The fleet reached the outer waters of the Mirelurk Queen's territory.
Immediately—
The sea began moving.
Not waves.
Not currents.
Enemies.
Hundreds of them.
Mirelurks crawled across rocks.
Mirelurk Hunters emerged from beneath the water.
Entire swarms of hatchlings rushed toward the fleet.
The ocean itself seemed alive.
Several Nikkes immediately tightened their grip on their weapons.
"That's disgusting."
Anis commented.
Nobody disagreed.
The creatures were ugly.
Very ugly.
Fortunately—
Kaguya had a solution.
The flagship calmly turned toward a certain destroyer.
"Eldridge."
The small destroyer looked up.
"Yes?"
Kaguya pointed toward the ocean.
Then toward the enormous swarm.
Then smiled.
"Eldridge."
The destroyer's eyes brightened.
"Zap all of them."
The answer came immediately.
"Okay."
The next moment—
Blue lightning erupted.
The sea exploded with electricity.
Tens of thousands of volts surged through the water.
Then more.
Then even more.
The ocean transformed into a giant electrical conductor.
Crackling arcs danced across the surface.
Entire sections of water lit up.
The effect was immediate.
Lesser Mirelurks floated upward.
Dead.
Hatchlings floated upward.
Dead.
Smaller Mirelurks convulsed.
Then died.
The kill notifications exploded.
Enemy Eliminated
Enemy Eliminated
Enemy Eliminated
Enemy Eliminated
Enemy Eliminated
The list continued.
And continued.
And continued.
Everyone stared.
Even Yuuki blinked.
Back at the command post.
"Huh."
Yuu looked over.
"What?"
The commander pointed at Eldridge.
"I think we found a natural counter."
The scientist looked at the sea.
Then at the rapidly increasing kill count.
Then nodded.
"Yeah."
The answer was obvious.
Meanwhile—
The larger Mirelurks survived.
Mirelurk Hunters.
Mirelurk Kings.
Armored variants.
Creatures large enough to withstand the electrical surge.
They immediately surged forward.
The battle began.
For real this time.
"Engage!"
Kaguya's command echoed across the tactical network.
The fleet accelerated.
And everyone immediately noticed something.
They were faster.
Much faster.
Level 14.
Enhanced Agility.
Enhanced Sprint.
Improved attributes.
The difference was obvious.
Destroyers skimmed across the water like missiles.
Cruisers followed.
The Nikkes riding atop their riggings immediately opened fire.
The ocean erupted into chaos.
Volt Auto Rifles.
Laser Rifles.
Rocket Launchers.
Chain Guns.
Personal Ion Cannons.
Missiles.
The sky and sea filled with firepower.
Nimi cut across the waves at high speed.
Neon standing behind her.
The Nikke immediately launched a mini nuke.
"FIREPOWER!"
The projectile disappeared.
Then—
BOOOOOM!
An entire section of Mirelurks vanished.
Water exploded upward.
Several Mirelurk Hunters ceased existing.
Neon grinned.
The Fat Man launcher had become her favorite weapon.
Again.
Nobody was surprised.
Nearby—
Javelin darted between enemies.
Anis firing rockets continuously.
Every explosion benefited from her Explosives enhancement.
The difference wasn't subtle.
The rockets hit harder.
The detonations felt larger.
More violent.
The Level 10 Super Point was already paying dividends.
Elsewhere—
Belfast glided gracefully across the sea.
Ade standing securely upon her rigging.
The Nikke calmly raised her Personal Ion Cannon.
A brilliant beam cut across the water.
A Mirelurk King disappeared.
Instantly.
The remaining creatures wisely ignored Belfast's direction afterward.
Meanwhile—
Atago and Mary fought together.
The cruiser bombarding enemies while the doctor provided support.
Choukai and Pepper operated similarly.
A steady rhythm.
A balanced partnership.
The fleet was beginning to function as a cohesive force.
Not individuals.
Not scattered groups.
A fleet.
Exactly what Yorktown and Enterprise had wanted.
Above them—
Carrier aircraft screamed through the sky.
Enterprise launched strike craft.
Yorktown coordinated reconnaissance through Grim.
Akagi and Kaga deployed wave after wave of aircraft.
including Houshou, Illustrious, and Unicorn.
Under Houshou's gentle guidance, Unicorn was no longer nervous. The light carrier cared for her with a mother's warmth, helping her grow more confident with each passing day.
And Kaguya—
Kaguya simply ignored conventional carrier doctrine.
The Arcane Shipgirl launched magical fighter jets.
Aircraft composed of mana and arcane energy.
Bombs of pure magical force rained upon the sea.
Explosions lit up the battlefield.
The flagship's Intelligence-heavy build was already showing results.
Every spell hit harder.
Every magical construct lasted longer.
Every bombardment became more devastating.
Yuu watched the data.
Then whistled.
"That Intelligence build is scaling already."
Yuuki nodded.
"She's going to be terrifying at higher levels."
The scientist immediately agreed.
Meanwhile—
The sea continued churning.
More enemies appeared.
Larger enemies.
Stronger enemies.
But for the first time since entering the training dimension—
The fleet wasn't reacting.
They were controlling the battle.
Directing it.
Shaping it.
And as thousands of Mirelurks fell beneath cannon fire, missiles, electricity, lasers, and miniature nuclear weapons—
The Mirelurk Queen finally began to take notice.
Far deeper within the bay.
Something enormous stirred beneath the water.
And the ocean itself began to move.
Eventually—
The battlefield fell silent.
The lesser Mirelurks were gone.
The hatchlings were gone.
The Mirelurk Hunters were gone.
Even the Mirelurk Kings had been hunted down.
Floating shells and shattered carapaces covered the water around the fleet.
Smoke drifted across the bay.
The sea itself had become a graveyard.
The fleet slowed.
Weapons remained ready.
Everyone knew this wasn't over.
Not yet.
Because one marker remained.
One enormous marker.
The tactical display zoomed in.
The Mirelurk Queen.
Level 20.
The final enemy within the bay.
Deep beneath the water.
Waiting.
Kaguya's tails swayed as she observed the tactical display.
The flagship calmly reviewed everyone's status.
No major injuries.
Plenty of ammunition.
Four Nuclear Strike Beacons remained.
The fleet was ready.
Very ready.
Then—
The water began to rise.
Not from waves.
Not from tides.
The entire bay started moving.
A deep rumbling echoed beneath the ocean.
The surface twisted unnaturally.
Massive currents appeared from nowhere.
Yorktown frowned.
"That's not normal."
Enterprise nodded.
The carrier immediately enlarged the sensor data.
Then her eyes narrowed.
"It's controlling the water."
At that moment—
The ocean exploded.
A gigantic creature burst from beneath the bay.
Water erupted hundreds of feet into the sky.
The fleet immediately scattered.
A colossal shell emerged.
Massive claws.
Towering armored plates.
A grotesque crowned head.
