The first Nikke to awaken was Velvet.
She slowly blinked at the bright laboratory lights.
"...What in the..."
Her eyes wandered around the room before stopping on a familiar face.
"...Cocoa?"
Cocoa immediately rushed over.
"Velvet!"
Velvet's eyes widened.
"You're here..."
She quickly looked around again.
"...Ade?"
"...Soda?"
The other two maids in the Echo Suits hurried over.
"We're here!" Soda smiled brightly.
"We're all here." Ade gently held Velvet's hand.
Velvet stared at the three of them for several seconds before tears welled in her eyes.
"...You're all really here..."
She looked down at herself.
"...I'm..."
"...not dead?"
Cocoa shook her head with a warm smile.
"No."
"Everyone is here."
"We came to bring you home."
Velvet quietly laughed in relief.
"...I thought..."
"...I'd never see you girls again."
Then she looked toward Yuuki.
"...You're the Commander who saved us?"
Yuuki nodded.
"I merely led the rescue."
"The girls fought their way here."
Velvet immediately bowed despite still sitting on the medical bed.
"Thank you."
"My name is Velvet."
"I was the last member assigned to Maid For You."
"I worked alongside Cocoa, Ade, and Soda back in the Ark."
She smiled warmly at the three maids.
"It feels good..."
"...to be reunited."
Before anyone could answer—
Privaty slowly opened her eyes.
"...Mmm..."
She looked around groggily.
"...Ade?"
"...Soda?"
"...Cocoa?"
The three immediately surrounded her.
"Privaty!"
Ade hugged her tightly.
"Everyone's here."
Soda happily nodded.
"We finally found you!"
Privaty smiled with visible relief.
"I was beginning to think..."
"...I'd never see everyone again."
Cocoa gently pointed toward Yuuki.
"That's our Commander."
"He led the operation that rescued all of us."
Privaty carefully sat upright before giving Yuuki a respectful bow.
"...Commander."
"My name is Privaty."
"I served in Triangle."
"Alongside Perilous Siege, we operated as one of the Central Government's primary law enforcement and counterterrorism units."
Her expression dimmed slightly.
"...Then the government abandoned us on the surface."
Silence briefly settled across the laboratory.
Privaty took a slow breath before continuing.
"If..."
"...it's possible..."
She looked directly at Yuuki.
"...I'd like to work for you instead."
She smiled toward the three maids.
"...Besides..."
"I was part of Maid For You for a while."
"I've grown rather attached."
Yuuki smiled.
"Did you enjoy working with them?"
Privaty answered without hesitation.
"...Very much."
She turned toward the three maids.
"You four..."
"...wouldn't mind if I officially joined your squad?"
Soda looked genuinely shocked.
"Mind?"
She immediately hugged Privaty again.
"Of course not!"
"We'd love that!"
Cocoa nodded enthusiastically.
"You've always been one of us."
Ade smiled warmly.
"You never stopped being family."
Belfast gracefully stepped forward.
"As Head Maid..."
"...I have no objections."
She gave Privaty a welcoming smile.
"From this day onward..."
"You are welcome among the Royal Maids."
Privaty blinked.
"...Royal Maids?"
Cocoa nodded proudly.
"That's right!"
She gestured toward Belfast.
"This is Head Maid Belfast."
"Our leader."
"We all serve under her now."
Belfast inclined her head with quiet dignity.
"Welcome home, Miss Privaty."
Privaty looked around at the smiling faces surrounding her.
Former comrades.
New companions.
A family she never expected to find again.
She lowered her head gratefully.
"...Thank you."
"...I look forward to serving alongside everyone."
Yuuki looked around at the newly awakened Nikkes before speaking.
"We can get reacquainted later."
"Right now..."
"I need to learn more about the Ark."
His gaze settled on Privaty.
"You mentioned you served the Central Government."
"You, Emma, Eunhwa, Vesti, and the others know the Ark far better than we do."
"I'd like you to tell us everything you can."
Privaty became thoughtful.
"...Commander."
"Are you planning to attack the Ark?"
The laboratory became quiet.
Everyone waited for Yuuki's answer.
He shook his head.
"No."
"I'm not interested in conquering the Ark."
"My concern is much simpler."
"I want to know if there are more Nikkes who need our help."
He looked around at the rescued Nikkes.
"I'm recruiting Nikkes to become the backbone of our ground forces."
Then toward the Shipgirls.
"And Shipgirls to command the seas."
Privaty slowly nodded.
"...Then..."
"...are you trying to liberate the surface from the Raptures?"
"...And the oceans from the Sirens?"
Several of the newly awakened Shipgirls looked toward him as well.
Yuuki was quiet for a moment.
Then answered honestly.
"No."
A few blinked in surprise.
"My priority isn't territory."
"It's people."
"If a Nikke is abandoned..."
"We rescue her."
"If a Shipgirl is imprisoned..."
"We rescue her."
"If they choose to join us afterward..."
"We welcome them."
His voice remained calm.
"As for the Raptures..."
"If they stand between us and someone we're rescuing..."
"We'll destroy them."
"The same goes for the Sirens."
He folded his arms.
"And if any human faction deliberately tries to stop us from rescuing people..."
"...then we'll deal with them too."
Privaty's expression became more serious.
"...You're willing to fight humans?"
Yuuki met her eyes.
"If someone treats Nikkes or Shipgirls as disposable equipment..."
"If they knowingly abuse, exploit, or sacrifice them..."
"...then I won't simply stand by."
He paused.
"But innocent people?"
He shook his head.
"They're not our enemies."
"If civilians need help..."
"We help them."
"Always."
His tone hardened slightly.
"But if someone chooses to attack us..."
"Or tries to stop us from saving lives..."
"...we're not going to stand there and take it."
The rescued Nikkes listened silently.
Yuuki continued.
"The GDI isn't anyone's pet."
"We don't exist to obey governments without question anymore."
"We cooperate with people who genuinely want to protect others."
"We'll answer calls for help."
"But we'll do it on our own terms."
He looked around at everyone gathered.
"We don't start fights."
"But..."
A faint smile appeared.
"If someone insists on throwing the first punch..."
"...we'll make sure we're the ones still standing when it's over."
Silence lingered throughout the laboratory.
Velvet smiled softly.
"...That sounds..."
"...surprisingly fair."
Privaty nodded.
"You don't hate humanity."
Yuuki answered immediately.
"No."
"I hate people who throw away others."
Rapi quietly folded her arms.
"...That sounds like the Commander I know."
Privaty lowered her head in thought.
After several seconds...
She smiled.
"I understand."
"If that's your goal..."
"...then I'd like to help."
"I know the Ark."
"I know its military."
"And..."
She looked toward the other rescued Nikkes.
"I know there are still many who need someone to come for them."
Yuuki returned the smile.
"Then once everyone's recovered..."
"...we'll start planning the next rescue."
Emma slowly opened her eyes first.
"...Mmm..."
She blinked several times before smiling weakly.
"So..."
"We actually made it."
Beside her, Vesti stirred.
"...Emma?"
"I'm here."
Emma immediately reached over and squeezed her hand.
"We're safe."
Moments later...
Eunhwa's eyes slowly opened.
Unlike the others...
She did not look around the room.
Her gaze immediately settled upon one familiar figure standing nearby.
"...Rapi."
Rapi quietly stepped forward.
"...Hey."
"It's been years."
For several long seconds...
Neither of them moved.
There were countless words left unsaid.
Regret.
Misunderstanding.
Bitterness.
Pain.
Eunhwa had replayed those memories countless times during her imprisonment.
The anger she had carried toward Rapi.
The resentment.
Believing Rapi had abandoned Absolute.
Believing she simply walked away.
Only after months...
Then years...
Alone with nothing but her own thoughts...
Did she begin questioning herself.
She had never asked why.
Never listened.
Never tried to understand what Rapi had endured.
Then...
During the journey here...
Hindenburg's fist had struck her.
Sometimes...
People suffer silently.
Not because they distrust their friends...
But because they refuse to burden them.
That realization had haunted Eunhwa ever since.
She had imagined this reunion countless times.
Apologies.
Arguments.
Anger.
