Floating Islands: SSS Gacha System

Two girls stood at the center of the surrounded group, their identities felt strangely familiar to Atlas. One of them, seemingly the leader, gripped a sword firmly in her hand as she faced the enemy forces closing in around them.

"My Lord…" Kurogasa said quietly, breaking Atlas's thoughts.

Atlas turned to him with a simple glance.

"The girl in the purple outfit is named Luna, and the one with the sniper rifle is Ember," Kurogasa explained.

Luna…?

The name echoed in Atlas's mind, and then realization struck. Of course.

Luna was the Lord of Celestial Vanguard—the same one who had sent aid to him twice before. At the time, her motives had been unclear, leaving Atlas questioning the true reason behind her generosity.

But after questioning a few people—particularly Mira, who had spent more time on the island—Atlas had pieced together the identity of their mysterious benefactor. And now, seeing these two girls in the distance, there was no doubt. Luna and Ember.

From what he had learned, Luna and Ember had visited Gacha Haven early on, either out of curiosity—or for some other unknown reason. Based on Edrik's analysis, there was a strong chance that the two had mistakenly assumed Mira was the island's lord. With her cheerful and innocent demeanor, she must have seemed like someone utterly unfit to survive the brutal reality of the Lord Battles. That misconception likely led Luna to send resources to "help" Mira during the early phases of Atlas's campaign.

Even before the Dominion Skirmish, Luna had gone even further—sending 15 troops as reinforcements. And now, five of them were here, fighting alongside Team Cinder under Atlas's command.

With all that in mind, one thing was clear. Luna and Ember would undoubtedly recognize Atlas's troops by the emblems they wore.

"Their ability…" Kurogasa continued.

Atlas listened intently, his eyes still fixed on the scene in the distance.

"The Lord, named Luna, seems to have a system that allows her and her troops to transform."

"Transform?" Atlas finally turned to Kurogasa, his confusion evident. "What do you mean by transform?"

The word felt strange to him. From what he could see, both Luna and Ember, along with their troops, looked entirely normal. They appeared to be standard combatants…

No, wait.

A realization struck him. He turned his gaze back toward the distant group, studying them more closely. And then he noticed it—something peculiar.

Their outfits.

Yes, their outfits. They weren't practical combat gear, nor were they the thick, insulated clothing anyone sane would wear in such extreme cold. No armor, no heavy winter coats. Instead, their attire was… flashy. Almost radiant.

The lord and her troops were dressed in outfits completely unsuited for the freezing environment—dresses with cute, eye-catching designs, adorned with elaborate accessories, their arms and legs partially exposed. Bright, almost dazzling colors stood in stark contrast to the bleak, snow-covered battlefield around them.

They didn't just stand out—they seemed entirely out of place.

With clothing like that, they should be freezing to death!

Even the lords Atlas had fought before wore heavy armor or thick layers to protect themselves from the brutal cold of this island. But Luna's group? They didn't seem affected at all, as if the freezing winds around them didn't even register.

And then there was that word again. Transform.

"Explain clearly, Kurogasa. What exactly do you mean by transform?" Atlas demanded.

"They…" Kurogasa continued, "in their normal condition, wear clothing appropriate for this environment. Thick outfits, perfect for temperatures as low as this."

Atlas glanced back at him. "And?"

"Once they transform…" Kurogasa paused before continuing, "their appearance changes entirely. Their bodies become covered in those unique outfits—brightly colored, flashy designs. And even though they aren't fully covered, a dense elemental energy surrounds them, protecting them from the cold and damage, just like full armor."

"Eh?" Atlas froze, struggling to process what he had just heard.

His mind drifted to a memory—some TV series he had seen before, where the protagonists would transform, their outfits magically changing as they became powerful superheroes battling villains.

What was that genre called again?

"Magical girls?" he muttered under his breath.

No way.

No fucking way.

Was there really a system that allowed a lord and their troops to transform like some kind of magical girl squad?

