A demon possession...
It's not exactly the demon possession as in a supernatural one but technical one. The main demon themselves inserts one of the seventy two demons into this unfortunate shipgirl and controls her like a puppet. The extension is autonomous but still an extension at the very end. Right now, it's borrowing a body belonging to this world's Arkhangelsk which explains her cooperation with the Sirens.
"Marchosias, if you're here then Asmodeus must be here as well" Prinz Eugen stirs her cup of tea
It's already sunrise and I'm certain the Royal navy is investigating the corpses of Marchosias' victims and the mystery of who turned on the power in the abandoned facility. We managed to flee somewhere near the settlement and having tea near the beach.
"Asmodeus is one of the knights in Azur Lane. I cannot tell you since milord is focused on the task alone"
Asmodeus is the dominant of all the functions, but it's still part of the main being themselves. A creature with no different form and the collection of Solomon's seventy two ideas. That whimsical child is the only sentient Lesser Key and the strongest considering they evolved into a matured form. However, identifying Asmodeus means making someone strip due to the seventy two functions possessing their distinctive sigils on their back.
"Worry not, Asmodeus is the most reasonable one and wouldn't resort to violence unless milord wants someone dead" Marchosias lightly chuckles
"Don't screw with me! Let go of that kansen and use someone else!" In anger, Zuikaku stands up and slams the table
"It can't be helped. Tester Beta and the Siren Purifier are in this world. Orochi's parts have spread throughout the world. It can't be whole again" Marchosias...erm, Arkhangelsk wags her left index finger
"Orochi is to be rebuilt in order to serve as Ghost's container. Ghost can manifest so long as there's a kansen strong enough to coexist" Belfast cuts in as she refills her tea
"Coexist? The sorry kansen will have their consciousness destroyed and their bodies turn into empty shells. Ghost would immediately overtake them" Prinz Eugen immediately corrects her
"My Lord is aware of who shall contain Ghost in the future. I believe it's at least six months after your dear younger sister quite literally stabs you in the back"
"Fufufu. Well, looks like the Bismarck of this timeline has the unfortunate luck of being betrayed left and right" Prinz Eugen is trying to provoke me
Tyrant will involve herself in this timeline, so some events would change. Tirpitz might not meet a tragic fate, but my main concern is to stop from letting the world be purged. No amount of META or Cognitive awakening can defy the law of this reality. Countless timelines have been exterminated due to the Sirens and Azur Lane breaking even a single law.
"Truth to be told, Friedrich der Grosse herself is being controlled. Once she breaks free of said control, she would certainly try to tear My Lord to pieces. That is if she can take so much of a single step" Marchosias shrugs her shoulders
"Eh? Friedrich is just being hypnotized? That's lame..." Prinz Eugen sighs in dismay
"That is what I'm trying to prevent. Iron Blood's might is but child play's to that child. Not to mention, their body..." Belfast stops herself
"Arkhangelsk, just tell us why you stalked and helped us" Zuikaku sits back down
"The Royal navy is in possession of the combat data. I can't retrieve it myself since it would get this body killed or I would have to leave it. Slaughtering powerless humans is the most convenient way, but I practice self-restraint"
I see. Even after hijacking the body of a shipgirl, trying to steal the cube by force would land a confrontation with the Royal navy. So our appearance here is rather convenient for her, huh. We're all just pawns in a game stretching into the future. The only positive side is the demon doesn't like cheating.
"That's why I need all of your help in this one. Since milord can teleport you inside as long as I'm in the facility, stealing it would be easy. That way, I won't be suspected that I'm just pretending to be a staff there"
Arkhangelsk digs up inside her coat's secret pocket. She brings out paper folded six times. Surprisingly, the paper is both free of tears or any wrinkles. This possessed shipgirl then carefully unravels the contents of the paper and the markings inside actually reveal the blueprints of the facility. My guess is the one with the red circle is the location of the black wisdom cube.
"Orochi's combat data is there. It's the ship's entire experience, so it's the key to learning from its previous defeat"
"Even if we destroy the black cube, it will only delay the Sirens. They're going to rebuild Orochi in this world, so Enterprise can't shoot her miraculous arrow" Prinz Eugen sighs deeply
"If that happens, won't your Lord intervene?" Zuikaku snaps her fingers
"You're right, but Asmodeus is here to supervise. It seems they're somewhere in Germany to observe the Kriegsmarine, namely their Bismarck. The chief said they have little interest in you since you won't last to the very end anyway"
We already encountered each other. It could be one of the shipgirls I interacted is Asmodeus possessing a shipgirl or just observing while dormant. Either way, I dislike the thought of other functions walking among the humans. Marchosias is polite and faithful, but it's a wolf with a serpent tail - symbolizing treachery and deception at the same time.
