The sea grows restless...
A piercing abyss...
Stretching darkness...
...From deep below...
Those are long buried and forgotten...
The waves couldn't remain still. Feeding on the graveyard of steel, dark tendrils enveloped what remains to the warships of the past. Mankind has long turned their back on the era where there's nothing but bloodshed and sacrifices, but something ancient and inhumane reminded them...that horrors exist far beyond the surface.
[He who fights monsters...]
Bismarck META can feel it crawl to every inch of her skin. It's as if "that thing" slipped past her skin and now beneath it. Something filthy, deliberate, and ominous crawls inside her. Tendrils, claws, or thorns - Bismarck META couldn't properly describe it.
(Ggh!)
Something dark, cold, and fluid coils around her throat. Slowly and patiently, it begins to tighten its grip, slowly robbing her of any air to breathe with each passing second.
[...might take care lest he thereby become a monster]
The voice is undeniably Welt's voice. It's faint and echoing, but Bismarck META can never mistake the voice she would hear in the waking world and her fragmented dreams.
(You bastard! Show...ugh...yourself!)
Bismarck META desperately claws at the tendrils, still slowly robbing her of any air to breathe. Her fingers try to dig into the tendrils to hook it, but it only appears she's grasping at an intangible darkness.
[And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you]
"We...elt..."
An unusual anomalocaris swims by. The ancient sea creature curiously and passively circles Bismarck, its round black eyes staring right at her. The flaps on the creature's side gracefully and silently move in unison. Its twin barbed appendages on the mouth twitch and wriggle in curiosity.
"..." The creature swims closer to Bismarck META
[Apologies, my little friend. That person isn't for you to bury in...yet]
"..." The creature slowly swims away
[You can't destroy her from the inside out yet. Not just you...but the rest of your kind slumbering beneath the ancient depths]
Once the Anomalocaris disappears into the dark, watery depths, Bismarck META gasps for air even when she remains floating in a pitch-black abyss. She can't see anything, but her skin prickles from the extreme coldness of the water crushing her, and her ears can still catch the faint echoes of the entity she can barely tolerate.
"You were nearly swallowed there. What were you thinking?" Welt bends forward and waves her hand
Bismarck META blinks several times and breathes heavily. Her aching head slowly turn to the left and right while she scans her surroundings.
"..."
Rather than the dark and crushing depths, Bismarck META is silently puzzled to why she's lying on a beach with the cloudless sky and bright sun above her. It's a refreshing sight and a welcoming one compared to being nearly strangled to death while drowning.
"Blyat! You nearly killed us!"
Kirov META is behind Welt. She's completely soaked and gasping for ai. As the water drips from all over her drenched body, she presses her knees and tries to steady her breathing.
"Some...thing just swimming around me while I was drowning" Kirov META straightens herself
"That would be an anomalocaris, a creature from an ancient era. You're quite lucky it's from a time when they were smaller. I suppose you can refer to them as my estranged kin"
"Your what?" Kirov META frowns
"They're my kin from beneath the depths and beyond the stars. I was reconstructed by my father, diluting my original self. That's why you're looking at someone who doesn't look like a grotesque marella"
"What are you? The one who destroyed my timeline, is it one of them?" Bismarck META weakly stands up
"Hard to say. The one who purged your timeline is a failsafe. It's a timeline where humans who encountered the star beast in the past tried to find a last resort. However, the last resort turned out to be total annihilation" Welt rubs her chin
"What happens...if you didn't shoo that thing away earlier?" Kirov META crosses her arms
"Let's just say that you're fortunate this timeline is much different than the others. I'd rather not deal with that arrogant thing beyond the stars even if I share my blood with it" Welt scratches her cheek
"You have serious family issues"
"On to serious pressing matters. The legend of the Grey Ghost was twisted, molding a horrifying monster - an almost actual ghost. As a result, the attempt to create that aspect of Enterprise ended up backfiring" Welt clears her throat
"How did it backfire?" Bismarck META narrows her eyes
"It became less human when they started adding more...not-so-human ingredients. It turned out that the incompatible and chimeric mix ended up trying to reject each other"
Welt slowly walks away from the two META ships, but their gazes follow Welt as she shrugs her shoulders.
