Sirin's amber eyes flicked downward, her expression shifting from confusion to indignation. A blush bloomed across her cheeks as she realized where Xingyue's hands had wandered—an act so brazen it shattered the Herrscher's composure.
"You—!"
Fury ignited. Sirin summoned twin Spears of Subspace, ready to retaliate.
But Xingyue, unfazed, released her grip and seized Sirin's wrists. In a flash of light, she hurled the Herrscher backward, slamming her into a jagged boulder.
Bang!
Sirin shrieked as her back cracked against stone. Her wrists were pinned. She tried to kick, but Xingyue's knee locked her in place.
Panic surged.
She twisted, thrashed, summoned every ounce of her Herrscher strength—but it was like struggling against gravity itself. Xingyue's grip was bottomless, immovable.
A misty sheen glazed Xingyue's eyes as she stared at Sirin's flawless neck, her expression unreadable—somewhere between curiosity and hunger.
"Hmm?"
Just as she leaned in, a massive shadow fell over them.
Benares.
The Judgment-class dragon spread its wings, purple energy swirling in its maw. A blast of dragon's breath roared forward, grazing Sirin and striking Xingyue directly.
Steam exploded across the island. Visibility dropped to zero.
Sirin blinked, disoriented. The only thing she could see were the hands still gripping her.
"Did it… work?"
She tried to move—but the pressure hadn't lessened. If anything, it had intensified.
The grip shifted—now around her neck.
She was lifted into the air, kicking, clawing, gasping.
Within the mist, Xingyue fanned her hand.
A typhoon swept the island, clearing the steam in a single breath.
The scene reemerged: one dragon, two figures, and a silence that screamed louder than any roar.
Benares's breath had sobered Xingyue.
Not yet, she thought. There are still witnesses.
She dusted off her snow-white dress and glanced at Welt, who had been watching from afar.
Thankfully, the chaos had obscured most of what happened.
"Hey! If there's nothing else, you can all leave now."
Welt adjusted his glasses, floating into the air.
"Very well. We shall meet again, if fate allows."
He vanished into the sky.
The less time spent here, the better.
Durandal turned to follow, but Otto's voice crackled through her comms.
"Durandal. Theresa. Return."
"Understood, Archbishop."
She slung Abyss Flower over her back and sprinted to the yacht.
But halfway there, she paused.
"Ms. Theresa? Aren't you coming?"
Theresa stood firm, eyes blazing.
"No. You go ahead."
She helped Mei onto the yacht, then turned her back to Durandal.
"I made a promise. I won't leave without Bronya."
She held up her pendant.
"Judah—deploy."
The relic expanded, towering over her.
"You should go. What I'm about to do… might affect you."
Durandal's eyes widened.
"That move…?"
Theresa nodded.
Durandal hesitated, then sped off.
But halfway across the sea, she stopped again.
She looked back at the island, her expression unreadable.
"Ms. Theresa… have you resolved to die?"
She frowned.
"Even that move… might not be enough."
Back on the Island
Xingyue still held Sirin by the neck, meeting Theresa's gaze.
Suddenly, a dragon claw swiped at her.
A tick mark twitched on Xingyue's forehead.
"You're annoying, you stupid dragon."
Black tentacles erupted from the ground, binding Benares's limbs.
The dragon roared, charging another breath.
Xingyue raised her hand. Another tentacle wrapped around its snout—tight.
Silence.
She turned to Theresa.
"So, why did you stay?"
She casually wrapped Sirin like a mummy and set her aside.
Theresa didn't flinch.
"I'm here for Bronya and Kiana."
Xingyue blinked, then giggled.
"You're not joking?"
"No. That's exactly what I mean."
Theresa planted Judah before her.
"Is this your final answer? Will you release them?"
"No."
Xingyue's tone was calm. Unyielding.
"Then…"
Theresa flicked Judah's chains.
"I, Theresa Apocalypse, challenge the Planet-Level Honkai Beast."
She inhaled deeply.
"Judah—Zero-Rated Power, activate!"
"What?"
Xingyue's eyes widened.
Above the island, golden gears appeared, interlocking in the sky.
A golden barrier enveloped the island, sealing it from the world.
Crack—
The gears turned. Starlight rained down.
The tentacles released Sirin and Benares.
Sirin, weakened, her eyes flickering between gold and blue, struggled for control.
Theresa panted, drained—but stood tall.
She stared at Xingyue, stunned.
"Why… why are you unaffected? Aren't you a Honkai lifeform?"
Xingyue laughed.
She stepped forward, raised her hand, and tapped the air.
Ripples spread across the island.
"Rules are for those who need them to survive."
"I am not one of them."
Shatter—
The golden barrier cracked like glass, spiderwebbing across the sky.