The Base of Beginnings had more than military facilities.
Like every GDI frontier installation, it possessed everything necessary to support long-term deployments.
Construction Yard.
Command Center.
Barracks.
Armory.
War Factory.
And most importantly at the moment—
The Mess Hall.
The moment the girls realized food was available, discipline immediately collapsed.
Not because they weren't soldiers.
But because they had spent two straight hours fighting.
Running.
Shooting.
Exploding.
Electrocuting.
Bombarding.
And generally committing atrocities against the local wildlife.
Even Level 10 bodies still got hungry.
Very hungry.
However—
There was one problem.
Everyone smelled awful.
Blood.
Ghoul remains.
Dust.
Burned flesh.
Radscorpion guts.
Bloatfly remains.
The scent of battle clung to nearly everyone.
The moment they entered the base, several girls immediately changed direction.
Straight toward the barracks.
"Shower first."
Yorktown declared.
The carrier didn't even wait for arguments.
Enterprise silently followed.
Illustrious.
Belfast.
Houshou.
Wales.
Avrora.
Mary.
Pepper.
Soon half the female population of the base was making a tactical retreat toward the shower facilities.
The Nikkes weren't much better.
Anis sniffed herself.
Then grimaced.
"Yeah, okay."
Even she couldn't argue.
Rapi nodded.
"Agreed."
Neon somehow looked disappointed.
"But the smell of battle."
"The smell of corpses."
Rapi corrected.
The Nikke immediately lost the argument.
Nearby—
Yuuki watched the exhausted groups returning from various directions.
Then glanced at the time.
"One hour."
Everyone looked up.
The commander folded his arms.
"Rest."
Several girls immediately looked relieved.
Then—
"We're grinding another ten levels after this."
The relief vanished.
Then transformed into determination.
Because everyone knew what awaited at Level 20.
Daily Missions.
Quest Mode.
Mission Boards.
New progression systems.
New upgrades.
New equipment.
The motivation was immediate.
Anis pointed dramatically.
"To the showers!"
The Nikke sprinted away.
Several others followed.
The race for hygiene had begun.
Meanwhile—
The Mess Hall gradually filled.
Fresh uniforms.
Fresh clothing.
Freshly cleaned shipgirls.
Freshly cleaned Nikkes.
The difference was dramatic.
Several girls looked almost human again.
Almost.
The food counters were immediately surrounded.
Large trays.
Hot meals.
Fresh vegetables.
Cooked meats.
Soups.
Rice.
Bread.
Enough food to sustain a military base.
And apparently enough to satisfy an army of hungry adventurers.
The first few minutes were surprisingly quiet.
Mostly because everyone was eating.
Aggressively.
Several girls had reached the point where conversation interfered with food consumption.
Even Belfast abandoned elegance for efficiency.
Not completely.
Just enough.
The maid would deny it later.
Nearby—
Yorktown ate while reviewing her status screen.
Enterprise did the same.
Takao and Maya compared stat increases.
Choukai and Atago discussed equipment choices.
The Bulins somehow managed to eat and argue simultaneously.
Neon was explaining firepower again.
Nobody listened.
Meanwhile—
Kaguya occupied an entire section of the table.
Mostly because of her tails.
The fox woman happily ate while Akagi occasionally glared at her.
"You stole my experience."
"This wife acquired experience."
"You bombed my targets."
"They became our targets."
Akagi looked ready to start another argument.
Kaga calmly placed food in front of her.
The fox carrier immediately became distracted.
Problem solved.
At another table—
Yuu sat with Arisa.
Nayuta.
Esche.
And Oberis.
The fairies were happily eating fruits again.
Tiny portions.
Tiny bites.
Tiny appetites.
The scientist continued finding it unfair.
Arisa meanwhile sat perfectly straight.
Perfect posture.
Perfect manners.
Perfect maid.
The combat android somehow managed to remain immaculate despite spending hours around the chaos that was the GDI.
Yuu narrowed her eyes.
"Do android maids feel hunger?"
"No."
"Unfair."
The answer came instantly.
As the meal continued, the atmosphere changed.
The exhaustion slowly faded.
Conversation returned.
Laughter returned.
Stories returned.
The excitement from reaching Level 10 remained.
Status windows continued appearing.
Talent trees continued being explored.
Future builds continued being planned.
Because now everyone had experienced it.
The feeling of becoming stronger.
Of leveling.
Of progression.
Of growth.
And now they wanted more.
Much more.
Yuuki sat back and watched.
His shipgirls.
His Nikkes.
His friends.
His family.
Exhausted.
Happy.
Excited.
Already preparing for the next grind.
The commander smiled.
The commander waited until everyone had eaten enough to stop looking like starving wolves.
Only then did he stand.
Immediately, conversations quieted.
Dozens of eyes turned toward him.
Even Neon stopped talking about firepower.
A rare event.
Yuuki activated the central holographic projector.
A tactical map of the training dimension appeared.
Several red markers immediately lit up.
The room recognized some of them.
Particularly one.
The Deathclaw crater.
"You girls did well."
The room straightened slightly.
"But some of you found minibosses."
Several girls immediately looked toward Mary, Pepper, Wales, and Avrora.
The four women looked innocent.
Mostly.
Yuuki enlarged the Deathclaw hologram.
The monstrous creature towered over the display.
Claws.
Horns.
Muscle.
Pure bad attitude.
"Those things give enormous amounts of experience."
Several girls became interested.
Very interested.
"However."
The commander pointed at the level display.
LEVEL 10
The room became much less interested.
"They also hit like trucks."
A pause.
"Fast trucks."
Another pause.
"Covered in knives."
The room decided caution was probably wise.
Yuuki nodded.
"You can't beat them alone."
The display changed.
Squad formations appeared.
Carrier.
Cruiser.
Destroyer.
Battleship.
Support.
Healer.
"The system is designed around teamwork."
Several groups immediately paid attention.
"Carriers and long-range units provide support fire."
Another point.
"Cruisers control the battlefield."
Another.
"Destroyers handle mobility and flanking."
Another.
"Nikkes provide direct assault capability."
Another.
"Healers keep everyone alive."
The room nodded.
The logic was straightforward.
Then another hologram appeared.
This one far larger.
Far uglier.
Far more alarming.
The room immediately became silent.
Because the thing on screen looked less like a creature and more like a natural disaster.
A towering mutated beast.
Its body covered in glowing ultracite crystal growths.
Massive claws.
A grotesque maw.
Jagged crystalline spikes protruding from its back.
The floor beneath it seemed tiny by comparison.
Several girls blinked.
Then blinked again.
"What."
Anis finally said.
The hologram rotated slowly.
Yuuki pointed toward it.
"You'll find one of these at the marked location."
The tactical map zoomed toward a mountainous section of the training dimension.
A single red marker flashed.
"This."
The commander enlarged the creature again.
"Is an Ultracite Titan."
The room remained silent.
The titan continued looking horrifying.
"A towering monstrosity created by extreme ultracite exposure."
Another rotation.
"A horribly mutated mole rat."
Silence.
Then—
"A mole rat?"
Anis asked.
"That's a mole rat?"
Neon pointed.
"THAT?"
Yuuki nodded.
"That."
The room collectively decided never to underestimate mole rats again.
The display highlighted another statistic.
ULTRACITE TITAN
LEVEL 20
The room immediately became quiet.
Again.
Because now they understood.
Level 20.
Double their current level.
The difference was significant.
Yet—
Yuuki smiled.
"You can beat it."
Several girls looked surprised.
The commander folded his arms.
"Together."
That changed things.
Because they weren't alone anymore.
Not here.
Not in the GDI.
Not with dozens of Level 10 allies.
The tactical display split into multiple sections.
Frontline.
Support.
Flanking.
Medical.
Heavy Weapons.
"Fight smart."
The commander pointed toward the rear line.
"Carriers stay back."
Yorktown nodded.
Enterprise nodded.
Illustrious nodded.
