An inevitable attack against Iron Blood...
Once Welt decides something, she wouldn't back down from it unless someone could reason with her. That creature never acts on impulses unless it's connected to either her instinct or intuition. She's going to use one of their bases as an experimental ground which will result in Chapayev's death.
"Grr..." I keep walking back and forth
The scheduled attack is tomorrow, and I don't know how I can stop it. H-39 is unaware of what's going on in my world and it should remain that way. Azur Lane's problems should only remain there and must never extend to this world. They already have their hands full with the strings of attacks worldwide recently.
"Dragging your feet won't do you any good. It won't magically solve your problems" Prinz Eugen deeply sighs
She gets tires observing me walk back and forth even if all she does is drink tea while Belfast keeps refilling it. I know dealing with the Northern Parliament's upcoming attack isn't her concern, but she should at least try to be a little helpful.
"..." I stop for a moment
"Bismarck, how do you intend to prevent the attack exactly? You're up against an intangible kansen and possibly Welt herself" Belfast is the only one genuinely concerned
"Neither of them are that easy to kill. Not to mention, you're no longer at your prime"
As much as I hate to admit it, Prinz Eugen has a point. Welt is nearly impossible to kill and so does Ghost. My body has gotten weaker and I could barely use half of the original strength I once possessed.
"You only got lucky last time because Welt had to save Dunkerque"
Prinz Eugen fiddles and digs the bowl of cookies and biscuits. To think she's only here to slack off and not worrying about my corrupted sister's wrath.
"Why did she have to interfere to save one ship?" I raise my head and remember the incident
"It was a deal between Richelieu and Welt. The current Bismarck didn't notice because when Richelieu called out to her, time came to a stop"
That explains her last-minute appearance and saving a random kansen without a specific reason. It still leaves the mystery of how Richelieu knows what could get Welt's attention. Richelieu is straightforward and honest, but even she has secrets of her own.
"The Siren Purifier is set to appear on the attack tomorrow. She will observe Ghost's experimental descent and keep some of the kansens away" Belfast further reveals
"Is it alright to tell me all of this?" I worry about her
"Fufufufu. It doesn't really break my agreement with Welt. Even if she views it as against our agreement, she can't really do anything about it"
"..."
I'm somewhat impressed and baffled at the same time that I don't know what else to ask. Welt hates anyone double-crossing her and Belfast isn't the type to trick anyone, so I wonder about the terms and conditions of their agreement that Belfast is confident she's not going against it.
"Purifier isn't my problem. I have to make sure to deal with Ghost before the Northern Parliament ships can reach it" I sit across Prinz Eugen
Since there's a vacant chair and I'm getting tired from walking back and forth earlier then standing here for a few minutes, I march towards the table. I'm not in the mood for teatime and desserts, but I need a proper conversation with these two.
"Although, I will help you reach the exact location, my agreement doesn't allow me to assist you in battle" Belfast reminds me
"I can't get in the way either because I don't like hard work and Iron Blood will suspect if I leave for too long"
It's understandable on Belfast's part, but Prinz Eugen is mostly just making an excuse to not exert effort. To begin with, they're assisting me in their own way without any benefit, so I don't complain much that I have to do most of the work.
"It's fine. I just need to stall or at least fend off Ghost" I take a deep breath
"Since it's just a glitch, that one is much weaker than the original" Prinz Eugen waves a square-shaped biscuit
"It will disappear once it gets too damaged, so you need to end the fight as soon as possible" Belfast calmly suggests
"Just keep your head down from how it spams aircraft and lasers" Prinz Eugen munches on a chocolate chip cookie
The glitch is both mindless and vulnerable, so it's like I'm just fighting zombie defying the nature of the world. Ghost's true nature is an attempt to create another Enterprise, but the power of META and instilling negative emotions caused it to become unstable. More importantly, they deliberately removed its intelligence to make it absolutely obedient and unfeeling.
