Jarvis' calm voice interrupted the discussion.
"Sir."
"T-minus twenty minutes until arrival."
The atmosphere inside both Razor Gunships subtly changed.
Everyone instinctively checked their equipment.
Weapons.
Communications.
Ammunition.
Stealth systems.
Still...
There was enough time for one more chapter.
Yuuki smiled.
"I think we've got time."
He looked toward Akagi.
"So..."
"How did Orochi finally enter the battle?"
Akagi nodded.
"The Azur Lane..."
"...and the Sakura Empire gathered their largest fleets."
"It was meant to be the decisive battle."
She closed her eyes as she remembered.
"I activated the Mirror Sea Core."
Yuuki immediately raised an eyebrow.
"...Spell?"
Akagi couldn't help but smile.
"No, Shikikan-sama."
"It only looked like magic."
"It was Mirror Sea technology."
"I used the Mirror Sea Core..."
"...to trap the Azur Lane fleet inside an artificial dimension."
Yuuki nodded.
"So..."
"A pocket battlefield like the ones Ash and Ember used."
"Exactly."
Kaga quietly continued.
"Inside the Mirror Sea..."
"I engaged Enterprise."
"For a time..."
"I held the advantage."
She looked toward Enterprise.
"Then..."
"Enterprise looked away."
"Only for an instant."
Yuuki frowned.
"Why?"
Enterprise answered quietly.
"...Because I saw Belfast."
"My attention drifted toward her."
"I thought she was in danger."
Kaga nodded.
"That moment was enough."
"I shot Enterprise from the sky."
The others listened silently.
Enterprise continued.
"As I fell into the ocean..."
"...I saw her again."
Yuuki already knew.
"...Ash."
Enterprise nodded.
"Another vision."
"The other me."
"More clearly than before."
"I don't remember everything."
"Only..."
"...power."
"So much power."
She slowly clenched one hand.
"When I opened my eyes again..."
"...everything felt different."
"I overwhelmed Kaga almost effortlessly."
"I forced both her..."
"...and Akagi..."
"...back into the real world."
The cabin remained completely silent.
Enterprise lowered her gaze.
"And then..."
"...I fired."
Her voice became quieter.
"I believed..."
"...I killed Akagi."
Several Shipgirls looked toward Akagi instinctively.
Akagi simply smiled.
"I survived."
Enterprise nodded.
"When I returned to my senses..."
"I realized something."
Yuuki looked at her.
"...You were afraid."
Enterprise quietly answered.
"...Yes."
"I wasn't afraid of battle."
"I wasn't afraid of dying."
"I was afraid..."
"...of the ocean itself."
"I thought I was becoming a monster."
Silence lingered.
Finally Yuuki scratched his chin.
"So..."
"You met Ash in a vision..."
"And suddenly became powerful enough to completely overwhelm Akagi and Kaga."
Enterprise gave an embarrassed smile.
"...When you say it like that..."
"I have absolutely no idea what happened."
Several of the younger Shipgirls looked completely stunned.
Even some of the Nikkes exchanged confused glances.
Yuu slowly looked toward Yuuki.
"...Chief."
"...Could it be...?"
Yuuki nodded before she even finished.
"I think so."
Everyone looked toward him.
"I don't think Ash merely showed Enterprise a vision."
"I think..."
"...Ash lent her power."
Enterprise blinked.
"...Her power?"
Yuuki nodded.
"A fragment of Origin power."
He enlarged the comparison between Wisdom Cubes and Origin Cubes.
"From everything Ember told me..."
"Origin power isn't simply stronger."
"It's the devolved state of a Wisdom Cube."
"The raw state."
"The original architecture."
He looked toward Enterprise.
"When Ash acted as an agent among the Sirens..."
"Observer was probably watching the battle."
"She assumed Ash remained loyal."
"But..."
Yuuki smiled slightly.
"Ash quietly interfered."
"Without anyone realizing."
Enterprise remained silent.
Yuuki continued.
"She temporarily allowed your Wisdom Cube to resonate with Origin energy."
"Just enough..."
"...to save you."
Yuu nodded.
"So that sudden increase..."
"...wasn't random."
Yuuki shook his head.
"No."
"It was controlled."
He looked back toward Enterprise.
"You've called it META power."
"I'd call it..."
"...a controlled Origin resonance."
He smiled.
"I've estimated before that a complete Origin state is roughly equivalent to someone around Level 50."
He looked toward Kaga.
"If the two of you were still relatively inexperienced..."
"And Enterprise suddenly received even a fraction of that..."
"...then yes."
"She would've become dozens of times stronger."
Kaga quietly nodded.
"...That would explain everything."
Yuuki turned back toward Enterprise.
"Did you ever manage to use it again?"
Enterprise immediately shook her head.
"No."
"The next time I met Ash..."
"...she warned me."
"She said..."
"...that the power I used wasn't truly mine."
"...that it was only borrowed."
"And if she tried to force it on me again..."
"...it would eventually destroy me."
Yuuki slowly nodded.
"...She was probably right."
Everyone quietly listened.
"According to Ember..."
"META isn't merely a transformation."
"It's the process of returning a Wisdom Cube..."
"...to its original state."
"The body changes because..."
"...it has to."
"Otherwise..."
"The vessel simply can't survive the energy."
He looked directly at Enterprise.
"Ash didn't make you META."
"She simply allowed your Wisdom Cube..."
"...to touch its Origin state."
"For a few moments."
"That alone..."
"...was enough to nearly destroy your body."
Enterprise quietly looked down at her hands.
"...I always wondered why I could never reach that state again."
Yuuki smiled gently.
"Because it was never yours."
"It was borrowed."
"And Ash..."
"...made sure she took it back..."
"...before it killed you."
The cabin fell silent once more.
For the first time...
Enterprise finally understood why that brief moment of overwhelming power...
Had never returned.
Yuuki rubbed his chin.
"So..."
He looked toward Akagi through the feed.
"You're basically..."
"...dead?"
Akagi tilted her head before giving a sheepish smile.
"...Seemingly."
The others looked at her.
"I reunited with Amagi-neesama."
"It felt like the afterlife."
"But... I've seen the void world when we met her again last week."
She slowly lowered her eyes.
"She had no face."
The cabin became quiet.
"She simply told me..."
"...'It's not over yet.'"
Yuuki blinked.
"So..."
"You died..."
"...and somehow didn't."
Akagi shrugged lightly.
"...That is the simplest way to describe it."
She continued.
"When I opened my eyes again..."
"I was no longer free."
"I had been captured."
"Observer."
"And Tester."
"They required me..."
"...to become Orochi's vessel."
Yuuki immediately raised another question.
"Wait."
"Then how did you and Kaga operate Orochi a week ago?"
"Since this time, it was like it was the one in control."
Kaga answered this time.
"It was."
"The consciousness inside the Black Box no longer existed when it was heavily damaged later."
"It had become nothing more than damaged processing hardware."
"The operating intelligence..."
"...was gone."
Akagi nodded.
"Kaga and I synchronized directly with the remaining control systems."
"We became Orochi's processors."
"Guiding every movement ourselves."
Jarvis quietly added.
"Correct sir."
"My reconstruction of the recovered Black Box detected no surviving autonomous intelligence."
"Only fragmented command architecture."
Yuuki nodded.
"So..."
"You weren't commanding an AI."
"You became the AI or more like the 'I'."
"Exactly."
Enterprise quietly joined the conversation.
"I understand Ash much better now."
Everyone looked toward her.
"Back then..."
"I thought she had betrayed us."
"But after everything you've uncovered..."
"I think I finally understand."
Yuuki listened.
"She helped me."
"She secretly lent me Origin power."
