To have your own allies as enemies without expecting it...
Three battleships face each other at the vast sea without anyone else on sight. The sound of their cannons shake the calm surface water and split the peaceful atmosphere. It's a deafening battle disturbing the peace of the empty sea. All three relentlessly release shells that it creates endless large splashes of the falling shells.
"That META shouldn't even be moving anymore. You're practically dead at this point" Friedrich der Grosse sweeps the dust off her left shoulder
The two Bismarcks pull themselves away when their opponent briefly ceases the offensive. Bismarck could barely stand straight as both of her legs tremble from completely straining both her body and rigging. In fact, she could soreness all over her body but refuses to succumb to physical exhaustion. On the other hand, Friedrich der Grosse's rigging is without a scratch and the kansen herself appears to be fresh as ever.
"My withering body is none of your concern..." Bismarck META remains unfazed despite her weakened state
"That power is abnormal. Friedrich der Grosse shouldn't be this strong, but that beast..." Bismarck clicks her tongue
"...is also the reason why your sister had to leave. It's peacefully constantly enduring her wisdom cube being- oh, I'm not supposed to say that yet" Friedrich der Grosse giggles
"What's that supposed to mean? You knew why Tirpitz stabbed me and left" Bismarck immediately demands an answer
"Yes, I certainly do. That child's circumstance is understandable considering she's doing it for your sake. A little sister just wants to support her hardworking big sister after all~"
"...!"
Bismarck META grabs her past self's shoulder and pulls her back before she could fall into an obvious provocation.
"Don't be mad at Tirpitz, you know. She begrudgingly allows herself to be someone else's pawn because of a bet you made with Welt. If you win, Iron Blood doesn't get erased and if she wins, Welt gets to eat you~" Friedrich der Grosse crosses her arms
"What?" Bismarck is confused
"Welt is monster, but even a monster like her honors fair trades and deals. You bet the entirety of Iron Blood in exchange for eliminating the turret that would destroy Iron Blood" Bismarck META immediately explains
"I would never bet my nation. Let alone, strike a deal with that beast!" Bismarck pushes herself away from her META self
"Oh, but it's true~"
Friedrich der Grosse's response is snapping her fingers and having one of her enormous animated riggings to pounce right at Bismarck. The dragon-like steel rigging rams its head towards Bismarck, who shields her face by lifting and crossing her arms.
"Ggh!"
Unfortunately, Bismarck still gets thrown away by the sheer strength and size of the rigging. She feels her body making contact with the sea water for a split second before she slides and completely tumbles down.
"...!"
Bismarck META attempts to land a direct hit at Friedrich der Grosse, but the other rigging moves in front of her to shield most of the attacks. The reaction time and agility of the rigging is as if Friedrich der Grosse confidently expected a counter from her. She just stands there and briefly glances two seconds before the attempt to at least scratch her. At least one shell ricochets off the jaw of the animated rigging.
"What a naughty child. A good mother disciplines unruly children...and puts them in their place!"
The draconic rigging roars and unhinges its jaws. Rather than use the large mounted cannons, it swiftly charges towards Bismarck META. It's impossible to move a meter to the side due to the distance and insane speed of the rigging alone. The animated rigging snaps its jaws on Bismarck META's right hand when she lifts it to the side.
"You damn-"
The rigging digs its sharpened metallic teeth, but it couldn't tear her arm in half even after sending Bismarck META off her feet and pushed back by a few meters. It struggles just by how much it clanks and growls at the same time.
(It can't remove my arm, but I can't get it off!)
Bismarck META grabs the lower jaw of the rigging and attempts to pry it open to quickly pull her arm away, but it's tight shut. She couldn't even make it budge by a centimeter even with her remaining strength as a META. The only sensation she could describe is her body part being sealed between two heavy boulders.
"...!"
The other rigging roars loudly after Bismarck fully regains her balance and immediately retaliates by opening fire just six meters away from it. The shock from the explosions of her own shells and the recoil of firing at full power slides Bismarck herself by a few inches. The rigging, just slightly dented from the surprise armor piercing shell shot from Bismarck, coils back twisting erratically.
"Feuer!"
