Aleister not only changed bodies, but even called in reinforcements?!
Where was that incarnation of his hiding... I should have killed every last remaining avatar of his, shouldn't I?
Before Coronzon could voice these doubts—
Crack—!
Sensing a change in the surrounding space-time, hearing that shriek which pierced through all phases and tore across countless layers of time and space to arrive here—straight into the depths of the soul—Coronzon's earlier joy from occupying Aleister's final avatar evaporated instantly.
A shudder ran through Coronzon's heart. Instinctively, they tried to activate a spatial transference spell to escape.
But the next moment, a surge of Honkai energy particles poured in through the phase fissures left masterless, forcefully flooding into the physical world and rewriting the very rules of the nearby reality.
"You can't escape."
Like a clear stream, the voice flowed into Coronzon's ears. Looking intently, they saw that radiant figure raise her right hand. Violet-red light particles spread across the space like paint on a canvas—wherever they passed, the world froze, even the rising steam from blood locked motionless in the air. A chill shot down Coronzon's spine.
In just a brief instant—
Space was sealed, time stood still.
One consciousness, two bodies (Laura Stuart; one of Aleister's manifested incarnations), four eyes, each pair reflecting that single arm—clad in a gauntlet of intricate, hollow lily patterns—that ignored all resistance and effortlessly tore through the countless religious, spiritual, and mythological phases layered like filter paper over the physical world.
Even the dimension and space-time they stood in were annihilated into nothingness.
Beyond that, there was only the cold sun and supreme authority.
Like an eagle snatching a chick, the massive hand, shifting from intangible to solid, grabbed Coronzon and both bodies they occupied, and, as if to be certain, swept up all other fallen avatars nearby—each in their own grotesque state of death.
Right in front of the silver-haired, girl-form Aleister, Selene's true body revealed a fragment of its true form.
With the complete Magic Gods fallen, more than 99% of the Magic God phases within the Index world's phase structure became masterless. And so, through the simplest inherent trait gained by devouring a Magic God, manipulating phases naturally became one of the means for Selene's true body to influence the Index world.
Especially when all phases were masterless, Selene's will easily usurped control over them. The supreme being surpassing the world itself went from being one among many to the sole ruler; with the friction between phases gone, the world reached a clarity never before seen.
Stabilizing the endless phase space into the very body of the world itself, Selene used an infinite-division spell, striking decisively while minimizing the impact on the physical world. That pull—even a Demon could not withstand it.
Buzz buzz—!
When the dazzling radiance faded and the soul-shaking giant's shadow vanished—
The world was silent again.
After Selene's true body, satisfied, departed before causing damage to the physical world, the room within the Windowless Building that had stored Aleister's private incarnations was reduced entirely to an empty lot.
Empty in the literal, physical sense.
If there had been plaster and tile, it would be like a fully furnished apartment reverted to bare concrete. The once uneven floors and walls, cluttered with pipes and wiring, were not only widened but smoothed—every corpse, every life-support device gone. Perfectly square, polished to an extreme.
"Aleister—or rather, Aleister is dead now. Miss Crowley, enjoy your revenge. Don't thank me."
Patting the shoulder of the silver-haired girl frozen in place, Selene withdrew her gaze with a faint smile.
Without the complete Magic Gods, this world no longer had anything capable of restraining Selene.
A Demon?
A being akin to a reverse Holy Guardian Angel—without gender, without a fixed form. It could only manifest in the physical world through summoning; as a "spirit," it could not affect the material realm without a physical vessel, much like the method of angelic descent.
That was why Coronzon needed to take Aleister—why it had to use Laura's body to act. Without a vessel, it was nothing more than an observing "spirit."
Perhaps the Demon Coronzon and the Holy Guardian Angel Aiwass were both top-tier existences beneath the Magic Gods—the peak reachable by humanity—but the truth remained: they were still a step below.
Having her avatar deal with Coronzon in the physical world would be too troublesome. The world was too fragile.
Selene had no interest in wasting effort on meticulous operations and protective measures just to kill Coronzon.
The old method: pack it up and send it away!
A hard start but easy finish—Coronzon was the perfect dessert after Selene had feasted on the delicacy of Magic Gods.
