The line had long since stopped being orderly.
At this point it was simply a gathering of shipgirls taking turns spending a few moments with him before he returned to the real world.
Then a familiar figure approached.
Graceful.
Composed.
Elegant.
The sole representative of the Dragon Empery.
Yat Sen.
Yuuki smiled immediately.
"My one and only Dragon Empery ship."
Yat Sen placed a hand over her chest and bowed slightly.
"I am honored, Zhǐhuī guān."
Then Yuuki remembered something.
"Hana once told me you're probably the most mature shipgirl in the Dragon Empery."
The surrounding girls immediately perked up.
Dangerously.
Because Yuuki was about to say something.
Everyone could feel it.
Then he did.
"Might as well make you the Mother of the Dragon Empery."
Silence.
The entire gathering turned toward him.
Then toward Yat Sen.
Then back toward him.
Slow smiles began appearing everywhere.
Hornet immediately covered her mouth.
Amagi's tails swayed.
Hood looked suspiciously amused.
Yuuki blinked.
"What?"
Yat Sen's cheeks immediately turned pink.
"Zhǐhuī guān..."
Her voice became softer.
"You are quite bold."
Yuuki sensed danger.
"What?"
She lowered her gaze shyly.
"You haven't even proposed."
A pause.
"And you're already planning to make me a mother?"
"I accept your proposal."
Immediate destruction.
Hornet collapsed.
Konigsberg started laughing.
Even Hood had to hide her smile behind her glove.
Meanwhile Yuuki immediately waved both hands.
"No."
"No."
"I meant Mother of the Dragon Empery."
Yat Sen blinked.
Then tilted her head.
"Oh."
A pause.
Then she smiled mischievously.
"Ah."
"You wish me to become the mother of your little fleet."
The emphasis made it worse.
Much worse.
Yuuki groaned.
"Yat Sen."
"I am honored."
"Yat Sen."
"To raise your little fleet."
"Yat Sen."
Nearby—
The laughter became uncontrollable.
Even Friedrich's distant voice could be heard laughing softly somewhere beyond the fading connection.
Then finally—
Yat Sen laughed.
A warm, genuine laugh.
The teasing faded.
"Pff."
"I'm joking, Commander."
Then her expression softened.
Becoming the mature and dependable woman everyone knew.
"Though..."
She looked toward the gathered shipgirls.
The destroyers.
The cruisers.
The younger members.
Then smiled.
"In truth."
"I have always looked after the younger children."
The Dragon Empery shipgirls.
The little ones.
The inexperienced ones.
The ones who needed guidance.
"I was never merely their leader."
Then quietly—
"I was their elder sister."
"Their caretaker."
"Their family."
Yuuki nodded.
"I know."
Then gently leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
The Dragon Empery woman froze.
Just slightly.
Then smiled.
"You don't mind?"
Yuuki asked.
Yat Sen looked at him.
Really looked at him.
Then her expression softened.
Far beyond teasing.
Far beyond jokes.
Back to sincerity.
"Mind?"
Her voice became quiet.
"Zhǐhuī guān..."
She stepped closer.
"I was waiting in Magellan."
The memory returned.
The forgotten cube.
The uncertainty.
The possibility of being sold.
Or abandoned.
Then she smiled.
"You called me."
The surrounding girls became quiet.
Listening.
"You reached for my cube."
"You brought me home."
Then placing a hand over her heart.
"You gave me a place within your fleet."
"Within your warmth."
"Within your heart."
The emotion in her voice made even the teasing shipgirls quiet down.
Then Yat Sen gently leaned forward.
Pressing a soft kiss against his cheek.
A gesture of gratitude.
Of affection.
Of trust.
Then smiling mischievously again—
Because she apparently couldn't resist.
"I would be honored."
Yuuki immediately became suspicious.
"To what?"
Yat Sen smiled.
"To become a mother for our own fleet one day."
The silence lasted half a second.
Then everyone burst into laughter again.
"YAT SEN."
"What?"
"You knew exactly what you were doing."
She laughed.
A beautiful, genuine laugh.
Then teasingly added—
"Perhaps we'll even have a Xiao Yat Sen one day."
Critical damage.
The surrounding shipgirls immediately erupted.
Hornet pointed dramatically.
"SHE GOT HIM."
Amagi covered her smile.
Even Hood turned away.
Trying and failing to remain dignified.
Meanwhile Yuuki buried his face in one hand.
"Yat Sen..."
The Dragon Empery cruiser looked entirely pleased with herself.
Then softly smiled.
"You really are fun to tease, Zhǐhuī guān."
And judging by the laughter around them—
Nobody disagreed.
As the laughter surrounding Yat Sen slowly settled down, two more shipgirls stepped forward together.
Representing a faction that had become surprisingly comfortable within his fleet.
The Sardegna Empire.
Or as Yuuki often called them—
His Italian shipgirls.
First came Trento.
The heavy cruiser smiled warmly.
Completely unsurprised by anything she had witnessed tonight.
Including the growing line.
Including the teasing.
Including the fact that half the fleet seemed determined to make Yuuki blush.
"Oh?"
Yuuki smiled.
"You don't mind either?"
Trento laughed softly.
"Commander."
Then placing a hand over her chest.
"We've seen your actions."
A glance toward the gathered fleet.
The rescued shipgirls.
The reunions.
The promises.
Then softly—
"And we've felt your heart."
The words immediately quieted the nearby teasing.
Because Trento wasn't joking.
She truly meant it.
Then her smile grew gentler.
"As long as you need me..."
Her gaze remained steady.
"I accept you for who you are."
The warmth in her voice carried complete sincerity.
"No matter what happens..."
Then taking a small step forward.
"I'll always be here for you."
The familiar smile returned.
Bright.
Comforting.
"See?"
Everything's alright."
Yuuki couldn't help smiling back.
Then gently kissed her forehead.
Trento froze.
Only briefly.
Before her smile became even softer.
The simple gesture seemed to make her happier than any grand declaration.
Nearby—
Several shipgirls smiled knowingly.
Because Trento had always been that kind of person.
Someone who quietly offered comfort.
Someone who chose kindness.
Then another Sardegna shipgirl approached.
More regal.
More dignified.
More accustomed to carrying responsibility.
Conte di Cavour.
The battleship crossed her arms proudly.
Instinctively beginning her usual introduction.
"Long live the glory of the Sardegna Empire—"
Then she paused.
A small smile appearing afterward.
"...Forget it."
The surrounding girls blinked.
Cavour chuckled softly.
"That's all in the past."
The statement carried surprising maturity.
Then looking toward the gathered fleet.
The Eagle Union.
The Royal Navy.
The Sakura Empire.
The Iron Blood.
The Dragon Empery.
Everyone.
"I've grown accustomed to this fleet."
Then firmly—
"So let's focus on the future."
Yuuki nodded.
"Sounds good to me."
Cavour smiled.
Then spoke with the confidence of a veteran battleship.
"I said let's look ahead."
A hand rested against her chest.
"In that case..."
"I'll watch your back."
The words were simple.
But carried weight.
Responsibility.
Trust.
Then more softly—
"So no matter what happens..."
"You can keep your eyes forward."
"And leave the rest to me."
For a moment—
The teasing disappeared entirely.
Leaving only sincerity.
Because Cavour was making a promise.
The same kind of promise he had made countless times to the fleet.
Yuuki smiled.
Then stepped forward.
