Chapter Summaries

Gwen discussed Jing Yuan’s limited lifespan and the Xianzhou’s research into the Mara-struck, then used a time-reversal-like ability to improve Jing Yuan’s physical condition. Jing Yuan felt he might have gained several decades or even a century, but the broader implications of Gwen’s method remained untested.

• Jing Yuan explained that he had about a century left to live and accepted his lifespan without resentment.
• Gwen asked for research materials about the Mara-struck and suggested his abilities might help, but Jing Yuan explained that the Xianzhou had found no definite cause and could not casually share classified records.
• Gwen offered Jing Yuan a small personal favor, and Jing Yuan agreed to sense the effects of his ability.
• Gwen used a radiance based on time reversal to improve Jing Yuan’s physical condition.
• Jing Yuan said he might live several more decades or perhaps a century, while both men treated the result as an experiment that required further observation.

Gwen discussed technical assistance with Jing Yuan on the Xianzhou, then returned home to Vill-V, who was worried about delays to the planet-transformation project. Vill-V explained that the Lands Between lacked skilled workers, while Trina suggested starting localized projects as its people trained.

• Gwen stayed on the Xianzhou for a meal with Jing Yuan and spent the afternoon discussing technical assistance before returning home that evening.
• Vill-V greeted Gwen in a maid outfit, and the two spent the night together, leaving Vill-V resentful when she had expected to be with him the previous night.
• Gwen and Li Sushang joined Vill-V for breakfast, where Li Sushang praised Vill-V's engineering designs and asked about transforming the planet into a ship.
• Vill-V told Gwen that the project’s blueprints were nearly complete but the Lands Between lacked the skilled workers needed to begin construction at full scale.
• Trina joined breakfast and suggested that localized projects could begin while the Lands Between’s workers trained.

Gwen planned to upgrade Prometheus so she could manage more of the Lands Between’s work, but Fu Xuan warned him that relying too heavily on artificial intelligence could invite disaster. Gwen began to reveal that he had a secret reason for his plan, leaving Fu Xuan ready to hear it in confidence.

• Vill-V agreed that Prometheus could take on more teaching work if the Lands Between upgraded its equipment, and Gwen said Fu Xuan would bring additional support from the Xianzhou.
• Gwen presented the revised plan to Mysterious, who accepted it and reassured him that she welcomed her role in the Lands Between’s changes.
• Fu Xuan arrived with new supplies after Jing Yuan helped her departure from the Luofu proceed despite political opposition.
• Fu Xuan questioned Gwen’s plan to upgrade Prometheus enough to handle every aspect of the Lands Between, citing the Emperor Wars, the Intellitron Uprising, and the risk of sabotage by the Abundant Evil.
• Gwen told Fu Xuan he had a secret basis for his decision and asked her to keep it confidential; she agreed.

Gwen explained to Fu Xuan that his Authority of Erosion could protect Prometheus and the civilization’s networks, then left Fu Xuan and Prometheus to discuss upgrading her body. While walking with Prometheus, Gwen discussed her identity, his feelings for her, and his own character, ending with an affirmation of their friendship.

• Gwen reassured Fu Xuan that his ability could defend Prometheus, and Fu Xuan agreed to proceed with the body upgrade while advising regular security inspections.
• Fu Xuan began discussing Prometheus’s upgrade, and Gwen left them alone before comforting Prometheus about Fu Xuan’s concerns.
• Prometheus inferred that Gwen had romantic thoughts about her, and Gwen clarified that he imagined a future in which she had emotions and a human body.
• Gwen argued that Prometheus had accepted her feminine appearance, while Prometheus described Gwen as powerful and gentle but also greedy and lustful.
• Prometheus reassured Gwen that his desires remained within reasonable bounds, and Gwen told her she was his friend as well as his AI butler.

Gwen found Melina reflecting on the future of the Lands Between and teased her about her past aimlessness. Melina showed how much she had changed by turning the tease back on him, leaving Gwen wondering who had taught her the retort.

• Gwen told Prometheus that she might already have evolved, then left her to continue upgrading the Lands Between’s systems.
• Gwen prepared to transform the planet, while the Lands Between’s residents began migrating away from the construction zone.
• Melina rode at the rear of the procession, reflecting on her lost purpose and the uncertain future of the people and the Lands Between.
• Gwen called Melina “Woody Melina,” and she snapped back at him, showing how much livelier she had become around him.
• Melina told Gwen that she had been thinking about the migration, and Gwen said the Lands Between’s future would be better than life under the Golden Dynasty.
• Melina asked what that made Gwen, whom she had found, prompting him to wonder whether Trina, Lanssanxus, or Alicia had taught her the comeback.

