Durandal, flying at high speed while holding the white cat-worm, suddenly felt a sense of dread.
Specifically, the white cat-worm she was holding was now bristling all over, and her own intuition was blaring alarms.
Behind her, anyone who wasn't blind or deaf could perceive the roaring thunder... No, even a deaf and blind Ubisoft-brand crayfish could feel the vibrations from the thunderclaps...
And the purple Honkai energy, visibly converging and taking shape, all pointed to some ominous development.
"Give Kiana..."
"BACK TO ME!!!"
Behind the Goose, a bolt of lightning struck down. Raiden Mei, who had been left under the large tree at the dueling site, looking defeated with her mouth agape and eyes closed, now appeared behind the golden-haired Valkyrie like a demon god.
No, the present Raiden Mei might as well be a demon god from the myths of the Far East Island Nation... with crimson oni horns on her forehead, purple-red pupils, and heavy, murderous eye shadow.
Her blue and white Valkyrie battlesuit had been replaced by a black, white, and red combat uniform. The long skirt of her dress billowed with the thunderstorm, as if reflecting the girl's current combat power.
What most caught the attention of the Goose and the Blazing Cat was the long nodachi she wielded. Its sharp, gleaming blade crackled with soul-stealing crimson lightning, proclaiming its danger.
"Can a Herrscher reawaken even after their Core has been taken?"
Durandal, who had never seen such a thing, froze for a moment, then—having learned from Houraiji Kyuusyou—turned and fled, still holding the White Blazing Cat.
Are you kidding me? This is a city! That Pikachu crackling with electricity would probably use rebar or some other random metal to fire a continuous railgun, turning this into a prop race.
"Do you think... you can escape!!!"
Seeing the golden-haired Valkyrie bolt without leaving anyone behind, Raiden Mei was clearly enraged. She roared and transformed into a streak of lightning, resuming the chase.
-
"Bella, do you think we should apply to have this line declared intangible cultural heritage... I feel like this group really loves my line."
"Don't they have their own scripts?!"
Nearby, Doll Sirin, who had been drawn by the concentrated Honkai energy, was secretly and frantically gorging on the Third Herrscher's offerings (Honkai energy). She complained to Benares, who had followed her.
"...My Queen, you can't declare a line intangible cultural heritage. Give it up."
Seeing Sirin's face filled with annoyance and reluctance, Bella wore a helpless expression.
"I don't care! Stealing my line is one thing, but their entrances are cooler than mine, and they're stronger than me! They're all trying to one-up me in every way!"
"Bella, why don't we go find jobs in another universe!!!"
"I can't stand this crappy world for another second!"
...Although she claimed she couldn't stay another second, the little doll's body was quite honest.
As Raiden Mei and Durandal moved farther away, the Sirin Doll, still frantically devouring Honkai energy, didn't hesitate to chase after them.
"My Queen... you've absorbed enough Honkai energy to last you five years. Are you sure you want to absorb more?"
"You just don't get it, Bella..."
"There's an art to consuming Honkai energy. Take the energy radiating from the Third Herrscher, for instance. It has a tingly, numbing texture, like eating Sichuan peppercorns."
"Both numbing and spicy."
Now a Honkai energy gourmet, the Sirin Doll began to review the flavors of the prominent figures she'd encountered:
"Like my other half, that white, dense blockhead. Her energy tastes like a pot of brown sugar ginger soup—spicy, but with a deep, comforting warmth."
"Hmm, the kind of flavor that makes you feel safe and at ease."
"Uh... Queen, what about Bella...?"
The Dragon Girl's eyes lit up with curiosity, wondering about her own flavor...
"Bella? Bella's flavor is obviously a blueberry cupcake! Sweet and tangy!"
"Has the Queen been infected by Lady Kiana? Why does she think everyone smells so delicious and edible now...?"
Bella muttered under her breath after hearing her evaluation.
"Bella, what are you saying?! Who got infected by that white, dense blockhead?!"
Hearing Bella's quiet grumbling, the Sirin Doll leaped to her feet.
"If there's delicious, there must also be disgusting—or even completely inedible!"
"Uh... Queen? For example?"
"For example, that purple-haired one who's always grinning cheekily, and when you hit her, she just grins and runs away faster than anyone."
"That one feels like poison to me—colorless and odorless, but laced with toxicity. The deadliest kind."
"Hmm... how to describe it? It feels like if you took just one sip, you'd rapidly age and drop dead..."
The Doll tilted her head, thinking, and recalled some knowledge she'd learned...
"What's that human saying again...? 'Time is both poison and antidote.' Well, that one is a super-sized dose of both poison and antidote."
"Yeah, the kind that kills you if you drink it."
"What about Her Excellency Imhotep...?"
The Dragon Girl brought up the other Little Sovereign of World Serpent who had been lingering around them recently.
"Imhotep, she's a living—"
The Sirin Doll, recalling the unpleasant memory of being tormented by the white-haired girl, opened her mouth to unleash a torrent of curses... then forcefully swallowed the profanity back down her throat.
"A living what?"
Seeing the Queen suddenly stop, Bella grew even more curious, unaware of the terrifying presence approaching from behind her.
"Queen, why did you suddenly stop talking...? Were you about to say 'living b**ch'?"
"Her Excellency isn't here right now, Queen. Just say it... I support you with both hands and feet."
"You're really breaking my heart, Bella. I guess I'll have to chop off your limbs and turn you into a dragon stick~"
A voice that made the dragon's heart stop sounded from behind Benares.
"Oh, and one more thing—Sirin, what were you about to say?"
Azure-blue eyes turned to Sirin, who was preparing to bolt and abandon her dragon, showcasing their flimsy master-servant bond.
"I said... I meant that Imhotep, she's a living saint! She rescued us from the hell of the slums, found us a big house, and gave us lots of delicious food—"
"Don't chop me! Go chop Bella!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I can't be bothered to deal with you two. Have you seen Raiden Mei? How is she doing?"
Dropping her playful expression, Imhotep looked at the two idiots before her.
"Huh? That one? She went crazy, screaming 'Kiana' and chasing the golden-haired Valkyrie from Schicksal out of the city with a 30-meter-long greatsword."
"That's terrifying... If my other self ever gets involved with other girls in the future, will she slice me up...?"