At the Azur Lane base…

Night falls, as the ships returned to their docks, the massive Airborne Fortress landing not far from them, its Optical Camouflage System activated.

The humanised airship then began to disembark from the craft, jumping towards the sandy beach illuminated by the moonlight above.

As he took steps, the grains of sand below his feet popped out, himself not giving it any mind and continuing towards the crowd of shipgirls, fellow combatants from earlier.

As he nears them, a familiar voice coming from a short blonde girl called out to him, prompting him to swivel his head towards the source.

"Gleipnir!" Said Cleveland as she waved towards the raven-haired male.

Acknowledging her with a grunt, he approached the petite blonde, intent on knowing what she has to say.

"What is it, Cleveland?" He got closer, and subsequently launched a question.

"I just want to tell you, the debriefing would be held tomorrow instead of today due to… reasons. I think it's probably because it's dead in the middle of the night, but—"

"Cut to the chase, please." Impatient, he hurried the girl.

"Ah, right. So, where are you going to spend the night? Since you're new, we haven't constructed any new dorms yet for you… sorry for the inconvenience…" She apologetically shook her head, feeling sorry for the new addition.

"Don't you worry about me, worry about that cat instead. I can just sleep on my ship, no harm done."

"Oh, okay then! I was thinking of letting you sleep in my dorm along with my sisters, but I don't think you need it now."

"... Are you serious?" He deadpanned.

Just how friendly can she get?

"Well yes, but you're not allowed to do anything weird!"

"Of course I won't, I'm not even going to take that offer. Besides, why are you asking me that, when you saw me destroying the mass-produced siren ships and planes? Don't you have any ounce of fear towards me?"

"To be honest, I do fear you a bit, but hey, we're all in the same boat now, and I'm sure you won't hurt us!"

"Whatever you say…"

Disengaging from his conversation with Cleveland with a step backwards, he trudged on, trying to reach his airship.

However, before he could go any further, a familiar white-haired maid stopped him.

"Gleipnir, I would like to express my gratitude for earlier." Belfast curtly bowed, thanking the Airborne Fortress.

"Don't mind it, if anything, it's actually bad, since I disobeyed orders and all…"

"I see. It is fair. I must not inconvenience you further, farewell, Gleipnir." Seeing it's quite late in the night, she excused herself to let the newcomer have a rest.

"You too, Belfast."

With that, he continued strutting towards the Airborne Fortress, all the while feeling a new sensation.

'Fatigue.' He figured, a common sensation after doing an activity.

In this case, blowing sirens to smithereens with the Shock Cannon, along with the SWBM.

The male finally reached the imposing figure of the Airborne Fortress, and then set foot into it, finding the way towards the Captain's main cabin, the place he would sleep on his own volition this time.

Locating it, he took off his shoes and plopped his body upon the comfortable-looking mattress, sinking momentarily into the softness of the bed.

Of course, the Flagship of a country needs to have such luxuries.

He was, after all, the hope of his people.

What would happen if they find out that those who are bringing them justice are being accommodated poorly?

Of course, his creators would lose face.

It matters little now, though. But it is a nice bonus.

Closing his eyes, Gleipnir was reminded of the Black Wisdom Cube.

What is it? What does it do? Why is it so important?

Questions run inside his mind, but he doesn't care, for it most probably doesn't involve himself, and subsequently drifts to sleep, dreaming of absolutely nothing in his first night of sleeping inside his ship.

The next day...

The Airborne Fortress woke up at dawn, feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep.

Now that he was "human", it's best to follow what actual humans do.

If he remembered it correctly, it would be...

Taking a bath.

Gleipnir took steps towards the airship's shower room and closed the door, taking off his clothes outside and hanging them beforehand.

Seeing the curious knob inside, he turned it up, letting a flow of water from above hail down onto his head.

'It's a shower.' He figured, while he continued to clean himself up.

Moments later, he felt it was enough, and stepped outside, drying himself with a towel near the bathroom.

After that, he proceeded to once more don his attire, a full formal black suit.

Somehow, it was... clean? Might be a strange perk that comes with being a kansen?

Shrugging the thought away, he readied himself up for the debriefing.

However, he couldn't help but feel… something was going to go wrong.

Once more dismissing his own mind, he got out of the Airborne Fortress and continued towards the debriefing room, the place being Wales' Office, and the path towards it already memorized by the male.

As he walked along the hallways of the base, he could see a variety of girls running along, just doing their own business.

They do look human.

Still in limbo between thoughts and sobriety, he unknowingly bumped into someone as he paced, managing to keep his balance, the person in front of him mouthing a small yelp of surprise.

Long golden hair...
Blood-red eyes...
A sword on her waist...
Red uniform...

It was undoubtedly, King George V.

"Ah, perfect! Gleipnir!" She called out to him, her eyes staring right at him.

"Anything I can help, George?" He politely responded.

"Nothing. I would like to thank you for assisting my sister in the Operation." The blonde nodded at him, a nod of gratitude.

"It's... It's nothing, really. If anything, I should be punished, because it's a violation of orders..."

"Nonsense! What you did was beneficial for the whole fleet, so I heard. Kindly refrain from truly disregarding important orders next time, though."

"I understand. Now, if you excuse me, I have a debriefing to attend, farewell, George." Gleipnir excused himself, a bit perplexed by her words.

"So do you, Gleipnir."

With that, the humanised superweapon went on trudging towards the office, intent on being punctual for the meeting.

As he reached the door, he gave it a polite knock, waiting for a response after.

However, after moments of awkward silence, he heard nothing inside.

Wanting to investigate, his gloved hands took hold of the door handle and pressed it downwards, giving way for the door to open.

He then peered his eyes inside, the only sight meeting his vision being emptiness.

The room was empty, which means he was too early.

Because it was unlocked, he headed inside, taking a seat on the comfortable couch.