The Mirelurk Queen rose from the depths.
Its health bar appeared.
MIRELURK QUEEN
LEVEL 20
HP: 700,000 / 700,000
The room collectively blinked.
Then blinked again.
That was a lot of health.
The Queen shrieked.
The sound echoed across the entire bay.
Then the water answered.
Huge waves began forming around her.
Not natural waves.
Controlled waves.
Directed waves.
The Queen raised one claw.
A wall of seawater surged toward the fleet.
"Kaguya!"
Yorktown warned.
The flagship had already reacted.
"Formation Delta!"
The fleet moved instantly.
Destroyers accelerated.
Cruisers repositioned.
Carriers gained distance.
The giant wave crashed through the area where they had been moments before.
The ocean exploded.
Several Nikkes stared.
"Okay."
Anis looked at the Queen.
"I hate this one."
Nobody disagreed.
The Queen's greatest weapon wasn't her claws.
Or her armor.
Or her health.
It was the battlefield itself.
The ocean obeyed her.
The water beneath them twisted.
Whirlpools formed.
Currents shifted.
Massive geysers erupted without warning.
The entire bay had become hostile.
Kaguya immediately understood.
"This boss controls terrain."
Enterprise nodded.
"Which means standing still is death."
The Queen demonstrated immediately.
Several towering water spears erupted upward.
The attacks narrowly missed Belfast and Ade.
The Royal Maid calmly changed course.
"That was rather rude."
Ade fired her Personal Ion Cannon in response.
The beam struck the Queen directly.
The damage registered.
But not much.
The Queen's armor was impressive.
Very impressive.
Then—
The monster submerged.
Everyone froze.
"Where did it go?"
Neon asked.
The answer arrived immediately.
The ocean beneath Nimi exploded upward.
The Queen burst from below.
A gigantic claw slammed toward them.
Nimi accelerated instantly.
The destroyer's enhanced Agility saved both of them.
The claw missed by mere meters.
Neon immediately retaliated.
"FIREPOWER!"
A mini nuke launched.
The Queen took the explosion directly to the face.
The resulting detonation covered half her head.
The Queen did not appreciate it.
At all.
The monster shrieked again.
More water surged.
More currents formed.
More waves rose.
The entire bay became increasingly dangerous.
Back at the Command Post—
Yuuki watched quietly.
Then nodded.
"Good."
Yuu looked at him.
"Good?"
The commander pointed toward the fleet.
"They're adapting."
The scientist followed his gaze.
He was right.
Nobody was panicking.
Nobody was waiting for instructions.
Yorktown was coordinating reconnaissance.
Enterprise was directing fire support.
Kaguya was commanding formations.
The cruisers were protecting their assigned Nikkes.
The destroyers were handling mobility.
The carriers maintained air superiority.
They were solving the battle themselves.
Exactly as he had wanted.
Back on the battlefield—
The Queen emerged once more.
Its massive form towering over the fleet.
The monster opened its jaws.
A concentrated torrent of water erupted outward.
The attack cut through the sea like a laser.
The fleet scattered.
Then returned fire.
Missiles.
Cannons.
Lasers.
Rockets.
Aircraft.
Magic.
The battle for the bay had truly begun.
And unlike the Behemoth—
The Mirelurk Queen intended to fight back.
The Mirelurk Queen immediately proved why she ruled the bay.
Unlike the Ultracite Titan.
Unlike the Behemoth.
This boss controlled the battlefield itself.
Every attempt to approach her directly ended the same way.
Towering waves.
Violent currents.
Water spears.
Whirlpools.
The ocean obeyed her commands.
Takao attempted the first close-range assault.
The heavy cruiser accelerated across the water.
Sword drawn.
Ready to strike.
Then an entire wall of seawater rose before her.
The wave crashed down.
Takao was forced to retreat immediately.
Moments later—
Mary stood atop Atago's rigging, using the heavy cruiser's stable platform to fire at the Mirelurk Queen while Atago maneuvered from another direction.
The Queen answered by creating a spinning vortex beneath her.
The cruiser escaped.
Barely.
Even Eugen, supported by Rapi standing atop her rigging, and Hipper, with Cocoa riding on her rigging, discovered the same problem.
The closer they got—
The more violent the ocean became.
Eventually everyone reached the same conclusion.
The Mirelurk Queen didn't want anyone close.
And she was very good at ensuring that.
Back among the fleet—
Kaguya studied the battlefield.
The flagship's eyes followed the movement of the water.
Then the attack patterns.
Then the currents.
The Queen wasn't simply attacking.
She was creating a defensive perimeter.
A moving fortress made entirely from water.
Enterprise noticed the same thing.
"We don't need to approach her."
The carrier folded her arms.
Yorktown nodded.
"If she wants distance."
A smile appeared.
"We'll give her distance."
The fleet immediately adapted.
Hit-and-run tactics.
Long-range bombardment.
Constant movement.
Never remain stationary.
Never approach directly.
Attack.
Retreat.
Reposition.
Attack again.
The strategy worked.
Very well.
Carrier aircraft attacked from above.
Bombers released payloads.
Fighter jets strafed repeatedly.
Missiles descended from the sky.
The Queen retaliated.
But aircraft were much harder to trap.
Meanwhile—
Destroyers became harassment units.
Javelin raced around the battlefield with Anis providing rocket support, while Nimi maneuvered alongside Neon as the energetic Nikke searched for opportunities to unleash more "firepower."
Launching attacks before retreating.
The Queen could never properly target them.
Their enhanced Agility and Sprint upgrades were paying off.
The cruisers provided sustained fire.
Cannons.
Lasers.
Missiles.
The Nikkes joined in.
Rapi calmly emptied magazine after magazine into weak points exposed by carrier strikes.
Ade's ion cannon repeatedly punched through armored sections.
Anis launched so many rockets that even Javelin lost count.
And Neon—
Neon continued solving problems with miniature nuclear weapons.
"FIREPOWER!"
Another mini nuke crossed the battlefield.
The Queen took the explosion directly across her shell.
Water erupted skyward.
The damage was significant.
Not devastating.
But significant.
Neon looked pleased.
Very pleased.
Back at the Command Post—
Yuu reviewed the combat logs.
Then raised an eyebrow.
"The hit-and-run strategy is working."
Yuuki nodded.
The fleet had figured it out themselves.
No instructions.
No intervention.
No commander guidance.
They had observed.
Adapted.
Then countered.
Exactly as veterans should.
The commander smiled.
"They're learning."
Meanwhile—
The Queen's health steadily declined.
Not quickly.
But steadily.
Every successful strike chipped away at her defenses.
Every bombing run landed.
Every missile mattered.
Every mini nuke hurt.
The Queen roared.
The ocean surged again.
But this time—
The fleet wasn't trying to fight the water.
They were fighting around it.
Like hunters surrounding a giant beast.
Slowly.
Methodically.
Wearing it down.
Kaguya observed the battlefield from above.
