"Zeke, did you know? In truth... if I don't wish to die, no one can kill me."
Hera's avatars observed their comrades being annihilated amidst the energy deluge as they resisted Zeke's onslaught. Meanwhile, the remaining avatars drew closer, and among them, one spoke in a composed and gentle voice.
With a casual wave of his hand, Zeke engulfed several Hera avatars in blinding white light before they could evade. He responded, "You have many hidden cards up your sleeve. Are you finally ready to show them to me?"
"Hah! Just some minor tricks, somewhat reminiscent of yours. You merge with your past and future selves, while I... overlap with my present self. Does this form impress you?"
During this brief exchange, most of Hera's avatars had gathered together. Then, each graceful blonde girl simultaneously disintegrated into a shower of golden sparks, shimmering like stars or falling rain, drifting through the air.
In the next instant, countless golden specks surged and coalesced, forming Otto's ethereal, shimmering figure bathed in flowing golden radiance.
Zeke raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Your energy level has indeed increased significantly, but surely that's not all you have?"
"Ha! This is the move I planned for bidding farewell to my five hundred years of monotonous existence, naturally... there's something even more formidable!"
The sea of golden specks vibrated, carrying Otto's amused words.
Moments later, Otto's golden visage lost its expression, replaced by an aura of profound indifference.
This starkly different presence elicited surprise in Zeke's eyes.
"Honkai... God?"
"I've confronted God twice, each time gaining unimaginable knowledge. Perhaps the most valuable gift bestowed by the Will of Honkai was never mere abilities, but wisdom itself. What do you think?"
"It makes sense. So, this is the trump card you wanted to show me? Mimicry: Will of Honkai?"
"I can only approach that state for an instant, so during this fleeting moment... prepare to reverse time ahead, as the following strike comes from God within the Void Domain."
Otto felt his rationality and emotions fading away, using his last willpower to issue a warning.
As he rightly stated, this move was intended for the Herrscher of Finality, meant to bid farewell to the world. Otto never anticipated that Zeke would be the first to experience it... In fact, even with Zeke's power level, there was a risk he might perish due to the overwhelming force of natural laws against life.
"Sigh..."
After a soft sigh, all human emotions vanished from Otto's eyes. Mimicking the state of a god leaves no room for mortal consciousness. This technique essentially erases one's own will; killing oneself before slaying others, making it truly a final goodbye to the world.
Golden specks shimmered like clouds or waves, spreading towards Zeke's feet. With a lift of his hand, a highly unstable white gemstone materialized in his palm.
Otto was not typically serious, but Zeke believed his warning just now to be genuine.
Should he first expel the unruly Herrscher of the Void Core and confront Otto with absolute dominance?
Zeke hesitated for less than a second before once again merging the volatile white gemstone into his palm.
Otto had a trump card, which was good.
And if this trump card were immensely powerful, even better!
How could Zeke demonstrate his newfound strength without facing an adversary that transcends boundaries? If he couldn't effortlessly defeat someone as insignificant as Otto, how would he ever overcome stronger foes?
"I will not fail," Zeke declared calmly, one hand behind his back while the other gathered energy, confronting the aura so potent it disrupted time itself.
The emotionless golden Otto extended a single finger.
On the opposite side, Zeke likewise unleashed his palm strike, illuminating the vast desert with surging energy.
One possessed unimaginable energy strength, while the other was an incomprehensible existence transcending power limits. Their clash caused even the base on the moon's opposite side to faintly feel vibrations.
After everything settled down, above the unfathomably deep and boundless abyss, Zeke looked ahead at the now empty battlefield. Behind him, the golden dial reversed, replenishing his nearly depleted power back to its peak state.
"Did I... win?" Zeke clenched his hands, somewhat uncertain.
If he claimed victory, yet still had to forcibly revert time once, then perhaps... it still wasn't enough, right?
His golden eyes flickered briefly. Before Zeke could delve deeper into his thoughts, he lifted his head and saw Kevin hurtling towards him from high above.
A colossal behemoth, resembling a skyscraper, lunged directly at Zeke, its massive claws thunderously descending.
"An Artificial Collapse? No wonder you came alone. I suppose next, I'll have to tear apart a few more beasts as well."
