"Big sis!"
When that long-yearned-for figure appeared within her sight, Rin could no longer contain her excitement. She leapt from above, diving straight down.
"Rin!" Opening her arms wide, Sakura caught her sister firmly. Her calm eyes were filled with an almost tangible warmth.
"I'm sorry, Rin. It's my fault as your sister." Her voice trembled as her palm gently caressed Rin's cheek, emotions flooding her heart, covering everything else.
She couldn't imagine how she would endure that indescribable pain if anything were to happen to Rin.
Even their short time together had already made her realize the difference between the current civilization's attitude and methods toward Herrschers.
Before the Second Eruption, things were not much different from the Previous Era. But later, the current civilization sought to coexist with Herrschers depending on their differences.
Yet Sakura had spent far longer in the Previous Era, where what she saw most often were only its harsh methods.
Compared to the friendliness of the current civilization, the cruel approach of the Previous Era was unbearable to her.
The contrast was hard to accept, especially since Sakura had once fought and bled for the Previous Era, cutting down countless enemies.
And yet, those people in the rear had locked her sister away simply out of fear.
She understood humanity's terror of Herrschers, but she feared losing Rin even more.
Not even allowed visitation rights, how could she not be consumed with longing!
"It's fine, Sister. As long as Sister is with Rin, Rin is very happy."
Such a sensible, obedient child could only make one's heart ache.
Sakura said nothing, only tightened her embrace around Rin.
The scene of deep sisterly affection was moving beyond words. Godzilla didn't interrupt, his presence loomed, but he pressed down no more than necessary.
"Thank you very much." After exchanging heartfelt words with Rin, Sakura folded her hands together and bowed respectfully and gratefully to Godzilla.
Rin obediently followed her sister, bowing to him as well. Godzilla flicked his tail lightly, utterly unconcerned.
He had heard thanks far too many times. As his power grew, every move he made carried the potential for salvation, or destruction.
Thus, gratitude and hatred came to him in equal measure, and neither meant much to him.
Unless, of course, someone could provide him with a massive, comfortable energy mattress.
Right now, the one he had was quite good.
So he wasn't even considering whether anyone else might bring him a better one.
As always, if you want something done right, do it yourself.
Sakura was long familiar with Godzilla's attitude. Besides, she truly had nothing she could offer him now.
All she could do was remember this debt firmly in her heart, and repay it when the chance arose.
"Miss Messenger, Rin hasn't caused you any trouble, has she?" Sakura asked softly.
Rin puffed out her cheeks ever so slightly.
What was that supposed to mean? She'd been very good! Her sister knew that better than anyone!
"Little Rin is very well-behaved," Miss Messenger said with a smiling gaze at the fair little girl.
"That's right! Rin has been really good. Even Mr. Godzilla likes playing with Rin!" Rin straightened her chest proudly, her smile radiant.
No matter how obedient or sensible a child might be, there would always be moments of liveliness.
After the Fire MOTH incident, with Godzilla's company, Rin had gradually regained the natural liveliness she had once lost to fear and timidity.
Seeing her sister's bright smile, the weight on Sakura's heart finally lifted.
Even though she found it puzzling that Rin not only wasn't afraid of Godzilla but had grown close to him in such a short time… The world was made of coincidences and accidents.
"Mr. Godzilla is very kind, very warm."
"Is that so?" Hearing Rin's words, Sakura froze for a moment, then smiled.
...
Coral Island war zone.
Yes, a war zone.
By now, Coral Island had become a true battlefield.
And yet neither side had taken the initiative to attack.
Though Benares longed to unleash an electromagnetic cannon on that place, in her current state she had no hope of contending with a fully awakened Herrscher.
One born with a Honkai energy threshold far surpassing that of ordinary Herrschers.
Even Yuna, herself a Herrscher, felt the crushing pressure.
After all, she had stumbled into becoming one midway. Even back when she had only been a pseudo-Herrscher, she never fully mastered her powers.
Now that she had ascended into a true Herrscher, she had some grasp of her authority, but without knowing the full extent of the enemy's power, rushing in would be reckless.
According to intelligence, the suspected Herrscher, Anna Shariac, had little achievement as a Valkyrie… but what if?
One can never be too cautious. On this point, Yuna leaned toward caution.
"Lady Durandal has sent word, " Rita's smiling words brought a surge of relief.
"That's good. Otherwise, I really was afraid we couldn't hold out." Yuna gave a small nod, sighing lightly.
It wasn't that she thought she, Rita, and Benares together couldn't oppose the Herrscher of Ice.
But opposing was one thing; keeping her contained was another matter entirely.
As long as the Headmistress and the others arrived, a mere Herrscher of Ice could be defeated with a flick of the wrist.
