Yuuki, Emma, and Velvet entered Eunhwa's crystal together.
Unlike Emma's and Velvet's memories, which had been filled with discrimination, loss, and the struggle to survive, Eunhwa's memories were different. They revealed the origins of her relentless perfectionism, her cold attitude, and the resentment she had carried for years.
The first scene unfolded before them.
Eunhwa was still human.
She was a fledgling commander who had just completed her twentieth mission. Despite her limited experience, she had already developed a reputation for being meticulous. Every order was carefully calculated, every contingency considered, and every detail accounted for. To Eunhwa, a mission had to be executed perfectly. Anything less was unacceptable.
Unfortunately, the battlefield rarely cared about perfection.
During a recovery mission, Eunhwa led a squad of Nikkes into a Rapture-infested area. She issued precise instructions, ensuring that everyone knew their position, objective, and escape route.
But her subordinates weren't interested in listening.
They considered her inexperienced and resented her constant insistence on following every order to the letter. To them, her obsession with perfect execution was irritating, unnecessary, and proof that she lacked the practical experience to understand how real combat worked.
They ignored her commands.
The consequences were immediate and catastrophic.
Within ten minutes, every Nikke in her squad had been killed.
Eunhwa was left alone in the Raptures' lair, forced to fend for herself against overwhelming numbers. She fought desperately, attempting to follow the contingency plans she had prepared, but the situation had already deteriorated beyond recovery.
Then came the final blow.
A Rapture's beam cannon engulfed her in searing light.
Her human life ended in an instant.
Yet her body was eventually recovered by Elysion, and she was subsequently revived as a Nikke.
For Eunhwa, the experience became the foundation of her entire worldview.
She had followed the rules. She had planned everything down to the smallest detail. She had given clear, precise orders.
And her squad had died because they refused to listen.
From that moment onward, she became determined never to allow such a failure to happen again.
Unfortunately, her determination gradually hardened into an obsession.
Every commander she served under was measured against her impossibly high standards. If they failed to meet her expectations, she dismissed them as incompetent. If they made mistakes, she treated those mistakes as evidence that they were unqualified to lead.
No one was perfect enough.
No one could match her standards.
And in Eunhwa's eyes, that meant no one was truly capable of commanding her.
Watching the memories unfold, Emma remained silent.
She understood Eunhwa well enough to recognize the problem, but that didn't mean living up to her expectations had ever been easy. Keeping Eunhwa satisfied was a challenge in itself, and Emma had often found herself struggling to keep the squad functioning while enduring her teammate's relentless criticism.
Velvet, meanwhile, watched with growing concern.
Eunhwa had suffered a terrible loss, but somewhere along the way, she had become the very kind of Nikke she once despised: someone who refused to acknowledge the limitations of others and blamed them whenever reality failed to match her expectations.
Her perfectionism had begun as a response to a tragedy.
Now, it was becoming another source of suffering.
The memories shifted.
Absolute was being assembled.
With Eunhwa, Rapi, and eventually Vesti and Emma working together, the squad began completing missions with remarkable precision. Their teamwork produced the results Eunhwa had always wanted, and their victories only strengthened her conviction that she had been right all along.
Absolute could accomplish its objectives with near-perfect efficiency.
In Eunhwa's mind, this proved something else.
They didn't need an incompetent commander holding them back.
They could handle missions themselves, without someone else making mistakes that jeopardized their performance.
For a time, Absolute became the embodiment of Eunhwa's ideals.
Then Rapi left.
There was no proper explanation, no farewell conversation, and no opportunity for the squad to prepare themselves.
The first notice they received was a piece of paper informing them of Rapi's resignation.
Eunhwa stared at the document, struggling to comprehend what she was reading.
Rapi had been more than a teammate. The two had once been close friends, fighting side by side as members of Absolute. Eunhwa had trusted her abilities and relied on her presence, even if she rarely expressed such feelings openly.
And now Rapi was gone.
Without telling anyone.
Without giving Eunhwa a chance to ask why.
The sense of betrayal cut deeply, and Eunhwa dealt with it the only way she knew how.
She turned her hurt into anger.
As Absolute struggled to adjust to Rapi's absence, Eunhwa began blaming her former teammate for their declining performance. Whenever a mission went wrong, whenever the squad failed to meet its previous standards, Eunhwa found herself thinking the same thing.
If Rapi were still here, this wouldn't have happened.
She repeated it until it became an ingrained belief.
If only Rapi hadn't left, Absolute would still be perfect.
If only Rapi had stayed, they wouldn't be experiencing these failures.
If only Rapi had explained herself, Eunhwa might have understood.
But she had never received those answers, and she had never truly tried to consider what might have driven Rapi to leave.
For years, Eunhwa carried that resentment, blaming Rapi for mistakes that had occurred long after her departure.
Even when Rapi was no longer there to defend herself, Eunhwa continued treating her absence as the source of Absolute's problems.
Emma watched the scene with a heavy heart.
She had known how bitter Eunhwa had become toward Rapi, but seeing the memories made the depth of that resentment painfully clear.
Velvet, too, fell silent.
Neither woman interrupted the memories as the scene shifted once more.
This time, they saw the illusory village where the Shipgirls and Nikkes captured aboard Mother Whale had gathered.
Eunhwa stood among the survivors, her arms crossed and her expression as cold as ever. Even after everything they had endured, she had found another target for her frustrations.
The commanders.
The Shipgirls.
The people she believed had failed to reclaim the seas and allowed the Sirens to seize control of so much of the world.
To Eunhwa, the situation was yet another example of incompetence on a massive scale.
At first, the Shipgirls largely ignored her complaints. They had more pressing concerns than arguing with someone who seemed determined to criticize everyone around her.
Then Shoukaku mentioned John Smith.
She pointed out that he had done his best under difficult circumstances, attempting to defend humanity and reclaim territory despite the overwhelming opposition they faced.
