Yuuki and Kaguya quietly followed Sheffield into the château.
They had already accessed the manor's main computer and discovered the location of the hidden laboratory. Now, with Sheffield leading the way, they moved deeper into the building.
Sheffield knew the château better than almost anyone.
She had infiltrated this place several times before, each time risking herself to rescue villagers who had been brought inside.
She knew which corridors were watched.
Which rooms were occupied.
Which passages led deeper into the manor.
And, most importantly, which routes could be used to get people out alive.
"This way," Sheffield whispered.
Yuuki and Kaguya followed without question.
The deeper they went, the more unsettling the château became.
This place had not merely been a headquarters.
It had been a place of brainwashing.
The Raptures had turned many of the villagers into servants and slaves, stripping away their will and convincing them that serving the manor was better than returning to their own people.
Some had willingly embraced it.
They had betrayed their own village for wealth, status, and promises of power.
Sheffield had seen them before.
Some were people she had once known.
Others were people she had deliberately refused to acknowledge after witnessing what they had become.
And some were even among those Sheffield had once rescued.
Now, they had returned to the château and willingly served the very forces that had terrorized their home.
They passed several rooms occupied by human personnel.
Men and women worked throughout the manor, carrying equipment, monitoring systems, and assisting the Rapture forces.
The signs of what had happened outside were everywhere.
The village had been deliberately brought to its knees.
The Raptures wanted the settlement reduced to nothing before forcing whoever remained to accept their rule.
Sheffield's hands tightened around her weapon.
Her blood boiled.
She had seen what the Raptures had done to the villagers.
She had watched people disappear.
She had rescued those she could.
And now she had to walk through these halls and see former villagers willingly serving the killers responsible.
Some had even joined the Black Hand.
Some had helped kidnap their own people.
All for riches.
All for glory.
All for the promise of standing above the people they had once called neighbors.
Sheffield's expression darkened.
Yuuki noticed.
"Sheffield."
She stopped for a moment.
Her eyes remained fixed on the people working ahead.
"They sold their own village."
Her voice was quiet, but the anger behind it was unmistakable.
"They knew what the Raptures were doing. They knew people were being killed and taken away."
Sheffield tightened her grip.
"And they still chose this."
Kaguya's golden eyes narrowed.
Yuuki remained silent for a moment.
Then he placed a hand on Sheffield's shoulder.
"Don't let them distract you."
Sheffield looked at him.
Yuuki's expression was calm.
"We're here for the people they couldn't save."
Sheffield slowly nodded.
"Yes, Master."
She turned back toward the corridor.
"This way."
The three continued deeper into the château.
Ahead of them waited the hidden laboratory.
And whatever the Raptures had been hiding inside it.
According to the main computer, the primary access point to the underground laboratory was hidden beneath the château's dining hall.
Sheffield led Yuuki and Kaguya into the grand room.
At first glance, there was nothing unusual.
Just a large dining hall.
But Sheffield knew better.
"There," she whispered, pointing toward a concealed entrance.
The three moved toward it.
The moment they opened the passage, armed guards appeared.
Sheffield immediately raised her weapon.
BANG! BANG!
Yuuki and Kaguya joined her.
The guards barely had time to react before the three of them tore through the security detail.
They descended the hidden staircase, taking out every guard stationed along the route.
The stairs continued downward.
And downward.
Several floors beneath the château, the three finally reached a secure underground level.
An elevator waited at the end of the corridor.
Sheffield checked the surrounding area.
"According to the computer, the laboratory is even deeper."
Yuuki stepped into the elevator.
"Then let's keep going."
Kaguya entered beside him while Sheffield followed.
The doors closed.
DING.
The elevator began descending.
The numbers on the display steadily decreased.
The deeper they went, the more the atmosphere changed.
The elegant château above them felt impossibly distant now.
The elevator continued downward.
Past another underground floor.
Then another.
And another.
Sheffield stared at the descending numbers.
"This place is much deeper than I remember."
Yuuki looked toward the elevator doors.
"Whatever they're hiding down there, they really don't want anyone finding it."
Kaguya's golden eyes narrowed.
"Iris...Please be alive."
The elevator continued its descent into the darkness.
=============
"Sir! Any more and she'll be dead!"
The voice echoed through the laboratory.
A short, stout general stood beside the enormous containment tank, dressed in a black-and-red Rapture officer uniform. A red tie hung beneath his collar, while his black officer's cap bore the unmistakable Rapture insignia.
He turned toward the technician.
"Keep draining her."
His eyes remained fixed on the tank.
"I want those magical powers contained."
Inside the tank, the white-haired Irisviel could barely move.
Her body floated within the strange liquid as energy was continuously siphoned from her.
She could feel her magic weakening.
Lower.
And lower.
Her strength was disappearing with every passing second.
If this continues...
She might not survive.
Nearby, two other Shipgirls were trapped inside separate containment systems.
They could only stare.
They couldn't move.
They couldn't fight.
They couldn't even speak.
There was nothing they could do.
Irisviel's fading consciousness turned toward the only thought that remained in her mind.
Kaguya...
Her lips barely moved.
"Kaguya... why..."
Her vision blurred.
"Thou shouldn't have come..."
She felt another surge of energy being drained from her body.
"Thou shouldn't come with the beloved..."
Her eyes slowly closed.
"Please... run while thou can..."
She could only hope Kaguya had never followed them into this place.
The elevator doors opened.
Yuuki, Kaguya, and Sheffield stepped into the laboratory.
They stopped.
The sight before them left all three silent.
The facility stretched far beyond what they had expected.
Containment tanks.
Laboratory equipment.
Medical machinery.
And rows upon rows of experimental chambers.
Some still contained living subjects.
Others did not.
The laboratory was clearly a secret research facility.
And its purpose quickly became apparent.
The Raptures had been experimenting on humans.
Mutating them.
Changing their bodies.
Testing what they could create.
Sheffield's eyes widened.
"No..."
Her hands clenched.
"The villagers..."
She looked around the laboratory in horror.
"They've been experimenting on them."
Yuuki's expression hardened.
The people who had disappeared from the village hadn't simply been taken.
They had been brought here.
Used.
Experimented upon.
Kaguya's golden eyes became cold.
She could feel the anger building inside her.
Yuuki looked across the laboratory.
"Jarvis."
His voice was calm.
Far too calm.
"Mark those who are still alive."
"Marking, sir."
A brief pause followed.
Then Jarvis responded.
"Sir... it seems that none of them are alive."
Silence.
Yuuki stared at the laboratory.
His expression did not change.
But the temperature in his voice seemed to drop.
As for the humans who had willingly served the Raptures and participated in these experiments...
The ones who had given themselves to them.
The ones who had helped turn their own people into test subjects.
The ones responsible for what had been done to the dead.
Yuuki slowly raised his weapon.
"We're leaving none of these people alive."
