Yuuki led the way as they moved deeper into the facility, the corridors growing narrower and more industrial the further they went. The walls showed signs of age—scorch marks, cracks, and sections where time had clearly taken its toll.
"This place has seen better days," Yuuki said.
Droids continued to activate as they advanced, but they were no longer a real threat.
Enterprise fired in clean bursts, disabling units before they could fully deploy.
Yorktown covered the flanks, her shots controlled and efficient.
Belfast moved with quiet precision, eliminating anything that slipped through.
Behind them, Jarvis worked in parallel.
"Accessing security systems," he reported. "Overriding door locks."
One by one, sealed doors slid open.
The deeper they went—
The older the systems became.
But they still worked.
Barely.
Then they reached it.
A large chamber.
Different from the rest.
Yuuki stopped.
"…Well," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice, "this looks important."
The room was filled with machinery—long assembly lines, fabrication units, storage racks.
Even damaged—
It was clear what it was.
Enterprise stepped forward slowly.
"…A production facility."
Yorktown looked around.
"For ammunition," she said. "Shipgirl-grade."
Belfast examined one of the machines.
"The structure matches what we used before," she said. "This is where supplies were manufactured."
Yuuki walked further in, scanning everything.
"…This is it," he said. "This is how your ammo is made."
There was no mistaking it.
The layout.
The components.
The design.
He had been looking for this.
For a long time.
But—
He stopped in front of the main unit.
The damage was obvious.
Panels torn open.
Internal systems burned out.
Structural integrity compromised.
"…And it's wrecked," he muttered.
Yorktown crossed her arms slightly.
"Can it be repaired?" she asked.
Yuuki crouched slightly, running a scan.
"…Not here," he said. "Too many critical components are damaged or missing."
Enterprise looked at the machine.
"…But it still has value."
Yuuki nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "A lot of value."
He stood back up.
"If we can take this apart, scan it, and rebuild it properly—"
He looked at them.
"We can produce your ammo ourselves."
Belfast gave a small nod.
"That would remove a major limitation," she said.
Yorktown added—
"And make us independent."
Enterprise tightened her grip slightly.
"…No more running out mid-battle."
Yuuki smirked faintly.
"Exactly."
He turned to the Legions.
"Start scanning everything," he ordered. "Blueprints, components, materials—everything."
The units moved immediately, beginning a full analysis of the facility.
Yuuki looked at the damaged machine one more time.
"…Even broken," he said, "this is a breakthrough."
Because now—
They finally had a way—
To understand how shipgirls fought.
And how to make sure—
They never ran out again.
Yuuki moved straight to the main console, brushing aside damaged panels until he found a section that still responded. Sparks flickered once, then stabilized as his interface linked in.
"Let's see what you're hiding," he muttered.
The screen struggled at first, then lines of data began to appear—fragmented, incomplete in places, but still readable.
Schematics.
Full system layouts.
Assembly flow.
Yuuki's eyes sharpened immediately.
"…There it is."
Enterprise stepped closer.
"What did you find?"
He didn't look away from the screen.
"The whole thing," he said. "Blueprints, structure, assembly process… even material requirements."
Yorktown leaned in slightly.
"You can rebuild it?"
Yuuki shook his head.
"I'm not fixing this one," he said. "Too inefficient. Too damaged."
He tapped the console again, pulling more data.
"I'll rebuild it from scratch back at base," he continued. "Cleaner design. GDI-compatible systems."
Belfast nodded.
"A reconstruction rather than a repair," she said.
"Exactly," Yuuki replied.
More data streamed in.
Then—
Another layer opened.
Ammunition schematics.
Detailed.
Categorized.
Complete.
Yuuki let out a quiet breath.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Enterprise looked at the screen.
"…That is all of it?"
"Not just all of it," Yuuki said. "This is how your ammo is actually made."
Yorktown crossed her arms slightly.
"…So we finally understand the process."
Yuuki nodded.
"And more than that," he added. "If I can break this down properly…"
He turned toward them.
"I can convert GDI tech into shipgirl-compatible weapons."
Belfast's eyes narrowed slightly in interest.
"That would unify both systems," she said.
"Yeah," Yuuki replied. "No more separation between your tech and mine."
Enterprise spoke quietly.
"…That would change everything."
Yuuki smirked faintly.
"It will," he said.
He began downloading everything.
"Friday's going to love this," he added.
Because this wasn't just recovery anymore—
This was evolution.
And once he finished analyzing it—
They wouldn't just adapt to this world.
They would surpass it.
=========
High above the planet, aboard the orbital command station GDSS Philadelphia, the research decks were anything but quiet.
Vergil stood at the center of a massive projection array, layers of data from the Azur Lane Headquarters unfolding in real time. Streams of schematics, system logs, and fragmented blueprints hovered in midair as the station's processors worked overtime to organize them.
"…This is already insane," he muttered.
Then—
A new data packet arrived.
Flagged.
Priority.
Fresh from Yuuki's latest scan.
The entire room paused for half a second.
Then the projection expanded.
Schematics filled the air.
Complete ones.
Not fragments.
Not corrupted files.
Fully intact designs.
One of the engineers gasped.
"…Is that… an ammo fabrication system?"
Another stepped forward, eyes wide.
"And not just that—look at the base structure… the conversion layers… this is the full manufacturing chain!"
More data unfolded.
Weapon classifications.
Material composition.
Energy conversion principles.
Compatibility layers between rigging and ammunition.
The room exploded into noise.
"They actually found it!"
"This is the missing link!"
"We can replicate this—no, we can improve this!"
Vergil stared at the projection, then let out a low whistle.
"…Holy shit."
He ran a hand through his hair, grinning.
"This place really is a gold mine."
Around him, the research team was already moving—pulling data, cross-referencing, running simulations.
One of them turned toward him.
"Sir, if we integrate this with current GDI systems—"
"We don't just integrate," Vergil cut in. "We upgrade everything."
He pointed at the schematics.
"We break it down, understand it, then rebuild it better."
Another engineer added quickly—
"We could adapt GDI ammunition into shipgirl-compatible formats."
"And reverse that too," someone else said. "Shipgirl weapons into scalable GDI platforms."
