In the game, after Kiana and Mei had locked eyes for what felt like long enough, they finally remembered—Bronya was also in this space.
Only then did Kiana become concerned. With her Herrscher powers also sealed like Mei's, the situation didn't seem optimistic.
At that moment, Bronya's voice drifted over from behind them, tinged with a hint of complaint:
"Exactly."
"Bronya had calculated for a long time whether to have the Heavy Armored Bunny pick you up midair."
"—After all, you two didn't look the least bit tense up there."
She glanced at the two girls who were now scratching their heads sheepishly, but she wasn't genuinely upset they hadn't noticed her presence.
Looking at Mei, who had finally returned, Bronya felt an indescribable mix of emotions. But having gone through countless storms together, she understood just how deep the bond was between them. After being separated for so long, even endless conversation wouldn't be enough to express what needed to be said.
She understood—and respected—that. But now, they had a more urgent situation to face.
They could save the warm and fuzzy dog-feeding moments for later.
-----
In the voice-over room.
"As expected, Bronya shouldn't be here. She should be in the vehicle." (ᗜ ˰ ᗜ)
No matter how many times she watched or dubbed it, Bronya still felt secondhand embarrassment.
But with the two main leads blushing furiously right beside her, Bronya felt it was worth savoring every awkward second. Like bacteria that spreads between people, her time spent with Bronie—and her inherently mischievous nature—had infected her with a habit of enjoying the drama.
Well… maybe it wasn't just her?
"Now that you mention it, Bronya… maybe you don't even have your vehicle anymore?"
Luo Mo gave a calm smile, inadvertently exposing a brutal truth.
Among the trio of top players, one had clearly been forgotten—or maybe she had her license revoked again. Was it really fair to blame only Kiana and Mei?
".....Boss, Bronya will sue you for slander."
"Huh? Will you? Then where's your motorbike lately? Why haven't we seen you ride it in?"
Luo Mo casually asked, triggering an awkward silence.
"..."
For some reason, he felt Bronya's stare was now absolutely stabbing him—possibly even filled with deep resentment. All his glee vanished instantly.
He felt like he'd just ripped off a scab.
"Bronya-sis, Seele... Seele can explain?"
Seele gently placed her hand over her chest, a little embarrassed, and spoke in a small voice: "It was Seele's fault. Last time Bronya gave me the motorbike, I... I tried doing a high-speed short run inside the academy grounds during a lesson, and I got reported. After that, Headmistress... she... she took it away."
"Reported?" Kiana blinked, surprised. That was weird.
Valkyries weren't usually that petty. Even if Bronya's bike was super cool and probably caused some jealousy…
"It was Kevin. He and Su were chatting at the gates, and the air blast from my ride blew over their instant noodles." Seele said while lowering her head.
"Deliberate. That was definitely deliberate," Bronya growled through gritted teeth.
She simply couldn't accept that she had lost twice to the same person—even in a game. Absolutely not!
Also, why would anyone be eating instant noodles on the road?!
"Hmm..." Luo Mo thought briefly, then burst out laughing.
Kevin and Su, noodles...?
They were obviously trying to avoid running into Elysia and Vill-V. Plus, given that their strength still hadn't fully recovered, it wasn't impossible Bronya's ride really had knocked them over.
With Kevin filing a complaint, Theresa would have to take it seriously. In fact, that sort of situation might even be classified as a diplomatic incident—or worse, an offense to the ancestors.
Speaking of which—did this world's Theresa still have Kaslana blood?
Outwardly, she absolutely did. But Luo Mo wasn't about to bring up that can of worms.
At this moment, Kiana and Mei were secretly relieved. It was true—the best way to cover up your own embarrassing history... was to point to someone else's even worse one.
And thankfully, everyone's attention had moved on from them.
---
In the game.
The three were finally reunited in one place, the first time together since that long, drawn-out period of opposition.
"...Back to the main issue, since Mei-senpai is also here, we can basically confirm one thing: this space is targeting Herrschers. There might even be others here as well."
The three exchanged glances for a moment. In the end, it was Bronya who broke the awkward atmosphere that had just formed. She turned toward Mei, her gray eyes carrying a trace of scrutiny for the comrade who had been missing for so long.
"Mei-senpai... You've changed a lot too."
"Yeah... I more or less understand the reason behind all of this — the Stigmata Project."
"Not long ago, Kevin asked me to leave World Serpent. I also heard from Raven that the Stigmata Project is now nearly complete."
Mei's long purple hair was tied into a high ponytail, and her form-fitting black dress was both elegant and seductive. Her violet-red pupils reflected the images of the other two as she spoke in a low voice.
