OVER THE HORIZON

Oh no, Captain,

not like that. ♥

Your seatbelt is all wrong. ★

After it clicks perfectly into place... ♥

To make it tight...

You gotta pull it. ♥

Oh, I'm sorry!

Does it hurt? ♥

Here, let me loosen it up a little. ★

Hey! Quit being so handsy with the Commander, would you?

Are you all right, Commander? I heard you cry out in pain just now...

Huh? What are you all doing here?

Your assigned seats are in another area. ★

Who gives a flying crap about assigned seats right now?!

Yeah, exactly!

We wanna sit beside Master too!

Is everything okay, Commander?

Yes.

It doesn't happen often,

but on rare occasions—specialized missions,

large-scale surface reclamation ops,

urgent emergency support for other squads—

we need to travel using transport aircraft.

To prepare for these situations, the Central Government

has the Over the Horizon Squad provide basic flight theory lessons and in-flight safety training.

Looks like we've been selected for it this time.

It's far from our most common mode of transportation,

but we might end up having to take to the skies in an emergency.

So there's no harm in beefing up our knowledge beforehand.

I believe you've gone through this training before, haven't you, Commander?

Oh yeah, Rapi is right.

Come to think of it, you've been on a transport plane before, right?

Though it didn't exactly end well...

??

Did something happen?

It's a long story.

I'll tell you some other time.

...?

Do you remember anything from your training then?

Oh...

Well, this is the perfect opportunity to relearn it!

That's right.

Our class will also include practical training, such as emergency formations we can utilize inside the aircraft,

so there should be new material, even for someone like yourself who's been through this before.

In one week.

Welcome, Counters Squad!

So happy you're here for flight training!

Wowzers!

Woohoo!

Whoa...

!!

W-wow!

You're so enthusiastic!

I've never seen anyone react like this before!

I'm... *Sniff*... totally touched!

!!

Uh... Are you crying?

That was enough to get the waterworks started? She must be really emotional.

Cielo!

Haha, I'm glad you're so happy, but how about taking a moment to introduce yourself? ♥

O-oh my gosh!

Sorry! I can't believe I did that...!

Hi, everyone! I'm Cielo from the Over the Horizon Squad!

I'm Sora, a fellow crew member, and... Eh?

Oh wow, look who it is! ♡

Fancy seeing you here, Captain. ☆

So, you're finally here for training?

Hehe, it's been a while, Captain! ♥

I've been thinking about those wonderful days we had together,

and eagerly waiting for the day we'd meet again! ♥

!!

!!

S-Sora...? What do you mean by that?!

Hehe, we share a verrrry special memory that only we know about. Right, Captain? ♥

... Ugh, somehow I've got a feeling that today's gonna be a long day.

... Me too.

Why? What's going on?

Don't you worry your pretty little head about it.

I-I'm a bit curious myself...

What are you all doing standing in the hallway?

Oh, Sky!

Well, you see, Sora...

Save it for later.

It's time for training.

Already?

Sorry, Sky. ★ I got so excited seeing the Captain that I completely lost track of time and kept chatting away.

Hello, passengers. I'm Sky, leader of the Over the Horizon Squad and a pilot.

It's time for your training, so shall we all head inside?

All right.

Let's go, Commander.

Sora, please show them the way.

All righty! ★

Now then, shall we have our lovely passengers come in one by one?

While the Over the Horizon Squad is responsible for aerial combat,

there's actually a secret mission we've been assigned that no one knows about!

Curious? Wanna hear more?

Hehe. ♥

Because I want to be close to you!

...

... Ahem.

Um... Hey, everyone? You're all listening, right?

Uh, y-yeah! We're listening!

Yes, teacher!

T-teacher...?

*Sniff* Such touching words...!

Cielo, please. You're in public.

!!

Oh, right! Ahem!

To continue,

our ultimate goal is...

to find the legendary aircraft!

Yeah!

It's an aircraft that was used in the 1st Rapture Invasion

and it's called Wings of Victory!

Wings of Victory...?

Cool name!

Yeah, super cool!

Right?! I see that you all have good taste! I've always felt the same way.

But...

Right now, we're not able to take on missions to find that, sadly.

Why's that?

Isn't an aerial search way easier than searching from the ground?

Well...

That's because of the Tyrant-class Rapture, Storm Bringer.

Going up against it with just a transport ship is basically a suicide mission.

Unless it is a huge, fully armed airship like Wings of Victory that was used in the past,

there is almost no chance of winning.

