Pierre immediately screamed from inside the armor.
"GIVE ME BACK CONTROL OF MY ARMOR!!"
Yuuki ignored him completely.
Instead—
He calmly spoke toward his AI.
"Jarvis."
"Yes, sir?"
"Eject the pilot."
Pierre's eyes widened inside the cockpit.
"…WAIT WHA—"
"Ejecting pilot."
BOOOOM.
The armor suddenly opened violently before launching Pierre directly out of the cockpit like a missile.
The corrupted prince flew screaming across the arena before crashing face-first into the stone floor.
The crowd collectively gasped.
Then stared silently.
Because their terrifying prince—
Bearer of the Sacred Tree—
Had just been forcibly thrown out of his own magical super armor by an outsider in a tuxedo.
Yuuki meanwhile casually walked toward the now-empty armor afterward.
"Hm."
He lightly tapped the plating.
"Magic-based armor."
Then thoughtfully—
"This should be enough as a foundation for the Mark 87."
Several girls visibly blinked.
Neon immediately blinked.
"…He already upgraded future armor plans mid-fight."
Anis crossed her arms laughing.
"That's our Commander."
Yuuki continued casually.
"Magic integrated nanites…"
Then grinning slightly—
"Oh, I can't wait to experiment with this."
Pierre weakly looked up from the crater in horror.
"…You're stealing my armor too?!"
"Yes."
Yuuki immediately raised one hand afterward.
A chrono beam projected directly onto the magical armor.
The entire massive suit instantly distorted through temporal storage displacement before vanishing completely from the arena.
Gone.
The entire crowd stared speechlessly.
Meanwhile—
Far above aboard the Philadelphia—
Vergil's excited voice immediately exploded through comms.
"Ohoho…"
"Send that thing here immediately, man."
Background noises of scientists panicking excitedly could already be heard behind him.
"The research team is READY to tear it apart."
Yuuki casually replied—
"Already sent."
"Perfect."
Then excitedly—
"Magic-powered armor…"
"Do you understand how insane that sounds?"
Yuuki smirked faintly.
"Oh I know."
Vergil sounded almost unhinged already.
"If we can merge magical energy conduction with adaptive nanites…"
"…Yuuki we might actually develop techno-arcane combat systems."
Several researchers audibly screamed excitedly in the background.
Meanwhile—
Back in the arena—
Pierre slowly looked around in complete disbelief.
His armor was gone.
His authority was collapsing.
His dignity already died during the dance sequence.
And now—
Yuuki calmly stood before him still wearing a tuxedo without even breaking a sweat.
The prince visibly trembled afterward.
Because for the first time in years—
He finally realized something horrifying.
He was completely outmatched.
The moment Pierre lost the armor—
The entire balance of the duel vanished instantly.
Yuuki calmly loosened portions of his sleeves afterward before stepping toward the battered prince.
Then casually—
"Now…"
"No swords."
"No armor."
His eyes locked onto Pierre completely.
"Let's see what you're actually made of."
Pierre roared desperately before charging forward wildly.
"HUAAARGGHH!"
POW.
Yuuki's fist slammed directly into Pierre's face.
The impact snapped the prince's head sideways violently.
Blood scattered across the arena floor immediately.
Pierre staggered.
Then tried attacking again.
POW.
Another punch landed.
Then another.
And another.
Soon—
The massive arena fell strangely quiet.
Because everyone present realized they weren't watching a duel anymore.
They were watching years of hatred finally catching up to Pierre.
Yuuki grabbed the prince by the collar before slamming another brutal punch directly into his swollen face.
"This is for Eugen."
POW.
"This is for Hipper."
POW.
"This one's for Javelin."
POW.
"And this one…"
Yuuki's eyes hardened further.
"…is for Cocoa."
POW.
Pierre's face was already swollen and bleeding badly now.
Yet Yuuki still wasn't finished.
Three more devastating punches landed afterward.
POW.
POW.
POW.
Then finally—
Yuuki raised Pierre slightly again before delivering another vicious hit.
"And THESE…"
CRACK.
"…are because I feel like it."
The audience exploded afterward.
Not in horror.
But frenzy.
Because everyone on the island secretly hated Pierre.
The drunken prince.
The abusive noble.
The corrupted bearer.
For years—
They endured him out of fear.
And now—
Someone was finally beating him publicly without mercy.
Cheers erupted from sections of the crowd.
Several nobles looked shocked realizing the citizens weren't supporting Pierre at all.
Even guards hesitated now.
Because for the first time—
The illusion of Pierre's untouchable authority shattered completely.
Inside the barrier—
Hipper quietly watched the scene unfolding in the arena below.
Pierre—
The man who ruined years of their lives—
Now lay broken, bleeding, and screaming helplessly upon the same ground where he once stood untouchable.
Then softly—
"…Good."
There was no pity in her voice.
Only closure.
Beside her—
Prinz Eugen silently observed Yuuki walking toward the fallen prince again.
The same Yuuki who stood before an entire island and chose violence without hesitation the moment their suffering became clear.
And strangely—
Eugen did not feel disturbed watching Pierre get beaten mercilessly.
She did not feel horror.
Did not feel fear.
Only relief.
Because every punch Yuuki landed felt like years of helplessness finally being answered.
Every strike shattered another piece of the nightmare they endured.
After suffering Pierre's abuse for so long—
Seeing him finally powerless beneath someone stronger felt liberating.
Even if she herself wasn't the one throwing the punches—
The relief still reached her heart deeply.
Quietly—
Eugen touched her chest again afterward.
The warmth connected to Yuuki remained there.
Steady.
Protective.
Safe.
And for the first time in many years—
Prinz Eugen truly believed the nightmare was finally ending.
Nearby—
Cocoa quietly lowered her head while gripping her maid skirt tightly.
Because she too understood the feeling.
Pierre terrified her for years.
Controlled her life.
Forced her to survive through fear.
Yet now—
Watching him collapse helplessly beneath Yuuki's fists made something inside her finally loosen.
"…It's over…"
Her voice trembled softly.
Javelin meanwhile quietly wiped her tears.
Not from sadness.
But relief.
Because the prince who haunted their lives no longer looked invincible.
He looked small.
Weak.
Pathetic.
And somehow—
That made the world finally feel brighter again.
Unicorn softly hugged Javelin from beside her.
"We're safe now…"
Laffey slowly nodded nearby.
"…Commander protected everyone."
Even Nayuta quietly observed the emotional reactions around her thoughtfully.
Because this was not merely victory through power.
Yuuki had done something far more important.
He gave people back the feeling that hope could actually win.
Meanwhile—
Pierre finally collapsed onto the arena floor crying openly now.
"STOP—"
"PLEASE—"
"I SURRENDER—"
Yuuki immediately punched him directly in the mouth again.
CRACK.
The prince's plea died instantly beneath blood and shattered pride.
Yuuki calmly looked down at him afterward.
"No."
Then colder—
"You lost the right to beg mercy from women long ago."
The entire arena went silent again.
Because everyone there knew—
He was right.
