Near the Eye of the Deep Sea.
The entrance to the World Bubble.
Xia Qi stood on the bridge, looking at the massive rift in the void a few hundred meters from the Hyperion.
"Prepare to return to reality, Project Bunny."
"..."
Behind her, Project Bunny, following Xia Qi's command, or rather under her control, guided the Hyperion into the rift.
"We're going back?"
Everyone stood behind her, their expressions solemn or quietly confused, watching as the Hyperion slowly entered the rift.
The day's events had been too surreal for any of them.
Especially for Kiana.
She never imagined that another version of herself would become the Herrscher of Finality.
And had already fallen.
Kiana felt she might finally understand why the other her's presence had been so heavy and oppressive, so completely at odds with the gentle, kind figure that appeared in that profile, a version she barely recognized.
Bronya held Seele's hand tightly.
She was afraid, terrified that if she let go, Seele would vanish the moment they left the Quantum Sea, terrified that this was all just a dream.
But the warm, soft touch in her hand made her truly understand: this was no longer a dream. Seele had come back to her side.
Amidst everyone's tense waiting, the Hyperion entered the Eye of the Deep Sea completely.
They returned to the real world.
But upon returning, looking at what awaited them, everyone except Kevin wore expressions of shock.
Schicksal battleships surrounded Qiong Yu City on all sides, their main and secondary batteries fully charged, their cold blue light flickering as they all aimed at the Hyperion emerging from the Eye of the Deep Sea.
Within Qiong Yu City, the wreckage of Titans and Schicksal Divine Keys littered the ground.
The once beautiful, luminous Qiong Yu City was now filled with the stench of ruin and devastation. Flames and smoke had blackened everything in sight.
"How is this possible?!"
Einstein's eyes went wide.
"Tesla!"
Welt immediately launched himself out of the Hyperion, powerful Honkai energy surging around him. Within Qiong Yu City, countless pieces of wreckage rose under the pull of his gravity, floating around him as he unleashed his full power.
"What happened?"
Xia Qi stared at the scene outside, frowning deeply. She walked out of the Hyperion as well, everyone following behind her.
Kevin followed without expression.
"Hello, Overseer of Anti-Entropy, Welt Yang."
A figure slowly emerged from one of the remaining structures in Qiong Yu City and approached Welt, looking up at his furious, icy expression with a serious and composed demeanor.
"I am Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie, Bianka Durandal Ataegina. I am here to help you, by order of Schicksal Overseer Otto Apocalypse."
"Help?"
Welt stared intently at Durandal, his voice cold and hard as he demanded: "Destroying my Anti-Entropy forces, invading Anti-Entropy-controlled territory, this is what you call help? Where is Frederica Nikola Tesla?!"
A loss of composure no one had ever seen from him before.
Xia Qi walked to the Hyperion's deck, looking at the battleships surrounding them, her gaze calm, though the Honkai energy around her began to stir as well.
"Please calm down, Mr. Welt."
Durandal looked at Welt, speaking seriously: "We truly are here to help. Dr. Frederica Nikola Tesla has already been evacuated to Anti-Entropy's North American headquarters via quantum teleportation."
At those words, Welt's furious expression softened slightly.
But he continued to stare at Durandal, still cold.
Durandal continued: "Although before the Overseer issued his new order, our mission was indeed to capture and occupy this ruin, the mission changed midway. According to internal Schicksal intelligence, the Eye of the Deep Sea within Qiong Yu City connects to the Quantum Sea, and inside the Quantum Sea is the leader of World Serpent, the one they call the Sovereign.
The moment you activated this ruin, they initiated their plan. World Serpent members embedded within both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy activated their operations simultaneously. Before we could secure Qiong Yu City, the command center within the city was destroyed in an explosion."
Durandal also informed Welt in detail about the traitors that had surfaced within both their forces, and about the Titans and Schicksal Divine Keys that had been seized and turned against their own allies, all to demonstrate that her current mission was genuinely to help Anti-Entropy.
Xia Qi couldn't help but glance sideways at Kevin, who had walked up beside her.
"..."
Kevin stared coldly down at the ruins below.
From the wreckage where the Anti-Entropy command center had stood, an unusual sound emerged.
A low, rumbling roar, muffled yet powerful enough to resonate throughout all of Qiong Yu City, rang out. As everyone's gaze turned, a Dawn Knight with an enormous, grotesque purple-red right arm burst upward through the rubble pinning him down and hauled himself to his feet.
"Sovereign!!"
The Dawn Knight stared up at Kevin standing on the deck and let out a roar, strained but still intelligible.
"..."
Kevin was quiet for a moment.
"A Honkai beast?"
Durandal turned back, looked at the Dawn Knight, gripped Abyss Flower, and moved toward it.
"Kevin, what do you think?"
Xia Qi turned to Kevin, asking expressionlessly.
"Sovereign, I am Gray Serpent. I will cover your escape from here!" Gray Serpent roared, charging straight at Durandal.
Durandal watched him come. As he bore down with overwhelming force, she gripped Abyss Flower and vanished from the spot.
That speed was impossible for Gray Serpent to track. When he saw Durandal again, the tip of her holy, snow-white spear was driving directly toward his head.
"Bang!"
Kevin stepped in front of Durandal, his ice greatsword raised high and catching Abyss Flower. His arm dipped only slightly.
"Sovereign!"
Gray Serpent immediately tried to rush forward, but Kevin turned his head, his voice cold and flat.
"Stand down."
"...Yes."
Gray Serpent stepped back a few paces but remained standing there, his massive body still trembling with barely restrained readiness.
"Sovereign?"
Durandal stared at the man before her, alert and guarded.
"I am the Sovereign of World Serpent, Kevin Kaslana."
Kevin met her gaze, his expression frozen solid, chilling to the bone.
The two faced each other, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense.
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