A simple prank with a horrible outcome.
Three U-boats: U-31, U-1206, and U-522 play a simple game while they're free for the rest of the day. U-31 and U-522 both curl their fists to represent "rock" while U-1206 unfortunately uses "scissor" when she splits her index and middle finger.
"It looks like you're it! Now Truth or Dare?" U-31 proudly grins
"Fine! Dare! No harm involved or U-556 will scold us and tell Bismarck"
"Okay! Let's pull a prank on Tirpitz!" U-31 covers her mouth and snickers
"Huh? Why Tirpitz? Not only is she Bismarck's younger sister, she's a no-nonsense person. Also, she's acting weird lately"
Although Tirpitz is gentle and calm all the time, her behavior ever since surviving Beelzebub has her allies worry and be puzzled. The U-boats are aware of this, so fewer people approach Tirpitz to ask about her well-being.
"Relax, it's just harmless. Like putting a rat in her room!" U-522 pats her shoulder
"A rat?! Can't we just choose something like a frog?"
"We won't find any of those here. August von Percival is keeping some to feed her pet...erm, familiar snake" U-31 does the same
"You two are going to get me in trouble!" U-1206 whimpers
"If you pull this off unnoticed, I'm giving you my ice cream coupon"
"For real?! Deal!"
U-1206's eyes sparkle and don't even hesitate to agree with their seemingly harmless game. It's a bit risky since the target is one of the serious battleships while it's also gross since rats crawl everywhere.
Twenty minutes later...
After a brief confirmation from passing kansens, U-1206 confirms that Tirpitz is outside and far from her room. She's supposedly looking for lunch or anything she can eat. U-1206 ignored one of the destroyers noticing that Tirpitz is pale and seemingly dozing off while walking.
"Huh? Tirpitz left her room unlocked?"
U-1206 notices a small gap in the door and confirms it with a slight push of her fingertips, the door slowly creaks open.
"Whoa. As expected of Tirpitz, her room is simple and tidy"
The curious and impulsive U-boat carrying a cardboard box with four holes roughly poking at the cover, takes a few seconds to admire how every furniture is in place and no piece of cloth scattered or hanging.
"Is that a scratch?"
U-1206 gently puts down the box with squeaking rats inside on the right side of the wooden desk. On the far-left side appears a shallow scratch. The fingers are further apart and the damage slightly deeper, so it's impossible for a cat or bird to be the cause.
"T-that's a bit scary, but I have to do this dare before Tirpitz comes back!"
There are also stains of dried blood on the scratch lines as if Tirpitz's fingertips are bleeding when she scratches the desk.
"Slowly - Wah!"
U-1206 slowly lifts up the cardboard only for the pair of rats to hop off and frantically run all over the floor. Tirpitz doesn't have much furniture or extra belongings, only keeping what's necessary in her room, so the runs are aimlessly running in a spacious room.
"She's back already?!"
Slow and rhythmic footsteps approach the door and stop right in front of it. There are only a few seconds left for her to think before Tirpitz opens the door and spots her, so she quickly heads for the wardrobe where it's easier to jump in and hide. She can also hide under the bed and has less risk of being spotted, but it will take her a second longer to slide her whole body.
"...Rats. Am...I desperate enough to reach this level?"
(Huh? What is she talking about?) U-1206 couldn't speak, so she can only think to herself
"No, no, no. If I start tasting blood, I might get used to it"
(I don't like what I'm hearing!)
Other than Tirpitz visibly talking to herself, the other noise in the room is the rat's frantic squeaking from being tightly squeezed by Tirpitz.
"Nngh...my stomach is driving me mad...!"
U-1206 can hear Tirpitz walking back and forth while the rat squeaks in a high-pitched and frantic tone.
(...It's quiet?)
After a minute, U-1206 realizes the footsteps have stopped and the rat falls silent as well. She takes a few seconds to wait and trembles in fear whether it's safe to come out or not.
(...!)
Just when U-1206's trembling hands reaches for the cabinet's door, she immediately covers her mouth with both hands. The rat squeals, and the U-boat imagines the rat struggling back and forth while still being squeezed.
"..."
The irritating high-pitched sounds stop all of sudden. This further puts more fear in the trapped U-boat when she already imagined why the creature falls completely silent. What follows next proves her dread guess to be correct.
