And then—

Snap!

A crisp snap of fingers, like the sound of the universe's pause button being pressed.

In that instant, an invisible force—one that transcended all laws and principles—descended upon the entire battlefield.

The rampaging calamity legion froze in place.

The despairing coalition of the universe halted mid-movement.

Even the terrifying shadows of the Abyssal Sovereign and the Zerg Queen were completely immobilized beneath that omnipotent power.

For a heartbeat, everyone on the Dalton side stood in stunned disbelief—and then came the eruption of joy.

"That sound… it's the President!!"

"The President himself is here?!"

"The President is going to intervene?!"

"The ruler of Dalton!? Can he truly stand against that kind of despair?!"

Across the coalition ranks, hope flared within countless hearts.

In the face of such hopelessness, every soul yearned for a savior to appear.

The strength Dalton had shown so far was already awe-inspiring—but if the founder of such a force had now arrived… what kind of being was he?

Every gaze turned toward the center of the void.

A single figure had appeared there, though none had seen when.

He wore nothing but simple casual clothes, his hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm as he surveyed the chaotic, blood-stained starscape before him.

"You… what are you?"

From beyond the rift, the Abyssal Sovereign sent out a mental pulse filled with disbelief.

It could sense no aura from this man at all—as if the being before it existed outside of reality itself.

How could a "lesser cosmos," its hunting ground, harbor such a presence beyond comprehension?

Leo merely waved his hand lightly.

At once, every coalition soldier felt an immense surge of life energy pour into them, mending wounds, restoring shattered limbs, reigniting dying souls.

His gaze passed calmly across the fractured cosmos, finally settling upon the two colossal silhouettes beyond the rift.

"This farce," he said softly, "is over."

He raised his right hand, and with a faint closing motion—

The Abyssal Sovereign's massive body split apart.

The Zerg Queen's head burst like a detonated sun.

ROAAAAR——!

Ssssshhh——!

"What is this power—how could it wound me!? Impossible…!"

"Retreat! Get away from here, now—!"

But there was no escape.

Before the horrified eyes of all who watched, the two vast entities collapsed, dissolving into dust and nothingness.

Even the titanic rift in the heavens began to heal at visible speed, knitting the torn space back together until the universe was whole once more.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Neither the calamity legions nor the coalition troops could even think.

A single gesture had crushed the Sovereigns themselves—what kind of power was that?

The surviving demons and zerg fell into total madness and despair.

There was nowhere left to run.

Their doom was sealed.

"You'll regret this!" one abyssal general shrieked.

"The Demon Emperor and Her Majesty the Hive Queen will not spare you!"

"If you ever dare step beyond this universe, you will—"

Leo looked at him, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.

"Don't worry," he said.

"I intend to go."

"And when I do, you'll all be reunited—eternally."

He flicked his wrist.

In the blink of an eye, every remaining demon and zerg dissolved simultaneously into their most basic cosmic particles.

The starlit void fell silent again.

Only drifting ship wreckage and faint waves of residual energy whispered of the cataclysm that had just taken place.

As the last trace of abyssal miasma vanished and the zerg screeches faded into nothingness, the cosmos entered perfect stillness.

Yet the surviving soldiers could not cheer.

Grief surged through them instead.

Everywhere they looked, there were broken banners, floating corpses, and flickering remnants of fallen souls—each one a silent testament to the price of victory.

Countless mighty beings and civilization leaders had perished.

Entire worlds had been burned away, their living strength erased forever.

Sorrow and despair rippled through what was left of the coalition.

At that moment, Leo—still standing amidst the stars—slowly lifted his eyes.

"Time," he murmured,

"Revert."

There was no blinding radiance, no chant of power—only a quiet ripple spreading outward from where he stood.

And as that invisible tide expanded, the river of time began to flow backward.

Under countless awestruck gazes, Reize's form reassembled in reverse, like a film rewinding.