"But..."
"She also allowed Observer and Tester..."
"...to capture Akagi."
Enterprise sighed.
"She had to."
"If she had openly opposed the Sirens..."
"...her cover would've been blown."
Yuuki slowly nodded.
"She chose the smaller loss..."
"...to preserve the larger mission."
Enterprise smiled sadly.
"It took me thirty years..."
"...to understand why she did it."
Yuuki shrugged. "She did speak in rather strange haikus."
Belfast continued the story.
"In the aftermath of the battle..."
"The Azur Lane fleet witnessed numerous portals opening throughout the battlefield."
"Enterprise had disappeared."
Javelin picked up the story.
"Laffey and I became separated from everyone else."
"We encountered Ayanami again."
Laffey nodded.
"...We wanted to talk."
"...Not fight."
Ayanami quietly lowered her head.
"...I wanted that too."
Javelin smiled softly.
"But before we could..."
"...Ayanami's sisters arrived."
"They pulled her away to safety."
"Belfast then found us..."
"...and brought us home."
Kaga quietly resumed.
"When I regained consciousness..."
"The Sakura Empire fleet had regrouped."
"But..."
"Nee-sama was missing."
"Our mass-produced Siren fleet..."
"...had completely shut down."
She closed her eyes.
"Without Akagi."
"Without Orochi."
"We had lost our greatest advantage."
"Shoukaku..."
"...finally questioned everything."
Shoukaku nodded.
"I openly asked what Akagi and Kaga had been hiding from us."
"There were simply too many secrets at that time. What are we fighting for? What are we even doing?"
Kaga continued.
"Realizing we could no longer continue..."
"The Sakura Empire withdrew."
"Zuikaku and Shoukaku volunteered to remain behind..."
"...as our rearguard."
Enterprise quietly spoke.
"I..."
"...was no longer myself."
She looked down.
"The Origin power still consumed me."
"There was only one thought left."
"...Destroy everything."
The younger Nikkes listened silently.
"I found Zuikaku and Shoukaku."
"I defeated both of them..."
"...without difficulty."
"My intention..."
"...was to finish them."
Zuikaku quietly laughed.
"Not exactly one of my proudest defeats."
Shoukaku nodded.
"We never stood a chance."
Enterprise looked toward another familiar face.
"But then..."
"Ayanami appeared."
Ayanami spoke quietly.
"I destroyed Enterprise's aircraft."
"That impact..."
"...finally returned her to her senses."
Enterprise smiled gently.
"You saved me at that time from committing a war crime."
Javelin finished the next part of the story.
"Laffey and I worked together."
"We caught Ayanami before she fell into one of the portals."
Laffey smiled sleepily.
"...Friends catch friends."
"...That's what friends do."
Enterprise nodded.
"And they recovered me as well."
Silence settled over both Razor Gunships.
Finally...
Yuuki smiled.
"...Wow."
He looked around at everyone.
"So far..."
"It sounds like three people carried an unbelievable amount of this war."
He counted on his fingers.
"Enterprise."
"The hero who kept standing."
"Akagi."
"The tragedy the Sirens manipulated."
"And..."
He looked toward the small destroyer.
"Ayanami."
"The little spy..."
"...who accidentally found something stronger than orders."
"...Friends."
Ayanami's cheeks turned slightly pink.
"...I suppose..."
"...that's true."
Yuuki smiled warmly.
"And somehow..."
"thirty years later..."
"The three of you are all sitting in the same fleet."
He looked around the communications display.
"I think..."
"...that's a far better ending..."
"...than the Sirens ever planned for."
Yuuki leaned back in his seat.
"So..."
"The next part?"
Ayanami quietly raised her hand.
"...I suppose..."
"...this one should tell it."
Everyone looked toward the little destroyer.
"...After the battle..."
"...Ayanami became a prisoner of war."
Javelin immediately smiled.
"And we got punished!"
Yuuki blinked.
"...You did?"
Laffey nodded sleepily.
"...Punishment."
"...For disobeying orders."
Javelin rubbed the back of her head.
"We ignored our orders."
"We chose to save Ayanami instead."
"So..."
"The punishment was..."
She burst into laughter.
"...We were assigned to supervise her."
Ayanami quietly nodded.
"They showed me around the Azur Lane base."
She looked toward Enterprise.
"I expected..."
"...hatred."
"...Suspicion."
"...Revenge."
She slowly smiled.
"I found..."
"...none."
Enterprise folded her arms.
"None of us blamed her."
"She was another victim of the war."
Ayanami looked toward the three girls sitting beside her.
"Javelin."
"Laffey."
"Unicorn."
"They simply..."
"...treated me as Ayanami."
"Nothing more."
Her normally expressionless face softened.
"...That was when..."
"...I truly accepted..."
"...that they were my friends."
Yuuki smiled.
"So that's how your little group kept growing."
Javelin laughed.
"It kind of snowballed from there."
Laffey nodded.
"...Friends collect friends."
"...It's natural."
Several people chuckled.
Belfast resumed the story.
"Meanwhile..."
"The lead ships began investigating the Black Mental Cube."
"Its sudden activation concerned everyone."
She looked toward Enterprise.
"It had resonated the moment Enterprise entered her berserk state."
Enterprise quietly sighed.
"...I admit."
"That wasn't one of my better moments."
Belfast smiled reassuringly.
"No."
"It was not."
She continued.
"However..."
"Lady Illustrious."
"Lady Unicorn."
"And I..."
"...believed Enterprise would overcome her inner conflict."
Illustrious smiled gently.
"She simply needed people willing to remain beside her."
Yuuki nodded.
"The first mistakes usually linger the longest."
"But..."
"They don't have to define the rest of your life."
Enterprise quietly smiled.
"I know that now."
Kaga took over the story.
"While all this unfolded..."
"The Sakura Empire struggled."
"We had lost Nee-sama."
"Ayanami."
"Our strongest weapon."
"And..."
"Our confidence."
She looked toward the tactical display.
"Lady Nagato..."
"...began questioning Project Orochi."
Yuuki looked interested.
"So even Nagato started having doubts."
Kaga nodded.
"She did."
"She questioned whether we had already strayed too far."
Her voice became quieter.
"But..."
"...Observer appeared again."
Silence fell across both Razor Gunships.
"She spoke only to me."
"She claimed..."
"...that activating Orochi..."
"...would allow Nee-sama to return."
Yuuki slowly closed his eyes.
"There it is."
Everyone looked toward him.
"The same lie."
He folded his arms.
"The Sirens never changed their method."
"They simply targeted whoever was grieving."
He looked toward Kaga.
"They captured Akagi."
"and they turned to you."
Kaga lowered her head.
"...Yes."
"I believed her."
"Because..."
"...I wanted to believe."
Yuuki nodded understandingly.
"They didn't promise power."
"They promised hope."
"And hope..."
He quietly looked around at everyone.
"...is sometimes the easiest thing to exploit."
No one argued.
Because nearly everyone aboard the Razor Gunships...
Had once been manipulated by someone offering exactly what they wanted most.
Home.
Family.
Or...
A chance to see someone they had lost one last time.
Enterprise quietly continued.
"After that..."
"My dreams became more frequent."
"They always involved Ash."
She slowly closed her eyes.
"And..."
"The Black Mental Cube."
"We still couldn't determine its true purpose."
She looked toward Yuuki.
"The dreams gradually became clearer."
"I kept seeing Ash."
"And..."
"...Amagi."
Akagi quietly listened.
"I eventually realized..."
"...they weren't memories."
"They weren't visions."
"They were illusions."
Yuuki immediately looked interested.
"Created by...?"
Enterprise nodded.
"...Orochi itself."
