As a destructive light flashed across the night sky, the Titan mechs that had begun to besiege the Hyperion were almost completely annihilated by Himeko's single blow.
Himeko, having fired that shot with all her might, was now panting heavily, the strain from the Nexus System overwhelming her.
As for the sense of satisfaction from defeating the enemy...
There was none.
Such a thought never even crossed Himeko's mind.
Watching the retreating Titan mechs, all she felt was a burning rage.
The Nexus System was her trump card, something she had saved to deal with a Herrscher.
But now, she had been forced to play this card because of human infighting.
In Himeko's mind, no matter how much Anti-Entropy loved to oppose Schicksal on a normal day, they shouldn't be trying to blow each other's brains out when a major Honkai Eruption occurred.
She didn't expect Anti-Entropy to provide their full support, but was it too much to ask for them to at least not get in the way?
Then, Anti-Entropy's actions delivered a resounding slap to her face.
A major Honkai Eruption?
We, Anti-Entropy, caused it.
Schicksal came to stop the Eruption?
Attack them!
Attack them with lethal force!
If the enemy hadn't been genuinely trying to dismantle the Hyperion, Himeko would never have wanted to use this trump card.
But now, it was too late for regrets.
"Major Himeko, the enemy has begun to retreat! Please terminate the system link!"
"No, I'll maintain this state for now."
Still gasping for breath, Himeko suppressed her anger towards the enemy and spoke to her subordinates outside.
"If the Herrscher is hiding, just as I suspect, she'll likely launch a surprise attack on us after we've worn each other out fighting Anti-Entropy."
"If I'm not in the Nexus System at that moment, it will be too late for me to get back in when the Herrscher strikes."
"Just lower the connection's power output. That way, I can stay connected to the Nexus System for a while longer under a reduced load."
"As for what comes next... once the other A-rank Valkyries sent from HQ arrive as reinforcements, we should be able to breathe a little easier."
...
After witnessing the Hyperion unleash such a terrifying cannon blast, Siegfried decisively parted ways with Leo Ash.
Although he didn't trust Otto's character, he had to admit that he strongly agreed with one of Leo Ash's points.
From a colder, more pragmatic perspective, the probability of Otto sparing Mei's life was actually quite high.
He had previously learned from a friend within Schicksal that Otto had conducted several "Artificial Herrscher Experiments" over the past two years.
And in these experiments, apart from an A-rank Valkyrie named Wendy who had fused with the Gem of Desire in a bizarre way, all the other A-rank Valkyries had died.
In Otto's eyes, Mei, who had now successfully awakened as a Herrscher, was undoubtedly the most perfect experimental subject.
Based on Siegfried's understanding of Otto, all he needed to do now was offer a little guidance and release some information, and Mei would develop an immense, terrifying hatred for Cocolia.
And Cocolia was a member of Anti-Entropy.
Although Mei knew that Raiden Ryoma was also part of Anti-Entropy, right now...
Sigh, Cocolia.
After all is said and done, she's the one who caused all these problems.
When Otto guides Mei, he won't even need to use any clever rhetoric to achieve his goal.
There's no redeeming her this time.
Unless Cocolia dies here in Nagazora City right now, in the future, Mei...
Forget Mei, Kiana has probably suffered enough because of Cocolia too.
In her eyes, my image has probably changed from 'the deadbeat dad who abandoned his daughter' to 'the deadbeat dad who abandoned his daughter to hang out with a bunch of supervillains'.
Cocolia has to die.
If she doesn't, her actions will bring all of Anti-Entropy to ruin.
But right now, where on earth is she?
The front lines?
No, a treacherous schemer like her would never put herself in harm's way at a time like this.
ME Corp?
That's impossible too.
When everyone knows where a conspirator's base is, that base becomes the most dangerous place for them.
Right now, I want Cocolia dead. Dr. Tesla and Dr. Einstein are probably furious as well. And as for Schicksal...
Oh, Otto definitely doesn't want Cocolia to die this early.
If there's anyone in the world right now who wants Cocolia to live, it would have to be Otto.
Her actions during this period...
