A Strong Commander Means Shipgirls Need Walls

Inside the Eternal Snowfall.

Setsuna lay on the wide sofa bed, with Kurumi and Mio nestled in his arms. He enjoyed their soft warmth and exchanged playful banter with them.

After spending so much time around robots, he missed the softness and scent of real girls.

A party like this had to proceed gradually—with care and equal attention.

You couldn't just jump to the main event. Spending some time chatting, flirting, letting things flow naturally—that was the way.

"Hmm? Husband, you really didn't flirt with anyone over there?"

"Not bringing back a few more girls this time feels out of character."

Kurumi nestled closer, half-joking, half-pouting.

She knew she couldn't monopolize Setsuna. Still, she felt oddly happy there weren't more rivals this time.

"What do you take me for? That world was full of Transformers! Sure, I like mechs and starships, but I can't cuddle with them, can I?"

Setsuna pinched her cheek.

"Maybe I'll take you to Cybertron sometime. Optimus is a good guy."

Kurumi giggled.

She had no lingering regrets now. All her inner conflicts were resolved by Setsuna. She was no longer a Spirit burdened with sorrow, just a gentle, soft girl in love.

Nearby...

Kanae sat surrounded by shipgirls, Spirits, and Heroic Spirits—and felt incredibly out of place.

Like a newbie who had stumbled into a gathering of veterans.

She had learned some magic under Lucoa and received new gear, significantly boosting her power.

But mentally, she still felt dwarfed by these beings who had transcended humanity.

She sat prim and proper, trying not to offend anyone.

A movie she didn't recognize was playing on the holo-screen. Setsuna often brought back films and shows from other worlds. Sometimes they were useful references; other times, just good entertainment.

Chen Hai lounged nearby, propping her head with one hand, casually munching on dried fruit. Seeing Kanae sit so seriously made her want to laugh.

"Why so tense?"

"Eh?"

"Nothing—no, really!"

Kanae sat up even straighter.

Looking around, she realized most of these girls were either oath-bound shipgirls or very close to Setsuna.

And here she was, tagging along on a whim... probably being a third wheel.

"Am I... am I disturbing you? Should I go back...?"

Her face flushed as she asked.

"Don't be so formal."

Tohru handed her a drink.

"You train hard with your sword and magic. Take a few days off."

"It's not like the Commander's going to eat you."

Then the dragon girl tilted her head.

"Wait... maybe he would eat you. He did let you aboard, after all."

"Eh?!"

Kanae blushed even deeper.

She wasn't stupid. She got what that meant.

"Here?! Wait—I'm not ready! I—I'm not worthy—"

"Tohru, don't tease her."

Setsuna looked up and turned to Kanae.

"I'm not the god you think I am. I have my own thoughts, desires, and I make mistakes."

"Don't put me on a pedestal."

He had no interest in becoming some detached, godlike figure. That was a path to losing one's humanity.

A commander should be able to kiss and cuddle his shipgirls and other girls.

Otherwise, what was the point of painstakingly building this crystal palace—ahem, capital?

"Exactly. Husband should always stay with me."

Mio pouted and clung to him.

"Even if you're not strong enough, it doesn't matter. I'll help you."

"That won't do. If I'm not strong, how can I protect all of you?"

Setsuna gave Mio a gentle kiss.

"Oh..."

Kanae stared blankly for a moment.

She felt like the distance between herself and Setsuna had just shortened a little. The Commander was far more approachable than she'd imagined.

"I... I'll do my best!"

"Pfft—"

The shipgirls giggled. Saying something like that in this kind of setting felt a bit out of place.

"Husband? Should we move somewhere else?"

After a while, Kurumi glanced at Gudako and Jeanne Alter bickering, and at Kanae who didn't know where to look, then turned to ask.

Some things, though understood by all, still deserved a bit of privacy.

"Yeah."

It had indeed been a while since Setsuna spent time with the Spirits.

Moments later...

He held Kurumi and Mio by the hand, strolling to the topmost level of the ship—the bridge roof.

It was the highest part of the Eternal Snowfall. Looking up, the night sky was filled with stars.

The starship hovered silently. The temperature outside, high in the atmosphere, was quite low. But neither the Spirits nor Setsuna were affected.

"So beautiful..."

Mio and Kurumi looked up at the dazzling starlight.

"Once we build faster-than-light ships, we can actually go visit those stars in the sky."

Setsuna wrapped an arm around Kurumi and pointed up.

"Wherever you want to go, we can go."

Kurumi looked up. She could feel the romance of advanced technology.

The night sky she once only gazed at from afar would soon be within reach.

She pointed at a particularly bright star.

"Husband, I want you to take me there someday—just the two of us!"

"Oh?"

Setsuna had the starmap memorized.

"That's Vega, in the Lyra constellation. Twenty-five light-years from Earth—a short hop away."

"There are only gas giants in orbit around Vega. If we want to live there, we'll need to build a space habitat."

"Arcturus nearby is a better option. It might have rocky planets. Once we master terraforming, we can colonize it. And that star further south is..."

Kurumi's eyes shimmered as she listened to Setsuna paint a future of interstellar life.

To think that one day they might roam a galaxy-spanning empire, voyaging among the stars with their fleet...

She truly felt lucky to have met Setsuna.

As she imagined their life on other worlds, she suddenly felt a chill at her collar.

"Husband?"

Kurumi stopped his wandering hand with a gentle scold:

"Not here, Mio is still next to us."

The Spirit of Origin watched Setsuna teasing Kurumi with mild amusement.

Their relationship was a bit complex. Mio saw Kurumi as her daughter in a spiritual sense, but Setsuna was also Kurumi's husband.

Well... this is just how he is, Mio told herself.

Setsuna whispered into Kurumi's ear while hugging her tightly:

"I really missed you two... What's there to be shy about with Mio? You're already so close."

"We're on the top deck of the Eternal Snowfall. No one will interrupt us. No one in the capital can see up here. Come on, lean back, let's stargaze together."

Kurumi gave a little huff and leaned against the wall behind her.

The summer night sky was breathtaking. A bright, silvery moon hung high.

But among the people aboard the starship, their relationships had long moved beyond needing to hint their feelings with poetic phrases like "The moon is beautiful."

In Kurumi's eyes, the view was split between Setsuna and the moon.

She loved both.

...

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