Rewinding time slightly—
'Don't fight it like you fought Jizo Mitama. This battle cannot be dragged out; it must be decided quickly!'
Fuli's parting words echoed in her ears as Kiana slowly opened her eyes.
The girl was currently standing on the edge of a precipitous cliff. Looking northeast, she could faintly see the silver and purple colors constantly clashing and separating in the distance.
The twin braids coiled at the back of her head had come undone at some point. Her silver-white hair danced in the fierce wind sweeping through the mountain ravine, resembling a blooming white lotus.
Kiana understood that Fuli was right.
A Herrscher was at their weakest just after birth. This wasn't just about their energy levels, but also about the difference in cognition.
The most straightforward example was the Seventh Herrscher of the Previous Era. Even limited by the total amount of Honkai energy within her, the authority to manipulate molecular motion should never have been used solely to cosplay the Inquisition and burn everything in sight.
It was because the newborn Seventh Herrscher indiscriminately destroyed everything around her that she failed to broaden her understanding of her authority through learning. She stubbornly burned Oceania for seven days and seven nights, only to be finally subjugated by the combined efforts of Kevin, the first Fusion Warrior armed to the teeth, and the elites of the Fire Moth.
The current Herrscher of Thunder was still bound by the memories of Śakra (Indra) within her divinity. Her attacks were mostly just Celestial Lightning imbued with the concept of judgment.
God knows if, given time, the Herrscher—with a broadening horizon—would hand-craft something even more heaven-defying.
Moreover, the God King Mask was a consumable that lasted only for one battle. Its duration would deplete rapidly with the continuous use of the Law of Causality and constant combat against a strong enemy.
"So, Ah-Li entrusted you to me."
Kiana weighed the long spear in her hand, aiming it at the battlefield to the northeast.
Dazzling and magnificent stardust wrapped around the ornate, silver-white shaft, looking as if a brilliant, glorious galaxy were flowing along it.
It was the armament accompanying the God King Mask, the Meteor Spear named Gungnir. In Norse mythology, the God King Odin fashioned it from a branch of the World Tree, Yggdrasill.
Its effect: Once thrown, it is guaranteed to hit the target, and it can pierce through anything it strikes. It is the Divine Spear that never misses.
And as she prepared to throw, the target locked onto by the spear tip was the 'Core' inside the Herrscher of Thunder.
Be it the brain or the heart, for a monster like a Herrscher, neither counted as a fatal weakness.
Only the Core—the Herrscher Core that existed simultaneously within the Herrscher's body and in Imaginary Space, existing across multiple dimensions at once. Only by shattering it would everything the Herrscher possessed turn into nothingness.
Kiana muttered, "Giving such a heavy task to this young lady... I don't know what that idiot Ah-Li is thinking."
This wasn't a complaint; she was worried she couldn't bear the weight of the boy's trust and delegation.
This spear could not be fired by Fuli.
Eight Thunder God Flash. The Herrscher of Thunder's spiritual web had already encompassed this world.
Fuli could use the Law of Causality to hide Kiana's existence. The battling Herrscher also had no time to care about some small fry who couldn't threaten her and had run off to god-knows-where.
But Fuli himself couldn't do it.
Since Fuli was responsible for pinning down the Herrscher, once he took out Gungnir, the Herrscher—sensing the problem—would inevitably destroy it at all costs or mobilize her authority to counter it.
Battles on the Honkai side are battles of Honkai energy. Fuli and Theresa could neutralize the electromagnetic authority held by the Herrscher by consuming massive amounts of Honkai energy to avoid interference; naturally, the Herrscher herself could do the reverse, using the ability of Honkai energy to influence rules to neutralize Gungnir's sure-hit and piercing properties.
Therefore, she had to be caught off guard.
Just like with Bronya, Fuli left this opportunity for Kiana to seize herself.
Everything experienced in the previous timeline told him: Don't let the fact that these girls usually fool around deceive you. At critical moments, they not only step up, but each is more reliable than the last.
"I wonder if Mei will blame me if she finds out about this later."
The girl mumbled one last complaint, tied her loose long hair into a pure white high ponytail for ease of movement, and stared intently at the battlefield.
Until a beam of light cut through the firmament, and the Genesis cannon, arriving from afar, mercilessly bombarded the barrier the Herrscher of Thunder had hastily erected.
Kiana realized:
The opportunity is here!
A nameless flame rose from the girl's feet, the Ever-Burning Flame gifted by Fuli wrapping around her.