Sheffield tightened her grip on her weapon.
The three moved forward.
Whatever mercy remained in the château had ended the moment they entered the laboratory.
Yuuki, Kaguya, and Sheffield moved deeper into the facility.
Then they saw something that made Yuuki stop.
Technicians were injecting a strange black liquid into the bodies of dead prisoners.
The bodies suddenly convulsed.
THUD!
Muscles twisted.
Bones cracked.
The corpses began moving again.
Yuuki's eyes widened.
"What the...?"
The creatures looked disturbingly familiar.
They resembled the mutated creatures Belfast had described in her reports from the Rapture ship.
Yuuki's expression hardened.
They continued through the laboratory and found rows of cages.
Inside were more mutated humans.
Some had already become mindless zombies.
Others had transformed into savage humanoid creatures, throwing themselves against the bars and desperately trying to tear their way out.
CLANG!
CLANG!
The cages shook violently.
Sheffield stared in horror.
"If those things were released into the village..."
"They'd infect everyone," Kaguya finished.
Yuuki looked around the laboratory.
If these creatures escaped, the village wouldn't simply be attacked.
It would become a breeding ground for whatever the Raptures were creating here.
Jarvis suddenly spoke through Yuuki's armor.
"Sir, it appears that this is Project Regenesis."
Yuuki looked toward his interface.
"What is that?"
"According to the available data, Project Regenesis appears to be a secret Rapture project designed to create genetically enhanced super soldiers from deceased human subjects."
Yuuki's expression darkened.
"It appears they use a nanomachine-based black liquid as a control medium. The substance is injected into the remains before the subject undergoes the mutation process."
Yuuki stared at the cages.
"So they're turning dead bodies into soldiers."
"Affirmative, sir."
"What in the..."
Yuuki shook his head.
"Well, we can't let that happen."
He reached into his equipment and pulled out several blocks of C5 explosives.
He handed them to Sheffield.
"Plant these around the facility."
Sheffield accepted them immediately.
"Understood."
"Once we're done rescuing those people, we blow this place."
Sheffield nodded firmly.
"Yes, Master."
Yuuki looked toward the laboratory once more.
The cages continued to shake.
The mutated creatures snarled behind their bars.
The Raptures hadn't merely built a laboratory.
They had built a factory for creating monsters.
And Yuuki had no intention of allowing it to remain standing.
"Kaguya and I will find Irisviel at the lower levels. You handle planting the explosives on the key structures."
Yuuki handed Sheffield the remaining C5 charges.
"I'm counting on you, Sheffy."
Sheffield gave a firm nod.
"Yes, Master. I won't disappoint you."
Yuuki turned toward the deeper section of the laboratory.
"And Sheffy?"
She looked back.
"Should you need to go loud, just go loud."
Sheffield smiled faintly.
"Understood, Master."
The two groups split.
Yuuki and Kaguya continued toward the lower levels while Sheffield moved deeper into the facility.
She descended through several additional floors until the laboratory environment began changing.
The sterile research chambers eventually gave way to a massive underground industrial complex.
Large doors opened and closed as vehicles moved through the facility.
Transport trucks entered.
Armored vehicles departed.
Mechanical equipment moved supplies throughout the underground complex.
Sheffield narrowed her eyes.
So this is where they're producing their vehicles.
But the vehicles weren't the only thing being prepared.
Further inside, she discovered another section of the facility.
Mutants.
Dozens of them.
The Raptures were preparing the creatures for deployment.
Sheffield's eyes narrowed as she examined the information displayed on a nearby terminal.
The mutants were being engineered to withstand extreme radiation.
Sheffield frowned.
"Radiation-resistant mutants?"
She couldn't understand it.
Why would the Raptures need creatures capable of surviving radiation?
What were they planning to do with them?
Sheffield looked toward the containment chambers.
Then her expression hardened.
These creatures had once been villagers.
People who had lived in the same community that had sheltered her and the other maids.
She had only been in the village for about a week, yet the villagers had welcomed them.
They had protected them.
Even when Mendoza attacked the village searching for Sheffield and the other maids, the villagers had still stood by them.
And now Sheffield knew something worse.
Those villagers had already been disappearing before she and the other maids ever arrived.
They hadn't simply been taken.
They had been brought here.
Turned into experiments.
Turned into monsters.
Sheffield's grip tightened around her weapon.
She might not have known these people for long.
But that was enough.
She was determined to make sure this château and everything beneath it was eradicated.
Sheffield continued deeper into the complex.
Eventually, she found another enormous chamber.
Human soldiers were being trained there.
Rows of personnel moved through combat drills while instructors barked orders.
Their equipment was similar to the forces she had encountered above.
Sheffield watched them for a moment.
Then she shook her head.
She had no interest in engaging them.
Why waste ammunition fighting soldiers who would soon be buried beneath the facility anyway?
Sheffield quietly moved past them.
Her objective was simple.
Plant the explosives.
Find the critical structures.
Then bring the entire facility down.
She didn't need to defeat everyone inside.
She only needed to make sure none of them ever reached the village.
===========
Meanwhile, Yuuki and Kaguya descended even deeper into the facility.
They entered another elevator.
The doors closed.
DING.
The elevator began its descent.
The numbers continued dropping.
Kaguya suddenly stiffened.
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"Dearest..."
Yuuki looked at her.
"We have to find her now. We have to hurry."
Yuuki could sense the urgency in her voice.
He nodded.
"You know what?"
His expression hardened.
"Why don't we go loud now?"
Kaguya looked at him.
"It might take the heat off Sheffield, and it should get us to Irisviel faster."
Despite the worry in her eyes, Kaguya smiled.
"Then let us do so."
Her purple tails suddenly burst into existence behind her.
Her fox ears emerged from her hair.
The atmosphere around her changed instantly.
Yuuki disengaged his stealth systems.
CLICK.
His Mark 86 armor came fully online.
The elevator reached its destination.
DING.
The doors opened.
The guards waiting outside barely had time to react.
Kaguya's magic exploded outward.
The guards were lifted from the floor and slammed violently into the walls.
BOOM!
Magical energy flared around Kaguya's tails.
Tiny magical barrels formed around them.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Magical bullets tore through the guards.
Lasers flashed through the corridor while bursts of flame erupted around her.
Yuuki moved immediately behind her.
His armor formed twin repulsor blasters over his forearms.
VZZZZT!
Repulsor blasts tore through the remaining guards.
Yet there was no alarm.
Jarvis had already compromised the facility's security network.
"Security systems remain disabled, sir."
"Good."
Yuuki flew forward.
Kaguya suddenly stopped.
Her expression changed.
"I can feel her."
"Irisviel?"
"Yes."
Her voice became tense.
"Her magical power is getting weaker."
Kaguya immediately burst forward.
"Then we cannot waste another second!"
She accelerated through the corridor.
Yuuki flew directly behind her.
He didn't question her route.
