On this day, within the tranquil Sea of Quanta.
Crack!Crack—!
Like the shattering of a mirror, dense spatial fractures suddenly spread through a certain region of the boundless ocean that contained infinite bubble worlds.
Terrifying Honkai energy, vast beyond imagination, erupted intermittently from the cracks. Each eruption caused them to widen further. When they finally reached a critical point, the space itself collapsed completely.
Three figures and two colossal beasts burst forth from within.
BOOM—!!!
Freed from the separation of dimensions, the horrifying Honkai energy was fully unleashed. The shockwave alone shattered several bubble worlds.
Fortunately, those were already-destroyed bubble worlds without human life, so no casualties were caused.
"Heaven Devourer, long-range bombardment! Jyahnar, have your main body focus on defense!"
"Mm, got it!"
While clashing blades head-on with the Herrscher of Finality, Elias issued commands to the two Planet-class Honkai Beasts and Jyahnar, the Herrscher of the Sea.
"You think dragging me into this endless ocean that disadvantages the Imaginary will allow you to defeat me? How naive."
The Herrscher of Finality ignored Jyahnar and Heaven Devourer.
The Goddess of Honkai fixed her excited gaze on Elias. Each swing of her world-destroying divine spear sliced open space itself, breaking through the formidable defenses of his [Reverse God] authority.
The three of them had fought their way from Imaginary Space into the Sea of Quanta.
This infinite ocean of the quantum side was unfriendly to a being aligned with the Imaginary like the Herrscher of Finality, imposing a weakening effect so small it could only be described as negligible.
But against an opponent like her, even a negligible advantage was one Elias would seize. Even if it increased his chance of victory by only 0.0001%, it was worth it.
Moreover, within Imaginary Space, the Herrscher of Finality's already nearly inexhaustible Honkai energy could be replenished at any time. Although Elias no longer intended to wage a war of attrition...
He couldn't very well fight for half a day without her health bar dropping—and not even see her energy bar decrease in the slightest. That would be far too embarrassing.
"Hmph. Annoying sea."
The Herrscher of Finality felt her power reduced by one percent and frowned slightly, though she soon dismissed it.
"It weakens me. So for you, Elias—"
"Unfortunately, I'm an exception."
The corners of Elias' lips curled faintly. A pale blue glow bloomed across his [Reverse God] body, resonating with the surrounding Sea of Quanta and nullifying the weakening effect imposed on an Imaginary Herrscher.
"Thanks to a certain vixen's human experiment, I unexpectedly gained the ability to quantumize. So I have an affinity with the Sea of Quanta—unlike you, Herrscher of Finality."
"Interesting! You never cease to surprise me. Then let's continue. Show me what you can achieve fifty thousand years later."
The admiration in the Herrscher of Finality's eyes deepened.
Thus, an ultimate battle unfolded within the Sea of Quanta—a duel between three world-destroying beings.
The aftermath alone made a minor deity known as Sa tremble in fear, desperately retracting its roots.
"ROOOOAAARRR—!" x9
"AAAAA—!"
The nine-headed chimera Honkai Beast and the crimson manta-like Honkai Beast launched a combined assault. Ten world-annihilating beams of Honkai energy shot directly at the divine body of the Herrscher of Finality.
Jyahnar unleashed her authority as the Herrscher of the Sea, countless torrents transforming into blades that surged toward Finality.
Elias even hurled two uninhabited bubble worlds at her, using entire worlds as projectiles.
And yet...
Herrscher of Finality: "Useless. Boring."
Elias: "Isn't that a bit too much?!"
Staring at the Goddess of Honkai, whose body remained spotless—not even a speck of dust clung to her, not a single strand of hair severed—Elias felt his defenses shatter emotionally.
He had originally hoped the power of Finality might have an upper limit to what it could endure, like Elysion Pedion. But now it seemed either that any use of Honkai energy simply could not harm Finality at all—or that this so-called "limit" was far beyond their imagination.
"Now... it's my turn~~."
The Herrscher of Finality revealed a savage and beautiful grin.
A tidal wave of Honkai energy erupted from her body, assimilating the surrounding Sea of Quanta into an Imaginary domain.
