The conversation with Vergil eventually came to an end.
Not because the scientist wanted to stop.
Quite the opposite.
In the background, Yuuki could see Suki, Dasha, and Eva physically dragging him away from his workstation while he continued shouting research notes over his shoulder.
"Don't touch the Mirror Sea Core!"
"We won't!"
"Label the dimensional resonance files!"
"We already did!"
"Run another simulation on—"
The transmission abruptly ended.
The dining hall burst into laughter.
Several researchers in the background looked equally relieved.
A few even looked ready to collapse.
Apparently the laboratory had finally decided that sleep was more important than science.
At least for today.
Yuuki leaned back in his chair.
The laughter around him slowly faded into background noise as his mind drifted elsewhere.
Toward a problem.
An old one.
A very old one.
The dimensional crystal from Purifier was useful.
Exceptionally useful.
It could create portals.
Traverse Mirror Seas.
Navigate dimensional layers.
Allow movement between timelines.
But it still wasn't the answer.
Because the crystal relied upon existing pathways.
Mirror Seas.
Dimensional corridors.
Established connections.
It moved through reality.
It did not transcend it.
That distinction mattered.
For over a century—across multiple lives, worlds, and countless failed experiments—Yuuki had been trying to solve the same problem.
How do you create a truly global transportation and communication network?
Not one dependent on infrastructure.
Not one dependent on fixed gateways.
Not one dependent on dozens of massive facilities scattered across the world.
The Chronosphere Network had been humanity's best attempt.
The theory worked.
The mathematics worked.
The engineering worked.
The logistics did not.
To create global coverage required multiple Chronospheres distributed around the world.
Each facility needed power.
Protection.
Maintenance.
Synchronization.
The more coverage desired, the more nodes required.
Normally that would have been manageable.
Unfortunately ninety-five percent of the world remained under Siren and Rapture control.
Building twelve Chronosphere stations across a hostile planet was easier said than done.
Which meant the problem remained unsolved.
A century of work.
A century of dead ends.
A century of theories that almost worked.
Almost.
Yuuki sighed and returned to his breakfast.
Around him, the others had returned to their own conversations.
The atmosphere was relaxed.
Peaceful.
Exactly the kind of environment where the universe decided to hide answers.
"Big Sister Illustrious?"
Unicorn's voice drifted across the table.
"Hmm?"
"I always wanted to ride a roller coaster."
Illustrious smiled.
"I am certain we can if we find an intact amusement park."
Unicorn's eyes brightened.
Then she giggled.
"Imagine if a roller coaster traveled in a circle forever."
Illustrious laughed softly.
"A ride that never ends?"
"Wouldn't that be fun?"
Yuuki chuckled to himself.
A roller coaster that never ended.
A childish thought.
A harmless thought.
Then Unicorn continued.
"And imagine if the circle kept getting smaller and smaller."
"Pardon?"
Illustrious blinked.
"I kept imagining things like that last night."
The little girl giggled.
"A giant roller coaster that goes around the whole world."
The laughter around the table continued.
Everyone treated it as exactly what it was.
A child's imagination.
Everyone except Yuuki.
His smile slowly faded.
Something.
A tiny spark.
A distant memory.
A connection.
Neon immediately leaned forward.
"Or imagine if we mounted giant railguns on the roller coaster!"
Yuuki absentmindedly raised a finger and gently pressed it against her lips.
"Not now."
Neon froze.
The entire table froze.
Yuuki rarely ignored Neon.
The fact he had done so immediately caught everyone's attention.
His gaze had become distant.
Focused.
Calculating.
"Commander?" Yorktown asked.
No response.
Instead, a light pen appeared in Yuuki's hand.
He began drawing directly into the air.
Lines of glowing mathematics appeared.
A circle.
Then another.
Then equations.
The table slowly quieted.
The first equation appeared.
Then another.
Then another.
The glowing formulas rotated slowly above the table.
Circumference.
Area.
Surface area.
Elementary mathematics.
The kind taught to children.
Nobody understood why he was staring at them as if they contained the secrets of the universe.
Except Yuu.
Yuu's eyes narrowed.
She immediately stopped eating.
A dangerous sign.
Because she only made that expression when she sensed something.
Yuuki continued writing.
More circles.
More spheres.
Concentric rings.
Shrinking radii.
Expanding surfaces.
The equations multiplied.
Connected.
Merged.
Separated.
Everyone watched silently.
Even the fairies had stopped talking.
Even Kaguya looked curious.
Then Yuuki suddenly stood.
His chair nearly toppled over.
"No..."
The words escaped almost as a whisper.
More equations appeared.
Hundreds of them.
Layered upon one another.
The dining hall began filling with floating mathematical constructs.
"No..."
His eyes widened.
The circles expanded into spheres.
The spheres expanded into planetary models.
The planetary models expanded into dimensional representations.
Pathways.
Nodes.
Curvature.
Surface topology.
Warp vectors.
The equations began connecting together.
One by one.
Like pieces of a puzzle.
"No..."
The whisper became louder.
"It couldn't be."
His breathing accelerated.
Yuu was already on her feet.
Now she looked concerned.
Not because he was wrong.
Because she suspected he might be right.
Yuuki stared at the simplest equation among them all.
The circumference of a circle.
A formula humanity had known for thousands of years.
Then at the area of a circle.
Then the surface area of a sphere.
Suddenly Unicorn's words replayed in his mind.
A roller coaster around the world.
A circle getting smaller and smaller.
A track that never ends.
His eyes widened.
The dining hall fell completely silent.
Everyone could feel it.
That moment.
The moment when a mind suddenly sees something nobody else does.
The moment when a century-old problem begins to crack.
Yuuki slowly turned toward the assembled shipgirls and Nikkes.
Toward Yuu.
Toward Kaguya.
Toward everyone.
His expression was somewhere between disbelief and excitement.
The expression of a scientist who had just glimpsed something impossible.
"No..."
He laughed.
A quiet laugh.
One filled with astonishment.
Then he looked at the equations again.
"It can't be this simple."
Nobody spoke.
Nobody dared interrupt.
Because for the first time since they had known him—
Yuuki looked genuinely shocked by his own discovery.
And that was far more frightening than any Siren.
"Can I do a little bit of work for a moment?"
Yuuki didn't look away from the floating equations.
His eyes remained locked on the countless symbols suspended above the dining hall.
"Please don't comment."
The room remained silent.
"Just... let me do the math."
That alone was enough.
Everyone immediately understood.
The commander had entered that state.
The state where the outside world ceased to exist.
The state where conversations, food, and even common sense became secondary to whatever impossible problem had captured his attention.
Yuu slowly leaned back in her chair.
"Oh."
She recognized it immediately.
"He's gone."
Enterprise blinked.
"Gone?"
"Mentally."
Yuu pointed toward Yuuki.
"His body is here."
Then toward the equations.
"His brain is somewhere in another dimension right now."
Nobody questioned it.
Because looking at him, that explanation somehow made sense.
The dining hall became unusually quiet.
Even Neon restrained herself.
An achievement nobody thought possible.
