Dao Of Heaven

Chapter 585: True Happiness

"Regarding what just happened, I'll give a public explanation later. Right now, I have more important matters to take care of. Everything else can wait until afterward."

As soon as Ariel said this, the crowd around her grew noisy again.

This time, however, it wasn't directed questions toward Ariel but rather hushed whispers among themselves.

Ignoring the students' reactions, Ariel turned her gaze to Eriri.

"Eriri, is there anything we need to do for the establishment of the World Gate?"

"No. You just need to watch."

Eriri shook her head, then walked forward. Seeing this, Ariel quickly followed.

Along the way, the crowd blocking their path scattered quickly, creating a passage several meters wide.

After some time, Eriri and Ariel passed through the flow of people and arrived at the central area of the academy. There, they stopped in a broad open space.

"We'll place the World Gate here."

With that, Eriri raised her right hand and snapped her fingers. Before Ariel and the surrounding students' stunned eyes, a massive platform rose from the ground.

On the platform, a mysterious and profound light appeared.

As the light flowed, a gigantic archway ten meters wide and twenty meters high formed from nothing, standing tall on the platform.

The inside of the archway was a pure, dazzling white, concealing the scene beyond and giving off an aura of mystery.

"Alright, the World Gate is ready. The rest is up to you. I'll be heading back now."

Eriri rubbed Ariel's small head, and without waiting for her response, she left Villiers directly.

At that moment, Ariel could only stand there in a daze, staring at the massive arch before her.

She had thought establishing the World Gate would be a troublesome task, but Eriri had created it in mere seconds with just a snap of her fingers.

Looking at the students around her, all watching the gate with curious eyes, Ariel knew it was time to explain the immigration matter.

...

When Eriri returned to Earth, the first thing she saw was Chris sprawled out lazily on the sofa like a salted fish, and Lilia timidly playing with the lion plush in her hands.

Kyoko was sitting on the sofa, fully absorbed in chatting in the chat group.

To wait for Eriri's return, both Seraphim and Sarasvati had stayed at home with Eu instead of going out, obediently watching television together with her.

Although their master was Eriri, Eu's presence held the same significance as a deity to the vampire ninjas. Thus, they treated her with great reverence.

But the moment Eriri appeared, their attention instantly shifted to her.

"Lady Eriri, welcome back."

Though only about ten minutes had passed, Seraphim and Sarasvati still greeted her respectfully.

Everyone else in the living room also turned their attention toward Eriri.

Kyoko greeted her casually, far less reverently than the vampire ninjas.

Upon seeing Eriri, Lilia's little face instinctively lit up with a smile—but the thought of being captured quickly made her hide it again.

As for Chris, after a single glance at Eriri, she looked away and continued her lifeless salted fish act, as though nothing in the world could interest her anymore.

"Mhm, I'm back."

Eriri smiled, nodding, then walked over to Eu and gently stroked her small head.

Eu responded with a sweet smile.

"Is the immigration matter done?"

"Of course. It wasn't anything troublesome. Who knows—by the next time we visit the Martial Arts Tournament World, it may already have become a truly lively place."

"Mhm~"

After interacting warmly with Eu, Eriri moved to Chris' side and sat down in the empty spot next to her head.

Eriri reached out and gently pinched Chris' soft, smooth cheek a few times.

"It's only been ten minutes, and you've already turned into this?"

Chris rolled her eyes at that.

"Isn't it because of you? You took away my greatest joy. Just thinking about how dull the rest of my life will be makes me depressed."

"Don't worry. Didn't I tell you already? I'll let you experience a higher form of happiness~"

"Hmph, I don't believe there's anything happier than drinking."

Though she had thought seriously about Eriri's words earlier, after ten minutes of reflection she truly couldn't think of any happiness greater than drinking. She was certain Eriri's claim was nonsense.

"You don't believe me because you've never experienced it. One day, when the chance comes and you try it yourself, you'll understand."

"Is that so? Fine, I'll just hope you don't disappoint me."

Though still doubtful, since Eriri said so, she figured she might as well look forward to it.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the living room. A moment later, Naegleria walked in wearing a sleeveless crop top and ultra-short denim shorts.

"Uwah~ Eriri, Eucliwood, you're back."

Freshly awake, Naegleria yawned and greeted them, but quickly noticed two extra people inside the house.

"Eh? Isn't that Chris and Queen Lilia? Why are you two here? And Chris, your curse is gone?"

As a former powerhouse on the battlefield, Naegleria naturally knew what Villiers' queen looked like. If this had been in the past, she might have been wary facing Lilia. But with Eriri present, she doubted Lilia could stir up any trouble.

"Naegleria?"

Seeing her enter the living room, Chris immediately sat up straight on the sofa.

"So you live here too?"

Chris asked with mild surprise, then quickly nodded as though realizing something.

"That's right, you mentioned Eriri before. It makes sense you'd be living together with her."

"I do live here, but Eriri doesn't~"

At Naegleria's words, Chris looked puzzled and turned toward Eriri.

"Eriri, isn't this our home?"

"Of course not. But where I live isn't far—it's just next door~" Eriri answered with a smile.

"So if you want to stay here, that's fine too. It's close either way, so the choice is yours."

Before Chris could respond, Naegleria cut in eagerly.

"Perfect! Chris, you should stay here. Then we can drink together all the time~"

Chris' face instantly darkened. Any thought of living here was immediately discarded.

"I'm not living with a busty woman like you!"

Seeing Chris suddenly sulk, Naegleria scratched her head in confusion.

"Eh? Did I say something wrong? Why are you mad all of a sudden?"

Chris rolled her eyes in frustration and turned away, refusing to acknowledge her.

When Chris ignored her, Naegleria turned a questioning look toward Eriri, clearly seeking an explanation.

Eriri didn't hide anything and simply told Naegleria everything that had happened earlier that afternoon.

After hearing the full story, Naegleria finally understood why Chris was upset.

"Ah, so you can't drink anymore. What a shame. I guess I'll have to drink alone from now on."

Naegleria spoke in a tone of regret, but the amused smile in her eyes made no effort to hide itself.

Her attitude made Chris' cheeks burn with anger.

"Hmph! It's not a big deal. So what if I can't drink? Eriri said she'd let me taste an even greater happiness. I don't care about alcohol anymore!"

Seeing Chris fuming, Naegleria immediately raised her hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright, don't be mad. I was only joking~"

"But it's a good thing your curse has been lifted. I was actually wondering if I should ask Eriri to help you, but it looks like she met you first."

Hearing Naegleria's words of concern, Chris' anger quickly dissipated.

...

While Eriri and the others chatted, Ariel in Villiers had already explained the immigration plan to the students.

She also told them about the Magic Perpetual Motion Machine.

Upon learning that Villiers no longer needed to worry about resources, both teachers and students cheered with excitement.

Of course, Ariel didn't hide the origin of the Magic Perpetual Motion Machine, which only heightened the students' gratitude and respect toward Eriri, whom many had briefly seen earlier.

And upon hearing that the immigration destination was a world created by Eriri, almost every student immediately wanted to immigrate. Some even rushed toward the World Gate without hesitation.

Naturally, the biggest reason for this enthusiasm was the permanent connection between the two worlds, allowing free travel back and forth.

Otherwise, the number of those willing to immigrate would have been far smaller, with most carefully weighing the decision.

Ariel didn't stop the students from trying to pass through the gate—in fact, she herself was among them. She too wanted to see what the other side looked like.

And so, the Martial Arts Tournament World experienced an explosive surge in population.

The arrival of countless little girls in cute outfits made the once-quiet world grow lively and bustling.

But Eriri paid no attention to this. By now, she had already returned to the Saekano world.

Naturally, Kyoko and the others had followed as well—after all, it was nearly dinnertime.

None of them ever missed a chance to mooch a meal.

After dinner, Kyoko, Naegleria, and the others went back to the Is This a Zombie? world. Chris and Lilia, however, stayed behind.

At first, Lilia still felt a little reluctant. But after tasting Aoi Kujou's cooking, even that faint reluctance disappeared completely.

With the Magic Perpetual Motion Machine and the immigration plan in place, she no longer had to worry about Villiers. Now, she could live freely in this new world.

As for Chris, after tasting Aoi Kujou's cooking, she thought this was what Eriri had meant by "a happiness greater than alcohol," and she fully agreed.

The food was so delicious it was almost unfair. If she could eat such meals every day, she wouldn't care about drinking ever again.

But it wasn't until a few nights later that she finally experienced from Eriri what true happiness really was.

...

Time quickly passed, and by mid-August, Tokyo's weather had grown hotter and hotter.

Around ten in the morning, on Ginza's busiest street, a pink luxury car drove smoothly as though the world itself made way for it.

Other vehicles, as if facing some terrifying monster, instinctively cleared the road, letting the car pass unhindered even on the congested street.

Pedestrians on both sides of the road couldn't help but gaze in awe at the car.

What drew their attention wasn't just the elegant, expensive bodywork, but also the winged goddess emblem raised proudly on its hood.

More importantly, most of them recognized the car's owner.

This pink car had first appeared in January of this year, sparking heated discussions online and even trending on social media.

According to rumors—leaked from within the Sawamura Group itself—it was a Rolls-Royce custom-designed exclusively for the Spencer Sawamura family's young lady. Its construction alone had cost several hundred million dollars.

At this moment, Eriri was seated inside the pink Rolls-Royce, with Aoi Kujou driving. Their destination: Tokyo International Airport.

The night before, Eriri had received a call from England.

Her cousin, Ilina Spencer—who had officially graduated from high school just over half a month ago—was coming to Tokyo to visit her.

Her flight was scheduled to land at exactly eleven o'clock that morning.

Chapter 340: Going Home, Welcome to the Space Age

"Alright, alright, everyone, pack up your things—we're going home~!"

A few days later, at dawn.

As the sun rose over the space station's platform, Grey's crisp voice echoed throughout the observation post.

"Life Sciences Department, bring all Honkai Beast samples. Once we're back, we'll begin large-scale breeding and DNA matching."

"Physics and Engineering Departments, leave some personnel behind to continue monitoring and simulating the development of the Honkai world."

"The Imaginary Tree research group will remain here too—after all, we don't have a Tree and Sea back home…"

The little girls of the Research Division bustled about in tense but orderly withdrawal.

Hundreds of Honkai Beasts were herded into cages by Angeloids, then ferried one shuttle at a time into the ship.

Countless experiment reports and samples were transferred along as well.

As for those researching local technologies—such as analyzing and copying the Divine Keys, modifying the Cosmic Juggernaut, or observing the Imaginary Tree—they would remain at the space station for now.

Their mission: to continue probing Honkai energy and the Sea of Quanta.

"Come on, come on. This place is too small. Tsk, just wait till you see what a real metropolis looks like."

Shipgirls and dragon maidens urged the companions they had recruited from the Honkai world.

"Eh? We're going to the capital of the Starsea Empire?"

Kallen, Yae Sakura, Yae Rin, even Cangxuan and Dan Zhu looked bewildered.

They often heard the shipgirls boast about their homeland, but they had only been living on the space station recently.

—To be fair, the natives thought the space station was already amazing.

Spacious, futuristic, filled with high-tech marvels they had never seen.

"This is just a casual outpost we built, okay?! Barely anything! It doesn't even let us stretch our wings."

Tohru clicked her tongue.

"Is the Starsea Empire's capital bigger than Tokyo?"

"How about compared to Schicksal's HQ?"

"What about the Commander's residence—how does it compare to the Ming Emperor's palace?"

The locals asked a series of ridiculous questions.

"Use your imagination! Just wait and see!!!"

With nanobots urging them on, everyone packed their luggage quickly.

They joined the evacuation teams and boarded the bridge of the Eternal Snowfall.

Hoo—

In the main control room, Fu Hua turned back for one last look at the blue planet behind them.

In the 15th century, most of Earth was still in a feudal era.

Little did its people know that their every move was being monitored from orbit by a massive space station.

The Honkai-1 Space Station would continue to watch over this world, build a complete mathematical model, simulate and correct its future, and observe the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta.

On the moon, an outpost was also under construction. That portion of "God" sealed by Dr. Mei was, in the eyes of the Starsea Empire, nothing more than a slightly interesting research material.

So sooner or later, its power would be extracted.

"The next time we come here… might be when we return to the past."

Fu Hua murmured.

"Or maybe when we cross into the future."

Setsuna replied with a smile.

"No need to be so sentimental. If you want to visit, just use the teleport anchors. But don't cause large distortions in the worldline—that'll only make extra work for the Research Division."

"Apart from saving the Previous Era, I have no plans to return here."

Fu Hua shook her head.

She had no special attachment to life here. The immortal's duty was to guard Shenzhou, to fight the Honkai, never to meddle in worldly affairs.

Even though the Ming Dynasty was panicking over the disappearance of the Immortal Phoenix and the Six Disciples of Taixuan, with Ma Feima left dumbfounded on Mount Taixuan with nothing to do—

She couldn't care less.

She and Setsuna had more important tasks ahead.

With Cangxuan, Dan Zhu, and Little Fuxi—the few she cared about—by her side, that was enough.

Boom!!!—

Soon.

With the weightless disorientation of spatial distortion, followed by a brief daze—

The Eternal Snowfall passed through the teleport anchor.

They arrived back in their own universe.

Still the solar system. Still Earth orbit.

But with a single glance, everyone was stunned.

This universe was nothing like the empty desolation of the Honkai world.

Everywhere, spacecraft trailed fiery exhaust as they traveled.

Some shuttled between Earth and the moon, others ran supplies to Venus, Mars, solar system starbases, and even more distant places.

It was bustling with life.

"Commander is back, buli!"

The passing Bulin fleets spotted the Eternal Snowfall and cheerfully hailed it.

Some even maneuvered their ships around the bridge in greeting.

On the lunar surface stood a massive space city. The gray-white regolith had been completely replaced by alloy ground plating.

The architecture was futuristic and majestic, with many anti-gravity structures floating impossibly in the air or in orbit.

Angeloids and Bulins bustled about, operating unfamiliar equipment.

If Setsuna hadn't reminded them, many wouldn't have even recognized it as the moon.

"This is the Lunar Research Center," Kayo Senju explained when she saw Fu Hua's puzzled look.

"To meet the Starsea Empire's research needs, we transformed the moon into a research planet. From now on, most experiments will be carried out here."

"Wait, when I went with the Commander to the Honkai world, the lunar research city wasn't nearly this big, was it?"

"Uh… the Bulins and Angeloids build too fast. I can't even find my own lab anymore…"

The little girl scratched her head, realizing that after one trip away, even the research director couldn't find her home.

"..."

"Research… planet?…"

Fu Hua murmured at the astonishing concept.

"Of course. We're also building agricultural planets and industrial planets. I'll take you to see them when there's time."

Buzz—

The Juggernaut switched into anti-gravity mode, hovering outside Earth's orbit.

The group transferred to a smaller shuttle and slowly descended into the atmosphere.

Breaking through the thick cloud layers, they were greeted by an immense and unimaginable megacity.

Constantinople stretched for thousands of kilometers. Its main avenues alone were wide enough for several small spacecraft and shuttles to park side by side.

Unlike pre-space era cities, interstellar civilization cities were three-dimensional.

With the aid of gravity technology, many buildings floated high in the sky, small craft darting among them in a spectacle that was both magical and grand.

On the ground bustled shipgirls, Bulins, and little girls, while overhead Angeloids soared past on powerful wings.

In the distance at Golden Horn Bay, the ports of Azure Lane, Siren, Arpeggio, and Kancolle shipgirls stood tall.

On the sea, shipgirls played and splashed.

When they saw shuttles descending from the Eternal Snowfall, shipgirls swarmed out of the ports, running across the waves toward them.

"Commander! Commander is back!!!"

From Chaldea's base, Heroic Spirits peeked out, joining the shipgirls and Spirits in welcoming Setsuna.

"Uh? It's all girls here?"

Fu Hua and Senti looked around.

Whether it was little girls strolling the streets, Heroic Spirits, Spirits, shipgirls running over the sea, or Angeloids soaring in the sky—

They were all girls.

High-quality ones, of many races.

Humans, magical beings, mechanical beings, and more.

"This is a historical legacy. It just became tradition afterward."

The accompanying shipgirls shrugged.

The Harbor never accepted anyone except the Commander, so with shipgirls forming the foundation, Setsuna naturally inherited that principle.

Over time, with countless Bulins and Angeloids assisting, the Starsea Empire had become something like a machine empire.

"Incredible…"

Staring at the flourishing capital, Fu Hua and the companions from the Honkai world felt as though they had stepped into the future.

They carefully followed the others down the ramp, looking left and right in awe.

Fu Hua and Cangxuan and Dan Zhu had been mentally prepared, so they remained steady. But Kallen, Yae Sakura, Yae Rin, Jilin, and the other true natives were so shocked they couldn't close their mouths.

They trailed after Setsuna for a long while, dazed and speechless.

Even when they finally sat in the administrative center, their expressions remained blank.

"Ahem, from now on, you'll all live here. I'll arrange residences for you."

Setsuna sat back in his familiar seat and looked at everyone.

"Welcome to the Space Age."

...

"Whoa…"

Walking through the bustling commercial district of the capital, everyone was dazzled.

Fu Hua held onto Setsuna's arm, while little Griseo clutched at the corner of his clothes.

Behind them followed Kallen, Yae Sakura, Yae Rin, Cangxuan, Dan Zhu, and others.

Under Setsuna and the shipgirls' guidance, they toured the capital city where they would now live.

Even Fu Hua, who had once seen the peak of the Previous Era's glory, felt overwhelmed by the sights.

Yae Sakura and Yae Rin, once shrine maidens from an island fishing village, found themselves suddenly thrust into the capital of an interstellar empire and looked a little panicked.

The sisters held hands, clutching at Nagato as if afraid of getting lost.

Ji Lin's case was even more extreme. She had come from a tribal era around 2000 BCE and in one step leapt into the interstellar age.

From a world that hadn't even mastered iron, she now faced FTL ships, starbases, and anti-gravity technology.

Even though she had taken crash courses aboard the space station recently, seeing the capital firsthand still made her constantly cry out: What's this? And this? And this again?!—a string of soul-level questions.

"Amazing. How long did it take to build this city?"

Fu Hua asked as she looked around curiously.

"A few years. The beginning was tough, but once we had enough Bulins and vassal worlds, the pace sped up quickly."

Setsuna replied after thinking for a moment.

"A miracle…"

Cangxuan and Dan Zhu sighed sincerely.

They had witnessed firsthand, during the Project EMBER, how hard it was to guide a civilization's growth.

Setsuna had taken mere years to traverse what normally required millennia of progress. It was absurd.

This was a heaven-on-earth forged from the technologies and magics of multiple worlds.

The commercial district was filled with goods from across the universes, dazzling in their variety.

"Here, armor crafted from Danger Beasts of the Akame ga Kill world—excellent defense, able to withstand Shingu-level attacks…"

"These are drops from the Goblin Slayer world, enchantments listed right on them…"

"These are Girls und Panzer replica tanks—Panzer IV H, Tiger P, IS-2, Centurion, all identical to the originals in configuration…"

An Angeloid eagerly introduced the items to them.

From small starships to tanks, magical equipment, daily goods, and foodstuffs—everything was here.

Aside from weapons deemed too hazardous or combat starships, nearly anything one could imagine could be found.

The newcomers' eyes spun with wonder.

"Um…"

They didn't dare to even look at shuttles or high-end magic items.

Yae Sakura and Yae Rin whispered together, then timidly placed a few copper coins on a counter and pointed at some candy.

"Um… how much for this?"

"Didn't school teach you? Everything here is free to use. If you like something, just take it."

Setsuna patted Yae Sakura on the head.

"Eh?"

Like everyone who first came to the capital, they were shocked by such utopian living.

"Here… nothing costs money?"

"We can eat even without working?"

Yae Rin looked up, astonished.

"Of course. But don't waste anything. Just keep studying at school."

Setsuna ruffled her hair too.

After giving the newcomers a tour of the capital, Setsuna led them to a residential district.

With a gesture, Richelieu handed out several keycards.

"Here, household Angeloids will handle daily life. If you need anything else, come to me or the Commander."

The secretary shipgirl briskly assigned the houses.

"I'll live with you."

Fu Hua looked straight at Setsuna and spoke bluntly.

This drew glances from Lin Zhaoyu, Qin Suyi, and others.

"Cough, cough—"

Cangxuan nearly choked.

"First, the Commander isn't yours alone—there's a line, you know."

"Second, everyone needs their own place to live. That's the rule here."

The shipgirls patiently explained the local rules to the immortal.

"Alright."

Fu Hua accepted the arrangement with some regret.

Griseo quietly followed behind, staring at the diverse people of the capital. In her mind, countless new colors began to bloom.

"Commander, I'd like to live somewhere higher."

"It'll be easier to observe everything. I… want to paint a picture of the capital."

Little Griseo tugged at Setsuna, her voice airy and dreamlike.

"Of course."

Setsuna scooped up the little girl and pointed to the highest part of the administrative center.

"You'll stay up there with Nagato and Yukikaze, not far from me."

"Has the Commander become a lolicon…"

Some of the shipgirls curiously studied little Griseo.

She looked a bit absentminded, dressed in a white one-piece dress accented with blue, her sky-blue ponytail trailing down her back—adorable with a touch of silly charm.

"Huff huff, a new little loli…"

One Royal shipgirl in a leather jacket muttered, only to be immediately arrested by Bismarck.

Just after finishing the housing arrangements for the newcomers,

Setsuna was considering his next move when suddenly—

"Commander!!! Finally, you're back!!"

A familiar voice rang out from the distance.

Orange hair, a white coat, black skirt, and black tights—Gudako sprinted over.

She launched herself straight into Setsuna.

"Wow, you went off to have fun in a new world without me—and brought back even more girls?!"

"Little loli! And, and… tsk, an immortal?"

Ritsuka Fujimaru's eyes swept over Little Cangxuan, Griseo, and Fu Hua.

At a glance, she could tell the immortal was different from the others.

Whether in her bearing or her attire, she resembled immortals from xianxia novels.

"Why is the immortal so flat?"

The thought popped into Gudako's head, though since they weren't close, she didn't dare voice it.

Bonk—

Setsuna flicked her forehead, then briefly introduced them all.

"What about the task I gave you?"

He remembered sending Gudako's team to clear the Fourth Singularity while he slipped away to the Saga of the Shattered Swords world.

"Mission accomplished perfectly!"

The embodiment of Humanity's Evil thumped her chest proudly.

"We solved the Singularity problem—and brought back Heroic Spirits too."

"Mm, they're contracted with me, but that's fine, right? What's mine is yours anyway."

"No problem. They're all the same."

Setsuna didn't care about such details.

"It was just so boring though."

Gudako narrowed her eyes.

"Next time, please send weaker teammates with me. This time, what kind of lineup did you stick me with??!"

"A few Tier 5 shipgirls, and Elma!! A half-dragon demigoddess!!"

"The enemies either got blown away by shipgirl artillery or skewered by Elma's trident. I didn't even get to use my Gundam magic—I just tagged along watching the show!!"

"..."

"I just didn't want you getting into danger…"

Setsuna pinched her cheek.

"Oh, and after we wrapped things up in London, some lunatic calling himself Solomon showed up. The shipgirls and dragon maidens beat him down until he vanished."

"Tsk tsk, he could take a hit, but orbital bombardment was too much. The guy had no way to counter starships."

Thinking about it, Gudako added:

"Other than that, no real surprises. Dr. Roman did look weird when he heard the name Solomon though."

"Alright then…"

Setsuna figured as long as the Singularity was resolved, the rest didn't matter much.

They had only just started talking again when—

Boom—

Rumble!!!

From the distant training grounds of the capital, a golden cross shot into the sky, the very ground trembling beneath it.

"What's this? The Knight King's Noble Phantasm? What is she doing?"

Shipgirls looked on in confusion.

Even in sparring, it was rare for someone to unleash a Noble Phantasm.

"Fighting."

Gudako spread her hands.

"Did you forget which Heroic Spirits came from the Fourth Singularity?"

"Tamamo-no-Mae, Jack, Frankenstein… and Mordred. We met her in the First Singularity—she was summoned by Jeanne Alter."

"She got one-shotted by the Ahoge King with the curry stick back then. This time, when she heard Artoria was here, she insisted on coming."

"And now… she and the King are doing the whole fatherly kindness, filial children thing, yeah."

"…That works."

Setsuna figured the Heroic Spirit base was going to get lively.

But Fu Hua, Cangxuan, and the others were puzzled.

"Knight King? The Knight King of Britain? You mean King Arthur? And Mordred is one of the Knights of the Round Table?"

"Wait—if they're father and son, then why are both of them girls?!"

The group fell into logical chaos.

"..."

"That's just how the Type-Moon world works. You'll get used to it."

Chapter 339: Qingque – Mondstadt is Simply a Paradise for Card Games

"Lord Noah is right."

Could Venti, Jean, and Lisa dare to say otherwise? Of course not—they all nodded firmly.

"Ah?" Diona was dumbfounded. Her two cat ears twitched, unable to believe these were words spoken by the great gods of her own Mondstadt pantheon.

"Hahaha… Alright, I won't tease you anymore. If I actually scared you, that wouldn't be any fun." Noah nearly burst out laughing, finally releasing Diona's tail.

"Mrrhhh!" Diona came back to her senses, grinding her teeth. "So it was just to tease me! And the lot of you teamed up to do it! Lord Barbatos, Captain Jean, Librarian Lisa—you're all awful!"

She made up her mind: from now on, whenever she mixed drinks, she would add the spiciest chili in all Teyvat. Let's see how they liked it then!

And that hateful man named Noah too!

But still, she didn't dare to actually plot mischief against him. After all, if even Lord Barbatos couldn't provoke him, then he was far too dangerous. Fine—she would just ignore him from now on.

Yet, for some reason, as she thought this, that lingering comfortable sensation returned in her mind.

If it wasn't a curse… then that hateful scoundrel's touch had been far too pleasant…

Fine, fine—at most, she just wouldn't let that hateful guy touch her tail again.

If he insisted on stroking her ears… well, maybe… maybe that wouldn't be impossible.

"Alright then, little kitty, pour me the drink you think tastes best." Noah stretched out his hand, scratching her chin like one would a kitten.

Diona's anger melted away instantly, replaced by a feeling of ease. Still, she kept her expression fierce, gritting her teeth. "I'm not a cat-demon, and I'm not called 'little kitty'! My name is Diona! Even if you're some big shot even Lord Barbatos can't handle, I'll still bite you." She bared her small fangs.

"Alright, alright, Diona." Noah stopped teasing—if he pushed further, she might actually explode.

"Hmph!" Diona snorted. "The best-tasting drink, right? Let me warn you—the best-tasting drinks are very expensive. Even a God-King might not afford them, even if he sold everything he had."

She wasn't just making this up to get back at him. As the Supreme God of Wine, her most expensive drinks used the rarest ingredients in all Teyvat, and were mixed by her own hand. Poorer God-Kings truly couldn't afford them.

Even great gods of pantheons could only drink a few cups before going broke.

Back then, Odin of the Norse pantheon had only managed to afford one cup every few decades.

Her brews were so potent that a single cup could accelerate one's ascension, even spark insights into Truth itself.

Since Odin had ascended to Almighty God, the number of deities lining up for her drinks could circle the Main Universe a dozen times over.

But since she hated alcohol, fewer than five hundred had ever tasted her hand-mixed drinks.

In ten thousand years, only that many. Yet nearly all who had drunk them had gone on to become great gods of their pantheons.

This only raised her reputation further. Her name was renowned across the myriad worlds, and even in Pan-Human History, the archetype of the wine god had been modeled after her.

Though she disliked cultivating her own strength, if she had truly applied herself, she could have matched Captain Jean by now.

But even without effort, she had already become a Supreme God. That alone was enough—among the myriad worlds, a Supreme God was already a mighty existence.

"Oh~ so I can't afford it?" Noah chuckled, patting his pocket with a troubled look. "Ah… I really don't have any Mondstadt coins. Looks like I'll just have to put it on Barbatos' tab."

Diona puffed her cheeks, then glanced at the stiff-faced Barbatos. "Fine, then put it on Lord Barbatos' account."

Though she despised his drunken ways, deep down she still respected him greatly.

While he had occasionally drunk on credit here, most of the time Barbatos had paid honestly.

Barbatos' expression froze. He slapped his chest with a flourish. "Leave it to me!"

Meanwhile, he was crying inside—his inner self wailing miserably.

Never mind that he was Mondstadt's supreme god. As the God of Freedom, he neither ruled nor interfered with his people. His purse was nearly empty…

In order not to trouble his people, he never accepted their wealth. At most, he would take their offerings during festivals.

But most of what they offered could not be sold. If he truly tried, those who didn't recognize him might even throw him into the divine prison.

So most of his income came from little side jobs as a wandering bard—helping out struggling minor gods or earning from performing in marketplaces.

Don't be fooled by how often he drank at Diona's tavern. What he ordered was always the cheapest kind.

Yet no matter how cheap it was, once it passed through Diona's hands, it became fine wine.

When it came to alcohol, as Mondstadt's supreme god he was never lacking. But as a god of transcendent rank, drinking the offerings of lesser gods was no different from drinking plain water—he could taste nothing.

The stronger he became, the higher his standards for wine rose.

And so, though once wealthy, he slowly became poor again.

Thus, to this day, Barbatos remained the poorest supreme god among all the pantheons. No contest.

Noah patted Venti's shoulder with a smile. "Don't worry, I won't make things too hard for you."

Venti was just about to feel relieved when he heard Noah's next words:

"Diona, serve every guest in the The Cat's Tail a glass of the most expensive wine, and tell them it's Barbatos' blessing."

Crack!

Barbatos froze like stone.

Meanwhile, Diona pouted, then began mixing. She had never tried making this much at once. And today the tavern was fairly busy, with several hundred guests.

But those who could come to The Cat's Tail were all high-ranking great gods of their pantheons or figures of immense prestige.

Noah took his own glass and headed toward a card room, not sparing a glance for the petrified Barbatos.

From inside the card room came bursts of laughter.

"Self-draw kong! Hahaha, I win!"

"Lost again! Ah, no surprise—it came from Celestial Jade, after all."

"Hehe, not to boast, but Mondstadt's card games wouldn't be this fun without my improvements."

"I must say, I, Qingque, absolutely love Mondstadt's atmosphere. It's simply a paradise for card games!"

Venti's eyes turned hollow, muttering under his breath.

"Hundreds of glasses of the most expensive wine… one glass already costs me a hundred, maybe two hundred years of busking. For hundreds of glasses… I'd need tens of thousands of years… and without food or drink…"

Jean and Lisa exchanged helpless looks.

"Lord Barbatos, the Knights of Favonius will reimburse you."

Barbatos snapped back to his senses, but only sighed and waved his hand. "That won't do. I'll just keep singing for coin. At worst, I'll mine some rare materials in the cosmos."

With that, he clutched his own glass tightly.

After spending so much, if he didn't at least drink this one himself, he really would cry.

Venti was not the sort of god who failed to see the bigger picture. Though this was a bit of trouble for him, in truth it was nothing serious.

He understood perfectly well: Lord Noah only wished to have some fun at his expense. Naturally, he was willing to play the fool.

In fact, all the gods were grateful that, until now, Lord Noah had not changed in essence—still so full of feeling. If the day ever came when he grew so powerful that even emotions were lost, as once happened to Phanes, then they would truly live in terror.

Cradling the wine so costly he himself could scarcely bear to drink it, Venti followed Noah into the card room.

The place was lively.

Thanks to Mondstadt's leisurely and carefree atmosphere, it had become the top divine realm for travel, retirement, and settling down. Thus, one could meet all manner of great figures here.

Even encountering high-ranking leaders from other pantheons was not unusual.

This was also why, as God of Freedom, he hardly interfered—Mondstadt was truly free. As long as one obeyed Mondstadt's order, no one cared what purpose had brought you here.

Of course, there had once been reckless gods who tried to cause trouble. But they were swiftly blown all the way to the edge of the universe by the thousand winds.

Mondstadt's order was also the absolute protection guaranteed to all who came.

Recently, many visitors from sequence universes had arrived in Mondstadt.

Sequence universes were still part of the great universe. Thus, they did not hold much reverence for the Main Universe—at most, they marveled at its vastness and might.

He remembered: this girl currently playing cards, Qingque, came from the Star Rail Universe. She had even brought with her the game called Celestial Jade.

In the Main Universe, this game had long existed under many forms—known as mahjong.

But Celestial Jade carried a novelty that mahjong lacked, and so it quickly became popular at the Cat's Tail Tavern.

This girl, though only of Middle God rank, had managed to captivate so many Primary Gods and even God-Kings through this game.

After all, such games relied on pure chance and randomness.

And in the Cat's Tail Tavern, even Supreme Gods could not use divine power to cheat.

"I win again! Pay up, pay up—no excuses allowed!"

Qingque revealed her tiles, eyes shining brightly, excitedly pushing them forward.

Timaeus groaned: "How did I lose again? Impossible! I was sure my hand was good."

Marjorie spread her hands helplessly. "What can I say? To have such bad luck four rounds in a row…"

Wagner shook his head. "If not for the rule against cheating, I'd suspect Miss Qingque of trickery."

Qingque laughed as she counted her winnings. "A bet is a bet, losers must pay. Playing Celestial Jade takes plenty of skill, especially in the shuffle, the draw, and the read. Every move can affect the outcome of a round."

Coming to Mondstadt had truly been a wise choice.

She had spent years here, and at last, Celestial Jade had spread far and wide. She herself had become its card queen.

Just recently, she had even beaten a Supreme God.

Her purse was now overflowing. She could live in Mondstadt for thousands of years without lifting a finger.

As for the assignment Master Diviner had given her to complete in Mondstadt? Hah—work could wait. Cards were far more important. When it was time to report back, she would just improvise something.

Wagner sighed. "Enough, I'm done. I have to get back to the forge."

"Eh? You can't just quit! Without you we're one short—the game won't go on!" Qingque called after him.

"Oh~ someone's leaving? Then how about I take his place?"

Qingque turned to look, only to see the man who had been watching her game. Her eyes lit up at once, her smile curling into delighted crescents.

"Of course! This player looks like an experienced hand."

Whether he truly was or not—well, it didn't matter. Words of flattery never hurt.

Marjorie smiled. "I thought the game was over. Very well, let's continue."

Timaeus said, "Naturally! I must win at least one hand. I refuse to believe my luck is this bad."

Noah sat down, handling the tiles with practiced ease, smiling as he glanced at Marjorie and Timaeus.

He knew them well enough—Marjorie was the leader of the With Wind Comes Glory Community, a trading collective dealing in rare treasures. It was a commercial community, and she herself was of God-King rank.

Timaeus had once been an alchemy apprentice under Albedo. Now, he was a teacher at Mondstadt's Magic Academy. Its dean, of course, was Albedo himself, who had reached the Primordial God level. Timaeus was now a God-King.

The one who left the table, Wagner, was Mondstadt's God of Forging. All the standard divine weapons of the Knights of Favonius were forged by him. He too was at God-King level.

The original natives of Mondstadt had worked hard. Still, only a few lucky ones remained, all of them great figures by now. More than ninety percent of the original inhabitants had already exhausted their lifespans before attaining godhood, and thus entered reincarnation.

Those who had reincarnated had long since scattered into various lower universes.

Upon entering reincarnation, memory, personality, fate—everything would be wiped clean, leaving only the most primal spirit to cycle once again.

Only those who had performed great deeds but had not attained godhood—those with immense merit—were granted special favor.

The crisp clatter of Celestial Jade tiles filled the air, a sound pleasing to the senses.

But what was most delightful was the sight of the young girl's eyes widening in disbelief.

"Impossible! How could I lose so fast? The game hasn't even gone twenty rounds yet!"

Noah smiled serenely. "I've never lost at cards. And I never will."

"Remember, you said it yourself: no giving up midway, no cheating, the game must be played to the end, Miss Qingque."

Qingque crossed her arms proudly. "It was just one round. You got lucky. Let's keep going. And when you lose all your god-coins, don't expect me to show mercy."

Jean and Lisa exchanged glances, realizing what was happening. Lord Heavenly Principle was simply teasing this young girl, just as he had teased Diona.

Meanwhile, off to the side, Lord Barbatos was drinking and boasting with a group of bards, even playing drinking games.

Did all great gods enjoy disguising themselves as ordinary gods in this way?

Come to think of it, back in Liyue they had seen Lady Hu Tao and Rex Lapis behaving much the same, living as though ordinary, without a trace of divine dignity.

Could it be that the stronger the god, the more ordinary they appeared?

"No way! This can't be!" Qingque's eyes nearly popped out at the sight of Noah's winning hand. Suspicion filled her face. "You—you must have cheated!"

Noah chuckled. "Just luck. How could I cheat?"

But Qingque wasn't the only one suspicious. The other players around the table muttered as well.

"Seriously, could this be cheating? It's too outrageous."

"I've never seen such an absurd winning hand!"

"It's like the tiles are transparent to him."

"Hey, cheating is against the rules. The punishment is harsh."

"That's right. The fairness of the game must be sworn before the God of Games."

"Yes! We must verify fairness!"

Because of the Gift Game system, even in mere entertainment games, everyone tended to swear to the God of Games for fairness.

"That's right! I suspect you of cheating, so fairness must be judged!"

Qingque slapped the table. She had lived in Mondstadt for years, and of course knew all these rules well.

Especially since the God of Games, Tet, was a super-divine being on par with the Aeons, sovereign over all realms of games.

Chapter 79: Musou no Hitotachi

The Shogun frowned at the inevitable spear that stretched to cover the sky. Her violet hair and skirt were whipped back by fierce winds as she transformed into lightning, retreating a distance to find the perfect angle.

Since both were using the pinnacle of martial skill to clash, she was more than willing to oblige.

In this matter, the opponent's technique was indeed formidable—but she did not believe herself inferior in the least. The most important part of a martial contest, aside from skill, was the heart!

She reversed her grip on Musou Isshin, holding it vertically before herself. Her slender fingertips stroked gently along the blade's side, as if caressing a beloved treasure. Wherever her fingers touched, deep violet light began to spread, and the ornate magatama inlaid with black-gold upon the guard lit up as well.

Then… Musou Isshin dissolved into motes of light and vanished from her hand. Her body floated in midair, framed by a backdrop of deep violet starlight like an alien sky. Dense violet particles of light gathered at her feet, forming into a pair of giant puppet hands that lifted her body, their symmetrical pose resembling a doll-like flower with her as its radiant core.

Suspended in the center of the palms, the Shogun's braid unraveled, her hair cascading freely down her back. Raising both arms, she struck a Buddha-like, graceful pose. As her gesture ended, the puppet hands folded together like petals, enclosing her entirely before sinking into the void and vanishing.

The next instant, a vast rift tore open in the sky. From it gazed a massive eye—an Eye of Stormy Judgment—equal in scale to Karna's god-slaying spear. If his flames could claim half the heavens, then she now occupied the other half.

From the enormous eye's pupil stretched forth a colossal yet exquisitely crafted puppet arm, Musou Isshin magnified in its grasp. Upon the arm's surface flowed markings of Electro and elegant patterns etched into its ball joints, which moved with uncanny fluidity, almost alive.

"!"

Karna's brows knitted tightly.

"So, at last, you bring out your strongest Noble Phantasm as well, Saber!"

His Vasavi Shakti was still in its wind-up phase—so too, he assumed, was hers. He expected their clash would be a head-on collision, but he did not fear. He knew the spear's power well. If his enemy was divine, then death was assured.

"O' Sun—Abide to Death! Vasavi Shakti!!"

With Karna's shout, his god-slaying spear blazed hotter still. Gathering all his strength, he hurled it with force enough to engulf the sky. Though it was shaped as a spear, what flew forth was a nuclear weapon of flame. The true lance at its center was obscured, indistinguishable within the burning mass.

This was his life's wager—trading his armor, his very defense, for this one absolute strike! This spear would not miss. No life could endure it.

And indeed, should it pierce them, the Shogun's body would be ruined, and Ei's consciousness would scatter into nothing. But—

Such horrors belonged to nightmares, not to reality. And reality meant the mind lived, thought lived.

His defense was gone. He had but one chance.

If it was a guaranteed hit, then simply… do not let it hit. Dodging was impossible. If it was a divine anti-god weapon, perhaps with tracking or a conceptual certainty of striking, then only one choice remained: to face it head-on. If it was a concept, then defeat it with another concept.

And how?

Only by shedding all thought, all intent—by unleashing a single strike of Musou no Hitotachi.

Blank mind, invincible.

Only one who reached infinity could wield this sword. The final strike, the essence of the blade, the cut that could sever all things. It embodied absolute martial skill—perfection itself!

Ei had once told her… the reason for drawing Musou no Hitotachi determined the scale and limit of its power. And now, at this moment—this was the time.

"Witness... the final calamity!"

With a voice that shook even space itself—

Crackle!!

A single cut was unleashed!

Time froze. Before her stretched an endless scar, a boundless sword-mark that cleaved across the world. Then, as though glass, space itself split along the wound. The cross-section revealed the deep edge of the world's barrier, starlike substance shining within the exposed interior. The very structure of reality had been severed, the world conceptually split in two. Along the broken glass-like edge, corruption from beyond gnawed and burned ceaselessly.

The next instant, the entire dimension of space shattered like fragments of glass!

Crash!

A piercing sound rang out, and then time resumed its flow. All of it had occurred in but a moment.

The scene was intact—yet one thing alone had changed. Karna's god-slaying spear was gone. Erased. In an instant, it had vanished without a trace, as though it had never existed at all.

The Eye of Stormy Judgment and the puppet arm faded away…

Once more, the puppet hands appeared, petals opening to reveal the violet flower at their center. From its heart descended the beautiful woman, the Shogun, Musou Isshin in hand, her gaze fixed coldly upon a bewildered Karna.

The Plane of Euthymia returned to silence. A dawnlike breeze stirred her kimono and hair, as if they had returned to the very beginning.

"What—! What is this?!"

Karna looked down at his body. His golden armor was gone, leaving only his black undergarments. This proved his spear had indeed been released—this was no dream. And yet why? Why was his opponent unharmed?

Even if she had survived, she should not be entirely unscathed. Yet it felt as though his strike had never touched her at all—as though it were a dream. But it was not.

His eyes fell to the Musou Isshin in her hand.

Was it that blade? The Noble Phantasm's ability?

But he had no chance to ponder further, for—

Crackle…

Violet light flashed past his side. The Shogun, back turned to him, flicked blood from her blade. Not even half a second had passed.

Squelch!

"Guh—ah!!"

A deep gash tore across Karna's chest. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his bleeding torso. She had given him no chance to counter. She did not know if he still had another hidden weapon after his strike. The risk was too great. Better to end it swiftly.

With his defenses discarded, his flesh was but fragile mortal body. Worse still, his weapon was gone—the spear vanished the moment it was hurled. Stripped of both shield and blade, he had lost. Even fighting barehanded now was futile. Defeat was absolute. The vanquished had no excuses.

"You have lost."

She spoke coldly, her back still to him.

"…Yes… I have lost."

Yet Karna smiled faintly, gazing at the blood on his palm with serene eyes. So this was death? Though he had already been dead, this battle of staked lives left nothing more to say.

"But before I go, I must ask you, Saber."

"…What is it?"

The Shogun narrowed her eyes slightly.

"My strike just now—did it frighten you? I saw it. In that moment, your expression faltered."

Karna let out a weak laugh.

"…Indeed… had I been careless, the one kneeling now… would not be you."

She did not deny it. Her reply was honest.

"…I see. To hear you admit it—that alone satisfies me."

His smile softened.

"The outcome of warriors is decided in an instant. You are truly skilled. Perhaps, as you said, had we been allies… we might have known one another better."

For a moment, her gaze gentled.

"Ah… but fate delights in cruelty. Still, I, Karna, regret nothing. Now then, Saber—grant me my end."

Karna straightened his back. Though wracked with pain, his posture remained proud.

"…"

The Shogun turned, her side profile flawless, violet eyes gazing at him. Closing them briefly in thought, she then stepped behind him. Both hands gripped her blade, angled at his neck.

"Farewell, Karna."

"Ah… this battle is yours. Farewell."

Squelch!

Blood spattered as the blade cut clean. Karna's body slackened, yet his composure remained as he dissolved into golden motes of light, fading from the world.