"Selene, have you already ascended to the seat of a Magic God?"
After a long silence, Aleister's voice rang out. In the young girl's sweet, childish tone hid the despair and cold cruelty of destruction.
It was beyond her expectations to see all gods so easily destroyed.
Though her "Crowley's Hazards" of a billion avatars was annihilated, Aiwass was heavily injured after confronting the Magic Gods' counterattack while deploying the AIM field enveloping the globe, the Blasting Rod was destroyed... and she was left with only this one young girl's body—at least the goal was achieved, wasn't it?
But Selene had taken the seat of a Magic God. Even without emitting any magical wavelength, the fact remained: Selene had manipulated the phases.
No wonder Aleister felt crushed. Smashing all phases to liberate humanity from the sparks of phase collisions and the splinters of miracles denied—that was her reason for declaring war on the Magic Gods.
Now, the old Magic Gods were gone—but a new one had emerged!
All of Aleister's work, drawing aggro and tanking for so long, seemed wasted!
And because she had declared war on the Magic Gods, every trump card she had saved was spent, leaving her now a cripple except for basic phase-related magic, modern Western magic, and Christian magic.
True, those magics could still make her one of the world's top magicians, enough to start her own school—someone most could only look up to. But in front of a Magic God, she was still powerless...
"Not exactly. Strictly speaking, I am not a Magic God—just the usurper of their thrones."
Selene shook her head.
"So this is what you meant by reaping the benefits. Selene, you really know how to play!"
Perhaps because all of Aleister's other characteristic avatars—such as the "Saint," "Sinner," or "Old Man"—were gone, in the body of a young girl, she now showed none of her former taciturn, mechanical personality. Her emotions shifted like an actress on stage.
"I told you before, I'm merely a beneficiary. Back then, you agreed without hesitation. What's wrong, from the way you sound, Mr. Chairman~"
Drawing out the word "Mr," Selene's sidelong glance was sharp. "You want to back out? No problem—defeat me. But in your current state..."
Her calm eyes slowly turned amused. "Tell me yourself—do · you · have · the · right · to · back · out?" She punctuated each word, her tone unfriendly, and clapped the silver-haired girl on the shoulder.
"Even your life is mine!"
"I... you..."
The silver-haired girl staggered from the pat, fuming and stomping her feet.
Of course she wanted to back out.
When Selene had spoken of "reaping the benefits," Aleister had understood it as Selene inheriting Academy City, ruling over the Science Side, perhaps even reviving the Habsburg dynasty. She never imagined that this magic-ignorant novice could suddenly control phases!
Even with a new body, Aleister—who possessed phase-related magic—was especially sensitive to such things.
The magic that influences a phase and the brute force to directly control it were two entirely different realms—worlds apart.
As far as Aleister knew, only Magic Gods could control phases. Even the pseudo-Magic God Ollerus couldn't.
As for why Coronzon hadn't discovered this body, Aleister guessed it was because she had stored it in an underground base near Selene's Schicksal Research Institute.
She never intended to use this body. For research purposes, she had infused it with a high concentration of Honkai crystals. After using the Authority Crystal "trial card" Selene had given her, she understood.
So that was why it was called "Authority"—absolute control over all Honkai constructs.
Which meant that, if Selene willed it, this body was nothing more than a puppet in her hands.
Damn Coronzon—because of that bastard's sneak attack, every last emergency life-saving avatar was destroyed, leaving her in this passive state...
"Ahhhhhh—!"
Watching the former Board Chairman in front of her practically spinning in circles in panic, almost crouching in a defensive squat, Selene remained unmoved. "Smashing all phases, Aleister—this is, in essence, no different from ending the world... Think carefully. In this one matter, no one will help you."
"I am not a Magic God, nor a madman. I have no desire to destroy magic, phases, or science. I only wish for the peaceful development of the world."
Words alone weren't enough; she needed tangible leverage. And to sway someone like Aleister, she had to strike where it mattered most.
Seemingly struck by an idea, Selene touched her chin with a fingertip, chuckled softly, and made as if to turn and leave. Her voice was low and deliberate:
"Oh, by the way, Aleister—if, and I do mean if—I could resurrect your daughter, what would you give in return?"
