As Greynar opened his eyes, he found himself back at the Sanctum’s control console, the Wisdom Cube still secured in its slot. He scanned the room; the girls y scattered nearby, peacefully asleep, as if caught in vivid dreams. A dull ache throbbed in his temples as he rose slowly, pressing his fingers to his head.

  "Ugh... my head..." he muttered, wincing. "What was I even doing after entering the Gate?"

  Taking in the quiet scene, Greynar decided to use the few quiet moments to try piecing his scrambled memories together. He gnced toward the Gate—where there should have been a passage to the City of Light, there was now a frozen barrier, an icy surface resembling a fractured mirror.

  Fragments of memory began to return: entering the Gate, searching desperately for his girl, then exploring strange corridors. He recalled them reaching the combat simution room—and then... a battle. An enemy he couldn’t quite remember, but he knew that it was an Arbiter, but he couldn't guess which Arbiter is it.

  He made his way to the Icebreaker, intent on searching for anything that could help jog his memory. After rummaging through various compartments, he finally stumbled upon a small box. Inside, he found a document with scrambled words that piqued his curiosity. The title read: "Project Dawn."

  ‘Project Dawn… I recognize this…’ he thought silently.

  As he read through the document, a flood of memories surged within him. Everything they’d done before—the battles, the encounter with the Enforcer, the exploring of City of Light, it was all real. This revetion led him to a troubling thought. 'What if the Gate was merely the entrance to a simution device, one that felt indistinguishably real?'

  He shook himself free from those thoughts, refocusing on what truly mattered now, his auburn-haired carrier, still in the deep sea with the Suliko submarine. She was out there, risking herself to save her friend, who was on the brink of corruption from the meteor's corrosive influence.

  "I should get going as well," he muttered, casting one st gnce at the Sanctum.

  As the girls began to wake, confusion clouded their minds. They felt the weight of something missing from their memories, a bnk space where there should have been some missing context. All they could recall was the chaotic battle against a horde of enemies before everything faded into a blur.

  Turning to Belorussiya, the Commander asked if they could leave this pce now, sensing that their business here was complete. She nodded and swiftly commanded everyone to prepare for the journey to the surface aboard the Icebreaker.

  In just a quarter of hour, they were breaking through the water's surface, emerging off the shores of the Sanctum.

  "Phew~ It feels so good to be back on the sea! I missed this fresh air so much!" Gromky excimed, taking deep breaths as she soaked in the atmosphere.

  "Urghh... I still feel dizzy. Why doesn't anyone remember it clearly?" Gremyashchy groaned, rubbing her temples in frustration.

  Belorussiya frowned, with contemptive expression. "I can’t say I remember everything completely, but I do recall that after entering the Gate, we discovered a dazzling city. Then we ventured into a facility to explore, and eventually, we encountered a rge number of enemies and found ourselves in a tough battle." She paused, her brow furrowing. "While the general process is clear, the details in between are particurly vague, especially regarding those st enemy. What exactly were we fighting against at that time...?"

  "I don't know. The recording equipment we brought didn't capture anything," Tallinn replied, shaking her head in frustration. "It only recorded that we entered the control room and then left, no abnormalities were detected in the entire area during that time." She sighed, her frown deepening. "There are no records of any City, the combat facilities, or the enemies beyond the Gate, as if those things never existed at all."

  "But we did manage to recover some data... What happened after that?" Kirov asked, a note of confusion in her voice.

  "I don't know." Gromy shook her head, frustration creeping into her tone. "The Commander said I retrieved the data and handed it to him, but I can’t remember any of it..."

  "Forget it~ I'll leave the complicated stuff to the investigation department," Murmansk chimed in with a cheerful giggle, quickening her pace. "Isn't it great that everyone is safe and sound now, and the mission is over?"

  "I guess you're right," Kirov sighed, zily gazing into the distance. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Is that...?"

  In the distance, a massive fleet appeared on the horizon, gradually approaching. Alongside the familiar Eagle Union ships, Royal Navy vessels mingled within the formation, creating an unusual sight. There had been no word of their arrival.

  "Did the Azur Lane schedule a joint exercise in our waters? I don't remember hearing anything about that..." Tallinn remarked, casting a wary gnce at the Icebreaker.

  "No, don’t look at me; I don’t know either," he replied, returning her suspicious stare.

  "There was no joint exercise at all. What were the outposts doing? We didn't receive any warning about such a rge fleet entering the por region?!" Kirov muttered, her brow furrowed in concern.

  "I was told they’d be coming, but I didn’t expect them to arrive so soon," Belorussiya said, her tone ced with unease. "And to completely bypass the surveilnce of the Karakin Command? This fleet clearly employed some unconventional infiltration methods."

  A moment ter, something clicked in Tallinn's mind. "I see, I see. Well, I can understand why they’d be in such a hurry."

  "Hmm? What do you mean, Tallinn?" Belorussiya asked, gncing at her with curiosity.

  "I’m talking about their beloved Commander, of course. It's been a while, hasn’t it?" Tallinn replied with a smirk.

