Crossover Shipgirls: Building a Dimensional Empire from Scratch

Boom!

The starship in the sky unleashed another barrage on the ground.

Facing the most powerful Heroic Spirit they had encountered so far, Yat Sen, Formidable, and Belfast directed every weapon they had at his face.

Plasma siege cannons, space missiles, torpedoes—every piece of armament equipped to the starships poured relentless firepower onto the target below.

The resulting spectacle was a dazzling fireworks display, with explosions lighting up the area and dense smoke billowing into the sky.

"Divine Ancestor..."

Nero collapsed onto the ground, her expression dazed.

"Why is he here..."

"Could it be that I was wrong? Should I, no, should we be standing alongside him and the emperors of Rome's past?"

Bonk!

Setsuna knocked on Nero's head.

"Stop talking nonsense. Romulus appearing in this Singularity is purely because the Holy Grail system was intentionally bugged."

"Do you really think he'd want to destroy humanity?!"

Based on his alignment, Romulus was a Chaotic Neutral Heroic Spirit—far more just than someone like Jeanne Alter, who thrived on destruction.

"Then why are we fighting him like this?..."

Nero hesitated, finding it difficult to bring herself to strike at her founding ancestor.

Her reverence for Romulus was instinctive, akin to the way any monarch would hold their dynasty's founding emperor in awe.

"You can just watch. We'll take care of him," Setsuna replied.

"Anyway, my capital is in Constantinople. I'm also Rome, and my technology is far more advanced than yours."

"So this is an internal Roman civil war now."

As he finished speaking, Roman's voice suddenly came through over the comms.

A holographic interface popped up, and his face was filled with concern.

"I'm detecting massive magical energy surges in this era! What's happening?!"

"Are you all okay?!"

"Huh?"

Setsuna and Gudako looked at the long-missing Roman with confusion.

"Yeah... we're fine," Setsuna replied.

"We just defeated Leonidas and are now beating up the Roman Founder. Uh, we just don't know where Lev ran off with the Holy Grail."

"I'll send out some recon drones and scan the area again—"

"Wait, Commander! There's something happening below!"

Yat Sen suddenly interrupted their conversation.

On the ground, a faint golden shield had appeared around Romulus, blocking the relentless bombardment from the sky.

Behind him stood a familiar figure—a man in a green coat and magical hat, his face twisted into a crazed grin.

Lev Lainur.

Lev was clutching the Holy Grail, pouring magical energy into it while glaring at the three starships above.

"Ah... I... I remember now. Back in France, it was you who ruined everything..."

"Ritsuka Fujimaru! Do you think that by summoning strange contraptions, you can stop me?!"

"Bear witness to the most powerful Heroic Spirit of this era and the end of the world!"

Whoosh!

Under Lev's magic, the Holy Grail began to float in the air before slowly merging with Romulus.

The aura around Romulus grew even more powerful. The previously weathered brass of his armor began to shimmer with a golden radiance.

"What the hell?! What are you doing?!"

Setsuna was stunned.

Using the Holy Grail to cast protective magic and block the starship's attacks was understandable.

But using it to power up the Roman Founder?!

According to the original storyline, Lev was supposed to summon a Demon God Pillar, get beaten, and then summon the King of Destruction, Altera.

But now, the plot had completely collapsed the moment Setsuna arrived.

Back in Orléans, Jeanne Alter had brought out Mordred.

And now Lev was skipping steps altogether, opting to use the Holy Grail to buff Romulus directly.

"I am Rome."

"The Holy Grail… yes, the day will inevitably come when the Grail becomes part of Rome."

Under the influence of the Holy Grail, Romulus radiated an aura akin to a Golden Saint.

Clad in golden armor, wielding a mighty spear, he stood tall and imposing.

He had initially shown little interest in the conflicts among Roman emperors. To him, figures like Caesar and Nero were no different from his children.

But after encountering Setsuna, his interest was piqued.

The Roman Empire had expanded its borders by conquering countless foreign tribes. The prospect of encountering another world's civilization intrigued him greatly.

"Surrender, lead your kingdom to submit to me, and become part of Rome," Romulus declared, pointing his spear at Setsuna from afar.

"I'm just here to clear a Singularity, and someone wants to start a vassalage war with me?!"

Setsuna stared at this fanatical Roman Founder, twitching at the corners of his mouth.

He was used to subjugating others; being declared a vassal was a first.

"Rome is the world, and the world is Rome."

"Per Aspera Ad Astra—Our Arms Cut a Path Across the Universe!"

"Roma!!!"

Seeing Setsuna's refusal, Romulus chanted in Latin, spreading his arms wide as he levitated into the air.

Golden light emanated from his hands, and behind him appeared an enormous golden halo, several kilometers in diameter.

As the halo slowly rotated, millions of golden spears made of pure energy materialized and launched toward the three starships in the sky.

The sheer intensity of the attack dwarfed even the fabled Gate of Babylon.

"Retreat!"

At Setsuna's command, Formidable and Belfast recalled their ship forms and leapt back aboard the Yat Sen-class starship.

Setsuna activated a Command Spell, and Jeanne d'Arc deployed her Noble Phantasm, planting the flag of Fleur-de-lis on the ship's bridge.

"Luminosité Eternelle—God is Here With Me"

Under the enhancement of the Command Spell, a shimmering white shield enveloped the entire starship.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of energy spears crashing against the shield echoed continuously.