His body solidified from mist to flesh once more, filled with surging vitality—as if his heroic sacrifice had been nothing but a dream.

Elizabeth's pale face regained color; the wounds carved into her soul and body closed as time itself rewound.

She blinked in disbelief, seeing herself whole again amid the teary, joyous faces surrounding her.

Aragis, moments from death, was pulled from the brink.

He clenched his lance in silence, eyes flashing with emotions too fierce to name.

Elder Green Leaf of the Forest Alliance, the mechanical civilization's core, the fallen Ancient Guardians, the slain leaders of countless races, even ordinary soldiers—their figures were drawn back from oblivion one by one, re-stitched into existence.

They stood once more beneath the stars, carrying the fragmented memories of their final moments, confusion giving way to astonishment.

A hush fell—and then came the thunderous wave of cries and cheers.

"Commander Reize! Marshal Elizabeth!!"

"Lord Aragis!!"

"Elder Green Leaf—you're alive!"

"The logic core's been restored!"

Reize froze for a moment, then turned toward Leo.

The battle-hardened warrior's eyes reddened instantly.

Elizabeth and Aragis exchanged glances, both seeing the same mixture of awe and emotion reflected there.

Tears streamed down Elder Green Leaf's aged face.

He and the other resurrected leaders and guardians all turned to face Leo, performing the highest rites of reverence their civilizations possessed.

They understood—this was no mere power.

This was a miracle.

The man before them had not only reversed death itself, but given the universe a new chance to live.

Leo's gaze swept across the multitude of faces—ecstatic, reverent, trembling.

He, however, felt no pride.

If not for the delay caused by Lilith's disappearance, none of them would have had to die in the first place.

Leo turned once more, slowly raising his right hand toward the direction where the valiant souls were about to fade.

He closed his fingers gently.

In that instant, a most profound fluctuation of law swept over the region.

Those ancient existences who had been unraveling into nothingness were as if paused mid-dissolution.

The process of dispersal was forcibly halted, and they were stabilized in a state poised between being and non-being.

Everyone who witnessed it held their breath.

Even those ancients themselves stared, stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Leo's gaze passed calmly over these predecessors, and he spoke, voice low and steady.

"Seniors, for the sake of the universe, you burned the last of your lives. For this merit, the universe will remember you."

He paused.

"If you do not disdain it, you may join my Dalton—not as lingering shades, but reborn, to return with even greater strength and continue guarding all that you cherish."

A deathly silence spread among the ancient beings.

At length, a Guardian whose aura was as old as time itself spoke:

"Your Excellency, we accept your kindness. But our souls are spent—like rotted wood—there is no future left for us…"

"I can give you a future," Leo replied—simple, direct, and utterly confident.

"Dalton can grant you new life, and remake your souls."

"A true rebirth."

"...This—!!"

Rebirth?

Could such a thing be possible?

If one could truly live well again, who would ever choose to vanish from the world?

After a brief, stunned hush came answers, trembling between rapture and disbelief:

"We are willing!!"

"We will join Dalton! We will follow Your Excellency!!"

"—"

There was not a trace of hesitation.

For those who had long set life and death aside, Leo's promise was nothing short of a miracle.

A faint smile touched Leo's lips.

He said nothing more.

A miniature world slowly unfurled in his palm—his World-in-Hand.

A gentle yet boundless pull arose, and all those ancient Guardians who chose to follow him were received within.

He would reshape their souls and fashion new bodies for them.

As for their allegiance and steadiness of heart—there was no cause for concern.

Their character had been tempered and proven by ages uncounted.

When all was done, Leo's eyes swept the battlefield once again.

Though catastrophe had passed over them, every surviving face shone with yearning for tomorrow—with limitless hope for the future.

Scarred warships still glimmered with unyielding light, and warriors of many races held one another up.

He rose into the air.

His voice carried, calm and resonant, into the ear of every living soul.

