High above the clouds, far beyond the sight of ordinary ships and aircraft, the Mother Whale soared across the skies.
Massive.
Ancient.
Relentless.
Its enormous silhouette cast a shadow across the sea below as it continued its journey toward a distant Rapture-controlled stronghold.
Around it flew four Class III escort battleships.
Each one maintained precise formation.
Never drifting.
Never slowing.
Their engines glowed faintly against the clouds as they guarded their charge.
Unlike the Mother Whale itself, the escorts were warships first and transports second.
Their hulls bristled with weaponry.
Missile batteries.
Heavy cannons.
Point-defense systems.
Railguns.
Everything remained on standby.
Waiting.
Ready to activate the moment a threat appeared.
The Mother Whale itself seemed almost peaceful from afar.
A colossal metallic leviathan gliding through the heavens.
Yet beneath that illusion rested enough firepower to devastate entire battlefields.
Hundreds of missile launchers lined its armored body.
Automated gun batteries continuously tracked the skies.
Massive railgun emplacements rested folded along its wings.
Silent.
Dormant.
For now.
Inside its armored interior, thousands of Raptures occupied maintenance decks, storage chambers, deployment bays, and defensive corridors.
A mechanical army waiting for orders.
Waiting to be unleashed.
Deep within the vessel's heavily secured sectors, sixteen prisoners remained under constant watch.
Eleven Shipgirls.
Five Nikkes.
Each isolated from the outside world.
Each believing rescue might never come.
Their transport was nearing completion.
Soon they would arrive at their destination.
A fortified Rapture facility where further study, experimentation, and data extraction awaited.
Among all prisoners, one individual received special treatment.
Not out of mercy.
Not out of respect.
But because she was valuable.
Extremely valuable.
Nayuta's original body remained confined within a separate section of the Mother Whale.
Far removed from the others.
Far more heavily protected.
The Raptures required her intact.
Her memories.
Her knowledge.
Her research.
The information contained within her mind was considered too important to risk damaging.
As a result, security around her chamber was unlike anywhere else aboard the vessel.
Additional guardians.
Additional monitoring systems.
Additional defensive layers.
Every precaution had been taken.
Everything was proceeding according to the Raptures' calculations.
The prisoners would arrive.
The data would be extracted.
The operation would continue.
The Mother Whale flew onward.
Silent.
Unchallenged.
Unaware.
Because somewhere beyond the horizon—
A fleet was already moving to intercept it.
And for the first time since their capture—
Someone was coming.
Someone who intended to take every last prisoner home.
The Mother Whale simply did not know it yet.
==============
Deep within the Mother Whale's armored interior, far beyond the detention sectors and deployment bays, lay a chamber that few Raptures were permitted to enter.
Unlike the rest of the vessel, this room wasn't designed for transport.
It was designed for containment.
At its center floated a massive spherical capsule.
Layers of energy barriers surrounded it.
Scanning arrays continuously monitored it.
Defensive systems remained active around the clock.
Suspended within the containment sphere was a lone figure.
Nayuta.
Motionless.
Silent.
Yet despite months of captivity, countless scans, and repeated attempts at intrusion—
The Raptures had gained almost nothing.
Suddenly, a holographic projection materialized inside the chamber.
A female figure emerged from crimson static.
Most of her body was covered in a dark, ichor-like substance.
Only portions of her abdomen remained visible beneath the living armor.
Massive metallic clamps floated behind her like predatory limbs.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier with her presence.
The hologram studied the containment sphere.
Then smiled.
A dangerous smile.
"Finally."
Her gaze remained fixed upon Nayuta.
"To think this one was actually slippery enough to evade us for so long."
One of the Heretic operators monitoring the chamber immediately responded.
"Target remains secured."
The holographic woman nodded.
Then gestured toward the sphere.
"Any access to her brain yet?"
The Heretic paused.
Then shook her head.
"None."
The answer immediately soured the woman's mood.
"She anticipated intrusion."
Several holographic displays appeared.
Defensive algorithms.
Encrypted neural barriers.
Artificial cognitive firewalls.
Layer after layer after layer.
The Heretic continued.
"Multiple countermeasures remain active."
"Every attempt at direct extraction has failed."
The woman clicked her tongue.
"Damn."
Her eyes narrowed.
For a moment she simply stared at the suspended captive.
Then she waved dismissively.
"No matter."
Her voice carried absolute confidence.
"There's nothing we can't eventually extract."
The Heretic nodded.
The processing power of the Raptures was effectively limitless.
Time was on their side.
Or so they believed.
The woman turned away from Nayuta's containment sphere.
"What about the other prisoners?"
Several windows appeared.
Images of shipgirls.
Images of Nikkes.
Prisoner status reports.
Transfer schedules.
Psychological evaluations.
The Heretic responded immediately.
"Transport remains on schedule."
The woman smiled.
A cold smile.
"Good."
She folded her arms.
"Once the Mother Whale reaches the continent, move them to the rehabilitation center."
The word rehabilitation carried an unsettling tone.
Neither mercy nor treatment.
Only conversion.
Only control.
The Heretic nodded.
"Acknowledged."
The woman looked over the displayed profiles.
Shoukaku.
Zuikaku.
Hiryuu.
Souryuu.
Pennsylvania.
Arizona.
Centaur.
Albion.
Friedrich der Große.
Hindenburg.
Mecklenburg.
Then the Nikkes.
Emma.
Eunhwa.
Vesti.
Privaty.
Velvet.
Her smile widened.
"Amusing."
The hologram drifted closer to the displays.
"Shipgirls."
A pause.
"Imagine successfully converting them."
The Heretic remained silent.
The woman continued.
"Heretic Shipgirls."
The thought seemed to genuinely entertain her.
"Now that would be interesting."
The chamber fell silent once more.
The containment sphere continued humming.
The security systems continued operating.
The Mother Whale continued flying.
Everything remained under control.
Everything remained according to plan.
Neither the holographic woman nor the Heretic noticed the irony.
==============
Suddenly—
WARNING. WARNING. WARNING.
The calm within the Mother Whale vanished instantly.
Red lights flooded the command deck.
Alarms echoed throughout the colossal vessel.
Every tactical display shifted.
Every sensor operator immediately looked toward their screens.
The Heretic frowned.
"What now?"
A moment later—
One of the operators froze.
Then another.
Then another.
The entire command room fell silent.
"Impossible..."
A tactical officer stared at the sensor feed.
The Heretic immediately stepped forward.
"Report."
The operator swallowed.
Then enlarged the image.
Far below the Mother Whale—
Space distorted.
Reality rippled.
Seven massive signatures suddenly appeared where moments before there had been nothing.
No approach vectors.
No long-range detections.
No warning.
Just—
There.
Materialized.
The tactical display zoomed in.
The Mother Whale.
Four escort battleships.
And below them—
Seven gargantuan warships.
The Heretic's eyes narrowed.
