"Akagi, I can eat by myself."
Yuuki sighed while trying to take the spoon from her hand.
"Ahhh~~~"
Akagi completely ignored him and continued holding the food toward his mouth with a bright smile.
The moment he finally accepted defeat and took the bite, her tails swayed proudly behind her.
Kaga quietly drank her tea nearby while pretending not to notice her sister becoming increasingly affectionate.
"This dinner got lively really fast," Anis commented while looking around the dining hall.
Rapi silently nodded beside her.
Compared to how quiet the headquarters used to feel, the atmosphere now felt completely different.
Conversations filled every corner.
Shipgirls and Nikkes mixed together naturally.
Destroyers ran around carrying desserts while the Bulins somehow caused chaos near the kitchen again.
Even the usually calm girls looked visibly more relaxed tonight.
Rapi had ended up talking quietly with Vestal throughout most of dinner.
The Eagle Union repair ship looked surprisingly relieved hearing another faction also suffered from terrifying medical staff.
"So your side has one too…" Vestal sighed softly.
Rapi nodded calmly.
"Her name is Mary."
Then after a brief pause—
"She scares us sometimes."
Vestal immediately understood.
"…Ah."
That single response alone somehow created instant solidarity between overworked medics.
Meanwhile, Yuuki's seating arrangement had become a battlefield.
Avrora and Akagi had apparently won rock-paper-scissors earlier.
As a result, both proudly occupied the seats beside him like victorious conquerors.
Laffey meanwhile had somehow secured the right to sit on his lap entirely through sleepy persistence.
Now the destroyer rested comfortably against him while quietly nibbling snacks.
"…Warm…"
Yuuki looked completely resigned at this point.
"At this rate, I no longer have personal space."
Enterprise quietly sipped her tea nearby while Yorktown smiled faintly at his exhausted expression.
Ade and Soda sat together with Belfast, who naturally kept the atmosphere smooth and welcoming.
Soda especially looked happy being included so naturally.
"Everyone here is really nice…"
Belfast smiled gently.
"You both belong here now."
Nearby, Neon was enthusiastically talking with Unicorn, Nimi, and Sandy.
"Okay seriously, this place is awesome."
Sandy immediately pointed proudly toward herself.
"Of course it is! San Diego is here!"
Neon gasped dramatically.
"You really introduce yourself in third person all the time?!"
"Yup!"
Unicorn quietly smiled while listening to them.
Nimi meanwhile corrected Neon's handling posture using a spoon like it was a training pointer.
"Your recoil positioning is slightly wrong."
Neon immediately looked impressed.
"You really ARE a gun nerd."
Nimi turned slightly red.
"I-I am simply knowledgeable…"
Even Anis ended up laughing while watching the interaction.
At another table, Akagi occasionally glared at any girl who looked at Yuuki too long while Kaga quietly reminded her to behave.
Yuuki meanwhile quietly observed the atmosphere around him.
Only a short time ago, many of these girls were fighting, surviving, or wandering alone.
Now they laughed together beneath warm lights while sharing food like one massive family.
For the first time in a long while—
the Earth Division Headquarters genuinely felt alive.
"Beloved, would you mind taking a spoon for me?"
Yuuki slowly turned toward Avrora with immediate suspicion.
"You are perfectly capable of eating by yourself."
Avrora smiled innocently.
"Yes."
Then she gently held up the spoon anyway.
"But I still want you to feed me."
Yuuki looked exhausted already.
"You girls are becoming increasingly impossible."
"Nope," Avrora answered calmly.
Akagi immediately narrowed her eyes beside him.
"Kiii…"
Yuuki immediately sensed another territorial war beginning.
Then with the expression of a man accepting inevitable defeat—
"…Okay."
He accepted the spoon from Avrora and carefully fed her.
The cruiser smiled beautifully afterward before shooting Akagi an openly triumphant look.
Akagi's tails instantly puffed up.
"Kiiiii…"
Kaga quietly placed a hand over her face.
"Akagi-neesama, please control yourself."
Yuuki sighed softly afterward.
Honestly—
as long as nobody actually fought each other—
a little rivalry between shipgirls was probably unavoidable.
Still exhausting though.
Across from them, Wales quietly smiled while observing the situation beside Yorktown.
"You truly have it difficult, Commander."
Yorktown softly covered part of her smile with her teacup. Silently jealous she couldn't ask him to feed her.
"He really does."
Yuuki immediately pointed toward both of them.
"You two are enjoying this far too much."
Illustrious laughed softly nearby.
"But watching you become flustered is rather charming."
Atago nodded immediately in agreement while leaning comfortably against her chair.
"Especially when little brother tries acting strict despite spoiling everyone anyway."
Takao calmly sipped her tea beside her sister.
"Your discipline collapses surprisingly quickly around affectionate people."
Yuuki looked betrayed.
"I am being psychologically cornered by an entire fleet."
"You are loved by an entire fleet," Illustrious corrected gently.
That somehow made things worse.
Nearby, Akashi had joined Neon and was already excitedly discussing technology.
"Nya! So your weapons really fire laser rounds?!"
Neon dramatically pointed upward.
"BEHOLD THE POWER OF FIREPOWER."
Akashi's eyes sparkled immediately.
"Nyaaaa… We need to research this!"
Nimi quietly looked worried nearby.
"Please do not encourage each other."
Too late.
Sandy somehow joined the discussion too.
Meanwhile, Laffey remained comfortably resting against Yuuki while half-asleep.
"…Commander smells nice…"
That statement immediately caused several Sakura girls nearby to glance toward Yuuki again.
Yuuki immediately looked alarmed.
"No."
Akagi smiled knowingly.
"The destroyer understands."
"I refuse to elaborate on this smell topic any further."
Avrora softly laughed beside him.
"Too late, beloved."
Then she gently rested against his shoulder slightly.
"You already became very popular."
Yuuki stared blankly ahead afterward while surrounded by affectionate shipgirls, competitive rivals, chaotic conversations, and one sleepy destroyer occupying his lap permanently.
Then quietly—
"…I miss silence."
"Master, I have been meaning to ask something."
Yuuki glanced toward Belfast while continuing to eat.
"What is it?"
Belfast calmly folded her hands together.
"What is your favorite food?"
Yuuki blinked slightly.
"…Why do you want to know?"
Before Belfast could answer—
several girls nearby quietly focused on the conversation too.
Even Akagi's ears twitched slightly.
Belfast noticed immediately.
