One hour later. Inside Leo Ash's room.
Inside Leo Ash's room, an utterly exhausted Bianka finally closed her eyes in bliss.
Today, she hadn't actually confessed to Leo Ash as Rita had arranged.
But she felt it didn't matter anymore.
Leo Ash already knew her feelings, and he felt the same way about her. Under these circumstances, did it even matter if she said those words?
To meet, embrace, and love her beloved, and then to complete that dual union of soul and body—for Bianka, who had already made up her mind, this resolved her final regret.
*In that case, I can probably go and do that thing with peace of mind.*
*Leo, Rita, Kiana, Mom and Dad, Isla... and everyone else...*
*I will protect you... all...*
With this thought, Bianka, overcome with fatigue, sank into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, she would probably do something far too drastic.
But Leo Ash wouldn't give her that chance.
After Isla and Kiana successively showed those adverse reactions, Leo Ash had long begun to suspect that Bianka might be experiencing something similar.
And today, while they were intimate, the observant Leo Ash had naturally noticed—*sigh, this silly girl. She definitely hid it from me, planning to act recklessly on her own.*
As for why he would notice such a thing while they were "doing the deed"...
—Duh. His plans were similar to Bianka's. When the two of them came together, if he still couldn't tell what Bianka was thinking, he'd have to be brain-dead.
For a normal person, an hour of high-intensity exercise would be enough to leave them exhausted.
But for Bianka, who trained constantly and could go a month without sleep, an hour was barely a warm-up.
If Leo Ash hadn't secretly used the full-power Phantasmagoria during their "deed" to rewrite her perception, making her reach her peak more easily while also weakening her, he figured that trying to make her pass out quietly without noticing anything strange... well, relying on physical strength alone, he probably would have been counter-killed.
"Sorry, Bianka. This... really is something I have to do."
As he covered the girl with a sheet, Leo Ash restored her perception, and to make her sleep a little longer, he specially created a dream for her.
He had to admit, Otto had truly put a lot of effort into her illusion training.
If Leo Ash hadn't managed to uncover the very essence of Phantasmagoria during this time, allowing him to use an even more powerful version, he felt that rewriting this silly girl's perception would have been quite difficult.
Originally, Leo Ash had planned to delay a little longer before opening the backdoor.
But today, when he felt the hidden power within Bianka's body at point-blank range, he knew he couldn't delay any longer.
"Thinking about it... today is probably a good day for it."
After getting dressed, Leo Ash glanced back at Bianka's peaceful sleeping face and activated the authority he had received from Elysia, which he had kept forcefully sealed until now.
"In the end, whether it's Otto or Cocolia, no matter what trouble those damn dogs stir up, it can't hide one fundamental truth."
"The reason humanity is in this mess... the reason my parents died suddenly..."
"—The root cause of all these tragedies is that damned thing wanting to 'embrace' everything!"
As Leo Ash activated the power of the Herrscher of Origin, a path that only he could walk appeared before him.
At the same time, having activated the backdoor, Leo Ash watched the strange light flash outside the window and felt himself, just as described in the [Original] Stigmata Project, begin to shoulder the Authority of Finality.
As his power surged, he could also feel that with the powers of Origin and Finality activated within him simultaneously, the nearly one thousand Herrscher Cores resonated in response to the interaction of these two forces, an echo that could not be concealed.
Leo Ash could feel what those who held the Cores were thinking at this very moment.
Bronya, with whom he once had a strained relationship, had long since overcome the death of her adoptive mother and her own inner pain, and was now striving to contribute to humanity's future.
Kiana, who had been under immense mental stress recently, had sought out Fu Hua after leaving the venue to help suppress the other personality within her.
The understanding Mei had long since realized what would happen today, yet she showed no negative emotions at all.
Wendy, who had been knocked out, still wanted to find Leo Ash to speak the words hidden in her heart.
Anna, no longer as introverted as before, was actually thinking about how to tease Bianka the next time she saw her.
And Yuna...
*Ah, so that's what you were really thinking.*
*What a troublesome girl.*
Teacher Himeko, having just left the battlefield, was still thinking about how to eliminate more enemies.
