Inside the Omnitrix was a place far beyond what anyone could have imagined.
It wasn't simply a storage system.
It contained an entire dimension.
And within that dimension existed a world known as Primus.
Primus was an enormous organic machine, a creation of Azmuth himself. The planet was effectively the living heart of the Omnitrix—a colossal biological database designed to store and preserve the genetic information of countless species.
From the outside, Primus looked like a wild jungle world.
Vast forests stretched across its surface, filled with enormous vegetation and countless alien lifeforms. Some were harmless.
Others were decidedly not.
But the most important inhabitants of Primus weren't the creatures roaming its jungles.
They were the Volaticus Biopsis.
Small mosquito- and wasp-like robotic creatures created by Azmuth, they traveled across the universe searching for new forms of alien DNA.
Whenever they discovered a viable species, they collected its genetic information and returned it to Primus.
All of that genetic data flowed into the heart of the planet.
The Codon Stream.
A vast network of glowing green liquid coursed through Primus, spreading across the planet like a gigantic biological nervous system.
The Codon Stream was the Omnitrix's genetic database.
Every viable sample collected by the Volaticus Biopsis was stored there.
Millions upon millions of genetic sequences.
The Omnitrix communicated directly with the Codon Stream, accessing the genetic information necessary to rewrite its user's genetic structure and initiate a transformation.
And now...
After nearly twelve years of dormancy...
The Codon Stream stirred.
Deep within Primus, Azmuth suddenly looked up.
The small Galvan glanced toward his equipment.
His expression changed.
"So..."
A faint smile appeared.
"You finally decided to use it again, Yukihira Yuuki."
He walked toward a nearby terminal.
The dormant Omnitrix had awakened.
Not accidentally.
Yuuki had deliberately reactivated it.
Azmuth looked down at his tablet.
The numbers displayed across the screen were staggering.
1,000,910 genetic samples.
His eyes moved through the database.
Out of more than one million available genetic samples, Yuuki had unlocked more than sixty transformations.
Azmuth gave a quiet chuckle.
"More than sixty..."
He shook his head.
"Not bad."
The Galvan leaned back slightly.
Yuuki had once used the Omnitrix constantly.
Back then, he had been a young hero of the GDI.
A teenager who relied heavily on the device and embraced every new transformation it offered to grow the Global Defense Initiative in a foreign world.
But eventually, Yuuki had stopped.
He had removed the Omnitrix from his daily life.
He had chosen to live as a human and High Commander of the GDI.
To build a life without relying on alien transformations, alien abilities, or the overwhelming power contained within the device.
The man who gives up the life of a hero to choose to train heroes.
For almost twelve years, the Omnitrix had remained dormant.
Until now.
Azmuth understood why.
Yuuki wasn't returning to it because he had forgotten how to fight.
He was returning to it because the situation had reached a point where even his conventional technology and abilities weren't enough.
Or more to use it for convinience.
One he had promised himself he would rarely use.
Azmuth selected a transformation from the database.
The Codon Stream responded.
GENETIC SEQUENCE SELECTED.
The corresponding DNA pattern began flowing through the Omnitrix's systems.
Azmuth looked at the data one last time.
"So you finally came back to it."
He smiled faintly.
"Perhaps a normal life really isn't available to you anymore, Yukihira Yuuki."
His eyes narrowed with quiet amusement.
"But that's alright."
Azmuth turned away from the terminal.
"After all these years of trying to live without being a hero..."
He glanced back toward the active Omnitrix.
"Let's see what you can accomplish now."
A final smile crossed his face.
"Show me what you can do once more, Yukihira Yuuki."
The Codon Stream surged.
======================
Kaguya, Sheffield, and Irisviel instinctively closed their eyes as the white light swallowed Yuuki completely.
The transformation was unlike anything they had ever witnessed.
For Irisviel and Sheffield, this was completely unexpected.
Neither of them had known Yuuki could do something like this.
Even Seydlitz and Weser—if they had been conscious—would have been stunned.
The white light intensified.
Yuuki's silhouette changed.
His body became slimmer and more alien.
The Mark 86 armor was replaced by a completely different form.
Then the light faded.
Silence.
Kaguya slowly opened her eyes.
Sheffield stared.
Irisviel's red eyes widened.
Standing before them was a creature none of them had ever seen before.
A humanoid moth-like alien stood where Yuuki had been.
Its body was predominantly black, with slender limbs and cyan markings resembling chunks of ice running across its chest, arms, and legs.
Four large wings were folded behind its body.
Two additional wing-like folds rested around its shoulders, forming something resembling a hooded poncho and giving the alien an almost phantom-like appearance.
Thick black lines bordered the rear sections of the wings, each containing several glowing cyan patches.
Its face was strange and intimidating.
Harsh black markings surrounded its bright eyes and mouth, all converging toward the center of its face.
A black marking stretched across the top of its head, leaving the remaining portion of its forehead in a distinct Y-shape.
Its eyes glowed brightly, each containing a darker spot within.
Its mouth remained in a permanent frown, revealing four bluish-white teeth.
Three pointed fingers and a thumb extended from each hand.
Its feet possessed three toes—two facing forward and one facing backward.
Fur covering its arms and calves alongside under its neck.
With an hourglass dial on the middle of its chest.
Kaguya stared.
Sheffield stared.
Irisviel stared.
None of them had ever seen anything remotely like it.
Not even among the Sakura Empire Shipgirls with their animal-like features.
The alien finally spoke.
Its voice was deep.
"A Necrofriggian?"
The creature flexed its hands.
"I can work with this."
Kaguya slowly approached.
"Umm... dearest?"
The alien turned toward her.
"Hey, Kaguya."
The voice was unmistakably Yuuki.
"Yeah. I can turn into creatures with alien-species abilities."
Kaguya's ears perked up.
"Alien... species?"
Yuuki nodded.
"Yes."
He gestured toward himself.
"Aliens exist."
He paused.
"Honestly, they're not that different from Sirens and Raptures. Just... different origins."
Irisviel continued staring at him.
Yuuki raised one hand.
"This one is called a Necrofriggian."
His cyan markings glowed faintly.
"A species capable of manipulating extreme cold."
Kaguya blinked.
"Thou can turn into alien species?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
Yuuki answered casually.
"Sixty-three."
Kaguya's eyes widened.
"Sixty-three!? That's a lot!"
Yuuki shook his head.
"Sixty-three out of one million nine hundred and ten genetic samples."
Kaguya's jaw practically dropped.
"One million!?"
Yuuki shrugged.
"I tend not to rely on them, Kaguya."
He looked down at his alien hands.
"I prefer settling things as a human rather than as an alien."
His eyes shifted toward the collapsing laboratory.
"Even now, I'm only using one because we need to escape."
Irisviel and Sheffield simply stared at him.
Yuuki noticed their expressions.
"Oh, come on."
He spread his arms.
"It's no different from all my armors."
He looked at his alien body.
"Only these armors happen to look like creatures."
Sheffield's expression remained completely blank.
Yuuki sighed.
"This one is called a Necrofriggian."
He glanced upward as another section of the ceiling collapsed.
BOOM!!
"I could explain more, but the chaos around us isn't exactly friendly."
Four massive wings suddenly unfolded from his back.
FWOOOSH!
The cyan patches along the wings illuminated.
A wave of freezing air swept through the corridor.
Yuuki rose several feet into the air.
"Here's the plan."
He pointed toward the debris blocking their route.
"I'll freeze the boulders."
His gaze shifted toward Irisviel.
"Iris, you slice them apart."
Irisviel nodded.
Yuuki then looked toward Kaguya.
"I wanted to ask for your help, but most of your attacks are bomb-based."
Kaguya gave him an innocent smile.
"Ufuu..."
"So we'll keep it simple."
Yuuki pointed toward Irisviel.
"I freeze."
Then toward Irisviel.
"You slice."
Finally, toward Kaguya.
"You shield her."
Kaguya nodded.
"Understood."
Then she looked at Yuuki.
"And what about thee, dearest?"
Yuuki stared at her.
"What about me?"
His body suddenly became transparent.
Then almost completely intangible.
Only the glowing cyan-and-black outlines of his body remained visible as he passed partially through the surrounding debris.
Kaguya stared.
Irisviel stared.
Sheffield stared.
Yuuki looked back at them.
"What?"
Kaguya's ears flattened slightly.
"Thou art unfair sometimes."
Yuuki's alien mouth formed the closest thing the Necrofriggian could manage to a smug grin.