"You watch my back."
Cavour blinked.
"And I'll watch yours."
The battleship froze.
Only for a moment.
Then her proud expression softened.
A genuine smile appearing.
One usually reserved for those she trusted completely.
"Thank you, Commander."
Yuuki gently kissed her forehead.
The warmth spreading through her heart was immediate.
Not overwhelming.
Not dramatic.
Just comforting.
Like finally finding a place where she belonged.
Around them—
The moonlit gathering continued.
More smiles.
More laughter.
More affection.
And among them stood two Sardegna shipgirls.
No longer isolated by faction.
No longer defined by old allegiances.
Simply members of the family he had built.
Standing proudly at his side.
As the gathering continued, two more shipgirls approached together.
One energetic.
One earnest.
Representing a faction that had suffered perhaps more division than most.
The French fleets.
Forbin and Le Mars.
Yuuki smiled when he saw them.
"My first Iris shipgirls."
Immediately—
Both girls shook their heads.
"No."
Forbin stepped forward first.
"We're your French shipgirls, Commander."
Yuuki blinked.
"Hm?"
Le Mars smiled.
"We may have come from different factions."
"Iris Libre."
"Vichya Dominion."
Then she looked around.
Toward the Eagle Union girls.
The Royal Navy.
The Sakura Empire.
The Iron Blood.
Everyone.
"But here?"
Her smile softened.
"We belong to this fleet."
Forbin nodded.
"To GDI."
Then more quietly—
"To the Commander who united everyone."
The words carried surprising weight.
Because ten years ago—
Iris and Vichya would never have stood side by side so comfortably.
Yet here they were.
Laughing together.
Living together.
Fighting together.
Then Forbin stepped forward.
A little nervous.
A little excited.
"Commander."
Yuuki smiled.
"What is it?"
The destroyer's expression softened.
"Did you know..."
A hand rested against her chest.
"I always had two dreams."
The others quietly listened.
"The first was to become a worthy knight."
Then smiling.
"Like my seniors."
A brief pause.
"The second..."
Her cheeks reddened slightly.
"Was to find someone worthy of my loyalty."
Someone worthy of her oath.
Someone worthy of following.
Then she looked directly at him.
"I never expected the second dream to come true first."
The sincerity in her voice made several nearby shipgirls smile.
Then she straightened proudly.
"Please believe in me."
The knightly determination returned.
"The only time someone will be able to harm you..."
A hand settled over the hilt of her sword.
"...is when the last shell has been fired."
"And I can no longer lift my blade."
The conviction behind those words was absolute.
Yuuki smiled warmly.
Then gently kissed her forehead.
Forbin immediately froze.
Then smiled.
A bright smile.
The smile of a knight whose oath had been accepted.
Then she immediately recovered.
Almost too quickly.
Then pointed at him.
"Then we shall duel one day."
Yuuki blinked.
"For what?"
Forbin smiled.
"For your hand in marriage."
Nearby—
Hornet nearly fell over again.
Amagi hid her smile.
Hood looked entirely unsurprised.
Meanwhile Yuuki covered his face.
The fleet was impossible.
Then Le Mars stepped forward.
Looking far less confident.
Though no less sincere.
"Even now..."
She scratched her cheek.
"I still don't understand a lot of things."
The destroyer laughed awkwardly.
"But there is one thing I'm sure about."
Yuuki waited.
Then Le Mars smiled.
"When it comes to learning about you, Commander..."
Her eyes brightened.
"I work twice as hard."
The answer was so straightforward that it caught everyone off guard.
Then she added proudly—
"And I'm still learning."
Yuuki laughed softly.
Then gave her a gentle forehead kiss as well.
Le Mars immediately smiled.
Mission accomplished.
Around them—
The moonlit gathering remained warm.
Filled with laughter.
Filled with affection.
Filled with promises for the future.
Then—
The glow surrounding Yuuki intensified.
Significantly.
Everyone noticed.
The conversations slowly quieted.
Because they all understood.
His time was ending.
The Void World was releasing him.
Returning him to reality.
Returning him to the Daedalus.
Returning him to the coming battle.
Yuuki looked around one final time.
At the destroyers.
At the cruisers.
At the battleships.
At the carriers.
At the friends and family gathered around him.
His fleet.
His people.
People waiting to be revived.
People waiting to come home.
Then he smiled.
"See you again, everyone."
The responses came immediately.
"See you soon!"
"Don't forget us!"
"Come back!"
"Rescue the others!"
"We'll be waiting!"
The voices blended together.
Warm.
Affectionate.
Hopeful.
Then Yuuki's form began fading.
The glow becoming brighter.
Brighter.
Brighter—
Until suddenly—
A figure moved.
Fast.
Very fast.
Even Hornet didn't react in time.
Hood.
The elegant battlecruiser stepped forward.
One hand caught his collar.
Then before anyone could process what was happening—
She kissed him.
Directly.
The entire Void World froze.
Yuuki blinked.
Hornet blinked.
Amagi blinked.
Everyone blinked.
Then—
The glow swallowed him.
And he vanished.
Leaving behind absolute silence.
For exactly two seconds.
Then—
"HOOOOODY!"
Hornet immediately pointed dramatically.
"That was uncalled for!"
Amagi's tails puffed slightly.
The fox strategist actually looked offended.
Which was rare.
Very rare.
"Hood-san."
Her tone was calm.
Dangerously calm.
"You moved rather quickly."
Meanwhile—
The Royal Navy battlecruiser calmly adjusted her gloves.
Perfectly composed.
Perfectly elegant.
Completely unapologetic.
Then she smiled.
"My apologies."
Hornet pointed again.
"YOU ARE NOT SORRY."
"No."
Hood nodded.
"I am not."
The honesty somehow made it worse.
Then she continued.
"A lady must seize opportunities."
"Hood!" Elizabeth pouts.
"A lady must also take initiative."
Amagi covered her face.
Hornet looked devastated.
The battlecruiser smiled serenely.
"Otherwise another woman may claim the prize first."
The entire gathering erupted into laughter.
Meanwhile Hornet dramatically collapsed onto the grass.
"Unfair."
Amagi sat beside her.
Also pouting slightly.
"Indeed."
Then both women looked toward the place where Yuuki had disappeared.
Already waiting.
Already looking forward to the next time he would return.
==============
Deep beneath the Ark.
Far removed from ordinary citizens.
Far removed from the military.
Far removed even from most of the Big Three corporations.
A sealed chamber sat beneath layers of security clearances and government authority.
Only a handful of people in the entire Ark were permitted entry.
Tonight—
Every seat was occupied.
The atmosphere was tense.
Because seven names glowed red on the holographic display.
Rapi.
Anis.
Neon.
Ade.
Soda.
Cocoa.
Nayuta.
The room remained silent.
A technician finally broke the tension.
"It happened again."
Another screen appeared.
Each Nikke's backup data had vanished.
Not damaged.
Not corrupted.
Not inaccessible.
Gone.
Erased completely.
A researcher shook his head.
"This shouldn't be possible."
A woman from the Central Government frowned.
"Explain."
The researcher swallowed.
"Heretic corruption doesn't do this."
"Rapture corruption doesn't do this."
"The backup remains."
"The Bastion Cube remains."
"The neural records remain."
The display shifted.
Showing countless archived Nikke backups.
Millions of files.
Decades worth.
Humanity's final insurance policy.
The reason Nikkes could be resurrected.
