Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Will Sirin waver? — No, at least not in this battle. Because Ex's path holds no persuasive power for her, just as her path, if it were to surpass Ex's, could only be achieved through a simple and brutal physical act of elimination.

Her path differs from Ex's path of orderly rule. For Sirin, what she desires is 'connection' and 'bondage'. Her path stems from the loneliness and fear of her childhood. Therefore, she yearns for connection with friends, with lovers, with family, and even with enemies. When she reveals her true form, the divine essence she manifests is not the countless spatial bubbles, but the medium that connects these myriad spatial bubbles—she so desperately craves connection that she herself becomes connection.

Therefore, when she and Ex began their war and expanded their scale without limit, she adopted a completely different attitude towards the native alien civilizations—Ex's strategy was to devour and assimilate them, treating all wild civilizations as walking mines to be mined and transformed into uniform legions. Sirin's approach, however, was one of connection and integration—she preserved the right of these civilizations to continue existing, adding their civilizations to her space bubble cluster and integrating them into her legions.

Leaving aside the merits of the two paths—after all, they haven't yet determined a winner, and it's foreseeable that a clear winner won't emerge for tens or hundreds of thousands of years—the inherent incompatibility between the two paths is clearly evident.

No one is willing to submit to anyone else, so no one will easily fail.

And it is precisely because no one can lose that on this battlefield, the life levels of both sides can endlessly grow to higher levels.

“I’m not completely oblivious, Alice, Patchouli, Chu Xuan. Or rather…” She rested her chin on her hand, her gaze passing over the myriad obstacles of the central partition, directly looking at the dark Earth within the inner ring of the solar system, protected by disordered chaos and the human light belt.

She saw the Zhao siblings, who were taking over Chaldea with Seraphine, and Zhao Yingkong, who was pushing a wheelchair, looked up and winked at her when she looked at her.

She saw the Dragon Kingdom, separated by Zheng Zha at the Seventh Singularity, and a certain giant gorilla raised his hand to greet her.

She even saw the Russian princess sitting on the observatory in Uruk, hugging her knees and watching the changing battlefield in the starry sky. Then, after she had watched long enough that the eclipse phenomenon was about to appear on the princess through the protection of the disordered chaos and the human light belt, the little doll 'Pa' in the princess's hand raised its hand and slapped her on the forehead from several light-years away.

So she shifted her gaze, sweeping over the pile of trivial and irrelevant content in the Temple of Time. Then her gaze moved beyond the Temple of Time, toward the end of time, into the primordial chaos, the dense darkness that separated the beginning of the era—and through that layer of darkness.

"Or perhaps... Miss Luo Ye, whom I've only met once or twice?"

She shook her head and looked away.

She admitted that she was currently very strong. Stronger than a typical true god, and possibly even having touched upon a level close to transcendent beings in certain extremely limited areas. But she also knew that this strength she possessed was insufficient for her to defeat a higher life form at the same level as herself—not only could she not defeat it, but even suppressing or delaying it would be extremely difficult.

She knew very well that Axe had gone further on the path of power than she had, and reached a higher level. But if she wanted to leave, to end this war, then Axe couldn't stop her, couldn't prevent her decisions. And since Axe couldn't hold her back here, how could she possibly hold Axe back here?

Obviously, I can't do it.

Since she couldn't do it herself, yet had successfully kept Exx stuck here, it could only mean that this outcome was clearly due to the other party's tacit approval and aligned with some of their interests. Furthermore, if she incorporated their abnormal power levels and life-level growth rates into the calculations, a clear conclusion emerged before her.

The debate among sages is merely a pretext; what is actually taking place here is a debate among those who are reincarnated. While those at the core of the stage may reap abundant rewards, accumulating merit outside the stage is not necessarily a fruitless endeavor.

How boring.

"Tsk, I originally thought that being a slacker was my own choice. But I never expected that even this path of being a slacker was arranged by my companions. Being in the same team with a group of wise companions... is really not a pleasant thing."

She shook her head and sighed slightly.

She was certain that the two witches among her companions were definitely in the know, and Chu Xuan might even be the mastermind. She was probably the only true god capable of such a deduction—Zheng Zha didn't need to pay him any attention. Zhao Yingkong might have had a premonition, but Zhao Zhuikong probably hadn't noticed anything amiss. Because she knew Zhao Zhuikong well, she could read genuine killing intent from him.

