it in place with only her bare hands. The left side of her rigging has one of its turrets completely torn off and partially melted from its energy-based weaponry.
"You're big, but that's all there's to it! I could use you as a punching bag all day!"
Musashi tightly grips both the upper and lower jaw, but even her sheer physical strength isn't enough to dent the Hydra's steel mouth.
"Musashi!" Nagato calls out to her
"I'm fine. I'll keep this head occupied while the rest of you blast it off" Musashi responds
Forcing one head to be locked in a stalemate with Musashi isn't enough to weaken it or slow it down the least. Not even Carried Division five's armor piercing bombs scratch or dent its first layer of armor.
"Argh! Why won't it go down?!" Zuikaku grits her teeth
"We're losing way too many planes from both its anti air guns and head! How can it even move fast enough to bite our planes?!" Shoukaku is getting exhausted
Not only they have to actively evade its long range rockets and fighter drones, they're trying to preserve their aircraft as much as possible. A huge steel weapon such as the Hydra shouldn't be able to react to attacks from all sides, yet its size doesn't hinder its agility.
"Of all the times Akagi-senpai isn't here! We're getting bombed while she's not taking part in the fight" AL Shoukaku complains
The Sakura Empire's Akagi is nowhere to be found and not even with the combined bombardment of the Maizuru fleet is landing the least damage to the Hydra's armor. In fact, the Hydra doesn't appear to be affected by their attacks other than irritated at the shells bouncing off and aircraft circling like flies.
"Why does she has to be unreliable now? A Siren weapon swam right here and she's not even concerned?!"
AL Shoukaku twists her body left and right, desperately evading the rapid-fire guns from one of the heads. It's completely strange to why a mindless weapon is aiming at the aircraft carrier when other ships are nearer to it and trying to catch its attention with one salvo to another.
"Ggh!"
One bullet pierces right through her left shoulder and another to her right leg when AL Shoukaku's exhaustion begins to slow her down, causing her to stagger at the first shot and pushed back at the second shot. She tightly presses her hand on her shoulder and remains standing straight even if she's pushing her already trembling body past its limit.
"...?!"
One head realizes the Sakura aircraft carrier is currently immobile and prepares to launch rocket from the back of its neck and aims to reduce Shoukaku to dust, but a familiar aircraft accurately drops a bomb right to its head, causing it to cancel its attack and flail around after the explosion blasts its metal plating.
"Don't touch my Shoukaku-nee, you beast!"
AL Zuikaku leaps from behind and speeds right to the neck and into the damaged head, piercing right through the spot where wirings are already exposed. Zuikaku plunges her katana right through the skull and only forced to remove her blade when its violently shakes its head.
"Shoukaku-nee!" AL Zuikaku is on the verge of tears
Despite the height, AL Zuikaku fearlessly jumps from the beast, spinning and twisting to adjust her body right before she lands. She rushes to the damaged AL Shoukaku the moment both of her feet meets the surface water again, completely glad to reunite with her sister after being separated for a few days.
"Zuikaku!"
AL Shoukaku ignores the pain of her injuries and runs towards AL Zuikaku, tightly embracing her younger sister. She has been extremely worried and fearful of whether she's in good condition, but all of it fades from her heart the moment she enters the battle and even saves her.
"I don't know how you suddenly appeared, but I'm glad you're alright!" AL Shoukaku couldn't hold back her tears
"I've been looking all over for you, Shoukaku-nee! You don't know how much I scoured the seas for any trace of you and everyone else. I was scared that the Sirens might have taken you out" AL Zuikaku bursts into tears
"That's a touching reunion and all, but the monster is still there!" Taihou clears her throat and yells at the two
"I thought I was going to go down here, but not anymore" AL Shoukaku prepares to launch a new squadron
"That's right! As long as we're together, we won't lose. We'll show Carrier Division one we're as great as them!" AL Zuikaku raises her katana proudly
The reunited sisters prepare to engage the Hydra, who has one of its head incapacitated thanks to AL Zuikaku's accurate strike to its skull.