The radiant dust swirled upward into the skies of the Plane of Euthymia, ascending toward the far shore. The Shogun watched silently until the last glimmer disappeared.

[Well done, Shogun. That strike even surprised me.]

The way she had used Musou no Hitotachi went beyond Ei's own thinking. Ei would have swung directly at Karna's body. Instead, the Shogun struck the space his god-slaying spear had occupied—erasing it entirely.

"This is nothing… in your place, perhaps you would have chosen better."

The Shogun, as always, answered with humility, smoothing her loose hair.

[There you go again. You need not always comfort me. What you did was truly better. And I am glad.]

"…You are not brooding over it?"

[Not at all. You are ever so considerate. But really, I am not. Do not worry.]

Ei's lips curled into a warm smile. Her other self's unthinking concern pleased her deeply.

"…Mm."

The scars of battle upon the Plane of Euthymia began to heal. The gouged earth restored itself, returning to its flawless state.

Around her, fragments of the realm scattered. The Plane collapsed, dissolving until at last it returned them to reality.

Huff… huff…

As the pale-blue fragments of the Plane of Euthymia scattered, the Aerial Garden's scene reappeared as it once was. Who knew how much time had passed? The battle in the skies had already ended. All that remained were massive wrecks of aircraft and crumbling ruins. Jeanne and Chiron were nowhere in sight—likely already within the fortress.

"That was quite a long fight."

With that familiar voice, the sound of wings stirring the air reached her ears. Turning, she saw the Thunderbird—Kapatcir.

"How long has it been?"

She asked.

"About half an hour. They've entered, but were intercepted along the way and haven't yet reached the depths."

Kapatcir descended from the sky with a beat of her wings, landing beside the Shogun.

"You didn't assist them?"

The Shogun glanced at the fortress entrance, its battered traces obvious, before turning her gaze back.

"Hmph! They have nothing to do with me. Why should I help them?"

The Thunderbird snorted disdainfully. It clearly disliked trouble. Aiding the Shogun was already its greatest concession—she'd best not push her luck.

"Then will you accompany me?"

"No. My time here is nearly at its end. Beelzebul, do not forget our pact—or else don't blame me if I haunt your dreams!"

Kapatcir rose into the air again, glaring down at her from above. Though the words were a 'warning,' a petty, playful temper laced the tone.

"This vessel does not require sleep."

The Shogun replied smoothly, used to such retorts.

"Hmph… what an insufferable one you are."

"Farewell, Thunderbird."

"To one already dead, the word 'farewell' is but an empty illusion. Still… I accept your sentiment. And another thing—don't call me 'Thunderbird'! My name is Kanna Kapatcir."

At the mention of her name, there was even a touch of emotion—subtle, complex, yet unmistakable.

"This vessel remembers… you always disdained names."

The Shogun folded her arms, lightly teasing.

"That was then. Now… this is the only thing left to me of that child. Hah… enough. No need to dig up the past. Then I shall take my leave—Shogun~."

With those words, Kapatcir dissolved into particles of light, dispersing in the sky. This time, the final "Shogun" she spoke carried no anger. Instead, it was playful, teasing—like in their first days of acquaintance, when no hostility stood between them.

"…Haa."

Watching her vanish, the Shogun let out a faint sigh. That final tease left her helpless.

...

Meanwhile, aboard the private plane in the skies, Fiore sat weakly in her wheelchair, wiping cold sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Her palm pressed against her hand, where only a single Command Seal remained.

"Sister… are you alright?"

Caules, noticing her condition, asked with concern. Since earlier, his sister had seemed utterly exhausted. He could even hear her uneven breaths, her face pale.

Stepping closer, he saw sweat beading faintly upon her delicate cheeks, as though she was enduring something painful.

"Sister! You—"

"I'm fine… don't worry about me."

Fiore shook her head lightly, trying to reassure him.

"But… why?"

Caules was confused. Why had she suddenly weakened like this?

"It must be… because of the Shogun."

Fiore answered softly.

"Eh? Saber consumes that much mana?"

Fiore's magical reserves were plentiful—that much Caules could guarantee as her brother. Yet seeing her like this showed him anew how terrifying Saber's mana consumption truly was. If it had been him, his meager reserves would have been drained long ago.

"Yes… even when I first summoned her, I noticed it. The consumption was staggering. But I can endure it. Caules, don't worry. As the Shogun's Master, this is my responsibility to bear."

Though pale and weak, Fiore's voice was firm as she clutched at her chest.

"Sister…"

Caules could hardly bear it. As the sister-obsessed brother he was, seeing his sister drained of mana in this way pained him deeply. But… he understood the importance of the greater cause. Helplessly, he left her side, allowing Fiore the room alone.

Yet Fiore's thoughts were the opposite of his. Shameful as it was to admit, being drained of mana by the Shogun, as though she were being consumed entirely, filled her with a strange happiness—or was it a sense of security?

It meant the Shogun was using her without reservation, as though her very body were being filled again and again by the woman's hand. This dependence, this reliance, made her happy.

"Mmnh…"

Her head leaned weakly against the window beside her. One hand clutched her chest, but even as her mana was continually consumed, an odd heat welled up inside her body. That peculiar warmth brought a flush to her cheeks. Almost unconsciously, her hand caressed along her inner thighs beneath her skirt, her white stockings brushing beneath her palm. The growing heat rendered her body unbearably sensitive.

"Uuh~ huff… huff…"

Her breathing quickened. Sweet, delicate tones escaped her lips, tinged now with an alluring edge. The heat inside made her inexperienced fingers wander slowly between her thighs, her body trembling.

"Mmnh… Shogun… please don't… don't do this~"

Her eyes half-lidded, her voice a whisper of desire, she muttered the name of the kimono-adorned beauty, her breath laced with intoxication.

[Fiore.]

Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind—the very voice of the woman she had been fantasizing about.

"Yah~! No, it's not—it's not what it looks like, I wasn't doing—eh?"

The real voice cut her fantasy apart, snapping her back to reality with a jolt. Her flushed, sweat-dampened body stiffened, her posture rigid as she froze in place.

[…]

"Sh–Shogun?"

Overcome with guilt and shame, her voice stammered, trembling.

[…Are you… alright?]

The Shogun, sensing something strange in her tone, asked with concern.

"Eh? I… I'm f-fine…"

[Good. You may begin landing.]

"Yes… thank you, Shogun."

[Think nothing of it…]

"Um… Shogun…"

[What is it?]

"Did you… just now… hear me?"

[…I only heard you say 'I wasn't doing.' Did you say something else?]

"Uuh… n-no, nothing… sorry."

[Time is short. I will meet you at the landing point. Hurry and move.]

"Yes… understood."

When the communication cut off, Fiore exhaled in genuine relief. So she hadn't been heard. If she had been, she wouldn't have had the face to see her again. Thankfully, the strange heat inside her body had also subsided. But when she thought of how she had almost let her desires overwhelm her, fantasizing of the woman she admired in such a way, her shame was overwhelming. To have thought of the Shogun like that—too shameful!

"Mmnh…"

Then, a sudden coolness beneath her skirt made her flinch. Alone in the room, she slowly lifted her hem to peek.

"///"

She immediately lowered her skirt again, hiding it in mortification.

Chapter 92: The Aspect of the Demon Buddha

When Satsuki appeared once more, her figure was already less than a hundred meters from where Caster stood.

Yet there was no anomaly here. Instead, what replaced it was a [Singularity] radiating a powerful magical fluctuation.

Satsuki had only sensed such a reaction from Irisviel and from that King Solomon Caster.

"A miniature cosmos constructed with a magus' circuits as the foundation… an individual or a space that can exist even outside the flow of time. As long as there is mana, it will persist eternally. A stable [Reality Marble]—so this is that fellow's true stronghold, the Temple of Time? Compared to the last time, when it was merely unfolded in the form of a Noble Phantasm, this one is far more stable."

After a quick survey, Satsuki discerned its essence almost immediately, sparking her keen interest in the form of its existence.

This was almost equivalent to having the blueprint for creation laid bare before her eyes. All she needed was time to study how to transform magic circuits into something like this [demiplane] structure.

Though Satsuki possessed the [Brahma Creation Wheel], she was not an omniscient or omnipotent being. On her path to power, her methods were largely to overwhelm all with sheer might.

She did not lack the insight to extrapolate and deduce, but she lacked the foundational knowledge to fuel such insight.

Thus, this Singularity before her held great value as a research subject.

With that thought, Satsuki transformed into spirit form and entered the Singularity.

...

Singularity — Within the Beast's Domain

No sooner had she entered than Satsuki felt an unprecedented malice invading her thoughts. It was a memory etched into the space itself by immense magical power.

She had many ways to dispel the erosion of such thought-imprints, yet she chose not to. As a somewhat self-unaware [Saver], she was deeply intrigued by various modes of thought.

So she did not resist. She allowed the malice to wrap around her body, twisting her vision.

Here, time held no meaning. Or rather, in this space detached from the temporal frame, time was no longer the master of all things.

When her sight returned from the darkness, what lay before her was a misty gray landscape.

It was like a carved tableau, depicting countless people—dead, wailing, despairing, praying.

They bore no distinct features. Their eyes were hidden beneath hoods cloaked in black shadows. Yet a maddening noise unceasingly echoed in Satsuki's ears.

What she saw was unbearable slaughter. What she heard was unbearable clamor.

—This was the [Truth] revealed by Caster's EX Clairvoyance, perceiving humanity's entire past and future.

But Satsuki was unmoved by the sight. She merely gazed coolly at the forms of the dead, then shifted to the next sacrifice.

The ugliness of humanity, the suffering of fate, the despair of encounters, the screams of slaughter…

All of it was laid bare before her golden eyes—seen, recorded, experienced.

Her body gave a twisted cry of anguish. The pain and despair of those people were reflected onto her own flesh. It was a torture beyond any she had endured since birth. Cold sweat dripped from her forehead, scattering into crimson blossoms upon the phantasmal corpses.

A chorus of warped whispers spilled chillingly into her ears.

"The king lacks the ability to close her eyes."

"The king lacks the ability to block her ears."

Then came hysterical shrieks.

"Ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly…"

"Forced to witness truths of unbearable filth."

"Forced to remember ecologies of unbearable ugliness."

"Naturally, one would think of resolving such vile conditions."

"But how should it be done? Even if misunderstandings are dispelled, humanity will immediately give rise to new defilement."

"The premise itself is flawed. As long as life exists, this error cannot be corrected."

"Begin again. We can only begin again, from the start, to recast everything into a perfect form."

"Not from history, not from the ecosystem, not from the continents, not from time."

"—But from nothingness."

...

"From nothingness? By your hand?"

An ethereal voice cut through the murmurs of the space.

It belonged to Satsuki, whose body had been tormented beyond recognition—her neck twisted, fingers bent, waist snapped, legs caved in. Yet her face bore no ripple of pain. Instead, the corners of her lips curved ever so slightly upward.

Around her, the stone walls shifted into scenes of twisted, depraved landscapes, playing on repeat at her side.

"Why can you remain so calm before such tragedy? Why do you smile when faced with the ugliness of this world? Are you insane?!"

The voice shrieked furiously beside her, while within her body came fresh crack crack sounds of bones shattering beneath immense pressure.

Satsuki's answer, however, remained cold and composed: "The reason I laugh is simple. I see only a pitiful fool, blinded by colors, clutching the resolve of salvation yet walking resolutely upon the path of destruction. Is that not ridiculous?"

"What?!"

"Poor thing. Do you truly believe what you see is reality?" Her voice was faint, detached. "The 'filth' and 'ugliness' you speak of are merely [phenomena] born from your cognition when stimulated by the outside world. You then mistake these appearances for true reality, trapping yourself in misery. Is that not foolish?"

"For example, the state of my body you would have me feel—'neck twisted, fingers bent, waist broken, legs collapsed'—these are only the appearances you wish me to perceive, in order to rouse 'fear,' 'pain,' and 'despair.'"

"True existence does not reside there. All things are born from conditions, gather through causes, and ultimately return to emptiness. Matter is so. So too are events."

"What cannot be seen, heard, or touched does not exist. What can be seen, heard, or touched are merely [phenomena] fabricated by the body, mind, and spirit of sentient beings. And you… you are but a prisoner driven by these appearances."

Her conclusion poured forth, intolerable to the other: "In the end, you are no different from the 'humans' you scorn."

"Shut up!!!"

At the roar, her body was crushed into dust beneath the overwhelming force, swallowed wholly by darkness.

"You, who rely only on sophistry, would dare presume to shake our will."

But before the Demon Pillar could savor triumph, an alien sensation flooded its perception.

The ethereal voice returned.

This time it did not echo from within, but seemed to wrap from without, layer upon layer, enclosing the entire space.

"With such crude 'phenomena of cognition,' you thought to sway my mind? Laughable. Very well… I shall allow you, pitiful one, a glimpse of a fragment of reality."

Involuntarily, the Demon Pillar turned its warped gaze outward.

Beyond the endless dark, a figure appeared. She resembled the woman from before, yet subtly different. Long hair flowed behind a black robe traced with golden patterns. A massive luminous halo shimmered faintly behind her head. Her lowered eyes carried the bearing of a god who disregarded all.

Suddenly, golden light flashed in those eyes.

At once, the Demon Pillar realized with horror that it could not move a single fragment of its body. Even its ever-rolling eyeballs froze in place.

From her forehead, a ruby gleamed. She extended her right hand, summoning forth a great mass of black lines—the Death Lines—surging toward the Demon Pillar. They wrapped around it, condensing into a colossal black sphere that compressed inward, collapsing without end.

The sphere then drifted back to her hand, shrinking rapidly as it drew near. By the time it reached her, it was small enough to be grasped in one hand.

For the first time, the being that had driven countless others to despair now tasted despair itself. It forced its power to the limit, unleashing twisted, blasphemous radiance and shrieks that could fell mortals instantly.

Yet before the figure who loomed like a god, overlooking it all, these meant nothing.

The black barrier was like a curtain severing realms. None of its light or sound escaped. Even the magical energy transmitted from the King of Mages was cut off. Its inherited immortality unraveled utterly.

At last, it abandoned resistance. With its final, fading strength, it asked: "You… who are you…?"

Ordinarily, its voice too would have vanished unheard. But Satsuki had left herself an opening.

"You ask who I am?" Her golden eyes gazed coldly upon the black sphere in her hand.

Three overlapping voices reverberated through the space: "I am Māra. I am the Lord of the Sixth Heaven of the Desire Realm. I am the Demon King of the Three-Thousand Great Worlds. Enemy of the Buddha. Mother of Karma…"

With that terrifying proclamation, visions flooded the Demon Pillar's sight: Darkness scattered into fragments as a blazing meteor shower descended. From unseen depths, black lines surged forth, bringing absolute night. The seas and lands of the Temple of Time convulsed. Waters flowed backward. Mountains crumbled. The earth split. Tempests howled. Sun and moon dimmed. Even the slow-turning belt of light in the heavens faded into obscurity.

Such calamities were beyond its knowledge, beyond imagination. The winds screamed. Purple lightning roared. Magma erupted beneath the maiden's feet. Stars fell from the sky in her presence. All disasters converged around her. She alone inscribed the end of all things—the dirge of all beings.

The Demon Pillar shuddered to its core.

Yet the next instant, the visions dissolved, vanishing before its eyes.

And then, just before it was swallowed into boundless darkness, it saw her hand closing like a five-peaked mountain. In its ears rang a name never heard before.

"I am—Māra. The Demon Buddha."

..

Deep within the Beast's Domain, before Satsuki's arrival, another group had already entered this [Singularity].

They were Chaldea's Master Ritsuka Fujimaru, Mash, and Lord El-Melloi II.

Yet their situation was anything but optimistic—for they stood against a massive Demon Pillar.

It towered over thirty meters high, a colossal, blood-red tentacle. Its surface was covered with raw crimson flesh, writhing grotesquely. Nine jagged, mouth-like cracks split open along its body, each disgorging whispers and curses that chilled the soul.

Within every crack, a single massive scarlet eye glared out. Cross-shaped pupils twitched without pause, scanning the prey around it.

"Senpai, these things are…?"

"Yes. The Demon Pillar Flauros. This is one of the targets we came for."

Ritsuka Fujimaru stood behind Mash, immediately raising his Command Spells to channel mana into her.

Mash lifted her shield, standing firm against the purple beams fired toward her. Undaunted, she pressed the fight in close, even managing to inflict measurable damage on the Demon Pillar in melee.

But against the sheer enormity of Flauros' body, the harm she caused was pitifully small.

"Called the Beast of Calamity, humanity's evil incarnate… Even though we succeeded in destroying it once, it can truly be reborn again."

Could humanity's evil be something impossible to erase?

If so, then what meaning did all their struggles hold until now?

Distracted by such thoughts, Ritsuka Fujimaru revealed an opening. From Flauros' massive form, a blood-colored tentacle split off, whipping straight toward where he stood.

"Watch out, Ritsuka Fujimaru!"

El-Melloi had already noticed his state and bellowed, trying to snap him back to awareness.

At the same time, several massive pillars fell from the sky, nailing the striking tentacle to the ground—saving him at the last possible moment.

Ritsuka stared at the tentacle's front end, now less than a dozen meters away, his face pale with fright.

"Forgive me, Lord El-Melloi, for showing such weakness."

With those words, Chaldea's final Master swiftly steadied himself. From despair to resolve took only seconds. Truly, Ritsuka Fujimaru lived up to his role as humanity's last Master.

Yet El-Melloi's expression remained unusually grave. Even though the one acting through him was no longer himself, but the Heroic Spirit who possessed him—the famed strategist of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang—

Even he, whose wisdom surpassed all, found himself helpless before such an inhuman foe.

His Noble Phantasm, "Unreturning Formation," had already been deployed. Yet before this monstrosity, the formation's illusions proved meaningless. At most, it trapped the creature for a few fleeting seconds.

When his focus wavered to manipulate the formation just now, a flaw appeared in its hold over the Demon Pillar's main body. In that instant, Flauros broke free.

With a thunderous roar, the enormous Demon Pillar shattered the formation in one blow.

Having scattered the stone soldiers, it regained full movement. Its massive body swayed as it swept toward Fujimaru and his companions with overwhelming force.

"Hahahaha! Die, dregs of Chaldea! My king's grand design shall not fail again!"

The looming body, like a moving wall, crushed even the air as it descended. It left Fujimaru not even a moment to flee.

And yet—just as the Demon Pillar was about to slam into him—Mash, the pink-haired girl, planted herself before them with her great shield.

To protect her Master, she poured all her mana into withstanding the colossal strike from the monstrosity, countless times larger than herself.

The sight was so stirring that even El-Melloi II could not help but voice his admiration.

"Though born a girl, she possesses the valor of a true general."

"Mash!!!"

Just before the two forces collided, the immense Demon Pillar suddenly froze. Its wildly twitching eyes halted all movement.

Mash, braced behind her shield, did not feel the expected impact. Confused, she peered through the gap to see what had stopped it.

Mash quickly noticed the Demon Pillar's strange condition.

Instinctively, she stepped back, positioning herself protectively in front of her Master.

"Senpai, something's wrong with the Demon Pillar."

Ritsuka Fujimaru, too, realized that the massive Demon Pillar was unable to move. Confused, he turned to El-Melloi for an explanation.

"Lord El-Melloi, what is happening?"

But El-Melloi only shook his head, indicating that he was just as bewildered by the change.

As they puzzled over the scene, dark [Death Lines] began to appear across the Demon Pillar's surface—not cracks, but true death lines crawling over its body.

From the enormous form came a voice of despair:

"Impossible! How can anyone completely resist my king's thoughts—and even suppress me in return? This cannot be… cannot be!!"

Yet a layered voice, cold and unyielding, pierced the air from above.

"Why is it impossible?"

In the next moment, the black death lines bound Flauros tightly, constricting until they formed a black sphere.

The sphere floated upward. Before the stunned eyes of the Chaldeans, it shrank rapidly, then flew into the hand of a figure above.

With casual ease, that figure squeezed it. The sphere vanished into pure nothingness.

"...That form… that voice?! Could it be?!"

For the first time, El-Melloi II's voice trembled with unmistakable fear. Even Mash noticed his eyes quivering uncontrollably.

Such a reaction revealed beyond doubt the torment that wracked him within.

"Lord El-Melloi, what is it? That figure—that figure is not…"

Before Fujimaru could finish, El-Melloi turned sharply toward him. "Run! Take Mash and flee! I'll hold her off!"

"Oh? Hold me off?"

The figure above vanished in a flash, reappearing directly before the Chaldeans.

It was Satsuki, in her Demon Buddha Aspect. Her gaze swept over the group, lingering particularly on the terror in El-Melloi's eyes.

"Interesting. I have done nothing against Chaldea, yet his expression does not seem to be feigned."

Her Tenseigan could glimpse into the past, but the far and uncertain future still lay beyond its reach.

Just then, the earth beneath them erupted with violent tremors.

The skies darkened, lightning roared, and with each thunderous shockwave, massive Demon Pillars burst forth from the barren ground. They stretched outward to the horizon, countless replicas of the one just defeated.

"Hahahahaha! It is useless! No matter what you do, it is useless! Hahahahaha! We are immortal, endless. For this entire space itself is us!"

Chapter 179: The So-Called W-ZERO Unit

"General Foch has fallen in battle."

"What?!"

Paris. Inside the E.U. Joint Army Headquarters, a fortified isosceles-triangle fortress under tight guard. In General Smilas' office, a young blonde girl in an E.U. blue-and-red officer's uniform—her features delicate, her rank already Lieutenant Colonel despite her youth—stood stunned. She was Leila Malcal, commander of the WZERO Unit.

The first thing she heard upon entering the office was such terrible news?

The situation on the Eastern Front was grim…

After the Narva retreat operation succeeded and the Raphael Knights were heavily damaged, she had withdrawn to Warsaw with the army and there had been fortunate enough to meet that energetic, fierce, and unyielding soldier.

Because of WZERO's desperate charge, General Foch had admired Leila, knowing it was she who had proposed the formation of the unit.

In conversation, though he had shown deep contempt for Elevens, his genuine love for his homeland and his unique view of Napoleon had left a deep impression on her.

Who would have thought that after parting in Warsaw…

Her heart sank like lead.

Tall, broad-shouldered, with brown-green hair, brown eyes, and a thick full beard under a stern mustache, General Gene Smilas let out a heavy sigh. Watching the shocked and sorrowful expression of the blonde girl before his desk, he said slowly: "It is confirmed."

"We must abandon the Baltic theater. Just now, the Council of Forty has formally recognized the report and passed the proposal to posthumously award General Foch an honor medal and hold a state funeral."

Unlike the centralized Britannian Empire, the E.U. was highly decentralized, run by three presidents at its core and the democratically elected Council of Forty as the center of its operations.

The latter held both legislative and executive powers.

Pausing, Smilas continued with grief: "The body was returned by special envoys sent from the Britannian Empire's Third Princess. The Lithuanian front has lost the initiative. Our mobile field forces are nearly gone."

"The Third Princess?"

Hearing this title, Leila's violet-blue eyes widened.

She remembered her parents. Not her Malcal foster parents—but her birth family, the von Breisgau name.

Exiled from Britannia, once vassals of the Germanic aristocracy, retainers of the Hohenzollern family—the maternal house of Princess Vela vi Britannia—and now branded traitors.

According to her fragmented investigations over the years, there were rumors that her true parents had not been killed by anti-aristocratic European radicals, but assassinated by agents of the Hohenzollerns.

For this so-called Third Princess, Leila actually felt little.

One of the three favored heirs to the throne? A grand noble? Those were just labels.

What had struck her most in recent times was something else entirely—

Imitating the E.U.'s use of Japanese child soldiers in suicide units, Vela had countered by forming the 11th District Expeditionary Corps, composed of Honorary Britannians drawn from Japan, already several times the size of WZERO and still expanding.

It was said even Kururugi Suzaku, son of Japan's last Prime Minister, had been conscripted to the Eastern Front…

Every time she thought of it, Leila clenched her fists, bit her lip, the redness of her lips seeming ready to bleed.

Guilt filled her heart.

Luring the conquered Japanese with the promise of citizenship, only to send them to die—that was wrong.

Too shameful.

And she was the one who had first proposed the WZERO project, only to be forced to carry it out.

Even though her original intention had been to select elite soldiers from Europe's regular forces, the politicians in Paris had different ideas. Wanting to reduce casualties among E.U. troops, they had stuffed her with Japanese refugees.

After the hard training was complete, when it came time to deploy, another foolish superior had insisted on fitting their machines with heavy self-destruct systems.

Thus, by chance, the kamikaze charges were born.

The surprise effect was undeniable. Caught off guard, the Raphael Knights had suffered.

Naturally, the credit for victory was given to the kamikaze attacks.

In the eyes of the media, the WZERO Unit had from then on become synonymous with suicide squads. Even Britannia spread such propaganda. Princess Vela seized the chance to draft large numbers of Japanese from Area 11, creating the momentum for a so-called "mutual suicide war" between them and the E.U.

No matter the original intention, Leila knew very well.

She was an accomplice.

The already suffering people of Area 11 were once again subjected to torment because of her.

Still, it was misfortune within fortune.

Because of Vela's increasingly aggressive stance and the unceasing bold moves of Euro Britannia, the Council of Forty had, for once, acted with rare efficiency.

Leila's request for WZERO's expansion and additional funding had been approved. The new model [Alexander], researched and built at Weisswolf Castle specifically for WZERO testing, entered mass-production trials.

Although they still forced on her a group of Japanese youths to fill the gaps as "ill-matched soldiers," at least the unit was expanded.

After all, in the eyes of the E.U. military, the deaths of Elevens hardly mattered.

Fortunately, Leila had connections. After losing her biological parents, she had been adopted by the wealthy Malcal family of Europe.

Thus, Commander Arnaud—the one who had clamored for strapping bombs to every Japanese refugee in Europe, vowing not to surrender until every last drop of their blood was spent—had been kicked by her into logistics for retirement duties.

The fact that regular soldiers had even volunteered was an unexpected joy.

"According to the battle reports we have, Foch was correct."

General Smilas, unaware of the turmoil in the mind of his friend's daughter, continued kindly. As a close friend of Leila's late father, he added: "His counterattack struck precisely at Britannia's weakness at the time. If his forces had succeeded in reaching the Riga encirclement, or in striking and crippling the enemy's field command, Latvia might have been saved."

"Unfortunately, he ran straight into Vela's personally led Northern Army Group strategic reserve. The Ninth Knight of the Round was with her. After a desperate fight, seeing no hope of victory, Foch ordered his rear to retreat, while he himself led the battered remnants of his center and vanguard to cover the withdrawal."

At this point, Smilas rested his elbow on the desk, gazing deeply at the distracted Leila opposite him. "What is it? You look troubled."

"So, General, about my Plan 145-A assault operation."

Leila's violet eyes rippled with impatience, eager for an answer. She asked: "Will the WZERO Unit be deployed?"

This eagerness was not like the earlier days, when she had pleaded for funds to create WZERO. This time, she hoped for delay—to be given more time to train and hone her subordinates.

The so-called assault plan, in short, was to dispatch Knightmare units by special transport methods to strike deep into enemy lines for decapitation operations.

But—

"Leila, just yesterday you were exceptionally promoted to Colonel."

Smilas pulled out a commission certificate from his desk drawer.

"The Council of Forty approved it, to commend your outstanding leadership and insight. The 'Alexander' models developed at Weisswolf have earned high praise on the front. This is yours by right. Congratulations."

Saying so, he rose, walked to the front of the desk, and solemnly handed the certificate to her.

A promotion before battle…

Leila's eyes hardened.

Silently, expressionless, she accepted the commission. Not until Smilas pushed forward an external hard drive did she look up again. "This is?"

"Data on Britannia's new Knightmare frames, gathered at the cost of General Foch's life. Along with some battlefield footage from Eastern Europe. You'll need it. Leila, you and your team must quickly come up with counter-strategies."

After speaking, Smilas did not sit back down. Hands clasped behind him, he stood gazing quietly at the aquarium-like virtual wall in his office, then slowly spoke:

"Vela of the Britannian and Hohenzollern houses has already watered her horses at the River Niemen. She is about to return to Königsberg in East Prussia."

Chapter 260: Please Keep Playing with Sheele, Okay~

Deep within the Pacific Ocean.

"Hi~ Sheele, I came to see you."

"Hmph! So you still remember to come?"

The moment Elias stepped into the girl's bedroom/prison, a small shoe was flung at him. Though it flew as fast as a bullet, he still caught it with his bare hand.

Seeing her "attack" fail, the Herrscher girl Sheele frowned and prepared to throw the other shoe. But in the next second, Elias was already sitting beside her.

"Don't be mad. Let's play a round of the game first. Let me see how much you've improved during this time."

Elias swiftly connected the game controllers and set it to two-player battle mode. It was as if he was telling her—if she wanted to vent her anger, then do it in the game. Of course, the strong-willed Sheele wouldn't refuse.

"Fine, I'll let you see the result of my ten hours of daily training!"

She rolled up her sleeves and grabbed the controller. Just from her spirit alone, she was brimming with confidence.

Ten minutes later.

"..."

"Uh, don't be discouraged, Sheele. You're already amazing."

Elias glanced at his HP bar, which had only lost a sliver, then sincerely comforted Sheele, who had wrapped herself in the blanket and curled up like a cocoon, completely crushed into silence.

With his gaming talent, dynamic vision, and reflexes, even losing a sliver of HP was already difficult. She wasn't weak at all—it was just that Elias was far too strong.

"Grrr! I don't need your pity! Elias, go away! And I bet you've forgotten me already, haven't you? Count for yourself—how long has it been since you last came here!"

"Eh, how could I forget you, Sheele? You know how it is—I'm busy leading humanity against the Honkai every day. Oh, by the way, the new red-haired big sister next door is the Seventh Herrscher. Have you two been good neighbors lately?"

Elias scratched his head awkwardly, quickly trying to change the subject. He really was busy fighting the Honkai, though sometimes he also ended up caught in messy situations.

"Hmph, average. No, wait—Elias, I'm telling you, the Honkai will never lose! No matter the price, sooner or later the Honkai will defeat you humans!"

"...Why does that sound so weird…"

Elias twitched at the corner of his eye. Anyone overhearing this might think humanity was the one invading the Honkai.

Looking at Sheele, still refusing to come out and tightly wrapped like a caterpillar, Elias decided to use some force. He grabbed the blanket and yanked it away.

"Waaahhh—!"

"Come on, wake up, the sun's going to burn your butt."

"Let me go, Elias! And besides, there's no sun in this deep place! Hm? Wait—who's that woman?"

Sheele, still struggling frantically, suddenly noticed that aside from Elias, there was another person in her room. Strangely enough, she didn't feel any killing intent toward her.

The visitor was, of course, Misteln. The young lady of stigma greeted Sheele with a friendly handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Sheele. My name is Misteln Schariac. Please take care of me from now on."

"…I'm a Herrscher!"

"Mm-hm~ And so what?"

Misteln smiled and shrugged.

In truth, she bore no hatred for Herrschers. After all, her beloved Master himself was an unprecedented seven-core Herrscher. In a way, no one in the world was more of a Herrscher than Elias.

"...I still don't like you."

After a moment of silence, Sheele finally muttered.

"Yes, that's only natural."

Misteln nodded in understanding.

[Idea] was the opposite extreme to Herrscher. If Herrschers were flame, then [Idea] was water. Feeling instinctive dislike was completely normal.

Elias lifted Sheele onto his lap and gently stroked her black hair, which had grown a little longer during this time. At first, she resisted, but as Elias used his signature "petting technique," Sheele eventually let out a soft, contented hum.

"From now on, I'll make more time to spend with you, Sheele. You must have been really bored all by yourself. How about I tell you some stories about what's been happening outside?"

"Elias, don't think I'll thank you for that. Whether you tell stories or not is your own business—I don't care. Mmm! A little lower, right there—ahh~ so comfortable…"

Sheele squinted her eyes in enjoyment, like a black cat purring under her master's hand.

Watching the Herrscher of Death unconsciously nuzzle into his hand, Elias felt a little proud.

Recently, since a cat named Pardofelis had joined the household, he'd gotten real practice. Now his cat-petting skills had leveled up even further.

"Alright~ then just think of it as me talking to myself."

Elias scratched the chin of the Sheele-cat in his lap.

In truth, getting along with her wasn't hard at all. He had already grasped the trick: for this tsundere, easily ruffled yet unexpectedly clingy cat, all he had to do was stroke along the fur.

Unfortunately, in the Previous Era, the Honkai's control over Herrschers was still absolute. Sheele couldn't get along peacefully with any human—not even fusion warriors.

At present, the only one she allowed close without attacking was Elias. Misteln might have potential in the future, while Elysia was simply disliked outright.

"Let me think where to start… Oh right, not long ago I took part in a grand concert. Then the Seventh Herrscher suddenly appeared. Heh, but under my command, not a single person died. The details are…"

"..."

Though Sheele had claimed not to care, her ears were perked up. Still, her expression grew more and more conflicted.

Elias told stories vividly, making Sheele feel as if she were right there, watching it all happen before her eyes. His life was always dazzling and eventful.

To Sheele, it was far more exciting than the online novels she idly read. But the problem was…

This was a human's story of fighting against the Honkai.

And she herself was a captured Herrscher!

It was like forcing a little monster to watch Ultraman Tiga. At first, she listened with great interest. But remembering her identity, she suddenly felt as if she were listening to a horror story.

Before long, Sheele curled up again and repeated her earlier line.

"Just you wait, humans. No matter the cost, the Honkai will definitely triumph over humanity!"

"Heh not with me here. Isn't it obvious already, Sheele? Even though the Honkai grows stronger, humanity's victories are only becoming greater and greater"

To be precise, Elias' victories were becoming greater.

Back when he first joined Fire Moth to face Herrschers, he was still a little inexperienced, and humanity suffered some casualties. But now, he was becoming more and more adept.

The Seventh Honkai Eruption, which should have turned all of Australia into a hell on earth, ended with his perfect record of zero casualties. That alone was the best proof.

True, the strength of the Honkai rose alongside civilization, even adapting to humanity's strengths and weaknesses by spawning targeted Herrschers.

But Elias' existence was a bug it couldn't counter.

He was simply too perfect—almost without weaknesses.

"Hmph! Don't get cocky. The next Honkai Eruption will surely bring a far stronger Herrscher! Elias, if you're willing to return the Core to me and submit, I promise to let you live until the world's very end."

As she spoke, Sheele lifted her delicate foot and stretched it toward Elias, her face full of excitement and expectation—as if saying, Kiss my foot and swear your loyalty.

It was something she had recently seen in a less-than-decent comic. Being a slightly yandere Herrscher girl, she had already imagined Elias in that role many times.

Misteln, smiling serenely, silently picked up Elias' Judgment of Shamash and prepared to draw it.

Doing something this envi—ahem—this detestable, truly befitting of a Herrscher. Perhaps she really should just eliminate her.

"Looks like I'll have to start limiting your browsing privileges. You're not picking up any of the good things—only the bad ones. And even if I did submit, I'd only live until the end of the world. That sounds like a terrible deal."

Elias spoke while holding Sheele's delicate foot, subconsciously comparing it in his mind to Griseo's.

There was only a slight difference—but still, it was wonderful.

"!!!"

Sheele's eyes lit up at his words. She thought she actually had a chance to make Elias submit to her.

"Then I'll allow you to live forever! If it's Elias, even if all humans die, I'll let you keep living."

"…Oh? But what if other Herrschers try to kill me? Right now I'm Honkai's number one enemy. Any Herrscher born from now on will surely want me dead, right?"

Elias blinked in surprise, then asked with a smile.

"They wouldn't dare!!"

Sheele slammed her palm against the bed in excitement.

So what if they were other Herrschers?!

No matter who dared to harm Elias, she wouldn't forgive them!

Her small hand clutched the hem of his clothes, and her gaze on him was like looking at a priceless treasure. Though it sounded unbelievable, perhaps it was only natural.

Looking back at the girl named Sheele's life up until now—it had been nothing but misfortune.

Before becoming a Herrscher, she was an orphan whose parents had died. Her relatives seized the inheritance that should have been hers, and the orphanage she entered later was run by a scumbag.

After becoming a Herrscher, she followed the Honkai's orders, using the powers granted by God to take revenge on humanity.

But whether before or after, her life held no beautiful memories—only tragedy.

Until Elias captured her, and her fate finally shifted.

Even though she was locked away in this prison known as the Deep End, Sheele had never suffered harsh treatment. On the contrary, her life here was comfortable and peaceful.

Beautiful clothes, fun games, delicious food—things she had never experienced before were all given to her by the white-haired boy before her.

Especially when Elias occasionally came to keep her company. Though she had never once beaten him in a game…

That didn't matter at all.

What mattered was his presence and warmth.

So even if Elias was human, it didn't matter anymore. Sheele had already decided—no matter when she regained her full strength, she would never kill him, nor would she allow any other Herrscher to kill him!

After all, he was the only one in this world who could bring her warmth. How could Sheele possibly bear to kill him?

"Humans are filthy, ugly, and despicable. They don't deserve your protection, Elias. The Honkai will one day wipe them all out. So join us. Sheele will make sure you live forever, as long as you stay with me and keep playing with me…"

Sheele cupped Elias' face in her hands, her crimson eyes filled with a disturbingly unnatural emotion.

"…Sorry, Sheele."

Elias naturally shook his head in refusal.

But still, he was shocked. Just now, his heart had skipped a heavy beat—twice.

He had actually felt a little moved!

It wasn't that his ideals had wavered. Rather, it was because of Sheele's charm. In that moment, she was like a pitiful angel, inviting him to fall into hell together.

Had it been anyone else with a weaker will, they might truly have agreed to defect to the Honkai.

"I won't join the Honkai. But I will always stay and play with you, Sheele. And with me here, humanity will one day triumph over the Honkai," Elias declared with unshakable resolve.

"Elias, you don't understand the Honkai at all! No matter how glorious your victories seem, the moment Finality descends, everything will be reduced to nothing!"

Sheele clutched his clothes tightly. In her eyes, defeating the Honkai was utterly impossible—because as a Herrscher, she had once glimpsed a fraction of God's overwhelming power at birth.

That was why she was certain—humanity was doomed to fail.

But that didn't matter!

Sheele didn't care who else died in this world. The only exception was Elias. She wanted this boy who had given her warmth to live forever.

"…Thank you for your concern, Sheele."

Elias smiled as he hugged the Herrscher girl before him. Yet in his eyes shone boundless confidence. The white-haired boy spoke with pride—one might even call it arrogance.

"Perhaps humanity knows nothing of the Honkai. But in turn, the Honkai knows nothing of me!"

"Elias, you…"

(Whether it's Sentience or Earth, whether it's Domination or Binding, even if Finality itself descends—I fear nothing. Come at me, Honkai! I will shoulder all the burdens of this era and then surpass you!)

The thirteen trials of the Honkai against humanity were already more than halfway complete. Elias knew the remaining tests would only grow more difficult one after another. But his confidence never wavered.

For this was the very reason he had come to this era.

And if nothing else, when it came to dealing with the next Herrscher—the Herrscher of Sentience…

(Alright, I admit this one's going to be a real headache. Not that she's unbeatable, but her authority clashes badly with mine. And on top of that, she's annoyingly sly.)

Elias narrowed his eyes. He hated opponents who refused to confront him head-on the most.

Truth be told, the great Herrscher of Sentience remained powerful whether in the Previous Era or the Current Era. Even Elias would have to pay a price to clear this trial.

He had already steeled himself mentally—planning to just follow the original storyline, endure heavy casualties, and force his way through! Then he would record all the intel and be fully prepared the next time the cycle came around. But now…

The white-haired boy turned his blazing gaze to the young lady beside him—his beloved stigma. In that instant, he felt the Herrscher of Sentience was doomed. Compared to her, even the Herrscher of Fire would be harder. This time he could clear it flawlessly, without injury.

"Misteln, your timing couldn't be better!"

Elias spoke from the heart. His stigma lady was truly a savior!

"Mm~ Please leave it to me, Master."

Misteln patted her chest with confidence. Coming from fifty thousand years in the future, she naturally knew the Herrscher of Sentience's methods. And against her? Well… she was born as the perfect counter!

"Heh If you came out to fight openly like Sentience, it might cost a little effort. But since you insist on hiding and using 'that kind' of method—then it's practically handing us the win"

Elias recalled the plot he knew, and the corners of his lips curled high. He was certain now—this round was as good as won!

Chapter 566: Trying Hard to Marry You

After finishing her meal, Kotomi Izumi immediately pulled Megumi's hand to go to school together, before Aimi left.

As an older sister, though actually only a few years apart in age, Kotomi had practically grown up with Aimi. Could she really not see Aimi's awkwardness, and that the excuse of 'going to school early today' was just something Aimi made up because she didn't want to deal with Megumi's stubbornness?

As for the relationship between Aimi and Megumi Kato, at least for now, it didn't seem like there was any easing. The moment they met, they would quarrel, neither willing to yield. And every time, it was always Aimi who provoked first, making it difficult for Kotomi to even try to tell Megumi to go easy on her silly younger sister.

Because every time it was Aimi, weak yet playful, who initiated the provocation, Megumi's counterattacks, no matter how strong, were always justified.

How could their relationship improve? Kotomi was troubled by this and even considered a more radical idea—left arm holding Megumi, right arm holding Aimi, all three of them sleeping in the same bed. At most, she herself would just have to suffer a little.

Back to the point—after realizing that Aimi's words, 'going to school early today,' were just an excuse to avoid Megumi, and seeing Aimi caught in a difficult spot—since she didn't actually need to go to school early, it was only Megumi's sharp words that made her stubbornly refuse to back down—Kotomi had no choice but to step in and take Megumi away from home in advance. This way, Aimi didn't have to leave early.

At Chiba Private Middle School, after autumn and winter set in, even third-year classes started later in the morning. Even teachers preferred arriving later when it was cold. If Aimi really went early, she would just sit alone in an empty classroom.

Letting Megumi hold her hand as they walked toward the road to Sobu High School, Kotomi glanced back at her once Megumi looked at her—and then she immediately shot Megumi a reproachful glare.

Kotomi was extremely protective, especially toward her younger sister. To put it simply, she was a sis-con.

She knew very well that with Megumi's quick mind, there was no way she hadn't noticed that Aimi was just being stubborn. But instead of stepping back, Megumi had even pressed harder.

If Kotomi hadn't just stepped in to pull Megumi away, Aimi would probably already be on her way to school unwillingly.

"I was wrong." Megumi interlaced her fingers with Kotomi's and said softly.

"Wrong about what?" Kotomi snorted lightly.

"I need to learn to give in to my future sister-in-law."

"Pfft!" Kotomi's pretty face instantly turned red, and she shyly let out a sound: "Shameless! I haven't even fully decided to marry you, and you're already calling her that? Let me tell you, marrying me isn't going to be easy."

Kotomi's tone was shy and girlish, but the latter half of her words were also a reminder of the truth—she was the eldest daughter of the Izumi family.

Even though the Izumi family wouldn't violently oppose her relationship, nor would they throw a bank card at Megumi and tell her to take the money and leave, it would still be extremely difficult for Megumi to marry Kotomi. The difference in status alone was daunting.

Kotomi was no longer a naive little girl who understood nothing. Fairy-tale crystal shoes might be beautiful, but in reality, for love to blossom, it required real ability.

And besides, both she and Megumi were girls—would the Izumi family even approve?

Her grandparents, with their personalities, would definitely not want her to marry out. Which would mean Megumi could only marry into the Izumi family… Wait, didn't that mean Megumi would be the one marrying her?

…Sweet!

Kotomi's eyes suddenly lit up. She had never thought about it that way before. If her grandparents didn't want her to marry out, then she could just marry Megumi herself!

Just imagining the scene of marrying Megumi, Kotomi—who had always felt like she was the more dominant one—felt a deep sense of satisfaction inside.

In her imagination, Kotomi saw herself in the wedding hall, looking at Megumi Kato dressed in a pure white gown. She lifted Megumi's chin and whispered domineeringly in her ear:

"Little woman, I finally married you, didn't I? Tonight, I'll make you understand who the real head of the family is!"

