Kaguya dominated the battlefield the moment she fully engaged.
Her moonlit aircraft formations swarmed around the Hunter-class Rapture relentlessly.
Bombs rained down continuously.
Heavy naval cannons fired in coordinated barrages.
Purple magical explosions erupted across the giant machine's armor repeatedly.
The gigantic Hunter staggered again and again beneath the overwhelming assault.
Yet—
It still refused to fall.
Even after losing massive sections of armor.
Even after repeated bombardment from the Daedalus fleet.
The creature kept forcing itself upright.
Meanwhile—
Everyone else concentrated firepower onto it simultaneously.
The T-740 unleashed another main cannon shot.
BOOOOOOM.
Neon practically screamed happily inside the cockpit.
"TAKE THAT."
The three Goliaths opened fire together afterward.
Swarm missiles.
Rocket barrages.
Minigun fire.
Javelin and Cocoa's Pitbulls circled around the giant target launching missiles into weakened armor sections.
Above—
The sniper team hammered it continuously.
Ramjet rifle shots pierced exposed joints.
Rocket launchers detonated across its legs.
Atago and Takao moved between rooftops while maintaining suppressive bombardment.
Meanwhile—
The Daedalus continued firing from overhead.
Railguns.
Missiles.
Orca bombing runs.
Even Firehawks strafed the gigantic machine repeatedly.
And gradually—
The battlefield itself began changing.
Sirens across the surrounding seas started retreating.
One after another—
Enemy warships disengaged and vanished into the distance.
Rapture portals throughout the island destabilized next.
Then stopped opening entirely.
Rapi immediately noticed.
"Commander."
"Enemy reinforcement portals have ceased activity."
Yorktown narrowed her eyes.
"…They're withdrawing."
Yet despite that—
The Hunter still kept standing.
Massive damaged limbs twitched violently.
Broken armor plates hung from its body.
Entire sections burned from bombardment.
But every time it collapsed—
The machine forced itself upright again.
Like pure hatred alone kept it functioning.
Even Kaguya finally looked mildly impressed.
"My…"
"This creature possesseth remarkable persistence."
Yuuki quietly watched the Hunter regenerate damaged sections using black nanite matter.
Then sighed softly.
"…Yeah."
"That explains why fifty Nikkes were needed."
The Hunter suddenly roared mechanically again.
Its remaining tentacles slammed into nearby buildings while corrupted energy gathered within its core.
Even heavily damaged—
It was still dangerous.
Still trying to destroy the city.
Still refusing to die.
The Hunter-class Rapture continued dragging itself forward despite the relentless bombardment.
Burning armor hung from its frame.
Several limbs were barely functioning.
Yet the giant machine still refused to collapse.
Yuuki quietly watched it regenerate damaged sections again using black nanite matter.
Then softly sighed.
"You know what…"
"…Let's do this instead."
Several girls immediately looked toward him.
Then—
Yuuki pulled out another weapon.
A strange launcher-like firearm unlike anything most of them had seen before.
Compact.
Heavy.
Dangerously overbuilt.
Even Kaguya's fox ears twitched slightly seeing it.
Yuuki calmly rotated the weapon once.
"I didn't want to use this near the city."
Then honestly—
"Because of how absurdly powerful it is."
Neon immediately exited the T-740 at record speed.
"COMMANDER."
She practically teleported beside him.
"Anything you need?"
Yuuki handed the weapon toward her.
"Use this."
Neon stared at it reverently.
"…What IS this?"
Then excitedly—
"Some kind of ultra-super laser cannon?!"
The others nearby immediately focused on the weapon too.
Even Rapi looked cautious now.
Yuuki calmly pulled out a small grenade-like round afterward.
And honestly—
It looked underwhelming.
Javelin blinked.
"…That tiny thing?"
"Commander…"
"I don't think that's enough to kill it."
Then—
Yuuki casually rotated the round.
Revealing the marking beneath it.
A nuclear insignia.
Complete silence followed.
Neon's eyes widened instantly.
Then—
"…No."
She pointed dramatically.
"No no NO."
"THIS IS A NUCLEAR GRENADE?!"
Yuuki casually nodded.
"Yup."
Then calmly—
"Low-yield tactical nuclear projectile."
"Radiationless."
"…Still extremely destructive."
Several girls immediately stared at him in horror.
Anis nearly screamed through comms.
"YOU JUST HAD THAT IN YOUR INVENTORY THIS WHOLE TIME?!"
Yuuki ignored her completely.
Instead—
He detached the TAC Gun barrel smoothly before loading the nuclear round into place.
CLACK.
Then handed it fully toward Neon.
"Now."
"Aim high."
Neon visibly trembled.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
Her eyes practically glowed.
"…Commander."
"…You understand me."
Then—
She raised the TAC Gun toward the gigantic Hunter-class Rapture in the distance.
The others instinctively backed away slightly.
Even Kaguya quietly observed with curiosity now.
Yuuki calmly pointed upward.
"Fire."
Neon immediately pulled the trigger.
THOOMP.
The projectile launched with a surprisingly small sound.
A tiny glowing round streaked across the battlefield toward the Hunter.
Then—
Yuuki quietly spoke.
"…Everyone might want to cover their ears."
The projectile impacted.
For one brief second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The world exploded.
A gigantic sphere of fire and light engulfed the Hunter instantly.
The resulting shockwave slammed across the island violently.
Buildings shook.
Windows shattered.
The sea itself rippled outward from the blast.
Even the Daedalus overhead visibly trembled from the pressure wave.
A massive mushroom-shaped explosion rose into the skies.
And at the center—
The Hunter-class Rapture simply broke as it slammed on the shore.
The battlefield fell silent afterward.
Smoke and burning debris slowly drifted through the air.
Meanwhile—
Neon stood there emotionally fulfilled beyond reason.
Then finally—
She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"FIIIIIIIIIIIIREPOWERRRRRRR!!!"
The battlefield remained engulfed in smoke and fire after the tactical nuclear detonation.
Everyone stared toward the coastline expecting the Hunter to finally be gone.
For several seconds—
Nothing moved.
Neon looked spiritually fulfilled holding the TAC Gun.
"…That."
She sniffed dramatically.
"…was beautiful."
Then—
The ocean shifted.
Metallic grinding sounds echoed from beneath the water.
Yuuki's visor immediately locked onto movement.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Slowly—
The Hunter began rising again.
Its shattered frame dragged itself upward from the burning shoreline while black nanites reassembled armor plating piece by piece.
Damaged tentacles twitched violently.
Broken limbs regenerated.
Even after a tactical nuclear strike—
The giant machine still refused to die.
"This thing is REALLY tough," Yuuki muttered.
Then calmly reached for another nuclear round.
Beside him—
Neon visibly lit up again.
"WE GET TO DO IT TWICE?!"
Meanwhile—
Before Yuuki could reload—
Vergil's voice suddenly entered the comms.
"…I suppose I can take over from here."
Several girls immediately froze.
Then—
The skies darkened unnaturally.
Clouds gathered above the battlefield.
Rain slowly began falling across the island.
And around the Hunter—
Debris started floating upward.
Blue ionized particles formed throughout the atmosphere.
Rapi immediately widened her eyes.
"…No way."
Anis looked horrified.
"DON'T TELL ME—"
Even Yuuki stopped moving.
Because he recognized exactly what was happening.
Far above the atmosphere—
Something enormous had aligned itself.
Then—
Without warning—
An immense blue beam formed in the heavens.
The world itself lit up.
And the next second—
VVVVVVVVVVVVRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMM.
An ionized laser descended from orbit.
Directly onto the Hunter.
The beam completely ionised the coastline.
The sea exploded instantly around the impact zone.
The gigantic Hunter-class Rapture didn't even have time to react.
Its body disintegrated beneath overwhelming orbital firepower.
Armor.
Nanites.
Tentacles.
Everything vanished inside the gigantic pillar of ionized destruction leaving behind a husk of mechanised metal.
The beam lasted only seconds.
Then disappeared.
Leaving behind only molten shoreline, ionized air and rising steam.
Complete silence followed afterward.
Rain continued falling softly across the battlefield.
Meanwhile—
Inside the Philadelphia—
Vergil casually adjusted his glasses.
"One percent output was sufficient."
Back on the island—
Anis sounded spiritually shaken.
"…Holy crap."
"That nearly scared my armor off."
Even Kaguya quietly stared toward the smoking coastline.
For the first time since arriving—
She looked genuinely surprised.
"…An orbital heavenly spear…"
"…Most impressive."
Meanwhile—
Yuuki simply sighed while watching the remaining steam rise into the skies.
"Honestly…"
"…I never get tired of seeing the Ion Cannon fire."
The island fell completely silent.
