Red sand stretched as far as the eye could see, burying countless ruins. In the distance, a massive tree radiating a golden light reached towards the dark purple sky, a stark contrast against the crimson landscape.
As soon as Mikael landed, he knew he was in the right place.
This wasn't the true form of the Imaginary Tree. Its actual shape, even its tree-like nature, was debatable.
It appeared this way to Mikael simply because his subconscious expected it to.
This was Imaginary space, outside the realm of conventional reality. Size, distance, time, speed, all human concepts of dimension were meaningless here. But because a "human" consciousness had arrived, this unknowable space could be perceived and interpreted.
The distance between Mikael and the Imaginary Tree was vast.
This wasn't surprising.
Pinpointing its location using the intersection of two Herrschers' connections was bound to have some margin of error. But it didn't matter. He had time. Back in the physical world, he had frozen everything except consciousness within the space around Elysia and the 3rd Herrscher.
Time there had ceased to exist.
And as he approached the Imaginary Tree, nothing tried to stop him. With the Honkai Will absent, there was only the silent sea of sand, a boy seeking answers, and a chaotic consciousness.
He looked back at his fading footprints, wondering… would his path ever intersect with that of a certain man in the distant future?
He reached the Imaginary Tree.
The tree didn't speak. Neither did he.
He placed his hand on the rough bark, feeling its warmth, its radiant light.
"What is Authority? Why can I create Herrscher cores with Authority? Current Herrscher cores aren't reusable, but can I create cores that both possess the same Authority and are fully compatible with me, using the original cores and my own core as templates?"
He didn't speak the words aloud, but the questions echoed in his mind.
And he received an immediate response—
A torrent of knowledge flooded his mind, forceful and overwhelming, yet generous.
Even the questions he hadn't asked were answered.
"What is Authority?"
It was an extension of the laws governing the world's stability.
The more chaotic the world became, the stronger the Authority, with one exception… And all these Authorities were merely a fraction of a greater power. Even a Herrscher's Authority wasn't the entirety of a single law within a world…
But once Authority was obtained, it was irreversible—the connection to the Imaginary Tree couldn't be severed, and the Authority couldn't be reclaimed.
But it didn't matter. If there truly was a God, it didn't care about these insignificant scraps of power.
"So, that's why I could create a functional 2nd Herrscher core despite the original's existence, and why new Herrschers can emerge in the current era despite the existence of Divine Keys from the previous era—because the Authority within a world isn't something a Herrscher can completely monopolize."
So… the answer to the remaining question was simple:
"If I want to, I can."
Because his Authority, the Herrscher of Reason's Authority, was the exception.
It represented both Honkai and human civilization, both entropy and negentropy. Whether the world was ordered or chaotic, his Authority would only grow, never diminish.
He hadn't grasped the true extent of his power before, nor had he fully awakened.
But things were different now.
"Thank you."
Mikael turned to leave.
The Imaginary Tree didn't respond.
A wind, carrying the scent of time, blew from the depths of the sea of sand, rustling the leaves, the sound echoing in Mikael's ears.
The next moment, he was gone, leaving only two deep footprints before the Imaginary Tree.
Time was frozen—that's what the 3rd Herrscher believed.
She could still think, but she couldn't move.
Who had done this?
She didn't know.
But her enemy seemed to be similarly affected.
Then, as if she'd blinked, her surroundings changed.
She could move again, but she was alone.
The sky was crimson. The ground beneath her feet, the bisected corpse of Śeṣa, the half-destroyed Fire Moth base in the distance, were all a dull gray, their surfaces covered in hexagonal patterns—like a world built from hexagonal blocks.
"Long time no see… ew! You're covered in burns… like a plucked chicken. How unsightly."
A voice spoke behind her. The 3rd Herrscher turned swiftly. If she wasn't mistaken, that voice was…
As expected, it was the traitor.
And the 1st Herrscher's core, which should have been inside her, was gone.
"Spatial manipulation?"
The 3rd Herrscher wasn't sure, but her injuries, compounded by Elysia's attack, had weakened her considerably. The situation had reversed since their last encounter in Nagazora.
But since the traitor wasn't attacking, she wouldn't miss this opportunity to escape.
Time to bounce!
Before Mikael could say another word, a thunderclap echoed through the air, and the 3rd Herrscher fled.
He sighed, running his hand through his unusually long hair—honestly, he hadn't even had a chance to strike a cool pose before she ran off.
He snapped his fingers, and the 3rd Herrscher reappeared before him.
"Hmm?"
The Herrscher stared at him, bewildered. How had she returned?
