Chapter Text
The Seed of Sumeru, a bubble universe created by the 2nd Divine Key, the Cosmic Juggernaut. This divine key was entrusted to none other than Su, 7th of the 13 Flamechasers, heroes of an era long gone. It was here that a battle between best friends was reaching its climax.
Su panted as he slowly stood back up, resting his hand against the lone tree of the bubble universe, the core of the 2nd Divine Key. It took him a moment to get his breathing under control before he looked at Kevin. This was bad, really bad. Even in the Seed of Sumeru he was never going to beat Kevin in combat. So all that was left was… Su shook his head, casting his doubts aside. This was his responsibility to carry out.
"I've decided to stop your madness Kevin... no matter the cost". He was entrusted by Dr. MEI with the power to determine whether or not the strongest person in the world was in control. And right now? Kevin and project STIGMA needed to be stopped.
Energy began to flow throughout the core as he activated the first power of the 2nd Divine Key. Inverted Horizon.
"From the very moment you were brought into the Seed of Sumeru, I've activated the 2nd Divine Key's first power. This bubble universe will sink to the bottom of the Sea of Quanta with both of us in it. Neither of us shall ever return to the real world".
But the cold expression on Kevin’s face didn’t change in the slightest. He didn't seem worried at all. For he had no reason to.
"You're mistaken Su, the portal to the Sea of Quanta has not fully opened. If I destroy the 2nd Key's core before that happens, your plan will fail'. Kevin brought the 7th Divine Key in front of him as flames erupted from the blade of the mighty greatsword. With its 0th power activated, the Judgment of Shamash, the most destructive divine key, was ready to unleash its full might. Kevin brought the Shamash up and swung down, ready to end this figh-
"You will not prevail this time Kevin!". Kevin's eyes widened in shock as his best friend jumped in front of his attack. Willing to sacrifice himself to stop him.
“She didn’t sacrifice herself for you to do this!”
“ ! ”
...
Su closed his eyes as he braced himself for the incoming attack. But there was nothing. No fire. No agonizing pain of being burnt to a charred corpse. Su slowly opened his eyes to be greeted by an icy mist filling the air and Kevin, who had partially activated his active honkai reaction. His eyes trailed down Kevin’s transformed arm until his eyes locked onto the familiar form of the 7th key, frozen completely solid.
"Kevin? You... Why?" Su asked. But he knew the answer. No matter how determined Kevin was to bring project STIGMA to fruition, he couldn't bring himself to kill his one and only best friend. The mentioning of her sacrifice had only weakened his resolve further.
"Our fight… is over.” Kevin spoke in such a soft and quiet voice, Su had a hard time believing it was even his best friend speaking.
“Kevin… please. I beg of you, have faith in humanity of the current era. They have the right to determine their own fate and the power to see it though. So trust in them to rise up and succeed where we failed. Wasn’t that what Elysia wanted?” Su pleaded one last time. One last attempt to get through to his best friend.
Kevin was silent.
Faith. Could he really have faith in them? To trust that the current era would eventually be capable of defeating ‘The End’ despite all the struggles they have and may face. To work alongside them rather than forcing project stigma on them... But what if they weren’t able to find a solution. What if they weren’t strong enough. What if they failed… just like he did.
“… Su. I-“
Kevin was cut off by a deafening crack that filled the air. The two Flamechasers’ gaze instantly snapped to the source of the sound. Kevin had been too slow in freezing his attack and the Shamash had damaged the border of the bubble universe. Like glass under pressure, cracks began to spread throughout the walls of the bubble universe.
"The Seed of Sumeru is beginning to fall apart." Su said worryingly, not only was the portal back to the real world closing, but it wouldn't be long before the Seed of Sumeru would collapse, with the both of them being torn apart by the Sea of Quanta. It seemed like this was the end of the road for the both of them.