Yuuki slammed another devastating punch into Pierre's stomach before launching him violently toward the center of the arena.
The corrupted prince crashed across the stone floor coughing blood desperately.
Yet even then—
The madness inside him only deepened further.
"If I can't defeat you…"
Dark corrupted energy suddenly erupted wildly around Pierre afterward.
"…THEN I'LL KILL EVERYONE!!"
The Sacred Tree crest upon his remaining hand blazed violently.
The entire arena immediately trembled.
Dark matter energy surged upward into the sky.
The barrier pillars themselves began destabilizing.
Several priests immediately panicked.
"What is he doing?!"
"The energy levels are rising too quickly!"
The king himself finally stood in horror.
"Pierre!!"
His voice genuinely trembled now.
"Are you INSANE?!"
But Pierre no longer cared.
Years of corruption.
Hatred.
Humiliation.
All erupted at once.
The energy gathering around him rapidly escalated toward catastrophic levels.
Then suddenly—
Esche's voice echoed urgently from inside the barrier.
"O Great Hero!"
The tiny fairy visibly panicked now.
"Thou must stop him immediately!"
Her wings fluttered frantically.
"If he continueth gathering power…"
"…he shall destroy everyone upon this island!"
Then desperately—
"The Sacred Mark must be severed!"
Yuuki's expression immediately sharpened completely.
"Rapi."
The Nikke instantly answered through comms.
"Yes, Commander?"
"Deploy the Ramjet."
No hesitation followed.
"…Do it."
Rapi immediately moved.
"Yes."
Behind the barrier—
The Nikke calmly dropped prone onto the ground before deploying her massive Ramjet anti-material rifle.
The gigantic weapon unfolded mechanically across the platform.
Even the nearby shipgirls visibly stared.
Because the rifle looked less like a sniper weapon—
And more like portable artillery.
Rapi calmly loaded a specialized 95 caliber round into the chamber afterward.
Then quietly—
"Ladies."
"Please cover your ears."
Her visor aligned perfectly toward Pierre's glowing hand.
Wind calculations.
Distance correction.
Target lock.
Complete.
Meanwhile—
Pierre continued screaming while gathering more corrupted energy.
The sky itself darkened.
The arena barrier violently flickered.
And then—
Rapi fired.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The sound alone shook the entire city.
The rifle's recoil cratered the ground beneath Rapi despite the power suit stabilizing her body.
The projectile itself became a blur.
A literal cannon round disguised as sniper ammunition.
Pierre barely even realized what happened.
Then—
SPLAT.
The 95 caliber round struck his glowing arm directly.
His entire hand exploded apart instantly.
Blood and corrupted energy erupted violently across the arena.
"AAAAARRRGGHHH!!"
Pierre collapsed screaming in agony while the Sacred Tree power immediately destabilized around him.
The gathering destruction ceased instantly.
Silence consumed the arena afterward.
Absolute silence.
Several civilians visibly stared in horror and awe.
Because they just witnessed a woman casually fire what sounded like anti-fortress artillery from a rifle position kilometers away.
Neon proudly pointed afterward.
"That's our sniper."
Anis softly whistled.
"…Yeah Pierre was NOT surviving that hand."
Meanwhile—
Yuuki calmly walked toward the screaming prince while the corrupted Sacred Crest upon Pierre's ruined arm flickered weakly.
The prince desperately tried crawling backward across the shattered arena floor.
But it was already over.
The moment the Sacred Tree rejected him—
Pierre lost everything.
Then—
A soft platinum light suddenly illuminated Yuuki's own hand.
The Sacred Crest upon him began glowing brilliantly.
Warm.
Pure.
Alive.
Esche gently floated beside him afterward while watching the transfer occur peacefully.
"O Great Hero…"
Her voice sounded softer now.
"This one now belongeth unto thee."
The entire arena silently watched the scene unfold.
Because unlike Pierre's corrupted mark—
Yuuki's crest radiated warmth instead of fear.
No darkness.
No oppression.
Only calm light.
Yuuki quietly looked toward the tiny spirit afterward.
"I promised to treat you kindly, Esche."
The fairy softly smiled.
"Gladly."
Then quietly—
"Though that vile one never even realized this one truly existed."
Her small expression saddened slightly afterward.
"A pity."
Pierre meanwhile stared upward in horror as the Sacred Crest completely vanished from his shattered hand.
"No…"
"…NO…"
Then suddenly—
A deep sound echoed across the entire island.
CRRRRRRRRRR.
Everyone instinctively looked upward.
And froze.
Because the massive barrier surrounding the island—
The sacred protection that isolated them from the outside world for generations—
Was disappearing.
The glowing dome high above the skies slowly cracked apart into countless fading fragments of light.
The priests immediately panicked.
"The barrier!"
"It's collapsing!"
"The Sacred Protection is gone!"
Panic instantly spread throughout the city.
Citizens looked upward in terror.
Nobles visibly paled.
Because for the first time in generations—
The island stood exposed to the outside world.
No Sacred Tree barrier.
No divine protection.
No guaranteed safety from Sirens or Raptures anymore.
The false paradise shielding them for centuries had ended today.
Inside the barrier observation area—
Several girls quietly watched the disappearing shield too.
Yet unlike the terrified nobles—
They did not look afraid.
Yorktown softly crossed her arms.
"It finally ended."
Enterprise calmly nodded.
"The island will now face reality."
Nayuta quietly gazed toward the dissolving sky barrier thoughtfully.
"Humankind groweth complacent beneath false safety."
Then softly—
"Perhaps this ending became necessary."
Even the king himself slowly lowered his head afterward.
Not in anger.
But resignation.
Because deep down—
He likely understood the island reached this point through years of cowardice and silence.
Meanwhile—
Pierre completely broke down upon the arena floor.
"You doomed us…"
His voice trembled hysterically.
"YOU DOOMED THE ISLAND!!"
Yuuki calmly looked down at him afterward.
"No."
Then quietly—
"You did."
The arena fell silent again.
Because nobody there could deny the truth anymore.
"No…"
Esche's tiny voice suddenly trembled sharply.
Then panic entered it for the very first time.
"…No, no…!"
Yuuki immediately looked toward her.
"What is it?"
The fairy's expression visibly paled while staring at Pierre's collapsing body.
"The dark nanites…"
Her wings fluttered anxiously.
"They are losing control!"
The entire arena suddenly began trembling again.
Pierre screamed violently on the ground while black corrupted matter spread rapidly across his body.
Everyone immediately backed away in horror.
Esche quickly explained desperately.
"The Sacred Tree was never meant to be controlled this way!"
Her voice echoed across the arena.
"The power should pass naturally from ruler to ruler!"
Then horrified—
"But Pierre used Rapture dark nanites to FORCE dominion over this one's power!"
Yuuki's eyes narrowed immediately.
The corrupted systems.
The strange armor.
The infected crest.
Now everything connected.
Esche continued frantically.
"The corruption remained localized only because the Sacred Tree continuously suppressed it through the mark!"
