"The taste of a God of the Imaginary Tree is really quite good~ really quite good~"
Houraiji Kyuusyou sat beside Snow, delivering her post-victory speech. Meanwhile, after being "tasted" by Kyuusyou, the latter stared expressionlessly at her purple-haired partner, unsure if she was plotting something or simply sulking...
—Whether she was contemplating the grand blueprint of human civilization's distant future, or simply wondering how long this smug purple-haired girl beside her would have to kneel on a laundry board... or perhaps, both?
-
"So, are you really going to do this... my dear Ms. Snow Apocalypse?"
"The Savior," savoring the sensations shared with "The Apocalyptic," shook her head vigorously as she logged back in. Houraiji Kyuusyou tossed the just-now scene filled with an erotic atmosphere to the back of her mind and stared seriously at the blonde girl lying on the ground.
The golden divine girl's body was wrapped in a white long robe, with the red marks Kyuusyou had left still remaining on her exposed limbs. The pure white robe wrapped casually around her body, outlining the girl's wonderful figure perfectly, causing Kyuusyou, who was looking at her, to subconsciously swallow and blush a little.
And at this moment, Snow also seemed to have emerged from her previous state of sulking. Looking at the somewhat blushing Houraiji Kyuusyou, she said in a teasing tone:
"Oh my, you're blushing! What's the matter? Why don't you come closer and press yourself against me again?"
Turning sideways, the girl deliberately put on a somewhat seductive expression, trying to get back some of the ground she had lost against the now somewhat innocent Miss Kyuusyou... But, it seemed that a certain Apocalypse who had pinned her to the ground and kissed her had not completely logged out? Hearing this, "Kyuusyou" immediately shot up. The Apocalypse, having already tasted the marrow, instantly shoved the Savior offline. Her crimson pupils were like a big bad wolf that had smelled blood, and she threw herself on top of her.
"Oh yes, yes, I've never encountered such a strange request before!"
"???? Get the hell away from me!"
....After another bout of passion, Snow, completely limp, sprawled on the ground and glared resentfully at the Savior in front of her. Meanwhile, the fully satisfied Apocalypse directly used the invincible "logout escape," leaving the blonde divine girl to grind her teeth in frustration as she searched for her.
"Um... so, back to the question from before. Snow, are you serious?"
Kyuusyou looked cautiously at the puffed-up blonde bundle in front of her, asking with a probing tone....
"Of course!!!"
The golden-haired young goddess wore an expression that said, "I'm angry, and you're definitely not going to get off easy," as she glared continuously at Houraiji Kyuusyou.
"Ah, well... even with me serving as a failed example?"
Kyuusyou showed a somewhat helpless yet slightly anxious expression, seemingly trying to persuade the young goddess to give up on this nearly impossible plan.
"We can't stay with them forever, Snow. Helping them overcome the Trial of the Tree is already enough... Why be greedy and try to go a step further..."
"This is the choice 'she' made, the decision 'we' made together... Kyuusyou, every God possesses their own 'Law'... Even that nearly mechanical existence, the Will of Honkai, has its own 'Principle of Trial'... You know this well."
"Even if we aren't bound by mission or responsibility... We still have our own pursuits, our own obsessions. That comes from our instinctive will."
Snow glanced at Kyuusyou before her...
"Just as you showed me when we were fighting, and as you said... As one who wields the Laws of Salvation and Destruction, you don't really care about what happens after the saving or the destroying is done..."
"Salvation is salvation, destruction is destruction... You don't care about what comes after salvation, nor do you care about what comes after destruction. Because for you, most of these matters are just fleeting moments in your eternal life."
"Even punching me just now was only because of the intimacy between us..."
"No... I care, Snow Apocalypse, I really care—it's just that I don't know, I don't understand what to do, to make the civilizations of those I've saved endure, to lead the survivors of the apocalypse toward a righteous path."
"So I pretend to be indifferent, leaving them behind... I can be the Savior, the Arbiter, but the only thing I can't be is a Leader..."
"But I am."
The blonde goddess looked seriously at her partner, her expression solemn.
"Kyuusyou, the Law I wield... is Eternity, and its name is Continuation. What I desire is the eternal inheritance and continuation of all things in the world..."
"So, leave it to me... Kyuusyou. You only need to be your best as a Savior... to help another 'me', to complete this eternal great work..."
"As you said, let time give us the answer."
Deep within the sea, the roots from the Imaginary Tree also sought out their owner in response to the call at this moment. The golden roots gently lifted the girl, gradually causing her to disappear before Kyuusyou...
"Let us meet again at the end of our journey, Houraiji Kyuusyou... After you truly defeat me, surpass me, and prove to me what the path of salvation is..."
"Ah, by the way... You came looking for Bronya and the others, didn't you...?"
"Yes... They are here... Do not interfere with their journey and trials... my partner."
-
The blonde girl completely vanished from Houraiji Kyuusyou's sight, leaving only a goldenly glowing World Bubble floating before Kyuusyou.
The purple-haired girl raised her hand to hold the peculiar World Bubble in her palm, a hint of curiosity in her eyes...
"Journey and Trial? What kind of strange problem have you left them with... Snow?"
Her royal purple eyes focused on the World Bubble—
"This isn't what we agreed upon before—!!!"
Inside the World Bubble, the girls screamed in agony as they dodged the thrusts of a golden spear held by a white-haired, gold-eyed Herrscher who bore a striking resemblance to Miss Kiana. Beside them, the situation of the Heroes was no better, or rather, they had suffered heavy casualties.
Along with the girl's party, they witnessed the 13th Herrscher's self-sacrifice on her own birthday... and the final Herrscher soon arrived... The ultimate manifestation of Divine Punishment left humanity completely powerless to resist. All they could do was buy as much time as possible for the survivors to seek refuge.
"Wrong... There shouldn't be such a dead end in a Trial... Hey, Miss Mysterious Voice, are you still there?!"
Bronya's mind raced, searching for where they had gone wrong, while simultaneously calling out to a certain being.
"Of course, I am here."
"Can Bronya request a restart? Bronya believes this has already become a dead end!"
The girl quickly stated her demand.
"As you wish."