'Anna' had no expression, her gaze fixed straight on the hem of her skirt, gripped tightly by a hand.
Struggling, she lifted her head. Those stubborn eyes glared unwaveringly at the Herrscher's consciousness before her.
"My body is not meant for you!"
Anna knew she had broken the oath she made when joining Schicksal, betraying her firm resolve to protect the people.
Though later she returned, struggling to make amends, preserving the squad's other members.
That figure still lingered in her heart, refusing to fade away, and she herself had no wish to let it go.
Such a self was vile, disgusting, faithless.
But.
"I will never let you keep hurting everyone!!" Anna roared.
Her teeth clenched, her breath unsteady, 'Anna' glared.
"You… bastard…" Furious at this coward holding her back, 'Anna' seethed.
Did she really think the peace she enjoyed during this time was just her personality?
Even as a Herrscher she couldn't act freely, then what was her purpose for appearing?!
When she had first wanted to strike at humanity directly, there were plenty of strong enemies outside.
Even Herrschers stood guard, and that white-haired one, wielding ice as strong as herself.
In such circumstances, she endured.
She absorbed Honkai energy more desperately, hoping to build her strength.
Now, she had grown stronger, and outside there were only two left behind, and one battered dragon.
With her current power, she could easily freeze them all into ice sculptures for her amusement!
"You coward, stop interfering with me! Get out of my way!" Anna refused to let go, even using the brief opening to scramble up and cling tightly to her leg.
Pulling hard, her face flushed red.
Damn it! How could this girl's will be so strong!?
This conscious space belonged to both of them, how much power one could exert depended entirely on the firmness of their will.
'Anna' was furious but also confused.
She had wavered before, so why was she now so firm?
Anna didn't know what she was thinking, but she knew what the Herrscher intended to do.
To prevent more people from being hurt, Anna was willing to sacrifice herself just to hold her back!
'Lady Durandal, you must stop her…' Anna pinned her hopes on those outside.
At present, to stop a Herrscher so powerful she shook the heart just by existing, only the Immortal Blades had a chance!
No one knew how long the deadlock lasted.
Suddenly, 'Anna' laughed.
Laughed wildly.
"Hahaha, hahahaha!" Still laughing, 'Anna' leaned down slowly and whispered.
"Idiot!" Anna froze, unease rising in her chest.
Taking advantage of her brief daze, 'Anna' stomped down hard, shaking off Anna's hands.
Before Anna could react, the figure flashed, and in midair a throne of solid ice formed. She sat upon it, overlooking Anna below, who stood with unease written all over her face.
Turning her palm, 'Anna' casually admired her flawless, snow-white fingers.
"I must say, you're the most pathetic opponent I've ever met." The moment the words fell, a surge of chill rushed toward Anna on the ground.
Startled, she instinctively lifted her foot, only to realize something was wrong.
Looking down, she saw a layer of ice pinning her feet to the ground, spreading rapidly up her legs, reaching her waist in the blink of an eye.
That instant of cold had frozen her in place!
"What is this?!" Panic surged as Anna struggled, but though the ice looked thin, to her it was harder than steel. Even with her martial strength she could not break free!
"Struggle all you like, coward. This mercy, I don't mind granting." Crossing her legs, looking down at Anna's futile efforts, the Ice Herrscher seemed to be savoring a brilliant performance.
"Should I call you foolish, or blind? It doesn't matter, hehe." She shook her head slightly, a mocking smile on her lips.
"The current me is flawless."
Outside, the vast Honkai energy turned into a frigid current, sweeping across what was once a prosperous resort city. The ice became countless blades, smashing against the skyscrapers already frozen into sculptures.
Layer by layer they shattered.
In an instant, the once-bustling cityscape became spotless and clean, its smooth surface reflecting dazzling sunlight that stung the eyes.
From afar, the whole city trembled under the massive ice storm, not a soul spared.
"Raaagh!!" Up above, Benares roared, the waves of sound shaking the clouds. The white storm clouds mingled with the icy winds, rolling violently, a terrifying sight.
On the ground, Raven, watching through binoculars, shivered and exhaled white mist.
"Haaah" She rubbed her arms, shuddering as she shook her head.
"No good. That Herrscher inside's gone mad. If we stay any longer, we won't get out alive."
As a seasoned mercenary, survival instinct was essential.
Raven knew very well what awaited them if they lingered.
At this scale, her combat ability was useless.
Even the God Key in her possession would be no help.
From this far away she already felt her body resisting movement.
