Note before reading: This is an IF route, so some settings may conflict with the main storyline. Any conflicting settings are ones I once discarded. You can treat it as a parallel world.
True Self could not approach the divine shadow. The one who embraced the world could not embrace a traveler from another world. She made a wish to Him, reversing True Self and staining the Flawless One with dust, all so that she could... embrace him.
"Mei." The silver-haired young man walked up to the woman whose rationality always seemed to outweigh her emotions. He glanced at the documents by Mei's hand and the coffee cup that still bore traces of residue. "You didn't rest again last night? If this keeps up, with your already poor health, you won't have many days left."
"Heh..." Mei gave a bitter laugh. "Not many days left? Feng, you're the least qualified person to say that to me. How many days do you have left? Can you still feel any other pain now? Can you still fall asleep?"
Zhu Yufeng froze, then asked, "Did Mobius tell you? How many people know?"
"Probably everyone except Griseo." Mei looked into Zhu Yufeng's silver eyes. "You shouldn't have been carrying all this alone."
I wasn't carrying it alone to begin with... Zhu Yufeng wanted to say, but he swallowed the words and said instead, "You're different from me. You still have Kevin, and people who love you."
The people who loved me, and the people I loved, were already gone.
Zhu Yufeng had probably died after the tragedy of Binding.
Mei fell silent.
"Kevin has practically quit instant noodles for you. You should take care of yourself too, if only for his sake," Zhu Yufeng said.
"Humanity has run out of time." Mei did not look at Zhu Yufeng. Her gaze rested on the data displayed on the electronic screen. "After the Twelfth Herrscher incident, we are the last surviving humans. Civilization has already been destroyed. What we can leave for the future... is already very little."
Zhu Yufeng looked at the screen as well. After a moment of silence, he said, "If... we used some method to gather the Honkai Energy currently spread across the globe into one place, could we force Finality to appear early?"
Mei looked at Zhu Yufeng and adjusted her glasses. "In theory, before long, this Honkai Energy will automatically gather on the moon, and Finality will be born because of it. Forcibly gathering all the Honkai Energy would indeed cause Finality to descend early, but what would be the point?"
"Since Finality requires the world's Honkai Energy to gather in order to be born, if another new Herrscher were born from that at the moment Finality appeared, would Finality's power be weakened?" Zhu Yufeng asked.
"Finality is different from other Herrschers. It is a special lifeform entirely composed of Honkai Energy. Your idea is theoretically viable, but it's far too crazy. Where would we gather the Honkai Energy, or rather, what method would we use? And then how would we find an unawakened Herrscher?" Mei said. "According to our calculations, the Twelfth Herrscher is already the last Herrscher before Finality. More importantly, the Honkai Energy that gathers at the moment Finality is born is more than even a Fusion Warrior can withstand."
Zhu Yufeng calmly looked at Mei. Then he pressed a hand to his chest and extended it before her. A pristine white Herrscher Core floated quietly above his palm.
"This is..." Mei's eyes widened. "Feng, don't tell me you..."
"This is Lilith's Herrscher Core." Zhu Yufeng lowered his head and looked at the core in his hand, which radiated a gentle, flawlessly white glow. "Ironic, isn't it? She followed me and did so many unforgivable things, yet her heart remained flawless."
"Lilith... was a Herrscher? But why..." Mei began to think. "All her medical reports..."
"I tampered with them. She told me about her identity as a Herrscher from the very beginning." Zhu Yufeng raised his head and looked at Mei. "I have already completed the Chimera Project. Before my life runs out, I am undoubtedly a Herrscher vessel. And Lilith's Herrscher Core can help me open the door to the Imaginary Tree, allowing me to connect to it and become a new Herrscher."
"If that's the case, then you will undoubtedly..."
Zhu Yufeng looked at Mei without saying a word.
Mei took a deep breath, then said, "I understand. We have no way to make Finality appear early, but Mobius and the others can help me give everyone else a false time for Finality's birth."
"Thank you." Zhu Yufeng nodded.
Just as he was about to leave, Mei suddenly asked, "How certain are you?"