With nothing to do, he absent-mindedly thought about the Black Wisdom Cube, trying to make sense of his predicament by coming here, to this world.

'What is that thing exactly? The Black Wisdom Cube… I don't think I should come close to it, lest something happens…'

From outside, Prince of Wales was heading towards her office, inclined to set up for the debriefing.

As her red eyes laid her gaze towards the door to her office, she found it unlocked.

'Who might be inside?' Wales thought to herself, suspicious of the one who broke into her office.

She decides to see for herself, and enters her office, only to find the raven-haired male staring lifelessly at the table, seemingly lost in thought.

"Oh, greetings, Gleipnir. You're early, that's for sure." The blonde called, subsequently breaking him from his train of thoughts with a surprised jolt.

"Wales! Err, I was just here for the debriefing. I entered because the door was unlocked, sorry if I intruded." He apologized, explaining his reasoning.

"Apology accepted. Ah, have you had breakfast?"

"No, there are more pressing matters at hand, I can eat later."

"I see. Alright, then."

Right when she was done, several knocks on the door were audible, before a number of girls came inside.

"Hello, Wales, we're here for the debriefing! Oh? You're here, Gleipnir?" Vestal talked up, addressing the man.

"Uh, yes, I was just waiting for you all." He replied politely.

"Right, where are the others?" Wales asked the nurse, wondering of the whereabouts of the other combatants.

"They'll be here shortly, kindly wait for them, please."

"Mhm."

Behind Vestal, Gleipnir could see two maids and a catgirl, bringing along something ominous on their hands.

It was the Black Wisdom Cube.

Suddenly, his field of vision changed.

Clouds covered the dark skies, moonlight beaming towards a familiar tower, numerous smaller tower structures forming a ring around it.

The "ring" shone with futuristic yellow light, before a turret above one of the smaller structures howled, beautiful yet menacing light glowing from its mouth.

The Airborne Fortress recognized this place.

Griswall, Gaiuss Tower.

The Gaiuss Tower, Commander Navarro's forward base in Aurelia!

Before long, Gleipnir saw it.

A vulture, smiling smugly as it held a cross made of stars in its beak.

The Southern Cross.

"AAAAAAAARGH! DAMN YOU, SOUTHERN CROSS! I'LL RIP YOU APART!"

His rage couldn't be contained any more.

That bastard hurt him, dared to challenge him, and succeed.

The humiliating defeat always lingers in the back of his mind, no matter how he tries to forget it.

Southern Cross also took him away, extinguishing the flame of hope his countrymen had for retribution.

The score will be settled now.

Gleipnir tried to summon his raven wings, thinking that now he was 'human', it'll give him an advantage, however…

"W-what?!" He looked down, and finally noticed something on his body.

He was restrained with something, and he couldn't break out.

"ARE YOU TELLING ME TO JUST WATCH AS THAT FUCKER DESTROYS OUR HOPE?! LET ME GO!" He wrathfully screamed to the air, wanting to prevent the damned Southern Cross from ruining it all.

He struggled, he raged, he screamed, he wanted to be set free.

Suddenly, everything went black, before he was swiftly served the familiar sight of flowing, peaceful water.

Still bound up by something he couldn't see, he looked up to see the overcast skies raining down upon a city.

Just then, realization hit him.

Santa Elva, Lenal River.

Where he fell.

However, there was not even a single trace of fighting, as if this was just another peaceful city, totally not turning into a warzone just moments later.

Before long, a rumble threw him off his trance, mechanical screeches of sprockets and tracks grinding against each other shaking the very earth.

The source was an armored division, marching towards the center of the city.

The column, comprised of main battle tanks, self-propelled guns, self-propelled anti-air guns, armored personnel carriers, along with some infantrymen on foot trudged through the neighboring forest, silt and mud covering their tanks and at times, hampering their progress.

Gleipnir squinted his eyes, trying to make out the armored column's affiliation.

Sure enough, a brilliant white star with a sky-blue background adorned the vehicles' sides.

'Aurelian tanks.' He deduced, a tinge of rage surfacing inside his thoughts.

How dare them.

However, he was suddenly moved near the armored division against his will, now within earshot of the detachment.

"Heh, can you see that? That's Santa Elva, boys. And we're gonna take her back, no matter the cost!" A man popped out of the cupola of a tank.

"Yep! And we're going to avenge our boys back in Stand Canyon! WE ARE THE DAVIS UNIT! Make sure they remember our name!" From where he was standing, Gleipnir was able to hear what someone inside the tank was saying.

'Damned rebels.. just you wait.' The Airborne Fortress' sinister thoughts ran amok in his mind, trying to contain himself from lashing out at them.

"Hey, we're probably short on manpower… here, it's just the Davis Unit's remnants along with conscripts we've gathered…" A doubtful statement came from an infantry sitting atop the tank, hitching a ride.

"Don't worry too much, in today's offensive, they're sending flyboys, and holy heck, they got the entire Gryphus Squadron coming with us in a bit!"

"The Southern Cross? Hot damn! We might retake Santa Elva after all!"

"Heh, even if that fucking Airborne Fortress shows up, we probably would still win! Last I heard, Southern Cross beat up that bastard's ass over Terminus Island! If we survive this, I really want to reach out to him and get him to drink along with the rest of the Davis Unit."

"Yeah man, he was our savior, we really need to get him some fine-ass wine."

"Bruh, I ain't gonna chip in my money, no thanks!"

"Aaah, you're no fun mate! Fuck off!"

"My salary ain't gonna feed myself, even my family! Maybe I can treat him after the war ends! But for now, hell nah."

"Whatever you say…"

The chatter between the brothers-in-arms led Gleipnir to sense something was amiss inside himself.

'This feeling… even if they're my enemies, they're humans… Am I truly going to fight them?'

They felt like family.

Something that the old form of the Airborne Fortress didn't have, nor desire.