Then with perfect elegance—
"So we may prepare meals you truly enjoy in the future."
The subtle glance she gave the others carried another message entirely.
The fastest route to a man's heart was often through his stomach.
And unfortunately for Yuuki—
multiple intelligent women in the room clearly understood that strategy immediately.
Akagi looked thoughtful.
Atago smiled knowingly.
Illustrious quietly took mental notes.
Even Yorktown seemed mildly interested.
Yuuki immediately sensed danger again.
"…You girls are planning something."
"Not at all," Belfast answered flawlessly.
Which only made her more suspicious.
Yuuki sighed softly afterward.
"…Beef curry."
Several girls blinked.
"That simple?" Atago asked curiously.
Yuuki shook his head afterward.
"No."
Then more thoughtfully—
"Anyone can cook beef curry."
"But the specific taste I like…"
A faint smile appeared briefly.
"That recipe only exists because I made it myself."
That immediately caught their interest.
Even Belfast leaned slightly forward now.
"A personal recipe?"
Yuuki nodded.
"It took me years to perfect."
Then casually—
"The balance between spice, sweetness, texture, and depth is annoying to get right."
Akagi immediately looked determined.
"I shall master it."
Kaga quietly sighed beside her.
"You cannot even cook properly yet."
"I SHALL LEARN."
Belfast calmly ignored the foxes and continued.
"Would you be willing to teach us, Master?"
Then softer—
"So we may someday prepare it properly for you."
Yuuki looked around the table afterward.
Several girls were genuinely waiting for his answer now.
Then he sighed with amused resignation.
"I really don't mind."
That immediately brightened several expressions.
"If you girls want to learn it…"
Then casually—
"I can show everyone whenever we have free time."
Atago smiled warmly.
"A cooking lesson with Shikikan-sama?"
Illustrious softly laughed.
"That sounds rather lovely."
Akagi's tails swayed proudly already.
"I shall become the greatest curry maker for Shikikan-sama."
Kaga quietly muttered beside her—
"That statement somehow sounds dangerous."
Meanwhile, Belfast looked quietly satisfied.
Because regardless of rivalry—
all of them now had something important.
A dish connected personally to him.
And learning it together somehow already felt strangely meaningful.
Yuuki suddenly widened his eyes.
Then immediately held his head.
A sharp throbbing pain struck him hard enough that the entire table noticed instantly.
The lively atmosphere vanished almost immediately.
"Commander?"
"Shikikan-sama?"
"Master?"
Several girls stood halfway from their seats in concern.
Yuuki remained silent for several seconds while pressing a hand against his forehead.
The pain slowly faded afterward.
Avrora immediately held his shoulder gently.
"Beloved…"
Her expression softened with worry.
"Are you alright?"
Yuuki slowly exhaled before nodding.
"…Yeah."
Then quieter—
"Three…different voices…"
Everyone looked confused now.
"Voices?" Yorktown asked carefully.
Yuuki slowly nodded.
"They were calling for help."
The room immediately became serious.
Nimi straightened instantly.
"Who?"
Yuuki slowly tried recalling the names through the lingering connection.
"…Prinz Eugen."
Nimi's eyes widened instantly.
"Frau Eugen?!"
Then immediately—
"She is alive?"
Yuuki nodded slowly.
"She mentioned someone named Admiral Hipper too."
Nimi visibly froze.
"…Frau Hipper…"
Even some of the shipgirls nearby became shocked hearing those names.
Yuuki continued carefully.
"And another one…"
His eyes shifted toward Laffey and Belfast.
"…Javelin."
Belfast immediately reacted.
"J-class destroyer…"
Then softly—
"Javelin…"
Laffey's sleepy expression sharpened slightly for the first time in a while.
"…Laffey's friend."
The destroyer quietly tightened her grip on Yuuki's sleeve afterward.
Then Yuuki looked toward Ade and Soda.
"…And they mentioned someone named Cocoa."
The two Nikkes instantly froze.
"…Cocoa?" Soda whispered.
Ade's eyes widened in disbelief.
"She's alive?"
Then emotion immediately hit both of them.
"After two years…"
Soda visibly shook slightly.
"Ade…"
Her voice trembled.
"Cocoa is alive…"
The atmosphere around the table changed completely now.
The earlier warmth and teasing disappeared beneath growing concern.
Yuuki quietly leaned back afterward while steadying himself.
The lingering emotional connection still echoed faintly inside his head.
Fear.
Pain.
Desperation.
Hopelessness.
And underneath all of it—
a plea for rescue.
"I need a moment…"
His voice remained calm—
but everyone present could tell something was very wrong.
It took several long moments before Yuuki finally steadied himself completely.
Then he slowly exhaled.
"Man…"
He rubbed his forehead afterward.
"I seriously need to start filtering these connections better."
Several girls still looked worried.
Yuuki gave a small reassuring gesture.
"I'm fine."
Then more thoughtfully—
"I think my connection to the Wisdom Cubes is getting stronger."
That explanation only made a few shipgirls more concerned instead.
Without wasting further time, Yuuki materialized a communicator over his ear.
"Verg."
Static crackled briefly.
"Yeah?"
"We found new shipgirl signatures."
Yuuki's expression sharpened slightly.
"Northeast from our current position."
"Hoo…"
Typing sounds echoed faintly through the communicator.
"Give me a second."
Several moments passed.
Then—
"…Hmm."
Yuuki immediately noticed the tone shift.
"What?"
Vergil sounded genuinely puzzled now.
"I can triangulate the signal…"
Then quieter—
"But I cannot properly scan the island itself."
The room became attentive immediately.
"What do you mean you can't scan it?"
"It's like the entire island is hidden behind some kind of interference field."
Then more thoughtfully—
"Closest comparison would be a gap generator."
Yuuki frowned.
"They have gap generators in this world?"
"No."
Vergil answered immediately.
"But something on that island is blocking long-range detection completely."
Several tactical displays probably flashed on his side judging from the typing noises continuing through the communicator.
"I can confirm the signals are real though."
Then more quietly—
"This place intentionally does not want to be found."
Yuuki crossed his arms.
"…Defenses?"
"Assume heavy ones."
Vergil's tone sharpened further.
"We cannot visually penetrate the area."
"No thermal."
"No proper radar mapping."
"No satellite confirmation."
Then a pause followed.
"…Last time I encountered something this annoying was when Nod deployed Ion Disruption Field Generators during the Third Tiberium War."
That comparison immediately caught Yuuki's attention.
