Celebrate!
I said celebrate... ahem, cough, cough, cough! My apologies, wrong channel.
In any case, Zeke, the final Herrscher of this era wielding control over time, officially displayed his supreme authority—the manipulation of time—to the world!
Time is undoubtedly an immensely powerful ability. However, if entrusted to someone else, it wouldn't pose as significant a challenge for the current human civilization. But fate had it bestowed upon Zeke, who already redefined humanity's limits, making the potential truly unimaginably terrifying.
The formidable strike force dealt damage, only for Zeke to reverse his own timeline, effectively negating any harm sustained. Imagine exhausting all efforts to breach the ultimate boss's defenses, only to discover their power instantly restores them to full health—and the utility of manipulating time extends far beyond that. How does one even fight such an opponent?
Regardless, the remaining few Hera avatars, keen on avoiding total annihilation, strategically deployed a diverse group comprising the aged (Kevin and Fu Hua), frail (Li Sushang), and infirm (everyone except Mobius) around the outskirts. Together, they gazed at Zeke, bathed in the aura reminiscent of a Demon God descending upon Earth, and simultaneously exclaimed:
"Seriously, fuck this!"
Zeke's golden eyes flickered as he glanced at one of the clones. Instantly, they all plastered on ingratiating smiles, pretending none of them had complained moments ago.
Fortunately, Zeke only spared them a brief look before turning his gaze towards Kevin and asking, "Kevin, who do you think is stronger between me and Finality?"
Facing Kevin, Zeke raised a hand, the gesture seeming both threatening and inviting. His clear yet cold voice resonated through Honkai Energy, causing dust to swirl outward in expanding ripples.
With his true power revealed, Zeke had lost patience for further delay. Since persuasion with words proved futile, before resorting to force, he decided to pose the question closest to his heart.
"...He is stronger."
Kevin, bare-chested and covered in numerous slowly healing wounds from diverting much of the attack, appeared somewhat pale. After a brief moment of thought, he gave an honest answer without any inclination to sugarcoat it.
Everyone, except for the equally straightforward Durandal, stared at Kevin with expressions filled with shock—given the circumstances, couldn't he have just humored Zeke?
However, this response did not seem to anger Zeke.
Zeke nodded as if he had anticipated this moment all along. A golden apparition emerged from behind him, slowly stepping through the void towards his body.
This was another phantom of Zeke, seemingly merging with him as it entered from behind, becoming one entity.
BOOM!
The lunar surface, already crushed under immense gravity, fractured further, creating fissures ranging from deep chasms to narrow cracks easily swallowing individuals whole. It appeared that the overpowering gravitational force had become unbearable for the land.
Simultaneously, Zeke's Honkai Energy nearly doubled, intensifying the suffocating mental pressure.
In an instant, Li Sushang, her face pale, collapsed unconscious. As the weakest among them, she was ill-suited for such combat. Having exhausted herself completely by invoking Sword Goddess at full power, fainting due to the overwhelming shock was unsurprising.
"Sushang!"
One of Hera's clones swiftly caught Li Sushang and without hesitation, flew away from the battlefield.
Enveloped in a roiling mass akin to black flames, composed entirely of solidified Honkai Energy, Zeke watched their departure indifferently.
Fortunately...
The remaining Hera clones and Fu Hua collectively sighed with relief.
For the former, they didn't wish any harm upon their old friend from five centuries past. As for Fu Hua, despite Li Sushang's mother rebelling against her, as her master's elder, she still cared deeply for this junior disciple.
Meanwhile, Zeke stood silently, spreading his arms wide. Another shadow emerged behind him, followed by a third, fourth... until he had amassed nine duplicates of himself before finally stopping.
"It seems this body's current limit is just that. Nine represents the pinnacle of numbers; could it be the will of fate at play here? Fascinating... What do you think?" Zeke softly asked.
However, the terrifying energy accumulated through these nine overlays felt oppressively heavy, akin to an entire world bearing down on them.
Despite Zeke speaking in a hushed whisper, its impact resonated throughout, causing visceral damage and intense mental shock to all present, regardless of distance.
"Impossible! I've never seen such...such..." With a gasp, blood spilled from Fu Hua's lips.