Now, however, it seemed like it was desirable.

With that, the humanised superweapon pondered, losing himself inside his mind as he thought about the concept of family, and humanity.

'What am I, really?' Was what the former weapon thought.

About the armored division, he thought about it for a minute, before snapping out of it and proceeding to scan the surroundings.

The familiar sight of a group of civilian buildings met his gaze, the tanks about to enter the residence to pass through it.

"Hey! It's them! Dad! Let's go, come on!" A girl urged his father to exit the house upon the sight of the friendly armored column.

"Over here, mister! Heeeey!!" She waved ecstatically at the passing tanks, one of the tanks' commanders popping his head out of the cupola to greet the Santa Elvans.

"Yo, little missy! Wish us luck, we're gonna liberate Santa Elva for you!" The commander smiled, seeing the youth cheering them on.

Freedom.

It was the thought that ran across every Aurelians' brain.

The Leasathian occupation rendered their opinion of their neighbor low, going as far as to label them all thieves, tormentors, and ungrateful bastards.

"KICK THEIR ASS FOR US! FOR FREEDOM!" An old lady cheered for the detachment, her spirits abnormally high, even for her age.

"Sure thing, granny! Let's hope the Southern Cross accompanies us in this one!"

Amidst the warm atmosphere, one radio operator couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy, and checked the radio for intelligence.

<<This is Beta 5-3, requesting information, over!>>

<<This is AWACS Crux, recon reports that the Gleipnir would be deployed to defend Santa Elva, watch yourselves!>> The man on the opposite side informed.

<<Thanks for the heads-up! Beta 5-3 over!>> He thanked, before cutting the radio comms off.

"Guys! On your toes! I got info that the Gleipnir would be airborne against us!" The soldier warned his comrades.

"Oh damn, alright, understood. Be alert, everyone! Civilians, please evacuate the area!"

Abiding the orders, everyone that was present assumed their positions, while the civilians tried to evacuate from the impending doom.

However…

"This is reconnaissance, something's wrong, the enemy is nowhere to be found!" A recon unit assigned earlier to scout for enemies reported.

"Not even a single soldier… What's happening?"

"Nothing, no sign of the Gleipnir!"

"Nothing?! That's impossible! Damn Leasath, what are they up to?"

The clueless soldiers looked everywhere, trying to spot any form of enemy activity, and more importantly, The Gleipnir.

They kept on and on, until a faint ominous howling could be heard getting closer and closer every second passing.

"Huh? What's that sound?" A soldier noticed the sound, and subsequently warned his mates.

The faint sound became clearer and clearer each passing moment, until it evolved into a frightening ethereal howl.

It's too late.

The Airborne Fortress sprang out of hiding by deactivating its Optical Camouflage System right above the detachment, much to the horror of everyone below.

"I-it's the Gleipnir!!!" A young recruit shrieked in fear, intimidated by its sheer presence.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE, ATTACK! TARGET THE GLEIPNIR!" The commander was the first to snap out of it, and subsequently barked orders to fire.

Numerous SAM batteries and AA guns pointed upwards, before unleashing a hail of fire in an attempt to bring the Beast of Leasath down.

"The SWBM can't reach us here, but watch out for conventional ordnance!" warned a gunnery officer while he kept his finger on the trigger, letting the 20mm anti-air battery spew a torrent of lead from its barrel.

He jinxed it.

A low whir came from the Airborne Fortress' belly, an ominous blue light accompanying the sound that's growing louder and louder.

"The disk on the bottom is starting to glow, what's it going to-"

The all-consuming blue light generated from the disk torn asunder the Aurelian armored column, leaving merely a crater, a mark of destruction.

Its aftermath, the ruination, even managed to reach the civilians who were evacuating, not sparing even the young girl from earlier as her father tried to shield her from the light, but his attempt failed miserably with the pair burned alive under the terrible majesty of the Airborne Fortress.

"WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT?! THAT'S THE GLEIPNIR?!" Another division across the river shouted in disbelief upon seeing the unfathomable firepower of the Gleipnir.

"The vehicles below the Gleipnir were just… vaporized…" Chills start to run down an army officer's spine as he witnessed the massacre.

"T-the civilians! Are they safe?!"

"O-oh no… look.." Another soldier pointed at where the civilians were evacuating, and saw—

A crater, numerous charred bodies, and a few survivors writhing in pain due to the macabre burn wounds they received from the explosion.

They didn't look like they're able to survive, even with medical treatment.

"Grrh, monster!" He looked above to see the full view of the accursed Airborne Fortress that killed his comrades and slaughtered the innocents.

The humanised version of the airship, currently only able to watch it transpire, merely let a sigh flee his mouth.

"We're enemies. The civilians were at fault, they didn't evacuate in time." He squinted his eyes towards the humans, and stared coldly in an attempt to not let the unfortunate sight get to him.

Deep inside though, he felt sorry.

However, he was soon thrown out of the vision, and it changed to the Gaiuss Tower, yet again.

"Sir! The Aurelians have breached the Atmos Ring!" One of Navarro's bodyguards alerted him of the impending enemy wave.

"Evacuate the Gaiuss Tower. Prepare the escape towards Sentry Island. Besides, I really want to see what the Fenrir could do with the Airborne Fortress' battle data." Navarro ordered, staying calm although his enemies were practically on the gates.

"Yes sir! This way, let's go."

The Commanding Officer followed his bodyguard, escaping through an underground tunnel by car towards the nearest Leasath-occupied airport.

"Heh, let's see how much I will profit from this war..." Navarro murmured silently, unheard by the bodyguards, but audible for the spectating Airborne Fortress.

'What?!' The words that escaped Navarro's lips utterly surprised Gleipnir.

Fenrir?
Profit?

'I thought this was for retribution! Why is he- No! It couldn't be!'

'No, no, don't tell me even my enemies were innocent this whole time!'