"I have a question, Belfast" I raise my head
"Yes?" Belfast tilts her head
"What up with Welt's body? She manifested as a kansen not as her Leviathan form"
"..."
My question is either risky or sensitive for both of them. Belfast and Prinz Eugen fall eerily quiet and stare at me in surprise. It's obvious they're both aware of the answer, but it's not something either of them can gleefully respond without any problem.
"Welt is fused with another version of Ash. That's why she's bound to a mortal body and allows herself to be weakened. That Ash is no longer alive, so it's just a body occupied by the sea dragon"
After a minute of being in this tense atmosphere and almost being mildly hostile to the two of them, Prinz Eugen volunteers to answer. I suppose she senses Belfast is very reluctant to answer from how she moves both hands on her back.
"She stole it?" I frown at the idea
"No, she wouldn't do that to a friend. Instead, that Ash voluntarily offered her body due to unknown circumstances. From how depressed she looked, it's a terrible memory for her" Prinz Eugen shrugs her shoulders
"Friend?" I'm actually surprised
"Well, it's a bit of a long story, but the summary of it is Welt befriending one version of Enterprise during her travels. The two actually got along and Welt stayed with Enterprise even after she became Ash"
To think Welt, of all people, would actually grow fond of someone else. Despite her deliberately acting carefree and cheerful, she can be arrogant and ruthless knowing only METAs and Arbiters can put up a good fight against her.
"I suggest not to pry much into it once you encounter Welt again. You'd put her in an unpleasant mood" Belfast warns me for my sake
"She's tolerant and patient even to someone like Observer Alpha, it takes effort to actually make her angry. Mentioning about her kansen body is one way to die horribly" Prinz Eugen furrows her eyebrows
From the deepness and sternness of her tone, Prinz Eugen is being serious even if she sounds like she's exaggerating. Welt is created by a human but isn't a humanoid being herself, so it's not recommended to get on her bad side, but she's significantly weakened due to her mortal body.
Later that night...
Belfast says she can help me teleport to the Northern Parliament at least an hour before the attack. The exact location she can at least take me is at least the exact area where Ghost will try to manifest its extension. After that, I'm on my own to handle Ghost.
"This is troublesome..." I could only let out a deep sigh
To soothe some of my anxiety, I spend the night staring at the fading waves brushing by the shore. The natural chill of the night breeze is rather soothing and it's making me doze off for seconds. Unfortunately, I can't afford to rest without having a solid plan on how to prevent Chapayev from dying. If I'm careless, I might end up adding more casualties.
"What's the matter? You look very troubled" H-39 is standing behind me
By that, I mean Charles William Ferdinand, an experimental ship named after a historical person from her country. She's usually busy, so we don't always speak with each other recently.
"I'm about to leave again tomorrow since some of my allies are in trouble. A mindless monster is about to attack them, and I'm the only one who knows where and when it will strike" I want to at least inform her
"I guess we're both busy tomorrow, huh. I'm about to chase and corner a strong enemy tomorrow. Maybe it's an Abyssal or a Siren - maybe both" H-39 cheerfully laughs as she sits beside me
"..."
"Well, fighting isn't supposed to be fun, but it's something I'm willing to give my all. I'm not like the other kansens since I'm nonexistent, so I thought my existence doesn't mean much to this world"
"..." I just keep listening
"I may not have existed in the past, so I want to keep existing now. Even if that comes to an end one day, I would at least be glad that I existed"
"Those are the words of someone...prepared to die"
I don't want to mention it, but I can't ignore how content and calm she stares at me. Charles William Ferdinand made peace with her life and dictated that she doesn't fear death. Those are the words who sense death looming over them as if fate itself wants to prepare them.
