Asterisk, Earth..
"..So this is the Abyss, the enemy that nii-chan is fighting," Touya muttered, his grip on Alya and Buer's hands tightening as the remaining pressure from Gosoythoth pressed down. The sheer power radiating from it felt like it could crush him without effort.
"...I believe onii-chan will be fine," Mahiru whispered, biting her lip. Still, her eyes betrayed her worry as she clung closer to Amane's arm, using his warmth to calm her nerves. "But seeing something like that... and knowing how many enemies they have to face..."
"Haa… this idiot, really." Koutaro sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Harumi Sakuraba tilted her head beside him. "Is something wrong, Satomi-kun?"
Theia leaned in, her voice tentative. "Don't tell me… you think Noah's in real trouble?"
Sanae frowned. "Even for him, that thing looked terrifying…"
Yurika glanced between them nervously. "But… you still believe in him, right?"
"...It's not that, it's just—despite how overwhelmingly disadvantageous this looks for Noah and the others, he still has the guts to trash talk the enemy." Koutaro muttered, half annoyed and half impressed.
Harumi blinked, then the rest followed, their eyes widening as they realized Koutaro was right.
"Classic Noah, isn't it?" Yuuya said dryly.
"Brings me back to Gryps," Hayate added with a faraway look. "He sounded like he was taunting them even then."
Athena rolled her eyes. "Reckless idiot."
Minami laughed under her breath. "He didn't even realize he was doing it! that's why he gets under their skin every time."
Kaori gave a helpless smile, while Masha and Sylvie both rubbed their temples.
"Honestly… one of these days his mouth will get him killed," Sylvie sighed.
"But, because of that," Masha smiles softly, "Noah-kun makes everyone believe that even in the hardest times, everything will be fine."
Hearing what Masha said, Koutaro, Yuuya, Hayate, Athena, Minami, and Kaori could only share a wry smile. They all knew she was absolutely right.
"Noah-chan is an Alden through and through," Mitsuki added, rubbing her cheek against Nahida's to comfort the little archon, who was still recovering from Gosoythoth's pressure. Then she moved her gaze and gave Caelus the driest stare she could manage. "Reminds me of a certain 'galactic baseballer' who never knows how to read the mood and who keeps spouting nonsense even in the middle of danger."
Caelus tried to ignore what his wife said, his eyes fixed stubbornly on the screen where Noah and his group were shown. Yet the redness creeping up his cheeks and the tips of his ears betrayed his embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Minami's live stream chat was buzzing with heated debate about the Abyss Noah was about to fight.
[Retreat! He can't win against that thing!]
[What are you saying?! That is Noah Alden, the strongest Alden of this Generation, he'll pull through!]
[That's too reckless, this is suicide!]
[Reckless or not, that's why we watch him! Sit down and enjoy the show.]
[Place your bets, folks, Noah vs. Cosmic Horror—who's taking it?]
The arguments escalated, half the chat spamming retreat emotes while the other half flooded with fire and sword icons, threatening to turn into a full-blown chat war before the scene on screen suddenly changed, the situation on Noah's side changed. He raised the mimicry of the 3rd Divine Key, purple lightning crackling around him. The blade extended into a streak of highly concentrated energy, the kind that could turn anything it touched into atoms.
Gasps erupted across both worlds. Koutaro and the girls around him stiffened, Noah's friends stood frozen. Touya, Mahiru, and Alya along with their friends held their breath. Mitsuki and Caelus exchanged looks. Even the live stream chat went dead silent, the scrolling barrage of text halting as if stunned into awe.
"Unbelievable…" Touya muttered wide-eyed.
"Onii-chan...," Mahiru whispered, though her voice trembled.
The amount of power Noah was releasing overshadowed the power Gosoythoth had displayed moments before.
—--
Back in the Night Kingdom, Natlan, Teyvat—
The abyss monsters marched forward with the goal of crushing Noah and the rest by sheer numbers, aiming to engulf the entire kingdom. Gosoythoth stared Noah down, masking its unease at Noah's indifference. Even after feeling the weight of its pressure, Noah did not flinch.
