"Once a soul is scattered to the winds…"
A full twelve Grand Monarchs stood assembled here.
Even a single "ordinary" Galaxy-class Grand Monarch possessed the power to easily overthrow more than ninety-nine percent of the civilizations in the sea of stars.
Any existence in the universe had to show them respect; even Astral Gods, provided they were not hostile, would afford sufficient respect to powerhouses of this level.
When twelve Grand Monarchs gathered together…
If the Astral Gods did not intervene, the entire state of the cosmic sea would be upended by them.
This was the obstacle that this man, the man named Otto Apocalypse, was about to face.
"...it cannot be brought back from the dead."
Swoosh—
BOOM!!!
A cross that pierced the heavens and sundered the earth fell from the 'clouds'.
Its name was [Mimicry: Oath of Judah], but what this cross contained… was Kallen's conviction to protect the people, the promise Otto had made to her, and even more, a power sufficient to 'bind' Imaginary energy!
"The world allows a consciousness to be matched with a new vessel."
CRACK!
The intersecting cross opened with the mechanical sound symbolizing 'humanity' and 'civilization', as the [Mimicry: Keys of God], the crystallization of civilization, bared their fangs.
"But it does not allow a vessel to gather a consciousness that has already dispersed."
This was mimicry in reverse. The ability Otto was using, aside from its superficial resemblance to the Keys of God, had an inner essence and power level that could no longer be simply described by those three words.
"To save the one and only her…"
BOOM!!!!!
Tachi, lances, greatswords…
Weapons whose true forms could no longer be discerned all erupted into soaring streams of light!
"I can only create a new possibility in the past."
A billion points of light converged, aimed at the twelve Imaginary Divine Skeletons bound tightly by chains—
BOOOOOOOOM!!!!
---o---
A brilliant white light illuminated the entire space.
In that instant, not even the majesty of the Imaginary Tree could overshadow the miracle born of such devotion.
Thud.
Otto fell to one knee.
The dark red desert could no longer produce ripples. The sand beneath his knee bulged outwards irregularly, like true gravel.
The forces guarding this place had all been revealed before the man.
Likewise, Otto, being here, had already used up all of his trump cards.
His state of being was called [False God].
Otto Apocalypse had pioneered a [Path] that had never existed before, one outside the known rules of the Imaginary Tree. An achievement like this, if placed in the vast cosmic sea, would have been enough to help him become a new [Astral God] in command of a Path.
But he had not chosen to do so.
Earth had not yet passed the trial of 'Order'. The Imaginary energy supplied to the infant civilization still swaddled in its crib was insufficient to support such a grand undertaking. More importantly, once he stepped into the realm of the Astral Gods, Otto's every move would no longer be as 'unrestrained' as it was now.
The power of an Astral God comes from their Path, but they are also bound by it.
Become an Astral God just by defeating the Honkai?
If such a good deal existed, countless civilizations and powerhouses in the universe would likely fight to the death for it… but Otto was not among them.
This man had only one dream in his entire life.
And that was—
"To create a future that belongs to her."
Swoosh.
The sand and debris kicked up by the impact rained down from the sky like a torrential storm.
The dark red that had obscured his vision had brightened at some point.
It was just like that day he refused to remember: the blood that poured from Kallen's chest, and the look in her eyes—a mixture of stubbornness, unwillingness, and a hint of 'relief' he could never understand.
And—
SCREEE!
He hadn't finished them all.
As a piercing shriek rang out, the last [Imaginary Divine Skeleton] located directly in front of Otto, having survived the full force of his all-out attack, was still alive.
The [Imaginary Divine Skeleton], now reduced to a single, octopus-like pulsating head, had not been completely annihilated by Judah's attack. In order to maintain this finely-balanced state of a False God, Otto had already lost too much power and time before arriving here.
After so much scheming and preparation…
"Have I fallen short at the final step?"
SWISH!!!
Thin black threads surged from the head of the [Imaginary Divine Skeleton], converging into a sharp [Steel Spike] aimed straight at Otto's chest!
CLANG!!!!!
The clash of metal against metal boomed.
In the eyes of Otto, who stared directly at death, was reflected a figure who absolutely should not have been here—
"Ka… Kallen?"
A long, pure white braid danced in the air.
The one and true [Oath of Judah] stood like a shield, protecting them both.
"Judah!"
The young woman's voice had never sounded so clear in Otto's ears.
CRASH!!
After taking one hit from the [Imaginary Divine Skeleton], the [Oath of Judah] shattered into countless scattering components. It hadn't failed to block the attack; rather, it had used that rare opportunity to passively enter its armed form!