If summarized as a book title, it might be—

"The Domineering Female CEO's Gentle Pampering"

"Ten Babies at Once: The Heiress Mother's Road to Chasing Her Wife"

"Magnificent Marriage: The Female CEO, Sweet and Salty, Pampered 9999 Times"

"The Queen Above, Me Below: Your Highness, If You Love, Please Love Deeply"

"The Heiress's Fatal Pampering"

"Becoming the Consort in the Arms of the Domineering Heiress"

As Kotomi was lost in fantasies of a beautiful future where she married Megumi and became the dominant one, Megumi, after a brief moment of thought, asked seriously:

"Is marrying you really that hard?"

"Very hard," Kotomi said with mock seriousness.

She only wanted to tease Megumi a little. But to her surprise, Megumi grasped her hand firmly and said, word by word:

"I'll work hard."

Just five simple words, but they made Kotomi blush for the entire day.

...

Sobu High School.

Once in the classroom, Kotomi swiftly stacked a few textbooks on her desk into a 'fortress,' then took out her phone and openly began to play.

Her seat was farther inside, so even if teachers walking by peeked through the door window, it was hard to see her using her phone. What's more, whenever Kotomi played on her phone, Megumi would deliberately lean forward to block Kotomi's little hand with her own body.

Today's supervising teacher for morning study was Shizuka Hiratsuka.

During morning study, teachers rarely taught lessons. The default was for students to recite or review. Those who hadn't finished homework the night before would use the time to make it up.

Even if you were making up homework, teachers usually turned a blind eye. After all, if they didn't allow students to make it up during morning study, then when class reps collected the homework afterward, out of thirty-plus students, fewer than ten notebooks would be handed in. Which teacher wouldn't see their blood pressure spike?

If a class rep was strict and fair, it was one thing. But often, class reps were just fellow students. Naturally, they sided with classmates. Even if only five notebooks were collected, they would calmly tell the teacher: "Teacher, all 30 students in our class handed in their homework."

Kotomi had done this before, back in middle school.

Of course, she wasn't a class rep. With her hopeless grades back then, who would dare make her one? But she would sometimes help the homeroom teacher collect homework.

Even though Kotomi's grades were bad, she was well-liked. Whether in speech or in her little expressions, she made it impossible for people to get angry at her.

One time, she helped collect math homework. She quietly slipped out a workbook, flipped to the unfinished question in her own notebook, copied the answer, then slipped her workbook into the pile, placing it third from the bottom.

When turning in homework, it couldn't be on top, nor could it be the very last.

Holding the eight notebooks she had collected, she carried them to the teacher and placed them on the desk confidently, saying:

"Teacher, everyone's homework is here. I handed mine in too."

The teacher, touched to the point of nearly tears, thought: Kotomi actually did her homework?! With a smile, they prepared to start the day by grading.

But the moment they saw the small pile of eight notebooks—when there were supposed to be thirty-seven students in the class—the teacher's expression stiffened.

Awkwardly, they asked:

"Kotomi, how many students are in our class?"

"Thirty-seven."

"And the homework you collected…"

"I got them all!"

"All of them? Even if I multiply what you brought by three, it still wouldn't be enough!"

Shizuka Hiratsuka sat at the podium, occasionally raising her head to glance at the students in the class, then lowering it again to type on her Macsoushu555.com laptop.

Honestly, the butterfly keyboard on the Macsoushu555.com was incredibly annoying to use, but she had no choice. She needed to supervise morning study while also finding time to work on the speech she would need tomorrow.

To avoid disturbing the students during their morning recitation, she tried to keep the keyboard noise as quiet as possible.

"I should have bought a ThinkPad back then. At least its keyboard feels good…" Shizuka muttered softly. Normally, she wasn't picky about keyboards, but the butterfly keyboard had made her picky after all.

She had thought the membrane keyboard the office provided was bad, but compared to this, that one was actually great.

Her typing speed wasn't very fast—write a bit, pause, flip through the grade sheets of her students from the last two exams, and glance at the feedback she had received from other teachers.

By the time morning study was nearly over, Shizuka rubbed her eyes. In just one session, she had written another 500 words. I really am diligent, she thought. Since she didn't have classes for the rest of the morning, she decided she would continue writing in the office on a desktop computer—she had had more than enough of the butterfly keyboard.

After hitting save, Shizuka closed her laptop and looked over the students. Some were reciting, others hurriedly finishing homework. Occasionally, a few lifted their heads to check if she was still on the podium. If she stepped down, they would quickly put away their homework and pick up a textbook, pretending to study.

Sometimes she wanted to tell them directly: Don't bother pretending. I know perfectly well whether you're reciting or making up homework. These are the exact tricks I was tired of back when I was a student. Just finish your homework seriously! Don't let the teachers get furious when it's collected later.

Overall, today's morning study was relatively calm. Whether reciting or finishing assignments, at least most of the students' focus was on learning—except…

Shizuka's lips twitched when she noticed Kotomi. The little troublemaker was holding a pencil in one hand, propping her cheek with the other, staring at the desk with a look of deep thought, as if she were tackling a difficult question.

Any passing administrator who saw this would feel relieved, thinking: She's already scored first in the entire grade twice, first in all of Tokyo, and yet she's still working so hard. Remarkable!

Feeling both gratified and touched, the administrator would then head downstairs to Class 1-B.

Soon after, cheerful laughter would come from 1-B.

But only Shizuka Hiratsuka and Megumi Kato knew the truth—Kotomi wasn't studying at all. She was secretly playing on her phone.

Shizuka had scolded Kotomi several times for it, but Kotomi always admitted fault so earnestly that it was hard to keep lecturing her. Yet, not long after, Shizuka would catch her sneaking her phone again—even sometimes wearing Bluetooth earbuds to secretly watch movies in class!

How did Shizuka know so clearly? Because once, during a self-study class, she had caught Kotomi wearing in-ear Bluetooth earbuds to watch a movie. And since Shizuka was the supervising teacher that day, she ended up quietly standing behind Kotomi, watching half of the movie along with her.

The movie was Lolita.

When it came to Kotomi sneaking her phone in class, Shizuka found it hard to say much. If Kotomi's grades or class performance showed any decline, she could have used that as a reason to lecture her seriously.

But the key issue was this—according to every teacher, her class performance was flawless: though they often wondered why she always had her head down, whenever she was called to answer, she not only gave the correct answer with clear reasoning, but sometimes even surprised the teacher with a new way of interpreting the problem.

When it came to test scores, there was no doubt. Since the start of the term, there had been two school-wide exams: one monthly test and one midterm. In both cases, Kotomi ranked first in her entire year at Sobu High, as well as first in all of Tokyo.

It wasn't just other high schools that wanted to recruit Kotomi—even her own school's Class 1-A homeroom teacher, Yachiyo Kuhama, was still scheming to transfer her into Class 1-A.

So, when it came to Kotomi secretly playing on her phone during class, Shizuka Hiratsuka could only turn a blind eye. After all, even with her constant phone use, her grades remained perfect. To lecture her felt like doing so without any ground to stand on.

"Alright, everyone, we have a few minutes left before morning study ends. You can continue with what you're doing, but please give me a little of your attention.

This Friday marks the long-awaited cultural festival.

The festival will last three days—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then, next week, Monday through Wednesday will be holidays for rest. Since this is a school-wide celebration, classes will end starting tomorrow afternoon so everyone can focus on preparing for the festival.

For those performing in the festival who feel they still need more rehearsal, you may apply to stay after school. Of course, bedding, pillows, and dinner will be your own responsibility."

Staying at school to rehearse was a special privilege given only during the days leading up to and during the festival, so that participants could practice more thoroughly. Any student who wished to stay simply needed to apply through their homeroom teacher. That way, they could spend the night at school and save more time for practice.

Since Sobu High didn't have dormitories, students would sleep directly in their rehearsal rooms. For example, if Kotomi and her group applied, they would end up sleeping in the Second Music Room after practice.

So those who stayed had to bring futons, blankets, and pillows in advance.

The moment the words stay overnight to rehearse were spoken, Kotomi's little ears perked up. Instantly distracted from her phone, her bright eyes sparkled as she glanced at Yukino Yukinoshita and Yui Yuigahama.

Her whole expression seemed to say: Yukino, Yui, let's stay and rehearse together!

Beside her, Megumi Kato looked puzzled. She couldn't understand why Kotomi, who had just been slouched over her phone, suddenly became so energized.

She nearly dropped her phone!

Megumi quickly reached out to catch it and placed it back into the pouch on Kotomi's desk.

While doing so, she sneaked a look, curious about Kotomi's wallpaper. But instead of the wallpaper, she only saw Kotomi's phone running Azur Lane.

Megumi withdrew her gaze, resolving that she would find another chance to see Kotomi's wallpaper later.

Chapter 654: I Want Jibril's Head, Selene's Public Display of Power

"Death to the false emperor!"

Before his body could even react, Arcturus felt himself thrown into a chaotic, spinning flight, his vision tumbling as though the world itself had flipped. Then—soft hands caught him. The moment he regained awareness, his senses were drowned by cold, suffocation, and confinement…

That single instant stretched into eternity.

To be dominated, powerless to resist—this was the sensation Arcturus hated most since the fall of his family. He was nothing more than a bouncing ball in a child's hand, toyed with at will, his vision tilting, shifting—

First into view: amber eyes shimmering with rainbow light. Then the sight of a headless body slowly slumping, its broad frame concealed poorly by fine clothes. A black, square-collared coat trimmed with gold, great bronze pauldrons weighing upon its shoulders.

So familiar…

Have I been beheaded?

Is this the end for me? How laughable, Arcturus.

Bright red reflected in Arcturus's dull gray pupils, unblinking, until life faded.

Pupu～

As though torn trachea gurgled with grotesque noises.

Gutsi gutsi～

Carotid arteries snapped, blood bursting forth in crimson fountains, spraying iron and stench across the golden-threaded carpet and the Mengsk family's golden wolf crest. A heavy body collapsed, trembling echoes pulling down shattered glass, crystal goblets shattering with crisp chimes.

The headless corpse sprawled upon the carpet, blood and bile pouring from the neck like a volcanic eruption. With the spilled port, it mingled into a foul, sweet-smelling mist.

"Wahaha, so this is the false emperor who ruled an interstellar dominion… Hmhm, though his territory is much larger than Disboard's, his individual strength seems no greater than those humans—and weaker than even the Seiren fools. Still, they do resemble the Dwarves, relying on weapons to bolster their power…"

"No matter—this is still the head of a stellar empire's emperor! The first trophy of the Flügel's campaign, the first prize of the Battle Angel Legion! This is worth more than a 'rarity 5' item!!"

"Hehehe… when I get home, I'll mount it at the door. Everyone will be jealous! Or… the living room? Dining room? Oh—I know! My bedroom! Azril always tries to ambush me at night. This will provoke her nicely… ehehehe…"

Clutching Arcturus's severed head in her arms, Jibril trembled with excitement, drooling as she spun midair.

The girl's actions grew ever stranger, her image collapsing further.

"..."

Shock. An angelic maiden in her prime, hugging an old man's severed head, drooling and giggling—was this the destruction of conscience? The downfall of morality? Or the distortion of human nature?

Thanks to the imperial pyramid-palace's top chambers being the most secure area of the Dominion, all of this was captured with perfect clarity—proof of the Terran Dominion's peak technological might.

On the central split-screen, Valerian Mengsk, through the cameras, had the misfortune of witnessing the grotesque scene.

With full audio. Dolby surround. 8K quality.

His own father's headless body, its expression frozen in unwilling rage, eyes wide, still locked in that last instant of defiance.

The winged girl with halo—clearly a mighty psionic, akin to Sarah Kerrigan herself—was cradling his father's head like a lover, babbling with unrestrained glee.

Though he could not understand her words, her expressions spoke plainly.

A pervert.

Was this joy of vengeance fulfilled?

So this was it. The old man always had too many enemies. Too many grudges. Too many foes.

The Korhal government collapses, the Dominion falls… As Arcturus's son, will I be next for retribution…?

At that moment, Valerian was already considering the possibility of going into hiding. If all else failed, he would rely on the Rangers familiar with the remote frontiers of the Koprulu sector, pay heavily for guides, and slip away to lay low.

He had ambition, yes. He had inherited his father Arcturus's iron hand—hard, ruthless, and unwavering in pursuit of victory. But more precious still, he had also inherited the kindness and mercy of his late mother Juliana. His ways were far gentler.

Given time, Valerian could have become a far better emperor than Arcturus the tyrant. Many figures in the Terran Council agreed on this.

The meaning was obvious: one tyrant was more than enough. Another, and none could endure.

Valerian's belief in law and justice gave him a bright future. He was praised both at home and abroad.

But—such a chance would never come.

His father had died suddenly, Korhal itself was crumbling, and the Terran Dominion was on the verge of ruin. He, the crown prince, would expire before he could even be crowned. Mishandle this once, and his own life would become some opportunist's path to fortune.

Even a clever cook cannot prepare a meal without rice.

Hopeless.

With only a few ships and the joint fleet of the Rangers at his disposal… Arcturus had claimed Kerrigan's swarm was being suppressed, but with the scale of the Korhal system's battles, if Valerian threw his forces in, not even a splash would remain.

Storming through possibilities, weighing paths for survival—just as he prepared to shut off the transmission and contact Kerrigan, ready to tell her: You're late. My father's already been taken care of—

Bang!—

"Oh? I nearly forgot about you, trash. Who are you?"

Startled, Valerian looked up. Suddenly magnified across the screen, a bloodstained yet breathtakingly divine face loomed.

Even separated by unknown astronomical distances, when those eyes locked onto him, Valerian's heart froze.

The gaze carried the playful malice of a predator watching its lamb. He knew at once: if this angelic girl truly stood before him, a mere touch would end him. Escape or pleas—both meaningless.

"I am Crown Prince of the Terran Dominion, Valerian Mengsk."

Words of concealment choked in his throat. The stubborn pride of House Mengsk surged instead. Aboard the Hyperion beyond the Korhal system, Valerian stepped forward, head held high, meeting Jibril's gaze.

"…Son of Arcturus."

Without hesitation, he raised his chest and declared: "With the sudden passing of Emperor Arcturus I, by law of the Dominion, I ascend as Emperor Valerian I. I hereby—"

"Oh, so you're the false emperor's son."

Jibril cut him off without a care. "The new false emperor, too—two birds with one stone. Hm. Trash, tell me your location. I want your head. As a rare honor, I'll place it in my collection."

"I hardly consider that an honor."

This woman was ruder than Kerrigan herself. Bitterness welled in his chest, but Valerian forced himself into the performance of a statesman: "As a great power, is this how you treat your guests?"

A subtle flattery.

"As Emperor of the Dominion, I request this as a diplomatic audience. Not a declaration of war, but an earnest, respectful appeal. I wish—"

Even as he spoke, Valerian carefully studied Jibril's attire: a uniform trimmed with gold, emblazoned with the double-headed eagle, embroidered angel wings spread wide, golden tassels and cords falling from her shoulders with elegant precision…

Far too familiar. As a royal, the courtly style was unmistakable.

The spread angel wings framing the eagle matched the figure of the girl herself, so young in appearance as to be absurd. The same symbol crowned the prows of the invading warships. At its heart stood a golden, hollow diamond, radiant like a stylized sun.

That 'sun'—raised above all. Did it signify an institution? A house? Or… someone?

"…an audience with the Emperor."

Valerian spoke cautiously, especially after seeing Jibril hesitate: "In the name of Emperor Valerian I, I shall represent the Terran royal house, represent humanity of the Koprulu sector, and submit a letter of surrender to the True Emperor, the True Lord."

Though he was the only royal left and the Mengsk family could hardly claim to represent the entire sector, Valerian still draped himself in the tiger's skin.

"Uh…"

Jibril twisted uncomfortably.

It had to be admitted—thanks to the distance sparing him immediate danger, Valerian's calm words had indeed struck her weak point.

It was her first time in a foreign war. To Jibril, invoking Selene was like a sentient race of Disboard submitting directly to the god of their world. Logically, his name must be placed before Selene. If, after seeing it, Selene wished to meet him and grant protection, but Jibril had already killed him in advance—that would be a disaster.

Unknowingly, the Flügel girl's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"Mm, my banquet of false emperor father and son… oh well, I'll spare you. Quickly send me your letter of surrender."

She floated lightly down to the clean carpet, patting her skirt, then strode to the wide desk and plopped herself onto the chair, tossing her legs casually over the edge.

"I am prepared to surrender, under conditions. First, I wish the people of the Dominion to be treated—"

"Just write it. The content doesn't matter to me. I'm only the messenger. I'll present it to Her Majesty. Of course… if Her Majesty rejects it, then, hehe—"

With a brief 'angelic smile,' Jibril snatched up a custom-made windproof lighter from the desk, fiddling with it.

Its trigger jutted outward strangely from the flame-port, gilded and inlaid with silver, engraved with ornate patterns. A decent enough collectible.

Click! She flipped it open, pressed—kakakaka!—

Mechanisms shifted, springs clacked, and in the center of the chamber, a prism rose, pushing aside Arcturus's headless corpse.

A silver-gray metallic prism, its surface covered with crisscrossing cracks, splitting its faces into irregular segments.

Zzzzz—crackle!

Blue-white arcs burst forth, the chamber's lights flickering with thunderous snaps.

"What is this?"

Shrouded by the prism's light, Jibril frowned. The thing made her uneasy.

"…A Xel'naga artifact."

From the other side of the split-screen, Valerian muttered: "So that's it, father. This was your trump card against Kerrigan."

"Always one face for the public, another in secret… my father."

A wry smile tugged at Valerian's lips.

Even as heir, he had never abandoned the passion for archaeology his father had always scorned. As a child, he had spent hours digging in the dirt for alien relics. As a man, he had wielded the Dominion's resources to search across the sector for ancient remains—most belonging to the mysterious creators, the Xel'naga.

Now, the very man who mocked him had relied on such a find as his trump card. Fate's irony, perhaps.

"An artifact? Then another fine collectible! Wahaha, everyone will be so jealous…"

Rubbing her hands, Jibril prepared to seize the prism—

Ahem.

"Oh, wh—"

Drooling over the "trophy," the Flügel girl froze. That familiar voice sent a shiver through her. Startled midair, she nearly crashed face-first, but managed to pull up. Wide-eyed, she stared.

Her gaze fell on the prism. Cautiously, she whispered: "Your Majesty?"

Bzzzz—! A dazzling, indistinct figure broke through the very barrier of reality, crossing the void to manifest upon the Xel'naga prism.

"Jibril, wipe your drool."

Selene's face darkened. She was in the void, locked in combat, stripping the essence of void-forged beings and seizing their permissions. At that moment, a signal from this artifact was caught in her grasp.

Thinking it a chance for a display, she split off a secondary consciousness. And so, Jibril's drooling face was shoved before her.

Still, looking at the golden-haired man leaning forward in the split-screen, Selene knew this was not for nothing.

"…The creators—the Xel'naga!"

See? He said it himself.

Chapter 584: Immigration Plan

Eriri watched Ariel with great interest, eager to hear what kind of answer she would give.

After hearing Eriri's words, Ariel immediately fell into deep thought, unable to decide right away.

It wasn't until quite a while later that she slowly spoke:

"As long as you provide us with the Magic Perpetual Motion Machine, Villiers will become your subordinate force. What do you think?"

Ariel looked at Eriri seriously. This was a decision made after careful consideration.

She was very clear about the value of the Magic Perpetual Motion Machine. To offer something of equal worth was nearly impossible.

The only compensation she could think of was Villiers itself.

Moreover, in her view, having Villiers depend on a powerful person like Eriri wasn't necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, it would give Villiers an extra layer of protection.

Unfortunately, what she thought was a win-win proposal was flatly rejected by Eriri.

"I don't think so. Villiers is of no use to me at all."

"This doesn't work either? But this is the only idea I could come up with."

Ariel spread her hands helplessly.

"In that case, I have no better ideas. I think it's better to leave the decision up to you. What kind of price do you think we should pay in exchange for this Magic Perpetual Motion Machine?"

"As long as it's within our power, we'll do our best to satisfy your request."

"Forget it. I doubt you can offer anything that would satisfy me. I'll just give you this Magic Perpetual Motion Machine directly. Consider it compensation for Lilia—after all, she was once the queen of your world~"

With that, Eriri manipulated the Magic Perpetual Motion Machine above her palm, sending it flying toward Ariel.

Looking at the cube floating before her, Ariel let out a long breath of relief, then grasped it tightly with overwhelming joy.

"Exchanging Lilia for this Magic Perpetual Motion Machine… this is such a huge gain!"

Ariel mercilessly sold Lilia. She had never thought of reclaiming Lilia from Eriri, so in her eyes, obtaining the Magic Perpetual Motion Machine was no different from getting it for free.

However, their exchange stirred Lilia's discontent.

"Um… can… can I object to this?" Lilia timidly raised her hand.

"What do you think?"

Three voices overlapped as Eriri, Ariel, and Chris all fixed their gazes on Lilia.

The oppressive force of their stares made Lilia instinctively step back a few paces. Her head dropped again, and an apology slipped out immediately.

"I-I'm sorry! I got carried away!"

After apologizing, Lilia couldn't resist stealing a glance at Eriri, only to quickly lower her head again.

A few seconds later, she peeked again, then lowered her head once more, repeating the little action several times.

Because Eriri had turned her head toward her, this was Lilia's first time truly seeing Eriri's real face.

When she saw that the girl who had captured her was so cute and beautiful, she realized, to her own surprise, that much of her resistance toward Eriri had melted away.

To Eriri, Lilia's little actions were unbearably adorable. She couldn't resist the urge to scoop her up and tease her again.

Regardless of Lilia's personality and character, at the very least Eriri found her quite likable. Otherwise, instead of keeping her alive, she might have simply killed her for Chris' sake.

Eriri was never one to suppress her desires. Once she wanted to do something, she always acted on it.

And so, she spread her arms. In the next instant, the several meters separating her and Lilia vanished, and Lilia appeared directly in her embrace, face-to-face, tightly held.

"You little thing, you're just too cute. If you want to look at me, then look openly—there's no need to sneak glances like that~"

Eriri lifted Lilia off the ground in her arms, so that they were face-to-face, their cheeks separated by less than ten centimeters.

Eriri's sudden action caught Lilia completely off guard. Before she could even cry out, she found herself face-to-face with Eriri's breathtakingly beautiful face, so close that her breath hitched instantly.

On top of that, Eriri's sweet breath brushed against her cheek as she spoke, and Lilia's little face flushed scarlet in an instant, her head spinning as if dazed.

Rubbing the tip of her nose lightly against Lilia's, making her even dizzier, Eriri then turned her gaze back to Ariel.

"I have another method that can solve your population crisis. Do you want to hear it?"

At Eriri's words, Ariel's eyes lit up again. She quickly nodded.

"I'm all ears."

"I previously opened up a new world. It's extremely suitable for human habitation. Compared to the world you live in now, it's practically a paradise."

"Currently, that world has only a few thousand residents. So, I can allow Villiers to immigrate there in large numbers."

Eriri directly mentioned the Martial Arts Tournament World. She had already planned to immigrate groups of girls from various worlds, and Villiers was the perfect opportunity to gather residents!

Although the livable area of that world wasn't very large for now—just a city spanning 100,000 square kilometers, surrounded by endless ocean—once the city's population grew, Eriri would naturally expand its size.

So even if billions immigrated at once, she had no concerns.

"Opened up a world?"

Ariel stared at Eriri in shock.

She didn't even focus on immigration—her attention was entirely on the phrase opened up a world. Chris was the same.

They both knew Eriri was powerful, but they had never imagined this powerful. Opening up a world was something utterly beyond their comprehension.

If they had that ability, there would be no need to worry about overpopulation or resources at all.

"Look at the two of you. Is it really that shocking? It's just opening up a world. Hardly a big deal. For me, it's no more difficult than eating or drinking."

Eriri spoke casually, dismissing the feat of world creation as though it were trivial, showing not a hint of modesty.

Her words left Ariel and Chris speechless.

They wanted to treat Eriri's claim as exaggeration, but seeing her utterly confident expression—and Kyoko and the others treating it as the most natural thing in the world—they had no choice but to believe she was telling the truth.

Only now did they realize that Eriri's true power was far, far beyond what they had imagined.

"Alright, enough of such minor things. Let's get back to the immigration issue."

At Eriri's words, Ariel finally shifted her focus back to population.

"If immigration is possible, that would be ideal. Even without the resource crisis, the continuously increasing population is still a problem."

Ariel agreed immediately. For Villiers, immigration was all benefit and no harm, so she naturally welcomed it.

"Good. As long as you agree."

Eriri nodded, but her expression soon grew more serious.

"There is one thing I need to make clear in advance."

"What should we pay attention to?"

"In the world I created, only women exist, and only female immigrants will be accepted. Anyone who wants to immigrate needs to be mentally prepared for that."

"And I won't accept just anyone. To qualify for immigration, several conditions must be met."

"First, they must be attractive enough."

"Second, their outward appearance must be under thirty years old. Actual age doesn't matter, since once they immigrate, they'll gain a long lifespan and eternal youth."

"Third, immigrants must not have male spouses. Coming with a female spouse, however, is perfectly fine."

"And finally, immigrants cannot be people of malicious intent. I absolutely don't want my world turning into a chaotic mess."

"These four conditions are all. As long as they're met, no matter how many people Villiers wants to send, I'll accept them all."

After hearing the list of conditions, Ariel's expression didn't change. It seemed all of them were within her acceptable range.

"Oh my, your requirements are rather strict."

Ariel smiled and continued:

"But it's not really a problem. In our world, we may lack many things, but people are not one of them. Just among teenagers, we have tens of billions. And since most Magiclad Girls are very cute, meeting these four conditions won't be difficult."

She paused briefly, then added:

"However, that fourth condition might be hard for us to judge. It's impossible to know everyone's true nature."

"You don't need to worry about that. I only listed the criteria for eligibility. Whether they can actually enter my world will depend on proof."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll create a massive World Gate between Villiers and the world I opened. Only those who meet the four conditions will be able to pass through the gate and enter my world."

"That World Gate will remain there permanently. All you'll need to do is announce the immigration plan, and those who wish to immigrate can try to pass through themselves."

"No one can escape the World Gate's judgment~"

Eriri looked at Ariel with full confidence. Just as she had once personally chosen which mermaids could immigrate in the One Piece world, she would grant the gate the same discerning ability.

"I see. That makes things much easier. I completely agree."

Ariel clapped her hands in delight, fully approving of Eriri's proposal.

Then she asked:

"By the way, if someone passes through the World Gate into your world, can they return to Villiers afterward?"

"Of course. The two worlds will remain connected. But if, after returning to Villiers, if they violate any of the four conditions, they'll lose their eligibility to immigrate."

"I understand. In that case, I have no further questions. We can implement the immigration plan anytime."

"In that case, let's begin right now."

"I have no objections."

Once everything was settled, Eriri decided not to delay. After telling Kyoko and the others, she released the still-dazed Lilia, then took Ariel's hand and returned with her to Villiers.

This time, she didn't bring Eu and the others along. After all, she was only going to establish a World Gate, which wouldn't take long.

She could have opened the gate between Villiers and the Martial Arts Tournament World directly from Earth. But for the sake of ceremony, she felt it necessary to go there in person.

Just like every time she created World Gates linking other worlds to the Saekano world, she always went herself and found a proper base first.

In truth, all of these steps could have been skipped.

...

Meanwhile, less than ten minutes had passed since Eriri and the others had left Villiers. The students and teachers of Martlez Academy were still gathered at the site of Chris and Ariel's battle, showing no signs of dispersing.

So when Eriri returned with Ariel, the commotion was enormous.

"Great Teacher, what just happened? Where did Her Majesty the Queen go?"

"Great Teacher, who was the person you just fought?"

"Great Teacher, I think I saw Kyoko just now. Where is she now?"

"Who is this? She's so beautiful!"

Countless students rushed up to Ariel and Eriri, firing off questions one after another.

Some asked about the previous battle, some about Lilia, some about Chris, some about Kyoko…

But most of all, their curiosity centered on Eriri. Her beauty left everyone present completely stunned.

The flood of questions made the scene overwhelmingly noisy.

"Everyone, quiet down!" Ariel raised her voice to address the crowd.

At her command, the students quickly fell silent, and the place grew calm.

But even in silence, every pair of eyes turned toward Eriri, full of astonishment.

Many students with yuri inclinations gazed at her with open infatuation.

Chapter 339: If the Will of the Honkai Won’t Give It, I’ll Take It Myself

"Fu Hua, done."

"Senti, appeared unexpectedly, already subdued…"

"Griseo, retrieved, soft, fragrant…"

"Six Disciples of Taixuan, currently in class…"

On the top bridge of the Eternal Snowfall, Setsuna crossed off one task after another on the holographic interface.

At first, he thought the Saga of the Shattered Swords world would come to a close after resolving the affairs of Mount Taixuan and Kallen.

Unexpectedly, due to some accidents and deeper explorations, he had to stay a while longer.

"Looks like everything here is basically done?"

Setsuna checked the list—everyone that could be brought back was now on the Eternal Snowfall or the space station.

Anything they could find had already been gathered.

Even if the Research Division lacked something, with Sophons and the Angeloids helping, they could easily sort it out.

"You really do know this world inside and out…"

Fu Hua leaned against him, watching as he recorded item after item in his memo, her expression tinged with surprise.

"Of course."

Setsuna glanced at several reports from the research departments.

The Life Sciences Department was still advancing the MANTIS Project and Chimera Project.

They were matching the DNA of their companions with that of cultivated Honkai Beasts, attempting to create MANTIS unique to the Starsea Empire.

They were also experimenting with mixing multiple Emperor-class Honkai Beasts with Chiyou's DNA to see if they could create a super flashy Vipralopa-class Honkai Beast.

With Dr. Mei's data as reference, the progress moved forward in an orderly fashion.

All that was required was time.

As for projects like building the Astral Express, reverse-engineering the Divine Keys, or observing the Tree and Sea—those were more difficult, so any results would depend on chance.

"When are we going back fifty thousand years?"

Fu Hua leaned softly against his shoulder from behind.

Her bluish-gray hair cascaded down, a pleasant fragrance wafting from her nose.

"Mm… are you in a hurry?"

Setsuna pinched her cheek.

"Not really… just, I feel like many companions from the Previous Era would really like you."

Fu Hua thought for a moment.

"You and your companions are interesting. Elysia would definitely like you."

"You used Dr. Mei's research to help defeat the Honkai. Mei, Vill-V, and Mobius would definitely be interested in the Starsea Empire's technology."

"When she sees all your researchers are little girls, Mei will probably be shocked."

Her gaze carried both nostalgia and hope.

She had once thought those departed companions could never be seen again, but before the absurd time-travel technology of the Starsea Empire—

Future saving past became reality.

Fu Hua could hardly wait to bring Setsuna back, to destroy the Honkai, save her companions—

And proudly announce to everyone that she had such an excellent… partner.

"Oh? You want me to go back and flirt with other girls that much?"

Setsuna tilted his head up with a grin.

"I also quite like Elysia, actually, mm."

"Hey!??"

Fu Hua squeezed his cheeks tightly, putting a bit of strength into her grip.

"Playboy!!!"

"So that's what you were thinking?!"

"I've always dared to face my own heart and desires directly."

Setsuna answered honestly.

So honestly that Fu Hua didn't know how to scold him.

"You, you… sigh, fine, as long as you're happy. Just don't forget me."

The immortal let out a sigh.

When she learned Setsuna was surrounded by countless girls, she had felt a little dejected.

But being able to receive even a share of his feelings, she was already content.

After all, in fifty-four thousand years, no man had ever accomplished the miracle Setsuna did for her—

Traversing time and space, regardless of cost or reward, just to help her.

"I'll say it again: I treat everyone equally, whether human, Spirit, dragon maiden, or shipgirl."

"With the Eternal Silver… no, with the Eternal Snowfall here."

Setsuna gently stroked Fu Hua's cheek.

In his eyes, she was just a serious, meticulous girl who didn't talk much. Only in front of others was she the immortal.

"Hmph."

Fu Hua gave a soft snort, gently brushing away Setsuna's hand that had slipped into her robes.

"Tonight. Your energy is really something."

"Of course, did you think the two Wisdom Cubes and the Allspark were fake?"

Setsuna pulled her into his arms.

"As usual… the past few days you can have me all to yourself. But tonight, Tohru and Mio will join us too."

"Ah???"

The pure immortal looked as though she had just heard something outrageous, her pupils trembling violently.

"Wait a minute—what do you mean Tohru and Mio together?!"

"Literal meaning. I want to take care of your body, but alone it doesn't feel enough, mm."

"..."

By accident, Fu Hua had just learned of a very strange tradition.

After teasing the immortal for a while,

Setsuna pulled up several holographic interfaces, bringing up the Research Division's reports.

"On to business."

"When we went to retrieve Cangxuan and Dan Zhu, the 3,000-year span burned through about sixteen thousand Wisdom Cubes in the Spiritron Transfer Device."

"According to the Engineering Department's estimates, crossing fifty thousand years will require consuming two to three hundred thousand Cubes, plus building a much larger Spiritron Transfer Device."

Shua—

On the display appeared a massive, extremely complex structure.

From the scale, it was nearly half the size of the moon. Its internal design was intricately tangled, marked with incomprehensible data and formulas.

Just looking at it made Fu Hua dizzy.

"Mm… this might be a planetary-level megastructure. If it can leap across tens of thousands of years, calling it a galactic miracle wouldn't be wrong."

"The Research Division is figuring out how to construct it. Once the blueprints are ready, it's simple—just hand it to the Bulins."

Setsuna explained.

When saving Cangxuan and Dan Zhu, it had partly been to fulfill Fu Hua's wish.

But on the other hand, the Research Division was also testing the feasibility of ultra-long time travel within the Honkai universe.

The conclusion: feasible.

It just needed overwhelming resources to create miracles.

—And the Starsea Empire never lacked resources.

Even burning up a few, or even dozens, of stars could be managed through their vassal universes.

"Oh… so that means, once this super Spiritron Transfer Device is built, we can go save the Previous Era?"

Fu Hua realized.

"Mm, it's still in the design phase now. After that, construction won't take long."

Setsuna nodded.

"But compared to going to the Previous Era, what I'm more concerned with… is going to the future."

"Oh?"

At this point, Fu Hua wasn't Fu Hua. She had no idea what would happen in the times ahead.

"There are some people 500 years later I care about. The reason we didn't fully conquer this place was to avoid over-disrupting the worldline."

Setsuna explained briefly.

"???"

"You're not only after girls from fifty thousand years ago—you're after girls from the future too?!"

Fu Hua froze for a moment, then hit the nail on the head.

"Mhm. But traveling to the future is far harder than to the past. It might involve dimensional technology…"

"Crossing time from a higher dimension, straight into the future… tch, it's a little like the Zero-Homer's vision of the idyllic era universe…"

Setsuna casually replied.

The Saga of the Shattered Swords timeline was a little awkward—he couldn't just wait five hundred years.

"You didn't deny it, you even gave an extra explanation?!"

Fu Hua slapped her forehead.

The two joked with each other for a while longer.

Setsuna began thinking about what unfinished business still remained before they left.

What tragedies could be prevented here and now.

As he pondered,

Occasionally, his gaze drifted to the window, where the moon rotated quietly in the distance.

"Oh right."

"Let's go take a look at the moon. Didn't you and Finality fight a battle there?"

...

Buzz—

A small shuttle departed from the space station, carrying Setsuna, Fu Hua, and several companions toward the moon.

As the small celestial body grew nearer, Fu Hua felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Fifty thousand years ago, Fire Moth had fought the Herrscher of Finality here—and suffered a crushing defeat, forced into silence while awaiting a new era of civilization.

At the time, the Moonlight Throne system had been entrusted with high hopes. Yet it failed completely, the Herrscher of Finality proving far stronger than they had ever imagined.

"Ah… it was here back then…"

Fu Hua pointed to a location on the lunar surface.

Even after fifty millennia, with weathering and cosmic meteor impacts reshaping the moon's surface, she still remembered every detail of that battle.

"Mm, circle around to the far side."

Setsuna gestured. The shuttle curved along the lunar orbit, heading toward the hidden face.

Unlike Earth revolving around the sun, the moon was tidally locked by Earth's gravity.

Which meant one face always turned toward Earth. From Earth, one could never see the far side.

"Hm?"

Fu Hua had felt puzzled at first.

But as the starship skimmed low across the lunar orbit and reached the far side, her eyes froze.

The far side of the moon had fewer flat maria, most of its terrain jagged with craters.

Among them, the most striking feature was a massive structure standing inside a basin.

Part of its surface was damaged, but its architectural style carried unmistakable traces of the Previous Era.

The moment they drew near, the shuttle's sensors began blaring alarms.

"You brought us here for…?"

"This is where Dr. Mei sealed 'God.' Of course we're here to check it out—and make use of it."

Setsuna answered.

Before the Final Battle, Dr. Mei, with her incomplete understanding of Honkai and "Truth," had built this colossal structure on the moon's far side to seal away "God"—the power of Finality.

She had hoped to use the Moonlight Throne system to confine the Honkai entirely to the moon.

But even running at 200% overload until it burned out, it only managed to deplete about 30% of the Herrscher of Finality's energy.

That energy seeped into the lunar soil.

According to the original plot—

Centuries later, in the Current Era, during the Second Eruption, Sirin would fly to the moon.

Here she would meet "God," the Will of the Honkai, and accept its power to become the five-core Herrscher, leaving Earth in tears.

Naturally, Setsuna had no intention of leaving this for Sirin.

The inhuman experiments of Babylon Lab should never have existed.

So, the lunar inheritance—he intended to take it all.

Click—

The moment they set foot on the surface, Fu Hua frowned.

She bent down, scooping up a pinch of lunar soil—tainted with a familiar power.

Honkai energy.

Hoo—

Setsuna also felt a surge of immense energy.

As a Herrscher himself, he felt a strange affinity with the power of Finality.

They made their way deeper into the ruins, broken and ancient devices scattered everywhere.

Passing through several collapsed structures, they reached what resembled a shrine.

At its center, upon a high platform, floated a golden star.

It radiated a dim glow, large in size, most of it shrouded by stone pillars, as though sealed deliberately.

"What is this…?"

Neither Fu Hua nor Senti had ever seen such a thing.

"This is part of the seal on 'God.'"

Setsuna gazed at the star.

It was this that had drawn Sirin by the mysterious voice, prompting her to touch it—whereupon she encountered the Will of the Honkai.

And from it, she gained four Herrscher cores.

He figured he should give it a try as well.

Shua—

He reached out and pressed against it.

Instantly, his vision turned pure white.

His consciousness slipped into a boundless white space.

And there, not far away—

Setsuna saw a figure seated upon a throne, a faceless, formless human.

It rested its chin on one hand, legs crossed, looking down at him.

Its face had no features, only a smooth, glowing surface like an energy body.

"The Will of the Honkai?"

Setsuna stepped forward a few paces.

This was the literal "god" of the Honkai world.

But the Will of the Honkai could not alter the world's rules, nor could it directly descend into the human realm.

It had even been partially sealed by Dr. Mei's schemes.

Far from an omnipotent god.

"…"

The Will of the Honkai before him gave no reply, nor did it transform as it had when Sirin encountered it.

It simply stood there, locked in silent confrontation with Setsuna.

"Hey? No reaction?"

Setsuna recalled that the Will of the Honkai usually spoke directly into people's minds, able to read their thoughts.

When a question arose in one's heart, it would answer.

Very godlike in style.

Unfortunately, his body was different—an Allspark and Cube hybrid. Perhaps the Will of the Honkai couldn't comprehend him.

After several minutes—

A strange voice finally rang out:

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I'm the Commander of the Starsea Empire…"

"?"

Before he could finish—

Bang—

His vision blurred, his consciousness expelled.

He returned to the ruins.

"How was it? What happened?"

"When you touched it, you just stood there in a daze. I called you but you didn't answer…"

Fu Hua asked with concern.

"Uh… the Will of the Honkai doesn't seem willing to give me its power."

"Damn."

Setsuna glanced around, shook his head, and clicked his tongue.

Sirin had gained its favor due to her intense hatred of humanity and desire for power.

As for him…

The Will of the Honkai probably saw him as a war criminal.

"Should I try?"

Senti raised her hand.

"Forget it. You're already the double agent among Herrschers. Facing the Will of the Honkai directly isn't a good idea."

Setsuna thought it over.

"Then what now? Leaving it here feels like a waste…"

Senti scratched her head.

"That's simple. If it won't give, I'll just take it myself."

Setsuna coughed, then waved his hand.

Clatter—

The shuttle hatches opened, releasing thousands of Angeloids and a troop of Bulins with tools in hand.

"Clear the lunar ruins. Build an outpost here."

"Take this thing away for research, extract the Honkai energy from it, and best case—forge me a few Herrscher cores."

"Understood!"

The Angeloids and Bulins quickly began construction on the lunar surface.

"Alright, done. The rest will be handled by Grey and the Research Division."

Setsuna clapped his hands.

"Let's go home!!!"

"..."

Fu Hua and Senti were left dumbfounded.

If it won't give—just take it.

Very well. That was indeed their Commander.

Chapter 338: Yo~ Diona Dares to Point at Barbatos’ Nose?

"Power…"

Lisa felt the change within herself and couldn't help but look at her slender palm.

In just this short while—though in fact, this "short while" spanned several years—she had undergone transformation. But for a god of her level, to advance even to weak single-universe usually required at least ten thousand years, sometimes tens of thousands if unlucky.

Not to mention reaching standard single-universe.

Although both weak single-universe and standard single-universe had broken through the boundaries of a universe, weak single-universe was more like a transitional stage.

According to her own divine origin power of [Equivalent Exchange], becoming standard single-universe should have taken nearly a million years.

Yet now, just from her union with Heavenly Principle for this short while, she had achieved it.

After becoming single-universe, she herself was equivalent to the power of an entire universe. The lines on her palm were the manifestation of universal laws. With just a flip of her hand, she could destroy an entire universe. By channeling all of her power, she could create at minimum a weak single-universe.

Not only that, within her body remained a power that surpassed everything—something she could not comprehend at all. This power manifested in the markings on her abdomen.

The traces of Heavenly Principle—Heavenly Stigmata.

This was the power unique to Heavenly Principle, as Inazuma's Lady Guuji once said. It represented a special status in Teyvat itself.

Through the Heavenly Stigmata, she could feel things she had never been able to sense before.

Her understanding of Truth and Law rose to a new level.

At the same time, she understood all the secrets of her core authority.

Her Equivalent Exchange had been innate to her Constellation System. After becoming a god, the meaning of the Constellation naturally became her core authority.

This authority would continuously evolve as her divine level rose.

Most gods' authorities had specific domains. But hers, being an abstract concept, was something even she had not fully understood.

Because her Equivalent Exchange was actually an exchange directly with Teyvat itself—she could trade for any knowledge. That was why, even though she was part of the third generation of gods, she had managed to keep up with Jean, who was of the second generation.

Now, however, she realized the true nature of Equivalent Exchange: the one she had always been trading with was Lord Noah himself. For Teyvat was Heavenly Principle.

Noah held Lisa in his arms and said: "Equivalent Exchange itself is the highest phenomenon of the two Truths, Kabbalah and Ouroboros. It is the key to the Gate of Truth."

"To hold the key to the Gate of Truth already carries the possibility of becoming a Sustainer of Heavenly Principles."

"When you, Lisa, truly bring forth the Gate of Truth, I will make you my Sustainer."

Although he could grant a wisp of his power to make anyone a Sustainer, that would be far too frivolous.

At the very least, only one with top-tier talent, second only to Truth itself, could become a Sustainer. Otherwise, it would be unworthy of the position.

After all, Sustainers upheld Teyvat's order itself. Asmoday and Istaroth upheld space and time. Baal and Paimon upheld life and death.

As for Esdeath, she had only been chosen back when there were few candidates. Without the power he had given her, Esdeath would be little different from Lumine.

However, he had often rewarded Esdeath, making her aura partially resonate with his own. Because of this, she had already forged a nascent form of a new Law.

The entropy that science observed as the possible final destiny of the universe.

If she fully developed it, then even without his power, Esdeath could brush against the edge of super single-universe.

Her diligence stemmed from understanding that without Noah's aid, the Four Sustainers of Heavenly Principle would never even acknowledge her. With her proud nature, she naturally wanted to prove herself.

"To become a Sustainer!" Lisa froze, then held her breath, her heart pounding wildly. As one of Teyvat's first native gods, she knew all too well what becoming a Sustainer of Heavenly Principle meant.

