Chapter 80: Limitless Courage
Tensions rise quickly between Ein and the herrscher, while ripples inside the sea of quanta turn into huge waves. Bending the space inside Su's little bubble universe and earth.
"Taste the might of a god human! Perish inside the infinite corridors of reality." The herrscher made a dimension that was piled upon millions of them, like an inescapable trap. And the only way to escape was to break all of them at once, or the others will just repair themselves. An infinite prison.
His energy swelled, manipulating space and contracting the exit of the prison, warping it until he could break out of it all at once. "Is that all herrscher? Your paltry tricks won't work that easily!" His voice guttural and inhuman. He then focused, clapping his hands together. The surroundings around the herrscher warped and she found herself in a bubble of intense gravity, trying to crush her to a single point. While her energy dispersed, she scoffed as he was manipulating the 11th herrscher's power. Little drops of water then appeared, floating around her. But suddenly, it launched at her with incredible speeds, when it hit her. Parts of her body disintegrated and exploded like a nuclear bomb. Pelting her body with antimatter droplets.
She stopped time around her and escaped the enclosure by flaring the 11th's power and turning into a virus. Reforming herself with chunks of her body missing as they quickly reformed.
She snarled and glared at him. As titanic balls of energy appeared around her and contracted into lances, floating behind her. She then made portals and they attacked him at every angle while she focused and converged energy.
One of the lances appeared right at his face as he quickly redirected it with his own portal right back at her. He then caught one and threw it straight at her forehead.
"Heh. You dare attack me with my own energy human?" It stopped millimeters in front of her face as she smirked. A small orb that shone brightly was in her hand, she disappeared and rematerialized at his back. Locking space and time around them while she deployed her void shields. It was a critical star and she let it implode right in front of them, a gigantic explosion that is one of the most violent phenomena in the world occured, a real supernova.
The violent bomb shaked the depths of the sea of quanta. He was mostly unaffected when the light died down as the herrscher was shocked. "You know those things are quite slow compared to me right? You have to do it like this."
Ein willed giant stars the size of his palm. Using the sea of quanta, she fell for it again, appearing right in front of her, but she could see 2 of him, and they were both real as far as she knows. Then he clapped the stars on her ears, ripping through her void shields with the immense amounts of honkai energy.
Two supernovas clashed against her head, as she quickly turned microscopic and reformed far away, sweating. Her head was almost turned into paste. "You're cheating! Using the sea of quanta!" She raised her strength with her nigh limitless honkai energy and willed blades of plasma that would vaporize the solar system in an instant. The void shone brightly, the burning blades outshining entire galaxies.
He squared up and held a spear of pure energy. "Hoh? Do you really want to do that herrscher?" He then lunged at her intent on skewering her.
She then raised the temperature around them. Vaporizing any bubble universe unfortunately around them. Their weapons clashed and her blade spewed out heat that could even burn him to ashes if unprotected. While his spear released a gamma ray burst as it impacted her shields, warping it. The beam slowly trying to pierce through her.
She dispersed the energy and backed off. "Tsk, she has good instincts." A clone of him was about to assassinate her, but she felt that something was off.
"I can learn too human. Now, entertain me more! This is the 1st time someone has defied me this much! Let's get serious shall we?" Stars started to form around her, star systems followed and galaxies popped up. A miniature universe at the top of her hand swirled. Her golden halo glowed brightly.
He squinted his eyes and started to connect with the sea of quanta. "So be it."
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Su travelled back to earth in a rush. As the sea started to get more unstable due to the ripples of Ein and the herrscher's battle. "Suuu! Drive quicker! I don't like that wave right behind us." Elysia rushed him as the other members saw a tsunami of energy trailed behind them.
"I know already! Come on..." He navigated the unstable space and saw the bubble universe that was being protected by the ether anchor.
"This will be a bumpy ride everyone! Hold on tight." He went straight to the universe, but the energy coating it made their entrance delayed. Like a thick sludge slowing down a ship.
"Come on Su! Can you go any slower!" Elysia panicked as the tsunami was closing in on them. "Shut up Elysia! You're distracting him!" Kevin reprimanded her as Hua shook her head.
Elysia and Kevin then got an idea and used their divine keys to try and pierce the bubble universe. Making a small entrance for the cosmic juggernaut.
Elysia threw the abyss flower at the tip of the vessel while Kevin slashed at the hole the lance made. Their ship started to enter, and the energy of the sea of quanta slammed down on the bubble universe.
The hole they made was flooded and the ether anchor couldn't disperse energy that was inside the universe. As space distorted all around it because of the sea of quanta.