Did the enemy think she was that white-haired one from that day? Not everyone could single-handedly take on the world's strongest.
Act recklessly here, and death was certain. They were still discussing how best to gather more information when Yuna's face suddenly froze.
Noticing her expression, Rita's heart tightened and she was about to ask,
"Crack… crack…"
Endless sharp sounds pierced their nerves. Before their horrified eyes, in an instant, a vast palace complex erupted from the ground.
Solid ice reflected the sunlight, making the entire palace glow.
That alone might not have been so bad, but the most terrifying part was that the layers continued to spread.
Before their very eyes, the soil of Coral Island froze solid, then became the very foundations of the growing palace.
The vast palace complex was still expanding!
In moments, it was nearly upon them.
"Roar!"
Faced with such blatant provocation, Benares wasted no time. Her power crackled as she unleashed a blinding electromagnetic cannon.
Electricity clashed against ice, shattering, filling, pressing.
A deadlock.
Benares locked horns with the wall of ice before her, but she couldn't stop the encroaching ice from all sides.
Seeing this, Yuna exhaled lightly, then called upon her own authority.
In an instant, a red mist spread like a living thing, surging against the expanding ice.
"Ssshhhhh!"
The moment mist and ice touched, a nerve-jarring hiss erupted, followed by rolling vapor.
Thick white fog enveloped everything within ten miles, concealing it all, only to dissipate silently after a brief clash of powers.
The front and side were held at bay.
But the expansion elsewhere, they could not stop.
Staring at the boundless ice fortress, Rita drew a deep breath, her gaze heavy.
"Is the Herrscher of Ice shaping the battlefield to her liking?"
"I'd say she's building herself a palace while she's at it." Yuna couldn't help but quip as she looked upon the crystalline, magnificent palace of ice.
It wasn't unusual for Herrschers, having gained power and warped emotions from the Honkai, to display such excessive behavior.
For example, the Herrscher of the Void, she could have manipulated meteors from space to strike Earth, yet chose instead to challenge one-on-one, or one against many.
She herself insisted on being that "one." And ended up beaten to a pulp. Of course, such extreme cases weren't common.
Most Herrschers, after surviving a mortal blow, would choose to hide and wait for the right time.
But this Herrscher of Ice, wasn't she being far too arrogant? Building a palace for herself just because her powers made it convenient?!
Yet Yuna had to admit, the palace carved of solid ice was indeed beautiful.
Like the resplendent palaces described in Schicksal's records… Wait.
Blinking, Yuna scrutinized it again, and finally drew her conclusion.
"Isn't this just copied straight from the books in the Schicksal Library!?" Her heart instantly felt balanced.
She knew it, according to the records, Anna Shariac, was a Valkyrie captain, and one of her known trait was she liked to spend time in the Schicksal library.
So if she simply copied them, it was hardly surprising. As she was ridiculing this, another wave of frigid air swept in.
Its target: the Immortal Blades unit ten miles behind!
Seeing this, Yuna's expression sharpened. Once again, she unleashed her Authority. Scarlet mist like burning clouds surged forth, coalescing into a massive red-scaled serpent, its maw wide as it lunged forward to devour and shatter the incoming chill.
The cold tide and the crimson serpent clashed, releasing an eruption of Honkai energy that sent ripples of unease through the battlefield.
"Roar!" Seeing the arrogance of the Herrscher within, Benares let out a furious bellow.
In the next instant, countless arcs of lightning flickered in the air, gathering together. Under the command of the Judgment-class Honkai beast, these currents seemed almost alive, writhing and crackling. Even from a distance, the prickling numbness they gave off could be felt.
Her massive wings beat, electromagnetic waves swaying with each motion, spreading across the entire sky.
A net of electricity formed, sealing off the cold tide. Thus began a fierce clash between three sides.
This was a battle of Authorities. The sheer spectacle of large-scale combat revealed its true charm here.
Watching the ever-shifting battle, Rita let out a soft sigh. Under such wide-ranging attacks, even she could barely defend herself properly.
An S-rank Valkyrie indeed had the strength to fight a Herrscher, but that also depended on the circumstances.
And besides, these weren't ordinary Herrschers. The Herrscher now had been strengthened.
She had confidence she could hold out for a while, but not that she could guarantee victory. The reason was simple: the overwhelming pressure of that radiant sun-like palace.
Another sigh escaped her lips as the thought settled in her heart.
If only she were as strong as Lady Durandal… then she wouldn't be facing this powerless situation.
...
Inside Coral Island.
The Herrscher of Ice wore a displeased expression.
"Hmph. A Judgment-class Honkai beast, a fellow Herrscher, actually helping humans? How shameful!"