Vergil nodded.
"Exactly."
He looked around the room, his tone shifting from impressed to commanding.
"Alright, listen up."
The noise quieted instantly.
"Cancel sleep schedules," he said. "We're running full-cycle research."
A few of them smiled at that.
"Simulation teams, start modeling the fabrication systems. Engineering, begin drafting reconstruction variants. I want prototypes ready as soon as possible."
He paused, then smirked.
"Because once we crack this…"
He gestured at the data.
"…GDI tech is about to jump ten years ahead overnight."
The room buzzed again, but this time with focus.
Determination.
Excitement.
Vergil folded his arms, watching the data continue to stream in.
"Yuuki," he muttered under his breath, "you really went and hit the jackpot down there."
Then louder—
"Alright, move!"
"Let's get to work!"
The research decks aboard GDSS Philadelphia were no longer just busy—
They were pushed to the edge.
Streams of data kept pouring in from the Azur Lane underground facility. Entire archives, full schematics, manufacturing logic, material breakdowns—far beyond what the system had originally been designed to handle in a single intake cycle.
Alarms didn't sound—
But warnings stacked silently across multiple panels.
"Storage threshold at eighty percent," one engineer reported.
"Buffer overflow in sector three—rerouting!"
"Spin up auxiliary servers now!"
Vergil didn't look worried.
If anything—
He looked entertained.
"…So we finally found the limit," he muttered.
Around him, the engineers were already moving. Physical storage modules were being pulled out and replaced on the fly. Data clusters expanded, racks lit up one after another as new capacity came online.
"Bring in the secondary arrays," Vergil ordered. "And unlock deep storage. I don't want a single file dropped."
"Yes, sir!"
Panels opened along the walls as additional memory cores were slotted in. The station's architecture adapted in real time, redistributing load across newly activated systems.
Another engineer called out—
"Throughput stabilized! We can take more!"
Vergil smirked.
"Good," he said. "Because more is coming."
The projection expanded again as fresh data packets arrived.
Blueprints layered over blueprints.
Entire manufacturing trees.
Conversion algorithms.
Even partial theoretical frameworks.
"This is ridiculous," one of the researchers said. "We're not just upgrading—we're rewriting entire systems of these shipgirls."
"That's the idea," Vergil replied.
He crossed his arms, watching the chaos like it was routine.
"GDI doesn't have a storage problem," he said. "We just make more space."
A few of the engineers laughed, even while working at full speed.
Because it was true.
Limits were optional here.
Behind him, two figures observed the scene more calmly.
Suki adjusted her glasses slightly as she reviewed a data stream.
"This level of integration will take time," she said. "Even for us."
Beside her, Dasha scrolled through layered schematics, her expression focused.
"Not just time," she added. "Care. If we rush this, we miss the deeper structure."
Vergil glanced back at them.
"…And that's why you two are here," he said.
Suki didn't look up.
"Then stop grinning and allocate us a clean dataset," she replied.
Dasha smirked faintly.
"And maybe get some rest later. You've been standing there for hours."
Vergil scoffed lightly.
"Sleep is optional," he said.
Suki finally looked at him.
"No," she said. "Sleep is mandatory. Breakthroughs don't mean anything if you collapse mid-process. Remember professor Einstein and Dr Siegfried?"
He raised his hands slightly.
"…Alright, alright."
But he was still smiling.
Another wave of data came in.
Even larger this time.
The system absorbed it.
Barely.
"Sir," one engineer called out, "at this rate, we may need to extend processing cycles beyond schedule."
Vergil nodded slowly.
"…Yeah," he said. "We're not leaving anytime soon."
He looked at the expanding projection, eyes sharp.
"Even after the time warp recharges," he added, "we might stay here just to finish this."
Suki didn't object.
Dasha didn't either.
Because they both knew—
This wasn't just research anymore.
This was a turning point.
Vergil exhaled, watching the data continue to grow.
=================
Yuuki stepped into the chamber and stopped.
The air felt heavy, as if the room itself carried the weight of everything that had happened here. Rows of liquid pods lined both sides, some intact but most shattered, their glass scattered across the floor. The faint residue inside them told a story that did not need words.
At the center stood the machine.
The resurrection system.
Enterprise slowed her steps, her voice quieter than before as she looked at the pods.
"This is where we come back…"
Yorktown's expression hardened slightly as she took in the damage around them.
"And it's been left like this for years."
Belfast observed the structure with a steady gaze, though even she could not hide the gravity of the moment.
"This facility was abandoned in haste," she said. "They never had the chance to secure it."
Yuuki walked straight to the console.
"…But they left everything behind."
He activated the interface, forcing power through the damaged system. The screen flickered before stabilizing, revealing fragments of operational data.
He read quickly.
"A Wisdom Cube is placed at the core," he said. "The machine reconstructs the body using the data stored inside it."
Enterprise lowered her gaze slightly.
"So that is how we return…"
Yuuki nodded once, but his attention was already shifting.
"The system is heavily damaged," he said. "No chance of running it like this."
Yorktown crossed her arms.
"Then we rebuild it."
"That's the plan," Yuuki replied. "Not here, though. I'll take the design and rebuild it properly back at base."
Belfast gave a small nod.
"A refined version," she said. "More stable and under GDI control."
Yuuki smirked faintly.
"Exactly."
He began copying everything from the console, transferring schematics, system logic, and structural data directly to GDSS Philadelphia. The upload streamed continuously as the machine gave up its secrets.
Then—
Something else appeared.
Yuuki paused.
"…Hold on."
More files opened, layered and organized far beyond what he expected.
Enterprise stepped closer.
"What did you find?"
Yuuki's eyes narrowed as he scrolled.
"A registry," he said. "Shipgirls… all of them."
Yorktown leaned in.
"Status?"
Yuuki read through it carefully.
"Active… inactive… destroyed," he said. "And more than that…"
He stopped scrolling.
"…Locations."
Belfast's composure shifted slightly.
"The locations of their Wisdom Cubes?"
Yuuki nodded slowly.
"All of them," he said. "Every recorded unit."
Silence followed.
Enterprise's voice came out softer than before.
"…Then they're not lost."
