Her eyes are already dull, but I can always recognize her at first glance. The sister I've always known appears right before me, but she appears calmer than usual. In our last hostile encounter, her gaze seems to drift somewhere and her expression overwhelmed by emotions. It looked unnatural as if something tampered with her state unlike now.
"..."
Half of Ghost's body dispersed into thin air like black mist mixed with particles in the air. Shells and bombs can't land significant damage on the creature, but it can be stunned and immobilized even for a few minutes.
"A wretched lizard grabbed me from behind and dropped me in the middle of the ocean" Tirpitz grunts
"Welt..."
"My mind is less foggy when I realized I'm in Northern Parliament territory. I didn't know why or what happened, but I sensed this other wretched creature"
(What is that damn lizard up to?)
"I was unwillingly dragged into her gamble again...most likely because of you"
Tirpitz is clearly unhappy, but I'm more relieved she speaks calmly and gently like she always does. Although, I do feel uneasy because Welt unexpectedly drag Tirpitz here to either test or provoke me. Whatever the case, she must have been planning this from the beginning.
"I'm not after your life or just being violent in general..." Tirpitz sighs
"I know" I confidently reply
"My mind feels hazy...but I know it's you"
"Oddly enough, it's like you're back to your old self"
"It won't last long. Sooner or later, I'll relapse" Tirpitz sighs in dismay
"..."
Tirpitz is barely lucid. I can tell because she has difficulty focusing on her words and surroundings.
"I was brought back wrong after all, but the me standing right now doesn't blame you. Not anymore..." Tirpitz closes her eyes for a moment
"I'll make this right when the time comes" I promise to her
"There's no need. The one who will kill me is my past version. At least that's what Welt believes"
"Go now. I'll buy at least fifteen to twenty minutes"
Tirpitz faces Ghost who reformed its intangible form by drawing resources from the world itself like a parasite. Since my sister isn't quite alive, Ghost's erosion and decay won't affect her body. No, I'm more worried I won't be able to talk to her again like this after this situation. Tirpitz rarely regains consciousness due to lacking a key component - what humans call a "soul".
"Rossiya and her fleet are coming. I have to stall them as long as possible"
Since this Ghost is an extension, it's physically unstable and far weaker than the real Ghost. I have to admit it's annoying me how I have to deal with at least three versions of Enterprise: the incomplete copy, the Ashes one, and technically Welt's current body.
"If I'm not careful, Chapayev might not be the only one who will get eaten"
I sail as fast as I could since I could already detect their fleet before they can detect me. There are two groups, so I can only hinder one of them.
"Tch. Which one..."
The spatial anomaly Ghost passively brings is causing my radars to malfunction. I could monitor their numbers and movements, but I can't specify who is who and which is which.
"Four ships, and the other is three..."
The first group is composed of one battleship, two light cruisers, and a destroyer. As for the second group, it's only a small group of a battleship, heavy cruiser, and a light cruiser. Chapayev is a light cruiser, so I can't tell which one of the two groups she is with.
"I still can't distinguish!"
Both sides have engine readings of the Chapayev class, so it's still not enough to narrow which one is Chapayev herself.
"Damn! I don't have enough time"
There's no point in standing here and remaining indecisive since Tirpitz is exhausting herself to remain lucid enough to stall Ghost. I decide to head towards the four ships, gambling on the possibility Chapayev herself is there.
"...!"
About three minutes later, my radars are within range to precisely identify one of the two cruisers is Chapayev herself. What's more is Sovetskaya Rossiya is leading the small squadron. Sovetskaya Rossiya is accompanied by Kiev, Chapayev, and Kirov.
"Forgive me - feuer!"
As soon as my barrels creak raising their angles, I raise my voice and let my cannons roar. Since they're just regular kansens, I have to adjust my firepower enough to just lightly to moderately damage them.
"...!"
The squadron notices as soon as the shells land them, lightly damaging Sovetskaya Rossiya as I aimed to disable her first. It diverts their attention right to me, and I can already see Sovetskaya Rossiya shaking her head in confusion.
"A kansen? You - why did you open fire at us?" Sovetskaya Rossiya draws her sword
At the very least, she's not immediately impulsive and returns fire without hesitation. The second she immediately recognizes my rigging and appearance as a kansen, she hesitates to open fire. Her cannons are still pointed at me, so she would certainly shoot the moment I shoot again.
