Yuuki slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he noticed was something soft beneath his head.
The second thing he noticed was that he was very much not alone.
The third thing he noticed was that the room was absolutely packed.
"..."
A familiar sight.
The commander didn't even need to guess what happened.
The moment he had lost consciousness, the connection linking him to the Shipgirls and Nikkes had undoubtedly reacted.
Panic.
Concern.
Confusion.
Enough for everyone nearby to immediately converge on his location.
Which explained why his room looked less like an inn room and more like an emergency meeting.
Yuuki glanced upward.
Vestal was looking down at him.
The repair ship's expression was calm.
But only barely.
His head was resting on her lap.
Naturally.
Because apparently every time he woke up lately, someone's lap had become a pillow.
"Good morning, Commander."
Vestal's voice carried obvious relief.
"Morning?"
"It's a quarter past 1.00 am so it's morning."
"Oh?"
The commander sat up slightly.
Then noticed two familiar figures nearby.
Mary and Pepper.
Both still unconscious.
Though judging by their breathing, they were merely asleep.
Recovering.
The commander exhaled.
Good.
That meant everything had worked.
Then he looked around.
And immediately regretted it.
Every single pair of eyes in the room was staring directly at him.
The Shipgirls.
The Nikkes.
The Bulins.
Even Esche and Oberis were hovering nearby.
Not a single one looked amused.
Yuuki immediately recognized danger.
The silent kind.
The kind far more terrifying than shouting.
Yorktown sighed.
A very long sigh.
The kind a mother gave after finding a child doing something incredibly reckless.
"Will it kill you to discuss these things with us beforehand?"
The commander opened his mouth.
Then immediately closed it.
Because honestly?
Fair point.
The carrier rubbed her forehead.
"You suddenly pass out."
"The connection destabilizes."
"Mary and Pepper become unconscious."
"And then nobody tells us anything."
Yorktown folded her arms.
"You can imagine our concern."
The room immediately filled with nodding.
Many nodding.
Very aggressive nodding.
Yuuki wisely remained silent.
Then Kaguya stepped forward.
The Arcane Shipgirl looked thoroughly unimpressed.
Which was impressive considering she usually found everything amusing.
"Dearest."
Her purple eyes narrowed slightly.
The smile on her face was dangerous.
The elegant kind of dangerous.
The kind that preceded lectures.
"This wife of yours would appreciate prior warning before her husband collapses willingly."
The room immediately froze.
Several girls visibly blinked.
Then processed what she just said.
Then looked back at Kaguya.
"Your wife?"
Enterprise repeated.
Kaguya blinked innocently.
"Naturally."
Akagi immediately pointed.
"Shikikan-sama isn't your husband yet!"
"Hmm?"
Kaguya tilted her head.
"Tis merely a matter of time."
"Kiii!"
Akagi looked ready to explode.
Several others sighs.
Yorktown simply sighed.
Again.
The commander wisely decided not to participate in that discussion.
Then Kaguya looked back at him.
The Arcane Shipgirl folded her arms.
"Dearest."
Her voice became gentler.
"Thou frightened everyone again. Despite this is the second time you did so."
"More like the third time."
Yorktown corrected.
"He didn't even tell us the first time he did. Imagine we're already asleep and feeling the distress from him."
Rapi, Anis, Neon, Ade and Soda looked sideways.
The joking disappeared.
The teasing disappeared.
Only concern remained.
The room became quieter.
Because that was the truth.
Nobody here was angry.
Not really.
They had been worried.
The connection allowed them to feel it.
The sudden distress.
The sudden unconsciousness.
The uncertainty.
It frightened them.
Yuuki's smile softened.
"Sorry."
The apology was genuine.
That immediately weakened most of their resolve.
Especially Yorktown's.
The carrier sighed one last time.
Then shook her head.
"Just tell us next time."
The commander blinked.
"...That's it?"
Yorktown raised an eyebrow.
"What did you expect?"
The room nodded in agreement.
Akagi huffed.
Kaga looked away.
Enterprise folded her arms.
Belfast smiled knowingly.
The punishment amounted to little more than a warning.
Yuuki immediately understood.
They weren't interested in punishment.
They simply wanted reassurance.
The commander smiled.
"Alright."
He raised both hands.
"I'll tell everyone next time."
Satisfied murmurs spread throughout the room.
"Do be careful next time, master."
Belfast smiled.
Even Kaguya nodded.
"Acceptable."
Yorktown smiled.
"Good."
The commander leaned back slightly.
Internally, however—
That was surprisingly easy.
A dangerous thought.
One he wisely kept entirely to himself.
Because judging from the way Eugen was suddenly smirking...
And the way Atago's eyes narrowed suspiciously...
And the way Belfast looked entirely too amused...
Someone would probably realize exactly what he was thinking.
Very soon.
And unlike Yorktown's lecture—
They would absolutely make him pay for it.
Yuu stepped into the room wearing a simple sleeping yukata, her long hair slightly messy from having clearly been preparing to sleep before sensing the disturbance through her heart.
The moment she entered, she found herself staring at what looked less like a bedroom and more like a gathering of every Shipgirl and Nikke currently on the island.
"...I felt something was off and found this."
Her gaze swept across the room.
Yorktown.
Enterprise.
Akagi.
Kaga.
The Nikkes.
The Bulins.
Even the two fairies.
Then her eyes landed on the recently awakened commander.
"What happened?"
Yorktown pointed directly at him.
"The commander allowed Mary and Pepper to synchronize with him."
Yuu blinked.
"Synchronize?"
"Through his blood."
Vestal answered.
The doctor's eyes immediately sharpened.
"His blood?"
The repair ship nodded.
"Mary and Pepper consumed a single drop."
Yuu's scientific curiosity activated instantly.
She took three quick steps forward.
"A single drop?"
"Yes."
"And it worked?"
"Yes."
The doctor's eyes were now glowing with interest.
The surrounding girls collectively recognized that expression.
Several took a step back.
Yuuki immediately knew he was in danger.
Vestal calmly continued.
"I've already collected extensive data regarding the commander's blood."
Yuu froze.
Then slowly turned toward Vestal.
"You have data?"
"Quite a bit."
The repair ship nodded.
"I can send everything to you later."
For a moment, Yuu looked happier than she had all day.
Then she slowly turned toward Yuuki.
The commander immediately recognized that smile.
The same smile she wore whenever she discovered a new research project.
"Commander."
"No."
"I haven't even asked yet."
Yuu folded her arms.
"Please allow me to perform a complete medical examination."
The room became quiet.
Several girls immediately became interested.
Others looked worried.
Akashi looked excited.
Vestal looked relieved.
Yuuki rubbed his forehead.
For years.
Literal years.
Yuu had been asking.
Repeatedly.
Persistently.
Relentlessly.
And every single time—
He had refused.
The doctor waited.
Everyone waited.
Then, to everyone's shock—
"Okay."
Silence.
Yuu blinked.
The room blinked.
Even Yuuki looked mildly surprised he had said it.
"...What?"
Yuu looked genuinely confused.
"You agreed?"
"Yes."
The doctor immediately narrowed her eyes.
This was suspicious.
Extremely suspicious.
"Why?"
Yuuki leaned back against the futon.
"Because I want answers too."
That immediately erased her suspicion.
The room became quieter.
The commander looked at his hands.
His expression softened.
"I've lived three lives."
Several newcomers looked confused.
Houshou tilted her head.
Maya and Choukai exchanged glances.
Three lives?
Yuuki continued.
"I came from another world."
"Then another."
"Then this one."
The commander smiled faintly.
"I've been called a human."
"A commander."
"A survivor."
"A hero."
The smile became smaller.
"But lately..."
He looked toward Vestal.
"An unknown blood."
Toward Mary and Pepper.
"The ability to form these connections."
Toward Esche and Oberis.
"Fairies calling my heart light."
Then finally toward Yuu.
"I want to know what I am."
The room became silent.
For once, nobody teased him.
Nobody joked.
Because they understood.
The question had been bothering him.
Perhaps for a very long time.
Yuu's expression softened.
The scientist disappeared.
The friend remained.
"We'll find out."
Her voice was reassuring.
Confident.
Determined.
The same determination that made her one of the greatest doctors in existence.
"We can begin tomorrow."
Then she smiled.
A dangerous smile.
The researcher had returned.
"And this time, you're not escaping."
Yuuki immediately regretted agreeing.
The room burst into laughter.
Even Houshou covered her mouth.
"Ufufu."
The carrier smiled.
"It seems Shikikan-sama has finally been captured."
"By a doctor."
Choukai added.
"A terrifying opponent."
Maya nodded seriously.
"A truly terrifying opponent."
Yuu looked entirely too pleased with that description.
Eventually, the laughter settled.
The day had been long.
Emotionally exhausting.
Physically exhausting.
And tomorrow promised even more surprises.
The base would finally be complete.
The Mother Whale would soon appear.
The leveling system research might be finished.
There was still much to do.
Yuuki stretched.
Then looked around the crowded room.
"Why don't we all get some sleep?"
That sounded reasonable.