Yorktown's tone steadied, though her eyes betrayed the weight of it.
"We can find them."
Belfast spoke next.
"And restore them."
Yuuki looked at the data one more time before closing the interface.
"This isn't just information," he said. "This is a full recovery network."
He turned slightly.
"Jarvis," he said.
"Yes, sir."
"Upload everything," Yuuki ordered. "Full priority."
"Understood."
The data transfer accelerated, feeding directly into their systems.
Yuuki continued.
"Once this is processed, we triangulate every location," he said. "Then we move."
Yorktown nodded firmly.
"As soon as possible."
Yuuki's expression hardened with purpose.
"Once we got the data," he said. "We can begin rescue each and every one."
The word carried weight.
Because now, they were no longer searching in the dark.
They had a map.
They had a system.
And for the first time—
They had a way to bring everyone back.
Enterprise slowed as she stepped toward a sealed section of the chamber.
"Commander… we found something," she said.
Yuuki turned and followed her line of sight.
Then he stopped.
Suspended within reinforced pods—
Wisdom Cubes.
Thirteen of them.
Each one intact.
Each one labeled.
"…So they were here all along," he said quietly.
Belfast stepped closer, her usual composure tightening just slightly.
"They were waiting," she said. "For resurrection that never came."
Yuuki read the markings one by one.
"Sakura Empire…"
His voice lowered as the names appeared.
"Fusou… Yamashiro… Junyou… Hiyou…"
============
Back on the command carrier, Atago froze.
"…No way…"
Takao's eyes widened, her usual calm breaking.
"Fusou-san...Yamashiro…They were here… this whole time…"
Their comrades.
Gone for ten years.
Not lost—
Just waiting.
============
Yuuki continued.
"Royal Navy…"
"Suffolk… Kent… Repulse…"
Belfast's hand tightened slightly at her side.
"…Suffolk and Kent," she said softly. "They served with me in the maid corps. It broke my heart seeing the fellow maids like this."
Her voice remained controlled, but the weight behind it was clear.
================
"Eagle Union…"
"Nevada… Oklahoma… Ranger…"
Yorktown lowered her gaze.
"…Ranger…"
Enterprise remained still, but her grip on her weapon tightened.
"…They survived this long… in this state…"
=================
Then—
Yuuki paused.
"…Ironblood…"
He read the names carefully.
"Karlsruhe… Köln… Königsberg…"
His expression shifted slightly.
"…So these are my first Ironblood shipgirls."
Dormant.
But stable.
Untouched.
The room fell quiet.
Not tense.
Not fearful.
But heavy.
Because this wasn't just discovery.
This was proof.
They weren't gone.
They had never been gone.
===========
Yuuki stepped forward slowly, standing before the pods.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then—
"I know you can hear me," he said. "It was my voice that call upon you."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
"Just wait a little longer."
He placed a hand lightly against one of the containers.
"I'm bringing all of you back."
There was no hesitation.
No doubt.
Only certainty.
He activated his inventory system.
One by one—
The pods opened.
The Wisdom Cubes floated free.
Each one carefully collected.
Stored.
Safe.
Behind him, the others watched in silence.
Because they understood what this meant.
Not just for them—
But for everyone.
Yuuki was about to move on when the console updated again, its flickering screen stabilizing just long enough to display a new status panel. His eyes narrowed slightly as he read it.
Active Pods – 4
He stopped in place.
"…Wait," he said.
Enterprise stepped closer immediately, her tone alert.
"What is it?"
Yuuki gestured toward the screen.
"Out of all the pods… four are still filled."
That single line changed the atmosphere in the room.
Yorktown frowned, stepping in beside him.
"…Filled?"
Belfast's gaze sharpened, her voice calm but serious.
"That means they were already processed," she said. "They were reconstructed… but never released."
Yuuki did not hesitate. He moved to the nearest pod and manually activated it.
The system responded slowly, as if waking from a long sleep. The glass casing hissed open, releasing a faint mist as the internal suspension field disengaged.
Inside—
A small figure floated in the air.
A child.
Petite in frame, with a flat chest and delicate features. Her calf-length blonde hair was tied in messy twin-tails, held by brown disk-like furred clips with blue linings. A few white clips rested on her bangs, and a small ahoge stood stubbornly at the top of her head. Her brown eyes were closed, her cheeks marked with faint blue patterns.
She wore a white leotard-like open-sided dress with black linings, paired with a furred choker, detached puffy sleeves with black patches, and thigh-high legwear decorated with blue and black bands and electric-like designs. Brown shoes completed her outfit.
Yuuki read the label.
"USS Eldridge."
Enterprise's breath caught slightly.
"…Eldridge…"
Even Yorktown looked genuinely surprised.
"The child who always wanted hugs…" she said quietly.
To see her like this—
Suspended.
Silent.
Waiting.
==================
The second pod activated.
Another hiss.
Another release.
This time, a girl with long red hair tied into twin-tails appeared, her ahoge gently drifting. Her blue eyes remained closed, her expression peaceful despite the years.
She wore a metal collar with a red necktie attached, a white buttoned shirt left open over a brown crop top, and a blue pleated skirt. Brown thigh-high socks with garters and matching loafers completed her outfit, along with detached sleeves with white cuffs.
Yuuki glanced at the label.
"USS San Diego."
Enterprise nodded slowly.
"She was one of ours…"
Yorktown added softly.
"She might not be the smartest among us but she always kept morale high…"
Now—
She floated in silence.
=====================
The third pod opened next.
The figure inside carried an entirely different presence.
Refined.
Composed.
Even in stasis.
A slender woman with short blonde hair tied into a neat French braid with a blue ribbon. Her red eyes were closed, her posture dignified even while suspended.
She wore a red military uniform with a white front lined with yellow buttons, black cuffs trimmed in gold, and a brown belt around her waist. A red cape hung from her right shoulder, and an aiguillette adorned her chest. A black pleated skirt with red linings, white thigh-high boots with red heels, and white gloves completed her appearance.
Yuuki read the name.
"HMS Prince of Wales."
Belfast stepped forward, her voice softer than usual.
"One of Her Majesty's attendants," she said. "A leader among us."
