A month into the new year, the capital of Ukraine, Kiyv, was still engulfed in an unknown domain.

  Clouds cover the sky, no satellite can get an image from above. The capital was surrounded by strange beasts, constantly patrolling the area. And all devices trying to enter the area malfunction.

  The only thing that can be said was that this pce carry the smell of chalk. And the continuous screams of a monster.

  "So, it is a stalemate.", The Golden Order leaned in with a smile.

  The Enigma Code just shrugged, "Whatever you may think, it is all according to my pns. As long as that child cannot interfere with the world, the path to Equilibrium is only a certainty."

  "You know, the way I see it, things will get hectic in a few more months. There is no way you can stop the chaos without Shemiss Aluqdim getting involved.", she pointed toward the sky, where the Sun shone brightly.

  Currently, they are in an abandoned cafe, ever since the activation of the Argent World of Chalk the entire capital was evacuated and id barren.

  With the world at rge heading toward another Great War, India and Thaind decred war on the new Republic of China. While Russia invaded Mongolia. South East Asian countries devour the South China Sea, turning it into an unofficial warzone. Germany decided to enter, Neo-Nazis began protesting on the streets of Berlin. The Middle East is being united under a banner after more than two thousand years. The United Kingdom set sail once again to hunt down the Enemy of Mankind. America stood still, replenishing its armory and army. Brazil offered to the slumbering Dragon their flesh and blood.

  A chaotic era would soon come. Tipping the Scale of Chaos and Order further to one side.

  "My dear friend, you are fighting a battle you cannot win.", with a snap of her finger, The Golden Order summoned a cup of coffee, "How about working for me for a bit?"

  The Enigma Code rolled their eyes, "I refuse, paperwork is not my style."

  "Yeah~ standing around looking important suits you much better.", she shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee.

  "Anyway, I want to do something about the Lords of Annihition.", they pushed the little Angel they summoned, letting the eyeball with wings spin around in the air, "They have ten members now."

  "And?", The Golden Order found nothing special about that.

  "Nine Harbingers of Life, yet there are Ten Lords of Annihition. We need a new member for it to be banced."

  For the Arbiter of Equilibrium, this was as important as eliminating Charlotte.

  There is a reason why the rest of the universe views Eldritch Gods of Equilibrium as brain-damaged.

  The Golden Order sighed.

  "There is still the Oldest Star—"

  "Rejected, fuck that guy.", The Golden Order refused in an instant, "The Madden Fme is already a part of the Elemental Lords, those senile bunch. But if there is someone I could recommend..."

  She thinks of someone, gncing at her side. There was a white Toyota Corol 2010 parking.

  "Them?"

  "Yes, The Starlight Gateway. That's just my vote thrown in~", finishing her coffee, The Golden Order stood up, "Well, I've spent enough time here, I need to get back to work!!"

  Hopping into The Starlight Gateway, they sped off into a portal. They went away, gone from Earth itself.

  Leaving The Enigma Code alone.

  "Hmm, suit yourself.", they paid no mind to it.

  After all, the one who can choose the next Harbinger of Life is the Ninth Harbinger - Mard Awan the Pgue Garden.

  It was just simple bantering. Meaningless in the grand scheme of the universe. But to those closest to the fleeting life of mortals, these talks are the most precious moment in their eternity.

  "What will you do, Argent Monarch?", their gaze set on the white world far away.

  Where the battle for the fate of the World is ongoing.

  =0=0=

  Charlotte threw Ouroboros Omniscia at To'eva, spinning in the air at the same time. Her foot connected with the coffin, it opened up the thruster— and crashed into the Fragment of the Universe.

  Quickly, she pulled the chains of the coffin, retreating before it could deliver Retribution.

  It was not that Charlotte was afraid of receiving fatal wounds. In fact, she received over fifty direct hits from it.

  Her trench coat is tattered beyond repair, yet as long as Solomon still holds on, she can still live. Plus, Salvation was working overtime.

  No.

  She has been increasingly aware of something. Something unseen attached to her, she felt the time distortions, reducing the power of the attacks ever so slightly to not knock her out cold. If this goes on, she is afraid that her biggest nightmare will appear.

