Ch-71 < Return >

The battlefield lay silent, the remnants of a fierce struggle evident in the shattered buildings and fallen soldiers.

Elysia, who had been on the brink of awakening as a Herrscher herself, felt the weight of her exhaustion as the tension of the battle faded.

But as she turned to see Kevin standing amidst the devastation, her heart swelled with relief and overwhelming emotion. Tears filled her eyes, and before she could stop herself, she ran toward him.

"Kevin!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms. Kevin caught her, steadying her as she clung to him. The world around them seemed to fade away as they held each other, the connection between them stronger than ever.

"My Elysia, your eyes, ears... your aura has changed," Kevin observed softly, his gaze searching her face. "What happened? And how long have I been missing?"

Elysia sniffed, rubbing her eyes as she tried to compose herself. "More than a year," she whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of all that had happened in his absence.

Kevin's heart ached at the thought. He had been away for so long, lost in the depths of the Quantum Sea, while his friends and comrades had faced unimaginable dangers.

He then turned to look at his comrades.

"Everyone, long time no see," Kevin said, turning to face the others.

The atmosphere shifted from one of somber reflection to one of joyful celebration as Kevin's voice echoed across the battlefield.

"Captain, you're back!" Kosma exclaimed, his usually demeanor giving way to genuine happiness.

Kalpas, ever the gruff warrior, let out a bark of laughter. "Oo, boss! Finally, you showed up. Took you long enough."

As they exchanged words, Elysia noticed Vita . Her curiosity piqued, she approached her "Who is she, Kevin and why she look like Su?"

Kevin glanced at Vita, his expression unreadable. "I meet her in sea of quanta and she was the one who told me that time moves differently there. Therfore you can say i come early because of her ."

Vita stirred slightly, her confusion evident. "Su?" she asked, her voice weak but filled with genuine curiosity.

"My childhood friend who look like you" Kevin replied.

Me. Vita pointed at her and elysia and Kevin nodded.

The other soldiers and MANTIS warriors, once battle-hardened and weary, now buzzed with renewed hope and energy. The strongest human had returned, and with him, the promise of victory against the Honkai.

Kevin summoned the Key of Creation, its radiant light bathing the battlefield. Channeling its power, he began to heal the wounded. To everyone's amazement, even those who had died mere minutes ago began to stir, life returning to their bodies. But the one who died long cannot be revived.

It's a miracle. Someone exclaimed.

After ensuring that everyone was stabilized, Kevin led the group back to Moth headquarters.

The atmosphere was tense with anticipation, but it quickly turned into one of surprise and relief when they arrived.

Mei, who had been overseeing operations with a heavy heart, spotted Kevin from across the camera. Without a second thought, she broke into a run, her usual composure forgotten as she threw herself into his arms.

"Where were you, you fool?" Mei's voice was muffled as she buried her face in his chest, her tears soaking through his clothes.

Kevin wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "I'm sorry, Mei. I didn't mean to worry you."

As they embraced, Kevin noticed Su standing off to the side, his eyes reflecting a quiet wisdom. Kevin's gaze narrowed, recognizing the subtle changes in his friend.

"Su... you've undergone the MANTIS operation, haven't you?" Kevin asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Su nodded, his expression serene. "Yes. It was necessary. The battle we faced requires every bit of strength we can muster."

The two men shared a brief but meaningful hug before Su motioned for them to head to a private room.

Elysia immediately ordered a special menu for dinner, eager to celebrate Kevin's return with the group.

As they settled into the room, ready to catch up and enjoy the evening, something caught Mei's eye.

A girl stood in the corner, her features eerily similar to Su's—almost as if she were a female version of him.

"Su... do you have a twin sister?" Mei asked, her brow furrowing in confusion as she studied the girl's features.

Su shook his head, equally perplexed. "I don't remember having any siblings."

Vita, who had been silently observing the interaction, finally voiced her own confusion. "Are you her proxy, or... something else like a clone?" Her voice was tinged with uncertainty, her usually composed demeanor slightly shaken.

