"This guy must be sanctioned with Judas. With this level of authority control, if we let her escape, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Taking a deep breath, Theresa spoke in a low voice.
"Mei, Yuna, you come with me to her palace. Once I deploy Judas… Fu Hua."
Theresa turned her gaze toward Fu Hua.
Understanding Theresa's intention, Fu Hua gave a slight nod.
"Leave it to me as well."
"I'll come too. The Shariac family and the Kaslana family have deep ties. If possible, I want to try bringing her back." Yae Sakura and Kallen both volunteered.
Even though the enemy they faced was stronger than all their previous foes combined, carrying the name of Kaslana, she would never retreat!
"People of this era really don't have it easy…" Kallen sighed softly.
The influence of Honkai went far beyond what her simple human mind could fully grasp.
She didn't want to admit it, but had to: Otto had done countless terrible things, yet when it came to fighting the Honkai, he never faltered.
To keep the existence of Honkai hidden from the public, and to build such a peaceful comfort zone, where ordinary people could live their whole lives without encountering anything related to Honkai, that was no small feat.
"It'll be fine. As long as we work hard, we can surely overcome this!" Yae Sakura encouraged again with gentle but resolute words.
"What about me? What should I do?" Seeing that everyone had a task except her, Kiana blinked nervously.
"Hmph. You're coming with me to check on Bella. If she's fine, all's well. But if Bella suffers even the slightest harm, that ice-playing bastard will pay! And you human over there, don't look at me like that!"
The Herrscher of the Void didn't indulge Kiana in the least. She put on a fierce front toward the others, then stirred her power and dragged her body into the imaginary space.
Durandal tried to stop her, but the Herrscher of the Void's urgency was so great, even she couldn't react in time.
"Forget it," Fu Hua shook her head slightly. "The Herrscher of the Void won't do anything foolish."
Having experienced the Second Eruption, Fu Hua's understanding of the Herrscher of the Void was unique among them.
If it were just the Herrscher alone, Fu Hua might still worry she'd take the chance to escape.
But with Benares there, Fu Hua felt reassured.
Otherwise, judging from how the Herrscher acted during the Second Eruption, she would've caused far more trouble before leaving, not just spouted a harsh line.
Though truthfully, Fu Hua would've preferred if the Herrscher stayed to help in the coming battle…
The group stayed tense for a moment, then relaxed only when they saw her appear beside Benares.
Since there was no issue with the Herrscher, it was time to focus all attention on their greatest enemy ahead.
Atop a massive icicle, two figures stood, their presence looming.
"Bella." The Herrscher of the Void gently caressed Benares's forehead, pain flickering in her eyes.
"Roar~~" Unlike before, Benares nuzzled her palm softly.
A warm scene unfolded between them.
At that moment,
"Um… I know you two want to catch up right now, but I can't help it, I have a question… is that okay?" Kiana carefully asked after switching back.
"Ask, human. While I'm in a good mood." The Herrscher of the Void replied flatly.
"Ahem, it's just… what's your relationship, exactly? And that place before, what was it? You seemed upset every time you saw it."
The "stupid paramecium" asked cautiously.
She usually didn't use her brain when there was an external one available, but when she did, the Kaslana brain was pretty decent.
She had some vague guesses, but not much detail. The truth had to come from the ones who lived through it.
"Of course, if you don't want to talk, forget I asked." Lightly tapping her uncontrollable right hand with her left, Kiana muttered under her breath.
If this was a painful scar for the Herrscher, she didn't want to force a word until she was ready.
The only reason she asked was because she wanted reconciliation with the Herrscher.
Even if having a new "roommate" suddenly inside her body felt strange, after shedding her prejudice toward Herrschers, what Kiana truly cared about was whether this Herrscher's birth had been forced by tragedy.
Mei, Wendy, Yae Sakura, their stories all proved Herrschers were born from inner darkness.
Yet based on her research and the Herrscher of the Void's apparent age, Kiana could conclude that, at most, the Herrscher wasn't older than herself.
That made her all the more determined to reconcile.
"If you want to hear it, then be prepared."
After a moment of silence, the Herrscher of the Void finally spoke.
Benares lowered her body, folded her wings, curling up as if ready to listen to her queen's voice.
...
Boom!
What's it like when half a city comes crashing down toward you?
If someone had asked her that before today, Theresa would've just given them a look of pity.
But now…
"Once we find her, I'm going to give her a serious lesson!"
Barely dodging another colossal ice crystal from above, Theresa gritted her teeth.
She was used to being the one overwhelming others with raw strength, yet lately, it had always been her getting crushed instead.
That Kevin guy being her ancestor was one thing, but this… this was outrageous!