Eunhwa scoffed.
"Doing his best doesn't change the fact that he was incompetent."
The moment those words left her mouth, the atmosphere changed.
Hindenburg turned toward her.
Before Eunhwa could say another word, Hindenburg stepped forward and delivered a devastating punch.
BOOM!
Eunhwa went flying.
Her body crashed through several houses before finally coming to a stop amid the wreckage.
For a brief moment, the entire village fell silent.
Even Emma and Velvet stared in disbelief.
Yuuki, meanwhile, could only blink.
Good grief. She really said that to Hindenburg's face?
Eunhwa struggled to get back up, clutching the place where she had been struck.
The pain was very real.
Apparently, even in an illusory world, getting punched by a Shipgirl was no laughing matter.
A Nikke might possess formidable strength, but the difference between her and a powerful Shipgirl could be overwhelming. It was like bringing a stick to a sword fight.
And Hindenburg's punch had delivered a lesson Eunhwa wouldn't soon forget.
It had practically factory-reset her brain.
For once, Eunhwa had nothing to say.
The incident became a turning point, though not an immediate one.
It took several conversations with Friedrich der Große before Eunhwa finally began opening up about the frustrations she had carried for so long.
She spoke about Absolute's decline after Rapi left, about the mistakes her squad had made, and about how impossible it had become to maintain the standards she once took pride in.
She spoke about commanders who failed to meet her expectations and teammates who couldn't always execute her orders exactly as she wanted.
Friedrich listened patiently like a mother, allowing Eunhwa to express herself without interruption.
When Eunhwa finally finished, she seemed to expect some form of agreement.
Perhaps Friedrich would acknowledge that Absolute had suffered because of Rapi's departure. Perhaps she would understand why Eunhwa had become so demanding.
Instead, Friedrich asked her a single question.
"Eunhwa, do you know what Rapi was going through?"
Eunhwa froze.
Friedrich continued in her calm, measured voice.
"You have spent so much time thinking about what went wrong after Rapi left. You remember the missions that failed, the mistakes your squad made, and the standards you could no longer maintain."
Her expression softened.
"But have you ever stopped to consider what Rapi herself might have been experiencing?"
Eunhwa's lips parted, but no answer came.
"You have always wanted everything to be perfect," Friedrich continued. "You wanted perfect orders, perfect execution, and perfect results. But did you ever look closely enough to see the flaws hidden beneath that perfection?"
She paused, giving Eunhwa time to consider her words.
"Did you ever ask yourself whether Rapi was struggling? Whether she had reached a point where she could no longer endure what she was experiencing? Or whether she had reasons for leaving that she didn't know how to share with you?"
Eunhwa lowered her eyes.
Friedrich's words struck somewhere she had spent years trying to protect.
"Perhaps Rapi feared what would happen if she told you the truth," Friedrich added gently. "Perhaps she believed you wouldn't understand. Perhaps she was afraid that, instead of listening to her, you would criticize her for failing to meet your expectations."
Eunhwa's hands tightened.
She wanted to argue.
She wanted to insist that Rapi should have told her, that friends shouldn't leave without an explanation, that Absolute deserved better than a resignation letter.
But beneath all those arguments lay a question she had never wanted to face.
What if Rapi had tried to tell me?
Would I have listened?
Or would I have called her incompetent?
The thought unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
Then Emma and Vesti joined the conversation.
Emma approached her with the same gentle patience she had always shown her squadmates.
"Eunhwa, I know you want every mission to go perfectly. I know how much you care about Absolute's performance."
Eunhwa glanced at her.
"But not everyone can handle being expected to do everything perfectly all the time," Emma continued. "Sometimes, even when we try our hardest, we make mistakes. Sometimes, we struggle with things we don't know how to explain."
Vesti nodded quietly.
"And when we're constantly afraid of making mistakes, it becomes difficult to tell someone when something is wrong."
Eunhwa looked away.
Neither Emma nor Vesti was accusing her of deliberately hurting them. That made their words all the more difficult to dismiss.
They had been there through the missions, the arguments, and the endless criticism. They knew how exhausting it could be to live under Eunhwa's expectations.
Emma had often tried to keep the peace, while Vesti had struggled with her own insecurities.
Both had done their best to meet Eunhwa's standards.
But neither of them could be perfect all the time.
And neither should have been expected to be.
Eunhwa had spent so many years criticizing others for their shortcomings that she had failed to recognize her own.
Her perfectionism had once been a shield against the helplessness she experienced when her human squad died. If every order was precise enough, if every possibility was accounted for, then perhaps she would never have to endure that kind of loss again.
But the battlefield had never promised perfection.
Neither had her teammates.
And neither had Rapi.
Slowly, Eunhwa began to understand the weight of her own expectations.
She had believed she was protecting Absolute by demanding perfection from everyone around her. She had convinced herself that her criticism was necessary, that anything less would lead to failure.
Yet, in doing so, she had made it difficult for the people closest to her to speak honestly.
She had wanted her squadmates to trust her judgment, but had she given them reason to trust her with their weaknesses?
She had wanted Rapi to explain her departure, but had she ever made Rapi feel safe enough to explain?
Eunhwa remembered the friendship they had once shared.
She remembered the missions they had completed together, the quiet moments between deployments, and the trust that had once existed between them.
Then she remembered the resignation letter.
The anger returned, but this time, it was accompanied by something else.
Uncertainty.
For years, she had treated Rapi's departure as an unforgivable betrayal. She had convinced herself that Rapi had abandoned Absolute without caring about the consequences.
But she had never known the full story.
She had never asked what Rapi had been enduring before she left.
And now, for the first time, Eunhwa wondered whether her own behavior had contributed to the distance between them.
What if Rapi had been suffering all that time?
What if she had needed someone to listen to her?
What if she had wanted to talk to me, but believed I would only judge her?
Eunhwa's chest tightened.
She could imagine the conversation now, and the realization frightened her.