Yuuki didn't notice.
The light pen moved faster.
Circles expanded.
Spheres appeared.
Mathematical structures unfolded across the air.
Then the simple equations vanished beneath an avalanche of symbols.
Variables.
Unknowns.
Tensor matrices.
Chronometric constants.
Dimensional operators.
Formulae that nobody present had ever seen before.
Not even Yuu recognized some of them.
Which was saying something.
The glowing constructs continued multiplying.
Thousands of symbols filled the air.
Entire sections of the dining hall had become a three-dimensional mathematical landscape.
The equations rotated around one another.
Merged.
Separated.
Recombined.
Every few seconds Yuuki would erase entire sections and begin again.
His lips moved constantly.
Barely above a whisper.
"Carry the two..."
Erase.
"No."
Rewrite.
"Hold at three..."
More symbols appeared.
A dimensional matrix unfolded.
Collapsed.
Reformed.
"Add pi as the reference."
Several concentric circles appeared.
Radius.
Circumference.
Area.
Surface topology.
The elementary formulas remained.
Tiny.
Insignificant.
Yet somehow central to everything.
Yuu narrowed her eyes.
That was the strange part.
Yuuki wasn't abandoning the basic mathematics.
He kept returning to them.
Again.
And again.
And again.
As though they were the foundation beneath everything else.
The advanced equations expanded outward.
Chronometric calculations appeared.
Planetary models.
Dimensional curvature.
Global synchronization fields.
Temporal propagation networks.
The mathematical complexity rapidly exceeded what most supercomputers could process in real time.
The floating equations now occupied nearly half the dining hall.
Several girls instinctively moved their chairs backward.
Not because the formulas were dangerous.
But because they looked dangerous.
Even Kaguya appeared fascinated.
Golden eyes followed the symbols as they drifted through the air.
The fairies had stopped talking entirely.
Oberis and Esche were simply watching.
For beings who had lived for centuries, even they recognized something unusual.
This wasn't ordinary mathematics.
This was discovery.
Raw.
Messy.
Unrefined.
The exact moment an impossible idea was fighting to become reality.
"Interesting."
Yuu finally murmured.
Yorktown glanced toward her.
"What is?"
Yuu never looked away from the equations.
"His brain."
That did not answer the question.
Yuu pointed upward.
"Look."
Several of them followed her finger.
Only then did they notice.
Every advanced formula.
Every dimensional equation.
Every chronometric constant.
Every impossible calculation.
Eventually connected back to the same few elementary formulas.
Circumference.
Area.
Radius.
Surface area.
The same equations Unicorn had accidentally inspired.
The same equations children learned in school.
Yorktown frowned.
"Why?"
Yuu slowly smiled.
"Because his brain hates it."
That got everyone's attention.
"What?"
"The answer."
Yuu pointed toward the simplest equations.
"If he's right, then a century-old problem is being solved using mathematics simple enough to teach a child."
The room became silent.
Understanding slowly dawned.
A scientist could accept complexity.
Complexity felt deserved.
Complexity felt earned.
But simplicity?
Simplicity was insulting.
Especially when the solution had been hidden in plain sight.
Yuuki's hand suddenly stopped.
Everyone froze.
For several seconds, he remained completely motionless.
The equations continued floating around him.
Slowly rotating.
Thousands upon thousands of symbols.
His eyes darted between calculations.
Rechecking.
Verifying.
Testing.
Then immediately rewriting everything from a different angle.
"No."
His voice was barely audible.
The pen moved again.
Faster this time.
Entire sections of mathematics vanished.
New equations replaced them.
Different approach.
Same result.
Again.
He erased everything.
Started over.
Different assumptions.
Different variables.
Different pathways.
The answer remained.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Yuu's smile slowly disappeared.
Now she looked concerned.
Not because he was wrong.
Because every verification attempt was producing the same outcome.
Even Yuuki seemed disturbed by it.
His mind fought the conclusion.
Rejected it.
Questioned it.
Yet the mathematics continued dragging him back.
Like gravity.
Like inevitability.
Like truth.
The elementary equations remained floating in the center of the storm.
Untouched.
Unmoved.
Waiting.
The simplest mathematics in existence.
Surrounded by enough advanced calculations to fill entire libraries.
And somehow...
They were winning.
For the first time since the others had met him, nobody interrupted.
Nobody asked questions.
Nobody even moved.
Because everyone could feel it.
Somewhere inside that storm of symbols, numbers, dimensions, and impossible calculations...
A century-old problem was finally beginning to break.
And Yuuki was terrified that the answer might actually be simple.
The dining hall remained silent.
Not because anyone had been told to remain quiet.
But because nobody wanted to interrupt.
The moment had become strangely mesmerizing.
Yuuki continued working.
The floating equations shifted again.
Entire mathematical structures disappeared.
New ones replaced them.
The formula that had consumed him for over a century appeared once more.
The formula.
The one.
The grand equation.
The problem he had carried through three different lifetimes.
The problem that had followed him from researcher to commander.
The one that had mocked every solution.
Every theory.
Every breakthrough.
Every failure.
For a hundred years he had approached it as a genius.
As an engineer.
As a scientist.
As a master of chronometric mathematics.
And for a hundred years it had refused to yield.
Now...
He abandoned his pride.
Completely.
No assumptions.
No preconceptions.
No insistence that the answer had to be elegant or complicated.
Instead he returned to the beginning.
A child's formula.
A circle.
A radius.
A circumference.
An area.
The most basic geometry imaginable.
The light pen moved once more.
The old equation unraveled.
Then rebuilt itself around the new framework.
The others watched quietly.
To them it looked less like mathematics and more like art.
Entire galaxies of symbols drifted through the air.
Equations folded into equations.
Dimensions intersected dimensions.
Temporal values rotated through impossible geometries.
Yet somehow Yuuki moved through the chaos effortlessly.
Every movement precise.
Every correction deliberate.
Every calculation building toward something.
Even those who understood nothing about mathematics found themselves captivated.
Atago rested her chin upon her hand and smiled softly.
Takao pretended not to stare.
Enterprise had completely forgotten her breakfast.
Yorktown watched with fascination.
Even the Nikkes had gone quiet.
The atmosphere felt almost sacred.
Like watching someone stand on the edge of a discovery.
At one point, Anis leaned toward Rapi.
"Why does he look cooler when he's doing math than when he's fighting?"
"I don't know."
"That's unfair."
"Very."
Even Kaguya found herself watching.
Golden eyes following every movement.
The fairies had become equally invested.
Neither Oberis nor Esche spoke.
Neither wanted to disturb the process.
Because they could feel it.
Something was happening.
Something important.
Then—
The pen stopped.
The equations froze.
The room became perfectly silent.
For several long seconds, Yuuki simply stared.
His eyes moving across the final structure.
Verifying.
Checking.
Testing.
Again.
Again.
Again.
No errors.
No contradictions.
No instability.
The answer remained.
His hand slowly lowered.
The floating formula stabilized.
Complete.
For the first time in a century.
Complete.
Yuuki inhaled.
