A stretching landscape of ice of snow...

Nothing but the freezing seas here...

Just the deafening silence of the wind...

The sound of steel rigging creaking...

Every breath I take feels like suffocating me with the cold air entering my lungs and frigid north numbing my skin. No one would dare remain in these fjords, but I am bound in this war.

"I want to go home..."

All I could do is utter my sole wish even if there isn't a living being present. Germany, the nation I was born and raised, how I long to return to it even if the exact town I originated from has been long destroyed by the Abyssals.

"Bismarck, my sister..."

I admire her as she stands as the pride of the Kriegsmarine, but a shallow feeling keeps twisting my heart. The time I spent here made me forget what these feelings meant or even if they meant anything.

I thought I could be free from this cursed fate...

As if fate is playing a cruel joke on me, not only reality comes crashing right in front of me but I learned the twist in my heart is mixtures of disappointment, frustration, and resentment.

It all come crashing down that fateful day...

The waves rages and shakes the surface while the heavy rain pour down like needles on my shocked and mostly numb body. I remain afloat but my knees has already surrendered even with the waves still raging.

"Why...?"

Fate is cruel and unforgiving once again. I don't desperately reach out to the allies who left me to die. My sister is the first person who abandoned me, but I couldn't the slightest hatred right now.

"Just why...?"

Back then, I didn't understand what I did wrong. I truly tried to be of use to everyone around me and to my nation, but I was deemed hopeless. My older sister just keeps smiling not knowing how lonely I felt all the time. She lived an easy life where she is admired by all and stood at the center.

"Why did you do this to me?"

My allies abandoning me stirred mild resentment. It's Bismarck immediately turning her back on me and abandoning me without the slightest hesitation that made me question if she ever loved me. She's solely focused on fighting that I've given up reaching out her.

"I think I've given up on humanity. I'm too tired to go on"

The rain continues to pour but the endless drops aren't causing me pain anymore. As I embrace the storm trapping me, I peacefully sit on my knees and slowly gaze up the darkened sky.

It's cold...

I'm completely drenched and my body isn't even trembling from this downpour. Compared to the frigid north, this is actually more peaceful. Perhaps it's because I'm in the open sea by myself rather than shackled in the fjords.

"Aaaah. I really don't think I can blame Bismarck. After all...she is still...my older sister..."

Upon shaking off my clouded judgement, I honestly admitted to the sky that I still bear faint love for my older sister. I treasured the time I spent with her, specially the times she showed how she will never abandon me.

"...but still...I want to go home"

I lament this fate, but there's no changing it. I already learned a long time ago that you cannot change your own destiny because whatever you do, the outcome will remain the same. No matter how much you resolve yourself, fate will always remind you...that everything is bound to happen.

What's bound to happen will always happen.


Early in the morning, Bismarck starts her day with the usual warm brewed coffee while taking in a breath of fresh air. Others have already sortied, but everyone in the base has started their daily routines. The naval base is lively with the shipgirls wandering and enjoying the day, but it's also peaceful when she closes her eyes and focus on the calming morning breeze.

"Hmm? Isn't that...?"

A familiar battleship quickens her phase while nimbling the toast on her mouth, unsure to the reason for why she has visibly panicking expression. She shrugs her shoulders when the distance between them makes it impossible to get her attention.

"Have you been up all night again?"

Graf Zeppelin asking her while mysteriously appearing right in front of her, also sitting and enjoying her coffee made from fresh imported coffee beans. This startles Bismarck and almost causes her to spit her hot coffee on her half-eaten breakfast. Instead, she nearly chokes and coughs while Graf Zeppelin blinks her eyes in confusion.

"D-don't just magically appear and ask me out of the blue" Bismarck hits her own chest

"I did call you out, but you were spacing out..." Graf Zeppelin sighs

"I may have slept late..."

"What did you do this time?"

"Last night those Royal navy girls were talking about something. Well, it's more like Warspite voicing out her concern over someone coming by"

"Someone coming by? You mean the shipgirl about to be stationed here. I heard she's one of ours"

"A Kriegsmarine, huh. Then I'll help the new girl adjust to Japan quick"

Bismarck proudly smiles and laughs, excited to meet a fellow Kriegsmarine shipgirl transferring.