He simply covered her.
Any guard who attempted to intercept Kaguya was immediately knocked aside by Yuuki's repulsors.
Kaguya didn't bother taking the long route.
She went straight through.
A massive steel security door blocked her path.
She raised her fist.
Magic surged around her body.
BOOM!
Her fist punched directly through the steel.
Yuuki stopped midair for half a second.
"...Kaguya."
She pulled her fist free.
"Keep moving!"
Another group of guards rushed toward them.
Kaguya's tails swept forward.
Magical energy wrapped around the soldiers and lifted them from the ground.
She casually threw them aside.
CRASH!
More guards opened fire.
The bullets never reached her.
Her magical aura flared so intensely that the incoming rounds melted before they could touch her.
Yuuki stared for a moment.
"Okay... remind me not to stand too close to you when you're angry."
Kaguya didn't even look back.
"Irisviel is waiting, dearest. Let us be on haste!"
She continued forward.
Another door.
Another wall.
Another security barrier.
Kaguya simply punched through them.
BOOM!
The shortest route was a straight line.
And Kaguya was going to make one.
Irisviel wasn't simply another Shipgirl to her.
She was a dear friend from the North.
Kaguya knew many Arcane Shipgirls, but Irisviel was one of the few she considered genuinely close.
She could feel her friend's strength fading with every passing second.
There was no time for stealth.
No time for detours.
No time to carefully navigate the facility.
So Kaguya tore through everything standing between them.
Yuuki followed directly behind, covering her advance and destroying anyone who tried to stop her.
Together, they carved a straight path through the underground facility until they finally reached the main door leading into the research laboratory.
But there was one final obstacle.
A massive chamber separated them from the entrance.
It was packed with security droids.
Rows of automated weapons immediately turned toward them.
TARGET ACQUIRED.
The security guns activated.
BZZZT!
A storm of bullets erupted across the chamber.
Kaguya didn't even slow down.
Her mana shield flared around her body, stopping every projectile before it could reach her.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The bullets simply bounced away.
Kaguya's expression hardened.
Her dearest friend was behind that door.
She wasn't going to allow anything to stand between them.
"Enough."
Her mana exploded outward.
Yuuki's eyes widened.
Kaguya's tails spread behind her as magical energy surged around her body.
Then something massive began forming behind her.
Yuuki stared.
"What...?"
Kaguya summoned her Ultimate Super Battleship rigging.
But this was something he had never seen before.
A gigantic armored warrior materialized around her.
It resembled a massive half-bodied warrior, its enormous armored frame surrounding Kaguya like a living battle platform.
The battleship's weapons were integrated directly into its arms.
Its massive cannons and weapon systems aligned with Kaguya's movements.
The construct towered roughly five times her height.
Or the size she allowed because of the hall's size.
Yuuki could only stare.
"Wow..."
Kaguya smiled despite the urgency in her expression.
"Yes, dearest."
Her voice carried a strange mixture of pride and resolve.
"This is the form that this wife hid from you."
She looked toward the massive door.
"The form this wife once used to show the Yamato sisters."
Her magical energy continued to surge.
"For too long, this one hid this form because of its immense power."
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"But now... these mortals dare harm mine friend."
The enormous armored warrior raised its weapons.
"Harming a fellow Arcane for amusement."
Kaguya looked toward Yuuki.
"Dearest, permit me to use mine this power to save her."
Yuuki stared at the enormous construct for another moment.
Then he nodded.
"Do it, Kaguya."
His tone became serious.
"As long as you avoid harming our allies if they're nearby."
Kaguya smiled.
"Yes, dearest. Thou shall not worry."
Then she opened fire.
BOOOOOOM!
The chamber erupted.
The weapons mounted upon the enormous armored warrior's arms unleashed a devastating barrage.
Security droids were dismantled almost instantly.
Black Hand guards were thrown across the chamber.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Kaguya's guns continued firing.
The sheer force of the barrage shook the entire underground complex.
Yuuki immediately flew alongside her, taking out anything that managed to survive the initial assault.
Then Kaguya's main guns fired.
KRAAAAAA-BOOOOOOM!
A massive blast tore through the chamber.
An entire formation of security droids disappeared beneath the impact.
Yuuki glanced upward.
The ceiling shook.
Dust began falling from above.
"Easy, Kaguya!"
But Kaguya was already advancing.
She wasn't even close to slowing down.
Yuuki could sense her magical energy.
And that was what truly surprised him.
Her mana reserves hadn't even dropped to a quarter.
How much mana does she actually have?
If this is her current mana only her current level 35.. then how much more she can store if her levels keep increasing?
He had seen Kaguya's power before.
He knew she was incredibly strong.
But this was different.
This wasn't simply strength.
This was overwhelming magical output sustained by an equally overwhelming reserve.
She was barely exerting herself.
Yuuki watched as another volley from her battleship rigging annihilated the remaining defenses.
For the first time, he truly understood the title Kaguya carried.
The strongest.
The First Pillar of the Arcanes of the East.
If her power were compared to the ranking system used by the Arcanes of the North, she would stand at the very peak of the five-star mages.
And even then...
Yuuki wasn't convinced that represented the full extent of what she could do.
Kaguya lowered her weapons.
The massive armored warrior remained behind her, radiating immense magical power.
She looked toward the research laboratory door.
"Irisviel..."
Her voice softened.
"Your dearest friend is coming for thee."
Yuuki flew beside her.
"Let's get her out."
Together, they approached the final door.
Nothing was going to stand between Kaguya and her friend now.
================
"BANG!"
Sheffield's gunshot echoed through the corridor.
A humanoid experiment lunged at her from behind a pile of debris, its distorted body moving with a horrifying mixture of human and monstrous instincts. The bullet struck its head, dropping it before it could reach her.
Sheffield lowered her weapon and continued forward.
She had entered another chamber deep within the facility, and what awaited her inside was enough to make even her usually composed expression harden.
The room was a slaughterhouse.
Blood stained the floors and walls. Broken restraints lay scattered across the ground, alongside rusted medical equipment and overturned examination tables. The stench of rotting corpses hung so heavily in the air that even the ventilation system could not disperse it.
But the worst part was what occupied the chamber.
Experiments.
Dozens of them.
Some crawled along the floor, their bodies twisted beyond recognition. Others huddled in the corners, tearing into whatever remained of their former companions. The floor was littered with bones and mangled remains, evidence of the horrific spectacle the researchers had forced them to endure.
Sheffield's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the room.
These were not naturally occurring monsters.
They had once been villagers.
Ordinary people who had lived their lives in peace, until the researchers had dragged them here and subjected them to their cruel experiments. Their bodies had been altered, their minds shattered, and whatever humanity they had possessed had been buried beneath layers of suffering.
And when the researchers had finished experimenting on them, they had released the creatures into this chamber and forced them to tear one another apart.
