Welp here we are at the penultimate chapter...please enjoy and review.
"Paimon, you better have a good reason why you're here instead of the Roast, otherwise I'm eating you instead, emergency food." Void immediately threatened.
"Hey, Paimon's already told you Paimon is not emergency food." Paimon refuted immediately. Void didn't seem to be listening as she immediately started summoning some seasoning and condiments.
"We'll see about that." Void retorted as she started chopping the seasonings.
"Uh…Void's not actually serious about eating that little fairy thing." Teri cautiously inquired from Thunder. The Herrscher of Thunder looked to ponder her response.
"Eh, it's 50/50, Void's unpredictable most times. If she thinks she can eat Paimon, she might try. It's hard to tell if it's a serious threat or a well-done bluff." Thunder admitted.
"Ah…save me…save me," Paimon screamed as she immediately fled and hid behind Cecilia. "She already stuffed me into a soup pot once."
"Now that's a lie, you fell in there by accident." Void defended.
"You threw carrots, radishes, and several pieces of chicken into the water beside me," Paimon argued.
"You can fly. You could have just hovered out of it." Void told her.
"WILL YOU TWO KNOCK IT OFF!" Thunder silenced. It was always like this with these two. Sometimes she swore they did it to her on purpose.
Thunder immediately kicked herself when she heard a small whimper from Kiana. Crap, she had lost her cool. Quick, she needed a way to recover from this. Mei took a deep breath in order to calm herself. It worked for the most part.
"Void, I'll make you another roast. Paimon, why don't you introduce yourself and explain why you're here, please." Mei said in her normal voice.
"Hmmph. Fine." Void huffed. "Mom, Dad, Aunt Teri, Sirin, Kiana, Bella, Doctors, this is Paimon. She's our emergency food supply for our travels through time and space." Void introduced.
"That's not at all what Paimon is." Paimon snapped at her. "Paimon is Paimon, the greatest travel guide for time and space." She introduced herself.
"Travel guide for time and space? Are you the one who helped Void and Thunder time travel here?" Siegfied questioned.
"Ehe…that's right," Paimon answered. "Void and Thunder are very dependable acquaintances of Paimon. Very reliable when you need raw power to help clean up any messed-up timelines. Doesn't hurt that one is also a great cook as well." She explained. "Even if one of them might threaten to turn Paimon into lunch."
"Don't pretend like you never tried to punish me when I stole your grilled tiger fish." Void argued. She wouldn't admit it out loud but that time, Paimon turned her into a baby, let her poop herself, and then changed her back without changing all her clothes. The little imp then snapped photos of the Herrscher and then threatened to throw them out into random timelines to let the humiliation exist for eternity.
"Okay…that's fair." Paimon blushed. "I did go a little too far with that."
"Yuh think."
"As much as I would love to continue this cheerful reunion." Mei interrupted. "Why are you here Paimon?"
"Oh, that's right. Paimon came to warn you all." The little fairy announced. This caught the two Herrschers' attention quickly.
Paimon usually left them to figure things out on their own. She didn't even bother to communicate with them when they were at the end of a world. A planet had blown up before Paimon decided to transport them out. For her to warn them now, it must be something serious.
"Warn?" Cecilia questioned. "Is something wrong Paimon?" She wasn't familiar with the concepts of time travel but even she knew it was not something to be easily trifled with.
"Well, not exactly," Paimon admitted. "When Paimon says she came to warn, Paimon doesn't mean that it's the end of the world or anything like that. It's just some honest advice." She chuckled.
"You say that but given your role, it must still be important," Teri noted. "And while it might not seem impactful to you, it still could be world-ending to us right?"
"Paimon supposes you can say that. Eh, just let Paimon explain first, and then you can ask questions later. Okay?" Paimon told them. Everyone nodded or agreed with her. "Good. So basically…. don't kill Otto yet." Paimon told them.
"Seriously?" Void sighed. "I was so hoping to pay him back." She pouted. She had already plotted everything out. She knew how to kill him, and his clones. She prepared methods to neutralize his weapons. She had a means of tracking him as well. Now Paimon comes and tells her not to kill him. "I assume you've got a good reason."
"I've got this whole list full," Paimon answered as she pulled out a rolled-up parchment of paper from the hammerspace. She handed it to Void. "Keep in mind only Void and Thunder can read this since they already have knowledge of the future." She informed as she handed it to the older Herrscher.
Void upon taking the parchment undid the seal, letting the paper unwind, however, once it started the paper just kept unrolling. It rolled down to reach Void's feet and then started to roll across the floor. Despite constantly moving the parchment never lost any size and kept moving. It rolled across the whole floor and once it reached the wall, the paper rolled up the wall and then across the ceiling.
