“Hmm, Command has received your report, Commander,“ Saratoga’s voice crackled as her hologram projection flickered to life. “NY Command will work on tracking down the newly emerged Ashes member. Regarding further exploration of the anomalies in Bermuda, a decision will be made after further discussion. I know it’s tough out there, but don’t throw in the towel just yet! Hang in there!~“

  “I will,“ Greynar replied, crossing his arms. “What’s the next step?“

  Saratoga tapped her chin thoughtfully. “The next step in the battle pn is to keep advancing and secure routes to the central area. Operations in other regions are progressing smoothly for now. I’ll also be heading to the front lines soon to provide reinforcements. See you during the general assault!“ She paused, gncing downward briefly as if checking a note. “Oh, and if we catch wind of the Crimson Axis stirring up trouble, we’ll keep you in the loop. And, um... Never mind! If there’s any new information, I’ll inform you as soon as possible!“

  With that, the communication ended. The Commander turned to the girls who had been quietly listening. “Well, you heard her. We need to keep pushing forward.“

  Enterprise nodded firmly. “Understood. I’ll ensure our current sector is secure before we proceed to the central area.“

  “The Crimson Axis, huh... You think they'll try anything?“ Baltimore asked.

  “Hard to say,“ Enterprise replied calmly. “But for now, this isn’t information we’re cleared to discuss openly. To ensure the smooth progress of operations, Command is currently negotiating a short-term ceasefire agreement in NA waters with the Crimson Axis.“

  “Wait, what?“ Hornet raised an eyebrow. “A ceasefire? With them?“

  Enterprise nodded. “The negotiations are being directly handled by Queen Elizabeth herself. Judging by Saratoga’s tone, there’s progress being made. If all goes well, it could help avoid unnecessary conflicts during this operation.“

  “I’ve never heard of this before,“ Hornet murmured, her tone thoughtful.

  Baltimore frowned, crossing her arms. “They chose Queen Elizabeth to handle the negotiations? Didn’t she suffer a major setback against Friedrich der Gro?e before? Isn’t that a risky move?“

  “Allow me to expin,“ Illustrious interjected, stepping forward gracefully, stealing gnce from everyone in the room. “Following the attack on Her Majesty at Scapa Flow by Iron Blood’s blueprint ship, Command issued immediate orders for a ceasefire. This coincided with reports of increased Siren activity in the central NA waters, forcing Iron Blood to retreat to protect one of their key bases in the region. Friedrich der Gro?e likely deemed safeguarding their stronghold more important than pressing the offensive. However,“ she added, her tone becoming more thoughtful, “during Her Majesty’s meeting with Friedrich, she seemed to discover something unknown to us. Which could be summarized as, she got some enlightment from Friedrich during their encounter.“

  The room fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by the sound of the ship cutting through the waves. The unexpected revetion hung in the air, leaving Hornet gaping in disbelief while Baltimore’s eyes widened in shock. Enterprise, who seemed to have already known about the situation, simply closed her eyes in quiet contemption.

  “Either way,“ Enterprise finally said, breaking the heavy silence, “there’s not much we can do except trust in Elizabeth's ability to manage the situation. Don’t worry, when it comes to critical matters like this, she won’t let emotions cloud her judgment. Trust in the royal family, and trust her capabilities.“

  Hornet, breaking from her stunned silence, let out a quiet sigh. “I hope that’s true. After all, we’re still at war with the Crimson Axis.“

  “Setting Crimson Axis aside,“ Greynar said, his gaze sweeping across the room, “it seems the Sirens have completely vanished from Bermuda.“ He paused, as he recalled about yesterday. “Last night, I had Enterprise conduct a reconnaissance mission. Her pnes came back with nothing—just a bnk profile.“

  “This area should now be cssified as a green zone,“ Enterprise said, her voice calm but tinged with a note of caution. “The sea's risk level was marked as Corrosion level 3, but with no Siren activity detected, we’ll need to downgrade it for the time being.“

  “I’ll notify NY Command,“ the Commander replied firmly. “Everyone, prepare to set sail again. We’re advancing deeper into the NA Ocean.“

  With that, the fleet adjusted course and began their journey out of the Bermuda Sea. However, as they pressed further into Siren-controlled waters, they encountered sporadic resistance. The skirmishes were minor, barely enough to challenge or tire them, leaving an odd sense of unease in the air. Something about the Sirens’ behavior felt… off. Their movements cked coordination, following erratic, almost random patterns.