My two Masters, while helping Kiana suppress her Herrscher Personality, were still worried about my mental health.
Old Chen, on the other hand, was taking it easy. After finishing his mission, he went to see his sister...
*Ha, that's good too. It's a good thing to have family to visit.*
And everyone at Schicksal HQ, all fighting for humanity right now.
*Having to put up with an immature Bishop like me... I've really worked you all hard.*
"Hey, I'm serious..."
At this moment, Rin, who had abandoned her physical body, was still bound to Leo Ash's Stigmata. She immediately corroded a path through the electronic devices and instantly 'arrived' in front of him.
Today was Leo Ash's birthday, and she had originally wanted to come.
But after her sister teased her a bit, revealing her true feelings, Rin had felt too embarrassed and chose not to return to Schicksal HQ.
Now, however, she regretted it.
Watching Leo Ash's body dissolve into motes of light, Rin truly regretted it.
"What on earth are you doing?!"
"Ah, about that..."
Leo Ash, having forcibly stripped the composite Stigmata from his body and transferred it to Bianka, now stood with his hands on his hips, head held high with pride as he faced Rin.
"I'm going to take care of Finality. You guys just hold down the fort on Earth."
"Don't say something like that so casually!!!!!!"
In that instant, Rin didn't consider the difference in their power. She immediately tried to use her two Herrscher of Corruption Cores to corrode Leo Ash's body and stop what she saw as a completely foolish act.
Unfortunately, even though the current Leo Ash wasn't actively using his Field of Binding, just shouldering a fraction of Finality's Authority was enough to render the Herrscher of Corruption's power useless against him.
Facing the bodiless Rin, Leo Ash looked at the pure energy form that had been knocked back. He casually used a portion of the power from the Herrscher of Origin to create a new body for Rin, and then stuffed her right back into it.
"You—"
"Alright, no more joking."
Gently embracing the woman before him, Leo Ash spoke softly to Rin.
"We kind of bonded through fighting, didn't we? At least today, on my birthday, give the birthday boy some face, okay?"
"But..."
Rin, held in Leo Ash's embrace, finally couldn't hold back her tears.
"Going to face the Cocoon of Finality alone... Are you trying to die?"
"Ha, I've answered that question many times, and my answer never changes."
Holding the woman in his arms tighter, Leo Ash said to Rin, his voice gentle but confident.
"I will win."
"Because I am the strongest."
After saying this, Leo Ash's figure finally vanished from Rin's side.
"Leo... Hey... Stop joking around..."
Watching the motes of light dissipate, Rin tried to clutch at what was in front of her, only to find herself collapsing weakly to the floor.
"You bastard! Things... didn't have to come to this at all!!!!!!"
"Damn it! Damn it! Didn't Kevin already believe in your plan? Wasn't the Stigmata Project already discarded?"
"Damn it, was your so-called 'reliable plan' just sacrificing yourself? How could I ever allow something like that...!!!!!!!"
"This... This is..."
Bianka, who had been fatigued by Leo Ash's Phantasmagoria, gradually regained consciousness after he disappeared from the room.
And when she saw Rin collapsed on the floor crying, Bianka instantly understood: Leo Ash had tricked her.
"This thing is..."
Looking at the cross-shaped Stigmata that had appeared on the back of her hand, Bianka felt the special power inside her vanish, and her face turned pale.
With her personality, she should have been springing into action, but at this moment, the intuition she had always trusted told her...
—It was all too late.
*No...*
*No!*
*It's not too late!*
*I have to contact everyone now!*
*Leo left, but that doesn't mean it's irreversible. So...*
"Rin, don't cry. Stand up."
Bianka, having helped this acquaintance—not quite a friend—to her feet, quickly changed her clothes and spoke to Rin, who had stopped her tears.
"There must be something we can do for him—no, maybe we still have a chance to stop him!"
"...It's useless, Bianka."
Although Bianka had pulled her up from the floor, the expression on Rin's face was unchanged.