"When your job is to fight grotesque sea creatures and somehow alien-like creatures, you ought to be prepared to die every day" H-39 snickers
"Even so, don't invite death. You just keep making yourself one step closer to actually dying"
"Really?" H-39 is genuinely confused
"Things like planning their retirement, proposing to their beloved, and declaring their dreams often gets people killed shortly after"
"Oh, I've seen those things in hollywood movies. Hmm, we really can't do anything about it, can we? I mean, sooner or later we're going to bite the dust no matter what we do. That's just how fate works"
"Still..." I lightly sigh
"Nameless, why do people meet?"
"..."
That's an interesting question, so I straighten my back and briefly turn my gaze towards the shore. I don't really know what to think of since it's one of those matters where anyone would immediately think "it just happens".
"What makes people each other? Does it happen on purpose or just by pure coincidence?" H-39 wryly smiles
"I really don't know. I'm not the philosophical type"
H-39 should try discussing it with Graf Zeppelin, but she would be annoyed at H-39 being casual about death but not cursing at the destiny given by God.
"If anything, I can't believe you trusted a stranger this much and for this long" I changed the topic
"I'm a good judge of character, but I admit that I kept a close eye on you for the first few days. If you had been an enemy, I wouldn't be as friendly as I am right now"
That makes sense at least. She exposes herself, but she's the type of person who always keeps her hands close to her weapons. I suppose she has enough experience when dealing with humans and their messy politics for her to practice distinguishing trustworthy allies and traitors.
"Anyhow, I wasn't hostile to you even when we first met because you were someone suicidal. Someone who had so much regret that they deemed themselves unworthy of existing any further" H-39 furrows her eyebrows
"...Yeah. I just want to die because I couldn't do anything for my people and I left them to die. At least, I want to die protecting them this time..." I lower my head
"That's why I feel sorrier for you than hostile"
"I can't tell you everything, but I made a huge mistake. My sister became corrupted and most of my people were killed"
As the leader, I was supposed to protect Iron Blood and ensure its future. Instead, I focused on myself and my carelessness left Iron Blood vulnerable. It was too late because Tirpitz became corrupted and half of Iron Blood was wiped out. When "that thing" manifested, very few Iron Blood ships survived. One of them was Prinz Eugen, who harshly blamed me for our nation's fall.
"If I don't come back, that means I'm dead. So it's best to forget me after that..."
"Why would I want to forget you? I like to remember honest and strong-willed people"
"Strong-willed? You call me that even if I want to die" I shake my head
"Sure, you want to die, but you persisted on living to set things right. At least, you want to redeem yourself before you die. That's strong-willed compared to people who just wallow in their fragility and end up drinking and hanging themselves"
From how she speaks deeply in a spiteful and bitter manner, I can guess she's basing on personal experience. It's either those close to her or at least she witnessed someone where she comes to loathe.
"You know what you want to do in life. At the very least, you want to go down seeing you've changed something" H-39 gently slaps my back
"Huh. To think, you actually see it so... optimistic" I scoff at myself
"Hehe. I'm just admiring how much you want to make things right. Not everyone has the courage to redeem themselves"
"You're not stupid, but you like to see good in people"
"Danke!" She gives me a thumbs up
"That's not - nevermind..."
"Ah, right! I have to get some rest already. I'll have to leave by dawn"
When she stands up, I briefly see her twitch her lips in pain. It's when she has to apply pressure on her feet, so I can clearly tell she's going into battle with unhealed injuries. I can't say to what extent her injuries are, but I can also hear her try to suppress her groans.
"..."
My heart races because I suddenly remember Welt treating everything as a published book. It's not exaggerated to compare it to that considering that lizard sees avoiding fate as part of fate as well. As I slowly watch as our distance increases and disappears from my line of sight, the thought that I might never see this person again crosses my mind.
"..."
That right before I know it, she might die before I do with how she has long accepted how everyone would die. This isn't the right time to overthink something absurd. My focus should be on what's to come tomorrow.
"Should you really be thinking of others right now, Bismarck?"
Welt suddenly speaking from my left side startles me that I immediately stand up and nearly jump back. Her distinctive four-pointed star eyes stares at me with confidence. In fact, she bears smug yet calm and collected. She's confident but not arrogant or just someone involved only for amusement.
