Let the earth shatter pt.2

Still on the second day of their training,

After Sakura Zeimachi decided to teach her some of the patterns and movement techniques he used, Hylia became increasingly adept at learning what the man demonstrated.

Despite some slight differences in certain simple steps and basic follow-ups, the essential point was that Hylia could now execute at least some of what Sakura Zeimachi do earlier.

"[Hoo... so that's why Zei doesn't create ripples or waves when he steps. Hmm, let's try it again.]"

But that's not all.

"..."

When the trainer who had a bit of free time, he decided to open his smartphone once again in order to check for new developments.

Unfortunately, he stumbled upon even more unsettling news about the ongoing event of the "Guide's" absence – a central figure who served as both the linchpin and the gatekeeper for the entities of the "Otherworldly Spectrum" and the revered "Interstellar Pantheon."

"... Cher, can't you see what's happened because of your disappearance?"

A change, and that change would repeat history once more.

That's what made him worried, leading him to decide to alter his plans slightly.

...

....

.....

After passing through the many Siren fleets that they had to be exterminated and stepping onto the serene ocean's surface, there stood Sakura Zeimachi and Hylia, who had shifted their initial positions far from the friendly waters.

"Zone with corrosion level 5 cleared. Okay, I think this is a good place. Siren or those people from Naval HQ wouldn't probe much for now."

"[So these are Siren? They're big, just like a ship... but what are you going to do, Zei?]"

Hylia herself didn't know much about the reason they were there. Sakura Zeimachi seemed in a hurry after taking a brief look at his gadget, and all she knew was that he told her to follow him somewhere.

She also noticed another one of his tools, the Astra Sphere that he used as a radar.

They navigated through a multitude of Siren forces all of whom were attempting to ensnare and obstruct their advancement, before ultimately reaching their destination in that zone.

"They're just some pawn, the humanoid one we just bested are more closest to Siren. Well for further notice... just watch and see."

"[Hoo... okay!]"

After surveying the surrounding area, Sakura Zeimachi tossed an object resembling an R5 Coordinate Logger, which he had previously summoned from the sphere, back into it.

Hylia, witnessing this, felt awe at what she assumed to be magic.

The object in question was both a medium and a tool far too potent for an ordinary human to carry. This ties back to the existence of The Void and the capabilities of The Divine Key of Consciousness, a feather from Fenghuang Down.

Just as a reminder, the functioning of the Astra Sphere is akin to that of a motherboard or a 3D printer, but for simplicity's sake, the Astra Sphere can summon "objects" from other worlds stored within its archives, albeit at an equivalent cost.

And with that, Sakura Zeimachi now appeared determined to create something significant, so much so that it even prompted him to crack the joints in his back and neck.

Just like a customer who're about to place an order for a Whopper with numerous toppings, Sakura Zeimachi took a slight breath.

"Astra, Obsidian x64 spread and deploy."

[Confirmed... Obsidian Block x64 has been deployed in a customize pattern]

"And then... give me Wisdom Cube x1, one Feather of Fenghuang Down from some Skull-named island, Luteus Centrum x30, Bead fragment x99, give me one Glory of Wind and Rain, Empty old book and Earth Grimoire x3, give me one Blessing of flames and the other is Ice Blessing, items only, okay?"

The Astra Sphere, which had quickly cataloged all the items Sakura Zeimachi mentioned, swiftly searched its storage. Once it found them, it proceeded to the next item on the list.

"[What are you going to do with all those things? I only know about Wisdom cubes, Grimoires, and obsidian. Could it be you're going to create a weapon?]"

"We're going to build an island, phew... just wait a moment Hylia-san."

"[An island?!]"

Ignoring Hylia, who didn't understand the purpose of these orders, Sakura Zeimachi continued with his request. The stars inside the Sphere also displayed more movement, shifting from place to place.

"Some Stars Sand around 60 sacks, True Earth Anima x3, one Tome of Mana, Mother Earth Water x20, Pale Seed x99, and lastly Magical Residue x99. That's all, haaah!"

"[Wawawaaa? Zei, are you alright?]"

"Yep, a little bit dizzy though. Fortunately I didn't just conjure up a Bali-sized island out of thin air. Otherwise, I might've collapsed again."