Seeing her in this state—
Unmoving—
Unawakened—
Was not something she expected.
====================
Then came the final pod.
Yuuki activated it.
The system responded once more, opening the casing with the same slow precision.
Inside—
A girl with a short stature and a medium bust floated quietly. Her platinum blonde hair was cut short, adorned with a black, red, and yellow ribbon bearing an iron cross motif. Her sharp blue eyes were closed, her expression calm.
She wore a white double-breasted dress top with silver buttons over a black turtleneck, paired with a dark-blue tailcoat trimmed in yellow. Black bike shorts, maroon ankle socks with garters, and red pumps completed her outfit. A blue beret rested on her head, and detached sleeves, white gloves, and an armband marked her affiliation.
Yuuki read the label.
"KM Z23."
Before anyone else could speak—
A voice came through the comm.
"…Nimi…"
Laffey.
Her tone was quiet, but unmistakable.
Illustrious glanced at the feed seeing her fellow comrades once again.
"She's one of yours…"
Laffey did not respond immediately.
But her eyes—
Were fixed.
All four shipgirls floated before them.
Fully reconstructed.
Bodies intact.
Yet—
Unactivated.
Enterprise spoke softly.
"They were revived…"
Yorktown finished the thought.
"But never awakened."
Belfast nodded.
"The process was interrupted when the headquarters fell."
Yuuki looked at them in silence for a moment.
"…They've been waiting here for ten years."
Not alive.
Not gone.
Just—
Paused.
==============
On the command carrier—
Laffey stared at the screen.
"…Nimi…"
Her voice was soft.
But for once—
There was no sleepiness in it.
Only quiet anticipation.
Because someone she lost—
Was right there.
Waiting to return.
=================
Yuuki did not hesitate.
He hit the release control.
The suspension fields collapsed one by one, and the four shipgirls began to fall from their pods.
He moved first.
Catching the small body of Eldridge before she could hit the ground, he steadied her carefully in his arms. She was light—far too light for someone who had waited ten years to wake.
Around him, the others reacted just as quickly.
Belfast stepped forward and caught Prince of Wales with practiced grace, supporting her weight as if she had done it countless times before.
Yorktown moved in next, catching San Diego mid-fall and adjusting her hold so she would not be jostled.
Enterprise caught the last one—
Nimi.
Her arms tightened slightly as she secured her, her expression unreadable behind the helmet.
For a brief moment—
All of them simply held the ones who had been left behind.
Then Yuuki spoke.
"Let's go," he said. "We have what we need."
He shifted his grip, handing Eldridge over to Belfast while taking Wales into his own arms instead, adjusting his hold so she remained stable.
Belfast accepted Eldridge immediately, cradling her gently.
Yorktown and Enterprise secured their own.
No wasted motion.
No hesitation.
Yuuki activated his comm.
"Verg," he said. "You got everything?"
Vergil's voice came through instantly.
"Every file is copied," he said. "We're already tearing it apart on our end."
Yuuki nodded.
"Good," he replied. "I found four live shipgirls."
There was a brief pause—
Then—
"Wait, what?"
BOOM.
The entire facility shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling as alarms suddenly blared throughout the chamber.
Yuuki's expression hardened immediately.
"…What the hell was that?"
Jarvis responded without delay.
"Sir, security systems indicate multiple intrusions," he said. "Siren android units have entered the facility."
Yuuki clicked his tongue.
"…Damn it."
So much for staying unnoticed.
He turned sharply.
"Legions," he ordered. "Escort them to the railway station. Priority protection."
The remaining units moved instantly, forming around Belfast, Yorktown, and Enterprise.
Yuuki looked at the three of them.
"Take them and go," he said. "Weapons hot. Do not engage unless necessary, but don't hold back if they block your path."
Enterprise stepped forward slightly.
"Commander, what about you?"
Yuuki didn't hesitate.
"I'm staying," he said.
Yorktown frowned.
"For what?"
Yuuki glanced back at the console, then at the surrounding systems.
"We took everything," he said. "Which means the Sirens will take whatever's left."
His tone dropped.
"I'm not letting that happen."
Belfast's grip tightened slightly on Eldridge.
"…Master."
Yuuki met her gaze.
"I'll catch up," he said. "Just get them out of here."
There was no time to argue.
Yuuki had already made his decision, and the moment demanded action, not hesitation. He turned back toward the terminal, preparing to arm the self-destruct sequence, knowing that every second counted.
"Commander…" Yorktown's voice carried tension.
"Go, Hana. I'll be fine," Yuuki replied without turning.
Before anyone could say more, his thrusters ignited.
He shot upward, vanishing toward the upper levels of the facility in a blur of controlled acceleration.
Yorktown froze for only a fraction of a second.
Then she turned.
"Hana, where are you going?" Enterprise called out.
Yorktown's voice was firm, but not loud.
"I'm sorry, Enty… but I'm not leaving him alone."
That was all the explanation she gave.
Enterprise didn't hesitate.
"Then I'm coming too."
Belfast followed immediately.
"Master will require support," she said calmly. "Whether he requests it or not."
Yorktown glanced at them briefly.
"What about the four?"
She didn't need to finish the question.
Belfast answered.
"Ahead of you, ladies."
"Jarvis," Belfast called.
"Deploying support units," came the response.
Moments later, two additional Iron Legions arrived through the tunnel, descending rapidly and stabilizing beside them.
Now four units stood ready.
Each one stepped forward and carefully took a shipgirl into its arms—Eldridge, San Diego, Prince of Wales, and Nimi secured safely within their grasp.
"We will extract them," one of the units confirmed.
Belfast gave a small nod.
"Please do."
Yorktown exhaled softly.
"…We are definitely getting scolded for this."
Enterprise's tone was steady.
"I don't care."
Belfast allowed the faintest smile.
"Nor do I."
Yorktown straightened.
"If it means supporting him, then that is enough."
They activated their suits.
Power surged through the systems.
Augmentation engaged.
Their movements sharpened instantly.
Fatigue—
Gone.
Limitations—
Reduced.
Yorktown stepped forward first.
"Let's go."
Enterprise followed.
Belfast moved with them.