Excuses.
Yet...
The moment she saw Rapi...
Every prepared sentence disappeared.
Rapi quietly stepped forward.
Then...
Without saying another word...
She embraced her former squadmate.
Eunhwa froze.
The walls she had built over years quietly crumbled.
Tears began falling before she even realized it.
"...I..."
Her voice trembled.
"...I'm sorry..."
"...I'm really..."
"...sorry..."
Rapi gently held her closer.
"Shh..."
"It's alright."
Eunhwa shook her head.
"No..."
"It isn't."
"I hated you..."
"For years."
"I convinced myself..."
"...that everything was your fault."
She clenched Rapi's uniform.
"I never asked..."
"...what you were going through."
"I dismissed your pain."
"I dismissed..."
"...you."
More tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I was so angry..."
"...that I never stopped to listen."
Rapi quietly closed her eyes.
"...I'm sorry too."
Eunhwa looked up.
Rapi smiled sadly.
"I should have trusted all of you."
"I kept everything to myself."
"I didn't want Absolute carrying my burdens."
"I didn't want you..."
"Emma..."
"...or Vesti..."
"...to suffer because of me."
Emma, who had only just finished sitting up, quietly wiped her own eyes.
"...You idiot..."
Vesti sniffled beside her.
"We're a squad..."
"...remember?"
Emma laughed weakly through her tears.
"Since when..."
"...do teammates carry everything alone?"
Rapi lowered her head.
"...I know."
"...I know that now."
Eunhwa let out a shaky laugh.
"...Looks like..."
"...we were both idiots."
Rapi couldn't help smiling.
"...Yeah."
"I guess we were."
Without another word...
The two former comrades embraced each other once more.
This time...
Not as people separated by resentment.
But as sisters who had finally found their way back to one another.
Around them...
The laboratory remained respectfully quiet.
Some reunions...
Needed no audience.
Only time.
Eunhwa buried her face against Rapi's shoulder.
"...You don't know..."
"...how much this means to me."
Rapi smiled gently.
"I know."
"...That's why I'm sorry."
She loosened the embrace just enough to look Eunhwa in the eyes.
"In this faction..."
"There isn't an Absolute Squad."
"There isn't Counters."
"There isn't Triangle."
"There isn't Maid For You."
She glanced around the laboratory.
"All Nikkes..."
"...are one squad."
"We train together."
"We fight together."
"We protect each other."
"And..."
She smiled.
"This time..."
"...I'm staying."
Eunhwa's eyes became wet again.
"...Rapi..."
Rapi hugged her once more.
"Welcome back..."
"...old friend."
Emma could no longer hold herself back.
She stepped forward and wrapped both of them in a hug.
Vesti immediately joined from the other side.
The four members of Absolute stood together once again.
Emma laughed quietly through her tears.
"...To think..."
"...we're back together again."
Vesti smiled brightly.
"...So..."
"...no more Absolute Squad?"
Rapi shook her head.
"No."
"We're the GDI Nikke Squad now."
Eunhwa blinked.
"...GDI?"
Rapi nodded toward Yuuki, who had respectfully stayed several steps away to give them privacy.
"That's our Commander."
"Yuuki."
"High Commander of the Global Defense Initiative."
Eunhwa slowly looked toward him.
He wasn't saying anything.
He simply allowed old friends to reunite.
She remembered what she had heard earlier.
The rescue.
The Shipgirls.
The Nikkes who willingly followed him.
The people who smiled whenever they spoke his name.
The old Eunhwa would probably have questioned his authority.
Mocked his decisions.
Demanded proof.
Now...
She quietly observed the room instead.
Two dark, imposing META Shipgirls stood silently near the entrance.
Ash.
Ember.
Neither looked like people to be taken lightly.
Not far away...
Kaguya stood beside Yuuki.
The elegant ten-tailed fox radiated overwhelming magical power despite doing absolutely nothing.
Even the fairies perched nearby treated her with unmistakable respect.
Eunhwa silently remembered Hindenburg's punch.
"...Perhaps..."
"...I should think before speaking this time."
Emma quietly leaned toward her with a teasing smile.
"That's probably for the best."
Eunhwa sighed.
"...I heard that."
Emma laughed.
"I know."
Yuuki finally walked over.
He stopped a respectful distance away.
"Welcome to the GDI."
"No ranks to fight over."
"No politics."
"No faction rivalry."
"Just one rule."
He smiled.
"We don't leave our people behind."
The four former members of Absolute looked at one another.
Then...
Almost simultaneously...
They nodded.
After the reunion settled, Emma gave a respectful bow from her seated position.
She gave Yuuki a respectful bow.
"I am Emma."
"Former member of Absolute Squad."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Commander."
Yuuki returned the bow with a smile.
"The pleasure is mine, Emma."
Beside her, Vesti nervously raised a hand.
"...Vesti."
"Former Absolute Squad as well."
Yuuki nodded warmly.
"Welcome aboard, Vesti."
Finally...
Eunhwa stepped forward.
Her posture remained disciplined, but the sharp hostility she once carried had disappeared.
"I am Eunhwa."
"Former leader of Absolute."
She met Yuuki's gaze directly.
"If we can still be of use..."
"...please allow us to serve under you."
Yuuki studied the three of them for a moment.
Then nodded.
"You will."
"But strength alone isn't enough."
He looked at Eunhwa.
"Earn the trust of everyone here."
"Grow stronger."
"Then..."
A small smile appeared.
"...show me what the former Absolute Squad can accomplish under the banner of the GDI."
Eunhwa weakly saluted.
"It will be done."
Emma smiled.
"As long as we can fight together again..."
"And continue becoming stronger..."
"...that's all we ask."
Vesti nodded enthusiastically.
"Vesti too."
"Please make good use of me."
Yuuki chuckled.
"Oh, I already have someone in mind."
Vesti blinked.
"...Really?"
"I think you'll fit in nicely with a certain group."
He pointed toward several familiar faces.
"Neon."
"Laffey."
"Nimi."
"Javelin."
Vesti tilted her head.
"...Nimi?"
"...Laffey?"
"...Javelin?"
Before Yuuki could answer—
A cheerful voice rang out.
"Yoho!"
Javelin waved energetically.
"I'm Javelin!"
Beside her, Z23 adjusted her glasses.
"Z23."
"...Though everyone here calls me Nimi."
Laffey lazily lifted one hand.
"...Laffey..."
"...likes naps."
Neon immediately puffed out her chest proudly.
"And I'm Neon!"
"The future queen of overwhelming firepower!"
Yuuki folded his arms.
"I assumed you already knew her...Who's also usually getting karate-chopped on the head by Nimi."
Nimi sighed.
"...Because she keeps acting like a dunce."
"I do not!"
Neon protested immediately.
"I simply possess an advanced appreciation for excessive firepower!"
Bonk.
Nimi lightly chopped Neon's head.
"There."
"Case proven."
"Oww!"
Neon rubbed her head dramatically.
"Commander!"
"See how she bullies me!"
Yuuki simply shrugged.
"You'll fit right in, Vesti."
"If Neon survived joining that group..."
"...I'm sure you'll do just fine."
Vesti giggled for the first time since waking up.
"...They seem..."
"...really fun."
Emma smiled warmly.
"I think you'll enjoy it here."
Even Eunhwa couldn't suppress the faintest smile as she watched Nimi scold Neon while Javelin laughed and Laffey looked ready to fall asleep standing up.
"...Perhaps..."
"...this really is a different kind of squad."
================
Nearby...
Yuu let out a quiet sigh.
"...Focus."
Although everyone was celebrating...
Her attention had already drifted back toward Centaur and Albion.
The two elf sisters immediately noticed.
Centaur instinctively straightened.
"...D-Doctor Yuu?"
Yuu slowly approached while adjusting her scanner.
"I still haven't finished examining your magical physiology."
Albion instinctively hid one ear behind her silver hair.
"...Sister..."
"...She's looking at us again."
Centaur smiled awkwardly.
"I believe..."
"...we've become Doctor Yuu's newest research subjects."
Yuu nodded without the slightest embarrassment.
"Correct."
"I've never had living elves to study before."
