It seemed 'Cyrene' miscalculated one thing.
Punching with her fists and firing a pure energy blast were on completely different scales in terms of data output.
She thought it was simply a change in combat style.
She had even been looking forward to enjoying a good fight.
But in reality, the moment she assumed her stance and began charging the attack, 'Cyrene' sensed something was wrong.
This strike was clearly intended to hurl everything of Amphoreus right at Irontomb!
And the result unfolded exactly as she predicted.
That beam, refined to its utmost limit, with just that single shot, almost instantly hammered Irontomb into submission.
Looking at Irontomb, which after taking her blast had nearly its entire body transformed into a being of light, 'Cyrene' fell into a subtly complex silence.
Meanwhile, Cipher was laughing even louder from within.
"Hahahaha—I can't even! So hilarious!! You were so set on a good fight, only to blow the enemy away in one shot. Maybe you should go over and land a couple of punches now?"
"There's no need to keep fighting."
Aglaea's voice also chimed in from within.
Only the core area in the chest remained, a tiny patch not yet consumed by the light.
But by any measure, it was beyond saving.
Even the overflowing Black Tide had been tinged with the color of light, sufficient proof of just how effective that single strike had been.
The chibi mechanical Herta, who had been circling around in the Black Tide, reluctantly came to a stop.
Her scanning equipment detected Bai Ming's energy signature within that Giant of Light.
On the other side, World Herta and Madam Herta, also realizing the situation was settled, instantly shifted from allies to rivals the moment that realization hit.
The entire Emperor's Scepter began entering an overclocked state.
Irontomb shrouded in light also started to tremble.
The impulse that had been suppressed earlier—the desire to devour Nous—was unleashed once more.
Only this time, it wasn't an instinctual pursuit driven by a lack of a 'head.'
It was a deliberate attempt to use this particular neural unit of Nous to overclock and reconnect to Nous!
Exactly what happened remained unknown to outsiders.
Which Herta managed to interface with Nous was anyone's guess.
Just as 'Cyrene' breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to dissolve the current fusion state, Irontomb's colossal form suddenly began emitting a strange, resonant hum.
The last remaining part of its core, not yet devoured by the light, erupted in that instant with an utterly exaggerated surge of energy, violent enough to nearly blast its chest apart.
Accompanied by this seemingly suicidal shockwave, a dense wave of Black Tide infused with the Destruction Equation expanded almost instantaneously across the entire star system.
And at an alarming rate, it began spreading outwards through the whole galaxy.
To derive the fruit of 'Hope' from the cause of 'Destruction'—this direction was undoubtedly feasible.
Even the Emperor's Scepter acknowledged the weight of miracles and hope.
However, within these endless calculations, some hidden contingency, planted by whom remains unknown, led it to yet another conclusion.
If hope was to fill the galaxy, then first, destruction and despair must be spread throughout the galaxy.
Whether this conclusion was influenced by external interference is still unclear.
But regardless, 'Cyrene's expression turned extremely grave.
She knew she had to stop the complete spread of the Destruction Equation.
Even in its current, significantly weakened state where its lethality was greatly reduced, the Interastral Peace Corporation couldn't possibly distribute a vaccine across the entire galaxy in an instant.
Worlds with weak defenses might not last long enough for the vaccine to arrive.
In Tiga's current state, she could probably eliminate at least over half of the virus.
But what about the rest?
Gather the Giants of Light?
'Cyrene's mind raced for a solution.
Before the decisive battle on Amphoreus, the Land of Light had completed its mobilization.
It was Herta who had urged them to prepare.
The Universe Guard deployed elsewhere might not make it in time, but every being of light remaining in the Land of Light could swiftly reinforce Amphoreus.
Time-wise, it would be just barely enough.
'Cyrene' couldn't guarantee that their combined light could completely purge all the virus.
But by mimicking the form of Irontomb's final strike, embedding an Anti-Irontomb Equation within it for dispersal, they could at least suppress over ninety-nine percent of the threat.
And right at that moment, an intangible force descended.
'Cyrene' was abruptly pulled into Path Space.
