"What the hell… where am I?"
Yuuki's voice echoed faintly—but there was no echo to return it.
He stood alone.
Or at least—
It felt like standing.
Beneath him stretched an endless, calm sea. The water was perfectly still, reflecting a vast sky filled with soft starlight and an endless blue horizon. No wind. No waves. No sound.
Just… peace.
Too much peace.
Yuuki narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…This isn't reality."
"Heya, handsome~"
A voice.
Bright.
Playful.
Yuuki turned immediately.
"…What?"
A girl stood a short distance away, hands on her hips like she had been waiting for him.
"I see you met my sister," she said with a grin. "Isn't she a beauty?"
Yuuki studied her carefully.
Blonde twin-tails.
Green eyes full of energy.
A black cowboy hat tilted just enough to feel intentional.
A cape fluttering slightly despite the lack of wind.
"…Who are you?"
The girl grinned wider.
"Yoho! Name's Hornet!"
She struck a pose like she was announcing herself on stage.
"Yorktown-class aircraft carrier—Hornet! Hull Number CV-8!"
Yuuki blinked.
"…You're kidding."
"Nope!" she shot back instantly. "Youngest of the Yorktown sisters, energetic, forward-thinking, honest, and definitely not a tsundere!"
She pointed at herself proudly.
"Also the one who launched the Doolittle Raid—first strike back at the Sakura Empire. Pretty cool, right?"
Yuuki stared.
"…Can you slow down?"
Hornet paused.
Then leaned in slightly.
"…Okay, okay."
She cleared her throat dramatically.
"Hi. I'm Hornet."
A beat.
"…Better?"
Yuuki exhaled.
"…Marginally."
Hornet laughed.
"Hey, don't give me that look! I've been stuck in a cube, you know? Let me have my moment!"
Yuuki's expression shifted slightly at that.
"…So you are Hornet."
"Yep!" she said, rocking slightly on her heels. "Yorktown's second sister. The fun one."
She tilted her head.
"…You're the new commander, right?"
"Yukihira Yuuki? High Commander of the... GDI? I don't remember the full name."
He hesitated.
"I…"
Hornet waved her hand casually.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Yuuki frowned.
"…You know?"
"I saw everything," she said simply.
Her tone softened—just slightly.
"I'm linked to my sister. Even like this… I can still feel her."
A small pause.
"So when she met you…"
She grinned again.
"I got front-row seats."
Yuuki blinked.
"…You watched all that?"
"Yup!"
She started counting on her fingers.
"Big flying battleships, that MCV thing you called, you blasting Sirens, that dramatic entrance, saving Yorktown and Laffey—"
She pointed at him.
"You're really cool, you know that?"
Yuuki stared at her.
"…That's your takeaway?"
"Well yeah!" she shot back. "You showed up, wrecked everything, fed them, fixed them, gave them a place to stay…"
She leaned closer.
"…That's a pretty big deal. In fact, you're much cooler than our old grumpy commander."
Yuuki went quiet for a moment.
Then—
"…You said you're dead."
Hornet's expression didn't change much.
"Yeah."
Simple.
Direct.
"But not gone," she added, tapping her temple lightly. "More like… paused."
She glanced down at the endless water.
"This place? Think of it like… a waiting room. I waited a long time to be revived."
Yuuki crossed his arms slightly.
"And I'm here because I touched the cube."
"Bingo."
She snapped her fingers.
"No people can do that, by the way."
Yuuki narrowed his eyes.
"…Meaning?"
Hornet smiled—but this time, it wasn't just playful.
"It means you're not normal. You must have some kind of special power to be able to enter this place. You're not even dead and not even a ship."
A pause.
"Not even by Siren standards."
Yuuki didn't respond. Hornet knew something that he does have. He might be sure those hidden powers of his might be responsible for what happened. Powers that he doesn't rely on since he rather use his Iron Man armor in battle.
Hornet straightened slightly, her usual energy returning.
"But hey! That's good news for me!"
She pointed at herself again.
"If you can get in here…"
Her grin widened.
"…then maybe you can get me out too."
Silence.
The calm sea stretched endlessly around them, undisturbed by wind or time.
Yuuki looked at her, expression steady but honest.
"…I don't think I can."
Hornet blinked once.
Then shrugged lightly, hands behind her head.
"Eh. Points for trying."
No disappointment.
No anger.
Just… acceptance.
Yuuki exhaled quietly.
"Yorktown told me this cube is your core… your 'heart.'"
He glanced down at the water, as if trying to ground his thoughts.
"Which means you're not dead."
A pause.
"Just… without a body."
Hornet's grin faded slightly.
"…Yeah."
Yuuki continued.
"So unless I can build you one… or figure out how your revival system works…"
He shook his head.
"…I can't bring you back yet."
Silence followed.
Not heavy.
Not painful.
Just… real.