Then desperately—
"Now that the bond hath been severed…"
"…both the Tree AND the barrier have been released!"
Which meant—
Nothing restrained the corruption anymore.
Pierre suddenly screamed louder than before.
"AAAAAAARRRGGHHHH!!"
Black metallic growths violently erupted across his body.
His remaining arm twisted unnaturally.
Bone cracked.
Steel-like flesh spread outward.
Red mechanical eyes began forming beneath his skin.
The crowd instantly descended into total panic.
"MONSTER!!"
"RUN!!"
"THE PRINCE IS TURNING INTO SOMETHING ELSE!"
Citizens fled the arena in terror while guards scrambled desperately to evacuate civilians.
The king himself visibly staggered backward horrified.
Meanwhile—
Pierre's body continued mutating grotesquely.
Mechanical plating burst from flesh.
Dark cables erupted from his spine.
His voice distorted into horrifying static-filled screams.
And the moment the transformation became recognizable—
Several Nikkes immediately froze.
Rapi's eyes widened sharply.
"…Impossible."
Neon visibly stared in disbelief.
"…No way…"
Anis slowly stepped forward in horror.
"…That's…"
Ade and Soda immediately stiffened.
Even Cocoa covered her mouth.
Nayuta herself visibly narrowed her eyes.
Because they all recognized it instantly.
Pierre wasn't merely mutating.
He was becoming something horrifyingly familiar.
A Rapture.
Or more accurately—
Something disturbingly close to one.
The corrupted dark nanites rapidly converted his body into a biomechanical monstrosity.
The arena stone cracked beneath his growing form.
Mechanical shrieking echoed across the city square.
Then finally—
Pierre's distorted mechanical voice growled through static.
"I am coming—"
Yuuki immediately stepped forward between the creature and the fleeing civilians.
The atmosphere around him completely changed now.
Gone was the teasing thief who crashed a wedding.
Gone was the man casually humiliating an enemy.
Now—
The High Commander of the Global Defense Initiative stood before a newborn abomination.
And every Nikke present immediately recognized the expression on his face.
He had stopped treating this as a duel.
Now—
It was extermination.
Aboard the Daedalus—
The atmosphere on the bridge immediately shifted from excitement to horror.
Every main display now showed Pierre's grotesque transformation in horrifying detail.
Mechanical flesh.
Corrupted nanites.
Rapture-like mutation spreading uncontrollably across his body.
Even the usually composed bridge crew visibly froze.
San Diego's cheerful expression vanished instantly.
"…That thing…"
Eldridge quietly moved closer to Vestal instinctively.
"…Scary."
Even the Bulin sisters looked terrified now.
"B-Buli…"
"That monster…"
Wales herself narrowed her eyes sharply while tactical interfaces illuminated around her.
"The mutation is accelerating."
Avrora quietly gripped the command railing.
"This no longer resemble mere corruption…"
Akagi meanwhile immediately stood.
"Shikikan-sama!"
Her voice carried genuine panic now.
"Please permit us to intervene!"
Several weapon systems illuminated across the Daedalus tactical display.
"Authorize the battleships!"
"Authorize the aircraft!"
Kaga herself looked prepared for combat too.
"We can eliminate the target immediately."
Even Wales and Avrora quietly considered deployment options already.
The Kodiak battleships.
The Zeus orbital support platform.
Enough firepower existed aboard the Daedalus to erase the entire arena instantly.
But—
Thousands of civilians still remained below.
Yuuki's voice calmly answered through comms.
"No, Akagi."
His eyes never left the mutating Pierre.
"Too many civilians are still present."
Then firmly—
"I'm not risking long-range bombardment here."
Akagi visibly clenched her fists tightly.
Because despite how much she wanted to protect him—
She knew he was right.
Meanwhile—
Below in the city square—
The mutation continued worsening rapidly.
Pierre's body no longer even resembled human form properly.
Mechanical shrieks echoed from the growing monstrosity.
Civilians screamed while fleeing through the streets.
Then—
Yuuki suddenly turned toward the king.
"Your Majesty!"
The ruler visibly snapped back to attention immediately.
"You have underground shelters, correct?"
"…Y-Yes!"
Yuuki pointed sharply toward the city.
"Evacuate EVERYONE underground immediately."
His voice carried absolute authority now.
"External forces WILL attack this island soon."
The king visibly widened his eyes.
Because unlike the panicking nobles—
He immediately understood what Yuuki meant.
Without the barrier—
The island now stood exposed to Sirens and Raptures alike.
Yuuki continued firmly.
"If you possess shelters…"
"…get every civilian below the surface NOW."
The king immediately turned toward his remaining guards.
"Evacuate the people!"
"All civilians underground immediately!"
"Move!"
Guards and royal soldiers instantly began coordinating mass evacuation efforts across the city.
Meanwhile—
Far near the harbor—
Akashi nearly screamed while watching the feeds from inside the hovercraft.
"Nyaa!!"
"What IS that thing, nya?!"
Seeing the growing monstrosity and panicked crowds—
The catgirl immediately piloted the hovercraft away from the shoreline before activating full stealth systems.
The vessel completely vanished from visible sight across the harbor waters.
Inside the hidden hovercraft—
Several rescued civilians and shipgirls quietly watched the live battlefield feed in fear.
Because now—
The real nightmare had finally begun.
The mutation finally completed.
The entire city square fell silent in horror.
What stood in the center of the ruined arena no longer resembled Prince Pierre at all.
It was a grotesque fusion of machine, flesh, and black nanites.
A towering two-legged abomination formed from warped armor plating and organic tissue.
Its body constantly shifted as if unstable.
Mechanical cables pulsed like veins beneath semi-transparent flesh.
Worst of all—
Three female upper torsos were grotesquely merged into its body through machinery and exposed muscle tissue.
Their expressions frozen between agony and madness.
Even the citizens fleeing nearby nearly collapsed seeing it.
"…Monster…"
"…That's a Rapture…"
Inside the barrier—
Anis' expression instantly hardened.
"Everyone ready."
Takao and Atago immediately deployed their own Ramjet anti-material rifles beside Rapi.
Massive weapon systems unfolded with heavy mechanical sounds.
Belfast, Ade, and Soda fully activated their Da'at Yichud combat suits as well.
Golden cloaks fluttered behind them while combat systems armed themselves.
Meanwhile—
Neon, Nimi, Unicorn, Laffey, Javelin, and Eugen remained behind the barrier.
Not because they lacked courage—
But because they lacked proper anti-Rapture equipment.
Neon visibly clenched her fists in frustration.
"…Damn it."
At the same time—
Yorktown, Enterprise, and Illustrious immediately left the safety barrier entirely.
Their armored forms activated flight systems before descending rapidly from the elevated hill toward Yuuki's position.
It would still take them time to arrive.
Meanwhile—
Below in the city square—
Silver-black nanomachines surged across Yuuki's body.
The tuxedo vanished instantly.
And the Mark 86 armor formed around him once more.
Its white nanomachine coat fluttered behind him beneath the darkened skies.