As Gleipnir was having his existential crisis, Gryphus 1 danced gracefully through the skies, destroying enemy strike fighters that were targeting the ground forces.

"Bagged one, Gryphus 1!"

"Good job! Now leave it to us!"

The ground forces finally reached the entrance of the Gaiuss Tower, the landmark of their Capital.

They expected a last stand from the belligerent Leasathians, and subsequently breached the door carefully, investigating the insides and watching out for a heavy resistance.

However….

"Huh? It's empty?" A breacher radio's his teammates, confused by the development of the situation.

"The fuck you mean?!" His friend answered back, equally confused.

"IT'S EMPTY! THE GAIUSS TOWER IS EMPTY!" He exclaimed, announcing the results of the assault.

"That means..."

It finally sank in their minds.

"WE LIBERATED GRISWALL!!!"

"......"

"WOOOOOOHOOOOO! WE DID IT! WE FREED GRISWALL!!!" Cheers erupted from the radio.

The sheer happiness, relief, and anticipation built this moment, as one of the soldiers who was tasked with storming the tower knelt down, tears streaming down his face.

"We're... finally free..."

<<Everyone, good job! With this, Aurelia is once more, a country!>> Crux's voice ecstatically exclaimed, overjoyed with the good news.

This, however... was not a desired outcome for the Airborne Fortress.

I̷͉͚̰̍'̴̤͕̔͂m̴̮̼̔̕ ̵̨͇̭́̓̕n̴͓̫͋̃̚o̶̹͕̿t̸͖̲̎̽ ̸̭̀͗á̵̭̞̇͗ ̶̞̜̀m̸̥͠o̶̰̲̬͛͝n̸̺̦͌̂s̵͔̪͋t̶̘̃ȩ̶̥̈́͐ȓ̷̨̬͠.̶̭̠̜̄
̸̝̫͐Ă̸̢̅͊m̶̭̔͂́ ̵̐̾̒ͅI̷͉̅͂̏ ̷͎̥̅ͅa̴̢͈͗̕͝ ̵̙̻̅m̶̧̨̍̃͝o̷͚̹̅ͅṇ̸͍͈́́ş̴̭͋̕t̸̜̻̾̓͜ḛ̶̍̊͝r̸͍͈̦̔͝?̸̘̟̃̓̋
̷̜̱̗̂̃͘P̷̖̊̌̄Ļ̶̫̮̒͒̍E̷͔̰̋A̶̢͑̑̚S̶̗͌́Ȩ̴͈̼͋͋̉
̶̧̣͐A̶͚̿̕m̸͖͙̈́ ̷͎́̓Ḯ̵̮̠͗̚ ̸̣̋̌a̸̡͍̾ ̴͍͕̈́m̴̘̦͒͜o̵͉͘̚ņ̴̪̘̾ṣ̶̆̾̇ṯ̴͑e̷̛̺̹͊͛r̶͔̟̰̍́.̵̡̛̭͓̾.̸̞͐?̵͈̰̪̕
̶̻̯̻̑̎I̷̜̤̾̍̑'̴͔̀m̵͖̙̀̈́ ̴̧̬̤͠ä̶̩̖̖́ ̷̠̐̋͒ṃ̷̲͊͋o̸̡̜̿n̷̢͍͚͝-̸̻̖͑͝͝

"Gleipnir!" His name was called out, strands of white hair filling his blurry vision, becoming clearer and clearer, until the familiar face of a silver-haired maid could be seen.

His cheeks stung greatly, as if he was hit there, prompting the still-stunned Airborne Fortress to rub his face.

"I apologize for the move. You were dismissing our calls, I had to take action." Belfast explained, a bit worried she had offended the male.

"Ugh... sorry..." He replied, rubbing his temples in an effort to process what the hell just transpired.

His breaths were panicked, dilated eyes that showed signs of shock, and his very being trembled, prompting Belfast to be curious of what it might hold.

“Is something wrong, Gleipnir? You seem not well.” Vestal asked. Her concerned face was clearer than Belfast. She was a nurse, after all.

“Don't worry, I'm fine.” Gleipnir dismissed the nurse with his eyes locked on the Black Cube. “We have more concerning matters, don't we?”

"If that's so, alright, let's continue." The nurse spoke, a bit suspicious of his words.

Then, the cube was put on the table so everyone could see it.

Like a Wisdom Cube, it featured the common cube-tesseract shape with white light emitting from inside. Except, this one cube was colored black.

'That cube doesn't sit right with me…' The onyx-haired male mulled over the Cube, still stupefied of the events that had just ensued.

"So…this is the Black Wisdom Cube, the Sirens' secret weapon…" Wales spoke up, looking at the cube with a piercing gaze.

"We don't know what it could do…" Vestal says, her fingers rubbing her own temples.

"As for now, we regrettably do not hold any intel of what this truly is. As such, I think it's best to end the debriefing." Wales decided, still eyeing the Cube. "All of you are excused. Have a good rest."

"Yes." Then, all of them left the room and the Cube was put back into containment, keeping it safe from any potential thief.

Still in shock of his findings in the Black Wisdom Cube, Gleipnir walked aimlessly, losing himself inside his consciousness.

Not sparing a single glance nor attention at his surroundings, he merely trudged on and on, still trying to process whatever had happened.

'The Aurelians deceiving us were all a lie? Our war was only to gain riches? I... I slaughtered only innocents all along?' Thoughts ran amok in his mind, himself doubting his very existence.

Was he truly just a weapon?
Was he a monster?

Whatever he is, he was a perfect pawn in this twisted game of chess.

Realizing his true self, he couldn't take it anymore and went inside the Airborne Fortress, locking himself shut inside in order to think about what he had done.

-------------
Gleipnir
-------------

I…
I truly don't know what to do…

Profits, is that all Navarro cares about? That explains why… Why everyone were in such a bad state.