"…I know," Hornet said softly.
For the first time, her voice lost that constant edge of energy.
She looked out across the endless sea.
"…It gets lonely here, you know. It was okay for a few days but then, months... years..."
Yuuki didn't interrupt.
"When you showed up…" she continued, her tone quieter, almost thoughtful.
"…it felt like something finally changed."
A small pause.
"…Like I wasn't just waiting anymore and finally have someone to talk to..."
Yuuki's eyes shifted slightly.
Hornet turned back to him, smiling again—but softer this time.
"My sister kept my cube safe all this time."
There was warmth in her voice now.
"She could've handed me over to that old grumpy commander back then…"
She huffed lightly.
"But she didn't."
Her eyes lowered slightly.
"…I saw her, you know."
Yuuki frowned.
"…You did?"
Hornet nodded.
"Sometimes. Not clearly. Just… feelings. Fragments."
Her voice grew quieter.
"She cries."
A pause.
"…Every night."
Yuuki didn't speak.
"She thinks no one sees it," Hornet added, smiling faintly. "But I do."
Her hands clenched slightly behind her back.
"…She misses me that much."
Silence settled again.
Then—
Hornet looked at him directly.
"Hey."
Yuuki met her gaze.
"…Can you stay with her for me?"
The request was simple.
But it carried weight.
"…Keep her company."
Yuuki didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"…I'll try."
Hornet stared at him for a second.
Then smiled.
Bright again.
"Good enough."
She stepped back slightly, the water beneath her barely rippling.
"…Thanks, handsome."
The world around them shimmered faintly—
Like the moment was starting to fade.
But this time—
Yuuki understood something clearly.
This wasn't the end.
It was a beginning.
The endless sea shimmered softly beneath them, quiet and untouched.
Hornet tilted her head slightly, her usual grin returning—but softer this time.
"…If possible… can you come here again and keep me company?"
Yuuki let out a short breath.
"Hey. I got electrocuted just getting here."
Hornet laughed.
"Ahh… yeah… sorry about that."
He glanced around again, more seriously now.
"What is this place, exactly?"
She spread her arms slightly, gesturing to the horizon.
"This is our void world."
Her voice carried a strange calmness now.
"A waiting place."
"No hunger. No thirst. No pain."
A pause.
"…Just time."
Yuuki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So the other shipgirls… the ones who've fallen…"
Hornet nodded.
"They're here."
Then added—
"But this place is huge."
She pointed vaguely outward.
"You won't just run into each other."
A faint smile.
"Unless two Wisdom Cubes are placed close together in the real world."
Yuuki processed that quickly.
"…So proximity outside… determines connection inside."
"Bingo."
She snapped her fingers lightly.
Yuuki crossed his arms.
"I see…"
Hornet suddenly leaned forward slightly.
"Hey, handsome."
He looked at her.
"If you find another cube…"
A small pause.
"…can you put it next to mine?"
Yuuki didn't answer immediately.
"…If I find another that is…"
Hornet stepped closer.
"…Can you... pat my head?"
Her voice softened.
Not playful.
Not teasing.
Just… hopeful.
Yuuki hesitated as he pats her head.
Then—
"Hey…"
Before he could finish—
Hornet's expression wavered.
"…Hey… if you do that to soft…"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"…I might cry, you know…"
She laughed weakly.
Then—
"…Sniff…"
"…I miss everyone…"
Her shoulders dropped.
"…I just want to go home…"
That hit harder than anything she said before.
Yuuki's gaze softened.
"You've been waiting a long time."
Hornet let out a shaky breath.
"Too damn long."
A faint, broken chuckle.
"I might actually go crazy talking to myself in here."
Yuuki frowned slightly.
"…You haven't already?"
"Hey!" she snapped weakly—then sighed.
"…Okay, maybe a little…"
The space around them flickered faintly.
Hornet looked up.
"…Ah."
Her expression shifted as he saw Yuuki began to glow.
"It looks like the link won't last much longer."
She stepped back slightly, the distance between them growing without either of them moving.
"Hey, handsome…"
Her voice steadied again.
"…come visit me again."
A small smile.
"…Will you?"
Yuuki opened his mouth—
But Hornet lifted a hand, stopping him gently.
"You don't have to say anything fancy," she said, her voice softer now. "I already know."
Her eyes met his.
"I saw everything."
A small smile.
"You changed my sister."
A pause.
"You gave her hope… when she had none left."
Her expression didn't waver.
"My trust is yours."
Yuuki didn't respond.
For once—
He didn't need to.
Then Hornet suddenly perked up, energy snapping back into her posture.
"Oh—hey!"
She pointed outward into the endless sea.
"This place? It's connected to all of us."
Yuuki frowned.
"All shipgirls?"
"Dead or alive," she nodded. "We're all linked through this void."
A grin spread across her face.
"If you want to reach them…"
She leaned closer.
