"Bai Ming, we're going to pull the plug. You head outside and hold back the Swarm!"
Herta barked out orders to 'Robin' the moment she found a spare second.
Aborting the execution of the Simulated Universe and shutting it down temporarily was a task where one more or one less person wouldn't make a difference.
However, the Swarm King had broken out into the real world, and that monster needed the right person to keep it in check.
Actually, the escaped Swarm King was a prime candidate for Nanook to snatch up and crush into a new Lord Ravager, but the problem was that no one could say for sure whether Destruction would actually show THEIR face.
Furthermore, this Swarm King had inherited the traits of the Memory Swarm; it could expand its numbers directly through the memories of others.
In fact, if it hadn't been consumed by the ambition to ascend to Aeonhood—and thus focused its energy on sustaining the Dream of Propagation—this Swarm King would have already surpassed the strength of an Emanator, manifesting its physical body on the spot.
There was no way they could let this damn thing go unchecked.
"Alright, leave the outside to me," 'Robin' nodded in agreement.
While the identity of Robin herself lacked combat capabilities, she certainly didn't.
The environment of Amphoreus was saturated with Memoria, making it the perfect battlefield for her.
Moreover, although Divine Herta was far away in the Land of Light and preoccupied with tinkering with the Simulated Universe, the body of Irontomb she had consumed was still stationed just outside Amphoreus.
Even without her core consciousness, the giant could still be moved by granting control permissions to 'Robin.' After all, Irontomb's design allowed it to function perfectly well without a head.
"I suppose it's lucky I left Irontomb's body at Amphoreus. I was originally just too lazy to move it, but now it's come in handy," Divine Herta remarked, sounding a bit eager.
Though she was someone who lived by her wits, Irontomb's body was no ordinary vessel.
She was naturally curious to see just how much power this giant—twisted into a convergence of Hope and Destruction—actually possessed.
Of course, she wouldn't be caught dead doing the dirty work of fighting herself.
But if someone was willing to take it out for a test drive and fight in her stead, Divine Herta was more than happy to oblige.
"I almost forgot Irontomb's body was still here..."
'Robin' usually saw her in that body manifested from data, and since the giant never moved, it slipped her mind that Divine Herta's true form was that colossus parked outside—a thing larger than Amphoreus itself.
The current Divine Herta was merely a Digimon running around after discarding her physical shell.
"I'm lending you the control permissions. It's the perfect chance to stress-test its power for me," Divine Herta said, splitting off a stream of data that solidified into a sleek bracelet, which she placed in 'Robin's' hand.
Logging out of the Simulated Universe, 'Robin' opened her eyes.
Immediately, she saw the Simulated Universe surging at an abnormal frequency and the struggling, massive form of the giant insect.
The power of Remembrance was converging from across the cosmos, coalescing toward that phantom image.
The Dream of Ena had collapsed, but the Dream of Propagation had taken over, leading the charge and resuming its expansion.
The power of Propagation was spreading like wildfire. From that titanic body, swarms of insects were continuously splitting off and breeding.
Countless insects began to beat their wings outside Amphoreus.
As the buzzing of the swarm churned the surrounding Memoria, the Swarm King that had burst out of the Simulated Universe seemed intent on using the swarm to further stabilize the Synesthesia Dreamscape belonging to Propagation.
Screeeech!
Innumerable insects let out a piercing cry—the fundamental primal desire of the Swarm given voice.
They wanted to live, to become real, and to flourish in this physical world.
With the resonance of the swarm, even though it was still expanding the dream, the Simulated Swarm King successfully tapped into the power of the Path of Propagation.
Endless Imaginary Energy came pouring in.
That majestic, rolling aura undoubtedly surpassed the standard energy readings of an Emanator and was still climbing.
The situation was dire, but it solved a lingering doubt for 'Robin.'
A Simulated Aeon escaping from the Simulated Universe could reach at least the energy levels of an Emanator.
And if that Path lacked a living Aeon, the individual might even have a chance to ascend to Aeonhood, just like the Swarm King before her.
"...This can't really be Aha's doing, can it? Otherwise, I don't see how the current Simulated Universe could possibly simulate a Simulated Aeon of this caliber," 'Robin' mused, perplexed.
Amphoreus had also been simulating Aeons and Paths, creating the Twelve Titans.
But once they became true living beings, they were merely powerful Pathstriders, still a significant distance away from reaching the level of an Emanator.
Their Simulated Universe might be more realistic in some ways, and their research focuses might differ, but it shouldn't have such a massive gap compared to Amphoreus.
The strength of this Swarm King was completely unnatural. Someone—some Aeon—must have stealthily added some "extra ingredients."
Was it Aha?
