The Story Will Be a Little Long (Continued)

"You're mistaken, Yae Sakura. The Stigmata Project can only be activated before the Finality arrives. The correct order is to overcome the Stigmata Project first, and then challenge the Finality. If even we can't overcome it, it only proves that you are not qualified to face the Finality."

"So, there's no room for negotiation?"

"Stigmata Project must be carried out."

Yae Sakura stared at Skyfire, who responded with a cold and indifferent expression.

Even though this was Schicksal's home ground, with combat power enough to wipe her out several times over, Skyfire remained completely unfazed.

This disregard for life and death made Yae Sakura sigh and shake her head, seemingly giving up on trying to persuade her.

The next second, Anqi suddenly raised her hand, pointing towards Yae Sakura and Skyfire.

Space distorted, and the two vanished without a trace.

"Sakura said that if they can't reach an agreement, they should be sent to another planet."

Anqi offered a brief explanation, and no one was going to delve into the specifics of when the agreement was made.

Then she got up and went straight to the balcony.

The others looked at each other for a moment, then had no choice but to follow.

The group looked up at the sky and saw the celestial phenomena suddenly change.

Two forces, one black and one red, seemed to divide the sky in two.

You can't hear a sound, but you can feel the impact approaching at an extremely fast speed, as well as the terrifying Honkai Energy shakes your soul.

Above the azure planet, Yae Sakura and Skyfire each release boundless energy as vast as the sea.

'Using invincible Skyfire to establish authority should be enough for the Archbishop of Schicksal.'

'And it's time to let Kevin know the urgency.'

There was no need for verbal communication; the two parties were perfectly in sync.

Yae Sakura's black sword unleashed endless black flames, yet the hilt was adorned with pure Abyss Flower —a temporary fusion of the Black Abyss White Flower into it—only in this way could Yae Sakura's soaring combat power be reasonably explained.

Skyfire remains unchanged, wielding Skyfire capable of incinerating everything.

After striking a pose for a short while, making sure their presence was enough to be witnessed by people on half the planet and that their energy was sufficient to be detected by monitoring satellites and powerful individuals, the two charged directly at each other.

"——"

A vacuum is silent.

However, the scorching, corrosive, and deathly aura spread out from the two of them to the far reaches of the horizon in an instant.

Half the planet's inhabitants witnessed the sky being divided by red and black, as if they were witnessing the end of the world and a myth.

For Anqi, this stalemate was enough for a little while longer.

Therefore, the black flames quickly gained the upper hand, expanded, devoured, and rapidly suppressed the red flames.

Then red flames fell from the sky, like a falling meteor.

Only endless, dark power remained in the sky, as if announcing the end of the war of gods and the determination of the one and only supreme god.

Anyone with a discerning eye can sense that Yae Sakura is displaying power that rivals the top tier, and from today onwards, Schicksal will also focus on promoting Yae Sakura's achievements.

But that's all for later. Right now, the black god flies down from the sky and chases after the falling meteor.

"Boom!"

The black blade clashed with the flaming sword, creating a violent impact that swept across half the planet.

Yae Sakura was taken aback when she met a pair of cold, indifferent blue eyes.

That was Kevin, holding the weakened Skyfire in one hand and the Greatsword of Annihilation in the other, effortlessly parrying Yae Sakura's pursuit.

Let's stop here.

"Is this all? Lord Kevin, you have no intention of retaliating?"

"That's for the future. You did a great job defeating the Skyfire, Yae Sakura."

"I see... Well then, I'll take my leave."

Yae Sakura sheathed her sword, as if she hadn't been the one who had just attacked so fiercely. She politely bowed and said goodbye, then suddenly flew away.

Kevin stared in the direction she had disappeared for a long time before looking down at the weakened Skyfire.

Skyfire, his face expressionless, asked in confusion:

"Why did you come to save me? The end of the Stigmata Project should be where you meet the guardians of this era."

"... It's just that there's no need for you to sacrifice yourself here."

Kevin was clearly not entirely sincere and avoided Skyfire's gaze.

Skyfire gradually came to understand.

'I almost forgot, no matter how heartbroken Kevin is, he's always been someone who values his comrades. If I really 'die' here, he'll be very sad, won't he?'

It's not like they have to die. Dying in a place like this wouldn't bring them any unique value, so it's only natural that Kevin would come out to save them.

Skyfire sighed inwardly, feeling both pity and helplessness for Kevin. She couldn't save everyone, nor could she heal Kevin, who had already accepted his fate. Skyfire said:

"Schicksal and Anti-Entropy have already found out the general situation of the Stigmata Project... It's not hard to understand, after all, Anqi came out of the Land of the Past, and even brought Mobius and Vill-V with her, so it was impossible to hide it from them in the first place."

"It doesn't matter. The Stigmata Project is almost complete, and they can't stop it. In the end, they can only face me and decide the future of civilization with their strength."

"Anqi, Yae Sakura, Hua... these three will definitely reach you; I can't stop them. As for the rest, I will fulfill my mission and test their qualifications."

"Um."

Kevin seemed a little distracted and wasn't in the mood for much conversation.

Although he had rescued the person, the faint aura emanating from Skyfire made him feel uneasy.

Armed Doll are fragile, at least compared to the tanky Fusion Warrior, they're practically as fragile as glass bottles. And the fact that Skyfire can unleash such power is due to radical modifications; it's akin to trading life for power.