--have been ten times more terrifying than any spy Schicksal could have sent to Anti-Entropy.
.
Meanwhile, after parting with Siegfried, Leo Ash stealthily found a secluded spot and brought his motorcycle to a stop.
"Hmm, let me see... there are no Schicksal surveillance systems nearby, right?"
[Surveillance systems? After muttering to yourself, you can't help but chuckle.]
[Schicksal's reach is indeed vast, but they haven't gone so far as to place surveillance systems on every inch of Nagazora City.]
[Besides, while the Herrscher of Thunder's Honkai Energy hasn't spread throughout the entire city as it did in the original timeline, both Schicksal's and Anti-Entropy's satellites are still being jammed by the Honkai Energy she has released.]
[Shaking your head with a wry smile, you realize that you really can be a bit too cautious at times.]
Good.
After confirming there were no surveillance systems around, Leo Ash, carrying Mei on his back, stored the motorcycle and took out another mode of transport he had prepared long ago from his storage space.
After a momentary fluctuation in the surrounding space, imperceptible to the naked eye, a small car appeared beside Leo Ash.
However, seeing this sudden spatial fluctuation, Leo Ash frowned slightly.
Strange, I didn't see any spatial fluctuation when I took out other things before.
It's not a big deal most of the time, but you can never be too careful...
[Don't overthink it. What you have is a skill book for a small-sized storage space, after all.]
[The lower the level of a storage space, the lower its stability.]
[Furthermore, while the car you took out is within the 10m³ limit, at 5m³, it takes up half of your total storage capacity. It's perfectly normal for a spatial fluctuation to occur when you use this ability under such circumstances.]
Wait, hold on, are you telling me this space of yours is that unreliable???
[First of all, this only happens occasionally with low-level storage spaces.]
[Otherwise, why do you think this System warned you not to try any fancy moves before?]
...So that's what the warning was about?
[Of course. Normally, even a small storage space wouldn't cause a spatial fluctuation just from retrieving a large item.]
[But, well, today's situation is a bit special.]
[This System believes that, with this much of a hint, you should understand what this System is implying.]
I hate riddles... but what you said doesn't exactly sound like a riddle.
Let me think.
First, I got two rewards for defeating the Herrscher of Thunder.
One was for overcoming the survival crisis by defeating her, and the other should be an advance reward for a crisis I'm about to face.
Plus, the spatial fluctuation...
--Kiana is in danger!
No, I should put it this way.
Kiana might get triggered, giving Sirin a chance to seize control of her body.
It's not Kiana who's in danger, it's me.
[Correct, that's it.]
[With your supreme intellect, you immediately realize what kind of thrilling experience that junior you forced away is about to bring you.]
[And in the face of this impending crisis, your strength having greatly increased, you let out a cold snort, not taking the matter to heart at all.]
Could you please take it to heart for me (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻.
[Because you know that after defeating the Herrscher of Thunder, no one in Nagazora City can pose a threat to you, with the possible exception of Durandal carrying a Divine Key.]
Thank you so much for not exaggerating my abilities to the heavens this time.
But in my current state, I doubt I could even beat my own sister. You really overestimate me.
In my current condition, forget an awakened Herrscher of the Void, I feel like if that Pseudo-Herrscher named Yuno appeared before me, I could probably only run.
The prolonged activity has consumed a great deal of my stamina. Even with Powerful Healing Spell to repair my injuries, what's spent is spent.
Plus, I didn't have much mana left to begin with after healing Siegfried's arm and testing the spell's strength.
Even though the Void Demon Stone Fragment recovers mana extremely quickly, it hasn't been that long since Siegfried carried me out of the Honkai Beast swarm.
This is so frustrating.
If I don't wait, my condition is poor, and I might screw up if I run into an enemy.
If I do wait, Kiana's mental state will be compromised, and then I'll... be certified by the System as absolutely dead.
[Well, a survival crisis only means you'll *most likely* kick the bucket. Nothing is 100%.]
So what is that 'most likely' percentage?
[99.9%, of course.]
So what's the difference between 99.9% and 100%?