She activated another holographic scanner.
"I promise not to be rough."
"...Probably."
The two sisters visibly shivered.
"O-Only 'probably'?"
Neon laughed.
"I've seen that look before."
"Commander."
"They're doomed."
Yuuki simply smiled.
"Good luck."
Centaur sighed in resignation.
"...As long as it advances magical research."
Albion quietly nodded.
"...We shall endure."
Suddenly—
Every holographic display inside the laboratory flickered.
Static spread across the room.
Even Jarvis' interface distorted.
"..Sir..."
Jarvis' voice briefly crackled.
"Unknown signal..."
"It bypassed me through a hidden network."
A familiar hologram slowly materialized.
Behemoth.
She smirked as she looked around the laboratory.
"So..."
"You actually managed to rescue them."
Her gaze swept across the newly awakened Shipgirls and Nikkes.
"And..."
"You stole Leviathan."
"...And Anachiro."
She clicked her tongue.
"What a troublesome Commander."
Yuuki folded his arms.
"You lost, Behemoth."
"Give it a rest."
"You Raptures managed to piss us off."
Behemoth laughed.
"Oh?"
"So if we hadn't..."
"...you would've left us alone?"
Yuuki shrugged.
"It's a little late for that."
"You kidnapped my Shipgirls."
"You captured my Nikkes."
"You experimented on them."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"You already threw the first punch."
A cold smile appeared.
"So now..."
"...I'm coming after you."
"...And eventually your Queen."
Behemoth simply grinned wider.
"If you live long enough to reach her."
She tilted her head.
"...You know..."
"I kind of like you, Commander."
"I can't wait..."
"...to corrupt you."
Before Yuuki could answer—
Kaguya gracefully stepped forward.
Her ten tails slowly swayed behind her.
She smiled sweetly.
"...Thou forgettest something."
Behemoth raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"My dearest husband..."
Kaguya gently wrapped one arm around Yuuki's.
"...already possesses an entire fleet."
She smiled just a little wider.
"And besides..."
"...confessing thy interest to another wife's husband?"
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"Thou hast remarkable nerve."
Several girls behind her nodded immediately.
"Exactly!"
Akagi folded her arms.
"Shikikan-sama is already taken."
Even Eugen smirked.
"You'll have to stand in a very long line."
Behemoth rolled her eyes.
"...Tch."
"If you all live long enough."
The hologram suddenly distorted violently.
A piercing alarm echoed throughout the Mother Whale.
WARNING
WARNING
GENERAL ABORT DIRECTIVE 3-A ACTIVATED
A mechanical voice reverberated through every corridor.
Warning.
General Abort Directive 3-A.
Mother Whale self-destruct sequence initiated.
Estimated detonation in two minutes.
The laboratory instantly fell silent.
Jarvis immediately responded.
"Commander."
"The countdown is genuine."
"The Mother Whale has entered terminal self-destruction."
"Recommend immediate evacuation."
Yuuki's expression became serious.
"...Everyone."
He looked across the entire rescue team.
"Jarvis!"
Yuuki immediately looked toward the nearest terminal.
"Can you stop it?"
Jarvis answered without hesitation.
"...Negative, sir."
"I currently control approximately ninety-five percent of the Mother Whale."
"The self-destruct sequence originates from an isolated failsafe core."
"It remains outside my control."
"There is insufficient time to override it."
Yuuki clicked his tongue.
"...Damn."
He immediately turned toward everyone.
"Everyone!"
"Fall back to the Steel Fortresses!"
The laboratory instantly erupted into organized movement.
No panic.
Only discipline.
Everyone already knew what to do.
Rapi immediately supported Eunhwa.
"I've got you."
Eunhwa nodded weakly.
"...Lead the way."
Anis crouched before Emma.
"Hop on."
Emma laughed softly.
"I've never been carried before."
"Get used to it."
Anis smiled.
"We're family now."
Neon proudly carried Vesti.
"I'll protect you!"
Vesti held onto her shoulders.
"...Thank you."
Nearby...
Ade carefully lifted Velvet.
Soda helped Privaty to her feet before supporting her toward the exit.
The Sakura Empire moved just as efficiently.
Takao gently carried Shoukaku.
"We're almost home."
Atago smiled warmly while carrying Zuikaku.
"I told you we'd come."
Maya supported Hiryuu.
"Still light as ever."
Hiryuu laughed weakly.
"Not much food in prison."
Choukai carefully carried Souryuu.
"Our bunny carrier deserves a proper rest."
Ash silently lifted Pennsylvania into her arms.
"We're moving."
Pennsylvania nodded.
"...Thank you."
Vestal carefully supported Arizona.
"Easy now."
"No rushing."
Yuu gently carried Centaur.
"...Try not to move too much."
Centaur smiled apologetically.
"I shall endeavor to remain a cooperative research subject."
Albion quietly smiled as Belfast helped her walk.
"One step at a time."
"As always."
Yuuki carefully lifted Friedrich.
The Iron Blood flagship looked almost embarrassed.
"...Child."
"This hardly seems appropriate."
Yuuki simply smiled.
"You spent years imprisoned."
"You've earned the right to let someone else carry the burden."
Friedrich quietly closed her eyes.
"...Very well."
"...Just this once."
Nearby...
Eugen supported Hindenburg.
"You can walk?"
"Barely."
"Good enough."
Hipper carefully helped Mecklenburg.
The excited elf still smiled despite everything.
"...Do the broomsticks come after this?"
Hipper sighed.
"...You're still thinking about broomsticks?"
"Absolutely."
Within moments...
Everyone reached the massive Steel Fortresses waiting outside.
The six-legged giants remained exactly where they had been left.
Their engines still idled.
The new shipgirls were visibly surprised at the sheer size of those weapons.
Defensive sensors continued scanning the surrounding corridors.
Yuuki immediately pointed upward.
"Toukuiis!"
The four towering mechanized samurai turned simultaneously.
"Hold onto the fortresses from above."
The drones answered at once.
"Roger!"
The Toukuiis leapt into the air.
Their massive hands gripped the armored hulls of the Steel Fortresses.
Magnetic anchors locked firmly into place.
Hydraulic clamps engaged.
The three Steel Fortresses now carried four guardian mechs atop their hulls.
Jarvis' voice echoed again.
"Warning."
"Ninety seconds until detonation."
Yuuki climbed onto the lead Steel Fortress and looked toward everyone.
"All rescued personnel accounted for?"
Yorktown answered immediately over the communications network.
"Confirmed."
"No one left behind."
Yuuki nodded once.
"Kaguya."
"Yuu."
Yuuki immediately began issuing orders.
"Help me carry everyone who can't move."
The two women nodded simultaneously.
"Understood."
"Yes, dearest."
"Nayuta."
The Original Pioneer Nikke looked up.
"Call back every clone."
Nayuta gave a crisp salute.
"Yes, Commander."
The twenty-eight clones immediately stopped fighting throughout the Mother Whale.
One after another...
They dissolved into particles of light before returning all of their accumulated experience to Nayuta.
Level 28
The experience notification briefly flashed before disappearing.
Nayuta smiled.
"All clones recovered."
"Good."
Emma's eyes widened. "Is that Nayuta of the Pioneer?!"
"He recruited her as well?" Eunhwa asked.
Yuuki pointed toward the Steel Fortresses.
"Everyone else!"
"Inside the fortresses!"
The evacuation accelerated.
Kaguya gently lifted two recovering Shipgirls with the aid of her tails before gracefully flying toward the lead Steel Fortress.
Yuu activated her flight system and carefully carried two recovering Nikkes toward the loading ramp.
Nayuta sprinted after them.
Within moments...
The last of the rescued personnel crossed the enormous loading doors.
The three Steel Fortresses sealed shut behind them.
Inside...
Everyone instinctively returned to their previous combat stations.
The rescued girls were carefully secured inside the medical compartments.
Neon immediately reclaimed the main cannon controls.
"Ready!"
Pepper returned to the missile systems.
"Missiles online!"
Belfast resumed the collider cannon station.
"Fire control prepared."
Rapi.
Nimi.
Hipper.
All returned to their respective pilot seats.
Everyone was already inside.
