While the command base was erupting in argument, Glowworm was busy pinching Hikaru's cheeks as she clung to him like a kitten.
A few staff members in the distance seemed to be pointing and whispering in their direction, but Hikaru wasn't exactly thin-skinned—he kept a straight face and calmly endured the looks from all sides.
To be honest, as someone who once lived by the sword, Hikaru was still completely unaccustomed to being close to girls, let alone little girls. His whole body was stiff.
But to Glowworm, the boy in front of her was the commander she had longed for day and night—the one she loved with 100% affection. The one she'd cried herself awake over in countless dreams, after he abandoned her.
Glowworm might be the embodiment of fearless courage, but that courage came from the best commander in the world—her commander. Without him, she was just a little girl afraid of the dark.
"So this is what Commander looks like… Glowworm couldn't quite remember. Just the double eyelids, the little mole between your brows, and the scar on your finger. Commander, you're so handsome!"
It wasn't until Glowworm had finished curiously squishing his cheeks and hands—and was about to move on to his chest—that Hikaru gently stopped her and asked about the situation at the command base.
"When you disappeared, Commander, we were all terrified. You've vanished before, but this time felt different… like you were never coming back. The big sisters thought it was some scheme by the Abyssals. They went mad—launched sorties everywhere, searched every sea zone, even captured Abyssal Yamato, Abyssal Tirpitz, Abyssal Shoukaku and Zuikaku, even Abyssal Kamikaze. They dragged entire Abyssal fortresses back and interrogated them."
"So many times, the sisters nearly sank. But there was never any trace of you. In the end, the base ran out of all resources. The others wanted to dismantle their gear for more supplies, but Lexington-onee-san stopped them. She said, 'We can't leave Commander with an empty home.'"
Hikaru understood. Based on Glowworm's words, his disappearance had coincided with the moment of his last battle in the previous world, when he fell into the sea of stars.
He'd reincarnated as a newborn and arrived in this world thousands of years later. No wonder to them, it must have felt exactly like death.
As for why the in-game command base had manifested in reality… Hikaru could only guess. Maybe the phone that held the game had undergone some sort of transformation during his final battle. Even he couldn't imagine the scale of such a force—it was beyond comprehension.
"And after that?" Hikaru asked.
"After that, even the whole world started to disappear. The sea zones shrank. The Abyssals vanished. Only the base and the waters nearby remained. Everything beyond turned to chaos."
"We couldn't find you. The sisters went from bickering every day to becoming numb and despondent. One by one, they fell into long sleeps and only rarely woke again. Even Repulse stopped cleaning the base… only Renown kept working. She said, 'If Commander returns, he must see the best base we can offer.'"
Renown and Repulse—sisters, and respectively head maid and assistant maid of the base. Game lore had it that Repulse's motivation came from being close to the Commander. So with him gone, it made sense she had no drive left. Renown, on the other hand, was known for her strength of spirit.
In fact, during the early days of the game, Renown had been hailed as a war god—resolving every problem with flair. The harsher the situation, the more she shone.
The trouble now was, Hikaru didn't yet have feelings for Glowworm. But she was right here, clinging to him with real, undeniable affection.
Was he going to trample on that?
He looked down. Glowworm was gazing up at him with big, tearful eyes.
"Commander… you won't leave again, will you? Glowworm is scared. Ever since you left, no one laughed anymore… even Tirpitz onee-san turned cold. Please, don't leave us again…"
She held his hand gently, her voice soft with a trembling hope.
To a child like her, losing the Commander must have felt like the sky was falling—or something even worse.
It hadn't been Hikaru's intention, but looking into her eyes, he still felt a stab of guilt.
He thought of Tirpitz—his favorite shipgirl. Even after countless stronger shipgirls were released in the late game, she had always worn his best gear, his highest medals.
That girl had always been gentle, a soft-spoken shut-in who loved reading her sister's doujinshi. In the game, her character arc had been triggered by the death of her sister, Bismarck—an overnight transformation into strength.
What hurt more, her sister's death, or the Commander's disappearance? Either way, it must have devastated her.
Why had he liked her so much? Probably because he saw himself in her.
Tirpitz, the real-world ship Northern Queen was based on, had been called the Lonely Queen of the North—Bismarck-class battleship #2. During WWII, she had remained in Norway's northern fjords as a deterrent to the Royal Navy. She'd endured over 600 bombing runs and mini-sub attacks before finally sinking in harbor.
In-game, Northern Queen was an ultra-rare drop. Hikaru had spent everything he had to build her. And the moment her affection hit max, he married her. She'd been his flagship ever since.
Now, she was a real girl, walking and breathing in this world. Just the thought of it made Hikaru's heart race.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, then gently picked up Glowworm in his arms and rubbed his cheek against hers.
"I won't leave again. I promise."
Glowworm laughed through her tears, nuzzling his cheek. "Commander is the best! Glowworm and Commander will never be apart again!"
As the two cuddled like a cat and its owner, a sudden cough interrupted them.
Standing nearby, proud as a rooster, was Fatty—Saito Takao. And beside him stood an East Asian girl with long black hair.
No need to ask—this was the shipgirl he had just constructed.
Hikaru gave a light smile. "This is?"
The shipgirl stepped forward and introduced herself with poise. "Greetings. I am the lead ship of the Myoukou-class heavy cruisers, assigned to the Fifth Squadron—Myoukou."
Myoukou, huh? Hikaru felt a little awkward. She had never been in his port. His rule had always been simple: either the ship was powerful, or he loved her.
And who did he love? Cute ships, of course—like child versions of Tirpitz or Rodney. Adorable loli types.
Myoukou had neither power nor cuteness. But now, standing before him, she was gorgeous.
In the real world, every shipgirl was stunning. They were, after all, the embodiment of humanity's hopes and ideals—how could they not be beautiful?
Saito grinned so hard his gums showed. "She might only be a three-star rare blue-tier shipgirl, but she's still a heavy cruiser! Historically, Myoukou achieved quite a bit too!"
Myoukou snorted. "Commander, using so-called rarity to objectify living shipgirls—don't you think that's a bit small-minded?"