Until—
"Then Akagi will sleep beside Shikikan-sama."
Akagi immediately declared.
Kaga nodded.
"I won't mind taking the other side."
Every girl in the room turned toward them.
"No."
Enterprise spoke first.
"Absolutely not."
Yorktown sighed.
Belfast adjusted her yukata.
Illustrious smiled politely.
Which somehow felt more dangerous.
The Nikkes immediately joined the argument.
Within seconds the room descended into chaos.
Again.
Yuuki pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Okay."
This time everyone stopped.
The commander pointed toward the floor.
"The room is huge."
Then toward the blankets.
"We're all sleeping here."
A pause.
"Everyone."
The room became quiet.
Then surprisingly—
Nobody objected.
Because everyone realized that was probably the fairest solution available.
Akagi pouted.
Kaga sighed.
Enterprise nodded.
Yorktown smiled.
The Nikkes approved.
The Bulins immediately claimed a corner.
Laffey had already fallen asleep halfway through the discussion.
Within minutes blankets appeared everywhere.
Groups formed naturally.
Conversations gradually faded.
The room slowly became peaceful.
It was for a moment until Jarvis sounded.
The peaceful atmosphere vanished instantly.
One moment, everyone had been settling down for the night.
The next—
Every Shipgirl and Nikke was awake.
Years of warfare had trained them well.
The moment Jarvis announced a potential threat, sleep became irrelevant.
"Sir."
Jarvis's voice echoed through the room.
"We have detected an unidentified presence approximately five hundred kilometers from the island."
Yuuki immediately sat upright.
The commander was fully awake.
"A presence?"
"Yes, sir."
The AI paused.
"There is a ninety-nine point seven percent probability that the contact is a Shipgirl."
That immediately drew everyone's attention.
Then Jarvis continued.
"However, her energy signature also contains Siren characteristics."
The room fell silent.
That was impossible.
Or at least it should have been.
Shipgirl.
Siren.
Those two things were not supposed to exist together.
"Zoom in."
Yuuki stood.
"Triangulate the target."
"Confirmed."
A holographic projection materialized above the center of the room.
Everyone's eyes widened.
A lone woman appeared.
Long black hair.
A high ponytail flowing behind her.
Dark armored plating.
Jagged mechanical rigging.
Glowing crimson eyes.
Her appearance was unmistakably Sakura Empire.
Yet something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
The corruption spreading across her body resembled molten cracks beneath her skin.
Burning.
Glowing.
Almost alive.
The armor itself appeared less like equipment and more like a scar that had grown over her.
Battle-worn.
Damaged.
Yet powerful.
Several energy blades floated alongside her rigging.
The weapon systems looked far more advanced than standard Sakura technology.
Dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
Then Takao froze.
Her eyes widened.
The usually composed heavy cruiser looked genuinely stunned.
"That's..."
Everyone turned toward her.
Takao stared at the hologram.
Recognition.
Shock.
Disbelief.
All three crossed her face simultaneously.
"...Ember."
The room became silent.
"Ember?"
Yuuki asked.
Takao slowly nodded.
"Code T."
Even Atago's playful smile disappeared.
The older sister folded her arms.
"I never thought we'd actually meet her."
The commander looked between them.
"You know her?"
"Not personally."
Takao replied.
"But we know who she is."
The heavy cruiser took a slow breath.
Then looked toward the hologram.
"She's me."
That immediately confused several people.
Even Houshou blinked.
"Another Takao?"
Maya asked.
"An alternate version."
Takao corrected quietly.
The room became still.
Many of the newer arrivals looked confused.
Yuu tilted her head.
"Alternate version?"
The heavy cruiser nodded.
"The Sirens didn't just attack our world."
Her voice became grim.
"They invaded countless parallel worlds."
That revelation alone stunned several of the Nikkes.
Yuuki folded his arms.
Now things were getting interesting.
Takao continued.
"Some worlds fell."
"Some resisted."
"Some were completely destroyed."
The hologram slowly rotated.
Showing Ember's corrupted rigging in greater detail.
"Those who survived became known as META. We have met some of them including Ember in our previous mirror sea expedition ten to fifteen years ago. Our old commander met Meta version of me and even Hiryuu once."
Several girls immediately stiffened.
Even Akagi's expression became serious.
"The survivors."
Kaga finished.
Takao nodded.
"The ones who lived long enough to witness their worlds collapse."
Silence.
A heavy silence.
Because everyone immediately understood what that meant.
They had lost friends.
Lost comrades.
Lost families.
Lost entire civilizations.
Then somehow survived.
Only to keep fighting.
Year after year.
Decade after decade.
Until they became something else.
Something harder.
Something stronger.
Something broken.
Yuuki looked back toward the hologram.
Ember's expression carried none of Takao's calmness.
No warmth.
No softness.
Only determination.
The expression of someone who had buried too many people.
Seen too many worlds die.
Then Atago quietly spoke.
"Some META remained allies."
Her voice was softer than usual.
"Others joined the Sirens."
"Their goals and purpose are currently unknown and even their alliances are strange. Sometimes, they are found attacking Sirens and even saving shipgirls. There are times that they lead sirens against shipgirls."
The room immediately grew colder.
That drew everyone's attention.
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"They joined them?"
Takao nodded.
"Unknown. Some lost hope."
The words carried obvious sadness.
"Some decided resistance was pointless."
"Some became consumed by revenge."
"Others simply broke."
The commander studied Ember again.
The glowing cracks.
The dark armor.
The expression.
This wasn't merely an alternate Takao.
This was a Takao who had experienced an entirely different life.
A Takao forged by tragedy.
Then Jarvis interrupted.
"Additional data available."
Everyone looked toward the hologram.
The AI highlighted the approaching target.
"Contact is maintaining direct course toward the island."
The room became silent again.
"Hostile?"
Yuuki asked.
"Unknown."
Jarvis responded immediately.
"No offensive actions detected."
"Weapon systems remain inactive."
That only made things stranger.
If she wasn't attacking...
Then why was she coming?
Takao stared at the hologram.
Something about Ember's trajectory bothered her.
The heavy cruiser narrowed her eyes.
Then realization appeared.
"Commander."
Yuuki looked at her.
Takao pointed toward the display.
"She's heading for the island."
Everyone blinked.
"What?"
The commander examined the projected route.
Then saw it.
The trajectory.
The destination.
Autumn Isle.
Then Yuuki smiled.
A dangerous smile.
The kind that meant things had just become complicated.
"Well."
The commander looked toward the hologram.
Toward Ember.
Toward the approaching META Shipgirl.
Toward the coming encounter.
"Looks like today just got a lot more interesting."
Across the room, Takao continued staring at the image of her alternate self.
And for the first time since seeing the hologram—
She felt something she rarely experienced.
Worry.
Because if Ember truly was Code T.
Then whatever had survived the destruction of her world...
Was likely far more dangerous than any ordinary Shipgirl.
The atmosphere inside the room grew heavier.
META Shipgirls.
Alternate timelines.
Destroyed worlds.
It already sounded absurd.
Then Yorktown quietly spoke.
"There is something."
The carrier looked toward Enterprise.
Then Takao.
Then finally Yuuki.
"A secret our former commander once told me."
That immediately drew everyone's attention.
Yorktown rarely spoke about the old days.
Especially not things entrusted to her personally.
"He told me never to reveal it."
The carrier sighed.
"But after discovering the Wisdom Cube Vault..."
Her expression became thoughtful.
"I don't think it matters anymore."
The room became silent.
Everyone listened.
Yorktown folded her arms.
"He once said he made a deal."
"A deal?"
Yuuki asked.
Yorktown nodded.
"With Code-G."
The room immediately reacted.
Enterprise froze.
Takao's eyes widened.
Even Akagi looked surprised.
"A deal?"
Enterprise repeated.
Yorktown nodded.
"To protect the Vault."
The carrier looked toward the hologram.
"Specifically from the Sirens."
Silence.
Then Takao frowned.
"But we never encountered anyone there when we raided the vault."
Yorktown shook her head.
"That's what confused me."
"She was never present."
"At least not openly."
The carrier sighed.
"I never discovered why."
The room became thoughtful.
Then Yuuki looked toward Enterprise.
"Code-G?"
Enterprise slowly nodded.
"An alternate version of myself."
Several newcomers looked confused.
Enterprise continued.
"One of the earliest META Shipgirls."
The Eagle Union carrier stared at the hologram.
Then at her own reflection in the nearby display.
"She's..." Enterprise paused.
"Complicated. I've met her once or twice alongside the old commander."
That earned several amused looks.
If Enterprise thought someone was complicated, then that person was probably very complicated.
The carrier continued.
"Our commander once theorized that Code-G originated from a future timeline."
Her expression darkened.
"A future where Enterprise lost."
The room became silent.
Enterprise was one of the strongest Shipgirls in existence.
The idea of a timeline where she lost felt unsettling.
"She speaks in riddles."
The carrier sighed.
"Poems."
"Prophecies."
"Half-finished warnings."
"Expect us to understand and just vanished without warning before we could even ask more."
Takao nodded.
"That sounds like the reports."