"Now's your chance."
Yuuki's eyes sharpened.
"…You're saying they can hear me?"
Hornet shrugged slightly.
"Maybe not clearly."
A beat.
"But feelings, intent… echoes."
"That much always gets through."
That was enough.
Yuuki stepped forward slightly, his voice cutting cleanly through the stillness.
"For all of you listening—!"
The sea didn't react.
The sky didn't change.
But he didn't stop.
"Call for me!"
His voice carried weight now.
"A signal—anything!"
His fists tightened slightly.
"I'll find you."
A pause.
"I swear it."
Silence followed.
Still.
Unmoving.
Then—
Hornet let out a small, amused breath.
"…Wow."
She crossed her arms.
"Handsome's got some presence."
Yuuki glanced at her.
"You said it would connect."
"I said it might," she corrected with a grin.
Then her tone softened.
"But those words?"
A small pause.
"They'll reach someone."
She looked out across the endless sea.
"…And when they do…"
Her eyes returned to him.
"…they'll remember."
Yuuki didn't reply.
But he understood.
Then—
Hornet stepped closer again.
Close enough that he didn't have time to react.
She leaned in—
And pressed a light kiss to his cheek.
"…Thanks for coming."
Her voice lingered.
Soft.
Grateful.
And just a little lonely.
Then—
The world began to pull him away.
The world shattered.
Light pulled at him—
Hard.
And in the last moment before everything disappeared—
He saw her smiling.
Alone—
But no longer as lonely as before.
Then—
Darkness.
==============
"What… happened…?"
Yuuki's vision steadied as the ceiling came back into focus.
Then—
"Commander!"
Yorktown's voice broke as she threw herself onto him, arms wrapping tightly around his body. Laffey followed immediately, pressing against his side, holding onto him just as firmly.
"Sir," JARVIS reported, "you lost consciousness for several minutes."
Yuuki exhaled slowly.
"I…"
Yorktown pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes already wet.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to—"
"Shh…" Yuuki raised a hand gently, placing it on her head.
"Don't."
Her voice trembled.
"But I—"
"It's not your fault."
He looked at her directly.
"I saw her."
Yorktown froze.
"…You… saw…"
Yuuki nodded.
"Hornet."
The name alone made her breath hitch.
"…You saw her…?"
"She's fine," Yuuki said calmly.
Yorktown's expression cracked instantly.
"…Please… don't lie…"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"…Please…"
Yuuki shook his head.
"I'm not lying."
He glanced briefly at the cube on the table.
"That thing… it pulled me in. Some kind of energy link."
His gaze returned to her.
"I talked to her."
Yorktown's hands trembled.
"…What… did she say…?"
Yuuki's tone softened.
"She's… lonely."
A pause.
"But she's not gone."
Yorktown's tears began to fall silently.
"She told me…"
Yuuki continued.
"She knows you kept her safe."
Another pause.
"And she knows you've been crying."
Yorktown's shoulders shook.
"…She… knows…?"
Yuuki nodded.
"She asked you to stop. Hearing you cry made her sad."
Yorktown covered her mouth, trying to hold back the sound—but failing.
"She said…"
Yuuki's voice stayed steady.
"…to wait for her."
Silence.
Heavy.
Then—
Yorktown broke.
Tears fell freely as she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his chest.
"…That's… that's her…"
Her voice trembled.
"…That's exactly what she would say…"
She clutched onto him tightly.
"…If there's a way…"
She looked up again, eyes filled with desperate hope.
"…Will you bring her back?"
Yuuki didn't hesitate.
"I promise."
No conditions.
No hesitation.
Just a promise.
Yorktown held his gaze for a moment longer—
Then nodded.
"…Then I'll hold you to that."
Yuuki gave a small nod in return.
"Please do."
He reached out, pulling both Yorktown and Laffey closer.
One on each side.
Not as a commander.
Not as a superior.
But as someone they could lean on.
"…We're bringing them back," he said quietly.
And for the first time—
That didn't sound impossible anymore.
===========
"JARVIS… record this."
"Yes, sir."
Yuuki sat up, still thinking about what just happened. Yorktown and Laffey stayed close, watching him carefully.
"I made contact," he said. "The Wisdom Cube pulled me into another space."
He glanced at the cube on the table.
"I met Hornet. She's alive… just without a body."
Yorktown's hands tightened slightly.
"She's in a place she called a 'void world,'" Yuuki continued. "It's connected to all shipgirls. Dead or alive."
Laffey blinked.
"…All of them…?"
Yuuki nodded.
"Yes."
He paused.
"But that's not the strange part."
He tapped his head.
"When I touched the cube… I saw her memories."
Yorktown froze.
"…You saw… her memories?"
"Not everything," Yuuki said. "More like a fast scan. Just enough to understand her."
He frowned slightly.
"But I didn't get overwhelmed."