Gungnir wasn't something just anyone could activate; this was the strength he lent her to pull the trigger.
Kiana, draped in the Ever-Burning Flame, paused.
"I don't know why, but this fire feels unexpectedly warm."
She couldn't help but whisper. Inexplicably, a marvelous sensation wrapped around her entire body.
There was laughter, tears, attachment, parting, and the resolve to sever everything.
If it's right now, Kiana feels she can do anything.
"Ha, just kidding."
Flags shouldn't be raised carelessly; the girl understood this logic.
The hand holding the spear pulled back into a stance, forming the standard javelin-throwing posture from her memories.
Then, bring it on—
The Second Finisher following the Magic Cannon Genesis!
Heh.
It was as if a Queen's sneer echoed in her consciousness space. In a place unseen within Kiana's faintly golden eyes, the authority of the Herrscher governing Space empowered the Declaration of the Great God, breaking through the shackles of the Critical-class in an instant and reaching S-rank!
"Gungnir, Fire!"
The shining Divine Spear sped forth with heavy yet unhindered terrifying power. It cut through the wilderness, pierced the skylight, and with godspeed that seemed to adjudicate fate, it penetrated space to come from behind, piercing the center of the Herrscher of Thunder's chest—where the Core lay—one step ahead of Genesis!
This strike pierced the stars!!!
...
As an effect of applying Project MEI's Super-Electromagnetic technology, the bombardment fired by Genesis carried a special ultra-high magnetic field. It could use the planet's magnetic field as an accelerator ring, not only drastically increasing the range but also allowing for curved shooting, enabling normal sniping of targets below the horizon even hundreds of kilometers away.
Furthermore, the magnetic field would not consume its kinetic energy; instead, kinetic energy would increase with the distance traveled.
And this was merely a trivial part of Genesis's side effects. This Genesis Demon Cannon, which concentrated everything Raiden Ryoma could achieve, ruthlessly struck the inhuman anomaly that dared to occupy his precious daughter's body!
Massive energy fluctuations exceeding the detection range shook space. In an instant, several small black holes capable of collapsing all things formed at the point of contact. The four fundamental forces were churned into puddles of chaotic hot liquid where physical laws failed before this unprecedented violence. The hastily raised electromagnetic barrier collapsed at the first touch!
Rule Breaker!
Undoubtedly an S-rank Rule Breaker capable of destroying stars and worlds!
That was the vanguard manifestation of human technology. The galactic-level basic architecture was shaken at this moment. An invisible hymn surrounded the hearts of everyone on the surface—it was the instinctual scream and wail of Mother Nature upon encountering unbearable destruction!
Countless people immediately fell to their knees in pain, weeping, laughing, scolding, or praying to the heavens. The last time a similar holy sound played was at the turn of the millennium, the intersection of the old and new centuries. It was in that year that the Herrscher of the Void, stepping onto the lunar surface, absorbed the four great powers of Thunder, Wind, Death, and Flame sealed within the Moon Temple.
Returning with the might of an S-rank Rule Breaker, she was like the Archangel Gabriel blowing the trumpet of doom in the Bible. The Pseudo-Herrschers wielding the Thunder of Conquest, the Wind of Desire, the Death of Quietude, and the Flame of Pestilence were the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse descending upon the world, laughing wantonly as they splashed finale and catastrophe all over the globe!
And that generation was the very witnesses of that cataclysm causing tens of millions of casualties!
"Even the Herrscher of Thunder would die facing such a strike in haste... not to mention the inevitable spear that traveled through time and space to hit the bullseye."
Outside Nagazora City, Theresa, who had just disposed of the eighth supernatural node, murmured to herself, then unhesitatingly crushed the red cotton in her palm.
She finally understood why Fuli told her to "act according to the situation" instead of using the item to devolve civilization from the start.
Key items maximize their effect only when used at the most critical moment. The sudden sensation of weakness would surely nullify the Herrscher of Thunder's remaining persistence!
Genesis had already left the chamber. Even if the large-scale regression of civilization caused the turret itself to become unusable, it would not delay the landing of this attack!
We won!
...
I see. So that's how it is.
You really put together quite the incredible finishing move, Fuli.
Facing the ultimate killing moves coming from different directions, the Herrscher of Thunder thought.
Gungnir faintly piercing the chest with its sharpness, the all-encompassing weakness brought by the regression of surrounding civilization, and the despair of Genesis bombarding the body as if every fundamental particle constituting it was being pulverized.
