At the same time, inside the IPC headquarters, Pier Point, which was extremely close to the subspace and had already been emptied out—
Visitors finally arrived.
It was a room that had been temporarily found after Kallen's rampage.
Judging by the current situation, this place was probably being used as a temporary conference room.
A long rectangular conference table, moved from who knew where, had been placed in the center of the room. Several deep scratches still remained on its surface.
"Hiss… this place looks pretty wrecked."
Kiana, who had just arrived at Pier Point, spoke up.
Although she knew all of this was Kallen's handiwork, that did not stop her from running her mouth.
However, no matter how hard Kiana tried to lighten the mood, the current situation was still far too serious.
Whether it was Herta, Welt, or Dan Heng, their expressions all looked as though they had just eaten bitter melon.
Uh, these people were being a little too serious.
Although, as the eve of the final battle, everyone probably should be a little serious. But at the very least, Kiana did not like this atmosphere.
So she spoke again.
"Hm? Why did everyone stop talking? Did the warp jump earlier go too fast, so now you're all motion sick?"
However, faced with Kiana's attempt to liven things up, Herta only sighed softly.
"Kiana, if you're worried, you can just tell me. There's no need to force yourself like this."
That was right. In Herta's eyes, Kiana's current behavior was clearly a bluff. She was trying to conceal her own nervousness.
After all, the Witch of Nihility's strength was plain for all to see. She was a terrifying existence capable of turning Emanators into her puppets.
She was even someone who had survived an encounter with an Aeon.
At least in Herta's memory, no one else had ever come close to such battle records, let alone achieved them.
As for those so-called "galactic powerhouses," those beings who dominated their own star regions, if placed before the Witch of Nihility, they probably would not even have the qualifications to make her take things seriously.
Moreover, this Witch of Nihility seemed to have some kind of connection to Kiana.
After all, when Herta first found Kiana in Belobog, she had already known that the reason Kiana had slept for so long was because she had suffered an attack from that Witch of Nihility.
Although Herta admitted that Kiana's strength was undoubtedly among the very top in the galaxy, if it came to a one-on-one fight, she probably could not defeat the Witch of Nihility.
That was not contempt toward Kiana, but a rational judgment based on the intelligence they currently possessed.
However, when Kiana heard this, she was not happy at all.
What did she mean, nervous? She felt no pressure at all!
Would she be afraid of Kallen?
Back then, the reason there had been a plotline where Kiana was beaten by Kallen and slept for a thousand years was purely because the story needed it. It was a scripted defeat!
What kind of joke was this? As two max-level accounts, in terms of sheer scale, Kiana absolutely did not lose to Kallen.
Moreover, her account had not bought any "persona correction." It was a pure free-to-play max-level account!
Every bit of her strength had been cultivated honestly by herself, without relying on any outside force, without taking any shortcuts!
What gave anyone the right to say her stat allocation was inflated?!
However, just as Kiana was about to refute something, Herta looked toward Welt and Dan Heng beside her.
"And you two as well. Welt of the Astral Express, and Dan Heng."
Herta's tone became serious.
"Before you join the battle, I must make one thing clear in advance."
"The opponent we are about to face is the Witch of Nihility, whom even Nous described as unrivaled beneath the Aeons."
"I have not personally interacted with her, so you two should have a clearer understanding of that woman's strength than I do."
Herta paused, her gaze sweeping back and forth over the two of them.
"The danger of this battle will likely far exceed our expectations."
"In a clash at this level, even the slightest difference may lead to fatal consequences."
"So… if you are not Emanators, I do not recommend that you participate in the upcoming battle."
Herta's words were very direct. One could even say they left no room for courtesy.
After all, the Astral Express had traveled all the way to Pier Point and had even helped transport people.
But now, the moment they reached the battlefield, she was telling them their DPS was too low and suggesting they not join the raid?
To put it nicely, this was concern for the Astral Express.
To put it harshly, this was questioning the Astral Express crew's strength.
But Herta had never been someone who liked beating around the bush. The pride of a genius made her accustomed to speaking directly, saying whatever needed to be said, and never considering so-called social tact.
She would not abandon her rational judgment as a genius just to spare someone's face.
In Herta's view, at this critical juncture before the final battle, any pleasantries or tactful language would be a waste of time and a betrayal of life itself.