"Theresa!"
"On it!"
With a sharp cry and a booming crack of thunder, a blur of white shot skyward!
The simplest method is often the most effective!
Durandal still held the pose from throwing her last weapon, smiling faintly with calm determination.
Planting her feet, and in the next instant,
Boom!
She soared upward!
But when she landed and raised her eyes, she froze in shock.
Inside the vast palace, countless ice knights stood in strict formation, filling the space.
And this was only the outer guard. Clearly, the Herrscher of Ice had long since prepared her defenses for their arrival.
"Leave these to me." Mei gripped her blade tightly, her voice firm.
Electromagnetic force could do far more than her earlier tricks.
At that moment, a booming voice rose from the ground: "Eden's Star, Mechagodzilla!"
As the words fell, a dark red phantom appeared, coalescing into form, arcs of crimson lightning flashing within, radiating overwhelming power.
A giant beastly figure took shape.
Clang!
The clash of steel against frozen ice rang like clashing blades, leaving everyone stunned.
Boom!
A massive ice beast charged recklessly forward, slamming against this unknown titan!
Whrrr!
The mechanical roar sounded across the battlefield. When the icy storm ceased, a colossal steel figure stood tall upon the field.
Bathed in sunlight, its metallic sheen gleamed menacingly, its sheer presence enough to make hearts tremble.
Then, under everyone's gaze, its massive steel claws slammed into the ground, shaking the very earth!
"When did Anti-Entropy get mechs this powerful?!" Theresa swallowed hard, eyes wide in disbelief.
Both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy were the world's top forces against the Honkai.
In fact, Schicksal was usually a step above Anti-Entropy.
They knew each other almost better than they knew themselves.
Which was why Theresa was absolutely certain: before today, Anti-Entropy had never possessed technology like this!
Not even with Welt's current skill level could they make something like it!
But now was no time to freeze in shock.
"I'll clear the path. You all keep moving forward." Future Welt's voice rang out, calm yet resolute.
Everyone heard it clearly.
Nodding once, they pressed on deeper into the palace.
Every obstacle in their way was torn apart under the claws and missile salvos of Eden's Star Mechagodzilla.
On top of the Mechagodzilla, the younger Welt stared with shining eyes.
More precisely, his gaze sparkled at the sight of this mighty and domineering Godzilla mecha.
"So this… is the extent of what I can achieve in the future?" With the power of the Herrscher of Reason, all of Mechagodzilla's information flowed clearly into his mind.
If he could already gather the data of this Mechagodzilla now, wouldn't that mean in the future… The younger Welt reveled in the thought.
But his future self could only sigh helplessly and say: "This Mechagodzilla is actually just an imitation, far from the level of the real one."
Hearing this, the younger Welt's excited eyes instantly shrank, and his voice involuntarily rose.
"This is only an imitation, still not the genuine version?"
After Godzilla's first appearance in Nagazora City, Welt had diverted some of his energy and resources into developing a Mechagodzilla.
But after careful calculation, he found that the efficiency of such a machine was far inferior to the Titan units.
Not to mention its astronomical cost, if he constructed it purely through Herrscher powers, the energy consumption would also far exceed that of an Anti-Entropy Titan of equal strength.
Thus, Welt had no choice but to abandon the idea, unwillingly. At most, in his spare time, he would create a smaller one with his powers to play with as a toy.
So when he saw his future self actually construct a Mechagodzilla, he thought it was a breakthrough of his own in the future.
"As I said before, that genius…" Adjusting his glasses, Future Welt spoke.
"That man is a true genius. The materials and technology used in his Mechagodzilla are all top-tier in the universe. Mine can only be considered a rough reference copy."
Whenever he thought of Screwllum's Mechagodzilla, his heart was filled with envy.
The king of Planet Screwllum was truly extravagant, even the cheapest material used to build that Mechagodzilla was a treasure over which countless military-industrial planets would kill to obtain.
Yet he used them to build such a terrifying Mechagodzilla.
With its overwhelming base stats combined with cutting-edge technology, Screwllum's Mechagodzillas' combat power left everyone stunned.
No one now knew how far Screwllum had already modified that Mechagodzilla.
Welt could only silently raise Screwllum's standing a notch higher in his mind.
It was proof that the king of Planet Screwllum rarely relied on his status to oppress others, he truly had the strength to back it up.
"How enviable…"
Suddenly, the younger Welt asked: "Speaking of which, aren't you afraid that by influencing the past like this, you'll cause unpredictable consequences?"