Together, they sprinted down the corridor, their speed amplified by the suits, closing the distance toward Yuuki's position above.
Behind them, the Iron Legions turned and began their retreat toward the railway station, carrying the four dormant shipgirls with utmost care.
=========
Yuuki burst through the upper level in a surge of thrust, landing hard as his sensors immediately lit up with hostile signatures.
The corridor ahead—
Flooded.
Siren androids poured in from multiple access points, their weapons already firing.
"Damn, these guys are fast," Yuuki muttered as he raised his arm, deflecting incoming fire while shifting position.
Energy rounds slammed into the walls around him, tearing into already weakened structures. The moment he adjusted his stance to counter—
A sudden flash of blue-white light cut across the battlefield.
Electricity.
Violent.
Precise.
Bolts surged forward, striking multiple Siren units at once. Their systems overloaded instantly, bodies locking up before collapsing to the ground.
Yuuki paused mid-motion.
"…This…"
More shots followed.
Controlled bursts.
Familiar.
He turned slightly—
And saw them.
Yorktown.
Enterprise.
Belfast.
Advancing through the corridor with weapons hot, their movements synchronized and relentless.
Yuuki exhaled sharply.
"…I thought I told you girls to leave."
Yorktown didn't slow down.
"Sorry, Commander," she said, firing another shot that dropped a rushing unit. "We're bad at listening when it comes to your life."
Enterprise moved beside her, her tone firm.
"She's right."
Belfast followed just behind them, her shots precise as always.
"Master," she said calmly, "you may scold us later."
Another wave of Sirens charged in.
The three of them moved as one.
Yorktown deployed an electric sphere, disabling a cluster instantly.
Enterprise covered the flank, eliminating stragglers before they could regroup.
Belfast stepped through the chaos, her shots clean and efficient, leaving no opening.
Yuuki watched them for a brief second—
Then smirked.
"…Yeah," he said, raising his weapons, "I'm definitely scolding you later."
His armor shifted as systems powered up.
"Since you're here," he added, "don't hold back."
More Sirens poured in.
But this time—
They weren't facing him alone.
They were facing all four of them.
And the tide shifted immediately.
Yuuki let out a quiet sigh as the alarms escalated into a full warning cascade.
"Sigh… watch my back," he said.
Without waiting for a reply, he turned to the terminal he had already primed earlier. His interface linked instantly, overriding the remaining locks as he forced the system to respond.
Authorization accepted.
He pressed the final command.
[Self Destruct Initiated][Explosive Sequence Armed][Evacuate Immediately]
A low, ominous hum began to build throughout the facility.
Yuuki stepped back, turning just as another wave of Siren androids flooded the corridor.
"Alright," he muttered.
His repulsors ignited.
Twin beams of energy blasted forward, tearing through incoming units. Shoulder panels opened as micro-missiles launched in rapid succession, striking targets with surgical precision.
Explosions lit up the corridor.
Beside him—
Yorktown, Enterprise, and Belfast held the line flawlessly.
Yorktown's electric bursts chained through clustered enemies, disabling multiple units at once.
Enterprise advanced with relentless accuracy, each shot dropping targets before they could react.
Belfast moved like a shadow between them, precise and composed, eliminating anything that slipped through.
They weren't just holding—
They were pushing back.
Enterprise glanced briefly at Yuuki.
"So what's the plan?"
Before he could answer—
The entire structure trembled.
A deep, distant explosion echoed from above.
Then another.
And another.
Yuuki's head snapped upward.
"…What the hell is happening out there?"
Yorktown frowned.
"That's not from here…"
Yuuki immediately opened a comm channel.
"Illy, report."
There was a brief moment of static.
Then Illustrious' voice came through—
Tense.
Unusual for her.
"…Yes," she said. "Something just appeared outside the barrier."
Yuuki's expression darkened.
"Appeared?"
A pause.
Then—
"…Teleported."
That word landed heavily.
Atago's eyes widened.
"…No…"
Illustrious turned toward her.
"What is it?"
Atago's voice lowered.
"…We thought it was gone."
Belfast's gaze sharpened.
"Gone?"
Takao clenched her fist.
"…We defeated it once."
Another explosion shook the feed coming from above.
Then—
Illustrious spoke again as she finally saw what just teleported.
"…It matches the signature."
Silence followed for half a second.
Then Illustrious said it.
"…Project Orochi."
Yuuki didn't waste another second.
He pulled up the satellite feed mid-combat, projecting it directly into his visor.
Then—
He froze.
"…Holy shit…"
The image stabilized.
And what filled it—
Was massive.
A towering mechanical monstrosity had materialized just outside the containment barrier, its structure dwarfing everything around it. Its silhouette alone stretched across the horizon, layered with weapon systems, armor plating, and an ominous reactor core pulsing at its center.
"…That thing is huge," Yuuki said.
Even through the feed, the scale was absurd.
It was easily five times larger than the Thermopylae Command Carrier.
Up above, aboard GDSS Philadelphia—
Vergil stared at the incoming data.
"…What the hell am I looking at…"
Around him, the research team fell silent.
For once—
No one spoke.
Back underground—
Enterprise's expression tightened, her grip on her weapon firm.
"…No way…"
Her voice carried something rare.
Not fear.
But recognition.
"We thought we destroyed that thing fifteen years ago."
Belfast's composure cracked just slightly as she looked at the feed.
"…Project Orochi…"
Even she—
Knew it.
Yuuki glanced at them while still firing, his repulsors blasting another wave of Siren androids apart.
"You beat that thing?" he asked.
Yorktown shook her head slightly.
"Not beat," she said. "We survived it."
Enterprise continued, her voice steady but heavy.
"I led the assault," she said. "Two hundred shipgirls… all focused on taking it down."
She paused briefly.
"…And even then, we couldn't destroy it."
Yuuki frowned.
"Then how did you stop it?"
Enterprise's eyes darkened slightly.
"We disabled it," she said. "Barely."
Belfast added quietly—
"And in the end, we convinced its handlers to stand down."
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"…Handlers?"
Yorktown nodded.
"It wasn't just a weapon," she said. "It was controlled."
Another explosion shook the satellite feed.
Orochi shifted.