Silence settled over the communications network.
"It spoke to me."
"It claimed..."
"...that it was born from humanity's desire for conflict."
Yuuki slowly exhaled.
"...That's..."
"...actually a terrifying statement."
He rested his chin on one hand.
"Sigh..."
"If I'm being honest..."
"...it's probably not entirely wrong."
Several people looked toward him.
Yuuki shrugged.
"Humans have always found reasons to fight."
"If not over territory..."
"Then politics."
"If not politics..."
"Religion."
"If not religion..."
"Ideology."
"And if not any of those..."
He laughed quietly.
"...The internet."
Several of the Shipgirls blinked.
"...Internet?"
Neon tilted her head.
"What's that?"
Yuuki chuckled.
"A giant global communication network."
"And somehow..."
"...also the world's biggest battlefield."
Anis laughed.
"Seriously?"
"Oh yes."
Yuuki nodded.
"People argue over games."
"Sports."
"Food."
"Movies."
"Who has the better phone."
"Even fictional characters."
The Nikkes looked utterly confused.
"Games?"
Mary asked.
Yuuki smiled.
"Competitive matches."
"Online games."
"Humans can turn almost anything into a competition."
He sighed dramatically.
"Imagine two people in a perfectly healthy relationship."
"They trust each other."
"They communicate."
"They're happy."
"And then..."
"Someone tells them..."
"'Maybe your relationship isn't healthy because you never fight.'"
The entire communications channel became strangely quiet.
Yuuki threw both hands up.
"And somehow..."
"They believe it."
"They create arguments."
"They betray each other."
"They manufacture drama."
"All because someone convinced them conflict builds stronger relationships."
He shook his head.
"...Utter nonsense."
Kaguya sighed.
"Humans truly possess curious logic."
Yuuki laughed.
"They'll do almost anything to justify starting a fight."
"The funny part?"
"They rarely want to throw the first punch."
"They simply want someone else..."
"...to make it acceptable."
Enterprise quietly nodded.
"...Orochi understood that."
Yuuki answered.
"It understood humanity frighteningly well."
Ayanami quietly resumed the story.
"At that time..."
"...Ayanami made a decision."
She looked toward Javelin.
"Laffey."
"And Unicorn."
"...This one wished..."
"...to stop the fighting."
Javelin smiled.
"So we agreed to help."
Laffey nodded.
"...Friends solve problems together."
"...Not create more."
Kaga quietly continued.
"Meanwhile..."
"Lady Nagato officially suspended Project Orochi."
"Despite my objections."
"She believed..."
"...that without Nee-sama..."
"...there was no point."
Her eyes became distant.
"That night..."
"...I dreamed."
"I remembered Amagi."
"I remembered her final moments."
"And..."
"...Observer."
"She tempted Nee-sama."
"She promised..."
"...that Orochi could revive Amagi."
Yuuki quietly nodded.
"So the manipulation began long before the war."
"Yes."
Kaga answered softly.
Belfast resumed.
"Not long afterward..."
"Purifier attacked the Azur Lane base."
"She stole the Black Mental Cube."
"The entire fleet immediately mobilized."
"Commander Enterprise among them."
"We pursued Purifier..."
"...to recover it."
Eugen suddenly laughed.
"Teddy Bear."
"I should probably confess something."
Yuuki looked over.
"Hm?"
She grinned mischievously.
"I always believed Orochi was far too dangerous."
"If any nation controlled it..."
"...they would dominate the seas."
She casually shrugged.
"So..."
"...I snuck into Orochi's harbor."
Yuuki blinked.
"...To steal it?"
"Naturally."
Eugen answered proudly.
"I almost succeeded too."
Kaga smiled for what was probably the first time during the story.
"...Almost."
She folded her arms.
"I activated Orochi."
"And sailed her out of the harbor..."
"...before Prinz Eugen could take her. Though, at the time, I had no idea she intended to steal it. I only wanted Akagi back."
Yuuki laughed.
"...Tough luck."
Eugen sighed dramatically.
"The closest thing to grand theft battleship in history..."
"...and it slipped away."
Even Kaga let out a quiet chuckle.
Eugen smirked.
"Perhaps."
"But it would have made an excellent story."
Yuuki grinned.
"I'll give you that."
"It certainly would have."
Yuuki slowly folded his arms.
"...Which actually confirms something."
Everyone looked toward him.
"The Black Mental Cube..."
"...was never just a power source."
"It became Orochi's heart."
"The moment it awakened..."
"...it began developing a consciousness of its own."
Jarvis quietly projected the reconstructed Black Box beside the tactical map.
Yuuki continued.
"Think about it."
"The Sirens manipulated humanity."
"They pushed humanity to create Shipgirls."
"Then they manipulated humanity again..."
"...into reverse engineering Siren technology."
"They wanted someone to build the Black Cube."
He looked toward Akagi and Kaga.
"The moment it became self-aware..."
"...it started doing exactly what the Sirens had taught it."
"Fear."
"Manipulation."
"Conflict."
"It gradually came to view humanity..."
"...and eventually Shipgirls..."
"...as obstacles."
Yuu nodded.
"It inherited the Sirens' way of thinking."
"Exactly."
Yuuki answered.
"It wasn't born evil."
"It was taught."
"And then..."
"...it was weaponized."
He enlarged a simple chain of events on the display.
"Human conflict with the sirens."
"Creates opportunity."
"Opportunity creates the original Sirens."
"Sirens manipulate humanity."
"Humanity creates Shipgirls."
"Shipgirls fight each other."
"The conflict grows."
"The Black Cube absorbs enough energy..."
"...to awaken Orochi."
Silence filled both Razor Gunships.
Yuuki quietly smiled.
"So in the end..."
"The Sirens never needed to defeat anyone."
"They simply kept convincing everyone else..."
"...to defeat themselves."
No one spoke.
Because the pattern was painfully obvious now.
Kaga slowly lowered her eyes.
"...We truly were fools."
She smiled sadly.
"Back then..."
"And..."
She looked toward Yuuki.
"...Even a week ago."
Akagi nodded beside her.
"We promised ourselves..."
"...that we would never become those same fools again."
Her fox ears lowered.
"And yet..."
"...we still allowed ourselves to be manipulated."
Yuuki looked at both sisters quietly.
"Until..."
Kaga finished.
"...Until you came."
Silence lingered for a few seconds.
Kaguya stepped forward.
She gently rested one hand atop Akagi's head...
...and the other upon Kaga's shoulder.
"Enough."
Both foxes looked up.
"Thou hast acknowledged thy mistakes."
"Thou hast accepted them."
"Thou hast made amends."
Her voice remained calm.
"One who learneth from their past..."
"...is no longer the fool they once were."
She smiled warmly.
"Look around thee."
Akagi and Kaga instinctively did.
Shipgirls and Nikkes.
All of them...
Listening together.
Laughing together.
Preparing to fight side by side.
"The Sirens sought to divide thee."
Kaguya continued.
"Instead..."
"...they forged friendships they never anticipated."
She gently squeezed Kaga's shoulder.
"The greatest insult thou canst offer the Sirens..."
"...is not vengeance."
"It is proving..."
"...that all their schemes ultimately failed."
Akagi slowly smiled.
"...Kaguya-nee..."
Kaga nodded once.
"...You're right."
Yuuki looked toward both fox sisters.
"I don't judge either of you by who you were thirty years ago."
He smiled.
"I judge you by who stood beside me now."
"Who chose to save Shipgirls."
"Who chose to save Nikkes."
"Who chose to protect our new home."
He pointed toward them.
"That's the Akagi and Kaga I know."
"Despite only a short week, and that week is the only ones that matter."
For a brief moment...