I don't mind being only a weapon, I don't mind being thrown away after everything is done, but I…

Absolutely hate being used for such a bullshit reason.

It might as well say I was used for nothing, since I failed, even though it's already within my grasp...

I'm sorry, everyone... I couldn't stop it before it came down to this...

IT WASN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS!

I...

Forget about me, what about Gandr? They sent him to his death, fully knowing he wasn't ready?!

Why...?

I can't do anything right...

No… I shouldn't be thinking about this matter at all.

The only thing I can do for now… is to fulfill my purpose as a weapon.

But… will I get discarded after all these wars are over?

I… Don't mind.

When these wars are over, I serve no purpose. I'll be thrown away or be scrapped.

It's fine, I'm merely a weapon. It's.. it's not like I'll be useful after the war ends, right?

Until then... I'll have to put up with everything.

On my pride, as the Pride of Leasath.

Will it be enough to make up for everything I had done?

... I don't know.

Will I only be remembered as a monster?

... I don't know...

These questions... They're obnoxious.

A weapon has no necessity for all these.

I must distance myself. These delusions of "human life" would lead to errors.

But I still have to take care of my body, lest I would be useless…

What a drag…

-----------------------------------------

After some time to think, the Airborne Fortress finally reached the conclusion;

He was a mere weapon.

Trying to wave off his unnecessary doubts, he stumbled outside the Airborne Fortress, the sight of the beach meeting his field of vision.

As the hot sun rays burned into his eyes, he couldn't help but to think—

No.

A weapon couldn't afford to have such thoughts.

Setting aside the surging sea of thoughts inside, the humanised Airborne Fortress decided to have a walk to clear off his troubled mind.

He had convinced himself, he was a weapon. And he must not falter.

Stepping his feet on the pristine white sand, he started to walk aimlessly along the beach.

However, after a while of walking, he started to feel an urge.

The urge to eat.

Even though he was a weapon, he still needed sustenance.

This… this is a liability of everything.

Choosing to remedy the hunger, he changed course, trudging through the sand, his destination being the cafeteria.

The cool breeze accompanied him each step he took, gently blowing all over his humanized body.

He paid it no mind, however, and finally reached the cafeteria, seeing the familiar face of Nevada.

"Hooo! Young man! What can I do for you?" The brunette chimed, questioning his intentions.

"Food." He deadpanned, giving a simple answer.

"... Uhh, about that, sorry, we ran out just now."

"......"

Failing to obtain the item he needed, Gleipnir gave a curt bow to Nevada as he swerved his body back, leaving the area and a flabbergasted brunette.

"Seriously, what's up with that guy? Oh well, ain't my worries." Nevada said to herself as she watched the figure of the humanised superweapon walking away.

Back with Gleipnir, he wandered aimlessly, memorizing the place's paths as he did so to familiarize himself with his new base. Amidst his search for sustenance, he finally came into the beach, a good number of fellow kansens playing or merely minding their business there.

Concerned with sticking out like a sore thumb, he tried to walk calmly in order to blend in with the crowd and not attract any unwanted attention. The last thing he wanted right now is for some certain people to sow doubts into his already-doubtful mind.

Finally, as he walked, he located two unfamiliar girls selling white, steamed buns. And him, wanting to seize the opportunity, came up to them and reached into his pocket, finding a piece of coin inside.

'Hmmm… weird…  let's not give it any thought.'

Walking up towards the two, he collected his courage to speak.

"Umm… one bun, please."

"Ah! Sorry sir! We ran out just now!" The one clad in purple qipao spoke, pointing at another pink-haired girl happily munching down on her bun.

"Oh… Alright, then." He then sullenly stepped away, trying to find something else to eat.

Strolling around the many places, he saw a bustling market, the familiar green cat selling things to many shipgirls, including food.

He wanted to go, however, the numerous girls made him refrain from doing so in fear of scaring them away with his appearance.

After all, he was just a weapon, unfit for socializing with humans like them.

Mentally exhausted, he walked away from the place, and saw Enterprise along with Belfast talking about something.

He then remembered how the maid had lectured Enterprise on things, and decided to not add anymore things to process in his mind.

Trudging on, he located a wooden bench with shade, and decided that he'll just take a rest.

The Airborne Fortress sat down on the bench, trying to make himself comfortable to rest and regain his energy.

However, the gentle breeze gently blew past his face, as if cooing him to sleep. He found himself trying to stay awake as his eyes attempted to fight the growing urge to close itself. Though, the sensation won, and he closed his eyes as everything turned black, his body easing onto the bench.

Drifting off into sleep, he was shocked to find himself free-falling inside a pitch-black void. Panicking, he tried to summon his wings.

Thousands of dull blue cubes formed upon his back, converging into one to shape two enormous wings. However, there was something wrong.

He tried to hover, but he kept falling. Daring himself to look at his wings, he was utterly frightened when he saw the formerly majestic pair of metal raven wings reduced into a damaged state, iron feathers falling off caused by the wind and trailing black smoke as he descended lower and lower into the abyss.

Unable to face the fear of the unknown, he closed his eyes and hoped for it all to be over by the time he opened his eyelids.

Oh, how poor he was.

Suddenly, the feeling of falling subsided, and he stepped his feet down onto the ground. Slowly opening his eyelids, he came upon a terrible sight; destroyed cities, animals burning to death, and he looked down to see the black singed soil under him.

Realizing something upon sighting the tainted blood-red river flowing near him, he concluded, "This is Santa Elva…"

He eyed his surroundings again, and spotted numerous charred mounds. Curious, he approached it, and found incomplete—
Hands, skin, and legs.

These were human corpses.

Repulsed, he stepped back, before a low pained groan utterly surprised him.

"W-who's there!" He shouted, stress and panic building up inside him.