(...!)
Cracking and crunching followed by Tirpitz groaning and muttering incoherent words under her breath. It's the sound of someone struggling to let out words while eating with their mouth full.
"Eugh! Hair..."
U-1206 tightly covers her mouth to keep her whimpers as silent as possible since it becomes obvious the crunching sound is the bones being chewed on and Tirpitz just spit out the skin covered in small grey fur.
(What did I find myself into?! I shouldn't have taken that dare!)
Tormenting an innocent animal is questionable alone, but it would rattle anyone when someone well-behaved callously starts munching on a live animal that's not even edible or safe for consumption.
...
...
...
U-1206 minutes after successfully leaving Tirpitz's room undetected and proceeds to flee near the docks where she finds U-31 and U-522. Both stare at each other for a while since U-1206 can hardly speak straight and won't stop crying.
"W-what happened?" U-522 pats U-1206 on the back
"I don't want dares anymore!" U-1206 burst into tears
"What happened?" U-31 swallows her breath
"I saw something I shouldn't have seen! I'm going to die!"
Fear coils around U-1206 and she now fears a gruesome fate, so she couldn't muster courage to describe how she spotted blood on the floor and a severed head and tail of a rat.
"I'm going to die! I don't want to die yet!"
U-1206 kneels on the ground and covers her ears since she can still remember when takes a slight peak only to see Tirpitz dropping a rat's head in her mouth and chewing them like brittle candy.
"My, my, are you two bullying your fellow U-boat?"
Friedrich der Grosse overhears the whimper and whining, so she immediately sets aside her task and approaches the three U-boats.
"We didn't do anything!" U-31 raises both hands up in the air
"It was just a dare and U-1206 came back crying" U-522 shrugs her shoulders
"My, what happened to leave you so scared?" Friedrich der Grosse calmly asks U-1206
"I...uh..."
Not only U-1206 is afraid to confess that she intruded Tirpitz's room, but she also fears revealing how Tirpitz ate live rats and speaking to herself strangely.
"I won't punish you...depending on what you did. It's harmless, correct?"
Friedrich der Grosse sees fear in U-1206's eyes, but she doesn't believe that fear isn't towards her. It's not a simple fear of punishment, but something drastic like fear of danger.
"I didn't let anyone get hurt! It was a harmless prank...but something freaky happened!" U-1206 continues to sob
"You two, can you leave for a while?" Friedrich der Grosse guesses the situation isn't what it seems
"..."
The two U-boats shrug their shoulders at each other and hurriedly leave the scene before they can be dragged in the situation as well.
"Did you see something?" Friedrich der Grosse pats her back
"T-they dared me. It was just to put rats in Tirpitz's room to freak her out, but I got freaked out instead"
"What did you see?" Friedrich der Grosse furrows her eyebrows
"Tirpitz came back quicker than I thought, so I hid in a cabinet. I thought she'd at least be a little angry, but...but..."
"But what?"
"She ate the rat while still alive and she's talking like she's someone else. I took a peek and saw her chew a rat's head!"
"..."
Friedrich der Grosse straightens her back and widens her eyes in surprise, but she's ominously silent.
"What do you mean she's talking like someone else?"
"At first it was weird. After she ate the rat, she freaked out like she didn't know she ate them. Then she started talking to the dead rat at called them..."
"Called them what?"
"B-B-Beel...zebub. I think Tirpitz is going crazy..."
Everyone knows who and what Beelzebub is. It's common knowledge that voracious Leviathan is dead, but only certain people noticed Tirpitz's change in behavior.
"That's...indeed unusual. What else did you hear?"
"I-I don't know. Her voice was weird, and she was talking about someone and something about vermin kansens" U-1206 shakes her head
"Interesting..." Friedrich der Grosse rubs her chin
"What's happening to Tirpitz? What I saw was really freaky!"
U-1206's knees are about to meet each other with lingering fear begin to develop paranoia. No one can explain it, let alone make sense of it.
"Listen. Whatever you do, don't tell anyone yet" Friedrich der Grosse stares at her right in the eyes
"E-eh? Why? Am I going to be alright?!"
"Don't worry. You're going to be alright...as long as you don't tell anyone" Friedrich der Grosse chuckles
Friendrich der Grosse calmly holds her shoulders and responds with her unusually gentle smile.
