— — — — — —
A few hours later...
"Let's start with the latest report." Otto sat at the head of the conference table, his tone calm but serious. "Across the world, Honkai beasts are vanishing on a massive scale. In many regions, Honkai energy has dropped to barely a tenth of what it used to be. No further attacks on cities have been reported either."
"Oh! Then isn't that a good thing?" Kiana blurted out.
"It's not that simple." Einstein's voice was sharp, her expression grave. "The large-scale disappearance of Honkai beasts and Zombies only means one thing—the Will of the Honkai is consolidating every ounce of its remaining strength, preparing for a final confrontation with us."
"What?" Kiana and the others went pale. If that was true… the sheer scale of Honkai energy gathering together would be unimaginable.
"You're right," Otto added, "but that's not the full picture. Our probes in the Imaginary Space picked up something… interesting."
"What kind of something?" Himeko asked.
"Herrschers." Otto smiled faintly, ignoring the shock rippling around the table. "Not only did we detect resonance from the First Herrscher through the Thirteenth, but we also found traces of a presence that dwarfs all of them combined. Based on the readings, it should be the Fourteenth Herrscher—the Herrscher of the End."
"You're not entirely correct."
The conference doors swung open and Kevin walked in, his voice low and cold. "Compared with the records from our previous era, this Herrscher of the End far exceeds the one we faced back then. Its energy output is more than ten times greater."
His face was grim. Kevin had once stood face-to-face with the End, and he knew all too well how terrifying it was. Even defeating it hadn't meant destroying it. Now, with ten times that power… it made him feel powerless.
"You finally decided to join us," Otto said without the slightest surprise. "And yes, every Herrscher has now reached their complete form. A troublesome situation indeed." His words sounded calm, even casual, though his expression betrayed no concern.
"Rimuru." Kevin turned to him, his tone heavy. "Do you have the power to defeat it?" He needed to hear it from Rimuru's own mouth.
"Relax. If that's all it's got, it's not nearly enough to scare me." Rimuru's confidence was unshaken. The stars within his body had already expanded from ten kilometers to one hundred thousand across. Against that level of strength, crushing the Herrscher of the End would be no problem.
"Is that so?" Kevin exhaled in relief, meeting Rimuru's steady gaze. As long as the End could be brought down, the rest of the Herrschers would be manageable. They weren't to be underestimated, but humanity still had strength of its own.
"Looks like Rimuru has plenty of confidence." Otto smiled faintly. "But don't forget—the End isn't coming alone. Countless Honkai beasts and Zombies are gathering there too. We'll need to mobilize our forces. War is about to begin."
"Understood. Anti-Entropy will commit every unit we have," Welt said firmly.
"World Serpent stands ready," Kevin added.
"I'll notify my guild members. Anyone free will join in to boost our numbers," Rimuru offered.
The meeting adjourned, and everyone rushed to their preparations.
...
Deep within Imaginary Space, fourteen Herrschers stood in perfect formation.
Below them, Judgment-class and Emperor-class beasts roared by the hundreds, their cries shaking the void. Around them swarmed countless other Honkai beasts and Zombies, so many they seemed endless.
The sheer number alone could destroy the world dozens of times over. At that scale, their combined power was terrifying beyond words. Yet fate had already sealed their end—for the enemy waiting for them was far more fearsome.
In the depths of the Sea of Quanta, Kevin once again stood beneath the ancient cherry tree. He lingered there in silence for a long time before finally speaking.
"This time, it all ends. Humanity will prevail over the Honkai."
Who he was saying it to, no one knew. Perhaps not even Kevin himself.
---
At Anti-Entropy Headquarters, machines of war gathered in staggering numbers. Titans, suicide spiders, Iskandars, Arahatos—every model was being mobilized. Anti-Entropy was going all in.
"Now this is what I call a big move," Tesla muttered, watching the chaos of preparation below.
"This battle can only end in victory," Welt said, pushing his glasses up with a steady hand. "If we win, this war will be the last. And from what we've seen, the Honkai isn't invincible anymore."
"What do you mean?" Tesla asked, tilting her head blankly.
"It means…" Einstein appeared beside them, answering in his place. "It's afraid."
"Ohh. I get it now!" Tesla's eyes lit up with sudden realization.
"Yes. It's afraid." Welt's gaze turned distant, heavy with meaning. Einstein, Tesla, Schrödinger, Planck—all of them shared the same silent, resolute look.
At Schicksal Headquarters, the Valkyrie troops were gathering at full strength. They numbered only a few thousand, but their collective might was nothing to underestimate.
Rita and Durandal directed the supply lines and organization efforts.
"Well, Kallen," Otto said proudly, unable to hide the satisfaction in his voice. "Schicksal today is far stronger than it ever was before."
"It's truly impressive," Kallen admitted, her tone sincere. "I can't deny your leadership skills."
"Kallen, I made a new batch of rice balls for you to try."
Yae Sakura's voice rang out, and in an instant Kallen abandoned Otto, hurrying straight into Sakura's waiting arms.
Otto froze as he watched her nestle at Sakura's side. In a heartbeat he'd been cast down from heaven into hell.
'You think I'll give up, Kallen? Never. I, Otto, am not a man who quits.'
---
A moment of silence, please, for Otto's broken heart.
And so, the stage for the final battle was set.
.
.
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