Well, to be fair, the Astral Express had indeed only sent its high-level combatants this time. Himeko, March 7th, and Stelle had all remained aboard the Express.
But in Herta's eyes, Welt and Dan Heng's strength likewise belonged to the level better suited for staying behind to guard the Express.
There was no helping it. These two were certainly not weak. They could even be called outstanding among Pathstriders.
But Pathstriders were ultimately still Pathstriders.
In an Emanator-level battle, the role they could play would be extremely limited.
And if the Witch of Nihility caught an opening during battle, the consequences would not merely concern their own safety.
After Herta finished speaking, the temporary conference room was silent for several seconds.
Welt and Dan Heng exchanged a glance, seeming to confer with their eyes.
But clearly, neither of them hesitated, nor did either show any intention of backing down.
Welt was the first to speak.
"Madam Herta, we appreciate your concern."
"But the Astral Express absolutely cannot stand by and do nothing in this matter."
"The Witch of Nihility's goal is to revive Bianka. And Bianka is Akivili's daughter."
"From beginning to end, this matter is connected to Trailblaze."
He paused, his gaze lowering slightly.
"The reason the Astral Express exists is to continue the road of Trailblaze left behind by Akivili."
"If at a time like this, even we Nameless choose to retreat, then what right do we have to stand aboard that train?"
Herta looked at him and said nothing.
Fine, fine. She knew it. With these two personalities, this was probably the only answer she was going to get.
It was not that Herta failed to understand Welt's position. Quite the opposite. She understood it too well.
And precisely because she understood, she was even more aware that she could not persuade this man.
Soon, Dan Heng also spoke.
"Madam Herta, Mr. Welt is right."
"Right now, aboard the Express, the only ones capable of participating in battle are the two of us."
"March and the others truly are not suited for a clash at this level. But Mr. Welt and I are different."
Dan Heng tightened his grip slightly on the spear in his hand.
"Although I am not an Emanator, as the reincarnation of a former Dragon Sovereign, my combat power should at least not become a burden."
"And… even if something unexpected happens, that will be our own choice. We chose this road and chose to stand here. Therefore, we will not regret it, nor will we retreat."
Seeing this, Herta fell silent for a moment.
Fine. Although she had been the one to ask them, she actually knew she could not persuade these two.
At the end of the day, the Nameless of the Astral Express had never been the kind of people who would retreat simply because something was dangerous.
If they were that kind of people, they would never have boarded the train in the first place.
"…Fine."
In the end, Herta nodded.
"Since you have already decided, I won't say more. I hope you at least keep a sense of proportion."
Then, Herta turned her gaze back toward Kiana.
"Right, Kiana."
"What were you trying to say just now?"
Herta still remembered that Kiana had seemed to be trying to refute her earlier, only for Herta to change the subject.
Kiana: "..."
Kiana felt like she did not want to talk anymore.
Haha, as long as you're happy.
Seeing her like this, the corner of Herta's mouth moved slightly.
It seemed this child was unhappy?
Herta looked at Kiana's stubborn, dead-duck-mouth expression and ultimately swallowed back those comforting words.
Forget it.
Based on her understanding of Kiana, rather than saying a bunch of meaningless things here, it was better to believe in her this once.
After all, no matter what, Kiana's strength was still among the strongest in the entire galaxy.
Even if she could not defeat the Witch of Nihility, she at least would not be defeated easily. On this point, Herta still had confidence.
However, just as Herta was about to reorganize the next battle plan—
Tap, tap, tap.
A series of footsteps came from outside the temporary conference room.
Everyone's gazes turned toward the door at the same time.
Then, two figures walked in, one after another.
Taravan and Diamond.
The highest echelon of the Interastral Peace Corporation, and the IPC's two publicly known Emanators of Preservation, had finally appeared in this crude temporary conference room as the conveners of this meeting.
Taravan was the first to step forward, nodding slightly to Herta.
"Madam Herta, it has been some time."
"Before arriving here, I had already issued invitations in the name of the IPC to all forces across the galaxy capable of participating in battle, inviting them to form an Anti-Nihility Alliance."
"But so far, those who have responded to the call…"
His gaze swept over everyone present.
"Are only Madam Herta, Miss Kiana, and the members of the Astral Express."
