Chapter Text
The next thing Ajax felt was that someone was strangling him underwater. It seemed as if his lungs couldn't get enough air and the terrible feeling of suffocation was getting stronger by the second. It was as if he had been dipped into a basin of water, allowing him to inhale air only every 20 seconds. It wasn't fatal for him by his training, but an unpleasant feeling of panic was slowly flaring up, because despite the suffocation he feels right now, there was clearly no water around him. In fact, he has no idea where he is at all and what is around him. Fortunately, after a minute, all this abruptly stopped, leaving Ajax hanging in limbo waiting for something, or rather someone. Next to him, Stellaron only made a short beep and spoke to him
"A little star can open her eyes. At the moment, it should be fine with her, but I strongly recommend doing it gradually so that you can get used to the environment. In a few moments, the little star's body will be able to tolerate external factors without my help. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience caused in the form of minor injuries to the body. Perhaps my attempts to deliver a small star to its destination were slightly enhanced by my delight. Which led to a not very neat series of actions."
Trusting Stellaron's words, Ajax, as instructed, tried to slowly open his eyes to see his location. Judging by the intonation in the mechanical voice of the stone, Stellaron, for some reason, was very happy to show this particular place. From this fact, the young man's brain went crazy with curiosity in search of an answer to his many questions about the situation as a whole. After a few slow blinks and rubbing his eyes, Ajax was finally able to look around. And what he saw took his breath away.
He and Stellaron were in some dark infinite space in which shades of purple flashed and sparkled. There was a feeling that these purple glowing things shimmered like ripples on the water. Ripples that soon turned into a completely different color. Instead of purple, he saw how these flashes turned into either bright white or burgundy colors. Breaking away from the sky(?) in this black space, he saw a huge Tree in front of him. It was so huge that it seemed to take up all the space here, leaving nothing to others. It, too, like everything else, was purple, only with shades of pink. From this tree there was a bright glow, which made it seem to Ajax like a huge flashlight.
In addition to its impressive size and glow, this tree also differed in how many roots and branches it had. Ajax had never seen them in such large numbers as here, it seemed as if there were just an infinity of branches. Looking more closely, he noticed that on each branch of this tree there was also a huge number of leaves shimmering with different colors. Some of them were falling off, but most of them were still in place. As for the roots, they were also huge in size, like the tree itself. They were also damaged in some places, as if someone had gnawed them and torn them apart. All this was so large that Ajax himself seemed to be nothing more than a small midge or bug. But looking at this tree, he couldn't help but wonder. What is this tree that grows here? Why had Stellaron brought him here? To understand the meaning of everything that was happening and ask for answers to his questions, Ajax turned to Stellaron, who was hovering very close to him. The Stellaron itself, instead of the usual shape of the stone, took the form of a sphere or core, which from time to time flashed a bluish color. Apparently noticing his movements, Stellaron flew closer, hovering right over Ajax's right shoulder
"I brought a little star here for a reason. I know that a curious splinter like you has a lot of questions. No need to worry, answers will be given. What the little star sees now is an Imaginary Tree, the source of all life that you know. This is a powerful entity-a dimension that gives the power to exist to everything that the imagination of a small star in a Sea of Quanta is possible. It is also the source of the powers of beings like me. Those endless leaves and buds on the Tree that a small star can see represent bubble universes in which a variety of creatures live. In one of these leaves is our world, from which you and I came. There are countless leaves on this tree and they all represent completely different, dissimilar worlds. According to my data, received from my brethren in some worlds, the essence of individual people can be repeated, forming different versions of the same person. Perhaps in one of these worlds is your version of the little star"
That is, all those numerous leaves are actually worlds compared to Teivat? These small worlds with a common connection in the form of this tree that connects everything possible? With a connection that shows how big the world that exists outside of Teivat is with a huge number of real stars and planets. Worlds that are not fake, but which are real, which exist beyond his understanding. What could be more beautiful than knowing the fact that far beyond his house there are so many places to explore. However, he is confused by one point
- What is a Sea of Quanta? Is this the place where the Imaginary Tree grows?