'No! That human must be faking it… just putting on a tough front.' Gosoythoth thought grimly. 'With our numbers, we should be able to finish him and Natlan both.'
Kiana and the girls, along with Mavuika and the heroes, tensed at the sight of the incoming enemy force. But Noah only snorted, kept pouring Imaginary energy into the mimicry of the 3rd Divine Key in his hand.
Lightning crackled around him, arcs dancing across the ground. Mavuika and the six heroes froze, their eyes widening, their earlier nervousness forgotten in the wake of this sudden shift.
Mavuika's eyes trembled. "That power… it feels like the storm itself is gathering."
Noah raised his hand holding the mimicry of the 3rd divine key. A blade of pure energy extended up into the sky. The air grew heavy and charged, the smell of ozone stinging their noses. Even Kiana and the others could feel the hair on their arms stand on end as the atmosphere itself seemed to vibrate.
"Geez… he's actually serious now," Elysia said, her hand reaching for the camera ready to capture the moment.
"Since you are giving us such a grand welcome, allow me to return the gesture," Noah said with a faint smile. He gripped the blade in both hands and swung.
A blinding flash erupted, followed by a deafening boom. In an instant, hundreds of thousands of Abyss monsters were erased—reduced to nothing, not even ash or shadow left behind. It was as if they had never existed. Mavuika and the six heroes froze, their jaws nearly hitting the ground. Kiana (with Sirin), Elysia, Lumine, Miss A, and Citlali huddled together, bracing themselves against the shockwave. Koutaro, Mahiru, Touya, Alya, Buer, Caelus, Mitsuki, Masha, Sylvie, and the rest of the Asterisk group watching from the feed shuddered, speechless.
But Noah wasn't finished. He swung the mimic again and again, each strike turning more Abyss into atoms. By the time he stopped, the millions of monstrous arms had been whittled down to mere hundreds of thousands.
Finally, after one last swing, the mimicry of the 3rd Divine Key vanished from his hands.
[warning: due to excessive use of the zeroth power, mimicry abilities are currently unavailable.] Void Archives announced in a flat tone. [Cool down initiation of 3600 seconds begins.]
Noah blinked at his suddenly empty hand. "Ehh? Cool down? That didn't happen last time, right?"
[It always happens, Captain,] Void Archives answered dryly. [Because you rarely use the Divine Keys at full power, you never triggered this safety measure before.]
"...Why even put that kind of function in?" Noah muttered with a sulky frown.
[To prevent the user from burning out, obviously,] Void Archives replied. [Only you, Captain, are the strange one who can ignore the side effects of the divine keys.]
Noah sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Then what am I supposed to do with these… inexplicable feelings?!... Huh?A strange sense of déjà vu.."
[There are still thousands of Abyss ahead, and the Reaper to deal with,] Void Archives said casually. [Or, if you prefer, you could always take your 'wives' to the hot springs again.]
Kiana (with Sirin), Elysia, Lumine, Miss A, and Citlali all froze at Void Archive's shameless suggestion about taking them back to the hot springs. A collective shudder ran through them.
"..This AI is an absolute demon," Kiana and Sirin muttered in unison.
Elysia pressed a hand dramatically to her chest, tears pooling in her eyes. "How could you say such a thing, VA?! Is our bond nothing more than a joke to you?!"
Lumine crouched down, arms wrapping around herself as her face flushed crimson. "...I'll die, I'll die… from shame and pleasure…" she whispered like a mantra.
Miss A went completely still, her entire body stiffening as if she had turned into a white statue. "...Fuee…" she murmured weakly.
Citlali hastily pulled Citlalin in front of her like a shield, cold sweat running down her temple. "N-nope, not remembering, not remembering…" she muttered, desperately trying to block the images of what she, Noah, and the rest had done together.
Mavuika and the six heroes could only stare with wide eyes, utterly dumbfounded by the dramatic reactions of Noah's companions.
"...As much as I want to bring the girls to the springs, grandma will lecture me again," Noah admitted in an even tone, though the faint pout in his voice was impossible to miss.
Mitsuki's brow twitched immediately, her eyes narrowing, while Kiana and the rest let out a collective sigh of relief.