"Naturally, I wouldn't bother meddling with issues of other timelines or alternate futures, but I can't simply turn a blind eye if Interdimensionals are involved outside Azur Lane" Welt rubs her temples
"Bismarck, my kin is far less tolerant compared to me. They're truly detached from humanity and single-minded in their purpose to exterminate those they view as unnecessary and inferior"
"For short, us" Kursk frowns
"There are Mimic Entities and Mimic Beasts frozen around the Arctic region. One of them had thawed out and fused with sunken Kriegsmarine destroyers. The Royal Navy of that other world is trying to suppress it, but they're constantly being pushed back"
"Then why don't you take care of it?" Kursk scoffs
"Eliminating even one Mimic Entity will attract a Lord class to my whereabouts. I'd rather not deal with kin who sees me as a bastard reconstruction"
(That's right. The man who "made her" has removed the purity of her essence as an Interdimensional. She's not recognized as one anymore after that man raised her from scratch)
Bismarck META can only think of one inhumane creature from beyond humanity's sky can be reshaped and molded to become human-like. That man was a one-of-a-kind genius who took his secrets to his grave.
"Seventy five hours from now, Ghost will manifest in one of the US owned facilities. They'll study and analyze the frozen remains of a Mimic Beast. It will draw Ghost's attention to it, and as you can guess, Ghost will see it as an eat-all-you-can buffet"
"A Mimic Beast and Ghost at the same time. You expect us to handle someone who eats normal and METAs kansens for a living?" Kirov pokes Welt's chest
"Your META friends Hipper, Hunter, and Wichita volunteered to deal with Ghost before it ends up eating thousands of humans in a single day. One of them is certain to die though"
"You're sending them to their deaths!"
"That's by their choice. I informed them of the risks, but they volunteered anyway. I may be selfish sometimes, but I don't lie"
"You're sacrificing us the same way other people did..." Bismarck META clenches her fists
"You don't need to risk yourself for this world, Bismarck. It's neither Azur Lane nor Iron Blood. There's no harm done in letting millions of people die...in a world that's not ours"
"Svoloch-" Kirov META grabs Welt by the collar
Before Bismarck META can even blink, Welt has already grabbed Kirov META's forearm and twisted it, forcing the latter to the ground. Welt squeezes her hand around Kirov META's forearm, the crack and crunch of bone being crushed ringing through the air.
"Hmm?"
Welt loosens her grip on Kirov META and gazes up at the sky. She squints her eyes, seemingly surprised, then annoyed and reluctant.
"Time is shortened. In fify hours, a Mimic Beast will be unleashed into this sorry world. If not stopped forty five minutes upon being thawed out, it will draw a Star Beast into the Arctic. If Ghost manages to absorb that, it will fully manifest as a horrible copy of Enterprise"
Welt calmly announces as she gently presses her hand on Kirov META's forearm, which she nearly crushed earlier. She emits a faint yet eerie light blue energy from her palms and reconstructs the broken bones with a mere touch.
"It's either the Star Beast ends us or a fully formed Ghost. Great! That's just great, isn't it?!" Kirov throws her arms in the air
"I have to end our discussion here. There's something else I need to take care of"
"Wait-"
The scenery quickly fades to darkness. Kirov META and Bismarck both find themselves in the middle of a small town.
"..."
The local residents around them stop in their tracks and stare in confusion at the two strange figures who appeared out of nowhere and in a blink of an eye.
"Tch! Bastard teleported us in the middle of nowhere" Kirov META scans her surroundings
"We can get mad. For now, we need to reach the Arctic base before humanity unleashes a Star Beast in this world" Bismarck META takes a deep breath
"Unfortunately, we can't just barge into the base. We don't belong in this world, so no one will recognize us"
"So we have to sneak..."
"You're no longer in your prime, Bismarck. Fighting is our last resort"
"...I know"
Bismarck META gently presses her palm on her chest, faintly sensing her damaged and energy leaking from within her wisdom cube. She still has plenty of energy to keep moving and fighting, but her fate is already sealed.
Arctic Base...
A giant, grotesque creature made up of an unknown black mess with eerily glowing parts lie motionless and lifeless while encased in a thick block of ice. Although it's in a special area of the facility where the temperature around it is low enough to keep it from melting, only few people are allowed to even be close enough to observe it.
"Can someone explain why there's a glowing tentacle frozen in the Arctic?" Ark Royal frowns
"My country was exploring the far north when they stumbled upon a cave where they found it frozen" Saratoga stands beside Ark Royal
"...I don't think finding something alien and bringing it back to a base is a good idea" Nelson crosses her arms
"I have to agree. Poking into something foreign always sparks trouble, a disaster even" Warspite sighs
"We have it under control, so the Royal Navy has nothing to worry about" Washington scoffs
The shipgirls are safely standing outside the freezing chamber, observing the frozen creature through a large glass window. It remains still and seemingly lifeless, but Warspite nervously stares at the black mass frozen in time.
