Lumina Crusade

by ColinHayworth

In the 42nd Millennium, there is only war. In the Hive World of Twilight where the promise of technology and understanding still remains but the corrupted and rotten bureaucracy in its place is threatening to destroy all of it slowly but surely. And when the threshold has finally been broken, it will take only a spark to burn all of it down. And there will be retribution...

13. Nine-Bullet Revolver

Warning: This story doesn't exactly follow the suit of grimdark because of the way the story may develop. If you still enjoy what you are reading then go ahead.

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Chapter 12
Nine-Bullet Revolver

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"Anastasia... The outcome of this battle was already decided long ago. But... if you choose to continue your opposition then it would be the most difficult path that you are going down... Keep that in mind".

Lower Hive Sector 12, Vespera, Twilight

Anastasia recalls the day her House was taken down. History built across many millennia erased in a single day. How exactly can't she feel unfair at the outcome of this fate? One that she has no hope of prevent or the right to.

There was a hell, there was a hell that she performed all her damn hardest to survive. There was a hell which came a reason that she can overcome impossible adversary. There must be a reason in which she survived what has taken nearly everything that mattered to her.

The burning fragments of the voidship that was about to take off in the distance still falls in the distance in front of her. Reminiscences of previous bonds linger in her mind before her rational thought takes back its seat.

"The beautiful past is long gone. There's no place for me in there to dwell which I have long lost". Anastasia said before she turns away from the explosion whose shockwave echo can still be felt somewhere.

Suddenly, she felt presences blazing past the Rogue Trader's voidship as she can feel the atmosphere's current swept along with it. Noticing the high-speed voidships with Upper Hierarchy's Heraldry, or specifically to her knowledge, the Genesis are heading toward a direction. Whenever there's a fleet of ships that going somewhere, it must be important because even just one Upper-Hive Frigate voidship is more than overkill in Lower Hive already. With all the armaments they are deploying, it is no different than making their declaration of war in this instant.

Then a thought flashes through her mind. There's only one reason why they would even do this at all.

Her sister.

Anastasia feels furious and relieved because there's a chance that she might be able to reunite with her little sister but justifiably angered that they are still attempting to kill her now and then. It was this moment that she knew that she must take action now or else.

Heading toward inside of the ship, she quickly intend to make contact with the Tech-Magos so that she can get a vehicle to quickly set out for her sister. However, she underestimated just how much is he protective of his own technology. Not because it could be leaked but because of how even the basic transport is his literal blood and soul poured into. Not having eternity for this meaningless argument, she decided to just jump through the window and head toward there on foot.

From the height of dozens of kilometers above the current ground no less. And the Rogue Trader even heard it happens as he quickly come to see it with his own eyes. By then, the evidence was clear that the Magos has done something that displeased Anastasia, his yearned reward that he wishes to bring along.

And the two immediately explode into argument about what just happened. It's genuinely surprising how bonds can easily be disregarded in seconds over perceived losses.

Back to Anastasia, many thoughts are racing through her mind as the sight of the ground fast approaches. What should she actually do once she gets there? What happened to Michele? How would her sister reacts to her, the irresponsible caretaker that abandoned her in the direst moment? So many questions that have no answer whirl madly inside her thoughts but they all dissipate as she braces for the landing.

The inertia of nearly-hundred of kilometers of freefalling impacted on the ground as cracks spread from the epicenter. As her entire body was reinforced in nanomachines as it nullify the resulting aftereffect, the enhancement then quickly takes effect as her physique transcends limit as she then quickly approaches godspeed as she runs toward where she believes her sister to be.

Such power in her hands would render her invincible against many but the Upper Hierarchy has shown that no amount of power is sufficient when it comes to fighting against them. A path of destruction left behind in fold as she quickly climbs up the buildings and jump across vast distance from there. Running on already borrowed time, her speed only increases as she starts to disregard anything surround her. Within her thoughts, lie only one echoing phrase.

Save her

The voidship fleet is in her sight once again. And they all seems to have stopped or slow down based on her on perception. They haven't yet detected her at all and it seems that their entire attention is placed solely in finding Elise. As if they have assumed that she is dead already.

Perhaps, that was a blessing in hindsight that they have decided it that way. And that she is compromising her own survival with her own action in this immediate moment. But... when did she become such a coward? To keep running away and forgoing herself to her own fate?

No... This is enough. She had enough of running away from the gargantuan shadow that the Absolute Curse keeps hanging over her. Either she keeps any remaining dignity of her alive or keeps on living in perpetual shame of her inaction.

It is rather clear which action she would make right now. A waking call from the gloomy stupor before.

Suddenly, one of the ships in front of her suddenly collapsing into particles. She couldn't mistake a literal construct size of kilometers being blast through by a ray of concentrated light if she tried. If that isn't concrete evidence that Elise or at worst possibility is someone with her skill set is there then she would seriously question reality as it stands right now. With all haste she can muster, she quickly approaches the site as it rapidly devolves into a warzone.

The sound of conflicts became louder as the hunt commence.

As the pitch-black spears launched upon the fleet. No, they were simply too large to even be called spear. The more fitting words would be spires that easily dwarves even Lower Hive's single unit housing which isn't exactly a precise measurement but the closest for the mind to comprehend instantly. Anastasia can tell from the distance that its lethality has been modified to the physical limit. Her House has installed those internal limitations to prevent misuse of their own technology but Elise just casually removed all the restraints just so that she can destroy everything with total indiscrimination.

What happened to her during the time that Anastasia went missing. None of what she can imagine happened will ever be measured to the reality that Elise endured.

The voidship fleet immediately unleash all of their weaponries and crank up their void shield to prevent her attacks. The crossfires between them rage as Anastasia weaves in-between the onslaught as she seeks to find her sister. Before she could make it there however, her destination was immediately exploded as even the bleak sky above her briefly moved by the resulting shockwave. Even the hope of survival looks slim if it weren't for just how hardy the Valkyria are.

Then emerging from the smoldering wreckage is a figure. Anastasia immediately uses her nanomachine-assisted eyes to immediately analyze her target from kilometers away. However, what she saw only raised more question than any answer that it has given. Because the figure looks like Anastasia herself.

Anastasia immediately question what she saw for a moment before she continues her analysis. Upon further inspection, she realized that it is Elise herself. There are some traits which can't be removed even with extensive alteration with nanomachines. And with that, she can easily tell that it is Elise. But the Upper Hierarchy has no way to know that since a lot of information involving them was gone with the destruction of her Houses.

It is the way she looks with her eyes. The subtlety that is impossible to tell at the glance or without extensive contact. After Anastasia and Elise have lived together for years and they can only rely on each other, they knew each other at an intimate level that is impossible to replicate. Because of it, only they know each other.

For all purposes, Elise is impersonating as Anastasia right now and no one can tell.

"Why... why is she impersonating me right now?! Don't tell me that..." Anastasia thought as ideas that may or may not be correct manifests in her mind.

Anastasia's line of thought steer toward a path that only she can conceive right now with what she knows.

That her safety was assured because Elise has become her doppelganger instead. That all of the Upper Hierarchy's gaze all landed solely on her and she has now fight Anastasia's battle instead because she can no longer allow Anastasia to meet her cruel fate that she supposed to meet.

She can only feel ashamed at herself because she supposed to protect her younger sister, not the other way around.

The reason why she continues to live in safety isn't because the Upper Hierarchy deemed her dead or that they have considered her non-issue. It is because Elise intends to take on her position and makes herself the martyr so that only one of them will meet their end. By becoming the scourge that they loathed, she will make herself the pariah that they can blame all their hate on with the intends to make the Absolute Curse ends with her, not all of them.

Anastasia gritted her teeth. To think that her beloved sister intends on taking on such impossible weight of her action that Anastasia continues to deride herself for her irresponsibility and idleness. No matter if this is what her own ancestor pre-ordained, she will and must continue on to fight for her own sake instead of leaving herself to her own fate.

The moment a Valkyria leaves thing to fate, it was the moment they lose their birthright to their name.

"Sister, I'll save you!". Anastasia thought loudly in her mind before she head toward her sister who has altered her appearance in the same way to look like her. of G

She used those nanomachines to keep up her earth-shaking beauty of her. But never once did she thought that Elise would use it to the extent of altering her own physique to such degree. From what looks like of a little girl into a matured woman as if the little time that was lost between them is enough for her to change her own mindset to such degree and thus her own appearance.

No more of that innocence that Anastasia tried to preserve with all she has, only the emptiness that lingers stained by countless bloodshed and carnage. The ultimate proof of the meaningless of her effort.

Before the distance between them is remotely cut. The sound of warhorn from the voidship fleet rang. And suddenly, all of her fighting spirit dissipates into thin air again as she tried to squeeze as much of her remaining composure as she could. That horn... she can still remember that day vividly and how her expression contorts into despair.

Genesis... What did they do to make even its mentioning so traumatizing that it cripples one spirit the moment of speaking? There are many answers to it but those who have fought them and haven't yet meet their demise have only one thing to say.

They who have manipulated life itself has no equal. For the limitless potential of humanity is for them to use under their fingertips. Their technology of genetic manipulation has led to them discovering of genetic lottery that shouldn't be possible simply mass-produced wholesales. Psykers whose appearance are one amongst billions can be easily made with any individual should they wished. Strengths that defy reasoning for even the lowliest of mooks and champions whose power extend beyond reality itself as they reached beyond the doorstep of immaterial.

Limited to only one battlefield due to how their technology works. House Genesis simply outflanked them in places where they can't adequately prepare. Every other Houses that joined their extermination was simply the final dirt in House Valkyria's mass graves.

The Paragons of Genesis. A name whose dread spreads far and wide to be known by those who are aware of their existence. A name that embodies the capacity for danger they represent.

They couldn't have win even with everything they have at their disposal. Can Anastasia even win against them right now? The answer is just obviously no, she'll just be killed instantly without any chance of resistance.

She can't even look back, she wished that she could just take Elise's hand and run away as fast as she can but direct conflict with the Paragons is now unavoidable. If they can even run, where to in this Emperor-forsaken concrete jungle!? Having already decided, Anastasia mustered all her courage to confront this dire situation that she will inevitably face. There's distinction between fearless and courage and a lot mistake the two of them for the same thing.

A drop pod landed nearby Elise's surrounding as she continues to send those black spires of death toward the voidship fleet. And burst open from them is a giant figure clad in golden armor and wielding a greatsword in their hand. The closest appearance to describe would be those Adeptus Custodes of Holy Terra. And with how much strength and power they wield, it might be the correct benchmark to place them on.

The golden giant lunged, the grown-up Elise stepped back. She flung backward by tens of meter, a distance that is utterly nothing to her. One single breath and her blood mired in countless artificial propellants and stimulants continuously rush through her veins like jet streams, her thought rushes forward like electricity pulses.

What did she do? She runs backward away from her opponent. Despite all the overwhelming power that she has in comparison to the Genesis's voidship fleet right now, she is hyper-aware of just how much they can clutch victory out from the jaw of defeat much like how she can. Because if it were just raw strength alone that carried them, the Genesis wouldn't have such a notorious reputation in combat.

She alone can't fight against a Genesis Paragon. But... She has already cracked that code. If House Valkyria's Reverse Collapse can seemingly replicates anything. Regardless of exoticness or difficulty. There are so many things that she could create, but she already have something else in mind.

She uses her own nanite spear to stab her own hand with no qualm or flinching. As the blood seeps from an almost unbearable wound she made, she sprayed to the front of her as the golden giant immediately cut the distance between them. Then from that blood tainted in nanites, things that follow defy expectation.

Reverse Collapse

From her own splattering blood, shapes start to take form. And from thin air those shapes of blood transformed into multiple of hers. The scene that unfold is utterly outrageous to the point that the golden giant was in disbelief for the brief second. And that alone was enough for Elise and her clones armed with the same weapons and skills as her to mount a counterattack.

She reversed her own death from the bloody splattered remains. So it would only come to conclusion that she can use her own body to replicate more of herself to bridge the gap in manpower. Because after all, there's no better weapon that a Valkyria can produce is themselves.

Suddenly overwhelmed in numbers, the golden giant calmly swing their gigantic sword with both skill and might behind. Despite the seemingly heavy weapon that they wield, they casually hold back against Elise's clones while only using one hand to swing the greatsword. The clones continue to act undaunted by fears as their entire existences are solely in servitude of her while Elise continues to unleash her barrages of nanite spears with speed that rival of tank cannons from behind.

Anastasia's heart beats rapidly from the sight of battle between the two. Elise isn't supposed to be capable of any of these at all. Her younger sister who supposed to be enjoying the youth that she has now forcefully used the nanomachines to accelerate her growth and appearance that she is impersonating her thought-to-be dead elder sister. All in the name of revenge against those who have wronged them.

Elise used her nanomachines to create a nanite spire before throwing it with great force at the golden giant. Even if they can block it, the friction that binds them to ground isn't as they were immediately send flying away toward Anastasia who were hiding away from them by pure coincidence. And as the giant lands nearby, it immediately mistake her for one of Elise's clones because the differences between them just now are mere minutes that can't be identified easily.

"Fuck..." Anastasia muttered before immediately assume combat stance with her formed nanite spear.

Her body instantly went into overdrive even just upon seeing the golden giant close-by. The giant immediately swing their greatsword overhead as Anastasia narrowly block the attack as instinct. As her muscles convulse like overdosing on strength-enhancing drugs, the poison that permeates her body as it enables to demonstrate capability beyond what she supposed to. Even if this is too much for any form of extended combat, she appreciates it for now.

She simply can't outrun him. The entire cityscape around are nothing but pebbles beneath his feet. But if she goes on fighting like this, she'll meet her demise sooner or later. Because of it, she mustered her nanomachines as it wraps around her leg and formed into a black greave and with a stomp as powerful as she can muster.

Trigram Balancekeep Formation

The nanomachines then immediately transmitted into the ground as it then lanced upward into a barrier of spikes of nanites that rushes toward him. With superior physical prowess, the giant leaps over as he intends to crush her underneath his greatsword. With anticipation for any counterattack that follows, he was met with another attack from another Valkyria while his focus lies solely on Anastasia, this time is one of Elise's clones while Anastasia quickly disappear from the giant's gaze. It must have been confusing from his perspective even with all the intellect that House Genesis has given him.

Although he managed to deflect the ambushing attack, Anastasia immediately disengages and quickly let the Elise clones to deal with the golden giant. She only has one life while they can still rise up from literal puddles of blood as long as Elise commands them to. While she is aware of Reverse Collapse's usage and capability, to make use of to this level of proficiency is unimaginable in such a short amount of time.

If she want to actually engage the golden giant with a fighting chance, she must have a trump card of her own to overcome the staggering difference they have. Something that will bypass the golden giant's unnatural aura and power, and that power seemingly to defy the impossible odds. Something that belongs to her that none of the Valkyrias managed to figure out until now.

She uses her Trigram Bracelet once more, trying to gaze into the near future for any imminent danger on the fly. Within the 6 second of future that she is given, she saw herself confront the giant again. Not even a breathing room is given, her body immediately went into combat stance as the awfully short amount of time isn't enough to strategize or figure out something.

The giant landed in front of her again seemingly dazed by Elise's mass onslaught of her clones. While his focus is briefly disrupted, Elise's clones immediately fly above her toward the giant to continue their unrelenting onslaught. As the clones and Elise's attention is solely on him, Anastasia quickly follows them from behind as she blends in with the assault itself now that they're won't figure out her immediately.