If Rapi had admitted that she was struggling, would Eunhwa have comforted her?
Would she have reassured her that she didn't need to carry everything alone?
Or would she have looked at her former friend and called her incompetent for failing to endure?
Eunhwa had always prided herself on recognizing weaknesses in others.
Yet she had never considered that her own greatest weakness might be her inability to accept imperfection.
She lowered her head, her expression unusually troubled.
For the first time in years, she began to question the certainty with which she had condemned Rapi.
Perhaps Rapi had made mistakes.
Perhaps leaving without an explanation had hurt the people who cared about her.
But Eunhwa could no longer ignore the possibility that she, too, had made mistakes—mistakes that had slowly driven away someone she once considered a friend.
And that left her facing the question she had avoided for so long.
If she had known what Rapi was going through back then, would she have reached out to comfort her?
Or would she have judged her, just as she had judged everyone else who failed to meet her expectations?
===========
The memories finally came to an end.
The illusory village dissolved around them, its houses and streets crumbling into countless motes of light. The scene faded, leaving the familiar grassy plain in its place.
Standing before Yuuki, Emma, and Velvet was the real Eunhwa.
For once, the usually cold and composed leader of Absolute had no sharp retort ready. Her head was lowered, her hands clenched at her sides.
"I know\..." she began quietly. "I was a big, fat jerk."
Emma watched her with concern, while Velvet remained silent.
"I became the very thing I hated the most. The Nikkes I commanded when I was human hated my obsession with perfection. They hated being told to follow every order exactly as I gave it."
Eunhwa let out a bitter laugh.
"And what did I do after becoming a Nikke? I started treating every commander I served under the same way. I expected them to be perfect, and whenever they failed to meet my standards, I called them incompetent."
She raised her head slightly, looking at Yuuki.
"The irony is that I was a former commander myself. I should have understood better than anyone that commanding people isn't as simple as issuing perfect orders."
Her voice faltered.
"For years, I believed Rapi was responsible for Absolute's decline. Every failed mission, every mistake, every time we fell short of our previous performance... I blamed her."
Tears began to gather in her crimson eyes.
"But it turns out..."
She swallowed hard.
"It was me. It was always me."
Emma took a small step forward, but Eunhwa continued before she could say anything.
"When I finally began to understand what Rapi might have been going through, I realized how badly I'd treated her. I kept blaming her, even though she wasn't there anymore. I never stopped to consider whether my own behavior had contributed to what happened between us."
Her voice grew increasingly unsteady.
"And now, look at us. Rapi has grown stronger. She's leveled up faster than I ever could. When I heard she had become the leader of GDI's Nikkes, part of me wanted to challenge that decision."
Eunhwa clenched her fists.
"But what could I have done? What if nobody wanted to listen to me anymore? What if everyone preferred Rapi because she was a better leader than I was?"
She looked away, ashamed to admit how deeply the thought had affected her.
"Then I saw how you led the fleet, Commander. You brought Shipgirls and Nikkes together and made them fight as one. You earned their trust without constantly criticizing them or demanding that they meet impossible standards."
She looked back at him, her eyes glistening.
"Could I ever match you? No. I could never."
A bitter smile crossed her face.
"Someone like me, who spent her entire life pretending to be perfect, could never hope to lead the way you do."
Yuuki remained quiet, allowing her to speak.
Eunhwa took a shaky breath.
"I expected Rapi to yell at me when she finally came back. I thought she'd tell me how much of a hypocrite I was, how I had spent years blaming her for everything that went wrong."
She shook her head.
"But when she came to rescue us, she was kind to me."
Her voice broke slightly.
"She didn't hold my past mistakes against me. She didn't demand that I apologize before helping me. She simply came and saved us."
Eunhwa wiped at the corner of her eye, but another tear escaped.
"I spent years thinking of all the things I wanted to say to her. I imagined countless apologies, but I never knew how to begin."
She gave a small, pained smile.
"And it turns out... she had already forgiven me a long time ago."
The realization seemed to hurt more than any accusation could have.
Rapi had moved on while Eunhwa remained trapped in the past, nursing a grudge against someone who had never stopped caring about her.
Eunhwa finally turned toward Emma.
"I'm sorry, Emma."
Emma's eyes widened.
"I'm really sorry for everything I put you through. You and Vesti always had to deal with my unreasonable expectations. You kept putting up with me, even when I made things difficult for both of you."
She lowered her head.
"I kept telling myself that I was doing it for the squad's sake. That if I pushed everyone hard enough, we'd become stronger. But I never stopped to ask whether I was hurting the people I was supposed to be leading."
Her fingers trembled.
"I can't change what I've done, but I promise I won't keep pushing everyone like that anymore. I'll try to listen. I'll try to understand when someone is struggling instead of immediately calling them incompetent."
Emma's expression softened.
"Eunhwa..."
She approached her former squad leader and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You don't have to fix everything overnight. Just trying to understand us is already a good start."
Eunhwa's lips tightened as she fought to keep her composure.
"Thank you, Emma."
Then she turned toward Yuuki.
The stoic Nikke stood straight, but the tears in her eyes betrayed the vulnerability she could no longer hide.
"Commander, please forgive me if I've ever offended you."
She hesitated.
Then, in a voice quieter than anyone had ever heard from her, she asked the question that mattered most to her.
"Will you... accept what's left of me?"
Yuuki smiled warmly.
"Of course I'll accept you, Eunhwa."
She stared at him in disbelief.
"Really?"
"Really."
He reached out and gently patted her head.
"I know you're a perfectionist. I understand why you became one, too. After losing your entire squad because they ignored your orders, I can see why you'd become obsessed with making sure the same thing never happened again."
His expression grew a little more serious.
"But you need to learn to tone it down. Not everyone likes being constantly criticized, and not everyone can perform perfectly all the time."
Eunhwa listened without interrupting.