Everyone in the room looked on in awe and bafflement at the paper. Upon inspecting the parts, they could see that it was completely illegible to them. Paimon noticed them staring. "Like I said I had a list made of every change that would occur if Otto was killed. As you can see…it's a lot."
"All this because of Grandpa," Teri noted as she glanced out of the room where the paper had rolled out. To her horror, the entire hallway outside the room had somehow been entirely covered by the list. "How the heck?"
"Time and Space Guide, remember," Paimon said smugly. "You'd be surprised just how wild things can get when the rules and laws start to bend and break, and when loopholes are found and exploited."
"It's much easier if you don't think about it." Void interrupted. Even if her dominion was space, this was far beyond the scope of her powers and understanding. In the end, she and Mei just gave up trying to rationalize it.
"Paimon, did you write down every single butterfly effect on this list," Thunder questioned. The list was very detailed, to say the least.
"Only the ones you're most concerned about," Paimon answered.
Once the duo had seen enough, Void levitated the paper before immediately rolling it up. There was an awkward silence in the room as they watched the paper roll up, winding and moving at such high speed as if it had been attached to a track.
"Are you saying we can't kill Otto else this is what will happen?" Thunder questioned. The paper had a long line of consequences that would result from Otto's death. Some of them were of people Void and Thunder neither knew nor cared for, but others were far too close to home.
"You can kill Otto." Paimon corrected. "You can go about doing that in whatever manner you choose. What you need to keep in mind is the consequences and if you're willing to live with them." Paimon told her.
"I can live with them." Void told her.
"Maybe you can, but can they?" Paimon questioned as she pointed to her family, more specifically Cecilia, Sirin, and Kiana. "You came this far to give them all a second chance. Will you throw that away for revenge?"
Void stared at them for a moment. Could she sacrifice the world for her family? She'd do it in a heartbeat all things considered, but would they be able to live with it. Her parents and aunt were always keen on doing what was good for humanity.
"You're right." Void sighed. "I can't do that to them." She answered. She was so close to her goal. She had gotten them all together and they were getting along. How could she ruin that?
"Wise choice, Herrscher of the Void." Paimon whispered.
"So, we have to let Otto live." Thunder mused. "That's still going to be a problem. Killing him risks the normalcy of the Kaslana's lives and the world, but letting him live only helps the world." Thunder stated.
"Seriously?" Siegfied questioned. "Is Otto really that important the world hinged on his existence?"
"It's not about whether the world needs him to live or not," Einstein answered. "Otto is unfortunately a very influential man. I'd assume given his big role in the war against the Honkai for almost 500 years, it's not that easy to remove him without causing a mountain of issues."
"That's correct," Paimon added. "Otto. regardless of his reason, has impacted many for better or worse, so he holds a lot of weight in the grand scheme of things."
"Still, there has to be something you can do right?" Cecilia questioned. "Even if we do decide to leave him be. He will still come after us. Won't he?" She asked worriedly. They could fight back, she knew they would, but for how long could they do so and how many would die in the process was another question.
"I might have an idea for that." Paimon mused.
"Why do I feel that I won't like it?" Void muttered.
"You won't." Paimon answered. "At least you won't at the start." She informed her.
"Alright lay it on me." Void told her. It can't be so bad.
"You'll have to help Otto fulfill his goal," Paimon answered. Oh, it was that bad.
"Paimon. I literally just had a big moment where I told my family about his crimes against humanity and how I intended to keep him from his goals." Void told the fairy.
"I know, but this is the safest and cleanest way for you. If you travel back in time and save Kallen, then Otto will cease his crusade." Paimon suggested. "It's the easiest way to end this."
"Of course, Otto can't do it without risking the Honkai getting stronger, but we can." Void groaned. "Let me guess, we'd have to ensure that we keep that timeline consistent so most likely we need a body double for Kallen."
"A body double?" Teri questioned. "Why would you need that?"
"It's to avoid creating an alternate timeline. Essentially every time you travel, you can make a new timeline thanks to the interference. It only takes one moment to change everything. Saving everyone here already caused a major shift to the future we came from. Kallen would practically rewrite everything you ever knew." Thunder explained.
"Thus, we won't change anything in the past." Void told them.
"Wait…what?" Everyone questioned.
"What do you mean you won't change the past? Isn't that why you're time traveling again?" Tesla questioned.
"Let me explain. We won't change the past. Kallen Kaslana will die just as she did long ago. However, her life will not end at her death. At the very moment she dies, we switch her body at the very last second with a perfect copy of herself. The empty husk will 'die' in her place." Void explained.
"I see. The husk dies, and time remains unchanged. Since it's an exact match, any analysis on the body will be identical and as such, no deviation occurs." Einstein rationalized.
"Yup, the past remains as is and Kallen comes to this present timeline." Paimon continued.
