"This is our regurly scheduled transmission. Dear Comrade, we've reached our destination and are now holding our positions," Tashkent's voice came through the communicator, "We haven’t seen any higher-tier Sirens like Omitter yet, but I’m sure they’ll be forced to come out as long as we keep fighting. How are things going on your end, dear Comrade?"

  "The operation was effective, and the Sirens haven’t sent any more reinforcements. However, the Sirens stationed around the 'Secret Room' haven’t retreated either. We’re currently engaging them," Greynar reported through the communicator.

  "I see. Well, I believe in you. Teach them a harsh lesson for me. Over," Tashkent’s voice crackled before the connection cut off.

  Turning to Belorussiya and Murmansk, Greynar's expression hardened. "Looks like our enemy won’t stand down here. Let’s get moving."

  Belorussiya sighed, her brows furrowing. "It seems the assault on Winter’s Crown is progressing smoothly, but we’re facing more resistance than expected."

  Kirov chimed in. "The more we csh with Omitter, the more bizarre her behavior seems. Her antics don’t align with her command style. It’s like she’s toying with us." She pondered a bit. "What could be her objective is?"

  "I concur," Gremyashchy commented as she added her thoughts on the matter. "I’ve encountered their cunning ambushes time and time again along the Arctic routes. It’s hard to imagine such ruthless and calcuted attacks being orchestrated by that clownish Omitter. Mm, that’s all."

  "I do have a theory though... Commander, the Sirens are supposed to be some kind of program, right?" Murmansk asked, her heterochromatic eyes gleaming with curiosity as she gazed at him.

  The Commander nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yes. Although there’s still a lot we don’t know about them, the official cssification from headquarters suggests they’re more like machines—artificial in structure than any kind of organic life form."

  Murmansk tilted her head, processing his response, her lips pursed slightly in contemption as if trying to piece together the puzzle in her mind.

  The Commander continued. "Normally, the lower-level Siren combat units function like mindless, destructive machines. But the higher-level humanoid commanders; like Omitter or Purifier seem to possess something resembling intellect. They’re the ones who unconditionally command the lower-level units, almost like a hive mind."

  "Ah! I had that same thought too!" Volga chimed in enthusiastically. "Back during the Bermuda Sea operation, Shangri-La and Essex were discussing simir theories about the Sirens. I’ve always been suspicious as well since they’re far too advanced, too futuristic for us to handle with our current technology."

  "A swarm of bees commanded by their queen..." Murmansk murmured, her eyes widening with sudden realization. "Maybe we could use that to disrupt their command chain and destroy it!"

  "But that's just in theory. You can neutralize the threat of a Siren fleet by taking out their command structure, but in reality, the Sirens often deploy multiple command units," Belorussiya expined. "Each command unit can also use special fgships to remotely rey their orders, making it much harder to dismantle their coordination."

  "If that's the case... there must be some kind of communication method between the Sirens that's more mechanical and efficient," Murmansk mused aloud. "So why would they need personalities?"

  "Hmm..." Belorussiya hummed thoughtfully. "I can't say I've ever considered that before..."

  "Perhaps they're trying to exploit our empathy to gain an advantage on the battlefield," Gremyashchy said, her voice lowering as the thought trailed off.

  "And what about you, Comrade?" Kirov asked, turning to Greynar with a curious gleam in her eyes. "What are your thoughts on the matter regarding the Sirens?"

  As someone privy to the truth, Greynar was caught off guard by the sudden question. He hesitated for a moment, his thoughts swirling. Even though he knew the purpose behind ANTI-X, he couldn't fully grasp why Aoste had created them in such a way. There were still pieces missing, details concealed from him before the whole picture could be revealed.

  "Maybe it’s a disguise to get closer to us…" Greynar suggested, answering Kirov’s question.

  Belorussiya nodded thoughtfully, her gaze drifting downward as she considered his words. "Indeed, the lower-level Sirens are straightforwardly menacing. But their leaders, on the other hand, show a range of emotions and take on the appearance of young girls. It’s not surprising, given their calcuted nature, that they'd choose forms we might rete to. A psychological tactic, perhaps." She then gnced at Kirov. "Speaking of which, Kirov, doesn’t your recent work connect with this?"

  Kirov sighed slightly. “I suppose it does. As we encounter more Siren commanders, cults devoted to worshipping them have begun sprouting up around the world. These groups seem captivated by their seductive forms. It’s a troubling trend.”

  "Siren worshippers, huh?" The Commander murmured thoughtfully.

  It was technically the second time he have heard it but Greynar dismiss it like it was a joke during his stay on NY City. He was surprised that the rumours were true and it was pretty much confirm that there are some people that are beyond repairs.