The four Takao sisters.
Ash.
Ember.
Yuu.
Nayuta.
Kaguya.
And Yuuki.
All secured within the lead Steel Fortress.
"Jarvis."
Yuuki looked upward.
"Open the main drop doors."
"Confirmed."
Deep mechanical vibrations echoed throughout the Mother Whale.
Massive armored blast doors slowly separated.
Sunlight flooded into the launch chamber.
The open ocean stretched thousands of meters below.
Behind them...
Explosions suddenly erupted.
The self-destruct sequence had begun.
Entire sections of the Mother Whale detonated one after another.
Columns of fire tore through internal corridors.
The entire superstructure shook violently.
Jarvis spoke calmly.
"Structural collapse accelerating."
"Estimated complete destruction..."
"...sixty seconds."
Yuuki immediately turned toward the pilots.
"Nimi."
"Rapi."
"Hipper."
The three answered together.
"Yes, Commander!"
"Store the main artillery."
Mechanical locks immediately secured the three massive 460 mm cannons inside armored housings.
"Main batteries secured."
"Activate submarine configuration."
Hydraulic systems roared.
Armor plates shifted.
Ballast systems armed.
Internal watertight bulkheads sealed.
The Steel Fortresses transformed into their amphibious configuration.
"Submersible mode ready."
Yuuki smiled.
"And finally..."
He pointed toward the endless ocean below.
"...activate jump function."
For the first time...
The three pilots hesitated.
"...Commander?"
Nimi blinked.
"You want us..."
"...to jump?"
Rapi looked over the edge.
"...Into the ocean?"
Even Hipper looked uncertain.
"...From this height?"
Yuuki grinned beneath his helmet.
"Trust me."
"...Do it."
The three pilots exchanged quick glances.
Then nodded.
"Jump systems..."
"...activated."
Hydraulic pistons compressed beneath the six colossal legs.
The Steel Fortresses crouched.
For one heartbeat...
Everything became still.
Then—
BOOM!
The first Steel Fortress launched itself from the collapsing Mother Whale.
The second followed.
Then the third.
Three gigantic six-legged fortresses dropped from the burning sky.
Above them...
The Toukuiis remained firmly attached to the armored hulls.
Ash, Ember, Yuu, Nayuta, Kaguya and Yuuki stood atop the lead Fortress as the burning Mother Whale exploded behind them.
The ocean rushed upward at terrifying speed.
Then—
CRAAASH!!
The first Steel Fortress slammed into the sea.
A mountain of water erupted skyward.
The second impacted moments later.
Then the third.
Their reinforced hulls disappeared beneath the waves as their ballast systems immediately compensated for the tremendous impact.
Inside every compartment...
The rescued Shipgirls and Nikkes held onto their seats as the gigantic amphibious fortresses completed the plunge beneath the ocean, escaping the inferno consuming the Mother Whale above.
The three Steel Fortresses continued sinking beneath the waves.
Ballast tanks rapidly adjusted.
Stabilizers activated.
The tremendous impact slowly dissipated as the colossal machines leveled themselves beneath the ocean's surface.
Inside...
Only the muffled groan of reinforced armor echoed around them.
Then—
The entire Mother Whale erupted.
From beneath the sea...
Everyone watched through the external cameras.
One section after another detonated.
Massive explosions raced from the tail toward the bow.
Entire armored plates were blasted into the sky.
Internal reactors burst apart.
Flames consumed the gigantic biomechanical fortress from within.
Yorktown's calm voice echoed through the fleet network.
"All vessels."
"Retreat completed."
"Maintain maximum distance."
The Daedalus Command Carrier had already pulled the fleet well beyond the blast radius.
Firehawks.
Orcas.
Harbingers.
Kodiaks.
Chronocopters.
Cryocopters.
Every aircraft had already returned after recovering the last captured Rapture samples.
Even the Iron Legions had boarded the carrier.
Every weapon system had been secured.
Every aircraft accounted for.
Yorktown watched the tactical display.
"Fleet status?"
Enterprise answered immediately.
"All ships clear."
Kaga nodded.
"Aircraft recovered."
Illustrious checked her interface.
"All support vehicles accounted for."
Vergil folded his arms.
"Strike Package Soviet successfully extracted."
Only silence remained across the command channel.
Everyone watched.
Waiting.
Then—
The Mother Whale's central reactor reached critical mass.
For a brief instant...
The enormous construct seemed to glow from within.
Then—
A blinding pillar of fire erupted into the heavens.
The explosion split the sea itself.
A massive shockwave rolled across the ocean.
Burning debris rained back into the water.
The gigantic Mother Whale...
The mobile prison that had held countless Shipgirls and Nikkes for years...
Broke apart.
Its armored shell fractured into hundreds of burning pieces.
The remains slowly crashed into the ocean.
One by one...
The fragments disappeared beneath the waves.
Nothing remained except drifting smoke.
Floating wreckage.
And an ocean slowly calming once more.
Silence filled every communication channel.
Finally...
Yorktown smiled softly.
"The Mother Whale..."
"...has been destroyed."
Several seconds later...
Powerful ballast pumps activated.
The three Steel Fortresses slowly rose from the depths.
Water cascaded from their hundred-layer titanium armor as the gigantic walkers breached the ocean surface.
BOOOOSH!
The first fortress emerged.
Then the second.
Finally the third.
The four Toukuiis still clung securely to the armored hulls, their magnetic locks never once releasing during the plunge.
Hydraulic clamps disengaged.
The giant mechanized samurai jumped lightly onto the ocean surface beside the fortresses.
One after another...
The massive hatches opened.
Fresh sea air rushed inside.
The rescued Shipgirls and Nikkes slowly stepped out onto the broad armored decks.
Many immediately turned toward the horizon.
Only smoke remained.
The Mother Whale...
Was gone.
Neon let out a long whistle.
"...Wow..."
"...That was one hell of an explosion."
Anis folded her arms.
"...But..."
"...it's finally over."
Pennsylvania quietly watched the burning wreckage sink beneath the waves.
"...No one else will be imprisoned inside that thing again."
Several of the rescued girls silently nodded.
Rapi walked toward Yuuki.
Her expression remained calm, though thoughtful.
"...Commander."
"The Raptures..."
"...will come after us now."
Yuuki looked toward the distant horizon.
"...Yeah."
"They will."
He smiled faintly.
"But I already told Behemoth."
"They threw the first punch."
"They took our Shipgirls."
"They took our Nikkes."
"They experimented on them."
"So..."
"...I'm not taking this lightly anymore."
He folded his arms.
"She mentioned meeting their Queen someday."
A determined smile crossed his face.
"...I'm looking forward to that meeting."
Kaguya smiled beside him.
"This wife pities the Queen already."
Suddenly...
A familiar notification appeared before every member connected to the Levelling System.
Mission Complete
Rescue Future GDI Members
Status: Complete
Reward: Granted
A second notification immediately followed.
Bonus Objective
Obtain Unlisted Members
Status: Complete
Bonus Reward Granted
Golden light immediately surrounded every member of the strike force.
Experience flooded through the entire network.
The rescued Shipgirls watched in astonishment.
One after another...
Their comrades' presences grew stronger.
System notifications rapidly appeared.
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
The light finally faded.
Strike Force
Current Level: 33
Recruit Rank: 4
Another notification appeared before Nayuta.
Nayuta
Level Up!
Current Level: 31
The newly rescued Shipgirls instinctively looked toward the veterans around them.
Shoukaku blinked.
"...Your auras..."
"...They're stronger."
Zuikaku nodded.
"I can actually feel the difference."
Friedrich slowly looked toward Eugen.
"...Remarkable."
"Their spiritual pressure has increased considerably."
Centaur quietly examined the others.
"The enhancement is immediate..."
"...and stable."
Ash and Ember exchanged silent glances.
Even after witnessing it earlier...
Watching dozens of people become noticeably stronger in mere seconds still felt unbelievable.
Mecklenburg smiled brightly.
"...So this..."
"...is the Levelling System."
Nayuta looked down at her own hands.
She slowly clenched her fist.
"...Level thirty-one..."
She smiled happily.
