Crack!
The lance pierced through the body of the Herrscher of Binding.
Accompanied by a crisp shattering sound, the Herrscher Core embedded in the Herrscher of Binding's chest was directly blasted into fragments by the long spear.
A Herrscher Core was not something that could be shattered so easily.
Unless…
The instant the core was pierced, crimson ice crystals, like fresh blood, shattered in a cascade of rippling golden shockwaves.
From within, a pitch-black long spear revealed its true form.
That's right.
The lance in Kevin's hand was not a mere crystallization of ice energy, but the [Black Abyss] from the Sixth Key of God, Black Abyss White Flower, which originally belonged to Elysia.
This was the long spear that possessed the [Authority of Wither].
It was the final trump card in the battle against the Herrscher—Kevin was not compatible with the [Black Abyss White Flower]; he was able to use the Sixth Key of God entirely by wielding it through sheer force.
Elysia had not participated in this battle.
Regardless of her true thoughts, everyone in the Fire Moth respected her decision.
However, just before the final expedition, Elysia had still entrusted the Sixth Key of God to Kevin—the probability of Kevin killing the Herrscher of Binding would increase by another ten percent with the [Black Abyss White Flower], but doing so also meant… all the Fusion Warriors who died within the Domain of Binding had lost any chance of rising again.
The Herrscher of Binding.
Its power was simply too immense. Faced with a threat capable of annihilating all of humanity, the Fire Moth chose the most failsafe method: destroy the Herrscher Core.
The power of [Black Abyss] had indeed accomplished this.
But at the same time, humanity had lost the opportunity to acquire a brand-new Key of God. Dr. Mei's response to this was:
"It no longer matters."
Yes, it no longer mattered.
Although the Keys of God were important, the time, energy, and even the funds required to research them were far beyond what human society could afford.
Four cities, sixty million people, and the ruins of a civilization reduced to rubble… this was the final fortune of the entire human race.
A Key of God capable of releasing the [Divine Grace Barrier] was certainly powerful, but for the trials humanity was about to face, it would be of no significant help.
Now…
Screeeech!
A grating sound, like grinding glass, slowly echoed as Kevin pulled the [Black Abyss] free.
The Herrscher Core, dissipating into motes of light, signified victory in this war against the Herrscher… No, such an outcome could not possibly be described as a victory.
To be precise.
It had merely, and ever so slightly, delayed the pace of humanity's extinction.
Thud.
The Herrscher's body collapsed to the ground.
Even before that, its body, forcibly "glued" together by Honkai energy, had already begun to disintegrate along with its dark, purplish-glowing blood.
And then…
Like the most common of Honkai Beasts, it dissolved into drifting particles of light and vanished completely.
"Everything."
Kevin slowly twisted his neck.
Whether near or on the horizon, every scene was reflected in his mind, captured by his now-superhuman vision.
"Is just as Mei predicted…"
Clang.
Black Abyss struck the ground.
The soil, so dark it resembled ash, possessed so little life force that almost nothing could be dissipated by the lance's sharp edge.
"Exactly the same."
"Humanity has united as never before."
In a windswept corner of the world, by the edge of a pale, cyan sea.
The Monarch's figure remained here, motionless, taking in everything that had transpired across the ocean.
"The Fusion Warriors."
"Just as the original course of history intended…"
There was Elysia, whose thoughts remained a mystery, who had chosen not to fight; Griseo, left behind at the base by Kosma, who had instructed her to absolutely not go out; Mobius, performing the final debugging for Dr. Mei's experiment; Vill-V, standing before a giant, coffin-like 'water tank'; Sakura, an Armed Automaton who was completely unable to contribute to this battle; and Aponia, floating above Cheche's head in her Honkai Beast form.
And then there was Pardofelis, so weak that she still fell ill despite being a Fusion Warrior, making it impossible to tell if her [Good Luck] was at play, yet she had managed to escape this calamity because of it.
All the Fusion Warriors.
No matter where they were, so long as they were still within the category of "alive"—
"Only the last thirteen remain."
"…"
The Monarch's voice paused for a moment.
"Is this the ending you wanted to see?" Xiao Zi asked softly, perched on his shoulder, taking advantage of the lull in Bai's narration.
"No."
Lu Xing gently denied Xiao Zi's question.
"But this is…"
"The best answer for passing the test."
Humanity had lost its 'old government,' and the remnant leadership was insufficient to manage the aftermath. At a time like this, the Fire Moth was like a savior—humanity's tendency for blind obedience made them willing to be led by a single leader; their indolent herd mentality, under such high-pressure circumstances, turned the act of thinking into a very "troublesome" affair.
"Few Fusion Warriors remain, and humanity's worship of powerful individuals will reach its zenith."
"?"
"I don't understand."
Xiao Zi tilted her head and pondered for a moment, but she still couldn't grasp the meaning behind Lu Xing's words.
"Odin…"
"That name is not special in the eyes of the Machine Race."
Lu Xing explained, resolving her confusion.
"But in the 'epics' of human civilization, it is the name of a supreme god."
"And this supreme god, who is worshipped and believed in, merely possesses the 'appearance' of a human. He is not one of them."
"You mean…"
Xiao Zi finally understood his meaning.
"Correct."
"To save all, to overturn all, to create all."
"This is…"
"An age most suitable for the birth of a god."
BOOM!!
Dust erupted from the hardened ground as Kevin dug Kalpas out from beneath the earth.
"Kalpas."
"Are you the last one…"
Kalpas, reverted to his 'human form' and collapsed on the ground, his face beneath the mask seen by Kevin for the first time, was naturally in no condition to answer his comrade's question.
To be able to reach the Herrscher of Binding and launch an attack was the minimum requirement for survival—on a battlefield where everyone was fighting with all their might, this meant they had not fallen due to the Domain of Binding.
To be unconscious…
Was far better than to be dead from exhaustion.
Kevin glanced around. Just two days ago, there had been over a hundred faces, talking and laughing—whether out of sincerity or pretense. Now, the number he could still see before him had dwindled to the single digits.
Even Kevin…
Couldn't help but try to contemplate whether such an outcome was truly…
"Worth it."
No one stirred.
However, although his body was still "sleeping," relying on the power of the [Fenghuang Down], Su's mind had already awakened.
Despite having burned his memories, Su had not become a blank slate like Aponia—he could even offer an answer to his bewildered, dear friend:
"As long as we can leave behind an ember for humanity."
"All sacrifices…"
"Are worth it."