"Don't bother. This is Imaginary space, detached from reality—a small section I've… modified. Here, all Authority belongs to me. Or rather… I am God here."
"You?"
"Yes, me… you don't believe me?"
Mikael raised an eyebrow, extending his hand dramatically. The 3rd Herrscher felt an invisible force pull her towards him. Just as she was about to collide with his fist, he opened his hand, and an invisible wave rippled outwards, pushing her back with tremendous force.
Having made his point, Mikael didn't seem interested in further conversation. He pointed at the retreating Herrscher, and countless purplish Imaginary crystals materialized, surrounding and engulfing her, forming a sphere over a kilometer in diameter.
The sphere hung in the crimson sky, like a replacement for the moon.
"Is it over?"
Mikael didn't believe it himself.
As expected, the next moment, a massive lightning bolt tore through the "moon," surging towards Mikael like a raging river.
Mikael didn't even move. A spatial rift opened before him, swallowing the lightning, which then erupted from a rift behind him, the "river" seemingly severed mid-flow.
But along with the lightning, the 3rd Herrscher, also transformed into electromagnetic waves, had also been swallowed. She materialized behind Mikael, her purple katana aimed at his unguarded back.
"You lied! You don't control this world! You only control space! The Authority of lightning is still mine!"
As a fellow Herrscher, she didn't believe he could completely overpower her… it was impossible!
He was the one who had almost died in Nagazora! Why?!
The 3rd Herrscher screamed inwardly as the blade slowed in her vision.
Faster! Faster! Just a little further!
Lightning crackled on the blade, nearly grazing Mikael's hair. But that was as far as it got.
Just like before, the space around her froze.
Spatial rifts opened around her, and four lances of Void energy pierced her limbs and torso, pinning her in place.
As if reading her mind, Mikael murmured, "Indeed, since I've… extracted, or rather, created this small section of Imaginary space using my Authority, my spatial control is absolute here. As for other Authorities… lightning, fluids, biotics, consciousness, I don't possess those. Against you at full strength, I might struggle, but against you now, injured… oh, and I'll be acquiring the Authority of lightning in this space very soon…"
Seven years. He had been the Herrscher of Reason for almost seven years. Even a pig would accumulate enough power in that time to crush a nascent Herrscher.
He simply hadn't fully awakened before, hadn't believed in his own potential.
But now, things were different. Until the next Herrscher emerged, he could confidently say, "Barring unforeseen circumstances, I am the strongest in this world."
But the 3rd Herrscher couldn't accept this.
She couldn't accept being defeated by a traitor, by someone she had almost defeated before.
She still had a chance!
Not to win, but to take him down with her!
"Aaargh! Die, traitor!"
A bright purple light erupted from her chest. She was emulating Mikael's tactic in Nagazora, trying to detonate her core… but…
Mikael controlled space here.
He beckoned with a finger, and an invisible hand reached into the Herrscher's chest, extracting her core and placing it in his hand. Before she could utter a final word, the lances of Void energy shattered, along with the surrounding space, tearing her body apart.
The Imaginary space began to collapse.
The hexagonal "blocks" crumbled, revealing the abyss beneath.
"Less than two minutes to deal with an injured Herrscher… good enough. After all, my power will only grow."
"Let the Quantum Sea consume you, Herrscher."
Watching the familiar scene, Mikael felt a pang of… something.
"If only… if only I could trade you for her, in the distant future…"
He shook his head. Such thoughts were pointless.
This girl, before becoming the 3rd Herrscher, had been a human, with people she loved and who loved her.
Now, all of that was gone.
In this war against the Honkai, humanity was never truly victorious.
"Alright! Time to clock out!"
Mikael stretched, preparing to leave, when a strange feeling, like being watched, washed over him. He looked towards the source, but there was nothing there. A thought popped into his mind:
"Oh… must be that chaotic consciousness… no problem…"
...
From Elysia's perspective, the 3rd Herrscher, frozen beside her, simply vanished. A minute later, Mikael reappeared.
Elysia's eyes widened in surprise. Mikael, unaffected by the frozen time, grinned mischievously, reaching towards her.
He ruffled her hair, poked her cheek, then said softly, "Stay here. Don't move, no matter what happens. I have a plan."
"Wait! What do you mean?!"
The spatial lock released her. She was about to hug him when three gems—blue, gold, and purple—landed at her feet.
Before she could pick them up, a large shadow fell upon her.
She looked up. It was the Fire Moth One, finally arriving.
She understood what Mikael had meant.
The Honkai threat had been temporarily neutralized. Humanity had won another battle. But they hadn't—the power struggles they both dreaded were about to begin.