"Hey."
He spread his wings.
"I'm just making sure we get out alive."
A brief pause.
"Plus, I had practice."
Yuuki suddenly shot forward.
FWOOOSH!
He flew through the collapsing corridor, weaving effortlessly between falling chunks of concrete and twisted metal.
Wherever he passed, a wave of absolute cold followed.
Better than firing freezing breath directly from his necrofriggan mouth.
CRACK!
Massive pieces of debris froze instantly.
Then they stopped.
Entire boulders that had been falling through the collapsing laboratory became suspended in mid-air, locked in place by layers of crystalline ice.
For a brief moment, the chaos stopped.
The collapsing structure had effectively been frozen in time.
Kaguya stared.
"Whatever this Necrofriggian is..."
She looked at the frozen debris surrounding them.
"This truly opens our eyes to how powerful it is."
Yuuki glanced back at her.
"It depends on the driver."
He continued flying, freezing another massive slab before it could crush them.
"I spent years training with these forms."
He raised one hand, freezing an entire section of falling debris.
"Simulations. Training exercises. Learning how to control each alien's abilities and understanding their strengths and weaknesses."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"But I can't rely on them forever."
He looked at his alien hands.
"I'm still human through and through."
A brief pause.
"Despite not even knowing exactly what I am."
Irisviel was already moving.
She floated through the air while carrying Seydlitz securely against her.
One hand remained free.
Strings of magical energy emerged from her fingers.
They were thin.
Almost invisible.
But incredibly sharp.
As Yuuki froze each piece of falling debris, Irisviel's strings flashed through them.
SHING!
A massive boulder split apart.
SHING! SHING!
Another was sliced into smaller pieces.
The strings moved with incredible precision, cutting through frozen stone as easily as a knife through butter.
The fragments descended harmlessly toward the lower levels.
Kaguya carried Weser while Sheffield held tightly behind her.
The three Shipgirls descended through the collapsing laboratory, following Yuuki and Irisviel's carefully created path.
Yuuki watched Irisviel work.
He couldn't help but be impressed.
Her string magic wasn't merely useful.
It was terrifyingly versatile.
Yet something didn't make sense to him.
If she can manipulate strings like this...
Why is she only a four-star mage?
Why is she ranked eighth among the Northern Arcanes?
Why is someone with this kind of ability considered more of a support-type Arcane instead of a high-ranking attacker?
Yuuki flew alongside her.
"Iris."
"Yes, Beloved?"
"This is indeed powerful."
He gestured toward the strings slicing through another frozen boulder.
"String magic that can be manipulated into practically anything?"
Irisviel smiled sheepishly.
"Ah... Beloved."
She continued guiding her strings.
"This one knows less about manipulating them than thou might think."
She sliced another boulder apart.
"They are certainly powerful, but this one has had few ideas regarding how else to use them."
Her expression became slightly embarrassed.
"The best this one has developed is forming them into attacks such as the Puppet String Eagle."
Yuuki's eyes lit up.
"Maybe I can give you some ideas on how to manipulate them?"
Irisviel looked at him.
"That would help this humble one greatly."
She immediately returned her attention to the debris.
SHING!
Another frozen slab split apart.
Then Irisviel glanced toward Kaguya.
"The Beloved is indeed a calm and collected man from his heart."
Kaguya smiled proudly.
"Yes."
Her tails swayed happily behind her.
"My dearest found me alongside three other Shipgirls."
She gave a dramatic sigh.
"Having our hearts married is the best feeling ever."
Then her expression turned playful.
"Still, dearest continues rejecting the love and advances of his wife."
She fake-sobbed.
Yuuki's deep Necrofriggian voice echoed through the corridor.
"Not wife yet, Kaguya."
Kaguya immediately looked offended.
"Ufuu..."
Irisviel blinked.
"My..."
Yuuki sighed.
"Please have mercy on me, you two."
Irisviel smiled.
"Still, at least this one now knows that the Beloved loves his Shipgirls deeply from his heart."
Kaguya nodded.
"Verily."
Yuuki froze another massive section of the collapsing ceiling.
CRACK!
"I appreciate the support."
Kaguya suddenly looked at him.
"Still, dearest..."
Yuuki glanced over.
"Why didn't you use these forms more often?"
"You have so many of them."
Yuuki remained silent for a moment.
Then he answered.
"I prefer not to."
He froze another falling slab.
"These forms are impressive and powerful, but they all have weaknesses."
He pointed toward his alien body.
"Necrofriggians are built for extreme cold."
His cyan markings glowed.
"But they can't survive indefinitely on extremely hot planets. Against certain forms of extreme heat and flame, they're at a disadvantage."
He looked toward Kaguya.
"Same principle with fire-based aliens. Put them somewhere extremely cold and their advantages disappear."
He shrugged.
"So I prefer being human."
Another piece of debris froze.
"And improving what I already have."
His voice became calmer.
"Magic is fun. Alien transformations are powerful."
He looked toward his own body.
"But if I constantly rely on them, I risk becoming dependent on them."
Yuuki's wings spread wider.
"My armor has eighty-six configurations that I painstakingly unlocked throughout my life."
He gestured toward himself.
"Most of them were developed from previous versions, improving what worked and fixing what didn't."
He smiled.
"That's something I can keep improving."
He looked back toward the women following him.
"And the same goes for me."
His expression softened.
"I can still defeat my enemies without relying on magic or alien transformations."
Then he smiled.
"Besides..."
He glanced at Kaguya, Irisviel, and Sheffield.
"I already have you girls."
Kaguya's ears perked up.
"My heroes."
Yuuki's voice became warm despite the deep alien tone.
"I'd rather command heroes than be one."
Irisviel smiled.
Kaguya smiled.
Even Sheffield, who had remained mostly quiet, smiled to herself.
They understood what Yuuki meant.
A hero could do everything alone.
But their Commander didn't want that.
He trusted his Shipgirls.
He trusted them enough to let them become the heroes he once wanted to be.
And that trust meant more to them than any transformation or weapon ever could.
Irisviel placed a hand over her heart.
"My..."
She smiled softly.
"This humble one's heart truly married the right heart."
She glanced toward Kaguya.
"Now this one understands how thou felt, Kaguya."
Kaguya smiled.
"Verily."
Then she looked toward Yuuki with a mischievous expression.
"Still, Iris... thou should prepare thyself."
Irisviel blinked.
"For what?"
"Arcanes tend to possess some of the strongest sources of magic."
Kaguya's golden eyes narrowed playfully.
"And apparently my beloved has enough mana to restore one completely."
She puffed her cheeks.
"This wife is jealous."
Yuuki immediately knew where this was going.
"Here we go."
"I am not the first one to drink thy mana directly."
"Kaguya..."
"This wife exhausted her magic before using my Ultimate Super Battleship form."
She placed a hand against her chest dramatically.
"And requested her beloved husband to give her some of his mana."
Yuuki sighed.
"You can regenerate your own."
"But this wife wanted what thou gave Iris."
"Iris needed it!"
"Still, thou must be fair."
Yuuki looked between the two women.
"Okay, okay."
He gestured toward the collapsing facility.
"Let's get out of here first."
Sheffield finally spoke.
"Master, you seem to have a lot on your plate."
Yuuki laughed.
"I thought Bel, Hood, and Amagi were already a handful, Sheffy."
Sheffield smiled faintly.
"Apparently, Master has only added more."
Yuuki continued freezing the falling debris.
Irisviel continued slicing through it.
CRACK!
SHING!
Piece by piece, they descended through the collapsing laboratory.
The frozen debris they left behind eventually thawed and crashed into the lower levels.
But the path ahead remained clear.
And with Yuuki freezing the destruction and Irisviel cutting their way through it, the group steadily descended toward the surface.
For now, the collapsing laboratory was no longer their enemy.
It was simply another obstacle Yuuki and his new Arcane ally were dismantling together.
===============
Back aboard the Daedalus, the atmosphere was completely different.
The Shipgirls and Nikkes who had remained aboard had been watching the entire operation through the live feed.
They had seen everything.
Yuuki reactivating the Omnitrix.
The strange white light.
His body changing.
And finally—
The appearance of the Necrofriggian.
For several long seconds, nobody said a word.
The entire command area was practically frozen.
Even the Shipgirls and Nikkes who had witnessed countless strange technologies, Sirens, Raptures, magical abilities, and GDI weapons had absolutely no idea what they were looking at.
Neon was the first to break the silence.
"What in the world is that thing!?"