"That shouldn't happen," Yorktown said quietly.
"I know," Yuuki replied.
"That kind of information should've knocked me out… or worse."
He paused.
"But something protected me."
Laffey tilted her head.
"…Protected…?"
"Yeah," Yuuki said. "Either the cube helped… or something inside me did."
Then he suddenly remembered.
"…Tacitus."
Yorktown looked confused.
"What's that?"
"Something from my world," Yuuki said. "When I touched it before, it did the same thing—gave me a huge amount of information without hurting me."
He looked back at the cube.
"So maybe… I can handle this kind of technology."
JARVIS spoke.
"High probability, sir."
Yuuki nodded.
"That's probably why the cube reacted to me."
He paused again.
"And why I could talk to Hornet."
Then something else clicked.
"…And my voice."
Yorktown looked at him.
"Your voice…?"
Yuuki nodded slowly.
"If that place connects all shipgirls…"
"…then what I said wasn't just heard by Hornet."
A pause.
"It might have reached all of them."
Laffey's eyes widened.
"…Everyone…?"
"…Maybe," Yuuki said.
Silence fell.
Yorktown looked down, her hands trembling slightly.
"…Then they're not alone anymore…"
Yuuki didn't answer.
But he didn't deny it either.
Because somewhere out there—
Someone might have heard him.
"I need the satellites online as soon as possible," Yuuki said, his tone serious now. "If those girls send out signals… the Sirens might detect them too."
A short pause.
"I need to hear them first."
"Five days, sir," JARVIS replied. "In the meantime, we can continue building the base. Once the satellites are deployed and we map the world, we can use the Chronosphere to—"
"No," Yuuki cut in.
"The Chronosphere has limits."
He crossed his arms slightly.
"It can only teleport within a certain range."
JARVIS paused.
"…Correct."
"To cover the entire planet," Yuuki continued, "we'd need multiple units."
He looked up slightly, thinking.
"Back on Earth 2.0, we needed sixteen Chronospheres just to cover global range."
Yorktown blinked.
"…Sixteen…?"
"Yes," Yuuki said. "They have to form a network."
JARVIS added, "A synchronized grid for full planetary coverage."
Yuuki nodded.
"But…"
He paused.
"…There's another way."
JARVIS responded immediately.
"The incomplete solution."
"…Yeah."
Yuuki's expression hardened slightly.
"If I can solve the last part of the equation…"
He tapped the table lightly.
"…we could use a single Chronosphere to reach anywhere on the planet."
Yorktown looked confused.
"…One… instead of sixteen?"
Yuuki nodded.
"That was the original goal."
JARVIS asked,
"It remains unsolved, sir."
Yuuki exhaled.
"…For years."
He leaned back slightly.
"It was Albert Einstein's idea in my world."
A brief pause.
"Even Dr. Siegfried couldn't finish it."
Yorktown tilted her head.
"…They created this technology?"
"We continued their work," Yuuki said.
"The Chronosphere allows teleportation across limited distances."
He glanced at the cube again, then back to the interface.
"To go global, we needed multiple units."
A pause.
"But the Tacitus—an alien database we recovered—suggests something else."
JARVIS completed the thought.
"A single-node global teleportation system."
Yuuki nodded.
"If we solve the final piece of code…"
"…one Chronosphere could replace all sixteen."
Silence followed.
Yorktown looked at him.
"…And you're still trying to solve it?"
Yuuki gave a small, determined smile.
"Yeah."
Then his expression sharpened again.
"Because if I do…"
A pause.
"I won't need to wait."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"I can reach any shipgirl… anywhere… instantly."
And that—
Would change everything.
"For now… keep her cube safe," Yuuki said, his tone steady again as he turned away from the table. "I'll finish securing the island."
He paused briefly.
"There's nothing more we can do at this moment."
Yorktown held the cube closer to her chest, nodding.
"My people are still gathering data from orbit," Yuuki continued as he stood up. "We may have the technology… but we don't understand this world yet."
A glance toward the horizon.
"The Sirens. The factions. Their systems."
His voice hardened slightly.
"Until we do… we move carefully."
Then—
A faint grin.
"…Besides."
He looked back at them.
"We're going to need a proper home for them."
Yorktown blinked.
"…For everyone…?"
"For all of them," Yuuki said simply. "Every shipgirl we bring back."
Silence.
Then Yorktown straightened, her expression firm despite the tears still lingering in her eyes.
"Commander… I will follow you."
Her voice no longer trembled.
"Please… be the guiding light for all shipgirls."
She placed a hand over her chest.
"I won't cry anymore."
A pause.
"I'll stay strong… for my sisters."
Laffey nodded beside her, gripping her sleeve slightly.
"…Laffey too."
Her voice was soft—but determined.
"Laffey will find Nimi… Javelin… and Ayanami."
Yuuki looked at both of them.