At this, Future Welt chuckled and said loudly: "The fact that we were able to return means time allowed us to return. There may be effects, but nothing that can change the greater picture. And besides…"
Mechagodzilla continued tearing through the city, claws and tail leaving deep marks on the giant ice turtle's body, sending shards of ice falling down.
Looking up at the sky, the blazing sun pierced through the cold currents, reaching the glowing eyes.
"Precisely because of uncertainty… the future is called the future."
…
"Bang!" With a flying kick, the doors were flung open, ice shattering onto the ground.
Theresa charged in first, holding Judah, her eyes scanning sharply.
But immediately she froze.
"Where are they?" The grand hall was vast and crystalline, glittering with azure ice, yet there was no trace of life anywhere.
"Ran away?" Everyone was stunned.
Kallen tilted her head, murmuring in confusion.
They looked at each other. Could fleeing really be the only explanation?
Fu Hua frowned, scanning around. "Herrschers are arrogant. Normally, even if they cannot win, they would leave something behind to hinder us. But here, it's spotless, not a trace left, completely illogical."
What's more, they had seen with their own eyes the Herrscher of Ice single-handedly taking on Yuna, Rita, and Benares earlier.
Even knowing she was outmatched, there was no way she would just quietly disappear. That didn't match her nature at all.
As they pondered this, a sound came from the elevated throne.
Everyone looked, and saw a small vortex of ice shards slowly swirl into existence, spinning.
Before long, the vortex dissipated, leaving behind an ice statue shaped like a human.
"Anna!" Rita's voice sank as she recognized the face carved in ice.
Everyone present now knew the identity of the figure.
"So, is this all a so-called Herrscher dares to do?" Fu Hua stepped forward, deliberately mocking.
"During the Second Eruption, the Herrscher of the Void fought humanity to the death no matter what. You, a successor wielding even greater Honkai energy than she once did, why flee without a fight?"
"Heh… humans, don't bother trying to provoke me." The Herrscher of Ice sneered at Fu Hua and spoke coldly.
"I remember you. In that coward's memories, you are an A-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. And it seems under a great Herrscher's hands, A-ranks only ever end in death. But… did she misjudge? Or is it that you're hiding something?"
Fu Hua's identity was that of a student of St. Freya who also served as an A-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. That alone was enough for most Valkyries to admire her.
To the self-doubting Anna, who felt unworthy, Fu Hua's image had been etched deeply into memory.
So the Herrscher of Ice was not unfamiliar with her.
Yet judging from now, this "student's" reputation was greatly reduced.
How could she not know that the human academies had already produced students strong enough to reach S-rank Valkyrie combat power?
After staring at the Herrscher of Ice for a long moment, Fu Hua glanced at Durandal.
In this state, even Fenghuang Down's feather could do nothing.
They could not lure the Herrscher of Ice into revealing her hideout.
Seeing Fu Hua's attempt fail, Durandal stepped forward to stand beside her.
"Herrscher of Ice, you truly don't deserve the body you've stolen, nor the title of King!"
Her eyes flashed coldly, ready to strike at any provocation.
"Heh, hero." But to their surprise, the Herrscher of Ice only sneered, then sighed as if in pity.
"A hero, is it? If you call this one a hero…"
"Then I have nothing more to say."
Laughing mockingly, the Herrscher of Ice went on: "You don't know, do you? This one once abandoned a cute little girl in the middle of a past Honkai, running away alone to save herself."
"Sigh, who knows what became of that poor child. Such an adorable girl too… tsk tsk. To betray your own beliefs, ah, how amusing."
The others remained unmoved.
Whether the Herrscher of Ice's words were true or not didn't matter, it wasn't her place to say.
Besides, not every Valkyrie could remain unyielding in the face of death.
Durandal wished all Valkyries could be heroes like that.
But sadly, people feel fear. Just as everyone has something they cherish.
If Anna really had abandoned a wounded civilian out of fear, Durandal would be disappointed, she would expel her from the Valkyrie ranks, but nothing more.
Because the moment she made that choice, the will of Senior Shariac had already caught up with her.
"That's why she was able to hold you back for so long, isn't it?" Durandal said firmly, meeting the Herrscher of Ice's mocking smile.
"…You truly are loathsome." The Herrscher of Ice's expression darkened, glaring at Durandal with hatred.
The strongest Valkyrie.
Indeed, as she said, if not for that coward's interference, she would already be conquering the world in force.
Why would she still be stuck on Coral Island, gathering strength?
The external threats were one thing. But the turmoil inside was the real reason she couldn't act.
And just when she finally managed to suppress it and prepared to unleash her full might, a group of these hateful pests gathered against her,
Muttering about hope, peace, defending their home, while brandishing weapons and charging to beat her down.
The feeling was utterly unbearable!