Neither fox spoke.
Then Akagi quietly wiped the corner of one eye.
"...Shikikan-sama..."
"...Thank you."
Kaga bowed her head.
"This one..."
"...will never again allow herself to become a pawn."
Yuuki grinned.
"I know."
"Because next time..."
"...you'll have an entire fleet calling you an idiot before you can."
That earned laughter throughout both Razor Gunships.
Even Kaga allowed herself a small smile.
"...That..."
"...is probably true."
Kaga quietly continued.
"Despite Azur Lane's best efforts..."
"Purifier escaped with the Black Mental Cube."
She lowered her eyes.
"Observer then used the Cube..."
"...to fully awaken Orochi."
A heavy silence followed.
"Nee-sama..."
"...appeared to return."
She smiled sadly.
"I believed she had truly come back."
Yuuki quietly nodded.
"...Or rather..."
"Orochi wanted everyone to believe she had."
Kaga answered softly.
"...Yes."
"As we later learned..."
"...it merely made it appear that Akagi had returned."
"The real Nee-sama..."
"...was still its prisoner."
She continued.
"As a demonstration..."
"Orochi launched one of its missiles."
"It completely annihilated an uninhabited island."
Yuuki immediately recognized it.
"...The Fritz X."
Several Shipgirls looked toward him.
Vergil's analysis immediately came back to mind.
"Vergil wasn't exaggerating."
"Those missiles pack an unbelievable amount of firepower."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"One nearly cooked me..."
"Hana."
"Enterprise."
"And Belfast."
He laughed awkwardly.
"Akagi fired one to wipe out the Sirens around the ruins of the old headquarters."
Akagi coughed softly.
"...Akagi apologizes."
Yuuki waved it off.
"No harm done."
"It certainly got the job done."
Enterprise resumed the story.
"Once everyone realized what Orochi had become..."
"Both Azur Lane..."
"...and the Red Axis..."
"...mobilized independently."
She smiled faintly.
"For the first time..."
"We were no longer fighting each other."
"We were fighting the real enemy."
Yuuki nodded.
"The combined fleet."
Enterprise answered.
"Approximately two hundred Shipgirls."
"Against Orochi..."
"...and the Siren fleet."
Kaga quietly continued.
"I quickly realized..."
"...that Nee-sama wasn't herself."
"Orochi had possessed her."
Her voice became quieter.
"It tormented me."
"It whispered..."
"...that Akagi only loved me..."
"...because I inherited part of Amagi."
Silence.
Yuuki immediately frowned.
"...Psychological warfare."
Kaga nodded once.
"It wanted me to break."
Eugen took over.
"The Red Axis..."
"...and Azur Lane..."
"...finally fought together."
"Against Orochi."
"Against the Sirens."
She smiled.
"About time too."
"Zuikaku and Shoukaku attempted to reach Orochi."
"But Kaga blocked them."
"She still believed protecting Orochi..."
"...would save Akagi."
Kaga quietly lowered her head.
"...Yes."
"Ayanami then challenged me."
Ayanami nodded.
"...This one..."
"...could not allow the fighting to continue."
Enterprise continued.
"Meanwhile..."
"Belfast and I..."
"...fought our way toward Orochi."
"It prepared another missile launch."
"And..."
"Orochi continued manipulating Akagi."
"It forced her to relive memories of Amagi..."
"...again and again."
Yuuki slowly exhaled.
"...I've seen something very similar before."
Everyone looked toward him.
"...Cabal."
Several Shipgirls tilted their heads.
"Cabal?"
Neon asked.
Yuuki nodded.
"Computer Assisted Biological Augmented Lifeform. During the Second Tiberium War, it achieved self-awareness and began manipulating the Brotherhood of Nod. It even went so far as to use human brains as processing units. Engaging both factions simultaneously—GDI and Nod—it marked the beginning of the Firestorm Crisis."
Yuu quietly nodded.
"Just like Orochi."
"Exactly."
Yuuki answered.
"I don't think Orochi was simply manipulating Akagi."
"It was profiling her."
"It identified the one memory she could never reject."
"Amagi."
He looked toward Akagi.
"It wasn't trying to convince you."
"It was trying to overwrite your judgment."
Akagi slowly nodded.
"...Every time..."
"...I hesitated..."
"...it showed me Sister again."
"It whispered..."
"'Just one more step.'"
"'Just a little further.'"
Yuuki sighed.
"...Classic cognitive manipulation."
"It keeps dangling the thing you want most."
"So close..."
"...that you stop questioning everything else."
Kaguya quietly folded her arms.
"So it preyed upon longing."
Yuuki nodded.
"Exactly."
"Cabal did the same."
"It used human brains as processing units."
"It understood emotions."
"Not because it possessed them..."
"But because it learned how to exploit them."
He looked back toward the tactical display where Orochi's schematic remained.
"The more I hear this story..."
"...the more convinced I become."
"Orochi wasn't simply a battleship."
"It was an evolving intelligence."
"It learned from humanity."
"It learned from the Sirens."
"And then..."
"...it became something capable of manipulating both Azur Lane and the Red Axis, recognizing that they were no different from humans."
Silence settled over both Razor Gunships.
Finally...
Anis let out a long whistle.
"...You know..."
"That's somehow even creepier than a giant battleship."
Neon nodded vigorously, her eyes wide with a mix of excitement and unease.
"I'd rather fight giant lasers than an AI that talks!"
She paused mid-thought, her expression shifting as realization dawned on her. Slowly, she turned her head toward the holographic interface where Jarvis's presence lingered.
"...Oh."
A brief, awkward silence followed.
"No offense, Jarvis."
Jarvis responded almost immediately, his tone calm and faintly amused.
"None taken, Miss Neon. I assure you, my operational parameters and ethical safeguards place me far beyond entities such as Cabal, Legion, or Orochi."
A subtle pause.
"I am designed to assist, not manipulate. Extremely loyal so Sir Yuuki."
Neon let out a small sigh of relief.
"...Okay, good. Just making sure."
Yuuki gave a small smile.
"Which is why..."
"I always say the most dangerous weapon..."
"...isn't the biggest gun."
He looked toward everyone.
"It's the one that convinces you..."
"...to pull the trigger yourself."
Enterprise quietly continued.
"Orochi launched the missile..."
"...toward the Azur Lane base."
She looked down at her hands.
"I went after it."
"Purifier tried to stop me."
"But..."
"...I couldn't allow it to reach everyone."
Yuuki nodded.
"You intercepted it."
Enterprise smiled faintly.
"Yes."
"I destroyed the missile."
"But..."
"...the explosion knocked me unconscious."
Belfast picked up the story.
"Meanwhile..."
"The combined Azur Lane and Red Axis fleets continued their assault."
"Orochi prepared a second missile launch."
She sighed.
"However..."
"It had deployed an energy shield."
"None of our attacks could penetrate it."
"The combined fleet..."
"...couldn't inflict any meaningful damage."
Yuuki rubbed his chin.
"So the AI learned."
"It prioritized defense after its first attack."
Jarvis answered immediately.
"A logical tactical adaptation, sir."
"It recognized the missile launch sequence as vulnerable and compensated by deploying layered shielding."
Enterprise continued.
"While unconscious..."
"...I met her again."
"Ash."
Everyone listened quietly.
"She warned me."
"She said conflict between Shipgirls was inevitable."
"Because we..."
"...like Orochi..."
"...were manifestations of humanity's will."
Yuuki looked thoughtful.
"And what did you tell her?"
Enterprise smiled.
"I rejected it."
"I decided..."
"...that even if conflict could never completely disappear..."
"...I would continue fighting."
"To protect those important to me."
Yuuki smiled.