"So whoever lives there knows how to hide."
"Very well."
Then more thoughtfully—
"It almost resembles thousands of overlapping interference sources."
Vergil sounded increasingly interested now.
"They probably built it specifically to avoid detection."
Yuuki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Or avoid Sirens."
"That too."
Silence briefly followed.
Yuuki quietly thought back toward the emotions he sensed earlier.
Fear.
Pain.
Desperation.
Not Sirens.
Humans.
"I don't know who's on that island yet…"
Then more quietly—
"But anyone capable of escaping GDI detection systems entirely is worth investigating."
Vergil immediately sighed through the communicator.
"I already know that tone."
Yuuki smirked slightly.
"What tone?"
"The 'I'm about to personally walk into danger because my curiosity got activated' tone."
Several girls nearby immediately looked like they agreed.
Vergil continued dryly afterward.
"Honestly…"
"I miss the old battle-hardened bastard you used to be."
Then sarcastically—
"Instead of this science-obsessed hardheaded commander version."
Yuuki immediately pointed accusingly at the communicator.
"That is entirely your fault."
Vergil sounded deeply unrepentant.
"True."
Then typing resumed again.
"Anyway…"
His tone shifted back into tactical focus.
"That island…"
A pause followed.
"We need constant surveillance on it."
Then thoughtfully—
"…Preferably from somewhere nearby."
"You could use the Thermopylae and its fleet."
Yuuki raised his hand afterward and projected the tactical map into the air for everyone to see.
The holographic display expanded across the dining hall immediately.
Multiple shipgirls and Nikkes stared upward as massive strategic markers appeared throughout the region.
The hidden island remained a distorted dead zone on the map.
A blank space.
Like reality itself refused observation.
Vergil immediately responded through the communicator.
"No."
Then more seriously—
"That island is too suspicious."
"We cannot see what's inside."
"We do not know their defenses."
"And marching the First Fleet directly toward it would attract way too much attention."
Several girls quietly nodded at the tactical logic.
Vergil continued.
"Deploying Thermopylae alone would also take at least three days to arrive."
Yuuki quietly stared at the map.
Then—
"…Do you still have my deployment request?"
Silence immediately followed.
Then Vergil groaned loudly through the communicator.
"Wow…"
"You are NOT seriously thinking about deploying THAT."
Yuuki smirked slightly.
"Yup."
Then casually—
"It's faster than Thermopylae."
"And if we deploy immediately, we can arrive before dawn tomorrow."
That immediately drew attention from everyone present.
Yuuki calmly continued.
"Besides…"
"We currently possess three Kodiak-class Flying Battleships."
Anis immediately blinked.
"…Kodiak-class?"
Meanwhile Neon practically exploded from excitement.
"FLYING BATTLESHIPS?!"
Yuuki ignored her dramatic reaction and continued speaking calmly into the communicator.
"So…"
"Mind sending another Kodiak down here?"
"And one Zeus."
"I need to make it four."
The reaction around the room immediately changed.
Yorktown widened her eyes first.
Then Laffey.
Then Illustrious.
Then Belfast.
Unlike the others—
they had already witnessed what those monsters could do personally.
One Zeus and three Kodiaks already bordered on absurd battlefield overkill.
Now Yuuki casually wanted to deploy another one.
Even Vergil sounded mildly horrified.
"Dude…"
"The amount of firepower already sitting inside your base is excessive."
Then dryly—
"That force rivals Thermopylae and Orochi together."
Yuuki remained completely calm.
"We eventually need to deploy them anyway."
Then more practically—
"The fleet has been combat-ready since before dimensional transfer."
"And I refuse to let advanced hardware rot inside dimensional storage forever."
Vergil sighed heavily through the communicator.
Typing sounds echoed briefly again.
Then finally—
"…Fine."
Several girls immediately focused harder now.
Vergil continued.
"But I want data from that island."
"Scans."
"Samples."
"Technology."
"Anything unusual."
Then suspiciously—
"You owe my research division a ridiculous amount of live samples already."
Yuuki waved dismissively.
"Yeah, yeah."
"I'll grab your geek squad their toys."
"Excellent."
Then Vergil chuckled afterward.
"Alright."
"I'll deploy them within the hour."
A faint grin entered his voice.
"Consider this…"
"The official combat birth of the First Flying Fleet."
The room immediately became silent afterward.
Even the shipgirls felt the weight behind that statement.
A brand-new flying superfleet.
Built from GDI technology.
Designed for warfare beyond conventional naval doctrine.
And it was being deployed—
to rescue four imprisoned girls.
Yorktown slowly looked toward Yuuki afterward.
"…Commander."
Her voice carried genuine disbelief.
"What exactly are you preparing to deploy that rivals Thermopylae?"
Meanwhile Neon looked seconds away from ascending spiritually.
"ANOTHER COMMAND CARRIER?!"
"Girls… you couldn't see it clearly at night… but now you can."
Yuuki's voice carried an unusual calmness as he raised his hand. The holographic interface beside him bloomed into existence, layers of blue light unfolding like mechanical flower petals. Streams of data scrolled through the air before converging into a single massive projection above the table.
And then the room went silent.
Enterprise's sharp eyes widened. Belfast froze mid-breath. Illustrious covered her lips in disbelief while Atago and Takao stared upward with stunned expressions. Even Akagi and Kaga—normally composed before overwhelming firepower—were visibly shaken.
Neon nearly collapsed on the spot.
"T-that's illegal…" she whispered with sparkling eyes before a violent nosebleed erupted down her face. "THAT IS SO COOL—"
Akashi was no better.
"Nyaaaaaa…!" the mint-haired catgirl trembled while clutching her chest. "Flying fortress carrier battleship hybrid nya… Akashi's heart can't take this nya…"
Even the Bulins stopped moving.
That alone was terrifying.
Above them hovered the gigantic hologram of a warship unlike anything they had ever seen before. It dwarfed conventional carriers to the point of absurdity. The sheer scale alone made even kansen accustomed to naval superweapons feel small.
"It used to be experimental," Yuuki said quietly. "But we perfected it. Think of Thermopylae… except flying."
The hologram rotated slowly.
"Girls… meet the Global Defense Initiative Flying Command Carrier."
The projection expanded further.
"GDFS Daedalus."
Shock rippled through the room again.
The vessel was monstrous.
