Yoshikage Kira

"Finished?"

"Finished. Hehe, thanks for coming with me, boss."

"Aren't you worried someone might steal your treasure?"

"Come on, I hid it really well. Besides, who would come all the way to Twilight Town with nothing better to do?"

"And when we're old, we can come back and dig it up to reminisce about these days. Isn't that romantic?"

"Fusion Warriors probably don't grow old."

"Eh, I guess that's true."

"...Let's go back."

"The assistant's back. Come here, let me hug you."

Yoshikage Kira did not refuse and pulled Vill-V into his arms.

"What, is the Moonlight Throne repaired?"

"Yeah, I'm exhausted. But we only repaired one. If weapons like this could be mass-produced, humanity probably wouldn't need to fear Honkai anymore."

"What a shame. Humanity doesn't have much time left."

"Yeah. Not much time left."

"Assistant, I... Never mind. It'd be bad luck to say it now."

"Then say it after Finality."

"You still have plenty of time."

Though there had been no warning, everyone could sense that the Herrscher of the End's descent was drawing near.

An inexplicable irritation gnawed at him. Whenever something bad was about to happen, Yoshikage Kira's body seemed to warn him ahead of time.

I have a bad feeling, but with Killer Queen's abilities, getting through Finality shouldn't be a problem.

"Elysia, are you sure you won't go to the next era as a pioneer?"

"No, Aili. I want to fight alongside everyone."

"Mm, all right. There's no guarantee we can defeat the Herrscher of the End, but as long as everyone is together, we'll definitely overcome this."

"That's how we've always made it through~"

"Elysia, could you sing for me, for everyone, one more time?"

"Aili, you know I can never refuse you."

"Mei, you don't need to go to the moon with us, do you?"

"Kevin, I can help operate the Moonlight Throne."

"But Doctor Mobius and Doctor Vill-V can do that too."

Mei shook her head, determined to go to the moon with everyone and confront Finality.

Suddenly, singing drifted over. The two stopped arguing and followed the sound until they found Elysia.

Not just the two of them—everyone from the Golden Courtyard had gathered there, listening to Elysia's song.

When the performance ended, Elysia bowed to everyone, and they applauded her singing.

Then, everyone set off for the moon.

"Cosmo? Didn't you go with Griseo to carry out Project Ark?"

"I had Senior Blanca and Senior Hen take my place. I want to fight with everyone."

"Is that so?"

As she spoke, Dr. Mei had Cosmo board Thousand Worlds, One Step, and everyone headed for the moon.

"Wow, so this is what Earth looks like?" Pardo stepped onto the moon, turned back toward Earth, and marveled at the beauty of her homeland.

"What, you've never seen it online before?"

"You can't put it that way, boss. Seeing it online and seeing it with your own eyes are completely different."

Yoshikage Kira said nothing. He stood beside Pardo and looked upon the Earth that had nurtured them both.

"Yoshikage Kira, Pardo, get into position."

"Coming."

Yoshikage Kira patted Pardo and attached Bites the Dust to her.

The condition is set: anyone who attacks Pardo will explode.

As expected, Finality descended not far from them.

The oppressive feeling was unlike anything from any previous battle, any previous Herrscher—an incomparable pressure.

Following Mei's instructions, Vill-V operated the Moonlight Throne. At the cost of damaging the Moonlight Throne itself, she attacked the Herrscher of the End at 200% power.

The full-force strike of technology representing the pinnacle of modern human civilization only depleted 30% of the Herrscher of Finality's Honkai Energy.

"So it won't be that easy after all. Himiko, prepare Feather of Judgment." Mei had expected this outcome and continued directing everyone.

"Feather of Judgment, unsheathe!"

Himiko summoned her Stand, activated Feather of Judgment, and swung it at the Herrscher with all her strength.

Towering flames engulfed the Herrscher of Finality, but no one relaxed in the slightest.

According to the memories, the Herrscher should enter standby for twelve hours after being struck by Feather of Judgment.

