172. Murata Himeko
"Mei, father-in-law's company seems to have some connection with Anti-Entropy," Yun Ling reminded her.
"Dad..." Mei's eyes gradually cleared; no wonder 'Anti-Entropy' sounded so familiar.
"Wait, what did you just call my Dad?" Mei suddenly realized her mistake.
"You didn't deny it either..." Yun Ling's eyes darted around, muttering under his breath.
"...How do you know about this?" Mei rolled her eyes at him and continued to ask.
Even she wasn't clear about the relationship between ME Company and Anti-Entropy, yet Yun Ling knew.
"Don't let my idle lifestyle fool you; I specifically investigated some things about ME Company. After all, when Mei and I get married, your father needs to witness it, right?"
Yun Ling said matter-of-factly.
"Who wants to marry you!" Mei blushed. Saying such things in public—how shameless!
"Oh, right, Kiana too, and Yuna too, we should all come together," Yun Ling quickly added.
"Yun Ling…" Yuna's face flushed crimson, even steam rising from her head.
"Die, you scumbag harem king!" Mei instantly suppressed her emotions and struck Yun Ling hard in the stomach with the back of her knife.
Kiana followed up with two kicks, seemingly venting her anger, but more likely trying to hide her embarrassment.
Yun Ling was beyond saving.
Bronya stared blankly at the scene before her. Putting aside Yun Ling's age, how could they all be so close?
Was she reborn a little too late?
Or had she simply transmigrated to a parallel world?
Bronya's little head was filled with question marks.
While waiting for Yun Ling to recover, the commotion was also detected by the Hyperion in the sky.
[Massive Honkai energy reaction detected.]
"..."
The Hyperion's AI, "Ai-chan", reminded her, simultaneously transmitting images of the area experiencing intense Honkai energy reactions to the computer.
"Creating such a vast forest in an instant...it must be a Herrscher, right?"
Himeko looked at the vast forest before her, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes.
"Seriously, with such amazing abilities, it would be so much better to use them in the desert!"
Himeko said half-jokingly, donning her Valkyrie armor, ready for battle at any moment.
"Ai-chan, prepare the 'Nexus' system. There might be a tough battle ahead."
"The Nexus system isn't fully developed yet. While it can greatly enhance your power, the damage to your body is irreversible. I must consult Headmistress Theresa first."
Ai-chan refused Himeko's order without hesitation.
"I can't wait for Theresa's orders! After all, every minute a Herrscher exists, the world becomes more dangerous!" Himeko opened the hatch and jumped straight out.
"This is so reckless..." Ai frowned, but still prepared the Nexus system.
Not far from them, another small tremor occurred, raising a wisp of dust.
"Something's coming again?" Mei frowned.
The ability Yun Ling had used earlier seemed to have attracted a lot of attention.
And this was exactly what Yun Ling wanted.
He couldn't find Bronya and Hyperion in such a large place as Nagazora City, but he could lure them here!
He'd just accidentally overdone it and was almost completely drained.
"Oh? There seem to be quite a few people." A striking red figure slowly emerged from the smoke.
She carried a large sword on her shoulder, one hand on her hip, and stood a short distance away, meeting the group's gaze.
Mei held her sword horizontally in front of her, warily watching Himeko, while Yuna stood beside Yun Ling, also preparing to activate her powers to protect him.
Kiana's face lit up with joy, but she quickly concealed it. Bronya's eyes filled with longing—Himeko-sensei was still alive...
Himeko scrutinized them for a long time, unable to discern who the Herrscher was, before finally fixing her gaze on Yun Ling lying on the ground.
Could it be... this guy is the Herrscher? Has he been knocked unconscious?
"Seriously... I don't have time for this guessing game." Himeko scratched her fiery red hair, then suddenly leaped up, charging forward with her greatsword.
Mei, already on guard, immediately unleashed her 'Guardian Sword Form,' but judging from her somewhat ferocious expression, this powerful attack seemed difficult to withstand.
The battle was about to begin, and Kiana rushed forward to help Mei share the burden.
But Himeko, as an A-rank Valkyrie, not only possessed the power of her Valkyrie armor but also had extensive combat experience, easily suppressing both of them. Suddenly, she pushed off with her feet, leaping into the air. The next instant, several thorns sprouted from the ground she had just stepped on, hurtling towards her.
Himeko immediately used her greatsword to block, using the momentum to retreat a few steps.
Her gaze fell on Yuna. So this was the Herrscher…
But this seemed very different from the Herrschers recorded in the Schicksal database. At least a Herrscher wouldn't be this… well, rational.
"Hey, Himeko, don't do anything rash."
A slightly childish voice came through Himeko's audio communicator.
"Don't worry, Headmistress Theresa, I can handle it for now. But this Herrscher seems to have self-awareness; she's not controlled by the Honkai. What should we do?"
"She has self-awareness… How aggressive is she?" Theresa immediately pressed.
"She didn't attack me first; she only retaliated after I attacked," Himeko replied.
Himeko shifted her gaze to Yun Ling and Yuna, who immediately stepped in front of him. Thorns sprouted from the surrounding ground, enveloping the area.
"And she seems to be protecting someone..." Himeko stated her observation.
"Protecting someone... Himeko, perhaps we can try negotiating with her," Theresa suggested.
"I'll give it a try," Himeko nodded.
"Hello, I am Murata Himeko, an A-rank Valkyrie from the Far East Branch of Schicksal. No offense intended, I simply wish to confirm the Herrscher's identity." Himeko sheathed her greatsword, displaying her friendly side.
"What do you want?" Mei frowned, another Herrscher-related matter.
"Normally, I'd try to defeat the Herrscher... but this is a special case, so I'd like to negotiate a little," Himeko said with a smile.
The three exchanged glances, but nodded and lowered their weapons.
They briefly introduced themselves as students of Chiba Academy, and then began what Himeko called "negotiation."
"If you're thinking of containing the Herrscher, I advise you to give up on that idea," Mei said first, quite bluntly.
"How ruthless... But don't worry, we don't have that intention right now. On the contrary, we will protect you and train you to be warriors capable of fighting Honkai."
"Interested in joining 'St. Freya Academy'?"
Himeko, seeing their directness, didn't mince words and invited them.
"Can I go on a date with a sexy red-haired older sister if I join 'St. Freya Academy'?" A sudden voice rang out.
"?"
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