Then widened.
Because she recognized the crest immediately.
The Diving Eagle.
The same insignia appearing again.
The same faction.
The same anomaly.
The same enemy that kept appearing where it shouldn't.
The same enemy responsible for multiple unexplained losses.
"Them..."
Her voice darkened.
Around the command room, several operators became visibly nervous.
Because unlike the Heretic—
They remembered the reports from the sirens.
Entire facilities erased.
Captured assets stolen.
Operations compromised.
And every report ended the same way.
Unknown hostile faction.
Diving Eagle insignia detected.
The Heretic slowly smiled.
Not fear.
Excitement.
Pure excitement.
"So."
Her eyes remained fixed on the display.
"You finally decided to show yourselves."
The seven ships maintained formation.
Unmoving.
Defiant.
Directly beneath the Mother Whale.
No attempt to hide.
No attempt to flee.
The Heretic laughed softly.
A dangerous sound.
"They actually have the courage to engage the Mother Whale itself."
Several operators exchanged nervous glances.
Meanwhile, the woman's smile widened further.
Most enemies ran.
Most enemies hid.
Most enemies died.
These ones?
They came directly for her.
As one of the Four Beasts among the Heretics—
She welcomed the challenge.
The massive holographic display reflected within her crimson eyes.
"Interesting."
Very interesting.
She had wanted answers.
Now the answers had come to her.
Wrapped in steel.
Wrapped in arrogance.
Wrapped in warships.
The woman leaned forward.
Her gaze locked upon the insignia of the diving eagle.
Then she smiled.
Predatory.
Hungry.
"I was wondering when we would meet."
The command deck remained silent.
Everyone could feel it.
That dangerous mood.
The excitement of a predator spotting prey.
Unfortunately for them—
The feeling was mutual.
The Heretic pointed toward the enemy formation.
"Focus fire."
Immediately, every operator moved.
Targeting systems activated.
Missile batteries came online.
Railgun capacitors began charging.
Across the Mother Whale's vast body, weapon systems awakened one after another.
The four escort battleships followed suit.
Hundreds of targeting markers appeared.
All aimed toward the newly arrived fleet.
The Heretic's smile never faded.
"Destroy them."
A pause.
Then her eyes gleamed.
"And have the drones salvage whatever remains."
The command deck acknowledged immediately.
"Acknowledged."
Outside—
The skies themselves seemed to tense.
Seven GDI warships.
One Mother Whale.
Four escort battleships.
Thousands upon thousands of Raptures.
And somewhere deep inside the massive vessel—
Sixteen prisoners unknowingly waited.
The battle for the Mother Whale had officially begun.
The Heretic's order was carried out instantly.
The four escort battleships reacted first.
Massive weapon batteries mounted along their undersides rotated into firing position.
Target locks confirmed.
Missile pods opened.
Heavy cannons aligned.
Below them, the Mother Whale itself began to awaken.
Deep within its colossal frame, power surged toward its primary weapons.
The two enormous rail cannons mounted along its wings slowly pivoted downward.
Energy readings skyrocketed.
Capacitors charged.
The surrounding air distorted.
Even the operators on the command deck could feel the sheer power being gathered.
One shot.
That was all it would take.
One direct hit would erase entire fleets.
The Heretic smiled.
"No matter what tricks they possess..."
Her gaze remained fixed on the seven GDI vessels.
"They still have to survive this."
"Rail cannon charge at sixty percent."
"Missile batteries online."
"Primary batteries ready."
"Rapture drone wings deployed."
Thousands of missile tubes opened across the Mother Whale's armored body.
The escort battleships joined them.
A storm of death prepared to descend.
"Fire."
The command echoed across the fleet.
Immediately—
The skies erupted.
Missiles launched.
Cannons thundered.
Energy weapons flashed.
Entire swarms of Rapture drones surged forward.
A tidal wave of firepower descended toward the seven warships.
The command deck watched.
Waiting for impact.
Waiting for explosions.
Waiting for wreckage.
Then—
Something happened.
A sensor operator froze.
"Wait..."
The incoming barrage never reached its targets.
The Heretic frowned.
"What?"
The tactical display suddenly lit up.
Below the seven ships—
A new signature appeared.
Then expanded.
And expanded.
And expanded.
Until it enveloped the entire formation.
A massive barrier materialized around the fleet.
Not energy.
Not plasma.
Not crystal.
Something else.
The operator's eyes widened.
"Unknown defensive system detected!"
The missiles struck first.
Hundreds of detonations erupted across the shield's surface.
Yet the barrier remained unmoved.
Then came the heavy artillery.
The impacts rippled across its surface.
Still nothing.
The drone swarm slammed against it.
The shield held.
Perfectly.
As if the attacks had never existed.
The Heretic stepped forward.
Her smile fading.
"What is that?"
The operator rapidly analyzed the readings.
Then looked horrified.
"Material composition unknown."
Another operator interrupted.
"No."
Several scans appeared simultaneously.
The command room fell silent.
Because all of them showed the same result.
"Nanoscale mechanical constructs."
The Heretic's eyes widened.
Nanomachines.
The barrier wasn't generated.
It was built.
Millions.
Billions.
Perhaps trillions of microscopic machines constantly forming and reforming an adaptive defensive wall around the fleet.
Every impact was instantly redistributed.
Every breach immediately repaired.
Every attack analyzed and countered.
The impossible shield continued to endure.
The missile barrage ended.
The artillery barrage ended.
The drone assault ended.
The barrier remained untouched.
For the first time since the battle began—
The Heretic stopped smiling.
Because the entire attack force had just been halted.
Not weakened.
Not slowed.
Stopped.
Completely.
Far below—
The seven warships continued advancing.
Unaffected.
Unharmed.
As if daring the Mother Whale to try again.
And somewhere aboard the Daedalus—
Yuuki merely watched the tactical display.
The Nanoswarm Protocol had activated.
The Mother Whale's opening barrage had been completely neutralized.
Then—
A new feed appeared on every screen aboard the Mother Whale.
The source was the largest of the seven hostile vessels.
The central command carrier.
The flagship.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
Then the deck began to move.
Entire armored sections shifted apart.
Massive blast shutters retracted.
Layer after layer of protection folded away.
Something hidden beneath the deck was emerging.
The Heretic frowned.
"What is that?"
The command deck zoomed in.
The weapon slowly rose from within the carrier.
Gigantic.
Far larger than any naval cannon.
Far larger than any railgun they had ever encountered.
The barrel alone stretched across a significant portion of the flight deck.
Power conduits thicker than vehicles connected directly into the vessel's core.
Every sensor immediately focused on it.
Scanning.
Analyzing.
Comparing.
Nothing.
No match.
No records.
No database entry.
No Siren archive.
Nothing.
The operators exchanged nervous looks.
"We have no identification."
"No corresponding weapon profile."
"No known technological equivalent."
