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"Zeke, move her back to the original battlefield area!"
Bronya's hologram appeared beside him.
Without hesitation, Zeke directed the black divine dragon soaring overhead to circle back toward the epicenter of devastation. Its immense mechanical body forcefully pushed everything within the space into a suddenly expanding dark vortex.
Zeke trusted that Bronya had a plan in place.
He then reached out, manipulating data in mid-air, stabilizing Kiana's condition and pulling back her fading life force.
"Durandal, Mister Kevin, Dr. Mobius—since you've regained your mobility, continue to burn your lives for this cause. Please coordinate with the forces I have mobilized and buy time for Zeke."
Bronya's distinctive cold voice reached the ears of the three figures standing amidst the desolate land, her words conveying ruthless pragmatism.
Without hesitation, Durandal and Kevin complied. Despite having lost their weapons, they exchanged glances before swiftly heading toward where the Black Dragon descended.
Mobius narrowed his eyes discontentedly, gently tracing his fingers over his shrunken, youthful body. "What is Zeke planning? What difference will our intervention make now?"
"Even if it adds just 0.001% chance of victory, it's crucial to seize every opportunity—that's the essence of war between civilizations. Dr. Mobius, rather than complaining, I'd prefer seeing your efforts," Bronya replied indifferently.
"You... hmph! That tone truly mirrors Zeke's perfectly! You're right; in war, one must relentlessly increase their chances of winning. So, if I decide to do something intriguing, I assume you wouldn't mind?" asked Mobius.
"As long as it proves useful, feel free," Bronya responded coolly.
In response, Mobius burst out laughing maniacally.
"Ha ha ha! Victory ensures survival, and evolution also serves survival! Hence, evolution is victory itself... With such exceptional raw materials at hand, allow me to bestow upon you all an infinite future!"
A black mist surged upwards, summoning ominous dark clouds overhead.
Swiftly, an ink-black rain began pouring down on these three top-tier combatants and the elite forces arriving one after another.
"What kind of rain is this? Another power of the Final Herrscher?"
"Captain, something's wrong. My suit seems to be losing control..."
"Hold on, scales—scales are growing..."
"Dissolving, my body is... Aaargh!!!"
Distortion, frenzied madness, wailing cries, death.
Amidst the black rain, hellish scenes unfolded as grotesque figures writhed and roared in darkness, then crawled towards the largest source of Honkai energy nearby.
From afar, Bronya struggled, her heart heavy, but clenched her fists resolutely.
Within the thick, viscous liquid, Mei cradled her flushed face with both hands, laughing maniacally without pause. Moments later, she transformed into an enormous serpent, hissing fiercely as she charged forth, radiating boundless malevolence.
This was once-prohibited power by Zeke: nearly uncontrollable gene fusion and mutation technology, now unleashed.
The Final Herrscher, forcefully slammed to the ground by the Black Dragon, braced herself against the punches from Durandal and Kevin with both hands. Already weakened, she saw countless monsters rapidly surging towards them... Slowly furrowing her brow, she lifted the two high into the sky.
"Boom!!"
Even hastily summoned, the annihilating golden light still spanned thousands of kilometers, illuminating the entire night sky.
However, this time, instead of mercilessly reaping lives like cutting down crops, the unleashed energy invigorated the monsters below. Many bizarre creatures absorbed the excess power, their bodies swelling as they sprouted various strange wings, then roared and soared towards her in the air.
Fearless and unyielding stood Kevin and Durandal.
Circling menacingly overhead, the mechanical Black Dragon loomed.
Transformed into the colossal Serpent devouring worlds, Mobius emerged.
A multitude of threats converged simultaneously.
Anger, distress, bewilderment—the Final Herrscher felt these emotions surge within her.
"Whoosh!"
At that moment, a streak of black light shot forth from afar.
