Night Kingdom, Natlan, Teyvat.
High above the Night Kingdom's skies, Gosoythoth clashed with both Mavuika and Noah. The monster unleashed homing abyss-powered blasts, its tendrils cutting through the air toward them. Noah sprinted across the crumbling floating platforms, weaving between the strikes while Pheia hurled waves of flame to burn back the tendrils.
Mavuika flew through the sky with fierce precision, her martial power driving through the creature's defenses. Every strike of her greatsword rang against Gosoythoth's shields.
"All of you really don't know when to give up," Gosoythoth sneered, its many voices rumbling like thunder.
Noah caught the incoming tendrils with the Force, halting them mid‑air before shoving them aside. The impact shattered nearby platforms. He exhaled sharply as his eyes narrowed. "What can we say? We have a future we want to reach… and you're standing in the way."
With a sharp cry, Pheia conjured a blazing wall of fire, cutting off another wave of tendrils that threatened Mavuika. Freed from the assault, Mavuika spun her greatsword in a blazing arc, severing the tendrils clean. She then charged forward, fist glowing with pryo element powered by the divine throne, and smashed it against Gosoythoth's barrier.
"And that is why—!" she roared. "We will not let you destroy our present!"
The impact from Mavuika's fist against Gosoythoth's shields erupted in a violent explosion, sending both back.
Mavuika was hurled several meters before she caught herself, stabilizing her breath as she floated just below the platform where Noah stood.
"Guh!" Gosoythoth snarled, its many voices twisting together. "So you humans still yearn for the agony of death? Then—witness true despair!"
Its form began to transform, the black‑hole body compressing into a swirling sphere of abyssal and faint imaginary energy. The sphere pulsed and cracked like an egg, light leaking through the cracks.
"Bow down to its true appearance!!"
From within emerged a monstrous dragon: a serpent‑like body, enormous wings with feathered features, and two arms wielding colossal blades of pyro and abyssal energy. With one swing, it shattered the surrounding platforms, leaving Noah without footing.
Noah exhaled through his nose. "Tch!"
With the Force and a bit of prana, he conjured a temporary foothold under him. Mavuika balances herself beside him, gripping her greatsword tightly.
Below Kiana and the others, the heroes looked up and saw the dragonic form of Gosoythoth. The power it radiated was terrifying, enough to destroy the entire Night Kingdom and Natlan.
At Asterisk, Earth..
Koutaro and the rest of their friends trembled at Gosoythoth's transformation. The overwhelming strength of this draconic form was beyond imagination.
"Such presence!" Koutaro muttered grimly, clenching his fists.
"It feels like when we fought Alunaya-sama for the first time, Koutaro-sama," Harumi said, reaching out to hold his hand.
"...Unfortunately, Silver Princess, that dragon is far stronger than me," Alunaya admitted with a grim tone.
"Eh?! Stronger than you, Uncle?!" Shizuka gasped in shock. Alunaya only gave a silent nod.
"...To think they now face a dragon stronger than the Fire Dragon Emperor from Forthorthe's legends. Noah Alden and the others must be in a truly dire situation," Theia said, her brow furrowed in concern.
"Not only that," Kiriha Kurano added quickly. "Right now, Kiana-dono and the others are still locked in battle with the enemy's army, keeping them from supporting Noah-dono. So he and the Pyro God are forced to face it alone."
Buer's expression turned grim. Nahida hugged herself, trembling, until Mitsuki hurried over and wrapped her arms around her. "Nahida-chan? Are you alright? Do you need to rest?"
Nahida didn't answer, only burying herself deeper into Mitsuki's arms. Worried, Mitsuki gently rubbed her back, whispering, "It's okay… I'm here."
Caelus's face darkened as he watched. Seeing both Buer and Nahida—gods of Teyvat themselves—react with such dread only underscored how terrifying this dragonic form of Gosoythoth was. He too could feel the crushing power radiating from it.
"Buer, sit down for a bit—you're too pale," Touya said firmly, conjuring a chair beside him.
Buer nodded shakily, sitting down and taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. Once she managed to calm herself, she lifted her gaze back to the feed. Touya quietly held her hand, offering silent strength.
"This dragon's presence feels heavier than Jue's," Mahiru said in a low, uneasy voice.
Amane stiffened at her words, his hand tightening on her shoulder. "So this darkness… it's stronger than your sun?"