Looking at the girl still clinging to hope, Rin gave a bitter smile.
"You don't understand..."
"I don't understand? Why not?!"
"—Because you're not a Herrscher."
After giving this reason, Rin walked weakly toward the door, speaking to Bianka as she went.
"You're not a Herrscher, so you can't feel how... irreversible what Leo is doing right now."
"He's gone to find the Cocoon of Finality. And in front of the Cocoon of Finality, even with his current power..."
"—There's absolutely no way he can fight it."
"No, I don't believe it!"
Seeing Rin at a complete loss, Bianka gave up trying to convince her.
She didn't plan to find her other comrades—Rin, who shouldn't have been here, suddenly appearing meant that the Herrschers among them must have already sensed something was wrong.
*At a time like this, I need people I can discuss the situation with...*
*Mr. Welt and Mr. Su!*
*Their wisdom is outstanding; maybe they saw some of these problems long ago!*
*Anti-Entropy, I'm going to Anti-Entropy right now!*
*Leo, you just wait...*
*—I will never forgive you for doing something so horrible to me and everyone else today!*
......
Anti-Entropy HQ. The Ark.
Inside The Ark, Welt felt the power he had long held within him finally disappear, and a trace of melancholy appeared in his eyes.
It was true he hadn't gone to Schicksal HQ for Leo Ash's birthday celebration because of his own thoughts.
But the reason Welt, Su, Kevin, and even some of the Elysian Realm Flame-Chasers had all tacitly helped Leo Ash hide his intentions wasn't because they all thought 'this is for the best.'
In reality, when Leo Ash sensed that some people might have seen through the biggest flaw in his plan, he had secretly used Phantasmagoria on some of them to [Silence] them.
With the element of surprise, facing a full-power Phantasmagoria that could [Twist the world's perception of reality], even these masters were caught off guard and had no time to resist Leo Ash's cognitive rewriting.
Only now, after Leo Ash had withdrawn that power, did their rewritten perceptions return to normal.
"Mr. Ash, you..."
Although he no longer had the Herrscher of Reason's Core, Welt, who could still use its power, heard the message Leo Ash had left behind through that power the moment he felt it vanish.
Looking at the Shenzhou characters floating in mid-air, Welt let out a helpless sigh.
[Mr. Welt, I apologize for using such an excessive power on you, but please believe me, this is for humanity's victory...]
[Ah, forget it. No need for such hypocritical words at a time like this.]
[I know some of you have seen through the flaws in that plan, and would definitely have taken action to ensure my safety, trying to delay the arrival of Finality.]
[I'm grateful that everyone is looking out for me, but... I'm out of time.]
[Isla, Kiana, and Bianka... I don't know which day their bodies will give out. So I have to take care of the Cocoon of Finality before something happens to them.]
[As for my chances of victory... they're not particularly high.]
[But even if I don't win, the moment my True Manifestation fails, I will do my best to severely wound the Cocoon of Finality.]
[That thing is savage, but after I wound it badly, a sufficient number of Moonlight Thrones will have a chance to overwhelm it.]
[I don't think there's much else to say. If I have to say something...]
[If I don't make it back, please tell everyone I'm sorry.]
[Ha, speaking of which, maybe wanting to protect my daughter and my lovers is just an excuse I made for myself.]
[Maybe, in the end, I'm still just an Avenger. And as an Avenger...]
[I... I still want to get my revenge on the Honkai with my own two hands!]
"What a... frustrating message."
After sighing, Welt, having finished the message, realized that Bianka, still in her evening dress, had appeared behind him at some point.
Bianka, who had used the Quantum Teleportation System to come straight to The Ark, showed no change in expression after reading the message.
And in Welt's opinion—the worst-case scenario had just occurred.
If Bianka were crying and screaming right now, it would be manageable. At least it would show she was venting her emotions.
If she were forcing back her emotions, but he could still see some fluctuation, Welt would just lament how strong Siegfried's daughter was.
But now, her face was completely calm. That meant this was serious.
"Mr. Welt, I have a question."
Bianka walked up to Welt, her face serene, and asked in a flat monotone.