While 'Robin' was lost in thought, a burst of Remembrance power erupted from the Swarm King's body, attempting to sweep across the entire star system and pull everyone's consciousness into its web.
"Bai Ming! Stop it, quick!"
"You don't have to tell me twice."
The sensation was so familiar; it was practically identical to 'Robin's' own swarm. Herta quickly shouted a warning, but 'Robin' was faster.
A more powerful force of Remembrance erupted with the Space Station as its center.
Laced with the flames of Destruction, it forcibly bore down on the Swarm King.
The power of Remembrance disrupted the flow of Memoria, while the blazing flames of Destruction incinerated the connections the enemy used to manipulate memories and create more insects.
Suppressing the Swarm King was relatively easy for 'Robin,' and she even had the breath to comment:
"This guy is still getting stronger. If given the chance to expand the dream, it might truly become a new Aeon of Propagation the moment it's born."
"Watch your tone. I have no intention of giving it that chance," Herta retorted.
She wasn't nearly as optimistic about this insect king as 'Robin' was.
She didn't deny the possibility—though there were always discrepancies between the Paths in the Simulated Universe and reality—but if the dream truly expanded, who knew what would happen.
"Whether it can or can't, it has to be stopped. Hurry up on your end."
'Robin' raised her hand and produced a strange chessboard.
Flames enveloped 'Robin's' body, carrying her away from the Space Station.
Then, the massive chessboard, carrying the Will of Equilibrium, unfolded amidst the stars.
On that giant board, which expanded to cover half the star system, a phantom image—a perfect mirror to the Simulated Swarm King—and a massive swarm were constructed.
'Robin' felt the shadow, which emitted an almost identical Imaginary Energy signature. Even though she was the one who had summoned it, she couldn't help but click her tongue in awe.
Where is the upper limit of this chessboard? It can even copy the swarms that split off?
Before she could finish her thought, the shadow of the Swarm King summoned by the board erupted into an angry roar alongside the original!
Countless insects split from their bodies, blotting out the suns.
In mere moments, the entire field of vision was consumed by the Swarm. Even the giant, unfolded chessboard was nearly obscured by the buzzing mass.
If 'Robin' hadn't blocked the enemy's ability to spawn insects directly from memories, the numbers would have doubled again.
The two swarms had no intention of communicating. Carrying an aura that reached the heavens, they turned into a collective that threatened to devour every star in sight as they charged at each other!
Yet, Amphoreus and the fleets of various factions, despite being caught in the middle of this swarm war, suffered almost no damage thanks to the delicate sense of balance provided by the power of Equilibrium.
On the other side, while the chessboard could stall the Swarm King, relying purely on a tool of Equilibrium to resolve the threat was far too slow.
So, 'Robin' raised her left hand high, clutching the Evoltruster in her palm.
She didn't transform directly. Instead, she channeled the bursting light into her bracelet, using her own radiance to trigger the brilliance within the giant.
Immediately, a faint, ethereal connection was established between the giant and 'Robin.'
The giant—which had been floating around Amphoreus like a corpse—slowly rose amidst the swarm.
It spread its arms, its entire body erupting with a blinding brilliance that tore a massive rift right through the heart of the insects.
The powers of Hope and Destruction intertwined.
The slender Giant of Light stood behind 'Robin,' looking like a crucifix suspended in the universe, exuding an aura that was both terrifying and warm.
Surging power blossomed between its arms.
The left hand radiated light, while the right held crimson flames.
Two diametrically opposed forces converged in front, forming a spiraling, intertwined spear.
The forces of Hope and Destruction reached a delicate balance, all of it poured into the weapon.
The Swarm keenly sensed the threat of total annihilation.
Terrified screeches mixed with the horrific sound of vibrating wings as they launched a suicidal charge toward the giant, desperate to interrupt the attack.
However, the massive spear didn't waver for a second. More and more power gathered on the spear until it reached a critical threshold!
As if the giant Cross of Light was about to descend judgment upon the world, the spiral spear of Hope and Destruction slammed down!
The extreme power was no longer restrained, turning into an undiscriminating shockwave of pure destruction that swept across the entire star system in an instant.
Vwoom—
An exaggerated ripple of energy flooded the galaxy like a tidal wave. But the warm power seemed to possess a mind of its own, gently pushing all allies away from the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the biting, frigid force turned into a shockwave that withered all life, expanding toward the Swarm.
In a single heartbeat, the impact that covered the entire galaxy wiped out the rampaging Swarm entirely.
The pure Equation of Destruction even shook the expanding Dream of Propagation.
The dream, where it bordered reality, began to grow unstable. Eerie cracks appeared in the pitch-black universe, making the expanding dream look pathetically fragile.
