Previously in last chapter :

Back to our fight, the Creator finally got back up, but he had a lot of trouble. Seeing the situation, he knows that his chances of winning the fight are decreasing with each second passing by. He had no choice but to use the rest of his strength for a final attack, hoping it would work.

Creator : I have no more choices... Get ready, Charles ! This is the strongest attack you will witness from me !

Executioner : In that case, you will meet my strongest weapon in my arsenal !

Hearing this, Executioner knows that the fight will end with this one attack. It was now or never to use his final ace in his arsenal, that was waiting in the shadows until it was deemed necessary : the tsar bomba.

He snapped his fingers, making one of the most dreaded weapons hailing from his world, appear right in front of him.

The Creator, meanwhile, used a modified Fritz X stronger than the one used by the Orochis. He made researches and made that new version that is supposed to be as powerful as Charles's nukes, but never got tested.

Both of them knew what to do : the rigging of both male Sirens launched both their respective mass-destruction weapons towards each other, ready to brace themselves from the incoming shockwave.

A few seconds were enough for both bombs to hit each other, causing one of the biggest explosions in history.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM !!!

Back to the story :

With the coalition fleet :

3rd P.O.V

The fight was going to its climax. That's the conclusion everyone got to when they saw the Creator using his final attack after announcing it. The question was how Charles would deal with this.

But they quickly got their answer after what followed the attack.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM !!!

An explosion occurred on the battlefield where the two male Sirens were fighting. But the explosion was bigger than what his nukes can do.

The shockwave quickly got to them as it was threatening to make them fly. Nagato, Mutsu and Queen Elizabeth were not far away from that state. But for some of the destroyers, it happened.

But thankfully, some of the adult Shipgirls caught them.

Yukikaze : Good thing my luck is still here, otherwise I would have been blown away.

Suruga : Why does it had to be me ?! It hurts you know ! Now, I feel like the center of all attention.

Queen Elizabeth META : But still, I never knew his nukes were that powerful.

Clémenceau : I don't think that was a nuke.

Edition : You seem very sure of you. Could you elaborate ?

Foch (CV) : I definitely agree with my brother. A nuke can cause a lot of damage, but not as much as that explosion.

Arbiter VIII : Could he have another secret weapon ?

Clémenceau : It's possible. But what could it be ?

Foch (CV) : If I think it is what it is, then how did he managed to get hold of one of them ?

Clémenceau : Wait, are you saying... that he actually has a tsar bomba ?!

Sovetskaya Rossiya : A tsar bomba ? What is it ?

Foch (CV) : It's a nuclear bomb, and the most powerful mass-destruction weapon to ever exist back in our world made by the USSR, or the Northern Parliament of our world.

Obliteration : Seriously, how many fucking powerful weapons did the Northern Parliament made ?

Sovetsky Soyuz : Well... We don't even know what is a tsar bomba to begin with... so how do you expect us to have one ?

Sovetskaya Belorussiya : That could have explained Obliteration's presence in our waters in the past.

Yorktown META : I'm actually afraid of what your world can do in the weaponry department.

Arbiter III : That should be for later. The fight might have actually ended. We should go see the result.

Richelieu : She's right. Let's hurry up.

The coalition fleet started moving towards the battlefield. They don't have to worry about the Sirens since they are getting destroyed by the Dreamworld variants.

Meanwhile on the battlefield :

3rd P.O.V

The smoke created from the use of the tsar bomba is starting to dissipate, showing the aftermath of the damage dealt. At first, only the silhouettes of the two male Sirens could be seen.

But once their vision went back to normal, they could see each other still standing, while looking for how much damage was inflicted on both of them.

Creator's P.O.V

Never I felt so pressured so much than right now. None of us were moving, waiting for the other to collapse. But I smiled as Charles was starting to collapse, I could see his mask breaking, several cuts in his armor showing blood leaking from them.

He finally collapsed on his knees, his hands trying to support the rest of the body.

Executioner : ...

It was tough, but I win, and I laughed.

Creator : I told you you stand no chance against me ! HAHAHAHA !!!

I laughed so hard it causes me to cough. I placed my elbow on front of my mouth to calm myself down. I eventually stopped coughing seconds after that, but when I looked back at my elbow, I saw that I coughed some blood.

...Why do I have a bad feeling ? ...Why do I feel wet on my other hand ? ...And why do I feel something piercing me ?

I looked slowly towards my belly, only to widen my eyes at what I'm seeing. A lot of blood was coming out and I saw what caused it : Charles's sword that somehow managed to land there.

But how ? ...Unless he actually threw it in my direction during the clash of our final attack... That bastard !

...This is why I'm feeling so weak right now... I feel like collapsing...

And that's what I did the next seconds as I collapsed on my back, the sword still inside my guts. But I heard some grunts as well.

I mustered all of my force just to move up my head to see Charles standing up, with a lot of difficulty.

...Did I really lost...?

But then... why am I feeling at peace ? Did I took back control of myself...?

I saw him coming slowly towards me. I can feel like my time has come.

