After hearing the story of the Last Battle, a somber atmosphere descended upon the room. The previous era had such great power, yet they could only stun the Final Herrscher for three days. Even the final Pyrrhic victory was earned with something they couldn't fully comprehend, let alone copy.
-"So, you called us here just to warn us?"-Otto looked at Mei, his eyes unreadable.
-"Not just, but that's also a reason. As I said, we have a battle to finish."-Mei handed yet another stack of documents.-"Su and Mei worked for thousands of years to find the enemy that ambushed us, and they managed to locate it, or rather, her."
-"A god?"-Welt raised his eyebrow.
-"Yes, Sa referred to herself as a god of the Sea of Quanta. Her power is comparable to the Cocoon, but not quite there yet."-Mei confirmed.
-"So you want us to fight this god?"-Cecilia's expression was serious as she asked.
-"You can't do much about it as you are now; with the power of the Sea of Quanta, she is almost immune to conventional weapons, and her existence feeds on Honkai, making its power also ineffective. The only ones capable of confronting her are Herrschers, but even that requires a high level of mastery over their Authority. This is the reason we gathered you here. I hope we can unite, or at least cooperate, to defeat the enemy threatening to strike at the moment of victory again."
-"Bronya agrees."-Bronya spoke up first.-"Seele is still in the Sea of Qunata; I need to save her."
Welt pushed up his glasses, not objecting to her decision.
-"I also agree."-Kiana looked at her mother.-"Eno helped me so much; I can't let him down."
Cecilia smiled and looked at her child with doting affection.
-"Well, I can't let our dear Eno down as well; he is my successor after all."-Otto also joined the cooperation, agreeing in Ana's place.-"But will our forces be enough?"
-"No, not yet. But we can gain more forces rather easily."
-"You want to create more Herrschers?"-Otto's smile intensified; his eyes gleamed with dangerous thoughts.
-"Yes, but we need candidates who would take the risk."-Mei looked around the room.
-"I'll do it."-Bianka was the first to step out.
-"As a maid, I can't let my Lords do all the work."-Rita followed her.
-"I've made my pledge, so I allow me to take part in it."-Maria also stepped out.
-"I'll go with my Sister."-Angelia didn't want to be left behind.
Some other people also volunteered, most for other reasons, but their candidacy was rejected due to either inadequate Honkai resistance or lack of talent. Mei already prepared tests to confirm compatibility with Herrscher Authorities, administering them to everyone interested.
And the results were somewhat surprising. Of the present Herrschers, Ana, Bronya, and Mei herself showed that their current Authorities fit them well, but Kiana's result showed that her matching power was fire, not void. So she decided to give up her current core, going to become a Herrscher on her own, not due to some experiment.
Of the candidates, Maria showed talent for the Authority of Void, Angelia for Wind, and Rita for Sentience. To this group, Rin and Misteln had to be added, being compatible for Corruption and Binding, respectively. But those results were not that strange; the truly shocking ones were those belonging to Bianka and Otto, who decided to join in on the fun.
Otto showed great talent and fit for the Authority of Dominance, a thought that caused everyone to worry. But Otto's greatest power was always his mind and Schicksal, not power he had himself. But while that surprised others, Bianka's result caused quite a shock to Mei, Eden, and Mobius, as she showed herself capable of being the Herrscher of Origin for the current era.
With candidates selected, everyone discussed how to achieve what they needed. With an example of how Mei and Kiana were turned into Herrschers, along with all the data from the previous era, they quickly came up with a few plans that were worth testing, so they divided responsibilities and began their cooperation.
In a world where only an endless black sea and a black hole on the horizon existed, a man's body floated on the surface, partly submerged in the lake. Red markings covered him up to the neck; his eyes were void of any emotion or thought. He floated there without any reason, waiting for the water to consume him.
-"To think you would get yourself into such a mess."-A beautiful voice suddenly appeared nearby, causing the stagnant space to be stirred by a fresh breeze.
The next moment, pink petals appeared in the air, and then a figure that could charm all beings emerged from nowhere. She stepped onto the water's surface, causing flowers to bloom around her. She then knelt and touched the face of the floating figure, caressing it lightly with a pained but relieved smile.