Nearly five hundred meters long and three hundred meters wide, the Daedalus possessed the silhouette of a carrier merged violently with a battleship and then elevated into the sky by impossible engineering. It was the same size as Thermopylae itself, yet somehow looked even more overwhelming due to its airborne nature. Compared to it, Zeus looked small despite the Daedalus is twice it's size—and Zeus was already twice the size of a Kodiak-class flying battleship.
Massive armored plating layered its underside like the belly of a steel continent. Four colossal runways stretched across the upper deck, two positioned before the command tower while the other two possessed segmented mechanisms capable of opening into enormous deployment bays. Entire armored divisions could be dropped directly from the carrier's interior while still airborne.
Not to mention, battle ready landing pads for Orcas and Firehawks.
Yorktown slowly looked upward.
"That thing…" she murmured. "…is an entire military base."
"It is," Yuuki answered.
Ten colossal jet engines dominated the rear and underside of the vessel. Eight of them existed solely to keep the floating fortress airborne, their output alone enough to distort the air around the hologram with simulated heatwaves. The remaining two engines were dedicated entirely to forward propulsion.
"It functions as an airborne operations base," Yuuki continued. "Heavy armor deployment, command coordination, long-range bombardment, aerial dominance… it handles all of it."
The weapon systems appeared next.
And everyone's expressions worsened.
Rows upon rows of missile batteries unfolded across the hologram. Ten massive launcher systems lined the vessel, each one carrying eighteen missile containers. Forward launchers. Midship launchers. Rear-facing batteries. Forward-facing rear batteries. The Daedalus could bombard entire battlefields from every direction simultaneously.
Then the cannons appeared.
Twenty-eight gigantic artillery railguns protruded from the hull like the fangs of some mechanical god. Massive turrets lined the front corners, the midsections, and even the underside of the ship itself. The two largest guns rested beneath the centerline of the vessel, large enough that their barrels resembled skyscrapers.
Even Wales looked unsettled.
"…Those are rail cannons," she said slowly.
Yuuki shook his head.
"No. Those are siege rail cannons."
Silence.
Laffey stared blankly at the hologram.
"…Laffey thinks that thing can delete cities."
"Correct," Yuuki replied casually.
San Diego pointed upward in horror. "WAIT THERE'S MORE?!"
Eleven twin-barreled anti-aircraft turrets materialized across the upper structure next, covering virtually every approach vector. Combined with its aircraft capacity and landing pads, the Daedalus possessed enough defensive coverage to function as a flying fortress against both aerial and ground threats simultaneously.
Rapi narrowed her eyes at the projection.
"That thing shouldn't even stay airborne."
Ade gave a dry laugh. "And yet it does."
Anis folded her arms tightly. "No wonder humanity survived with monsters like that around in your world."
Unicorn clung nervously to Vestal while staring at the massive hologram. Even Eldridge's faint static crackled harder than usual.
But Enterprise remained focused on only one thing.
"…A flying command carrier," she said quietly, her eyes never leaving the hologram.
Yuuki nodded once. "And like the First Fleet, she won't be operating alone."
The holographic display shifted again.
Several smaller—but still terrifyingly massive—warships appeared around the Daedalus in formation.
"Escort formation consists of two Zeus-class Flying Air Platforms, four Kodiak-class flying battleships, and four Archangel-class support craft."
The room somehow became even quieter.
The Zeus-class vessels alone were large enough to intimidate entire naval task forces. Compared to ordinary warships, they were floating fortresses armed to the teeth. Yet beside the Daedalus, they almost looked like escorts to a titan.
"And the Archangels?" Belfast asked carefully.
"They'll remain here afterward," Yuuki answered. "Orochi's retrofit is going to take a ridiculous amount of work."
At the mention of the super battleship, several girls immediately understood why.
Orochi was already monstrous in her current state. The idea of retrofitting her with GDI-level technology sounded less like modernization and more like creating a mechanical apocalypse.
Akashi's eyes sparkled with unhealthy excitement.
"Nya… retrofit… super battleship… advanced aerial systems… Akashi suddenly willing to work overtime nya…"
Neon was practically vibrating.
"THIS IS PEAK TECHNOLOGY! PEAK! PEAK!"
Rapi pinched the bridge of her nose while Anis stared at Yuuki like he had completely lost his mind.
Yorktown finally broke the silence.
"Commander…" she said slowly. "You're insane for bringing this kind of fleet just to rescue four girls."
Yuuki blinked.
Then shrugged casually.
"I need a test run anyway."
Several people nearly choked.
"Hana," he continued calmly, "using a flying fleet gets us there much faster than deploying a naval formation. Vergil already confirmed we can use the Chronosphere to teleport the fleet back once the mission's done."
The hologram zoomed outward, displaying flight paths crossing massive stretches of ocean far above cloud level.
"We'll be traveling several thousand meters in the air," Yuuki explained. "High-altitude stealth route. That keeps us away from naval patrols and most conventional detection systems."
Enterprise narrowed her eyes slightly as she studied the tactical display. The more she looked at it, the more terrifyingly practical it became.
Fast deployment.
Minimal interception risk.
Overwhelming firepower.
Air superiority.
Instant extraction via Chronosphere.
This wasn't just a rescue fleet.
It was a rapid-response airborne invasion force.
"We don't know what we're walking into," Yuuki finished. "Who we'll face. What they'll throw at us."
The hologram of the Daedalus loomed over the room like a mechanical god descending from the heavens.
"So we'll use the flying fleet."
A faint grin crossed his face.
"Just in case."
"So I assume all of you want to come along?"
There was not even a second of hesitation.
Every single one of them nodded.
Enterprise crossed her arms confidently. Belfast gave a graceful bow. Atago smiled softly while Takao simply closed her eyes and nodded once. Akagi and Kaga answered immediately, their expressions utterly serious for once. Even Laffey raised her hand sleepily without missing a beat.
"Laffey will go."
"Unicorn too… if big brother allows it…"
"San Diego is absolutely coming!"
"Nimi is already preparing combat calculations."
Even the Bulins were somehow nodding enthusiastically despite probably not understanding half the briefing.
Yuuki sighed softly, though there was faint warmth in his eyes.
"However," he continued, "not all of you will be deployed directly."
The hologram shifted once more, dividing the Daedalus into tactical sections.
"The ones I select will take control of the onboard weapon systems and fleet coordination. Some of you will deploy on the ground with me."
Several pairs of eyes sharpened immediately at that.
"And the rest…" Yuuki said calmly, "…you'll be my backup plan."
That sentence alone carried enough weight to silence the room again.