As though their suffering had not been enough, they had turned the victims into entertainment for their twisted ambitions.
A low growl came from the darkness.
One of the experiments noticed Sheffield and began dragging itself toward her. Its misshapen limbs scraped against the floor as it struggled forward, its mouth opening to reveal rows of jagged teeth.
Sheffield stared at it in silence.
Then she raised her gun.
"Bang!"
The creature fell.
Another shrieked and charged from the opposite side. Sheffield pivoted and fired again, putting it down before it could close the distance.
More began emerging from the shadows.
Sheffield's expression grew colder.
"...How disgusting."
She had seen enough.
Activating her Heroic Mode, she surged forward.
Her movements became a blur as she darted between the experiments, her weapon flashing with every precise shot. She showed no hesitation, no uncertainty, and no unnecessary cruelty. Each attack was swift and decisive, ending the suffering of the creatures before they could inflict further pain upon themselves or anyone else.
One experiment lunged at her from above.
Sheffield slipped aside and fired.
Another tried to crawl away, only for her to end its misery with a single shot.
She moved through the chamber with ruthless efficiency, her enhanced speed allowing her to reach every corner before the creatures could react.
There was no glory in this battle.
No victory to celebrate.
Only victims who had been denied the chance to remain human.
And so, Sheffield granted them the only mercy left within her power.
As she moved toward the far end of the chamber, she noticed a damaged combat droid lying beside a pile of wreckage. Its weapon mount remained intact, and a flamethrower was still attached to its frame.
Sheffield stopped.
For a moment, she looked back at the chamber.
Then she approached the droid and removed the weapon.
The flamethrower was heavier than her usual equipment, but that hardly mattered. She checked its fuel supply, tested the ignition, and turned toward the remaining experiments.
A burst of flame roared through the chamber.
Fire spread across the bloodstained floor, illuminating the twisted figures with a harsh orange glow. The experiments shrieked and staggered, their movements growing increasingly frantic.
Sheffield did not look away.
She had already done everything she could to spare them further suffering. Those still alive were too far gone to be restored by anything she could offer here.
With a grim expression, she continued until the chamber fell silent.
The flames crackled around her, consuming the remnants of the researchers' grotesque work. Thick smoke rose toward the ceiling as the stench of death gave way to burning debris.
Sheffield stood amid the devastation, gripping the flamethrower tightly.
Her usual composure remained, but the cold fury in her eyes was unmistakable.
She had encountered cruelty before. She had fought monsters, witnessed atrocities, and seen the terrible things people could do when they believed themselves beyond the reach of justice.
But this place had crossed a line.
These researchers had taken innocent villagers, destroyed their bodies and minds, and then forced them to slaughter one another as though their suffering meant nothing.
Sheffield slowly turned toward the chamber's exit.
There was nothing left here worth saving.
But the facility itself still stood, its corridors stretching deeper into the darkness. Somewhere beyond them were the laboratories, the equipment, the records, and the people responsible for this abomination.
Her grip tightened around the flamethrower's handle.
"...I've had enough."
Her voice was quiet, almost eerily calm.
Sheffield stepped out of the chamber, leaving the flames to consume the horrors behind her.
This was the final straw.
She had no intention of allowing this place to continue existing—not its laboratories, not its research, and certainly not the monsters who had created this nightmare.
She was going to bury the entire facility.
========================
"Impressive..."
The short general of the Black Hand stared at the massive magical construct surrounding Kaguya.
"I wanted this one."
A grin spread across his face.
"She has a very vast mana storage. Far more than the Von Eisbern Arcane."
His eyes traveled over Kaguya's fox ears, tails, and kimono-like attire.
He clearly assumed she was some remnant of the former Sakura Empire.
The scientist beside him looked toward the trembling structure.
"Sir, the structure won't hold for much longer."
Inside the central containment tank, Irisviel weakly lifted her head.
Her vision was blurred.
Her magical energy was almost completely drained.
"Kaguya..."
She could barely think.
Please...
Don't come...
BANG!
The main laboratory doors shook violently.
Kaguya had reached them.
She had no intention of opening them normally.
She punched the massive door again.
BANG!
The reinforced anti-magic barrier trembled.
The Black Hand personnel inside stared in disbelief.
Gideon Ravenshaw slowly grinned.
He had seen Kaguya's power through the laboratory's security feeds.
Even the massive anti-magic door was struggling to withstand her.
Then—
BANG!
The entire door buckled.
Gideon's grin widened.
But before he could say anything—
SLAM!
The doors burst apart.
The gigantic half-bodied armored warrior behind Kaguya surged forward, tearing the reinforced doors from their frame as effortlessly as if they were made of soft metal.
The magical construct then vanished.
Kaguya emerged from the smoke.
Yuuki walked beside her.
The scientist scrambled backward.
"Stop them!"
Black Hand personnel raised their weapons.
Yuuki immediately opened fire.
VZZZZT!
Repulsor blasts tore through the weapons and sent the guards sprawling.
Kaguya didn't even look at them.
Her eyes were locked onto the central containment tank.
"Iris!"
She raised her hand.
A concentrated mana bullet formed instantly.
BOOM!
The projectile struck the reinforced glass.
The containment tank shattered.
Glass exploded outward.
Kaguya immediately flew forward.
"Irisviel!"
She caught her dear friend before she could fall.
Irisviel's weakened body landed safely in Kaguya's arms.
Kaguya held her tightly.
"Thou are safe now."
Irisviel could barely keep her eyes open.
"Kaguya..."
"I have thee."
Yuuki moved between them and the Black Hand personnel.
Anyone who attempted to approach was immediately met with a repulsor blast.
Then Yuuki's attention shifted.
One man remained standing.
A short, stout general wearing the black-and-red Rapture officer uniform.
Gideon Ravenshaw.
Yuuki looked him up and down.
"So, you're Gideon Ravenshaw."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Quite a peepsqueak."
Gideon's grin disappeared.
For the first time, Yuuki stood face-to-face with the man responsible for so much of what had gone wrong for the Raptures in the village.
And Yuuki wasn't impressed.
Gideon Ravenshaw slowly stepped forward.
Despite the chaos around him, the short, stout general remained eerily calm. His uniform was immaculate, his red tie perfectly straight, and his expression carried the cold confidence of a man who believed he still held the upper hand.
"You must be the GDI's High Commander. Yukihira Yuuki."
His eyes narrowed.
"Behemoth told me quite a lot about you."
A faint grin appeared.
"You've caused us quite a lot of trouble. Destroying our forces, interfering with our operations... even going so far as to declare war on the Raptures and Sirens."
Yuuki's expression didn't change.
"Yeah."
He casually raised one hand toward himself.
"You're meeting him."
His eyes hardened.
"And yeah. I declared war on the Raptures and Sirens."
Gideon gave a quiet chuckle.
"Quite bold."
He took another step forward.
"Naive, too."
