Outside the Imperial Palace complex, the clamor of Terra Aeterna's capital construction continued unabated. The heart of the Imperium of Man's civilization loomed like a colossal monster, devouring time and resources with no sign of satiation. Even Reuel—wielding the highest administrative authority—dared not predict when this megastructure project would be completed. Titanic steel pillars stretched toward the sky, shrouded in construction dust, while arcs of plasma from architectural drones cut through the air like disciplined lightning.
It had been over a month since Reuel returned from his orbital inspection. His routine was packed once again: overseeing the wheels of the Imperium's administration, checking the progress of the Imperial Navy—which now integrated warship technologies from the Warhammer and StarCraft universes—training troops, and monitoring the growth of Hive Cities across colonies scattered throughout the galaxy. Every report he read was but a fragment of a giant puzzle called human dominion.
In orbit above Terra Aeterna, a new space station had risen magnificently. Owned by the Ship Girls, this station was the creation of thousands of Universal Bulin units, working day and night without pause. The entire launch and landing complex was complete, making it one of the most advanced orbital facilities ever built by a non-human entity.
Its scale rivaled that of Earth's great cities, and its function resembled a satellite city designed specifically for the Ship Girls. Yet the stage remained empty—without spacecraft compatible with the biological and spiritual systems unique to Azur Lane, it was merely a grand theater without its main cast.
On one side of the base, a jet-black spaceship hung suspended from a massive mechanical arm. At dawn, wave after wave of yellow and purple Universal Bulin arrived to scrub, polish, and inspect each panel with near-ritualistic diligence. Still, the precision-level work clearly exceeded their capabilities—most of them were eventually reassigned to other projects: frontier colony construction, Imperial Navy warship production, and hybrid Warhammer–StarCraft ship experiments.
At the Ship Girls' naval base, special experimental Universal Bulin were produced as Akashi's primary assistants—the chief engineer and spiritual technology custodian of the fleet. Right at the main gate of the construction facility, a slogan was emblazoned in massive letters, daring anyone who passed to doubt it:
[After 365 days of hard work, the Ship Girls will pierce the sky.]
"...."
"Why do I feel like this slogan is… kind of sentimental?" Reuel muttered, staring at the huge sign at the gate.
Every day, the Ship Girls flocked to the construction site—partly out of curiosity, partly to make sure the Universal Bulin were actually working, and not just wandering around singing their weird songs. From a distance, the scene resembled an absurd work festival: Bulin scrubbing spaceship panels with sparkling cloths, others wielding tiny handheld drills, and if any part wasn't precise… they wouldn't hesitate to hammer it or wrench it with tools larger than their own bodies.
Reuel had observed their methods countless times, yet he remained baffled. Universal Bulin were a chaotic mix of diligence, luck, and a dash of cosmic randomness that somehow… always produced something that worked.
The spacecraft they were building was growing piece by piece: from an exposed frame with keels jutting out, to the layers of interior modules, and finally the outer deck, beginning to close and connect. Its shape was now becoming clear—a colossal rectangle, larger than any ship ever built, its surface bristling with strange equipment that seemed like the lovechild of a secret meeting between engineers, artists, and mad scientists.
Everyone awaited the moment it would fly… or at least, the moment they could test whether it could truly lift off.
---
Elsewhere…
While Akashi busied herself with blueprints and the Bulin workforce on the orbital dock, Reuel wasn't idle. He met with General Creed and DuGalle to review troop training progress—for both ground combat and space operations.
Near the Ship Girls' naval base, a few Heroic Spirits from the Fate series approached him. Reuel, ever curious, fired off a question immediately:
"Can you teach me some tricks? Or better yet… can I use a Noble Phantasm or some other powerful magic?"
"Huh?"
The four Heroic Spirits reacted in various ways.
"Aren't you already strong enough?" Black Jeanne scrutinized him from head to toe. "Judging by your ability to take hits and… summon a Gundam, even many Heroic Spirits couldn't defeat you."
"I'm not that great," Reuel protested, shrugging. "I'm just better at technology. Sometimes I wish I could learn magic or something like that."