Bismarck then follows up the attack by aiming right towards Friedrich der Grosse, whose other rigging is occupied trying to tear the META one's arm off. It's even shaking itself like a rabid dog or crocodile, but Bismarck META moves in the direction of its mad swaying since she doesn't want to risk her body part snapping away from the rest of her.
"Tch!"
The rigging that just coiled away from the surprise damage immediately moves in the direction of the incoming shells. Friedrich der Grosse doesn't move an inch and let her rigging use brute force on them as a conductor guiding the rhythm of her own equipment. She moves it like an extension of her which is why it moves without delay and the need for the kansen herself to even lift a finger.
"You shouldn't have involved yourself, Bismarck"
Friedrich der Grosse positions her rigging to her side. Rather than order to it deliver blunt force by a direct attack, Friedrich der Grosse positions her cannons this time.
"Good night, my child"
"You-!"
Friedrich der Grosse passionately waves her baton just once with a content smile on her face as the rigging obeys the command and opens fire without restraint. It roars one last time before releasing high explosive shells from the two turrets secured on its back.
"That's enough for today, Friedrich der Grosse"
Just when Bismarck helplessly collapses on the surface from the powerful force of Friedrich der Grosse's cannons, a kansen speaks from behind. The battle may have masked the approaching kansen or she somehow made herself appear in that spot almost instantly.
"My, you actually showed up yourself...Tirpitz" Friedrich der Grosse proudly claps her hand
"Tir...pitz..." Bismarck slightly lifts her chest and head
"You're chasing both Orochi's pieces and me. I don't know if I should commend you or berate you for your persistence"
Tirpitz walks past Friedrich der Grosse, who retreats one of her riggings except the one still biting Bismarck META. Then, she moves back as well to give the two sisters a moment to have a bitter conversation.
"Do you have a grudge on me? Friedrich der Grosse said you left after learning I made a bet I don't even remember" Bismarck quickly asks
"What if I am?"
"...So it was true. I don't know why I forgot it, but I would never bet our people's lives"
"Tyrant copied her memories in me, so I was forced to relive everything she went through. At that moment, I understood why she hated you in the beginning..."
"So you stabbed me and left?!" Bismarck raises her voice
"I couldn't stay with those memories mixing it with my own. Had I stayed in Iron Blood, I would have gone mad from Tyrant's hellbent revenge taking over me. Welt had something I needed, so I agreed to play along as her pawn. I don't truly hate you, but I feel infuriated looking at you"
Tirpitz lightly sighs because she couldn't properly describe how she views her own sister. If anything, there's only pity and solemnity in her voice. It's directed towards Bismarck just from her fixated gaze alone.
"I don't understand. You're angry at me, but Friedrich der Grosse said you're doing it for me" Bismarck doesn't have enough strength to stand up
"In a way, yes. You're indeed my main reason for leaving to be someone's pawn" Tirpitz scoffs upon confirming
"What?"
"No matter what you do, I would always suffer by your hands. I've had enough of you, Iron Blood, and everyone else"
"This isn't something you would do, Tirpitz" Bismarck sees doubt in Tirpitz
"You're right. The Sirens just had an offer I couldn't refuse. Even if that offer includes hurting you"
"The Sirens..." Bismarck grits her teeth
"By the way, I only came here because part of the deal is not letting you get killed. I made the right choice of observing the fight in case things go south" Tirpitz glances at Friedrich der Grosse
"I might have enjoyed myself a bit too much" Friedrich der Grosse giggles
"..."
Tirpitz doesn't say anything else and turns away from her injured older sister. In the brief moment when she turns away, Bismarck catches a glimpse of Tirpitz frowning in frustration and regret.
"Time to go. Welt doesn't want you to say too much to your big sister"
Friedrich der Grosse stretches out her hand and opens the same rift she used to block Bismarck in her path.
"Tell me, what's the deal with Welt you made? What could have the Sirens said that made you turn against me?"
"That's up for you to find out. I know you'll cross with Welt one day, but I doubt you can even scratch her"
"You saw the same thing she did!"
Bismarck META grabs the lower jaw and uses all her physical strength to make the jaw lose grip on her arm. When Bismarck META bends the steel she's gripping on, she breaks the rigging's lower jaws in order to break herself free and tosses the damaged rigging by Friedrich der Grosse's feet.
