In the Underworld, in the meeting room of the Wildfire organization, Welt sat across from Cocolia, Seele, and Natasha. He felt a strange sense of deja vu, as if he had returned to his old world. Everyone was a familiar face.
Then again, with Cocolia and Bronya present, Seele was a natural addition. But Raven... he couldn't figure out her connection to the others. (Of course, Welt didn't know about Raven and Haxxor Bunny. But if she was connected to Haxxor Bunny, why wasn't she with the Stellaron Hunters, partnered with Silver Wolf?)
It was a cast of familiar characters, but each one was a walking contradiction. A gentle Natasha... In his world, Raven ran an orphanage, but she was anything but gentle. The thought of the professional assassin Raven as a life-saving doctor was enough to make Welt's glasses crack.
Cocolia was a good leader and a good mother here. The contrast with the one he knew was so stark, it almost brought a tear to his eye. If his Cocolia had been half as reliable, so many tragedies could have been avoided.
And Seele... she was the biggest anomaly of all. This thuggish, gang-leader version of Seele... was this Dark Seele in control? No, that didn't fit either. It was as if Rozaliya and Liliya had fused to create Delta. (This Seele's personality and appearance were likely based on the one from the Fire MOTH DLC of Guns Girl Z.)
Seele as a gang leader, Cocolia as a competent leader and good mother, Raven as a gentle doctor, and Bronya as a workaholic... The multiverse was a strange and wonderful place.
"Thank you for your help, Wildfire. With you on our side, we have a much better chance of defeating Mo Wang and retaking the Overworld," Cocolia said to Seele.
"Don't thank me. Just make good on your promise to atone for what you've done to the Underworld," Seele replied coolly.
Cocolia could only offer a bitter smile. Now that the Stellaron's influence was gone, she was keenly aware of her past mistakes. She had already begun to rally the remaining forces of Belobog, and from Svarog, she had learned the true, dire extent of their situation.
But the Express crew's promise to help them rebuild had given her hope, and rekindled her will to protect. She was the Guardian of Belobog once more. First, however, she had to deal with Mo Wang.
"So, this Mo Wang guy... is he strong?" Seele asked, her legs propped up on the table.
"Very," Cocolia said after a long pause. Even without the Stellaron, she was one of the strongest people in Belobog. With it, she should have been approaching the level of an Emanator. But against Mo Wang, she had been completely powerless. It was like an adult fighting a kindergartener.
"How strong, exactly?" Seele asked, turning to Welt.
"I don't know for sure," he admitted. "But even if all of us attacked him at once, we might not win." Mo Wang's power had always been an enigma. One day he seemed weak, the next he was leagues ahead of everyone else, his growth defying all logic.
Welt had initially thought he could match him if he went all out, but now that Mo Wang was an Emanator of Elation, his limits were a complete unknown. It wouldn't surprise him if he was already strong enough to take on an Aeon.
"Even all of us together...?" Seele's expression turned grim. She knew how strong Gepard was. If they fought, it would be a close match. And if even he, along with the rest of them, couldn't beat him... a direct assault would be suicide.
"But we do have a secret weapon," Cocolia said. "In the outlands, there is a giant robot, built long ago to fight the Antimatter Legion. If we can activate it, we might have a chance."
At the mention of a giant robot, Welt's eyes lit up. Did someone say... giant robot? All his weariness vanished. This was the coolest thing he had heard all day.
Even at his advanced age, Welt was a massive nerd. The entire philosophy of Anti-Entropy was built around creating cool robots. He loved giant robots. (Even if the two mechs from Honkai Impact 3rd had ended up as glorified scrap metal.)
"We have something like that?" Seele asked, equally surprised.
"The problem is... we don't have a power source for it," Cocolia admitted. Even if they poured all of Belobog's remaining resources into it, they would only be able to power it for a few minutes.
"Ahem, don't worry about the power source. I'll take care of it," Welt declared, volunteering before anyone could say another word.
"Mr. Welt, how do you plan to do that?" Cocolia asked. She had originally planned to use the Stellaron to power it.
"Simple. I'll be the power source," he said, adjusting his glasses.
"You?!" Cocolia and Seele stared at him, stunned.
"Mr. Welt, you don't have to do this," Cocolia said. "The Express has already done so much for us."
"It was my mistake to bring Mo Wang to Belobog. It is my responsibility to stop him." To pilot a giant robot... ahem, to stop Mo Wang, he was willing to become a human battery. Nothing was going to stand in his way. He would pilot that robot.
"Then... we're counting on you," Cocolia said, taking a deep breath. She was moved by his willingness to sacrifice himself for their world. After this was all over, she would step down and let Bronya take her place as the Supreme Guardian.
---||---
A little while later, after Welt had stepped out to take a call from March, Cocolia turned to Seele.
"Seele, I have a favor to ask," she said hesitantly.
"The great Guardian, asking for a favor? Let's hear it," Seele said with a smirk.
"I need you to go to the Overworld and check on Bronya. Bring her back, if you can."
"Worried about your precious daughter? How touching."
"Bronya is more than just my daughter. She is the future of Belobog. I can't let anything happen to her. And I can't fight with a clear conscience while she is being held hostage."
"Going to the Overworld to rescue Bronya... that's a dangerous mission. From what you've told me, this guy is a real handful."
"I know. But I have no one else to ask." Cocolia knew that Seele, with her ability to enter a quantum state, was the only one who could pull off a stealth mission like this.
"Alright, alright. I don't want a liability on the battlefield. I'll do my best," Seele said after a moment's thought.
"I'll go with you," Natasha said unexpectedly. "You've never been to the Overworld, Seele. I can be your guide. And it's always good to have backup."
"Thank you, both of you," Cocolia said.
If Welt had known what they were planning, he would have had a stroke. Why is everyone trying to rewrite the script?! Sending those two to Mo Wang is like serving up a two-course meal!