It was a petite figure: a girl adorned with sharp black claws on each finger, ominous dark markings on her face, and bared fangs, embodying a blend between human and beast. She radiated an even more twisted and foreboding aura than the swarming monsters.
Sin Mal, the long-absent last pinnacle monster among humans, uninvitedly joined this grand feast.
"Sin?!"
Bronya's startled and anxious voice reached Sin's ears.
"I...will help Zeke... Bronya... Kill!" The beastly instincts overtook her humanity as Sin responded haltingly.
Bronya stood up from her command seat but then slumped back down.
"...Stay strong. I'll be waiting for you at home."
"Roar!"
Bronya knew she couldn't stop the uncontrollable girl anymore. Hearing Sin's frenzied response, all she could do was silently send blessings and prayers.
All their cards had been played. Whether human civilization would rise anew from the flames or plummet into the Abyss now entered its final countdown.
"The intensity of Honkai Energy keeps rising. I've already extracted all possible abilities from her—how is this happening?"
Watching Kiana's stabilized body deteriorate once more under the relentless surge of Honkai Energy, Zeke stared at his hands, feeling helpless and bewildered.
"Kiana, Finality..."
"Finality, Kiana..."
"No! Impossible! The Finality has already emerged. Will of Honkai, are you trying to cheat?!"
Zeke struggled to control his emotions, but they still manifested as twisted metal tables and equipment throughout the laboratory, succumbing to destruction. Even uttering such absurd words about the God of Honkai cheating was a testament to Zeke's panic.
The energy surging within Kiana had surpassed what could be explained by the Herrscher Core alone.
Suppose that "Kiana" wasn't recognized by the Will of Honkai as the Finality for this era; suppose Kiana was destined to awaken as...
"Can I replace her? No, with unclear criteria for selection by the Will of Honkai, it's not that simple. Let's consider another approach... The trial occurs only once, and there can be but one Finality. Therefore, overcoming this challenge should restore Kiana!"
The information Otto had gleaned from the God of Honkai provided Zeke with a potential solution—perhaps the only viable course of action at present. By ending the trial before Kiana fully transforms, they might halt the distortion affecting her.
"I'll be back."
Zeke spoke these gentle words to the unrecognizable remains of the girl within the glass chamber.
Bronya's hologram appeared in the laboratory, tilting her head up as she gazed unwaveringly at him with red-rimmed gray eyes.
"Zeke, are you leaving now?"
"We must hasten our pace."
"They can still hold out for a while."
"Have those who can retreat do so immediately. From here on, there's no need for their involvement."
Zeke headed for the door as it swung open.
A panting Bronya stood there, leaving behind a trail of skid marks from her hasty arrival.
Pressing her lips together, she took a few steps forward and tiptoed to hand Zeke a brand-new coat.
"You should dress appropriately when going out—it's an important occasion, after all."
"Ha!" With a light chuckle, Zeke accepted the jacket and gently wiped away the beads of sweat on Bronya's forehead.
Bronya once again rose onto her toes, leaned close to Zeke's cheek, and gave him a soft kiss. Her eyes glistened with tears, yet she suppressed all her worries, managing a tender smile like a young wife seeing off her husband: "Be back soon—I'll be waiting at home."
"I will. Take care of this little goof while I'm gone; I'll see you later." Zeke lifted Bronya's chin and kissed her sweet, supple lips.
In the next moment, Bronya lost sight of Zeke before her very eyes.
"BOOM!!"
On the vast and boundless battlefield of the final confrontation, "Kiana," gradually recovering from the Moonlight Throne's weakening effect, unleashed relentless attacks with energy surpassing all limits upon her enemies surrounding her.
The mutated species created by Mobius were indeed peculiar, able to absorb Honkai energy to grow stronger. However, as living beings, they still had their limits.
The Final Herrscher's power level clearly far exceeded those boundaries.
Once she fully committed to her assault, no matter how bizarre or tenacious the creatures might be, they could only meet their demise under her immense strength.
