~~~~~~Couple Hours Later~~~~~~
"Whoa…" Kiana gazed at the endless graveyard of bug corpses, warships and mechs just floating everywhere.
The scenery was something else, as Marcus' fleet was stationed next to an enormous Blue Gas giant. The amount of debris around the gas giant was less, as this huge planet was working like a vacuum cleaner with its massive gravity well.
Because of that, the Inventor could park his ships in a proper formation.
"To think that conflicts of this scale could happen." The girl murmurs under her breath. After seeing this scenery, her conflict is insignificant compared to this.
"This is how an interstellar conflict looks like." Enterprise was no different. The girl was checking all the available data. She realised that this debris was in all of the adjacent star systems.
"You mean more than one place?" Kiana looked at the ship girl as she was finally able to move her vision away from all the floating stuff.
"The Glamoth Republic was an interstellar power with colonies around this solar system.
They had enough technological power to keep pace with rapidly breeding space bugs by the name 'The Swarm'."
The white haired girl looked impressed by what she had heard.
"But how? Don't bugs grow quickly? At least the ones on Earth." She asked, confusion written all over her face. Did they have mechs? Well, from the debris in front of the warship's bridge, she is certain they are mechs. But even then, the factories should have been impressive to create them so quickly.
"Genetic alterations and clones." Enterprise reply was something Kiana didn't consider! Clones? Such a reply immediately damaged her opinion of these people.
"I should have expected as much. No matter the place, or reality cloning is a thing." Kiana commented with a dissapointed tone.
"That's because it's impossible to keep up with these bugs. However, their genetic prowess has impressed Admiral. They went in the opposite direction from how he developed his technology."
"So he learned something new?" The white haired valkyrie was a bit baffled by this information. To think there is something that can impress a guy who has studied hundreds of millions of years of evolution and developed a proper functioning time travel that leads to other realities.
"Indeed. Updates for knights, mechs and warships are already on the way." Enterprise nodded; she was happy to announce improvements. As a spirit of a warship, better tech always makes her happy!
"Hasn't it only been a couple of hours at most?" The Valkyrie is taken aback at how fast this is developing.
"Not really." Enterprise looked as their ship joined the three warships' formation. "You need to realise that Technocracy and Marcus are one and the same. Everything started with him in the garage of his house.
When people think of a faction, they think of a group of people. But this is not the case." Her gaze went to Kiana. "The knights, the ships, the machine. They will work because the Admiral told them to work. And we are simply his followers. We are allowed to access Technocracy. If you are to betray him, you will have an infinite number of enemies coming after you.
It's as simple as that." The silver-haired ship girl smiled at her for a second.
"...So Sirin was afraid that she would lose this access?" Kiana realised that her vain counterpart was afraid of losing her power.
"Her?" For a second, the carrier ship pondered. "True, I guess, she is like Empress without an Empire. For human females who want materialistic things, Admiral's Technocracy is the ultimate form of salvation."
The way she worded it made Kiana feel like dirt. Sure, she wants to help all the people who will suffer from Technocracy's invasion, but to spell it like that!
"I see… so it's like that. I will keep it in mind." It will take some time to adjust to the concept that the entire multidimensional empire follows one's whims. She should…eventually get over it.
As the warship joined the formation, the captain notified them of Marcus' location.
"Commander, the Supreme Commander is resting at the moment. It will take some time for him to be able to see you," the captain girl told the pair.
"I see. Still, we can rest in his Flagship." Enterprise said.
"Of course, we will prepare a gunship." The captain nodded at her.
Kiana observed the pair talking. She tried to look at this from the perspective of one man's faction. It was strange…
All these people are living individuals, and they just follow him and his whims, which seemed a bit crazy to her.
Don't they have individuality or desires? Not that she will ask this zealot girl. She is certain that the rest of them are zealots in some form to follow him like that.
But still, part of her wonders how all of this works.
"Let's go. We can wait for him aboard his Flagship." Enterprise motioned for Kiana to follow her. The white haired valkyrie nodded as the pair began to walk towards the lift.