The glowing blue eyes of the helmet locked onto the abomination.
Repulsor systems charged immediately.
Then—
BOOM.
A concentrated repulsor blast slammed directly into the creature's torso.
"UGGHHHH!!"
The abomination staggered backward violently.
Yuuki casually lowered his arm afterward.
"Gotta pay attention, sweetheart."
The creature's multiple voices distorted together unnaturally.
"So…"
"…you are the new Sacred Tree bearer…"
One twisted face slowly smiled grotesquely.
"I waited YEARS to control that thing…"
Then snarling—
"If not for this meddling human."
Yuuki quietly narrowed his eyes.
The abomination continued speaking through static-filled voices.
"He was merely a crying child when we first met."
Then mockingly—
"Jealous."
"Pathetic."
"Hating his own brother for inheriting the Sacred Crest."
The creature's body pulsed with dark nanites.
"So…"
"I offered him power."
Its grotesque smiles widened.
"And in exchange…"
"…he murdered his brother himself."
Several nobles nearby visibly froze hearing that revelation.
Even the king staggered backward horrified.
"…Pierre…"
The creature laughed distortedly.
"He used the Sacred Tree to control the fate of everyone on this island."
Then proudly—
"Guided by MY hand."
Yuuki's expression hardened further.
"So you were secretly controlling him the whole time."
The abomination tilted its merged heads.
"You may possess strength…"
"…but you remain human."
Then mockingly—
"Weak."
"Emotional."
"Easy to manipulate."
Yuuki softly cracked his neck afterward.
"Funny thing about humans."
Repulsors glowed brighter.
"We're tougher than we look."
Then calmly—
"But there's one way to find out."
The monster suddenly roared violently.
"THEN I SHALL KILL YOU—"
Its body expanded further.
"AND TAKE BOTH YOUR BODY…"
"…AND THE SACRED CREST!"
Yuuki immediately raised his sword.
"You wouldn't even make a worthy offering to the Rapture Queen!"
The abomination suddenly released massive amounts of black nanite smoke across the arena.
The skies above the city square darkened further.
Then—
Several black distortions suddenly opened around the battlefield.
Yuuki's eyes widened slightly behind the Mark 86 visor.
"…Holy shit."
"Portals?!"
The creature's distorted laughter echoed everywhere at once.
"TRY FOLLOWING ME WITH YOUR FOOLISH HUMAN EYES!"
Black tentacles erupted from multiple portals simultaneously.
One from above.
Two from behind.
Another directly beneath Yuuki.
The attacks came from impossible angles at absurd speed.
Yet—
Yuuki still moved.
The Mark 86 thrusters flared brilliantly while he twisted between the strikes with inhuman reflexes.
Tentacles smashed through the arena floor violently behind him.
Buildings cracked nearby from stray impacts.
The abomination kept opening more portals relentlessly.
Dozens.
The battlefield itself became distorted by black dimensional tears.
One tentacle nearly clipped him from the side.
Another erupted behind him unexpectedly.
More attacks followed instantly afterward.
Too many.
Too fast.
He was about to draw his blade.
Then suddenly—
BOOOOOOM.
A massive anti-material round tore through one portal instantly.
Then another.
BOOM.
Another tentacle exploded apart mid-strike.
Then—
BOOM.
BOOM.
Four synchronized Ramjet rounds slammed across the battlefield from different angles.
Perfect coordination.
Perfect timing.
The pressure around Yuuki immediately eased.
Far across the elevated rooftops—
Rapi, Anis, Atago, and Takao maintained firing positions with smoking Ramjet rifles aimed directly toward the abomination.
"We'll support you, Commander," Rapi calmly spoke through comms.
"Shikikan-sama," Atago softly added.
Takao reloaded another massive round methodically.
"We will not allow the creature to corner you."
Anis meanwhile grinned while chambering another shell.
"Man…"
"This is WAY cooler than normal missions."
The abomination visibly staggered as another portal got destroyed by sniper fire.
"INSOLENT INSECTS!"
Yuuki immediately boosted upward with his thrusters afterward before firing multiple repulsor blasts directly through the disrupted portals.
Explosions erupted across the arena skies.
Then Yuuki smirked slightly.
"Nice shooting."
Meanwhile—
Yorktown, Enterprise, and Illustrious rapidly approached from the city outskirts now.
Their armored forms streaked across the battlefield skies toward Yuuki's position.
Yuuki continued weaving between dimensional attacks flawlessly.
Portals opened around him constantly.
Tentacles erupted from impossible angles.
Black nanite blades slashed through the air.
Yet every single strike either missed—
Or got cut apart entirely.
The silver-black Mark 86 armor moved like flowing water across the battlefield while Yuuki's katana flashed repeatedly through the darkened arena.
One tentacle lunged toward him from behind.
SHING.
Cleanly severed.
Another emerged from a portal above.
Yuuki spun once midair before slicing through it too.
Then casually—
"Anything with a nose could follow you."
Another slash.
"You stink."
The abomination roared furiously.
"FUTILE ATTEMPT!"
Dozens of floating cannons suddenly materialized around its massive body.
Black energy rapidly charged within them.
Then—
An entire barrage erupted toward Yuuki simultaneously.
But before the cannons could properly focus fire—
BOOM.
One exploded instantly.
Then another.
Then another.
Far across the rooftops—
The sniper team operated with terrifying synchronization.
Rapi's Ramjet rifle obliterated one cannon completely.
Anis destroyed another.
Takao pierced directly through a charging core.
Atago's shot detonated multiple linked cannons simultaneously.
The monster visibly staggered from the precision bombardment.
Neon immediately pointed proudly again.
"LOOK AT THEM GO!"
Meanwhile—
The creature screamed louder afterward.
"FEAST THINE EYES UPON RAPTURE'S MIGHTIEST TECHNOLOGY!"
Missile ports opened across its grotesque body immediately.
Hundreds of missiles launched skyward before locking onto Yuuki simultaneously.
The sky itself briefly disappeared beneath the incoming barrage.
Several civilians watching from distant shelters screamed in panic.
Yuuki however simply looked upward.
"…Cute."
Then—
The Mark 86 thrusters ignited violently.
He accelerated directly INTO the missile storm.
The crowd collectively lost their minds.
Yuuki twisted through explosions at impossible speeds.
Some missiles narrowly missed him.
Others—
He physically deflected.
One missile got kicked sideways into another.
A second got sliced apart.
Then Yuuki grabbed an incoming missile physically—
Spun once—
And threw it directly back into the abomination's face.
BOOOOOOM.
The resulting explosion engulfed half the creature's upper body.
Then Yuuki descended through the smoke aggressively.
Repulsors fully charged.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Multiple direct hits slammed into the creature's chest.
Yuuki landed directly against its body afterward before driving the katana through exposed nanite flesh.
The monster shrieked violently.
Dark matter sprayed across the arena.
Yuuki ripped the blade free before unleashing additional micro-missiles point blank into the wound.
BOOM BOOM BOOM.
The abomination staggered backward heavily now.
Massive portions of its corrupted armor plating shattered apart.