Mahiru pressed closer to him, wrapping her arms around him for comfort, and gave a small nod. "Its presence is so deep and suffocating… even with Jue's light can't reach through it."
She lifted her gaze toward Noah, noticing the way his eyes had narrowed and his expression had hardened. "...Onii-chan, please… be careful."
—-
Gosoythoth made the first move, raising its colossal pyro sword straight at Noah and Mavuika. Both leapt aside in unison, narrowly dodging the blazing strike. The sheer force of its swing tore open the ground, leaving a deep cleave that quickly filled with bubbling magma.
"Tsk…!" Noah hissed, peeking from behind his arm as he shielded his eyes from the searing heat and violent wind. His gaze flicked down to see that Kiana and the others had managed to retreat to safety, and he let out a brief sigh of relief before turning back toward Gosoythoth's dragonic form, eyes narrowing.
"Regret your futile defiance against the abyss," Gosoythoth mocked, its voices rumbling like distant thunder.
"VA, how many more seconds before I can use a Divine Key?" Noah called out as he sprinted across steps of force he conjured, closing in on the beast.
[...1800 seconds left, Captain,] Void Archives responded.
Noah clicked his tongue in frustration, gritting his teeth. "Any way to bypass the safety countdown?"
[There is,] Void Archives replied curtly. [You just need approval from seven out of the twelve keys.]
Noah's brow twitched, and he lifted his left arm where the Void Archives rested. "...Twelve?" he asked flatly.
[...yes. Twelve,] Void Archives confirmed.
Holy crap... twelve. Noah groaned and facepalmed. Knowing the 'Captain,' is, he quickly figured out who those keys must be.
"Haa… fine, go and ask them. I should be able to get eight approvals with them here," he muttered with a weary sigh.
[...roger, Captain,] Void Archives replied. At once, it sent the request to bypass the safety feature. Simultaneously, holoscreens blinked into view in front of Kiana (with Sirin), Elysia, Lumine, Miss A, Citlali, Masha, and Sylvie.
[As requested by Captain Noah Alden, he requires authorization to bypass the safety feature of the Divine Key, Key of Revelations, in order to mimic other Divine Keys without waiting for cooldown. If you approve, select APPROVE. If you deny, select DENY.]
The girls' eyes widened as the prompts appeared—and around the message, each of their faces were displayed, seeing one another in real time.
"Captain!" Kiana snapped, eyes sharp as she turned toward Noah, who was sprinting along a path of Force made foothold to dodge Gosoythoth's strikes. In front of her were two prompts—one for her, and another for Sirin.
Elysia and Miss A exchanged quick glances, realizing just how serious things were if Noah was now asking to bypass the safety lock and call on the Void Archives again.
"It seems Noah feels he'll need more firepower to deal with this monster," Elysia said as she loosed a volley of arrows, each one bursting against the abyssal horde.
Miss A hurled a cluster of Dodoco bombs, clearing the enemies around them to buy some space. "Most of Captain's strength comes from those Divine Keys, after all. If he thinks he needs more, then…"
"...It's not just about," Masha added, her tone heavy. "Knowing him, he's more worried about you. Those who are fighting with him."
Sylvie gave a small, knowing laugh. "Hahaha, that sounds like him alright. Always putting us before himself. That's probably the real reason he wants to bypass this restriction."
Lumine chuckled as well. "That's very much like Noah, isn't it? He always puts our well‑being above his own."
"Hmp! That idiot worries too much! We're not fragile women who can't protect ourselves," Citlali snapped with a frown, her tone fierce. "We'll stand beside him—not hide behind him!"
"...But that's what makes Noah… Noah." Sirin said softly before switching to Kiana's fierce tone. "Then we must make this worthwhile! He trusts us. So now—we answer that trust."
Kiana lifted her gold and blue eyes as she and Sirin watched Noah push back the giant pyro sword with the Force while Mavuika clashed against the abyssal blade. Overhead, Pheia hurled down a storm of fireballs, yet Gosoythoth's shield still stood firm. Noah clenched his fist, prana, Force, and imaginary energy swirling as he punched it into the barrier. The shield cracked with a loud bang, but it held strong.
"Captain entrusted us with this choice," Kiana said firmly, resolve burning in her eyes. "Whether we let him use the Void Archives' power to mimic the Divine Keys again—or not. This decision rests with us."
Masha bit her lip, a shadow of fear in her eyes for Noah. "...But Void Archives said the safety feature exists to prevent the user from burning out. What if we're letting Noah doom himself?"
