⛔️ ⚠️ WARNING !!! ⚠️ ⛔️

This chapter doesn't contain a lemon, but spoilers : not only about the  "Khorovod of Dawn's Rime" event, but on the Azur Lane's lore as well !

Before reading this chapter, it is strongly advised to be familiar about the Azur Lane lore, as this chapter will contain spoilers from the game, and the next chapters might contain spoilers as well !

If you are already familiar with the Azur Lane lore, then you can proceed directly into the chapter !

But if it is not the case, go learn more about the Azur Lane lore to avoid being spoiled elements you weren't aware about  !

Now that the warning has been said, the chapter will start !

If you end up being spoiled about the lore, you only have yourself to blame ! After all, I did warned you, so don't put the blame on me !

And now, let's start with the next chapter !

Harbor of St. Petersburg :

3rd P.O.V

The coalition group made of the Royal Navy, Ironblood, the Northern Parliament, as well as the Clémenceau's brothers, Omitter, Tester Beta, Arbiter VIII and Enforcer VIII were resting in the base.

But they weren't returning directly to the Basilica as they were waiting for some girls hailing from the Northern Parliament to join them in the base.

Queen Elizabeth : So, when will your comrades will get here ?

Sovetsky Soyuz : Well, we called them back since we got to St. Petersburg.

Bismarck : So, they should be here at any second now.

Just as Bismarck said, the door of the cafeteria opened. Six girls with the Northern Parliament clothes are entering. But one of the girls widen her eyes as she saw someone that she recognized.

??? : Seydlitz ?! Is that you ?!

Weser recognized the girl. Although she is from the Northern Parliament, her hairstyle is very similar to Prinz Eugen.

Weser : Lützow ?!

Bismarck : So, you were in the Northern Parliament all this time ?

Lützow (?) : Indeed, although I am no longer using that name. You have to call me by my new name, which is Tallinn.

Weser : In that case, you should stop calling me Seydlitz, because I am now Weser, an escort carrier from Ironblood.

Tallinn : I see, but in any case, it's nice to finally see one of my sisters back.

Weser : Wait until Hipper and Eugen see us.

??? : That's great and all, but can we get introduced as well ?

Tallinn : You're right. I will let you introduce yourselves.

Sovetskaya Belorussiya : I am Sovetskaya Belorussiya, a Sovetsky Soyuz-class battleship, and sister of Soyuz and Rossiya.

Gromky : Hello guys ! I am Gromky, of the Gnevny-class Destroyers. I'm glad to meet you !

Greymyashchy : I am Greymyashchy, also a Destroyer of the Gnevnu-class. I am ready to fight.

Murmansk : And I am Murmansk, a light cruiser from the Northern Parliament. But before that, I was a former member of the Eagle Union under the name of Milwaukee of the Omaha-class light cruisers.

Valiant : The variety of culture in the Northern Parliament is impressive.

Sovetskaya Rossiya : In the Northern Parliament, we are all comrades, regardless of our origins.

Avrora : After all, Tashkent's design was inspired from the Sardegnian Destroyers, which is why she is quite close with them.

Tashkent : They are really great people.

Avrora : And same for Minsk's design, although the inspiration came from the Iris Destroyers.

Foch : No wonder we trusted her more easily than others Shipgirls.

Minsk : Yeah, I have a lot of inspiration for art thanks to them.

Tallinn was seen looking at the two Shipboys.

Tallinn : So, who is Charles between you two ?

Clémenceau : Too bad for you, none of us is him. He must be back at Brest. I am Clémenceau, first Clémenceau-class Aircraft Carrier.

Foch : And I am Foch, also a Clémenceau-class Aircraft Carrier.

Tallinn : Oh, too bad. I hoped that I could meet him.

But as she looks around, she noticed two Ironblood girl she never saw before.

Tallinn : I never saw you in Ironblood before. Who are you ?

Peter Strasser : Right, you never saw me because we never met. I am Peter Strasser, second Graf Zeppelin-class Aircraft Carrier.

Prinz Heinrich : Oh ! I am Prinz Heinrich, a P-Class Heavy Cruiser, as well as an improvement of the Deutschland-class.

Tallinn : Ironblood has surely evolved since I left.

Bismarck : In more than one way.

Clémenceau : But, I feel like you are keen on meeting Charles. May I ask why ?

Tallinn : Because Charles might be our best bet concerning "that".

Sovetskaya Rossiya : Wait ? You're going to talk about "that" ?

King George V : That ?

Tallinn : I will explain it to you once Charles get there.

Clémenceau : Well, looks like we have no choice then. TB, do you mind calling Charles please ?

TB : Of course. Starting a call right away with Charles.