-"Everyone worries about you, Eno. You can't stay here."-She spoke as if trying to wake a sleeping person.-"Those sweet girls are doing their best to find and save you, but they themselves encountered danger. You can't let them be harmed just because you lie here, can you?"
The woman sat by my side and continued talking, acting as if she was meeting again with a friend.
-"But you truly know how to make trouble. Not only did you forget so many important things, but you also made those waiting for you at home think you had met with some accident. What's even worse, you found yourself some other girl who tried to take my spot, and that's something I won't allow to happen."
She shook her head, appearing disappointed in me.
-"So wake up. Don't let this nothingness consume you; you are not a person who gives up to despair, right, Eno?"-The woman leaned down and kissed my forehead.-"Show them all that at the end of the world, it's not nothingness that's awaiting you, but a perfect paradise."
She rose to her feet, a white staff appearing in her hand as countless petals began to drift through the air. In the midst of this miraculous scene, she began to chant, her quiet voice echoing through the empty space.
~"Life has already departed from the planet,
and no more stories are born.
The sun has set on a paradise that knew no twilight,
and all illusions have returned to dust.
The fire-breathing dragon,
the eternal kingdom,
and the undefeated king have all fulfilled their roles and gone to sleep."
All the petals fully shrouded the horizon, causing the looming black hole to be no longer visible. The blackness in the water also started to disappear, returning to a more natural blue color.
~"But the brilliance of that original source remains even now.
Sometimes fragile,
sometimes strong,
sometimes false,
sometimes true,
a light that continued to be the hope of the people."
The petals floating in the air started to fall, revealing a clear sky with a sun shining brightly above. The endless sea also no longer existed; only a clear lake surrounded by hills and plains.
~"Hope nurtured people, and the hopes of the people nurtured dreams.
Eternal feelings became heat and forged swords.
This is its origin.
It continues to shine even after many illusions have fallen asleep,
the immortal origin that protects the world."
The world around us now turned into a true paradise: the land of endless life, with myriad animals grazing peacefully wherever you look. The woman stood at the surface of the water, about to help me up from the water, but before she could move, another figure appeared next to me.
-"While I'm glad to meet another beautiful girl, I can't let you do all my job, can I?"-She smiled like a blooming flower, addressing the first woman.
-"You must be Elysia."-The woman replied with a smile.-"What brings you here?"
-"Me? I, of course, can't let Eno's Eden become just another Avalon, Miss Merlin."-Elysia chuckled softly.-"The same way you don't want it to turn into my Elysium."
-"I see."-Merlin nodded.-"If it's for Eno, then I can understand your feelings."
Taking that as agreement, Elysia walked to my side and lifted me out of the water. Yet when she picked me up, my body turned into a small bird, burning with azure night-sky-like fire. Cradling me softly, she began to sing; her melodious voice carried by the wind.
~"Some deserts on this planet were oceans once.
Somewhere shrouded by the night, the sun will shine.
Sometimes I see a dying bird fall to the ground,
But it used to fly so high."
She carried me around, her steps light as if a dance; her eyes never leaving me, countless emotions visible in her vibrant purple eyes that twinkled with stars.
~"I thought I were no more than a bystander,
Till I felt a touch so real.
I will no longer be a transient,
When I see smiles with tears.
If I have never known the sore of farewell and pain of sacrifices,
What else should I engrave on my mind?"
A single tear slid down her cheek, falling into the lake water, where it turned into a crystal flower, blooming with a fragile brilliance. One by one, the crystal flowers bloomed on the water, causing the whole lake to turn into an azure kaleidoscope, as if the entire water now was made of a mirror-like prism.
~"Frozen into icy rocks, that's how it starts.
Crumbled like the sands of time, that's how it ends.
Every page of tragedy is thrown away,
Burned out in the flame."
All around her, on the hills and in the plains, the crystal flowers began to bloom, causing the whole world to gain an ethereal feeling, like a dream. At the same time, the fire covering the bird in her hands started to burn more brightly, regaining vitality.
~"A shoulder for the past,
Let out the cries imprisoned for so long.
A pair of wings for me at this moment,
To soar above this world.