Lumine gave a nod, her expression heavy. "I agree with Masha. If something happens to Noah because of my.. our decision… I'll never forgive myself."
"Ladies!" Miss A suddenly raised her voice, waving her arms. "VA also said Captain's a weird one for not being affected by the side effects of the Divine Keys! So—we gotta believe he'll be alright!"
Alice's cheer broke the tension for a moment, and Elysia smiled warmly. "Alice is right. Right now, Noah needs strength to stand against this enemy. So let's give it to him."
Sylvie nodded firmly. "Noah asked us to lend him strength, so we will. Just like he's always been ours, we'll be his too."
Citlali crossed her arms with a small smirk. "We don't want to be his weakness. This is our chance to be his power, the push he needs to bring this monster down."
Masha and Lumine glanced at each other through their screens, both pausing before letting out wry smiles and nodding together.
"...Then we're decided?" Sirin asked softly, scanning their faces. When she saw each of her sisters nodding with fierce determination, she let out a small breath. They had chosen—approved.
[Eight confirmations received out of thirteen. Cooldown safety feature bypassed.] Void Archives announced in its monotone voice. [Warning: with the safety feature temporarily disabled, unknown effects may occur. Proceed with caution.]
Noah shut his eyes for a moment, letting gratitude well up toward the girls who had placed their trust in him. When he opened them again, the usual purple‑gray eyes had changed to burning gold‑white like the sun now blazed in his gaze. Hotaru's inheritance awakened within him once more. He took a breath and gave his order. "VA, mimic the Seventh Divine Key—Key of Destruction, Judgment of Shamash."
[Orders received,] Void Archives replied. [Reminder: the safety lock remains disabled. Excessive strain may harm the user. Please be careful, Captain.]
A golden cube materialized before Noah, its shape transforming and molding until it took the form of the Greatsword form of the Judgment of Shamash. Noah gripped it tightly, pouring more Imaginary energy into the Key. The weapon glowed brighter, transforming and releasing its ultimate shape.
"Zeroth Form: Might of An Utu," Noah declared, his voice cutting through the air.
"?!" Gosoythoth flinched as the sudden surge of heat from Noah seared across the battlefield. With a roar, it swung the colossal pyro sword straight down at him.
Noah adjusted his stance and met the blade head‑on with Shamash. The clash detonated into a massive explosion, the shockwave melting the floating platforms into rivers of lava below. The abyss itself trembled from their collision.
Gosoythoth staggered back, snarling as cracks of molten fire ran across its blade. Noah lifted Shamash, its golden radiance blazing brighter, and leveled the tip toward the dragon. His sun‑lit gaze burned through the haze. "Are you ready? Because now—I won't hold back."
"COME AT ME, HUMAN!!!" Gosoythoth bellowed, wings spread wide as it lunged forward in fury.
Noah kicked off his foothold, rushing to meet it halfway. The world quaked as the two titans clashed, one seeking to drown the world in entropy, the other creating a path toward a future worth protecting. The war for Natlan's fate has reached the end game.
—-
The clash between Noah and Gosoythoth shook the Night Kingdom to its core. Each strike of their blades ignited burning shockwaves that ripped through the air and ground alike, forcing Mavuika, Citlali, and Pheia to shield Kiana, Elysia, Lumine, Miss A, and the six Natlan heroes from the storm. Abyss monsters unlucky enough to remain nearby were instantly caught in the blaze—burned and obliterated without a trace. But the two combatants paid them no mind. Noah trusted Pheia and Mavuika to guard the others, allowing him to focus entirely on his foe. Gosoythoth, meanwhile, showed not a shred of concern, even as what had once been an army of a million was reduced to nothing.
Sparks rained as their weapons clashed again, the air screaming under the weight of their power. Noah gritted his teeth, pushing Shamash against the abyssal blade. "If you think I'll fall here—you're dead wrong."
Gosoythoth's many voices rumbled in dark amusement. "Bold words for a human standing on the brink of despair."
The battle escalated as Gosoythoth lunged again, its abyss blade tearing the sky as it came down with terrifying force. Noah ducked under the first strike, sliding across a collapsing platform, sparks and molten stone bursting around him as he slashed upward with Shamash, cutting deep into the dragon's wing. The beast roared in pain, thrashing and sweeping its tail like a mountain‑sized whip. Noah conjured a step of Force under his feet and leapt high, barely dodging as the tail shattered the platform behind him.