Her magical aircraft continued launching attack runs.
Her Intelligence-heavy build allowed her to manage multiple squadrons simultaneously.
The flagship nodded.
Satisfied.
The strategy was working.
The Queen remained dangerous.
Very dangerous.
But for the first time—
The fleet had seized control of the pace of battle.
And the Mirelurk Queen was slowly realizing that despite controlling the ocean—
She was losing the war.
The strategy continued evolving.
The Mirelurk Queen controlled the ocean.
So the fleet stopped trying to fight her on her terms.
Instead—
They turned the battle into a siege.
A floating siege.
Kaguya was the first to recognize it.
"Good carriers, pray maintain thy pressure from the heavens above."
Immediately aircraft formations shifted.
Yorktown's squadrons began conducting reconnaissance-guided strikes.
Enterprise coordinated bombing runs.
Akagi and Kaga launched wave after wave of aircraft.
"Ahahahahaha!"
Akagi's delighted laughter echoed across the battlefield as her bombers descended once more.
"Run, little Queen. Struggle all you like."
Her crimson eyes gleamed with excitement as explosions blossomed across the Mirelurk Queen's shell.
Beside her, Kaga merely smirked.
The expression carried the quiet arrogance of a predator looking down upon prey.
"Pathetic."
Another squadron launched from her rigging.
"As if something like this could challenge us."
To Kaga, the Mirelurk Queen was already beneath her.
Houshou directed support squadrons while keeping Unicorn's formation protected.
"Steady now, steady now~"
The light carrier smiled as her bombers released their payloads.
A series of explosions erupted across the Queen's shell.
Houshou nodded approvingly.
"A direct hit."
Nearby, Unicorn watched nervously as her own aircraft approached the target.
"U-Unicorn Squadron... attack..."
Her bombers released their bombs.
Several detonations blossomed across the Mirelurk Queen's back.
When the damage numbers appeared, Unicorn's eyes widened.
"We did it..."
Then a small smile appeared.
"Good job, everyone."
Illustrious maintained air cover and interception duties.
The Royal carrier observed the bombardment with elegant composure.
"My, what a troublesome creature."
Her aircraft descended moments later.
Bombs fell in perfect formation.
The resulting explosions rolled across the Queen's armored shell.
Illustrious covered her mouth with a gentle smile.
"How lovely."
The sky became crowded with aircraft.
Bombs continuously fell upon the Queen.
Every successful strike drew reactions across the carrier line.
Yorktown calmly tracked the impacts.
"Bombs on target."
Enterprise watched another formation score direct hits.
"Maintain pressure."
Akagi laughed softly as explosions engulfed part of the Queen's body.
"Oh my~"
Kaga simply nodded.
"Effective."
Above the battlefield, wave after wave of aircraft continued their assault.
The Mirelurk Queen roared in frustration as bombs rained from the heavens.
Missiles followed.
Then more bombs.
Then more missiles.
The Queen's control over the sea meant very little against enemies attacking from above.
The giant creature roared.
Water pillars erupted upward.
Several aircraft were forced to evade.
But there were simply too many targets.
Too many attack vectors.
Too many bombs.
Meanwhile—
Kaguya made a decision.
The Arcane Shipgirl dismissed her magical fighter wings.
The aircraft dissolved into streams of mana.
Several girls blinked.
Then Kaguya's rigging transformed.
Massive armor plates materialized.
Gigantic cannons emerged.
Arcane energy flowed through engraved Sakura patterns.
The ocean beneath her trembled.
The flagship had switched roles.
From Super Carrier.
To Super Battleship.
Even Wales looked impressed.
"My."
The battleship smiled.
"Now that is a proper gun platform."
Kaguya grinned.
"Then let us bombard her together."
The next moment—
The ocean exploded.
BOOOOOOM!
Wales fired first.
A shell crossed the bay.
The impact rocked the Queen's shell.
Then Kaguya answered.
Arcane artillery roared.
Massive mana-infused shells descended from above.
The explosion that followed illuminated the entire battlefield.
The Queen screamed.
Several armored plates shattered.
Back at the Command Post—
Yuu enlarged the damage numbers.
Then enlarged them again.
Then a third time.
"Those aren't battleship guns."
Yuuki looked over.
"No."
The commander nodded.
"They're siege weapons pretending to be battleship guns."
The scientist immediately agreed.
Meanwhile—
The frontline shifted.
The Nikkes.
Cruisers.
And destroyers.
Became the distraction force.
Exactly as intended.
Takao skimmed across the waves.
Drawing attention.
Atago and Mary attacked from another direction.
Eugen and Rapi bombarded exposed joints.
Hipper and Cocoa targeted vulnerable sections of armor.
Javelin darted around the battlefield while Anis unleashed rockets nonstop.
Nimi maneuvered unpredictably.
Which unfortunately encouraged Neon.
The Nikke immediately launched another mini nuke.
"FIREPOWER!"
The Queen turned.
Focused entirely on Neon.
Which was exactly what Enterprise wanted.
"Now."
The carrier pointed.
"Bombardment group, fire."
The sky disappeared beneath explosives.
Carrier strikes.
Arcane artillery.
Battleship shells.
Missiles.
The Queen was struck from every direction simultaneously.
The monster could stop close-range attacks.
She could manipulate water.
She could create waves.
Whirlpools.
Water spears.
But she couldn't stop everything.
Not at once.
Especially not with dozens of attackers drawing her attention.
The strategy worked.
Every time she focused on the fleet—
The carriers punished her.
Every time she focused on the carriers—
The destroyers and cruisers attacked.
Every time she focused on Neon—
Everyone attacked.
The Queen's health steadily declined.
HP: 620,000 / 700,000
Then—
HP: 560,000 / 700,000
Then—
HP: 510,000 / 700,000
The fleet noticed immediately.
The damage was accelerating.
The Queen's armor was breaking.
Weak points were appearing.
The bombardment strategy was working far better than expected.
Kaguya's tails swayed behind her.
The flagship calmly observed the battlefield.
Then nodded.
Satisfied.
The fleet had figured it out.
Not through overwhelming strength.
Not through special weapons.
Not through Yuuki's help.
Through coordination.
Through adapting.
Through becoming a proper fleet.
The Queen suddenly shrieked.
The entire bay trembled.
The ocean rose higher than before.
Much higher.
The water surrounding her began glowing.
Kaguya narrowed her eyes.
Enterprise did the same.
Yorktown checked the tactical display.
Then everyone's interface flashed red.
WARNING
PHASE TWO INITIATED
The Mirelurk Queen had finally decided to stop holding back.
The warning flashed across every interface.
WARNING
PHASE TWO INITIATED
The ocean surrounding the Mirelurk Queen began glowing blue.
Massive currents spiraled around her.
Whirlpools formed.
Waves rose dozens of meters into the air.
The sea itself appeared enraged.
Several girls instinctively looked toward Yorktown.
Then Enterprise.