"You want us to steal the cube for you, so you'd finish your mission scot-free?" Zuikaku slams her right fist into the table
"You want the cube or not? If not, I'd just massacre everyone there and take the cube by force"
Marchosias lifts her right hand and steel claws meld from the tip of her fingers until to her forearm. A large mechanical serpent manifests around us then it bears it's poisonous fangs and the rapid firing guns in its throat.
"I don't have time to waste with you people. Omitter is in this world and plans to take the cube by force as well" Marchosias' expression turns serious
"May I suggest infiltratation instead?" Belfast raises her hand
"Yeah, that works too. It's not hard to make fake access considering humans can create fake cards left and right. I mean, I managed to fake my documents and ID"
The serpent around us disappears into thin air and her class returns to a hand with a glove again. It's certainly a better idea than suddenly teleporting inside the base itself and be spotted by a personnel there.
"It's impossible to move the cube out the base without suspicion, so we would need to steal it at the very end. That means fleeing from the battleship guarding there"
"It's easy. Shipgirls here can't fight without riggings" Zuikaku laughs proudly
"The Royal guards are professionally trained combatants. They're peacekeepers in the Royal navy, so they're capable of defending themselves" Belfast informs us
"It's already morning, so should we wait by nightfall again?" Prinz Eugen looks at the bright sky
"That's the best choice. Right now, the Royal navy is on high alert since someone entered their abandoned facility. Besides, it will take a few hours to create fake access and records in the base's systems. You'd safely enter as delivery folks" Arkhangelsk immediately agrees
"So the plan is to enter without a fight then try to run away with the cube. How do we do that?" Zuikaku leans her head closer
"Bombs on certain areas of the base. If the Royal guards think they're under attack, they'd leave their post and head for the distraction"
Arkhangelsk marks some areas like a water tank, storage warehouse, and a small building near the main facility itself. The best way to scatter a group is stir chaos and stir absolute confusion. Somehow, I feel like this is similar to annoying a colony of ants and watching them panic in all directions.
"For certain distraction, I'd unleash the serpent. It's a part of me, so I can't be far away from it. That would leave with escaping to you, so no free teleportation of any kind"
"Can't you call your other robot demon friends? Bael? Barbatos? Zefar?" Zuikaku remembers
"Just because there's seventy two of us doesn't mean we can all come out. Remember we are extensions of the milord only, and they scattered few others. Asmodeus wants to minimize casualties as much as possible" Arkhangelsk clears her throat
"Fitting considering her current body is a stickler for rules, manners, and discipline" Belfast smiles a bit
Belfast nonchalantly makes it obvious she's already aware of who is the current Asmodeus, but her personality is impossible to force into talking. She's obedient and faithful to her employer, so she speaks without worry even if we're all listening.
"I will have to contact you people by seven tonight since I must return to the base before they realize I'm a fake employee. Spending more time here would arouse more suspicion from the Royal navy. I quite dislike facing against the Warspite of this world"
Arkhangelsk stands up and doesn't want to delay her stay any longer. No matter how much I look at it, she acts and speaks like the original one in the Northern Parliament. Physically speaking, it's the real one...but the one using the body as a vessel is a powerful Artificial Intelligence. I'm at least thankful it's not Astaroth, the strongest of the seventy two.
"Marchosias, wait" I stand up as well
"Hmm?"
"Why are you possessing that kansen? You hijacked their wisdom cube and suppressed their egos"
"Ah, her. She opened fired at me and so I retaliated. I simply needed a body as soon as possible, so I took the first one I saw"
It's pointless to ask it in the first place. Marchosias has no human emotions unlike the main system themselves. It's just a machine after all. An artificial intelligence to be exact.
A few hours later...
Belfast is still not directly taking part in this task, so she remains the observer. On the other hand, I have to go through wearing the attire of some sort of laboratory assistant. Although I have enough knowledge regarding Iron Blood's technology and adjusting my own rigging, but human technology is different. Arkhangelsk even forces me to wear glasses.
"How did you even get here? You just waltzed in and acted like you've been here for a long time" I whisper to Arkhangelsk
I whisper as we casually walk inside the base while the human personnel pays us no mind. For a second, I actually catches a glimpse of a shipgirl patrolling the base. It's a grown blonde woman with a pair of antennas attached to a hairband.