A few seconds later, Charles answered the call.

Charles : Bonjour, Clémenceau. What can I do for you ?

Clémenceau : Could come to the harbor of St. Petersburg immediately ? We need you there to talk about something important.

Charles : Je vois. I'm coming right away.

The call ended. Next thing they knew was a portal opening in the middle of the cafeteria. Charles got out of it in his Siren form, but no one expected Richelieu and Jean Bart to show up as well.

Charles : Bonjour tout le monde. Now that I am here, can we start right away with whatever you wanted to talk about ?

Tallinn : Since you are here, we can.

Sovetsky Soyuz : It's time for us to reveal a big secret.

Richelieu : What kind of secret ?

Sovetskaya Rossiya : The reason why, despite the ferocious Siren attacks, we managed to stand on toe with the Arctic Sirens.

Omitter : I'm curious as well ! Spill the facts !

Sovetskaya Belorussiya : You see, our situation was quite hard, but that was until we somehow managed to take control of a Siren stronghold that we are calling the "Arcana Sanctum"

Howe : The Arcana Sanctum ?

Tester Beta : I heard it was captured, but I didn't expected that the Northern Parliament was behind this. We have assumed it was Ironblood's doing.

Tallinn : Well, we actually came back from that place to get rid of the Sirens that appear there, but they aren't as tough as the one here as they are yellow there.

Kirov : We often send some of us there to wipe them, but that's not the main reason why we go there.

Peter Strasser : Then, why ?

Gromky : Well, we have discovered a research facility. So, we have explored it and we found a control room.

Greymyashchy : However, we didn't found a way to activate it.

Jean Bart : And this is why you asked Charles to come ?

Tallinn : Yes. He might be our best bet to activate it.

Charles : So, where it is ?

Sovetskaya Rossiya : Well, we can lead you there, but the Siren presence has greatly increased, although it's only yellow Sirens, I'm worried that they will follow us and try to make things harder.

Valiant : But what if we take care of us while some of you with Charles go to that Arcana Sanctum ?

Charles : That might be our best bet. Shall we go to that Arcana Sanctum ?

Tallinn : Finally the answer I was waiting for. Let us depart now if you have no objections.

Everyone got out of the building to ready themselves for the trip to the Arcana Sanctum.

(Timeskip given to you by Tallinn deadpanning at Prinz Eugen's behavior)

Somewhere in the Arctic Ocean :

3rd P.O.V

In the middle of the Arctic Ocean could be seen a small fleet wandering in the snowstorm.

Charles was in that fleet. And so was the Clémenceau's brothers, Richelieu, Jean Bart, Bismarck, Peter Strasser, Queen Elizabeth, Valiant, King George V, Howe, Monarch and all the Northern Parliament girls.

The rest of the coalition group stayed in St. Petersburg as they couldn't leave the harbor defenseless.

They were advancing towards where the Arcana Sanctum was supposed to be. But of course, some obstacles were in the way, and those being none other than Sirens.

Although their attacks were more ferocious, the Sirens were weaker as they were only yellow, instead of the purple ones they were accustomed to.

Monarch : How long until we get the there ?

Avrora : We are almost there to the place where our transportation is.

Foch : Transportation ?

Sovetskaya Belorussiya : There is one detail about the Arcana Sanctum that makes it different from the other Mirror Seas.

Clémenceau : Which is ?

Tallinn : The Mirror Sea we going to is actually underwater.

Gangut : That's why transportation is necessary to get there.

Howe : But I don't see it anywhere.

Sovetskaya Rossiya : You will be surprised.

As she said that, some tremors were happening. And that was when a huge metallic object rose from the water. Everyone except the Northern Parliament as well as the Iris Aircraft Carriers got surprised.

As the metallic object finally got out of the water, they could see a huge submarine.

Bismarck : What is this ?! It looks terrifying !

Clémenceau : That's one big submarine !

Foch : Looks like something that could be from our time.

Charles : *mind* I wonder how the Le Triomphant-class Nuclear Submarines, the Rubis-class Nuclear Submarines and the Suffren-class Nuclear Submarines are going.

Gangut : Behold our behemoth ! This marvel is a battle station underwater and also can break ice in our way on the surface !

Charles : Well, shall we get inside ?

But as they were about to enter the submarine, another Siren fleet appeared ready to attack.

Foch : This is really irritating. But we have to fight to make sure we can go to that place easily.

Sovetskaya Rossiya : I have an idea. Let's split up ! I will go to the Arcana Sanctum with Kirov, Greymyashchy, Murmansk, Tallinn, Sovetskaya Belorussiya and Gromky ! Gangut, you and the rest of the Northern Parliament shall deal with the Sirens !