"Don't go any further. You will only die in vain" I
warn them first
"What do you mean?"
"Ghost cannot be killed by mere kansens. It's a literal ghost"
They're as stubborn as the ships in Iron Blood. Once they set their sights on their enemy, making them change their mind or back away is nearly impossible. It's more difficult with their leader at the front.
"You're going to lose your comrades if you continue!"
As much as possible, I want to avoid damaging them too much and my primary goal is to stall them as much as possible.
"Who are you? What nation do you belong to?" Sovetskaya Rossiya refuses to listen
(Is taking them head-on the only way?)
I can't possibly reveal I'm also Bismarck but from another timeline. In their eyes, I'm just a mysterious battleship whose identity is concealed by a helmet.
"You don't know what Ghost is capable of. If you proceed, your comrades might lose their life!" I try to reason with them
"Don't make me repeat myself. Who are you?"
"I'm...a self exiled battleship who no longer belongs to any nation - No Name or Nameless"
The other three ships behind her blink in confusion and simultaneously look at each other. It's a natural reaction considering my answer is rather vague and a bit nonsensical.
"A nameless battleship. Then you must be a traitor or a disgrace to your former nation then" Sovetskaya Rossiya swings her sword in the air
"A disgrace? Yes, I've become a disgrace after abandoning my own nation for my selfish goal. I can no longer be called the pride of my nation...and I'm not fit to bear my name anymore" I lower my head
"Perhaps there's a [me] in another timeline who didn't leave her nation to die. I couldn't even put down my sister whose death I desecrated"
Tirpitz shouldn't be even standing now. It's only possible because I interfered...and didn't allow her to die peacefully. The natural order of this world is that those who died should remain so. Messing with that order would have consequences. Life is not for any man to toy, yet I ignored my rationality out of grief and forced her into this life again.
"She returned wrong...and not quite alive. If only I had the heart to deliver the sweet release of death" I keep talking without care
"Are you done talking?"
"Rossiya, think about your people. Don't get lost into your pride and ambitions. You'll end like me in the future. Well, one of your versions did and fought another [me] to the death"
I nearly forgot I saw a brief glimpse of another timeline through Welt while I sought to fulfill my ambitions. One such possibility was a clash between us. Sovetskaya Rossiya had lost herself and sought to die in battle when she fell into the lowest despair. I only agreed out of pity when I saw her eyes grim with regret and self-inflicted suffering.
"Don't make me go through that again..."
That's a possibility because Ghost absorbed several of her comrades and even used Sovetskaya Belorussiya's appearance as its base form.
"...!"
The sea becomes shaky and sudden waves beneath us nearly forces us on our knees. A pillar of black light rises to the sky and pierces the clouds. It sends an intense shock wave that causes a striking feeling of fear and anxiety in our heart.
[Bismarck...I will leave...the rest to you. My mind...is hazy...and I've taken too damage...from this creature]
Tirpitz sends a static and buzzing radio message to me. The way her breathing is heavy and groaning under breath truly means she sustained far too damage than her regenerative ability to handle and she's relapsing.
"I'll...fulfill my promise the next time we meet" I bite my lower lip
[Haha...I hope we never cross paths...because we will kill each other...]
"Tirpitz..."
[This will be like...a foggy dream to me...so this might as well not exist to you. Farewell...sister-]
As soon as Ghost's presence sends out another intense pulse, the communication immediately gets cut off. I don't why Welt interfered by bringing drawing Tirpitz here, but she has a lot of explaining to do the next time we meet.
"Rossiya, the target is needing right to us!" Kirov warns her
(What?! She was drawn to us?)
"Evasive maneuvers!"
Ghost immediately deploys shadowy SBD Dauntless right to us. They're black in color and partially concealed by a black fog. The several dive bombers swarming the sky forces both sides to scatter as it's not just a bombing run but a rain of bombs itself.
"******, ********"
While I'm desperately turning left and right to evade the countless falling bombs, I see Ghost creak open its mouth and move its lips. Despite lacking intelligence and personality, Ghost appears to be...speaking? Or at least it's trying to speak, but it shouldn't be possible for a glitch.
"** *** **** ** **"
(There's no voice)
"What are you trying to say?!" I try rushing
"Same something, Ghost! No, Enterprise!"