Enterprise continued.
"Some Siren records refer to her as The Key."
"The Key?"
Yuu repeated.
Enterprise nodded.
"Key Code: G."
The room became quiet.
Because that sounded less like a name.
And more like something important.
Something the Sirens feared.
Yuuki rubbed his chin.
"So we have Code-G."
He pointed toward the hologram.
"Code-T."
Then smiled.
"And probably more."
Enterprise nodded.
"I would be shocked if there weren't."
The commander exhaled slowly.
"This keeps getting bigger."
Every answer seemed to produce three new questions.
Then Jarvis interrupted.
"Sir."
The AI's voice immediately regained everyone's attention.
"I have updated trajectory data."
Yuuki looked toward the display.
"What is it?"
"Estimated arrival in seventeen minutes."
Silence.
Then Yuuki smiled.
The kind of smile that made several people nervous.
"Well."
The commander folded his arms.
"I guess the Sirens finally got annoyed."
Several girls laughed.
Mostly because it sounded exactly like something Yuuki would say.
"They sent one of their strongest."
Takao's voice remained serious.
Code-T was no ordinary META.
The stories surrounding Ember from other shipgirls were infamous.
Entire Siren fleets destroyed.
Strongholds annihilated.
Yuuki's smile widened.
"They're underestimating me."
The commander stood.
"If they're sending one person."
His eyes gleamed.
"Let's pour salt into the wound."
Several girls immediately recognized that expression.
Someone was about to suffer.
Probably not Yuuki.
"Jarvis."
The commander turned.
"Send in The Hulkbuster MKII armor, Mark 48."
"Already en route, sir."
The AI responded immediately.
Outside.
A distant sonic boom echoed across the night sky.
The room vibrated slightly.
Several newcomers blinked.
Something very large had just arrived.
Yuuki looked toward Yuu.
"You're coming with me."
The doctor immediately grinned.
No hesitation whatsoever.
"You read my mind, Chief. More test subjects for me to gather."
Before anyone could react, the sleeping yukata she wore began dissolving into streams of nanomachines.
The elegant cloth vanished.
A sleek black bodysuit formed in its place.
The familiar combat undersuit.
Several of the Shipgirls blinked.
The transformation happened so quickly it almost looked like magic.
Then—
Outside.
A metallic impact shook the courtyard a bit.
BOOM.
The Mark 49 had arrived.
Yuu's personal armor.
The doctor looked entirely too excited.
Meanwhile, Yuuki stood.
His own yukata dissolved into silver particles.
The black-and-silver combat bodysuit of the Mark 86 appeared beneath.
Nanomachines flowed across his skin.
Arc reactor glowing softly.
Several of the newer Shipgirls watched in fascination.
The technology still felt impossible.
Then another impact echoed outside.
Far heavier than the first.
BOOOOM.
The inn itself trembled.
Even Maya jumped slightly.
Jarvis calmly spoke.
"Mark 48 deployment successful."
The holographic display shifted.
Showing the armor waiting outside.
A massive Vibranium war suit.
Larger.
Heavier.
Looks far more dangerous than the Mark 86.
Neon immediately pointed.
"This is true firepower!"
"Neon."
Rapi sighed.
"That's a weapon platform pretending to be armor."
"Exactly!"
Yuuki glanced toward the massive armor standing outside the inn.
Even through the windows, everyone could see it.
The Mark 48.
Towering.
Heavy.
Here's a tighter, more cinematic version that maintains the briefing tone while making the exposition more engaging:
Built like a walking fortress.
Unlike the sleek, nanotech-based Mark 86—which prioritized mobility, adaptability, and rapid deployment—the Mark 48 looked less like a suit of armor and more like a weapon designed to wrestle monsters into submission.
Or become one.
The command room fell silent as the colossal armor rotated slowly within the holographic display.
Yuuki folded his arms.
"Ladies."
Every pair of eyes turned toward him.
"This is the Hulkbuster MK II, designation Mark 48."
With a flick of his fingers, the image shifted.
The towering armor vanished, replaced by a grotesque humanoid figure. Muscles bulged beyond anatomical limits. Gray skin stretched over a body twisted by genetic tampering and endless experimentation.
Several shipgirls visibly frowned.
"This," Yuuki continued, "is a Brute."
The hologram zoomed in on the creature's massive fists.
"One of Yuri's old genetic projects. A human body stripped down and rebuilt into the perfect crushing machine. No firearms. No armor. No advanced equipment."
He paused.
"Just overwhelming strength and durability."
The next image showed entire infantry squads firing into a charging Brute.
"On paper, deploying melee soldiers in a modern battlefield sounds ridiculous."
The footage continued.
Bullets tore into the monster's flesh.
It never slowed down.
"Reality proved otherwise."
The hologram shifted again, showing battlefield recordings.
GDI soldiers retreated as the massive creatures thundered forward through concentrated gunfire. Infantry formations collapsed beneath their assaults. Vehicles were overturned, smashed apart, or literally beaten into scrap metal.
"Many soldiers could do nothing but watch as these things ignored round after round that would have killed ordinary men several times over."
A mammoth tank appeared on screen.
Moments later, a Brute caved in its armor plating with repeated punches.
"Vehicle or infantry—it didn't matter. They pummeled their targets until nothing remained."
The next clip drew several surprised looks.
Attack dogs.
Normally fearless.
Backing away.
Refusing to engage.
"Even trained war dogs refused to attack them. That alone should tell you how unnatural these creatures were."
The display faded.
In its place appeared another massive suit of armor.
The Mark 44.
"The original Hulkbuster was developed specifically to counter threats like this."
The armor rotated slowly.
Heavy plating.
Reinforced servos.
Oversized power systems.
Everything about it screamed brute force.
"It worked."
Yuuki's gaze swept across the room.
"But war evolves."
The Mark 44 dissolved into the far larger and more imposing silhouette of the Mark 48.
"And so did the Hulkbuster."
Several girls visibly gulped.
The thing was enormous.
Even Kaguya raised an eyebrow.
Yuuki pointed toward it.
"My Vibranium-based armor."
That immediately caught Yuu's attention.
As well as Akashi's.
And Vestal's.
And practically every engineer present.
"Vibranium?"
Akashi repeated.
The commander nodded.
"One of the materials I plan to incorporate into your future upgrades."
That instantly drew everyone's attention.
Future upgrades.
Shipgirls and Nikkes alike straightened.
Yuuki grinned.
"Imagine taking a direct hit."
The commander tapped the hologram.
"And barely feeling it."
Several girls immediately looked interested.
Very interested.
Even Takao's eyes widened slightly.
"That durable?"
Maya asked.
"More than durable."
Yuuki nodded.
"Vibranium absorbs kinetic force."
The commander folded his arms.
"Energy."
"Impact."
"Shock."
"Vibrations."
The room became quiet.
Even Yuu looked impressed.
Then Yuuki smirked.
"The original version of this armor saved my life."
A pause.
"Technically."
Several girls immediately noticed the wording.
"Technically?"
Yorktown asked.
The commander scratched his cheek.
"Well..."
The room suddenly became nervous.
Whenever Yuuki started a sentence with "well," it rarely ended normally.
"This is the armor I used against Colonel James during my second lifetime."
Silence.
Several girls remembered that story.
Others didn't.
The commander continued.
"She was piloting the Charlie Armor Mark 8."
The hologram shifted.
Displaying a gigantic armored frame.
An oversized war machine.
A walking tank.
Even Neon stared.
"Firepower..."
"Of course that's what you focus on."
Rapi sighed.
Yuuki chuckled.
"Technically, it was a weaponized Iron Monger platform equip with Sonic weapons."
Then his smile faded slightly.
"And technically..."
The commander pointed toward himself.
"I died wearing this armor. So, it's like stepping back into my old coffin."
Silence.
The room immediately became still.
Every girl froze.
Yorktown's expression dropped.
Enterprise frowned.
Belfast sighs.
Akagi looked unhappy.
Very unhappy.
The commander immediately realized his mistake.
"...Right. That was a bad joke."
Several pairs of eyes were now staring at him.
The uncomfortable kind of staring.
The judgmental kind.
The concerned kind.
The wife-looking-at-her-reckless-husband kind.
Which was somehow worse.
"Commander."
Yorktown's voice was calm.
Dangerously calm.
"Perhaps you should not casually mention your deaths."
The room immediately nodded.
"Or even joke about it, master."
Belfast sighs.
Even Kaguya.
Yuuki raised both hands.
"Okay, I won't mention it anymore or joke about it."
"You said that last time."
Enterprise replied.
"Also noted."
The carrier sighed.
The commander wisely changed the subject.
"It's old technology anyway."
He pointed toward the Mark 48.
"Compared to other lower Marks."
"Mark 49."
"Or current GDI systems."
The hologram updated.
Displaying dozens of modifications.
Reinforced Vibranium plating.
Upgraded power systems.
Shield emitters.
Countermeasure arrays.
Advanced reactors.
"It's been heavily upgraded."
The commander smiled.
"And sonic weapons don't affect it anymore."
That earned immediate approval from several girls.