  "That makes sense. I was worried that our greatest secret had been compromised," Belorussiya said, nodding. "However... I must admit I’m impressed by how quickly and decisively they assembled this operation."

  "And I guess they came here specifically for us... So their target is..." Kirov said, her gaze drifting behind her to where the Icebreaker floated.

  As the fleets came to a standstill, a tense standoff unfolded. Saratoga stepped forward, fnked by the Royal Navy and others.

  "Hello, my lovely friends of the Northern Parliament! Commander, I've missed you sooooo much~!" she excimed, her voice bursting with cheer.

  Belorussiya smirked, crossing her arms. "What are the Eagle Union and Royal Navy doing in the por regions? We didn’t request combat support, did we?"

  Saratoga's smile widened. "Hmm... I wanted to see my Commander so badly; I just couldn’t wait~ And besides, these are technically neutral waters, right? Nothing wrong with Sister Sara passing through, is there?"

  "Then you can do as you please. We've already cleared out all the enemies that attacked us before. Feel free to enjoy the scenery," Belorussiya replied, her tone casual. "We still have to return to the Northern Parliament, so we won’t be accompanying you any longer."

  "No problem! I wish you a safe journey!" Saratoga replied, her voice cheerful, though her sharp gaze betrayed her true intent. "That said, since the Commander’s stay in the Northern Parliament has expired, you’ll need to return to the Eagle Union with us."

  Belorussiya frowned, raising an eyebrow as her cool demeanor cshed with Saratoga's resolute stance. The quiet that followed was thick with unspoken friction, the tension between the two palpable. Though no words were exchanged, it was clear that the Eagle Union was urgent about reciming the Commander.

  Breaking the silence, Washington chuckled from the sidelines, her voice tinged with amusement. "Is the Commander on that strange-looking warship in the back?" she quipped, gesturing zily toward the Northern Parliament's fleet at the Icebreaker submarine. "If we can’t borrow that one, no worries. We’ve already prepped a command ship for the Commander to transfer to."

  "Now, now, let’s not be in such a hurry," Kirov interjected, stepping in to mediate the brewing tension. "While Sovetsky Soyuz did request the presence of Comrade Commander, the decision to stay isn't ours alone. Where's the freedom in not hearing out your Commander’s own desires first?"

  "No doubt the Northern Parliament found a reason to keep the Commander around longer..." Hornet muttered, her tone dripping with disinterest.

  Kirov turned her gaze toward Sheffield, who represented the Royal Navy fleet. "Then what do our friends from the Royal Navy think of this?"

  Sheffield nodded in response. "Her Majesty has already given her seal of approval. 'My loyal subject is permitted to go to the Eagle Union,' she said."

  'Ahahaha... Well, this isn’t good at all. Let’s just show ourselves, shall we?' he thought as the door atop the Icebreaker opened, revealing him to the gathering fleets.

  "Calm down, everyone. How about we wait for Soyuz to expin?" he said, looking down at the assembled ships.

  Just then, a voice chimed in behind him. "Comrade Commander is right; you two need to calm down." It was Soyuz, a hologram projected from the Icebreaker.

  "Soyuz? Weren't you supposed to be at a meeting?" Belorussiya asked, eyeing the hologram.

  "Yes, and during the meeting, an urgent request for the Commander was brought up," she replied affirmatively.

  "What was the outcome of your discussion?" Saratoga inquired, raising an eyebrow.

  "After the general meeting's evaluation, the Northern Parliament agreed to the Commander's transfer from the Northern Parliament to the Eagle Union," she announced.

  Belorussiya's eyes widened upon hearing the announcement. "What...?! How could the General Assembly make such a decision?!"

  "Belo, the situation is rather complicated. We’ll discuss it in detail after you return," Soyuz said, soothing her sister's surprise. She then turned to Greynar. "Comrade Commander, we have traveled together for thousands of miles, but parting is inevitable. We will always remember your contributions to the Northern Parliament, and we look forward to fighting alongside you again in the future," she said with a warm smile.

  "Yeah," the Commander replied, returning the smile as he offered a salute. "I’ll look forward to seeing the Northern Parliament again. Your hospitality has truly been top-notch."

  Belorussiya sighed, then smiled warmly as she stepped forward to shake his hand. "It can't be helped, then. Comrade, thank you for your assistance and contributions to the Northern Parliament during your extended stay. I wish you good luck in the future."

  "You too, Belorussiya," he replied, casting a fond gaze over the Northern Parliament fleet gathered around him. "Thanks, everyone, for all the memories we've shared. This isn’t goodbye, so I’ll keep it short—we’ll definitely cross paths again."

  "Yes, we surely will," Kirov said with a knowing smirk.

  Murmansk offered a warm smile. "And I’m sure your next visit will be even livelier, Commander~"

  "Aww... you’re really leaving?" Gromky’s face fell, but her expression brightened quickly. "But hey, like you said! We’ll definitely meet again!"