"Damn! We don't know what will happen! Brace yourselves people!" The bubble universe popped after shaking violently, then they were forcibly transferred. Floating around the sea, fortunately the ether anchor could still protect earth as energy didn't infiltrate that far yet.
Things calmed down as everyone thought of what was happening in the sea. Imagining the scale of the battle. "I think we're safe for now. But how much energy are they using there, the sea of quanta is like experiencing a storm. Creating giant waves." Su wondered as everybody went silent.
"We can only wait for now, Ein... Please be safe." Eden closed her eyes as Elysia hugged her and smiled. "He's the best, he will win. Just you wait." The gang watched the barrier get battered by huge waves of energy coming from the depths.
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The herrscher threw massive stars, black holes, even universes at Ein as he quickly dodged around, not wanting to waste energy to defend. 'I need to cut her down quickly, or I'll be at a disadvantage.' He frowned as the imaginary tree was slowly cutting off his connection. And he'd have to kill her instantly, or deplete her reserves completely, which is nigh impossible.
"Yes! You can feel it right? Run around and entertain me more!" Her face flushed as she smiled in glee. His body creaked from the overwhelming energy as Ein gathered enough of it from the sea of quanta and moved his hand in slashing motions in a blink of an eye.
"Hahaha, what are you doing? Did you lose your mind?" Her void shields were at maximum power, she made a domain that would distort anything that would enter. Confident that his attacks won't get through.
Suddenly, her arms was cut off from her and started to disintegrate. Even the very basic make up of it disappeared and turned to particles, it was then swallowed up by the sea of quanta. Her body parts slowly turned into data and her connection with the imaginary tree started to break down, slowly being swallowed up by the sea.
Ein panted as repurposing the sea is like using the imaginary tree itself. And he has low exposure to the energies located here. "Tsk, why do you resist. It would've been much easier if you just merrily went down in the abyss." He frowned deeply as the herrscher resisted with all her might. Her limbs and half of her torso was now turned into pure data.
Ein's body was breaking down. And the enemy still stands, they were both at the brink. Her connection with the imaginary space broken, almost deleted from the world completely and Ein's body was ravaged by the differing energies of the sea and honkai.
"Hehe... HAHAHA! You've failed! I will prevail human, just wait patiently. And my powers shall return in a moment. Then your puny friends will be at my mercy after I'm done with you!" She tried to re establish her link.
"Hah, you forget herrscher. I must win, and humans are stubborn when they want something..." He pierced her chest with his hand and plummeted deeper inside the sea of quanta.
He absorbed more energy as it clashed with his honkai energy. His body started to crumble, as with the herrscher. "No! Let go!" She tried to push him away, but the deeper they go. The more her powers didn't work, and her very being started to disappear, piece by piece.
"Heh. Is that all you can do? Struggle all you can, but you're at my mercy herrscher." He frowned as he was being torn apart inside. Cell by cell, atom by atom.
She gritted her teeth. "I will return Einheri, mark my words. This win is meaningless, why do you protect those humans!?" She didn't understand his motives. Why does he sacrifice himself for puny ants.
"You might not understand. But they... Are what I live for. Those humans will stand again herrscher, they will ultimately defeat you. Even if I am not by their side, I trust them to continue living." His legs became transparent, and was turning into rudimentary particles as well.
"I see... Foolishness. Einheri... You will be disappointed." She shook her head one last time as she was devoured by the sea of quanta.
He plummeted deeper and deeper. With his connection with the sea of quanta, he observed earth and they would ultimately be swallowed up by the unstable sea due to their battle. "The things I do for love." He sighed and focused one last time. He appeared above earth and lifted them out of the abyss. Orbiting them with the sun once again with great effort. As his body lost his strength and plummeted down to his planet.
He crashed down on it as he saw the blue sky right above him. Lying down while he lamented. "Hmmm, what a nice day. A good day to say goodbye." He took out a photo of them as he looked at it with a smile. While his body degraded. They then heard his voice all over the world.
"Eden, even if a star dies. It can still reform from its ashes when the time comes. Ellie, don't tease everyone too much. Mobius, be more considerate. Everyone has their right to refuse your experiments. Aponia, don't be blinded by faith. Vill-v, your magic will continue to mesmerize. Pardofelis, your business will surely be number 1 again. Hua, your destiny is now in your hands. Griseo, my sweet little muffin. Don't forget to study, and listen to your elder sisters. Kosma, a hero paves his own path, have confidence. Kalpas, broaden your horizons and move on from your loss. Kevin, you're their leader. Take care of them, don't rush as well knucklehead, congratulations with your kid too. Mei will surely have troubles, help her as much as you can. As the honkai will surely return, I put my trust in you guys."