Compared to her fellow veterans, Durandal's resilience showed its limitations. A flicker of fear crossed her azure eyes as she struggled unsuccessfully against her injuries and coughed up blood.
"Go!" At that moment, all Hera clones shouted simultaneously, charging towards Zeke like martyrs. Golden chains filled the sky, plunging deep into the ground, attempting to restrain Zeke for even just a second with a Mimicked Divine Grace Barrier.
Durandal hesitated briefly but was swiftly pulled away by Mobius's tentacles from afar.
Then, everyone resolutely flew as far from Zeke as possible.
On one side were the bravely sacrificing themselves; on the other, those desperately seeking survival. As this stark contrast unfolded, Zeke raised his hand once more, ready to bring an end to this conflict.
Just then, accompanied by a dragon's roar, Honkai energy surged forth from within the void beneath the sea.
"Roar!!"
A massive black hole opened in the sky, unleashing a beam of white light containing energy far surpassing that of any Herrscher, hurtling directly at Zeke.
"Hm?" Zeke looked up, momentarily pausing.
Boom!
A dazzling light and intense shockwave engulfed hundreds of kilometers around them, turning the lunar surface as bright as day while once again shattering the ground.
Following this unimaginably terrifying energy burst, tremors continued to radiate outward, leaving behind a colossal crater stretching for miles with unfathomable depths, as if hollowing out the moon itself.
The aftershocks persisted relentlessly, but instead of kicking up dust, the extreme gravity kept everything grounded, making the scene of devastation strikingly clear.
Zeke watched as the others took the opportunity to retreat, slightly regretful he couldn't press Kevin further on that question.
Then, enveloped in raging black flames, Zeke lifted his head, expressionless, and gazed upon the maiden astride a massive white dragon, bathed in pure-white fire.
"Was that attack meant to kill me? Do you truly wish to defy me, Kiana?"
"?!?"
This cold interrogation from her master undoubtedly triggered the intimidation built over years within the food chain hierarchy. Instantaneously, despite her initially resolute demeanor, Kiana's hair stood on end, feeling a familiar trembling in her legs.
After a brief moment, she regained her composure.
"You-you... Don't try to intimidate me! I'm not blind; do you think I can't see how extraordinarily powerful your energy is right now? With that move just now, I'd believe you could take down even Patriarch Kevin himself. But against Zeke, it's at most a friendly greeting, isn't it?"
Kiana maintained an unwaveringly calm expression.
'Absolutely terrified! Nearly jumped to cling and plead for mercy!' Yes, she managed to appear remarkably composed on the surface.
Zeke didn't expose her facade of strength masking vulnerability. Instead, he quietly looked at her and said, "I am neither insane nor influenced by Honkai. It's simply that I've come to understand some issues that have long troubled me. Kiana, I will protect our world, so please, join me."
Zeke extended his hand towards Kiana. For this particular girl alone, he was unwilling to resort to brute force suppression. After all, much of what he had done was for this adorably foolish dimwit!
However, Kiana vigorously shook her head.
"I trust you want to protect the world, but surely it involves methods I cannot accept? Otherwise, Zeke, you wouldn't have gone this far!"
"Every action demands a price. Protecting the world, such a grand goal, naturally requires significant sacrifices. This principle should be familiar to you, Kiana," Zeke patiently reasoned with her.
Throughout this entire confrontation, Kiana was the only one who could engage Zeke in such prolonged dialogue without him immediately resorting to violence.
Kiana continued shaking her head firmly.
"Oh no! Wake up, Zeke! I don't know your current plan yet, but praising Project Stigma tells me it must involve twisted methods... Zeke, stop this madness; I won't stand by and watch you go down this path!"
"And if I refuse?" Zeke asked.
The fiery intensity in Kiana's scarlet eyes dimmed instantly. Seeing Zeke so powerful now filled her with uncontrollable pride because he was her Zeke! Yet, she also felt deep anguish and sorrow equally as strong.
"If you persist on this misguided path... then I'll fight until you come back to your senses!" Despite her sadness, Kiana displayed unwavering determination. With fearless scarlet gaze locked onto Zeke, she commanded her dragon to swoop downward.
Soon, shockwaves akin to cataclysmic destruction reverberated repeatedly across the landscape.