I fixed the previous chapter and made changes to ELYSIA to show that she doesn't know she is Herrscher yet.
World Serpent – Awakening
Everyone stares at the screen in confusion. Words appeared on the screen but they had no idea what that words meant. All they knew was World Serpent, the Anti-Honkai organization just like Eve had said.
"Ah, this is the title of the video you guys are about to watch. This might help you know what to watch," Eve said from her seat as she saw everyone's confused faces, "And to top it off, this video is set in the year 2017."
Everyone nodded in understanding at Eve's words, that was very helpful information.
"World Serpent. As I recall from the introduction earlier, it's the organization you lead in New Era, KEVIN," SU said to his friend.
"Ah, that's right. I was too happy with KEVIN and MEI's relationship that I forgot about that," said ELYSIA, MEI's face turned red with embarrassment hearing that.
"Eve said that World Serpent was an Anti-Honkai organization. Is that organization the successor of MOTH?" said SAKURA wonderingly.
"I don't think so. If they are the successors to MOTH, there is no way they will make Kevin their leader," said MOBIUS.
The others agreed with MOBIUS's words, even though Kevin was called the strongest, MOTH didn't make him their leader.
"Then did Master Kevin himself set it up?" Ask PARDO.
They simultaneously looked at their leader, KEVIN who felt the other's stares replied calmly, "I'm not thinking of forming an organization."
Good point, they all know that KEVIN wouldn't do that if it had nothing to do with MEI. Which means…
"Either Dr. MEI ordered KEVIN or someone asked KEVIN to lead them," VILL-V concluded.
Those were the only two choices, KEVIN always complied with MEI's requests, so it wouldn't be strange if KEVIN suddenly formed an organization at MEI's request.
"Let's keep watching," said ELYSIA.
"Yeah, there's no point in us jumping to conclusions like this," said MEI, she and the other Flame-Chasers then turned their attention back to the screen.
The Serpent appears to be a rather common reptile.
Eve's narration voice came off the screen with words that confused everyone.
"Serpent?" said Kiana (2016) frowning.
"Those are quite interesting words to start with," said Himeko.
"This may be due to the name of the organization," said Theresa (2016), the St. Freya nodded in agreement.
Yet humanity seems to have an eternal fascination with it.
Great philosophers regarded it as the first life created in the cosmos.
Form Apep to Kukulkan, humanity has worshipped many serpentine gods. The true origins of such practices have been lost to time.
Every investigator curious about the origins of these serpent cults would arrive at one conclusion.
These cults have spread throughout the earth, growing roots that reach beyond the deepest recesses of darkness.
Perhaps the seeds of such fear and reverence for the serpent have been planted before modern humans walked the earth.
"This Serpent might be the Sire, Eve's talking about him. But why?" thought Natasha wonderingly.
Perhaps the serpent lurks within the very fiber of our being, passing through the generations whether we like it or not.
"Why do her words seem to indicate that the Serpent is real," muttered Kallen in a low voice.
And if this is true, it may suggest that these serpent cults may still be around, singing their old songs and keeping their frightful traditions alive.
- SAHARA DESERT –
In the middle of that barren and hot desert, there are several young girls who are scattered to investigate something. The girls were wearing clothes ready for battle. These girls are not ordinary girls.
"Valkyries!?" Lixue exclaimed, she knew the clothes the girls wore very well.
"What are they doing in the desert?" said Cecilia as she hugged Little Kiana in her lap.
They are Schicksal's Valkyrie.
Moments ago, Schicksal detected a strong energy surge in North Africa after a portal to the Sea of Quanta opened.
"!?"
Everyone immediately raised their heads and stared at the screen with full attention, the information they just heard was no small matter.
"Portal to Sea of Quanta? What really happened?" Ask Theresa (2016) surprised. Bronya who was sitting nearby was staring at the screen in dismay but also with anticipation as this might have something to do with her Seele.
Cocolia squinted her eyes at the screen when she heard Sea of Quanta, because this happened in the future, so she didn't know about this matter at all.
Meanwhile in the 2018 lineup, Fu Hua looked at Kevin with a curious look, "Kevin, is this...?"
"Yeah, this is when I get out of the Sea of Quanta," said Kevin answering Fu Hua's question.
"So this is what Awakening means in the title of the video, the World Serpent rises to the surface to welcome you home."
"Maybe."
As a result, a Valkyrie squad has been dispatched.
[HQ, we have arrived at signal coordinates. We can't find anything out of the ordinary here,] a Valkyrie reported to headquarters.
When they got there, Schicksal was confused by the lack of findings and suspected faulty equipment instead.
"It was strange," said Fu Hua (2016).
"Yeah, Schicksal's equipment can't be damaged so easily. There must be something going on," said Theresa (2016).
"Report received, squad. Monitor the area for another 12 hours and notify HQ if you find or notice anything," said a woman named Amber from headquarters. She was a beautiful woman whose white hair was braided to the side and wore orange Eyeshield.
"Who's that?" Kallen asked curiously. Unknowingly, the two Theresas flinched at her question.
"Her name is Amber, she is Otto's right-hand. She was the one who helped Otto in his work while he was Overseer," answered Eve.
"I see," said Kallen nodding, she then looked at Amber on the screen, "I don't know why she looks like me, maybe it's just my feeling."
- ATLANTIC BRANCH –
The operator at the Atlantic branch headquarters looked at the screen showing several Valkyries in wetsuits seen diving into the deep ocean.
[HQ, we lost contact with squad Albatross 3 hours ago. They were supposed to monitor the carcass of the Judgment-Class Honkai Beast, Chiyou. But the Valkryies we've sent to the eastern sea facilities just reported that they failed to find anyone from squad Albatross. Worse, they told me that Chiyou's body went missing as well,] the Operator reported to headquarters.
"WHAAAT!?"
Everyone outside of 2018 was shocked to hear the news. Chiyou was the first Judgment-class Honkai Beast to appear in the Current Era, and it was recently defeated by Himeko and her team after being sealed for so long. So hearing Chiyou's corpse had disappeared must have been a huge shock to them.
"This is impossible, how could it disappear? What really happened?" said Theresa (2016) surprised.
"This problem is much bigger than I imagined," Himeko said crossing her arms.
Previous Era's group stored that information inside their minds.
"A Judgment-class Honkai Beast, huh. Fu fu, that could be an interesting research resource, I'm very interested in researching it," said MOBIUS with a grin.
"Yes, I agree," said Dr. MEI who is also interested.
"I wonder what it looks like," said VILL-V curiously.
Suddenly the screen changed and showed an image, at the bottom there was a text that read 'Judgment-Class Honkai Beast - Chiyou'.
Those who had never seen Chiyou's form were stunned to see the image of the Honkai Beast on the screen.
"W-Woah, that's huge," said PARDO stunned.
"Truly deserving of being called a Judgment Class," said KOSMA.
"Ku ku interesting," said KALPAS with a bloodthirsty grin behind his mask.
"You can't fight it KALPAS, that monster is in the future," SAKURA warns KALPAS.
"Tch, boring," said KALPAS whose mood immediately dropped, then he looked at Eve, "Oi, who defeated this monster?"
KALPAS's question caught everyone's attention, for those who didn't know anything about Chiyou looked curiously at Eve.
"Fu fu, of course we beat it," said Kiana (2016) puffing out her chest proudly.
Kiana's (2016) words received a negative response from most people because they did not believe it was the girl who defeated the Judgment Class Honkai Beast. Her colleagues only sighed as they were used to her behavior.
"Haaaa!? What are you spitting out, brat? There's no way a little girl like you can beat that monster," said KALPAS snorting.
"Wh-!? Who are you calling little girl? You masked old man, I'm strong you know? And with Mei-senpai with me no one will be able to beat us," shouted Kiana (2016) who felt humiliated.
"E-Enough, Kiana-chan. That person looks very angry," said Mei (2016) who was worried.
And as Mei (2016) said, KALPAS is now angry and his anger increases seeing his fellow Flame-Chasers laughing at him, especially MOBIUS and ELYSIA.