In the quiet world, the girl tasted it silently.
In a trance, countless images surfaced before her eyes, growing like a sapling planted in the ground, branches spreading, maturing into a towering tree that blotted out the sun.
The tree's name was Possibility. Those branches growing apart were rivers extended via the different choices of the parties involved, and people generally called this—Fate.
The girl in the white dress stepped barefoot into the river, bent down, and scooped up a handful of clear lake water.
In the reflection, she saw Theresa's corpse. She saw Nagazora City devastated.
She saw herself standing atop Shesha's head, advancing leisurely, destroying everything in sight with crushing force.
"This is the world line where Raiden Mei gave up resistance."
She nodded in understanding, letting the galaxy in her fingertips turn into scattered debris.
The girl scooped up another handful of clear water.
This time, not only Theresa, but even the corpses of Himeko and Fuli were within it.
"This is the world line where Fuli didn't leave at the start but wore the God King Mask to fight me together."
Without Bobo's Cotton reversing the progress of civilization, without persuading Cocolia to turn around and engage Shesha, facing the full firepower of two S-ranks, their defeat and death were only logical.
And after that?
She looked on curiously, seeing herself fighting a white-haired girl who looked extremely similar to Kiana.
"The resurrected Herrscher of the Void? So Kiana was hiding such a thing inside her."
The girl wanted to continue watching, but Splash!
With a sound, the river water in her hand turned into stardust, rushing towards the roots of the Tree of Fate like the ones before.
Next, the girl saw many things:
The relief on her mother's face when she was just born, and the shrinking and awkwardness of her father wanting to hug her but daring not to reach out.
The confidence and spirit when she was popular at Chiba Academy as the young lady of the Raiden family.
The excitement and pity revealed by the green-haired weirdo when collecting Shesha's cells.
And herself cementing Fuli, who controlled the Law of Causality, into the Proclamation Blade of Negative World forged from twelve Divine Keys, creating the Key of Finality named 'Null' to step into the sea of stars together, looking down on everything.
Even further, she saw world lines where Fuli didn't appear in the Third Eruption at all, and 'herself', having become the Herrscher of Thunder through the Gem of Conquest, was defeated by Kiana wielding a baseball bat.
However, no matter which possibility, when the girl watched to the end, all images, all futures, after collapsing back to the original point, were pierced by a brilliant silver-white long spear.
Oath of Eternal Wish, Declaration of the Great God, Eternal Meteor.
No matter how many branches of possibility the Tree of Fate grew, no matter how many different tributaries the River of Time flowed into, they would eventually converge to one point under the power of Gungnir.
It was as if that spear pierced not the Herrscher Core, but her fate.
However—
"The repeated conquests of the South Asian subcontinent by foreign invaders gave birth to the unique caste system of the Ganges River basin. Every successful invader would trample the indigenous people underfoot, becoming the new high-caste class dominating all phenomena."
Facing the desperate killing moves intended to put her to death from front and back, a shallow smile appeared at the corner of the Herrscher girl's mouth.
"I don't object to you trampling me underfoot and ravaging me at will. This is the right of the strong over the weak, and the obligation of the weak to the strong—however, the premise is that you, Fuli, can really beat me!"
The Zzzzt sound of current running through the body was both tiny and grand, even suppressing the nameless hymn chanted in the void by half.
Authority-controlled lightning turned into pseudo-nerve fibers temporarily replacing the functions of the girl's original nerve fibers. The change of carrier made her already extremely exaggerated neural transmission speed reach infinitely close to the speed of light. The effect on the optic nerves allowed her to clearly see attacks at the nanosecond or even picosecond level!
Such reaction speed allowed the Herrscher to act within the hundred-millionth of a second when the shield shattered / the divine spear struck. Even if—no, precisely because she had to pay a heavy price for it, the body forcibly driven at the sixth cosmic velocity should not waste this precious opportunity!
She took out a spear. A glittering golden spear named Vajra.
Vajra (Fan Shi), a divine spear of guaranteed victory forged jointly by Śakra (Indra), the King of the Twelve Devas and Protector of Buddhism, and Brahma, the Supreme God of the Hindu pantheon. It is a weapon that ensures victory and defeats the enemy upon use.
The terror of this spear lay in the fact that its imbued power was not [Killing] but [Victory]. No matter who the opponent was, no matter how unbreakable the shield they held, this spear could tamper with the world, guiding a miracle that surpassed the enemy!