Even the Rapture creature finally began suffering visible damage.
Inside the barrier—
Eugen quietly stared at Yuuki fighting in the center of hell itself.
And somehow—
Instead of fear—
She only felt increasing admiration.
The abomination shrieked furiously as its body rapidly regenerated damaged sections through swarming black nanites.
Then suddenly—
Dozens of portals opened randomly across the battlefield again.
Missiles erupted from some.
Laser beams from others.
Several portals even appeared directly beside Yuuki attempting point-blank attacks.
The entire arena transformed into a chaotic dimensional kill zone.
Buildings exploded nearby.
Arena walls shattered.
The priests maintaining the barriers were visibly struggling now.
Yet—
The sniper team continued counterfire flawlessly.
BOOM.
Rapi destroyed an incoming portal missile before it reached Yuuki.
BOOM.
Takao pierced through a laser-emitter node instantly.
BOOM.
Atago detonated another cluster midair.
Anis meanwhile laughed while firing another massive anti-material round.
"Oh this thing is getting REAL desperate now!"
But what truly stunned everyone—
Was Yuuki himself.
Because the way he dodged no longer resembled normal combat movement at all.
It looked…
Weird.
One moment—
He leaned backward impossibly far avoiding a laser by centimeters.
The next—
He twisted sideways midair in unnatural angles.
Then abruptly shifted directions without losing momentum.
At one point—
He casually sidestepped three portal strikes in sequence while almost looking relaxed doing it.
The crowd stared in confusion.
"…How is he moving like that?!"
Even Takao narrowed her eyes intensely.
Because Yuuki's evasion style lacked traditional sword discipline entirely.
It looked improvised.
Chaotic.
Yet impossibly effective.
Inside the barrier—
Neon blinked repeatedly.
"…Commander fights like he's trolling."
Rapi quietly watched the movement patterns carefully.
"…No."
Then calmly—
"He's reading attack trajectories before they fully emerge."
Nayuta softly observed Yuuki's movements too.
"O Great Hero…"
"…Thou moveth like flowing instinct itself."
Meanwhile—
The abomination grew increasingly enraged.
"STOP DODGING!!"
More portals opened violently around Yuuki.
Laser fire.
Tentacles.
Missiles.
Nanite spikes.
The battlefield became completely saturated.
Then—
Yuuki suddenly slid beneath a sweeping laser while leaning almost horizontally against the arena floor.
One hand casually touching the ground.
Then calmly—
"You know…"
He boosted upward through another portal strike.
"…for the Rapture Queen's 'mightiest technology'…"
Another spin dodge.
"…this all feels kinda spammy."
The monster roared furiously again.
And somewhere watching from the barrier—
Several girls realized something terrifying.
Yuuki was adapting faster than the creature could escalate.
Every portal pattern.
Every dimensional distortion.
Every attack trajectory.
The Mark 86 systems were already learning and predicting them in real time.
And worse for the monster—
Yuuki himself was learning too.
Meanwhile—
Three armored figures finally descended into the arena perimeter after rapidly crossing the city rooftops.
Yorktown.
Enterprise.
Illustrious.
Their flight systems disengaged as they landed outside the barrier zone.
"Commander!"
Yorktown immediately called out.
"We're here!"
Enterprise raised her weapons toward the battlefield.
"Allow us to assist."
Illustrious' cloak fluttered softly behind her armor.
"We can engage together."
Yuuki however immediately raised one hand toward them without even turning around.
"No need."
Then calmly—
"I can finish this."
The three carriers visibly paused.
Because his tone had changed again.
Calm.
Focused.
Dangerously serious.
Yuuki slowly exhaled afterward.
Then—
He closed his eyes briefly.
The battlefield around him continued exploding violently.
Portals tore through the air.
The monster screamed endlessly.
Yet for one small moment—
Yuuki became still.
"…I really don't want to do this."
The abomination immediately laughed mockingly.
"WHAT A FOOL!"
Its gigantic body suddenly dissolved into black nanite fluid before retreating partially into a massive portal overhead.
Then its distorted voice thundered across the city.
"RISE!"
"RESURRECT THROUGH THE POWER OF THE RAPTURES!"
The ground itself immediately began trembling.
Then—
Dozens of black puddles erupted across the arena and surrounding streets.
One after another—
Liquified monstrosities began emerging from beneath the city.
Distorted half-formed Rapture creatures.
Nanite horrors.
Incomplete biomechanical soldiers.
Dozens.
Then dozens more shapes began rising.
The sniper team immediately reacted.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Several creatures exploded apart instantly beneath Ramjet rounds.
But there were too many.
Far too many.
Even Rapi narrowed her eyes sharply.
"…Target count escalating beyond suppression capability."
Anis visibly clicked her tongue.
"Oh that's BAD bad."
Takao chambered another shell.
"We cannot intercept all incoming entities."
Atago quietly gripped her rifle tighter.
"The city itself may become overwhelmed."
Meanwhile—
Citizens still evacuating underground screamed in terror seeing the monsters emerge through the streets.
The island had officially become a battlefield.
Then—
Yuuki slowly opened his eyes again.
And for the first time since arriving on the island—
The girls around him felt something immense stir beneath his calmness.
Not rage.
Not bloodlust.
Something deeper.
Ancient.
Heavy.
Even Esche visibly froze.
The Sacred Tree spirit instinctively trembled slightly.
"O Great Hero…"
Then quietly—
"…what art thou about to unleash?"
"NOW DIE!!"
The liquified Rapture monstrosities surged toward Yuuki from every direction simultaneously.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
An entire wave of biomechanical nightmares flooding the ruined city square.
The sniper team immediately continued firing.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
But even they understood—
There were simply too many.
"Commander!!"
Yorktown shouted from outside the collapsing arena barrier.
"Shikikan-sama!" Atago's voice followed.
Even aboard the Daedalus—
Akagi nearly screamed at the screens.
Meanwhile—
Yuuki stood completely still.
Relaxed.
Calm.
Then—
Something changed.
A burst of blue energy suddenly erupted outward from his body.
A massive dome-shaped field expanded across the battlefield instantly.
Everything caught within it froze beneath overwhelming pressure.
Blue flames and mist-like energy began flowing around Yuuki's body.
The very air distorted.
Smoke gathered around his feet while the ground beneath him cracked apart.
And slowly—
Yuuki lowered his stance.
One hand resting upon the katana hilt.
Exactly like a samurai preparing to draw.
Every girl watching immediately fell silent.
Because instinctively—
They understood.
Something terrifying was about to happen.
Even Esche herself trembled quietly.
Nayuta's eyes widened.
"O Great Hero…"
Far away—
Inside the Philadelphia—
Vergil watched the battlefield feed silently.
Then—
A slow smirk crossed his face.
"…So."
"You finally decided to use it."
Then quietly—
"The technique I taught you."
Back in the arena—
Yuuki slowly exhaled.
The blue flames intensified violently.
Then softly—
"Eliminate all."
And he drew the blade.
For one brief instant—
The world itself seemed to stop.