"If we want to go to the vicinity of the Cocoon of Finality right now..."
"We can use the Moonlight Throne."
"I see. In that case, I'll go inform everyone."
Watching Bianka vanish before his eyes, Welt confirmed his earlier thought.
People change. They change based on the people around them and their environment.
Bianka, who should not have been this radical, had, under Leo Ash's influence, also become an extremist.
*Worrying about Leo's safety is one thing, but now...*
*For a moment, I actually saw Mr. Ash's shadow in Bianka.*
*I really hope that was my imagination.*
.....
At almost the same time. Schicksal HQ.
Inside Schicksal HQ, Isla Ash watched as the expressions on her two mothers' faces suddenly changed, a sense of helplessness rising in her heart.
She might be just a child, but she understood just as much as any of the adults.
Isla, having long sensed that Leo Ash was worried about her physical condition, had actually had a vague premonition: 'Will Dad do something reckless because my body is failing?'
But to prevent her one guess from throwing Schicksal into further chaos, she had kept her suspicions to herself.
But now, Isla regretted it.
She knew her father usually seemed calm, but was impulsive at his core.
But she never expected that when facing a problem as massive as the Cocoon of Finality, her father would still charge in alone, just like he always did...
No, this wasn't even his usual pattern.
Based on Isla's daily chats with the elders, her father had actually made a lot of preparations behind the scenes to kill Otto.
So this time, Leo Ash flying off all by himself was clearly even more shocking to her.
As for why Isla knew things that only a true Herrscher could sense, it was mainly because—she, too, was one of the candidates for the Herrscher of Finality.
With her power vanishing and her mothers' faces suddenly changing, she could have guessed the truth even with her eyes closed.
*Dad's personality... I really don't know what to say.*
*To save everyone the headache of dealing with the Cocoon of Finality, he went off to have the headache all by himself.*
*I told you a father like you would be a bad influence on a child. And now you...*
*I'm just a kid. Of course I'm going to unconsciously imitate my parents.*
*And now, Mom Yuna and Mom Kiana look awful, like they're about to cry, but they're still forcing a smile through their pain and telling me to rest well.*
*Always thinking of others, never considering their own feelings...*
*That's why I said, having parents like this is so troubling.*
After sending her two mothers off with a smile, Isla Ash closed her door, leaned against the wall, and felt the strength slowly draining from her body.
Isla, who thought she was stronger, realized as she wrapped her arms around herself that she was, after all, just a fragile kid.
Leo Ash craved the love of his family, but wasn't Isla the same?
She usually acted very mature, not only because of the teachings from Elysia after activating the Key of the Flawless, but also because of her own inner fears.
Because she knew she was a child of unknown origin, she tried hard to be obedient, hoping her parents wouldn't dislike her, trying to make it easier for others to accept her.
And now, the father who had accepted her as his daughter without reservation had run off to confront the Cocoon for the sake of those around him and all of humanity.
Although she didn't know the outcome of the confrontation, if the Cocoon of Finality was so easy to deal with, her elders wouldn't have been so troubled by it.
"Stupid Dad... I'm just a kid, not even one year old..."
"What kind of father abandons his one-year-old daughter to go die with the enemy..."
"Idiot! Total idiot! Super-mega-moron!"
*If anyone else were here, they'd probably comfort me and say my father is doing something great.*
*But...*
*But I'm just a kid!*
*I just want to live with my parents. Is that so wrong?!*
*Stupid Dad, if you really don't come back...*
*—I'll never forgive you in my entire life!!!*
.....
Outside Isla's room, Yuna, having regained some of her composure, spoke to Kiana beside her.
"Isla... she's really so mature."
"She already noticed the strange expressions on our faces. With her intelligence, she must have deduced something is wrong."
"Yeah..."
Kiana glanced back at Isla's room and let out a soft breath.
"She doesn't even dare to cry loudly... That child, she's really too mature."
"Yeah, you're right..."
Yuna, who had been watching Kiana, suddenly asked.
"What about you? You're not going to cry?"
