As for whether Otto planned to use the Stellaron for some secret scheme, hmph. This Trailblazer was more than ready.
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The Imaginary Tree
A great existence that has been present since the birth of the universe.
Within the domain covered by the Imaginary Tree, large-scale fluctuations are exceedingly rare.
Even small tremors are almost unheard of.
Yet recently, because of a certain lazy guy, waves have frequently rippled across the Imaginary Tree and the Quantum Sea, which have struggled against each other since the dawn of creation.
Just days ago, in a inconspicuous location on the tree, a new node stirred.
A "river" with distinct fluctuations slowly emerged, becoming more and more visible. Its "waves" grew stronger, and before long, a unique river appeared at the peak of all existence, flowing through the Imaginary Tree.
Countless imaginary energies surged and coursed within it, converging like rivers into the sea.
The sight was magnificent beyond words.
When the "river" had expanded to a certain extent, it ceased to grow, as if it had already exhausted all its potential, content to flow quietly, spreading slowly through this sacred place revered by countless living beings.
It should have been that way. The "river's" growth follows its own laws, stable and balanced.
But in this world, nothing is absolute.
The once-calm river began to surge again! Furious waves collided, devouring one another, contesting, crashing, fierce and perilous!
The river that had stopped expanding suddenly swelled upward, and the imaginary energy roiling within it drew every gaze.
Such obvious and violent fluctuations naturally caught the attention of the guest of this place.
Opening its eyes, golden vertical pupils unconsciously revealed the majesty of a great being.
"What's going on there?"
Godzilla stared in puzzlement at the newly formed tributary of the Imaginary Tree.
Its flexible tail curled into a large question mark.
It wasn't that Godzilla was surprised by the Imaginary Tree birthing a new branch, such occurrences were common, both for the Imaginary Tree and the Quantum Sea.
As two supreme existences locked in conflict since the birth of the universe, new tributaries were constantly emerging.
Their immense scale destined countless worlds for endless cycles of rise and fall. Compared to the few worlds that successfully gained control of their own fate, most world-bubbles were doomed to struggle, sinking forever into the Sea.
So Godzilla paid no heed to such newborn worlds.
A world so fragile that a single atomic breath could pierce it from one end to the other, better to just sleep longer.
Only this new tributary seemed somewhat different.
Gazing at the still-expanding stream, Godzilla frowned slightly.
Although it did not know the precise workings of the Imaginary Tree, if this were merely the birth of a new world, surely it wouldn't be happening within its own body?
A single branch should have been enough.
Not only Godzilla, but even Miss Memokeeper was equally puzzled.
"What is that?"
With a heart full of curiosity, Miss Memokeeper slowly flew toward the suddenly emerging, rapidly expanding tributary, skimming back and forth above it, puzzled by the strange readings she saw.
"Hmm…" Miss Memokeeper puffed up her cheeks in protest.
She was just a small memokeeper, not a member of the Genius Society, what were all these weird things supposed to be?!
"Do I need to take extra lessons now…" She muttered softly, half in doubt, half in resignation.
As a Miss Memokeeper who collected interesting memories for the Garden, her duty was to gather any memory that might draw the attention of the Aeons.
So why did these strange phenomena keep appearing before her one after another?
Miss Memokeeper had considered submitting these memories as mission material.
But the idea was better than the reality.
If the Aeon of Erudition saw them, it would easily catch Their attention.
And for the Memokeepers, these things were equally precious, they were not something to be discarded.
Still, this was no problem for Miss Memokeeper. They were memories, after all. In the Quantum Sea, within its world-bubbles, or on the Imaginary Tree in worlds not yet sunk.
The memories contained within were an endless treasure. With patience, it was only a matter of time before she found one that could stir the aeon Fuli's interest!
Miss Memokeeper nodded, clenched her little fists, and cheered herself on.
After all that…
"How did this thing even appear in the first place?" She asked in confusion.
No matter which angle she looked from, this newly born tributary appeared completely ordinary.
Miss Memokeeper wasn't a scholar specialized in such matters, so finding even a clue was nearly impossible.
…
"We'll begin with the survey of the ancient era," whispered Void Archives.
"Experience is very important. Besides, I value our contract above all."
Turning his eyes toward Kevin, who was silently clenching his fists, Void Archives smiled.
"Calm down, my friend. Experiments always come with uncertainties. What we must do is reframe those instabilities, just as a crayon gently sketches a quiet stream on paper."