"Bwa ha ha ha ha ha, the masked old man she said. It fits perfectly!" said MOBIUS laughing out loud.
KALPAS was ready to lunge to attack MOBIUS, but the sound of clapping stopped him. He and everyone turned to the source of the sound and saw Eve smiling amusedly.
"Okay let's stop there, I don't want bloodshed to happen in this room," Eve said soothingly to KALPAS, but the amused smile didn't leave her face, "To answer your question KALPAS, it's true that Kiana-chan and her friends defeated that monsters."
"Ha! I told you-"
"Buuuuuut~" Eve said quickly cutting Kiana (2016), "There is a long story before that."
"What does it mean?" Ask Bronya (2016) tilted her head.
"I could tell but I guess I have to leave the decision to someone," Eve said as she turned to Fu Hua, "Hua, what's your decision?"
"Me?" said Fu Hua slightly surprised.
"Eh? What does Class Monitor have to do with this?" Kiana (2016) asked confused.
Eve didn't say anything and continued to stare at Fu Hua, after a while Fu Hua finally sighed and nodded "Okay."
"Thank you~. And sorry that I left it to you, I know this is hard for you."
"If you already know that this is hard for her, why are you still doing it?" said Senti crossing her arms in annoyance.
"It's okay Senti," said Fu Hua soothing Senti gently, then she turned to Eve, "Then I have to tell it from the beginning, can I tell about 'that' project?"
"That's fine, I'll be airing that later but you can drop in the small details now."
Fu Hua nodded before noticing that everyone was also looking at her curiously.
"It started thousands of years ago," said Fu Hua while reminiscing, "Due to the attack from the Herrscher of Finality, the earth was almost completely reduced to barren fields and ruins."
Everyone winced and were horrified at how dangerous the Herrscher of Finality was.
"Master, then how did civilization develop to what it is now?" Lixue asked confused. How did the barren fields and ruins become filled with a thriving metropolis?
"I'll explain. In order to advance civilization and the advancement of mankind in a new era to defeat Honkai, Dr. MEI has made certain projects."
"Uh, me?" said MEI surprised.
"Yes. As what's left of the Flame-Chasers, I, Kevin, Su, and Griseo are the ones leading each of those projects. We call ourselves pioneers and as pioneers, I lead the project EMBER."
Hearing the word Pioneer, the two Biankas immediately thought of Su. They remembered that Su also said he was a Pioneer.
"What is the project EMBER?" Cecilia asked curiously.
"It was a project to guide the people of the new era to develop a civilization based on the knowledge from the Previous Era."
Everyone was surprised to hear that but scientists thought it made sense, "So that's why civilization developed as it is now," Einstein (2000) concluded.
"Yes, I started the project in Senzhou. With the help of Nuwa and Fuxi, that place became the most advanced region back then."
"Nuwa? Fuxi!? The two of them managed to survive!?" said MOBIUS surprised.
"Yes, without the two of them the civilization probably wouldn't have progressed so much," said Fu Hua, then her expression turned grim, "But the project failed in the end because such an advanced civilization had dire consequences. I think you all know what that is."
Honkai. Everyone simultaneously thought the same thing.
"Chiyou, a Judgment Class Honkai Beast suddenly appeared and ravaged Senzhou. Cities were devoured and thousands of lives lost, it was the first major Honkai disaster to occur in the New Era."
Kiana (2016), who had been boasting about her achievements, paled and looked down sadly at Fu Hua's words.
"Me, Nuwa, Fuxi, and a few others went to stop the monster, but Chiyou was too strong for us. In the end… Nuwa, Fuxi, and and a friend of mine named Ji Xuanyuan sacrificed themselves to seal Chiyou," said Fu Hua, there was sadness in her voice as she said the last sentence.
"And in the end, as you already know, Kiana-chan. You managed to defeat Chiyou who had weakened with the help of Xuanyuan who sealed herself in the seal that Fuxi and Nuwa had made in Chiyou's stomach," Eve added.
"…"
Everyone fell silent after hearing Fu Hua's story, now they understood why Eve said that it was difficult for Fu Hua to tell this story. They understood the pain of losing someone close to them and therefore they decided to remain silent out of respect for Fu Hua and sunk into their own thoughts to process the information they had just received.
MOBIUS closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, she thought of her two assistants, Nuwa and Fuxi. The two sisters who were always noisy and playing with Klein, to think that they both sacrificed themselves and died as heroes made MOBIUS a little proud.
"Maybe I should be a little soft on them?" thought MOBIUS.
HUA also closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair like MOBIUS, she thought about what her future self had gone through. Leading a project given by MEI was a huge task, she didn't think her current self could do it. She also thought of the two MOBIUS assistants, she wasn't very familiar with Nuwa and Fuxi but she enjoyed talking to the two of them. So she was quite sad to hear they had died in the future.
"Chiyou, huh…" thought HUA when it came to that Honkai Beast, her future self had already suffered from that monster, if she didn't want the same fate then she had to make a change, "I have to train harder."
Meanwhile in St. Freya, Himeko and her team were silent thinking about the information they got.
"Nuwa, Fuxi, and Xuanyuan. They are all legends from the past, I didn't expect you to be friends with them, Hua," said Theresa (2016) breaking the silence.
"Moreover, the Class Monitor is the person who leads them," Bronya (2016) added.
"You are amazing, Class Monitor," said Mei (2016) in awe.
Fu Hua (2016) remains silent and does not reply to the words of those around her. Her current mind was in a bit of a mess ever since she heard her future self's story.
"Class Monitor, are you alright?" Ask Kiana (2016) who is worried to see Fu Hua (2016) who is silent.
"Y-Yes, it's just… it's the same as Lixue. I had precious people in the past but I don't remember them at all. It feels really painful," said Fu Hua (2016) with a sour expression.
Kiana (2016) and others look at Fu Hua (2016) with sympathy, they can't imagine how painful it is to forget the people they care about.
Himeko then put her hand on Fu Hua's (2016) shoulder, "Take it easy, Hua. I'm sure one day you will definitely get your memory back."
"Major…"
"That's right, Class Monitor. No need to worry, we will definitely bring back your memories," said Kiana (2016) confidently, followed by nods from Mei (2016) and Bronya (2016).
"Ha ha, I believe you will definitely regain your memories, Hua. Your future self have proven it," said Theresa (2016) with a chuckle.
"All of you…" said Fu Hua (2016) looking at her friends with wide eyes, then she smiled, "Thank you."
From her seat, Eve listened to Fu Hua's (2016) conversation with a smile.
"Fu fu, I guess I should give them a present after all this is over," she thought happily.
While Eve watched the St. Freya, ELYSIA accompanied by EDEN have walked towards Fu Hua's place. When they got there, ELYSIA immediately hugged Fu Hua from behind.
"Oh, Hua. You've been through a tough ordeal, I'm sorry I couldn't cheer you up when you needed me," said ELYSIA.
"Ha ha, it's okay ELYSIA. To be honest it really hurt me back then, but now it's okay," said Fu Hua chuckling.
"Hmph, that is if you don't take the path of solitude anymore," snorted Senti.
ELYSIA looked at Senti with an interested look, "Ara, if I'm not mistaken your name is Senti, right?"
"Ugh… not you either," said Senti groaning, she then looked at ELYSIA with determination, "Listen, my name isn't Senti, my name is The Great-hmpghhg!"
Before Senti finished saying her words, Fu Hua immediately covered the Herrscher's mouth with her hand.
"A-Ah ha ha ha, don't listen to her. She can get too excited sometimes," said Fu Hua laughing nervously while holding back the struggling Senti.
"Fu fu, you look so close to her, Hua. Who's she?" Ask Eden.
Fu Hua was speechless, she looked at Senti and wondered how she would answer EDEN's question. Without her noticing, Senti had stopped struggling and was looking at herself curiously.
"She-"
"Alright everyone, please return to your seats. We're still in the middle of a show, you know?" said Eve, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention.
"…"
Fu Hua and EDEN fell silent and looked at each other, after a while they finally chuckled.
