Looking at Theresa, whose body was pierced by the Subspace Lance, Ming Yu couldn't help but sigh. Although he hadn't expected much from the Principal, what was with this familiar-looking scene?
Even though Bronya's Project Bunny was dismantled by the Herrscher once, at least she was still fine!
After seeing Bronya start to run towards Theresa, Ming Yu also withdrew his attention. He looked up at the Herrscher suspended in the air, a playful smile on his lips: "A mere Herrscher of the Void, I'm afraid you're not worthy!"
The next moment, Ming Yu's body turned into a red streak of sword light and shot towards the Herrscher, while the Subspace Lance behind the Herrscher transformed into ribbons to block the red sword light.
The black fog of the Herrscher of Death dispersed and gathered, the Subspace Lances of the Herrscher of the Void shuttled back and forth, the lightning, fire, and ice of the Key of Domination shone in concert, the black flames of the Key of Corruption danced unceasingly, and the electric light of the Herrscher of Thunder never ceased...
The sunlight had long since disappeared, and thick dark clouds pressed down, a scene of the apocalypse.
Terrifying Honkai Energy was vented wantonly on the battlefield, indiscriminately destroying everything. Pits of all sizes were everywhere, the edges of which were littered with the residue of lightning, fire, ice, and black fog, indicating who the culprits were.
The flying red sword light came to a halt, the flashing blue lightning ceased, and the intersecting spatial fluctuations gradually subsided. Under such intense battle, even a Herrscher would eventually tire.
Ming Yu knelt on one knee, leaning on Jizo Mitama. The Crimson Demon Armor on his body had long since faded, and scarlet blood flowed from wounds of varying sizes as he panted heavily.
Compared to the two Herrschers, his combat endurance was the worst. Although he could erupt with power comparable to a Herrscher for a certain period, his stamina was far from comparable to a Herrscher with infinite Honkai Energy.
Under Ming Yu's care, Mei's condition was slightly better, but the armor on her body also showed multiple points of damage. The tachi in her hand had long been broken and discarded, and only the unextinguished electric light in her vertical purple pupils showed the girl's final stubbornness.
And facing the siege of two people, the Herrscher's injuries were naturally the most severe. Various piercing wounds were left on this body, and blood flowed continuously. Even if Mei would hold back when facing this face, Ming Yu, who was long prepared for this, had neither the intention nor the right to hold back.
But under the effect of the Gem of Serenity, the Herrscher's injuries were recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye, and her own aura was constantly climbing towards its peak state.
"Human... I admit... you are indeed strong... but under... the power of a god... you... are ultimately... just an ant..."
Panting, the Herrscher still spoke arrogantly. Even though her injuries were not light, she still stood in the void, maintaining the pride of a Herrscher (god).
"Is that so? Then you, try this sword!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ming Yu stopped panting and stood up. His entire spirit began to condense, starting to step into a new realm.
Ming Yu's right hand gripped Jizo Mitama tightly, and the longsword instantly turned into black flames, condensing into a ten-meter-tall phantom behind him. If one looked closely, one would find that this phantom had a highly similar appearance to Ming Yu.
Immediately after, Ming Yu gripped the only Xuanyuan Sword with both hands, raised it high above his head, and focused all his spirit onto the ancient sword. The body of the Xuanyuan Sword let out a series of hums, and a mysterious and sharp Sword Intent spontaneously emerged from the tip of the sword, rapidly growing stronger.
At the same time, the phantom formed by Jizo Mitama also clasped its hands and raised them above its head. A sword light, part real and part illusory, extended from the phantom's hands and suddenly expanded to over a hundred meters.
"This sword is the fifth discipline of the Taixu Sword Qi, the Divine Discipline." Ming Yu's eyes opened wide, and sharp Sword Qi burst forth. "Divine Sword of Taixu, strike!"
Following the word "strike," the Xuanyuan Sword in Ming Yu's hand also swung down heavily, and a majestic golden Sword Qi shot straight towards the Herrscher.
The phantom behind Ming Yu also swung down at the same time, and the hard-to-distinguish sword light merged with the golden Sword Qi, striking towards the Herrscher's body together.
Hearing that impressive name from Ming Yu's mouth, a hint of panic flashed in the Herrscher's eyes. Although she knew very well that these two were not the same sword, the current sword also possessed an unstoppable momentum.