Its systems—
Activating.
Yuuki exhaled slowly.
"…So let me get this straight."
He fired another volley, clearing the path ahead.
"That thing wiped out fleets, survived two hundred shipgirls…"
He glanced at them.
"And now it's back."
Enterprise's voice was firm.
"…Yes."
Yuuki kept his eyes on the satellite feed, the image of the massive construct still burning into his vision.
"The handlers?" he asked.
Yorktown didn't answer immediately.
Enterprise did.
"Only two," she said, her voice steady but heavy. "They were the ones who designed it… the only ones with the resources to build it… and the only ones who could control it."
Yuuki's expression sharpened.
"…So this thing isn't autonomous."
Belfast shook her head slightly.
"No," she said. "It is piloted."
Yuuki glanced between them.
"Then who?"
There was a brief silence.
Then Yorktown spoke.
"The First Carrier Division."
Enterprise finished it.
"…IJN Akagi and IJN Kaga."
==============
Yuuki exhaled slowly.
"…Akagi and Kaga…"
He repeated it, as if testing the weight of the names.
Yorktown's gaze lowered slightly.
"They were among the strongest of the Sakura Empire," she said. "Brilliant… and terrifying when pushed too far. Formally in the Azur Lane to serve the commander as a repentance for using Orochi back then."
Belfast added quietly—
"And deeply bound to one another."
Enterprise's voice tightened.
"…After everything that happened… we thought they were gone."
Yuuki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Not gone," he said. "Just waiting."
Another explosion echoed through the satellite feed as Orochi shifted again, its systems fully coming online.
Massive weapon arrays began to rotate.
Energy signatures spiked.
Yuuki clicked his tongue.
"…So let me get this straight."
He fired another repulsor blast, clearing a path forward as Siren androids continued to pour in.
"We're dealing with a superweapon…"
"Piloted by two veterans…"
"Who already survived a full-scale fleet assault."
Enterprise didn't hesitate.
"…Yes."
Yuuki smirked faintly.
"…Great."
Yorktown glanced at him.
"That is not something to take lightly."
Yuuki shook his head slightly.
"I'm not," he said.
He looked back at the feed.
His expression no longer casual.
Now—
Focused.
Analytical.
"…But now we know what we're dealing with."
Belfast spoke next.
"Master… if it is truly them…"
She paused.
"…Then this will not be a simple confrontation."
Enterprise added—
"They won't stop."
Yorktown finished—
"…Not until everything is destroyed."
Yuuki nodded once.
"…Yeah."
He looked at the countdown timer ticking in his HUD.
Then back at the satellite feed.
===============
Alarms screamed across the command carrier.
Every console lit up at once as the external sensors spiked beyond safe thresholds. The radiation dome flickered slightly as something enormous distorted the space just outside its boundary.
Atago froze mid-step.
"…No…"
Takao's composure broke for the first time, her eyes widening as the visual feed came online.
"That silhouette…"
Illustrious placed a hand over her chest, her usual gentle smile gone.
"…It cannot be…"
Laffey, who had been half-resting moments ago, slowly lifted her head.
"…Big…"
Vestal stared at the screen, her breath catching.
"Commander…"
Then the image stabilized.
And all of them saw it.
"Orochi…"
The name left Atago's lips in a whisper.
The monstrosity loomed beyond the radiation dome.
A colossal hybrid warship, neither purely battleship nor carrier, but something far beyond both. Its massive, serpent-like structure stretched across the horizon, dwarfing everything around it.
It was not just large.
It was overwhelming.
Estimated at well over a kilometer in length—closer to 1,200… perhaps even 1,800 meters—and hundreds of meters wide, its horseshoe crab-shaped hull carried stacked flight decks layered upon each other like a fortress built for war.
Gun turrets alone were the size of small ships.
Multiple 460mm triple cannons rotated slowly into position.
Railgun arrays hummed as they charged, their scale far beyond conventional weaponry.
Missile bays opened in segments, revealing something far more dangerous—
A hypersonic payload system.
The infamous "Fritz-X."
Around it, countless anti-air guns, CIWS systems, and layered energy shields activated in sequence, forming a defensive network that could rival entire fleets.
It was not a ship.
It was a mobile fortress.
A weapon designed to surpass shipgirls themselves.
Atago clenched her fists.
"…We fought that thing…"
Takao nodded slowly, her voice tight.
"And barely survived."
Illustrious looked at the screen, her tone quieter than usual.
"It required the combined effort of an entire fleet…"
Yorktown's voice came through the comm, tense.
"Two hundred shipgirls… and we still couldn't destroy it."
Enterprise added, her voice firm but heavy.
"We only managed to disable it."
Laffey stared at the screen.
"…Too big…"
Even she understood.
This was not a normal enemy.
Vestal stepped closer to the display, her hands trembling slightly.
"That thing… is bigger than our entire fleet…"
And it was.
Even compared to the GDI's first fleet—
Orochi dwarfed it.
Even the command carrier looked small in comparison.
The ocean around it churned as its systems fully activated.
Energy readings spiked.
Weapon systems aligned.
Shields stabilized.
Atago exhaled slowly.
"…It's back…"
Takao tightened her grip.
"…And it is fully operational."
Illustrious looked toward the horizon, her voice steadying.
"Then this will not be a simple engagement."
Inside the command carrier—
No one spoke for a moment.
Because all of them had been there before.
They remembered the battle.
They remembered the cost.
And now—
That same enemy—
Had returned.
============
The command deck remained locked on the live feed as the massive silhouette of Orochi loomed beyond the radiation dome.
But something felt… off.
Atago narrowed her eyes first.
"…Wait…"
Takao leaned forward slightly.
"…It's different."
The surface of the superstructure told the story. Sections of armor were scorched, plating mismatched in places, and several weapon arrays showed signs of crude restoration rather than proper maintenance.
Illustrious spoke quietly.
"It has not been fully restored," she said. "This is not the Orochi we fought before."
Yorktown's voice came through the comm.
"…A shell of its former self."
Enterprise added—
"But still dangerous."
Very dangerous.
Then—
New signals appeared.
Multiple.
Rapidly increasing.
