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Through Zeke's "educational" methods, Sirin inadvertently learned to face reality.
In this moment, she fully understood there was no way out of Kiana's body. With no other choice, all she could do was assist Kiana wholeheartedly.
Sirin certainly didn't want to die here, especially on a battlefield fighting for humans—it would be the ultimate insult to the Queen of the Void.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Two super-Herrschers, beyond any human description, clashed relentlessly amidst the chaotic and perilous Virtual Space. The laws governing space-time were repeatedly torn apart, leaving not a trace of any external matter or energy intact during their fierce encounters.
Sirin, aiding Kiana, was already feeling fatigued.
With each collision, Kiana sustained injuries. To face this amplified "Kiana," Sirin had to push her Taixuan Sword Qi to its limits, yet even that wasn't enough to fully counter it.
Sharing the same body, Sirin was acutely aware of their predicament. She began hesitating whether to divert her focus and tear open a rift to guide Zeke's path. However, considering Kiana's reckless state—Sirin feared that any momentary distraction could lead to her own demise at Kiana's hands.
"Don't get me wrong; I'm not concerned about her well-being, just worried how it might affect me!" Sirin gritted her teeth, unsure if she was convincing herself or explaining her motives to some unseen audience.
Regardless, the battle raged on. By now, Kiana couldn't spare a thought for Sirin; all she could do was relentlessly attack, teeth clenched.
"Kiana's" energy may have been boundless, but she clearly lacked mastery over Taixuan Sword Qi techniques. Instead, she relied solely on her inherent power output.
At this rate, Kiana believed she held an advantage in terms of energy reserves.
As long as she persisted, victory would eventually dawn upon her—a belief Kiana clung to firmly. Without hesitation, she swung her sword towards Finality once more.
"Boom!!!"
In the heart of the Imperial City, where sunlight pierced through the shattered dome, Zeke sat upright on his redwood throne. His eyes, half-hidden by shadows, radiated bone-chilling coldness.
"Rumble—"
Simultaneously, tremors shook not only the entire Imperial City but also the new continent formed from Chiyou's remains. It was as if an immensely terrifying natural disaster was brewing beneath the surface.
"Zeke, there's an intense energy signature emanating from the deep sea! With the disappearance of the Final Herrscher, vast amounts of Honkai Energy across nearly half the planet seem to be coalescing around a new focal point. At this magnitude, it's beyond our current capabilities to handle!"
Bronya swooped down beside Zeke, removing her blue data-processing glasses, beads of sweat glistening on her pale forehead.
Zeke turned and softened his expression at the sight of Bronya's delicate face, clearly anxious despite her efforts to hide it. He gently placed a hand on her head and said, "I understand."
Bronya took another step forward and straddled Zeke's lap, sighing.
"You want to charge into Virtual Space to find her, don't you?"
"Mm-hmm. But I would do the same for any of you."
"Ugh... saying such things at a time like this is cheating!" Bronya bit her lip, unable to deny how deeply Zeke's words touched her heart. She abruptly embraced him tightly.
The ground trembled, accentuating the softness of the girl nestled against Zeke as if they were melding together. The scent of her sweat mingled with her feminine fragrance, filling his nostrils, truly captivating.
However, Zeke remained composed. He gently stroked Bronya's smooth back and instructed her, "Keep an eye on Sin; make sure she doesn't go too far."
In theory, Sin was considered high-tier combat power, but her unpredictability posed significant risks. Additionally, it was crucial to allocate some capable forces to manage other battlefields. Coupled with Zeke's personal considerations, she was assigned outside the Finality battlefield.
Bronya softly nodded against Zeke's chest, her voice muffled as she said, "It will be incredibly dangerous..."
"I also possess the Herrscher of the Void's gemstone," Zeke revealed.
It was the core extracted from the Cosmic Juggernaut, now resting in his hands. With control over spatial abilities, traversing Virtual Space and even locating specific targets became feasible.
Bronya tightened her embrace around Zeke and said softly, "I know, but that's not what worries me."
"I understand your concern. Fighting within Virtual Space indeed isolates us without backup, but it suits my capabilities better than the lunar battlefield I initially planned. That fool might have inadvertently done something good."
"You must come back!"