As I yell that name at the top of my lungs, I blinked and might have seen it widen for a second. Some of her body parts are left incomplete, so there are patches of black void all over its body and a black fog mixed with particles is concealing most of its identity as well. Even so, I see it make an expression like never before.
"You-!"
I stop at a certain distance knowing she reacted being referred to the name without a doubt. Does it recognize the name by instinct or is it aware of its identity?
"████ ████
"...?!"
I stagger back and my weakening legs nearly causes me to kneel on both knees as a voice beyond the glitch reaches into my brain. The next thing I know, I'm standing in dim lighted world with nothing in sight other than a black muddy water around me and reddened sky partnered with darkened clouds.
"████Help████ ████me" Ghost emerges out of the muddy water
"Help...me...?"
"████ ████ ████ ████████"
I can't believe it. The glitch forced my mind to connect with the actual Ghost sealed in a superimposed dimension somewhere. The Arbiters managed to trap her there for who knows how long which might have driven her further into a mindless state...yet she can still communicate.
"You've been alone for so long" I instinctively understand her
"Ugh! My head..." I stand back in confusion
As her body is completely bare, the black substance that disintegrates every kansen it darkened her hands up to her forearms and etched an unknown symbol on her back.
"Ars Notoria..."
When Ghost stumbles down, I get a clearer view of the symbol - one of King Solomon's Lesser Key. The Ars Notoria is a storage of knowledge incomprehensible to mortals.
"█████ ███ ████████"
"Nngh! What are you trying to say?" I press my hand on my forehead
It feels as if words are being forcibly inserted into my brain, but I can't comprehend the language or sound. Ghost's existence remains incomplete, but the information I could make sense of is the history or "Grey Ghost", the Enterprise who returns no matter how much the enemy believed she was sunk. I never thought they would try to manifest in pure essence.
"..."
When this "Grey Ghost" manages to keep herself standing straight for more than a minute, I realize even her body is that of an adolescent Enterprise.
"You've grown in a short amount of time"
She initially appeared as a fourteen year old, but now she resembles a typical sixteen year old. Ghost devoured kansens - both normal and META ones as she's instinctively drawn to the essence of wisdom cubes like a moth to a flame. Due to her lack of intelligence, she devours them out of uncertainty. She doesn't know what to do with kansens or their wisdom cubes, so she ends up eating them. Truly like a child who keeps stuffing inedible objects in their mouths.
"████ ████Bis████marck, ████"
"...!" I move back
A sudden chill runs down my spine, making me distance myself further after Ghost vaguely mentions my name and takes two steps forward. Her mouth doesn't move, but I could hear barely audible noises ringing in my brain. She made her prison as her world, so she holds this kind of power here.
"To think those humans twisted her legend"
The wills and emotions incorporated in her twisted wisdom cube is the "Grey Ghost" who is a warrior cannot be hindered by death to eliminate the enemy. It horribly backfired and caused Ghost to view the world as her enemy. As a result, she keeps growing stronger with each attempt to sink her. If Ash hadn't realized this after sinking Ghost the third time, she would have been an unnatural predator to humans.
"Enterprise. You responded when I called you by that name and you brought me here. Surely, there must be a reason for it" I take a deep breath and step forward
"████Ent████prise"
It's difficult to communicate with her as she remains mostly verbally impaired and physically incomplete. However, she seems to slowly but gradually understand me the longer I try to communicate.
"Kan████sen ████you████ ████I"
"You're growing..."
I swallow my breath out of sudden anxiety after the immediate discovery that Ghost is indeed growing other than mindlessly swallowing everything in her path. Just like humans, Ghost adapts and adjusts to every new scenario she encounters except she has to die to readjust. Now, she has enough self awareness to recognize we're both kansens.
"You shouldn't let her learn from you"
An unseen hand grabs my left forearm and harshly drags me back, forcing me out of the dim prison in mere seconds. Inside that prison feels awfully heavy, but my body feels lighter when my eyes meet real sunlight again.
"I'm glad I got here in time" Ash sighs in relief
"What are you doing here?" I take several deep breaths after returning to the real world
"The real Ghost teleported you in her world. While you didn't notice it, you're unconsciously feeding her information"
"So that's why she learned to speak all of a sudden..."
