This is troublesome...

Belfast is still the same kansen of the Royal navy, so she has no qualms with annoying Welt just this once. That Leviathan only acts on a whim from her actions lately. She's testing Ghost on the kansens in order to determine if someone, other than Enterprise, is strong enough to resist its corrosive property. Any kansen within its grasp could either be "dismantled" or absorbed by Ghost. I don't know the capacity of that creature while only a fragment.

"..."

There's no choice for me but to senselessly beat Jean Bart and the other ships until they faint. As a META, I'm stronger than a regular kansen, but I'm far too weakened after nearly dying from the enforcer. Incapacitating these kansens alone already tires me out so badly that my breathing is heavy and my legs are shaking.

"Nngh..."

Jean Bart is completely unconscious after I heavily damaged her rigging and had to literally punch her myself just to knock her unconscious. It does make me feel guilty landing serious damage on a fellow kansen, but I had to to stop them before they reach Ghost. Right now, I could at least steady my breathing now that Jean Bart is completely unconscious and so are the mixture of Iron Blood and Iris-Vichya ships.

[Why did you have to save them, Bismarck? This isn't the right time for you to be here considering your past self is present. It's too early for you two to meet]

This cold and stiff yet mature voice certainly belongs to Welt. Just like I expected, she reached full maturity from the previous timeline. I prefer her curious and fair younger self. This one directly communicates through my thoughts while she's miles away from the battle. I couldn't see her, but I already imagine her sitting by a throne with her head resting on her arm like a cold-blooded tyrant.

"...!"

For a moment, hearing a voice directly echo at each corner of my kinds startles me that I almost readied for battle. Well, thanks to that, my legs stop shaking and I finally regain my normal composure.

"Welt, you had history with these kansens. Why use them as your lab rats?" I look left and right

[...I'm not obliged to answer you that]

"You had a wager with Richelieu"

[Hmph. What if I did?]

"Don't you believe in justice? That you wouldn't ignore those who trampled on the lives and honors of others!" I raise my voice

[It's true I wouldn't sit idly if something goes against my principles, but there's no malice here. This is a fair bargain between Marco Polo and I. That girl is barely tolerable, but I'm rather intrigued as of the moment]

"...?!"

I tightly clench both of my fists when Marco Polo is daring enough to bargain with Welt. She should know that you can only confidently strike a deal with Welt if you're truly planning on following her conditions. Just break one simple rule and she would directly attack.

[Thanks to the sudden turn of events, I don't view kansens as insignificant. However, I didn't like being disturbed by the Northern Parliament. My only principle is to return kindness with kindness...and evil with evil]

"You'd target them too?!"

[I already feel sorry for Chapayev...]

"Hey, wait-"

Welt's voice fades away because she already ends the direct communication without even proper warning. It even ends with the typical sound of a phone ending a call which she might have found humorous while I don't.

"..."

I crack my neck when I tilt my head left and right. My long-distance radar immediately detects my past self and Richelieu directly rushing to the source of this commotion. Ghost has yet to make a move, so I must deal with them. Neither of them are strong enough to withstand Ghost's corruption.

...

...

...

...

I'm fighting both my past self and Richelieu. I defeated Jean Bart and the others, but this Bismarck is my past where I'm still the prideful and stubborn leader. This past version isn't going to be pleased once she learns that Iron Blood got destroyed because I neglected my duty. My selfishness caused my nation and my people. Not to mention, a future version is insane and is in this timeline as well.

"..." I faintly grunt behind the helmet

Other than that, I briefly distract myself with the flashiness of this mask. It's not colorful, just painted mostly black with some gold, and silver. According to Belfast, the inspiration is a man filled with rage from losing people dear to him and never showing his face even once.

"...?!"

My past self, Richelieu, and I simultaneously lift our heads and gaze directly above us. Hexagonal plates spread from the very tip and begin to curve downwards in a radius. Without a doubt, it's forming a dome covering a large area...to serve a battlefield for the three of us. This is a discount Mirror Sea as they say and there's only one person who's too lazy to release a real one and would time it when I'm about to fight.

