World of Akame ga Kill — Northern Frontier of the Empire, Habsburg Province, Schönbrunn Palace.
"Plunging the world into ultimate darkness? Hmph... laughable. Still, perhaps I'll borrow that idea for a while."
In the same garden as before, Selene sat cross-legged by the flowerbeds, holding a delicate white-and-gold enamel teacup. She chuckled softly, as if she had just heard something amusing.
"Milady, please mind your composure," Sebas reminded her from nearby.
"Yes, yes, I know. I was merely thinking of something rather entertaining..." Selene replied, smiling faintly. The notion that a minor island's demon—Tarakudo and his Shadowkhan army—defeated by a handful of human sorcerers (Onmyoji) in a mortal battle, could engulf the entire world in darkness, was almost comical to her.
Ah, but then again, she thought, for the ancient humans of Japan thousands of years ago, such a thing might have seemed plausible. Their understanding of the world was limited, and the Shadowkhan were at the height of their power back then. Perhaps, within the boundaries of what those old island priests considered the "world," it really could have seemed like global domination.
But as for devouring the entire planet—Selene treated it as nothing more than an amusing story.
If it were the Eight Demon Sorcerers at their peak, however, that might be a different matter. After all, beings like Shendu had once returned from the depths of the underworld, their memories eroded by countless eons—yet with sheer power alone, he nearly conquered the entire moon in a matter of days.
When viewed that way, it was true: for the Eight Demon Sorcerers, even the Earth–Moon system was but a small stage. To seize control of it was merely a question of time and will.
Based on Liver's reports, Selene had determined that the current timeline corresponded to the beginning of the Mask Arc.
The Eight Demon Sorcerers had already been resealed. Daolon Wong had lost his dark chi and become powerless. Though Shendu later broke free of the underworld once more, his misfortune was almost poetic—barely regaining strength before being recaptured and bound by Uncle's seals.
Truly, a tragic tale.
At this point, Selene couldn't help but reflect on a core principle of the Jackie Chan Adventures world—Balance. Especially the balance between yin and yang. Everything in that world existed in cycles of restraint and equilibrium, endlessly repeating.
Under the framework of yin–yang balance, when the world lacked powerful demons—the embodiment of yin—dark chi would naturally seek new vessels. Thus, by process of elimination, the mantle of darkness fell upon the so-called Oni Masks.
Though Tarakudo's power was pitiful compared to that of the Eight Demon Sorcerers, his "Ultimate Darkness" presented... an opportunity.
Unlike the Akame ga Kill world—one that had already fallen from its golden age into millennia of stagnation—the Jackie Chan Adventures world, governed by equilibrium, possessed hidden reserves of power far beyond its surface.
Its protective barrier was like an impenetrable wall of steel. While weak or mundane beings could enter without issue, an existence as vast as Selene's was completely suppressed.
Forcing her way in could trigger a catastrophic yin–yang counterreaction: resurrecting immortals, breaking demon seals, unleashing mana tides—and ultimately uniting every major power in that world against her. That... would be troublesome.
Caution, then, was the wiser path.
By using the unsealing of the nine masks as a conduit, the clash of dark chi (yin) and righteous chi (yang) would culminate in a decisive imbalance. The instant yin overpowered yang, Liver—her infiltrator within—would act as a relay, allowing her to inject vast amounts of concentrated Honkai energy into that world.
Once she had finished calculating the plan, Selene turned to Sebas. "Liver has succeeded. Come, Sebas—take me to see how your Honkai Beast legions are progressing."
It was well-known that every Herrscher gave rise to their own Honkai legion. Even without triggering a Honkai Eruption, as long as sufficient Imaginary Energy existed, lower-tier Honkai Beasts could be produced en masse. For someone like Sebas—a Herrscher's companion beast—mass production was a trivial matter.
Lower-tier Honkai Beasts, formed purely from condensed Imaginary Energy, possessed only rudimentary intelligence. Lacking cores, they existed solely to obey their creator's will. Hence, their creation was relatively easy.
Higher-tier Honkai Beasts, however, were beyond Sebas' capabilities. Only a Herrscher could produce those in quantity.
Entering the Imaginary Space where Sebas cultivated his Honkai Beasts, Selene was greeted by a vast, endless expanse teeming with white-and-violet "creatures." Some were mosquito-like Seraph-class units the height of a human; others, towering Chariot-class beasts over ten meters tall.
"After more than a year of preparation, we now have tens of millions of Seraph- and Chariot-class lower Honkai Beasts ready for deployment," Sebas reported.
At the same time, the process of creation continued without pause. In Selene's vision, countless violet-red particles gathered and compressed. Within moments, thousands of new white-bodied Honkai Beasts with glowing violet halos and rapidly vibrating wings emerged—another wave of the relentless swarm.
"This small fry won't be enough," Selene said, spreading her hands with an amused smile. "Sebas, allow me to show you my results."
The space trembled violently. Black rifts spread outward, tearing through infinity. From the abyss emerged titanic forms—Templar-class beasts fifty meters tall, General-class monstrosities over a hundred meters, and towering Emperor-class colossi spanning several hundred meters. The sky itself vanished behind the endless mass of creatures.
"Only with legions like these—tens of millions strong—can one truly call it a Honkai Legion!"
"Are you ready?"
ROAR—!
ROAR! ROAR—!!
ROAR!! ROAR!! ROAR!!!
...
World of Jackie Chan Adventures — San Francisco, Uncle's Rare Finds.
"An apocalypse... a worldwide apocalypse? Uncle, are you sure it's that serious? The demons are already—"
Jackie hesitated. To date, their most powerful foes had been the Eight Demon Sorcerers led by Shendu himself. But those demons had long since been sealed within the gates of the underworld. There was no way they could escape again. (In the original tale, Shendu was the eldest of the Eight Demons, so the title was fitting.)
Captain Augustus Black, who had been quietly listening, scratched his head in confusion. "Another world-ending crisis? Maybe we should call in the military again."
"Aiyah! How many times must Uncle say it? Magic must be fought with magic!!"
Jackie barely had time to flinch before—
SMACK!
"Ow! That hurt... Uncle, that was Captain Augustus Black's idea, not mine!" Jackie groaned, rubbing his aching forehead.
"You think Uncle is exaggerating? Stop questioning and do as Uncle says!"
Seeing only blank stares around him, Uncle sighed deeply. "Haaah... the decline of magic civilization... The legends of the Immortals, the heritage of the Lo Pei warriors—all lost to time."
Jackie was too earnest. Tohru disliked thinking altogether. As for Captain Augustus Black—best not mention it. Only Jade had the wit and energy to inherit Uncle's craft... but she was far too mischievous—and far too young, with school still to attend.
Suddenly—BANG!
Speak of the devil. Jade kicked the study door open and charged in, shouting excitedly.
"Whoa! Uncle Jackie! That silver-haired guy's magic tool was so cool! I want one too! Uncle, can you make me one?"
"Jade!" Jackie groaned, hands on his hips. "Your only mission right now is to memorize the fifty states and their fifty capitals!"
"Oh, come on, Uncle Jackie! I just want to help too..."