Since he'd said it was time to get serious, Nagami naturally didn't return to the Honkai world just to hang around Saint Freya Academy and flirt with the girls.
His first priority was to fulfill the promise he'd made — helping Kevin Kaslana, the leader of World Serpent, awaken as the Herrscher of Ice while retaining his own consciousness.
After mastering nine Herrscher authorities and even creating fragments of the Herrscher of Time's power based on the understanding of space, Nagami didn't believe the Herrscher of the End could pose any real threat to him.
Still, since he'd never seen that power firsthand, it was better to take precautions.
No harm in being overprepared.
The moment the three figures appeared, the air in the grand hall froze into suffocating silence.
Every World Serpent executive instinctively assumed a combat stance.
Their gazes locked onto the black-haired young man leading the group, eyes full of open wariness.
They were Kevin's most devoted followers and none of them doubted their master's strength.
But even so, Kevin had only just returned from the Quantum Sea.
And everyone here knew exactly who Nagami was — the First Herrscher, whose battle against the Herrscher of Domination during the Fourth Eruption had left entire cities in ruins.
If the two of them clashed here…
Fortunately, things didn't head in that direction.
"Yo, Kevin. Long time no see," Nagami greeted casually, waving a hand and scanning the room full of familiar and unfamiliar faces alike. "I'm here to fulfill our deal. You ready?"
Kevin didn't answer.
His calm, icy-blue eyes swept over his subordinates.
"You may leave."
"Yes, Lord Kevin!"
These people weren't fools — you didn't become a senior officer in World Serpent without brains.
It wasn't hard to piece together what was happening: a "deal" with Nagami had replaced the Stigmata Project, and this was part of that agreement.
All pride and arrogance vanished.
Heads lowered in silent reverence as they bowed deeply to their master before quietly exiting the hall.
Soon, the vast steel chamber — all soulium and cold, futuristic sheen — fell silent once more.
Kevin lifted his gaze to the golden-haired girl before him, her beauty like something out of a fairytale.
For the first time, a ripple of emotion flickered across his calm features — quickly buried beneath solemnity.
"What happened to you?" he asked.
But his attention soon shifted from the girl to Nagami.
Even if that golden-haired traveler truly was the one he remembered… the transformation in Nagami was far more shocking.
The young man's face still carried a polite smile — one flawless enough to seem human.
But his eyes were utterly still, devoid of all light or emotion.
They were like the deep sea: placid on the surface, yet impossible to fathom what lurked beneath.
The quiet pressure radiating from him was suffocating.
Even at his peak, Kevin wasn't sure he could stand against it.
For a brief instant, he thought of that figure — the one who embodied the end itself.
A white-haired woman, her expression void of emotion, her aura both merciful and divine.
A radiant halo shimmered above her head like a god's crown.
The Herrscher of the End.
But that was impossible.
It had only been a little over a month since their last encounter in the Quantum Sea — how could Nagami's presence now feel that overwhelming?
"It's nothing," Nagami said lightly. "Just picked up a bit of new knowledge, that's all."
The next moment, all three figures vanished from where they stood — reappearing instantly before Kevin.
A faint purple gleam flickered in Nagami's black eyes before fading.
Kevin's brow furrowed.
In his perception, Nagami suddenly became… ordinary.
Completely indistinguishable from a regular human. He couldn't even sense a Herrscher's presence.
Then his gaze fell on the tiny floating creature looking around curiously.
"An armed puppet? No… what is that strange being?"
Kevin could immediately rule out the obvious, but he had never seen anything like this before.
"Paimon's not a strange being!" she protested, puffing her cheeks. "You meet someone for the first time and that's the first thing you say? So rude! I'm giving you a terrible nickname for that!"
Hands on her hips, Paimon stomped her little foot in indignation.
Ever since Lumine had learned to teleport freely with her spatial abilities, Paimon had become noticeably bolder.