In the chaotic flurry of blows as attacks strung with one another like notes on a symphony. As she uses her Trigram Bracelet for precognition, she started to look back on the way she fight before, it's always just for defensive actions like evade and blocks but, sometimes counterattack if she was brilliant enough to act accordingly in that short amount of time with her prowess.

Then, a random thought crosses her mind. Why is she so reactive when she has access to precognition? Her House uses their access to quantum technology to predict the future with their exponential computation power. And yet, why did they use it to be reactive of oncoming calamity when everything within their future vision can be manipulated to their advantage?

That's the moment it all change for her. She never has to use her Trigram Bracelet or Chaos Theory in such defensive manner at all. Her shallow understanding of her own ability limited what she think she can do and perhaps all of the Valkyrias up until now never figure that out either because if they did, not even the Genesis could have trample over them effortlessly like that. Realizing her mistake, she immediately rectify all the wrong she has done with the way she fight and live until now.

As the golden giant demolished the Elise clones with a single swing of their timely attack, Anastasia activated her Chaos Theory through her Trigram Bracelet. She has already been capable of striking her opponents at every fleeting moment showing itself in the colossal enemy's defense, landing blows that seemed almost preternatural in their accuracy despite the giant's intervention.

It was no longer a passive tool for survival; the Trigram Bracelet had transformed into a weapon of strategic advantage. Anastasia realized that the very same glimpses into the near future that had saved her countless times could now be used to orchestrate an offensive symphony, a choreographed dance where every move was a step ahead of the adversary.

Anastasia's eyes gleamed with newfound determination as she seamlessly integrated offensive strikes into her combat repertoire. The golden giant which was recovering from the onslaught of Elise's clones, found themselves facing a relentless combination of physical and precognitive attacks. The once seemingly insurmountable difference in power began to diminish as Anastasia exploited the element of surprise granted by her Trigram Bracelet.

From Elise's perspective, she thought that it was one of her clone being surprisingly exceptional in their combat capability despite being separated from her. From the giant's perspective, they are starting to become infuriated at their opponent's attempt at dismantling them with precision impossible. While fighting a Valkyria isn't the most easy thing they have done, this particular clone is doing very well at evading and striking when the moment show itself. Now that basic attack no longer seem to work, they are now truly fighting seriously as they truly feel their life is on the line.

Predestination.

Clad in armor of gold, this gigantic being that long transcended human limitation thanks to House Genesis's genetic manipulation. With physical prowess exceeds many of the Imperium's transhuman soldier, they also have their own access to the one of the most forbidden power that the Imperium puts a very strict rule set on. Psykic power.

The ability to manipulate fate is solely granted by those blessed or cursed with their connection to the Immaterium. With it, they can use the power draw upon the realm of soul to alter the reality to their will. With it, there's very few counters that can be devised strictly without using the psykic power itself because of how ubiquitous it is. And unfortunately for her, Anastasia isn't a psyker.

And she is fully aware of her limitation too. But to overcome insurmountable crisis is what her House always tried to do no matter what and she wouldn't change her belief right now. With how much she come to learn just now, she would better quickly perform what she know and should.

Anastasia stood her ground, facing the golden giant whose power transcended the limits of humanity. The oppressive weight of its psychic prowess loomed over her, a force that had the potential to manipulate fate itself. The Trigram Bracelet, a tool that had become both her shield and weapon, glowed faintly on her wrist as she contemplated her next move.

Knowing she lacked the inherent psychic abilities to counter the golden giant's manipulation of fate, Anastasia had to find an unconventional approach. The realization struck her: if she couldn't manipulate the future in the traditional sense then...

She could alter the present to affect the past.

Utter madness that she just thought. The flow of time being absolute with nothing to defy. How dare she, a mortal trying to mimic acts of divine dare thinking of such heretical ideas that would deserve anything that is capable of blasting a hole through her head. Sooner would fish walks on land than the clock turning back on its hands.

She obtained her glimpse the future once more granted by the Trigram Bracelet. Through out all of the 6 seconds that she is given, there was not a single moment that she saw his guard momentary lax. But that is if she solely restricted to one timeline. Using all the potentials that the Trigram Bracelet has, she quickly expands her search for a moment of weakness that present itself through the vast infinity of fate that she put herself against. The golden giant's may have the ability to manipulate the strands of fate to his design but that is strictly if she has no method to renders his work annul.

A moment presented itself, no matter how fragile or needlessly precise it is, she has to ride on this moment or all her previous works will be meaningless. Using the nanomachines in her body to guide her actions with precision beyond even fraction of nanometers itself, she guides herself to follow precisely the path that will lead her to destined victory.

The golden giant now swung his psykic-imbued great-sword as Anastasia evades with preternatural grace. The Trigram Bracelet, usually a passive observer of fate, became a conduit for her will. She initiated a sequence of strikes and maneuvers that, in the brief window of opportunity, seemed like a perfectly choreographed dance.

By acting in accordance with the Trigram Bracelet's predictions, Anastasia created a ripple in the flow of time. The golden giant, in its attempt to foresee and counter her actions, inadvertently set the stage for his own downfall. Anastasia's attacks, guided by the reverse causality she imposed, disrupted the psychic equilibrium that the giant relied upon. If there is no opening that she saw then she simply has to create one by herself.

There's no way to know the exact future ahead, that's why its potential is infinite whether for good or bad.

With the nanite spear in her hands empowered by her unorthodox application of the Trigram Bracelet, its attacking path bends according to her chosen fate with defiance to natural orders. The foretold attack that the golden giant aimed for suddenly disrupted before it could be initiated as if someone cut the threads that he carefully knits together to perform his vision of the future he desired. A vulnerability that wasn't predicted by the giant's psychic foresight.

True Trigram Assault - Celestial Reversal

As if cause and effect switched place for one another, the giant's predestined attack was completely disrupted by Anastasia's unseen strike that disintegrated through their armor with Collapse effect, using the nanomachines to modify the tip of her spear in the fractional of a nanosecond. The spear strike true through her target's heat as the battle draws into conclusion as Anastasia seized control of the narrative with her newfound understanding of reverse causality.

The giant staggered to their knees as Anastasia's pull out her nanite spears out of the gaping wound she inflicted. Silence seemingly permeates the environment around her despite Elise herself is fighting against the voidship fleet herself.

Suddenly, the wound that penetrated through the giant's heart suddenly seal itself as the supernatural flesh beneath the armor of gold mend the damage that she dealt. All her efforts painstakingly wrought, vanish into the reverie in seconds as the giant stood up again as it towers over her mentally-overdriven form.

Of all the Paragons that she could have fought, she just have to choose the most dangerous and powerful of them all. There was really no way to tell since almost all of the Paragons use the same weapon and armor specification. As it all dawns upon her, she could only muttered one word within the fear that is all overwhelming her.

Heracles. God Hand.

Codenamed after a myth of Old Earth that is only remembered by few historical curators. Tales of a legend whose might transcend mortals who accomplished impossible tasks as penance of his crime. Thus also where the origin of the phrase 'herculean tasks' came from. Seemingly undefeatable by everything that was thrown against him, Heracles accomplished many feats that no doubt cement him as the champion amongst champions.

It wasn't his strength alone that makes this golden giant so feared that all fighting spirit against him wither in his presence. It is how there seemingly no possible way to make him stay down despite killing him so many times. Paragons can be defeated with great efforts, but Heracles... singlehandedly demolished the major fighting force of her House despite everything they used.

She remembered the day her House is aflame. Seemingly outclassed by nearly everything despite her determination for survival and protection of her younger sister Elise at the time. The golden giant that stood in her way, maintain his form in a way that she can't possibly mistake him for any other Paragons. Seemingly thought that this is where she will meet her end and her lineage extinguishes in a single day, the impossible miracle happened.

'Go... Before I change my mind'. That was what the golden giant spoke through his headgear's speaker to her. A momentary reprieve that defied the brutality of the battlefield. The enigma of those words lingered in her thoughts, a puzzle she had never been able to solve.

Anastasia didn't know what to take what his words for but she has no time to question it as she brought her sister away from the pursuing team that follows. From the distance that she can hear with her augmented hearing, the golden giant calmly lied about his finding as if it was all natural to him.

The air crackled with tension as Anastasia weaved through the battlefield, her mind racing with thoughts of survival and protecting her sister. Her augmented hearing caught the low hum of Heracles' voice through the speakers of his headgear, calmly disseminating false information about the situation as he maintained a cold pursuit.

As she continued to grapple with the memories, the towering presence of Heracles drew closer, his golden armor reflecting the light of impending danger. The fear that had overwhelmed her before now transformed into a unbreakable resolve. She couldn't afford to be trapped in the past, not when the same colossal force that spared her life was now tasked on taking it.

Anastasia's heart pounded in her chest as the gap between them narrowed. She could feel the oppressive aura of the God Hand closing in, the memories of that day intertwining with the urgency of the present. The words spoken to her in mercy now served as a chilling reminder of the unpredictable nature of what Genesis's finest creations can do.

Elise saw that Heracles is chasing one of her remaining clones as it immediately retreats without her command. Using her mental connection, she tried to force the running facsimile of her to stay her ground but unaware that it was Anastasia and all of her clones were brutally destroyed into scattered chunks by the golden giant already. Infuriated once again, she used her Reverse Collapse to bring back all of her clones back to their combat-capable form as she gave chase after Heracles.

The voidship fleet behind tried to give chase but the damage that Elise did with her House's technology was too much that they can't adequately give meaningful support. None of the ship is pursuit capable and they would ultimately just be struck down without a care by Elise if they tried. Seeing the three disappears into the cityscapes before destruction occurs not too soon later. As they can only observe the havoc occurs, they know for sure that their superior will definitely going to give them an earful for leaving a Paragon out of their supervision.

...

Time is stalled.

She regrets everything. Her decisions, her worthless pleadings, her devotions, everything.

Heracles doesn't even bother of what stood between his way as he swung his massive greatsword at her.

She kept running, her blood ablaze in propellants and stimulants, then they circulate madly within her veins like jetstream propelled forward by the electric charge activated by her mind. With motion speed that renders vision ablur, she block with his massive greatsword with the spear of her.

She blocked it, that was a matter of course. But a crack appeared on her nanite spear whose durability exceeds even Adamantium. Then it started to run across the spear tip then the shaft. Then at the same time, it broke apart in a totally violent fashion as she was immediately send flying back as the result of the recoil.

A deafening clash resulted as if Heracles roared like a wild beast. With the receiving attack that rendered her exposed, her thought and will to muster any action become blank. With a feedback that is more than enough to kill her supposedly, it was as if it was her received retribution for the forbidden act of reverse causality previously.

Her body slides across the ground like trash and that was only one of his empowered attack that she evaded so many just received wholly for the first time.

Her consciousness is fading. She couldn't think. She couldn't think even if she gathered everything she has now. Her own existence revolts, her blood overflows. All restraint unleashed yet she felt so weak no matter she attempt. She felt like she has irreversibly lost something of her and it will never return. An ominous chill ran through her spine as its foreboding feeling felt too awful for her current mental state.

"Ah,_" Anastasia muttered in her broken form.

As if enveloped in a rushing wind. As if her eyes are lit by intense light. She completely lost everything, she muttered. Lost amidst the agony, can't even find what she looking for even though she tried. As if every single thing of her making is vanishing into dust like a grain of sand in wasteland.

"You there! Your opponent is me!" A voice uttered by someone famiilar, suddenly all of the melodramatic complain of Anastasia also vanished much like her fighting spirit before as her eyes stare into the confrontation between Elise and Heracles.

She sprawled all over the ground, a considerable distance but not too much for who they are. Heracles is staring at her with that gaze hiding behind his headgear along with the emotions it may convey.

"_!" Anastasia's consciousness made its grand return. Her only external wounds are all result of her nanite spear fragmented in her hands. It's just all unbearable pain that override her mind just now. There is too little oxygen in her veins as the result of her endless running thus she gasped as much for them as she could in the little time she has.

What she need to know clearly is her body. Although she can't really tell in detail, she knew that she can still fight.

Her body refused her mind's command. She tried to position herself to stand-up straight but it seems that while her mind is crystal clear, her body's condition has deteriorated internally to the point that she has been made prisoner inside her own body. As she desperately screams at Heracles to stay away from her sister, the sole reasoning of why still stay alive despite all the losses that afflicted to her, he continues to disregard her existence.

Elise and Heracles made their confrontation as the two puts all off their learned combat expertise at work. Elise with her numerous clones summoned using her blood and Reverse Collapse flanks him and strike with precision whenever they could. The relentless clash between Elise and Heracles intensified, a symphony of strikes and parries echoing through the battlefield. Elise, with her inextinguishable fury, continued to summon clones with Reverse Collapse, each iteration a mirror of herself, joining the relentless assault on the God Hand. Anastasia wanted this to stop but she is no place or right to command them to do anything.

The title 'God Hand' that he received is part of his innate ability given by House Genesis's genetic manipulation technology as whatever killed him, he will become far more resistant to it when he resurrect almost immediately. Poison? He become immune to it. Incineration? His body then become impossible to be scorched, Pierce? Slash? Strike? Anything. His existence was completely unfair to combat against.

Unless one can kill him so many times in so many different ways that his biology completely exhausted its resurrections capability. The chance of defeating Heracles is almost nil. And she couldn't exactly imagine herself to be able to perform that herculean task let alone Elise.

The battle between the two of them come into the familiar clearing. As the battle unfolded, Elise's clones fought with synchronized precision, relentlessly probing Heracles' defenses. The God Hand, living up to his title, shrugged off attacks that would have felled lesser opponents. The clones fell, one after another, in a brutal dance of destruction, but Elise's resolve remained unbroken.

Despite the intensity of the battle, seemed detached from the physical toll the battle took on her. Her heart, as if on strike, beat with an unnatural rhythm, and her body, though numb, pressed forward without a single step back. Her body was unnaturally hot from the intense combat and constitution reconstruction that she endured. Then with her eyes closed, the nearby clones who were fighting Heracles fiercely regardless of effectiveness when suddenly the liveliness in their eyes vanished before a moment before its return.

Elise opened her eyes once more and with clarity, she strikes at her foe fiercely with total decisiveness. As if she gleamed the combat knowledge from her own clones who joined her, with how much control she has over them, she become even more fierceful as she quickly maneuvers through the God Hand's rapid attack motions. She recognized patterns, exploited weaknesses, and adapted her movements with each passing exchange.

Suddenly, the 'can of worms' has been opened as she continues to further her own understanding of Reverse Collapse and how she can use her own clones. As its intricacy grow further. By having multiple of her fighting the same opponents, then she gleams the experience and knowledge derived, her growth become multiplied at a drastic rate for she has little concern of herself. Not after she has seen her older sister Anastasia gone, unaware that the person she impersonated as is sprawling in front of her.

Elise delved deeper into the intricacies of Reverse Collapse. The clones, fighting in unison, became conduits for accelerated learning. The experience gained in each encounter was funneled back to Elise, multiplying her growth at a staggering rate. Her focus wasn't on self-preservation but on the relentless pursuit of understanding and improvement.

She can exchange for a few blows between their bout before disengaging and the clones once before being brutally destroyed by Heracles. But with every bout, Elise extended her combat time against Heracles. Blow by blow, she absorbed the God Hand's attack motions, deciphering the intricacies of his technique. The clones, too, began to catch up with her, mirroring the improvements she made in real-time. It was a dance of combat and adaptation, a relentless cycle of destruction and rebirth.

As the battle reached its zenith, Elise's movements became a seamless fusion of learned experience and instinct. She no longer relied on the hope that Heracles would make a mistake; instead, she proactively dictated the pace of the fight. The clones, an extension of her newfound prowess, coordinated in perfect harmony.