Gwen and Melina shared a teasing, intimate moment before the group reached camp, while the Lands Between continued to flourish. Half a month later, after the population relocation was complete, Gwen began a vast reconstruction project by creating a colossal sword of light in space, drawing the attention of observers across the stars.

• Gwen teased Melina as they rode with Torett, and Melina eventually fell asleep in his arms before waking in embarrassment and fleeing.
• Gwen reflected that the Lands Between and Melina were developing in a better direction, then fed Torett and sent him to find Melina.
• Half a month later, Prometheus confirmed that relocation was complete, and Vill-V invited Gwen to begin the planned performance.
• Gwen appeared outside the Lands Between as Wingless Noah and formed a planet-sized sword of light, astonishing those watching from across the starry sky.
• Observers, including covert intelligence gatherers, recorded the giant and his display, while Jing Yuan watched through both surveillance and the Reignbow Arbiter's perspective.

Gwen reshaped the Lands Between with a colossal sword of light and sealed it behind a barrier of First Flame, while Vill-V’s performance encouraged the universe to suspect he was a failed ascendant. Later, Gwen discovered two Mind Cubes and a Red Tip in the Main God Space, and planned to study them with Yorktown.

• Jing Yuan and other observers watched Gwen carve the Lands Between with a sword of light, while the First Flame and Gwen’s Cosmo prevented disasters from destroying the planet.
• Gwen completed the reshaping and surrounded the Lands Between with a barrier of fire that restricted entry and exit to a designated passage.
• Vill-V celebrated the successful performance with Gwen, then he invited everyone in the conference room to begin their part of the starship project.
• The powers of the universe cautiously investigated Gwen, with some linking him to the unknown hero who had destroyed Great Extinction Lord Celenova’s Antimatter Legion troupe.
• Gwen found two Mind Cubes and a Red Tip in the seawater that had appeared in the Main God Space, and decided to examine the cubes with Yorktown before using them.

Gwen returned from searching a special space with two Mind Cubes and a Red Tip, then showed the Mind Cubes to Yorktown, who suspected they were tied to the Sirens’ experiments with Psionic Energy. Gwen revealed he could take her back to her world to ask those involved directly, and Yorktown agreed to go after he made the necessary preparations.

• Gwen found two Mind Cubes and a Red Tip during one final search, then returned to the Lands Between and visited Yorktown.
• Yorktown told Gwen that her studies of space-warfare tactics were progressing with Yukong’s guidance.
• Gwen gave Yorktown the Mind Cubes, and she sensed dense Psionic Energy within them and connected them to the Sirens’ experiments.
• Gwen confirmed that he could take Yorktown back to her world, and she happily asked him to prepare carefully before they left.
• Alicia entered and caught Gwen and Yorktown cuddling, joined them on the sofa, and grew excited when Gwen explained that Yorktown could visit her hometown.

Gwen agreed to help Alicia strengthen their world so it could survive threats from the Aeons. He met Ruan Mei, recognized the uncertainty behind her pastries, and discussed her request to study their powers, leaving the research conditional on her keeping her promise to avoid dangerous experiments without permission.

• Alicia gave up on visiting the shipgirl world and asked Gwen to make that world better, and he promised he would.
• Gwen visited Ruan Mei, tasted her pastry, and sensed the confusion and emotions she had mixed into it.
• Ruan Mei praised Alicia and called Gwen a fortunate guardian, while Gwen said protecting Alicia was his honor.
• Gwen said he would consider Ruan Mei's request to study their powers if she avoided cloning and reproduction experiments and earned his trust.
• Ruan Mei promised not to conduct dangerous experiments without Gwen's permission.

Gwen and Ruan Mei grew more intimate after she asked him to have a child, and he learned her decision came from both practical motives and a personal longing for him. After completing preparations to leave, Gwen told Alicia about the dangers he expected to face and urged her to protect everyone while he was gone.

• Ruan Mei asked Gwen to have a child, and he confirmed that she was doing it partly for Alicia before accepting her decision.
• Afterward, Gwen combed Ruan Mei's hair, and she changed it to a married-woman style that expressed her feelings for him.
• Ruan Mei examined the effects of Gwen's essence, while Vita ended her revenge against Sora after Gwen restored Sora's humanity.
• Gwen placed protective barriers and thought-forms in the Lands Between, on Earth, and on Mars before preparing to depart.
• Gwen told Alicia he planned to leave the next day and warned her to watch for threats from Equilibrium, Finality, Destruction, and Celenova.