"I've become this strong..."
"...in less than an hour."
Yuu calmly observed everyone while already recording everyone's new readings.
"...Fascinating."
"The synchronization efficiency is improving with every Recruit Rank."
Yuuki looked over the gathered Shipgirls and Nikkes.
The rescued girls.
The veterans.
The META allies.
The fairies.
The Arcane Shipgirl.
Everyone who had survived the impossible mission.
He smiled quietly.
"...Welcome to the GDI."
"This..."
"...is only the beginning."
Yuuki looked over the enormous burning wreckage scattered across the ocean.
The enormous wreckage of the Mother Whale, alongside four destroyed battleships, still floated among the waves.
"...This is going to be a pain to clean up."
Ash stepped forward.
"Leave that to us."
Yuuki turned toward her.
"...How?"
Ash glanced at Ember before looking back toward the burning sea.
"The entire battlefield currently exists inside a Mirror Sea."
"When I disable it..."
"The constructed space will collapse."
Ember continued.
"Everything generated within the Mirror Sea."
"The battlefield."
"The wreckage."
"The debris."
"...will be erased alongside it."
She looked toward the burning remains of the Mother Whale.
"It should remove almost every trace of this battle."
Yuuki slowly nodded.
"...I see."
"That certainly makes things easier."
He smiled sincerely.
"Thank you..."
"...Enterprise."
He looked toward Ember.
"...Takao."
The two META Shipgirls exchanged a glance.
Ash gave a small nod.
"We've seen enough today."
She looked across the gathered fleet.
"Your forces are growing much faster than we anticipated."
"The rescued Shipgirls."
"The rescued Nikkes."
"The Levelling System."
"And now..."
"...the ability to cure corruption."
Ember quietly crossed her arms.
"It changes everything."
Ash continued.
"We'll begin moving our META allies toward you."
"We'll contact you before each transfer."
Yuuki nodded.
"I'll keep an open ear."
"Send me the rendezvous coordinates."
"I'll prepare the battlefield."
Ash tilted her head.
"...Battlefield?"
Yuuki smiled.
"If the Sirens are watching..."
"...they'll need to believe I destroyed the META."
"I'll stage the fight."
"They 'lose.'"
"The Sirens believe they're dead."
"Meanwhile..."
"...we quietly recruit them."
He looked directly at Ash.
"But make sure they understand the plan beforehand."
"I don't want anyone acting on instinct and ruining the performance."
Ash allowed herself the faintest smile.
"I'll brief every volunteer personally."
Ember nodded once.
"They'll know to play their parts."
Yuuki extended his hand.
"Then..."
"...we have an agreement."
Ash looked at his outstretched hand for a brief moment.
Then firmly shook it.
"We do."
============
Not long after...
One of the Orca EX transports descended beside the three Steel Fortresses.
Its rear ramp slowly lowered with a hiss of hydraulics.
Standing inside...
Were two familiar figures.
"Yorktown!"
"Enterprise!"
Pennsylvania's eyes immediately widened.
"...Yorktown?"
"...Enterprise?"
The two Eagle Union carriers hurried down the ramp.
Yorktown's composure vanished the moment she saw them.
"Sis Penn!"
"Ari!"
She threw her arms around Pennsylvania and Arizona without hesitation.
The two sisters embraced her just as tightly.
Yorktown laughed through tears.
"You really came back..."
"I thought..."
Pennsylvania smiled as she gently rubbed Yorktown's head.
"We promised we'd come home."
Arizona quietly joined the embrace.
"It's good to see you again."
Yorktown simply held them tighter.
"...Welcome home."
Meanwhile...
Enterprise walked toward Ash.
The two white-haired carriers silently looked at one another.
For a long moment...
Neither spoke.
Finally...
Enterprise broke the silence.
"...It seems..."
"...you truly did help the Commander."
Ash gave a small, tired smile.
"I told you before."
"I'm only trying to find a home..."
"...for our fellow Shipgirls."
She lowered her eyes.
"I know..."
"I said many strange things the last time we met."
Enterprise remained silent.
Ash sighed.
"The Sirens were listening."
"I couldn't risk revealing my intentions."
"I had to keep acting."
Enterprise's expression softened.
"...Enty..."
Ash froze.
"...Yorktown..."
Before she could react—
Yorktown stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug.
Ash's eyes widened.
"...!"
Yorktown held her gently.
"You've carried everything alone..."
"...for far too long."
Ash slowly lowered her head.
"...Yorktown..."
"If..."
Yorktown's voice trembled slightly.
"If you ever can't fight anymore..."
"...come home."
"Please."
Ash remained silent.
Yorktown smiled through moist eyes.
"You might be Ash..."
"But..."
She gently tightened the embrace.
"You're still my sister."
"Not my Enterprise..."
"...but still..."
"...my Enterprise."
Ash closed her eyes.
"...Yorktown..."
Then she heard another familiar voice.
"...Hana."
She slowly looked up.
Yorktown was smiling softly.
"...Commander calls me that now."
Ash blinked.
"...Hana..."
Yorktown nodded.
"He does."
"...It suits me."
Ash quietly laughed.
"...Hana..."
Enterprise stepped closer.
"I don't need to know everything about your past."
"I don't need explanations."
"I only need one answer."
She extended her hand.
"When the time comes..."
"...do you want to come with us?"
Ash looked between the two sisters.
One who embraced her.
One patiently waiting. Her alternate self.
For the first time in years...
No one demanded anything from her.
No one questioned her loyalty.
They simply...
Waited.
Ash lowered her gaze.
"...It..."
"...will take some time."
"I still have people to protect."
"My fellow META Shipgirls."
"I won't abandon them."
Enterprise nodded immediately.
"I wouldn't expect you to."
Yorktown smiled.
"Then..."
"...we'll wait."
Ash looked up again.
"...You'll wait?"
"As long as it takes."
Yorktown answered without hesitation.
"You aren't alone anymore."
She gently squeezed Ash's shoulder.
"You have us."
"You have Commander."
"You have this fleet."
Enterprise gave a quiet nod.
"And when you're ready..."
"...there'll always be a place for you."
Ash was silent for several seconds.
Then...
She finally smiled.
A genuine smile.
Small.
Fragile.
But real.
"...Give me some time."
"Once every one of our allies has been safely moved here..."
She looked toward Yuuki.
"...I'll come."
Yuuki simply smiled.
"We'll leave the lights on."
No promises.
No pressure.
Just...
A place waiting for her to finally call home.
==========
High above the calm sea...
The deep rumble of engines echoed across the sky.
Everyone looked up.
Large transport aircraft descended through the clouds.
"Condors."
Vergil smiled proudly.
"Heavy-lift configuration."
Massive magnetic cranes unfolded beneath each aircraft.
One by one...
They locked onto the Steel Fortresses.
CLANK!
Powerful gravitic winches engaged.
The colossal six-legged fortresses slowly rose from the ocean.
Water poured from their armored hulls like waterfalls.
Nearby...
The four Toukuiis were secured beneath separate Condor transports.
Within moments...
The entire strike package was airborne.
The rescued Shipgirls quietly watched.
"...They're lifting..."
"...the fortresses."
Hiryuu blinked.
"...Those things weigh thousands of tons..."
Neon proudly folded her arms.
"GDI engineering."
"We build things a little differently."
Several minutes later...
The clouds ahead slowly parted.
Ash stopped walking.
"..."
Ember quietly narrowed her eyes.
"...Impossible."
The newly rescued Shipgirls and Nikkes followed their gaze.
Then...
The Daedalus Fleet emerged.
It wasn't merely a fleet.
It looked like an entire nation at war.
The colossal Daedalus Command Carrier dominated the center of the formation like a floating fortress-city.
Around it...
Two Carrier Battleship Platforms.
Four Flying Battleships.
Harbinger gunships circled above before eventually landed on command carrier.
Firehawks maintained combat air patrol.
Orcas glided between the ships.
Kodiaks escorted the heavy transports.
Iron Legions stood along the carrier's massive flight decks.
Even more aircraft waited inside open hangars.
The entire formation covered kilometers of ocean.
Ash quietly whispered...
"...This..."