Then, in a moment of sublime clarity, Elise seized the opportunity. With a decisive strike, she exploited the vulnerabilities she had meticulously engineered by deciphering his behavior, landing a blow that bypassed Heracles' seemingly impenetrable defenses. The God Hand, caught off guard by the strategic brilliance of his opponent, staggered backward, a rare expression of surprise etched across his imperceptible metallic visage.

The gap is slowly being bridged, Heracles now finally understand the full weight of the situation. Of how impossibly fast Elise is advancing her capability. Because of it, he quickly took action as he finally takes his task seriously if he wasn't before. With one blow, he cleaved all the clones that were rushing at him into a shower of blood.

Anastasia tried to stand up but her legs are clearly shaking like a jackhammer, an aftermath of her fight with Heracles which lead to her total physical exhaustion. Despite the debilitated state she is in, she promptly calculates the distance right now from the duel with her own sights alone, she managed to get the precision down into 6 digits margin which is overkill for someone who can indiscriminately unleash powerful attack that can level city blocks like nothing like her. But she has a reason for it.

It's because of Elise fighting her battle against Heracles head-on with all she has. There's no greater reason to it more than sibling bond between them even if it is has been irreparably damaged by her selfish action. All of these, is her apology for making Elise suffer like this due to her. And additionally.

Can't miscalculate with a fickle fate.

She used the nanomachines to form a nanite spear again. This time, she has a lot to modify.

Legacy Imprint

The method of House Valkyria's fast training for combat capable serfs. By directly imprinting memories and combat experience into their mind. Due to their House's technology being quantum physics, they are capable of seamless imprint and manipulation of memories in way that other Houses can't easily do with caveats. She intends to send everything she knows and learn to Elise by using to transfer the memories into the spear and throw it to nearby her.

And secondly, it is time for her to defile this reality's rules again.

"Space has its beginning, but it has no end. Thus infinite.
Time too has its beginning, but by their own making become meaningless. Thus finite.
History dictates that those who wield wisdom shall be the greatest fools.
That the fish beneath the sea knows nought of the land above.
For if they too have wisdom shall be undone by it.
Sooner would the fishes walk the land
Than the clock turning back on its own hands.
This is the story of she who fought against the Absolute's ultimatum.
This is the epigraph of her obsession."

True Trigram Assault - Gungnir's Retribution

With those words, she threw the nanite spear across the distance, a path that defied the laws of physics. The spear moved through the air with a surreal grace, taking a trajectory that seemed impossible – twisting, turning, and defying any attempt to predict its path.

It defied... gravity

It defied... trajectory

It defied... the distance

Every single obstacles or challenges that supposed deter its path from its destination, all defied in ways that completely mocked conventional understanding.

The black spear, now carries her memory toward the duel between her sister and the golden giant. It rushed toward the giant with speed beyond their recognition. By the time the golden giant even registered something is approaching him was too late as the spear promptly penetrates through his neck as it immediately sends him into unconsciousness briefly from the impact. It wasn't enough to kill, almost anything couldn't kill him either way.

Elise was taken aback by the sudden attack she didn't even notice on its way. Noticing the carving on the spear's bottom as it read as "Hold me", she quickly reached for it before a torrent of memory rushed into her mind. Combat techniques, memories, everything that tried to convey the knowledge but due to how memory imprints work, all of Anastasia's emotions within couldn't be conveyed as Elise only assumes that one of her clones become exceptionally brilliant as a fluke of luck.

"Uses your Legacy Imprint to read his mind. The only way to defeat Heracles is to use his own ultimate technique and your Collapse against his being. Only by completely erase his existence can you finally put an end to his dominance"

That's what she heard from the memories that she received along side. She wonders if one of those clones thought that they were Anastasia and acted accordingly? Now that she couldn't detect it anymore but she couldn't really try to will herself to act as if Anastasia has come back for her. A pale imitation is only that, the real her is gone for all she know.

Putting her faith into action, a black claw gauntlet formed out of nanomachines appeared in her hand as she immediately put it through Heracle's face and reached into his brain. Even acts like this couldn't kill him at all despite the grotesqueness in this action as he will still somehow arise even if all that remained of him is just a splatter of blood. Much like what Elise did to her clones with Reverse Collapse.

Using Legacy Imprint, she reached for his memory to see all of his life unfold in front of her vision.

Memories of his past flashed within her vision. His birth created as a perfect warrior that can't be surpassed. Feats, prowesses that he performed during off-worlds expedition to bring fame to House that has given to his existence. He didn't have a name originally but he was come to be called Heracles for his unflinching will and unyielding regardless of how broken his body can become. However, there was a mistake that has gone awry in his creation. He came to recognized his own existence unlike others.

Much like any other curious human beings, he came to grapples with emotions that nobody ever taught him properly since he isn't considered a person but a weapon of mass destructions. Questions that he come to ask his handlers many times and yet none of it ever give satisfactory answers or just brush the questions altogether.

He soon joined the Paragons, an army of transhuman super-soldiers like him. But unlike others who make their willing servitude to their House wholeheartedly, he felt as if there's supposed to be more to life than just mindless following of orders. One day, he decided to make a break for it as he evaded the flimsy security for him at the time because they wholeheartedly believe that none of them could ever break their own inner working.

Thus he come to explore the outside world for his own. Soon he learns of happiness, comradery, sorrow, irritation, any human emotion that he felt yet having nothing to reciprocate with. He eventually fell in love with a mortal woman and thought that he could spend the rest of his day in happiness. Of course the Genesis was understandably furious of his escape as they immediately scour the territory for him unless other Houses may capture him and use their own most-cutting edge technology instilled into him and taking it for themselves.

Then tragedy struck, the Genesis found his location and instead of taking him back by just force alone, they did something even more insidious. By unleashing one of their own genetically-engineered hyperfauna abominations inside their own civilian territory. Something that even other Houses called upon their own callousness till this day.

A serpentine creature with already many heads. Its size towering of the skyscrapers of the Upper Hive which can easily extend to near a kilometers if being generous. Everything of it was deadly. Its blood, its poisonous breathe, and even the body scent is deadly to even many of their own genetically-engineered soldiers of their own. And the worst trait of them all, was its own hyper-regeneration in which if one of its heads was cut, two will regrow in their place.

Its name was simply called the Hydra. And those who still live to this day can recall the horrifying disasters in vivid details.

Short summary follows, Heracles' family got caught in its presence as it wreaks havoc upon the location. And Heracles immediately take action against it. A brutal and grueling combat takes place as Heracles struggle with it for every moment possible. Any instance that supposed to lead to his death, he overcomes with sheer grit as his body immediately reconstructs itself seemingly from nothing.

As the battle draws out, he soon become consumed by rage as he wants this beast that threaten his family to die no matter what. And in his berserker's wrath and violence display of power that he used even gigantic structures as weapons against the Hydra. The collateral he did was too much.

His family simply got caught in it. Not because of the Hydra but simply him in his wrathful onslaught.

That was when he truly when off the rails as he immediately uses even weapon manufactories itself as a weapon. Dousing the Hydra in molten metal before using even the Upper Hive's structure itself as a weapon. He immediately smashes the Hydra itself into pastes while the still-molten steel negates its regeneration.

Upon slaying the Hydra at the end of a lengthy battle, Heracles devised this combat technique and became able to utilize abilities that emulate the combat technique with other weapons, transforming it into an all-purpose ultimate technique capable of adapting and changing how it appears depending on the target and the circumstances of its use. Called "Nine Lives".

It is said that the meaning of the name Nine Lives comes from one having a possession of nine lives, this originating from Heracles' monstrous opponent that possesses the special characteristic of entirely "resurrecting no matter how many times it is killed"; it is implied that he has attained this martial arts technique in response to that characteristic, a technique that "exterminates no matter how many times his opponent resurrects.".

Soon, he is forced to return to the Paragons and follow their duty. And as penance to his rebellion, he is forced to commit himself to do 12 impossible tasks even by the Upper Hierarchy's standard. And he committed himself to fulfill every single one of it perfectly just so that he could get away from the beautiful memories before, the sweet taste of heaven's feel that he knew become bitter as he knows that he will never have any of it for the rest of his immortal existence.

A school of technique solely uniqued to him. One that enables the impossible to be performed.

Elise woke up from her delirious delusion before Heracles regenerated himself and smacked her away from him while still held onto the spear before it was pulled out of his wound. He was furious at what Elise seemingly performed and intend to go all-out with no hold barred. Elise who is now a large distance away thanks to his knockback took the time to assess the situation.

His broken headgear is now exposed, revealing all the unbridled emotions that hid beneath. This is him at the truly strongest possible that she can envisioned. Everything that he did to her House was nothing but just warm-up to him compare to everything that he has endured until now.

Silent uttered from Elise's lips. This is the end of her line. There's no running away from this stage, the symphony of epilogue plays in silent of the situation that it has become. She gazed into the spear that she has taken from, seemingly belong to Anastasia herself as if the memory of her is alive in this very moment.

The sole weapon that awaits its release to overcome this impossible situation that has no way forward.

She definitely has died before, and this will not be the only time has it will occur. She has chosen this path already the moment she made her declaration to defy the Upper Hierarchy at all cost. What she's going to do is no doubt like flicking a time bomb that will destroy this world entirely, recalling the pain that it has brought and nearly broke her before, one wouldn't imagine what would truly happen if she decided to go all-in.

The imaginary firing hammer in her head waits still. The moment she initiates is also the moment she put a gun in her mouth and pull the trigger. Once she did so, it all ends in a inglorious fashion.

"_". Elise thought as seconds stretched. She is determined and the answer's already here.

She had wished for a miracle that she alone can't accomplished. And she still did with all her might. Like a dream that can't come true but too beautiful to give up on.

A miracle that is impossible by herself alone but if it must be something that exceeds her limitation then...

"I'm going... I'll defeat him with everything that I have". Elise muttered.

The ground trembles. The embodiment of the storm closes on her at rapid pace.

Heracles' appearance right now isn't just someone's business. She would have become like him if she has given herself to the pain and fear. No, the fear will always exist regardless of what she may try to do as long as her identity as a Valkyria still exists. Her existence was a nightmare that seeks to terminate itself. So why did she keep on living for so long despite the easy path available?

Everything that she has, her accumulated experiences, Anastasia's technological understanding and Heracles's ultimate technique. It will be up to her to unify the trinity together for the decisive blow. Her ultimate technique, created from all the sacrifices that everyone here has endured. The only reason that this occur, is simply fate...

Entrust yourself to other.

Atonement lies here and she has betrayed everyone that mattered to her. There's just something that can't ever given up and that's why she chose to live. With all the thoughts and contradictory feelings whirl with one another, she takes a deep breathe before time itself slows down.

Legacy. Unify.

At that instant, the world crumbles apart.

A strong gale, blowing faster than even this world's environment capable of. Her weight felt insignificant against its tide.

A wind that denies existence of any living being, let alone to allow one to stand up. Therefore, it's not wind.

It's steel, she is being crushed by the sheer pressure.

".

Her eyeballs are squashed, her back sinks further into the wall. She can't lift a single hand or fingers.

Her bloodflow reversed, her mind bleached white. There's no pain, to even describe it as such is to say that there's human-like sensation here.

She's melting, she can't even groan in protest.

There was nothing. No way to even fight it off. She wanted to move forward but not a single finger can't be moved.

".

She's melting apart into the white nothingness.

Her body and mind crumble apart impassively

Go forward

Why am I still here

Keep going forward

For what am I here?

To the other side

Why am I still fighting?

Pass through the wind and move forward

"_.

She felt she is disappearing. Her body lost already but she clenched her teeth not letting her mind lose but even it is disappearing.

She felt she can't make it. Can't move no matter how hard she tried, can't stay no matter how determined.

Clenching her right fist with her whole existence on the line. If she could, she'll be able to hang in there. If she can even use any body part, she would have used it to move forward already.

Can't move a finger let alone a fist. Her left vision ruptured by the sheer force of pressure. The rushing wind ruptures her eardrum. Vision slowly fades yet within it...

She saw an unbelievable image.

Ah...

Suddenly, all the damage that was done to her disappear.

She stood there. She's standing in this wind. She's standing, walking to the other side.

As if it was the most natural thing she has done, she continues her stride forward as if this wind of steel has no effect on her. With the white coat still flutters and billows behind her. Her skin was white, her hair was white with bang covering one side of her face, if it weren't for the outlining features, she would have vanished entirely into blank white landscape without detection.

".

Strength returned to her jaw. She grit her teeth and her right hand made a fist.

The image of Anastasia takes no notice of her. Locked in a stern expression, face slightly turned away while showing no interest if the wind would engulfs her away unlike the real her.

As if this result was entirely expected. Elise no matters how battle hardened is in no position to face the bleak future ahead of her. There's no place for her who have betrayed herself then have the audacity to wish for something beyond her reach.

She is right. Her accumulated sins will judge her. But still...

_Can you keep up with me?

As if to scorn her, as if to believe in her. Anastasia's image simply waits for her to get here.

*brief silence* _".

_It's not 'can you keep up with me'.

Elise's vision fired up once again. And she took that heat to empowers as much of her chained self. Then with determination, her limbs cut through the wind like spear blade.

It's you keep up with me!

She surpassed her sister's image with all she has.

Back to her confronting reality, Elise steps forward onto the ground. The wind's died down and there's about 30m of distance left away from the enraged golden giant.

It'll take him roughly 0.03 seconds to close this distance thus...

The outcome of the battle shall be decided by that same amount of time.

Her mind has finally become crystal clear as she sorted out the discord. Having full scope of the power she acquired.

Reverse Collapse enables physic-defying reconstruction of items from base elements. Transmuting elements from one another at Quantum level. The only limitation that it supposed to have is its dependence on its user expertise of technological knowledge, one that she has now inherited from Anastasia. Then, combined with how much Anastasia used and mastered Collapse mechanism during House Valkyria's hayday and together with Elise's Reverse Collapse, she has inadvertently created one of the deadliest method of killing that she could have stumbled across.

The tale of a serpent devouring its own tail in an attempt to attain eternal existence, only to be meet with one of the cruelest truths this world has to offer. Eternity, is nothing but fleeting dream that soon dissipate into the void. Due to how this universe works, entropy will always be at work and perpetual motion is inherently impossible beyond Quantum scale. This reality is slowly careening toward its empty demise. A fiery birth that it has and a sad whimper that it will go out if lucky.

Even the act of manipulating subatomic particles took energy or otherwise Elise wouldn't be scrambling for them before. There will always be some losses going around as the reconstruction can't be completely perfect without cost. But because of it, Elise has her revelation.

By using both Reverse Collapse and Collapse in tandem with one another. Due to irreversible nature of entropy, using both of them together on a same target at the same time will result in permanent losses that transcend beyond both physical and metaphysical. It isn't just mere disintegrating into base particles, it straights up delete all of that into nothingness itself due to hyper-accelerated entropy as a result. This isn't something that Heracles could even heal from because all of that energy and material required for regeneration is completely gone. Even if he uses his Psykic power to reverse his body's state, it is impossible because there was nothing to reverse back into.

The only method that could possibly kill the Heracles. However, it is still a double-edged sword that she intends to-

She holds her breathes and channel her thoughts into the nanite spear that she received the knowledge from. Understanding the mechanism and the weapon she wanted to have. With precaution already taken, she must take her steps forward and move past that hurdle with all she has.

