Cocolia stood calmly before the Hyperion crew, with two Anti-Entropy mechs positioned behind her like silent guardians.
She looked over the group one by one, carefully studying each person before her gaze finally settled on Bronya.
Bronya gave no response.
Her face remained expressionless, betraying nothing of the emotions building beneath the surface.
Cocolia smiled faintly.
Cocolia : "I've been here for a while, Dr. Einstein and the illustrious crew of the Hyperion."
She continued studying everyone before slowly directing her gaze toward Bronya.
Cocolia : "I'm very happy that you're willing to help in times of need..."
Einstein immediately cut her off.
Einstein : "Save your courtesies. We're going straight to business, Cocolia."
Einstein stepped forward until she stood directly in front of Cocolia.
Einstein : "Hand over the Gem of Desire and we'll transfer it to somewhere safe."
Cocolia remained composed.
Cocolia : "Oh. There's no rush in this, Dr. Einstein. Schicksal managed to find this place. We should organize a counter attack."
Einstein's expression hardened.
Einstein : "Apologies. We're short on time and don't intend to support your private war."
Cocolia fell silent for several seconds.
The tension between the two women became increasingly palpable.
Finally, Cocolia spoke.
Cocolia : "And if I refuse to hand over the Gem?"
Einstein didn't flinch.
Einstein : "Then I'm afraid you'll be fighting more than just Schicksal."
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Theresa tightened her grip around her spear.
At the same time, Cocolia's two mechs reacted to the sudden hostility and shifted into combat positions.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Then Cocolia chuckled softly.
Cocolia : "Well, now you do look like fugitives trying to run away from Schicksal."
Theresa stepped forward.
Theresa : "We're here for the Gem of Desire. Hand over the Gem and Schicksal will be after us instead of you. If you still refuse to do so, we'll have to suspect that you have ill intentions."
Cocolia once again fell silent.
She eventually gave a small hum.
Cocolia : "Theresa... always driving the hard bargain."
Cocolia slowly raised both hands.
Cocolia : "I surrender. There's no way I can beat an S-rank Valkyrie and veteran of the 2nd Honkai War."
She lowered her hands and smiled.
Cocolia : "The Gem of Desire is in The Deep. Feel free to take it...if you can."
Einstein narrowed her eyes.
Einstein : "What do you mean by that?"
Cocolia's smile became slightly more mischievous.
Cocolia : "Oh dear, I forgot to mention something. We had an... accident. The Gem of Desire fell into the Sea of Quanta."
Einstein's expression immediately darkened.
Einstein : "Accident? You probably did that on purpose..."
Cocolia shrugged innocently.
Cocolia : "When I said accident, I really meant it was an "accident". In any case, I'm confident you can fish it out."
Einstein glared at her.
Einstein : "You have no idea how dangerous the Sea of Quanta is...."
Cocolia calmly met her gaze.
Cocolia : "Of course I do. I'm counting on you to fish the Gem out for me... I mean, us. I've prepared the necessary facilities and hardware. Make yourself at home. While you look for a solution, I'm afraid the Hyperion and her crew must stay to provide cover."
Bronya's hands clenched.
Rage began to build within her.
Bronya finally stepped forward.
Bronya : "Matushka... you did that on purpose to force us into giving you protection..."
Project Bunny materialized behind Bronya.
Its massive cannon immediately locked onto Cocolia.
At the same time, Bronya's blue crystal necklace began glowing intensely.
The surrounding air shimmered.
One after another, five translucent blue figures materialized beside her.
Kamen Rider Kuuga Ultimate.
Kamen Rider Ryuga.
Kamen Rider Dark Kabuto.
Kamen Rider W Fang Joker.
Kamen Rider OOO Putotyra.
The five warriors stood silently behind Bronya, waiting for her command.
Bronya stared directly at Cocolia.
Bronya : "You lied to Bronya too many times."
Theresa immediately recognized the danger and moved closer to Bronya.
Theresa : "Calm down, Bronya. Don't fall for her trap."
Cocolia sighed.
Cocolia : "I'm sorry. I just want everyone to get away from this place alive. Schicksal might keep attacking us, even if you leave with the Gem. And I have a gut feeling that you were only here for the Gem instead of us."
Nobody lowered their guard.
The five summoned warriors remained ready.
Project Bunny continued aiming directly at Cocolia.
Cocolia, however, remained surprisingly calm.
Cocolia : "I said it before and I'll say it again. We must work together. Schicksal is our common enemy. You may enter the ruins. Feel free to rifle through everything if you think I'm hiding the Gem. I look forward to doing business with you."
With that, Cocolia turned around and began walking away.
Rozaliya and Liliya followed after her, though Rozaliya gave Bronya one last glance.
Behind them, the two Anti-Entropy mechs moved toward the captured Schicksal Valkyries.
Their restraints were checked before the mechs began escorting the prisoners away and locking them inside a secured holding area.
Bronya continued staring at Cocolia's retreating figure.
Her expression remained unreadable.