"If you want to cry, now is probably the only time."
"Cry?"
Hearing her companion's words, Kiana forced her tears back and turned her head away.
"At a time like this, does crying... actually help?"
"Ever since the day Isla and I had our incidents, I've felt, more or less, that Senior's heart has become more restless than before."
"I thought I was prepared for it, but now... I never expected this day to come so quickly. I'm still a bit..."
Wiping away the tears that she could no longer hold back from her eyes, Kiana's gaze suddenly became incredibly firm.
"But crying is definitely not the answer."
"Senior has gone to the Cocoon of Finality. As Herrschers, we must have all sensed it. So, everyone must be taking action right now."
"That idiot—does he really think everyone would just watch him act so recklessly and do nothing?!"
"Yuna, let's go! Today, we have to make that moron understand—that acting so rashly is definitely wrong!"
Watching Kiana puff up her cheeks in anger and stomp off, Yuna didn't immediately follow.
*Wrong... is it?*
*But if it's Senior's choice, then in his eyes, it must be the correct answer he had to prioritize.*
*Sigh, I had planned to complete the final step of my dream after Finality was over, but now...*
*At least until I'm sure Senior is safe, I'll keep going.*
*What a troublesome guy. He's so strong, but sometimes he's just like a little kid.*
.....
When the two arrived at the gathering point, most of the people already there had worried expressions.
Mei, separated from Leo, had already activated the Stigmata on her body to its absolute limit.
Anna, who had planned to tease Bianka, had lost most of her Herrscher power, but she still picked up her weapon, put on her armor, and prepared for battle.
Seele, who hadn't been able to confess her feelings today, had already drawn her scythe.
Bronya, worried about Leo, could only suppress her anxiety and discuss data-related issues with Welt.
Fu Hua, who already had a premonition, was suppressing the crying and screaming Herrscher Personality within her, preparing to fight the Herrscher of Finality.
Wendy, now awake, stared darkly at the Xuanyuan Sword Fu Hua had given her, her emotions clearly spiraling out of control.
Li Sushang, sensing the oppressive atmosphere, rare for her, read the room and chose to keep quiet.
Himeko, having lost most of her power, was discussing how to handle Schicksal's internal affairs with Siegfried, Cecilia, and Theresa.
After all, because of Leo's confrontation with Finality, all the Herrschers had resonated with it and had their powers temporarily drained, which meant all the Herrschers of Domination within the organization knew what had happened.
At this critical juncture, she felt that rather than worrying about a reckless student who already had plenty of people worrying about him, it was better to think about how to minimize the panic within the organization.
Even Chen Tianwu, whose relationship with Leo was the shallowest, was clearly frantic over Leo being missing and presumed in danger.
Leo wasn't exactly his savior, but he was the one who had recognized his talent.
With his life going pretty well, Chen Tianwu naturally wouldn't forget the kindness Leo had shown him.
It was only natural for Chen Tianwu to be anxious and worried when his benefactor was in trouble.
As for the World Serpent members who had arrived, there was little surprise on their faces.
As the first group to know about the concept of [True Manifestation Fusion], all the members, including the original Kevin, knew exactly what choice Leo Ash would make.
Of course, to prevent any accidents, Leo Ash had shamelessly snuck into World Serpent and silenced everyone.
But because 'modifying the perception of a Soulium Body' was such an abstract concept, the hasty Phantasmagoria Leo had used could, at best, only make them shut up; it couldn't make these memories completely forget their pasts.
"I believe everything is ready."
Bianka, having just taken a deep breath, looked at the assembled crowd and spoke.
"Leo's sudden disappearance is definitely connected to the Cocoon of Finality."
"To support him, I hope everyone who is still combat-capable will join me on the Moonlight Throne to search for him."
"Ah, on that point, I don't think searching will be necessary."
Vill-V, whose [Evil] personality no longer dared to show its face, suddenly interjected as she looked at the anxious girl.
"I have a beacon, and this beacon is what allowed Leo to find the imaginary space where the Cocoon of Finality is."
"Excellent!"