Holding onto an imaginary weapon that has yet to exist. Her mind's cogitation accelerate at speed unimaginable. She gazed into the greatsword of Heracles as she intends on creating something that can surpass his weapon. A design that resembles of her idea of mythological spears that she knew of.

An extraordinary power that she tried to channel, no one can handle this. Not even her. But with determination and sacrifices, she initiates her action.

GUNGNIR - DIVINE BURIAL

The spear in her hand transformed, imbued it is a pitch-black aura that felt repulsive to be near as if reality is decaying in its presence. Agony beyond description of words spread through her body as if it could knock her out cold in the next instant as she continues to hold onto the corrupted spear of erasure. Its name, no matter now totally deserved, Gungnir or Divine Burial.

"Ah-". Elise thought in the fractional moment that seems so slow to her.

Her right hand is withering, there was no possible defense to counteract that. Even in the fraction of a moment that she held onto it, it genuinely felt as if she is going to be permanently losing right hand as a result. But she continues to disregard her agony as she sacrifice her nanomachines so that she can holding onto this cursed spear for even more time no matter how little. She needs her undivided attention to finally kill Heracles for certain.

He noticed her clearly, seeing whatever act she intends with her spear. With his hostility having clear focus, he recognized her as a target that must be taking down at all cost or else. His eyes were like ominous stars they are, with a death cry that the growled, he runs at a speed that propels shattered concretes beneath his feet into a dust storm behind.

A mad warrior he is now, but there's no doubt he still as lethal and cunning like before. He still fights his battle regardless of whatever occurred to his body. He may become blind and insane, his body may rot, but he will not falter of his duty.

0.02 seconds left. The running giant of gold won't be stop in a single blow. And normal attack is utterly useless against him. Attacking him with this cursed spear alone won't be enough because her right hand will be disintegrated under the hyper-accelerated entropy field that is being maintained around it if wield for too long. Within that 0.02 second, she must kill Heracles with no hesitation.

Because of it...

Legacy Unified.

The three people's worth of knowledge swirled in one mind. And a single hammer to strike them altogether in that decisive moment she wished to in one blow.

0.01 seconds left. The giant is now right before her. With his massive sword held upraised.

Of torrent and swirling vigor. As he steps forward, so too does she confront him by stepping forward.

Eight targets in the instant that follow. Upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, temple, diaphragm, rib, testicles, thigh. The unchangeable weakness of all humanoid body.

"Nine Lives - Grave of Immortals"

Surpassing the crashing speed sound, she initiate her attack with Gungnir.

*slash* *slash* *slash* *slash* *slash* *slash* *slash* *slash*

*crash!*

But he doesn't fall. His entire body is torn completely by Gungnir combined with his own ultimate technique but Heracles is still alive despite it. However, with his regeneration severed completely, her chance of killing him completely become much more real than ever.

"HAA_AAAH_!" Elise yelled as she continues to pull herself forward despite the pain. She's faster right now, she will land a finishing strike against Heracles who is missing an eighth of his body as a result of her previous attack.

With her cursed spear raised, she aimed it to his chest before thrusting it with all her might.

The broken God Hand roared before he swings his greatsword one armed at her. She has lost. After pouring her all into it, every ounce of unfair advantage that she has. But none of them were enough. She can only observe in fractional time as his attack draw nearer with hurricane force.

She tried to twist her body, every of her abilities to evade his attack. She saw it coming thus she can dodge it. She will only be slightly graze by his attack if she done it right.

But even if it would be a graze, it would immediately threw her off the chance to take down Heracles as the time she wasted suffering from that graze would disrupt her maintain over Gungnir. She would lose her chance to defeat him.

Her vision freezes as the gigantic sword about to come crashing down upon her. Yet, its blinding speed was stopped in the next instant with that same blinding speed.

The deathblow never came.

"Eh?_" Elise muttered in confusion as what supposed to happen didn't occur.

The giant looked forward, not at her who was under him. He's staring at a white girl who emerged from hidden cover that Elise won't ever realize.

Elise pierced him. Without hesitation or mercy, she drove cursed spear through his heart, sealing the final death of the legendary unkillable Paragon whose name has spread wide through the Upper Hierarchy.

There was no counter-attack, as Heracles let out his final death throe when the last of his life force exhausted and his remains crumble into unrecognizable dust then nothingness. For good this time. And as the red eyes fade away, they remain focused at the certain someone in the distance with no possible way left to tell the intent behind them now that he is gone. Elise can only continues to witness the act she did as the Gungnir also vanish into nothingness soon after she released her grip from it.

The battle has really ended. It really did end within a fraction of a second, no less.

Words of Emperor: For this part, play Ever-present Feeling - Fate/stay night.

Anastasia, with trembling figure approaches the dueling site between the two of them after she threw the spear. Suppressing the feeling of fatigue and fear, she held onto any remaining strength of herself and walked herself toward there. She went out there to attempt to stop them, with a brief hesitation that lingers if she is even in any form to do something, wondering if there's anything she could have said yet unable to come up with anything.

Yet, she still gone out there anyway.

It wasn't even 15 seconds that have passed since then. But that slight hesitation determined the outcome.

"Elise-"

Anastasia emerged with her tired self shown in the dueling site. The battle has already ended.

The giant that was tasked with capturing the sisters has disappeared as she can saw his eyes still fixed on her, in the brief moment that his existence still remain before complete annihilation.

The wind blows through the clearing as if signaling the conflict has ended.

The figure of Elise is all that remains in her vision.

The battle has ended, not using the power of her own House or prophetic manipulation fate of her Trigram Bracelet that led her here. Using her own power and ingenuity, Elise fought against her own death and won. Anastasia kept looking at Elise's back, looking at her appearance that Elise wore to deceive the Upper Hierarchy's idea of her.

Elise will never turn around and look back again.

She has used Reverse Collapse and Collapse at the same time and transform into a method of attack borderline suicidal to defeat the giant. Her figure looks heroic and powerful now. There's no doubt left to be seen in it.

Casting away all agonies when she used Gungnir, she did an impossible act that would have her remembered as legend if it weren't for her circumstances right now marked as the most-wanted traitor against all of the Upper Hierarchy.

Elise...

Anastasia kept watching in sorrow. Her body truly looks like someone else now.

It was a foolish and sacred end with no return.

...

After Elise has drove Gungnir through Heracle's heart and sealing his demise. A flashback of memory belonging to the late Heracles occur. It was the day that her House fell roughly 3 years ago, everything was ablaze. During that time, the two sisters were confronted by the golden giant that seemingly has no equal back then. When all hope was thought to be lost, a miracle occured as Heracles deliberately allow them to escape while lying about his findings.

She never understood the reasoning then. Until she saw it through his perspective. The reality sometimes is far more simpler than imagination.

Anastasia simply reminded him of his late daughter. That was the sole reasoning why he even go that far to lie for their sakes when he has nothing to gain. Perhaps, he never gained anything truly his in life when he was under handling of the Genesis to begin with. Forever yearning the impossible wish of to become human, he can only carry himself a weapon as he performs his duty.

"-Haa_" Elise breathed in.

Her right arm burns and her body ached all over. As if multiple electric eels are writhing all over body while tormenting her to no end. She couldn't allow herself to stay here any longer, she simply must escape before the Upper Hierarchy finds her location once more and discover Heracles's death. Before that accursed time limit come to bring ruin to all.

Struggling to step forward, Elise tried to fix all of her internal injuries accumulated within the body using the nanomachines. Anastasia still stand in the distance hiding from her detection wonders of what will happen in the future for her. She couldn't come forward and interact anymore seeing how much Elise come to despise her presence now.

Placing her hand into V-shape before placing the gap between it right at her uncovered eye. She quickly assess Elise's fate right now before the received result completely shock her.

Near Future: Absolute Curse

The very same thing that haunted her those years on the run. And the prime reason that led her House to its destruction. No matter how much she has tried, no matter what she could have strategized, the future refused to change. She has run out of solutions and eventually time too. She remembers why she still fight and how much she was close to just give up.

She wanted to interact with Elise to break this misunderstanding between them but before she could do anything, Elise has already run away like the wind from this ruined clearing. With her presence vanish, Anastasia finally succumb to fatigue as all the accumulated stress become too much for her once she is in the clear. Although she can keep going, there was no reason for her to keep fighting.

Hearing the sound of something approaches while her eyes slowly dimming, she saw a Valkyrie flyer that seems to be overly-modified in crude manner which is unlike the Upper Hierarchy. Then as it lands right behind her, she saw the Rogue Trader and the Tech-Magos exit their vehicle and quickly try to get her onboard. How they managed to find her this fast and conveniently is a mystery but she is glad that she can have her shut-eyes right now.

They are circumstantial allies, but they're the only allies that she has.

---

"._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._."

Rose at Midnight

"._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._.""._."

---

Anastasia woke up again. She has no idea of what to feel of the revelation that Elise has become the horcrux of the Absolute Curse itself. What her ancestor said about how their entire family was cursed and that no matter what they do, they will never be able to overcome the following Absolute Curse. That her ancestor did this as a mercy kill, supposedly.

How did her sister become the focal point of Absolute Curse of all things!? It's a burning question that she has which will never have a proper answer until it become too late either way.

She wanted to take action and yet she has no idea where to even start. There's not even a single footing for her let alone foundation to build upon.

Time is dwindling. She almost forgot about it since all the chaos that happened in a single day.

"Hey, you're up? You've slept a lot more soundly than I thought since it's only been just 3 hours since we departed. Like, we couldn't miss the destruction you left behind just to head toward your destination". The Rogue Trader said as he sits on the passenger seat in front of her.

Anastasia stares toward the Rogue Trader as he tried to start a conversation with her. Which quite a step up in etiquette considering just how low that bar is with them. The Tech-Magos meanwhile pilots the airborne vehicle back toward their voidship.

The journey seemingly go without a hitch which is what everyone wanted right now and is willing to not ruin it by making any mention.

"So... what was it that make you do such a thing? Not making any criticism here, just genuinely asking". The Rogue Trader asked, partly just to pass the time and partly curiosity.

"_ My sister..." Anastasia stayed silence for a few moment before answering. She knows that if they are going to do something, she could easily just escape but with so many opportunities present to them to take advantage of her and yet done nothing about, she decided that they can be trusted somewhat.

"Yeah... I can see that". The Rogue Trader responded as he knew who she is talking about since their first meeting delivering Twilight Lasguns, that timid little girl wouldn't survive the hostiles of Lower Hive out there when the night comes but from the look of Anastasia's expression, she must have changed awfully a lot in that short amount of time. 2 days. That's just how many things have occurred in that time span.

"Time is awfully fickle with its pace, isn't it? One moment you blank out and hours passed, one moment you tried to focus your damnest and only few minutes passed." The Tech-Magos said as he makes sure the thing they are flying on doesn't malfunction out of the blue for the sake of drama.

Anastasia take in her breath once more. When was the last time she actually have a proper meal? What happened to Michele? How on Twilight will this misunderstanding that festered between them all can be resolved without divine intervention? The more she thinks, the more she just stressed out. Then she just stopped thinking altogether.

"Focus on the small tasks first. If you try to perform an act of Emperor by yourself first then you would only give up at the first step. Think carefully of what you wanted to do and decide just that. Only then you would move toward the next step. It might not be fast but it certainly better than just faceplant every moment something doesn't go your way". The Rogue Trader shares his advice to Anastasia, free of charge. That's how much he sees potential in her.

He's right. Time may not be in on her side and what she seeks out to do is just too great for everything she has. But better that she has managed to carve out her first brick out of the impenetrable bunker than keeps scratching at it until her allocated time run out.

Absolute Curse. The reading that Distant Future Divination of House Valkyria detected which will occur in the next 10 years right in this planet since their reading. The scale range from Bless to Curse, with the grading range extend from Minor, Major, Great, to Absolute. This wasn't the first time they detected Absolute Curse at all since the first was in the Iron War, second is Age of Strife or Long Night, third was the Heresy, fourth was the Great Rift which was recent in the galactic history.

And the fifth approaches soon and they have no idea what can be the reasoning.

Since then, the Upper Hierarchy scours the galaxy for solutions and the potential causes it may be but... time soon passed and the solution they delivered... was to purge House Valkryia for showing this reading to them assuming their end will cease this Absolute Curse.

That's the reasoning that they said to be but... after she obtained the truth from her ancestor's Trigram Bracelet, she wonders if that irrational reasoning they gave was all but a lie. Because the real truth is far more despairing than that they were exterminated because of insane superstition.

After all, they who fight against their fate can't possibly accept that their own ancestors set up their own purge because he has given up when confronted with their inevitable future. That whatever her ancestor saw was enough for him to fold immediately and sabotage his own family.

Anastasia once again tries to sort out her thoughts. Feeling the ambiance flying past them while trying to calm her thoughts down.

Her instinct detected something without future sight, she immediately jumps to action as she called upon the Tech-Magos.

"Magos, check the radar! Something is approaching!" Anastasia yelled with all her vocal chord could carry.

The Tech-Magos upon hearing her yell quickly check the radar scanner on the control interface and right before the echo of her words ceased did it pick up detected signals approaching.

"1... 4... No, an entire squadron!? A whole airborne division!? Are they fighting invading a Hive City or something!?" The Tech-Magos screamed in justified fear as his words distorted by the machineries used to replace his body.

A single Valkyrie flyer of their is about to be intercepted by an entire airborne division in front of them. Can't think of a worse nightmare in the instant they are right now. And unfortunately, this is their reality. No matter how much they attempt to, they can't really escape the Upper Hive's surveillance now that they have set their eyes here to capture the two sisters. Doesn't matter if it was Elise or Anastasia, anyone nearby them will suffer just because of adjacency.

Anastasia immediately uses her nanomachines to alter the flyer hull's composition into something far more durable. But even that is a temporary solution for whatever armed on those pursuers will be far too powerful for something like this to withstand. One single hit of it and it is completely over for this flight of theirs. While she may survive the aftermath, the Tech-Magos and the Rogue Trader won't.

"Lower the back ramp! I'll handle this!". Anastasia said as the Tech Magos did what she said. Only she can resolve this crisis of theirs right now. In terms of power, she easily overwhelm whatever the two of them can do combined millions of times over.

Ambushed at a height of kilometers above the sky. Relentlessly onslaught by the hail of ballistic that they totally unleashed at a single target. If it weren't for the timely action of Anastasia, the whole flyer they were on would have been shredded into scraps by the flooding projectiles that it would have received. Even then, the impact can still be felt across the flyers as if an earthquake is occurring despite being literally disconnected from the ground.

"Magos. What's the situation right now!?" The Rogue Trader asked the Tech-Magos as this isn't his first time in perilous situation.

"We're being attacked by an entire division, didn't I say it before?! Anastasia resolved the protection problem but we're definitely not going to return to the voidship with an entire thing behind our back! And neither are we having the ammunition required to take down all of them if we wanted to. By the way, she's going to do her thing." The Tech-Magos explain the situation to his 'superior'.

Anastasia steps down the ramp as she looked into the entire air force chasing behind them. With preternatural precision, she quickly climbs her way to the top of flyer while ignoring the wind that is pressuring her at Mach speed. Mag-locking herself to the flyer's roof using the nanomachines flowing through her veins, she quickly position herself into combat stance.

A deep breathe taken before the nanomachines in her hand manifested into the nanite spear that she has always been using. With grace and motions, she threw the spear in her hand at speed exceeding sound itself as the airborne enemies that she targeted and those behind were destroyed in the blink of an eye. And it wasn't just one spear that she just throw afterward, she threw another then another. The rate she manifests and throws her spear only accelerate until all her motions become a blur like the firing pin of a machine gun.