Elias and Jyahnar pressed back-to-back in mutual defense. The two Planet-class Honkai Beasts shielded them from the front. But this time, Finality's wide-area attack was clearly unleashed in earnest.
"ROOOOAAARRR—!"
"AAAAAA—!"
Both colossal Honkai Beasts cried out in agony as they were heavily wounded. The dozens of Moonlight Throne main cannons constructed by Elias were utterly destroyed. Several nearby uninhabited bubble worlds disintegrated outright.
Elias activated his defensive authorities at full capacity. Even so, more than half his health vanished instantly before he barely managed to block the strike.
Or rather—he had blocked it for Jyahnar.
"Th-That was close!"
"To expend half of your Honkai energy in one go for an attack of that scale... you really intend to kill me."
"Jyahnar, maybe don't smile while saying that. Sss—ow, ow, ow! That almost broke through."
Elias glanced at his charred six wings. The gemstones representing his twelve authorities were all cracked. He had barely managed to intercept the blow. Had he failed...
Not to mention the Planet-class manta that served as her main body—Jyahnar's pseudo-Herrscher vessel would have been reduced to nothing.
Yet the girl still wore a gentle smile, as though she had not just brushed against death.
"It's fine. This is the right time to smile. I'm very happy that you protected me without hesitation, Elias. Fifty thousand years ago, we stood on opposite sides."
Jyahnar absentmindedly touched her abdomen.
"I remember you beat me so badly back then. You even burrowed inside my body and messed everything up. You even stole my heart. What a lovely memory~."
"How is that lovely?! And stop phrasing it in ways that invite misunderstanding! If Mei and the others hear that, I'll be explaining for ages!"
Rolling his eyes, Elias chopped Jyahnar lightly on the head with his hand and silently resolved that after this battle, he would absolutely correct this Planet-class Honkai Beast girl's sense of values.
BOOM—!
At that moment, a beam grazed past their scalps and blasted apart yet another uninhabited bubble world.
"..."
The Herrscher of Finality stared coldly at Elias and Jyahnar. Within her divinity-filled golden eyes, killing intent churned.
(As expected... this is unpleasant. I should destroy her.)
At this moment, the Goddess of Honkai had already decided—regardless of what consequences the Cocoon of Finality might bring upon her discovery on Earth, she would eliminate that certain Planet-class Honkai Beast first.
For the Herrscher of Finality, battling Elias was an ultimate pleasure. Every clash, every collision was a tempering that further solidified her sense of self.
Eradicating humanity was her [Mission].
Resetting civilization to its origin was her [Responsibility].
These were the inescapable [Fate] of her birth as the "Herrscher of Finality."
But Elias was different.
He was the first boy she had ever remembered. The one she had acknowledged with her own will as a true opponent.
Not an enemy—an opponent.
Time and again, he had rushed before her.
As a human, he had challenged her repeatedly—roaring at her, raising blade against her—and had defeated her twelve times in total.
Each time she saw Elias, battered and wounded yet utterly unyielding... each time she witnessed miracle after miracle that even she—once a god—found astonishing...
The Herrscher of Finality had been drawn to him without realizing it.
When she had still been a god, no matter how dazzling the boy's radiance was, she would not have cared.
But now that she possessed humanity, she found herself caring about Elias far more than she should.
She was captivated by the intensity of his selfhood. And with every battle against him, she sensed change within herself—her human emotions growing stronger and stronger.
And so, the Herrscher of Finality developed a desire.
She desired more battles with Elias.
It did not matter who won or lost.
The battle itself was what brought her the greatest joy.
Therefore...
"Interference is unnecessary. Disappear!"
Fixing her gaze on Jyahnar, the Herrscher of Finality shouted in fury for the first time. This was a sacred battle belonging solely to her and the white-haired boy—she would not permit outsiders to intrude.
To her, Jyahnar's existence was like an impurity staining a flawless gemstone. That was why she had not hesitated to expend half her Honkai energy earlier in an attempt to annihilate her outright.
This absolutely, absolutely had nothing to do with jealousy.
However, the Herrscher of Finality had forgotten—compared to offense, Elias excelled far more at defense. Even her full-powered wide-area attack had failed to break through his protection.