"I will definitely bring forth the Gate of Truth, Lord Heavenly Principle."

So her Equivalent Exchange was such a powerful authority—it even qualified her to become a Sustainer.

"Congratulations, Lisa." Jean felt no jealousy, only happiness and blessing.

"Hoo~"

Noah exhaled lightly, and in an instant Jean and Lisa's clothes were restored, enhanced with materials only found in Celestia.

These materials alone could greatly suppress power beneath Law, equivalent to casting an anti-magic field.

"It has been a long time since I wandered around Mondstadt. Perhaps something interesting will happen."

Noah patted Jean's pert rear. The feeling was exquisite—comparable even to Phanes.

Although countless positions had already been unlocked, Jean was still shy when it came to such gestures.

"Ever since the Main Universe ascended, opening the cosmic boundary, and since the Travelers linked countless other universes, many powerful beings from outside universes have established ties with Mondstadt…"

"Shall I take you on a tour?"

Noah: "Of course. But not in Captain Jean's identity. That would spoil the fun."

Lisa asked softly: "Lord Heavenly Principle, do you often go on such private visits?"

Noah smiled: "Surely you've seen the supreme gods of other pantheons. Barbatos, that drunkard, disguises himself as a poor bard to freeload food and drink. Morax, that old fellow, often plays the role of an ordinary god, listening to music and strolling with birds."

Jean felt awkward. "Lord Barbatos, he… in fact, Lord Barbatos is very responsible, Lord Heavenly Principle."

"If Barbatos were not dutiful, he wouldn't have the leisure to appear so carefree."

Noah wrapped one arm around Jean and the other around Lisa, instantly lowering their auras to the level of ordinary Upper Gods.

Within the Supreme Divine Realm, ordinary people also existed. However, even newborn mortals here had at least four or five stars lit in their Constellations. With some effort, by adulthood they could become Lower Gods. Exceptional ones could even advance to Middle Gods naturally.

Upper Gods were rare—like students admitted into a top-tier university. As for True Gods, they were the elites of divine society.

...

The Cat's Tail.

By now, The Cat's Tail had long since become a massive community. The servers employed here were all cat-demons of True God level.

The tavern's original proprietress was now at the level of Primary God. Though her talent was limited, Diona herself had already reached the rank of Supreme God. Thus, Diona was the true leader of the community, while the original proprietress merely served as manager.

At this moment, Venti, having recently returned from Celestia, sat at the tavern's top-floor bar counter, rubbing his hands together, shamelessly begging Diona.

"Come on, Miss Diona, just one last glass, just one final cup. Really, this is absolutely the last one for today."

Diona crossed her arms in anger. "The last one? That's the seventeenth time you've said that today!"

She pointed toward the more than twenty empty glasses stacked upon the counter.

Just then, the tavern door swung open, and a playful voice rang out:

"Yo~ my adorable little bartender. It's been nearly ten thousand years since we last met. Your temper has grown a bit, hasn't it? You even dare to point at Barbatos' nose?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Barbatos—who had just been preparing to push harder, hoping to persuade Diona to mix him one more drink—suddenly trembled all over. Like a startled cat, he leapt up at once to look toward the sound.

"Ah! L-L-L-Lord Noah! W-Why are you here!"

Venti blurted out instinctively, his entire body tense from head to toe.

"Oh~ Barbatos, am I not allowed to come?" Noah's playful gaze narrowed slightly, a dangerous hum slipping from his nose. "Hm?"

Gulp~ Venti swallowed hard, then slapped himself across the face. "Ow! Look at my big mouth." Quickly, he put on a sycophantic grin like a shrewd little Liyue servant: "How could I dare? Lord Noah coming to Mondstadt makes me nothing but overjoyed."

With that, he hastily pulled out a chair at the counter.

This manner was a complete contrast to when he appeared with the dignity of the supreme god of his pantheon. Even though he looked exactly the same as that divine statue, no one would ever believe he was the supreme god in this state.

"Lord Barbatos." Jean and Lisa quickly gave their greetings.

They had seen their pantheon's supreme god in this state countless times already. By now, they were fully accustomed to it.

Indeed, Lord Barbatos was widely recognized as the supreme god with the least amount of divine dignity. This form of his simply did not inspire worship—at most, respect and gratitude.

"You rascal, always mooching food and drink." Noah sat down on the stool and turned his gaze toward Diona, who tilted her head, blinking her big eyes as she seemed to recall his identity.

"Little cat girl, has Barbatos ever paid you for all the drinks he's had here? If he hasn't, I'll make him work off his debt here at your tavern."

Diona crossed her arms in anger. "Hmph, Lord Barbatos has never once paid for his drinks here! Every time, he pesters me shamelessly to mix for him—knowing full well I hate alcohol the most. Hmph!"

As she spoke, she suddenly realized what she was saying. She turned and glared at Noah, baring her little fangs, her anger rising even higher.

"And another thing! My name is Diona, not 'little cat girl!' I'm not a cat! I'm not one of Inazuma's cat-demons, nor one of Sumeru's beastfolk! I'm a symbol of the Kätzlein family!"

"Oh! Now I remember! It was you! From ten thousand years ago… what was your name again?"

Even as a god who had lived nearly ten millennia, if she had only met someone once or twice so long ago, the impression left would be faint.

"Noah," he said, as his hand reached out and landed on Diona's head, radiating pure affinity for beast-eared girls.

"Oh! Right, Noah! Back then you kept pestering me for a drink too… Mmm…"

Diona closed her eyes unconsciously, leaning into his hand as he stroked her head, even rubbing against his palm slightly.

"So comfortable~"

Venti didn't look surprised in the least. In the great world of Teyvat, no being could resist Heavenly Principle's touch.

In fact, being touched by Heavenly Principle was an immense blessing. Too bad he wasn't a goddess—if he were, he would have already thrown himself at Noah like those two over in Inazuma, begging for the same.

Jean and Lisa exchanged a glance.

Diona might allow close friends to pat her ears once or twice, but her tail was absolutely off limits. If someone touched it, she would turn the entire The Cat's Tail upside down.

They still remembered when Hebe, the Greek pantheon's goddess of youth, once got drunk here and touched it out of curiosity. The chaos that followed had been catastrophic.

"Good kitty, does that feel nice?"

Noah smirked as he gently pinched Diona's cat ears. They were unexpectedly warm and soft, especially the tuft of white fur in the very center.

His fingers slid slightly inside, making the ears twitch from the ticklish sensation.

"Mmm~" Diona let out a muffled nasal sound, her strength nearly melting away in comfort. Behind her, her calico-patterned tail swayed back and forth.

Only when she suddenly felt her tail being grasped did her whole body jolt violently.

"Yah!"

In that instant, she finally realized what had just happened, and her entire face flushed crimson, like a shrimp dropped into boiling water.

She had actually let herself be treated like an ordinary cat, petted like that—and worse, she had even… even responded that way!

"Ahhhhh!" Diona screamed, her face red with shame, fury, and indignation, before biting down hard on Noah's hand.

There was no way she would ever act like that on her own! It had to be this guy's curse!

"Mrrrhhh…!" (You cursed me! I'll bite you to death!)

"Eh…"

Venti, who had been watching with amusement, was stunned. Jean and Lisa were also shocked—she had actually sunk her teeth into Lord Heavenly Principle. But when they saw Noah's smiling expression, they finally breathed in relief.

So long as Lord Heavenly Principle wasn't angry—it even seemed like he was enjoying it.

"Curse? I have no need for such things. You clearly enjoyed it, didn't you, little cat girl?"

Noah gently stroked Diona's tail again. She immediately froze, her entire body going weak, as though he had pressed upon her very life's core.

For beastkin girls or monster girls, the tail was often the most sensitive part of their entire body.

Venti quickly interjected: "Little Diona, Lord Noah has not cursed you at all."

Only then did Diona react: "L-Lord? Who exactly is he? Why would even Lord Barbatos call him 'Lord'?"

Lord Barbatos was one of the mere dozen supreme gods of all Teyvat's pantheons.

Diona had never once attended a divine assembly, nor did she know what Heavenly Principle looked like.

Venti chuckled awkwardly: "Ah, it's inconvenient to say. Just know he's far greater than me. And being touched by Lord Noah brings unimaginable blessings, so don't be rude to him~"

Diona's eyes widened as she stared at Barbatos.

Had she misheard?

Were those really words spoken by Lord Barbatos?

All of Teyvat knew Lord Barbatos was fiercely protective of his own. Once, when a powerful god had forced her to mix a drink against her will at the The Cat's Tail, Lord Barbatos had blown him clear to the edge of the universe.

But now…

Under Diona's accusing gaze, Venti only spread his hands helplessly. What he said was the truth, though there were things he simply could not explain.

"Hmph! Then from now on, I'll never mix drinks for Lord Barbatos again!" Diona huffed angrily.

She shoved at Noah's hand that was gripping her tail. "Let go of my tail!"

Noah smiled leisurely. "Oh~ I forgot to mention, anything I take into my hand belongs to me."

At the same time, his gaze swept toward Venti, Jean, and Lisa.

"Don't you all agree?"

Chapter 78: The Shogun (True)'s Plane of Euthymia

Watching the Thunderbird depart, the Shogun turned her gaze toward Karna, who had once again gathered himself. During her brief exchange with the bird, he had not taken the opportunity to strike. Though an attack then would have yielded little, it spoke to his quality as a warrior. This, at least, she found satisfying.

"Saber…"

He called to her.

"…What is it?"

The Shogun, slightly puzzled, still answered him.

"Do you remember the vow we made during our first battle?"

Karna asked with his usual calm.

"…Of course I remember. The blade I draw tonight—I have reserved it for you."

There was no need for him to remind her. Her memory was flawless. In truth, she had worried he might forget, but it seemed there was no need. Their confrontation here was nothing less than destiny—what began must find its end.

"Good. Tonight, one of us must fall. Which it shall be… let our strength decide."

He lowered his spear toward her, voice grave, as the air thickened with suffocating tension.

"That suits me well."

She twirled her naginata in one hand, gathering dense lightning around her body. In the next instant, the space around them shattered like glass.

As with Mordred before, darkness seeped from the cracks, enveloping both her and Karna. The world twisted, warping into an unfamiliar, abyssal realm.

"!"

Karna's brow furrowed. He steeled his mind, carefully watching the transformation.

...

After a long silence, fragments reassembled into a new scene.

Smooth stone spread outward in rippling patterns, filling the ground beneath them. The horizon stretched into infinity, sky and earth alike bathed in soft, dreamlike blue light. There was nothing else—no walls, no boundaries—just endless expanse.

At the edge of the land, ocean shimmered. Far across the waters, where sea met sky, a vast whirlpool of rippling waves rose like a morning sun upon the horizon. From above, sakura petals drifted gently downward like rain, some landing upon Karna's shoulder.

If Ei's Plane of Euthymia represented fear and despair, then this Shogun's inner realm embodied peace and hope, carrying with it a profound serenity that calmed the heart.

Aside from the soft breeze and the steady rhythm of waves, all was silence. The entire place flowed like water, soothing in its stillness.

This Plane had once belonged to Makoto. After her passing, Ei entrusted it to the Shogun, who inherited it seamlessly. Perhaps it was because, at her first awakening, Makoto's final fragment of soul had been instilled within her—that the realm resonated with her as perfectly as if it were her own.

Since she usually fought in the outside world while Ei remained within her own domain, chances to wield this place had been rare. Yet today, it found its use again.

"Here, none may disturb us."

The Shogun dissolved her naginata into motes of light, then raised her hand to her chest.

Bzzz…

Lightning gathered thickly at her breast. From the rift between her garments emerged the ornate hilt of Musou Isshin. Grasping it, she pressed her toes lightly upon the ground, lifting her body to float in the air. Sparks of thunder swirled around her, the space itself trembling in resonance.

As she drew Musou Isshin, the entire realm quaked as though it revolved around that single blade. Landing gracefully, she stepped forward, leveling the elegant katana at Karna.

"Come, then. This strike is yours alone."

Her cold words, paired with the glow in her violet eyes, emanated the presence of a god.

"Heh…"

Karna chuckled softly. His body erupted in fire greater than ever before, golden armor gleaming like a sun. With his blazing spear, he charged toward the woman wreathed in lightning.

The Shogun answered in kind, transforming into a storm of thunder as their weapons collided.

BOOM!

The impact exploded outward in a shockwave. Karna immediately sensed it—the terrifying power of her blade. This was no ordinary naginata. With each clash, the space around his spear twisted violently, as if dragged toward a force that could tear through the fabric of the world itself.

BOOM!

Rebounding from the clash, Karna unleashed a flurry of thrusts with his spear.

Bang! ×N

The Shogun parried each one with flawless precision. Every sweep of Musou Isshin's blade carved streaks of starlight into the void, rending the fabric of space itself. After dozens of exchanges, she began to overwhelm his offense.

In the art of the blade, none could shake her confidence.

Musou Isshin flowed in her hands like a living extension of her will—swift, unrelenting, merciless. Each motion carried Ei's lingering habits, covering every flaw, leaving no opening behind. Her form was immaculate.

Bang!

She slid low, her shapely leg curving elegantly against the stone as she crouched.

Swish~

In the next instant, she drew Musou Isshin to her waist, sliding it into its sheath at a downward angle, her movements slowing to deliberate calm.

Clack!

The clear sound of blade meeting scabbard rang out—

Squelch!!

In that moment, countless violet slashes blossomed across the void like fields of straw. Time itself seemed to halt for a heartbeat—

Slash! ×N

Then, the storm erupted.

Karna leapt back just in time, barely evading the torrential downpour of blades. Even so, shallow cuts lined his skin, proof of how narrowly he had escaped.

But the Shogun gave no respite. Raising Musou Isshin high, she called down the storm. The pale sky darkened instantly, clouds boiling into heavy thunderheads. From above, a massive vortex churned, lightning spiraling into the blade. The power of her inner world fused with raw thunder, condensing into deep violet energy.

She leveled her sword at Karna.

BOOM!!

A colossal beam erupted forth.

"!"

Karna's cloak wrapped around his body, his golden shield manifesting to block the raging torrent.

Crash!

The ground of the Plane trembled, cracks spiderwebbing across the stone as dust lifted into the air. Explosions roared skyward, fire billowing like stormclouds.

As his barrier began to splinter, Karna invoked his next strike.

"Brahmastra!!"

Vmmm~!

The true hero slays with his gaze!

Covering his right eye, crimson light burst forth. A blood-red beam tore across the ground like a blade, slicing toward the Shogun.

She raised Musou Isshin across her chest, catching the blast with perfect precision.

Clang…

The clear note of steel rang out.

The beam, upon striking Musou Isshin, refracted like light off a mirror. With a subtle twist of her wrist, she redirected it, the crimson arc slashing through air and stone before whipping back toward its caster.

Karna instantly abandoned the attack, leaping high into the air to evade what nearly became self-destruction.

BOOM!!

The blast detonated upon the spot where he had stood, fire surging upward like a wall of clouds, swallowing the battlefield in its glare.

A wave of searing heat swept through, scattering the dust and smoke to reveal Karna, his entire body ablaze with fire. At the same time, the Shogun swept her blade, lightning tearing apart the haze before her. Once again, the two stood facing one another.

"So that's how it is… this blade is your strongest Noble Phantasm. To draw it against me means you acknowledge my strength, does it not, Saber?"

Karna fixed his gaze on the radiant Musou Isshin, then lifted his eyes back to her.

"Not so. This vessel already acknowledged your mastery long ago. I draw this blade only because it is time to end this."

If they continued, the battle would never end. Now was the time to close the curtain.

"As I thought. From our first clash, I knew your skill was extraordinary. To fight you has been a joy. But… Black remains Red's enemy, and so do you. I should have struck down Ruler first, but I swore to fight you before all else. Breaking that vow would not be my way."

He spun his golden spear once through the air, then leveled it at her. The star-tipped head shimmered with golden light, flames gathering at its point.

"To defeat the Black Faction and grant Red the Holy Grail—that is my Master's command. And you, Saber, stand as a grave threat to our victory. Thus, it falls to me to end you. This is battle between warriors—where we stake our very lives!"

For the first time, his composure cracked. His voice rose with fiery passion, his body trembling with exhilaration. To face an equal foe was a rare glory, and it set his very soul alight.

"Saber! Your existence alone compels me to fight with all I possess!"

BOOM!

Flames roared from his body like a storm, crimson eyes blazing with light. The jewel on his chest glimmered, and his cloak whipped upward like fire itself. The blue world around them was swallowed by his heat, dyed scarlet by his blaze.

"Good. Then this blade shall answer in kind. For you, I shall strike with everything."

The Shogun raised Musou Isshin, stance resolute.

"Steel yourself, Saber!"

BOOM!

Karna became fire itself, flashing forward in an instant. She answered just as swiftly, lightning and flame colliding like twin storms, twisting and coiling endlessly. Explosions burst without pause, sword-wind and firestorm shredding the Plane of Euthymia, tearing its ground into abstract ruin.

Clash!

Blades met again, fissures splitting outward from their clash, stones lifting into the air.

Clash! ×N

They struck again and again, faster than gunfire, their battle breaking the ground into deeper ruin. Floating rubble and drifting sakura petals swirled together before falling skyward like snow.

Breaking apart once more, Karna strode through the air aflame, drawing back his golden spear in a throwing stance. Fire surged into its shaft, the heat so fierce the very air rippled.

"Brahmastra Kundala!!"

It was the same Noble Phantasm he had unleashed in their first battle. Now, once more, he released it—the flaming spear hurled down like a meteor, burning across the heavens toward her.

"Illusion Shattered!"

The Shogun stepped upon a staircase of violet light, scattering several floating Eyes of Electro into place around her. She brushed her fingers across Musou Isshin's blade. A sheath of violet energy condensed upon it.

Then—she drew.

"In this moment… all shall be cut away!"

With Musou Isshin already released, she could not draw it from her chest as with Musou Shinsetsu. Instead, she forged this sheath of lightning to unleash its true, explosive might in the draw-cut.

Swish~

The Eye of Stormy Judgment appeared once more. As her eyes closed, a single slash wide enough to distort space itself tore across the void. Yet this was only the beginning—through the deployment of Illusion Shatter, the strike triggered a chain reaction. Dozens of Eyes of Electro closed simultaneously, unleashing an endless storm of slashes. Each one carried the full might of a Musou Shinsetsu.

Within that web of eyes, time itself seemed to halt. The countless blades of light crisscrossed in a forest of destruction. In the next instant, Karna's flaming spear collided with them. Space trembled, fire burst apart, and a blinding mushroom cloud roared skyward, its shockwaves tearing across the ground.

The Shogun did not relent. With Musou Isshin in its released state, she cleaved the mushroom cloud in two with a single swing, revealing Karna beyond. She slashed again, releasing another cut that severed the very air.

"!"

Karna sprang backward, narrowly evading the devastating arc. Landing, he glanced upward at the gash in space itself, awe flashing across his eyes.

"So this is your strength—unleashing Noble Phantasms of such power in succession! Excellent… I can feel a warrior's spirit in every stroke of your blade!"

Whoosh whoosh…

Clang…

He caught his golden spear as it returned to him, heat rippling in the air as he rose once more. Magma-like energy welled up around him, the pressure distorting the very world.

"If that is so… then this alone is not enough to erase you, Saber! Let us both unleash a strike worthy of staking all!"

Flames consumed his form as he ascended into the sky, lifting his spear high. Fire swallowed even his gaze, his eyes no longer visible through the blaze. The Plane trembled beneath the rising storm.

"Saber! You, who stand as a god—can you withstand this spear?!"

BOOM!!

In that instant, his golden armor and crimson cloak were incinerated. His golden spear dissolved, reshaping into a magic circle of interwoven red and gold light. His face twisted with pain, blood seeping between bursts of fire, his very body burning as sacrifice.

The armor of flame reformed above him, condensing into a new weapon. His spear returned, fused with the fire of his soul, transformed into a sacred and terrible light-lance—a spear to slay gods, capable of dragging even divinity from their throne.

At its tip, a colossal fireball erupted, vast enough to cover the sky, fusing with the lance to shatter the realm itself.

[!]

In meditation, Ei's eyes opened sharply. For once, her expression changed, grave and tense.

[Shogun… that spear carries power enough to erase us both. It is a strike meant to bring down gods.]

She could feel it from afar—the weapon's presence pressed even against her divinity. Such an opponent was rare, stirring not fear but a warrior's admiration. It reminded her of the Archon War, of battles where gods staked all.

'…Truly?'

The Shogun's brow furrowed at her words.

[Yes. I do not mistake it. Be on guard.]

As a warrior, Ei's instincts never dulled, and this surge of power confirmed them.

'...'

The Shogun stepped back, raising her naginata before her as the storm winds pressed down. Her hair and sleeves whipped wildly in the gale.

[Shogun… let me—]

'No. This vessel can bear it. Rest easy, Ei.'

Her reply was steady, her tone calm as she reassured her other self.

Indeed, she had not misjudged him. The foe before her was worthy.

"..."

A faint smile curved her lips.

If that was the case… then it was time she grew serious as well.

Chapter 91: Chaldea's Purpose

The next morning.

"So that's why you brought these two back here?"

Angra Mainyu lounged idly on the edge of a sofa. Her gaze drifted to the small girl lying asleep, then to the sickly man known as Kariya Matou.

"Your family never changes. Sometimes I think the name 'All the World's Evil' suits that old man better than it does me."

"You are…?"

To the one he thought of as his savior—at least, that was how Kariya felt—his words came with reverence, even as the crest worms within him writhed uncontrollably and his condition worsened. Yet whenever his eyes fell upon the resting Sakura, a quiet happiness soothed his heart.

Angra Mainyu found it difficult to look at him. After hearing his story from Satsuki, she felt a tangle of emotions she could not quite name. To love so deeply, to endure so much—it was rare indeed.

Though the outcome mattered little to the process…

"Call me Iphis. For now, I'm posing as a Master in this Holy Grail War."

She had grown used to using the alias.

Leaving aside her arrangements for Kariya and the girl, Satsuki herself was at work on something greater. She was attempting to restore the power of Berserker using the Authority of Status Infusion.

It was not that she sought a powerful ally. From the rank of his spiritual foundation, Berserker clearly belonged to the realm of the divine. Yet even so, this was still far from his true might.

Though the Tenseigan could not fully pierce across to another parallel world, it revealed enough. She could glimpse fragments of his origin—the very concept of Lostbelts.

A Lostbelt was defined as a 'wrong' history. A path built upon mistaken choices, flourishing into false prosperity.

When Satsuki had first heard this definition, she asked Chaldea's people: who decides what is right, and what is wrong? What standard determines it?

The answer had been so shallow it was laughable. It was the thinking of a monotheistic creed. But the "One God" here was not divine—rather, it was the measure of humanity's survival itself.

In this framework, humanity's continued existence was the greatest Right, the greatest Good. Anything was acceptable if it served that end. Those within such a system naturally agreed, for they themselves benefited from it.

But what if those deemed a Lostbelt believed the same of themselves?

Then things became interesting. One claims "I am Right," the other insists the same. When reason fails, only force decides.

By this logic, what difference was there between Ritsuka Fujimaru and his Servants, and the beings of any Lostbelt they destroyed? Reality was not a game. There was no light without shadow.

Over time, when one convinces themselves that their way alone is Right, all else Wrong, they cease listening to any other voice. Extremity follows. Individuals, organizations, even nations are bound by this same law.

It was not a question of morality, but of inevitable trend under a certain worldview.

But Satsuki cared little for such philosophy. What she sought was the true cause behind the rift between "Proper Human History" and "Lostbelts."

"What standard declares one path Right, another Wrong? And who has the authority to declare it?"

Then it struck her. The answer was far simpler than she had imagined. She had been thinking too much all along.

So-called "Proper Human History" and "Lostbelts"—was it not obvious these were definitions made by humans themselves? Of course they were. It was the very essence of monotheistic thought.

"Lostbelts are nothing more than labels crafted by those who hold power, tailored to suit their collective interests. And I wasted time pondering them…"

Shaking her head, Satsuki set aside the question. It was only a label, not worth the effort. Instead, she turned to the next issue: why must different histories devour and attack one another?

"For profit, nothing more."

The answer came to her instantly. Yet what kind of profit was at stake?

Satsuki sank her consciousness deeper into her inner realm, where once again two reflections of herself stood before her. Without ceremony, she began her usual method—thought in place of question.

"They claim it is for humanity's survival. But what concern is it of theirs whether humanity in other histories continues or not? What is the true driving force? Before they had the means to observe parallel histories, why establish such an organization at all?"

—"Chaldea was founded to preserve human history, to prevent extinction. A research and observation institute that united magic and science, drawing experts from every field. The scale of manpower, resources, and international support involved could not have been mobilized for a hollow reason."

"In other words, Chaldea was born because humanity's continuation had already been found impossible. They must have grasped some looming crisis to act with such decisiveness. Yet here lies the flaw: before its founding, they supposedly lacked such observation methods. So how did they perceive this crisis and persuade nations to commit?"

—"Therefore, Chaldea's very creation is suspicious."

"El-Melloi once said seventy percent of Chaldea's funding came from the Animusphere family of the Clock Tower—one of its Twelve Lords."

—"Would the Mage's Association truly act out of noble sentiment? Would they sacrifice wealth for humanity's survival?"

"Impossible. While individuals might, as a class, magi serve only their own interests."

—"Then Chaldea's actions reflect the interests of magi as a class. But what are those interests?"

"This…"

—"Wrapped beneath lofty words of human salvation, what lies at the core? What do magi fear most as a collective? Think!"

"I… I cannot…"

—"The priests of the Church have long warned against exposing mysteries to the masses. The Clock Tower fears the leakage of mystery beyond its grasp. Why?"

In that instant, brilliance flashed through her mindscape.

Her true self spoke aloud: "Because once mysteries are known, they cease to be mysteries. Stripped of secrecy, they lose their power. And powerless magi would be cast down among ordinary men. That, they cannot accept."

At her words, the two reflections turned their faces to her as one, asking in unison:

"Then—what is Chaldea's true purpose?"

In that moment her inner selves dissolved, and reality returned around her.

The answer pressed at her lips, certain now.

"They seek the restoration of the Age of Gods."

At that same time, the Berserker wrapped in golden and blue Authority began to stir.

The changes in Berserker's body pulled Satsuki from her train of thought. She could clearly sense a divine power stirring within him, yet some force suppressed it, preventing its full return.

"Is my Authority not strong enough? Or is it something else?"

The Servant before her remained blank-faced, like an idle terminal awaiting input. Satsuki withdrew the Authority covering him.

This Berserker was utterly unlike the standard ones Angra Mainyu had described. Typically, Servants summoned into the Berserker class received the Madness Enhancement status. In exchange for rationality, they gained power beyond their usual limits. But the price was steep: the greater mana consumption placed enormous strain on the Master. That was why Kariya, despite his horrific modifications, still needed to sacrifice his life force to sustain his Servant.

Moreover, Madness Enhancement often impaired the performance of a Noble Phantasm and could nullify innate skills. Only in death would it fade, restoring the Servant's sanity.

In theory.

Yet after half a day of observing this one, Satsuki had realized his "Madness" was altogether different. His ability to think had been almost entirely stripped away. According to her Tenseigan, his Madness Enhancement ranked nearly at EX—meaning he could still think, but only along a single fixed line. He would pursue his one obsession relentlessly, heedless of orders or advice.

"Still, the Matou family never had the mana to sustain him. Otherwise, his first act as a Servant would likely have been to target someone other than Kariya himself."

With her Tenseigan and Angra Mainyu as her Master, Satsuki could afford to supply him with mana. Yet a Servant in such a state was of little use beyond serving as an anchor to his Lostbelt. Channeling so much Authority into him was not something she could continue indefinitely. There was no sense in pressing further.

Raising one hand, she summoned the black lines of death. They wove around the Servant's form, compressing into a black sphere that sealed him within. It severed all contact between him and the outside world, leaving only the barest mana to maintain his form. The sphere shrank until it was no larger than a thumbnail.

With a shift of gravity, she hung the orb as an ornament at the end of the fan manifested from her End's power.

For now, the priority was elsewhere.

When she returned to the hall, Satsuki found Angra Mainyu in discussion with Kariya about Caster.

"Do you care how Caster is dealt with?"

"Iphis" spoke with calm indifference. "Care or not, it makes no difference… The real question is how to respond to the new rules laid down by the Overseer. If you seek battle against another Servant now, it will count as a violation. That could make you the next target for all others. Even as a Saver, that would be reckless."

Satsuki waved it off, unconcerned. "I have my own plans. I will take part in hunting Caster. But the issue is—what do the other Masters intend?"

"You mean Saber's, Rider's, and Archer's Masters?"

"Of course. For now, since the Church openly holds Assassin, they will not move against the other Masters until Caster is destroyed," Satsuki analyzed calmly. "As for Rider and his Master, they do not seem to be deeply calculating. That leaves the real focus on Archer and Saber's Masters."

At that, Kariya finally spoke. "About Archer's Master… I have some information to offer…"

The bitterness and resentment in his voice told Satsuki enough about Tokiomi Tohsaka, the man in question. Kariya had clearly investigated him in detail, nearly to an obsessive degree. Unfortunately, his intelligence focused only on Tokiomi himself, not the Servant he had summoned.

That golden Servant who called all others "mongrels"—the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.

Even with her Tenseigan, Satsuki could not fully pierce his mysteries. Some Noble Phantasm clearly shielded his identity. All she could glimpse were fragments of his past and spiritual foundation; the rest was obscured.

Thus, Kariya's knowledge held little value for her. Still, his loathing for Tokiomi was plain, and her insight into his past made that hatred understandable.

But in her eyes, Archer was not the true concern.

The real threats were Saber—and the enigmatic Assassin.

The latter was an unknown. If she could learn nothing of him, while he could watch her, then he was far from simple.

As for Saber…

The King of Knights herself was not overly powerful. In single combat, even Lancer could suppress her blade. Perhaps even Caster could beat her with martial skill. Yet her Noble Phantasm could overturn the tide of any battle. Once that sheath was revealed, even the son of the Sun God, Karna, or the Grand Caster Solomon might fall.

For the sheath's defensive power was simply too overwhelming. It had even resisted her own Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion—the first time in this war she had been surprised. The artifact was akin to an "invincible" buff from YGGDRASIL, complete with attack reflection and regeneration.

To oppose such a Noble Phantasm, Satsuki would have to release one of her own at full name.

"If necessary," she murmured, brushing her wrist across the spinning Wheel, "we will see whose treasure is stronger."

At that moment, Angra Mainyu—Iphis—suddenly clutched her chest, frowning at the violent pulse within. She had not spent her time at the inn idly; with knowledge Satsuki had given her, she had woven warning wards throughout the city. By morning, with Satsuki's aid, the network was linked to Fuyuki's very leylines. And now, the wards shuddered with repeated, intense tremors.

"Interesting. Have you found traces of Caster?"

Satsuki's senses were sharper than Angra Mainyu's. Through her Tenseigan, she saw something most intriguing. In the next instant, her figure vanished from the inn.

"Tch. Running off alone again. That infuriating woman."

"Is it safe?" Kariya's voice carried an uncharacteristic trace of worry for Satsuki.

"No need," Angra Mainyu replied. "Her strength long ago surpassed that of Servants."

She placed a crystal orb upon the glass table—a remote viewing device she had crafted over the past days.

"You poor fool, just sit back and enjoy the show. As entertainment, this will rival any blockbuster film."

Chapter 178: La Marseillaise VS Rule, Britannia!

Vrrrmmm—Vrrrmmm—

Engines roared at their limits, mud and grass flying beneath tracks and wheels.

KMFs rumbled over the shattered border marker: "Latvia–Lithuania."

Shards scattered as an E.U. Joint Army tank—its armor scarred with blackened dents and melted craters—screeched to a halt by the corner of a ruined wall.

Nearby lay the smoking wreck of a destroyed wheeled IFV.

Around them were a dozen mangled corpses of E.U. and Britannian soldiers alike.

Boom! A tandem HEAT round landed a moment too late—missing because of the tank's sudden stop. It blasted the wall instead, smoke surging outward.

The tank reacted instantly. One shot blew apart the window of the ruined building where the muzzle flash had come from, while its coaxial MG laid down suppressive fire. Mechanized infantry pressed forward in support.

As the tank engine roared again, preparing to advance, its turret-top radar suddenly froze. Clang! The commander, sensing something, lifted the hatch, brushing off the dust. Raising binoculars, he peered northeast.

"Enemy aircraft inbound!"

He shouted to warn his comrades while trying to wipe the filth from the periscope. That moment of delay cost him his life.

A sniper round from an anti-materiel rifle punched through his neck.

Flesh tore. His head, with flayed skin still attached, flew sideways, splattering against the tank's external laser sensor before bouncing off—leaving a glaring streak of red.

"Britannian scum!"

E.U. soldiers fought back, hosing the approximate direction with machine-gun fire.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—

A KMF appeared at the tank's flank. Its arms—actually gun mounts where Britannians would have fitted hands—spat fire. Streams of 30mm shells shredded the air.

The tank fired back.

Explosions tore through the second floor of a ruin a hundred meters away, blood mist spraying.

Then the tank was struck. A howling anti-armor missile plunged from above, detonating inside. The turret blew open like a lid as fire consumed it.

The E.U. KMF staggered from the blast. In that instant, a Britannian [Sutherland] burst out, smashing through a crumbling wall. As they crossed paths, its recoilless rifle slammed into the KMF's head. Metal shrieked as explosions ripped outward.

An assault rifle poured fire, shredding both the KMF and the E.U. infantry at its feet. Blood mist filled the air.

Screams and groans echoed.

"Charles!!"

The shout came from another KMF thirty or forty meters away. It swung its weapon—but its foe was no Area 11 garrison conscript. From the ruins, muzzle flashes erupted, cutting down E.U. infantry supporting the machine, forcing them back.

Two Britannian grenadiers leapt from cover.

One yanked the pin on a sling-type magnetic anti-armor charge, whirled it twice, and hurled it at the KMF's weaker knee joint. The charge wrapped around, clung, and detonated—blasting the joint apart, toppling the frame.

The other raised a revolver-type grenade launcher. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three HEAT grenades slammed into the cockpit's rear, ripping through the armor—and the pilot within.

"Glory to Britannia!"

The Britannian defenders launched a counterattack, forcing the E.U. to leave seven or eight bodies behind before pulling back to cover.

"Vive l'Europe libre!"

But new vehicles and KMFs pressed forward. The offensive renewed, and now Britannia was driven back—the line retreating under fire.

All of this unfolded within a single minute of the tank commander's death.

Like many battlefields across the Baltics, this had once been just an unremarkable border town.

There were woods and waters, few people, enough peace. But now—

The town, its surrounding fields, forests, even rivers and lakes were littered with destroyed E.U. vehicles, their wrecks burning. To the east, Britannian wreckage as well—some units still falling from the skies. Both sides were interlocked, scattered across the green landscape like black dots of smoke.

The dots kept multiplying, piling, spreading.

Locally, west attacked, east defended.

Deep behind the E.U. counterattack group, inside a massive land-based command mothership—

"General Foch, Estonia and Latvia's armies are finished! The Britannian vanguard pierced into Lithuania within three days. That says everything."

"According to retreating survivors, when the Northern Army Group launched its offensive, communications with division and regimental HQs were immediately disrupted. Army HQ, ammo depots, fuel stores, and field bases were all struck. It was a targeted decapitation and blitz!"

"General, we don't yet know the enemy's full strength. Since our counterattack has been spotted by Britannian reinforcements, we should cut losses and retreat. Rebuilding the Lithuanian defense line is the urgent priority. A frontal assault without surprise is suicide—"

The staff officers' arguments were cut short by a furious bellow.

"Idiocy!!"

A man in his prime slammed the table, rising sharply.

"Frontlines lost, morale collapsing, reserves still gathering, reorganization incomplete. Intelligence, morale, command, logistics—all need time. If we retreat now, broken units will drag us down, and Britannia's blitz and decapitation strikes will tear us apart!"

His gray eyes blazed with anger, tempered by grief. His neatly groomed curled mustache evoked a hardened general, proud and unyielding.

General Foch's lips curled: "Collapse here, and Lithuania will fall for certain!"

"Behind it lies East Prussia, Königsberg! Do you understand? That was once the capital of the Hohenzollern family! The very ancestral land Princess Vela and her ilk dream of reclaiming!"

"If we lose it, the blow to the Alliance's prestige will be immeasurable!"

"Lose the Baltics, then Königsberg, then Belarus, then eastern Poland, then Ukraine. What next? Will we be fighting a defensive war in Central Europe?"

Leaning over the tactical table, he glared with sharp, predatory eyes.

"The proud United Republic of Europia, descendants of the Gallic rooster that once drove Britannia like dogs across the Atlantic—what, will we give up a third of Eastern Europe without a single pitched battle?"

"General Pétain still holds Kiev in Ukraine! Are we saying we can't even muster a counterattack?!"

"Retreat, retreat, retreat—retreat again and again. If we lose Königsberg, do we even deserve these uniforms?!"

"..."

Faced with his scathing rebuke, the command room fell silent.

"Our target: the Britannian Northern Army Group's forward field HQ. Attack."

He broke the silence, his order blunt and resolute.

"This is blood-bought intel from my best recon company. We cannot waste their sacrifice. Destroying—or even severely mauling—the enemy there is our best chance to turn this collapse."

General Foch stared at the tactical display, his eyes like dark, still water.

Death itself was not terrifying. Dying without value was.

"Twenty minutes. Tell Colonel Granmeson—I'll give him one more armored company. Take it—"

Before Foch could finish speaking—

"Report! Enemy aerial strike group approaching rapidly."

"Our air force?"

One staff officer asked.

"Engaged by enemy fighter squadrons."

"What about the air-defense brigades? They've launched so many SAMs—why so little effect?"

"According to reports… some were intercepted, some did hit, but… too fast! Faster than fighters!"

"What?"

The comms officer's report drew startled looks.

"Pull up visuals," Foch ordered gravely.

"Yes, General!"

The sensors captured figures in the eastern skies. The leading unit, unmistakably humanoid, bore blue-violet wings.

"Impossible—a Knightmare? Britannia has already deployed flight systems?!"

The speaker, judging by his armband, was a logistics general.

"Magnify the one behind it," Foch said urgently, his tone utterly changed.

The comms officer complied, enlarging the image.

A chorus of gasps followed—from technical officers well aware of how difficult it was to perfect fluid, stable Knightmare drive OSes.

The frozen frame compared: the blue-white Knightmare in the lead diving first—and behind it—

A Knightmare with wings spread like a butterfly, silver-gray with ornate golden trim. Its paint alone was battlefield-wide provocation. More shocking—the sheer scale. Nearly three times larger than any standard frame in service worldwide.

What kind of technological leap was this?

Even as a prohibitively costly prototype—Britannia had built it!

Capture it, or destroy it.

For Foch, that was the first thought, born of a soldier's duty.

The second: what impact would its presence have on the battle?

As if to answer, lances of crimson particle energy dropped from the heavens.

Two searing beams gouged through the devastated plain.

Like molten cutters, they carved through the advancing E.U. armor group, leaving black, burning trails. Rrrrmmmbbblll—!!!

Dozens—hundreds of vehicles melted and detonated in chain explosions, the thunder merging into one vast roar.

Even on a battlefield deafened by constant fire, this blast was deafeningly distinct.

For an instant, the world froze. Silence descended.

Eyes turned toward the twin blackened scars on the earth.

Touch meant death.

Wreckage burst apart, soldiers' bodies hurled by shockwaves lay in pieces. Survivors groaned in agony, some fused into the scorched soil itself, sparks flickering. Ash choked the air.

The atmosphere turned burning hot, heavy with the stench of iron and charred flesh.

...

Meanwhile—

"The focused mode extends the hadron cannon's effective range, but its narrow blast radius is a flaw. Horizontal sweeps maximize its destructive output."

At several thousand meters altitude, Vela studied the holo-trajectory data, analyzing live combat results. Tilting the controls, she ceased fire, guiding [Excalibur] into descent.

"Enough."

Overall, she was satisfied.

Ample frame volume, the new sakuradite engine's surging output, improved conduits and energy lines—all together forged [Excalibur]'s devastating cannon performance.

Compared to her cheaper brother Schneizel's "Gawain Project," her machine had already surpassed it.

Beep-beep, beep-beep.

[Missile lock detected—]

Vela did not even glance at the incoming missiles.

Emerald light shimmered across [Excalibur]'s crystalline barrier. A moment later, the missiles struck—exploding into fireballs that dissipated into thin trails of smoke.

She smirked, eyes on a certain Ninth Knight plunging headlong into the enemy lines. "Nonette, I've already won."

"Hadron cannon, huh."

Inside the diving [Bedivere Club], the Ninth Knight pulled her gaze back, curling her lip.

"Unfair. Fell right into your trap. I should have set a condition. In raw kill count and wide-area damage, a heavy artillery platform has the edge over a close-combat decapitation unit…"

Boom! Air screamed as a blue-white unicorn-type Knightmare plunged downwards.

Only then did the E.U. troops recognize the vanguard.

"The Ninth Knight of the Round!"

The [Alexandre] squad of advanced mass-production mechs—moments ago close to breaking the Britannian line—barely had time to process the chain explosions and crimson beams that had gutted their rear. Their vision was fixed on the "boss enemy unit" now upon them. The squad leader's loudspeaker bellowed: "Caution!"

Veterans knew: identifying enemy units, especially Knights of the Round, was basic survival.

"Come—dance with me!"

Though bantering with Vela, Nonette's hands never slowed. Multitasking was second nature to an ace.

Repeating Vela's old catchphrase from academy duels, she launched with a knight's thrust. [Bedivere Club] leveled its massive anti-armor lance.

The dual-jet flight pack roared with a second-stage boost.

Crunch!

Metal screamed as a rooftop [Alexandre], hammering fire down with its heavy MG, was skewered before it could shift from insect form to humanoid. Its capsule cockpit burst apart in midair.

Thus began the Ninth Knight's charge.

"Even a Knight of the Round doesn't scare us!"

The remaining [Alexandre]s shifted into humanoid mode, brandishing spiked anti-armor maces.

"Crush [Bedivere]! Add more glory to WZERO! If Elevens can defeat the Raphael Knights, we Frenchmen won't falter!"

"Heh."

Nonette flicked aside the wreck on her lance, smashing it into a support unit and flattening another mech in her path. Her grin widened. "So you're WZERO? Veterans, or fresh recruits? Let's see your worth!"

Charge!

Clang, clang, clang—

Vela watched it all, unsurprised at the WZERO expansion.

Enemy forces were stronger than intel suggested.

A desperate, all-or-nothing assault.

If not for her outer perimeter units rushing in to reinforce, the enemy might have broken through.

The Riga encirclement was still unstable, with many E.U. forces trapped but fighting. This fresh wave was trouble wherever it struck.

These white-painted, dual-form mechs were the E.U.'s new mass-production model.

At first issued only to Japanese suicide squads, now even the French deployed them. Likely their data was complete—or perhaps, in response to her conscription of Elevens, the E.U. pushed production for propaganda and necessity.

But—

"Too late."

[Excalibur] descended slowly in gleaming silver, sunlight flashing off its armor as it hovered before the E.U. counterattack force.

Behind it, Britannian units regrouping after their encirclement clash.

And reinforcements, arriving in waves.

Without hesitation, Vela pressed the stud on her throttle.

The shoulder armor split open, revealing the black muzzles of hadron cannons. Energy surged. Crimson beams scythed across the battlefield, harvesting life like the Reaper's blade. Once again, lethal red light engulfed scores of vehicles.

Entire companies of E.U. troops vanished into the torrent.

This time, the cannons did not merely slice briefly through ground ranks, but maintained a sweeping, plowing barrage. Under Vela's control, the beams shifted angles, carving heaven and earth apart. A searing band of explosions warped the air, shredding helicopters and airships that could not evade, sending them burning down as fire meteors.

Vela opened the area comms to all channels.

"This is Vela vi Britannia. Follow the Ninth Knight. Attack. Crush them."

Descending like an angel of judgment, raining death, saving a faltering line—her blunt order brooked no argument.

"Yes, Your Highness!" ×N.

The Britannian troops, rallying, shouted as one and surged forward.

With the Ninth Knight rampaging at the spearhead, the counterattack began.

...

On the E.U. command ship bridge, General Foch stood before the tactical table, fists behind his back. For the first time, tension shadowed his severe face.