"I won't let you succeed that easily tomorrow" I immediately declare to her
"Do as you wish. I would be just watching from the sidelines. You're just going to be up against Purifier" She callously shrugs her shoulders
"Why use the Northern Parliament as an ideal test site?"
"Would you call me childish and petty for doing out for personal reasons?" Welt just chuckles
"Yes"
"Then that may be the reason. I only cut the experiment short at Iris Libre because of the deal I have with Richelieu. Of course, I could just go back from my word, but I honor fair trades and contracts"
Welt isn't evil or good since she has no ambitions she's pursuing. It's hard to tell she's neutral either since this fish dragon in a human container is capable of bearing a grudge and never missing paybacks.
"If you want the real reason why I'm seemingly doing this on a whim...it's not" She waves her hand in the air
"Huh?" I raise my guard
"I'm keeping a promise to an old friend up until this day"
"Ash or Enterprise?"
"Belfast and Eugen told you that? Damn, those two don't know when to shut up"
For the first time, she frowns and clicks her tongue in genuine annoyance. She really dislikes discussing personal matters or at least if someone points it out to her.
"I can't tell everything yet, but I intend to fulfill my promise to her. That's why I'm doing what I can to help Ghost"
"What benefit would it give you?" I take a step back
"Nothing. I'm simply doing this out of gratitude" She widens her eyes in surprise
"..."
Come on now, Bismarck. I don't scheme or lurk in the shadows. The world cannot offer me anything anymore because I achieved my sole wish a long time ago in an alternate timeline"
As much as I hate to admit it, Welt is actually being honest and sincere here. Her goal involves helping Ghost as she claims it but she sacrifices the safety and lives of others to achieve it. This is why I don't like dealing with her kind because they have no grand ambitions to drive them this far.
"Anyhow, Chapayev will die no matter how you struggle to change. Mess up a bit and you'd end up dragging Kirov or someone else" Welt turns away
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's nice seeing you again, Bismarck. Last time we had a casual chat, you already abandoned Iron Blood..." Welt's voice becomes soft and a bit frustrated
"...?!"
"I informed and warned you ahead of time out of goodwill, but you ignored me in your arrogance. As a result, Iron Blood is mostly wiped out and your own sister becomes your enemy"
"Hey, wait-" I stretch out my hand
Bright yet dark blue energy surrounds her then her entire figure vanishes in thin air a matter of her seconds. As always, she appears without being invited and leaves without saying everything.
"..."
I lower my hand and close my mouth shut, thinking about the last thing she said to me. She's not completely lying about it. When I left Iron Blood in order to search for something, she told me to go back before because betrayal will be my undoing.
The next day...
As promised, Belfast takes me to Azur Lane, specifically at an area near where Ghost will be unleashed by the Siren Purifier. The cold wind and vast sea greets me. If it isn't for an emergency, I would stroll around and stay for a while because I don't always personally head to the Northern Parliament when Iron Blood still stands.
"I cannot assist you in battle, but I can take you back if you survive" Belfast frankly reminds me
"I won't die that easily" I may sound confident, but it's still not fully certain
"Please don't be suicidal, Bismarck. You're still far from your goal"
"I know, Belfast. I will only allow myself to die once I secure my goal"
In order to persist longer, I need to preserve my strength. That means to only fight if the situation calls for it even if I have to turn a blind eye to most conflicts. I could just ignore this danger as it wouldn't affect Iron Blood, but I can't let Ghost be even if I'm still not certain on how Welt intends to "help" a mindless and soulless creature.
"The Siren Purifier will serve as the beacon to open a rift and manifest an extension of Ghost. Once she appears, you have fifteen minutes to stop her and cancel the breach" Belfast clears her throat
"Fifteen minutes. All I need is to interrupt the annoying Siren, right?"
