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The girl bearing "Slumber" walked across blood-red dunes, devoid of any presence save her own.
Zeke observed everything around him with hollow, icy golden eyes. Fake God Mode granted him an unprecedented perspective and strength, allowing him to glimpse the distant, untouchable past as well as perceive lurking dangers at every turn.
Otto was right.
One could call Otto a madman, monster, deviant, or demon; any negative label would likely not be unjustified.
However, Zeke believed in Otto's final proposal as a human being.
Thus, Zeke found himself here.
Harnessing the power of time through his Fake God Mode, he didn't use it to freeze or reverse the real world's timeline but instead ventured into the flow of time itself, carrying Kiana along.
Zeke aimed to defy this current, gradually restoring Kiana to her state before she committed suicide. Then, at the precise moment when Kiana was still alive, he planned to create a new timeline, enabling them to assume the Final Herrscher from her body.
This was Otto's original scheme to save Kallen, now executed by Zeke.
"Gurgle! Gurgle!"
Like bubbling quicksand, undercurrents surged beneath the blood-red dunes, causing various objects to slowly emerge all around.
The blood-cast apparition slowly transformed as it approached Zeke, morphing into his likeness.
Zeke glanced back at Kiana lying on his shoulders—still "asleep," but her time was indeed being reversed with each step he took. Her body healed gradually; however, given the Final Herrscher's resistance to temporal manipulation, it remained uncertain how far back they needed to go for her to return to life. Nonetheless, what mattered most was that this path proved effective, and that alone sufficed.
"BOOM!!"
"Zzzzt!"
Undeterred by the immense pressure bearing down upon him, Zeke continued advancing, summoning twin long swords crackling with flames and lightning.
Thousands of doppelgängers charged towards Zeke and Kiana.
"Bang!!"
A violent shockwave rippled across the boundless desert, isolated from both time and space.
Despite Zeke's full force, he only managed to send dozens of duplicates flying without causing any significant harm.
'Each one possesses strength equal to mine?'
Zeke's heart sank. In a split second, he tore off a piece of his sleeve, transforming it into a sturdy strap to tightly secure Kiana to his back.
Wielding his dual swords, Zeke charged resolutely towards the vast army.
"Don't stand in my way!"
With a low roar, he merged the powers of lightning and fire in his hands, creating a colossal sword ablaze with radiant energy that swept across miles.
"BOOM!!"
The unparalleled force cleared his path ahead.
However, enemies from behind were closing in swiftly. To protect Kiana on his back, Zeke decisively turned around, taking multiple stabs from crimson longswords.
"Scram!"
"BANG!!"
As blood flowed, Zeke swung his sword again, completely purging the area around him.
Expressionless, he pulled out the shallowly embedded blood-stained blades, healing instantly within moments. Then, he resumed his original direction, striding forward confidently.
"Grrr! Grrr!"
The countless defeated replicas rapidly regrouped, while more blood shadows continuously emerged from the scarlet dunes.
His goal lay unreachable in the distant past, obstructed by insurmountable forces bestowed by time itself and the laws of the world.
Zeke bent his knees, cracks spreading densely across his face, but he paid no heed to these "minor issues." With unwavering determination, he surged towards the approaching billions-strong legion.
In no time, his figure was engulfed by the sea of countless replicas.
Kill, kill, kill—unrelenting slaughter, relentless advance!
Zeke fought with complete abandon, his first time charging so recklessly without his usual calculated dominance. With enemies being his own replicas, he could only gain ground through a frenzied exchange of wounds.
Zeke felt incredibly fortunate for his resilience.
Blood mingled with the crimson sand beneath him, and the rate of new injuries far outpaced his healing ability. His once seemingly endless lifespan was rapidly depleting, yet a smile emerged on Zeke's bloodstained and cracked face.
Kiana's presence began to recover.
Suddenly, her eyes opened.
"Z...Zeke..."
"Pff! I'm here!"
Numerous blades pierced Zeke's body as he tightly embraced Kiana, bending over to shield her from all harm.
His spattered blood landed on Kiana's face.
Her pupils contracted sharply.
She didn't know where they were or what Zeke was facing, but she understood his purpose clearly.
"You fool! Idiot! Stop right now!!!" Despite not having fully regained her strength, just barely returning to the state before death, Kiana let out a heart-wrenching cry.
As she looked at Zeke's blood-soaked body, his face riddled with cracks and blood seeping from the corners of his mouth, Kiana couldn't help but comprehend who these sacrifices were for.
"Don't be afraid... Just a little more... A few steps further... I can still... I can..."
Zeke lacked the strength to caress Kiana's face. Holding her close and gripping his sword, he summoned another burst from his battered body.
"Ah!"
The explosive surge shattered the surrounding replicas into oblivion.
Zeke managed to stand upright but had no energy left to remove the weapons embedded in him. Instead, with great difficulty, he trudged forward, carrying Kiana along.
'It's not enough...'
'This distance isn't sufficient yet...'
'I must reach the moment before my self-inflicted suicide using the Power of Finality for her to survive...'
Blood blurred his vision, and even his steadfast resistance against Fake God Mode's corruption, which kept him lucid, was gradually fading. However, the unwavering determination to protect Kiana and move forward remained crystal clear in his mind, sustaining Zeke's resilience despite everything.
Once again, the horde of replicas surged towards them from all directions, unleashing diverse powerful attacks.
Zeke looked down, witnessing Kiana's terrified appearance, tears streaming like fountains.