"Not again..." I don't have the energy to be angry

The sunny and azure sky is now concealed within this closed off territory. The dome creates an impenetrable barrier around us and displays cloudless darkened sky instead. It's more like the colors are inverted as the white clouds darken and the blue sky turns a shade of blood red. The sea reflecting the sky also becomes reddened on the surface.

"What did you do?" My past self raises her voice at me

"I didn't do anything. This is because Ghost manifested, so that annoying puppet sealed us here" I just sigh

"Why did you prevent us from reaching Ghost?" Richelieu immediately asks

"Ghost will kill you with a touch. That's why I beat your allies before they foolishly get themselves killed"

Ghost has yet to take full form and still on the verge of taking a humanoid shape. Aurelius dropped a shard here like a meteorite and let it manifest knowing kansens are nearby. That bastard really intends to experiment on whether a kansen is suitable to contain it within a corporeal form.

"You're a kansen, but I can't grasp if you're alive or dead" Richelieu briefly lowers her guard

"I'm between that state now. It's only my stubbornness keeping me alive"

Purifier has long escaped right before I could reach this place. I could have prevented Ghost from taking shape if I just teleported near here. No, there's no point in regretting it now. I can only focus on the current situation.

"What do you know about Ghost?" My past self steps forward

"It's a kansen like us...but it's a failed clone of an existing one. Humans tried to play God and paid the price for it just like how Icarus crashed down"

"We know of our arrogance backfiring at us. Humans learned that lesson a long time ago" Bismarck insists

(Ghost is not going away, but it's completely motionless. As long as it's not attacked, it would remain that way...but I'm not the only one here. Someone else is watching me)

It's not the Siren Purifier, but I'm certain it's someone I don't wish to deal with right now. From what I can detect, it's kansen and a battleship at that. This familiar sensation...could possibly belong to Tyrant, my sister who shadowed over her own name.

(She's not attacking like she's just taking notes. Perhaps she doesn't know it's me. Otherwise, she would have come running here and started bombarding me)

Tyrant possessed immense strength due to a foreign power eating away at her wisdom cube. Just as it's slowly killing her, it greatly boosts her strength, rivalling a full META despite being a failure herself.

"We must not be a threat for you to look away while in the middle of a fight" Bismarck raises her voice

"Hmm?"

I've been spacing out and wondering about Tyrant that I instinctively turned my head to the direction where I sensed her. Fortunately, she's too far to open fire right where she stands. Only when my past self is calling me out that I immediately remember my current situation.

(Hmm? Is there someone from Sakura here? This sensation...must be from Akagi? What is she doing here?)

According to Belfast, the only ones stationed here right now are Richelieu and Jean Bart's escorts. There are only two groups: one from Iris Libre and the other one is Vichya Dominion. My past self only brought along a few Iron Blood ships. There are no other nations here, so why? Is Akagi paying an unexpected visit again or watching everything from the shadows?

"Are you mocking us?" Bismarck is growing annoyed

"There's no need for us to fight. I'm just preventing your inevitable deaths from Ghost. You two should know how just a single touch from Ghost could either corrode your physical form or invert your wisdom cube"

At the very least, I need to explain the danger to them and remind them of the consequences. Without a physical body to possess, that damn abomination is indestructible...but I don't want to sacrifice anyone as an empty vessel just to kill Ghost. Even Ash is against the idea of more pointless sacrifices.

"Are you saying you're just trying to protect us?" Richelieu still has her doubts

"How can we trust those words when you couldn't even tell us your name, let alone show your face" Bismarck points the edge of her sword at me

That's an expected response from my past. Not even I would trust someone who would stand in my path without having them introduce themselves. No one is sane enough to believe someone who conceals her identity behind a mask.

