Crossover Shipgirls: Building a Dimensional Empire from Scratch

Two days later.

In the capital city's square, shipgirls were bustling about, jostling for a spot as they eagerly awaited Setsuna to announce the roster for the upcoming interdimensional expedition. The opportunity to visit another world was thrilling and highly anticipated.

"Well then, based on the special nature of this mission, the following individuals will accompany me," Setsuna began, clearing his throat as he read out the list.

"Richelieu, Illustrious, Formidable, Belfast, Tohru, Akashi, and ten Special-Type Bulins."

"During my expedition, Yat Sen will manage the base in my stead."

According to the Seraphim's provided instructions, it was necessary to install a spiritron receiver upon arriving in the target world before any spiritron transfer or time travel could take place. Therefore, Akashi and the Bulins were essential.

As for Tohru, Setsuna considered that the Date A Live world could be classified as one that dabbles in magic. Among the base's most proficient magic users were the dragon girls Lucoa and Tohru. While Lucoa spent her days holed up in the grand library, Tohru, with her ability to challenge gods and destroy worlds, had demonstrated considerable magical abilities in her original story. She might prove invaluable.

"Huh? You're only bringing this many people?"

"Commander, why don't we send an entire fleet instead?"

Shipgirls and Heroic Spirits not on the list began chattering noisily.

"The primary mission is resolving the Spirit of Origin issue. Based on predictions, there shouldn't be much conflict or fighting… at most, we might have a skirmish with DEM Industries."

"Once we stabilize that world, you'll all be free to visit for leisure in the future."

Setsuna reassured them with a wave.

Everything in the Date A Live world stemmed from the Spirit of Origin. Without her, it was essentially an ordinary modern world. Perfect for turning it into a vassal state, much like the Demon Slayer world.

Moreover, being a modern society, it would undoubtedly be far more entertaining than the steam-age world.

"Commander, I'll await your good news," Yat Sen said softly, bowing slightly.

"I'll manage the port and the capital city diligently during your absence."

With the remaining affairs arranged, Setsuna activated the Hyperdimensional Star Map and selected the Date A Live world.

[Date A Live (Tier-II Magic Age)]

A world set in a modern society with a minority of wizards and certain extraordinary powers.Also features a parallel dimension known as the Neighboring World, accessible only to a select few.

Comparison of Strengths:

• Technological Level: Like a Ant.

• Military Strength: Like a Ant.

• Economic Power: Like a God.

[Options:]

• Diplomacy.

• Traversal.

• Declare War.

Back when he had first arrived, Setsuna saw everyone as akin to three gods.

Now, when comparing overall strength, the Date A Live world was clearly far weaker than his own.

In terms of technology, his side had already integrated technology from multiple worlds: the Azur Lane system, Siren tech, Gundam tech, as well as components from the Nasuverse and bits of magic from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. With both technological and magical advancements, the Date A Live world looked utterly insignificant.

On military strength, there were over a hundred starships with shipgirls, a host of Heroic Spirits, and Quetzalcoatl sitting at home as a powerful deterrent. Setsuna suspected that the squinty-eyed dragon maid represented a significant portion of his military weight. It felt as though he had stumbled upon a Fallen Empire's titan ship by sheer luck.

As for the economy?

Nonexistent. Not a chance.

Productivity was high but severely skewed, with nearly all skill points dumped into military industries. The population was under a million, most of whom were Heroic Spirits, Shipgirls, Bulins, and Sirens with little to no mundane desires. With no currency or trade, the concept of an economy simply didn't exist.

"Another excellent neighbor for stockpiling supplies..."

As Setsuna mused, Yukikaze suddenly asked curiously, "Commander, are there any diplomatic targets in the Date A Live world?"

"Hmm?"

Setsuna pondered. He had no idea who he might contact in the diplomatic interface.

The UN Security Council? Reine Murasame? Kotori Itsuka? It couldn't be Kurumi, could it?

Thinking it over, he tapped the [Diplomacy] option.

Zzt—

After a burst of static, the holographic interface displayed a man in his thirties wearing a black suit and a white tie. His white hair and gloomy expression matched the dimly lit control room full of computers and consoles surrounding him.

The man blinked in surprise at Setsuna before his eyes widened in shock. He leaped from his chair, mimicking the same reaction as Ainz had previously.

"Who are you??!!"

"Westcott? Why is it you of all people?"

Setsuna's expression twisted in disbelief.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined contacting this piece of trash: Isaac Ray Peram Westcott, the head of DEM Industries.

This scum wasn't just obsessed with the Spirit of Origin; he also conducted inhumane experiments on other spirits.

"You know me? Are you a Spirit from the Neighboring World? … No, spirits don't have males…"

Westcott scrutinized Setsuna for a long moment.

The ability to communicate across dimensions was no trivial matter, but the advanced holographic display seemed far too futuristic—almost too scientific to belong to a Spirit.

