Gurgle...
An incomparably pure fluid reverberated through the endless void. The "quantity," "records," and "existence" dancing across the heavens surged wildly like storm-tossed waves. To Selene's ears, the sound was exceptionally clear.
An ordinary magus, even one of the Twelve Lords, one of the Five Magicians, the King of Magecraft Solomon, or even the vast majority of gods, would probably be unable to endure for even an instant if they came into contact with the Root as Selene had. They would immediately be assimilated by it.
The best possible outcome would be the complete destruction of their body, but there was a ninety-nine-percent chance that the Root would erase them from this world entirely.
That was because they had been born from the Swirl of the Root. Their "complete records" existed there. It was where their "mother/father" resided.
Perhaps the sea of worlds had never lacked examples of the weak defeating the strong, defying the heavens, or rebelling against heavenly law. Selene knew of fathers killing sons, sons murdering fathers, ministers slaying sovereigns, and mortals killing gods... Such events were hardly rare in the many myths and legends of the Type-Moon world—Marduk slaying the Mother Goddess Tiamat, Zeus defeating his father Cronus—or in humanity's heroic epics.
However, at the very least, within the Type-Moon composite world born from the flow of the Swirl of the Root, there had never been a case of anyone defying the Root itself.
Nor had there ever been any record of a living being voluntarily making contact with the Swirl of the Root. Of course, it was also possible that the Swirl of the Root had assimilated and erased every being that had attempted to contact it.
It had only ever bestowed guidance upon those destined to lead the mortal world, such as Solomon, or granted blessings to those favored by fate—which the recipients themselves might have considered a curse—such as Manaka Sajyou and Shiki Ryougi. Those who took the initiative or attempted to contact it generally met miserable ends.
Gulp...
The boundless flow of the Swirl of the Root was rapidly drawn into Selene's body like a chaotic deluge. Visible to the naked eye, the rate at which "quantity" flowed increased exponentially. In nearly the blink of an eye, enough "quantity" to fill several higher-dimensional universes and crush a material universe vanished without a trace.
At that moment, Selene's body and mind experienced a sense of fulfillment unlike anything she had ever known.
It was as though everything lay within her grasp!
However, she did not lose herself in the sensation, for she still had important work to do. From this day forward, this Type-Moon composite world would be her spoil of war. She could not simply devour without replenishing it and cause unnecessary losses.
It was similar to extracting oil from underground. To prevent the ground from collapsing and sinking, drilling platforms used water injection during extraction, pumping in as much water as the amount of oil removed.
By the same principle, the Swirl of the Root was the foundation that maintained the structure of the Type-Moon composite world. If Selene only devoured it without replenishing what she took, the slightest mistake could result in the destruction of countless universes.
Buzz—!
Selene opened her eyes. They shone like stars, and the radiance between her brows was almost impossible to look at directly.
Countless lines and particles churned within her eyes as Selene analyzed the world's original form.
As Selene slowly sank, she lost all sense of how much time had passed or how deeply she had descended. Countless lights and shadows seemed to drift before her eyes. Through the haze, everything from ancient times to the present, whether Proper Human History or the histories of alien worlds, appeared folded together layer by layer like a thousand-layered cake. The Milky Way, alien planets, the Big Bang, and the creation of heaven and earth flashed past Selene's eyes one after another.
Thick "spiral arms" and slender, winding "tributaries" seemed to cross endless reaches of space and time. Parallel worlds and higher-dimensional universes were scattered across the expanse like stars.
The sea of stars and the Milky Way illuminated one another, forming a breathtakingly magnificent tableau.
The greatest flaw, however, was the void left behind by the primordial universe that had once stood at the center, surrounded by all the others like the moon amid a host of stars...
The thickest "main current" born from the chaotic vortex had once been surrounded by towering, twisted "tributaries," with glittering stars embedded throughout. The primordial universe had once been so magnificent and grand that a single glance would have left anyone overwhelmed by its beauty.
Unfortunately, it had become the battlefield of a collision between supreme beings. Now it had been reduced to a withered, desolate flow, and even a vast surrounding region had been affected. Amid the indescribable yet vibrant "fluid of the Root" that nurtured all things, it appeared exceptionally conspicuous and inspired profound regret.
"Fortunately, the losses remain within an acceptable range."
Selene was already satisfied that she could still receive and maintain the functioning Swirl of the Root. How could a war of conquest possibly cause no losses?
Selene had merely played it safe by striking from within. She had first sabotaged the Swirl of the Root, eroding its authority while attacking its vital point and leaving it overwhelmed. Otherwise, had she attacked it directly from outside, the difficulty aside, there certainly would not have been nearly so many intact, functioning worlds left for her to inherit.