The Heretic's expression darkened.
Then warning indicators began appearing.
One.
Then ten.
Then hundreds.
Power readings surged.
The unknown weapon began charging.
Blue lightning erupted across its surface.
Energy arced between massive superconductive rings.
The surrounding air distorted.
Clouds around the carrier evaporated.
Every sensor aboard the Mother Whale immediately screamed warnings.
"Energy spike detected!"
"Readings still increasing!"
"It's not stopping!"
The Heretic's eyes widened.
Even she could feel something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The weapon continued charging.
Brighter.
Brighter.
Brighter.
Until the barrel itself seemed to become a miniature sun.
Then—
It fired.
The sky exploded.
A colossal orange beam erupted from the weapon.
Not a laser.
Not plasma.
Not anything the Raptures could identify.
A concentrated torrent of destruction crossed the distance between fleets almost instantly.
The beam slammed directly into the Mother Whale's left rail cannon.
For one brief moment—
Nothing happened.
Then the entire cannon detonated.
Armor hundreds of meters thick ruptured outward.
Shielding vaporized.
Internal ammunition stores ignited.
Secondary explosions raced through the weapon assembly.
The massive rail cannon simply ceased to exist.
A fireball erupted across the Mother Whale's left side.
Shockwaves rolled across its hull.
The command deck shook violently.
Several operators were thrown from their stations.
The Heretic stared.
Disbelief.
Actual disbelief.
"What the hell is that weapon?!"
Her voice echoed across the bridge.
Immediately every available processing unit began searching.
Databases.
Archives.
Captured technology.
Siren intelligence.
Ancient records.
Nothing.
No results.
No matches.
No explanation.
The unknown weapon simply did not exist within their records.
That frightened the operators more than the cannon itself.
The Heretic slammed her hand against the command console.
"Take it out!"
The tactical display immediately highlighted the command carrier.
"TAKE IT OUT!"
Every surviving weapon aboard the Mother Whale began retargeting.
Missiles.
Cannons.
Drone formations.
Everything shifted toward the carrier.
But before a second volley could even be launched—
The weapon began charging again.
Blue lightning returned.
Even more violent than before.
The command deck fell silent.
Nobody needed to ask.
Nobody needed to guess.
The targeting prediction appeared automatically.
Projected Impact Point:
Mother Whale Right Rail Cannon
The Heretic's expression changed completely.
Because she suddenly realized something.
The enemy wasn't attacking randomly.
They weren't testing the weapon.
They were systematically dismantling the Mother Whale.
One critical component at a time.
And there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop the second shot.
The weapon continued charging.
Blue lightning crawled across the carrier's hull.
Entire clouds evaporated around the barrel.
The energy output was now exceeding the readings of the first shot.
Warning sirens screamed throughout the Mother Whale.
"Impact prediction confirmed!"
"Target remains the starboard rail cannon!"
"Attempting evasive correction!"
The Heretic immediately barked orders.
"Move it!"
Massive thrusters along the Mother Whale's body ignited.
The colossal flying fortress attempted to alter its heading.
But it was too late.
Far too late.
The weapon had already locked on.
The giant barrel glowed white.
Then orange.
Then a color the sensors couldn't properly identify.
The command deck shook as every warning system aboard the vessel overloaded simultaneously.
Then—
The cannon fired.
The heavens split apart.
A beam of incandescent destruction erupted from the flagship.
The atmosphere itself screamed.
The orange lance crossed the battlefield in an instant.
No travel time.
No opportunity to react.
No chance to evade.
The Mother Whale's starboard rail cannon was struck directly at its base.
For a single heartbeat—
The enormous weapon remained intact.
Then cracks appeared.
Hundreds of them.
Thousands.
They raced across the entire structure like fractures in glass.
Armor hundreds of meters thick began glowing from within.
The beam wasn't merely destroying the cannon.
It was melting its internal structure faster than the cooling systems could react.
"Structural failure detected!"
"Containment collapse!"
"Power feedback!"
The operators shouted over one another.
The Heretic could only watch.
The beam punched completely through the rail cannon.
Then continued onward.
Carving through internal support structures.
Power conduits.
Ammunition chambers.
Capacitor banks.
Everything in its path ceased to exist.
Then the entire weapon exploded.
Not detonated.
Exploded.
The starboard rail cannon tore itself apart from the inside.
Armor plates the size of buildings launched into the sky.
Superheated debris scattered across kilometers of airspace.
Secondary explosions erupted throughout the Mother Whale's upper hull.
Fire raced through maintenance sections.
Power systems overloaded.
Entire sections of the weapon assembly broke away and fell into the ocean below.
The shockwave alone rocked the colossal vessel.
The Mother Whale lurched violently.
Several operators were thrown against their consoles.
Others crashed onto the deck.
Emergency bulkheads sealed automatically.
Damage reports flooded every screen.
The beam finally dissipated.
Leaving behind only destruction.
Where the right rail cannon had once stood—
There was now a smoking crater.
Twisted metal.
Burning wreckage.
And a gaping hole through multiple layers of armor.
The Mother Whale's second primary weapon was gone.
Completely.
Silence filled the command deck.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The tactical display updated automatically.
PRIMARY RAIL CANNON — DESTROYED
SECONDARY RAIL CANNON — DESTROYED
LONG-RANGE STRATEGIC WEAPON CAPABILITY — LOST
The Heretic stared at the screen.
The impossible had happened.
Both of the Mother Whale's main guns had been eliminated within minutes.
Not by a fleet.
Not by a siege.
Not by overwhelming numbers.
By a single weapon.
A weapon that did not exist in any database.
A weapon that should not exist.
Below them, the massive carrier slowly retracted its cannon.
As though dismantling two strategic weapons was merely routine.
The Heretic clenched her fists.
For the first time since the battle began—
She stopped viewing the Diving Eagle as prey.
And began viewing it as a genuine threat.
The command deck was still reeling from the loss of both rail cannons when every communication channel aboard the Mother Whale suddenly activated.
The transmission cut through alarms.
Through warnings.
Through chaos.
A calm male voice echoed throughout the fleet.
The Mother Whale.
The escort battleships.
Every Rapture drone.
Every command station.
Every speaker.
Every screen.
"This is Commander Yukihira of the Daedalus Command Carrier."
The bridge fell silent.
The Heretic's eyes narrowed.
The voice continued.
"You are defeated."
Silence.
Then—
The Heretic laughed.
Not from humor.
From defiance.
"DEATH IS NO DISGRACE!"
Her voice thundered throughout the command deck.
The operators immediately resumed their work.
Missiles were reloaded.
Drone wings repositioned.
Targeting systems recalibrated.
They still had numbers.
They still had firepower.
They still had four escort battleships.
Then one operator looked up.
His face drained of color.
"The weapon..."
The Heretic immediately turned.
The carrier's massive cannon was charging again.
Blue lightning erupted across the sky.
