Otto could only sigh as Senti laid out her revenge plan.
Well, HQ's getting wrecked. Nothing I can do.
Soon, all Valkyries were evacuated from Schicksal HQ, retreating to ships offshore to watch the spectacle.
With the coast clear, Senti grinned—a perfectly healthy smile.
"HAHAHA—! THIS MOVE, REVERSE ALL CREATION!"
Crimson chains erupted from the void, binding every structure.
A snap of her fingers—
BOOM! CRASH!
Buildings collapsed like dominoes.
Then, wielding a massive sword, she went on a rampage—
Starting with Otto's gaming server room.
Watching his hard-earned rankings (read: cheated #1 spots) sink into the ocean, Otto's heart bled.
To a man, gaming achievements were sacred.
Yet he could only watch helplessly.
Once Schicksal was reduced to rubble, Senti left—her next target: Bronya on a highway overpass.
Otto surveyed the floating wreckage.
"Fu Hua… Please guide that child onto the right path. She's too… feral."
Rubbing his temples, he shot Fu Hua a pained look.
"First, I'm not her parent. Second, she's not a child. Third… I'll try."
...
Late at night, Bronya raced down the highway on Project Bunny 19C—
Practicing her Herrscher of Reason powers.
(Mostly an excuse to speed. She missed this thrill.)
Once this is over, I'm taking Seele for a ride.
(Seele: "Bronya-oneechan, no license = no rides!")
SPLASH!
Waves crashed below—ignored by Bronya.
Until a shadowy figure shot up from the water.
Bronya spotted it in the rearview—crimson eyes, wreathed in black mist.
No hesitation: She materialized missiles and fired.
BOOM!
Smoke engulfed the figure—
But a second later, it smashed through, charging straight at her.
Bronya transformed Project Bunny into stand mode, fist cocked—
The figure mimicked her, throwing a punch of its own.
CLANG!
Bronya and Bunny went flying, crashing through guardrails into the sea.
A quantum shield activated just in time—
But the figure dove after her, clawing at the barrier.
Then—CRACK—it pierced through, grabbing Bronya by the collar.
POW!
Another punch sent her soaring back to the surface.
Bronya barely managed to morph Bunny into a speedboat and fled.
The figure didn't pursue.
"Hah! Even among Herrschers, I'm the strongest!"
Revealing herself, Senti stood atop the waves, laughing maniacally.
In her eyes, only three beings in this era rivaled her:
Truth. Origin. Finality.
The rest? Insects.
Meanwhile, Bronya—though escaped—was shaken.
Since becoming a Herrscher, few had humiliated her so effortlessly.
First World Serpent's Sovereign, now this… thing.
Are Herrschers humanity's calamity… or is humanity ours?
Why do these monsters keep appearing?!
Back at Anti-Entropy HQ, Bronya reported the incident to Einstein and Tesla—
Just as Theresa arrived with intel:
"An intruder destroyed 90% of Schicksal HQ, fought World Serpent's leader… and walked away unscathed."
"WHAT THE HELL?! Since when did the world get this broken?!"
Tesla wanted to flip a table.
If beings stronger than Herrschers were popping up like weeds—
What's the point of Anti-Entropy?!
"We'll table that. Right now… we're going to Taixuan Mountain."
Kiana's declaration silenced the room.
"The Class Monitor lived there. Her sect, her past, her secrets—all there."
"Including the Taixuan Imaginary techniques to control Herrscher powers."
Bronya nodded. "Agreed. That thing overpowered me because I'm not fully synchronized."
Einstein adjusted the Hyperion's course.
"Next destination: Taixuan Mountain, Shenzhou."
Days later...
"So this is where Class Monitor lived? It's… peaceful. Maybe I'll retire here someday."
The serene scenery eased Kiana's tension—until she sensed familiar energy.
"That's… the Class Monitor's Honkai signature! Faint, but there!"
She sprinted ahead, Bronya trailing.
Soon, Kiana found a crimson feather—
Only for Honkai beasts to surround them.
Normally, these would be trivial.
But with their powers restricted, both girls struggled—
Especially Kiana, whose condition worsened with every energy use.
SWISH! SWISH!
Blades of light cleaved through the beasts.
A woman emerged from the carnage.
"I am Lin Zhaoyu, first disciple of the Taixuan Sect—apprentice to the Immortal Phoenix."
She sheathed her sword, smiling gently.
(This Lin Zhaoyu wasn't an illusion—but alive, thanks to the altered timeline.)
Having seen the "script," she knew these girls' importance—
And the truth of the Seven Disciples' betrayal.
(Chang Yuan had shown only the five disciples—sparing Fu Hua the painful memory.)
"Immortal Phoenix? That sounds familiar…"
Bronya's eyes widened. "During the Chiyou incident—there was a statue. Wasn't that the Class Monitor?"
"You know Shifu?"
Lin Zhaoyu played dumb as the girls explained.
"I see. So she's been guiding you below the mountain… Come. This isn't the place to talk."
She led them to the true Taixuan Mountain—
Stopping at a broken bridge.
"What you seek isn't the Taixuan techniques—but the Heart of the Sword."
"However… I cannot teach you. But you may find it yourselves."
She gestured to the feather in Kiana's hand.
"I tried! My consciousness got rejected!"
"Let me assist."
Taking the feather, Lin Zhaoyu pressed it to Kiana's chest—
FLASH!
Both girls collapsed, drawn into Fu Hua's memories.