Then Kaguya.
Four Nuclear Strike Beacons remained.
The obvious solution was right there.
One beacon.
A huge chunk of health removed.
The battle shortened immediately.
Enterprise had been offered the same option against the Behemoth.
She had refused.
And won.
Now—
Kaguya was being presented with the same choice.
The Arcane Shipgirl watched the Queen.
Watched the glowing ocean.
Watched the massive health bar.
Then smiled.
A competitive smile.
One that immediately worried Akagi.
"Oh dear."
The carrier recognized that look.
Kaguya's tails swayed proudly.
"Nay."
Yorktown blinked.
"No?"
The flagship folded her arms.
"Enterprise did defeat the Behemoth without employing a Nuclear Strike Beacon."
Enterprise raised an eyebrow.
Kaguya nodded toward the Grey Ghost.
"Therefore."
The fox woman smiled.
"Thy flagship shall do likewise."
Akagi immediately groaned.
"You're making this into a competition."
"Aye, forsooth, it is a competition."
Kaguya answered immediately.
The carrier facepalmed.
Nearby—
Enterprise couldn't help smiling.
The challenge had been accepted.
The Queen shrieked again.
The ocean erupted.
Massive water lances crossed the battlefield.
Several destroyers evaded.
Cruisers repositioned.
The battle intensified immediately.
But something else had changed.
The fleet had changed.
Level 14.
Fourteen times stronger than when they entered the training dimension.
Super Points.
Talent upgrades.
Equipment upgrades.
Improved coordination.
The difference was enormous.
And it showed.
The Queen's health began falling faster.
Much faster.
Carrier bombers struck.
Arcane artillery followed.
Wales launched another barrage.
Missiles exploded.
Mini nukes detonated.
The health bar continued dropping.
Back at the Command Post—
Yuu looked at the combat logs.
Then at the timer.
Then back at the combat logs.
"Huh."
Yuuki looked over.
"What?"
The scientist enlarged the damage charts.
"Their damage output is ridiculous now."
The commander immediately saw it.
She wasn't wrong.
The fleet's damage had increased dramatically since fighting the Ultracite Titan.
The difference between Level 10 and Level 20 had felt overwhelming.
The difference between Level 14 and Level 20—
Not so much.
The fleet had begun catching up.
Rapidly.
Meanwhile—
The Queen unleashed another giant tidal wave.
The destroyers scattered.
The cruisers split formation.
The carriers maintained altitude.
Then counterattacked.
Bombers descended.
Missiles launched.
Artillery fired.
The ocean disappeared beneath explosions.
Ten minutes passed.
Only ten.
The Queen roared.
Then roared again.
The health bar updated.
Everyone noticed.
HP: 350,000 / 700,000
Silence.
Then—
Neon blinked.
"Wait."
Anis looked up.
The Nikkes checked the numbers.
Yorktown checked twice.
Enterprise checked three times.
Even Kaguya paused.
Half.
The Queen had already lost half her health.
In ten minutes.
The fleet stared.
Then immediately became excited.
Very excited.
Because everyone realized the same thing.
The Queen wasn't getting stronger.
They were.
Kaguya's smile widened.
The flagship pointed her cannon toward the enormous sea monster.
"Excellent."
Arcane energy gathered around her battleship rigging.
The fox woman's eyes gleamed.
"Press onward. Let the bombardment cease not until yon beast doth fall."
Wales laughed.
The veteran battleship was enjoying herself immensely.
"With pleasure."
Another salvo crossed the ocean.
The Queen shrieked once more.
This time—
The fleet answered with overwhelming firepower.
And for the first time since emerging from the depths—
The Mirelurk Queen looked less like a boss.
And more like a target.
Seeing the opening, the Nikkes and their cruiser partners immediately began attacking with renewed intensity.
Rapi and Eugen focused fire on exposed weak points while Hipper and Cocoa hammered damaged sections of armor.
Anis, racing alongside Javelin, unleashed another barrage of rockets as Takao and Atago charged in from opposite directions, forcing the Queen to divide her attention.
The bombardment only grew heavier as the fleet pressed their advantage.
Nimi and Neon had somehow begun coordinating their attacks.
Nimi would mark weak points with precise rifle fire.
A second later—
"FIREPOWER!"
Neon's rockets and miniature nukes would slam directly into those locations.
The resulting explosions were far more effective than either expected.
Nearby, Pepper and Choukai worked together seamlessly.
Choukai's accurate naval gunfire exposed damaged sections of the Queen's armor while Pepper provided support and suppressive fire, ensuring the cruiser could continue attacking without interruption.
Soda and Avrora formed another surprisingly effective pair.
Avrora's elegant barrages disrupted the Queen's movements while Soda enthusiastically followed up with concentrated attacks whenever an opening appeared.
Even Atago and Mary had settled into a rhythm.
Atago drew the Queen's attention with daring hit-and-run assaults while Mary remained close enough to provide support whenever needed, allowing the heavy cruiser to fight far more aggressively than usual.
The combined pressure from every formation steadily increased.
Carriers bombarded from above.
Battleships unleashed artillery salvos.
Cruisers and destroyers harassed from every direction.
The Nikkes poured continuous fire into every exposed weakness.
The Queen found herself under attack no matter where she turned. Ade and Belfast immediately began targeting any critical weak points exposed by the bombardment, their precise attacks striking vulnerable sections whenever carrier bombs or artillery fire cracked the Queen's armor. Every critical hit further accelerated the monster's decline.
The Mirelurk Queen screamed.
A sound of rage.
Of pain.
Of frustration.
Everywhere she turned—
Enemies.
Above.
Aircraft.
Below.
Cruisers.
To the flanks.
Destroyers.
Further away.
Battleships.
The Queen found no safe direction.
No respite.
No opportunity to recover.
Every exposed weakness was immediately punished.
Every mistake amplified.
Ade and Belfast had become particularly troublesome.
The Royal Maid's precision was terrifying.
The moment carrier bombs shattered armor—
Belfast struck.
The moment artillery cracked a shell plate—
Ade's ion cannon followed.
Critical hit after critical hit appeared across the combat logs.
The Queen's condition steadily worsened.
Then—
The health bar crossed a threshold.
HP: 175,000 / 700,000
Twenty-five percent.
The bay suddenly went silent.
For half a second.
Then every interface flashed crimson.
WARNING
PHASE THREE INITIATED
The fleet immediately tensed.
The ocean beneath them exploded.
Not waves.
Not currents.
The sea itself erupted.
Massive columns of water burst skyward.
Entire whirlpools formed simultaneously.
The bay transformed into a disaster zone.
The Mirelurk Queen shrieked.
The sound physically shook the air.
Then—
The water answered.
Thousands of tons of seawater rose into the sky.
Everyone froze.
Even Kaguya.
Even Enterprise.
Even Yorktown.
Because the Queen was no longer simply controlling water.
She was weaponizing the entire bay.
"Oh."