"The Sirens isolated her in a lifeless void after they learned the more we try to sink her, the stronger she gets" Ash reminds me
"It...She's still growing all this time. I thought she got a bit older since I last saw her"
"What do you mean she got older?"
Ember arrives on the scene, raising her voice all of a sudden. I know they tend to work together, but it's still surprising to see them here.
"At least more physically developed"
For the longest time, I actually believe the timeless prison would stagnate or dull her growth, but it...she's still the same as ever. The Sirens keep her there, away from being exposed to humans and kansens alike, due to her ability to take in information. Exposure to METAs like us allows her to regrow the strength they drained from her.
"Tch! She keeps sending all these shadowy extensions of her hoping to breach her prison" Ember is still annoyed
"All we can do is buy as much time as possible" Ash tries to calm her down
"For how long? Ash, you know it won't take long for her to break out. The only way to kill her is to stuff her in a living vessel - killing both her and the unfortunate kansen" Ember scoffs
"Even if you two manage to find a willing vessel, containing it within someone who wouldn't die in minutes is one in a million chance. Ghost is an imperfect kansen riddled with disease" I step in between
We can't kill someone who lacks a physical form. Our shells and bombs would simply pass through Ghost while it...she can certainly harm us. Supernatural ghosts are driven by "unfinished business" or intense emotions but this is an experiment that horribly backfires.
"Ghost is going after Sovetskaya Rossiya's group" Ash lifts her head
"I have to go!" I'm immediately reminded of the situation
"Are you trying to quicken your death? Even if you make it there, you might get eaten by Ghost" Ember grabs my arm
"I'd be a terrible meal for her. Ghost prefers kansens in full health and not METAs like us"
If Welt's warning can really be trusted, then Chapayev is going to be Ghost's meal for today, and if I'm not careful enough...everyone might suffer the same fate. I cannot allow Ghost to nourish itself further and escape the dimension she's currently trapped in.
"Bismarck, you don't have enough strength to even fend her off" Ash steps in front of me
[You should listen to her. Not only will you pointlessly throw away your life, the other trivial German shipgirl will die]
Welt's voice echoes inside my head. I expected her to observe everything from a distance. There's little to no benefit in pushing me into action, but she wants something from Ash. Not just Enterprise, my past experience is telling me this isn't an impulsive desire. It's something she has in mind for a while.
"I'm not going to die here. Yes, I will indeed die in the future...but Ghost isn't completely mindless. Her connection to the physical world is weak and unstable, so I just need to buy time"
Rather than waste my time further and before Ash could think of following me, I immediately sailed past her.
"..."
Just before I could pass by her side, I briefly see her lower her head and blankly stare at the water surface. Ash isn't here on a random thought. To a certain degree, she both feels guilty and pity towards Ghost.
"They're all suicidal..."
Not just Ash, but everyone I meet so far isn't looking at living anymore. Tirpitz once wished to fight in the open sea as she was stripped of that experience from the beginning. The one who Ghost wildly involved welcomes battles in order to die. My sister is hoping someone out there can put her out of her misery...and perhaps I share the same wish.
"..."
I shake my head and continue to rush at Sovetskaya Rossiya's direction since their drastic and chaotic movements mean they're desperately evading Ghost. Her glitches are weak when it comes to firepower and her manifestation is limited, but her absurd ability is lethal to kansens.
"This pest won't just die!" Sovetskaya Rossiya slashes one of Ghost's appendages
Just as my guns enter Ghost's current range, I stop the moment I realize the materials mixed in Ghost's appendages. The black elastic substance is like liquid metal that integrated mass produced Sirens to solidify its form and extend its range. It's a horrible amalgamation of scraps and humanoid remains, but I know Ghost isn't capable of disgust yet.
"What are you looking for?" I mutter to myself
Directly asking that is pointless because that Ghost isn't the real one. It's just a glitch formed out of its desire to crawl back into the real world.
"It's not real" I shake my head
I have to remind myself that it's just another one of Ghost's copy and that I have to move before someone from the Northern Parliament becomes a victim.
"Feuer!"
I move my guns to Ghost's direction, ignoring how it still resembles the actual one but clad in a shadow and the body left incomplete. Shells fly into the sky at high speed and rain down on the abomination of a glitch.