"Everyone, after this war, Dalton will join hands with all who share our ideals to build an order together. From this day on, our home will be guarded by our own hands, and our future shall know no more shadow!"

"President Leo, eternal!!"

"The universe shall endure!!"

"Order everlasting!!"

The thunder of cheers rolled through the vast cosmos, proclaiming the end of an old age— and the dawn of a new era bright with hope.

Countless years later, should a traveler set foot in this star-field—once steeped in blood and fire, then cleansed by the light of hope—they would still find, at the heart of many worlds, towering statues.

Their subject bore a tranquil face and a deep gaze, as if still watching over the peace and prosperity of this place.

The smoke of war slowly dispersed.

Leaders and envoys of many civilizations converged upon the seat of the Dalton Legion aboard starships of every style.

Representatives of the Crystal Cluster civilization, Elders of the Forest Alliance, members of the Ethereal Trade Union, envoys of the machine-intelligences—already they were calculating the infinite opportunities that lay here…

"Your Excellency, President!"

Elder Green Leaf of the Forest Alliance stepped forward first.

The creases of his weathered face eased with joy, like the bark of an ancient tree after storm and rain.

"Please accept again our most heartfelt thanks. You and the warriors of Dalton have saved the flame of order from being extinguished in the tides of chaos."

Leo inclined his head slightly, gaze even as it swept across the assembly.

"Elder Green Leaf, guides of all your civilizations—Dalton has only done what must be done.

The universe is no lonely isle. This honor belongs to every soul who held the line in darkness and fought on in utter despair."

At that moment, the crowd parted of its own accord, and the Emperor of the Luminous Empire advanced at a measured pace.

He had set aside his gleaming platinum armor for a solemn imperial robe, yet the golden eyes that once dimmed with weariness now shone anew.

"Lord Leo," Oradin said, his voice carrying like a clarion.

"On behalf of the Luminous Empire—and on my own behalf—thank you for saving our lives."

He placed his right hand over his heart and bowed—a gesture of the highest courtesy from a renowned sovereign.

"Your Majesty overpraises me," Leo answered.

"The sacrifices of the Empire's soldiers upon the line—everyone saw them."

Oradin straightened and let his gaze drift past Leo to the woman with violet, star-bright eyes—Elizabeth.

Complex emotions kindled there: guilt hard to name, and a faint glimmer of hope.

"Elizabeth…" His voice lowered.

Her body gave the slightest tremor, but she mastered herself and offered a faultless salute.

"I greet Your Majesty."

The eyes of many leaders moved between the two of them.

To such seasoned observers, the source of Elizabeth's sword legacy was plain enough.

In a scene like this, things were clearly… complicated.

A ring of onlookers gathered in silence, watching the old emperor's soap-opera of a family matter unfold.

Well—there would certainly be a new topic for future banter and bickering at summits…

Oradin drew a slow breath.

"Here and now, I must apologize—for what your mother suffered, and for her passing."

He paused, as if suppressing a surge of feeling.

"At the time, I was consumed by the game of power and the expansion of the Empire. I neglected the most precious thing by my side."

His words cracked like thunder through the crowd.

What?!

The Marshal of the Dalton Legion—this old Oradin's daughter?

Then doesn't that make the Luminous Empire and Dalton… family?

At the very least, "closest ship at the pier drinks first," as the saying goes!

No wonder the Luminous Empire inexplicably sent Calvin across the stars to the world of Elarielle.

So that was it…

Representatives from many civilizations traded looks.

It seemed this old fox Oradin would be even harder to cross in the future.

Elizabeth pressed her lips together; a daze flickered through her violet eyes.

In that moment she seemed to see again the cold palace of her childhood, her mother's gradually dimming gaze, and the silhouette of the man before her—her father—laboring through the night over imperial memorials.

Her lashes lowered, veiling the storm in her eyes.

"...It's all in the past now, Father."

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