"At this rate, you'd be no different from her. You'd follow her path and try to ruin Iron Blood too"
"...This is the only choice I have" Tirpitz couldn't even look at Bismarck META
"You said too much already" Friedrich der Grosse sternly reminds her
"...There's nothing else for me to say here"
"Being a pawn isn't a way to save your sister!"
"You met that person...so you should know why"
"..."
Friedrich der Grosse gives Tirpitz a gentle reminder earlier but clearly ignores it. As a "mother" to Iron Blood ships, she could only express how upset she is when she narrows her eyes and crosses her arms. It's the typical gesture of a disappointed mother, but she's thankfully a doting one sometimes.
"Like I said, this is my only choice. I wouldn't even be submitting if..."
Right before Tirpitz could raise her voice out of frustration, she immediately shuts her mouth. In order to calm herself down, Tirpitz bites her lips and faintly grunts.
"You started this game, sister. I'm just helping speed it up" Tirpitz grits her teeth
"That's enough... information for today, my child" Friedrich der Grosse taps her shoulder
"Fine...but I'm not meeting up with that Ash-lookalike. I feel uncomfortable seeing a gloomy person act like a child" Tirpitz gently pushes away Friedrich der Grosse's hand
As the two faces away from Bismarck META, the same rift Friedrich der Grosse uses earlier, reappears again.
"Is there no way to end this peacefully, Tirpitz?"
Bismarck staggers dragging her body trembling from the hitting earlier. She drags her left leg forward since the right one is nearly limp. Other than that, Bismarck clutches the side of her chest as it's the spot where the rigging's charge strikes the worst.
"Peaceful way, huh? If such a way existed, I wouldn't be standing here as bait against you" Tirpitz doesn't even look back
"Do you intend to die? If you keep going like this, I will have to cut you down" Bismarck threatens her own sister
"...I'm prepared to face the consequences of my own actions"
"...?"
"You would have done the same, dear sister. After all...it's why we're in this game" Tirpitz stops herself
Tirpitz deems it as Bismarck still unprepared, so she has to stop before she could spill unnecessary information. There's no benefit in facing Bismarck right now, but she moved out of her personal motive and not with logic.
"Reflect on your surroundings, Bismarck. Your decision will decide the outcome" Tirpitz turns her head for a moment
Tirpitz somewhat gives a piece of advice but makes it appear vague. From the emotion in her eyes, there's no disdain towards her confused older sister, just what appears to be pity to Bismarck and guilt for herself. She grunts weakly before turning her head and disappears through the rift without even looking back again.
"If we cross each other again, I might not hold back. Be sure to rest properly and get stronger, my children~"
Friedrich der Grosse has no malice for her "daughters" and strangely gives affectionate advice despite her current state of mind. Since she doesn't have many words for the two Bismarck, her farewell is in the form of the usual wave and winking at them. When the mother of a battleship leaves through the rift, her enormous rigging following after her fortunately manages slither right through the gap in space with little issue.
"What did she mean by that?" Bismarck clenches her fist out of confusion and frustration
"..." Bismarck META could only stare at her
Unlike her younger self, Bismarck META doesn't react in surprise at all. She's more concerned about Tirpitz's unexpected interference and her primary motive. The way her eyes carefully observe Bismarck and her serious mood has more implications than it seem.
New Caledonia...
Alone, Mikasa explores the area and an island within the Coral sea. One such place is an island nation under France. The island itself is peaceful as the inhabitants are unaware a kansen from Azur Lane is investigating a cave by an empty beach. There's nothing else in Mikasa's surroundings but white sand, rocks planted on the beach, and sand-dwelling crabs.
"There's an eerie feeling to this place..."
Mikasa cautiously reaches for the grip of her saber strapped to her side. As much as possible, she prefers to avoid direct combat with Sirens or Abyssals to prevent alerting the locals which would also result in a confrontation with shipgirls.
"Maybe I should have brought King George V with me..."
When doubt washes over her, Mikasa shakes the nervousness she feels when the cold wind escapes the large entrance of the cave in front of her. As she takes one step then several steps forward, Mikasa takes a deep breath and focuses her determined gaze on the heading towards the entrance.
"..."
The moment she leaves the sunny beach and fearlessly steps inside the long entrance of the cave, one of Mikasa's hand tightly grips the handle of her sword with her instinct warning her at every corner.