Especially those who remembered what happened to that armor in his previous second life.
Then Yuuki turned.
"Kaguya."
The Arcane Shipgirl immediately smiled.
"Ah."
She elegantly placed a hand against her cheek.
"So dearest requires his wife."
The room exploded instantly.
"Not wife."
Akagi corrected.
"Future wife."
Enterprise corrected.
"Potential wife."
Yorktown corrected.
Kaguya ignored all of them.
As usual.
Her sleeping attire dissolved into shimmering violet particles.
Magic gathered around her.
Golden runes appeared.
Elegant.
Ancient.
Beautiful.
The Arcane kimono materialized around her body.
The room's temperature shifted slightly.
Mana flowed through the air.
Even after seeing it numerous times, the display remained mesmerizing.
The Arcane Shipgirl smiled.
"Tis an honor."
Then she stepped beside Yuuki.
Her gaze shifting toward the holographic image.
Toward Ember.
Then...
Toward Takao.
Toward Atago.
The smile remained.
Though something else appeared behind it.
Curiosity.
Genuine curiosity.
"This one wishes to see her."
Kaguya's voice softened.
"She carries Takao's face."
The Arcane Shipgirl folded her sleeves together.
"Yet walks a completely different path."
Her golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"Arcane Shipgirls."
"META Shipgirls."
The room listened carefully.
Kaguya rarely spoke about herself.
Or her kind.
"We were both born from desperation."
The room became quiet.
The Arcane Shipgirl looked toward her own hands.
"Arcane Shipgirls were created because Decisive and Priority Shipgirls could no longer keep up."
Her gaze shifted back toward Ember.
"META Shipgirls are survivors."
The smile disappeared.
"Those who endured what should have destroyed them."
No one spoke.
Because everyone could hear the respect in her voice.
Kaguya was powerful.
Arguably the strongest Shipgirl among them.
One of the Arcane of the East.
Yet she wasn't looking down on Ember.
She was acknowledging her.
Recognizing her.
Perhaps even sympathizing with her.
"An alternate survivor."
The Arcane Shipgirl whispered.
Then her smile returned.
Slightly sharper than before.
"This one is curious."
The room immediately understood.
Kaguya wanted answers.
Lots of answers.
Then Takao suddenly stood.
Silence immediately followed.
The heavy cruiser hadn't spoken since Ember's image first appeared.
Everyone turned toward her.
Takao stared at the hologram.
At the woman who looked exactly like her.
Yet carried none of her warmth.
None of her peace.
None of her certainty.
Only scars.
Only battles.
Only survival.
The woman before her was Takao.
And wasn't Takao.
A reflection from a broken mirror.
A life that could have been hers.
Had fate been less kind.
The heavy cruiser slowly clenched her fists.
Not in anger.
Not in fear.
But determination.
Because for the first time in her life—
She was about to meet the version of herself that survived the end of a world.
And she wanted to know what that version had endured.
What she had lost.
And perhaps most importantly—
Whether there was still something left to save within Ember.
Yuuki reached into his storage cube and pulled out a metallic device no larger than a thick book.
A portable command cube.
The moment he placed it onto the futon, the room transformed.
Blue holographic screens burst into existence.
Strategic maps appeared across the walls.
Radar grids materialized overhead.
Friendly and hostile markers populated the displays.
Flight paths.
Weapons status.
Orbital trajectories.
The humble inn room instantly became a temporary command center.
Several of the newer arrivals stared in amazement.
Even Houshou looked impressed.
"Ufufu..."
The carrier smiled.
"It appears Shikikan-sama can turn any location into a headquarters."
"Years of experience."
Yuuki replied.
"Never know when someone will try to ruin your evening."
The tactical display shifted.
Ember's projected route appeared once more.
Several possible scenarios populated around it.
Yuuki folded his arms.
"I am not taking unnecessary risks."
The room immediately focused.
The commander pointed toward the holographic map.
"She's coming alone."
That alone was suspicious.
META Shipgirls rarely acted recklessly.
Especially survivors.
Especially veterans.
Especially someone like Code-T.
"If she came by herself."
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
"Then she either has tremendous confidence..."
The map expanded.
"...or backup."
Several girls nodded.
That was the more likely explanation.
The commander wasn't about to be caught unprepared.
"Hana."
Yorktown immediately straightened.
"Yes, Commander."
"You'll take tactical control."
The carrier nodded.
The holographic display shifted.
Several aircraft icons appeared.
"Assigning Daedalus Firehawk Squadrons."
Yorktown's eyes widened slightly.
Even after seeing GDI technology countless times, the Firehawks remained absurd.
Hypersonic strike craft.
Stealth systems.
Orbital deployment capability.
Enough firepower to flatten conventional fleets.
"Understood."
The carrier immediately began studying the tactical layout.
Yuuki pointed toward Enterprise.
"Enty."
The Eagle Union carrier smiled.
"Already know."
The commander nodded.
"Prepare the Orcas."
The tactical display updated.
Several heavy bomber symbols appeared.
"Bombing runs?"
Enterprise asked.
"Standby only."
Yuuki replied.
"If things go wrong."
The carrier nodded.
"Understood."
Then the commander turned.
"Akagi."
The fox carrier immediately perked up.
"Yes, Shikikan-sama!"
"The Two Zeus Platform Firehawks."
Akagi's tails immediately swayed.
The aircraft assigned to her appeared.
Advanced.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Exactly her style.
"I shall not disappoint you, Shikikan-sama"
"Kaga."
The white fox nodded.
"Understood."
"The Zeus's' Orcas."
The strategic bomber symbols shifted toward her command.
Kaga simply folded her arms.
"Acceptable."
Yuuki then looked toward Illustrious and Unicorn.
The two carriers immediately sat up.
"Illy."
"Yes, Commander."
"Unicorn."
"Y-yes, Onii-chan."
"Two Harbinger Gunships each."
The room immediately reacted.
Even Yorktown looked impressed.
Harbingers were not ordinary aircraft.
They were airborne fortresses.
Flying artillery platforms.
Heavy support vessels capable of dominating battlefields.
Unicorn blinked repeatedly.
"F-for me?"
Yuuki nodded.
"You handled them before. You'll do fine."
The destroyer-carrier hybrid immediately smiled.
"Okay!"
The commander then looked back toward Yorktown and Akagi.
"One more thing."
The holographic display shifted.
A special upgrade package appeared.
Stratofighter Configuration.
Yorktown immediately recognized the data.
Akagi's eyes widened.
The commander smiled.
"Hana."
"Akagi."
"You're both cleared for Stratofighter deployment."
Several girls looked confused.
Yorktown wasn't.
Akagi wasn't.
Their expressions became serious immediately.
The commander explained.
"With Stratofighter upgrades, Firehawks can ascend into the stratosphere."
The tactical display updated.
Flight paths curved upward.
Then vanished.
Only to reappear directly above targets.
Several girls widened their eyes.
"They can bypass conventional detection."
Yuuki nodded.
"They can strike anywhere."
The holographic map shifted again.
Showing a simulated attack.
The Firehawks disappeared from radar.
Then plunged from orbit-like altitudes directly onto their target.
The resulting explosion made several people stare.
Neon looked ready to cry tears of joy.
"Beautiful..."
Rapi sighed.
"Of course."
Yuuki pointed toward Yorktown and Akagi.
"If I need an ambush."
The commander grinned.
"You'll know."
Both carriers nodded.
"Understood."
Then the commander looked around the room.
The remaining girls.
The newcomers.
"I'm sorry."
The room immediately blinked.
Yuuki rarely apologized.
"I don't have specific assignments for everyone."
Several girls shook their heads immediately.
That wasn't necessary.
Just then—
"Shikikan-sama."
Atago stepped forward.
The room turned toward her.
The usually playful heavy cruiser looked unusually serious.
"What is it, Atago?"
The woman glanced toward the holographic image of Ember.
Then toward Takao.
Then Maya.
Then Choukai.
Finally back toward him.
"May we come with you?"
The room became quiet.
Atago continued before anyone could object.
"We won't interfere."
Takao nodded.
Maya too.
Choukai looked nervous but determined.
"Just let us watch."
The elder Takao-class cruiser folded her hands together.
"From a distance."
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Atago's smile softened.
The answer came immediately.
"Because Ember's still Takao."
Silence.
Nobody interrupted.
Nobody mocked the idea.
Nobody dismissed it.
Because everyone understood.
Logically—
Ember was not their Takao.
Emotionally—
That didn't matter.
Atago looked toward the hologram.
The damaged armor.
The glowing corruption.
The exhausted eyes.
The countless scars.
"If you're forced to fight her."
The heavy cruiser lowered her voice.
"Please don't hurt her more than necessary."
Takao looked away.
Maya remained silent.
Choukai's hands clenched.
Then Atago smiled sadly.
"Maybe she isn't our sister."
The heavy cruiser looked toward Yuuki.
"But she's someone's."
The room became silent.
Even Kaguya stopped smiling.
Because Atago wasn't talking about strategy.
She was talking about compassion.
About empathy.
About recognizing pain.
Takao finally spoke.