Then exhaled.
"Jarvis."
The AI immediately responded.
"Yes, sir."
"Project the formula."
A pause.
"In synchronization mode."
The room lights dimmed.
The equations expanded.
Thousands of symbols illuminated the dining hall.
Not as separate calculations.
But as a singular structure.
A framework.
A foundation.
Something larger than mathematics.
The shipgirls stared.
None of them understood it.
Not even Yuu fully understood it yet.
Yet they could tell.
This was different.
Very different.
"Jarvis."
"Yes, sir."
"Project a digital wireframe of the world."
A globe appeared.
Slowly rotating.
Continents.
Oceans.
Atmospheric layers.
Dimensional boundaries.
Chronometric zones.
The entire planet floated above the dining hall.
Jarvis paused.
"What is it you are attempting to achieve, sir?"
For the first time, Yuuki smiled.
Not confidently.
Not arrogantly.
Wonderfully.
Like someone seeing something for the first time.
"I am discovering..."
His eyes remained fixed on the globe.
"...a new formula."
The room fell silent once more.
"Structure the world using the formula as a framework."
Jarvis immediately complied.
The calculation began.
Millions.
Then billions.
Then trillions of operations.
The formula connected itself to the world model.
At first nothing happened.
Then lines appeared.
Energy pathways.
Geometric structures.
Network formations.
The old model emerged.
The one Yuuki had spent a century refining.
The one that only generated localized coverage.
Limited zones.
Limited reach.
Limited dimensional access.
The same limitation that had haunted him for three lifetimes.
Then the new variables activated.
The radius expanded.
The surface calculations adapted.
The sphere itself became part of the equation.
And suddenly—
The framework continued.
Yuuki's eyes widened.
The room gasped.
The structure didn't stop.
It didn't collapse.
It didn't require additional nodes.
The network flowed naturally across the entire globe.
Every ocean.
Every continent.
Every coordinate.
Every point.
Connected.
The formula wasn't generating a flat operational plane anymore.
It was generating the sphere itself.
Using the sphere itself.
The planet was no longer the obstacle.
The planet had become the solution.
"Impossible..."
Yuu whispered.
For perhaps the first time that morning—
Even she looked shocked.
The globe expanded.
Larger.
Larger.
Until it surrounded everyone in the dining hall.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
Fairies.
All standing inside a planetary hologram.
Streams of energy crossed oceans.
Dimensional pathways wrapped around continents.
Chronometric vectors flowed naturally along the world's curvature.
No dead zones.
No gaps.
No missing regions.
A complete system.
A truly global system.
Yuuki slowly turned.
Looking around the holographic world.
Not as its creator.
But as an explorer discovering a new land.
His eyes moved from one pathway to another.
One possibility to another.
One implication to another.
The realization continued growing.
Larger.
And larger.
And larger.
The Chronosphere Network.
The dimensional gateways.
The Mirror Sea pathways.
The global transportation problem.
The synchronization issue.
The node limitation.
The infrastructure requirements.
Every problem.
Every single one.
Gone.
Not because he had built a better machine.
But because he had finally asked the correct question.
The answer had been there all along.
Hidden behind complexity.
Hidden behind assumptions.
Hidden behind pride.
A child's formula.
A circle.
A sphere.
A radius.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Yuuki brought his hands together.
Clap.
The holographic world vanished.
The equations disappeared.
The dining hall returned.
Silence followed.
Absolute silence.
At the center of his hands remained a small glowing construct.
The mathematical core.
The final solution.
The thing he had spent three lifetimes chasing.
Yuuki stared at it.
Almost afraid it would disappear.
Then he laughed.
A small laugh.
A tired laugh.
A relieved laugh.
The kind of laugh only someone who had carried a burden for far too long could make.
"One hundred years..."
Nobody spoke.
"Three lifetimes..."
His fingers tightened around the glowing construct.
Still real.
Still there.
Still solved.
And then he shook his head.
Half amused.
Half horrified.
"All solved..."
A smile slowly appeared.
"...by a simple mathematics formula."
For perhaps the first time since anyone had known him—
Yuuki looked completely speechless.
And that frightened the room far more than any Siren ever could.
The silence lasted only a few seconds.
Then Yuuki moved again.
The mathematical core still floated between his hands.
His eyes remained locked upon it.
Not with excitement.
Not yet.
With disbelief.
The kind of disbelief that comes when a person discovers something so obvious that they begin searching desperately for the mistake.
Because surely there had to be one.
There always was.
A hundred years of failures had taught him that.
"Jarvis."
The AI immediately responded.
"Yes, sir."
"Run a Chronosphere simulation."
Several girls looked at one another.
Even Yuu straightened.
She knew exactly what he was testing.
"Apply the new formula."
The world hologram returned.
This time accompanied by a Chronosphere model.
A familiar structure.
One Yuuki had spent lifetimes refining.
The simulation began.
The room watched quietly.
The Chronosphere activated.
Energy spread outward.
The new formula integrated itself into the network.
The calculations accelerated.
Then—
Yuuki froze.
His eyes widened.
The dining hall became completely silent.
Yorktown immediately noticed.
"What?"
Nobody answered.
Because everyone was staring at the same thing.
The simulation.
The energy field continued expanding.
Further.
Further.
Further.
Across continents.
Across oceans.
Across the entire planetary sphere.
And it never stopped.
The system remained stable.
The synchronization remained perfect.
The coverage remained complete.
No secondary nodes appeared.
No relay stations.
No support structures.
No network grid.
Just—
One.
Single.
Chronosphere.
Yuuki's breathing stopped.
"...No."
The simulation continued.
Perfectly.
A single Chronosphere covered the entire world.
Not twelve.
Not twenty.
Not a hundred.
One.
The room became silent.
Even Yuu looked stunned.
"A single unit..."
Her voice barely escaped above a whisper.
Yuuki slowly nodded.
A hundred years.
A hundred years spent designing network architectures.
Relay arrays.
Synchronization towers.
Secondary Chronospheres.
Redundant systems.
Entire generations of infrastructure.
All because he assumed global coverage required multiple nodes.
The formula had just proven otherwise.
The world itself was the relay.
The sphere itself was the network.
The planet's geometry completed the equation.
He stared at the simulation.
Unable to look away.
"Mark III..."
The words escaped quietly.
Everyone looked toward him.
"The Chronosphere has been stuck at Mark III for almost a century."
His eyes remained fixed on the hologram.
"Because the architecture itself was flawed."
Not the technology.
Not the power source.
Not the engineering.
The mathematics.
The foundation itself.
For a century he had built upward.
When he should have rebuilt downward.
The realization was almost painful.
Then another thought appeared.
Yuuki immediately altered a variable.
The simulation changed.
The world zoomed outward.
Earth.
Moon.
The space between them.
The formula adapted.
Expanded.
Stabilized.
The energy pathways connected.
The dining hall collectively held its breath.
Then the simulation completed.
A direct route formed.
Earth.
Moon.
Connected.
The system remained stable.
No collapse.
No overload.
No failure.
A portal pathway appeared between both celestial bodies.
