[You've grown a lot in a short amount of time. Hmm, it's been a hundred years after all...]

[It's thanks to that person finding me soon as promised. Even back when I'm still driving]

[I see. So you actually went ahead...and saw the past for yoursel]

[I might have teared up a bit because I know what would become of her]

[You're still young and emotional after all]

[Conflict ceased while I'm still going and now the era of humanity came to an end]

[That's right. No humans, Sirens, Abyssals, let alone Leviathans]

[It seems I'd be coming with you to another timeline]

[The next one would be a less tragic one. That way, you could properly meet Bismarck]


Moments that familiary existed...

My resources are limited. By that, I mean they are usually busy dealing with the Sirens and the looming threat of the Leviathans there. Fortunately, there aren't any Leviathans in this timeline as the ones supposed to appear...couldn't even properly exist with Welt's presence. Right now, the only who could provide me with extra information is Helena META, who's usually scouting and surveying this world.

"I'm sorry" Helena META nervously speaks

"For what?"

"I still couldn't find Prinz Eugen"

"Eugen isn't my focus right now. She would come out on her own when trouble stirs up" I brush it off

For once, I'm outside the base but just exploring the nearby beach with Helena META. Children run around and laughing with pure innocence. Their eyes shine brightly while they chase one another barefoot on the dry sand. On the other hand, the two of us blend among the unsuspecting humans around us. Despite our darkened attire, humans here would only see us as no different from shipgirls. I don't have my coat-of-arms anymore, so no one would expect I am Bismarck.

"Hiryuu META sided with the commander now after throwing a tantrum. I don't know about the others but Junyou is tempted to be with the commander as well" Helena META continues to report

"How about you?" I stop in my tracks

"I truly want to be with the commander and my friends in the Eagle Union, but this is just our past timeline. The Helena here hasn't seen the hell we went through..." Helena META gazes at the peaceful shore

"We don't belong here because we're just trespassers trying to keep this future secured. Once we accomplish our goal, we either disappear or die fulfilling it" I sigh accepting that fact

It's not like I would live long enough to see the end. My wisdom cube is in the verge of breaking down, but it's still to early for me to go down. They're still not ready to be on their own. I have to make sure the my past self won't make the same mistake and Iron Blood won't collapse because of any traitors.

"By the way, have you found about the black crystals? It seems it's the side effect of fusing Siren technology with little care" I whisper to her

"Not yet. All I know right now is that it was Tirpitz who struck a deal with the Central Princess. The Abyssals are at a disadvantage and the Sirens took that opportunity to use them. They're desperate enough to take the help of outsiders" Helena sadly shakes her head

"Abyssals. They're monstrous creatures from the depths and capable of regenerating at a rapid rate. Although not possessing the same firepower as Sirens, their ability lies in their constant evolution"

It's the information I gathered from H-39's access to the Kriegsmarine's files and her experience in the front lines. There may be more secrets to it because she's aware the Kriegsmarine is conducting top secret research just like what we do in Iron Blood.

"Every time they survive, they only adapt to the previous battle and become more difficult to kill. No wonder the Sirens found their new favorite guinea pig"

"It seems Welt is in this world right now. She occupied the Marian trench, so the Abyssals were driven out there. They don't want to massacred by a Leviathan" Helena META adds to the report

"She wouldn't like being called a Leviathan. I don't particularly care about her whims so long as she doesn't endanger this world" I frown

"You've grown fond of this world after three weeks of staying here" Helena META gently smiles

"I've met shipgirls from other nations and they're no different from regular humans. They know they could die any day...and accepted that constant possibility. Their smiles enjoyed every moment they have with their comrades, fearing they won't be there the next day"

I hate it. We're all soldiers facing an enemy without complete certainty, but I still hate it. No one has a chance at our enemies other than us. The kansen Bismarck is the pillar of Iron Blood and its leader. They rely on me to protect Iron Blood...but I wasn't even there when it faced destruction.

"You can't stay here for a long time. It won't take a long for a long time because they would find out who you are" Helena META reminds me

"I'm concerned about meeting the Bismarck of this world. Just like the Graf Zeppelin and Prinz Eugen here, she would be an entirely different person"

"Bismarck, huh. I've gathered information about her shortly after our first meeting. Her hometown was destroyed by Abyssals and wandered for a while. Shortly after entering service, her combat abilities were already recognized. I supposed that's expected from someone proudly carrying the name of Bismarck"

I once take great pride in my namesake and the only historical accomplishment of the battleship itself. Humans wanted someone who could be the pillar of a nation known for their pride and infamous for being stubborn until the very end. My own stubbornness costed me betrayal and the destruction of my nation.

