"WTF! Are all Anti-Entropy Enforcers monsters?!!"
Thirty minutes later, the Remnant of the Herrscher of Thunder, having fled to the outskirts of Nagazora, cursed loudly.
Progress had been smooth at the start. The dragon-snake avatar she created had barged into the consciousness hub of that woman, Mobius, like entering an unpeopled land, ready to devour her and take her place in a few simple moves.
But as she ate, she realized something was wrong. Had she walked right into a trap? That bizarre green-haired snake actually wanted to turn the tables and devour her, a Herrscher? And the kicker was, she actually had the ability to do it?
If it were anyone else, faced with such a situation, they might have hesitated due to sunk costs and gambled on a fight. But the naturally cautious Herrscher of Thunder didn't say a second word; she cut her losses and bailed immediately.
Thanks to that, after paying an agonizingly heavy price, she—now reduced to less than a tenth of her original size—finally severed the connection and escaped with her life. For reference, the process was similar to a certain Memokeeper next door who tried to peek into the memories of an Emanator of Nihility, only to get plucked clean.
However, a blessing in disguise often comes in the form of a loss. Although the current Herrscher of Thunder was reduced to a tiny little ball, she had also obtained a small portion of Mobius's memories during the fusion process.
With the help of these memories, even in her tragic state, she had the confidence and possibility of staging a comeback.
After all, no matter how bad the situation was, she still had the ability to devour an ordinary person and take over their nest.
She had to choose this person carefully.
If she couldn't consider immediate combat power, she had to consider potential.
Among the people the Herrscher of Thunder had seen, the one with the highest potential was undoubtedly Fuli.
solely on talent, without relying on luck, that guy was more than a cut above natural-born Herrscher vessels like Kiana and Raiden Mei, or Vishnu factor carriers like Theresa. You could flip through thousands of years of Indra's memories and not find a single monster comparable to him. He was simply heaven-defying.
Unfortunately, she couldn't afford to provoke him. Plus, she didn't really want to use a man's body.
Then she had to switch targets. Who should it be?
The tiny Miss Herrscher squatted on top of a trash can, falling into deep thought.
"Wow! What's this? It feels so cute. Poke~ ♪"
A charming voice, like a lark, echoed in her ear. The girl turned her head, only to see a flawless, jade-white little hand poking towards her.
In the next instant, the last remaining thought of the Herrscher of Thunder vanished into smoke.
...
"Oh my?"
The pink-haired girl withdrew her hand, lightly covering her lips.
She stood up vigilantly, looking left, then right.
Only after confirming that no one had seen her accidentally cause trouble just now did she pat her chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Elysia-san?"
"Eek!"
If her ears were pointed, they surely would have perked up right then.
The startled pink-haired girl turned around hurriedly, discovering that the person calling her was Asakura Miyuki, who was holding a gun. Only then did she wave her small fist and complain with a pout, "Little Miyuki needs to show her presence more often! Girls are much more lovable when they're cheerful!"
"Though, I don't hate a colder version of you either," she muttered softly, emphasizing that she wanted it all.
"I-I'm sorry!!!"
Asakura Miyuki hurriedly bowed in apology. Her long sakura-colored hair draped over her shoulders, emitting the scent of gunpowder and soil.
To speak of how they met, time must be rewound a little.
Murata Himeko was near death, Theresa was heavily injured, and several Valkyrie squads had been wiped out.
The current Hyperion was so short-staffed that they had reached the terrible point where even a trainee Valkyrie with major personality defects like Asakura Miyuki had to be sent out on missions.
And the first mission assigned to Asakura Miyuki by Increasin, who had taken over command, was to find the "Miss Pink Elf" mentioned by the survivors—the one who had comforted the people of Nagazora during the Great Honkai and quietly left after it ended.
Asakura Miyuki found her quickly—or rather, the target found her.
"Whoa, what a cute girl! And that pink hair... the eye color is similar too! Maybe we can debut as a sister idol unit~♪"
"Waaahhhh!!!"
Facing this Miss Pink Elf who suddenly popped out of some nook and cranny to bear-hug her, Asakura Miyuki screamed in panic.
With great difficulty, she managed to pull away under the other party's regretful gaze, finally getting the chance to secretly observe her appearance:
Hair like a cascading waterfall, tied into a fluffy ponytail with a ribbon—a sakura pink that no amount of petals could ever dye.
Skin as white and lustrous as white jade, the result of countless falling blossoms dressing her up.
A curvy figure, cheeks lightly dusted with powder, refracting a pure and holy atmosphere—a rich intensity of pure spirit.
Like a graceful floral scent quietly floating into the heart, the fragrance of stars and moon accompanying petals, brilliant as flying flowers.
"Hmm? Are you mesmerized? ♪"
A fair little hand waved in front of her eyes. Still in a daze, Asakura Miyuki nodded blankly, not feeling a shred of inferiority in her heart.
The girl's beauty never stung anyone. Like the wind scattering across the earth, the first breeze of the spring tide, it only made one's heart feel warm and body feel at ease.