The moment those words came out, the atmosphere in the temporary conference room sank a little further.
A galaxy-wide call to arms, a crisis related to the life and death of everyone, and yet in the end, the only responders were these few people present.
However, Herta did not show much surprise.
She only sighed softly.
"There's no helping it. This happened far too suddenly."
"Only a few hours have passed since that woman declared war on the entire galaxy."
"Even if most forces want to respond, they simply have no time to mobilize their strength and arrive here."
Herta paused, then added, "The fact that we could arrive at Pier Point so quickly is also thanks to the special nature of the Astral Express. If it had been an ordinary starship, just flying from the space station to here would probably have taken several days."
Taravan nodded slightly, expressing understanding.
Indeed, although Pier Point was the headquarters of the IPC, its geographic location was not exactly at the center of the galaxy.
Normally, this location helped the IPC maintain a certain degree of neutrality and independence.
But in such an emergency, the disadvantages of this location had been magnified without limit.
In such a tight timeframe, very few forces could have arrived here to begin with. Perhaps it was not that those forces were unwilling to help, but that they truly could not make it in time.
At the very least, they still needed some time.
"What about the Xianzhou Alliance?" Taravan suddenly asked.
"As far as I know, two Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou Alliance were previously at Madam Herta's space station."
"How are things on their side?"
Hearing this, Herta did not answer directly.
She took out two small projectors from the device she carried with her and gently placed them on the conference table.
Buzz.
The two projectors lit up almost simultaneously, each projecting a clear holographic image.
In the projection on the left appeared a white figure.
That was Yaoguang, General Rongtao of the Xianzhou Alliance.
There were still some unhealed wounds on Yaoguang's face. It seemed she had just gone through a bitter battle.
In the projection on the right was the figure of an Intellitron.
Screwllum, Member #76 of the Genius Society.
Perhaps because of the Nihility outside Pier Point, the two projections flickered slightly on the conference table before finally stabilizing.
Then Yaoguang spoke first.
"Madam Herta, and everyone from the Astral Express and the IPC. The situation is urgent, so I will not waste time with unnecessary words. I will first briefly report the situation on the Xianzhou Alliance's side."
She did not exchange pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"Among the four Bloodsin Spirits, Shuhu has already been eliminated by the Xianzhou Alliance."
"In this battle, Marshal Hua personally acted and killed it outside Yuque."
"Although the process was not easy, the result was favorable. The Thousand-Faced Strange Tree Shuhu has completely dissipated."
As the representative of the first faction to respond to the IPC's Anti-Nihility Alliance, Yaoguang first brought good news.
At this point, Yaoguang paused briefly.
"And… there is another Bloodsin Spirit. The undead of General Red Kite."
Hearing this, the air in the conference room froze slightly.
Everyone present knew what General Red Kite meant to the Xianzhou Alliance.
And the fact that Kallen had dragged General Red Kite's undead out and used it as a chess piece had enraged the entire Xianzhou Alliance.
Yaoguang took a deep breath and continued.
"General Red Kite's undead intercepted us on our way to Yuque."
"But… at the final moment, General Red Kite seemed to recover a trace of consciousness."
"Then, she chose to end herself."
Yaoguang restrained her emotions and returned to her steady tone.
"At present, General Jing Yuan and the Little Dragon Sovereign are resting. The Xianzhou Alliance has already begun mobilizing its remaining forces and advancing toward Pier Point."
"But at our current speed, even the fastest arrival will require several more hours."
"Until then…"
Yaoguang's gaze passed through the projection and looked toward everyone in the conference room.
"We must trouble all of you."
After Yaoguang finished her report, Screwllum in the other projection immediately followed.
"Madam Herta, I will not repeat the battle situation on the Xianzhou Alliance's side. General Yaoguang has already explained it clearly."
"What I need to report concerns another Bloodsin Spirit, Rubert II."
"As a fellow Intellitron, I am naturally of the same kind as this Emperor. After receiving Madam Herta's communication, I immediately traveled to Rubert II's suspected coordinates."
"However, when I arrived at that star region, I discovered that the Intellitron Emperor had already begun fighting another person."
"The Lord of Silence, Polka Kakamond, the genius who once killed the first Rubert."
"She had arrived there at some unknown time and had already engaged Rubert II in battle."