"Somehow this doesn't feel like a cave...but ruins instead..."
Oddly and suspiciously enough, there's enough light inside the cave for her to scan each corner of her surroundings. Rather than rocks eroded and formed by nature, she finds concrete walls with unknown symbols and ruins of pillars and statues.
"At least you got it right immediately"
"...!" Mikasa gasps
An unknown slowly claps for her and the echo inside the enclosed space makes it more eerie. Mikasa's immediate reaction is to twist her body to the direction of the voice with her blade unsheathed.
"A human?" Mikasa is confused but still on guard
"I'm a puppet. A sentient being designed to mimic human appearance"
"Who are you? An enemy or an ally to Azur Lane?" Mikasa swallows her breath
"Aurelius. My Lord gave me that name to make it easy to communicate with primitive humans. Apparently, it's the name of a...mentally decent Roman Emperor"
The humanoid puppet formally bows by bending forward with the right arm pressing against her chest and the left arm on her back. Aurelius appears to be harmless due to her dressing like a modern human and not equipping any rigging.
"Tell me, are you involved with Orochi being scattered and planning to awaken Ghost?"
"You could say that. I'm just an obedient puppet accomplishing their master's goal"
"The one you called your Lord?"
"Yes. She's rather occupied as of the moment, so she couldn't meet you personally"
"Oh? She knows about kansens being here too?"
"Hahahaha! Of course. She had always been watching and keeping some of the Sirens off your back"
The puppet bursts in laughter and the echo turns it into something like a roar instead. Even while unarmed, Aurelius completely ignores the fact Mikasa doesn't lower her blade and her feet are positioned in a battle stance. Instead, Aurelius inserts her hands in her jacket's pockets long enough to fit until her wrist.
"My Lord doesn't resent kansens. Rather, she's patient and merciful when another version of Enterprise swayed her" Aurelius raises her index finger
"Another version of Enterprise you say?"
"Timeline after timeline and universe after universe. She travelled millennia worth of time but never found satisfaction. After all, not a single person could prove her belief wrong. She just wanted someone to prove her wrong about her perspective on humans"
"..."
"Well, that changed when she mingled with Azur Lane ships. Long story short, her perspective was proven and she finally found happiness. Of course, the world still screwed itself but..."
"But?"
"My Lord gladly stayed until the very end as part of her promise. After that, she softened up to kansens. Not humans though. She still hates them because they're the reason Azur Lane got screwed"
"You're generous enough to tell me all of this" Mikasa confidently smiles
"It's to avoid misunderstanding. My Lord doesn't hate all of you. She's not fond of the Northern Parliament for disturbing her nap though" Aurelius snickers
In the brief moment of silence, Aurelius shifts her attention to her surroundings. There's nothing else but remnants of steel and concrete around her.
"...?"
When the puppet turns her head away from Mikasa and even walks away, the confused Mikasa briefly lowers her blade. There's no hostility or the slightest killing intent from the puppet. She couldn't even sense any deception from her words as if she's signaling Mikasa that she's not interested in conflict.
"Ah, there..."
After a minute of looking left and right with her hands on her hips, the puppet gleefully runs to a ruined pillar that's nearly flat and low enough to be a makeshift stool.
"I want to ask about Orochi" Mikasa keeps her sword lowered
"My Lord destroyed Orochi in this timeline and tasked me with scattering it" Aurelius crosses her legs
"For what reason exactly? I don't think it's just to prevent Ghost from using it to form a body"
"Bismarck didn't tell you?" Aurelius smirks
"...?"
"Heh. She didn't know either from your reaction"
"Bismarck? How is she involved with this?"
"It's a challenge between My Lord and Bismarck. If she fails, well...fallout happens"
"Then what if we just defeat your master? There's no need for this complicated game"
"Defeat...my master? Ha...hahahahaha!"
Aurelius' laughter is louder than the last, and she finds it way too amusing that she sways both of her legs, kicking what she's sitting in the process. She finds it a ridiculous declaration and adding the fact she underestimates kansens as they're part of humanity.
"Parallel and alternate timelines exist. For example, my Lord doesn't exist in most of them. There are worlds where humanity won, and there are ones where everyone has been wiped out" Aurelius immediately turns serious
"Huh?"
