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No One's POV
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Iron Blood returned to its base to regroup with the rest of the faction and to prepare for their moving to Azur Lane,who were also returning to their base to alert the rest of it's forces about the update on the Orochi

both sides were rushing to make preparations as they needed all the time they could get to make a full plan as they knew that the simple idea of having Berlin fight the orochi was not going to be enough as it was too simple

while the two sides moved quickly to make preparations,their enemy did the same as the Sakura Empire mobilized its forces,something was off however,the Empire's girls made no preparations for battle,they simply moved along their day like normal,unknowing of what kind of beast lay dormant underneath their soil,soon to be awakened

the ice that covered the cave of the Orochi had already been cleared,reopening the cave but to the normal,unsuspecting Shipgirls of the Empire,that attack was simply a random shot,though they had seen a High Class Siren,right in front of their port,they didn't know she had come from right next to them

they were clueless,like lambs to the slaughter,played and used for the greater and more selfish desires of a single individual,who hid her true intentions from the world she knew,all so that she could fix a "mistake" that never should've have happened

atop the Orochi,stood a brown haired fox,who had a hovering Black Wisdom Cube floating above her hand,she stared at the Black Box as a smile grew on her face,everything was ready,all that she had wanted had come to fruition,all that was left was to have a bit more patience and soon,she would have what she desired

her enemies knew nothing of what the Orochi could do,they knew nothing of what she was capable off,she had long since past the time to regret her actions,she had long since past the time to turn back,it was long since past the time to ask for everything she had thrown away to come back,it was now time for her stand atop the world,with her machinations coming to life

behind her,emerged a Siren from a portal,the same Siren that had been beaten out by Berlin and Z46 just days ago,she had no visible wounds or injuries,as if she had never fought them and from her smile,it was obvious that she was happy to see things working as intended

Observer:everything has gone according to plan

Akagi:though there were few minor setbacks,nothing too problematic arose

Observer:soon,you'll have what you wished for,your truest desire,coming to reality

Akagi:yes,and as promised,you'll have the product of your experiment

Observer:hehehe,I do hope so,though,you should be wary,Iron Blood is on the move

Akagi:I've already expected this,their already too late however,nothing they do will stop the Orochi

as Akagi and Observer conversed in the cave,Azur Lane and Iron Blood continued to move quickly as preparations for the battle were kicked into overdrive,Berlin and Z46,along with the Wolfpack had already been sent forward to Azur Lane ahead of time to clear the way for the fleet in order to save time

in the meantime,Azur Lane was drafting up battle plans and strategies in order to fight the Sakura Empire and the Orochi,using the idea that Iron Blood already gave them,Berlin was their centerpiece and they needed to keep everything else away from him and the Orochi while he destroys it

they had to bank on the thought the Berlin could destroy the Orochi,which they weren't too comfortable with as this left their chance of victory in the hands of an unlikely ally that's working with them under a loose truce

Azur Lane didn't have much a choice however,they didn't have the firepower needed to destroy the Orochi if they think it's as strong as they think it is,the only alternative was the power that awakened in Warspite but it was highly dangerous and unstable as well as unpredictable,which was far too much of a risk to take

while plans were being made,Azur Lane's Shipgirls made their preparations for a battle as they checked their ships for any damage that needed repairs and made sure that they were already to go at a moments notice

while the girls were checking their ships,a duo of Iron Blood ships were spotted approaching the base and alongside them,multiple submarines resurfaced as they approached the base while one of the girls went to inform the leaders and superiors,present on the base

it wasn't long until a small greeting party of Azur Lane's officers came out onto the docks as Berlin and Z46 stepped back onto land and turned their rigging back into their ships before approaching Azur Lane's officers 

Wales:you both are quite early

Berlin:we were sent ahead of the fleet to clear the way to save time

Warspite:is Iron Blood bringing everyone?