Her question echoed through the command room.
Nobody immediately answered.
Because, honestly...
They were all thinking the exact same thing.
Yorktown, however, wasn't quite as shocked as the others.
She already knew about the Omnitrix.
Yuuki had revealed its existence to her earlier, during a conversation he had with Vice Commander Yuu.
But knowing about something and actually seeing Yuuki use it were two completely different things.
Yorktown slowly exhaled.
She had watched Yuuki transform with her own eyes.
And she had also witnessed something else she really wished she could forget.
The moment Yuuki had kissed Irisviel to transfer his mana and save her life.
Yorktown sighed.
"Of course..."
She rubbed her forehead.
"Of all the things I had to witness today..."
Her eyes shifted toward the screen.
"Commander kissing another Arcane Shipgirl."
A pause.
"And transferring his mana directly to her."
Another sigh.
"Great."
She wasn't the only one affected.
Several Shipgirls and Nikkes who had yet to experience anything remotely similar were staring at the screen with varying degrees of disbelief, jealousy, amusement, or simple confusion.
Because now there was another Arcane Shipgirl.
Just like Kaguya.
And she had apparently decided to follow Yuuki as well.
For the remaining members of the Admiral Hipper-class, however, the situation carried an entirely different meaning.
Hipper had barely taken her eyes off the screen.
There was Seydlitz.
And Weser.
Both alive.
Both rescued.
Both finally reunited with their sisters.
For a long time, the Admiral Hipper-class sisters had hoped they would find the last remaining members of their family.
Now that hope had become reality.
Seydlitz had originally been the fourth of five Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers constructed by Iron Blood.
But her data had later been duplicated and used to create another ship.
Weser.
Unlike the other Admiral Hipper-class ships, however, Weser had been developed primarily as an aircraft carrier rather than another heavy cruiser.
That had always made Weser somewhat awkward about her place among the family.
But Hipper had never cared.
She had accepted Weser as one of them regardless.
A sister was a sister.
And now, with Seydlitz and Weser finally rescued, the Admiral Hipper-class family had become even larger.
There were now seven sisters officially recognized as part of the group, including the Kantai Collection Prinz Eugen, who had also become an official member of their family.
Hipper stared at the screen.
For once, her usual attitude was nowhere to be seen.
"...They're really alive."
Her voice was quiet.
The others understood immediately.
It wasn't simply another successful rescue.
They had found family.
Elsewhere, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Glasgow, Kantai Collection's Prinz Eugen, Asahi, and Akashi were equally relieved.
Their eyes remained fixed on the live feed.
Yuuki was alive.
Irisviel was alive.
Seydlitz and Weser had been recovered.
Their savior had survived yet another impossible situation.
Edinburgh clasped her hands together.
"Thank goodness..."
Newcastle smiled softly.
"Master is safe."
Glasgow nodded firmly.
"Of course he is."
Prinz's expression softened as she watched the screen.
"He really does have a habit of surviving the impossible."
Kancolle Asahi quietly smiled.
Akashi, meanwhile, simply stared at the screen.
"Shikikan-sama turned into an alien, nyaa..."
She tilted her head.
"That is something I wasn't expecting, nyaa."
For Avrora, Pallada, and Diana, however, their attention was focused on something else.
Irisviel.
A Northern Arcane Shipgirl.
Kaguya had represented the East.
Now the North had its own Arcane.
Avrora's expression softened.
"So the North has an Arcane as well..."
Pallada nodded.
"It is reassuring."
Diana smiled.
"Indeed."
They had watched Kaguya become a powerful force within Yuuki's growing coalition.
Now Irisviel had appeared as another Arcane Shipgirl standing beside him.
For the moment, they were simply glad that one of their own had survived.
Then the screen showed Yuuki again.
Or rather...
The creature that had once been Yuuki.
The Necrofriggian spread its four wings as it flew through the collapsing laboratory, freezing massive chunks of debris and turning the entire battlefield into a frozen maze.
The command room went silent again.
Akagi was staring at the screen in disbelief.
"What has happened to Akagi's beloved Shikikan-sama?!"
"Nee-sama, be quiet." Kaga immediately replied.
"You saw it too, Kaga! Look at him—or that... thing!"
Kaga sighed.
"Yes, I can see him."
Neon slowly pointed at the screen.
"Okay."
She narrowed her eyes.
"What in the world is that thing?"
No one answered.
Neon looked around.
"Seriously!?"
She pointed harder.
"That was Commander a minute ago!"
An awkward silence followed.
Anis finally spoke.
"Well, he... transformed."
Neon turned toward her.
"Into a giant moth ghost!?"
"Apparently."
"That doesn't explain anything!"
Shoukaku stared at the screen.
"He has four wings."
Zuikaku nodded.
"He can fly like us without his armor."
Anis folded her arms.
"Well, he can turn intangible."
Rapi added calmly,
"And he can freeze an entire collapsing building."
Neon slowly lowered her hand.
"...Commander is terrifying."
Yorktown sighed.
"You have no idea."
Neon and the others immediately turned toward her.
Anis raised an eyebrow.
"You knew about this!?"
Yorktown paused.
"...I knew about the Omnitrix."
She glanced back toward the screen.
"The Ominitrix?" Anis wondered.
"Commander revealed it to me while discussing it with Vice Commander Yuu."
She watched the Necrofriggian fly through another collapsing section of the laboratory.
"But seeing him actually use it for the first time?"
She shook her head.
"No."
Yorktown sighed again.
"I wasn't prepared either."
The command room fell silent as everyone continued watching the strange alien effortlessly navigate the collapsing facility.
Then Belfast crossed her arms.
"So..."
She looked at Yorktown.
"How many of those things can he become?"
Yorktown stared at the screen.
"More than sixty."
Silence.
Neon's eyes widened.
"...More than sixty!?"
Yorktown nodded.
"Sixty-three to be exact. And apparently that's only a tiny fraction of what's inside the Omnitrix."
She paused.
"According to what he told me, sixty transformations have been documented by Dr. Yuu so far."
Yorktown looked back at the screen.
"Sixty-three out of 1,000,910 genetic samples."
The entire room went silent.
The number seemed to hang in the air.
Even the most technologically inclined Shipgirls and Nikkes struggled to process it.
"One million nyaa!" Akashi shouted. Even her Kancolle version was equally surprised as well.
Ade was the first to speak.
"...But why doesn't he use it during missions?"
Several Shipgirls nodded.
The Nikkes did the same.
It was a reasonable question.
If Yuuki possessed a device capable of granting him access to more than a million alien genetic samples, why had he spent years relying primarily on his armor, weapons, and his own abilities?
Yorktown answered after a moment.
"Most likely because he simply prefers not to rely on them."
Everyone looked toward her.
"He actually asked me whether he should put the Omnitrix back on after leaving it unused for twelve years."
Soda tilted her head.
"And?"
Yorktown smiled faintly.
"He told me he preferred letting all of us handle things from now on."
She looked around the command room.
"He's a Commander now."
Her gaze returned to the screen.
"Not a savior."
She paused.
"Not a hero who has to personally save the day every time."
Yorktown's expression softened.
"He prefers leading us instead."
A few Shipgirls exchanged glances.
"He said he has already spent enough time being the one who jumps into the fight and saves everyone."
She continued.
"Now he wants to build a force capable of doing that without him."
Yorktown gestured toward the screen.
"And there's another reason."
"The transformations may be incredibly powerful, but every form has its own strengths and weaknesses."
She smiled.
"So commander would rather continue improving his armor than become dependent on alien transformations."
Belfast was quiet for several seconds.
Then she sighed.
"Master being level ten thousand and possessing that kind of power is already enough to shock us."
Her eyes remained fixed on the screen.
"But now we learn that he possesses the ability to transform into more than a million different alien species?"
She shook her head.
"We really didn't know a lot about our Master."
Enterprise smiled quietly.
She looked toward Belfast.
"We have a lot of time to do so, Bel."
Belfast glanced at her.
Then back toward the screen.
The Necrofriggian continued flying through the collapsing laboratory, freezing debris in mid-air while Irisviel sliced through it with her strings.
The command room remained silent for a moment longer.
Then Akagi suddenly spoke.
"So..."
Everyone looked toward her.
"If Shikikan-sama can become a giant moth..."
Kaga immediately narrowed her eyes.
"Do not start."
Akagi paused.
"...I was only going to ask what else he can become."
Kaga sighed.
"Knowing him?"
She looked at the screen.
