"Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
Like all who have nearly drowned, the moment Fu Li opened his eyes, he began to cough subconsciously.
It was strange. For a MANTIS, the period of suffocation he had just experienced was but a brief moment.
And yet, in that short time, it had made him feel such immense discomfort.
"Where... is this..."
Unlike the pure white space where he had met God, this place was an utter blackness. Only when he took a step would faint white ripples emanate from his feet.
Even more bizarrely, though it was pitch-black before him, he could see his surroundings with perfect clarity, enough to make out another, smaller figure.
It was an exceptionally cute little girl who looked just like Rin. However, her previously red and white hair had turned a grayish-white, and her eyes were now a dull red.
If one had to describe it, it was as if the Herrscher of Corruption had Elysia's color palette, but applied to Rin's appearance.
Transparent threads were constantly winding around her body, but they would slowly be eroded and disappear not long after.
That was the clash between the [Authority of Corruption] and the [Authority of Domination].
"Are you... Brother Herrscher?"
Seeming to hear a human voice, 'Rin', who had been crying, finally looked up, unconcealed joy in her eyes.
Ever since she was born, she had existed in this black space, locked away for several months.
She had never seen another living creature, and the instinct to corrupt was useless in this space.
She had waited, so lonely, in the darkness. Until today.
"Hey... Brother Herrscher, can you let me corrupt you..."
"I can feel so many strange emotions from you. I can't understand them, but I want to become [you]."
'Rin' spoke with such innocence. She sat up from the ground, wanting to reach out, to touch, to corrupt, but she was held back by the threads behind her.
"It's useless. Give up."
Fu Li watched her hands, so close yet so far, and let out a sigh of relief.
From the looks of it, his own mastery of his authority was clearly a cut above this fledgling Herrscher of Corruption.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
Insulating his hand with threads of Domination, Fu Li gently ruffled 'Rin's' long hair, much to her confusion.
This was the first time she had ever felt warmth.
Fu Li could sense that this Herrscher, unlike the others, bore no malice towards humanity. She was merely a newborn, tender consciousness, acting on the instinct to corrupt.
Fu Li had no doubt that this little one would dare to try and corrupt even God himself.
Unfortunately, he no longer had the time to guide this Herrscher of Corruption.
Though he didn't know how long he had been asleep, he knew that there were people outside waiting anxiously for him.
"Don't be afraid. Just go to sleep. When you wake up, the world will be a different place."
"No, I want to become you..."
Before she could finish her sentence, more threads descended from the sky, winding around both Fu Li and 'Rin'.
'Rin's' consciousness slowly drifted into slumber. Since her birth, she had learned only four feelings: 'loneliness', 'sadness', 'warmth', and this final one, 'domination'.
Some of the threads enveloped 'Rin', while the rest wrapped around Fu Li, pulling him upwards, carrying him once more through the deep sea of consciousness.
Dark, viscous...
When the feeling of suffocation vanished again, Fu Li opened his eyes. But this time, only Klein was there.
"Dr. Li, you're finally awake."
Klein's voice was filled with relief, as if a great weight had finally been lifted from her.
"What's the situation now?" Fu Li asked, looking at his Divine Key, which had transformed into a long, black spear, and feeling the new authority he now commanded.
Ever the workaholic, Klein immediately gave a precise report.
"You have been unconscious for two days. One hundred MANTISes, including the thirteen Flame-Chasers, arrived on the moon an hour ago. The battle with the Herrscher of the End is expected to begin in one hour."
Here, Klein paused, her voice tinged with regret. "You won't make it in time, Dr. Li."
"No, I can make it."
Hearing he still had an hour, Fu Li didn't even think about resting and leaped directly from the bed.
"But Doctor, we don't have any more airships."
"Then I'll fly."
Seeing that Klein wanted to say more, Fu Li confidently sprouted a pair of dark dragon wings from his back.
"Don't worry, Klein. I will arrive in time."
"Then... alright." Knowing Fu Li's nature all too well, Klein sighed. She looked at the shattered window and murmured.
"I wish you a safe journey."
[In order to make it to the final battle, you used the nerfed abilities of the Herrschers of Wind and Void that your companions left for you.]
[You entered outer space with your own body, rushing towards the moon at a speed far exceeding that of an airship.]
---o---
Meanwhile, in space.
"Hey, my friend. Relax a little."
Hearing that heavenly voice, Hua turned her head, her gaze complicated as she looked at Eden.
"No, Eden-jie... you don't understand..."
"No, I understand very well. The feeling of a loved one's safety being uncertain."
A hand gently rested on Hua's head and ruffled her hair. Eden's voice was soft, as if imbued with magic, and it calmed Hua's heart slightly.
"Actually, you're very lucky."
"If Li doesn't show up for this battle, then at the very least, it means he's safe, doesn't it? As long as we hold off the Herrscher of the End for him."
"But..." Hua was still anxious. "But he actually tried to dominate the Herrscher of Corruption. He still hasn't woken up, and I..."
"Shh. Hua, calm down."
A finger gently pressed against her lips. Eden spoke softly, "Believe in Li. He already defeated the Herrscher of Domination. What's so difficult about defeating the Herrscher of Corruption?"
Besides, even being bedridden is better than turning to ash right before my eyes.
"...Perhaps."
Hua fell silent, merely fiddling with her gauntlets.
[One hour later, the Herrscher of the End descended. You were still on your way to the moon.]
On the communications channel.
Pardofelis: "Waaah! Boss Kevin! Kalpas is charging in again, aaaah!!"
Kalpas: "AHAHAHA! HERRSCHER OF THE END! HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW! HAHAHA! (Sounds of being repeatedly struck)."
Sakura: "Kalpas! Get back here!"
Aponia: "New MANTIS casualties: 16 dead, over 20 wounded..."
Kevin: "Pardo, stop fighting. Take the wounded and leave the battlefield."
Pardo: "Got it!! Boss Kevin!!"
Tragedy. There was nothing but tragedy.
After saving another new MANTIS from the brink of death, Hua looked at the devastated landscape, a sense of despair welling up inside her.
The battle had been raging for ten minutes. Their attacks couldn't even break its defenses, and under these conditions, they were supposed to hold on for another ten minutes.
Hua looked up at the Moonlight Throne charging its power in the sky, and her eyes widened in a momentary daze.
In the starry expanse, a meteor-like object was shooting straight for the face of the Herrscher of the End.