Waving both hands forward, the Herrscher tried her best to open a huge wormhole in front of her, wanting to divert the power of this sword.
But the golden Sword Qi just trembled slightly and tore the huge wormhole apart, continuing towards the Herrscher without slowing down in the slightest.
Obviously, under an attack of this level, a basic application of space like a wormhole was just laughable and powerless.
In theory, the "Divine Sword" was actually a shaping and extension of Honkai Energy, just an application of Honkai Energy. For the "Divine Sword," weapons were never a necessity; the key was only the control of Honkai Energy.
Although Ming Yu's sword still borrowed the power of the Divine Key, that application and control of Honkai Energy undoubtedly captured the essence of the Divine Discipline.
Facing the approaching golden Sword Qi, the Herrscher still refused to give up. Corrosive black fog madly swept towards the Sword Qi, and Subspace Lances were also shot out, but none of them caused the slightest obstruction to the golden Sword Qi.
Amidst the Herrscher's terrified expression, the golden Sword Qi finally followed the pull of her aura and landed on her body.
A crisp sound of something shattering quietly echoed in the void, and the golden Sword Qi silently merged into the Herrscher's body.
In the silence, it was as if nothing had happened, and that brilliant sword light was just an illusion. But the gold in the Herrscher's eyes had faded, the clothes symbolizing her Herrscher power had changed back to that white armor, and her floating body fell down with a thud.
"Is it over?" Mei asked with a worried look on her face.
"Yeah." Ming Yu staggered a few steps, but still managed to stay on his feet. "The Herrscher personality has been obliterated, but Kiana will need some time to wake up."
"That's good..." Mei said softly, the purple-red in her eyes quietly fading. A deep exhaustion surged up as the Herrscher's power receded, making this strong girl seem a bit more delicate.
So, this should be the end of it...
Looking at the figure of the white-haired girl not far away, Ming Yu completely relaxed. Endless fatigue surged like a tide, and there was not a trace of strength left in his body.
Clack clack~ Clack clack~
On the ruin-like battlefield, the crisp sound of footsteps suddenly rang out, breaking the post-battle peace.
Who is it?
A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Ming Yu's heart. He struggled to lift his head, only to see a pink-haired figure walking towards the fallen Kiana.
How could it be her?
In his great shock, Ming Yu was momentarily speechless, only able to stare wide-eyed as that familiar figure unhurriedly walked to Kiana's side.
"Tsk~ What a pitiful fellow~" The girl shook her head gently and said with a sigh. "But, your opponent was that person, after all, so it's no injustice that you lost."
"In that case, you'd better give your power to me!"
As she spoke, the girl reached out her hand towards the fallen white-haired girl. Her slender palm made a grasping motion, as if she were really grabbing something.
The white-haired girl whimpered, her unconscious body twisting uneasily. Two crystal-clear hexagonal gems emerged from the girl's body and merged into the girl's grasping hand.
As the gems merged into her body, the girl licked her lips as if after a hearty meal. She glanced disdainfully at the white-haired girl whose breathing was gradually weakening, then turned and walked to the other side.
The girl took a step and had already reached her destination, crossing space to arrive beside Mei, reaching out to grab the black-haired girl.
"No, don't..."
Mei wanted to dodge, but her exhausted body was simply unable to escape the girl's grasp.
Gripping Mei's neck with her left hand, the girl gently beckoned towards Mei's heart, and a blue gem obediently emerged, flying into the girl's palm to be grasped.
After absorbing the Gem of Conquest into her body, the girl casually threw Mei's body aside and shifted her gaze to the only other person left on the field.
"Next, it's just me and Big Bro Yu~"
The girl's lips curved into a half-smile, her eyes full of mirth.
Looking at the girl's familiar face, Ming Yu only felt an icy chill. In those originally clear eyes, he could feel no warmth at all. Although there were a thousand words he wanted to say, they all turned into three words when they reached his lips: "Why!"
"I, am a Herrscher, after all~"
Walking slowly towards Ming Yu, the girl began to speak. As the last word fell, the Valkyrie uniform on her body was replaced by a blood-red long dress, and her clear blue eyes turned into scarlet vertical pupils, as if a boundless sea of blood was boiling within them.
Under those calm eyes, Ming Yu could vaguely feel a boundless anger and resentment, a hatred that had not been extinguished for thousands of years.
Ming Yu struggled to his feet, but as soon as he moved, the two Divine Keys in his hands clattered to the ground.