"Probably something even stranger."
Nobody disagreed.
"Hmmm, teddy bear owed me a lot of explanation." Eugen licked her lips making her counterpart uncomfortable.
===============
Outside the collapsing château, Gideon Ravenshaw had already reached the helipad.
The entire facility was coming apart behind him.
Sections of the château collapsed in the distance, sending clouds of dust and debris into the air. Flames licked through shattered windows while emergency sirens continued screaming across the compound.
Most of the Black Hand forces had already escaped the island.
Ravenshaw had made certain of that.
Especially after learning that Behemoth had authorized a nuclear strike against the entire island.
There was no reason to remain any longer than necessary.
But Ravenshaw had deliberately stayed behind.
He had waited until the last of his personnel had escaped.
Scientists.
Researchers.
Black Hand specialists.
All of them were necessary for what he intended to accomplish next.
He wasn't going to leave them behind simply because the château was collapsing.
Ravenshaw stepped onto the helicopter and glanced back one final time.
The only magical core he had managed to steal from the laboratory was secured safely within his equipment.
The rest had been erased by Yuuki's strange beam.
At least one remained.
That was enough.
"Move."
The helicopter's engines roared.
The final transport began lifting away from the helipad.
Ravenshaw turned toward the island.
Then—
CRACK!
The ground directly ahead of the helipad suddenly froze.
A layer of ice spread rapidly across the concrete, crawling outward like a living organism.
Ravenshaw's eyes narrowed.
"What in the...?"
Thin strings suddenly flashed through the frozen ground.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
The ice-covered surface was sliced apart.
The ground exploded upward.
BOOOOM!
Ravenshaw immediately raised an arm to shield himself from the debris.
Something burst from beneath the helipad.
A strange creature emerged from the frozen earth, its four wings spreading wide as chunks of ice fell from its body.
Before Ravenshaw could properly process what he was seeing, another figure burst from the opening.
Kaguya.
She emerged carrying Sheffield and Weser, landing gracefully despite the collapsing terrain.
A second figure followed.
Irisviel.
She floated out of the underground passage while carrying Seydlitz.
Ravenshaw froze.
His eyes widened.
Irisviel.
Alive.
Not only alive—
She looked perfectly healthy.
That shouldn't have been possible.
He had personally witnessed her condition inside the laboratory.
She had been at death's door after the Black Hand had drained nearly all of her magical energy.
Yet here she was.
Standing.
Flying.
Alive.
Ravenshaw's expression darkened.
But his attention soon shifted toward the creature standing before him.
The alien slowly descended onto the helipad.
Its wings folded inward.
The outer wings wrapped around its body, forming a cloak-like silhouette.
The creature looked directly at Ravenshaw.
"Now..."
Its deep voice echoed across the ruined helipad.
"Trying to go away without so much as saying goodbye, junior?"
The creature tilted its head.
"That hurts."
Ravenshaw stared.
His expression slowly hardened.
"Yukihira..."
He looked over the alien's body.
"What did you do to yourself?"
The Necrofriggian's glowing eyes narrowed slightly.
"Let's just say I have something hidden up my sleeve."
Ravenshaw's expression remained cold.
He casually raised one hand and twirled a finger.
The helicopter behind him began moving away from the helipad.
The final transport was leaving.
Ravenshaw had accomplished what he needed.
He had gotten his people out.
He had the magical core.
Now he only needed to deal with Yuuki.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
Something descended from the sky.
Metal crashed onto the helipad.
Dust exploded outward.
Ravenshaw stood beside it as the dust cleared.
A massive humanoid machine stood before Yuuki.
It possessed the appearance of a mechanical samurai.
Its body was muscular and heavily armored.
Its head was shaped like an egg, completely featureless except for an upward-pointing, arch-shaped horn resembling a kabuto helmet.
Dark-gray armor plating surrounded the head, neck, hands, shoulders, hips, and knees, with black lines separating each armored section.
The inner body was black.
Its outer armor came in a variety of colors, but the machine standing before Yuuki was dominated by a heavy, imposing configuration designed for combat.
It looked less like a conventional powered suit...
And more like an armored warrior brought to life.
Yuuki stared at it.
Then glanced toward Ravenshaw.
"Oh."
A slight grin appeared across his alien face.
"You have your own armor?"
Ravenshaw's expression turned smug.
"Not just you, Yukihira."
He stepped toward the machine.
"Even the Black Hand has developed advanced armor specifically designed to counter Arcane Shipgirls."
His hand rested against the machine.
"This is the armor I used to capture that Von Eisbern Arcane."
Irisviel's expression immediately hardened.
"You!"
She stepped forward.
Yuuki raised one hand.
"Stand down, Iris."
She looked toward him.
"Let me deal with him."
Yuuki pointed toward the others.
"Find a safe place to watch."
His gaze shifted toward Kaguya.
"Protect the girls."
Irisviel hesitated.
Then she nodded.
"Very well, Beloved."
She moved back alongside Kaguya and Sheffield.
Ravenshaw climbed into the armored machine.
The machine's systems activated.
VRRRRMMMM—
Mechanical components shifted.
Armor locked into place.
The machine's fists clenched.
Ravenshaw looked down at Yuuki.
"You actually believe you can defeat me in that form?"
He gestured toward the Necrofriggian.
"Even that Arcane Shipgirl was no match for me."
Yuuki stared up at him.
"You took on an Arcane Shipgirl who hadn't even discovered her full potential."
His wings slowly spread.
"Why don't you try taking on someone your own size?"
Ravenshaw's eyes narrowed.
"Arrogant brat!"
The armor raised its fist.
"You think transforming into a moth beast makes you a match for me?"
Yuuki remained completely calm.
"I never said I planned to rely on this form."
Ravenshaw suddenly charged.
BOOM!
The massive armored fist came flying toward Yuuki.
Yuuki didn't move.
At the last possible moment—
His body became intangible.
The fist passed directly through his torso.
At the same time, an intense wave of freezing energy spread across the machine's arm.
CRACK!
Ice rapidly covered the armor.
The entire fist froze solid.
Ravenshaw's eyes widened.
Yuuki casually looked down at the frozen fist.
"As you know..."
His wings slowly spread.
"I spent years in simulations mastering every form I had access to."
He raised one hand.
"This one included."
The ice spread farther up the mechanical arm.
"I trained this form specifically until making my body intangible became second nature."
Yuuki stepped back.
"Kaguya was right."
He looked toward the frozen fist.
"With enough time and practice..."
His foot slammed into the frozen armor.
BOOM!
The machine staggered backward.
"Any power can be mastered. It was kind of unfair."
Ravenshaw recovered his footing.
"Arrogant, aren't we?"
Yuuki simply shrugged.
"Not really."
His glowing eyes remained fixed on the machine.
"I just know what to do."
Ravenshaw raised his arm.
A weapon system opened.
CLICK—WHIRRRR!
A missile launched directly toward Yuuki.
WHOOSH!
The projectile streaked across the helipad.
Yuuki didn't even bother moving.
The missile passed straight through his body.
BOOM!
It exploded behind him.
Smoke rolled across the helipad.
Ravenshaw stared.
"...Really?"
Yuuki emerged from the smoke completely unharmed.
Ravenshaw clenched his fist.
"Face me like a man, coward!"
Yuuki stared at him for several seconds.
Then glanced down at his own alien body.
Then back at the heavily armored machine.
"You're in powered armor."
He spread his wings.
"And I'm in this form."
A faint grin appeared.
"Fairness is a bit of a stretch now, isn't it?"
Ravenshaw's mechanical fist remained frozen.
Ice had spread from the knuckles to the elbow, locking the armor in place.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then Ravenshaw's machine suddenly released a burst of compressed heat.
HSSSSSS!
The ice shattered.
Fragments scattered across the helipad.
Yuuki's glowing eyes narrowed.
"Oh."
Ravenshaw flexed the mechanical hand.
"Did you really think freezing my armor once would stop me?"
The machine's internal systems roared back to life.
"Black Hand armor was specifically designed to fight beings far more powerful than ordinary humans."
Ravenshaw's mechanical arm shifted.
Panels opened across its forearm.
"Let's see how your little trick handles this."
THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!
Three explosive rounds fired simultaneously.
Yuuki vanished.
The projectiles tore through the spot where he had been standing.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The helipad erupted.
Ravenshaw immediately turned.
Nothing.
His sensors scanned the surrounding area.
Thermal.
Nothing.
Motion.
Nothing.
