The next morning.
At the capital's central plaza.
Setsuna met up with his date.
The Royal Navy shipgirls had shown up in full force—an entire carrier fleet.
Three Illustrious-class armored carriers, the entire Royal Maids squad, plus others like Neptune and Cheshire, who weren't technically maid shipgirls.
Unicorn clutched Yuni in her arms, timidly following behind Illustrious and tugging at her dress.
The moment they spotted Setsuna, they all rushed over.
"Onii-chan!!"
"Darling!"
A cat-eared head and Unicorn both squeezed into his embrace.
Cheshire wore a low-cut maid outfit that left Setsuna unsure where to look.
Passing lolis weren't fazed at all, though a few newly arrived horse girls cast envious and amazed glances.
"Wow—"
"The Commander can date so many people at once? And they don't fight?!"
Special Week couldn't help but feel a bit of respect for Setsuna.
"Commander, there has to be a limit to your playboy ways, right?"
"You invited me out, but brought so many other girls? ...Honestly..."
Formidable pouted as she smoothly linked arms with him.
Leaning in just a little, her exaggerated curves seemed suspiciously like a deliberate bump.
"Let's all go together."
Setsuna rubbed Cheshire's head, then gently pinched Formidable's cheek.
"If I spent time with each of you one-on-one, there wouldn't be enough time. This way, we can all have fun—much more efficient."
"Uh—"
His thigh got a sharp pinch from Formidable.
"Commander, efficiency is good for work, but for this kind of thing too?!"
"If you don't call me out alone next time, I won't come!"
Formidable tilted her head and pouted, sounding every bit the spoiled noble lady.
"If you don't come, there are plenty of shipgirls who will."
Victorious pushed Formidable aside and took Setsuna's arm.
"Commander, as long as I get to spend a day with you... no, even half a day would be fine! I don't mind the others watching—it's proof of how close we are!"
"???"
The two Illustrious-class carriers glared at each other, nearly starting a fight if Setsuna hadn't been there.
Setsuna, however, had plenty of experience dating groups at once.
Back in the day, he had once gone on a date with eight Spirits at the same time to create Mayuri.
And on the Eternal Snowfall, he was well-seasoned in such situations.
Before long, the Royal Navy shipgirls were calmed and followed him obediently.
"So, what do you all want to do? I can accompany you."
"I want to go to the amusement park!"
"Afternoon tea!"
"Moon-viewing!!!"
The shipgirls immediately broke into chatter.
"Let's do them one by one."
Setsuna gently pulled his arm free from Victorious.
"Whatever your wishes are, I'll fulfill them—we can enjoy everything together."
"Oh..."
They glanced at each other.
Compared to dating him one-on-one, this did feel livelier.
While there was less private space, the fun of being together outweighed it.
After all, they didn't need to hide anything from each other.
"The real battle is at night—daytime is all yours."
Formidable acted as if she knew everything, leaving the choice to her sisters.
"Let the little shipgirl choose first."
Setsuna turned to Unicorn.
She wore a pure white dress paired with semi-transparent white stockings, perfectly framing her absolute territory.
Her cute looks carried a hint of shyness that made people want to dote on her.
"Eh? Me?!"
The purple-haired, purple-eyed girl froze, then began thinking seriously.
"A date with Onii-chan, a date with Onii-chan..."
She habitually called the Commander "Onii-chan," and Setsuna indeed saw her as a little sister.
Unicorn thought for a while.
Then she suddenly looked up:
"Onii-chan, do you want to pilot the Unicorn?"
"Huh?!"
Setsuna had expected her to suggest something like going to an amusement park or a concert.
He hadn't imagined she'd propose something so perfectly suited to a straight-laced mecha fan.
Piloting a Gundam was fun.
Spending time with a cute girl was also fun.
But a girl who wants to pilot a Gundam with you? There were hardly any like that in the world!
And not just any Gundam—it was the Unicorn Gundam he had given her over a year ago.
"You're sure?!"
The other shipgirls' eyes widened.