He admitted that the information Dr. Roman provided was useful for research but not very practical for combat. Gem magic and complex barrier spells were nowhere near as effective as… smashing someone directly with a Gundam, or borrowing psionic energy from the Immaterium.
He had briefly studied vampire techniques before, but the results were disappointing—weak and hardly worth further learning. The Heroic Spirits' techniques were far more captivating, and felt… like facing a final boss.
The spirits exchanged glances, as if trying to guess whether this was serious or just another one of Reuel's over-the-top jokes.
"Master, what would you like to learn?" asked the Altrorian king politely.
"Hm… something powerful, or at least unique," Reuel said thoughtfully.
He knew the destructive power of Noble Phantasms varied—some could level cities, others were duel-scale. But for breaching fortresses or repelling armies, their effects often equaled the full force of a carrier or battleship salvo. Noble Phantasms also had unmatched activation speed.
Although Reuel could already access the psionic energy of the Emperor of Mankind, there was a certain allure to the Heroic Spirits' techniques—especially those with unique rules or strange defensive effects that could… occasionally produce miracles on the battlefield.
"Very well, I shall demonstrate first," White Jeanne stepped forward.
She spun a large, fleur-de-lis-embroidered flag, then planted it firmly with a crisp click.
"Master, this is my Noble Phantasm. Watch closely."
"Master, it's here!"
"Luminosité Éternelle!!!"
Whoosh—! A translucent, hemispherical white dome expanded, covering a radius of tens of meters and enveloping everyone inside. A sacred aura radiated from the shield, making the air around feel warm and protected.
"This is a Noble Phantasm born from the power of the Holy Flag," White Jeanne explained. "It can repel most physical attacks. Even city-level Noble Phantasms can be countered."
"Ohhh!" Everyone was impressed.
After the brief demonstration, White Jeanne looked at Reuel expectantly.
"Have you learned it yet?"
"???" Reuel gawked.
"How do you expect me to learn that just like that?!"
He was immediately disappointed. White Jeanne had clearly not thought about a step-by-step teaching method.
"Hey, Master…" a flirtatious voice came from the right. Black Jeanne was sitting atop a stone, stretching her legs in black silk boots, grinning.
"If you kneel and kiss my feet, I'll teach you…"
"…Go. Just stand there." Reuel snorted. Black Jeanne was a little rogue—and a little foolish.
His gaze shifted to King Burger, alias Artoria. At least the King of Knights had a serious and disciplined reputation.
"It's not realistic to learn a Noble Phantasm directly," Artoria said thoughtfully. "Given your current state… let's start with releasing magical energy first."
She fixed her eyes on Reuel. "When you used the Command Spell earlier, I could sense a huge force leaving your body. It's… strange, but real."
"If you master it, you can use it to empower yourself, enhance your weapons, or face enemies—just like I do."
Speaking as she moved into a combat stance, blue magic burst from her body, enveloping her armor and sword in a dim, shimmering light.
"Ohhh?"
Reuel grinned widely—this time, he was genuinely intrigued.
Reuel's biggest problem before was obvious: he couldn't do anything with his own power.
After swallowing the Rubik's Cube and acquiring roughly 50% of the Emperor of Mankind's inherited power, his physical fitness was now on par with—or even exceeding—the ship girls. Yet his long-range abilities remained minimal. Using the Emperor of Mankind's full power could be dangerous, potentially triggering the arrival of the Chaos Gods, or even destabilizing this universe. So he could only take hits little by little.
The Gundam was also foreign to his body, making reliance on his own physical strength still more effective. Under these conditions, most of the Rubik's Cube's functions felt wasted. Releasing magical power could make up for that deficiency: he could channel excess energy to attack or defend, even using his body as a "light cannon" to strike enemies.
Artoria, with her relatively weak body, could face monsters head-on like Berserker. The enhancement effect of this skill on her body was very clear—and Reuel could mimic the same principle.
"Feel the power within you," Artoria instructed, "then focus it on your body and your weapon. Channel it and make it real."