This means... he won... He is... the solution... to defeat them...

Charles P.O.V

I can't believe my tactic worked... But I still feel weak... I must stay awake...

Despite the pain I feel everywhere in my body, I managed to get to the Creator. He started the conversation.

Creator : So... you did it... you defeated me...

Charles : ...It seems... so, Creator...

Creator : Don't bother... with that name... you already know... my true name... call me by that...

Charles : Aoste...

Aoste : ...I must... thank you... for freeing me... and apologize for... everything... even if you... don't forgive me...

Charles : ...

Aoste : I had to do... what needs to be done... to find a way to... defeat them... no matter what...

Who are them ?

Charles : Them...?

Aoste : Yes... the Leviathans... the ones we couldn't defeat... at that time...

Charles : The Leviathans...?

Aoste : They attacked us... in our original world... despite our strength, and those of the Shipgirls... we couldn't kill them... that's why... I did all of this... to find how to kill them...

Charles : You sacrificed... countless Simulations... only for that purpose...? You madman ...!

Aoste : Don't remind me... in the end... I've failed... but maybe you... you can kill it...

Charles : You couldn't defeat it... how am I supposed to do it...?

Aoste : Because you have... something that I don't... it's up to me to know... and to you to discover...

Charles : ...

Aoste : And with what... I'll give you... I'll increase your chance... to kill... the impending doom...

Charles : ...What ?

He weakly raised his hand to make something appear in his hands : it was a Dark Wisdom Cube, and at the same moment, his monstrous rigging disappeared.

Aoste : This Wisdom Cube... contains my rigging... I'm sure... it will be useful... in one way or another... for you...

He was looking at me as to say "take it". I hesitantly did it and took the cube before stocking it in my rigging.

Aoste : And finally... take this...

He put something else in my hand. I looked to see what looked like a USB stick. Before I could ask what purpose it serves, the Crea-, I mean Aoste answered immediately.

Aoste : With this... the Sirens here... will be free from... my control... and you will be... able to lead them... Go to... the Tower of Transcendence... to use it... and this war... between our races... will finally be over...

In other words, this thing is what will bring us peace between Humanity and the Sirens. We are finally going to see the end of it.

Aoste : Before I leave... for good... could you do... one more ruing for me...?

Charles : ...I'm listening...

Aoste : ...Kill... the Leviathan... so they won't... claim anymore lives...

Charles : ...I don't know what I can do... but I'll do whatever it takes... to kill it...

Aoste : And one last thing... beware of... the Magister... she will try to... get in your way...

Charles : I'll remember it...

Aoste : ...Thank you... now... I can finally leave... the world of the living...

I saw him closing his eyes, before his head fell on the ground. I slowly approached to find a pulse.

...

But there was none. He actually gave his last breath. This war between Humanity and Sirens is almost over.

I feel so weak right now.

I tried to walk but it's so hard. I feel like I'm gonna pass out at any moment.

I felt heavy and my eyes shut down, before I heard something falling, which must be me.

...

Next to the battlefield :

3rd P.O.V

The coalition fleet finally got to where the male Sirens were last spotted before the tsar bomba exploded. They saw the damage up close, which was frightening, but it wasn't why they were there.

They were looking for Charles. As they looked around, they spotted two bodies on the ground. Once seeing that, they immediately ran towards them.

Richelieu : CHARLES !!!

Richelieu especially went towards Charles. Since he didn't respond, he verified his pulse. Thankfully, there was one, although it was weak.

Hope : Is papa okay ?!

Richelieu : There's a pulse, but we need to bring him to Vestal quickly.

Jean Bart : I was really worried for a moment.

Enterprise: But what about the Creator ?

Dreamweaver was actually the first one to check his pulse. But she found none.

Dreamweaver : There is no pulse. I can conclude that the Creator died and Charles won.

Arbiter III : He did it... we should ask about more details when he wakes up.

Clémenceau : Yeah. I really want to know where he got those tsar bombas.

Observation : How about we stop wasting time here and get back to the base ? Executioner still needs to be healed after all.

Arbiter XIV : Don't worry. We are already working on it.

The rest of the Arbiters, the Lawyers, the Peacekeepers and the Enforcers were working on a portal to bring back everyone to Mers-el-Kébir. But with their efforts, the portal was quickly done.

Arbiter VIII : The portal is ready. We're waiting for you now.

Queen Elizabeth : Then let's get back !

Experimentation : Wait ! What should we do about the Creator's corpse ?

Ash : We can bring it with us and see what Charles wants to do with it.

Enforcer VIII : Alright, I'll take care of it.

(Timeskip given to you by the readers celebrating the Creator's death)

Charles's mindscape :

Charles P.O.V

I only see darkness around me. Where I am ?

??? : I see you have completed the mission.

I turned around to see someone I haven't seen in a while.

Charles : How long has it been since last time, Hel ?

Hel : A long time indeed, but at least you completed your part of the deal.

Charles : Really ?