"Houshou too."
The Sakura carrier smiled.
Then another section highlighted.
"Cruisers and destroyers control engagement range."
Takao.
Atago.
Maya.
Choukai.
Hipper.
Eugen.
Avrora.
Javelin.
Nimi.
The others nodded.
Then Yuuki pointed toward the assault position.
"Nikkes."
Anis grinned.
Neon grinned.
Rapi sighed because she knew what those grins meant.
"You girls are the spear."
The Nikkes immediately sat straighter.
Then another section appeared.
"Healers."
Mary.
Pepper.
Vestal.
The support personnel looked up.
"Keep everyone standing."
The room nodded.
Then finally—
"Kaguya."
The fox woman smiled.
"Yes, dearest?"
The commander looked at her status screen.
Then at everyone else.
Then back at Kaguya.
"You fill whatever role is needed."
The room immediately agreed.
The Arcane Shipgirl could apparently do everything.
Which remained mildly unfair.
Kaguya accepted the compliment.
Naturally.
Yuuki pointed toward the armory.
"Stock up."
Immediately.
The room became excited again.
Heavy weapons.
Rocket launchers.
Laser weapons.
Ammunition.
Grenades.
Support items.
Medical supplies.
Everything.
The commander smiled.
Because the expressions around the room had changed.
Earlier they had been excited to level.
Now—
They were excited to hunt.
The room had barely recovered from the revelation of the Ultracite Titan when Yuuki enlarged the map again.
Five red markers appeared.
Not one.
Five.
The room immediately noticed.
Anis pointed.
"Wait."
Another point.
"Five bosses?"
The commander nodded.
"Correct."
The room suddenly became much quieter.
Because the implication was obvious.
The Ultracite Titan wasn't the final challenge.
It was merely one of them.
"You need to hunt all five bosses."
The display enlarged.
"If you want to reach Level 20 within the next two hours."
Several girls immediately sat upright.
The commander folded his arms.
"Bosses provide massive experience rewards."
Another point.
"Far more than normal enemies."
Another.
"Which is why you'll be hunting them."
The map zoomed outward.
The first marker flashed.
The Ultracite Titan.
Everyone already knew that one.
Then a second marker appeared.
A giant silhouette emerged.
The hologram towered over the table.
Massive.
Twisted.
Hideously deformed.
The room immediately looked uncomfortable.
"This."
Yuuki pointed.
"Is Behemoth."
The giant mutant rotated slowly.
Its muscles bulged unnaturally.
Its proportions looked wrong.
Warped.
Broken.
Monstrous.
The commander enlarged the creature further.
"These elderly super mutants are the result of mutation failing to stabilize."
Another rotation.
"Uneven growth."
Another.
"Extreme physical distortion."
Another.
"Ridiculous amounts of strength."
The room stared.
The creature looked capable of punching through buildings.
Which was because it absolutely could.
Then the hologram showed the Behemoth hurling a massive boulder.
The room collectively reconsidered fighting it.
"It throws rocks?"
Mary asked.
"It throws houses."
Yuuki corrected.
The room became silent.
Again.
The commander pointed.
"Stay at range."
Another point.
"Hit it hard."
Another.
"Do not let it reach melee range."
Everyone immediately agreed.
Especially the destroyers.
A third marker appeared.
The room expected another monster.
Instead—
A machine appeared.
Black armor.
Yellow highlights.
Massive frame.
An enormous robotic fortress.
The room immediately recognized danger.
"This is the EN06 Guardian."
The hologram expanded.
The machine dominated the display.
Larger than any Sentry Bot.
More heavily armed.
More heavily armored.
Far more dangerous.
Yuuki pointed toward its core.
"Ultragenetic shield generator."
Another point.
"Invulnerable while active."
The room frowned.
Then the hologram changed.
Electricity flooded the floor around the machine.
The surrounding area exploded.
Several girls widened their eyes.
"It electrifies the battlefield."
Another display.
A massive energy shockwave.
The room collectively leaned back.
"Overheat pulse."
Another display.
Gatling lasers.
Then concentrated beam weapons.
Then homing missiles.
Then plasma projectiles.
The list continued.
And continued.
And continued.
Finally—
The machine's health bar appeared.
HP: 600,000
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Neon finally spoke.
"That seems excessive."
"No."
Yuu answered.
"That's a boss."
The room decided Yuu was probably correct.
The fourth marker appeared.
This time emerging from murky water.
A massive crustacean-like nightmare.
Towering over lesser Mirelurks.
Covered in armor.
Surrounded by hatchlings.
The room collectively grimaced.
"The Mirelurk Queen."
Yuuki enlarged the image.
The creature hissed.
The sound alone was unpleasant.
"Top of the Mirelurk food chain."
Another point.
"Heavily armored."
Another.
"Surrounded by swarms."
Another.
"Extremely aggressive."
Several girls immediately wrote down:
Kill from very far away.
Then finally—
The last marker appeared.
The largest marker.
The entire room fell silent.
Because even the hologram seemed too large for the room.
A giant humanoid robot appeared.
Towering.
Imposing.
Unstoppable.
Its singular blue optical sensor glowed ominously.
Steel-colored armor reflected the holographic light.
The machine looked less like a weapon and more like an army.
An entire army.
By itself.
Yuuki folded his arms.
"And finally."
The hologram rotated.
The room stared upward.
Some literally.
Because the projection was that large.
"Liberty Prime."
Silence.
Several girls blinked.
Then blinked again.
The giant robot continued standing there.
Its sheer size making every previous boss look smaller.
Even the Ultracite Titan.
Even the Behemoth.
Even the EN06 Guardian.
The machine was forty feet tall.
A walking superweapon.
A monument to overwhelming force.
Anis slowly raised her hand.
"Commander."
"Yes?"
"Why is the final boss a skyscraper?"
The room exploded into laughter.
Even Yuuki laughed.
Because honestly—
That was a fair question.
The commander enlarged the five markers again.
The entire map now displayed their locations.
Boss One: Ultracite Titan
Boss Two: Behemoth
Boss Three: EN06 Guardian
Boss Four: Mirelurk Queen
Boss Five: Liberty Prime
The room stared.
The challenge ahead finally becoming clear.
Five bosses.
Five major battles.
Two hours.
Ten levels.
Level 20.
Yuuki smiled.
A dangerous smile.
The same smile he wore before impossible missions.
"You wanted to level quickly."
The room listened.
The commander pointed toward the map.
"Then go hunt bosses."
Immediately—
Every shipgirl.
Every Nikke.
Began smiling.
Because somehow.
Against all logic.
Against all common sense.
Against every survival instinct they possessed.
This sounded fun.
Very fun.
And somewhere across the training dimension—
Five bosses unknowingly became the targets of the most enthusiastic hunting party in existence.
The room was already excited.
Then Yuuki made the mistake of revealing the experience rewards.
The tactical display enlarged once more.
Five boss markers remained highlighted.
Ultracite Titan.
Behemoth.
EN06 Guardian.
Mirelurk Queen.
Liberty Prime.
The commander folded his arms.
"All of them are Level 20."
The room nodded.
That part they understood.
Then—
"Good luck."
The room laughed.
Mostly because that wasn't reassuring.
At all.
Yuuki pointed toward the display.
"Defeating one boss as a full raid group should provide enough experience to raise everyone to approximately Level 12."
The room immediately quieted.
That was a lot.
A very lot.
The commander continued.
"Boss number two should push everyone to roughly Level 14."
Another point.
"Boss number three."
Another.
"Level 16."
Another.
"Boss four."
Another.
"Level 18."
Then finally—
"Boss five."
The commander smiled.
"Level 20."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then—
Neon stood up.
"FIREPOWER!"
The room immediately erupted into cheers.
Even Enterprise looked interested now.
Because suddenly the objective felt achievable.
Five bosses.
Ten levels.
Two hours.
The numbers aligned perfectly.
Then Yuuki raised a finger.
"Oh."