Then—
Yuuki vanished.
Not moved.
Vanished.
His speed surpassed normal perception entirely.
No one in the arena could follow it.
Not the citizens.
Not the shipgirls.
Not even the Nikkes.
Only flashes.
Blue streaks crossing impossible distances instantly.
Then—
Cuts appeared.
Thousands of them.
Not upon flesh alone—
But across reality itself.
The battlefield fragmented beneath invisible slashes.
The summoned monsters froze mid-charge.
Portals split apart.
Buildings behind them divided cleanly.
Even the black dimensional distortions themselves were severed.
It looked less like swordsmanship—
And more like reality had been dissected apart.
The dome of blue energy violently trembled.
Then exploded outward.
Every monster inside it—
Collapsed simultaneously into countless pieces.
The abomination itself screamed in horror as hundreds of cuts erupted across its massive body all at once.
It never even reached Yuuki.
Nothing did.
The attacks.
The monsters.
The portals.
Everything inside the domain had already been cut apart before it could act.
Even the arena barrier itself shattered into glittering fragments afterward.
Then—
Silence.
Yuuki slowly reappeared several meters behind the battlefield.
The blue flames faded.
Smoke drifted quietly around him.
And without even turning around—
He calmly returned the blade into its sheath.
Click.
The sound echoed across the completely silent city square.
Then behind him—
Everything collapsed at once.
Silence consumed the ruined city square.
Absolute silence.
The monsters were gone.
The portals were gone.
Even the corrupted dimensional distortions had vanished completely.
Only countless clean cuts across the battlefield remained as proof something impossible had just occurred.
And at the center of it all—
Yuuki calmly walked forward like nothing extraordinary had happened.
The Mark 86 armor slowly released fading blue mist while his white nanomachine coat fluttered behind him.
No exhaustion.
No heavy breathing.
Just composed silence.
Every single person present stared at him speechlessly.
The king.
The priests.
The remaining guards.
Even the civilians watching from distant shelters.
Because none of them understood what they had just witnessed.
That wasn't merely swordsmanship anymore.
It looked like Yuuki had briefly stepped beyond human comprehension entirely.
Meanwhile—
Outside the shattered arena—
Yorktown quietly watched him approach.
And despite already knowing how powerful he was—
Even she looked stunned.
Yuuki simply walked over casually afterward.
"…You girls okay?"
That somehow made the moment even more absurd.
Enterprise slowly lowered her weapon.
"…Commander."
Then after a pause—
"…What exactly was that?"
Yuuki casually scratched the back of his head.
"…A sword technique."
Takao immediately stepped forward.
"A WHAT?"
For perhaps the first time since meeting him—
The disciplined swordswoman genuinely lost composure.
Her eyes remained locked onto Yuuki's sheathed katana intensely.
Because what he performed completely shattered everything she understood about blade mastery.
"…That technique…"
"…You cut space itself."
Yuuki tilted his head slightly.
"…Technically."
Takao visibly looked like she had a thousand questions fighting for survival inside her mind.
"How does one even—"
"What principle—"
"How did the slashes manifest simultaneously—"
"Was that acceleration—"
"Or dimensional severance—"
Atago softly placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.
"Sister…"
Takao immediately looked toward Yuuki through the scope again.
"…Please teach me."
Meanwhile—
Neon completely collapsed backward against the barrier with blood running from her nose.
"THAT."
She pointed dramatically toward the destroyed battlefield.
"WAS."
Another nosebleed.
"THE COOLEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN."
Anis laughed loudly nearby.
"She actually short-circuited."
Rapi quietly stared at Yuuki afterward too.
Even her normally composed expression looked shaken.
"…Commander."
"…That exceeded all combat predictions."
Meanwhile—
Eugen and Hipper silently watched Yuuki together.
And honestly—
Neither sister fully knew what to say anymore.
First—
He invaded a royal wedding.
Then stole the brides.
Then humiliated a prince publicly.
Then defeated a Rapture-corrupted abomination.
Then erased an army in a single attack.
And afterward—
He casually walked back asking if everyone was okay.
Hipper softly exhaled afterward.
"…What kind of man did we get rescued by?"
Eugen meanwhile quietly smiled while watching Yuuki surrounded by everyone.
Then softly—
"A dangerous one."
Yet despite saying that—
The warmth inside her heart only deepened further.
The battlefield remained eerily silent while Yuuki casually explained something that should have fundamentally terrified everyone listening.
"That?"
He lightly rested the katana over his shoulder afterward.
"I told you already."
"I can do much more than that."
Several girls immediately stared at him.
Even Takao looked spiritually shaken hearing that statement after witnessing the impossible technique moments earlier.
Yuuki casually continued.
"The armor isn't what makes me strong."
Then tapping portions of the Mark 86 chestplate—
"This thing mainly holds me back."
Complete silence followed.
Because nobody knew how to properly respond to that.
Yuuki then shrugged lightly.
"To break it down simply…"
"What you just saw was basically my own version of Overdrive."
Then casually—
"Ultra Overdrive."
The name itself sounded dangerous.
Even Nayuta visibly narrowed her eyes listening carefully.
Yuuki continued calmly.
"Only Vergil and I can properly use it."
"Because of our condition."
Then quieter—
"Our brains and bodies remain perfectly synchronized under extreme acceleration."
He pointed toward his own head afterward.
"Normal human neural activity has limits."
Then calmly explaining—
"A standard brain can only process around ten seconds of extreme high-speed combat cognition before catastrophic overload starts happening."
Several girls immediately blinked.
Because suddenly—
They realized what Yuuki meant.
He wasn't merely moving fast.
He was perceiving the world differently.
Yuuki continued.
"Vergil and I…"
"…can sustain that state for over an hour."
Anis visibly stared.
"…That's insane."
Rapi quietly narrowed her eyes.
"…Your perception speed itself is abnormal."
Yuuki nodded casually.
"Pretty much."
Then lightly snapping his fingers—
"Our natural reaction speed is already around blinking levels."
"So when Ultra Overdrive activates…"
He softly smiled afterward.
"…everything slows down."
Takao immediately looked horrified and fascinated simultaneously.
Because that explained everything.
The impossible sword draw.
The simultaneous cuts.
The incomprehensible movement.
To Yuuki—
The battlefield itself likely looked nearly frozen.
Yorktown quietly crossed her arms afterward.
"…Commander."
"You said before you and Vergil aren't fully human."
Yuuki softly exhaled.
"Yeah."
"Vergil is only half."
Then casually—
"And me becoming whatever this is…"
He motioned vaguely toward himself.
"…while Vergil turned into a tech gremlin…"
Even he looked mildly amused saying it.
"…is basically what keeps us stable."
Then calmly—
"Honestly?"
"We prefer this."
"Because if we fully stopped holding ourselves back…"
His expression became quieter afterward.
"…we'd probably stop feeling human entirely."
That sentence hit the group much harder than expected.
Because suddenly—
The overwhelming power they witnessed moments ago no longer felt glorious.
It felt lonely.