"Yes. Even if you can't waste strength destroying an expandable body, you can interrupt the process and cancel it altogether" Belfast cheerfully responds
At least she immediately understands that I'm hoping for a method that preserves as much strength as possible. If I'm careless, I might die of overexertion here. It may sound heartless, saving everyone in the Northern Parliament isn't my top priority. I need to stop Ghost from being unleashed even if it means, I wouldn't be able to save Chapayev.
"Don't try to be a hero. It's not something you would usually do after all" Belfast turns away
She has a point there. My normal self wouldn't try to be heroic and save as many people as possible. I've done far too many selfish and questionable things in my life both for the sake of my ambitions and for my people.
Ten minutes later...
I arrive at the designated area and not even a minute later, a bright yellow portal appears in the middle of the sea and the Siren Purifier is the only one to emerge out of it. As usual, she stares at me with a wide-eyed grin to reflect how she only finds joy in battle and trampling those weaker than her.
"Aaaah? Is that you, Bismarck? I can't see a thing in that helmet of yours? You want to play the knight now?" The Siren Purifier immediately recognizes me
"Unfortunately, I have to cut your fun short here"
Using my rigging is limited and a reckless battle against Elite Sirens and Arbiters might damage it beyond repair, so I manifest a sword on my right palm. As soon as the hilt takes physical form, I tightly grip it and the blade constructs itself up until the pointed tip.
"Welt said you'd get in the way because you can't see eye to eye" Purifier readies herself
"I don't know what she intends to do in the end, but I can't let her be like this. What are you helping her, Purifier?" I raise my weapon
"Hahahaha! I thought it'd be fun to mess with those girls who won't stop yapping about comrades and motherland. Besides, I can't just refuse when Welt said someone's going to die"
"I cut off your head once, I'll do it again!"
"Now that's the spirit!"
I have to stop the Siren Purifier as soon as possible in order to stop Ghost from being summoned into the physical world.
"...!" I clutch my chest all of a sudden
After moving just a few meters, stinging and sharply coiling pain paralyzes me right where I stand. I'm trying to draw as much power as I can handle, but I easily overload myself.
"You shouldn't have stopped!"
The Siren Purifier maniacally laughs and opens fire a barrage of energy based projectiles right towards me. Since my shaking body can't move faster than my thoughts, the projectiles directly strike me several times.
"Ggh!" This nearly knocks me down
"I knew it! You got weaker after all" The Siren Purifier lifts her head in joy
"Just because I got weaker, doesn't mean you're stronger than me!"
I straighten my body, ignoring the aching pain because this inconvenience is nothing compared to my current situation. There's no time to waste because I won't be able to stop Ghost from manifesting into the physical world if I remain paralyzed with pain.
"That's cheating!"
In an instant, I appear right in front of the Siren. She couldn't react in time, just speechless and genuine wide-eyed shock as I stand within arm's reach. With a full mighty swing, I severed her left arm.
"Oh, come on!" The Siren Purifier turns her attention
"Don't look away now!"
Her mistake is turning her head when I send her arm flying and helplessly sinking beneath the surface. In that two seconds of distraction, I swing without restraint again and cleanly slice off the two barrels of her hammerhead shark-like rigging.
"This wasn't what I was told!" The Siren Purifier jumps back
"...!"
Since I have to hurriedly take her down, I grip the sword with both hands and perform an downwards swing right in front of her face. Unfortunately, she sacrifices her drones to position itself between her and I. The drone immediately explodes upon being sliced in half, but the blade's tip still reaches the surface of her face.
"Aaaah! No fair, no fair!" The Siren covers the left side of her face
The Siren loses function of her left eye after I leave a significant cut on her skin and whatever Sirens are inside.
"How are you moving so fast? You're a destroyer or like those katana enthusiasts in the Sakura"
"I lost a large amount of my raw power. If I was still in my prime, you would have been blown to smithereens!" I point my sword at her
I forced my breathing to steady to not let her realize those simultaneous and near instant movements drains about half of my stamina and worsens the ache on my muscles. My arms feel stiff and I tighten my grip to stop my hands from shaking.