  "Avalon, how many?", Charlotte wiped the sweat off of her forehead.

  "45 trillion.", a bird reported to her.

  That was the number of bodies Avalon had remaining.

  Over a trillion animals were sacrificed to boost the hivemind's power. So that the powerhouses of the animal kingdom can be stronger.

  "Kalpas, how many times can you heal me?"

  The burning being beside her responded, "Five more times."

  Kalpas had used the vitality of the World to heal Charlotte over and over again, bringing her back to top shape. Over fifty times they grasp the opening made by Salvation to bring her back from death's door. And that put a strain on the World.

  As the Acting Ego of the World, Kalpas weighed their options. The World is more important than a single protector.

  To a pacifist like Kalpas, it was a cruel decision. But Charlotte found that the right call.

  She let the coffin sink into her Inner World, reactivating the cannons.

  "In the Name of Humanity.", Charlotte grasped her nce, "O' Evil, Shred my Enemy."

  Charlotte held her free hand out, and Kalpas gave her Rhongomyniad.

  "In the Name of the World.", she raised the nce to the sky, "O' Storm, Strike down my Enemy."

  Quirinus and Rhongomyniad obeyed Charlotte, a storm of red and gray enveloped To'eva, shredding it with wind and lightning.

  Charlotte ran up a building, stabbing Quirinus into the wall to hold her position.

  Kalpas went and engaged with the Fragment of the Universe, standing inside the storm. Their Authority prevents the wind from harming them.

  In a fsh of light, both beings trade hundreds of blows. Retribution descended upon Kalpas, but they moved unflinchingly. Because the Fragment of the Universe cannot make the Child of the World kneel.

  Seeing Kalpas holding To'eva back, Charlotte let out a deep breath.

  "Hooo....", she steadied herself.

  Wind burst forth from Rhongomyniad, and then it condensed into a yer of grey fog, shimmering with faint crackles.

  Between Quirinus and Rhongomyniad, it was obvious that the unmodified version was stronger. The Lance of the World commands the very concept of Storm itself, all due to the Authority pced inside it. The Lance of Humanity is different, a modified version that cks the Authority of its true self. By repcing its Core with a Foreign Core, it became an entirely new existence. Normally, the Authority of Storm can only be manifest on Earth. But Quirinus can control Storm anywhere because it is a Foreign Existence. Something closer to the Stars than to the World.

  Even then, nothing could match the Storm's Eye in the World it protects.

  "Let the Breath of the World flourish."

  The wind grew violent. To'eva momentarily turned to it, sensing the power coming forth. But Kalpas did not let it breathe, punching the monster in the face.

  The howling wind condensed around the nce, shining a golden light. Then—

  Everything went quiet, the air grew still.

  "I Announce, in the Name of the World—"

  Her serene voice echoes through the air. Her eyes shine the color of purity.

  "Pierce the Heavens, Carve the Earth, and Rend the World."

  Electricity wrapped around her body—

  She appeared before To'eva, the halo behind her head rotated wildly.

  "World Breaker."

  Once again, the Monster of the Universe faced total obliteration— and once again, it revived from nothing.

  Charlotte retreated, and To'eva reached out for her.

  Retribution.

  But at that moment, an ape grasped the back of her colr and threw her away— Retribution descended upon Avalon, annihiting that fragment of their Soul to oblivion.

  "One second...", Charlotte muttered as she smiled.

  Over the past month, Charlotte had delivered fatal blow after blow to the monster, obliterating it with everything she had. But after the one-hundredth death, she noticed something.

  The time that it took to revive began to get longer. At first, it was in an instant, then 0.000001 second, 0.00001 second, and so on.

  And now, 1 second.

  Charlotte discarded the two nces. With a snap of her finger, the cannons fired eight beams of concentrated Judgement at To'eva, obliterating it once more.

  Once more, it rose from nothing.

  Charlotte let out a hollow ugh because she sensed it. That the end was coming— her end.