Energy.
Nothing.
Then—
CRACK!
Ice spread across the back of his armor.
Ravenshaw spun around.
Yuuki was standing directly behind him.
"Looking for me?"
Ravenshaw swung.
Yuuki phased through the punch.
The massive fist passed through his chest as though his body were nothing more than smoke.
Yuuki stepped sideways.
Then struck.
BOOM!
His kick slammed into the machine's knee.
The armored giant barely moved.
Ravenshaw looked down.
"That's it?"
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
"Not quite."
His hand touched the machine's leg.
CRACKLE—
Ice exploded outward.
The entire lower leg froze.
Ravenshaw's armor attempted to compensate.
Hydraulic pistons screamed.
GRRRRNNNNK!
The machine forced its leg forward.
Yuuki was already moving.
He flew upward.
Four wings spread wide.
FWOOOSH!
He circled the machine at incredible speed.
Every pass left behind a trail of freezing air.
The armor began accumulating layers of ice.
Ravenshaw fired upward.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Missiles streaked through the air.
Yuuki twisted between them.
One missile passed through his wing.
Another went straight through his torso.
A third exploded nearby.
BOOM!
The blast sent Yuuki tumbling backward.
He recovered instantly.
"Okay."
He brushed smoke from his body.
"That one actually hurt."
Ravenshaw laughed.
"Got you!"
The machine's shoulder-mounted weapons opened.
CH-CH-CH-CH!
A barrage of projectiles filled the sky.
Yuuki's wings folded around his body.
He became intangible.
The entire barrage passed through him.
Behind him, the projectiles smashed into the château ruins.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Ravenshaw growled.
"Stop running!"
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
"I'm not running."
His body disappeared.
Ravenshaw's sensors screamed.
WARNING. PROXIMITY ALERT.
Yuuki emerged from the ground directly beneath him.
His hands grabbed the machine's ankle.
A massive wave of cold erupted.
CRAAAAACK!
The entire leg froze solid.
Yuuki pulled.
The machine lost its balance.
"Wha—?!"
BOOM!
The enormous armored body crashed onto one knee.
Yuuki immediately flew upward.
He formed a trail of freezing energy around himself.
Then dove.
FWOOOSH!
Ravenshaw looked up.
"Come here!"
The machine swung both arms upward.
Yuuki phased through them.
Then he struck the armor directly in the chest.
BOOOOOOM!
The impact launched Ravenshaw backward.
The armored giant crashed through the remains of a stone wall.
KRAAASH!
Dust exploded across the helipad.
Kaguya watched from a safe distance.
Her golden eyes widened slightly.
"Dearest..."
Irisviel stared as well.
"He is not even using a weapon."
Sheffield remained calm, though her eyes followed every movement.
"He doesn't need one."
Yuuki hovered in the air.
His four wings slowly beat.
He looked toward the ruined wall.
"Come on, junior."
The rubble moved.
A mechanical hand emerged.
Then Ravenshaw stood.
The armor was damaged.
Several plates were cracked.
Ice covered one side of the machine.
But it was still standing.
Ravenshaw wiped dust from his helmet.
"You're fast."
His voice was colder now.
"But speed isn't everything."
The armor suddenly changed configuration.
CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!
Panels shifted across its arms and shoulders.
A pair of heavy mechanical blades extended from its forearms.
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
"Oh."
Ravenshaw charged.
BOOM!
The machine crossed the distance instantly.
One blade swung horizontally.
Yuuki leaned backward.
The blade passed inches from his face.
Ravenshaw followed with the second.
Yuuki phased.
The blade passed through his torso.
He immediately retaliated.
CRACK!
A freezing blast struck Ravenshaw's shoulder.
The armor froze.
Ravenshaw ignored it.
He drove his knee upward.
Yuuki barely phased in time.
The armored knee passed through his abdomen.
Yuuki's eyes widened.
"Okay."
He flipped backward.
"You're getting annoying."
Ravenshaw chased him.
The machine's movements were far faster than its enormous frame suggested.
Strike after strike tore through the air.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
CLANG!
Yuuki dodged.
Phased.
Flew.
Dived.
Every attack that should have connected passed harmlessly through his intangible body.
But Ravenshaw wasn't simply attacking randomly.
He was studying him.
Watching.
Adapting.
Then he suddenly stopped.
Yuuki hovered several meters away.
Ravenshaw lowered his arms.
Yuuki tilted his head.
"What's wrong?"
"You always become intangible when I attack."
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
Ravenshaw raised one hand.
"And you always become solid again when you attack me."
Yuuki remained silent.
Ravenshaw smiled beneath his helmet.
"Got you."
The machine slammed both fists together.
A powerful electromagnetic pulse erupted from the armor.
WHOOOOOOM!
Yuuki's body suddenly flickered.
His intangibility destabilized.
His eyes widened.
"What the—?"
Ravenshaw charged.
BOOM!
A fist slammed directly into Yuuki's chest.
The Necrofriggian was launched across the helipad.
CRASH!
He smashed into the ground and rolled several meters.
Kaguya immediately stepped forward.
"Dearest!"
Yuuki pushed himself up.
"I'm fine!"
He shook his head.
"Just caught me off guard."
Ravenshaw approached.
"Your intangibility isn't invincible."
Yuuki slowly stood.
"No."
He spread his wings.
"It isn't."
The cyan markings across his body began glowing brighter.
"But neither is your armor."
Ravenshaw charged again.
This time, Yuuki didn't retreat.
He flew straight toward him.
The two collided.
BOOOOOOM!
The shockwave blasted dust and debris across the helipad.
Ravenshaw swung.
Yuuki phased.
Yuuki struck.
Ravenshaw blocked.
The machine's blade swept across the air.
Yuuki twisted around it.
He grabbed the blade.
Ice instantly spread across the weapon.
CRACK!
The blade froze solid.
Yuuki kicked it.
BOOM!
The frozen weapon shattered.
Ravenshaw immediately punched.
Yuuki phased through.
Then reappeared behind him.
Both hands touched the machine's back.
Yuuki unleashed everything.
FROOOOOSH!
An enormous wave of absolute cold erupted.
Ice engulfed Ravenshaw's armor.
The machine became completely encased.
Ravenshaw's systems screamed.
WARNING. CRITICAL TEMPERATURE DROP.
Yuuki flew backward.
The frozen machine stood motionless.
Kaguya's eyes widened.
"Did he...?"
The ice cracked.
Yuuki's expression remained calm.
"No."
The frozen shell exploded.
BOOOOOOM!
Ravenshaw burst free.
Steam poured from the armor.
Several systems sparked.
But the machine remained operational.
Ravenshaw charged one final time.
Yuuki smiled.
"That's more like it."
He suddenly pulled upward, his four wings beating powerfully as he rose into the air.
Then a familiar voice sounded inside his mind.
"I see you've made use of the Omnitrix again."
Yuuki paused mid-flight.
That voice.
He couldn't help but smile.
"More like I'm waiting for the timer to expire."
He glanced at the Omnitrix symbol on his chest.
"Ten minutes. Remember?"
A brief silence followed.
"I created it."
Yuuki chuckled.
"Points for trying to annoy you."
"It doesn't work."
Azmuth's voice remained completely unimpressed.
"Besides, I have something you might be interested in."
Yuuki's expression changed.
"What kind of something?"
"An additional upgrade."
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"Upgrade?"
"I added it to persuade you to put the Omnitrix on again. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to tell you about it."
The Omnitrix symbol on Yuuki's chest began glowing faintly.
"I finally perfected the system and installed it inside the Omnitrix."
Yuuki's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh?"
Azmuth's voice carried a hint of pride.
"It's called the Ultimatrix."
Yuuki blinked.
"Ultimatrix? That's kind cool. Pun intended."
"I noticed. A version of the Omnitrix that allows you to evolve your unlocked transformations into their ultimate states."
Yuuki looked down at himself.
"Think of it as an evolutionary function."
Azmuth continued.
"When I originally created the system, it was... admittedly, more trouble than it was worth."
Yuuki snorted.
"That sounds like something you'd say."
"I have since corrected the problems."
Azmuth paused.
"All of them."
The confidence in his voice was unmistakable.
"The system is now stable and fully functional."
Yuuki's eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"So you're telling me I can evolve my transformations?"
"Precisely."
Azmuth sounded satisfied.
"Consider it another reason for you to practice using your alien forms."
Yuuki looked toward Ravenshaw below.
The armored Black Hand general was still waiting.