"Let's continue later," EDEN said with a smile.
"Agreed," Fu Hua replied.
"Let's go back, Ellie."
"Ah, right. And Kevin, we'll talk later, okay?"
With that, ELYSIA and EDEN returned to their seats. Fu Hua watched them leave before giving Kevin a questioning look, Kevin shook his head slowly to show he had no idea what ELYSIA was talking about.
Fu Hua then realized Senti was still looking at her, when she looked back at Senti she turned her attention in another direction. Fu Hua chuckled when she noticed Senti's behavior.
"Are you curious about my answer?" Fu Hua asked.
"H-Huh!? Who is-"
"You are my sister."
"Hah?" Senti paused and stared at Fu Hua with widened eyes.
"You are my sister, that is who you are to me," said Fu Hua with a smile, "Or as a child? Given her nature," Fu Hua added in her mind.
"…" Senti was silent and speechless, she then turned her attention elsewhere.
"Senti?" Fu Hua asked confused seeing Senti's silence.
"H-Hmph, f-fine, I'll let you think of me as such. You should be lucky," said Senti stammering a little.
"What's lucky? Even though you yourself are very happy inside," said a voice.
"Hah!? Who said that!?"
Senti turned to the source of the sound and immediately fell silent when she saw Kiana's wide grin directed at her, she also saw Bronya and Mei looking at her with a smile. Apparently the three of them were listening to her conversation with Fu Hua.
"Ehe." Kiana chuckled and made Senti flinch from her silent state, her face immediately turned red after that.
"A-A-A-Aaaaahhhhh shut up! Shut up! You guys are loud! L-Look there, the video has started. Let's continue watching," shouted Senti who was embarrassed to try to change the subject.
Kiana and the others didn't say anything and just laughed before looking back at the screen.
"Report received. I'll notify Lord Otto at once. Continue your serach, Atlantic," said Amber from headquarters, a drop of sweat running down her cheek because of the problem at hand.
"Poor Amber, problems come one after another," said ELYSIA with concern.
"Yes, maybe this is what our friends in the back row also feel," said EDEN.
"You're right," said ELYSIA, then something crossed her mind, "Okay, after this I'll give them words of encouragement. APONIA, come with me."
"Eh? Me?" said APONIA a little surprised, then she shook her head "That's impossible, you already know how I am, ELYSIA."
"Don't worry about it, you don't need to wear your 'disciple'. Just go with me, okay?" said ELYSIA forcefully.
APONIA sighed, "Okay if you insist."
"Really? Wah, thank you, APONIA. I know I can count on you~."
Meanwhile on the other hand, Kallen crossed her arms while sullenly staring at the screen.
"Geez Otto, how could you order this girl to do such a heavy task. I hope you don't relax there," thought Kallen. If only Otto were here, she would definitely advise him.
The North African energy spike was followed by a string of strange events.
It seemed as though something dark has stirred from its slumber and is already casting its great shadow over the entire world.
"What actually happened, the atmosphere looks like something big is going to happen," said Bianka (2016).
"Yes, I also feel the same way, Durandal-sama," said Rita (2016).
- NEW MEXICO –
Seeing the name of the place, the Anti-Entropy Trio and Cocolia immediately raised their heads.
"That's where the Anti-Entropy base is," they thought in unison.
In a certain machine manufacturing factory, several people were seen moving goods into a truck.
A fat man wearing a fedora hat was wiping his sweat after he moved things, then another man approached him.
"Who?" Ask Kiana (2016) confused, she looks around and realizes that the others don't know either.
Except for one person.
"Hmm? The fat man is an acquaintance of the Jackal if I'm not mistaken," thought Natasha hummingly.
"I think the business is good, Senor. I think this is a bad time to close the store. We can definitely make more money," the man said to the fat man as he offered a box full of cigars.
"Hah. I've been in this business for 30 years. I need a vacation," said the fat man as he took a cigar from the man's box.
After talking for a while the two men then parted ways, the man with the cigar box left in the freight truck while the fat man stayed behind and waved at the truck as it drove away.
"Hasta la vista, friend," said the fat man, grinning.
After the truck drove away until it was out of sight, the fat man walked into his office. Inside the office was the usual table and chair, but on the table was a small statue in the shape of a serpent's head.
The fat man entered the office and approached the desk, he then shifted the serpent statue and with a 'crack', a secret door in the office opened.
Several people narrowed their eyes at this scene, their gut telling them they didn't like what was about to happen.
The time has come to change the world.
"Change the world, huh. It's true that the world has changed after the World Serpent rose to the surface of the world," thought Mei.
Elsewhere, an old man is seen entering a building, several people come closer to greet him.
"Oh?" Himeko said a little surprised and raised her eyebrows.
"Hmm? What's wrong, major?" asked Fu Hua (2016).
"Ah, nothing. It's just that the old man is a millionaire out there."
"Geh- is he also one of your targets?" said Theresa (2016) frowning.
"Fu fu, I don't know what you mean, Principal," said Himeko smiling innocently. Theresa (2016) just grunts.
"Good morning, director. Coffee as usual?"
"Good morning, too. But the coffee isn't necessary, thank you," said the old man who was known to be the director.
After rejecting the offer, the old man then walked into his office. He then turned on the computer and started typing something excitedly.
"Just like the fat man earlier, their actions are suspicious," observed SAKURA.
"Yeah, something must be going on," said SU.
"This might have something to do with the Serpent followers that Eve explained earlier, the proof is that they both have objects related to serpents," said APONIA.
"Hmm, you might be right, APONIA," VILL-V agreed.
"Heee, Serpent huh. I wonder if this The Serpent really exists," said MOBIUS with an interested grin.
After a while he finally finished typing and exited the building. He then activated his cellphone to call someone.
"Lord jackal," said the old man, walking with his cane, "I have done my part. The transfer of 50 billion euros has already been completed. Anything for our noble cause-"
SPLASH!
Several people immediately gasped at the scene on the screen, they didn't expect the situation to change in an instant.
With a mother's instinct, Cecilia immediately closed little Kiana's eyes. It was lucky that she made it in time, otherwise her daughter would surely have seen a gruesome, bloody scene.
"H-He's dead…" said Mei (2016) in horror while covering her mouth with her hand.
"Jackal... if I'm not mistaken that person is a member of the World Serpent, right?" Ask Bianka (2016) to Rita.
"Yes, apparently this event has something to do with the World Serpent. Given the title of this video, I'm not too surprised," said Rita (2016).
Suddenly a high-speed truck hit the man and made blood splattered everywhere. The old man died instantly.
An unseen force rippled across the globe, upsetting carefully constructed balances that kept the status quo in check.
Those who suspected that something was amiss and tried to investigate became the next victims.
- ANTI-ENTROPY BASE, NEW MEXICO, THE UNITED STATES –
Outside the Anti-Entropy base, a heavily armed soldier was doing his job guarding the entrance. Then in the distance he saw a freight truck speeding towards him, the truck then stopped in the parking lot outside the headquarters.
"A truck like that shouldn't be able to get close to the base unattended," said Tesla (2000) narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah, and also the guards are too few. It is too suspicious," said Einstein (2000).
Welt (2000) also squinted at the screen, suspecting the same thing as his two fellow scientists.
The guard remained silent and saw someone coming out the door then the truck, the person approached him and upon closer it was revealed that it was the fat man from earlier. The guard didn't do anything because he thought the man was harmless, but after getting closer the fat man suddenly pointed a gun at him and-
"Wh-!"
"Huh!?"
BANG!
Gun shots could be heard accompanied by splashes of blood.
"…"
There was silence for a moment due to the sudden change in situation, after which someone exploded in anger.
"What the hell has he done!?" shouted Tesla (2000) angrily. As a superior, seeing her subordinates being killed so easily naturally made her angry.
"The situation is getting much worse," Einstein (2000) sighed.
"Yes, I agree. This event will happen 17 years from now, but if this is the work of the World Serpent, then there's nothing wrong with being vigilant from now on," said Welt (2000) while pushing up his glasses.