Energy arcs danced between the colossal focusing rings.
Even after destroying two strategic rail cannons—
The weapon was ready to fire again.
The realization sent a chill through the bridge.
"No..."
The Heretic immediately understood.
It wasn't targeting the Mother Whale.
The targeting prediction rapidly updated.
Target Locked.
Escort Battleship One.
The Heretic slammed her fist into the console.
"Get those battleships out of there!"
The escorts immediately attempted evasive maneuvers.
Thrusters ignited.
Formation broke.
Massive flying warships tried desperately to scatter.
But the cannon had already completed its firing sequence.
Too late.
Far too late.
The heavens flashed orange.
The weapon discharged.
The beam crossed the battlefield instantly.
No warning.
No opportunity to evade.
No chance to survive.
Escort Battleship One was struck amidships.
For a brief moment—
The gigantic vessel remained intact.
Then the center of the battleship simply vanished.
The beam punched completely through it.
Armor.
Bulkheads.
Reactor sections.
Hangars.
Everything disappeared.
The vessel folded around the wound.
Its front half separated from its rear.
Explosions erupted throughout the interior.
Fuel reserves ignited.
Missile magazines detonated.
Entire sections of the ship tore themselves apart.
The battleship broke in half.
Then both halves exploded.
A massive fireball blossomed across the clouds.
Debris scattered for kilometers.
Burning wreckage rained into the ocean below.
The tactical display updated instantly.
ESCORT BATTLESHIP ONE — DESTROYED
The bridge fell silent once more.
One shot.
One kill.
Again.
The Heretic stared at the burning remains.
The realization finally settled in.
The enemy wasn't merely stronger than expected.
They were systematically dismantling her fleet.
One ship.
One weapon.
One target at a time.
And the cannon was already beginning to charge for a fourth shot.
Three escort battleships remained.
The orange glow returned beneath the Diving Eagle flagship.
And every operator aboard the Mother Whale knew exactly what that meant.
Someone else was about to die.
The remains of the first escort battleship tumbled from the sky.
Burning.
Broken.
Dying.
Its shattered hull spun helplessly through the clouds as secondary explosions continued erupting along its frame.
Entire sections tore away.
Engines failed.
Armor plates detached and spiraled into the ocean below.
Then the wreckage struck the sea.
The impact sent a towering column of water hundreds of meters into the air.
For a brief moment, everyone aboard the Mother Whale watched.
Watched one of their strongest escorts vanish beneath the waves.
Then panic returned.
"The weapon is charging again!"
Every sensor on the bridge immediately focused on the Diving Eagle flagship.
Blue lightning once again danced across the colossal cannon.
The energy readings climbed.
Higher.
Higher.
Higher.
The Heretic slammed both hands against the command console.
"Move!"
Her voice echoed across every communication channel.
"GET OUT OF THERE!"
The remaining escort battleships immediately broke formation.
Massive thrusters roared to life.
The three surviving vessels scattered in different directions.
Attempting to force a targeting error.
Attempting to escape.
Attempting anything.
But the targeting prediction appeared almost instantly.
ESCORT BATTLESHIP TWO
Target Locked.
"No..."
One of the operators whispered.
The cannon reached full charge.
The clouds surrounding the flagship evaporated.
The barrel glowed with blinding orange light.
Then—
It fired.
The heavens flashed.
A beam of incandescent destruction erupted across the battlefield.
The second escort battleship attempted a desperate evasive turn.
Too slow.
Far too slow.
The beam struck directly beneath the vessel.
The lower hull simply disappeared.
Armor designed to withstand orbital bombardment vaporized instantly.
The beam continued upward.
Through hangars.
Through ammunition stores.
Through reactor compartments.
Through command decks.
Straight through the heart of the ship.
For a split second—
The vessel remained suspended in the sky.
Then every internal compartment exploded simultaneously.
Fire burst from every window.
Every breach.
Every seam.
The battleship expanded outward like a dying star.
Then tore itself apart.
The bow separated first.
Then the stern.
Then the central hull fragmented into dozens of burning pieces.
A chain reaction raced through the ship.
Missile magazines detonated.
Power cores overloaded.
Entire weapon systems launched into the sky before exploding.
The escort battleship ceased to exist.
A massive fireball illuminated the clouds.
Debris scattered across kilometers of airspace.
Burning fragments rained toward the ocean.
The tactical display updated.
ESCORT BATTLESHIP TWO — DESTROYED
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The Heretic stared at the screen.
Two shots.
Two battleships.
Gone.
The remaining escorts immediately accelerated away from the flagship.
Fear had finally replaced discipline.
And beneath the Diving Eagle carrier—
The impossible cannon began charging once more.
Only two escort battleships remained.
And everyone aboard the Mother Whale knew exactly which ship the weapon would choose next.
FOCUS FIRE ON THAT DAMN CANNON!!!
Then, rapture jets roared. Cannons. guns all targetting the cannon but it was entirely blocked by the massive shield. A rapture plane even crash on the shield.
Then, the fourth charging begun.
==========
Meanwhile, aboard the Daedalus...
The command bridge remained remarkably calm.
No cheering.
No celebration.
Just professionals watching the tactical display as the F-SPAR Cannon continued dismantling the enemy fleet one target at a time.
Only one person couldn't remain seated.
"WHAT KIND OF FIREPOWER IS THIS?!"
Neon practically bounced in place.
Her eyes sparkled brighter than the cannon itself.
Before anyone could stop her, she actually took a step toward the exit hatch.
"I NEED to kiss that cannon!"
Fortunately—
Anis grabbed one arm.
Rapi grabbed the other.
Together, they barely managed to hold the overly excited Nikke back.
"Let me go!"
Neon struggled dramatically.
"It deserves appreciation!"
"No."
Rapi answered flatly.
"But—"
"No."
Anis sighed.
"You're seriously trying to romance a battleship cannon."
"It's not a cannon!"
Neon protested.
"It's THE cannon!"
Yuuki chuckled before enlarging the tactical display.
"The Steel Dragon Protocol."
Everyone turned their attention toward him.
"The weapon you've just witnessed is the F-SPAR Cannon."
Even Kaguya's eyes remained fixed upon the hologram.
Yuuki continued.
"It only becomes operational while the Nanoswarm Protocol is active."
A second display appeared.
It showed countless microscopic machines flowing around the seven-ship formation.
"The shield protecting us isn't a conventional energy barrier."
"It consists entirely of nanomachines."
The holographic visualization changed.
Enemy missiles struck the shield.
Instead of exploding harmlessly—
Their kinetic energy was absorbed.
Artillery impacts.
Laser strikes.
Explosions.
Everything fed into the same system.
"The Nanoswarm absorbs incoming kinetic force, thermal energy, and a significant portion of hostile firepower."
Blue streams of energy flowed toward the flagship.
"It then distributes that accumulated energy throughout the vessel."
Finally—
The enormous F-SPAR Cannon illuminated.
"Which is how this monster is powered."
Several shipgirls stared silently.
Even Vestal looked impressed.
Yuuki folded his arms.
"For approximately two minutes..."
"The entire fleet becomes nearly untouchable while simultaneously charging the cannon."
"Once those two minutes expire..."
The hologram showed the weapon retracting beneath the flight deck.
"The cannon is automatically stored."
"The Nanoswarm Protocol then requires roughly twenty-four hours before it can be activated again."
Silence.
Finally—
Prince of Wales spoke.
"Every ship..."
She looked toward Yuuki.
"...has this monster?"
Yuuki nodded.
"Yes, Wales."
The answer immediately stunned several people.
"Every capital ship."
"The Daedalus."
"The Zeus-class carriers."
"The Kodiak."
"Even our Ekranoplane."
He pointed toward each vessel on the display.
"Each possesses its own F-SPAR Cannon."
"The only difference is scale."
"The larger the ship..."
"The larger the cannon."
A final image appeared.
The Thermopylae Command Carrier.
Its concealed weapon dwarfed even the Daedalus'.
"And even the Thermopylae possesses one."
Nobody spoke.
For several seconds.
Kaguya finally smiled.
"My..."
The fox shipgirl looked genuinely impressed.
"It rivals my Super Battleship Cannon."
Then she laughed softly.
"I rather like it."
Meanwhile—
Akagi and Kaga remained completely silent.
Neither had spoken since Yuuki began explaining.
Their thoughts had drifted elsewhere.
A week ago.
Orochi.
The battle.
Their confrontation.
Back then—
Yuuki had fought them without using this.
Without the Nanoswarm Protocol.
Without the F-SPAR Cannon.
Without revealing any of it.
Akagi slowly lowered her gaze.
"...Shikikan-sama was holding back."
Kaga nodded quietly.
The realization settled heavily upon both sisters.
Orochi's attacks.
Its overwhelming power.
If Yuuki had activated the Nanoswarm Protocol then...
The shield would have absorbed Orochi's attacks.
Fed that energy directly into the F-SPAR Cannon.
One shot.
That would have been enough.
Not only to destroy Orochi—
But everyone fighting beside it.
Including themselves.
Neither sister felt insulted.
Instead—
They felt relieved.
Because the commander who stood before them had possessed the power to annihilate the battlefield...
Yet had deliberately chosen not to.
Not because he couldn't.
Because he refused to harm them.
Akagi smiled faintly.
"He really did intend to save us..."
Kaga quietly nodded.
"...Without sacrificing anyone."
For the first time since that battle—
Both sisters truly understood just how much Yuuki had restrained himself.
And just how terrifying the Global Defense Initiative's true military strength really was.
The reactions throughout the Daedalus varied greatly.
Those who had never witnessed the F-SPAR Cannon before simply stood frozen.
Speechless.
The sheer destructive power of the weapon defied everything they knew about warfare.
Only a handful remained calm.
Yorktown.
Enterprise.
Belfast.
Atago.
Takao.
Akashi.
And, surprisingly—
The Bulins.
"Bulin!"
"Purin!"
"Kurin!"
The three merely nodded proudly, as though seeing an F-SPAR Cannon dismantle enemy capital ships was perfectly ordinary.
To them—
It was.
Meanwhile, Illustrious remained composed.
Unlike the others, she wasn't watching the tactical display in shock.
She was watching the one responsible.
Illustrious stood at the helm of the Daedalus.
Her gloved hands moved gracefully across the command interface.
Every movement precise.
Every adjustment deliberate.
She calmly directed the Nanoswarm's energy flow.
Charging the F-SPAR Cannon for its third shot.
Not a trace of panic.
Not a trace of excitement.
Only complete concentration.
The bridge remained quiet.
All eyes slowly shifted away from the burning battlefield...
...toward Yuuki.
The realization settled over everyone almost simultaneously.
He possessed enough military power to erase the Mother Whale.
The escort fleet.
Perhaps even an entire battlefield.
Yet...
He never once used that overwhelming strength against those he wished to protect.
Akagi lowered her gaze.
She understood now.
If he had truly intended to defeat Orochi by force...
There would have been no battle.
No struggle.
No desperate fight.
Just one activation of the Nanoswarm Protocol.
One F-SPAR discharge.
Everything would have disappeared.
Including them.
Kaga quietly reached the same conclusion.
The commander standing before them had always possessed overwhelming strength.
The only thing preventing him from using it...
...was his concern for those caught in the blast.
His restraint.
His compassion.
His unwillingness to sacrifice lives merely to achieve victory faster.
Around the bridge, similar thoughts spread among the others.
One by one, they silently reached the same promise.
Never betray his trust.
Never betray this fleet.
Never betray the faction that had accepted them as comrades rather than weapons.
Because if someone with this much power still chose mercy...
Then that trust deserved to be protected.
Suddenly—
A familiar notification appeared before every member of the fleet.
Escort Battleship Destroyed.
Escort Battleship Destroyed.
Mother Whale Rail Cannon Destroyed.
Mother Whale Rail Cannon Destroyed.
Experience Awarded.
Golden light erupted around the bridge.
Around the hangars.
Around every ship linked to the operation.
"Level up!"
Neon shouted.
The familiar warmth surged through everyone's body.
Strength.
Speed.
Endurance.
Everything improved once again.
Level 23.
The operation had only just begun.
Yet the destruction of the Mother Whale's primary weapons and two escort battleships had already pushed the entire fleet another step higher.
Yuuki glanced briefly at the notifications before looking back toward the tactical display.
"Good."
His eyes remained fixed on the battlefield.
The three bars on Illustrious's HUD as she sat on the helm is beeping.
"The third shot is ready, lord commander!"
On the forward deck, the F-SPAR Cannon's blue lightning intensified once more.
Only two escort battleships remained.
And the Steel Dragon Protocol was not finished yet.
The F-SPAR Cannon reached full charge once more.
Blue lightning danced across the massive barrel.
The surrounding clouds were blown apart by the sheer energy gathering at its muzzle.
On the tactical display, the third escort battleship attempted to flee.
Its engines burned at maximum output.
It wasn't enough.
"Fire."
Illustrious calmly confirmed the firing sequence.
The Daedalus shuddered.
Then—
The F-SPAR Cannon discharged.
Another incandescent orange beam tore across the heavens.
The escort battleship barely had time to begin its evasive maneuver before the beam struck its bow.
It pierced straight through the vessel.
Armor melted.
Bulkheads disappeared.
The beam bored completely through the battleship, exiting from the stern in a shower of molten metal.
For a brief second—
The ship continued flying.
Then the reactor compartment erupted.
A chain reaction tore through the entire hull.
Explosions raced from bow to stern.
The massive warship split apart before disintegrating into countless burning fragments.
The remains spiraled toward the ocean below.