"████" Ghost turns to face me
As usual, the attack did little to no damage against her, but at least I have her attention now. Her junk of an appendage slaps the Northern fleet ships away.
"Nngh!"
I take a step back when its incomprehensible voice ringing inside my head. Since there are no human words, all I can hear is a static and buzzing sound pushing my hearing to the limit.
"Kirov!'
Rossiya crying out in horror shakes me back to my senses. As I regain my composure, I blink my eyes just to see Kirov grabbed by one of Ghost's amalgamated appendages. The black combination of liquid metal and wreckage tightly wrap around Kirov's entire right arm and slowly crush the side of her rigging. Ghost has set her...its eyes on her and plans to make their valuable cruiser her nourishment.
"Gggh! This thing is breaking my arm and my rigging!" Kirov struggles to pull herself away
As much as Kirov struggles to stop Ghost from pulling her and trying to free her arm, its tense grip looks like it's about to break her arm much like a serpentine constrictor.
"Again. Feuer!" I immediately try to distract her
It's useless to kill when it's not even the real one, but I have to draw its attention away from the Northern ships. That's right...I just have to stall until her connection to the physical word becomes weak enough to be severed.
"████ ████"
"...!"
Ghost just swings its hand and a shockwave knocks me away with a violent force. It's not just a simple wind but like a powerful punch straight right in front of me.
"I'm not backing down until you leave-!"
I stubbornly declare to her, but a sharp pain in my chest makes me stagger back and nearly kneel in pain. In response, I tightly clutch my chest and bite my lower lip to restrain this stinging sensation as much as possible.
[You're going to break if you keep going] Welt communicates through unknown means
"I'm not...going down here...but I can't let any of them fall" I continue to defy her
[Trying to change destiny is destiny itself]
"You keep spouting nonsense again"
[To keep it simple to your impulsive kind: every moment of defiance from the METAs is self-fulfilled destiny. You're no exception, former leader of Iron Blood]
"..."
I'm wasting my time arguing with someone who is both heartless and considerate. For a creature looking down on humans, she's as impulsive and self-serving as one. That's why I refuse to speak to her any longer and point all of my turrets at Ghost.
"Forget going home in full piece. I'm cutting off my arm!" Kirov becomes frustrated
"Idiot!" Rossiya shouts at her
They all desperately try to stun or even stagger Ghost to loosen its grip on Kirov, but it's ignoring their attempts to bombard or cut it down. Idiot is indeed right. Even if Kirov severes her arm, Ghost will simply grab the other in a split second.
"If you ignore my shells, then..."
I stretch out my hand and manifest my once proud blade in my grip. Shooting Ghost further is useless since it just ignores me like a buzzing fly, so I have to annoy it further until its forced to devote it's attention to me.
"I'll just have to cut you down!"
My hands are shaking from the ongoing pain, but I refuse to surrender to mere physical hindrance. If I fail here, then risking my life will be in vain.
"...!"
Since Ghost ignores me, I manage to get in close range to it, but just as I raise my arm and swing it down to its head, my blade stops a few inches from making contact with it. Not just my weapon, but my entire body is forced in one spot without giving me the option to struggle.
"████" It tries to speak to me again
"What-"
The second I open my mouth to ask it for some reason, liquid metal cuts my chest diagonally - from my left shoulder to the right side of my abdomen. It's not shallow cut but a near fatal one. This creature couldn't damage my wisdom cube further. Is it because of its incomplete form or on purpose?
"Gah!"
With a snap of its fingers, it manifests a fighter aircraft to riddle my chest with machine gun bullets. Right...even as an incomplete creature, Ghost is still based on an aircraft carrier.
"████"
Ghost immediately loses interest and uses one of its appendages to smack me away and send me flying.
[You really are testing my patience, Bismarck]
I can hear Welt grunting and mumbling her frustrations under her breath even if I couldn't see her.
[You're lucky I'm in the mood...only because Ash showed up and proved me right]
An image of Welt sitting in a steel throne within a stretching white space chuckles at me. That arrogant doppelganger sits with her legs crossed and stretches while her head is resting on her arm. Really much like an arrogant king.
"My wounds..." I press my chest
When my senses return to reality, the bullet wounds have completely vanished while the slash becomes a shallow cut. I'm aware Welt either helped me regenerate or transfer the injuries somewhere else, but her supposed act of kindness is concerning.