"[Don't push yourself too hard, okay? Everyone will be upset if you faint here.]"

"Ahaha, I'll try."

Finally his order was complete, and as it finished, the Astra Sphere once again emitted its voice having located all the items on the search list.

[Loading... all resources in the list have been found. Do you want to deploy them as well?]

[Caution: There is a possibility that the selected resources may clash with each other.]

"Combine them and make them blend together. Use my memory stored in the Feather as a blueprint and insert it into the Wisdom Cube, then deploy. Ensure that only Common up to Super Rare, or J up to A ranked item are to be created."

[Resolving the problem according to the provided solution...]

Such was his plan.

By using the Feather of Fenghuang Down, which contained specific memories of an island, he inserted those memories into a Wisdom Cube that are capable of transforming data into tangible objects.

Of course, he could have simply summoned an entire island, but the cost would have been of colossal proportions, reaching juggernaut levels.

A human body simply wasn't equipped with that much energy, and even if he transformed, he'd deplete both his energy and that of his spell during the summoning at the same time.

Think of it like the difference between someone building their own PC versus buying an already assembled one. There were disparities in cost, components, and the various customizations that could be applied.

This time, he's attempting to minimize the cost by using some smaller components before constructing the finished product.

"[Can't you just summon a tower like the one in Orario? We can explore it together!]"

"I might died and turned into a husk here... so, Astra, what's the good news?"

[Confirmed.]

[Loading... loading... loading... failure.]

"Eh?! Failure? Why?"

[Not enough resources]

In reality, creating an island was not as simple as selling one.

Allowing his body to float above the water, Sakura Zeimachi brainstormed once more. He didn't have much energy left to use the Sphere, but luckily, there's a fully charged battery conveniently located beside him.

"Then just use it more. Hmm... Hylia-san, could you lend me your hand?"

"[Hand? What's wrong with—]"

...

....

.....

Meanwhile, as Sakura Zeimachi continued his Island Simulator,

"Those girls are gone?"「Nagato」

"Yes, from what we know, it appears they headed to the same coordinates."「Kawakaze」

"What... do you mean they're heading to the same place?"「Akagi」

In the Sakura Empire dormitory, there was a bit of commotion as some ship girls they had been monitoring suddenly disappeared. But it wasn't just that.

"Hornet just left earlier, saying she'll gone into a secret gathering. Maybe she wanted to meet up with her new friends? She looked really happy as she walked out."「Yorktown」

"Ah, that's too bad. I was going to invite her to join in training with the commander. If she already got something in plan, then it can't be helped."「Enterprise 」

"True, I'm sure she'll be fine."「Yorktown」

In the Eagle Union dormitory, Enterprise META was having a conversation with Yorktown while they cleaned up the kitchen with Hamman. Occasionally, Hamman would hide her bottom when she heard the word "commander" mentioned.

In addition, back at the Iron Blood dormitory that had previously been visited...

"Nee-chan just left a moment ago, she mentioned something about 'Fetching her pet' and also something about a 'Secret mission,' or at least that's what I gathered."「Graf Spee」

"A secret mission? Why did the she suddenly embark on a secret mission on her own?"「Tirpitz」

"I don't understand either, but well... for some reason, she no longer seemed down, you know there's barely anyone she refers to as 'Pet' or 'Animal,' right? But something concerning caught my eye when she suddenly became very rushed."「Graf Spee」

"Hmm, there's an instant change from her behavior? Is that so, luckily she didn't meet the commander when he stopped by here earlier."「Tirpitz」

"Eh? That new commander was here?"「Graf Spee」

And in the vicinity of the academy, on a park bench where Gascogne usually sat to daydream while gazing at the sky with an orange in her hand.

"Alone it is..."「Champagne」

There was a ship girl seated there alone, gazing at the same sky she used to look at with Gascogne when they were together.

In reality, no ship girl was truly alone there.

...

....

.....

"Oh, there they are."

The ship girls who had become the subjects of the man's experiment had finally arrived.

Thanks to TB's guidance as their navigator to sail in the right direction, they easily found the remnants or wreckage of the Siren fleet that had been destroyed as they disrupted the path of the student and mentor pair.