Yuuki snorted.
"Naive?"
He tilted his head.
"I don't think so, junior."
His voice became colder.
"Not when I can back it up."
The grin on Gideon's face faded slightly.
Then his attention shifted toward Kaguya.
More specifically, toward the exhausted Irisviel held protectively in her arms.
"You possess a very interesting Arcane."
His eyes gleamed with unsettling interest.
"She has an extraordinary mana reserve. Her abilities alone would make her an invaluable asset to the Black Hand."
Gideon looked back toward Yuuki.
"And you..."
His smile returned.
"Your armor. Your technology. Your organization."
He spread his arms slightly, almost as though offering Yuuki a deal rather than standing in the middle of a collapsing underground laboratory.
"I could use all of it."
His voice lowered.
"You could serve us."
A pause.
"Your organization could serve us."
Kaguya's ears flattened.
A low growl escaped her throat.
Gideon glanced toward her.
"And she could become one of mine."
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
"Forget it, junior."
The casual tone was gone.
There was steel behind his voice now.
"You're not taking Kaguya."
His gaze shifted toward Irisviel.
"You're not taking Irisviel."
Then back to Gideon.
"And you're definitely not taking the GDI."
Gideon's expression darkened.
"You seem to misunderstand your position."
He gestured toward the laboratory around them.
"You've entered our territory."
His voice became quieter.
"Your allies are scattered throughout this facility. Your people are fighting outside. Your little village is surrounded by Rapture forces."
He smiled again.
"And you walked directly into my laboratory."
Gideon stepped closer.
"You think because you broke through a door and killed a few guards that you've won?"
His smile became almost predatory.
"No, High Commander."
He pointed toward Yuuki.
"You've merely made yourself a much more valuable target."
Yuuki stared at him.
Gideon continued.
"I've watched your forces."
"I've studied your weapons."
"I've seen what your Shipgirls can do."
His eyes narrowed.
"And now I've seen what your Arcanes can do."
He glanced at Kaguya again.
"You've shown me enough."
His voice dropped to a threatening whisper.
"You've shown me exactly what I need to know."
Kaguya tightened her hold around the barely conscious Irisviel.
Her tails bristled.
Yuuki stepped forward.
"Keep staring at my wife like that and you'll lose those eyes."
For a moment, neither man moved.
The laboratory groaned around them.
Warning lights flickered.
Smoke drifted through the chamber.
Gideon slowly smiled.
"Then perhaps we'll settle this the old-fashioned way."
Yuuki's repulsors began charging.
VZZZZZT...
Kaguya's golden eyes burned with fury.
And Gideon Ravenshaw finally looked at the man who had declared war on everything he served.
The threat was no longer theoretical.
The GDI High Commander had come directly to his doorstep.
And neither of them intended to walk away quietly.
Gideon stared at Yuuki for several seconds.
Then he slowly smiled.
"You think you understand what you're dealing with?"
Yuuki gave a dismissive snort.
"Really? You studied us?"
He stepped forward.
"You think you know everything because you've watched a few pieces of footage of old Shipgirls?"
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
"Think again, junior."
He gestured toward the ruined laboratory around them.
"Those girls are getting stronger. Every single day."
His voice carried absolute confidence.
"You've seen what they could do before."
"You haven't seen what they can do now."
Gideon's expression hardened.
Yuuki continued.
"And your little Rapture force?"
He gave a humorless smile.
"There isn't much of one left."
Gideon said nothing.
Yuuki pointed toward the security monitors scattered around the laboratory.
"Do you really think we came here unprepared?"
"Do you think Royal Navy Sheffield can't handle herself?"
His voice grew sharper.
"While we're standing here talking, my Shipgirls are tearing through your forces in the village."
"And your Black Hand?"
Yuuki glanced at the surrounding destruction.
"They're being killed off one by one."
He stepped closer to Gideon.
"You didn't trap me in here."
A cold grin appeared on his face.
"You're trapped in here with me."
For the first time, Gideon's expression became genuinely hostile.
"Hmph."
He straightened his uniform.
"You think you've won, Commander?"
His voice became low and threatening.
"By tomorrow, that little village of yours won't exist."
Yuuki stared at him.
Then he simply shrugged.
"Let's agree to disagree."
BOOOOOOM!
The entire facility shook.
Everyone froze.
Another explosion followed.
Then another.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The scientist suddenly looked toward the security monitors.
"Sir!"
He rushed toward the nearest terminal.
"Explosions are ringing out on the upper floors!"
His voice became increasingly frantic.
"Not one—multiple explosions! They're tearing through the second-floor laboratory!"
Smoke began appearing on the security feeds.
"Fire is spreading!"
Yuuki's mouth curled into a knowing smile.
"I guess you didn't count on Royal Navy Sheffield."
Gideon turned sharply toward the monitor.
The security feed switched.
There—
Sheffield was moving through the burning laboratory.
Alarms blared around her.
Behind her, flames consumed the corridors.
Mutated zombies poured through the halls in a horrifying mass, their bodies twisted by the Black Hand's experiments.
Sheffield didn't retreat.
She raised her weapon.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
One mutant dropped.
Another lunged.
Sheffield sidestepped it and drove her blade through its chest.
A nearby explosion rocked the corridor.
BOOOOM!
Sheffield barely flinched.
She continued advancing through the burning facility as another explosion erupted behind her.
The scientist stared in horror.
"She's... she's destroying the laboratory while fighting the mutants!"
Yuuki folded his arms.
"That's Sheffield."
On the monitor, Sheffield calmly walked through the chaos as flames spread behind her.
Gideon's jaw tightened.
Yuuki looked back at him.
"You thought we'd come here and fight according to your rules."
He shook his head.
"No."
"We came here to end this operation."
Gideon's eyes burned with anger.
"You'll regret this, Commander."
His voice was no longer mocking.
It was a promise.
"You just declared war on the Black Hand."
Yuuki's expression remained completely calm.
"I've erased a version of my own Black Hand before."
He stepped forward.
"So yours makes no difference."
The room fell silent.
Only the sound of distant explosions remained.
BOOM.
Another section of the facility shook.
Yuuki stared directly into Gideon's eyes.
"Now let's see how long your Black Hand lasts."
Gideon's smirk returned.
If anything, it became wider.
His eyes remained fixed on Kaguya.
She had broken through the laboratory's anti-magic barriers and formations—defenses specifically designed to suppress and neutralize magical abilities.
They worked.
Just not against her.
And apparently, they wouldn't work against Yuuki either.
Gideon looked almost fascinated.
"So the anti-magic barriers aren't enough..."
He gave a quiet chuckle.
"Interesting."
Yuuki, meanwhile, had already noticed something else.
Echo Suits are equipped with anti-magic systems too.
His eyes swept across the laboratory.
The realization made him smirk to himself.
If the GDI had already incorporated anti-magic technology into its own equipment, then whatever these people had developed here was hardly something they couldn't overcome.