"I can't tell you yet. You're not prepared to learn more tragedy and failures, Bismarck"

How I desperately wish to remove H-39's helmet and have her learn that I'm her META version from one of countless future timelines out there. It's only unfortunate that my timeline is one of the many versions where humanity lost. Some lost against the Leviathans while my timeline ended because the world itself deemed us unnecessary.

"I don't care about your secrets" Bismarck gives a threatening glare

"Are you sure about that?"

"Get out of the way if you don't want to fight us. This is my final warning"

Bismarck loads armor piercing shells on her four turrets like a wolf bearing their sharp teeth on another wolf. My younger self is still someone who would never back down when her pride is on the line while I don't care about my own pride, let alone my honor. Nothing matters about myself anymore. I just want to finish my final mission...and join my comrades.

"Come then"

I lift my arm and fold my fingers several times as a taunt for Bismarck to attack me. This is completely pointless no matter how you look at it, but she isn't going away peacefully. I'm never the type to just say "Yes" and casually turn back. That's a stubbornness that's still present even in my disgraced reputation.

"Feuer!"

Bismarck positions her legs in an angle to balance the moment she is going to unleash a full volley. Not even those shells are enough to pierce through my damaged rigging or deal any significant damage to me. I still have enough strength to overpower even my past self, but I'm still weak for a battle of attrition. That's why I want to avoid Tyrant, who's a more resilient and stronger version of Tirpitz.

"..." I let out a deep sigh

I'm not an expert with sword techniques like Ember since I'm not the same type of warrior as her. However, I learned to fight without relying much on my rigging out of worry it will break in the middle of a battle.

(I'll try that sea beast's technique just once...)

That reincarnated Leviathan can barge from one timeline or universe to another like she's sneaking from one house to another. As a result, she has extensive knowledge with the laws of time itself. Right now, I mustered a bit of the technique she usually uses. I close my eyes and tightly grip my sword with both of my hands. As I raise my blade in front of me, I feel the wind coming to a halt and gentle waves ceasing.

"...!"

My arms instinctively raise the blade on my side then I proceed to swing sidewards with all of my force without caring at which angle of what I am cutting at. All I could sense is my blade silently following my movement without a split second of delay.

"What?!" Bismarck blinks in confusion

Eight shells flying through the air are suddenly split in half before even landing at either me or the stretching surface around us. One slash that multiplies while the flow of time itself comes to a halt is something I thought only existed in human imagination.

"Just how-"

Just as Bismarck reloads her turrets for another attempt, the three of us nearly stumble down the surface or at least kneel from the shockwave. A sense of dread and malice creeps up to me from behind. The shockwave brings Ghost's hostility and broadcasts it for anyone to remind of her presence.

"Ghost is acting up!" I immediately turn away from the two

Right now, I could leave my past self and nerves have been numbed by Ghost's unstable aura. No matter how much they force themselves to move, their very instincts are keeping them in place. It's their survival instincts and self-preservation making them break in a cold sweat and tremble right where they stand.

(What's happening now?!)

I immediately rushed to ground zero where Ghost dropped and remained earlier. If it's emitting this much power as a fraction, then something is agitating it right now. Ghost shouldn't have enough power or intelligence to form a new and completed version of herself from a fragment of her wisdom cube.

"...?!"

Before I could approach Ghost, I immediately discovered the reason she emitted her aura. Ghost itself started moving and acting as part of its mindless instinct. That abomination moved from where she silently stood earlier.

"Nngh!"

The shadowy monstrosity tightly squeezes its hand on Dunkerque's neck. The battleship herself is forced to kneel on the ground while both of her hands are desperately trying to pry off Ghost's solid grip.

"Don't tell me..."

Ghost's shadowy influence on Dunkerque is visible with the dark patches all over. It's devouring her from the inside out, but she still has enough will to resist it from chipping off her wisdom cube. Otherwise, her body would have started disintegrating by now.