Because everyone there understood what Yuuki meant.
If the Commander was preparing a backup plan with this level of firepower…
Then whatever awaited them was dangerous enough to justify it.
Enterprise studied him carefully.
"Sounds reasonable," she said first.
The others slowly nodded afterward.
Wales exhaled quietly. "A layered-response strategy."
"Exactly," Yuuki replied. "Ground operations can go wrong very quickly. I want immediate aerial support available at all times."
Rapi folded her arms. "Meaning the Daedalus remains combat-ready while you deploy."
"Correct."
Anis stared at him for several seconds.
"You really prepared for this like you're invading a nation."
Yuuki looked genuinely confused.
"…I thought I was being conservative."
The room collectively groaned.
Neon nearly fell out of her chair laughing while Akashi buried her face into the table.
"Commander has completely lost sense of military scale nya…"
Still, despite the jokes, the atmosphere had shifted.
The initial shock and excitement were slowly giving way to focus.
Preparation.
Resolve.
Anticipation.
Yuuki glanced around the room one last time before speaking again, his tone softer now.
"I know some of you are exhausted," he said. "But the Daedalus has full residential quarters. You can rest there during transit."
The hologram displayed internal sections of the massive flying carrier—crew decks, hangars, command halls, resting chambers, even recreation areas large enough to resemble parts of a city.
"We'll arrive around dawn," he continued. "Once we depart, I'll activate the fleet's stealth systems. We'll move quietly at high altitude."
Enterprise's gaze lifted toward the massive projection overhead once more.
A silent airborne fleet.
Moving through the darkness above the clouds.
An entire armada crossing the night sky unseen.
"So," Yuuki said as he looked around the table, "get ready, girls. We're going on a rescue mission."
A faint, almost helpless smile appeared on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"…Still can't believe I'm bringing all of you along."
"Akagi will follow her Shikikan everywhere," Akagi declared immediately, tails swaying proudly behind her.
Kaga nodded beside her with complete seriousness. "You promised to take us along last time."
Yuuki winced slightly.
"I know… I know…"
There was no real irritation in his voice, only resignation mixed with warmth. Truthfully, he had already expected this outcome the moment he revealed the Daedalus.
No one here intended to stay behind.
He exhaled softly before shifting back into briefing mode.
"We have about an hour before departure," he said. "So let's finish dinner and get ready. Travel light. The Daedalus has onboard clothing generators installed throughout the common rooms and quarters."
Several of the girls nodded casually at that.
The technology was no longer strange to them.
With the Iris-linked GDI systems already containing their biometric data, clothing had become almost effortless. Their combat uniforms, casual wear, maintenance outfits, and even personalized variations were already stored digitally within the fleet network. As long as their irises were scanned, the generators could instantly fabricate perfectly fitted clothing on demand.
Luggage had practically become obsolete.
Nimi adjusted her glasses thoughtfully. "Efficient logistics."
"It also saves hangar storage space," Belfast added elegantly.
Neon looked emotionally moved by the concept anyway.
"Future technology is beautiful…"
Meanwhile, Ade and Soda were visibly struggling to contain their emotions.
Cocoa was alive.
Even after two years.
Just the possibility alone was enough to make their hearts race.
Soda's hands trembled slightly as she lowered her gaze. "We're really going to find her…"
"We will find her," Ade answered quietly, though her voice carried absolute conviction.
Nearby, Rapi stood silently with arms folded, already mentally preparing for the operation. Anis looked more focused than usual, while Neon had somehow transformed her emotional overload into dangerous levels of motivation.
The shipgirls were no different.
Enterprise remained calm, but her eyes were sharper now. Belfast had already entered full operational mindset. Yorktown quietly reviewed tactical possibilities in her head.
And for Akagi, Kaga, Atago, Takao, and the others…
There was only one objective.
Find Prinz Eugen.
Find Admiral Hipper.
Find Javelin.
Bring them home.
The atmosphere around the table had changed completely. The earlier shock and amazement surrounding the Daedalus remained, but now it was accompanied by something heavier.
Purpose.
Hope.
Determination.
Yuuki looked around at everyone for a moment before finally reaching up and dismissing the hologram. The massive projection dissolved into streams of blue light before vanishing entirely, leaving only the warm restaurant lighting behind.
The sudden absence of the gigantic flying fortress somehow made the room feel smaller.
"…So," he said at last, clapping his hands lightly once, "let's finish dinner first."
And just like that, the tension eased slightly as conversations slowly resumed around the table—though now every single person there knew that before dawn arrived…
They would be flying into the unknown aboard one of humanity's most terrifying warships.
====================
An hour later, the group had gathered outside Yuuki's quarters on the elevated helipad overlooking the dark ocean below. The night air was cool, carrying the distant sound of waves crashing against the harbor walls while floodlights illuminated the massive landing platform in pale silver.
Everyone had changed into lighter attire for the trip, though excitement alone kept most of them fully awake despite the late hour.
They were waiting.
And the sky itself felt tense.
Neon practically bounced in place. Akashi's tail swayed violently with anticipation. Even Enterprise, normally composed under any circumstance, kept her eyes fixed upward toward the empty darkness above.
Then the Chronoshift activated.
A deep hum rolled across the air.
The space above the helipad distorted violently as a colossal sphere of shimmering blue energy materialized overhead. It looked almost like an artificial ocean suspended in the sky itself—watery ripples spreading across reality while arcs of pale lightning crawled across the edges of the dimensional rupture.
The pressure alone made several girls instinctively brace themselves.
And then something began to emerge.
Slowly.
Massively.
The nose of an armored warship pierced through the Chronoshift first, followed by enormous flight decks and layers upon layers of armored hull plating. Giant engines glowed faintly beneath the vessel as the impossible silhouette descended from the dimensional gateway like a mechanical continent entering the world.
Nobody spoke.
The GDFS Daedalus fully emerged from the watery sphere with overwhelming majesty, its colossal form blotting out portions of the night sky itself.
Floodlights along its hull ignited one after another.
The entire harbor shook.
Massive anti-gravity stabilizers hummed beneath the vessel while ten colossal engines emitted a deep thunderous roar powerful enough to vibrate through the ground below their feet. The four enormous runways stretched across its upper structure like highways in the sky, while countless defensive batteries and siege cannons lined the armored hull.
Compared to ordinary carriers, it looked less like a ship…
And more like a flying fortress-city.
Even though many of them had already seen the hologram earlier, witnessing the Daedalus in person was an entirely different experience.
