In the realm of consciousness, the glow erupting from Kiba cut into the grayness, illuminating the realm with golden radiance. As the grayness declined, endless bolts of lightning flashed into existence, opening the sky and splitting the sky.
BANG
Kiba’s aura exploded, forming a golden cyclone. The swirling force sucked the remnant webs of anger and hatred, freeing him fully.
In the real world, the grayness in the fifty sq. miles instantly disappeared. Extermination’s body twisted and warped, changing into that of Kiba’s.
"Cough!"
As soon as he regained control and returned, Kiba collapsed on the ground while coughing out an arrow of blood. Every single part of his body ached terribly, making it difficult for him to even stand.
Kiba took a deep breath. He has never felt so weak and exhausted in his life.
Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose stood before him without saying anything. Her ethereal body flickered, dimming.
"!"
Kiba lifted his head and looked at her. When she entered his realm of consciousness and helped him, he wasn’t in the state to react at her appearance.
Now seeing her, his face was plastered with the look of shock and disbelief.
"Claudia... she must have awakened you!" Kiba said, his voice shaking. "Long before the time I promised...!! Your true body wouldn’t be able to handle the side effects!!"
She gazed at him before nodding.
"Don’t blame Claudia for breaking our contract," Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose replied with a sigh. "She cares about you so she did the only thing she could to bring you back."
After saying this, the violet petals carried her figure into the sky.
Kiba didn’t say anything.
He already knew what type of price she must have paid to send her soul form away from the Divine Shrine. As for blaming Claudia, there was no way he would do that. She has rescued him, but he didn’t know if he wanted to be rescued now that he lost what he cherished the most.
"Hope..."
In the sky, Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose suddenly stopped. Her eyes behind the veil flickered with astonishment as she sensed something that should be impossible!
She stared into the distance, her vision passing through space and time, arriving into the isolated restaurant. Cosmic Emperor looked back at her, his serious face breaking into a smile.
"It has been a while," He said while holding sleeping Hope in his arms. "Then again, maybe not."
Despite her boundless powers that had no limit, Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
"How!? You are...!!"
She jerked her head towards Kiba who was still collapsed, his eyes moist with memories of his daughter. She then moved her eyes back on Cosmic Emperor before locking them on Hope.
From Hope, she sensed traces of multiple powers that transcended the universe. And one of that power was her own, radiating boundless vitality!
"You were in deep sleep so I didn’t get a chance to get your permission," Cosmic Emperor said, as if sensing her thoughts.
She didn’t reply. Instead, she scanned the powers inside Hope.
Grayness, Violet, Golden... and two more!
Grayness was the absolute beginning, violet was life, and golden was the evolution! At least that’s what golden and grayness signified before they were corrupted!
One of the last two powers was Time... somewhat impure. She didn’t care about this power as much as the last power that shocked her.
Eternal Darkness!
"You fused them with Eternal Darkness! You must have broken the equilibrium...!!" Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose stared at him.
"That was the only way," Cosmic Emperor gazed at Hope. "To get what I want."
Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose didn’t say more on this topic. Given her powers and knowledge, she understood everything, even though it shocked her.
Cosmic Emperor walked out of the isolated time and space, and appeared above an area filled with debris. Most of them were part of the building where "Hope" died by the astral finger of Hyperion.
With a complicated expression, Cosmic Emperor placed Hope on the debris and disappeared.
At the same time, far away, Kiba’s face constricted in shock. He snapped his head towards the debris as he felt the presence of someone he missed the most!
His daughter!
"Impossible!"
He forced his exhausted body to rise and transform into a beam of golden light. Breaking through the sound barrier, he arrived before Hope.
She was asleep, in deep slumber, but otherwise, everything about her was the same as he remembered!
The feeling he sensed from her, it was the same he always felt from her! Her being the extension of his life, sharing his source!
Something that couldn’t be fabricated or cloned! Because it arrived straight from the soul!
He didn’t wonder how she could be alive after exploding into a mass of blood before his eyes. He didn’t care about reasons or logic!
Even if he was living an illusion, he took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. The mist in his eyes turned into tears and dripped down on her.
In the sky, Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose glanced in the direction of Cosmic Emperor. He was back in the isolated space and time.
"I don’t have to tell you about the consequences of playing with Time and Fate," She said before turning around. "But rest assured, I will do what you want."
Cosmic Emperor nodded and replied, "Thank you."
Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose vanished.
Cosmic Emperor let out a barely audible sigh.
"My time is near end..."
****
Sometime later.
The underground facility, Dream Rise House.
The lab was damaged and as were the other sections. Deep cracks ran everywhere, showing fissures even in indestructible metallic walls.
Eva helped the droids in fixing up the broken equipment under Claudia’s guidance. Just as she completed fixing one equipment, the space around her twisted.
"He’s here!"
She was too familiar with the teleportation fluctuations created by Kiba. The twisted space erupted with a column of white light, converging into Kiba and someone she couldn’t believe!
"Hope?!" She spoke aloud in shock.
[[Lady Hope?]] Claudia was similarly startled.
"Claudia, it’s urgent! I need scanners for Hope now!" Kiba commanded. It was very difficult for him to teleport here in his present condition, but he has to.
[[Understood, sir.]]
Two medicinal droids stepped in to support Kiba as he placed Hope on the examination table. The high-tech sensors wrapped her body with streams of colorful light.
Kiba sat down on a chair nearby. One of the droids injected multiple energy serums into his body to help him fight the weariness.
Eva stood beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She didn’t need to speak to make him know she was there for him.
Kiba took her hand and held it tightly. He was nervous, something that his terrific powers and devilish wits couldn’t help him deal with. But Eva was there to do that, just like Claudia.
He didn’t know how long he stared at the examination table. Maybe it was hours before he heard Claudia’s voice.
[[Sir, she’s indeed Lady Hope. The genetical heritage, brainwaves, and energy imprints are the same as I last recorded.]]
Kiba nodded, waiting for her to continue.
[[The only difference is that she is in deep asleep, similar to an embryo. As you know, the embryo undergoes development in the womb, by absorbing nutrients from the mother to form tissues and organs. Lady Hope’s body has those nutrients in the form of multiple powers, and her body is using them to awaken her consciousness.]]
The virtual screen above the examination table flashed with readings of those powers. Claudia wasn’t able to examine them, but she was able to determine that some of them were similar to the ones Kiba informed her about.
[[As for how she revived... perhaps she didn’t die, to begin with. After all, many higher forms of life remain alive as long as even a single droplet of blood remains. Since Lady Hope was born with power Cosmic, we don’t know the extent of her strength...]]
Claudia wasn’t sure of her theory.
Kiba: "....."
[[Sir, have proper rest. Only then would you be in a condition to examine her.]]
Claudia requested after seeing no response from him.
[[I can’t confirm most of what I spoke, but I can guarantee she’s truly Lady Hope. So please, have rest for now.]]
Kiba spread his lips into a smile and nodded.
"Thanks for everything, Claudia. I will follow your advice."
He then glanced towards another table where Agatha was asleep.
[[I will wake her up.]]