The room exploded into noise.
"What?!"
"That's impossible!"
"Commander!"
"Wait!"
"Hold on!"
Even Kaguya looked shocked.
The fairies outright stared.
Yuu was already standing.
Her chair had fallen backward.
She didn't notice.
Yuuki barely heard them.
His mind was racing.
The Chronosphere.
Support powers.
Superweapons.
Orbital networks.
Dimensional gateways.
Everything.
Every system relying upon geographical coverage could be rebuilt.
Every one.
The formula wasn't solving a single problem.
It was solving entire categories of problems.
The implications were horrifying.
And beautiful.
Jarvis remained silent for several seconds.
Then finally spoke.
"Congratulations, sir."
The AI's voice sounded almost respectful.
"You have created a new global formula."
The room fell quiet once more.
The words carried weight.
A new global formula.
Not merely an equation.
A foundational framework.
Something that would alter everything built upon it.
Jarvis paused.
"Do you have a designation in mind?"
For several moments Yuuki didn't answer.
Then he slowly looked away from the holograms.
His gaze drifted toward the opposite side of the table.
Toward Unicorn.
Toward Illustrious.
The two sisters immediately looked confused.
"Commander?"
Before either could react—
Yuuki crossed the room.
Grabbed both of them around the waist.
And lifted them into the air.
"Kyaa?!"
Illustrious let out a surprised yelp.
"Commander!"
"Big Brother!"
Unicorn squeaked.
Then Yuuki spun.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The entire dining hall stared.
Because nobody had ever seen him like this.
Not after a breakthrough.
Not after a victory.
Not after anything.
For the first time, the commander looked genuinely happy.
Not satisfied.
Not proud.
Happy.
Purely.
Joyfully.
Happy.
"Thank you!"
He laughed.
Then spun them again.
"Thank you!"
Unicorn's laughter joined his.
Illustrious was trying and failing to maintain her dignity.
"Commander, please—"
"Thank you!"
The words came from somewhere deep.
Not directed at them alone.
Not directed at anyone.
Directed at fate.
At coincidence.
At a child's imagination.
At a hundred years of frustration finally ending.
Yuuki finally stopped spinning.
Still holding both sisters.
His eyes shone brighter than anyone had ever seen.
"You have absolutely no idea."
His voice trembled slightly.
Not from sadness.
From relief.
Relief a century in the making.
"You have no idea how long I've waited to solve this."
The room became quiet.
Every shipgirl.
Every Nikke.
Every fairy.
Every person present.
Suddenly understood.
This wasn't just a breakthrough.
This wasn't just another invention.
This wasn't another technological achievement.
This was the end of a journey.
One that had followed him across three lifetimes.
One that had refused to yield.
One that had haunted him for over a hundred years.
And somehow...
The answer had come from a little girl's imagination about a roller coaster going around the world.
For several moments nobody spoke.
Then Anis finally raised a hand.
"So..."
Everyone looked at her.
"Does this mean Unicorn is officially smarter than every scientist in GDI?"
The dining hall erupted into laughter.
Even Yuuki couldn't stop himself from laughing.
And for once—
He didn't care if the joke was true.
Before anyone could react, Yuuki leaned forward and kissed both sisters on the cheek.
"Thank you."
The dining hall froze.
Illustrious immediately covered her face with her hands.
A deep blush spread across her cheeks.
"Oh my..."
The usually composed carrier looked completely flustered.
"Receiving a kiss so suddenly..."
Beside her, Unicorn had turned equally red.
Her ears practically twitched from embarrassment.
"B-Big Brother..."
The little unicorn girl looked ready to hide behind her sister.
The reactions only made Yuuki laugh harder.
For once, he looked completely unrestrained.
Not a commander.
Not a scientist.
Not a genius.
Just a man who had finally solved a problem that had haunted him for far too long.
A problem that had survived empires.
Wars.
Dimensions.
Three lifetimes.
And somehow the answer had emerged from a conversation about roller coasters.
The absurdity of it all only made it funnier.
"Jarvis."
The AI responded immediately.
"Yes, sir."
"Record the final designation."
The room quieted.
Yuuki looked toward Unicorn.
Then toward Illustrious.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Name it the Unily Formula."
Even Jarvis paused briefly.
"Designation confirmed."
UNILY FORMULA
The words appeared across the holographic display.
Several researchers somewhere in GDI headquarters were going to have questions later.
Many questions.
Yuuki intended to enjoy every second of explaining it.
"Oh my..."
Illustrious looked at the designation.
Then at Unicorn.
Then back at the designation.
The blush somehow deepened.
"Commander..."
Unicorn looked equally overwhelmed.
"My name is really in it..."
"It deserves to be."
Yuuki nodded.
"If you and your sister hadn't started talking about roller coasters, I'd still be stuck trying to solve it the old way."
Yuu laughed from across the table.
"Well, Chief."
She pointed toward Unicorn.
"That little one solved what some of the greatest scientists in history failed to solve."
"Pretty much."
The engineer leaned back.
"Do you have any idea how annoying that's going to be when Vergil wakes up?"
Several girls immediately began laughing.
Yuuki could already imagine it.
Vergil.
A man who could reverse-engineer alien technology.
A man who could dissect Siren engineering.
A man capable of understanding dimensional physics.
Learning that the breakthrough came from a child discussing amusement parks.
The scientist would probably refuse to accept reality for at least a week.
"His reaction is going to be legendary."
"Historic," Yuu corrected.
"Potentially violent."
"Also true."
The room laughed again.
Meanwhile, Yuuki returned to examining the simulations.
The excitement slowly settled into something more productive.
The engineer in him was already looking toward the next problem.
"Now that the framework exists..."
The world hologram rotated once more.
"The limitation isn't coverage anymore."
Yuu immediately understood.
"Output."
"Exactly."
The old problem had vanished.
A new one had taken its place.
The best kind of problem.
One that could actually be solved.
"A single Chronosphere can theoretically cover the world now."
He enlarged the simulation.
"But the energy demands would be ridiculous."
Another display appeared.
Chronometric flow rates.
Power consumption.
Synchronization loads.
"We need more output."
Yuu nodded.
"Much more."
"The same applies to support powers."
Yuuki continued thinking aloud.
"Orbital deployment."
"Dimensional gateways."
"Strategic teleportation."
"Long-range support weapons."
"Everything."
The possibilities expanded rapidly.
The room watched as another dozen projects were seemingly born in real time.
Atago laughed softly.
"He has already started working again."
"Of course he has."
Takao sounded unsurprised.
"He solved one impossible problem."
Yuu pointed at Yuuki.
"Which means his brain immediately found five more."
"That's exactly what happened."
The commander didn't even deny it.
The room laughed.
Finally, Yuuki leaned back in his chair.
The adrenaline.
The excitement.
The calculations.
The realization.
All of it finally caught up to him.
He let out a long sigh.
Then rubbed his forehead.
"I think..."
The room looked toward him.
"...I used a lot of my brain power today."
That earned immediate agreement.
"Just today?"
Anis asked.