"I get it's a German shipgirl, but Warspite doesn't look too happy. I mean she doesn't hate us because of past conflict between our countries, but she looked...scared?" Bismarck crosses her arms

"Scared? Huh, that's a first" Graf Zeppelin rubs her chin

"Anyhow, do you want to come along meet the new girl once she comes"

"I suppose I can go with you later"

"Later?"

"Apparently, the shipgirl in question will be arriving today rather than two days from now. Even the old man is surprised when I asked him"

Graf Zeppelin is puzzled and slightly suspicious while Bismarck is only excited since there will be another German shipgirl in the base. There could be multiple reasons for this like a change of schedule or the schedule itself is set wrongly and only corrected now. Either way, there isn't nothing to be worried about since the transfer is not unnatural.

Two hours later

Bismarck quickens her steps while Graf Zeppelin is forced to speed up just to match Bismarck's speed. The German battleship is being too eager to meet a comrade from the same country. Graf Zeppelin does look forward to another Kriegsmarine shipgirl joining them, but Bismarck couldn't remove her smile.

"Take it easy, Bismarck. It's not like the shipgirl is going away" Graf Zeppelin reminds her

"I want to see who it is. It's been a while since I last saw anyone from the Kriegsmarine"

"They said it's a battleship" Graf Zeppelin huffs

"Scharnhorst maybe? If it's her, then I see why she wants to meet us early" Bismarck chuckles

The two Kriegsmarine shipgirl turns left and right of the hallway until they exit the main building and into the open ground. Bismarck stomps her feet and sprints away without warning, forcing Graf Zeppelin to pursue her once again.

"They should still be somewhere in the wharf, right? I've been told Warspite and Nelson came to greet her first" Bismarck wants to confirm

"Y-yeah. The old man isn't back yet, so she can't report to the admiral yet"

"Great!"

Bismarck rushes past confused shipgirls since two German shipgirls are in a hurry, specially seeing Bismarck anticipating a new comrade from her country.

"I see them" Bismarck shakes her head in disbelief

"Wait, that's - It can't be! Bismarck, wait!" Graf Zeppelin suddenly realizes

Bismarck slows down as soon as she spots Warspite's figure in a distance and the joy in her face disappears in a blink of an eye when the angle reveals the supposed need shipgirl standing a meter in front of Warspite while Nelson is standing nearby.

"B-Bismarck?" Warspite is surprised at her presence

"Ah. I told you she would come..." Nelson covers her face

"This is...awkward. A terrible timing to be exact" Warspite looks back and forth

A shocked and speechless Bismarck slowly approaches the scene with Warspite slowly backing away, aware the sudden shift of the mood and focus.

"..."

The shipgirl standing in front of Bismarck has a cap and uniform resembling her but in a form of a coat that is surprisingly effective against places with low temperatures. Bismarck remains completely silent while the shipgirl makes the first move by removing her cap and gently smiling.

"Second of the Bismarck-class battleship, Tirpitz. We finally meet...Bismarck"

Tirpitz rescues out her hand, but Bismarck remains frozen in place and completely lost on whether she should speak or flee from the scene. Nelson is concerned of the tension between the two sister while Warspite musters courage in hoping a possible conflict to be avoided

"What's going on?" Bismarck shakes her head and faces the two Royal navy battleships

"Is something the matter? You don't look pleased to see me" Tirpitz speaks out instead

"I mean...you're here...in front of me"

"I am indeed. I've been stationed here, so it's obvious to why I'm here" Tirpitz returns her cap

"...You're - for five years...I thought..."

Bismarck forces to move her shaking hands and reaches out to Tirpitz, gently touching her cheeks with the tip of her fingers. Unsurprisingly, the one in front of her is indeed with a living being with actual flesh and warmth.