"Isn't this one of those movies where dumbass scientists find something dangerous sealed or frozen and then it breaks out and kills everyone except for the protagonist?" Iowa cheerfully cuts in
"..." Everyone stares at her in disbelief
"This is bad news, Warspite. This is something we should have left where it was found" Ark Royal whispers
"Something otherworldly, huh. Perhaps someone who fits in the same category might be of help" Warspite mumbles to herself
"By that, you mean..." Ark Royal swallows her breath
"Our dear mysterious acquaintance...hiding behind a helmet" Warspite faintly smiles
Saratoga isn't sure if their whispers, so she tilts her head in innocent confusion while Iowa is pressing her face on the glass, seemingly in awe of the alien creature examined by scientists.
Other side of the world...
After feels like six hours, Kirov META and Bismarck META finally made their way to the Kriegsmarine base where Bismarck META is staying.
"We're here, but we need to go here"
Inside one of the base's briefing rooms, Bismarck META spreads out a world map on top of the table. She points from the base's current location around Sweden, then points to the Arctic region.
"Clearly we can't walk there like we're expecting a warm welcome, but we need to get there before the humans try to wake up a Mimic Beast" Kirov META crosses her arms
"Should we take the straightforward way? To barge in there and cause a ruckus?" Bismarck META does the same
"As much as possible, we need to remove the humans out of that facility, so we can destroy that thing before it wakes up"
"There will be shipgirls present there..." Bismarck presses both of her palms on the map
"The fastest way is to cause an emergency that will force an evacuation, but that will still leave with the shipgirls..."
"If we fight the Mimic Beast head-on, both shipgirls and personnel will be dragged in"
"I need to call the others before we come charging there. We need a plan to flush everyone one so we can nuke that thing before it wakes up" Kirov META stands up
"...I'm sorry. If I was still in my prime, we wouldn't have this much of a problem"
"Don't push yourself too hard, Bismarck. You're already taking one step at a time to your grave. You're going to die eventually, but don't rush to your death. Our fight's not over"
Kirov META stands beside Bismarck META and places a reassuring hand on her right shoulder. Her smile is faint and her tap is light, but Kirov META knows it's enough to express her confidence and faith in Bismarck META.
Two hours later...
Bismarck META paces back and forth at a beach near the base as she has two days left to eliminate the frozen Mimic Beast to prevent the possibility of [Grey Ghost] manifesting and gaining a corporeal form. The risk is clear. If [Ghost] manifests, they'll be up against a version much stronger than Ash and without the personality of either the normal or META version.
"Ggrhh..." Geryon whimpers
"I'm sorry. With each fight, I send both of us a step closer to our graves" Bismarck META stretches out her left hand
"Grr..."
Geryon leans down and gently bumps the center head on their palm as their response eben if they're incapable of speech.
"In this timeline, the world is a massive system. Humanity tried to cheat and bypass the firewalls, so we were recognized as bugs and glitches in the process. We were deemed unnecessary and nearly wiped out..."
Bismarck META gently closes her eyes and briefly recalls standing in her fatherland, only to find it scorched and demolished upon her return. Her rival had been killed, her sister succumbed to madness, and her surviving subordinates questioned her leadership...yet she continues to keep fighting.
"I can't undo my mistakes, but I can ensure the Bismarck in this timeline won't suffer as I did. So long as I can spare one timeline and be certain that the Bismarck here can protect Iron Blood, that alone is enough" Bismarck META faintly smiles at Geryon
"My, so that's your true name"
"...!"
A somewhat familiar, gentle, and friendly voice startles Bismarck into a defensive stance with her sword drawn and Geryon spreading their wings, preparing to attack.
"Clearly you're not some alternate version of the Bismarck that I know, but you're Bismarck from a different world" Warspite cheerfully remarks
"Most people wouldn't believe if I told my name, but you believed me. Not to mention, you managed to sneak up on me. Who are you behind that face?" Bismarck META frowns
"HMS Warspite of the Royal Navy. Although my eldest sister is the supposed representative, most of those duties are left to me lately"
Warspite takes a few careful steps forward to prevent hostility and attempt to appear harmless.
"I'm not a mysterious enemy using someone else's identity, but I confess that I hide more than I let on" Warspite moves closer her
"What is it that you know about me?" Bismarck META keeps her sword pointed at her neck
"I know there are more than just Abyssals out there, but even I'm clueless to who and what I'm dealing with"
"..." Bismarck META lowers her speed slightly
"I need your help to shed light on what's becoming of my world. We don't need to be enemies"
"...Why are you certain?"
"A stoic and reserved girl whose eyes are filled with sorrow approached me. She claimed that her name is Helena META and informed me that her ally is hiding under a dead battleship's mask"
"So that's why you suspected me from the beginning. I don't know what she's up to, but you don't have to explain further. That girl has her plans, and I'm willing to go along with it for now"
Bismarck META lowers her sword and sheaths it back to her scabbard. Geryon folds back its wings and lowers itself, relaxing its hulking form behind Bismarck META.