"Mhm!"
The little sister nodded firmly.
"I want to pilot the Gundam with Onii-chan and go stargazing!"
...
Minutes later—
Whoosh—
In an open field outside the capital—
Unicorn summoned her rigging and produced a sleek, pure-white Gundam.
Shield in one hand, rifle in the other, a single horn on its head.
It was the exact gift Setsuna had given her before visiting the Transformers world.
[RX-0 Unicorn]
At the time, he'd only meant to indulge her curiosity and amuse himself with the name coincidence, teaching her a bit of piloting.
But he noticed now—the Gundam had been meticulously maintained.
No scratches, and even the weapons had been upgraded to more advanced models.
Clearly, she treasured his gift.
"Onii-chan, I asked Akashi to install a faster-than-light engine."
"Now it can fly into outer space."
She tugged at his sleeve as she explained.
"Huh?!"
"A faster-than-light Gundam? You're a starship yourself—wouldn't it be easier to just fly in your own hull?"
"..."
Unicorn puffed her cheeks, showing rare signs of sulking.
"Onii-chan, I just want to pilot the Gundam with you."
"Alright, alright."
Setsuna had no resistance to his little sister's requests.
Under everyone's gaze, the two stepped into the cockpit together.
Even after multiple modifications, the single-seat cabin was still cramped.
Setsuna had to sit down and hold Unicorn in his arms while piloting.
"Tch, been a while since I piloted one of these."
Honestly, he thought the Unicorn looked even cooler than his ∀ Gundam.
Boom—boom—
The Gundam strode forward heavily before igniting its rear ion thrusters, streaking toward the edge of the atmosphere.
"..."
The shipgirls watching below couldn't help but feel envious.
"Hmm... The Commander hasn't given me a gift yet," Formidable murmured, a little dejected.
"If I asked him for something like that... would he give it to me? No, no—what if he disliked me for asking..."
Her thoughts quickly spiraled.
"Wait a second," Victorious suddenly realized.
"Wasn't today supposed to be a group date with the Commander?"
"Did Unicorn... just steal him away?!"
Whoosh—
The pure-white Gundam burst through the atmosphere, heading toward the distant stars.
Piloting a Gundam into space was a novel experience.
Setsuna was used to traveling aboard the Eternal Snowfall.
Even when that ship was under refit, he rode aboard other shipgirls' hulls.
A Gundam, at the end of the day, was a single-pilot combat weapon—its interior couldn't compare to the comfort of a starship.
Beyond the cockpit and controls, there was nothing.
Some larger carrier shipgirls could even fit a bath inside their ship compartments.
In the cramped space, Unicorn's petite, soft body sat on his lap.
Her silky purple hair draped over her back, occasionally brushing his face and tickling him.
Holding Unicorn while piloting the Unicorn—it was perfect.
He noticed her piloting skills had improved a lot.
"Do you often take the Gundam into space by yourself?" he asked.
"Mhm... when I miss Onii-chan, I go out," Unicorn answered, looking up at him.
"Since Onii-chan is always so busy and can't spend much time with me, when I miss you, I take it to look at the stars."
"Hmm, a Gundam isn't as comfortable as a starship, but since you gave it to me, it's very important to me!"
"...!!"
Her sincere and pure words tugged sharply at his heart.
Unicorn was shy—she would never openly say something like Richelieu or Belfast's casual "Commander, spend tonight with me."
Nor was she as effortlessly forward as the carrier sisters.
Every time they met, she stayed close behind Illustrious, burying her feelings deep.
That honesty and purity were the most touching of all.
Thinking this, Setsuna held her a little tighter.
"Onii-chan..."
Her cheeks turned pink as she spoke softly, not daring to turn around.
The Gundam pushed onward, switching to sub-light speed once in outer space.
They passed Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn's orbits, reaching the edge of the Solar System.
Below them, a deep blue planet slowly rotated. Several Bulins and Angeloids were working in orbit around Neptune, building survey equipment.
Clack—
Unicorn smoothly switched the Gundam into cruise mode.