His staff looked pale.

"General, it's the Third Princess. She's on the front herself."

Which meant—her Royal Guard was close.

The new [Alexandre]s that had beaten the Raphael Knights still faltered against a Knight of the Round. Outnumbered or not, faced with custom machines, MVS swords slicing like butter, energy shields holding firm, no E.U. machine—new or old—lasted more than a few exchanges.

Against the silver-gray giant, it was worse.

Not only a gulf in machines, but in pilots.

Must they resort to suicide charges by Elevens?

Bang!

Foch slammed a fist onto the table, growling: "Destroy it!"

"At all costs!!"

Teeth clenched, jaw trembling.

"Even if you can't destroy it, probe its limits, its weaknesses! Signal the follow-up forces—halt advance. Withdraw immediately."

The words left him sagging, hands braced on the console, his body shaking.

He had admitted it—the counteroffensive had failed.

"You should go too," he said tiredly.

"And you, General?"

"Me? Consider it my last gift to the Alliance. France's creed is ideals in the heart, sword in the hand—victory through desperate assault. But desperate does not mean futile. Let this old man buy the young their chance to live."

...

Boom-boom. Boom-boom.

Fireballs fell as Vela wielded [Excalibur] like a floating gun platform, firing beam after beam, tearing E.U. formations apart, isolating units for Britannian forces to smash.

And then—from somewhere on the field—song.

At first, a rough, lone voice.

Then more, gathering, uneven but strong:

"Arise, children of Europe! The day of glory has arrived!"

"See the tyrant's bloody banner raised against us! Raise your arms, citizens!"

"Let impure blood water our fields!"

...

"The Gauls are going all out," Vela said.

"Clearly," Nonette replied.

"Your Highness, your orders?" asked the commander of her Royal Guard knights.

On Vela's radiant, stern face bloomed a cruel smile. "Such an invitation—I cannot refuse."

She lowered her headset. Beep-beep. Her voice seized command of the local net.

"Raise the banner, swear the oath!"

The Princess led the chorus. Britannian voices rose, louder, prouder.

"One by one, Britannians march forward!"

"No power on earth can take our victory! Long live Britannia! Britannia forever!"

...

War was this.

Calculation and hesitation—

And also, tragic song.

You have the Marseillaise. I have the Rule Britannia. I have more voices, more loudspeakers, stronger resonance. How can you compare?

You march to die in passion? I too will march in passion—to crush you openly, utterly.

Since this battle has begun, let it proclaim to France: Remember Napoleon's wars? You think you can win again? No. Europe—your sovereign—has returned!

Vela knew well: much of the E.U. Lithuanian field army was here. Destroy them, and one ancestral prize—Königsberg—lay open before her.

An unexpected gift.

Heaven spurns those who fail to seize it.

As the war songs ceased, Vela's indigo eyes, cruel and gleaming, opened.

"Kill them all."

Chapter 259: Kevin—Please Lend Me Judgment of Shamash for a Bit!

Inside Helixcraft.

"Vill-V, I'm here to pick up the Divine Key."

Using his authority, Elias bypassed the long puzzle-solving process that normally would've been required to open the massive gates.

He didn't deny that having to defeat bosses or elite monsters to get keys, or answering riddles to open doors, was romantic and fun.

But that kind of thing belonged only in games.

It was like how no one would ever set a dozen-digit password just to enter their bedroom. That would be way too troublesome. Although Vill-V's monsters and puzzles were always interesting, after playing a few times, Elias had grown bored of them.

Still, not wanting her painstaking designs to go completely to waste, Elias kept a few ceremonial habits…

Clank clank clank—!

"Ohh~! Amazing!"

Misteln marveled at the massive door before them. Gears meshed and turned, countless intricate components producing sounds like a symphony—an irresistible melody for any boy.

The next second, steam gushed out. With a series of clattering mechanical sounds, the gigantic metal gate that seemed to lead into a steampunk world slowly opened.

In truth, the door could have opened instantly, but Elias always chose to watch the whole one-minute-long "fancy performance."

"Welcome! Welcome to Helixcraft!!"

As the gate fully opened—

Vill-V stood atop a high platform, countless spotlights instantly converging on her figure. She shone as brightly as Eden on stage! (In the most literal sense.)

Then Vill-V leaped down, stepping onto drones coated with stealth layers, striding toward the two as though walking on air.

"As long as it's not 'welcome to the Theater of Domination,' I'm fine. Cough, cough. Your entrance is as dazzling as ever, my dear great inventor—or rather, should I call you the Great Magician?"

Elias gave her a round of applause, showing due respect.

He also nudged Misteln beside him, signaling her to give some applause too. Experts loved rare materials, while magicians loved applause and admiration.

"Bingo~ Correct! As expected of my cutest audience, always able to tell at a glance which Vill-V I am."

"With personalities this distinct, how could I not recognize you?"

"Haha! Is that so? Then here's a reward for the right answer—ta-da~!"

Vill-V pulled out a pair of black-and-white guns from under her skirt. After striking a few flashy, theatrical poses, she handed them to Elias.

They were an extremely cool pair of pistols—more like hand cannons!

A black-and-white body, gilded barrels, and a red Herrscher Core set into the safety. The Herrscher of Fire's Core had been split into two fragments, embedded inside the guns.

"The Seventh Divine Key is finally complete? Looks like another era-defining masterpiece."

"Of course. Come, let me give you a proper introduction to this Divine Key's abilities."

Vill-V proudly puffed out her chest. She couldn't wait to introduce her latest creation to Elias, though he honestly thought it wasn't necessary.

After all…

(Hmm, as expected—it's Judgment of Shamash.)

Elias narrowed his eyes. He wasn't surprised in the slightest. He had already played with it countless times fifty thousand years later. At this point, there was no need for Vill-V to explain.

Or so he thought…

"This Divine Key has three forms. The twin pistols you see now are just the basic mode."

"This form is mainly prepared for when it's lent to others—it can fire flame lasers powerful enough to annihilate lower-class Honkai Beasts. Ah, but that has nothing to do with you, Elias."

Vill-V added. She knew Elias was already someone who could make lower-class Honkai Beasts drop dead just by standing there. So the pistol mode wasn't designed for him.

She thought it was all Dr. Mei's fault. Mei had said they couldn't just design the Divine Keys for Elias alone—after all, he only had two hands. And just in case, there had to be a "gentler" form that others could use as well.

"Mhm, I get it. Hoo~ what a familiar feeling."

Elias nodded in understanding. The moment his Honkai energy poured into the twin pistols…

The Herrscher Cores set into the safeties locked together. The body of the guns extended and shifted into a sword hilt. Golden flames surged skyward, condensing into a blazing crimson-gold blade of pure energy!

Then, the greatsword began to transform again. What was once symmetrical twisted into a far more violent form.

"Ohh~! As expected of Elias, going straight from the second form to the third form!"

Vill-V exclaimed in admiration. Though she sounded surprised, she wasn't at all.

If the first form was designed for ordinary people, then the second was for high-ranking fusion warriors. But this third form—this was built for Elias.

It was extreme violent output tailored perfectly to his demands! Every strike in this form could give the Earth a stroke! The ultimate cure for fear of insufficient firepower!

"Remember—absolutely never use it at full power!"

Vill-V suddenly warned with a grave expression.

This was a Key of Destruction that burned all to ashes. At its maximum, she had set its output to be enough to burn half of Australia with a single strike.

But she knew all too well—when her Divine Key ended up in Elias' hands, it always unleashed power far beyond its supposed limits.

If Elias used it recklessly at full strength now… even Vill-V couldn't estimate what level of destruction would result. But she was sure of one thing.

It would surpass even Herrscher-level Honkai Eruptions. This fragile world could not withstand Elias at full power.

"Mhm, I know."

Elias nodded in agreement.

He thought back to when he first wielded Judgment of Shamash: Might of An-Utu. One strike had been enough to fell the Judgment-level Honkai Beast Chiyou. And now, his strength had grown manyfold since then.

If he poured all 30,000 HW of Honkai energy into Judgment of Shamash now, even he couldn't imagine the sight. But he knew for certain—currently limited to Might of An-Utu, the weapon would surely overload and break after just one swing.

"I believe you'll use it wisely, Elias. Now, here comes the most important part."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Elias looked surprised. He had thought this was the end—after all, the three modes of Judgment of Shamash had already been shown. Could there really be a hidden ability?

What kind of function was it, that even the Kaslana family, after using it for thousands of years in the future, had never discovered?

Seeing his astonished look, Vill-V smiled with satisfaction, then took back the greatsword to demonstrate.

"Of course, all of that was just its basic functionality. As the masterpiece of the century's greatest engineer and magician, how could it end there?"

"Uh, you sure you didn't sneak this in while the Expert was offline? Let me guess—she got mad?" Elias raised a brow and guessed casually.

"Hahaha! Super mad! But since all of us personalities modified it, she couldn't single me out for punishment!"

The Magician admitted without hesitation, even outing the others.

"…Poor Expert. I'll make sure to be extra thoughtful when preparing her next gift of thanks."

Elias shook his head in sympathy.

The Expert's inventions were always serious and proper—no gimmicks, just clean, optimal results. But every time she went offline, the others modified them.

The Magician made them flamboyant in appearance, the Occultist carved prophecies into them, the Conductor added quirky surprise functions, and lately, yet another personality had started doing the same—though Elias hadn't figured out whose style it was yet.

"Hooray~ another gift this time!"

The Great Magician cheered happily.

Whenever Elias commissioned something from them, he always prepared thoughtful gifts in return—not just for the Expert alone, but for every personality that had contributed.

In this regard, he was always attentive, and it earned unanimous praise from all of Vill-V's personalities.

"Now, first, by turning this little dial, you can recolor the greatsword's flames. Imagine a blue flaming sword—doesn't that feel super cool and unique?"

Vill-V twisted the mechanism on the blade. In the next second, the red flames turned blue, and Elias' eyes lit up.

"Not bad, good taste."

"Hehe, and it supports multiple colors at once too! If you want, you can even have rainbow flames! And in twin-gun mode, if you hold down the trigger for more than five seconds…"

Vill-V demonstrated as she spoke.

After she held the trigger for five seconds, a mechanical voice rang out:

[Fireworks Mode: Activated!]

The terrifying weapon, capable of blasting apart any lower-class Honkai Beast with one shot, suddenly began launching dazzling fireworks. Even Misteln beside them was stunned.

"And the fireworks can be customized too. Elias, Elias, what do you think of this feature?"

"Cool! Absolutely amazing! Even a weapon born for destruction can bring beauty and brilliance. Truly worthy of you, Vill-V—what a fantastic design."

"Elias, I knew you'd get me!"

Vill-V happily pulled Elias into a big hug, thinking to herself that this was exactly why she loved making things for him.

Unlike someone else, Elias never got mad or dismissive when she added fun features to her inventions. Not like a certain someone who would smash the item on the spot and demand a rebuild. Too much!

(Vill-V: "I'm talking about you, Dr. Mei! Just because I wanted to give Prometheus a transformation into a Gundam and reproductive functions… was that really worth getting so angry over? 'Mechanical dolls can't get pregnant'—well, I'll be the one to break that prejudice!")

If Vill-V actually depended on Fire Moth's funding, Mei would've long since cut her down so harshly she couldn't make another one of these flashy contraptions again—worse off than Snake herself!

After that, Vill-V spent a full hour introducing all the surprise functions of this Divine Key.

Elias listened with great interest, while Misteln beside him was dumbfounded.

She couldn't understand how so many functions could be packed into such a small weapon body. Was this a Void Archives trick?

After hearing everything, Elias nodded in appreciation and gave it a score of 90 out of 100. But that shocked Vill-V.

"What?! Only 90? No, I can't accept this! Elias, tell me—what part are you unhappy with?!"

"Mhm, Vill-V, I admit these functions are excellent. But my dear great inventor, how could you forget the most basic yet most crucial feature?"

Elias spoke gravely, staring at the Key of Destruction in his hands like a piece of jade yet to be fully carved, his eyes full of regret.

"Did I really overlook something that important? Quickly, tell me!"

"It can't play BGM."

"!!!"

Vill-V stiffened, as though struck by lightning.

"If it's a weapon made for battle and destruction, how can it not automatically play high-energy BGM during fights? That's a huge deduction."

Elias continued seriously.

"You should know, as a great once once said: 'In my BGM, I am invincible. A proper weapon must have a music function.'"

"I see… I see! Truly words of wisdom! I've attained enlightenment! Watch me modify it right now!"

Vill-V said, trembling with excitement.

She immediately took the Divine Key back and spent a full thirty minutes adding a BGM playback function, plus a new karaoke mode where it could transform into a microphone.

Only then did Elias nod in satisfaction, exclaiming that it was now perfect.

"Oh right, Elias, give this Divine Key a name," Vill-V said at last.

"Hm? You didn't name it already? Oh~"

Elias suddenly remembered—of course, the great inventor before him was absolutely hopeless at naming things.

If Vill-V were left in charge, this Divine Key would've ended up with some monstrosity of a name like: "Super-Ultimate Flame Blaster + Fireworks Launcher + Music Player…" One of those ridiculously long, tasteless types.

"Key of Destruction: Judgment of Shamash. How about it?"

"Ohh~ As expected of you, perfect name!"

Vill-V immediately gave him a thumbs up in praise. It didn't matter that she was bad at names—wasn't Elias right here to do it instead?

At last, Elias happily took Judgment of Shamash into his hands, thinking to himself that he'd probably changed this Divine Key's fate too. After all, it was originally destined to be the exclusive weapon of a certain popsicle.

Misteln: "I think the real issue isn't that…"

As an [Idea] who had witnessed everything, even she was struggling to imagine this Divine Key's future.

And sure enough, fate corrected itself.

Not long after Elias had used Judgment of Shamash a few times on the battlefield—and Kevin happened to see it…

"Elias! My good brother! I've never begged you for anything in my life, but this time, I really must—please, let me borrow that super cool Judgment of Shamash to play with!"

"No. I haven't had enough fun with it myself yet!"

Elias kicked the husky-like Kevin away and hugged Judgment of Shamash tightly. He felt maybe Kevin was too unpolished because Elias had been too strong.

Just look at him—completely lacking in composure. Sure, his combat strength wasn't low, but could he show a bit of dignity? Kevin, you're supposed to carry the title of Deliverance in the future!

(Wait a sec… aside from the Herrscher of Reason, I've basically taken down all the Herrschers so far… Damn! Were you guys slacking off?!)

But just as he was about to get angry, Elias realized—it wasn't that Kevin and the others were weak. It was that he himself was too strong.

Elias: "Oh. Never mind then."

In truth, the gloomy, self-isolated Kevin of the original story might not even have been stronger than this husky version standing before him.

After all, the former was only following Dr. Mei, while the latter had chosen with his own will to fight and overcome the Honkai.

In the end, Kevin did manage to borrow Judgment of Shamash. In exchange, he promised to fulfill three requests from Elias in the future without question. Whenever Elias wasn't using it, Kevin could take it for a spin.

...

In the future—the Current Era—it was said that whenever Honkai Beasts threatened humanity, the leaders of the Kaslana family would appear with Judgment of Shamash in hand. To the sound of blazing hot BGM, they would descend, wielding this legendary weapon to save the people…

For others, that might have seemed unbearably embarrassing.

But for the husky-blooded Kaslanas, it was the perfect ancestral relic.

Pairing Judgment of Shamash—complete with a high-energy BGM player—with the Kaslanas was like injecting a husky with pure adrenaline!

(Honkai Beasts: Please, keep these crazy dogs away from us!)

Elias didn't know it yet, but the feature he had asked Vill-V to add to Judgment of Shamash would become a morale buff for the Kaslanas.

In the future, three heads of the Kaslana family would actually get so hyped by the BGM that, mid-battle, they couldn't resist drawing out Shamash for dramatic effect—only to burn themselves to death…

Chapter 565: Aimi Izumi Really Is Amazing

Kotomi Izumi took out a treasure chest she had bought at a comic convention. It looked just like the kind of chest a hero might discover in Dragon Quest while exploring the Demon Lord's castle, stumbling upon a chest that contained a sacred relic. With that relic, the hero would cut down countless foes, defeat the Demon Lord, and marry the princess.

Though really, why would the Demon Lord toss the one weapon capable of killing him into some random chest in his own castle?

Anyway—it was a cool chest.

The platinum-colored chest was carved with a golden sacred lion and a sky dragon. The deep blue gem at its center wasn't real, but it looked high-quality. Kotomi didn't even know which game it was from, but at first sight she thought it looked awesome. And since it wasn't expensive, she bought it with her allowance.

For a while it sat at home as a decoration. Later, because Kotomi bought too many Taimanin figures, she had to clear space, and the chest was shoved under her bed.

It stayed there for a long time, so when she pulled it out just now, it was covered in dust.

She carried it to the bathroom and washed it thoroughly inside and out. After leaving it to air-dry for over an hour, Kotomi brought her nose close and sniffed carefully, confirming it had no smell…

Then she washed her hands again, dried them, and reverently lifted the black pantyhose Kazumi had worn, placing them solemnly inside the chest.

Because this was a god's relic!

For the chest to guard such a treasure was surely an honor.

After closing the lid, Kotomi pressed her palms together and silently bowed before it for a long while, not speaking, looking as though she were praying to the 'relic' within.

It was getting late. Kotomi went to the downstairs bathroom, showered, put on her nightdress, played on her phone a bit, then went to bed early.

"Suddenly not being able to sleep holding Kazumi… it feels a little strange," Kotomi murmured softly. Since Kazumi would be sleeping for a while, Kotomi couldn't enjoy golden sleep. Though her own sleep quality was good to begin with—

Once you've tasted it, you can't go back. Having experienced golden sleep so many times, of course Kotomi preferred it. Who wouldn't? Falling into complete deep sleep, waking refreshed—it was wonderful.

She wondered—while Kazumi was asleep, was she in golden sleep too?

If so…

Enjoying golden sleep for so long—wasn't that way too lucky for Kazumi?

Her mind drifted with idle thoughts, but it all came back to one thing: she missed Kazumi. Thinking of her, Kotomi eventually drifted into slumber.

Tuesday.

Kotomi woke up early. Opening the balcony's sliding glass door, she stepped outside and saw Megumi Kato already waiting under the streetlamp in front of her house.

As always, Megumi was waiting there.

"Kotomi, good morning!" Megumi called up, waving after hearing the balcony door open.

"Morning, Megumi!" Kotomi waved back vigorously, almost leaping from the second-floor balcony to greet her with a morning hug.

She thought she had overslept, but glancing at the time, she realized Megumi had simply come early.

In fact, it seemed Megumi came early every morning to wait outside the Izumi house.

Kotomi went downstairs and mentioned it to her mother, who naturally invited Megumi in for breakfast.

"You go eat first, I still need to change clothes."

Kotomi opened the door and let Megumi in. Once she entered, Kotomi stood on tiptoe and playfully nibbled her ear:

"Didn't I tell you not to come out so early in this cold weather?"

The weather was getting colder, and Kotomi had already told Megumi Kato several times not to come so early to wait outside her house. She couldn't even remember how many times she'd said it, but judging by Megumi's attitude, it clearly hadn't sunk in at all.

Kotomi felt a little helpless. Should she just let Megumi live with her?

Of course, at least while they were still in high school, this was only a fleeting thought. She would never actually say it aloud. If she did, before Kotomi even realized it, Megumi would already have packed up several suitcases to move in.

If they really wanted to live together, neither of their parents would agree. At the very least, they'd have to wait until university—preferably one far enough from home…

But come to think of it, would she and Megumi even be able to get into the same university?

"Because I missed you too much," Megumi said, savoring Kotomi's nibbling on her ear. She loved watching Kotomi look shy and annoyed while doing it. To Megumi, this wasn't scolding at all—it was Kotomi being affectionate!

"Hmph."

Kotomi let out a soft huff. She had originally planned to take Megumi into the kitchen first, but feeling the heat of Megumi's gaze—and realizing exactly where that gaze had landed—her fair, delicate cheeks instantly flushed red. She was still wearing her thin nightdress! She shot Megumi a playful glare.

"Honestly, you're in my house and still daring to look at me like that? Hmph, I'm ignoring you. I'm going upstairs to change!"

With that, Kotomi left Megumi standing alone in the entryway and stomped upstairs to her bedroom in a huff.

Once inside, Kotomi changed out of her nightdress and into her school uniform. Today, for once, she didn't wear stockings or pantyhose. Instead, she put on a pair of pink-and-white cotton ankle socks, trimmed with a frilly lace edge. On her small feet, they looked fresh and cute.

Her bare thighs stood out more than usual without the cover of tights. The line from the hem of her skirt down to the lace-trimmed socks was smooth and captivating, showing the natural shape of her legs.

Kotomi was slowly getting used to showing off her thighs, even starting to enjoy it. Even with winter approaching, whenever she saw other high school girls on the street seemingly unfazed by the cold wind, still wearing short socks, she wondered if she should try dressing that way sometimes too.

Didn't adults often say when she was younger—children should get used to being out in the wind?

Kotomi didn't yet know that, besides stockings and pantyhose, there was also something called "skin-colored tights."

"I should dress like this sometimes, otherwise people will say I'm spoiled and can't even handle a little cold wind." Kotomi stood before the full-length mirror, examining her outfit for the day. Seeing her own legs reflected back, she unconsciously swallowed.

"I'm so pretty~" she said, genuinely enchanted by her own reflection.

Dressed and ready, Kotomi walked into the kitchen to see Megumi Kato chatting happily with Kaneyoshi Izumi and Akina Izumi over breakfast—just like a son-in-law visiting his in-laws during the holidays.

Everyone seemed cheerful at the table, except for one person: Aimi Izumi. She had been enjoying her breakfast in peace—having gone to bed early, she woke with a good appetite.

But the moment Megumi walked in, one glance was enough to make Aimi's little face go green with anger. She almost slammed her chopsticks down then and there, pointing at Megumi to shout: Are you seriously haunting me everywhere I go? Do you want a fight?!

But with her parents present, she couldn't behave rudely. And though she despised Megumi, she couldn't deny that Megumi treated her sister well. As a friend, Megumi was acceptable.

But if Megumi ever dared to take things further with her sister beyond friendship—Aimi would never allow it!

As she watched Megumi laughing and chatting with their parents, Aimi lowered her head and ate in silence, fuming inside. Trying to cozy up to the family? Not a chance!

Thankfully, her sister arrived!

The moment Aimi saw Kotomi walk in dressed for school, her eyes lit up. She was about to call her over to sit beside her, but before she could speak, Megumi was already one step ahead—

"Kotomi, sit here," Megumi said, pulling out the chair next to her.

"Oh, okay." Kotomi sat down beside Megumi, directly across from Aimi.

"I'll get you some rice."

Megumi picked up Kotomi's large bowl. The gentle tone and manner made the two of them look like a married couple who had been together for years—Megumi playing the part of a devoted wife who was just as comfortable in the kitchen as she was in social settings.

"Fill it up," Kotomi said casually, already used to Megumi's care. She remembered the time they had seafood—Megumi had handled all the peeling of shrimp and crab, leaving Kotomi to simply enjoy the ready meat.

"Heh, if it were me, I'd have served the rice in advance. That way, when Sis sat down, she could start eating right away," Aimi said, setting down her chopsticks meaningfully. She even tilted her chin up proudly, as though slapping down a challenge before Megumi.

But Megumi showed no reaction in either expression or tone. It was as if she didn't take Aimi seriously at all—or more like she was treating her as an annoying child not worth arguing with.

Still, since Aimi was Kotomi's younger sister, Megumi had to respond politely.

"If I serve it in advance, what if Kotomi comes late and the rice gets cold? Do you want her to eat cold food?" Megumi answered lightly, with a confident smile.

Her voice was calm, brimming with ease.

Even against someone like Mashiro Shiina, Megumi never let down her guard—she was careful to the extreme, knowing that if she slipped for even a moment, her silly little penguin Kotomi might be snatched away by another girl.

But with Aimi Izumi, there was one word that described Megumi's attitude—relaxed.

Her effortless composure only made Aimi suspect more and more: Does Megumi look down on me?

Every time she provoked her, and every time Megumi brushed it off so easily, Aimi's suspicion hardened into certainty. Yes—she thinks I'm nothing but a fool. She doesn't even see me as a real rival!

Normally, being underestimated would infuriate Aimi. But in that instant, she realized—wasn't Megumi's contempt actually an advantage for her? A lion gives its all even when hunting a rabbit. And she wasn't a rabbit—she was strong. She just hadn't shown her full strength yet.

Thinking this way, Aimi's mood not only improved, but she grew smug, laughing inwardly: Hah! Megumi, I thought you were clever, but clearly you're blind. To underestimate someone as powerful as me…

To be underestimated as a rival? So be it. That just meant it would be easier for her to claim Kotomi's love without breaking a sweat, walk into the wedding hall, and have ten kids after marriage! By then, Megumi Kato would be nothing but a pathetic loser, crying in the corner.

Still, the way Megumi had brushed her off just now… maybe it was because Aimi wasn't at her best today, and she couldn't think of a proper comeback on the spot.

Whatever. I'll be the bigger person and let her off this time. After all, true strength comes with compassion. I really am amazing, Aimi thought proudly to herself. Still, she muttered, a little unwilling to concede: "That's not true, don't try to sow discord!"

"All right, Aimi, eat your breakfast. Didn't you say you needed to head to school early?" Kotomi spoke up, giving both sides a way to back down. After addressing Aimi, she didn't spare Megumi either. Taking the rice Megumi had served her, she smiled softly.

"Thanks, Megumi. Could you also grab me some crushed seaweed? It's in the third drawer."

Go to school early? That was just an excuse I made up! Aimi screamed inwardly. She'd only said that because she didn't want to talk to Megumi.

"Oh, so Aimi's going to school early today? Third year of middle school must be tough~ Better hurry and finish eating, or you'll be late," Megumi said cheerfully as she fetched the seaweed. When she said third year of middle school, she deliberately put extra emphasis on the words.

"Now that you mention it, Aimi did say she needed to get to school early today. Aimi, is there still enough time?" Akina Izumi added casually.

And just like that, even though it had been a lie, Aimi now had no choice but to go to school early.

Aimi was lively and bright, like a little sparrow who loved to compete. From time to time she'd flutter up to peck at you with a challenge, only to be swatted down effortlessly by Megumi every time.

But no matter how often she was knocked down, she always got back up, tirelessly trying to peck again.

Her thoughts were simple—she just wanted to be with her sister forever, without anyone interfering.

And whenever someone tried to interfere—like Megumi Kato—

She would flap her little wings and deliver what she thought were fierce warnings. But to Megumi, they were harmless and ineffectual attempts to chase away anyone who might steal her sister.

Chapter 653: Arcturus: The Advantage Is…; Jibril: Die!

Korhal IV, Augustgrad.

Grotesque shadows had already cloaked the skies, yet above the Terran Dominion's imperial palace, daylight still shone bright.

On the horizon, around the basalt foundations of Augustgrad's palace, gunfire raged unchecked. The shriek of laser fire pierced the air, guided missiles streaked in curved trajectories across the sky like hunting serpents.

The Dominion Marines' comm channels roared with orders and fury.

Shattered vehicles littered the battlefield, alongside debris from orbital defense platforms and satellite fortresses strewn across the landscape to the very edge of sight.

No matter how many times such scenes unfolded, they remained the favored subjects of embedded chroniclers: the poets, journalists, photographers, painters, and novelists who never tired of capturing war's chaos.

Even stripped of its former prosperity, the city still stood magnificent.

Upon a wasteland of glassed nuclear ash, Arcturus Mengsk himself had rebuilt this towering steel metropolis. It was a miracle of rebirth.

From the heavens, the city's layout resembled mercury frozen at the instant of impact within a petri dish.

At the center rose the silver spire of a vast pyramid palace, tapering into the clouds, while the surrounding buildings sloped down toward the city's edge.

That supreme peak belonged to one alone—the Emperor of the Terran Dominion. The palace was the Korhal system's—and the Dominion's—strongest bastion of military power.

Its massive, pyramid-fortress structure dwarfed every surrounding edifice in scale, height, and bulk.

Its stark lines and Gothic austerity clashed with the sleek, modern towers around it, as if declaring its own grim authority.

It was Arcturus Mengsk incarnate—symbol of singular power, cold, harsh, uncompromising.

"...Soldiers of the Dominion, I am your leader, Arcturus Mengsk. At this moment, I must announce grave news. Just now, our shared home, jewel of the Dominion—Korhal—has come under attack by an unknown invader."

"The enemy has struck treacherously. Our orbital defenses suffered devastating losses. Our fleets bleed in bitter struggle. Korhal's fate hangs by a thread. This is no mere skirmish—this is war, long prepared. Just as the United Earth Directorate once invaded us, so too do these beasts beneath the twin-headed eagle seek to enslave us."

"Think, citizens of the Dominion! After them come brutal armies and lofty colonizers, ready to land and crush freedoms they themselves have never known."

"They would strip from us the lands, freedoms, and families our ancestors carved through blood and fire. They would bind us with chains of oppression and plunder."

"We face hardship, yes. We stand at a disadvantage. But I believe—so long as each of us does his duty, vigilant and steadfast, we will prove again that we have the strength to defend our home, to weather the storm of war!"

"Liberty or death!"

"I will stand firm on Korhal. With her seven billion souls, we will endure together. Proud sons and daughters of Korhal, we shall never yield! These foolish tyrants will break upon Korhal's walls once more, shattering themselves upon our defiance!"

"Now, to every fleet across the Koprulu sector: return to Korhal at once. Move immediately! Warriors, defend our home… zzzzzt."

BEEP. BEEP.

At the pinnacle of the great pyramid-palace, within chambers warm as spring, a retro-styled control terminal flickered. Its split screens displayed the Emperor's fiery speech alongside battle reports from across the Korhal system.

Click. Someone switched the feed off after the address ended. The vast office fell silent, deathly still, as if empty.

"Huuuuh…"

Breaking the silence, no longer the image of defiance seen on the public broadcast, Arcturus slumped heavily into a gilded, high-backed chair. His beard, streaked white, marked the toll of years. To most men, it would signal fatigue and decline—but to Arcturus, it lent his stern dignity greater weight.

From the desk drawer, emblazoned with the Mengsk family's golden wolf crest, he drew a cigar. Cut, lit, inhaled.

Leaning back, he let the leather cushions embrace him, eyes fixed on the enameled ceiling above, his face unyielding but shadowed by thought.

Warm wall sconces cast a golden glow across the lofty chamber, yet could not touch the chill within his heart.

RUMBLE…

On either side, floor-to-ceiling mirrors—panels of countless lenses set in symmetry with the arched windows—shuddered under the chaos outside. By day, they turned with the sun's light. Now, they spun erratically, reflecting bursts of fire and explosion across Arcturus's broad back.

Time slipped by.

BZZZT—

A voice cut through: "Sighing so deeply, it seems you are not as confident as your speech claimed."

On the split-screen terminal, a young man appeared—fair-haired, features echoing Arcturus's own youth, six parts similar.

"Boy, spare me your insolence."

Arcturus's deep, commanding voice rose at last. "You have much yet to learn. Never show weakness before your subjects. A son of House Mengsk must never bare his thoughts before the world."

"When men know what you think, they no longer fear you. That, my son, is today's lesson. Free of charge."

"Still that same infuriating tone of lecture. My… father. Do you realize? This fate is of your own making."

"Big words, boy… I have done terrible things, yes. But—"

Arcturus paid his son's defiance little heed. He swirled aged port in a crystal glass, its amber liquid catching the light.

"You are Valerian Mengsk. I gave you that name. All you are comes from me. You prosper because of my deeds. Strip away the title of Arcturus's son, and remember this: without me, you are nothing."

In short: I am your father.

"…So, you are the rat trapped in a cage. And now you invoke our blood-ties. What then—do you expect me to lead my fleet to Korhal, to save you—"

"No."

The word cut him off sharply. Arcturus's eyes narrowed, studying the familiar lines of his son's face. He exhaled a smoke ring, words edged like blades. "As my son, you must live. Not die needlessly."

"What?"

Onscreen, Valerian blinked in surprise, almost scoffing. "Concern? From you? Such great paternal love—I am almost moved."

"If you wish, you may take it so."

Arcturus listened to the distant roar of battle, speaking softly: "Do not squander the life Juliana and I gave you. As I told you on that day of farewell—since you have proven worthy, the Mengsk name is yours to bear." (Juliana Pasteur: Arcturus's wife, Valerian's mother.)

"Worthy?"

Valerian arched a brow, smirking in self-mockery. "A bookworm, a weakling, and a girl—those were the three words you once branded me with. I'll remember them for life! And now you tell me I'm worthy? What's this? You won't flee? Or is it that you know you can't escape, and you beg me to avenge you when your Dominion falls?"

"Vengeance is yours to decide."

Arcturus's reply was calm, dismissive. "And I stand by my judgment. It does not contradict itself. At that time, you were a bookworm, a weakling, a girl—worthless."

"This is the mind of a leader, of a patriarch. Must I teach you again? The Mengsk family has stood in the Koprulu sector for generations. Its glory outweighs all."

Still, he showed no mercy.

"Any son of mine, if he would be counted among the family and heir to its name, must be brave and wise, diligent, rich in martial virtue, ruthless to enemies, guiding his subjects to strength and prosperity, and ever mindful of the family's survival. Weaklings and fools cannot wield great power, nor hold the family's future. Even if he were my son, he would be cast aside."

"And you…"

Arcturus's gaze hardened on the son he had scarcely shown affection to—his only son. "You are the only choice left to me. Not the best choice. Merely the only one."

There was no love here. Arcturus desired only the continuation of the Mengsk line. Who carried it mattered little.

Valerian knew this well. He existed as insurance. If his father survived this catastrophe, he would surely retract every word, break every vow, and cast him aside again.

"..."

After a pause, Valerian's lips curved in a cold smile. He changed the subject: "Jim Raynor's Raiders are now in joint fleet with me… and Sarah Kerrigan has led the Swarm to Korhal. She seeks your death. There will be no peace."

"I know."

"She is already here." Arcturus drained his port, slammed the glass upon the desk, drew deep from his cigar, and strode to the window.

Beneath the chamber's ornate paneling, hidden communication relays and anti-intrusion systems hummed under AI control, ensuring smooth interstellar link. Cameras swiveled automatically as he moved.

"Both sides want my head. Let them come. Here it is!"

"In truth, I hope our dear Miss Kerrigan is strong enough. That her Swarm can crush these unknown, violet-gold humans. Best of all—if both bleed each other dry. Mutual ruin."

From the pinnacle office of the great pyramid, dizzying in its height, the cameras shared Arcturus's view. Through gaps between higher towers, Valerian glimpsed the horizon.

The palace's shields rippled endlessly under bombardment. Augustgrad burned, starship wrecks and shattered craft splitting the skyline into jagged teeth.

Where once stars shone, low orbit glowed instead with apocalypse: warships locked in duels, contrails of cannon fire drawing scars across the heavens, fleeting as paintings of destruction.

"Not so simple, being the fisherman, is it? You preach of fighting for humanity, yet here you hope the Swarm prevails. You're a hypocrite, father."

Valerian's sneer cut sharp. His father's speech of noble sacrifice was a lie—he remained only because escape was barred.

Had these violet-gold fleets besieged with openings instead of a total encirclement, his father's speech would no doubt have ended: 'I shall return.' 'This is a strategic withdrawal.' 'I will rally the fleet.'

"This is necessity. Another free lesson." Arcturus's voice grew hard. "Humans will steal your triumphs—claim your people, technology, resources. The Zerg will not. Those beasts only kill. And through their terror, they drive the Dominion's people closer under my banner."

"In necessity, the Swarm is but a sharp blade."

"Like the fall of the old Tassanis houses, then?"

No need to speak plainly. "Simple, clean, effective. Isn't it?"

"...Tch. Why don't they just bombard you from orbit?"

"Because they want something here—the Dominion's data vaults. That is the difference between men and beasts."

BOOOOM!

Before he finished, a crashing fireball bloomed from the fall of a battlecruiser a hundred kilometers away. The ground quaked, the pyramid shook, the world itself seemed to warp.

Scorching radiation blazed through the reinforced glass. Arcturus stood hands clasped behind him, unflinching, gazing through the vast windows toward the distant void—where Kerrigan's Swarm clashed with the invaders under the twin-headed eagle.

Arcturus was vexed. These "barbarian fleets" knew no decorum. They had not even declared war—only sent an arrogant missive.

Its translation: Send your leader forth in chains. Surrender unconditionally. The closing words dripped with threat: Kneel, or we shall strike. And strike we shall.

The Dominion, a power of renown in the Koprulu sector! And who were they, to demand this?

It had not even reached Arcturus's desk. Media staff dismissed it as a prank from some gutter world, clicked ×, tossed it into the trash.

And then… they attacked. In force. To the death.

Armies pressed in. Arcturus did not relent. He sent reply after reply, as Emperor, offering talks.

They paused—but answered only with: Do you surrender?

The negotiator, professional instinct reflexively vague, hesitated. And instantly, the "barbarians" launched their assault.

On broadcast, the brute with the blazing red starfish hair bellowed: "Korhal vermin! Stubborn to the last! The righteous host shall march, the Dominion shall fall, the false emperor shall die!"

So brash. Did their Empire even have a foreign ministry?

(Selene: Er… in my Imperial institutions, I don't recall establishing a proper 'Foreign Ministry.')

Against such unreasonable foes, Arcturus had no recourse.

"I can only hope Kerrigan proves her worth… Perhaps I erred, sending Jim Raynor to exile in prison ships. He should have remained in my palace…"

"Bah. No matter. Korhal's orbit has fallen. I must pray these invaders slay Raynor before departure. Then Kerrigan, for love, will drown in rage and hate. She will be magnificent."

He crossed to the wall cabinet, selecting a fine aged port from amidst rare malt and wine. With practiced ease, he pulled the cork, poured into a decanter, swirling as he spoke.

"Do not return to Korhal. If need be—leave the Koprulu sector altogether…"

Even as a lamb awaiting slaughter, his life ticking away, Arcturus showed no despair. He lifted his glass, chin high, issuing commands as always.

Until—

"Hey, hey, hey! Emperor of the Terrans, look here."

"All finished with your chat?"

A tapping on the glass rang sharp, piercing even the reinforced panes and the thunder of battle. It was as clear as a bell.

Arcturus and Valerian both turned. The air rippled. Light caught upon flowing hair, amber eyes, and wings woven of radiance—an angelic figure. And when her prismatic gaze met theirs…

For the first time in memory, Arcturus truly felt death.

"Wa—" He tried to speak.

Then the world spun. Crimson sprawled across the carpet, spreading like spilled paint.

And above it, a voice—silver and sweet, ringing like bells:

"Death to the false emperor!"

Chapter 583: Magic Perpetual Motion Machine

Ariel seized the chance and directly proposed a truce to Chris.

"Chris, why don't we end our battle here~"

She didn't bother to explain why she hadn't been cursed by the queen, because she knew Chris only cared about the fact that she hadn't been cursed at all. Whether or not there was another reason didn't matter.

Hearing this, Chris halted her attacks and silently stared at Ariel.

Ariel said nothing either, meeting Chris' gaze in silence.

After more than ten seconds, Chris seemed to accept Ariel's proposal. She turned away from the battlefield and walked toward Eriri and the others.

"Eriri, why are you all here?"

"Of course, to watch the show. And now we've even got an unexpected bonus."

"Unexpected bonus? Don't tell me you mean this coward?"

Chris lowered her eyes toward Lilia, who had stopped crying when Chris arrived, her gaze full of mockery.

Feeling Chris' eyes on her, Lilia immediately shrank back.

"I-I'm sorry…"

Eriri didn't answer Chris' question. Instead, she glanced around and said:

"Let's talk somewhere else."

With the fight between Chris and Ariel over, the students and teachers who had been watching from a distance were now rushing over. Soon, this place would be packed.

Without waiting for Chris' response, Eriri snapped her fingers.

In the next instant, their figures vanished—along with Ariel, who had also been approaching.

...

When Eriri and the others appeared again, they were no longer in Villiers. Instead, they were in a detached house on Earth.

It was the same house where Kyoko and the others lived.

But to Chris, Ariel, and Lilia, the place was entirely unfamiliar.

"Wh… where is this?"

Looking around nervously, Lilia asked timidly.

"This is Earth, of course. Not so unfamiliar for you, right?" Eriri said with a playful smile.

Lilia fell silent. As a world-conquering maniac, she was very familiar with all the worlds targeted for invasion, Earth included.

Eriri ignored her and turned her gaze to Chris.

"Chris, do you want to become queen of Villiers?"

"Queen?"

Chris froze at the words, and even Ariel, who had been about to speak, was stunned.

"Eriri, are you planning to kill this coward?"

At Chris' words, Lilia was frightened, while Ariel's face showed anticipation.

Although she was curious about Eriri's identity, Lilia's life or death was far more important to her.

Because of Lilia, Villiers had waged endless invasions on other worlds, leading to the deaths of countless Magiclad Girls. This was why Ariel and the Demon Baron had led the rebellion in the first place.

If Eriri could kill Lilia, Ariel would be more than happy.

"Of course not. What are you thinking?"

Eriri chuckled at Chris' misunderstanding, then continued:

"Didn't I just say we got an unexpected bonus? Lilia is that bonus. From today, she's my personal possession, no longer queen of Villiers."

"I see. That works too."

Hearing this, Ariel nodded knowingly.

For her, this outcome was no different from Lilia's death. What mattered was ending Villiers' invasions. Whether Lilia lived or died was secondary.

"You must be Kyoko's teacher—Ariel, right?"

Eriri shifted her gaze to Ariel, her face full of interest.

Then she released her hold on Lilia, walked a few steps forward, and without hesitation reached out to teasingly lift Ariel's delicate chin as if she were a kitten.

"Oh my, I didn't expect such an important person like you to know me. I'm truly flattered, though I still don't know your identity~"

Ariel didn't resist Eriri's actions. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and revealed an indulgent smile. Beyond her wariness of Eriri, it was Eriri's appearance and aura that left her without any desire to resist.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eriri Spencer Sawamura, but you can just call me Eriri~"

As she spoke, Eriri's hand continued its playful motion.

"So you're Miss Eriri. It's an honor to meet you. May I ask, what is your relationship with my disciple, Kyoko?"

"Of course, a very close one. So you don't need to worry about her being harmed. Besides, right now, you're no match for Kyoko at all~"

"Is that so?"

Ariel opened her eyes and looked at Kyoko with visible surprise.

...

While Eriri and Ariel were exchanging introductions, Lilia, newly freed, immediately attempted to use teleportation magic to escape this dangerous place.

But she quickly realized that her spell had no effect, even though her magic itself wasn't being restrained.

The realization left her heart sinking.

Perhaps sensing Lilia's intent, Kyoko, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped in front of her.

"Queen Lilia—ah, no, it seems from today you're no longer queen. I advise you to give up on escaping. You'll never be able to get out of Eriri's grasp."

"S-sorry!"

At Kyoko's words, Lilia instinctively apologized, then raised her head with doubt in her eyes.

"Are you also a Magiclad Girl?"

"That's right. Do you have any advice for me, Your Majesty?"

Kyoko's lips curled into a mischievous smile. Seeing it, Lilia immediately lowered her head again.

"N-no…"

After muttering quietly, she fell into silent despair.

Kyoko had intended to say more, but at that moment, she heard Eriri and Ariel mention her and felt Ariel's gaze.

So she let Lilia be and walked over to join them.

"Great Teacher, it's been a long time. I didn't think we'd meet again under these circumstances."

Watching Ariel allow Eriri to toy with her chin left Kyoko feeling odd.

She knew Ariel's nature well. Despite her usual calm demeanor, Ariel was cunning to the core. Anyone who dared tease her like this would normally pay with broken limbs at the very least.

But now, this same Ariel was acting like a harmless kitten in front of Eriri.

"Oh my, Kyoko, it seems you've been doing quite well. But you haven't reported back to the academy in a long time."

Ariel smiled at Kyoko, making no attempt to pull her chin from Eriri's hand.

"This is as good a time as any to say it—Great Teacher, I don't plan to continue attending Martlez Academy."

"Why is that? Are you dissatisfied with me as your teacher?"

"Not at all. It's simply that I no longer have any reason to attend. Just like Eriri said, I'm already much stronger than all of you now."

"Ara, so Miss Eriri was telling the truth. If that's the case, I won't force you."

With that, Ariel turned her head back and closed her eyes again, continuing to enjoy Eriri's playful touch.

At that moment, Chris suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, are you just going to ignore my existence?"

She stood there, dark lines crossing her face as she watched Eriri and Ariel.

Seeing their intimate interaction, she couldn't explain why, but irritation burned in her chest.

"Oh my, are you jealous? Don't worry, I've never been one to play favorites."

As she spoke, Eriri stretched out her free left hand toward Chris' face and began teasing her chin the same way she had with Ariel.

Feeling the touch, Chris instinctively closed her eyes, a look of enjoyment spreading across her face, just like Ariel earlier.

But soon she realized what she was doing, hurriedly opening her eyes.

"No! That's not it at all!" Chris snapped, glaring at Eriri in embarrassed annoyance. At the same time, she pushed Eriri's hand away.

"Alright, alright, let's get back to the topic. Chris, do you want to be the queen of Villiers?"

Eriri ruffled Chris' hair while withdrawing her other hand from Ariel's chin.

"I don't want to be queen. What I want now is to live lazily~"

For a hundred years, Chris had devoted herself to breaking her curse, fueled also by resentment toward Ariel. But now, with the curse gone and her anger at Ariel gone too, she had no more ambitions—she only wanted to live a carefree life.

Hearing this, Ariel silently glanced at her.

Chris had once claimed she joined the rebellion to usurp the throne. But Ariel had never believed such a trivial motive. She knew Chris had acted out of anger at Lilia's cruelty and indifference to her students' suffering.

And Chris' words now confirmed that.

"Mm, that kind of life isn't bad either. I fully support it~" Eriri nodded with approval.

"In that case, you can just live with me from now on. I'll let you enjoy a fully lazy life."

"Then can you restore my sense of taste?"

"Nope!"

Rejecting Chris' request outright, Eriri turned to Ariel.

"Since Chris doesn't want to be queen, do you?"

"Well…"

Ariel fell silent. She had never really considered the question. For her, it didn't matter who the queen was, as long as she could guide Villiers toward a better future. All she wanted was to serve the queen faithfully.

"There's no rush to answer. After all, Villiers is your world. Whoever becomes the next queen is for you to decide.

"But I do know the crisis Villiers is facing: your ever-growing population has caused overpopulation and food shortages. That's why Lilia has constantly used Magiclad Girls and Devices to invade other worlds—to reduce numbers and plunder resources."

At those words, Ariel nodded.

"That's true. But I believe this method is wrong. Every life is innocent—they shouldn't be sent to die for something like this."

"So how will you solve it? Without Lilia, you can prevent more Magiclad Girls from dying needlessly. But what about the resource problem? Will you just ramp up your invasions of other worlds?"

"…."

Ariel was speechless for a moment. That was the harsh reality.

"But solving this is actually very simple."

"How?"

Ariel's eyes lit up, and Chris unconsciously turned toward Eriri. Even Lilia, sulking in silence, raised her head. As for Eu and Kyoko, they weren't surprised at all. To them, Eriri could do anything—resource issues were nothing.

"Tada~"

Eriri raised her hand. A glowing white cube, shaped like a Rubik's cube, appeared above her palm.

The cube wasn't large—just ten centimeters in length. It floated above her hand, slowly rotating, radiating a mystical aura.

"What dense magic… what is that?"

Ariel stared in astonishment at the cube, clearly sensing the vast magic power emanating from it.

"This is just a little trinket I whipped up. I call it the 'Magic Perpetual Motion Machine.'"

"Magic Perpetual Motion Machine?"

"As the name suggests, it's a machine that can provide magic endlessly. It can easily solve your world's resource shortage."

Hearing this explanation, Ariel swallowed hard, her gaze on the machine burning with desire.

"You… are you going to give this Magic Perpetual Motion Machine to me?"

She looked at Eriri hopefully.

"I could. But what can you offer me in return?"

Chapter 338: What Are You Looking At, Your Master Is My Wife

"???"

"Who are you?!"

The seven disciples of Taixuan stared blankly at the dragon maiden who had barged in.

She had crimson eyes, golden hair, and two dragon horns sprouting from her head. Her beauty was beyond human, though her demeanor was somewhat carefree and rough.

"Are you human or beast? Where did you come from?"

Lin Zhaoyu stepped in front of her junior sisters, glaring at Tohru with vigilance.

"Come on, don't be so tense. I'm here to pick you up, not to fight."

"The Commander and Jingwei want to see you. Weren't you curious where your Master went? I'll take you to her."

The dragon maiden casually stretched out a finger, pushing Lin Zhaoyu's sword aside.

"Master?!"

Everyone froze in shock, exchanging confused glances.

"Where is Master?"

"In the sky."

Tohru pointed upward.

"Oh, I mean in the space station. Don't overthink it."

"???"

The disciples couldn't make sense of her words.

"Who exactly are you?"

"The Starsea Empire!!! Ugh, hurry it up already. Are you coming or not? I'm not gonna eat you."

Tohru knocked on the wall impatiently.

"…"

The disciples looked at one another again.

Outside the room, several Angeloids stood waiting.

They could still remember vividly how those Angeloids had annihilated the Schicksal troops with terrifying efficiency.

If Tohru bore them any malice, she wouldn't be so calm and polite now.

At this point, they had no real reason—or choice—to refuse.

"What about me?"

Ma Feima pointed at himself, puzzled as to why Tohru excluded him.

"You? Just stay here and rebuild the School of Taixuan. Or go be a wanderer, open a martial hall, sell barbecue skewers for all I care."

The dragon maiden patted his shoulder, clearly indifferent toward these mortals.

"The rest of you, come with me."

"Don't keep the Commander waiting. If you drag your feet, I'll just tie you up with magic and haul you off!…"

...

Twenty minutes later.

A small shuttle broke through the atmosphere, descending slowly onto the station dock.

Lin Zhaoyu, Qin Suyi, and the other five disciples followed Tohru in a daze, boarding the space station.

At first, when they saw the ship flying upward, they thought they had truly encountered an immortal, taking them to the Heavenly Palace.

But after piercing through the atmosphere, gazing at the darkness of space, the distant starlight, and the blazing orange sun, they realized the heavenly realm looked nothing like their imagination.

At the very least, it wasn't the cloud-wrapped palaces filled with celestial maidens and heavenly soldiers of myths and literature.

"Senior Sister, is this really the heavens? Where's the Southern Heavenly Gate?"

Qin Suyi tugged lightly on Lin Zhaoyu's sleeve, whispering.

"…Doesn't seem like it."

Lin Zhaoyu had no answer.

Having trained under Fu Hua for many years, she had learned mostly sword techniques like Edge of Taixuan, but little about natural sciences.

The immortal knew such things, but had never passed them on to her disciples.

"What nonsense… This is Honkai Station 1!"

"We're currently orbiting Earth. Tch, I forgot—you're all natives. You'll need to attend remedial classes with Jilin, Yae Sakura, and Yae Rin later."

Tohru half-explained as she led the way.

But with every question answered, more followed.

"So this is the Starsea Empire? You all live in the heavens?"

"This is just our station. Our main base is in another universe, much larger than this."

"Space station? Why does it float here constantly? Is it sorcery?"

"Because of anti-gravity."

"What's anti-gravity?"

"…"

Eventually, Tohru gave up trying to explain, simply leading them straight to Setsuna's office.

"Commander, I brought them!~"

"!"

The six disciples froze, their breathing faltering for a beat.

There sat Setsuna in his chair, the endless starlight behind him, and in his arms Fu Hua, her face tinged with blush.

The two looked intimate, entwined together.

"Keep your hands in check!"

Though the immortal scolded him lightly, she made no move to stop Setsuna.

Seeing her disciples arrive, she hurriedly pulled herself free, stood up, adjusted her robes, and restored her usual frosty, untouchable immortal demeanor.

"?"

Lin Zhaoyu thought she was seeing things, silently reciting her sword-heart mantra.

But no—she was truly in the heavens.

And just now, Master Jingwei had been sitting in the arms of a strange man.

Unbelievable.

Were immortals capable of loving as well?

In all her years studying under Fu Hua, she had thought Master had completely cast aside human emotions, becoming a true immortal in every sense.

"Master."

Once they regained their senses, the disciples all bowed their heads together, not daring to say more.

"Mm…"

"So you've all come?"

Fu Hua stepped forward, sweeping her gaze across the trembling disciples. Suddenly her eyes settled on Jiang Wanru.

"During your recent training in Edge of Taixuan… did you fall into deviation?"

"!!!"

All six disciples shuddered, breaking into a cold sweat.

As expected, the immortal's senses were extraordinary—no trace of corruption could escape her notice.

"Master!"

Jiang Wanxi was the first to kneel, lowering her head to beg on her sister's behalf.

"Fourth Sister… it was only an accident!"

"She and I were taken in by you since childhood, raised personally under you and Senior Sister on Mount Taixuan. She has always been upright, slaying countless evils. This deviation was never her intention…"

"We've been searching the martial world for ways to suppress her corruption, so… so please show mercy!"

By the end, her voice trembled.

The others also dropped to their knees in turn.

Facing an immortal, the pressure was unbearable.

With Fu Hua's strength, she could end lives with a single thought. But to let their sister—who was like family—be executed was something they could not bear.

Jiang Wanru and little Qin Suyi trembled uncontrollably, unable to pay attention to anything else.

"See, you've scared them."

Setsuna chuckled softly.

"…"

Fu Hua's expression turned odd as she looked down at her kneeling, terrified disciples.

"Stand up. I won't do anything to you."

"A minor issue. Treat it and it will be fine. What's the point of begging me?"

She frowned slightly, her voice carrying puzzlement.

"You've come here, and instead of greeting the master of this place, you kneel before me? Get up, all of you."

"???"

Lin Zhaoyu and Jiang Wanxi slowly raised their heads.

Dazed, they looked from Fu Hua to Setsuna, wondering if they had misheard.

The Master who once decreed 'deviation must be slain'… actually said Fourth Sister's corruption was nothing serious?!

Just treat it and it's done?

After confirming multiple times that they hadn't misheard, their minds spun.

The sun must have risen from the west!!!

...

"Zombie transformation… hm, not too severe."

"Unfasten your sleeve, let me take a look."

Fu Hua pulled Jiang Wanru up, examining her condition.

The other disciples had, until now, been left stunned in the aftermath of shock.

If not for Fu Hua's robes, aura, face, and voice being exactly as they remembered, they might have thought the one standing before them was someone else.

Jiang Wanru herself was nervous and uneasy, practically trembling as she revealed the small patch of Honkai corruption on her body.

Terrified that the immortal might suddenly change her face and cut her down with a single sword.

Cold sweat streamed down Lin Zhaoyu's back.

Impossible to understand, impossible to imagine—heaven only knew what Fu Hua was thinking.

In her memory, the immortal was utterly detached, seeing nothing but the destruction of evil.

Disciples were, to her, but fleeting companions in a span of centuries.

When had the immortal ever cared this much for a disciple—let alone one tainted by corruption, the thing she hated most?!

Fu Hua examined carefully, then tapped lightly on Jiang Wanru's forehead.

"Mm…"

"Her mind remains clear, her meridians unaffected. Just a minor trace of corruption, not full zombie transformation. It's fine."

She turned to Setsuna and Mio.

"Can you help me?"

"Sure, I'll do it."

Setsuna stepped forward, invoking Herrscher authority.

With control over the power of Corruption, if he could transform animals into beasts and humans into zombies, then he could also reverse the process, drawing out small traces of Honkai corruption.

He pressed a finger gently against Jiang Wanru.

The girl felt something within her body drawn out with the energy.

Her legs went weak, and she instinctively collapsed against Fu Hua.

"I drew out the unstable Honkai energy corrupting you. Rest for a few days and you'll be fine."

Setsuna waved his hand casually.

"…"

Even now, the six disciples of Taixuan were still dazed.

It was surreal.

Not only had the immortal not condemned them, she had found someone to cure their fourth sister.

And the method used by that man—Lin Zhaoyu's eyelids twitched.

By the sect's own standards, it was hardly different from demonic corruption.

Yet the immortal spoke to him casually, even entrusted herself to him.

They would never have believed such a thing possible.

The six of them stared blankly at Setsuna and Fu Hua, until Lin Zhaoyu was the first to bow her head in thanks.

Even without knowing his name, she offered a deep salute:

"Thank you, Master!"

"—And… thank you, sir!!!"

"A small matter, don't get so worked up."

Setsuna waved his hand, motioning for them to rise.

Fu Hua's disciples were as close as siblings, bound tightly together. When it came to them, the immortal showed a very different side.

Their intense reactions were only natural.

Once their panic settled, they gradually calmed down.

At the Angeloids' prompting, they sat across from Setsuna.

Their eyes carried a mix of respect and curiosity as they looked at him, at Fu Hua, and at the shipgirls idly watching from the side.

"Master… may we ask, where is this place?…"

Lin Zhaoyu cautiously broke the silence.

She couldn't help but feel her Master now carried far more warmth than before.

"Mm. Simply put, this is the Starsea Empire."

"We've been here for some time now. It was I who took Fu Hua away that day, and I who destroyed the Schicksal army."

Setsuna coughed lightly.

Patting the immortal and Cangxuan beside him.

"Go on, explain it to them."

...

"Ababa…"

As locals with almost no scientific knowledge, explaining the truth to the six disciples took far more time and effort.

Thankfully, the immortal was there.

Whatever she said, her disciples accepted.

Even when they didn't fully understand, she patiently explained in simple terms.

Cangxuan and Dan Zhu also had plenty of experience teaching natives.

Two hours later—

The six disciples of Taixuan finally managed to grasp the situation.

The Starsea Empire was a powerful civilization from another world, observing and guiding this one, helping humanity defeat the Honkai.

Fifty thousand years ago, a glorious civilization had existed here, only to be destroyed by the strike of the Final Herrscher.

Of course, nothing was mentioned about Fu Hua and the Blade Mantra.

"This…"

Lin Zhaoyu took a long while before she could process it.

Taking in so much information at once left the senior disciple of Mount Taixuan with a headache.

Then, confusion set in again.

"Master, will you be going to the Starsea Empire from now on?"

"Yes. We will completely defeat the Honkai in both past and future. Beyond that, I also wish to see other worlds."

Fu Hua nodded.

"Then… what about us?"

Lin Zhaoyu felt a pang of abandonment.

She knew she was ultimately a fleeting mortal in the eyes of an immortal, but being left behind like this felt bitter.

—Especially since Fu Hua had changed. She was no longer the cold figure of old, but more like the ideal mentor Lin had always wished for.

"…"

Fu Hua looked toward Setsuna.

"What do you think?"

"Hmm…"

Setsuna considered.

The time was still early. With the Blade Mantra resolved and Fourth Sister's issue cured, Fu Hua no longer had any real conflict with her disciples.

The tragedies of the past would no longer happen. In a sense, it was already a happy ending.

The immortal was destined to follow him across countless worlds.

As for the disciples of Taixuan… he didn't particularly like or dislike them.

Like cabbages in a field—they could be kept around for now.

"For now, you'll live on the station and get used to things here."

"As for your future… we'll discuss it later."

"We're conducting research on the Honkai world. There may come a time when we'll need your help."

He summoned several Angeloids to arrange accommodations for them.

"Y-yes, thank you!"

The disciples retreated nervously.

...

Life in the interstellar age was a strange novelty to the disciples of Mount Taixuan.

The station was the size of a great city—far larger than the Ming Empire's capital.

And with its multi-layered structure, it was like a small spacefaring kingdom.

The research lolis' work was far beyond them, incomprehensible in scope.

Occasionally, they would pull the disciples into worldline observation and simulation experiments.

The researchers often mentioned a strange name—Li Sushang—speaking of studying how to ensure her appearance in shifting worldlines.

The disciples had no idea what it meant.

At first, they struggled to adapt.

But soon they realized—they were not the only natives here.

Kallen, Jilin, Yae Sakura, Yae Rin—all were receiving the same education.

Aside from Cangxuan and Dan Zhu, who were from the Previous Era, everyone—whether from a fishing village in an island nation or a primitive tribe—was treated the same.

Every day they were dragged to learn natural sciences, while sword training continued without pause.

"Physics, astronomy, and mathematics are so hard!!!"

Qin Suyi clutched her head as if two were not enough.

"Hey, have you noticed? Doesn't Master seem… different here?"

During a break from training, Jiang Wanru, Jiang Wanxi, and Lin Zhaoyu whispered among themselves.

"Mm. She… smiles more, and isn't so cold."

"She seems gentler, doesn't she?"

Qin Suyi said uncertainly.

"…It must be the power of love, right?"

Lin Zhaoyu sighed.

"I… have never seen Master like this. Especially when she's standing beside Setsuna. She feels… like sunlight."

"Could immortals really fall in love?"

The girls chattered softly.

Suddenly, the air around them dropped several degrees.

Fu Hua had appeared behind them without warning, expressionless.

"If you have the time to gossip about me, you'd better spend it practicing swordsmanship."

"Are your studies and training too light? Should I have the Commander add more?"

"???"

"Please—don't!"

The girls panicked instantly.

Their Master had indeed become gentler.

But it seemed that gentleness was reserved for only one person.

Chapter 337: Jean: What Should I Do If the One I Like Is Lord Heavenly Principle?

Mondstadt Divine Realm.

A vast super starry continent stretching millions of light-years floated at the heart of the Sea of Dandelion Wine. The closer one drew to this continent, the more starships one saw, and from time to time, entire planets were in operation.

All of these were god-forged planetary worlds.

Within this Supreme Divine Realm, whose scale even Primary Gods could not fully comprehend, piloting a planet through the cosmos was a commonplace occurrence.

Countless World Gates stood tall within the Sea of Dandelion Wine, providing passage across worlds for the countless realms under the Mondstadt pantheon.

Yet such passage was extremely costly—not something minor gods could afford. Thus, ninety-nine percent of gods traveled along the Silver Rails between worlds.

For the gods, World Gates were like expensive spacecraft to mortals, while the Silver Rails were like ordinary highways.

Dozens of Silver Rails crisscrossed through the Sea of Dandelion Wine. Upon them, innumerable starships and planetary vessels journeyed. Every hundred thousand light-years stood a service city.

These cities along the Silver Rails were vast and prosperous. Gods from all corners of the myriad worlds gathered there. Each city's population exceeded a quadrillion.

Such scale surpassed that of some small universes. For minor gods from plane-worlds, the sight alone was so overwhelming they stood frozen in awe.

Dozens of Silver Rails connected all directions across the Mondstadt Divine Realm, weaving the prosperity of the entire pantheon.

At the end of the Silver Rails lay Mondstadt City, the heart of the Mondstadt pantheon and the dream destination of all Mondstadt's gods.

For gods from lesser worlds, to visit the Supreme Divine Realm without making pilgrimage here would be a regret of their divine lives.

As one of fewer than ten supercities in all of Teyvat, Mondstadt City was vast beyond imagining. Ordinary mortals could not conceive it, and even lesser gods struggled to comprehend its grandeur.

Uncountable stars and floating small worlds hung above, encircling Mondstadt City, which itself was dozens of times larger than a major galaxy. Great floating cities, as large as mortal metropolises, drifted in orderly patterns around it.

Visitors from countless worlds traveled in smaller conveyances, coming and going endlessly.

The air carried a faint fragrance of wine. Even this gentle aroma granted lesser gods considerable benefits.

At the city's heart lay the power center of the entire pantheon, ruling countless worlds. Only Mondstadt's native-born, pantheon high-ranking members, or foreign diplomatic missions could step here.

A colossal statue, larger than a plane-world, stood upon Mondstadt Plaza. Its guiding light shone upon the myriad worlds under the pantheon's rule.

This statue had been erected voluntarily by the pantheon's higher gods. It honored Barbatos, founder of Mondstadt, and served as a beacon to guide distant gods across worlds.

At present, the pantheon was governed jointly by the Church of Favonius and the Knights of Favonius. Though their names remained unchanged, their political structures had long since evolved.

The Church of Favonius now managed the faith system and risk supervision across the pantheon's worlds.

The Knights of Favonius executed tasks and maintained order. Their division of labor was clear.

Thus, Mondstadt's pantheon was no longer overwhelmed by managing countless worlds.

As the pantheon's leader, Jean Gunnhildr and the upper echelons could even spare a little time for rest.

With Venti's example, there were no more "infants in giants' bodies" in Mondstadt. Yet the atmosphere of leisure remained.

Compared with other divine realms, Mondstadt's gods were the laziest. Still, laziness aside, they had never failed in matters of importance.

Knights of Favonius.

Library.

Though called a library, this space was vast—likely comparable to a large plane-world.

Here were stored all the knowledge of the Mondstadt pantheon, from the simplest mortal learning to the highest research on Pseudo Star Map Creation.

"Speaking of which, recently the 'Family' faction from the first-sequence Star Rail Universe is coming to Mondstadt to discuss cooperation."

Jean, holding the coffee Lisa had given her with both hands, spoke thoughtfully.

"The Family's gods are great beings. Though not equal to Lord Barbatos, their pantheon is still a major divine system."

"And this could be a chance for Mondstadt's pantheon to extend its power into the Star Rail Universe."

Lisa stretched lazily. "Jean~ We came here for afternoon tea, but as we talk you've shifted to official business again. You, you… what can I say about you?"

"You want to manage everything, but you can't possibly manage it all."

Jean looked embarrassed. "Sorry, Lisa, it's just habit. Hard to change."

Lisa teased, "Come to think of it, Jean, you're nearly ten thousand years old now, yet I've never seen you fancy any god. Across the myriad worlds, there are so many excellent ones."

Jean sighed. "Lisa, we are immortal gods, and…"

Unbidden, Lord Heavenly Principle's face arose in her mind.

After beholding perfection, no matter how outstanding other gods might be, her heart could never be moved.

Once you have seen the most beautiful flower in the world, no matter how many other blossoms bloom, you will never feel lacking.

"What about you, Lisa?"

Lisa also sighed. "Jean, I understand your heart. After all, I am Lisa."

"I'm the same as you. From the first time I saw him, eight thousand years ago, my heart could never again hold any other god."

"But… that one is…"

Just then, a gentle voice came at their ears.

"Oh~ that one is?"

Jean and Lisa were instantly stunned.

They were both Primordial Gods, nearly touching weak single-universe mass. For a voice to appear right at their ears without their notice was terrifying.

They turned at once, and saw only a man with an aura as plain as an ordinary mortal, sitting beside them, calmly sipping Lisa's coffee as though he had always been there, not as if he had suddenly appeared.

Though the man before their eyes appeared ordinary, his presence stirred an instinctive closeness within them. No matter what, it was impossible to feel even the slightest negative emotion—only unconditional trust.

Not even Lord Barbatos, who already possessed the power of the universe, could evoke such a feeling in them.

"Lord Heavenly Principle!" x2

Jean and Lisa were both flustered.

Jean blurted out instinctively, "You… why are you here~?"

Realizing her words were not quite proper, she hurriedly added:

"No… I didn't mean it that way. Your arrival simply overwhelms me with honor."

Noah's smile carried a trace of delight, his eyes reflecting the girls' panicked faces.

Even though his sudden appearance startled them, deep within their clear eyes burned uncontainable joy.

"Hehe, even if my name is not spoken aloud, as long as your thoughts are directed toward me, I can hear them."

"Since last time until now, Jean has whispered my name in her heart no less than ten million times—nearly every day. Even if I wished to ignore it, such repetition leaves a deep impression."

Though Jean was the leader of a pantheon and held the composure of a stateswoman, her cheeks flushed crimson. Her hands fidgeted with nowhere to rest, her shy demeanor like a deer startled: "F-forgive me, Lord Heavenly Principle, I-I…"

To have her secret affection revealed outright by the very one she admired—anyone would be mortified, even a mighty pantheon lord.

And to know that every single secret fantasy had been heard by the one it was about—this was social death beyond compare.

"What is there to apologize for? Every moment countless beings utter prayers to the heavens—do you think I listen to them all? Only those important to me do I hear."

Setting aside the coffee cup, Noah teasingly grasped Jean's hand, pulling her directly into his embrace. Her shapely figure, clad in white tights, sat squarely upon his lap, soft and yielding like a springy cushion.

"Eh…" Jean's mind went blank. After a moment she returned to herself, frozen stiff, her face burning as red as a monkey's.

"Every time you think of me, Jean, I find it adorable~ How should I put it—it's the kind of contrast I like."

Noah leaned close to her ear, whispering playfully, then lightly nibbled at it. Jean instantly turned crimson, like a steamed prawn.

"…" She trembled all over, speechless, unsure what she could even say—but deep inside, she felt pure joy from her very soul.

It was as if a dream she had every night had suddenly come true.

The last time she had stood face-to-face with Lord Heavenly Principle was back on the old land of Teyvat, just after completing a mission. Since then, she had only glimpsed him from afar at the divine assembly.

The embodiment of all beauty—any woman who saw him even once would inevitably fall in love. Such was instinct.

"And of course Lisa as well. Lisa has whispered my name nearly as often as Jean."

Noah turned toward Lisa, who was also stiff with disbelief, her heart pounding, while his hands did not remain idle.

Jean was considered among the former gods of Teyvat to have the finest legs and figure—the very soul of the Knights of Favonius' "Captain's Knight of the Rear."

At a touch, her white tights vanished into nothingness.

Lisa could scarcely believe it.

She had expected nothing more than a simple afternoon tea with Jean today.

Yet now, the supreme being she had secretly adored, someone she thought could never have anything to do with her, had appeared.

And judging by the situation, Lord Heavenly Principle intended to embrace them both.

As one who kept close watch on all news concerning Heavenly Principle, Lisa knew a great deal.

She was close friends with Inazuma's leaders, and naturally had learned certain secrets.

Those friends of Inazuma all had deep ties to Heavenly Principle. At the very least, each was one of his chosen.

Their rapid progress and smooth ascension was none other than due to his favor—and the Heavenly Stigmata he had left upon them.

From what she knew, the Heavenly Stigmata was a ticket to one day grasp Law itself.

To grasp any single Law meant that in the future, one could reach the ultimate realm—the unimaginable super-universe level.

"Actually, I should have devoured you back then. I didn't expect it would take until now. But it's not too late now. Don't you agree, Jean?"

Noah looked at Jean, who was red like a boiled shrimp, and spoke with overwhelming dominance.

As a goddess nearing ten thousand years of age, Jean naturally understood the matters of men and women.

When she traveled to maintain civilizations in different planes, a sweep of her divine sense could reveal all. In terms of knowledge of such things, she knew more than an entire civilization.

"Mm… Lord Heavenly Principle, whatever you say is what it shall be." Jean nodded softly, her eyes filled with shyness, anticipation, worry, and countless emotions—but in the end, she was sincerely obedient.

Though Jean was the leader of Mondstadt, if she were truly to marry, she would be the perfect virtuous wife and mother—the very image of gentleness and devotion.

"Slowly now~ Time does not exist here."

Noah lifted Jean onto the small tea table. Of course, he would not simply leap straight into battle. How boring would that be? Every delight and dance had to be unlocked.

Lisa, hands pressed over her lips, had no choice but to watch for a time. The workaholic in her eyes was being unlocked step by step.

Just watching made her feel strange. Lost in thought, she didn't even realize that Jean had already fallen in battle—and before she could react, she herself was pulled in, following the same sequence that had just played out upon Jean.

"Indeed, with my current realm, things are far easier. I no longer need to worry about the mismatch of essence."

Noah's heart brimmed with satisfaction.

In the past, when his realm was insufficient, he always feared that women too far beneath him in existence might collapse under his essence.

But now, having truly reached the super single-universe level and even touched a fragment of multiversal power—

He could fully control his own existence, even reduce himself to the level of an ordinary mortal. He could match perfectly, even with mortals.

Hum~

Truth and Law intertwined within the library.

Jean and Lisa's own auras cracked and surged, breaking through into the single-universe level.

Not weak single-universe, but directly into full single-universe.

And upon their abdomens, woven by the interlacing of Truth and Law, appeared the Heavenly Stigmata.

These marks resembled silver patterns like those of succubi, adding an exotic allure to Jean and Lisa.

Chapter 77: Once This Blade Is Drawn, Even the Earth Shall Suffer!

With the fortress's defensive barrier destroyed, Jeanne, Astolfo, and the others finally had the chance to break inside. The process was more grueling than storming a beachhead, but in the end, they succeeded.

"The barrier's down! Ruler, let's go!"

Astolfo leapt from his hippogriff onto the fortress grounds, shouting back toward Jeanne, who was still on the plane locked in combat with Atalanta.

"I can't break away right now! Rider, go on ahead!"

Bang!

Jeanne barely managed to block the claw swipe of the maddened Atalanta, seizing the moment to shout at Rider.

"What about Archer?!"

Astolfo pressed.

Bang!

"Ugh!"

Dodging another claw strike, Jeanne leapt back to the tail of the plane and glanced toward a distant area shrouded in magical energy, now vanished.

"Archer was dragged into a bounded field by Red Rider. No word from him yet!"

She answered quickly.

"What?! Damn it… so I have to break through alone?!"

Astolfo wilted. His personal combat strength was nothing impressive, and now he was supposed to storm this place single-handedly? That was suicide! And with Sieg tagging along too… Should they wait for someone else to finish their battle first and join up?

But… looking around at the chaos, there was no chance.

"Sieg, stay outside and wait!"

"Ah… be careful."

No choice. He'd just have to risk it! Clenching his teeth, Astolfo straightened and stepped toward the fortress's front gardens. But then—

Whoosh!

A blade of energy whistled past his cheek, nearly scaring him out of his wits.

"Waaaah~!!!"

More sword auras rained down wildly from every direction.

"Eeek~!!"

Without hesitation, he bolted in retreat.

Slash! ×N

Purple gouges scarred the ground where he had just run past, leaving trails of blade-marks glowing faintly. The sight alone chilled him to the bone.

Then—

Boom! ×N

Dragons of red and violet light clashed again and again, their collisions exploding outward in shockwaves that leveled everything around them into ruin.

"W-wait—!!"

Astolfo panicked as the explosions spread toward him, scrambling frantically to hide behind broken stone, trembling all over.

In the next second, lightning converged and condensed into the form of the Shogun, who appeared suddenly before his eyes. As she materialized, her gaze briefly swept past the cowering Astolfo, cold and dismissive, before fixing once more on Karna ahead.

Then—

Bang!

Her legs stomped against the ground, cracking it open as her figure blurred and vanished again. The shockwave alone blew Astolfo clean off his feet!

What followed was a barrage of shrieking clashes, the impact of blade and spear, each strike producing gales that obliterated what few hiding spots remained. Astolfo tumbled away again, desperate to crawl further.

"I've had enough!! Whoever wants to go in, let them—I'm not going!!!"

Even watching from afar, his hair stood on end. No way, no way! This wasn't a place for humans to tread!

...

Meanwhile, the Shogun and Karna's battle raged on, soaring through the sky, crashing down to earth, their clashes leaving destruction in their wake.

Bang! ×N

Each blow resounded like thunder, the ear ringing with its sheer force. Wielding Engulfing Lightning, the Shogun's every swing carved arcs of violet across the air. Karna's fire-lit spear met them head-on, their streaks intertwining like twin serpents locked in endless pursuit.

Again she became lightning itself, flashing forward to slash horizontally. Karna raised his golden spear to block.

Clash!

The explosion of impact fractured the earth. Around them, the ground split open, cracks racing outward like webs. Dust and stone floated into the air as both combatants unleashed dense torrents of magical energy, clashing violently at the center.

The rift widened, the ground collapsing into rubble beneath their feet.

Bang!

The Shogun knocked aside Karna's spear, then spun her naginata in a circle before driving it into the earth!

Bury the Thunder!!

Like a tsunami, thunderous storms cascaded down from the heavens, engulfing the entire battlefield.

Crack… The fragile roadway collapsed completely, breaking into countless fragments that fell away from the Aerial Garden's foundation, plunging into the sky below.

The battlefield once more shifted from ground to air. The Shogun landed lightly upon a hovering slab of stone, her eyes briefly glancing toward Kapatcir, which had circled and was now returning. Inspiration flashed through her mind. In the next instant, she dissolved into lightning, appearing suddenly behind Karna.

"!"

Karna started, instinctively thrusting his spear. The Shogun tilted her head, dodging the strike, then gathered a surge of elemental power into her palm and drove it squarely into his abdomen.

Bang!

Karna was blasted away, smashing through dozens of floating stones like a cannonball. His flight ended directly before the onrushing Thunderbird, which swung its massive head like a hammer, slamming him again with devastating force.

Crash!

With a resounding crack, Karna's armored body was flung back into the Aerial Garden's streets like a falling meteor, shattering stone and throwing clouds of dust and rubble into the air.

Seizing the moment, Kapatcir opened its beak wide, condensing dense violet energy until, at its peak, it unleashed a thunderous breath straight toward where Karna had fallen.

BOOM!!

The purple beam tore through smoke, exploding in a blinding cloud of fire that rose like a towering mushroom, illuminating the entire sky.

Clang!!

From within the flames, Karna shot forth in an instant. His eyes glowed crimson, twin beams burning like searchlights. He aimed directly at Kapatcir and fired!

"!"

The Thunderbird flared with electricity across its body, twisting through the air at extreme speed to evade the red light.

Whoosh!!

The beam scraped several feathers from its wings—dodged by the narrowest margin!

But Karna's eye-beam did not cease, forcing Kapatcir to act. Opening its maw again, it condensed another sphere of thunder-light, then spat it out.

The orb detonated midair—splintering into countless spiral-shaped projectiles of lightning. They spun violently, their serrated edges shrieking as they tore through the air, all streaking down toward Karna.

Frowning, Karna moved with blinding speed, his golden spear batting aside several of the spiraling bolts. But their number was overwhelming. Some he could not reach in time, forced to dodge them instead. Those he evaded continued downward, careening straight past him!

Meanwhile…

From the ruins, Sieg had just spotted Rider crouching behind shattered stone, shielding himself from the shockwaves of the Shogun, Kapatcir, and Karna's battle.

"Rider!!"

He cried out to his Servant.

"Sieg! Over here!!"

Astolfo, catching sight of his beloved Master, brightened instantly and waved him over with delight.

"!"

Sieg smiled faintly, stepping out without hesitation, running straight across the ruined street toward him.

"Hurry! This way!!"

Astolfo beckoned joyfully. His spot was hidden and safe—he couldn't see the fighting on either side of the street. Safer to stay tucked away. But then—

As Sieg reached the center of the street, an ominous glow washed over the surroundings. Purple light filled the air.

"Sieg!! Down! Get down!!!"

Astolfo's face went pale as realization struck. He screamed frantically.

"?"

Stunned, Sieg turned his head, seeing the violet light reflected across his body.

Whoosh whoosh!!

From his perspective, a massive spiraling blade of lightning, wide as a wagon wheel and tall as a building, came slicing toward him—straight at his chest.

"SIIEEEGGGG!!!"

Astolfo tried to charge forward, but—

Squelch!!

A sickening sound split the air. His eyes were filled with horror as he watched—the boy's body was torn in half, split cleanly above the waist.

Organs and entrails burst forth, blood spraying like a fountain. The two halves of Sieg's body traced a grotesque arc through the air, falling in opposite directions. Gore splattered across the stone, staining it crimson.

Thud!!

A pair of severed legs rolled to a stop at Astolfo's feet.

"…!!"

Astolfo stared blankly at the severed legs before him, then at the distant upper half of Sieg's body. The boy's eyes were still open, bloodshot and wide with shock, his mouth twisted in a grotesque, broken expression.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH——!!!!"

Astolfo collapsed to his knees, screaming in utter despair. In that moment, his entire world shattered.

...

Elsewhere—

The Shogun seized an opening while Karna was entangled with Kapatcir, flashing before him and driving a brutal kick into his abdomen.

BOOM!!

Caught off guard, Karna was sent hurtling back, crashing into the wall behind with explosive force!

The Shogun landed upon the ruined ground, descending alongside Kapatcir, both gazing toward the cloud of dust where he had struck.

"Tsk… Beelzebul…"

Kapatcir's voice wavered. It had glimpsed the distant sight of Sieg's shredded body, and Astolfo's wailing grief. Lowering its head, guilt heavy in its tone, it murmured to the Shogun:

"I… I may have accidentally slain one of yours."

"What is it?"

The Shogun asked calmly.

"I think… I killed your comrade."

It hesitated, speaking softly.

"A comrade? Who?"

The Shogun tilted her head slightly. Fiore and Caules were still aboard the plane. It couldn't be them. Then who?

Kapatcir gestured faintly with its beak.

"?"

The Shogun followed its gaze. Her eyes fell upon the gruesome sight—Sieg's body, torn in half; Rider weeping in anguish; entrails and blood scattered across the ground.

"So be it. Dead is dead."

She spoke with indifference, as though to console it.

"What?! Wasn't he one of yours?"

The Thunderbird was stunned.

"In any case, we are at the final stage. And he would not have lived long regardless."

"And… the corpse?"

"Then… why not burn it away?"

BOOM!!

Obeying without hesitation, Kapatcir unleashed another blast of lightning breath upon the area, engulfing Rider and Sieg's remains alike.

BOOM BOOM!!

A towering mushroom cloud of fire rose into the sky, illuminating the battlefield.

"The corpse is gone. The witness too. We saw nothing. We only fought Lancer."

The Shogun said coldly, her words like a quiet command.

"Oh… I see! Truly cunning of you, Beelzebul…"

Kapatcir suddenly understood!

This wasn't so bad, was it? Husband and wife reunited in death… returning together as one. A pair complete—so thought the Shogun to herself.

Boom~

The next second, Karna reappeared. Suspended in midair, his crimson cloak spread into wings like those of an angel, his body radiating golden brilliance as blinding as the sun. A searing shield of heat spread outward, burning everything around him. He was not unscathed—the Shogun's keen eyes caught the faint marks of damage upon his armor. Her strike had indeed wounded him heavily.

"To think the world holds one with such an iron hide. Today, I have seen something new."

The Thunderbird mocked lightly.

"His strength is formidable. He must not be underestimated."

The Shogun twirled her naginata once, then steadied it behind her as she spoke. She felt that among the Black Faction, none but herself could stand against him. Her decision back then had indeed been the right one.

"So what do you plan to do?"

"..."

The Shogun closed her eyes briefly at the question, then spoke slowly:

"Against such an enemy, only in a state of no thought, no self… can he be severed."

"!"

The Thunderbird was visibly startled.

"Don't tell me you mean…"

"Precisely."

The Shogun's answer was resolute.

"Heh… if you draw that blade, even the earth itself may suffer."

That strike—capable of cleaving even the world's barriers. Was she truly serious?

"Not here. This vessel shall drag him into the Plane of Euthymia."

This Plane was not Ei's Plane of Euthymia, but her own—her inner realm, her mental landscape.

"I see…"

The Thunderbird understood. She was serious.

"I do not intend to draw you in."

The Shogun added.

"Hmph. As if I'd bother to enter!"

Spreading its vast wings, Kapatcir rose into the sky, gazing down upon her.

"This man is yours to deal with. As for me, I'll roam the surroundings. I wish to see what this world beyond Teyvat is truly like."

It knew well of such inner realms—a sealed space, unreachable from outside unless the master themselves opened the way.

"Do not disturb the innocent."

"Worry not… I know at least that much."

Whump…

With a beat of its wings, the Thunderbird ascended, leaving her sight.

Chapter 90: The Reason to Die

"Who dares attack the Matou estate?!"

From the darkened hall emerged a bald, hunchbacked dwarf of a man. His limbs were shriveled like those of a mummy, yet his sunken eyes gleamed with a sharp, unsettling light. A foul, rotting stench wafted from him as he hobbled forward in a dull indigo-and-gray kimono, leaning on a wooden cane.

Though his frail frame seemed disproportionate to the pressure he exerted, today his luck was rotten—utterly so.

"With such eyes and such terrifying magical power… you cannot be a magus. You must be a Servant belonging to one of the Masters," the insect user stammered. His tone was less bravado than the desperate rationality of one trying to suppress his fear. "The Holy Grail War forbids attacking ordinary people. If you do this, the Church's supervisor will not let you off…"

"Makiri Zolgen…"

"What?!"

The girl before him, shrouded in darkness, bore beauty that even five centuries of his jaded existence could not dismiss. Yet the words from her lips froze him to the marrow.

"A magus who has lived five hundred years. Abandoned his original body, and shaped new shells from magical insects."

When Satsuki's golden Tenseigan fell upon him, the ancient magus felt—for the first time—his very soul tremble. Before those eyes, his past, his present, and his future were all laid bare. And then, contemptuously, discarded.

For one long accustomed to shadows, it was like being cast suddenly into blazing sunlight, filled with terror and loathing he had not felt for centuries.

Suppressing his fear, he forced a twisted smile and tapped his cane upon the floor. In response, Berserker's body flared with light. Those machine-like eyes turned silently toward Satsuki, his right hand lifting. Six floating spheres merged into a single massive energy mass, which he hurled at her.

Satsuki's eyes widened faintly. These were no ordinary energies—they bore the divine authority of a god.

But it was wasted. As a Servant, Berserker's true strength could not be fully realized.

With a casual wave of her hand, Satsuki erased the blast midair.

After all, she wielded authority over energy itself. Before her, even the projection of a god was laughably weak. Such an outcome was inevitable.

Yet there was value in it. Through her Tenseigan, she discerned his origin.

"From one of the Lostbelts the Chaldeans spoke of, perhaps?"

The sight left the decrepit "Zouken Matou" aghast. He had taken part in the creation of the Grail War itself, alongside the other founding magi. Since his son had summoned this Servant, he had recognized at once its overwhelming strength. Its spiritual foundation was on a plane unlike any Servant of past wars. Such a being could have swept the Grail War with ease.

But the scene before him shattered his understanding completely.

As he tried to force Berserker into further combat, a strange power abruptly severed their link. The magical energy from his painstakingly altered circuits dissolved into nothingness, erased by some force in the air itself.

There was no mistaking it—only the Heroic Spirit before him could do this.

This incomprehensible reality broke what little reason he had left. Rage twisting his face, he glared at Satsuki—heedless of the gulf between their powers.

But this time, his gaze should never have been fixed upon another person—least of all upon her.

Least of all upon Satsuki.

That look made her brow crease. In the next instant, she ignored the Berserker preparing to strike again and unleashed the Vipralopa Domain. Not merely erasing the old man's magical energy as before, but annihilating every one of his magic circuits. Even Berserker faltered, his supply of mana disrupted, his form nearly collapsing into spirit state.

Not every Servant was a Grand Caster. And this head of the Matou family—this insect master—was only sustaining a puppet body made from magical insects. Within the Vipralopa Domain, he could not even muster the mana to keep that body alive.

"W-who are you?! Why do this to me?!"

Zouken Matou could not comprehend what he saw. He had acquired the finest specimen for his experiments, and his inept son had successfully summoned and bound this powerful Berserker that had slumbered like a machine in the cellar. It should have been fortune upon fortune. Why then had everything collapsed tonight? Why could he not even preserve this body?

"Do you want to know why I treat you this way, insect?"

Satsuki raised one hand. Her forefinger pressed down lightly, as though crushing an ant.

A terrible force pinned the decrepit body to the ground. The crest worms bursting from him were flattened into pulp under immense gravity.

From what remained of his mouth came a scream of despair, raw with pain.

"Ahhhhhhh—why… why…?"

The agony was not natural. His body was only an artificial shell, yet Satsuki had deliberately woven into him a debuff—Agony Beyond Endurance. Every nerve burned with inescapable torment.

"It is simple. I know all of your deeds, and I reached a conclusion."

Berserker's mana channels were nearly severed by the Vipralopa Domain, but Satsuki shifted the [Three Divine Kings' Sacred Wheel] in her hand. The Brahma Creation Wheel surged with power, filling Berserker with energy even as it tore the Command Spell's authority from Zouken's soul.

The pain of that soul-rending was worse than dismemberment. Zouken could not even scream now, sinking into death's abyss.

"Centuries, and you gained nothing. A rotting soul in a decayed shell, unwilling to die without leaving a mark, so you turned yourself into insects, parasitizing others to extend your life. And when opportunity came, you squandered it. The girl you defiled with your crude modifications—pathetic to the point I cannot even call it magecraft."

"This… this is… the reason you kill me?"

"No. Of course not." Satsuki's voice was calm. "Your failures stem from limited vision and power. You were not entirely a fool."