"I'll get to the point. There's a threat in the Arctic that your people found. If it's freed, it will call something much worse than an enormous parasite"
"The US Navy recovered an unknown alien entity frozen within the Arctic. What is that thing?" Warspite starts to feel anxious
"Something that shouldn't have breached this world, and in two days...it's going to draw something worse than it" Bismarck META grabs her helmet and slowly lifts it up
"That face..." Warspite blinks in disbelief
Even Geryon lifts their heads in disbelief when Bismarck META carefully pulls off the helmet, revealing her mouth and letting her hair down. After she easily pop off the helmet, she drops it on the sandy ground and stares at Warspite in the eyes, unfazed at her decision to reveal itself.
Azur Lane side...
Mere ropes or cuffs aren't sufficient as a rabid Kursk thrashes around her cell and growling like a mindless animal. A lone and deadly hunter has her reason stripped while the infection spreads on her body, visible by the black corrupted patches on her skin.
"She's getting worse by the minute..." Sovetsky Soyuz clenches her fists
"How can an anomaly cause this? We received the report of Chapayev being absorbed, but this is...worse" Bismarck grits her teeth
The two leaders stand outside the room where Kursk is detained, painfully observing her through a one-way mirror.
"I sent Kursk to track down and investigate Ghost's activities. I didn't expect she would also fall victim..." Sovetsky Soyuz furrows her eyebrows
"Is it reversible?" Bismarck softly asks
"Quite possibly, but we don't have much time though. Ghost is corroding her wisdom cube and sapping her vitality. To put it simply, Kursk is remotely being absorbed by Ghost. They corroded her thoughts first as they seem to be drawn towards sentient beings"
Chkalov enters the scene while scribbling and noting on her favorite clipboard. She hands over the latest test results to Sovetsky Soyuz, or at least what tests they can do to a raving kansen.
"..."
The three of them turn their attention to Kursk who suddenly falls eerily silent and stares at the corner of the wall. They couldn't determine the sudden change while Kursk stands still and turns her back on them.
"*#$ *..." Kursk rigidly turns her head to the side
Kursk stands stiff for a moment before she wobbles and limps towards the one-way glass window. Any person inside shouldn't be able to spot anyone outside since their side should be a completely blackened glass window.
"..."
Kursk loudly slams her palms against the glass window, briefly startling the three kansens on the other side. Her voice is ragged and distorted as if she's not speaking with her own voice.
"***...*$$$&&...$$& ..." Kursk breathes in with each strained words
"What are you trying to say?" Bismarck takes a step forward
"**...*...*..."
"A lost language or a coded message..." Chkalov whispers
"..."
The three glance at each other since no matter how much they intently listen, Kursk's voice appears distorted, mechanical, and static noise like a glitching machine.
"..."
Kursk presses the sharp claw of her gauntlet on the glass window. The high-pitched screeching noise scrapes through everyone's ears. Bismarck, Chkalov, and even Sovetsky Soyuz wince and cover their ears. Kursk traces some form of a symbol or letter on the glass.
"Chkalov" Sovetsky Soyuz looks at her
"Don't look at me. I can't decipher it right now. If it's something familiar to the Sirens, I might be able to decode it" Chkalov raises both hands
"What are you trying to tell us, Kursk?"
Sovetsky Soyuz steps forward and stares at Kursk's hazy and lifeless eyes.
"..." Kursk taps the glass several times with the edge of her sharp claw
"A morse code?" Bismarck listens carefully
"Ant, Tear, Prose? Weks, Eesh...Dead?" Chkalov tilts her head
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bismarck clenches her teeth
Bismarck listens at the first few taps and recognizes the taps with different intervals as a Morse code. Even if she's familiar with that type of communication, Kursk's message doesn't make sense. The letters and words forming seem jumbled and incoherent like randomly pressing letters on a keyboard.
"..." Kursk tries tapping again
"Enterprise..." Sovetsky Soyuz narrows her eyes
Over and over again, Kursk keeps tapping the same Morse code message: "Enterprise". One mention and it's obvious Kursk refers to Eagle Union's best aircraft carrier.
"Enterprise...is...me...?" Bismarck widens her eyes when she hears Kursk tap a new message
"A...part...of...me..." Sovetsky Soyuz decodes the second half
"Hmm. Should we phone the Eagle Union? It seems Ghost has a particular interest in the leading lady" Chkalov scratches her head
"Send a formal invite to the Eagle Union. We need Enterprise here if we want to know what's going on. It's time we learn Ghost's true nature" Sovetsky Soyuz lightly nods
"..."
Bismarck instinctively slides her left foot back when an ominously silent Kursk stares right in her eyes with an unblinking and cloudy gaze. She doesn't utter any word or even the slightest movement, just standing still like a lifeless statue.