Su sighed before turning to Kevin, ready to have one last conversation with his best friend. But before Su could even begin, he was interrupted by Kevin who in the blink of an eye had crossed the distance between them and grabbed the front of his shirt. Su felt something being placed in his hand before he was violently flung upwards. It didn’t take him long to realize that Kevin had thrown him out of the crumbling bubble universe with the Judgment of Shamash in hand.
"Kevin?" Su was in shock. Even with his psychic powers he never foresaw this happening. He had only wished to stop Kevin, to trap both of them alive in the Sea of Quanta forever and rid the current era of their influence. But now Kevin would…he was going to…
"Get out of here Su. Carry on with your mission. Project VALUKA must continue... It’s up to you and Hua now".
Kevin looked up to Su and for the first time in many years, smiled. A goodbye to his very best friend.
"KEVIN!" Su shouted, his hand reaching out in vain as he witnessed his best friend be swallowed whole by the Sea of Quanta.
Kevin smiled to himself as with tired eyes he saw Su exit the collapsing bubble universe. It seemed that project STIGMA would end here. He knew neither Su nor Hua would see to its completion. Both of them had their respective projects to carry out and Su’s heart was too kind to execute it.
Kevin sighed as he looked up at the crumbling world around him. Perhaps… this was for the best.
"MEI, Elysia... everyone... I'm sorry" Kevin said to himself in a low voice.
"I couldn't defeat the Honkai nor could I lead humanity to a world without it. I… failed. Again. Elysia... sorry. But I won’t be able to keep that promise".
Kevin closed his eyes as the bubble universe gave way. And allowed nothingness to swallow him.
…
Was this death? Why could he still hear his own thoughts?
Was this hell? That would make sense. He committed far too many sins during his life. From his mistake against the 6th Herrscher that cost the lives of an entire city, to the tragedy of binding, to the commencement of project STIGMA.
Maybe he was finally being punished for his numerous sins and failures. If so, he would accept it.
…
…
…
Nothing. Nothing at all.
Kevin opened his eyes and looked around, he found himself floating in complete darkness. This place was empty and nothing but empty. Was this his fate? To simply exist in this darkness for eternity. A suitable punishment for him, he supposed. He closed his eyes and simply allowed himself to drift.
…
...
...
He wasn’t sure how long he was there for, floating for who knows how long. However, while floating amidst the empty void, something caught his attention. A pull of sorts.
Kevin opened his eyes to see a faint golden light in the distance, it felt.. warm. Something he hadn’t felt since he underwent the first surgery.
Before he knew it, his legs were already kicking behind him, propelling himself toward the source of the light. He had no idea what compelled him towards it but like a moth to a flame, he chased after it. Eventually, he found himself in front of a golden orb no bigger than his hand. It was… warm. So warm that Kevin completely forgot the freezing temperatures that normally ran through his body.
He reached out, his body seemingly on autopilot. As his fingers were about to make contact he heard a voice.
Do you want to live?
He stopped, eyes widening as he snapped out of whatever trance he was in. He looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. After a moment, it spoke again.
Do you want to live again? Kevin Kaslana.
Doubts began to race through his mind. Did he? Did he even deserve to? After all he's done and all he's failed to do. Did he really deserve to return to the world where he did nothing but fail those around him and caused the people who trusted him to suffer. Where even his successes were simply there to cover even more of his failures. A world where even when trying to do what was best, he was simply doing more harm than good.
He was no hero. He was just a boy whose selfishness had somehow led him where he was now.
Kevin brought his hand back down. He leaned away from the orb, content with simply floating forever in this sea of darkness.
…
“No matter what it takes… Humanity shall defeat the Honkai!”
You promised that… Didn’t you? When SAKURA died.
“If in the distant future, you all meet a Herrscher like me… You must find a way to tell me. I’ll be really happy if you do!”
You promised her? Didn’t you? When she sacrificed everything for humanity.
“Keep going. Kevin, don’t give up hope”.
