「Skull Island」
Dawn was breaking, and morning was just around the corner.
After hours of rushing through every task assigned by their Mission System, the Ship Girls of Skull Island—along with Hylia—had finally reached the final stage of completing all their objectives
〈Objective〉
➤ Wipe out every monster on Skull Island ─ (1,092 / 1,092)
➤ Collect all Magical Residue scattered across the island ─ (452 / 452)
➤ Set the Volcano to erupt and let it self-destruct ─ (0 / 1)
➤ Appoint the Alpha ─ (0 / 1)
!!!Hidden Reward will be granted upon completion of all Objectives!!!
Were they exhausted? Absolutely.
The sheer amount of energy and fuel spent to explore the vastness of Skull Island while eliminating threats along the way was beyond their usual record.
Even after regrouping at their Underground Base, Deutschland was already complaining about needing to replace her claws again, while Gascogne arrived looking like a robot in desperate need of a cookie-powered reboot.
Having completely forgotten that she had left her katana behind in the heat of battle, Hakuryuu reverted to her usual dorky self, sheepishly asking Yamashiro for help.
And then there was Hornet—though she fared better than the others, she still showed up with her blonde hair puffed up and darkened, most likely from a few explosions during her expedition.
Much had happened and much had been reclaimed.
Through their hard work, results would follow.
They had pushed through the entire night, all to clear an Expert Mission and earn their ticket back to the academy. But beyond that, they were eager to obtain—and uncover—the contents of the Hidden Reward.
The group was certain that whatever was concealed had to be something valuable for the future—or perhaps something their commander had specifically prepared for them.
Now, as the day neared dawn, the air was biting cold in the place they stood.
Standing at the edge of the volcano's crater, right at the top of island's heart, they're ready to trigger the eruption. All seven kept their eyes on the bubbling magma below, glancing at it every now and then.
Beside them, several baskets sat filled with the total amount of Magical Residue they had gathered, ready to be dumped in. Among the baskets, a single, large egg—about the size of a basketball—stood out.
That particular egg was one of the earliest loots items the ship girls had obtained on the island.
In their moment, Hornet spoke up. "So, we just pour this inside, and then bhuwaaah! The Alpha shows up? That's not what happened in the stories I heard about how the Big G became one..."
"Seeing this much residue piled up… it feels weird."「Yamashiro」
"But are you sure it's enough to just throw in this egg and those clumps of white starry things? The objective won't change even after we toss a few pieces of Magical Residue in there, but we'll be in trouble trying to retrieve everything if it all goes in."「Deutschland」
Earlier, the ship girls had received some explanation from Ichigo.
As soon as she learned about the crucial intel from Hylia, she immediately ordered those who had completed their objectives to gather at the volcano.
The ship girl then went on to explain how to complete the remaining two objectives, all thanks to Hylia, who had received a clue from a kind passerby about how to finish the current mission.
Though doubts lingered about the passerby's true identity, they set aside their suspicions for now—after all, their ticket home was finally within reach.
"We can ask for details later. Let's begin the procedure." Ichigo glanced at Hylia. "Lia-chan, make sure it's done right."
"Uhm! Yes! On three… one, two, three!" Hylia kicked the basket.
Following the signal, the ship girls immediately did the same. The glowing, star-shaped objects fell one by one, slowly sinking into the molten lava. The last to go was the egg, tossed in by Deutschland.
Hylia wasn't entirely sure about the exact timing for throwing the egg, but she figured it should be fine as long as both the Magical Residue and the special egg were tossed in around the same time.
"Now, what should we do?"「Hakuryuu」
"Lia-chan."「Ichigo」
"Just… wait a little. I think a process like this will take some time. Right, Uche-sama? Assimilation and alchemy usually require some time, don't they?" (Hylia)
"With combination of lava, magical properties, and that egg as the core… hmm, honestly, this sounds more like a cultivation pill legend than the crafting I usually do."「Deutschland」
"Pill Creation! But maybe this time... Egg Creation? No no, since we're trying to hatch that egg... so maybe Egg Frying?"「Hornet」
Soon after they talked, the ground beneath trembled.
The volcano began to stir, slowly spewing volcanic material from deep within Skull Island—smoke, ash, molten rock, and more. The sight alone was enough to send them all scrambling away from the crater.
"Detecting a massive energy surge from below. Immediate evacuation required."「Gascogne」
"I think so too!" Yamashiro shouted.
The rumbling intensified, shaking the ground and fracturing the earth around the volcano.
A deafening roar echoed across the island as the long-awaited moment arrived—the volcano erupted, unleashing a catastrophic surge of energy.