A slow grin appeared across Yuuki's alien face.
"Now that's interesting."
Azmuth continued.
"Try it."
Yuuki tilted his head.
"How?"
"Turn the dial on your chest counterclockwise."
Yuuki looked down at the Omnitrix.
"Once it activates, press it."
Yuuki nodded.
"Simple enough."
Azmuth's voice suddenly became more distant.
"Now, go see what you've been missing."
The connection faded.
Yuuki looked down at the Omnitrix.
Then he heard Kaguya's voice from below.
"What is dearest doing?"
Yuuki looked down.
Kaguya, Sheffield, and Irisviel were staring up at him.
They had heard him speaking to someone.
They had no idea who.
Yuuki merely smiled.
"Trying something new."
The live feed from the battlefield was still being transmitted directly to the Daedalus.
So everyone aboard was watching.
The Shipgirls.
The Nikkes.
Everyone.
Yuuki placed one hand over the Omnitrix.
Then slowly turned the dial counterclockwise.
CLICK.
The device shifted.
The central symbol rose from its housing.
Four gray spikes suddenly extended outward from the dial.
K-CHUNK!
The Omnitrix locked into its new configuration.
Yuuki stared.
"Whoa."
The symbol pulsed.
Azmuth's voice echoed one final time.
"Now press it."
Yuuki smiled.
"Here goes."
He pressed the dial.
FLASH!
White light exploded outward.
Kaguya immediately raised an arm against the brightness.
Sheffield stared.
Irisviel's eyes widened.
And aboard the Daedalus, the command room erupted into confusion.
"What is happening now!?" Neon shouted.
Yorktown immediately stood up.
"Wait..."
The white light surrounding Yuuki changed.
His body began transforming again.
The Necrofriggian form remained recognizable.
But something was different.
Its black body began shifting.
The coloration changed dramatically.
Red spread across its skin, replacing the darker tones of its normal form.
Its four wings expanded.
The cyan markings remained, but the wings and antennae developed fiery, flame-like patterns.
Crests appeared above its eyes, carrying the same sharp flame design.
The wing structures folded inward.
They wrapped around its body like a cloak.
Its silhouette became more imposing.
More aggressive.
More predatory.
And on its chest, the Omnitrix symbol had changed.
The Ultimatrix emblem glowed brightly.
The transformation finished.
The white light disappeared.
Silence.
Yuuki slowly opened his eyes.
He looked down at himself.
Then spread his wings.
The new form moved with him perfectly.
Yuuki's expression slowly changed from curiosity to genuine amusement.
"What the..."
Kaguya stared upward.
"Dearest..."
She looked at the unfamiliar form.
"That is still thee?"
Yuuki looked down at her.
"Apparently."
Irisviel's eyes widened.
"The appearance is different."
She studied him carefully.
"Yet the essence remains the same."
She looked toward the strange device on his chest.
"What happened?"
Azmuth's voice echoed through the Omnitrix once again.
"The Evolutionary Function."
Yuuki glanced at the device.
Azmuth continued explaining.
"It places the selected species into a simulated environment at the genetic level."
The four wings slowly spread.
"The simulation runs for an extraordinarily long period."
Yuuki's eyes widened.
"How long?"
"Approximately one million years."
Yuuki perked up.
"One million years!?"
Azmuth continued as though that were perfectly normal.
"The selected species is subjected to a theoretical worst-case scenario."
Yuuki stared at himself.
"So it forces the species to evolve."
"Exactly."
Azmuth sounded pleased.
"The simulation determines how the species could adapt to survive those conditions."
He paused.
"Then the Omnitrix modifies the actual genetic sequence to reproduce the resulting evolutionary state."
Yuuki looked at his hands.
"So this isn't just a stronger version."
"No."
Azmuth's voice became firm.
"It is an evolutionary adaptation."
Yuuki flexed his fingers.
The new form responded instantly.
"The survival-of-the-fittest process naturally produces forms optimized for combat and survival."
Yuuki smiled.
"Fit to be used by me?"
Azmuth answered immediately.
"Precisely."
A brief pause.
"This is the Ultimate Necrofriggian."
Yuuki looked toward Ravenshaw.
The Black Hand armor stood several meters away.
Its weapons were still active.
Its systems were still locked onto him.
Yuuki slowly folded his wings around himself.
The flame-like patterns along them glowed.
Then his wings opened again.
A wave of freezing energy rolled across the helipad.
But this time...
It felt different.
Denser.
Sharper.
More violent.
Ice spread across the ground in an instant.
Ravenshaw's sensors immediately began screaming.
WARNING. EXTREME THERMAL ANOMALY.
Yuuki looked at his hands.
Then at Ravenshaw.
A grin slowly formed across his alien face.
"So this is what an evolved Necrofriggian feels like."
Kaguya's eyes widened.
"Dearest..."
Yuuki looked down.
"Yeah?"
She smiled.
"Thou hast become even more frightening."
Yuuki chuckled.
"Good."
He spread all four wings.
The flame-like patterns along them ignited with cyan-white energy.
"Because I think our fight just got more interesting."
Yuuki spread all four wings.
The flame-like patterns running across them suddenly burned brighter.
Ravenshaw raised his armored fists.
"Enough tricks."
His armor's weapons unfolded.
Shoulder-mounted launchers locked onto Yuuki.
Multiple targeting reticles appeared across the Ultimate Necrofriggian's body.
"Let's see whether that transformation can survive this."
WHOOM!
Missiles erupted from Ravenshaw's shoulders.
Yuuki didn't move.
He simply raised one hand.
A familiar sensation gathered in his palm.
His old Necrofriggian instincts immediately recognized it.
Freeze energy.
But this time, something was different.
The energy twisted.
Compressed.
Changed.
Instead of the usual bluish-white beam, flames erupted from his palm.
Ravenshaw's sensors instantly detected the temperature spike.
"What...?"
Yuuki fired.
FWOOSH!
A stream of brilliant blue-white flames tore across the battlefield.
The missiles flew directly into it.
For a moment, Ravenshaw expected them to explode.
They didn't.
The flames swallowed them.
Then—
CRACK!
The missiles froze solid in midair.
Not merely their outer shells.
The entire projectiles became encased in translucent ice.
They dropped harmlessly to the ground.
Ravenshaw's armor immediately recalculated.
Yuuki stared at his own hand.
The flames continued burning.
Yet everything around them was freezing.
The ground.
The air.
Even the moisture suspended around him crystallized into glittering fragments.
Yuuki slowly smiled.
"Flames so hot that they freeze?"
He flexed his fingers.
"Never seen anything like it before."
Ravenshaw's sensors began going haywire.
THERMAL ERROR.
CRYOGENIC ANOMALY.
CONFLICTING ENERGY SIGNATURES.
Yuuki looked toward him.
"My old Necrofriggian abilities were already powerful."
His wings opened.
The surrounding temperature plummeted.
"But this?"
The flame patterns on his wings blazed.
"They've been upgraded by a large margin."
Ravenshaw immediately fired everything.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Missiles.
Explosive rounds.
Energy projectiles.
All of them converged on Yuuki.
Yuuki vanished.
Not through speed.
Through intangibility.
Every projectile passed through his body.
The explosions erupted behind him.
Yuuki reappeared directly above Ravenshaw.
"Too slow."
He pointed downward.
FWOOSH!
That strange freezing flame poured from his hand.
Ravenshaw raised both arms.
His armor's heat systems activated.
HSSSSSS!
Thermal vents opened across his shoulders and back.
The armor generated intense heat to counter the freezing field.
It worked.
For approximately one second.
Then the Ultimate Necrofriggian's flames touched the armor.
KRRRRRKKK!
Ice exploded across Ravenshaw's shoulders.
His heat systems immediately increased output.
The ice melted.
But the moment it disappeared—
More ice formed.
Faster.
Thicker.
Ravenshaw swung his arm upward.
Yuuki phased straight through the punch.
"Still relying on that?"
Yuuki appeared behind him.
Ravenshaw turned.
Too late.
BOOM!
Yuuki's fist slammed into the back of the armored general.
Ravenshaw was launched forward.
His feet dug trenches into the frozen ground.
He barely recovered before Yuuki appeared in front of him.
BOOM!
Another punch.
Ravenshaw flew backward.
He crashed through a section of the helipad.
Concrete exploded outward.
Kaguya stared.
Sheffield blinked.
Irisviel simply watched in disbelief.
"That was..."
Sheffield narrowed her eyes.