Then gave a small nod.
"Good."
He turned and began walking toward the window. Overseeing the construction outside.
"Then help me build a place worth coming back to."
As he stepped forward—
He stopped.
For just a second.
His gaze dropped to his hand.
A faint glow.
Soft.
White.
Pulsing.
Yuuki exhaled quietly.
"…Of course."
His fingers curled slightly as the light flickered between them.
"To think I'd have to use this again…"
There was no fear in his voice.
Only recognition.
Because whatever that power was—
It had already started responding.
And this time—
He knew it wasn't just technology anymore.
=================
"Five days ago… four hundred units vanished."
The laboratory was silent for a moment—then erupted.
"Vanished?!" one of the Siren scientists snapped, slamming her hand against the console. "Do not use that word so casually!"
"I'm stating the data as it is," another replied coldly, eyes fixed on the holographic display. "No survivors. No retreat signatures. No distress signals completed."
"That's impossible!" a third voice cut in. "Even a coordinated ambush wouldn't wipe out that many units simultaneously!"
"They weren't just mass-produced ships," another added sharply. "There were humanoid Sirens present. High-level units. Combat-capable. Adaptive."
"And Purifier was there."
That name made the room still.
"…And?"
"…Signal lost."
Silence.
Then—
"No."
One of them shook her head slowly.
"No, that doesn't make sense."
"She's reckless, not incompetent," another muttered. "Even if overwhelmed, she would have transmitted something."
"She tried," a quieter voice said.
All eyes turned.
"The logs show fragmented attempts. Communications were blocked… jammed."
"Jammed?" someone scoffed. "By what? There is nothing in this world capable of suppressing Siren-grade transmission fields at that scale."
"…There is now."
The words hung in the air.
Another scientist leaned forward, zooming in on the data.
"Look at this."
The display shifted.
"Energy readings at the time of disappearance."
"…These spikes…"
"They don't match any known Siren weapon system."
"Nor any human technology," another added immediately.
A pause.
Then—
"…External origin?"
"That would imply—"
"Another faction."
The room grew tense.
"That's absurd," one snapped. "We control the seas. Humanity is fragmented. No organized resistance remains."
"Then explain this," the analyst shot back, pointing at the projection.
"Four hundred units. Multiple Sirens. Gone."
A beat.
"No debris field consistent with standard engagements."
"Minimal wreckage."
"Clean destruction."
Another leaned in, voice low.
"…Precision."
That word settled heavily.
"…You're suggesting targeted elimination?"
"I'm suggesting whoever did this…"
A pause.
"…knew exactly what they were doing."
Silence followed.
Then—
"…What about satellite surveillance?" one asked quickly.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Gaps."
The room stilled again.
"…Gaps?"
"Entire sectors went dark during the event."
A slow realization spread.
"…Signal interference…"
"…Radar disruption…"
"…Cloaking?"
"No," another whispered.
"…Something better."
A long pause.
Then—
"…We have a new variable."
Another voice, colder this time:
"…Or a new enemy."
One of them narrowed her eyes at the data.
"…And whatever it is…"
A faint flicker of unease crossed her expression.
"…it wiped out an entire fleet without leaving a trace."
Another spoke, quieter than the rest.
"…We need to inform Observer."
No one disagreed.
Because for the first time—
Something had appeared that even the Sirens couldn't explain.
And that—
Was dangerous.
Inside the sterile laboratory, encased within a transparent glass prison, two figures sat in silence.
One curled into herself, knees drawn to her chest, long lilac-silver hair cascading over her shoulders. Her violet eyes were distant, as if she had long since retreated somewhere far beyond these cold walls.
Beside her sat another—tall, elegant, composed even in captivity. Her long white hair flowed neatly down her back, though her usual grace was weighed down by quiet exhaustion.
"Belfast… are you well?" she asked gently.
The maid gave a small nod.
"…I am, Lady Illustrious."
But her eyes did not leave the Siren scientists beyond the glass. There was no fear in her gaze—only restrained anger… and something deeper.
Hope.
A fragile, dangerous thing.
"…I heard it," Belfast said quietly.
Illustrious turned to her.
"…The voice."
A pause.
"…You heard it too?"
Belfast nodded slowly.
"In my dreams… I was somewhere dark. Endless. Empty."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"…But there was a light."
Illustrious' breath caught.
"…Yes… I saw it too…"
Her voice softened, almost trembling.
"I ran toward it… as fast as I could…"
Belfast closed her eyes briefly.
"And then…"
Both of them spoke at the same time.
"'If you're out there… call for me.'"
Silence.
Their eyes met.
"'I'll come to you. I swear it.'"
The words lingered between them.
Not imagined.
Not mistaken.
Real.
Illustrious clutched her chest lightly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"…I thought I was losing my mind."
Belfast shook her head.
"…No."
A pause.