Otto could finally see clearly.
The Judah in the girl's hands no longer resembled the one from his memory, yet the weapon was not unfamiliar. Its pure white, azure blue, and bauhinia flower color scheme was exactly like the… "hero game" they used to play.
Bang!
An elegant posture, magnificent armor.
First Generation Prototype Improved All-Domain Godslayer Armor:
[Extreme Knight: Lunar Sky]
---o---
Kallen was by no means weak.
But even with the assistance of Godslayer Armor, her combat power could not exceed the upper limits of an [Apostle]. Unable to even reach the "Star-busting" level, it was impossible for her to be here, let alone block an attack from an [Imaginary Divine Skeleton].
This was the edge of Imaginary Space, the very border with the Imaginary Tree.
To arrive here in physical form, one would need at least the power of a Grand Monarch to break through the barrier. To even attempt to touch the Imaginary Tree itself, one had to be an Astral God.
As an aside, it was only here that Otto could unleash the true power of a "False God" without restraint. As a "Path Pioneer," he didn't need to go through Imaginary Space; he could freely absorb and utilize the near-infinite Imaginary energy on his Path. This was also why Otto was able to stand against "Galaxy-class" foes.
If he were in the current world… it was better not to mention it.
Therefore, the reason Kallen could appear here was naturally very clear—
Her appearance was merely a "wedge."
If it weren't for the need to communicate with Otto, a more direct method like "the Emperor himself descending" would have been far more efficient in terms of Imaginary energy.
The current method—relying on a [Root Link] to pour over forty percent of his mental power and Imaginary energy into the "Emperor's sleeping avatar (sphere)" carried by Kallen to protect her entry into this "void zone" and provide the power to repel the [Imaginary Divine Skeleton]—consumed more than ten times the energy of the alternative!
Furthermore, due to the unique nature of this "void space," the Emperor's avatar carried by Kallen could only act according to its initial "settings"—protecting Kallen or attacking a designated target, guided by the Godslayer Armor which was also infused with a portion of the Emperor's power. It was impossible to actively "awaken" the Emperor's consciousness within this space.
Thus, this operation was still primarily led by Kallen.
Click-clack!
After the [Oath of Judah] transformed into its Godslayer Armor form, the "Emperor Sphere" placed within it as its core now appeared as a new "heavy cannon" weapon.
The energy-depleted Otto was clearly not someone they could count on.
Fortunately, this over-spec [Imaginary Divine Skeleton] was now just a head. Although it could be counted as "Grand Monarch" level, that was from a purely Imaginary energy perspective. Compared to a true Grand Monarch, these "indescribable things" were definitely not strong enough… let alone against a top-tier "Super-Galaxy-class" Grand Monarch like the Emperor.
An avatar possessing forty percent of his power—
BOOOOOOOOM!!!!
The Judah, now "wielded" by Kallen, fired a direct shot at the [Imaginary Divine Skeleton].
Under the illumination of the ultimate, pure white beam of light, the latter completely vanished from the "void space."
It was worth mentioning that the "Husks" that appeared here were reinforced versions, akin to a "direct guard unit," not the ordinary models that the Imaginary Tree spawned at the borders of its various sea branches. Their very existence was meant to "test" the qualifications of any visitor.
---o---
"Ugh."
The smoke cleared.
Otto stood up, clutching his right arm… The area below his nose was now completely covered in black, his handsome face unrecognizable from its original appearance.
The Imaginary Tree was now very close to where he and Kallen stood. Unless one actively initiated contact, the "test" was over. If one insisted on making contact, or even foolishly attempted to "climb the tree," then the next foe would be a "Husk" at the true Astral God level.
"Kallen."
Otto softly spoke the girl's name.
"A Kallen from a parallel world."
But he had waited for hundreds of years with a human heart that had never decayed. Even as the girl's face, which had slowly blurred in his mind, became clear once more, the man did not lose his composure. The closer he got to the finish line, the more his caution was raised to its highest level.
"I gave everything to finally arrive here."
"And in the countless parallel worlds I have observed, I have never seen a Kallen as 'powerful' as you."
Despite his words, his trembling voice still betrayed his inner turmoil.
"No…"
"I couldn't observe you because I was too weak."
Kallen watched Otto quietly until he negated his own speculation.
"The Previous Era's 'Project Stigma' was fundamentally flawed."
"How could a civilization that truly passed the test (a Kallen who survived) be so easily seen by a failure?"
"..."
"It seems you already know the answer."
This was the first sentence Kallen spoke to Otto.