"You could say Bismarck is an old friend, so she specifically targeted her. Dismantling Orochi is just a way to draw you here"
"It was my plan to track down Orochi's parts and investigate why someone sent it to another world. There was no guarantee Bismarck would come-"
"Oh, there is a guarantee. Little chess pieces all fall into my master's desired position. Like how Rossiya is still at the frozen north about to be stabbed for the second time. Being here is no coincidence as well"
"What?" Mikasa takes a step back
"Mikasa, what would you hope to accomplish here?"
"I would ask the same. You showed up without trying to be stealthy and kept on talking"
From Aurelius' appearance alone, the puppet isn't an expert at silently ambushing anyone. It would have been easy since Mikasa is alone and unaware of her presence until she started speaking.
"You've been curious about Orochi, that's all" Aurelius sighs
"..."
"All you need is the combat data and it's energy source. Even if they rebuild Orochi, it would be just a floating shell. The Sirens hoped to control Ghost too by forcing it in a vessel made by them"
"You don't refer to Ghost as a living being yet your eyes betray you" Mikasa notices the change in her expression
Mikasa's figure is reflected in Aurelius eyes, who's been subtly observing and recording all of her movements. There's no hostility but there's no friendliness either. It's just a puppet entertaining a guest out of their sense of duty.
"Ghost is a failed copy of Enterprise, so it lacks a physical body and intelligence - thus its obvious nickname. Right now, Ghost's very existence is corrosive to kansens. It's not like she wanted to be that way. It's like she's just trying to reach out to the people around her but lacks the capability to understand her own actions..." Aurelius gazes up at the ceiling
Even the ceiling is also part of the ruins. Rather than rocky or crystallized stalactites, its flat concrete ceiling where carvings and engravings depicted civilization as old as Babylon. In one corner is the carving of her master in their draconic form.
"You can't blame Ghost for being like that. Humans made her that way. At least, another version of Azeel and Aosta. They attempted to create a kansen with Enterprise as a basis. The result obviously ended in disaster. Ghost killed both of them then proceeded to kill everyone else. Since she couldn't be killed, they had to seal her in her wisdom cube"
"Why are you telling me this?"
"For more context. You're right, Mikasa. I don't see Ghost as an object but as a living being. My Lord has a soft spot towards Enterprise, so she's trying to help Ghost gain humanity"
The puppet pushes herself off right where she's sitting and hops in front of her. It's only when Aurelius takes a step forward that Mikasa assumes a battle stance again, preparing to cut down her opponent knowing the puppet isn't the least human.
"Well, now that I said that..." Aurelius raises her right hand
"...!"
Mikasa's hands begin to shake that her grip weakens enough for her saber to helplessly fall to the ground. Not just her hands but the rest of he body as well. Mikasa could feel her legs trembling and about to lose her ability to stand from the sudden numbness.
"This...is..." Mikasa's knees meet the ground
Mikasa immediately notices the black substance appears as a small black stain on her hands and cheek, but it immediately expands after a few seconds. The shadowy substance spreads from Mikasa's right arm until it creeps near to her shoulder. As her strength is mysteriously drained, Mikasa couldn't even stand up or reach for her weapon.
"Dunkerque got damaged in the few minutes she experienced it. I wonder if you'd handle it better than her" Aurelius curves a playful smile
"W-what...?" Mikasa profusely swears
"That's why I've been talking all this time. Its influence didn't activate quickly due to your unusual resistance, so I stalled you long enough to be infected...by Ghost"
"...That's...playing dirty..." Mikasa grits her teeth
Unable to support her own body anymore, Mikasa collapses on her side with her infected arm completely paralyzed. Steam begins to emit from the infected spots of her body since her body temperature gradually rises and harms her. Seeing Mikasa restraining the searing pain, dark light particles of energy sprout from Aurelius' palm and form a black wisdom cube with scarlet circuit lines on each side.
"It turns out it comes down to one's willpower and determination. The mentally stronger the kansen, the slower the infection spreads" Aurelius' eyes becomes sharper
"This is...your purpose from the beginning. Here I thought you're a little friendly..." Mikasa gives a wry smile
"Don't die on me, Mikasa. You could be a great distraction to your kouhais"
"..."