Anis stared upward.
"That's bad."
Nobody disagreed.
The suspended water condensed.
Compressed.
Hardened.
Then launched.
Hundreds of water lances descended simultaneously.
The battlefield erupted.
Explosions of water surrounded the fleet.
Several destroyers were forced to evade.
Cruisers scattered.
Even carrier aircraft were forced into emergency maneuvers.
The Queen had finally become a proper raid boss.
Backline support immediately became critical.
"Shields!"
Yorktown shouted.
Akashi was already moving.
The repair ship raised both hands.
"Nyaa! Everyone stay still for a second!"
Green energy surged outward.
Protective barriers expanded across the fleet.
Damaged shields immediately began recovering.
Beside her—
Vestal activated her own support systems.
"Damage control active!"
Repair energy spread through the formation.
Shield values climbed.
Armor integrity stabilized.
The fleet weathered the attack.
Then—
Another volley arrived.
This time Mary and Pepper responded.
Both nurses activated their support systems simultaneously.
Healing beams crossed the battlefield.
Golden streams of energy connected to damaged allies.
Mary stood atop Atago's rigging.
Calm.
Focused.
Professional.
"You're fine."
The healing beam intensified.
Nearby damage indicators disappeared.
Pepper mirrored her efforts from Choukai's rigging.
The younger nurse worked just as hard.
Restoring shields.
Keeping the frontline operational.
The support division had officially entered the battle.
And immediately proved their value.
Meanwhile—
The carriers never stopped attacking.
Not for a moment.
Enterprise narrowed her eyes.
The Grey Ghost raised her bow.
Light gathered.
Then condensed.
Brilliant arrows materialized.
One.
Three.
Five.
Ten.
The carrier released them.
The arrows crossed the sky like comets.
Each struck a vulnerable section already exposed by previous bombardments.
The Queen shrieked.
Yorktown followed immediately.
Bomb bay doors opened.
Payloads released.
Dozens of bombs descended.
Explosions rolled across the Queen's body.
Akagi laughed.
Kaga smirked.
Houshou maintained support.
Unicorn pushed herself harder than before.
Illustrious coordinated aerial coverage.
The skies remained firmly under carrier control.
Below—
Kaguya refused to retreat.
The flagship stood atop the ocean.
Arcane artillery blazing.
The fox woman's tails danced behind her.
A grin spread across her face.
Phase Three wasn't discouraging her.
It was doing the opposite.
"Aha."
The flagship laughed.
A genuine battle laugh.
The kind warriors made when confronted by a worthy challenge.
"So this is thy true strength."
Arcane energy surged through her rigging.
The massive cannons glowed.
The ocean trembled.
"Excellent."
Another artillery salvo erupted.
Wales laughed beside her.
The veteran battleship looked equally excited.
"Now this feels like a proper boss."
Together—
They opened fire again.
The Queen answered with another catastrophic wave attack.
The fleet answered with overwhelming bombardment.
The battle entered its final stage.
And neither side intended to back down.
Phase Three became a war of attrition.
The Mirelurk Queen unleashed everything she had.
The ocean itself had become her weapon.
Tidal waves.
Water lances.
Whirlpools.
Entire sections of the bay rose and collapsed under her command.
Yet the fleet refused to yield.
Every formation continued attacking.
Every shipgirl continued maneuvering.
Every Nikke continued firing.
The Queen's health steadily declined.
HP: 150,000 / 700,000
Then—
HP: 120,000 / 700,000
Then—
HP: 90,000 / 700,000
The monster began thrashing violently.
Its attacks grew more desperate.
More erratic.
More destructive.
The bay was rapidly turning into a disaster zone.
And then—
Neon decided subtlety had failed.
"FIREPOWER!"
The Nikke opened her inventory.
One mini nuke.
Then another.
Then another.
Everyone looked over.
Then immediately realized what she was doing.
"Oh no."
Rapi sighed.
Again.
Neon ignored her.
The Fat Man launcher fired.
BOOOOOM!
A miniature mushroom cloud erupted across the Queen's shell.
Before the smoke cleared—
Another mini nuke followed.
BOOOOOM!
Then another.
BOOOOOM!
The battlefield vanished beneath explosions.
The Mirelurk Queen screamed.
Entire sections of her armor shattered.
Water erupted skyward.
The fleet stared.
Neon had stopped conserving ammunition entirely.
Every remaining mini nuke flew toward the boss from on top of Nimi's rigging.
One after another.
A continuous chain of nuclear detonations.
Even Anis looked impressed.
"Okay."
The Nikke blinked.
"That's actually awesome."
At the same time, the Bulins landed staggering blows. With no terrain available to anchor her drills, Purin simply charged the Mirelurk Queen head-on, striking directly with her twin drills. Beside her, Kurin delivered a powerful slam with her massive hammer, sending a shockwave through the battlefield.
Meanwhile—
Volt Auto Rifles opened fire.
Laser Rifles followed.
Laser Chain Guns spun continuously.
Ade's Personal Ion Cannon repeatedly struck exposed weak points.
Belfast maintained perfect precision.
Yorktown coordinated targets.
Enterprise directed bombardments.
Everyone activated the Heroic Mode of their Echo Suits. Power surged through the advanced armor as weapon systems received a significant boost in damage output, their HUDs lighting up with enhanced targeting data and combat analytics.
At the same time, they engaged Overdrive Mode. To an outside observer, the effect lasted only five seconds. However, the Echo Suit accelerated the user's perception and thought processes to such an extent that those five seconds felt like nearly twenty seconds inside their minds. The world around them seemed to slow to a crawl—bullets drifted through the air, debris floated lazily, and enemy movements became easier to track.
The ability didn't actually stop time, but it gave them precious moments to analyze threats, adjust their aim, coordinate with allies, and react with superhuman precision. In a battlefield where a single mistake could be fatal, those extra seconds of perception often meant the difference between victory and defeat.
They had already experienced just how useful it was during the battle against the Mirelurk Queen, using the heightened perception to identify and target the creature's vulnerable soft spots with far greater accuracy. The memory of those successful shots only reinforced their confidence as they prepared to face another deadly opponent.
The Queen found no relief.
No escape.
No opportunity to recover.
Then—
Kaguya stopped firing.
The flagship became still.
Very still.
Several girls noticed.
Arcane energy began gathering around her rigging.
Not a little.
A lot.
An enormous amount.
The massive cannons along her super battleship rigging began glowing.
Golden.
Then violet.
Then brilliant white.
The surrounding ocean started trembling.
Wales immediately looked over.
Then widened her eyes.
"Oh."
The veteran battleship quickly accelerated away.
"That seems rather dangerous."
Yuuki looked up from the command post.
Then immediately sat forward.
Yuu did the same.
Both scientists recognized what was happening.
"Kaguya."
The commander muttered.
"She's charging everything."
The amount of mana gathering around the fox woman became absurd.
Her tails danced wildly behind her.