Gangut : Alright, Conrade ! We will bury them !

Northern Parliament : URAAA !!!

Queen Elizabeth : George, you're coming with me ! Valiant, Monarch and Howe, go help the Northern Parliament with the Sirens.

Valiant/Howe/Howe : It will be done, Sister/Your Majesty.

Bismarck : Peter, can I count on you to fight the Sirens here ?

Peter Strasser : Alright. I feel like my time here will be well spent gaining experience.

Charles : What about you ?

Clémenceau : Foch and I will stay here. But I'm pretty sure your wives will come with you.

Richelieu : Of course we will.

Jean Bart : We can't let you go exploring without us.

Charles : Heh. Let's get going.

Charles's group went inside the submarine, ready to submerge while Gangut's group is ready to deal with the Sirens.

Gangut : Comrades ! Those Sirens shall fall faster than I can empty a barrel of vodka !

(Timeskip given to you by Pamiat Merkuria and Bache doing a contest of smugness)

3rd P.O.V

Charles's group managed to get in the submarine just in time. They are right now going towards the "Arcana Sanctum".

Since they got a bit of time before arriving there, they decided to rest a bit. Charles decided to close his eyes for a bit, but...

New York City Harbor, at night :

Charles P.O.V

I closed my eyes only to hear some sirens. I opened my eyes and I saw that I am in a harbor ?

What the hell ?! I was in a submarine not ten seconds ago ! And why is the harbor on fire ?! What happened ?!

As I was about to look around, I was startled by a female voice.

??? : Hey ! Why are you still here ?!

I could ask you why am I here when I was supposed to be in a submarine in the Arctic Sea. I looked at the woman to see something strange.

First, she was wearing clothes that researchers always wear. Second, she didn't looks like a Shipgirl, but rather a human. And lastly, for some reason, I cannot see her face, meaning I cannot describe her looks.

But there was another person as well. He was wearing commander's clothes. But just like the scientist, I can't see his face. I think that woman was talking to that commander.

??? : Didn't we agree that you'd be heading to Samos with the others ? Why are you here by yourself ?

??? 2 : ...I don't know...

??? : We were crushed terribly in our last-ditch counterattack, so this place will fall soon. You were supposed to go to Samos because we have anticipated this possibility... Our defenses are still holding for now but that cannot last much longer. They will come again with even greater numbers and raze this place to the ground, just as we planned.

I was still confused by what she was talking about.

??? : You were there when the plan was drafted, weren't you ? Did you vote for it, or against it ? ...So much has happened, I can't even remember the details anymore... Forget it... In any case, even if you wanted to stay with me, I can't accept that.

The more I listen to her, the more lost I'm becoming.

??? : I'm not important, and you're still needed somewhere else... Let's see if any evacuation fleets have yet to leave. Good grief, so stubborn even at a time like this...

Hurry. This place will fall as well.

Unfortunately... I won't be able to keep our promise.

What ?! Who was that voice ?! It's so different from that mysterious scientist.

??? : Hey ! What are you doing, staring off into space by yourself over there ? The battle isn't over yet, so you can't be wandering around outside !

Said the one in researcher clothes ! You don't even have a weapon for God's sake !

??? 2 : The others will come back and save you.

??? : Hmm ? Surely not. If they're following the plan, there's no way they'd be able to leave.

??? 2 : They'll come back... I'm sure of it...

??? : Well, that complicated things. I wanted to make this deal without them finding out...

??? 2 : So... let's run away, together.

Back to the submarine on the way to the Arcana Sanctum :

Charles P.O.V

I blinked my eyes at that moment, and saw myself back inside the submarine. I don't know what I just witnessed, and even less what was happening. So much questions, and yet, no answers at all.

Who was that scientist and that commander ?

Why was New York City attacked ?

Who are "they" ?

I have no idea in the slightest, and that's something coming from someone who have data about the Simulations. I was so caught up by what was happening that I didn't heard that I was being called until someone shook me.

Richelieu : Mon amour, are you okay ?

Charles : What ?

Jean Bart : You weren't responding, and instead spacing off. What were you thinking about ?

I don't even know myself. No choice but to find an escape road. I have an idea !

Charles : I was wondering how the Arcana Sanctum looks like.

Tallinn : Trust me, it's something you have never seen before.

Queen Elizabeth : I'm curious as well.

Sovetskaya Belorussiya : I'd rather see your reaction to that place. Just know it is mind-blowing.

Charles : Okay, I guess ?

Richelieu : I wonder what will makes it mind-blowing.

Jean Bart : We have to wait until we get there sadly.

