Two Days Later — The Open Sea
A black-and-red armored aircraft carrier sliced through the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Despite strong winds and the savage swells of the Bay of Biscay, the 30,000-ton behemoth remained as steady as a mountain. There was no significant shaking; it moved with a calm dignity, as though the sea itself bowed before it.
While waiting for the right time to return, Reuel decided that spending the night aboard the carrier made far more sense than sleeping in the wilderness or staying at some run-down medieval inn. Comfort was a luxury he could afford now, and Dafeng—with her unique abilities—had summoned her true body to carry everyone sailing through the Atlantic in the 15th century.
After a mission like that, relaxing was the most logical next step.
Besides, the people of this era had no real capability to cross the ocean effectively. Even if a fleet from one of the local kingdoms happened to encounter them, just one look at the carrier-based fighter jets would be enough to send them fleeing in terror.
No sane admiral of the medieval age would dare challenge a modern aircraft carrier.
"An incredible miracle of projection..."
Joan of Arc—the real one—was in awe as she entered Dafeng's true body, the actual shipgirl herself. The interior carried the feel of modern Japan: clean, minimalist, and brimming with technology. Everything was arranged with elegance and efficiency.
Dafeng's true form could project objects from thin air and manipulate the size and form of weapons at will. To Joan, it was more than magic. It was a technological miracle—beyond anything any mage she'd ever known could dream of.
"Hello—"
Black Jeanne suddenly cut in, her tone sharp and impatient. She glared at White Jeanne with a look of deep suspicion.
"Why do you want to follow that guy to another world?!"
White Jeanne turned to her, her face calm.
"Me? Yes, I assume you're speaking to me?"
"Of course."
"France here has already been saved. But I've heard that the Master's world was destroyed. There are other Frances there that need help."
Her voice remained gentle, yet firm.
"I'm not responsible for just one nation. If another world needs my aid, then it's my duty to do what I can to save them."
A perfectly reasonable answer from someone worthy of the title saint.
Naturally, such sincerity only made Black Jeanne lose her patience.
"...Disgusting. Ugh, I could puke."
Black Jeanne flopped onto the couch, wearing a face full of irritation and contempt.
"Master, if you ever need someone burned alive in the future, or want to plunge a country into ruin, please—give that job to me. Just... don't take me along with her."
She pointed at White Jeanne like she was pointing at a pest that refused to die.
"..."
Reuel looked at the two of them and raised an eyebrow.
"In that case, next time I'll summon both of you together. You can form a team."
Of course, it was a stupid idea. And Reuel knew it. But saying it was still fun.
At this point, he already had three heroic Servants: White Jeanne, Black Jeanne, and Burger King—the affectionate nickname for Artoria Pendragon. Technically, he only lacked the black version of Artoria to complete his "shadow team."
When the time came, he planned to lead two Servant teams: one white, one black. Two mirror images that hated each other. It looked cool... at least on paper.
Unfortunately, they clearly didn't get along.
And bringing all of them into the Imperium of Man in Terra Aeterna might not have been the smartest decision he'd ever made.
The Tech-Priests of the Mechanicus would drool at the chance to dissect them "for knowledge." Saint Celestine and the Adepta Sororitas would probably start shouting heresy on the spot. Even regular soldiers like the Imperial Guard—let alone people from the world of StarCraft—had zero reason to trust supernatural entities calling themselves "Heroic Spirits," much less ones claiming to be "saints" or "God's representatives."
Well, that was a problem for future Reuel.
As the Emperor of Man, that was his burden to bear. And sooner or later, he'd deal with it—just like everything else.
---
Late at Night — Top Deck of the Aircraft Carrier
Reuel sat alone on the balcony, gazing at the starlit sky and the calm, dark sea stretching far into the distance.
His room had been intentionally designed atop the command tower, a presidential suite of sorts. The perfect place to be alone and think.
Night in the medieval era was deeply silent. Out at sea, there were no human voices, no city lights, no nightlife. Only the sound of waves breaking the vast silence, for tens of kilometers in every direction.
Even the distant land appeared lifeless. No movement. No twinkling lights.
"Commander, you're still awake?"
A soft but familiar voice spoke from behind. Reuel turned his head.
Dafeng strolled in casually, wearing civilian clothes instead of her ship uniform. Her steps were light, her eyes warm.
Reuel chuckled. "Didn't I lock the door earlier…?"
Then he remembered: he had a habit of closing doors but rarely actually turning the key.
Dafeng smiled sweetly. "This is the real body of the shipgirl Dafeng, Commander. Even if it's the commander's office lock... Dafeng has the key too~"
She sat beside him, gently resting her head on his shoulder.
"What's on your mind, Commander?" she asked quietly.
Reuel turned slightly. He didn't expect this: usually, this shipgirl leaned toward yandere, possessive, or hyperactive moods. But this time, the question came with seriousness and sincerity. A surprising change.