That single word worried everyone.
Because it meant he wasn't finished.
The commander reached into his coat.
Several girls immediately became nervous.
The last time he did this, they received a leveling system.
This time—
He handed five metallic objects to Yorktown.
Yorktown accepted them.
The carrier blinked.
The objects looked like oversized military beacons.
Heavy.
Armored.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Yorktown looked up.
"What are these?"
The room watched.
Yuuki smiled.
A smile that immediately concerned Yuu.
"Nuclear Strike Beacons."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then every eye in the room locked onto the five devices.
Anis immediately stood.
"What."
Neon immediately stood.
"WHAT."
Akashi nearly fell off her chair.
Yorktown stared at the beacons.
Then stared at Yuuki.
Then stared at the beacons again.
The carrier slowly pointed.
"Nuclear."
"Correct."
The room somehow became even quieter.
The commander casually continued.
"Activation code is 527751."
The room stared.
He said that far too casually.
Far, far too casually.
Yorktown looked at the devices.
Then at the holographic bosses.
Then back at the devices.
Then realization struck.
"Oh no."
Yuuki nodded.
"Oh yes."
Several girls immediately leaned forward.
The commander pointed toward the boss markers.
"If things become difficult."
Another point.
"Plant one."
Another.
"Run."
The room immediately agreed with the second instruction.
Very strongly.
Then Yuuki enlarged a blast radius.
The room collectively leaned back.
Several chairs physically moved.
"One strike should remove roughly half a boss's health."
The room froze.
Half.
Half.
Half.
The room continued staring.
Then everyone slowly looked toward Liberty Prime.
Then toward the beacons.
Then toward Liberty Prime again.
Neon looked inspired.
Dangerously inspired.
The commander immediately pointed at her.
"No."
The Nikke looked disappointed.
The room laughed.
Then Yorktown examined the beacon again.
"What's the catch?"
"Good question."
Yuuki nodded.
Then pointed toward the center of the hologram.
"You need to plant it manually."
The room immediately understood.
There was always a catch.
Always.
Another display appeared.
The beacon had to be deployed directly beside the target.
The room groaned.
The commander smiled.
"Which means."
Another point.
"You need someone fast."
Immediately every destroyer sat straighter.
Javelin.
Nimi.
Laffey.
Eldridge.
Even San Diego.
Several Nikkes also looked interested.
Kaguya simply smiled.
Because she was probably fast enough too.
Yuuki nodded.
"Plant."
Another point.
"Retreat."
Another.
"Pray."
The room laughed.
Even Yorktown.
The carrier carefully stored the five beacons inside her inventory.
The responsibility immediately felt very heavy.
Nuclear-level heavy.
Then Yuuki looked around the room.
At the newly leveled shipgirls.
The newly leveled Nikkes.
The excited Bulins.
The eager destroyers.
The increasingly worried healers.
The commander smiled.
"Stock up."
The room stood.
Immediately.
Weapons.
Ammunition.
Explosives.
Energy cells.
Grenades.
Missiles.
Everything.
The armory suddenly became the most popular location on the base.
Because in less than an hour—
An Ultracite Titan.
A Behemoth.
An EN06 Guardian.
A Mirelurk Queen.
And Liberty Prime.
Were about to discover that giving experience points to ambitious GDI recruits was a terrible idea.
===================
The second deployment began shortly afterward.
Only this time—
Nobody was wandering aimlessly looking for experience.
Nobody was hunting random ghouls.
Nobody was arguing over who stole whose kills.
Well.
Akagi still was.
But that was normal.
This time they had a target.
A boss.
A Level 20 boss.
The entire raid force moved together.
The river served as the fastest route toward the Ultracite Titan's territory.
Shipgirl riggings cut across the water effortlessly.
Their hulls skimmed across the river's surface.
Leaving trails of white foam behind them.
The Nikkes, unfortunately, lacked such capabilities.
Which resulted in a rather amusing sight.
Anis sat atop Yorktown's rigging.
The Nikke leaned back comfortably.
As though riding a luxury cruise.
"This is nice, Mom. You really do love your daughter."
Yorktown let out a long sigh.
"You could at least pretend to feel guilty."
"No."
The answer came without a moment's hesitation.
Nearby, Grim circled overhead.
Continuously updating the tactical map.
The black eagle's scouting range had already proven invaluable.
Further ahead—
Rapi stood balanced atop Enterprise's rigging.
The carrier moved steadily through the water.
The Nikke calmly inspected her weapon.
The two women had fallen into a comfortable silence.
Professional.
Focused.
Ready.
Meanwhile—
Neon sat behind Nimi.
The destroyer already regretted everything.
"Firepower."
"Don't."
"Imagine."
"N-"
"Firepower against a giant mole rat."
Nimi groaned.
The destroyer contemplated abandoning ship.
Literally.
Several meters away—
Ade rode beside Belfast.
The maid sat perfectly composed.
As though gliding across a post-apocalyptic river toward a giant monster was a perfectly ordinary afternoon activity.
Ade was beginning to suspect all Royal Maids were secretly terrifying.
Nearby—
Cocoa sat happily atop Hipper's rigging.
Unlike most of the others, this pairing wasn't random.
Cocoa was Hipper's maid.
The two had worked together long enough that riding along felt completely natural.
"Comfortable?"
Hipper asked.
"Very."
Cocoa smiled.
The maid adjusted her position slightly before patting Hipper's shoulder.
"Thank you, Lady Hipper."
The German cruiser looked away.
"Don't mention it."
Cocoa giggled.
Hipper immediately regretted sounding so soft.
The maid had definitely noticed.
Elsewhere—
Soda had claimed Atago.
The cruiser didn't seem to mind.
Atago was far too busy enjoying the atmosphere.
The wolf woman smiled as the wind passed through her hair.
"This reminds me of sailing."
Soda looked around.
The ruined landscape.
The distant explosions.
The giant weapons.
The nuclear strike beacons.
"This is a very strange sailing trip."
"Fair point."
Atago laughed.
Further behind—
Mary rode alongside Vestal.
The two medical specialists continuously reviewed support items.
Healing equipment.
Emergency kits.
Combat stimulants.
If things went wrong against the bosses—
They would be the ones fixing it.
Pepper meanwhile rode with Takao.
The younger medic looked toward the tactical display.
Then toward the distant mountains.
Then toward the tactical display again.
"Are we really fighting that thing?"
Takao nodded.
"Apparently."
"Level 20."
"Apparently."
Pepper sighed.
The swordswoman looked far too calm about it.
Ahead of everyone—
Kaguya floated above the river.
Her tails swayed behind her.
Golden magical circles occasionally appeared beneath her feet.
The Arcane Shipgirl didn't need a river.
Or roads.
Or common sense.
She simply flew.
Akagi and Kaga followed close behind.
The two fox carriers occasionally exchanged looks.
Then both glanced toward Kaguya.
The earlier argument about stolen experience had gradually faded away during the journey.
After all, Kaguya had been the one who helped both foxes reach Level 10 in the first place.
Eventually, the two foxes settled their differences.
At least for now.
Which was probably for the best considering they were about to fight a giant boss monster.
Yuuki's voice suddenly appeared across the communication network.
"You're almost there."
Immediately dozens of eyes shifted toward the tactical map.
The blinking objective marker had grown significantly closer.
The mountain range now dominated the horizon.
Jagged peaks.
Broken terrain.
Glowing veins of ultracite crystal visible even from a distance.
The atmosphere itself felt different.
More oppressive.
More dangerous.
More hostile.
The river widened.
Then gradually gave way to rocky terrain.
The shipgirls began slowing.
The Nikkes checked weapons.
Safety mechanisms disengaged.
Ammunition counts verified.
Explosives checked.
Rocket launchers prepared.
The nuclear strike beacons remained secured in Yorktown's inventory.
Everyone knew what came next.
The commander spoke once more.
"Remember the plan."
The tactical display appeared.
Carriers.
Rear support.