Floating within the boundless fluid of the Root, Selene raised her head and looked in every direction. Countless waves rose from the "fluid." These were tides of the Root capable of engulfing and assimilating everything. Tempestuous currents that could tear space and time apart swept back and forth around her, yet they could not assimilate her in the slightest.
"Koz, Azem... They're making excellent progress. Oh, and little Arisa too."
Within the boundless, colorless fluid, the ever-expanding violet-red patches of corrosion were exceptionally conspicuous. They were the true reason the Swirl of the Root had been placed in such a passive position. After analyzing the "blessing" in Solomon's possession, which shared the same origin as the Root, Selene had used the connection between them to ambush the Root at the earliest possible moment.
At the same time, by analyzing its laws and authorities, Selene broke through the barriers of the Type-Moon world and opened the entrance to the Honkai trans-spatial webway directly inside the world's barrier. As the Imperial Army advanced and occupied more territory, the rate of corrosion accelerated further, continuously weakening the power the Swirl of the Root could mobilize.
Selene reached out and touched the "fluid" she had grasped. Because it had dried up, it felt as though it were composed of fine grains of sand. She gazed at the dynamic scene before her.
"Let us begin with the rebirth of the primordial universe—the rebirth of the entire world."
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Violet-red patches of light instantly ignited across Selene's entire body. She began to corrode and transform the vortex of the Root around her. While devouring it, she branded and analyzed it with her own Honkai power, turning it completely into something that belonged to her!
The old flow of the Swirl of the Root was devoured, and a new flow of the Swirl of Honkai was released, gradually covering every trace of the "old" nearby.
As she moved, the tranquil, cold colors were corroded into an endless violet canopy. Space and time began to twist and shift out of alignment. The currents near Selene immediately burst apart, and the hidden patches of corrosion within them exploded into fragments resembling energy debris.
One became ten, ten became a hundred...
Amid the violent tremors, Selene drew in each of the "spiral arms" and released them again, transforming them into new "spiral arms" linking space and time. They stabbed fiercely into the anchors of different eras, binding every higher-dimensional universe in the surrounding region and formally beginning to replace the rule of the Swirl of the Root!
Though it could not truly be called replacing its rule, since the Root itself possessed no consciousness and could not act with purpose. Naturally, there was no real question of rulership...
More precisely, Selene was placing herself above it, engraving her will into it, and gathering every authority into herself! She was transforming the Swirl of the Root into the Swirl of Honkai!
From this moment onward, the time, space, dimensions, fate, matter, energy, and everything else within this cosmic region were completely taken into Selene's possession!
At that moment, countless living beings throughout the Type-Moon composite world, particularly the vast population of intelligent life, sensed something indistinct.
...
"You disgusting Nightmare! You won't escape!" Li Sushang formed a sword seal with her fingers. Her voice was crisp and clear, but it carried unmistakable fury.
When the lingering echoes of the ethereal sword formation descended and engulfed the sea of flowers within a hundred miles, battering it into complete disarray, the structure that had already suffered from years of neglect finally reached the end of its lifespan.
After the load-bearing pillars were severed, the entire structure tilted thirty degrees. The remaining load-bearing walls then let out deafening groans beneath the unbearable strain, crumbling inch by inch. The tall tower, whose age no one could determine, collapsed with a thunderous roar.
The suspended spire, built on a foundation of lustrous white crystal with an upper structure of chalk-white earth, crashed to the ground. The indistinct figure within gradually became clear.
Although the surrounding area had already been plowed over several times, not a speck of dust clung to Merlin. The court magus, skilled with a one-handed sword, wore a troubled expression. "You truly refuse to give me even the slightest opportunity."
"All I did back then was briefly confuse you ladies with an illusion. We each served our own master, so why hold such a grudge? I am merely a support specialist. I was not the one who directly attacked any of you beautiful ladies."
Ignoring his magnetic murmur, Senti raised her head and strode past her grand-disciple at the front of the group. She clenched her fist with a crackling sound, and her knuckles erupted with a string of explosive pops. The corner of her mouth twisted into an arrogant, unrestrained grin. Emotion influenced the body, and at that moment, even the breath escaping Senti's lips seemed to become dry, scorching air like molten lava.
"That's bullshit!!!"
"What the hell were those things you showed me?!"
"You really know how to play dirty, you bastard! Do you have any idea how much effort I spent hunting you down?!"
Back when Senti, Li Sushang, and the others had fought using Foreigner-class Saint Graphs, the battle had been unbearably frustrating. They had possessed strength but could not use it. In the end, their divided spirits had practically been beaten to death by a mob. The moment those divided spirits returned to her main consciousness, Senti exploded in fury!
Even Fu Hua, with all her discipline and self-control, had been infuriated by a certain Sword Saint of Avalon who constantly interfered during the battle.