  The golden armor containing the Fragment of the Universe shattered. Revealing nothing but the form of an ordinary woman, pale purplish skin, and purple hair cascading down. But its eyes were different. Those hollowed eyes reflect nothing, like bck holes that threaten to consume everything.

  Charlotte summoned Marmyadose to her side, gripping the sword tightly.

  This battle was not over. This was just the beginning. A prelude that sted for over a month, only a taste of an immature Eldritch God.

  What broke the silence was the footsteps. A singur being walking along the road made of chalk.

  There, the golden gaze of the Arbiter lingers on their crude creation.

  "Happy birthday, To'eva.", they rejoiced.

  The Fragment of the Universe reached out— breaking the rules, tearing through the thickly woven codes of reality— all to reach The Enigma Code.

  It held the Eldritch God in the air, who did not mind the predicament.

  "I shall Baptise you, I shall Celebrate your creation, I shall Rejoice your existence. O' unwanted child of the Universe."

  They csped their hands around its cheeks. They spoke with a gentle tone as if addressing a child.

  "To'eva Nacheshol, that will be your Name. You who broke through causality to touch me. Starlight Breaker shall be your Title."

  To'eva Nacheshol the Starlight Breaker.

  A being that viotes the ws of the universe.

  All Eldritch Gods, all the Stars, and Nebus in the universe, from the moment of their birth and develop consciousness. The one to name them can only be themselves.

  A profane being, a stain in the history of the universe.

  An existence no one can stand.

  "I Announce, in the Name of Humanity."

  Charlotte walks forward, the blue fme of Malice enveloping her body. All converging at the end of her sword.

  "I Announce your Last Rite."

  The Sword of Heroes responded to her wishes. It consumed the fme, adding the power of evil into its bde. Then it ate the mist, taking in the blind justice it knew well. Then the dew of promised salvation. Then the dust of ecstasy. Then the smoke of madness. Then the ink of imagination. And the spark of desire.

  Her halo glows Azure, as well as her eyes.

  The Enigma Code gnced at her and muttered, "So, Time itself had taken an interest in you..."

  They can see it, a pitch-bck monster made out of shapes smashing together, ever moving, ever-changing, making up the form of a hooded figure. Standing behind Charlotte was such a being.

  The Warden of Time itself maniputes its own rules in order to help Charlotte.

  "I offer to the World."

  She stabbed her sword into the ground, breaking up the road made of chalk.

  In an instant, buildings crumbled, the vision of her paradise shattered. Taking its pce was a giant Alchemical Circle.

  She put the Price of her Inner World on the Scale. And she seeks the profit.

  Overpping the Alchemical Circle, bloomed the Flower of Life.

  "For my Inner World, I want the power to cut down my foes.", she stated what she wanted.

  The World accepted the offering, and Time itself let a part of it in.

  The golden bde of humanity shines.

  For this occasion, all eight sapphires lit up, shining their brilliant blue light.

  'Against Many, You shall be Immovable.'

  'Against the Impossible, You shall strike True.'

  'Against the Enemy of Mankind, Judgement shall be with You.'

  'To protect Humanity, You shall Reach the Truth.'

  'For Your own Honor, You shall be Swift.'

  'For a Selfless Reason, Your Wits shall be Decisive.'

  'To protect the World, You shall not Fall.'

  And.

  'For the Future, You shall Shine.'

  Those words rang in her ears. With her free hand, Charlotte combed her hair back.

  She opened her eyes, the Rose Compasses bore the red and bck light of the World.

  And once again, her Inner World manifested. The gears once again turn, and the buildings rise and fall again in an eternal loop.

  "To you, Unwanted Child of the Universe."

  Charlotte pointed her sword at The Starlight Breaker.

  "May you never exist in my World."

  A world where there is no influence from the divine above, from the touch of the Ego. Under the watchful eyes of the Father and Mother of Life.

  A...

  "Starless World {World of Human - Phantasmal Denial }."

  To'eva snapped The Enigma Code's neck, throwing the crumbling body aside. It stares at the Argent Monarch with its lightless eyes.

  With the Lord of Samsara and the Hivemind of Life standing behind her, Charlotte smiled.