Northern Parliament base...
Deep within the base's research facility, they store what samples they can gather from the Leviathans such as one of Mammon's gold teeth, Abaddon's scales, solidified lava from Satan's body, and a bloodied hand from Beelzebub.
"..."
While Sovetsky Soyuz stares at it, the stiff and pale hand stained with dried blood, cracks its fingers from weakly twitching. Centimeter long wriggling veins sprout from the stump, plump and red as if the severed body part has been revitalized.
"It's moving again" Sovetskaya Rossiya stares at it
"I suppose it wanted to be reunited with the main body which is hidden within a dead host"
Chkalov bends her knees a bit to inspect the wriggling veins and how the fingers simultaneous twitch while contained within an inch thick fiberglass cylinder.
"It's really like one of those mushrooms that sucks out their prey and use their corpse to propagate, but that's not the case for our little parasite" Sovetskaya Belorussiya chuckles in amusement
"Little? That thing munched on ships" Sovetskaya Rossiya smirks
"We should take advantage of its current state. It's only a matter of time before Beelzebub discovers and adapts to our poison"
Sovetsky Soyuz focuses her gaze on the severed hand touching its container with the tip of its fingers. The sample is completely mindless but animated and seemingly restless.
"The hungry fellow. They're not known for being patient and smart, so what are they waiting for? No one within Iron Blood had gone missing or been murdered" Sovetskaya Rossiya frowns
"I find is strange as well. They should be greatly starved after not feeding on anyone" Sovetsky Soyuz turns away from the sample
"They appeared during the incident with Iris Libre. Considering the motive, do you think they want revenge against Bismarck?" Sovetskaya Belorussiya sighs
"They don't recognize revenge, only their appetite. The Leviathans act on their desires, so they will cooperate and coordinate with each other to achieve the most efficient result. It doesn't exist for Lucifer due to their self-centered and vain nature"
Of all the samples within the facility, the Northern Parliament lacks anything from Lucifer. While they're active, they rarely get near kansens and prefer to attack before anyone can reach them.
"Beelzebub was once a beast acting on their instinct. They could only growl and utter phrases, but they learned to construct sentences and think after consuming kansens. Yet they stayed within their current host. They have another motive and this is our chance to learn more" Chkalov impatiently clicks her pen
"I doubt we can ask them, and I doubt that royal guard will be of use. They should be cautious now if there's free food in front of them" Sovetskaya Rossiya crosses her arms
"Our initial plan failed. Beelzebub chose to use Tirpitz as a host. Did they realize something was amiss or did they have something else in mind?" Sovetsky Soyuz looks up for a second
"We have to take down Beelzebub while they're starving. Then again, it's easier said than done. We're the only ones aware that a parasite is hiding within their host. Bismarck still sees her sister" Sovetskaya Rossiya clenches her fists
"What are the chances that Tirpitz might still be alive. She still has her mind, so-" Sovetskaya Belorussiya shuts her mouth
"That's a vain notion"
Everyone doesn't utter a word when Sovetsky Soyuz's tone hints at slight annoyance. Her gaze doesn't meet anyone since her current thoughts drift to a decimated inhabited island engulfed in flames and thick black smoke. Towering over the destruction is Beelzebub.
"..."
Just right before her group can confront the monstrosity who squeezed humans within their palms to a pulp, a fiery one leaking melting steel swipes at them.
Meanwhile...
King George V reviews through the Northern Parliament's research and reports about the Leviathans. She mumbles to herself while sipping her favorite black tea and flipping through the files. Murmansk is present, helping her search for the files she needs while also guarding her.
"I knew it. Not much information regarding Lucifer. Not only are they a lone wolf but they don't take their battles seriously"
"When it comes to battles, Satan is the most active. Beelzebub was active too since they constantly eat everything while Mammon loves to collect" Murmansk spreads pictures of different Leviathans
"Beelzebub's gone, so I don't see why the Northern Parliament is still collecting information about them"
"I genuinely have no clue either. Sovetsky Soyuz is tight with that information"
"Shouldn't they be focusing on Satan and Mammon circling their territory?"
King George V mumbles to herself again while browsing through known information about Satan and Mammon. Satan is rather direct and single-minded with their approach: destroy everything in their path. As for Mammon, they usually resort to underhanded means or let the others do the hard work while they claim the spoils.