Noah moves his gaze back toward the endless abyss army ahead. "Then I guess I'll go with option one…"
Mavuika and the six heroes froze. To their disbelief, the abyss monsters actually flinched as if they sensed Noah's intent—to unleash all his pent-up frustration on them.
"W-wait… are they trembling?" Wanjiru whispered.
"I almost feel sorry for them…" Burkina muttered.
For the first time, everyone found themselves pitying the abyss.
[..Also another thing, Captain. With the cooldown active, unfortunately we cannot mimic any of the Divine Keys.]
"So, in the end, I'll go back to my normal weapons?" Noah asked with a raised brow.
[Yes,] Void Archives confirmed flatly. [Since I can only mimic them, usage is limited. And because you overused the 3rd Divine Key, the safety measure has been triggered.]
"Hmmp." Noah pursed his lips before exhaling sharply. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
Igniting his lightsaber Lux with a sharp hum, Noah tightened his grip and dashed forward, throwing himself straight into the abyssal army.
—
"Patronus: Pheia." Noah's voice rang out as he landed in the heart of the Abyss' army. Several heralds instinctively pulled back as golden-white flames burst outward, wrapping protectively around him. Any monster too close was instantly incinerated. The fire seemed alive, swirling and gliding around Noah until it formed the clear silhouette of a great bird. He lifted his hand, palm open. With a piercing shriek, the flame-bird spread its wings and shot forward, tearing through hundreds of Abyss creatures and several heralds in its path.
Asterisk, Earth.
"...Beautiful," Buer whispered, eyes wide as the phoenix burned a swath through the sea of entropy.
Touya, hearing her, gave a small smile. "That's Pheia, Nii-chan's patronus—the Phoenix Pheia. She's one of the spirit guardians of our family."
Buer looked at him, her cheeks turning red at the way Touya smiled so casually. She coughed, trying to cover her embarrassment, but Alya on the other side was already giving her a sharp stare, while Mahiru, Masha, and Sylvie wore knowing grins. Mitsuki let out a teasing, "My, my," and Caelus even gave a proud nod of approval. Buer's blush only deepened.
"Th-then, d-does that mean Pheia is the same level as Mahiru-san's Jue?" she asked nervously.
"Yes," Touya answered honestly, still oblivious to her flustered state. "Pheia is one of the oldest spirits in our family line. The ever-burning flame, the flame of rebirth. Nii-chan awakened her, and she became his patronus."
Alya sighed, folding her arms as she watched the scene unfold. She felt a mix of relief and frustration—relief that Touya hadn't noticed Buer's blush and possible blossoming feelings, and frustration that he was too dense to realize anything at all.
Urghh!!! This is so complicated!! Alya thought with frustration. Is this what Masha feels whenever Sylvie-nee and the rest are around Nii-san??
"I-I see…" Buer mumbled, her emotions tangled. Part of her was relieved Touya hadn't said anything, but another part still pouted because he hadn't said anything at all.
"My, my… this really does remind me of Noah-chan back when he was still so oblivious to Masha-chan and Sylvie-chan," Mitsuki said with a teasing smile.
"Eh? What do you mean, Granny?" Nahida perked up from Mitsuki's lap, tilting her head curiously.
"Hehehe," Mitsuki chuckled, patting Nahida's head. "It was just like this when Noah-chan, being a dense boy who couldn't tell that both Masha-chan and Sylvie-chan already liked him very much."
"Grandma!!" Masha yelped, her face turning red.
"Granny!!" Sylvie followed right after, equally flustered.
"Ohh!" Nahida's eyes twinkled in sudden understanding, like a child who had just uncovered a great secret. "So Sister Buer and Sister Alya like Brother Touya, but he doesn't notice it!!"
"FFT!!! N-Nahida-chan?!" Buer yelped, snapping her attention toward the little archon, her whole face blazing red.
"W-who said I like this dense idiot?!" Alya shouted, pointing furiously at Touya, her cheeks equally crimson.
"...What?" Touya blinked blankly, completely lost.
Mahiru smacked him on the shoulder with a sharp glare. "Idiot…"
Touya rubbed the spot in confusion. "Ow!! What did I do?!"