"Not bad, human! But try this!" Gosoythoth crossed its pyro and abyss swords, slashing down a torrent of fused blades that rained like a storm. Noah, taking a deep breath, raised the mimic of Shamash, and poured imaginary energy into it. With one powerful sweep, he sent out his own blazing arc to collide with Gosoythoth's attack. The collision erupted in a violent explosion, the shockwave throwing Kiana and the others to the ground as molten debris scattered.
Noah grit his teeth and growled, "If that's all you've got, then you're the one who'll be burned away!" He launched himself forward with the Force, twisting mid‑air. Both hands gripped Shamash as he brought it down in a crushing strike against Gosoythoth's pyro blade. The impact rang like thunder, shaking the Night Kingdom itself, tearing mountains apart and releasing a blinding flash. Those watching had to shield their eyes.
Gosoythoth leaned in close, its many voices hissing, "You will crumble, just as all light does in the Abyss."
Noah's gaze flared like a sun. He snarled back, "Then watch as my 'SUN' burns you instead!"
He roared as he unleashed another burst of golden flame through Shamash, the searing wave forcing Gosoythoth to stagger back with a pained cry, cracks spider‑webbing across its dragonic form.
"HUMAN, DIE! SINK INTO THE ABYSS!!!" Gosoythoth roared, swinging its abyss‑fueled pyro blade before condensing the energy into a colossal burning sphere. The molten orb shot toward Noah with the force of a falling sun.
"SHAMASH—UNLEASHED!!" Noah shouted back, releasing all the stored heat, Force, and imaginary energy in the Shamash. The weapon blazed like a second star as he swung, releasing a supernova‑like eruption that tore across the battlefield. The blast was so immense that all of Teyvat seemed to tremble.
Venti hold on to Dvalin against the shockwave, Zhongli and the adepti raised their shields, Ei's hand tightened on her blade while Yae Miko braced beside her, and even Furina, Focalors, and Neuvillette turned in shock toward Natlan.
When the light at last faded, silence held the watchers in Asterisk. None dared to blink, searching desperately for Noah's silhouette. Instead, their eyes met only a sea of molten earth, glowing rivers of magma where land once stood.
Masha's breath hitched as tears welled. Sylvie immediately clasped her hand, her own eyes tearing up. "Noah…" she whispered.
Touya's jaw tightened, his expression grim as he took in the devastation. His only relief was the feeling of Alya and Buer clutching at his hands, grounding him amid the fear.
"Onii-chan…" Mahiru's teary voice broke the silence as they saw the draconic figure of Gosoythoth, its body scorched and wounded yet still radiating dreadful power. Not far from it, Noah struggled upright in the middle of the molten sea, magma splashing around his foothold of Force. No injuries visible on his body, his sun‑lit eyes burned with unshaken will.
"....I applaud your stubborn resolve in the face of the Abyss," Gosoythoth growled, wings spreading wide. "But in the end, you will not be able to stop us. Your future has already been decided in darkness. The END shall swallow your light."
Noah tightened his grip on Shamash, his voice carried his will. "Even so, we'll keep fighting. We'll struggle as long as we breathe. The future may end one day, but right now—we're still here. And this present is worth protecting."
"Ku… kukuku… ahahaha!" Gosoythoth's laughter rumbled like thunder. "Then behold, human! Behold the truth of the future your precious present will wither into!"
With a roar, abyssal energy surged and screamed, the tide of darkness rushing down like a flood. Noah tried to escape, trailblaze energy swirled around him, but the wave crashed and swallowed him whole.
"Captain!!" Kiana and the others screamed, reaching out in vain as Noah's figure was consumed by the abyss. Their hands grasped only empty air as they too were swallowed by torrent.
—--
"No!!!!!" Masha screamed as she and everyone else in Asterisk watched in horror, seeing Noah and the others swallowed by the abyss before the feed cut out.
Buer immediately summoned a holoscreen, fingers flying across the controls. "The signal is still there, but with the heavy influence of the abyss we can't get any image or audio from Noah‑san and the rest!" Her voice lace with frustration.
"What do we do now, Buer?" Sylvie asked softly, rubbing Masha's back in comfort, though her own hands trembled.
Buer bit her lip, seeking Touya's hand. He gripped hers firmly, grounding her. "...We can only wait. Once they clear the interference of the abyssal energy, the feed should return."
"But waiting like this…" Masha muttered through clenched teeth, tears slipping down her cheek. "He's out there fighting that monster, and we can't do anything."
