One day later.
On the bridge of the Eternal Snowfall.
The girls, gathered from all corners of the world and guided by the Angeloids, walked through the corridor and entered the top-level control room.
"Commander, we've brought them."
The Angeloid stepped back two paces and gestured toward the group.
"Pardofelis, Aponia, Sakura, Rin... this is the Commander of the Starsea Empire. We've introduced him previously."
The future members of Fire Moth stood assembled here.
Of course, there were also people like Rin, who had been brought along due to close ties.
"Oh..."
Sakura, Eden, Aponia, and the others looked at Setsuna with guarded curiosity.
Each of them had been recruited by the Starsea Empire for different reasons.
Aponia had come because the Life Sciences Division had helped resolve the Honkai disease crisis in Twilight Street. She wanted to see more.
Eden had been invited by Elysia. They had known each other before.
Sakura had been purely talked into it by Gudako.
As for Pardofelis, who was shrinking in the back like a cat, she had delivered herself into the trap and been caught red-handed.
"Miss Pardofelis, if possible, please return the property you stole from here first."
Ikaros said expressionlessly.
"You took the rinsing cups belonging to Kayo Senju and Midori Fuse. Also, please return the coolant belonging to one of the shipgirls. If you're lacking daily necessities, you may request a set from logistics."
"Eh?"
Reluctantly, Pardofelis emptied a pile of small items from her bag onto the table.
"Wow. Occupational habit? Though stealing little girls' daily necessities is a bit perverted, don't you think?"
Setsuna chuckled.
"We were planning to look for you. Instead, you delivered yourself."
"..."
Formidable clicked her tongue.
"The Starsea Empire isn't a place for you to rob the rich and help the poor. There's no need—and no point."
"Eh? I-I..."
Pardofelis instinctively sensed that this man was powerful. Dangerous.
Being caught on the spot was definitely not good.
She puffed out her chest, trying to steady her nerves and appear less flustered.
"N-no, listen! My boss ordered me to come up here and look for something. Mm... since you've discovered me, I'll just go back."
Pfft—
Setsuna nearly burst out laughing.
"Your boss? And what did your boss tell you to find here?"
"... Mm."
Pardofelis thought for a moment, then blurted out casually,
"That's none of your business. It's the boss' order. I just do the job."
Setsuna laughed even harder.
He gestured for Pardofelis to step forward and pinched her cheek.
"Boss? Pardofelis, your boss is just you, isn't it?"
Out of fear of retaliation, Pardofelis had fabricated an imaginary "boss" to make others believe she worked for some powerful figure.
It had actually been quite effective. Many people in Twilight Street had been fooled into thinking she was part of some mysterious organization.
But to Setsuna, such bluffing was adorably transparent.
"No!"
"It was the boss who told me to investigate the sudden appearance of those ships... If I don't go back on time, there'll be trouble."
Pardofelis grew flustered, stubbornly doubling down.
"Sigh..."
Setsuna and the shipgirls found it both amusing and faintly heartbreaking.
It was a survival tactic born from clawing her way through the bottom of society.
"Relax. I have no hostility toward you."
Setsuna stood and spoke calmly.
"Also, in this world—on this planet—there are no so-called powerful figures before me. No so-called bosses. Do you understand?"
He raised a hand.
Everyone's gaze followed it toward the view beyond the bridge window.
The sky-obscuring fleet followed behind the Eternal Snowfall, cruising slowly through the sea of clouds.
They resembled floating fortresses. The shadows they cast upon the ground were enough to blanket half a continent. Countless intricate turrets and weapons shimmered beneath the sunlight.
Innumerable Angeloids flew in formation along both sides, solemn and sacred.
The sight was awe-inspiring. Mortals could only look up.
The most powerful military forces on Earth were nothing more than child's play compared to this expeditionary fleet.
No one doubted that, with a single command from Setsuna, the Starsea fleet could tear Earth apart in an instant.
Gulp—
Pardofelis clearly heard herself swallow.
In Twilight Street, what she considered a powerful figure was someone who ruled the underworld with absolute authority, controlling both legal and illegal spheres.
Beyond that—national leaders—already lay outside her comprehension.
But the man before her existed on an entirely different level.
The grand figure she had imagined—her fabricated "boss"—was nothing but an ant in comparison.
"Ah..."
Eden was the first to recover from her daze.
"Then... why have you gathered us? Elysia said you invited me to hold a concert?..."
They came from all walks of life. From superstars to scientists. From scientists to petty thieves.
They looked at one another in confusion, unable to understand why they had been brought together.
"There isn't any specific purpose. If you'd like to hold concerts in the Starsea Empire, that would be wonderful. I don't have many proper idols over there."
Setsuna smiled.