Most of the girls dashed and dodged across the unstable ground, while others—like Hakuryuu, Hornet, and Deutschland—leapt into the air, shattering incoming rocks before they could crash down.
Still, they couldn't withstand the sheer force of nature for long.
As lava and molten rock consumed the land beneath them, they had no choice but to regroup with Hylia and the others on more stable ground.
Finally, they came to a halt, their eyes locked onto the volcano's peak as the earth trembled beneath them.
"Hothothot!"「Yamashiro」
Then, with a violent rupture, a blast of searing wind surged forth, forcing them to brace against the overwhelming heat—only for a bone-chilling frost to coil around their legs like unseen tendrils.
"Coldcoldcold!"「Yamashiro」
From within the molten depths, something stirred.
The ground cracked, lava burst into the sky, and a shadowed form emerged—a mythical creature clawing its way out of its breeding nest, its arrival heralded by the flickering glow of System displays illuminating the darkened sky.
〈Objective〉
➤ Wipe out every monster on Skull Island ─ (1,092 / 1,092)
➤ Collect all Magical Residue scattered across the island ─ (452 / 452)
➤ Set the Volcano to erupt and let it self-destruct ─ (1 / 1)
➤ Appoint the Alpha ─ (0 / 1)
"That is..."「Ichigo」
|〈Apocalypse Dragon (Weakened)〉|
〈Warning! In the past, this dragon once claimed the life of a Champion. It was once part of the strongest dragon to ever exist and had a deep connection with the Millennium Dragon. It also shares a bond with The Evil Snake...〉
〈...The Apocalypse Dragon has laid waste to worlds as numerous as the stars. Before meeting its end, it clashed in a duel against a high-ranking Outer God—one that was ultimately forced to retreat after sustaining grievous wounds inflicted by the Apocalypse Dragon.〉
"Whoa... you guys reading this? Did our Demi System just get an upgrade with all these details? And Outer Gods?! Dang… the commander wasn't lying about this..."「Hornet」
"I... I don't like reading."「Hakuryuu」
A dragon from a bygone era was reborn.
Its horns gleamed crimson, pulsing like molten veins beneath obsidian-black scales.
Its fangs, sharp as carved ivory, glistened under the dim light,
Its blood, deep blue and ancient, coursed through the cracks in its armored hide like rivers of liquid sapphire.
The sheer presence of this being was a proclamation—an omen of an era's end, or perhaps something far worse.
The ship girls stood frozen as the dragon unfurled its massive wings, casting an overwhelming shadow across the land. With just a single, deliberate flap, the delicate equilibrium of elements that once held the island together shattered.
Winds howled in discord, firestorms flickered unpredictably, and the very air itself seemed to tremble beneath its might.
"Is it trying to destroy this island?!"「Deutschland」
"Response: Full-power engagement is advised."「Gascogne」
At the tip of its tail, four differently colored spheres orbited like tiny satellites, circling along its belt-like path. Each one glowed in red, blue, white, and black. And with a single flick of its tail, the chaos it had unleashed suddenly calmed.
The raging flames died down, the ice storm vanished along with the clearing skies, and even the volcano ceased its eruption. Though it appeared weakened, that only meant it had yet to reveal the full extent of its power.
"Alright... guess I'll try to parry its claws."「Hakuryuu」
"I'll tear its wings apart."「Deutschland」
"And I'll snipe its eyes."「Hornet」
Surprisingly, they didn't let their fear or awe linger for too long. If they had to fight, then fight they shall. However, the most shocking moment came when the dragon turned its gaze toward them.
"Are we supposed to fight that?!" Yamashiro shouted.
"No, that being is friendly... in a kind of way." (Hylia)
"What part of it is friendly?!" Yamashiro protested.
"The heart. It doesn't show any hostility." (Hylia)
The colossal dragon spread its wings and ascended into the sky, circling the island several times before finally landing right before Hylia and her companions. The little girl quickly told her friends to restrain themselves.
The dragon's air, hot and heavy, could be felt clearly against their skin. After several hesitation, Hylia and Ichigo stepped forward, approaching its massive face, ready to speak with the colossal being.
"Hello... are you trying to eat us?" (Hylia)
In response, the dragon licked Hylia's entire body. Unexpectedly, its tongue felt just like that of any living creature—warm, wet, soft, and dripping with saliva.
"Whnnyaa?! W-What're you doing... I'm all sticky..." (Hylia)
"At least... you're not getting eaten..."「Ichigo」
Their attention quickly refocused as the dragon began to make sounds—almost as if it were trying to speak. Fortunately, it also lowered its head slightly toward them, making its presence feel even more imposing yet oddly approachable.
