In the dream, Durandal, like all the other psychic-type MANTISes, relentlessly searched for the Herrscher of Sentience's location within the limited time.
But because the experiment's time limit was exceeded and Otto hadn't activated the button to pull her consciousness back, the other surviving MANTISes had already left the dream, while Durandal was lost within the Herrscher of Sentience's dream world.
The Herrscher of Sentience discovered the lone Durandal, appeared before her, and dragged her into a dream once more.
This time, the dream wove a beautiful world. Here, Durandal had developed a cure for the Honkai Disease, and Ragna had not been infected and was still alive.
Durandal fell into confusion, sinking into this beautiful dream.
But in the real world, Otto pressed the button. A stream of data stimulated Durandal's scalp, pulling her consciousness back to reality.
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Durandal, who was joyfully waving goodbye with Ragna to a patient who had recovered and was leaving, suddenly fell silent.
"I'm sorry, Director Ragna, I have to go." Durandal was silent for a moment, then turned to leave.
"Durandal, where are you going? There are still other patients waiting for you!"
Ragna grabbed Durandal's hand, trying to pull her back, but Durandal did not stop.
"Thank you for letting me see Director Ragna again. But I know... she is already dead."
"What are you talking about!? Look, am I not alive and well?"
Swish—
Durandal took out the scalpel she carried with her and sliced through the hand Ragna was using to hold her.
"I am still alive... because the serum made from antibodies extracted from Director Ragna's body saved my life. No matter how painful this fact is, I must accept it. It is because of this pain that I can continue to move forward."
After speaking, Durandal looked with reluctance at the dissipating Ragna.
"Goodbye, Director..."
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Durandal woke up from the experiment pod. She had successfully returned alive, and she had also successfully located the Herrscher of Sentience.
She joyfully wanted to share this news with Otto, who was like a father to her, but the only response Durandal received was a body that had already turned cold and hard.
Durandal stood in front of Otto's body in silence for a long, long time...
Finally, she picked up the flask Otto always carried with him. It was one of the few things Otto had left in this world.
After all, when a person dies, there is truly nothing left.
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Otto's experimental base had been discovered by the Herrscher of Sentience. Ryn took Durandal to Fire Moth's headquarters.
Based on the information Durandal brought back, Dr. Rita quickly located the Herrscher of Sentience and dispatched the MANTISes to eliminate it.
Durandal, however, remained by Dr. Rita's side, working with her on the "Stigmata Project".
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Finality has descended.
The final battle against the Honkai had begun.
Humanity dispatched its last and strongest eight warriors. Dr. Rita's plan was for them to first attract the Herrscher of Finality's attention, then use the Moonlight Throne to neutralize the Honkai energy within the Herrscher of Finality, weakening it.
But the existence of the Herrscher of Finality was beyond everyone's expectations.
The Herrscher of Finality didn't even glance at the MANTISes' attacks, disdaining to even block them...
Just five minutes after the battle began, two MANTISes were defeated by Finality with a casual blow... The Moonlight Throne also collapsed and disintegrated due to overload...
The Moonlight Throne neutralized thirty percent of the Honkai energy within Finality, but with its disintegration, humanity lost its ultimate means of fighting the Honkai.
The newborn Herrscher of Finality, having lost energy, was at a loss and chose to remain stationary to recover.
Ryn told the others to take the opportunity to retreat first, while he stayed behind, continuously charging his power...
Before the descent of Finality, Mobius had used Prometheus to modify Elysia's body, creating the "13th Divine Key"...
While Ryn was holding off the Herrscher of Finality, Prometheus No. 17, under Mobius's control, intervened in the Imaginary Tree's civilization screening mechanism, corrupting the connection between the Cocoon of Finality and the Imaginary Tree.
Prometheus No. 17 assimilated with the Honkai, giving birth to the "Honkai Re-normalization Group," also known as the "Will of the Honkai"...
The Cocoon of Finality watched all of this happen but did not intervene or stop it. Because whether it was Elysia, Fire Moth, or the Will of the Honkai... none of it meant anything to the Cocoon.
The Cocoon was just waiting for someone, waiting for the birth of "Kiana".
Durandal, who remained on the ground, received intelligence from the moon and activated the shelter project, sinking everything in the shelter underground to escape Finality's cleansing.
Upon receiving news that Ryn was still alive, Durandal hurriedly ran to Dr. Rita to deliver the message.
"Wait... huh?"
Durandal, while running, suddenly froze for a moment. Had she gotten something wrong?
Dr. Rita sensed Durandal's arrival and turned her chair to face her.
Durandal, without time for further thought, told Rita the news that Ryn was still alive.
"...That's wonderful. Unfortunately... I won't be able to see him again."
"Rita... you..."
Durandal knelt trembling before Rita. The marks of Honkai corrosion had already crept up to Rita's cheeks...
Rita opened her eyes to look at Durandal, but the light in them was already gone...
"My body has reached its limit. Right now, I can't even see your face clearly... Thank you, Durandal. Thanks to your medicine, I was able to hold on until now."
Rita's tears flowed uncontrollably as she reached out a hand towards Durandal.
"There are two letters on the desk. One for you, and one for Ryn. For the next few thousand, tens of thousands of years, Ryn will have to exist alone in this world. He must be very lonely. Durandal, please, stay by his side and don't let him go astray. Promise me, will you?"
"He is my dearest friend as well. I will always be with him." Durandal reached out to take Rita's outstretched hand.
But Rita's hand fell limp... Rita was dead...
Eight hours later, Ryn returned from the moon, only to find Rita's corpse.
Ryn finished reading the letter Rita had left for him. His tears froze into ice crystals and fell to the ground, drop by drop.
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In the real world, Su, who had been manipulating the dream all along, let out a sigh. Everything Durandal had experienced was actually Su's own past. It was just retold with Durandal as the anchor, replacing everyone with people familiar to her...