Hel : Yes. Aoste's soul arrived not long ago in my realm. And since you've completed your part, I shall do mine just as promised. I will get started but it might take a while, so you can only wait until then.

Charles : What about me ?

Hel : Well, you had a lot of injuries, but since you are a Siren, it helped the repair ships to bring you back to stable condition. You're in a small coma tho but you're expected to wake up in a week.

Charles : I'm stuck here for a while then.

Hel : And I will take back my scythe and sword since they were mine to begin with. But for succeeding in your task, I'll give you another scythe and sword.

The scythe and sword that I used before appeared right in front of me before moving towards her true owner. But at the same time, another scythe and sword appear right in front of me.

(A/N : Of course, these fanarts are not mine, so credit to their original artist.)

Hel : Here. They're officially yours.

Charles : Thank you for those gifts. So, now what ?

Hel : You can only wait in this void until your awakening.

Charles : So... a game of chess ?

Hel : ...Why not ? At least, I don't have to play UNO with Azazel who cheats at each round.

Charles : Alright. Let's start.

(Timeskip given to you by Charles being hugged by Friedrich der Grosse, calling him her son)

Charles's mindscape, 1 week later :

Charles P.O.V

I was in another game of chess against Hel. We've been doing one game of chess per day because she is busy ruling over the cohort of the dead. But none of us managed to win, our games always ended up on a draw.

But that time, I was close to victory. And just when I was about to make the final move that will assure me the win, I saw my arm getting transparent, meaning I will wake up.

Charles : Come on ! Why does it have happen now ?!

Hel : Well, world is cruel. Looks like we have to finish on another draw. Until then, farewell.

Charles : Farewell.

Medical bay of the Crimson-Azur Alliance, Mers-el-Kébir :

Charles P.O.V

...

I opened my eyes to get blinded by the light. Urgh... it hurts.

It took me a few minutes to fully wake up while adjusting myself to the light. Looks like I'm in the medical bay. I don't know what time is it, so I looked outside. It was dark but I could see the stars in the sky, so I concluded it was nighttime.

I am actually alone, or so I thought as the door opened. As expected, it was Vestal who entered. She must got here to check on me. So I decided to let her know I was awake.

Charles : Hello, Vestal.

Vestal : Oh, hello Charles...

...I think she hasn't noticed I was awake, she must be tired. Let's give her a few seconds until she realizes what happened.

She suddenly stopped moving, before looking in my direction, her eyes wide, as she saw me completely awake.

Vestal : Finally ! You're awake !

Charles : How long was I out ?

Vestal : Well, to answer your question, you were in the coma for a week, surprisingly. But your Siren blood must have something to do with it, just like it helped healing more quickly your injuries thanks to your powerful healing factor.

Charles : And do you mind telling me what time is it ?

Vestal : Right now, it's 08:30 PM. Now, let me check your condition one last time before you can get out.

3rd P.O.V

Vestal didn't take too long for the check-up, seeing as his condition is normal. She asked him to try to walk to see if he will need a wheelchair, crutches or none of them.

Surprisingly as well, he can walk just fine, without real difficulty.

Vestal : Well, since everything is good, I can let you out of here. You should hurry to the cafeteria tho as it will close soon, but most of the girls, if not everyone should be there.

Charles : Got it. Thanks for everything, Vestal.

Vestal : I'm just doing my job, but we are all glad that you're okay.

Charles finally left the medical bag to go to the cafeteria. It will be quite a surprise for the people still inside to see him awake.

After five minutes of fast walking, he got to the cafeteria whose doors were open. He looked to see that everyone were eating and discussing peacefully.

It was his cue to enter the cafeteria. As soon as he enters, all the brouhaha brutally stopped, leaving the room in silence.

The moment he entered the cafeteria, one of the girls noticed him and stopped chatting, the other girls saw her reaction and turned in the direction she was looking only to widen her eyes just like the first one. From that moment, it became a chain reaction until only silence was left.

Charles noticed the silence but he has expected it. After all, how are you supposed to react when the man that was in a coma for a week suddenly showed up ?

He turned around to see all eyes looking at his direction.

Charles : ...

Everyone else : ...

Charles : ...Umm... bonsoir...?

??? : PAAAAAAPAAAAAA !!!

He just had the time to look at the direction the voice before he got pushed on the ground by his daughter.

Hope : You're awake ! I am glad to see you !

Charles : Hi "glad to see you", I'm Dad, not "awake".

First thing he did was making a dad joke, and the reactions were various : some chuckled, others either facepalmed or rolled their eyes. But in the end, they're happy to see Charles awake.

Charles : But seriously, I'm glad to be back with you all.

Hope : Well, come join us on our table, papa !

Charles : Alright, but let me take my food first.

Charles smiled before getting his food. Once it was done, he went on the table where Hope was.

Charles : So, what happened while I was asleep all week ?

Ember : Actually, not much apart from the fact a party is scheduled soon, but we waited for you to wake up to finally choose a day to make it happen to celebrate this decisive victory.

Clémenceau : But now that you're here, let me ask you an important question : how did you managed to get hold of a tsar bomba ? I know about your nukes but not that.

