Dimensional Sea, amidst the chaotic turbulence.
A platinum-gold sphere of light parted the chaos like a star, coming to a steady halt.
Hansen stood at the edge of the Divine Kingdom, his eyes piercing through layers of planar barriers to lock onto a grayish-blue world bubble.
The Earth at the center of the world was filled with a decaying scent of twilight, yet deep within the crust, a massive amount of strange life fluctuations surged.
"Found it."
The corners of Hansen's mouth curled slightly as his fingertips lightly tapped the void barrier.
The next cube fragment was lost in the world before his eyes.
It was a restlessness similar to the very beginning of life—tyrannical and primitive, yet carrying a fascinating purity.
"A new battlefield?"
The crisp sound of clashing armor came from behind him.
Artoria had at some point changed out of her pure white bridal dress and donned her iconic silver and blue battle armor once more.
Excalibur hung at her waist, her emerald eyes burning with a flame called longing, and the ahoge atop her head stood spiritedly like a radar.
"Master, who is the enemy this time? If it's a legion war, I suggest I lead the assault first..."
"Stop, stop."
Hansen reached out helplessly, accurately pressing down on that moving ahoge, forcing it down.
"Lily, I've told you not to always think about fighting and killing."
"But..." Artoria clutched her head a bit aggrievedly, "If my sword skills grow rusty, I won't be able to protect everyone better."
"Want to protect everyone?"
Hansen turned around, his gaze sweeping across the rear of the Divine Kingdom.
In that paradise he had personally established, Tohsaka Rin and Asuka were fighting over the last limited-edition pudding.
Irisviel and Rei Ayanami sat on beach chairs applying sunscreen to each other, while Illya rode on Mari Makinami's neck, laughing heartlessly.
Rin lay on Sakura's lap, enjoying her sister's feeding.
A picture of peaceful times.
Hmm... something seems wrong?
"This time, the target is just a lost little beast."
Glancing at the tsundere young lady who had been tamed by Sakura into a docile cat, Hansen retracted his gaze and toyed with Artoria's ahoge, "So, no need for battle for the time being."
"Alright."
Although Artoria felt it was a pity, she also understood that Hansen had made his decision.
She nodded solemnly: "In that case... I understand. Please be sure to go and return quickly."
"Don't worry, it will be fast, because the flow of time on both sides of the world is inconsistent."
Hansen chuckled and comforted her, "Perhaps by the time you pull Wang-chan out of the Throne of Heroes and give him a couple of beatings, I'll already be back."
"Eh, are you talking about that warrior named Cú Chulainn?"
The ahoge atop the King with the ahoge's head immediately stood up like a radar, her gaze intensifying. "That guy..."
"He really is quite durable."
...DARLING in the FRANXX world.
Earth, Northern Frontier.
This was a silent land already covered in ice and snow.
The sky was a hazy leaden color, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur—the exhaust left after extracting a substance called 'Magma Energy'.
Whoosh—
The wind and snow howled.
A fully armed heavy transport convoy was struggling across the ice plains.
The tracks crushed the permafrost, making a tooth-aching creaking sound.
This was a top-tier escort team belonging to the 'Garden' laboratory; every vehicle was equipped with heavy firepower sufficient to contend with small 'Klaxosaurs'.
Klaxosaurs were giant creatures unique to this world, their bodies generally appearing black and blue, but varying in size and form.
The only thing they had in common was their intense hostility toward humans; the war between the two sides had evolved into a fight to the death from the very beginning.
In the center of the convoy was a specially reinforced prison van.
A dim red light flickered.
In the cramped space filled with the smell of disinfectant and rust, no fierce beast was imprisoned.
There was only a thin, small figure curled up in a corner.
It was a red-skinned girl who looked only a few years old.
She had messy, long cherry-pink hair and two dark red oni horns on her head, and she was currently letting out low growls like a wild beast.
Despite her hands and feet being bound by heavy shackles, she was still struggling desperately, her emerald eyes filled with fear and hatred for this world.
She was an outlier, a monster.
She was the experimental subject named Code 002.
"Roar..."
The little one let out a wary low growl from her throat, her emerald eyes full of wildness and terror.
She clutched an old picture book tightly in her hands; it was her only solace in this cold world.
"Behave! You damn monster!"
Just now, the researcher responsible for feeding her had poked her with an electric baton again, simply because she wouldn't let him take away her precious picture book.
It hurts.
So cold.
This world only has white and gray.
And those people wearing strange clothes who only bring her pain.
Zzz—
The observation window on the carriage door was pulled open.
A pair of indifferent eyes swept in.
"How is that monster doing?"
"The same as usual, very fierce."
"I really don't know why the Doctor spent so much to transport this thing. Wouldn't it be easier to just destroy it?"
"Exactly, exactly."
"All of you shut up. This is an order from above."
The window was roughly closed, but it accidentally bounced open a crack.
No one cared; after all, the little monster inside couldn't run away anyway.
The little one shrank her neck and hugged the picture book even tighter.
She didn't understand what they were saying, but she was all too familiar with that malicious tone.
She lowered her head, looking at the crookedly drawn Monster Prince in the picture book, tears welling in her eyes.
Really, will there be one?
That prince who isn't afraid of her appearance and is willing to take her away from the forest... Just then.
Screech—!!!
The smoothly moving prison van suddenly slammed on its brakes, the huge inertia sending the little one rolling out and crashing heavily against the iron bars.
"Enemy attack?!"
"Is it a Klaxosaur?!"
Panic-stricken shouts from the guards came through the communication channel outside.
"Wait... Wh-who are you?!"
"Alarm! Sound the alarm quickly!"
"It's an intruder... Aaaaah!!!"
Immediately after, there was dead silence.
Enduring the pain, the little one struggled to crawl to the observation window, trying her best to stand on tiptoe and look out.
What met her eyes was a windbreaker as black as night.
Beyond those black hems, the guard who had just tortured her with an electric baton had now turned into a mess of pixels smeared on the wall, not even having time to scream.
Through the thick bulletproof glass, eyes burning with Platinum Divine Fire locked gazes with emerald eyes.
"Roar—!!"
The little one suddenly retreated, her back pressed tightly against the corner, her throat letting out a childish but fierce roar, revealing her Sharp Fang that hadn't fully grown yet.
She waved the picture book; it was her only weapon.
Don't come over!
You bad people!
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