"Let go, you wretched shadow!" Kirov resorts to stabbing her arm
"..." Ghost turns her head to the left
Her attention is momentarily diverted by Chapayev going in mid range and opening fire repeatedly.
"You heard my comrade. Let her go!" Chapayev shouts
"..." Ghost tilts its head
"Shit!" I suddenly realize something
"████"
Ghost returns its attention to Kirov stabbing her forearm and then to the other two Northern ships desperately firing at her.
"..."
That's only because Ghost lifts Kirov a meter or two...right before tossing her away.
"Kirov!" Rossiya sees her comrade flying like a ragdoll
"..."
It has no interest to Sovetskaya Rossiya and Kiev either, so it lazily swings its hand and sends a powerful shockwave to send them flying away until I can barely see them.
"Run!" I yell at her!"
"Huh?" Chapayev is briefly confused
"████"
Ghost raises its hands and have dive bombers indiscriminately bomb everything in a large radius around it. This is to distract both Chapayev and I since I notice that thing sneaking a glance at me.
"Guah!"
By the time, I evade the numerous bombs and the large splashes clear in front of me, Ghost already has Chapayev in its grasp. The mindless creature lifts Chapayev off from the surface water and its hand squeezing her neck.
"Stop it!"
I can't shoot because Chapayev is within range and even when I attempt to charge at her, I get smacked away with a shockwave which reverberates all over my body. My limbs are shaking and feels numb that I can barely stand up straight.
"Aaugh..."
Chapayev can only flail her legs as black patches appears all over her body. The most notable part is the area around her neck where Ghost is strangling her and the "infection" crawls up to her chin and cheeks.
"No..."
Ghost is slowly consuming Chapayev by deconstructing and disintegrating her physical form. To Ghost, the physical bodies of kansens are like shells that it needs to peel in order to aim for the actual "food".
[I told you there's nothing you can do] Welt sighs
"I won't stand by and succumb to fate. Never again!" I shake my head
[Bismarck...]
My body feels weak and the lingering pain from my near fatal wounds earlier hasn't disappeared. This is all too trivial compared to what's happening in front of my eyes. Chapayev is a ship of the Northern Parliament, but kansens are my allies.
"What now?!"
Torpedo bombers appear from behind and just as I turn around, it's already two seconds late. Two torpedoes make direct contact on my stern and nearly stumbles me down from the shock.
"Chapayev!"
By the time Sovetskaya Rossiya returns to the scene, Chapayev's left arm and some areas in her chest have disintegrated. Black particles leave her body as a sign of Ghost actually consuming her physical form rather than discarding into nothingness.
There's nothing we can do...
I've seen this several times in my timeline. My Iron Blood subordinates are similar victims to Chapayev. They become sustenance to the actual Ghost...in order to provide enough resources to analyze the prison and materialize in the real world.
"You wretched creature!"
For the first time, I witnessed the usually calm and dignified Sovetskaya Rossiya lose her composure entirely. The headstrong defacto leader of the Northern Parliament succumbs to rightful rage and desperately tries to break free from Kiev and Kirov holding each of her arms.
"Don't you devour my comrade!" Sovetskaya Rossiya is completely furious
To her, the ships of Northern Parliament are comrades she's proud to fight alongside and wishes to protect them under her leadership. Their camaraderie is their primary source of strength...but it's their greatest weakness.
"..."
Ghost, possibly annoyed at their presence, sense fighter aircraft and dive bombers at their location, forcing the three ships to keep their distance and severs any attempt to save their comrade.
"Don't! It's...already too late..." Kirov bites her lower lip until blood spills out
In mere seconds, Chapayev is reduced into the essence of a wisdom cube. With a wisdom cube emitting faint light in its grasp, Ghost surrounds it with black substance and absorbs the wisdom cube for itself. As an extension, it can't devour the wisdom cubes on its own so it needs to process it first before transferring the essence to the actual Ghost.
"...!"
Right before I know it, my mind goes blank while my hands visibly shake that my blade creates noise in the process. In just a blink of an eye, at least in my perspective, I find myself stabbing right through Ghost's chest even when what's left of Chapayev is deconstructed as black particles rising to the air.
"What did I-?"
