-"Mei! More of those monsters are coming!"-Kiana called out to Mei, landing near her.
The previous naive young girl had now turned into a noticeably more mature woman, her long ponytail heroically swinging behind her. Her previous Valkyrie Armor was now replaced by Herrscher Raiment in the form of a sleeveless, form-fitting white dress with intricate armored white gloves and arm pieces. Her long legs were covered by white thigh-high stockings paired with black boots, while a tattered white cape with a vibrant, fiery inner layer swayed behind her, appearing to be burning with her every movement.
-"Hold strong; don't let them pass us and attack our allies."-Mei, in her Herrscher form, commanded.
-"How long do we still need to hold?"-Angelia asked while controlling wind to assist everyone.
Her previous black dress was also replaced by a Herrscher Raiment. It looked like a ceremonial garb with a white halter-neck style bodice supported by gold metallic piping and a glowing teal-green diamond gem embedded right at the center of the chest. The pure white dress is deeply split open at the front to completely expose her legs. The back and sides cascade down into tails and banners that transition from stark white to dark navy and black.
Her hands are covered by long black gloves, while her shoulders are covered by a short, elbow-length black cape. But the most noticeable were the teal-green wings behind her back, looking somewhat like Sankta's but being positioned on the lower portion of her back.
-"Twenty minutes."-Bronya answered in Mei's stead while controlling hundreds of cannons in the air.
Her Herrscher Raiment had changed as she came to better understand her Authority of Reason, though her childlike appearance remained the same. She now had her hair bound in a single flowing ponytail drill styled with bright cyan accents, with a cyan halo floating above her head.
Her Raiment consisted of a high-tech dress dominated by shades of royal blue, cyan, and stark white. The bodice features sharp geometric cutouts, gold and green jewel accents, and black mechanical structural pieces. Her arms are encased in dark grey and black armored gauntlets glowing with thin cyan circuitry lines. Her legs are protected by matching white, blue, and black cybernetic greaves that function as mechanical thigh-high boots.
-"We won't hold for so long like that."-Maria emerged from her portal, looking rather exhausted.
Like all others, Maria was also in her Herrscher Raiment, but it was different from Kiana's previous one. She wore a form-fitting, sleeveless white bodysuit that covered her entire torso and extended down her legs into integrated boots. The fabric features subtle gray, swirling filigree patterns along the hips and stomach areas. Prominent, asymmetrical black trim panels curve down the center of her chest, outlining the bodice and framing her waist.
Around her neck is a dark, fluffy collar reminiscent of black fur. This collar transitions into a sprawling cape split into long, flowing coattails. The outside of the cape is a deep black, while the inner lining is a vibrant crimson red that appears to fray, tear, or pixelate into red block fragments near the tips. Her hands are covered by dark gloves reaching up to her elbows.
-"She's right. We are about to exhaust all our strength."-Rin came from the same portal as Maria, appearing even more fatigued than her.
She was now a Herrscher as well, fulfilling her old destiny of becoming the Herrscher of Corruption. The Raiment she wore appeared similar to a Miko outfit, with a white, wrap-front kimono top featuring distinct red piping and borders along the collar and edges, and detached or drop-shoulder sleeves, leaving the shoulders bare, that transition into wide, flowing drapes at the forearms that mirror traditional Japanese garments, with black undersleeves beneath.
A thick, dark crimson Obi wraps tightly around her waist, causing her modest chest to appear more prominent. Her red hakama-like dress covers her legs up to just below the knee, revealing her legs covered by white over-the-knee stockings and black boots. Behind her, three fox-like tails swayed with her movements, emanating dark red pixels that seemed to corrupt reality.
-"Then rest quickly; I'll take over from you for now."-Misteln told them, approaching together with Rita.
Misteln Raiment, as Herrscher of Binding, manifested as a skin-tight bodysuit with white armor plates over it, decorated with a delicate gold trim and gold cross-shaped filigree accents. From her waist, a split, formal tailcoat cape reached up to her knees, with a light lavender inner lining. White armor-plated thigh-high boots cover her long legs, and her long sleeves end with similarly plated gauntlets.
Matching Misteln's knight-like appearance, Rita's Raiment looked like an elegant Gothic evening gown. It had a strapless deep navy-to-black bodice with a form-fitting corset silhouette, with an asymmetrical high-low wrap skirt that left her left leg exposed up to the hip. The dress's fabric transitions from dark indigo at the hips into translucent, smoky lavender and periwinkle drapes that swirl outward like ghostly fire. Large, stylized blue and purple rose blossoms sit prominently at her left hip and left shoulder blade, pinning down the billowing sections of the gown.
Her left arm is covered by a disconnected, wide bell sleeve that starts below the shoulder and is split down the side and features dark rose accents at the bicep. Meanwhile, her right arm is covered by a long, sheer dark evening glove that extends past the elbow, holding a vintage-style spirit lantern. Her exposed left leg is detailed with an intricate, dark branching vine wrap that spirals down to her ankle, and on her feet are matching deep-blue pointed stilettos. Her previously short hair is now long enough to reach past her back, while her eyes seem to glow with eerie yet charming reddish-pink light.
