Fifty thousand years is enough to last several civilizations. It was the span of time used by the fourth Divine Key to lower honkai energy levels in the surface. Once it is habitable, the pre-programed fifth Divine Key will wake everyone up.
That was how things went in the world without Aleph.
Consequently, there are things that did not go to plan.
"...There's no use. She already released it."
Bam-!
The door leading outside the command center was blasted open. Kevin was seen appearing in front of the door with a mere blink.
"Where is Mobius?"
MEI fixed her glasses while looking for Mobius' current location. There is only that little space within humanity's last plot of land. The rest of the world was flooded with insane levels of honkai energy and countless honkai beasts.
Emperor-class wasn't the ceiling anymore. Judgement-class honkai beasts similar to Mahesvara, Shiva, and Vishnu appeared one after another.
Amidst such a dangerous situation, Mobius pulled the trigger to the Russian Roulette.
"...She is dead."
"She will come back. Where is she?"
"I sent Su to her location. She did not come back to life."
"..."
The dozen or so staff members went completely silent. They watched the dialogue between Fire MOTH's commander-in-chief and the strongest human present.
Some of them met MEI's gaze, to which the latter sent a sympathetic look. This resulted in their confusion.
"It remained hidden until now. She needs someone's assistance."
Kevin remained somewhat cool-headed while feeling anger towards Mobius' arbitrary actions. He could see the reason behind that seemingly ruthless move.
"Give me Vill-V's location."
"We need her assistance now."
"..."
Drip.
Fuzz-!
His fingers dug deep to his palm. Dark red blood fell to the ground. It caused bright blue flames to appear. The places they were spilled started to get melted.
At this moment, everyone inside the command center felt the strange atmosphere permeate. It was as if something huge was about to happen.
"This is her choice."
MEI did not blame Mobius. Her arbitrary action will definitely bring enormous advantages to humans. She was, in fact, one of the first few who learned her plans. She did not support it. She did not go against it, either.
Perhaps, this was the very step she knew she would not be able to take.
"I am setting off."
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
MEI did not speak. She stared at the screen with the entire Mu Continent in sight.
Mobius' actions with the twelfth Divine Key is bound to kill millions of humans.
It is not a weapon, but a key to humanity's deepest potential. Akin to a virus, it will spread amongst the remaining humans, forcing them into an 'evolution' state. Those who could not adapt die, while those who become successful become stronger.
The unlocked potential could then be passed onto their descendants, forming a stable line of people bearing various 'Stigmatas'. It might also be able to develop into Aleph's so-called 'superpowers'.
It used to be under the Project Soldier. That, along with the "alien technology" known as the Evolution Cube, will unlock humanity's greatest potential. It is estimated that 95% of humanity's five billion can become soldiers ready for war.
Unfortunately, the Evolution Cube was lost. It went out along with Tokisaki Kurumi, and most importantly…
"Aleph."
MEI is not blind to the truth. She has a hunch that everything went wrong after he disappeared. He did not die but disappeared silently. He was erased out of this world unnaturally.
During the earlier days, they had the time to investigate. Vill-V, in particular, discovered weird traces on the place where he fought the sixth Herrscher. They were about to investigate further when honkai's attack on humanity became stronger. Their strength spiked. More emperor-class honkai beasts appeared to trouble them.
This force grew unstoppably until they were overwhelmed. They lost the advantages they held up to the sixth Herrscher.
Six years later, they are forced to their current state. All the other continents were swept by honkai. Only the Mu Continent that was guarded by the technology known as the Quantum-Freezing Time Lock remained. Even that was set-up with the third institute director's sacrifice. Nearly all of the ELFs produced by the Third Institute were destroyed at that time.
Beep.
MEI connected her intercomms to Kevin. What greeted the latter was the staff on MEI's side falling down.
Thud-!
Thud-!
Thud-!
…
"Talk with her. Given the current situation, this might be your last."
"..."
Kevin knew who she was talking about.
Crunch-!
Buzz-!
His anger took control once again. The communicator in his ears was crumpled into waste iron.
Mobius' acts did not merely result in deaths due to failed adaptation. More than 70% of the guards at Mu Continent's borders aren't high-level MANTISes. They are the only ones who could remain awake during the entire time.
It is the equivalent of shutting down more than seventy percent of humanity's border guards. Without them, the honkai beasts can tear open a hole that leads straight into the cities.
Naturally, defending these places fell into the high-level MANTISes.
Wordlessly, Kevin took a space phone inside his jacket. He scrolled through a list of contacts before stopping on one.
If the past Hua was here, she would have stood in shock.
After all—
"Hm? How's it going, Kevin?"
—that is the name of her best friend.
*****
Hum-!
A sea of flames burned that memory down. Kevin woke up to a dark space. The first thing he felt was his impending 'release'.
After some disagreements with Su, he was trapped within the Sea of Quanta. It is a place where one could not easily come and go. The only way to leave it is to contact the passageway made by Fire MOTH, dubbed 'Eye of the Deep'.
Nevertheless, his current state did not hinder his communication with the outside world.
Quantum Entanglement is a very useful skill, after all.
"There is something I must report, Sire."
Kevin did not mind the robotic voice on the other side. He looked at the so-called 'report' that consisted of five pictures.
He first noticed the girl with white hair and blue eyes. It was clear she is related to him. He did not mind that as he focused on the more concerning thing.
The moment he saw the ELF in the girl's arms, his brows furrowed.
"...Aleph."