"..."
"!!!"
After Cecilia spoke, the Eternal Snowfall fell into a long silence.
Einstein, Tesla, and the others exchanged glances. Closing their eyes, they nodded in agreement with the conclusion.
"Yes. The distortion in history is far too great."
"Everything in the Current Era is intricately connected to the Previous Era. From the time Jingwei guided the ancestors of Shenzhou in the age of barbarism, to the development of Schicksal, everything is different now."
On the projected holographic interface, an AI simulated future developments.
"The Schicksal organization that would later control the world will not exist. World Serpent will not be established. Schicksal's eastern expedition will not occur..."
"Even the Archbishop of Schicksal, Otto Apocalypse, was never born from beginning to end."
"The Current Era we once changed was merely the future of another worldline. Once the past was altered, everything in the future changed as well."
Einstein spoke calmly.
This expedition had not merely altered the fate of a few companions within Fire Moth—it had changed the future of the entire world.
Hiss—
Mobius and Mei both sucked in a sharp breath.
The scientists from the Current Era wore especially strange expressions.
"So that means the history of the Honkai world has been completely rewritten starting fifty thousand years ago..."
"No, wait. Then why am I still here?"
Tesla pinched her own cheek.
"If the future has been rewritten on such a large scale, shouldn't we people from the future never have been born at all?"
"So why do you think I started by conquering the Current Era first?"
Setsuna cleared his throat.
"You now belong to the Starsea Empire. Your causal ties are entangled with another universe. You are no longer purely natives of this world. Naturally, you won't be directly erased."
"Otherwise, if we had started with the Current Era first and then tried to correct fifty thousand years of history afterward... heh. The workload for the Research Division would be enough to make anyone despair."
"Oh..."
Einstein came to a realization.
"Commander, you anticipated this situation?"
"Of course. From the moment we set out, I expected the future timeline to undergo drastic revision."
Setsuna took a sip of tea before answering.
"But I have no intention of correcting the worldline. In fact, trying to restore fifty thousand years of history would be far too complicated. It's unrealistic—and unnecessary."
After he sealed the Cocoon of Finality, humanity of the Previous Era had finally survived the Honkai crisis with great difficulty.
To revert the worldline, he would have to assign the Herrscher of Finality another task—use her authority to destroy the entire planet.
Then, over the course of fifty thousand years, have the Research Division tirelessly adjust every detail to restore the original timeline.
"Huh? Then what do we do?"
Tesla froze.
"The solution is simple. If it can't be corrected, then there's no need to correct it."
Setsuna smiled.
"From the Previous Era to the Shenzhou's Saga of the Shattered Swords, and then to the Current Era, everyone I care about has been recruited into the Starsea Empire. The Cocoon of Finality has been secured as well."
"So this world has been fully conquered. As for Earth's civilization, it's merely a bonus vassal state. How far it develops, or what time period it stands in, isn't particularly important to me."
"As long as nothing too outrageous happens."
The main purpose of coming to the Honkai world had been to retrieve people and seize control of Finality's authority.
Now that the Cocoon of Finality was in hand and the girls from the Previous Era, the Current Era, and the Shenzhou's Saga of the Shattered Swords had all been brought back to the Starsea Empire, Earth's civilization itself seemed far less important.
Whether it returned to its original timeline was, in truth, irrelevant.
"What?!"
Tesla and Einstein were stunned.
"Eh? That... actually makes sense..."
Cecilia thought it over.
All of Saint Freya had moved to the capital. Her colleagues and friends now lived within the Starsea Empire. To her, Earth was little more than a conceptual 'hometown.'
"Of course, that said, we can't simply let Earth develop freely."
Grey took over, tapping on the complex interface of the holographic screen.
Hundreds of billions of data streams and lines of code flashed before their eyes.
"According to future simulations, due to the absence of top-tier scientists, the development speed of the Previous Era will be significantly slower than originally projected."