~~~
Three gunships landed in the hangar on the side of the Flagship. A red carpet was prepared for them as the middle shuttle landed at the edge of the rug.
A pair of girls were waiting for the arrival of these gunships. They watched the machines closely.
A couple of moments later, the shuttle side doors opened, and a pair of girls got out. They walked over, and the pair of maids greeted them.
"Enterprise, it appears your mission was an outstanding success." Belfast greeted her. Next to the silver-haired maid was a pinkette who was following the lead.
Elysia looked at the girl in sailor clothes, a leather jacket, and a captain's hat. She didn't need to be an esper to know that this was another ship girl.
"Yes. I was able to test the captain's evolution device; after using it, the planet quickly fell under our control." The carrier girl casually replied, then looked at Elysia, who was gazing back at her.
"I assume these are Sirin's trophies for Admiral?"
"Indeed, you have one of them with you." Belfast looked at Kiana on Enterprise's side.
"Yes, I realised that after noticing similarities and lack of psionic energy."
Enterprise bluntly replied. Before beginning to walk, the maid ship-girl moved to the side, allowing the fellow silverhead to pass before joining her in walking.
"Good to hear that you had such an opportunity. I did my research. This universe has a bit of opposition that could allow us to use them in combat." Belfast didn't hide the fact that she did reconnaissance of this universe by using the Relay outside time to spy on its capabilities.
"Oh? That is a relief. The power the devices give us makes it a bit boring. I could not use it, but I have a responsibility to test Admiral's creations." The carrier ship girl sighed. She was in a pickle when it came to these creations, which made her have complex feelings.
On one hand, she wants to please her creator in any way she can. On the other hand, these things make combat too simple, and they make her overwhelmingly powerful, to the point that the majority of enemies are less than bugs to her.
Maybe it's because she was a Carrier ship before? Her size was many times bigger than that of humans.
"There are a few things to conquer; the deities of this universe have considerable sway over certain concepts. They are called Aeons, and humans with a similar mindset to Aeons and mentality can access some of that concept's power. These people are called Emanators. They are above average in their set concepts." Belfast smoothly explained to the carrier girl.
"I see, they could be worthy opponents for us." Enterprise was a bit intrigued by what she heard. It would seem these Emanators are like God's chosen with unique abilities. In a sense, they are similar. The ship girls are the Supreme Commander's chosen, his creations and his will.
"They could, but I have my doubts after watching this Universe for the past several days." Belfast wasn't sure on the 'worthy' part. While they could be opponents, she isn't sure how serious a threat they could be.
"Well, it was only a few days. Things could change." The silver-haired carrier ship girl was hopeful.
As the pair continued to chat casually, the pair behind them became a bit nervous. This was the first time they had seen two ship girls discuss openly like that, and they were terrified of what they heard!
Openly speaking about mass wars to take over this universe was not on their list of things to hear them talk!
Kiana and Elysia looked at each other. There was a bit of sweat on their foreheads.
After hearing them speak like that, they hoped they could quickly get to Marcus and maybe ask him to calm them down!
'What am I kidding, he is the one who made them.' The white haired valkyrie sighed to herself.
Now that she was at such a stage, saving a single world sounded… so little. She wanted to help her homeworld, but now she was here, where universes were being discussed…casually.
~~~~~~Around 10 Hours Later~~~~~~
"Gah!!!" Kiana nearly jumped out of bed as she sat down and looked around. Her room lights turned on as she was breathing erratically.
"What a dream!" She took a deep breath, with her right hand on her chest. The girl closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm herself.
Then she opened her eyes and moved out of her bed. The girl looked around her spacious living quarters.
Her bedroom had a large TV and wardrobes with mirrors, though. She couldn't see the source of light—the room was bright anyway! Which was weird for her.
Regardless, at least she knew how to use Assembly Lines!
Yep! After fighting down her embarrassment, the girl asked Belfast beforehand, and the maid explained to her.
'Apparently, I have some sort of personal computer.' The white haired girl stroked her chin while pondering what that meant.
After a bit of time, she walked over and checked out the clothes available for her.
The moment she pressed on a console on the wardrobe, a light scanned her from top to bottom, creating a 3D image of her in the console.