Meanwhile, Black Jeanne and White Jeanne watched with a mix of awe and mischief on their faces.
Reuel closed his eyes, feeling the Mind Cube constantly supplying him with energy. The ship girl explained that the object was like a concentration reactor—he could never run out of magic.
Explosion!
With Reuel at the center, a wave of magical power erupted, creating strong winds that swept hundreds of meters and generated massive waves in the sea. White and Black Jeanne were nearly knocked off their feet by the blast.
"Hey, hey?!" White Jeanne adjusted her hair and outfit, standing up slightly disheveled.
"Your power is this strong? Can it be directed anywhere?"
"Yes. Even with just one reactor, you can produce enough energy," Reuel replied as he continued to train.
"Your control accuracy isn't enough yet. Focus the energy on a single point first, then release it. Don't move too much at once, or you'll lose control."
Artoria was teaching Reuel martial arts, just as she trained the knights. This training allowed Reuel to channel Mind Cube energy without relying on the Emperor of Mankind's power, while learning to integrate magic into his body and weapons.
Day by day, Reuel trained with Artoria on the beach every morning after finishing administrative work. Although his grip and body control were superior to Artoria's, he still couldn't manipulate Fate-style magic perfectly.
At dusk, the training ended. Artoria returned to the naval base, while Reuel went back to the Imperial Palace to continue his affairs.
Artoria observed her student's progress. At first, Reuel couldn't control the energy he released, often causing chaos. Now, he could attach magic to his body or channel it through weapons with reasonably good control—though his accuracy still needed refinement.
This was the power of Reuel's Mind Cube and Psionics: combining internal energy, body control, and offensive capability without activating the full inheritance of the Emperor of Mankind.
As a loyal servant, Artoria gradually grew accustomed to Reuel's extremely large and strange magical power.
Meanwhile, Reuel noticed subtle changes occurring in himself.
The first was his physical strength.
According to initial calculations, after swallowing the Mind Cube, his body was only equivalent to a cruiser. But as he maximized the Rubik's Cube's power, his body's potential was fully exploited. In terms of raw strength, even battleships and aircraft carriers were no longer a match.
Additionally, a new way to perform long-range attacks emerged.
Two weeks later, on the beach:
Reuel revealed part of his Gundam body. Holding a beam sword, he raised his hands above his head and took a deep breath.
Release the Mind Cube's power.
In his mind, he quietly recited the mantra Artoria had taught him, attaching magical energy to the weapon.
The beam sword, previously only five or six meters long, now grew several meters longer, wrapped in a blue aura mixed with blazing psionic energy, resembling a giant fiery sword. Under the sunlight, it looked magnificent and awe-inspiring.
Reuel lowered the sword toward the sea.
Explosion!
The high-energy beam instantly vaporized the water it touched, creating an effect like Moses parting the sea. The beam even pierced into space. Waves rolled to both sides, and the ground at the beach's edge trembled. The sea opened wide for a moment, revealing the seabed before closing again. A new tsunami wave followed.
Artoria and the Jeannes watched in awe.
"Incredible… this… I never imagined magical power release could be used this way," said Artoria.
"Your power is already on par with a city-destroying Noble Phantasm… maybe even more destructive," added White Jeanne.
Reuel smiled.
"But why does my Gundam sword look like it's spewing flames, instead of normal magic?" Artoria asked, slightly puzzled.
"The Gundam is part of me, as is the Mind Cube. Don't expect them to function like pure magical power," Reuel replied.
"The combination is more like a mecha-version energy sword. Quite effective."
The sword could be used anytime, enhanced by magic, even soaring into the sky or leaving the Earth. Reuel imagined this Gundam as a mecha version of Susanoo, which might evolve into a Moonlight Butterfly in the future, resembling elegant and deadly wings.
However, he realized the Mind Cube's development was far from complete. With an infinite energy reactor, there were many possibilities to learn new offensive skills.
Black Jeanne looked at him with a ghostly expression.
"You're a bit naughty…" she said.
"If you learn to release magical power like this… doesn't that mean you're going to heaven in the future?"