"You didn't really think I wouldn't be prepared after seeing your unique One-Eyed + Eight-Legged Horse look, did you? Your [Sure Hit] vs. my **[Victory]**—which one is superior?"
The Herrscher of Thunder smiled and threw the Vajra. Rather than a spear, the glittering golden object looked more like a pestle. It crashed into Gungnir, which was about to pierce the girl's chest, knocking it off balance.
Having done this, she looked at the Genesis Demon Cannon only an inch away from her and took out an exquisite, small dagger from her bosom.
Escape Dagger. Borrowed from Fuli. Allows the holder to move freely within a ten-meter radius via spatial teleportation. Cooldown: one minute.
"I originally wanted to use twelve Divine Keys plus you, Fuli, to forge my Herrscher armament. What a pity."
Knowing her own situation, Mobius on the other side of the ocean believed that the one dominating this body now was Śakra (Indra) from the Celestial Emperor Divinity.
Dr. MEI on the moon believed that the Herrscher of Thunder was the prime body herself, whose worldview and stance had undergone a drastic change under the effect of the Great Eruption—just like the Herrscher of Flame, Himeko, in the Seventh Eruption of the Previous Era, who clearly remembered Hua and talked to her with a smile, yet showed no mercy in her attacks, almost killing her.
In fact, the Herrscher of Thunder's personality lay between the two.
Raiden Mei suffered from the family's downfall, school bullying, and other ups and downs, inadvertently using the Stigmata's power to split off a Stigmata Personality to protect herself, which possessed the arrogance and indifference of a Queen from the past.
The Celestial Emperor Divinity contained Indra's thousand years of faith, psychokinesis, memory, and self-cognition.
These two entangled with each other, and under the external force of the Great Eruption, they fused indistinguishably.
What was born in the end was the Herrscher of Thunder, inheriting the Stigmata Personality's arrogance, indifference, sensitivity, suspicion, and detached solitude, as well as Indra's megalomania, defiance, and the "Celestial Emperor's heartlessness treating all things as straw dogs."
Laughable. Honkai energy isn't some positive, healthy, sunny energy. Amplifying defects and negativity in personality is completely normal.
Every child just born into this world is a pure and innocent angel.
The Herrscher of Thunder was the same.
Newly born, she opened her eyes innocently, eager to bring destined conquest and destruction to this world.
The girl had this ability. Under normal circumstances, a 1000HW level Great Eruption had the potential to birth a Serial Herrscher.
And her?
Just the base ignition efficiency for triggering the Great Eruption was 2500HW! The subsequent values were even more explosive! Part of what constituted her was the King of Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, who enjoyed a high status in Hinduism, Buddhism, and even Taoism!
What Previous Era Herrscher?
What strongest destructive power?
Before me, the Herrscher of Thunder, you are all scum!
Let me—Gah?
The arrogant clamor was interrupted right there. She saw Theresa carrying that huge Judah about to chop her.
Only the Herrscher of Thunder knew how her mindset changed at that moment. It was like a fish seeing a cat, meat seeing a dog, a small monster seeing Ultraman—she sobered up instantly, her eyes becoming incredibly clear.
She wasn't afraid of Theresa.
I view that white-haired, youthful-faced crone as someone sticking a 'for sale' sign on her own head!
The problem was, she was terrified, terrified, terrified of the Judah Theresa was carrying!
What is the Elysion Pedion (Oath of Judah's Zeroth Power)?
Back then, the super invincible Sirin returned from the moon, unrivaled in the world. She tanked six nuclear missiles and almost ended the history of the Current Era in the year 2000, yet she was almost solo-killed by Theresa using that thing!
The Herrscher of Thunder didn't know that Theresa, whose memories were modified by Otto using the mimicked Fenghuang Down, could no longer use the Elysion Pedion. Having received a blow from reality right after birth, she instantly behaved herself.
I won't speak. I won't make a sound. Let Shesha fight you and test it out first. I'll observe in secret.
Then she saw Himeko joining the battlefield with a weakened version of Shamash Unleashed, which made Miss Herrscher tremble in fear, confirming the concept of the "Far East Demon Cave."
Good heavens! The cross can kill me, and the Ever-Burning Flame can also kill me!
But it doesn't matter!
Though the enemy is strong, they are unprepared and weak; though I am weak, I am prepared and strong!