Ein sighed and his senses became dull. "Rin, Sakura. I hope you will be able to see the light of day again just fine, forgive me for leaving you guys alone... Hime, wait for me dear. Let's watch over them with great interest with our child." He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
His breathing ceased, and his brain succumbed to the damages. As he wished for the new era's success.
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Mei was almost done in delivering her baby, Mobius helped with the process. It finally went out and she cut the cord and wiped it down. Handing the little package to Mei on her bosom.
"It's a boy Mei." Mobius checked on her body, and it wasn't doing great. It was even a miracle that she was able to deliver her son.
Mei softly caressed his cheek and smiled tenderly. "My little boy, you are the very 1st hybrid child. I'll name you... Adam. Yes, that sounds right." Kevin then entered the room. "Mei, Mobius. We don't know where Ein is." He then saw a little babe with white hair.
"Kevin, look at him. He would probably look just like you." Mei weakly gave the baby to Kevin as he held it in his arms. "He isn't cold too, maybe our genes combining." He nodded and looked at their child. "That's for the best, he doesn't need that side effect." He cringes, remembering the times where he couldn't even touch Mei or normal people.
"Go and put him inside our room. Please..." Mei spoke in a weak voice as Kevin nodded, thinking that she might be exhausted.
Su then went to check on her as well and to congratulate her. But he saw black lines encroaching her neck. "Mei! Let me give you a dose real quick." He was about to get some medicine, but she protested. "No, I can't even see anymore Su. My body is failing me, and I fear that Kevin will definitely be overzealous when the next era comes. Remember project regulator, I entrust it to you when he gets unreasonable." Mei made a plan with the help of Vill's other personality, the Kevin Killer mark 2. As she agreed that if she dies, he might go rogue. So they planned to put him inside the seed of Sumeru and sink the bubble universe inside the sea of quanta just in case.
"I doubt he will because of Adam. But me and Ein are his leaders, this will affect him greatly. And thank you for your cure Su, I managed to feel my child before I depart." She then went limp, succumbing to the honkai corruption. Working on the energy for too long has dire consequences, and it has finally claimed its collateral.
Mobius looked at Mei and closed her eyes for a bit. "Su, we will bury her with the others. Break the news to Kevin." She left as Su clenched his fists. Gritting his teeth in frustration, thinking on what he should say to Kevin.
He saw Kevin taking care of Adam with a smile on his face. Su hesitated, but he has a right to know. "Kevin..." He gritted his teeth.
"Oh, Su. Look at Adam, isn't he cute? By the way, how is Mei doing?" Su cringed and Kevin noticed. "Wait, what's wrong?"
"Mei... Asked for your forgiveness, as she wouldn't be able to be there for Adam." He gave Kevin a letter as they went deadly silent.
*Kevin, forgive me. I have been corrupted by the honkai. And being healed by Ein wasn't enough. Please take care of our child, he is our treasure in this otherwise cruel world. He will need his father, for his mother will inevitably leave this world. I love you both Kevin, please live happily.*
His arms dropped and he lost strength on his legs. Making him sit and he started to tear up, clenching his fist hard enough to draw blood. "I will, and I promise that the honkai will lose..."
"Come, we will enter cryosleep and wait until the earth is habitable again." Su left with a heavy heart as Kevin looked at his child.
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Vill has released terraforming satellites in space and they were now all set. Just need to wait for earth's honkai energy to disperse enough so it won't be a barren wasteland.
After an hour, they were ready to bury Mei. And because Ein's tree was inside the perimeter of the base, it was protected from the harsh elements and it still stood tall. And the scenery of the area looked as beautiful as it once were. They said their goodbyes and lowered her down to the ground.
"Let's go. We will succeed, and that's a promise. Mei, Ein..." Kevin spoke as they went to the cryo pods to wait for the dawn of the new era.
After they left, Mei's body was encased inside a black carapace as well. Awaiting to be opened, just like Rin and Sakura.
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Winds blew as Ein's long hair that wasn't under him swayed. His visage looked peaceful. But his body didn't want to give up, as it started to repair a single stem cell with everything it could. Then it was cocooned, growing very slowly. It needed tons of energy, and it will accumulate it for a long time.
As they await for earth to heal. And humans will once again walk upon it after thousands of years.
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Thanks for reading. the white tuna is just over the horizon. Ciao.