〈The Apocalypse Dragon has acknowledged a lingering scent from you. 〉
〈It acknowledged the serpent's scent. It said, "You are friend. You'll not be eaten."〉
"Fhuhhh... thank you." (Hylia)
"Thank... you?" Ichigo echoed, still processing the strange interaction.
The dragon then slightly tilted its head, as if continuing to speak.
〈It said, "I hold the key... to your reign, lead me... to the chaos... take root."〉
"Hmm, I got it! So... what should we do? Should we just ask it to take us there? It said it holds the key to our... reign? But what are we supposed to do with that key?" (Hylia)
As she turned around, she noticed the ship girls wearing strange expressions.
The ship girls were indeed looking at her strangely, often exchanging glances as if unsure of what to do. It was as if they were shocked to realize that Hylia could actually communicate with the dragon.
As for Hylia herself, it seemed she still hadn't realized that only her Purple Screen could translate the dragon's words. TB and the ship girls' Demi System weren't high-versioned enough to accomplish that.
"Guys?" (Hylia)
"Objective first!" Deutschland called out.
"Yeah, finish this mission first," Hornet agreed.
Despite their confusion, the ship girls were trying to hide the fact that they couldn't understand the dragon's speech, acting as naturally as possible to avoid confusing the little girl.
"Excuse me, Apopo. Can you become an Alpha first? We really need you to become one in order to finish this mission we're on! Do you know how to do it? Because actually... I'm not sure how to make you into one either..." (Hylia)
〈It replied, "In the name of the Evil Serpent... my crown... shall adorn this chosen place."〉
Without warning, the dragon spread its wings again.
Its body began to glow as the intense heat and cold from the vast span of its wings clashed together, creating an overwhelming force. Then, it roared with a deafening sound, unleashing a terrible air pressure that tore into the sky.
The ship girls, realizing the danger, immediately activated their defensive Skills to protect themselves and one another.
The exposure to both extreme heat and cold emanating from the dragon felt unnatural, and the force was so immense that parts of the island began to collapse into the sea.
〈Objective〉
➤ Wipe out every monster on Skull Island ─ (1,092 / 1,092)
➤ Collect all Magical Residue scattered across the island ─ (452 / 452)
➤ Set the Volcano to erupt and let it self-destruct ─ (1 / 1)
➤ Appoint the Alpha ─ (1 / 1)
———————————————
#(Expert mission: Top of food chain)#
→ The balance has been restored upon Skull Island—but the monsters remain. In a world where only the strongest survive, predators will fight for dominance. When multiple beasts converge in the same territory, their instinct is clear: defeat each other.
During this period, all active monsters on Skull Island will enter an aggressive state. They will fiercely protect their territories, but they will not hesitate to invade others. Only the strongest will survive... and you must decide how to navigate this deadly game.
Before all of you escape, you have four choices:
1. Eliminate all the monsters present.
2. Collect every Magical Residue scattered across the island to render the monsters powerless, causing them to perish on their own.
3. Trigger the volcano to erupt, summoning a titan that will destroy Skull Island along with itself.
4. Appoint the Alpha.
Complete one of these objectives to unlock the Final Mission at the Academy.
Choose wisely... and remember, the Champion will not wait forever.
〈Requirement〉: | Complete one of the Objectives |
〈Reward〉: | Permission to return to the Academy | Permission to begin the Final Mission |
〈Time limit〉: | No time limit, but the Champion will wait |
〈Penalty〉: | The truth will become a lie |
!!!Hidden Reward will be granted upon completion of all Objectives!!!
〈Mission Complete!!!〉
———————————————
〈Congratulations on completing the Expert Mission! 〉
〈Hidden Reward will be sent to the Principality Crate! 〉
〈The Final Mission will begin upon arrival at the academy. 〉
A familiar Mission Complete sound echoed in their heads, much like the ones they recognized from games. The notification was followed by several others, including details about the Hidden Reward they would receive and additional mission updates.
"Pheww! Now that's done and done! Let's hurry back to the academy!" Hornet cheered.
"Gascogne detects an excessive level of enthusiasm," Gascogne stated, still in her emotion inhibition module mode. "Requesting permission to perform Expression H on Deutschland."
"Ah, heck no!" Deutschland immediately refused.
As the ship girls celebrated their victory, their eyes turned toward the horizon. Dawn had finally arrived. The sun slowly rising from behind the sea felt like the perfect ending to this moment.
Finally, they had finished all of this experiment bullshit. They couldn't wait to return home and focus on their own desires. However, before that, there was one last thing they needed to check.
The Hidden Reward.
Except for Hylia, who was still talking with the dragon, the ship girls gathered together to inspect the contents of the promised Hidden Reward from their Principality Crate.