Kevin gave a slight nod, suppressing his words.
Beside them, Stelle, who was providing the energy to open the channel, stared at the portal emitting a strangely familiar warmth.
It somehow felt… as cozy as the Express.
"Wah! Don't stick your head in there!" March 7th reacted instantly, grabbing Stelle by the collar and shouting.
What kind of mind does one need to have to shove their head into an unknown portal like that?!
…
Fifty thousand years ago.
It was the era when starlight flickered, when humanity's stars rose high, protecting the earth below.
The Fire Moths.
Normally, those gathered under the Flame-Chasers were all warriors fighting against destruction, but history always comes with its ironies.
As humanity's final and strongest line of defense, internal power struggles within the Fire Moth had reached unimaginable levels.
Even on the brink of extinction, countless ambitious men sought not unity but greater control, trying to seize more power in what little time remained.
Naturally, they perished with the times.
After the death of the Eleventh Herrscher, humanity's fear of the Herrschers did not fade, it only grew.
Barely surviving to this day, those still alive were beyond rare.
Compared to the once teeming humanity that covered the world, these remnants now lived on the edge of extinction.
Thus the atmosphere within the Fire Moth was like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
No one knew when or where it would explode.
"Rin…"
Through layer upon layer of barriers, Yae Sakura gazed toward the laboratory.
Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on the cold, shining blade in her hand.
Not long ago, her younger sister, Rin, had been detected to carry a special Honkai energy reaction, identified as the Twelfth Herrscher.
Although Rin showed no Herrscher powers and still retained human consciousness, the fearful humans nevertheless took her back to the Fire Moth and imprisoned her.
Dr. Mei was assigned to study Rin.
As her sister, how could Sakura possibly allow the slightest harm to come to her? Just as she steeled herself to act, a strange sensation welled up within her heart.
Among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, Sakura's senses were the keenest, especially her awareness of her surroundings, surpassing even Kevin's.
Now, preparing to rescue Rin, she had fully expanded her perception, every slightest disturbance falling within her grasp.
Thus, the first to notice something amiss was not Mei, nor Kevin the strongest warrior,
But the elder sister who would give up everything for her sibling.
Sakura lifted her gaze to the sky, following her intuition toward the source of that feeling.
Fifty thousand years later, through that special channel, two figures watched this scene, their expressions complex.
"Sakura," Kevin murmured.
This time, he was certain, the familiar figure in his view was his former comrade.
Sakura, a member of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.
The tragedy of the past flashed vividly in his mind. Seeing her again, guilt welled up within Kevin's heart.
Closing his eyes briefly, he reopened them, glancing sideways.
"…," He tried to speak, but seeing Void Archives silent, he stopped.
Shaking his head slightly, Void Archives gave no explanation.
"This world truly is wondrous." To become a proper bishop, Void Archives had studied everything Otto once did, even events long past.
To him, many so-called secrets were not secrets at all.
Thus, he well understood how much damage that face could deal to Otto.
And now, that same face appeared twice.
"What do we do next?"
Kevin's voice carried urgency. Defeating the Honkai was important, but bringing back his old comrades mattered just as much.
"Patience, my friend," Void Archives said softly, hands raised in calm.
"This is delicate work. We must have patience. And as we agreed, with our current abilities, we cannot truly reverse time and bring them back."
Kevin steadied his breath, nodding in understanding.
All they could do was connect the power of the Herrscher of the Void to the Imaginary Tree, using its pathways to glimpse into the past.
In the past, even knowing time was real would have been useless, they lacked the power to connect or influence it.
Until Otto discovered a special route.
"According to my research, there exists a mysterious substance in this world. When formless, it does not affect reality, but once technology reaches a certain point, even ordinary people can enter that wondrous realm."
Otto had once explained confidently.
"And what we must do is use the power of the Herrscher of the Void to link the Imaginary Space, ride this mysterious path, enter the Imaginary Tree, anchor it to me, and use our combined temporal essence to project the space-time of our past into the present, stabilizing the anchor."
That was their plan, to bring their comrades from the past, and with them, perhaps win against the era of Honkai.
"What are you guys even talking about?" March 7th blinked, utterly lost.
She didn't understand a thing. Still, she managed to piece together a general idea: these two big shots each had someone they wanted to save, and that's why they came to Stelle.
Considering the power within the Stellaron, that wasn't surprising.