Turn into a shooting star that briefly shines but warms up every heart.
May all the beauty be blessed.
May all the beauty be blessed."
She raised her hands high, allowing me to fly back into the sky, where countless stars appeared. Thanks to their care, I could wake up, my mind returning from the Border of Nihility. Now, everything started to return to me: my feelings, my memories, my power; even my long-sealed soul could now soar freely.
~"Wave good-bye to the past.
When hope and faith have grown so strong and sound.
Unfold this pair of wings for me again,
To soar above this world.
Turned into a moon that always tells the warmth and brightness of the sun.
May all the beauty be blessed.
May all the beauty be blessed."
Elysia watched me fly with a smile, waving to me as she sang the last verses. I circled the lake a few times before landing on it once more, a melodious yet majestic cry emerging from my beak. By now, my size was much greater than the small chick before; a giant towering over ten meters tall.
My feathers were a brilliant blend of deep azure and royal purple, like a grand nebula in the starry sky; each appearing to burn with fire yet also solid like a crystal. My six wings, when spread out, could cover the entire sky, bringing forth a night that was my domain. The long and elegant tail, like a peacock's, trailed behind like a comet's trail. My talons and beak were made of pure white light, turned into solid crystal, shimmering like kaleidoscope. Above the head, a halo-like white crown floated, the constant reminder of my duty and identity.
-"Thank you."-My voice sounded more melodious in this form, appearing even without me moving my beak.
-"You should. I'm waiting for you to repay me."-Merlin nodded, but the revealed smile on her face betrayed her inner emotions.
-"I'm also waiting for that. Don't you dare to stand me up."-Elysia raised her small fist, waving it lightly as if to threaten me.
-"Don't worry, I'll find you even if you are on the other side of the world."
-"Good. Take me flying then."-Elysia smiled, quickly disappearing into floating motes of light.
-"I also need to go, but next time, don't forget that many people wait for you to call for help."-Merlin pointed to the Caliburn now floating over the lake, the now-guardian sword of my Eden.-"Not only that, don't forget anything anymore."
-"It was my bad. I'll make sure to not take such risks anymore."-I admitted my mistake.
-"It's good that you understand that. I'll be waiting in my Avalon, neighbor."-Merlin waved and disappeared into a flurry of pink petals.
When the two of them left, I looked around at the Eden that they changed beyond recognition. They achieved all of this by utilizing the power I received from THEIR gaze, using their hope to bring me back from Nihility. Now that hope fused into this paradise, a mix of the ever-distant Avalon and ethereally beautiful Elysium, creating the promised land of peace and abundance, the origin of humanity and their sins, yet untouched by them.
The current Eden existed as both a Paradise at the End of the World and the Garden of Origin, being outside of time as both source and destination. Built upon the Remembrance, it wasn't a material world like Azure Dream, but a realm of memoria that is both real and unreal at the same time.
As I was thinking about changes, I remembered what form I was in, so I quickly tried to change back into a human form, and after bursting into flame, I returned to my usual appearance, with three pairs of Sankta wings behind my back and a crystalline left arm. The only change was that the previously pink ends of my hair were now something between purple and pink, reminding me of what the Herrscher of Finality looked like.
But there was one more noticeable change: what looked like three pairs of small wings on the back of my head, exactly like ones I possessed in my phoenix. Those feathers should be a racial mark of Liberi, but as I was a 'bird' now, this made sense. I carefully arranged them to wrap around my Banshee's Crown, making the previously pure white crown now possess more colors.
Now that I had recovered, it was time for a rematch and a revenge. Taking Caliburn into my left hand and summoning my standard into my right, I one by one checked the state of my powers, and feeling everything back as it should be, I let out a long sigh of relief. My power from Alayavijnana Stigmata had fused into my phoenix form and the Authority of Rebirth, but the power I could access from it was limited due to me only possessing Authority of Origin; my Authority of Finality was fully stolen from me in the previous era.
So now, the priority was to return to the real world, meet up with everyone, and take back what was mine. And then, we can finally put an end to Honkai. So I flew into the air, turning into the phoenix, and diving back into the Sea of Quanta.