The method of embracing Finality aside, the very prerequisites were already enough to eliminate most candidates.
To bear the power of Finality and become the Herrscher of Finality.
This path was completely different from becoming any previous Herrscher. Even someone like Kiana, who had deep experience as one, couldn't help but get a headache thinking about it.
In the past, there were basically two main ways to become a Herrscher.
One — extract the Herrscher core from an existing Herrscher, adapt your will and Houkai energy to the right attributes, endure the whispers of Honkai, and congratulations — you're now a Herrscher fighting for humanity.
Two — directly fuse a Herrscher core into your own body, as long as you had the clarity, rational thinking, and human choice to wield it for humanity.
And if you were just robbing another Herrscher of their power, you could roughly follow the "Domination" example.
But now… the Herrscher of Finality was a whole different matter.
Luo Mo strongly suspected that the only person capable of both holding the cocoon and becoming the Herrscher of Finality was Kiana — but he had no solid proof. In the early "Reverse Pain" phase of completing the Moonlight Throne, they had even tried letting Kiana wield all the Herrscher powers that Domination once possessed. In essence, that was already a stand-in for a certain plan… one they ultimately shelved.
----
In the Golden Courtyard.
A light breeze drifted by, stirring the pink wind chimes hanging in the room.
"Fate and reincarnation… both shattered after that one night. Looking back now, Elysia really did change so much."
Aponia spoke softly, a faint smile on her lips.
She had always been the other's most loyal believer, and after that day when she believed the threads of fate were cut, the future she saw was no longer a cage.
Time itself now carried color, because of that person.
"How much it's changed…"
Elysia's slender fingers brushed the corner of her mouth, her eyes bright. "I know~ That's why I hope for a perfect ending — one that won't waste everyone's efforts ♪~"
"I can only hope so."
Kevin replied slowly. Today, he seemed even quieter than usual — but whether his heart truly felt the same, no one could say.
Ever since the Stigma Project began, all of it had gripped his mind — whether it was MeI, or anything related to Finality.
"Who knows? Haha~"
Mobius only gave a mysterious smile, without answering.
----
In the game.
Strangely, Hare didn't block Kiana's group, instead letting them freely go and challenge the Lord — Kevin.
On the contrary, she completely removed the mental restraints on Kiana's group. Mei regained her full Herrscher power because of it, but when it came to Bronya's turn, something unusual happened.
— Her Herrscher core rejected her.
Though full of doubt, with a great enemy ahead and the class president at their side, there was no time to ponder the matter.
The three — Kiana, Mei, and Bronya — went to meet the executor of the Stigma Project: Kevin.
Before crossing blades, they talked first.
Mei believed that before closing the lid on everything, people of this era had every reason to seek a better answer.
To that, Kevin gave only one reply—
"When Finality decides the fate of humanity, it doesn't even need a reason."
"…Since you put it that way… Kevin, I have one question that's been haunting me the most."
Her long purple hair swayed behind her, and the violet in her eyes glinted with streaks of lightning. She stared at the man before her, his expression as cold and hard as ice, and took a deep breath.
In the Cocoon, she had seen his past — she knew how they had once treated this plan, and understood their helplessness…
But there was one most fundamental question she had never found an answer to in the Cocoon.
And no one had ever been willing to tell her.
"Finality … what exactly is it?"
This was Mei's question, and the question of many others. They all knew End was humanity's greatest enemy, and countless records and archives confirmed it…
But until now, they suddenly realized they had never truly understood this enemy at all.
"…"
The man tilted his head upward.
Through the thin veil of Houkai energy, he gazed into the endless darkness above.
"…In the last civilization, we came to this conclusion."
"Finality is not of Earth. It's a mechanism for controlling fate, endlessly cycling human civilizations —"
"All so that its creators could control their own kind."
His gaze returned to the present, breaking free from that cosmic vortex.
He spoke simply — yet with a conviction that compelled belief.
The biggest reason the Stigmata Project had a chance to succeed… was because it had been allowed to, by something Finality itself had created — its own "kind," or something very much like it.
"But do you really think… that's what winning against Destruction looks like?"
Bronya couldn't help but voice the question from her very soul, her brows drawing tight as she looked at him with doubt in her eyes.
She didn't believe that such a near–truancy-like method of calculation could truly succeed.
"No. Of course not."
Without the slightest hesitation, Kevin shook his head. He had never considered this to be a victory over the Honkai.
"Paying a heavy price and still winning—that's a question that belongs to humanity… Of course, I'm not saying I'm not human."