Charles : Actually, I didn't have a tsar bomba at first, but later, I got one from Dmitriy Donskoy.

Foch (CV) : From the RED fleet that came here a while ago ?

Charles : Yes. And she wanted footage of me using it on the Creator, which I'm gonna send later.

Clémenceau : Finally, my curiosity has been satisfied.

Arbiter III : By the way, we have retrieved the body of the Creator. We put it in the morgue, waiting for you to see what you will do with it.

Charles : ...I think I will give him a funeral. Yeah, I know he did a lot of bad things, but letting his corpse rot just like that is simply unacceptable morally. And that will bring his soul in the afterlife where he will rest eternally. Especially after I saw his last expression before dying.

Illustrious : What was it ?

Charles : It was a smile, but not one of his infamous maniacal smiles, but actually a genuine one. Like he was happy to die, that his suffering has finally stopped.

Queen Elizabeth : ...Well, alright. But I think you'll be the only one to do that, because we really want to turn over a new leaf, and we just want to forget his actions.

Charles : Well, that's what I'm gonna do this night.

Richelieu : Seriously ? I thought you were gonna go back in our bed.

Charles : No offense, but I woke up from a week-long coma not even one hour ago. There's no way I would be able to sleep tonight.

Jean Bart : ...Well, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right.

Charles : I think I will finish eating and go straight to retrieve his body before burying it somewhere.

Ash : As long as it isn't here, I don't mind.

Charles : Don't worry, I wasn't intending to do that here.

Charles got back to eating with the rest while discussing about everything else that happened during the week following the Creator's death.

(Timeskip given to you by Omitter not saying insults nor cuss words)

Harbor of Mers-el-Kébir, 11 PM

3rd P.O.V

After saying good night to everyone, including his wives, Charles went to the harbor after getting Aoste's corpse and putting it in a coffin. He turned back into Executioner before putting the body in security.

Once it was done, he opened a portal to the location where he wants to go. A place that Executioner is all too familiar with, which brings him back bad memories. He calmed itself before he ordered Alduin to open up a portal.

Once the portal was created, he entered the portal, to get to the location he was wishing for.

Basilica in the Mozambican Strait, 0 AM :

The Basilica was shrouded with silence. It was once a lively place when the Crimson-Azur Alliance was still here.

But since the betrayal of the fake deities, it has been left abandoned. It is standing now as a symbol of the history of the organization that has seen a good number of their adventures.

Now, the only thing ruling this place is the absolute silence and Mother Nature. However, an all too familiar sound broke it. And a portal appeared with Executioner and his rigging got out of it.

Once it closed, Executioner looked around with nostalgia while reminiscing everything that happened here.

He had some good memories here that he will cherish forever, just like he has bad memories that he rather want to forget but can't as they became permanent psychological scars.

But he put them aside, as it wasn't his reason of coming here. Remembering why he was here, he went straight to the place he needed to be, in the direction of the Basilica.

However, that night, he wasn't alone at all in the grounds of the Basilica. Indeed, three figures hidden in the dark saw his arrival and were watching him since.

???1 : So, is this the male Siren known as Executioner ?

???2 : Yes, at least that's what I read from the intel of Empress.

???3 : But I don't think he noticed us. And I heard he is aware of his surroundings.

???2 : It is possible that he knows we are here, even if he doesn't know us. Simply, he must be focused on something else, so maybe we will reveal ourselves to him once he's done with whatever he needs to do.

???1 : I'll trust your words then.

???3 : We should continue following him.

???2 : You're right. Let's go.

The three figures followed him from far away. And just like they assumed, Charles was aware of their presence, but ignored them for now as he had more important things to do.

He slowly passed in front of the Basilica's entrance before he get to the place he needed to : a graveyard, or at least a low-budget version of a graveyard.

Despite he knows about the presence following him, he didn't looked inside the Basilica, making him unaware of the other several figures that were inside.

Inside the Basilica, a few moments before Charles passes by :

3rd P.O.V

Inside the Basilica completely in the dark, aside from the light coming from the moon, could be seen several silhouettes standing in front of the altar.

They could be barely seen due to the weak light coming from the outside, but it was enough to know that there were eight people, and one of them was a child. The child was quite young, maybe around 6 years old.

Unlike Charles, they were already around the Basilica before he came.

???4 : This is annoying ! We searched everywhere in this Basilica, but there is absolutely no one here !

???5 : Strange, because Enterprise said they were in this base. So, normally, they should be around.

???4 : But we looked in every single room and yet, we found nothing.

???6 : Maybe something happened that they had to go somewhere else. They are all powerful, and they're with Charles, there's no way they could have died.

???7 : Maybe if we look around more thoroughly, we might find some clues about their whereabouts, or at least what could have happened here.

???8 : That would be our best choice, but let's act quickly, who knows when the enemy will come.

The seven adults were talking among themselves about what to do next as they didn't find what they were looking for. The child was simply listening while staying next to her mother.