-"Aren't you needed on the other side?"-Maria asked, surprised to see them.
-"Lady Bianka is there."-Rita smiled and shrugged her shoulders lightly.
-"Ah, that explains things."-Maria looked at the golden figure in the distance.
Bianka, who became the Herrscher of Origin, managed to fully control the power given to her by the entire bubble universe bonded to her body, giving her power even greater than most Herrschers, rivaling those of the previous era. She also didn't become just another Elysia, covered in pink, but kept her golden hair and heroic aura.
Her Raiment looked like majestic knight armor: a sleeveless, high-collared white and blue tunic base that sits close to the skin, covered by contoured golden plate armor that covers the chest area, framed by sharp metallic accents. Her shoulders were covered by asymmetrical pauldrons with a layered, wing-like aesthetic, and white and gold segments that mimicked folded feathers. On her hands were gauntlets featuring black undersleeves with intricate gold and white plating covering the forearms and wrists.
A long, flowing royal blue sash wrapped around the hips, with a half-skirt panel hanging on the right side. Her long legs were covered by white, skin-tight leggings, with full-length golden greaves extending up past the knees, and high-heeled armored boots ending in sharp golden tips. A delicate silver and white tiara-style crown sits atop her head, framing her long blonde ponytail.
Wherever she went, countless explosions would soon appear, caused by golden lances that she summoned and discarded at will. When bigger or flying enemies appeared near her, she would summon a great bow, striking them down with arrows no smaller than her lances.
Not far from her, Ana could be seen trying to assist her from afar. As Herrscher of Ice, Ana's Raiment was a military uniform with a black, high-collared, form-fitting halter bodice that sat beneath a draped white outer top. Her shoulders were left exposed, while white off-the-shoulder sleeves bunched around her forearms. They were cinched with dark buckle straps and transitioned down to fitted dark opera-length gloves. Her dress split open from the hip, opening in the front to reveal her legs concealed under dark translucent stockings and thigh-high boots, made more striking by the vibrant royal blue interior lining of the dress.
-"Miss Mei! I've found a World Bubble we can escape to."-A familiar voice to me appeared suddenly.
Emerging from a quantum state, Seele, a new Herrscher of Life, met with them; and next to her, a girl almost identical to her also appeared, Veliona, the Herrscher of Death of the previous era. Seele became Herrscher shortly after I sent her out of the Sea of Quanta, helping Veliona regain her body with her newly gained Authority. Two of them joined everyone else to help me escape from Sa, both of them feeling indebted to me after I saved them; one in the previous era, one in the Sea of Quanta.
Seele's Raiment of Life was elegant and ethereal, with a form-fitting halter dress with a deeply dipped neckline and strappy corsetry detailing across the exposed midriff, that opened into a layered, multi-tiered white miniskirt constructed from overlapping petal-like panels that give the impression of an inverted blooming flower. Large, vibrant light-blue Primrose flowers accent her hips, serving as anchor pieces where the dark blue fabric swaths pin to the main dress. Both her feet and hands were bare, giving her a fairy-like aura.
Veliona, on the other hand, was the opposite of her, with a dark gothic dress armor. The main top is a form-fitting, sleeveless black bodice adorned with intricate silver trim and multiple bright red diamond-shaped gems and a halter-style strap design that weaves across the collarbone, leaving parts of the shoulders exposed. Below the waist is a layered, high-low style skirt. The under-layer is a vibrant crimson red pleated mini-skirt, while the outer layer consists of sharp, stylized black armor segments and fabric flaps that resemble pointed tails or wings. Her arms are covered by black armored bracers, and on her hands she wears blood-red gloves, while on her legs she wears armored, dark thigh-high boots
Both of their hair was much longer than when I last saw them; Seele's hair seemed slightly lighter in color, due to light-blue color underneath, and was neater overall, while Veliona's were darker, with blood-red color underneath, and appearing wild and messy. But two of them could still easily pass for twins, especially with their opposite yet strangely complementary personalities.
-"Not ideal, but enough to give us more time."-Veliona confirmed Seele's words.
-"Perfect, have others prepare to move."-Mei looked at Bronya, who nodded and quickly conveyed her orders.
Everyone quickly started to retreat, and soon, they disappeared from this Bubble, which quickly sank deeper into the Sea, ending up destroyed not long after.
-"They jumped again."-Einstein told Mobius, who was the leader of the team staying in the real world.
-"Good, this should buy them enough time."-Mobius nodded and turned her attention to Hua.-"How's the situation in Schicksal?"
-"Under control."-Hua's voice appeared through the communicator.-"Otto disappeared; I can't find any traces of him, but Amber is still here, saying that Otto left two commands before leaving. One, Eno is to assume the role of the Overseer when he returns; two, all Valkyries are to listen to Bianka's commands until Eno assumes his position."
-"Any information on why or how he left?"
-"Not for how, but for why… It's as you expected; he wants to copy what you did on the moon, but rather than reach the Cocoon, he wants to find the Tree."
-"Then he either plans to travel to a different world, or change the past."
-"Knowing Otto, then it's about changing the past; reviving his 'white moonlight' Kallen, to be exact."-I spoke up as I appeared next to Mobius.
