Within the barrier, all Honkai energy was nullified.
Other forms of energy were also weakened in different ways.
Weapons powered by Honkai energy became useless.
Even Fusion Warriors, who carried Emperor-class Honkai beast genes, would suffer internal chaos—barely lasting a minute inside.
Ordinary humans?
The moment the barrier opened, even their bioelectric voltage would collapse, killing them instantly.
Electricity itself counted as energy, so naturally no electronic systems could function within the barrier either.
That was the terrifying power of a Divine Key.
Hard to imagine, really—how did humanity of the Previous Era ever manage to kill the Herrscher of Binding?
Once the barrier was activated, anyone inside was as good as dead.
Drag that thing around the globe just once, and humanity would be wiped out.
Even long-range attacks wouldn't work—any energy entering the barrier was completely erased the instant it touched the boundary.
The luxurious Herrscher dress of violet and gold shimmered away, leaving 'Sirin' lying lazily on the ground, shifting into a more comfortable position.
'Sirin' rolling onto his side, as she noticed Theresa slowly approaching with a golden spear in hand, using it like a walking stick.
She could still use Honkai energy, at least partially.
That was because Nagami power came not from ordinary sources, but from the Void Genome.
A fusion of the Herrscher of Reason's core with fragments of Nagami's own soul, it had crystallized into a unique Void Genome Core.
That wasn't a simple "one plus one equals two." Its true potential hadn't even been fully unleashed yet.
And apparently, the Herrscher of Binding's suppression of non-Honkai energy varied depending on the nature of the energy itself.
The Void genome's power wasn't affected much—still usable, more or less.
But magic from the Spider-world? Completely useless. Not a single spark would move.
Even his legs felt as heavy as if they'd been filled with mercury, difficult to lift.
Theresa stopped before Nagami who is in Sirin from, lowering her head so her expression was hidden in shadow.
She had witnessed 'Sirin''s entire tragic fate within the Imaginary Space.
Now, her lips pressed tight, her face was filled with hesitation, guilt, and even a flicker of fear.
"…I'm sorry."
Her tear-filled eyes glimmered.
Breathing ragged with exhaustion and emotion, she suddenly drove the golden spear straight into the Herrscher's heart.
Tears spilled down her cheeks just as her opponent's lips curved into a faint smile.
But Theresa had clearly misunderstood.
Nagami's consciousness hadn't been in that mimic body for quite some time.
'Finally done! That's a wrap!'
'Anyone not eager to clock out must be insane!'
Of course, there was no need to worry about the body disappearing.
Before leaving it, Nagami had used the Herrscher of Death's authority to turn it into a real, physical body.
————————————————————————
Meanwhile, in the bizarre depths of Imaginary Space—
From the fullness of C.C.'s presence, the Void's principle unfurled.
Countless icy-blue particles surged forth in an instant, weaving into complex streams of light that condensed into a form once again.
Nagami's figure reappeared.
With the combined authorities of Reason, Void, Death, and Sentience gathered in him, truly killing Nagami was nearly impossible.
And beyond that, he still had Code as his final insurance.
Thinking about it that way—what harm was there in going through a few more "death flags"?
He chuckled.
'Unless Amiya's kicked me in the head, no way I'm that stupid!'
"Bella, give me the Gem of Conquest."
"Yes, master."
The gray-haired girl standing quietly behind C.C. didn't hesitate.
She reached into her chest and pulled out a thunder-blue Herrscher core, respectfully placing it in Nagami's hand.
In the original timeline, this core was supposed to be forcibly extracted from Sirin's body by Einstein, piloting the Moonlight Throne Prototype "Arhat."
But to keep the flow of history intact, Nagami naturally had to hand this thing over to Anti-Entropy.
Then came the next step.
Nagami turned his gaze toward Bella, who was kneeling on one knee.
A lock of her soft gray hair slipped down her delicate cheek, trailing along her pale neck to rest against her collarbone.
Frowning in thought for a moment, Nagami's expression suddenly shifted—an "aha" look flashing across his face.
In his pitch-black eyes, a violet six-pointed star lit up.
He stared at the nearly-perfect core in his right hand, while particles of glowing blue light surged from his left palm, condensing into another core.
"Bella, stand up."
His gaze lowered toward the obedient gray-haired girl's chest.
The telltale radiance of spatial extraction shimmered out as Nagami pressed the new core directly into her body.
Her snow-pale cheeks flushed faintly red.
"Nhgh."
A short, almost seductive gasp escaped her lips.
She didn't resist.
Just as she would never resist her Queen, Bella wouldn't fight back no matter what Nagami did.
The corner of Nagami's mouth twitched slightly—half-exasperation, half-respect.
"From here, I'll seal you in the Imaginary Space. This core will fuse with you completely, and together you'll undergo evolution.
You won't reach the level of a true Herrscher of Thunder, but you will become the strongest pseudo-Herrscher beneath that threshold."
As for her true combat potential… well, that depended on how far Mei's advancements in physics went.
"Sixteen years should be plenty of time."
Nagami had once wondered why Bellenas hadn't appeared during Sirin's awakening.
But after recalling how the Honkai God had enhanced Ji Lin not long ago, he got some inspiration—perhaps Bella too could be strengthened.
Yet now, hesitation flickered across Bella's face.
The conflicted expression was unlike her usual unquestioning obedience.
"Don't worry. Sirin will be fine. I'll make sure everything is arranged properly."
Nagami's smile was warm, his nod reassuring.
Instantly, Bella's doubts dissolved.
"Yes, master."
The confusion faded from her eyes as she knelt once again, bowing her head deeply.
"Then—let's begin!"
Their voices overlapped.
Nagami and C.C. each extended a hand, pressing them against the fabric of the Void.
Within the Imaginary Space, endless torrents of Honkai energy stirred, swirling into a brilliant cascade that enveloped Bella.
Until at last, a massive cocoon of light formed around her.
"Phew, done!" They lowered their arms simultaneously, exhaling in unison. "Not bad at all."
In spring, plant the seed of a Judgment-class Honkai Beast.
By autumn, harvest a peak pseudo-Herrscher!
Without causing the slightest disruption to the main timeline.
Perfect execution.
C.C.'s black dress rippled like waves as she stepped gracefully out of the Imaginary Space, emerging high above the Siberian plains at ten thousand meters.
"Now then, time to pick up the mother-in—"
Her golden eyes froze in shock.
Green hair whipping in the icy wind, C.C. turned her head sharply toward the horizon and dropped her refined demeanor entirely.
"The Second Herrscher hasn't even gone berserk—so why the hell did they launch a Honkai Fission Bomb?!"
"As expected… Siegfried's power really is too great a threat for Otto to ignore, huh?"
The might to evolve Flamebringer into Judgment of Shamash.
If Otto wanted to keep control, he had to be ready for a mutual destruction scenario.
Most crucial of all—if Siegfried really decided to burn his life away, Shamash could overturn Otto's entire chessboard in an instant.