At that moment, someone with a huge rigging was passing in front of the doors leading inside the Basilica, but didn't entered, and instead continue walking forward in his direction.

It just happened that the child turned around and saw the figure and its rigging passing by. She was scared at first because they were supposed to be alone at the Basilica.

But in the end, her curiosity got the better of her. After she looked at her mother and the adults to see if they were looking at her, which was not the case, she decided to go outside to follow the mysterious figure.

She quickly got outside and looked around to try to look for the figure. It was difficult at first because it's night time. Thankfully she saw something moving in front of her, most likely the rigging. Despite the night, it was fairly easy to situate where the person was because of the massive rigging's silhouette moving in the dark.

She followed the figure from afar, not wanting her presence to be known. It lasted a while until the figure finally stopped moving. She did the same and hid behind a tree to observe the figure.

??? : Alduin, light please !

As the figure spoke with a male voice , the rigging made some light from its mouth. The child could see better what was the place. She saw two stones on the ground, but they were perfectly cut. She was quite curious, so she decided to get closer without drawing the attention of the guy.

She hid again behind another tree to continue watching him. He took something from his rigging, revealing to be a shovel. He took it before he started digging in the ground.

The stones, the shovel, she tried to see the common point of these. But she quickly came to a conclusion : that place was a graveyard. She got scared of that fact and didn't noticed she was walking on a twig until it snapped under her feet.

CRACK !!!

The small girl : !!!

As the twig snapped, she just had the time to see the figure stopped moving before turning to her direction with his rigging with light on. She immediately completely hid behind the tree, hoping she won't be found.

Executioner P.O.V

I was busy digging a hole to pout the coffin inside, until I heard the sound of a branch snapping.

I immediately stopped what I was doing and I looked in the direction where the sound came from, with Alduin lighting the place. I looked to see if the was something or someone, but saw nothing.

I concluded it was most likely a wild animal passing by, which could be possible since that place was abandoned months ago. Nature has taken back that place.

Executioner : It's just a wild animal most likely, let's get back to business.

My rigging grunted as an answer. I went back digging the hole that will become Aoste's tomb with Alduin lighting it.

The little girl P.O.V

I was so scared that he will find me. I don't even know who he is and what he would do if he caught me. But then, I heard him spoke.

??? : It's just a wild animal most likely, let's get back to business.

Hearing that, I slowly get my head from behind the tree to see he was back to digging and continue to look at him, and making sure I won't walk on another twig.

Meanwhile, inside the Basilica :

3rd P.O.V

The girls inside were still discussing, still not aware that the little girl left.

???9 : Well, I think we're good with that plan. Let us go.

???10 : Hold on sister ! Where's your daughter ?

???9 : What do you mean ? She is just right... there...?

The woman looked next to her expecting her daughter to be here, only to be nowhere to be found.

???9 : Oh no ! Where is she ?!

???5: Don't worry, we will work together to find her.

???6 : Let's hurry before something happens to her.

???9 : Thank you everyone. Let's go now.

The seven women ran outside the Basilica and immediately went to look for the child.

Back to the graveyard :

The little girl P.O.V

I continued looking at the man. He was still digging. But then he stopped. I saw him get outside of the hole before he looks down in it. He was not moving for a small time before he jumped on his rigging to get something.

He slowly got down from it, with something in his hands. As he got back in his rigging's light, I saw what he was transporting : a coffin. My fear came back and I didn't noticed that I was walking on another twig until I heard the noise.

CRACK !

I immediately hid back behind the tree.

Executioner P.O.V

As I was about to put the coffin in the hole, I heard another branch cracking. I looked back with Alduin to see what was there.

There can only be two possibilities : either it's a coincidence and there's another wild animal passing by, or there is actually someone there.

The more I think, the more unlikely it is for the option 1 to be possible. The wild animals would have most likely fled because of my presence. Which means it is option 2 in this case.

This must be the three figures I sensed earlier. Let's try to trick them. Alduin looked at me and understood my plan.

Charles : There's surely a lot of wild animals around. Let's proceed, Alduin.

He grunted while I started digging again... except I wasn't and instead, Alduin was playing sounds of people digging. I simply stood still, facing the direction where the noise came from, waiting to see who was following me.

The little girl P.O.V :

I was scared and waiting until he does something. Thankfully, he said something that reassured me.

??? : There's surely a lot of wild animals around. Let's proceed, Alduin.

Hearing that, I decided to peek again, as I heard the sounds of digging. But what I didn't knew is that I made a huge mistake.

I expected to see him digging again, but when I finally perked from behind the tree, the man wasn't actually digging. He was standing still, unmoving, and looking right in my direction.

I hid back behind my tree. I was so scared that I could feel that I was on the verge of crying. I should have stayed with Mom. Why did I decided to follow this man ?

??? : There's no point hiding anymore. Just show yourself.

What do I do ?! I really don't want to come out ! But if I don't, he will come to me instead ! I want to run but I'm petrified by fear ! I could feel myself crying as my tears were flowing from my eyes.