As the Tech-Magos continues to weave his flight through the hail of ballistics. The sight in front of him reminds him of those Simulacrum games that he has in his digital library that either made or obtained somewhere. Amongst one of them was about a single flyer against an entire army of them alone as said thing demolished the opposing force with inexhaustible sources of ammunition to unleash without care.

Obviously, it is just a piece of fiction. There's no possible way for an Imperium flyer to carry that much ammunition on them to move an inch, let alone flight. But the thrill of being an one man army to stand against force greater than oneself is evidently shared amongst all of the Imperium's fighting personnel without a doubt. And what he is seeing right now, is similar to what he saw in that game.

Amidst the chaos, the Tech-Magos reached for an item secured upon his person, one hand unwavering on the controls as he retrieved an antiquated dataslate. The Rogue Trader, perplexed and intrigued, cast a quizzical gaze upon the cyber-augmented adept as he manipulated the archaic device.

"Rose of Midnight. Ain't nothing else ever makes one feel alive and heart-racing in the heat of combat like it," the Tech-Magos declared, his words carrying a reverence for the ancient composition. With a selection made on the touch-interface, the flyer's interior was inundated with the blaring strains of the chosen melody. The Rogue Trader, caught off guard by the sudden auditory assault, instinctively closed his ears against the booming resonance.

Words of God: For this part, play Rose at Midnight - Strike Force Heroes

The symphony echoed through the confined space of the beleaguered flyer, intertwining with the cacophony of battle outside. The melodic resonance, a fusion of ancient artistry and the chaos of warfare, imbued the moment with an ethereal quality. The pulsating rhythm of the music accompanied the Tech-Magos' expert maneuvers, infusing a surreal energy into the grim reality of their airborne skirmish. Amidst the storm of conflict, the disparate notes of a bygone era resonated—a brief respite of auditory defiance in the face of impending chaos.

And as they continue to maneuver the treacherous sky, Anastasia absorb all the ballistics that landed on the ship but didn't penetrate to fuel her attacks. With efficiency beyond even Imperium's most advanced of technology, even a single projectile extracted can be made into hundreds of her nanite spears while not compromising the original durability that her nanite-constructed items can do.

"Strange, they would have come to realize that they are only giving her more ammunition by using solid projectiles already but they still keep firing regardless of how much of their side being damaged". The Tech-Magos said as he maneuvers the flyer.

"It's because there's actually no one piloting all of those things. They are basically automated drones doing its job, taking down any flight-capable vehicle under the direct surveillance of the Upper Hierarchy. The likeliest reasoning why it came about is because of one of their more powerful assets, Heracles, was permanently slain by Elise and now they just go scorched earth on the Lower Hive no matter how unlikely that chance of success it can be." Anastasia explained through the flyer's sound system since her nanomachines is in sync.

"Wait... All of those before are just machine spirits!?" The Tech-Magos was left even more confused by her explanation about them than ever.

"Only your Mechanicus parlance calling them that, we have our different terminologies". Anastasia said as she basically steer the conversation away from where she knew it is heading. Only headache awaits that path if she lets it go like that.

The smaller aircrafts disappeared from the battlefield as taking their place is the voidships with their greater armaments which is completely overkill for taking down a single flyer. But because of Anastasia onboard, the table is completely flipped in the other order. Anastasia knew that.

Manifesting multiple spears with the nanomachines, she immediately makes use of her further advanced understanding of Collapse and Reverse Collapse mechanic. Of how Elise combined the two together to create basically complete annihilation of existence itself. She intends to make use of it because right now, she needs to be utmost efficient with her power after the previous completely exhausted her.

Collapse is complete deconstruction of state of matter into base particles, Reverse Collapse is the opposite in which said base particles reconstruct themselves into any chosen form. When combined together, the two cyclized the energy until it all exhausted in entropy. Because said energy basically withered into nothingness itself, there was nothing to recover from even if they could reverse time. Its effect is ultimately weaker than Elise's but even a fraction of infinity is still infinity.

Gungnir. That's what she will call it from now on. With her Trigram Bracelet briefly shine and a flash goes through her eyes, muttering the chant of defiance against fate itself. The pitch-black spear floats as one of side-effects of Reverse Collapse is anti-gravity which allows her to pseudo-telekinetically control them without touch. And with her finishing touch, the spears floating around her launched themselves at the voidship fleet ahead of her.

Their defense measure activated, and just as they expected to block a feeble attack in which their formidable void shield can easily block a voidship lance at full speed. Then, the pitch-black spear mocked their attempt at defense as it promptly bypassed the shield then its trajectory completely shifted at will as it struck the weak point directly, the engine chamber which is keeping this voidship afloat. Suddenly, the voidship then falls toward the ground from kilometers up the sky as the drop kill any participant onboard if there was anyone there in the first place.

The result unfolded before the silent onlookers— Both of the Tech-Magos and Rogue Trader alike. A fleet grounded, its destruction obscured by the deceptive lack of external damage. A moment of hushed contemplation ensued, leaving the duo to ponder the cryptic transformation that had transpired within Anastasia during the unseen interludes of conflict.

In the relentless symphony of destruction, Anastasia continued her methodical onslaught, pitch-black spears hurling through the sky, obliterating both aircraft and voidships alike. Whether propelled by sheer speed or empowered by Gungnir's annihilation, each spear left in its wake a trail of ruin. Her combat, once characterized by honor, now embraced a ruthless pragmatism—a necessity in the face of an erstwhile ally turned relentless adversary.

The Rogue Trader, amidst the chaos, expressed a rare sentiment of empathy for the unsuspecting civilians below. The spectacle unfolding above, voidships and aircraft falling like raindrops, transcended the bounds of ordinary human experience.

"I kind of pity those civilians below getting caught in this conflict. I mean, this isn't something you would ever see in a lifetime. Voidships and aircrafts getting shot down like raindrops does make this whole thing surreal," he remarked, his words laden with a mix of awe and melancholy.

The Tech-Magos, focused on the technicalities of their situation, interjected with a grim statistic. "We are three hours into the flight. Based on my estimation, we have only one more before this vehicle of ours runs out of energy."

The trio lapsed into a somber silence, confronted by the harsh reality of their predicament. The ceaseless onslaught from an enemy with seemingly limitless resources left them pondering the viability of their return to the voidship.

"Are we really going to just make the jump for it and return?" the Tech-Magos queried, prompting a response from the Rogue Trader, who, despite his usual penchant for humor, spoke with uncharacteristic seriousness.

"That's very bold of you but... even I don't know which options are even correct when they are equally bad. If I'm gone, the entirety of our effort will disappear into the ether, and if I come back, it would be the same but we can get to see it burn in real time," he admitted, the gravity of their situation hanging heavily in the air.

As the trio grappled with the dire straits before them, Anastasia noted an abrupt cessation of hostilities. A profound silence settled upon the vessel, a stark contrast to the relentless onslaught they had endured. However, her instincts, honed by experience and the whispers of her nanomachines, forewarned of an impending disturbance.

"Something is wrong, and I don't like it," Anastasia declared, her words echoing a palpable unease. The Rogue Trader and Tech-Magos, attuned to her instincts, immediately sensed the anomaly in the sudden peace that had befallen them.

The Tech-Magos, in a swift response, checked the scanners and radars, only to be met with chaos. Instruments went haywire, readings became erratic, and an ominous feeling enveloped the vessel. He hastily shut down non-essential systems to prevent complete disrepair.

Reality itself seemed to shudder at its core, and Anastasia's senses, overwhelmed by an impending danger, screamed in unison. As the trio braced for the unknown, a signal of unparalleled power disrupted their instruments, heralding a momentous and ominous shift in the fabric of reality.

The world around them quivered, and in the unsettling quietude, the looming specter of an extraordinary and reality-defying force emerged—an anomaly that threatened to unravel their journey in an unprecedented and cataclysmic manner.

As if caught in the throes of a cosmic glitch, the trio found themselves suspended in the cold vastness of space, the entirety of Twilight sprawled beneath them. The Rogue Trader and the Tech-Magos, their expressions a tapestry of bewilderment, grappled with the inexplicable turn of events. Anastasia, her features drained of color, stood frozen with the realization of the cosmic force they now faced.

"By the Emperor, are we in orbit!? How did this happen!?" the Rogue Trader bellowed, his exasperation echoing through the confined space of their vessel.

The planet of Twilight lay beneath them, Hive City Vespera sprawling across its surface, a testament to the ceaseless habitation of a massive population. The familiar sight of the orbital view, usually observed from the confines of a voidship, now unfolded before them as if laid bare for judgment. Panic set in as they comprehended the predicament—stranded in space with a mere hour of energy, ill-equipped for planetary re-entry.

"Everyone... They're coming," Anastasia uttered, a mix of fear and unwavering determination in her voice.

Words of Emperor: For this part, play Mind in a Program - Kirby: Planet Robobot

Descending gracefully into view was a formidable suit of armor, its wings unfurling like an otherworldly angel poised to pass judgment. The Rogue Trader and Tech-Magos, gripped by mortal terror, screamed as the specter approached. Anastasia, however, took command, her nanomachines transforming the stranded flyer into a makeshift space-worthy vessel. Every advantage was crucial in the face of this seemingly insurmountable foe.

Witnessing the Tech-Magos succumb to panic, Anastasia seized control of the flyer through her nanomachines, silencing the chaotic wails of despair.

Fixing her gaze on the approaching adversary, she muttered, "House Seraphim... So they've come to take action." Her resolve steeled, recognizing the formidable battle suit as the unmistakable trademark of her once-allied house.

In the void of space, where sound dared not travel, the Rogue Trader found himself perplexed as ripples, not of force but of the very fabric of reality, emanated from the approaching armor as if really screamed at them. It was an eerie display, as if the cosmos itself recoiled in response to the armored figure's silent, cosmic proclamation—an ominous herald of the impending confrontation with House Seraphim.

Singularities formed around it as cosmic rays unleashed right at their current position in 3-dimensional space, Anastasia quickly steers her only lifeline away from the onslaught of energy blast that it just unleashed. While maneuvering her vessel atop of it, Anastasia continues to create and threw her spears at it with great force and rate now that there's nothing to hinder their true power.

Anastasia remarked how awfully easy to evade them they are, that despite House Seraphim's true capability, they are just testing her at the moment to see where her true combat capability lies. Then when they are done with it, they will no doubt unleash their full power on her, with no mercy much ironically to their name.

After a few light show of potentially untold destructive power behind, the angelic battle suit fires two missiles at her which is pale in comparison to the previous display. But with her discerning eyes, she quickly know that they are Vortex Missiles which can create a miniaturized singularity at their detonation destination. And that its lethality if caught is beyond words of description.

Applying Collapse into her spears which slightly slow down her throwing rate, she struck them with precision to not setting them off but dismantle them apart into useless scraps. With some efforts she put in, the missiles immediately broke apart before it could detonate as they strands around as useless scrap. Then she had an idea, because Gungnir's true power demands a lot of material to sustain its form, she decided to take the missiles that she destroyed as material for said ultimate attack of her.

By scattering nanomachines into those stranding scraps that would have been lethal if collided, they become boon for her as those scraps deconstructed into even more nanomachines for her to use. That's just how ubiquitous her House's technology after all yet everyone else was far more decisive with their own technology that they researched.

Continuing her onslaught after absorbing the missile parts as her own. The angelic battle suit now finally unleashes its actual technology that their House actually uses. Nearby the battle suit opened many portals that seemingly connect to Twilight itself which baffles the Tech-Magos because spatial portal technology doesn't exist within the Imperium's circulation. He heard of Necron's Gateways which acts as portals to cross vast-distance in the galaxy but not so much of human-made that can be used so casually.

Leaping out of it is multiple smaller battle suits in comparison to the angelic one which has its own space-flight functionality given to them. Anastasia detected that there's no pilot in any of them as they were all controlled autonomously as they all rushes toward her seemingly try to self-destruct upon her the moment they get close. Unlike the missiles that were on easy straight paths, they all move erratically as they draw the distance closer to her.

"Sooner the fishes walk the land. Than the clock turn back on its hands"

Anastasia created multiple spears as they levitates around her then with her defiance chant, she let looses all of them as they struck their marks regardless of how much they tried to evade, completely defying their original trajectories, distances and pathing. As their broken remains scattered by the impact of her spears, she quickly absorbing all the parts that she can reach toward before the Seraphim battle suit performs its next attack.

With all the masses that she accumulated so far, she decided to test out Gungnir. Based on her calculation, she could maintain it for about... 4 seconds. Which is surprisingly a lot for a weapon that can annihilate existence itself in an instant.

Black aura starts to manifest around the spear itself which the Seraphim didn't understand what it really is because all the possible records they could have of Gungnir is none due to only being devised like... hours... Then as it existence become clearer, it starts to become a glaring hole in the reality around as the Seraphim or at least its controller knew that something is clearly wrong with that spear. But before it could even try to avoid the next attack... Anastasia lands a mortal blow.

Gungnir - Divine Burial. Seal 1 Unleashed. Code 9999.

Reality stuttered as if its power was too much to handle briefly. As if anathema to existence and life itself, the ominous aura around it continue to rose upward as if it was too much for that spear alone to contain. Anastasia will not deny that it is agonizing to just hold it but speaking of pain is overrated and overdone at this point for her. Because there's no pain greater than what had become of the relationship between the two sisters.

Anastasia thrust the spear toward the Seraphim as its aura extends indefinitely toward it. Before even the thought of where to avoid crossed its mind, the spear broke through its frame before the brief 4 seconds elapsed and all the masses that Anastasia accumulated until now is gone.

The Seraphim taken aback, the damage that it received is clearly too much because it didn't understand how a Valkyria could perform such an attack like that. And comes to no one's surprise, they didn't even correlate the fact that she accumulates masses from the destruction to unleash Gungnir. Sound can't travel in space so it's not like they can hear it although they can decipher her mouth movement to make sense of what she's doing.

The Seraphim yelled again as the space around it ripples and it seems that the damage it received didn't matter to its functionality. Parts of itself detached from the main body as those parts form a barrier that form an impenetrable barrier. Then from those portals emerged what seems like black cubes of Xeno-origin. However, the Rogue Trader seems to have a precise idea of what they are.

"What in the!? They processed Necrodermis of all the things just to make cubes out of it!?" The Rogue Trader screamed in exasperation as if his heart will jump out of its body in both fascination and fear. And this is just the beginning of the battle.

The three cubes of Necrodermis that were summoned. Which is originally the physical body of the Necrons. A race of Xeno whose existence have a headstart roughly 65 million years ahead of humanity. The entirety of humanity's history can only be considered as practically a rather chaotic day to them. And with how much power and inconceivable technology to wield, there's practically no victory to be gained by fighting against them at all. And yet, look at what the Seraphim did, a foe of such hopeless danger that they represent just casually be processed and used in this almost comical manner.

Yet as comical as they were, said three cubes are actually very large, like roughly a hundred meters in size. Monstrously known to be durable and regenerative to the point that most of Imperium's arsenal don't make a dent through any construction made of them or even the Necrons themselves. As they move and rearranges themselves in space they approaches Anastasia's small vessel, the only hope seemingly is just to avoid them entirely. But Anastasia knew that they will just reuse it to screw her already limited amount of time until she just become stranded in space unable to return, she decided to do something else entirely.

To break them apart and use them as fuel for her Gungnir.

"Even I start to pity those Necrons who crossed them and that's a lot of groxshite to say about". The Rogue Trader said as who can't even imagine the amount of Necrons were used to made those cubes.

