Roon x Nero (kinda) (no cringy sex ahead)

ARC II Part 4

ARC II Chapter 4
Z46 woke up at 9 AM, as usual. She never had breakfast right after waking up: she simply got ready for school. Unlike the majority of girls, she didn't spend hours getting ready. She only needed twenty minutes at most. She packed her school bag (no lockers in the Academy) and spent the remaining 20 minutes reading. At 9:40 AM, in fact, she began walking out of the dormitory to reach the Academy.
She had friends, but didn't talk to them much. Once she arrived in front of the Academy, averagely at 9:50 AM, she leaned against the wall and waited.
"Excuse me!" A girl wearing a white short dress and not one, but TWO capes approached Z46. She carried a digital camera in her hand and a bag over her shoulder. On her white/grey hair, which was gathered in a ponytail, was a pair of sunglasses and her blue eyes sparked with vivacity.
"Hm..?" Z46 turned her attention to her.
"I'm Alfredo Oriani, an italian destroyer by profession and a journalist by passion!" She introduced herself.
"You don't need to yell.."
"Oh,  sorry, I can't help it, hehe.."
"Well, you're a journalist? What would a journalist want from me?"
"Well, I really hope I'm not mistaken, but you're the german destroyer Z46, aren't you?"
"That is me."
"Well, I noticed your grades are... Extraordinary! So I'm really curious about how you can achieve such high grades!" The journalist took a microphone from her bag and held it close to Z46, "Mind telling us your secret?"
"Who is us? You're not recording..."
Oriani paused for a couple of seconds.
"Oh! Right! I forgot!" She turned on her camera and pointed it at Z46.
"And you didn't turn on the microphone.."
"Of course! I was just testing you!" Oriani exclaimed while smiling nervously and turned on the microphone as well.
"So this is... an interview..?"
"Yeah! How can you get such high grades in all subjects? I'm sure all the girls who've seen the leaderboards at least once are wondering!"
"Well... Pay attention during the lessons... Take notes... Read books often so you can expand your vocabulary and learn how to understand what you're reading more efficiently... And that's about it?"
"How long do you study after school on average?"
"I spend most of my time studying... Not just for school, but also for myself... So I'd say at least four hours and at most six? It really depends..."
"Although you're phenomenal in all subjects, there must be one you like particularly, right?"
"My absolute favorite subject is literature, but I enjoy all the non-scientific subjects as well."
Oriani turned off the camera and the microphone.
"Thank you! I'm sure it will be a nice addition to the Academy's Newspaper!"
"W-wait, Academy's Newspaper? Isn't that an activity run by a specific club? You'll publish this interview??"
"Obviously!"
Z46 paused for a minute.
"... Does your club have the equipment for... «urban exploration»?" She asked.
"Naturally! Why do you ask?"
"... I might have a very, very interesting scoop for you."
Oriani's eyes lit up.
"What is it about??" She excitedly asked.
"I'll tell you after school. Your club is open then, isn't it?"
"Yes! I'll wait for you!" She exclaimed before the bell started ringing.
"I'll see you after school, Z46!" Oriani waved goodbye and energetically trotted towards the Academy. Z46 waved back and walked slowly in the Academy.