She pressed on her top, and a whole catalogue of clothes appeared in another window page.
"That's a lot for me to choose from," Kiana complained nervously. She felt overwhelmed.
[I can offer pre-selected clothes from catalogues made by others.] The window swiftly changed as Aurora showed Kiana a familiar style of clothes.
'No way! Are those!?' The girl's eyes perked up as she saw clothes she would wear!
The girl saw the name of the catalogue, it was Sirin's clothes!
Her evil counterpart has entire sets of clothes. Many of them are cute, and some are revealing or sexy, like denim shorts or tops that show her stomach.
These were sets very familiar to her, clothes she used to have in her homeworld.
'Damn, we are so familiar that it makes me scared.'
Before this, her Herrscher persona was in her head, but now? She is living next to her, as another being who is very familiar to her.
Only… very dangerous and evil.
"This will do, thanks!" The girl snapped out and thanked the AI. She quickly selected a jumper with a hoody with cat ears and shorts, accompanied by socks with paws and sneakers meant for running.
After making selections, nanites rushed around her. The girl was a bit shocked at first, but then she realised that nothing was happening to her, so she calmed down, and a few moments later, she was dressed in the clothes she had selected.
The girl looked around, inspecting her clothes before looking at the mirror. A smile appeared on her lips when she saw how cute she looked!
This clothes-creation thing is something she can appreciate! There are all kinds of choices, and all it takes is selecting on a touchscreen.
'Not to mention how much money I could save if I had this back on Earth!'
While Kiana was not big on the amount of clothes she had or used, this was a huge lifesaver, as she arrived here without any belongings.
The only thing she had was her trusty phone, which was not working because she had no reception.
After checking herself in the mirror, she was ready to find Marcus!
'And then what?'
Part of her questioned her 'plan'. Her plan is to seduce him and take him to Sirin, where they can double team.
'I can only imagine Mei-senpai's expression when she hears this plan! I can totally imagine her facepalming.'
Truth to be told, she has no idea of alternatives.
With a sigh, she walked to the doors, exited the bedroom and ended up in a short corridor.
On her right was the end of the corridor that led to an opening. The opening was the living room, which was connected to the kitchen and dining room.
It was of the same design as Sirin's ship; according to Belfast, this was Marcus' traditional Commander-style arrangement.
All of his guests receive this style of apartment aboard the Flagship. It's even the same style aboard the Assimilators, as anything bigger is not necessary, according to him.
However, for anything bigger, like that hotel, it can be arranged, or even living quarters can be changed in a matter of minutes, thanks to nanites.
"But what is on the other side…" The girl turned to the left side, where she saw another door. These doors were where the dead end should be. At the same time, her living quarters were on the side.
"Does this mean this wall is the hull?" The girl stepped forward and looked at the wall in front of her.
Her hand went on the wall. When she touched it, the material was not metal or plastic but something alien. It reminded her a bit of Herrscher's material stuff.
Something like hardened energy? Could be…
After touching the wall, she turned left and walked to the doors at the end of the corridor. She didn't need to touch them, as the doors opened on their own.
Yeah, door knobs are optional here.
What she saw was a cushioned chair one could find in a cinema.
"Is this… a TV room? Home cinema?" She spoke out loud.
[Negative, this is the archive room.]
"...A what?"
[A room where you can access Aurora Network and check databanks of Technocracy; all of the living quarters have these.]
Aurora's explanation only confused her. Is she telling her that Marcus is sharing his knowledge with everyone?
"Are you saying I can read about anything related to Marcus?"
[With your access, you can read close to 95% of all secrets, that is, if you can understand all the Technological definitions.]
Kiana grimaced, yeah… no. She can't read that stuff, it's for Bronya—the Bronya from her Earth, not the one from the ice world.
"But there is other stuff here too, right? Like information about…Marcus?" The girl suggested with a smirk.
[That information is not classified. If you want to know more about Supreme Commander, then you can. It's recommended, even, as you want to be his fiancée.]
The reply from AI was not what she expected. She expected her to be defensive and for the information to be classified.
But then again, her experience with inventors is not the greatest.
