Void 

The bombardment poured down like rain, pounding mercilessly on the ships and on the city.

In the skies above the blue city of Samarakanda, abandoned by the Machines, the battle for air superiority between the two sides is reaching its climax.

"The barrier won't hold any longer! No more...!"

"Lord Void! Get us out of the sky―Augh!"

The man's words were interrupted by a rumbling vibration that ran through the ship. One after another, warnings were flashing on the monitors, reporting the ships’ damage.

The attack that caused heavy damage to Void’s flagship was from a large cannon turret, Bardiel, that the city is equipped with.

Even though a single cannon was powerful enough, there were multiple of them towering over the city's walls.

"Ugh, that’s so annoying!"

Most of the turrets were destroyed by Dvergr, a type of mobile weapon launched from the flagship. However, the Dvergr suddenly went berserk during the battle.

Then, they chased the Returnees that were still on the ground, and disappeared from the battlefield.

One of the factors that led to this state of affairs was Void’s failure to consider any unexpected situations.

If Void had been conducting business as usual, he would have seen it as a game of clashing pawns against each-other while overlooking the battlefield, like a game of chess.

But, that didn’t happen. He had a reason why he couldn't keep his composure.

“Something to do with Mother is in there! I won’t let a bastard like Cainan let it get exposed when he’s been sneaking around my back scheming this whole time!”

He slammed the sideboard of the captain's chair he’s sitting in and shouted in anger.

"Mother's love belongs to me alone! Obviously, all of this should only be known by me, Void, her rightful successor!"

All he could see was the shadow of Saint Bathsheba, not the battlefield before him.

Bathsheba will always be the center of Void’s world. That is why he made the decision to eliminate anything and everything that stood in his way to reach her.

"All forces, immediately head to that fortress--"

"Lord Void! There's another communication incoming from that ship!"

"Huh?! ...Connect to it!"

As soon as he turned on the connection, Void shrieked at the person on the other end of the line.

“It's too late to beg for your life now, Lotto!!”

"What's that? Why do you assume you have the upper hand? It's Void's side that will surrender, right?"

Even this late in time, Lotto's arrogant, smug grin has never changed. It was an undeniable fact that Void's haughty attitude had only exacerbated it.

“Shut up, you traitor! This charade is over!”

“Huh~? What do you mean?"

"You always do this. You're playing games with me, trying to manipulate me, like you think I’m an idiot!"

“Aha, you’re still holding a grudge, aren’t you~ I have no idea what you're talking about, you know.”

Lotto jingled his bracelet to show off.

Void's anger, which had been building up and was being suppressed, showed no sign of subsiding.

"I'll get that bracelet back! After I kill you!!"

Void spewed his resentment at the monitor, unaware that he had completely fallen for Lotto's tricks once more.

The first time Void met Lotto face to face was when he invited him to Heraia to celebrate the accomplishments he had made.

At that time, we looked into Lotto's background and discovered that he was also a byproduct of Thero's research.

The former Hardline faction leader, Thero Dawid.

He was a loyal vassal of Bathsheba, and together with his like-minded followers, he was in charge of various research projects. Among these projects, the manufacturing of Paragons using the cells of Bathsheba and Solo was an area in which Thero was particularly focused.

Void and Rhea, who are amongst the current Hardline faction leadership, were also products of his research. Since his research was conducted outside of the Olympias Colony, it is no surprise that the man standing in front of Void - Lotto Twelve - is someone who is related to him.

"Hmm..."

He looked over Lotto's sample data and battle report.

The report is filled with photos that appear to have been taken in the air during the battle, and in each one, Lotto was smiling and waving at the camera.

Feeling a sense of uncertainty, Void ordered Lotto to stand in the center of the office.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the sample data, but… It's not a bad battle record at all. You will move as if you were my own limbs."

Void wanted an elite private squadron that would operate according to his personal will, separate from official forces.

To Void, who assembles the Hardline forces with an authoritarian iron fist, anyone who disagrees is a hindrance.

Lotto was the perfect candidate for the special forces squadron that would keep themselves silent and covert.

Entrusting him with behind-the-scenes work that the regular army cannot do is the equivalent to sharing one's own dark side. On the other hand, this means that he can turn around and dethrone him at any time— but in that respect, Void was confident that Lotto would never betray him.

A fanatical devotion to Bathsheba, their mother. This is an absolute requirement.