"Aaaugh!"

After Ghost tosses her to the side since it couldn't eat a meal that's fighting back, the monstrosity turns its attention to someone else. Dunkerque screams at the top of her lungs as the dark infection spreading on her body is causing searing pain and sizzling on her skin from the barely visible steam emitting from her body.

"Akagi?!"

It turns out Akagi is within this area. The sly fox is bruised from head to toe, possibly from an attempt to damage Ghost. I think Ghost only started acting when Akagi recklessly attacked her. It resulted in one one-sided defeat seeing Akagi lying on the ground and slowly breathing but not limp yet. A little more and she would be an inch to death. The only positive outlook here is that she's not being eaten or corrupted.

"Ggguaaah!"

Dunkerque stands up and her agonized screams only make her struggle more apparent. The infection isn't destroying her wisdom cube, but it's damaging her mind. Depending on the severity, Dunkerque could still be saved...or beyond saving.

"Aaaghh..."

The once sane Dunkerque is forced into a savage state with how Ghost's influence overwhelmed her thoughts and emotions. Dunkerque growls directly at me as her eyes with darkened sclera eyes on me as if I'm her prey.

"Aaah...ah..."

Dunkerque draws her saber while she couldn't let out a single intelligent word. All she could do is growl, groan, and grunt much like a typical savage. The only part is that her emotions have been flooded with bloodlust and madness from being unable to comprehend the infection inside her. She failed to display a unique mutation where someone could possibly withstand it enough to not go into a mindless state.

"Aaaghh!"

Dunkerque lets out a roar and at the same time, Akagi is slowly regaining her consciousness. I can't fight while trying protect her!

"Dunkerque, stop!" I plead in futility

The once normal battleship rushes towards and swings her light weapon downwards with a force greater than Algerie's mace.

"Kkh!"

I use my own sword to block hers, and I have to use my other hand to support my blade. Her physical strength is amplified by this madness. My arms are shaking from trying to prevent her saber from splitting my skull in half. Only my sword is stalling her as of the moment, but I fear it might break if this continues.

"..." Ghost is just slowly walking away

Akagi is at least beginning to move, but she's only partially awake as of the moment. Even if she does regain full consciousness with enough strength to keep on fighting, I'm sure she would try to bomb an infected Dunkerque.

"Dunkerque, snap out of it!"

I continue to plea even if there's very low chance she could even understand what I'm saying. Right now, she's in a frenzied state mixed with a bit of paranoia. Surely, her sane mind is like suddenly stumbling inside an ever stretching landscape where her eyes are devoid of light and she continues to wander off in the dead silence.

"Please don't make me kill you..."

Dunkerque may not be a close ally, but she's still a kansen. It pains me to even attack my fellow kansens, and being forced to kill one out of mercy would take a heavy toll on me. Dunkerque might die without even realizing why she's dying.

"Raaaaghhh!" Dunkerque pushes me away in frustration

At least three seconds later, Dunkerque aimlessly swings her blade at me. Fortunately enough, her clumsy movements are slow enough for me to block them with moderate effort. The force of each block sends faint shockwaves much like a cannonball, but she can direct it in a proper technique. She's too mad to even use her own rigging.

"...!"

I spoke too soon when she pulled herself away by a few meters. Her barrels creak from the slightest change in angle. I cross my arms in front of me the moment, she opens fire in a reckless distance.

"Tch!"

Still, due to her lack of sanity, Dunkerque only manages to land two direct hits. If it had been a little further, she might have landed one more shell at me. The immediate explosion left my eyesight hindered and my body mildly shocked from the amount of force I had to sustain. Both my arms have dark smoke evaporating in the sky the explosion I'm forced to absorb in the last moment.

"Guah!"

Flashing red objects flying at high speeds set Dunkerque ablaze the second it makes contact with both her rigging and her body. The frenzied battleship is somehow resistant to flames enough the fire itself dies out in about five seconds with little to no burn marks on the body. Just evaporating steam from the extreme temperature.

