Crossover Shipgirls: Building a Dimensional Empire from Scratch

Under the fiftyfold time-space distortion, Setsuna had plenty of time and energy to spend with each girl.

There were no external interruptions here; to the outside world, it was just an ordinary night.

The shipgirls, dragon girls, and Heroic Spirits weren’t in any rush.

To them, the Eternal Snowfall was like a secret base.

Even if they were a bit reserved at first, with time, they grew closer.

According to Constantinople standard time, it was already past midnight.

The little lolis still playing around were urged to bed by the angeloids, trickling back to their dorms in small groups. The shipgirls also returned to port, leaving only the patrol and duty enforcers behind.

The entire city gradually quieted down.

But aboard the Eternal Snowfall floating above the open sea, several days had already passed.

”Hoo—”

These few nights here had been incredibly relaxing for Setsuna.

Finally returning to a gentle haven, he was able to wash off the metallic scent left from the Transformers world.

With the dual cube boost, his powerful body only needed five or six hours of sleep to fully recover.

—Actually, he didn’t even need to sleep, but under these conditions, it was better to rest.

Beside him on the pillow were the two Jeanne sisters, one black and one white.

Jeanne Alter was never willing to lose, no matter where she was.

While Jeanne d’Arc could surrender cleanly and decisively, even when Jeanne Alter couldn’t go on, she’d still insist on having the last word.

”Master? Is that all you got?...”

”I am the Dragon Witch!!! Way stronger than that peasant girl!! Still got a ways to go...”

And then she’d be taught a lesson.

She slept much deeper than Jeanne d’Arc.

”Hm?”

Setsuna suddenly noticed something off.

There was someone else under the blanket.

He lifted the covers and found a very unsurprising figure.

”Taihou, I knew it was you.”

Setsuna looked at the voluptuous, twin-tailed shipgirl and couldn’t help but laugh.

He remembered he had the habit of locking the door, but it never worked on Taihou.

She always found some way to get her hands on the commander’s bedroom key or access code—almost like an innate talent.

”What are you doing?”

”G-Good morning, Commander~”

Taihou purred sweetly.

”I saw in manga and anime that it’s quite popular to wake someone up like this. Taihou wanted to give it a try too.”

As she spoke, she nestled into Setsuna’s arm, pushing the groggy Jeanne Alter aside.

”...”

Setsuna felt like the things she watched were a bit questionable.

But... this wasn’t so bad either.

”Commander, the day before yesterday you were with the Spirits, and yesterday with the Heroic Spirits. Isn’t it my turn now?”

”I’m your first shipgirl, you know. Don’t forget about Taihou~”

Like a little animal, she burrowed into his embrace.

Though she was an aircraft carrier shipgirl and seen as a big sister by the younger girls, she couldn’t help but want to act spoiled in front of her commander.

”...Technically, today was supposed to be Richelieu and Belfast’s turn, but I guess you can jump the queue.”

Setsuna decisively gave Taihou some special treatment.

It wasn’t until Belfast reminded everyone to come out for breakfast that they tidied up and stepped out with the just-awakened Jeanne sisters.

...

Bridge, second floor.

”Hya!”

”Ha!!”

Kanae, wearing a kendo uniform, was swinging her longsword in an empty room.

She had been feeling a bit restless these past few days.

The shipgirls, Spirits, and Heroic Spirits were all kind and gentle to her, never putting on airs.

Tohru would even offer tips on magical training when she hit a bottleneck.

The only minor issue was—it felt like she had come at the wrong time.

At night, whether shipgirls or Heroic Spirits, they would often glance at the time and say, ”I’m going to spend time with the Commander.”

Occasionally, when passing by the bedroom, the bath, or some unknown room, she’d hear... certain sounds.

Kanae felt completely out of place here.

She wanted to join in, to be like the others by the Commander’s side, but lacked the courage to take that final step.

In the end, she figured since she was already here, she might as well take advantage of the time distortion.

So she kept practicing her swordsmanship.

Letting the flashing blades clear her mind.

Switching from the Nichirin blade to Murasame, and paired with her genetically enhanced body and other Teigu, Kanae’s movements had become much sharper.

Each swing and strike left faint afterimages.

Clap—Clap—

Gudako, seated nearby, gave a couple of applauding claps.

”Nice swordplay.”

”Want to spar with me a bit?” Kanae offered.

Her usual training partners were mostly from the Demon Slayer squad and Night Raid. The Heroic Spirits, Spirits, and shipgirls were too powerful—it wouldn’t be a fair match.

Gudako looked like a regular human, so as long as she wasn’t using Barbatos, they should be evenly matched.

”Nope.”

Gudako refused flatly and sighed dramatically:

”Sigh…”

”While the Commander is enjoying nightly pleasures, we’re stuck training in a dojo. Tsk tsk tsk...”

”What a world, morals in decline.”

”?”

Kanae was momentarily speechless, shaking her head before retorting:

”That’s not right, this is actually an opportunity.”

”The time flow on the Eternal Snowfall is different from the outside. Training here lets us grow much faster.”

”We should make the most of it.”

Saying so, she resumed her practice.

”...”

Gudako admired this dedicated girl.

”If the Commander sees how hardworking you are, he’ll definitely give you a certificate.”

”...”

Kanae sheathed her sword silently.

She really envied Richelieu, Yat Sen, Tohru, and the others who could always stay by Setsuna’s side, joking without hesitation.

