"...The Commander, huh."
META Enterprise fell silent again for a moment.
She gazed at the prosperous capital, at the fleets of Bulins sailing back and forth across the sea, and at the noisy little lolis and young shipgirls running about.
"So this is a world with a Commander? Impressive... you're lucky to have such a fine Commander."
After witnessing the splendor of the Starsea Empire's capital firsthand, and after briefly sharing their respective histories, the META girls of the Ember Fleet all showed faint traces of envy in their eyes.
Their counterparts in another parallel universe... actually had lives like this.
A life without fear on the open seas, without sudden attacks from unknown enemies.
Sunlight, beaches, peace, and a tranquil port—
The scent of blood and gunpowder lingering on their own bodies felt utterly out of place in this peaceful world.
"It seems like... other than fighting, we don't know how to do anything else."
META Helena let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"Ah... it's okay. You've... you've all been through so much."
Helena looked at her counterpart from another world with a mix of awe and nervousness.
Her instincts as a shipgirl told her that these META girls were veterans who had faced countless battles and near-death trials. Their strength far surpassed her own.
Yet they hid their emotions deeply—stoic, unreadable, utterly unlike the naive and lively shipgirls she knew.
"In any case, forget what happened back there. You can start a new life here~"
Observer hovered in midair, seated upon her rigging.
"All other parallel Azure Lane worlds will gradually collapse into this one. Good thing we managed to pull you all back before that happened."
"Hmm... maybe I should've asked Empress and Temperance to pick you up earlier? But at that time, the Arbiters were lost in the void, and we couldn't locate your coordinates."
The little loli muttered to herself, scratching her head.
"The Arbiters..."
META Enterprise looked toward the direction of the sun and the Starbase, her expression unreadable.
She remembered them vividly—those Arbiters, the highest enforcers of the Sirens' might. Each one more troublesome than the last.
Each wielded bizarre powers, often conjuring mirrored worlds from parallel universes that left the Ember Fleet battered and exhausted.
Only she herself could barely stand against them.
And now... those same Arbiters had become part of the Starsea Empire.
"Ah, I know you still have issues with Empress and Temperance," Observer said cheerily. "But trust me, they mean no harm! You've given the Sirens plenty of trouble too, you know—"
Her tentacled rigging poked at META Enterprise playfully.
"Hmph."
META Enterprise's face remained cold as ice.
"Don't get in my way. Even if we're on the same side now... I'll still be watching you—to make sure none of you endanger the port."
"Relax~"
Observer grinned mischievously.
"They're all too busy trying to seduce the Commander to care about you."
"???"
"What?"
...
The Ember Fleet was temporarily settled within the Azure Lane Port.
Following standard shipgirl protocols, Setsuna arranged proper living quarters and benefits for them.
They were granted complete freedom of movement within the capital and were recognized as an auxiliary fleet.
The Azure Lane shipgirls were fascinated by those who bore their same names and faces.
They frequently exchanged stories of their worlds, doing their best to help the newcomers adapt to life in the Starsea Empire.
However, it didn't take long for the Azure Lane girls to notice something peculiar—
Most of the Ember girls seemed very interested in Setsuna.
"Commander, is this today's list of tasks? I've already organized it for you."
"If there's anything wrong or out of order, please let me know."
Early in the morning, when Setsuna arrived at the office, he found a blue-haired, red-eyed girl standing by his desk.
META Helena had arrived early—before him—and had already sorted through the paperwork, neatly organizing each report into proper stacks.
Efficient and precise, her work rivaled that of a professional assistant.
"This is...?"
The secretary shipgirls Richelieu and Yat Sen froze on the spot.
"I want to understand what kind of person the Commander is—his work, his life, everything about him."
"That's only natural, isn't it?"
META Helena's crimson eyes glimmered faintly with an almost yandere-like intensity.
"Starting today, Helena will stay by the Commander's side—to live with you, to fight alongside you. Ah, don't worry, I'm quite skilled at gathering and handling intelligence. Nothing can escape my notice."
"...?"
Richelieu frowned slightly.
"That's my job. I'm the Commander's secretary ship."
"Oh? Shall we compare then? I believe I'm far more suitable to be by the Commander's side~"
META Helena tilted her head slightly as she spoke in a soft, almost teasing tone.
"By the way... didn't you have to defeat Taihou to earn your position? Maybe it's time you let me have it...?"
"You—how did you know that?! Who told you?!"
Richelieu's surprise only deepened.
"..."
Setsuna suddenly remembered—META girls were known for their extreme possessiveness. Compared to their original counterparts, they were practically different people.
"Stop. Don't fight over something so trivial."
He waved a hand to stop the two.
"Helena, I'll allow you to work here, but don't cause trouble for the others."
"Hmm? If you say so... I'll try, hehe~"
META Helena agreed without hesitation.
Beside her, the normal Helena trembled.
"Uu... my Commander..."
The Ember shipgirls were far bolder and more direct than the Azure Lane ones—in attitude, demeanor, and everything else.
