Interlude 3 — Ripples Across the Infinite
The war had ended, but its echoes reverberated through countless planes of existence.
The Cosmos Reacts
On far-off worlds, mortals lifted their heads to the stars and whispered about the blazing battle they had glimpsed.
• In the Xianzhou Luofu, the Vidyadhara elders bowed to the horizon, tears in their eyes.
• In Belobog, Clara clutched Svarog's hand, smiling for the first time in what felt like years.
• The IPC stockholders sat in stunned silence, realizing entire fortunes meant nothing before beings who could rewrite the laws of creation.
The name "Permanent Alliance" began to spread like wildfire through the galaxies—both as a promise and as a warning.
The Heroes' Respite
On the Astral Express, laughter and tired conversation filled the halls. Dan Heng quietly tinkered with a new spear infused with fragments of his reward. March 7th posed dramatically with her bow in front of Pom-Pom, who scolded her for "being unserious in council headquarters."
Velgrynd leaned against Neo, pretending not to notice the approving smirk from Finality Kiana across the room. Even amidst exhaustion, bonds had deepened, ties forged in fire and starlight.
The Tree and the Sea
Deep within the metaphysical depths of creation, the Tree of Imaginary Numbers and the Quantum Sea stirred, faintly glowing with purified resonance. They were not healed entirely, but their corruption had been cut away.
For the first time in eons, their voices—soft, ancient, and vast—whispered in gratitude.
"The paths are safe… for now."
But shadows lingered at their roots, whispers of something beyond even corruption.
The Enemy Watches
Far beyond mortal sight, in a reality twisted by machinery and dominion, Lord God Space sat enthroned among shifting grids of universes. The transmigrator's erasure had been noted. The corrupted fusion had failed.
A hollow, mechanical laughter echoed.
"So… the chat group interferes. Even summoning a creator from another multiverse… Fascinating. But no matter. They believe they've won. They've only delayed inevitability. Next time… they won't have a deus ex machina."
From the shadows, other transmigrators stirred, eyes blazing with hunger.
Closing Notes
Back aboard the Express, the chat group pulsed softly, unseen by all but its members. It displayed a single line:
[Mission Complete: Awaiting New Directive]
Neo closed his eyes, exhaling slowly as the stars rushed past the windows. For a brief moment, silence. For a brief moment, peace.