"The true reason I kill you—lies in the purpose behind your pursuit of immortality."

"M-my… purpose?"

Most of his face was already crushed, leaving only a quarter intact, one eye rolling to look upon her.

"All the World's Evil. Whatever the outcome, it so happens my Master is that very Evil. Tell me—should I let you live?"

Her finger pressed down.

In an instant, Zouken Matou's body was pulverized into dust.

With the collapse of the insect user disguised as Zouken Matou, Satsuki withdrew the Vipralopa Domain she had set around the area.

Berserker, his mana supply channels altered, was now temporarily under her control. She had intended to use her Tenseigan to trace back the Servant's origin in the Lostbelt he once belonged to, but his true body in that world possessed unusual authority. Her vision revealed nothing useful—only a warped, crimson wasteland.

"It seems your true body holds some power. To let you retire so easily would be far too dull."

As she thought this, the doors of the Matou mansion creaked open. Out stepped a sickly man.

To Satsuki's sight, his body was little better than the old worm she had just crushed. Crest worms had devoured most of his flesh and fused into his nerves. But the infestation had not lasted long enough to erase his human self-awareness entirely.

Still, his left side was almost paralyzed. His arm and leg hung useless. His left eye was blind, the muscles dead. His hair had turned completely white, his skin ashen like a ghost. Beneath his hood was a face nearly ruined beyond recognition.

"Ha… ha… dead. That bastard finally met his end. But…"

"But how could he die so easily?!"

His voice rasped, shredded by the torment of crest worms gnawing endlessly at his body. The only thing keeping him upright was the blazing fire of hatred in his heart, and a faint hope for the future. Yet even he could not tell whether his pain gave him despair—or strength.

Every step was agony, yet by sheer will he reached the remains of what Satsuki had crushed. There, he stomped hard upon a scrap of gray-blue clothing and the powdered remains of a wooden cane.

"Not enough. That man too! That bastard who dared send Aoi's child into such a hell!"

His heart screamed for revenge—absolute and inescapable.

"Kariya Matou." The words came flat and cold from the side. "A life of pain. A destiny of sorrow."

"You…!"

Kariya had noticed the strangely captivating Servant before, but when the crest worms within him had shrieked at his grandfather's destruction, he had been forced to stumble out in his broken state. The sight of those relics had nearly torn away his reason completely.

Only now did he truly focus on this uninvited visitor in the dead of night.

"Are you here to kill me?" A faint smile twisted his ruined face. "That's fine. My life won't last much longer anyway… it's just a pity, for Sakura…"

It seemed his mind was on the verge of collapse. He had entered the Holy Grail War as a pawn, staking his own body in exchange for that little girl's safety. Yet now the one who betrayed him was dead before fulfilling the deal. A blessing, and at once a curse.

For the most cunning villains ensnare their victims' hopes along with their lives. To resist such evil demands courage and sacrifice. And the laws of men seldom stand with you in such struggles.

Gathering her thoughts, Satsuki spoke evenly: "The girl beneath this house—you mean her?"

"You know?" Kariya's ruined eyes widened in shock. From her few words, this Servant revealed knowledge that pierced their secrets, each syllable carrying hidden weight. Against all reason, a fragile thread of hope flickered in his heart.

Satsuki paid no mind to the man's unspoken hopes. She lifted her hand, and the entire Matou estate rumbled with a deafening crash as its very foundations were torn from the earth.

Like Zouken's grotesque magecraft, the structure was monstrous. The upper half resembled a mansion, but the lower half hung beneath it like a massive tumor—an oval, parasitic chamber hundreds of meters wide. Zouken had reshaped it into a nest of worms.

"As expected of its master—disgusting and twisted. A hive that warps life, discarding humanity's essence for a laughable goal."

But to Kariya Matou, the sight was paralyzing. The scale of her power left him dumbstruck.

"Such strength?! Can a Servant truly reach such heights?"

He had braced himself for the Grail War, but before this overwhelming might, his mind faltered. Though he commanded a Servant, he could scarcely provide it mana. Most of the time, Berserker stood idle, draining his life force whenever he stirred. Even sustaining combat for a short time strained him. To imagine an output of this scale was impossible.

Meanwhile, Satsuki had already locked on her target. With a motion, she drew forth a small girl's form from within the tumor-like nest, tearing her free and bringing her to their side.

Then, with a squeeze of her hand, the entire Matou estate crumbled to dust midair under an unseen force.

Her attention fell upon the child. The Tenseigan had already revealed her condition, though no special vision was needed. A single glance at the vacant, broken eyes told of the brutal torment she had endured.

At her appearance, Kariya found strength he should not have possessed. Despite his ruined body, he staggered forward, placing himself between the girl and Satsuki.

"You're a Servant, aren't you? What do you want? If you must kill someone, kill me! I am Berserker's Master!"

Her answer was only a cold gaze. In the golden pupils of her Tenseigan, like six-petaled blossoms, Kariya found himself frozen, unable to move or speak.

"Your life has been wasted, yet at least learn when to hold your tongue."

With those merciless words, she lifted him by gravity until he hovered before her. "Here is my offer: I will restore this girl's life. I will purge her body of the crest worms and erase her memories of pain. In return, Berserker's ownership passes to me. If you agree—blink."

Kariya's eyes widened. Then, desperately, he began to blink over and over.

"Then it is settled."

Satsuki released her hold on him and turned her gaze to the girl. A flick of her wrist set the [Three Divine Kings' Sacred Wheel] spinning. Blue light flared—Authority of Status Manipulation—and bathed the child. At once, the worms' foul magic vanished as though it had never been. Her body and magical circuits were wholly restored, her very being cleansed.

Her complexion shifted, brighter than before, life returning where there had been none. Then Satsuki invoked the long-unused Judgment of the Ten Kings: Veil of Light and Shadow. Her eyes pierced into the girl's vacant gaze. Freed from torment, she at last drifted into a dream without pain.

Beside them, Kariya's eyes overflowed with disbelief. Released from her restraint, he crawled frantically to the girl's side, gathering her gently into his arms.

"Sakura… Sakura…"

Once, he had thought himself strong. The worms' torture he had endured. The sacrifice of life into mana for Berserker he had accepted. To save Sakura, he had long abandoned his own life. Nothing could deter his resolve to protect her. That was why he had agreed to his repulsive grandfather's terms, why he had joined the Grail War.

And now, at last, as he listened to the fragile, dreamlike sound of the girl's peaceful breathing, the tears he had long suppressed spilled from his eyes.

Chapter 177: So-Called Higher, Greater, Faster, Harder, Stronger, Flashier, Brighter—

Warning lights flashed in the hangar bay.

Dispatch orders flowed in orderly sequence.

At that moment, on a movable catwalk seven or eight meters above ground—

Vela shed her cloak. Clad in a pilot suit of white trimmed in gold with red shoulders, her tall, slender figure was outlined with perfect elegance.

The double-layer design with tailcoat panels was the highlight—retaining the pressure-suit's protective functions while form-fitting, neither overly revealing nor bulky.

Under the respectful gazes of her dedicated maintenance and research staff, she walked unhurriedly toward the open chest-mounted control cockpit of [Excalibur].

Unlike the capsule-shaped or rear-mounted cockpits currently popular in Knightmare design, filling most of the torso or protruding from the back—

The 12-meter-tall [Excalibur]'s cockpit was embedded directly in the chest, wrapped in special elastic alloys, new-generation electromagnetic armor belts, and reinforced alloy framing—its heaviness reassuring.

Far beyond the "4–5 meter-class" standards of machines like the [Sutherland] or [Gloucester].

With more internal space, the pilot seat, integrated systems, sensors, and interface layout were spacious, not cramped. In a semicircular open arrangement, Vela stepped into the cockpit, placing her feet on the fixed pedal grooves. Adjusting to a comfortable posture, she found every detail—custom-tailored to her physique and habits—perfectly aligned. The main console offered a commanding field of vision.

She slotted in the ID-key. Beep-beep-beep—

Main system startup.

The UI flashed. Britannia's crest of eagle and serpent bowing before the crown unfurled across the display.

Dim light filled the cockpit as auxiliary screens glowed to life.

[Scanning target…]

[Key recognition—passed]

[Biometric recognition—passed]

[Identity confirmed: Vela vi Britannia]

[Neural interface established]

Clack—

With verification complete, hydraulic rods extended, and the chest armor closed with a heavy snap, bolts locking seamlessly into place.

The seventh-generation composite sakuradite engine gave a soft hum.

Standby voltage peaked; within seconds, all systems read green.

Traditionally, Knightmare pilot verification relied only on ID keys and serial codes. But after the Area 11 Shinjuku Incident—Governor assassinated, Zero's rise, the Black Knights' founding, and terrorists repeatedly stealing units using hacked keys—Vela had personally ordered security patches.

To prevent "plug-and-play" theft, Euro Britannia's entire military and police systems had been upgraded under the Third Princess's initiative.

The safeguards were now far tighter.

Perhaps still not enough to stop elite hackers.

Like Zero of Area 11.

According to intelligence speculation, either he himself—or someone in his circle—was a hacking expert. Otherwise, how could he so quickly hijack military frames? Surely not by traitorous pilots handing them over?

Even if that were so, the fact that rank-and-file thugs could immediately pilot Britannia's standard units highlighted a glaring flaw.

As for extending this to all Britannian warzones? Vela had already submitted her report directly to Emperor Charles.

Vmmm… vmmm…

Scanning the instruments once more, Vela gripped the control sticks. With a faint hum, [Excalibur]'s hawk-like head, crowned with sharp fins, lit its V-shaped visor in pale blue.

The core engine pulsed, channeling power through conduits into hydraulics and artificial-muscle systems—like a human heart pumping blood throughout the body.

At the same time, inside the cockpit, the silver-gray framework of overlapping ivory polygonal panels lit up gradually.

Like a massive video screen powering on, it turned translucent, colors shifting, becoming a seamless full-holo panoramic view.

A full 180 degrees, streams of data flowed in holographic projections across the display before Vela's eyes.

Advanced detection systems, fire control, scanners, early-warning, AI-assisted interfaces—all integrated into the console. From Vela's elevated view, the hangar of the G-1 land battleship spread out with crystal clarity.

She shifted the scan reticle slightly.

Targets caught in its frame enlarged automatically. The onboard processor indexed the database, overlaying ID or threat evaluations in small data windows.

Then—

Clang!

[Excalibur]'s iron hand opened sharply under her lever command, fists clashing against its chest.

Feeling the fluid motion of the drive systems, Vela nodded in satisfaction.

Not yet the seamless neural-bridge control or cybernetic interface she envisioned, but far beyond Fifth- or Sixth-Generation models. The OS feedback response window was already far more agile. As for Seventh-Generation designs—well, upper limits required ace pilots. Knights of the Round.

One bite at a time.

...

Retracting her gaze, Vela summoned the intel-analysis and command modules, real-time monitoring of battlefield conditions. Opening external audio, she ordered: "Second, Fourth, and Seventh Royal Guard ground assault battalions—report to Departure Port Three. Stand by for deployment."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Just then—

Beep, beep-beep.

A comm signal entered [Excalibur]'s system.

The Ninth Knight.

"Nonette."

Vela lifted her chin slightly.

The blonde, gray-eyed warrior woman had shed her cloak, piloting her custom frame across the skies.

Naturally, her Knightmare bore a FLOAT System, hovering on blue-violet wings like a fighter jet.

As a Knight of the Round—the pinnacle of Britannian arms—even experimental, top-secret technologies were hers for the taking, should she accept the risk.

Nonette laughed heartily: "Come on!"

"Vela, if you dawdle, I'm starting without you!"

"Loser wears a pink frilly dress!"

Having known each other since youth, and trained at the same academy, Vela and Nonette shared a close bond. Only after Nonette became a Knight of the Round, as one of the Emperor's guard, had she been forced to limit contact with royals to avoid suspicion.

Unlike Lords Moltke and Lohengramm—both sworn Hohenzollern vassals—Nonette was different. If not for the 'Blood Crest' rebellion wiping out much of the former Knights of the Round, and the Hohenzollerns' decisive loyalty in supporting Emperor Charles, even at the cost of their duke's injury in battle, the Emperor would not have promoted them.

"Heh."

Vela arched a brow at Nonette's words, grinning, her charming lips curving higher.

"Just you and me here—no Cornelia to bail you out. So tell me, what style of pink dress will you wear? Lace or sheer?"

"Neither."

Nonette replied calmly: "That's why I'll start now."

Whoosh!

The Ninth Knight's [Bedivere Club] dove into a steep serpentine maneuver, streaking over the G-1's hull, surging southwest. Two long contrails trailed brilliantly across the sky.

Vela: "…"

"Your Highness?"

Major General Model, commander of the Princess's Royal Guard Corps and chief coordinator of the G-1's layered defense, coughed lightly to ease the awkward silence, then asked cautiously: "You and the Ninth…"

But at that moment, [Excalibur] strode forward.

The entire launch bay trembled faintly as the silver-gray giant braced itself on the reinforced electromagnetic catapult deck, specially expanded and strengthened to bear its weight.

"Royal Guard, follow me into battle."

With that, Vela yanked the control lever upward.

Zoom—!!

...

Now.

Southwest of the G-1 land battleship's command group—

Rumble—

Having just had its energy pack swapped by maintenance crews, the [Lancelot] rested. Suzaku Kururugi used the pause to shut his eyes, but now they opened.

"Suzaku-kun, if you wish to achieve your ideals, then look to the Knights of the Round as your model. Strive, build your merit."

Cecile's warm voice came through the comms.

In the background, Dr. Lloyd's incoherent wails of excitement could be heard, muttering streams of obscure technical jargon.

On the display, troops streamed forward under G-1's command, outer perimeter patrol forces passing through. The Eleven Expeditionary Corps and nearby Britannian detachments tasked with slicing enemy lines had also been redirected.

But among the mass, the most eye-catching were the two machines racing high above, breaking sound barriers, one chasing the other in a game of pursuit.

One was a Knight of the Round.

The other—the Third Princess herself.

"So… so big."

That was Suzaku's most immediate impression.

He had always assumed Knights of the Round wielded machines at least on par with the Special Dispatch's [Lancelot].

But against the steel-gray giant—flagged prominently in the Euro Britannia-wide comms system—it seemed childlike.

"Tch."

Through her rear-view sensors, Nonette glimpsed the silver-gray titan streaking forward like a comet. She shook her head, half-bitter.

She looked at Vela's face on her comm screen.

"How do you manage it? Something this heavy, yet not a hint slower."

Her tone was sincere, even envious. She added that when they returned, she too wanted a behemoth of her own.

"Nothing but brute force made elegant."

Slowing to fly alongside her, Vela calmly transmitted her machine's specs to her old schoolmate.

Nonette couldn't mask her curiosity. She opened the file at once.

[Excalibur]

Model: Von-03

Height: 12.67 m

Combat Weight: 41.6 t

Armament/Defense: Variable Ammunition Repulsor Cannon, High-Power Hadron Cannon, Missile System, Energy Shield

Loadout: MVS Swords ×2

Hydro-oxy explosive charges

FLOAT System hover flight

Six-engine jet flight pack

...

After a quick scan, Nonette said with admiration: "You always criticized the Empire's miniaturization strategy. Now that technology has matured, you finally couldn't resist building a giant. It looks like the project's a success. Congratulations."

Military reform included rethinking Knightmare's role—size being the most visible shift.

And as Vela's senior, Nonette remembered well. Back in the academy, Vela's sharp complaints about the bulky Ganymede Third-Gen still lingered. And her own embrace of Vela's "bigger, faster, stronger" theories had influenced her. Even her Knight of the Round custom frame turned out larger than average.

No going back.

Looking now, four-meter-class frames truly did feel cramped.

"Too early for champagne."

Vela shook her head.

"When you see my entire Royal Guard outfitted with new models—then you may congratulate me."

Strictly speaking, [Excalibur] wasn't a complete success.

Its design philosophy—pushing performance ceilings—demanded extreme physical resilience from the pilot, on top of immense cost.

Even in a pressure suit and secured cockpit rig, Vela still felt the hammering G-forces of supersonic flight. She could bear it. Lesser pilots, though, might end up in the ICU after a single sortie.

It carried the shadow of a superweapon.

Though Vela herself had no illusions of building such things. She only wanted a personal steed fitting her station, while pursuing technical research and creating a reserve of designs for future replication by her "sisters."

Her real aim was affordability, assembly-line production.

At worst—high-end mass-production frames.

Hearing her explanation, Nonette laughed.

"So you just scaled up every parameter of Euro Britannia's Knightmares?"

Vela smiled lightly.

"Blending in with dust and light."

Currently, Britannia's Knightmare divisions relied mainly on the Fifth-Generation [Sutherland], with countless variants and upgrades.

The Sixth-Generation [Gloucester]—in truth more of a "Five and a Half"—was often still categorized as Fifth-Gen. Compared to the huge leap from [Glasgow] (Fourth-Gen) to [Sutherland], its overall improvement was modest.

It served mainly in elite units.

But with Euro Britannia's recent efforts—under Vela's coordination—its R&D and industrial branches had achieved real breakthroughs. Advances in CNC machining, automation, mechatronics, sakuradite engines, energy efficiency, materials science, structural engineering, and bionics all bore fruit. The newly rolled-out [Gloucester Kai] finally deserved the Sixth-Gen title.

Larger frames, stronger powerplants, sturdier armor, heavier weapons, updated electronic systems…

In short: designs from the Seventh Generation onward took a fresh approach. Earlier models were patched and upgraded for years more.

Even the wealthy Holy Britannian Empire couldn't replace its entire military with Seventh-Gen overnight.

Each case had to be judged by need.

Miniaturized Knightmares still had their roles and fields of use.

"And don't think you can change the subject. You're wearing that pink dress!"

Vela chuckled wickedly. "And I'll be sure to tell Cornelia."

Nonette's eyes flickered nervously. She laughed it off quickly.

Ten minutes passed.

Across the plains near the Latvian-Lithuanian border, the thunder of explosions grew louder and clearer.

Vela and Nonette shared a glance over the comms.

"Time."

At her word, [Bedivere Club] dove.

Vela did not rush. She guided [Excalibur] forward in midair, gaze fixed on the horizon. The holo display auto-corrected its framerate, zooming in. Rolling explosions and smoke clouds blurred the green fields in strokes of black and gray.

Hundreds of E.U. armored vehicles surged ahead, clashing with Britannian forces pushing into the area.

The E.U. troops had spotted Britannia's reinforcements. Swarms of flak and missile trails shot skyward.

Beep-beep…

Vela's lips curled upward, irrepressible.

She pulled the lever, toggled IFF, fire control locking on.

Clack.

Between [Excalibur]'s layered shoulder armor, the dark muzzle of a hadron cannon emerged, aimed at the red silhouettes of enemy units deep within.

Then she pressed the stud on her throttle.

Vmmm—

Two thick, crimson beams tore through the sky in an instant.

From the heavens, they fell upon the fields.

Chapter 258: Misteln vs Elysia

Elias was surprised to find that after just a week, he already couldn't live without Misteln. His beloved Stigma Lady could bring experiences into his life that no ordinary person ever could—beautiful dreams!

Recently, whenever Elias stayed up too late…

Misteln: "If Master goes to rest now, I'll weave a beautiful dream as your reward. Please sleep without worry—I'll enter your dream for a while, so you won't feel lonely~."

Elias: "I love sleeping!"

Ever since Misteln entered his life, Elias' daily routine had become healthy. He went to bed early, woke up early, and even took a nap every afternoon.

The reason was simple: he loved Misteln's woven dreams.

After all, dreams weren't bound by reality. As long as one had imagination, even creating an entire fantasy world was effortless.

And with the authority granted by [Idea], Misteln could do anything in the realm of dreams! She earnestly listened to Elias' every whimsical request, creating a unique, perfect dream for her dear Master each night.

So far, Elias had already cleared Code Vein, Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Monster Hunter, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and other games within dreams.

Elias: "A dream-version, real-life Soulslike game is just too fun~!"

To the point that…

Ely: "Eli, let's do something naughty."

Elias: "Sorry Ely, Misteln is waiting for me in the dream. Next time, I promise. ZZZZ~"

Ely: "…" ε(┬┬﹏┬┬)3

It wasn't that Miss Pink Elf lacked charm—it was just that the Stigma Lady's ability was too marvelous.

And dream parties and such? Misteln had let him try those too. After experiencing it firsthand, Elias felt it was practically indistinguishable from reality.

Thus poor Elysia went from daily meals of affection to only getting fed once every two days.

Still, while Misteln kept her identity as a stigma lifeform secret, she didn't hide her abilities much. The only secret she guarded closely was that she and Elias were actually people from fifty thousand years in the future.

So everyone quickly realized her uniqueness.

However…

Sakura: "Oh, so she's a special person."

Hua: "Sounds impressive."

Eden: "Such a romantic ability~"

Kalpas: "Hah? That's it?"

Pardofelis: "Misteln-sis, please weave me a dream where I'm a super-rich lady like Eden!"

Aponia: "Since she's Elias' family, her identity doesn't matter."

...

Everyone accepted her as a matter of course. In fact, no one showed any wariness or rejection at all.

Even Misteln herself was surprised by this. She knew the reason, of course—it was because that day Elias had declared with his own mouth that she was his family.

What she hadn't expected was…

Just because of those words, her existence was accepted and welcomed by the entire world.

Now, her name "Misteln Schariac" had already been added to Elias' public records. In the once-empty "Family" column, countless people online were now cursing the nonexistent parents who had abandoned them.

In her words, this situation was…

"Just like a dream~"

Misteln had thought that as a "non-human" being, she would surely face rejection from the outside world.

She had even prepared herself to carry the burden of past sins, ready to endure slander if it meant she could stay by Elias' side. But the result left her so grateful she nearly wept.

At that time, Elias had held her gently and said:

"Misteln, you are my family. How could this world reject you just for making a little mistake? If it truly did, then it wouldn't even deserve to be saved by me."

The countless achievements Elias had already made…

Were more than enough to pardon her tiny sins a thousand times over.

And how could the world saved by the white-haired boy ever reject the savior's family?

Misteln, deeply moved, confessed on the spot.

"My dear Master, I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Misteln. Tonight, give me another good dream—this time I want to play Genshin Impact in it!"

"No~ I spent several days preparing a special dream for you. Please enjoy it instead."

Of course, Elias couldn't refuse.

That night, in a dreamlike palace that could never exist in reality, Elias obtained the Schariac stigma in another sense.

[Idea] allowed dreams to become reality to some degree. Misteln dragged Elias' real body into the dream, and within that palace, the Misteln there was also her true body.

So although it was a dream, it was without a doubt real. At least, the next day, Misteln lay in the Stigma Space for two full days before reappearing in reality.

And when a certain pink elf found out…

Ely: "Next time! You must bring me along!"

She made the demand so forcefully.

Elysia: "Jealous! I'm so jealous! Just hearing about a dream palace sounds so romantic and beautiful. Misteln, if you let me join you, I can accept you!"

Misteln: "Ah… well then, alright~"

After experiencing it once, the pink elf was utterly hooked. Though she had mixed feelings, she chose to welcome Misteln after all. Unlike the others, this newcomer becoming a "sister" actually brought her great benefits.

Even so, Elysia and the rest still raised Misteln's alert level to the highest.

After all, an [Idea] was an enemy far beyond standard parameters!

Mobius: "What? Because of your constitution, if you're not with Elias constantly it causes Honkai energy disasters? What a ridiculously enviou—ahem—defective constitution! Lie down on my lab table, I have to cure you!"

But more importantly…

Ely: "What? You can freely adjust your body weight between 5kg and 5 tons? That's so broken—it's just too enviou—uh, unfair of an ability!"

Elias: "Even though I made it myself, [Idea]s really are cheats, huh."

Still, although Misteln's whole heart was tied to Elias, she wasn't the kind of heavy-hearted girl who ignored everything else. As a "newborn," she was brimming with curiosity about the world.

Though she had been born with vast knowledge…

She had had little chance to experience things personally.

For example, even though she knew snow was a white, icy crystal, it wasn't until much later, upon reaching a snowy field, that she realized the flakes before her were snow.

Thus Misteln was always eager to try many things. And due to the nature of [Salvation], she gladly accepted others' heartfelt requests—especially to weave dreams.

Of course, unlike a certain absent-minded nun, Misteln knew how to keep boundaries. She would never weave dreams to fulfill lustful desires, though such requests were rare anyway.

The most common request she received was…

Soldier: "Miss Misteln, please… let me see my family again in a dream. I beg you."

Misteln: "Of course, I can."

Though she didn't know what their lost loved ones looked like, her [Transcription] ability let her grasp their entirety. By using it in a limited way, she could read the soldiers' memories.

And with that as a foundation, she created sweet dreams.

A large portion of Fire Moth's members were avengers who had lost something important to Honkai. Misteln's power brought comfort to hearts weighed down by hatred.

Though in reality they could never reunite with their loved ones, in dreams they could still hear their voices and see their faces. That was already enough for them to be endlessly grateful.

Even though everyone knew it was a dream, it was too real, too beautiful.

Thus…

Misteln's reputation went up ++++++!

While Elias felt gratified, he still gave a word of caution.

"This is a wonderful kindness, but don't overdo it. Humans must ultimately live in reality. You can't let everyone become addicted to the dreams you weave, understand?"

"Mhm! Okay~ I'll remember that!"

Misteln was absolutely obedient to Elias. And so, this beautiful and kind dreamweaver lady… brought out the knife.

To prevent people from indulging too much in dreams and forgetting reality, she gradually began placing a knife at the end of each dream. Many soldiers would be embracing their loved ones one moment, and the next, a Honkai Beast would suddenly appear and kill them.

Soldiers: "Aaaaaaah!!!"

Sweet dreams instantly turned into nightmares.

And after waking, none of them blamed Misteln. Instead, they blamed the Honkai. Every day, they doubled their training and took on Honkai extermination missions with renewed fury.

All of Fire Moth's hatred toward the Honkai went up!

Soldier A: "I will never coexist with the Honkai!!!"

Soldier B: "Losing my beloved, the world is ruined!!"

Soldier C: "Hmphahaha! Honkai, your life is mine!"

Kalpas: "..."

Watching Fire Moth becoming more and more "Kalpas-ified," Elias couldn't help worrying about their mental state.

But it had to be admitted—thanks to this, the surge of Honkai incidents after the Seventh Herrscher was resolved in no time. Efficiency had multiplied several times!

"Master, this is fine, right?"

Misteln asked innocently.

"Uh… it does work! But don't ever do it to me, okay? I hate knives in dreams."

Elias' eye twitched, shuddering at the thought. This was ruthless—his Stigma Lady was probably a natural-born black-hearted one!

One second heaven, the next hell.

Warmth with a loved one—then suddenly dead. Who could stand that?! Misteln, who turned you into this? Was it Mihoyo?

(Elias: Uh, seems it was me. Never mind then.)

"Look at everyone now—they all come to you with expressions of pain and joy… Mm, increase the intensity! But never do it to me, or I'll end up traumatized."

Elias couldn't help reminding her. Others could be knifed, but not him—classic double standards.

"Of course. How could I ever let you have a nightmare?"

Misteln answered without hesitation.

Recently, she realized she might really be a bad woman.

Or perhaps even as an [Idea], once she learned what love was, she too developed the desire to monopolize.

To stop soldiers from indulging, Misteln mercilessly dropped the knife. But when it came to Elias, she couldn't bring herself to add even a trace of bitterness to his dreams.

She wanted him to indulge in the beautiful dreams she wove.

As for reality—escaping from it once in a while should be fine~

By the way, thanks to her overwhelming popularity as a dreamweaver, very few people now visited Aponia's counseling room. After all, [Discipline] and so on…

Kalpas: "Not even dogs want it! Hmphahaha!"

Aponia: "..."

Compared to the nun who didn't understand hearts, the saintly lady who did was far more welcome. Aponia ended up jobless.

Incidentally, the title "Saintess" had already spread.

Misteln's usual fighting style was to wield a dazzlingly ornate banner, destroying enemies with stigma power that seemed like magic. Her battle form was far too holy.

Those fortunate enough to witness it began calling her the Saintess.

Elias: "Emmm, at this rate, Misteln really might end up becoming the ancestor of the Schariac family in this era. After all, Saintess and all that…"

Misteln: "Seems that's how it is, hmm. In that case, perhaps what's needed is a child with the surname Schariac, one who inherits the Schariac stigma Whether humans and [Ideas] can produce offspring… now that's a topic worth exploring"

Elysia: "I don't know what you mean, but… Pink Elf Flying Kick!"

Misteln: (×ω×)

In the end, being too arrogant still brought punishment.

Though she occupied an important place in Elias' heart with jaw-dropping speed, in the end she still couldn't defeat the pink elf!

One day, Elias saw Misteln dragged into the training room by Elysia… That night, when she crawled back out, her head was covered with bumps, leaving her questioning life itself.

Misteln: "Impossible… how could this happen? How did Elysia break free from my dream bindings? And I'm an [Idea]—how could her crystal blossoms restrain me?"

Elysia: "As long as I make a wish, no matter what your ability is, it's useless! You call it idealism? There's nothing more idealistic than my Origin power."

[Idea] was, after all, no match for the [Herrscher of Origin].

Miss Pink Elf, eternal queen!!

As a reward for successfully defending her number one seat, Elias was monopolized by Elysia for ten full days…

…Ten days later…

Inside their bedroom.

"Alright, Ely, I'm heading out."

"..."

Elias gently tucked in Elysia, who had turned into a cream puff, cleaned her spotless with his authority, and placed a rare handmade breakfast by her pillow.

Stretching lazily, he prepared to go out and save the world.

A much more subdued Misteln obediently followed behind him. She glanced warily at the sleeping elf on the bed and subconsciously touched her head, where the bumps had finally faded.

"Master, Elysia really is special…" Misteln said.

It wasn't slander, but a sincere warning and reflection. Anyone who could defeat an [Idea] could never be just a girl as dazzling as falling blossoms.

"I know. Ely is the most special in the world."

Elias smiled and nodded. Of course he knew how extraordinary the girl who had stolen his heart was.

Elysia was constantly exploring Elias' secrets, and he too was exploring hers.

Both of them enjoyed this process.

"Elysia is a formidable rival, but I won't give up."

"Ha~ You're special too, Misteln."

"Mm! Next time, I definitely won't lose!"

Misteln glanced again at the sleeping Elysia's blissful face. She thought about tossing her a nightmare as payback for those ten days.

But in the end, she gave her a sweet dream instead.

Letting the pink elf sleep especially soundly.

Chapter 564: God!

Find the real me?

Kotomi Izumi thought long and hard about Kazumi's final words once she calmed down. Her mind raced, trying to deduce the meaning from every angle, but she couldn't figure it out. What did those words mean?

The real me?

Could it be that the Kazumi she knew now wasn't the real Kazumi?

Kazumi hadn't left behind any hint.

"At least tell me where to find the real you…" Kotomi murmured softly. It hadn't even been a day, yet she already missed Kazumi.

Almost every day she would talk with Kazumi. Without exaggeration, the person who understood her the most in the world was Kazumi.

Though they often ended up bickering, when Kotomi spoke with Kazumi, she could lay aside everything else and chat freely about her second life and her fragmented memories.

She remembered how, in the mental space, Kazumi would lounge on the sofa, playing Red Dead Redemption 2 with an elite controller, while listening to Kotomi complain about when she would finally regain all her memories. Kazumi would puff her chest proudly and say:

"Such a trivial matter isn't worth worrying about. Once I grow stronger, I'll restore all those forgotten memories on the spot."

"Really?"

"Truer than azuki beans~"

They laughed and joked as Kazumi reached the Wolf ending.

And then Kazumi curled up under her blanket and cried for a long time.

That Kazumi—who always liked to use a wireless controller when gaming, keeping chips, drinks, and wet wipes nearby—vanished from Kotomi's life without a trace once she fell asleep.

Kotomi recalled how after playing for a while, Kazumi would always set down the controller to snack and drink. She often boasted of being a transcendent existence, emotionless and desireless, claiming she could go without food or water forever. She would act all arrogant, saying human eating was nothing but a hassle in her eyes.

But whenever she ate the snacks and drinks Kotomi gave her, she always looked the happiest—her cheeks puffed out, crumbs of chips sticking to her lips. She never rushed to wipe her mouth afterward, but she would carefully clean her hands with wet wipes before picking up the controller again to continue gaming.

Since the elite controller was a gift from Kotomi, Kazumi even covered it with a protective film, and placed penguin-shaped caps on both sticks. Every time Kotomi saw this, she couldn't help but twitch her lips—she herself had never been so meticulous when using it.

Kotomi wondered whether, before falling asleep, Kazumi had eaten a proper snack. If she ended up sleeping for a long time, knowing her personality, she would probably burst out looking for snacks the moment she woke.

Come to think of it, had Kazumi ever snuck out of her body while she slept to raid the fridge or cupboards? She couldn't recall ever seeing that. She'd have to ask Kazumi when she woke.

After finishing the Wolf ending in Red Dead Redemption 2, Kazumi had been depressed for a while and even said she wanted to replay it. Looks like that replay would have to wait until she woke up from her slumber.

Also, Kazumi often whispered in her ear: "Kotomi, after you earn reputation points, could you set aside some for me? I want to buy a rename card. Once I change my name, I'll repay you in a way you'd never imagine."

Kotomi had assumed Kazumi meant renaming the system.

After all, [God-Level Heroine System]—well, how should she put it? It wasn't that it sounded bad, but she distinctly remembered thinking the first time she heard it: what a retro-sounding system name, so fitting.

But unexpectedly, Kazumi hadn't intended to rename the system. She wanted to change her own name. When Kotomi asked why, Kazumi said:

"Because Kazumi isn't my real name. My true name is… hehe, not telling~ If you act spoiled and call me 'Sister Kazumi' sweetly a few times, maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll tell you."

"Farewell." Kotomi showed no mercy, leaving the mental space immediately.

The matter of Kazumi's true name was left unsettled. But Kotomi remembered it in her heart, always working to earn reputation points so Kazumi could buy the rename card. Yet even now, it seemed she hadn't earned enough.

Apparently, rename cards for systems weren't just expensive—they were also only available during limited times. If it wasn't the designated time, they couldn't be purchased. On top of that, they were limited in number.

Kazumi had also said she wanted to eat Kotomi's handmade dumplings—mushroom and pork, or celery and pork.

Kotomi had kept forgetting to make them. Compared to pan-fried dumplings, Kazumi preferred boiled ones. Kotomi had thought she'd make them for her at New Year's, but now that girl had decided to go into a deep sleep.

Was she planning to sleep straight through to New Year's? Kotomi wondered as she lay in bed.

From earlier until now, as she recalled all the little things about Kazumi, Kotomi had kept her arm over her eyes. Not because the light in her room was too bright—she hadn't even turned it on. It was because she didn't want to break down crying. With her arm covering her tear-filled eyes, she suppressed her sobs and cried silently.

Once again, Kotomi felt fear—fear that Kazumi might never wake again, remaining lost in her slumber.

Kotomi had always considered herself mature. But in the face of Kazumi's sleep, she was nothing more than a child, quietly crying alone in her room.

That's right… she was only a sixteen-year-old girl, after all.

When her mother called her down for dinner, Kotomi wiped away her tears, composed herself, and went downstairs.

Tonight's dinner was abundant. Kotomi held a large bowl, eating in small bites.

Her pace wasn't exactly slow. Compared to ordinary people, it might even seem a little rushed. But compared to her usual eating habits, she looked almost like someone with no appetite at all.

After dinner, Kotomi helped wash the dishes.

In the Izumi household, one person always cooked and another always cleaned the kitchen afterward. Since her mother had cooked, tonight her father, Kaneyoshi Izumi, was responsible for cleaning. Kotomi, having nothing else to do, stayed behind to help him wash.

Kaneyoshi handled the pots and pans, while Kotomi took care of the bowls, plates, chopsticks, and spoons. Their division of labor was clear.

Halfway through, Kaneyoshi spoke up: "You didn't eat much tonight. Did something upset you?"

"Mm?" Kotomi looked at her father in surprise. She had already acted as though nothing was wrong—so how could her father see through her so easily?

Dad, be honest. Do you have Mystic Eyes of Death Perception?

Teach me. I want to learn too. Then when the Six School Tournament comes, I could strut around with a katana.

Oh, right—competitions only allowed bamboo swords, not real ones. This wasn't some fantasy novel where magic academies fought with real blades.

Kaneyoshi Izumi seemed to notice Kotomi's confusion. With a gentle smile, he rinsed the soap from the pot under the faucet before continuing:

"Normally, you eat over ten bowls of rice, but today you only ate eight. Your mom was worried you didn't like tonight's dishes since you ate so little."

For an ordinary girl, eating eight bowls in one sitting would already be absurd.

But for Kotomi, it was absurd that she ate only that much.

Kotomi quickly shook her head to deny it. "Mom's cooking is delicious. The fried chicken drumsticks—I love crispy chicken skin."

"You also really like sweet grilled chicken skin when we have barbecue," Kaneyoshi naturally continued. "So if it wasn't the food, then it must be your mood, right?"

Kotomi nodded. "Dad, I had a friend leave me today. She just left. Normally, we got along well, though we sometimes argued, and I'd find her a bit annoying. But after she left today, I felt empty inside. Even during dinner, I kept thinking about her."

"Is she a classmate? Why did she leave?"

Kotomi couldn't exactly tell her family the truth—that it was a girl living inside her, named Kazumi, childish like a three-year-old. So she gave her a cover identity:

"She's a friend from middle school. Even after graduation, we stayed in touch. She doesn't attend Sobu High School, but another high school in Chiba. After school, we often met up—grab a burger, play arcade games. Sometimes we'd argue and ignore each other for a while, then naturally make up. But today she told me her family is moving abroad, and it might be a long time before we can see each other again."

"That really does mean a long time apart."

Kaneyoshi didn't try to comfort Kotomi with talk like 'friends always meet again.' Instead, he realistically pointed out the problem. Even within the same country, just transferring schools or moving cities could mean not seeing each other for years, even decades.

And moving abroad? If Kotomi didn't go overseas, or her friend didn't return, they might never meet again in this lifetime.

Because in a new place comes a new life. That new life gradually fills a person's time. And when you happen to recall an old friend, it's always during the busiest moments when you can't take time off. All you can do is reminisce silently in your heart.

"I really miss her," Kotomi admitted, voicing her truest feelings.

"So that's why you kept thinking of her, and couldn't eat properly?" Kaneyoshi asked.

Kotomi nodded.

"Your friend is very lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Yes. To have someone who misses you after you leave is a very fortunate thing. Such pure friendship is something you only find in childhood or during your school years. Once you step into society, you'll see how rare it is to find a friend worth entrusting your heart to." Kaneyoshi spoke slowly.

"Then does it mean I'm lucky too, since I found a friend I miss so much?" Kotomi asked curiously.

"Of course. Who knows—maybe that friend is also missing you right now. Maybe she's eating poorly, tossing and turning at night, and sadly telling her parents: 'I really miss Kotomi!'"

Kotomi couldn't help but giggle.

After her father's words, her heart felt much lighter.

Sometimes she thought—if her father hadn't become a businessman, psychology might have been the most suitable field for him.

After all, he was a prestigious university graduate. Maybe he really had studied psychology back in school.

"But this is the first time I've heard you mention such a friend. Did she ever come over to our house before?" Kaneyoshi asked casually, now that Kotomi's mood had improved.

"No, I was planning to invite her over someday, but before I could even bring it up, she had to move away."

After saying this, Kotomi couldn't help but give a bitter smile. She truly had wanted to find a chance, create a suitable reason, and then introduce Kazumi to her parents.

When Kazumi left her body and appeared in the real world, to others she looked just like a human being.

In theory, as a system, ordinary people shouldn't have been able to see her. But Kazumi was too incompetent—she had failed the most basic system certification exam several times.

Naturally, she didn't possess the same transparency trait that made other systems invisible to outsiders.

Perhaps it was a case of gains and losses—Kazumi's behavior and mannerisms had grown more and more like a human's.

"When you meet her again, make sure to invite her over and let your mother and I see what kind of person she is," Kaneyoshi said warmly, as though blessing his daughter to reunite with her cherished friend soon.

Back in her bedroom, Kotomi realized she still hadn't changed into her sleepwear. She began to take off her school uniform shirt and skirt, intending to bathe and then put on her nightdress before going to bed early.

As she hung her shirt on the rack and reached to remove her skirt, her hand brushed against something in the side pocket.

There was something inside.

Curious, Kotomi reached in, grabbed it tightly, and pulled it out.

Slowly opening her hand, she saw what lay in her palm. Carefully, she cupped it in both hands, holding it reverently as though it were a sacred relic from a god.

Kazumi had quietly placed her own pair of black pantyhose—the ones she often wore—into Kotomi's skirt pocket at some unknown moment. Perhaps it had been the instant she sent Kotomi out of the mental space?

Kotomi now held the black pantyhose Kazumi had worn. Thinking back, Kazumi used to always go barefoot or wear short cotton socks. But after discovering Kotomi's fondness for stockings, especially pantyhose, she began wearing them.

Was this left behind by accident, or had it been a deliberate gift before she fell into slumber?

Kazumi was asleep now, so there was no way to ask.

"Such a precious gift—even if it costs me my life, I'll guard it with everything I have." Kotomi's voice sounded like that of a devout believer speaking before a statue of a deity. And yet, she had once been a firm materialist.

She clasped the black pantyhose Kazumi had worn tightly in her hands, holding them as if they were divine.

Chapter 652: Honkai Technology, Boy!

Challenger-class Assault Ship, Angry Crow Takes Flight.

It seized upon the Swarm's brief frenzy of confusion, cutting through the Zerg's all-encompassing blockade like a dagger thrust straight into the heart—toward the Primal Queen of Blades, Sarah Kerrigan's Leviathan.

In a torrent of fire, it executed a textbook orbital hairpin maneuver, slamming nearly ten kilometers of fortress-plated steel against the Leviathan's abdomen.

A soundless collision.

The sheer force rippled through the vast organic mass. Folds and waves coursed across its flesh; bloated cysts swelled upon its hide, spreading from ruptures across its body.

The living warship howled—its fleshy ridges glowing, tendrils writhing in agony.

One by one, the cysts burst under pressure, spraying pale-yellow pus and disgorging parasites and grubs—Zerg units of every size—into the void.

Clinging tight to its target, Angry Crow Takes Flight displayed its nature: rough, massive, unyielding, scorching. It ignored spore cannons, autocannons, plasma, corrosive bile, and suicidal Banelings raining upon it.

Like an oversized boarding torpedo, its portside gun arrays—still entwined with tendrils and mucus—emerged with grinding mechanical groans, pressing directly into the Leviathan's torn carapace of chitin and tissue.

The next moment, molten torrents roared forth, kaleidoscopic brilliance scorching the twisted void around them.

Slow the scene by hundreds of times, and one would see clearly: the weapons arrays, designed for boarding and point-blank duels, unfurled their armored housings. The macro-cannon barrels extended, fitted with monomolecular serrated tips, and drove deep into the Leviathan's flesh.

Like a colossal meat grinder, the whirring blades shredded gene-forged armor and organic mass dozens of meters thick. From the cavities burst scorching jets of molten fury—fiery brilliance lighting all.

With a seething hisssss, like water brought to boil, Zerg caught within the beams evaporated in seconds.

The Leviathan's inner chambers—where swarms had waited, ready to crawl through its tendril-hallways to board the Imperial vessel—were instantly scoured clean. A flood of Zerg boiled away like butter melting on a hot pan.

In the Imperial Navy's arsenal, melta weapons were rare. Beyond melta shells, torpedoes, and rockets, few such arms graced warships.

The reason was simple: range too short, speed too slow. Meltaguns were weapons of infantry and atmospheric craft.

Unlike their cousin, the plasma weapon—with its speed, range, and versatility—meltas lacked competitiveness when weighed against size, firepower, endurance, and consumption.

Yet the Empire's auxiliaries and vassal troops, even the mighty Astartes, reveled in their meltaguns.

Administratum clerks, Arbites, and tax enforcers all adored them too, calling them the perfect tools for "office work"—be it suppression, law enforcement, or tax collection.

In urban warfare, a melta pistol's effective range might be under a kilometer, yet that was enough. Scale it larger—to Titans, with multi-barreled melta cannons—and with a squeeze of the trigger, wildfires stretched kilometers, even tens of kilometers.