Using Collapse spears to attack, Anastasia calculate the easiest methodical points to break the cubes apart in a single volley of attacks. By her logical conclusion, the weakest points are the corner where they are vulnerable to impact stress. With absolute accuracy that she enforced upon the spears, they quickly propels themselves at the approaching cubes of Necrodermis as they struck through the corners of it at the same time. Although it may have been simple, no one else would have thought about it as fast as she could and would have mindlessly strikes at the Necrodermis helplessly even if using Collapse.

One of the Necrodermis cubes broke apart and Anastasia makes no hesitation to absorb them. Then with careful timing and quick decision-making, she also quickly dismantled the remaining cubes and the accumulated mass is enough for her to unleash Gungnir again. But... she decided to hold it in deliberately so that the next time she uses Gungnir, it will last longer and more powerful than her previous attack.

Seeing that she has managed to destroy the Necrodermis cubes with her own wits and brilliance. The Seraphim then proceeds to create a large portal above it and coming out of it is... a meteorites field that is now being dragged into Twilight's gravity field and now causing a meteor shower to unleash upon her.

"Wait... aren't Twilight a Hive World or something? If those meteors made re-entry and... Holy shite! They're about to cause a cataclysm just to kill her!" The Tech-Magos said as the calculation he made on the damage it would be is really severe. Just how callous can they be that they can cause death of billions so casually.

Anastasia understand the consequence that would happen if even a single meteorite falls to the world below. Quickly destroying and absorbing the meteorites that can cause damage and ignore those that would likely burn up in the atmosphere or very minimal damage that wouldn't be too greater than the syndicate activity in Lower Hive already. As much as she can just evade the meteors, there are still people that she cared about below there and she would not forgive herself if her own selfishness or sloth cause irreversible consequences on her part.

Consuming the masses of the meteorites that she destroy, she quickly build up her reserve to unleash Gungnir again in order to cease the calamity that the Seraphim unleashes. Then when the three large meteors come that she herself can't destroy in time before they escape her sight and absorption, the Seraphim promptly unleashed a massive beam that destroyed said three meteors. Not to protect the world below from potential damage they may unleash but because Anastasia was behind them. That's how self-centered they surprisingly are for someone calling themselves the angels.

Absorbing the 3 large meteorites that were destroyed, she has enough masses to unleash the even stronger form of Gungnir once again if her calculation is correct. With all the masses that she has obtained right now, she can use the Gungnir for... 10 seconds... Which is enough for what she must do right now.

Bracing herself again as the cursed spear manifested once more. The Seraphim knows the extent that spear could do immediately uses all the power it has to unleash a devastating beam that would have carved into the world below them. Anastasia knew what it was doing as she quickly thrusts Gungnir at her target once more, this time will strike through its 'heart' that is unleashing said power which is reaching her.

Gungnir - Divine Burial. Seal 2 Unleashed. Code 99^99.

The more potent version of Gungnir unleashed as it clashes with the beam of destruction. With its power of annihilation taking its courses, the Gungnir's cursed black aura completely erases the beam that it collides with as it quickly reaches the Seraphim. Unable to make any maneuver, it could only double down on keeping the ominous nihility away but the power it trying to clash with isn't any power at all... Because it was literal nothingness that is making its way.

The aura of darkness penetrated through its heart and the supposedly impenetrable barrier that was supposed to protect it. And this time, it finally ended it for good.

With the portal ceases its existence, Anastasia quickly clean up the remaining scattered meteorites with Gungnir's impossible range to make sure that nothing too perilous may occur as long as she still draws breathe. Once she was done, there was silence that remains as Anastasia quickly approached the ruined Seraphim then... she absorbed its remains.

The Tech-Magos and Rogue Trader let out a sigh of relief because they were glad that it was the end of it, at least for now that their hearts can rest a bit easy. Anastasia however knew that they won't send them up here just to fight a single battle suit of theirs. Reality is shaking again and Anastasia braced for the next fight knowing it won't be any easier than before.

The world beneath them vanished as the three now only have cosmos to light the surrounding. They couldn't tell where was where anymore as the cosmos doesn't make sense to them as they couldn't discern any star-chart perceivable. The celestial bodies seemed to defy comprehension, their arrangement defying the conventional laws of astrophysics. There were no recognizable star patterns, no constellations to guide them, only an otherworldly radiance from the manipulated cosmic fabric. but Anastasia seems to have an idea of what precisely this space is.

House Seraphim's technology is... space-time manipulation. The spatial portals that they created over vast distances in interstellar scale before is just but a slight margin of their true reach that they have gone to. This space around them is in fact... artificial. A pocket dimension ,if they can even call it a pocket at all because this artificially crafted space, devoid of the familiar stellar landmarks, expanded like a surreal canvas stretching beyond the boundaries of the galaxy.

Then... descend slowly into their line of sight, is a voidship whose size utterly dwarf any that has been made by the Imperium even in its golden age. Perhaps even more than the Emperor's himself as the entire thing is clad in chromatic metal that seemingly can deflect anything that may or might have been created by the Imperium. The trio knew right now that this little vessel that was originally a Valkyrie flyer, modified by Anastasia's in haste to be space-flight capable using her nanomachines is about to face against an entire ship that is probably larger than the every ship of the Imperial Navy combined.

Like comparing a flea to a continent in itself. And they must some how win this impossible fight on their own, in a reality that's no longer theirs.

"Is that also what their technology applied to? A voidship so large that it is practically a world on its own? And how did they even take the thing off-world in the first place!?" The Tech-Magos said as the situation only brought more question that answer to him.

"Emperor damn it. This was originally just a flight in Twilight's atmosphere for a few hour and now we're supposed to be fighting this entire thing?!" The Rogue Trader completely perplexed at the way this whole debacle has escalated.

Seeing the gigantic void-faring vessel of House Seraphim in front of her. She had a thought, it's just a very unlikely chance but considering nothing is ever a coincidence when it comes to her, Anastasia decided to call out toward the opposing voidship.

"Gabriel! You hear me!?"

Anastasia yelled through the void and nothing responded. The Rogue Trader and the Tech-Magos wonders just who is it that the name belongs to but it must have some correlation with the very huge problem at hand in front of them. Tension arises as Anastasia wonders if she is proven wrong or not.

Before Anastasia tried to respond in futility again. A holographic display appears out of nowhere in front of them. And what it is showing right now, is a girl who is at the same age as Anastasia. Curly blonde hair styled into regal ringlets, dressed in white gown as if she is an actual angel. The room she is in is no less overly-decorated as if it is glimpse into the heaven itself.

"So... our dear outcast finally speak huh? Do you understand how much trouble you caused us with your temper tantrum? If only you would just silently roll over then none of this would have happened". The girl speaks through the hologram display that is showing to them. From the way she talks, it seems that she is mistaking Elise's action for Anastasia's.

"I know that this is an inopportune time to ask right now but... who is she exactly?" The Rogue Trader asked Anastasia through the Valkyrie's system in which she intercept the signal through the nanomachines festered through it.

"The Scion of House Seraphim. Back when my House was part of the Upper Hierarchy before the betrayal, I have my chance to meet together with the Scions of other members of the Hierarchy. We used to clash with one another frequently and before I knew it, she had declared that I am her nemesis and that she would surpass me in every other quality. I thought it was just her being competitive but seeing her in action during the purge made me realized that she doesn't just speak of social standard." Anastasia explained the situation as her thought spoke through the internal sound system. Fortunate for them that whatever conservation between them is limited to this flyer's confine.

"Oh dear Omnissiah. The villainess archetype. I thought their existence was strictly limited to the Dating Simulacrums due to how unrealistic their behaviors are but it seems that I didn't travel the galaxy far and wide enough" The Tech-Magos commented as the Rogue Trader suddenly give him the confused stare at what he is talking about.

"You... are you behind all of this?" Anastasia isn't exactly mad but she is obviously infuriated that her return journey was intercepted by the Upper Hierarchy.

"Look at what occurred through all the 10000 years of existence that your House has brought, and looked at what did you all contributed? Many others made advance and stride toward the zenith and yet your House stay its hand and not make use of their own technology beyond trying to read fate. Your recent usage of that black spear is certainly new and commendable but it's certainly too late". Gabriel spoke to Anastasia through the hologram display.

Anastasia felt irritated at the obvious antagonism that doesn't even bother to be veiled. However, since there are not too many chance to get access to the Upper Hierarchy's information, no matter how little it may be. Anastasia decided to ask questions without care if they are nothing but barely-covered insults either way.

"Why do you hate so much? All of your life's goals involved nothing but trying to beat me. I didn't pay much heed to you then but since we're bound to have nothing to lose either way, why don't we come clean then?" Anastasia made her attempt at rebuttal, it might not be her best since it was years since the last time she made arguments with the fellow Scions.

Gabriel stayed silent for a moment as if she thought that Anastasia supposed to know it already. Turns out, it hurts far more when your nemesis didn't even bother to care about your existence in general.

"The Hippocratic Oath. Samjo's flagship. You can't possibly pretend as if you have no part in it. We have literal concrete evidences of your presence. It's easy to formulate the story of what happened." Gabriel said as she creates another holographic display nearby. It shows a chunk of nanite-corrupted adamantium that was recovered from the voidship self-destruction at the site.

Anastasia's recognized the pattern, it is of similar to the Trigram Bracelet that she wore on her hand. If this isn't concrete evidence of a Valkyria being the perpetrator then all of the judiciary can go to the trash already.

But she wasn't there at the site at all, she saw that ship flew on its own for a while before it exploded into a hail of burning scraps. If it can't be her that was there then...

Elise...

She was furious. Furious at the fact that Elise pinned the entire incident on her who has taken no part in. If she meet her sister again, she will punish her in a way to repay the act that Elise had done.

Samjo was the Scion of House Klepius, one of the Houses that have a long history of partnership stretching to literal thousands of years before the purge. Knowing his current belief after the purge of her House, he is no doubt rebellious toward the Upper Hierarchy and Elise has taken advantage of it totally by impersonating her.

"Betraying your own fiancé, I didn't take you for such a lowly and dirty schemer that will use any tactic no matter how filthy it will be". Gabriel said as she continues to make mockery out of Anastasia.

Back in the Lower Hive's subterranean transit network. Samjo sneezed as he felt like someone just talk untruth behind his back. He felt like this will be a long-term occurrence.

Back to the pocket dimension that House Seraphim has trapped Anastasia and her two followers in. Anastasia felt a bitter hint of resentment. What ever has become of the sisterhood, the fellow Scions that she was supposed to be her indispensable allies. With scornful expression, she returned Gabriel's words by throwing her nanite spear into the holographic display.

The spear rushes through the display and hit nothing. It was intangible for all purposes.

Gabriel seeing Anastasia falling this low mentally, gave a tired sigh. She drops the façade that she held up until this point as she decided that the conversation from this point onward shall go unremembered to the rest of the Upper Hierarchy.

"Anastasia. No one would have believed me if I tell you that I actually looked up to you. You were the epitome of grace and honor that so many Scions always strive to be, even I have been in that before. So, during my time in the League, whenever that I could, I tried to clash with you in the hope of one day becoming an equal to someone like you. But... I guessed fate had a different idea when the order to purge your House came." Gabriel said with remorse which is completely opposite to everything that Anastasia actually know of her.

Anastasia suddenly broke from her irritation the moment she heard what Gabriel actually said. Thinking back since the whole ordeal occurred, she has been slowly losing grip with herself, the ideal identity that she wished to uphold slowly wither away under the excuse of practicality. That there can't be any other way, that it has to be this way.

She was wrong. She who supposed to be fighting against fate has been drifting in the tide of time toward no destination in mind. All the clashes, all the battles, all blurred into a meaningless and directionless drift. When was the last time she actually proactively fight against her fate, when was the last time she made the impossible happened? None. Her ideal is dead the moment she made the decision to abandon her younger sister Elise to her fate in the excuse of inevitable. She is the loser who betrayed her ideal first and finally, herself.

And now, she has been losing grips with her own emotions. She raged at the first sight of inconvenience, always brooding when things don't go her ways. And struggles that simply go nowhere. The armor of contempt that she built up all dismantled as she looked at herself in realization with eyes trembling in horror of what she has become.

"And you remember my declaration of nemesis, right? That all of it was supposed to be in good sport and friendly competition but... everyone else takes it in completely wrong way. They thought that I will surpass you and make you kneel in front of me as admittance of defeat. And when the order of purging came, it only got worse. From nemesis into irrational deep-seated hatred. My serfs bought it, my parents bought it, the entire House has bought it, and the entire Hierarchy bought it. From a misunderstanding that has blown out of its proportion has replaced the truth that it originally there" Gabriel continue to confess the entire secret of everything before.

"This... goes the entirely different way than I expected". The Tech-Magos said as this development is beyond his expectation.

"So... I have to keep up that lie during the purge. Forced to take major battles that would have led me to caught head-to-head with you. I was afraid of what I would have become when I would have confront you, unable to confess the lie that has perpetuated itself in place of what originally was. As the war would progress, I would hear people slander about you, in all sorts of manner that it would be a waste of time to list them all. Because of it, I steeled myself to find you, in hope that there might be more answers to this than what I've been given". Gabriel continues, the image of an arrogant and spoiled-rotten princess before replaced with someone who was no doubt suffered as much because of the war like her.

Gabriel stood up before lights around her manifested into translucent pair of angel wings at her back and the halo at the top of her head. Anastasia knew that it is the way that House Seraphim activate their personal power. That's one of the applications of space-time manipulation that they used personally. Seeing them like this, there's no doubt that the name Seraphim isn't undeserved.

"Years passed, and the campaign of your capture was devised once more now that the time of disaster is approaching. I was hoping that I would be proven wrong about the slanders that spoken against you but... I've seen that some of it was correct without a doubt. I don't know exactly of what have become of you but... I couldn't forgive you for causing Samjo's death as Akumu of Asura reported. He had given himself to you against the Hierarchy's order and yet... this is how you repaid him"

She took her stance into archery form, a bow made entirely of light solidified manifested in her hands. With its string drawn and the arrow made of light seemingly aimed at Anastasia through the holographic display.

"I guess that's why they said that you shouldn't meet your hero".

A bolt of divine light burst through the holographic display as it pierced through the entirety of the vessel that Anastasia stood on. The Tech-Magos and the Rogue Trader had a fright of their lives as the Anastasia quickly mend the damage before any complication occured. With that bolt of light being Gabriel's declaration of battle, Anastasia can only proceed in earnest.

Redemption or retribution. Only one way to step forward.

Gabriel's voidship made its first attack as singularities formed and unleash a burst of ray each upon their formation. And they instantly dissipate the moment they did their jobs. What supposed to be easily the most energy intensive act was sidestepped entirely thanks to their House's technology manipulating the space itself to concentrate very little mass needed for such destructive attacks.

Anastasia once again, weaved through them carefully as they all have their own each sweeping patterns. Her vessel's speed isn't enough to complete circumvent the opposing continental-sized voidship's range at all thus she would better stay near her own position than trying to flank a planetoid that fight back. Beside, Anastasia couldn't miss her target if she could while Gabriel will have to try to hit a particular bacterium with a screwdriver if she wanted to win with the precision involved against.

The thing is... what does she have to deal substantial damage to something far outsize her? The one and only... Gungnir.

Seeing that the gamma ray bursts was too easy for Anastasia to evade her. Gabriel summoned two Seraphim battle suits in order to intercept her. The pair of armors outmatched even the Imperium's largest war machine producible as they seek her amongst the artifical cosmos with laser-guided precision. The entirety of Gabriel's flagship's image distorted before completely vanished away from her sight lest that Anastasia somehow unleash that black spear again to destroy the two Seraphim she sent and get caught as collateral.