(Belorussiya visited Iron Blood recently not long after the incident at Iris Libre. They're after something or they're keeping something)
"I've heard Gluttony is replaced by Baal Zebul. Do you believe Beelzebub is alive?" Murmansk jokingly asks
"Something is drawing Satan and Mammon here. Perhaps just like how only Abaddon was detected in Iris Libre and not Asmodeus. There may be someone here that's luring them"
"Nothing can bypass our defenses easily. Ever since Iris Libre was taken by surprise, my comrades tightened our base's security"
(Still, something doesn't feel right. Bismarck is searching for information about Beelzebub and Sovetsky Soyuz is keeping something...)
King George V impatiently taps her fingers and stares at a shaky photo of Beelzebub. Their body locks a leathery skin. Instead, there's a translucent membrane keeping their armor attached to their exposed muscles and veins.
"Those two Leviathans are circling, not wrecking or killing anyone. They're waiting for something...or someone"
"Uhm...I think you're overthinking" Murmansk nervously laughs
"I could be, but I have to know just what's going on"
King George V shakes her head. Her intuition causes her heart to race and her palms to be sweaty.
Later that afternoon...
Bismarck, Tirpitz, and few Iron Blood ships arrive at one of the Northern Parliament's biggest research facility at the East Siberian sea.
[I smell some of my parts here. This place reeks of garbage. Those ants must be conducting all sorts of experiment here]
Beelzebub remains as an observer for the time being because they're forced to be patient in order to discover Sovetsky Soyuz's secret.
"Are you alright, Tirpitz? You look uncomfortable" Bismarck taps Tirpitz's shoulders
"...Sorry. I feel a bit uncomfortable and restless for some reason"
Tirpitz senses impatience, frustration, and annoyance inside her. Looking beyond that is a bit of nostalgia as a vague recollection of her walking around the base flashes to her mind.
"I'm fine. Don't worry too much about me" Tirpitz calmly assures Bismarck
"Alright. If you feel unwell, just say it" Bismarck sighs
[Mammon is here while Satan is far. That's expected considering Satan doesn't have the patience to behave...]
While still remaining dormant, Beelzebub lifts their head and groan. The presence of their brethren is clear and obvious, but they're not informed that they're not the only beast present in the base.
[So long as they don't steal my food, I don't really care what Mammon does)
Beelzebub crosses their arms and rests their head on top of them, calm yet cautious of their meal being robbed.
"Welcome to our motherland, Bismarck. I'm glad you accepted my invite"
Seconds later and Beelzebub raises their head again when Sovetsky Soyuz herself personally greets them first, between leader to leader.
"..."
Sovetsky Soyuz glances at Tirpitz with keen familiarity and a bit of pity. Her usual face is stoic and strict, but Bismarck can only see different emotions mixed in her.
"Is it me or you're looking at me as if you want to eat me?" Sovetsky Soyuz deliberately asks
"Eat...you?"
Beelzebub pushes back their host and regains control of the body again. It happened swiftly that Tirpitz drifted into a dream.
"Forgive me. That's a strange way to phrase it. It's been a while since we last spoke" Sovetsky Soyuz clears her throat
"When did you meet her, Tirpitz?" Bismarck furrows her eyebrow
"I'll explain everything later. For now, we must prioritize our shared curiosity about Beelzebub" Sovetsky Soyuz looks at Bismarck
"...You're right"
Bismarck sneaks a glance at Tirpitz who frowns at Sovetsky Soyuz. There's silent and subtle hostility from Tirpitz. It's not that she dislikes Sovetsky Soyuz but views her no different from an enemy.
Fifteen minutes later...
Beelzebub tries to distinguish the mixed scents in the air, somewhat annoyed at the wandering eyes. There are kansens patrolling the base and even in their current state, they cannot move freely to discover the hidden part of the facility.
"A part of me is contained in this base. I'm sure it's in a laboratory no one is allowed to enter"
Beelzebub squeezes their left hand, connecting the active flesh wriggling within the severed hand.
"Sovetsky Soyuz collaborated with the Sirens over a common threat. Hmph, here I thought they won't bite their human pride"
In the latest clue Beelzebub possesses, they recall two Arbiters and Chkalov mixing chemicals.