I can't believe it was so easy. But that's for the best. At least, until I can understand what was whatever I saw.

Meanwhile in Brest :

3rd P.O.V

Even though Charles's lie was successful, there was one person that knew what was happening to Charles, but to an extent only, as she saw something that made her widen her eyes.

Editor looked at Observer Zero's face and looked in the direction she was facing only to widen her eyes at her turn.

Observer Zero : Umm... Empress, you might want to see this.

Arbiter III : The Empress also came back to Brest. As she heard her name being called, she came to the command room.

Arbiter III : What's going on ?

Editor : Look at that.

Arbiter III P.O.V

I looked at what frighten them only to end up frighten myself at the view of those two messages.

[16:51:02:58 : Entity "MNF Charles De Gaulle" removed from Simulation #19422020]

[16:51:02:59 : Entity "MNF Charles de Gaulle" added in Simulation #19422020]

What ?! Even if it was for a millisecond, for some reason, Charles was removed from existence. How did he managed to end up like that ?

Arbiter III : What's going on ? Why ?

Observer Zero : I don't know either, but I'm trying to search about the reasons.

Arbiter III : We need to find the reasons.

Observer Zero/Editor : Yes, Empress.

Did the Creator did that ?! ...No, even he cannot do that, despite his power. So, how something like that can happen ? I'm afraid I have to wait until I can get answers from Observer Zero.

Back to Charles's group :

3rd P.O.V

A few minutes later, the submarine finally got to the destination they were looking for : the Arcana Sanctum.

Sovetskaya Belorussiya : Well, here we are. The Arcana Sanctum. Get ready to exit the submarine.

Queen Elizabeth : But we're underwater ! This is basically drowning !

Tallin : We know what we are doing. Just follow us.

Despite Queen Elizabeth's disagreement, Charles's group followed the Northern Parliament outside the submarine.

But as they got out of the submarine, the jaws of everyone except the Northern Parliament, who was accustomed to it, and Charles, who was simply mesmerized, fall to the ground.

What they saw was something that could be only seen in the widest dreams. They were actually underwater, and yet they could breathe normally.

They could see around them mostly icebergs, some of them floating in the air. Also, two huge tracks could be seen.

Tallinn : Welcome to the Arcana Sanctum.

Bismarck : Is this... a Mirror Sea ?

Kirov : It actually is. There is two types of Mirror Sea : those used to hide away and those where the Sirens can supply with ammo.

King George V : And which kind of Mirror Sea is it ?

Sovetskaya Belorussiya : It is neither of them. It looks like more some research facilities.

Richelieu : And what about those icebergs ?

Murmansk : Those icebergs are special. Just watch !

Murmansk loaded her guns and shoot on a random iceberg. The iceberg had a few holes. But what surprised everyone is that the iceberg reconstructed itself, to the point it looks brand new.

Charles : Did it just... reconstructed itself ?

Greymyashchy : Yes. There is some kind of healing ability in those icebergs.

Jean Bart : In that case, let's see what happen if I destroy it completely !

Jean Bart fired a salvo on another iceberg. Her power was so high that the entire iceberg was blown into oblivion. She smirked at that until a small white light happened, revealing the same iceberg she destroyed, also looking brand new.

Jean Bart : What ?! But I completely destroyed it !

Gromky : Yeah ! Even if you destroy an iceberg, a new one will appear !

Kirov : As much as we would like to look around, it would be better to head for the tea search facilities.

Richelieu : You're right. Let us go.

The group started to march towards the research facilities.

(Timeskip given to you by the Author trolling EA by saying in a review "If you want more stars, pay 5,99$ for each star.")

Research faculty of the Arcana Sanctum :

3rd P.O.V

After a while, the group got to the place the Northern Parliament wanted to be. That room had a huge screen on the wall with some kind of table in front of it.

Charles : Is this the place you you wanted to show us ?

Sovetskaya Rossiya : Da. This is the control room.

Queen Elizabeth : What about that screen ?

Kirov : It is the Gate. We tried to destroy it, but nothing happened.

Tallinn : We used every way possible to try to destroy it : fire on it alone, and together, use bombs, use more bombs and even more bombs.

Greymyashchy : But nothing worked. And not even a single scratch on the screen.

Charles : *mind* Must be made with the same material than the Nokia 3310. I don't think that nukes or tsar bombas will work either.

King George V : And what about that control board ?

Sovetskaya Belorussiya : That's where we're getting at, and the reason we need Charles for this.

Charles : And what do I need to do ?

Tallinn got out of a bag a Wisdom Cube.

Tallinn : There is a hole in the control board, and we think that the cube goes there.

Charles : I see. Let me try then.