“If there is a person who can carry humanity to a future without Honkai, then… that person would definitely be you”.
All the promises and oaths he made 50,000 years ago began to play in his mind.
Their deaths and sacrifices. Will you let them be in vain? Will you betray the trust they placed in you? Turn back on the promises you made?
“No. I won’t”. His comrades in arms. His friends. They died to ensure a future for humanity. A future they entrusted to him.
Then go. Hero of Deliverance.
Kevin clenched his fists, his eyes narrowed and his will reignited. He did promise them, didn't he. He promised them he would save humanity. Defeat the Honkai. He couldn’t let their sacrifices go to waste, to fail them another time. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.
He reached out.
The moment his fingers made contact with the orb, it emitted a brilliant light that engulfed him and lit up the sea of endless darkness.
“‘The right to determine their own fate and the power to see it through’, that’s what you said. Right, Su? Humanity of the current era. Show me.”
When he came to, he was greeted with uncomfortable blinding lights, far from the golden light earlier that filled him with warmth. No longer was he in an empty void filled with silence but in a room of white with the sounds of adults and machines filling the room.
However, what stood out the most amidst that noise was the sound of a crying baby, but it was much louder when he first found ADAM. Wait... was he making all that noise? No, there was another baby right next to him that was participating in their shared crying. With blurry vision he looked up to meet a large face with blue eyes. While it was difficult to see, what was clear as day was the smile on said person’s face, a smile filled with nothing but happiness. The next sentence he heard made him acutely aware of what kind of situation he had found himself in.
"Congratulations Ms. Schariac, twins!"
"Congratulations Ms. Schariac, twins! A healthy boy and girl!" The doctor congratulated the married couple now-parents as he wrapped the two newly born babies in towels before carefully handing them to their mother.
Cecilia held onto and cradled her babies, holding them close as if they were the most important things in the world.
“Ziggy dear, come look” Cecilia excitedly called her husband over. Siegfried quickly sat up from the chair he definitely did not faint several times on and walked over to his wife’s side to look at their two bundles of joy.
The doctor grabbed a nearby clipboard and pen. “Mr. Kaslana, Ms. Schariac, do you have names for them?”
Cecilia was quick to answer, eyes never leaving the two babies, “Of course, we already decided the names when we were first expecting. Kevin and Kiana Kaslana”, gesturing to each baby as she named them. The doctor wrote it down before stepping out of the room to give them a moment of privacy.
“They’re beautiful,” he whispered in awe as he looked at the two new additions to their family. Siegfried would be lying if he said he was 100% ready for parenthood, he was a bit immature at times and his cooking skills could probably be used to combat the Honkai if he could get them to ingest it. But Cecilia was his better half, and he knew that as long as they were together, they’d be okay.
Looking at his son’s face, he gently reached out to touch him. But upon contact he immediately noticed something was off.
“Hey Cecilia, are babies… supposed to be this cold?” Siegfried asked. The baby's skin was cold to the touch. Too cold.
Cecilia quickly pressed her forehead against her newly born son, eyes widening in panic as she felt how cold his skin was.
“Doctor! Doctor!” She screamed out for the doctor, the door immediately swung open as the doctor rushed back in.
“What happened?” the doctor quickly asked as he rushed over to Cecilia’s side.
“M-my son. H-he’s so cold”. The doctor quickly placed his hand on the baby's forehead, eyes widening as he quickly called out to his staff.
“Get me an infant bed with a heating pad stat!” A nurse quickly entered the room, wheeling in the requested items. The doctor quickly but gently took the baby from the two worried parents and placed him in the bed before the nurses began to wheel him out of the room.
“Wait! Where are you going!?” Siegfried called out. Followed by Cecilia crying out to the doctors.
“What’s going to happen to my baby?!” Siegfried quickly got up and exited the room, giving chase.