"Siren fleet incoming," Laffey murmured, eyes half-lidded but focused.
One by one—
Siren vessels began warping into position around Orochi.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Within moments, the area became a battlefield.
"They're surrounding it," Vestal said.
And then—
They attacked.
Energy fire lit up the sky as hundreds of Siren ships opened fire on Orochi simultaneously.
Explosions rippled across its massive hull.
For a brief moment—
It looked like the Sirens had the advantage.
Then Orochi responded.
Its massive turrets rotated.
Railguns aligned.
Missile bays opened.
And it fired.
The same weapons that once defended the Sirens—
Now tore through them.
Entire formations were erased in seconds.
Inside the command carrier—
No one moved.
Because they realized what they were watching.
"…It's fighting them," Atago said.
Takao nodded slowly.
"…It has turned against the Sirens."
Yuuki's fleet remained hidden.
Stealth systems active.
Undetected.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—
A deep hum built.
Different.
Heavier.
Orochi's railgun began to charge.
Energy spiked to dangerous levels.
Illustrious's voice sharpened.
"Targeting solution detected—"
The beam fired.
Straight at the radiation dome.
"Are they insane?!" Vestal shouted. "If that dome breaks, the radiation will spread!"
The impact shook the barrier, energy rippling across its surface.
Cracks of light formed briefly—
Then stabilized.
But the warning was clear.
Another shot—
And it might not hold.
All eyes turned to Yuuki's command channel.
"Lord Commander," Illustrious said, her tone urgent but controlled. "What are your orders?"
There was a brief pause.
Then—
Yuuki's voice came through.
Calm.
Measured.
"Hold fire."
Atago blinked.
"…Commander?"
Yuuki continued.
"Let them fight," he said. "The Sirens are engaging it. We don't interfere."
Takao frowned slightly.
"But if the dome collapses—"
"I know," Yuuki cut in.
His tone sharpened slightly.
"But if we reveal ourselves now, that thing will turn its full attention on us."
Silence followed.
Because he was right.
Yuuki's voice lowered again.
"We stay hidden," he said. "We observe."
Another explosion echoed across the battlefield.
Siren ships were being torn apart.
But Orochi—
Was not untouched.
"…Let them weaken each other," Yuuki finished.
"Then we decide when to move."
Inside the command carrier, no one argued.
Because this wasn't just a battle anymore.
It was a three-way war—
And timing—
Would decide everything.
===========
Inside Orochi's core, the chamber trembled with every discharge.
Reactor light pulsed violently across the walls, casting long, unstable shadows as systems struggled to keep up with the load. The once-mighty fortress no longer moved with perfect precision. It groaned. It resisted. It endured.
And at its center—
Akagi stood before the control interface, her breathing uneven, her single eye burning with obsession.
"…Ku… ku… ku…"
Her fingers tightened over the controls.
"Destroy them… Orochi…"
Her voice trembled—not with doubt, but with something far more dangerous.
"All of them… for Amagi-nee-sama…"
Kaga stood beside her, hands moving across auxiliary systems, directing targeting solutions as waves of Siren ships closed in.
The displays told a clear story.
Three hundred hostiles.
Surrounding them.
Pressing in.
And Orochi—
Was not what it used to be.
Its armor plating registered damage with every impact. Structural integrity dropped in small but steady increments. Systems lagged, struggling to compensate for degraded components.
Kaga's voice tightened.
"…Nee-sama… this isn't the same Orochi."
Another explosion rocked the hull.
"It cannot withstand prolonged engagement like before," she continued. "At this rate, we will be overwhelmed."
Akagi did not turn.
"Do not hesitate, Kaga," she said.
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"They took Amagi-nee-sama from us."
Another barrage struck the outer hull.
Warning signals flared across the interface.
Kaga clenched her remaining hand.
"…I know."
Akagi's gaze remained fixed forward.
"Use the Fritz-X."
Kaga froze.
"…Nee-sama…"
Her voice lowered.
"If we deploy that weapon at this range… the blast radius will affect us as well."
Orochi shuddered again as another railgun discharged, tearing through a cluster of Siren ships.
Kaga looked at the damage readouts.
Their own systems were already strained.
"…We cannot sustain that level of impact," she said.
Akagi's lips curled slightly.
"Use it."
There was no hesitation in her tone.
No reconsideration.
"Destroy them," she said.
Her grip tightened.
"Even if Orochi suffers."
Kaga closed her eye briefly.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then she opened it again.
Resolved.
"…Understood."
Her hands moved across the controls.
Targeting systems shifted.
Missile bays began to open.
Deep within Orochi, the Fritz-X system initialized.
Energy levels surged.
Lock-on sequences engaged.
Outside—
The battlefield intensified.
Siren ships closed in from all directions.
Orochi's massive guns roared in response.
But now—
Something far more destructive was about to be unleashed.
Inside the core, Akagi whispered—
"…For you… nee-sama…"
"…Everything will burn."
==============
Enterprise stared at the live feed, her expression tightening as the battle unfolded before her.
"…Something's wrong," she said.
Yorktown glanced at her.
"What do you mean?"
Enterprise didn't look away from the screen.
"Back then," she said, "Orochi was never alone."
Her voice carried quiet certainty.
"The Sirens used to escort it… protect it… support it."
She paused.
"…Now it stands by itself."
Outside the radiation dome, the battlefield had turned chaotic.
Siren vessels swarmed from every direction, their numbers overwhelming, their fire relentless.
Yet Orochi did not retreat.
It endured.
It retaliated.
And then—
The missile bays opened.
Deep within its structure, launch systems ignited.
Four projectiles shot into the sky.
Fast.
Silent for a split second—
Then they descended.
Impact.
The explosions that followed were not ordinary.
They did not simply detonate—
They erased.
Massive shockwaves expanded outward, consuming entire clusters of Siren ships in an instant. The force behind each blast rivaled a fraction of a nuclear strike, vaporizing anything caught within range.
One explosion.
Then another.
Then another.
Then another.
The battlefield shifted immediately.
Where there had been hundreds—
Now there were gaps.
Burning wreckage.
Scattered survivors.
Yorktown stared at the screen.
"…That power…"
Belfast's voice remained controlled, but her eyes did not waver.