"If she truly survived the destruction of her world..."
The heavy cruiser stared at Ember's image.
"...then she has suffered enough already."
Maya slowly nodded.
For once.
No arguments.
No rivalry.
No desire to prove herself.
Only concern.
Choukai stepped beside her sisters.
"If we can't change her..."
Her voice became softer.
"...at least let us speak to her."
Yuuki studied the four sisters.
Then looked toward Ember's image.
Then sighed.
The commander smiled.
"Fair enough."
Atago visibly relaxed.
Takao too.
"Jarvis."
"Yes, sir."
Yuuki's eyes remained fixed on Ember's hologram.
"Send a Razor Gunship."
The AI responded immediately.
"Already launching."
Outside, a distant roar echoed through the night.
Several girls moved toward the windows.
High above the island, a concealed section of the fleet opened briefly before sealing itself once more.
Something detached from the darkness.
Unlike the enormous Orcas.
Unlike the heavily armed Harbingers.
Unlike the hypersonic Firehawks.
The Razor Gunship was small.
Compact.
Deadly.
Built for speed rather than intimidation.
The sleek craft descended through the clouds almost silently before its engines became visible as blue light illuminated the night sky.
Yuu immediately recognized it.
"The special operations transport."
Yuuki nodded.
"One of them."
The holographic display projected its specifications.
The Razor was technically classified as a gunship.
Though many GDI soldiers jokingly referred to it as a flying knife.
Small enough to land almost anywhere.
Fast enough to outrun most threats.
Stealth systems capable of rendering it nearly invisible.
VTOL capability allowing it to deploy troops onto rooftops, forests, mountains, and urban environments.
Its primary role was rapid insertion and extraction.
Its secondary role was making anyone pursuing it regret their life choices.
Neon stared at the weapon readout.
"Oh."
Her eyes widened.
"Oh, that's nice."
Rapi sighed.
"You're looking at the weapons again."
The Nikke pointed at the hologram.
Twin Pulse Cannons.
Rapid Fire Projectile Systems.
Missile Pods.
Emergency Suppression Systems.
Even for its size, the Razor carried enough firepower to tear apart armored vehicles.
Yuuki folded his arms.
"It isn't a front-line aircraft."
Several girls looked skeptical.
The commander pointed toward the armament list.
"It just likes pretending otherwise."
That earned a few laughs.
Even Maya looked impressed.
"For such a small aircraft?"
"It compensates."
Yuuki replied.
Yuu immediately smirked.
The commander pretended not to notice.
The hologram shifted again.
Displaying the interior.
Seven seats.
Compact equipment storage.
Medical station.
Emergency extraction systems.
Takao nodded.
"It will be enough."
Atago smiled.
"We weren't planning on bringing an army."
"Good."
Yuuki replied.
"Because if things go wrong, I would rather focus on Ember than babysitting half the fleet."
That earned several offended reactions.
Mostly from Akagi.
"Shikikan-sama!"
The fox carrier puffed her cheeks.
"Akagi can take care of herself."
"That is exactly what worries me."
Several girls immediately laughed.
Even Kaga covered her mouth slightly.
Akagi looked betrayed.
The Razor descended lower.
Its stealth field disengaged momentarily as it approached the island.
The Tsukimimi village below would likely mistake it for a shooting star.
Within seconds it hovered over the courtyard.
A sleek black silhouette.
Its engines barely making a sound.
The side hatch opened.
Ready.
Waiting.
Atago smiled.
"Thank you, Shikikan-sama. For letting us come along."
Yuuki shook his head.
"Don't thank me yet. Just watch from a safe distance."
The commander's eyes returned to Ember's image.
The approaching META Shipgirl.
The survivor of another timeline.
The woman who had somehow endured the collapse of an entire world.
Takao quietly stared at the hologram.
Perhaps imagining what kind of battles had carved those glowing scars into her body.
What kind of losses had hardened her eyes.
What kind of loneliness she had endured.
Kaguya stood beside Yuuki.
Her sleeves fluttering slightly as magical energy gathered around her.
"This one finds it strange."
The Arcane Shipgirl spoke quietly.
Yuuki nodded.
"So do I."
Because one thing continued bothering him.
Ember wasn't hiding.
She wasn't avoiding detection.
She wasn't using stealth.
She wasn't attempting an ambush.
In fact—
She had made almost no effort whatsoever to conceal herself.
A veteran survivor would never make such a mistake.
Not someone who had lived through the destruction of worlds.
Not someone who had fought Sirens for years.
Which meant it wasn't a mistake.
She wanted to be seen.
The realization settled over the room.
Yorktown noticed it too.
"She's announcing her arrival."
Enterprise nodded.
"Deliberately."
Takao folded her arms.
"Which means she expects us to come."
Yuu looked at the projected trajectory.
"Or she wants a specific person to meet her."
The room became quiet.
Yuuki's smile slowly returned.
Not a cheerful smile.
The kind he wore whenever he found a puzzle.
Interesting.
Dangerous.
Complicated.
The best kind.
Because Ember wasn't merely approaching Autumn Isle.
She wasn't simply approaching the GDI.
And she certainly wasn't approaching by accident.
She had crossed five hundred kilometers of ocean while making no attempt to hide.
A message.
A challenge.
Or perhaps a warning.
Whatever it was—
The commander intended to hear it directly from her.
"Let's go."
Outside, the Razor Gunship's engines brightened.
Inside the command room, everyone understood the same thing.
The coming encounter wasn't going to begin with a battle.
It was going to begin with a conversation.
And sometimes those were far more dangerous.
============================
Moonlight reflected across the endless ocean.
The waves rolled quietly beneath the night sky.
Far from Autumn Isle.
Far from the hidden fleet.
A lone figure moved across the water.
Ember.
Code-T.
The survivor of a broken world.
Her dark rigging cut through the sea like a blade.
Glowing cracks of META corruption pulsed faintly across her armor.
The red glow in her eyes remained fixed on the distant island.
For years she had searched.
Gathered information.
Followed rumors.
Watched anomalies emerge and disappear.
Most proved insignificant.
Most died.
Most failed.
This one was different.
The commander.
The anomaly.
The impossible variable.
The man even Code-G had warned others about.
A man who somehow appeared from nowhere.
A man gathering factions that should never coexist.
A man somehow changing the fate of those around him.
Ember's expression hardened.
Today she would see the truth herself.
If he was merely another pretender.
Another commander.
Another fool.
Then she would capture him.
Drag him before Code-G.
And prove once and for all that he was nothing more than a man.
Nothing more than flesh.
Nothing more than another piece on the board.
His fleet?
Machines.
His faction?
Machines.
His victories?
Temporary.
The Sirens had crushed countless worlds before.
One more would not matter.
Then—
Her instincts screamed.
Ember's eyes widened.
Two brilliant beams of blue-white energy erupted from the darkness.
The attacks crossed hundreds of meters almost instantly.
Fast.
Far faster than conventional naval weaponry.
Without hesitation, Ember twisted sideways.
Her rigging ignited.
The META Shipgirl spun through the air.
The beams missed by mere meters.
BOOOOM!
The ocean exploded behind her.
Columns of water shot skyward.
Shockwaves rolled across the sea.
Ember's eyes narrowed.
That wasn't naval artillery.
That wasn't Siren weaponry.
That wasn't anything she recognized.
The energy residue lingered.
She could feel it.
Analyze it.
Measure it.
And what she discovered surprised her.
"Aether-point energy..."
The words escaped before she realized it.
Not exactly.
But close.
Very close.
Comparable.
Compatible.
Advanced beyond anything that should exist on this planet.
Then a familiar voice echoed across the ocean.
"Wow."
A pause.
"You're quicker than expected."
Ember turned.
And froze.
Hovering above the water.
Bathed in moonlight.
A gigantic armored figure.
The Mark 48.
The massive Vibranium war suit appeared almost like a metallic giant standing above the sea.
Arc reactor glowing brightly.
Repulsors illuminating the darkness.
Its size alone rivaled some Siren combat units.
Yet somehow—
The armor wasn't what caught Ember's attention.
It was the figure beside it.
The Mark 49.
A sleek combat frame.
Far smaller.
Far more agile.
Far more familiar.
Which made the situation significantly more complicated.
Then a third presence appeared.
Golden light shimmered across the ocean.
Ancient runes danced through the air.
Magic gathered.
Reality itself bent slightly.
Ember immediately recognized that energy.
"...Impossible."
Then Kaguya appeared.
Floating effortlessly beside the two armored figures.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
The Arcane Shipgirl smiled softly.
"Ara..."
Golden eyes examined the META Shipgirl.
"So this is Code-T."
For the first time since arriving, Ember's composure cracked slightly.
"Kaguya."
The META Shipgirl frowned.
"Thou seems to know me."
Kaguya mused.
"We have no quarrel with the Arcane Shipgirls."
That was true.
META factions generally avoided Arcane factions.
Both possessed enough power to make conflict costly.
Both had enough enemies already.
Kaguya nodded.
"True."
The Arcane Shipgirl's smile widened.
Then she casually pointed toward the massive Mark 48.