"Anyway, the Bismarck here is handling the situation in the Atlantic theater so there's a chance you might encounter her" Helena META remains worried

"I'm careful not to let anyone know my name" I'm not worried myself

"Oddly enough, she does resemble you. If you dress like her, you could pass off as her. Your tone and behavior would be a giveaway"

Meeting my Kriegsmarine counterpart would be unwise, but I have the urge to meet her out of curiosity. Helena says I resemble her, and our personalities is drastically different...unsurprisingly.

"The Kriegsmarine is oddly obsessed taking down the Beast, an Abyssal who attacked her fellow Abyssals. It's more that Abyssal doesn't like the company of others and indiscriminately attack"

"Beast?"

"An Abyssal who showed up in the Northern Sea one day and preventer supplies being delivered from the United Kingdom to Russia. It's an Abyssal that became stronger if you don't land a fatal hit"

Just like Sirens, there are Abyssals here unique to their own kind. Arbiter Zero is one such example. They possess different traits and their regenerative ability is troublesome even if you have raw firepower.

"Any more information about the Bismarck here? H-39 is busy with her allies and said she's meeting up with Queen Elizabeth regarding the Sirens" I'm a bit worried about her

"Queen Elizabeth? There's not much known about her but she's pulling strings from the shadows. For an elegant lady, she's sly to make the higher ups think they're in control"

"A shady type, huh. Then I should avoid the Royal navy for a while"

According to H-39, the Royal navy visits my current refuge as much as the Kriegsmarine due to how closely they work. Iron Blood and Royal navy don't always work together, and it's obvious between the two nations how we're keeping each other in a distance.

"About the crystal..." I whisper again

"It's not a mineral known to man or Siren. From what I gathered from a certain Arbiter, it can only be found in undiscovered depths. It's the depths the likes of Welt call home"

"That sea dragon is involved. I see, so she's providing the Sirens with bits of knowledge like bread crumbs...for her own entertainment" I grunt in frustration

To the Sirens, Welt's knowledge is valuable due to her countless experience in other timelines and her existence being present even before humans roamed the planet. An unknown being who claimed to be made by man yet as old as the world itself.

"No, it's King George V who gave them the information. She has no plans to betray the Royal navy, but she's unpredictable"

"Although she's keeping a neutral stance, it's best to be careful. The King George V here is only looking towards her own interests...because she is not a knight loyal to the throne. Just a warrior only seeking strength and thrill battles"

"Who told you all of that?" Helena META blinks in genuine surprise

"Amagi's ghost did. She warned me King George V isn't someone you'd trust easily because she secretly met Silver" I look around first before speaking

I don't have the power to confront King George V right now while I'm stuck here. Even if I could return to Azur Lane, it's still too early for my past self to discover me. My current goal is to deal with Orochi's dismantled hull and to locate my younger sister being distracted by Prinz Eugen.

"Those black crystals eats away their host, Bismarck. If the body is either weak or incompatible, the black crystal will spread and suck the host dry. That's what Temperance and Fool told me"

"What else?" I gently ask

"Iron Blood has a sample in possession. They have no way to utilize it without getting killed. About ten human researchers died experimenting on it"

I clenched my fists, nervous at the current state of Iron Blood. Those black crystals are lethal to normal humans and only the likes of us can wield it without the risk of death.

"Anyhow, I'll try to find more information about why Orochi was scattered here. It would either take days or weeks" Helena META isn't sure either

"It's fine. I'll just be in this world doing what I can to investigate Orochi's parts and the whereabouts of Ghost's wisdom cube" I wave my hand

"Be careful, Bismarck..."

My main focus should be locating where Ghost'd wisdom cube might have gone hiding. She's not sentient or active for the time being, so I fear humans unknowingly has it in their possession. If she manifests and begins to disrupt the world she doesn't belong to...Peacekeeper will activate and reset the whole planet. I cannot let this world be dragged and meet the same fate as my world.

Two hours later...

Helena META has returned to Azur Lane to assist the survivors who jumped to this timeline. I'm a little confused myself because there exists other Ash and Ember in each timeline. There's certainly another Bismarck META in another timeline who's hopefully not always walking with death's door in front of her.