"Commander, I'm pretty sure you burned through a month's worth."
"Maybe a year."
"Possibly a lifetime."
Even Yuu nodded.
Yuuki looked toward the ceiling.
For the first time all morning, there were no equations floating in the air.
No unsolved mysteries.
No impossible variables.
Just relief.
A hundred years.
Three lifetimes.
And finally...
One less question keeping him awake at night.
That alone felt worth celebrating.
The excitement gradually settled.
The holograms disappeared.
The formulas faded.
The world simulation vanished.
For the first time since breakfast began, the dining hall felt peaceful again.
Yuuki rubbed his eyes.
The exhaustion had finally caught up with him.
Not physical exhaustion.
Mental exhaustion.
The kind that came from forcing a brain through several lifetimes worth of frustration in a single morning.
Houshou watched him quietly.
Then smiled.
A warm smile.
The kind that seemed capable of calming entire fleets.
"Shikikan-sama."
Yuuki looked up.
"If you are tired, you may rest upon my lap."
The carrier gently patted her thighs.
"A mother's lap is quite effective."
Several shipgirls immediately turned toward her.
Realizing too late what she had just done.
Yuuki, however, was no longer operating at full capacity.
"Thanks, Houshou."
Before anyone could object—
Before Akagi could launch a diplomatic protest.
Before Kaga could file a formal complaint.
Before Yorktown could suggest taking turns.
Yuuki simply stood up.
Walked over.
And laid his head on Houshou's lap.
The room froze.
The carrier's smile widened slightly.
"There we are."
She gently brushed a hand through his hair.
The reaction was immediate.
Yuuki visibly relaxed.
The tension left his shoulders.
His breathing slowed.
And within moments—
He was asleep.
The room remained silent.
Several girls stared.
The commander had apparently reached his limit.
One hundred years of frustration.
Three lifetimes of work.
A revolutionary breakthrough.
Several new scientific discoveries.
And approximately seventeen future research projects.
His brain had finally decided enough was enough.
A soft smile appeared on Houshou's face.
"He must have been very tired despite waking up from sleep two hours ago."
The carrier continued gently stroking his hair.
The sleeping commander looked surprisingly peaceful.
Far younger than usual.
Far less burdened.
Just a man taking a well-deserved nap.
Unfortunately—
The rest of the room was beginning to realize something.
A terrible thing.
A horrifying thing.
A catastrophic thing.
Houshou had won.
Akagi's tails twitched.
Kaga narrowed her eyes.
Yorktown looked mildly betrayed.
Even Enterprise appeared slightly disappointed.
"Our second mom got him first."
Anis voiced the thought everyone was having.
The room collectively groaned.
"It should have been me."
Akagi immediately declared.
"You just got denied, Nee-sama."
Kaga replied.
"Shikikan-sama belongs on Akagi's lap."
"Akagi..."
"Commander should rest with me."
Yorktown added.
"That doesn't narrow it down."
Enterprise observed.
"It actually makes it worse, Hana."
Several girls nodded.
The competition was becoming fierce.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of the brewing territorial dispute—
Yuuki continued sleeping.
Nayuta quietly observed him.
The Pilgrim tilted her head.
"The great hero is surprisingly cooperative when exhausted."
The room paused.
That was actually true.
Normally Yuuki would overthink everything.
Argue.
Negotiate.
Deflect.
Or simply say no.
Work himself into another project.
But when genuinely tired—
He simply accepted comfort.
Yuu immediately snorted.
"Chief would agree to almost anything if it means he gets to sleep."
Several girls suddenly became interested.
Very interested.
"Anything?"
"Almost."
The doctor pointed toward the sleeping commander.
"Right now, if somebody offered him a pillow and a blanket, he'd probably sign over command authority for ten minutes."
The room laughed again but some began planning to take advantage of his mental exhaustion in the future for closeness.
Houshou shook her head fondly.
Despite all the discussions happening around him.
Despite all the teasing.
Despite the laughter.
Yuuki never woke up.
Instead, he shifted slightly.
Getting more comfortable.
The motion caused Houshou to smile even more.
Several nearby shipgirls immediately became jealous again.
"Look at that."
Atago sighed dramatically.
"He even looks comfortable."
"Very comfortable."
Takao agreed.
The room descended into playful complaints.
Meanwhile Houshou simply continued caring for the sleeping commander.
Content.
Victorious.
And entirely unwilling to surrender her prize anytime soon.
For once, nobody had the heart to disturb either of them.
After all—
A man who had spent a hundred years chasing a solution had finally earned a nap.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Houshou's victory did not last long.
At least not uncontested.
Kaguya quietly observed the sleeping commander for a few moments.
Then a small smirk appeared on her face.
A dangerous smirk.
The kind that usually meant trouble for somebody.
In this case—
Several enormous silver tails slowly drifted forward.
Soft.
Fluffy.
Warm.
Without a word, Kaguya carefully spread them over Yuuki.
Creating an impossibly luxurious blanket.
The commander immediately reacted.
Still asleep.
Still completely unaware.
He shifted slightly.
Then instinctively wrapped both arms around one of Kaguya's tails.
And hugged it.
The room froze.
Kaguya's smile widened.
Akagi's eye twitched.
Kaga sighed.
Enterprise slowly looked away.
Yorktown buried her face in her hands.
The evidence was simply too devastating.
"Well."
Kaguya looked entirely too pleased with herself.
"It would seem mine husband prefers his wife's tails."
Several fox ears immediately stood straight up.
"Objection!"
Akagi practically launched herself forward.
"He only hugged it because it was there!"
The fox carrier pointed accusingly at the sleeping commander.
"That is not evidence!"
"Details."
Kaguya waved dismissively.
The smirk somehow grew larger.
Akagi's face reddened instantly.
"Kiiiii!"
The carrier actually hissed like an angry fox.
Several tails puffed up dramatically.
The sight was adorable.
Unfortunately for Akagi, it was not helping her argument.
Kaga placed a hand over her face.
The expression of someone who had completely accepted her sister's inevitable defeat.
"Nee-sama."
"What?!"
"You're embarrassing yourself."
"I am defending my rights."
"You are hissing."
"That too."
The room erupted into laughter.
Even Houshou struggled to maintain her composure.
Meanwhile Yuuki continued sleeping peacefully.
Completely oblivious to the fluffy war occurring around him.
Atago looked toward Kaguya's tails.
Then toward her own.
A pause followed.
The heavy cruiser visibly pouted.
Takao noticed immediately.
Then looked down at her own tails.
Then she pouted too.
A rare sight.
Maya nearly laughed.
"Are you two jealous of tails now?"
"No."
Atago answered immediately.
A pause.
Then—
"Maybe."
Takao looked away.
Which was effectively a confession.
The two sisters quietly stared at Kaguya.
Then Akagi.
Then Kaga.
The unfairness of the situation became increasingly obvious.
No amount of elegance.
No amount of beauty.
No amount of charm.
Could compete with becoming a living blanket.
It was a battle fought entirely on different rules.
And they were losing.
Badly.
Atago sighed dramatically.