The tactical display immediately updated.
Escort Battleship Three — Destroyed
Only one escort remained.
Before anyone could speak—
A warning issued by Jarvis appeared across the bridge.
Unknown signal attempting contact.
Yuuki looked toward the communications officer.
"Connect it."
"Acknowledged."
The main tactical display flickered.
Static filled the screen.
Then the image stabilized.
The familiar figure of the Heretic appeared.
Her crimson eyes burned with fury.
Most of her body remained encased in the dark ichor-like armor that merged seamlessly with the massive metallic clamps behind her.
She glared directly at Yuuki.
"Bastard!"
Her voice echoed across the bridge.
"Stop attacking the Mother Whale!"
Several of the Nikkes immediately recognized her.
"...That's Behemoth."
Neon blinked.
"The same Behemoth from training?"
Yuuki nodded.
"The name is no coincidence."
He folded his arms.
"The Behemoth you fought inside the training dimension was a massive super mutant brute. This one is a Rapture machine woman bearing the same name."
The holographic woman narrowed her eyes.
"So..."
She looked directly at Rapi.
"I didn't expect it was you..."
A smirk spread across her face.
"Red Hood's wannabe."
Several shipgirls looked toward Yuuki.
"Who is she?"
Yorktown asked.
Yuuki frowned slightly.
"...I don't know. This is the first time I've seen a rapture based woman."
That answer alone surprised several of them.
Before anyone else could speak—
Rapi stepped forward.
Her gaze locked onto the hologram.
"Behemoth."
Her voice was steady.
"One of the Four Beasts."
"A high-ranking Heretic."
Images and fragmented combat data began appearing as she spoke, drawn from her own memory.
"Most of her body is covered by an adaptive ichor-like armor that greatly enhances her durability."
"The massive metallic clamps attached to her body serve as her primary weapons."
Rapi's expression hardened.
"She's extremely dangerous. I fought her once and managed to overpower her using Red Hood's power—back when Behemoth had just awakened."
Yuuki glanced at her briefly, then back at the hologram.
Behemoth slowly clapped.
A mocking smile spread across her face.
"Oh..."
She tilted her head.
"So the little Red Hood wannabe remembers me."
The bridge fell silent.
The battlefield continued burning outside.
One escort battleship remained.
The Mother Whale was crippled.
And now—
For the first time—
The commander of the GDI and one of the Four Beasts now faced each other directly.
"Yeah, she did. And I believe you have something that belongs to us."
Behemoth's eyes narrowed.
"Who the hell are you?"
Yuuki gave a slight nod.
"Where are my manners? I am Yuuki, High Commander of the Diving Eagle faction."
"...You're this fleet's commander?"
"No," Yuuki replied calmly. "I'm the commander of the entire faction. And yes—it was my cannon that destroyed your fleet."
He glanced briefly at the tactical display.
"And right now, it's aiming at your fourth battleship."
Behemoth let out a sharp laugh.
"Hahaha... You think you can scare the Raptures? We've already joined forces with the Sirens. Once corruption spreads through shipgirls, your fleet won't stand a chance."
Yuuki remained unfazed.
"That won't be necessary. We already have our own shipgirls."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"And I intend to reclaim the ones inside the Mother Whale as well."
Behemoth tilted her head, amused.
"Then why fight us? Why not join forces like we did with the Sirens? With your technology, we'd be unstoppable."
"What do you say? Do we have a deal? I'm giving a golden oppirtunity to do a great thing for humanity, which I know is your thing."
Yuuki didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he gave a subtle nod toward Illustrious.
She understood instantly.
The F-SPAR Cannon surged with energy once more.
The final shot charged.
Then—
It fired.
The beam tore across the battlefield and struck the fourth escort battleship.
"Bastard!"
"Patience is not my virtue."
Yuuki's voice remained calm.
"And we're not doing this for humanity."
"We never did."
As if on cue, the Nanoswarm Protocol reached its operational limit.
The shimmering nanomachine barrier surrounding the fleet dissolved into billions of microscopic particles before returning to the hulls of their respective ships.
At the same time, the massive F-SPAR Cannon slowly folded back beneath the Daedalus' armored flight deck.
Heavy blast shutters sealed over it.
Its work was done.
Only burning wreckage remained where the escort fleet once flew.
Yuuki folded his arms.
"We simply happen to hate the Raptures and the Sirens."
His eyes met Behemoth's.
"You harmed my Shipgirls."
"You harmed my Nikkes."
"So naturally..."
"We're destroying your forces."
"You've got some nerve!"
Behemoth growled.
Then—
Her crimson eyes drifted across the bridge.
They suddenly froze.
"...Wait..."
Her expression changed.
"...Why..."
Her eyes widened.
"...Why do you have that monster with you?!"
Everyone instinctively turned toward Kaguya.
The ten-tailed fox blinked innocently.
Then smiled.
"Ara..."
She gently covered her lips with one sleeve.
"'Monster' is rather rude."
She leaned comfortably against Yuuki's chair.
"This wife prefers to be called by her name."
Behemoth's composure cracked.
"The First Pillar..."
"The Arcane of the East..."
"The strongest of the Twelve..."
"How the hell did you convince her to join your side?!"
Kaguya tilted her head.
"This wife knows thee?"
"You don't remember?!"
Behemoth almost shouted.
"You annihilated an entire Rapture assault force!"
"You defeated me!"
"If it weren't for this body's regeneration, I would've died!"
Kaguya closed her eyes, genuinely trying to remember.
"Hmm..."
Several long seconds passed.
"Oh..."
She looked back at Yuuki.
"I think I remember."
"Dearest."
"There was... some rather peculiar machine."
She gestured vaguely with one hand.
"Rather large."
"Covered in drills."
"It made quite a dreadful amount of noise."
Behemoth's eye twitched.
"THAT WAS ME!"
"Ah."
Kaguya nodded.
"So it was thee."
She smiled apologetically.
"My apologies."
"I scarcely remember worms."
"I only recalled some odd-looking drilling contraption I encountered ten years ago upon the Arkenian Continent."
Yuuki immediately looked at her.
"You fought a giant tank?"
Kaguya looked puzzled.
"A tank?"
She shook her head.
"Nay, dearest."
"Merely... some curious mechanical thing."
"It attacked."
"So this wife answered."
"A handful of spells later..."
She lightly tapped her chin.
"...the entire construct collapsed."
A tiny sigh escaped her lips.
"It was rather disappointing."
Behemoth clenched her fists.
"You—"
"You arrogant—"
"You whore!"
Kaguya merely smiled.
"Oh?"
She looked Behemoth up and down.
"Perhaps thou art mistaken."
"This wife possesses a beloved husband."
She gently wrapped one fluffy tail around Yuuki's arm.
"Though..."
A playful smile appeared.
"...we have yet to share our first night together."
Yuuki immediately sighed.
"...You really didn't have to tell her that."