"Whoa!"
On the other hand, Musashi is lightly lifted of the ground by the head she's locking in place and sent flying in a distance. Before Musashi loses her grip when the steel beast suddenly increases its strength, her right hand manages to pluck one of its fangs and holds it tightly when she is tossed like a ragdoll.
"..." The Hydra begins to move back
"It's moving back?" Nagato rubs her eyes
"It's going to retreat" Taihou reloads her crossbow
Seeing one of its head completed deactivated, the Hydra unlocks the incapacitated heads and allows to fall right to the surface and sinking to the seafloor. It then begins to hastily turn away along with the remaining Siren fodders accompanying it.
"Hey, I just got here!" AL Zuikaku couldn't accept the Sirens retreating
"Kkh!" AL Shoukaku nearly collapses
"Shoukaku-nee!" AL Zuikaku catches her
"I've been shot way too many times today. It's like that thing has a grudge or something..."
"I'm sorry for not being able to come a bit earlier" AL Zuikaku feels guilty for her sister's injuries
"It's fine. I'm glad you somehow appeared in the best timing possible"
"R-right. Best timing..."
Both of them jokingly laugh, but AL Shoukaku catches a brief glimpse of AL Zuikaku's nervousness slipping in the middle of her awkward laughter.
"Wait! That stupid rabid fox didn't even come to fight while I almost sunk!" AL Shoukaku remembers
(Here we go...)
"That good-for-nothing yandere kept talking about murdering Sirens when she didn't even join the fight"
AL Shoukaku continues to insult AL Akagi and complain how she isn't present to defend the naval base from the Hydra while AL Zuikaku miraculously appeared to prevent the weapon from hurting her any further. Everyone can hear AL Shoukaku's complete disappointment and personal anger, but everyone including Nagato couldn't do anything but awkwardly stare at her while AL Zuikaku is covering her own face in embarrassment.
Later...
To AL Shoukaku's surprise, AL Akagi is unconscious after a sever beating from an unknown enemy. She is complaining how AL Akagi didn't even contribute when the cause of it because she herself is in a fight where she obviously lost. If it's an ordinary human, then they're either squashed like a tomato or broken from head to toe.
"Eugen is alive. She showed up...and I couldn't stop her. Akagi was beaten up while Eugen escaped with the cube and Orochi's piece" Admiral Hipper weakly informs the others while she stands in one corner
"Prinz Eugen is alive and working with the Sirens. I thought I could take a break after finding Shoukaku-nee" AL Zuikaku sighs
"I kind of feel bad complaining earlier..." AL Shoukaku drops her shoulders while seeing AL Akagi in the infirmary
"Admiral Hipper, you said your Eugen informed you that your Bismarck and King George V are both in Fiji islands, right?" Nagato changes the topic
"Y-yeah" Admiral Hipper nods
"What's the chance she's telling the truth? Prinz Eugen is as devious as Akagi. Besides, she's working for the enemy" AL Shoukaku raises her hand
"Well, we have to gamble on the chance those two are there" AL Zuikaku shrugs her shoulders
Four of the shipgirls from Azur Lane have been found, but Akagi is incapacitated for the time being after an encounter with an unknown enemy. What's worse is that Prinz Eugen is confirmed to be alive and working alongside the Sirens.
"Do you guys know where the others are? You've been helping track us, right?" AL Zuikaku asks Nagato
"We have an idea to where your Mikasa is right now. Yamato and the others are taking care of it. There's also new information that an unknown Russian battleship is spotted in Alaska while a French cruiser with a spear has been spotted in Greenland"
"That would be Sovetskaya Rossiya and Saint Louis...
"...!"
To everyone's surprise, AL Akagi regains consciousness and confirms the identity of the new lead for the other missing Azur Lane shipgirls.