Arcane symbols rotated around her position.
The sea beneath her glowed.
The air itself distorted.
The fleet instinctively moved aside.
Nobody wanted to be in front of whatever she was preparing.
Not even Akagi.
And Akagi usually volunteered for dangerous ideas.
The Queen sensed the threat.
Immediately.
The monster turned.
Focused entirely on Kaguya.
Water gathered.
The entire bay answered.
A massive tidal wall rose.
The largest attack yet.
The Queen intended to stop her.
Kaguya smiled.
A calm smile.
A confident smile.
The smile of a flagship who had already decided the outcome.
"Enterprise."
The fox woman spoke softly.
The carrier looked over.
"Yes?"
Kaguya's eyes never left the Queen.
"Thank thee for setting the standard."
Enterprise immediately understood.
A small smile appeared.
"Finish it."
The charging finally completed.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
Then—
Kaguya pointed her main cannon.
Directly at the Mirelurk Queen.
Arcane energy erupted.
A beam of pure light crossed the bay.
No.
It crossed everything.
The ocean split.
The tidal wave vanished.
The water beneath the beam evaporated instantly.
The Queen never had time to react.
The colossal laser punched through her shell.
Through her armor.
Through her body.
Through everything.
For several seconds—
The beam continued.
A pillar of destruction connecting sea and sky.
Then it ended.
Silence followed.
The fleet stared.
The ocean steamed.
A perfectly straight line had been carved across the battlefield.
At the center—
The Mirelurk Queen remained motionless.
A massive hole pierced completely through her body.
The health bar flickered.
HP: 0 / 700,000
MIRELURK QUEEN ELIMINATED
The giant monster collapsed.
The ocean shook.
The Queen slowly sank beneath the water.
Defeated.
Finally.
The battlefield erupted into cheers.
The fleet had done it.
Again.
Without a Nuclear Strike Beacon.
Without outside intervention.
Through teamwork.
Through growth.
Through sheer firepower.
Back at the center of the fleet—
Kaguya swayed.
Once.
Twice.
Then nearly fell.
The laser had worked.
Perfectly.
The problem was—
It had consumed everything.
Every reserve.
Every drop of mana.
Every ounce of magical energy she possessed.
The flagship was completely exhausted.
Her Arcane Reactor nearly empty.
The fox woman looked toward the sinking Queen.
Then smiled weakly.
"Ah..."
One of her tails drooped.
Then another.
Then all ten.
"I may have overdone it..."
Before promptly collapsing backward.
Fortunately—
Several nearby shipgirls lunged forward.
"Kaguya!"
Akagi was the fastest.
The carrier caught the exhausted fox before she could fall into the water.
Kaga arrived a moment later, immediately supporting Kaguya's other side.
The Arcane Shipgirl's rigging dissolved into particles of light.
The gigantic cannons vanished.
The overwhelming mana pressure disappeared.
Leaving behind only a very exhausted fox woman.
Kaguya blinked slowly.
Her tails lay limp behind her.
A sight few had ever witnessed.
The fox looked up.
Then smiled weakly.
"Akagi."
The carrier immediately looked away.
"Hmph."
Kaguya's smile widened.
"Art thou worried for this wife?"
"N-No."
Akagi answered far too quickly.
The denial was immediate.
And entirely unconvincing.
Kaga looked at her sister.
Then decided to make things worse.
As usual.
"Akagi-neesama is worried."
Silence.
Then—
"Kaga!"
The carrier immediately exploded.
The fox's ears twitched furiously.
Her face turned slightly red.
Kaguya laughed softly despite being exhausted.
"Aha..."
Her tails swayed weakly.
"How adorable."
"Stop saying that."
Akagi grumbled.
The carrier still refused to let go.
Which only made Kaga's expression become even more amused.
Nearby—
The rest of the fleet had gathered around.
Many were still celebrating.
Others were inspecting the enormous hole that had once contained a Mirelurk Queen.
The ocean itself still steamed.
The aftermath of Kaguya's final attack remained visible.
A perfectly carved scar across the bay.
The fleet couldn't stop staring.
Especially one particular Nikke.
Neon.
The silver headed Nikke stood completely frozen.
The Fat Man launcher hung forgotten at her side.
Her eyes sparkled.
Not normal sparkles.
Dangerous sparkles.
The kind usually reserved for exceptionally large explosions.
Slowly—
Very slowly—
She turned toward Kaguya.
Then toward the giant hole in the ocean.
Then back toward Kaguya.
The realization hit.
The Fat Man launcher?
Firepower.
Mini nukes?
Firepower.
Kaguya's gigantic reality-breaking laser cannon?
Ultimate firepower.
Neon immediately pointed.
"Kaguya!"
The fox blinked.
"Yes?"
Neon looked genuinely emotional.
"You are amazing."
Kaguya tilted her head.
The Nikke pointed dramatically toward the horizon.
"That."
She pointed toward the giant scar left across the ocean.
"Was the greatest firepower I have ever seen."
Several Nikkes immediately laughed.
Anis wasn't even surprised.
"Here we go."
Rapi rubbed her forehead.
Neon had already made her decision.
Again.
The Nikke rushed forward.
Ignoring everyone else.
Ignoring the celebration.
Ignoring common sense.
"Kaguya is my favorite now."
Silence.
Then—
Akagi froze.
Kaga blinked.
Yorktown laughed.
Enterprise looked away to hide a smile.
The fox carriers immediately looked toward Neon.
"You changed favorites again?"
Anis asked.
"Yes."
"That was fast."
"Did you see the giant laser?"
Anis considered it.
Then nodded.
"Fair."
The argument was unfortunately difficult to refute.
Neon folded her arms proudly.
"Mini nukes are good."
The Nikke pointed toward Kaguya.
"But giant laser cannons are better."
Kaguya immediately looked pleased.
Very pleased.
Even in her exhausted state.
Her tails attempted to wag.
Managed halfway.
Then gave up from lack of mana.
The fox woman smiled anyway.
"Thou hast excellent taste."
"Right?"
Neon nodded enthusiastically.
The two somehow understood each other perfectly.
Which worried everyone.
Especially Rapi.
Back at the Command Post—
Yuuki watched the scene unfold.
Then sighed.
Yuu looked over.
"What?"
The commander pointed toward Neon and Kaguya.
The scientist followed his gaze.
Then immediately understood.
"Oh."
Yuuki nodded.
"We lost another one."
The scientist laughed.
The fleet had gained levels.
Defeated another boss.
Earned another victory.
And somehow—
Neon had acquired a new firepower idol.
Some things never changed.
The celebration continued as the fleet's interfaces suddenly flashed.
New notifications appeared.
MIRELURK QUEEN ELIMINATED
LEVEL UP
LEVEL UP
The cheers somehow became even louder.
The celebration only grew louder.
Then the interfaces updated.
Again.
LEVEL UP
LEVEL UP
Everyone blinked.
Then immediately checked their status screens.