"…That was real."
Beyond the glass, Siren scientists continued their work, unaware—or perhaps uninterested—in what had just awakened inside their captives.
Illustrious lowered her gaze, her expression softening… but her resolve strengthening.
"…That voice…"
Her lips trembled slightly.
"…It felt… warm."
Belfast didn't respond immediately.
But she understood.
For years, there had been nothing but war, loss, and silence.
And now—
A voice had reached them.
A promise.
Illustrious slowly closed her eyes.
"…Whoever you are…"
Her hands clenched tightly.
"…I am here."
Belfast followed, her voice calm—but firm.
"…We are here."
In the quiet prison, surrounded by enemies, they reached out—not with sound, but with will.
A desperate call across an unseen connection.
Please…
Save us.
We are HMS Belfast…
And HMS Illustrious…
We need your aid.
And somewhere—
Far beyond Siren control—
That call began to travel.
===============
Yorktown stood at the edge of the command platform, completely speechless.
Five days.
Just five days.
What used to be a burned, lifeless island was now something else entirely—a fully operational, advanced military base that looked like it belonged to another world.
Her eyes followed Yuuki as he calmly manipulated a floating holographic interface above his hand. With a few simple gestures, structures appeared across the island's map… and moments later, they rose in reality.
"…He's building it like a game…" she whispered under her breath.
But this wasn't a game.
This was real.
And terrifyingly efficient.
She had already learned the basics of what she was seeing—war factories, barracks, command centers, tech facilities, armories. Each one had a clear purpose, each one integrated into a larger system she was only beginning to understand.
Multiple cranes moved in perfect coordination, assembling structures at a speed that defied logic.
Yuuki had mentioned something about integrating older Allied technologies into GDI systems—but whatever this was now… it had gone far beyond that.
Her gaze shifted toward the defensive perimeter.
Rows of anti-air batteries lined the skies.
Gun towers stood like silent sentinels.
Railgun turrets hummed with restrained power.
But what truly unsettled her—
"…That thing…"
Her eyes locked onto a towering structure further inland.
The Sonic Cannon.
She remembered what Yuuki said.
A single shot… can tear a ship apart.
He called it "hot sound."
Yorktown didn't fully understand what that meant—but she felt it. Even from a distance, the weapon gave off a pressure that made her instincts scream.
And along the coastline—
Her breath caught again.
"…Prism towers…"
Tall, elegant structures refracted light into sharp, focused beams. They looked almost beautiful—until she remembered his words.
"Killed by coloured rainbows."
Or worse—
"Taste the full power of concentrated lasers."
Yorktown slowly exhaled.
"…What kind of world did he come from…?"
This wasn't just advanced.
This was overwhelming.
She looked back at Yuuki.
He stood calmly at the center of it all, issuing commands, adjusting layouts, optimizing defenses—as if this level of power was normal to him.
To him—
This was just the beginning.
Yorktown placed a hand over her chest.
For the first time…
She understood something clearly.
"…With this…"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"…We really can fight back…"
Yorktown's eyes widened slightly as she watched the Prism towers hum to life, their crystalline structures bending light into sharp, focused points.
"…Lasers…"
Her voice carried a mix of disbelief and recognition.
"That's Siren technology…"
To her, beams of light meant one thing—advanced, alien, overwhelming power. Something humanity had struggled to understand, let alone replicate.
But beside her—
Yuuki simply shrugged.
"…Not really."
Yorktown blinked.
"…Not really?"
He didn't even look impressed as he adjusted another structure on the holographic interface.
"Lasers are old tech for us."
That made her pause.
"…Old…?"
Yuuki nodded casually.
"Back in my world, we fought factions that used energy weapons like that all the time."
He gestured toward the Prism towers.
"Directed beams, energy projection, particle weapons—nothing new."
Yorktown stared at the towers again.
The same weapons that once filled her with dread…
To him—
Were outdated.
"…Then the Sirens…" she hesitated.
Yuuki cut in calmly.
"Are just using a different version of something we've already surpassed."
That single sentence shifted her entire perspective.
She looked back at the defenses again—
The Sonic Cannons.
The Railguns.
The layered shielding systems.
The automated drones.
Then back at him.
"…Then… what can't you do?"
Yuuki smirked slightly.
"That's the wrong question."
He tapped the hologram again, another structure locking into place.
"What matters is how fast we can adapt."
Yorktown fell silent.
Because she finally understood.
It wasn't just that his technology was stronger.
It was—
Flexible.
Evolving.
Learning.
And if lasers—something the Sirens relied on—were already considered ancient to him…
Then whatever came next—
Would be something the Sirens had never faced before.
Yorktown continued observing the expanding base when another structure caught her attention.
"…What is that building?"
It stood apart from the others—clean, bright, almost gentle compared to the heavy war machines surrounding it. Its design was sleek and advanced, yet welcoming.