-"Oh? Finally back?"-She looked me up and down, but her eyes quickly locked on the feathers in my head.-"A new headpiece… no, I can see they are alive, an appendage?"
-"Not important now. Give a quick rundown of everything that happened."
-"Sure. You disappeared, Otto made a mess, our World Serpent emerged, Mei returned and restored Fire-Moth, gathered everyone to talk, explained the past era and your origins, made a plan to create Herrschers to fight Cocoon and Sa, implemented the plan, dived into the Sea, found your traces, got backstabbed by Otto, and here we are. Need more details?"
-"No, I got the gist; the rest can wait for a better time. I'll go get the guys from the moon and send them to you."
-"That'll be a great help. But what will you do after that?"
-"Find Otto. I have a few questions I want answers to."
-"Just don't be late as always."
I nodded and disappeared from here, reappearing directly on the moon, a feat possible due to QIBNN allowing me to instantly create highly complicated magical circles and utilizing Quantum Energy to traverse space by entering a quantum state. There, I found the crystal formation created by the riot of my power, and quickly got to work.
After understanding the state they were in, I decided to unseal them one by one, healing any damage they had in the process. Starting with Kevin, all MANTIS slowly woke up; they were a little disoriented, but soon, Eden established a connection with us and explained what had happened to them. While surprised, they quickly adapted and started preparing to depart on yet another fight.
-"Eno."-Kevin walked up to me.-"Is she…"
-"By what Mobius and Eden said, yes, she is that Mei, as well as a reincarnated one."
-"Good."-He let out a sigh of relief.
-"You have quite a big family here."-I suddenly told him.-"Be sure to visit them later."
-"I'll think about it."
-"Eno, should I go with you?"-Sakura asked me.
-"No, go help the others in the Sea. Otto can't do much to me, and I only wish to speak with him, not fight."-I shook my head.-"Not to mention that your sister waits for you."
Hearing about Rin, Sakura smiled a proud and revealing smile.
Before I could speak up again, I felt my sleeve being tugged. Looking to the side, I saw a pouting Griseo.
-"Eno, that's unfair."
-"Unfair?"
-"Mhmm."-She nodded.-"Rin and Misteln grew up, but I didn't."
-"Don't worry, You'll grow up soon enough"-I ruffled her hair.
Feeling my hand on her head, she pouted even more and pushed my hand away.
-"I'll send you to Mobius."-I opened a portal for them.
-"Leave the Sea to us."-Kevin nodded and walked into the portal.
Soon, only I remained on the moon, allowing me to close the portal and teleport away.
When I reappeared this time, I was no longer in the real world; instead, I came to the space outside it, where the Cocoon was located. But I didn't plan to see it; I was looking for an existence that was not that far away from here. Flying there took me a few minutes, as after gaining the power of Remembrance, I could traverse this space without any issues.
Entering the space within which the Tree existed, I quickly noticed a familiar figure walking toward the towering Imaginary Tree in front of us. Just from his posture, I could see how great a toll it had taken on his body, but he continued onward without a pause. But his state had nothing to do with me, so I appeared by his side after a quick teleport.
-"Care for a quick chat?"-I asked him
-"You came quicker than I expected."-He forced a smile, but nodded.
-"So, can you explain why everything had to happen as it did?"
-"You probably already know, don't you? I have a love to save, and whatever price I need to pay, I will."
-"It's really like this, huh?"-I looked at him with a complicated gaze.-"While I respect you for your dedication, old man, I also despise you for treating everyone and everything else as chess pieces to be sacrificed."
-"I also despise myself for that, but I'll still do it again."-He chuckled slightly.-"So, what do you want to know?"
-"Two things: why did you choose to mentor me, and where is real Kiana?"
-"Oh? I decided to mentor you because I knew that you could pick up all the pieces I left shattered and achieve the best possible outcome. I might be a villain, but I still hope that this world can survive. As for Kiana, she was always by your side."
-"Bianka?"
He nodded.
-"You are… Sigh."-I wanted to say some things to him, but decided against it.-"So, this is the end of the road, old man."
-"Yes, a fitting one, I might say."-He looked at the surrounding ruins and desert.
-"Old man, grit your teeth."-I told him shortly before delivering a straight punch to his jaw.
-"Ugh."-He staggered a few steps.-"I deserved that."
-"Yes, you did."-I nodded, and then healed him with a quick miracle.-"Now, we can make it so all those betrayals and atrocities are not for nothing."
He looked at me, genuinely stunned for the first time since I knew him, before bursting into hearty laughter.
-"Hahaha."-He wiped a tear from his eye.-"That's something I never expected you to do."
-"I never considered myself a hero; it's something you all pushed on me. I know that had I been in your situation, I might also have done some less-than-honorable things to bring my beloved back."-I shrugged.-"Not to mention, I have an idea that I need to test."
-"Good, let us two, a false hero and a villainous fool, face the world itself."-He used the Key of Revelation to mimic the Key of Destruction.
In response, I summoned my standard, planting it firmly in the ground as the space around us started to twist and change into green plains and hills covered by crystal flowers.