"...is one fleet?"
Ember remained speechless.
"..."
For perhaps the first time in years...
The normally composed META Takao had no words.
Behind them...
The newly rescued Shipgirls were equally stunned.
Shoukaku slowly looked across the seemingly endless formation.
"...How many ships..."
"...does the Shikikan-sama possess?"
Zuikaku simply stared.
"I..."
"...can't even count them."
Pennsylvania looked toward Yorktown.
"...He built..."
"...all of this?"
Yorktown shook her head gently.
"No..."
"...He didn't build it. He said something about summoning them from a separate dimension where thousands more awaited."
Friedrich slowly closed her eyes.
"...A true naval nation."
Centaur quietly admired the sight.
"...Magnificent."
Albion nodded.
"It resembles the ancient floating kingdoms described in fairy tales."
Even Privaty looked overwhelmed.
"...That's larger than some Ark defense fleets..."
Emma laughed softly.
"...No wonder the this Commander wasn't worried."
Vesti nodded repeatedly.
"...It's huge..."
Eunhwa widened her eyes in Rapi's arms. She really grateful for the early reality punch.
If she acted against him, she might wish to stay in that village instead.
Ash slowly turned toward Yuuki.
"...You weren't exaggerating."
"You really do possess..."
"...a fleet."
Yuuki smiled.
"I told you."
Ash slowly looked back toward the Daedalus.
Then toward the place hundreds of Shipgirls will soon call home.
Finally...
She quietly smiled to herself.
"...Perhaps..."
"...our people really can find a place here."
Ember folded her arms.
"...The Sirens..."
"...will not be pleased."
Yuuki chuckled.
"They've been trying to kill me since we met."
"I don't think one more reason will change much."
Even Ember let out the faintest laugh.
"...Fair point."
As the Condor transports carried the Steel Fortresses toward the massive flight deck of the Daedalus...
The newly rescued Shipgirls and Nikkes quietly watched the floating command carrier before them.
Not as prisoners.
Not as soldiers abandoned by their former nations.
But as new arrivals...
Finally approaching a place they could call home.
Everyone had boarded the waiting Orca EX.
Everyone...
Except Ash and Ember.
The two META Shipgirls remained standing upon the calm sea.
Mirror Sea energy still shimmered faintly around them.
Yuuki stood near the open rear ramp.
"Commander."
Ash looked toward him.
"We'll collapse the Mirror Sea."
"It'll erase the battlefield..."
"...and clean up the wreckage."
Ember nodded.
"The Sirens are approximately two hours away."
"You should leave."
Yuuki smiled.
"...Thank you."
He gave the two META Shipgirls a respectful nod.
"Enterprise."
"...Takao."
"We're in your debt."
Ash simply inclined her head.
"No."
"You've already repaid us."
Atago suddenly leaned halfway out of the Orca's ramp.
"Takao-chan!"
Ember looked up.
"When this is all over..."
"Come visit Onee-chan!"
Ember's expression softened ever so slightly.
"..."
Before she could answer—
Takao stepped forward.
She looked directly at her META counterpart.
"We still have a score to settle."
A small smile appeared.
"...Other me."
Her expression became serious again.
"So..."
"...don't get yourself killed."
For the first time...
Ember smiled openly.
"...You either."
Nearby...
Yorktown stepped toward Ash.
"...Enty."
Ash looked back.
"...Hana."
Yorktown smiled warmly.
"If you ever need us..."
"...call."
"We'll come."
Ash nodded slowly.
"...I will."
"...Hana."
Yuuki looked at the two META Shipgirls one last time.
"Take care of yourselves."
"I don't want my future GDI members getting hurt."
He smiled.
"Go."
"Bring your people home. We'll welcome them with open arms."
Ash nodded.
"We will."
The Orca EX's rear ramp slowly began closing.
Hydraulics locked into place.
Powerful thrusters ignited beneath the transport.
The aircraft accelerated toward the distant Daedalus Fleet.
Ash and Ember silently watched it disappear into the clouds.
Neither spoke.
For several moments...
Only the sound of the sea remained.
Finally...
Ash looked toward Ember.
"It's time."
Ember nodded.
Together...
The two META Shipgirls raised their riggings.
The Mirror Sea responded.
The sky fractured like glass.
Ripples spread across the horizon.
One after another...
The remaining fragments of the Mother Whale.
The four destroyed battleships.
Every crater.
Every scorch mark.
Every piece of twisted metal.
Slowly dissolved into countless blue particles.
The artificial battlefield collapsed inward.
Within moments...
Only an empty ocean remained.
As though no battle had ever taken place.
==============
Nearly two hours later...
Multiple spatial distortions appeared above the sea.
Several Siren warships emerged into real space.
Scanning beams immediately swept across the surrounding waters.
"...Nothing."
One Siren reported.
"The Mother Whale's signal vanished here."
Another examined the ocean.
"No debris."
"No wreckage."
"No battle damage."
"Impossible."
Elsewhere...
Behemoth's report reached the Sirens.
"It wasn't just the Commander."
"There were two unknown assailants assisting him."
"They appeared suddenly..."
"And then vanished just as quickly."
"They collapsed the battlefield."
"They erased everything."
The Sirens remained silent.
One finally replied.
"...Negative."
"We recovered the Mother Whale's remaining system records."
"There is evidence of external interference."
"Unknown fleet signatures detected."
"Conclusion: Diving Eagle forces attacked the Mother Whale."
Jarvis' final act before evacuation had quietly rewritten the surviving logs.
Security recordings.
Combat data.
Intrusion reports.
All traces of the Diving Eagle had been altered—just enough to mislead.
To the Sirens...
The Mother Whale had been destroyed...
By Diving Eagle.
Hiding the involvement of both Ash and Ember.
Behemoth gritted her teeth.
"...I'm telling the truth."
"There were others involved."
"I don't know who they were..."
"But they were there."
The Sirens remained unconvinced.
"There is insufficient confirmation of additional hostile entities."
"Continue searching."
"Locate the Diving Eagle fleet."
The communication ended.
Far beyond their sensors...
The Daedalus Fleet had already vanished beyond the horizon.
====================
Far away...
Long before the Mirror Sea completely enveloped the battlefield...
Several reconnaissance satellites had already captured the opening moments of the engagement.
The footage was replayed inside a secure command room.
A brilliant orange beam.
The F-SPAR.
It crossed the horizon in an instant.
Four Rapture battleships simply...
Disappeared.
The beam continued onward.
It clipped both massive rail cannons mounted atop the Mother Whale.
The gigantic weapons exploded before they had even finished charging.
The footage paused.
The room remained silent.
One of the intelligence officers slowly zoomed out.
Revealing another image.
Hovering before the Mother Whale...
Was an enormous airborne warship.
The Daedalus Command Carrier.
Escorted by Two Zeus-class battleships.
Four Kodiak-class battleships.
And an entire formation of unknown warships.
The officer slowly looked toward the woman standing before the panoramic display.
She possessed long blonde hair.
A sharp purple uniform tailored like a formal suit.
Behind her...
The unmistakable flag of the Eagle Union hung proudly upon the wall.
"Madam President."
The officer broke the silence.
"...Do you recognize this fleet?"
The President quietly watched the frozen image.
"...Diving Eagle."
She slowly folded her arms.
"Do we possess any faction by that name?"
The intelligence officer immediately shook his head.
"No, Madam President."
"Our records contain no such organization."
He changed the display.
"The surviving coastal observation posts initially assumed they belonged to the Eagle Union."
"They quickly ruled that possibility out."
"None of those ships..."
"...exist within our inventory."
He advanced to another recording.
This one from an entirely different operation.
The battle surrounding Azur Lane Headquarters.
Orochi.
The footage clearly showed a different formation.
Not the airborne fleet seen earlier.
Instead, a massive naval armada dominated the waters.
A colossal flagship sailed at its center.
Escorted by heavily armed battleships and two massive long aircraft carriers.
The officer enlarged the image.
"It appears again."
"The Diving Eagle Fleet."
"They successfully extracted Orochi."
"They also demonstrated large-scale teleportation capabilities."
"The entire fleet vanished."
"So did Orochi."