  "Anyway, these pro-Siren worshippers need to be stopped; they can't be allowed to continue existing," Kirov insisted. "Comrade Commander, please rey this to Command so they take the matter regarding the Siren cults seriously."

  "I'll make sure to pass this along," he affirmed.

  "The bodies of young girls and massive ship riggings... These Siren commanders are simir to us in many ways," Murmansk said, her gaze wandering toward the sky. "I wonder if..."

  "You're right, Murmansk," Belorussiya agreed with the cruiser girl. "Comrade Commander, do you think the Sirens are some kind of man-made creation?"

  "While we may not have such abilities, the Sirens bear unmistakable signs of being artificially created. Whoever designed the Sirens must have known us very well," Greynar stated, a hint of truth woven into his carefully chosen words to not leak anything about the truth behind the Siren.

  "Hmmm... That's a very interesting point of view," Belorussiya nodded in agreement.

  "A voice simir to ours, a physique simir to ours, a face simir to ours... The Sirens use these simirities to subtly exploit our mental inertia, interfering with our judgment," Kirov contempted. "This operation was also affected by a misjudgment of the battle situation, influenced by the personalities of Omitter."

  "Using emotions as a disguise to mislead us, giving us the illusion that we can communicate, while beneath those lively expressions lie cold, ruthless calcutions and hostility... This is truly..." Murmansk sighed, her voice heavy with dejection.

  "Yes, it's like a demon that masquerades as human, speaks our nguage, but ultimately seeks to destroy us," Gremyashchy added, her tone carrying voice of anger.

  "Yes, they are just like demons... It’s quite fitting to name them Sirens, which symbolizes sea monsters," Murmansk said thoughtfully before pausing to ask, "But come to think of it... is 'Siren' a codename we assigned to them, or is it a name they chose for themselves?"

  "When I joined the service, the Sirens were already referred to as Sirens. I don’t know anything beyond that," Gremyashchy replied with a shrug, her expression seems to tell she doesn't know anything regarding it.

  Kirov added, "I don't recall any specifics either. It’s likely because they were an unknown enemy that emerged from the ocean, leading the people who discovered them to name them 'Sirens' at the time."

  "Considering their destructive potential, wouldn't it have made more sense to call them 'Leviathans' or something? ...Why 'Siren'?" Murmansk mused aloud, her brow furrowed in thought.

  'Ahaha... I’m sure I’m also curious about the origin of that nickname given by the denizens of the world,' Greynar chimed in his thought silently.

  "You make a good point... But they've been called that for so long that I'm not sure anyone has a solid expnation for the name's origin," Belorussiya shrugged. "By the way, Murmansk, you've been asking some really insightful questions today. Has your recent observation topic shifted from small animals to philosophy?"

  "Whether you’re observing nature or reading books, there’s always something to gain if you have a curious mind," she said nonchantly, then giggled. "Ehehe... Did I just say something quotable? Honestly, I’ve been thinking about all this ever since I met Comrade Commander today..."

  "I see... I can only hope that the answers we seek are hidden within Arcana Sanctum," Belorussiya replied, her gaze drifting across the vast sea.

  "Then, let’s get to work and finish off these Sirens," Greynar said, already prepared to join the battle and protect the 'Secret Room'. "We may need more firepower than what we got if we want to actually destroy everything in one swoop."

  ※ ※ ※

  After they rendezvoused with Tallinn and successfully completed the operation before her fleet could be overwhelmed by the Sirens, Greynar devised a strategy to encircle the enemy from all sides. He unleashed a relentless bombardment, using the overwhelming firepower of the mass-produced battleships to crush the Siren forces. However, the victory came at a heavy cost—nearly all of their mass-produced cruisers and destroyers were wiped out, having borne the brunt of the assault at the front of the formation.

  "Whew, that's the st of them, all wiped out," Tallinn said, wiping the sweat from her forehead before turning to Greynar. "I believe this is our first time meeting in person since the mission briefing, Commander. I’m Tallinn, the fgship of the Secret Room’s defense fleet, and a heavy cruiser."

  "Good to finally see you in person, Tallinn. Apologies for the te arrival, we had to prepare a lot of sacrificial pawns," Greynar said.

  "No worries at all," Tallinn replied with a slight smile. "Murmansk filled me in on your pn, so we were ready by the time we found ourselves in the thick of battle with the Siren fleets."

  Tallinn then gestured toward one of her fleet members. "This here is Gromky, part of our defense fleet," she introduced.