The rest was straightforward; they simply had to follow where the wreck of those Siren ships was heading, and when they discovered an island that TB had pointed out from within their mind, their mission was finally successful.

There they found Sakura Zeimachi, and... hmm...

Hylia wasn't there.

"Miiilooord."「Yamashiro」

"Ghuh... Yamashiro-kun, how're you doing? You're not being naughty aren't you?"

"Eh~ will you hate me if I'm being naughty?"「Yamashiro」

Yamashiro, the ship girl who leaped into her commander's arms as soon as she arrived, wore an incredibly pleading expression. Putting aside the chain that she slowly pulled out without the man's knowledge, Yamashiro looked exceedingly adorable.

Triggering his fatherly instincts as he spoke with the ship girl.

"Noo way~ There's no way I could hate you, you little bun... but lower your weapon okay? I'm about to do a briefing right now."

"Then... humm, I guess I'll do it after this."「Yamashiro」

*CRINK*

Still wearing the same smile, Yamashiro gently lowered herself from the man's embrace while holding a chain in both of her hands. She also shot a sharp glance at several other girls who seemed poised to jump in his direction.

Without a doubt, if the man made the wrong move or gave the wrong response, he would once again find himself in scene of déjà vu where I've just been in this place before (higher on the street) and I know it's my time to go.

He would have to face these ship girls along with his own feelings just like how it was before. Unfortunately, it's still training time, and there's no time to focus on anything else.

"Hurry and spit it out! What's the meaning of this? Do you even understand the value of wasting this mighty Hakuryuu's time?"「Hakuryuu」

Unexpectedly, a ship girl named Hakuryuu approached and stood right in front of the man. Both her aura and demeanor were oppressive, not to mention her height that almost surpassed even her commander's.

As she said what she did, Hakuryuu demanded an explanation while emanating her dominant aura.

Unfortunately, as he had come to believe, training must treated just like the real thing.

"Haah? "Where's my katana?" My katana is right... uh? huh?! Wha?! w-where is it!? Where's m-my katana?!"「Hakuryuu」

It proved to be effective.

After a few moments, Sakura Zeimachi finally returned Hakuryuu's cherished item, and only then did she calm down. The man felt quite amused because he had managed to make the ship girl feel distressed.

Seeing the ship girls start to hold back their words, he finally felt at ease.

"Now then, before I do my briefing is there anyone else that want to say something?"

"..."「Deutchsland」

"No, my dear."「#1」

"Nothing from me."「Hornet」

"Gascogne hold nothing to be reported, but requesting permission for asking a question."「Gascogne」

The man nodded his head with a seal of approval but of course not towards Gascogne's.

Just as Als had informed him, there were still some girls here who didn't fully understand the Demi-system. Therefore, he would use this brief moment of exchange to clarify many things.

"Well, I'm just about to explain it. So listen carefully, alright? For now, tap your chests so you girls can see the progress of your mission. There should be something new there."

Without much ado, they did as their commander instructed.

"There's something like this?!"「Hakuryuu」

"What you realized it just now? How lazy."「Yamashiro」

Some of them were surprised, but others had come to consider a screen that appeared before them as a common occurrence. A white and blue patterned screen popped out from their chest, hovering in the air right before their faces.

——————————————————————

#(Tutorial mission : Training is good?)#

→ During morning its time to exercise, go and find the commander to receive further instructions.

〈Requirement〉: |Ship girls receiving this quest|

〈Objective〉 : |Reach the goal|

〈Reward〉 : |Beginner reward pack x1|

- EXP Data Packs x10

- Cognitive Chips x25

- Boosted Enchantments +5

- Skill books (SR)

Red x3

Blue x3

Yellow x3

〈Time limit〉 : |!Quest completed!|

〈Penalty〉 : |Commander will hate you|

——————————————————————

Sakura Zeimachi felt a bit annoyed with the unnecessary details added to the screen. Why include a penalty in the tutorial mission? If he himself received the mission, there's no doubt he'd immediately protest to the admin who assigned it.

"Ahh... I see, Gascogne-kun, don't worry. Those rewards will be added to your own inventory, so there's no need for you to carry all of those items. Just ask TB how to do that. "

However, because he felt that the ship girls might simply consider what was written as a mere joke, he realized too late the consequences outlined within those details.