Charles takes the Cube from Tallinn before putting in a hole in the shape of a cube. But as he did that, the Cube started melting before a bright light engulf it. As the light dissipated, a hologram was hovering above the control board.

But this isn't the only change because the screen that was entirely grey was turned on. On the screen could be seen an aerial view of the Arcana Sanctum. But there were some buildings that are now appearing. The buildings are somehow made of light.

Charles : I take it that it worked.

Kirov : Yes, and the screen was actually the Gate we were looking for.

Richelieu : So, we're gonna enter it ?

Sovetskaya Belorussiya : Of course. There could be a lot of informations in there that could help us deal with the Creator.

Charles : Well, in that case, let us go.

Everyone nodded before they crossed the Gate. They got on the other side, where the city made of light is awaiting them. But what no one knows is that they weren't alone.

Speaking of that, a figure hidden in the Mirror Sea was observing the group. The figure revealed to be a Siren. Seeing the intruders entering that Mirror Sea, she decided to watch them first.

She has observed them long enough that she deemed them dangerous. She decided to send some drones to keep watch and maybe attack the group when they expect it the less.

??? : You know what to do.

The drones nodded before going in the city of light to accomplish their mission.

(Timeskip given to you by Satan fighting Sephiroth)

3rd P.O.V

The group crossed the Gate, but as soon as they did, Charles put his guard up, more than usual, because he felt observed, like he wasn't alone. But everyone else noticed how he was on his guard, wondering why.

He explained the reason and everyone decided to put their guard up, as they trusted Charles's instinct.

In the end, they decided to split up to cover more space and find as much intel as possible in that place, but still keeping contact with each other if anything dangerous is happening.

With Charles :

Charles P.O.V

I went my own way to explore the research facilities, while keeping an eye for anything suspicious, especially since I am feeling observed by something or someone.

As I wandered around, I ended up in a room with a few computers. I decided to look at them to see if I can find anything worthy.

The first two of them have nothing worthy to be used. But that was until I got to the third computer. I looked insides the folders to find some files that picked up my interests.

File Name 011 : Aerolith Incident

File Name 021 : Energy Revolution

File Name 031 : Tech & Life

File Name 032 : New Lifestyle

File Name 033 : Cube Militarization

File Name 041 : Cube Militarization II

File Name 051 : Glimmer Project

File Name 081 : Arms Race

File Name 101 : Cold War Escalation

I decided to download those files to study them later thanks to TB's help.  Once this was done, I went to the fourth and last computer to see if there was anything worthy.

At first, I saw nothing of value. The browser history... Yeah, I won't look any further in that.

But as I looked in the folders, one of them was standing out of the others. Especially by its name :

PROJECT DARKLIGHT IRIS

The fact that "Iris" appears in the title is enough to make me want to read it, so I opened the file, but the first I saw was enough to make my eyes widen.

Subject Test : MNF Charles de Gaulle

Why is my name present on this file ? Is there more to this ? In any case, I continued with the next sentence showing the name of the head researches of that project :

Head researches : Elohim Dog and Azazel Lucifer

The names looks very suspicious, it sounds more like a pseudonym or a nickname rather than a real name. Something tells me that I should keep that file with me as well.

As I was about to continue reading the files, I heard some noises from the corridors. I decided to hide under a table. As I listen closely to the sounds, I realized that something robotic is near me.

I made sure to not make any noises. And suddenly, I saw a drone passing in front of me, thankfully without noticing me. But that drone have Siren origins, explaining the feeling of being observed.

I had an idea. I waited for the drone to pass again, so I could attack it by surprise to get rid of it. It didn't took long for it to pass by. I got out of my hiding spot to jump on it.

I did it with success and managed to deactivate the drone by punching its eye, putting it offline. I waited to see if the drone would get up, but it didn't, so this mean I have neutralized it.

Not wanting to be surprised by another drone, I asked TB to download the file "PROJECT DARKLIGHT IRIS" in my private folder to also study it later.

Meanwhile with the mysterious Siren :

3rd P.O.V

The mysterious Siren was operating her drones to observe the inside of the research facilities to try to find where Charles's group is. But that was until she received a notification.

[Error : Drone #005 has been destroyed.]

The Siren widened her eyes as she saw one of her drones being destroyed. She searched through her data sent by her drones to try to pinpoint the place where it has been destroyed.

She actually found the location, which is inside a room where, unknown to her, Charles was. She decided to go to that place to find the one who destroyed her drone make that person pay.

??? : Whoever you are, you will pay for destroying my drone.

The Siren then left her place to go towards the place where the drone was last seen.

Back to Charles :

After TB finished downloading "PROJECT DARKLIGHT IRIS", I decided to look at the drone.

At first, I saw that the drones were quite similar to the one Empress possess, but it can't be hers as she told me she went back to Brest. But she might be the one who knows whose drone is it.

Charles : TB, could you call Empress right now ?

TB : Affirmative. Starting call with Arbiter III : The Empress.

Eight seconds has passed until she took the call.

Arbiter III : Charles ? Why are you calling me ?

Charles : I need your help about something.

Arbiter III : Tell me more.

Charles : It's about this drone. It looks a lot like yours, but I don't think it belongs to you.

I heard a gasp from her.

Charles : Are you alright ?

Arbiter III : Stay where you are, so I can pinpoint your location and directly teleport to you.

That was the last words she said before ending the call. She knows who it belongs to, and it seems to be someone important to her.

A minute later, I heard the noise of a portal opening right next to me. And with no surprise, it was Empress that came out of it.

Arbiter III : Can I see the drone, please ?

I nodded and gave it to her. She examined it for a few seconds until she looked at me to give an answer.

Arbiter III : I definitely recognize this. That drone belongs to Enforcer III : Harvest.

Charles : Enforcer III : Harvest ?

Arbiter III : Exactly. As you may know, the other Enforcers you met and saved have a number in their name similar to the other Arbiters you have met.

Charles : Yes. What of it ?

Arbiter III : Well, the Enforcers-class Sirens are considered as a kind of right-hand woman to the Arbiter-class Sirens, having a power similar to us, but to a lesser extent.

Charles : Wait ? Does this mean ?

Arbiter III : Yes, Enforcer III is my right-hand woman. And could I ask you to free her from the Creator's grasp ?

Charles : You do not need to ask as I will do it.

Arbiter III : I knew you would say that, but still, thank you. I'm gonna help as well.

Charles : So, how are we gonna find her ?

Arbiter III : Well, you won't because she will find you first, especially since you have destroyed her drone, which she takes care a lot. She might be on her way to your location as we are speaking because you destroyed it.

Charles : Well, at least we don't have to search for her.

Arbiter III : And we can use the element of surprise since she doesn't know I'm here. So, I can turn invisible, and trap her, so we can get rid of the collar to free her.

Charles : That's a great idea ! Let's do this !

I noticed Empress slightly blushing at the praise I made, but I didn't said anything because we have something to do first. At that moment, Arbiter III turned invisible, ready to act.

After the plan was made, I got out of the room and waited outside of it until Enforcer III comes to me.

Thankfully, five minutes later, I hear a sound becoming louder, meaning she is approaching me. And I was right as I saw her standing in front of me.

??? : So, you are the one who destroyed my drone ?

Charles : Oui. It was I. You must be Enforcer III : Harvest, I suppose ?

Enforcer III : So, you already know my name ? Good, less time wasted to make you pay !

I observed the Siren. Her riggings looks like nightmare fuel material, taking the form of some kind of Xenomorph fused with a fish, and guns, because there is no such thing as more nightmare fuel.

I got ready to fight, and so she is. She fired her guns on me, while I decided to counter it with my Giat Cannons.

Both bullets and shells hit each other, resulting in an explosion.

BOOOOOOOOM !!!

Meanwhile with the rest of the group, a few minutes before Charles's fight against Enforcer III :

3rd P.O.V

Just like Charles, the group split to search for any useful intel that could be found.

While searching, they found some interesting files concerning the PR Ships, and how they came to be.

They discovered something about the Wisdom Cubes in the files : that the inside of the Wisdom Cube posses the history of the Shipgirl representing it, and is a critical component for not only the Wisdom Cube itself, but also for the rebirth of said Shipgirl into a human form.

But for the PR ships, it works differently. Because they stayed under the form of blueprints, their history of their life is basically non-existent. And yet, they are here.

A theory in the file was that to bring the PR Shipgirls to life, they have to create a history for them from basically nothing to put it in the Wisdom Cube., making their birth possible.

And yet, some Shipgirls were also created despite having no history, but weren't considered as PR Shipgirls for unknown reasons. There are no theories to explain why.

In the room where they found the files, they also saw a weird symbol above a screen. They seem to have seen that symbol somewhere, but can't put a finger in it.

And here we are now, in a big auditorium room, where all the Shipgirls reunited to share their discoveries.

But as they looked up, they saw the same symbol that they have found earlier.

King George V : That symbol... I think I saw it somewhere, but I don't know when...

Bismarck : I agree. But where could we have seen it ?

Richelieu was pondering over this until she remembered where she saw it.

Richelieu : I know where I saw that symbol !

Queen Elizabeth : Where ?