Between two evils, pick the lesser one. First, let Shesha lure away Murata Himeko wrapped in Ever-Burning Flames, separating these two dangerous units to prevent them from tacitly cooperating.
If possible, kill Himeko quickly and bring back some Ever-Burning Flames. Then, through Molting Reincarnation, Shesha can acquire scales with corresponding resistance to make a long coat, avoiding inability to resist similar attacks in the future.
Here, she would pin down Theresa, weakening her body and will step by step through mid-to-long-range combat and controlling the expansion frequency of the Great Eruption, until the opponent couldn't use the Elysion Pedion.
During this period, it's best not to provoke the opponent or talk trash. What if she accidentally poked something that caused the opponent to explode in power? Like Rama, who kills gods and buddhas alike at the mention of Sita.
High and cold. Yes, maintain a high and cold demeanor.
What? You ask why I didn't leave Shesha to pin down Theresa?
The Ever-Burning Flame can burn me! I'm not as big as Shesha! Getting singed would hurt for a long time!
Besides, with Shesha's stupid head, does It know what pinning down is? Does It know how to perseveringly weaken the enemy? It doesn't know, okay!
Furthermore, leaving It outside is also insurance.
In case the white-haired, youthful-faced midget in front of me really uses that Elysion Pedion move, the thick-skinned Shesha can still rush in to save me.
The Elysion Pedion is specialized against energy. The Herrscher Core is obviously in this range.
Honkai Beasts are not necessarily so, not to mention a Judgment-class one.
If that unlucky child Shesha rushes in recklessly at dozens of times the speed of sound, relies on inertia to pick up my body, and runs away, I ask you, how will you deal with that?
You only nullify Honkai energy; kinetic energy is only weakened to a certain extent, not completely erased.
In fact, Miss Thunder Herrscher's thinking was correct.
Shesha soon returned to her side, acting as a material generator for the Ever-Burning Flame coat.
And that one called Theresa, at the critical moment, the dangerous aura on her body increased steeply, seemingly finally determined to use that move.
Regrettably (laughs), with her attributes weakened to the extreme by Miss Thunder Herrscher at that time, she theoretically could no longer use the Elysion Pedion.
However, to be safe, Miss Thunder Herrscher still ordered Shesha to send Its dragon-snake subordinates to harvest the final kill, while she prepared to flee at any time.
Theory is theory, reality is reality. What if she had a flashback power-up, shouting about friendship, bonds, future, and whatnot, and rushed up? Then even if I didn't die, I'd lose a layer of skin.
Sure enough, Anti-Entropy's saturated artillery fire descended from the sky the next moment, covering Theresa and Fuli who arrived at the scene.
Seeing her best friend take the stage, Raiden Mei also rioted inside her body. However, Miss Thunder Herrscher quickly suppressed her again and fought with Fuli, whose strength skyrocketed after wearing the mask.
Shesha was also lured away by that giant robot transforming in the air.
What? Interrupt the transformation?
I won't interrupt!
Good lure. Let that stupid snake Shesha deal with the S-rank big guy like the Engine of Creation. Anyway, Its survival ability is super first-class; It won't die no matter what.
If the two of them fought here and caused chaos, it would easily injure me by mistake. I'd better deal with Fuli, this Critical-class small fry.
Naturally, even if he is merely Critical-class, and the Ever-Burning Flame—the only thing theoretically capable of harming me—is countered by the Dragon Scale Coat, I will absolutely not be contemptuous.
The memory of this body tells me:
This person in front of me is simply too strange. Not seen for a few days, he transformed under the guise of a Sword Saint's inheritance, changing from an ordinary person powerless to truss a chicken into a B-rank Rule Breaker that many people can't reach in a lifetime of effort.
Huh? You don't really think anyone believes in some Sword Saint inheritance, right?
Raiden Mei just saw you didn't want to talk about it, so she thoughtfully didn't mention it.
She's truly... I could cry to death.
And next, this little dog Fuli really—gave me a real eye-opener.
Not only could he fight evenly with me in close quarters despite my stats crushing him several times over, but he also summoned twelve Pseudo-Divine Keys for combat.
Say, how does his brain work? How do these tricky ideas emerge endlessly? Could it be, as Kiana bullshitted, that some ancient great god possessed him?
...Whatever. When I cast the blade and cement his soul into it, his ability to manipulate the Law of Causality, his intelligence, his everything will be used by me.
It just so happens that Raiden Mei has a lot of affection for him. I'll make the two of them—one as the blade, one as the sheath—a seamless pair in my hands.