That's why flight missions are usually limited to areas without anti-air weaponry,

and even then, flight time is capped at around an hour max.

At higher speeds, the engine noise gets too loud to hide,

so we can't move as fast as we would like.

Basically, proper search missions have become impossible.

So, right now,

our squad's main job is to provide support for resource-gathering squads.

We help make sure all the stuff they find gets safely transported back without any trouble.

That's still pretty darn cool!

!!

Wow, today... I've heard so many things for the first time! I'm really happy that there are people who appreciate what we do!

Lately, there have been cases where the amount of resources found on the surface

and the amount that actually arrives at the Ark after inspection don't match up,

and that's been really upsetting me.

Yeah, that's right.

Like I said earlier, since our flight time is limited,

we don't really have enough time on the surface to get an exact count of the resources.

So there are sometimes tiny differences, like a missing item or two.

This time was pretty much the same.

But the thing is, the gatherers actually confirmed that all the stuff they found was there and accounted for.

Huh? But why would that be a problem?

Isn't it a good thing that nothing was stolen?

Put simply, the problem is that unknown items have made it into the Ark and are now unaccounted for.

Exactly!

That's how the suspicion that there might be smugglers started to grow.

Because of that, inspections were tightened up,

and all the supplies we brought in this time got stuck piled up in G12. It really upsets me!

But honestly, now that you're all here, all that gloomy feeling just seems to vanish all at once...

Ahem!

Cielo. Could you please brief everyone on the other mission as well?

Oh my, where's my head today?

Besides that,

we also handle large-scale surface reclamation missions, rush out to support in special emergency situations,

and sometimes airlifting large numbers of personnel.

This is all to say that there may well be times

when you require help from us,

and that's precisely what this training is meant for.

On that note,

let me go into more detail!

... ☆

... ★

Hehe. ♥

Hey! What's the big idea, flirting with the Commander?!

Sorry? What do you mean?

I was just admiring how handsome the Captain is.

You could at least try listening during the lesson, y'know?

I already know all this stuff... ★

Just be quiet and listen, will you?!

Er... settle down, everyone...

... What a mess.

Cielo.

Yes?

Let's move on.

Hehe, I think that'd be for the best as well. ♥

A-all right.

Now then, everyone, we're going to head off to the practical training.

But, um... is it okay if we move now?

Okay, please follow me!

Oh no, Captain,

not like that. ♥

Your seatbelt is all wrong. ★

After it clicks perfectly into place... ♥

To make it tight...

You gotta pull it. ♥

Oh, I'm sorry!

Does it hurt? ♥

Here, let me loosen it up a little. ★

Hey! Quit being so handsy with the Commander, would you?

Are you all right, Commander? I heard you cry out in pain just now...

Huh? What are you all doing here?

Your assigned seats are in another area. ★

Who gives a flying crap about assigned seats right now?!

Yeah, exactly!

We wanna sit beside Master too!

Is everything okay, Commander?

Cielo, Sora. Have the passengers been seated?

Well, we directed them to their seats, but...

Okay, okay, I get it. ♥

Everyone, can we please settle down and take our assigned seats?

... Let's go, Anis.

Don't you try any funny business, you hear me?!

I wouldn't dream of it.

Hehe, I have to admit that it's fun getting a rise out of them. ♥

I wouldn't dare! Passengers ought to be treated with the utmost respect.

But I wasn't just teasing you, okay? ★

I really am

a Nikke assigned to protect the Captain on this flight, you know?

So...

you'll be sticking close to me for the whole trip. ♥

Have you ever flown in a transport aircraft before?

Oh, really? What kind of aircraft was it?

I'm jealous that your "first time" was with someone else!

It didn't?

Cielo, Sora, are you ready?

It's time to depart.

Oh dear, what a shame. We're out of time.

Hehe, I'll save this precious little story for later. ♥

Now then...

Ready when you are, Sky! ♥

Roger that.

Ahem. Attention, all passengers.

Today's flight simulation will cover

what you should do when you encounter turbulence.

In short, you're in for some headbanging.

You might end up blowing chunks,

but that's not my problem.

You can spew all you want, but I have no intention of stopping this flight for anything.

If you feel like you're gonna die, grab a nearby crew member and ask her to knock you out.

She got a little wild, huh?

Sky tends to get that way whenever she's behind the wheel. ★

Yeah, she flies like a total lunatic too.