"If you're a Spirit, could it be you're actually... female?"

Westcott puzzled over this possibility for a while, unable to reconcile the idea that the rugged, 1.8-meter-tall man on his screen could also be a Spirit.

He then turned to inform several technicians, apparently attempting to trace Setsuna's location.

"You arrogant little local…"

"Forget it. You'll just be a corpse soon enough anyway."

Setsuna found his antics amusing and promptly ended the communication. He then turned to his shipgirls, reiterating their mission objectives.

"After arriving in the Date A Live world, our first task is to locate a suitable area to set up the receiver."

"Once the receiver is operational, we'll perform a spiritron transfer directly to the year when the Spirit of Origin first manifested, and intercept her then."

It was a straightforward operation plan—efficient and designed to avoid entangling themselves in the complex time loops of the Date A Live timeline.

"Understood."

The designated shipgirls, Bulins, and Tohru stood ready at Setsuna's side.

He extended his hand, invoking his power.

[Opening Dimensional Portal: Starsea Alliance → Date A Live World]

A shimmering vortex of twisting, multicolored light materialized before them.

"Follow me!"

Stepping into the portal, Setsuna felt the familiar sensation of weightlessness and dizziness that came with traversing worlds.

...

Twenty minutes later.

Date A Live world, dusk, above Tengu City.

A silver-white starship emerged from the temporal space channel, gliding smoothly into the unfamiliar world.

The ship's design was sleek and graceful, its command bridge emblazoned with a black-and-red eagle standard, while its side bore the hull number C35.

It was the Royal Navy Cruiser Belfast.

By now, interdimensional travel had made starships the preferred mode of transport. No more trekking on foot or squeezing into Gundams for flight.

Belfast activated its optical camouflage, cruising in stealth mode as it scanned the city below.

"Commander, based on sensor data and analysis, this world appears to currently be in the year 2011," Belfast reported.

"Geographically, we are situated between southern Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture of the Japan nation."

"Hmm, the technology level and urban infrastructure here seem similar to that of the Dragon Maid world's human society," she added.

From their vantage point high above, they could see Tengu City nestled within a colossal crater—a remnant of a spatial quake.

When a Spirit manifested from the Neighboring World, it caused violent spatial distortions and massive explosions, obliterating vast stretches of infrastructure.

The city had been built on the ruins left by such a disaster.

"Oh… so these Spirits have the ability to destroy cities? Impressive…"

Formidable estimated Tengu City's area and surmised that the spacequake's power was no small matter.

"This ability is mostly uncontrollable. Just think of it as a natural disaster," Setsuna explained. "As for the Spirits… which ones are active in 2011? Let me think."

At this point, Kotori Itsuka was only six or seven years old. Mukuro Hoshimiya, Yuzuru Yamai, and Miku Izayoi hadn't become Spirits yet. Nia Honjo hadn't been captured by DEM either.

But none of that mattered—the team's target was the Spirit of Origin.

Once they secured Mio Takamiya, the rest of the Spirits could be collected wholesale.

"Find an open area and start preparing the receiver."

"Understood."

Belfast promptly piloted the starship toward the outskirts of the city.

Swoosh—

The starship skimmed low over a dense forest, scanning for a suitable construction site.

The spiritron receiver components had already been fabricated in the capital and could be assembled quickly. To avoid unnecessary complications, they sought a sparsely populated area.

On the bridge, several shipgirls gazed out at the scenery of the new world. Meanwhile, Setsuna took the opportunity to explain the plot of Date A Live, which his companions listened to with fascination.

They marveled at the mystical nature of the Spirits and frequently compared them to the Heroic Spirits and magi of the Type-Moon world, sparking heated debates.

"Who would win in a clash between Sandalphon and Excalibur? Could Jeanne Alter's Noble Phantasm block them?"

"How does Metatron stack up against a positron breaker cannon? If I attacked her from orbit, would that be overkill?"

"Could a hydrogen bomb melt Zadkiel Ice Puppets?"

The myriad absurd questions piqued Setsuna's interest. He began entertaining the idea of organizing a grand cross-world tournament in the base—letting all the "wives," no, ladies, battle it out.

Though, fighters with absurdly broken abilities would have to be excluded.

Amid the lively chatter, Belfast suddenly furrowed her brow.

She tapped on the control panel, activated the radar, and deployed two fighter planes to scout the surrounding area.

"Commander, we have a minor situation," the maid captain reported, tugging Setsuna's sleeve.

"The bioscanner picked up a special target. She appears human but isn't fully identifiable as one…"

"I'm detecting traces of supernatural energy emanating from her."

"Oh?"

Setsuna's interest was piqued.

He hadn't expected to encounter a wild Spirit so soon. If they could bring her onboard, it might save them trouble down the line.

"Where is she?"

"She's approximately 550 meters to the northwest," Belfast said, glancing at the radar.

"Uh… it looks like she's… killing someone?"

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