"Afterward, I provided some minor assistance from the side and helped Polka deal with some peripheral Intellitron wreckage."
"The final result…"
"Conclusion: Rubert II has been slain by the Lord of Silence. There is no possibility of another revival."
"The Intellitron wreckage on that dead star has also been completely cleared. Rubert II's Anti-Organic Equation failed to spread, and the threat has been eliminated."
The two projections finished their reports.
The atmosphere in the conference room eased slightly.
Of the four Bloodsin Spirits, three had now been confirmed eliminated.
Shuhu, Red Kite, Rubert II.
These three names could now be crossed off the threat list.
This result was better than anyone had expected.
After hearing both reports, Taravan chuckled softly.
"It seems everyone's gains have been quite good."
"In that case, I will also share one piece of news with all of you."
"The final Bloodsin Spirit, Lord Ravager Zulo."
As he spoke, Taravan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"According to the intelligence we have obtained, Zulo is suspected to have already died at the hands of another Lord Ravager, Zephyro."
The moment these words came out, the atmosphere in the conference room changed.
Herta abruptly turned her head.
"Wait. You said Zulo was killed by Zephyro?"
A clear trace of vigilance entered Herta's voice.
"This intelligence… where did you get it?"
The question was blunt.
Among the four Bloodsin Spirits, Zulo's movements had been the hardest to locate.
Shuhu's target was the Xianzhou Alliance, and he had no intention of hiding himself.
The undead of General Red Kite had also likely been deliberately released by Kallen to disturb the Xianzhou Alliance.
As for Rubert II, although his appearance had been sudden, at least there was a definite set of coordinates.
Only Zulo, this rebel among the Lord Ravagers, had seemed to evaporate from the galaxy after being revived by Kallen. Nobody knew where he was or what he was doing.
Originally, Herta's side had already prepared to resolve Kallen first, then search for Zulo afterward.
After all, no matter how strong Zulo was, he was still only a Lord Ravager. Once Kallen, the source, was dealt with, his threat would naturally weaken.
But now, how had the IPC obtained intelligence on that battlefield?
And detailed information at the level of "Zulo was killed by Zephyro," no less.
Faced with Herta's doubt, Taravan did not show any panic.
He merely maintained that faint smile and spoke unhurriedly.
"Madam Herta, as you know, the IPC has always had its own channels when it comes to intelligence gathering."
"Some of these channels involve the IPC's core secrets, so forgive me for being unable to explain them in detail. However, I can assure you that this intelligence is highly reliable."
After saying this, perhaps to make his explanation more convincing, Taravan added another line.
"Moreover, now is not the time to be fixated on a Lord Ravager. Within our Anti-Nihility Alliance, do we not also have two Lord Ravagers?"
Taravan indicated Kiana and Celenova.
At present, Kiana was serving as the main combat force, staying near Herta and waiting for an opportunity to act.
As for Celenova, she and Acheron were guarding the perimeter of Pier Point.
Herta's brows furrowed even tighter.
"…Forget it. Since you're unwilling to say, I won't force you."
"At present, the situation before us is indeed more urgent."
Herta ultimately chose to temporarily back down. She also knew that at this critical juncture, pestering Taravan about the source of his intelligence was meaningless.
Taravan nodded slightly in agreement.
"In that case, all four Bloodsin Spirits have now been resolved."
"Although the residual Nihility erosion scattered throughout the galaxy will still require time to clean up, at the very least, the greatest threats have been eliminated."
"Next…"
"It is time for the Witch of Nihility herself."
Herta did not reply.
She was silent for several seconds, then suddenly seemed to think of something and looked at Taravan again.
"Right, Taravan. There's actually one more thing I've always wanted to ask."
Taravan tilted his head slightly.
"Madam Herta, please speak."
"Why hasn't the IPC asked Louis Fleming and Dongfang Qixing to act?"
The moment this question was asked, the atmosphere in the conference room became subtle.
Louis Fleming.
Dongfang Qixing.
The weight of these two names within the IPC far surpassed Taravan and Diamond, who were also Emanators of Preservation.
They were true elder-level figures of the Interastral Peace Corporation, two foundational pillars who had stood firm since the IPC's founding.
Their strength, seniority, and influence in the galaxy were beyond anyone currently present.