Having experienced so much, she better understood the trajectory of heroes. Perhaps by now, she no longer hoped to use words to persuade Kevin. All his tenderness had been frozen in the previous era.
"What—? It's already completed?"
Kiana couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
She was already familiar with the term "Stigmata Project," and had thought it failed in that previous experiment. She didn't expect that, without anyone realizing, World Serpent had completed it in another form. It was difficult for her to accept.
"Hmm..."
Bronya thought carefully, then raised her eyes and asked another seemingly unrelated question:
"Mei-senpai, when you arrived here, did you also have the feeling that you were silently being guided by someone?"
It all felt too coincidental. Ever since she and Kiana were separated, every step she took felt as though someone was watching and 'manipulating' her toward this place — just in time to reunite with Kiana and Mei. In the Sea of Quantum, this was like something straight out of a fairy tale. It couldn't be explained by intuition alone.
As Mei gently nodded, Kiana fell into deep thought, and Bronya finally let go of that concern.
That guidance... it seems it really exists — but perhaps it's not malicious.
And indeed, Kiana's feeling wasn't wrong. If there was anyone who could continuously guide them through consciousness — someone vivid in memory — there was only one possible figure.
The Herrscher of Sentience.
A Herrscher of Sentience could absolutely do this. And because of her similarity as a Herrscher, she too had been forcefully pulled into this space.
Only...
Her appearance in this fragmented world was even stranger.
....
In another domain—
Beneath her feet was cold and dry moon-like soil. Surrounding her were steep cliffs like a cage. Above her, a pitch-black void that seemed to devour all starlight...
And this... was merely the exterior of the structure — just one of countless scattered data pits.
"The Sea of Quantum... Why was I suddenly thrown into a place like this?"
The girl with gray-long hair and eyes looked around in surprise. One hand held her slender waist, while her cool black short robe fluttered in the wind. Her other hand touched her chin, assessing the environment.
This place was void, desolate — as though everything around her had been paused.
More than half of her powers were gone — another bad sign.
Because of a certain guidance, she had been brought here — to visit this abnormal "phase world."
Even though she had inherited Fu Hua's entire memory, the Herrscher of Sentience quickly realized — this phase world might date back fifty thousand years.
Different from Kiana and the others, as a Herrscher of Sentience, she could still stretch invisible synapses outward and interact with the world around her more efficiently.
Soon, she deduced—
"Huh? Only 30% of my power remains?"
She was shocked, but could only shake her head. With a light kick, she scattered a piece of debris, ready to investigate further.
Just as she had sensed when she first arrived — this was indeed a silent world, where everything seemed frozen in time, locked in stasis until it would be released 50,000 years later.
The base, the space, even humanity itself.
It was a catastrophe, no doubt. So brutal that even the Herrscher of Sentience had to shudder. One could feel their body paralyzed until their consciousness perished — even suicide became a luxury.
This phenomenon allowed even incorporeal consciousness to persist — if one's will was strong enough.
Right now, feeling all of this made the Herrscher of Sentience firmly believe in something...
"How is this... possible?!"
She cried out in disbelief. But not because she sensed a particularly strong will — it was because:
A person — a normal human whose mind had long been emptied — suddenly had memories surging forward like a tidal wave, devoid of any personal color.
And within those memories, in a space without emotion, there was something that truly shocked her.
Hope.
After being trapped for so long in this unprecedented, endless captivity, this leftover fragment of will — that person's final emotion — turned out to be...
Hope?
In the moment before death, that person was still willing to believe in a light that had not yet come.
Even the strongest heroes couldn't give her that kind of emotion. Because that phoenix-plumed soul — that steely resolve — could only be found in the hearts of a few rare beings in every world.
But this person...
"Is he insane or what? Did he hear divine whispers, or endure some kind of heavenly decree?"
The Herrscher of Sentience furrowed her brows, her face a picture of disbelief.
Then, one after another, more people appeared—each in a similar state. It seemed that in that past—when the calamity had reached the point of no return—humanity still clung to faith. They believed in someone who would save a world that had long since passed the point of salvation.
They believed in her.
They entrusted their lives—and even the future of the world—to her.
What was this supposed to be?
The embodiment of faith in a god? Or the miracle of belief itself?
Even when time had been frozen for so long…
Even when their consciousness had long faded…
That kind of unshakable trust—it couldn't just be a mistake, could it?
The Herrscher of Sentience could feel herself deeply shaken, until her gaze fell upon the one they had entrusted with their hopes.