  Gremyashchy nodded, her smile genuine. "Gromky's right. Don’t worry about us, Commander—we’ll be just fine."

  "So, so," Tallinn added, a pyful smirk on her face. "I know it’s tough to say goodbye, but make sure you stay safe out there, okay, Comrade?"

  The Commander nodded, feeling the warmth of their goodbyes resonate around him. "Until next time, everyone. Пусть это временное прощание станет нашим мостом в будущее..." he said in their mother tongue, letting the words carry the promise of future reunions.

  With a final gnce at the Northern Parliament fleet, he leapt down to the command ship provided by the Eagle Union, waving as he settled on board. The Northern fleet lingered a moment longer, giving their own salutes before they began to drift away, their silhouettes receding against the icy horizon.

  Saratoga gave Soyuz a respectful bow, her thanks clear for allowing the Commander to stay. Soyuz nodded in acknowledgment, her expression calm but warm. Watching the Northern Parliament fade into the distance, the Commander felt a pang of sadness. The memories of their hospitality, their shared ughter, and the hard-won battles they fought together would stay with him. But he knew the Eagle Union awaited, and duty called him forward.

  ※ ※ ※

  On their journey back, Saratoga joined the Commander aboard his command ship, standing by his side as she began to summarize the events of his time with the Northern Parliament.

  “Every major alliance is mobilizing their forces for a rge-scale operation against the Sirens,” she said, her tone brisk and to the point. “They’re counting on you to lead the girls. Your experience and command will be crucial in this upcoming major operation."

  "And that is?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "NA waters," Saratoga replied, her expression more serious than he had ever seen. "We’ve noticed some unusual activity from the Sirens over the past few months. Even after the incident at Canal Stronghold, we still don’t know what their objective is or why they acted. You witnessed during the Winter's Crown operation that Omitter, the elite Siren stationed near the Northern Parliament, attacked the transport fleet without considering how Winter's Crown was doing."

  “Fuck, this might be a lot worse than I thought,” the Commander muttered with a frustration in his voice.

  "Let’s just say, in a 'what-if' scenario, there could be more Sirens like those elite ones," Saratoga replied thoughtfully. "We’ll need to be even more cautious in our strategy to defeat them.”

  "And this operation, what's the higher-up calling it?" he asked, looking at Saratoga.

  "Operation: Siren," she replied with a determined expression. "That’s the official name. This is bigger than any other operation we've done. This operation will need the cooperation of major nations."

  "And what about the Crimson Axis? Will they be cooperating?" the Commander asked, his expression sharp with concern.

  Saratoga shook her head. "Right now, there’s still uncertainty. The Royal Navy has agreed to a temporary ceasefire with Iron Blood, but that’s about all we know. Their long-term intentions remain a mystery." She paused, gncing at him to gauge his reaction. "Queen Elizabeth was briefly detained in Scapa Flow and then released. It’s clear the Crimson Axis has its own pns in motion, but we don’t know what they’re after or if they’ll be allies or obstacles in the coming operation."

  "Alright," he muttered, "it’ll be a smooth journey as long as we don’t run into any third-party interference."

  Saratoga grinned and gave him a pyful wink. "Oh, and we’ve got our hands on some new tech… but that’s cssified for now~ You’ll find out soon enough!"

  "I swear, you..." he sighed, a soft smile pying on his lips. "Alright then, I’ll be looking forward to that secret you’re hinting at."

  Saratoga chuckled, clearly enjoying the suspense. "Oh, just wait, Commander! You’re going to love it."

  After a while, his communicator crackled to life, and a familiar, formal voice came through. "Apologies for the deyed introduction, Master. This is Sheffield of the Royal Maid Corps. I’ll be parting from you here, as per Her Majesty’s agreement with the Eagle Union. The Eagle Union escort ship will rendezvous with your fleet shortly. I’ll return to the Royal Navy as arranged." A slight pause, then she added, "Until next time, Master."

  The Commander gave a small nod, a trace of warmth in his expression as he replied, "Thank you, Sheffield. Safe travels back, and I look forward to the next time we meet."

  As his comms fell silent, the Royal Navy fleet began to separate from them, gradually fading into the horizon. After a few hours of navigating the open waters, several additional fleets joined their formation, providing a protective escort as they made their way back to NY City. Greynar felt a sense of relief wash over him as familiar silhouettes emerged on the horizon, signaling that he was one step closer to home.

  An hour ter, the fleet passed through the Long Isnd defense line, and the familiar skyline of NY harbor came into view. Saratoga had already informed Helena to stand by, and a warm anticipation filled Greynar as they drew closer.

  As the ships glided through calm waters toward the dock, the Commander spotted Helena and Memphis waiting for him, both waving with bright smiles. The moment the fleet docked, Memphis rushed up to him, her expression a mix of relief and annoyance.

  “Idiot Commander, you promised you’d be back sooner,” she murmured softly, leaning her head into his chest.

  Greynar chuckled, reaching out to hug her tightly. “I’m back, Memphis,” he whispered, holding his secretary closely.

  AnnouncementTo be Continued. 2025