"If only my tails were larger."
Takao nodded.
"Agreed."
Maya stared.
"You two are seriously competing with foxes?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely."
The synchronized response made Maya laugh.
Nearby, Choukai looked equally troubled.
The cruiser stared at the massive fluffy blanket surrounding Yuuki.
Then at her own tails.
Then back at Yuuki.
A small pout appeared.
"...This is unfair."
Maya immediately pointed.
"See?"
"She's doing it too."
The room laughed again.
Even Yorktown couldn't stop smiling.
The situation had become ridiculous.
The commander had fallen asleep for less than ten minutes.
Yet somehow an entire competition had formed around tail quality.
Nayuta quietly observed the scene.
Then slowly looked toward Yuu.
"Are they always like this?"
Yuu didn't even hesitate.
"Yes."
"Every day?"
"Every day."
The Pilgrim nodded.
After witnessing Sirens.
Raptures.
Mirror Seas.
Dimensional anomalies.
And impossible technologies.
For some reason this answer felt entirely believable.
At the center of it all, Yuuki slept peacefully.
Head resting on Houshou's lap.
Arms wrapped around Kaguya's tail.
Protected by enough affection to survive a small apocalypse.
The sight finally caused Kaga to shake her head.
"Amazing."
Everyone looked toward her.
"What is?"
Kaga gestured toward the sleeping commander.
"He defeats META shipgirls."
Another gesture.
"Solves century-old equations."
Another.
"Builds impossible technologies."
Then she pointed toward the sleeping man buried beneath tails.
"And yet somehow his greatest achievement is making all of you jealous while unconscious."
The room fell silent.
Then exploded into laughter.
Because nobody could argue with that.
Not even Akagi.
==============
The nap did wonders.
When Yuuki finally opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was warmth.
The second thing he noticed was fluff.
A lot of fluff.
"...Houshou?"
The carrier immediately looked down and smiled.
"Yes, Shikikan-sama?"
Yuuki blinked several times.
Then looked toward the silver tails draped across him.
"Kaguya."
The fox woman smiled smugly.
"Dearest."
The answer alone told him everything.
Yorktown folded her arms nearby.
"You seem to have enjoyed yourself."
Yuuki rubbed his eyes.
A rare relaxed smile appeared on his face.
"Sorry, Hana."
He sat up slightly.
"For a moment, I was wondering if the solution was just a dream."
Yorktown immediately sighed.
A long suffering sigh.
One she seemed to reserve exclusively for him.
"It wasn't."
The carrier pointed toward him.
"The formula is real."
"The simulations are real."
"The breakthrough is real."
"The global network is real."
Yuuki stared for several seconds.
Then laughed quietly.
The relief was obvious.
"Good."
Very good.
Because a small part of him had genuinely expected to wake up and discover the entire thing had been exhaustion-induced nonsense.
Instead—
It was still real.
A century-old problem remained solved.
Yuuki turned toward Houshou.
His expression softened.
"Thank you."
The carrier blinked.
"For what?"
"That was the best nap I've had in years."
Houshou's smile widened.
The compliment clearly pleased her.
"I am glad, Shikikan-sama."
Nearby, several shipgirls looked deeply jealous once again.
The commander completely failed to notice.
Outside the dining hall, the atmosphere had changed considerably during his nap.
Several shipgirls had gone for walks around the inn.
Others were exploring nearby gardens.
The more energetic members of the group had naturally gravitated toward whatever looked interesting.
Which currently meant—
The Mark 48.
Neon was circling the Hulkbuster armor for approximately the fiftieth time.
"Look at the armor plating!"
She pointed dramatically.
"Imagine mounting bigger guns on this thing!"
The armor remained silent.
Neon interpreted this as agreement.
Nearby, Yuu and Nayuta had somehow attracted an audience.
Several shipgirls watched as Yuu casually demonstrated nanite manipulation.
Her hand transformed into tools.
Medical scanners.
Precision instruments.
Various mechanical devices.
Each transformation produced another round of amazed reactions.
"How does that even work?"
"No idea."
"I still think it's magic."
"It isn't."
"It absolutely is."
The debate had apparently been ongoing for some time.
Back inside the dining hall, Yuuki stretched.
Then remembered something.
His gaze drifted toward Unicorn and Illustrious.
The two sisters immediately straightened.
A dangerous sign.
Whenever the commander looked at people like that, something important usually followed.
"Ah."
A smile appeared.
The sisters immediately became nervous.
"What is it, Commander?" Illustrious asked.
Yuuki leaned back.
"You two earned another wish."
The room froze.
Unicorn blinked.
Then blinked again.
"A... wish?"
"Correct."
Several shipgirls immediately looked interested.
Very interested.
Yuuki nodded toward them.
"The first wish was already yours."
Then toward the holographic records still visible nearby.
"The second one is for helping solve the Unily Formula."
Illustrious looked stunned.
"Commander, that hardly seems fair."
"It seems perfectly fair."
Yuuki pointed toward the formula.
"I've spent a hundred years trying to solve that problem."
Then toward Unicorn.
"You accidentally solved it while talking about roller coasters."
The little unicorn girl immediately hid behind her sister.
Several girls laughed.
"So."
Yuuki folded his arms.
"You both have two wishes."
The room immediately became jealous.
Two wishes.
Personal wishes.
From the commander.
That was a dangerous amount of power.
Unicorn looked thoughtful.
Illustrious exchanged glances with her.
Neither spoke.
Eventually the older carrier smiled.
"I think we shall save them."
Yuuki nodded.
"A wise decision."
Unicorn smiled shyly.
"I want to use them for something really important."
The commander laughed.
"Good."
Across the room, Houshou slowly raised a hand.
"Shikikan-sama?"
"Yes?"
The carrier looked curious.
"You mentioned wishes."
A pause.
"Does everyone possess one?"
Several girls immediately looked interested.
Yuuki nodded.
"Most of you do."
Then he began counting.
"Houshou."
The carrier straightened.
"Maya."
Maya blinked.
"Choukai."
The cruiser looked surprised.
"Mary."
The doctor tilted her head.
"Pepper."
The Nikke immediately smiled.
Yuuki continued thinking.
Then snapped his fingers.
"Actually."
Several girls became nervous.
"Javelin."
The destroyer immediately perked up.
"Eugen."
Prinz Eugen smiled.
"Hipper."
The cruiser looked suspicious.
"And Kaguya."
The fox wife immediately looked pleased.
Several girls were already wondering what they would ask for.
Some looked thoughtful.
Others looked dangerous.
Akagi looked very dangerous.
Eugen looked like she wanted to use hers for something naughty.
Then Kaguya raised a hand.
The room collectively groaned.
Because everyone already knew where this was going.
"This wife wishes to use hers."
Yuuki closed his eyes.
Of course.
"To marry thee."
Several girls burst into laughter.
Others immediately complained.
Akagi objected.
Yorktown groaned.
Enterprise pinched the bridge of her nose.
Yuuki looked entirely unsurprised.
"Kaguya."
"Yes, dearest?"
"You are already my soon to be wife alongside the others."
