Could these pointed elf ears really hear that far? Her hands itched, she really wanted to grab those ears and thoroughly examine them.
---------------------------
"Future …"
At a forty-five-degree angle, Herta looked up at the sky.
In the pitch-black night, countless bright stars were scattered like a chessboard, and reflected in her eyes, it was another kind of scene entirely.
As she thought, her expression gradually grew strange.
"Did something happen?"
Always paying attention to Herta's expression, seeing this look made Elysia involuntarily nervous.
Her two hands clasped together without her realizing, her eyes blinking rapidly as she looked at Herta, afraid of hearing a bad answer from her mouth.
"In words you can understand: the sacrifices that should have happened didn't decrease, and the sacrifices that shouldn't have happened, there weren't any."
An ambiguous answer. But it made Elysia smile brightly.
"That's enough."
The existence of Honkai destined that humanity would suffer many losses.
Elysia felt very sad. But she would not stop moving forward because of this. It was precisely because of sadness that she must work even harder.
The Herrscher of Humanity would suffer distress from human suffering, but also leap with joy from human perseverance and strength.
Herta was a little surprised at Elysia's reaction. She accepted it so calmly?
Herta had met countless people, but she couldn't see through Elysia.
No one could know what kind of unexpected yet reasonable actions such a person might take.
Just like earlier,
"Herta, what fragrance do you use? It smells so nice."
Lifting her eyes, the beautiful girl leaned closer, her nose lightly twitching.
Herta was full of question marks.
Why was the topic heading in such a strange direction?!
Before she could even think, watery eyes suddenly flashed before her, and when she looked up, she saw ripples of light in Elysia's gaze, cutely fixed on her.
"Since Herta comes from the future, then you must know what exactly Honkai is, right?"
Blinking her lively eyes, Elysia pouted slightly and asked softly.
Hearing Elysia's question, Herta froze for a moment.
It wasn't that the question surprised her, Elysia asking this was perfectly natural.
It was just that regarding Honkai, even her own understanding was incomplete.
The Imaginary Tree was far too mysterious. Even for a genius like her, fully understanding it was an enormous subject.
But she was confident she could completely analyze it.
Her only obstacle wasn't anything else, it was time.
There were too many things in this world worth exploring.
Rather than struggling too long on the Imaginary Tree, it was better to use her superintelligence to solve these smaller problems first, and in that time collect research topics about the Imaginary Tree, then launch deeper study once she had enough.
Herta was quite willing to answer Elysia's question, but,
"Are you sure you can understand?" Her doubtful gaze was filled with suspicion.
This answer was not what Elysia expected.
She froze for a few seconds, then reacted, puffing out her cheeks, pouting, and making funny gestures in the air.
"Herta, that's too much! I'm super smart, you know!"
After fooling around for a while, Herta began to explain.
"Do you know the theory of the Imaginary Tree?"
"Imaginary Tree?"
Blinking blankly, Elysia tilted her head slightly and nodded as if she'd heard it before.
"I've heard others mention it." Elysia's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Could it be that the Imaginary Tree is the source of Honkai?!"
"How could that be." Herta mercilessly poured cold water over her excitement, speaking plainly: "If the Imaginary Tree were the source of Honkai, then I'd advise you to start preparing your funerals early, or else build some spaceships or starships to escape. I can even provide technical support as a favor."
If Honkai really originated from the Imaginary Tree, there's no way this world could have lasted so long. Herta wouldn't even bother studying it, and would just research how to escape instead.
"In my scans, Honkai is triggered by a 'source.' I don't yet know its exact origin. It's rooted at the end of the Imaginary Tree, and its operational logic is to induce Honkai in different worlds. Based on current knowledge, both Mars and Venus in this star system already show traces of Honkai."
Elysia's pupils widened slightly, her lips parting.
The news was too shocking.
Humans had already researched Mars and Venus. Since these planets were so close to Earth, the effort spent on them was not small.
Some human factions even firmly believed that staying on Earth meant no future, and only by finding a more suitable home could humanity survive.
But aside from shouting slogans loudly, this belief had no actual progress.
No money, no resources, how do you get to Mars?
Evolve two pairs of wings naturally?
"So then, now that you know this, what kind of plan do you have?"
After satisfying Elysia's curiosity, Herta crossed her arms and looked playfully at the still-stunned Elysia.
"Nothing at all."
Suddenly, Elysia smiled at Herta.
"I don't plan to do anything."
Herta was stunned, half-wondering if her doll body's voice processing system was broken.
But considering the special circumstances of entering this world, maybe that wasn't the problem.