"They are expected to develop spacecraft capable of interplanetary travel within one to two centuries, and within five centuries, possess the ability to establish colonies within their home star system."
"As for whether they can break through the barrier of light speed and the imaginary tides enveloping the solar system—that requires further calculation."
The nanorobot paused briefly.
"There is also a 56.67% probability that humanity will annihilate itself in a full-scale war within a century. As time goes on, that probability increases."
"After all, without Honkai as a common enemy, it's perfectly normal for nations to fight over resources and fall into division and internal conflict. They built quite a few nuclear weapons to deal with Herrschers, you know."
"..."
Everyone silently agreed.
Even with the Honkai crisis, nations had only managed unity under the banner of the United Nations and Fire Moth. Once the crisis was gone, the global situation would inevitably shift in unpredictable ways.
"Then should we... send someone to intervene?"
Tesla asked cautiously.
"No need. Intervening now would mean managing their next tens of thousands of years."
"What we need to ensure is that over the next fifty thousand years, Earth doesn't blow itself up—or create something bizarre."
"I don't want to come back and find Earth turned into a radioactive wasteland crawling with mutated cockroaches, or shattered into fragments and black holes because of some ridiculous experiment. That would be such a waste... They will eventually be incorporated into the territory of the Starsea Empire and placed under our governance."
"The simplest solution... is to preserve them within time. From now on, the Previous Era is the Current Era."
Setsuna turned his head slightly.
The Herrscher of Finality and the Sophon stepped forward.
"Understood."
...
Some time later, the fleet completed its preparations.
After confirming the roster, all companions of the Previous Era had been retrieved. Everything was in order.
In outer space, the Herrscher of Finality stepped onto the bridge and gazed down at the slowly rotating Earth below.
Bringing her hands together, she condensed an enormous mass of Honkai energy into a tangible sphere of light.
Whoosh—
The sphere expanded.
In an instant, an invisible curtain enveloped the Earth.
Everything on the planet slowed.
Airplanes hung motionless in midair. Cars waiting at red lights remained frozen at intersections. Children chasing one another stopped mid-motion.
Even the dust rising from the pavement hung suspended.
The entire planet became deathly silent, as if someone had pressed pause.
"This is...?"
For a moment, everyone stared in astonishment.
"The authority of the Herrscher of Finality is time. She can reset a planet—or suspend its time entirely."
"I've had her distort Earth's time to near stasis. When we cross fifty thousand years, for Earth it will amount to only a brief moment."
"When we return to the future, we will take over this world."
Setsuna explained.
"From now on, the Earth of the Honkai world will be a civilization evolved from the Previous Era. The Current Era will exist only as another worldline."
"Human civilization never truly went extinct. Under the guidance of the Sophon, they will return to the rule of the Starsea Empire."
The Sophon would remain as the administrative governor here.
She would monitor the solar system and correct unforeseen incidents.
After the worldline converged, the Sophon who originally governed the Current Era would also be recalled.
Although an administrative system would need to be rebuilt on Earth, the process would not be difficult. The Sophon and the Angeloids were already well practiced.
"Oh..."
Einstein could not help but marvel.
To preserve an entire world for fifty thousand years and take control of it in the distant future—what an audacious move.
"The history of the Honkai world has been altered from its very source, Commander."
"We've truly done something extraordinary."
The Honkai worldline had been rewritten twice—once beginning from the Shenzhou's Saga of the Shattered Swords, and once from the Previous Era. This time, it overrode all prior events.
From now on, the Previous Era would be the only Honkai civilization.
And in that other worldline's future, she, Tesla, Cecilia, and the others were the final witnesses.
Perhaps other possibilities existed in different bubble worlds, but now, humanity's history would extend unbroken from the Previous Era onward.
"All personnel, prepare to enter higher-dimensional space."
Setsuna smiled.
"Fifty thousand years from now—see you again."