Amane sighed beside Mahiru, giving him an exasperated look. "You really don't get it, do you?"
—-
Noah walked through the scourged path, his steps composed amidst the countless burned husks of Abyss monsters. The Lectors showered him with elemental attacks, desperate to halt his advance. Yet each strike was either cleaved apart by Lux or redirected with the Force into their own allies. Hilichurl shamans hurled desperate spells, but Noah's blade cut them down as if they were nothing. Heralds leapt from the shadows in hopes of landing a fatal blow, but before they even realized what happened, they were the ones split in two.
Mavuika and the six heroes of Natlan—Burkina, Sanhaj, Wanjiru, Tupac, Sundjatta, and Menilek—fought not with flashy techniques like Noah and the girls, but with undeniable skill and discipline. Their coordination, timing, and clever use of elemental reactions cut down swathes of Abyss creatures. Each strike and combination carried the weight of warriors who had defended their nation for generations.
"Ahahaha! This almost feels too easy against the Abyss!" Tupac roared as he slammed his hammer into a Mimiflora, the ground shaking beneath the blow.
Sundjatta smashed his mace into a mitachurl and laughed. "Aye! Not long ago we fought for survival with our backs against the wall—yet now it's the Abyss who fights in desperation!"
"Do not grow careless!" Wanjiru warned sharply as her blade cut down an encroaching breacher. "We are still outnumbered!"
Burkina's polearm crackled with Electro as he skewered a riftwolf that lunged at Tupac. "Wanjiru speaks true—stay alert! We are still deep in enemy territory."
Menilek's blazing claymore cleaved through a hulking lawachurl, and he exhaled, catching his breath. "Still… What Tupac and Sundjatta say isn't wrong. Fighting the Abyss has never felt this… manageable."
"Must be due to our new friends. They show us a future worth fighting for," Sanhaj said with a smile as he lowered his bow.
"Give yourselves more credit." The familiar voice of Citlali rang out nearby. The heroes turned, and there was her plushie Itzpapa floating, glowing faintly with Citlali's night soul. "You may not notice it yourself, but the way you fight—watching each other's backs, timing your elemental and normal attacks—brings down your enemies faster. This is what happens when the six of you fight as one team, not just as individuals."
The six heroes' eyes widened, then they broke into laughter, realizing Citlali was right. Before, they had fought only for themselves and their tribes. Now, their techniques, unique to each tribe, blended together to create something greater.
"Ahahaha! For Natlan!" Sundjatta roared.
"For Natlan!!" the six heroes shouted in unison, their voices shaking the battlefield.
—--
Lumine twisted her body, narrowly dodging the Abyss monsters lunging at her. Upon landing, she steadied herself, shifting into the Electro element. Purple lightning crackled along her blade and coursed over her frame, sharp arcs snapping in the air. She concentrated the energy into her sword until it extended like a spear of raw power, then swung in a wide slash. The strike cleaved through the monster before her and cut down several more in its wake.
"...Prin…cess."
Lumine froze at the broken voice. Turning, her eyes widened at the sight of a platoon of Black Serpent Knights. Her expression softened into sorrow as she bit her lip. "...You are…"
"Prin…cess… save us," the leading knight rasped, hefting its claymore as though preparing to challenge her.
Lumine's chest tightened, when she heard those words. The small Citlalin plushie floated ahead of her, as if trying to shield her from the knights.
"Lumine, are you okay? What's wrong?" Citlali's voice carried gently from Citlalin.
"...No, nothing's wrong," Lumine answered, though her voice wavered. She drew in a deep breath, eyes fixed on the knights. "These knights… they are the people I failed long ago."
Her fingers trembled before clenching tightly. With determination flashing in her gaze, she switched to Pyro element. A sun-like crest burned bright behind her, and her body glowed similar to Natlan's night soul. "...Itztli, leave these knights to me. Releasing them from the Abyss is my last duty as their princess."
Citlali was silent for a moment. "...I understand. But I'll stay by your side. I'll support you whenever you need it."
Lumine gave her a faint but grateful smile. "...Thank you." She took a step forward, but Citlali called out again.
"Oh, by the way, Lumine. My name is Citlali."