They drifted together through the vastness of space.
Resting her head against him, they gazed at the sparkling night sky.
Piloting a Gundam to look at the stars—Setsuna had to admit, it was romantic, though a bit surreal.
"Onii-chan, what's that brightest star?"
Unicorn pointed to a white-glimmering light.
"Polaris, Alpha Ursae Minoris. The North Star. 433 light-years away," Setsuna replied instantly, without needing a chart.
"Aurora and Tashkent should be out there with the Bulins, pioneering the area. Want to go see them?"
"No!"
Unicorn shook her head and snuggled closer.
"I just want to be with Onii-chan."
Sitting inside the Unicorn, they quietly gazed out at the stars.
With nothing else to do, Setsuna told her a few stories—tales of his battles in different worlds, and some myths and legends.
Unicorn listened intently.
Bit by bit, she leaned against him, and naturally slipped her small hand into his.
Their fingers interlocked, and her face immediately flushed red.
"Hmm... maybe you should project your ship form? It's a bit cramped in here."
Setsuna coughed, glancing at the space outside—the Gundam was about to exit the star's gravity well.
"If we want to go farther, a starship is better."
"...No..." Unicorn shook her head gently.
"Here, I can be closer to Onii-chan."
Saying that, she turned around—
Sitting face-to-face on Setsuna's lap.
In the cramped Gundam cockpit, they were practically pressed together.
"Onii-chan, do you like Unicorn?"
"Of course."
Setsuna brushed her hair aside, pulled her close, and answered with a gentle kiss.
"Ah..."
Her face flushed as she leaned softly against his shoulder.
Though Unicorn looked young, she was a genuine light carrier.
Her figure was more than enough to make Javelin bite her handkerchief in envy.
His arms were filled with softness and warmth.
After a moment, Unicorn seemed to realize something, and her blush deepened.
"Onii-chan..."
"Uh, that's normal, but maybe you should project your ship form... it's a bit cramped here," Setsuna said awkwardly, trying to explain.
"Onii-chan, I understand!"
She puffed her cheeks.
"Don't treat me like a destroyer!!"
"??" Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Who taught you that?!"
"...Taihou-neesan."
"She's your first oath ship, so I went to her for advice... She told me a lot about you, Onii-chan... I... I remembered it all..."
Her voice got softer and softer until it was barely audible.
"Figures—Taihou's corrupted even my little sister."
Setsuna wasn't surprised.
"Unicorn also wants to understand Onii-chan more... so, can you let me be selfish, just a little?"
She lowered her head, speaking softly.
Hiss—
Setsuna pulled her into his arms again.
Once more, he marveled at the greatness of skirts.
And that the Gundam cockpit might need some expansion.
...
Fwoosh—
The Gundam cruised leisurely through outer space.
When they returned and landed, the two jumped down from the cockpit.
Unicorn held Setsuna's hand, her cheeks still rosy.
The other shipgirls, bored during their date, had started an afternoon tea on the field.
Seeing them, they all gathered around.
"Commander, you left us and went stargazing for four or five hours?"
"Forget it, I thought you'd eloped with Unicorn," Formidable muttered.
Something felt off to her, though she couldn't pinpoint what.
"Your hair's messy—"
Illustrious gently hugged Unicorn, noticing her beautiful purple hair was in disarray.
Then she spotted her bare legs.
"Huh? Weren't you wearing stockings before you left?"
"They got dirty..." Unicorn answered, covering her face.
"???"
"Was there something wrong with the Gundam?! Reactor? Cooling module?!" The shipgirls looked at each other, confused.
"No..."
Sniff sniff sniff—
Formidable adjusted Unicorn's hair and caught a familiar yet strange scent.
"Ah, Commander, I know!! It's the same as a few mornings when I came to find you!!!"
"?!"
As she spoke, she turned to the Gundam, eyes wide.
"That thing only has one seat—you can't even lie down in there! How did you two..."
"Ahhh, Commander, I'm never riding your Gundam again!!!"
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven