The harbor lights flickered across the water as the last wisps of smoke from the battle drifted away. Simon stood on the pier, hands in the pockets of his jacket, watching repair crews haul twisted Siren wreckage out of the shallows. His cape hung loose now, the dramatic flair toned down in the quiet aftermath. Lagann floated nearby, humming softly like it was catching its breath too.
Stay Gold jogged up, slowing to a walk when she reached him. She stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders. "Man, my legs are buzzing. That was a workout and a half." She glanced sideways at him, grinning. "You okay, Trainer? You went pretty hard with that last drill."
Simon exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I'm good. Felt the power kick a little harder this time. Still nowhere near full strength, but… it's coming back." He looked at her, voice softening. "You were insane out there. I couldn't have lined up those shots without you pulling half the fleet off me."
She laughed lightly, ears twitching. "Hey, that's what I do—run fast, make noise, keep the pressure off you. Same as always." A pause, then quieter: "Feels different when it's real, though. Like… my heart's still racing."
Before he could answer, a familiar high-pitched voice cut through the evening air.
"Oi! You two! Stop standing around looking dramatic and get over here!"
Queen Elizabeth marched down the pier with Belfast at her side, a small entourage of destroyers trailing behind. Despite her size, she moved like she owned the ocean itself.
Simon raised an eyebrow, amused. "Guess we've been summoned."
Stay Gold snickered. "She's tiny, but wow, she's got presence."
They walked over to meet her halfway. Queen Elizabeth planted her hands on her hips, looking up at them both.
"Well? Don't just loom there like statues. You saved our hides today—least you can do is come in for a proper thank-you." She turned on her heel. "Tea's getting cold, and I hate cold tea."
Simon glanced at Stay Gold, who shrugged with a smile. "Lead the way, Your Majesty."
Inside the command center, the atmosphere was warmer—literally and figuratively. A long table had been set with tea, scones, and little sandwiches. Hood and Warspite were already seated; Illustrious waved them in with a gentle smile. Belfast poured cups as they sat.
Queen Elizabeth dropped into her chair at the head of the table and immediately reached for a scone. "Right. First things first—you two were brilliant out there. I don't say that lightly." She took a bite, chewed thoughtfully, then pointed the half-eaten scone at Simon. "But who exactly are you? And don't give me some grand speech. Just talk."
Simon held the warm teacup, thinking for a moment. "Okay. My name is Simon The Digger, a digger, pilot of Lagann, leader of Team Dai Gurren, woke up here near the beach." He pointed to himself. "At least that's all the memories I have and this body, I have a power called spiral energy. But all that power ended up being locked inside me when I arrived in your world, I have to get it back step by step."
I can't just say that I'm a reincarnator and this world they're in is just one of many game worlds and stories written by other people from my world he thought calmly, it wasn't that Simon didn't want to be honest about his true identity. But it was a matter that was far from easy to explain and it wasn't that he didn't trust Queen Elizabeth but he wasn't going to tell her about it yet
Stay Gold leaned forward, elbows on the table. "And I'm Stay Gold! Back home I was an Uma Musume in a mobile game. Trainer—uh, Simon—was the one raising me, planning my training, cheering me on through every race. When he got pulled here, our connection dragged me along too. Now we're doing it for real."
Hood tilted her head, curious. "So you two have history, even across worlds?"
Stay Gold nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah. He always knew how to get the best out of me. Still does."
Warspite grunted approvingly. "Good partnership wins battles. We saw that today."
Queen Elizabeth sipped her tea, eyeing Simon over the rim. "And this 'Spiral Power' of yours—what's the catch? Nothing that strong comes free."
Simon shrugged. "No catch. It runs on willpower, belief, momentum. The more you push forward, the stronger it gets. Problem is, mine's still waking up. I can feel everything that's supposed to be there, but it's like trying to lift a mountain with baby muscles right now." he clenched his fist slightly, a small burst of green energy from the spiral force was visible, it was there and had indeed grown stronger after the previous battle but it was still very weak
Belfast set down the teapot. "Yet even limited, it turned the battle. Imagine it at full strength."
Queen Elizabeth leaned back, folding her arms. "Which brings me to the big question. Why stick around? You could just drill off to wherever you want. Why help us?"
Simon met her gaze steadily. "Because I've seen what happens when people stay divided against a bigger threat. In my old story, we were stuck underground, terrified of the surface. Took someone crazy enough to believe we could break out—and a whole lot of stubborn refusal to give up. You've got the same thing here: strong fleets, proud histories, but the Sirens are playing you against each other. If you stay split, they'll wear you down one by one."
Stay Gold added quietly, "It's like a relay race with everyone running their own track. You might be fast on your own, but you'll never beat a team that passes the baton smoothly."
Queen Elizabeth was silent for a moment, then sighed. "You're not wrong. We bicker with Eagle Union over strategy, glare at Sakura Empire over old wounds, and Iron Blood… well, they do whatever they please. Getting everyone in one room without it turning into a shouting match would be a miracle."