At that moment, she held Sin by the neck, turning the girl's face beet red—not due to suffocation but from the surging energy flooding into her body, causing internal destruction while slowly crushing her spine.
"Leave! Zeke is coming!"
Upon receiving the command, Mobius swiftly slithered away with her massive serpent form. She harbored no deep feelings for Sin, well aware of the Hall of Heroes' purpose, and had no intention of risking her life to save anyone.
Durandal and Kevin, however, acted differently. Disregarding Bronya's signal to retreat, they simultaneously charged towards the now-rejuvenated Final Herrscher.
The Final Herrscher, enveloped in golden flames that illuminated the night sky, and Sin, whose struggles were gradually fading, confronted by Durandal and Kevin rushing to her aid, along with the colossal serpent slithering away—this mythical tableau suddenly froze.
A silver-haired young man clad in black appeared before "Kiana," prying open her hands to cradle Sin in his embrace.
"Boom!!"
The Final Herrscher vanished from the sky, crashing deep into the earth below with a resounding impact.
"Sir Zeke?!"
"Zeke!"
Durandal and Kevin were taken aback simultaneously.
Zeke gently stroked the disheveled hair of the girl in his arms, feeling her limpness as if she had no bones left. He reassured her, "Rest now; leave the rest to me."
"Mm... Zeke... you can do it..."
Sin nestled close to the one she deeply loved, breathing in Zeke's scent, allowing the overwhelming affection to overshadow her pain.
"Rumble!!!"
A torrential wave of golden energy surged forth, aiming directly at Zeke with divine might capable of swallowing everything in its path.
In response, the mechanical Black Dragon circled overhead, preemptively shielding Zeke's surroundings, repelling all incoming attacks.
Zeke handed Sin to Durandal, and a nearby black hole began forming.
"Take care of her; get far away from here."
"Yes!" Durandal nodded resolutely, crossing through the black hole alongside Kevin and Mobius, leaving the battlefield behind.
The Black Dragon stretched its massive form once more, resembling a colossal celestial body floating above Zeke's diminutive figure, akin to mere dust.
On the ground, the maiden bathed in golden flames slowly ascended from beneath the earth.
In the sky, Zeke raised his palm, revealing a glowing white gemstone at its center. Then... like water being drawn into a vortex, the immense mechanical dragon was absorbed within.
The continent-sized dragon beast, as if merging with this relic—the core of the previous era's Herrscher of the Void—gradually returned to rest within Zeke's grasp.
"Rumble!"
The shattered earth trembled, fine debris and soil particles drifting towards Zeke, as though attracted by gravitational pull.
Zeke pressed his palms together lightly, exhaling softly.
"As within the fruit's nucleus, I remain the sovereign of infinite realms..."
These lines from an ancient opera intertwined concepts of the infinitesimal and immense, subtly validating what he had accomplished.
The mechanical dragon beast was never designed for direct combat. Its true purpose lay in overlapping with Zeke's body on a spatial scale, granting him unparalleled mass and unmatched physical strength.
As the Final Herrscher's energy level matched that of an entire civilization, surpassing it through sheer power alone was impossible.
However, victory could be achieved through multiple avenues.
If energy superiority couldn't be attained, then absolute bodily strength and mass would compensate.
Zeke looked down at "Kiana," as a massive golden time dial rotated in the air before him.
"Click! Click! Click!"
One shadow, two shadows, three shadows... up to nine distinct shadows emerged from behind Zeke, merging into his body.
Nine overlays, resulting in a ninefold amplification.
Time and space distorted around Zeke, intensifying the ground tremors and the gravity-defying ascent of rocks. An indescribably immense aura enveloped nearly half the planet.
As the sun rose in the distance, its dawn light illuminated the clear sky.
With golden eyes, Zeke gazed back at "Kiana", exhaling deeply amidst complex emotions. He raised his hand and declared:
"Now, it's time to conclude this trial."