But the anger in her eyes had not disappeared.
Bronya slowly took a deep breath.
The anger that had been building inside her gradually subsided as she looked toward the five translucent warriors standing behind her.
Kamen Rider Kuuga Ultimate, Kamen Rider Ryuga, Kamen Rider Dark Kabuto, Kamen Rider W Fang Joker, and Kamen Rider OOO Putotyra remained motionless, awaiting further orders.
Bronya lowered her hand.
One after another, the five warriors dissolved into streams of blue particles.
The particles drifted through the air like glowing dust before flowing back toward Bronya's crystal necklace. One by one, they were absorbed into the blue crystal until its glow faded back to normal.
Einstein watched the process carefully before turning her attention back to the situation.
Einstein: "She trapped us. I think we'll have to stay here for a while."
She sighed.
Einstein: "Apologies. I didn't expect Cocolia to do things this way."
Bronya lowered her head slightly.
Bronya: "The Bronya should apologise. She should have known better."
Einstein immediately shook her head.
Einstein: "We voted for this, Bronya. It's not your fault."
Einstein gestured toward the enormous underwater ruins surrounding them.
Einstein: "Instead of blaming ourselves, we should look for a solution."
Theresa, who had been looking around at the strange environment, finally raised her hand slightly.
Theresa: "Erm, Dr. Einstein, what exactly is this "Sea of Quanta"?"
Einstein turned toward Theresa.
Einstein: "The Sea of Quanta is one of the deepest secrets of these ruins. I'll try to keep this simple…"
She paused before motioning for them to follow.
Einstein: "You should see this for yourself. Follow me."
The three began walking deeper into the ruins.
The Deep stretched around them like an underwater city frozen in time.
Despite being thousands of meters beneath the Pacific Ocean, the ruins were strangely beautiful. Ancient towers and enormous structures rose from the seafloor, their surfaces covered in intricate patterns that had somehow survived countless years beneath the crushing depths.
Soft blue and turquoise light illuminated the place.
Luminous seaweed grew across broken walls and ancient pillars, its gentle glow spreading through the water like countless underwater stars. Massive glass-like structures remained embedded within the ruins, while strange crystalline formations pulsed faintly with energy.
For a place that should have been nothing more than a graveyard, The Deep felt strangely alive.
Theresa couldn't help but stare.
Theresa: "Didn't expect such mysteries to lie under the Pacific Ocean. When did Anti-Entropy find this?"
Einstein: "It happened several years ago."
She continued walking as she explained.
Einstein: "During the 2nd Honkai War, a lunar meteor crashed into the Pacific."
Einstein: "These ruins were found when we attempted to salvage the meteor."
Einstein: "Schicksal paid little attention as this place belonged to Anti-Entropy… being underwater also helped."
Theresa looked upward.
The ceiling of the enormous underwater chamber was covered with glowing vegetation, illuminating the ruins in a surreal blue light.
Theresa: "We're really deep underwater, but why is there light here?"
Theresa stepped closer to one of the glowing plants.
Theresa: "Luminous seaweed? They have some awesome biotech here!"
Bronya, meanwhile, had stopped beside one of the ancient walls.
Her eyes moved across the strange inscriptions carved into its surface.
Bronya: "The writings in these ruins…"
Einstein nodded.
Einstein: "It's the global language used by the Previous Era, originating from the lost continent of Mu."
Einstein: "The Dead Sea Scrolls also included these texts."
Bronya stared at the inscriptions.
Bronya: "Dead Sea Scrolls… ancient writings first found at the banks of the Dead Sea…"
Bronya: "The Bronya didn't expect them to be relics of the Previous Era."
Einstein: "The Dead Sea Scrolls contained theoretical foundations that allowed us to construct the Selene."
Bronya's eyes widened slightly.
Einstein: "I suspect that the Selene has technologies similar to that of The Deep."
Einstein: "But we don't have any solid evidence to back that up."
Bronya quietly repeated the name.
Bronya: "The Selene…"
Her mind immediately recalled the enormous ship and the incredible technology Anti-Entropy had developed.
Bronya: "The Bronya hopes this trip will provide something more than just the Gem."
Einstein continued explaining as they walked.
Einstein: "Salvaged records described Mu as the most advanced region of the Previous Era."
Einstein: "It had the latest technologies and housed one 6th of the planet's population."
Theresa looked genuinely surprised.
Theresa: "That's so weird. What happened to all those people and cities and high-tech stuff?"
Einstein's expression became more serious.
Einstein: "Well, Mu was destroyed in ways unimaginable…"
She looked toward the distant ruins.
Einstein: "The 9th Herrscher, also known as the Herrscher of Earth, created a giant pseudo black hole and destroyed Mu."
Einstein: "The violent tectonic activities that followed created the Mariana Trench and swallowed up the ruins."
Bronya looked around at the vast underwater city.
Bronya: "The Bronya is surprised at how a vast continent can just disappear and leave little of its passing."