"What?!"
The silver-haired girl froze, her pupils trembling, as if struck by lightning. She stood there half-dazed, her mouth opening and closing in silent hope.
"I mean, I can bring Lilith Crowley back to life. What would you give?"
"I would give everything—!!!!"
...
Two days later—
Academy City, District 23, International Airport.
The metropolis, once quieted by the outbreak of World War III, was visibly bustling again—more vibrant than ever.
The Science Side had won. Academy City had won.
The collapse and dissolution of the Roman Catholic Church was now an accepted fact. They were to bear the primary responsibility for the war.
Although the Anglican Church had stood on the winning side, the "death" of Archbishop Laura Stuart had dealt them a heavy blow. Even though Crown Princess Carissa had torn a large piece from France, digesting it would take time.
The Russian Orthodox Church had avoided annihilation alongside the Catholics by switching sides midway, but its early losses and expenditures were undeniable.
The later revelation of former Bishop Nikolai Tolstoy's treason—colluding with Fiamma of the Right—led to a massive purge by Vasilisa, commander of the magical combat unit "Annihilatus," wiping out numerous Orthodox members.
In such circumstances, having a child as their highest Patriarch was an undeniable sign of decline.
And of course, suspicions arose that Academy City had betrayed its allies—after all, in this war, Academy City had profited immensely, enough to make anyone think twice.
But with the news of Academy City's Board Chairman Aleister Crowley's death spreading, all rumors ultimately lost their footing.
After all, the Board Chairman had died in battle—if you kept whispering and complaining, what was your intention? Wasn't it just being a remnant of the Roman Catholic Church?
Regardless of what others thought, the current Director-General, Selene, had already erected a monument and statue for Aleister. Plans for a memorial hall were underway.
"Hah... made it back alive. And to think I even got a certificate—ohoho... Long live Lady Selene! With this prize money, I can finally pay off my debts."
Stepping off the transport plane returning from the Banda Aceh front, the black-haired, spiky-headed boy leaned on a crutch. Shielding his eyes from the blazing sun with his plastered and splinted right hand, Kamijou Touma took a deep breath in relief.
In his hand was a gold-and-red booklet bearing the double-headed eagle—Selene's bold signature and commendation words inscribed within. Most importantly, the eight-digit prize money figure brought tears to his eyes.
"Ugh... Touma, why didn't I get one?"
Trailing behind him, the white-haired nun was upset, pointing at Last Order—who had just exited the cabin announcing "Misaka Misaka wants to buy lots of yummy food" while holding her own certificate—and pouting.
"And you still have the nerve to ask! Didn't I tell you to stay in the base's safehouse? Why did you run out? You even got caught by Fiamma of the Right! Do you know how worried I, Stiyl, and Kanzaki were? Staying put and using your Index knowledge to give us magical countermeasures would've been the biggest help..."
Furious, Kamijou Touma launched into another lecture about safety, not acting on her own, notifying others before making a move—things he had said countless times, always going in one ear and out the other.
"Heh, Misaka Misaka proudly says Misaka is the hero of the day!"
Hands on her hips, the tea-haired girl with a single long ahoge strand swaying in the wind puffed out her chest, clearly expecting praise.
"Yes, yes—at least you weren't a burden."
Head wrapped in bandages like a zongzi, limping badly, an old-man-like Accelerator hunched forward, still feeling the effects of the strike from the Archbishop—it had nearly killed him. Not everyone had Kamijou Touma's luck or the mercy shown to him.
"So Selene's really the Board Chairman now?" Misaka Mikoto asked, fiddling with her certificate, her expression mixed. The former Director-General, once so fervent in justice, was simply gone.
War truly was humanity's most foolish act.
"By the way, have you noticed? There seem to be a lot of Central European government planes parked here..." Shokuhou Misaki scanned the area thoughtfully.
Face still taped from post-surgery dressings, Kakine Teitoku—his right arm in a sling—locked eyes on the tail of the nearest Airbus A350. Its vertical stabilizer bore a flag of three equal horizontal stripes: black, red, and gold.
"Germany..."
Then, looking one by one: "Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina..."
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