Atlas swallowed hard, a mix of disbelief and intrigue settling in his chest.

Just then, Edrik approached quietly, crouching beside him and joining the observation.

Atlas continued observing Luna's group from a distance. Her team wasn't composed entirely of women—about 20% of the troops were men. But that didn't change much. Even the men wore outfits that looked ridiculously over designed, as if it would take them hours just to get ready for battle with all the decorations.

And those guys… even though their clothing wasn't as "cute" as the others, it was still overwhelmingly flashy.

Atlas frowned. He couldn't imagine ever feeling comfortable wearing something like that. Just the thought of himself in such an outfit was enough to make his expression twitch with discomfort.

"That kind of Magical Girl system," Edrik said with a faint smirk.

Atlas turned to him, his face full of curiosity. "How the heck do you know something like that?"

"Seems like my world and this one shares quite a few similarities, Atlas. So yeah, people from my world called them magical girls."

No way.

No fucking way!

This was the first time Atlas had heard of a system as unique—and bizarre—as this. For a brief moment, he imagined himself transforming into something similar. Wearing such intricate, pristine outfits while staying well-protected didn't seem that bad…

But he quickly shook the thought from his mind.

No! Absolutely not!

Turning his attention back to the distant standoff, Atlas focused on the two groups exchanging what appeared to be heated words. Whatever they were discussing seemed intense, though he couldn't make out a single word.

Edrik broke the silence. "The lord from Alliance B is trying to pressure Alliance C into joining them to take down Alliance A. But from the looks of it, Alliance C isn't interested. They probably think it's a trap—and honestly, the deal Alliance B is offering doesn't look beneficial for Alliance C at all."

Atlas blinked, puzzled. "You can hear what they're saying from here?"

"No," Edrik replied flatly.

"Then how do you know what they're talking about?"

"Just a guess, based on the expressions of the girl in purple and the opposing lord."

"You're really quick to make assumptions, huh?" Atlas said with a faint smile.

"I can confirm his guess, My Lord," Kurogasa added.

Atlas glanced at Kurogasa, nodding in acknowledgment. It wasn't that he doubted Edrik—it was more admiration for how easily he could piece together such things.

"It's all based on experience," Edrik explained. "Once you've been involved in enough battles and politics, you start reading people. You can figure out their intentions without needing to dig too deep."

"Got it," Atlas replied with a small nod.

The next thought swirling in his mind was how this situation could potentially give him an advantage. After all, Luna was already familiar with Atlas's Floating Island, even if the two of them had never spoken directly. She had shown goodwill in the past, sending aid and troops to his cause.

Of course, he had no obligation to return the favor. But still, it wouldn't have felt right to watch her and her troops fall in battle—injured or, worse, annihilated by the forces of Alliance B.

However, this wasn't without complications. He had already killed one of Alliance B's lords. If they discovered this, it would undoubtedly provoke them into hunting him down with everything they had. Especially since another lord from Alliance B had previously approached him to propose an alliance—a proposal Atlas had outright rejected. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

And there was another troubling thought… Luna's initial assistance was based on a mistaken belief. She had sent aid believing that Mira was the lord of his island.

How would Luna react if she found out the truth? Would she feel deceived? Betrayed? It was hard to predict how she would respond.

For now, Atlas decided to observe. The argument between the two factions was growing heated, and he could sense that a fight was inevitable. Best to let this play out and gauge the situation further before making any moves.

Just as Atlas was weighing his options, his attention snapped back to the confrontation. Both sides began to ready their weapons.

Then, something caught his eye.

Luna, standing firm at the center of her troops, raised her sword high into the air. A massive magical circle suddenly appeared behind her. At the same time, the faint silhouette of a crescent moon materialized behind her, glowing brightly against the stark whiteness of the surrounding snow.

Atlas blinked, stunned for a moment.

Wait… am I actually curious to see how a magical girl squad fights?