Then Yuuki noticed them.
Magical cores.
Several of them were positioned around the containment system where Irisviel had been held.
They were glowing faintly, still humming with residual magical energy.
Yuuki immediately raised his arm.
"Jarvis."
TARGETS IDENTIFIED.
His armor's systems locked onto the cores.
Yuuki fired.
VZZZZT!
Chronobeams shot from his armor.
One after another, the magical cores vanished from their containment points and were transferred directly into his possession.
The scientist's face went pale.
"Our magical cores!"
Yuuki glanced at the collection now secured within his armor.
Vergil needed these.
A small grin appeared.
This just shortened his search.
The scientist looked toward Gideon in panic.
"Sir, the cores—"
Gideon's expression darkened.
Then he suddenly reached for one of the remaining cores.
"Activate the laboratory's self-destruct."
The scientist froze.
"Sir?!"
"You heard me."
Gideon's grin returned.
"If they want to come this far, let's see if they can escape."
Warning lights immediately began flashing.
SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED.
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
Gideon began backing toward an emergency passage.
"If you made it this far, Yukihira..."
He held up one of the magical cores.
"I suppose we'll meet again."
Yuuki's eyes immediately locked onto it.
"Not so fast."
He moved.
But Gideon was already retreating through the emergency passage.
Yuuki was about to pursue him—
"Please..."
The weak voice stopped him.
Yuuki turned.
Irisviel was still in Kaguya's arms.
Her breathing was shallow.
"There are two more Shipgirls..."
She struggled to raise her hand.
"They need aid..."
Yuuki's expression changed immediately.
"Shipgirls...?"
He turned toward the containment area.
There.
Two more containment chambers stood against the far wall.
Inside them were two unconscious Shipgirls.
One had red hair.
The other had pink hair.
Their bodies were restrained, weakened, and barely moving.
Yuuki looked toward the passage where Gideon had escaped.
Then back toward the two Shipgirls.
Gideon was already halfway gone.
But Yuuki didn't care.
"Jarvis, locate their life signs."
"Confirmed, sir. Both are alive, but their vital signs are extremely weak."
Yuuki immediately flew toward the containment chambers.
"Then we're getting them out."
Behind him, Kaguya tightened her hold around Irisviel.
The laboratory's self-destruct countdown continued.
WARNING. FACILITY DESTRUCTION IMMINENT.
The walls began to shake.
But Yuuki didn't hesitate.
Gideon could run.
The Black Hand could burn.
The laboratory could collapse.
None of that mattered.
There were still two Shipgirls alive.
And Yuuki wasn't leaving them behind.
BOOM!!
The entire laboratory shook violently.
BOOM!!
Another section of the ceiling collapsed.
Fire spread through the upper levels as the self-destruct sequence continued, tearing the facility apart piece by piece.
"Master!"
A familiar voice echoed through the ruined chamber.
Yuuki looked up.
Sheffield descended through the destroyed elevator shaft, landing heavily among the debris.
"Master!"
"Sheffy."
Yuuki pointed toward the two unconscious Shipgirls.
"Over here."
Sheffield immediately rushed toward them.
Then she stopped.
Her eyes widened.
"I know them..."
Sheffield knelt beside the two women.
"Iron Blood... Seydlitz and Weser."
Yuuki looked at her.
"They're sisters?"
Sheffield nodded.
"Admiral Hipper-class sisters."
Yuuki glanced toward the two unconscious Shipgirls. They located two more sisters of the Admiral Hipper class.
"They were being held here."
"Yes, Master."
Sheffield carefully checked them.
"They're alive."
Yuuki nodded.
"I finished repairing their bodies, but they're going to need proper medical treatment."
He looked toward the collapsing laboratory.
"Yuu can handle the rest once we get them back to the village."
Another explosion rocked the facility.
KRA-BOOM!
Sheffield immediately moved to support Weser.
"I'll carry her."
"I'll take Seydlitz."
Yuuki lifted one of the Shipgirls carefully.
Kaguya remained behind with Irisviel.
But then Kaguya's expression suddenly changed.
Her golden eyes widened.
"Dearest..."
Yuuki looked back.
Kaguya was holding Irisviel tightly against her chest.
"Irisviel is getting weaker."
Her voice trembled.
"They siphoned too much of her magic."
She looked down at her friend.
"She will die at this rate."
Yuuki's expression hardened.
"We'll get her back to Yuu."
Kaguya didn't answer.
She stared at Irisviel.
The woman who had once stood beside her as a fellow Arcane now looked painfully fragile in her arms.
"Iris..."
Irisviel slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision was unfocused.
"Kaguya..."
"I am here."
Kaguya gently brushed Irisviel's pale hair away from her face.
"Thou art safe now."
Irisviel gave the faintest smile.
"I knew... thou would come."
Kaguya's lips trembled.
"Of course I would come."
Her voice cracked.
"I would cross the entire world to find thee."
Irisviel weakly lifted a hand.
Kaguya immediately took it.
Her fingers were cold.
"Kaguya..."
"I am listening."
"I am... so tired."
Kaguya's eyes began to glisten.
"Do not say that."
"But I am."
Irisviel's breathing became weaker.
"They took almost everything."
Kaguya tightened her grip.
"Then take mine."
Irisviel blinked weakly.
"My mana... my strength... take whatever thou needest."
A faint smile appeared on Irisviel's face.
"Thou hast always been... too generous."
"And thou hast always been too stubborn."
Kaguya lowered her forehead against Irisviel's.
"Thou art not allowed to leave me."
Irisviel's eyes softened.
"Kaguya..."
"Thou art my friend."
Kaguya's voice trembled.
"Not merely another Arcane. Not merely a Shipgirl."
A tear finally slipped down her cheek.
"Thou art family."
Irisviel looked at her for several seconds.
"I am glad..."
Her voice was barely audible.
"That I met thee."
Kaguya shook her head.
"No."
She wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Do not speak as though this is goodbye."
Irisviel closed her eyes.
"I am scared..."
Those words broke something inside Kaguya.
She pulled Irisviel closer.
"I know."
Her voice became soft.
"Thou need not be brave anymore."
Another explosion rocked the laboratory.
BOOM!!
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Kaguya didn't even look up.
"I will carry thee."
She held Irisviel tighter.
"I will carry thee until thou art healed."
Irisviel's fingers weakly curled around hers.
"Promise?"
Kaguya's tears fell freely now.
"I promise."
She kissed Irisviel's forehead.
"Thou shalt see tomorrow."
Her voice became firmer.
"And the day after."
"And many, many more days after that."
Irisviel's eyes slowly closed.
"Kaguya..."
"Yes?"
"Thank thee..."
Kaguya hugged her tightly.
"Save thy thanks for when thou art strong enough to scold me again."
A tiny, exhausted smile appeared on Irisviel's face.