Rain continued pouring softly across the battlefield while steam rose from the coastline where the Hunter once stood.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Because everyone present had just witnessed something beyond comprehension.
An orbital laser.
A divine pillar of destruction descending from the heavens themselves.
Even the civilians emerging cautiously from shelters stared toward the burning shoreline in stunned silence.
To them—
It looked like judgment from the gods.
Meanwhile—
Across the battlefield—
The remaining Raptures abruptly stopped attacking.
Several surviving units simply froze before retreating toward the sea.
The Sirens did the same.
Enemy warships disengaged.
Aerial units withdrew.
Portal signatures vanished completely.
And gradually—
All firing across the island ceased.
The thunder of battle finally faded away.
No more missiles.
No more artillery.
Only rain.
Then—
Without warning—
Several Chronocopters descended toward the remains of the Hunter-class Rapture.
Yuuki immediately recognized the situation.
"…Seriously?"
Despite the orbital strike utterly annihilating the giant monster—
Parts of it still remained.
Several armor sections.
Four massive legs.
Fragments of the core structure.
And worst of all—
The black nanites still twitched.
Still regenerating.
Even dead—
The Hunter was trying to rebuild itself.
The Chronocopters immediately activated chrono containment systems around the remains.
Mechanical claws locked onto the surviving pieces while freezing beams stabilized the regeneration process.
Then Vergil's excited voice echoed through comms.
"Come on come on come on."
"Fresh samples."
"FRESH samples."
Yuuki visibly sighed beneath the visor.
"Come on, man…"
Meanwhile—
Inside the Philadelphia—
Vergil looked completely unashamed.
Researchers all around him were already preparing containment chambers at maximum speed.
"This is a Hunter-class bio-mechanical siege unit."
"We are NOT wasting this opportunity."
One researcher nervously pointed at the screen.
"Sir…"
"…It's still regenerating after an orbital laser strike."
Vergil immediately looked more interested instead of less.
"EXACTLY."
Back on the island—
The Chronocopters finally succeeded in chrono-transporting the remaining Hunter fragments away.
The gigantic legs vanished one after another into containment storage alongside the main body.
Yuuki watched the process quietly before shaking his head.
"…Vergil is absolutely becoming worse."
Anis laughed weakly.
"He sounds like a raccoon finding treasure."
Neon immediately protested.
"No."
"He sounds like ME finding treasure."
"…Fair point," Rapi admitted.
Meanwhile—
Kaguya quietly floated beside Yuuki beneath the rain.
Her ten fox tails swayed gently behind her while moonlit aircraft slowly returned toward her rigging.
Then softly—
"Thy companion…"
"…possesseth a peculiar spirit."
Yuuki immediately answered.
"You have no idea."
Kaguya gently descended onto the coastal grounds beneath the falling rain.
The moment her feet touched the stone—
Her massive riggings dissolved into particles of violet light before disappearing completely behind her parasol.
Only the elegant fox woman remained.
Ten tails swaying softly behind her.
And immediately—
Several shipgirls moved closer.
Not openly hostile.
But definitely cautious.
Because despite the warmth connecting their hearts to Yuuki—
They were still very aware this mysterious woman had appeared calling herself his wife.
Yorktown quietly crossed her arms.
"…Still."
"A shipgirl that can actually fly…"
Kaguya softly smiled.
"Yes."
"We Special Priority vessels utilizeth magic to achieve true aerial movement."
Atago visibly looked impressed.
"That's honestly unfair."
"Very unfair," Takao quietly agreed.
Even Enterprise glanced upward thoughtfully.
"…Magic-enhanced aviation capability…"
Meanwhile—
Yorktown sighed lightly.
"Here we are needing aircraft carriers and support platforms…"
Then glancing at Kaguya—
"And she just floats."
Kaguya tilted her head innocently.
"Wouldst thou also desire fluffy tails and magical flight?"
Yorktown immediately looked away.
"…No comment."
Kaguya's fox ears and ten tails slowly dissolved into violet particles before disappearing completely.
Returning her appearance to a perfectly elegant human form.
Even that alone impressed the others.
Because Sakura kansen normally couldn't alter their animal traits so freely.
Takao quietly observed her afterward.
"…Complete spiritual concealment."
Akagi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…That's advanced."
Kaguya softly smiled while twirling her parasol.
"Special Priority vessels possesseth somewhat different capabilities."
Meanwhile—
Around the island—
The battle finally ended completely.
Firehawks and Orcas returned toward their respective carriers and Zeus platforms.
The skies gradually cleared as the combat squadrons disappeared back into hangars.
Kodiak battleships powered down their main batteries.
Zeus Platforms shifted into passive defense formation.
Wales and Avrora calmly configured automated defensive patrol protocols around the island perimeter.
Akagi reluctantly recalled the remaining bomber squadrons.
Though she visibly still looked like she wanted to use several of them against a certain purple-haired fox.
Kaga quietly placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Not now."
Meanwhile—
San Diego and Eldridge finally stood down from combat operations too.
The Daedalus slowly transitioned from wartime posture into support mode while civilians continued returning to the surface.
Repair drones still floated through the skies helping rebuild damaged sections of the city.
And amid all of it—
Yuuki quietly looked toward Kaguya again.
"Still…"
"I'm honestly shocked there's such a thing as a Special Priority Ship."
Kaguya gently folded her parasol.
"It was highly classified, Danna-sama."
Then softly—
"The Special Priority project was developed in secret within the Sakura Empire."
"Unlike standard Priority vessels…"
"…we were fused with arcane forces."
She lightly raised one hand afterward.
Purple moonlight shimmered briefly around her fingers.
"Priority Ships alone were already powerful enough to rival Sirens."
"But Special Priority vessels…"
Her eyes softened slightly.
"…were created to surpass even that."
Then quieter—
"I believe more of us were successfully created."
A small pause followed.
Then—
"…I may still have sisters somewhere in this world."
For the first time—
Kaguya sounded genuinely uncertain.
Lonely even.
Yuuki quietly stepped closer afterward.
Then gently patted her head.
"We'll find them if they're out there."
His tone remained calm.
"But I promise we'll look."
Kaguya visibly softened instantly beneath the headpat.
Then smiling warmly—
"A caring husband is all a proper wife could desire."
"Ehem."
Atago immediately coughed loudly nearby.
"There are already allies from the same empire present here as well, Kaguya-san."
Kaguya tilted her head innocently.
"So long as we establish correctly that this one is the wife."
Atago's smile visibly twitched.
"Kii…"
"It appears onee-san may need to discipline a certain little fox."
Kaguya immediately countered smoothly.
"Perhaps 'obaa-san' would be more appropriate."
Atago froze.
"KII!"
"Atago-nee....."
Even Takao sighs.
Meanwhile—
Yuuki quietly sweatdropped watching the Sakura girls immediately descend into territorial warfare.
"…Why are all of you like this?"
Then—
Eugen casually wrapped herself around his arm afterward before pulling him away slightly.
"Come along, teddy bear."
She smiled smugly toward the others.
"You shouldn't stay too close to overly dangerous foxes and wolves."
"HEY!" Atago and Kaguya immediately protested together.
The other shipgirls and Nikkes collectively sighed.
Meanwhile—
Anis leaned against the lamppost watching the entire disaster unfold.
"…Commander's life is doomed."
Rapi quietly nodded.
"…Completely doomed."
Even Belfast softly closed her eyes.
"Master certainly attracted lively individuals."
Meanwhile—
Across the island—
Repair drones descended from the Daedalus.
Hundreds of them.
The small machines spread throughout the ruined city before activating reconstruction beams.
Blue repair light swept across damaged buildings.
Collapsed walls rebuilt themselves.
Destroyed roads reformed.
Broken structures repaired gradually like time itself was reversing.
The civilians watching could only stare in disbelief.
"…It's like magic…"
Akashi immediately puffed her chest proudly nearby.
"Nya! GDI technology is amazing, nya!"
Soon afterward—
Yuuki gathered everyone near the castle after storing away the heavier weapons and vehicles back into dimensional inventory.
The battlefield had finally calmed.
Esche softly floated beside Yuuki afterward before landing gently on his shoulder again.
The tiny fairy radiated warm golden light against the rainy evening skies.
Kaguya immediately widened her eyes seeing her.
"…A fairy spirit."
Then quietly—
"And one of considerable purity…"
Esche proudly crossed her tiny arms.
"I have chosen a worthy wielder for mine next bearer."
Kaguya slowly looked toward Yuuki again afterward.
Then softly smiled.
"…Truly?"
"…Thou art more extraordinary than expected, Danna-sama."
Nearby—
Nayuta quietly observed the scene with amusement.
Then gently smiled beneath her hat.
"Ah…"
"This humble one shall continue following thee, O Great Hero."