Z46:almost,we have left only the bare sufficiency to protect the base but they will be enough to fend of a large attack should one arrive

Berlin:enough of that,can we assume that Azur Lane's preparations are going smoothly as well

Cleveland:for the most part,we're waiting on the rest of your faction to finalize the battle plans but the fleet already to go

Warspite:as much as do not like it,we're banking on you to destroy the Orochi,seeing as your probably the only one with sufficient firepower to take it on

Berlin:I'm aware,my Schwesters already informed Me that I may be the one to take on the Orochi while everyone else keeps the Sakura Empire and Sirens away

Wales:do you think you can do it

Berlin:I am more than confident in my abilities,as long as I there is not too many distractions,then I can definitely beat the Orochi

Warspite:let's hope so,we're trusting you and your faction on this battle,

Berlin:we'll keep to our word,I'll make sure of that personally

the conversation ended there as Wales offered the Iron Blood ships some rest inside some spare dorm rooms which they declined as they set out to sea again to further clear the surrounding area of Sirens in case they were being watched or listened on

Azur Lane still was uncertain about the loose alignment with Iron Blood but they had little choice in the matter,their unlikely ally was the only one with sufficient firepower to take on the Orochi and they would need all the firepower they get if they wanted to achieve victory against the Sakura Empire and the Orochi

Timeskip brought to you by Berlin and Sub Zero,having a stare down as the air freezes around them

not too long after Berlin and the forward group had arrived at Azur Lane,the rest of Iron Blood had reached Azur Lane's base and was greeted by it's Shipgirls with relatively open arms,much to most of Iron Blood's surprise

the leaders and officers quickly got the business and headed to a more private and secluded area to talk about the battle plans and strategies while the rest of the typical Shipgirls were left to continue on with their day,with the majority of Iron Blood exploring the base and the majority of Azur Lane,making friends while the few others remained on alert 

Berlin and the forward clearing fleet were still out at sea,clearing the surrounding waters of any Sirens that might be spying or listening in on them from a distance,at this point in time,they had combined kill count of 1,798 Sirens,with Berlin holding the most within the individual 

while the forward clearing fleet continued to fight Sirens,Bismarck and all the officers of the Azur Lane and Iron Blood were gathered within a meeting room as they were discussing the battle plans and strategies that they would use in the battle

Q.E:Azur Lane will lead against the Sakura Empire while Iron Blood will go against the Sirens with the help of Eagle Union's Carriers

Bismarck:right,and while we handle the smaller opponents,Berlin will draw the Orochi's attention and handle it as his own fight

Enterprise:we're banking our success on your Brother,even if we beat the Empire and clear out the Sirens sooner than we expect,there's little that we'll be able to do against the Orochi

Tirpitz:we know but Berlin's the toughest ship we have on the seas,if there's anyone who could bring down the Orochi,it's him

Q.E:do we have a backup plan in place

Bismarck:Iron Blood does but it'll take too long to get here for quick use,by the time it arrives,this base would've been destroyed but it should be able to destroy the Orochi

Enterprise:we're not going to let this base fall for reasons we're not going to specify,we have to destroy the Orochi the moment we have the chance 

Bismarck:we'll do what we can,Berlin is confident that he can take on the Orochi but it's still up for debate,we don't have much of a choice but to trust him and his claims

Q.E:I do hope we're making a mistake by trusting you

Tirpitz:we're hoping for the same

Friedrich:on the other hand,we do have to be concerned with the Sirens

Hornet:true,with something as big as the Orochi,there's no way the Sirens won't hold back

Eugen:we should already expect a lot of humanoid Sirens and a lot of mass produced models,along with the Siren Enforcers

Enterprise:we can handle the Sirens,we were made to handle them

Bismarck:then we're done here,we should finalize the plan and give word to the rest of the fleet,after that,it's simply the waiting game

Q.E:I doubt that we'll be waiting long though

as the leaders discussed to finalize the battle plan,Berlin and Z46,alongside the Wolfpack continued patrolling the surrounding waters of Azur Lane,continuing to hunt down Siren fleets that were in the area

as they destroyed more and more Sirens,their uneasiness continued to grow,they couldn't describe it but the less Sirens there were around,the more on edge they were on,it was if they were being watched,being observed or even hunted,as if something was nearby,waiting to strike them the moment they let their guard down for even the split of a second 

only the sound of the waves crashing against the water's surface was heard by Berlin and Z46 and the Wolfpack as this small fleet made no verbal noise nor wanted to talk as they continued to stay alert and scan the area 

 it was only after U-81 had enough of the silence as she resurfaced while quickly being followed by the rest of the Wolfpack as they all resurfaced at Berlin and Z46's side