Although the moment she said it, Bianka thought, *'So you're the one who helped Leo act so recklessly.'*
But knowing she couldn't take her anger out on others, Bianka decisively swallowed the words that would be detrimental to their unity.
She felt she couldn't blame Vill-V for this.
After all, even if Vill-V hadn't told him, Leo would have definitely found a way to get the coordinates.
Bianka had never doubted the extent of Leo's information network.
She firmly believed that if Leo wanted something, he would absolutely get the corresponding intel before making a move.
"Mm, as for other plans..."
Su looked at the people wearing their genuine Divine Keys, and also at the [Oath of Judah], which had flown here on its own, smashing through several walls in the process. He pondered for a moment before speaking.
"This most advanced Moonlight Throne still requires a Herrscher Core to activate its full power."
"It's best not to break up the Kevin + Judgment of Shamash configuration. So, of the remaining Divine Keys..."
"Wait!"
Bianka, who had inherited Leo's Stigmata, pulled out the genuine Seven Thunders of Retribution that Leo had stored in his space and placed it in front of Su.
"The Abyss Flower in Mom's hands, the Seven Thunders left by Leo..."
"And the Star of Eden that we at Anti-Entropy repaired."
"Wait."
At this, Rin looked at everyone and pulled a tachi from her own body.
"Take Jizō Mitama. This Jizō Mitama has..."
Rin, who had been about to say it had two cores, suddenly realized that the one from the Current Era had already lost its power because of Leo.
"Thank you."
Having gathered four Divine Keys, Bianka intended to take them, connect them to the improved Moonlight Throne, and fly directly to the beacon's location.
But just as she was about to find someone to pilot it, she saw Welt's expression turn incredibly strange.
"This..."
Looking at the image on the light screen, Welt, with a troubled face, enlarged it for everyone to see.
On the screen, in the space near the moon, some Shenzhou characters had suddenly appeared.
[Stay back—Don't interfere with me. If anyone interferes and I lose, it's on them!]
[If I'm not going to make it, I'll send a message in time. It won't be too late for you to come rescue me in the Moonlight Throne then.]
[Don't sigh, don't cry, don't be sad. Just pretend I'm on a business trip for a few years.]
[I will definitely come back—so you guys, get to work! And... all of you better wash up and wait for me!]
Seeing those blunt words, Bianka didn't say another word and went straight inside the Moonlight Throne.
"Sigh, I guess I'll be the pilot then—who else is coming!"
At Vill-V's call, a group of people charged for the Moonlight Throne.
If some people hadn't repeatedly stopped them, saying 'The weak ones will just be cannon fodder' and 'What's the point of acting tough with no Authority,' probably everyone present, including the death-fearing, sister-loving Chen Tianwu, would have found a mass-produced Moonlight Throne and used Su's Thousand Worlds to jump to that location.
However, after everyone had prepared and initiated the space jump...
—They were, unsurprisingly, interrupted by a special power.
"This power..."
Kevin, already in his Diabolic Form, felt this special power—one he now also possessed—and spoke calmly.
"Let's go back."
"Wait—"
"This is Leo's power. If we stay here, he'll have to waste energy blocking us."
"Don't cause him more trouble. Be ready to counter-attack at any moment, but let's not crowd around here now. He... definitely wouldn't want to see this."
"Damn it..."
Watching the invisible barrier block the Moonlight Thrones one by one, keeping them in the safe zone, Bianka, in a rare display, let out a furious roar in front of everyone.
"You idiot! What's so bad about letting us help you?!!!!!!!!!"
......
On the battlefield of the void, Leo Ash stared at the Cocoon of Finality before him, his face showing no trace of fear.
Leo, sensing the fluctuations from the outside world, was...
...actually quite calm.
Because in his eyes, no matter what, today he would settle things with the one word he had always valued most: Revenge.
In the original story's plot, regarding the Cocoon, the Previous Era's Flame-Chasers determined that, based on the [Cocoon of Finality]'s nature, it would never proactively select someone to become the [Herrscher of Finality].