Toward Yuuki.
And immediately destroyed any hope of neutrality.
"But that one is mine dearest husband."
Silence.
The ocean itself seemed to pause.
Yuuki facepalmed inside the armor.
Yuu immediately began laughing.
Ember stared.
Actually stared.
Of all the responses she had expected—
That wasn't one of them.
Kaguya folded her sleeves together.
The smile never leaving her face.
"Thus."
The Arcane Shipgirl tilted her head.
"If thou hast quarrels with him."
Purple mana swirled around her.
The temperature dropped.
The sea beneath her began freezing.
"If thou hast intentions toward him."
More runes appeared.
The ocean groaned.
Reality bent slightly.
"Then thou hast quarrels with us."
The statement was delivered politely.
Gracefully.
Almost gently.
Which somehow made it far more threatening.
Ember immediately realized something important.
Very important.
The intelligence reports were wrong.
Terribly wrong.
The anomaly wasn't protected by followers.
He wasn't protected by subordinates.
He wasn't protected by allies.
The people around him genuinely cared for him.
Which was infinitely more dangerous.
Because loyalty could be bought.
Fear could be created.
Orders could be ignored.
But genuine affection?
That was far harder to break.
Ember slowly lowered her blades.
Not surrendering.
Not retreating.
Simply reevaluating.
Because the situation was becoming more interesting by the minute.
Then her glowing eyes settled on Yuuki.
The anomaly.
The man who should not exist.
The man Code-G had specifically warned them about.
For several seconds neither spoke.
The ocean rolled quietly beneath them.
Then Ember finally broke the silence.
"...You don't look particularly impressive."
Yuuki crossed the Mark 48's massive arms.
The giant armor hummed softly.
Then the commander smiled.
"Funny."
A pause.
"That's exactly what I was about to say."
=============
Back at the inn, the temporary command center remained active.
Holographic displays filled the room.
Tactical maps hovered above the futons.
Flight telemetry streamed across floating screens.
The peaceful atmosphere from earlier had completely vanished.
Everyone was focused on a single image.
The ocean.
The moonlit sea.
And the confrontation unfolding upon it.
Nearby, Mary slowly opened her eyes.
The doctor blinked several times.
For a moment, she looked disoriented.
Then reality returned.
The memory world.
The connection.
The commander.
Immediately, she sat upright.
Pepper stirred beside her moments later.
The nurse looked equally confused before quickly regaining her bearings.
"Commander?"
Mary asked.
Vestal gently helped support her.
"Easy."
The repair ship smiled reassuringly.
"You were unconscious for a while."
Pepper rubbed her eyes.
Then looked around the crowded room.
Everyone appeared focused on something.
Something important.
"Where is the Commander?"
The question immediately drew several glances.
Rapi answered first.
"Outside."
The Nikke crossed her arms.
"Well."
A pause.
"Far outside."
Mary blinked.
Pepper tilted her head.
"What happened?"
Rapi pointed toward the command display.
"A Siren-related Shipgirl appeared."
The two nurses immediately turned.
The holographic image came into view.
And both froze.
The ocean.
The night sky.
The gigantic Mark 48.
Kaguya.
Yuu.
And opposite them—
A lone woman.
Dark armor.
Burning eyes.
Corrupted rigging.
Glowing crimson cracks running across her body.
Mary unconsciously stepped closer.
"She's beautiful..."
The words escaped before she realized it.
Pepper nodded.
Though there was sadness in her expression.
Because despite her intimidating appearance—
Something about Ember looked lonely.
Very lonely.
As if she had been fighting for far too long.
Yorktown glanced toward the newcomers.
"That's Code-T."
The carrier's voice remained calm.
"A META Shipgirl."
Mary and Pepper exchanged looks.
Neither had ever heard the term before.
Fortunately, Houshou was nearby.
The carrier explained quietly.
"An alternate version of Takao."
The two nurses immediately looked toward Takao's sister.
Atago.
Who was noticeably absent.
"Alternate?"
Pepper repeated.
Enterprise nodded.
"A survivor from another world."
The explanation sounded absurd.
Yet nobody laughed.
Nobody doubted it.
The seriousness in the room made it clear this was real.
Very real.
The display shifted.
Showing a side-by-side comparison.
Takao.
And Ember.
The similarities were unmistakable.
The same face.
The same posture.
The same elegance.
Yet the differences were equally striking.
Takao looked composed.
Ember looked exhausted.
Takao carried discipline.
Ember carried scars.
Takao looked like someone protecting the future.
Ember looked like someone haunted by the past.
Mary quietly folded her arms.
"...What happened to her?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Because nobody knew.
Not completely.
Meanwhile—
Hundreds of kilometers away—
The Razor Gunship maintained a safe distance from the confrontation.
Its stealth systems remained active.
Its engines nearly silent.
Inside, four Shipgirls watched the same feed being transmitted back to the inn.
Atago.
Takao.
Maya.
And Choukai.
None of them spoke.
The cabin remained quiet.
Only the holographic display illuminated their faces.
Atago stared at Ember.
The smile she normally wore was absent.
Takao's expression remained unreadable.
Though her eyes never left the screen.
Maya quietly clenched her fists.
While Choukai looked almost nervous.
Eventually, Choukai spoke first.
"...She looks tired."
Silence followed.
Then Atago nodded.
"She does."
The elder sister watched the glowing cracks spreading across Ember's body.
The damaged armor.
The countless battle scars.
The weight carried in her eyes.
This wasn't someone enjoying victory.
This was someone enduring survival.
Takao finally spoke.
"She's been fighting for years."
The heavy cruiser's voice was quiet.
"Perhaps decades."
Maya looked toward her older sister.
"You can tell?"
Takao nodded.
"A warrior recognizes another warrior."
The statement carried certainty.
Because Takao understood what discipline looked like.
She understood what hardship looked like.
And Ember carried both.
In frightening amounts.
Back in the inn, the room remained fixated on the live feed.
Even the Bulins had stopped talking.
Even Laffey had opened one eye.
Neon leaned forward.
Rapi sighed.
Akagi narrowed her eyes.
Kaga silently observed.
Yuu's combat data streamed across multiple screens.
Kaguya's mana readings fluctuated continuously.
And Yuuki—
The commander appeared remarkably relaxed.
Which worried several people.
Because whenever Yuuki looked relaxed during a dangerous situation—
It usually meant he was thinking.
And that was often far more dangerous than fighting.
Then Mary suddenly noticed something.
The way Ember was looking at him.
The way Yuuki was looking back.
Neither seemed eager to attack.
Neither seemed eager to retreat.
It almost felt—
Like a conversation.
Pepper noticed it too.
"They're measuring each other."
Yorktown nodded.
"Exactly."
The carrier folded her arms.
"This battle hasn't started yet."
Enterprise agreed.
"Both sides are gathering information."
The Eagle Union carrier looked toward Ember's image.
"Because once it starts..."
A pause.
"...neither side wants to discover they underestimated the other."
The room fell quiet again.
Watching.
Waiting.
Observing.
As two anomalies.
One from a destroyed timeline.
And one from another world entirely.
Prepared to decide what happened next.
================
The ocean exploded beneath them.
Ember moved.
To anyone else, she would have vanished.
The META Shipgirl accelerated across the water with terrifying speed, her rigging erupting into action.
Radar systems locked onto Yuuki.
Targeting data streamed through her sensors.
Main guns fired.
Anti-air batteries unleashed a storm of tracers.
Torpedoes surged beneath the waves.
Energy blades ignited.
All at once.
The attack pattern was flawless.
Years.
Perhaps decades.
Of combat experience compressed into a single assault.
Back at the command center, even the veteran Shipgirls looked impressed.
"Fast..."
Enterprise murmured.
Takao's eyes narrowed aboard the Razor Gunship.
"Very fast."
Yet Yuuki remained where he was.
The Mark 48 didn't evade.
Didn't retreat.
Didn't accelerate.
It simply endured.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Shells detonated against Vibranium plating.
Missiles exploded.
Shockwaves rolled across the sea.
Columns of water rose into the sky.
When the smoke cleared—
The Mark 48 was still hovering.
Untouched.
Not a single visible dent.
Not a single crack.
Not even scorch marks.
Ember's eyes widened.
For the first time since arriving.
Surprise.
Real surprise.
Yuuki pointed toward the armor.
"Vibranium."
The commander casually tapped the chest plate.
"One of the worst materials to attack head-on."
Then he smirked.
"Trust me."
"I learned that lesson myself."
Ember immediately accelerated again.
The sea split beneath her.
Her swords appeared.
One traditional katana.
Several energy blades.
All moving simultaneously.
She became a blur.
A storm of steel.
Her first strike targeted the neck.
The second targeted the knee joint.
The third aimed directly for the arc reactor.
A perfect execution.
Yet—
CLANG!
A massive blade appeared.
Yuuki's weapon materialized from streams of nanomachines.
A gigantic greatsword forged from Vibranium.
Its edge glowed with blue ionized energy.
The impact sent shockwaves across the ocean.
The sea itself trembled.
Ember's eyes widened.
The force behind the block was absurd.