"Correct."
"Then why use a wish?"
"To make it official."
The fox woman looked entirely serious.
Yuuki stared.
Kaguya stared back.
The room watched.
Finally—
The commander pointed at her.
"Don't waste it."
Kaguya gasped dramatically.
"Waste it?"
"Yes."
"This is a perfectly reasonable use."
"No."
The room erupted into laughter once more.
Even Houshou struggled to maintain her composure.
Meanwhile Kaguya simply wrapped another tail around Yuuki's shoulders.
Smug.
Victorious.
Entirely convinced she would win eventually.
And judging by the reactions around the room—
Nobody was particularly confident she was wrong.
The convoy arrived shortly before noon.
As the group walked toward the perimeter, the newly completed installation gradually came into view.
Several shipgirls immediately slowed their pace.
Others simply stared.
Because they could barely recognize the place.
The former residence of the fake village chief was gone.
Completely gone.
In its place stood a GDI Forward Observation Base.
Modern.
Fortified.
Efficient.
The outer walls gleamed beneath the autumn sunlight.
Sensor arrays rotated slowly across elevated platforms.
Automated turrets tracked the horizon.
Defensive systems remained on standby.
Waiting.
Watching.
The massive ionized gate at the front of the facility hummed softly.
Blue energy rippled across its surface.
Then—
WHOOM.
The gate opened.
Allowing the group to pass.
The moment they entered, several shipgirls visibly paused.
The courtyard alone was larger than the entire village had once been.
Wide pathways stretched throughout the facility.
Maintenance drones moved between structures.
Cargo drones transported supplies.
Recon drones hovered overhead.
The entire base was alive with activity.
Yet—
No personnel could be seen.
Not a single soldier.
Not a single worker.
Not a single engineer.
Only machines.
Autonomous.
Efficient.
Silent.
Yuuki smiled slightly at the reactions.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"It feels strange."
Enterprise looked around.
"There are no crews."
"No maintenance teams."
"No guards."
Yorktown nodded.
"And yet everything is operating."
"Correct."
Yuuki gestured toward the facility.
"The entire installation is autonomous."
Several girls looked impressed.
"The base was assembled entirely by nanocores."
That immediately got their attention.
Kaguya tilted her head.
"From scratch?"
"From scratch."
Yuuki nodded.
"The nanomachines handled excavation."
Another gesture.
"Construction."
Another.
"Power systems."
Another.
"Defense networks."
The commander smiled.
"The facility effectively built itself."
Several shipgirls stared at the structures surrounding them.
Even after witnessing Yuu's demonstrations earlier, the scale remained difficult to comprehend.
An entire military base.
Constructed without workers.
Without crews.
Without construction equipment.
Simply assembled from raw materials.
"That's terrifying."
Takao spoke honestly.
Yuu looked pleased.
"Thank you."
"I wasn't complimenting you."
"I choose to believe otherwise."
The courtyard erupted into laughter.
Then a familiar voice suddenly echoed across the base.
"COMMANDER!"
Everyone turned.
Neon was gone.
Again.
Several girls sighed immediately.
Because they already knew exactly where she had run.
Sure enough—
Neon stood beneath one of the defensive structures.
Practically vibrating from excitement.
The object of her fascination towered above her.
A Wave Force Tower.
The structure rose above the observation base.
Heavy armor plating covered its exterior.
Energy conduits glowed along its frame.
At its apex rested a gigantic cannon assembly.
An enormous weapon capable of devastating targets far beyond visual range.
Neon's eyes sparkled.
"It's beautiful."
The tower remained silent.
"It's a cannon strapped to a bigger tower!"
Still silent.
"It's perfect!"
Everyone laughed.
Even Yuuki couldn't argue with the description.
Nearby stood the second Wave Force Tower.
Equally massive.
Equally intimidating.
The twin structures dominated the skyline.
Serving as guardians of the Autumn Isle GDI forward base. Other ten towers are guarding the coastline.
Not far from them sat another defensive installation.
The Defender Core.
A heavily armored central defense platform.
Missile launchers rested beneath protective armor.
Sensor arrays scanned continuously.
Automated interception systems remained online.
Ready to engage threats within seconds.
The entire facility represented exactly what GDI preferred.
Maximum firepower.
Minimum personnel risk.
Neon looked ready to cry from happiness.
"This place understands me."
Rapi sighed.
"This worries me."
Anis nodded.
"Deeply."
Meanwhile—
A different problem had emerged.
San Diego had somehow managed to reach the Defender Core.
Nobody knew how.
Nobody knew when.
Nobody knew why.
The only certainty was that she was currently attempting to climb it.
"Look!"
The cruiser pointed upward.
"I can see the missile launchers!"
"San Diego."
"No worries!"
She continued climbing.
"I've got this!"
"San Diego."
"It's basically a jungle gym!"
"San Diego."
"I wonder if I can reach the top—"
A hand suddenly grabbed the back of her uniform.
The cruiser stopped.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
She turned around.
Wales smiled.
A perfectly polite smile.
A very dangerous smile.
"Come down."
The words were gentle.
Far too gentle.
San Diego immediately obeyed.
"Eh?"
Several girls laughed.
Even Enterprise looked amused.
The battleship calmly returned the overly energetic cruiser to ground level.
Where she belonged.
Preferably far away from missile launchers.
"You're no fun."
San Diego complained.
"I am responsible."
"That's basically the opposite."
"Correct."
Nearby, Akashi was already examining the facility.
"Nyaa..."
The repair ship looked increasingly horrified.
"Nyaa?!"
Everyone turned.
Akashi pointed at a maintenance drone.
Then another.
Then another.
"There are repair drones."
"Yes."
"There are maintenance drones."
"Yes."
"There are construction drones."
"Correct."
Akashi's ears flattened.
"They're taking my jobs, nyaa!"
The courtyard exploded into laughter.
Meanwhile Yuuki simply watched everyone explore the facility.
The completed observation base.
The first major autonomous installation on Autumn Isle.
The beginning of a larger network.
Soon there would be more.
More observation posts.
More defenses.
More forward bases.
All connected.
All protected.
And thanks to a certain little unicorn and a century-old mathematical breakthrough—
One day all of them might be linked by a single global network.
Yuuki looked toward the distant Wave Force Towers.
Then toward the Defender Core.
Then toward the horizon.
The future suddenly felt much closer than it had yesterday.
And for once—
That future looked bright.
After touring the exterior of the forward base, the group eventually entered the largest structure within the complex.
The GDI Council Building.
Unlike the defensive structures outside, this building was designed to be the operational heart of Autumn Isle.
The moment the doors opened, several girls froze.
The interior looked nothing like anything they had expected.
Clean white corridors.
Holographic displays.
Autonomous service drones.
Advanced communications terminals.
Medical facilities.
Research laboratories.
Command centers.
The entire structure looked as if it belonged centuries ahead of the surrounding world.
"This..."
Maya looked around.
"...is a council building?"
"Partially."
Yuu nodded.
"It also serves as my primary operating center."
That immediately explained several things.