A collective gasp followed.
"Level sixteen?"
Javelin stared.
"We gained two more levels!"
Nimi checked her interface twice.
Then a third time.
The numbers remained.
LEVEL 16
The entire raid had leveled up.
Again.
The girls immediately became excited.
Until another notification appeared.
SUPER UPGRADE POINTS AVAILABLE: 2
Silence.
Then confusion.
Yorktown blinked.
"Wait."
Enterprise frowned.
"That doesn't seem right."
Kaguya looked up despite being carried by Akagi and Kaga.
"Should we not receive these every ten levels?"
Then Yuuki's voice came through the communication channel.
"Oh, that?"
The fleet immediately looked toward the holographic projection floating above the supply platform.
The commander looked mildly embarrassed.
"It was a configuration error."
The girls stared.
"A what?"
Yuu sighed from beside him on the projection.
"Someone configured the interval incorrectly."
The commander pointed upward.
"JARVIS fixed it."
The AI immediately answered.
"Correction completed."
Yuuki nodded.
"You were always supposed to receive a Super Upgrade Point every five levels."
Silence.
Then—
The fleet exploded.
"WHAT?!"
Akashi nearly fainted.
More Super Points.
More permanent upgrades.
The girls immediately opened their interfaces.
Again.
Nobody even pretended to wait.
The spending began instantly.
Yorktown increased Tactical again.
Enterprise did the same.
Her battlefield awareness expanded noticeably.
Neon immediately invested more into Explosives.
Of course she did.
Anis followed.
Also unsurprising.
Belfast improved Reload.
Ade improved Quick Aim.
Takao increased Agility.
Atago chose Reload again.
The destroyers focused heavily on Sprint and Agility.
The Nikkes diversified their builds.
Meanwhile—
Kaguya ignored everyone.
Again.
The fox woman immediately poured both points into Intelligence.
No hesitation.
No consideration.
No debate.
Just Intelligence.
The attribute immediately increased again.
The Arcane Shipgirl's interface updated.
Several new bonuses appeared.
Most notably—
Mana regeneration.
The fox woman's eyes widened.
"Oh."
Kaguya immediately smiled.
The Arcane Reactor within her body began recovering energy significantly faster.
Even after draining herself completely.
Mana was already returning.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Thirty percent faster than before.
The flagship looked extremely satisfied.
Akagi wasn't surprised.
"Of course she put everything into Intelligence."
Kaga nodded.
"Expected."
Kaguya looked very pleased with herself.
Nearby—
The fleet also gained two normal Talent Points and two Upgrade Points.
The spending resumed.
Skills improved.
Attributes increased.
Passive bonuses strengthened.
The fleet continued growing stronger.
And everyone could feel it.
Literally.
They felt stronger.
Faster.
More durable.
More capable.
Level 16 felt dramatically different from Level 14.
Eventually—
A yellow crate descended from the sky.
An Orca transport delivered it directly onto the ocean.
Instead of sinking—
The crate unfolded.
Large platforms expanded outward.
Creating a floating supply station.
The fleet immediately cheered.
"Supplies!"
The girls quickly gathered around.
Ammo replenishment.
Drinks.
Food.
Snacks.
Medical supplies.
Everything they needed.
Many immediately deactivated their riggings.
Others powered down Nikke combat modes.
The floating platform quickly became a temporary rest area.
Some sat.
Others sprawled across the deck.
Several simply collapsed where they stood.
Two hours of nonstop boss fighting was finally catching up to them.
Neon lay flat on her back.
Fat Man launcher beside her.
The Nikke stared at the sky.
"I think I'm too tired to beat another boss."
Nobody argued.
The silver-haired Nikke looked genuinely exhausted.
"The other two are robots."
She shuddered.
"Robots with guns."
Anis sat nearby.
Massaging her shoulders.
"Yeah."
The Nikke groaned.
"My body hurts."
She looked at her rocket launcher.
Then looked away.
"I can't even run anymore."
Rapi sat quietly beside Eugen.
The usually composed Nikke looked tired herself.
The battle against the Mirelurk Queen had been exhausting.
The red-haired woman looked toward the tactical display hovering above the platform.
Only two bosses remained.
EN06 Guardian.
Liberty Prime.
Both robots.
Both Level 20.
Both heavily armed.
Both terrifying.
Rapi sighed.
"We have an hour until dinner."
The Nikke looked toward Yuuki's projection.
Then toward the remaining bosses.
Then back toward the exhausted fleet.
Her expression became skeptical.
"Can we even defeat the robots?"
For the first time all day—
The fleet wasn't overflowing with confidence.
The Guardian had six hundred thousand health.
Liberty Prime was even worse.
And unlike previous bosses—
Both were designed specifically for war.
The girls suddenly began wondering if Level 16 was enough.
Meanwhile—
Yuuki simply smiled.
A smile that immediately worried everyone.
Especially Yuu.
"Oh no."
The scientist recognized that smile.
The commander folded his arms.
Then enlarged the tactical display floating above the ocean.
"Good news."
The fleet immediately became suspicious.
"Whenever you say that, it's never good news."
Enterprise muttered.
Yuuki ignored her.
"The robots don't have phases."
Several girls looked relieved.
Then—
The commander continued.
"They just keep getting angrier."
The relief immediately disappeared.
"Commander."
Yorktown sighed.
"That's not helping."
The fleet groaned collectively.
Which only made Yuuki laugh.
"Okay, I can give you a stupid idea."
Yuuki suddenly laughed.
The exhausted girls immediately looked up.
That sentence alone was enough to make everyone nervous.
Even Yuu narrowed her eyes.
"Oh no."
The scientist already knew that tone.
Yorktown folded her arms.
"What kind of stupid idea?"
Yuuki enlarged the tactical map.
The icons for EN06 Guardian and Liberty Prime appeared.
Then he drew a line between them.
A very suspicious line.
The fleet stared.
The commander grinned.
"Why don't you aggro Liberty Prime and make it fight EN06 Guardian?"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then—
The entire platform exploded.
"WE CAN DO THAT?!"
Neon nearly fell off the platform.
"We could do that all this time?!"
Anis stared in disbelief.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Javelin pointed at the map.
"We can make bosses fight each other?!"
Yuuki shrugged.
"Sure."
The commander looked entirely unapologetic.
"They hate everything."
Enterprise slowly rubbed her forehead.
"We have spent hours fighting bosses."
Yuuki nodded.
"Correct."
"And you're only telling us now?"
"Also correct."
The fleet collectively groaned.
Akagi looked personally offended.
"Shikikan-sama!"
"What?"
"You withheld valuable information."
The commander laughed.
"I never said the bosses couldn't fight each other."
Several girls immediately began imagining Liberty Prime punching EN06 Guardian.
The image was surprisingly appealing.
Then Yuuki raised a finger.
"However."
The room immediately quieted.
"If you do that, you girls won't improve your teamwork."
That stopped them.