Then softly—
"Thou hast granted unto this one more excitement in mere days than decades wandering alone."
Yuuki rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"…Glad you're enjoying yourself?"
Then—
Eugen casually stepped closer before smiling mischievously.
"Ah, teddy bear…"
"…Would you mind holding me?"
Immediately—
Yorktown disengaged her helmet before calmly wrapping one arm around Yuuki's opposite side first.
The carrier smiled beautifully.
"…Eugen."
"…Perhaps we should discuss this."
Eugen looked completely unbothered.
"Ah?"
"About officially establishing me as his wife?"
Several girls immediately reacted again.
Meanwhile—
Kaguya gently stepped forward afterward while elegantly holding her parasol.
Then with absolute confidence—
"Thou misunderstandeth, dear companion."
One of her fox tails curled slightly behind Yuuki possessively.
"This one's husband already belongeth unto me."
Complete silence followed.
Then—
Several women began smiling.
Dangerously.
Yorktown's smile became calmer.
Which somehow made it scarier.
Even Belfast adjusted her armored gloves politely.
Meanwhile—
Yuuki stood directly in the middle of all of it.
Surrounded by shipgirls.
Nikkes.
Fox wives.
Future fiancées.
And emotionally dangerous women.
Then softly—
He looked toward the others.
"…Please help me."
Anis immediately laughed so hard she nearly fell over.
"Nope."
"You caused this."
Rapi quietly nodded.
"…You're on your own, Commander. We can have our turn later."
Even Hipper looked amused now.
"…Good luck, Herr Kommandant."
The island was safe.
Then—
A large Orca EX transport descended from the skies.
Its engines roared softly before the rear hatch opened.
"Shikikan-sama~~~!"
Akagi immediately rushed out first at dangerous speed toward Yuuki before ramming him full speed.
Behind her—
Kaga stepped down more calmly alongside Wales, Avrora, San Diego, and Eldridge.
Even after an entire battle—
Akagi still looked more focused on Yuuki than the war itself.
Meanwhile—
Eldridge slowly floated toward him with both arms raised.
"Hug."
Yuuki immediately caught the small destroyer gently before she attached herself onto him like a sleepy cat and Akagi on the other arm.
"Ah…"
Akagi's eyes narrowed immediately toward Kaguya.
"So you're the newest pest Shikikan-sama recruited."
The atmosphere instantly became dangerous again.
Meanwhile—
Kaguya calmly smiled behind her parasol.
"A fellow fox, I see."
Then glancing toward Yuuki possessively—
"Husband certainly possesseth refined taste."
Akagi's tails immediately puffed aggressively.
"You mean Shikikan-sama."
"Husband-sama for this one."
Kaguya's fox ears and ten tails materialized again proudly behind her.
Then deliberately—
"It seemeth he preferreth superior foxes over outdated models."
Silence.
Then—
"KIIIII—"
Akagi immediately pointed accusingly.
"This VIXEN!"
Kaguya tilted her head elegantly.
"Ara…"
"Perhaps thou art the vixen instead?"
Akagi nearly launched herself forward.
"SHIKIKAN-SAMA."
"PLEASE allow me to scratch her face."
Before the situation escalated—
Yuuki immediately stepped between them.
Then without hesitation—
He grabbed both Akagi and Kaguya directly by their fox ears.
Instantly—
"NYAA~~~"
Both fox women completely melted.
Every ounce of aggression vanished immediately.
The entire room froze.
Because the sight was absurd.
Two overwhelmingly dangerous fox women—
Instantly neutralized through ear grabbing.
Yuuki sighed like a tired owner disciplining troublesome pets.
"Sit."
Then firmly—
"Bad foxes."
Both women visibly softened completely.
"Hai~"
"We're sorry."
Even their tails drooped slightly afterward.
The others stared speechlessly.
Anis blinked.
"…That actually worked."
Neon pointed dramatically.
"Commander discovered the anti-fox strategy."
Even Takao quietly looked disturbed.
"…Remarkably effective."
Meanwhile—
Kaguya still looked completely pleased despite being disciplined.
"Perhaps…"
She softly leaned into Yuuki's hand slightly.
"…thou possesseth suitable methods for handling thy wife."
Then smiling—
"This one approveth."
Yuuki immediately looked exhausted again.
"…Please stop encouraging this."
Nearby—
Kaga calmly approached afterward before bowing respectfully toward Kaguya.
"Kaguya-sama."
"Kaga desu."
"It is a pleasure meeting you."
Kaguya immediately smiled more gently toward her.
"Ah."
"A refined younger sister."
Then glancing toward Akagi—
"Far better mannered than the elder one."
"KIIIII—"
Akagi immediately growled again.
Only for Yuuki to pinch her fox ear slightly harder.
"NYAA…"
She melted instantly for the second time.
Even Kaga quietly looked away afterward.
"…Onee-sama truly is weak against Commander."
"…Mission complete," Eldridge quietly murmured.
Yuuki softly smiled.
"Yeah."
"You did good."
Nearby—
San Diego dramatically stretched afterward.
"That was AWESOME."
"Big laser."
"Big explosions."
"Big zap."
Then proudly—
"And Sandy shot down a LOT of stuff."
Wales meanwhile calmly approached.
"The island is secured, Commander."
Avrora softly smiled beside her.
"You led this operation splendidly, Beloved."
Then—
The entire gathered group slowly looked around the castle courtyard together.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
A fairy.
A monk.
A magical fox super-shipgirl.
And at the center of all of it—
Yuuki.
The man who somehow united them all in barely two weeks.
"We're back, nyaa~~!"
Akashi finally returned alongside Vestal after finishing emergency treatment operations throughout the island.
The moment Yuuki became visible—
The Bulin sisters immediately rushed toward him at full speed.
"Buli hug!"
"Commander hug!"
Yuuki barely had time to react before several tiny support units latched onto him simultaneously.
Eldridge still floated quietly in his arms during the entire event.
"…More warm."
Vestal softly sighed seeing the scene.
"At least morale recovered quickly."
Despite the successful defense—
The battlefield still left scars.
Some civilians had died.
Some families had losses they could never recover from.
Even with GDI intervention—
Not everyone could be saved.
But at the very least—
The island itself survived.
The city had been rebuilt almost completely thanks to the repair drones.
And now that the Sacred Tree no longer belonged to the royal family—
The island's entire future had fundamentally changed.
Meanwhile—
Anis immediately collapsed onto one of the royal couches inside the castle halls.
"Man…"
"That was exhausting."
She stretched dramatically afterward.
"I fought giant monsters."
"Used missile launchers."
"Watched orbital lasers."
"And survived Commander's accidental romance disaster."
Then pointing toward Yuuki—
"That last one was the scariest."
Several girls immediately agreed.
"…True," Rapi admitted quietly.
The king himself had personally offered the entire GDI group temporary residence within the castle for the night.
Mostly because nobody on the island had any idea how to properly thank the people who literally saved their civilization in a single day.
Outside—
The island slowly returned to life again.
Civilians cautiously emerged from shelters.
Families reunited.
Emergency crews worked through damaged districts.
And all across the ports and coastlines—
People stared upward toward the sky in awe.
Toward the gigantic shadow still floating above them.
The Daedalus.
Even farther offshore—
The Zeus Platforms and Kodiak battleships remained stationed protectively around the island perimeter.
Massive war machines silently guarding the kingdom.
Children pointed excitedly toward them.
Adults whispered among themselves.
Because no one on the island had ever seen technology remotely close to this level before.
Meanwhile—
Inside the castle—
The gathered shipgirls and Nikkes finally began relaxing slightly after the battle.
Weapons stored.
Armor disengaged.
Combat tension fading.
And quietly—
Yuuki looked around the room afterward.
At everyone laughing.
Talking.
Teasing each other.
Alive.
Then softly smiled to himself.
Because despite all the chaos—
The operation succeeded.
With the battle finally over and the tension fading—
The atmosphere inside the castle slowly became livelier.
Anis remained sprawled lazily across the royal couch.
Neon enthusiastically explained the tactical nuclear launcher to anyone willing to listen.
Rapi quietly stood beside Yuuki as usual.
Then somehow—
Without anyone noticing exactly when it happened—
The three Nikkes had collectively occupied the space around him completely.
Rapi stood at his side calmly.
Anis leaned against the couch close enough to casually rest against him whenever she wanted.
And Neon had somehow claimed the seat directly beside him while proudly showing him weapon statistics from the T-740.
The shipgirls gradually began noticing it.
"…Commander."
Yorktown narrowed her eyes slightly.
"You seem rather occupied."
Enterprise quietly observed the arrangement too.
"…Efficient territorial behavior."
Akagi visibly twitched.
Meanwhile—
The Nikkes themselves didn't seem remotely subtle about it anymore.