Richelieu : It was on Arbiter III's rigging.

Sovetskaya Rossiya : You're right. I saw it too.

Jean Bart : Now that you say it, I saw it somewhere else.

Tallinn : Where ?

Jean Bart : On Charles's cloak, whenever he is in his Siren form. But it's harder to see it.

Kirov : What could this symbol mean ?

As they were thinking about this, they got interrupted by the sound of an explosion coming from another part of the facilities.

Greymyashchy : I was right to trust Charles's instinct.

Queen Elizabeth : Are we attacked ?!

Richelieu : TB, what's happening ?

TB : Charles is currently fighting a Siren at the moment we are speaking. The Siren name has been revealed to be Enforcer III : Harvest.

Bismarck : An Enforcer-class ?! In that lost place ?!

Kirov : How a strong Siren managed to get here undetected ?!

Murmansk : Shouldn't we go there to help him ?! He might be fighting alone !

TB : Negative. Charles isn't alone as I detected Arbiter III's presence with him, although she is invisible for some reason.

King George V : We should hurry then !

Greymyashchy : I agree. That is all.

Sovetskaya Rossiya : For Comrade Charles !

Northern Parliament : URAAAAA !!!

They left the auditorium room to go help Charles.

Back to Charles and Enforcer III fight :

3rd P.O.V

The fight between Charles and Enforcer III was raging, neither of them were giving up but neither of them managed to hit each other.

Enforcer III decided to change her tactics by sending some of her drones to attack Charles. To answer to the threat, Charles sent his Panthers to take care of them.

Enforcer III : Tch. You're stronger than I thought.

Charles : You're not bad either.

Enforcer III : But it's the end for you.

Chat noticed she was preparing a salvo while the drones were distracting Charles.

Enforcer III : Any last words ?

Charles : You have lost.

Enforcer III : Don't be foolish.

Charles : You have committed a great mistake that will be your downfall.

Enforcer III : And what is that so-called mistake of mine ?

Charles : Thinking I was alone.

Enforcer III : What ?!

??? : You have much more to learn to become stronger. After all, you have not even sensed my presence.

Empress revealed her presence, which surprised Harvest, not expecting her appearance.

Arbiter III : I'm sorry to do this, but you don't leave us much of a choice.

Enforcer III didn't know what she meant until she turned around only to see Charles dashing at her with Ragnell and Alondite, ready to strike her down.

She just closed her eyes, knowing she won't have time to escape the attack. But she opened her eyes some seconds later, surprised she was still alive. She looked to see Charles with his swords branded, and on Ragnell could be seen a collar. He took it before destroying it.

Enforcer III : Am I... free ?

Arbiter III : Yes you are.

Enforcer III went to hug Arbiter III while shedding a few tears. Charles looked at the scene with a smile. And it lasted a few minutes before they broke the hug.

Enforcer III : I have finally found you. And Charles, thank you for freeing me.

Charles : You're welcome.

But then, he noticed Empress marching towards him. He was wondering why, but got surprised when she kissed him on the lips. But she also got surprised when he reciprocated it, like he knew her feelings for him. They could have continued if it wasn't for the oxygen being a bitch.

Arbiter III : Charles... I can't thank you enough for all the help you gave me... I guess I couldn't help but fall in love with you...

Charles : *blushing* Wow... I didn't expected a confession out of the blue, but... I will accept your love.

As they were about to kiss again, they suddenly heard some clapping . They got startled and turned around only to see the rest of the group being the ones who were clapping at Empress's confession. Harvest also joined them to clap along.

Jean Bart wasn't clapping but instead had a smirk while doing a thumbs up to congratulate Arbiter III. Meanwhile, Sovetskaya Rossiya was doing a jealous glare, seeing Empress having already confessed to Charles, but no one noticed.

Richelieu : Well, that's a surprise, but congratulations to you, Empress.

Arbiter III : *blushing* Well, I can't believe I did it but I'm happy about the results.

Sovetskaya Rossiya : *fake coughs* Ahem ! Did you find something useful in your search ?

Charles : *serious* I actually found some files that could contain some hints, but I have to analyze it first. I'm gonna start this once we're back at the Basilica.

Enforcer III : In any case, we can still come back here if we need more intel.

Gromky : But we might have to deal with some Sirens since some always appear here.

Charles : Unless... Wait, I have an idea !

Charles snapped his fingers. Several portals appeared behind him. From each portal, a different Dreamworld Siren comes out of it. But what makes them stand out from the rest of the Dreamworld Sirens is that their power is stronger than the rest of the Dreamworld Sirens. For this reason, Charles gave them a name and the role of leader of their class.