And furthermore...
"The blade is ignited. Charging complete!"
The greatsword Might of An-Utu in Elias' hand once again transformed into the form of Endless Finality. The previous wide-area attack had allowed him to absorb enough power of Finality once more. He could now unleash that star-igniting, god-slaying strike again.
"This battle ends now!"
"Ends? Don't be ridiculous! Until I say it ends, Elias—you will fight me forever."
"That won't do. It's getting late. I need to hurry home for dinner."
Elias replied calmly, raising the black-flame-shrouded Endless Finality toward the goddess before him.
Golden patterns spread across his body—the vessel bearing the power of Finality. At least in this moment, Elias had truly stepped into the realm of the Herrscher of Finality.
Beside him, Jyahnar murmured dreamily, "So this... is why the Honkai made me your lover."
Though it strained him greatly, Elias had indeed contained this power of Finality—something no one before had endured. It proved that he was the only human in this world capable of withstanding the embrace of the Honkai.
And thus, the Cocoon of Finality yearned for him.
Yearned for the miracle it had pursued for billions of years, at the cost of countless civilizations, yet never attained.
"Come, Finality—let me test my sword!"
"Hmph! You won't hit me!"
The Herrscher of Finality declared confidently. Having faced this strike capable of gravely injuring—or even slaying—her multiple times, she no longer reacted with panic as she had in the beginning.
Though there remained a gap in technique between her and Elias, such a straightforward slash was something even she could evade.
(You've dodged so many of my attacks. If I can't dodge one of yours, wouldn't that be embarrassing?)
And sure enough, she succeeded.
Now accustomed to Elias' combat style, the Goddess of Honkai calmly avoided the god-slaying strike.
The attack she evaded extended infinitely outward, as though it sought to cleave the entire Sea of Quanta in two.
"Tch! Missed again! Heaven Devourer! Jyahnar!"
Elias shouted, sounding "frustrated."
"Leave it to me!"
"ROOOOAAARRR—!" x9
Jyahnar and Heaven Devourer no longer held back. Each condensed all of their Honkai energy, unleashing their strongest attacks with everything they had at the Herrscher of Finality.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!! x2
Two crimson beams of Honkai energy capable of reducing all to nothingness erupted from the mouths of the two Planet-class Honkai Beasts. Nearby light was devoured and annihilated. Even the void trembled.
These were beams powerful enough to pierce both the Moon and Earth in a single shot—attacks even Elias could not withstand.
And yet...
The Herrscher of Finality did not move an inch.
She did not even deem the planet-annihilating attacks worthy of notice. Her health bar did not drop in the slightest. The only sensation she felt was that the beams were somewhat dazzling.
"How many times must you try before you understand? Such attacks are meaningless against me. In this world, the only one who even has a chance of harming me... is Elias."
"Then as you wish—I'll be the one to hurt you!"
"What?!"
Elias' voice rang out right beside her.
Startled, the Herrscher of Finality turned—only to find the white-haired boy had appeared behind her at some unknown moment. The greatsword in his hand remained in Endless Finality mode.
"Don't tell me—you actually—!"
In an instant, she understood.
Jyahnar and Heaven Devourer's all-out attacks were merely to make her believe they were engaging in futile resistance. The planet-piercing beams were nothing more than bait—and a flashbang.
Their true purpose was to obscure her vision, allowing Elias to reposition in a blind spot she could not see.
And then deliver the decisive blow.
"The attack you unleashed earlier contained too much power of Finality. Enough for me to swing two or three more times."
"Even missing the first strike was part of the plan... to make me careless?"
"Exactly. After dodging it, you'd assume I no longer had the power to hurt you. But now—everything ends, Herrscher of Finality!"
The blade of Endless Finality pressed against the goddess' chest at zero distance.
"Remember this strike of Deliverance—Godfall!"
"Ugh—AAAAAAH!!"
When Shamash Assault imbued with the power of Finality was unleashed, the Goddess of Honkai cried out in agony. Scorching flames engulfed her body, burning away her divine gown.
After fifty thousand years, the Herrscher of Finality felt pain once more.
And for the first time, her locked health bar plummeted violently.