While the Azure Lane girls were still hesitating about when to ask the Commander out, these newcomers had already taken action within days of arriving.
Setsuna glanced around at the other META girls lingering in the office.
"And what about you all? Why are you crowding around me too?"
Aside from Helena, several others had shown up as well.
"I'm merely curious—about how you govern such a vast empire and command the port."
META Enterprise answered honestly.
"I want to understand more about you... and this world."
"Because your existence changed the course of this world's port and fleet development, we find you... quite fascinating."
The other Ember shipgirls nodded in agreement.
"Yes, and also because there are so many lolis—oh, I mean, so much work! I just wanted to see for myself."
META Ark Royal declared solemnly, ignoring Bismarck's suspicious glance.
"...Alright then."
Setsuna sighed.
Many of the META shipgirls carried deep-rooted distrust and unease from their pasts. Calming them down would take time.
"When I have the chance, I'll spend more time with you all. Not just here in the Starsea Empire—you'll have opportunities to visit other worlds too."
As he spoke—
Whoosh—
He opened the Hyperdimensional Star Map, glancing at the data. The cooldown for his space-piercing ability had finished—it was time to expand their territory once more.
"Oh?"
It was the first time the Ember shipgirls had seen his divine authority in action, and they eagerly gathered around.
Unlike the parallel worlds of the Azure Lane universe, this was a true multiverse.
Watching the Starsea Empire's vast domain stretch across dimensions left them awestruck.
"Are we... going to wage war in another universe?"
META Enterprise asked in surprise.
"Yes," Setsuna replied with a calm nod. "It's time to get back to business."
He tapped the desk twice.
"Let's start by taking down the weakest one first."
"Go—find that Chaldean Spirit Master who pilots Gundams."
...
"There are five worlds left. Let's deal with the simplest one first."
Inside the Operations Conference Room at the Administrative Center, Setsuna projected the Hyperdimensional Star Map.
Among the previously discovered high-difficulty worlds, there was still one unclaimed—yet to be conquered.
[Neon Genesis Evangelion]
Also known as EVA, it was one of the classic early-era mecha series, infused with heavy religious and theological symbolism.
Later mecha works often paid homage to, or drew inspiration from, it.
The archetypes of the tsundere and the emotionless first-generation heroine likely originated here as well.
Clack—
An Angeloid distributed a massive pile of documents about EVA, making everyone's heads spin just looking at them.
"Wait—what?!"
"Wasn't this world supposed to be easy?! Why is there so much material?!"
Gudako was dumbfounded.
She had heard Setsuna describe the EVA world as one where people piloted mechs to fight 'Apostles', and without much thought, she volunteered to join the conquest.
When she had been dragged into clearing the Fifth Singularity, she had even asked Setsuna to save this one for her.
But she hadn't expected its worldbuilding and complexity to be far beyond imagination.
"EVA isn't what you think—it's not just a simple 'pilot a Gundam and fight monsters or aliens' type of story."
Setsuna cleared his throat.
"It's not like DARLING in the FRANXX or other mecha series where you just send in a Gundam and blow the enemy away."
Whoosh—
The holographic interface displayed the intricate data.
To put it simply—
In the EVA world, long ago, a 'God' on a celestial body known as the 'Moon' created the Tree of Life.
From the Tree of Life emerged two fruits—Adam and Lilith, also known as the First and Second Angels.
After their birth, the Tree of Life withered, and its roots became the Lance of Longinus.
Adam possessed the Fruit of Life, while Lilith held the Fruit of Knowledge.
If the two fruits were ever combined, the resulting being would, in a sense, achieve godhood.
Roughly 4 to 4.6 billion years ago, Adam's White Moon crashed into Earth's South Pole. After the impact, Adam gave birth to the Third through Seventeenth Angels, bringing with them the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Those who possessed the Fruit of Life had the S² Engine—a perpetual energy source. Thus, they did not need food, had no lifespan limits, and could rapidly regenerate when injured.
Beings with an S² Engine could be considered complete lifeforms.
Not long after, Lilith's Black Moon crashed into the region of modern-day Japan (Hakone). This collision was later called the First Impact.
Afterward, Adam and the Angels entered dormancy. From within Lilith, a fluid known as LCL (the Water of Life) flowed out, merging with Earth's oceans and giving birth to humanity.
The Moon as we know it was also formed during this collision.
Because humanity descended from Lilith, who possessed the Fruit of Knowledge but not the Fruit of Life, humans were incomplete beings.
Human bodies were fragile, limited by mortality and separated by emotional and psychological barriers. However, due to the Fruit of Knowledge, they developed intelligence—allowing them to advance science and reshape the planet.
A secret organization known as SEELE has long pursued the Human Instrumentality Project.
Its goal: to eliminate the barriers between body and soul, returning humanity to the primordial Sea of Life, transcending physical existence.
The entire story of the EVA world revolves around this so-called Human Instrumentality Project.
"???"
"Huh?!"
Ritsuka Fujimaru and several shipgirls scratched their heads in confusion.