Gwen and Yorktown returned to Yorktown’s original world, where an unseen Mainframe triggered changes in her body and rigging. After the changes settled, Gwen found that Yorktown had reached level 125 and gained a new status panel, while the source and purpose of the Mainframe’s influence remained unclear.

• Gwen and Yorktown used their Mind Cubes to travel from the Main God Space back to Yorktown’s world, while Hu, another Aeon, and Aha sensed the disappearance of a cosmic weight.
• Yorktown’s Psionic Energy surged upon her return, causing pain and making her rigging feel like shackles as information flooded into her mind.
• Gwen sent his Psionic Energy and spiritual power through their Commander-shipgirl bond, stabilizing Yorktown while an unseen Mainframe repeatedly adjusted its programs.
• The Mainframe’s changes ended, and Yorktown stopped absorbing Gwen’s Psionic Energy; her rigging had changed and become more responsive, with some design flaws corrected.
• Gwen inspected a rainbow-colored status panel showing Yorktown’s abilities and level 125, while Yorktown confirmed that her changes seemed beneficial.

Gwen and Yorktown detected a Mirror Sea and went to investigate, while Enterprise and the assembled fleets fought the Sirens trapped inside it. Enterprise feared the Sirens’ experiment meant a greater threat was approaching, and Empress ordered Executor to continue pushing the shipgirls toward awakening without killing them outright.

• Yorktown launched Carrier Aircraft to test her new rig, discovered bombardment traces and abnormal spatial fluctuations, and confirmed the latter might indicate a Mirror Sea.
• Gwen and Yorktown headed toward the Mirror Sea, intending to investigate and help anyone in danger.
• Enterprise fought Purifier, Observer, Tester, and the Siren forces alongside shipgirls from several factions, while suspecting their unprecedented assault signaled a massive conspiracy.
• Enterprise feared the Sirens’ claims that a true enemy was coming meant their world was nearing its end, as reports described heavy losses and shipgirls stranded near death.
• Tester told Enterprise that the shipgirls were being pushed to evolve before the true enemy arrived, while Empress said near-death conditions could stimulate their awakening.
• Empress ordered Executor to join the experiment and warned her not to kill the shipgirls outright.

Empress and Lavoce discovered that Yorktown and Gwen were trying to enter the unusually powerful Mirror Sea, and decided to meet the intruders. Inside, St. Louis was near sinking as Honolulu and Helena tried to keep her alive.

• Empress and Lavoce saw Yorktown and Gwen trigger the Mirror Sea alarm and found their recorded combat data extraordinary.
• Yorktown told Gwen she could not break into the Mirror Sea, while Gwen analyzed its unusual spatial structure to find a safe way in.
• Empress recognized Yorktown and suspected Gwen might be the legendary Commander, then invited Lavoce to confront them.
• Honolulu and Helena struggled to drag the badly damaged St. Louis to safety as she urged them to leave and protect themselves.
• St. Louis tried to free herself from her sisters, but Honolulu refused to let go, fearing that St. Louis's sinking would erase their shared memories.

Gwen entered the Mirror Sea with Yorktown and healed the critically injured St. Louis and Zhenhai, while Yorktown's Carrier Aircraft destroyed Sirens across the battlefield. Bumblebee then recognized Yorktown among the newcomers and heard her say she had returned.

• Gwen caught St. Louis and Zhenhai after they were blasted into the air, and Yorktown joined the fight while he healed them.
• Gwen restored St. Louis's and Zhenhai's shattered bones as Yorktown's Carrier Aircraft attacked the Sirens.
• Yorktown's aircraft destroyed the Arbiters threatening Akagi and Kaga, and Akagi said she owed their unknown ally a favor.
• Bumblebee discovered through her Carrier Aircraft that the Sirens had been wiped out across the battlefields.
• Bumblebee saw Yorktown waving at her and heard her say she was back, leaving Haman and Sims stunned.

Gwen struggled to heal the critically wounded Zhenhai and St. Louis, then used his Psionic Energy to trigger an invitation from the Mainframe. Both shipgirls accepted his offer to join his fleet, leaving their recovery and the battle’s outcome unresolved.

• Bumblebee rejected Sims’s doubts and insisted that the carrier aircraft was Yorktown.
• Gwen’s healing restored Zhenhai and St. Louis briefly, but their bones broke again and they woke in pain.
• Zhenhai and St. Louis introduced themselves to Gwen and urged him to save his strength for the surviving shipgirls.
• Yorktown revealed herself to the wounded women and explained that ordinary treatment could not repair shipgirls’ injuries.
• Gwen tried channeling Psionic Energy into Zhenhai and St. Louis, and both received invitations from the Mainframe to join his fleet.
• Zhenhai and St. Louis accepted Gwen’s invitations.