[Beelzebub! You've been quiet lately. I thought you've eaten that carrion]
Just as Beelzebub turns around, they jolt at the boom of Mammon's enthusiastic voice.
"Mammon, I need to find out what they did to me. Killing them is easy, but it won't solve...this" Beelzebub clicks their tongue
[No wonder you haven't eaten anything yet. Food is literally walking right in front of you...begging to be eaten!]
"I'm starving, Mammon. I feel weak because something is keeping me at bay. It feels similar to Belphegor"
[Hmm...so what do you suggest we do?]
"I need to get in their laboratory. It's somewhere below this base. I can sense a part of me here"
[Leave it to me! If it's taking, then it's my specialty]
Mammon is confident with their success that they even volunteered, but Beelzebub remains skeptical since Mammon can be careless and easily distracted if they find something expensive and shiny.
"...I want to eat...but they'll find out. I still...need to remain patient...but my appetite..."
Beelzebub nibbles on their thumb when their stomach grumbles again and their mind grows restless. They seem to chew on flesh and blood, but eating one kansen will immediately raise an alarm.
"I didn't expect you'd actually agree to the invitation, Tirpitz! You rarely travel this far"
King George V enthusiastically catches Beelzebub's attention not knowing the face may be Tirpitz's but the one moving and acting in her stead is a parasite.
"A feast...?" Beelzebub takes a light sniff
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. I didn't expect another glutton to be here"
"Another?"
"..."
Beelzebub immediately dislikes King George V's presence as they already dislike her from the scent alone. She's a tenacious and lively meal, but her gluttonous trait dominates the flavor.
"Bloody hell! You look unwell..."
King George V stares at Tirpitz's eyes, seeing her once striking blue eyes are duller and lacking vitality. Those are the eyes of a lifeless corpse, but normal kansens wouldn't see the difference.
"What are you doing here? I didn't think they'd invite more people" Beelzebub frowns
"I'm here on behalf of the Royal Navy. I've been sent to investigate the Leviathans" King George V proudly puffs her chest
"I see. You're here about Mammon and Satan turning their attention at the Northern Parliament. That's expected considering they're researching about Beelzebub"
"Beelzebub may be a typical ravenous beast, but their ability is troublesome. They can absorb their prey and further their growth"
"Even though Bismarck is said to have taken Beelzebub down, they showed up again at Iris Libre"
Beelzebub shakes their head, still displeased with how they're forced to retreat before they can take a bite off Richelieu. The wounds may have healed a long time ago, but their hunger only worsened over time.
"Again? I see, so..." King George V mutters to herself
"Are you preparing a feast, King George V? You smell of thick oil and grease"
"I can't help but sample the delicacies of the northern fleet. As a gourmet, I volunteered to help learn more about Beelzebub"
"..."
"That aside, Gluttony may have intended to target Bismarck during the incident at Iris Libre"
"What make you think of that?" Beelzebub clenches their left fist behind their back
"They seem to be fixated with eating quality food. Bismarck is determined, proud, and a mighty warrior - an exquisite stake for the hungriest of beasts! She's a rare kind like a freshly cooked meat steaming hot with the aroma of golden brown meat and the juiciness seeping out. Perhaps Gluttony sought an expensive meal for once!"
King George V crosses her arms as she proudly describes Bismarck how a chef would imagine a top-class main dish. She subtly glances at Beelzebub, observing their faintest reaction.
"..."
Inside the consciousness, Beelzebub salivates at the mere thought of cooking every inch of Bismarck and topping her with seasonings. They imagine a freshly cooked steak on a plate with faint steam escaping at the air and the grease still sizzling.
"...!" Beelzebub takes a step back
"Anyhow, I have to meet with Chkalov as I promised her to assist her research" King George V cuts the conversation short
"Right..." Beelzebub covers their mouth
King George V excitedly marches off while Beelzebub quietly follows her movement. Their hands are shaking since thinking off a fresh meal only adds to their already worsened hunger.
"Soyuz warned me of Greed being drawn once Gluttony is present. Did they invite Iron Blood as bait or perhaps..."
King George V furrows her eyebrows and thinks about "Tirpitz" just a few minutes ago. She starts to keep my observe her response and reaction the moment "Tirpitz" mentioned who's the current Gluttony.
I dread to think the beast is already among us...