Zhu Yufeng paused, then said, "If we include the Moonlight Throne, one hundred percent. I will definitely defeat Finality. But what happens afterward..."
"I understand."
"...You agreed rather cleanly this time. I thought you would ask something else. At the very least, from a rational perspective, shouldn't you spend some time proving whether this plan is feasible?"
"I cannot stop someone who seeks death."
"..."
"When the time comes, I'll have Kevin and the others stand by beside Thousand Worlds as the second echelon, ready to provide support at any time."
"Then I hope you can tell them the truth as late as possible. Is that alright?"
"..."
"I know Kevin sees me as a brother, but I still feel this is something I should do alone... bring to an end alone."
"..."
"When that time comes, Mei, help me pass on a message to him."
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry. I was the first to fall into despair."
"...I will."
"Thank you."
Watching the young man's solitary departing back, Mei slowly sat down in her chair. Supporting her forehead with one hand, she closed her eyes.
After a while, a pair of hands covered her eyes. "Guess who I am?"
"Elysia, stop fooling around." Mei let out a soft sigh.
"Didn't I walk in and immediately see you looking so troubled? Anxiety is a girl's greatest enemy. Be careful, or you'll get wrinkles~" Elysia said. "I've been standing here for ages, and you didn't notice me at all. How heartbreaking. Hmm... did Feng say something to you?"
Mei remembered Zhu Yufeng's request. Looking at the coffee cup by her hand, she said, "He told me to rest more. At least for Kevin's sake, I should do that."
"Feng really is as gentle as ever..." Elysia looked toward the doorway.
But no matter how gentle he was, it was no longer the kind of gentleness that had once belonged to her alone.
I still want to see him. I want to see myself in his eyes once more.
Elysia said this to herself, then pursed her lips and looked at Mei. "Mei, there's something I want to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I... might be a Herrscher..."
Mei: "???"
Did she know that they had already fought alongside one Herrscher all this time, and that another future Herrscher had just walked out?
Seeing Mei's expression, Elysia thought she was shocked by what she had said and hurriedly explained, "I know that nearly all the Herrschers who have appeared so far have been impossible to communicate with, so you might find it hard to believe that I'm a Herrscher."
Mei came back to herself, looked at Elysia, and said, "I... understand. Then what do you want to do?"
Zhu Yufeng was walking back to his dormitory when he saw Kevin approaching. He nodded to Kevin in greeting and prepared to continue on his way.
"Feng." Kevin called out to him.
Zhu Yufeng turned back to Kevin. "What is it?"
Kevin looked at Zhu Yufeng. After a long silence, he finally said, "We will definitely defeat Honkai. We definitely will."
"Mm. Of course we will." Zhu Yufeng turned away again.
"About your body... after Honkai is over, Mei and Mobius will surely find a way to cure you. You're the strongest Fusion Warrior, and they're the strongest scientists, so..."
"Kevin."
"...?"
"Thank you."
After saying that, Zhu Yufeng returned to his dormitory without lingering.
Back in his room, he looked at the space that had become much messier after Lilith's sacrifice. He sighed softly and began to tidy it up bit by bit.
He picked up a sapphire pendant, considered it for a moment, then placed it in a box labeled with Kevin's name.
Then there was the crystal flower that had always sat by his bedside. He took it down, covered it with his hand, and the crystal flower gradually shrank until it finally returned to being a seed.
He placed it in a box labeled with Elysia's name.
He intended to return every gift he had received from them over the years.
He had come with nothing, and he would leave without attachments.
"Forgive me for this final selfishness, Kevin. This time, you'd better live a good life with Mei," Zhu Yufeng muttered to himself.
He looked again at the photo of Lilith with him at the amusement park on the bookshelf. He stepped forward, took down the frame, removed the photograph, and turned it over. Written on the back were the words: "Lilith will always like you."
Zhu Yufeng looked at the familiar handwriting, then turned the photo back over and gazed at the girl who, apart from her hair and eye color, looked as though she had been carved from the same mold as Elysia.
"We'll meet again soon, at the other end of the Imaginary Tree," he said. The Herrscher Core inside his body seemed to react, as though someone had gently leaned against his shoulder.