Perhaps, among the entire team, Zhao Zhuikong is the only True God who wants to kill something and is preparing to do so. And the targets of his killing intent... there are probably only one or two candidates.

"Fine, let him be." Sirin rubbed her forehead. Through her nearly awakened 'Demon King's Castle,' she could see the 'Heroes' with the same faces and temperaments as the Valkyrie squad that had repeatedly crushed her in the Source World, marching towards the castle with high morale. Meanwhile, her companion Honkai Beast, 'Benares,' which had become a part of her, was also walking briskly towards the central hall of the castle, intending to awaken her, the 'Demon King,' according to the script she had written.

The relaxing play is about to begin, and Miss Sirin, determined to continue being a couch potato, has no intention of changing her schedule. Since Ex has already cooperated so readily by being 'dragged' here, continuing to play house with her here until the final battle begins isn't such a bad idea.

After all, being a couch potato requires patience. Saving Earth under Ex's command was already a testament to her efforts. For the long time to come, she figured it was better to stay outside the solar system.

Thinking of this, her initial slight dissatisfaction at having seen through her wise companions' arrangements returned to a cheerful mood. And as she fully immersed the will of this avatar into the fairytale-like scenario of an immortal hero battling a demon king, she still managed to project a ray of light towards Earth.

—After all, that idiot Zhao Zhuikong is always prone to causing trouble, so we have to find a way to get him out before he completely messes things up.

Chapter Seventy: The Ark

Only those who have lost their bodies can truly understand the overwhelming joy of regaining them.

Only those who have ever lost consciousness can understand the overwhelming pain that surges back when the wounds return to their bodies.

Pain—pain is a good thing in some situations. Because its existence at least proves that the subject is still active, proves that life exists, and at the same time, proves that…opportunity exists.

what chance?

A chance to fight, a chance to risk one's life, a chance to survive.

When Olga Marie Asmirette Animusfia, the magician, the Celestial Sovereign of the Time Tower, and the Chaldean Plenipotentiary, felt the pain that filled her entire body, swept through every nerve, and lingered there, her memory was still several, or perhaps several hours, ago.

She remembered the shadows writhing in the darkness, and the incessant, wailing siren of the global emergency alarm. She heard the explosions, she saw the flashes of light—

—She watched as the twisted, alien creature with a thousand eyes, a thousand wounds, a thousand limbs, and a thousand transformations appeared, tearing Chaldea's thick protective shell apart like shredded paper. She saw the black tide, like a pool of sewage, surge into the shattered defenses. She saw the eerie atmosphere emanating from that terrifying form corrode the Chaldea operators, causing them, who were just moments before ready to fight to the death, to fall into a frantic wailing like frightened chicks.

She saw the end of the world, the end of Chaldea. The unknown monster could cause mortals to grow twisted tentacles and scales just by looking at it, and in an instant, even the Chaldea celestial sphere, which simulated the soul of the earth, was subjected to a violent erosion, causing nearly one-tenth of this pure energy structure to be deformed into rotten flesh and blood in an instant!

She remembered pressing the emergency stop button, forcibly shutting down the Chaldea celestial sphere and deploying the defensive barrier inside the control room in a split second.

She remembered that thousands of eyes on what was clearly just a part of the monstrous body in the darkness had simultaneously turned their gazes toward her. She remembered how Leonardo da Vinci, the only remaining Servant of Chaldea, had hastily erected a magical defensive barrier in front of her, which shattered like an eggshell hitting a rock, causing the caster to vomit blood and retreat in defeat. Then, those thousands of terrifying gazes pierced through all her outer defenses and went straight into her mental center!

What was that sound? What was that smell?

Ah…it was a fleeting glimpse cast from the stars, a river of order, a poem of the stars, a compassionate gaze bestowed by the Supreme Being—ah, she heard it, she understood. It was the whisper of the stars, the manifestation of the galactic order, the fragrance of the Supreme Being's blessing enveloping her, surrounding her, wanting her to…

"—Director! Director! Director Olga Marie!"

An unpleasant, abhorrent, and nauseating voice rang out in her ear at an inopportune moment, pulling her back to reality from the fragrance of the stars—she opened her eyes abruptly, an indescribable hatred and resentment gnawing at her heart, driving her to want to inject the most ruthless magic she knew into the heart of this troublemaker!