However, contrary to Void's expectations, Lotto's reply was extremely blunt.

"Hmm~ Isn't it a drag to be restricted like that?"

"--Huh?"

Lotto smiled without a trace of shame.

Not a single person had spoken to him in such a cocky tone since Void had been appointed as Prime Minister.

"Aha, I just said something crazy!"

"Y-You bastard...!"

Lotto laughed like this situation was natural to him, causing Void to suddenly rise from his chair.

“Hey, hey! ‘That’s blasphemy!’ Will you say something like that next time?”

"Hmph– don't be ridiculous! Don’t give me that smug little smirk! I am the lord you are to obey, the pinnacle of the Hardliners! Do you want to be executed?!”

"I don’t really care about that, y’know? Even the execution part.”

"What?"

“But I don't really like pain, though~”

The man tilted his head back and laughed, leaving even Void’s jaw on the floor.

Lotto's behavior was like that of an annoying fly buzzing overhead.

--This guy is totally insane.

He’s probably been this way since birth.

All that matters is that he enjoys himself. For that, he’s willing to put even his own life on the bargaining table.

That man, Lotto Twelve, is so unusual that just a few brief exchanges in conversation could make one believe that he’s insane. In fact, maybe the conversation wasn't even happening in the first place.

Just as this thought occurred to him, Lotto gently tapped his finger on the eyepatch covering his right eye and spoke as if they were having an entirely different dialogue.

"I'd be happy to take on that squad♪ Of course I can, because I'm the captain!"

"...What the hell is going on."

The conversation was starting to run in circles, leaving Void feeling extremely drained.

"I think it’ll make Mom smile♪"

"What are you talking about? Mother is already--"

"Eh? Is it different for Void? You hear Mom’s voice, right? Isn’t there a Mom in Void’s world?”

Void snorted in response, not even minding that he was being called informally by his first name.

"Mother is EVERYTHING to me! I am to eradicate the Machines and the Returnees, and to fulfill the great wish that Mother was never able to fulfill!"

"Okay, okay. Well, I’ll help you out, then.”

Lotto's eye narrowed into a crescent shape. His eye, which he could only slightly see, seemed to be directed at Void. But it felt as if it was actually looking somewhere other than him, into the distance.

"Hey. I did a favor for Void, so… Would Void do me a favor, too?”

"You can ask for anything. You can have all the latest and greatest armaments you could ever want.”

"Mm, I want that too. But what I really want is over there♪”

Lotto pointed to one of their Mother’s precious relics, which Void had carefully displayed and preserved.

"Y-You piece of shit! This is my--"

"Mom’s stuff, right?"

It felt cold, as if a sharp knife had been placed around Void’s neck. Lotto's words had a powerful coercive effect that made him agree whether we wanted to or not.

"...Alright."

"Aha, I'm glad you're a man of your word♪"

Whistling cheerfully, Lotto slips the relic bracelet of Bathsheba, given to him by Void, on his right arm.

"Well then, if you need me, just let me know♪"

Like a child who has been given a precious “treasure,” Lotto left the room in high spirits.

"Hmph..."

Lotto did it to make his mother smile.

Void did it to make his mother's wish come true.

Two very different people, connected by the same mother.

At that time, Void had no way of knowing that it would also be his mother who would cause a rift in the relationship between the two, even if they both work for her.

"I gave it to you, but I didn’t know it was all a lie!"

"Oh~ is that so?"

"You... You wag your tongue too much...!"

An out-of-place exchange ensues in the midst of a tense battle.

But even as they did so, the situation on the battlefield was changing by the minute. The number of markers indicating their own forces was gradually decreasing. Although the damage to Void’s flagship was still minor, if it continued to pile up, it would eventually cause it to crash.

If he doesn't decide on their course of action quickly, it’s only a matter of time before everyone crashes to the ground.

"Void! How long are you planning on sticking with that guy? He's just biding his time!"

“Aha, you finally figured it out?”

"Lotto, you bastard--"

Sargon forced Lotto’s communication to break off.

"That's enough, Void. When commanders display incompetence on the battlefield, more soldiers die in vain."

"I, I know that much!"

"Don't ask questions. If you don't want to lead, have a lover's quarrel with that man– after you have relinquished command to me.”

Decide now. Sargon's eyes, which glared at Void silently, told him.

"Everyone, prepare the assault ships to launch. We're going to crash this whole ship into his fleet!"