Can't leave self-awareness; the kind made directly into living puppets.
Rearing a tiger invites calamity; that's a no-go.
—I said, I will cement you into my blade, and use this blade to bring me supreme peace of mind!
I'll use this line as the conclusion when the time comes. An exclusive Herrscher armament with twelve Herrscher authorities + causality manipulation ability... rounding up, it's equivalent to the legendary Key of Finality!
Regrettably, imagination is beautiful, reality is cruel.
Gungnir's flash was within my expectations. Fuli's initial transformation look was simply too well-known.
The Vajra I kept hidden now had its use. Victory vs. Sure Hit. Even if it can't completely suppress it, mutual entanglement and cancellation is no problem.
That Genesis was far beyond my expected range. A one-hit kill against an S-rank—you really brought out something quite outrageous, dog-sh*t Fuli!
But it doesn't matter! As a prepared weakling, I also have a contingency plan for this!
You think you're the only one who modified hair into a structure similar to the Spirit Gathering Ring to store Honkai energy?
Haha! Me too!
Every minute and second since my birth, I have stored the overflowing Honkai energy in every strand of hair transformed into a special organ!
Now I will use this portion of energy to forcibly convert the Escape Dagger you lent me into my exclusive Herrscher armament!
Herrscher armaments are essentially Divine Keys without cores.
As long as they are held in the hands of a Herrscher with a core inside, they are complete Divine Keys.
After conversion, the Escape Dagger's only ability, teleportation, will reach the EX rank equivalent to a Divine Key.
Even if Genesis's bombardment causes physical laws within a certain range to fail, the value "EX"—it also represents unreasonableness!
Being unable to forge a Herrscher armament with twelve Divine Keys and you is quite a pity for Miss Thunder Herrscher.
But survival is what matters most, isn't it?
...
Growth, spreading.
The shaping of a Herrscher armament should have taken some time, but the Herrscher of Thunder insanely accelerated this process with terrifying amounts of Honkai energy.
Her knee-length hair rapidly receded to shoulder-length. In exchange, the dagger in her hand decomposed and reassembled repeatedly, its image changing from the original exquisite small size to a cold, simple, sheathed Odachi (御神刀 - Goshintō).
Flash!
Miss Thunder Herrscher, activating the EX-rank teleportation ability, vanished from the spot, leaving only the lingering sound of Genesis piercing through.
"It's over!"
The sudden disappearance of the target made Bronya mutter involuntarily, her heart instantly filled with deep disappointment and despair.
She didn't want to die. Seele was still waiting for her in the Sea of Quanta.
They had promised. She said she would save her.
However—
"We're at our wit's end..."
Gungnir was entangled by Vajra, and the bombardment of Genesis missed by a hair's breadth.
They had lost all means to harm the Herrscher.
The Herrscher of Thunder thought the same.
Within the chaotic domain stirred up by Genesis, even the EX-rank Odachi could only teleport her away by a little over two hundred meters.
The aftereffects of forcibly moving at the sixth cosmic velocity appeared at this moment. Currently, she struggled even to move a finger.
But compared to this, what the girl looked forward to more was Fuli's eyes.
That look of dejection, despair, dead ashes of the heart, and extinguished hope. Only by seeing such a posture on the enemy's face would an indescribable sense of relief surface in the Herrscher of Thunder's heart!
But she was wrong.
In the extremely rare crimson eyes of the handsome boy who appeared before her in almost zero time, drawing his sword to slash—there reflected an extremely beautiful skylight!
It was the divine will affirming his inevitable victory!
"This is! Mikazuki Munechika?!!"
The girl couldn't help widening her eyes, watching the unsheathed cold odachi slashing towards her through the air.
She didn't understand why this mere C-rank weapon was wrapped in a terrifying sharpness capable of cutting an S-rank Valkyrie in two!
"I understand! It's TIME!!!"
On the moon, Dr. MEI, who finally understood, slapped the table and stood up.
She leaned forward, as if this would bring her closer to the battlefield on the surface.
"Yes, it's the charging time."
Prometheus smiled slightly. "Remember? The ability of the Law of Causality: arrogant to those below but not insulting to those above. When meeting someone stronger, it willingly bows down; when meeting someone weaker, it becomes the master of fate, toying with them in the palm of its hand."
Galactic Baseball Bat. A C-rank bat-type armament from a future world. While dealing blunt damage, it has a Hidden Blade Mode attached.