  "Hehe~ Well met, Comrade Commander!" Gromky chimed in, bounding over with the energy of an excited child. The short blue-haired destroyer fshed him a peace sign. "I’m Gromky, destroyer of the Northern Parliament! I’m really looking forward to assisting you in this operation!" Her smile widened as she added, "You were so cool out there!"

  "Haha, thanks. Just doing my job," Greynar replied with a smile to the little destroyer.

  "Next up, we have Murmansk. You’ve already met her, but she’s also part of our defense fleet," Tallinn continued.

  "Hehe~ Even though we’ve already met, I’ll introduce myself again," Murmansk said with a pyful bow. "I’m Murmansk, an Omaha-css light cruiser, and proud member of Arcana Sanctum's defense fleet. Nice to meet you, Comrade Commander."

  Tallinn sighed, getting straight to the point. "I really didn’t expect the Sirens to unch such a fierce attack just as the 'Crown' was being assaulted... Luckily, we managed to avoid any serious danger, and the Arcana Sanctum remains intact."

  "Well, true... Guess they're not dumb enough to fall for our cheap tricks," Greynar joked with a light tone.

  "And even though it’s our first time working together, I have complete confidence in your abilities to help us here," Tallinn added, her praise filled with genuine words. "Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t just fttery—it’s a simple fact."

  Though this was their first meeting, Greynar could sense the fierce determination in Tallinn's eyes, radiating a commanding aura. He had read her file detailing her experiences with Iron Blood before joining the Northern Parliament; she was undeniably a force to be reckoned with and not someone to be trifled with.

  He then asked her, "Since the Sanctum is safe now, would you mind showing us where it's located? I'm quite interested in exploring it."

  Belorussiya then chimed in, "I didn’t expect you to have such an adventurous side, Comrade. I suppose it’s time to call for our backup." She then pulled out a device that resembled a remote and pressed a button.

  After a while, nothing materialized. Greynar scanned the area, where the wreckage of Sirens y scattered among the various logistics teams working to clear them away. All he could see was the frozen sea, bnketed by an endless yer of white snow, with no signs of ptforms, facilities, or any other manmade structures in sight.

  "Huh, nothing's appeared yet," he remarked, scanning his surroundings with a watchful eye.

  "Well, it’ll take some time before it arrives," Tallinn replied, stretching her arms as she settled down on the ground. "Might as well brew some hot chocote."

  "It might take a while since we were unsure about completely wiping out the Sirens," Belorussiya remarked. "Anyway, let’s settle in first." She joined Tallinn, pulling out what looked like a pot and pcing it in the center.

  Before long, the others followed suit.

  As the group sat on the ground chatting, it struck him how much this reminded him of his experience at the Siren's Stronghold. The atmosphere felt simir to those breaks they had taken back then. But this time, Murmansk and Gromky were perched beside him, eagerly pestering him to share his stories from NY City, while Volga sat in front of him, smiling and attending to his care.

  Gremyashchy offered him a cookie, a treat she always brought along on missions, ciming that it could calm your mind before a fierce battle. She also warned him to stay away from Gromky, but the eager destroyer insisted she wanted to hear the Commander's story.

  "Wooooww!!! So you made the Ashes disappear like that?" Gromky asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

  "No, not quite," he corrected her with a chuckle. "As I recall, they were retreating since their job was done."

  "Hmm... what a shame, I wish I could see them up close," she mused aloud.

  "Haha, maybe once you get a mission outside the Northern Parliament, you'll eventually see them," he replied.

  "But what were they like, Commander? If you were to compare them to the Sirens, how would you judge their power?" she asked, her curiosity deepening.

  "Good question. I can't fully grasp their power, but the Ashes felt like they were equally matched with the Sirens—or maybe even more powerful," he mused.

  "Oh, really? That's so cool!" the blue destroyer excimed, jumping with excitement. "If I could do something like this—hyah!" She struck a fighting stance she had seen during one of their annual combat practices. "Maybe I could become just like them!"

  The Commander chuckled and patted her head. "You'll be a fine fighter; just keep doing what you believe in," he said encouragingly.

  "Sorry to break it to you, dies, but it seems our delivery transportation has arrived," Tallinn announced, causing the group to quiet down. The beeping from Belorussiya's device grew louder.

  They quickly packed up their belongings and stowed them inside the command ship, trusting they would be safer there than in the vehicle they’d be riding in.

  As the group stood up, Volga walked beside Greynar and whispered, "Commander, ever since that night, I wanted to tell you something. The truth is..." But before she could finish, a loud, echoing boom erupted nearby, sending chunks of ice debris flying through the air.

  Suddenly, a behemoth-sized submarine burst through the ice, its massive hull looming over them. It was just as the Commander had expected—the giant, steel Icebreaker Submarine, or as they called it, the submersible ship.