Void continued to issue orders.

The orders were absurd.

In order to break down the strong Samarakanda defenses, they would collide with another mobile weapon that had been accompanying them, Megiddo Gog.

Then, they would use the gap created by the suicide attack of the flagship and Megiddo to invade Samarakanda using assault ships.

Rather than retreating in a losing situation, it made sense to use their current maximum strength as a decoy and break them down from the inside.

Except the fact that it’s too ridiculous and absurd.

Sargon was about to ask if there were any personnel who would willingly stay behind on a ship that was about to launch a suicide attack, but his fears were unfounded. Void's regular forces are all composed of devout Bathsheba followers.

Volunteers were assembled in an instant, and preparations for the assault on Samarakanda then proceeded swiftly.

Megiddo Gog, severely damaged by Bardiel’s turrets and the bombardment of the fleet, crashed into Samarakanda’s defensive walls. The impact was so strong that it shook the earth, penetrating the impermeability of the defensive walls and engulfing the turrets along with the citadel. The collapse continues in a chain of events, and the azure blue city presents an unbalanced scene, a mixture of beautifully arranged streets mixed with destroyed blocks.

Void's flagship then launches an assault on Lotto's fleet, bombarding it with artillery fire. The flagship was piloted by followers of Bathsheba, who volunteered to go on suicide missions. They’re elite soldiers who are “used” when Void is cornered, or to deliberately mess with morale on the battlefield.

“LONG LIVE LADY BATHSHEBAAAAA!!”

The flagship abandoned all defense operations and allocated all its resources to attack, and despite being hit, it continued to take down members of the Samarakanda defense force one after another. Several assault ships took off from the rear deck at the same time as the suicide attack. The ships were small, each carrying only a few passengers, but this helped to disperse the enemy's attack.

While some ships were hit by stray bullets and shrapnel and crashed, the ships carrying Void and Sargon each landed safely in the city district of Samarakanda.

After confirming that everything was safe, Void immediately gave orders to his soldiers.

"Invade before it becomes a hive for all the vermin!"

"Are you sure you don't want to re-join Lord Sargon?"

"I don't care! There’s no way we can rendezvous in these circumstances!”

Outside the ship, the raw scars of the war remained deeply visible. Crashed ships and the ground that had been torn up by the impact of the bombs showed the intensity of the impact. However, the damage was minor in this area, as the infrastructure of the city was still intact. Void and his soldiers headed toward the city block, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

A few minutes later, a violent bang echoed in the immediate vicinity of the escape craft.

The sound was from a downed Samarakanda defense force ship. The vessel's power unit had ignited, and in the blink of an eye, it burst into flames. Just as it seemed like it would burn out, something tumbled out of the hatch of the ship. The human-shaped Machine mass crawled on the ground, enveloped in flames, in pursuit of Void— but was eventually crushed by the debris that rained down from above, and stopped moving.

Sacrificing everything, Void rushes into the city section of Samarakanda.

This city is sacred to Void, as it is connected to his mother, Bathsheba, who influences every action of his own. However, inside the sprawling structure, a scene completely opposite to the beautiful blue exterior unfolds.

The dark, cold metal walls stretched on forever, with traces of battle here and there. They were probably remnants of the Bathsheba War. Although Cainan had a hand in the city's defense, it was evident that they did not put much effort into the maintenance of the interior. Looking around the inside again, the iron corridors, with the same scenery stretching out as far as the eye could see, were like a maze. At the back of a passage that split into left and right, several narrower passages were connected. If they proceeded through any of them, they would be able to reach the place where Cainan awaited them.

Void, who had analyzed the situation, snorted.

“Hmph, you're trying to split your forces. How cunning of you.”

Not wanting to play into their opponents' hands, Void decided to proceed without separating his troops. As they proceeded, destroying the defense systems set up along the passage, Void and his team leapt into an open atrium structure. Unlike the previous corridors, this one was somewhat more open. However, this meant that they had to be even more vigilant about their surroundings—

"DEPLOY!"

Suddenly, a soldier in front shouted. The soldiers reacted to his voice and formed a crowd in front of Void, shields at the ready. Immediately after, a hail of bullets rained down from above.

"H-Ha… Hya!"

Void's pathetic cry was instantly drowned out by the sound of gunfire. He peeked between the soldiers to see what was going on, only to find them lined up in a corridor set up to overlook him and the others.

