"Finality"... was no longer a distant concept. Now, it could appear at any time.
Luo Mo knew this well. But when it came to how to resolve "Finality," even he found it hard to remain calm...
Still, he wasn't exactly worrying needlessly—his distraction wasn't because he didn't hear Kiana's voice earlier, but rather because his attention had been completely absorbed by his phone.
Theresa had just sent him some rather interesting information. It completely pulled in his focus.
---
[Bitter Melon Teri]: Latest update from Granny's side—World Serpent and Schicksal have reached an agreement: the Stigmata Project will not be launched.
[Bitter Melon Teri]: But in return, they want something else. They call it a "transaction"—they want to keep the Hare Girl here as collateral, to prove their sincerity.
[Cutest Luna]: They want her?
[Bitter Melon Teri]: A rare Stigmata that he can actually use...
[Bitter Melon Teri]: What do you think? Schicksal isn't afraid of war, but if he truly has no intention of initiating the Stigmata Project...
---
Luo Mo felt a headache coming on.
The fact that Kevin had no intention of continuing the Stigmata Project—he had already guessed as much. After the global announcement about the Corruption Herrscher, the foundation for restarting the Project wasn't so solid anymore. Add to that his own reluctance, and the increasingly fragile state of the memory-form companions...
If there were any other viable options, the Stigmata Project would no longer be his top choice.
As for using Misteln as a hostage...
Sure, She was a key figure in the Stigmata Project, but if the idea was that the plan couldn't proceed without her, then that was an overestimation of her role.
What mattered more was the opponent's attitude—clearly expressing from the start that unless Luo Mo had a way to defeat "Finality," they wouldn't back down.
So why the sudden, decisive change now?
He had no idea what had given them hope...
That said, if we're talking about someone who would stick to a promise with all their heart, Kevin was undoubtedly more reliable than Otto. Kevin could carry a vow shared with his comrades all the way through 50,000 years...
Whereas Otto... well, he played mind games. Unless he was promising something to Kallen or Theresa, any promise he made was only half-believable.
Back to the point—the one thing bothering Luo Mo about all this was...
Was there really no selfish motive behind it?
If a war couldn't be avoided, then it would make things harder for Kiana and the others. But looking at it from the perspective of dealing with Finality, Kevin should be considered an ally.
Ugh. Complicated. He couldn't figure out the opponent's real intent.
"Boss, boss ~ Don't space out—what are you looking at?"
Five fair fingers waved in front of his eyes. Snapping out of his thoughts, he saw the curious face of Tuna—beautiful and bright, a lively young girl in full bloom.
"I'm just watching to see when our Kiana will finally defeat Finality," Luo Mo sighed.
"Huh, and this time she didn't become a Real Herrscher?" Kiana blinked in confusion, asking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Defeating a Herrscher—wrong.
Becoming a Herrscher—correct.
Compared to the game or the records of the Previous Era, in this world, it was as if Herrschers had all become part of herself. Based on the name of her Stigmata, she'd assumed this was yet another joyful transformation into a Herrscher.
"...Shh. Don't let your Great Aunt hear that."
Luo Mo had an odd feeling that she might be right—he even started wondering whether he had explained things properly.
---
Back in the game
Mei suddenly felt a sense of disorientation, a voice echoed directly in her head. Her vision was stripped away, and she lost consciousness.
This familiar sensation reminded her of someone—
Aponia.
But clearly, that person couldn't have been physically present.
"It's okay, Raven. Whatever existed between you and her has been settled now. There are no debts left between you two—Isn't that good?"
A gentle, warm female voice rang in her head, with a faint, teasing and dreamy tone—like a whisper out of a dream. Mei felt a pair of warm hands gently embrace her shoulders. That soft touch at her elbows faintly reminded her of the warmth of those days at St. Freya Academy.
"I'm sorry… little lost child. In this forced dreamscape, you have wandered far to a distant shore, and caught a glimpse of a version of yourself that's both familiar and alien."
"But you don't need to be afraid. There, you will reunite with the one you treasure most, and together you will strive to create what once only existed in imagination—a brand new tomorrow."
"After all, compared to re-defining humanity—Re-defining the world is always the better choice, isn't it?"
This voice—light and dreamy like Aponia's—added a layer of peace to the dream's atmosphere.
The sudden twist left Mei completely unprepared. Her heavy eyelids made her feel like she was falling endlessly into clouds, unable to distinguish between dream and reality.
The abyss seemed infinite.
She could only keep falling.
-----
In the Golden Courtyard
"That's a rather strange power, isn't it? ♪~"
Elysia's long ears twitched slightly. A curious glint appeared in her eyes.
