Chapter 4: Second Honkai War I
Outer Space, Far Side of the Moon
"SIRIN! Please! If you can still hear me, don't kill Humanity! You don't have to listen to the Honkai! I know… you can be better! I…don't want…to fight you…"
'Shirou… what do you mean…? Be better…? Why do you ask me not to follow my God…? At least, I'm glad… I don't want to fight you too…'
Lying on the back of her dragon, Sirin stirred, her mind faintly recalling the last thoughts she had before she lost consciousness after her pet had carried her away.
"Dear Child…"
The girl slowly opened her eyes.
"Do you yearn for true power…? Come to me, then."
With a groan of effort, Sirin sat up. "Where am I?" Looking around, her orange eyes went wide open in astonishment.
Before her was the vastness of outer space, a sea of stars spanning the cosmos, twinkling far, far away. On the Earth below, she could see entire continents, clusters of light marking cities and civilisations. For the first time since her imprisonment in Babylon Labs, Sirin experienced a sense of true freedom, as her dragon continued to somehow keep on flying through the emptiness of the void.
Soon, the dragon and its rider approached a gray sphere with craters pockmarked on its surface.
"Are we at the Moon?" The Void Queen murmured to herself.
In the largest crater found on the Far Side of the Moon, there stood an ancient ruin, its origin unknown. Slowly, the dragon approached for a landing, finally stopping itself somewhere in the ruins' depths. With its task done, the dragon, collapsed onto its side, panting heavily.
"The wounds that the traitor left on you didn't heal… and this chain around your leg, what is it—" As Sirin touched it, the Projected chain of Judah broke and dissipated into blue energy. "Huh? This… It's not Honkai Energy? Didn't Shirou use this to try and stop you from leaving? How did he make this…" Absentmindedly continuing to pat her dragon's head, the girl was deep in thought.
"Shirou… he saved me from that traitor. He was more powerful than I thought… but now I couldn't take him with me in time. He's probably being taken back to that Overseer, maybe even turned against me by those lying adults… curse them! And you… the wounds you have… are you going to die as well…?" Unexpectedly, the dragon communicated something to Sirin."Don't be sad. We've made it here. True power lies right before you."
Turning around to where the dragon was facing, there was a strange sight: A glowing crystal in a circular area with unknown engraved columns all around it. "Hmm? There are markings on the stone…" Slowly floating upwards to the glowing crystal, the Void Queen extended her hand to touch it. "What is this thing?"
Suddenly, the crystal emitted a bright flash. Letting out a sound of surprise, the girl squeezed her eyes shut. "Ahh! The light… huh?" Opening her eyes again, she found herself standing in a blank white space. Within it, a faceless figure sat on a stone throne. "Who are you?"
The figure inclined its head, indicating for her to approach it. "God? Is that you?" As Sirin neared, the figure suddenly changed its appearance to match hers. Unwittingly, the Void Queen collapsed to her knees.
'Why am I kneeling? I'm the Second Herrscher! But I feel nothing but fear before her… I'm nothing before GOD! SHE is truth itself! SHE is beyond us!' Bowing her head to the one she served, Sirin had more thoughts. 'What's this place? Where am I—'
Suddenly, the figure snapped their fingers. Unexpectedly, knowledge was pushed into the girl. Not expecting it, Sirin held her head in pain. 'Hngh! SHE's speaking into my mind! So much… It hurts!"
THEY reappeared on Earth 50,000 years ago.
THEY regarded Humanity as a foul disease/interesting species.
THEY tried to destroy/test the human civilization.
But the humans of that era fashioned powerful weapons. With them, they managed to defeat her loyal servants.
One human even located the source (IMAGINARY TREE) of the five parallel truths(BIO, PSY, MECH, QUA, IMG). 'They' then looked through the four other truths to peer at the Secrets(COCOON) of GOD(FINALITY).
'Their' knowledge seemed infantile and incomplete. 'They' used that knowledge to build the ruins on the Moon, the Palace of Selene, in an attempt to stop God herself.
'They' failed. GOD's servant (Final Herrscher) did not.
The human civilization of that (Previous) Era was defeated.
Yet… the Palace of Selene managed to trap a part of GOD on the Moon.
"A part of GOD? Can it be… HER powers?" Looking up, the Void Queen made a request. "GOD! I know what I must do! Please, grant me those powers… and I'll destroy your enemies in your name! Schicksal, Anti-Entropy… they took everything from me… my friends… Shirou…"
The figure of GOD stood up from HER throne, raising her hand. With a touch to her forehead, the request was granted.
The Void Queen was bestowed with four gifts.
A purple crystal: the Gem of CONQUEST; granting the Authority of THUNDER.
A sky-blue crystal: the Gem of DESIRE; granting the Authority of WIND.
A sapphire crystal: the Gem of SERENITY; granting the Authority of DEATH.
A ruby crystal: the Gem of HASTE; granting the Authority of FLAME.
In the real world, the glowing crystal on the Moon shattered, and the True Herrscher of the Void stepped out. Looking around, she was still surrounded by the engraved columns in the area.
"I dislike the look of these pillars. There's something wrong about them. I guess I'll use them to test my new powers… Time to teach that Overseer and traitor a lesson."
With the sound of cracking stone, the Herrscher of the Void rose high above the Moon's surface, the engraved columns pulled along with her control of space itself. Turning to face the Earth, the pillars were aimed at two certain organization's HQ or bases, the locations having been revealed to the Herrscher by her GOD.
"WOE, WOE, WOE, OVERSEER AND TRAITOR! FOR I HAVE SOUNDED THE TRUMPETS OF JUDGEMENT DAY!" With a gesture of her hand, the rocks were shot forward, becoming meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere.
The Second Honkai War… had just begun.