Crossover Shipgirls: Building a Dimensional Empire from Scratch

Boom—

Over thirty starships took off one after another from the launch base outside the capital city.

Trailing colorful exhaust flames, they soared straight into the sky, leaving behind vibrant streaks that resembled dozens of rainbows reaching toward the heavens.

Each vessel carried several shipgirls, some of whom were recent immigrants from the harbor, while others were still awaiting their starship transformations.

Watching the fleet’s dazzling flagship ships, they could not help but look on with envy, yearning to join the expedition into space.

”Yat Sen, I thought coming to this world meant enduring hardships and building from scratch.”

”But now you’re going to space?”

An Shan, Tai Yuan, and other Dragon Empery shipgirls marveled inside a deep blue starship. Their gazes were fixed on the fleet’s flagship—Yat Sen.

After her starship transformation, her aura seemed even more refined.

Her original qipao with blue-and-white porcelain patterns had been replaced by a white semi-transparent dress adorned with lace and floral trim. The snug, sheer black stockings she wore highlighted her graceful curves, with their delicate translucence revealing the smooth skin beneath, drawing considerable attention.

Her long black hair cascaded like a silken waterfall, its shimmering strands adorned with plum blossom ornaments that lent her an air of timeless beauty.

Even her figure seemed transformed—fuller, more striking than ever before. An Shan and Chang Chun didn’t recall Yat Sen’s silhouette being so pronounced back at the harbor. Now, with her upgrade as a full-fledged space warship, she could rival even battleships in appearance.

”It’s all thanks to the Commander,” Yat Sen said with a gentle smile, patting the heads of her younger companions.

”I’ve watched him step by step from building the city to constructing starships.”

”In the future, you’ll need to work hard as well. After all, we share a special connection with the Commander in a certain sense.”

”Mm-hmm!”

The Dragon Empery destroyers and light cruisers nodded fervently.

Though they and the Commander hailed from different universes, they all seemed to share a cultural heritage rooted in Dragon Empery.

Whoosh—

The fleet quickly broke through the atmosphere, entering the vast expanse of space.

At the forefront of the formation was the flagship, Richelieu.

Instead of piloting the Eternal Snowfall, Setsuna chose to embark alongside her.

The still-to-be-transformed Royal Maids, along with Tohru and Kanna, were also aboard the ship.

”Stars!”

The young dragon Kanna exclaimed in amazement, her blue eyes wide as she stared at the countless twinkling lights outside the observation window.

For the shipgirls, too, this was a rare and breathtaking experience. Though many of them had fought in naval battles under vast skies, few had ever ventured into the boundless expanse of the universe.

Their excitement was palpable. As the fleet adjusted its trajectory toward the predetermined coordinates, the interior of the Richelieu buzzed with anticipation.

”Commander,” Richelieu said softly, her eyes reflecting the brilliance of the stars outside. ”Is this the beginning of our new journey?”

”Yes,” Setsuna replied, his gaze steady but filled with determination.

”A new era for all of us.”

Kanna lay flat against the window, her wide eyes glued to the starry expanse outside as her tail swayed rhythmically.

”Commander, you guys are incredible!” she exclaimed. ”I’ve never left my planet before!”

Tohru, sprawled next to Kanna, looked around with unbridled curiosity. ”This is amazing… By the way, there’s something I’m really curious about…”

Setsuna rested his chin on his hand, gazing at the dragon girl with a thoughtful expression.

”Do you have any abilities for space combat or interstellar travel?”

”Huh?”

Tohru froze for a moment.

As a dragon, she was almost invincible on the ground. Aside from a handful of monsters and the gods of the Order faction, few could rival her in battle. But flying beyond the atmosphere and fighting alongside starships was entirely uncharted territory.

”Let me try!” she said enthusiastically, preparing to jump off the starship’s bridge.

”Don’t push yourself. Come back immediately if there’s any trouble.”

Setsuna considered her resilience. Dragons far surpassed humans in physical endurance, capable of withstanding environments that would otherwise be fatal.

Click, click, click—

After a series of airlock doors opened, Tohru leapt off the starship. Transforming into her massive dragon form, she dove into the depths of space.

On Earth, her form was immense—akin to a towering skyscraper. But in space, she seemed dwarfed, smaller than a tenth of Richelieu’s starship.

”What is that thing?!”

The shipgirls trailing behind Richelieu’s vessel gasped as they noticed a massive dragon suddenly emerge from the flagship.

Flapping her wings with all her might, Tohru struggled to keep up alongside the ship’s flanks.

”Tohru-sama!”

Kanna, seated on the bridge, waved excitedly at her.

”This is doable, Commander!”

”I can fly in space. Uh, I’m not that fast, but I have teleportation magic, so it doesn’t matter, right?”

Tohru’s voice echoed in Setsuna’s mind through a magical transmission. She was pushing herself hard just to match the starship’s speed.

