"We're really, really sorry!!—"
Half an hour later.
Kanao and Shinobu stood in front of Setsuna, bowing in apology.
Having just received their new powers, they got a little too carried away during their first test run and caused a bit of chaos.
Bulin and the Angeloid were currently cleaning up the battlefield inside the administrative center, restoring all the scattered decorations and displaced equipment.
"You girls can take your time exploring that authority."
Setsuna smiled.
"Beyond simply controlling plant growth, there should be more advanced applications."
"Mm!"
The three girls nodded, filled with excitement.
"Next up..."
Setsuna motioned for Esdeath to step forward.
"I grant you authority—to command the coming of weather, to freeze all creation."
Whoosh—
A pale blue Herrscher core appeared in her hands.
"This is the Core of Ice. It allows you to manipulate molecular motion and temperature. It's a perfect match for you."
"Ah..."
Esdeath blushed like a shy girl. By now, she had become a full-blown love-struck maiden around Setsuna.
She accepted the core and merged it into her body.
Fwoosh—
A faint chill radiated from her figure as her power surged several magnitudes.
Previously, she was accustomed to using ice in combat—mostly by crafting ice weapons, or summoning soldiers and beasts made of ice.
Now, with a Herrscher core, she could manipulate ice on a conceptual level—altering temperature by directly suppressing molecular motion.
If she locked a space at absolute zero, it would effectively freeze spacetime itself.
Compared to her old move—Mahāpadma—usable only once a day and with limited duration, this was leagues stronger.
"Thank you, my love."
Esdeath threw herself into Setsuna's arms, placing his hand on her body, slowly guiding it downward.
"Can you feel it? This power now inside me... ah, it belongs to you, Commander."
"As expected, you're the one I chose—the one and only unrivaled being in the world..."
"..."
Setsuna couldn't help but glance at her a few extra times.
Taming a sadist like her had proven to be quite the satisfying endeavor—turning her into a sweet and clingy girlfriend felt incredibly rewarding.
"Commander, you know... I've developed some new insights into ice manipulation."
Esdeath brushed aside her icy blue hair, whispering softly into his ear.
She deliberately licked her lips, exhaling a puff of frosty air.
"I can control the temperature of my entire body... naturally, that includes... well, you know~"
"May I have the chance to properly thank you for your affection tonight?..."
Hiss—
Setsuna jolted slightly and coughed.
"I'll contact you after I'm done with everything."
"Okay~"
Esdeath hummed a little tune, eyes full of affection, and stepped aside.
"Hmm..."
After issuing the Core of Ice, Setsuna glanced around at the others.
"As for the rest of you—keep training. When your strength is sufficient, I'll grant you new Herrscher powers."
"Aww..."
Akame, Iris, and Antilene all looked a bit disappointed. They regretted not training harder and lagging just behind Esdeath and the butterfly trio in strength.
They silently vowed to double down on their efforts.
"I want to switch races. That way, the Commander can put that thing into my body too."
Origami Tobiichi made a deadpan lewd comment, causing Yoshino to blush furiously while Mio looked exasperated and amused.
"Commander, what about me~?"
Just then, Ritsuka Fujimaru squeezed up next to Setsuna.
"I'm stronger than most of them, right?"
"Well... maybe not as strong as shipgirls like Tohru, but among regular humans, I'm definitely one of the best! So, how about..."
Pfft—
Setsuna laughed and gave her a playful pinch.
"You want everything, huh? You've already learned a whole bunch of weird skills, and now you want another Herrscher authority?"
"..."
The Human Evil pondered for a moment.
"How about the Herrscher of Thunder? I saw you use that power before—it can control magnetic fields, right?"
"If you tweak it a bit, wouldn't it become magnetic rotational power? If I train it enough, maybe I could have the strength of a million horses..."
"???"
Smack—
Setsuna chopped her lightly on the head.
"What, you trying to become a magnetic maniac now?"