*
To say Kevin was expecting these recent turn of events would be a lie. Not only was he reborn into his own lineage, but based on what was causing his parents and doctors to panic, it seemed that Parvati’s genes had expressed themselves shortly after his birth, lowering his body temperature. Also he apparently had a twin sister.
It was that second point that was the biggest intrigue to Kevin. Parvati’s genes had expressed themselves only in him and not his sister as he was the one being rushed to another room. Another thing he took note of was that his lowered temperatures didn’t seem to match those of his previous body as his parents and doctors were capable of touching him without harming themselves. Was his powers weaker because he was a baby? Or was there something else at play.
As he racked his brain for answers, a sudden wave of drowsiness hit him as his newly born body demanded rest from his overworking mind. It wouldn’t be long before he eventually fell asleep.
*
Siegfried had followed the doctors asking, more so demanding, that they tell him what was happening to his son.
“Mr. Kaslana, we don't know for sure what’s happening to your son. We need to take him into an isolated environment before we can find anything out”.
The nurses quickly wheeled the baby into a separate room as the doctor stood in the doorway, placing his hand on Siegfried's shoulder to stop him from entering.
“I understand you’re worried for your son but please, let us do our job. We can’t have any distractions”.
Siegfried clenched his fists, seemingly wanting to argue, eventually letting his body become lax before responding to the doctor.
“You’re right. You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just… really worried you know?”
“I understand. Don’t worry, your son will be fine”. The doctor turned and entered the room, the door shutting behind him leaving Siegfried standing alone in the hallway.
Siegfried gritted his teeth. He hated this. The feeling of being useless, unable to help those he cared about.
With a heavy exhale, Siegfried would make his way back to his wife and daughter where he would update his wife on the situation. After that, there was nothing they could do but wait.
Despite only minutes passing since the doctor had taken their child, it felt like hours to the two parents as they sat in complete stress and tension. Their attention was soon drawn to Kiana, who eventually began to cry at the tension in the atmosphere. Cecilia rocked Kiana back and forth, whispering sweet words in an attempt to calm her down.
Half an hour passed before the doctor returned with no baby in hand.
Both parents looked at the doctor with horror creeping into their minds. With worry, Cecilia immediately asked the question plaguing her and her husband's mind, “is our baby okay?” Both parents were anxious as they awaited the doctor’s answer.
The doctor smiled as he promptly responded to them. “He’s perfectly fine you two”, he answered. The two parents let out the breath they were holding and relaxed back into their seats. The doctor walked over to the two parents and pulled over a chair to sit in.
“We’ve never seen anything like him. His internal body temperature is much lower than that of a normal person yet he remains perfectly healthy” the doctor told them, scratching the back of his head at the mystery this baby presented.
Siegfried and Cecilia looked at each other worryingly. Siegfried's eyebrows furrowed when a question came to mind.
“Is he going to be alright? You know, growing up?”
The doctor sighed and crossed his arms. “Truthfully I don’t know. At the current moment he’s healthier than any baby I’ve ever seen. As long as his lowered temperature doesn’t affect his body’s functions in any adverse way, he’ll grow up perfectly normal. Well, as normal as you Kaslanas can be. We’re gonna keep him under surveillance until Cecilia is ready to leave. As long as nothing changes, he should be safe to go home with you guys”.
As the doctor left, Siegfried pulled his wife and daughter into a hug as both parents began to cry. Relieved that their son would be okay.
Kevin didn't have much to do when he first woke up. He was still in a separate room away from his parents, alone with nothing but him and his thoughts. There was nothing much he could do but think about his current situation and sleep whenever his body demanded it.
When Kevin woke up from his umpteenth nap, he was greeted with the sight of his parents with his twin in Cecilia’s arms. They were finishing their conversation with the doctor.
“He’s all set to take home, but I want to see him back here for regular checkups just to be sure”.
His parents nodded before his father walked over and picked him up, gently cradling his son close to his body.
“Let’s go home”.