Ghost's connection is already unstable by the time I reached her. It's pointless to attack a mere copy of the imprisoned original, but my body moves on its own. Just like before, I succumb to my emotions when I always lived as a machine to be everyone's ideal leader.
[...Why are you making this difficult?]
"Welt!"
A thin circle of faintly glowing golden light surrounds both the false Ghost and I. The light is similar to the portals the Sirens use to transport and teleport most of the time.
"You████can't ████ ████ win"
"...!"
The actual Ghost speaks to me using Chapayev's voice as if to both mock and taunt me for my helplessness. If I set aside remembering my past failures earlier, would I have made a difference? Welt repeatedly reminds me it's impossible to undo destiny, but I...
"Welt!" I call out to her again
Energy rises from the complete circle around me, separating me from Sovetskaya Rossiya who's trying to break free from her two comrades desperately keeping her in place. I want to apologize for not stopping when I could have at least tried one last time, but they don't even know who I am. Even if they do, Sovetskaya Rossiya and everyone else wouldn't believe I'm the Bismarck who left her people to die in order to seek answers.
I stopped...because I actually couldn't throw away my life just yet...
I need answers.
In order to get close to one, I personally head to the Sakura Empire, the land that values tradition and religion much like the Iris-Vichya union. To be specific, I need to speak with Shinano herself after learning from Littorio how Shinano can perceive alternate timelines and futures through her dreams.
"The Northern Parliament was attacked hours ago and it seems they lost one of their cruisers"
Prinz Eugen, one of the surprisingly trusted escorts, scoffs upon reminding me of the news. One of the Northern Parliament's test sites caused a shadowy kansen to manifest and attack them. In the middle of the commotion, a masked battleship appeared to fend everyone off...but it still ended with one ship being eliminated.
"The mythical Ghost itself manifested. Just like they say, it doesn't have a physical form and can destroy wisdom cubes" Prinz Eugen chuckles
"A ship that kept coming back every time we believed it to be sunk. Reminds me of a certain someone"
Of course, it's not surprise Prinz Eugen is more curious and amused rather than expressing sympathy for someone's loss. While it's indeed upsetting losing someone from Azur Lane, my primary concern is to my people.
"It's rare for you to step foot in the Sakura Empire, Bismarck. You must have an urgent business with Lady Shinano"
Akagi greets me as I head to center of the city where Shinano spends of her time sleeping and dreaming. I can sense of wariness from her which is likely from my unusual move. Usually, I would just send someone on my behalf and Shinano is someone I would unlikely have a discussion with.
"Whatever the case, I'm tasked with escorting you to her residence"
With a sigh, Akagi begins to slowly walk away while Eugen and I quietly trail after her.
"It's simple as seeking guidance from her. Shinano has a special ability that might just answer some of my questions" I answer her to lessen the wariness
"Your questions?" Akagi tilts her head
"About the mysterious Ghost. Its presence is alarming, especially it's known to corrode or absorb anything it touches"
"The incident in the Northern Parliament happened in the worst timing possible" Akagi sighs
I have questions to her, specifically about her presence in Iris Libre territory during Ghost's recent attack. According to Richelieu, she's there on her own accord and not ordered by her leaders. If anything, I should be the one cautious to her.
"I've been gathering information about her ever since the incident in Iris Libre. Now that there's a casualty, the danger it posses shouldn't be taken lightly"
"It's just one dead Northern kansen..." Akagi mumbles under her breath
As much as I want to point out about her callousness, my view isn't so different. I wish to pay my respects to Northern Parliament like what the commander has in mind today, but the "it's not my concern" thinking couldn't be denied.
"Lady Shinano isn't exactly omniscient. Dreams are vague and symbolic, so don't expect every detail to be describedx
Akagi reminds me as soon as arrived at our destination. It's a large traditional Sakura residence taking shade near the large cherry blossom.
"Also, only you get to enter inside. Your escort is only allowed to wait outside" Akagi looks at Prinz Eugen
"That's fine. I'd probably fall asleep listening anyway" Prinz Eugen doesn't protest
Prinz Eugen quickly walks away from the door and goes to settle herself nearby. As for Akagi, she slides open the door herself with her sharp gaze still locked on me. It seems she's truly wary of my presence and barely sees me as an ally.
"..."
Even as I enter the residence, I could still feel Akagi's sharp eyes following me. She would have followed me inside if she's allowed to, but Shinano allowed a private discussion between us.