Inside, there're a lot of things as usual. But among them...
"...Master... this music box..." Gascogne's voice was unusually soft, almost hesitant.
"Stupid... idiotic," Deutschland muttered, her grip tightening around a plushie—but she stop herself upon realizing her claws might damage it.
"Ohh... so this is how that city looks! Pretty interesting... haha! But... to think you even added our little figure on the bench... Haaah, who's cutting onions here?!" Hornet exclaimed, wiping her eyes as if trying to mask the unexpected swell of emotion.
They found a music box, a miniature snowflake globe depicting a city shrouded in darkness, a broken camera labeled Ten-Go with its film still intact, a half-empty bottle of sake, fragments of a cheap ceramic cup, and a doll modeled after the Schwerer Gustav railway gun.
The sunrise had fully emerged, marking the beginning of a new day.
"Milord! I'm so sorry! Please, don't remind me of how careless I can be!" Yamashiro blurted out, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration as she held the shard of the broken ceramic cup.
"Seems like this one's mine, huh? ...He still hasn't drunk it, I see. What about you?" Hakuryuu remarked, looking at the sake bottle with mild curiosity.
"Nothing too special, just this old camera," Ichigo responded with a shrug, giving the camera a thoughtful glance. "...I can see keep photos on the film that's still intact."
The ship girls turned calm and serene as they carefully pulled out each item from the Principality Crate. Every single piece carried memories—some beautiful, others painful.
Because of that, they would treasure them dearly.
"Everyone... did something happen?" Hylia asked, tilting her head. "Apopo just said it'll lead us to the academy."
"Nothing happened at all," Hakuryuu said flatly.
"That's good. Finally, it's time," Ichigo added.
Still confused by the ship girls' silence, Hylia decided to turn back to the Apocalypse Dragon.
The massive beast nodded in a certain direction, as if pointing the way. Then, it let out a deep breath—one that transformed the sea beneath it into a solid, gleaming white path.
The once-fluid ocean had crystallized into a hardened surface, stretching far into the distance like a road paved for them to follow.
"This is... salt?" Yamashiro blinked in disbelief. "Did it just turn the sea into salt?"
"We could just sail through though... but it's alright. Thanks, Apopo! Hey Lia, you'll come with me this time."「Hornet」
"Aye aye!" (Hylia)
"Set sail."「Gascogne」
Without wasting any more time, they immediately activated their rigging to set sail across the sea.
However, something unexpected happened. As they made their way toward the academy, the colossal Apocalypse Dragon followed closely behind.
At first, they assumed it had only created the path for them to cross, but unexpectedly, the dragon itself began running across the solid white trail of salt, keeping pace with the ship girls.
"Why doesn't it just fly?" Hornet wondered, glancing back.
"...Hmm, it wants to move its legs." (Hylia)
Each thunderous step it took sent tremors rippling through the water and reverberating in their chests, a constant reminder of the immense power looming behind them.
The journey wouldn't take long—or at least, it shouldn't.
But no matter how fast they traveled, they couldn't stop what had already begun at the academy.
————————————————
「Soukai City」
On the beach that serves as a popular tourist destination in Soukai City, a MOTH member named Kalpas was fishing, just as he often did. Fishing had become his go-to activity whenever there were no enemies to crush.
Most of the time, Kalpas fished alone—he was used to it.
Sometimes, he would invite Delta, his rival of sorts in the city.
But today, Delta wasn't around due in need of caring her two little sisters from a few days ago. So instead, his fishing companion was a fresh recruit—one he had nearly turned into snake skewer just yesterday.
"Pass me the bait."「Kalpas」
"The hell you grab my tail for?" (Yjor)
"Or you BE the bait, Mobius' pet."「Kalpas」
"Your corpse would work better with that stench, Kalpass." (Yjor)
Indeed, his unexpected fishing partner was none other than Yjor, the snake.
They had only met a few hours ago, and their introduction had been a brutal fight to the death. But somehow, it had ended with both of them sitting on the same wooden boat, casting lines into the water.
A classic case of enemies turned fishing buddies—through sheer violence and questionable bonding methods. The snake was still enjoying its uninterrupted vacation in its own way—which, of course, included the occasional attempt to kill each other.
The snake should savor the peace while it lasts—because soon, someone else would come to disrupt their serene fishing trip. And that disturbance, came in the form of a young girl crashing onto their boat.
With a loud thud, she landed right in the middle of the vessel, making it sway violently.
Fortunately, both fishermen were more than experienced in handling unstable boats.