The reason death wasn't always permanent.
Then seven empty spaces appeared.
Seven holes in the system.
Like they had never existed.
Silence filled the room once more.
A Judge finally spoke.
"If this phenomenon spreads?"
The researcher hesitated.
Then answered honestly.
"The resurrection system becomes compromised."
Another screen appeared.
Research reports.
Artificial brain development.
Stagnated.
Unfinished.
For decades.
Humanity still lacked the ability to manufacture complete replacement brains.
Meaning every Nikke backup was precious.
Irreplaceable.
If enough disappeared—
The Ark could eventually lose the ability to recover valuable personnel.
The room darkened.
Concern spread among the Judges.
Then one finally spoke.
"D."
The chamber lights dimmed.
A shadow detached itself from the wall.
A woman stepped forward.
Calm.
Silent.
Dangerous.
Her crimson eyes reflected the holograms.
No emotion visible.
Only professionalism.
D.
Leader of Perilous Siege.
The Ark's executioner.
The knife hidden beneath civilization's cloak.
One of twenty-six Nikkes authorized to act without the restrictions placed upon ordinary units.
If the Judges ordered it—
Perilous Siege could eliminate criminals.
Traitors.
Threats.
Even humans.
A Judge folded his hands.
"D."
"Can Perilous Siege handle this matter?"
The Nikke's gaze moved toward the seven missing backups.
Then toward the location data.
Surface.
Unknown territory.
Unknown force.
Unknown method.
After several moments—
She answered.
"This matter originates on the surface."
Her voice was calm.
Controlled.
"Where our operational capabilities are reduced."
A second Judge frowned.
"But not impossible."
"No."
D nodded once.
"Not impossible."
The room remained silent.
Then another Judge leaned forward.
"This operation must remain discreet."
The word carried weight.
Because if word spread—
Panic would follow.
Questions.
Investigations.
Political instability.
The last thing the Ark needed.
The Judge continued.
"You will investigate."
"You will identify the source."
"You will determine how seven Nikkes erased themselves from our system."
A pause.
Then colder—
"And if necessary..."
"...neutralize the threat."
D's expression never changed.
"Understood."
Another screen appeared.
Images of the seven Nikkes.
Rapi.
Anis.
Neon.
Ade.
Soda.
Cocoa.
Nayuta.
All officially marked as active.
Yet simultaneously marked as missing.
A contradiction that should not exist.
One final Judge spoke.
"D."
The black-ops Nikke looked up.
"Maintain radio contact."
"At all times."
"If an opportunity presents itself..."
His gaze settled upon the missing backups.
"...we will recover those seven assets."
D remained silent for several moments.
Studying the files.
Then—
"Understood."
The Judges nodded.
Mission approved.
Operation authorized.
Perilous Siege mobilized.
As D turned to leave—
One final thought crossed her mind.
Seven Nikkes.
Different factions.
Different backgrounds.
Different circumstances.
Yet all connected to the same impossible phenomenon.
And somewhere on the surface—
Someone had achieved what even the Ark could not.
True liberation from the system.
A fact that would terrify the Judges.
Intrigue the corporations.
And potentially change the future of every Nikke alive.
Without another word—
D disappeared back into the shadows.
The elevator continued its ascent.
Layer after layer of reinforced steel passed overhead.
Security checkpoints.
Blast doors.
Defense grids.
The heart of the Ark slowly fell away beneath her feet.
D stood alone inside the cabin.
As always.
Silence suited her.
It allowed thoughts to surface.
Thoughts she normally buried beneath missions and orders.
The image of those seven names returned to her mind.
Rapi.
Anis.
Neon.
Ade.
Soda.
Cocoa.
Nayuta.
Officially, they were assets.
Weapons.
Military resources.
Property of the Ark.
Yet their files no longer reflected that reality.
For the first time in her life—
Someone had escaped.
Not physically.
Existentially.
No backup.
No reset.
No reclamation.
No storage.
Gone from the system.
Truly free.
D closed her eyes.
She had eliminated countless targets throughout her career.
Humans.
Nikkes.
Criminals.
Political threats.
Conspirators.
Traitors.
Sometimes she agreed with the verdict.
Sometimes she didn't.
That distinction was irrelevant.
Perilous Siege existed to execute judgment.
Not question it.
Yet there was one thing she had always hated.
The aftermath.
A Nikke's body would fall.
Their consciousness would disappear.
Then months later—
A replacement body would be manufactured.
The backup installed.
The same person returned.
Or rather...
A copy.
A version.
A continuation.
Then if necessary—
They would be sent to fight again.
And again.
And again.
Until the cycle repeated.
Storage.
Activation.
Deployment.
Death.
Storage again.
An endless loop.
An existence decided by others.
D slowly exhaled.
She had watched it happen too many times.
Nikkes who begged not to return.
Nikkes who wanted rest.
Nikkes who wanted to choose.
Choice.
Such a simple thing.
Such a rare thing.
The elevator chimed softly.
Surface approach.
Five minutes remaining.
D opened her eyes.
The reflection staring back at her from the steel wall was expressionless.
Professional.
Efficient.
The perfect weapon.
Yet a question lingered.
A dangerous one.
What if those seven were not victims?
What if they had been liberated?
The thought should have alarmed her.
Instead—
It intrigued her.
Because for the first time in recorded history—
Someone had achieved something the Ark considered impossible.
Freedom.
Not from duty.
Not from combat.
Freedom from ownership.
Freedom from resurrection.
Freedom from becoming property again.
D understood why the Judges were afraid.
If word spread—
Other Nikkes would start asking questions.
Questions the Ark could not easily answer.
Questions people in power did not want asked.
The elevator continued rising.
Soon she would reach the surface.
Soon she would begin the investigation.
Soon she would find the source.
Her hand rested lightly against her weapon.
The familiar weight grounded her thoughts.
No.
She wasn't a Heretic.
She wasn't a Rapture.
She had seen what they did.
The slaughter.
The corruption.
The destruction.
She would never walk that path.
No matter what doubts she carried.
No matter what questions she asked herself.
Humanity still needed defenders.
Even flawed humanity.
Even cruel humanity.
Someone had to stand between civilization and extinction.
That belief had kept her moving for years.
Yet another thought remained.
A quiet one.
One she would never admit aloud.
If someone truly possessed the ability to sever a Nikke's link to the Ark...
To grant genuine freedom...
Then perhaps—
Just perhaps—
The seven names displayed on that screen were not casualties.
They were pioneers.
The elevator doors finally opened.
Cold wind greeted her.
The ruined surface stretched beyond the platform.
Endless.
Dangerous.
Unforgiving.
D stepped forward.
The surface was silent.
Not peaceful.
Just empty.
A world long since abandoned.
Broken highways stretched toward ruined cities.
Collapsed towers stood like tombstones against the horizon.
The combined assault of the Sirens and Raptures had proven too much for humanity.
One enemy sought domination.
The other sought annihilation.
Caught between them—
Humanity retreated underground.
Leaving the world above to rust.
D stepped out from the elevator platform.
The massive blast doors sealed behind her.
For a moment she simply stood there.
Listening.
Feeling.
Thinking.
Mission first.
Questions later.
That had always been her rule.
The rule that allowed her to continue functioning.
The rule that allowed her to pull the trigger when necessary.
The rule that allowed her to survive.
Yet lately—
That rule had begun to crack.
Ever since the first five names vanished.