"I'm thinking about the next step."
His eyes drifted back to the stars.
"This time, conquering the Singularity in the Naruserve world went relatively smoothly. Fast, efficient. We even managed to bring three Heroic Spirits into the Resident Evil world—where our Imperium of Man is currently based."
He paused a moment before continuing.
"Honestly, the results are profitable. In terms of power, influence, and even resources, we gained a lot. But... there's still a lot to handle once we return."
Dafeng listened silently, not interrupting. Reuel kept speaking, as if pouring out the thoughts in his head.
"We have to review the magical data Dr. Roman gathered... reassign the three Heroic Spirits... And Project Akashi—the Imperial Navy shipgirl program—is still unfinished. If everything goes well, maybe you shipgirls could be modified into spacefaring warships."
"Strike Freedom also needs upgrades—that's a priority."
"And... we haven't even discussed the summoning of the next Heroic Spirit..."
The longer Reuel spoke, the faster his rhythm. His voice stayed calm, but it clearly conveyed how packed the schedule was, how complex the plans behind the scenes were.
As the Emperor of Man, the weight of the world—and the universe—rested on his shoulders.
"Eh…"
Dafeng only murmured softly. She kept listening, still not interrupting.
After Reuel fell silent, she lifted her face and spoke gently:
"No matter what Commander wants to do... Dafeng will always be by your side."
She looked up at the stars.
"Even if Commander wanted those stars... Dafeng would try to bring them to you."
Reuel turned. He looked at the girl's face.
They say you can see love in someone's eyes. And at this moment... Dafeng's eyes reflected the entire night sky. Full of stars. Full of passion.
In that quiet moment, Reuel realized: when calm like this, Dafeng was truly beautiful.
"Commander... will you stay with Dafeng too?" she asked.
Reuel nodded slowly. "Hmm."
"But... doesn't Commander think Dafeng is too clingy? Annoying?"
Reuel shook his head.
"Not at all."
Dafeng paused, then whispered:
"Hasn't Commander only been spoiling Dafeng on the surface all this time... but deep down, you're actually sick of me?"
"What Commander said in the cockpit earlier... did you mean it?"
Her questions came in a stream. But there was no outburst. Just... the quiet anxiety of a girl who carried too many feelings in her heart.
Reuel stayed silent for a moment, then answered with a deep, steady voice.
"I hope... you can be the one I lean on, someday."
The sentence was simple.
But for Dafeng, it meant the world.
"Commandeeeer!!"
She threw herself into Reuel's arms, as if holding back tears of joy.
Reuel embraced her calmly. The shipgirl's body wasn't clad in her combat uniform, and her frame was light. He lifted her effortlessly, then carried her inside.
Toward the bedroom behind the balcony.
"Dafeng's been waiting for so long... And now, finally... Dafeng has this chance..."
She pulled the fabric down slowly.
The short kimono slipped right off her shoulders—without resistance, without a sound.
"Back when we were designing the military uniforms… was it you who came up with this kind of design?" Reuel asked, chuckling slightly but unable to hide his surprise.
He recognized the clothing's cut and pattern. Very similar to the early prototype of the shipgirl military uniforms that had once been proposed during the strategy design meetings. Back then, Richelieu had even voiced some strong complaints about the costume. But Reuel had never suspected… the mastermind was Dafeng.
"Of course," Dafeng replied proudly, wrapping her arms around Reuel's neck. With a graceful motion and a meaningful smile, she revealed her curves without a hint of shame.
"Dafeng's enclosed hangar and flight deck... aren't they amazing? Is the Commander satisfied?"
Reuel took a deep breath, then let out a quiet laugh.
"I couldn't be more satisfied."
His body felt charged with energy. As if the trumpet for battle had been blown. A bell of inner war—and desire.
Reuel's thoughts drifted back to the past. Years ago, under the golden light of an afternoon sun, his teacher had once asked:
"What's your dream?"
And he had answered, with the fire of youth:
"To join the Navy and serve on an aircraft carrier!"
And tonight... atop an aircraft carrier floating above the Atlantic Ocean, that dream had gone far beyond anyone's imagination.
Dark and quiet.
Most of the shipgirls and Heroic Spirits who had accompanied him had returned to their rooms to rest. Only the lights at the top floor of the command tower remained on, illuminating the two figures leaning against each other.
"..."
"Commander, this feels... strange..." Dafeng whispered softly, clinging to Reuel's side.
As a heavily armored aircraft carrier from the Sakura Empire fleet, her strength and reputation were no joke. She was seen as a big-sister figure among the younger shipgirls, the pride of any combined fleet. In battle, she stood at the front line, ready to be destroyed if it meant saving the forces behind her.
But now, in Reuel's embrace, she was feeling something she had never experienced back at the Azur Lane port.