Then Yuuki moved.
Not quickly.
Not aggressively.
Simply efficiently.
One swing.
A single horizontal slash.
The ion edge collided with one of Ember's energy blades.
The weapon shattered.
The glowing fragments scattered across the sea.
The META Shipgirl immediately jumped backward.
Reassessing.
Analyzing.
Calculating.
Yuuki rested the massive sword across one shoulder.
The gesture somehow felt more insulting than threatening.
Back at the inn, Neon stared.
"He made that sword?"
Yuu's voice came through the command feed.
"Nanoforge construction."
The doctor sounded completely unsurprised.
"He can build almost anything if he has enough material."
"That's unfair."
Anis muttered.
Back on the battlefield, Ember attacked again.
This time directly.
No tricks.
No ranged support.
Just skill.
The katana flashed.
The blade struck Yuuki's shoulder.
CLANG.
Nothing happened.
Not even a scratch.
Ember stared.
Then struck again.
The chest.
The arm.
The neck.
The joints.
Every vulnerable point.
Nothing.
The Vibranium armor absorbed every impact.
The commander didn't even bother blocking several of them.
Finally Ember jumped away.
Frustration flashed across her face.
"Coward!"
The accusation echoed across the ocean.
"Without your armor, you're just a human!"
The statement made several people watching tense.
But Yuuki merely laughed.
Actually laughed.
"Yeah."
The commander nodded.
"A human who clearly knows what he's doing."
That only irritated Ember further.
The META Shipgirl pointed her broken blade at him.
"You hide behind machines!"
Yuuki shrugged.
"And you hide behind your trauma."
Silence.
The words hit harder than any weapon.
Even Kaguya glanced sideways.
Yuu winced.
Several girls in the command center simultaneously muttered:
"Oh no."
Because they knew that tone.
The commander had decided to provoke her.
Deliberately.
Ember's eyes narrowed.
Dangerously.
Yuuki continued anyway.
"Look at yourself."
The commander pointed toward the glowing corruption spreading across her body.
"You became what you hated."
The sea suddenly became still.
The temperature dropped.
Everyone watching felt it.
The shift.
The emotional wound.
The exposed scar.
"You know nothing."
Ember's voice came out low.
Dangerously low.
Yuuki didn't stop.
"Maybe."
The commander nodded.
"But I know enough."
His eyes met hers.
"I know the real Takao wouldn't join the enemy."
The reaction was immediate.
Ember exploded forward.
The ocean shattered beneath her.
Every gun opened fire simultaneously.
Torpedoes launched.
Energy blades ignited.
Her aura surged.
Pure rage.
Pure pain.
Pure frustration.
"You know NOTHING!"
The scream echoed across the sea.
For the first time since she appeared—
The composed veteran disappeared.
The survivor disappeared.
What remained was someone hurting.
Someone carrying years of grief.
Years of loss.
Years of guilt.
And Yuuki saw it immediately.
Which was exactly why he provoked her.
Because people fighting with skill were dangerous.
People fighting with emotion made mistakes.
The Mark 48 surged forward.
The giant armor finally moved.
Greatsword raised.
Arc reactor blazing.
And for the first time—
Yuuki stopped treating the encounter like a conversation.
The ocean erupted beneath both combatants as steel and energy collided once more.
Far away, aboard the Razor Gunship, Atago quietly stared at the screen.
Then sighed.
"She's angry."
Takao nodded.
"No."
The heavy cruiser watched Ember's expression carefully.
The rage.
The pain.
The grief.
Then Takao quietly finished:
"She's hurting."
And somehow—
That worried her more.
While the battle continued above the moonlit ocean, Yuu wasn't watching it for the spectacle.
She was watching it as a scientist.
Streams of data flowed across her visor.
Energy readings.
Rigging outputs.
Cube resonance.
Biological scans.
Dimensional fluctuations.
Every movement Ember made generated another layer of information.
The doctor was so focused on her analysis that she barely reacted when a sword beam large enough to split a destroyer flashed across the sea.
"Interesting..."
Yuu murmured.
Her fingers moved rapidly through floating holographic screens.
"What is it, Chief?"
Yuuki asked while casually blocking another barrage with the Mark 48.
"You're fighting a walking research paper."
"That bad?"
"That good."
Back aboard the Philadelphia, hundreds of kilometers away, Vergil and his research staff were studying the exact same data.
The scientist adjusted several displays before transmitting additional information.
"Yuu."
"I'm looking."
"The data is matching."
That immediately gained her attention.
"Matching what?"
"The recovered headquarters archives."
Several nearby researchers looked up.
Even some of the shipgirls aboard Philadelphia began listening.
The term META had appeared repeatedly in old Azur Lane records, but much of the data was fragmented.
Now they were finally observing one directly.
Vergil enlarged several files.
Ancient Azur Lane research notes appeared.
"META Phenomenon."
Yuu frowned.
"METAmorphosis."
The scientist nodded.
"It appears the phenomenon wasn't merely corruption."
That immediately contradicted many assumptions.
Most people viewed META Shipgirls as damaged.
Corrupted.
Broken.
But the data suggested something far more complicated.
"What is it then?"
Vergil highlighted several sections.
"A reverse evolution process."
The room became quiet.
"Reverse?"
Yuu repeated.
The scientist nodded.
"The records indicate Wisdom Cubes weren't the original form."
That caught everyone's attention.
Even the researchers stopped talking.
"Then what was?"
Vergil enlarged another section.
The answer appeared.
Origin Cubes.
Yuu's eyes widened.
"Origin Cubes?"
The scientist nodded.
"According to recovered headquarters files, Wisdom Cubes are an altered state."
The hologram shifted.
Ancient diagrams appeared.
Cube structures.
Energy pathways.
Suppression layers.
"The original creators considered Origin Cubes too powerful."
Several researchers exchanged looks.
Too powerful?
That was saying something.
Even Wisdom Cubes already defied conventional physics.
Vergil continued.
"The data suggests the Origin Cube's output was intentionally restricted."
The holographic model transformed.
Showing a larger, brighter cube becoming a smaller structure.
"Wisdom Cubes were created to draw only a fraction of that power."
"How much?"
Yuu asked.
Vergil smiled.
"Approximately twenty percent."
The doctor immediately performed the calculation.
"A fifth."
"Exactly."
The scientist pointed toward Ember's readings.
"METAmorphosis appears to remove those restrictions."
The room became quiet.
Everyone began understanding.
META Shipgirls weren't simply corrupted.
They were reverting.
Returning.
Becoming closer to what Shipgirls originally were.
Back above the ocean, Ember unleashed another barrage.
Her energy output immediately spiked.
The sensors captured it perfectly.
Yuu compared the numbers.
Then whistled.
"Chief."
Yuuki sighed.
"Why do I feel I'm about to become worried?"
"Because you should."
The doctor grinned.
"She's stronger than I originally thought."
Several holographic windows appeared beside Yuuki's visor.
Combat statistics.
Energy measurements.
Cube activity.
The commander glanced over them.
Then raised an eyebrow.
"Huh."
That was impressive.
Very impressive.
Vergil's voice returned.
"The headquarters data is clear."
"The META process significantly enhances a Shipgirl's combat capability."
The scientist pointed toward Ember's readings.
"Her cube has essentially returned to Origin Cube status."
That immediately explained a lot.
The power.
The speed.
The durability.
The ridiculous energy output.
All of it.
Then Yuu narrowed her eyes.
A new realization forming.
"Wait."
The doctor opened another set of files.
Then another.
Then another.
Finally she smiled.
"Oh."
Vergil immediately recognized that smile.
The dangerous one.
"What did you find?"
Yuu looked positively delighted.
"Compatibility."
The scientist blinked.
"What?"
Yuu pointed toward multiple data streams.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
GDI personnel.
The leveling system.
Cube structures.
Everything.
"It all matches."
Several researchers immediately moved closer.
The doctor rapidly organized her findings.
"Shipgirls naturally understand growth."
She pointed toward Wisdom Cubes.
"Adaptation."
Then toward Nikkes.
"Progression."
Then toward the GDI leveling architecture.
"Enhancement."
The connections became obvious.
The room gradually fell silent.
Vergil's eyes widened.
Then he began laughing.
Not loudly.
Just enough to confirm he had reached the same conclusion.
"You found it."
Yuu nodded.
"I found it."
The doctor looked toward Ember's combat data.
Then toward Takao's profile.
Then toward Yorktown's.
Enterprise's.
Akagi's.
Kaga's.
Every Shipgirl currently under GDI command.
"They can level."
The room immediately understood.
Not merely gain experience.
Not merely improve.
Actually level.
Like GDI personnel.
Like enhanced humans.
Like Yuu herself.
The implications were staggering.
Vergil immediately began calculations.
Then stopped.
Then recalculated.
Then stared.
"Oh."
The scientist suddenly looked very interested.
"What's her equivalent level?"
Yuu asked.
Vergil highlighted Ember's profile.
The answer appeared.
Level 500.
Several researchers inhaled sharply.
That was absurd.
For most organizations.
For most worlds.
For most civilizations.