"I'm thousand of years old but my system is more complex than those petty Arbiters. I mean humans fall for other humans showing them a fake ID and terrible acting" Arkhangelsk doesn't specifically explain
"You lied your way through here, huh. It shouldn't be easy considering this is a Royal navy base"
"Hmm. Doing it peacefully is rather troublesome, but Orochi needs to be secured in one piece. The cube is rather volatile, and we don't want to attract Ghost's...lingering remains"
Like the one we encountered in the old base. That version of Ghost is much weaker than the original since it's just a form of projection. The real one is still sealed within its wisdom cube and desperate to break free.
"If scattering Orochi is the only to prevent the Sirens into making it Ghost's vessel, shu not just destroy it for good?" I point out a flaw
"It's likely setting up for future events. Your past self is rather proud that she's willing to have a round of chess with his Majesty. The price would be a future where Iron Blood has a secured future even if the Leviathans doesn't exist in this timeline anymore"
"They don't?"
"They've been eliminated, but the Sirens in this timeline aren't stopping. As if they've been driven mad and desperate"
Arkhangelsk isn't joking when she casually confesses how the Leviathans would never exist in this timeline. Even if she doesn't say it, I know the one responsible is her main body. No one could look in the future to that extent and precisely pinpoint where and when to prune.
"I almost forgot to ask. Where did Zuikaku and Eugen go?" I look around
"Hmm. I stuffed both of them in a crate and tossed them in a warehouse. They probably got out now"
"Probably?" I shake my head in disbelief
I thought we're all just going to infiltrate, so I'm not certain how to act when she just transported the two and leave their escape to them.
"Worry about them later. We're already here"
Since we've been having a discussion while exploring the base, we arrive at the main facility where Orochi's wisdom cube is stored at the very center.
"Marat, this must be a new guest?"
A Royal navy battleship, from the distinctive red rose ribbon on her collar. She has a saber strapped on the left side of her waist, but she my instinct guesses she's not a King George V class of this world.
"Yes. This...assistant is from another branch in order to record information and report it back to the mainland"
Marat, huh. It's unsurprising she's going to use the name of a Russian battleship. Using a British one would be pointless considering this is a Royal navy base with shipgirls present.
"If you'll excuse us, I'll have to escort her to her destination" Arkhangelsk is in a hurry
"I see. Be careful when approaching the cube. It's not rather friendly one..." The battleship lightly nods at us
Arkhangelsk grabs my wrists and drags me away, but she doesn't do it in a hurrying manner. Doing so would start to raise suspicion, and that battleship might observe all of our movements in the base.
"That's Vanguard, a battleship only here under Warspite's orders" Arkhangelsk whispers to me
"She's different from the one in Azur Lane"
"Who else is here?"
"Others you don't want to meet"
"Can we at least find Zuikaku and Eugen first?"
I'm for the two since they have to remain in hiding even if it's nighttime already. Eugen has decent stealth, but Zuikaku is the direct kind of person who prepares to face opponents head-on.
"Let's continue"
There are less active personnel than it is in the morning and even the guards. For such a facility, I expect tighter security. The humans just ignore us as if we've been here everyday while Arkhangelsk continues to lead the way.
"I feel malice in this place" I groan out of tension
"Ghost is trying to reach in the physical world" Arkhangelsk focuses on the path ahead
"You never told me on the current location of its wisdom cube"
"Right now, Ghost sealed itself at the bottom of the sea and corrupting all Abyssals that touches it"
"Is Ghost really a failed Enterprise copy or a success until it becomes a corrupted one?"
Only now I question about Ghost's true nature. Humans know nothing about its creation other than it manifested through a wisdom cube like any other kansens. However, its wisdom cube is purely dark and not even a tinge of purple aura. From what I've heard, Ghost activated as a normal wisdom cube...but the bright blue light got engulfed by an unknown black substance.
"Do you know about the Ars Goetia? It's a complex syatem to summon demons who can grant wishes. Humans attempted to create a more powerful Enterprise through the ritual. Only King Solomon could properly perform it, so the foolish scientists only caused the newly born clone to be corrupted"
Arkhangelsk confirms it herself. It's the truth since the one who's talking is one of the "demons" born from the ritual itself. No, this demon is part of the ritual. That complex system is sentient and all seventy two demons are its extensions.
"There's no way to purify it even if I say it's corrupted. They purposely removed any form of humanity in Ghost when designing it. Without any warmth, Ghost is nothing but a bloodthirsty killing machine. Just like how a chainsaw would inevitably shred anyone it touches"
Arkhangelsk stops at a door locked by sliding key cards on the black screen. It's odd there aren't any guards patrolling near the area considering behind this door is Orochi's combat data.