"You were listening while asleep. Goddamn fox..." AL Shoukaku is mildly annoyed
"Prinz Eugen stole a power source while Bismarck's traitorous sister is already on the move..." AL Akagi raises her back
"Do you know what they're up to?" AL Nagato asks
"They're helping the Sirens, but it seems they have a goal of their own. It doesn't look like Prinz Eugen is happy working with the Sirens, but they're doing it for their own goals" AL Akagi reveals
"Then it's more reason to find the rest first. The Sirens are already collecting Orochi's parts while we're all getting beaten" Nagato prioritizes searching for the other Azur Lane shipgirls now
"I won't return to my commander a failure. The Sirens won't get ahead of me next time...and Prinz Eugen will certainly pay for humiliating me like that" AL Akagi grits her teeth
"Eugen..." Admiral Hipper swallows her breath
"I won't allow you to get in my way next time because I won't hesitate to take you down as well if you did" AL Akagi sternly warns Admiral Hipper
(Eugen...)
AL Akagi is furious at the Sirens more than ever, namely against Prinz who somehow knocks her out almost instantly with a proud yet devilish smile across her face. Admiral Hipper hinders AL Akagi which got on her terrible side since AL Akagi nearly finishes of the traitor if Admiral Hipper didn't stand in between which gives AL Prinz Eugen enough time to recover and retaliate.
It seems this is the right timing after all...
EXTRA
Prinz Eugen cheerfully toys with the black mental cube and even tosses it between her hands and even slides it to the table like she's playing air hockey using her own hands Shortly after toying with an important object in various ways, Tirpitz arrives in the hideout located in an unknown small island. They succeeded in the retrieval of two targets, yet Tirpitz is in a rather foul mood.
"Something tells me you're a having a bad day" Prinz Eugen sarcastically points out
"You can't keep your mouth shut. Now they know where are Bismarck and King George V" Tieoirz grunts
"King George V is there, isn't she? It's actually advantageous that we can keep a close eye on them. Besides, you don't want the Abyssals or the Sirens hunting down Bismarck anyway"
"..."
Prinz Eugen tilts her head and deliberately sours Tirpitz's mood even more by implying the obvious on how she's concerned about Bismarck being separated from the rest.
"[Welthund] exhausted itself by dealing with those annoying Sirens and helping you. It's body is in a weakened state due to the imperfect implantation of its core"
"...and it exhausts you, too by extension" Prinz raises her left eyebrow
"Iron Blood contained what remains of its core to a metallic dragon. Reminds me of a candidate for the next Priority shipgirl"
"You don't have to be upset. We overpowered them twice with no strategy whatsoever"
"I don't like wasting time, but it doesn't mean I would go revealing my status and blabbering the plans"
"I wanted to see how my washboard big sister would react. Unexpectedly...she was more sorrowful than angry..."
When remembering Admiral Hipper being on the verge of tears but glad on the brief reunion, Prinz Eugen is puzzled and uncertain about her own thoughts about the situation. It's the first time she actually sees her short-tempered older sister be so genuinely emotional and vulnerable-looking. For a moment back then, Prinz Eugen felt a sting of guilt in her heart.
[Bonds remain strong even when separated...or if one had already passed away...]
An anormous Iron Blood sea dragon slowly lifts its neck and stare down at the two Iron Blood fugitives, speaking in a rather calm and gentle tone despite its monstrous appearance similar to Iron Blood riggings. Prinz Eugen rolls her eyes while Tirpitz has little to no reaction at the serpent-dragon hybrid interrupting their conversation.
"You're big, but it's really hard to remember you're there when you're always sleeping"
[A kind and gentle kitsune...once soothed my aching mind and heart. When I first awoke...I was disgusted at the world...for disturbing me and my brethren...]
"You were a mindless among many. That intelligence of yours didn't develop on its own, you know" Prinz Eugen points out
[That is true. I am...was...seen as evil...to be eradicated. When I awoke...I was enslaved by Iron Blood...and contained in a shell of their own making...]
"Yet you're here working with two fugitives of Iron Blood. One of which is the younger sister of the fleet leader"
Prinz Eugen refers to Tirpitz, who remains indifferent and quiet to most of her teasings. The consciousness bound to a weaker she'll as massive as a ship, slightly turns its head towards Tirpitz.
