As Shu watched the group complete their encirclement in the air, a tempest of emotions churned uncontrollably within him.
The abilities displayed by Noah's Ark had far exceeded his expectations. Combined with the [Binding] authority from Judah, the group was now actually capable of keeping up with him.
And when you looked at it from another angle, you understood what "keeping up with Shu" truly meant.
It meant that as long as Noah's Ark and Judah were present together, the group now had the complete ability to escape from Shu, or from any Herrscher for that matter!
The way [Desire] could instantly reach a destination once it was set was simply too overpowered.
And Noah's Ark's greatest weakness—having only half a core—was automatically resolved when Judah came aboard. The one and a half cores' worth of authority between them was enough to overwhelm the authority suppression of single-core Herrschers, preventing situations where Shu could just "drag" people back with his own power.
The current Shu didn't have his scepter, and the authority of [Vision] was left back at the base. With only a single core, he was also one of the people who couldn't catch up to Noah's Ark.
At least... they finally have the ability to protect themselves, don't they?
At this point, Shu would have to be a complete idiot not to figure out what everyone was trying to do.
The true purpose of this selection trial was for everyone to gather and prove to him that they now had the power to defend themselves, right?
Perhaps... taking it a step further, they wanted to prove they now had the power to defeat a Herrscher?
A small smile, just a few pixels wide, tugged at the corner of Shu's mouth.
A Herrscher...
They're stronger than you can possibly imagine.
With a sudden wave of his hand, [Hope] surged for an instant. The next moment, all the Titans shuddered, their frames groaning with a deafening screech as if they had rusted over.
"The mechs have been invaded by something!" In the mech squad, Sussanna was the first to notice the anomaly and report it.
"Erosion..." Bronya frowned. This ability, filled with a sense of déjà vu, could only mean one thing—Shu had simulated the power of Erosion.
The goal was simple. Everyone's ability to confront him in the air was dependent on the Titan mechs. Therefore, by taking out the Titans first, the sky would once again become Shu's domain.
"Release powerless floating mines. Headmaster, change the link target of Noah's Ark to these floating mines."
"Titan mech squad, you may withdraw for now. Units one, two, and three, stand by. The rest of the members, dismantle all melee equipment and switch to fire support attachments."
"And—a unified command. Everyone, activate the [Thousand Stars of Reason]."
As the final command appeared in everyone's minds, a look of relief washed over their faces.
"I've been wanting to try this for a while!" Siegfried still had ice clinging to him, his face was still bluish from the cold, and the greatsword of Shamash in his hand was dim.
But when he followed Bronya's instructions and lightly swiped the medal, his complexion visibly returned to normal, and the Judgment of Shamash in his hand once again radiated terrifying heat.
It was as if he had returned to his peak in that very moment!
Not just Siegfried, but Fu Hua, Cecilia, Nicholas...
Shu watched as everyone changed after activating the Thousand Stars of Reason, but the one who changed the most...
Shu's heart suddenly stopped. He turned his head, looking in Kiana's direction in disbelief.
At the same time, the voice of Evolution echoed in his mind once more.
"Behold! Shu! This is the newest limit on the path of evolution!" Evolution's voice was manic, filled with a boastful tone. "Thanks to the authority of that fragment of theory, Kiana can finally, without risk, reach the end of this road!
"This is the true destination! What kind of evolution is it to be timid and hesitant!"
Shu's pupils trembled. On Kiana's body, the Key of Genesis, which should have been external armor, had vanished. In its place was a magnificent long dress engraved with mysterious blood-red patterns.
And those armored long boots, Kiana's flowing long hair...
She looked just like... just like...
The Herrscher of the Void! A blood-red Herrscher of the Void!!
"This is the limit of theory! 150% of the Key of Genesis! The truly perfect evolution, crowned as a king!"
Shu felt his brain explode. His senses scanned Kiana inside and out three times in an instant before he could barely calm down.
Really... there's no damage like before?
The only thing that could be called a side effect was that after activating this state, a few more red strands appeared in Kiana's hair.
"Are there really no side effects?" But Shu still couldn't quite believe it. He asked Evolution through the channel he didn't know how was established.
"Are you questioning me?" Evolution simply retorted. "Why don't you ask the other guys? They may not have eyes, but they can see more clearly than you."
Other guys?
"Mm, I can't see any problems either. The power of [Theory] is weak, but it integrates quite well with our powers," a somewhat childish male voice sounded. It was Noah.
"Agreed," another girl's voice briefly stated her opinion. This was Depascal.
This channel really is the Herrschers' internal channel... how was it established?
[Binding]?
Shu fell silent. The information from his senses also confirmed what Noah had said.
The bit of authority on the Thousand Stars of Reason was insignificant, but it had perfectly integrated into the Key of Genesis, allowing the Key of Genesis and Kiana to successfully reach the "theoretical limit."
It could be seen from the others as well. The Thousand Stars of Reason had this effect, allowing the wearer's state to reach their personal theoretical best.
Looking at the Titan mechs that had already released their floating mines and withdrawn from the main battlefield, the traces of erosion on them had also disappeared, leaving only a faint aura of authority.
"Shu!" Kiana opened her eyes, revealing a pair of blue eyes with divine patterns. "I feel terrifyingly strong right now!"
This was her first time entering this state. It was unimaginable that just a 1% increase in activation rate could cause such a massive qualitative change.
Seeing the color of her eyes, Shu's nearly exploding heart inexplicably calmed down again.
"How long can this last?" But Shu still asked.
"Heh..." Evolution snorted, as if it had been waiting for this moment for a long time, its words filled with suppressed excitement. "Beg me. Beg me and I'll tell you."
Shu: ...
"I'm begging you," Shu gave Evolution the answer it wanted with a blank expression, seemingly indifferent.
Evolution: ...
Couldn't you at least hesitate a little? Struggle, suffer, or show some kind of humiliated expression?
It seemed there was no hope for that.
"Thirty minutes," Evolution replied listlessly. The other two voices gave the same answer.
Thirty minutes, huh... Shu took a deep breath, his gaze suddenly turning cold.
Then I'll end this battle in ten!