"..."

I return to the base where H-39 is always stationed, but she's nowhere to be found in where she usually spends time in her free days. Well, it's not like she has a lot of free days due to her needing to keep the Sirens from being discovered. The human personnel are on their usual routine without a fuss or commotion, but I sense something is amiss.

"Hey, it's been a while"

The Graf Zeppelin of this world appear from my left side and greets me in a friendly tone. I only talked to her for an hour or so last time, but she's already expressing friendliness and letting her guard down.

"You came to visit H-39 again or just stopping to refuel?" I move my cap in response

"Well, I just tagged along with Bismarck. She's also undergoing repairs after the last face-off with the Beast" Graf Zeppelin reluctantly replies

"Oh, you just tagged along with your Bismarck"

This is the worst timing possible. I try to act as casual as possible without letting any anxiety slip because they would begin to suspect. Meeting the Kriegsmarine counterpart of my subordinates is one thing but my version here is another thing.

"My Bismarck?" Graf Zeppelin nearly shakes her head

"...I mean that Bismarck. I didn't expect the Kriegsmarine's most famous ship to be here" I clear my throat

"O-oh. This is the nearest Kriegsmarine port with enough resources for a full repair. It took us a while to get here because of Bismarck's damages"

Now that I remember, Helena META said the Bismarck here is busy with operations in the Atlantic. It's still a little early for me to encounter their Bismarck. Even if it's impossible for her to realize I'm also Bismarck, I mustn't be confident and lax.

"Graf! Graf Zeppelin, there you are!"

A young woman with long blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes excitedly waves her hand above her head. She greets Graf Zeppelin with a cheerful smile as if she's in her best mood today.

"Hey, Bismarck. This is the acquaintance I'm talking about. It's strange but her name is ironically Nameless" Graf Zeppelin waves back at her

This is bad. The Bismarck of this world mustn't know who I am or anything about Azur Lane. Right now I don't sense any suspicion or hostility, but it's best to have as little interaction as possible.

"Is that true?" Bismarck is in disbelief

"...Yes" I reluctantly answer

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"I mean why is your name...uhm, Nameless?"

Right now I can't directly tell her that I'm also Bismarck just from another world. Hopefully she isn't aware I just dropped from the sky one day. She could also see my words as nothing but a joke but I still don't want to risk suspicion.

"I no longer have a name. That's all..." I couldn't really explain

"Why not give yourself one?"

"That's not possible for someone like me" I want to avoid this topic

"Did something tragic happen?" Bismarck keeps pressing the matter

"Bismarck, you can't really bother someone with personal information" Graf Zeppelin slaps her shoulder

"Oh, my bad. I didn't mean to be so nosy with your personal life"

Thankfully enough, Graf Zeppelin immediately interferes and Bismarck herself quickly backs down. She apologizes by rubbing the back of her own head and nodding her head a few times.

"So you're Bismarck, huh. The pride of the Kriegsmarine" I chance the topic a bit

"That's right. I don't really like having much responsibilities but people really have expectations because of my historical reputation" Bismarck looks annoyed

(I wonder what's her relationship with her Tirpitz like? She's not a fleet leader, so she has less burdens and free to be herself)

I'm aware her Tirpitz has been dead for a few years, so she wouldn't want some stranger to bring up a topic that sensitive. Although I'm curious about her personal life as if her "free" nature is something I envy.

"I wonder if it was possible to have this kind of peace? I've been carrying responsibility for so long...that I don't know what to do once I'm free of them" I look at another direction

"Are you okay?" Bismarck genuinely shows concern

"Don't mind me. I just remembered my younger sister. I...sort of neglected her and this caused a rift between us. Right before I knew it, she turned against me...and became an entirely different person"

Again, I can't directly confess how I sought power back in my timeline. That time, I became desperate to understand an ancient knowledge humanity should never touch. Using a piece of their knowledge, I turned a blind eye when Iron Blood forced it on Tirpitz as a test subject before infusing it to me. That result became disastrous as Tirpitz couldn't differentiate between friend and foe.

"Younger sister. I had a younger sister too. She's not here anymore because..." Bismarck couldn't continue

"You're not obliged to tell me, so don't force yourself" I turn away

"How about we take a stroll and have a conversation for a while?" Bismarck immediately offers

Her expression is so hopeful that I find it impossible to refuse. I want to avoid her to avoid accidentally spilling out hints about me, but a part of me does want to learn more about her.

Ten minutes later...

After short convincing, I end up going along with her whims. The two of us go to the beach area of the base for the best scenery for a conversation. The gentle waves on the wet sand does provide a calming soun and the scent of the salty sea is a rather nostalgic one.

"Charles told me you have nowhere to go, so you're staying in this base. She's worried about the Kriegsmarine finding out since you don't exist in any records" Bismarck speaks in a serious manner

"Charles? Oh, you mean H-39"

"Full name is Charles William Ferdinand but hates her long ass name. I'm sure she already told you" Bismarck waves it away

"I'm lost and devoid of any home. There's no path for me...but I still want to atone for my mistakes"

The memory of Iron Blood burning right before my eyes remains as fresh as ever. When I rushed back to stop the attack, there's nothing and no one left to save. The survivors are either METAs or on the brink of death. I want to prevent its downfall even in this one timeline. If possible, I want to at least apologize to Tirpitz seeing how she couldn't pacify her own anger and venting out to the world.

"I also want to atone my mistakes. My sister couldn't forgive me...but I at least want her to rest" Bismarck stops in her tracks

"Isn't your sister dead?" I also stop

"She's technically dead but I facing a certain monster brought a familiar feeling. It's as if I'm facing the patched up corpse of my sister..."

"There's regret in your eyes. Do you wish to not have known it?" I just take one glance

"To tell you the truth, I wish I didn't know. It would have been less painful...if I remained ignorant"

Bismarck tightly clenches both of her fists and bites her lower lip. She's restraining her emotions as much as possible. This the kind of person who is too kind for her own good. I wish I could tell her I understand how she feels in a way because I'm also Bismarck filled with regrets. However, mine is a larger scale and costed my timeline.

"Why tell me all of this?" I suddenly ask

"It's just that...you felt familiar. We never met before, but I felt like I've seen you before. Someone I talked to like what we did right now"

I widen my eyes in surprise since I'm caught off guard with her reason. She claims I'm familiar to her but I don't remember meeting her prior today. In fact, I never traveled to another world even back in my own timeline.

"That must be someone from a nostalgic period of yours..."

Something is definitely wrong in this world and even I'm not sure what's the exact reason. It's as if this Bismarck is experiencing a deja Vu on her side alone while I'm completely certain we never crossed paths before.

"I could've sworn you look familiar"

Bismarck lifts her hand and even when her movement feels a bit slower, I choose not to react like backing away. What she does is gently tap my shoulder, somewhat careful not to appear rude or closing in on my personal space.

You're a good person, Bismarck...

If I could avoid killing her, I wouldn't resort to it...

There's nothing left for me to do here...

I wish there was enough time for me to actually know you...

Take care of yourself, Bismarck...

If we could meet again. Hopefully it's in this world...

Words I've never spoken and faces I've never seen flashes right before my eyes. I've seconds worth of moments per unknown events clearly appear in my own mind. Each of those moments never happened to me because all of it took place in this world. I'm not certain how I knew, but I'm certain by instinct alone.

"...!" I reflexively take a few steps back

"Are you okay? You're not fine with being touched?" Bismarck is about to apologize

"Sorry. I just had a headache. It's gone now" I arrange my sleeves

"I-I see. I thought I did something wrong"

"You're a caring person from the looks of it, so I don't mind"

In one of those memories, I'm talking to this same Bismarck. It's not in this base but in an unfamiliar naval base. For some reason, I think Prinz Eugen with an injured left eye is also there. Then in the last moment and shortest moment is an unfamiliar kansen looking at me with sorrowful eyes. I think she looked a lot like an adolescent Enterprise but completely human and expressive unlike Ghost.

Those memories have yet to happen...but how did it get triggered. Who...triggered it all of a sudden?


Iron Blood side...

Iron Blood ships don't always patrol and engage on raids. Our small ships like our reliable and efficient Wolfpack does scavenging work from time to time. It's not surprising my nation actively seeks to develop and improve our technology. Our enemies may be the Sirens, but we tend to reverse engineer their technology whenever we could get a hold of them. Their technology is far too advanced for our current time, so it's not always a successful result.

"The Wolfpack picked up something different from Siren technology?" I walk the hallway

"Yes. U-556's group found it near Arctic waters. It's strange that while it's completely still, its found like a decomposed animal corpse" Mainz walks behind me while informing me

Mainz may not be an official or actual part of the Admiral Hipper class, but she's treated as part of them by Admiral Hipper and her sisters. Although I won't get offended having one of my subordinates walk right beside me, they tend to act intimidated no matter how much I try to act casual. Mainz keeps a specific distance and doesn't either go too far or too near.