"Hmm… let's see… how about 'Frozen Guy'?" she mused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully before nodding in approval of her own idea.
Even just hovering near Kevin made her feel a biting chill.
The air around him seemed to freeze solid, and that blank, cold face — he really did look like an iceberg that never melted.
"…" Kevin didn't respond.
He simply looked at her with those emotionless, icy-blue eyes.
Paimon shivered, then darted behind Lumine, clutching her shoulder and peeking out cautiously.
She poked Lumine's bare back and tried to signal her to run for it.
Only to realize Lumine was staring at Kevin with an expression Paimon had never seen before.
"This is the core of the Herrscher of Ice. You can choose when to undergo Herrscher transformation yourself. I can guarantee a 99% chance you'll retain your own consciousness."
A crystal-like core shimmered in Nagami's palm. "Aside from that, there's another reason I came here today…"
Nagami's gaze calmly met Kevin's, the latter standing silently with his usual composed expression.
"The Elysian Realm."
The hand Kevin had extended toward the radiant core froze the moment those words left Nagami's lips.
Kevin was silent for a moment, his piercing blue eyes locked on Nagami. "What is it that you're planning?"
He didn't look particularly shocked that Nagami knew about something that, in theory, only the highest-ranking members of World Serpent should be aware of.
After all, Nagami was far too mysterious a man.
Compared to the countless inexplicable things he'd already revealed, a few secret files from World Serpent were trivial.
"What I plan to do… depends on what I see for myself inside the Elysian Realm."
Given Nagami's current level of power, it wasn't impossible for him to turn the memories of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers into "Memory Drives" usable in something like a Kamen Rider W-style Driver system, a practical way to maximize the potential of available resources.
As for that charming pink fairy and the alluring serpent woman—both of whom could drive most men insane—Nagami, in his "Afterglow" could wait….
Right now, he was calm, detached, and perfectly in control.
Even if they appeared before him in the flesh, he wouldn't so much as flinch, much less be swayed by mere remnants of their data.
Of course, that was only assuming those memory bodies truly were just memories.
From what he'd analyzed so far, that possibility existed… but was far from certain.
"You don't need to worry. Everything I'm doing is to strengthen our odds against the Honkai. If I had ill intent, I'd have acted long ago."
Nagami tossed the Herrscher core lightly toward Kevin, his expression softening into a pleasant, almost friendly smile.
"World Serpent can't stop me. Not even its leader can. Even if you, Kevin, returned to the peak of your power fifty thousand years ago—you still couldn't stop me."
As the strongest warrior of the previous civilization, one who had faced the Herrscher of the End and lived, Kevin had never heard anyone speak to him like that.
If the other Flame-Chasers were here, they'd probably burst out laughing at such arrogance.
But Kevin merely stared at Nagami for a long while, silent, before giving a small nod.
"In that case, we'll postpone the Herrscher transformation." His voice was calm and even.
He turned his gaze toward the blonde girl standing beside Nagami, then pivoted on his heel and strode into the shadowy corridor that snaked out from the ceremonial hall.
"Come with me."
Nagami followed without hesitation.
"What a strange guy… he's like a walking ice cube," Paimon muttered under her breath, floating behind Lumine. "And Nagami too! Seriously, this doesn't feel like a fun isekai trip at all!"
"Why don't we go explore a bit on our own? Try some of the local food maybe—"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, but when Lumine didn't respond, Paimon tilted her head, noticing the traveler's blank, contemplative stare.
"Lumine? Why so quiet? Don't tell me… you've been to Nagami's world before?"
For a traveler who could cross the stars, it wouldn't be strange if she had visited countless other worlds.
"I have… once."
With Nagami's power subtly amplifying her senses, Lumine could feel faint traces of energy particles drifting in the air—unfamiliar, yet somehow… nostalgic.
————————————————————————
In the endless darkness, something stirred.
"...Kevin. Kevin."
A low, familiar voice whispered through the void.
"You really are a troublesome man, aren't you?"