"If that is the case, then I shall check it out." The Valkyrie strolled over to the seat and got into the comfortable chair. That moment, a holographic keyboard appeared slightly above the armrest, the dull walls began to glow, and rows of holographic books rushed out from the walls.
"Oh, nice…" The combination of old and modern was interesting to look at. The books looked old-fashioned, but they were made from holograms.
The girl tried to touch a random one. To her small surprise, the book was not for show; she took something called M.T.M.
Turns out it was some sort of schematics for something. The more she looked, the more she realised that it was some sort of magical circle.
'The pages—it was like a real book but made from a hologram…' After a quick check, she placed it back and looked at the keyboard before her.
She began to type a name. It was Marcus. The top selection was 'Marcus Goldman'. She pressed on that name, and the book arrangement changed. She could take a book or read it on the screen.
The first options were Profile and History. She didn't need to check the profile; instead, she looked at his History.
Kiana saw the dates…
"Wait a sec! He was born in 1992!? What year is on his Earth at the moment?" She exclaimed her question. She expected his world to be more advanced than hers because of how advanced his tech is!
[The year we left for the time travel trip was late 2008.]
Kiana's mouth got dry as she needed to process that information.
Her world was considerably advanced because of previous civilisation and Otto, but…
'Wait, Sirin and her experiment tempered it. Then it was fake.'
"I am confused…"
[If you are concerned about technological levels according to the dates, then you should be aware that it's not related to technocracy.]
"So…you want to tell me that it's not based on technology found on his Earth?"
[No, on the contrary, it's based on Magical Theory written down by Solomon, the Magic King and Apprentice of the Biblical God.
Technocracy is a magicteck faction, we utilise technology powered by magic instead of electricity. It's completely separate from anything related to human society or their technology.]
"...So it's… magic…" Her eyes got all spacey for a second as she learned that witches and dragons are real.
That was surreal; it opened up all sorts of crazy things! And it makes… sense? She did witness Sirin evolve in the middle of a combat! That was magic, right!?
However…
"But… according to manga logic, it is supposed to be a medieval society where magic is real." Part of her complained that this doesn't follow common tropes of magic!
[What you are speaking about is the Isekai genre, which also works with futuristic tropes.]
For a second, Kiana got a blank look. The AI reads manga?
[I am artificial intelligence, your look is telling me that you can't believe that I understand Japanese culture? I am well-versed in all society cultures, including primitive ones like the Sapient Dinosaurs of Kloxosauria and the Aztecs.]
"...I-I see…"
After a bit of time, she snapped out and continued to read.
"...He can enslave devils?" She was baffled to read that line!
[Solomon, with the Biblical God's help, devised a ritual that allows him, a human, to summon devils from the Underworld and enslave them to his will.
It was a scheme to get back at Lucifer, whose kin were preying on humans and their souls.
At one point, he nearly destroyed devil society as he had all the 72 devils under his control; however, he died of old age, and the devils returned to their lives.]
"...Hah, so he has his ability to enslave?" Kiana wondered if he used it on regular people.
[It's not an ability, but a ritual system connected to devil summoning and their magic. It's called Ars Goetia.
However, after the war with Evil and Death Gods, in which Supreme Commander won, and took Underworld and Afterlife for himself Ars Goetia was no longer necassary.
As there is only a handful of devils left, even then they live in the Supreme Commander's conquered lands.]
The girl showed several expressions when she heard that! From 'what the…!', to 'This got to be a fantasy flick!'.
One thing for sure, this was not on her to hear list about the guy who treats her like a collectible…
But then she got a look of understanding.
"Is he trying to pull Solomon? You know…collecting girls? Is he treating him as a role model? Because of the war, he couldn't collect 72 devils." The white haired girl had a wild theory after hearing all of that.
[He is his Heir, but your theory has some merits.]
"H-Heir?" That was not what she had expected! If he is his heir, then…
'No. Does it matter? His magic tech is so advanced that it makes the whole Heir part meaningless.' The girl brushed aside that, after seeing the fleet, the armies, and his power, so what if he is the Heir to a person who was an apprentice of a God?