Especially after the emotional connection they now shared with Yuuki.
The warmth inside their hearts only made them bolder.
More honest.
And unlike many of the shipgirls—
The Nikkes had spent years fighting for survival with very little emotional restraint left.
Which meant—
Once they accepted someone important—
They held on tightly.
Anis casually rested her head against Yuuki's shoulder afterward.
"What?"
"We almost died fighting giant biomechanical nightmares today."
"That earns us rights."
Rapi didn't disagree.
"…Reasonable."
Even Neon proudly nodded.
"Commander belongs to Team Firepower."
Several shipgirls immediately reacted.
"Excuse me?" Eugen smiled dangerously.
Akagi's tails puffed aggressively.
"Shikikan-sama belongs to everyone."
"Or specifically me."
"At minimum fifty percent me."
Yorktown calmly crossed her arms.
"I believe we should establish order before this escalates."
Meanwhile—
Hipper quietly watched the entire situation.
Then sighed.
"…Why does this already feel impossible to manage?"
Nayuta softly observed the growing chaos with amusement.
"Verily…"
"…the competition for thy affection groweth ever fiercer, O Great Hero."
Even Kaguya elegantly sat nearby while calmly drinking tea like none of this surprised her at all.
"This one already declared herself wife."
Then gently smiling toward the others—
"Thou art all merely arriving somewhat late."
Complete silence followed.
Then—
Every woman in the room looked at her simultaneously.
Yuuki immediately leaned back slightly.
"…This castle is becoming dangerous."
Kaguya smirked victoriously afterward before gracefully walking toward Yuuki.
Then—
To everyone's disbelief—
The elegant fox woman knelt directly before him.
Her ten tails slowly swayed behind her while she looked upward expectantly.
"Danna-sama…"
She softly lowered her parasol.
"Thou art surprisingly adept in the sacred art of ear rubbing."
Then gently tilting her head closer—
"Perhaps this wife might receive further affection?"
Yuuki visibly sighed.
"…How did my life become this?"
Still—
He reached down and gently rubbed her fox ears again.
Instantly—
Kaguya visibly melted.
"Ahhh…"
"This is indeed most pleasurable…"
Her tails fluffed happily behind her.
And naturally—
The other Sakura girls immediately reacted.
Akagi looked horrified.
"She's monopolizing Shikikan-sama!"
Without hesitation—
Akagi immediately sat beside Kaguya while dragging Kaga down with her.
"Shikikan-sama."
"I request equal treatment."
Kaga quietly accepted her fate.
"…Kaga also requests ear rubs."
Then—
Atago smiled dangerously before joining too.
"Well now…"
"Onee-san would hate feeling left out."
Takao silently sat beside her sister afterward.
"…This escalated quickly."
Soon—
Yuuki found himself surrounded by foxes and wolves demanding headpats and ear rubs.
Anis nearly died laughing watching the scene.
"Our Commander…"
"…reduced to a professional petting station."
Even Eugen looked amused.
"…Teddy bear adapts surprisingly well."
Meanwhile—
The king finally entered the castle hall afterward.
Despite the exhaustion visible on his face—
He deeply bowed toward Yuuki and the others.
"You have saved our kingdom."
"Please…"
"Allow us to host a celebration in your honor."
Yuuki gently shook his head.
"No need."
Then calmly—
"The island needs recovery more than parties right now."
His eyes briefly shifted toward the Sacred Tree mark on his hand.
"I already received enough."
The king quietly understood afterward.
Then respectfully bowed once more.
"…Thank you."
With the crisis finally over—
The entire group eventually returned toward the Daedalus for the night.
Massive hangars welcomed returning aircraft.
Repair drones moved throughout the carrier.
The atmosphere aboard the gigantic vessel gradually shifted from wartime readiness into exhausted relief.
Then suddenly—
"PARTY AT COMMANDER'S QUARTERS TONIGHT!"
Neon immediately shouted.
Anis instantly raised one hand from the seating zone of the Orca Ex.
"Honestly?"
"Not a bad idea."
To Yuuki's horror—
Everyone immediately agreed.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
Even Kaguya softly nodded.
"This wife approveth."
Nayuta smiled beneath her hat.
"Verily, celebration after glorious battle is fitting."
Esche floated happily nearby.
"This one wishes sweets."
Yuuki immediately realized something terrible.
"…I have absolutely no voting power here, do I?"
"Nope," Rapi answered instantly.
Then—
Before everyone dispersed—
Yuuki quietly looked toward the newest members gathered together.
Eugen.
Hipper.
Javelin.
Cocoa.
Nayuta.
Esche.
And finally—
Kaguya.
Then softly smiling—
"By the way…"
"Welcome to the Global Defense Initiative."
For a brief moment—
The teasing stopped.
And the newcomers quietly looked at him.
At the man who had crashed a kingdom.
Defeated monsters.
Protected civilians.
Accepted them without hesitation.
Then—
One by one—
They smiled back.
"The most powerful…" Anis proudly began while pointing dramatically around the massive carrier hangar.
Neon immediately continued before Yuuki could even react.
"…AND the most badass faction on this planet!"
Several girls laughed afterward.
Yuuki immediately pointed at them.
"Hey."
"I was going to say that."
"Too late, Commander."
For perhaps the first time all day—
Rapi openly smiled afterward.
A small one.
Soft.
But genuine.
And honestly—
That alone almost stunned Yuuki more than the orbital battle earlier.
Around them—
The Daedalus hangar buzzed quietly with life.
Repair drones returned to charging stations.
Firehawks and Orcas settled into maintenance bays.
Drones and automated systems worked across the massive carrier.
Meanwhile—
His people gathered together naturally.
Shipgirls talking with Nikkes.
Akashi and Vestal talking about stolen research samples.
Wales and Avrora talking about the firepower of the Kodiak Battleships.
The Bulins and Sandy chasing each other around the hangar.
Nimi, Laffey, Unicorn and Javelin talking to each other.
Ade, Soda showing Cocoa around.
Nayuta talking with other shipgirls.
Kaguya teasing Akagi and Atago again while Takao and Kaga accepted their fate.
Eugen clinging to his arm shamelessly.
Yorktown trying to restore order on the other joined by Belfast, Illustrious and Enterprise.
Eldridge latch on to him.
Anis, Rapi and Neon planning the "party."
Esche floating around searching for sweets.
And Yuuki—
Quietly looked at all of them.
Then smiled.
Because somehow—
In barely two weeks—
What started as a mission had become something much larger.
Not merely soldiers.
Not merely allies.
But a strange little family built from survivors, legends, disasters, and emotionally dangerous women.
And somehow—
It kept growing bigger every single day.
==========
The fleet remained stationed around the island for the rest of the day.
Kodiaks maintained perimeter defense.
Zeus Platforms monitored the surrounding seas.
Firehawk patrols occasionally crossed the skies to ensure neither Sirens nor Raptures returned unexpectedly.
Meanwhile—
Yuuki decided the island would not remain defenseless after his departure.
As compensation for taking the Sacred Tree—
He authorized construction of a Super Gap Generator on the island.
A massive GDI defensive structure on top of the mountain capable of generating advanced barrier fields far stronger and more stable than the old Sacred Tree barrier.
The king nearly looked emotional hearing it.
Because unlike Pierre—
Yuuki never intended to leave the island helpless. As long the island people promised to do better of he can shut off the generators remotely.
That alone made the king promised to make some changes to the laws.
Meanwhile—
Back aboard the Daedalus—
Before anyone was officially cleared for active deployment aboard the Daedalus—
Vestal insisted on complete medical and psychological evaluations first.
Especially for Eugen and Kaguya.
The two women were escorted toward the medical bay shortly after the celebrations ended.
The med bay itself resembled something between an advanced hospital and science-fiction laboratory.
Soft blue lighting.
Floating medical displays.
Automated scanners.
Regeneration chambers.
Even the air felt strangely calming.
Eugen quietly looked around the room while sitting atop one of the examination beds.
"…Herr Kommandant really lives inside a flying fortress."
Nearby—
Kaguya elegantly sat beneath her parasol while curiously observing the medical drones floating around them.
"This vessel possesseth technology rivaling divine craftsmanship."
Vestal softly smiled while preparing the scanners.
"We take healthcare very seriously here."
Then her tone became gentler.
"Especially mental healthcare."
That made Eugen quieter.
Because despite how composed she acted—
The years under Pierre's control still left scars.
Fear.
Stress.
Humiliation.
Memories she never wanted to revisit again.
Vestal slowly activated the neural support systems afterward.
Soft blue energy flowed around Eugen gently.
No forced memory deletion.
No emotional suppression.
Instead—
The systems carefully stabilized traumatic neural patterns while separating pain from function.