He acknowledged the other side's point of view, but whether they had the strength to hold onto the ideals written in their hearts was something that could only be proven by surpassing him.
"That's why I look forward to you… surpassing everything!"
As he spoke, his hand gripped the blazing greatsword, giving it a gentle swing. Flames scattered into the air of the moon's surface, their blistering heat and suffocating pressure slamming forward like a physical force.
He didn't continue with the words — Friend or foe, choose.
Because the people before him represented a new civilization. If they wanted to achieve their goal, they would have to overcome the obstacle standing before them—himself.
He had no objection to that. In fact, there was even an element of anticipation.
If they could defeat the one who wielded the power of the Cocoon, that would mean they could reach the "tomorrow" beyond it.
---
Inside Cecilia's mansion.
"So, you didn't even try to stop them? And you're a high-ranking member of World Serpent…"
Cecilia regarded the dreamlike beauty before her with interest. As the mysterious veil was removed layer by layer, the other woman seemed to know more and more about the events unfolding, yet everything about her own identity became even more obscure.
As for the past of the one called "Hare," not a single detail had been revealed.
"The one who leads World Serpent is looking forward to meeting them. Naturally, I have no need to stop it."
With her hands folded neatly on her lap, Hare smiled gently as she answered.
"huh—she's always like this. Just watching others squirm. Wants to learn from humans, but ends up copying their riddles instead."
Prometheus interrupted from behind, propping her chin up with a look of resigned helplessness.
"Honestly, it makes you worry about her future."
Hare gave her a sidelong glance. They were both on the road to exploring human nature, and that was why they traveled together.
But judging from that statement, the other party seemed to have quite the misunderstanding about her.
…Could it be because of all the weird pranks she'd been playing lately?
"So, with that worry in mind, you've chosen to accompany them, acting as an escort for her future?"
Shigure Kira teased, seeing this as a rather strange partnership.
Prometheus fell silent, shooting Shigure Kira a glance. As an AI, it was hard to tell if her eyes held any hint of complaint, but from her words, her emotional modules had clearly improved a lot.
"I don't know what you based that conclusion on, but I suggest you spend some time here in the academy. And, by the way—this person here was the one who founded Kira's official fan club. That promotional poster you saw at the academy concert last time? Also her work."
"Huh?!"
Shigure Kira's eyes widened, staring in disbelief at Hare.
Hare, now wearing a slightly apologetic smile, didn't deny it.
But… this was completely wrong!
She had searched for a long time and never found out who was responsible for making that originally quiet concert hall—meant only for Luo Mo's small group of supporters—suddenly become packed full of people. That single poster had ended up spreading her singing voice across the academy.
It had practically launched her into the spotlight overnight!
She still regretted trusting whoever had lured her into this—no "million-dollar" mysterious sponsor had ever shown up. And while she had no desire to deceive her fans, the concert's buzz had taken off before she'd even arrived, leaving her baffled.
"Oh, it's you again? Wait—how did you manage to set up an entire organization so quickly?"
Theresa was stunned, looking at her. Suddenly, she remembered something and hesitated.
"Then… was I wrong about that other thing? So it wasn't Luo Mo after all?"
At the time, she had simply assumed it was Luo Mo who had done it. But now…
"No—that really wasn't me. To be precise, I just referenced the student council president's fan club."
Hare coughed lightly, refusing to take the blame.
"Anyway, why don't we focus on the next battle?"
Unable to withstand Shigure Kira's barely concealed glare, Hare quickly changed the subject.
----
In the game, the battle began.
No matter what language you used to communicate, in the end it always came down to trading blows.
Unlike past fights, this opponent wasn't difficult to deal with because of some strange ability or cunning trap. This time, they were facing the strongest warrior of the Previous Era—one who had survived for fifty thousand years—Kevin Kaslana, at the height of his power.
Even with the powers of Herrschers restored, the three of them couldn't withstand a single blow.
What Kevin brought to the field was pure, overwhelming power, paired with an unmatched wealth of combat experience.
Every swing of his sword was heavy and deliberate, ice and flame moving as naturally as an extension of his own limbs. His black bone-like wings and claws were also weapons, and there wasn't a single weak point on his entire body.
As the fight reached its peak, all three Herrschers unleashed their powers.
Lightning, fire, and ice merged into a chaotic storm, while the Herrscher of Reason's constructed projectiles filled the air—only for Kevin's annihilating force to shatter them all.
With a casual strike, he sent them flying into the moon base's outer wall, sealing them in thick ice.
Right now, the main cast wasn't even in his league.