It only makes more sense that he has all that.
[Yes, he inherited his magic and is most likely a distant descendant.]
"Makes sense." She nodded at the information she had heard before returning to read his history.
After his first summon, getting a Devil from the Bael family, an avalanche of rapid technological advancement followed.
Soon…it became too complex for her.
Instead, she checked videos.
"Test run of…"
The girl could hear Marcus talking, recording a test of a pistol-like weapon. It was shooting bolts of magic energy.
It was his first invention.
He was in a room that looked underground. In this video, he looked like nothing more than a teen who makes things.
It was nothing like her first meeting with him, not the one in the desert but in the throne room aboard the monstrosity.
The difference between this Marcus in the video and the one in the throne room is surreal.
The amount of time that passed, according to the dates, is not that much either. The rapid expansion and advancement in technology barely made any sense.
'I suppose advancement in AI is what truly allowed him to put the pedal to that accelerator down.'
The girl intended to watch more, but then her stomach rumbled.
*Stomach Rumble*
Her cheeks heat up as it is loud.
"Tehehe, I can watch more later! Now food awaits!" The white-haired girl jumped out of the chair. All of the holograms 'retreated' to the walls. Clearly, the whole turning off function is made this way on purpose.
[You can join Marcus at the breakfast table as he is right now eating in one of the leisure rooms.]
Kiana perked up hearing that! It would seem she will have a chance to spend some time with him!
"That sounds great, can you show me the way?" The Valkyrie asked hopefully.
[Follow the direction arrows.]
With a nod, she walked out of the archives room. Her eyes landed on arrow holograms, and at that moment, she felt like an action heroine in a video game.
~~~
The girl arrived at a room full of comfy-looking couches, fluffy carpets, and a bunch of pillows. The place had arches on the walls, reminding her of ancient palaces with gold and silver. In the distance, she could see fountains.
The last time she checked, they were in space, in a foreign reality. She thought things were a bit more serious, like fear of the unknown, but this…
Kiana finally found Marcus in one of the sets of couches, where he was surrounded by girls on both sides.
Her plan to spend time with him alone was a pipe dream from the looks of it.
"There you are." A familiar voice brought her back from her thoughts. She turned to the side and looked at two silver-haired girls walking over. It was Enterprise and Belfast. Behind them, there was a kitchen set where chefs were cooking food. She could see Elysia there eating something delicious-looking.
"I thought that you won't wake up." The Carrier ship joked as she ended up standing in front of her. "It has been over 10 hours since we arrived here."
Kiana looked surprised for a second. It was ten hours!? She slept that long!?
But then she recalled her dream, and a bit of blush appeared on her face. It was a weird dream, and she was introduced to Marcus' parents, who forced her to learn housekeeping skills. She needed their approval if she wanted to be his fiancée.
It was crazy, does he even have parents? Would they even care about such a mundane thing? He has mechs, robots, and maids. Why would she even need to know housekeeping stuff? She is a Valkyrie!
"I-I see…"
"Anyway, get something to eat as we will have guests soon." Enterprise smiled as she turned sideways and motioned towards the kitchen area.
"Guests?" Kiana looked extremely confused. They were in the middle of nowhere, in a graveyard of an interstellar empire. What kind of guests could possibly come here?
"It's not guests." Belfast chipped in, looking at Enterprise for a second. "What she meant is that we are getting reinforcements from the base outside the time flow."
The clarification didn't clarify at all. Why do they need reinforcements in the first place? They are not fighting anything.
"What for? I don't see enemies…" The valkyrie asked in a confused tone.
"Enemies are not the only thing you would need reinforcements for. For example, when you need to clean something~." Belfast dropped a hint.
"...You mean…" Kiana realised what these extra ships were coming for.
"Admiral is going to clean this system, he is going to colonise it. He is feeling sympathetic towards these systems, so he is going to turn them into Technocracy's territory." Enterprise bluntly explained to her.
"There are thousands of ships coming here, alongside one of his fiancées and his Assistant." The carrier ship clarified, before getting serious for a bit. "Be careful of his Assistant."
The white-haired girl stiffened. If a shipgirl was warning her, then… it could be serious.