He didn't need to form an anti-Honkai force like Fire Moth. Everyone was free to pursue their own path.
"The Starsea Empire welcomes you. We've twisted the worldline and come from fifty thousand years in the future. You deserve a better future..."
...
"Oh!!—"
"So we're the lucky ones who survived by diverging onto a different fate in another worldline?!"
The three scientists of the Previous Era—Mobius, Mei, and Vill-V—clustered together and grasped the concept first.
Scientists processed information faster. They quickly began chatting enthusiastically with Tesla and Einstein.
No matter how bizarre the explanation, as long as it was logically consistent, they could accept it.
"Mm. As expected, the theoretical framework I studied at Chiba Academy was insufficient to explain this phenomenon."
"That quantum mechanics paper also lacks rigor. The conclusions regarding Honkai energy need revision."
Mei rested her chin on one hand, her mind already racing with the advanced theories of the Starsea Empire.
Vill-V was completely immersed in the astonishing structure of the Eternal Snowfall.
A miracle. An engineering miracle.
Even as a genius, she had never conceived of a starship capable of freely retracting itself and cruising the universe at superluminal speed.
"I have no objections, Commander. After we return, please assign me to the Engineering Department. I'm very interested in these big toys."
"Ah... and it would be even better if I could have my own workshop."
"I'm joining the Life Sciences Division."
Mobius and Vill-V regarded the Starsea Empire with something close to pilgrimage.
They wished they could return to the capital immediately and witness the brilliance of interstellar civilization firsthand.
"..."
Aponia, Sakura, Pardofelis, and the other ordinary individuals fell into contemplation.
The theory of traveling to the future and saving the past was far too shocking for them at this moment.
"So in another worldline, we were all comrades?"
They studied one another. They were complete strangers.
It was easy enough to imagine Mobius and Vill-V joining Fire Moth to fight Honkai.
But Sakura could not fathom what someone like Pardofelis—a small-time thief—would be doing there.
"Your future destinies have already changed from this moment onward. Your past identities don't matter."
"Consider it a small personal privilege from me. There is a place for you within the Starsea Empire."
Setsuna spoke slowly.
"Whether you wish to explore other worlds or live in the capital and pursue your own interests, it's up to you."
"Or perhaps... you'd prefer to remain here and live out your lives simply?"
"..."
The pull of the unknown was immense.
Especially after Setsuna revealed that he came from the future—that this civilization of the Previous Era was destined for destruction.
Everyone felt an intense curiosity about the world fifty thousand years ahead—and about the Starsea Empire.
"Then... shall we all go to the future together and see it?"
...
"This is the cafeteria. These are the dormitories. Please stay here for a few days for now."
"If you have any questions about the Starsea Empire, you can consult the archives or ask us directly."
Tesla, Einstein, and the others led their predecessors from the Previous Era on a general tour of the starship's interior structure.
They then arranged temporary accommodations for them.
"Wow—so advanced. It's much better than Fire Moth's dorms."
Elysia looked around, clearly impressed by the ship's tasteful, minimalist design.
"What about you? What are you still planning to do here?"
Mobius asked.
She was already eager to see the Starsea Empire for herself.
"We need to finalize the personnel list and wrap up remaining tasks. Once we've brought everyone from this era aboard, we can return."
Tesla replied.
"After all, we crossed fifty thousand years. Just moving the transdimensional ship along the spacetime coordinate axis took quite a while."
"If we accidentally leave someone behind in this era, it'll cause trouble later."
"..."
The people of the Previous Era had no real sense of being ancient history. Only after reviewing detailed historical records did they realize they were living in what would become the past.
"Oh!"
"Right!"
Mobius suddenly remembered something.
"I still have two assistants at Fire Moth. Their level is a bit lower than mine, well... but they're still excellent! In the future, they'll definitely become outstanding scholars."
"The Commander promised to let me join the Life Sciences Division and even set up a dedicated research team for me. Can I bring assistants?"
"Hm?"
Grey pulled up the files on the holographic interface.
"Who? Dr. Blanca and Klein?... Ah, no problem. They're already on the list."
"I'll send Angeloids to bring them aboard... Wait, isn't she Griseo's actual mother?"
In Griseo's original memories, Aponia had accompanied her most of the time. She had often followed Aponia around, calling her 'Mama.'
But her biological mother was someone else entirely—currently one of Mobius' assistants.
"... So Griseo's going to have two moms? Whatever."
"Her daughter is over fifty thousand years old, and her birth mother is still a teenager. At this rate, grown-up Griseo looks more like Blanca's sister... Tsk..."
The nanorobot recalled the situation with Cecilia and Kiana and had a vague feeling future ethical complications might arise.
"What about my monkeys?"
Vill-V raised her hand.
"They're very important experimental subjects. I want to observe their development and evolution. Can I pack them up and bring them along?"