I don't have any choice. I have to show myself. And that's what I did, no matter how difficult it was.

Executioner P.O.V

I spoke to whoever was hidden to show themselves since they have no choice. I am expecting the three mysterious people that were following me. And then, a child got out of her hideout.

Hold on ! A child ?! That wasn't what I expected !

And also... what is a child doing in the middle of an abandoned place ?! Especially in the middle of the night ?! What kind of parents do that to a child that young ?!

I looked to see the child was crying and really scared. That could be seen in her way of walking, her legs shivering.

...Oh no. I accidentally made a child cry. I really feel bad now. But then, I didn't expected this at all. But she also caught my attention, especially her looks. She look just like a miniature version of Illustrious.

(A/N : You cannot imagine how awful I felt writing that part.)

As an attempt to make her feel less scared, I decided to go back in my human form. For a few seconds, I was enveloped by light. As it finished, the crying girl was widening her eyes. And then, as if I wasn't surprised enough, the next words shocked me.

??? : Daddy...? ...Is that really you...?

... Did she just called me Daddy...? Why do I have a feeling of déjà-vu ?

Wait, is her mother Illustrious ? But if that's the case... does this mean... the other Charles... is her father as well ?!

It's just like what happened with Helena META and Lena. It's gonna be hard. And then, I heard  voices.

???9 : Lusty ! Where are you ?!

Lusty (Little Illustrious ) : Mom ! Over here !

(A/N : I'm calling her Lusty from now in to make it as if she has a name, not Little Illustrious. Also, it's shorter.)

I looked in the same direction as the little girl, whose name is Lusty, to see seven girls running in our direction. As Alduin turned in their direction with its light on, I could finally see the identity of the several girls.

The first thing I noticed were their clothes and riggings, or rather their state. Which made me guess they were part of the Ashes.

And it was easy to guess who they were by comparing them to existing girls in the base.

The first one was the one Lusty calls "Mom". She has long white hair, but now wears a black dress, torn in some places, with an actual rigging unlike her counterpart. She seems much more prone to fighting. It was Illustrious META.

The second girl had long blonde hair but grayish as well. She also has clothes that reveals a lot of her skin and seems to have a dark lance. She is her sister, Victorious META.

The third girl was wearing a military outfit torn in some places that reminds me of Ironblood uniforms. She had long pink hair and an eyepatch, with a modified rigging that doesn't look like a shark anymore. I recognized her as Scharnhorst META.

The fourth girl was quite similar to Scharnhorst META, whether it was in appearance or the riggings. The only difference is that she was wearing glasses instead of an eyepatch. It was obvious that she is Gneisenau META.

The fifth girl had shorter pink hair, an eyepatch and a rather revealing outfit with an oni head on one of her shoulders. She also possess a dark scroll that acts as a launching deck. She was Hiyou META.

The sixth girl was wearing a dark shrine maiden outfit that is a little bit revealing and has short dark hair and cat ears. Unlike her counterpart that has a gentle smile, hers is more like a smirk. She was Fusou META's sister, Yamashiro META.

The seventh and last girl had long brown hair and completely dark clothes as well as some heels. She had a monstrous rigging but a melancholic smile on her face. Seeing her looks, I concluded it was Arizona META.

(A/N : At the moment of writing this, only Hiyou META, Gneisenau META and Scharnhorst META are officially in the game, although Scharnhorst isn't available yet.

For Arizona META and Yamashiro META, they were found in the data files of a CN test server. Maybe they'll be available in the future.

As for Illustrious META and Victorious META, they are only fanarts that don't belong to me, so credit to their original artist.)

And just like Lusty, I wasn't expecting them to be here, and much less noticed their presence to begin with. Just how many persons are there in that abandoned place ?

As the group saw me, they widen their eyes as they didn't expected me either to be here. Especially Illustrious META as it seems I remind her of someone. This encounter is just like with Helena META.

Illustrious META : Charles...? Is that really you...?

Charles : ...Sorry to crush your hopes, but I'm not the Charles you're used to know.

Illustrious META : ...*sighs* I should have known...  It was too great to be true...

Lusty : What do you mean Mom ? Dad is right here.

Charles : ...You haven't said the truth either to her, right ?

Illustrious META : ...No. But I'm gonna do it. She deserves to know the truth.

Lusty : What do you mean ?

I saw she started to get scared, and tears threatening to fall. Despite this being the second time I see something like this, it really is heartbreaking.

Illustrious META : Lusty... Your father... hasn't disappeared... he was killed...

Lusty : No... That's not true !

Victorious META : Sadly, she is saying the truth. Aunt Richelieu and Aunt Helena saw it from their own eyes.

She couldn't keep them anymore. Lusty let her tears flow down as she cried. Her mother immediately went to comfort her, crying as she remembered that awful moment of her life.

The other had a sad expression on their face, and so did I. I turned away because I couldn't stand seeing broken hearts crying like that.

We waited a while until Lusty cried herself to sleep. Her mother carried her and put her against her bosom, so Lusty would at least sleep in a comfortable way.