She held Aponia's hand and swayed it slightly—a gesture that, for her, likely expressed affection.
What one might call "acting spoiled."
Even though she couldn't see the person's face clearly, judging by the voice and resemblance to Cecilia, it was obvious it was Misteln
"I really like her. You're not the one who taught her, right? Think about it—she said she's a World Serpent officer, but I've never seen her before,"
Elysia pouted playfully.
"Miss Misteln possesses a dream-related ability. And besides,"
"No matter how you look at it, there's no way I could have taught her about the commandments, right?"
Aponia chuckled softly. She gently clasped Elysia's hand, feeling the warmth passed through it.
"That lab rat is always either stuffing her face or being captured while on the way to eat."
Mobius sighed dramatically. She couldn't help but frown sympathetically at Mei's misfortune.
"How could she still not power up a bit? This is a character who defeats all kinds of heroes in the story—Is she really going to lose to Mistlen? That just makes me look bad."
Such a thought flashed through Mobius's mind.
"Well, it's not that surprising. After all, dreams are Mistlen's domain. Mei letting her guard down after defeating Raven is pretty normal,"
Elysia tried to justify it, clearly standing on Mei's side.
"By the way, I heard that Headmistress Theresa had her first encounter with Mistlen and also got stuck in the dream for a bit," Kevin whispered nearby.
"Ooh~ Is Mistlen's dream power really that effective? It's almost like a pseudo-Herrscher ability at this point. Maybe next time we can ask her for help~ ♪"
Elysia clapped lightly and smiled mischievously, as if scheming something involving future use of the dreamscape.
---
In-game: Inside the Crimson Digital Space
Theresa didn't know how far she had wandered. But she had slowly started to grasp the situation.
Lunar orbit, surreal dreamscape, appearances by Grandpa, St. Freya, and memories of the Imaginary Tree that shouldn't even belong to her…
Based on her own memories alone, there was no way she could've constructed a digital space so real.
This wasn't something that could be created through someone's narration alone.
With the subconscious guidance of her grandfather, she narrowed it down to two possibilities:
Either her real body had been infected by digital intrusion,
Or her dream had become entangled and merged with others'.
Neither possibility was particularly reassuring.
"Actually, the most likely—and worst—possibility is that both are happening at the same time," said a figure beside her with a smile—Otto.
Theresa said nothing.
She didn't doubt it, nor her grandfather's deduction.
Even though he was a projection of her subconscious, she somehow wanted him to resemble her real grandfather even more.
Whether he was real or not didn't matter—
He felt genuine.
"So what do we do? We can't just sit here and wait to die, right?"
She grew anxious, stepping over the reddish ground, each step leaving small footprints.
She stared toward the distant Imaginary Tree, which never seemed to get any closer.
Her worry for their real-world situation only deepened.
"Don't lose heart, Theresa. Don't forget what kind of monster resides inside your body — Vishnu, who sees all Honkai as nourishment. And now that dreams themselves are a cycle of Honkai… You, as Vishnu, are truly unmatched in this environment," Otto said calmly, his turquoise eyes always carrying a faint, indifferent breeze.
"..."
Theresa widened her eyes, a little stunned.
She had been tearing through all bonds and snares with brute force — all while the real source of it all had been hidden within her from the start. But instead of focusing on that, she realized something else...
"Then what about you?" she asked softly, her expression complex.
"When any dream ends, its characters must return to their original dreamer. I am no exception," Otto replied.
"Haha, this is what it's like to say goodbye to family, Theresa."
"Even though Otto Apocalypse was an irredeemable villain—there were moments in life where he genuinely shielded you from the storms."
"Back then, he seemed so powerful, commanding the winds and rains. And you often wondered—if he truly stood by your side, on your battlefield, how different would things have been?"
He covered his arm with one hand. Glimmering light particles scattered from his body as he half-joked with a touch of frailty. One could almost imagine that in some alternate world, he was even more battered than he was now — a man carrying wounds from a dream realm too deep to heal.
Theresa didn't speak. She simply stared at him, her gaze layered with emotion, and clenched the Cross tightly in her hands.
She had learned to hold fast to her weapon. She had learned to face what came with calm. She had learned to endure separation and farewells. She had learned to grow — even when growth wasn't beautiful.
"Theresa, everyone is like this. When someone holds expectations for their elders, wanting them to fight alongside them in unity — that's not always realistic."
"But you, no — even that real grandfather of yours is just a reflection of me."
"To him, you're also a mirror — he reflects your hidden darkness, and you reflect the goodness still buried in him."