Rapi.
Anis.
Neon.
Ade.
Soda.
Something had changed.
At first she thought it was curiosity.
Then suspicion.
Then professional concern.
But the feeling persisted.
Growing stronger.
Warmer.
A sensation she could neither explain nor eliminate.
Even now—
Standing beneath the ruined sky—
She felt it again.
A warmth.
Small.
Gentle.
Yet impossible to ignore.
D frowned.
The sensation wasn't physical.
Not quite.
It felt more like a direction.
A pull.
An instinct.
As though something was waiting beyond the horizon.
Something connected to those erased names.
Back then—
When the first disappearances occurred—
She wanted to investigate.
But she had no authority.
No justification.
No mission.
The Judges would never authorize such a deployment based on intuition.
So she waited.
And the feeling remained.
Then came Cocoa.
Then Nayuta.
Seven names.
Seven impossible disappearances.
And finally—
A reason.
A mission.
Permission to leave the Ark.
D adjusted her weapon.
Then began walking.
The warmth remained.
Subtle.
Persistent.
Guiding.
For years she had followed orders.
For years she had followed targets.
For years she had followed judgments made by people sitting behind desks.
Yet this felt different.
Because for the first time—
She wasn't following commands.
She was following a question.
The ruined wind brushed against her coat.
The warmth pulsed once more.
Stronger now.
Almost eager.
D closed her eyes briefly.
A dangerous thought surfaced.
One she immediately tried to suppress.
What if those seven had not been stolen?
What if they had been saved?
The idea should have sounded ridiculous.
Instead—
It felt plausible.
Because the Ark called it erasure.
Yet the sensation in her heart did not feel like death.
It felt alive.
Like seven distant lights.
Still existing.
Still moving.
Still free.
D opened her eyes.
The wasteland stretched before her.
Endless.
Unknown.
For the first time in many years—
The future wasn't predetermined.
The answer wasn't already written.
The target wasn't already marked.
There was only a path.
And a warmth pointing toward it.
A path that might lead to danger.
A path that might lead to disappointment.
Or perhaps—
A path leading toward the one thing Nikkes rarely possessed.
Choice.
D continued walking.
The ruined world unfolding before her.
Step by step.
Toward the source of that warmth.
Toward the mystery of the seven vanished names.
Toward the answer she secretly desired.
Not power.
Not revenge.
Not promotion.
Freedom.
The possibility that somewhere beyond the Ark's reach—
There existed another way to live.
And for the first time in her life—
That possibility felt real enough to chase.
=============
Eden was unlike anything most people from the Ark could imagine.
To the average citizen living underground, the surface was a dead world.
A wasteland of ruined cities.
Collapsed highways.
Endless deserts.
Rapture patrols.
And constant danger.
Yet hidden far beyond the Ark's reach, nestled among mountain ranges and natural barriers, stood a settlement that defied that belief.
Eden.
A city built upon the remains of an old research facility dating back to the First Rapture War.
From a distance, Eden resembled a shining oasis amidst a dead world.
Its symbol—a radiant star—was displayed proudly upon its towers, vehicles, uniforms, and public buildings. To its people, the star represented humanity's hope and determination to reclaim the surface.
Unlike the Ark's enclosed underground corridors, Eden was open to the sky.
Glass-domed gardens stretched between sleek buildings of white steel and silver alloy. Artificial streams wound through carefully maintained parks filled with flowers, trees, and crops. Solar arrays covered surrounding hillsides while wind turbines turned lazily against the mountain winds.
The city was designed not merely for survival, but for living.
Clean air circulated through every district.
Fresh food was grown locally using advanced agricultural systems.
Hydroponic farms rose several stories high, producing fruits and vegetables year-round.
Water purification facilities ensured crystal-clear drinking water.
Power shortages were virtually unheard of.
Most striking to visitors from the Ark was the healthcare system.
Eden's hospitals were equipped with technologies decades ahead of anything available underground.
Automated diagnostic scanners could identify illnesses within minutes.
Nanomedical treatments accelerated recovery.
Artificial organs could be manufactured and implanted with remarkable success rates.
Many diseases considered difficult or expensive to treat in the Ark had become routine procedures in Eden.
Its educational institutions were equally impressive.
Children learned advanced science, engineering, medicine, and military strategy from an early age. Research facilities continued pursuing breakthroughs despite humanity's precarious situation.
The people of Eden believed knowledge would eventually win the war.
Perhaps the greatest difference, however, lay in society itself.
Within the Ark, Nikkes were often viewed as military assets.
Weapons.
Property.
Tools of war.
In Eden, the relationship was markedly different.
Humans and Nikkes lived side by side.
Worked together.
Ate together.
Researched together.
A Nikke could be a scientist, a teacher, a doctor, or a soldier without being reduced solely to her military purpose.
Though prejudice and disagreements still existed, Eden generally treated Nikkes as individuals rather than equipment.
This philosophy influenced nearly every aspect of daily life.
Public spaces were designed for both humans and Nikkes.
Government councils often included both.
Military planning considered the perspectives of both groups.
As a result, many Nikkes viewed Eden as one of the few places on Earth where they could truly belong.
Yet despite its beauty and technological sophistication, Eden was not paradise.
The settlement remained isolated.
Its population was relatively small.
Resources were carefully managed.
Every citizen understood that beyond the mountains lay a world dominated by Raptures.
Every soldier knew they stood one major offensive away from disaster.
Eden survived not because it was invincible, but because it remained hidden, disciplined, and united.
To the people of the Ark, Eden would appear like a glimpse into a brighter future.
To the survivors of the surface, it was a beacon of hope.
And to Nayuta, after synchronizing with memories from the Daedalus...
It was a remarkable achievement.
But no longer the pinnacle of what humanity could become.
Because somewhere beyond the horizon sailed a fortress-city capable of crossing worlds, healing minds, fielding orbital weapons, and building flying broomsticks for recreation.
Compared to the ruined world around it, Eden was a miracle.
Compared to the Global Defense Initiative, it was merely another step on humanity's long path forward.
Deep within Eden, alarms remained silent.
Unlike the Ark, there was no panic.
No emergency meetings.
No Judges gathering in hidden chambers.
Only the quiet hum of advanced machinery.
Clean corridors.
Artificial sunlight.
And a civilization built upon the belief that humanity could still reclaim the surface.
The silver-haired Nayuta clone slowly opened her eyes.
The synchronization had completed.
Information flooded through her neural network.
The memories from the Daedalus.
The warmth of the Great Hero.
The awakening of the original Nayuta.
The discovery of the Mother Whale.
The coming rescue operation.
All of it settled into place.
"...So it truly happened."
She sat upright in the hospital bed.
Medical equipment immediately adjusted around her.
Monitoring her condition.
Scanning her systems.
Updating her status.
Nayuta barely noticed.
Instead she extended her senses outward.
Connecting to her network.
Her clones.
Her information streams.
Thousands of data points flowed through her mind.
Yet one memory stood above all others.
Yuuki.
The strange human who had somehow accomplished what the Ark could not.
Who had freed Nikkes from the NIMPH.
Who had erased backups completely.
Who had given her original self hope.
Nayuta closed her eyes.
Then began scanning the room around her.
Medical scanners.
Nanofabricators.
Life-support systems.
Biological reconstruction units.
To Eden's inhabitants, these technologies represented the pinnacle of human achievement.
The future.