So, you better buckle up! ♥

Let's get this bird off the ground!

Why the hell is she blasting rock music at a time like this?

Owww... my ears feel like they're gonna burst.

Cielo, are you sure this is standard procedure?

It is, but...

Sky seems especially excitable today.

Ahaha! ♥

Looks like everyone's having a great time!

Come on, doesn't it look like everyone's having a blast chatting away?

They're not at all tense like they were before.

At this moment, they're of one heart and one mind. ♥

... ♡

I knew you'd have a good time with us!

Hehe, how's everyone digging the tunes?

Let those pulse-pounding rhythms light a fire under your booty

and ignite a burning desire to reach the sky!

You all ready to rock n' roll?!

Yeah! ★

Don't speak for me!

Stop this madness this instant!

Heh heh heh. I don't take any complaints.

Anyone who doesn't vibe with the majesty of rock

can go kick rocks!

What the...?!

*Sigh*...

All right, the wait is over!

Next up on the setlist, we have... Rapture Attack!

Rapture Att—?!

Gaaaaaah!

All passengers, please remain in your seats.

??

Captain. Why's your breathing...

Nauseous?

...

You're breaking out in cold sweat...

Did the same thing happen the last time you were in the air?

Crash?

So that's what you meant

when you said things didn't end well?

You must have trauma...

Breathe, Captain.

Follow me, okay?

Hooo... haaaaa...

All right then, I don't have much choice.

Excuse me for a moment. ♥

Hehe, don't freak out!

Just think of it as treatment and focus on the air I'm passing to you, okay?

Okay, one more time...

Breathe in now... a little more...

There we go. You seem to have calmed down a little.

Now, why don't you be a big boy and try taking this?

A pill that's easy to swallow. ♡

You'll feel a little better after taking it. ☆

I get that medicine can be a little off-putting,

but trust me.

I would never hurt you, Captain.

There we go. What a good patient you are! ♥

You're welcome! ★

Now then, what should we talk about while we wait for the medicine to kick in? ☆

... ★

How about we take this time to get to know each other a little better?

What's your favorite food?

Oh yeah? Same with me.

Food is a precious commodity, so why be picky? That'd just be such a waste! ♥

That means the medicine's working. ♡

When your body and mind are exhausted,

there's nothing better than sleep.

Looks like the medicine's working just fine! ★

All righty then...

Sleep well. ♡

I-I'm sorry...

I went a little crazier than usual up there,

and ended up sending you to the infirmary...

I suppose, but still...

...

Huh?

Really?

... You're welcome.

Wow...

You captured Sky's heart so easily! ♥

That's enough, Sora.

Hahaha, okay! ♡

I won't tease you anymore.

But Sky, you still gotta file that follow-up report, y'know. ☆

All right.

You did good out there...

C-Captain.

Well, would you look at that! She actually called you Captain! ☆

She must really like you.

Hmmm... Any more rivals and I'd be in real trouble.

But I guess it's fine since we'll just have one more thing in common, right?

Er... ☆

What about it?

Oh, that? I was just doing my job.

... ☆

You're gonna make me go soft at this rate...

Haha, nothing.

Let's see... ♡

Your fever's gone, and you're looking a lot better now. ♡

Do you feel ready to get up,

or do you wanna rest a bit longer?

Okay. ♥

You should rest when you can. ★

Well, I'll get going and leave you be. ♥

But the thing is, the gatherers actually confirmed that all the stuff they found was there and accounted for.

Huh? But why would that be a problem?

Isn't it a good thing that nothing was stolen?

Put simply, the problem is that unknown items have made it into the Ark and are now unaccounted for.

Exactly!

That's how the suspicion that there might be smugglers started to grow.

Because of that, inspections were tightened up,

and all the supplies we brought in this time got stuck piled up in G12. It really upsets me!

I get that medicine can be a little off-putting,

but trust me.

I would never hurt you, Captain.

Hey! It's been a long time! ★

I heard you were on a mission. I didn't expect you to be back so soon.

Yeah, turns out it was a fairly short assignment. ★

Plus, this time around...

... So all the stuff I brought back this time is stuck in G12.

G12? Where's that?

Oh, right! You said you're fairly new here, right? ★

G12 is Storage Room 2.

It used to be Maintenance Room 12.

So, people who have been working here for a while still call it G12.

Oh, I didn't know that.

Hmm... where is he? ♥

Hmm... ★

I guess he's not here yet. ♥

I should ask him where he is.