  It wasn’t just quiet—it was unnatural. Something was definitely wrong.

  “We’ve already ventured deep into NA waters, but something isn’t right. There are still far too few enemies,“ Baltimore remarked, gliding effortlessly through the waves. Her tone carried a mix of concern and curiosity. “According to the previous sea charts, this area should fall within a Corrosion Level 6 to 8 zone. That means only the main fleet is authorized to operate here during special combat missions.“

  “There’s no sign of any organized Siren command in their limited resistance so far,“ North Carolina added. “Their actions are far too basic, almost mindless. What’s more, their attack patterns are overly simplistic. It doesn’t seem like they have anyone coordinating them. Their combat capability doesn’t even come close to what we faced in the Bermuda Sea earlier. If the sea charts are accurate, the danger level here should be much higher, not lower.“

  “We’ll likely need to update the charts with more recent data,“ the Commander murmured thoughtfully. Then, turning to the AI, he asked, “TB, do you detect anything unusual?“

  ~Report, I do not observe anything out of the ordinary, Commander. The Siren fleets in this area appear to be either low-tier or cking any command-type Sirens,~ TB responded in its usual monotone.

  “The Sirens only attack like this once they've been stripped of their command,“ Enterprise added, her eye scanning the wreckage of the Siren remains. “They become like headless chickens.“ She frowned slightly. “Under normal circumstances, we’d have likely encountered several major Siren fleets by now. And yet, we haven’t seen anything even close to that...“

  “The only possibility is that something's wrong with their central command,“ Baltimore mused, carefully considering the logical expnation. “If that’s the case, the low command efficiency and the abnormal fleet deployment would make sense.“

  “Judging by the current situation, parts of the Siren command system are clearly malfunctioning, but other parts... seem to be intact?“ North Carolina added, her brow furrowing as she analyzed the situation.

  “It seems like the Sirens here have been stripped of their command chain,“ Illustrious remarked in her usual calm tone. “I wonder if... this has something to do with the Ashes?“

  At the mention of the Ashes, Unicorn stiffened slightly, the memory of Hiryuu fshing across her mind, causing a faint tremor to run through her. Noticing this, Illustrious gently pced a reassuring hand on her shoulder, her touch was calm and protective. She made sure that nothing will hurt the little carrier.

  “Whatever happened, it’s worked out in our favor. Let’s not pass up this chance to cim an easy victory,“ Baltimore said with a confident grin.

  “Baltimore’s right, this is an opportunity for us,“ the Commander agreed, a cheeky smile tugging at his lips. “We should take control of this sea area while we can.“

  'An opportunity indeed,' he mused silently. 'While Observer and the others at the test sites are tied up dealing with the Arbiters and their own chaos, this is our chance,' the Commander silently thought.

  Before they could act to retake the sea, Hornet suddenly froze in pce, her eyes widening in shock. “Everyone, wait!“ she shouted urgently, her voice cutting through the calm and prompting everyone, even the Commander, to halt in their tracks. “My reconnaissance pne just spotted a member of the Iron Blood fleet... Huh?! Tirpitz?!“ Her excmation was filled with disbelief as she stared ahead, her expression a mix of surprise and caution. “What is she doing here?“

  “Where is she headed?“ North Carolina asked with a curious tone.

  “She’s... heading in the opposite direction of our path,“ Hornet replied, her eyes still fixed on the pne’s feed. “They’re moving toward the Bermuda Sea. It doesn’t seem like they’ve noticed us yet.“

  “What do we do now?“ Baltimore interjected, her brow furrowing. “Tirpitz must know about Operation Siren, but what’s she doing with her fleet? Unless, of course, this is Iron Blood being sneaky—as usual.“ Her voice carried a mix of suspicion, making some girls tightened their grip at their rigging.

  “Eh? Isn’t Azur Lane Command currently negotiating a ceasefire agreement with the Crimson Axis?“ Hornet asked with a confusion on her tone. “Why would they risk something like this now?“

  “That’s precisely the issue,“ Illustrious replied thoughtfully. “It could be a surprise attack disguised under the pretense of a ceasefire—or perhaps an attempt to leverage more advantages during the negotiations.“

  “Whatever the case, Command is likely still in the dark about this,“ North Carolina added.