Level 500 would be considered monstrous.
Then Yuu smiled.
The kind of smile that worried everyone nearby.
"Only 500?"
The researchers immediately understood.
Vergil laughed again.
"Exactly."
The scientist folded his arms.
"The META process is powerful."
He pointed toward Ember.
"But it caps itself."
The room became quiet.
"Origin Cubes appear limited."
The calculations continued.
"Equivalent to approximately Level 500."
Yuu immediately saw the flaw.
The ceiling.
The limitation.
The wall.
A very powerful wall.
But a wall nonetheless.
Meanwhile, the leveling system had no such restriction.
Level 1000 already existed.
She herself was proof.
Yuuki.
Vergil.
Several senior GDI personnel.
All proof.
The doctor looked back toward Ember.
Still battling Yuuki across the ocean.
Still relying on power gained through METAmorphosis.
Then Yuu smiled.
Almost sympathetically.
"Poor girl."
Vergil nodded.
"She thinks she's reached the pinnacle."
The scientist adjusted his glasses.
"But she's standing at the halfway point."
Several researchers suddenly realized the full implication.
Once the leveling system was completed.
Once Shipgirls were integrated.
Once they began progressing—
META Shipgirls would lose their greatest advantage.
Not immediately.
Not tomorrow.
Not next week.
But eventually.
Because while META power stopped growing—
The leveling system didn't.
Yuu watched Ember clash with Yuuki again.
The sea exploding beneath them.
Energy beams flashing through the night.
Then quietly whispered:
"You survived the end of your world."
The doctor's expression softened.
"But your world never discovered the next step."
And somewhere aboard the Philadelphia, Vergil was already drafting plans that would completely redefine what a Shipgirl was capable of becoming.
Back aboard the Philadelphia, the conversation had shifted entirely from Ember herself to the phenomenon surrounding her.
The more data they gathered, the more everyone realized that META Shipgirls weren't simply stronger versions of normal Shipgirls.
They operated under entirely different rules.
Vergil enlarged several recovered files from the Azur Lane archives.
Ancient reports.
Battle recordings.
Siren observations.
META encounter logs.
Most had been heavily damaged when the headquarters fell, but enough remained to paint a picture.
"One thing everyone should understand."
Vergil highlighted several warnings.
"META Shipgirls are exceptionally dangerous."
The scientist pointed toward Ember's profile.
"Especially inside a Mirror Sea."
That immediately caught Yuu's attention.
"Mirror Sea?"
Several Nikkes looked equally confused.
The term appeared frequently in recovered Siren records but remained poorly understood.
Vergil sighed.
"Unfortunately, the headquarters records are incomplete."
The hologram shifted.
Several dimensional diagrams appeared.
"But the general concept is clear."
The scientist enlarged one of the diagrams.
"Mirror Seas are artificial realities."
"Pocket dimensions."
"Controlled simulations."
The room immediately grew quiet.
The diagrams continued expanding.
Cities.
Islands.
Entire fleets.
Encased within dimensional boundaries.
Vergil pointed toward one example.
"Imagine taking an island."
The image showed a small island being enclosed within a cube.
"Then separating it from reality."
The island vanished.
A duplicate appeared elsewhere.
"Now imagine becoming the administrator of that isolated world."
Several researchers immediately understood.
Yuu's eyes widened.
"Oh."
The implications were terrifying.
Vergil nodded.
"Exactly."
The scientist folded his arms.
"The Sirens use Mirror Seas as laboratories."
The hologram displayed hundreds of possible scenarios.
Different outcomes.
Different timelines.
Different battles.
"They create controlled environments."
"Then run experiments."
"Observe results."
"Collect data."
The room became increasingly uncomfortable.
Because that sounded less like warfare and more like scientific testing.
Entire populations.
Entire fleets.
Reduced to variables.
Yuu frowned.
"So if someone gets trapped inside?"
Vergil enlarged another section.
The answer wasn't encouraging.
"The administrators gain extensive control."
Several warning symbols appeared.
Weather Manipulation.
Terrain Manipulation.
Temporal Distortion.
Environmental Reconstruction.
Reality Alteration.
The room fell silent.
Even experienced researchers looked disturbed.
"You're saying they can play god?"
Yuu asked.
Vergil nodded.
"To a degree."
The scientist pointed toward the highlighted text.
"The Mirror Sea responds to administrative authority."
"Those with sufficient control can alter conditions within it."
The implications were staggering.
A battlefield where the enemy controlled reality itself.
No wonder the Sirens were so dangerous.
Back on the ocean, Yuuki received the same information through his combat feed.
The commander blocked another strike from Ember.
The resulting shockwave split the ocean around them.
Then he smirked.
"So basically."
The Mark 48 swung its massive sword.
"A glorified admin panel."
Kaguya laughed.
"This one likes that explanation."
Yuu nodded.
"Actually accurate."
Vergil sighed.
"Unfortunately."
The scientist enlarged Ember's data again.
"META Shipgirls gain significant advantages inside Mirror Seas."
The hologram highlighted multiple entries.
Enhanced Perception.
Reality Synchronization.
Administrative Access.
Environmental Influence.
Domain Authority.
The scientist pointed toward Ember.
"Outside a Mirror Sea."
The display shifted.
"She's an enhanced Shipgirl."
A terrifyingly powerful enhanced Shipgirl.
But still a Shipgirl.
Then another graph appeared.
Inside a Mirror Sea.
The difference was dramatic.
Power spikes.
Reality interaction.
Dimensional authority.
Everything increased.
"Within a Mirror Sea."
Vergil continued.
"META Shipgirls become significantly more dangerous."
The room immediately understood.
Ember wasn't fighting at full capability.
Not even close.
Yuu crossed her arms.
"So she underestimated us."
The scientist nodded.
"Completely."
The doctor smiled.
"Good."
Several researchers looked toward her.
Yuu's grin widened.
"That means she walked into the wrong neighborhood."
"So if she deployed one of these Mirror Seas..."
Vergil immediately answered.
"We would have problems."
Yuu became quiet.
Not panic.
Just honesty.
Because underestimating a threat was how people died.
The scientist enlarged another file.
"META Shipgirls possess enhanced extrasensory perception."
That immediately explained another mystery.
"They can detect Sirens hiding outside conventional reality."
The display shifted.
Showing Sirens utilizing dimensional cloaking.
"META Shipgirls can perceive things ordinary Shipgirls cannot."
Several girls looked impressed.
Takao, aboard the Razor Gunship, nodded slowly.
That matched the stories she had heard.
META survivors often sensed threats long before others noticed them.
Then Yuu raised another question.
"If they're so good at detecting hidden things..."
The doctor smiled.
"How did Jarvis find her first?"
The room became quiet.
Then everyone looked toward the same answer.
Jarvis.
Vergil laughed.
"Because Jarvis isn't operating on Siren technology."
The scientist pointed toward the Philadelphia's systems.
"Nor human technology."
"Nor Shipgirl technology."
The hologram expanded.
Tacitus data.
Alien architecture.
Recovered Ascension systems.
Dimensional sensors.
Reality scanners.
Technologies layered on top of one another.
The resulting image looked absurd.
"Sirens are a Level Five civilization."
Vergil explained.
Several newer arrivals immediately looked confused.
The scientist continued.
"GDI reached Level Six."
Not because of the statement.
Because of what it implied.
Which explained why Ember's attempts at stealth had failed.
The META Shipgirl likely never realized she had already been detected long before entering sensor range of the Global Defense Initiative Global Network.
Then Yuu leaned forward.
"Is there a counter?"
The room immediately focused.
Because that was the important question.
Not what Mirror Seas were.
How to beat them.
Vergil enlarged another file.
"There are several."
The hologram displayed a dimensional cube.
A simulated Mirror Sea.
The scientist pointed toward it.
"First."
"Escape."
The cube immediately shattered.
A Chronosphere signature appeared.
Yuu immediately smiled.
"Of course."
Vergil nodded.
"A Chronosphere ignores dimensional boundaries. Sirens just trap an area, we can use chronosphere to teleport ourselves out of the mirror dimension."
That was one solution.
The second appeared.
A glowing structure at the center of the simulation.
"The Core."
Several researchers looked interested.
Vergil enlarged the object.
"Mirror Seas require anchor structures simulated on its core above the dimension. More likely the dimensional dome."
The simulation destabilized as the core shattered.
The entire dimension collapsed.
"Oh."
Yuu immediately understood.
"So destroy the administrator's server."
The scientist stared.
Then sighed.
"That's... annoyingly accurate."
The doctor grinned.
Back on the ocean, Yuuki laughed.
"Good."
The Mark 48's sword ignited with blue ion energy once more.
"Then if she tries to trap us."
The commander pointed the blade toward Ember.
"We'll just break her toy."
Meanwhile, several kilometers away, Ember suddenly felt uneasy.
Not because of the battle.
Not because of Yuuki.
But because she had the distinct feeling that somewhere...
A group of scientists had already begun figuring out how to dismantle one of the greatest advantages META Shipgirls possessed.
And that realization was somehow more frightening than the giant armored commander standing in front of her.