"Boom!"
The various floating islands that made up Destiny's Headquarters finally crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.
For a moment, massive waves soared into the sky, and the entire earth trembled.
One after another, the floating islands were smashed to pieces.
At that moment, the "Dominator Doll·Ling Ke"—who had previously tricked one of the three major organizations into believing they had truly trapped a "Dominator Doll·Ling Ke" in the Thousand Realms One—was now floating in midair, using the Herrscher's most basic flying ability.
At his side stood a silver-haired, blue-eyed man—Kevin Kaslana—accompanying him shoulder to shoulder.
What exactly had happened before this moment?
"Bzzz~"
On the deck of a massive floating warship, a yellow-orange halo flickered.
One by one, figures in white coats or specialized combat gear began to appear.
They were all permanent personnel from Destiny's Headquarters.
There were scholars, soldiers, and active-duty Valkyries.
And finally...
"Bzzz~"
A strangely shaped locomotive landed with a burst.
It was the Second Divine Key, the key to eternal calamity: the one and only Thousand Realms One.
"They sure know how to make the right decisions quickly in critical moments."
In the sky, "Dominator Doll·Ling Ke" muttered to himself.
However, his tone was mocking.
Because in the end...
"Out of tens of thousands of employees from various departments stationed at Destiny Headquarters, barely a thousand were saved."
Dominating the scene, Ling Ke curved the corner of his lips slightly.
"Looks like someone will have to blame themselves... and then carry that guilt in their heart."
"What a shame."
"Just as I thought before, if things like this keep happening... even if they continue in the future, it still won't be 'heartbreaking' enough."
"After all, that only increases hatred toward humanity."
And that—Ling Ke did not desire.
Look.
"You bastard!"
On the deck of the Huberion, Dr. Tesla was the first to curse upon seeing the airborne "Dominator Doll·Ling Ke" not far away.
The others...
"Problem!"
What caught Otto's attention most was the figure standing next to "Dominator Doll·Ling Ke".
"Why would Kevin Kaslana suddenly switch sides?"
It was something he couldn't fully understand.
However, he vaguely felt that he had picked up certain clues long ago...
At that moment:
"唪~"
"唪~"
"唪~"
The sky... ignited.
Everyone on the Huberion's deck was immediately drawn to it.
"That, that's..."
Yolande, Bronya, even "Kiana", Raiden Mei, and others widened their eyes.
They were megaliths!
"My friends!"
From above, "Dominator Doll·Ling Ke" ascended even higher.
With arms spread like a graceful presenter, he smiled and exclaimed:
"At this moment of falling stars, I present to the world the grandest performance of this era."
"The prologue has begun!"
"Fear! Regret!"
"So..."
"Brace your brains and hold on tight!"
"Perhaps you humans still have a sliver of hope."
In that instant, there wasn't even time for those aboard the Huberion to react.
"Bzzz~"
A spatial gate opened.
But it wasn't a gate to the Dominator's Theater.
Instead, "Dominator Doll·Ling Ke" used the power of the "Law of Heaven"—which he had previously stolen—to open a long-distance teleportation gate.
Next: he stepped in, followed by Kevin.
"Wait!"
Seeing it with her own eyes, Yolande couldn't restrain herself.
Wearing the "Hui Knight Tsukipo" Valkyrie armor, she took flight, trying to stop the two from escaping.
However...
"Ka~"
The spatial gate vanished too quickly.
"Dominator Doll·Ling Ke" and Kevin—gone as well.
"Yolande charged in!"
At that moment...
"Bronya has traced the spatial gate's coordinates."
Bronya had progressed at lightning speed.
She used to be less efficient than Tesla and Einstein.
But now, while the others were still confused, she had already retrieved vital information via the Thousand Realms One around her.
In fact, the reason they managed to save hundreds of people just before Destiny Headquarters collapsed was due to using the Second Divine Key's spatial distortion power.
Even so, most of the tens of thousands couldn't be rescued...
But back then, saving one meant saving one.
And now...
"Good work, Bronya!"
Tesla finally smiled a bit. "Where did those two idiots go?"
"To the African continent. The Sahara Desert."
Bronya reported an approximate location.
Upon hearing this...
"That's World Serpent's headquarters!"
Raiden Mei frowned and murmured, "Kevin... why did he suddenly do this...?"
Instinctively, Mei turned her gaze to the now "abandoned" Raven, Jackal, and...
"Ka~"
Unexpectedly, Grey Serpent burst into flames like a mere mechanical prosthetic.
Clearly, he had no intention of cooperating.
As for Raven and Jackal...
"Don't look at me like that. I'm just a part-timer. I have no clue what the Lord is thinking."
Raven raised her hands and replied indifferently.
Jackal's expression, on the other hand, was much darker.
Even with her mask on, just seeing the lower half of her face made it clear she was absolutely furious.
Unlike Raven, she still hadn't fully grasped her role as the "abandoned child."
But in the end...
"Sigh~"
Jackal... Cleo Hypatia sighed. "Looks like my 'retirement' came earlier than expected."
"And far earlier than I thought."
The others didn't quite understand those cryptic words.
Raiden Mei also realized she wouldn't get anything useful from them, so she addressed the others directly:
"No matter why Kevin switched sides, we must stop Ling Ke."
"I'll go to World Serpent's headquarters first... what about the rest of you?"
Upon hearing this...
"We'll take care of the meteorites."
Yolande looked at the flames in the sky.
"We absolutely can't let them hit the ground. Otherwise..."
Otherwise, a disaster like the Second Honkai Impact—one that wiped out tens of millions—would happen again.
An even more horrifying scene.
Yolande was already prepared to depart.
In fact, if given enough time, there was a slight chance she could destroy all the meteorites.
But reality was cruel.
Under Ling Ke's arrangement, dozens of meteorites had already been launched simultaneously toward nine coordinates.
The same nine cities "not selected by Rita."
In such a scenario, no matter how great her potential, Yolande would be forced to make the same choice Rita once did: to "give up."
Fortunately, at that exact moment...
"Leave the meteorite problem to us."
Walther suddenly stepped in.
"Kevin Kaslana was the strongest fusion fighter of the previous civilization era."
"No matter his reasons, the fact is he's defected. To face him and Ling Ke... only Valkyries of your level, like you, Yolande, can fight them."
"And as Raiden Mei said: whatever they're planning, we can't just stand by."
"They're likely executing an extremely destructive plan..."
Then he looked at Otto, standing not far away.
That man hadn't spoken a single word from the beginning.
As if he were completely absent.
Today, with Otto silent and Kevin betraying them... there was no other choice.
Walther would have to take responsibility.
He quickly mobilized the remaining forces of the three factions.
Immediately, Raiden Mei summoned Kuligara and, mounted on the dragon, departed.
The others—Kiana, Bronya, Fu Hua, Delisa, and the rest—boarded the high-speed ship Helios, anchored at the Huberion.
Helios, the sun god in ancient Greek mythology.
Today, those who board this ship...
Will they, like Helios, bring the sun (hope) to the world?
Or...?
As they ride across the sky in their solar chariot... will what awaits them in the end be Eternal Night (Endless Darkness)?