Anastasia quickly threw down the nanite spears that she made at them across the vast distance between. With the rates that she throw, even the Assault Cannon pales in comparison. Seeing her chance to fuel Gungnir arrives, the focused down on one of them before it approaches. As the sheer quantity of nanite spears thrown at large speed that crosses the cosmic distance collide, the targeted Seraphim battle suit was torn apart before broken down into unrecognizable scraps that Anastasia absorbs them all through her nanomachines.

The other one however finally got close as it is about to charge headfirst with their aimed locked at the vessel tiny by comparison. Anastasia knew that if she unleashed her strength as melee attack as it is, the recoil would be way too much that she would tore the vessel apart.

"Anastasia, you know the 'barrel roll', right? The emergency evade maneuver that any of the Aeronautica division of Imperial Guards know about?!" The Tech-Magos said as his expertise has found many asked for help before joining with the Rogue Trader.

Decided that voice instruction isn't fast enough for the predicament, he decided to just transmit the memory directly by inserting his wire cable that installed to his own cybernetic into the flyer's system. And Anastasia suddenly received the influx of knowledge through the nanomachines started to merge the evasion maneuver with her combat experience into one seamless action.

The vessel whirled rotate on its lateral and longitude axis as Anastasia quickly struck the Seraphim battle suit with combined technique. As its destroyed body scatters, Anastasia doesn't hesitate to absorb their remains to fuel her ultimate technique. And right after the destruction of the two Seraphim battle suits, Gabriel's voidship appear again in the distance, not even more aware of what Anastasia is about to unleashed upon.

Gungnir - Divine Burial. Seal 2 Unleashed. Code 99^99

The black cursed spear manifested once more, no further distinct than the usual nanite spear she always used. Reality itself acted abnormal when it appears, now especially more with the artificial cosmos being destabilized just with the cursed thing's presence. Gabriel looked at the spear's cursed aura that seemingly devour existence around it to no end. Then she realized just how much she underestimated what that black spear actually can do.

Before any response is made, Anastasia thrusted Gungnir toward the gigantic voidship that Gabriel is commanding as its cursed aura unravel the false reality around into nothingness. Unable to evade the oncoming strike, all Gabriel could do is brace for the impact that is about to collide.

The black aura carved into the chromatic hull that protects the voidship from even the most powerful that the entirety of the galaxy could conjure to throw itself against but it couldn't withstand a single moment against Gungnir because of how it erases everything that it came into contact with into nothingness. As if it has deleted the integral and existing information that it was there.

Ten seconds, it was a short amount of time for someone like her yet Gabriel felt genuine dreads at its might. With visible damage carved into the voidship, the broken part of that chromatic hull scatters into the front of her as the voidship recoils back. Anastasia thought about trying to absorb it only to find that her nanomachines failed to decompose the thing.

"What... How did it...?-" Anastasia muttered at the impossibility in front of her only to remembered what was spoken before.

The nanite-corrupted adamantium that come from Samjo's self-destructed flagship. The proof that the involvement with Valkyria was present. And in that short amount of time, they have devised a method to prevent her from using her nanomachines to consume or corrupt their materials.

With the chromatic fragments probably the size of an entire city drifting toward her. Anastasia quickly steers the tiny vessel that is her only lifeline and threads it through the broken parts. As she narrowly evaded through, the continental-sized voidship of Gabriel used its teleportation function just to stabilize its axis and the chromatic scraps also teleported away although no longer belong to the ship anymore.

Anastasia definitely could tell that Gabriel is very furious at what she just did to her ship and will act more precautious because of it. However, it seems that she didn't learn what actually caused her to lose the previous bout as Gabriel unleashed everything that she has in her arsenal. Imperial Lances that moved at the fraction of light speed, singularities with their gamma ray bursts in tandem with one another.

Proceeding calmly as usual, evade the rays while destroy the Imperial Lances for mass to fuel Gungnir. Gabriel didn't even make attempt to analyze Anastasia's behavior as to how Gungnir works. Then, when it finally comes to hit her again for just how much she tried to rely on the voidship solely for its capability. Anastasia unleashed Gungnir again as the cursed spear carved another part of her voidship.

Having taken severe damage that this ship has never seen in its entire lifetime. Gabriel was utterly furious as if all that previous confession was forgotten. Summoning the holographic display once more and enlarge its size to the scale that would have covered the entire ship's front which was continental in size already. It then shows Gabriel being mad at Anastasia with her expression in full, then with her personal power, the bow of light made manifested in her hand again as she shot the bolt of light through the display which when comes out of Anastasia's side was utterly gigantic.

Ironically, that attack that Gabriel made in her tantrum was far more dangerous than this entire voidship in total before. And when Anastasia tried to attack through the display, the spears was casually deflected back despite the Collapse installed into the tip of each. A part of her wonders just how much more dangerous would Gabriel truly be if she actually realized the way her technology can be applied.

And she should have stayed her mouth because Gabriel now actually uses her House's technology as the light particles manifested as wings on her back and halo above her head. And suddenly created out of nothing it came from, gigantic swords of light float like wings of an archangel around the ship itself. With the holographic display of Gabriel's efforts to wield them still showing Anastasia as if forgotten to turn it off but ironically protecting the voidship of her from Anastasia's further onslaught barring Gungnir.

From there, Anastasia can tell which way she is swinging her gigantic sword of lights to avoid and Gabriel's bad habit of closing her eyes when struggling to perform something still apply. Of which no one has rectified because Gabriel seems to always learn very fast that struggling is just a matter of getting accustomed for her.

After trying to swing that set of four swords that seems to exhaust her mental stamina, she starts to throw another tantrum seeing that her massive attacks didn't even strike at Anastasia at all. The Rogue Trader looks as if all of their previous journeys and experiences of the Imperium's display of power or even lost Dark Age of Technology was nothing but literal toys in comparison and here they throw such things around like it no less.

Seeing that her didn't do anything at all, Gabriel grew impatient before back-up on firing target-seeking Imperial Lances at Anastasia again. Even the Tech-Magos has to facepalm at the absurdity of the solution that she has chosen because by this point, Gabriel is giving ammunition for her enemy.

Minutes later, the Imperial Lances that she fired at Anastasia became fuel for Gungnir. At this point, even lamenting Gabriel's short-sightedness is just a fool's errand as Gungnir once again tore into her voidship with this time being completely deserved for that intellectually-challenged act. Losing control over the blades of light, they continue to float toward Anastasia's vessel without its maker's input. As she carefully threading herself around these stellar-level temperature that they have before Gabriel regained her composure. This time, she is rage is a description pale in what she felt.

Composure be damned, Gabriel commanded her voidship to ram straight at Anastasia's. Consequence be damned. Seeing that the last straw has been reached, Anastasia quickly maneuvered the flyer that she is controlling upward in a desperate attempt to evade. As the Tech-Magos and Rogue Trader no longer having any control to this vehicle of theirs can only clutch as the realization of the size difference between their spacecraft-converted-VTOL and Gabriel's is like heaven and earth.

Narrowly surpass with only a second to spare, Anastasia realized their outer hull only connected to the rest of the ship from one remaining central point as a result of Anastasia's Gungnir devastation upon. With such close distance now, she must quickly take action or there won't be another easy chance for her.

With her defiance chant, many nanite spears formed around her as the Trigram Formation circles behind her back, then with her last proclamation, the spears then propels by toward the final breaking point. One alone won't do anything but with its structure integrity already on the brink as they all struck their marks with dead-eye precisions with the ship rushing past Anastasia's tiny vessel.

The outer hull completely broke off. Revealing the true exterior beneath that continental-sized voidship is a slightly smaller and less bulky in comparison to before. But it is still something that was much larger than they are by a vast margin. The outer hull that was used to protect against nanomachine corruption was completely dismantled for different reasons entirely and if anything, it served more as a weight that only slow or impact the original ship's capability altogether.

"That's... they really just give her their House's flagship of all things!?" Anastasia yelled inside her mind as she recognized it within her disparate memory before the fall.

The Seraphim's gigantic voidship returned back in front of her using spatial teleportation once more. The trims of gold and decorates of heaven's properties, Anastasia couldn't mistake it even if she become an amnesiac. If the etiquettes and surface knowledge of each Upper Hierarchy Noble Houses drilled thoroughly into her didn't matter then she wouldn't have hold her position as a Scion for long.

Ceremonial events, celebrations, anything similar involves, House Seraphim would spend no less hesitation just to flaunt this magnum opus of their technology as if saying that no other Houses can match what they can do. And for once they would be correct, Realm-class voidships are just but a subsidiary that they have mastered the production processes already and they could easily mass-produce in sufficient time if given enough material. Gloriana-class battleships that the Primarchs used during their Great Crusades in comparison would be like comparing a miniature automobile toy model with a real thing.

Of course, the production all took place in their own personal pocket dimensions where materials immediately transported and bypassed all the peril of the Warp for they have no real need to travel through it with their own technology. Such ships if shown its presence to the Imperium would have already demolished its fragile Imperial Navy force stretched thin by the constant war it enacts and endure.

And this, their mastercrafted voidship made and installed with the best of their own technologies. A wonder that even the Golden Age of Mankind never seen. A voidship that could theoretically travel to alternate realities and endure all the physic displacement and change that it would have otherwise been destroyed by. In other words, even if Gungnir was unleashed upon again to that armor of heaven they endowed that ship of theirs, it wouldn't be devastating like before anymore.

Heaven's Lost Property. Flagship of House Seraphim

"Anastasia... You don't understand what you are trying to put up against here. Give up and I may try my best to appease my House to show its mercy for once. But... if you wish to resist then you would better know already that your idea of zenith isn't like what we know". Gabriel said as this time, she's actually concerned about what she is actually going to unleash.

Infinity is a concept that not a lot would try to wrap around their mind but the proof of infinite multiverse is the ability to travel around different realities itself. And what they find a lot of the time wasn't pleasant. Infinite reality doesn't just mean the good, it also means the bad and the ugliness that infinity can show. Realities that contain existence far more hostiles than even the darkest dredge that this reality's creator can conceive. If it weren't for House Seraphim being an overwhelming forces on their own having plenty of fallbacks and countermeasures make sure that such malevolent force can't be leaked to the outside reality.

"Anastasia, are you sure about what you're going to do? Even this is probably far more dangerous than what the Emperor know and did in his prime!" The Rogue Trader warned Anastasia, as he isn't even sure if what's he saying is a hyperbole fitting the situation anymore.

"_My chance of victory is merely a 0.0_ roughly about a thousand zeroes before another number that isn't it arise to put a percentage behind. But... isn't defying my destiny is a thing that I must do either way, right?" Anastasia said through the flyer's sound system.

"I admit it... But seeing the way you name your attack after a code. And from Seal 1 to Seal 2, you jump the number from 9999 to 99^99. Is it an accurate assessment of Gungnir's power because I admit it, I couldn't analyze nothingness if I tried". The Tech-Magos asked as he felt like there will never be a moment to ask her for this again.

"Nah... I just love thematically big number that is large for no real reason. It's just a cool thing to name them to". Anastasia replies with a chuckles, a brief break of the tension that they desperately needed.

Gabriel looked at her through the holographic display, seeing that Anastasia made her final decision resist. Not that Gabriel expected Anastasia to change her mind at all.

"You're hopeless..." Gabriel said with a frown before she turns the display off.

The ship of heaven roared into life once more as the force of its awakening ripples the reality itself for the trio to feel. The false cosmos that was around them suddenly changed shape and form as if they are right on a hyperspace lane and moving at an impossible speed for conventional physics. Anastasia felt like she is seeing realities and worlds moving past their sights as they spend their time here.

Too bad that they're not here for sightseeing because it would have been a rather spectacularly view otherwise. Even more double so when they must fight the one who enabled this impossibility to begin with.

Words of Emperor: From this part, play P.R.O.G.R.A.M - Kirby: Planet Robobot

The ship of heaven prepares to unleash its first attack and power starts to concentrate at its prow. Right as Anastasia was barely prepared, a devastating ray of pure light unleashed continuously as the ship then proceed to rotate on its own longitude axis as the beam continues to fire. As if playing the most deadliest game of jump rope known to human recorded history.

At the speed and size that it is rotating, Anastasia wonders if there's even anyone could survive that sudden inertia that would have reduced even most Space Marines to red smears on the wall. And much like what she expected, Gabriel probably couldn't even handle it for long before stopping it at the fifth rotation.

Gabriel opened her Realm-sized display again with hint of nausea that she suppressed rather well. With her bow of light already prepared, she quickly unleashed a volley of light bolts through as when they came out of the other side, it become gigantic in comparison. As Anastasia quickly discerns the pattern behind her attacks, she quickly weaved through them without a sweat drop on her head. Although she is fully aware that one hit will end her regardless of her nanomachines' protection.

If Gabriel has just done this from the beginning, Anastasia wouldn't have much of a fighting chance at all to begin with.

Seeing that her attacks likely didn't hit at all, Gabriel commands the ship to open a path to one of the more hostile dimensions that her House has come across. Suddenly from above, a gigantic portal appeared as entering through it is something completely foreign to this entire galaxy's knowledge and awareness. A creature entirely of composite metals whose designs can't even be deciphered even with analysis seemingly mimic human form. Before it does anything, Gabriel's voidship teleports away, leaving Anastasia herself to deal with it herself.

All the Seraphim know about it, is that it is entirely hostile to human, and human alone. And Anastasia seems to pass its check for hostility. If there's any human inhabitant in the world that it came from, it certainly has a name and be recognizable but the only thing Anastasia knows is that she must kill it.

Throwing her nanite spears rapidly at it until it drops, until it torn apart. That's the way it always have worked for her House and and for her too.

Receiving immense damage at short moment notice, it tried to adapt accordingly but Anastasia simply demolished it in the short time that follows. She knew that it would try to do something and she would rather not test its capability. As the torn and exploded fragment scatters, Anastasia absorbed them with her nanomachines as it deconstructs them all down to the last subatomic particles. If there's any side effect noticeable by absorbing foreign elements that likely never existed in this reality but seeing how human must be likely there for it to mimic then physic of that reality must not be too different. Else, she would have noticed it by now.

And the esoteric masses that she received from its total dissemination was immense. As if there was an unspoken forbidden rule about how one should interact with alternate realms that she has broken and that she will never be able to return from having this power being taken away from her the moment this journey into the space between realities itself end.

Both the Rogue Trader and the Tech-Magos that followed her on this tiny vessel only stay silent. They would only impede her performance with their comments and their survival hinges only on her.

Anastasia calculates the effective masses that she gained and how long she can use Gungnir. With the final result out after a few seconds, the answer that she received was 20 seconds which is double the previous level that she used Gungnir. If that's the case then she can only try when Gabriel resurfaced. And speak of the devil, Gabriel came back as her ship teleported in front of her sight. It makes her wonder why Gabriel can't just teleport her ship away and just keep summoning this foreign existences to overwhelm her and that's there are limit to just how much she could stay out of this hyperlane.

Gabriel used the ship's tracking to locate Gabriel before it picks up a dangerous signal income. The spear of annihilation resurfaces within Anastasia hands again and Gabriel can only face tank the entire thing that is about to hit her since there is cooldown in place for teleportation of such massive thing in the first place.