"Those aren't even the same system. Don't get any ideas."
"Come on, let me try—"
Gudako muttered, rubbing her head.
"Impossible. I've tried it before. Using the Herrscher of Thunder's power to manipulate magnetic fields just shifts the stellar magnetosphere a bit—and triggers a solar storm."
Setsuna's face remained calm.
"And you called me crazy?! You did it too, Commander!!!"
"Crazy, huh?"
Setsuna raised an eyebrow.
"How about I grant you the authority of the Mad King of Flames? Mix the Herrscher of Fire with other powers, and you might just get something fitting..."
"No!!—"
Human Evil bolted, clutching her head.
...
A little later.
As was customary after every expedition—
Hum—
The colossal form of the Eternal Snowfall projected itself into Earth's orbit.
"Ahem. Prepare to board. Belfast, go inform Erina and Rindou Kobayashi."
"I should be able to freely manipulate spacetime now, twisting temporal curvature at will..."
Setsuna was just about to summon his harem aboard for some well-earned party time.
"Um, Commander, there's... a small issue."
His secretary ship, Richelieu, walked over hesitantly and brought up a holographic screen.
"Several sisters in the port have expressed serious complaints about your... post-expedition gatherings aboard the Eternal Snowfall—oh, sorry, I mean your victory banquets. They've been sending grievances to both Yat Sen and me."
"Huh? Why?"
Setsuna blinked a few times.
"Time delay? No, time distortion means only a day passes on Earth. Disturbance? No, can't be that..."
"Neither."
Richelieu shook her head and opened a few of the messages casually.
"The main complaint is that you didn't invite them."
"..."
Setsuna stood in silence for a long moment.
Given that every time he appeared at the port, he received hundreds of overnight invitations, it was, admittedly, a very... on-brand issue for both the port and his reputation.
"Fine. Anyone who wants to come can come."
He waved his hand generously.
A few minutes later—
"Eh? Seriously?!"
The entire port exploded into chaos.
Setsuna was always a busy man. Usually, only a dozen or two people surrounded him.
Now, everyone had a fair shot at the Commander.
Some started dressing up, some changed into new outfits, while others—already restless—slipped into their most daring lingerie.
"Ugh, too much fabric... this won't do."
"Does the Commander prefer black stockings, white ones, or bare legs? I'm torn, hmm..."
"Wha—Sirius! What on earth are you wearing?! Are those two ribbons supposed to count as clothes?!"
"Hmph, how narrow-minded. My proud Master will love it."
By evening, groups of shipgirls were boarding the Eternal Snowfall one after another, chattering and laughing.
"This time, I'll definitely win the Commander over..."
Many of them secretly hyped themselves up.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5... 67, 68, 69..."
The nanomachine assistant, bored, decided to start counting heads.
Alongside the Azure shipgirls, a whole crowd of Arpeggio and Kancolle shipgirls had slipped in too.
And then... things got weirder.
"Wait a second, aren't the Arbiters supposed to stay at the Starbase? What are you all doing here?"
She gawked as the twelve Arbiters dismissed their riggings and calmly joined the shipgirls in boarding the shuttles.
"We're part of the Starsea Empire now. What's wrong with deepening our bond with the Commander?"
Empress replied matter-of-factly, then gave Observer a light tap on the head.
"Now, tell me again—what exactly are the Commander's personal preferences, hmm?..."
"...Whatever makes you happy."
"102, 103, 104... ahhhh!!—"
At last, when the count hit triple digits, Grey gave up completely.
"Commander, do we still have enough ammunition reserves for this...?"
...
"Eh?! Why are there so many beautiful girls here!!!—"
Upon boarding the starship and witnessing the scale of the Eternal Snowfall's victory banquet, Cecilia was utterly stunned.
Except for a few lazy ones who refused to leave their dorms, nearly every shipgirl in the port had shown up in full force.