Mikasa could no longer respond as her body grows motionless. The puppet still detects vitality in her wisdom cube, and the black substance from Ghost still spreads on her shoulder albeit slower than the case with Dunkerque.
"Oh, you're here too?" The puppet notices another person
Light footsteps still echo within the enclosed space, slowly approaching the motionless Mikasa and the amused humanoid puppet. There's little light available in the ruins hidden inside a cave, but Mikasa retains enough consciousness to at least see the puppet holding a special black wisdom cube and a white figure...similar to a certain kansen.
The far north...
Molotov scans the surrounding area but she naturally finds nothing but ice and snow stretching in every direction. Not even native animals are present in the area. Faint snowflakes gracefully melts on her pure white coat blending with the snow sinking her feet by a few inches.
"..."
Sovetskaya Rossiya recovers enough strength and stamina to stand up straight again and strut out of the abandoned exploration base with little worry. The stab wound has yet to fully heal and forces Sovetskaya Rossiya to not hastily walk. She ignores the mild stinging pain of the wound as her focus is completely towards Kirov.
"Comrade, you really shouldn't force yourself"
Kirov widens her eyes after seeing Sovetskaya Rossiya casually walk in the snow. Sovetskaya Rossiya twitches her lips when she couldn't conceal the nagging sensation behind her stoic and composed demeanor.
"I don't want to waste time just lying down. That's not how we Northern Parliament ships act. We only keep moving forward until we accomplish our mission" Sovetskaya Rossiya straightens herself
"The leader should set an example by not being suicidal. I promised our comrades we would both go home alive" Sovetskaya Rossiya heavily sighs
"..."
"I understand you couldn't forget Chapayev's death. None of us would ever forget that. One of our dear comrades...was disintegrated by Ghost in front of our eyes. We couldn't get near even if we wanted to..."
Kirov lowers her head and visibly grits her teeth and clenches both of her fists. She feels equally responsible as Sovetskaya Rossiya for being unable to save Chapayev. None of them are at fault because their opponent is invulnerable against normal attacks, yet their gazes facing the pure white snow is stained with self loathing.
"That's why we must track Ghost...and eliminate that monster for good"
"You're angrier now after a piece of Ghost mimicked Chapayev's appearance and you thought it was her for a moment"
"..." Sovetskaya Rossiya raises an eyebrow for a moment
"Fortunately enough, I arrived in time before it could finish you off"
"...Yeah. I was thankful you arrived on time when I got stabbed"
Sovetskaya Rossiya lightly nods, but her serious tone doesn't express her relief and appreciation the least.
"Comrade, I still wonder why Kronstadt would send you, one of our powerful cruisers"
"You need a strong comrade to accompany you when travelling here malfunctioned. Besides, I don't fully trust the ones Mikasa and Bismarck brought along" Kirov puffs her chest
"They're reliable allies and proved themselves powerful fighters on their own. Although, I feel the safest when I'm with my fellow Northern Parliament comrades" Sovetskaya Rossiya warmly smiles
"Heh. It's our code to always fight for our motherland and never leave one of our own behind. If someone crosses with one of us, we will strike back at them hard!" Kirov swings her fist
"..."
"Rossiya, are you alright? You've been staring blankly for a while"
"It's nothing. I have a lot in mind, and I'm trying not to let my wound open up"
Sovetskaya Rossiya shakes her head and gently taps the area in her abdomen where she got stabbed earlier. The wound isn't that large, but that single stab had the force of ten more stab wounds. An ordinary stab wouldn't be able to knock down someone as resilient as Sovetskaya Rossiya.
"Anyhow, I will try to find more evidence around this frozen land. I'm certain humans don't just abandon their exploration base with all their valuable equipment and transportation"
Kirov briefly lifts her cap, and her gaze shifts to the base meters behind Sovetskaya Rossiya. The vehicles are all intact and parked outside while research equipment remains stored either in the shed nearby or inside the base itself.
"No vehicle tracks or footprints, so no one has been here for at least a week. It's a mystery as to why it's suddenly abandoned. Maybe something scared them off to force them to leave in a hurry" Kirov tilts her head
"Unless they have a ship or other vehicles, normal humans can't escape this frozen land" Sovetskaya Rossiya scans her surroundings
"That's true. Maybe Ghost's fragments made them disappear? If it could eat kansens, then it might have done the same to humans"
"If that impostor is responsible, then why did it wait at the base rather than seek more prey?"