Allowing the memories to remain—
But no longer dominate her emotionally.
The process took time.
Throughout it—
Eugen remained unusually quiet.
Then eventually—
The scans finished.
The blue light faded.
Vestal softly removed the neural interface afterward.
"…How do you feel?"
Eugen blinked slowly.
Then—
For the first time in years—
Her chest no longer felt heavy.
The fear wasn't gone.
The memories still existed.
But they no longer controlled her.
No longer suffocated her thoughts.
She quietly exhaled.
"…Free."
Then suddenly—
Her face visibly cringed.
"…God."
"I actually agreed to marry Pierre."
The sheer secondhand embarrassment nearly killed her spiritually.
Even Vestal laughed softly.
"That reaction is honestly a good sign."
Meanwhile—
Kaguya underwent her own evaluation nearby.
Unlike Eugen—
She carried no deep trauma.
No abuse.
No emotional suppression.
But years of isolation and responsibility had still affected her mind subtly.
Especially remaining alone on the island for so long.
The medical scans quietly strengthened her neural stability further while helping balance the magical and emotional energies within her body.
Once completed—
Kaguya gently opened her eyes again.
Then softly smiled.
"…My mind feeleth clearer."
Vestal reviewed the results afterward.
"No psychological corruption."
"No instability."
Then honestly—
"Your mental resilience is absurdly high."
Kaguya softly laughed behind her sleeve.
"This one spent many years guarding an island alone."
Then gently—
"Loneliness either breaketh the mind…"
"…or strengtheneth it."
Once both women were officially cleared—
They left the med bay together.
And strangely—
Both genuinely felt lighter afterward.
Eugen no longer chained emotionally by her past.
Kaguya mentally sharper than ever.
For perhaps the first time in a very long while—
Neither woman felt trapped by where they came from anymore.
===========
Anis, Rapi, and Neon absolutely had not been joking.
They genuinely organized a party inside Yuuki's command quarters.
And somehow—
The entire room transformed.
Rows of food covered long tables.
Lighting dimmed warmly.
Music quietly played in the background.
Even the atmosphere aboard the carrier felt lighter than before.
Most of the girls had freshened up and changed clothes after the battle.
The dresses Magellan previously provided finally got used properly.
Yorktown looked elegant in deep blue.
Enterprise somehow still looked cool even in formalwear.
Illustrious appeared perfectly natural in a luxurious dress.
Even Rapi and Anis wore theirs surprisingly well.
Though Anis kept complaining about "fancy clothing restrictions."
Neon meanwhile looked overly excited just being there.
The newer girls dressed according to their own preferences instead.
Javelin wore something cute and modest.
Hipper chose practical elegance.
Eugen somehow picked a dress specifically designed to emotionally attack Yuuki.
Kaguya's moon-themed attire remained beautiful enough already that almost nobody questioned it.
And amid all the noise—
Esche quietly flew toward Yuuki again after she enjoyed fruit sweets.
The tiny fairy landed gently near his shoulder.
"This one thanketh thee…"
"…for allowing me to follow beside thee, O Great Hero."
Yuuki softly smiled.
"Well…"
"I'll make sure you have a proper home once the Citadel is fully built."
Then thoughtfully—
"I can probably place you near my personal residence."
"And I'll take good care of your tree."
Esche's small expression softened warmly afterward.
Then quietly—
"Telperion."
Yuuki blinked.
"…What?"
"The Sacred Tree's true name."
The tiny fairy gently looked toward the potted silver tree nearby.
"Telperion."
"My tree."
Then softly—
"For fairies to bestow both their name and their tree…"
"…meaneth we have judged thy heart exceedingly enlightened."
Yuuki rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"…That sounds like a lot of pressure."
Esche giggled softly.
Then—
Her expression became slightly more serious.
"I possesseth a sister."
Yuuki immediately focused.
"…Another fairy?"
Esche nodded.
"Not far from this island."
Then quietly—
"She guardeth the Golden Tree Laurelin."
"Her own name is Oberis."
Kaguya's eyes slightly widened hearing the names.
Even Nayuta looked thoughtful.
Esche continued softly.
"Long ago…"
"Our lands were once part of a singular massive island."
"But the shifting of the earth separated us."
Then gently looking upward at Yuuki—
"Would it be possible…"
"…for thee to retrieve her as well?"
Yuuki considered it briefly.
"Is she protecting another kingdom?"
"Uncertain."
Esche shook her head slightly.
"But I can sense civilization there."
Then softly—
"Perhaps thou may discover more Nikkes…"
"…or shipgirls."
Immediately—
Several girls nearby visibly reacted to that possibility.
Anis grinned.
"Well."
"That's basically Commander bait now."
Neon immediately nodded.
"We're definitely going."
Even Akagi looked interested now.
Meanwhile—
Yuuki softly smiled toward Esche.
"…Worth a shot."
Yuuki quietly looked toward the door afterward.
"…I'm going to step out for a minute before this room becomes even more dangerous."
He had barely taken one step.
Then—
Soft arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind.
"Ara…"
Kaguya rested gently against his back while her parasol disappeared into violet particles.
"Where doth my beloved husband think he is escaping to…"
"…while abandoning his lovely and adorable wife?"
Yuuki immediately looked upward like a man seeking divine assistance.
"Somebody help me…"
"No!"
Akagi instantly intercepted from the front before hugging him possessively.
"Shikikan-sama belongs to Akagi!"
Now trapped between two extremely affectionate fox women—
Yuuki visibly accepted his fate.
Meanwhile—
Kaguya softly rested her chin against his shoulder.
Then thoughtfully—
"Fate truly must have guided us together, dear husband."
"For our hearts to already feel wed despite never meeting…"
Then glancing around the room at the others—
"And for thee to possess so many connected hearts…"
Her fox ears twitched slightly.
"How is such a thing even possible?"
Yuuki softly exhaled.
"…Wisdom Cubes."
The room quieted slightly afterward.
"Right now…"
"In the Void World…"
"There are over forty inactive Wisdom Cubes connected to me."
Even the newer girls looked surprised hearing the number.
Yuuki continued quietly.
"Most belong to shipgirls who already fell long ago."
Kaguya's expression softened afterward.
"Ah…"
Then slowly understanding further—
"And thou art similarly connected unto Nikkes as well."
Yuuki nodded.
"Yeah."
Kaguya looked genuinely fascinated now.
"…How extraordinary."
Then after a pause—
"It seemeth this wife must establish proper hierarchy eventually."
Several girls immediately reacted.
Meanwhile—
Belfast calmly sipped tea nearby before speaking with perfect composure.
"We already possess one, Lady Kaguya."
Kaguya blinked once.
"Oh?"
Belfast smiled politely.
"Master has already received confessions from nearly every shipgirl present."
Complete silence followed.
Then—
Kaguya softly laughed.
"Ah…"
"Then surely none shall object to one more confession."
Yuuki looked toward her.
"Well…"
"You already declared me your husband several times today."
"I'm pretty sure that counts as a confession."
Kaguya visibly puffed her cheeks slightly.
"Pff…"
"Thou truly understandeth thy wife well."
Yuuki smirked faintly afterward.
"I can read your heart, remember?"
That immediately silenced her for perhaps the first time all evening.
"…Dangerous husband."
Nearby—
Belfast calmly shifted the conversation afterward.
"So, Lady Kaguya…"
"You truly intend to leave the island now?"
Kaguya's expression gradually softened again.
"Yes."
Then quietly—
"This island no longer holdeth purpose for me."
She gently looked toward the distant night outside the Daedalus windows.
"The king permitted this one to remain there long ago…"
"…to protect the island."
Then slowly turning back toward Yuuki—
"But now…"
A warm smile appeared on her face.
"This wife may finally leave that lonely place behind."
Then softly—
"To remain beside the one who already married my heart."
Yuuki quietly patted Kaguya's head afterward.
"…Are you really okay with leaving everything behind?"
Kaguya immediately held her cheeks dramatically.
"Of course."
Then smiling warmly at him—
"This one is thy beloved wife after all."
The entire room collectively groaned.
At this point—
Nobody even attempted correcting her anymore.
Because arguing with Kaguya's self-declared marriage status felt genuinely impossible.
Even Takao had silently given up.
Meanwhile—
Kaguya calmly continued.
"So then…"
"When shall we conduct our wedding ceremony?"
Yuuki nearly choked on air.
"…You move REALLY fast."
Kaguya tilted her head innocently.
"Time spent apart from one's husband is tragedy."
Nearby—
Eugen casually sipped tea before smoothly entering the conversation.
"Little bear…"
"…Don't forget you're already my fiancé."
Javelin immediately raised her hand.
"Mine too!"
Then pointing toward herself proudly—
"Commander promised to steal us away properly!"