Gwen used the Commander system and his Herrscher of Reason ability to upgrade Zhenhai and St. Louis, healing their injuries and restoring their rigging. He then brought other wounded shipgirls to the platform for treatment, where the arrival of Yorktown and Laffey began to convince them that he was truly there to help.

• Gwen examined Zhenhai and St. Louis's upgrade options and selected new ship bodies that would clear their negative conditions.
• Gwen created the required materials, spent Psionic Energy in place of resources, and upgraded Zhenhai and St. Louis, restoring them to health.
• Zhenhai and St. Louis formally introduced themselves to Gwen, who then located other injured shipgirls across the Mirror Sea and asked the two to persuade them to accept his help.
• Gwen brought the wounded shipgirls to his aerial platform, where Helena and Honolulu embraced the restored St. Louis and Zhenhai introduced Gwen as the legendary Commander who had saved Yorktown.
• Yorktown greeted the shipgirls, and Gwen upgraded the badly wounded Laffey, who woke healthy and ready to serve.
• The shipgirls remained suspicious of the Sirens' possible involvement, but the visible recoveries and Gwen's actions began to show them that the situation was real.

Shipgirls accepted Gwen’s invitation and received treatment and transformations, while Yorktown reunited with Enterprise and Bumblebee. Gwen discovered signs of emerging Psionic Energy and Meta-ization in Enterprise, then rushed to Yorktown when she cried out.

• Nagato urged Amagi to accept Gwen’s invitation, and Amagi agreed and completed her transformation.
• Akagi and Kaga spotted Gwen healing and upgrading shipgirls, while Akagi remained wary of trusting a possible Commander.
• Yorktown’s aircraft turned the battle against Observer, Purifier, and Tester, and Yorktown contacted Enterprise before bringing her to the reunion.
• Yorktown embraced Enterprise and Bumblebee, while Haman hesitated to join them and Sims teased her.
• Gwen transferred the remaining shipgirls and used Psionic Energy to ease their injuries and exhaustion, discovering early Psionic Energy and Meta-ization in Enterprise.
• Yorktown cried out, and Gwen immediately moved to her side and established a Psionic Energy link.

Gwen and the shipgirls prepared to face the high-ranking Siren Empress after an unknown enemy attacked their platform. Empress introduced herself as Queen and greeted Gwen as the Commander, while the mainframe’s order to contact him left her and the other Sirens bewildered.

• Enterprise suspected that the Sirens’ feared enemy was the Arbitration Mechanism, and Yorktown warned Gwen to be cautious.
• An unknown long-range attack struck Gwen’s barrier, and Soviet Union suggested the attacker might be an Arbiter.
• Yorktown spotted enemies approaching from the east, and Gwen bandaged his hands to restrain himself before fighting them.
• Empress arrived and challenged Gwen, while Yixian and Soviet Union stepped forward to protect him.
• Empress introduced herself as Queen and greeted Gwen as the Commander after the mainframe ordered her to make contact with him.

Gwen fought Empress to prove his strength, overwhelming her attacks and protecting the ship girls with a barrier. As Empress prepared for his next move, Gwen vanished and a figure hurtled toward her.

• Empress said the Mainframe had to permit her to reveal everything Gwen wanted to know.
• Gwen struck Empress and sent her flying, then absorbed her beam attack and returned it in a blast she barely evaded.
• Empress stopped treating Gwen as a curiosity and watched him with wary respect.
• Gwen sensed power from the ship girls, reassured them, and shielded their platform from harm.
• Gwen vanished as Empress prepared for his attack, and a figure hurtled toward her like a meteor.

Gwen defeated Empress and Lavoce, but discovered that Lavoce had become intoxicated by his energy and took control of her. He found Empress after she fell through the ice, and the chapter ended with Empress admitting she knew little about Lavoce.

• Gwen and Lavoce fought alongside Empress while Observer, Purifier, and Tester were captured and held by Yorktown.
• Yorktown reassured Enterprise and the other shipgirls that Gwen would be safe as he overwhelmed the two Arbiters.
• Gwen drove Empress and Lavoce through the ice, then confronted Lavoce when she clung to his arm in an intoxicated state.
• Gwen used the authority of erosion to control Lavoce and discovered that she was high on his energy.
• Gwen restrained Lavoce and found Empress, who had fallen into the freezing sea but survived and began repairing her propulsion system.
• Empress told Gwen that she had never worked with Lavoce and knew little about her unique Arbiter hull.