"Don't worry, I couldn't bear to leave you or any of them behind." Zeke gently pinched Bronya's cheek, feeling dampness at his fingertips—she was crying tears born of fear and anxiety.
"BOOM!!!"
A sudden, intensified earthquake nearly split the new continent in half. An enormous fissure, stretching almost 8,000 kilometers long, ripped across the land, dividing the supercontinent into two parts.
However, this was just the beginning, marking the onset of further distortions.
From deep beneath the earth came the sound of colossal movement, as steel constructs grated against rock layers, causing more intense tremors and deafening roars akin to the planet's furious outcry.
Simultaneously, deep within the ocean, an immense beast covered in jet-black scales slowly surfaced, stirring the entire Ocean's currents. Its pale blue eyes emitted a radiant glow that illuminated thousands of miles underwater, filled with the ferocious roar of pure bestial nature.
Bronya sat in Zeke's chair, gripping its backrest and feeling the lingering warmth from his body. For the first time, she bitterly regretted not excelling in individual combat prowess.
Her gaze gradually fell upon the nearby coffin of ice, where she stared at Fu Hua's sleeping face. Taking a deep breath, Bronya suppressed her tears and sniffles.
"There's no time to waste. If we can preemptively suppress the situation, perhaps we'll have enough resources left for another formidable force! Zeke, wait for me. Bronya won't let you fight alone!"
Muttering these words, Bronya placed the blue command glasses back on her head and leaped down from the Command Room—she still had so much more to accomplish!
"Commander, the entity beneath the sea has emerged. Requesting authorization to activate Moonlight Throne!"
"Denied! We don't need to worry about that thing anymore; focus our efforts on the overall battlefield!"
"Yes, sir!"
Just as Bronya predicted, when an indescribable, colossal beast reminiscent of Chiyou emerged from the ocean with its mountainous head, a similarly massive and sleek dragon burst forth from the fissure on the new continent amidst thunderous roars.
Despite the vastness of the planet, for two continental-level behemoths, their encounter was but a breath away.
In the pitch-black sky, the Black Dragon, covered in enormous silvery-black metallic scales, circled amid lightning clouds. Its immense head gazed down at the turbulent seas below, scarlet eyes illuminating the world like the glow of dawn.
From the depths, atop the ocean surface, the gargantuan creature slowly revealed itself. Water cascaded like waterfalls over its boundless, mountain-like head and back, creating awe-inspiring plumes of mist.
As the dragon and the beast locked eyes, the roaring waves and crashing thunder seemed to fall silent momentarily.
In the next instant, blue arcs surged along the behemoth's spine, concentrating tremendous energy within its gaping maw. This energy coalesced into a massive beam of brilliant azure light, piercing through the skies towards outer space.
"BOOM!!"
The beam instantly dispersed layers of clouds, yet the Black Dragon, displaying unexpected agility despite its size, maneuvered gracefully around the beam, spiraling downwards alongside it.
Seizing the moment before the behemoth could evade, the Black Dragon clamped its jaws onto its neck.
"Roar—"
The behemoth's thunderous cry shook the vast ocean currents, abruptly silencing the roaring beam.
At that moment, blinding white light from the Black Dragon surged into the giant creature's body.
"ROAR!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
The beast's roar was drowned out by the radiant glow illuminating thousands of miles across the sea.
In the heart of the Ocean, the massive shockwave forced back the waters, revealing the deep-sea floor below. Gigantic waves surged relentlessly towards distant shores. At the epicenter of the explosion, nothing but billowing white steam obscured everything.
As the seawater roared back into place and the radiating energy gradually subsided, the sky's pervasive mist also began to dissipate. Observers monitoring this battlefield finally witnessed the behemoth disintegrate into countless fragments, drifting like islands amidst the currents, while the Black Dragon vanished without a trace.
"That is..."
"...Ying Long?"
From thousands of miles away, scientific experts such as Bronya, Einstein, Fuxi, Nuwa, and others murmured softly.
Constructed with Chiyou's residual spine as its skeleton, Soulium alloys as flesh, an infinite network of worker bees as its nervous system, and the immense spiritual power contained within the World of Elysium for control - only those in the realm of scientific research could truly comprehend the level of technological prowess and might embodied by such a colossal monster.
As expected from one of Zeke's trump cards preserved until now—it was truly awe-inspiring!