Cruisers.
Mid-range engagement.
Destroyers.
Flanking.
Nikkes.
Direct assault.
Healers.
Stay alive.
The room had memorized it already.
Then Grim suddenly cried out from above.
The eagle's sensors activated.
A new marker appeared.
Massive.
Red.
Hostile.
The tactical map automatically zoomed.
Distance: Eight hundred meters.
Then seven hundred.
Then six hundred.
The ground began trembling.
Small stones rolled down the nearby cliffs.
The river surface rippled.
A low rumble echoed throughout the valley.
Everyone immediately stopped talking.
Because they could hear it.
Something huge.
Something moving.
Something angry.
The commander spoke calmly through the communications.
"Target acquired."
The mountain ahead erupted.
Ultracite crystals shattered.
Rockslides cascaded down the slope.
And something enormous began climbing out of the mountainside.
The Ultracite Titan had arrived.
And judging by the size of the thing—
Everyone suddenly understood why Yuuki had issued nuclear weapons.
The Ultracite Titan continued climbing from the shattered mountainside.
Every movement sent tremors through the valley.
Its body was covered in glowing crystal formations.
Jagged ultracite protruded from its shoulders.
Its claws alone were larger than several vehicles.
The Level 20 marker floating above its head didn't make anyone feel better.
Then Yuuki's voice sounded through the communication network.
"Oh, one more thing."
Several girls immediately groaned.
The commander ignored them.
"The Nuclear Strike Beacons are radiationless."
That got everyone's attention.
Especially the healers.
The tactical display immediately appeared.
A large red circle expanded around the beacon's projected detonation point.
Blast Radius: One Mile
Several girls immediately checked their surroundings.
Yuuki continued.
"If you use one, make sure everyone gets out of the blast radius."
Another point.
"You have sixty seconds."
Another.
"After activation."
The raid force nodded.
Sixty seconds.
Plant.
Run.
Pray.
Simple enough.
Probably.
Then Yuuki smiled.
Which was usually dangerous.
"If you don't mind."
The commander enlarged the terrain map.
Several glowing blue markers appeared around the Ultracite Titan.
Crystal deposits.
Massive crystal deposits.
Several girls looked confused.
"What's that?"
Yorktown asked.
The commander zoomed in.
Ultracite veins.
Crystal clusters.
Entire formations protruding from the mountains.
"You can loot those."
Silence.
Then—
"You can exchange them for credits, but only up to a maximum of one thousand credits per person from looted crystals."
The silence ended immediately.
"Credits?!"
Akashi practically teleported into the communication channel.
Several nearby birds fled.
The repair ship's eyes immediately transformed into credit symbols.
Yuuki nodded.
"Credits."
The expedition suddenly became very interested in geology.
The commander enlarged a crystal formation.
The glowing blue ore sparkled beneath the sunlight.
"Ultracite."
Another point.
"Radiationless."
Another.
"Extremely valuable."
Another.
"Extremely useful."
The tactical display changed.
Several diagrams appeared.
Power plants.
Reactors.
Industrial facilities.
The crystals powered all of them.
Yuuki folded his arms.
"Ultracite was discovered deep beneath the earth."
The commander enlarged a crystal cross-section.
"It traps enormous amounts of energy within the crystal structure itself."
Another diagram appeared.
Massive industrial generators.
Power grids.
Entire cities.
"A properly handled crystal can power industrial-grade machinery for decades."
Several girls widened their eyes.
Even Yuu looked impressed.
The scientist already knew.
But seeing the numbers again was ridiculous.
Then Yuuki pointed toward another diagram.
A reactor.
Then a reactor exploding.
Then another exploding.
Then several more.
Several girls blinked.
"If improperly handled."
The commander smiled.
"It melts everything."
The expedition immediately decided proper handling was important.
Very important.
Akashi meanwhile was already calculating profits.
The repair ship's eyes gleamed.
"Nyaa..."
Everyone recognized that tone.
That was the tone of future business ventures.
Several future business ventures.
Yorktown immediately sighed.
The carrier already knew what was happening.
Akashi wasn't seeing ultracite.
She was seeing money.
Large quantities of money.
The repair ship pointed toward the mountains.
"Can we take all of it?"
"No, we need those with high purity."
The answer came immediately.
Akashi looked devastated.
Yuuki continued.
"We need it."
That got everyone's attention.
The commander enlarged another display.
The Autumn Isle.
GDI facilities.
Power plants.
Everything required power.
Lots of power.
"These crystals can dramatically increase the output of our power plants back home."
The group finally understood.
This wasn't merely loot.
This was strategic loot.
The best kind.
The kind Yuuki loved.
The kind Akashi loved even more.
Then the commander pointed toward the towering boss.
"Kill the Titan."
Another point.
"Collect ultracite."
Another.
"Get rich."
The expedition immediately liked this plan.
A lot.
The Ultracite Titan suddenly roared.
The valley shook.
Crystal formations shattered.
The ground cracked.
The giant monster finally noticed them.
Its glowing eyes locked onto the raid group.
A massive health bar appeared.
============
ULTRACITE TITAN
LEVEL 20
HP: 500,000 / 500,000
============
Everyone collectively stared.
Then slowly looked toward Yorktown.
Then toward the Nuclear Strike Beacons.
Then toward the Titan.
Then toward the ultracite crystals.
Then back toward the Titan.
Akashi pointed.
"Nyaa."
A pause.
"Nyaa."
Another pause.
"Nyaa."
Vestal sighed.
"Translation?"
Akashi grinned.
The grin of someone about to commit economically motivated violence.
"That thing is standing on our levels and money."
The entire raid force suddenly became significantly more motivated.
The Ultracite Titan roared.
The valley shook.
Chunks of crystal broke away from the surrounding cliffs.
The giant mutant mole rat finally noticed the raid force assembled before it.
Its glowing ultracite-covered claws dug into the mountainside.
The health bar hovered above its head.
ULTRACITE TITAN
LEVEL 20
HP: 500,000 / 500,000
For a brief moment—
Nobody moved.
Then Yorktown took command.
The carrier immediately opened the tactical channel.
"Carriers, remain behind!"
Her voice echoed across every communication link.
The shipgirls reacted immediately.
Yorktown.
Enterprise.
Illustrious.
Unicorn.
Houshou.
Akagi.
Kaga.
All seven pulled back toward elevated terrain overlooking the battlefield.
"Launch airstrikes on my mark!"
Fighter squadrons began materializing.
Bombers rolled down imaginary runways.
Entire wings launched into the sky.
The carriers had finally found a target worthy of their full firepower.
Then Yorktown pointed toward another ridge.
"Wales!"
The battleship adjusted her rifle.
Already knowing what came next.
"Long-range support."
Wales smiled.
"With pleasure."
The battleship immediately deployed her heavy rigging.
Massive guns unfolded around her.
Beside her—
Kaguya landed gracefully.
Golden magical circles already forming around her hands.
The Arcane Shipgirl tilted her head.
"Thou desirest artillery support?"
Yorktown nodded.
"Kaguya, stay with Wales."
Another point.
"You two provide long-range fire support."
The fox woman smiled.
"A role most suitable for this wife."
Wales immediately felt sorry for anything standing within the next kilometer.
Then Yorktown turned toward the rest.
"Cruisers and destroyers!"
The entire middle line responded.
Takao.
Atago.
Maya.
Choukai.
Hipper.
Eugen.
Avrora.
Javelin.
Nimi.
Laffey.
Eldridge.
San Diego.
All immediately acknowledged.
"Bombard it!"
The response came instantly.
"YES!"
Weapons deployed.
Cannons unfolded.
Missiles armed.
Laser rifles charged.
Rocket launchers locked onto targets.
The entire mid-line transformed into a mobile artillery force.
Then Yorktown looked toward the Nikkes.
"Anis."
"Ready!"
"Rapi."
"Ready."
"Neon."
"FIREPOWER READY!"
Nobody questioned it.
"Ade."