??

What's that?

I heard something.

Hmmm... ★

Maybe it's nothing.

Hm... I guess he's busy.

Oh well. ☆

Guess I'll meet him another time.

Is something on your mind, Commander?

Oh right, ever since we finished flight training, all you do is stare at your phone.

And you just sigh all the time.

Does it... have anything to do with your trip to the infirmary?

Come to think of it, I still don't feel 100% myself.

The motion sickness on that flight was brutal...

Oh please, wasn't it because you were headbanging like crazy from excitement?

Commander, are you still experiencing discomfort anywhere?

Commander?

What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?

Maybe he changed his mind and doesn't want to go out?

Huh?

Y-you want us to do what?

A disguise?

Everybody! It's time for Cosmo Taste! ★

Welcome to Cosmo Burger! May I take your order? ★

Uh... do you need some help reading the menu, sir?

The Happy Meteor Set is our most popular menu item. Would you like that?

Okay, we'll have that ready in just a moment!

Ahhh, Cosmo Burger! ★

Everybody! It's time for Cosmo Taste! ★

Welcome to Cosmo Burger! ★

Hi there!

... ★

May I take your order?

Oh, sorry.

Can I have this, this, and that to go, please?

Oh, and could I also get this set meal, but packed separately?

Sure, we can do that for you.

Great, thanks.

Your order is ready!

Wow! Thanks! ☆

La de da de da... ♥

Ahhh, nothing beats freshly fried fries. ♥

Have a nice day!

Mmm! This new burger is amazing! ☆

It's not greasy at all, thanks to all this hot sauce. ☆

I bet the kids would love this.

Mom, look at what that man's wearing! He must be melting in this heat!

Shh. It's better to stay away from people like that.

All right, everyone, I brought you a little gift! ☆

Cosmo Burger!

Yaaaaay!

You're the best, Miss Sora!

Miss Sora,

where's that man from before?

Oh, he's a little busy today, so he couldn't make it. ☆

I'll make sure that he comes along next time. ☆

Okay!

Can we fly airplanes again next time?

Of course! ☆

By the way, isn't it usually a bit more crowded in here?

Where is everyone?

Oh, they went to the park to play, not knowing that you'd be here today.

Should I go get them?

Hehe, no, it's okay. I'll go there to meet them. ☆

Instead of airplanes today, how about we do something else?

Hehe, okay!

Hehe, this time I'm coming to catch you! ♡

Ehehehe!

All right, kiddos, I have things to do, so I've gotta go.

I'll see you next time, okay?

The gate to the Outer Rim will open soon.

The Central Government has designated the area inside the gate as a danger zone.

Citizens are advised to exercise caution and avoid entering the area by mistake. Thank you.

...

Let's fly, fly up high! ♥

Doo dee doo! ★

Blue skies and aeroplanes! ☆

Where are you flying to? ★

Dee dee dah ★

Hi-yah! ♥

Gotcha! ♡

Well well, who do we have here? ♥

Captain?

Hehe, what's with the getup?

Haha, you're so cute! ♥

You even came disguised. ♥

You've been following me for a while, haven't you?

Hmm.

You could have just asked to come along, you know. ★

What are you doing, following me around?

You made me wanna give you a good scare. ♥

Me?

Hmm... What could I possibly be hiding?

...

Smuggling? ★

What's that?

Oh? You don't say.

What makes you think that?

!!

... I see. ★

"You have no idea how difficult it was sneaking this stuff through."

"Things didn't go smoothly this time, so they're really cracking down with inspections. ★"

"It's getting harder and harder to bring stuff in."

... Oops. ★

Hehe, guess I'm all out of excuses.

Looks like you've got some pretty damning evidence...

You leave me with no choice. ★

It's time to silence you.

Just kidding, hehe. ♡

Hmm, what's the best way to handle this? ★

If I show you something cool,

will you keep this all a secret then?

That's right, I am. ♡

I can't let the world know my secret. Not yet.

Hmm?

Is the reason so important?

After all, it's easy to ignore just another sob story from a heartless smuggler.

...!!

Hehe. I see.

I wasn't expecting this reply out of you...

Hmm...

Hehe.

Fine. ♡

It's a deal then. ♥

Now then. ♥

Let me help you up.

Shall we get going?

To my secret hideout. ♥

I'll show you everything

that you've been so curious about.

Oh heavens no. ★

This is just one of the entrances.

That's right. This is just one of several entrances. ★

Would you like to come in?