[Hyperdimensional Expansion Initiated]
[Spacetime Coordinate Axis Switched]
As the starship sailed from the starry sky into higher-dimensional space, the Eternal Snowfall shifted from spatial coordinates to the temporal axis.
The surrounding environment became surreal and kaleidoscopic. The scientists from the Previous Era all pressed themselves against the portholes, gazing at the miraculous sight before them.
Boom!!—
The starship advanced along the flow of future time.
Distant celestial bodies appeared to accelerate countless times over, stars flickering in and out against the dark backdrop of the universe.
Only the solar system remained in near stasis. Earth's time had been fixed in place by the Herrscher of Finality.
No matter whether the starship moved forward one hundred years, two thousand years, ten thousand years... Earth remained exactly the same.
"Ah, I think I finally understand why, in that other worldline, we ultimately failed to defeat the Herrscher of Finality."
Elysia pouted.
"This ability is basically cheating. Manipulating time is already unfair enough, and she can extend the range for this long and over such a vast area?"
"How is anyone supposed to fight her?!"
Pfft—
Setsuna chuckled.
"The Herrscher of Finality I created inherited part of my authority. She's far stronger than the original one."
"Besides, the solar system itself is a rather special region within the Honkai universe. It's surrounded by imaginary tides and saturated with Honkai energy. For a Herrscher, releasing authority here yields twice the result with half the effort."
"..."
Mei, Mobius, Vill-V, and the other scientists focused entirely on the unbelievable technology of time travel.
"If a hyperdimensional ship traverses time by altering coordinate axes, then for civilizations that inherently exist in higher dimensions, would they be able to observe the past, present, and future simultaneously?"
"By eliminating opponents in the past, could they remove potential threats—or even guide the entire universe toward a future they desire?"
"If the future is knowable, does that mean the fate of civilizations and even the universe itself was determined at the moment of birth?..."
They flipped through complex data, feeling their horizons expand dramatically.
As if they had brushed against the very peak of science.
Soon enough.
Ten thousand years, twenty thousand years, thirty thousand years...
When the main AI issued its notification and the starship returned to the original timeline—
Click—
The ship disengaged from the spacetime axis and descended from higher-dimensional space back into the starry sky.
At the same time, on the planet below, the time sealed by the Herrscher of Finality gradually resumed.
Everything returned to normal.
Airplanes roared through the clouds. Crowds bustled along the streets. Cars at intersections blared sharp horns before starting their engines and speeding off.
Children resumed their laughter and chasing games exactly as before.
No one noticed anything unusual. To them, time had been continuous. Today was just another ordinary day among countless others.
The Honkai crisis had just disappeared. A strange civilization called the Starsea Empire had suddenly appeared on Earth. They had arrived in starships and taken away several peculiar individuals.
The United Nations was still discussing the future direction of Fire Moth. Soldiers talked about the awe-inspiring interstellar warships that had just vanished.
It was like a film that had been paused and then resumed.
Though the outer universe had undergone vast transformations, the people within the frame were none the wiser.
"Ah..."
Elysia, Mobius, and the others who had returned from the Previous Era felt as if they had just awakened from a long dream.
"Fifty thousand years... So everything has changed?"
"Yes."
Even the scientists of the Current Era felt slightly disoriented.
Einstein and Tesla steadied themselves and began reviewing data on the holographic interface.
"The history of the Previous Era has overwritten what was originally our Current Era history."
"In the new worldline, humanity has endured for over fifty thousand years without ever going extinct or being cut off by the Honkai crisis. Of course, Earth's inhabitants cannot perceive that span of time."
"The two worldlines have converged. Now, in the Honkai universe's new timeline, I, Tesla, Planck, Cecilia... even Otto—none of us ever appeared."
"To this universe, we are people from another parallel universe. There is no Schicksal organization here. No fifteenth-century eastern expedition. No Valkyrie forces created through the Key of Blankness and Stigmata technology. Everything that followed has changed."
"All of history has been altered."