Yorktown calmly crossed one leg over another before smiling faintly.
"And all of us are still waiting for promise rings, Yuuki."
Several shipgirls immediately nodded in agreement.
Even Belfast quietly added—
"Indeed, Master."
Then—
Neon pointed dramatically from across the room.
"You're also promised to your Nikkes, Commander."
Anis lazily raised one hand from the couch.
"Yep."
"Can't abandon us now."
Even Rapi softly looked toward him afterward.
Not teasing.
Just quietly sincere.
"…We already chose you."
That somehow hit harder than all the dramatic declarations.
Yuuki slowly looked around the room afterward.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
Fairies.
Women who trusted him completely.
Women who followed him willingly.
Women who genuinely loved him.
And somehow—
There were a lot of them now.
Then—
Yuuki slowly raised both hands in surrender.
"…Please."
"…Have mercy on me, everyone."
Complete silence followed.
Then—
The entire room burst into laughter.
Yuuki leaned back into the couch afterward while looking at the absurd group gathered inside his quarters.
Then softly smiled.
"…Can't back away now."
Several girls looked toward him quietly.
Yuuki's expression relaxed afterward.
"I chose this path."
Then honestly—
"So I'm seeing it through to the end."
The atmosphere softened slightly hearing that.
Even the teasing calmed for a moment.
Then—
Yuuki glanced toward Neon.
"So."
"How was firing your first TAC Gun?"
Neon immediately stood up like a child who had just discovered unlimited fireworks.
"PLEASE let me fire it again someday, Commander!"
Her eyes practically sparkled.
"Now I REALLY love you!"
Yuuki immediately stared at her.
"…You say that way too casually."
Neon puffed her cheeks proudly.
"Hehe."
"It doesn't matter if we mean it casually!"
Anis leaned sideways from the couch afterward.
"…You know."
"I might actually consider giving you my old album someday, Commander."
That immediately surprised several shipgirls.
"…Album?" Enterprise repeated.
Anis grinned proudly.
"Used to be an idol."
The room visibly paused.
Neon immediately pointed.
"She absolutely still brags about it."
"Because I was GOOD."
Then Anis' expression softened slightly afterward.
"…One day."
"I want to return to the Ark."
"And recover my old album collection."
Yuuki looked interested.
"You still have them?"
"Probably."
Anis nodded.
"At our old outpost."
Then casually—
"Assuming the place still exists."
Several Nikkes nearby grew quieter afterward.
Because unlike shipgirls—
Most of their memories of home were tied to ruins.
Abandoned stations.
Battlefields.
Forgotten shelters.
Yuuki gently leaned forward.
"…Outpost?"
Rapi quietly explained.
"One of our former operational stations deeper within the continent."
Then softly—
"We left many things behind there."
Neon immediately nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah!"
"I definitely still have stuff there too!"
Rapi nodded afterward.
"…Likewise."
Even Cocoa quietly raised one hand.
"Maybe our Maid For You things are still there…"
The other Nikkes gradually began speaking too.
Old possessions.
Old memories.
Fragments of lives they thought they had lost forever.
Then—
Nayuta softly adjusted her hat afterward.
"Perhaps…"
"…we may also locate more information regarding my clones."
The room looked toward her.
Nayuta calmly continued.
"They scattered across the world gathering information on whatever they can."
Then quietly—
"It would be wise to discover what knowledge they accumulated."
Yuuki slowly nodded afterward.
"Then we'll do it."
Several girls blinked.
Yuuki casually shrugged.
"We're building the GDI anyway."
"Might as well recover everyone's old homes, memories, and secrets while we're at it. Bring it all to your new home."
Anis laughed softly.
"…Commander."
"You really do say ridiculous things casually."
Yuuki smirked.
"Well."
"We already stole brides, fought giant monsters, and fired nuclear grenades today."
Then lifting his drink slightly—
"Recovering your old albums sounds pretty normal compared to that."
The room gradually became quieter.
The laughter.
The teasing.
The playful arguments.
All of it slowly faded as Yuuki looked around the room.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
Fairies.
Women who had chosen to stand beside him.
And for a brief moment—
The sight reminded him too much of something else.
His old unit.
His old family.
People who once laughed beside him too.
Before war took them away one by one.
Yuuki's smile weakened slightly afterward.
Because these girls—
Connected to him through their hearts—
Could feel it immediately.
The sudden pain.
The old grief.
Even the newer girls quietly sensed it through the bond.
The room naturally gathered closer around him.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only concern.
Then softly—
"Girls…"
Yuuki lowered his gaze briefly.
"…Can I tell you something?"
Nobody interrupted him.
Nobody joked.
Instead—
Everyone slowly gathered around him.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
Even Esche quietly floated closer onto his shoulder.
The warmth filling the room became overwhelming.
Even farther away—
Inside the Void World—
Dormant Wisdom Cubes faintly resonated.
The girls connected there felt it too.
The ache in his heart.
Then—
Yuuki finally spoke again.
"Do you remember when I told you…"
"…that I was twenty-seven years old?"
Several girls quietly nodded.
"Born during the Third Tiberium War."
"Infused with memories from Commanders across multiple generations of conflict…"
His voice became quieter.
"…to create the perfect Commander."
Silence filled the room afterward.
Then—
"But…"
Yuuki slowly clenched his hands.
"…it was more than that."
Belfast softly stepped closer.
"Master…"
Her voice remained gentle.
"There is nothing you could reveal that would cause us to abandon you."
Yorktown quietly nodded afterward.
"Whatever truth you carry…"
"…we will listen."
Then softly placing a hand over her chest—
"We understand you."
"Because we are connected to you."
Her blue eyes softened warmly.
"You are our light too, Yuuki."
Even the newer girls listened silently now.
Eugen.
Hipper.
Javelin.
Cocoa.
Nayuta.
Kaguya.
All of them felt it.
The loneliness inside him.
The exhaustion.
The buried pain he kept hidden beneath confidence and humor.
Rapi quietly moved closer afterward.
"…Commander."
"You don't have to carry everything alone anymore."
That nearly broke him more than anything else.
Because for so long—
He had carried those memories alone.
The deaths.
The wars.
The endless pressure to become something greater than human.
And now—
For the first time—
He sat surrounded by people who genuinely wanted to understand him.
The room remained completely silent.
Only the soft hum of the Daedalus systems echoed faintly around them.
Then—
"Do you believe me…"
Yuuki's voice became quieter.
"…if I told you these twenty-seven years…"
"…weren't actually my first lifetime?"
Several girls visibly froze.
"…First lifetime?" Eugen repeated softly.
Even Kaguya's fox ears appeared again unconsciously.
Then—
Yuuki slowly raised one hand.
"…Can I just show you?"
Nobody refused.
The next moment—
The room around them changed.
Holograms spread outward from Yuuki's neural systems.
Not ordinary projections.
Memories.
His memories.
The command room dissolved into shifting visions of another Earth.
Another era.
Old cities.
Old battlefields.
Snow.
Mud.
Smoke.
The roar of artillery.
And standing among it—
A much younger Yuuki.
Wearing an old military coat from another century.
Several girls immediately widened their eyes.
"…What is this place?" Javelin whispered.
Yuuki quietly answered.
"My first life."
Then the skies above the holograms shifted.
A small burning vessel descending from the heavens.
Crashing toward Earth.
"…I came from the stars."
The room fell utterly silent.
Yuuki's eyes lowered slightly afterward.
"Yeah."
"…I'm an alien."
Nobody laughed.
Nobody doubted him.
Because the emotions connected through their hearts told them he spoke the truth.
Yuuki continued quietly.
"I was sent to Earth 1.0…"
"…in 1943."
The visions shifted again.
A frightened child.
A couple finding him.
Taking him in.
Raising him.
"My parents still found me…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"…just not during the Third Tiberium War."
Then softer—
"It happened much earlier."
The holograms changed again.
World War battlefields.
Military command centers.
Maps.
Generals.
A young Yuuki standing among them.
Then leading.
Commanding.
Winning.
"I was raised to become a commander."
"First during the First World War."
Then—
"Later…"
"I led the Allies through the Second World War."
Explosions lit the room's holographic memories.
The girls silently watched endless wars unfold through his eyes.
The Mental Omega conflict.
World War III.
The First Tiberium War.
Decades.
Entire generations passing.
Yet Yuuki remained.
Still fighting.
Still leading.
Still carrying humanity through apocalypse after apocalypse.
Even as he aged—
He never stopped standing at the front.
"I led humanity to victory…"
"…again and again."
His voice became distant afterward.
"World War III ended in 1990."
"Then came Tiberium."
The holograms shifted into ruined futuristic battlefields.
GDI forces.
Walkers.
Alien crystals spreading across Earth.