Simon leaned forward slightly. "Then let's start small. Talk to Enterprise. She's reasonable. If Royal Navy and Eagle Union can show it's possible to work together, the others might listen."
Hood smiled faintly. "Enterprise and I have coordinated before. She'll hear us out."
Queen Elizabeth tapped the table thoughtfully. "Fine. I'll send the message tonight. But if she says yes, you're coming to the meeting. You started this—you help sell it."
Simon gave a small nod. "Deal."
Stay Gold grinned. "Road trip! Well, sea trip. Same thing."
The next afternoon, under a clear winter sky, Enterprise arrived.
She has shoulder-length or slightly longer white hair and light purple eyes, wears a white sleeveless collared vest with a loose, long-sleeved white shirt underneath (the white sleeves are visible at the wrists). Around her neck, she wears a black tie. She wears a black miniskirt with gold stripe accents. Her trademark is a long, loose, long-sleeved black coat with a red interior, which is often worn over other clothes. On her legs, she wears black thigh-high stockings with a small gray belt at the top, paired with black boots. She wears a white navy captain's hat with a black visor, which is an iconic part of her appearance.
She stepped onto the pier with her usual quiet intensity, coat fluttering in the breeze, eagle rigging folded neatly behind her. A small escort of Eagle Union destroyers hung back as she approached the group waiting for her—Queen Elizabeth, Belfast, Hood, Simon, and Stay Gold.
"Elizabeth," Enterprise greeted with a nod. Then her eyes settled on Simon. "So you're the one who turned a Siren ambush into a light show."
Simon offered a casual salute. "That's me. Simon. This is Stay Gold."
Enterprise gave Stay Gold a quick once-over. "Horse ears. Didn't expect that." She looked back to Simon. "Heard you want to talk unity."
Queen Elizabeth jumped in. "He does. And after yesterday, I'm listening. Tea first, politics second?"
Enterprise's mouth twitched—almost a smile. "Lead the way."
In the same pavilion overlooking the harbor, they sat around a simpler table this time—no grand council, just the key players. Tea was poured, small talk about the weather and recent Siren movements flowed for a few minutes, then Enterprise set her cup down.
"Alright. Lay it out for me. Why should we team up beyond the usual loose cooperation?"
Simon spoke first, keeping it conversational. "Because the Sirens aren't playing fair, and they're getting bolder. Yesterday they threw an extermination fleet at the Royal Navy right after we showed up. They're testing variables—eliminating anything new that might tip the balance." and in the game they can even summon girls from anime to be ship girls here, I wonder if I can use that tool as a dimensional portal that connects this world to another world he thought to himself while remembering that azur lane had collaborated with several anime in their game and according to the lore, it was the work of the sirens
Enterprise nodded slowly. "I've seen the reports. Adaptive tactics, mirror seas bigger than before. They're escalating."
"Exactly," Simon said. "You're all strong on your own. Royal Navy's gunnery is scary accurate. Your air power dominates the sky. Sakura Empire's torpedo spreads are brutal. Iron Blood tanks hits like nothing else. But split up, the Sirens can isolate and overwhelm one fleet at a time. Together? They wouldn't stand a chance." he stared at her, his indigo eyes sparkling with determination staring into her purple ones.
Stay Gold chimed in gently. "It's not about giving up who you are. It's about sharing strengths. Like… different runners on the same relay team."
Enterprise was quiet for a long moment, staring out at the sea. "I've lost too many sisters fighting alone. If there's a way to stop that cycle…" She turned back to them. "I'm in—for a start. Joint patrols, shared intel. We'll see how it goes."
Queen Elizabeth actually smiled—small, but genuine. "Well, that was easier than expected."
Enterprise shrugged. "Simon's got a point. And yesterday's footage doesn't lie. That drill of yours punched a hole clean through an elite Siren line."
Simon rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. "Still warming up. Give it time."
Enterprise stood, offering her hand across the table. "Then let's give it time—together."
Simon shook it firmly. Stay Gold bounced a little in her seat, barely containing her excitement.
Outside, as the sun dipped low, Enterprise paused beside Simon on the pier. "One more thing. If we do pull the others in—Sakura, Iron Blood—you'll be there too?"
"Yeah," Simon said. "Someone's gotta show them it's possible."
She nodded once. "Good. See you on the next patrol, then."
As the Eagle Union ships pulled away, Stay Gold leaned against the railing next to Simon. "Think we're actually doing this, Trainer?"
He watched the horizon, feeling the faint thrum of Spiral Power in his chest.
"Yeah. One step at a time. The drill's starting to turn." He paused for a moment before grinning widely, "We evolve beyond who we were a minute ago. Little by little, we progress further at each stage. That's how training works!" He continued loudly, stretching one hand out in front of him, clenching it tightly as if grasping the world itself.