The barrage was relentless, like a tempest striking with unyielding ferocity.

Jeanne d'Arc gripped her war flag tightly, her body trembling slightly. The sheer force of the assault was evident.

"Master, what is this?…"

Artoria seemed momentarily bewildered.

Compared to the might of Romulus, her Excalibur felt almost trivial.

"…"

"This is a five-star Founder's Anti-Planet Noble Phantasm."

Setsuna's expression was complicated.

With the Holy Grail's power, Romulus now exhibited a trace of divinity.

Even the Noble Phantasm of a Grand Lancer class was now within his grasp.

Fortunately, this was merely a strength-enhanced version of Romulus—not his full demigod form.

"Commander, what do we do now?"

The shipgirls turned to him.

"I've got thick armor; I should be able to hold out."

"But hiding under Jeanne's Noble Phantasm isn't a long-term solution. Shall I give it a try?"

Formidable stepped forward, volunteering.

Under the amplification of the Holy Grail, Romulus's Noble Phantasm displayed terrifying power. However, Formidable, being an armored carrier, felt she could test its might.

"…"

Setsuna glanced at Romulus, who floated mid-air in all his glory, exuding overwhelming force. After a brief contemplation, he extended his hand toward Artoria.

"Lend me your sword."

"Huh?"

The bewildered King of Knights still materialized Excalibur and handed it to Setsuna.

"Master, what are you planning to do?"

"Counter his attack."

Setsuna's explanation was concise.

"If this guy fully absorbs the Holy Grail, turning into a demigod Grand Servant, things will get messy…"

"So we need to take him down now."

"How?"

Gudako watched him, eyes wide with curiosity.

"We'll destroy him and the Holy Grail together. That will solve the Singularity."

"And I just happen to need a proper weapon."

Standing on the highest point of the starship's bridge, Setsuna held Artoria's holy sword and tapped into the energy of the Wisdom Cube.

He prepared to execute a move that seemed basic on the surface but carried immense destructive power.

Mana Burst.

While Setsuna couldn't unleash Excalibur's true potential like Artoria could, he could channel external energy into the sword, producing an output that exceeded even the Excalibur beam.

The holy sword served as an ideal conduit, amplifying the energy release.

Hum—

Behind him appeared a towering Gundam over 20 meters tall, perfectly mirroring his movements. Both the mech and Setsuna raised the glowing sword in unison.

Under the infusion of external mana, the blade extended several times its original length, now radiating a vivid blue light.

"Fascinating…"

Romulus observed with interest.

"Is that your Noble Phantasm? How intriguing…"

"Are you a Servant? No… then how are you wielding such power?"

As Romulus studied him curiously, Setsuna swung the sword with all his might.

Whoosh—

A torrent of blue energy surged forward, slicing through the sky directly toward the Roman progenitor.

Without hesitation, Romulus retaliated. From the golden halo behind him, an even greater number of golden spears launched, forming a radiant river in the air.

The two energy torrents collided mid-air, detonating in a spectacular explosion that lit up the sky like a grand fireworks display.

After the initial clash, Setsuna maneuvered the Gundam into position, continuously drawing power from the Wisdom Cube and converting it into mana to sustain his assault.

The Divine Ancestor fearlessly countered, projecting spears from his golden halo in response.

The two clashed fiercely in midair, alternating between close combat and ranged energy duels.

Their battle filled the sky with booming clashes and dazzling flashes.

"You... are strong! Truly Roman!!!"

The Divine Ancestor roared as he faced the towering Gundam before him.

In this world, he rarely encountered an opponent capable of engaging him in one-on-one combat. Though Setsuna's techniques were unconventional, their power was undeniable.

"Well then, could you kindly hurry up and die?!"

Setsuna launched another relentless assault. Fighting an elite Servant enhanced by the Holy Grail proved to be as grueling as expected.

"Whoa..."

The spectacular exchange of attacks left the spectators awestruck.

None of them had ever seen a Servant battle escalate to such levels.

If nothing else, the visuals were breathtaking—golden and blue fireworks continuously exploded in the air, lighting up the battlefield like a grand festival.

"I mean... shouldn't you guys be doing something?"

"Are we just here to watch the commander show off?"

Gudako nudged the stunned fleet girls.

The trio snapped out of their daze.

"Oh, right! He never said it was a one-on-one duel, did he? We've got numbers on our side!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Hundreds of spacecraft launched from the closed hangars, soaring into the air.

[Air Support Ready]

Locking onto the target, they unleashed relentless firepower against the Divine Ancestor.

Meanwhile, Yat Sen and Belfast joined the assault, bombarding Romulus with long-range artillery fire.

"???"

Romulus, who had been locked in an even duel with Setsuna moments before, suddenly found himself under attack from all directions.

Caught off guard by the overwhelming assault, he faltered briefly amidst the barrage.

Bang!

Boom!

Setsuna seized the opportunity, closing the distance.

Ducking under a volley of attacks, he pressed the holy sword against Romulus's chest.

"Farewell."

Boom—

A surge of blue energy erupted from the sword, completely piercing through the Divine Ancestor.

Both his physical form and the Holy Grail within him disintegrated in an explosive burst, scattering into countless fragments of starlight that descended upon the earth.

"Kh…"

Romulus clicked his tongue, his voice faint but clear as he muttered:

"I must admit... for now, you are... the more Roman..."

"..."

"Why does that final line sound so familiar...?"

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