"Clarify : My apologies, what Gascogne wants to ask is about the content of the penalty. Master, is it true that if we fail to complete the mission objectives as stated, this penalty will indeed be enforced?"「Gascogne」

"Ah... that..."

In an instant, the atmosphere around them shifted and become somber.

Because he could read the thoughts of the ship girls, he deliberately chose not to discuss it, with the intention of avoiding irrelevant details as long as there were more important features to explain.

Who cared about penalties anyway, that was the mindset of the foolish man. However, after Gascogne asked that question, he had no choice but to address the feelings of the ship girls for those ship girls to understand.

"..."

As if they had to face a bitter pill of reality they didn't want to swallow, a memory flashed through their minds when the ship girls saw the details of the penalty. Therefore unwillingly, Sakura Zeimachi had to revisit a memory created at the whims of the persona bearing the mark of Amour.

"(Sigh) You girls are really a piece of work, dattebayo."

Hated by the one who had given them life itself.

Hated by the person who had saved them.

Hated by the partner who had become their hope.

Hated by the passerby who had given them dreams.

Hated by the man who meant so much to their lives.

That's what was going through their minds when they read the details of the mission. At first, they appeared to be delighted because their commander had noticed them, but their expressions changed when some of them saw the contents of the penalty.

This is why Deutschland and the others hastily moved their steps, which also left Sakura Zeimachi feeling suffocated with all of these conflicting emotions.

"Indeed, a penalty will occur if you can't complete your objective. This much is common sense, especially during your missions as ship girls. Am I right?"

No one wanted to answer his question.

Briefly, he glanced at Yamashiro, who appeared to be halfway through the process of Metafication, and also at Deutschland, who had remained silent all this time.

"Yet you guys are here, so is there any reason for me to hate you? Stop being stupid since you girls are not made of that."

"But well... from what I remember, there these girls who suddenly lurked within my office and then ambushed me when I was playing the piano."

"So maybe there's a hint of stupidity within them. Right, Hakuryuu?"

"Ch..."「Hakuryuu」

"..."「#1」

"Sorry..."「Yamashiro」

"..."「Gascogne」

"Uhh never have I thought to get this feeling aside from Yorktown sis."「Hornet」

Hearing his words, they felt a bit relieved. However for some reason, their commander seemed to be giving a lecture now.

A lecture directed at the girls who couldn't forget their time when they were still a Sleeping Beauty, and to those who blamed themselves for causing their commander to fall into a coma when they never intended to do so.

"I wouldn't put you girls in my sermon since I know my own shortcomings, but my 'hatred' will never be directed at you. I mean, aren't we all looking for someone to a share a little something special with? I know that very well."

Seeing their hearts filled with regret and realizing their mistakes, Sakura Zeimachi chuckled a little. Especially when he saw Deutschland, who had been blaming herself continuously for causing her commander to fall into a coma.

His steps didn't bring restlessness into their hearts, but it carried a reality that could be sweet and painful at times.

"... So you don't hate us?"「Deutschland」

"What do you want me to say? I think I've spoke clear enough. It's not your fault, Deutschland-kun. The reason I ended up in a coma is not something you should worry about. It was just a coincidence, and I happened to be a little hungry at that moment."

Like gently patting a dusty photo album, the man placed his hand on the ship girl's head. He was also a bit curious and touched a red streak on the girl's ponytail.

"... Stop putting your hand on my head, you lowly animal."「Deutschland」

"Now that's the Deutschland that I know."

Indeed, there was no denying that all of these problems were the fault of the persona bearing the mark of Amour. Once again, the root of the issue was what was referred to as "love," what a truly troublesome thing, love that is.

Although only temporarily, he had at least resolved a misunderstanding. With the improved mood and morale of the girls, Sakura Zeimachi set foot on the island, accompanied by the ship girls who followed him.

What kind of training they would undergo remained uncertain, but there was no doubt that the training should prepare them to withstand the original System owners. Hopefully, they could acquire that strength and use it for the right purpose.

And even more importantly... where had Hylia gone to?

———————————————

"... Uhh, where is this?" (Hylia)

When the girl opened her eyes, the surroundings had changed completely.