If she got closer and was discovered, she'd definitely end up an ice statue.
"Good luck to you." She gave Coral Island one last look, quickly packed her things, and fled further away.
"Lord Kevin, it's not that I don't want to work, this job is simply impossible."
···
At the Immortal Blades encampment.
Everyone stood on high alert, eyes locked on the center of the storm. The sweat on their foreheads froze instantly in the bitter wind, crusting like frost.
"Lady Rita, at the very center of Coral Island there's a massive Honkai energy reaction! The satellite captured a figure, highly likely to be the Ice Herrscher!"
Susannah's urgent voice rang through Rita's headset.
Rita nodded slightly, her eyes narrowing, gazing at the storm's heart with concern.
Exhaling softly, she turned and barked to the Valkyries of Immortal Blades.
"Fall back ten kilometers! Keep in contact! Staying here will only mean death!"
Hearing the command, the Valkyries looked at her in shock.
"Lady Rita, but-"
"Didn't you hear me? Move, now."
Her brows furrowed, authority radiating from her.
Normally, wherever she went, Rita was the picture of elegance and perfection.
The Valkyries all admired this S-rank maid, holding her in deep affection.
After all, who wouldn't like a maid-sister who smiled at you and could do everything?
But that was only one side of Rita. When it came to missions, or to Durandal and those she cared about, the aura of a veteran warrior erupted from her without reservation.
This was one of those moments.
"Yes!" The Valkyrie who had spoken first straightened, hefted her equipment, and led the retreat.
The Immortal Blades were formidable, each member a warrior who could stand alone.
But that kind of strength was useless here. The sheer density of Honkai energy alone left them unable to move freely.
And on top of that, a Herrscher was inside.
Sending them in would be no different from throwing sheep to wolves.
Well, perhaps a little better; at least wolves couldn't devour the whole flock in one bite.
"Miss Yuna, can you sense the Ice Herrscher?" Rita turned to Yuna.
Yuna nodded, replying in a steady voice: "Yes, but I can't pinpoint her exact location yet. If I get within three kilometers, the signal will get stronger."
After being defeated by Kevin, Yuna had learned her bitter lesson .
She threw herself into study, forcing herself to progress.
And finally, she had taken one more step in mastering the Authority of Poison.
By now, she could already damage the Honkai energy hidden within the solid ice, mixing in her own poison, allowing it to spread quickly through the frozen layers.
With this technique, she could finally secure specific areas when dealing with this Herrscher.
Just then,
"Roar!" A low growl thundered from above. Benares descended from the sky, her massive body stirring up the air with a loud whooshing sound.
Normally, this wouldn't be anything unusual. But now…
"S-So cold…" Yuna trembled slightly, rubbing her arms.
Benares' glowing eyes locked firmly onto the two in front of her, the battle intent within them never once wavering.
She could feel it, the Queen was returning, racing down the path toward them.
That Herrscher had not broken her word. Since that was so, before the Queen arrived, she would clear away the chaos in this land, to welcome Her Majesty's descent!
…
Upon the Imaginary Tree,
Miss Messenger looked idly at the three flowing branches, her figure weaving in and out of them as though she had transformed from a mere concept into one of Lushaka's ocean-born races.
"Eh? Looks like they're about to fight." She suddenly noticed the first branch: Rita and Yuna wore grave expressions.
And there was also… a huge dragon.
"This dragon looks way prettier than the Doomsday Beast." With just one glance, Miss Messenger made her judgment.
Granted, the Doomsday Beast didn't exactly score low on looks. But that was all.
In truth, the Doomsday Beast was shrouded in destruction. A single look at it was enough to make the weak-willed tremble, or even pass-out on the spot.
Its arrival was always heralded by carnage and blood. Except for the destruction faction and certain twisted oddballs, no one could stand the sight of it.
By contrast, Benares' beauty, majestic, sleek, powerful, perfectly struck Miss Messenger's tastes.
Put more simply, Benares' kind of beauty was one people could actually accept.
Hearing Miss Messenger's exclamation, Godzilla slowly opened his eyes. His huge vertical pupils instantly locked onto the two below.
As for their target of fear…
"Making that much ice all at once… I wonder if it would taste good as shaved ice." His thoughts drifted.
Godzilla didn't care what level that Herrscher could reach.
Unless she connected directly with the Imaginary Tree, then compared to the scale of the Cocoon of Finality, her power wasn't worth mentioning.
Of course, if she did connect to the Imaginary Tree, then resistance would be meaningless.
Packing up and moving away would be the best option.
Just then,
"Mm…" A unconscious whimper sounded.
Godzilla tilted his head slightly and glanced down.
Nestled against his tail, the little girl Rin whimpered softly in her sleep, her hands rubbing at her eyes.
"Big sis…" Instinctively, she began calling out for Sakura.
Ever since being confined, every time she woke she would call for her sister.
Back home, whenever she called, her sister would always come.
But now, her sister never returned. Emotions welled up, tears gathered at her eyes.
She rubbed hard and slowly opened them, wet with tears, hoping to see home.
"Eh?" As her vision cleared, Rin tilted her head blankly, blinking in confusion.
"Where is this?" Sheltered by Sakura and ignorant of the world's darkness, she had no real sense of danger.
But even the best protection couldn't erase the shadow left in her heart after her time with Fire Moth.
Now, seeing this unfamiliar place, her chest tightened with fear. She clutched her hands to her chest, her cheeks tense.
Suddenly, a vast presence pressed down on her, maybe real, maybe just her mind.
Her vision lifted sharply without warning. Startled, Rin clung to the "ground," curling her tiny body into a ball.
After a moment, a tail moved into view. Godzilla peered at the little bundle before him.
Such a small, soft ball of fluff. Truly tiny.
From his massive perspective, the faint pink patch on his tail was barely noticeable.
If not for his keen sight, he might not have even realized this little one was there.
He simply stared at the curled-up Rin.
After a long while, Rin realized… nothing had happened?
Cautiously, she lifted her head. Fear still on her small face, her eyes met rough, bark-like patterns carved into it.
Following the lines upward, she looked for a ceiling, or maybe even the sun.
Slowly, slowly she tilted her head back.
And then, two "suns" filled her vision.
"…?" She blinked, her tiny eyes wide with doubt.
"How strange… are there two suns?" Her sister had told her once that the sun was a star, a glowing, burning sphere. That was what kept the world alive.
So… had one sun moved closer?
And so near too, yet her eyes didn't hurt like before.
Rin marveled at the discovery.
Children, no matter how obedient, always had a streak of curiosity.
Even Rin, who usually behaved so well, had once tried looking at the sun.
She remembered the pain clearly, and feared it still.
But without the stifling little room, her tension slowly faded.
Now, her only worry was her sister.
What if Sakura couldn't find her? Her eyes swam with confusion and worry, and Godzilla gave a silent sigh.
Sakura's little sister, was she this reckless? She was almost as headstrong as that grey fur who charged in swinging at everything.
Just then, while Rin fretted over her sister, Miss Messenger noticed her awakening.
"…." Though surprised at such a tiny girl having such nerve, Miss Messenger still greeted her warmly, her voice carrying a strange but comforting familiarity.
"Hi, you're finally awake."
…
Schicksal.
While speaking with Kevin about the world's changes over fifty thousand years, Sakura suddenly froze. Then her face lit up with joy.
"Rin!"
"…Rin?!" Kevin's pupils dilated in shock.
Nodding, Sakura's calm face overflowed with excitement.
"Miss Messenger told me Rin woke up. I'm going to see her."
Knowing full well the trauma Rin might carry, she didn't care about anything else, she only wanted to return to her sister's side.
Seeing this, Kevin nodded slightly, hesitated for a moment, then said: "Give her my regards."
"Mm." In the next instant, Sakura's figure vanished before him.
Kevin stood silent, staring at the spot where she disappeared, memories of the past flashing in his mind.
Mistakes that had once been made… had now been stopped.
And even undone. How wonderful.
…
Sakura rushed back to the Imaginary Tree.
And at once, she saw Rin being lifted high into the air, laughing as she played with Godzilla.
"Whoosh!"
Up!
"Swish!"
Down!
His thick tail even doubled as a slide, and Rin darted about, her face glowing with endless smiles.
"This…" Sakura had expected Rin to be sad without her, perhaps even cry upon waking in this strange place.
But she had never imagined her little sister could be so happy playing with Godzilla.
The ripples of this world couldn't hide from Godzilla's senses. He glanced sideways and saw the familiar fox-eared woman.
He looked away, uninterested.
Noticing his gaze, Miss Messenger followed it and waved cheerfully.
"Miss Sakura!" Hearing Miss Messenger's voice, Rin, just about to start "climbing", snapped her head around.
The instant she saw that familiar figure, her eyes brimmed with tears of joy.