A civilization years ahead of the Ark.
Years ahead of anything remaining on the surface.
Yet after synchronizing with the Daedalus memories—
Her assessment had changed.
"...Primitive."
The word escaped her lips before she could stop it.
Not because Eden was weak.
Far from it.
By this world's standards, Eden was extraordinary.
Its healthcare.
Its manufacturing.
Its agriculture.
Its energy systems.
All surpassed the Ark.
Yet compared to what she had witnessed aboard the Daedalus...
The gap was staggering.
She remembered the med bays.
Machines capable of repairing neural trauma.
Suppressing PTSD.
Restoring damaged bodies.
Healing conditions previously thought permanent.
A single GDI medical bay possessed more computational power than entire sectors of Eden.
Nayuta's eyes drifted toward the ceiling.
"...Hundreds of years."
That was the uncomfortable truth.
Eden stood years ahead of the Ark.
The Global Defense Initiative stood centuries ahead of Eden.
The realization left her quiet.
Because it changed everything.
The balance of power.
The future of humanity.
The war itself.
Then she remembered another detail.
The original Nayuta's encounter.
The warmth.
The strange connection.
The world between hearts.
The Void World.
Something neither Eden nor the Ark had ever discovered.
Something beyond technology.
Beyond conventional science.
A phenomenon that should not exist.
And yet it did.
The hospital door slid open.
A medical staff member stepped inside.
"You're awake."
Nayuta smiled politely.
"Indeed."
The woman looked relieved.
"You suddenly lost consciousness."
Nayuta simply nodded.
A convenient explanation.
Far easier than explaining she had just synchronized with another version of herself located hundreds of kilometers away.
The doctor continued.
"We were worried."
Nayuta glanced toward the window.
Toward Eden's distant skyline.
The star emblem visible upon several structures.
Humanity's dream.
Humanity's sanctuary.
A place she had once considered the most advanced civilization remaining on Earth.
Now...
She knew there was something greater.
Far greater.
Somewhere beyond the horizon.
A flying fortress carrying a fleet unlike any this world had ever seen.
A fleet currently moving toward Laurelin.
Toward Oberis.
And eventually—
Toward the Mother Whale.
Nayuta stood from the bed.
Her expression calm.
Yet a faint smile appeared.
Because she knew something nobody in Eden knew.
Nobody in the Ark knew.
Nobody among the Raptures knew.
The future had changed.
The Great Hero had arrived.
And the world simply hadn't realized it yet.
The hospital room remained quiet.
Sunlight streamed through the wide glass windows overlooking Eden's pristine streets below.
Researchers moved between laboratories.
Engineers maintained power systems.
Students crossed elevated walkways connecting districts.
For many, Eden represented humanity's greatest achievement.
A city built from the ruins of the First Rapture War.
A sanctuary where humans and Nikkes lived side by side.
The door slid open.
A familiar figure entered.
Long white hair.
Bright blue eyes.
A white lab coat fluttering behind her.
The moment she saw Nayuta awake, relief appeared on her face.
"Nayuta."
She immediately approached the bedside.
"I was worried. You suddenly collapsed."
This was Cecil.
The chief researcher of Eden.
The woman responsible for countless technological breakthroughs.
The creator of Eden's optical camouflage systems.
The architect behind much of the settlement itself.
Without Cecil, Eden simply would not exist in its current form.
Nayuta lowered her head slightly.
"My apologies, Lady Cecil."
Cecil folded her arms.
Concern replaced relief.
"What happened?"
"You've never lost consciousness before."
Nayuta remained silent for a moment.
Then spoke carefully.
"I... synchronized with mine original."
Cecil blinked.
"Your original body?"
"Aye."
The researcher immediately frowned.
"That's impossible."
Not dismissively.
Scientifically.
"The distance alone should prevent synchronization."
Nayuta smiled faintly.
"Ordinarily, thou wouldst be correct."
The wording alone made Cecil pause.
Nayuta only spoke like this when she was deep in thought.
Or discussing something important.
Cecil pulled a chair closer.
"What happened?"
Nayuta looked toward the window.
Toward Eden's skyline.
Then quietly answered.
"I became connected unto a man."
Silence.
Cecil waited.
Then—
"A man who severed my connection unto the Ark."
The chair nearly tipped backward.
"What?"
Nayuta placed a hand against her chest.
"This humble one is free."
The room became completely silent.
Cecil stared.
Then stared harder.
Then stood up.
Then sat down again.
"Nayuta."
Her voice became very careful.
"Do you understand what you're saying?"
"Aye."
"You're claiming someone removed your connection to the Ark."
"Aye."
"The Ark cannot do that."
"Aye."
"Eden cannot do that."
"Aye."
"I cannot do that."
"Aye."
The calm certainty in Nayuta's voice was unsettling.
Because she wasn't speculating.
She wasn't theorizing.
She was stating a fact.
Then Cecil leaned forward.
"How?"
Nayuta laughed softly.
"A question this humble one cannot fully answer."
Cecil looked pained.
"Nayuta."
"Forgive me."
The clone smiled apologetically.
"'Tis the truth."
Then she continued.
"I met a person unlike any I have known."
The memories surfaced.
The Daedalus.
The Void World.
The warmth.
The fleet.
The impossible technologies.
The connections between hearts.
Then Nayuta softly shook her head.
"'Tis difficult to describe."
"Try."
Nayuta looked directly at her.
"My original self hath been liberated."
Cecil froze.
Nayuta continued.
"Rapi."
"Anis."
"Neon."
"Ade."
"Soda."
"Cocoa."
One name after another.
"They too are free."
The implications struck immediately.
Not destroyed.
Not erased.
Not lost.
Free.
Then Nayuta smiled.
"He did not merely save them."
"He returned them unto themselves."
The room fell silent once more.
Because even Cecil had never imagined such a possibility.
Then Nayuta looked around the hospital room.
The advanced medical equipment.
The scanners.
The treatment systems.
Technology Eden considered cutting-edge.
Then she quietly spoke.
"Lady Cecil."
The researcher looked up.
"Eden is wondrous."
A small smile appeared on Cecil's face.
Then Nayuta continued.
"But..."
The smile vanished.
"The technologies I witnessed surpass Eden."
Cecil immediately frowned.
"Surpass Eden?"
"Aye."
"By how much?"
Nayuta remembered the med bays.
The trauma treatment systems.
The manufacturing facilities.
The orbital platforms.
The fleet itself.
Then quietly answered.
"Centuries."
Cecil stared.
"Centuries?"
"Aye."
The certainty in Nayuta's voice made it difficult to dismiss.
Then she added—
"I compared this hospital unto a single medical bay aboard their vessel."
Cecil waited.
Nayuta smiled apologetically.
"The comparison was not favorable."
That actually hurt.
A little.
Then Cecil folded her arms.
"Who are these people?"
Nayuta's expression softened.
She remembered Yuuki.
The warmth.
The way he treated both Nikkes and shipgirls.
The way others gathered around him.
Then she answered.
"A Commander."
"A fleet."
"And a people from another world."
Cecil blinked.
"...Another world?"
"Aye."
The researcher was beginning to regret asking questions.
Then Nayuta continued anyway.
"Shipgirls gather around him."
"Shipgirls?"
"Many."
"How many?"
Nayuta smiled.
"Enough that this humble one ceased counting."
Then softly—
"They trust him."
"They love him."
"They follow him willingly."