It was suffocating in scale.
Yorktown slowly lifted her head higher and higher as the shadow of the vessel expanded over the helipad.
"…It's as large as Thermopylae…"
Yuuki nodded calmly beside her.
The Daedalus hovered proudly in the night sky, every inch of it radiating raw military power. Yet despite its absurd size, there was still one terrifying thought lingering in everyone's minds.
Compared to Orochi…
This was still considered small.
Orochi's sheer scale had already broken conventional understanding of what a warship should even be. The Daedalus, despite being comparable to the First Fleet's Thermopylae-class Naval Command Aircraft Carrier, was still nearly four times smaller than the super battleship resting between the Home Island and the smaller islands.
That realization alone sent chills through several of the girls.
Anis stared upward blankly.
"…How is humanity even functioning with things like this existing?"
"Poorly," Rapi answered immediately.
Neon's eyes sparkled like stars.
"THIS IS SO COOL."
Above them, the Chronoshift slowly collapsed inward after completing the teleportation. The watery dimensional sphere folded into itself before vanishing completely, leaving only the gigantic airborne carrier floating silently above the harbor.
Then additional shadows appeared behind it.
One after another, escort vessels emerged from the darkness of the night sky.
The two Zeus-class Flying Air Platforms descended into formation beside the Daedalus like armored guardians. Behind them came the four Kodiak-class flying battleships, their heavy artillery arrays glowing faintly beneath armored plating. Three of them including a Zeus Platform launched from the eastern airport while a Kodiak and Zeus teleported from the dimensional space.
Together, the fleet dominated the heavens.
A silent airborne armada.
Waiting for its commander.
"Shall we?"
Yuuki grinned as the sound of engines echoed overhead.
An Orca EX transport descended smoothly from the underbelly of the Daedalus, its VTOL thrusters glowing blue against the night sky. The sleek aircraft hovered above the helipad for several seconds before landing with mechanical precision, the side doors unfolding open with a hiss of pressurized air.
One by one, the girls boarded alongside Yuuki.
Even before takeoff, several of them were already staring through the open side ramps toward the enormous airborne fortress above them.
Then the Orca EX lifted off.
The harbor rapidly shrank beneath them as the transport ascended toward the Daedalus, giving everyone a true sense of the carrier's absurd scale. The closer they got, the larger it became. What had looked massive from the ground now resembled an entire floating military district suspended in the heavens.
Rows of armored plating stretched endlessly along the hull. Defensive turrets rotated slowly across elevated weapon platforms while runway lights illuminated the flight decks in long glowing lines. Maintenance crews and automated drones moved across the surface like tiny insects compared to the gigantic vessel surrounding them.
Neon pressed herself against the window in complete awe.
"THIS THING IS REALLY HUGE!"
Nobody disagreed.
The Orca EX flew past one of the Daedalus' gigantic artillery emplacements, allowing everyone to finally understand just how monstrous the siege cannons truly were. Each barrel was large enough for smaller aircraft to fly through comfortably.
"…That cannon is bigger than some destroyers," Wales muttered.
"Correct," Yuuki answered casually.
Anis stared at him. "You saying that casually is the problem."
The transport eventually approached one of the twenty landing pads closest to the command tower. Massive guidance lights illuminated beneath them as magnetic stabilizers locked onto the Orca EX during landing.
The moment the ramp lowered, everyone stepped out into a world of steel, lights, and military power.
The deck beneath their feet vibrated faintly from the Daedalus' colossal engines. Crew drones moved across designated pathways while distant aircraft could be seen parked along maintenance sectors further down the runway.
Everywhere they looked, there were weapons.
Railgun batteries.
Missile silos.
Anti-aircraft nests.
Automated defense arrays.
The Daedalus wasn't merely armed.
It was built around the concept of overwhelming firepower.
Yorktown, Enterprise, Illustrious, Belfast, Atago, Takao, Vestal, and Unicorn had already boarded Thermopylae before, so the shock was less severe for them. Even then, stepping onto the Daedalus still reignited that same overwhelming feeling of awe.
Thermopylae had felt like a mobile naval headquarters.
The Daedalus felt like war itself given form.
For the rest of the shipgirls and Nikkes, however…
This was their first time experiencing a true GDI supercarrier.
Nimi was openly analyzing systems with wide eyes. San Diego spun around trying to look everywhere at once while Eldridge quietly stared at the glowing deck lights beneath her feet.
Akashi looked one emotional breakdown away from fainting permanently.
"Nya… this is paradise…"
Illustrious eventually stepped closer to Yuuki while gazing upward toward the upper superstructure.
"Umm… Lord Commander?"
"Yes, Illy?"
She hesitated slightly before asking, "Does this vessel possess an F-SPAR system as well?"
Several nearby girls immediately looked toward Yuuki.
He nodded.
"Yup. Even Thermopylae has one. Pretty much all major GDI warships carry their own F-SPAR systems."
That answer alone sent visible tension through several of the veterans.
Because everyone who knew what an F-SPAR was also understood one thing:
It was not a conventional weapon.
It was an annihilation system.
Yuuki folded his arms calmly as they continued walking across the massive landing platform.
"But it's strictly last-resort deployment," he added. "You already know the energy consumption on those things is ridiculous."
Enterprise gave a quiet nod.
An F-SPAR discharge could erase entire battle formations in seconds, but the power requirements were so extreme that even GDI capital ships treated it carefully.
"We won't need to use it if things go smoothly," Yuuki continued. "Honestly, the Daedalus already has enough firepower as it is."
As if proving his point, a nearby railgun turret slowly rotated while glowing electromagnetic conduits pulsed along its barrel.
Yuuki pointed at it casually.
"Those railgun cannons alone are already overpowered."
Rapi looked at the enormous weapon system in silence for several seconds.
"…I don't think the word 'overpowered' is enough anymore."
Once Yuuki brought them into the internal residential sector of the Daedalus, the reactions started all over again.
The massive armored corridors eventually opened into an enormous central common area, and nearly everyone stopped walking.
"…What."
That single word from Anis perfectly summarized the situation.
The interior looked less like the inside of a warship and more like a futuristic military city built inside a flying fortress. Multiple floors overlooked the gigantic central atrium, connected through transparent elevators, suspended walkways, and illuminated corridors lined with holographic displays.
Soft ambient lighting reflected off polished metallic walls while automated systems quietly operated in the background with near-perfect efficiency.
There were lounges.
A full gymnasium.