To prevent the birth of Herrschers from being too random, they designed the existence known as the "Honkai consciousness" for the new era.
But at the same time, before Kiana became the Herrscher of Finality, Bronya, who had already become the Herrscher of Truth, suggested that the Cocoon of Finality might have already chosen Kiana.
In Leo Ash's view, the former of these two conflicting opinions had always seemed more reliable.
But now, after stealing a portion of Finality's power through the backdoor, Leo Ash finally understood.
The Flame-Chasers had indeed researched for a long time, but in the end, the Cocoon had perhaps still exceeded their predictions.
Compared to the Flame-Chasers' calculations, Bronya's speculation might have been the correct answer.
And in the original story, even with some Herrschers already dead, Kiana still needed the help of Mei, Bronya, and the Herrscher of Sentience to withstand the consciousnesses within those Herrscher Cores and become [Finality] step by step.
But Leo Ash was different from Kiana.
Kiana, the chosen one, with the help of her companions, had more or less safely become the Herrscher of Finality.
But Leo, in essence, had just hijacked the backdoor Kevin intended to use for the Stigmata Project. Just like Kevin in the original story, he had stolen the Authority of Finality and arrived before the Cocoon of Finality using the power of the Herrscher of Origin.
Even if the Kevin from the original story was acknowledged by the Cocoon, Kevin was Kevin, and Leo Ash was Leo Ash.
Unlike Kevin, Leo Ash had never been the 'embracer' the [Cocoon] desired.
This was something both the Cocoon and Leo knew very well.
And now, the 'Leo' manifested by the Cocoon showed not the slightest inclination to embrace, but rather a look of fear. This was the best proof.
"Haha, perfect."
Leo Ash, feeling power flow endlessly into his body, stared at the 'himself' before him and gave a cold smile.
"What are you laughing at."
"How should I put it..."
Seeing the anxiety and restlessness on the other's face, Leo Ash actually laughed even harder.
"My enemy is clearly afraid of me. Shouldn't I be laughing right now?"
"But I'm curious. Logically, the Cocoon of Finality shouldn't have emotions. So why now..."
Walking up to the 'Leo', Leo Ash's voice suddenly dropped.
"Why do I see a few beads of nervous sweat on 'Finality's' neck?"
"What's wrong."
Facing the silent 'Leo', Leo Ash waited a few seconds before shaking his head in disappointment.
"Finality is a mirror. That's how it's supposed to be."
"But the Leo Ash in front of me is acting so pathetically—it's almost making me stop laughing."
Leo reached out and lightly touched this 'Leo', shattering it. He stared at the massive object before him, feeling his emotions reach their peak.
"You, who should be a mirror, are now showing 'fear' that you shouldn't have..."
"It seems my speculation was correct."
"The Cocoon of Finality, which shouldn't have emotions, has actually developed fear. And this fear, from the past until now, has undoubtedly been directed at me."
"Because of my appearance, this foreign object, from the day I was about to awaken but was forcibly interrupted, the Cocoon of Finality sensed the anomaly and lost control."
"I used to wonder why you would fear a kid who needed a gauntlet of Herrschers to be defeated, but thinking back now..."
"You don't fear an Avenger; you fear an Avenger with a terrifying growth rate."
In other words...
*This big cracked egg isn't afraid of me, it's afraid of the me whose power was nurtured by the System.*
*This way, it all makes sense.*
*The System might be a shit-talker with no filter, but a being that can pull out all sorts of treasures is a trans-dimensional powerhouse.*
*It's not surprising at all that the Cocoon of Finality, something that shouldn't have emotions, was 'scared' into having them by it.*
"Honestly, your current behavior is baffling."
After condensing a second 'Leo', the Cocoon spoke through 'Leo's' mouth to the real Leo, whose power was still rising.
"The risk of proactively inheriting this power is clearly much smaller than the risk you face by carrying out your plan. Why—"
"Why? How can you ask such a meaningless question."
Sneering at the giant object, Leo Ash shook his head, his gaze turning razor-sharp.
"If I were to choose the safer path, I would have to acknowledge you, to embrace you from the bottom of my heart."