"Ready."
"Soda."
"Ready."
"Cocoa."
"Ready."
The carrier pointed directly at the Titan.
"Nikkes."
The massive creature roared again.
"Nail its weak points."
The Nikkes grinned.
This was their specialty.
Direct combat.
Direct violence.
Very direct violence.
Then Yorktown pointed toward Mary, Pepper, Vestal, and Akashi.
"Healers."
The medical team straightened.
"Stay alive."
The order was simple.
The meaning was not.
Because everyone knew this wasn't a normal fight.
This was a raid boss.
A Level 20 raid boss.
The first real challenge of the day.
Then—
Grim screeched overhead.
The eagle marked several glowing regions on the Titan's body.
Its chest.
Its neck.
The ultracite crystal growths protruding from its shoulders.
Weak points.
Immediately highlighted on everyone's interface.
"Targets designated."
Yorktown announced.
The carrier raised her arm.
The entire battlefield froze.
Waiting.
The Titan lowered its body.
Preparing to charge.
The mountain trembled.
Ultracite crystals shattered beneath its claws.
The air itself seemed to shake.
Yorktown smiled.
Then dropped her hand.
"Positions!"
The raid force moved instantly.
Carriers launched aircraft.
Wales deployed artillery.
Kaguya's magical arrays illuminated the sky.
Cruisers spread out.
Destroyers accelerated.
Nikkes advanced.
The healers prepared support equipment.
The first boss battle had begun.
And the Ultracite Titan was about to learn exactly why Yuuki had spent two hours turning a group of shipgirls and Nikkes into Level 10 monsters.
The battlefield erupted.
Dozens of weapons opened fire simultaneously.
Missiles.
Shells.
Lasers.
Bombs.
Magic.
The Ultracite Titan immediately disappeared beneath a storm of explosions.
Yet—
Its health bar barely moved.
HP: 492,871 / 500,000
The raid force collectively stared.
Then stared harder.
The Titan roared.
As if mocking them.
Then Eugen smirked.
It had been a long time since she could fight like this.
Not as a civilian.
Not as a survivor.
Not as someone merely trying to stay alive.
But as a shipgirl.
A true shipgirl.
The heavy cruiser deployed every gun she possessed.
"Now this is more like it."
Beside her, Hipper grinned.
The sisters immediately opened fire.
Meanwhile—
The Nikkes switched weapons.
Assault rifles disappeared.
Rocket launchers appeared.
Heavy launchers.
Anti-armor launchers.
Explosive launchers.
If the Titan wanted durability—
They would answer with explosives.
Anis loaded another rocket.
The launcher locked.
The Titan's weak point flashed.
The Nikke grinned.
"It's not enough."
The launcher fired.
The rocket streaked across the battlefield.
The crystal-covered shoulder exploded.
"I."
Another rocket.
A second detonation.
"Want."
A third rocket.
The Titan staggered.
"MORE!"
Her interface flashed.
SKILL ACTIVATED
ALL OUT ASSAULT
Power surged through her body.
The launcher accelerated.
Her reload speed doubled.
Explosions began hammering the Titan relentlessly.
Then Rapi activated her own Burst Skill.
"Target ahead! Fire at will!"
A surge of firepower followed as her launcher unleashed a concentrated barrage.
Then Neon activated hers.
"Now! Concentrate all attacks!"
Explosions multiplied across the Titan's crystal-covered body.
Anis grinned and joined in.
"Let's get this party started!"
Rocket after rocket slammed into the monster.
Ade calmly activated her skill next. She activated Heroic Mode to enhanced her Laser Chain Gun.
"It's rush hour. Leave it to me."
Her attacks accelerated, adding even more pressure to the assault.
Then Soda raised her launcher.
"Nothing like a good cleaning, am I right?"
A fresh volley detonated against the Titan's shoulder.
Cocoa followed immediately after.
"Attention, customers! The time is now!"
Her barrage struck another exposed weak point.
Finally, Mary activated her own Burst Skill.
"Get lost, germs!"
Then Pepper raised her weapon and smiled brightly. "Come on! We can defeat them!"
The battlefield immediately transformed.
Every member of the raid possessed the same combat skill.
All Out Assault.
And suddenly—
They all used it.
The Titan's health began dropping faster.
Much faster.
HP: 478,203 / 500,000
The giant beast roared.
Then tried to advance.
A mistake.
"Huh?"
Hipper's eyes narrowed.
The heavy cruiser planted her feet.
Then every cannon opened fire.
"Huh?"
More explosions.
The Titan's head jerked sideways.
"Who gave you permission to resist?"
A barrage of shells struck its chest.
The ultracite growth shattered.
Hipper pointed dramatically.
"Keep getting hit!"
The Titan, unfortunately, did not obey.
Eugen laughed.
Hard.
Very hard.
The older sister nearly lost her aim.
Nearby—
Takao drew her blade.
The swordswoman accelerated.
Her rigging followed.
Cannons firing while she closed distance.
The Titan turned toward her.
A mistake.
"Swift death unto evil!"
Her sword flashed.
A crystal formation exploded apart.
The damage number that appeared immediately impressed everyone nearby.
Then—
Atago smiled.
A dangerous smile.
One the Titan should have feared.
"Oh my."
Her guns locked onto another weak point.
"How should I torment you today?"
The resulting bombardment answered her own question.
Several crystal growths shattered.
The Titan roared again.
Maya immediately followed.
"Perish by my cannons!"
Shells impacted.
Explosions erupted.
The health bar dropped again.
Then Choukai joined.
The usually gentle cruiser adjusted her aim.
Her eyes sharpened.
"My kindness..."
Another salvo.
"...is reserved for my friends only!"
The Titan immediately learned she was serious.
Avrora raised her voice, her tone calm yet resolute.
"Within the light of dawn lie spilled blood and raging flames..."
With those words, the Northern Parliament cruiser launched her assault.
Meanwhile—
The destroyers joined the assault.
Javelin launched forward.
The energetic girl practically bounced across the battlefield.
"Javelin, full power advance~ Yep!"
Her cannons fired continuously.
Nimi followed close behind.
Far more disciplined.
Far more accurate.
"Take this!"
The destroyer unleashed a concentrated volley directly into the Titan's exposed shoulder.
Then—
Laffey.
Still somehow looking sleepy.
Still somehow half-asleep.
Still somehow terrifying.
"Condition: green..."
Her weapons deployed.
The Titan suddenly lost another chunk of health.
"...Let's go."
Nobody questioned it anymore.
Laffey was simply built differently.
Then lightning erupted.
Eldridge floated upward.
Electricity covered the battlefield.
The destroyer pointed toward the giant monster.
"Enemy."
Lightning surged.
"Hate."
The resulting electrical strike blasted across the Titan's crystal formations.
The beast visibly staggered.
Finally—
San Diego.
The idol destroyer looked around.
Then at the Titan.
Then at everyone else.
Then shrugged.
"I'm not sure what's going on—"
Every gun she possessed opened fire.
"—but let's do it~!"
The battlefield exploded once more.
The carriers joined the assault, activating their own All Out Assault skills as squadrons filled the sky.
Yorktown raised her hand toward the battlefield.
"For the sake of my family...!"
Enterprise's aircraft dove from above in a deadly formation.
"It's over!"
Illustrious clasped her hands as radiant light gathered around her.
"Holy light, grant me power!"
Unicorn nervously gripped her staff.
"Unicorn... will do her best!"
Houshou smiled warmly as her planes launched.
"It's time for a feast!"
Akagi's laughter echoed across the battlefield as crimson aircraft swarmed the Titan.
"My love for Shikikan-sama is invincible! Ahaha... ahahaha!"
Beside her, Kaga remained calm and focused.
"Only the strong may survive on the battlefield!"
From the distant ridge, Wales unleashed another devastating barrage.
"It's a showdown!"
Golden magical circles bloomed around Kaguya as arcane energy surged through the air.
"For mine dearest husband!"