Kaguya leaned against his shoulder, utterly unfazed.
"'Twas merely a provocation, dearest."
The bridge fell silent.
Even Behemoth stared blankly for a moment.
Neon slowly leaned toward Anis.
"...Did she just win an argument by flirting?"
Anis scratched her cheek.
"I... think she did."
Rapi simply closed her eyes.
"...That's Kaguya."
Behemoth, meanwhile, looked ready to reach through the screen.
"You...!"
Her voice trembled between rage and disbelief.
"I swear..."
"I'm going to enjoy crushing every last one of you."
Yuuki's expression never changed.
"You're welcome to try."
"But first..."
He glanced toward the tactical display, where the burning remains of the fourth escort battleship were falling toward the sea.
"...you'll have to survive today."
Yuuki watched the burning remains of the fourth escort battleship fall from the sky before looking back at Behemoth's hologram.
"I believe we've concluded our meeting for today."
Behemoth's lips curled into a confident smirk.
"You've had your fun."
She leaned closer to the screen.
"But the Mother Whale is far from finished."
Her crimson eyes gleamed.
"Without that shield of yours..."
She laughed.
"...your fleet is easy pickings."
The communication abruptly terminated.
The hologram dissolved into static.
Almost immediately—
Warning sirens sounded throughout the Daedalus.
"Multiple aerial contacts!"
"Hostile drones deploying!"
The tactical display rapidly filled with red markers.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
Launch bays across the Mother Whale opened simultaneously.
Like a swarm of angry hornets, countless Rapture drones poured from the colossal carrier.
They descended in waves.
Each armed with missile pods, laser emitters, and autocannons.
The sky darkened beneath the sheer number of machines.
"They're launching everything."
Yorktown narrowed her eyes.
"Commander?"
Yuuki remained calm.
His eyes never left the tactical display.
"Illy."
Illustrious immediately understood.
She switched consoles.
"Charging Burst EMP."
Deep within the Daedalus, another hidden weapon system awakened.
Massive capacitor banks began drawing power.
Unlike the F-SPAR Cannon, this system wasn't designed to destroy.
It was designed to silence.
Blue rings of energy formed beneath the Daedalus.
Electric arcs danced across the hull.
The charge continued climbing.
"Eighty percent."
"Ninety."
"Ninety-five."
Illustrious smiled faintly.
"Almost there..."
The surrounding lights dimmed as enormous amounts of power flowed into the emitter.
Then—
"Fully charged."
Yuuki gave a single nod.
"Now."
"Acknowledged."
Illustrious pressed the firing command.
For an instant—
Nothing happened.
Then a brilliant blue pulse erupted from beneath the Daedalus.
The electromagnetic shockwave expanded in every direction.
It crossed the battlefield almost instantly.
The first wave of Rapture drones was caught head-on.
Their glowing optics flickered violently.
Engines sputtered.
Control systems overloaded.
One after another—
The drones simply went dark.
Thousands of machines lost power simultaneously.
Like rain, they began falling from the sky.
The EMP continued expanding.
It washed over the Mother Whale itself.
Across its armored hull, warning lights erupted.
Weapon emplacements froze halfway through their firing cycles.
Missile launchers shut down.
Rotating gun batteries locked in place.
Targeting arrays blinked offline.
Entire sections of the Mother Whale suddenly lost power.
The command bridge erupted into chaos.
"Electromagnetic overload!"
"Primary weapon systems are offline!"
"Fire-control network not responding!"
"Drone control link lost!"
Behemoth slammed a fist into her command console.
"What now?!"
The Heretic stared in disbelief as status reports flooded the bridge.
The Mother Whale hadn't been destroyed.
But for the moment—
It had been blinded.
Deafened.
And disarmed.
Yuuki calmly folded his arms.
"Your move."
The battlefield had shifted once again.
This time—
In the Diving Eagle's favor.
==========
The EMP pulse continued rippling across the battlefield.
Rapture drones dropped from the sky by the hundreds.
The Mother Whale's automated batteries remained silent.
For the first time since the battle began—
The enemy was vulnerable.
Yuuki turned away from the tactical display.
"Hana."
Yorktown immediately looked over.
"The command is yours."
He glanced at the operation timer.
"You have two minutes."
"Begin the aerial sweep."
"Aye, Commander."
Yorktown stepped to the central command console.
Her calm blue eyes swept across the battlefield.
Within seconds, firing solutions and target priorities were already appearing across every allied display.
Her voice rang clearly over the fleet-wide communications network.
"Enterprise. Illustrious."
Both carriers answered instantly.
"Ready."
"Standing by."
"Begin aerial bombardment."
Yorktown highlighted hundreds of anti-aircraft emplacements scattered across the Mother Whale's hull.
"Priority targets are the AA batteries."
"Clear the skies."
She didn't even pause.
"Launch Harbinger Gunships."
The flight deck doors immediately opened.
Six Harbinger Gunships roared into the air.
Three under Enterprise's command.
Three under Illustrious'.
The heavy assault craft accelerated toward the crippled Mother Whale.
Next.
"Sandy."
San Diego saluted enthusiastically.
"Aye, Mum!"
Yorktown smiled faintly.
"Suppress every exposed gun battery."
"Don't give them time to recover."
"Hehe!"
The cruiser grinned.
"Leave it to me!"
Already she was interfacing with the Daedalus weapon systems, redirecting its auxiliary batteries toward fresh targets. Massive railgun arrays along the hull began charging, electromagnetic coils humming as they accelerated tungsten slugs to hypersonic speeds before unleashing them in precise, devastating strikes against exposed sections of the Mother Whale. At the same time, secondary cannon batteries roared to life, firing coordinated salvos of high-explosive shells that hammered weakened armor plates and shattered remaining defensive emplacements.
Yorktown continued.
"Eldridge."
The quiet destroyer looked up.
"...Big zap?"
Yorktown nodded.
"Shoot anything that starts shooting."
Eldridge smiled.
"...Big zap."
Electricity crackled around the tiny destroyer as she interfaced with the Daedalus' Tesla Cannon network. Massive coils along the battleship's hull began to glow, arcs of blue-white lightning dancing between their prongs as Eldridge guided their targeting systems. With a soft hum building into a thunderous roar, the cannons discharged—forks of concentrated lightning lashing out across the battlefield, chaining from one Rapture system to another. Each strike overloaded circuits, detonated weapon mounts, and sent cascading surges through the Mother Whale's crippled defenses, ensuring anything that dared power back online was instantly silenced.
Yorktown shifted to the carrier group.
"Akagi."
"Kaga."
The fox sisters answered together.
"As you command."
"Position both Zeus-class carriers over the primary anti-air sectors."
New waypoints immediately appeared.
"Silence every remaining AA position."
She continued without missing a beat.
"Launch all Firehawks."
"Launch Orcas."
Akagi smiled.
"Understood."