But Setsuna seemed so distant to her.

As one of the earliest residents of the capital, she had watched it grow ever more prosperous, her companions becoming stronger and stronger.

The gap between her and the Commander—in both status and strength—only widened. They rarely even saw each other.

Her only hope was that through relentless training, she might improve enough to earn even a sliver of his attention.

”Tsk...”

Gudako, seeing Kanae’s expression, more or less guessed what she was thinking.

”You want to get closer to the Commander, right? How about we sneak in and night-raid him sometime?”

The embodiment of human evil proposed casually.

”Eh?!”

Kanae couldn’t keep up with Gudako’s pace, utterly baffled.

”Isn’t that... wrong?”

”What’s wrong about it?”

Gudako pulled out a hand-drawn map.

”Look, I’ve already mapped out the entire Eternal Snowfall. The Commander’s bedroom is here. Tonight, let’s go together—while the shipgirls are asleep...”

”?!”

”Why are you so worked up?! You’ve been planning this for a while, haven’t you?!”

Kanae looked at Gudako in disbelief.

”It’s because the Commander keeps treating me like a bro!!”

Gudako’s face twisted.

Their relationship was far closer than most. Setsuna often praised how only she could keep up with his thinking and fully supported her wild ideas.

But the side effect was that Gudako felt like their relationship had gone off course.

They had become comrades and brothers.

At this rate, they might end up taking an oath of brotherhood.

She decided it was time to steer the relationship back on track.

”Huh?!”

Kanae didn’t understand, but kept listening to Gudako’s grand plan.

”After sneaking into the bedroom, we’ll move the Commander to an empty nearby room, and then... seal the deal.”

”Careful not to alert Yat Sen and Chen Hai. If they find out, we’re toast...”

”Huh???”

Kanae instinctively felt this plan was extremely unreliable.

Just as Gudako was getting excited in her storytelling, a flat, emotionless voice suddenly rang out from behind:

”Detected hostile intent toward Master. Neutralizing threat.”

”??!!”

They turned to see Ikaros, who had appeared behind them without warning, wings spread wide...

She stared blankly at Gudako.

”Ikaros, what’s wrong?”

Gudako was startled.

She suddenly remembered—this angel was actually a mechanical lifeform who had been stationed on the Eternal Snowfall the whole time.

”Unacceptable.”

The dull-headed angel shook her head.

”Your attempt to assault Master is unforgivable. Surrender immediately and come with me to see Master.”

”???”

”I... I was just joking with the Commander?”

Gudako tried to explain.

Unfortunately, Ikaros only followed logic—she didn’t understand human emotions.

”Surrender.”

Ikaros remained stubborn, her variable wings opening further, showing signs of activating the Uranus System.

Then, the dull-headed angel turned to Kanae.

”You too. Lay down your weapon and come with me to see Master.”

”Ehhhhh?!”

The innocent girl was nearly scared half to death.

...

Ten minutes later.

Setsuna and Chen Hai walked out of the bathroom, looking confusedly at Ikaros.

Like an escort bringing in prisoners, she had led Gudako and Kanae over.

”So, you two were plotting something interesting?”

Chen Hai, toweling her hair, gave Kanae and Gudako a teasing look.

”Pretty bold, huh?”

”I didn’t...”

Kanae was on the verge of tears.

She’d simply been dragged into Gudako’s shenanigans, and now her image in the Commander’s eyes was likely ruined.

”Interesting.”

Setsuna listened as Ikaros repeated their entire plot word for word, then studied them both.

So that’s what they were thinking?

Honestly, status and strength didn’t matter at all. As long as they were girls he’d chosen, they would have plenty of chances to grow stronger.

As for Ritsuka Fujimaru... her personality was wild and unpredictable. Though she acted rowdy most of the time, she was probably one of those high attack, low defense types.

”Who told you to party without inviting me...”

Gudako pouted.

”Heh?”

Setsuna looked at the two blushing girls, thinking for a moment.

He stepped toward Gudako and gently patted her head.

”You’re actually quite pretty when you’re quiet...”

He lifted her chin with one hand, then suddenly leaned in close, his face approaching hers.

”Ritsuka...”

The two 3.0 bodies drew closer, their lips almost touching.

”!!!”

”C-C-Commander!!!”

”Wait!!! This is too fast!!!”

Gudako’s face turned beet red. Embarrassed and flustered, she did something outrageous.

She pushed Setsuna away, turned, and bolted.

Covering her face, she burst out of the bridge door.

A soft alarm rang in the hallway.

”???”

The shipgirls watching were dumbfounded.

They never imagined that the notorious lewd-joke-spouting human evil was, in truth, an impossibly pure-hearted girl.

What was this? Gap moe?!

Setsuna gave a knowing smirk.

Then he turned to Kanae.

”I know you were dragged into this. It’s fine.”

”...”

Kanae gathered her courage and looked up.

”What about me?”

”You?”

Setsuna stepped forward, just like with Gudako, leaning in slightly and cupping her face.

Kanae didn’t back away.

Instead, when their faces drew close, she rose on her toes and offered a kiss—passionate and bold.

”Oh, brave one, huh.”

The shipgirls raised their eyebrows slightly.

”...”

The Jeanne sisters beside them sighed and facepalmed.

”Sigh, serves you right for ending up the loser. Truly the shame of Chaldea...”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven