"The World Eaters…
……They're System Holders."

  One would be inclined to believe that what came after Van's revelation would be a thorough silence, but no. It was followed by a laugh—— a burst of menacing laughter that escaped from Gerald's mouth as he almost fell to the floor while clenching his stomach.

  "That's good… that's very good," Gerald's voice then started to calm down as he looked at the monitor, "That means they can be killed like the rest of us."

  The two spherical sun-sized ships were still not doing anything; surely preparing and analyzing the universe they had just successfully stepped into. That was both a good and a bad thing, as it also allows Athena and the others to also prepare.

  "W——"

  "Let's go."

  Athena was about to say something, but before she could do so, Van suddenly grabbed Vanya's hand and started dragging her away.

  "W… where are we going?" Vanya's slightly confused eyes darted towards Van and the rest of the group.

  "You said you wanted me to visit Yra," Van breathed out.

  "But…" Vanya was slightly confused as to why her father was doing this now of all times, but as soon as she saw the look on Van's face, the only thing she could do was nod before hastening her steps to lead her father to where Yra was sleeping.

  "……" Latanya, who also saw the look on Van's face, could not help but close her eyes; her sighs, almost drowning the entire hall.

  "We'll… handle things here for now," Athena then muttered, bowing towards Van even though he could not see her.

  Her bow was then followed by Vivati, then Angela, Sarah… as for Gerald…
"Tch," he could only click his tongue.

  ***

  "Besides looking eerily similar to you… she just seems like a normal kid."

  "Hm… It represents the bloodline of the progenitor. Our daughters will always look like mother."

  "……So you looked exactly like this when you were younger?"

  "Hm."

  Vanya could only smile and nod as Van gently caressed Yra's hair. The room was designed to keep any noise and shock from the outside, making sure it was completely isolated from whatever was happening.

  Due to this, even Yra's quiet and calm breaths echoed throughout the chamber.

  "Fa——"

  "Did you know I never really thought of having a family?"

  "……Yes," Vanya nodded even though the words she wanted to utter first were disrupted, "You… have told me quite a few times, father."

  "Did I?" Van chuckled, "I… I don't think I deserve to be one, you see. But still, I wish I could have seen you grow like this."

  "Then you can watch Yra grow old," Vanya quickly muttered, "None of us are going to die… you're not going to die."

  "Hm," Van only nodded as he continued to caress Yra's hair, "Listen, about Gerald…"

  "I… I know you don't approve of——"

  "He's okay," Van chuckled, "You should have seen him before all of this. He was insane."

  "I… I was told."

  "……"

  "……"

  "Vanya… Can you sit this one out?"

  "……What do you mean?"

  "You said… whenever you stretch your powers, your body shuts down and you'll sleep for a very long time," Van then stopped caressing Yra's hair as he looked Vanya straight in the eyes, "This child needs her mother… and wouldn't it be nice for you to see her grow?"

  "……" Vanya returned her father's gaze for a few seconds, before shaking her head and smiling, "As long as I know she has a world to live in, then that is all that matters to me, father…
……Knowing that I created a future for her."

  "……"

  "……"

  "Vanya…"

  "Hm?"

  "I know we didn't spend much time together… but knowing that I have you as a real family; it's probably the best feeling I have ever known in my life."

  "……"

  "The truth is… I've already resolved myself for what's about to happen. So thank you… thank you for making me experience what it's like to have a real family…
……I love you, Vanya—— and I will protect you this time."

  "I…" Vanya then held her father's hand as tears started to trail on her face, "I… love you too, father. She wanted to hold her father's hand tight to tell him not to go… but his warmth was no longer there.

  "We…
……will be waiting for you, father."

  ***

  "……Where's the brat?"

  Vanya returned to the hall, not answering Angela's question as she walked towards the center of the room and pointed towards the monitor floating in the air.

  Everyone in the room then turned their eyes towards where she was pointing to. They were confused at first as to what they should be seeing. But soon…
……a white light suddenly filled the entire screen. And as the light faded, a winged figure revealed itself; his white hair, freely flowing through the darkness.

  "Is… is that King Evans!?" Ameera was the first to react, "But… but how? That's 20 Barriers away from——"

  "Captain Ameera!"

  "Y… yes!?" Captain Ameera quickly stood straight as Athena's bellowing voice reached her ears.

  "If we put every energy source we have in Solomon, how long until we can get there?" Athena muttered as she pointed towards the screen, "What's our ETA?"

  "If… If we put everything in?" Ameera stuttered, "A… a day is possible. But Solomon might not survive the——"

  "We're changing tactics," Athena then raised her hand as she walked to the center of the hall, "We're attacking them as soon as Solomon arrives from fetching the champions of the other worlds."

  "What? But——"

  "They are going to be busy," Athena proclaimed as she once again pointed towards the screen, "Our King will be doing what he does best…
……creating chaos."

  ***

  "……"

  Van's eyes reflected the colossal Purple Portal in front of him. No, perhaps colossal was no longer the proper word for it, as its size was almost similar to the Barriers that blocked the 6 corners of the galaxy.

  The Portal was not the thing that was catching Van's attention, however, but the 2 ships that were just quietly floating in space. Seeing them through the monitor did not truly show the gravity of how large they really were.

  If Van has something to compare its size to… then he would probably say the Sun.

  Even Pendragon's planet, which was bigger than most of the planets in Vivati's galaxy, looked like a pebble compared to this.

  Just… how many lives are living inside there?

  "……" Van then turned his head towards the drone that Athena and the others were watching from. Ameera mentioned that this galaxy was 20 Barriers away from Osiris. But… he got here in almost a minute.

  Just… how fast does that make him now?

  There were also the wings attached to his feet and back—— which somehow made his speed… smoother in a way. He couldn't explain how… but he knew how to move them. Evangeline may have been nothing but a torn and a poison in his life… but it would seem that she finally served her purpose in death.

  But… was she really dead?

  Van then shook his head off the thoughts he was having before looking towards the two ships; almost invisible as they reflected the darkness of space around them. Even with him here, there were still no signs of them moving……

  Were they analyzing him? The same as Ameera did when he first stepped into Vivati's galaxy?

  "……" The wings behind Van's back then flapped—— and as soon as he did so, he instantly found himself looking… at his reflection.

  "!!!" Van slightly flew backward as he almost used himself as a battering ram; making him realize that he was still not fully in control of the monstrous speed he now has.

  "……" And after calming himself down from the small excitement building inside of him, Van then looked towards the ship. Well… it was not like he had anywhere else to look as it was all he could see even on the horizon's side. The only way he wouldn't see the ship was is if he turned his back on it.

  He was right—— this ship was probably almost a million times bigger than Osiris.

  "……Fuck," a word then escaped from Van's mouth. Were they not seeing him as a threat, as the ship did not even bother putting up its defenses?

  Or maybe…
Van then tried touching the surface of the ship, only for his hand to slightly bounce back from a sensation that he could only explain as… thick water, a jelly.

  "This… is a ship?"

  Van then tried knocking on the jelly-like surface, only for it to respond with a ripple.

  "Anyone there?" Van then tried to shout as he was sure they also have the technology of analyzing his words through vibrations like Ameera's ships, "I would like to talk peace if possi——"

  And before he could even finish his words, a red dot suddenly emerged from the other side of the surface—— and without any warning, it suddenly beamed towards Van.

  "……" Van could only blink a couple of times as he moved to the side, the red beam not yet being reflected in his eyes. And as soon as he was sure he dodged it, the beam then shot out with its normal speed—— almost instantly hitting the Barrier, causing it to ripple.

  "……You're hostile then."

  Van quickly stretched his arm to the side, and as soon as he did so, a small hammer materialized in it, "You attacked first."

  And as if a vacuum itself whirled in the darkness, Van swung the hammer towards the sun-sized mammoth of a ship.

  Van initially thought that the hammer would go through as the surface felt like water; but as soon as his hammer made contact, the water-like consistency instantly hardened—— causing Van to be thrown by the own force he created.

  "……" Van was going to rush again, but he felt a small blast pushing his hand away; he looked, only to see his hammer blown into pieces.

  "……It didn't survive the impact?" Van muttered. He did not have time to mourn for his hammer, however, as there was finally movement in the ship he attacked.

  A small part of it started to stretch like goo; a goo that slowly shaped into the silhouette of a giant man as soon as it reached its last elasticity.

  And soon, the goo popped, revealing the colossal man hiding within its confines.

  It was a man with blonde hair that seemed to somewhat reflect an unseen sun. His face, feminine and yet still held the gaze of a fierce barbarian—— elegant, but deadly. He was wearing nothing but a white garb, his orange eyes, looking directly towards Van.

  "You…" The man's words travelled through space,

  "Why do I feel Hermes in you?"

  "That's… !!!"

  Athena, as well as Dionysus who was watching back in Vivati's world, could not help but slightly take in a deep breath as soon as they saw the man that emerged from the ship; their eyes trembling slightly.

  "A…
……Apollo!?"