"What… is that...?"

In the midst of the sudden exchange of fire, Void looked quizzically at the enemy soldiers. They all looked identical, even though they were not wearing protective gear such as visors or helmets--and they all had the same face. One by one, Void’s squadron began to notice the strangeness of the enemy and began to voice their confusion. It wasn’t surprising to hear, because their faces were devoid of what should have been there. Their eyes, noses, and mouths lacked any of the parts that are necessary to identify a person. The only thing on their white, shiny faces was a pair of faintly concave eye sockets.

It’s a horde of white mechanical soldiers.

"Shoot! SHOOOOOT!!”

Void's soldiers were fighting back, but the odds were against them in a situation where there was a difference in elevation. These soldiers had to protect important personnel, and even if they were injured, they had to face mechanical soldiers who would fire back at them without a care in the world.

“Destroy the heads with impunity!”

“Fall back, fall back– Hey! They're coming from below!”

Mechanical soldiers jumped over the railings and descended below, closing in. Void's squad, on the other hand, skillfully fired away while protecting him, but were unable to completely stop the soldiers who rushed forward while protecting their heads. One of them that escaped destruction jumped into the crowd, and when the strategic formation was broken, shots from the top joined in. One by one, Void’s troops were killed.

"Regroup the formation! Lord Void, stand down--"

When he turned around, Void was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as Void saw that the situation was going awry, he fled by himself, fearing for his life.

――

――――

"Wh— why? Why are there Machines here..."

Out of breath, Void looked around for a place where he could escape. Even in such a state, fragmented thoughts were rapidly bouncing around in his head.

—Infantry, much like the soldiers operated by the Machines.

During the defense of Samarakanda, they were secretly being mobilized. What if someone had obtained a production base when they once conquered this place? It would take more than just Cainan and Lotto to pull off something this elaborate.

If anyone could do it, it would be—

As Void continues to repeat hypotheses and denials, the face of a familiar figure suddenly appears in his mind.

"Ah, that's impossible... That's not possible...! There's no way that could happen――"

—♪

"Hyaaa?!"

The quiet corridor filled with a cheerful hum that felt out of place. Then, the rhythmic thud, thud, thud of shoes followed.

The enemy is closing in. There’s no room to hide. It’s impossible to believe that the Machines could be stopped by a small gun for self-defense.

"I, I can't die in a place like this...! I, I don't want to, I can't..."

I don't want to die.

The prayers from a man who had treated the lives of his soldiers so carelessly were too self-absorbed.

"--Fo~und you♪"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Without even looking forward to aim, the pistol he held up was quickly knocked out of his hand. The shock of the attack sends Void into a panic, causing him to collapse onto the floor. He can do nothing but back away from the oncoming threat as a teasing laugh echoes through the air.

"Hold on, hold on! Isn’t that a bit harsh? You’re shouting at your older brother~"

"Huh… L-L-L-LOTTO?!?!"

Standing overlooking Void, who had fallen on his backside, was Void's brother, Lotto Twelve.

Void, fleeing from the enemy soldiers, encountered Lotto, who he was supposed to have killed just moments ago. Void's gaze wandered unsteadily, as if he still hadn't fully understood the situation. Lotto burst out in laughter at the sight below him.

"Pfft, kyahaha! It’s worth it to tease you after all!"

"Y-You BASTAAAAARD!"

When Void realized that Lotto was the only other person in the vicinity, he stormed over to him, as if his own panicked response from earlier was a lie.

"Wha– What the hell… Since when were you a traitor?!”

“I’m not betraying you, right? I’ve been working for Mom since the beginning.”

“Work, work♪” Lotto muttered absentmindedly to himself, in high spirits.

Meanwhile, Void remembered the day when he first met Lotto. That day they met face to face in his office.

Lotto declared with full innocence that Bathsheba might smile at him, surely.

He laughs in his own little inner universe, for her sake.

Perhaps that’s the true nature of Lotto— the man who Void has come to believe is truly a lunatic.

“So, you’ve joined forces with Cainan for Mother’s sake, have you?”

“Yes, we’re both working towards the same goal. Heh, it’s so nice of me to share all of this with you, isn’t it~♪"

“DAMN IT! My whole life– I’ve lived my entire life for Mother… Why?! Why must I be subjected to punishment like this?!”