"???"
"You mean the monkeys you armed with a bunch of weapons and had fighting with firearms on that island?"
Grey stared at her, speechless.
"Miss Vill-V, while research in the Starsea Empire is generally free, I believe your research qualifications and experimental projects may require review."
...
Whoosh—
The various teams aboard the Eternal Snowfall departed one after another, piloting ships across Earth to recruit companions according to the list.
Beyond the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, the recruitment list quickly expanded to encompass Fire Moth—and even further.
Before the Third Honkai Eruption, many individuals were still in an idle state, completely bewildered when brought aboard and then stunned speechless by the shocking truth.
"Ah..."
Fu Hua even encountered an old acquaintance of hers.
"HIMEKO, you're here too?"
Seeing that comrade—whose appearance somewhat resembled Himeko and who had perished five thousand years earlier due to the Herrscher of Flame—she felt a moment of surprise.
"Uh... sorry, do I know you?"
At this time, HIMEKO hadn't even joined Fire Moth. She didn't recognize Fu Hua, though she felt an inexplicable familiarity.
"It's fine, it's fine..."
Fu Hua looked out the porthole and took a deep breath.
She had traveled from fifty thousand years ago into the future, and from the future back again—crossing time multiple times. At last, she could rewrite every tragedy.
Several days later.
At the main control console of the Eternal Snowfall.
"Mm..."
"All done. Honestly, picking people up from the Previous Era was easy. The time span here isn't large. We just needed to send more teams down."
"No need for time jumps or mathematical modeling to correct and extrapolate the future."
Grey yawned as she checked off the final name on the holographic interface before Setsuna.
In the Current Era, they had to span centuries and carefully adjust the future. The Previous Era was much simpler.
"So our mission in this era is complete?"
Belfast connected to the internal communication channel.
"All fleets prepare. Expedition objective for this world has been completed. Prepare for return."
"Roger~—"
Responses from the shipgirls echoed one after another.
"..."
"Wait. There's one more thing!!"
"A very, very big problem!!!"
Einstein tapped the table several times and looked at Setsuna.
"Commander, we crossed fifty thousand years this time. We have completely altered this world's future!!"
"You eliminated the Honkai of this era, took away several outstanding scientists and companions, and influenced the world to a significant degree."
"Helping the civilians of Twilight Street with funding and medical treatment is minor in comparison. More importantly, with the Cocoon of Finality withdrawn, this world will never face a Honkai crisis again."
"Humanity can continue developing indefinitely. Technological progress will no longer trigger Honkai. There will be no risk of annihilation by Herrschers."
The more Einstein spoke, the more serious her tone became. By the end, her brows were tightly furrowed.
"Huh?"
Elysia blinked.
"Isn't that a good thing? Everyone survives. People can live freely and happily. Why do you sound so unhappy about it?"
"That's exactly why it's a huge problem!!!"
Tesla reacted as well, slamming the table with a bang. She turned to Mobius, Mei, and the others brought from the Previous Era.
Her voice trembled.
"Fifty thousand years. A drastic rewrite of history. Do you know what that means?"
"..."
After a moment of silence, everyone thought of the same term.
The butterfly effect.
A seemingly insignificant change in history, amplified within a chaotic system, could produce completely unpredictable consequences in the future.
That was why, when using the Spiritron Transfer Device to travel through time—or piloting the transdimensional ship into the future—they had been extremely cautious.
Every action had undergone meticulous calculation and deduction to ensure it would not cause major deviations in the worldline.
But in the Previous Era, what they had done was far beyond a mere butterfly flapping its wings.
Taking away top scientists like Mei, Mobius, and Vill-V meant humanity's technological development would diverge entirely.
Just as the Current Era would stagnate without Einstein, Tesla, and Edison, unable to achieve breakthroughs in fundamental science for a long time.
More importantly, the Honkai crisis had been eradicated. Human civilization would no longer be reset by the Herrscher of Finality.
The Previous Era would continue developing uninterrupted.
Compared to that, the Starsea Empire's limited interference on Earth was insignificant.
A span of fifty thousand years was unimaginably long for a civilization.
It was enough for late Stone Age Homo sapiens during the Fourth Ice Age to evolve into a pre-spacefaring modern civilization.
So what would fifty thousand years bring to an already flourishing Previous Era civilization?
No one knew.
"!!!"
Everyone shuddered.
They finally grasped the true meaning behind Setsuna's earlier words—that history would change from this very moment.
"In other words, the Previous Era will continue developing indefinitely."
Cecilia spoke softly.
"Accordingly, there will be no civilization-ending event. No Project EMBER. No Project ARK. No humanity re-evolving from ruins."
"The Current Era—ceases to exist from this moment onward."