That person—also sealed like the rest—was still different. Unlike the others, whose minds had faded into despair, this individual stood out in stark contrast: a leader, trusted by all, but harboring nothing but quiet despair in her heart.
A Purple hair.
A face that bore a striking resemblance to Mei.
Wearing intellectual glasses and a pristine white coat.
Unlike Mei, who had been tempered by battle, this version appeared softer—more gentle.
Of course, the Herrscher of Sentience didn't mistake her for Mei. Her eyes widened.
Dr. Mei.
The memory of her was burned too deep—etched too strongly.
If all those people had placed their final hopes in this woman, then everything finally made sense. Because she was exactly that kind of person. Someone who embodied miracles.
Even among the brightest stars of the Previous Era, she was undoubtedly the one that shined the most.
-----
Inside the World Serpent's base.
"...Mm."
Kevin stared at MEI on the screen.
He could have gone to see her in person, but he chose not to.
She was dead.
He had never forgotten that.
Number Seventeen may have lived a life broader than hers, but MEI—the one who had carried humanity's hopes—could never escape the prison forged by this world.
And she… never wanted to.
His gaze dropped, shifting to the staircase below.
The base had grown quieter—more and more people had left.
"..."
Grey Serpent stood silently at the bottom of the stairs.
What could he even say?
The Stigmata Project had been suppressed even at the most opportune moment.
Everything had still been carried out by the one whose will was acknowledged as the firmest: the Sovereign.
Well…
It wasn't like he was that disappointed.
In games, the villain's plan always fails.
And now that Schicksal no longer stood by their side, there wasn't really a need for him to play the villain anymore.
And since even that great person no longer cared, he had nothing left to say.
He was willing to follow the will of his creator.
-----
In the Golden Courtyard.
Warm sunlight streamed through the windows, landing on a sleeping cat curled lazily on the sofa. It stretched slightly, only to be scooped up by a pair of arms.
Can hissed and fought back with her claws and teeth.
Pardo was getting the feeling that this cat was more than just a little fat. How else could it fail to sense danger this close?
Where had its reflexes gone?
"Meow—!"
Can, too, felt that it was time to find a new owner.
Elysia looked surprised when MEI suddenly appeared on the scene.
"Wow, I didn't expect this MEI to make an appearance too. How fascinating. A world fragment frozen in time, huh~ ♪"
"…When a plan capable of affecting the entire planet is involved, it's not so strange for a few unexpected elements to show up."
Mobius narrowed her eyes and lazily nodded, her chin resting on her hand.
"But now we know who that one is—the one like Number Seventeen. We know where she came from, don't we?"
"Ah, you mean… this world?"
Elysia blinked a few times, then playfully knocked away Mobius's supporting hand, causing her head to suddenly lurch forward from the loss of balance.
Mobius, recovering quickly, glared at her in mild annoyance.
"Tch."
'Silly girl, always making unnecessary moves.'
"Where else would she come from? She didn't just fall out of a crack in the wall."
Despite her irritation, Mobius let it go.
Some people always needed to use little tricks to stay the center of attention—Elysia was clearly one of them.
Ignoring, not reacting, and not explaining—those were the three key ways to deal with Elysia.
But even then…
"Ah~"
Elysia nodded absentmindedly, then her gaze wandered across Mobius's youthful face to the screen. Sunlight lit her cheeks, her flawless skin smooth and soft. Her pink bangs brushed just above her brows.
Then, she casually asked,
"So… you're connected to the real-world Kevin, aren't you?"
"…What are you saying~? I totally~ don't understand what you mean." Mobius blinked, feigning innocence in a childish tone and tilting her head.
Elysia simply stared at her in silence… until Mobius averted her gaze. Defeated.
"If it's about the Stigmata Project, then of course he should ask me—its creator. What's so strange about that?"
"…But Mistlen was sent in earlier."
"So what? Mistlen was just the detonator. Whether she was there or not didn't change the outcome."
Mobius huffed softly through her nose.
"Kevin… doesn't he want to defeat Honkai?"
Elysia asked, still unable to believe it.
"Isn't that the result you wanted all along? To reject the Stigmata Project. So why are you making that face now, huh?"
Mobius smiled gently, her laughter breaking the calm atmosphere shared by the thirteen present.
"..."
Strangely, memory Kevin didn't respond.
He simply stood there, arms crossed, silent.
"There's no need to be so tense. She's just here to run an experiment," Vill-V chimed in cheerfully, trying to ease the mood.
"None of us liked the Stigmata Project anyway, right?"