But in the endless void of space, where warships battled across horizons, such range was… a drop in the ocean.

Fitting a warship's broadsides with compressed melta batteries was unheard of—save for a few Forge experimentals or the eccentric whims of private refits.

...

The stench of charred flesh mixed with cloying organic fumes.

A massive breach yawned in the Leviathan's abdomen, its tissues scorched to lifeless ash. The sealed psionic network of its inner cavities was torn open, now exposed naked to the void's radiation.

The kilometers-long depression resembled towering cliffs and a barren valley—a perfect landing ground.

THOOM. THOOM. THOOM. THOOM.

The tremors reverberated through power armor, announcing their departure from the boarding deck.

A thunderous march of heavy boots struck the blackened, hardened "ground." The heat had baked the Leviathan's inner flesh dry, its walls rigid as iron. To the ear, it sounded like steel plating beneath their feet.

POP! POP!

Even before the teleportation beams fully faded, storm bolters barked. Half-charred, dying Zerglings collapsed, heads burst in sprays of ichor.

WHRRMMM!

A Zerg Queen, freshly hatched from its egg sac, was pierced through by a blazing beam, its body slumping lifeless back into the membranous clutch.

CRACK!

Another Hydralisk reared from the shadows—instantly shot through the skull.

Like a wall advancing, the giants in purple-gold plate pressed forward without glance, stepping past shattered corpses. Vigilant, spreading their formation, the Black Templars boarding Terminators filed inward.

The first ranks—bulwark squads—brandished storm shields and storm bolters. To their flanks, spearhead squads carried thunder hammers, lightning claws, and power blades. From the rear, destroyer squads emerged from the beams with assault cannons, autocannons, and other heavy arms.

Eyes cold, movements disciplined, steps resounding.

Even before the melta's residual heat had faded, the purge had begun. Every maneuver second nature, every motion precise, they expanded their perimeter in flawless coordination.

Where the Black Templars Terminators marched, only pulp fused with flesh-walls remained.

Soon, the landing zone widened step by step. As the beams ceased, all three thousand Terminators now filled the vast, blackened chamber.

"Captain."

"Spit!"

At the fore, with the mangled carcasses of Ultralisks sprawled across the passage, Hak Foo spat, a growl rumbling from his throat.

Beneath his magnetic steel boots, a mutated Hydralisk—its genes reforged for resilience—was slammed to the floor with a single backhand. Its spine shattered, its jagged crest flattened.

"Truly a stubborn breed…"

By all rights, such wounds should have killed any primate. Yet the beast still lived. One eye burst, the other glowed crimson, glaring hatred at Hak Foo's scarred face. Its jaws twitched faintly.

SZZZT!

"Tch! A sneak attack? Broodmother… watching from the shadows, are you? Don't fret. Soon, we'll meet face-to-face."

Crunching the needle meant to pierce armor plate, Hak Foo seized the mutant's head. With a laugh, SHRRRK! he tore spine from skull, drenching himself in reeking gore. Then he flung it down, stamping until the head burst to pulp.

"Drag the Broodmother from her nest! Let the slaughter begin!"

"For Selene—!" ×3000

HISSSSSSS—!

As if in answer to the Black Templars' unified war cry, the surrounding passages erupted at once. Dozens of Mutalisks, remnants of the earlier swarm, screeched as BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!—explosions tore through them, shrapnel scythes ripping flesh into showers of gore.

Ultralisks surged from every corridor, their roars shaking the chamber.

SZZZZT!

A Terminator of the Destroyer squads hefted his plasma blaster, firing past the storm-shield wall. KRAK! A blast punched clean through an Ultralisk's head. Its body, still carried by momentum, slid forward until stopped by the shield wall.

Then came the flood—Banelings, Zerglings, Roaches, a tide of lesser beasts spewing forth.

FWOOOSH!

From that flank, a giant in purple-gold armor raised his weapon. Twin meltaguns twinned into an assault cannon roared to life. With a distinctive hiss—the sound of water vaporizing in air—a fine red beam lanced out, then blossomed geometrically into a fan of annihilation, filling the corridor.

Firestorms consumed all organic matter in seconds. Roars turned to explosions as the tide melted into blackened husks and molten slag.

Melta weapons resembled flamers, but in truth they were utterly different.

The Sacred Selene Empire's melta arms drew upon special fuels distilled from Honkai Cubes, triggering subatomic reactions. That subatomic fury was then focused into coherent beams, wave-lances of inconceivable heat.

Shorter range, but devastating power—the closer the target, the greater the destruction.

Flamers, by contrast, simply spewed combustible liquids—dependent entirely on fuel type.

Put simply: one was far more advanced, demanding technology, precision crafting, rare fuels. The other was cheap, easy, common—any backwater colony could build one.

The Zerg counterattack was swift, ferocious. But the Terminators' line held immovable.

No matter how their claws gleamed, their fangs gnashed, their shells thickened, their numbers multiplied—the Zerg could not shatter that wall of purple-gold.

Under Captain Hak Foo's lead, the three thousand Terminators drove like an unstoppable spearhead, piercing line after line of Zerg. They wasted no time in entanglement, pushing inexorably toward the Leviathan's hive core.

Their mission was summed in one word: Exterminate!

Laser cannons, ion cannons, gauss fission guns. Multibarrel meltas, heavy blasters, heavy flamers. Demolition charges, tactical earthshakers, missile batteries, grav-cannons.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

This was the kind of lavish slaughter that would make any underfunded 40K chapter weep with envy.

It was the definition of muscle over mind, of wealth made war.

Forget tactical finesse—just charge into the broadest passage, the thickest tide of Zerg!

Not the style of the Black Templar Legion. Not even of the proud Leiva. No, this was pure Hak Foo.

World Eaters, Iron Warriors, Iron Hands alike would beg him to join their ranks.

RRRRRRRUMBLE! The Leviathan groaned, its chambers filled with oxygen and sound. Kerrigan, her claws raking hardened carapace walls, muttered:

"Abathur, it seems you'll need new gene sequences—for hardness, for heat resistance."

Through the Leviathan's psionic lattice, she sensed it clearly: this firepower was beyond comparison to Terran Marines. On every front.

"Evolution never ceases," Abathur's voice droned. "Observe entity. Extract potential. Study lineage. Adjust sequences. Distort essence. Dissect limbs. Recombine anew. Ever perfection. This is my duty."

From the shadows, a creature resembling a segmented worm slithered forth—its pale-violet body bristling with irregular limbs and bony wings. Its voice droned low and measured, as green, tumor-like orbs along its head and spine glowed faintly.

"Their weapons… contain gene sequences the Swarm requires for evolution. My Queen, whether or not they are Amon's servants, devour them. Harvest their essence. It will benefit the Swarm."

"Perhaps… we must alter our strategy, my Queen. That is my counsel."

Even as it spoke, the torn cavities of the Leviathan echoed with shrill howls. A thousand flashes ignited at once.

Kerrigan narrowed her eyes, violet pupils contracting sharply.

"Psionics—all of them?"

A thunderous crash followed, the air filled with the crackling thrum of pulsing energy. Kerrigan felt the Leviathan's agony. Within the interwoven psionic lattice, she saw violet-red flares. Their presence was all too familiar—like Amon.

"You've brought this upon yourselves!"

...

Elsewhere, in the Korhal system, on Korhal IV.

Once ablaze with prosperity, the Terran Dominion's capital now held nothing but screams and chaos.

"No wonder you handed me Korhal IV so easily. Turns out you've got something better in hand," muttered Jibril as she descended into the atmosphere, her voice tinged with irritation. Suddenly her assignment felt far less rewarding. She, too, longed to fight the Swarm—the head of a Broodmother would surely be worth more than these Terran skulls.

But she had given her word. And Jibril kept her word.

"Well, the false emperor's head should make a fine trophy, at least."

So she consoled herself, gazing upon the metropolis below—Augustgrad, seat of the Dominion's palace.

Chapter 582: Wild Loli

At this moment, Ariel was in her room, leisurely savoring the taste of black tea.

Suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air not far from her.

Recognizing the familiar figure, Ariel's hand froze mid-movement, her delicate face showing a trace of surprise.

"Chris?"

Indeed, the one who had arrived from Earth was none other than Chris.

Before coming here, she had deliberately acquired a Magiclad Device in order to transform.

"How did you regain your power?" Ariel asked curiously.

Although she lived in Villiers, she still had some knowledge of Earth's situation.

Up until now, she had never received any information about Chris siphoning another's magic, nor had any Magiclad Girl come into contact with her. It should have been impossible for her to regain her power.

"It's been a long time, Ariel. You've lived comfortably for the past hundred years, unlike me—forced to endure the agony of losing both my individuality and my power every single day!"

Chris didn't answer her question, instead speaking on her own.

Though her expression was calm, the hatred in her eyes was impossible to conceal.

Over a century ago, Chris and Ariel had a good relationship. After all, they were also teacher and student.

But when the rebellion failed, Chris was branded the ringleader. The truth, however, was that the real masterminds had been Ariel and the vampire ninja leader, the so-called Demon Baron.

If Ariel had been cursed by the queen as well, Chris might have accepted it. But after the failed rebellion, Ariel was left untouched, and that imbalance festered into burning resentment.

So compared to the queen who cast the curse, Chris hated Ariel even more. That was why she couldn't wait to exact revenge.

"A hundred years! Do you know what I went through all this time?!"

Chris shouted at Ariel, her voice trembling with fury. After that, she no longer wished to talk. Instead, she drew the Magiclad Device she had just seized.

"Humanity's death calls to me, yet I welcome it with joy, with hatred, with love, with inevitability!"

Accompanied by the awkward chant of a Magiclad Girl's transformation spell, light burst from Chris' body. Her power multiplied in an instant.

However, even after transforming, her outfit didn't change. She was still dressed in the same white Gothic loli dress.

Across from her, Ariel also spoke the same incantation, unwilling to be careless after seeing Chris transform.

In a flash of light, the white lab coat covering her body disappeared, replaced by an equally adorable Gothic loli outfit.

In her hands appeared two Japanese sword–shaped Magiclad Devices. Her expression turned solemn as she faced Chris, who now wielded a long blade of her own.

She hadn't wanted to fight Chris, but since the other had come seeking trouble, she had no choice but to respond with full strength.

The very next second, the two clashed.

...

Meanwhile, not far from them, Eriri and her four companions stood silently watching.

They had followed Chris all the way here, but Eriri had cloaked their presence, making them undetectable.

Thus, even though they witnessed Chris snatching a Magiclad Device from an innocent student and then confronting Ariel, Chris never realized they were there.

The battle between Chris and Ariel was fierce, every strike carrying immense power that instantly tore through the confines of the building.

Since they were fighting inside Martlez Academy, the disturbance quickly drew the attention of countless students and teachers.

In no time at all, a crowd of adorable little lolis had gathered to watch.

Of course, there were also some like Kyoko—girls with well-developed figures but still bearing childlike faces.

But Chris and Ariel's power was far beyond what these students could withstand. Even a stray shockwave could easily claim their lives.

The students didn't dare approach. They could only watch Chris and Ariel's battle from afar with horrified expressions.

As for Eriri and her companions, they watched with calm indifference.

To Eriri, this little skirmish was no different from children quarreling. And Kyoko now possessed enough power to instantly defeat both Chris and Ariel.

Even for Seraphim and Sarasvati, whose horizons had broadened immensely, such a scene wasn't worth surprise.

...

At the same time Chris and Ariel transformed, deep within the royal palace at the center of the world, Villiers' current queen—Lilia Lilith—sensed it immediately.

As the queen of this loli world, Lilia was, of course, also a legitimate loli.

Petite in stature, with short golden hair and a silver crown snugly perched on her head, her delicate face was no less charming than Chris'. She wore a light green frilly dress, white over-the-knee socks, and hugged a lion plushie to her chest.

This was her appearance in her first-stage transformation as a Magiclad Girl, which she maintained in daily life.

As the very first Magiclad Girl of this world, Lilia possessed a power equal to Eu's—magic capable of influencing the causality of the world itself. She alone also held the unique ability to transform through three stages.

The lion plushie was her Magiclad Device, Fūrin Ka-Meow, and it was the strongest device in this world.

Sensing Chris' magic, Lilia turned toward the source of the disturbance.

"Chris actually broke the curse? I'm sorry… but I can't let you live."

She whispered timidly to herself, her frail demeanor making her seem all the more endearing.

Without hesitation, she hugged the lion plush and left the palace. In the very next instant, she appeared within the range of Chris and Ariel's battle.

By coincidence, she manifested only a few meters ahead of Eriri and her group.

Lilia's sudden appearance naturally caught both Chris and Ariel's attention.

Chris' expression darkened. She had hoped to finish Ariel before Lilia arrived, but she hadn't managed it in time.

If Lilia intervened now, she was doomed.

And indeed, that was exactly what Lilia intended. She immediately prepared to strike Chris down.

Her timid personality made her extremely fearful, unwilling to tolerate anything that might threaten her. To eliminate potential danger, she would resort to any means necessary.

Though Chris was her defeated foe, Lilia preferred to err on the side of caution. If there was an easier way to crush her, she would never choose otherwise.

To deal with Chris, her first-stage transformation wasn't enough. Without hesitation, she invoked her second-stage form.

"Humanity's death calls to me, for I welcome it with joy, with hatred, with love, and with fate!"

With a chant slightly altered from other Magiclad Girls', Lilia transformed.

Light flared. Over her cute frilly dress appeared white-gold armor and gauntlets, while a pair of massive white wings unfurled from her back.

She looked every bit an angel.

But just as she was about to beat her wings and fly toward Chris, she suddenly felt someone seize the scruff of her neck—the very seat of her destiny.

In an instant, the vast magic within her stopped flowing. Her body froze stiff like a kitten held by the nape, unable to move.

The abrupt change left Lilia dumbfounded, and then a wave of primal fear surged over her.

"Eek!!! I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry…!"

She stammered apologies again and again, terrified the unknown being gripping her would harm her.

The next moment, her second-stage transformation was forcibly undone. Her armor and wings vanished.

Then she realized she had been scooped into someone's arms, which made her panic even more.

As she trembled in fright, a playful voice spoke from behind her.

"Oooh! Wild loli, captured successfully!"

...

The one who had seized Lilia was, of course, Eriri. When she spoke to Lilia, she also lifted the concealment that had hidden her presence, allowing Lilia to finally hear her voice.

"Wh-who are you? What are you going to do to me?"

Lilia's timid voice trembled as she asked, too scared to even turn her head.

She still didn't know what Eriri looked like—she could only catch the faint, intoxicating fragrance surrounding her.

When Eriri hugged her from behind, she released her grip on Lilia's neck, giving her freedom to move. Even so, Lilia didn't resist in the slightest. She simply stayed obediently in Eriri's arms, like an oversized doll.

She was well aware of her own situation. From the way Eriri had effortlessly grabbed her and forcibly undone her second-stage transformation, it was clear Eriri was far beyond her ability to resist.

So, to avoid suffering, she submitted.

"It's nothing much. I just think you're cute, so I've decided to keep you. From now on, you won't be a wild loli—you'll be a domesticated loli. Hehehe~"

Eriri grinned mischievously. But on her face, the expression was oddly adorable rather than irritating.

Unfortunately, no one could appreciate it, since Eu and Kyoko stood quietly behind her, along with Seraphim and Sarasvati.

Watching Eriri handle Lilia this way, Sarasvati suddenly felt that when Eriri had made her into a servant, she had actually been treated quite kindly.

"No, please, I'm not cute at all! I'm sorry, just let me go…"

Lilia shook her head pitifully, her big brown eyes filling with tears that seemed ready to fall at any moment.

Eriri shook her head without hesitation.

"No way. You're mine now, and I won't let you go so easily."

"I'm the queen of this world! If you let me go, I can provide you with even more cute people."

"Hmph. Who do you take me for?"

"I-I'm sorry, I spoke too loudly…"

At Eriri's cold snort, Lilia panicked, instantly switching into apology mode.

But soon, she felt a gentle hand caress her left cheek, which soothed her fear just a little.

Then Eriri's soft voice came again.

"Don't worry. I won't abandon you for anyone else."

Hearing such words, Lilia could only feel exasperated. How could she not realize she was being teased, with no chance of being released? But even knowing, what could she do? She was helpless.

Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.

"Ehhh, you're already over a hundred years old. Crying like this? How embarrassing if others saw."

But instead of calming down, Lilia sobbed even louder.

It was a sight to move the hardest heart.

Even Seraphim and Sarasvati looked away, embarrassed.

Kyoko, however, watched with great interest. If not for the risk of disturbing Eriri's fun, she might have joined in teasing the loli herself.

Naturally, what was happening with Eriri and Lilia was also seen by Chris and Ariel in the middle of their battle.

At first, when Chris noticed Eriri suddenly appearing in Villiers, she had felt relieved.

As long as Eriri was willing to help, there was no way she would die here today.

Especially when Eriri immediately captured Lilia, and at the exact moment Lilia was preparing to strike her. That maneuver made Chris silently cheer inside, even easing the resentment she'd held toward Eriri for forcibly making her quit drinking.

But now, seeing Lilia crying so disgracefully, Chris suddenly lost interest. Even her will to continue fighting Ariel waned.

Ariel, sharp as ever, immediately noticed the change in Chris' demeanor, which delighted her.

Though their battle had been evenly matched so far, it was only temporary. If it dragged on, she would surely lose.

If things could be resolved peacefully, that would be the best outcome for her.

As for Lilia's crying—what did it matter to her?

Even now, though she still remained obediently in Villiers, Ariel's resentment toward Lilia had never faded.

Chapter 337: Senti Said, Let There Be E, and the Immortal Became E-cup

Clang—

Clang—

On the outer bridge of the Eternal Snowfall.

Swordlight flashed, the ringing clash of blades echoed again and again.

Setsuna wielded a weapon condensed from Honkai energy, dueling one-on-one against Fu Hua.

Fu Hua had cultivated Taixuan Eminence for thousands of years. As Setsuna's teacher, in pure swordsmanship her mastery far surpassed his.

Her swordlight wove a dense net, sealing the surrounding space.

Step by step she pressed forward, her offense like a surging tide, overwhelming and fierce.

Yet Setsuna remained calm and unhurried throughout.

Each incoming strike was easily neutralized.

With the Eternal Snowfall boosting his speed and reaction time,

Even if his grasp of the Edge of Taixuan wasn't as refined as Fu Hua's, he could still respond faster, sometimes even teasing his opponent.

"Not bad. Your talent is indeed remarkable."

After several exchanges, Fu Hua leapt back.

With a low shout, a massive surge of Honkai energy condensed in the air, transforming at her will into a heaven-splitting greatsword.

It looked ready to crash down upon him.

"Oh ho, you're even using Taixuan Eminence now. Is that because you want to agree to me, or not?"

Setsuna tilted his head up with a smile.

"Isn't it all within your choice?"

Fu Hua chuckled softly.

"If you believe you cannot withstand it, you may surrender."

"I… have very high standards for the one I'd call beloved."

"Ha, interesting."

Setsuna charged straight into the descending Taixuan strike.

Boom!!

The blow landed head-on, dazzling golden light erupting across the deck.

"Hey! You're not really going to take that hit with your body, are you?"

"Why not use Taixuan Eminence to block it?"

Fu Hua's composure faltered as she saw Setsuna engulfed in Honkai energy, worry flickering across her face.

"Because I don't need to."

Swish—

A long sword thrust forward in an instant. In two or three swift motions, Setsuna disarmed the unprepared Fu Hua.

Then, closing the distance, he pulled her tightly into his arms.

"Mm…"

Fu Hua raised her head, giving him a soft glare.

"You're relying on the Eternal Snowfall's computing power and shield. That's cheating."

With the supercomputer's support, no mental attack could affect Setsuna.

"Then should I just lose to you on purpose?"

Setsuna tapped her forehead lightly, smiling as he asked.

"You still… do this even when I can't win against you…"

Fu Hua muttered softly.

The next moment, Setsuna lowered his head, silencing her with a kiss.

"!!"

At first, Fu Hua resisted slightly.

But soon, her whole body melted into Setsuna's embrace.

After thousands of years wandering Shenzhou alone, for the first time she found someone to lean on.

From now on, whether facing Final Herrscher or any other enemy, she had someone strong enough to shield her from the storm.

She thought of that fleet of starships blotting out the sky. Unlike when they had first met, she no longer felt fear, only a profound sense of security.

After a long while, the two finally parted.

"Hua, you're actually quite cute."

Setsuna sniffed softly, catching a faint, indescribable fragrance.

"Call me Jingwei, or Hua."

Resting against his chest, Fu Hua answered softly.

"'Immortal'… is for outsiders."

"Jingwei suits you better as you are now."

Setsuna kissed her forehead gently again.

With a wave of his hand, the hatch door slid open with a click.

"By the way, weren't you curious about the other function of the Eternal Snowfall?"

"I'll show you now."

"Ah?…"

...

A Juggernaut-class starship drifted silently beside the station.

Inside the master bedroom of the bridge.

Fu Hua leaned against the bed, her long ash-blue hair spilling across the sheets, a faint blush coloring her pale face.

Her wide cloud-ink robes were set aside, the teal sash around her waist undone.

No matter how much of a blockhead she was…

No matter how aloof, no matter how untouched by worldly desires…

In this moment, she knew exactly what was about to happen.

Her expression carried a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

"Hard to imagine you're already fifty thousand years old now. Hm, even Grey doesn't look like someone who's millions of years old either."

Setsuna gently pulled her closer.

"Are you calling me an old woman?! Wait—are you thinking about someone else at a time like this?"

Fu Hua glared at him.

"No…"

Setsuna chuckled awkwardly.

The fusion warriors' ages had frozen the moment they were transformed.

Whether five years, fifty, or fifty thousand, they would not change.

Besides, most of that time, Fu Hua had spent in slumber.

Up close, though her figure was somewhat delicate, her beauty was first-rate.

Usually as cold as an immortal on a snowy peak, now she was flustered and awkward.

Setsuna discovered that Fu Hua had a cute side—but only he could see it.

"Relax a little. Don't be so tense."

"Mm…"

Fu Hua bit her lip, her brow furrowing sharply.

She realized that beyond her millennia of cultivation, Setsuna had taught her something entirely new.

...

The next morning.

Sunlight filtered through the porthole, sprinkling across the bedroom.

Setsuna slowly opened his eyes.

The first sight before him was Fu Hua's refined face.

He pinched her cheek lightly. The girl opened her emerald eyes, startled at first, but quickly regaining composure.

"Bad-hearted…"

Fu Hua tilted her head, muttering.

"I'm your teacher, after all…"

"Didn't you go along with it too?"

Setsuna poked her cheek.

Sure enough, Grey had once said he'd often defy his master.

No problem—physically speaking.

"…"

Fu Hua was speechless for a moment, then pinched Setsuna hard.

"Why are you so skilled?! How many times have you done this?!"

"Uh…"

Setsuna began seriously counting on his fingers.

"Richelieu, Taihou, Yat Sen, Belfast, Mio, Kurumi, Nagato, Tohru, Jeanne Alter, Jeanne d'Arc…"

"???"

The long list left Fu Hua stunned.

"Should I call you honest, or just call you a womanizer? Hm?"

She grabbed his face, demanding.

"I call it universal love."

"…I want to be the most important."

Fu Hua lifted her chin.

"No, everyone here is equal."

"…"

At first, Fu Hua doubted whether Setsuna had enough energy to care for everyone.

But then she remembered how he had used temporal manipulation aboard the Eternal Snowfall to master Taixuan Eminence overnight…

And after recalling what happened yesterday, she instantly understood.

"You really are beyond imagination…"

After a while of tenderness,

Fu Hua suddenly sat up.

"Right, there's something I want to try."

She sat at the bedside, gesturing for Setsuna to rest his head on her lap.

"This is called a lap pillow. Dan Zhu taught me. She said in comics, couples often do this to deepen their bond, and she urged me to try giving you one when I had the chance…"

Pfft—

Setsuna almost burst out laughing.

As expected of Fu Hua—her knowledge of romance was zero, all of it coming from Dan Zhu's comic lessons.

Given that they had already gone so far in their relationship, a lap pillow hardly seemed necessary.

And such shoujo-manga behavior didn't really fit an immortal.

Still, he obediently complied.

Resting his head on her lap, he felt the softness beneath him.

"How is it?"

"Mm… this way, I can look at you all the time… It feels warm, I think…?"

Fu Hua asked uncertainly.

"…"

Setsuna lay in her warmth, staring back into her hopeful face.

The mood was right. The feeling was right.

But something still felt… off.

After a moment's thought, he realized.

"Fu Hua, your lap pillow is different from the others."

"When Formidable or Illustrious gave me lap pillows, they often smothered me until I couldn't breathe."

"You're different—I can see you clearly, face to face."

"???"

Fu Hua paused, wondering whether Setsuna was praising her or teasing her.

Then she placed her hand gently on his head.

"Besides the Taixuan Eminence I taught you, I also created another unique technique. Do you know what it is?"

"?"

"Heaven-Splitting Ki!'"

...

"Mm, uh…"

Whenever Setsuna sat in his office lately, he always felt a slight headache.

Granted, with his body's durability, there was no way the immortal could truly harm him with her Heaven-Splitting Ki.

But when Fu Hua got upset, she really did put some force behind it.

He decided—for now—not to make any more jokes about the Shenzhou tablet.

"I mean, if you really care about it, you could always ask the Life Sciences Department? Our genetic tech is quite advanced. Maybe they could figure something out?"

"Even if the Garuda mutation factor locked your physique, I bet Grey and Muroto Sumire might have another solution."

Setsuna tilted his head and asked.

"I don't mind."

Fu Hua stood beside him, her face expressionless.

"For a swordswoman, agility is what matters most. One shouldn't sacrifice the essentials for the sake of appearance."

Then, after a pause, she added softly:

"Uh… but if you think it's not good this way, I could go ask…"

"???"

Dan Zhu and Cangxuan both stared like they'd just seen a ghost.

What was happening?!

The immortal was actually letting Setsuna decide whether she should change her figure?!

Unbelievable.

In the past, whenever Dan Zhu teased her about this, Fu Hua would knock her on the head for a so-called 'personal attack.'

Yesterday, they'd only told her to have a proper talk with the Commander.

How did the talk end up here?!

The two of them could discuss such topics without flinching?!

"Oh, never mind then."

Setsuna thought for a moment.

"Occasionally, it's nice to see a different style. After spending so long with shipgirls, a change of flavor isn't bad either."

"From now on, you can sit at the same table as Nagato."

"…?"

Fu Hua glanced at the fox-eared shrine maiden beside her, feeling like Setsuna was still teasing her.

"I have an idea!"

Senti suddenly raised her hand.

"I can alter your consciousness, make everyone in the Starsea Empire believe that both the old relic and I are E-cup!"

"Of course, you'd need to let me change your cognition voluntarily. For some powerful folks, even I can't manage it…"

"???"

"Does such self-deception even mean anything?"

Setsuna asked in disbelief.

"Even if you change people's minds, wouldn't the feeling still be different?!"

Other than looks, he cared about the touch.

"Please, I'm the Herrscher of Sentience."

Senti wagged a finger in front of Setsuna.

"If I can alter cognition, I can alter everything tied to it. So even if you touched it, you'd believe it was E-cup…"

"—Hey hey hey, old relic, why'd you hit me?!!!"

Thump—

Before she could finish her vulgar words, Fu Hua smacked her on the head.

"Degeneracy, corruption everywhere."

"Bringing in a Herrscher of Sentience, no wonder things are hopeless now."

Setsuna shook his head with a sigh.

"To discuss such things in broad daylight… you really are something."

Fu Hua blushed, pinching his arm hard.

"We're all among ourselves. What's the big deal?"

Setsuna simply pulled her into his arms without restraint, showing his affection.

"…"

After a bit of playful bickering, Fu Hua suddenly remembered something.

"Right, aren't we about to return to the Starsea Empire? I need to make a trip back to Mount Taixuan to arrange matters for my sect."

"When Jiang Wanru was corrupted by Honkai, do you have a way to resolve it?"

Since boarding the station, she had fought the Schicksal army, helped Griseo, rescued Cangxuan and Dan Zhu, cultivated the Edge of Taixuan, and spent a long time with Setsuna.

But now she finally recalled—her disciples were still waiting back at Mount Taixuan.

"You're asking me if I can cure Honkai corruption when there are two Herrschers sitting right here? No need for such trouble—just stay here."

Setsuna chuckled, shaking his head, then fell into thought.

Most matters in the Saga of the Shattered Swords had been dealt with. It was about time to settle the Mount Taixuan affairs as well.

Now that the Blade Mantra's influence was gone, Fu Hua was no longer an emotionless killing machine. The root of her conflict with her seven disciples no longer existed.

At this time, the Schicksal Eastern Expedition had just ended not long ago. It was still early—everything was in time.

"Tohru, bring them over."

Setsuna tilted his head toward the dragon maiden.

"Understood~"

Tohru immediately understood, taking a few Angeloids aboard the ship.

...

Ming Empire, Mount Taixuan.

Within a bamboo lodge shrouded in clouds and mist, the seven disciples had gathered to discuss matters.

"That day, I truly saw a ship take Master away."

"During the battle with the Schicksal army, I saw it with my own eyes—the one on board was Master, and beside her stood a man I didn't recognize."

"I was losing to that foreigner with the strange weapon, but it was Master who saved my life."

Lin Zhaoyu frowned as she recounted once more what she had seen.

Ever since Setsuna had taken the immortal away, their Master had completely vanished.

Like a dragon glimpsed but never caught, appearing once and disappearing again.

The only time they saw her since was when the Schicksal Eastern Expedition was crushed.

"Those people flying in the sky… the foreigners called them 'angels,' right?"

The youngest, Qin Suyi, spoke softly.

"Their martial skills and weapons were things we had never seen before. Who knows where they came from…"

At the mention of those Angeloids who had swooped down from the skies that day, crushing the Schicksal army, everyone shuddered in memory.

"Were they skyfolk? How could Master be involved with them?"

The disciples exchanged uneasy looks.

With the limited information they had, there was no way to deduce anything.

After Fu Hua's mysterious disappearance, they had searched all across Shenzhou.

They had even rallied help from some in the martial world.

Yet their Master remained missing.

"…Perhaps this is actually a good thing for us…"

Lin Zhaoyu thought for a moment.

"Master has always traveled widely, meeting strange and powerful people. This time may be no different—perhaps she went wandering with another high expert."

"If we can solve Fourth Junior Sister's problem before Master notices, she likely won't make things difficult for us…"

As she spoke, a girl in plain robes tugged her sleeve down to hide her arm.

Due to an accident, her body had been tainted by Honkai energy.

She was beginning to turn into a zombie.

Master Fu Hua despised deviation most of all. For any trace of Honkai corruption, she would surely eradicate it without mercy.

If Master were to find out, the disciples dared not imagine the consequences.

"The other day, I got some prescriptions from a wandering doctor. Let's try them on Fourth Sister first."

Jiang Wanxi pulled several sheets of paper from her robes, covered in strange recipes.

To save her sister, she didn't care whether they worked or not—she had to try.

"Mm, these herbs shouldn't be hard to find. I'll go—"

Lin Zhaoyu was still thinking when—

Boom—

The space around Mount Taixuan suddenly trembled.

"Someone's here! It's not Master!"

"Be careful! Whoever it is, they're hostile!!!"

Cultivators were always most sensitive to shifts in their surroundings. In an instant, they all stood up, blades drawn.

At that moment, Qin Suyi glanced out the window—and nearly screamed.

Clang—

A ship nearly covering half of Mount Taixuan was slowly descending in the distance.

It was smaller than the starship they had seen on the battlefield that day, but to the locals, it was still a giant beyond imagination.

"That's the one that took Master away!"

Lin Zhaoyu exclaimed.

She couldn't identify the exact model, only that Starsea Empire's shuttles all looked similar.

"Why has it come? Is Master returning?! Or…"

As the disciples panicked.

Bang bang bang—

The door was knocked several times.

Before anyone could respond, the dragon maiden pushed it open, crossing her arms as she surveyed the group.

"Hey hey hey—! Everyone's here? Perfect. Sophons are really handy, saves me the trouble of searching one by one."

Tohru stretched out her hand, pointing at each in turn.

"Lin Zhaoyu, Qin Suyi, and you, you, you… all of you, come with me. The Commander and Fu Hua want to see you."

"Oh, Ma Feima, you stay. The station has a loli residential zone—strictly no male non-commanders allowed."

"???"

Chapter 336: Solar Sovereignty, Not Yielding an Inch

"The final rank, corresponding to Holy God, is called Super-Primeval God."

"Besides being the embodiment of Teyvat's foundation of Truth, one who breaks through every barrier of the superdimension by their own power and comprehends the unknowable, the untraceable, the unseen, the unheard, the unthought—Power of the Super-Primeval—may also ascend to the rank of Super-Primeval God."

"These three ranks are not unique to Teyvat. They are super-conceptual ranks acknowledged by the infinite superdimension. Most of the superdimension's secrets lie within these three ranks."

Noah spoke calmly.

This was no longer truly a secret. Those who had reached strong single-universe mass would naturally come into contact with the secrets of the superdimension. He was simply telling them in advance.

The Primeval God rank was still attainable for Teyvat's gods.

But Super-Primeval God—that was nothing but delusion.

To comprehend the Power of the Super-Primeval was nearly impossible, even if Teyvat ascended to a multiverse.

Normally, only a master who controlled all things, like him, could hold such power. Unless he abandoned stewardship over Teyvat, letting the already-formed Power of the Super-Primeval become unclaimed, it was impossible for later gods to inherit it.

Of course, not absolutely impossible.

If someone could, like him, start from zero, cultivate from a tiny plane, and grow it from scratch until it surpassed super-universe mass, then they too could wield the Power of the Super-Primeval.

But such difficulty was greater than the odds of a Super-Primeval God offering themselves in sacrifice to an ordinary person.

His Teyvat was purely an absolute exception.

"As Heavenly Principle, I myself now stand at the rank of Super-Primeval God."

"Thus, whether visible or invisible, knowable or unknowable, existent or nonexistent, all arises from my power."

Even among Super-Primeval Gods, there were differences in strength.

Yet even the weakest of them could never be touched by an ordinary super-universe.

If he were to fight the Omni-King of the Dragon Ball world, he could kick him down with a single blow. But against Chronos, he would not die—though he would certainly be ground down.

After Noah clarified the divine ranks beyond Almighty God, the gods fell into contemplation. The doubts about their future path completely vanished.

Raiden Ei's gaze flickered as she looked toward the siblings Aether and Lumine seated in the foremost row.

To break through humanity's—Pan-Human History's—concept of omniscience and omnipotence was to attain Super God, quantified as tenfold single-universe mass or greater.

At present, only Aether and Lumine had truly reached the Super God rank. From this perspective, double-digit mass marked low-tier Super God, triple-digit mass marked mid-tier Super God, and quadruple-digit mass or above marked high-tier Super God.

Aether was a low-tier Super God. Lumine was already high-tier. Even the Lord of Law could eventually reach the Primeval God rank—it was only a matter of time.

Ei herself did not worry about her future. She bore the Heavenly Stigmata, which would guide her directly to the final endpoint. She was guaranteed promotion to Primeval God.

Even Yae Miko and Kitsune Saiguu were guaranteed promotion to Super God.

Zhongli's eyes shone with determination: Super-Primeval God was beyond his reach, but advancing a system to its ultimate point to become a Primeval God—this was within possibility.

"But, setting aside the distant matter of advancing divine ranks, what lies before us now is the contest…"

Venti's eyes drifted toward his comrades. "Aiya, forgive me, my friends. I, Barbatos, will also be giving it my all."

"My lord, don't say I didn't give you face. When it concerns the future of my pantheon, I will not retreat a single step."

The weakest of the stellar sovereignties were at least standard single-universe level, while even a single share of Solar Sovereignty contained power approaching that of a Primeval God.

Though stellar sovereignties were only armaments, unable to directly become one's own strength—

Still, what pantheon would turn down such nuclear weapons?

Hum~

While the gods' thoughts turned chaotic, they failed to notice Heavenly Principle and the Holy Gods silently departing from the highest seat.

The departure of the hosts signaled the end of the final divine assembly.

The gods did not linger. This was a sacred place, not meant for idle chatter. To tarry too long here would be disrespectful to Heavenly Principle and the Holy Gods.

The gods stepped out through the gates of the pure white hall.

A stairway stretched downward, leading directly into the third layer of the Supreme Divine Realm beneath Celestia.

At this time, the third layer of the Supreme Divine Realm had already become the arena of the Gift Game. The aura of Pan-Human History enveloped and sealed the entire battlefield, laying down rules none could defy.

The arena had already become a great world, upon whose membrane shone the projections of all the heavenly stars.

For now, those projections remained dim. When one star's projection lit up, it meant the contest for that star's sovereignty would begin.

At the very center of the heavens lay Solar Sovereignty, divided into twenty-four shares, arranged as concentric circles.

Solar Sovereignty had fused with the sovereignties of the Twelve Equatorial Mansions and the Twelve Zodiac Constellations, forming a unique armament imbued with constellation inheritance.

The form of the armament was that of a thin card—but this was only its outward manifestation.

Now, this Solar Sovereignty fused with the inheritances of the Twelve Zodiac Constellations and the Twelve Equatorial Mansions had already lit up, deeply influencing Pan-Human History.

This meant that when the Sun, within Pan-Human History, reached midnight, the contest for Solar Sovereignty would begin.

Within the standard one day of Pan-Human History, the Solar Sovereignty War would conclude.

This was a Gift Game born naturally from humanity's observation of the Sun's movement.

The zodiac represented the stellar path the Sun traversed across a year, while the equator represented the line the Sun crossed in a day.

Thus, one day in Pan-Human History was in truth one year.

And within the arena, time would adjust according to the progress of the Gift Game.

After all, at the level of Almighty Gods, a single battle could last for decades.

Tsaritsa gazed at the radiance of Solar Sovereignty, her palm tightening into a fist. "My friends, our friendship is one thing. But when it comes to the future of my pantheon, I will not yield an inch."

Her Snezhnaya pantheon was the weakest among the Seven Nations. In terms of core strength, even the Greek pantheon surpassed her greatly.

Thus, Solar Sovereignty was something she could not back down from. Even for the other stellar sovereignties, she would not miss a single contest.

Zhongli, hands clasped behind his back, nodded. "As it should be. Then, everyone—see you on the battlefield. I will show no mercy when that time comes."

Neuvillette spoke calmly: "No mercy, is it? In that case, Fontaine will also do everything in its power."

Venti chuckled. "Three days from now, the bells will toll. Our war will not be softened by friendship."

At this, Venti's playful smile faded, replaced by gravity.

"Until now, none of us have fought with our full strength. I will let you all witness my full power as Barbatos. Otherwise, would that not be disrespectful to you all?"

The Solar Sovereignty War—since it was war, victory would naturally be determined by force. To ensure fairness, there might be special rules, but the primary means of victory was undoubtedly strength.

All these years, Barbatos had not only advanced his rank and power, but his martial might had never lagged behind.

Though he was not known as a god of combat, one could call him unserious, a drunkard, even show him disrespect—but none could say his strength in battle was lacking.

From the earliest ages, there was not a single god who survived without martial strength.

Though Teyvat was a peaceful world, even excessively beautiful, conflict remained its underlying theme. In every community's festivals, combat was always the most beloved performance.

Any life that sought to climb upward could not avoid struggle.

Barbatos now possessed the strength of double single-universe mass. When releasing his full power, he could even erupt briefly to four or five times that.

Though far beneath the Abyss Sovereign, he still ranked within the top five for many years.

The atmosphere grew heavy, sharp war intent flashing in the gods' eyes as they looked at one another.

For years, these peak gods had been forbidden to wage war recklessly, lest the cosmos fall into turmoil. Their hands had long since itched. Now came a chance to fight openly, with their full might.

Zhongli, hands clasped behind his back, golden eyes glinting with sharpness, spoke with a smile: "Since this is war, we shall naturally give it our all. Barbatos, do not forget—I was a God of War from the very beginning."

"What I desire, I will seize for myself."

Venti clapped his hands and laughed playfully. "Hehe, so domineering, old man."

Behind Zhongli, Indarias muttered weakly: Actually, I too am a God of War… sigh~

In Teyvat, far too many gods bore the title of God of War, even wielding the authorities of war.

Yet even among Gods of War, true strength depended on the individual.

The Abyss Sovereign, Aether, strode past the gods. Behind him followed a fearsome brute, the weak single-universe-level Rhinedottir, and several of the first Abyss Apostles.

The terrifying brute was none other than the Abyss' watchdog, the Apocalyptic Beast of Revelation, the Beast 666 of biblical myth.

"Morax speaks true. What I desire, I will take myself."

"The Abyss cares little for stellar authorities. Symbolically, I will take one Solar Sovereignty."

With that, Aether opened the Abyssal gate and left without a backward glance.

Lumine clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Tsk, my brother, all these years, still the head of the Abyss, and yet he has no flair at all for making an exit. Tsk tsk~ Not half as good as me."

The gods were left speechless.

Lumine giggled slyly. "I'll reserve one or two Solar Sovereignties to play with. I hope you all will give me face."

"Of course, I'll only play with them. When the time comes, I'll gift them to whichever side seems the most fun."

But at that moment, she sensed something. Her expression changed, and in a flash, she vanished before the gods.

Reappearing in the Dimensional Gap, a large hand smacked down hard on her backside.

"Ow~!"

Lumine yelped in pain, bouncing about the Dimensional Gap like a shuttlecock.

"The Solar Sovereignty War determines Teyvat's future. You are not allowed to mess around. If you ruin even a little of it, I'll make you pay dearly."

Noah's voice reverberated through the Dimensional Gap.

Lumine rubbed the sore spot with teary eyes. "Ow, that really hurts."

"What? It's not like I don't know what I'm doing. You just have this fixed idea about me. I'm only participating a little, I wouldn't actually steal those things away."

She sounded pitiful and wronged.

Meanwhile, the gods exchanged bewildered glances at Lumine's sudden disappearance.

Athena declared with confidence: "Since all has been decided, then I shall take my leave."

Holding her star-and-moon staff with dignity, she descended the pure white stairway with elegance.

Among her Greek pantheon, she alone was the leader. Her strength was still just short of double single-universe mass, placing her among the weaker of the pantheon lords.

Most pantheons had at least two leaders. Even Inazuma, due to its special nature, counted as having two.

Though the Greek pantheon overall was stronger than Snezhnaya, Tsaritsa herself was stronger than Athena by a clear margin.

In the Solar Sovereignty War, Athena could not gain much of an advantage.

But in the contests for other stellar sovereignties, she could still compete.

What's that? The Sun Kings pantheon?

Too bad—the qualification for participating in the Solar Sovereignty War was to be a pantheon lord.

And the Sun Kings' leaders clutched the Pseudo Star Map Creation so tightly, refusing to let unfamiliar gods attempt to activate it, that now they were excluded.

Thus came the cycle of cause and effect, retribution undeniable.

Now Shakyamuni, Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva all regretted bitterly, their guts twisted, their souls dispirited as though facing death.

As gods qualified to attend the divine assembly, to be unable to participate in the Solar Sovereignty War meant they could already foresee their pantheon's decline.

In extreme circumstances, they might even be reduced to begging other pantheons just to take part in certain events of Pan-Human History.

"Tch~" Odin glanced at them, letting out a contemptuous sound, striding past without care.

"…!" Shiva gnashed his teeth, but had no choice but to endure. Though they all hailed from the same place, Odin was now a pantheon lord, far above them.

"Tch~" Indra too let out a mocking laugh as he passed. This nearly broke their composure.

...

Temple of Truth.

Noah stretched lazily, his gaze sweeping across the core positions where the pantheons resided within the Supreme Divine Realm.

"Speaking of which, after working so long, it's time for me to relax a bit."

"All the pantheons have reached this level. Those who were once only minor true gods have all become Supreme Gods, even Primordial Gods."

"Might as well go incognito and play around."

The Solar Sovereignty Contest was a monumental event for the pantheons.

But for him, it was, in a sense, a form of entertainment.

Much like mortals watching a game of football.

The gods clashing with their full might, laying down every trump card, all for the sake of victory—such a contest far surpassed any ordinary match.

"Now then, where to first? Let's go to Mondstadt. It's the place I've visited the least."