"You sought power but ended up losing so much of it. That's what you get for your arrogance, Bismarck!" The Purifier mocks me again
"..."
"Have you seen what became of your sister? She lost her heart and became a self-destructive pawn"
"I admit my neglect caused her to go astray. If only I put her out of her misery and didn't hesitate"
"Hahahaha! Her body is degrading as we speak. That's all thanks to what you put her through-"
I move instantaneously again, this time leaving a deep and gaping slice on her left shoulder. In response, she opens fire for what remains of her rigging's barrels. Even in point blank range, I move my body to the side and evade the condensed heat enough to pierce through steel.
"...!"
I immediately move back upon sensing a quake from the bottom of the sea. The once calm waves now become rough and violent due to the extreme force from the earth.
"Even after you injure me, it won't stop Ghost from manifesting"
The Siren Purifier opens her palm and reveals a fragment of a black wisdom cube. It emits faint black mist with unknown particles rising upwards.
"Impossible!"
"Didn't you know? The Northern Parliament experimented in the Barents Sea. It's because Ghost once manifested here, those vodka knuckleheads tried to utilize the lingering influence stored beneath the sea"
If what she says is true, then the Northern Parliament unknowingly speeds up Ghost's manifestation. She doesn't need to say anything for me to realize that Ghost senses a bit of her in this sea and is drawn earlier than expected.
"Ghost can fully manifest, but if she can merge with a living kansen, then she'll finally be a living kansen"
"That means she would be a physical mortal and now possible to kill" I remind her
"It doesn't matter. Ghost is the manifestation of humanity's trash piled up from this war. What's more, it's a failed Enterprise clone designed to lack any personality or freewill"
"This may be obvious, but you'll kill us all. The world will deem us a threat and wipe us all out"
Ghost's manifestation will damage the world's ley lines and disturb the world itself. This will cause the world to terminate the anomaly by resetting the planet's surface. It will eliminate both humans and Sirens indiscriminately.
"Unlike the other Sirens, I don't particularly care about that. I don't mind witnessing the world be obliterated to kingdom come"
This Siren Purifier is behaving. No, she may have been damaged in more ways than one. She doesn't behave as part of the Siren network but someone suicidal to sate her own amusement.
"...!"
A large circle filled with intricate patterns and circles much like a summoning circle, forms above us. The sunlight disappears right before my eyes and the sky is tainted by a purplish red light. As everything grows dim, a single crack first forms out of thin air. Then it branches out in different directions until it continues to spread, making it more visible.
"I'm just a beacon after all..." The Siren Purifier smiles in excitement
The crack stops at a certain size until a force shatters it from the inside. The pieces of space fly away like shattered glass and are reduced to dust before making contact with water. Inside it is a pitch black void where nothing and no one could live.
"M...My job here...is done. Let's see you try to survive this...Bismarck"
Black mist carrying digital particles seeps out of the crack as if a demon has been summoned into the world. A crooked and incomplete energy of black light pierced through the Siren Purifier's chest, leaving a hole bigger than a fist would make.
"...!" I couldn't move
Several spear-like energy blasts pierces the Siren all over her body, shredding her limbs like tearing through paper. Just as the Siren Purifier collapses to the ground, black mist engulfs what remains of her floating rigging and body.
"..." I still couldn't move
Her remains are converted inside that black mist and pulled away from where it once floated. Right before I know it, a manifestation of Ghost's fragment has already touched the surface water.
"...….."
It absorbed the Siren Purifier to gain enough energy and fuel to at least shape its form similar to a long haired Ash. Since sh lacks a corporeal form, it appears as her name suggests and shrouded in black mist, so most kansens wouldn't be able to recognize her.
"Damn it...!"
There's no other choice but to confront Ghost and hope I could find a way to either stall time or force her to retreat.
"...!"
