Crossover Shipgirls: Building a Dimensional Empire from Scratch

Setsuna thought Gudako was nothing short of a genius.

The combat potential of a Gundam is usually defined at the time of its creation—its weaponry, armor strength, and maximum speed predetermined by engineering limits.

But when combined with the magic of another world, entirely new possibilities emerged.

Though it wasn't easy to change the power of its weapons, magic could enhance the structural integrity of the machine, making it more durable. It could also augment the pilot's reflexes and physical capabilities, improving overall performance.

Gudako had taken a very unconventional path.

She was now a Gundam pilot who could buff her mecha with magic—a groundbreaking concept.

Setsuna could only imagine what Dr. Roman and Da Vinci would think of Gudako's "study abroad" achievements.

"I've been thinking," Gudako said confidently.

"When we go to singularities with the Gundam, some of the stronger Servants might be able to penetrate its defenses with their Anti-Army or Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasms."

"But if I stack reinforcement buffs on it, that changes the game. Everyone will be on an equal playing field. Then I can use my extensive Gundam piloting experience to take them down!"

"…"

"Whatever makes you happy," Setsuna replied, at a loss for words.

"You should learn this too! I can teach you a thing or two!" Gudako wiggled her fingers, proudly displaying her magical prowess.

"Why would I need you to teach me when I can just learn directly from Lucoa?"

Setsuna placed a hand on Barbatos' interior. The reinforced structure did seem significantly sturdier after Gudako's enhancements.

However, such magical buffs were always temporary, especially when applied to something as massive as a Gundam.

For short-term emergencies, it was effective. But for long-term battles, it would be better to focus on engineering solutions like advanced materials and weapon upgrades.

"You've given me a new idea, though," Setsuna said after a moment of thought.

"In the future, we could use magic to buff both our starships and Gundams. Imagine—magical Gundams. No one would stand a chance."

"With Azur Lane's tech already toeing the line of idealism, adding a bit of magic doesn't seem so outlandish, does it?"

...

In the Mediterranean, winters were never too long.

As the snow melted away and tender green shoots began to sprout from the earth, the population of the capital had grown to over 150,000.

From a bird's-eye view of the city, it was impossible to miss the bustling activity of countless Bulin units scattered everywhere.

Purple-standard units, gold-prototype units, and even a few multicolored-specialized units were visible across the streets.

Including those dispatched to mining and resource extraction missions, the total population had reached an impressive 200,000, with numbers increasing exponentially thanks to the Bulin-replicates-Bulin production system.

While still pitifully small compared to conventional civilizations, the Bulins—and their accompanying Chickens—were excellent productivity units.

Every day, hundreds of Bulin fleets shuttled between the ports of the Golden Horn Bay, ferrying resources from far-flung territories to Constantinople.

Using the city's ports as a central hub, Setsuna realized that his sphere of influence now stretched across much of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

From the gold mines of North Africa to the uranium and pyrite deposits of Iberia, to the coal and rare earth reserves of Western Europe, Bulin outposts dotted the globe.

Accompanied by Manjuus, they left their footprints on vast swaths of the Earth, funneling global resources to fuel the capital's rapid development.

At the same time, good news arrived from the aerospace base.

"The first batch of shipgirls has completed their spacecraft transformations."

At the report, Setsuna and the recently modified shipgirls dropped their work and rushed to the aerospace base docks.

The immense scale of the spacecraft transformations meant that the docks were insufficient to hold them, so the newly transformed ships were stationed at the landing base.

On the open grounds, more than thirty spacecraft stood in neat rows—comprising aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers, and cruisers.

These weren't just any shipgirls.

The first batch consisted of founding shipgirls who had accompanied Setsuna in the beginning, along with several flagship leaders from the Azur Lane port.

They were now officially the first space fleet of the Starsea Alliance.

"Wow…"

"Is this really…my ship?"

Seeing their spacecraft forms for the first time, the shipgirls couldn't believe their eyes.

Each ship's design and color scheme were unique, yet they all shared a sleek, futuristic aesthetic—sealed decks, compact bridges, and energy weapons that gave off a high-tech feel.

Gone were the conventional cannons; these had been replaced with advanced energy weapons, and their plasma thrusters emitted a soft blue glow.

With the exception of their Wisdom Cubes, the transformation was a complete overhaul.

The Bulins had essentially dismantled and reconstructed their ships from scratch.

"It's so big…"

"I feel like my ship is bigger than the combined flagship fleet of the Sakura Empire!"

Even Yukikaze, standing before her new form, was astounded.

Though only a destroyer, her spacecraft—the new Yukikaze—was over 300 meters in length, dwarfing the Nagato-class and even rivaling the Yamato and Musashi.

Nearby, Nagato, with her fox ears twitching, stood stunned in her kimono.

"If I'd known this would happen, I'd have joined the Commander's fleet sooner…"

Richelieu stood before a gleaming, silver spacecraft and couldn't believe her eyes.

Unlike the predominantly dark-colored starships she had imagined, this battleship was entirely silver, accented with golden patterns running along its sides.

The ship's bow and bridge were adorned with intricately etched Iris flowers.

Its forward and aft sections housed several massive turrets, crafted in an elegant gold-and-white style, exuding a sense of grandeur and refinement.

It was an awe-inspiring sight that left her at a loss for words.

"Is this...me?"

Richelieu blinked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"It's you," Setsuna confirmed with a grin, patting her shoulder.

"I added a few design tweaks. They don't boost combat performance, but they look pretty neat."

"Do you like it?"

"Thank you, Commander."

Richelieu leaned in, brushing a soft kiss against his cheek.

Then, closing her eyes, she reached out to touch the hull of her massive starship.

With a flicker of light, the kilometer-long battleship shimmered before vanishing into thin air.

The other shipgirls followed suit, summoning and storing their spacefaring forms with newfound ease.

"I feel...stronger," one of the carriers murmured, clenching her fists.

"That's to be expected," Setsuna explained.

"Your starship forms have more advanced power systems, superior weaponry, and reinforced defensive capabilities. Combined with the Wisdom Cube's augmentation, it's no surprise."

The shipgirls had always possessed extraordinary strength, even with their WWII-style gear. With upgraded technology and cutting-edge designs, their combat prowess was now unmatched.

Richelieu manifested her starship-grade rigging.

The new design was significantly larger, with her previous quad 380mm turrets replaced by four enormous energy cannons.

"This is based on positron castle-buster technology, similar to the weapons on Eternal Snowfall, but you'll find them even more effective," explained Akashi, the repair cat-shipgirl.

"In space combat, conventional weapons just won't cut it. Projectiles are too slow. Even at Mach 50, missiles would take too long to reach their targets across millions of kilometers!"

"Energy weapons are the only way to reliably hit anything."

Setsuna nodded approvingly, ruffling Akashi's ears.

"You've already grasped the basics of interstellar combat. Great work! Now, I've got a few more research assignments for you."

"Look into tachyon lances, focused arc cannons, and gigaton kinetic artillery. Oh, and if possible, try to prototype neutron annihilators, nano-virus warheads, and quasi-stellar obliteration beams."

"...What?"

Akashi froze, her ears twitching in confusion.

"Commander, what are you even talking about? What are those things?! I don't understand a single word, meow!!!"

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