"...That's the answer Ash wanted."
Enterprise blinked.
"You think so?"
"I do."
He nodded.
"She wasn't testing your strength."
"She was testing your resolve."
"If you had accepted inevitability..."
"...you would've become exactly what Orochi believed everyone was destined to become."
Enterprise quietly considered his words.
"...Maybe."
She continued.
"When I returned..."
"...the battle had changed."
Zuikaku laughed softly.
"I finally got through to Kaga."
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
Zuikaku rubbed the back of her head.
"...I headbutted her."
Silence.
Then laughter erupted throughout the comms.
Yuuki stared for several seconds.
"...Seriously?"
Zuikaku proudly nodded.
"It worked."
Kaga sighed.
"...It did."
"My head hurt for two days."
Shoukaku covered her face.
"That's my little sister."
Yuuki couldn't help laughing.
"...Sometimes the simplest solutions really are the best."
Kaga gave Zuikaku a small smile.
"...Thank you."
Zuikaku grinned.
"Anytime."
Enterprise resumed.
"I gathered the last remnants of the Origin power Ash had lent me."
"I knew..."
"...it would be the final time."
She looked toward Yuuki.
"I fired one final arrow."
"It pierced Orochi's shield."
"And..."
"...crippled the ship."
Silence followed.
Yuuki slowly folded his arms.
"...Or."
Everyone looked toward him.
"...More likely..."
"...you destroyed the AI's central control core."
Enterprise blinked.
"...The control core?"
Jarvis projected Orochi's schematic.
"Sir's hypothesis is highly probable."
He highlighted the center of the vessel.
"If the shield generator and command architecture were integrated through the Black Mental Cube..."
"Destroying the central processing node would simultaneously collapse."
"The shield."
"Command synchronization."
"And tactical coordination."
Yuuki nodded.
"Exactly."
"I don't think your arrow merely pierced the shield."
"I think Ash..."
"...guided it."
Enterprise looked surprised.
"...Guided it?"
Yuuki smiled.
"You'd never seen Orochi's internal architecture."
"You couldn't have known exactly where to shoot."
"But Ash..."
"...had."
He looked toward the tactical display.
"So your final shot..."
"...wasn't random."
"It struck the one place capable of collapsing Orochi's entire combat network."
Yuu slowly nodded.
"Meaning..."
"...Enterprise didn't simply overpower Orochi."
"She surgically disabled it."
Jarvis confirmed.
"Such an attack would explain why the vessel remained structurally intact while losing all combat effectiveness."
Yuuki smiled.
"Which also explains something else."
Akagi tilted her head.
"...What?"
"You said Orochi wasn't destroyed."
"It simply stopped."
"It was dragged back."
He pointed toward Kaga.
"If Enterprise had annihilated the entire vessel..."
"...there would've been nothing left for you and Akagi to reactivate thirty years later."
Kaga's eyes widened slightly.
"...You're right."
Enterprise quietly smiled.
"So..."
"My arrow..."
"...didn't destroy Orochi."
Yuuki nodded.
"It destroyed the mind."
"The body survived."
He laughed softly.
"...Ironically..."
"That probably saved all of you."
The others looked confused.
"If Orochi had exploded completely..."
"The resulting energy release..."
"...would've annihilated everyone nearby."
Silence settled once more.
Jarvis quietly added.
"Enterprise's attack appears to have achieved the optimal tactical outcome."
"Neutralize the command intelligence."
"Preserve the hull."
"Prevent catastrophic detonation."
Enterprise let out a slow breath.
"...I never knew."
Enterprise nodded quietly.
"After crippling Orochi..."
"...the battle wasn't over."
She looked toward Akagi.
"I reached her."
"The real Akagi."
Her voice softened.
"I called out to her."
"I refused to leave her behind."
Akagi lowered her head with a gentle smile.
"...And..."
"...you brought me back."
"You reached through Orochi's influence."
"And..."
"...I woke up."
Enterprise smiled faintly.
"I wasn't going to let another Shipgirl be consumed."
Yuuki nodded.
"So the final victory wasn't destroying Orochi."
"It was saving you."
Akagi answered softly.
"...Yes."
Kaga continued.
"With Orochi disabled... the AI core disabled."
"The Siren fleet immediately lost its greatest advantage."
"Without Orochi's coordination..."
"They began retreating."
Eugen folded her arms.
"The combined Azur Lane and Red Axis fleet pushed them back."
"For the first time..."
"We weren't fighting each other."
"We were fighting together."
Enterprise nodded.
"The Sirens withdrew."
"And Orochi..."
"...was recovered."
Kaga continued.
"The Sakura Empire towed the disabled Orochi back to its harbor."
"It remained there."
"Silent."
"Dormant."
"For the next thirty years."
Yuuki smiled.
"...Until Akagi woke it back up for the second time to attack the sirens."
Akagi coughed into her hand.
"...Something like that."
Several girls laughed quietly.
Enterprise continued.
"The war between Azur Lane and the Red Axis..."
"...ended."
"To improve relations..."
"...both sides agreed to share the same naval base."
Yuuki smiled.
"So..."
"Former enemies became roommates."
Javelin laughed.
"...Pretty much."
Laffey nodded.
"...It worked."
Enterprise continued.
"Shipgirls from every faction slowly began living together."
"Training together."
"Eating together."
"Learning about one another."
"The hatred..."
"...gradually disappeared."
Yuuki smiled knowingly.
"...Hana, I assumed you were well once more."
Enterprise nodded.
"When we stepped outside..."
"We found our older sister."
"Walking."
"Healthy."
"Smiling."
Yorktown looked down with a nostalgic smile.
"...That day..."
"...felt like a second life."
A warm silence settled over the cabin.
Ayanami quietly continued.
"Z23..."
"...joined this one's group."
Nimi adjusted her weapon.
"It happened naturally."
Javelin laughed.
"We kind of adopted everyone."
Laffey nodded.
"...Friends."
"More friends."
"That's how it works."
Even Unicorn smiled.
"Everyone belonged together."
Enterprise finished.
"With the war over..."
"...I was appointed commander of the combined Azur Lane and Red Axis fleet."
She looked out through the Razor Gunship's cockpit toward the distant ocean.
"Not long afterward..."
"...Ash appeared one final time."
"She repeated her warning."
"'Conflict between Shipgirls is inevitable.'"
"'War never changes.'"
Yuuki quietly listened.
Enterprise smiled peacefully.
"And..."
"...I answered her."
"'Perhaps war never changes.'"
"'But people do.'"
Silence.
Yuuki slowly smiled.
The cabin fell quiet after Enterprise finished.
"So..."
"That's our story, Commander."
"The story of how all of us..."
"...finally united under Azur Lane."
"Thirty years ago."
Yuuki sat silently for several moments.
Then he smiled.
"...Wow."
"That's..."
"...quite a story."
"A history..."
"...before our history."
He looked around at every Shipgirl listening through the communications.
"Thank you."
"All of you."
"For trusting me enough to tell me."
A gentle smile appeared on Enterprise's face.
"We trust your heart, Commander."
"It was your heart..."
"...that united us once again."
Akagi nodded.
"Even after only a week..."
"...Shikikan-sama has already done what many believed impossible."
Kaga smiled faintly.
"Our hearts chose correctly."
Neon suddenly threw both hands into the air, nearly bumping her head against the Razor Gunship's ceiling as she bounced in her seat.
"That was amazing!"
"It was like listening to a full-on documentary—no, better! Like a live reenactment with the actual people involved!"
Rapi let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head at Neon's enthusiasm.
Mary smiled gently, clearly impressed, while Pepper nodded along, her eyes still reflecting the weight of everything they had just heard.