"Even when humanity was fighting the Honkai, humans were still in conflict with each other," said SU shaking his head in disappointment.
"I think it can't be helped, even in our era it still happens a lot. Every human being has passions and desires, it is up to them whether they can control them or not," said HUA.
"You're right. Wise words, HUA," said SU chuckling.
"I think I learned a lot from you," replied HUA smiling.
Far above the cliff, a woman stood witnessing the event. The woman had long dark brown hair and tanned skin. She wears a black wolf mask with yellow eyes and white pupils. There is a yellow marking around the eye and a gray marking on the nose, a lightning bolt above the eye, and an ankh in the middle of the forehead. She was wearing a beautiful white suit, black shirt, and navy blue skirt. Her outfit has gold in various areas, and is finished with long black nylon.
"Whoa, who is that? She wears a scary mask like KALPAS-niichan," said PARDO.
"HUH!?" KALPAS growled making the PARDO screech.
She just stood motionless on the cliff during the murder, not long after a voice came over her intercom.
"Could it be she who planned the attack," Lixue said, looking at the screen suspiciously.
"Probably so," said Cecilia agreed while stroking the head of Little Kiana who was already asleep in her lap.
[Lord Jackal… the battle has begun.]
"Jackal...?" said ELYSIA tilting her head.
"Could she be the Jackal the old man called earlier?" said EDEN wonderingly.
"Eh, her name is Jackal, you know? Not suitable for a girl," said ELYSIA trying to deny.
"Then let me introduce her," Eve said suddenly, attracting everyone's attention.
"Her real name is Cleo Hypatia, she is a cadre and genius scientist belonging to the World Serpent organization. The reason she's called Jackal is because it's a codename, every member of World Serpent uses an animal codename to mask their real name like Natasha or Raven over there," Eve explained while pointing at Natasha. Natasha's brows twitched as people looked at her.
"I see, so that's a codename," said ELYSIA nodding in understanding, then she realized something, "Hm? Then Kevin has one too? Kevin~, what's your codename?"
Kevin was silent for a moment before replying, "It doesn't really matter."
"Eeeehh come on, I'm curious~."
"Fu fu, you will find out later, Ellie. So just be patient, okay?" said Eve, amused.
"Huu, okay," said ELYSIA giving in. After that everyone looked back at the screen, but there was one person who wasn't satisfied.
"Wait! Then was it this World Serpent that had carried out the attack? Why are they attacking us?" Tesla said impatiently as she glared at the World Serpent members present in the room.
"That reason will be revealed in a moment, so calm down okay? There's no point in getting angry right now because this incident is far in the future in your timeline," Eve said.
Tesla (2000) was dissatisfied with that reasoning but after some cajoling by Einstein (2000) and Welt (2000), she finally calmed down.
The woman who was now called the Jackal didn't say anything, she then removed her mask and made her beautiful face plus her beautiful golden eyes show, she then grinned as if the thing she was looking forward to had arrived.
"Wow, she's beautiful but her sly grin reminds me of MOBIUS," said ELYSIA.
"Haaa!? What do you mean by that?" said MOBIUS slightly offended.
"Fu fu, it's nothing~."
- IN THE ANTI-ENTROPY BASE A FEW MINUTES AGO –
Siegfried Kaslana and Raiden Ryouma are in one of the labs in the Anti-Entropy base. Ryouma was focused on writing something on his clipboard while Siegfried sat stretching his body on the lab bed.
Several people who were in contact with the two men were immediately shocked to see them appear on the screen.
"F-Father…?" said Mei (2016) in a trembling voice because she couldn't contain her surprise, Mei on the other hand fell silent and stared at the screen with widened eyes.
For both of them, it felt like it had been years since they had seen their father. Even though what happened in the past changed their lives, their feelings of longing and affection for their father certainly will not go away.
"Mei-senpai, are you alright?" Kiana (2016) asks worriedly, Bronya (2016) also looks at her with the same gaze as Kiana (2016).
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry," said Mei (2016) with a smile to prove she was okay, after which she sighed, "I was only surprised for a moment when I saw father appear on the screen. More importantly Kiana-chan, I'm surprised your father met mine."
"Yes, I was also surprised by that," said Kiana (2016), there was concern in her voice. She didn't know where her father had been but she knew that her father was not well.
On the other hand, Mei was also in the same situation as her younger self.
"Calm down you two, I'm fine," Mei said gently to Kiana and Bronya who were worried about her, "To be honest I'm glad to see father again, so there's nothing to worry about."
"Okay if you say so," said Kiana.
Meanwhile, Siegfried is being bombarded with questions from people he knows.
"Z-Ziggy, why are you with AE?" Cecilia asked who couldn't contain her surprise.
The Anti-Entropy Trio and Lixue were also looking at Siegfried curiously, as far as they knew Siegfried was a member of Schicksal, so seeing Siegfried with AE must have surprised them.
"I didn't join them, I just stopped by for a health check," answered Siegfried.
"Health check? Are you sick?" Cecilia asked worriedly.
"You could say that," Siegfried said ambiguously, he was hesitating whether he should tell Cecilia the condition of his body, "Well, I guess Eve might show it later."
"Why don't you just have Schicksal do it? Don't they have enough equipment?" Ask Tesla (2000).
"That-"
"You can explain later Siegfried," Eve said suddenly, then she looked at Tesla (2000) and Cecilia, "Just a moment."
Tesla (2000) and Cecilia have no choice but to be patient, they think Eve must have her reasons.
"So how long can my body keep up?" asked the shirtless Siegfried.
"Keep up?" thought Cecilia, hearing those words her mind was once again filled with anxiety.
"ICHOR infection is still below the critical threshold. No need to worry, Mr. Kaslana," Ryouma answered.
"ICHOR!?"
The Flame-Chasers from the Previous Era were shocked to hear that, they didn't expect that there was someone in this room who possessed the Honkai Beast gene besides them.
"Fu fu, surprised? Siegfried can be considered the MANTIS of the New Era," Eve said with a satisfied smile after seeing the reactions of the Previous Era's people.
"ICHOR? What's that?" Tanya Kiana (2016) tilted her head, Mei (2016) and the others were just as curious as Kiana (2016).
"Hmm, that would be a long explanation but in short it is the form in which a MANTIS uses their Honkai Beast power," Eve explained briefly. Although little did they understand, Kiana (2016) and others were satisfied with that answer.
"But how can be? Is there someone in New Era who can perform Meta-Morph surgery?" SU asked surprised.
Eve shook her head, "Siegfried got the Honkai gene not from surgery, but from heredity."
"Heredity?" said SAKURA tilting her head in confusion, as well as the others.
"Fu fu, I see, I see," said MOBIUS with an interested smile. She and the other scientists understood what Eve meant.
"Oh~ the great Dr. MOBIUS, please tell us what you know," ELYSIA teased.
MOBIUS clicked her tongue at ELYSIA's teasing words, but she still replied, "That's because he is Kevin's descendant, Kevin has the Honkai gene inside him which makes his descendants also have the same Honkai gene."
"T-Then do I also have that gene?" Kallen asked, surprised.
"Sure you have it Kallen. As MOBIUS said, all Kaslana have the Honkai Beast gene in their bodies," Eve confirmed, making Kallen pensive after that.
"Eve, the man on the screen says Mr. Siegfried has an ICHOR infection. How come?" Ask Dr. MEI.
"Well, I mentioned earlier that Siegfried is a New Era MANTIS, but he isn't perfect as a MANTIS. Every time he performs the ICHOR Transformation, his body is eaten away and his mind becomes uncontrollable, making him fight only using his natural instincts to eradicate Honkai. His fighting style is also quite brutal, think of it like a raging KALPAS who has lost his mind," said Eve, making KALPAS snort.
"I see," said Dr. Mei nodding in understanding.
"But not all Kaslana can activate the Honkai gene in their bodies because it is very difficult, even Siegfried has to take a painful path to activate it," added Eve.
"Dear, when did you get that power?" asked a worried Cecilia, as far as she knew her husband had never awakened the Honkai gene.