And what appeared before 'Cyrene' was none other than Nous THEMSELF!
"Bai Ming… I'll try… to translate."
A voice from Herta came from the direction of Nous, though Bai Ming couldn't tell which Herta it was.
"Your… idea is feasible… can be a backup plan. Now, your choice will determine… another significant matter…"
"One outside Fate… The Hope you placed failed to prevent the arrival of the Fourth Instant."
"I ask you, what is Hope?"
Nous—or rather, the Herta temporarily controlling the account—was trying to steer the situation toward a more favorable outcome.
And by posing this question, it was clear she believed 'Cyrene's' answer could fulfill her expectations.
However, just as 'Cyrene' herself had once said.
She looks up to the light, but cannot become the light.
She isn't that great.
"To hold passion in your heart, to persevere, to do what you can."
She couldn't become the light, but that was okay.
She had brought a miracle to this world.
Do what you can.
If one person isn't enough, then let the strength of countless others converge.
"…Yet the Finality is already determined, an endpoint inevitably exists… I ask you, why do you embrace Hope?"
"No particular reason. Because I still have to move forward."
Nous's calculations never ceased for a moment.
'Cyrene' didn't know how much Herta had seen, or for how long she could see.
"…Four possibilities exist: Destruction, Nihility, Harmony. Regardless of the fourth, Hope will ignite amidst the collapse of all existence…"
"Yet, one outside fate, a pure unknown, unpredictable, immeasurable… I ask you, why do you embrace Hope?"
For Nous, Trailblaze guides the world toward chaos, bringing possibilities.
This itself is a kind of variable.
But Bai Ming was different.
She isn't an unknown that leads to chaos; rather, she can periodically introduce a completely new unknown, utterly overturning all calculations.
So, for Nous, Bai Ming can no longer be summarized as a mere variable.
To it, Bai Ming can only be categorized as "pure unknown."
"Because I believe in THEM."
This was the first time 'Cyrene' learned that the "unknown" Nous referred to was herself.
She didn't even rank as a variable, directly classified as an unknown—it was genuinely unexpected.
But reality didn't allow her much time to ponder.
As the voice of Nous gradually faded, "Succeeded… He—"
Before Herta could finish announcing the good news, a certain gaze, traversing the distant river of time, cast its sight from the endless future.
Fuli!!
That crystalline form suddenly appeared.
His gaze fell upon Bai Ming, upon Amphoreus, upon the spreading Destruction Equation.
Then, in an instant, a warm, almost galaxy-encompassing light burst forth from Fuli's form.
Within that crystal, a reflection emerged: a colossal, silver-white giant with wings upon its back.
"Noa?!"
'Cyrene's' confusion turned to shock.
As a temporary 'Pure Child of Anāsrava,' 'Cyrene' had gained a deeper understanding of Fuli's nature.
And now, the most shocking revelation unfolded.
From the reflected Noa, she sensed the aura of a fellow Pure Child of Anāsrava.
Noa is also a Pure Child of Anāsrava??
That crystal Fuli cast upon Noa's birth?!
Seriously, Fuli, if you made Noa a Pure Child of Anāsrava, then in this battle royale to become Fuli, does anyone else even stand a chance??
Noa seemed to see through 'Cyrene's' thoughts.
But they simply gave 'Cyrene' a gentle, slight nod. Then, the reflected image directly transformed into a phantom and merged into 'Cyrene's' body.
Immediately after, 'Cyrene' felt a dizzying blur.
She was ejected from the Path Space, and Tiga, taken over by Noa, completely transformed into Glitter Tiga.
"..."
'Cyrene,' silently relegated to the spectator seat by her own creation, wordlessly took a seat at the same table as the Chrysos Heirs.
Demiurge hesitantly leaned over and asked, "That reflection… could it be the mysterious Aeon of Hope, Noa?"
Demiurge had originally considered taking control herself to delete these spreading viruses.
Staying in the past would have been fine too; after all, the final leg of the journey had been so warm, she was happy.
But as it turned out, she wasn't even given the chance to stay in the past.
How could a minor Demiurge possibly outcompete an Aeon for control?
--+--