Einstein: "That's actually my best hypothesis as to what happened, but the loss of Mu should teach us a lesson."
Einstein's expression hardened.
Einstein: "We can't control the Herrschers. Otto's plans of bringing them back is insane."
Theresa tightened her grip around her weapon.
Theresa: "We must find the Gem of Desire and thwart his plans."
The group continued through the ruins.
After walking for several more minutes, Bronya suddenly stopped.
Her eyes focused on two familiar figures standing farther ahead.
Bronya: "…? It's Roza and Lili."
Bronya: "What are they doing here?"
A familiar energetic voice immediately answered.
Rozaliya: "Surprise, Bronya!"
Rozaliya waved enthusiastically as she stood beside Liliya.
Rozaliya: "Look! Our home is now a beautiful underwater garden way better than the orphanage."
She proudly gestured toward the glowing vegetation and ancient structures around them.
Rozaliya: "And Schicksal wants to wreck this place. I won't allow that."
Liliya stepped forward calmly.
Liliya: "Matushka wants us to check the damage inflicted to The Deep. Can you help us, Bronya?"
Rozaliya and Liliya simultaneously looked at Bronya with unmistakably pleading, puppy-like eyes.
Bronya stared at them.
She remained silent for several seconds.
With no other choice, she eventually nodded.
The two groups split up and began inspecting different sections of The Deep.
They checked damaged corridors, ancient chambers, and several areas where the walls had been damaged by the recent fighting.
Eventually, Theresa looked over the area they had inspected.
Theresa: "No signs of invasion in the places we've checked."
Einstein nodded.
Einstein: "Let's head back to the entrance. That's where the enemy made a breach."
They returned toward the entrance of The Deep.
However, before they could reach it, Bronya's visor suddenly flashed.
Bronya immediately stopped.
Bronya: "…! Honkai beasts are coming in through the breach."
Theresa immediately reacted.
She summoned the Oath of Judas into her hands.
Bronya raised her arm and summoned Project Bunny.
At the same time, she grasped the blue crystal necklace around her neck.
She closed her eyes.
Her will focused.
The crystal immediately began glowing.
Five translucent blue silhouettes appeared around her.
Kamen Rider Para-DX Perfect Knock Out Gamer Level 99.
Kamen Rider Super-1.
DekaBreak.
MegaRed.
MegaSilver.
The five warriors stood silently for only a moment.
Then—
WHOOSH!
All five vanished.
Theresa's eyes widened.
A second later, they reappeared behind the advancing Honkai Beasts.
The monsters barely had time to react.
A series of flashes tore through the battlefield.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Honkai Beasts exploded almost simultaneously.
When the dust settled, nothing remained except piles of ash.
The five translucent warriors stood among the remains.
Theresa stared at the empty battlefield.
Then she slowly turned toward Bronya.
Theresa: "Maybe we should only use that power when it's necessary."
Bronya nodded.
Bronya: "Yes, principal."
Theresa looked at the remains one last time.
Theresa: "Enemies destroyed. Let's head back and tell the twins."
The three returned to where Rozaliya and Liliya were waiting.
After explaining what had happened, Rozaliya's expression immediately changed.
Rozaliya: "What? More enemies hiding here?"
Theresa gave a confident thumbs-up.
Theresa: "Job done. All cleaned up!"
Rozaliya tilted her head while looking Theresa up and down.
Rozaliya: "Hmm… Theresa looks pretty strong even though she looks younger than us."
She suddenly leaned closer.
Rozaliya: "I think I smell something on her that doesn't smell like little girls."
Theresa immediately became alarmed.
Theresa: "KYAA! What are you doing?"
Rozaliya began sniffing around Theresa.
Rozaliya: "Sniff, sniff"
She suddenly froze.
Rozaliya: "…Hnnngggh!"
Her expression twisted in disgust.
Rozaliya: "What the hell? It's bitter melon! The worst thing people can eat!"
Theresa's face immediately turned indignant.
Theresa: "That's so rude! I love bitter melon."
Bronya calmly observed the exchange.
Bronya: "The Principal remains adept at handling young children and minors."
Theresa glanced toward Bronya.
Einstein, meanwhile, had already turned her attention back toward the ruins.
Einstein: "You should have a good understanding of this place by now."
She looked toward the enormous entrance leading deeper into The Deep.
Einstein: "Time to focus. We need to get inside The Deep."
The group proceeded deeper into the ruins.
Eventually, they reached a massive chamber overlooking the heart of The Deep.
Standing there was Cocolia.
She had apparently been waiting for them.
The woman stood calmly before an enormous ancient structure buried within the ruins.
Behind her, countless ancient mechanisms and glowing structures formed the center of the underwater city.
Cocolia turned toward them.
Cocolia: "That's the heart of The Deep. And that's where Anti-Entropy keeps its greatest secrets."
She gestured toward the enormous structure.
Cocolia: "I don't need to hide anything. It's all yours."
Cocolia gave them a faint smile.
Cocolia: "Good luck."