Touya's jaw tightened, but he leaned closer. "Believe in him. Believe in all of them."
Everyone's eyes turned to the blank screen, their expressions grim, yet behind the fear was stubborn hope—that Noah and the others would return alive.
—--
Noah slowly opened his eyes to a barren wasteland. The sky above was cracked like a shattered mirror, the horizon filled with burning towers and mountains torn apart. Faint cries drifted through the air—pleas for help, prayers for salvation. He turned his head, and what he saw froze his blood.
Kiana… Elysia… Lumine… Alice… Sirin… Masha… Sylvie… and faces he had never met before.
They lay across the ground, silent and unmoving. Bruised, battered, no breath, no heartbeat—only stillness.
For the first time in his life, raw panic clawed at Noah's chest.
"No… not them. Not like this."
His legs moved before thought could catch up, stumbling forward as if dragged by desperation. Each step felt heavier than the last until he collapsed to his knees beside Kiana. His hand trembled as it hovered over her shoulder, too afraid to touch, too afraid to confirm. His heart pounded so loudly it drowned the world.
"Please… Kiana… someone… breathe. Say something… anything."
He desperately called their names again, his voice breaking apart with each syllable.
"Kiana… Elysia… Lumine… Alice… Sirin… Masha… Sylvie…"
Noah turned, his throat tight, and beside them appeared figures he had never truly met, yet their names surfaced on his tongue. A brown‑haired girl with a long side ponytail in a white sailor‑like uniform lying on the ground, clutching the remains of her staff. Beside her was a blonde girl with hair tied low at the back, wearing a black military uniform—her staff also broken. Another, with short brown hair and a black‑and‑white dress, rested one hand on a torn book, the other on her broken staff. Another blonde girl bore six wings of pure white, now torn and bleeding, her feathers scattered across the ground. And at the center, Theresa knelt on the ground, clinging to Judas—its chains shattered into pieces.
"Nan#$a…! Fa$%!! Hay^&e!!! Gab#$@!! Theresa!!" Noah's cry cracked, his voice hoarse as he pleaded. "Why… Why are you like this?! Please… say something! Anything!!"
As he drowned in sadness and despair, two broken ships stood behind Noah like gravestones. One was the Astral Express, its carriages shattered and scattered. The once pristine cosmic train was gone. The other, massive and half-sunken into the ground, split in two, flames still burning weakly. Even though he didn't know its name, a voice from his heart told him what it was: Hyperion. His ship.
Among the wreckage lay figures—people he had never met, yet somehow felt bound to.
A black‑haired boy knelt in silence, surrounded by countless broken weapons and shattered machines. His shoulders shook as if the weight of the world pressed down on him. Beside him were two blond girls. The long‑haired one lay across his lap, a fading magic circle under her fading like her diminishing life. The other, shorter blond girl knelt at his side, two mana‑formed blades in her grasp. But the blades dissolved into motes of light, flying away like dying fireflies.
The boy whispered brokenly, "Don't leave me… please…" His words carried across the stillness, reaching Noah's ears full of grief.
At the other side stood a boy with a cynical gaze, one hand stretched toward the sky. The shadows at his feet, once fierce extensions of his will, now trembled and mourned for their monarch. Behind him stood a tall swordswoman with long dark‑purple hair, hugging the boy from behind to support his battered body. Her blade lay shattered on the ground, faint sparks of lightning flickering across her frame as she whispered hoarsely, "Stay with me… just a little longer." But even that final spark sizzled out of life.
Noah tried to shout, to speak, to call them out, but no voice came. His throat tightened as he reached forward. Only then did he notice the weight in his hand: a broken greatsword—the same weapon he always favored. His breath caught. It was the blade created using her core, the sun that 'Noah' wielded to light up their path.
"No… not this… please," he murmured, his voice lost in the hollow wasteland.
His knees buckled, the broken blade slipping from his grasp as his body trembled.
And then—the sky itself split open, lightless cracks tearing across it. From the rift descended Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction.
His presence crushed the air, and his gaze was cold and merciless.
"This is your future," Nanook's voice rang like a verdict carved into his bones. "This is the fate you and her tried to escape."
Noah staggered back, overwhelmed, his breathing ragged. His hands shook violently as he tried to raise the broken sword, but it only rattled in his grip.
"N… no…" his whisper cracked, nearly swallowed by the suffocating silence.
He wanted to scream, but no sound left his throat—only his heart cried out in anguish.