During this not-so-long period, her gaze had not left him.
Having learned of this man's experiences from the "mission contract," this was the first time she had so clearly recognized just how deep the love of an "Otto" in another world for a "Kallen" could be… "I must be nicer to Otto after this mission is over" became the first thought of Kallen, who, as a member of the Kaslana family, usually had little time for home.
"..."
The hesitation was not long.
To be precise, the time left for Otto's body was running out. No matter how sturdy Soulium was, it could not ultimately resist the corrosion of Imaginary energy for this "half-dead False God."
"Why are you here?"
"To help you."
Facing the wary Otto, Kallen showed a smile from her childhood, one she hadn't shown in a long time. It was the same expression she had when she used to tease him as a child.
"Help me?"
"Yes."
Faced with Otto's distrust, Kallen simply nodded gently… Otto's "rejection," born from centuries of experience, was being casually broken down by Kallen in a way he himself hadn't noticed.
"Is this at the behest of the Honkai Consciousness, or the Imaginary Tree?"
Otto didn't know the price or meaning of contacting the Imaginary Tree, but he instinctively felt that this was not something the Tree wished to see.
"No."
"This is His Majesty the Emperor's will."
Kallen's communication with Otto was completely transparent, just as the Emperor had instructed her before she left.
"Emperor? A higher-dimensional civilization with a feudalistic form of rule?"
"No."
"We wouldn't dare call ourselves higher-dimensional, and it has little to do with feudalism."
Otto was both a sage and a conspirator. Wasting time on words that couldn't be verified would only make the other party more suspicious.
"How are you going to help me?"
"By 'inviting' you to return the way you came. His Majesty the Emperor is already prepared to divert the 'river'."
Kallen continued to answer truthfully.
"Create a new parallel world?"
"No."
"A parallel world is meaningless for the goal you wish to achieve. His Majesty intends to alter the course of your time dimension."
"The river of time may branch, but the course of the main channel cannot be changed."
Otto shakily raised his hand, looking at his already completely blackened arm.
"Having come this far, I can feel it."
"That level of power…"
"I'm afraid only the 'Tree' before me is capable of it."
"That's right."
"But have you ever considered, Otto, that the position you are in was already one of its tiny tributaries to begin with?"
"And—"
A golden sphere slowly flew out from the "Judah Heavy Cannon."
"A Gardener's job is, by its nature, to help tend to the health of the 'Tree'."
"Gardener?"
Otto's gaze swept over the Emperor's sphere.
"Then, what is the price?"
"The Authority granted to you by the Honkai Consciousness."
"So, His Majesty the Emperor's target is the Authority… No, is his target the Honkai Consciousness?"
"…"
"Yes."
Though it was brief, this was the first time Kallen hesitated.
"Heh."
Otto let out a soft chuckle.
"May I ask a question?"
"Of course."
"Which is more important, the Authority or the power of a 'False God'?"
"?"
Kallen didn't understand Otto's meaning at first.
"That question is a bit beyond my scope."
"But the power of a 'False God' is certainly stronger than an Authority."
The power used by a "False God" belonged to the domain of Astral Gods. Simply put, a [Dominion] was definitely more useful than an Authority.
"That's good…"
"Kallen."
For the first time, Otto "truly" spoke her name.
"Whether it's the Authority or what little remains of my 'False God' power…"
"I can give it all to you."
He used the word "you," no longer "His Majesty the Emperor."
"I only hope…"
Otto's gaze was not on Kallen, but straight past her at the Imaginary Tree not far behind.
"...that you will not stop me. Can you do that?"
"…"
"Why?"
Kallen did not understand. There was clearly a way for everyone to win, so why was this man so insistent? For any existence not at the level of an Astral God to touch the Imaginary Tree, there was only one inevitable outcome: "erasure"… the only difference being whether it took a few seconds or a few dozen.
"Why?"
Otto repeated softly.
"It's simple."
"I don't care how powerful this Emperor is, nor do I doubt his ability to accomplish this."
"I have already found an ending that can be certainly obtained by sacrificing only myself."
"An ending…"
"...where Otto Apocalypse is the one who saves Kallen Kaslana."
A straightened figure, a faltering step.
Otto walked past the stunned Kallen and placed the "heart" he had pulled from his chest—a heart enveloped in the last warmth of his crimson blood—gently into Kallen's hand.
Then, before any Husk could appear, his body, having lightly touched the trunk of the Tree, completely dissolved, becoming nutrients for new sprouts and branches.
Only a final, barely audible voice remained—
"This… is enough."