In the subsequent conversation—okay, it was just the other party chattering one-sidedly—Asakura Miyuki learned why this lady named Elysia ("Just call me by my name! Ely is fine too~♪")... why Elysia had come to Nagazora.
According to the original plan, the world-class superstar Eden's concert tour was coming to Nagazora in a while.
As a loyal fan, Elysia, who was in Shenzhou, asked a relative in the family group chat—a cute junior she affectionately called "Little Li"—to buy tickets for her.
Little Li agreed readily, but after taking the money, he vanished without a trace.
His phone was off, and she couldn't contact him no matter what.
Burning with anxiety, Elysia bought a plane ticket and flew over ahead of schedule, wanting to see if some accident had befallen him.
You didn't suspect that the guy named Little Li just took the money and ran?
Noticing the genuine urgency on the girl's face, Asakura Miyuki silently swallowed those words.
Fast forward to the present.
"Ah! That's right!"
Probably wanting to distract from the trouble she just accidentally caused, a guilty Elysia clapped her small hands together vigorously. "I asked a kind person earlier about where Little Li lives now. Why don't you come with me to check, Little Miyuki? Nagazora just went through... just went through..."
Asakura Miyuki whispered a supplement: "The Third Eruption."
"Right, right, right! It just went through the Third Eruption! He must be terrified right now!"
Elysia clenched her pink fists. In her wondrous eyes, distinct with pink and blue, flames seemed to be raging. "Grand-Auntie is coming right away! You better be okay, Little Li!"
"But, we—"
We should be returning to the Hyperion for inspection! And what's with referring to yourself as a Grand-Auntie? Isn't the generational gap between you and Mr. Little Li a bit much?
The socially anxious beautiful girl wanted to cry but had no tears. Still, she was dragged into a run by this socially terrifying beautiful girl she had met by chance.
One had social anxiety; the other was a social terrorist.
After some time, the two arrived in front of a building that looked quite familiar to Asakura Miyuki.
A tube-shaped apartment building, three or four stories high. An exposed long corridor connected many single rooms, with pedestrian stairs on both sides connecting the upper and lower floors.
"202, 202..."
Elysia mumbled the intel she got from others, holding Asakura Miyuki's small hand as she prepared to go upstairs.
Suddenly, her hand was shaken off with considerable force.
She turned her head in confusion.
Click!
A dark gun barrel was pressed against her spotless, white forehead without warning.
"Eh?"
Miss Elf blinked, looking at the owner whose finger was on the trigger.
"Um, I am very sorry!"
Asakura Miyuki's tone was still timid. "May I ask if the 'Little Li' you mentioned... is his name 'Fuli'?"
"That's right! Could it be... Little Miyuki knows Little Li?"
Elysia naturally raised her hands in a French salute (surrender), her tone as casual as before.
"If possible, please return to the Hyperion with me first!"
Asakura Miyuki said seriously, "Prosecutor Increasin detected a hallucinogenic component similar to enkephalin in the brains of some citizens. Combined with your earlier actions of calming everyone down, we suspect that you used some special abilities during the Third Eruption!"
A flock of crows flew over the empty building, leaving only a fading, hoarse cry.
Falling crow feathers cast fleeting, lonely shadows on the windows, then spiraled up with the evening wind, sweeping across the rooftop terrace.
"Is that so?"
Examining Asakura Miyuki, whose temperament and expression were completely different from a moment ago, Elysia realized something. She raised her eyebrows, curved like meteors hanging over the moon. "But I was standing right in front of Little Miyuki just now. Why didn't Little Miyuki arrest me then, but instead is using this thing now?"
Her shifting gaze touched the gun barrel against her forehead. Without any tension, she winked at the other party. "Is it because of Little Li? Were you worried that my 'awakened ability' might have unpredictable effects on Little Li if I contacted him, so you suddenly became vigilant?"
"Th-th-this! I-I-I!"
Being cool never lasts more than three seconds.
The girl, having her inner thoughts poked, felt even the ahoge on top of her head go limp with shyness. Only the hand holding the gun remained steady and accurate.
Hurting Fuli is forbidden. Not even a tiny possibility is allowed.
Seeing Asakura Miyuki's stubborn persistence, Elysia flashed a brilliant smile full of "bad woman" vibes. "Oh, oh, oh! So that's how it is! Even in a foreign land, Little Li has captured the heart of a beautiful girl~♪"
Wuuuwuuuwuuu!!!
Under Miss Elf's persistent and meticulous cultivation, the Steam Girl finally reached boiling point.
"But doing this is wrong, Little Miyuki!"
Elysia suddenly changed the subject, speaking very seriously. "The development where [A beautiful girl finds resolve because her crush is threatened] is great and all, but since I, having awakened an ability, am very dangerous, Little Miyuki should have taken me back to that Hyperion right from the start! That would be the responsible action for everyone~♪"
"I-I-I-I-I'm so sorry!!!"
Completely crushed by logic and reason, Asakura Miyuki knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to apologize to the Elf in front of her, following the custom of the Far East.
A pure white wrist appeared before her eyes.
"...Eh?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to take me back? I'm a dangerous element."
Elysia said mischievously, "If you're arresting someone, you must have handcuffs or something, right?"
