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Amidst the dust-choked landscape, a massive, elongated warship lay embedded in the fractured earth. Stretching over hundreds of kilometers, it towered like a mountain, its sealed gray-black hull gleaming with a heavy metallic sheen that gave off a sense of pristine freshness, awe-inspiring in its grandeur.
At the foremost point, atop the protruding bow area, stood two figures braving the fierce gale.
The leading figure raised his hand, gently clenching it into a fist.
"Boom!"
In an instant, turbulent winds swept across the surrounding region, dispersing the airborne dust to reveal the full extent of the ship and presenting the long-absent duo clearly before everyone's eyes.
With the dust cleared, Zeke looked up and spotted familiar figures on the transparent platform ahead. His cold demeanor softened, and a gentle smile curved the corners of his lips.
"Big Bro Zeke! It's Big Bro Zeke and Fu Hua-sensei!"
"Zeke?~~"
"Zeke-san..."
"That damn guy finally decided to come back, hmph!"
"He's back at last."
Each word and tone varied, but it was clear everyone was delighted.
Yet Zeke didn't rush to engage them; his icy blue eyes turned downward instead.
A purely physical impact couldn't truly kill the Herrscher of Corruption with its unique mode of existence. Below, countless scattered mechanical debris were continuously moving and coalescing, transforming into various new forms before... scattering in all directions, fleeing both skyward and earthbound.
Unless one were foolish, they'd recognize their inability to overcome such an enemy. The immense shockwave from Cosmic Juggernaut's crash had also created breaches in the previously impenetrable blockade. If not seizing this opportunity to escape, the Herrscher might indeed perish here.
Fu Hua stepped forward, intending to eliminate the enemies below, only to be stopped by Zeke raising his hand.
"I'll handle it."
"Alright."
After this brief exchange, Fu Hua retreated, turning her gentle gaze towards Zeke's profile.
Whoosh!
Simultaneously, thousands of miles away, a cherry-red radiance pierced through the sky, hurtling straight towards Zeke.
In an instant, the glow halted before him, transforming into a long black blade adorned with crimson threads—the Key of Corruption: Jizo Mitama.
Zeke reached out, grasping the vibrating hilt, his eyes shimmering with Honkai Energy's radiant golden hue.
The next second, Zeke soared high into the sky, wielding the blade with both hands.
"Data sample analysis complete, reverse contamination sequence calculated. Higokumaru, cooperate with me."
"Aaahh! Making me work right off the bat? You're such a jerk... Only for Eldest Sister's sake!" Higokumaru's youthful and irritable voice echoed from within the sword.
Zeke's expression remained solemn as he channeled Honkai Energy into the long blade.
"Wait! Slow down! Too much, I can't handle it all!"
"Cleave!"
Amidst Higokumaru's frantic screams, Zeke swung the sword, unleashing a cross-shaped scarlet strike that descended upon the ground.
Simultaneously, within the Cosmic Juggernaut, Su's tiny body held the Book of Fuxi with one hand, his eyes twitching intensely.
"Has he forgotten we're still inside here?"
Following this exasperated remark, Su opened his eyes, crimson radiance flowing within them.
"BOOM!!!"
The strike enveloped nearly ten thousand square kilometers of land, leaving behind colossal cross-shaped ravines.
In its wake, both the fleeing machines and the intangible infection sources were annihilated without trace.
At the awe-inspiring center of this cruciform canyon, Fu Hua stood serenely amidst the void, her garments fluttering gently. She raised her delicate, pale hand to catch a slowly falling pitch-black gemstone.
The Sky Base had retreated far away and activated a light blue force field encompassing the entire city, allowing it to remain unscathed amidst the raging shockwaves and Honkai Energy onslaught.
Zeke effortlessly approached the platform where everyone gathered, leisurely walked toward the small circular table at its center, and seated himself without hesitation.
Hera greeted him warmly, "Welcome back, my dear friend, esteemed Emperor."
Welt echoed, "Welcome home, Zeke."
Both leaders expressed their welcome with smiles directed towards Zeke.
Bronya approached Zeke, removed his white coat, draped it over her arm, and then stood upright, embodying the demeanor of a capable assistant—though the smile lingering on her lips revealed her unmistakable contentment.
Her gaze shifted as she noticed Fu Hua, who arrived slightly later, walking to the other side of Zeke. Fu Hua leaned forward, placed the Herrscher of Corruption's Core onto the table before Zeke, and looked up, offering Bronya a gentle smile.
"!!!" Bronya's antenna-like hair stood straight up as her eyes narrowed.
Fu Hua-sensei, could you...be trying to steal my job?
Unaware of Bronya's thoughts, Fu Hua quietly took her place beside Zeke, mirroring Bronya's stance almost identically.
Hera prepared tea for Zeke.
He sipped it, scanning each girl present before setting down his cup.
"Send me a copy of the global reconstruction plan. Continue with efforts to rescue and reassure civilians; we'll discuss further steps later. For now, I'm heading back to rest."
Zeke rose, picked up the Herrscher Core on the table, and turned to leave.
Hera exchanged glances with Welt, shrugging with a radiant smile. Welt responded with a resigned grin—when the future emperor gives orders, one must comply.
"Kiana." As Zeke walked away, he suddenly called out the name of the girl not present at the scene.
He knew she would surely hear him.
Sure enough, moments later, a black whirlpool appeared ahead of Zeke—a distorted portal leading directly home.
Without pausing, Zeke stepped through, his tall, slender figure followed closely by Bronya and Fu Hua on either side.
One after another, figures swiftly joined them, quickly turning the once bustling platform into an empty expanse.
"Zeke?" Upon returning to their familiar living room, Sin could no longer contain her longing and instantly leaped onto Zeke's back. Wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging tightly to him, she soon wore a tearful yet blissful smile.
With one hand, Zeke effortlessly scooped up Sin's petite body, cradling her as he sat down on a sofa.
"I'm home," Zeke murmured softly, a hint of tenderness in his gaze. His deep-set eyes swept over each radiant face before him—Seele, Wendy, Raiden Mei, Bronya, Siegfried... Wait, Siegfried?
"What are you doing here?"
Leaning back, Zeke gently pinched the cheek of the obedient girl in his arms while casting a mild glance at Siegfried.
Siegfried scratched his head sheepishly.
"Well, um, since the battle is over, there wasn't much for me to do over there anyway. And it's been quite some time since we last saw each other..."
"It's our downtime now, so I don't feel like entertaining you. Go work hard at the construction site instead. Your strength has grown significantly; you can be put to good use."
"But, I..."
"Kiana." Zeke once again tenderly uttered this warm name.
In the next instant, a black hole appeared beneath Siegfried, swallowing him whole along with his unfinished sentence.