Even Eugen quietly looked toward Yuuki differently now.
Because beneath all the ridiculous confidence and humor—
There was someone consciously choosing restraint every single day.
Not because he lacked power.
But because he feared what would happen if he stopped caring.
Then—
Yuuki casually shrugged again afterward.
"So yeah."
"That sword thing?"
He lightly tapped the sheathed katana once.
"…I really don't use it often."
Neon immediately pointed dramatically despite still recovering from nosebleeds.
"BECAUSE IT'S BASICALLY ILLEGAL."
Even Takao quietly nodded.
"…That technique should not exist."
===================
Meanwhile—
Far away aboard the Philadelphia—
Vergil watched the conversation feed while leaning back in his chair.
Then softly smirked.
"He finally admitted it openly, huh."
Suki quietly stared at Vergil after hearing his answer.
"Strong enough that we intentionally pretend not to be."
The room fell quiet afterward.
Not because the statement sounded arrogant—
But because everyone present understood he genuinely meant it.
Vergil casually adjusted his glasses again afterward while holographic screens reflected across the lenses.
Yet internally—
His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Back then—
Before the GDI became what it was now—
He and Yuuki were different people entirely.
Obsessed with power.
Obsessed with survival.
After experiencing endless despair and destruction—
Vergil once genuinely stopped feeling human.
Power became easier to understand than emotions.
Research became easier than attachment.
Pursuing the ultimate evolution…
The ultimate technology…
The ultimate weapon…
At one point—
That path almost consumed both of them completely.
Then Earth 1.0 happened.
The collapse.
The suffering.
The realization that absolute power alone could never create peace.
And afterward—
He and Yuuki made a choice together.
Not to conquer.
Not to dominate.
But to rebuild.
To give the Global Defense Initiative a second chance.
Now—
Vergil quietly looked around the research deck of the Philadelphia.
Researchers laughing while analyzing magical crystals.
Engineers arguing enthusiastically over upgraded nanites.
Scientists excitedly preparing to dismantle the magical armor Yuuki stole mid-duel.
The atmosphere felt alive.
Creative.
Hopeful.
Then his gaze slowly shifted toward the women beside him.
Suki.
Dasha.
And Eva—
His future fiancée.
People who looked at him not as a weapon.
Not as a monster.
But simply as Vergil.
And honestly—
That grounded him more than any technology ever could.
He softly exhaled afterward.
Because strangely—
What truly brought him peace was no longer the pursuit of ultimate power.
It was discovery.
Building new things.
Improving lives.
Watching the GDI become a force protecting worlds instead of threatening them.
Yes—
He and Yuuki absolutely possessed enough power and technology to devastate entire civilizations if they truly wanted.
But neither of them desired that anymore.
Because after drowning in despair for so long—
Simple happiness became infinitely more valuable.
Research.
Innovation.
Teasing each other.
Watching Yuuki accidentally recruit more girls every mission.
Listening to excited scientists ramble about magical golems and nanites.
Those things mattered now.
Vergil softly smirked afterward while watching the battlefield feed where Yuuki stood surrounded by allies who genuinely trusted him.
"…Yeah."
He quietly leaned back in his chair.
"I think we chose correctly."
=======================
The battlefield had barely settled after Yuuki's attack—
When more black portals suddenly opened throughout the city.
This time—
Smaller.
Unstable.
But numerous.
Mechanical screeches immediately echoed from within them.
Then—
Lower-class Raptures began pouring into the island streets.
Mass-produced assault units.
Crawler types.
Flying reconnaissance models.
The moment the Sacred Barrier vanished—
The island had become visible to the outside world.
And the Raptures responded immediately.
Rapi landed beside Yuuki first alongside Anis, Takao, and Atago.
The four carried Neon, Unicorn, Laffey, and Nimi safely after extracting them from the rooftop positions.
Soon afterward—
Belfast, Ade, and Soda arrived in full combat armor escorting Eugen, Hipper, Javelin, Cocoa, and Nayuta.
The entire rescue group finally reunited around Yuuki amid the ruined city square.
Meanwhile—
The heavily damaged abomination still twitched grotesquely across the shattered arena floor.
Its distorted voices echoed through static.
"Do you truly believe…"
"…my death shall end this?"
One of the fused faces slowly smiled grotesquely.
"You misunderstand entirely."
Black nanites pulsed beneath its ruined flesh.
"All this…"
"…is for the glory of the Rapture Queen!"
More portals opened violently throughout the distant city sectors afterward.
Explosions echoed from the harbor.
Screams followed.
Rapi immediately analyzed battlefield updates through her visor.
"Raptures are teleporting throughout the island."
Her expression sharpened.
"Multiple lower-rank units are deploying through dimensional gateways."
Anis immediately clicked her tongue.
"Tch."
"So now the entire island turned into a battlefield."
Takao slowly unsheathed her blade.
"Civilian evacuation must take priority."
Atago softly nodded beside her sister.
"We cannot allow the creatures to reach the shelters."
Meanwhile—
The king himself looked horrified watching the situation escalate beyond control.
"This island…"
"…we are defenseless…"
For generations—
The Sacred Tree barrier protected them completely.
Their military never truly prepared for direct large-scale Rapture assaults.
And now—
Reality had arrived all at once.
Yuuki however remained calm.
Even while alarms echoed throughout the city.
Even while portals continued opening.
Even while Raptures descended upon the island.
"Commander…"
Wales' voice echoed through the comms from above.
"Sirens are teleporting around the island now. Multiple signatures detected."
Even through communications—
The tension aboard the Daedalus became obvious.
Then—
Neon immediately looked horrified.
"Whaaa—"
"Sirens AND Raptures at the same time?!"
Even Anis grimaced now.
"…That's a nightmare combination."
Because unlike normal Raptures—
Sirens were intelligent.
Strategic.
Adaptive.
And now both factions had arrived simultaneously upon an island stripped of its barrier.
Several girls instinctively looked toward Yuuki afterward.
Waiting.
Watching carefully.
Because this was the moment a commander truly revealed himself.
Under pressure.
Under chaos.
With civilians at risk and enemies appearing from every direction.
Then—
Yuuki smiled.
Not nervous.
Not strained.
A genuine smile.
The kind that appeared when a difficult challenge finally became interesting.
Neon immediately pointed dramatically.
"Hoo…"
"That's the smile of a Commander!"
Even Yorktown softly smiled afterward seeing it.
Because she recognized that expression already.
It was the look Yuuki made whenever he fully accepted a battlefield.
The moment where hesitation vanished completely.
Yuuki calmly looked toward the darkening skies afterward while portal distortions continued appearing across the island.
Sirens.
Raptures.
Corrupted technology.
Dimensional attacks.
An island full of civilians.
And now—
A full-scale combat zone.
Then quietly—
He cracked his neck once.
"All right."
The Mark 86 visor brightened.
"Now this feels like an actual operation."
Several girls immediately straightened hearing his tone.
Calm confidence spread through the group almost instantly.
Because somehow—
If Yuuki still looked relaxed—
Then maybe the situation truly wasn't hopeless.