"I... shall."
Kaguya closed her eyes.
"Good."
Then she opened them again.
The sorrow was still there.
But now it was buried beneath determination.
"Because this wife refuses to lose thee."
Behind them, the laboratory continued to collapse.
BOOM!!
Yuuki looked toward the ceiling.
"We need to move. Now."
Kaguya nodded.
She carefully lifted Irisviel into her arms.
"I have thee, Iris."
She looked toward the ruined exit.
"And I shall not let thee go."
============
They reached a corner of the underground facility.
But there was nowhere left to go.
The laboratory behind them continued collapsing, one underground level after another.
BOOM!!
The walls trembled.
CRASH!!
A section of the ceiling collapsed somewhere behind them, sending dust and debris through the corridor.
Yuuki looked ahead.
"We need to move."
Then Kaguya suddenly stopped.
"Iris!"
Irisviel's body had gone limp in her arms.
Her breathing was becoming frighteningly shallow.
Her magical presence was fading.
"Dearest..."
Kaguya's voice trembled.
"Canst thou do something?"
She looked at Yuuki with desperation in her golden eyes.
"Please... save mine friend."
Yuuki immediately moved toward them.
"Let me see her."
His armor scanned Irisviel from head to toe.
SCANNING...
His expression hardened.
Her magical reserves were critically low.
Her body was barely maintaining itself.
"She is getting weaker."
Kaguya's ears lowered.
"I know..."
Yuuki looked at Irisviel.
"Iris."
Her eyelids slowly opened.
Her red eyes were barely able to focus.
She looked at Yuuki.
"Thou are..."
Her voice was almost a whisper.
"...the Beloved."
Yuuki blinked.
"Beloved?"
Irisviel gave a faint smile.
"Thou descended two weeks ago..."
Her breathing was uneven.
"Thou married to mine heart."
Her eyes remained fixed on him.
"This one knew... thou wert real."
Yuuki's expression softened.
"I am."
Irisviel's lips curved faintly.
"This one is relieved... to finally meet thee."
Her eyes slowly closed.
"But this one... might not live long enough."
"Iris!"
Kaguya immediately tightened her hold.
"Do not say such things!"
Yuuki remained silent for a moment.
Then he looked directly at Irisviel.
"Then answer me something."
Irisviel slowly opened her eyes again.
"If we heal you..."
Yuuki's voice was calm.
"Will you join us?"
Irisviel stared at him.
"Join...?"
She looked toward Kaguya.
Then back at Yuuki.
"This one would be honored."
A faint warmth returned to her expression.
"To be with her Beloved..."
She looked at Kaguya.
"And with my dear friend."
Her voice softened.
"This one has wished to spend time with Kaguya once more."
Kaguya's eyes filled with tears.
"Iris..."
Yuuki nodded.
"I see."
He gently reached toward Irisviel.
"Then forgive me for what I am about to do."
Before either of them could ask what he meant, Yuuki lifted Irisviel into his arms.
Then he leaned down.
And pressed his lips against hers.
Kaguya's eyes widened.
"Dearest...?"
Irisviel's eyes slowly opened.
Her red eyes widened as she suddenly felt something rushing into her.
Mana.
Not a trickle.
Not a gradual recovery.
A tremendous current of magical energy poured directly into her.
Her depleted reserves began filling at an astonishing rate.
Faster than her body could recover naturally.
Faster than the Black Hand could ever drain her.
Her entire body began glowing.
FWOOM!
A brilliant magical aura erupted around Irisviel.
Sheffield stared in disbelief.
"Master..."
Then she understood.
"Dearest! Thou..."
Yuuki was transferring his own mana into Irisviel.
And he had an absurd amount to spare.
The flow continued until Irisviel's magical reserves were completely replenished.
Only then did Yuuki pull away.
Irisviel blinked.
Once.
Twice.
She took a deep breath and she felt no weakness.
Her magical power had returned.
Her body was no longer struggling to remain conscious.
She stared at Yuuki in disbelief.
"Beloved..."
She touched her own chest.
"Thou saved me."
Her eyes widened further.
"Thou even restored mine magic."
Yuuki smiled faintly.
"Yes."
Irisviel stared at him.
"Thou art... magic?"
Yuuki chuckled.
"Something like that."
He looked at his own hand.
"I can share my mana with others."
Then he shrugged.
"What's the use of having vast mana reserves if I don't use them?"
Irisviel's expression softened.
She slowly reached for his hand.
"Beloved..."
Her voice carried deep gratitude.
"This one shall offer her life and love to thee."
She looked toward Kaguya.
"For saving this lowly Arcane..."
Her eyes became misty.
"And for reuniting this humble one with Kaguya."
Kaguya could no longer hold back her tears.
"Dearest..."
She stepped closer and wrapped one arm around Yuuki.
"Thank thee."
Her voice trembled.
"Thank thee for saving this wife's oldest friend."
She rested her head against his shoulder.
"Thou truly art mine beloved."
Yuuki smiled softly.
"I told you."
He looked toward Irisviel.
"No one is dying today."
Behind them, another deafening explosion shook the underground facility.
BOOOOOOM!!
Yuuki glanced toward the collapsing corridor.
"Now we should probably leave before this place decides to bury us alive."
Then—
"Iris!"
Kaguya suddenly rushed forward.
She threw her arms around her oldest friend, pulling her into a tight embrace.
Tears streamed freely down her cheeks.
"Iris... thou art standing."
Irisviel blinked in surprise before gently returning the embrace.
"Kaguya..."
Kaguya laughed through her tears.
"She is standing..."
She looked over Irisviel from head to toe as if needing to convince herself that what she was seeing was real.
Her magical presence was no longer fading.
Her breathing was steady.
Her mana was completely restored.
There was color in her face again.
"She is completely recovered..."
Kaguya buried her face against Irisviel's shoulder.
"Thank the heavens..."
Irisviel gently stroked her friend's hair.
"This one told thee... this one would see tomorrow."
Kaguya shook her head, still crying.
"Do not ever frighten me like that again."
Irisviel smiled faintly.
"I shall try."
Kaguya pulled back just enough to look directly into her eyes.
"Promise me."
Irisviel smiled warmly.
"I promise."
Kaguya hugged her again.
For the first time since entering the Black Hand laboratory, her tears were no longer tears of fear.
They were tears of relief.
Her oldest friend was alive.
Her oldest friend was standing.
And after believing she was about to lose Irisviel forever, Kaguya could finally hold her again.
Yuuki watched the two Arcane friends embrace.
Despite the collapsing laboratory around them, he smiled.
"Glad to see you back on your feet, Irisviel."
Irisviel looked toward him.
"Beloved..."
She smiled.
"This one is truly grateful."
Yuuki nodded.
"Good idea."
Kaguya wiped her tears and nodded firmly.
"This wife agrees."
She took Irisviel's hand.