"That… I got it during the Second Honkai War," said Siegfried, glancing at Sirin briefly.
Sirin shivered for a moment remembering Siegfried's hideous form, she still remembered how terrifying Siegfried's monster form was. She was lucky the man no longer intended to hurt her.
"About that will be explained soon, Cecilia. You can see what Siegfried has been through in person later," said Eve.
Cecilia nodded, at least Siegfried had said he was fine which made her worries ease. She was also happy that Eve would show her what happened to her husband later.
After that everyone looked back at the screen to continue their viewing.
"I'll tell you the truth, the ICHOR suppressor I consumed isn't working anymore," said Siegfried while inspecting his right hand which was covered in purple lines from his transformation, "The chaos that occurred during the Second Honkai war seems to have gotten worse."
"Oh dear…" Cecilia looked sadly at her husband's condition on the screen. She wondered where she was now, why wasn't she by her husband's side? She wished she could help her husband when he was in need.
"Our professors will find an alternative medicine for you. I suggest you rest here so your body recovers."
Siegfried was unhappy hearing that, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly, "I was forced to take a break right when my baby doll needs me most. My life just keep getting worse!"
Kiana (2016) pursed her lips at Siegfried's words. All this time she was wondering why her father left her and what the reason was. Now that she found out that her father was not in a good condition, all her anger and frustration just disappeared.
"By the way, what does papa mean by I need him?" thought Kiana (2016) wondering.
"Kiana is needing him? Surely I was with her, right?" thought Cecilia. Seeing that Kiana is also a Valkyrie Schicksal of course she is around her daughter since she is also a Valkyrie.
Suddenly a great shock swept over their place, Siegfried and Ryouma immediately raised their guard.
"It has started," said Welt (2000) narrowing his eyes.
"Yeah, it still hasn't been explained why they are attacking us but I have a feeling we will find out soon enough," said Einstein (2000), then she stared at the screen deep in thought, "Maybe they are targeting Siegfried."
"What happened up there?" Ryouma shouted at the guard through his intercom.
[Unknown assassins in disguise and have attacked us, Mr. Raiden!] replied the guard.
"We were caught off guard, I didn't think there would be a member of the World Serpent among us," said Tesla (2000) with a snort of annoyance.
"Since this happened in the future, we can still fix this," Welt (2000) said pushing up his glasses.
Cocolia snorted in her seat, she didn't care what happened to the AE in the other branch, what she cared about was what the World Serpent's goal was to attack AE. As far as she could see, Jackal was the leader of the raid.
"Where's Gray Serpent? I'm not sure he won't be involved in this big operation," she thought.
"Can it be Schicksal? I thought this place is supposed to be well hidden," thought Siegfried who was listening to their conversation, "No, wait. Otto won't bother disguising his forces-?!"
"Wait, hiding? What does it mean? Why are you avoiding Schicksal, Ziggy?" asked a surprised Cecilia.
"Well… after the Second Eruption war, I clashed with Otto and left Schicksal. Since then I became a Schicksal's fugitive ," said Siegfried while rubbing the back of his head.
"Clashed? What happened? Wait, me and Kiana are coming with you, right?"
Me and Kiana are coming with you, right?
Siegfried froze at his wife's question and her words echoed inside his head. All anxiety and sadness attacked him, his breath trembled and his lips pursed but he tried to stay strong. But even so he didn't know how to answer that question.
Of all the questions, perhaps this is what Siegfried is most afraid of. Cecilia certainly wasn't afraid of death because as a Valkyrie she knew about it the most. Siegfried knows that rather than death, Cecilia is more afraid that she will have to leave her daughter and not be able to see her grow up. The thought of Cecilia hurting made him hesitate to answer his wife's question.
"There will be an explanation later on why they clashed, so let's continue watching for now," said Eve.
Cecilia nodded and looked back at the screen, but even so there was one question that kept running through her mind as she looked at her husband.
"Why does Siegfried look so worried?"
Meanwhile Siegfried thanked Eve silently for helping him, even though he knew that this act was cowardly but at least he was still given time to prepare himself for the future.
"Remember Siegfried, this is only temporary and in the end Cecilia will still find out what will happen to her in the future. Until then think of a way to appease your wife," said Eve in Siegfried's mind.
"Yeah I know. Thank you, Eve," replied Siegfried, who this time had determination. Eve was right, in the end Cecilia would find out about her fate and it was his duty as a husband to comfort his wife.
"Hmm, so that's how he ended up in AE," Einstein (2000) observed.
"Yeah, seeing all the equipment that has been prepared, I don't think this is the first time he has entered AE," said Tesla (2000).
Siegfried stopped thinking when an intense headache hit him, he clutched his head while grimacing.
"Speaking of the worst time," KOSMA muttered.
"The ICHOR infection is starting to take over," said MEI.
"Is he going to be okay?" SAKURA asked while looking at Siegfried's deteriorating condition.
"Who knows? Maybe if I was there I could check his body," said MOBIUS with a small grin.
"For you to use as your experimental material, right?" ELYSIA asked with amusement, making MOBIUS snort.
"Damn it! The pain is killing me!"
"Oh dear…" Cecilia thought sadly, she didn't like her husband's condition at all.
"Mr. Kaslana, are you all right?" Ryouma asked when he saw Siegfried's condition.
But when he ran towards Siegfried, he was suddenly pushed by Siegfried into the wall, "Urk!" he winced.
"Father!" shouted Mei (2016) worried.
He looked at Siegfried and was surprised that Kaslana had done his transformation, part of his body had been replaced with that of the Honkai Beast.
Several people were surprised to see the changes in Siegfried's body.
"Th-That's papa?" Kiana (2016) stuttered.
"It seems that this is the form of Siegfried's transformation mentioned earlier," said Theresa (2016) observing.
"Yeah, some parts of his body turn into Honkai Beasts, so this is Kaslana's power when they activate their hidden genes," said Himeko seriously.
Meanwhile Fu Hua (2016) stares at the screen full of questions, "Is this why Overseer Otto made Siegfried a fugitive? … No, it is still too early for me to conclude."
Meanwhile Kallen stared at Siegfried's appearance on the screen with widened eyes, "Will I also be like that if I awaken my Honkai gene?" she then stared at her hand for a moment then clenched it into a fist, "No, I shouldn't take this as my obstacle. The Great Sire had fought under these conditions for tens of thousands of years and he had never given up on Honkai. I won't give up either."
Kallen thought that with determination but then her shoulders slumped as she remembered something important.
"Why am I thinking this when my life is almost over," Kallen thought sadly, she closed her eyes and remembered someone who was very important to her.
"Sakura... what should I do now...?"
"Ryouma! Get out while I can still control my body! I will defeat the intruder for you!" shouted Siegfried.
Soon the sound of footsteps could be heard from the hallway, judging from the sound of the footsteps one could deduce that they were made up of two people. The footsteps were accompanied by the sound of a lifeless body falling to the floor.
Siegfried stayed where he was, Ryouma had left long ago so he didn't need to worry about anything.
Mei (2016) breathes a sigh of relief because her father is gone, if her father is still there, there is a possibility that he will be killed considering that the enemy kills someone without hesitation.
His gaze kept on the dark alley in front of him, before long he could see two women coming out of the passage.
The first woman wore tight dark clothing and a robe that had a hood over her head. The second woman wears a white suit and a black wolf mask with golden eyes that glow in the dark.
The two women were Jackal and Raven, executive members of the World Serpent.
Since the Jackal was not in the room, everyone's attention was on Natasha, Natasha herself kept her poker face under the hood of her robe.
"YOU!" roared Tesla (2000) angrily looking at Natasha.
"Calm down, Dr. Tesla," said Einstein (2000) quickly grabbing her fellow scientist by the shoulder.
"Don't get in my way, Mobhead. Don't you see what she has done to our members," growled Tesla (2000).
"I know, but that doesn't mean you have to be angry like this."
"But still she has killed our people!"
"Hmph. It really sucks," said Natasha with a snort, earning an angry glare from Tesla (2000).
"What did you say!?"