The room grew quiet again.
Then Nayuta remembered something else.
And laughed.
Cecil immediately became suspicious.
"What?"
"Thee shall not believe me."
"Try."
"They possess advanced armor system."
Silence.
"...What?"
"Advanced armors, one could entirely renderedall attacks useless. One called Anti booby suit. This humble one's clone wore one and ignored almost every attack thrown at her.."
"Nayuta."
"Aye?"
"Be serious."
"I am."
The clone looked completely sincere.
Which somehow made it worse.
Then she smiled.
"Oh Lady Cecil."
The excitement in her voice became obvious.
"If thou couldst see what mine other self hath seen..."
She looked toward Eden's skyline.
The city she once believed represented humanity's future.
Then quietly finished—
"This world is about to become far larger than we ever imagined."
And for perhaps the first time since building Eden—
Cecil felt as though she had just discovered an entirely new frontier of science.
Cecil remained standing beside the hospital bed.
Her scientific curiosity had completely overridden her earlier concern.
Questions filled her mind faster than she could ask them.
Then one in particular escaped first.
"Who are these people?"
Her blue eyes narrowed.
"Do you understand how many expeditions I've funded?"
Nayuta nodded.
"Indeed."
"I've searched for years."
Cecil folded her arms.
"Years."
"A decade."
"We've searched ruins, military installations, abandoned ports, old naval bases..."
Then shaking her head—
"And I haven't found a single shipgirl."
The researcher looked genuinely baffled.
"Yet you're telling me this man has an entire fleet following him?"
Nayuta smiled softly.
"Aye."
Then added.
"And many more await revival."
The statement immediately froze Cecil.
"...What?"
Nayuta calmly continued.
"He hath already reunited numerous shipgirls."
"Many factions."
"Many nations."
"Many whom had believed themselves lost."
Then remembering the recent discoveries.
"More yet await rescue."
"The Mother Whale alone contains eleven shipgirls."
Cecil stared.
Eleven.
Inside a single target.
Then Nayuta continued.
"Among them are individuals of considerable standing."
"Veterans."
"Leaders."
"Symbols unto their factions."
The clone's eyes drifted slightly.
Remembering Kaguya.
Then she added—
"He even recovered an Arcane shipgirl of the old Sakura Empire."
Silence.
Cecil immediately leaned forward.
"An Arcane Ship?"
"Aye."
Now the researcher was truly interested.
Because that designation did not appear in any surviving database she possessed.
Then Nayuta continued.
"Lady Kaguya."
"A vessel infused with magic."
The scientist's brain immediately attempted to reject the statement.
Magic.
An unacceptable variable.
A non-scientific variable.
Then Nayuta continued.
"As confused as thou art now..."
A small smile appeared.
"So too was this humble one."
Cecil sat down again.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Then asked the obvious question.
"What kind of faction possesses all this?"
Nayuta laughed softly.
"A curious one."
Then she remembered another individual.
"A scientist as well."
Cecil blinked.
"What?"
"A technological enthusiast."
"Like thee."
Immediately suspicious.
"Like me?"
"Aye."
Nayuta nodded.
"The Vice Commander of their faction."
Then quietly—
"He captures Sirens and Raptures alive."
Cecil froze.
"...Alive?"
"Aye."
"For study."
"For research."
The room became silent.
Because even Eden rarely attempted such operations.
The risk alone was enormous.
Yet Nayuta continued.
"He seeks understanding rather than destruction."
"He disassembles them."
"Studies them."
"Improves upon them."
Cecil's scientific instincts immediately awakened.
Then Nayuta remembered more.
The Daedalus.
The fleet.
The technologies.
The impossible scale.
And for perhaps the first time since awakening—
She genuinely struggled to describe what she had seen.
"Lady Cecil..."
The clone shook her head.
"This humble one knoweth not where to begin."
The researcher waited.
Then Nayuta started listing them.
"Weapons beyond our understanding."
"Technologies centuries ahead of ours."
"Flying fortresses."
"Huge sea-going battleships."
"Orbital weapons."
"A space fleet."
The list continued.
And continued.
And continued.
Eventually Cecil raised a hand.
"Stop."
Nayuta stopped.
The scientist pinched the bridge of her nose.
Then sighed.
"You're telling me a faction exists with orbital capabilities."
"Aye."
"Advanced naval warfare."
"Aye."
"Spacecraft."
"Aye."
"Medical technologies beyond Eden."
"Aye."
"Artificial gravity."
"Aye."
"Anti Booby suit?."
"...Aye."
The silence lasted several seconds.
Then Cecil sighed.
"...Why are the Anti Booby Suit is the part I find hardest to believe?"
Nayuta smiled.
"This humble one asked the same question."
Then her expression gradually became more serious.
Because this was the important part.
The revelation.
The identity.
The answer.
Who these people were.
Slowly—
Nayuta extended her hand.
A holographic display materialized above the bed.
Then she began drawing.
Carefully.
Deliberately.
The outline of a crest.
A diving eagle.
Powerful.
Aggressive.
Proud.
The symbol slowly completed itself.
Cecil watched silently.
Something about the insignia felt familiar.
Ancient.
Military.
Then Nayuta finally spoke.
"These people..."
Her voice softened.
Almost reverent.
"They call themselves..."
The completed crest rotated slowly in the air.
A diving eagle descending upon its prey.
Then Nayuta finished.
"The Global Defense Initiative."
Silence filled the room.
The holographic eagle reflected in Cecil's eyes.
Neither woman spoke.
Because instinctively—
Both understood the same thing.
If even half of what Nayuta described was true—
Then the arrival of the Global Defense Initiative would change the balance of power across the entire world.
The Ark.
Eden.
The Raptures.
The Sirens.
Every faction.
Every war.
Every future.
And somewhere beyond the horizon—
A flying fortress called Daedalus was already moving toward its next objective.
Unaware that Eden had just learned its name.
Cecil remained silent for several moments.
The holographic eagle continued rotating above the hospital bed.
A diving predator.
A military insignia unlike anything Eden possessed.
Then she finally asked the question weighing most heavily on her mind.
"Has your clone identified the leader of this faction?"
Nayuta nodded.
"Aye."
The answer came immediately.
"This humble one can tell thee."
Cecil leaned forward.
The scientist in her already anticipating the answer.
Then Nayuta spoke the name.
"Yukihira Yuuki."
A pause.
Then formally—
"High Commander of the Global Defense Initiative."
The room fell silent.
Cecil committed the name to memory immediately.
Then she asked another question.
"How dangerous is he?"
Nayuta looked toward the window.
Toward Eden.
Toward the city she had protected for years.
Then she answered honestly.
"A person I strongly advise Eden not to antagonize."
The seriousness in her voice immediately caught Cecil's attention.
Then Nayuta continued.
"Lady Cecil."
"Thee asked who leads this absurd technological faction."
"Aye."
Nayuta nodded.
"That man."
The answer was simple.
Direct.
"He is the top dog."
Then after a brief pause—
"And he alone is sufficient to challenge Eden."
Silence.
Not arrogance.
Not exaggeration.
A cold assessment.
The kind Nayuta rarely made.
Cecil folded her arms.
"You cannot possibly know that."
Nayuta's eyes met hers.
"Aye."
"I do."
The certainty was unsettling.
Then Nayuta pointed toward the city beyond the window.
"Eden's Spear."
The mention immediately drew Cecil's attention.