"It seems the Herrschers' resolve amounts to this much."
Kevin's tone was calm, without joy—only slight disappointment.
Resolve, surpassing the Cocoon… all they had to do was defeat him, and he would step aside. He was the final safeguard of the world.
But before him now, the three Herrschers were already frozen solid, stripped of all mobility.
At the critical moment, black-and-red feathers filled the air, distracting Kevin for just a heartbeat.
Immediately, Fu Hua moved in, using the Star of Eden dropped from Bronya's hands to create a black-hole simulation, briefly restraining Kevin while using the accelerated time differential to wear him down.
It was a simple yet effective tactic—one Welt had used before—making excellent use of black-hole physics.
Then, Hare appeared, whisking away the exhausted Kiana and her companions.
...
At the same time, in a separate space influenced by the black hole—
A strange, almost absurd conversation began.
"Friend or foe—choose."
The cold voice rang out, yet carried the lingering warmth of flame. He looked straight at the Herrscher of Sentience standing there.
"As I said before, Kevin—" The grey-haired girl grinned, raising her hands in mock surrender. "I surrender.". She had no intention of fighting.
"..."
Kevin's gaze shifted slightly, then he withdrew his swelling battle intent.
Not having to fight an old acquaintance was, of course, the best outcome.
But for him, it was puzzling—after all, without her help, Hua wouldn't have been able to temporarily trap him.
"Maybe. Do you think we've spoiled her too much? If I hadn't lent her my power…"
The Herrscher of Sentience gave a helpless little smirk, sighing more sincerely than anyone else could.
"You've changed."
Kevin spoke slowly.
"Have I? Well, maybe just a little. Think about it—when we first met, I genuinely believed I could fight you to a draw, fifty-fifty."
The woman kept joking, but in her eyes there was a faint gravity as she looked at the man before her.
His strength was unquestionable. Looking back, she admitted to herself that she had overestimated her own ability.
If he wanted to leave, he could do so at any moment— even if, because of the black hole's properties, several hours had already passed outside.
But Kevin was in no hurry to go.
After all…
"The Stigmata Project is the worst possible plan— I, like you all, have no doubt about that."
Kevin gave a small nod, his cool gaze lingering on her look of surprise.
"Either way, they still have a lot to do if they want to surpass the Stigma Project and reach the 'Origin.'"
"…You actually want them to defeat you?"
The Herrscher of Sentience asked in confusion.
The more she got to know him, the clearer it became—he stood simply and naturally at the very peak of the world. She could hardly imagine anyone surpassing him.
Kevin's eyes narrowed slightly, and he let out a quiet breath, standing motionless within the black-hole-distorted space.
The Chimera phenomenon allowed him to bear the Stigma project's central core— but it also meant he could never be the key to the Central Origin.
He could not surpass the Stigma Project. But perhaps… others could.
---
In the recording studio.
A glint flashed in Luo Mo's eyes as he decided to play an old video recording he had stored away.
He placed it to the side, comparing it to the current scene on the screen.
The others watched curiously, though the Herrscher of Sentience's right eyelid twitched several times. She wanted to stop him, but it was far too late.
In the video, the Herrscher of Sentience was still her old bold self—speaking loudly and proudly:
"Even against Kevin, I can fight him to a draw!"
Those confident words stood in stark contrast to her current self, hands raised above her head in surrender:
——"Like I said earlier, Kevin, I surrender."
This was the same "fifty-fifty" matchup she'd once bragged about… now ending in total capitulation.
It made people sigh and wonder—where had the old Herrscher of Sentience gone?
Time really did change people.
Her face now flushed red, the Herrscher of Sentience glared at Luo Mo through gritted teeth and barked:
"No wonder—no wonder you were digging around earlier! You already had this saved?!"
From her posture, it looked like she might just leap at him and go down together in mutual destruction.
This was… unbearably embarrassing!
Her face burned crimson as she stared in indignation.
"Fifty-fifty and surrender… Yeah, well, she did always claim she could go even with Kevin," Kiana said while scratching her head, secretly relieved she'd never believed the boasting in the first place. "Just her alone could hold him off, she said—'No problem handling him together.'"
Five minutes and five seconds in… and she surrenders?
Fu Hua shot her a look of helpless disapproval—this is what happens when you talk big. Hopefully she'll treat this as a lesson.
"…I want to die."
Slumping from her standing pose, the Herrscher of Sentience slid down into the couch. Absent-mindedly, she leaned her head a little toward Fu Hua, radiating the air of someone whose spirit had been thoroughly crushed.