"Come, Iris. We are going home."
Irisviel immediately changed her clothes with magic.
The tattered garments from the laboratory vanished, replaced by her familiar Russian-style coat. A warm ushanka settled over her white hair, completing the appearance of the Northern Arcane she had been before her capture.
She straightened herself.
For the first time since Yuuki and Kaguya had found her, she looked like herself again.
Irisviel placed a hand over her chest and gave a small, elegant bow.
"This one is Irisviel."
Her red eyes turned toward Yuuki.
"Four-Star Mage and eighth-ranked among the Arcane Shipgirls of the North."
Yuuki nodded.
"Nice to finally meet you properly, Irisviel."
Irisviel smiled warmly.
"Thank thee, Beloved. Iris would be suffice."
She glanced at Kaguya before looking back at Yuuki.
"Thou even gave this humble Arcane her first kiss."
Kaguya's ears immediately perked up.
Irisviel's smile became slightly mischievous.
"Consider this Northern Arcane married to thee, just as Kaguya."
"Ufuu..."
Kaguya smiled.
She clearly had no objections.
Yuuki rubbed the back of his head.
"Well... that escalated quickly. Let's discuss this later. I hope my other shipgirls could accept you as they accepted Kaguya."
"Umm..."
Sheffield raised a hand.
"I hate to interrupt, Master..."
She pointed upward.
"...but the laboratory is collapsing around us."
BOOOOOOM!!
The entire structure shook violently.
A massive section of the upper laboratory collapsed, sending tons of debris crashing down through the levels above them.
Sheffield looked toward the passage they had originally entered through.
The route was completely buried.
She could see the remains of the upper laboratory collapsing into the underground complex.
"And I believe the entire laboratory above us has collapsed."
Another section came down.
CRASH!!
Sheffield looked at the destruction with a strange sense of relief.
At least the mutants would never escape.
The entire laboratory was being buried along with them.
Still, she turned toward Yuuki.
"It would be wise for us to escape before we are buried alive, Master."
Yuuki nodded.
"Agreed."
Jarvis suddenly spoke through his helmet.
"Sir."
Yuuki looked toward the direction of the blocked passage.
"Ravenshaw has destroyed the emergency route to the surface."
A brief pause.
"We are completely boxed in, sir."
Yuuki stared at the rubble.
Kaguya looked around.
Irisviel's expression became slightly concerned.
Sheffield sighed.
"So our only remaining route is..."
Yuuki looked deeper into the collapsing underground facility.
"Somewhere else."
BOOM!!
The floor trembled beneath their feet.
Yuuki glanced toward Irisviel.
"Iris? Can you fly?"
Irisviel nodded.
"Yes, Beloved. This humble one can fly, just as Kaguya can."
"Good."
Yuuki looked at her carefully.
"How well can you control your string magic?"
Irisviel smiled faintly.
"Very well."
She raised one hand, allowing several thin strands of magical energy to dance between her fingers.
"This one has lived for many years, just as Kaguya has. If Kaguya can wield her fox-fire magic with mastery, then this one is no different."
Her expression became confident.
"This one is capable of flight as well."
Yuuki nodded.
"Then if I gave you blocks of ice and asked you to slice them apart..."
"Ice?"
Irisviel tilted her head.
"This one could certainly do so, but how would we procure ice?"
She glanced at Yuuki curiously.
"Art thou planning to perform magic?"
Yuuki smiled.
"Something like that."
He turned toward Kaguya.
"Kaguya, I need you to carry Sheffield and Weser."
Kaguya nodded.
"Of course."
Yuuki then looked toward Irisviel.
"Iris, you carry Seydlitz."
Irisviel nodded.
"This one shall keep her safe."
"Good."
Yuuki's expression became serious.
"Keep them safe. If either of them gets hurt, Hipper is going to chew me out."
Sheffield gave a small nod.
"I would prefer not to give her another reason to be angry with you, Master."
Yuuki chuckled.
"Same."
Kaguya looked at him curiously.
"And what are thou going to do, dearest?"
Yuuki raised his left arm.
"We could use the Chronosphere to teleport out."
"But it can only bring me, Sheffield, and Kaguya because of our armor. I need time to recalibrate Echo armors to support the remaining three of you but time is not what we have right now."
His eyes moved toward the three other Shipgirls.
"Not all of them."
Kaguya immediately understood.
Yuuki looked down at the device covering his wrist on his Mark 86 armor.
"I promised myself I wouldn't rely on this."
He paused.
"Or magic."
His thumb brushed against the edge of the device.
"But Azmuth was right."
He smiled faintly.
"There are times when I need to rely on it."
The device suddenly clicked.
"It's been a while."
Yuuki looked at the others.
"And I think I need its help now."
Kaguya blinked.
"Azmuth?"
Sheffield tilted her head.
Irisviel looked equally confused.
Yuuki gave them a small grin.
"You'll see."
He raised his arm.
The device was no longer the same Omnitrix he had worn when he was fifteen.
Back then, it had been coated in green and constantly radiated a green glow.
Now, after years of growth and countless battles, it had changed.
The Omnitrix was now platinum silver and black.
Its core no longer emitted green light.
Instead, a brilliant white light pulsed from within.
Yuuki took a breath.
"Omnitrix."
The device responded.
"Unlock core function."
He paused.
"Enable transformation function."
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.
The Omnitrix activated.
A mechanical voice echoed through the corridor.
"Transformation lockout enabled."
White light suddenly burst from the device.
FWOOM!
The entire corridor was illuminated.
The platinum-and-black device shifted and rotated around Yuuki's wrist as its internal systems came fully online.
Then—
"Transformations now enabled. Enabling playlist one to six."
Kaguya stared.
Sheffield's eyes widened.
Irisviel looked at the strange device with open curiosity.
Yuuki wasn't finished.
"Omnitrix."
The dial began rotating.
"Select the best preset for this situation."
"Scanning."
The device analyzed the collapsing underground structure.
"Transformation selected."
The dial suddenly shot upward.
A holographic image appeared above the device.
Something was being displayed.
Something none of the three women had ever seen before.
Kaguya's golden eyes narrowed.
"What...?"
Yuuki looked at them.
"Girls."
He raised his arm slightly.
"Don't be shocked by what I'm about to do."
He paused.
"Or, more accurately..."
A mischievous grin appeared on his face.
"What I'm about to turn into."
Kaguya blinked.
"Turn into?"
Sheffield stared at the Omnitrix.
Irisviel's curiosity only grew.
Yuuki looked down at the dial.
"Yep."
He placed his hand over it.
"Here goes."
CLICK.
Yuuki pressed the Omnitrix.
A burst of brilliant white light erupted from his body.
FWOOM!
Kaguya, Sheffield, and Irisviel instinctively shielded their eyes.
The light completely engulfed Yuuki.
And for the first time in years...
Yuuki activated the Omnitrix's transformation function.