"Nagazora City? That's not right. How could there possibly be anyone left to become a Herrscher? I had everyone who could evacuate do so, and those who didn't should all be dead by now!" On the aircraft, Ryn asked with great confusion as he looked at the mission report sent by Theresa.
"That's what I thought too, but the situation is different this time. Nagazora City is too big. Both St. Freya High School and Schicksal HQ have too few personnel, so we can't completely prevent ordinary people from returning to Nagazora City.
Some brain-dead parents couldn't bear to part with their property in Nagazora City, so they brought their children back to Academy City and forced them to go back to school. I think that's just ridiculous... there's no one left in the schools, and they're still forcing their children to attend classes."
Theresa crushed the device in her hand, her expression grim. She couldn't understand these so-called 'parents'. It had already been announced to the public that a toxic gas leak in Nagazora City made it impossible to live there normally, yet they still had to come back to die.
Theresa stood at the landing bay door of the aircraft, looking down at Academy City within Nagazora City below, and continued without turning her head.
"And among the few who were forced back to school, there is one who was chosen by the Honkai. Our mission is to eliminate her before she has a chance to fully mature."
Ryn looked at the satellite projection on the device in his hand. It was Senba Academy... and it was now covered by a cluster of vines.
Soon, the aircraft arrived at Senba Academy.
The aircraft circled Senba Academy a few times, and finally, the pilot's voice came through the communicator.
"Principal, the area around the target is completely covered by unknown vines. Safety cannot be confirmed. The aircraft cannot land!"
"Then we jump! Come on, Judah!" Theresa shouted as she jumped directly from the aircraft.
Ryn looked at Theresa who had jumped so decisively, then turned to look at Judah beside him, who was completely indifferent to Theresa's call.
"She just called you, aren't you going to help her?"
"I listen to you."
"So, can Principal Theresa fly?"
"No, I used to carry her."
*Smack—*
Ryn facepalmed in exasperation, then grabbed Judah and jumped down.
————————
"Help! Help!"
Theresa, free-falling from the sky, was crying and wailing.
Judah had been with Theresa for too long, so long that it had become a part of her life, which often caused Theresa to forget that Judah no longer listened to her...
But luckily, the Herrscher-fied Ryn could fly. Ryn accelerated and caught Theresa from below.
"It's been so long, you should at least have learned your lesson by now..." Ryn said, jiggling Theresa in his arms.
"You bastard, it's all because you and Cortana hacked my Judah!" Theresa furiously grabbed Ryn's neck and shook him.
At this moment, Judah, who was hanging onto Ryn with a chain, spoke up.
"Times have changed, Theresa. Following you, I'd starve for nine days out of three, with no fights to be had. But now, following Ryn, not only do I get my fill of Honkai energy every day, but I can also keep getting stronger. I willingly became Ryn's shape!"
After saying that, Judah even intentionally jiggled her chest. On her chest, the emblem that was originally the Kaslana family crest had now changed to the pattern of Ryn's Stigmata.
"No—" Theresa began to cry out again.
Ryn patted Theresa's head and then said to both of them, "Stop messing around. Let's solve the mission first."
Then Ryn, holding Theresa and carrying Judah on his back, charged straight down towards Senba Academy below.
And the vines, as if to welcome Ryn and the others, scattered in all directions, clearing a path for them.
Ryn's toes tapped lightly on the ground, and he landed in a classroom in Senba Academy. In front of the three of them was a giant cocoon woven from vines.
Through the gaps in the vines, Ryn could see a girl in a Senba Academy uniform kneeling inside, crying in pain.
Hearing the girl's painful moans, Theresa grabbed a chain from Judah's body. Judah didn't resist this time and turned the front end of the chain into a spear for Theresa to hold.
Theresa glanced at Ryn and Judah, then, holding the spear, slowly walked towards the Pseudo-Herrscher girl.
"It must be very painful... to have your body eroded by the Honkai, yet still retain a shred of consciousness...
I'm sorry, we were too late... Let me end your suffering!"
Theresa gripped the spear and lunged at the girl. The girl didn't resist, but as Judah's spear pierced her, she shed one last tear.
The surrounding vines went into a frenzy. Theresa quickly retreated, but the vines pursued her relentlessly.
"Retreat."
Ryn pushed a palm out in front of him, instantly forming an invisible barrier in front of Theresa. All the pursuing vines crashed into the barrier and could advance no further.
"Tsk, why... why did you have to kill me? Why am I always the unfortunate one? My mother hates me, she scolds me endlessly for the smallest mistakes... My classmates don't like me either, they always distance themselves from me, bully me..."
Seeing that the vines were ineffective against Theresa, the girl staggered to her feet. The wound Theresa had inflicted on her healed at a visible rate.
The girl was no longer in pain. With that one spear thrust from Theresa, the girl's humanity had been completely devoured by her Honkai persona. Right now, she had never felt better.
"Ryn... I never thought you were also one of those chosen by God. Why are you standing against us now? Does Kiana know..."
"Uh, the one who chose me and the God you're talking about are probably not the same. Also... do we know each other? You know Kiana?" Ryn was surprised that this girl in front of him could call out his name.
"I know you... but you probably don't know me. My name is Yuno..."
The girl nodded at Ryn, introducing herself. Then she retracted the vines and continued to speak as she walked towards him.
"Kiana Kaslana... she was like a ray of light that burst into my world. When I was being bullied, when I was being insulted, she would always descend from the heavens like a great hero and beat all the bad guys away... She saved me, gave me new hope.
But she was so busy... she was busy saving one bullied person after another. Perhaps I was just another nameless person she saved, but I have etched her into my heart."