"Wouldn't that be unfair to Kallen?" Teri questioned. They would be technically kidnapping Kallen from her time period and bringing her to a new one. All of this just so they could bargain with her grandpa to stop.
"Depends on how you look at it." Thunder mused. "She's scheduled to be executed, gets saved at the last possible second, and is gifted a second chance to live the life she lost in what's pretty much a new world or era where none of her past actions can really define her."
"So…your typical isekai." Void deadpanned.
"I'm surprised you actually know that," Thunder questioned. "Wait a minute…don't tell me you actually watch those boring anime."
"Some of them are good…others…belong with you in the trash." Void snapped.
"Beside the point. I'd say considering the situation, we aren't obligated to make it enjoyable. We save her from death and then let her decide what to do after." Whatever Kallen does would be on her, though Thunder figured they'd keep an eye just to make sure she didn't do anything too extreme. The encounters they had with Kallen's in other worlds where she lived ranged from friendly to hostile.
For the most part, everyone seemed to consider the plan. Teri was obviously happy about this since it meant her grandfather would live. Einstein and Tesla weren't all that happy but they could at least understand that logically this was going to be for the best. Cecilia and Siegfied, though angered by what Otto had done, were also willing to ignore his other self's actions if it meant peace with their family. There was one person though who didn't like this idea.
"But are you two really just going to give in and give him what he wants?" Sirin argued. She couldn't believe this. After everything she went through, that man, that monster was just going to get his wish fulfilled. "This isn't right. It isn't fair…." She gritted her teeth.
Siegfied and the others could feel the stiffening aura begin to build around the Herrscher. Even Kiana could tell something was wrong. Bella had already put herself between the Kaslanas and Sirin, while Kurikara did the same with the scientists.
"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE." She screamed in anger. A pulse of energy was released from the young Herrscher. It would have been devastating for those in the room…had it not been for the stronger Herrschers present to block the attack.
"SILENCE!" Void growled in response as she held up an arm. Just as suddenly as Sirin's power came, it diminished just as quickly. Before Sirin even realized what was going on she felt restrained by an invisible force as she was pinned to the wall. The older Herrscher appeared right in her face matching her golden eyes with her own.
The first to react to the sudden change was Cecilia. She wanted to try and diffuse the situation, but Mei was quick to stop her. The Kaslana matriarch looked at her with pleading eyes, but Mei merely whispered to let them be.
"LET ME GO!" Siren tried to thrash around but it was no use. Void had already sealed her powers away. Yet she continued to struggle. Bella wanted to move to aid her. However just as she took a step forward, Void shot her a glare. The dragon froze in her spot. Both were her master, and while Sirin might be struggling. She knew Void had a good reason.
Seeing her dragon withdrawing, Void turned her attention back to Sirin. She was still resisting. It was an understandable response; it just wasn't the safest state of mind. Luckily Void knew just how to fix that.
With a snap of her fingers, two portals opened, one directly above Sirin and one directly below. Sirin looked at the portals in confusion before she heard a whooshing sound from the top one. A sudden deluge of water cascaded down from the top portal drenching her completely before passing into the one underneath.
"Have you cooled off now?" Void inquired as she saw Sirin cough up some water. Raising her hand once more, she used the gem of Desire and Haste to airdry the younger Herrscher before closing the portals.
"What is wrong with you?" Sirin screamed at her. "How could you just agree to let that bastard live, let alone actually help him with his goal?" Sirin yelled at her. She wasn't speaking in anger or hatred anymore, but rather hurt and betrayal.
The one person she thought knew her the best, had just agreed to help the man responsible for all her suffering. She didn't even try to deny the idea. Someone had told her not to kill Otto and Void just gave in to that demand. It wasn't even that they couldn't. They could, but they chose not to.
"Listen to me Sirin." Void pleaded with the younger girl. Her voice was softer now. "I know you want to put him under. I know that better than anyone else here."
"But do you think it's easy for me to do this? To give it up." Void told her. "It isn't…but this is not about Otto." Void whispered.
"He's not important to me. My family is what's important and that includes you. If we go after Otto, we're only asking for trouble." Void told her.
"But you're strong enough to handle it," Sirin argued.
"Then where would I stop?" Void argued. "If we kill Otto there is a long line of people who will come after us. How do you think it looks when a Herrscher, one of the Honkai's Heralds, kills Otto, the leader of the faction that fights against the Honkai."
"Everyone will be after us, all the world would deem us a threat to be eliminated. If word were to get out of AE's involvement, they'd lose their credibility and support. We would be on our own. A fight every day to survive, always running because the people chasing us now…will be innocent people who are just doing their job."
"A battle with no end, that's the life we'll get if we go down that path." Void told Sirin as she slowly released her from her hold. The older Herrscher walked up to Sirin before leaning down to speak to her at eye level.