"It's a mystery. Perhaps we could discuss this once we reach out to Mikasa and Bismarck"
Kirov turns around and places her hand above her eyebrows, still scanning the plain of ice and snow. There are just icebergs and shattered ice sheets on the water, so there aren't many sights to investigate. Other than the exploration base, no other bases or camps are within their sight.
"Perhaps you could search the base while I scout the area for possible evidence. You shouldn't wander off with those sounds, you know" Kirov immediately suggests
"..."
"Rossiya? You're doing that serious stare again..."
For at least two minutes, neither side utters a single word to each other, and their unwavering stare only builds up a heavy atmosphere between them.
"Kirov..." Sovetskaya Rossiya finally speaks
"Yes?"
"You said you barely got here in time, right?"
"I did. I managed to get here before Ghost finished you off"
"...Then how do you know the impostor has been waiting, and I briefly mistook her as the real Chapayev?"
Sovetskaya Rossiya breaks up the real cause of her unusual silence with the decision to voice out her doubts. She dislikes doubting her comrades whom she trusts with her life, but her instincts couldn't ignore Kirov's words from the beginning.
"I couldn't get near it because of Ghost. Back then, I saw you already and tried to reach you as soon as possible" Kirov quickly explains her side
"Do you think I'd be too distracted with revenge to notice?"
"..."
"I was stabbed...from behind"
At that moment, Sovetskaya Rossiya's expression shifts to a grim and visibly hostile one. Her deadly serious glare couldn't mask her full hostility upon her revelation. Rather than conceal her own intentions any longer, she doesn't hesitate to unsheathe her own blade.
"Kirov, you should have known I'm not easily fooled. Even if I trust my comrades, I observe them when I communicate with them" Sovetskaya Rossiya could barely contain her infuriation
"..."
"Deception and trickery among us is frowned upon. If you're really Kirov, you would have known that as common sense" Sovetskaya Rossiya points her own blade against Kirov
"Impressive. Your intuition is sharp as ever, Rossiya"
Kirov doesn't bother concealing her own intentions too and confidently responds with a bit of sarcasm. As if mocking Sovetskaya Rossiya's hostility and anger, Kirov slowly applauds her while ignoring the blade pointed at her neck.
"I had enough of impostors being used against me!" Sovetskaya Rossiya raises her voice
"Impostor? No, I'm the real deal. The actual Kirov in both body and mind. Well, sort of..."
"What do you mean?"
"One moment, I'm fighting for the Northern Parliament and in the next moment, I'm taking orders from an Enterprise-lookalike. I don't know why, but I just have to do as she says. We're comrades, but I'm compelled to do what's asked of me" Kirov shrugs her shoulders
"I see. You're being manipulated against your will"
"Well, something like that..."
"I lost a comrade. I won't lose another..."
Since the Kirov in front of her is the actual one, Sovetskaya Rossiya has little will to clash against her own comrade. She's put in a difficult position since Kirov is forced to obey and not betraying Sovetskaya Rossiya on her will.
"Are you sure? You might die. The Event Horizon says I'm allowed to go all-out. Since we're comrades, I can't kill you...but I can't have you be in the way either"
"The Event Horizon?! That Leviathan did this to you?" Sovetskaya Rossiya bites her lower lip
"That doesn't really matter now. After I deal with you, the ones in Maizuru are next"
"Kirov..."
Kirov draws her own blade, smiling with how she has no hesitation to go against her own comrade. Sovetskaya Rossiya's hand lightly trembles, upset that she would ever treat one of her own as an enemy she must defeat.
"It pains me to hurt a comrade, but...I must fight" Sovetskaya Rossiya takes a deep breath
"I see..." Kirov does the same
"Forgive me for what I'm about to do, Kirov..."
"Me too..."
The two simultaneously swing their swords against each other, the pair of steel loudly clanking in the empty and open space. After the first swing, the two are barely knocked back by the force of their own attacks. The two Northern ships take a few steps back before they could stumble down on their back.
[It's tragic to see comrades turn on each other, but everyone has a duty to fulfill...as chess pieces that is]