"I said you suck, you act like you're a saint," Natasha said coldly, "Now let me ask you, how many people did you sacrifice to perfect that mech you made? How many of them died during the trials or when they fought the honkai?"
"…"
Tesla (2000) was silent and could not answer because what Natasha said was true. Several mistakes often occurred when she was conducting trials to perfect her mech, even those mistakes cost the lives of her subordinates.
"You don't know it yet but one of your members in the future commits mass genocide, leaving more people dead than I have killed, but you can't stop that person," added Natasha. In the distance Tesla clicked her tongue but said nothing, meanwhile Cocolia snorted and narrowed her eyes at Natasha.
Tesla (2000) clenched her fists tightly unable to reply to Natasha's words, just then Einstein (2000) stepped forward to defend her friend.
"Apart from that we all have goals that we must achieve for the good of humanity," said Einstein (2000).
"Goals, huh. Then you have no right to lecture me because I also have a purpose. Let me tell you one thing, every member of World Serpent has a certain goal in their life, and we will sacrifice anything to reach that goal. Remember that," said Natasha ending her words. After that she pulled her hood deeper to indicate she would not speak anymore.
Seeing that they did not share the same understanding, Einstein (2000) and Tesla (2000) returned to their seats. Welt (2000) who saw the red-haired scientist bowed down decided to speak.
"I won't say who's wrong, but your invention has saved many human lives out there, Dr. Tesla. Please remember that," said Welt (2000).
Tesla (2000) sighed before smiling softly, "I know, thanks."
In the distance, the herrscher trio from 2018 stared at the whole scene.
"The old Dr. Tesla was much grumpier than she is now," Bronya commented.
"I don't really know her but I think you're right, Bronya-chan," Mei agreed.
"Really? I think she's just as grumpy as she is now," said Kiana frankly.
"Hey I heard that, you three," Tesla said suddenly, causing the trio to flinch.
"E-Ekh! F-Forgive us!"
"Humph, never mind," Tesla said as she rested her head on her hand.
On the other hand, the people from the Previous Era were also watching that scene.
"Heh, that hooded girl has guts," said Kalpas chuckling.
"I wonder if what she said is true, regarding the principles of the World Serpent. I mean Kevin is their leader," said SAKURA.
"Ah right, that reminds me. KEVIN, what do you mean by sacrificing anything? That's too cruel you know," ELYSIA scolded KEVIN.
KEVIN sighed "I can't comment on what I haven't done, ELYSIA."
"Oh right, then I'll reprimand the other Kevin," said ELYSIA who was about to head over to Kevin's place, but she was pulled back to her seat by EDEN.
"That can be done later, Ellie. Look, the video has continued," said EDEN.
"Okay," said ELYSIA, letting out a disappointed sigh.
Siegfried gritted his teeth and glared at the two women.
This is the moment of truth.
The moment where the histories, myths, and legends of humanity are reconciled as one.
Suddenly everyone felt goosebumps hearing Eve's words.
"W-What is this feeling…?" Lixue asked who felt tense.
"I don't know, but… I have a feeling this video will reach its climax," said Cecilia who also felt tense.
"I feel the same way," Kallen agreed.
The women stared at the screen intently and wondered what the purpose of this video was.
On a busy city street, a boy stood motionless in the sea of people walking to and fro, the boy just kept silent and his gaze turned to the sky.
And at exactly this moment, 700.000 individuals on this planet stopped what they were doing.
Everyone was immediately stunned to hear the fantastic number of numbers.
"Wawawa s-seven hundred thousand? That's a lot!" thought a stammering Susannah.
"I had no idea a number this big had been under the surface all this time," said Welt (2000).
"Yeah, some of the members even disguised themselves among us," said Einstein (2000).
"After this we have to carry out a strict examination of each member," suggested Tesla (2000), her two colleagues nodded in agreement.
"Principal, with that many members there's a chance they're among us," said Himeko seriously.
"Agreed, we have to tighten our security," said Theresa (2016).
"Rita, does overseer Otto know about this?" Ask Bianka (2016).
"I don't know, Durandal-sama. But there's nothing wrong with sharing this information," said Rita (2016). Bianka (2016) nods in agreement.
Every one of them turned their gaze towards the moon.
It was during this moment that several changes were effected.
A person disappeared, a document was approved, a company changed hands, and a deal was successfully concluded.
"I still don't understand what's going on," said Kiana (2016) frowning while crossing her arms.
"Me too, Kiana-chan. But judging from the situation, they look like they are preparing something big, all of this makes me uncomfortable," said May (2016).
"The Bronya agreed with Mei-neesama. All their actions point in that direction," said Bronya (2016).
When compared to the other concerns of this world, these changes appeared to be insignificant and trivial.
They were hardly noticed by anyone.
In a lab, Jackal stands in front of a large tube filled with liquid, inside the tube a figure floats.
"Oh~, someone is doing an experiment that looks interesting," said MOBIUS with a small grin.
"She seems to be modifying the body, whether it's a human body or not," said MEI while observing.
"Uwaah, apparently there are also people who like to do terrible experiments like MOBIUS-oneechan," said PARDO a little scared.
"Hmm~, did you say something, PARDO?" MOBIUS asked in a dangerous tone.
"N-No, nothing at all," said PARDO quickly shaking her head.
But the consequences of these changes are immense in scale and deadly as well, none could escape its touch or spread its gaping maw.
On a full moonlit night, Raven stood above a house surrounded by crows flying around.
A hidden truth shall only be revealed to the servants who have defended their faith and devoted their minds to the great cause.
"Is it about Kevin? Pretty reasonable considering he is their leader," MEI mused in her mind.
Inside the dimly lit room, a person dressed in black and wearing an umbrella named Gray Serpent was looking at an information board containing photographs and notes.
"Who's that?" SAKURA asked, somehow she felt something strange about the Gray Serpent's appearance on screen.
"His name is Gray Serpent. He is not a human but an artificial life form created by Dr. MOBIUS," Eve explained.
Everyone immediately turned their attention to MOBIUS, while MOBIUS herself just raised her eyebrows, "Oh, I made that?"
"Yup in the next few months," Eve said while nodding, "Gray Serpent was the one who founded the World Serpent organization on your will."
Once again everyone was surprised to hear additional information from Eve.
"That means the World Serpent existed 50,000 years ago?" asks Welt (2000).
"Yes, he has very high loyalty to the members of the Flame-Chasers. The World Serpent that he founded only Flame-Chasers members are allowed to be the leader of, and that's why Kevin became the leader of the World Serpent."
"So that's it," mused MEI, "Now I understand why Kevin became their leader."
After that everyone sank deep into their thoughts, MOBIUS pondered and wondered what the reason was for creating an artificial life form. After a while the video resumed and everyone turned their attention to the screen.
The silent ripples shall collide, merge, and blend into a roiling maelstrom. And withing the eye of this vortex, we shall hear the faithful chorus in one united voice.
THE SERPENT HAS RETURNED.
"The Serpent!?"
Everyone subconsciously repeated the words the screen spoke.
"Oh, does that mean the Serpent is real?" Ask ELYSIA.
"Of course, the fact is that the Serpent is in this room right now," Eve said, surprising everyone.
"Eh really? Who?" PARDO asked curiously.
"It's Kevin, isn't it?" said MEI. The room fell silent for a moment before they simultaneously looked at the person in question.
"Fu fu, of course he is. He is the leader of the organization after all," said MOBIUS with amusement.
"When you think about it, it does make sense," said SAKURA.
"Eeeh why does it have to be Serpent, Kevin? Are you obsessed with MOBIUS? There are still lots of cute animals, you know?" ELYSIA said to Kevin in surprise, meanwhile MOBIUS's eyebrows twitched at ELYSIA's words.
"Fu fu, it wasn't Kevin who gave himself a codename, Ellie. Originally Gray Serpent intended to make MOBIUS the leader but since in the New Era only four Flame-Chasers remained Kevin was the one to replace them. And because Kevin didn't bother thinking about codenames, he used the codename intended for MOBIUS, namely The Serpent," explained Eve.