[A 1% chance is pretty high, you know? The drop rates in Genshin and Star Rail aren't even that high!]
So you've not only been reading *Water Margin* lately but also playing gacha games.
Fine, whatever. Let's go, go, go.
After helping Mei into the car and fastening her seatbelt, Leo Ash sat down in the driver's seat on the right side of the small car.
Kiana, for the sake of my own life...
--You'd better not get into any trouble!
.....
Ten minutes ago. Somewhere in Nagazora City.
Within Nagazora City, a girl named Bronya Zaychik was currently operating alone.
Her mother had already done a great deal of work to bring about the awakening of the Herrscher of Thunder.
But now, there was a problem with the Herrscher's awakening.
The Third Eruption had indeed arrived as scheduled, but the scale of the destruction wasn't large enough.
The Herrscher of Thunder's presence had vanished in the suburbs. Although she had created a large number of Honkai Beasts and released a massive amount of Honkai Energy, the energy was spreading towards the urban area far too slowly.
It was precisely because she was worried the Herrscher would be intercepted by Schicksal that Cocolia had led the main force out to attack.
As for Bronya, Cocolia had told her to stay behind in Nagazora City to continue gathering intelligence, using the excuse that 'it would be dangerous for you to go'.
But now, looking at the quiet city, Bronya couldn't help but feel...
--a sense of relief in her heart.
She had thought that for the sake of her orphanage companion, Seele Vollerei, she had already mentally prepared herself to help her mother, Cocolia, kill millions of people.
But after realizing she felt relieved that the residents of Nagazora City had not died in large numbers, Bronya quickly caught herself.
This was not a thought she should be having.
Mother Cocolia had already made Bronya a promise.
And Seele was waiting there for Bronya to rescue her.
Ultimately, Bronya, whose hands were already stained with blood, had no right to think about these things anymore.
So-called justice and kindness had nothing to do with Bronya anymore.
It was because of this lingering weakness in her heart that Bronya had let that Schicksal agent go last time.
And it was because of Bronya's decision that he had the opportunity to interfere with Mother Cocolia's plan.
It was all Bronya's fault.
If only, at that time...
"Oh my, hello there, little sister."
At that moment, Bronya suddenly heard a voice from directly in front of her.
There, a purple-haired girl wearing the white uniform of Senba High School had appeared before Bronya at some unknown time.
After seeing Bronya, the girl narrowed her eyes and continued to speak with a somewhat playful tone.
"Mommy once said that good children shouldn't be running around the streets alone at night, you know."
"Bronya... no!"
Bronya, who was about to say something, suddenly took a highly vigilant step back.
And the instant she did, several vines burst through the concrete beneath the girl's feet, piercing right through where she had been standing.
"Oh my, for a little sister to have such skills, how impressive."
Watching Bronya suddenly dodge her attack, a hint of curiosity appeared on the girl's face.
"At your height, you should just be a middle school student... no, maybe an elementary schooler?"
Watching the girl place a finger on her lips with a look of puzzlement, Bronya's vigilance instantly rose to its absolute peak.
Something was wrong.
When this woman appeared before her, Bronya hadn't detected her at all.
And these vines, saturated with Honkai Energy...
A Honkai Zombie normally wouldn't possess such high intelligence as to converse with someone.
So...
--Is she a Herrscher?
But Mother Cocolia had already gone to where the Herrscher of Thunder was supposed to be.
And the Herrscher Host had already been confirmed to be Raiden Mei.
Strange, why is there a second Herrscher in Nagazora City?
"Hey, little sister, honestly, Big Sis here doesn't want to just kill you like this. You don't have to be so on guard against me, okay?"
Looking at Bronya's expressionless face, the girl actually took the initiative to retract the terrifying vines and offered a benevolent smile.
"Your Big Sis, you see, is someone chosen by God."
"It's just that those people before all thought Big Sis was a weirdo because I don't talk much, so they picked on me all the time."
"And my mom too. If I made one tiny little mistake, she would scold me. Everyone makes mistakes, you know, so why did she have to be like that... sigh."