"Enterprise hates fighting and seeks a life outside being a soldier. After learning there's more to life than a single purpose of bloodshed, she passed that lesson to my main body. The Enterprise in this timeline realized she could settle down too after the war ends" Arkhangelsk lowers her head
"..."
"Ghost is the Enterprise who never had a choice before it was even born. It could never know about life when it only fought and slaughtered on pure instinct as a weapon. I actually feel pity because it was deprived of any choices before it came to be"
"That's how you feel, huh..."
"I feel personally angry for what Ghost had become. It's as if it's subconsciously seeking anyone strong enough to kill it for good. Just to be put out of its misery"
The main body of this demon possessing a kansen freed themselves, so she would understand how terrible being a mindless beast can be. That girl encountered Enterprise from another timeline and the two became good friends. Perhaps, she consciously wanted to save a failed Enterprise copy out of sentimentality...
"Anyhow, let's not waste any more time. If we linger here long enough, Ghost might try to manifest, ironically, a phantom"
If I remember, Arkhangelsk has one of Ghost's shards in her possession. That's likely the reason why we're risking accidentally attracting Ghost's aura here. She quickly swipes the card at the digital screen and it beeps showing "Accepted" text in green don't. The metallic door splits open its own and reminds me of elevators for some reason.
"There it is. The combat data where it includes the last clash with Enterprise"
It's a rather spacious room enough to be a living room. Well, it's not exactly a part of a house and more like a sealed area to store the cube when not being researched on. The small black cube with white gaping lines is stored within a transparent glass cube with metallic frames on each corners.
"I was wondering why something felt off"
"...!"
As we head to the cube and carefully dismantle the lock of its container, the Vanguard of this world slowly walks inside the room with her saber of black steel already gripped in her right hand. Her expression is grim and her glare is absolutely sharp, indicating the dismay behind the killing intent.
"Arkhangelsk said you're an impostor since she met the Gangut class before. Besides, I find it unusual the Royal navy allowing another nation inside this base"
"Oho~ Your Arkhangelsk is quite sharp" Arkhangelsk takes a few steps forward
"Our Arkhangelsk?"
"Let me introduce myself. I'm the Northern Parliament battleship, Arkhangelsk. It's another version of your Russian navy"
Arkhangelsk draws her claymore with how obvious a confrontation is inevitable. Her words confuse this world's Vanguard for a moment since "Northern Parliament" is completely foreign in this world and the fact the impostor claims to be Arkhangelsk this time.
"Change of plans. Take the cube and run" Arkhangelsk awkwardly smiles at me
"Like I will let you!" Vanguard rushes at us
For a human-born shipgirl, Vanguard's first swing manages to push Arkhangelsk back even when in the complete defensive. Why is she using her claymore with one hand? No wonder she has difficulty keeping an immovable defense.
"You won't leave this place alive!"
Right before this Vanguard could charge and start swinging her sword senselessly, the ground briefly trembles and the sound of multiple muffled explosions reach even a windowless room. Vanguard takes a few steps back, affected by the sound of powerful explosions outside.
"You bloody impostor! You detonated hidden bombs!"
"Ehe~"
Arkhangelsk actually has been hiding her other hand behind her back and takes this Vanguard's attention away by drawing her claymore. I'm not the kind to play dirty even when desperate, but I will have to let this slide.
"...!"
The earth rumbles again as a second wave of more powerful explosions follow. It's not the same sound of detonated bombs but like bombs dropping themselves. I know the sensation way too well after thousands of battles in my META form. To be accurate, this is the sound of bombardment.
"That wasn't me" Arkhangelsk shakes her head
If she's not the one bombarding the base, I doubt it's either Zuikaku or Prinz Eugen. They must have fled from the base by now, specially Prinz Eugen. Why is she even here when she would flee at the sight of a disadvantage and danger?
"Don't just stand there! Grab it and run!" Arkhangelsk yells at me
"..."
I just smash the container by jabbing my fist right through the glass and the size of the cube is enough to secure it with only my right hand.
"Where's Zuikaku and Eugen?" I grab the cube
"Well, they must be running like hell from the explosion!"
"I know your face. You won't leave Scapa Flow alive" Vanguard threatens me
"Then I don't have to leave you alive"
To both our surprise, a familiar-looking Iron Blood serpentine dragon rams Vanguard at full speed. The one half of a battleship's rigging, directly runs over this world's Vanguard until the unfortunate battleship and her body slams against to the side with enough force that the concrete wall forms a crater and spread cracks all over.