"Wouldn't that mean it's been hollowed up from scavenging or erosion?" I question it

"There were traces of substance similar to organic flesh. It's not from animal carcass or human"

"Huh?"

In our brief conversation, we reach the end of the hallway and enter the part of the facility where we display or store anything we take in custody. To be specific, what we keep here is what can't fit in normal storage area and too abnormal to ignore. Most of the space is in the middle as both sides have staircase built and their machines displayed. Small container units are also stacked in one corner, but my main focus right now is the unknown object the U-boats scavenged.

"Lord Bismarck!" U-556 is standing near what she scavenged

Beside this hardworking U-boat is their loot from their regular patrols in Siren-free seas is a reptilian skull...but has razors sharp teeth and four eye sockets instead of two. I don't this is even a normal lizard when it's size towers even my height.

"That's the remains of a mechanical weapon?"

Even without touching it, I can already to the skull is completely metallic and not the same material as any bones known to man. My instincts are also urging me to get near but not touch it with my bare hands. It's like when in front of flames. Natural instinct would make you reach to it far enough to sense the heat on your palms since going further only causes physical pain.

"We actually found the skull and spine in a long forgotten Siren base. The plates were at the seabed" U-556 salutes again

"Spine?"

I shift my sight from the large skull to behind it and realized there's a broken off spine. Its design is similar to any vertebrates but it has spike edges than dull ones. Just like the skull, the entire structure is made of unknown black steel somewhat resembling our hull and Siren ones.

"What is this exactly?"

I walk a few steps forward and past U-556 to inspects the spine laid out straight right behind the skull. The way it snapped isn't cut or blown off by shells but by natural erosion as well. It's like how rope would snap from repeated use.

"...?!"

Just when I scan from the the cervical spine area down to the sacrum, I can chill run down my own spine. A gripping feeling is around my limbs and...as if I imagine the empty eye sockets possessing its eyes again staring right at my back.

...

It's not just the cold and prickling feeling of a completely lifeless remains staring at me. My mind forms the image of what I believe its original appearance - somewhere a cross between an aquatic dinosaur and dragon. The humans describe such beast as a Leviathan. I can actually sense its piercing gaze aiming right at me even when. My rational senses are aware it's nothing but a skull and spine now.

"..."

I wouldn't admit it's forcing me to express fear. How can a corpse make me yield this primal fear? Is there any faint essence of its life clinging to its remains? My surroundings are completely pitch black and the focus is between this corpse and I.

"..."

I slowly move my head to the side and twist my neck enough for my right eye to take a glance on its hollowed skull. There's no any visible eyes in reality but my mind keeps etching the image of a bright red dot filling the middle of the eye sockets.

"What the hell are you...?"

No Siren or their monstrous weapons can actually send this primal human emotion into someone like me. I've steeled myself that not even death fazes me and my pride making me stand no matter the weight they push on me. Yet this remains is no monstrosity crafted by those cowardly Sirens. It's a creature sleeping below the depths - resting there until we pulled it out of its final resting place. The dead shouldn't be disturbed from its grave.

"Is this a mistake?"

...There's a reason it's been buried there for so long that not even the Sirens touched it even when they used to occupy the area. Did they know about it or did they sense something was amiss?

"Bismarck?" Mainz softly calls me

"Mainz?" I shake my head and snap back to reality

"Is everything alright, Lord Bismarck? You look pale..." U-556 is immediately worried

These two wouldn't say it, but I'm aware of what's crossing their minds. Just a while ago, the mere glance of this corpse is urging me to express fear but I simply refused. I faced the monstrous from the depths recently, but none of those bothered me the slightest.

"I'm fine. Just keep the skull and spine suspended in our research facility. Don't let anyone carelessly touch it" I point at Mainz

"Y-yes!" Mainz salutes

"Lord Bismarck, it looked like you saw a ghost. Is our base haunted or anything?" U-556 remains worried

"Ghost? Perhaps something like that..."

Is it really the ghost of whatever this creature? Maybe it's an abnormal phenomenon like its residuals sticking to its vital parts and emitting a frequency of some sort. No matter how much I inspect it up close, the part is entirely steel and nor organic matter remained from its living state.