She had even subconsciously activated her magic circuits, and astronomical magic, requiring no incantation, was already converging into a blurry form at her fingertips. And the next moment—

"She's awake! Everyone! The director's awake!"

The whispers and delirium vanished like a dream, and normal reason returned to her mind as the magic at her fingertips silently dissipated.

Only then did she realize who was blocking her way and where she was.

“Romani…” she uttered a weak sound from her throat. The voice was so unfamiliar that it made her feel as if she were using someone else’s body—she subconsciously raised her hand.

—It was a pale, cold hand, but with blood flowing through it.

—A living person's hand.

A group of people gathered around, chattering amongst themselves, seemingly concerned. She vaguely remembered that these people were Chaldea agents. But there were several others she only vaguely recognized, yet felt she hadn't seen them in a long time… She shook her head vigorously, trying to clear her mind of the jumbled thoughts.

"I..." She instinctively reached for her throat. "What's wrong with me... Where's Leonardo da Vinci? How are the people of Chaldea?"

“Director, it’s not advisable for you to move around right now.” Dr. Roman’s fingers rested on her shoulder, gently but firmly pressing her back onto the bed. He waved away the Chaldea agents who had come to join the commotion, shooing them away from her bedside. Only then did he breathe a slight sigh of relief and utter words of reassurance.

“Da Vinci is alright, and everyone in Chaldea… is alright too.” Dr. Roman carefully chose his words, presenting the facts to her in as organized a way as possible. “But Chaldea… is probably no longer a safe place to stay. That ‘monster’ destroyed most of Chaldea’s facilities, including the Celestial Sphere (Chaldea), and the control room and other areas suffered heavy losses—”

"—And we're actually in an area called the Homurahara Academy-Seraphix Complex right now. A magician calling himself 'Shinji Matou' saved everyone... including you, Director."

Olga Marie slowly opened her mouth.

She gasped—no exaggeration, she really did. Instinctively, she tried to jump off the bed, but Dr. Roman held her down firmly, and she struggled like a convulsing fish!

"Let me go! I am the director of Chaldea!" she screamed as she reached out and scratched wildly, looking like a crazy shrew.

"Father's Chaldea, everyone's Chaldea... Ritsuka and Mash are still in the Seventh Singularity and haven't returned yet!"

"Calm down, Olga Marie Asmirette Animusfia! Chaldea is broken, and there's nothing anyone can do about it! If you're really the director, you should take responsibility and lead everyone now. What kind of behavior is this, acting like this!"

She heard Roman roar for the first time; it truly was the first time. She had never imagined that the man who always wore a blank, silly grin would show this side of himself. The intense shock even made her forget to continue her madness for a moment—she stood there, stunned, as reason slowly returned to her mind.

Her body softened, and she reached out to cover her face and eyes.

"I am... I am the director of Chaldea..."

“That’s why you need to stay calm right now.” — Another voice rang in her ears. And she knew the source of the voice almost without thinking.

"mustard……"

“It’s me, Olga Marie.”

Calmed down, Olga Marie turned her head and saw the 'girl' she had sent out on her mission beside her bed. She sighed; Dr. Roman's words were finally forming concrete information in her mind. She quickly pieced everything together, and a rough outline of the final result took shape in her mind.

“Seraphix, Homurahara Academy… So that’s how it is, Akuta, did you save everyone? But I remember Seraphix is ​​in the Pacific Ocean, and Homurahara Academy sounds like a Japanese name. Why is that…”

"It's the magician from the Matou family, the man named Matou Shinji. He and his sister Matou Sakura transformed Homurahara Academy in Japan into a mobile workshop. After surviving the catastrophe of the Burning of Humanity, they first went south to Seraphix, and then he used magic to transform Seraphix into its workshop as well."

"And then you met them and brought them to Chaldea... How did they deal with those..." Olga Marie felt her head start to throb again. And it hurt quite badly—Dr. Roman, who was beside her, quickly reached out and gently rubbed it for her.

“No,” Akuta shook her head slightly, adjusting her glasses. “I did encounter them, but coming to Chaldea was their own decision. Seraphix has information on Chaldea and relevant personnel. They know the way themselves, and my appearance merely strengthened their resolve.”