The Ultracite Titan's health bar finally dropped beneath ninety percent.
=============
Far away from the battlefield—
Inside the Base of Beginnings Command Post.
Yuuki sat in front of the tactical display.
One leg crossed over the other.
A cup of coffee forgotten beside him.
The giant holographic battlefield floated above the command table.
Every friendly marker.
Every enemy marker.
Every health bar.
Every explosion.
All displayed in real time.
Beside him sat Yuu.
Arisa stood nearby.
Perfectly still.
Perfectly attentive.
Nayuta occupied a chair she had somehow claimed for herself.
Esche and Oberis sat comfortably on her shoulders while watching the battle unfold.
The entire command room had become a spectator booth.
A very expensive spectator booth.
The tactical display lit up.
More explosions.
More artillery.
More rockets.
More screaming.
Mostly from Akagi.
Yuuki watched in silence.
Then slowly took a sip of coffee.
"Man."
Another explosion illuminated the display.
These girls.
The commander couldn't help smiling.
Two hours ago they had been Level 1 rookies.
Now they were coordinating a raid battle against a Level 20 world boss.
And somehow—
They were winning.
The Titan's health bar continued dropping.
HP: 431,221 / 500,000
Nayuta whistled.
"They're actually doing it."
Yuu nodded.
"They adapted faster than expected."
The scientist zoomed into the battlefield.
Several squads immediately appeared.
Yorktown directing formations.
Enterprise coordinating carrier strikes.
Takao leading close-range assaults.
Rapi organizing Nikke attacks.
The entire raid force was operating surprisingly well.
Especially considering this was their first boss encounter.
Yuuki leaned back.
"They're learning."
Another explosion.
The Titan staggered.
More health vanished.
Yuu zoomed in further.
The giant creature was covered in damage.
Broken crystal formations.
Missing armor.
Multiple weak points exposed.
The commander smiled.
"They're acting like veterans already."
Arisa nodded.
"Their combat efficiency has increased by three hundred and forty-one percent compared to two hours ago."
The room looked toward her.
The android maid blinked.
"Approximation."
Nayuta groaned.
"Only you would calculate that."
"Correction."
Arisa answered immediately.
"Mistress Yuu would also calculate that."
Yuu nodded.
"She's right."
The room laughed.
Meanwhile—
Esche pointed at the tactical map.
The fairy's tiny eyes widened.
"Look!"
Everyone looked.
The Ultracite Titan suddenly slammed both claws into the ground.
A massive shockwave erupted outward.
Several cruisers were forced back.
Destroyers scattered.
The battlefield became chaotic.
Then another marker appeared.
The Titan's energy levels surged.
Ultracite crystals glowed brighter.
The room immediately became serious.
Yuu enlarged the reading.
"Oh."
Yuuki immediately recognized it.
"Phase Two."
The command room became quiet.
The Titan's crystals illuminated the valley.
Energy readings climbed rapidly.
The boss was entering its next stage.
Which meant—
The real fight was only beginning.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield—
Every shipgirl and Nikke received the same notification.
BOSS PHASE CHANGE DETECTED
ULTRACITE TITAN
PHASE TWO INITIATED
Back in the command room, Nayuta grinned.
"Now it gets interesting."
Yuuki sighed.
Then took another sip of coffee.
Because somehow—
Watching everyone panic while he sat safely in a command center had become one of his favorite hobbies.
"Let's see what you girls do."
The commander smiled.
The Titan roared.
The valley shook.
And Phase Two officially began.
The Ultracite Titan's Phase Two began with absolute chaos as the boss's HP fell below 75%.
The giant monster slammed both claws into the ground.
Ultracite energy erupted outward.
A crystal shockwave swept across the battlefield.
Several destroyers were thrown backward.
Cruisers were forced to retreat.
The Titan immediately capitalized on the opening.
A crystal spike burst from the earth beneath Maya.
Another beneath Javelin.
A third beneath San Diego.
Damage notifications exploded across the raid interface.
Shield percentages dropped.
Health bars dipped.
The battlefield became a mess.
Then—
A familiar voice rang out.
"Nya~?!"
Akashi raised both hands.
Her repair rigging activated.
Blue lightning burst across the battlefield.
Countless support drones appeared.
The repair ship pointed dramatically toward the wounded raid force.
"Akashi is here to rescue you, nya~!"
Her skill activated.
LOGISTIC REPAIR
Blue energy beams connected to every nearby ally.
Shield generators instantly recharged.
Damaged armor repaired itself.
Warning notifications disappeared.
The battlefield stabilized almost immediately.
Several girls visibly relaxed.
Then another voice joined.
"Yeah, yeah."
Vestal sighed.
Though her smile betrayed her amusement.
"It's time for repairs~"
The hospital ship deployed her own support systems.
Medical drones launched.
Healing fields expanded.
Golden particles drifted across the battlefield.
DAMAGE CONTROL
Every shipgirl.
Every Nikke.
Every Bulin.
Received immediate healing.
Health bars surged upward.
Wounds vanished.
Damaged shields restored.
The support corps had arrived.
The raid force cheered.
The Titan did not.
Then something unexpected happened.
Very unexpected.
The Bulins attacked.
Not cautiously.
Not intelligently.
Not strategically.
They simply charged.
Which somehow worked.
Kurin leapt first.
The little Bulin spun her massive hammer overhead.
The weapon was almost larger than she was.
The Titan barely noticed.
Then the hammer connected.
BOOOOM!
The impact echoed throughout the valley.
The giant monster visibly staggered.
Everyone froze.
The Titan froze.
Even Kurin froze.
Because nobody expected that to work.
Then the Bulin raised her hammer proudly.
"My hammer is the hammer that will bring down the stars, bulin!"
The raid force stared.
Then stared harder.
Yuuki nearly dropped his coffee.
Back in the Command Post.
"How?"
Yuu asked.
"I have no idea."
The commander answered honestly.
Meanwhile—
The Titan attempted to regain its footing.
Then the ground beneath it collapsed.
A massive section of terrain suddenly gave way.
The giant creature lost balance.
The cause immediately became apparent.
BRRRRTTTT!
Twin drills erupted from below.
Purin burst from the earth like a geological disaster.
The ground around her fractured.
Tunnels collapsed.
Support layers vanished.
The Titan's footing disappeared.
The giant creature crashed sideways.
The entire valley shook.
Purin emerged triumphantly.
Drills spinning.
Dust flying everywhere.
"My drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens!"
The raid force collectively decided the Bulins had become dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Then—
A purple streak flashed across the battlefield.
One of the exposed ultracite crystals exploded apart.
The Titan roared in pain.
Everyone turned.
The youngest Bulin stood proudly atop a broken crystal formation.
Her oversized wrench raised high.
The tiny repair ship pointed dramatically.
"My wrench is the wrench that will pierce the earth!"
Another crystal shattered.
The Titan's health dropped again.
The entire raid force erupted into cheers.
Because somehow—
Somehow—
The smallest members of the expedition had just knocked down a giant raid boss.
The Ultracite Titan struggled to stand.
Its balance compromised.
Its weak points exposed.
Its health dropping rapidly.
And Yorktown immediately recognized the opportunity.
"NOW!"
The carrier pointed toward the fallen monster.
"FULL ASSAULT!"
Every weapon on the battlefield locked onto the Titan.
The boss had fallen.
And everyone intended to make sure it regretted getting back up.
The assault continued.
Missiles.
Shells.
Bombs.
Magic.
Aircraft.
The Ultracite Titan became the target of every weapon the raid force possessed.
The giant monster tried to stand.
The raid force refused to allow it.
Every exposed crystal shattered.
Every weak point exploded.
Every opening was exploited.
Its health bar continued falling.
HP: 310,000 / 500,000
Then—
HP: 275,000 / 500,000
Then—
HP: 251,423 / 500,000
The entire battlefield suddenly shook.
The Titan roared.
Not in pain.
Not in anger.