To Herta's doubts, Elysia cheerfully replied:
"If I were to take action just because of your words, it would definitely cause many, many chain reactions. Since someone like you, who comes from the future, exists, that proves our efforts haven't been in vain. Perhaps this era is destined to end, but the eras that follow will surely be better."
"A very philosophical answer." Herta hadn't expected Elysia to respond like this.
She thought that someone with eyes full of kindness like hers would choose to protect everyone.
But this decisiveness, It wasn't without its comfort. Before Herta could think more, Elysia clapped her hands together, smiling slyly.
"I've worked so hard already, Little Herta, can't you help me out too?"
"…Go ahead."
Herta was in a good mood, and besides, she planned to keep observing Elysia for a while. When it came to subjects she found interesting, she didn't mind giving more attention.
"Well then, if possible, please help take Eden, Hua, and Pardo safely away. Please, I'm begging you."
Elysia used her pitiful charm attack on Herta!
But already immune, and as a veteran trickster herself, Herta calmly said: "The two you mentioned, I don't know them. But Hua, I do know. She survived straight into that time. Of everyone, she's the one you least need to worry about."
"Eh? Really? What was Hua like at that time? Did she get taller, cuter, or… more beautiful?"
At this, Elysia immediately perked up, her eyes sparkling as she pestered Herta with questions.
Her enthusiasm was the kind Herta found hard to handle.
So why do such girls even exist in this world?!
...
Meanwhile, Fu Hua and the others finally understood what was really happening.
As for Otto and Kevin's actions, none of them spoke.
At a time like this, words were powerless, even making things worse.
Kallen and Sakura had truly returned to this world.
In good condition.
Was it necessary to send them back, to make up for their absence in history?
For all who walk in this world, who has not experienced regret? Now that such a road lay open, who could guarantee resisting such overwhelming temptation?
If this temptation could cause great problems for the world, perhaps Otto's usual style could suppress the desires of the heart.
But Sakura and Kallen were both saved at the very instant of death.
In such circumstances, who could remain unmoved?
"Fuxi, Nuwa." Fu Hua's expression wavered slightly, her gaze carrying a trace of remembrance.
Her life had been far too long.
The scenery of the mortal world remained unchanged for hundreds and thousands of years.
But she had struggled in it too long, losing too much.
If possible, Fu Hua would only wish to rise in the morning to practice martial arts, spend her leisure in peace, and follow orders to charge ahead when duty calls.
Work that requires much thinking was never suitable for her. But the will of the world does not move for one person alone.
She could only walk forward in solitude.
"Alright, since these problems are all solved, shouldn't we move on to other matters now?"
At this moment, Kallen stood up, rubbing her fists together, making a crackling sound.
The Kaslana family's unique show of brute strength. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she glared at the Void Archives in Otto's likeness with hostility.
The sensation from that punch just now felt completely wrong.
Definitely not human.
But after a brief explanation, Kallen understood Otto's current body was composed of soulium.
In words she could grasp:
Tough, and not afraid of breaking.
Originally, she had considered showing restraint, since Otto was now the Overseer of Schicksal.
But upon hearing this, Kallen instantly grew excited.
The Void Archives sighed.
Fine, Otto's messes, he had to shoulder them himself.
"On the path of resisting Honkai, certain necessary sacrifices are unavoidable."
"Then how do you explain what happened during the Second Eruption, with Sirin, the Second Herrscher?!"
Kallen glared furiously at the Void Archives, her voice filled with anger.
"I do not deny that the decision I made back then was terrible. But at that time, I had just suffered trauma to the brain. Many things I could not react to properly, so mistakes were inevitable."
"Just as under the name of Kaslana, no one shall be harmed, under the name of Apocalypse, I swear, my actions leave me with no shame in my heart."
The Void Archives sat upright, his tone sincere.
"That was the lives of millions! What do you take life for?!"
"Kallen."
Yae Sakura gently held back the agitated Kallen, trying to calm her down.
To Kallen's anger, the Void Archives spoke gravely:
"The Second Eruption brought humanity devastating lessons. Among them, the Second Herrscher was the greatest source of it, she flew to the moon, threatening the world with a meteor. If that meteor had fallen, the world itself would have ceased to exist. Therefore, some inevitable losses could not be avoided. Five hundred years ago, you yourself charged at the front lines. You should understand best that some casualties cannot be prevented."
Staring directly, the Void Archives showed a conscience unshaken, the look in his eyes piercingly real.
Kallen deflated immediately.
No matter how naïve she was, she could not deny his words.
Her own era had been even harsher than the present.
Though Honkai shifts with the progress of civilization,
Back then, most ordinary people had little more than wooden sticks for self-defense.