"It's an honor to meet you, Shinano"
Her residence may be spacious, comfortable looking, and huge, but I ignore the hallway and walls to head straight to the upper floor where Shinano likes to rest. I find her resting by the balcony overlooking a realizing view of the city while she gently shakes a cup of sake on her palm.
"Your presence - it's lost and confused. Have you met a dead end, Bismarck?" Shinano speaks in a soft and gentle manner
"Dead end. It might as well be like that since I'm not getting anywhere..."
"Please sit down" Shinano turns away from the balcony and faces me
"I've been told you encountered Ghost in your dreams. The creature who bears resemblance to a kansen but with deadly abilities"
I sit down on a square pillow in front of me as soon as she gives me the signal. This is the first time I'm sitting on my knees rather than using a chair. Well, it's custom for countries in the east and I ought to respect their culture.
"Ghost regressed into an adolescent state. The battle with METAs drained most of her strength"
"She?" I raise my head in confusion
"Ghost is no different from us - a kansen born from humans. We are born from human emotions and will, but Ghost is a twisted version of us. Rather, an attempt to give shape to a legend"
Shinano moves her tails to have some of them wrap around her. She does talk vaguely and poetically sometimes, but I have to keenly understand as she's the one with the most knowledge. Even to other nations, Ghost's existence is a complete mystery. The Sirens are wary of its presence, so I'm more intrigued to why they're "afraid".
"Somewhere out there, there exists another Bismarck. That version of you sheltered Ghost and allowed her to be brought into the world"
"Another Bismarck summoned Ghost. Impossible" I nearly raise my voice
"There is another Bismarck in this world. One that has abandoned her pride and sought atonement before she can reach the end of her destiny" Shinano continues to describe me
"Why is this about me now?"
"That lost Bismarck will be the catalyst to manifesting Ghost in corporeal form. Ghost is but a fleeting dream now, but she's far more dangerous once she anchors herself to the waking world"
"...!"
"The Ghost we've been facing countless times are nothing but dreams of the imprisoned one. In another timeline, I willingly allowed myself to be devoured by her"
"What?" I shake my head in surprise
"As a result, she gained the ability to bring forth her dreams and her twisted power instead pushes said dreams into the physical world. They are the mirages we've been fighting"
I think I understand this revelation. Ghost can stretch itself out in the real world because it gained Shinano's ability. She casually reveals another version of her willingly getting herself eaten. It doesn't bother her the least.
"I couldn't foresee why another version of me allowed herself, but she might have seen something that I couldn't. Perhaps it's related to her inevitable manifestation" Shinano isn't certain herself
"You're telling me another Shinano sacrificed herself and it has something to do with future events" I frown
"Bismarck, none of us can stop Ghost from taking physical form many moons from now. Before that happens, you will confront the Bismarck who will set her free. There, you will come to understand why she is a catalyst to manifesting what we believe as a nightmare"
"You don't see Ghost as an enemy..."
Shinano is the only one who doesn't express anxiety or cautiousness towards an abomination like Ghost. In fact, she pities the creature and her gentle eyes indicate she wishes to comfort it instead.
"You must lead Ghost to Enterprise. They are but a reflection of each other" Shinano is being vague again
"A reflection...of Enterprise..." I lower my head and think for a while
"Ghost has regressed into a younger state. Before she can return to adulthood, we must teach her humanity before humans repeat the mistake of what led her into a nightmarish manifestation"
"..."
Rather than tell me of a way to defeat or eliminate Ghost for good, Shinano takes its side instead. I wish she could be clearer to why she doesn't view Ghost as evil, but she only bases on her dream's intuition. She believes there's a good reason why another Shinano sacrificed herself and let her power be taken. As for me, Shinano warns me of another Bismarck in this world. If that Bismarck is the key to manifesting Ghost, should I try to search for her instead?
(A reflection...)
Ghost is also Enterprise. That's why Shinano reveals to me as well, but I have my doubts eben if she says it herself. It doesn't even resemble her the least or even act like her. Ghost behaves like a broken machine and animal set loose at the same time. Until I face the actual Ghost, I refuse to believe Ghost is another Enterprise, the mightiest warrior of the Eagle Union.
Ghost is far too twisted to be called a reflection. It's more like a violation of Enterprise...