Something else.
The ultracite crystals covering its body illuminated.
Brighter.
Brighter.
And brighter still.
Every interface flashed red.
WARNING
BOSS PHASE CHANGE DETECTED
PHASE THREE INITIATED
The raid force immediately understood.
This was bad.
Very bad.
Crystal formations erupted across the valley.
The Titan's wounds began regenerating.
Energy surged around its body.
The boss was trying to recover.
Yorktown immediately reacted.
"Everyone!"
The carrier pointed toward the battlefield.
"Keep it on the ground!"
Every cruiser increased bombardment.
Every destroyer accelerated.
Every Nikke pushed forward.
The Titan struggled to rise.
The raid force struggled to stop it.
Then Yorktown remembered something.
Five somethings.
Specifically.
Nuclear Strike Beacons.
The carrier turned.
"Anis!"
The Nikke looked up immediately.
"Yes, Mom?"
Several girls still found that nickname amusing.
Now was not the time.
Yorktown reached into her inventory.
A metallic beacon appeared.
The carrier tossed it.
Anis caught it cleanly.
"Remember the activation code?"
The Nikke grinned.
"Yes, Mom!"
Then she immediately activated her Echo Suit.
Speed boosters ignited.
"Everyone!"
Anis shouted.
"Give me cover!"
The battlefield reacted instantly.
Explosions intensified.
Aircraft descended.
Magic circles expanded.
The Titan focused entirely on the raid force.
Which was exactly what they wanted.
Anis vanished.
A blur of gold and steel.
The Nikke sprinted across the battlefield.
Through debris.
Past shattered crystals.
Beneath artillery fire.
The Titan never noticed her.
Its attention remained on the much louder threats.
Namely Akagi.
And Neon.
Who were competing for the title of loudest combatant.
Anis reached the monster's blind side.
The beacon activated.
A keypad emerged.
Her fingers flew across the interface.
Confirmed.
The device hummed.
Armed.
Ready.
Anis didn't hesitate.
She hurled the beacon directly toward the Titan's waist.
The metallic cylinder attached itself immediately.
Magnetic locks engaged.
A deep mechanical voice echoed throughout the valley.
"NUCLEAR STRIKE BEACON DEPLOYED."
The battlefield froze.
Even the Titan seemed confused.
Then—
"WARNING. NUCLEAR STRIKE APPROACHING. PLEASE EVACUATE TARGET AREA."
A timer appeared.
Bright.
Red.
Impossible to miss.
The beeping started immediately.
Anis was already running.
Very quickly.
The Nikke activated every speed enhancement available.
She practically flew across the battlefield.
"Sixty seconds!"
The countdown began.
Yorktown immediately pointed.
"Hold it down!"
The Titan roared.
It finally realized something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The monster attempted to stand.
Attempted to flee.
Attempted to do anything.
The raid force disagreed.
"KEEP FIRING!"
Every weapon resumed.
The countdown continued.
"COUNTDOWN INITIATED, YOU HAVE THIRTY SECONDS."
The mechanical voice echoed again.
The battlefield became frantic.
Destroyers rammed into the Titan.
Cruisers unloaded everything.
Aircraft dove repeatedly.
Kaguya dropped magical bombardments.
Wales fired shell after shell.
The giant monster struggled.
The raid force struggled harder.
"This thing is hard to hold!"
Javelin shouted.
"TWENTY-FIVE."
The Titan nearly stood.
Then Kurin hit it again.
Nobody questioned how.
The giant monster collapsed once more.
The countdown continued.
"TWENTY."
"FIFTEEN."
The sirens began.
Air raid alarms echoed across the valley.
Everyone looked up.
Then immediately wished they hadn't.
Because something was falling.
A streak of fire.
A burning spear descending from the heavens.
The nuclear missile.
Several girls swallowed.
The thing looked much larger than expected.
Much.
Much larger.
"NUCLEAR STRIKE IMMINENT."
The battlefield exploded into movement.
"Everyone!"
Yorktown shouted.
"Evacuate target area!"
The Nikkes activated burst acceleration.
Echo Suits flared.
Speed indicators skyrocketed.
Shipgirls immediately followed.
The interface highlighted the blast radius.
A massive red circle.
Nobody wanted to be inside it.
Nobody.
The countdown accelerated.
"TEN."
"GO!"
"Nine."
"Eight."
The entire raid force sprinted.
Destroyers carried slower allies.
Cruisers deployed shields.
Carriers recalled aircraft.
Everyone moved.
Fast.
Very fast.
"SEVEN."
"Six."
"Everyone is outside the blast zone!"
Yorktown checked the tactical display.
Confirmed.
Confirmed.
Confirmed.
All friendlies clear.
The carrier exhaled.
"FIVE."
"FOUR."
The missile descended.
The sky burned.
The valley trembled.
"THREE."
"TWO."
"ONE."
"Cover!"
Immediately everyone dove behind whatever protection they could find.
Yorktown activated a crystal barrier grenade.
A massive dome expanded around the group.
Eugen deployed her energy shield.
Hipper reinforced it.
The Nikkes crouched behind them.
Smaller shipgirls followed.
The valley became silent.
For one brief moment.
Then—
"ZERO."
The world disappeared.
A white flash consumed everything.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!
The nuclear strike arrived.
A one-mile radius of destruction erupted outward.
The valley vanished beneath incandescent fire.
The shockwave slammed across the landscape.
Mountains shattered.
Crystal formations exploded.
The mushroom cloud rose toward the sky.
Visible from every corner of the training dimension.
Even back at the Command Post.
Yuuki stared at the display.
The entire screen had become white.
The commander slowly lowered his coffee.
Then looked toward Yuu.
Then toward Nayuta.
Then toward Arisa.
Nobody said anything.
Because honestly—
There wasn't much to say.
The Titan had just experienced a very educational moment.
The blinding light faded.
The mushroom cloud continued rising into the sky.
Shockwaves rolled across the valley.
Ultracite formations shattered.
Entire sections of mountainside had simply ceased to exist.
The battlefield remained silent.
For a moment.
Then—
A roar echoed through the smoke.
"ROOOOAAAARRR!!!"
The Ultracite Titan still stood.
Barely.
The raid force stared.
The boss was covered in burns.
Entire sections of crystal armor had been blasted away.
One arm hung uselessly at its side.
Massive wounds covered its body.
The creature staggered.
Tried to take another step.
Then another.
Its health bar flickered.
HP: 18,972 / 500,000
The entire raid force blinked.
Then Neon pointed.
"IT'S STILL ALIVE?!"
The Titan attempted another roar.
Instead it coughed.
Then collapsed.
The gigantic body crashed into the valley floor.
The impact sent dust everywhere.
The health bar vanished.
BOSS DEFEATED
ULTRACITE TITAN ELIMINATED
The battlefield exploded into cheers.
System notifications immediately flooded every interface.
LEVEL UP!
LEVEL UP!
Experience points surged across the entire raid force.
The reward was enormous.
Everyone watched their levels climb.
LEVEL 10 → LEVEL 12
The shipgirls and Nikkes won.
Cheers erupted across the battlefield.
"WE DID IT!" Javelin shouted as she jumped into the air.
"Laffey wants a nap..." Laffey mumbled, though she looked pleased with herself.
"A glorious victory!" Z23 declared.
"Ara ara, that was exciting." Atago smiled.
Takao nodded in satisfaction. "The operation was successful."
Enterprise lowered her bow and exhaled. "Target eliminated."
Yorktown smiled proudly at everyone. "Excellent work, everyone."
Prince of Wales crossed her arms. "That Titan was tougher than expected."
Eugen laughed. "A nuclear strike. How wonderfully excessive."
Hipper immediately pointed at her. "Don't sound so happy about it!"
Akagi giggled. "Fufu~ Commander will surely praise us."
Kaga simply nodded. "Mission accomplished."
Akashi's eyes sparkled. "Nyaa! So many crystals!"