Her eyes flicked toward the Zeus-class carrier beneath her command.
"Battleship configuration. Forward batteries to full readiness."
The massive hybrid vessel responded instantly, its armored plating shifting as heavy naval cannons emerged from concealed housings.
Kaga had already begun issuing launch commands.
"Maintain platform carrier operations. Keep the flight deck active while we engage."
Her voice was calm and precise.
"Firehawks, Orcas—launch in staggered waves. Zeus will provide covering fire."
The hybrid warship roared to life, its dual role fully realized—serving as both a mobile airbase and a frontline artillery platform.
Across the Zeus-class carriers, hangar doors opened.
Mark III Firehawks screamed into the sky.
Behind them came waves of Orca bombers.
Their targets already assigned.
The next command followed immediately.
"Unicorn."
"Houshou."
Both carriers answered at once.
"Ready!"
"We await your command."
Yorktown enlarged another series of targets.
"Commence Orca bombardment."
"Focus on the upper hull."
"Cripple their defensive emplacements before systems recover."
The two carriers acknowledged.
Within moments, additional bomber formations joined the assault—Mark III, Mark IV, and Mark V Orcas roaring into the sky in layered waves, each variant bringing heavier payloads and enhanced targeting systems to the unfolding bombardment.
Finally—
Yorktown turned toward the heavy support vessels.
"Prince of Wales."
"Avrora."
Both commanders straightened.
"Yes?"
"Commence Kodiak bombardment."
The massive Kodiak support ship adjusted its firing solution.
Heavy bombardment batteries rotated toward the Mother Whale.
Its first salvo was already prepared.
Yorktown looked across the battlefield one final time.
Every squad had received their orders.
Every commander knew their objective.
The fleet was moving as one.
Not as scattered factions.
Not as individual shipgirls.
But as a coordinated task force.
She smiled faintly.
"All units."
Her voice carried across every channel.
"Commence Operation Skyfall."
The skies erupted as Yorktown launched dozens of Firehawks Mark III and IVs from the Daedalus, asserting air dominance alongside Akagi.
Harbinger Gunships dove toward the Mother Whale.
Firehawks streaked overhead.
Orca bombers descended in formation.
Kodiak heavy artillery thundered.
San Diego's guns erupted into a relentless storm of shells.
And beneath it all—
The crippled Mother Whale found itself under the full weight of the Diving Eagle's coordinated aerial assault.
"Go, Commander."
Yorktown looked over her shoulder.
A confident smile crossed her face.
"We've got this."
Yuuki returned the smile.
"Thanks, Hana."
He turned away from the tactical display and faced the boarding team already assembled near the Daedalus' forward deployment deck.
"Everyone."
The chatter immediately stopped.
"Our objective hasn't changed."
He enlarged the holographic map of the Mother Whale.
"We're going inside."
A blinking marker appeared within the vessel's central hangar.
"Vergil will Chronoshift us directly into the Mother Whale."
The group nodded.
No one questioned the plan.
Yuuki turned toward Yuu.
"Yuu."
She stepped forward.
Her Mark 49 armor immediately sealed around her body with a series of metallic clicks.
Beside her, the Nayuta clone activated her Echo Suit Mark II.
The golden armor enclosed her moments later.
Yuuki met Yuu's eyes.
"Protect Nayuta until she reaches her original body."
Yuu nodded confidently.
"I won't let anything happen to her."
The Nayuta clone smiled.
"Once I merge with my original..."
She tapped the holographic schematic.
"...the entire Mother Whale will become ours to navigate."
"I'll expose every corridor."
"Every security checkpoint."
"Every prison."
Yuuki nodded.
"Exactly."
"Our attack is only a diversion."
"You two are Priority One."
Without another word—
Yuu wrapped one arm around Nayuta.
Thrusters ignited.
The two shot into the sky like a comet, racing toward the Mother Whale ahead of the main assault.
Perched atop Yuuki's shoulders, Esche and Oberis adjusted themselves comfortably.
The tiny fairies raised their staves.
"We shall assist with magic."
Yuuki smiled.
"Thank you."
The two beamed proudly.
Then Yuuki looked toward another group.
"Neon."
"Nimi."
"Javelin."
"Laffey."
The four immediately stepped forward.
Yuuki gestured toward the massive T-800 Super Hover Tank now powering up behind them.
"The T-800 is yours."
Neon's eyes sparkled.
"I call shotgun!"
Before anyone could argue—
She had already climbed into the gunner's seat.
"Haha!"
"My cannons!"
"They're beautiful!"
Nimi laughed as she climbed into the driver's compartment.
"I'll drive."
Laffey yawned sleepily.
"...Laffey takes side weapons."
Javelin climbed into the command seat.
"I'll handle navigation and battlefield tracking."
The heavy hover tank powered up.
Twin cannons rotated.
EMP launchers cycled.
Swarm missile pods unfolded.
Its engines emitted a deep mechanical hum.
Yuuki nodded approvingly.
"Once Nayuta reconnects with her original body..."
He enlarged the schematic again.
"...we'll possess the complete internal layout of the Mother Whale."
"Use it."
"Find your new comrades."
Rapi stepped forward before he even called her name.
She already knew.
"I'll find them."
She checked her rifle.
"Anis."
The blonde Nikke immediately walked beside her.
"Coming."
Rapi's expression softened slightly.
"We're locating Eunhwa."
"Emma."
"And Vesti."
Anis looked sideways.
"They were your old squad."
"...They still are."
Rapi answered quietly.
"No matter what happened."
"They're still allies."
Nearby, Ade, Soda, and Cocoa gathered together.
"We'll search the eastern detention sectors."
Ade smiled.
"We'll find Velvet."
"And Privaty."
Soda clasped her hands together excitedly.
"We'll finally reunite Maid For You."
Then she blinked.
"...Wait."
She looked toward Ade.
"You mean..."
A mischievous smile spread across her face.
"...Maid For Our Master?"
Ade immediately nodded.
"Exactly."
Cocoa puffed out her chest proudly.
"I like that name better."
Several people chuckled.
Then—
"Ahem."
Every maid instantly froze.
Belfast stood nearby with her usual composed smile.
"You seem to have forgotten something."
The three maids immediately straightened.
Belfast folded her hands neatly.
"If you wish to serve Master..."
Her smile remained perfectly elegant.
"...you will require my approval first."
Silence.
Then all three maids saluted.
"Yes, Head Maid!"
Ade grinned sheepishly.
"...Right."
"We forgot."
Belfast merely smiled.
"I noticed."
Even Yuuki couldn't help laughing.
Despite the battle raging outside...
For just a brief moment—
The atmosphere became surprisingly light.
Then Vergil's voice echoed through the deck speakers.
"Chronoshift is ready."
The laughter disappeared.
Everyone checked their weapons one final time.
The rescue operation was about to begin.
This time—
They weren't fighting to win.
They were fighting to bring everyone home.