Hidden Blade Mode—This armament is also a bat-shaped scabbard. The holder can sheath sword-type weapons not exceeding two meters in length into it. Once sheathed, it automatically charges.
The longer the charging time, the greater the power of the slash when drawn. Limited to one strike.
"Before the battle began, the Host sheathed Mikazuki Munechika into the Galactic Baseball Bat to charge. Even during the incredibly fierce battle just now, he constantly diverted a part of his mind to control the Law of Causality."
"To extend the charging time of the Galactic Baseball Bat on Mikazuki Munechika!"
Why use the Key of Domination to control the remaining eleven Divine Keys instead of doing it personally?
Because he himself was fully controlling the Law of Causality for charging.
Wait, during the close-quarters combat with the multi-moving Herrscher of Thunder earlier, he clearly used the Seven Swords stance. Even counting himself, that's only eight. He couldn't spare extra mind to control the Law of Causality, right?
As mentioned before, he is ambidextrous and can multitask (Left Hand Draws a Circle, Right Hand Draws a Square).
So, question: Fighting until now, with the assistance of the bullying-the-weak-fearing-the-strong Law of Causality, how long could the mere C-rank Galactic Baseball Bat charge?
Regardless of the dynasty, the general evaluation of Sima Yi rarely has much controversy. Whether it was the Oath of Luoshui or usurping his lord's foundation, many of his deeds were held in contempt.
Even his descendant Sima Yan told his subjects to learn from Zhuge Liang rather than his ancestor, showing just how poor his reputation was.
But no one can deny that historically, Sima Yi won.
He took only one day to seize the empire built by four generations of the Cao clan's monarchs and ministers.
He struck only one sword, but he ground that sword for decades.
"I only swing my sword once, but this sword, I ground for a full one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years!"
Even if the amplification brought by the Galactic Baseball Bat's charging decayed over time, the time of one 129,600 years was enough for Fuli to grind out this super-god slash capable of cutting an S-rank in two!
This blade of 129,600 years of effort—Herrscher of Thunder, can you block it?!!
"I CAN BLOCK IT!!!"
In her short life, Miss Thunder Herrscher, who had always been calm and breezy, revealed an incredibly ferocious smile for the first time.
The intensity of this incoming slash was unquestionable. Even if it didn't reach the destructive level of an S-rank Rule Breaker like Genesis, it was still the strongest strike sufficient to kill the Herrscher of Thunder in her current state.
"But as long as you are only approaching Rule Breaker status rather than reaching it, the powerful shield formed by my remaining Honkai energy is enough to defend against this move!"
An electromagnetic barrier, following her mind, rose abruptly to surround her body before the soul-stirring slash arrived, bringing the Herrscher of Thunder an indescribable sense of security and a vast sense of accomplishment rushing to her head.
Her fair hand gently stroked her fiercely beating chest. She rubbed her legs together, her gaze towards the boy becoming increasingly moist and seductive.
The suspension bridge effect brought by a near-death escape is actually so heart-pounding. I presume I will never forget you in this life, Fuli~
"Divine Departure!!!" (Kamusari)
"Wha—"
Under the equally fanatical gazes of the two, Mikazuki Munechika, bearing slight chips, slashed onto the substantial electromagnetic barrier. Amidst the gaze of one person turning into horror, it 'penetrated' that invincible defense, which even dozens of hydrogen bombs detonating simultaneously would struggle to breach, as smoothly as water blending with milk!
Divine Departure. A comprehensive advanced skill Fuli created referencing hundreds and thousands of fragmented techniques.
Swing a slash wrapped in Honkai energy at high speed to attack the target. When attacking, the slash will penetrate the enemy's shield of [Any Type] and [Any Level] to strike the main body directly!
Fighting the Herrscher of Thunder until now, Fuli possessed a total of seven Critical-level BUFFs.
The first Critical: God King Mask.
The second: Ever-Burning Flame of the Vermilion Knight Sword.
The third: Deva Path for super-speed regeneration and energy recovery.
The fourth: Red Cotton forcing the surrounding civilization to regress to the Middle Ages.
The fifth: Mei's repeated restraint inside the Herrscher.
The sixth: Bronya's horizon snipe support across over a hundred kilometers.
The seventh: The Spear of Destiny thrown by Kiana at the critical moment.
"And I myself, am the Eighth Critical!"