"Ah! I do!"
Asakura Miyuki panicked and fumbled in her pocket for a while, taking out a glowing pink-and-blue bracelet.
She stepped forward carefully and fastened the thing onto Elysia's right wrist. It actually complemented the [Pristine Death] model ladies' watch on her left hand quite well.
After hesitating, she asked in a small voice, "Miss Elysia."
"I told you to use my name! Or just call me Ely~♪"
"El—cough, Elysia."
Asakura Miyuki, nearly infected by that magical intonation, asked confusedly, "Aren't you afraid that I'm a bad person?"
"Hehe, if it's a cute bad person like Little Miyuki, Miss Elf is willing to be captured!"
Elysia lifted her chin triumphantly. Then she opened her arms and pulled the bewildered person before her into an embrace. "Besides, I can smell it! The scent of soil and gunpowder in your hair."
"It must have been hard, fighting those terrible enemies."
She lovingly stroked the girl's long hair. "You did great! Thank you all for your hard work."
The gentle evening glow wrapped around the girl, like a Holy Mother comforting a child's soul, or a goddess affirming a warrior's efforts.
It seemed that it wasn't just Asakura Miyuki being embraced by Elysia; the expressions of the Valkyries still fighting bloodily outside Nagazora City seemed to become peaceful at this moment, waves of warmth rising in their hearts.
Asakura Miyuki's vision suddenly blurred slightly.
She wiped her eyes and nodded vigorously. "Mmh!"
...
Night gradually arrived, draping a curtain over this riddled city, making the stars in the sky shine dazzlingly, like a dream or illusion.
ME Corp Park, Raiden Tower—
As the only facility in Nagazora with restored power, this landmark naturally attracted a crowd of onlookers.
Some curious people tried to go inside to investigate, but as if anticipating this, a semi-transparent magnetic field screen rose early on, enveloping the entire ME Corp Industrial Park.
Looking at the high-voltage current crackling across it, normal people with any sanity left basically gave up on getting to the bottom of things.
As for those who didn't care... the one who activated the screen couldn't be bothered to care about their lives either.
In the reception room on the sub-top floor of the tower, Fuli lay on the table, bored out of his mind, fiddling with his phone.
Kiana wasn't there; the girl had gone to return the inherited Valkyrie armor to Theresa.
The phone had been fixed by Mei. Just because the Herrscher Core was shattered didn't mean her innate Thunder Stigmata went dormant.
While the convenience was far from the "do whatever you want" level of Authority, creating and manipulating currents and electromagnetic fields to a certain extent was still doable.
The moment Fuli turned on his phone, the "99+" badge on WeChat nearly blinded him.
He tapped in and found that it was indeed from Grand-Auntie Ely, whose plane ticket money and concert ticket money had been embezzled.
The messages she sent were actually quite touching to Fuli, until he scrolled to the very last one—
[I'm going to Nagazora right now! Hang in there, Little Li! You must persist until Miss Elf arrives!]
Ba-dump!
Heart! Lungs! Cardiac Arrest!
What? I hacked my way through the Third Eruption?
Never mind then.
Fuli performed a tactical lean-back. Just as he was preparing to reply to his Little Grand-Auntie to report his safety...
"Are you sure you want to invite me to join? Join that small organization of yours that hasn't even decided on a name yet?"
The cool, beautiful voice of the former Third Herrscher echoed in the spacious room. A cup of hot cocoa was placed in front of Fuli. With hair like a cascading waterfall, the peerless girl sat down opposite him, bringing a wave of heat with her.
"My identity as a former Herrscher is already known by countless people, including Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. Asking me to join would mean making an enemy of the whole world."
Fuli put away his phone and looked up.
Her cool, pretty face was cold and beautiful as snow. Her distant, mountain-like brows were knit like the moon, yet her deep, aloof eyes concealed a hidden, faint allure.
After the Herrscher transformation ended, the divine outfit on Mei had reverted to the panda kigurumi she had been wearing all day.
The top floor of the Raiden Tower housed the Raiden family's large villa, so the girl had taken the opportunity to go back, change clothes, and take a bath.
"Or perhaps—"
Her white and purple loose yukata draped quietly. There was a look of expectation between her beautiful brows, so much so that even her originally reserved sitting posture unconsciously leaned forward. Her wondrous, long legs were crossed and lifted, tightly clamping that absolute territory that invited infinite reverie.
"Or perhaps, you can still use that move... Six Paths Sword Ultra-Ultimate Esoteric Art Peerless Zero Style — Wind and Cloud Thunder Flash Ultimate God-Slaying Strike of One Thought Toppling the Heavens Light Arrow Infinite Kalpa, and chop down all enemies who come looking for trouble with a single raise of your hand?"
Fuli frowned and thought for a long time before realizing she was talking about the charged sword strike he used earlier to defeat the Herrscher of Thunder, shattering the core and the dark clouds covering Honshu Island.
Originally feeling light-headed from admiring the beautiful girl's new look, he was instantly embarrassed. "No, why can you Far East people always say such shameful things without your face turning red or your heart skipping a beat?"
...