If those two were still alive, then they were absolutely two of the top-tier existences in the entire galaxy.
Even Kiana, standing nearby, could not find anything to refute about that.
After all, based on those two people's battle records, they really might not be weaker than her max-level account.
Back then, before Kallen betrayed the IPC, she had also been worried about these two intervening.
But now, with things having reached this critical point that concerned the fate of the entire galaxy, was the IPC still not planning to ask those two to act?
One had to know that the main battlefield this time was the IPC headquarters, and the Witch of Nihility also had no small connection to Preservation.
From the moment Herta arrived at Pier Point, she had already felt something was wrong.
If the IPC truly wanted to resolve this crisis, why had they not invited their two strongest combatants?
Now, before officially entering the final battle, Herta felt she had to get an answer to this question.
Otherwise, she had reason to suspect that the IPC still did not want to commit its full strength.
Faced with Herta's question, Taravan's smile finally changed slightly.
"Mr. Louis and Mr. Dongfang… My apologies, Madam Herta. We would very much like to contact them as well."
"In fact, as early as when the Witch of Nihility had not yet revealed her Nihility-related flaw, we already wished to contact these two."
"But the result, I believe you can already guess. Even the IPC cannot contact them now."
Hearing this, Herta's brows furrowed sharply.
They could not find them?
At a time like this, those two ancient figures were actually still playing missing?
The entire galaxy was about to be swallowed by Nihility, the IPC headquarters had been smashed, and yet not one of these two elder-level figures could be contacted?
Were they planning to wait until the entire galaxy fell into Nihility before taking action?
Thinking this, Herta stared at Taravan's face for several seconds.
She could tell that this man was not lying.
But he absolutely had not told the whole truth either.
Yet at this critical juncture, when the entire galaxy faced a crisis of Finality, what could possibly be more urgent than this?
Herta could not think of anything.
But she was also very aware that Taravan was not the kind of person whose secrets could be forced out with just a few words.
More importantly, the battle before them was more urgent.
If they got entangled in the IPC's internal secrets at a time like this, that would truly be putting the cart before the horse.
"…Fine."
Herta ultimately chose to back down for the moment.
"Then what about The Family and the Garden of Recollection? Those two factions should have ways to arrive here quickly, right? Did they not respond to you either?"
Taravan shook his head slightly.
"As for The Family, we sent seven encrypted communications. Each one received a confirmation of receipt, but there was no substantive response."
"As for the Garden of Recollection… those memokeepers were even more direct. We sent invitations to several memokeepers outside and hoped they would pass the message along, but they did not even confirm that they had received our information."
Hearing this, Herta's brows twisted into a knot.
"In other words… one side is playing dead, and the other is just dead?"
No, the galaxy was about to be destroyed. Forget everyone else, but these two factions really were not coming?
Were they really that irresponsible?
The air in the conference room became somewhat subtle.
But clearly, this was the answer.
Unlike those forces that wished to provide support but had yet to arrive at Pier Point, The Family and the Garden of Recollection truly had no intention of coming.
At this, Herta began to genuinely boil with rage.
Fine then.
Let the world end.
join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 210)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 285
"Is this chat group even serious?" (This matter is completely finished.)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 280
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 240
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 305
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (This matter is completely finished.)
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume5/8
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 135
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 160
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 125
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 180
My Harem Is Indescribable 110
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 115
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 120
Still playing traditional Honk 105
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 120
What Should I Do After Switchi 70
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 140
Checking In in Demon Slayer 100
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 115
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 90
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (This matter is completely finished.)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 90
Why did they assign me to Uma 95
MYGO Beauties 80
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 100
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 135
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 150
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 70
The Uma Musume Who Became 75
I'm Definitely Not the King of 130
After Maxing Out Every Class 135
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 120
I, the Elden Sword Saint 70
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 65
No One Knows Pokémon Better 65
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 69
From Trilobites to Titans 65
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 105
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 120
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 80
Honkai: The Fire Devil 115
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume2/70
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 85
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 80
At age 8, she co-starred with 80
Honkai: Schicksal Media 81
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 70
Chainsaw Man, but I'm Aatrox 60
Honkai Apocrypha: Are the Valk 60
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 45
Morgan Shirou's Journey in Dan 43
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