"Even I don't give my Shipgirls and Nikkes overly complicated orders unless the situation calls for them. I trust them to carry out their missions. They're professionals, and I believe in their abilities."
He paused before continuing.
"If you give someone a ridiculously specific set of instructions for every little thing, you'll only stress yourself out trying to make sure everything goes exactly as planned. Worse, you might prevent them from adapting when the situation changes."
Eunhwa considered his words.
"Then... how would you give an order?"
Yuuki rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm. Something like this, perhaps?"
He straightened slightly and adopted a commanding tone.
"'Absolute squad, gather at the cathedral in ten minutes.'"
He then relaxed.
"That's it. I tell you the objective, give you a deadline, and trust you to figure out how to get there. The route, the methods, and how you organize yourselves are up to you."
He smiled.
"Simple, right? I know you're capable of completing the task without me dictating every single step. Of course, if we're in the middle of a battle, I'll give you more specific instructions when necessary, such as which target to prioritize or where I need you to provide support."
Eunhwa fell silent, considering the difference.
She had always believed that precise instructions were the key to perfect execution. Yet Yuuki was demonstrating something she had overlooked.
A commander didn't need to control every detail to achieve a successful outcome.
Sometimes, the best order was one that gave capable people the freedom to do what they did best.
"Simple, but effective, huh?" Eunhwa murmured.
"Exactly."
Yuuki gave her head another gentle pat.
"You're already skilled, Eunhwa. You don't need to prove your worth by forcing everyone around you to meet impossible standards. Trust your teammates, communicate with them, and give them room to grow. That's how a squad becomes stronger together. Under GDI, you can grow even stronger."
Eunhwa lowered her eyes, absorbing his words.
For so long, she had believed that perfection was the only path to success.
Now, she was beginning to understand that trust could accomplish what perfection never could.
She took a deep breath before looking up at Yuuki again.
"Commander..."
Her expression became serious, and her voice regained some of its familiar firmness.
"I'll leave my dreams in your hands. If you can lead GDI to this extent, then please lead me to glory."
She placed a hand over her chest.
"I promise I'll prove that I can serve under your command. I'll follow your orders, learn from my mistakes, and do my best to become someone you can rely on."
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"But you'd better not abandon me like those scumbags did."
Yuuki blinked.
Eunhwa stepped closer, her expression fierce despite the tears still lingering in her eyes.
"I've chosen you, Commander. You must never betray me. Never."
Yuuki stared at her for a moment.
"That's quite a lot of orders you're giving me."
"I know."
For once, Eunhwa didn't try to disguise her feelings behind criticism or sarcasm.
"After experiencing this connection and feeling your bond, I can understand why everyone treasures it. It's a constant warmth, a feeling of happiness that doesn't disappear even when I'm alone."
She pressed a hand against her chest.
"It gives me a reason to take care of this bond. A reason to keep moving forward and become stronger, not just for myself, but for everyone connected to me."
Her expression shifted slightly.
"And..."
She hesitated before looking away.
"I was jealous."
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"Jealous?"
Eunhwa's cheeks reddened faintly.
"Rapi was among the first to receive this bond. When I heard about it, I couldn't help wondering why she had been chosen before me."
Velvet immediately grinned.
"Oh? So you were jealous of Rapi, too?"
"Shut up, Velvet!"
Eunhwa snapped back automatically, only to realize what she had done.
She closed her eyes and sighed.
"...Sorry."
Velvet blinked, then burst into laughter.
"Oh, this is wonderful! Eunhwa apologized without being forced to!"
"Do you want me to take it back?"
"No, no! Please continue. This is a historic occasion!"
Emma covered her mouth, giggling at the exchange.
Yuuki could only shake his head.
"Well, I'm glad the bond means so much to you. But you don't need to compare yourself with Rapi. Everyone has their own path, and everyone will grow at their own pace."
Eunhwa nodded.
"I understand."
Then she looked at him with a newfound determination.
"I'll become stronger. I'll learn to trust my teammates, and I'll stop demanding perfection from everyone around me."
She paused.
"But I still intend to become the best Nikke under your command."
Yuuki chuckled.
"That's a much healthier goal."
Emma promptly tightened her hold on his other arm.
"Well, Eunhwa, you'll have to get in line. We were here first!"
Velvet immediately joined in, clinging to Yuuki's arm from the opposite side.
"Exactly! And I'm going to reach Level 1000 first!"
Eunhwa's eyebrow twitched.
"Are you two seriously competing over the Commander right now?"
"Of course!" Velvet answered cheerfully.
Emma nodded with equal enthusiasm.
"Why wouldn't we?"
Eunhwa stared at them, then looked at Yuuki.
He merely gave her an apologetic smile.
"Welcome to the fleet."
For a moment, Eunhwa looked as though she regretted every decision that had brought her here.
Then she let out a quiet sigh, the corner of her mouth lifting ever so slightly.
"Fine. I'll deal with both of you later."
She turned back to Yuuki and straightened her posture.
"Commander, I'll accept nothing less than perfection from my team."
Emma and Velvet exchanged worried glances.
Eunhwa noticed and immediately raised a hand.
"Let me finish."
She took a breath, then continued.
"That's what I used to believe. But now, I understand that perfection isn't the same as excellence. I can still strive for the best without expecting everyone to be flawless."
Her expression softened.
"And if I have to choose between a perfect mission and a teammate who needs help, I'll remember what you taught me."
She met Yuuki's gaze directly.
"I'll trust you to lead me. And I'll do my best to become a commander who can earn the trust of others, too."
She paused, then gave him a crisp salute.
"I am yours to command, Commander."
Yuuki returned her salute with a warm smile.
"Then let's do our best together, Eunhwa."
After years of trying to prove herself through perfection, Eunhwa finally understood that she didn't need to be flawless to be worthy of trust.
She only needed to keep moving forward, learn from her mistakes, and trust the people standing beside her.
Yuuki regarded her for a moment before another thought occurred to him.