They gathered in clusters across the vast bridge—
Elegant beauties of the Eastern Radiance, graceful royal ladies of the Royal Navy, exotic divas of the Eagle Union and Sardegna Empire... and the stoic, uniformed Iron Blood shipgirls with their sharp military bearing.
They surrounded Setsuna like stars around the moon—laughing, chatting, and occasionally sneaking in a bit of affectionate contact under various pretexts.
"This really is a nation of daughters..."
Beside her, Himeko took a swig of alcohol and immediately started coughing.
"Hot! What the hell is this?!"
"Comrade-chan, that's a Northern Union specialty—vodka brewed by Volga herself~"
A small purple-haired shipgirl with fuzzy winter clothing explained casually as she passed by.
"Wait, why are you here too?"
Cecilia finally noticed that Himeko, Shigure Kira, and several other academy teachers had also received invitations.
"Oh, that... wasn't it the Supreme Commander—no, I mean the Commander, right?"
"He said he was hosting a victory banquet, so I came to check it out. Figured I might as well meet a few people from the Starsea Empire while grabbing a free meal. Besides, it's my day off."
Himeko yawned and glanced around.
"Jeez... it's kind of intimidating here... girls everywhere. Uh, those over there are shipgirls, right? And I think I see Heroic Spirits and Spirits too?"
"That blonde one—is that King Arthur? And the one next to her who looks almost the same, that's Nero? Wait, is that a succubus?! What is going on in this universe?!"
Having only recently arrived, they were still adjusting to the chaos that was the Starsea Empire.
Forget remembering names—half the time, they couldn't even identify species. Dragons, catgirls, and other fantastical beings roamed the streets freely.
And when they bumped into a Chaldean Heroic Spirit, each name they heard belonged to some legendary figure from history... though Himeko couldn't reconcile any of them with the textbook versions she knew.
"Wasn't King Arthur supposed to be connected to Kevin somehow...? Ah, forget it. Let's not think too hard about other universes."
"Come on, let's mingle a bit."
The girls from the Honkai world joined in, easily finding conversation topics with others from different worlds—everyone here had long stories worth sharing.
"Oh, you're the one who had a child with the Commander!"
Cecilia instantly became the center of attention.
A group of shipgirls and Heroic Spirits surrounded her, chattering away with curiosity focused entirely on her and Kiana:
"When did you and the Commander meet? How did things happen so fast that you already have a child?"
"Wait a sec—if we look at the expedition timeline, Kiana's age doesn't add up... How long did you guys bend time for?!"
"This won't do—we need the Commander to make it up to us..."
"..."
Himeko and Shigure Kira exchanged bewildered glances.
"Why do I get the feeling everyone here wants to have his child? Is it just me...?"
"Wait, what did Ritsuka Fujimaru mean earlier about a 'party'? Is it what I think it is? What?! The time distortion lasted several months?!"
...
Meanwhile—
Setsuna had only one thought.
He was completely surrounded by shipgirls.
Dozens of shipgirls from different fleets encircled him—his arms, his sides, even his lap were all occupied by soft, fragrant figures.
"Commander, you've been gone for so long—and you even brought back a child, how scandalous~"
Akagi's sultry voice purred as her tail brushed gently against Setsuna's face.
"Eh? But don't you already have a Little Akagi, nanoda?"
Yukikaze, who had snuck in, twitched her ears.
"Shoo, shoo, destroyer, go play somewhere else. This is a matter for carriers and battleships."
"Be good, go find Long Island. I heard a new game just dropped—she's still busy playing Spirit Void~"
Akagi grabbed Yukikaze and deposited her outside the room, clicking the door shut with her foot and locking it.
"Huh???"
Yukikaze was left stunned.
"Commander-sama, now that no one will disturb us... let us fully indulge in each other~"
"Who do you like more? It's Akagi, right? It must be me, right? You wouldn't choose someone else, would you??"
Akagi pressed herself against him, her expression full yandere.
"...There are too many of you."
Setsuna couldn't help but mutter.
He had lost count of how many shipgirls harbored... particular thoughts about him.
"You can also pick who you'd like to spend time with first. We have plenty of time together, right?"
Taihou whispered into his ear.
"But, with so many sisters here, you mustn't play favorites, okay? If one of us monopolizes you, the rest of us will get very jealous~"
Hiss—
Having maxed out every shipgirl's affection meter, Setsuna realized he'd unlocked the ultimate achievement: living like an emperor of old, picking companions at will.
—Of course, aboard the Eternal Snowfall, the theme was always companionship.
"Uh..."
His gaze landed on a particular shipgirl who was squished between a bunch of carriers and battleships, looking nervous and out of place.
She had soft chestnut twin-tails and gentle rose-red eyes.
Eagle Union heavy cruiser—Anchorage.
"Commander... teacher?"
Anchorage looked up with shy eyes.
Setsuna suddenly remembered—besides "Commander," there were a few oddballs who used unique nicknames for him.
He pulled Anchorage into his arms. And really—every shipgirl's figure was ridiculously overpowered.
"Teacher... like?"
"Anchorage... too... mm! Can Anchorage spend more time with you...?"
Setsuna felt completely healed by this innocent little angel.
"Come, let teacher teach you something new."
"Eh?"
Anchorage looked over just in time to see Esdeath naturally leaning into Setsuna's side.
"Commander, since you've granted me the power of the Herrscher of Ice, it would be quite rude if I didn't repay you properly, right?"
Her ice-blue eyes glinted with mischief and allure. After a moment of eye contact, she slipped downward without hesitation.
Hiss—
Cold.
Setsuna jolted involuntarily.
Esdeath had used the Herrscher of Ice's authority to chill her mouth to an unthinkable temperature.
"Oh my, I heard this was a popular technique~ I remember your body's endurance is exceptional, isn't it? This should be no problem for you, right?"
As if boasting, she lightly flicked her tongue.
"Wasn't there someone who used flame magic too? Tohru? Kotori Itsuka? Hmm?"
"...You?!"
Setsuna shot her a glare.
Hanging around him too long had clearly emboldened her—pulling stunts like this in broad daylight.
"Just teasing~ If I made you mad and you stopped visiting me, that'd be terrible."
As the newer shipgirls stared in awe, Esdeath continued her antics unabashedly.
"Ehhh?!..."
Anchorage's eyes turned to spirals, her face blushing so hard it seemed ready to steam.
Can you really do that?! Her strange knowledge stat just leveled up.
...
Under the laws of spacetime distortion, the outside world slowed to a crawl.
But within the Eternal Snowfall—controlled by a holographic dome—day turned to night and back again.
Several days passed. As the soft morning light filtered through the ceiling into the grand bedroom atop the bridge—
Setsuna slowly opened his eyes.
Anchorage was curled up sweetly beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. One of her white thigh-highs was mysteriously missing, creating a peculiar asymmetrical beauty.
"Teacher... Anchorage feels so strange..."
She murmured strange little phrases in her sleep.
"Ah..."
A little farther away, Sirius sat up, rubbing her head.
"My proud Master... Sirius shall now attend to your awakening..."
She tried to rise, but her legs gave out and she flopped back into the chair.
"Ah—my apologies. Sirius used up too much strength yesterday... The Royal Maids request a day off."
"Let the Angeloid handle it."
Setsuna chuckled and tapped open the holo-interface.
The angel entered swiftly, tidying up the room.
She gathered the clothes strewn across the floor, prepped fresh outfits for the still-sleeping shipgirls, and cleaned every nook and cranny with efficiency.
"?"
A few of the angels noticed strange handprints on the bathroom's glass wall and the floor-to-ceiling windows.
So strange—why would someone be watching the scenery... while leaning fully against the glass with both hands pressed to it?
The cleaning Angeloid scratched her head, baffled.
Whatever, let's not pry into the Commander's affairs.