For Kevin, witnessing his companion die before his eyes was an unbearable fear.

So he quickly rushed back to the World Serpent base. He had to find the Jackal as soon as possible and have her properly examine Skyfire's injuries... at the very least, he couldn't let his companion die before him.

A beam of black flame flew into the Schicksal Headquarters.

Yae Sakura gracefully walked back to her seat, a faint smile on her face.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting."

"Sakura, you put the Skyfire..."

"I only defeated her; Kevin rescued her. I don't think now is the time to have a direct confrontation with Kevin."

"Sakura, you're amazing!"

Theresa's eyes sparkled.

Gentle and kind, beautiful as a flower, close to her, and so strong—she was practically the perfect archbishop in Theresa's eyes.

Yae Sakura scratched her face, her cheeks slightly flushed, her shy and easily flattered demeanor incredibly charming.

"Thump! Thump!"

At this moment, Cocolia tapped the table and said expressionlessly:

"Let's leave the small talk here. You've demonstrated orthodoxy, procedure, and power—everything a high bishop should possess. I acknowledge that you do indeed have the ability to completely control Schicksal. And then, you invited me all this way here, surely not to watch a show, right?"

"La Signora. Cocolia, what I want to talk about is the deep cooperation between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy ... like the cooperation between two organizations, just like more than half a century ago."

"You said it yourself, it was half a century ago. During that time, we were at odds with each other."

"I've checked. The point of conflict between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal actually lies with Mr. Otto, right? Now that we no longer have the most fundamental conflict, and as organizations that are both determined to defeat the Honkai and protect humanity, why can't we put aside our prejudices and cooperate sincerely? You know, we don't have much time left."

Yae Sakura said earnestly and sincerely.

In fact, at the moment of Otto's departure, this was indeed something that everyone had hoped for.

Cocolia was silent for a moment, then sighed:

"I understand the logic, but reality is often much harsher. After half a century of confrontation, do you think it's so easy to bridge the gap? This isn't just a problem between a few people, but a conflict between tens of thousands of members on both sides."

"But if you don't start, you'll never get results. As the new archbishop, I feel that reconciliation with Anti-Entropy is one of my most important tasks."

"Hmm, great ambition. So what? You're not just going to keep shouting slogans, are you?"

"La Signora. Cocolia, you should know that your daughter, the current head of the East Sea Base, also studied at St. Freya, the Schicksal Foundation. And my Schicksal's Saniyat and Kaslana are now working for Anti-Entropy. You see, as long as we are willing to push forward, we have plenty of leverage points."

Kaslana's loyalty to Anti-Entropy is indeed easy to understand; Siegfried is right there, and everyone can see it.

But what the heck is Saniyat?

Yes, that's true... Oh, right, I almost forgot about the captain of the Iron Pilot Squadron.

Anna, far away. "Achoo!"

Cocolia paused for a long time, and then slowly nodded under Yae Sakura's expectant gaze.

"I can agree with the bishop's opinion on behalf of Anti-Entropy, as it is in the common interest of all mankind."

"Yes, this is in everyone's interest, and I am very grateful for your understanding."

The Archbishop of Schicksal and the First Enforcer of Anti-Entropy clasped hands together under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Without a doubt, this scene will be recorded in history.

The next steps involve specific matters to facilitate reconciliation, including opening up in-depth exchanges between St. Freya and the East Sea Base, regular exchanges between the Schicksal Headquarters and the Anti-Entropy Headquarters, and technical-level transaction exchanges, etc.

Aside from Rita and Anqi, who were still listening with great interest, the others gradually lost focus. Some chatted, others grabbed food, and none of them could participate in these complicated events.

After a long conversation, Cocolia and Yae Sakura shook hands again, both exuding a convincing aura of leadership.

Afterwards, Yae Sakura arranged accommodation for Cocolia and agreed to continue communicating the following day.

This is not a simple one-man show. For two long-standing rivals to reach a full reconciliation, there are indeed many things that must be discussed and exchanged face-to-face. Heart-to-heart communication will not be effective.

The others breathed a sigh of relief and headed to their assigned accommodations.

Among them, St. Freya and her group went in the same direction as Siegfried and went to stay at Cecilia's house.

The conference room finally quieted down. Yae Sakura slumped back in her chair and closed her eyes wearily.

A pair of gentle, delicate hands began to massage Yae Sakura's temples to relieve her fatigue.

Yae Sakura didn't open her eyes, but she knew who it was just by smelling the delicate, subtle fragrance.

"Rita, thank you for your hard work today. And Durandal and Amber too..."

"Sakura-sama, you're the one who worked the hardest. Not only did you complete the ritual, but you also defeated the Skyfire and talked with Cocolia for so long. Rita thinks that in terms of diligence, you've already surpassed Lord Otto a hundred times over."

To be honest, that's true.

Even Amber and Durandal, who were standing nearby, nodded in agreement.

Yae Sakura opened her eyes and smiled at Rita.

"Don't flatter me, I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do... By the way, Durandal, there's something I need to do... Well, consider it an order."

"Please give your orders, Your Excellency!"

Durandal immediately stood up straight and said with a heroic air.

Yae Sakura her lips into a smile.

"I order you to go and dye your hair white right now. Then, go and stay with Kiana and the others tonight."

"... Huh?"

Durandal tilted her head in confusion.