Kevin, noticing the girl's uncanny resemblance to Su, stepped forward to explain. " Su is not a proxy or clone." He paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing.

"This girl, who resembles Su, is Vita, a proxy of Sa, a scientist from a civilization that once thrived on Venus before it was destroyed by Finality 250 million years ago."

Mei's eyes widened in shock, the gravity of Kevin's words sinking in. "Kevin, you said Venus was destroyed by Finality 250 million years ago. That long?"

The room fell silent, the weight of the revelation pressing down on everyone.

Mobius was the first to break the silence. "Su... does that mean she's your ancestor? Or perhaps something else?"

Vita shook her head, her expression somber. "No, the original lives in the Sea of Quanta. The chances of Sa being Su's ancestor are close to nil."

As the group delved deeper into the mysteries of the Sa civilization, Vita took it upon herself to explain the intricacies of their world.

She spoke of the Quantum Sea, the Imaginary Tree, parallel worlds, and the eternal conflict between them. The complexity of the multiverse left everyone, even Mobius, in awe.

Vita's voice was steady as she recounted the tragic fate of the Venusian civilization.

"Venus was once a thriving world, home to countless advanced technologies and brilliant minds. But everything changed when Finality struck. The planet was devastated, and in their desperation, the survivors turned to the Quantum Sea for salvation.we create a pathway to utilize energy from sea of quanta."

She continued, her tone growing more somber. "Sa, who was previously known as Vita, was one of the leading scientists of that time. She devised a plan to link the consciousness of every person on the planet into a vast simulation, hoping to defeat the Honkai."

Mei's curiosity was piqued. "That's a little bit similar to my Stigma Project... What happened?"

Vita's gaze darkened as she delivered the grim news. "The plan failed. The Honkai managed to invade the data space, corrupting the system.

In a last-ditch effort to save what was left, Sa removed all restrictions on the system, allowing the energy of the Sea of Quanta to flow uncontrollably in an attempt to defeat the Honkai."

Everyone listened with bated breath, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

"The plan backfired," Vita continued, her voice heavy with regret. "The uncontrolled power brought about a new disaster, killing everyone on Venus, leaving only Sa.

She gained unimaginable powers from the Quantum Sea, becoming a being of quantum nature and authority from sea of quanta itself.

But while she survived, the rest of the population was lost, with only their consciousnesses backed up in the system."

The room was filled with a tense silence as Vita explained the final piece of the puzzle.

"To revive the Venusian civilization, Sa needed an immense amount of energy, which she sought to extract from the bubble universes within the Quantum Sea. That is also the reason she attacked Kevin."

Su's voice was quiet, filled with a mix of admiration and concern. "Did you defeat that entity, Kevin?"

Kevin nodded, his gaze distant as he recalled the intense battle. "Yes, I did. But it wasn't easy. The Sa were powerful".

The room was filled with a sense of awe and respect. Kevin had not only survived the Quantum Sea but had emerged stronger, defeating an ancient and powerful God like being of sea of quanta.

The news of Kevin's return and his victory over the Herrscher of Binding quickly spread across the world.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, people began to feel a renewed sense of hope. The thought that Kevin, their strongest warrior, had come back from the Quantum Sea filled them with the belief that they could still win the war against the Honkai.

After a hearty dinner, filled with laughter and stories of Kevin's adventures, smiles returned to everyone's faces. As they sat together, the weight of their struggles seemed to lift, replaced by the promise of a brighter future.

Kevin looked around at his friends, the people he had fought beside for so long. There was still much to do, and many battles lay ahead, but for the first time in a long while, he felt that they had a real chance.

*******

A/N~ some additional info.

"Sa in story already harnessed sufficient energy to create a distant planet in the solar system.

She invested 12 billion units of consciousness and the collective human genome from the spaceship that originated from Earth as part of Project Ark, spearheaded by Griseou.

However, Sa discovered that humanity's inherent nature inevitably led to destruction.

Their actions were appalling, prompting her to eradicate them. This cycle of creation and destruction had already repeated eight times in the story.

This raises the question: is Sa truly evil, or is she simply a guardian preventing catastrophic consequences?"

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