"What a thoroughly exhilarating battle. It's been ages since I last encountered an evenly matched opponent." Still shaken, Doctor patted his chest and sighed with deep feeling.
Vishdale gave Doctor a speechless glance, while everyone else tacitly chose to ignore the remark.
Suddenly, the Demon King Rabbit's body trembled slightly.
The luminous cocoons surrounding her shuddered violently at the same time. The pressure they emitted abruptly multiplied severalfold, and the few remaining broken walls in the ruins of the Ursus Imperial Palace silently collapsed into dust beneath it.
Everyone instantly went on guard.
Vishdale's finger curled around her main cannon's trigger. A faint glimmer of Originium Arts lit Amiya's palm, while the low scrape of Mon3tr's bones sounded from the shadows behind Kal'tsit.
But when the Demon King Rabbit opened her eyes again, those deep eyes no longer held that hollow scrutiny from before, nor the mechanical indifference of a puzzle monster without a self.
What replaced it was a weariness so profound it was nearly suffocating...
And a trace of compassion that could only settle in one's heart after crossing countless worldlines and witnessing innumerable civilizations rise, decline, and ultimately perish completely.
The Demon King Rabbit's gaze slowly swept over the group.
The first person it passed over was Amiya. Her eyes lingered briefly on those upright rabbit ears before moving on.
The second was Doctor, the round little penguin hiding behind Chen Li. Her gaze paused for a moment on the reflection in his goggles, then moved on.
The third was Theresia, the Sarkaz Demon King who had just returned from death. Her gaze lingered somewhat longer.
The fourth was Kal'tsit, the old lynx who had lived for countless years. An emotion so complicated it defied description flickered through her eyes.
In the end, the Demon King Rabbit's