A cinema hall.
Several recreation sectors.
Large dining facilities connected to an expansive mess hall.
Weapon Development.
Briefing rooms.
Even indoor relaxation gardens illuminated by artificial sunlight panels.
Neon slowly turned in circles while staring upward.
"This is NOT a ship anymore…"
"It stopped being a ship a long time ago," Rapi muttered.
The scale became even more absurd once they began exploring deeper sections of the residential decks. Room after room stretched across the carrier interior, each one spacious enough to comfortably house multiple personnel.
And there were hundreds of them.
No.
More than a thousand.
Yorktown quietly realized the truth first.
"…This vessel was designed for over a thousand crew members."
Yuuki nodded casually while continuing down the corridor.
"More than a thousand if we optimize room assignments."
The girls collectively stared at him.
That meant one horrifying thing.
If Yuuki eventually managed to locate and recover all surviving shipgirls and Nikkes…
The Daedalus could carry all of them comfortably.
And still have room left over.
Enterprise walked silently through the corridor, her sharp gaze observing the infrastructure surrounding them. Every hallway was immaculate. Every system functioned flawlessly. Maintenance drones moved continuously through the ship, some carrying supplies while others performed automated inspections along walls, vents, and weapon systems.
The carrier barely even required visible crew presence to remain operational.
"It's autonomous…" Belfast observed softly.
"Mostly," Yuuki answered. "The drones handle routine maintenance, diagnostics, repairs, logistics, and ship operations. Human crews mostly oversee combat coordination and command-level decisions."
Several small maintenance drones rolled past them at that exact moment before politely shifting paths to avoid the group.
Laffey crouched down and poked one gently.
"…Friendly toaster."
The drone emitted a soft confirmation beep before continuing on its way.
Meanwhile, Vestal and Akashi had already disappeared the moment they discovered the medical sector.
Several minutes later—
"Nyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
Akashi's scream echoed through the hallway.
Yuuki sighed immediately. "There it is."
The group eventually found the two inside the Daedalus medical center.
And the facility itself was absurd.
The medical bay alone rivaled advanced military hospitals. Rows of enclosed Med Bays lined the walls, each one equipped with automated treatment systems, surgical drones, regenerative stabilization technology, and full-spectrum monitoring equipment.
Holographic medical displays floated throughout the room while diagnostic systems continuously scanned for contamination, injuries, and fatigue levels.
Vestal looked fascinated despite seeing similar ones back in Home Island Medical Center.
"…This medical technology of the GDI is terrifying. It's nano-repair treatment pods… tissue regeneration systems… self-cleaning surgical platforms… I am still not used to it."
Akashi slowly turned toward Yuuki with tears in her eyes.
"Shikikan-sama… Akashi wants one."
"You can't steal the medical bay."
"Nya…"
Soda quietly looked around the room afterward.
"…If Cocoa's hurt…"
"She'll be treated immediately," Yuuki answered before she could finish.
That reassurance softened the tension slightly.
Around them, the Daedalus continued humming quietly with life. Distant engines vibrated through the walls while drones moved endlessly throughout the gigantic airborne fortress.
Outside the armored hull, the flying fleet crossed silently through the night sky under full stealth mode.
And within its massive interior, for the first time in a long while…
Many of them finally felt something they had almost forgotten.
Safety.
After nearly an hour of exploring the residential decks, Yuuki finally stopped near the central residential hub and turned toward the group.
"All right," he said, folding his arms. "Pick a room and get some rest. Wake-up time is 0500."
Several girls immediately groaned.
"Too early…" Laffey mumbled sleepily.
Yuuki ignored her completely.
"Based on our current route, we'll arrive before sunrise. Once we reach the operational zone, everyone needs to be fully awake and combat-ready."
The seriousness in his tone immediately settled the mood again.
Then he added casually:
"I'll be staying in the Commander's quarters."
The instant those words left his mouth—
"Can Akagi accompany you, Shikikan-sama?" Akagi asked smoothly while already stepping closer. "Akagi can help you rest properly."
"No!"
The response came instantly from nearly everyone.
Even Yuuki flinched slightly at the synchronized rejection.
Akagi froze.
Then slowly looked around the corridor with visible offense.
"…Traitors."
"Tsk—"
She clicked her tongue irritably just as Kaga grabbed her by the sleeve and immediately began dragging her away.
"You are not disturbing the Commander tonight."
"Akagi merely wishes to provide emotional support!"
"You are the emotional damage."
The others watched them disappear down the hallway while trying not to laugh.
Eventually everyone began sorting themselves into room groups.
The Daedalus quarters were enormous compared to ordinary military accommodations. Every room contained advanced climate control systems, integrated holographic terminals, personal storage sections, attached bathrooms, and beds large enough to comfortably fit multiple people.
Which naturally resulted in several girls deciding to share rooms instead of sleeping alone.
Ade and Soda immediately chose to stay together, the two quietly discussing Cocoa late into the night already.
Eldridge ended up rooming with San Diego, mostly because nobody trusted San Diego to sleep responsibly unsupervised.
Enterprise, Belfast, and Yorktown selected a room together with almost frightening efficiency, immediately treating the entire thing like an operational planning suite.
Atago and Takao shared one as expected, though Atago spent most of the walk there teasing her younger sister endlessly.
Unicorn stayed close to Illustrious, the gentle carrier naturally calming the younger girl's nervousness.
The Bulins somehow claimed an entire room within seconds despite nobody seeing how they did it.
Laffey and Nimi shared another room, mostly because Nimi had already accepted her fate as Laffey's designated caretaker.
Rapi, Anis, and Neon ended up together after Anis declared:
"If Neon sleeps alone, she's going to wander the ship at 3 AM trying to lick the railguns."
"That was ONE TIME!" Neon protested.
"You said the cannon looked 'electromagnetically attractive.'"
"It was!"
Further down the corridor, Avrora and Wales quietly selected a room together while discussing operational possibilities for tomorrow's rescue mission.
Meanwhile, Akashi and Vestal were still arguing over who got access to the medical center first in the morning.
"I saw the regenerative chamber first nya!"
"You tried to hug the surgical drone!"
"It was beautiful nya!"
Through all of it, the Daedalus remained calm and steady around them.
The distant hum of engines vibrated softly through the walls. Automated drones continued their endless patrols through the residential decks while faint blue lighting illuminated the corridors in a peaceful glow.
Outside the armored hull, the massive flying fleet crossed silently through the clouds beneath full stealth systems, invisible against the night sky.