A feeling that was... full and warm. Not cold, not mechanical. Unlike combat protocols or simulation procedures.
She was no ordinary shipgirl. And this wasn't an ordinary interaction.
"It's okay," Reuel whispered, gently stroking her hair, trying to calm that unfamiliar sensation.
His touch slowly soothed her—made her want to give in, to accept, even to hold on tighter.
From the confusion and awkwardness at first, to slowly getting used to it, and eventually... enjoying it. Everything moved naturally, as if Dafeng's body already knew what to do—it just needed a little guidance.
She began to feel a happiness that... couldn't be explained by the logic of war or military doctrine.
That night, Dafeng was no longer just the Sakura Empire's aircraft carrier. She was no longer the armored Taihō-class warship, or simply Ship No. 1.
She felt like the Commander's soulmate. His oath-bound vessel. The one and only.
No other shipgirl had received such an honor.
Not Nagato. Not Enterprise. Not even Richelieu, the secretary ship.
That realization made her smile in deep satisfaction.
And quietly... she began to hum a soft, happy tune.
"Tonight, Dafeng belongs to the Commander.
(As for what follows, that is for your imagination to decide.)"
Author's Note:
In the game Azur Lane, the characters Dafeng and Taihou are strikingly similar, and I personally find it difficult to tell them apart. Since I play the Chinese version of the game, I use the original ship, IJN Taihō, as my primary reference. However, I'm not entirely sure whether these two characters are considered separate individuals in other versions of the game, such as the Japanese or Global servers. This uncertainty is mainly because, from Indonesia, I can only access the Chinese server.
---
The Next Morning —
The next morning, Dafeng realized that Reuel had begun guiding her every move. Just like in the previous harbor area, after Reuel absorbed power from the Cognitive Cube, the other shipgirls had helped guide him to understand and use the power of the Rubik Cube effectively.
Dafeng allowed Reuel to take over various positions on her own ship.
Every time Reuel shared control, Dafeng felt a strange ticklish sensation in her heart—yet along with it, came a happiness she couldn't quite put into words.
That morning, as dawn broke and the first light pierced the sea horizon, sunlight streamed through the ship's windows, casting a soft glow across the room.
Reuel opened his eyes slowly. He looked at Dafeng's sleeping face beside him—a face long associated with power and dominance, now appearing calm and serene.
"Isn't this funny?" Reuel muttered, almost as if talking to himself.
The old Dafeng—the one full of obsession, possessiveness, and arrogance—had changed. Now before him was a girl who seemed fragile, even sensitive. As if all the layers of armor that made her a heavily armored carrier had fallen away, leaving behind a warm, gentle humanity.
"Commander..." Dafeng whispered softly.
"Do you… like Dafeng?" she asked again, just like yesterday.
As if she still needed affirmation, even though she'd heard the answer countless times before.
"Of course," Reuel answered, without hesitation.
He gently stroked her head.
His carrier truly was amazing. If others had seen her mountain-range-tier flight deck, they'd know—Dafeng's cuteness was no match for her natural sensuality.
"What made you change like this, Azur Lane?" Reuel wondered silently.
"Dafeng still wants to be with Commander in the future..." Dafeng said hopefully.
Reuel gave a small smile. "How about living at the Imperial Palace? At my place, together with the other women."
But then he shook his head slightly.
"Yeah… it'd be a hassle if your ship doesn't show up for too long. Better stay at the naval base," he added realistically.
In his heart, Reuel realized he needed to physically strengthen himself in the future. Even with the combined power of the Rubik Cube, Master Machine tech, and the body of the Emperor of Mankind, it still didn't seem enough to handle Dafeng's high-output intensity—on a daily basis.
Especially now that the number of his women kept increasing, including the mature shipgirls.
They both stepped out and began moving about on the deck. At that moment, Formidable was watching them from a distance, a confused expression on her face.
"Weird," Formidable muttered. "Why is she so quiet today?"
After washing the dishes, Reuel and Dafeng walked side by side down the bridge toward the lower deck for breakfast.
Since this expedition didn't bring full domestic logistics, they had to rely on practical rations like dried food panels, biscuits, and yogurt.
Formidable observed them with a suspicious look. She sniffed faintly.
"She used to look at everyone like they were vermin… Now why is she acting like a spoiled cat? This is really strange..."
In the past, anyone who approached Reuel—be it Burger King (Artoria), Fujimatsu Ritsuka, or even the younger shipgirls—would immediately be stared down by Dafeng, as if she wanted to burn them alive.
But today, she followed the Commander calmly, her smile soft, her demeanor almost… adorable.
Even if Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly hugged Reuel and flew off with a Gundam from the deck, Dafeng wouldn't react.
"Something's wrong. There's definitely something wrong with Dafeng," Formidable sighed, half puzzled, half worried.