Berlin:U-81,get-

U-81:I'm tired of the silence,we're definitely being watched

U-556:I agree,this area should have loads of Siren but we've only found a few

Z46:it is strange,we're not too far from Azur Lane's base but we're not too close either,this should a hotspot for Siren activity

Berlin:not to mention that there also this chilling presence,as if we're being followed

Z46:there's nothing on the radars however,we're completely alone out here

Berlin:that's what's bothering Me,we're not seeing anything but I'm sure we're being tailed

Z46:what's the Wolfpack's thought on this,

looking to the rest of the present Wolfpack,the Submarines all looked to each other as they all waited for someone to go first,between all the Submarines,the Wolfpack was diversely different from each other in both ability and personality,U-96 had grayish white hair with golden eyes,like most Submarines,she was in a one piece swimsuit with a short sleeve jacket over it along with goggles on her head

then there was U-47 who had black hair and red eyes,also a one piece swimsuit with a black handkerchief  around her neck,covering her mouth

then there was also U-101 who had black hair with white streaks and blue eyes,instead of wearing a one piece swimsuit,she was instead wearing a bikini for her bottom and a black and gray shirt for her top as she also wore gloves and a cap

there was also U-110 and U-522 who both had white hair and blue eyes,U-110 wore a dark blue one piece swimsuit with red lining with a brown hooded cloak over it while U-522 wore a white one piece swimsuit with a black headband

lastly was U-1206 who had red hair with a black streak and red eyes,who wore a gray and red one piece swimsuit under a long sleeved jacket

all the Submarines had their own thoughts on the matter as they all had different ranges of information to share,being one of the most deployed groups in Iron Blood 

U-110:maybe there are new long range radar

U-1206:invisibility technology?

U-522:maybe they can see further than us now

U-96:maybe they have spy cameras

U-101:maybe they have a Submarine fleet nearby,we could go check 

Z46:I don't think it's any of that,if it was a Submarine fleet then Me and Berlin would've known,we've been creating small ice crystals in the water to act like a sensor,we would definitely know if there were enemy Submarines nearby

Berlin:then what would it be

U-47:actually,in the past there have been reports from Azur Lane that Iron Blood intercepted 

Z46:what reports

U-47:they were talking about ships that looked like us,they were stronger,faster,tougher and didn't appear on any radar

U-81:t-there's no way that's true,right?

U-47:but it is though,Command sent Me to investigate and this was during,Azur Lane's Mediterranean Campaign

U-101:Operation Siren??? 

U-47:yes,I saw them,Azur Lane encountered two of them,one of them looked like the Royal Navy's Ark Royal and the other looked like the Sakura Empire's Hiryuu

Berlin:so are you saying that these look alike ships might be what's following us

U-47:none of the factions are sure of what they can fully do but it might be a good guess

Berlin:do we have something to call them by?

U-47:I believe Azur Lane called them Ashes but there was also discussion about something called META's so I'm not sure what to call them

Z46:I've never heard of these reports before

U-556:neither have I

Berlin:whatever the case is,we should remain alert,if it these Ashes or META's then we should be careful

U-1206:hey!!,look ahead of us!

with the sudden callout from U-1206,everyone broke from the conversation to look forward as the sight of a completely totalled Siren Fleet met their eyes,the enemy fleet was utterly destroyed,each ship looked like it was shot by a powerful attack that was barely weaker than Berlin's 

upon approaching the fleet,the hull damage on the Sirens was quickly examined and studied as the forward fleet looked in awe and curiosity 

U-556:this wasn't us................right?