[To be frank, it's the humans themselves I despise. I bear no grudge against all of you even if you two were part of Iron Blood. The Sirens are a different case because I had to put two noisy ones in my mouth]
"Oh wow, now it decided to talk normally" Prinz Eugen whispers to herself
"I apologize for making such request earlier. They wouldn't allow Bismarck and King George V to get away that easily" Tirpitz lowers her head
[The Sirens plan to rebuild Orochi to use it as a container for anomaly born from mirroring someone's core. My brethren has its own goals...but I'm disowned thanks to Iron Blood's enslavement. I'm now left bound in the shell of those prideful warmongers]
"Sounds like you want nothing but the destruction Iron Blood. Well, I can't blame you considering how they run things"
[Hmph. You continue even if it risks a tragic ending for you. Bismarck followed all the way here in hopes you still have any love for your nation and her. She insists on remaining sturdy and cold like steel...but she is still just a "girl" who yearns to smile and laugh free of burden as her nation's hope and symbol. What Bismarck seeks is peace without losing anyone in her reach...even if it means she suffers all the pain in the world]
"I told you to stop prying in my memories and interpreting it in your perspective" Tirpitz scoffs
[Your wish is for her sake...and that I want to see be realized. The question whether you are prepared for the consequences]
"It seems you forgot what we talked about when we first met. You already know the answer, so that question is pointless"
Tirpitz turns her back from the enormous sentient creature and angrily storms off, much to Prinz Eugen's amusement. The latter follows shortly after she is chuckling at how Tirpitz dislikes having someone forcibly admit her own feelings regarding her goal. The dragon-like beast rests its head on top of its folded arm and the light from its eyes fade away, returning to another brief yet deep slumber.
"You're being like Bismarck, you know. Taking all the burdens and making the worst choices if it's the only way to protect Iron Blood" Prinz Eugen rushes to her
"There's a line Bismarck will cross because her pride don't allow her to take desperate measures. I learned that it's because of taking risks and desperation that humanity progress for thousands of years" Tirpitz immediately responds
"You're dealing with a Leviathan even if it's weakened after losing its original body and being stuffed by Iron Blood in that body. Not to mention it has a grudge against Iron Blood, but it respects your solid goal of hurting your fellow shipgirls even if it means preserving their future"
"In the past, I couldn't do single thing...not even being part of the war. I don't wish to spend the rest of my life being miserable and regretting everything. This time-"
Before Tirpitz could raise her voice, she suddenly staggers back and slams her arm to a pillar before she could collapse. She clutches her chest and heavily coughs, and Prinz Eugen sends to be aware of the cause.
"Tirpitz" Prinz Eugen helps her balance herself
"Sorry. I pushed myself when I used it three times today. Sovetskaya Rossiya put up a fight...but she ended up escaping" Tirpitz grunts
"If you weren't a Bismarck class, your mental cube might have given out. Well, if it's Bismarck, she'd just get tired a bit"
"This power will cause Bismarck's downfall, so I had to steal it from her. Even if it's dangerous, it's the only thing keeping me standing up..."
"I'm coming with you in the next mission. If you die before accomplishing your goal, Bismarck won't be too happy with me. Not to mention, I won't hear the end of it from Hipper" Prinz Eugen jokingly remarks
"Hopefully...we don't have to deal with anyone. It will take four more days for me to completely recover"
Tirpitz slowly regains her composure and stabilize her breathing after almost collapsing to the ground and losing consciousness. In fact, her vision right now is both vague and slighter dimmer, but she forces her body to walk straight and hurriedly walk away from Prinz Eugen.
"Hey you two, look who I found while I was on my trip~"
The Siren Omitter cheerfully walks to their direction and the visible person she's dragging from the back of the collar mildly shocks both Prinz Eugen and the exhausted Tirpitz. Not just any person, the Siren Omitter is casually dragging a severely beaten shipgirl barely breathing across the floor and tosses it right in front of the two Iron Blood fugitives.