According to calculations, a standard S-rank is equivalent to eight Criticals. (Base, not including their cheat)
"Now I have the blessing of eight Critical-levels on me. In other words, I am an S-rank just like you."
"In a battle between the same rank, I, Fuli, have never lost even once!!!"
The long blade raised by the Favored Son of Heaven slashed from bottom to top, shattering that shining Core into pieces, and rushed towards the sky with undiminished momentum!
...
Pitch-black mud, like the condensation of all the evils in this world, flowed on the ground, turning into vicious toxic flames made from all righteousness and virtues.
They howled, eroded, surged, rushing towards the girl curled up in the corner of the mental space time and again, vowing to dye her in their color.
The 172nd time, they failed.
The 413th time, they returned in vain.
Because Mei kept gritting her teeth and persisting.
Fuli told her that the story was true.
She believed him.
She was also waiting for him. Waiting for him, who waved his spear and sword to smash all the villains in one breath, to make a dashing entrance riding a tall horse, and walk towards a bright, happy future holding her, full of emotion and attachment.
Time passed quietly.
This scenery lasted for a long, long time, so long that Mei didn't know how much time had passed.
Mei was tired and drowsy.
Just then, perhaps sensing a flaw in the girl's spirit, or forced to the extreme by the terrible situation outside.
The toxic flames constructed a behemoth thousands of feet high, lunging at her with unprecedented ferocity, betting everything.
Mei knew she couldn't resist this time.
But she still used her last strength to raise her chin, like a firebird standing atop a tree refusing to bow its head.
Crack!
The sound of the Herrscher Core shattering rang out.
She raised her eyes, and then she saw the light.
The sky was cut open—
Centered on Fuli holding the odachi, a huge fault line suddenly appeared in the thunderclouds that had shrouded Honshu Island like a black curtain. It was as if a god had picked up huge, sharp scissors and cut the sky cleanly in half with one stroke. The cross-section was so smooth one could see past the end of the cloud layer at a glance.
If a satellite looked down from outer space, it would discover a wondrous yet incongruous massive gap suddenly appearing in the clouds between the Far East and the Pacific Ocean on this azure planet. The camera would capture that all the clouds and mist in this area evaporated almost instantly, leaving only the background of mixed azure and earthy yellow.
The sun released light and heat to its heart's content on the unobstructed line of the firmament. The falling sunlight and the parted dark clouds tacitly used that boundless slash as the dividing line, perfectly cutting the earth into two distinct colors.
This slash cleaved the Gate of Heaven;
This sword divided the Morning and Dusk.
In this domain where light and shadow overlapped, the light radiating from Fuli, the protagonist who struck that god-like blow, was already imperceptible.
Crack!
The boy, who had shattered the Heavenly Thunder Herrscher manifesting the divinity and the haze in the girl's heart with one blow, let go of his hand. He allowed this long sword that had accompanied him for three days to shatter along with the God King Mask on his face, revealing the clean face Mei was familiar with.
He turned his head, his eyes reflecting his friend's slender figure: "Don't listen to the nonsense of that guy occupying someone else's body. Caste systems, law of the jungle, social Darwinism, and whatnot—that kind of dross should have been thrown into the trash bin of the old society long ago."
Studying the big boy for a moment, Mei suddenly smiled slyly: "Don't worry. Defeating me to pin me down and ravage me at will—I wouldn't harbor such terrible thoughts of spoiling myself."
"That's good."
Fuli nodded and turned to wave at Kiana running from the distance.
His other hand was pulled from behind.
He turned his head back.
"However, for the Hero-san who saved Mei."
The girl stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss, light as a dragonfly skimming the water, on Fuli's cheek.
"Giving him some deserved return gift shouldn't be too much, right~"
Her starry eyes were elegant, her smile gentle.
A soothing breeze blew past, scattering Mei's waist-length hair.
Like cherry blossoms dancing in the wind in March, it was so beautiful one would want to stop time at this moment forever.
This wind also blew across the wilderness, across Nagazora City, and through the villa where the three had stayed earlier.
It blew through the courtyard with a lifted corner, and over the reasons and excuses Mei had densely written on the wall before leaving last night.
Of course, we all know that Fuli, who discovered her disappearance early in the morning, dug a tunnel directly to Raiden Tower from the basement without a second word, seeing absolutely none of these messages.
Including the one he didn't see, but achieved:
[Help me, Mr. Fuli.]
...
(End of Volume I: So, About That Promised Third Honkai Impact?)