Using every available method in combat and infuriating the enemy was one of the greatest compliments a support specialist could receive. Fu Hua understood that. However, understanding was one thing. She had still resolved to settle the score.
Fu Hua pushed up the red-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose and raised her head. A keen light ready to erupt flickered within her azure eyes.
As for why they were so furious, imagine a game. Generally speaking, what attracted the most hatred? The main damage dealer? No. It was the support, particularly the kind who constantly bounced around and disgusted everyone.
You killed someone, and he revived them. You pursued an enemy, and he stunned and slowed you. He also stood absurdly far away, either hiding in the back line or somewhere you could not even see...
During that battle, the old bastard Merlin had used every one of those tricks against them. Worse still, Merlin's illusions either brought forth what the target desired most or forced them to confront what they most desperately wished to avoid.
For example, the illusion presented to Fu Hua was the death of the squad captain who had helped her establish herself within MOTH fifty thousand years ago, during the Previous Era.
Even after leaving the battlefield, Fu Hua remembered this Nightmare clearly. His attacks had not inflicted much damage, but he had specialized entirely in sickening his opponents.
Durandal and Kiana, who had become Servants, were protagonists whose heroic epics were still being written. Their battlesuit Noble Phantasms protected them and nullified curses, illusions, and other negative effects. As a result, they had escaped unharmed and possessed no direct understanding of how disgusting Merlin could be. They were therefore fighting on other battlefields.
"Stick your head over here and watch this immortal beat your bastard face into a pig's head!"
Taking aim at the pure-white male fairy stepping through the gaps in the descending layers of flower petals, Senti had no interest in trading endless insults with the old bastard. She immediately swung out a steel whip and smashed it toward him.
Faced with the strikes of tens of thousands of crimson-gold chain-whips, the tall figure approaching on foot seemed to exhale before driving his staff into the ground with both hands.
"—Garden of Avalon!"
Buzz, buzz, buzz—!
Illusory pink-white flowers spread and blossomed, instantly covering everything within sight.
At that moment, however, the ominous patterns of corrosion across the sky abruptly vanished. The indistinct wail that had echoed in the ears of every living being also disappeared. The Fairies of Avalon, who had been struggling desperately nearby, and the Valkyrie forces led by Fu Hua all stopped moving.
The shattered framework of the world was being repaired. Had they won...? Then why did the ominous spatial rifts still exist?
Merlin raised his head and put away his frivolous expression. A possibility he had already considered but deliberately suppressed gradually rose within his mind.
"So quickly..."
Either their world had won and the Swirl of the Root had begun repairing the damage to the world's structural stability caused by the barrier being forcibly torn open... or Selene had won. If the world had already fallen into her hands, there was naturally no further need for corrosion or invasion.
A peculiar fluctuation slowly began to gather within his heart. In the next instant, a voice rang out. Its existence was more sinister than every terrifying word imaginable strung together.
"..."
Merlin instantly understood who was using the place that "recorded everything" to issue a proclamation to all living beings.
Selene!
"Notify all forces. Cease the offensive."
"End all extermination strikes against every world. Negotiations concerning surrender are now permitted."
"Kill all who continue to resist. Exterminate the clans of those who followed the ones who raised armies against us. Exile all who assisted the rebellion."
Beyond what seemed like the infinite reaches of heaven and earth, two crimson suns rose like human eyes. They gazed upon all things in the world and imprisoned them at the same time. A terrifying suppressive force penetrated the material universe.
"Urgh..."
The blooming illusory flowers vanished in an instant. Their bodies bent beneath the pressure, nearly collapsing to the ground. Before this aura, they felt like ants. The being releasing it stood utterly above them and even above the world itself. Merely hearing her voice sent Merlin's mind into a daze.
However, it arrived quickly and disappeared just as fast. When Merlin stood upright again, he saw the Imperial Army in the distance only now beginning to rise as well. As a Nightmare, he should not have been capable of sweating, yet at that moment, he felt as though his entire body were drenched and icy cold.
Clang—!
The sound of something tearing through the air reached him. Merlin hurriedly threw himself forward like a toad. Looking at the steel whip that had severed several sections of his braided hair, he forced a faint smile onto his face. "Uh... ladies, do you truly want to beat me that badly?"
"Of cou... Huh? What is this supposed to mean?" Senti was preparing to swing the whip a second time when she saw Merlin abruptly toss his staff aside.
"What does it mean? Her Majesty Selene just mentioned negotiations concerning surrender... Therefore, I surrender."
Merlin spread his hands without the slightest hint of shame. Instead, he looked positively proud. Wearing a brilliant smile, he seized the initiative and said, "Lady Senti, I assume you have no intention of defying Her Divine Majesty' decree."