Lumine blinked, then let out a warm laugh. "Understood, Itztli. I'll remember—Itztli."
"Hmp!" Citlali snorted, puffing up in mock offense, which only made Lumine laugh even more.
—--
"Haaa!!!!!!" Kiana roared, swinging her archon spear bat and smashing the Hydro Herald straight into a cluster of mimifloras. More archon spears spun into existence around her, darting forward like golden meteors to impale the Breachers in her path. A crack of thunder followed as bolts of Electro rained down toward her—yet a void space suddenly opened above her head, redirecting the lightning through another portal that appeared on top of the herald. The monster convulsed as the redirected lighting fried it, and Kiana coolly finished the job with a few shots from her pistol.
'Stupid tuna, I don't know if you noticed it yet, but… the Abyss monsters keep going toward us,' Sirin muttered dryly inside their shared mindscape, conjuring more archon spears and void blocks to deal with the abyss that came close.
'Huh? Really?!' Kiana blinked in confusion, bashing another Mitachurl with her bat while letting off a few shots from her pistols. 'Man, they just don't quit…'
'...This stupid tuna.' Sirin face-palmed inside their shared mind. 'Has your head gone empty?! Do you only know how to eat and fight now?!'
'Wah?! Do you have to curse me like that?!' Kiana snapped back, cheeks puffing as she grit her teeth. 'I'm smart, you know?! I'm just… well… too lazy to think sometimes.' Her voice softened into a sheepish tone.
Sirin's deadpan stare pressed against her from the mindscape, making Kiana sweat nervously.
'W-what?! Cut me some slack! We've got Captain with us, isn't? He'll handle the thinking part while I handle the smashing!' Kiana added defensively, swinging her bat down on another herald.
Kiana tilted her head back, glancing at the sky where Mavuika and Noah with Pheia were clashing against Gosoythoth. "See? Captain already got the big guy covered."
'Haaa… unbelievable.' Sirin groaned. 'Fine. Just do your thing and keep smashing, tuna.'
"O-okay, okay," Kiana sniffled, then broke into a grin. "Hehehe… leave the smashing to me!"
—---
"Wahahaha! Do you Abyss think you can win against us?!" Miss A laughed boldly, crossing her arms as explosions sounded around her. "As long as I'm here, Dodo-king you won't gain victory!!"
Elysia blinked, dumbfounded, watching her fellow sister laugh madly in the middle of the chaos. "...Just what are you doing, A-chan?"
"?!" Miss A's head snapped toward her, eyes wide. Floating beside her was a brand new memosprite—shaped like a tiny fairy version of Elysia, Faellie, holding a magical stick with a camera attached, streaming everything back to Asterisk.
"E-E-El-chan?! Since when were you there?!" Miss A stammered in panic, her face burning red as her witch hat the moment she realized Noah's family and friends had just seen her embarrassing act.
Elysia tilted her head, a sly smile forming. "Hehe… I saw everything, A-chan."
Miss A flailed, covering her face with her hands. "Pl-please listen, granny! I-I don't usually act like that!! I-it's just… Captain looked so cool I got carried away!!" She pleaded, her tone desperate, eyes even watering a little. The pitiful sight only made it worse.
"Puu~!" Elysia quickly covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "Ohhh, now that is adorable, Alice."
"El-chan?!" Miss A squeaked, her cheeks burning even brighter red.
Mitsuki simply said "My~" with a teasing grin.
The live stream chat immediately exploded with teasing comments, some spamming heart emotes, others typing out "Cute!!" and "Protect her!!" or "Lucky Noah Alden!!" even "Where can I find a cute elven magical girl wife?"
As their playful banter continued, a Geo Wolflord suddenly burst from the ground to attack them. Luckily Waltz barreled in, slamming into the beast with force, and the two clashed that looked straight out of a kaiju movie.
"...We'll settle this later, A-chan," Elysia said, materializing a crystal arrow and nocking it on her bow.
Miss A adjusted her hat with a pout, gripping her staff tightly. "Fine… but I'll get you back for this, El-chan."
"Ahahaha!" Elysia laughed brightly. "Later then. Let's finish this fight first—and add another page to our journey together!"