"Do you think—that I would fucking choose to acknowledge the enemy who killed my parents?!"
"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge! Cocoon of Finality, no matter what your original intention or operating mechanism was, the fact that you destroyed my family will never change!"
Using Energy Conversion, he transformed all the Finality power on him into Dimensional Energy. With a light step, Leo Ash leaped above the Cocoon of Finality and enveloped it completely in Dimensional Energy.
"Yo, Cocoon. Ready?"
"Now, *I'm* here to 'embrace' *you*!"
[Ignorance.]
Facing the explosion of Dimensional Energy from Leo Ash, the Cocoon of Finality was obviously not going to surrender.
[Having chosen this method, you risk being overthrown at any moment during your so-called True Manifestation Fusion.]
[You abandoned the safe solution, and instead, because of the hatred in your heart, you chose a path with an extremely low chance of success...]
[You are not the 'kin' that the Cocoon of Finality desires.]
[Your actions will not only lead you to desperation, but will also bring ruin to the humans who believe in you.]
[As long as the Cocoon of Finality completes its True Manifestation Fusion, the future humanity will face is—]
"Ha! And I don't want trash like you to be my kin, either."
Leo Ash, overdrawing his power, cut off the threat. While using Dimensional Energy to repair his body, he continued to relentlessly steal the Cocoon's power, using his Energy Conversion skill to forcibly convert it into Dimensional Energy, the [Power of the Source].
But it still wasn't enough.
Just as the Cocoon said, if Leo only drew its power, converted it, and used it to fight back, his chances of victory were indeed low.
Which is why he had more than one card to play from the start.
"Phantasmagoria, open!"
Leo unfolded the Phantasmagoria, enveloping the Cocoon in the field that could rewrite the world's perception.
Although against the ridiculously strong Cocoon, Phantasmagoria couldn't 'rewrite' anything, that wasn't what Leo wanted from it.
After using Phantasmagoria to slow the flow of time and simultaneously weaken the effects of special abilities/energies to reduce the Cocoon's power, Leo finally used his last ability on the enemy before him.
Manipulation—a skill he had drawn but rarely used.
When using this skill, the user could use mana to manipulate tools, making them easier to control.
Simply put, if the user activated this skill to pilot a vehicle, the skill would enhance their driving technique.
And this time, the thing Leo intended to manipulate was—without a doubt—the Cocoon of Finality, which was already fighting back against him.
As the Dimensional Energy gradually seeped into the Cocoon, Leo knew the first step of his plan was complete.
For an Avenger, perhaps obliterating an enemy only brings a moment of satisfaction.
But to turn the enemy into a tool to be used at will, to exploit it for all eternity... perhaps that would bring Leo's heart more solace.
"Besides, Cocoon, you've miscalculated one thing. While this battle does carry some risk for me, the final victor will undoubtedly be me."
As if in a self-hypnosis, Leo sat cross-legged directly above the Cocoon, endlessly trying to use True Manifestation Fusion to dominate it completely, all while muttering to himself.
"I may be an Avenger, but I have no intention of dying here."
"I will win, because I am the strongest. And you..."
"—Cocoon of Finality, *you* are the challenger."
On the void battlefield, the man and the Cocoon, already covered in gilded Dimensional Energy, were then enveloped by an ominous, dark-red Phantasmagoria.
The Cocoon was constantly surging with power, and as the behemoth acted, Leo Ash also grew stronger and stronger.
Feeling his own power endlessly growing while the Cocoon's power endlessly weakened, Leo Ash finally closed his eyes slowly and muttered to himself one last time.
"Ah, I forgot to say one important thing. And well, today is almost over."
"Today is September 23rd, 2014. Let me say the words I should say before the bell tolls for the next day."
"Happy Birthday, Leo Ash."
"I've already received... what are for me..."
"—This year, I've already received so many of the gifts I craved."
As the two acted on instinct, their battlefield gradually shifted to the Moon.
On that day, after the Moon was enveloped in a gilded light...
—It did not return to its former appearance for a long, long time.
....
Epilogue