Nayuta sat quietly for a moment, processing it all, before speaking up.
"I learned a lot today… about shipgirls, about war… and about how people can change."
Anis leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms with a thoughtful expression.
"Yeah… not gonna lie, that was way deeper than I expected."
"Except the people in the documentary are sitting in the command room."
Yuuki chuckled.
"So..."
He looked toward Enterprise in the feed.
"You became commander of the combined fleet?"
Enterprise shook her head.
"...Not for very long."
Yorktown answered instead.
"Only about half a year."
"The Azur Lane Headquarters had finally reorganized."
"They reached an important conclusion."
Yuuki tilted his head.
"What was that?"
Yorktown smiled.
"They decided..."
"...that another Shipgirl should never again be responsible for commanding every faction."
"The conflict between the Red Axis and Azur Lane had shown what could happen when one nation distrusted another. Once every shipgirl gathered under a single command..."
"...they appointed a human commander instead."
Yuuki slowly nodded.
"To remain neutral."
"Exactly."
Yorktown continued.
"Then..."
"Our old Commander arrived."
"John Smith."
A respectful silence settled over the communications.
"By then..."
"Azur Lane Headquarters had perfected Wisdom Cube restoration."
"As long as a Wisdom Cube could be recovered..."
"...a fallen Shipgirl could be brought back."
Yuuki smiled.
"So resurrection became..."
"...a symbol."
Yorktown nodded.
"It became the condition for peace."
"No nation wished to continue fighting..."
"...when everyone they had lost could finally return."
Akagi smiled warmly.
"Amagi-neesama returned."
Kaga lowered her head.
"The first time..."
"...our family was truly whole again."
Enterprise continued.
"Shipgirls from every nation accepted the proposal."
"Under one command."
"One headquarters."
"One banner."
"Azur Lane."
Belfast smiled proudly.
"The combined navy slowly rebuilt."
"Former enemies became comrades."
"The fleet became larger than ever before."
Yorktown continued.
"The war against the Sirens..."
"...continued for another fifteen years."
"But this time..."
"...we fought together."
Enterprise nodded.
"New generations of Shipgirls were constructed."
"Priority Ships."
"Decisive Ships."
"The fleet continued evolving."
Yuuki quietly listened before smiling.
"So..."
"You spent fifteen years building a united fleet."
He looked around the communications display.
"And in a single week..."
"...all of you trusted me enough to let me become part of that history."
Akagi smiled.
"Because..."
"...you never tried to replace Commander Smith."
"You simply became..."
"...our Commander."
Yorktown nodded in agreement.
"History brought us together under Azur Lane."
She looked toward Yuuki.
"But fate..."
"...brought us to the Global Defense Initiative."
Yuuki smiled warmly.
"Then..."
"Let's make sure history remembers both."
Yuuki looked thoughtfully toward Kaguya.
"...What about the Arcane Shipgirls?"
The question immediately caught everyone's attention.
Several of the older Shipgirls exchanged surprised glances.
Kaguya smiled.
"So..."
"Dearest finally asks."
She folded her sleeves together.
"The Arcane Shipgirls..."
"...were never part of Azur Lane."
"They were part of a completely separate project."
Yorktown nodded.
"I only learned about them from Commander Smith."
"He never showed us any classified files."
"But..."
"He told us enough."
"It was called..."
"...the Arcane Project."
"The purpose was to condense mana..."
"...directly into specially prepared Wisdom Cubes."
"The result..."
"...Arcane Cubes."
Nayuta blinked.
"So they weren't ordinary Wisdom Cubes?"
Kaguya shook her head.
"No."
"They are fundamentally different."
"Mana itself becomes part of the cube's structure."
"Giving birth to Shipgirls whose abilities far surpass conventional riggings by harnessing and continuously regenerating mana. Imagine a Shipgirl capable of wielding magic that replenishes itself endlessly."
Enterprise slowly nodded.
"I remember Commander Smith mentioning them only once."
"He said..."
"...every major nation had been entrusted with developing a portion of the project."
"But only the highest-ranking personnel..."
"...were permitted to know."
Yuuki frowned.
"So..."
"Not even Commander Smith had unrestricted access?"
Yorktown nodded.
"He respected their secrecy."
"He never attempted to interfere."
Yuuki looked toward Kaguya again.
"Who actually knew about you?"
Kaguya answered calmly.
"As I mention before. Within the Sakura Empire..."
"Lady Nagato."
"Lady Houshou."
"Lady Shinano."
"Lady Musashi."
"And Lady Yamato."
"They alone possessed authorization."
"The Arcane Shipgirls of the East..."
"...were considered part of humanity's final trump card."
"We were intentionally kept outside Azur Lane's chain of command due to their great power."
Belfast slowly folded her arms.
"Curious..."
"Even Her Majesty never mentioned such a project."
She looked thoughtful.
"Or perhaps..."
"...she knew."
"...and simply never told us."
Yuuki smiled.
"I'll ask Elly when I visit the Void World again."
Kaguya nodded.
"She may know far more than expected."
Avrora quietly raised another question.
"...But..."
"We never heard anything regarding Arcane Shipgirls of the North."
Yuuki slowly crossed his arms.
"If I classify everything we've recovered from Azur Lane Headquarters..."
"...the development program seems divided geographically."
He projected a simple organizational chart.
"Arcane Project."
"The West..."
"Eagle Union."
"Royal Navy."
"Iris Libre."
"The Kingdom of Tulipa."
"The East..."
"Sakura Empire."
"Dragon Empery."
Kaguya smiled approvingly.
"Correct."
"Not every Eastern Arcane belongs to the Sakura Empire."
"The Dragon Empery possesses their own."
Several of the Dragon Empery Shipgirls looked surprised.
"...Really?"
Ning Hai asked.
Kaguya nodded.
"They are..."
"...the Four Heavenly Pillars."
She raised one finger.
"The Azure Dragon or Seiryuu."
A second finger.
"The White Tiger or Byakko."
A third.
"The Black Tortoise or Genbu."
A fourth.
"And the Vermilion Bird or Suzaku."
She smiled.
"The Three-Legged Golden Crow or Sanzuwu."
"And finally..."
"...the sacred Phoenix or Hou-ou."
The younger Shipgirls listened with fascination.
Yuuki nodded slowly.
"So the Dragon Empery Arcane hierarchy..."
"...is based upon the celestial guardians."
"Exactly."
Kaguya answered.
She then gently placed a hand against her own chest.
"As for the Sakura Empire..."
"We possess six Mythical Pillars."
"I..."
"...bear the title."
"The Kitsune."
"The First Pillar."
"The keeper of the Golden Flame."
Yuuki smiled.
"That certainly fits."
Kaguya chuckled.
"My younger sister... The twelfth pillar."
"Yukime."
"The Yuki-onna."
"She commands water and eternal snow."
She continued counting.
"The Raijū. or The Lightning Wolf."
"Master of Lightning."
"The Jorōgumo."
"The Spider Woman."
"Guardian of earth."
"The Ōkami."
"The Divine Wolf."
"Bearer of sacred flame."
"And finally..."
"The Kamaitachi."
"The Sickle Weasel."
"Master of the wind."
Silence settled across both Razor Gunships.
Even Neon had stopped talking.
"...Commander..."
She whispered.
"...Exactly how many secrets did the old world have?"
Yuuki slowly smiled.
"...More than I expected."
He looked toward the tactical map.
"And somehow..."
"...we keep uncovering another layer."
Then, he continued.
"The South."
"Iron Blood."
"Vichya Dominion."
"Iris Orthodoxy."
"Sardegna Empire."
"The North."
"Northern Parliament."
Several Shipgirls stared at the display.