"Zeke... No... Don't do this!!!" she cried out desperately.
"Fear not, soon, very soon, it will be over," Zeke reassured her with a smile amidst her heart-wrenching pleas.
Then, wielding his sword, he courageously faced the sea of enemies alone.
Kiana had lost count of how many times Zeke's blood splattered across her face.
In his embrace, she remained unscathed by blades, yet felt suffocated, wishing it were her enduring those countless wounds instead.
Her body gradually healed, while Zeke's grew increasingly battered and torn.
It was as if there was some kind of exchange happening—but this trade was neither fair nor something Kiana would ever willingly accept.
"Zeke, please stop! I'm begging you, just halt!" Kiana wailed, her heart tearing apart with pain mirroring Zeke's bloody agony. Yet, she couldn't halt his relentless advance, unable even to elicit a response from him, for he no longer had the strength to acknowledge her pleas.
Kiana despised herself. She desperately wanted Zeke to cease fighting immediately, but at the same time, she yearned to regain her strength quickly so she could protect and stop him. However, nothing here responded to Kiana's will.
Zeke continued to trudge forward over his own bloodied flesh while Kia's body remained weak and unresponsive. All she could do was scream frantically and hate herself.
Through her tear-blurred vision, Kiana seemed to suddenly see through their entire lives—always like this: she would cause chaos, and Zeke would clean up after her at any cost. When it was all over, he'd act as if nothing had happened, flick her forehead, and with a resigned sigh, brush aside every hardship and struggle. It was true in the past, just as it is now.
"I don't want... I don't want this..." Kiana sobbed to herself.
Suddenly, as if unable to bear it anymore, Zeke stumbled and fell, shielding Kiana beneath him. Countless swords pierced his body from all around.
"Drip! Drip!"
Drops of blood fell onto Kiana's forehead, face, and every part of her body, scalding her soul with their searing heat.
"Zeke... Zeke..."
"Cough! Did I startle you? Sorry, even I have my limits. This time was particularly tough."
"Don't die, Zeke!"
"I'm not...going to die, and neither will you! It looks like we're almost there. Initially, I hoped we could reach before Finality took hold of you, but it seems that won't be possible... The path ahead is longer now, and you'll have to continue alone for a while, waiting for me over there...
"My Kiana is the strongest girl in the world, so I know you can endure until the day we meet again, right?"
With trembling arms, Zeke braced himself against the ground, creating a small haven of safety around Kiana. He managed a smile despite his weakening state.
His face, on the brink of disintegration, couldn't form a truly pleasant expression. Yet, this smile etched itself deeply into Kiana's heart, causing her tears to flow uncontrollably as she sobbed aloud.
"Shhhk!"
Suddenly, countless sword tips pierced through Zeke's body, sending torrents of blood cascading down on Kiana, drenching her vision and skin.
"Zekeeee!" Kiana wailed frantically, reaching out to touch him.
In the next instant, she vanished from this dimension, plunging into the past.
"It's a cycle, and also the path toward true freedom. I only understood everything once I embarked on this journey. Wait for me, Kiana; I will undoubtedly find you. Until then, eat well, sleep plenty, and take care of yourself..."
"And remember, don't let my counterpart in this world encounter the God of Honkai prematurely. It concerns both our safety and that of the entire world. Please, Kiana... I'm counting on you."
Zeke's final words echoed through the rifts of time.
Then he collapsed onto the ground, his body gradually disintegrating.
With hollow, lifeless eyes, Zeke gazed into the alternate timeline branching off from this moment, fixated on Kiana's figure as his consciousness slowly dissipated.
'I'll just rest for a bit, okay...' He reassured himself, fully aware deep down that he was inexorably slipping towards death.
"Zeke, remember this: love is humanity's greatest power!"
Enough with the mysticism already, Otto! Love is merely an abnormal brain function caused by hormone secretion at best, perhaps with some additional spiritual variations. How can it be considered powerful?
"Zeke, look, look—it's breakfast I made for you!"
Kiana, stay out of the kitchen or next time, I'll force-feed you these poisons yourself. You're better off eating than cooking.
"Siiinn looooves Zeke the most!"
"Bronya bought new swimsuits, oh~"
"Zeke, Senti has been quite mature lately. Any ideas on how we should reward her?"
Yes, yes, I love Sin too. Bronya, don't disrupt me while I'm working... Wait until later to show me your outfits... Fu Hua, don't spoil her too much; she'll only take advantage...
These fleeting glimpses flashed continuously before his eyes.
Lying amidst crimson blood, Zeke's breath rapidly faded away.
As his gaze pierced through the fabric of another world line and focused on the moon, he saw his Kiana, smiling softly, collapsing onto the shattered terrain below.
The countless enemy shadows, embodying the laws of existence, gradually parted from Zeke and merged back into the blood-red dunes.
In that instant, the shattered figure rose to its feet.
Millions of gazes refocused on Zeke as duplicates gathered their blood swords, causing even the tranquil crimson earth to surge tumultuously, seemingly enraged.
"Rumble!"
Amidst a force violently shaking space-time, an unimaginably colossal golden tree extended its branches from the depths of the void, firmly plunging them into the ground before Zeke.
Confronted by this indescribably mighty barrier, Zeke swayed momentarily, then gripped a dimly glowing white longsword with his battered hands. His hollow, lifeless eyes stared straight ahead.
"Don't... stand in my way!!!"