There's no longer the sound of crashing waves or the salty sea breeze entering her ears, nor the sea breeze rustling through her clothing.

All that existed was herself lying in a dark and damp cave, with her Devil Trigger no longer active, her clothes dirtied by the dirt and mud of the cave floor.

Realizing the changed environment, the girl tried to get up to touch the cave wall, and she also attempted to move her trembling legs.

"Huhhk!

However, her arms were incredibly difficult to move, and even attempting to stand her legs made cold sweat trickle down her temples. She looked like she had lost a significant amount of her strength.

"Zei? Zei where're you? Fuwa? Anyone? ... No one at all, hup... khaah I can't..."

Hylia didn't notice that the earring she usually wore had been emitting a small light all this time, and when she fell one more time while trying to stand, her hand touched a stone inside the cave.

She used the stone as support and then staggered towards the light with her breath ragged. Even though she was outside the cave now, the feasty haired girl still didn't notice the strangeness happening with her earring.

"What... is that..."

At that moment, her attention was diverted by a monstrous creature walking on two legs with a form she had never seen before, which appeared to be devouring something in the distance.

〈Juvenile Skull Crawler Lv.90〉

〈Special Attack: Venomous bite | Tail swipe | Charge | Skull smash 〉

At that very moment, Hylia noticed a purple-colored screen appearing before her. It do have some small similarity, however unlike the screens of the ship girls, this one appeared to be simpler in design.

"What is this screen? Skull-crawler..."

Despite that, Hylia continued to read the text displayed on the screen. Strangely, she wasn't too surprised by a floating screen. What was more shocking to her was the number displayed next to the creature's name before her.

"And then... l-l-le-le-level 90!!!??? W-W-Wawawa, what? How strong is level 90 actually?! Bell is only level 3, and the strongest one is level 9, uhh... the depth of the Tower has a hundred floors, so... uhh... uhh... uuuhhh!!!"

Hylia spoke in a disorganized manner, still fixated on the concept of levels and monsters in Orario. But considering her common sense, meeting a level 90 monster would indeed be a major disaster for her.

〈Alert : Juvenile Skull Crawler Lv.90 has noticed you〉

Now, the impending disaster is aware of her presence.

"Ah... I-I need to run, uhkk I need to run!!!"

Hylia quickly reentered the cave she had left, but the creature, not wanting to let its prey escape, rapidly crawled on its two legs, leaving a trail of scattered soil, plants, and grass in its wake.

With great effort, the girl continued to move deeper into the cave to avoid the creature's head that was trying to enter the cave. Hylia struggled to move her body, even though she appeared exhausted.

"Khuuhk!"

A small part of her leg was scratched by the creature's teeth. Fortunately, she was deep enough in the cave that the creature couldn't reach her.

She let out a sigh of relief, although the wound caused her pain and discomfort.

Then, as she saw the creature give up the chase and shift its gaze, a deafening explosion rang out, causing the entrance of the cave to collapse.

"No!"

Hylia covered her head and continued to run towards the exit as the cave crumbled, threatening to bury her alive. She had no idea what had caused the massive explosion, but it'll be her end if she can't escape from that cave.

"Ghaah!"

Regrettably, her advancement came to a halt when she stumbled over a massive boulder, her efforts to levitate offering little assistance and potentially worsening her existing injury inflicted by the Skull Crawler.

In a desperate attempt, Hylia exerted the last of her strength to summon Alastor, intending to escape using the newfound ability she had learned from her mentor despite the side-effects that would plague her afterwards.

However, before she could complete the summoning, a looming shadow suddenly enveloped her from behind and swept her up into a powerful, yet gentle carry.

"Target acquired, immediately retreating to safety."「Gascogne」

An unfamiliar girl she didn't recognize immediately picked her up and carried her out of the nearly collapsing cave.

It appeared that the girl had employed some form of teleportation magic because just about she went in, she escape with a swift whooshing sound, and baam they found themselves on a distant hill, safely far from the ecosystem of those creatures.

Once she felt safe, it was then the feasty haired girl turned to her and asked the identity of that ship girl.

"... Thank you, umm but who are you?"

"Gascogne, Richelieu-class battleship number 4. Purpose: Regroup with any girls that master has put within this Island. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."「Gascogne」