"Just because you CAN fight forever, doesn't mean you should WANT to." Void told her as she pulled her into a hug. "I can fight for a long time, centuries even, but I'd much rather spend that time elsewhere."
"Tell me…would you rather fight those… 'insignificant insects' forever, or wouldn't you rather spend time eating ice cream and playing with Kiana and the others?"
"I…." Sirin stuttered. She wanted to argue that she could fight, win and then eat ice cream and play. She wanted to…but she knew she couldn't. She had tried so many times before and as much as she loathed to admit it, she had been bested, many times. If her older self who was more powerful didn't want to do it, how could she even hope to last as long?
"I…want to be with the others." She responded softly. "But it's still not fair." She argued.
"I never said it was." Void answered. "But we still won in the end."
"Huh?" What did Void mean by that?
"Otto may get what he wants, but we get what we want as well. If he leaves us alone that's good enough. It's the same result either way. We never have to worry about him again." Void told her. "We get our happy ending, despite everything else."
"And what if he doesn't?" Sirin questioned. "What if even after we give him, he doesn't leave us alone?" She argued with the older girl.
"If he does that, then I suppose we can kill him…but only if he decides to betray us." Void answered. She didn't fully trust that madman but considering everything he's done has been for this one goal. She doubted he'd be stupid enough to betray them here.
"Void's right. As warped and as twisted as he is, he has some honor at least." Mei added.
"So Sirin, would you be willing to put aside your anger and hatred to have a better life?" Void questioned as she held out her hand.
Sirin looked at her sister's hand as she contemplated her words. Even now, she could hear whispers in her head telling her that Void and Thunder would be wrong. Otto had to pay for what he had taken from her, but they were right. He may have taken from her, but if she let herself go, she'd give up what little she had left.
She didn't want to lose. She didn't want to lose anything, anymore, to anyone. She wouldn't risk it. Someone else could make him pay. She had made up her mind.
"I will." She told Void as she took the Herrscher's hand. Void immediately pulled her into a hug. Soon another pair of small arms wrapped around them, Kiana, followed by several bigger sets of arms as well. The entire family had all enveloped her in a group hug.
"This is so beautiful," Paimon muttered as she took out a handkerchief to blow her nose.
Otto Apocalypse sighed as he tried to make heads or tails of what had happened in the past few days. The rain patting against the glass behind him perfectly encapsulated his mood, frustration, and confusion.
First, there had been a break-in, on the base with the perpetrator kidnapping Kiana. He would argue it may have been any of the Kaslana's except they had all been at ground zero in a fight against the Second Herrscher when it happened.
Speaking of which, the Second Herrscher had disappeared. The optimist would assume she had died when the nukes that were fired at her had detonated. The optimist would also be a fool, seeing as the land around said the location had remained far more intact than it should.
Additionally, Otto was also growing anxious at the sudden disappearance of his beloved granddaughter. Theresea had all but vanished without a trace much like Kiana. However, what worried him was not that she might have deserted him. He knew very well she might consider such actions. He was worried that she had been injured during the fight with Sirin and possibly kidnapped. Sure they may have their differences but she was still his granddaughter after all.
Last, of all, had been the sudden destruction of all their satellites in space. All methods of communication, tracking and various other tasks had been put to a halt. He was starting to suspect that maybe this was all the work of the World Serpent trying to use this situation for whatever means they had. However, that still left him confused about what their end goal was. He was no stranger to having long-running plans that hinged on smaller seemingly insignificant details but this left him cautious.
Rocking back in his chair he let out a huff. He was getting nowhere with this. Annoyed, he decided to stop staring at the monitor for a while as he took a short break. The rain had seemingly stopped so perhaps maybe he could go for a walk and get some fresh air. Turning around he was about to head out of his office when his eyes glanced out his window.
The rain had stopped, and his eyes widened as he rushed from his chair toward the window. The rain had stopped. Not in the sense that it had stopped falling. The raindrops had become frozen in mid-air. Otto glanced around noticing several other things had also become suspended in time.
Various vehicles taking to the sky now seemingly floated in place. The birds and people were now statues regardless of their position whether it be grounded or not. Otto kept himself composed outwardly but on the inside, he felt a whirlpool of emotions running through his body.
"Otto Apocalypse." A voice called behind him. He recognized the tone as that of a Herrscher. The voice felt familiar but he couldn't quite place where he'd heard it. Otto turned around to find the owner of the voice sitting in his chair. A woman with golden eyes like the Herrscher of the Void he had seen not long ago, but whose hair was white as snow, much like Kallen's. "I'm here to bargain."
One more to go, I'd like to thank all my discord members who helped beta read this. Thank you all and now on to the finale.