Yuuki immediately began issuing orders.
Yuuki's voice echoed across every GDI communication channel simultaneously.
Calm.
Precise.
Absolute.
The moment he began issuing battlefield commands—
The atmosphere shifted entirely.
No hesitation remained.
This was no longer a rescue mission.
This was a full military operation.
"Wales."
"Yes, sir."
"Deploy one Zeus Platform to the eastern sector of the island."
Immediately—
Massive holographic tactical maps illuminated across the Daedalus bridge.
"Position Kodiak battleships on the northern and eastern approach vectors."
Yuuki's visor rapidly processed battlefield routes.
"I'm authorizing deployment of eight Firehawks and eight Orcas from your Zeus Platform."
Then calmly—
"I assume you know how they function?"
Wales softly smiled.
"Yes, Commander."
Yuuki's voice sharpened.
"Then waste every Siren fleet on those sectors."
"At once."
Then immediately—
"Avrora."
The Northern Parliament cruiser responded elegantly.
"Yes, Beloved?"
"Deploy another Zeus Platform to the western sector."
"Position additional Kodiaks south and west."
The tactical map instantly updated again.
"The four Kodiaks will maintain a diamond formation around the island perimeter."
Then firmly—
"Eight Firehawks for air superiority."
"Eight Orcas for strategic bombardment."
"Launch from your Zeus platform."
"Destroy every Siren vessel attempting approach."
Avrora softly smiled hearing his trust in her.
"As you commanded, beloved."
Then—
"Akagi."
The fox carrier's tails visibly fluffed aggressively.
"Yes, Shikikan-sama~~~!"
"Maintain complete air superiority over the island's northern and southern skies."
Yuuki's tone remained composed.
"Do not allow Siren aircraft to bombard civilian sectors."
Then—
"I authorize deployment of three dozen Firehawk Mark III and Mark IV fighters."
Akagi's eyes visibly glowed now.
"And one dozen Skull Squadron Firehawk Mark IV elites."
"Launch directly from the Daedalus."
Akagi immediately grinned dangerously.
"Hai, Shikikan-sama!"
Then lovingly—
"Watch Akagi reduce the sea into flames for thee."
"Kaga."
"Yes."
"I authorize four dozen Orca Mark III and IV heavy bombers from the Daedalus."
"Erase every Siren warship you see."
Kaga nodded immediately.
"It shall be done."
Meanwhile—
Yuuki looked upward.
"Jarvis."
"Yes, sir?"
"Position the Daedalus directly above the island."
"Certainly, sir."
Far above the clouds—
The colossal stealth carrier finally began descending openly.
The skies darkened.
Clouds parted violently.
And for the very first time—
The people of the island saw the true scale of GDI military power.
The massive shadow of the Daedalus slowly emerged overhead like a floating fortress-city.
The crest of the Diving Eagle.
Countless weapon systems unfolded beneath its armored hull.
Hangar bays illuminated brilliantly.
Engine thrusters shook the heavens themselves.
The shipgirls present visibly froze.
Even veterans like Yorktown and Enterprise stared upward silently.
Because despite already traveling aboard it—
Watching the Daedalus enter battle mode from the outside felt entirely different.
Neon immediately screamed dramatically.
"FIREPOWER!!"
Javelin visibly stared in awe.
"…That thing flies?"
Hipper slowly looked upward speechlessly.
"…What exactly IS the GDI…"
Even Eugen genuinely lost composure briefly.
"…Kommandant…"
"…You own a floating apocalypse fortress."
Cocoa quietly held Soda's sleeve.
"This is beyond advanced…"
Nayuta herself softly whispered—
"O Great Hero…"
"…thy faction truly standeth beyond mortal kingdoms."
Meanwhile—
Yuuki continued.
"San Diego."
"Righto!"
"Target all exposed Rapture and Siren units outside civilian sectors."
"Do NOT fire into populated city zones."
San Diego immediately saluted enthusiastically.
"Aye aye!"
The Daedalus' massive railgun batteries rotated slowly afterward.
Anti-aircraft systems armed themselves.
Missile silos opened across the hull.
Then—
"Eldridge."
The small destroyer quietly looked up.
"…Big zap?"
Yuuki nodded.
"Big zap."
Immediately—
Four enormous Tesla cannons unfolded beneath the Daedalus.
Electricity surged violently across the sky.
Even the atmosphere distorted around the charging weapons.
Several civilians below nearly collapsed seeing it.
Finally—
"Vestal."
"Yes, Commander."
"Take the Bulins and deploy to the island."
"Bring Legion support units."
"Save every injured civilian possible and escort them underground."
Vestal nodded firmly.
"At once."
"Your red lightning systems are sufficient against low-class Raptures."
"Any high-level targets—"
Yuuki's eyes shifted toward Kaga's tactical zone.
"Call for carrier support immediately."
"Yes."
"And pick up Akashi from the hovercraft."
"Understood."
Then—
Yuuki slowly looked toward the battlefield one final time.
Sirens approached from the sea.
Raptures descended through portals.
The island burned beneath chaos.
And above all of it—
The Daedalus loomed like judgment itself.
Then calmly—
Yuuki gave the order.
"Disengage stealth."
For one brief moment—
The entire world saw the true face of the GDI fleet.
Then—
"Open fire."
================
Not far from the capital—
Hidden deeper within the quieter regions of the island—
A secluded villa overlooked the ocean cliffs.
Unlike the royal palace or crowded city districts, this place remained untouched by the chaos earlier.
Moonlight reflected softly across the surrounding waters.
And standing alone upon the balcony—
Was the mysterious purple-haired woman.
Her elegant kimono fluttered gently in the sea breeze while her violet eyes remained fixed toward the distant skies.
Toward the massive shadows floating above the island.
The fleet.
The Daedalus.
The Kodiaks.
The Zeus Platforms.
Even from this distance—
She could feel it.
That warmth.
That impossible connection.
Slowly—
She placed a hand against her chest.
Right above her heart.
And softly smiled.
"…Ah."
"My husband…"
Her voice carried both relief and affection.
"…Thou hast finally arrived."
For nearly two weeks—
Ever since the light entered this world—
She had felt it.
A warmth unlike anything else.
A pull upon her very soul.
At first she believed it imagination.
Then curiosity.
Then certainty.
The connected hearts.
The bond.
The impossible feeling of familiarity.
As if fate itself had already tied them together long before meeting.
Her fox ears slowly materialized atop her head.
Then one tail.
Then another.
Until all ten swayed gracefully behind her beneath the noon sun.
And finally—
The floating riggings behind her slowly appeared once more.
Moonlit cannons.
Arcane aircraft runways.
Magical propulsion systems humming softly in the night air.
The woman gently opened her parasol afterward.
Then smiled beautifully toward the distant fleet.
"…This wife shall come greet thee properly now."
The next moment—
Purple light burst beneath her feet.
And she ascended gracefully into the night sky.
Flying directly toward the source of warmth that had clouded her heart since the day the fleet arrived.