"...Dead?"「Kalpas」
"Not." (Yjor)
"Crap, no bait then."「Kalpas」
As Yjor got a closer look, he realized he had seen this girl before. Seele Vollerei—or something like that. For some reason, she had appeared in front of him more than once in this world.
Kalpas also had the same reaction. He knew exactly who this girl was.
Whatever had happened to her that caused her to fall from above and land here, Yjor didn't really care. However, the snake had been staring at the unconscious girl for a while now, hissing suspiciously.
And then, that particular snake slithered up, coiling around Seele Vollerei's wet neck while peering curiously into her hair covered ear. This made Kalpas stood ready—just in case the snake decided to do something weird.
"Got you... you disgusting bug!" (Yjor)
The snake's body suddenly shrank, shrinking down to the size of a worm.
Without hesitation, Yjor shot straight into Seele Vollerei's ear, wriggling his way inside and doing whatever it was he needed to do. The girl's body twitched several times as Yjor carried out his deed.
And in the middle of it, she woke up.
"Ahhg... uhhaah... ghu... Uncle... ahh... Kalpas? Huah!? Something... inside my head... it feels like it's coiling around—" Seele gasped. "It's... slippery... i-it feels like I'm being licked... from the inside... hiuu..."
"Back off, she's one of mine you snake."「Kalpas」
Snapping the boat's oar in half was easy for Kalpas—he had just proven that.
But his threat was met with nothing more than a casual, "Almost done," from Yjor.
The little snake kept wriggling inside her head, sending waves of discomfort through her body. It felt like something long and slippery was trying to coil around her brain from the inside.
Then, suddenly, she felt something strange slithering out of her ear. The snake had finished his deed, finally writhing his way out through Seele Vollerei's still swollen and slightly red opening.
"Ah... hah... uuh..."「Seele Vollerei」
Instantly, Yjor returned to his usual small snake form—but he caught an odd sight.
The girl... liked it.
It was subtle at first, but unmistakable. The sensation of Yjor's slippery, writhing body slithering out from deep within her ear canal—it entranced her.
Seele's eyes fluttered, hazy and unfocused, clouded with a euphoric daze unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her breath hitched, her body trembling slightly as if struggling to process the lingering sensation.
And then, just as quickly, she felt her consciousness slipping away again.
"Huahhh... haah... done... already?"「Seele Vollerei」
Afterward, Yjor owed Kalpas a bit of an explanation.
Fortunately, the summer themed masked man seemed to understand—what Yjor had actually done was kill a parasitic insect that had somehow burrowed into Seele Vollerei's head.
To prove it, the snake casually spit the remains of the parasite straight into Kalpas' fishing bucket. The grotesque, half-digested mass plopped into the water with a sickening squelch.
"Huh?" Kalpas blinked, staring at his now-contaminated bucket.
"Thought it was a trash can for a moment." (Yjor)
Just as they were about to start arguing again, their brewing fight was interrupted by a weak voice.
Despite her limp body and barely-there strength, the girl was still trying to hold on—just long enough to speak to the two fishermen.
"Uncle... Kalpas... nice to meet you... I thought... you were busy working..." Seele Vollerei murmured weakly. "Big sis Delta... will never believe... you're here..."
Kalpas frowned, crossing his arms. "I am working. This little bastard is that work!"
The man with summer themed mask grabbed Yjor by the tail, lifting him up and shoving him toward the girl so she could get a good look. The snake thrashed in protest—until he suddenly froze.
Seele Vollerei, still weak and dazed, reached out with trembling fingers, silently asking to hold him.
"...And this must be Mr. Snake, isn't it?" Her voice was groggy, drifting like a half-formed thought. Her unfocused eyes traced over his shimmering scales. "I remember this scale... this horn too..."
Then, with an almost dreamlike haze, she mumbled, "Hey... Mr. Snake, why did you do my inside so roughly? I felt like... can't think anymore..."
Kalpas twitched, his grip tightening.
For a split second, he almost yanked Yjor away from her.
But the snake was quicker. Dodging effortlessly, he flicked his tongue with a smug hiss. "Just some insect was about to devour your brain. Shower me with some praise! If you're truly grateful."
Yjor could already picture it—the thunderous applause, the awed cheers, the grand recognition he rightfully deserved. But instead of claps or praise, the girl gave him something else.
A kiss.
Soft and lingering, placed right on the crown of that serpentine head.
"...Thank you, Mr. Snake... You've saved my life... this time... I think... I might be starting to like you, Mr. Snake..." Seele Vollerei murmured dreamily. "You'll do it again... right? With... me..."
And with that final, ambiguous declaration, she lost consciousness once again.
"...Fuck, now I'm in danger." (Yjor)
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