"Well, I hope you'll be able to accept Rapi as your leader. In fact, why don't you become her vice-leader?"
Eunhwa blinked.
"Me? Her vice-leader?"
"Why not?"
Yuuki shrugged casually.
"I could appoint Anis or Neon, but Anis is more interested in snacks, and Neon would probably rather stare down the barrel of a cannon than worry about being a perfect leader."
"Hey, Master!" Velvet protested with a giggle. "Don't underestimate Firepower Girl!"
Yuuki ignored her and continued.
"Besides, you have plenty of experience. You know how to plan missions, assess threats, and organize a squad. You can share that knowledge with Rapi and help her decide what needs to be prioritized."
He raised a finger.
"But remember, being a vice-leader doesn't mean forcing her to follow every suggestion you make. Your job is to advise her, discuss the options, and help her reach the right decision. Ultimately, you need to respect her authority as the leader."
Eunhwa listened attentively.
"Rapi is still growing into her position, just as you are learning to become a better teammate. And the Nikkes under GDI will continue growing, too. Their numbers will increase, their strength will improve, and new challenges will arise. Having someone with your experience beside her could make a real difference."
Eunhwa fell silent for a moment, considering the proposal.
Then she nodded firmly.
"I'll propose the idea to Rapi once we return."
She looked directly at Yuuki.
"Thank you for trusting me, Commander."
Yuuki smiled.
"Well, I'm not trying to console you or tell you that everything you've done was acceptable. I'm simply encouraging you to become a better friend to Rapi."
His expression softened.
"You've both been through a lot. You can't change what happened in the past, but you can decide what kind of relationship you want to have from now on."
He gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.
"And if you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to come to me. If you're struggling with something or need another perspective, I'll always be willing to listen. I can even help you brainstorm ideas if you get stuck."
He flashed her a grin.
"Consider it part of my duties as your commander."
Eunhwa stared at him for a moment before nodding.
"I will."
She genuinely meant it.
For once, she didn't feel the need to hide her insecurities behind harsh words or pretend that she could handle everything alone.
Then, just as the atmosphere was becoming touching, Emma suddenly wrapped her arms around Yuuki's shoulders from behind.
"Hold on! We got him first!"
Velvet immediately joined her, clinging to Yuuki's other side.
"Exactly! Don't think you can just cut in line, Eunhwa!"
Yuuki's expression stiffened.
"Seriously? We're doing this again?"
Emma giggled, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"Of course! I have to make sure you remember your promises, Commander!"
"And I need to reach Level 1000 before anyone else!" Velvet declared proudly.
Eunhwa stared at the two women hanging off Yuuki, her eyebrow twitching.
"...You're both unbelievable. Plus, reaching level 1000 isn't easy."
"Thank you!" Emma replied cheerfully.
"That wasn't a compliment!"
"Eh? But it sounded like one!"
Yuuki sighed.
He was beginning to suspect that helping these women work through their emotional baggage was considerably easier than managing their newfound enthusiasm for competing over him.
Eunhwa shook her head, apparently deciding that arguing with the pair would be a waste of time.
Instead, she reached out and took Yuuki's hand.
Her cheeks reddened slightly as she looked away.
"Come on. We still have to get Vesti."
Yuuki glanced at her, then smiled.
"Right. Let's go."
Eunhwa tightened her grip on his hand, her expression returning to its usual composure, though the faint blush on her cheeks remained.
She had spent years blaming Rapi for leaving her behind.
Now, she intended to do things differently.
She would speak to Rapi, offer her support, and learn to trust her as a leader. There would undoubtedly be disagreements between them, and Eunhwa knew she wouldn't change overnight.
But for the first time, she was willing to try.
"But, Commander, be careful," Emma suddenly said, giving Yuuki a mischievous smile. "Eunhwa is a little sensitive about her chest size and forehead."
Eunhwa's expression darkened.
"You little—!"
"Kyaa! Commander, save me!"
Emma quickly ducked behind Yuuki, giggling as Eunhwa glared at her.
Yuuki could only chuckle.
"Pfft! I don't mind. Big or small, it doesn't matter to me. And there's nothing wrong with your forehead, Eunhwa. I really don't mind at all."
Eunhwa stared at him.
"...You do understand me, Commander."
"Of course."
For a brief moment, she seemed genuinely relieved.
Then Velvet leaned closer to Yuuki and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"You only said that to make her feel better."
Yuuki sighed.
"Well, it's better than nothing."
"YOU TWO!"
Eunhwa's furious shout echoed across the grassy plain as Emma and Velvet burst into laughter.
Yuuki decided it was probably best to move on before the situation escalated any further.
Thankfully, they had another crystal waiting for them.
The four of them approached it together.
This one belonged to the final member of Absolute.
Vesti.
Yuuki studied the crystal for a moment before smiling at the three women.
"Well, let's see what Vesti wants to show us."
He reached out and touched its surface.
The crystal immediately began to glow.
In the next instant, the world around them dissolved into light, transporting all four of them into Vesti's memories.
Vesti's past was far darker than her timid personality suggested.
Before becoming a Nikke, she had been a human girl who struggled to make friends. Her constant stuttering made it difficult for her to express herself, and her classmates often took advantage of her nervousness.
She was bullied relentlessly.
Whenever she tried to speak, her words would stumble over one another. The more anxious she became, the worse her stuttering grew, giving the other children another excuse to mock her.
For a girl who desperately wanted friends, school became a place of humiliation rather than happiness.
But her suffering had begun long before that.
At some point during her childhood, Vesti had been abducted and forced into a secret program designed to create elite Ark agents.
Her childhood was taken from her.
Instead of being allowed to grow up, make friends, and discover the world at her own pace, she was trained to become a weapon. Her captors conditioned her body and mind, molding her into an operative capable of eliminating targets with ruthless efficiency.
She was turned into a child sleeper agent.
To the outside world, she remained an ordinary schoolgirl named Vesti, seemingly unaware of her true purpose. She attended classes, struggled with her studies, and endured the same bullying as before.
But hidden beneath that timid exterior was a dormant weapon waiting to be activated.
All it took was a specific activation phrase.
Once triggered, the conditioning would take over, transforming the frightened girl into a cold-blooded killing machine.
And one day, that phrase was spoken.
It happened at school.
Vesti's classmates had cornered her, as they had done so many times before. The boys and girls surrounded her, laughing as they forced her into humiliating situations. They recorded everything, treating her distress as entertainment.
Vesti trembled, unable to defend herself.
Her words caught in her throat as she tried to beg them to stop.
But they wouldn't listen.
Then the activation code was triggered.
The change was immediate.
The frightened girl disappeared behind an expression devoid of emotion. Her trembling ceased, her posture straightened, and her eyes became cold.
The bullies barely had time to understand that something was wrong.
Vesti attacked.
What followed was a massacre.
The same children who had tormented her moments earlier were slaughtered before the cameras they had been using to record her humiliation. Their laughter turned into screams, and the classroom descended into chaos.
No one could stop her.
Teachers and other personnel who attempted to intervene were powerless against the weapon the program had created. Vesti moved with terrifying efficiency, eliminating her targets without hesitation.
The timid girl who had struggled to speak was gone.
In her place stood a living weapon.
The recordings captured everything.
Yet even with her extraordinary lethality, Vesti was still human. When she eventually encountered the Perilous Siege, her limitations became apparent. Their Nikkes possessed physical capabilities far beyond those of an ordinary human, and Vesti couldn't overcome that difference indefinitely.
She was eventually overwhelmed.
Her life as a human came to an end, and she was subsequently revived as a Nikke.
The transformation changed everything.
With a Nikke body, Vesti's combat capabilities rose dramatically. Her already formidable training, combined with her enhanced physical abilities, made her an exceptionally dangerous fighter.
Within Elysion, she became the strongest member of Absolute.
Absolute itself was regarded as Elysion's most powerful squad, and Vesti's overwhelming combat prowess played a major role in that reputation.
Yet, despite her infamous strength, one thing remained unchanged.
Making friends was still difficult for her.
The memories showed Vesti standing alone, uncertain how to approach others. Even after becoming a Nikke and gaining the power to defeat opponents who would once have overwhelmed her, she remained the same timid girl who struggled to speak without stuttering.
Her combat abilities had transformed.
Her loneliness had not.
And as Yuuki, Emma, Velvet, and Eunhwa watched her memories unfold, it became painfully clear that Vesti's greatest struggle had never been learning how to fight.
It had been learning how to live as a person after others had spent her childhood turning her into a weapon.
After becoming a Nikke, Vesti's sleeper-agent conditioning changed.
The original activation code no longer worked as it had when she was human. The transformation had altered her body and mind, severing the mechanism that once allowed the program to take control of her against her will.
However, the training remained.
Vesti could still deliberately activate the combat techniques embedded in her conditioning, allowing her to unleash the terrifying lethality that had once made her a living weapon. Combined with her enhanced Nikke body, those techniques elevated her combat capabilities to another level.
She became the strongest member of Absolute.
Yet, despite her overwhelming strength, Vesti remained timid and meek in her everyday life.
To most people in the Ark, she was a remorseless harbinger of death. Her reputation as the Reaper preceded her, and few dared to approach her casually. The mere thought of provoking someone capable of slaughtering enemies without hesitation was enough to keep people at a distance.
But the truth was far different.
Vesti was actually a very gentle person. She was kind, soft-spoken, and desperately wanted to make friends. Unfortunately, her poor social skills and nervous stuttering made it difficult for her to connect with others. Even when she wanted to approach someone, she often became too anxious to speak.
Her fearsome reputation only made matters worse.
People saw a monster where there was merely a lonely girl who wanted someone to talk to.
Only those unfortunate enough to earn her genuine hostility would discover why she had been given the name Reaper. Vesti rarely wanted to hurt anyone, but when pushed into a fight, the difference between her timid personality and her combat capabilities could be terrifying.
She could be shy around a new acquaintance one moment and utterly merciless toward an enemy the next.
Despite everything, she never stopped hoping that someone would look beyond her reputation and accept her for who she really was.
Unfortunately, even becoming a Nikke couldn't protect her from every danger.
When the Raptures threatened her squad, Vesti resorted to activating her combat conditioning. She unleashed the full extent of her abilities, overwhelming the Raptures with a ferocity few opponents could withstand.
For a time, she seemed unstoppable.
But even the strongest fighter could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers and unfavorable circumstances.
Eventually, Vesti was captured alongside Eunhwa and Emma. The three were taken aboard Mother Whale, where they remained trapped for an unknown period.
Her memories then shifted to the med bay aboard Daedalus.
After Yuuki's synchronization process and the med bay's treatment, Vesti's brain had been thoroughly examined and repaired. The conditioning that once threatened to seize control of her had been addressed, while the combat training and techniques she had acquired were integrated into her mind and body.
She no longer needed to fear an activation phrase turning her into a weapon against her will.
The skills remained hers.
The knowledge, instincts, and techniques she had learned could still be called upon whenever she needed them, but the dangerous mechanism that had once controlled her was no longer a threat.
For the first time, Vesti could trust herself completely.
She could fight at full strength without worrying that she might lose control and hurt the people she cared about.
She could finally use her abilities by her own choice.
And perhaps, with the support of her new comrades, she could begin working toward something she had wanted for as long as she could remember.
Making friends.
Not as a sleeper agent.
Not as the Ark's feared Reaper.
But simply as Vesti.
=========
"Wow..." Eunhwa murmured, staring at the fading remnants of Vesti's memories. "I've known Vesti for so long, yet I never knew any of this."
Her expression darkened as she recalled all the times she had criticized Vesti for her timidness and poor social skills, never once considering what might lie beneath them.
"Vesti..." Emma whispered, her heart aching for her squadmate.
Velvet lowered her gaze, looking deeply uncomfortable.
"I feel like I shouldn't have seen this..." she admitted quietly.
Before anyone could say anything more, the remaining fragments of the memory shattered.
The real Vesti appeared before them.
She stood trembling, both hands clutching her head as though she were trying to hold herself together. Her shoulders shook, and her breathing grew increasingly ragged.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
The words spilled from her lips repeatedly, as if she were trapped in a nightmare she couldn't escape.
Emma immediately rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the frightened girl.
"Vesti! It's okay! I'm here!"
But Vesti barely seemed to hear her.
Eunhwa stood frozen, unable to find the words to comfort her.
She had served alongside Vesti for so long, yet she had never known the truth about her past. She hadn't known what had been done to her before becoming a Nikke, nor how deeply her childhood had been scarred.
And Vesti wasn't the only one.
Eunhwa had also failed to understand Rapi's struggles. She had spent years blaming her former friend without knowing what she had been going through.
Now, after witnessing the memories of Emma, Velvet, and Vesti, Eunhwa couldn't help questioning herself.
How much had I failed to see?
How many times did I push them without understanding what they were already enduring?
She had always demanded perfection from her squadmates, believing that pushing them harder would make them stronger.
But what if they had already been fighting battles she knew nothing about?
What if her constant criticism had only made their burdens heavier?
Eunhwa lowered her head, unable to escape the painful realization.
She had been so focused on correcting everyone else's shortcomings that she had never stopped to understand their suffering.
Meanwhile, Vesti continued trembling in Emma's embrace.
"Please, stay away..."
Her voice cracked.
"No... please don't treat me like this..."
She pressed her hands harder against her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I don't know what I'll end up doing. Please... don't make me... I'll be a bad girl..."
Her breathing became more frantic.
"Please..."
Yuuki slowly approached her.
He didn't rush forward or try to force her to look at him. Instead, he lowered himself slightly, keeping his voice gentle and reassuring.
"Hey, Vesti. Shhh... It's okay."
Vesti flinched at first, but Yuuki didn't withdraw.
He carefully reached out and began stroking her head.
"You're safe. Nobody here is going to hurt you."
Vesti shook her head desperately.
"Please... save me, Commander..."
Her voice was so small that it nearly broke his heart.
"I don't want to hurt them. I don't want to hurt Laffey, Javelin, Ayanami, or Nimi... Unicorn, Neon, Anis..."
She began sobbing harder.
"I don't want to hurt my friends! Please... I don't want to!"
Yuuki continued patting her head, his expression calm and reassuring.
"Hey, listen to me. You don't have to worry about that anymore."
Vesti trembled in Emma's arms.
"The code is gone, Vesti. It's been dealt with. You're not going to lose control because someone says a particular phrase. You can fight when you choose to fight, and you can stop when you choose to stop."
He smiled gently.
"You're safe now. You're free."
Vesti slowly lifted her tearful face.
"...I am?"
"Yeah."
Yuuki brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
"And you have people waiting for you. Friends who care about you, and a mother who wants you home."
Vesti blinked.
"Mom...? Friends?"
"Of course. Don't keep Friedrich waiting, all right? Your friends are waiting for you to wake up."
For a moment, Vesti simply stared at him.
Then, something stirred in her memories.
She remembered the slumber party from the previous night, organized to welcome Ayanami and her into their little circle.
It had been chaotic from the very beginning.
Neon had somehow managed to get herself into trouble, and Nimi had taken it upon herself to discipline the self-proclaimed Firepower Girl. Watching Neon being lectured had been so entertaining that Vesti had struggled to contain her laughter.
She remembered how Ayanami had confided in her about having a demon persona.
Vesti had understood that feeling more than Ayanami could possibly imagine. The difference was that Ayanami could joke about her other self without fearing that she might suddenly lose control and hurt someone.
Then there was Laffey.
Vesti loved it whenever Laffey patted her head. The sleepy rabbit's casual affection always made her feel warm and safe.
And Javelin...
Whenever they watched ghost movies together, Javelin would cling to her in fright. Vesti wasn't actually afraid of ghosts, but she sometimes pretended to be scared, too, just so Javelin would hold onto her a little longer.
Those moments had been so ordinary.
So simple.
And yet, they meant everything to her.
She had friends.
People who laughed with her, played with her, and welcomed her into their little group without expecting her to be perfect.
People who knew her as Vesti, not as the Reaper.
People who wanted her around.
Her trembling gradually subsided.
The terror in her eyes gave way to bewilderment, then a fragile realization.
"I have friends..."
She looked at Yuuki, then at Emma, who was still holding her tightly.
"I really have friends..."
Her lips began to tremble into a smile as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
"I have friends. I really do!"
This time, her tears weren't entirely born of fear.
For so long, Vesti had believed that her past made her dangerous, that there was something fundamentally wrong with her that would eventually hurt everyone she cared about.
But now, she could remember the people who had accepted her.
The people who wanted to see her smile.
The people who would be waiting when she returned.
Yuuki gently patted her head again.
"That's right, Vesti. You have friends. And you don't have to face everything alone anymore."
Vesti let out a shaky laugh before throwing her arms around him.
"Thank you, Commander..."
Emma joined the embrace, holding Vesti close as the frightened girl finally allowed herself to cry without apologizing for it.
Nearby, Eunhwa watched in silence.
For once, she didn't criticize Vesti for being emotional or tell her to pull herself together.
She simply stood there, looking at the squadmate she had known for so long, and wished she had understood sooner.
Perhaps becoming a better leader didn't begin with issuing better orders or demanding better performance.
Perhaps it began with learning to see the people standing beside her.
And this time, Eunhwa intended to do just that.
"Ehee... Thank you so much, Commander."
Vesti sniffled, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Despite everything she had just remembered, a small smile had returned to her face.