The President narrowed her eyes.
"They possess strategic teleportation..."
"...for assets of that size?"
"So it would appear."
The room remained quiet.
Then the officer brought up another comparison.
The silhouette of Orochi.
Alongside the last known Sakura Empire specifications.
The President slowly exhaled.
"They have Orochi."
"The Sakura Empire's greatest super battleship."
The officer nodded.
"Yes."
"The Eagle Union spent years attempting to negotiate—or seize—that technology."
"They succeeded where every nation failed."
The President remained silent for several moments.
Then...
She slowly looked toward the frozen image of the Daedalus Command Carrier.
"...A faction possessing technology beyond ours."
"A fleet capable of matching—or surpassing—the Sirens."
"They rescue Shipgirls instead of conquering territory."
"They possess strategic teleportation."
"They field unknown energy weapons."
"And now..."
She looked once more at the recording of the F-SPAR effortlessly destroying four Rapture battleships.
"...they possess weapons capable of annihilating capital ships in a single strike."
The intelligence officer quietly nodded.
"Our analysts have reached the same conclusion."
The President slowly closed her eyes.
"...This..."
"...is not the kind of new power we wanted appearing in the middle of an already unstable world. This world is 95% under the control of Sirens and Raptures."
She opened them again.
"But it is the reality before us."
She turned toward the intelligence staff.
"Continue observing."
"Do not provoke them."
"Do not interfere."
"I want information."
"Nothing else."
The officer saluted.
"Yes, Madam President."
As the screen faded to black...
Only one name remained displayed beneath the satellite images.
UNKNOWN FACTION
Codename: DIVING EAGLE
Before the room had finished analyzing the previous footage...
Another intelligence officer hurried through the secure doors.
"President Rosalia."
"You need to see this."
President Rosalia Valen turned from the holographic display.
"...What is it?"
The officer immediately brought up another satellite uplink.
The footage showed open ocean.
Something skimmed across the waves at extraordinary speed.
Rosalia frowned.
"...A plane?"
The intelligence officer slowly shook his head.
"...We're not entirely certain."
"It resembles an aircraft..."
"But it never climbs."
"It remains only a few meters above the ocean."
Another analyst added,
"Our engineers believe it may be utilizing ground-effect flight."
"A hybrid between an aircraft and a naval vessel."
The display zoomed in.
The massive machine raced across the sea.
Leaving an enormous wake behind it.
Another recording immediately followed.
Seven Siren Grand Ships emerged from a dimensional gate.
They immediately opened fire on the sea-skimming craft, but its defensive shield flared to life, effortlessly absorbing the barrage.
Without warning...
The unknown craft's bow-mounted weapon ignited.
A brilliant orange beam erupted forward.
It swept across the formation.
The first Grand Ship vanished.
Then the second.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Sixth.
Seventh.
The beam ceased.
Nothing remained except expanding fireballs across the ocean.
Silence filled the command room.
Rosalia slowly leaned forward.
"...Replay."
The footage repeated.
Again.
And again.
Every analyst stared.
The energy signature perfectly matched the weapon used against the Mother Whale.
One officer quietly spoke.
"...It's the same laser."
"The same weapon that destroyed the Rapture battleships."
Another analyst compared both recordings.
"Energy wavelength..."
"...identical."
"Power output..."
"...within less than one percent deviation."
Rosalia folded her arms.
"So..."
"They mounted one of those weapons..."
"...on a ship."
The analyst hesitated.
"...If it is a ship."
Another display appeared.
Estimated speed.
The room immediately became even quieter.
Rosalia slowly read the number.
"...Impossible."
The intelligence officer nodded.
"We verified it three times."
"Over open water..."
"...it is faster than every naval vessel currently on record."
"It even outpaced several Siren cruisers before firing."
Rosalia stared at the frozen image.
"...Who are these people?"
No one answered.
Another analyst spoke instead.
"We have now identified two distinct operational groups."
He highlighted the displays.
"The unidentified aerial strike fleet."
"And this..."
He enlarged the ocean-going craft.
"...a high-speed naval assault platform."
"We have no confirmed designation from intercepted transmissions..."
"...its name remains unknown."
Rosalia quietly studied the unfamiliar machine.
"...Unknown..."
The officer continued.
"Combined with that massive airborne flagship..."
"The unidentified escort vessels..."
"And now this craft..."
He slowly shook his head.
"...Their technological level exceeds every known naval power."
Another analyst added cautiously,
"If this faction expands..."
"They won't merely rival the Sirens and Raptures."
"They have already surpassed every surviving nation. They engage the Sirens and Raptures directly—the forces that control 95% of the surface and sea—driving humanity back into the Ark and Aqua."
Silence settled over the room.
Rosalia continued watching the footage of the orange beam carving effortlessly through seven Siren Grand Ships.
Finally...
She spoke.
"...No."
The analysts looked toward her.
"They're not showing signs of conquest."
"They're showing capability."
She looked once more at the image of the mysterious vessel speeding across the ocean.
"And that's what worries me."
"If an organization with this much military power..."
"...ever decided to become our enemy..."
She slowly folded her hands behind her back.
"...there may not be a nation left capable of stopping them."
No one in the command room argued.
Because after watching the recordings...
No one could honestly say she was wrong.
The room had barely recovered from the previous revelation.
Another intelligence officer hurried forward carrying a fresh data tablet.
"Madam President..."
"We've received additional satellite intelligence."
Rosalia turned toward him.
"...Go on."
The display changed once again.
At first...
It showed nothing.
Only the former location of the Azur Lane Main Base.
An empty island.
The analyst pointed toward the feed.
"Watch carefully."
Several seconds passed.
Then...
Explosions suddenly appeared.
Shell impacts.
Missile detonations.
Aircraft trails.
Anti-aircraft fire.
Yet...
There were no visible ships.
No aircraft.
Nothing.
Only the effects of battle.
Rosalia narrowed her eyes.
"...Where are the attackers?"
"We don't know."
The intelligence officer enlarged the recording.
"Our satellites recorded weapon impacts..."
"But nothing producing them."
"No radar returns."
"No optical signatures."
"No thermal anomalies."
Another analyst added,
"We believe the entire fleet is concealed."
"...Some form of large-scale optical cloaking."
Rosalia watched another missile explode seemingly from empty air.
"...They can hide an entire fleet?"
The analyst nodded grimly.
"It would appear so."
He switched displays.
Another recording appeared.
Brilliant blue lances descended from orbit.
One after another.
it decimated an entire siren island
Rosalia immediately looked upward instinctively.
"...Orbital weapons?"
"We believe so."
The analyst answered.
"We attempted to locate the firing platform."
He changed to orbital tracking data.
"Nothing."
"No satellites."
"No orbital stations."
"No detectable spacecraft."
"Even our stealth-tracking systems reported empty space."
Rosalia slowly folded her arms.
"So..."
"They can hide fleets..."
"...and whatever is firing from orbit."
The room remained silent.
Another analyst spoke.
"Based upon everything we've gathered..."
"The Diving Eagle's technology has surpassed conventional nuclear deterrence."
"Nuclear weapons no longer represent the pinnacle of military power since the Rapture and Sirens came into this world."
He looked toward the orbital strike footage.
"They appear to have moved well beyond it."
Rosalia quietly exhaled.
"...That makes them significantly more dangerous than we initially believed."
Another display appeared.
This time...
The hidden Azur Lane island.
Tiny movement markers slowly appeared across the holographic map.
The analyst zoomed in.
"We've observed repeated activity."
"Small task forces."
"They emerge..."
"Recover individuals..."
"Then disappear."
Rosalia looked closer.
"...Who are they searching for?"
The analyst highlighted several archived intelligence files.
"Known missing Shipgirls."
"USS Enterprise."
"USS Vestal."
"HMS Unicorn."
"They teleported directly to each recorded last-known position."
"They appear to be conducting systematic rescue operations."
Rosalia remained thoughtful.
"They're not expanding territory."
"They're searching for survivors."
The analyst nodded.
"That is our current assessment."
Then another intelligence officer spoke up.
"Madam President."
"Our Magellan Station observers stationed near Aqua submitted an independent report."