Eden's greatest weapon.
Its final deterrent.
Its trump card.
A colossal particle cannon integrated into the settlement itself.
A weapon requiring enormous energy expenditure.
One shot.
One devastating strike.
Then Eden would become vulnerable.
Nayuta continued.
"It draws power from the entire city."
Cecil nodded.
Correct.
"After firing."
"The optical camouflage weakens."
"Emergency systems activate."
"Aye."
Still correct.
Then Nayuta quietly asked.
"And what if thy enemy possesses such weapons upon every vessel?"
The room became silent.
Cecil frowned.
"What?"
Nayuta's expression remained calm.
"They possess an Orbital Ion Cannon."
The scientist immediately assumed exaggeration.
Then Nayuta continued.
"A strike at merely twenty-five percent output is sufficient to erase an island."
Silence.
Then—
"They possess F-SPAR particle cannons."
Cecil blinked.
The designation meant nothing to her.
Then Nayuta finished.
"A weapon approximately one hundred times stronger than Eden's Spear."
The researcher stared.
Impossible.
Completely impossible.
Then Nayuta added the part that truly bothered her.
"We possess one Eden's Spear."
"Aye."
"They possess such weapons upon multiple vessels."
The room became silent once more.
Because suddenly—
The discussion had moved beyond military imbalance.
Into absurdity.
Then Cecil slowly sat down.
Trying to process everything.
Eventually she asked—
"Could we meet them?"
The question surprised even herself.
Yet Nayuta smiled.
Because she had expected it.
"Aye."
"That would be wise."
Cecil raised an eyebrow.
"Wise?"
The clone nodded.
"It is wise to seek friendship."
Then softly—
"Not confrontation."
The certainty returned.
"These people are not conquerors."
"They possess the means to dominate this world."
The statement landed heavily.
Then Nayuta quietly continued.
"But they choose not to."
That part mattered.
Perhaps more than anything else.
Because overwhelming power often created tyranny.
Yet according to every memory she had received—
Yuuki had repeatedly chosen restraint.
Chosen diplomacy.
Chosen rescue.
Chosen cooperation.
Then Nayuta looked directly at Cecil.
"I pray Eden does not force them otherwise."
The implication hung in the air.
Neither woman elaborated.
Neither needed to.
Then Cecil asked another question.
One perhaps more important than all the others.
"Do they trust you?"
For the first time—
Nayuta smiled genuinely.
A warm smile.
"Aye."
The answer came immediately.
"My original offered her services."
"As an information hub."
"As a spy network."
"As an advisor."
Then proudly—
"In exchange for sanctuary."
"And membership within their faction."
Cecil blinked.
Membership.
Not servitude.
Not ownership.
Membership.
The distinction mattered.
Then Nayuta continued.
"The Great Hero accepted."
The familiar title returned.
One Cecil immediately noticed.
"You call him that often."
Nayuta looked away slightly.
"Aye."
The faint smile remained.
Then she continued.
"At present he journeys toward Laurelin."
"The second magical tree."
Cecil frowned.
"The second?"
"Aye."
"He already possesses Telperion."
"The silver tree."
"And its fairy."
Silence.
Then—
"I beg your pardon?"
Nayuta smiled.
"Fairies exist."
The statement was delivered with complete sincerity.
Which somehow made it more ridiculous.
Then she continued.
"He currently travels to acquire Laurelin."
"The golden tree."
"And another fairy."
Cecil stared.
A scientist.
A researcher.
A rational thinker.
Forced to listen to a conversation involving magical trees and fairies.
Then she sighed.
A very long sigh.
"Nayuta."
"Aye?"
"You realize how absurd all this sounds."
The clone laughed softly.
"Aye."
Then she looked toward the holographic eagle.
Toward the insignia of the Global Defense Initiative.
Then quietly added—
"Yet every word is true."
Silence returned.
Finally—
Cecil asked one last question.
"You don't mind telling me all of this?"
The answer came instantly.
"No."
The researcher blinked.
"Why?"
Nayuta smiled.
A calm.
Certain smile.
"Because I trust thee."
Then after a pause—
"And because he said something rather amusing."
Cecil raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Nayuta's smile widened slightly.
Then she quoted him.
"Even if the world learns of us..."
A pause.
"Even if they know where we are..."
Another pause.
Then—
"What exactly can they do?"
The room became very quiet.
Because when Nayuta said it aloud—
The terrifying confidence behind the statement became obvious.
Not arrogance.
Not boasting.
Simple reality.
Then Nayuta looked out toward Eden.
Toward the city.
Toward the mountains.
Toward humanity's greatest remaining sanctuary.
And quietly finished—
"The Great Hero could destroy Eden."
A pause.
Then she shook her head.
"But he would never choose to."
That, more than the weapons.
More than the fleets.
More than the technology.
Was what truly unsettled Cecil.
Because the most dangerous people in history were often those who desired power.
Yet according to everything Nayuta had seen—
Yukihira Yuuki already possessed it.
And spent his time rescuing people instead.
Cecil remained silent.
Not because she doubted Nayuta.
Quite the opposite.
The clone had never exaggerated before.
Which made her words all the more concerning.
Nayuta sat quietly before continuing.
"I have personally befriended Lady Kaguya."
The name immediately caught Cecil's attention.
"The Arcane shipgirl?"
"Aye."
Nayuta nodded.
"That girl possesses power unlike anything I have witnessed."
The memories of Kaguya resurfaced.
The calm smile.
The purple hair.
The fox ears.
The effortless confidence.
Then the moments she had fought.
"A single shot can annihilate powerful enemies."
"She flies through the air without assistance."
"Manipulates magic naturally."
"And openly proclaims herself the Great Hero's wife."
Cecil rubbed her temple.
Even after everything she had heard today, that still sounded absurd.
Yet Nayuta continued.
"Imagine her equipped with their advanced armor."
The image appeared in her mind.
Kaguya soaring through the sky.
Protected by technology centuries ahead of Eden.
Supported by GDI weaponry.
Then behind her—
Dozens of shipgirls.
Carriers.
Battleships.
Cruisers.
Destroyers.
Each possessing their own strengths.
Each utterly loyal to their Commander.
Nayuta slowly shook her head.
"Even the Inherit Squad would struggle."
The statement made Cecil's expression darken.
Because Inherit represented the strongest military force Eden possessed.
Yet Nayuta wasn't finished.
"And Kaguya is merely one among many."
Silence settled over the room.
The implication spoke for itself.
Then Cecil looked toward the holographic eagle still floating above the bed.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Evaluating.
Eventually she spoke.
"Can you arrange a meeting?"
Nayuta looked up.
"A meeting?"
"Between Eden and the Global Defense Initiative."
The clone remained quiet for several moments.
Then nodded.
"I shall try."
Her voice carried genuine sincerity.
"I can relay the request to my original."
"The original Nayuta now serves as their information network."
Then smiling softly.
"If anyone can arrange such a meeting, it would be her."
Cecil slowly nodded.
The possibility alone was worth pursuing.
Then a faint smile appeared on her face.
A rare sight.
"To be honest."
Nayuta waited.
"I think their Vice Commander would love this place."
The clone immediately laughed.
"Aye."
The image was easy to imagine.
A scientist discovering Eden.
Its laboratories.
Its technology.
Its researchers.
Its archives.
The man would probably spend weeks exploring everything.
Then Cecil stood and walked toward the window.
