Next,
the Second Herrscher—the Herrscher of the Void—toyed with the two, no matter how they resisted, they could see no hope of surpassing her.
Bronya also arrived on the battlefield and joined the fight.
Unfortunately…
In just a short while, all three were defeated.
The Herrscher of the Void choked Theresa's neck: "Though you look small, you have some skill. In your eyes, I see concern for her, protection, and overflowing guilt."
"…!" Theresa struggled desperately.
The Herrscher of the Void continued: "Ah, I remember now. Before I fell asleep, I saw eyes like these. The owner of those eyes naively reached out to help me, thinking she could protect me."
"But she didn't understand me at all, and in the end, she couldn't save anything."
"She was simply immersed in the self-satisfaction of redemption and salvation."
"—Compared to back then, you really haven't grown at all!"
"Yes… I know that very well…" Theresa struggled to grab the Herrscher of the Void's arm: "Like this… I've got you…! You've finally entered firing range."
Countless chains firmly bound the Herrscher of the Void.
The Herrscher of the Void didn't care at all: "These chains again…? How many times do you plan to try!"
"Star of Eden, first rated power—maximum output release!" Bronya assisted just in time.
A massive gravitational wave struck, embedding the chains that blocked Honkai energy deep into the Herrscher's body.
Theresa also said: "You can't escape… Judah has you now. Even if I die… I absolutely won't let go!"
"Oh, is that so? You don't think this outdated toy will actually work, do you?" All the chains were instantly shattered by the Herrscher of the Void.
"Did you think your little trick succeeded? Did you see victory? Did you feel hope?"
"A wonderful performance always needs a heart-pounding twist—I've truly witnessed a marvelous show."
"The will to survive, hope for the future, everything you desperately want to protect, and—"
"All of it, in my presence, is nothing…!"
"Your existence has no value at all!"
"Hahaha… hahahaha!!"
Seeing this scene,
even though the protagonists had fallen into desperation,
many people grew even more fervently enthusiastic: "Is this Her Majesty the Queen? You're so bad—I really love it!"
"If I'd known Herrschers were like this, I'd have fallen in love long ago. I thought all Herrschers were like Wendy."
"Defecting—I'm defecting right now. This queen is truly amazing."
"Hey, your favorite Theresa is being choked—aren't you worried? And you're still defecting?"
"Theresa is part of the main cast—she'll definitely be fine. The queen is so cool right now; defecting for a bit is okay."
"Exactly. This is a healthy, positive, uplifting story—don't worry, just follow your XP."
"Her Majesty the Queen is too cool. This combat power throws Wendy out by miles!"
"…"
Fire Moth Company.
While watching the drama, everyone was also monitoring online comments.
When they saw many viewers declaring they were defecting, saying things like Theresa just getting choked a little was fine, Mei had been choked before too, and some even saying they wanted to be choked themselves,
they all looked at Theresa with strange expressions.
Theresa muttered: "Damn it! I really thought they were true fans—defecting just like that."
Kiana said: "Can't help it—my acting was just too good."
Himeko sighed: "I hope they don't regret it later."
As soon as those words came out, everyone fell silent, even faintly anticipating whether they would regret it later.
And the plot continued.
While the three struggled against the Herrscher of the Void,
the scene switched to Fu Hua's side.
Looking at Himeko lying quietly on the hospital bed, it was hard to imagine she had such a vulnerable side.
Fu Hua extended her right hand toward her. Warm light shone from her palm, like the morning sun sprinkling over Himeko's body, and her breathing steadied accordingly.
Within the light, several crystalline feathers could vaguely be seen.
They slowly descended, drifting onto the floor and walls, turning into scattered particles of light.
Only when these feathers vanished did Fu Hua, whose expression had remained unchanged, reveal a trace of pain.
As the alarm sounded, she placed the serum beside Himeko and left the containment chamber directly.
Rita said to her: "The experiment succeeded. The Herrscher has been awakened."
Fu Hua was not polite to her: "Hmph… let's go!"
Their current task was to clear the Honkai beasts inside Schicksal headquarters.
For the two of them, this was very easy.
It didn't take much time before everything was cleaned up.
Rita contacted Otto: "The Honkai beasts that invaded Helheim have all been eliminated. Awaiting instructions."
Otto said: "Very good. Stay there for now. Durandal will lead the Immortal Blades to rendezvous with you. Let us together witness the moment a god submits to humanity."
"Understood!"
"Wait, Durandal is coming here…?" Fu Hua realized things differed from her expectations: "Then who's monitoring the Herrscher right now…? Besides her, no one can oppose a Herrscher."
Otto said: "Rest assured—everything is under my control. My dear Theresa will help us obtain the Herrscher's power."
Fu Hua was shocked: "What did you say? Theresa is fighting the Herrscher!?"
"Calm down, my friend…" Before Otto could finish, the communication was forcibly cut off.
After a brief check, Rita concluded: "It's an electromagnetic pulse. A strong electromagnetic pulse appeared nearby, paralyzing the communication system."
Electromagnetic… could it be Mei…
Thinking this, Fu Hua grew anxious: "Rita, quickly repair the communication equipment. Contact Durandal—tell her the revived Herrscher has likely broken free of control. Have her immediately assemble the Valkyrie forces."
"I'll go stall the Herrscher first to buy you time…"
"Lady Fu Hua." Rita directly interrupted her: "Forgive me, but I cannot grant your request. Lord Otto has never ordered us to engage the Herrscher in combat."
"What!!!"
Fu Hua's eyes widened—this was completely contrary to her thoughts.
Rita continued: "Allow me to share my opinion. In Lord Otto's plan, there are several trump cards in reserve, and right now, he hasn't used a single one. This means the situation has not spiraled out of control. In such circumstances, acting on your own is absolutely inappropriate."
Fu Hua directly stated that no matter what, she had to go stop the Herrscher.
In response,
Rita drew her weapon and blocked her path.
Just as battle between the two was about to erupt, the Black Abyss White Flower descended from the sky, landing between them.