"Let me confirm one last time. If you want to join the new MOTH squad, you'll have to acknowledge me as captain."
Nagami's playful attitude was gone; his tone was serious.
"Even though both the Flame-Chasers and World Serpent share the same ultimate goal of defeating Honkai, our philosophies are very different.
"I don't approve of those who recklessly strip others of their lives under the excuse of 'salvation.' Because of that, I won't make use of World Serpent's resources—nor will I allow any plans that threaten ordinary people."
Nagami's gaze shifted to Kevin.
The man stood with eyes closed in thought, his ancient face betraying no emotion.
To Kevin, the process was irrelevant.
As long as the end result was victory over Honkai, nothing else mattered.
Whether Nagami was captain or not was of little importance; who gave the orders didn't matter, so long as Honkai was destroyed.
Now, he simply had to make a choice:
Would he place his faith in the Herrscher of Reason before him—the one who could resist the corrosion of the Honkai Will?
Or would he cling to the possibility of the Stigmata Project?
But to be frank, the essence of the Stigmata Project was nothing more than "hurting the enemy by a thousand, while sacrificing eight hundred of your own."
Even if it succeeded, only a handful of humans would remain alive.
Kevin knew this well—yet it was a choice born of having no choice.
Compared to that, the possibility of thirteen Herrschers joining forces against the Herrscher of the End… perhaps there was hope.
There was another key point.
Kevin was certain that Nagami and C.C. were not warriors of the Previous Era—but neither did they belong to this Era, or even to this world.
The possibilities surrounding them, and that unknown being…
Kevin recalled it vividly: shortly after the quantum entanglement effect dissipated, violent turbulence surged across the empty Quantum Sea, like roaring tides.
He remembered those slowly turning hexagrams—eyes that seemed to hold an entire sky full of stars.
That person had glanced at him only once before leaving, as if occupied with something far more important.
But even that one, indifferent glance was enough to make Kevin feel utterly exposed, as if every atom of his body had been laid bare.
That overwhelming pressure—he had felt it only once before, fifty thousand years ago, when he faced the Herrscher of the End.
His eyes drifted to Nagami's own six-pointed star pupils, glowing with a pure violet radiance.
Kevin finally nodded calmly.
"…No problem. If you need World Serpent's resources, you may use them."
C.C. raised a brow, her gaze tinged with surprise.
She hadn't expected Kevin to agree so readily—nor to hand over World Serpent's power without hesitation.
Nagami, meanwhile, met his eyes without flinching, then suddenly let out a quiet laugh.
Of course.
Fifty thousand years later, Kevin might be a stubborn madman—but he was no fool.
Between the two options, which one held a greater chance of defeating Honkai was obvious.
In truth, there were no "villains" in this world of Honkai. Every organization's final aim was the same: to defeat it.
The only exception was Otto, the ultimate Kallen fanatic, who cared for nothing but her resurrection.
But for everyone else—when a real chance to defeat Honkai appeared—working together wasn't impossible.
And now that Otto's matter had been dealt with, the situation had reached the point of "F12, A."
"I only have one question." Kevin's voice was calm as still water, his eyes fixed on Nagami and C.C.
"Who… are you people, really?"
"That's a long story," Nagami replied casually. "We'll save it for next time. Your followers must be growing impatient outside anyway, and I have business to attend to."
With Kevin still in stunned silence, Nagami gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder, took C.C. by the hand, and walked past him.
As they moved forward, the space before them cracked open into a shadowy tunnel, its depths pitch-black, like a passage into an endless abyss.
"Lastly, Herrscher of Ice—Kevin Kaslana. What do you think?"
Yes, Nagami had changed his mind.
The mantle of Ice would remain with Kevin.
Rita had other options… but for Kevin, it could only ever be Ice.
Without waiting for an answer, Nagami and C.C. vanished together into the darkness.
"…Ice, huh?"
Kevin murmured the word under his breath, staring at his own outstretched hand.
It looked pale and slender, yet in truth it was eternal, unyielding frost—like a blade drawn from a frozen wasteland.
"…Fitting enough."
Casting one last glance at the Quantum Sea, Kevin turned toward the vortex that led back to the real world and stepped through.
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Outside—Eye of the Abyss
A steaming bowl of ramen was carefully balanced in a pair of mechanical hands as Gray Serpent emerged from a corner.
He had made it himself, in with the quick simple's kitchen that he made.
C.C.'s actions had won his trust.
He had decided to believe in her—if the gamble paid off, it would be a huge gain.
If it failed… well, so be it.
Why hadn't he let Raven cook instead?
Because Gray Serpent feared that if their lord took even a single bite, he'd flee back into the Quantum Sea.
Raven shot him a sidelong glance, thinking he must be seriously ill.
She was brimming with sarcastic remarks.
Still, the aroma was tempting—even she felt her appetite stirring.
And there was something novel about it too.
After all, Gray Serpent had always worn that gloomy face ever since she meet him, only ever showing passion when Kevin was mentioned.
Raven had almost suspected: male bonding syndrome right next to me.
"Ugh, how much longer do we have to wait!?"
Raven propped her chin with one hand.
Ever since the Eye of the Abyss had opened, they'd been waiting for over two hours.
She couldn't help but feel stifled and bored—she had no sense of reverence toward Kevin.
Gray Serpent glanced her way but said nothing.
He only cradled the ramen and stared intently at the rippling space before them.
At last, the ripples quickened, swirling into a vortex.
The instant it appeared, a flood of emotions—excitement, fear, joy, devotion crashed through Gray Serpent's mind.
His breathing trembled uncontrollably.
Even Raven straightened up, her earlier boredom vanishing.
Her expression turned solemn. Respect for the strong was still necessary.
And when the white-haired, blue-eyed warrior finally stepped out from the vortex, Gray Serpent could no longer contain himself.
"My lord—welcome back!"
He bowed slightly, offering up the carefully prepared ramen. Steam curled gently upward.
"Welcome back," Raven echoed, her voice respectful, though her eyes remained glued to the ramen in Gray Serpent's hands.
Kevin's ever-unchanging face betrayed no emotion, though a trace of bewilderment flickered in his gaze.
"…This is?"
He asked with as even a tone as he could, staring at the familiar dish before him.
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