His answer however, were even more groans as the mounds reformed and stood up, creating many abominations made out of singed flesh as the stench of rotten, roasted meat permeated the air, further adding to the Airborne Fortress' distress.

Gleipnir took a step back, horrified with what he saw. Though, he was in for the scare of his life as he saw that he was surrounded by a whole lot of them, a bloody town.

One of them stared down the frightened male, its two hollowed-out holes simulating an intense stare full of hate and resentment. Before long, all of them charged towards him, the Airborne Fortress screaming in terror.

He had never felt pure fear before, at least with the Southern Cross.
But this?

Too much.

Soon, the living corpses closed their distance towards the Airborne Fortress and lunged towards him, ignoring his terrified shrieks.

The sight of lifeless, rotten corpses swarming on his body, the smell of rotten, singed flesh stabbing his nose, it was all too much.

Everything turned into black once more as one of the corpses, its face reminiscent of the girl that he saw before in the Siege of Santa Elva bared its fangs at him, before dashing towards his face.

Gleipnir woke up with a terrified jolt, the smell of the sea filling his lungs and the light of the sun blinding his vision.

Checking on himself, he found himself trembling uncontrollably, evident with his right hand shaking intensely before he gripped it with his other hand in an effort to mitigate it.

Funny, a weapon having nightmares… What a joke.

Still scared beyond belief, Gleipnir stood up from the bench to stroll his nightmares away.

'That was peculiar…' The cogs inside his mind started to rotate, trying to figure out whatever the hell that nightmare was.

Lest he wanted to never sleep again, he should know what it was.

'The Black Cube? I don't know anymore…'

With that, he kept walking as the blazing noon burned above him, his only goal being to try clearing his head. Moment after moment, hours after hours, before long, it had turned to sunset by the time he had collected himself.

"It's almost dark… and I'm still hungry…" Gleipnir sighed dejectedly, talking to no one but the setting sun and the breezy sea accompanying his steps as he went near the base.

Still walking, he couldn't help but to think about the earlier nightmare. His whole purpose, why he was built, that entire war, was just a lie.

And the restless ghosts, aftermath of the war, demanding justice from the one who killed them.

He could only shudder at the thought, thousands— no— he had lost count— the poor souls he had taken. Therefore, he had to own up to his mistakes, and his day of judgement shall come.

Bearing the weight in his mind, he finally reached the base, artificial light emitted by the light bulbs illuminating his black-clad figure.

Prioritizing sustenance in his command unit—brain, he went towards the cafeteria, hoping to be able to satisfy his hunger.

It was almost dinner time, as Gleipnir could make out the sounds of numerous feet stepping on the white ceramics. It's as if they were in a rush to eat…

He paid it no mind at first, though, a quick peek through the door revealed a plethora of girls, all lining up to grab a bite there.

His own mind racked while thinking of the sheer out-of-place-ness of him, quite possibly, the only male kansen in this world, lining up to get food.

That's a bad move, for he desires not to be stared at, more so after the haunting nightmare of people—humans.

'No… I'll just wait until there's less people.' He decided, backing away from the door.

He stood there absentmindedly, not forgetting to turn on the Optical Camouflage System, just in case.

'Why am I even doing this…?' He thought to himself, staring at the cafeteria entrance. So close, yet so far…

Along the hallway, he could spot some girls walking casually to have dinner, and subsequently moved out of their way as to not disturb them.

Recognizing the one in the middle, he muttered to himself. 'Cleveland.'

She was there, happily striding along with three of her friends—no, from the looks of it, they could be her sisters.

One was really similar to her, having blonde hair and red eyes, albeit having a slightly different tone of gold than Cleveland.

Behind the two, an aloof-looking grey-haired girl with her shorter-haired lookalike paced along, following right behind the two blondes.

"Columbia, what do you want to eat for dinner? Let's all eat together!" The petite blonde chimed ecstatically, enquiring her friend-sister.

"I don't know sis, maybe Monty has some suggestions? We all picked what to have for dinner except her, y'know?"

"Alright then, Montpelier! Same question, what do you want to eat?" Cleveland said to her now-confirmed sister.

"Hmmm, I don't really know… maybe you can decide for me." The grey-haired girl held her scarf, and then suggested for the eldest to pick instead.

"Fineee, we're gonna eat the usual then!"

".... Waffle chicken and fries?" The bob-cut grey-haired girl beside Montpelier shot Cleveland a questioning look.

"What else, Denver? Come on, we don't wanna wait too long!"

The tomboy then led her sisters inside, leaving the invisible Gleipnir in deep thought.

'They do look like humans doing that… perhaps if I ever met Gandr, I can… Ah, no. Keep the wishful thought away, I don't need it.'

He shook his head, attempting to clear his mind. However, the dreadful nightmare he had plunged himself into yet another abyss.

'Why?' He thought. 'What does it mean?'

Before long, he lost himself in a standing trance, letting time pass on as the night grew darker.

Something dark was growing inside his thoughts, threatening to consume his very being. But before anything could happen, a golden flash suddenly threw him off of his deep trance, almost making him jolt and deactivate the Optical Camouflage.

It was merely King George V, her sister, Prince of Wales in tow. They had agreed to have a meal together in the cafeteria, even though George could cook by herself.

Gleipnir couldn't be bothered by the two, and walked up towards the cafeteria entrance, disabling the Optical Camouflage as he did so before stepping in.

Dirty dishes, along with some girls still enjoying their meal were the sight that was served to the Airborne Fortress' eyes as he scanned his surroundings.

'Quite a few people. Alright then.'

He walked up towards the stall, a platinum blonde girl with a cook's outfit manning it.

"Excuse me, may I have the usual course?" He tries to strike a conversation, getting the girl's attention.

"Oh? Ah, I'm sorry! We ran out just now… We forgot to add another portion to the equation, I'm so sorry!" She frantically waved her hands apologetically, feeling bad for the male.

"It's fine… haah, just my luck.."