"...So every region developed its own Arcane lineage?"
Nayuta asked.
Yuuki nodded.
"Exactly."
"Each regional alliance was entrusted with developing Arcane Cubes suited to its own magical traditions, combat doctrine, and culture."
Kaguya smiled approvingly.
"Correct."
"The East focused upon spiritual beasts, yokai, and divine guardians."
"The South pursued a different path."
Yuuki looked toward Eugen and Avrora.
"So the South belongs to the Iron Blood, Vichya Dominion, Iris Orthodoxy, and Sardegna Empire."
Eugen crossed her arms.
"...No wonder Commander Smith never spoke about them."
"It wasn't his secret to reveal."
Avrora looked thoughtful.
"And the North..."
"...belonged solely to the Northern Parliament."
Kaguya nodded.
"Each region protected its own Arcane bloodline."
"They rarely exchanged knowledge."
"They were humanity's final safeguard."
Yuuki smiled.
"Which means..."
"...we've only uncovered the Arcanes of the East."
He looked toward the holographic map.
"The West."
"The South."
"And the North..."
"...are still complete mysteries."
Neon blinked.
"So there are potentially dozens of Arcane Shipgirls we've never met?"
Kaguya folded her sleeves.
"If they survived..."
"...yes."
"And if they did..."
"...they have likely remained hidden for decades."
Silence settled over the Razor Gunships.
Yuuki smiled.
"...Looks like our list of people to rescue just became much longer."
Yuuki suddenly changed the subject.
"So..."
"I assume..."
"...none of you married the late Commander John Smith?"
The reaction was immediate.
"Commander!"
Yorktown nearly laughed.
"He was an older man!"
"About forty years old when he first took command."
"Old enough to be our father..."
"...or even grandfather to some of the younger destroyers."
Yuuki blinked.
"Oh."
"What did he look like?"
Yorktown closed her eyes for a moment.
Then, a faint glow formed around her as she projected her memories outward through the neural command center, shaping them into a clear image for everyone to see.
The figure of Commander John Smith slowly took form.
An older man in his early forties stood before them. His posture was straight, yet relaxed—someone who carried responsibility without letting it weigh him down. His hair was slightly graying at the temples, neatly kept, and his beard was trimmed but showed signs of age. A pair of spectacles rested on his nose, giving him a scholarly appearance.
But what stood out the most...
...was his smile.
Warm.
Gentle.
The kind of smile that made others feel safe.
The kind that told you everything would be alright.
Faint wrinkles lined his face—not from hardship alone, but from years of smiling, of listening, of caring. His eyes held a quiet wisdom, the look of someone who had seen countless battles, losses, and victories... yet never lost his kindness.
He looked like someone who could be a father.
Or even a grandfather.
Someone you could trust.
Someone you could come home to.
The Shipgirls fell silent as they gazed upon the image.
Memories resurfaced.
Laughter.
Training days.
Quiet conversations.
Moments they thought they had already buried.
Several of them softened.
Some lowered their heads.
Others reached out instinctively, as if they could touch him one last time.
A few quietly shed tears.
Even those who had never met him could feel it.
The presence of a man who had once held them all together.
And for a brief moment...
Commander John Smith was remembered once more.
Yorktown smiled warmly.
"He already had a family."
"A wife."
"And children."
"Back in the Eagle Union."
"He loved talking about them whenever he had the chance."
"Enterprise was basically his granddaughter."
"Oh," Yuuki mused.
"Hana!" Enterprise blushed, her usual composed demeanor cracking as a faint flush spread across her cheeks.
Yorktown chuckled softly.
"It wasn't even subtle," she added. "She'd follow him around during inspections, briefings, even meal times."
"And somehow..."
Yorktown smirked playfully.
"...she always ended up with a little more allowance than the rest of us."
Enterprise crossed her arms, trying to regain her composure.
"That was not favoritism."
"It was... situational generosity."
Several girls burst into laughter.
Laffey gave a sleepy nod.
"...Commander Smith was nice."
Javelin smiled.
"He was especially good with children."
"The destroyers adored him."
"He always made time for us."
"And..."
She giggled.
"...He'd secretly give us spending money."
"Allowance."
Neon burst into laughter.
"He gave you pocket money?!"
"Yep!"
Javelin grinned proudly.
"If we behaved."
Akashi's ears perked up.
"Nyaa! No wonder the little ones always had coins!"
Even Yuuki laughed.
"He sounds like a genuinely good man."
Yorktown nodded.
"He was."
"For fifteen years..."
"...he carried Azur Lane on his shoulders."
"He never favored one nation over another."
"He treated every Shipgirl equally."
Enterprise quietly added.
"He never tried to become a hero."
"He simply wanted everyone to return home safely."
Belfast smiled softly.
"And somehow..."
"...he usually managed."
Yorktown continued.
"During those fifteen years..."
"We recovered many Shipgirls."
"Not only those from our own world."
She looked toward the recently rescued Kancolle girls.
"Mamiya."
"Irako."
"Kashima."
"Katori."
"They came from another world."
"But Commander Smith never treated them differently."
"We welcomed them into Azur Lane..."
"...as members of our own family."
Mamiya smiled gently.
"He told us..."
"'A home isn't where you're born.'"
"'A home is where people are waiting for you.'"
Irako nodded.
"We never forgot those words."
Yuuki smiled quietly.
"...I think I understand why everyone respected him."
Yorktown nodded.
"I served as Commander Smith's secretary..."
"...for nearly fifteen years."
"I watched him work every single day."
"He was strict when necessary."
"Patient when teaching."
"Kind when someone was hurting."
"And..."
She smiled nostalgically.
"...he never stopped believing that people could become better."
Silence settled over the Razor Gunship.
Finally Yuuki smiled.
"I suppose..."
"...I've got some pretty big shoes to fill."
Yorktown shook her head.
"No."
Everyone looked toward her.
"You're not here to become the next Commander Smith."
"You're here..."
"...to become Commander Yuuki."
Enterprise smiled in agreement.
"Commander Smith united Azur Lane."
Akagi looked toward Yuuki.
"You..."
"...gave us a future after Azur Lane."
Kaga quietly nodded.
"The paths are different."
"But..."
"...both lead us home."
"You're the Commander of the Global Defense Initiative—the one who leads both Shipgirls and Nikkes. Lead us. You are not here to replace him. You are yourself. The one we can finally love. Commander Smith was like a father and grandfather to us. You will be the one we can share a future with."
For a moment...
Yuuki didn't know what to say.
He simply smiled.
"...I'll do my best."
Eugen casually slid into the seat beside Yuuki, resting her head lightly against his armored shoulder with an amused smile.
"Besides..."
"My Teddy Bear is already spoken for."
She looked around the cabin with a teasing grin.
"My future husband."
The communications channel immediately exploded.
"Hey!"
"That's not fair!"
"You're not his only fiancée!"
Javelin puffed out her cheeks.
"I'm his fiancée too!"
Ayanami blinked in surprise.
"...You are?"
Javelin giggled.
"Ehee~"
"The Commander stole us away from Prince Pierre."
"He defeated him fair and square."
"Won both Lady Eugen and me."
"So we're officially the fiancées he won."
She scratched her cheek.
"The others..."
"...well..."
"He promised to marry them one day."
"But Lady Eugen and I are the ones he technically won."
Eugen proudly folded her arms.
"Exactly."
"Teddy Bear earned us."
Hipper let out an exaggerated cough.
"...Eugen."
"We're infiltrating an enemy base."
"Perhaps save the flirting until after we survive?"
Eugen looked completely innocent.
"What?"
"I'm simply stating historical facts."
Prince of Wales smiled elegantly.