"Little Star is quite perceptive. However, this statement is not entirely true. The Sea of Quanta is a powerful entity-dimension. It is the place where quantum shadows appear, as well as the source of Quantum forces. Bubble Worlds are also born in it, and it is there that the Worlds of the Imaginary Tree fall. This can be considered a cycle of substances. The Sea of Quanta provides resources and a place for the growth of the Imaginary Tree, and the Bubble Worlds that have fallen from the tree feed the sea itself. Thus they are in eternal competition with each other, one trying to sink one, and the other wants to devour the other. It is in this eternal confrontation that we exist."
After these words, Stellaron stopped his broadcasting by simply hovering in the air. If the sphere had a face, Ajax was sure that Stellaron's face was written thoughtfully.
"However, according to my data, I can say with 97.8% confidence that the power of the Herrschers, and presumably me and my relatives, are connected with the power of the Tree, and not the Sea of Quanta. More precisely, it would be better to say that it is the source of our existence. However, this cannot be said for sure until all the data is taken into account"
Herrschers? Who is it? Perhaps these are people who absorbed the power of Honkai or Stellaron, thereby gaining power. He had seen it in Asmodeus' face. Of course, she never called herself a Herrschers, but the title Supreme Guardian is also quite no less sounding. Moreover, it is she who runs the whole Celestia, and if she is from Khaenri'ah, then it turns out she came to power not very long ago, plus or minus 500 years. However, despite this, she is still one of the main goddesses, which excludes all possibilities except one. She forcibly seized power on Celestia, defeating the then god. Surprisingly, does this mean that even with a small piece of Stellaron's power, she has become so strong. And what happens if a person consumes everything? Will he become an omnipotent god, stronger than the gods of Celestia themselves, or will he become this Herrschers?? Stellaron had never mentioned it before.
- You said the Herrschers, right? Who is it? It's someone like Asmodeus?
At this, the sphere glittered blue again and moved to Ajax's other shoulder. It seemed that Stellaron always wanted to move like a small child who was given too much candy.
"When a person or a representative of any other intelligent race finds himself in a zone with an increased amount of Honkai energy, the process of the Herrschers's birth can begin. At this moment, the human body begins to change: outwardly it remains almost the same as it was before becoming a Herrschers, but it multiplies its strength, strength and gets adaptability, which allows you to keep a huge amount of Honkai energy in yourself. Every Herrschers from the moment of his appearance is endowed with a special power. However, it is worth clarifying that Herrschers do not exist in the same universe. In other galaxies and worlds, there are also people who have absorbed the powers of Honkai or Stellaron. They call themselves by completely different names, although in essence they represent the same thing. People from various space organizations mistakenly believe that there are either Honkai, or Stellaron, or other scientific names that they have come up with for us. But this is an erroneous judgment. We all consist of the same parts at a fundamental level, however, due to the environment in which we are located, this significantly affects our approaches to achieving goals, as well as the development of our consciousness. I can confidently say that some of my relatives have extremely low development, which leads to further ... deplorable results."
After that, Ajax began to have a headache. He may be an adult in the body of a child, but this does not mean that he can so easily assimilate such a huge amount of information. There is a reason why he was known for his bloodlust, and not for intrigues and dramas. He just didn't have enough brain cells and the desire to come up with something complicated or ways to manipulate people around him. Hell, even Zhongli could easily deceive him, despite how many hints there were that he was clearly not a human. So all this new information just can't be processed by his young brain.
- ...don't get me wrong, comrade, it's really very interesting and all that, but could you somehow... tell me in an easier way? I don't really understand what you mean.
After that, the Stellaron stopped moving for a while, and just remained hanging in the air in the form of a lifeless sphere. Fortunately for Ajax, not much time passed, and soon he returned to normal. That is, to hover and glow with colorful lights.