Berlin:we haven't fought any fleets in this area yet,this was definitely not us

Z46:this certainly wasn't Azur Lane's doing either,these blast marks and holes are way too big for it to be any of Azur Lane's cannons

Berlin:these marks are closer to the kind of damage and power I can bring 

U-81:b-but if we didn't do this and Azur Lane didn't do this,then does that mean-

U-47:this might actually be the META's or Ashes

U-556:w-we need to tell Lord Bismarck then,we need to tell everyone

Z46:Berlin,what do you think we should-

looking over her should,Z46 looked to where Berlin was,only to find that he was gone without a trace,it wasn't long until the Wolfpack came to the same realization as they searched around for any traces of Berlin and where he might have gone

as for Berlin,he found himself in an unfamiliar but also familiar area,the sea and sky had darkened as if it was middle of the night,the destroyed Siren fleet was still in front of him but it was now burning and multiple lifeless humanoid Siren floated on the water 

it was clear that he had been sent to a Mirror Sea but it was so sudden that it was far from normal,there's typically an indication that there's a Mirror Sea in the vicinity,such as mist,fog or abnormal weather conditions,even the day and night cycle could be used as a clue but Berlin saw none of these when he was transported

it was like a flash of lightning,but even lightning had it's indications of striking,Berlin looked around his surroundings to possibly find the quickest way out but all there was to see were destroyed and burning Siren fleets and dead floating humanoid Siren bodies

basing of the information he had gotten from U-47,Berlin knew that this wasn't the Siren's doing,it may have been their Mirror Sea but it wasn't them that activated it,he could sense it,2 more presences in the area,hiding themselves among the wreckage,observing him from the shadows as he scans the area

Berlin(mind):this definitely was not the Siren's doing,if it was,they wouldn't have separated Me from the others,they don't have that kind of precision,which means this is someone else's doing but is what U-47 said real,I can't imagine look alike ships who are more powerful to really exist

???1:is this really the one,looks weak to Me

???2:don't underestimate it,Yorktown  and Helena have confirmed him as the target

turning to his side,Berlin was met with the sight he couldn't imagine in his head,it was just like how U-47 had said,they were look alikes of ships they already knew but stronger,faster,tougher and invisible to their radars as look alikes of Scharnhorst and Gneisenau stood before him

their mere presence already told him that they were not the ships he knew,they were more dangerous,more lethal and their intentions were not for the best of Iron Blood or for the world itself

it was clear that they were something completely different,they were Shipgirls with the chilling presence of the Sirens but with the lackluster but still impressive power of the calamities as they looked at Berlin with both interest and readiness 

Berlin:........

Scharnhorst??:what's wrong kid,aren't you supposed to be Iron Blood's best,we know you have questions,so spit them out

Gneisenau??:no need to be rude,Scharnhorst

Berlin:identify yourselves immediately

Gneisenau??:it's us Sir Berlin,do you not recognize us?

Berlin:if you believe I'm stupid enough to think that you can suddenly activate Mirror Sea's and destroy this many Sirens on your own then your sorely mistaken

Scharnhorst??:I told you the imitation trick wouldn't work

Gneisenau??:mmm,we would've liked to settle this matter in more peaceful manner but I suppose our cannons really are the only ones good at talking

Scharnhorst??:fuck this,we should've taken our shot from the start

Berlin:..................

Gneisenau??:I do hope no grudges are left,this is nothing personal afterall

Berlin:your confidence...........................................I'll make it your downfall

AN:this is going to end the chapter guys,it's relatively shorter because it's meant to be a filler chapter to prep for the bigger next chapter,I didn't want it to be boring however so I went away from my original idea for this chapter and spiced it up a bit with some very important details at the end,I do hope you all liked it 

I'm not sure if you guys can see it clearly but below are the following stories I want to make for all of you,you all can pick which one catches your interest and depending on responses,it's more likely the one with the most picks will come sooner

just in case you all are having a hard time seeing the titles,the stories are as follows

"Azur Lane:Silver Skyline"(Sequel to Azur Lane:Bunny's Brother)

"Azur Lane:Saviour from Another Race"(WIP Title)(last member of the Shota Squad)

"Azur Lane:Carrier of Destruction"(WIP Title)(member of Ladon's grouping)

"Arknights:Terra's Storm"(first Arknights Book)

"Azur Lane:Twin Oni's"(member of Ladon's grouping)

"Azur Lane:An Illustrious Carrier(member of Ladon's grouping)

I do have an idea for a Genshin Book and a GFL book but I'll bench those for now,if any of these caught your interest,let Me know by leaving a comment,as usual though,hope you all look forward to the next one,until next time

Shadowgamer254 out