"..."
Tier serpent bashes pulls itself back and rams Vanguard's head once. The brute force leaves blood splattering on the wall, just enough not to crush her skull to a lethal state. Vanguard immediately gets knocked unconscious after smashed an inch to death on purpose. Her limp body, with her head already dripping with blood, falls to the cold solid ground face first.
"W-w-why are you here?" Arkhangelsk's voice stutters in great fear
"Friedrich der Grosse..."
I focus my eyesight at the figure entering from the destroyed and a wave of her baton signals the one half of her animated rigging to retreat behind her. The draconic creatures with jagged teeth and mounted large caliber guns, obediently hover on the battleship's side. They could tear through a ship's armor with its jaws alone and can even bust through concrete walls like a wild train.
"My, my, if it isn't my adorable child~ Unfortunately, I'm not here to spoil you. My business here is to ensure Orochi's combat data is secured" Friedrich der Grosse frowns at Arkhangelsk
"As I earlier, this Friedrich der Grosse is brainwashed. Once she regains her senses and realized she's been used, she'd go after milord" Arkhangelsk whispers to me
"You shouldn't be whispering when someone else is present..." Friedrich der Grosse chuckles sinisterly
I remember it well how Arkhangelsk clarifies Friedrich der Grosse is cooperating against her will. Not because she's threatened but for the reason she can't disobey when she's mentally altered. I could only feel a bit of pity that she's forced to do someone else's bidding.
"I see. So you're the one who bombarded the base" I immediately guess
"Are you out of your mind?! You're going to call the whole Royal navy here!" Arkhangelsk swings both fists up in the air
"Fufufu~ That's why I set up a Mirror Sea. No pesky tea drinkers can enter this sealed domain"
The whole point of infiltratation is to ensure the existence of Azur Lane remains a secret. Friedrich der Grosse isn't so foolish to draw unnecessary attention over a single objective. Controlling her mind must have dulled her judgment greatly...
"Wait, you didn't dragged in Zuikaku and Prinz Eugen, did you?" I shake my head upon remembering
"Worry not, my disgraced child, the two are very much safe...for now"
"Then what about that one?"
I pointed at the unconscious Vanguard of this world. Her own blood spills from her head, and I think her breathing is slower than normal. The skull hasn't been crushed yet, but I fear she might perish from internal bleeding and more complications.
"She'll be fine. I just punished her enough to live for another die" Friedrich der Grosse doesn't even look at her injured victim
"Hmm, why did milord send you of all people..."
"I volunteered and that stubborn child said to use whatever means to retrieve the black cube"
Orochi's combat data where all the data of its past experience leading to its defeat are compressed into this small object. The Sirens extract experience from another timeline through distant observation, hoping the next one could adapt to human tactics.
"The Mirror Sea is only temporary to avoid attracting more flies. It would last fifteen more minutes at best, so we better be going. I'll prepare some nice warm meal in the hideout~" Friedrich der Grosse clasps her hands
There's no point in refusing even this one is in a brainwashed stare. The last time I refused her motherly affections...I ended up being forcibly dragged out of my office to eat and sleep after I worked three days straight. It feels rather humiliating how she marched off from my office while I got carried over the shoulder.
"We can discuss more about the cube and future plans once we rendezvous at a more discreet place" Friedrich der Grosse looks left and right
"Your bombardment must have killed human personnel and possibly shipgirls..." I clench my fists
"What about it?" She just blinks in confusion
"...!"
"Relax, my child. I simply sacrificed some slow running humans. I made sure the shipgirls didn't receive any fatal wounds from my cannons"
That's implying she did the exact same force like the unconscious Vanguard over here. Just because she wouldn't kill them, doesn't mean she wouldn't hurt them. It's not against her orders so long as they remain alive for a little longer.
"You're not one to talk about sacrifices, Bismarck. I heard your Iron Blood collapsed because you neglected your duties and focused on your personal ambitions instead"
"..."
"Enough. Let's just get out of here before ships from other nations come" Arkhangelsk stomps her left foot
"We shouldn't waste any more time chatting here..." I reluctantly agree
What Friedrich der Grosse says is true. I've been selfish in my timeline since disregarding others is the only way to break free from my limitations. I initially sought strength for my own thirst for power, but that selfishness backfired when Tirpitz went mad from my own power. Some sort of sickness begins to eat away at her mind and whispers malice into her until she chooses the path of bloodshed.
I cannot let that mistake be repeated here...