Ta-da! ♥

As you might already know,

there are actually a surprising number of abandoned surface elevators left in the Outer Rim. ♥

This is one of them.

No one maintains it, or really gives it a second thought,

so it's free for anyone to use. ☆

The only trade-off is that you put your life in on the line whenever you ride it. ★

This is the elevator that the Collectors use.

Yup. ★

Many Collectors load themselves into this massive, rusty iron box,

risking their lives as they ride it up to the surface, all in hopes of making a living.

Of all the elevators around, this one is said to be the sturdiest, and therefore the safest. ★

On that note.

Why don't we take a ride up too?

You don't need to worry about getting into an accident. ★

We've already done multiple safety checks on this one.

And besides, even if there was a malfunction,

I'd do everything to make sure you're safe. ★

Okay then. ♡

Off we go. ★

Your face tells me that you have a lot of questions. ♡

Go ahead and ask.

A deal's a deal. ★

I'll tell you everything you want to know,

except for information about the hideout we're going to. ♥

Hehe, well... ★

That's because I'm from the Outer Rim. ★

Before I was a Nikke,

I, like many other people in the Outer Rim, had no idea where I was born.

But I did grow up in the Outer Rim. ★

That's why I know it so well.

I know the Outer Rim like the back of my hand,

and I'm familiar with all its hidden secrets. ★

Anything else you'd like to ask?

You mean the smuggling?

Quite a while ago. ★

Umm... Maybe a year or two after I joined the squad. ★

I know this may be hard to believe, but no.

Ever since I was little, I was fascinated by the sky. ☆

That's why I joined Over the Horizon.

Yes. ♡

Not the Dome of Eternity, mind you. ☆

The real sky.

I've always found it so beautiful.

I get it. It's hard to believe a word that comes out of a criminal's mouth, right?

...

Haha. ♡

I really like this side of you, Captain. ♡

Here we are. ★

Time to get off.

Ta-da! ★

Allow me to introduce you to my hideout. ★

Haha, don't be so shocked. Here, come closer.

It may look like a huge pile of trash, but the real treasures are inside. ♥

Right this way! ♥

Let's head in.

That's the Wings of Victory. ★

Yes. The aircraft that was used a long time ago during the 1st Rapture Invasion.

The same vessel that our squad is attempting to find.

It's a very precious thing,

one that must take to the skies again, for the sake of humanity.

I'm sure Cielo covered this during your training. ★

But because of Storm Bringer, our squad has been grounded for a long time.

Since no one can even attempt to look for the Wings of Victory anymore,

all we can do is keep supporting the resource-gathering squad.

Of course, if you ask if that kind of work is meaningless...

Well, I wouldn't say it is meaningless. ☆

But, for the sake of our true goal, we can't just focus on one thing. ★

Yes. We...

The Collectors.

You see these messages?

That's right. ♡

These are all records of our past searches for the Wings of Victory.

We are, and we have been for quite some time. ☆

Hmm... ★

Maybe a year or two after I joined the squad?

That's right. ♡

Can you turn around?

They're the supplies I smuggled in from the surface. ☆

I just grabbed anything that looked useful,

and look, I've got quite a collection. ★

Medical equipment, food supplies,

and exploration tools, ☆

and well, all sorts of other things too! ★

From who?

The Central Government?

Haha, you know that's not possible.

You're right. ★

The Boss definitely would've helped us behind the scenes. ★

But our squad's already gotten plenty of help from her when it comes to searching for the Wings of Victory.

She was the one who pushed the Central Government to let us do short aerial searches, just an hour each.

She really went all out for us.

But somehow, the Central Government flat-out rejected even that.

They refused so strongly, not even the Boss could make them budge.

And after that, they started piling us with support missions,

just to keep us from even thinking about aerial searches again. ★

Yeah. ★ It's strange, isn't it?

But come on, how could I possibly ask the Boss for even more help in a situation like this? ★

And if something were to happen to her just because she tried to help us... I'd never be able to forgive myself.

As for anyone else who could help us...

Collectors are viewed as dangerous, even by those in the Outer Rim.

Well, let's just say we're not exactly seen in the best light.

No one in the Ark would ever dream of helping folks as dangerous as us.

We tried using our own money at first and everything we could think of... ★

But it just wasn't nearly enough. ♥

I know it sounds like I'm just making excuses, but... that's why I had to resort to this.

Hehe, it's okay.