I turned my head back in their direction as we all looked at Illustrious META.

Illustrious META : I can't stand seeing my daughter looking so hurt. Have I done the good thing ?

Yamashiro META : I know it was hard, but it was for the best to do that.

Arizona META : I agree. This would hurt Lusty more in the long run to make her continue believing that his father is alive but we don't know where.

Scharnhorst META : How about we start the real questions : like what are you doing alone here digging a hole ?!

Charles : Isn't it obvious ?

Gneisenau META : True. But what about who is inside that coffin over there ?

Charles : It contains the Creator... more precisely his corpse.

Now, it was their turn to be surprised. The Creator, responsible for killing the other Charles, and making Richelieu, Helena and Illustrious widows, was actually killed by this Charles.

Victorious META : Is that true ?!

Charles : It is. Although it was a really complicated fight, I killed him.

Illustrious META : ...At least, my mind is at peace now that my husband's killer has been put into his grave.

Charles : Although before he died, he said something about "beware of Magister".

⚠️⛔️ WARNING ⚠️ ⛔️

The following passage contains spoilers from the "Tower of Transcendance" event. If you're not familiar with the Azur Lane lore, it is highly recommended to look at it. If you don't, proceed at your own risks.

Scharnhorst META : Did you just said Magister ?!

Charles : Yeah ? But I have no clue who is it.

Scharnhorst META : She is the mastermind behind all the plans the Sirens have done this far. Killing her is actually our most important task for us, the Ashes.

Charles : Do you perhaps know her identity ?

Gneisenau META : According to Scarnhorst, her name is Observer Zero.

Wait what ? She was among us all this time ?! But there's something that doesn't make sense in this.

Charles : But there's something weird. If you claim that Magister is Observer Zero, then why didn't Ash, Ember and Cinder didn't killed her the moment they laid their eyes on her when we came back from the Panama Canal.

Yamashiro META : Maybe she could be a clone.

Arizona META : But how do we prove it ?

Charles : Let me call Dreamweaver and Ash. They might help us getting an answer. TB, you know what to.

TB : Affirmative. Starting a simultaneous call with Lawyer I : Dreamweaver and Enterprise META.

It took a while for them to answer as they were most likely sleeping. But in the end, they finally answered.

Ash : ...Hnghh... What is it...?

Dreamweaver : ...Leader... Why did you... woke me up at 2AM ?

Charles : I wouldn't call you if it wasn't important.

Dreamweaver : What is it about...?

Ash : It better be a good reason.

Charles : I can resume the situation with only one word : Magister.

Ash/Dreamweaver : !!!

They look like wide awake after I dropped the bomb.

Dreamweaver : ...

Ash : ...We will be waiting you in the cafeteria to talk more about that.

Charles : Alright. We are on our way.

Dreamweaver : Wait ? We ?

Charles : Yeah, some Ashes were in the same place as I. It was a coincidence. But anyway, we're gonna come quickly.

Both nodded before the call ended. I turned back to the Ashes present with me.

Illustrious META : Looks like it's time to go to your base.

Charles : Indeed. But before going back to Mers-el-Kébir, can the three persons following me reveal their presence now ?

???2 : I told you he noticed us.

???1 : You were right after all.

3rd P.O.V

Out of thin air, three Sirens appeared. Judging from the reaction of both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, they seem to know each other.

Scharnhorst META : Out of all the Sirens, it had to be you !

Gneisenau META : Looks like we meet again.

???3 : We are not here to fight.

The Siren that seems to lead the two others looked at Charles.

???2 : So, I heard correctly that you actually managed to kill the Creator.

Charles : Yes. What about it ?

???2 : Well, in that case, it seems you became our new leader then. But that should be expected for the one married to Empress.

Charles : Wait, what ?

???2 : Oops, we didn't introduced ourselves are we ? You two, start introducing yourselves. I will do mine after.

The first Siren advancing towards Charles had light blue hair and a dress and eyes of the same color. She also had some kind of veil on her head.

Combination : I am Enforcer VI : Combination, a pleasure to meet the new and better leader of the Sirens.

Before Charles could give an answer, the second Siren that seems to be also an Enforcer did the same. Her hair and eyes were of a light pink color. Her appearance reminds him in some way to U-110, but she doesn't look like to be a Submarine.

Attraction : I am Enforcer VI : Attraction. Since you will be our new leader, I am now at your service.

The last Siren, the most imposing one could finally introduce herself. Deducing by logic, she would be the Arbiter leading those two Enforcers.

Arbiter VI : And I am the one commanding those two. My full name is Arbiter VI : The Lovers. And just like my Enforcers, I will be following your orders.

(A/N : Enforcer VI : Combination is confirmed to be an Aviation Submarine, just like I-13 and Lawyer I : Investigation (AKA Compiler).

Enforcer VI : Attraction is confirmed to be a Batlleship.

But I have no idea for Arbiter VI : The Lovers. Looking at her riggings, possibly a Light Cruiser but not confirmed right now.)

Charles : What is this about being the new leader of the Sirens ? I thought Empress would do it once the Creator was killed.

Arbiter VI : Technically, you are right. She would lead the Sirens. But since you're her husband, that role is shared with you. However, after some thinking, she found it best to give you that role instead, since you have what it takes to lead the Sirens.

Charles : ...I'll have to talk to her about that subject, but it can wait for later. I still haven't finished burying the Creator's corpse.

Yamashiro META : We're gonna help you, so we can finish sooner before seeing with Dreamweaver and Enterprise.

Victorious META : That's the least we can do for interrupting this.

Charles : Well, merci. I could use the help. Let's hurry up. We can't make them wait more than they should.

Everyone except Illustrious META are helping Charles finishing burying the coffin.

(Timeskip given to you by the Pillar Battleship Women : New Jersey, Friedrich der Grosse and Ulrich von Hutten)

Basilica's graveyard :

3rd P.O.V

Fifteen minutes later, the small group finished burying the coffin, while putting a tombstone where the Creator's name was sculpted on it.

Charles : Well, good job everyone. And thank you for your help. It would have took me more time if it wasn't for you.

Hiyou META : You're welcome, man !

Gneisenau META : Well, it's time to go back to your base.

Charles : Indeed. Lovers, could you open a portal to Mers-el-Kébir, more specifically to the docks of the Crimson-Azur Alliance, please ?

Arbiter VI : Of course. Combination, Attraction, help me open that gate quicker.

Attraction/Combination : Yes, ma'am.

The three Sirens worked together and managed to quickly open a portal to the chosen location.

Combination : And it's done.

Arbiter VI : We're waiting for you now.

Charles advanced towards the portal followed by the rest of the group.

Mers-el-Kébir, Docks of the Crimson-Azur Alliance :

3rd P.O.V

The group got to the other side and ended up on the docks.

Charles : Here we are. I let you dock your ships before we enter the main building.

Everyone did that before going to the main building. On their way, Scharnhorst decided to ask a question.

Scharnhorst META : Hey, Charles ?

Charles : Yes ?

Scharnhorst META : Apart from Enterprise, are there any other Ashes here ?

Charles : To answer your question, yes. And quite a group there is.

Hiyou META : Like who ?

Charles : As far as I know, there are : Takao, Atago, Yukikaze, Amagi, Kaga, Hiryuu, Souryuu, Ayanami, Fusou, Queen Elizabeth, Ark Royal, Bismarck, Prinz Eugen, Z23, Wasp, Yorktown, Helena, Laffey, Richelieu and Champagne.

Gneisenau META : That's a lot, alright

Yamashiro META : I can't believe my sister is here. I can't wait to see her again.

Illustrious META : Seeing Richelieu and Helena will be great. I'm sure Lusty would like to play with Lena after so long.

Victorious META : I definitely agree.

Arbiter VI : I wonder how the others will react when seeing me.

Charles : Well, you will see them once the sun will rise. But for now, we have some important things to deal with.

Arizona META : True, let's go see Enterprise and Dreamweaver.

The group finally got inside the main building, and after a few minutes, they were in the cafeteria, with Dreamweaver and Ash waiting for them on a table.

Ash : You certainly took your time.

Scharnhorst META : Well, sorry for putting our ships in the docks.

Arbiter VI : We might have took a little of your time too.

The three Sirens revealed their presence, shocking both Ash and Dreamweaver, not expecting them to be here.

Ash : You didn't told us you would bring Arbiter VI and her Enforcers here !

Charles : Well, they appeared as soon as our call ended.

Dreamweaver : In any case, the other Arbiters and Enforcers will be delighted to see you again.

Combination : So do we.

Attraction : I can't wait for their reaction.

Charles : Alright, let's talk about the important subject here : Magister.

Ash : We have a long talk coming. I hope you have answers to our questions, Dreamweaver.

Dreamweaver : I will answer them to the best of my abilities and tell you everything I know.

And so started this important meeting about one last possible Siren enemy.

(A/N) : And that's it for chapter 49. I hope you have enjoyed it. Feel free to leave your feedback and opinion in the comments.

So, how are you faring in the "Tower of Transcendance" event ? Did you managed to get all the new ships ? In my case, I've got all of them, even though Elbe gave me a lot of trouble to get.

Yeah, it took me 202 pulls just to get one copy of Elbe, an Elite by the way. While I somehow ended up with 4 Ulrich von Hutten, 6 Prinz Adalbert and even a Magdeburg via build. Gacha is broken.

First chapter of 2022 here. So Happy New Year to you all, and let's hope this year will be better (even though I doubt it will be better, but that's my opinion).

Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter. And see you in the next one.

TheBreizhOne out !
________________________________

New characters that have appeared in this chapter :

Arbiter VI : The Lovers :

Enforcer VI : Combination :

Enforcer VI : Attraction :

Illustrious META :

Victorious META :

(Lusty) Little Illustrious :

Scharnhorst META :

Gneisenau META :

Hiyou META :

Yamashiro META :

Arizona META :

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