Olga Marie looked around, and this time, she could discern some similarities between the surrounding environment and the interior furnishings of Chaldea. The faces of the Chaldea operators she hadn't recognized before also became clearer in her mind.

Ah…yes, that’s right. This is the sanatorium in Seraphine. These people are personnel dispatched from the Chaldea organization to Seraphine on official business. When she looked at them, their gazes instinctively shifted to the outside, which made her think of something that might very well happen.

In the world of magicians, the law of the jungle prevails. Even if it were the end of the world, it would still be the same.

“And those monsters…” Mustard shook his head slightly. “I didn’t make direct contact with them because my intuition told me that direct contact would lead to certain death. You should know who I am, Olga Marie, and this is the basis of my judgment.”

"But that kind of monster didn't even dare to show its face in front of that man named Shinji Matou... I don't know how strong he really is. But from my perspective, even the Lion King, the god in the Sixth Singularity, or the magician Jewel King that you magicians highly praise... probably couldn't beat him."

As she spoke, she moved closer to Olga Marie. Then, a technique unique to the East, known as the art of condensing sound into a thin line, allowed a faint whisper to reach Olga Marie's ear.

"—And my mother valued him so much that she directly interfered with me. You know what that means, Olga Marie."

What does that mean? Ah... Olga Marie certainly knows what it means.

She knew Akuta Hinako's true identity: Akuta Hinako was a fairy, the famous beauty Yu Ji from the Chu-Han Contention. Her essence was that of a Gaia descendant, a being akin to a True Ancestor or a high-ranking fantasy species. Her mother thought of nothing but Gaia, capable of causing even Gaia's general consciousness to fluctuate and garner attention. So…

The conclusion is simple: those things are enemies of the planet. They are alien evils from beyond the planet, belonging to a different camp than the Magic King. And that Matou… the magus of the Machiri family, is probably no longer himself. Rather, he is something entirely different, with some kind of hostile relationship to that evil from outer space.

As the ruler of the Celestial Sciences, she naturally knew many hidden stories and legends. For example, the divine war over ten thousand years ago, summoned by Gaia from the river of time, wielding the Star Sword to slay evil from beyond the realms. Or the giant alien spider lying in South America, and the legendary prophecy of the Steel Continent—

—Gaia has many methods. But whether it's summoning the Savior Sword Wielder or borrowing the power of UO, these are only the limits it can reach to some extent. And now, it is either unable to use these methods because of the burning of humanity, or even if it did use them, it would be helpless in the face of the current crisis.

But whether it's the former or the latter, their significance to Olga Marie is the same.

[We Chaldea are working very hard to save the world... but for the world itself, is that man the more important goal?]

[Tsk, if I'm not mistaken, this Chaldea, no, in Seraphine...]

"...Who's in charge here now?" she asked, trying to suppress her emotions.

“It’s Mr. Matou.” The doctor, Roman, answered, his words tinged with obvious helplessness. “Now, Seraphine, the complex structure of Homurahara Academy has incorporated the architectural components of Chaldea. Before you, Director, even woke up, he took over all of Chaldea’s facilities and recruited the relevant personnel.”

“You’re just going to watch…?” The words were barely out of her mouth when Olga Marie realized she’d made a terrible mistake. But since the words were already out, she wasn’t going to take them back—luckily, Dr. Roman wasn’t one to fuss over such tone. He simply sighed and offered an explanation.

"Because at that time, there were not many people in Chaldea who were still able to move around. And because of him, he proposed a deal that we could not refuse."

It is unknown when Leonardo da Vinci appeared in the sanatorium and conjured a mirror out of thin air, presenting it to Olga Marie.

"Trading is your life, Director Olga Marie."

The woman appearing in the mirror bore an eighty or ninety percent resemblance to her in life. However, unlike the previous semi-ghostly structure, the person in the mirror now was undeniably a flesh-and-blood being.

“Director, I think you know better than us what experiments Chaldea has done in the past. This body is a synthetic human shell taken from Seraphine's cold storage. As for why she is so similar to you, I don't think we need to discuss that further. But you should know that all flaws become fatal weaknesses when they are weak—you should know this principle of magicians.”

Olga Marie was speechless.

Of course she knew, but if she, as the director, didn't do these things, who else could?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Are all people alive?

"Some people aren't doing so well, but... they're all still alive."