After the classes were over, Z46 left her classroom.
"There you are!" Oriani shouted while standing next to the classroom's doorway.
Z46 let out a shriek and turned to her.
"Oops, I didn't mean to scare you, sorry! You know, the way you left me with that cliffhanger this morning made me impatient for the whole time! Let's go to the club now, shall we?"
Z46 nodded and followed Oriani through the corridors. Eventually, they reached the Journalism Club.
"Here we are!" Oriani announced before opening the door.
"Oh, hey Alfredo!" A little girl wearing a white shirt underneath a dark blue short dress and a flat cap greeted Oriani. She had short brown hair, some of which was braided; the braid was held together by a cute black ribbon.
"Hey Bristol! I've got a case just for you to solve!" She announced while pointing at Z46.
"Is it a mystery?!" Bristol rushed to Z46 and stared in her eyes excitedly. Z46 looked into Bristol's big yellow eyes as well.
"... You can say it is a mystery, yes. We'll have to investigate." She replied.
"Heck yeah!!" Bristol exulted, "You've come to the right person! I will solve any mystery!"
"Well then, let me tell you what we're going to investigate. So, undoubtedly you've heard of the woods." Z46 began explaining.
"Oooh, it's about those! Have you found something big in there?"
"I have. I've found something really, really big. I'm sure it will be a groundbreaking scoop." She noticed a lantern sitting on a desk in the room.
"We'll need that, most likely." She pointed at it.
"So it's a dark place! I'm already thrilled!" Bristol urged Z46 to go into detail.
"It's about the research conducted by the Iron Blood many years ago in order to develop KANSENs. As far as I know, it was the very first research with that purpose, carried out shortly after the Azur Lane's birth." She continued.
"Even before Anzeel's research??" Oriani asked surprisedly.
"Exactly."
Bristol looked at Oriani with excitement.
"We need to check it out!" She told her, "It could be a perfect scoop!"
"It will! When are we going there?" Oriani asked.
"As soon as you're ready." Z46 answered.
"I'm super ready!" Bristol exclaimed as she grabbed her lantern and her trustworthy robot, Data 857. The little robot had a very simple structure: a sphere with cat ears and a particular tail, which was shaped as a cable; at the end of this cable there was a magnifying glass. On the sphere was painted a quite goofy face, it looked like something like this: >w<
"Is that a... doll..?" Z46 asked while trying to figure out what the robot actually was.
"No, it's much more than that! It helps me with investigations! Its name is Data 857!" Bristol explained.
"Alright then, we're ready to investigate! Let's go get this exclusive scoop!" Oriani yelled while walking to the door.
"Yeah!" Bristol yelled too.
After some seconds of silence, they both turned to Z46.
"You won't say anything..?" Oriani asked.
"No."
"Oh, okay." She turned back to the door and pushed it open.
"OW!!-" a girl, who was presumably overhearing them, was hit by the door and fell down on her back. Z46 recognized her.
"Z24...?" She called her. This girl had mainly black hair, gathered in twin tails, with some clumps dyed red. She wore a black dress with a red skirt and black boots. Her ears were pointy, like an elf's, and her eyes were yellow like Z46's and Bristol's.
"I didn't mean to hit you!" Oriani apologized and kneeled to her, "Are you hurt?"
"HAH! Nonsense! It takes MUCH more than that to hurt me!" Z24 smirked and got back up, then she approached Z46.
"Z46... My forehead hurts..." She whispered.
"The pain will stop eventually."
Z24 whined and covered her forehead for a while before clearing her throat and turning to Oriani and Bristol.
"Before you is the most terrifying devil of the Iron Blood, capable of bending anyone and anything to her will and making even the bravest mortals tremble at her sole sight, Z24!!" She eloquently introduced herself while grinning.
"You look so cool!!" Bristol fearlessly approached Z24 and inspected her from different angles. Oriani joined immediately and even started taking pictures.
"Huh?? What are you doing, fools?? Do you have a death wish??" Z24 yelled while following their movements.
"Your dress looks insanely good!" Bristol studied her dress, while Oriani snapped pictures of it.
"Z46, why won't these pathetic mortals be overwhelmed by terror even after perceiving my tremendous dark aura?!" Z24 asked Z46 while trying to push the two curious girls away.
"How would I know? You're the devil here." She answered, "I'm just a mortal. Besides, you can keep them at bay with your incomparable power."