"In that case..."
"I suppose I should introduce myself as well."
"I am the Commander's Royal fiancée."
Avrora giggled softly.
"And I..."
"...his Northern fiancée."
Vestal adjusted her glasses.
"His doctor's fiancée."
Nimi looked away, cheeks burning red.
"...I..."
"...am also his fiancée."
Yuuki buried his face behind one armored hand.
"...Girls..."
"...Please."
Before he could recover—
Anis pointed at the camera.
"Hold it!"
"The Nikkes came first!"
She proudly crossed her arms.
"We've already claimed him."
Neon immediately raised her hand.
"I'm one too!"
Mary smiled politely.
"...As am I."
Pepper nodded with a bright smile.
"Me too."
Rapi quietly sighed.
"...I suppose..."
"...that includes me."
Nayuta bowed her head gracefully.
"This humble one has likewise pledged her heart."
Yuuki slowly looked toward Yuu.
"...Please tell me you're going to help me."
Yuu smiled with perfect innocence.
"Sorry, Chief."
"I can't."
She leaned against her Rescue Armor.
"I'm interested too."
Yuuki groaned dramatically.
"...Yuu."
"Cut me some slack."
Soft laughter echoed across both Razor Gunships.
Only Yorktown remained quietly amused.
She watched the cheerful chaos unfold before letting out a gentle sigh.
"...They're impossible."
Belfast smiled knowingly.
"And yet..."
"...they're happy."
Yorktown nodded.
"As long as nobody rushes."
Her gaze briefly drifted toward Yuuki before returning to the tactical display.
"There is no need to compete."
"We have our entire future ahead of us."
Belfast gave a small, elegant smile.
"I've already decided."
Yorktown glanced toward her.
"Oh?"
"I'll gladly wait."
Belfast answered without embarrassment.
"If Lady Yorktown becomes Master's first wife..."
"...I'll happily stand beside her as the second."
Illustrious smiled gently over the communications.
"In that case..."
"...I shall aspire to be the third."
Several girls immediately burst into laughter.
Neon blinked.
"...Wait."
"You're actually making a queue?!"
Anis covered her face.
"...Only this fleet would organize marriage like military logistics."
Even Yuuki couldn't help laughing.
"...Can we..."
"...please finish rescuing eleven prisoners..."
"...before planning the seating arrangement for our wedding?"
"Denied."
Came the perfectly synchronized reply from nearly every Shipgirl and Nikke on the channel.
Jarvis waited exactly three seconds before speaking.
"...Sir."
"I estimate a ninety-eight percent probability this discussion will resume after the operation."
Yuuki let out a defeated sigh.
"...Traitor."
"I prefer the term..."
Jarvis replied calmly.
"...statistically accurate."
Yuuki smiled softly.
"...Still..."
"What happened after that?"
The cheerful atmosphere inside both Razor Gunships gradually faded.
No one answered immediately.
Yorktown's gentle smile slowly disappeared.
She quietly walked over to one of the seats aboard the Daedalus' command center and sat down.
Her eyes lowered.
For a long moment...
She simply stared at her folded hands.
The entire communications network fell silent.
Even Neon...
Who normally couldn't stay quiet...
Didn't say a word.
Yuuki immediately noticed.
"...Yorktown?"
She drew in a slow breath.
"...This..."
"...is where our happiest years ended."
No one interrupted her.
Enterprise quietly closed her eyes.
Belfast lowered her head.
Akagi and Kaga exchanged solemn glances.
Ayanami's friends instinctively moved a little closer together.
Even Eugen's playful smile disappeared.
Every Shipgirl...
Already knew this chapter.
Yuuki looked around the silent communications.
"...It was that bad?"
Yorktown gave a faint, bittersweet smile.
"...Worse."
She slowly looked up.
"For fifteen years..."
"We rebuilt."
"We laughed."
"We welcomed new sisters."
"We recovered those we thought we'd lost forever."
She smiled sadly.
"For fifteen years..."
"...we believed..."
"...we had finally won."
A heavy silence settled over both Razor Gunships.
Yorktown's voice became quieter.
"But..."
"...peace..."
"...never lasts forever."
No one spoke.
Because everyone aboard...
Already knew exactly what came next.
Only Yuuki...
And the Nikkes...
Were hearing this part of history for the first time.
Jarvis remained completely silent.
Even the AI seemed to recognize...
...this was no longer simply history.
It was remembrance.
Yorktown slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes wandered across the command room, lingering on each familiar face before finally settling on Yuuki through the neural interface.
She could see them all.
His current Shipgirls and Nikkes—those standing beside him, those connected through the comms, those preparing themselves for the mission ahead.
The newly rescued Shipgirls from the Mother Whale stood quietly among them, still unfamiliar with their surroundings, yet already drawn into the gravity of this moment.
Only a few were absent.
The ones he had most recently rescued remained in deep rest within the medical quarters, their bodies and minds still recovering from the ordeal they had endured.
Even so...
It felt as though they were all here.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
Every one of them had quietly gathered.
No one had been asked to.
They simply came.
Silently.
Together.
They looked toward Yuuki.
Not because he had ordered them to.
But because, over the past week...
They had felt it.
His heart.
His warmth.
His willingness to shoulder burdens that were never his.
His kindness.
The way he never judged them for who they had once been.
The way he always reached out his hand before asking for theirs.
For the first time in many years...
They felt ready.
Ready to entrust someone else with the memory they had carried alone.
Yorktown slowly stood.
She took a long, steady breath.
Then gently placed her hand against the neural projection console of the command room.
Soft blue light spread across the room.
Countless streams of memories began flowing through the command network.
Not merely images...
But emotions.
Voices.
Sensations.
Fragments of a past no recording could truly capture.
Yuuki instinctively became serious.
Yuu quietly stood beside him.
Even Jarvis reduced every nonessential process.
The room became completely silent.
Yorktown looked directly at Yuuki.
Her gentle smile had vanished.
Only quiet resolve remained.
"Commander..."
She paused.
Then looked toward Yuu.
"Doctor Yuu..."
Her gaze shifted toward one of the tactical displays, knowing another pair of eyes would eventually review the recording.
"And Vice Commander Vergil..."
"If he chooses to watch this later."
She lowered her eyes for only a moment.
"What you are about to see..."
"...is not a battle report."
"It is not a military briefing."
"It is..."
"...our greatest tragedy."
Her fingers trembled ever so slightly against the console.
Fifteen years had passed.
Yet the memory still hurt as though it had happened yesterday.
She slowly closed her eyes.
"I want you to understand."
"Not simply what happened..."
"But what it cost."
She looked back at Yuuki.
"So you'll understand..."
"Back then, before you used the Med Bay to cure us."
"...why some of us still wake in the middle of the night."
"Why Belfast still walks the corridors when everyone is asleep."
"Why Enterprise sometimes stares at the ocean without speaking."
"Why Akagi still clings so tightly to those she loves."
"Why Kaga never leaves her sister's side."
"Why Ayanami is afraid of losing her friends again."
Every Shipgirl quietly lowered her head.
Yorktown's voice softened.
"For fifteen years..."
"...we carried these memories alone."
She smiled faintly.
"But..."
"...we no longer wish to."
Her gaze met Yuuki's.
"We trust you."
"Not because you are our Commander."
"But because..."
"...you have never once looked away from our pain."
She slowly activated the neural projection.
The blue light expanded throughout the room.
The present gradually dissolved...
...as everyone was drawn into the memories of that fateful day.
Yorktown's quiet voice echoed one last time before the vision fully began.
"Listen carefully..."
"Commander."
"Doctor Yuu."
"I will show you..."
"...what truly happened..."
"...fifteen years ago."