Suddenly, Dafeng spoke up, her voice firm. "Richelieu."
Before Richelieu and the two other girls could respond, Dafeng stepped forward with confidence.
"I'd like to file a request to expand the Commander's office in the Imperial Palace. It should be a proper working space for the shipgirls," she said plainly.
"And of course… the bedroom must be upgraded to a double bed."
"...?"
Richelieu stared at Dafeng, confused. It took her a few seconds to process the meaning of that sentence.
"You usually stay at the naval base. Why should I replace the palace bedroom with a double bed?" Richelieu asked, suspicious.
"I didn't say I'd be sleeping with you," Dafeng replied casually, hugging Reuel's arm tightly.
"???"
Richelieu froze in place, speechless. She had never received such a frontal attack from Dafeng before.
"You're the Cardinal, carrier of the Free Iris. You're reserved, strong, and unbeatable. I know I can't beat you," Dafeng said seriously.
"But the Commander… from now on, he's mine."
Her tone was clear—and for the first time, Richelieu saw a Dafeng with no hesitation.
Dafeng stepped closer, reaching out as if to display a data log. She was comparing win numbers.
"Did you know… yesterday, the total already reached..."
"?!"
"Wow--"
Gudako—more fondly known as Gudazi—who had been watching the scene with deep interest, finally spoke up.
She expressed a profound admiration for Reuel.
"Are you physically healthy enough to pilot a Gundam?" she asked innocently, but sharply.
In the distance, the White Jeanne d'Arc and Black Jeanne d'Arc were still engaged in a silent staring contest. Their eyes were filled with anger and unspoken emotions.
White Jeanne looked confused, unable to grasp the flow of the situation. The innocent soul seemed completely lost amidst the unfolding dynamics.
Meanwhile, Black Jeanne was staring at Dafeng as if seeing a restless spirit.
"…I know this Master was never serious… Forget it. I'm not a good person," she said quietly but sharply.
Elsewhere on the deck, Artoria—nicknamed Burger King—sat in meditation, completely ignoring the chaos happening around her. Her focus was unshaken.
"Really? That's all? No wonder the magical energy given to me felt excessive…"
A few days later, after drifting on the ocean long enough to scare the nearby population, the day finally came.
A bright morning greeted them, and the cooldown of Reuel's Space Penetration skill had finally completed.
"Then… prepare to return," he said simply.
> [Space-Time Tunnel Established: Singularity (Hundred Years' War of the Evil Dragon) — Chaldea]
With one firm step, everyone entered the space-time tunnel resembling a Webway.
When Reuel opened his eyes again, he was already inside the Chaldea facility.
The distance between the singularity and Chaldea seemed so close, as if it only took a single step to reach it.
Before them stood the glowing blue holographic Earth—Chaldeas. However, out of the seven listed singularity points, one had gone dark: Orleans.
"Welcome back!" shouted Dr. Roman, waving enthusiastically.
"Your progress was much faster than I anticipated," commented Da Vinci, half in awe, half in disbelief.
The expedition team of ten now stood before them.
"The first singularity issue has been completely resolved, and the historical flow has been restored," Roman announced with a relieved tone.
"If we can clear the remaining singularities, then humanity can still be saved…" he continued.
Now, Reuel and his team could receive remote support from Chaldea. Through teleportation circles and spiritual transfer systems, material supplies could be delivered directly to their location.
However, the speed at which Reuel completed missions was so high that the Chaldea staff could only watch in stunned silence.
"Hm?"
Several new arrivals had just landed.
Roman and Da Vinci's eyes immediately locked onto Artoria, White Jeanne, and Black Jeanne.
The number of returnees exceeded the number of those who had departed.
"Seven went, ten came back…"
"King of Knights of England, White Jeanne d'Arc, and Dark Jeanne d'Arc," Reuel introduced them quickly and succinctly.
"Could you give me a better name?!" Black Jeanne grumbled, clearly dissatisfied.
"Are you all… Heroic Spirits?" asked Dr. Roman, full of doubt.
"Heroic Spirits summoned at fixed time coordinates?!" Da Vinci interjected, eyes wide.
She stared at the three as though witnessing a breach in reality itself.
"Even after the Holy Grail was destroyed, you can still exist in this world without a magical supply?!"
"He's their Master," replied Black Jeanne flatly, pointing at Reuel and folding her arms.
"Contracts with three Heroic Spirits… at once? Supplying them with mana simultaneously?!" Roman was now thoroughly shocked.
Such a feat had never been recorded in the history of any Holy Grail War.
"So crowded already… and I still plan to swear loyalty to hundreds of shipgirls and become Morgoth from Lord of the Rings…" Reuel muttered—unclear whether serious or sarcastic.
Dafeng, standing next to him, immediately cut in with a firm tone.
"How can you call yourself a Commander with that kind of physical condition?!"