Spring, 2016, World Serpent Headquarters.
After consuming the potent tonic made from Chiyou’s corpse, Kevin had recovered most of the strength he had lost over the past 1500 years.
“My Lord, to celebrate your return, I have a gift for you. Only this legendary weapon is worthy of humanity’s future pioneer!”
With a tone of excitement, Gray Serpent knelt before Kevin, lifting the Judgement of Shamash over his head.
Kevin took the Judgement of Shamash, a wave of emotion washing over him.
“Old friend, we meet again… From now on, fight by my side as you did before!”
He raised the weapon. A line of light, a pillar of flame, erupted from the core of the blade.
The fiery sword that guarded the Garden of Eden, the heavenly fire that burned Sodom…
Humans who had witnessed this sacred relic had used countless myths to describe its majestic radiance.
Now, a millennium later, myth was about to become reality once more. This command not only echoed through the hall but also resonated like a silent thunderclap across the hearts of countless followers in the distance.
Gray Serpent had slipped away at some point. Kevin looked at Enoxia standing before him, his tone indifferent.
“You… what do you want from me?”
When it came to Kevin, Enoxia had too many questions. After all, as a Pioneer who had lived from the Previous Era to the present, Su was off playing chess somewhere, and Fu Hua’s memories were fragmented due to several instances of memory burning. Many things were known only to Kevin now.
However, the answers Kevin might give to what Enoxia wanted to know were unlikely to be satisfactory.
“First, considering all the help I’ve provided the World Serpent, I hope you can do me a small favor.”
“Conduct a trade with Schicksal. Exchange the Second Divine Key, the Thousand Realms, for the First Divine Key, Void Archives, currently in Otto Apocalypse’s possession.”
Kevin stared at Enoxia, pausing for several seconds before uttering two words:
“Continue.”
“The second question… Do you know where the Origin Core is?”
Regarding the Herrscher of Origin, Enoxia had numerous questions, almost every one of them being an unsolved mystery from Honkai Impact 3rd.
First, the perennial question: What exactly is the authority of the Herrscher of Origin?
This question wasn’t so much unanswered as it was that the answer was too vague, too abstract. It had been described in emotional, poetic language but never clearly defined in rational terms.
The Herrscher of Reason’s authority is understanding the essence of things and constructing them; the Herrscher of Corruption’s is perceiving the essence and modifying it; the Herrscher of Flame’s is controlling the movement of thermal molecules; the Herrscher of Thunder’s is disintegrating matter into atoms… But the authority of the Herrscher of Origin didn’t seem to fit into such a clear, concise format.
Based on actual events, the result of Elysia using her Origin authority was giving the Herrschers of this current era the chance to possess humanity. From this, one could infer that the Herrscher of Origin’s authority could clearly influence other Herrschers.
But here came the problems: How does the Herrscher of Origin establish a connection with other Herrschers? What is the principle behind establishing such a connection? And to what extent can the Origin authority influence other Herrschers?
As everyone knows, in Honkai Impact 3rd, it’s common for Herrschers not to fully understand or know how to use their own authorities. If one were to rank them in this aspect, Elysia would likely take first place. Because she, the Herrscher of Origin herself, knew none of the answers to the above questions.
Secondly, had a Herrscher of Origin been born in the Current Era? To be precise, had a new Origin Core emerged in the Current Era?
Some might say, isn’t that obvious? Of course there is. The final chapter is literally titled “Origin and Finality,” and isn’t Raiden Mei exactly that at the end?
It’s common knowledge that the appearance of a Herrscher means the appearance of a Herrscher Core. In the final chapter, Raiden Mei should have possessed two Herrscher Cores within her: one for the Herrscher of Thunder and one for the Herrscher of Origin.
And there exists a fact: through a series of efforts in the Previous Era, Prometheus became the Will of the Honkai, solidifying Honkai activity to ensure the Current Era wouldn’t face Herrschers from the start, and that the number and order of Herrscher appearances would exactly match the Previous Era.
If the Origin Core within Raiden Mei was from the Current Era, two questions arise:
First, when Elysia was born in the Previous Era, the first Herrscher hadn’t even appeared yet. By human numbering, she should have been the 0th Herrscher. So why did this “0th Herrscher” of the Previous Era appear in the Current Era after the 12th Herrscher?
Second, given Elysia’s personality, she wouldn’t have minded however much MOTH studied her Herrscher Core after her self-sacrifice.
The time between Elysia’s sacrifice and the arrival of the Final Herrscher was very short. Given the remaining manpower and resources of humanity at that time, it’s unlikely they had the capability or time to forge the Origin Core into a Divine Key. Since it wasn’t forged into a Divine Key, it’s even less likely they took it to the moon for the final battle against the Final Herrscher.
If the Origin Core within Raiden Mei is from the Current Era, then what happened to the Herrscher Core from Elysia’s body in the Previous Era after her sacrifice?
Of course, if the Origin Core within Raiden Mei is the same one that was within Elysia—meaning Raiden Mei’s becoming the Herrscher of Origin also involved inheriting the previous Herrscher’s core—then new problems arise.
If Prometheus controlled the number and types of Herrschers, how come the Previous Era had a Herrscher of Origin, but the Current Era supposedly didn’t?
In short, regarding the Herrscher of Origin, Enoxia could sense its romance and beauty through Elysia (the character). But when delving into the details of its authority and its history across the eras, there were just too many questions.
However, from Kevin’s mouth, Enoxia received an unexpected answer.
“I know.”
“Oh… Wait, you know?”
Some time later, within the Elysian Realm.
Enoxia once again entered Elysia’s room, skillfully snuggling into her embrace and resting her head on her lap.
“So, compared to others, whose lap is the most comfortable to lie on?”
Enoxia recalled—Sirin’s, Cecilia’s, Elysia’s… She had lain on many laps. The feeling… each had its own unique charm.
“If I must compare, it’s still most comfortable here with you, sister. The reason… probably because, in my eyes, you are the most beautiful? So being with you is when I am most relaxed and my mood is most at ease.”
“Is that so? My mood gets better when I’m with Enoxia too?”
Elysia played with Enoxia ‘s hair while listening to her share recent experiences.
“The real Kevin has returned to the main world. The World Serpent has already tasked Seele with preparations for the Stigma Project. The Stigma Project that Mei had Mobius revise 15 times back then is finally going to be put to use.”
“However, including Kevin, everyone believes the Stigma Project is the worst plan. I think the people of the Current Era will definitely submit their own answer sheet. Regardless of the outcome, the Stigma Project will be there as a safety net…”
“For all of you here in the Elysian Realm, no matter the final result, I will ensure you all survive in the new world.”