The room changed to body-camera footage.
A lone man with a heavily armed armor.
Five women.
All wearing unfamiliar golden combat armor.
The footage shook violently as Raptures attacked.
Moments later...
They caused trouble at Magellan Station in Aqua.
"They rescued one Northern Parliament Shipgirl..."
The analyst continued.
"...along with five Nikkes."
Another recording immediately followed.
An isolated island.
Suddenly appearing on satellite imagery.
Then...
Massive Rapture and Siren forces converging from every direction.
Rosalia watched carefully.
"...What happened next?"
The analyst slowly enlarged the horizon.
The same colossal airborne fleet emerged above the clouds.
The same unidentified flagship.
The same escorts.
The same overwhelming firepower.
Another analyst quietly summarized.
"Every time large numbers of Raptures or Sirens converge around unidentified Shipgirls or Nikkes..."
"The Diving Eagle appears."
"They intervene."
"They rescue the survivors."
"They withdraw."
"They leave."
Rosalia stood silently before the enormous tactical display.
One analyst finally broke the silence.
"...Madam President."
"If these reports are accurate..."
"...they are conducting a worldwide search."
Rosalia remained motionless before the tactical display.
The room was silent.
Every new report painted the same picture.
A mysterious faction.
Technology beyond anything humanity possessed.
Yet...
They consistently chose rescue over conquest.
After several moments, she finally spoke.
"...How many Shipgirls remain under Eagle Union protection?"
An intelligence officer immediately answered.
"Only a handful, Madam President."
"They are among the few major assets we still retain."
Rosalia slowly nodded.
"...Then they may become our only bridge."
The officers exchanged glances.
She turned toward them.
"If this Diving Eagle truly rescues Shipgirls rather than conquers nations..."
"...then diplomacy remains possible."
One of the admirals cautiously raised a concern.
"Madam President..."
"They may not even permit us near their territory."
"They possess overwhelming military superiority."
He gestured toward the frozen image of the Daedalus Command Carrier.
"Our Fifth Fleet..."
"...would be insignificant compared to theirs."
Rosalia gave a small nod.
"I know."
"We're not sailing there to intimidate them."
"We're not sailing there to test their defenses."
"We're going there..."
"...to open a dialogue."
She looked once more toward the holographic image of the hidden Azur Lane island.
"Prepare the Eagle Union Fifth Fleet."
Several officers looked surprised.
"The Fifth Fleet, Madam President?"
"Yes."
"They will proceed toward the former Azur Lane Main Base."
The admiral hesitated.
"...Respectfully..."
"We're not even certain we'll be allowed into their waters."
Rosalia smiled faintly.
"I doubt we will."
"They've demonstrated cloaking technology capable of hiding entire fleets."
"If they wish to remain unseen..."
"We won't find them."
She slowly folded her hands behind her back.
"But they will undoubtedly know we're there."
Another officer nodded slowly.
"They'll detect us long before we detect them."
"Exactly."
Rosalia's expression became serious.
"So make our intentions unmistakable."
"No aggressive formations."
"No combat patrols."
"No active targeting."
"Raise diplomatic identification codes."
"Transmit our approach continuously."
"And..."
She paused.
"Keep every ship cloaked until we reach the designated coordinates."
The admiral looked surprised.
"You still want us cloaked?"
Rosalia nodded.
"Not to deceive them."
"To avoid attracting Sirens and Raptures."
She glanced toward the world map.
"We are sailing through territory where ninety-five percent of the world belongs to our enemies."
"I have no intention of dragging a battle to their doorstep."
Another intelligence officer quietly asked,
"...And if they refuse to meet us?"
Rosalia looked toward the image of the Daedalus Command Carrier.
"Then we turn around."
"We leave."
"No threats."
"No demands."
"No ultimatums."
She slowly exhaled.
"We cannot afford to create another enemy."
She looked once more at the footage of the Mother Whale.
The F-SPAR.
The orbital strike.
The invisible fleet.
The rescue operations.
"They defeated a Mother Whale..."
"...a weapon that shattered much of humanity's remaining military strength."
"They fight Sirens and Raptures as though they are routine opponents."
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"I refuse to mistake restraint..."
"...for weakness."
The room fell silent once more.
Finally...
Rosalia gave her order.
"Prepare the Fifth Fleet."
"We sail as diplomats."
"Not conquerors."
"And pray..."
"...they're willing to talk."
==================
Inside the Eagle Union Headquarters...
Another pair of eyes quietly watched events unfold.
D stood among the gathered officials within the President's command chamber.
The soft hum of holographic displays filled the room.
Her black hair rested neatly against her shoulders.
Her red eyes scanned the shifting data with quiet intensity.
Her signature axe was absent—left behind as protocol demanded—but her presence alone carried the same weight.
She had originally been deployed by the Ark as part of a support intelligence operation.
Officially...
She was here to assist in monitoring surface activity.
Unofficially...
She had come searching for answers.
A secure transmission arrived through her communicator.
She silently opened the report.
=============
Emergency Intelligence Update
Subject: Anachiro (Former Heretic)
Status: Fully liberated from both Rapture and Ark control.
Current Assessment: Independent entity.
Codename: Cinderella confirmed free.
=============
D stared at the report.
"...Free?"
Not destroyed.
Not eliminated.
Free from both the Ark and the Raptures.
She quietly replayed the scattered intelligence gathered from multiple sources.
The mysterious Diving Eagle.
The Mother Whale assault.
Leviathan...
Returned to the Shipgirls.
And now...
Cinderella.
The legendary first Heretic.
Freed.
Not killed.
Saved.
"...How..."
She lowered the communicator slightly, though her gaze remained fixed.
For years...
The Ark had considered corruption irreversible.
Once a Nikke became a Heretic...
That was the end.
No cure.
No treatment.
Only execution.
Yet someone...
Somehow...
Had accomplished the impossible.
They had reclaimed Cinderella herself.
The quiet murmur of analysts filled the chamber.
D slowly shifted her gaze toward the central display.
"...Who are you people..."
She had served the Central Government for years.
Leader of Perilous Siege.
An assassin.
An executioner.
Whenever the government pointed...
She pulled the trigger.
Criminals.
Political dissidents.
Underground organizations.
Sometimes genuine terrorists.
Sometimes...
People demanding Nikke rights.
Sometimes...
People protesting human rights abuses.
Some deserved justice.
Others...
Merely stood in the government's way.
She had stopped questioning which was which.
Because questioning orders was never part of her mission.
She had been created to obey.
Nothing more.
Even after her limiters had been removed...
There remained invisible chains.
She could never raise her weapon against those above her.
Not because she lacked strength.
Because she had been built...
To protect the Ark.
At any cost.
"...An attack dog."
The words remained unspoken this time.
But the thought lingered.
She remembered every mission.
Every trigger she pulled.
Every order accepted without hesitation.
"...What was justice..."
"...and what was simply convenient for those in power?"
For the first time in years...
She genuinely didn't know.
Another report appeared on the shared display.
Recovered Shipgirls.
Recovered Nikkes.
Surface survivors willingly joining the Diving Eagle.
No evidence of coercion.
No evidence of forced recruitment.
Only rescue.
Protection.
Acceptance.
She remembered another line from the intelligence briefing.
"They are conducting a worldwide search."
Not for territory.
Not for resources.
For survivors.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
The forgotten.
D quietly closed her eyes for a brief moment.
"...Freedom..."
She had heard that word countless times.
Spoken by criminals.
Rebels.
Dreamers.
She never truly understood it.
Because she had never experienced it herself.
She slowly opened her eyes again, looking toward the massive holographic projection of the ocean.
"If it's true..."
"If they really save Nikkes..."
"If they really treat them..."
"...as people."
Her hand subtly tightened at her side.
"...Then perhaps..."
"...I don't have to remain the Ark's blade forever."
For the first time...
A destination appeared before her.
Not an order.
Not an assignment.
A choice.
The mysterious faction known only as...
Diving Eagle.
D remained standing among the President's circle.
Silent.
Observing.
"...I'll find you."
"And when I do..."
"I'll decide with my own eyes..."
"...what freedom truly looks like."