"Also, you're that male? I remember Nevada talking about a male ship in the base…"

Tentatively, he introduced himself. "Yes, I am. Gleipnir-class Airborne Fortress, Gleipnir."

"Ooh! I'm Oklahoma, Nevada-class Battleship! Nice to meet you!"

"Well, I apologize for taking your time, I'll take my leave. Good night, Oklahoma." He finally finished the conversation and turned his back away to go out of there, the blonde waving at his ever-smaller figure as he went outside.

A bit later, the Airborne Fortress was absentmindedly walking along the chalky white hallways of the base, a tad bit disoriented from the lightbulb rays burning his eyes.

He'd better take a rest before anything else happens, but he doesn't feel tired, moreso his unwillingness to sleep after that dreadful nightmare.

And so, he kept on wandering aimlessly, waiting for something, anything.

Not long after, a hand patted his back, prompting him to jolt forwards in surprise, preparing himself for a fight.

However...

"Gleipnir? You look a tad disheveled. Are you okay?"

Instead of a weapon pointed at his face, he received a question from a familiar girl; King George V.

"A-ah, it's you. I'm okay, please don't worry." Again, he lied as naturally as he breathed.

"Are you, truly?" The ruby-eyed blonde shot a piercing look, unnerving the male.

Just then...

*Grumble*

A low rumble escaped his stomach, earning him a dubious stare from the golden-haired female.

"It occurs to me that you are hungry. You needn't lie, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." She said, closing her eyes and nodding to herself in acknowledgement. "Come with me, I suppose I could use one more tester for my culinary skills."

"No need, thank y-" Gleipnir being Gleipnir tried to refuse, however...

"Oh, I insist." The blonde firmly said, grabbing his wrist, subsequently dragging him towards her place.

"Wai- fine…" He relented, adjusting his pace to follow hers from behind.

The both of them went towards George's desired destination, the shimmering stars and the night breeze accompanying them as they made their way.

"How did you find me? I thought you were with Wales back there…" He launched a question, peaking the blonde's curiosity.

"Yes, we agreed to have supper in the cafeteria. How did you know? I never recalled seeing you in that place.

"... Ah.. I saw you two getting out of there, that's all." He gave his answer.

The blonde raised a brow, rubbing her chin with her hand in curiosity. "How peculiar… I don't think I saw you along the way."

"Err, it's because I went invisible. Please don't be weirded out, I have my reasons, and certainly it's not to spy on you." Gleipnir explained, trying to clear up any misunderstandings that might happen.

"Well then, I shall refrain from prying."

With that, the male shut himself up, much to the slight dismay of the regal lady.

'He certainly isn't the most sociable.' She mulled to herself, drawing a temporary conclusion from the male's behavior.

Finally, they've reached the destination after the arduous walk.

… For the Airborne Fortress, at least.

"Ah, we're here. Come in." George motioned, beckoning him to go inside.

Nodding his head, he did as he was told.

"Have a seat, I suppose you'll want to be more comfortable, yes?"

Gleipnir nodded once more, not letting a word escape his mouth as he looked around his new surroundings.

The fireplace nearby radiated warmth as the flames inside it crackled, burning through the carbon it was fed.

A grand piano was present in the middle of the place, a chandelier emitting a soft radiant light that shone upon the room.

The large windows of the room had curtains that weren't closed to let the beauty of the moonlight penetrate, its tender glow highlighting a big painting of a… chick framed with gold, the so-called chick not exactly to the Airborne Fortress' knowledge, anyway.

The supple cushion of the leather sofa rocked Gleipnir's body, bringing a sense of comfort.

It was almost, if not, as luxurious and extravagant as the superweapon's insides himself, his lips letting out a relieved sigh to the pleasantly familiar sensation.

"Well then, have a rest. I shall prepare a meal for you." A satisfied smug grin was plastered over George's expression, seeing her guest acclimate himself to the place.

"You don't really have to-"

"That won't do. I insist. It would be rude of me to not feed my guest a lavish meal, especially when they're starving, no?" She retorted, silencing his protests.

"Kugh… Alright…" The raven-haired male relented, sighing in defeat and exasperation.

"Now then, please wait, I shall return shortly." George excused herself, the male nodding in acknowledgement to her heading off to the hallways.

With that, Gleipnir was left to his own devices, and then, his curiosity was piqued by the grand piano nearby, the Airborne Fortress approaching it like a cat.

"This… is a piano? I remember my crew playing a recording of someone playing it…" He murmured, reminiscing about the past.

He then saw the piano keys, and touched it with all of his fingers slightly, feeling the smooth ivory-dyed cast metal.

Curious, he put a bit of force, and in response, the piano started emitting a shrill doot, surprising him as he bolted towards the sofa in shock.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" He shrieked in surprise, never getting his hands to try a piano before.

His scream was heard only to himself though, as he calmed down upon seeing that the piano didn't make any more sounds.

The Airborne Fortress approached the piano once more, intent on knowing more about it.

And then, he put pressure on a finger upon the keys gently, generating a soft note from the piano.

"It's not so bad…" He told himself, sighing in relief and satisfaction.

Before long, he found himself entranced with the piano, sitting on the piano bench as he pressed his fingers on the keys randomly.

The sounds didn't form a coherent song, however, the male was content with just arbitrarily tapping his fingers at the piano's keys, feeling a sensation he never had before.

It felt pleasant, unlike the nightmare he had.

Perhaps…

'No.' He waved those thoughts away and stopped playing the piano, staring blankly at the keys as his thoughts began to devour into his mind.

Before anything, though, a knock was heard as the door swung open to reveal King George V, her hand holding a platter covered with a metal cover.

In surprise, Gleipnir abruptly stood up from the piano bench, awkwardly staring at her.