It was rare for multiple Herrschers to gather together, and of course, with their distinct personalities, there were always frictions.
Yuna, who had ruined her plans, naturally stood among those the Ice Herrscher despised.
Including Benares. For a proud Judgment-class Honkai beast to side with humans against her, it was an unforgivable betrayal!
"I recall this beast was frozen before. Hah, finally breaks free and dares frolic about? In that case, I'll just have you cool off in ice again!"
Recalling Anna's knowledge, the Herrscher of Ice sneered coldly. A Herrscher was more than just Authority, it was an apostle of Honkai itself.
And for a mere Honkai beast, one born merely as a byproduct of a Herrscher's birth, to act so arrogantly, how dare it defy its rightful place?
Your subordinate has overstepped!
The sky dimmed.
Suddenly, night descended.
Everyone instinctively looked upward, and froze in shock.
Countless massive glaciers were falling from the skies. Wrapped in the chill, not only were they unharmed by their plunge from such heights, but they seemed even more unbreakable.
At the same time, the ground erupted with thickets of icy thorns, titanic ice spikes bursting upward in terrifying numbers.
"Is… is this what a Herrscher's battle looks like?!" One Valkyrie muttered in awe at the surreal sight.
Every Immortal Blade Valkyrie had faced grand battles before.
Under Durandal's lead, they had trained harshly.
To keep them from arrogance, they had been shown countless records of enemies.
But training foes in simulations were never true enemies, programmed constructs could always be overcome once one grasped their patterns.
They had all seen footage of the Second Eruption. But this, this was beyond imagination!
The Herrscher of the Void had not specialized in such massive assaults.
Meteors, without firsthand experience, even knowing about them didn't make them truly fearful.
Until today.
Strictly speaking, what they faced weren't meteors, but to their eyes, it was no different.
Countless, blotting out the sky, with one individual shaking sky and earth, this was a Herrscher!
"How can Lady Rita and the others be left to face such an enemy alone?"
"Enough! Quiet down, all of you!" Seeing some Valkyries restless, ready to rush into battle, a veteran with some prestige barked them down.
"How many hands do you have? How many beasts can you kill? And yet you dare pick a fight with a Herrscher?! If there were something we could do, even if it meant our lives, we'd carry it out."
"But right now, we don't even know the full enemy position, their power, or what countermeasures we'd need! Charging in blindly? Not allowed! Withdraw immediately!"
"Contact HQ, inform the Overseer of the situation here, we need more Valkyrie reinforcements. Clear out the nearby Honkai beasts first!"
Her stern words calmed the agitated squad.
They understood their role and limits. She was right, they weren't capable of threatening such a foe.
To avoid greater loss, the best option was to regroup and annihilate the Honkai beasts the Ice Herrscher had unleashed.
"Phew… thank goodness I usually keep a stern face. At least it kept those brats in line." The Valkyrie who had shouted before discreetly wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
If she had been the lenient type, she might not have been able to restrain these warriors.
Thanks to that, order was maintained. The icebergs were unmistakably aimed at Benares.
She weaved through them with her vast wings, dodging the falling mountains, blasting apart several with bursts of electromagnetic cannons.
Around her body lingered a faint crimson mist, a special buff Yuna had devised against the chilling gales.
The Herrscher of Ice was clearly targeting Benares.
Since her battlefield was the skies, forcing her down would hinder her. Better instead to cloak her in this mist, letting her fight at her full strength.
"There's frost in the air." Brows furrowed, Yuna spoke gravely.
"From now on, proceed with utmost caution. I'll make sure we can push forward no matter what."
"Understood," Rita nodded firmly.
They had stepped into the former Coral Island, now the Ice Palace. The magnificent palace shimmered with a crystalline luster.
When the Herrscher of Ice activated her Authority, Yuna had already sensed her position.
Capture the king first. And besides, the true enemy of this battle was only her.
If they retreated, the Herrscher of Ice would surely expand without restraint.
No one knew how far she could push her domain of ice. It might just be for looks, but in case it wasn't, they had to strike first.
And the frost in the air Yuna had detected, silent, invasive, seeping into the body, sapping one's strength.
Without doubt, this was the Herrscher's Authority.
Very dangerous. Yuna's heart grew more cautious.
If not for her deep knowledge of toxins, and her preemptive spreading of counteracting poisons, she wouldn't even have realized the air was already tainted.
It seemed both sides were thinking several moves ahead.
After cautiously advancing for a while, Rita suddenly stopped.
"We seem to be going in circles," she said. Looking around, the scenery was all the same.
Here on the outskirts, such repeating landscapes could already be seen outside.
But with her familiarity with architecture from books, Rita knew these palace designs well.
After circling multiple times, she was certain, they were trapped in some kind of a loop.