"..."
A long silence fell over them.
"That history belongs only to us now, doesn't it?"
Cecilia tilted her head thoughtfully.
From now on, if someone tried telling Earth's people about Schicksal or Valkyries, they would likely think you were insane.
With the Honkai crisis eradicated at its source, human civilization would take an entirely different developmental path.
She felt joy at having saved humanity—yet also a faint melancholy.
"Mm. But your future lies in the Starsea Empire, not within the small solar system of the Honkai universe."
Setsuna gazed at the brilliant galaxy.
"Sophon, the solar system here will be under your management from now on. Deploy the Angeloids to take over administration."
"Exploration of deep space within the Honkai universe can proceed simultaneously. Beyond those distant stars, there may exist even greater worlds."
"Understood."
The Sophon inclined her head.
With the timeline altered, the conquest and administrative takeover of the Current Era would need to be conducted once more. Fortunately, they were already familiar with the process.
"Let's go. We're returning to the Starsea Empire."
Setsuna gently patted Cecilia's shoulder.
"Mm... okay!"
After a brief daze, the girl snapped back to reality.
Compared to the small solar system, her home now lay on another, more prosperous planet—within a greater universe. A world like a utopia.
...
Hum—
The starship pierced through the clouds and descended slowly from the sky.
"Waaah!!—"
The moment they stepped out of the hatch and saw the blue sky again, the girls brought back from the Previous Era exclaimed in unison—just like every native who first arrived in the Starsea Empire.
Everywhere they looked stood the magnificent creations of an interstellar civilization.
Towering architectural complexes stretching toward the heavens through anti-gravity technology. Transport fleets and Angeloids patrolling the skies. Streams of small spacecraft moving endlessly overhead.
Every sight was unfamiliar, utterly novel. In a single instant, their minds were flooded with nearly infinite information. They didn't know what to look at first—or what to ask about.
They stood rooted in place, necks craned upward, gazing at the miracle of the interstellar age.
"Small scene, small scene. I'll take you to see the construction site of Galactic Wonder later when there's time."
"Some of the megastructures are already nearing completion. Ever seen a structure mining on a black hole? Or a research hub larger than the moon?"
Grey boasted proudly, displaying the greatness of the Starsea Empire to these wide-eyed newcomers.
"Eh?"
Elysia was quickly distracted by something else.
"The city is full of girls! There are big sisters and little girls—so many of them!!! Even the ones constructing buildings are girls?!"
She looked around in astonishment. The capital was filled with high-quality girls—mature beauties, lolis, even beast-eared girls of various kinds.
"Commander, how did you manage this?..."
"That's a long historical story. Go read about it yourself later."
Setsuna tossed a tablet to Elysia.
He pointed toward the distant port area. A group of little shipgirls were splashing and playing on the sea, while the larger ones sunbathed along the shore.
When they spotted Setsuna, they waved enthusiastically.
"Shipgirls. Pretty, right?"
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm!!!"
Elysia nodded vigorously. The girls stepping lightly across the waves were lively and adorable—something she had never seen in the Previous Era.
Setsuna pointed again, this time toward the academy, where groups of research lolis gathered in clusters.
Some had previously shifted into adolescent forms, while others remained in their childlike states. Together, they were irresistibly cute.
"Dark lolis. Cute, right?"
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm!!"
Elysia nodded even more frantically.
"That's a Spirit. That's a Horse Girl. That's a Heroic Spirit. Pretty, right?"
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm!!"
Elysia was full of admiration. What a wonderful world this was.
"They're all mine. Jealous?"
"Huh? What?!"
The sudden turn caught Elysia completely off guard.
"Wait—what do you mean?..."
Setsuna: "Take a guess."
"...No way. Even if it's dating, there are so many of them. That's impossible, right? You're bluffing, aren't you?..."
Elysia looked utterly confused.
"Next time, come to one of my parties. I'll broaden your horizons."
"???"