Gungnir - Divine Burial. Seal 3 Unleashed. Code 9{99}9

The spear's cursed aura extend toward the voidship of heaven as its potency is unmatched in comparison to before. Even as the nothingness penetrates into the armor that defy abnormal physic itself buckles under the duress it undergoes. Gungnir's power is entirely anathema to existence in general and its power will stood effective even if their opponents will resist the effect of annihilation.

The number 9{99}9 is an entirely fictional number whose existence is solely devised by her. Because of how House Valkyria often dealt with gargantuan numbers and their calculation whose classical portrayal will long run dry this universe's of atoms to even write on. Most scholars will cease comprehension of numbers beyond 20 to 30 digits and most Tech-Priests cease comprehension beyond 80 because there's no reason due to minimum physic size called Planck-length which devise minimum distance for conventional physic phenomena.

But calculating with possibilities and fates demand far greater understanding than even the brightest minds that the Imperium could conjure.

Think of how repetition of addition is multiplication, repetition of multiplication is exponentiation, and repetition of exponentiation is tetration and so on. And from exponentiation denoted by '^' and tetration denoted by '^^', if one keeps adding caret, it would become obtuse to read thus in the event that adding caret becomes a waste of space, they would denote it like '{2}' and such. From there, concept of hyperoperation was devised, the infinite sequence of arithmetic operations.

For example, 3{3}3 = 3{2}3{2}3 = 3{2}(3^3^3) = 3{2}27 = 3^...(3 27 times)…^3; And that is nowhere near the 9{99}9 that she devised.

The number 9{99}9, is 98 steps of hyperoperation above exponentiation itself where 99^99 looks like nothing in comparison in size. There's no purpose to it other than being huge and testing the understanding of number that one can devise.

20 seconds passed, and the Heaven's Lost Property felt genuine damage unlike many of its previous reality-crossing expeditions. Gabriel suddenly feel the ominous outcome of what will happen if this entire ship is suddenly not enough to endure what Anastasia managed to extract from slaying the otherworldly entities and the destined outcome if this ship get destroyed at her hands. The possibility isn't real but knowing what House Valkyria were capable of, she is not looking past it.

The moment that Heaven's Lost Property's dimensional-crossing jump activated again as another portal connects to one of other dimensions again as the ship of heaven entered through it. And as soon as they disappeared into the portal, one of the foreign entities started to move into hers as the unleashed power radiated by it was enough to make her feel nauseate which is telling of a rather dangerous foe that is unleashed upon her.

She couldn't read its power output if she tried, as if its existence defy natural laws itself. That its presence alone is the signify of a world ending in a disastrous way that even reality itself shatters under sheer energy radiated. The fact that it exists mean the reality it came from was not pleasant for human life form at all.

The only saving grace was that her mind didn't explode trying to comprehend its existence, perhaps dealing with her own version of finity as closely to infinite gave her an edge that no mortal could understand. Her eyes didn't burn apart perceiving its form, her mind didn't shutdown in sensory overload, because of it, Anastasia knew that there is a way to kill it.

She wonders how any human could exist in a reality where these entities roamed freely without care. The moment that entity clad in white noticed her, its roar was powerful enough to ripple the fabric of reality itself in places of the sound that can't traverse the void. As rays of extraterrestrial energies unleashed at her without care, even a single glancing blow of it could have untold consequences beyond lexical description.

Thankfully, when Gabriel's ship jumped dimension, the portal also dragged numerous otherworld debris that Anastasia now tries to absorb. Some of them has no further different that radiated rocks but some of them contained tremendous amount of energy stored within that it even challenged the Upper Hierarchy in terms of scientific advancement. Not looking at the gift horse in the mouth, Anastasia quickly absorbed those artifacts as the energy that could probably last this star system for another 10 millennium would be use in a following instant.

No amount of nanite spear thrown could penetrates its corrupting aura that corrupts everything in its presence. So, she resorted to just demolished it with Gungnir instead and absorbed its slain remains. Activating Gungnir once more as the third seal once again unleashed, Anastasia lets out a decisive blow that tear apart reality itself and everything that it contained in front of her. Because no matter what kind of variable your enemy is, multiply by 0 is the surefire way of rendering your enemy annulled.

Once its form reduced into nothingness, Anastasia approaches its still very dangerously radiating remains as the energy that is completely foreign to her existence without a name appropriate to call. And yet she still continues to devour it with her nanomachines either way as the energy within slowly waning. Even the artifacts that given her such tremendous energy is nowhere near that this torn corpse of the eldritch being have given her.

Gabriel's ship reappeared again. However with the display still put up on. She spoke no words but the holographic display said all she needed to know.

'Big Crunch Protocol initiated, countdown in 4...'

Gabriel has no intention of trying to fight a battle with attrition with Anastasia anymore. She knew clearly what Anastasia is capable of and that she will deliberately avoid direct combat as long as possible. How? By literally collapsing this entire pocket dimension upon Anastasia herself while she and the ship she rode on will outlast even the end of this artificial cosmos itself.

Seeing the urgency of the situation has gone beyond their comprehension, Anastasia nearly tried to unleash her Gungnir but held back knowing it won't be enough to interrupt the protocol if she tried. However, that is enough to make Gabriel scared as she immediately teleport to the other dimensions again as even the slight activation of Gungnir was enough to make her flee. Thankfully, the protocol countdown stalled when the flagship of House Seraphim isn't in this pocket dimension which is now at 3.

In the place where Gabriel were, another dangerous entity equal to that of the albino eldritch before are in their place. With activation of Gugnir once again, she spend no hesitation in trying to just slaying it at the immediate moment. Yet before she could try to make her first move, its cosmic-reflected serpentine body coiled at her at a speed defying existence in general for something that large.

Narrowly evaded the first snap of the jaw that seemingly can devour star itself, it continues to float in the middle of the collapsing void as it pursues Anastasia while she steers away from it while Gungnir is still being prepared. As they basically chase around in a circle, right as when it is about to devour its prey whole, Anastasia activated her ultimate ability.

Gungnir - Divine Burial. Seal 3 Unleashed. Code 9{99}9

Normally, she wouldn't have been able to find her chance that is dwindling. But by manipulating its path toward her desire, it basically make a full circle with its entire body length and she stood right in the middle of them all. By commanding the tiny vessel that she is riding on right now to rotate on its latitude axis at speed that would have normally torn it apart, the activation of Gungnir followed as she bisected the entire cosmic serpent in half across its entire length.

"Do you think that the Emperor could have win if he fight it?" The Rogue Trader said although he knew the likely answer already.

"Not heresy or anything but... I don't think that he could have won without losing something significant. That thing is probably the closest that we know of to the devourer of gods if they were real". The Tech-Magos made his reply although he normally wouldn't have made such remark considering his position.

Trying to consume the bisected remain of that devourer, she finds that its material is so energy dense already that the nanomachines couldn't handle it no matter the form they may take. Even a single carapace piece the size of her could probably have the entirety of the galaxy's worth of energy within thus she tried to take as many pieces as she could to draw out as auxiliary battery. The next seal unleash that she tried to reach will probably be too much for existence itself in passive.

The Heaven's Lost Property appeared in front of her again as it continues the 'Big Crunch Protocol' now that they continue the reality destabilization process in the hope of eliminating Anastasia into this collapsed reality once and for all. But Gungnir's power has struck fear in her wondering if any second she stayed here too long will spell her flagship's demise.

'2...'

Time is running out, Anastasia activated Gungnir once again and Gabriel immediately command the ship's teleportation again despite it is currently on cooldown right now. She just simply know that if she stay here too long, the next time Gungnir is used on her will likely be the last. Before she made her departure for another reality, she used her House's technology to create two short-lived singularities side-by-side Anastasia's vessel although with a huge distance away now that desperation has made her take action she likely didn't before.

The moment they formed, two of them created their own gamma ray bursts as the two devastating rays the size of an entire Hive Sector clashed with one another resulting in a massive spark upon collision. Anastasia fortunately acted in time to avoid and that her nanomachines' protection against intense radiation itself is saving them from being turned into molten soup of ruined genetic structures as a reason for being this ludicrously close exposure to such intense cosmic event. Before Anastasia could perform any counterattack, the flagship of House Seraphim teleported once more as in their place are some otherworldly entities that are thankfully, not too hideous to perceive.

The singularities at Anastasia's side dissipated away in short time after that cosmic event unfolding. With her attention returned to her front with totality but once she take it in entirety, she realized that while its shape isn't as abhorrent like the previous but that didn't exactly make it less dangerous.

An array of 11 rings, each with the circumference to match with Twilight itself. It is not merely an superstructure installation, it is a weapon that seemingly can unleash great amount of energy over vast distance itself. That's what she could gather from her visual perception analysis using the nanomachines. Made out of material impossible to analyze at such range yet power of great quantity is converging across them.

Like an angel halo itself, they arranged each with greater size than themselves in front as if they were a gigantic telescope. However, the entire thing seemingly solely aimed at her alone. With the power output that she could detect from such vast distance across the void, Anastasia realized that they weren't rings, they were all combined as a galactic-destruction weapon that is capable of wiping all existence in a galaxy itself. Before Anastasia would have fell victim to it, she activated Gungnir again as she draws out power from the carapace fragments of the Devourer of Gods that she slayed before now attached to the hull of this flyer itself to extract unimaginable power behind.

With Seal 3 Unleashed, Gungnir extends across vast distance beyond stellar distance as the sheer potency of the spear tore apart the superstructure itself. If she was any moment later, her brain will be fried before her existence disintegrated without a trace in the next. Just what exist there in that reality that demanded such madness to be needed to begin with?

And from the look of it, it seems that their actual target isn't her but they were simply got transported to here while activating by circumstances.

Rushing the flyer toward, fragments of the torn Halo Array is there for her to take. As masses of planets were used to construct them in who-know amount of centuries painstakingly built, can be easily destroyed in seconds like that. But as Anastasia analyzes the structure and how they work, she realized that she could in fact use it to her advantage. Both in the masses and its entire mechanism. As the nanomachines deconstruct the torn Halo Array fragment in exponential speed, even worlds can be taken apart in mere minutes.

With that amount of masses, there is still a certain limit of density that she could even push with the nanomachines. So although masses of that encapsulate worlds scatter away behind her, what she obtained from all the other dimensions stranded into this pocket dimension is beyond Imperium's measure of worth.

The preparation stage is completed, and she only has one chance to end this before it will be her that will perish with this false reality.

The ship of heaven resurfaces once more as the countdown continue in earnest. 1 second left until the collapse of this pocket dimension. With every unfair advantage that she obtained, Anastasia unleashed the next seal of Gungnir while believing that it will be strong enough to penetrate through the foreign-physic-resistant hull.

While its power indeed increase much like what she anticipated. However, Gungnir being anathema to existence in general become much worse as she removes the seals that limit its potential output that it capable of. The unbearable agony that she no longer bother voicing becomes much worse to experience yet all of it felt the same to her regardless of intensity.

She made her step forward regardless of consequences either way.

Gungnir - Divine Burial, Seal 4 Unleashed, Code {9,9,9,9}

Space itself froze, the color of this world completely erased away the moment the 4th seal was unleashed. Gungnir's power seemingly encompassing all of this colorless caricature of this dimension as if nothing could bear the intense aura of annihilation that is emanating except for Anastasia. The cursed spear that she is wielding right now has its power far exceeding her original calculation.

A galaxy worth of energy at disposal, an entire chunk of planet worth of masses in nanomachines, as the combined resources funnel in entirety to Gungnir itself, its effect took place immediately.

Time is dead. Gabriel realized something is wrong the moment all the color in the fabric of existence itself also disappear the moment Anastasia unleashes Gungnir but... this time felt entirely distinct in comparison to before. As if the depths of hell opened beyond its lowliest level to show the abyss where the unredeemable were thrown into oblivion itself.

She noticed something, the countdown ceased to forward no matter what she tried to do. And as the cursed spear in Anastasia's hand that she saw across vast distance grow in its murderous aura that even from her ship could tell.

The Scion of House Seraphim has screwed up. She has given Anastasia more ammunition by the act of traversing to other dimension to evade her Gungnir and in return, she only delay the inevitable that comes. Now her death kneel is approaching as the consequence. Regret is all too late.

There was only one action left Anastasia did. She thrusted the spear of annihilation forward.

Power that transcend description, reality itself torn apart like glasswork as its fragments scatter upon the aura of total annihilation that Gungnir is unleashing. With an entire galaxy worth of energy behind, the nothingness approaches as the all the fundamental laws of physic that uphold this reality perished at the presence of Gungnir. The nothingness penetrates into the hull of that heavenly voidship as all of its functionalities went haywire on impact. Its abnormal-physic defying capability immediately pushed to the limit at the very first moment before breaking apart with each passage.

Reality itself shattered apart revealing the white nothingness that is too bright to perceive. Not because House Seraphim's Big Crunch Protocol but because of Gungnir's 4th seal unleashed. As fragments of reality shatter like glass panels, the light itself consumed their visions before all their senses follow suit.

Anastasia couldn't say anything anymore. She will never be able to perform such feat like this anymore for the rest of this existence of her.

The blank white space disappeared as the trio starts to free falling toward the ground. They're back to Twilight's atmosphere once more but with one slight caveat. The flyer that they rode, it was completely erased as aftereffect by Anastasia unleashing her Seal 4 Unleashed Gungnir. Even in a world of frozen time, its power just transcend all the understanding of reality as they know.

"Help! Do something!" The Rogue Trader that accompanied Anastasia screams for his life for rightful reasons.

Anastasia broke out of her trance as she used both her hands to grip onto the Rogue Trader and Tech-Magos's clothes. Then, by using Reverse Collapse, she applied anti-gravity effect on herself as she controls the limited and delicate flight capability that she has. To speak even broader, she isn't even flying anywhere but just halting her rapid descent into the ground beneath her. She might be able to survive by some miracles but her circumstantial cohorts won't.

Then by some impossible miracles and twists of fate, they landed... right on the Rogue Trader's voidship that is now flying in the sky of Twilight undetected by the Upper Hierarchy. As if for everything that has happened to them, this is the minimum repayment for all the anguish they underwent and all the pain that was fraught upon them. Even they didn't stick the landing perfectly as they probably going to feel the aftermath for some amount of time afterward.

"Fuck... I'm not joining anything that involves her anymore. I had enough trouble for the next decades and I'm off". The Tech-Magos said in frustration as he left the premise while his body creaks in the damage received during the fall.

The Rogue Trader stood up although it seems that he might have broke a rib or two from the landing impact. Of course he shrugged it off since it isn't the first grave injury he received in his journey but he gets off this situation before very lightly in comparison to what Anastasia underwent. He thought that he could have tried to consolate her or something but... nothing come to mind after seeing that battle in the pocket dimension that could help her.

"Uh... keep up the good work..." The Rogue Trader, for the first time rolled a catastrophic failure in charismatic persuasion which is mitigated by his natural charisma. Seeing how bad he failed it, he also left the premise and leave Anastasia alone to herself.

Anastasia stood up again as she looked into the distance of Twilight's horizon away while she takes in a deep breathe each time. Her thoughts were in a haze as she couldn't look far into what she even wanted to do anymore. Saving her sister? Stopping the Absolute Curse? To rise against the deep-rooted conspiracy that even her ancestors did to sabotage their own because the future they envisioned was too overwhelming for any of them in their capacity to resist their meager self against?

She looked into her own palms, the hands that have wielded the spear of annihilation that tears apart existence into irreversible nothingness. And she realized something after she spends a few seconds looking at it in emptiness.

"I... I couldn't feel my hands anymore..." Anastasia muttered, realizing what Gungnir has did far more than just tearing apart her existence slowly.