"Y-you're right, but... Since I feel pity for their meaningless struggles, I'll let them think they have a chance to resist me..!" Z24 tried to look for a valid excuse.
"That is very merciful of you, o Great Devil..."
"ENOUGH, YOU TWO!" Z24 eventually shouted after losing her patience. Oriani and Bristol finally obeyed.
"Ugh, annoying humans... Always so curious! Your inferior knowledge brings you to crave for more, though, so I can't really blame you."
"Wait, so you possess knowledge beyond human comprehension??" Oriani asked.
"Exactly! Your small, mortal brain would melt even with just a tiny piece of my knowledge!"
"Then, please tell me the answer to my biggest question, o Mighty Devil!" Bristol sat on one knee in a begging manner.
"Why not, ask away!"
"Is Santa Claus real?? Please, I need to know!!"
Z24 stood there in silence.
"Heh... Out of all the questions you could ask, you chose such a silly one?"
"Yeah! Please tell me!"
"... Are you sure you don't have a more important question? I won't answer any more!"
"My only dilemma is this one, so please tell me the answer!"
Z24 remained quiet again. Then, she grinned.
"Heh... I must congratulate you, mortal. You forced me to reveal one of my secrets."
"Really?? I want to know!"
"Although it is true that my superior brain is capable of understanding concepts which transcend the human limitations, my knowledge doesn't come from me. I have a special Counselor who hides among mortals. Her knowledge is truly incomparable, it spans through ALL the realms of our reality; she has the answer to EVERYTHING!"
Bristol listened carefully as her curiosity grew every second; Oriani did the same.
"Don't leave us hanging! Tell us who your Counselor is!" Oriani urged her to continue.
"Hehe... The answer is right behind you!!" She yelled.
Oriani and Bristol turned around.
"NO WAY... Z46, YOU'RE THE COUNSELOR OF THE IRON BLOOD DEVIL??" They asked in unison.
"W-what???"
"There's no point in hiding your identity anymore, my Counselor! You had to reveal yourself eventually, right?" Z24 approached her 'Counselor' and moved next to her before wrapping her nape with her arm.
"What are you doing, Z24..?" Z46 whispered to her.
"Please... Just play along.." Z24 whispered too.
"Is it true, Z46??" Oriani asked her.
".... Naturally. I am, indeed, the one and only Counselor of the Iron Blood's Devil. Ask anything of me, and I will always find the right answer. But beware, mortals, for your mind cannot withstand the answers to the questions outside of your realm. Do not attempt to grasp concepts such as afterlife, multiverse or the entity of God..." She made a dramatic pause, "Else you will meet with the most atrocious of fates." She concluded. Z24 was tremendously fascinated by Z46's act, even more than Oriani and Bristol were.
"Woah... I mean, it makes perfect sense, you're a genius at school after all! I knew you aren't a girl like any other!" Oriani affirmed.
"Then, is Santa Claus real??" Bristol asked again.
"Although you most likely have been deceived for all this time, Santa Claus doesn't actually exist. He is nothing more than a myth." Z46 finally answered.
"Wait... He doesn't...?" Z24 thought as Z46's answer was a life-changing revelation to her too. Bristol's reaction wasn't much different.
"Impossible... B-but... He's always brought me presents...! And he's always eaten the cookies and milk I left for him! It can't be true..!!" Bristol fell on her knees.
"The presents you've received weren't from him... And he wasn't the one who ate your cookies and milk. He is merely a myth. That is the truth."
Oriani hugged Bristol and comforted her.
"Woah... Are you... Actually my Counselor..?" Z24 asked.
"Seriously...?" Z46 thought to herself, "Of course. I always have been." She answered. Z24 smiled and hugged her Counselor tightly: "You're the most badass Counselor I could ever ask for, Z46!" She said.
"Hehe... Right.." She hugged back. Meanwhile, Bristol wiped her tears with Oriani's help and got back up.
"Alright... I'll deal with the pain later... Now we have an investigation ahead of us!"
"And with the help of the Iron Blood Devil and her all-knowing Counselor, we're unstoppable!" Oriani added.
"Wait, investigation?" Z24 asked.
"We were going to explore an abandoned laboratory before you showed up" Z46 explained, "it seems like Bristol and Oriani want you to join us."
"Hah, why not! It won't be a difficult task! I am the most powerful and dreadful devil not only in the Iron Blood, but in all the realms of reality!"
"We're ready then! Let's go!" Bristol began running through the corridors to reach the Academy's exit; the rest of the party followed.
ARC II Chapter 4 end

Alfredo Oriani

Bristol

Z24