And somewhere ahead of them—
Beyond the darkness.
Beyond the horizon.
The people they came to rescue were waiting.
==================
Yuuki remained awake long after everyone had settled into their rooms.
The Daedalus continued its silent flight high above the clouds, hidden beneath layers of stealth systems and distortion barriers. From the outside, the gigantic airborne fleet had become almost invisible against the night sky.
But from within the command deck's extended observation balcony, the view was breathtaking.
Moonlight reflected across endless clouds beneath them while the stars stretched quietly overhead. The low hum of the Daedalus' colossal engines vibrated softly through the metallic floor, steady and reassuring.
Far in the distance, escort lights from the fleet could occasionally be seen through the darkness.
Two Zeus-class Flying Battleship Platforms flanked the Daedalus like celestial guardians.
Further behind, the four Kodiak-class battleships maintained perfect formation, their silhouettes barely visible through the stealth field.
An entire airborne armada crossing the heavens in silence.
Yuuki leaned against the railing quietly, his coat fluttering slightly in the cold high-altitude wind.
"Commander?"
He glanced sideways immediately.
"Hana…"
Yorktown stepped onto the balcony beside him, her silver hair swaying gently beneath the moonlight.
"Can't sleep?"
She smiled faintly.
"Yes… it's still quite early."
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not sure 10 PM still counts as early."
Yorktown laughed softly under her breath.
"Pff… it does for us."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
They simply stood together while the Daedalus continued cutting silently through the sky.
Then Yuuki glanced at her again.
"Still thinking about tomorrow?"
Yorktown's expression softened slightly.
"Yes," she admitted quietly. "Usually… the ones who call for help are the ones with the worst fates."
Her eyes lowered briefly.
"Remember Belfast and Illustrious? Avrora?"
Yuuki nodded once.
"Yes…"
Back then, each rescue had come with suffering.
Isolation.
Injuries.
Trauma.
Loss.
The memories still lingered in all of them.
Yorktown folded her arms lightly against the cold wind.
"I just keep thinking…" she whispered. "…what kind of condition they'll be in when we find them."
Yuuki looked at her silently for a moment before reaching over and gently patting her head.
"Don't worry," he said calmly. "We'll rescue them."
Yorktown blinked slightly.
Then relaxed beneath his touch almost immediately.
"Thanks, Hana," Yuuki added with a faint smile. "I guess my first shipgirl really is special to me."
The words struck harder than any cannon.
Yorktown's face immediately turned red.
Her heartbeat spiraled completely out of control as she instinctively leaned closer, eventually resting her head softly against his shoulder.
And Yuuki… simply allowed it naturally.
That made it worse.
The warmth of his body.
The quiet night sky.
The sound of the engines.
The moonlight reflecting across his face.
Everything felt unreal.
Yorktown's thoughts descended into complete chaos.
This was the perfect moment.
No Akagi.
No teasing.
No interruptions.
Just the two of them alone together high above the clouds.
And yet…
Her thoughts became tangled almost immediately.
Akagi openly chased him without shame.
Hood had apparently claimed herself as his lady.
Amagi clearly held feelings for him.
Hornet in the Void World too.
But none of it had ever become fully clear.
Yuuki never rejected them outright…
Yet he never fully confirmed anything either.
As if he simply accepted affection naturally without truly realizing how deeply everyone felt about him.
Yorktown slowly clenched her hands.
Then gathered her courage.
"Commander… I…"
Yuuki turned toward her immediately.
"Yes?"
Yorktown froze.
Under the pale moonlight, Yuuki looked unfairly handsome. Calm black eyes reflected the stars themselves while the cold wind brushed gently through his dark hair.
And from Yuuki's perspective—
Yorktown looked breathtaking.
The moonlight softened her silver hair into shimmering silk while her blue eyes trembled with emotions she could barely contain.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
The distance between them suddenly felt unbearably small.
"I've been meaning to ask you something…" Yorktown spoke softly, still leaning against his shoulder. "You don't mind… other girls getting close to you?"
Yuuki was quiet for a few seconds.
The wind passed gently across the balcony while the Daedalus continued its silent flight through the clouds.
Then he sighed faintly.
"Honestly…" he admitted, "I gave up trying to run from it."
Yorktown slowly looked up at him.
"Most of them are pretty obvious," Yuuki continued with a helpless smile. "But I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings either. So sometimes… I pretend to be dense and just play along."
Yorktown could immediately picture it.
Akagi's aggressive affection.
Atago's teasing warmth.
Hornet openly clinging to him.
Even Hood and Amagi treating him with unmistakable tenderness.
And somehow, despite all of it, Yuuki still looked genuinely troubled by the situation instead of proud.
"Akagi was very direct," he said. "Amagi too. Hood. Hornet. Honestly… a lot more in the Void World were open about how they felt."
His expression softened slightly afterward.
"But if they offered themselves to me only as some form of pleasure…" he said quietly, "…I wouldn't accept."
Yorktown blinked softly.
Yuuki's golden eyes reflected the moonlight as he looked out toward the endless clouds ahead.
"I don't want to treat their feelings like cheap flings," he continued. "And I don't want them thinking I see them that way either."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
No arrogance.
Only sincerity.
"I wasn't raised like that," he said calmly. "If someone truly loves me… then I want to value them properly."
Yorktown's heart trembled.
Yuuki smiled faintly to himself.
"I guess I'm old-fashioned in that regard. I value the people who genuinely want to become my home… the same way Vergil treasures his wives."
His gaze lowered slightly.
"Not meaningless relationships for status. Not temporary affection. Not flings."
Then he looked directly at Yorktown.
"If I treated women that casually… then your value as women would fall."
Yorktown's breath caught instantly.
Her cheeks turned bright red.
Because she could tell immediately—
Yuuki meant every single word.
For someone constantly surrounded by affection, temptation, admiration, and attention…
He still viewed love with startling seriousness.
And somehow…
That sincerity made him infinitely more dangerous to her heart than flirtation ever could.
Yorktown lowered her gaze quickly, trying desperately to calm the violent pounding in her chest.
But it was hopeless.
The warmth of his shoulder beneath her head suddenly felt overwhelming.
"…Commander," she whispered softly.
"Hm?"
Yorktown smiled faintly while blushing harder.
"You really are unfair sometimes."
Yuuki blinked in confusion.
"…What did I do now?"
Yorktown took a slow breath, trying to steady the storm inside her chest.