Looking over the city she had built.
The city she had protected.
The city she feared might not survive forever.
Outside the walls waited Raptures.
Sirens.
Unknown threats.
The world only grew more dangerous with each passing year.
Then she spoke quietly.
"Perhaps this is our opportunity."
Nayuta listened.
"If we establish friendly relations..."
Cecil's eyes remained fixed on Eden.
"If we cooperate."
"If we share knowledge."
"If we learn from one another."
Then a hopeful thought entered her mind.
"Perhaps Eden could become one of the settlements under their protection."
The words felt strange to say aloud.
Yet not unpleasant.
Nayuta smiled.
"Aye."
Then softly—
"The Great Hero protects those under his banner."
The certainty in her voice was unwavering.
Cecil nodded slowly.
Then another possibility surfaced.
One even more interesting.
"The Inherit Squad."
Nayuta tilted her head.
"If they were willing to cooperate with GDI..."
The researcher thought aloud.
"Their service could help protect Eden."
"While Eden contributes research, intelligence, and logistics."
The idea grew more appealing with every second.
Not subordination.
Partnership.
An alliance.
A future.
Then Cecil looked back toward Nayuta.
For the first time that day, genuine hope appeared in her eyes.
Not scientific curiosity.
Not military calculation.
Hope.
Because after years of surviving alone.
After years of fighting impossible odds.
After years of watching humanity slowly lose ground.
A possibility had finally appeared.
A faction powerful enough to challenge the darkness.
A faction that apparently chose rescue over conquest.
A faction led by a man who gathered people rather than ruled them.
Cecil folded her arms and smiled faintly.
"Perhaps."
The word lingered in the room.
Then she looked toward the distant horizon beyond Eden's walls.
Toward lands neither woman could currently see.
Somewhere out there.
A flying fortress called Daedalus was moving toward its next destination.
And for the first time in a very long while—
The future seemed slightly brighter than the past.
============
Far from Eden.
Far from the Ark.
Within a hidden Siren facility buried beneath layers of dimensional camouflage, alarms blared across countless monitors.
Data streams flooded the room.
Combat records.
Fleet losses.
Destroyed facilities.
Missing assets.
Every screen painted the same picture.
Failure.
Repeated failure.
The normally composed Sirens were beginning to panic.
A holographic display shattered against the wall.
"THIS IS GETTING OUT OF HAND!"
The voice belonged to Tester.
The Siren's normally analytical demeanor had long since vanished.
Frustration was replacing logic.
The room trembled as new reports appeared.
"We lost another Purifier unit!"
A nearby Observer calmly reviewed the data.
Though even she seemed disturbed.
"The testing results are no longer matching our projections."
The statement itself was alarming.
The Sirens lived by predictions.
Simulations.
Controlled outcomes.
Yet the Divine Eagle faction had shattered every model.
Every expectation.
Every calculation.
Tester slammed another display aside.
"The anomaly keeps growing!"
"The Divine Eagle is becoming more powerful with every encounter."
New combat footage appeared.
Siren vessels.
Destroyed.
Purifier units.
Destroyed.
Massive fleets.
Destroyed.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The losses no longer resembled warfare.
They resembled extermination.
Observer narrowed her eyes.
"The disappearance pattern remains consistent."
A video paused.
Showing a Siren fleet.
Several vessels and sirens against diving eagle ships on the sea during the attempt to subdue USS Enterprise.
Then—
Nothing.
Five seconds later.
Empty ocean.
No wreckage.
No debris.
No survivors.
No bodies.
No signals.
Gone.
Tester stared at the footage.
"We still don't know how they're doing it."
The statement unsettled everyone present.
Because the Sirens understood destruction.
They understood annihilation.
They understood overwhelming firepower.
What they did not understand—
Was erasure.
Entire fleets vanished.
As if they had never existed.
No salvage remained.
No data cores remained.
Nothing.
Then another screen appeared.
Missing Assets.
Purifier.
Purifier.
Purifier.
Several elite Siren units marked as unrecoverable.
Observer finally spoke.
"Any progress locating the missing Siren girls?"
Tester shook her head.
"No."
The answer came immediately.
"We know they're alive."
Another pause.
"But we cannot determine their location."
That alone was terrifying.
Because Sirens could normally track their own.
Yet these missing units simply vanished beyond every sensor.
A strategic map appeared.
Destroyed Siren fleet flashed red.
One after another.
One was devastated by concentrated laser fires that decimated seven ships before the surviving ships fall back.
Tester pointed toward them.
"Who are these Divine Eagle people?"
No answer came.
Because nobody knew.
Not truly.
They possessed fragments.
Rumors.
Observations.
Nothing more.
Then Tester continued.
"We lost eight hundred vessels in two weeks."
A new report appeared.
"The magical island disappeared."
Observer's expression darkened.
The ancient island.
One of their most important research locations.
Months of searching.
Months of monitoring.
Months of planning.
Gone.
Reports shown siren vessels were decimated by by a flying command carriers, platforms and battleships.
Then another report followed.
"The magical source located there has vanished as well."
Silence.
The implications were obvious.
Observer folded her arms.
"The Divine Eagle found it."
Not a question.
A conclusion.
Tester nodded grimly.
"They did."
Another report appeared.
Fleet Deployment: 200 vessels.
Status: Destroyed.
Tester stared at it.
"We sent two hundred ships."
The disbelief remained obvious.
"And all of them were wiped out."
Observer remained silent.
Because she had already reached the same conclusion.
The Sirens were losing.
Not strategically.
Existentially.
For the first time in a very long time—
Something was hunting them.
One of the Sirens finally voiced the fear everyone shared.
"One day..."
The room grew quiet.
"...they will find us."
Nobody argued.
Because every destroyed island contained archives.
Data.
Research.
Observations.
Information.
And the Divine Eagle had seized many of them intact.
Observer slowly closed her eyes.
"If they read everything..."
The sentence remained unfinished.
It didn't need completion.
Because everyone already knew.
Then another screen appeared.
The Celestial Isles.
The second magical source.
The room immediately grew tense.
Tester pointed.
"We have to act."
"If they obtain the second source—"
"They won't."
The interruption came immediately.
A new figure appeared upon the central display.
Cold.
Calculated.
Certain.
Observer.
"We still control 90% of the world. Raptures still guarding the lands. We still have options."
Tester turned.
"We should deploy Omitter."
Several Sirens nodded.
Omitter represented overwhelming force.
A devastating answer.
Yet Observer immediately rejected it.
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Firm.
Then her eyes settled upon the projected location of the Celestial Isles.
A faint smile appeared.
Dangerous.
Confident.
Calculated.
"We already located the anomaly."
Tester frowned.
"...Then what?"
Observer's gaze never left the map.
Then she spoke a single designation.
"Code-T."
The room became silent.
Every Siren present understood the implication.
Tester immediately looked up.
"You want to deploy her?"
"Yes."
"Against the Divine Eagle?"
"Yes."
A pause.
Then Observer's smile widened slightly.
"Code-T will deal with the anomaly. She wanted to."
Far away.
Across oceans.
Beyond clouds.
Beyond mountains.
The Celestial Isles remained unaware.
Yuuki and his companions continued their journey toward Laurelin.
Unaware that somewhere within the shadows—
The Sirens had finally chosen a response.
And unlike fleets.
Unlike facilities.
Unlike Purifier units.
Code-T was not something they deployed lightly.