I know full well this isn't exactly a justified act. ★

But if we didn't do this,

there's no way we Collectors would last as long as they do up on the surface.

After all, we're talking about a place where it's difficult even for Nikkes to survive.

'Cause we want to live in the light. ★

Don't people say that where there's a will, there's a way?

Well, we're no different. ♥

We want to live under the real sky,

where the light shines equally upon everyone.

To make that happen, we have to reclaim the surface. ★

And for that, we absolutely need the Wings of Victory.

Without a doubt, we're the ones in the Ark who want it the most.

That's why we decided to search for it ourselves.

Welp, that's all there is to my secret. ★

That's all I've got to say.

Now, do you want to make a deal with me?

Are you having trouble deciding?

Of course. ☆

...!

What makes you say that?

Wow, you really think so highly of me!

Hehe, but you got that right. I sent it on purpose. ★

That's because... ♥

I just really wanted to show you this, Captain.

I wanted it to be a memory you'd never forget.

Well... ♥

If the Wings of Victory ever takes flight again, I figured you'd be the one piloting it.

I'm not! ♥

I really mean it!

I truly believe you'll be the one flying that legendary aircraft.

Hmm, well...

Just looking at what you've pulled off with the Counters, I could list a ton of reasons. ★

But if I'm being honest... maybe it's just a hunch?

Maybe it's because I used to be a Collector too. ☆

I can tell, y'know? Who's shining the brightest in the Ark right now,

and who will actually treat us like human beings. ☆

That's why I want you on our side. ★

Even if I had to make it look like a mistake, I was going to send that message, no matter what.

I wanted to grab onto the most promising lifeline we had

and show them what we're really after.

Yes and no. ♥

Yeah, I really do believe you're the one who'll lead us,

but there's more to it than that. ★

The first time we met, it honestly was just by chance.

You came into my life at the most unexpected moment.

As silly as it sounds, I guess you could say it was love at first sight for me. ♥

That's why I started calling you Captain, and why I say it with so much affection.

On that day, right then and there, I just knew it had to be you.

Sounds crazy, right?

... Thank you.

Anyway, that's why I wanted to show you this place, Captain. ☆

Because I trust you. Because I care for you.

And now that

you know everything,

I'm not asking for some half-assed deal where you just turn a blind eye to the illegal things I've done.

I want you to make a real deal with me.

Feel free to report me to the Central Government

or the A.C.P.U. for smuggling. ☆

I'll leave that entirely up to you, Captain.

But no matter what, even if it costs us our lives,

we will find the Wings of Victory.

So when the day comes that the Wings of Victory soars again,

all I ask is that you don't forget the efforts that we made.

Remember the blood, sweat, and tears of those who wandered the surface to make this happen,

and take us with you.

Take us to that brilliant world beyond the horizon,

where the light shines down equally on everyone!

I swear that

once we find the Wings of Victory,

I'll never do anything like this ever again.

Hehe, all right! ☆

I'll be waiting eagerly for the day we find the Wings of Victory for you, Captain,

and fly across the horizon together. ☆

Now, let's see... what messages came in today?

Oh yeah, I remember now, hehe.

That really happened, huh?

Hmm...

Looking at this makes me miss him even more.

I heard he's on a mission up on the surface.

I wonder when he'll be back?

??

Sora, what are you doing over there by yourself?

Oh, nothing.

I just miss the Captain, that's all. ♥

The Captain? Y-yeah... me too.

Oh! By the way,

have you seen the news, Sora?

No, what is it?

It's about Reclamation Site 01!

What's that?

Oh my goodness! You haven't heard the big news? Here, let me tell you what happened.

Here you go.

The Counters Squad has fulfilled the Ark's long-held dream by reclaiming a portion of the surface.

Since the founding of the Ark, has there ever been another Commander who has achieved so much?

The Central Government has named this reclaimed area Reclamation Site 01

and highly praised the Commander responsible for this accomplishment...

Reclaiming the surface... ☆

Wow, that's amazing news!

I know, right? It's amazing!

It's an accomplishment only the Captain could pull off.

Hehe, the Captain can do anything! ♡

... Huh?

Who's calling me at this hour?

Is something wrong, Sora?

Is it bad news?

Oh no, it's nothing. ★

Just something personal, that's all.

I'll just take this call real quick. ♡

...

What's the matter?

Why are you calling me so late?

Wait, what?

What did you see?

You've got a photo? Okay.

!!

Can it be...?

We...

We finally found it!