Yuuki glanced over.
"That's a health center."
"A… hospital?" Yorktown asked.
"Something like that," he replied. "Modeled after an old design concept from one of our civilian megastructures. Fully automated, fully equipped."
He folded his arms slightly.
"If we're bringing shipgirls back… they won't all be in perfect condition."
His tone grew more serious.
"Some will be injured."
A pause.
"…Some worse."
Yorktown's expression dimmed slightly, but she nodded.
"…We had something similar."
Yuuki looked at her.
"In the Eagle Union, we had a repair ship. Her name is Vestal."
She continued,
"And the Sakura Empire had one as well. Akashi."
Laffey nodded faintly.
"…They fix everyone…"
Yuuki's eyes sharpened slightly at that.
"Repair ships, huh…"
He glanced back at the health center.
Then back at Yorktown.
"…If I can find them…"
A small pause.
"…I can integrate them into the system."
Yorktown blinked.
"…Integrate?"
Yuuki nodded.
"Combine their abilities with our technology."
He gestured toward the building.
"Turn this place into something more than just a hospital."
His voice steadied.
"A full recovery hub."
Yorktown's eyes widened slightly.
"…Then… even heavily damaged shipgirls…"
"Would have a much higher chance of recovery," Yuuki finished.
He looked out toward the sea.
"And if their abilities are as effective as you say…"
A faint smirk.
"…we might not even need that special bath system anymore."
Laffey tilted her head.
"…Stronger healing…?"
"Faster. Better. Scalable," Yuuki replied.
Then more quietly—
"…And safer."
Yorktown held her chest lightly.
"…Vestal… Akashi…"
For the first time in a long while—
Those names didn't feel like distant memories.
They felt like…
Targets to find.
Hope to restore.
Yuuki turned back to the interface.
"Add them to priority recovery list," he said.
JARVIS responded instantly.
"Marked, sir."
With the defensive network fully online, the pressure over the island finally lifted.
The massive Zeus Battleship, which had been hovering as the primary deterrent, powered down its combat posture. For the first time since arrival, it could remain at ease—protected not by its own strength alone, but by a layered system of defenses.
Three Shield Generators activated in sequence, their energy fields expanding until they merged into a single, seamless dome. From the outside, it was nearly invisible—yet beneath the surface, it was an impenetrable barrier capable of absorbing overwhelming force.
Then came the Gap Generators.
Invisible to the naked eye, but devastating to surveillance systems.
Satellite feeds were distorted. Visual data became unreliable. To any observer, the island simply… didn't exist in any meaningful way. At best, it appeared as corrupted noise.
Finally, the Signal Inhibitors completed the system.
No long-range targeting.
No coordinate locking.
No precision strikes.
Anyone attempting to attack from afar would be firing blind.
Yorktown slowly exhaled as she realized what that meant.
"…They can't see us… can't target us… and can't break through…"
Layered defense.
Total concealment.
Absolute denial.
And that was just the beginning.
On the eastern side of the island, the Support Crawler had completed construction of a full-scale airbase.
Runways stretched across the coastline.
Hangars stood ready.
Maintenance bays operated at full efficiency.
Inside them—
Squadrons of Orca strike aircraft and Firehawk fighters sat on standby, fully armed and awaiting deployment.
Above, the Zeus Battleship and Kodiak-class vessels gradually descended, no longer needing to remain airborne at all times. Swarms of drones immediately moved in, performing maintenance, repairs, and resupply with mechanical precision.
Even the Archangel repair crafts settled into position, linking directly with the base systems.
And among the drones—
The Manjuus.
Yorktown watched in disbelief as the small, chirping creatures moved alongside advanced machines, carrying tools, assisting repairs, even coordinating tasks.
"…They learn… fast…"
Yuuki gave a small shrug.
"Faster than most humans."
Despite everything that had been built—
The island still had vast open space.
Empty land.
Untouched potential.
Yorktown looked across it all.
The defenses.
The airfields.
The fleets.
The infrastructure.
Then back at Yuuki.
"…This is only five days…"
Her voice carried quiet disbelief.
Yuuki didn't deny it.
"This is just phase one."
He looked out across the remaining space.
"…We're not done yet."
A pause.
"Not even close."
Yuuki smirked as he looked across the now-cleared expanse of land.
Perfect.
The foundation was ready.
Up above, Eva had already marked the drop point. The nanocore—containing his grand fortress—was waiting in orbit. All that remained was deployment… and once it unpacked, this island would transform again.
Into something far greater.
For now—
He exhaled and lay back on the grass, letting the holographic interface fade away.
"…So much to do."
Yorktown and Laffey quietly sat beside him. Laffey, as usual, wasted no time and gently leaned into him, snuggling against his side like a cat that had found its place.
Yorktown glanced at him.
"You're… surprisingly relaxed."