As Void screamed in frustration, Lotto spoke bluntly.

"I don't think Mom would approve of you."

"G-Gah... GYAAAAAH!!! No, it's impossible! It can't be! You and Cainan are both inferior to me! Even the strength of my blood ties are— Um, ah, with the exception of that shitty brat, I'm the best, anyways…!”

Void’s mind was about to break.

Even if it wasn't from his own mouth, the words “rejected by Mother” were unacceptable to Void.

If what Lotto said is the absolute truth, he would have no meaning to life. He would have completely lost sight of his own purpose.

And then, he’d realize.

He’s worthless. He’s nothing.

He’s “void”.

“I won’t accept… Those words from the likes of you…”

To prevent his ego from collapsing in on itself, Void was frantically encouraging himself.

"In that case, why don't you ask her yourself?"

"...Ah?"

Void looked up at his older brother as if he was pleading. His expression was like that of a dehydrated wanderer who found a single drop of water in the desert.

“I played a lot with Void today, and I thought it was time to kill him, but I think... I’ll take him to see Mom, okay?”

Accompanied by Lotto, Void heads further into the depths of Samarakanda. It seems that because of Lotto's presence, the mechanical soldiers don't appear to want to attack.

"If you go all the way down here, you'll get to the very bottom. That's where Void will find what he wants."

Towering in front of Void stood a large, relatively newly constructed bulkhead.

"Well, my tour guide duties end here. Oh, and those soldiers can’t get to the other side from here, so don't worry♪"

"...Where are you going?" Void, who had been silent throughout the entire journey, asked in a lifeless voice.

"I was asked to come back up. I'm the gatekeeper here after all♪"

"Hmph, there's no way a guy who wanders around aimlessly like that could be a gatekeeper."

"Aha, that's a good point♪”

With that, Lotto quickly turned around.

Void aimed his pistol at his brother, who was whistling merrily, but…

"...Hmph."

He never put his finger on the trigger.

He turned around and put his hand on a red light in the bulkhead. Then, with a quiet noise, the bulkhead began to open to the side.

Beyond this point is the central compartment. And in the deepest part of it――

“Mother…”

Void himself had never seen his mother's remains. Thero's implanted pseudo-memories were all he had of her.

Hurry. I want to see her, I want to meet her.

That was the only thing that kept his heart held together.

The central compartment area he stepped into was an ominous place with the sound of vibrating machinery echoing endlessly. Most of the power was probably diverted to the devices in this section, so the corridor was dim and he couldn't see very far. The illumination leaking from the exposed machinery visible on the walls was a precious source of light. As he walked through the darkness, his senses naturally focused on what he was able to hear.

"It's like... It's alive."

Tubes pulsating like blood vessels. Walls with just the right amount of heat. It’s as if he’s invaded someone’s body with zero awareness. There’s an inexplicable sensation that makes him believe so.

"...I'm perfectly calm."

As if to remind himself, Void mumbles the same words over and over again as he continues on his way.

After a while, another door with a red light appeared.

That must be the very bottom Lotto had mentioned.

“It’s here…”

With a sense of resolve, he touched the door. Beyond it―― the woman named Bathsheba was there in a massive canister, floating and swaying in some kind of fluid solution.

"A… Ahhhh, ahhh…"

Although more than a decade had passed since her death, her face and her body had not changed at all, as if time had stopped. The figure peacefully sleeping was still the same as it had been back then, as if it could suddenly wake up.

Void, unable to stand still in the face of such a spectacular scene――

“MOTHER!!”

――Immediately broke into a sprint to touch the surface of the canister.

"Don't come any closer to Lady Bathsheba."

Void was abruptly stopped by someone’s voice calling out to him.

“Wh– Who's there!?”

Void, who had completely regained his vigor at the sight of Bathsheba, quickly readied his pistol and surveyed the area cautiously. His voice echoed far away, and he realized that the place was much larger than he had expected.

That’s when he noticed.

There were signs of what appeared to be a scuffle in the area, and the corpses of Paragons were lying all over the place. In the center of the room were two waist-high pedestals in a row. On them lay Eva, the supervisor of Perses, and a young Returnee girl.

"What the hell is this--"

"It's a ritual."

A voice came from the foot of Eva's pedestal. It first appeared to be nothing more than a black mass, but it slowly stood up— and revealed itself.

"Ca– Cainan! You… You treasonous BASTARD!!"