"And even in my fifties…"
"…I still fought in the First Tiberium War."
Then quietly—
"Until late 2003."
The room remained completely still.
Because now—
They understood.
Why Yuuki carried himself the way he did.
Why war felt natural to him.
Why he could lead armies so instinctively.
Why he always looked tired beneath the confidence.
Because he had already lived through nearly a century of endless conflict.
Then—
Yuuki softly smiled.
A painfully gentle smile.
"I lived a good life."
"…A long one."
The holograms slowly showed an old Yuuki resting peacefully.
Not dying in battle.
Not alone on a battlefield.
Just old.
Tired.
Finally at peace.
Then softly—
"But…"
"…I never married anyone."
Silence filled the room afterward.
Several girls visibly looked emotional now.
Not because he was alien.
Not because he had lived multiple lifetimes.
But because—
Even after saving humanity over and over—
He had lived that entire life alone.
The room remained deathly quiet.
No one interrupted him now.
Because the emotions flowing through their connection had become painfully heavy.
And strangely—
The Nikkes especially understood part of it immediately.
The feeling of living more than one life.
The feeling of dying and returning again.
Fragments of old selves.
Old memories.
Old pain.
They understood that loneliness better than most.
Then—
Yuuki softly exhaled.
"So…"
"You're probably wondering how I reincarnated."
Several girls quietly nodded.
Yuuki's holograms shifted again.
The peaceful old man from his first life slowly turning into light after death.
Then—
Ash.
Only a glowing core remaining.
"After death…"
"My body always turns into ash."
The room watched silently.
"Leaving behind a core of light."
Then—
The holograms shifted forward again.
A newborn child.
Another family.
Another era.
Another war.
"Operation Phoenix."
Yuuki quietly spoke the name.
"A classified government project."
"Created to ensure my rebirth."
The room visibly reacted.
"…Rebirth?" Javelin whispered.
Yuuki nodded.
"The GDI eventually realized what happened after my first death."
"That I would return eventually."
Then quieter—
"So they prepared for it."
The holograms displayed hidden facilities.
Scientists.
Military personnel.
Phoenix insignias.
"They waited for my return."
"And years later…"
"…another body was born."
The holograms showed a younger Yuuki again.
Born during the era before the Second Tiberium War.
"This time…"
"I was born in 2014."
Then softly smiling bitterly—
"And raised specifically to become the perfect Commander."
The room quietly watched memories of childhood training.
Military simulations.
Combat education.
Psychological conditioning.
The burden of expectation placed upon him from birth.
Then—
"At sixteen…"
"I led the GDI."
The holograms erupted into war again.
The Second Tiberium War.
Walker armies.
Firestorms.
Alien invasions.
The Third Tiberium War.
Battle after battle.
Campaign after campaign.
Yuuki standing at the center of all of it again.
Still fighting.
Still carrying humanity.
"The old commanders' memories…"
"…were my own memories."
Then softly—
"With additional fragments from others."
He rubbed his forehead briefly.
"It didn't break me…"
"…but it was still exhausting."
Several girls quietly looked emotional now.
Because through the connection—
They could feel how lonely that existence truly was.
Yuuki continued afterward.
"I led the GDI through the Second Tiberium War."
"Then the Firestorm Crisis."
"Then the Third Tiberium War in 2047."
The holograms shifted again.
The Incursion War.
Massive alien invasions.
Entire worlds burning.
Humanity barely surviving.
"And finally…"
"The Incursion War."
"2062 to 2073."
The visions became darker afterward.
Harder.
Bloodier.
The room silently watched Yuuki slowly becoming colder through endless war.
Still kind.
Still protective.
But unbearably tired.
Then—
"My second life ended…"
"…May 11th, 2077."
The holograms displayed a gigantic tower.
Threshold 19.
Burning skies.
Destroyed armor.
Then—
The holograms shifted again.
Threshold 19 internal around them.
Lightning surged throughout the tower while unstable energy from Kane's ascension overloaded the entire structure.
At the center of it— before the scrin portal that took Kane.
Two figures continued fighting despite being nearly destroyed already.
A woman.
Colonel James.
Clad in heavily modified Zone Armor.
Unlike standard GDI models—
Her armor specialized in sonic warfare.
Pulse emitters.
Resonance cannons.
Frequency disruption systems.
Weapons specifically designed to destabilize Yuuki's Vibranium-based Mark 48 armor.
The holograms showed the damage clearly.
His armor barely remained functional.
Cracks spread across the plating.
Systems failing.
Energy bleeding from overloaded joints.
And still—
He kept fighting.
Yuuki quietly watched the memory alongside everyone else.
Then softly—
"I let Kane escape."
The room remained silent.
Because nobody present could feel regret from him.
Only exhaustion.
Then quieter—
"And she stopped me."
The battle inside the tower continued.
Sonic waves shattered entire sections of the structure.
Yuuki's damaged armor retaliated with repulsors and blades.
Two veterans.
Two soldiers who had survived far too much.
Destroying each other because duty demanded it.
Not hatred.
Never hatred.
Only inevitability.
Yuuki softly smiled at the memory afterward.
"She was strong."
The holograms suddenly intensified.
Kane's ascension overloaded the tower completely.
The entire structure began supercharging with unstable energy.
Electricity flooded every surface.
Reality itself distorted around the tower core.
And Yuuki—
Seeing the opportunity—
Made his choice.
The room silently watched him grab Colonel James directly.
Then—
He forced both of them off the collapsing structure.
The sonic systems in her armor overloaded instantly from the tower's energy surge.
The Zone Armor became her coffin.
Electricity consumed her completely mid-fall.
Meanwhile—
Yuuki's damaged armor failed entirely beside her.
The memory slowed slightly afterward.
The final image lingering in the hologram.
Yuuki falling through burning skies.
Armor shattered.
Body broken.
And despite everything—
He was grinning.
Not afraid.
Not angry.
Just tired.
Then softly—
"And we both died there."
The holograms faded afterward.
Leaving only silence inside the command room.
Several girls quietly looked shaken now.
Because they hadn't merely heard his story.
Through the bond—
They had felt it.
The exhaustion.
The sacrifice.
The loneliness of dying over and over again for humanity.
Even the newer girls now fully understood why Yuuki carried himself the way he did.
Why war felt natural to him.
Why he protected people so instinctively.
Because he had spent lifetimes doing exactly that.
Silence.
Only silence remained afterward.
Then quietly—
"The GDI recovered my body."
The room remained utterly still.
No one interrupted him anymore.
Because now—
They understood something terrifying.
Yuuki wasn't merely experienced.
He wasn't simply talented.
He was a man who had lived through centuries of warfare across multiple lives.
And still kept going.
Then softly—
"I reincarnated again…"
"…in 2080."
The holograms shifted once more.
A younger Yuuki again.
Another rebirth.
Another life forced upon him.
But this time—
The emotions connected to the memory changed completely.
Exhaustion.
Anger.
Resentment.
Yuuki quietly lowered his gaze.
"And honestly…"
"…I had enough."
Several girls visibly tightened hearing that pain through the connection.
"They just wouldn't let me die peacefully."
The holograms displayed hidden laboratories again.
Government facilities.
Operation Phoenix continuing despite his death.
The world refusing to let its greatest commander rest.
"So in my third life…"
"…I decided to leave."
Then a faint grin appeared on his face.
"And Kane helped."
Several girls blinked.
"Kane?" Yorktown repeated.
Yuuki nodded.
"He uploaded the entire Nod database into my neural implant before my second death."
The holograms filled with impossible technology.
Secret schematics.
Spaceflight systems.
Dimensional theories.
Threshold science.
"He really was something else."
Then softly laughing—
"That's also when I met Vergil."
The memories shifted again.
A younger Vergil.
Arguments.
Fights.
Research labs exploding.
The two of them nearly killing each other multiple times before eventually becoming inseparable.
"I helped that bastard more times than I can count."
"Fought beside him."
"Bled beside him."
Then smiling faintly—
"And now I'm helping him marry two wives."
Several girls quietly laughed through tears at that.
Because even through all the tragedy—
Vergil clearly mattered deeply to him.
Then—
Yuuki's expression became more serious again.
"I was done with Earth 1.0."
The holograms displayed GDI facilities.
Data vaults.
Military archives.
"So at ten years old…"
"…I stole everything."
Several girls blinked.
"…Everything?" Neon repeated.
Yuuki casually nodded.
"All GDI data."
"All archives."
"All technology."
"Everything humanity built."
Even Rapi looked mildly stunned now.
Then calmly—
"I revived the Paradox Engine."
The holograms showed massive machines unlike anything the girls had ever seen.
Reality distortion systems.
Temporal engines.
Threshold towers.
"It took seven years to prepare."