"So you're saying... all humans in the EVA world are aliens?! And every other creature was evolved from Lilith's influence?!"
"Doesn't that totally ignore evolution?!"
Gudako cried out in exasperation.
"In the grand multiverse, is divine creation really such a strange concept?"
Setsuna chuckled.
The EVA world wasn't Earth in the strict sense—it could be considered an alternate world with a similar setting.
"..."
"So, basically, SEELE, NERV (the Human Instrumentality Committee), and even the UN are all trying to turn humanity... into orange juice?"
The Human Evil entity twitched at the corner of his mouth.
After the Human Instrumentality Project, humanity would revert to its primordial form—the Sea of Life... essentially turning into orange juice.
It was difficult for her to comprehend why anyone would pursue such a bizarre goal.
"Well, not exactly that," Setsuna said thoughtfully. "Ikari Gendo might have intended to use the process to ascend to godhood... but the concept of 'God' in the EVA world is quite different from the usual."
In EVA, the so-called "God" referred more to the manipulation of the concept of life itself—such as creating life from nothing or resurrecting the dead.
"..."
"So, what's our objective for the operation?"
Richelieu tilted her head, not wanting to get bogged down in the metaphysics.
"Are we turning that world into a vassal state—like before?"
"Hmm... That's the standard procedure for pre-spacefaring civilizations, yes. It's our usual protocol."
Setsuna paused to think.
"But there are a few things in the EVA world that interest me—such as the EVA units: Unit-00, Unit-01, and Unit-02. Their power levels aren't especially high by our standards, but their construction is fascinating—worth collecting and modifying..."
"And Lilith and Adam's original bodies also have significant research value."
"Additionally, that world seems to be caught in a loop... a recurring cycle."
From both the TV and theatrical versions, the EVA world resembled a Möbius strip—it wasn't a linear story at all.
The Research Division members clenched their fists in excitement.
To them, Lilith and Adam represented completely unknown and alien lifeforms.
Exploring the unknown was, after all, the greatest joy of any scientist.
"Don't worry," Gudako said, patting her chest confidently. "Whatever can be recovered, I'll bring it back."
"Just watch me!"
"..."
"I'd like to go too, Commander."
From the back of the room, a blue-skinned girl suddenly raised her hand.
"That Human Instrumentality Project—it reminds me of VIRM's philosophy. And the EVA units' divine forms... they're a lot like the FRANXX mechs built with Klaxosaurs."
The Klaxosaur Princess felt a strange sense of déjà vu; the EVA world's ideas resonated strongly with DARLING in the FRANXX.
"A lot of the FRANXX settings were tributes to EVA—but... let's just say they didn't quite pull it off."
Setsuna chuckled.
"Alright, if you want to join, come along. EVA versus FRANXX mechs against the Angels—that sounds interesting."
...
Two days later.
Vrrrm—
Outside the capital, at the starship launch base, a silver vessel activated its anti-gravity modules and began to rise.
Then, propelled by its thrusters, it ascended toward a shimmering, multicolored spatial tunnel in the sky.
[Dimensional Gate established]
[Constantinople → Neon Genesis Evangelion]
Aboard the ship were Setsuna, the accompanying shipgirls, Gudako, and the Klaxosaur Princess—assigned to lead the main mission.
And, of course, a certain Cthulhu-like goddess who shared a rather unhealthy fascination with Gundams.
"I mean... EVA's setting is full of Biblical and Kabbalistic symbolism, right? Are you sure bringing you along won't cause... problems?"
Gudako asked, rubbing her chin as she eyed Nyarlathotep suspiciously.
Strictly speaking, the Spirit of Origin would've been the more qualified expert.
"Gundams, okay?! I just want to see them in person! I'm not going to wreck anything!"
Nyarlathotep puffed her cheeks in protest.
"..."
Setsuna couldn't help thinking that she really was treating this like a sightseeing trip—or a pilgrimage.
Still, it couldn't hurt.
Amid the lively chatter—
Whoosh—
The starship broke through the clouds, descending into an unfamiliar world.
Below stretched a city much like pre-spacefaring Earth, though with fewer people and sparser buildings. The sea level was about 3.2 meters higher, submerging many coastal cities.
Even the geomagnetic field and Earth's axial tilt differed from normal parameters.
"Deploy the Sophon."
Click—
Following standard procedure, a particle was launched into orbit, expanding into a thin, high-dimensional membrane that enveloped the planet.
It then contracted into microscopic form, hovering silently above the Arctic.
[Sophon Unit-45 online. Current World: Neon Genesis Evangelion.]
[Commencing target scan...]
Whoosh—
A complete 3D model of the planet materialized on the starship's control display.
Every region, every person—mapped in detail.
Even the deepest secrets buried within NERV's restricted zones and Earth's hidden military bases were laid bare.
"Target scanning... complete. Holographic projection constructed."
"No interference detected... surveillance network deployment underway."
The Sophon's calm, mechanical voice echoed through the cabin.
"Third Tokyo City—anomaly detected."
"Confirmed. Target identified: Third Angel—Sachiel."
—
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