"Quite one-sided."
Kaguya smiled proudly.
"Of course. 'Tis dearest."
Ravenshaw emerged from the rubble.
His armor was damaged.
But he was still standing.
"You think this is enough?"
The armor's chest opened.
A massive energy cannon emerged.
Ravenshaw fired.
VRAAAAAAM!
A concentrated blast tore across the battlefield.
Yuuki didn't dodge.
He simply became intangible.
The attack passed through him.
Ravenshaw's eyes widened.
"Again!?"
Yuuki reappeared directly in front of his face.
"Yeah."
He raised his hand.
A tiny flame formed against his palm.
Ravenshaw instinctively raised his arm.
Yuuki touched the armor.
KRRRRRKKK!
The entire arm froze instantly.
Ice spread across the shoulder.
Then the chest.
Then the legs.
Ravenshaw's armor attempted to generate heat.
Yuuki simply increased the output.
The strange flames around his hand intensified.
Instead of melting the ice, the heat caused the freezing effect to accelerate.
CRAAAAACK!
Ravenshaw broke one arm free.
Yuuki was already gone.
He flew upward.
Ravenshaw looked up.
Yuuki folded all four wings around himself.
The flame patterns became brilliant.
Then he descended.
BOOOOOOM!
Yuuki struck Ravenshaw from above.
The Black Hand armor was driven into the ground with enough force to create a massive crater.
Ravenshaw's armor screamed with mechanical warnings.
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE: 37%.
He forced himself upright.
"Stand still!"
Ravenshaw unleashed a barrage from every weapon system available.
Yuuki flew through it.
He weaved between missiles.
Phased through bullets.
Flew straight through explosions.
Every movement was effortless.
Every attack from Ravenshaw missed.
And every time Yuuki counterattacked—
Ravenshaw was pushed farther back.
Yuuki suddenly accelerated.
His wings snapped outward.
FWOOSH!
He crossed the battlefield in an instant.
Ravenshaw barely raised his arms before Yuuki kicked him in the chest.
BOOM!
The armored general flew backward.
Yuuki followed.
He grabbed Ravenshaw by the head.
Then slammed him into the ground.
KRAAASH!
Before Ravenshaw could recover, Yuuki lifted him again.
He threw him through the air.
Ravenshaw crashed into a ruined structure.
Yuuki didn't give him time to stand.
A freezing flame erupted from both hands.
FWOOSH!
The entire structure became encased in ice.
Ravenshaw was trapped inside.
He activated every heat system simultaneously.
The ice began cracking.
"Got you!"
The armor exploded outward.
Ravenshaw burst free.
He raised his fist.
But Yuuki was already waiting.
The Ultimate Necrofriggian caught the punch.
Ravenshaw stared.
His enormous armored fist was completely stopped by Yuuki's smaller hand.
"What...?"
Yuuki tilted his head.
"You're getting slower."
Ravenshaw tried to pull his arm back.
He couldn't.
Yuuki tightened his grip.
CRACK.
Ice formed around Ravenshaw's gauntlet.
Then his forearm.
Then his shoulder.
Ravenshaw's armor screamed.
He fired a point-blank energy blast.
Yuuki phased through it.
He reappeared behind Ravenshaw.
"Too predictable."
Yuuki drove his elbow into the armor's back.
BOOM!
Ravenshaw dropped to one knee.
Yuuki grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him across the battlefield.
The Black Hand general rolled several times before finally stopping.
His armor was covered in frost.
Several weapons were destroyed.
One leg was malfunctioning.
His chest plate was cracked.
Ravenshaw forced himself upright.
"You..."
He looked at Yuuki.
For the first time, there was no arrogance in his voice.
Only disbelief.
Yuuki hovered several meters above him.
The Ultimate Necrofriggian's wings spread behind him.
The strange flames burned along their edges.
The battlefield beneath him froze.
Ravenshaw raised his remaining weapons.
Yuuki merely pointed one hand at him.
A small flame flickered across his fingertips.
"Come on, junior."
The flame grew.
"I thought you were supposed to be the one who captured Arcane Shipgirls."
The flame became a roaring stream of freezing fire.
Ravenshaw's armor locked onto Yuuki.
TARGET ACQUIRED.
Yuuki smiled.
"Show me what you've got."
Ravenshaw fired everything.
Yuuki disappeared.
A second later—
BOOOOOOM!
The Black Hand armor was blasted through the battlefield.
It smashed into the ground.
Yuuki appeared above him.
Ravenshaw tried to move.
Yuuki fired.
FWOOSH!
The freezing flames engulfed the entire area.
Ice erupted upward.
Ravenshaw's armor became completely immobilized.
The flames continued burning around him.
Blue-white fire.
Freezing everything it touched.
Yuuki descended slowly.
He landed in front of the frozen armor.
Ravenshaw's systems struggled to move.
Nothing responded.
Yuuki looked at him.
"That's enough."
The battlefield fell silent.
Ravenshaw's armor was still intact.
But he couldn't move.
He had been completely overwhelmed.
Yuuki turned away.
Behind him, Ravenshaw remained trapped inside a prison of frozen flame.
Kaguya stared at the battlefield.
Sheffield lowered her weapon.
Irisviel's eyes remained wide.
Yuuki glanced back at the immobilized general.
"And I was worried this fight would be difficult."
He looked at his hands again.
The flames continued flickering harmlessly around his fingers.
"Looks like the Ultimatrix really did change everything."
Yuuki hovered above the battlefield for another moment.
Then—
FLASH!
The Ultimate Necrofriggian form suddenly disappeared.
His body reverted back to its regular Necrofriggian form.
Yuuki blinked.
A second later, another burst of white light engulfed him.
FLASH!
The alien form vanished completely.
Yuuki returned to his original human body.
His Mark 86 armor immediately reformed around him, the dark-and-silver plating locking into place with a series of mechanical clicks.
Yuuki looked down at himself.
"Guess the timer's halved."
He glanced at the Ultimatrix.
"Ten minutes normally. Ultimate variation cuts that in half."
Before he could say anything else, Kaguya descended from above alongside Irisviel and Sheffield.
The three women landed nearby, each carrying one of the unconscious Shipgirls.
Kaguya immediately hurried toward Yuuki.
"Dearest!"
Yuuki turned toward them.
Kaguya, Irisviel, and Sheffield stared at the frozen battlefield around them.
The ground was completely covered in ice.
Strange remnants of Yuuki's freezing flames still flickered across the frozen landscape.
Irisviel looked around in amazement.
"It was like magic. What happened just now?"
Yuuki shrugged.
"Ultimate variation."
He tapped the Omnitrix on his left arm.
"Like you, I have an ultimate form as well for each of the aliens."
Kaguya tilted her head.
"Each one?"
"Each transformation lasts around ten minutes. Transforming into an ultimate variation halves that time in exchange for great power."
He raised one finger.
"And the recharge is ten minutes as well."
Yuuki looked toward the battlefield.
"So I can't simply abuse the alien forms whenever I want."
Irisviel nodded slowly.
"Beloved... thou really art something else."
Yuuki chuckled.
"Yeah. It took practice."
He glanced toward his frozen battlefield.
"Trust me, I was pretty awkward when I first started using Necrofriggian abilities."
A small grin appeared on his mouth.
"I had my ass kicked plenty of times."
Kaguya giggled.
"And now?"
"Now I've had plenty of practice."
Yuuki flexed one armored hand.
"I've trained with all my unlocked forms through simulations. I've learned their strengths, weaknesses, instincts, and abilities."
He looked toward the unconscious Shipgirls.
"So now I can win with any of them when the situation calls for it."
Irisviel looked genuinely impressed.
"Thou were able to control that form as though thou had used it for years."
"Because I have."
Yuuki tapped the side of his helmet.
"Each transformation essentially switches me to an alien template. It's almost like putting my mind inside the alien's body."
He paused.
"You understand how it moves. How it thinks. How its powers work."
Yuuki shrugged.
"But understanding something doesn't mean mastering it immediately. That took practice too."
Kaguya's eyes sparkled.
"Ufufu... perhaps thou can show us thy other forms as well, dearest."
Yuuki immediately shook his head.
"Only if I need to, Kaguya."
He pointed toward his armor.
"I'd rather stick to Iron Man armor."
His helmet tilted slightly.
"Although these Ultimate forms might change that perception one day."
Kaguya smiled.
"Then I shall look forward to seeing them."
A low mechanical growl suddenly interrupted them.
GRRRRRR...
