"Just you? Arrogant..."
Arlecchino sneered.
"In my eyes, gods are nothing more than higher beings. The essence of a god's life and a human's life is no different to me."
Zandik wasn't angered by Arlecchino's sarcasm; a steadfast smile remained on his face.
"According to my observations, Nanook the Destruction is a being that transcends the Archons of Teyvat... a more distant and more magnificent existence. Some Star Gods can even master certain rules in the universe, possessing power that the Seven Archons cannot hope to achieve."
"But Star Gods also have a beginning. Just like the Star God of Nous was initially a creation of humans, some Star Gods were even human to begin with... What did they go through to eventually become Star Gods? Aren't you curious about that process?"
Zandik's tone gradually turned regretful and disappointed:
"I believe... the Stellaron is an important entry point for studying Star Gods, but Cocolia gave up on studying the Stellaron. It's simply foolish."
Arlecchino sighed:
"Studying everything will only harm you."
"On the contrary,"
Zandik said calmly,
"Stopping curiosity about the unknown... is the only way to destroy me."
—
「 "Stelle moves forward again, this time with Cocolia and Bronya."
Bronya said worriedly, "Mother, I still don't understand... the Fragmentum corrosion has spread to the lower levels. If all the Silvermane Guards are withdrawn, how will the people left below protect themselves?"
Cocolia patted the girl's shoulder: "The automoton defense line will be responsible for their safety. The most important defense line is in the upper zone; if we collapse, the underground will be instantly annihilated. We must maintain the defense line at all costs."
"This is a trade-off... Bronya, as a leader, you must have the courage to make decisions. You, I, we still need to fulfill a more important mission... Sooner or later, you will also have to make a choice."
"A more important mission?" Bronya looked up in confusion.
Cocolia said comfortingly: "It's too early, Bronya... too early. You will understand someday."
Stelle continued forward, this time seeing a little girl in front of her.
The little girl's appearance seemed common in Belobog, but when she spoke, it was as if countless voices from across the veil of time overlapped, echoing throughout this universe.
"That was... the will of the past Guardians."
"This city is crying... the power of Preservation is fading. In the end, we still cannot resist the will of the Stellaron."
"It was Cocolia who abandoned Preservation," Stelle said.
"Exactly... but we have no right to blame. For the past seven hundred years, the Fragmentum has been expanding every minute and second. What we left for our successors... was not faith and wealth, but endless despair."
"Witnessing the home pledged to the oath of 『Preservation』 gradually disappear before our eyes... is a torment. Plus, that lingering, seductive whisper..." 」
「 .....」
~Runeterra World~
"It seems that the past Supreme Guardians were all aware of the problem. Even if Cocolia held firm to her heart and wasn't swayed, the next Supreme Guardian, and the one after that, would eventually reach a breaking point."
Katherine suddenly realized:
"Even if the one who betrayed Preservation wasn't Cocolia, it would have been someone else."
"Even the firmest will is bound to waver, it seems. It looks like this matter can't be entirely blamed on Cocolia."
Vi found it hard to imagine the immense pressure on the shoulders of someone bearing the weight of a planet's civilization.
"However, while I can understand Cocolia's choice, it doesn't mean I agree with it."
Katherine's tone was firm:
"How can a decision concerning the very embers of an entire civilization be made by one person? In Piltover, such matters require a vote by the council. The Stellaron matter... should not have been kept from others from the very beginning, at least not from Bronya and the others."
"...This Lady Cocolia is a bit too arrogant,"
Katherine grew angrier as she spoke.
"Alright, Cupcake, what's there to be angry about? Look, the Trailblazer and the others are here to 'fix' her, aren't they?"
Vi said comfortingly, stroking her shoulder.
"But Stelle..."
Katherine recalled the scene of Stellebeing pierced by a spear, shaking her head worriedly.
"After all, she has a Stellaron inside her. Wanting to die... probably isn't that easy."
—
「 "Even the firmest will is bound to waver; this day is destined to come. His blessing... is destined to leave us." The Guardian will say regretfully.
Stelle closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she had a look of overflowing confidence: "Then let someone else 『Preservation』 !"
"You..." The Guardian's will showed a surprised tone for the first time, "A mere passerby, yet you insist on shouldering the fate of an entire world..."
But soon, the Guardians' will had no other choice. She lowered her head and said: "Very well. What else is there to lose... what else can't be tried?"
"Go and touch the amber light, Trailblazer. See if the will of 『Preservation』 within your heart is strong enough... strong enough to attract His gaze."
Following her direction of guidance, under the shroud of amber light, was an amber lance.
Stelle slowly reached out and firmly grasped the lance's hilt.
But the moment she took hold, as if from an invisible distant place in the universe, the Amber Lord brought down a heavy hammer, and a 'clang' of striking accompanied by a wave of heat struck, pushing the Stelle's body back a few steps.
But in the next second, she grasped it with an even more resolute posture!
In an instant, countless images flashed before Stelle's eyes: Seele, Bronya, Gepard, Serval... In this not-so-beautiful world, they were all striving to change it.
The Silvermane Guards were fighting Fragmentum monsters with their lives, the people in the lower zone toiled for meager food, yet the Fragmentum never stopped expanding for a single moment.
"This world had no hope, no future."
"Then, let her become the hope of this world!"
"Aaaargh!!"
With a roar, the lance was pulled out by Stelle, and a dazzling amber light shot up into the sky, as if to illuminate the entire universe!"
And in the depths of the boundless universe, a colossal being resembling a stone sculpture raised the giant hammer in its hand. In its eyes, a blinding light gradually lit up... 」
「 .....」
~One Punch Man World~
"This... this is the Star God of Preservation! Stelle is being watched by Him!"
At this moment, Tatsumaki looked up amidst the exclamations of the heroes, staring in astonishment at the god-like, colossal being.