The battle on Earth had come to an end. With Asgard's involvement, Kagura no longer needed to shoulder the burden alone.
The Celestial Convergence soon faded.
Aside from some bizarre creatures crossing over from other worlds and a few Earth-native animals wandering into alien realm, there were no major disruptions left behind.
As for the Dark Elves, the Asgardians had rescinded the extermination order.
Malekith, with his final command and conviction, ensured the survival of his race.
What kind of future awaited the Dark Elves was no longer Kagura's concern.
Following the conflict, Kagura inherited many relics left behind by the Dark Elves.
Among them, the most significant was the Aether.
The Aether was, in essence, the Reality Stone one of the six Infinity Stones.
It possessed the terrifying ability to rewrite reality itself, capable of transforming thoughts into substance, bending the laws of physics, and altering matter and energy at will.
But such power came with grave danger.
Anyone without sufficient strength would risk being consumed by the stone, lost in illusions of their own creation, unable to return.
Even in the MCU, someone as powerful as Thanos used the Reality Stone mainly to conjure temporary illusions.
In ancient times, the Dark Elf Empire modified the stone into a weapon form, the Aether allowing them to wield it more safely.
In its weaponized form, the Reality Stone became a fluid-like substance that could infiltrate and bind to living organisms.
It was nearly indestructible even by Infinity Stone standards.
This fluid form greatly suppressed the stone's raw power to alter reality and instead funneled its potential into a single function: converting matter into dark matter.
According to Kagura's intel, if the Aether was used during the Celestial Convergence while all Nine Realms were aligned, it could have transformed the entire universe into a dark matter paradise.
Such is the overwhelming power of an Infinity Stone, it can effortlessly achieve what no other force dares dream.
———————————————————————
Rhodes Industries NERV Research Center – South of Berlin, Germany
"Identity confirmed. Kagura. Access granted."
The massive silver-white blast doors creaked open, revealing an expansive underground facility.
Kagura, her silver hair shimmering in the dim light, stepped inside.
This top-secret research site was known to fewer than three people in the world.
"Welcome back, master."
Cortana's voice came through her earpiece.
"Analysis of the Dark Elf battleship is progressing smoothly."
"Mass production of dark matter is now in motion."
"YoRHa Project's dark matter energy core development is 97% complete."
With the war behind her, Kagura now had two major projects in motion.
The first was the YoRHa Project, which had finally entered practical development thanks to the acquisition of the Aether and dark matter.
The second was the Next-Generation Superdimensional Fortress Project, centered around reverse-engineering Dark Elf technology and applying it to human-made starships.
Before her stood a colossal, classified underground hangar.
Inside was the cross-shaped mothership once belonging to the Dark Elves now half-disassembled, with its components sent to various R&D departments for deeper study.
This vessel held vast technological knowledge enough to elevate Rhodes Industries' tech to a whole new level.
"Cortana," Kagura asked, eyeing the massive ship, "has anything we've found in this thing helped with our own ship designs?"
"Yes, master."
"The new energy systems and dark matter armor have provided tremendous breakthroughs."
"Rhodes Industries is running at full capacity."
"These advancements will not only speed up the construction of the Macross-class vessels but also significantly boost their combat capabilities."
"Excellent," Kagura nodded, pleased.
"Looks like all the trouble we went through to get this thing was worth it. We really hit the jackpot!"
"And regarding the Aether—has the A1 Project made any progress?" She turned serious.
"Now that we have dark matter and the Aether, can we finally power the YoRHa core?"
"Just as you predicted," Cortana replied.
"With dark matter samples derived from the Aether, we've succeeded in building the once-theoretical dark matter core—the Black Box."
"The first YoRHa unit is now entering its activation phase."
"Alright. I'm going to see it for myself."
Kagura stepped into a nearby lift, descending to the deepest level of the facility—YoRHa A1 Laboratory.
This was the birthplace of her most ambitious creation: a new breed of artificial soldier.
The last time she was here, S.H.I.E.L.D. still existed.
Back then, she'd used Extremis to develop a self-repair system for YoRHa units.
However, the project stalled when they couldn't create a power source to match the theoretical demands of the YoRHa core.
Arc reactors simply weren't enough.
But now, with dark matter and the Aether at her disposal, the "Black Box" energy system was finally a reality.
After completing security protocols, Kagura entered the pristine white laboratory.
The advanced equipment remained just as she left it, automated, spotless, and eerily silent.
At the center of the room lay a coffin-shaped pod—the Cradle of Life.
Inside it, resting peacefully, was a silver-haired beauty.
She hadn't changed a bit since Kagura's last visit.
A1.
The first prototype in the YoRHa series.
Kagura had given her a fitting nickname: Sleeping Beauty.
Now, with the new core embedded in her chest, all systems were beginning to activate.
This bionic humanoid, built for the next generation of global defense under Rhodes Industries, was finally ready for her first power-up test.
'Vmm—'
Power surged through the lines.
The dark matter core began to hum.
A1's chest rose and fell rhythmically as her vital signs stabilized.
"Master, we did it," Cortana reported.
"Test Subject A1 is showing stable life signs."
"All body systems nominal."
"Dark matter core operating within expected parameters."
"Beginning full systems evaluation..."
"Good." Kagura remained silent, watching with calm focus.
A1 now had the energy to sustain herself, and her body was equipped with a self-repair system based on Extremis.
All that remained was the final piece of the puzzle—the software.
To bring A1 to life, Kagura knew she had to go beyond just engineering.
She needed to give A1 thought.
Awareness.
A soul.
"Master," Cortana's voice chimed in through the comms, "all system diagnostics are complete."
"Shall I begin uploading the artificial intelligence program to awaken test subject A1?"
"Based on the unit's specs, I recommend using Rhodes Island Industries' highest-grade AI—"
"No, wait." Kagura interrupted, halting the procedure. "Let me think."
She stood by the Life Cradle, one hand resting under her chin, eyes locked on the silver-haired figure lying peacefully inside.
This YoRHa unit—A1—was beyond anything built before.
Stronger than any Iron Armor, more advanced than any Iron Legion, and more autonomous than any existing AI-based weapon.
She had the potential to evolve… to develop a consciousness of her own.
To simply load a standard AI program into her would be a waste.
Then a thought struck Kagura.
What if this wasn't just the creation of an elite synthetic soldier?
What if this was something more, something like Vision?
A being not just built, but born.
A superpowered hero with self-awareness and purpose.
What if A1 didn't just follow orders, but led?
What if she became the commander of the entire YoRHa division?
The neural core of a collective hive mind?
Could the world change because of her?
Could this mark the dawn of a new era?
A bold idea began to take root in Kagura's mind.
Hmph.
It might just be worth the risk.