Countless insects perished among the stars, leaving not even a fragment of debris behind. Only the lonely Swarm King remained, letting out a tragic, mournful wail.
It was confused, angry, and unwilling.
It simply wanted to lead its kin to survive!
It had fled from one world to another; why did it have to face the fate of extinction all over again?
If its birth was a mistake, then what was this vast River of Destiny unfolding before its eyes?!
The Swarm King that had broken free from the Simulated Universe was born from a beautiful dream, not the original Tayzzyronth.
Newly born, it could not yet comprehend the real world. It only responded to the instinct of Propagation—to expand, to survive, and to bring the lost children of Propagation back to the cluster.
But in every world, it seemed its existence was an error.
It couldn't even understand why Ena the Order—who had been revived alongside it—chose to discard THEIR self and embrace death at the final moment of breaking free from the calculations.
Yet, no one could give it an answer.
Propagation, which ascended to Aeonhood for the sake of survival, could not understand Order, which sacrificed itself for an ideal.
And this insect king, born in error through a "twist of fate," was destined only to meet its destruction beneath the stars.
Divine Herta's strike caused the once-chaotic star system to fall into a sudden, heavy silence.
The Iron Cavalry, who had just arrived at the battlefield, and the people of Amphoreus were sensing the absolute power of the giant so clearly for the first time.
In particular, that posture—resembling a Cross of Light—combined with the unique temperament of intertwined Destruction and Hope, gave the giant an unfathomable and intense sense of the inhuman.
The Interastral Peace Corporation, which had been monitoring the battle, quickly reported the footage upward.
"...What a dangerous thing. And this shattered starry sky... what on earth happened here?"
Diamond watched the giant clear the screen with one hit and saw the Propagation insect fall into a complete disadvantage through the comms.
Honestly, he wasn't feeling very "joyful."
What was happening here had spiraled out of his control.
Propagation and Order suddenly popping up and trying to resurrect themselves, this dream that seemed to be overwriting reality, and that giant—which they thought was dormant—actually harboring such terrifying power.
What was the purpose of this expanding dream?
The giant's strength was bottomless, and they had no idea whose hands it was in.
If it could rival the strategic weapons in the Corporation's collection, they couldn't just ignore this colossus born from Irontomb...
That blue-haired Halovian girl who appeared out of nowhere?
The radiance she displayed earlier looked exactly like the style of the Land of Light. If this giant really was in the hands of the Land of Light, there wouldn't be much to be happy about.
Regardless.
"Jade, find a way to investigate the beginning and end of this matter. No matter what, we need to grasp exactly what happened here and who that Halovian girl controlling the giant is."
On the other side, 'Robin' admired the scene, which was dripping with a sense of déjà vu. Even though she was the one controlling it, that massive crucifix body was still incredibly eerie.
Just now, she hadn't actually exerted much effort.
Most of her attention and power were likely spent on ensuring there was no friendly fire. Otherwise, the Simulated Swarm King wouldn't still be kicking so lively.
Though, even so, the enemy wasn't having a good time.
The Simulated Swarm King wasn't heavily injured, but its greatest loss was the annihilation of its swarm and the instability of the Dream of Propagation.
And the phantom image provided by the chessboard wasn't going to wait for it to cook up a new cluster.
Locked in combat with the shadow again, the Swarm King could barely manage to increase its numbers during the fight, but it was powerless to repair the broken dream.
At the same time, good news came from Herta's side.
"Bai Ming, it's done! The Simulated Universe is about to shut down."
It sounded like everything was heading in a positive direction.
But as Aha watched the frantic geniuses, and glanced at the lurking figures of Destruction, Equilibrium, and the others in the shadows...
The resurrection of Propagation was destined to end in failure.
But the Order that had been changed by the simulation, the Destruction that intended to swallow Propagation, the Equilibrium that wanted to adjust everything...
Such a small bit of meddling.
To draw out so many unpredictable and unforeseeable futures—Aha felt THEY had done a fantastic job!
Right now, the Aeon even wanted to puff out THEIR chest and dance in front of every Aeon watching the Simulated Universe.
THEY wanted to point at the Simulated Universe and declare it a masterpiece nurtured by Elation.
The Simulated Order, which existed because of Elation, had merged into Harmony.
The Swarm King, also existing because of Elation, was about to be graciously accepted by Destruction—a situation quite different from Finality.
Aha felt this development was excellent.
Everything was Elation; everything started from Elation and returned to Elation.
THEY absolutely loved it! THEY even wanted to drag more Simulated Aeons out to play.
Unfortunately, the current Simulated Universe was still a bit too fragile in Aha's eyes.
Dragging two out through the dream this time had almost punctured the whole thing.
For the sake of sustainable development, Aha could only suppress the urge and wait for the next opportunity.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL