Nimbus Child I: Games of War

Chapter 14

"If this is the Afterlife, then there will be war, because even souls can die."

"What?", a pale beauty turned to her companion, "God", who had sprouted these words without prompting.

"The thought just suddenly came to me", she held a finger up as if balancing something on it, "the scales have tipped, the play begins."

--

Bismarck and co had kept their promise and collected Oki, the superbattleship quite literally picked up by Montana.

As a group, they rushed towards the plaza in front of the main building where Kongō had accumulated each and every ship of the fleet and told them the full truth.

"Kongō!", called the blonde, the crowd making way for them once they noticed the arrivals.

They stood face to face with the fast battleship, only now noticing that she had her flagship equipment online.

It gave her a true Imperial air. White clothing, white sigils, golden accessories and two-faced flag hanging from her headwear, swaying in the wind – for a moment, it took Bismarck's breath away.

Bismarck looked at the surrounding crowd once, before she refocused on Kongō's serious face as best as she could: "Kongō, what is going on?"

"Your expedition was successful, I take it?", she nodded over at I-400.

Taken by surprise by the uncharacteristic ignorance towards her question, the blonde also looked behind her at first: "Y-yeah."

"Well done", Kongō spoke in a quiet voice, slowly closing her eyes, before heaving her blade up rapidly and pointing it straight at Bismarck's face!

Surprised by that, the battleship backed off instinctively, slipped on a stone that had gotten loose and fell on her behind.

"Lady Kongō!", Bougainville called in shock, all of them having backed off as well.

"Bismarck."

Said battleship's head snapped up, wide, sky blue meeting cold white glow. From the angle they were at, only Bismarck could see Kongō's eyes clearly – it hurt to look at them, because they were full of hurt.

"This is a declaration of war", the expression of pain vanished with a grimace, but Bismarck thought that she could still hear it in the first few words, "the auxiliary ships will not be touched. They will stay neutral and serve us both."

Bismarck could only stare, not computing what was being said while computing it all much too fast at the same time.

Kongō had begun to turn, sheathing her nodachi while doing so: "Once this passes, we'll meet in peace again, and part should it reappear. Good luck, My Lord."

The blonde couldn't do anything, her body just wouldn't move!

Panicked, she searched for Tirpitz, only to feel her gut finally drop fully when she saw her standing on Kongō's side: "Tirpitz!", she called, while scrambling to her feet.

Alas, Tirpitz merely stopped her by retreating her hands behind her own back and stepping backwards, out of reach.

"...Tirpitz...?"

Tirpitz avoided her eyes and hurried after Kongō, moving as if she feared to change her decision should she look at her sister.

"She said that she didn't want you to die", Prinz Eugen explained from somewhere behind Bismarck: "earlier, that is."

Others had thought so too. Those who couldn't agree with "kill one to save many" had decided to join Kongō because they feared for their loved ones – Tirpitz speaking her mind had been the final push for many of them.

Prinz Eugen decided against telling her that; Bismarck would only blame herself even more than she undoubtedly did already.

While those who had decided against Kongō's way watched their new enemies leave, feeling the cold of the rain seeping into them, Bismarck sank to the ground with unseeing eyes.

Unnoticed by all, the fire finally weakened.