Yuuki didn't open his eyes.
"If I panic, nothing gets done."
A small pause.
Yorktown's lips curved faintly.
"…No wonder my sister took a liking to you."
Yuuki cracked one eye open.
"What about you?"
Yorktown hesitated.
Then looked away slightly.
"…It's alright if you don't remember me…"
Yuuki raised a brow.
"You expect me to forget my first shipgirl?"
That caught her off guard.
She blinked.
"…I…"
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
Then, quieter—
"…Can I believe in you, Commander?"
A pause.
"…No… can I believe in myself this time…?"
Her fingers tightened slightly on her sleeve.
"I want… to try…"
Yuuki smiled faintly.
"Then trust your heart."
Simple.
Direct.
Enough.
Yorktown lowered her gaze, but this time—
She didn't look uncertain.
She looked… resolved.
Yuuki closed his eyes again.
For a moment—
Everything was quiet.
Wind.
Grass.
Warmth.
Then—
"…Please…"
His eyes snapped open.
"…we are HMS Belfast… HMS Illustrious…"
The voices were faint—
But clear.
"…Please aid us…"
Yuuki immediately sat up.
"What the—"
"Commander?" Yorktown turned to him.
Yuuki's expression sharpened.
"HMS Belfast… HMS Illustrious…"
He looked at her.
"Do you know those names?"
Yorktown's eyes widened.
"…Lady Belfast… Lady Illustrious…"
Her voice grew tense.
"They're Royal Navy… our allies."
A pause.
"…Why are you asking?"
Yuuki didn't hesitate.
"I heard them."
Silence.
"…You heard… them?" Yorktown whispered.
Yuuki nodded slowly.
"They're calling for help."
Laffey lifted her head slightly.
"…Signal…?"
Yuuki's gaze turned toward the horizon.
"…No."
A pause.
"…Something deeper."
He clenched his hand slightly.
"The void."
Yorktown's breath caught.
"…Then… your voice…"
Yuuki stood up.
"…reached them."
And now—
They were answering.
His expression hardened.
"They're alive."
A beat.
"And they're in trouble."
Yorktown stood immediately.
"Commander—"
Yuuki was already moving.
The moment his feet hit solid ground, the holographic interface burst to life in front of him—layers of data unfolding across the island map. But this time, he wasn't relying purely on sensors.
He closed his eyes for a brief second.
Focused.
Then—
He reached for that same feeling.
The faint echo.
The call.
"…There."
His hand moved sharply.
A vector line shot across the map—pointing west.
JARVIS responded instantly.
"Cross-referencing with orbital scans… aligning Ion Cannon satellite grid."
Above the atmosphere, the satellites shifted into position. Streams of data began pouring in—thermal readings, energy signatures, movement patterns.
Then—
Yuuki's eyes snapped open.
"…Got you."
The projection expanded.
A small island appeared on the hologram.
But it wasn't empty.
Yorktown stepped closer—and froze.
"…Siren occupation…"
The island was crawling with activity.
Gun emplacements.
Patrol units.
Docked vessels.
And at the center—
A fortified structure.
"Heavily armed," JARVIS confirmed. "Multiple defensive layers. High-density Siren presence."
Yuuki's gaze didn't waver.
"They're there."
Yorktown's voice tightened.
"…You're sure?"
Yuuki nodded once.
"The signal… it came from this direction."
He pointed directly at the island.
"And now the data matches."
Laffey's expression sharpened.
"…Enemy base…"
"Not just a base," Yuuki said.
"A holding site."
A pause.
"For captured shipgirls."
Silence.
The air shifted.
Yorktown clenched her fists.
"…Belfast… Illustrious…"
Yuuki zoomed in further.
Energy readings flickered across the structure.
"…Containment signatures," JARVIS added. "Possible prison units."
That was enough.
Yuuki straightened.
"Alright."
His tone changed completely.
From analysis—
To action.
"Mission objective: extraction."
He began issuing commands without hesitation.
"Kodiaks—prepare for three point strike."
"Zeus—standby for chronoshift."
"Archangels—prepare rapid-response repair units."
"JARVIS, arm a dozen Firehawks for air superiority and another dozen for bombing run. Arm the Orcas as well."
"They are on standby, shields are armed as well."
Yorktown looked at him.
"…You're going now?"
Yuuki smirked faintly.
"They asked for help."
A beat.
"I'm answering. I promised them. I promised Hornet."
He turned back to the interface.
"Deploy strike package."
Laffey stepped forward slightly.
"…Laffey wants to go too…"
Yorktown followed.
"…So do I."
Yuuki glanced at them both.
Then nodded.
"Good."
A pause.
"Let's go pick up some friends."
And just like that—
The quiet base shifted into motion.
Because somewhere out there—
Two voices had reached him.
And Yuuki—
Was not the kind of man who ignored a call for help when it came from his two future staff members.