[BONUS CHAPTER] Chapter 65 - The Moment of Birth

Amid the astonished gazes of countless citizens, the dark clouds that had blanketed Nagazora City twisted and coiled like a great dragon, all converging toward a single point.

Golden sunlight warm and gentle pierced through the darkness and spilled over the earth like the first light of dawn breaking through a long, oppressive night.

But on the other side, it was like a completely different world.

Dark storm clouds still churned and boiled, blotting out the sky.

Thunder rumbled deep within the mountainous banks of cloud, lightning cracking across the heavens with explosive force.

As the torrent of energy continued to pour into Nagami and C.C., the once pitch-black clouds began to lighten, and the falling rain—originally inky and pure black—gradually faded to a misty gray.

The purple markings that symbolized corruption by Honkai energy completely vanished.

In that moment, as if standing at the very center of the world, under the breathless scrutiny of everyone watching, the boy and girl simultaneously opened their eyes.

Their gazes locked—Nagami and C.C.—and in their eyes swirled a deep, brilliant purple glow, like crystalline amethyst on the verge of forming.

The slowly rotating hexagrams in their pupils reflected a sky full of stars—dazzling, magnificent.

"Holy crap…"

The last person who should've been surprised was the one who blurted out in shock.

Nagami's eyes widened, as if struck by a bolt of thunder, his face painted with astonishment and disbelief.

At the same time, the soft, bunny-like appendages atop C.C.'s head wobbled in the wind, mirroring her inner turmoil.

It was like peering through a dense, swirling mist—Nagami, with his glowing purple star-eyes, could clearly see the delicate, familiar face slumbering deep within C.C.'s body.

And as the sea-like flood of Honkai energy surged through her, that familiar figure—cherry-blossom-pink and haunting—trembled ever so slightly.

Long lashes fluttered.

She looked like she was about to open her eyes.

'Not now! I really don't have time for this right now!'

The thought barely brushed across Nagami's mind when the Honkai energy inside him seemed to instantly catch on.

A moment later, the stream of Honkai energy surging toward the stigmata within C.C. halted abruptly—then recoiled, as if it was actively avoiding that radiant, cherry-colored presence.

'Huh?…' C.C. froze, blinking in dazed confusion as the Honkai energy in her body practically jumped for joy—like an eager puppy thrilled to finally be useful to its master.

She had expected a lot when they put this plan together, but even so, this outcome was well beyond her calculations.

She thought she'd already wiped out all the "simp" Honkai consciousnesses inside her.

So why was the Honkai energy still acting like this?

Those simp consciousnesses had to be removed.

Once Honkai God's will reached a certain critical mass, its resurrection was inevitable.

While they could suppress it in the artificial world of C, the moment it left that space, Geass would lose control instantly.

And storing a chunk of Honkai God's consciousness in her own soul? Way too risky.

That was definitely not on the table.

So then… why had the Honkai energy changed?

Could it be… the lingering glow left behind when Honkai God's simp fragment self-destructed?

C.C. recalled that strange, untainted radiance that had merged with her consciousness—pure, without the slightest corruption.

Before she had the chance to analyze it with her Alpha Stigma, the strange light had already sunk deep into her subconscious.

Still, she wasn't worried.

That light was purer than freshly fallen snow.

There was no trace of the Honkai will in it.

And right now, Nagami and C.C. had moved far beyond mere Honkai energy resistance.

No, what they possessed now was full affinity.

A hundred percent!

Even if new Honkai energy carried fragments of its corrupted will, it couldn't possibly invade them anymore.

Now… back to that stigmata.

Cherry blossom pink.

Fox ears.

It was unmistakably—Yae Sakura.

In the original timeline, the third Honkai outbreak didn't just give rise to pseudo-Herrscher and true Herrscher forms.

The massive concentration of Honkai energy saturating Nagazora City had also stirred the soul of Yae Sakura and the sealed Herrscher of Corruption, waking both from slumber.

Yae Sakura had then wandered the ruined city, driven by her longing to find Kallen, until she finally encountered Delisha—the artificial lifeform created using Kallen's genetic material.

But in a world where Nagami existed, everything was different.

Because Nagami had intercepted the very energy required to birth a Herrscher, nearly all the Honkai energy in Nagazora City had been drawn to him and C.C.

Naturally, anything closely tied to Honkai—be it stigmata or corrupted entities was attracted to that torrent of light.

C.C. reached up and brushed aside a lock of her long green-pink hair, now shifting toward a pure lavender hue.

It fluttered slightly as she studied it.

She could feel it—not just a change in appearance, but a transformation in physical power as well.

The stigmata had massively boosted her abilities.

If Nagami had encountered Yae Sakura's stigmata just yesterday, he probably would've gone nuts with excitement.