"How strange. It's as if...you've known me for a long time but we haven't seen each other a long time" Tirpitz scoffs

"Warspite..." Bismarck seeks an explanation

"We'll provide an explanation later. Nelson, can you kindly escort Tirpitz to her room? She travelled far after all" Warspite finally speaks

"H-huh? I mean, sure. Let's get her settled down first"

Nelson gently nods at Tirpitz, who grabs her luggage and quietly follow the slightly nervous Nelson. Bismarck watches as Tirpitz leaves the scene, but Tirpitz herself doesn't turn to at least briefly gaze at Bismarck. It's as if Bismarck holds little meaning to her and doesn't see her as someone she knows.

"Explain. Now" Bismarck clenches her fists

"That's the real and living Tirpitz"

"She died five years ago. I was there-"

"When you and the rest of your fleet left her to die? Yes, it's been confirmed she sunk five years ago" Warspite raises an eyebrow

"Then how-"

"I don't have the answer for that, but I am certain that is the actual Tirpitz. Although the past may be lost to her, so don't be too upset if she were to treat you coldly" Warspite informs her in an uninterested manner

"That didn't answer anything" Graf Zeppelin approaches her, upset upset just like Bismarck

"I told you I don't have the answer. Explaining mysteries is out of my scope"

Warspite frowns when both of the German shipgirls are dissatisfied with her response even if she's insisting she has no actual answer to how a deceased shipgirl returned as if nothing happened. Although, Warspite is a bit upset when she mentioned how Tirpitz is left to die.

"Perhaps this is a second chance, Bismarck. I have more important matters to take care of than your issue with your supposedly deceased sister"

Warspite immediately leaves the area without a specific reason, just a generic reason to cut off the conversation and prevent them from questioning and possibly suspecting her. She's unusually calm and expectant of the situation whereas Bismarck couldn't utter a single world for the first five minutes.

"How is she alive...when I was the one who killed her?"

What's supposed to be a warm welcome for a fellow German shipgirl instantly surfaces unpleasant memories to Bismarck - the most unpleasant kind. She naturally reacts in absolute confusion and deep shock since the sister she thought died five years ago returns as if she never died.

Battleship dormitories

Nelson helps Tirpitz in carrying one language while Tirpitz has the other heavier one. The situation earlier is both tensed and awkward with Bismarck's expression being both terrified and pained, yet Tirpitz strolls off with little to no worry. In fact, she's pleased to meet Bismarck and completely ignores the latter's speechlessness and wide-eyed shock earlier. Normal people would be worried and question the reason for such a reaction, but Tirpitz brushes it off without a second thought.

"B-Bismarck is really shocked you know. I mean it's because she thought you're no longer here..." Nelson clears her throat

"I'm aware of that but they never officially declared me killed in action. As to why she had such a face, I'll speak to Bismarck once she calms down"

Upon reaching Tirpitz's designated room, she gently places her luggage right beside the door and Nelson does the same. Tirpitz's confirms she's not ignorant of the situation and chooses to dive more into the matter later seeing Bismarck having little control of her emotional state a while ago.

"Is the past really that terrible? I would understand if she still has lingering grief, but all I saw was guilt and regret. Was the whole tragedy...Bismarck's fault?"

"I can't really answer regarding other people's feelings" Nelson shakes her head

Tirpitz loses her calm and relaxed expression earlier, switching to a suspicious one when her voice deepens on her question. From Nelson's knowledge, Tirpitz is unaware of the past event, but she's not in the position to answer Bismarck's source of guilt.

"My bad. I have the impression that Bismarck isn't so low to abandon her allies" Tirpitz faintly chuckles

"Well, if you need anything, my room is at the end of that hallway" Nelson points at a direction

"Sure. I might have to ask several things regarding Bismarck later. It seems...you two are good friends when you mentioned her upon my arrival"

"...Something like that"

Tirpitz is already showing curiosity about Bismarck and the people around her the moment she arrives, but Nelson likes to believe it's because she and Bismarck couldn't keep a straight composure earlier, specially when the two sisters meet each other again after five years. It doesn't appear Tirpitz has any knowledge of the incident the slightest seeing she is suspicious to why they are acting strangely and almost tries to have Nelson confess any possible hidden truth she should know.

I see. Then Bismarck is - No, I should set it aside for now...