"If you think Sirin is bad, you haven't seen Quinella."
"...She is worse than Herrscher's persona!?" Kiana gawked at that!
"Depends on perspective." Belfast chipped in.
"Please, she is the one who proposed Project Eden. If things were run by her, we would like a horrible despotic theocracy." Enterprise scoffed. She read the logs. Even if she was the soul of a warship and only cared about the Admiral and, in extension, Technocracy, she wouldn't propose exterminating 90% of humanity on Earth.
Thankfully, the project underwent so many revisions that it is barely recognisable.
"Not quite, I would say she would make a bit of arbitrary decisions, but mostly would follow Master's lead." Belfast tried to explain the way she saw it.
"She is heavily emotion-driven and obsessed with Admiral. if she sees your blatant desire to get into his good graces for his power, you might suffer." Enterprise ignored what Belfast said and explained more to Kiana.
"I-I see…" Now, Kiana is feeling a bit scared; she sounds like a lion or tiger defending their most precious things.
'Or maybe a dragon? Don't they protect their hoard?' Since the supernatural is real, she can compare to supernatural beings too!
"That is, if you can get Master's protection, she won't harm you." Belfast smiled at the nervous-looking valkyrie.
"A-Aren't I already under his protection?" Kiana quickly recalled that she was here by his order! That means she will protect her from his mad assistant!
"I guess you are?" Belfast looked at Enterprise, seeking confirmation or a greater explanation for this situation.
"She has Sirin's clearance, making her above Quinella military-wise." The silver-haired carrier ship girl said in a pondering voice.
"Oh!" Kiana exclaimed happily, but then she realised that Sirin saved her butt! Just how crazy is that!
"But military access is not the same as Technocracy's overall hierarchy. You need to be a legitimate fiancée." Enterprise shrugged, causing the valkyrie girl to deflate instantly.
"Still, to think that something like engagement is that important." Kiana sighed. Her reply made the ship girls look at her more seriously.
"I thought you human females only care about status, so Master turned it into status.
It was why the Master created such a thing. Giving girls status they all want around him." Belfast commented on what Marcus told her. The girl was wondering that as well. She noticed that Athena, Sirin, Erina, and even Bronya care about it quite a bit.
"I guess…" the white haired girl frowned before her tummy rumbled again.
"Anyway, I am hungry!" For now, the white-haired girl decided to put aside this topic of conversation and focus on what was important.
"Then let's get some food." Enterprise decided she should join her, even if she had breakfast two hours ago.
~~~
'Damn, she is good.' Kallen nerviously frowned as she was on Marcus' left side, and on his right side was Firefly. The pair were his companions and were helping him with breakfast.
After a crazy carnal night, she was hungry and extremely tired. She wanted to stuff herself with food after burning all that energy and rest…but Firefly, the new girl, turned out to be a rival to Kallen!
At first, the white-haired girl accepted her as she needed an ally in bed after learning Marcus' talents, but it was a mistake. The girl 'sacrificed' herself to the point that she would pass out and then wake up and continue the act all the way through the night.
And now, in the morning, when Kallen thought she could rest, the silver-blonde Iron Cavalry girl began to act like a pet—taking her position!
With the threat and danger to her position rising, the white-haired girl rose to the challenge and began to act all cuddly and attentive to Marcus.
So it led to this strange morning situation!
"Say…ahhh." Firefly brought a sandwich. It was one of those one-bite sandwiches used in parties, but it was good for light breakfast.
Not that Kallen understood such food! What she was annoyed about was what this girl was doing! She is pushing her breasts into his chest and acting all coy and seductive!
It was a complete change from yesterday!
It's not that Marcus was paying attention to Kallen's expression as he was playing with Firefly. After eating the sandwich, they kissed before bringing more food for him.
They kept playing this game!
'There is no way I mess this after just one day!' Kallen clenched her fist as her resolve was like a volcano!
~~~
Join my Discord: Discord.gg/denoffanfics
More Chapters (Chapter 145 is up!) and other stories on my P.a.t;
P.a.t:re.on..c.o.m/DragonsFics