After all, the power of a stigmata was no joke—even for someone who'd reached level 20 in that spider-world. It was still a force to be reckoned with.

But now?

Now he and C.C. exchanged a glance, both activating their Alpha Stigmas, quietly sensing the boundless flood of energy coursing through their bodies.

Nagami gave a tentative nudge of his will.

Instantly, a surge of Honkai energy erupted from both of them, like an unstoppable tidal wave breaking free.

A violet torrent roared skyward, tearing the air itself as it went—like a reverse waterfall, piercing the clouds with the force of a divine sword and slicing the downpour in two.

Power.

Unmatched power.

Power like they had never known before.

Right now, Nagami felt invincible.

He even had the absurd idea of kicking Cocolia's ass on the spot, then marching straight to Schicksal to bury Otto six feet under.

Just as that unrealistic impulse almost moved his body into action, Nagami quickly pulled himself back together and gave himself a mental slap.

'Of all things, I had to mimic a pufferfish and swell up with ego? Seriously?'

Besides, the last "invincible" person was still floating somewhere in space by now...

No wonder most Herrscher personalities show up acting all high and mighty—it wasn't just the Herrscher Core.

With this much Honkai energy alone, the power-up was insane.

'If I had the Herrscher of Reason's core right now...'

Like a ripple spreading across still water, a sudden surge of chaotic Honkai energy ahead snapped Nagami out of his power-trip daydream.

His gaze shifted down to the unconscious Mei in his arms, and the confident air around him instantly melted away.

'Crap, almost forgot about the protagonist here.'

Tilting his head up at a 45-degree angle, he glanced at the increasingly diluted purple-black particles in the air and gave a near-imperceptible nod.

Those were Honkai particles he had deliberately left behind—more than enough to complete Mei's transformation into a Herrscher.

Just then, the heiress Kiana who had finally snapped out of her daze rushed to his side and clung to his arm, eyes full of concern.

"Nagami! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine—actually, I've never felt better."

His tone was light and reassuring, tinged with a trace of sincere guilt.

Letting a friend worry never sat right with him, so he responded with a radiant smile.

With a graceful stride, C.C. walked over to the dazed Tuna, who was staring blankly into space.

She reached out a delicate finger and tapped it gently against the girl's smooth forehead.

C.C.'s long purple hair stirred despite the still air, and a faint red glow pulsed from the Code mark beneath her bangs.

"Huh? What happened to me?" Kiana blinked and suddenly snapped back to reality.

Her eyes widened as she took in C.C.'s new look.

"C.C.? Why is your hair purple now? And... are those bunny ears?!"

Looking completely clueless, she reached up with both hands to touch the long ears on C.C.'s head.

C.C. had been indifferent—until Kiana's fingers made contact.

Her expression froze in a way that was hard to describe.

'What the hell—why is that a sensitive spot?!'

"Tuna, can you please have a little self-awareness?!" C.C. smacked the girl's soft little hand away in exasperation, then ruffled her hair with a sigh.

"Aww~ You call me 'Tuna' too? Just like Nagami!"

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Kiana wrapped her arms around C.C.'s and interlocked their fingers.

She leaned in with a pouty, clingy expression.

Feeling the softness pressing against her arm—and the subtle, silky sensation—C.C. turned her head expressionlessly.

Pretending not to notice Kiana's other wandering hand.

'Fine. Lean all you want.'

Nodding to the heiress Kiana in silent acknowledgment, Nagami then turned to Bronya, who was still standing stiffly in place.

"So, young lady... do you still need the Herrscher vessel?"

Her normally calm gray eyes were now filled with caution as she watched the seemingly gentle, smiling black-haired boy before her.

Heavy Bunny extended its massive steel arms, shielding Bronya protectively.

Nagami's smile grew slightly as he lowered his head and looked at Mei in his arms.

Bathed in the soft, pure purple glow of the hexagram, what had been hidden deep within her was now completely exposed.

The light at Mei's chest had reached its critical point.

With a mere thought, Honkai energy surged eagerly into his palm.

"If you're not gonna say anything, I'll take that as a yes~"

He gently placed his hand over Mei's soft chest and infused the concentrated Honkai energy into her.

Then, without hesitation, he launched her toward Bronya.

"It's decided—here is the Herrscher of Thunder!"

Above, the clouds churned—and a blinding purple flash lit up the sky.

A low, thunderous boom followed, echoing across the land.

The moment it received its nourishment, the purple-black storm of lightning swelled violently.

Sparks erupted around Mei, and dense Honkai particles flooded her surroundings.

And then, the final surge of radiant energy came crashing down.

In a heartbeat, it consumed Raiden Mei, who now floated in midair—completely engulfed in the storm of light.