"Maybe I'm Elysia's older sister~"
"Even though I don't really want to believe it, I can't refute that..."
"But you have to remember, Lilith only likes you~"
"...But I..."
"Shh..." The silver-haired, violet-eyed girl pressed her index finger to his lips. "I know what you want to say, but no matter when or where, I'll be here with you."
Zhu Yufeng put the photograph back into the frame and sighed.
If I could have met you sooner, if I could have seen myself clearly sooner...
"How could you agree to a plan like this?!" Kevin stared at the calm-faced Mei in shock. "Making him become a Herrscher when Finality is born, then sending him alone to face Finality?"
"He promised a one hundred percent chance of victory."
"Did he say he could come back?! ...Sorry, that wasn't what I meant, Mei, I..."
"I understand how you feel, Kevin. This is his choice."
"No. I'm going with him..."
"Kevin."
"...He's my brother. The brother who has fought at my side ever since the Seventh Herrscher incident."
"Then do you want to tarnish the resolve and honor he has as the last Fallen Angel?"
"He is a Flame-Chaser like us."
If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.
"But only now do we know what he has been carrying, and this is something only he can do. He originally did not want any of you to know until the very end, but I believe you should at least know. When that moment comes, you will need to stop the others."
"..."
"Kevin, we have no other choice. Even if you refuse to accept it or acknowledge it, can you change his mind?"
"..."
"Kevin."
"...I understand."
The man suddenly punched the wall. With his strength, he could have shattered it with ease, but when his fist struck the wall, it was utterly powerless.
A few days later.
"Feng, so you were here. I've been looking everywhere for you." Elysia found Zhu Yufeng holding a large box. "About that matter, I've always..."
"It's alright. It's all in the past." Zhu Yufeng spoke calmly. "As it happens, I have something for you too."
Elysia froze. Looking into Zhu Yufeng's silver eyes, she asked, "Then... what is it?"
Zhu Yufeng placed the box in Elysia's hands. "It's nothing important... Thank you for taking care of me all these years."
"This is..."
"I've kept all the gifts you gave me over the years safely." Zhu Yufeng said, "I could feel the care you put into preparing every single one. It was wonderful to meet you in this world."
"Huh?!"
"That's all. I'll be going now."
"Wait!" Elysia called out. "Feng, why are you..."
"..."
"About Lilith, I..."
"Don't worry. I have never hated you because of that. Because you are Elysia, the Flawless One who embraces the world. Making that choice was only natural."
"Then..."
"I came with nothing, and I should leave without attachments."
Elysia's pupils contracted. She quickly realized what Zhu Yufeng meant and cried out, "No, you can't die!"
Zhu Yufeng turned his head slightly and said without emotion, "My opponent is Finality, an enemy even more terrifying than Binding. Who can guarantee they'll come back unscathed?"
Elysia's body stiffened. Then she forced a smile. "How could that be? You... are the strongest Fusion Warrior..."
"This time, let me go one step ahead of you." Zhu Yufeng did not stop. He still had gifts to return to the others.
Elysia hugged the box of gifts and watched the young man's retreating figure.
She lowered her head to look at the box. Mei had already opposed her plan when they discussed it before, and now even her resolve to carry it out alone had begun to waver.
She wanted to fight alongside him once more.
It had nothing to do with humanity's future, nothing to do with the fate of all living beings. She wanted to walk beside him once more.
But... she had even less ability to ignore the future of humanity. This was something only she might be able to do.
There was still some time before the Finality descent Mei and the others had predicted. Perhaps she could figure things out during that time.
Elsewhere.
Kevin silently accepted the box Zhu Yufeng handed him. As Zhu Yufeng turned to leave, Kevin suddenly said, "Come back alive. Can you do that?"
Zhu Yufeng froze. He turned back toward Kevin, fell silent for a moment, then said, "When I come back, we'll return to yesterday."
"It's a promise."
"...It's a promise."
One week later.
"Look, what's happening to the moon's surface..." A researcher pointed at the crimson moon outside the window.
Someone immediately activated the Honkai Energy monitoring system and cried out, "Honkai Energy is gathering on the moon's surface in enormous quantities, but this completely contradicts Dr. Mei's analysis!"