  Leaving the situation unattended could lead to problems, prompting Greynar to offer a suggestion. “How about this? Let’s trail them for now. We can send reconnaissance pnes to their location as a warning, letting them know this sea area is under our jurisdiction.“

  “Commander’s right,“ Enterprise agreed, her steady voice helping to calm the group. “We need to assess their intentions before making any further moves.“

  The Commander nodded in appreciation of Enterprise’s ability to steady the situation. Turning to the AI, he issued another directive. “TB, report this to HQ immediately. Make sure Command is aware of this development.“

  ~Affirmative, Commander,~ the AI responded crisply.

  “The situation in NA waters is already precarious,“ the Commander murmured thoughtfully. “Escating the conflict now would go against our overall campaign strategy. There are clear anomalies in the Bermuda Sea, and it’s possible the Iron Blood fleet is targeting something within it.“

  “I agree,“ Enterprise added, her tone cautious but firm. “Command explicitly warned us before the operation not to engage in unnecessary battles with the Crimson Axis. But…“ Her gaze hardened, reflecting her growing concern. “We can’t simply allow the Iron Blood fleet to advance unchecked toward the coast of Eagle Union territory.“

  “Hornet, Illustrious, deploy your pnes to issue a warning,“ the Commander ordered. “TB, chart their route to intercept Tirpitz's fleet.“

  ~Order received, Commander. Deploying reconnaissance units. Calcuting optimal intercept path. The shortest route to the Iron Blood fleet has been determined, and the engagement approach is being finalized,~ TB responded efficiently to his command.

  With the fleets settled, they maintained a cautious distance, trailing the Iron Blood fleet while closely monitoring their movements. Interception pnes repeatedly attempted to deliver warnings, but the Iron Blood fleet remained unresponsive. Hornet clenched her fists in frustration, her voice tight with irritation as her warnings were btantly ignored. Beside her, Illustrious let out a quiet hum of disapproval, her own pnes simirly disregarded.

  “Well, this is interesting,” Hornet said, crossing her arms and tapping her finger thoughtfully. “They’re not even responding to us or attacking the pnes.”

  “That’s not like the usual Iron Blood,” Baltimore muttered, her expression clouded with suspicion. “Maybe they’re operating under silent communication… or possibly using some kind of jamming trick. What should we do, Commander?”

  “This is troublesome...” Greynar muttered, his voice is ced with unease. “Let’s try reaching out one more time. If they still don’t respond… we might have to confront them directly.”

  As another communication attempt was being prepared, TB suddenly intercepted a broadcast signal nearby. It appeared the Iron Blood fleet was attempting to make contact. A calm, measured voice soon echoed through their channels.

  “Greetings to the Azur Lane fleet operating in these waters. This is Tirpitz, fgship of the Iron Blood fleet. I noticed your aircraft earlier—my apologies for not reaching out sooner. Is there something you wish to discuss? If so, let us handle this in person,” Tirpitz said, her tone is polite yet reserved, simir to her sister, Bismarck.

  “Interesting… She’s the one proposing a face-to-face meeting. Should we take her up on it?” Baltimore asked, gncing at the group with a curious frown.

  Enterprise’s calm, commanding voice came through the communicator. “This is Enterprise. Tirpitz, you’ve entered waters under Azur Lane jurisdiction. I advise you to turn around and leave immediately. Proceeding any further will be considered an act of aggression against all Azur Lane members.”

  A new voice cut in, ced with disdain. “Your sector?” Deutschnd’s haughty tone was unmistakable. “Along the way, it seemed this was Siren territory, not yours. We’re merely moving through waters under their control. Why don’t you mind your own business?” Her words ended with a mocking scoff.

  North Carolina’s voice came next with a firm tone. “Believe me, I’d love to ignore this, but doing so would be a political concession we can’t afford.”

  Tirpitz interjected with her characteristic calm. “Please don’t misunderstand. We have no interest in interfering with your operations, let alone attacking Eagle Union territory. That said,” her voice sharpened ever so slightly, “this is not your territory to cim, either,” It was clear they weren't gonna accept that news. “If you keep insisting, then...“

  Before anyone could react, Hornet’s and Illustrious’ pnes were abruptly shot down. The crackle of TB’s voice broke through the stunned silence. ~Commander, hostile activity detected. Multiple red signals are converging from the Iron Blood fleet’s direction.~

  It became clear in an instant—the initial communication had been nothing more than a ploy, a calcuted ruse to let the Iron Blood fleet close the gap unnoticed. Their movements were precise and deliberate, like a serpent coiling around its prey, coldly toying with them as if they were nothing more than discarded puppets.

  In an instant, everyone become tense and readied their gear.