"I've been laughing nonstop recently... What is happening to me?"
She tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled by her own happiness.
Yuuki chuckled.
"Maybe you're finally allowing yourself to enjoy life without worrying about what might happen next."
Vesti's eyes brightened.
"C-can you take me to watch another horror movie?"
Yuuki blinked before laughing.
"Why don't you bring your friends along? And it doesn't have to be horror movies, you know. You can watch all sorts of things at the cinema."
"Really?"
Vesti's face lit up.
"Then... let's watch lots of movies together!"
She was already imagining herself sitting between her friends, watching Javelin cling to her during the scary scenes while Laffey probably fell asleep halfway through the movie. Neon would undoubtedly have something ridiculous to say, and Nimi would probably end up scolding her again.
Just thinking about it made Vesti giggle.
Seeing her smile, Eunhwa finally stepped forward.
"Vesti..."
Before the timid Nikke could react, Eunhwa pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry."
Vesti blinked in surprise.
"I didn't know what you had been through. I knew you struggled to make friends, but I never understood why. I should have paid more attention instead of making assumptions about you. And... probably used your strength to achieve what I want."
Eunhwa tightened her embrace.
"I'm sorry for not being a better squad leader. You and Emma put up with so much from me, and I never stopped to consider what you were going through."
Vesti looked at her for a moment before smiling.
"It's okay, Eunhwa."
She returned the hug.
"I had fun with you and Emma... and Rapi, too. You were my friends before I met my new ones."
Her smile grew brighter.
"You've always been important to me. So... all is well!"
Eunhwa stared at her.
"Really?"
"Really!"
Vesti nodded enthusiastically.
For a moment, Eunhwa could only hold her squadmate a little tighter.
She had spent so long believing that her harshness was necessary to make Absolute stronger. Yet Vesti, despite everything she had endured, had never stopped regarding her as a friend.
Perhaps she still had a long way to go before she could become the leader she wanted to be.
But at least she could begin by treating the people beside her better.
Yuuki watched the reunion with a satisfied smile before Emma suddenly turned toward him.
"Commander, can I ask you something?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"Why did we need to experience these memories? Couldn't we have simply told you about our pasts?"
Yuuki nodded thoughtfully.
"That's a fair question."
He glanced at the four of them.
"From what I've gathered, these memories are connected to the things your NIMPH has been suppressing or keeping you from fully confronting. By experiencing them yourselves, you were able to break through that barrier and establish a deeper connection with me through your Cubes. Instead of dwelling in the past, it freed you from its ties."
He paused to ensure they understood.
"Your pasts are still your own. I'm not here to erase them or tell you what you should feel about them. But by confronting those memories, you've been able to reclaim parts of yourselves that you had buried, lost, or struggled to accept."
His expression softened.
"You're still Nikkes, but you don't have to live as though the Ark's restrictions define everything you are. You can make your own choices, form your own relationships, and decide what kind of future you want. Through our connection, you can finally begin living more freely, without being held back by those old limitations."
Emma nodded slowly, absorbing his explanation.
Then Velvet spoke up.
"And the connection itself..."
She pressed a hand against her chest, her expression turning thoughtful.
"Ever since I connected with you, I've felt this constant warmth and happiness. It's unlike anything I've experienced before. I can't imagine wanting to be apart from you now."
She glanced at Emma and Eunhwa.
"Judging by how the others have reacted, I don't think we're the only ones who feel this way."
Yuuki scratched his cheek.
"Yeah, the Shipgirls and the other Nikkes have told me something similar. They described it as a deep bond unlike anything they'd experienced before."
He sighed.
"And apparently, it has a rather troublesome side effect."
Emma tilted her head.
"What side effect?"
"They don't seem to envy one another as much as they used to, but they do seem to envy anyone who's close to me without sharing the same bond."
Yuuki gave them a helpless smile.
"They all seem to agree that the connection makes them feel secure and happy. But when someone gets close to me without having that same connection, the jealousy can get pretty intense."
Velvet stared at him.
Then she slowly grinned.
"So, if we had tried to get close to you before establishing this bond..."
"You might have had to deal with their wrath," Yuuki finished.
Velvet's eyes widened.
"Oh, dear..."
She looked at Emma, who seemed to be considering the implications just as carefully.
Then Yuuki chuckled.
"But don't worry about that now. I'm just glad all of you are free to make your own choices."
Emma smiled warmly.
"Free to make our own choices..."
She stepped closer and gently took his hand.
"Commander, I think you've done something else, too."
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? What's that?"
Emma looked at him with an affectionate smile.
"You've made us feel as though we've finally found our home."
She rested her head against his shoulder.
"Not just a place to live, but somewhere our hearts can belong. Somewhere we can be accepted, protected, and loved without having to prove that we're worthy of it."
Her smile softened.
"After everything we've experienced, I don't think any of us wants to lose that feeling."
Velvet nodded, leaning against his other side.
"She's right. You've given us a warmth we never knew we were missing."
Eunhwa folded her arms, trying to maintain her usual composure.
"...I have to agree."
She looked away, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"Now that I've experienced this bond myself, I understand why everyone treasures it."
Vesti smiled shyly.
"And... I don't want to lose it, either."
Yuuki looked at the four women gathered around him and let out a helpless sigh.
"So, what you're telling me is that you've all decided to make me your home?"
"Exactly!" Emma answered cheerfully.
Velvet giggled.
"Congratulations, Commander! You're stuck with us!"
Eunhwa closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Honestly, this is getting ridiculous."
Yet she didn't let go of Yuuki's hand.
Vesti, meanwhile, simply smiled as she stood beside her friends.
For once, she wasn't afraid of what the future might hold.
She had friends waiting for her. She had people who cared about her. And she had a place where she could finally be herself without fearing the monster others believed her to be.
Perhaps Emma was right.
They had found a home.
And none of them wanted to leave it behind.