After such a fierce battle and using a full-power Divine Sword of Taixu, his body was already overwhelmed.
The girl walked step by step to Ming Yu, and a large white hand condensed in the air, gently lifting Ming Yu's limp body. Perhaps it was a Herrscher's instinct; she had only been in contact with a Herrscher Core for a short while, but she could already begin to use these powers.
Surveying Ming Yu's broken body, the girl clicked her tongue, a look of regret on her face, and sighed, "That Herrscher of the Void, she really deserved to die, daring to injure Big Bro Yu like this."
As she spoke, the girl slowly raised her right hand, and countless white points of light emerged from around her, merging into Ming Yu's body, repairing those shallow wounds in the blink of an eye.
Noticing the change in his body, the anxiety in Ming Yu's heart did not decrease in the slightest, but his exhausted body could no longer provide him with the strength to break free. So he could only try his best to widen his eyes, trying to discern the girl's intentions from that familiar face.
"Indeed, only a Big Bro Yu like this is worthy of being my collection piece~"
Seeing that all of Ming Yu's injuries had disappeared, a brilliant smile appeared on the girl's face, like a small child who had just received a beloved toy.
The girl beckoned, and a black longsword automatically flew into her palm. It was none other than the Key of Corruption—Jizo Mitama.
Seeing the girl's action, Ming Yu felt a sudden sense of dread. But before he could think further, he suddenly felt a chill in his chest.
Looking down, the divine weapon that had accompanied him through many battlefields was firmly planted in his chest. The sharpness of the Divine Key allowed the longsword to pierce through his body without any resistance, and gushing blood flowed merrily down the blade, dyeing the hand holding the hilt red.
Looking at the hand stained red with blood, the girl showed no sign of disgust. Instead, she brought her blood-stained fingers to her lips, extended her tender pink tongue, and licked them, squinting her eyes in pleasure as if savoring a delicacy. A faint trace of crimson at the corner of her lips added a touch of demonic charm.
"Hi-go-ku-ma-ru~"
Ming Yu opened his mouth, barely forcing out the last few words. As the blood drained away, the last bit of strength seemed to be drawn from his body, and Ming Yu's consciousness began to blur.
"Yes, I'm here, Big Bro Yu~"
Higokumaru answered crisply, her delicate face still wearing that gentle smile, but there was no warmth in her eyes.
His vision gradually faded, and the last image in Ming Yu's mind was the girl's cold eyes.
His consciousness sank continuously, and Ming Yu did not know when it would end. It felt like a very, very long time had passed, so long that even the concept of time had become blurred.
This is how it ends, huh?
Ming Yu didn't know if this counted as an answer, but his own path had indeed come to an end.
Since coming to this world, he had met many people and encountered many things. It seemed he had grown a lot and accomplished many things. But upon careful reflection, it seemed that he had not changed at all.
The world of Honkai remained unchanged. Those girls with ideals would still step onto the battlefield. The old would leave, and the new would still arrive, continuing this cycle that was not a cycle, until the end of the world.
Looking at it this way, what had he accomplished?
In his days at the Far East Branch, he chose to bear those responsibilities alone, moving between battlefields to fight against the Honkai.
Time and time again, he protected cities from the Honkai, time and time again, he liberated comrades who had been corroded by the Honkai, time and time again, he escaped death at the hands of the Honkai, time and time again...
But in the end, he had even forgotten what he was trying to do in the first place, just blankly carrying out one mission after another.
Recalling Higokumaru's cold eyes, Ming Yu felt little resentment in his heart. He knew very well that as long as the Honkai existed, someone would eventually walk down such a path.
The so-called Honkai, the so-called humanity, was nothing more than this entanglement of cause and effect.
But even if he understood this in his heart, he was ultimately unwilling.
These people and events, which were originally unrelated to him, gradually formed cause and effect and bonds with him after he came to this world. To this day, he could no longer turn a blind eye to them.
What he wanted to stop was not just the tragedy of Kiana and the others, but to end this cycle of tragedy on a much larger scale.
His somewhat chaotic mind suddenly lightened, and the question he had been pursuing for so long finally had an answer. A sense of enlightenment suddenly arose in Ming Yu's heart.
With a thought, Ming Yu's right hand shot forward and clenched into a fist. A brilliant ray of golden light burst forth from his palm, suddenly illuminating this void space.