Everyone turned.
Ravenshaw's damaged armor shifted.
The chest plating opened.
With a hiss of hydraulics, the battered Black Hand general was ejected from the armor.
THUD!
Ravenshaw landed hard on the frozen ground.
Behind him, the already-damaged château suddenly erupted.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire structure collapsed into a massive fireball.
Ravenshaw slowly pushed himself upright.
"You think you've won, Yukihira!?"
Yuuki looked at him.
"Yeah."
He folded his arms.
"With you beaten, I think I have."
Ravenshaw glared at him.
"Don't think we will forget this."
He pointed toward Yuuki.
"One day, the Black Hand will return it tenfold!"
Yuuki's expression remained calm.
"I'm sure you will."
Before Ravenshaw could continue—
PUNCH!
Irisviel stepped forward and punched him directly in the face.
Ravenshaw staggered.
Irisviel punched him again.
PUNCH!
Then again.
PUNCH!
"This is for hurting this one!"
PUNCH!
"Urrrghhh!"
Ravenshaw stumbled backward, clutching his face.
Kaguya covered her mouth.
"Ufufu... "
She looked rather pleased.
Yuuki simply stared.
Irisviel lowered her fist.
Then suddenly—
A voice came through Yuuki's communicator.
"Chief, where are you?!"
Yuuki immediately recognized Yuu's voice.
"Calm down, Yuu. I completed my mission with Kaguya and Sheffield."
He looked toward the burning château.
"What is it?"
Yuu's voice became urgent.
"They launched a nuclear strike!"
Yuuki's expression hardened.
"What?"
"ETA three minutes!"
A pause.
"It's directly targeting the cathedral!"
Yuuki looked toward the sky.
"Where is it?"
"It's currently in the upper atmosphere."
Yuu continued rapidly.
"We can't realign the satellite quickly enough to disable it remotely!"
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
Then—
FWOOSH!
Something shot upward from behind Ravenshaw.
The Black Hand general's hidden jetpack ignited.
Ravenshaw rose into the air.
He looked down at Yuuki with a vicious grin.
"Well?"
His jetpack increased thrust.
"What would you do now, Yukihira?"
He pointed toward the distant village.
"Kill me..."
The jetpack roared louder.
"Or save that sorry excuse for a village?"
WHOOSH!
Ravenshaw blasted into the sky and disappeared into the distance.
Yuuki watched him leave.
He didn't move.
Kaguya stepped beside him.
"Dearest..."
Yuuki looked toward the sky.
"Let him go."
His voice was calm.
"One day, we'll destroy him and his Black Hand."
He paused.
"Killing him won't do any good. Cut off one head, another will take its place. Plus, I don't think the raptures will take it well the Black Hand lost to a simple village."
Yuuki turned toward the three women.
"You girls take your time. I'll stop the nuke."
Iris's expression immediately changed.
"Beloved..."
"Just go back to the village with Kaguya."
Yuuki looked at the unconscious Shipgirls.
"Bring Sheffield, Weser, and Seydlitz back to the cathedral."
Irisviel looked concerned.
"Thou intend to face it alone?"
Yuuki's helmet began closing around his face.
K-CHUNK.
The Mark 86's systems activated.
"It's okay."
His repulsors ignited.
"I've done this before."
Kaguya wanted to say something.
Instead, she simply watched.
Yuuki lowered his stance.
"Go!"
FWOOSH!
He launched himself into the sky.
The Mark 86 tore through the clouds at incredible speed.
His HUD immediately activated.
"Jarvis."
The AI responded instantly.
"Yes, sir?"
"Find the nuke."
A targeting window appeared across Yuuki's visor.
"Found it."
Jarvis paused.
"T-minus two minutes, sir."
Yuuki accelerated through the atmosphere, his repulsors roaring as the Mark 86 pushed itself toward its maximum speed.
"Seriously, nuking an entire town just because they lost?"
He shook his head.
"That's just being salty. This has Behemoth written all over it."
Yuuki opened a communications channel.
"Yuu."
"Chief?"
"Has Veronica begun constructing the Signal Gap Inhibitor?"
"Yes. She's already started."
"Good. Once it's operational, that should prevent them from targeting the island again."
"Roger that."
Yuu's voice softened, though the urgency remained.
"Be careful, Chief. I can see you're going after the nuke."
"Yeah."
Yuuki glanced down at the Omnitrix mounted on his arm.
The device had already entered its cooldown cycle.
He gave it a brief look.
"Looks like I didn't even need it this time."
The Omnitrix remained silent.
Yuuki smirked.
"Guess the old-fashioned way still works."
He turned his attention back toward the sky.
"Jarvis."
"Sir?"
"Engage supersonic flight."
"Engaging."
The Mark 86's repulsors flared.
FWOOSH!
Yuuki shot upward.
The atmosphere thinned around him as he climbed higher and higher, leaving the clouds far below.
His HUD tracked the incoming missile.
There.
A long-range nuclear missile was cutting through the upper atmosphere at tremendous speed.
Its guidance system was already locked onto the village.
Yuuki narrowed his eyes.
"Got you."
Jarvis displayed additional information.
"Sir, I've analyzed the warhead."
"Can we disable it?"
A pause.
"Not safely."
Yuuki frowned.
"Explain."
"The warhead is designed to detonate if its primary systems are tampered with. Attempting to disable the missile itself will likely trigger the detonation sequence."
Yuuki's expression hardened.
"So I can't stop the missile."
"Correct."
He stared at the weapon.
"Then I'll take out what's making it a nuke."
Yuuki accelerated.
The Mark 86 caught up with the missile from behind.
He matched its trajectory.
Then—
CLANK!
His magnetic grip activated.
Yuuki slammed both armored hands against the missile's outer hull.
The magnets locked on.
He was dragged along with it.
"Hold on..."
The missile continued toward the village.
Yuuki pulled himself closer.
"Let's see what's under this thing."
He deployed a cutting tool from his gauntlet.
ZZZZT!
The blade sliced through the missile's outer panel.
Immediately—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Red warning lights illuminated the exposed interior.
Jarvis spoke instantly.
"Sir, the missile has detected external interference."
"Oh, come on."
The arming sequence began.
BEEP.
ARMING SEQUENCE INITIATED.
BEEP.
Yuuki worked faster.
"Not now."
He tore away another section of the panel.
"There."
Deep inside the warhead sat the primary nuclear core.
Yuuki's eyes narrowed.
"That's what I need."
He disengaged the cutting tool.
The Chronobeam emitter formed over his gauntlet.
"Jarvis, lock onto the core."
"Locked."
Yuuki steadied himself against the missile.
"Firing Chronobeam."
VRAAAAAAM!
A concentrated beam struck the nuclear core.
For a fraction of a second, the weapon glowed.
Then—
FWOOSH.
The core vanished.
Completely erased.
Yuuki stared at the empty containment chamber.
"Core is gone."
Jarvis immediately confirmed it.
"Confirmed. Nuclear material has been erased."
Yuuki looked toward the village far below.
The missile was still moving.
"Good."
He released his magnetic grip.
The missile continued on its trajectory.
Yuuki dropped away from it.
Then activated his repulsors.
FWOOSH!
He slowed himself in the air.
Below him, the village became visible.
The cathedral.
The surrounding buildings.
The people.
They had seen the missile.
There was no time to evacuate.
Civilians crowded around the cathedral and the streets, some praying, others simply staring upward.
The missile was coming.
Fast.
People began bracing themselves.
Some covered their heads.
Others held onto their loved ones.
They knew there was nowhere to run.
The missile descended.
Yuuki watched from above.
"Come on..."
The weapon reached the village.
BOOOOOOM!
The missile exploded.
A massive fireball erupted above the village.
The people screamed.
Then—
Nothing.
No mushroom cloud.
No nuclear shockwave.
No radiation.
No annihilation.
Just a conventional explosion.
The blast tore through the air, but the cathedral remained standing.
The missile had arrived.
It had detonated.
But without its nuclear core, it was nothing more than a very large bomb.
Yuuki hovered high above the village.
He watched the smoke spread.
Then he smiled beneath his helmet.
"That's what I thought."
Jarvis confirmed the result.
"Detonation detected. Nuclear yield: zero."
Yuuki exhaled.
"Good."
Below, the villagers slowly realized they were still alive.
The silence broke.
People began looking around in disbelief.
The cathedral was still standing.
The village was still there.
Yuuki looked toward the distant horizon.
"I guess mission accomplished."