Faraway from the Deep Sea: De Capo

Vivid Sea Beast

Humans are peculiar creatures.....

Not all of them are terrible and disappointing. Among the countless trash walking around me, there are those who have potential. They show unpredictable traits and surpass the logic embedded in me.

That's right.

The timeline that impacted me the most is my first encounter with Enterprise. Of all the kansens I faced, her arrows pierced through my body. What catches my attention isn't her incredible strength but distaste for going against former allies and lamenting for shouldering the responsibility of the strongest and humanity's hope.

"You displayed humanity I've never seen......"

I said that to her when I pulled out an arrow from my shoulder and forearm. That girl showed freewill and seeking a sense of freedom. She questions everything about herself and feels distraught.

"......" Enterprise briefly lowers her gaze

Enterprise doesn't wish to fight me but she's obligated to do so because she's a member of Azur Lane and has to protect the comrades she cherishes. How frustrating it is to be not able to lower your bow out of the need to protect those who you hold dear.

"I don't like fighting you either because I only prefer to fight those who are prepared to die"

Since my body is artificial, it doesn't bleed or even have any flesh inside so it's just a pitch black hole and a bit of torn skin. If anything, it's just synthetic tissues and cells I used to partially imitate human physiology.

"I'm prepared to die if it means winning this war"
"......I don't like fighting liars either. More specifically, those who lie to themselves"

I take out one last arrow on my right knee and lift it just so I can snap it with ease in front of her.

"What are you talking about?"
"I may be a monster but I'm not a demon" I sigh in annoyance
"You're not making any sense" Enterprise draws her bow again
"Even monsters have standards. Fighting you further is rather tasteless"
"You keep insulting me and the next arrow will be between your head!"

Enterprise's arrow glows brighter as she pulls the bowstring to its limit. If I have a normal body, that next shot would fly right through the other side like an armor piercing bullet.

"Why did you attack those people? Homes and lives were lost!"
"Hmm....I didn't?" I tilt my head in confusion
"Don't try to play dumb!"
"Are you referring to the attack in Hawaii two days ago?"
"....."
"Unfortunately milady, I wasn't anywhere near Eagle Union territory. I went to personally see all the fuss about Australia"
"You're lying again!"

This girl is extremely stubborn and strong-headed when under stress in a real battle. Even if she fires her arrow, I'd just swat it away because she's visibly reluctant to even kill me. She doesn't like senseless violence even if she's kansen built for war.

"It's easy to blame the monster, isn't it?"
".......!"
"Monsters are generally scary and evil. It's the inhumane view of humans who aren't well.....humans. That's why when something happens, no one would blame a fellow human first. It's always the monster because their nature is to destroy and kill"
"......." Enterprise looks annoyed
"I'm not a monster.....but I don't know my place in the world....."

The confusion and doubt kicks in. I dislike being judged as a monster when it initially doesn't matter. It annoys me, irritates me, and it ticks me to an incomprehensible level. Then another thought floods me: Why am I still here? My creator has long passed away and I'm left to wander countless branching timelines without truly knowing why I continue to do so.