"The Fritz-X system," she said. "Even degraded… it remains devastating."
Laffey murmured softly—
"…Many gone…"
Enterprise clenched her fists slightly.
"…More than a hundred ships…"
Gone.
In seconds.
But Orochi did not emerge unscathed.
The recoil.
The strain.
The counterfire.
Its already weakened structure took further damage, sections of armor breaking apart under the combined stress.
Yorktown noticed it immediately.
"…It's hurting itself."
Belfast nodded.
"It is forcing output beyond safe limits."
Enterprise's gaze hardened.
"…It's fighting like it doesn't care if it survives."
Inside the command carrier, silence followed.
Because now they understood—
This was not a controlled deployment.
This was not strategy.
This was—
Desperation.
Yuuki's voice came through the comm, calm but focused.
"…That thing isn't here to win."
A brief pause.
Then—
"It's here to destroy everything."
And judging by what they just witnessed—
It was doing exactly that.
===========
"Let's go," Yuuki said. "We're joining the fight."
There was no hesitation this time.
The facility behind them had already begun its death sequence. Sirens wailed, lights flickered violently, and the structure itself started to come apart as internal charges armed and detonated in sequence.
Yuuki didn't wait for the countdown to finish.
He raised his arm and fired upward.
The ceiling above them exploded open in a controlled blast, debris scattering as a path to the surface was forcibly created.
"Hold on," he said.
Before they could react—
He moved.
Grabbing Enterprise and Yorktown firmly by their hips, he pulled them in as Belfast secured herself behind him without hesitation. His thrusters ignited at full output, and in the next instant—
They shot upward.
The ascent was chaotic.
Chunks of collapsing structure fell around them, metal beams snapping, concrete breaking apart as the self-destruct sequence tore through the underground facility.
Yuuki maneuvered sharply, weaving through falling debris with precision, adjusting thrust and angle in split-second decisions.
A massive section dropped from above—
He twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding it.
Another explosion erupted beneath them—
He accelerated, pushing them higher.
The exit widened as they approached, the torn opening above revealing the outside world.
"…Almost there," he muttered.
Then—
They broke through.
The surface greeted them with a harsh, irradiated wasteland.
The air shimmered with radiation, the ground scarred and lifeless from years of exposure.
But none of it mattered.
Their suits compensated instantly.
Radiation levels—
Neutralized.
Environmental resistance—
Active.
They landed in a controlled descent just outside the shattered structure.
Behind them—
The underground facility began collapsing in on itself, explosions rippling outward as the self-destruct sequence reached deeper layers.
The ground shook.
Dust and fire burst upward through cracks in the earth.
Within moments—
The entire entrance caved in.
Everything they had taken—
Gone.
Everything they left behind—
Destroyed.
Yuuki didn't look back.
"Contacts," he said.
Siren units were already present outside, drawn by the chaos.
"They're here," Enterprise said.
"Then we clear them," Yorktown replied.
Belfast adjusted her stance.
"As expected."
They engaged immediately.
Volt Auto Rifles lit up the battlefield, electricity tearing through Siren androids and nearby units. Yuuki's repulsors fired in tandem, micro-missiles launching to intercept larger threats before they could close in.
Explosions echoed across the irradiated zone.
The ground itself trembled as the underground facility continued collapsing behind them, fire and debris erupting upward like a dying beast.
Yuuki stepped forward, eyes lifting toward the distant horizon—
Where Orochi still raged against the Siren fleet.
"…We're late to the party," he said.
Enterprise followed his gaze.
"…Then let's not waste time."
Yorktown steadied her weapon.
"We push forward."
Belfast spoke calmly.
"As you command, Master."
Behind them—
The last remnants of the facility vanished in a final explosion.
Ahead—
A war between monsters was already underway.
And now—
They were stepping into it.
==============
Elsewhere, deep within the tunnel system, the Iron Legions moved with precise coordination.
Each unit carried one of the four recovered shipgirls—Eldridge, San Diego, Prince of Wales, and Nimi—secured carefully in their arms as they accelerated toward the extraction point. Their flight paths were smooth and efficient, unaffected by the chaos erupting behind them.
The self-destruct sequence had reached the lower levels.
Explosions began tearing through the tunnels, sections collapsing one after another as fire chased them from behind.
The Legions did not slow.
They adjusted trajectories in real time, weaving through falling debris and shockwaves, shielding the unconscious shipgirls from impact.
Ahead—
Light.
The tunnel exit.
Vestal was already there, waiting.
The moment the Legions emerged, she rushed forward.
"Here—quickly," she said, her voice steady but urgent.
One by one, the Legions transferred the girls into her care.
Eldridge first, her small body still and fragile.
Then San Diego.
Then Prince of Wales.
Finally—
Nimi.
Vestal checked each of them immediately, her hands moving with practiced precision.
"They're stable," she confirmed. "All four of them."
Relief flickered briefly across her expression—
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Behind them, the tunnel began collapsing.
The self-destruct had reached critical stages.
"Move," Vestal said.
The Legions reformed around her instantly.
Escort formation.
They lifted off together, ascending rapidly as the tunnel behind them imploded completely, sealing itself in a cascade of fire and debris.
Within seconds—
There was nothing left.
The Orca Ex dropship arrived on schedule, hovering just long enough for them to board.
The rear ramp opened.
Vestal moved first, carrying Eldridge as the others were secured behind her.
"All units accounted for," one Legion reported.
The ramp closed.
The dropship lifted.
Inside, Vestal wasted no time.
"Med bay—now," she ordered.
The Legions followed as she rushed through the corridor, guiding the unconscious shipgirls to the medical facility aboard the command carrier.
Moments later—
They arrived.
The med bay doors opened.
Vestal moved quickly, placing each girl onto a separate bed, initiating scans and stabilization protocols.
Systems activated around them.
Vital readings appeared.
All four—
Stable.
Dormant.
Waiting.
Vestal exhaled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"…You're safe now," she said quietly.
She looked at them one by one.
"You won't be left behind again."
Outside the med bay, the Legions stood guard.
Silent.
Unmoving.
Ensuring that this time—
Nothing would interrupt their return.