Even though she knew the girl before her was definitely an enemy, upon hearing the mention of the word 'mother', Bronya couldn't help but ask.
"Then, Big Sis, what about your mom? If you're out walking at night, aren't you..."
"Oh, that."
A look of sadness suddenly crossed the girl's face.
Falling into sorrow, the girl idly twirled her purple hair with her fingertips as she spoke to Bronya in a mournful tone.
"She started to scold me again, just like she always does."
"But I'm different now. I'm someone chosen by God. In that situation, I could only act according to God's guidance."
"God's... guidance?"
"That's right. I can hear God's voice. For example, back then, I heard God's voice."
"God told me that I was chosen by Him, so naturally, I didn't need to consider anyone else's feelings. And Mom's expression was really strange back then. She even asked if I was sick, so I..."
"I..."
"I..."
Seeing the girl's face suddenly go vacant, Bronya instantly guessed the outcome of the story.
"I... killed Mom."
"But it couldn't be helped, you know? It was God's guidance, so..."
At that moment, the girl smiled at Bronya and said.
"You can understand, right, little sister?"
"Your Big Sis here did nothing wrong at all."
"Really..."
Looking at the girl's once-again changing expression, Bronya turned her head away.
"Then, Big Sis, if you think you did nothing wrong..."
"Why are you crying right now?"
"Crying? Me?"
As droplets fell from the air and hit the ground, the girl finally realized that liquid was indeed streaming from her own body, down her face.
This was not the sweat of exertion, nor the blood of an injury.
Gently wiping her eye sockets with the back of her hand, the girl named Yuno finally realized that her vision had long since become a blur.
"What I'm doing is clearly not wrong, but why... why is this happening..."
Watching the girl sobbing uncontrollably, a sense of sorrow arose in Bronya's heart.
Even with just the girl's fragmented words, she had already pieced together the entire truth of the incident.
Although the effects of the Third Eruption didn't concern most of the people in the urban area, a small portion of them had still been assailed by the Honkai.
The girl before her had the potential to become a Herrscher, so the moment the Herrscher of Thunder awakened, she too was chosen by the Honkai.
And when the girl's mother noticed something was wrong with her, she instinctively wanted to show concern for her daughter.
But at that moment, tragedy struck.
Those chosen by the Honkai have their minds and bodies dominated by the will of the Honkai, turning them into apostles of destruction.
And this Herrscher's very first victim...
--was the mother who cared for her the most.
The root cause of this tragedy was, of course, the so-called [Honkai Phenomenon].
But who was the person that precipitated the tragedy of this girl committing matricide?
It was Mother Cocolia, who guided the Third Herrscher to awaken in Nagazora City.
It was Bronya, who helped Mother Cocolia.
Bronya was a child soldier, a professional executioner.
After her emotional circuits were damaged, Bronya should have become even calmer.
But now... why...
Staring at the girl before her, Bronya desperately wanted to run away.
Not because the other was a powerful Herrscher, but because...
Bronya had realized a truth she had to face.
Her actions were trampling upon the happiness of these innocent people.
When she killed others on past missions, Bronya had always been swift and clean, rarely encountering such a distressing scene.
But now, realizing that she was the one who had brought about this tragedy, the girl felt the will to fight draining from her heart.
"Why are you looking away?"
Seeing the girl's strange action, Yuno, who had already become a Herrscher, suddenly spoke with a ferocious expression.
"Damn it! You're just like Mom and all the others! You look down on me too!"
"No, that's not it, Bronya..."
"Aha, I get it now! You're definitely cut from the same cloth as them!"
Suddenly enraged, Yuno spoke to Bronya with utter disappointment.
"I was even thinking of asking you to be my companion."
"Forget it. You're just like them, another piece of trash in this mortal world."
This is bad!
Feeling the intensity of the Honkai Energy around Yuno surge, Bronya instantly took another step back.
And in the next moment...
"God said..."
"--Trash, and a world full of trash, should all be cleansed together!"
With a massive eruption of Honkai Energy, the ground where Bronya and Yuno stood was instantly enveloped by a dense thicket of vines.
..