"What is this? A doll?"
Himeko looked at the cabbage-headed chibi sitting on the console.
"That's Ai-chan, the battleship's AI. She's responsible for the daily maintenance of the ship, and for stealing electricity."
"I am not! I didn't! Boss, how can you slander my innocence out of thin air!"
The holographic chibi with green cabbage-shaped hair jumped up and down on the console in anger, her small hands on her hips.
"Ai-chan is the most hardworking, smartest, and greatest AI on the Hyperion! I maintain this ship day and night, and you actually say I steal electricity in front of a guest! My heart is breaking!"
Aidan slowly walked to the console and reached out to tap the cabbage head.
"You're right, but how much of my electricity have you stolen?"
"Does this battleship have any super powerful weapons? Like the kind of laser cannon that can shoot right through a star with a 'pew'?"
March 7th reached out to poke the Ai-chan chibi.
Ai-chan's small body wobbled from March 7th's poke, her little hands waving wildly in the air.
"Don't poke! Don't poke! I'm falling! I'm falling! Aiyah!"
The holographic chibi fell onto her bottom on the console.
"Dear guest! Although Ai-chan is a hologram, she still has dignity!"
March 7th's eyes brightened even more: "Wow, she even gets angry! So cute!"
"I am the number one idol of the Hyperion!" Ai-chan climbed up and patted her clothes. "Ai-chan is very capable!"
"Yes, Ai-chan is very capable."
"Capable... well, it's not that I can't be."
?
"Idol?" March 7th tilted her head, looking the tiny holographic chibi up and down. Cabbage-like hair, big round eyes.
"Ai-chan is the face of the Hyperion! A popular idol! A shining star!"
"But you were just accused of stealing electricity."
"That's slander! Pure slander!" Ai-chan's face turned red. "Boss just loves bringing that up all day! I only... only borrowed a tiny bit of power to maintain my cute image as the number one idol! It's a necessary expenditure!"
"Actually, she's not the number one idol," Aidan spoke up. "Ai-chan and an acquaintance of Mr. Welt both lost to Raven."
"Boss, please don't bring up sore subjects! That doesn't count! That definitely doesn't count!"
Ai-chan jumped in front of Aidan, pointing and gesturing wildly.
"Face it, Ai-chan. Sometimes admitting defeat is also part of an idol's cultivation."
"I'm not listening! I'm not listening! Ai-chan is the number one idol! The eternal number one idol!"
Ai-chan covered her ears and started rolling around on the console, looking exactly like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.
"By the way, I have something on my ship that Mr. Welt won't be able to refuse: a decisive weapon."
Unable to refuse.
Welt instantly perked up.
Aidan understood him well; Welt knew this.
But Welt was, after all, someone who had weathered many storms. He quickly suppressed his anticipation, pushed up his glasses, and spoke in a 'just asking' tone.
"What type of decisive weapon?"
"You'll know when you see it." Aidan turned and walked toward the back of the bridge. "Ai-chan, open the armory."
The lights in the corridor lit up one by one as they walked. Cold white light strips extended along the silver-gray metal walls. March 7th walked in the middle, her eyes never resting as she looked left and right.
Pshhh—
Accompanied by the sound of releasing air pressure, the heavy doors slid open to both sides.
What appeared before everyone's eyes was an incredibly vast space.
Dense rows of lighting arrays were arranged on the ceiling, and in the very center of the armory stood a massive humanoid mecha.
It stood there silently, its massive mechanical head lowered. Although the monitors at its eyes were dark, it still possessed an unimaginable sense of pressure.
Arahato
"If Mr. Yang doesn't mind me using your idea." Aidan stood at the foot of the mecha, looking up at the massive mechanical head. "To be precise, it's an improved model of Arahato. The original design concept was yours, and I made some... uh, optimizations on that basis."
"Of course I don't mind."
Observing from up close, one could indeed see the differences from the original.
"Um..." March 7th looked at the motionless Welt and poked Himeko with some concern. "Is Mr. Yang so happy that he's gone into a daze?"
"No," Himeko said softly. "He's restraining himself."
"Restraining?"
"Restraining himself from jumping up and piloting it right now."
Sure enough, in the next second, Welt took a deep breath and turned to look at Aidan.
"Aidan, this mecha... can I go up and take a look?"
Although he used an inquiring tone, the longing in his eyes was almost overflowing.
"Of course, but are you really going to miss my other decisive weapon?"
"The other one..."
Welt's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
He remained in a half-turned posture, his gaze switching back and forth between the improved Arahato in front of him and the direction Aidan was pointing. His expression was like a child told he could only choose one of two toys.
"Mr. Yang's expression is so funny."
『PLAMAX Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder』
Another massive white mechanical humanoid weapon had large wing-like armor unfolding from its back and shoulders; in terms of coolness, it was not inferior to Arahato.
"God-Slaying Weapon - Divine Zeus, born as the '12th God-Slaying Spear' and humanity's last hope."
The chuunibyou soul from the depths of Welt's soul—or rather, a man's romance—was completely ignited at this moment. Any sense of composure or elder's dignity was thrown completely out the window.
"Panoramic cockpit, and it can automatically adjust the interface according to the pilot's habits... Mr. Yang, you can pilot both of them."
Aidan whispered like a devil.
"Ahem, well... since you put it that way, then I'll... give it a little try?"
Welt ultimately could not resist the temptation.
Oh, how embarrassing!
The four of them watched Welt's excitement and silently gave him some space.
After all, a man must keep his boyish heart until the day he dies.
"Let's go, give Mr. Yang some happy alone time." Aidan turned and led the others toward another corridor. "This is the living area. Although no one is staying here now, all the facilities are complete."
Passing through the living area, they arrived at the core area of the battleship.
"This is the Hyperion's energy center."
A massive cylindrical device quietly provided power in the energy center.
Himeko's gaze swept over the complex pipes and instrument panels. "The energy consumption of this ship must be huge, right? How did you solve the supply problem?"
Aidan pointed to a number.
"See that number?"
"I see it. What is it?"
"Each number represents a destroyed World Bubble. The Hyperion's energy comes from the cores of those World Bubbles that are about to dissipate. They act as the energy source to support its operation. For now at least, the Hyperion's energy is inexhaustible."