Lost at Sea and in Another World

A Goal in Mind

Does a far future exist?

They're no longer in the future they lament and into the past without certainty, but Tyrant and Prinz Eugen META gaze at the horizon with a mixture of bitterness and sorrow. Tyrant sits by a rock behind Prinz Eugen and lowers her head, just staring at the soft white sand beneath her feet. All that matters to her is peace and quiet, even if she's just momentarily ignoring her purpose for returning to the past.

"That suicidal lizard says there's no way to avoid it" Prinz Eugen META clears her throat
"No matter what happens, my good-for-nothing past self will try to prevent Bismarck from becoming META" Tyrant speaks while still staring at the sand
"It's just that Tirpitz will take the other half to stop Bismarck from going out of control"
"........"
"You became like that because you thought about Bismarck's safety"
"The Black Cube eroded wisdom cubes. If I didn't take the other half of her power from her, she would have self-destructed and destroyed Iron Blood. The Black Cube was cancerous and ate away my mind when I tried to rid it from my body" Tyrant raises her head
"Guess what, genius? You went crazy yourself and killed a good number of our old friends"

Prinz Eugen META marches towards her and pokes the side of her head. Even with Prinz Eugen META angrily poking Tyrant, the latter's head only wobbles and doesn't react negatively. In fact, she doesn't react to what would annoy even an usually patient person.

"You and everyone else in Iron Blood aren't my friends. Perhaps that's why......I barely feel any guilt from killing others....." Tyrant looks at Prinz Eugen META right in the eyes
"......" Prinz Eugen META frowns in return
"METAs are already failures, but I've become a failure beyond that. Why did I.....even try to begin with? I hate Bismarck, and I hate my past self a bit more"
(There she goes again......) Prinz Eugen META groans faintly
"I can never make the same mistake. Something has to change.....or the cycle will never end"
"Tyrant will always exist in one form or another in this timeline. Remember you die in other timelines or meet an invalid death again"
"What are you talking about? I'm already....."

Tyrant cuts off her own words by sighing in exhaustion and shaking her head. Her back remains slouched.

"Damn, you're hopeless without me....."

Seeing the way Tyrant lacks any motivation to even stand up, Prinz Eugen presses her forearm on Tyrant's shoulder and leans on her. The weight of a heavy cruiser pressing down doesn't matter much to her as a battleship or she simply lacks any reason to care.

"You always complain yet you aren't leaving" Tyrant briefly glances at Prinz Eugen
"I want to see what you really want to accomplish"
"I don't care about anything else. All that matters is seeing my struggles be worth it in the end....." Tyrant clenches her fists
"That's just like you......"
"........."
"Would you still be the same person halfway through your goal? One look at Bismarck and you'd go haywire"
"That's why you would infiltrate Iron Blood before I launch my first attack. You're there to make sure I don't screw anything up while I'm not myself"

The way Tyrant could speak, without a doubt, that she has faith in Prinz Eugen surprised the latter. If only Tyrant would spare a little effort to at least say all of it while making eye contact. Unfortunately, her eyes are fixated at the bits of sand on her boots.

"I want to wake up already. No, that's not right......" Tyrant lightly shakes her head
"Indecisive as ever"
"I'm just another pawn in the grand scheme of things. Just like you"
"Yeah, yeah. You keep saying that" Prinz Eugen rolls her eyes
"Do you think Bismarck would end with a stalemate....or a checkmate?"
"Like I would know that. I'm only after one goal"

Knowing Prinz Eugen is still leaning on her, Tyrant slowly pushes her legs up then the rest of body. Her heavy cruiser companion immediately steps back. Tyrant reluctantly moves her left foot forward and after a few seconds, she takes a few steps forward.