He reflexively aimed the barrel of his gun at Cainan's head. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Cainan laughed at him mockingly.

“Heh, if you shoot me, Lady Bathsheba will remain in that husk of a corpse for eternity, won't she?"

"You’re too late. Mother has already honorably passed away[1]. If you dare to toy with her sacred remains, I will kill you with my own hands!"

"No, she's still alive. In there."

Saying that, Cainan shifted his gaze from the canister in which Bathsheba was floating to instead face the Returnee girl, Nia, lying across from Eva.

"Wh– What..."

"Soon the vessel will be satiated. The resurrection of Saint Bathsheba will come."

Cainan said that Saint Bathsheba would be resurrected in the body of  a Returnee and return to earth.

“I-Is is really true that Mother…”

Void thrusts his gun at Cainan and begs for his mother’s rebirth.

“Hurry, Hurry and let me see Motheeer!”

Just like that, their situations had been reversed.

“Ha…Hehe… You really are… ridiculous…” Cainan struggles to speak and leans his body up against the pedestal, as if it was hard for him to support himself.

“It’s superimposition. The level of… attachment that was created. Honestly, this result exceeds my expectations.”

“Results? You don’t know anything about me, you bastard!”

“I know. You and I are both fools, after all. We weren’t made to understand.”

“I started this war to fulfill Mother’s wish! I took control of Perses! I brought prosperity to the Paragons! My Mother’s honor and affection are only for me!”

"Whose wish is that?"

“...What?”

“People are born without any wishes. So let me ask again—whose wish is that?”

His mother’s wish, whom he had worshiped with fanatic devotion. What she wanted was to destroy the Machines and Returnees and rule the earth.

That was what he had known from his implanted memories—given to him by Thero, his creator.

“Eliminate all who oppose me—”

Guided by that memory, Void spoke those words in his own voice, not from anyone else’s mouth.

“That’s absurd… That’s impossible. My wish is for Mother—”

Everything he’s done has been correct. Void appeals over and over again, as if to affirm this,

“Try to remember if you can. You have no beginning, after all.”

“I-I… and Mother…”

“You don’t know your mother. She’s been here from the very beginning.”

“Then what am I… Supposed to do…?”

—You’re hollow. You're Void.[2]

The unexpected words flash through his mind. It was something his creator and his mother’s confidant had often said to him.

—You’re not worthy of the name Ahithophel.

“You’re nothing. A nameless Paragon—not even given the name Ahithophel.”

“H-How… The man that knew that is already dead! He’s dead! Thero Dawid is dead!”

“But I’m right here.”

Cainan’s mouth twisted.

Void’s heart is shaken violently by the words of the man calling himself Thero.

“Actually, should I say he’s “part” of me?”

“Gch!”

“I’ll tell you—where your wish came from.” 

Void collapses helplessly on the spot.

As if running away from himself and the stubborn denial of his own existence, his gaze was vacant and wandering—seeking salvation from his mother immersed in solution.

At that moment, there was a reaction from the pedestal holding the Returnee woman. The console next to it makes a high pitched sound as if to make an announcement.

“Now, wake up.”

“Ah… ha… ah, ha… haa…ueee…”

Tears pouring down his face, Void simply sings his Mother’s name to himself.

It was the figure of a fanatic shedding tears at the descent of God.

The cable connected to the pedestal undulates and emits a dazzling light.

“That’s the mother you’ve desired.”

“Uuuee…”

Trembling with joy, a soundless cry escapes Void.

And then, a shriek like that of a newborn echoes across the room.

Nia Judith, the Returnee who had become Bathsheba’s vessel, awakens from a deep sleep and slowly sits up.

“This is my body... No pain, no suffering... Ahh, now I can take everyone away..."

The Saint of Destruction—Nia Bathsheba.

To the world, she will bring her blessings.

[1] It’s worth noting that Void uses “崩御” (hōgyo) to describe Bathsheba’s death. That term is specifically reserved for usage for emperors or members of the imperial family’s passing, further reinforcing Void’s own fanatical view of Bathsheba. 

[2] The kanji used here is "空虚" (Kūkyo), with the following meanings as options:

1. emptiness; hollowness; vacancy; void

2. inanity; pointlessness; meaninglessness​

I chose to translate this as Thero telling him “You’re Void” for the double entendre of him both being called useless and then Void taking it at his name.