Most notably why half the building looked like a military headquarters while the other half resembled a mad scientist's playground.
Research wings occupied multiple floors.
Laboratories stretched deep into the structure.
Several sealed testing rooms lined one corridor.
A massive data center occupied another section.
Kaguya looked at one of the holographic displays.
"Thou intends to work here?"
"Sometimes."
Yuu shrugged.
"Sometimes I'll work from the home island."
Another gesture.
"Sometimes from the Daedalus."
Another.
"Sometimes wherever Chief drags us next."
The room laughed.
Nearby, Momo and Kyon remained completely speechless.
The two Tsukimimi women slowly turned in circles.
Trying to absorb everything.
"This is..."
Momo touched a nearby terminal.
"...a hospital?"
"A hospital."
Yuu nodded.
"A research facility."
Another gesture.
"A diagnostic center."
Another.
"And eventually the primary healthcare center for Autumn Isle."
The two villagers exchanged looks.
Neither could quite believe it.
The tiny clinic they once knew had effectively become a futuristic medical complex.
Yuu smiled.
"Congratulations."
The two women blinked.
"Eh?"
"You two are my nurses now."
Both immediately pointed at themselves.
"Us?"
"Yes."
The room laughed.
Momo looked terrified.
Kyon looked equally terrified.
Yuu looked amused.
Meanwhile another group had already disappeared.
Specifically—
Mary.
Pepper.
Vestal.
And Akashi.
The moment they heard the words medical facility, they had vanished.
Like predators sensing prey.
Eventually the others found them.
Standing inside the Med Bay Wing.
And completely ignoring everyone else.
Rows of advanced medical chambers lined the room.
Diagnostic scanners floated overhead.
Nanomedical systems remained on standby.
Automated treatment units quietly monitored the environment.
The entire facility represented the pinnacle of GDI medical technology.
Mary looked absolutely captivated.
Pepper wasn't much better.
Both women were practically glued to one of the control interfaces.
Reading.
Scrolling.
Reading more.
Then reading even more.
"This is impossible."
Mary whispered.
"No."
Pepper shook her head.
"It's absurd."
The room laughed.
Vestal folded her arms proudly.
Akashi nodded beside her.
"Nyaa."
"Pretty impressive, right?"
Mary immediately pointed at the display.
"This thing can regenerate damaged tissue."
Another point.
"Repair neurological damage."
Another.
"Remove toxins."
Another.
"Correct genetic abnormalities."
Pepper looked equally stunned.
"And that's just the basic functions."
The doctors exchanged glances.
Then immediately returned to reading.
The Med Bay had completely consumed their attention.
Yuuki smiled.
He remembered the first time he had seen one.
The reaction had been almost identical.
Then Vestal casually spoke.
"You know Head Doctor Yuu developed most of it."
The room became quiet.
Mary slowly turned.
Pepper slowly turned.
Everyone slowly turned.
Toward Yuu.
"...You did what?"
Yuu pointed at herself.
"Me."
The silence somehow deepened.
Even Akashi looked impressed.
"Nyaa..."
Vestal nodded.
"The core systems."
Another nod.
"The regenerative framework."
Another.
"The neural recovery architecture."
Mary stared.
Pepper stared.
Yuu casually ate a snack.
As if she hadn't revolutionized medicine.
"How?"
Mary finally asked.
Yuu shrugged.
"I got annoyed that people kept dying."
The room froze.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Pepper blinked.
"That's your explanation?"
"Pretty much."
The doctor buried her face in her hands.
Yorktown looked toward one of the empty Med Bays.
A thoughtful expression crossed her face.
"I remember these."
Several girls looked toward her.
The carrier smiled softly.
"Laffey too."
Laffey nodded.
The destroyer looked unusually awake.
A rare occurrence.
"Commander used one on us."
Yorktown's expression softened.
Not from physical injuries.
Something deeper.
"He healed more than wounds."
The room became quiet.
Laffey nodded.
"The nightmares."
Yorktown slowly touched the Med Bay.
"The trauma."
"The fear."
"The things we carried."
Neither girl elaborated further.
They didn't need to.
Several shipgirls understood immediately.
Yuu overheard the conversation.
Then casually joined in.
"The emotional component is actually fairly straightforward."
Everyone looked at her.
That statement alone sounded dangerous.
Yuu tapped a holographic brain model.
"Trauma isn't the memory itself."
The display highlighted several neural pathways.
"It's the brain's response to the memory."
Another pathway lit up.
"Emotional triggers."
Another.
"Chemical responses."
Another.
"Stress associations."
The model rotated.
"The Med Bay simply redirects the pathways."
Mary immediately became interested.
"So it doesn't erase memories?"
"No."
Yuu shook her head.
"Removing memories is stupid."
The blunt answer made several people laugh.
"The memory remains."
She pointed toward the display.
"But instead of producing fear, panic, guilt, or pain..."
The pathway shifted.
"...the brain stores it differently."
Pepper blinked.
"Differently how?"
Yuu smiled.
"Embarrassment."
The room froze.
"What?"
"The Med Bay basically turns traumatic memories into cringe memories."
The room erupted into laughter.
Even Yorktown couldn't help laughing.
"You are oversimplifying."
"Only slightly."
Yuu grinned.
"Would you rather remember something as your worst nightmare..."
Another gesture.
"...or as that embarrassing thing you did ten years ago?"
Nobody had a counterargument.
A short while later, Yuu summoned several volunteers.
"Houshou."
The carrier stepped forward.
"Maya."
"Me?"
"Choukai."
The cruiser blinked.
The three women entered separate Med Bays.
Diagnostic scans immediately began.
Several holographic readouts appeared.
Medical data flowed rapidly across the displays.
Mary and Pepper watched everything.
Completely fascinated.
The scans completed moments later.
"No major issues."
Yuu nodded.
"Expected."
Another scan.
"Minor fatigue."
Another.
"Elevated stress markers."
Nothing unusual.
The women were healthy.
The Med Bays simply optimized recovery and cleared lingering strain.
Mary folded her arms.
"The precision is incredible."
Pepper nodded.
"It detects things most doctors would never find."
Yuu looked pleased.
That was exactly the point.
Several hours later, a growing collection of medical files occupied Yuu's workstation.
Every shipgirl.
Every Nikke.
Every available scan.
Mary approached carrying a stack of old documents.
The recovered records from her clinic.
Patient histories.
Treatment logs.
Medical notes.
Everything she had managed to preserve.
She carefully placed them on the desk.
Yuu looked up.
Mary smiled.
"You'll be the primary doctor for the island now."
The room became quiet.
Mary gently pushed the records forward.
"So these belong to you."
Yuu stared at the files.
Years of medical history.
Years of responsibility.
Years of trust.
For a moment, the normally carefree scientist looked unusually serious.
Then she accepted the documents.
"I'll take care of them."
Mary smiled.
"I know and thank you."
And for the first time since arriving at the forward base, Yuu truly looked like what she had become.
Not just a researcher.
Not just a scientist.
Not just a genius.
But the doctor responsible for the future health of an entire island.