The moment the moon's abnormal condition was discovered, Elysia had already felt a sense of foreboding. She wanted to find someone to discuss it with, but she could not find Zhu Yufeng anywhere. She could only come to Mei's studio, where she saw Mei standing and gazing at the moon. There was no surprise or panic in Mei's expression.
All at once, Elysia understood everything.
Her voice trembling, she asked, "Mei, could this... be your plan with him?"
"Yes." Mei admitted it cleanly.
"You hid it from everyone just so that, at this moment, he could go to the moon alone? So he could face Finality by himself?"
"Yes."
"Even if he is the strongest Fusion Warrior, he can't possibly fight Finality alone!"
"He will become another Herrscher of Finality."
"...Wh... what?"
"He will use himself as the vessel and divide the Honkai Energy needed for Finality's birth equally, becoming a new Herrscher."
"But..."
"This is something only he can do."
Elysia staggered back several steps. Zhu Yufeng's words from that time echoed through her mind: "This time, let me go one step ahead of you."
Because he knew she would never agree, so...
But why...
"I truly didn't expect that he, Dr. Mobius, and Vill-V really had a way to make the Honkai Energy gather ahead of time." Mei looked up at the sky. "It's even much earlier than expected."
Mobius and Vill-V knew too?
"If we use the Second Divine Key, there's still time..." Elysia murmured as she ran at top speed toward the Thousand Worlds.
Then she saw Kevin standing beside the Thousand Worlds, Jie Mie in hand.
"Kevin, don't tell me you too..."
"This was his resolve," Kevin said calmly.
Why?
Why did Kevin know too?
Mei, Mobius, Vill-V, even Kevin...
Why... was she the only one who didn't know?
After a while, Mei announced the plan to the other Flame-Chasers, telling them to stand by near the Second Divine Key. If Zhu Yufeng failed, they would step in as the second wave.
Vill-V had already piloted the Moonlight Throne to the moon.
Sakura wanted to use that time-freezing slash again, but this time Kevin stopped her easily. "I won't let my guard down against the same move twice," he said.
Qianjie wanted to go berserk and fight Kevin head-on, but Kevin simply placed Jie Mie atop the Thousand Worlds, as if to say that if they dared approach, he would dare destroy it.
All they could do was wait in torment on the ground for news from the moon.
After a burst of intense light, Vill-V sent word back. "The battle is over. We won."
Kevin moved to activate the Thousand Worlds, but Elysia had already slipped past him and activated it before he could.
The lunar ruins were a complete mess.
The silver-haired young man leaned against a stone wall.
His body was slowly vanishing from the bottom up.
Elysia came before him and helped him up. He raised his head, and his unfocused pupils showed that he had nearly lost all his sight.
"Feng..." Elysia called.
He seemed to hear her. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to make out the person before him. After a long while, he seemed to finally see clearly. His lips moved faintly, then he closed his eyes and vanished in Elysia's arms with a smile.
All the Flame-Chasers who had arrived witnessed this scene and lowered their heads. Even the most defiant Qianjie turned away.
Elysia knelt on the ground, frozen for a long time. Only when cold tears struck the back of her hand did she reveal an expression that was neither a smile nor a cry.
He really had seen her, but he had mistaken her... for Lilith!
Until the very end, his eyes had not seen her.
"Finality has disappeared, but Earth is no longer suitable for civilization to develop. Even with the restorative effect of the Fourth Divine Key, it will likely take a very long time..."
"Let me do it."
"Elysia?"
"I'm a Herrscher too. There's still a vast amount of residual Honkai Energy on the moon."
"Are you thinking of..."
"If Feng could do it, then so can I."
She returned to the place where he had vanished and gazed at that blue crystal sphere in the universe.
She raised both hands and unleashed all her authority. At the same time, she made a wish to the One whose existence she did not know for certain: "If Elysia, who embraces the world with love, cannot embrace him, then please let me become Lilith. Even if I lose my True Self, even if I am no longer flawless... as long as I can... embrace him."
"Hi~ Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Lilith. Please take care of me from now on~"
The silver-haired girl extended her hand to the young man and spoke with a smile.
Before you continue