"That...hurts..." Akagi pants

Her hand stretches to the front indicating she launched explosives towards Dunkerque the second she manages to stand back up. From the looks of it, she just forced her body to move from how her legs are trembling and how her breathing is still unsteady.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Akagi frowns at me

"..."

"If you don't answer me-"

"...!"

Akagi only stops in the middle of her sentence as everything around me immediately comes into a complete stop. Both Akagi and Dunkerque are frozen stiff from right where they stand and even the breeze itself ceases. I'm only able to move because this power belongs to someone both familiar and annoying...

"That's enough for today..."

A familiar voice rings out in my ears. It feels her voice echoes in the open surroundings and also whispering from within my thoughts.

"You..." I frowned at the person who suddenly appeared out of nowhere

Welt appears in her physical form as a kansen and not as her primary Leviathan form. The ever whimsical beast has Ghost's fragment in her possession and even tosses it up down as if she's flaunting the little effort she spares.

"Don't look at me with such disdain. I came here to test Richelieu and the others, but you came in unexpectedly"

"..." I glance at Dunkerque

"Oh, her? Don't worry, the infection hasn't eaten half of her wisdom cube. I can make her sane again, but I can't guarantee she wouldn't be traumatized" Welt immediately understands my intentions

"Just do it"

"Fine. I'm only doing this for free because I didn't intend this"

Welt sighs in dismay as the fake kansen slowly moves towards Dunkerque who's frozen in a position that's about to charge at me again.

(Ash...)

I can't help but see the strong resemblance between Ash and Welt's matured form. The fact even the attire is the same with the exception that Welt is not wearing a tattered scarf and kneesocks. She even has a headphone resting by her neck.

"Hmm..."

Welt gently pokes her index finger on Dunkerque's temple. The nearest form of infection is forcibly pulled towards her finger and the rest follows up one by one. Dunkerque's scleras are no longer black since Welt is absorbing Ghost's malice from her index finger.

"Done" Welt pulls away her finger two minutes later

"Already?"

"I told you she's not that badly infected. She might feel like waking up from a bad dream though"

I can't help but suddenly notice how Welt is wearing sleeveless attire today, but both of her hands until her forearms are completely blackened by black substance hardened to her skin. It's rather flexible much like tight fit gloves, but it reinforced her skin as armor. She really couldn't hide her true nature as a Leviathan.

"If you don't need anything else, I'll be on my way" Welt sighs

"You're leaving already? What did you come here for?" I frown

"This is a testing ground for Ghost. It seems no one is strong enough to keep a fragment under control"

"..."

"I wouldn't allow anyone to die here, so I kept an eye since the beginning" Welt crosses her arms

"You're not an enemy, so I'm tolerating your presence"

"As if I cared about that..."

Ash said that Welt is "gentle and calm", but she acts rude and confident. She has an adult body, but I don't see signs of maturity at all. The only changes I see is her rewarding kindness by helping those who wouldn't doublecross her.

"Your sister left a while ago, by the way. She didn't wait for the whole situation to be over" Welt snaps her fingers

"..." I avert her gaze

"Oh, right. I also can't leave you here"

I'm not really asking for a free ride home, but it's rather a hassle to remain here any longer. I don't want to deal with Akagi right now, so I might as well return to the other world as soon as possible.

"By the way, Belfast mentioned you helped Javelin and her friends three days ago" I want to confirm while I approach her

"I did" Welt just chuckles

"I have a soft spot for children. It reminded me of my own childhood" Welt stretches her hand and opens a rift

It does make me feel uneasy to see "Ash" stretch a smile and even fondly laugh with bloss. This isn't Enterprise, but I still erase the image in my head no matter how much I try. Also, how long is the childhood she's referring to? She's practically millions of years old from her countless travels.

What is she up to? This Leviathan doesn't plan on short terms...