The commander folded his arms.
"You wanted levels."
Another point.
"You wanted experience."
Another.
"You wanted to become stronger yourselves."
The fleet slowly nodded.
Yuuki smiled.
"So the easy solution isn't necessarily the best one."
The room became thoughtful.
Even Neon.
For approximately three seconds.
Then the commander pointed toward the remaining objectives.
"If you defeat both bosses yourselves. Plus, this is the easiest solution for you to gain four levels and an upgrade point."
The girls immediately sat up.
Even Laffey opened both eyes.
"Four levels?"
Akashi's eyes became credits.
Enterprise's eyes became determination.
Neon's eyes became explosions.
Then—
Something descended from the sky.
An Orca transport.
A small container detached.
Parachutes deployed.
The object slowly landed on the platform.
Everyone stared.
The container opened.
Inside rested a single metallic beacon.
Much larger than the Nuclear Strike Beacons.
The words engraved on its side caused several girls to blink.
ION CANNON BEACON
Yuuki smiled.
"Oh."
The commander pointed.
"There's also that."
The fleet immediately looked between the beacon and the commander.
Then back at the beacon.
Then back at the commander.
Anis pointed.
"That's an Ion Cannon Beacon."
"Correct."
Yorktown pointed at the four remaining Nuclear Strike Beacons.
"And we still have these."
"Correct."
The fleet slowly turned toward the tactical map.
Then toward the remaining bosses.
Then toward the Ion Cannon Beacon.
Then toward the Nuclear Strike Beacons.
Then back toward the bosses.
The possibilities were becoming increasingly dangerous.
Yuuki looked entirely too pleased.
"Activation code is 80085."
Silence.
Then Yuu covered her face.
Enterprise sighed.
Yorktown sighed.
Belfast sighed.
Rapi sighed.
Kaga sighed.
Even Akagi sighed.
"Commander."
Yorktown spoke in the tone of someone who already knew the answer.
"Could you not think of a better password?"
Yuuki looked genuinely confused.
"I think it's memorable."
The entire platform groaned.
The commander laughed.
Then pointed toward the tactical display.
"I'll leave the decision to you girls."
The hologram began fading.
Before disappearing completely, Yuuki smiled.
"I trust you'll figure something out."
The projection vanished.
Leaving behind—
Four Nuclear Strike Beacons.
One Ion Cannon Beacon.
Two angry robot bosses.
And a fleet that suddenly realized they possessed far more options than they had thought.
Yorktown slowly looked toward the Ion Cannon Beacon.
Then toward the Nuclear Strike Beacons.
Then toward Enterprise.
Then toward Kaguya.
The flagship looked back.
A very dangerous silence settled over the platform.
Because every single girl had just started thinking of increasingly destructive plans.
=============
Back at the Command Post, Yuuki was enjoying a rare moment of peace.
A cup of tea rested on the table before him.
Yuu sat opposite him with her own cup while reviewing several floating schematics.
Arisa stood nearby in perfect maid posture.
Nayuta lounged in her chair, observing the battlefield feed projected across the room.
Meanwhile, Esche and Oberis had completely occupied an entire muffin.
The tiny fairies sat on top of it as though it were a sofa.
Occasionally taking bites from their own seat.
Neither appeared to see anything strange about this arrangement.
Yuuki glanced at them.
Then at the battlefield.
Then back at the muffin.
"...Should I be concerned?"
"Nay."
Yuu answered immediately.
"They've been doing that for weeks."
The commander accepted the explanation without question.
There were simply some mysteries he had stopped trying to solve.
Instead, he focused on the countless holographic displays surrounding him.
The fleet's battle was only occupying a small corner of his attention.
The majority of his focus was elsewhere.
The Unily Formula.
Three lifetimes.
One hundred years.
A problem that had finally been solved.
Now came the fun part.
Application.
Entire sections of the Chronosphere Mark IV blueprints floated before him.
Thousands of calculations continuously updated.
Support powers.
Superweapons.
Power distribution.
Range limitations.
Synchronization systems.
Everything was being rewritten.
Every few moments another section would turn green.
Approved.
Validated.
Ready for implementation.
Yuu watched one of the displays.
Then another.
Then another.
Even she looked impressed.
"You've already integrated eighty percent of the formula."
"Ninety-three."
Yuuki corrected.
The scientist blinked.
"When?"
The commander took another sip of tea.
"During the girls' fight with the Mirelurk Queen."
Yuu stared.
Nayuta stared.
Arisa stared.
Even Esche paused eating.
"...Thou didst all that during the boss fight?"
Yuuki nodded casually.
The room fell silent.
Yuu eventually sighed.
"Sometimes I forget why people call you a monster."
"I prefer genius."
"Monster."
The answer came from everyone.
Even Arisa.
Yuuki looked betrayed.
Meanwhile, another schematic completed itself.
The projection shifted.
A massive structure appeared.
The Chronosphere Mark IV.
Unlike its predecessor, the new version looked dramatically different.
More efficient.
More compact.
Far more powerful.
Yuu enlarged the simulation.
Then widened her eyes.
"A single unit?"
"One."
"A single Chronosphere can cover the entire planet now?"
"With room to spare."
The scientist stared at the display.
The previous design required a global network.
Dozens of linked structures.
Enormous logistical requirements.
Now—
One.
A single Chronosphere.
The implications were staggering.
Yuuki zoomed out.
The simulation expanded.
Earth appeared.
Then the Moon.
A glowing line connected them.
Nayuta immediately sat up.
"Verily."
The clone pointed.
"Is that which I believe it to be?"
Yuuki smiled.
"If I change a few variables."
The line expanded.
A portal formed.
Earth.
Moon.
Direct connection.
No spacecraft.
No travel time.
Just a doorway.
The room became quiet.
Even Yuu stared.
The commander looked toward the simulation.
Toward the future.
Toward the possibilities.
Then smiled.
"When we return home."
The projection shifted again.
The outer districts of the Citadel appeared.
The commander highlighted a large section.
"The first thing I'm building is a Chronosphere."
The structure materialized.
Towering.
Massive.
Powerful.
A centerpiece for the future GDI network.
No longer a prototype.
No longer a theory.
A reality.
The result of three lifetimes of failure.
And one conversation about a roller coaster.
Yuu slowly lowered her tea.
"You know."
The scientist shook her head.
"If anyone asks how you solved a century-old problem..."
Yuuki already knew where this was going.
"...I'm not telling them the answer involved Unicorn imagining a roller coaster."
Nayuta immediately laughed.
"Marry, 'tis a tale none wouldst believe."
Arisa hid a smile.
Even Esche and Oberis giggled.
"Forsooth, the unicorn maiden hath altered the course of history."
Esche declared proudly.
"Aye, and all through visions of a wheeled contraption."
Oberis added between bites of muffin.
Yuuki simply drank his tea.
Some discoveries were too ridiculous to explain.
And somehow—
Those were always the ones that changed the world.