"I see," said ELYSIA nodding in satisfaction.
While MOBIUS was deep in thought, the idea of creating a Gray Serpent sounded interesting but she put that aside for now. There was one thing she was confused about from Eve's words.
How come Eve never said whether she was dead or not?
Somewhere unknown, in an extremely large room that could be compared to a hall of an empire, there were two people currently filling the room.
The first person is Kevin Kaslana. He sat on the huge stone throne that had been prepared for him as the leader of the World Serpent. Behind him was a large World Serpent emblem stuck to the wall.
"Wow, you really look like a king, Kevin," said ELYSIA with amusement, KEVIN, who heard what she said, just snorted.
"So that's the symbol of the World Serpent," said APONIA while looking at the symbol displayed on the screen.
"The symbol of Ouroboros, this truly represents MOBIUS," muttered EDEN.
The second person is the Gray Serpent. He was currently kneeling in front of Kevin while presenting the Judgment of Shamash that had been snatched from Siegfried to the leader of the World Serpent.
"That's Shamash," Cecilia said in surprise.
"Yes, and we finally know what they're after Mr. Siegfried for," said Lixue.
"They're after Shamash," Kallen added, Lixue nodded. When she saw Shamash, Kallen remembered her late father who used to use the same weapon.
"And now the other descendants of Kaslana have also inherited the weapon," thought Kallen with a wry smile.
"Sire, Chiyou's body will restore your lost power. I also want to return something, I offer it as your return gift," said the Gray Serpent while presenting the Judgment of Shamash, "A weapon that should be wielded by the One who leads humanity to the path of victory."
"Wait, what does he mean by Chiyou's body returning his lost power?" Asked Tesla (2000) who was confused.
"Ah, I haven't said it yet but apart from the MANTIS project, Kevin is also doing a project called the Chimera project. A project where more than 100 honkai beast genes are injected into him, therefore his resistance to Honkai is very high and he can absorb honkai energy to restore his own energy. As you can see on the screen, he has absorbed Chiyou to recover himself."
"…"
Everyone other than those who knew about the project were shocked to hear Eve's words, the shock was so great that they were speechless.
"T-That many!?" said Theresa (2016) with widened eyes, she couldn't imagine how someone could survive with so many honkai beast genes in them.
"What the hell…!?" said Himeko who was also flabbergasted by the information she heard.
"Fu fu, surprised? Kevin wouldn't be called a Hero of Humanity for nothing. Now let's continue watching," Eve said, amused by everyone's expressions.
From his throne, Kevin stared at the Divine Key for a moment before asking, "And what became of its former wielder?"
"We've given him every measure of comfort befitting an important and personal guest of yours, Sire."
"What did they do to you, Ziggy?" asked a worried Cecilia.
Siegfried rubbed his head before answering, "Well, they locked me up somewhere, but I'm fine now. I'm free so you don't have to worry," said Siegfried with a confident smile.
Cecilia hesitated a bit but seeing Siegfried's smile made her sigh, "Fine if you say so."
Kevin seemed satisfied with that answer as he didn't bring it up again he then stood up and grabbed the weapon.
"Very well. I accept this gift."
Shamash started to activate when Kevin held the hilt, the Divine Key that was originally cold and colorless began to change shape. Flames that raised the room's temperature started to swirl around the weapon.
"We finally meet again, old friend," Kevin said, then he raised the flaming Shamash up, "We shall fight together again like we used to."
Right after that, the seventh Divine Key, Key of Destruction, Judgment of Shamash displayed its strongest form.
MIGHT OF AN-UTU
And the core of the mighty sword erupted to life, emitting a super-heated plasma jet that lit up the entire throne room.
Everyone's eyes widened and their mouths gaped at the tremendous power Kevin released.
"A-Amazing, so this is the true power of Judgment of Shamash. Father even sacrificed his life just to summon Shamash's Fire but the Great Sire unleashed Shamash's full power with just one hand. It's amazing, this is the true power of Kaslana's ancestors," thought Kallen in awe.
"Shit, just make me jealous. It took me a lot of sacrifices to do that and he only uses one hand," grumbled Siegfried.
"There's no need to be jealous, after all he is the original owner of Judgment of Shamash. The weapon has been arranged for him," Theresa said.
"Yeah, you're right," said Siegfried with a sigh.
Meanwhile Sirin was staring at the screen with widened eyes, a drop of sweat could be seen running down her cheek. Even though all of this was just a video, but she could clearly feel the power exuded by Kevin on the screen.
"W-What… what is that guy!? That's a very underhanded power! Is he still human? Why does he have that much power!? Is this why Eve called him the strongest human?"
Sirin screamed out all her confusion in her mind. Even though Eve had previously explained at length about Kevin, but because she was still a kid, Sirin only understood a little of what Eve said. One thing she understood was that Kevin was Humanity's Hero and the Strongest Man.
"Sigh, luckily he's not my enemy," thought Sirin as she glanced at Kevin, "I'm not sure I can win even if I use my full power. That man scared me."
Humanity gave this fearsome sword many names.
Divine judgment that obliterated the cities of Sodom dan Gomorrah.
The flaming sword of the Cherubim who guards the Gates of Eden.
… and many others.
These tales are merely attempts by witnesses of its resplendent glory to describe what they saw. Thousands of years later, these records became regarded as myths.
The executive members of World Serpent started to gather in the hall, starting from Jackal, Gray Serpent, Raven and many others. They gathered to welcome their leader's return.
"There is no doubt that World Serpent is the strongest organization today," said Theresa (2016) frankly.
"Yeah, I agree. Starting from the number of members to the executive members they sound very strong, and plus their leader who is called the strongest human being," said Himeko seriously.
"B-But of course they aren't enemies, right?" Asked Mei (2016) a little worried.
"Seeing that they just attacked the Anti-Entropy base, the Bronya isn't too sure about that," said Bronya (2016), Mei (2016) looked even more anxious to hear that.
"Take it easy, Mei-senpai. Kevin is Kaslana's ancestor, and as a Kaslana there's no way he would be hostile to humans. For a Kaslana, defeating Honkai is our main goal," said Kiana (2016) confidently to calm the purple-haired girl.
"Kiana-chan…" said Mei (2016) who felt a little touched by Kaslana's words, after which she smiled, "Yes, you're right."
The truth has been revealed in these hallowed halls. The myths are real. A sonorous roar echoes within the beating chest of every follower of the Serpent.
The faithful knew that this signaled the coming of the great storm.
(((Project Stigma))))
For those from 2018 of course not missing those last words, the great storm in question is definitely the Project Stigma which has affected the entire earth. But luckily that problem is solved now.
"Okay, that's our first main video. How are you feeling?" Eve said to everyone.
"It's very fun. I can know what will happen in the future," said ELYSIA with satisfaction, many agreeing with her.
"I think this video's purpose is to introduce us to the World Serpent organization," said SAKURA.
"That last part gave me the goosebumps. Master Kevin looks like the last boss there," said PARDO excitedly.
"Because he is!" thought the people of 2018 in unison.
"This video raises a lot of questions for me," said MEI.
"Fu fu don't worry, all questions will be answered in the end. For now let's take it slow," Eve said smiling, "Okay everyone, before we get into the next main video, I want you guys to watch a short first. Please enjoy~."
The Last Dream
"As additional information, the time setting of this video is after the fight against Final Herrscher. It also explains how humanity can survive its attacks," said Eve.
That information made everyone focus their attention on the screen, even more so for the people from the Previous Era as it might help them survive.
It was time to set off. It was a path that had never been traveled, and they would follow it unwaveringly for tens of thousands of years to come. The ground on which they now stood would become a foreign land at which they could only gaze longingly from a distance.
"Wait, what is that?" asked MEI curiously when she saw some things that looked like tubes.
"Oh, it's the 5th Divine Key. The Suspended Key; The Great Hibernation, a Cryogenic pod that the people of the Previous Era used to save themselves from the Herrscher of Finality's attacks," Eve replied, making the people of the Previous Era shocked, especially VILL-V.