Only a few families possessed the strength to face Honkai beasts directly.
Most people could only wail helplessly beneath the claws of Honkai beasts. Even though Schicksal dispatched troops everywhere to exterminate them, the limitations of the age and the gap in strength meant that many still perished in droves.
Even she, fighting without pause, could not change that.
And after learning some background about this age, she knew that the Honkai she had faced in her time was not even the most severe.
This era's Honkai far surpassed anything she had once imagined.
This meeting brought both relief and disappointment, excitement and loss.
But when all was said and done, an important matter still stood before everyone:
Cleaning up the mess.
"Is Schicksal really this incredible now? To think there's such a vast place up in the skies."
Kallen casually picked up a piece of mech wreckage. Looking at the white clouds drifting past, she sighed in wonder.
In her era, Schicksal still built cathedrals on the ground and rode horses.
In five hundred years, not only had Schicksal endured, it had grown stronger, stretching its dominion even to the skies where only birds once flew.
Though Otto had done countless wrongs, his achievements could not be erased.
Thinking of this, Kallen let out a soft sigh.
If she could, she truly wanted to punch Otto to death. But now, the world could not live without Otto.
Schicksal could not lose the Overseer guiding them forward.
"How frustrating!!"
With a long howl, Kallen suddenly bowed her head, looking toward Theresa not far away.
For the sake of ensuring this world wouldn't be ruined in Otto's hands, Theresa, hurry and grow up to inherit the Overseer's position!
"Eh?"
...
Looking into the distance, the man stood tall and upright.
His back was like in the past, when he first set out to fight against Honkai and returned triumphant, brimming with confidence.
After fifty thousand years, Kevin finally straightened his back once more, raising his head proudly to the comrades who had sacrificed everything for the survival of civilization.
"Kevin." Fu Hua approached gracefully, lifting her gaze slightly toward him.
Hearing her voice, Kevin slowly turned, his eyes carrying a weight not diminished by time.
"You came."
"I came."
"…Yes, you should."
Walking slowly to Kevin's side, she looked together at the setting sun ahead.
The sunset promised yet another dawn.
"He isn't Otto, is he?" After a pause, Fu Hua asked.
"Mm." Kevin gave a short, straightforward reply.
As soon as the words fell, Kevin extended his hand.
From Fu Hua's view, she saw in his hand an object she knew better than any other.
The 8th Divine Key, Fenghuang Down.
Forged from the Herrscher of Sentience's core of the previous era, its greatest use for Fu Hua was to ease her burden of unbearable memories.
That was why Dr. Mei had entrusted it to her.
Long ago, she had carried it by her side without parting. And now, it appeared once again, this time, in Kevin's hand.
Fu Hua quietly stared at Fenghuang Down, waiting for Kevin to speak.
"To connect to the Imaginary Tree and seek past timelines requires immense energy and a stable passage. We have found both."
Fu Hua understood. The immense energy was that gray-haired girl; the stable passage referred to the space Godzilla had opened.
An entrance where one could come and go without obstruction, provided one had the courage and ability.
"When both conditions are gathered, the most crucial element remains, a stable anchor."
Leaves swirled in the wind, drifting gracefully.
Fu Hua lowered her eyes, lost in thought.
After a moment, she spoke softly.
"Otto, undeniably, in terms of willpower, he far surpasses ordinary people."
For that reason, Otto's will could serve as an anchor. Only with such resolve could a branch be carved, allowing someone of the past to return.
"He is no less a genius than Mobius." Kevin's voice was calm.
"If he survives, he would certainly bring about achievements no lesser than hers in his era."
Even so, both of them knew clearly: once Otto learned there was a way to bring Kallen back, no matter how difficult, no matter the cost, he would never give up.
If not for the desire to hand over a world without ripples, one that had a chance of defeating the Honkai, to Kallen,
Upon discovering the method, Otto might even have wagered the ruin of the world itself in exchange.
Kevin extended his hand, returning Fenghuang Down to Fu Hua.
"It is time to sound the horn of counterattack."
For the departed, they would open a road of life for the living.
No matter the past, the present, or the future, the air already carried the breath of a new era.
...
Coral Island.
The cold grew heavier, Honkai energy nearly tangible. Even Immortal Blades members could not enter.
For safety, Rita and Yuna, the only ones still able to approach, chose cautiously not to step inside.
The atmosphere thickened, until,
"I just received word from Lady Durandal. They've succeeded."
Rita's face lit with joy as she shared the news with Yuna.
"I also got word from the Headmistress, Kiana is safe." The two exchanged a glance, reading the same joy in each other's eyes.