Unfortunately for me, Ghost immediately notices my presence and swings her arm, sending out black mist that does not harm me externally, but inflicts unbearable pain in my wisdom cube. My feet are lifted off the ground and send my powerless body flying fifteen meters away.
"Nnggh...!"
The pain reverberating all over my body is amplified by at least tenfold that even I couldn't bear anymore. This renders me mostly paralyzed on my knees when I force myself to stand up. My damaged wisdom cube has been shaken much like a fresh wound bleeding due to excessive physical strain.
"I have to..."
There's no time for me to just sit here. The Northern Parliament will arrive at this battlefield soon because they would have noticed the spatial disturbance, namely the sky turning purple and space itself torn apart by Ghost forcing itself to manifest.
"I don't get it. Why would Welt, of all people, want to help this thing? It doesn't make any sense even for someone like her"
Ghost is mindless and cannot be called a person after all. It's devoid of any emotions or thoughts, making it no different from a hollow puppet. There's no one controlling it as it killed those who attempted to do so. As a result, it moves purely on its primal instincts.
"..." Ghost just stares at me
It doesn't view me as a threat now that I could barely stand up straight and lift my blade. I tried to attack it earlier, so it sends me flying rather than kill me. Perhaps, in its eyes, I'm not worth the effort or it may be just an instinct to deliver a warning first as a creature that's neither evil nor good.
"...!"
Ghost unleashes an immense amount of pressure to the surroundings that the surfaces vibrate, and the air grows so heavy that I could barely breathe. It feels as if my body is being crushed and my heart is about to be squeezed to pulp.
"Kkkhh...aaah..."I try to let out air
Unfortunately, the energy Ghost emits is fatal to normal humans and just as deadly even to META ships like me. A normal kansen would have fainted within the first few seconds, but I managed to stay conscious for more than a minute.
"I can't...not yet..." I struggle to remain conscious
"..." Ghost warps to my locations
It's more like she vanishes out of thin air and reappears in front of me when I blink once. Since the pressure she emits remains and more condensed the closer you are to it, I'm completely defenseless since I couldn't even move a finger.
"..." Ghost lifts its arm
Right before she swings it down to pierce through my body, a glinting blade severs its arm.
"...!"
I recognize the tattered and charred cape of the kansen with snow white hair and dim azure eyes. There's no way I wouldn't recognize...the least person who I expected to make an appearance or at least interfere against Ghost.
"Ah...it's you..."
Even though interrupting and damaging a ghostly ship, energy flows through the blade's hilt and to its center. The sensation is similar to Welt, so it must have contained and coated it with the Leviathan's blood and power. Knowing her, I somewhat didn't expect she would "borrow" it, but that's not the issue right now. My own sister is right before my eyes and from her calm and uninterested gaze, she must be "fully aware" of her surroundings, but I know that expression I missed wouldn't last long.
EXTRA
As usual, the whole base is in order. My comrades are resting from the recent battle with Tester Beta and the humanoid Sirens accompanying her. Everyone is safe and sound with only minor to moderate damages. Most of them are ready to sortie out again, but I prefer if they rest as much as possible. It's rare for us Northern fleet ships to have a moment of peace for ourselves, I wish to see them rest and enjoy this little break.
"How's the progress?" I shift my gaze to the side
"Hmm. It's not an energy originating from a Siren. If anything, it's similar to a kansen...but polluted"
Chkalov, holding a clipboard, scratches and tilts her head in clear confusion. For someone who's focused on her research and always produces the result we need, it seems like the black energy beneath the Barents Sea is completely foreign to her.
"Polluted? How so?" I turn around to face her
"It's as I said. The pattern and wavelength match with the ones in our wisdom cubes, but it's polluted. If our energy is akin to water, then the one we discovered is muddy. An unknown substance mixed in with that water" Chkalov waves around her clipboard
"If it's polluted, then is it corrupted by any chance?"