”Are you some budget version of an Aether Dragon?!”

Setsuna chuckled as he glanced at Tohru outside the observation window.

If Lucoa weren’t so content lounging in the library, seeing the Feathered Serpent God soaring through space would undoubtedly be a spectacular sight.

Whoosh—

After flying around for a while, Tohru activated a magic circle and teleported back into Richelieu’s starship in human form. The surrounding shipgirls watched in amazement.

”Uh, outer space feels a bit uncomfortable,” Tohru muttered, scratching her head. ”If possible, I’d rather ride with you all on the ship next time.”

”Of course. In the future, you and the Servants can ride with me on the Eternal Snowfall,” Setsuna said, patting Tohru’s head. The dragon maid laughed sheepishly.

”It does feel like our space fleet has a pretty eclectic lineup—Servants using cold weapons, dragons, and Gundams. Tsk… If we add some Spirits and Herrschers in the future, it’ll be perfect.”

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

During the flight, several aircraft carrier shipgirls released their aircraft. With their ship sizes increased, their capacity for carrying planes had also expanded several times over. It was effortless for them to deploy hundreds of space fighters.

Unlike the propeller-driven planes of the past, these space fighters had a far more futuristic design. They were black and red, with the Starsea Alliance’s eagle insignia emblazoned on the fuselage. Equipped with energy weapons and space torpedoes, these fighters were built for close-range dive-bombing against enemy forces.

”So strong…” Enterprise casually tested hers, and with a single torpedo strike, a several-hundred-meter-wide asteroid was reduced to dust.

”Commander, if we were to launch attacks on Earth from space, we’d have a tremendous advantage. We could use carrier-based fighters and long-range firepower to strike targets within the atmosphere…”

She eagerly shared her grand realization with Setsuna.

”You’re talking about hovering in planetary orbit and leveraging the planet’s rotation for surface bombardment? That’s called orbital bombardment,” Setsuna replied. ”Selective, indiscriminate, or doomsday judgment—pick whichever method you like.”

He couldn’t help noticing how seamlessly the shipgirls were transitioning into a whole new game.

”Uh…” Enterprise paused, a little embarrassed. ”No, I mean, after being upgraded into starships, we should have a significant advantage in battles against the Sirens…”

After a moment’s thought, she added, ”I believe the current strength of the Vanguard Fleet is sufficient to eliminate the Executors lingering around the port area.

”As for the Sirens deeper in the seas, we don’t have much information yet. But if their strength is similar to the Executors…”

As one of the port’s leaders, Enterprise was constantly concerned about the Siren threat. As long as those monsters occupied the seas, the shipgirls would never find peace.

”Commander, when will we begin our campaign against the Sirens?”

Setsuna was silent for a moment. ”I don’t think we necessarily have to keep fighting the Sirens.”

”Huh?”

Enterprise immediately looked displeased.

”Commander, what are you saying?! After finally upgrading to starships, you’re saying we won’t solve the Siren problem?”

”Uh, no. I don’t know much about the Sirens, but based on the information you’ve provided, I can infer a few things,” Setsuna said, pulling up a list on the communication interface for Enterprise to see.

”First, the port and the Sirens have been fighting for years, contesting control of the seas. Neither side has been able to completely eliminate the other, right?”

”Correct,” Enterprise nodded. The battle for maritime dominance had been a prolonged and brutal struggle.

”Second, the Sirens’ technology is advanced, but due to some unknown blockade, they’ve never had the chance to develop space technology.”

”That’s true,” Enterprise agreed, recalling information from captured data.

”In that case, why don’t you all just come over here?” Setsuna said matter-of-factly.

”What’s the point of fighting over territory on an oceanic planet? Bring the Sirens along and join me in conquering other universes. There are no blockades here.”

”We can fight whoever we want, bottle up any aliens we don’t like, and everyone can become my wife—cough, I mean, comrade.”

”???”

”You’re suggesting that in the future, the port and the Sirens move over here together?!” Bismarck asked in shock.

”Exactly. We can leave the Azure Lane world to resource extraction. Wouldn’t it be better for everyone to live together? Constantinople is more prosperous now than your port, isn’t it?”

Setsuna shrugged.

”We’ve got starships, wonders, and superweapons. Isn’t that better than the endless fighting you have there?”

”…”

This radical proposal left Enterprise speechless.

Indeed, if the port and the Sirens collectively moved to another world, their reasons for fighting would completely disappear.

Changing locations could offer a fresh start—like a breath of fresh air.

”Would that… really work?” Queen Elizabeth timidly asked.

”Aren’t the Sirens supposed to be ruthless?”

”Are they?” Setsuna mused.

”Wasn’t there a pretty agreeable one during the weapon testing? That big-eyed cutie—what’s her name—Purifier?”

He paused to think.

”I feel like she’d be easy to trick into warming my bed.”

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