But Yoshikage Kira did not withdraw his Stand from Pardo.

That restless feeling, that warning from his body, had never vanished.

Sure enough, something unexpected happened. Before entering standby, the Herrscher of Finality released a restraint barrier that covered the entire moon.

An indescribable sensation crawled across Yoshikage Kira's body. It was a gaze—the gaze of Honkai's Will.

Someone who should not exist in reality wanted to alter everyone's fate.

The backlash of fate had been accumulating all along, and at this moment, it erupted completely.

Pardo is inside the barrier too, so why didn't Bites the Dust activate?!

Standby... Is it because standby prevented the Stand from identifying the target of the attack?

But regardless of the reason, Yoshikage Kira had to act now.

The restraint barrier created by the Herrscher of Finality was even stronger than that of the Herrscher of Restraint. The Honkai Energy within everyone's bodies was being drained at an alarming rate.

"Don't attack. Once your Honkai Energy runs out, you'll die."

"I'll deal with it as quickly as I can."

With that, Yoshikage Kira recalled Killer Queen from Pardo and charged toward the Herrscher of Finality.

"What?!"

When he was still a hundred meters away from the Herrscher of Finality, an immense gravitational force descended upon Yoshikage Kira and crushed him against the lunar surface.

"You bastard! How could I possibly fall here!"

Yoshikage Kira forced himself forward against the crushing gravity.

But it grew stronger as he closed the distance to the Herrscher of Finality.

His bones trembled.

His flesh screamed.

But it only strengthened his resolve.

Suddenly, Yoshikage Kira felt the burden on his body lessen considerably.

He did not waste any time and desperately drew closer to the Herrscher of Finality.

He knew he was not fighting alone.

Ten meters. With only ten meters left, the irresistible gravity returned.

Everyone can't keep supporting Astral Harmony anymore?

Then I'll walk these last ten meters myself.

But a Herrscher could not be overcome through sheer passion alone.

Over these ten meters, he could no longer even crawl forward.

"..."

"Live the peaceful life for me."

"Killer Queen! Sheer Heart Attack!"

With difficulty, Yoshikage Kira raised his hand to his chest and activated his ability. At the cost of everything below his chest, he blasted part of his own body toward the Herrscher of Finality.

"I touched you, Herrscher of Finality."

"Killer Queen, Sheer Heart Attack, activate!"

The Herrscher of Finality's body shook, then gradually began to explode from where Yoshikage Kira's right hand had touched her.

"Ha, hahaha, just as I expected."

"It still works as long as I touch her."

The restraint barrier and gravity vanished, restoring everyone's ability to move.

Everyone hurried anxiously toward the center of the battlefield, only to find Yoshikage Kira's mutilated body.

"Boss, boss, don't scare me like this!"

"Quick, Mobius, save the boss!"

The moment Pardo saw Yoshikage Kira's condition, she burst into tears.

Vill-V took out Black Abyss White Flower, which had been kept as a backup weapon, and desperately drove the Honkai Energy within her body, heedless of the damage to herself.

The life force constantly pouring into him could not keep up with the speed at which it was fading away.

"Why isn't it working?! Heal him!"

At death's door, Yoshikage Kira struggled to say something. Seeing his lips move slightly, Vill-V lowered her head and pressed her ear close to him.

"Pardo, Vill-V, I love you."

At age 29, you perished together with the Herrscher of Finality to protect everyone.

You died. Simulation ended.

"You're telling the truth!"

"Yes, Vill-V, Pardo. I truly saw Yoshikage Kira's fate at the moment before his death."

"Your fates are still intertwined."

"It extends all the way to fifty thousand years in the future."

Users Vill-V/Pardo, sleep duration: 50,000 years. Please confirm.

"Confirmed."

The two lay in their hibernation pods and, accompanied by the mechanical voice, chose to travel fifty thousand years into the future.

"Next time, next time I definitely won't let you run away."

"I'll give you the peaceful life you want."

"No matter the cost."