Then quietly—
"In 2097…"
"…we left Earth 1.0."
The holograms erupted into impossible light.
The Threshold Tower overloaded by the Paradox Engine.
Reality collapsing.
Space-time fracturing.
"We destroyed the tower permanently."
"…and escaped."
Then—
The visions shifted again.
A peaceful blue Earth.
No Tiberium.
No alien crystal apocalypse.
No endless wars.
"Earth 2.0."
"The Earth shaped by Einstein's intervention."
The holograms showed modern cities untouched by Tiberium corruption.
Peaceful oceans.
Normal skies.
"We ignored their politics."
"Their petty wars."
Then softly smiling—
"We built the GDI quietly on a remote artificial island."
The holograms showed construction.
Factories.
Shipyards.
The early Daedalus.
Legions.
A real home.
"For ten years…"
"…we finally had peace."
That sentence hurt the room more than all the battles.
Because through the connection—
They felt how precious those ten years truly were to him.
Then—
Yuuki sighed softly.
"Then we explored space."
The holograms displayed a massive ship entering hyperspace.
"And…"
A faint tired smile appeared again.
"…something happened."
Reality fractured.
Stars twisted.
The ship vanished.
"And we ended up here."
Silence followed afterward.
Long silence.
Then—
Yuuki slowly looked around at all of them.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
People who now carried his heart alongside him.
"Girls…"
"You're looking at a man…"
"…who spent almost every life fighting wars."
His voice became quieter afterward.
"This is my third life."
Then softly smiling bitterly—
"And apparently…"
"…the longer I reincarnate…"
"…the longer the next life becomes."
The room felt unbearably heavy now.
Yuuki leaned back slightly afterward.
"My first life ended peacefully."
"Then the next one ended violently."
A faint laugh escaped him.
"…Funny, right?"
Then finally—
For the first time all evening—
Yuuki sounded genuinely vulnerable.
"…I hope this life is better."
The room stayed silent long after Yuuki finished speaking.
No one mocked him.
No one questioned him.
Because through the bond—
They knew.
Every emotion.
Every memory.
Every ounce of exhaustion and loneliness flowing from his heart had been real.
Then—
Yorktown moved first.
Without a word—
She quietly wrapped her arms around him.
Not romantically.
Not possessively.
Just gently.
Like someone trying to hold together a person who had carried too much alone.
"…You endured all of that by yourself," she whispered softly.
Yuuki's expression weakened slightly.
Then—
Belfast stepped closer afterward.
The elegant maid softly embraced him too.
"Master…"
Her voice trembled faintly.
"…you deserved far kinder life than those around you. Now, Please let me watch you from now on."
Then—
Rapi quietly approached next.
No teasing.
No military professionalism.
She simply hugged him silently.
And somehow—
That nearly hurt the most.
Because Rapi understood more than most what endless war did to a person.
One by one—
The others gradually gathered closer too.
Shipgirls.
Nikkes.
Even Esche quietly rested against his shoulder sadly.
Because despite how absurd his story sounded—
Alien.
Reincarnation.
Multiple lifetimes.
Endless wars across centuries—
Not one of them doubted him anymore.
Their connected hearts already knew the truth long before his words confirmed it.
They felt his light.
His kindness.
The restraint he carried every single day.
Because this was a man who absolutely could have become a monster.
A man who held enough knowledge and power to destroy civilizations.
To dominate worlds.
To abandon humanity entirely after everything it had done to him.
And yet—
He still chose peace.
Still chose kindness.
Still rebuilt homes instead of burning them.
Still saved strangers.
Still smiled.
Still let people into his heart despite losing so many across multiple lifetimes.
That was the part that affected them most.
Not his power.
Not the wars.
But the fact he remained gentle after surviving all of it.
Meanwhile—
Several girls quietly realized another terrifying truth.
Yuuki probably already prepared contingencies.
Failsafes.
Plans within plans.
If Operation Phoenix existed once—
There was a very real chance he had already ensured he could reincarnate again independently.
And considering the absurd preparations they had already witnessed from him—
Nobody doubted it.
Killing him permanently might genuinely be impossible now.
But strangely—
None of them feared that.
Because the only thing they cared about now—
Was making sure this current life never became another lonely tragedy.
Anis quietly wiped her eyes before speaking first.
"…Well."
"That settles it."
Neon immediately nodded.
"Yep."
"We're making this your best life."
Even Eugen softly tightened her hold on his arm.
"No more dying alone, teddy bear."
Kaguya gently rested her head against his shoulder afterward.
"This wife refuseth to allow further sorrow unto her husband."
Yorktown softly smiled through moist eyes.
"You carried humanity long enough."
Then quietly—
"Let us carry you for once. I'll always be your first shipgirl."
"Laffey too.." Laffey raised her hand.
"We'll always be your counter squad, Commander!" Anis shouted.
"Me and Akashi as your doctors." Vestal spoke with Akashi in her arms.
"Your northern beloved." Avrora smiled and many other declarations by his shipgirls and nikkes.
Yuuki softly exhaled afterward before looking around the room full of emotional faces.
Then gently smiled.
"Well…"
"That's enough heavy truth for one night."
Several girls quietly laughed weakly at that.
Yuuki stood up afterward.
"We still have tomorrow's ceremony to attend."
"Then after that…"
He glanced toward Esche.
"…we go searching for your sister."
The tiny fairy immediately brightened.
Then Yuuki looked toward the newer members.
"Ade. Soda."
"Why don't you show our new guests around the Daedalus afterward?"
The two maids immediately bowed politely.
"It would be our pleasure, Master."
The atmosphere gradually lightened again afterward.
The party continued for a while longer.
Food disappeared rapidly thanks to Anis and Neon.
Akagi kept trying to sit beside Yuuki before Kaguya countered every attempt.
Eugen intentionally kept teasing him.
Even Hipper slowly relaxed enough to enjoy herself quietly.
Eventually though—
The night grew late.
And one by one—
The girls began preparing to head toward their assigned quarters.
Then suddenly—
Unicorn softly tugged Yuuki's sleeve.
"Big brother…"
Everyone looked toward the shy carrier.
"…Can I have a goodnight kiss?"
Yuuki blinked once.
Then smiled softly.
"…Fine."
He gently kissed Unicorn on the forehead.
Instantly—
Her face lit up happily.
"Goodnight, big brother…"
Then she hurried off toward her room looking completely fulfilled.
Unfortunately—
The Bulins immediately noticed.
"Buli wants one too!"
"Me too!"
"Commander kiss!"
The tiny support girls immediately lined up in front of him.
Yuuki sighed in defeat before giving each of them tiny kisses on their cheeks.
The Bulins celebrated like they had just won a war.
Then—
Yuuki slowly realized something horrifying.
A line had formed.
"Hug!" Eldridge dives into his arms wanting her own kiss.
Yorktown calmly stood at the front.
Enterprise stood behind her.
Then Belfast.
Rapi.
Anis.
Neon.
Ade.
Soda.
Cocoa.
Akagi.
Kaga.
Atago.
Takao.
Vestal.
Akashi.
Illustrious.
Wales.
Avrora.
Nimi.
Sandy
Laffey.
Eugen.
Javelin.
Hipper trying to pretend she wasn't participating.
Even Nayuta quietly stood there with surprising patience.
Finally, Kaguya whom demanded the wife should be the last.
Yuuki immediately pointed accusingly.
"…No."
"No no no."
Belfast simply smiled beautifully.
"Master."
"You must remain fair."
"Be fair, Commander!" Anis shouted with Neon.
"Thou owes your wife a lot of kisses!" Kaguya demanded.
The others quietly nodded in complete agreement.
Yuuki looked spiritually defeated already.
"…I created lovely girls."
Then—
One by one—
He gave each girl a gentle goodnight kiss.
Mostly forehead kisses.
Small pecks.
Soft affectionate gestures filled with warmth more than passion.
And every single girl visibly treasured it.
Yorktown smiled softly afterward.
Enterprise quietly touched her forehead afterward in silence.
Rapi's expression softened completely.
Neon looked emotionally overloaded.
Even Hipper—
Despite trying desperately to maintain dignity—
Looked secretly very happy after receiving hers.
Eugen naturally tried pushing further.
"Perhaps fiancé privileges should include—"
Only to immediately get pulled backward by Yorktown before she could continue.
"Ah, Teddy bear! Save me!"
Meanwhile—
Akagi shamelessly attempted rejoining the line again.
"Shikikan-sama, perhaps Akagi requires a second—"
Kaguya immediately grabbed her by the collar and dragged her away.
"Thou art abusing the system."
"KIIIII—"
The room dissolved into laughter again afterward.
And for perhaps the first time in multiple lifetimes—
Yuuki genuinely felt something he hadn't realized he missed for a very long time.
Home.