The Sirens that got out of the portals are : Explorer (leader of the Siren Destroyers), Tracker and Obstructor (leaders of the Siren Light Cruisers),
Oceana (leader of the Siren Heavy Cruisers), Peace Breaker (leader of the Siren Battleships), Strategist (leader of the Siren Aircraft Carriers) and
Lurker (leader of the Siren Submarines).

(A/N : You can look back to chapter 37 to see the board showing each class of Humanoid mass-produced Sirens if you forgot how they look like.)

Strategist : What do you need, Leader ?

Charles : Well, I wanted to know if you're okay to make a new base for us.

Oceana : In this Mirror Sea ?

Charles : Exactly. You can come settle here.

Enforcer III : Is this your way of dealing with the enemy Sirens ?

Charles : That, and also a first step towards a future where humanity and Sirens can cohabit freely with each other.

Peace Breaker : Seems great, but you said there would be enemy Sirens right ?

Charles : Yeah, although they aren't that powerful.

Explorer : It doesn't matter since we can easily defeat them.

Lurker : Heh. They don't know what will hit them.

Tracker : In any case, should we call the others here ?

Charles : Please do.

Obstructor : Alright.

Both of them called the others Dreamworld Sirens. And then, a tremor occurred, surprising everyone but Charles.

As they look outside, they saw dozens of portals opening in the air and on the sea. From the portals in the air came the humanoid Dreamworld Sirens while the mass-produced Siren ships appeared from the portals on the sea.

The Dreamworld Sirens seemed happy to be in the reality, and to start having a somewhat normal life, but not entirely because of the war.

But it's actually the Second Mirror Sea used to house the Dreamworld Sirens, the first one being the Mirror Sea where Peter Strasser and her group were previously, and they got used to it very quickly.

Charles's group were watching how the Dreamworld Sirens were settling in the various buildings. Some of them saw Charles and waved at him, which he saw and waved back at them.

The first step towards the future everyone are striving has been taken, but it will take more time for it happen, but as long as they work together, it will be possible.

Meanwhile with the Creator :

The Creator was watching how Charles managed to free Enforcer III while claiming the Arcana Sanctum as his domain where the Dreamworld Sirens can live freely.

But what was surprising was his reaction : he wasn't angry in the slightest unlike every other time. He was actually calm and pensive, something that never happened until now whenever it comes to Charles.

Creator : ...The truth...

He was actually pondering on Charles's progress since the beginning, seeing how long it will take before he will find the truth.

Creator : ...He is getting closer...

He finally took a sad look on his face.

Creator : ...Maybe... I will finally see [REDACTED] again...

In his hands was a picture. This picture was showing two persons : two men and a woman, the woman and one of them men were wearing laboratory coats. The other man was wearing a commander outfit. The first man was wearing glasses while the woman had a twintail hairstyle.

Creator : ...Maybe... this Simulation will have an happy ending... My friends... wait for me, as I will soon join you...

As we look closer to the photo, the man wearing the lab coat looked very similar to the Creator. As for the commander, he looked a lot like Charles's admiral.

That was the last thing we could see before the screen turned black.

A/N : And that's it for chapter 39. I hope you have enjoyed it. Feel free to leave your feedback and opinion in the comments.

Just a heads-up for the following chapters, there might be some spoilers on the AL lore, if you remember what I have said at the beginning of the chapter. And maybe lemons as well.

Also, how are you doing in the new Russian event ? On my side, at the moment I am writing this, I only got Sovetskaya Belorussiya and Murmansk.

Damn those cursed timers that are 1:30 and 4:00. I swear I'm only getting those cursed timers in my daily builds.

And you, who did you managed to get ? Tell me, I am curious.

In any case, thanks for reading this chapter. And see you in the next one.

TheBreizhOne out !

P.S. : I just saw that this book got over 1K votes. Yay ! Thanks for the support guys, I appreciate it a lot and this gives me the drive to continue working on this book.

P.S.S : Holy shit ! This is the longest chapter I have ever written for now ! You actually read a chapter that has just a little above 7K words ! That was a long road compared to the very first chapters of this book that have only between 2K and 3K words at most !

The progress I have made as an author is real, but there is still much more I can learn to make good chapters, and stories as well, but we're getting there, slowly but steadily.

I hope we can continue to move forward together in this book or any other, not only as authors and readers, but as comrades and friends.

TheBreizhOne out ! ( For real this time ! )

________________________________

New characters that have appeared in this chapter :

Tallinn :

Sovetskaya Belorussiya :

Gromky :

Greymyashchy :

Murmansk :

Enforcer III : Harvest :

Of course, none of those images belong to me. So, credit to their original artist.