"Oh? It seems you've taken a liking towards the piano?" She asked, approaching the table before putting the dish down, taking the lid off to reveal—

"Behold. This is steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, a traditional Royal Navy dish. Now, I sincerely hope you enjoy my cooking!" George chimed, before taking something near the delicious-looking dish.

She turned her back against him, piquing his interest as he raised a brow. But then, she turned to face him again, a knife present on her hand, sending him into a panic.

"W-WAIT! GEORGE! PUT IT DOWN, PLEASE!" Gleipnir let out a shriek, gesturing towards the blade.

"Why are you so worked up? It is merely but a steak knife. Here." She snickered, before putting the knife and fork which she had also taken, down onto the dish.

"Oh…" He let out a relieved sigh, before sitting down onto the sofa, its softness enveloping himself once more.

"Have an enjoyable meal." The lady flashed a smile before taking a seat, crossing her arms as a smug grin crept up her face.

Seeing her face, he couldn't help but to shoot an uncomfortable stare her way before setting his sights on the scrumptious-looking food in front of him.

Silently, he put the fork onto the meat, slicing against the steak's grain with the steak knife he was given earlier.

The piece of meat was absolutely tender, cooked to perfection, evident with the dripping juices of the beef and the red medium-rare coloring, along with the piping-hot steam escaping the steak, indicating it was freshly cooked.

Gleipnir took a glance at the juicy steak, before awkwardly glancing forth at the lady in front of him, and back to his meal.

"This… looks delicious, to be honest."

"Of course! Now please, I shan't interrupt your supper anymore." George chimed, permitting him to eat.

"A-alright." He apprehensively nodded, and then proceeded to dig into his meal.

The steak burst with flavor and juiciness as he chewed into it, its tender texture enjoyable to his mouth.

He was pleasantly surprised. Never having such delicious food, it was a first for him.

Soon, he found himself eating through the dish easily, the soft mouthfeel of the mashed potatoes blending perfectly with the tenderness of the steak, the gravy adding even more richness and flavor to the already-delectable meal.

Not long after, he was satisfied with his meal, putting the cutlery on the plate.

In a heartbeat, he stood up. "... I've never tasted something like that before. Thank you for the meal, George." Wholly impressed by the food, he bowed in gratitude, thanking the golden-haired battleship.

"It is merely nothing. Besides, it's my obligation to take care of my fellow allies in the Azur Lane, no?" She flashed a smile, accepting his regard.

"Still… thank you." The raven-haired male reaffirmed himself, the pleasant taste of the steak still soothing his tongue as its taste lingered on after it had been consumed.

George merely nodded in response, the Airborne Fortress sitting down after that.

At this point, they might've ran out of topics to talk, or it was simply Gleipnir's awkwardness creating a barrier as a moment of cumbersome silence passed between the two.

"May I ask you something, Gleipnir?" Intent on knowing more about the peculiar male and breaking the silence, she launched a question.

"Of course."

"I see. So, what happened back then, before we took you in?" The lady asked about the past, when he was first found by the Azur Lane.

"Ah… it's.. I don't know…"

"You don't know?" A brow was raised at his response.

"Yes." He timidly nodded, visibly frowning in discomfort as the humiliating memory of his felling arose from her question.

Inside, he didn't even hold resentment towards the one who did it. Rather, after the Black Cube shed light upon the war's motive, he was angered at himself.

Angry for letting those lives go to waste.
Angry for taking them without any regard, and for not knowing better.

He was supposed to be the hope that'll usher away the darkness. But SOMEHOW, he became the monster that reaved the lives of others without a second thought—The perfect weapon.

Thankfully, she noticed his grim expression, and addressed it afterwards. "I suppose you aren't too comfortable with that question. I shan't pry into another's life, fret not."

Snapping out of his trance, he nodded again, his mind figuring on another thought; King George V.

He could vaguely remember their first meeting.

It wasn't the most pleasant, nor it was horrible.

And now, why is she doing all of this, even if they didn't know each other well? Much more for him, since he was just a weapon.

Curiosity and frustration welled up in his mind, until he had enough and decided to inquire her about it.

"George." He murmured, garnering the lady's attention. "Why are you doing this?"

"Hmmm?"

"All of this… you didn't have to do all this just for me, you know?" He asked, a bitter frown forming on his expressions.

"Ah, you might think I do not. But as a member of the Royal Family, it is natural of me to act like it. To truly be a noble, one must act like a noble. Be admirable, unselfish, morally good, and unwavering." King George V's words managed to get to him.

"I see… Doesn't fully answer my question, but I suppose I'll want to think about it. Is it hard for you to… uhh, act like a noble?"

"In all honesty, it sometimes gets in the way of me enjoying my food. But other than that, I find it enjoyable." She elaborated with a small snicker on her face.

"I see."
'I don't get it.'

"Well, I suppose it's a tad too late. Do you want to stay in the Royal Navy quarters for tonight, Gleipnir?" George offered, standing up from the sofa as the male did so too.

Still awkward with everyone else, he shook his head with a firm but polite "No."

"If that's your choice, then I bid you adieu. I shall stay here. Have a good night, Gleipnir." She excused both him and herself from the place.

With that, he nodded in agreement before turning towards the door, walking towards it. His hand twisted on the knob, earning a firm click as the door swung open, and he made his exit.

As he made his way to the Airborne Fortress, he couldn't help to wonder, why did she help? Was there any ulterior motive? Or was it just on a whim?

In any case, he reached his destination at last, fatigue rushing over him, driving him to forget the blonde battleship.

Plopping down to the bed, he remembered the earlier nightmare, but decided to not dwell on it more, for he was too exhausted to think.

Closing his eyes, he let the darkness envelop him into a deep, dreamless void.

--------
End
--------

(Author's Note: Here's an update! Sorry for taking so long, things are quite busy, and I keep getting dead brain moments. If you want to get spoilers about the next chapters, join the Discord server, link in my profile.

That's all, enjoy the chapter!)