It wasn't hard to guess that after Kevin's Artificial Collapse, it would likely be Ellie, Su, Mobius, and other Heroic Spirits taking turns. The form of Artificial Honkai couldn't collaborate, as the mindless Heroes might perceive each other as enemies due to their colossal sizes, leading to fierce battles.
Fu Hua wouldn't succumb to this issue; her Honkai Beast genes were far weaker compared to those mentioned earlier. In fact, for the Red Kite Immortal, the state of Artificial Collapse significantly diminished her power instead.
Facing the assault from Kevin's bestial transformation, Zeke calmly analyzed the situation and effortlessly intercepted the behemoth's strike with a raised hand.
"Your brute strength is impressive, but even brute force yields easily to greater power. Compared to Otto, you offer no surprises whatsoever." Zeke spoke, slightly disappointed yet unsurprised. White light gathered in his palm, swiftly enveloping the vast chasm below.
However, Kevin excelled in one aspect: he had truly pushed both brute strength and vitality almost to human limits.
After several rounds of entanglement, Zeke watched as the battered giant slowly shrank, allowing it to plummet into the unfathomable depths of the Abyss.
As expected, a massive iridescent peacock illuminated the starlit sky.
Zeke raised his hand, unleashing the white torrent without hesitation.
Su, significantly weaker than Kevin, lasted only briefly before plummeting with a mournful cry into the abyss below.
Elysia transformed into her alluring pink avian form and quickly followed Su's path—only to soon suffer the same fate.
Having defeated three colossal beasts in succession, even Zeke, formidable as he was, felt a hint of fatigue. Upon reflection, ever since returning, he had been continuously engaged without respite. The strain on various fronts couldn't be easily dismissed.
Otto's strategy was astute; no matter how powerful, Zeke remained just one individual. Prolonging the battle could still tip the scales unpredictably.
Contemplating whether to advance or wait further, Zeke noticed three figures emerging from different directions around him.
"Theresa, Siegfried, and...Cecilia," Zeke named them, experiencing once again the headache he'd faced earlier with Kiana and Fu Hua.
"Zeke, turn back quickly! You've wronged both of my precious nieces simultaneously; this won't be forgiven without sincere apologies!"
"Zeke, honestly, I don't want to fight my son-in-law. Can't we just sit down and talk things out?"
"Zeke, please calm down. Don't cause Kiana any more heartache, alright?"
The elder group attempted to persuade him, but their fully armed appearance suggested they were prepared for potential conflict.
Considering Zeke had already shown ruthless determination against even Kiana and Fu Hua, mere members of the elder group...
As Zeke observed them, Kiana's devastated expression flashed through his mind, causing him to lower his gaze.
Fine, he decided to restrain himself as much as possible, avoiding any severe injuries that could have lasting consequences.
Despite the elders' prolonged efforts, which surpassed those of the Three Heroes, it all concluded within about fifteen minutes, leaving Zeke once again facing an empty battlefield.
With each confrontation yielding no progress despite repeated attempts, Zeke's patience was reaching its limit.
At this critical moment, Mobius emerged. Utilizing Zeke's perfect body as her rebirth material, combined with various advanced technologies to further evolve, she even seemed to have acquired blood from the Three Heroes' Artificial Collapses. Transforming into an immensely complex and powerful giant serpent, she lunged towards Zeke with an overwhelming aura, as if swallowing heaven and earth.
"Zeke! Hand over your current body... Huh?!?"
'Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!'
'Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!'
The familiar rhythm led to the familiar outcome—Zeke casually battered the riddled, gaping snake far away.
Mobius was no weaker than the Three Heroes; in fact, in this state, she could potentially rival Kevin's Artificial Collapse prowess. However, due to her extraordinarily resilient vitality, Zeke didn't need to hold back at all, resulting in the quickest conclusion for her.
Otto, Welt, the Four Heroic Spirits, and the elder group—all these formidable forces were finally neutralized. Zeke knew well that given their present conditions, they would not be able to interfere with him again.
Standing with hands clasped behind his back, Zeke gazed up at the azure planet above. Even his usually stoic demeanor showed a hint of relaxation now.