The Bulins celebrated by running circles around the Titan's corpse.
"We won, buli!"
"Victory, buli!"
"Boss defeated, buli!"
"Yes, it was quite hard," Wales said.
Avrora nodded. "Da... it was hard."
Soda immediately hurried over and sat beside her. Without thinking much about it, she gently leaned against Avrora's shoulder for support, clearly exhausted from the battle. Her head rested comfortably against the cruiser girl's side as she let out a relieved sigh.
"That was really scary..." Soda admitted softly.
"Da," Avrora replied quietly. "But we won."
Soda nodded and remained leaning against her. Avrora found herself enjoying the moment more than she expected. It felt nice having a friend to seek comfort like this.
Kaguya raised her hand. "For my husband!"
"Not yet!" the other girls shouted in unison.
On the Nikke side, Anis threw both hands into the air.
"FINALLY! That thing just wouldn't die!"
Neon pumped her fist. "Did you see that explosion?! That was awesome!"
Rapi let out a relieved sigh. "The operation is complete."
"...Big explosion," Eldridge said as she latched onto Ade.
Everyone agreed with that assessment.
The entire raid force celebrated together as experience notifications appeared across their interfaces, confirming that every participant had gained two levels from defeating the Ultracite Titan.
The boss experience had been distributed equally.
The entire raid force gained two levels.
Anis immediately threw both hands into the air.
"FINALLY!"
The Nikke flopped backward onto a rock.
"That thing was hard!"
Nobody disagreed.
Not a single person.
The Ultracite Titan had earned every bit of its reputation.
Nearby, Kurin proudly stood atop the defeated monster.
Hammer raised.
Victorious.
Purin climbed onto the corpse shortly after.
The youngest Bulin joined them.
The three immediately claimed credit.
Nobody bothered arguing.
At this point they had earned it.
Back at the Command Post.
Yuuki looked over the combat logs.
Then nodded.
"Good."
Yuu glanced at him.
"Good?"
"The Titan died."
"After a nuclear strike."
"It still died."
Yuu rolled her eyes.
Nayuta laughed.
Arisa remained perfectly expressionless.
Though even she seemed mildly impressed.
Soon afterward—
The battlefield transformed.
Not into a combat zone.
Into a mining operation.
The moment the Titan died, ultracite crystal deposits became visible everywhere.
Massive clusters.
Small clusters.
Pure crystal formations.
Crystal shards.
The entire valley glittered.
Akashi's eyes immediately transformed into credit symbols again.
"NYAAA!"
The repair ship practically launched herself at the nearest crystal formation.
Several others followed.
Then Yuuki's voice sounded through the communication network.
"One thing."
Everyone stopped.
The commander enlarged a crystal diagram.
"Only one Pure Ultracite Crystal per person is needed."
The room blinked.
Another diagram appeared.
"Additional crystals won't increase individual rewards."
Several girls immediately froze.
The mining frenzy slowed.
Yuuki continued.
"Everyone gets paid equally."
That got everyone's attention.
The commander smiled.
"Find one pure crystal."
Another point.
"After that, help everyone else."
The raid force immediately relaxed.
No competition.
No fighting.
No racing.
Just teamwork.
Exactly how the system was intended.
Yorktown nodded.
"Spread out."
The carrier immediately began organizing search groups.
Enterprise moved west.
Takao and Atago headed toward the shattered crystal fields.
The destroyers searched among the rubble.
The Nikkes checked crater sites.
Even the Bulins participated.
Though mostly by hitting crystal formations with oversized tools.
Somehow it worked.
Eventually—
One after another—
Pure Ultracite Crystals were found.
Each one glowing with a beautiful blue-white light.
Each one worth one thousand credits.
Each one another contribution toward the GDI's future infrastructure.
The girls carefully stored them inside their inventory spaces.
The commander watched from afar.
Satisfied.
One boss down.
Four remaining.
And judging by everyone's excitement—
The Behemoth was about to have a very unfortunate afternoon.
The mining operation continued for several more minutes.
One Pure Ultracite Crystal per person.
No arguments.
No competition.
No hoarding.
Well—
Except Akashi repeatedly trying to verify whether "one crystal" actually meant one crystal.
Yuuki had to explain it three times.
The answer remained no.
Eventually, everyone regrouped near the remains of the Ultracite Titan.
The giant corpse still smoked from the nuclear strike.
The crater around it had become a landmark.
A very expensive landmark.
Filled with ultracite.
Filled with credits.
Filled with memories.
And apparently filled with Neon.
Because she was still talking about the explosion.
"I still think I should plant the next beacon."
The Nikke crossed her arms.
Determined.
Very determined.
Yorktown sighed.
The carrier had heard this approximately fifteen times already.
"Mom!"
The title came again.
"Please let me plant the next beacon!"
The carrier pinched the bridge of her nose.
Several nearby shipgirls immediately laughed.
"I'll consider it."
Neon immediately celebrated as if permission had already been granted.
"YES!"
Yorktown regretted everything.
Nearby, Rapi sighed.
The commander-type Nikke looked as though she had accepted her fate.
Yorktown smiled softly.
Then reached over and patted her head.
"Good job."
Rapi blinked.
Then relaxed slightly.
"Thanks, Mom."
Several nearby girls immediately burst into laughter.
Yorktown froze.
Realizing her mistake.
Ade pointed immediately.
"Looks like you're really becoming their mom."
The carrier groaned.
"Don't encourage them, Ade."
Too late.
The damage was done.
Cocoa and Pepper exchanged grins.
Dangerous grins.
The kind that suggested future teasing.
Mary giggled.
A hand covering her mouth.
"Indeed."
Yorktown immediately looked away.
Her ears felt warm.
Very warm.
Nearby, Soda was still sitting beside Avrora.
The two quietly enjoying the break after the battle.
Then another voice joined the conversation.
"Looks like you're really something else, sis."
Enterprise stepped forward.
The grey ghost carried her usual calm expression.
Though her eyes held amusement.
Yorktown looked toward her sister.
"You too?"
Enterprise paused.
Then smiled.
A genuine smile.
Rare.
Small.
But genuine.
The carrier glanced toward the battlefield.
Toward the crater.
Toward the assembled fleet.
Toward the girls Yorktown had guided through the fight.
The sisters understood each other without needing many words.
Enterprise had watched.
Watched Yorktown take command.
Watched her organize the raid.
Watched her coordinate dozens of people simultaneously.
Watched her keep everyone alive.
And watched her become someone others naturally followed.
The carrier nodded slightly.
"You did well."
Yorktown looked away immediately.
Because compliments from Enterprise somehow felt more embarrassing than everyone calling her Mom.
Then Enterprise folded her arms.
The tactical map expanded.
Four boss markers remained.
Behemoth.
EN06 Guardian.
Mirelurk Queen.
Liberty Prime.
The grey ghost pointed toward the next objective.
The giant mutant marker pulsed.
"Enty."
Yorktown smiled.
"It's your turn."
Enterprise raised an eyebrow.
The carrier already suspected where this was going.
Yorktown pointed directly at the Behemoth marker.
"You're the flagship against Behemoth."
The surrounding girls immediately nodded.
The choice was obvious.
A giant monster that threw boulders.
Required overwhelming firepower.
Required discipline.
Required precision.
Required Enterprise.
The carrier looked around.
At the shipgirls.
The Nikkes.
The destroyers.
The cruisers.
The Bulins.
Everyone waiting.
Everyone ready.
Everyone stronger than they had been two hours ago.
Then Enterprise looked toward the distant horizon where the Behemoth waited.
The carrier smiled.
A calm smile.
A confident smile.
The smile of the Eagle Union's strongest warrior.
"Very well."
Her aircraft began materializing.
The wind shifted.
The raid force immediately recognized the atmosphere.
Enterprise was serious now.
Very serious.
"Let's hunt a Behemoth."
The entire raid force erupted into cheers.
Somewhere in the distance—
A giant mutant unknowingly became the next victim.