"As far as I can tell, I don't believe an outside force corrupted that energy. From the consistency, it's originally polluted. It makes sense if we're going to classify this one as pollution given form"
Chkalov slowly pulls out the clipped picture and raises it by her head level to show it to me. It's the unknown being nicknamed [Ghost]. An unidentified kansen shrouded in black fog and it corrodes everything it touches with the same black substance we discovered. Since it has no solid form and vanishes without a trace, Azur Lane refers to it with a fitting nickname.
"We tried amplifying the energy in the open sea hoping for any reaction, but it remains dormant. Nothing resonates with it and it just causes spatial disturbance, so we sealed it once more as per your instructions" Chkalov sighs in dismay
"The Sirens stay away from it the moment it appears. Its touch and blackness reconstruct someone like Omitter in mere seconds" I furrow my eyebrows while thinking
"It's like a force nature given form. If I didn't know any better, I would think it's this era'€ version of the black plague" Chkalov couldn't think of any logical answer
"Then do you believe it's a disease or contamination?"
"Contamination? The closest description it fits is it's a contaminated kansen caused by a defect before it could manifest" Chkalov at least agrees
"This Ghost manifested in Iris Libre waters and mysteriously vanished according to our Intel. There was also a masked battleship who got in between, but she disappeared alongside the target"
I carefully mention it to Chkalov. Not only Ghost is suddenly appearing all over the world, now an unknown battleship appears out of nowhere and disappears before we can gather any information. Bismarck and Richelieu fought this kansen but even the two of them couldn't defeat her.
"We must handle this threat before it becomes a problem" I know I have to do something
"Unfortunately, we lack the information to confront the threat. All we know is that it doesn't have a solid body and most likely moves on instinct"
"So a literal ghost..." I let out a sigh
"That's correct. Lasers and shells go right through it but it can certainly touch us"
"This is really... problematic"
"If my theory is correct, we could harm it physically if we contain it in a vessel"
"It's not as easy as pouring a pile of black liquid in a jar"
"A body. A human body or if there's no option left...a kansen's body" Chkalov's voice deepens
"...!"
I know I've been scrambling my head for a way to take it down, but the thought of using a living vessel never once cross my thoughts. Even someone like me would hesitate to use a regular human or a kansen as a sacrifice.
"Kyubyshev got too close last time with the test area and she nearly got her left arm amputated after it was infected with an unknown liquid" Chkalov shrugs
"What?!" I shake my head in complete shock
"Then she nearly got her other arm amputated too after she pulled away when Chapayev fainted. Oh, Kirov almost lost her eyes too after dragging the two..." Chkalov clears her throat
"Use drones or dummies next time. We can't lose specialized cruisers like them over something so avoidable" I massage my forehead
"You're the boss" Chkalov leaves the scene
Our recent experiments and tests are gradually becoming hazardous to kansens. My comrades are durable and resilient, but they will succumb to mortality. We're not dealing with a Siren or another kansen, but a being neither alive nor dead.
"Rossiya, we made the last preparations" Kirov arrives with the others
"We're all set and ready to head out" Chapayev giggles
"Gangut, Tallin, and Kyubyshev are ready to set out. Everyone is just awaiting your command" Kiev salutes
"Alright. We'll head out to the designated area in ten minutes. Everyone, prepare to sail! I slam my sheathed blade to the ground
An anomaly has been detected within our waters. While no Siren presence has been spotted or even detected, I suspect something is amiss. Tashkent's group detected the anomaly which rendered their radios and radars useless as if it's emitting faint and temporary magnetic waves. Our scanners detected gradual increase in reactive energy, so must secure or eliminate it before it worsens.
"After this issue, I still have a scheduled meeting with King George V and Littorio regarding an ongoing project about dimensional breach"
I shake my head and murmur with how my schedule has been meeting after meeting this week. Even vodka and black coffee can barely help me stay awake now, but I must perform my duty as the de facto leader of the Northern Parliament. Hopefully, their plan to view and observe worlds far beyond alternate timelines will be worth my time.