"It may be a little difficult to understand this information in our unstable state, I apologize for not taking this factor into account. In order for the little star to better understand the essence of my monologue, I suggest that she imagine an insect. This insect originally lived only on one continent, but due to the fact that resources became scarce, they began to settle in different territories. Soon, due to the fact that these lands had different weather conditions, these insects began to mutate for adaptation and their further survival. Different conditions meant different mutations, from which the same insect species began to be called differently everywhere. Some of them have become more developed than others, and have also changed their hunting methods and coloring. It was because of such differences that they were extremely dissimilar to each other, though, and still belonged to the same species. Of course, they still have the same habits and nutrition, but other aspects have undergone a number of changes. You can say the same thing here. My relatives and I were formed from the same source – the Imaginary Tree, but later we settled in different territories to continue our mission and, consequently, existence. As soon as people came across us, they gave us different names, because they didn't know anything about us. Usually our number per universe was low, but there were some exceptions. So, for example, people from the universe where we are called Honkai were able to study our vast parts and become those who absorb our powers, thereby becoming Herrschers. There is also a universe where we are called Stellarons, and they seal us so that we do not bring further destruction. People in both of these worlds are really very smart as they have found a way to suppress our outbursts. Although I must admit that my relatives in these universes do not shine with their... intelligence."
After that, Stellaron paused again, most likely reading new information received from others. Ajax honestly didn't think that a talking stone could have an ego and a sense of complacency about being better than his brothers and sisters, but here we are. In fact, he could not even think that Stellaron could have emotions, since in fact he was just a stone with knowledge, but being with him more and more time, he began to catch something similar to joy, anger and sadness. It's as if Ajax was standing next to a person who had problems with self-expression. The more he interacted with him, the more he became humanized in his eyes, which was a rather strange feeling.
"Actually, a little star, our next stops should be these two universes. For a full demonstration of strength, according to my calculations, it would be better if we look at 1st Herrscher. More precisely, on the carrier of the core of 1st Herrscher under the name Welt Yang. He most attracted my attention with his ingenuity and dedication. Unlike other Herrschers, he never wanted to harm people, but on the contrary admired them, protecting them for their own further development. His arguments and logical reasoning sympathize much more than the animal desire to destroy. So I think that for a more vivid demonstration of the aspects of the Herrschers, he is the most suitable. Although these so-called goddesses call him a traitor, I think that of all the others he is the only one worthy of his title. "
Wait, so Ajax will watch the battle with this Herrschers!? From this, all his instincts were activated. A feeling of adrenaline surged in his blood from meeting with a new one of the strongest opponents in the history of the universes. He will be impatient to see with his own eyes what will happen next. From this joy, his childish part took over him.
- Then what are we waiting for! Let's go quickly!
Stellaron did not say anything to his impatient jumps, but simply continued
"Very good, little star. Please don't get out of my orbit while I'm moving us to Honkai's world."
Without understanding what an orbit is, Ajax nodded anyway. Sue him, but his curiosity eats him alive.
The next thing he realizes is that he and Stellaron are floating through the purple space to one of the leaves on the tree. One second he was next to the Tree, the next he was already flying in space among billions of stars. They were so different from the stars, and Taiwan, that Ajax once again remembered how fake his world is. Yes, the stars are nothing more than clusters of energy in space that have no mind of their own, but these stars, compared to ordinary stones at home, create a completely different feeling. It seemed as if they were as alive as he and Stellaron. As he flew through the corners of the vast cosmos, he could see planets, comets, various spaceships. It seemed that the world around him was endless, which was fundamentally different from his cage in the Abyss and in the world under the eye of Celestia. He wondered where they were going, perhaps to a world similar to his Teyvat?
The answer came pretty soon as they stopped near the planet located next to the blue ball (most likely where people lived), it was brown and deserted, well, and covered with strange pimples like rocks. This planet wasn't very big, but it was enough to fight a decent battle. To his mental question where to go next, Stellaron answered with his mechanical voice, which had something like a warning.
"Little Star, we are now heading for a fairly close distance to the active combat zone. I strongly ask you not to leave me for medium or long distances. Due to the increased danger, the risk that the star may suffer if precautions are not followed increases to 23.9%. Now we will watch the fight between the First Herrscher under the name of Welt Yang, as well as the Second Herrscher under the name of Sirin. I suggest you look carefully to realize all aspects of this power."
First and Second Herrschers? Does this mean that they are the strongest, since the Stellaron is on high alert. He may not say this, but the frequency with which his flashes flare up indicates his alertness to this situation. From this fact, Child couldn't help but chuckle at what monsters these judges must be to make even Stellaron nervous.