"Huh!? Wait! The 5th Divine Key is a weapon, not a shelter," said VILL-V in denial.
"Yes, for now. But because of a disaster that occurred in your future, you decided to reconstruct the Divine Key."
"A disaster?"
"That will be shown later, but what is certain is that without this new Divine Key, humanity would have been wiped out by now. Those from the New Era will not be in this room."
The people of New Era were horrified to hear that, they would never have been born if VILL-V had not reconstructed the 5th Divine Key. Once again their respect for the woman increased.
VILL-V leaned back in the chair folding her arms, she was currently lost in thought over the information she just got from Eve.
"What do you think VILL-V, are you going to change it?" Ask MEI.
"If this can keep humanity alive, of course I will. But for now I want to see what disaster Eve is referring to."
"I understand," said MEI nodding. None of the other Flame-Chasers questioned VILL-V's decision, for the only people who knew about the Divine Key were the people who had created it themselves.
"Are you all set, Kevin?" Fu Hua asked the man nearby.
"Yeah," Kevin said blankly.
"Uwah Class Monitor, you and Kevin look really messy," said Kiana.
"I remember about this, we just came back from the moon after fighting HoFi. The tiredness after the battle and the sadness of losing comrades hurt a lot back then," said Fu Hua while reminiscing about the past.
"Class Monitor…"
"Ah don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'm just reminiscing a bit about the past."
"Hmph, it's better that way. Otherwise, I might hit your head to wake you up," said Senti with a snort.
"I need you if one day it happens," said Fu Hua with a small smile, making Senti snort once more.
"Did you doze off?"
"…Where's Su?" Kevin asked, ignoring Fu Hua's question.
"He has other things to do. He's not coming."
"…" Kevin didn't say anything, he pondered for a moment before speaking, "Hua, after becoming a MANTIS, do you still have dreams?"
Flame-Chaser and MEI blinked their eyes at Kevin's question, it was very rare for them to see Kevin like this, except for MEI and SU who had known Kevin for a long time. KEVIN himself looked at the screen curious about what he was thinking on the screen.
"Kevin…?" thought SU in slight shock, wondering what had happened to his friend.
"Why do you ask?"
"I... dreamed of Mei, Sakura, Elysia... I dreamed of all the people who've died. They told me that only the fittest survive. It makes me hate who I am now."
"…"
Silence fell on the room after hearing Kevin's words, ELYSIA who heard the news of her own death just closed her eyes while taking a small breath as if to calm down. Then she felt someone holding her hand, she opened her eyes and saw EDEN looking at her worriedly.
"Are you all right, Ellie?" asked Eden worriedly.
ELYSIA widened her eyes slightly before smiling, "I'm fine, Dear EDEN. I was only shocked for a moment because not only me, but MEI and SAKURA died too."
"I understand, but if there's anything you're worried about don't hesitate to talk to me, okay?"
"Sure~."
Meanwhile SAKURA took the news hard enough for her, she herself didn't think about her death but she thought about the bad consequences of her death.
Her sister, RIN, will be alone.
A world where death could happen every day was of course very dangerous for his little sister. The thought of her leaving her little sister alone in that dangerous world sent panic inside her.
"SAKURA."
While she was deep in thought, ELYSIA's voice brought her back to her senses.
"ELYSIA…"
"Are you all right, SAKURA? You look pale," said ELYSIA.
"I... I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about," said SAKURA covering her panic.
"You are worried about your sister, right?" ELYSIA asked, making SAKURA's expression stiffen.
SAKURA needed a moment to collect herself before she sighed, "You look like you know it all, ELYSIA."
"Fu fu, I know all about my friends you know~."
SAKURA chuckled before being candid, "Yeah, I'm worried about RIN. I'm scared because my death will leave her alone and no one will protect her. She…"
SAKURA expressed all her worries while ELYSIA listened quietly, after which they both remained silent for a few moments.
"Are you feeling relieved already, SAKURA?" ELYSIA asked breaking the silence.
"Yes, thank you ELYSIA, at least my worries are less now. Even though we suffer the same fate but I'm selfish instead, sorry for bothering you," said SAKURA with a little guilt.
"Oh, it's fine, don't worry about me. I'm happy to help my friends," ELYSIA said with a smile, but after a while her expression turned melancholy, "But death, huh…"
"ELYSIA?"
"Hey SAKURA, if someday we do have to die, let's make our deaths useful, okay?" ELYSIA asked with her most sincere smile.
"…"
SAKURA was a little off guard by ELYSIA's question, but when she was about to answer suddenly a hand hit ELYSIA's head from behind.
"Ouch!" ELYSIA winced while holding her head.
"What gloomy talk have you two been having," said a cold voice. SAKURA and ELYSIA turned to the sound source and saw MOBIUS who looked annoyed.
"MOBI…US?"
"If you two have time to have that talk, then you better think of a way to survive, you idiots!" growled MOBIUS.
"MOBIUS…" SAKURA paused and looked at MOBIUS with wide eyes, rarely did she see the green-haired woman angry like this.
"MOBIUS, you…" said ELYSIA who was as surprised as SAKURA, but the shock immediately turned into a grin, "Awww My Dear MOBIUS, I didn't know you were that worried~."
"Haaah!? Are you stupid? I just thought you were still of use to me," said MOBIUS quickly in denial.
"You say that but your cheeks are blushing you know?" said ELYSIA with amusement, making MOBIUS flinch.
"W-Who is blushing you idiot! Your words are nonsense!"
"He he he…"
With that the previous gloomy atmosphere turned light, SAKURA who was filled with panic chuckled at ELYSIA and MOBIUS' behavior.
"Fu fu, looks like they're having fun," said MEI who giggled at her colleagues' conversation, then she turned to the man who was worried for her, "You heard MOBIUS right, KEVIN? I will be fine."
"Yeah," said KEVIN stiffly, "MEI, promise me you will be safe."
"… yes, I promise," said MEI with a smile.
KEVIN nodded hearing MEI's answer, then he stared at the screen when the video resumed. But unbeknownst to him, MEI's smile faded and was replaced by sadness.
"I'm sorry KEVIN, I lied to you. I'm not sure I can last until this war is over…"
"I know how you feel, Kevin. But we don't live just to survive. They paved the way for us, and we... still have a chance to start over. Sleep Kevin... sweet dreams."
"Start over? No, Hua... it's not over yet. No matter the cost, humanity... shall defeat the Honkai."
Everyone gulped hearing Kevin's words on the screen, although the words were different but the meaning was the same as Natasha's words a moment ago.
"It seems that Kevin's determination was fully followed by his subordinates," said Bianka (2016).
"Yes, I agree with you, Durandal-sama," said Rita (2016).
"…" Fu Hua didn't say anything. It wasn't that she didn't want to say anything, but that she had nothing to say. Kevin had chosen the path she chose, the only choice she had as a friend was to support her decision.
The cryo pod sank and was overtaken by darkness and silence. Their expedition that spanned tens of thousands of years had begun.
Video ends.
The room sank into silence as everyone processed the information they knew.
PARDO was unusually deep in thought, but this information was so important it made her think hard.
"So that's how humanity survives," pondered PARDO in her mind, then she frowned, "But how can I still die?"
Those thoughts filled her head, she was a person who valued her life more than anything else, if there was a chance to survive then she would definitely take it. But now that she found out that she was dead, she couldn't help being bewildered.
"There's no use thinking about this now," thought PARDO while shaking his head, "The answers will come later and as Ellie-neechan said, I'll take this chance to survive."
Determined, PARDO looked back at the screen as Eve started the next video.
Thanks for reading!
Sorry this update took quite a long time because this chapter is quite longer than I imagined.
So here is our first reaction chapter, which is about the World Serpent which is based on the manga. I was excited enough to write this as the first reaction chapter.
I have changed the spelling of Dr. MEI becomes MEI because for some reason her name always disappears when I upload chapters, so I'll just write MEI from now on.
If there is wrong information from what I wrote in the chapter, please let me know. That's very helpful.
That's all I want to say, sorry if there are mistakes in words, repeated words, or language errors during writing.
See you next time.