"Increase energy output," Void Archives said confidently, a strategist's smile on his face.
…
Meanwhile.
On the Imaginary Tree, Godzilla, whose attention had already been caught, now rose curiously and approached the strange tributary.
Leaning slightly forward, its golden pupils radiated regal might.
"There's nothing there, you see anything?" Miss Memokeeper landed on Godzilla's shoulder, muttering gloomily.
She'd stared until her eyes hurt, yet still couldn't see what was inside.
Defeated.
Godzilla gently tapped her head with the tip of its tail in comfort, then curved its tail gracefully and slipped it into the tributary.
…
Fire Moth.
"Warning! Warning! Massive unknown energy reaction detected! Warning! Warning!!"
The crimson alarms and piercing sirens froze everyone in place.
Most members of the Fire Moth were survivors, those who had once faced Herrschers and lived by sheer luck.
That luck could not dispel the fear in their hearts; instead, it magnified it, until even today, many trembled at the mere sight of recorded devastation.
Twisted minds were not uncommon within the Fire Moth.
Then, a colossal figure emerged from a "stream" in the sky, its sharp tip, layered ridges, and massive muscles all proclaiming the terror of its power.
At that breathless moment, the giant moved, and its destination was clear.
"That direction, Rin!"
Sakura's pupils constricted, her body flashing forward like a ghost, racing toward Rin's location.
Everything in her path was cleaved apart in a single stroke.
The gentle, composed assassin revealed her true edge, nothing could stand before her blade!
The Twelfth Herrscher stared in horror as the towering being approached, instinct forcing her to activate her true form.
If it had been before, she would have relished controlling this body alone, using her power to erase humanity from the earth.
But now,
"Let me out of here! You coward!"
"This is your body! I, the Herrscher, will not fight a child for control, take it back, now!"
The Twelfth Herrscher was speechless, forced to wrestle for control.
No matter how she coaxed or provoked, Rin only curled up in the corner, trembling, silent.
The Herrscher regretted everything. She thought she could seize control by exploiting Rin's instability, she did gain the body, but this was what she had to face.
Not only was she ill-suited for direct combat, even the strongest Herrschers would be powerless before such a being.
Rage flared. Fear turned to defiance.
Even ordinary humans could awaken potential in crisis, how much more so the embodiment of Honkai itself?
"Damn it! I won't let you have your way!"
With a furious cry, the Twelfth Herrscher unleashed her power. Honkai energy flooded forth, seizing every human weapon capable of mass destruction, turning them toward the last three human cities.
And foremost among them, the city where she stood.
"Then we all die together!" she screamed, ready for a final struggle.
The visible Honkai energy was her last desperate act, her absolute limit.
But then, there was no "then."
Before nuclear fire could even reach, that overwhelming might meant nothing to the colossal being before her.
In the Herrscher's horrified eyes, a massive tail descended upon her head.
Thunk.
Before she could think of a response, the Twelfth Herrscher fainted instantly.
With care, the giant tail lifted her by the collar and began to withdraw.
At that moment,
"Rin!"
A desperate, trembling cry pierced the air, arriving just as its owner appeared.
A sword struck the giant, but to no effect, exactly as Sakura expected.
Using her spirit blade, she leapt and climbed swiftly along the ridged "mountain" of its body, until she reached the still-sleeping Rin.
"Rin." Gently brushing her sister's cheek, Sakura finally eased her heart.
She was safe, that was all that mattered.
Glancing sideways, Sakura realized they had already risen nearly two hundred meters above the ground.
That distance was no issue for her, but below lay the waiting forces of the Fire Moth.
Her eyes complicated, Sakura turned her face away, refusing to look down again.
She didn't know where this colossal being would take them, but she did know that if Rin returned, the best she could hope for would be lifelong imprisonment and experimentation.
And worse, considering the world's fear of Herrschers, what might happen then was unthinkable.
With her pride as an elder sister, she tightened her grip on Rin.
Even if ahead lay mountains of blades and seas of fire, she would carve a path for her sister.
Carrying fear for the future and worry for Rin, Sakura followed this mysterious giant as it vanished into the spontaneously formed tributary.
Silent, without ripple or sound. Everything ended as easily as it began, effortless and serene.
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T/N: Kevin and Otto opened a new future with the help of the Herrscher of Void's power and the stellaron's power; Godzilla went into the past and rescued Rin and saved Sakura if I'm not wrong?