"Family, friends, rivals, even enemies — they all help us see ourselves more clearly."
"If that were the real grandfather of yours... he'd never say anything like that," Theresa said quietly.
"Of course not. He was, in the end, a complete fool."
And with that, the man's illusion finally faded.
Theresa knew well — he had never been real. He was just a beautified image of her grandfather shaped by her own subconscious. That man had still been the same selfish, monstrous person responsible for countless crimes.
It was a choice made by a fool blinded by obsession — a weighty history written in indelible ink.
Now, the illusion was gone.
From this moment on, no version of Otto, in any form, would appear in Theresa's dreams again.
Just like that enchanted magic — never to appear in reality.
In silence, she unleashed Viṣhnu, devouring all she could see. If there was no flaw to be found in the dreamscape, then she would bite through it herself. She consumed the light, leaving behind darkness — punching countless holes into the dream and plunging deeper into the void.
Until she came face to face with someone.
"Nice to meet you, newly appointed Overseer of Schicksal. I am Kevin — or you may call me Kevin Kaslana'."
Theresa froze at the sight of the white-haired man. Her body stiffened involuntarily. He was cold, commanding, and carried an oppressive presence. Over time, she had heard more and more about him. The name Kaslana was one she'd come to know too well.
(T/C: this is completely different from OG. Maybe the Write was to in hurry or lazy)
Out of the dragon's den, into the tiger's jaws — this moment was exactly that.
He now began to explain the true nature of the Stigmata Project, and what it all meant.
"Not long ago, Raiden Mei assisted World Serpent in suppressing the 12th Herrscher. At this point, both civilizations have fully overlapped."
"Now, the 13 types of Herrscher have collectively confirmed the power of Finality — the same configuration as 50,000 years ago. This is the only time anyone, from the outside or within, has ever fully grasped the true shape of Finality."
"Discarding the anomalies before the first Herrscher appeared… this is the only moment where launching the Stigmata Project and completely defeating the Honkai is truly possible."
Of course, Theresa couldn't agree with such a passive route to extinction. The Stigmata Project was, in essence, humanity choosing to erase itself.
She had her obsession, and he had his goal.
When the Stigmata Plan was rejected by Schicksal, the final outcome could only be decided through force between the two of them.
In the man's hand, black flames ignited along the blade of his sword. A dominating power surged from within his body and overflowed outward.
He had said before — he never cared about rebellion. He was even willing to actively offer those of this era the chance to resist.
He himself — even the previous civilization — never held any absolute meaning.
He didn't mind being the enemy or even the villain, if they could force him to yield, if they could prove that this era's saviors were more outstanding than the last, if they could defeat the Herrscher of the Finality...
Then so be it.
He never insisted on being the savior.
Just like how he never truly cared about this world.
His original reason for protecting the world... was simply to guard the people beside him.
The crown of Deliverance — only he could wear it.
....
At the same time:
Countdown: 25 minutes.
In Azure Waves City, the full moon hung high. After a busy day, people were slowly drifting into sweet dreams.
Countdown: 20 minutes.
The Sky Dome just lit up. In alleys and bustling streets, the warm scents of hotpot and spicy noodles filled the air.
Countdown: 15 minutes.
Reconstruction efforts in Nagazora were progressing smoothly. Skyscrapers rose abruptly from the ground, bringing back the city's former vitality.
Countdown: 10 minutes.
At St. Freya Academy, the peaceful afternoon continued. Content cats stretched lazily under the sun, lifting their backs in comfort.
Countdown: 5 minutes.
In the southern hemisphere's summer, Saint Fontaine was hit by an unusually heavy downpour. The dark clouds pressing down over the city even made some mistake it for a solar eclipse.
Countdown: 3 minutes.
New York greeted another calm morning. A traveling painter sat on the grass in Central Park, preparing to open a brand-new sketchbook to draw food illustrations.
Countdown: 1 minute.
At the foot of the Morro Castle in Havana, early-rising children were receiving guidance from their martial arts instructors, clumsily but earnestly practicing the forms of Chinese martial arts.
Countdown: ends.
It happened in an instant—
The world went completely silent and empty. Everything vanished.
And then, all the things that once existed slowly reappeared — as if nothing had changed.
But that, too, was just an illusion.
Mountains, oceans, rivers, cities, even the Hyperion 380,000 kilometers above...
Everything began to transform, rebuilt under a new set of rules.
The tiny humans within it had already disappeared.
They became the mountains, they became the seas — they merged into the very body of the planet itself.
Within the dream realm brought forth by the Stigmata Plan...
They sank into oblivion.