Even Liyue's Tian Tiezui shouted excitedly, "This meteor in the sky is so shocking and touching. The girl's growth is comparable to that of gods! I want to compile her deeds into a book."
Zhongli nodded slightly. "In times of crisis, humans will shine brightly. She is indeed comparable to gods."
It wasn't just them.
Countless people were impressed by Kiana's bravery and fearlessness.
Everyone was touched by her greatness.
They were happy that she was able to successfully wield the power of the Herrscher of the Sky.
Yet also worried about her future.
In Inazuma, seeing that Kevin's experimental plan had been destroyed, Yae Miko's mood suddenly improved.
She had been slightly emotional earlier due to Kevin's reaction to the frozen sea.
She deliberately joked, "This experiment failed, so you must be so angry your heart's about to collapse. Crying and fussing, ugh, oh, oh, how pitiful~"
Just teasing him wasn't enough.
She even posted the message in the chat area.
The purpose was to get a little revenge on him.
Everyone in the chat group saw the message.
And were immediately interested.
[Venti]: "It would be so fun to see Kevin crying and fussing with anger!"
[Nahida]: "Huh? That kind of scene... I'm looking forward to it. A hero's success is more satisfying when it frustrates the villain."
[Furina]: "Maybe... I don't think he'll get angry."
[Raiden Ei]: "Actually… I also want to see him cry."
[Kamisato Ayaka]: "Miss Yoimiya, did the Lord really cry from anger? Is that why I saw the sea frozen earlier?"
[Yoimiya]: "No way?"
[Nahida]: "Inazuma is dangerous. You should be careful around that man."
[Tartaglia]: "Oh? Can I see a man cry? Then I'm interested."
Everyone looked at the sky screen expectantly.
Eager to see if Kevin, despite his great strength, could really cry.
---------------
On screen–
Jackal was reporting to Kevin about the situation in Skydome City.
"Lord, Youlandel took away the Herrscher of the Sky. We traced her destination to North Africa—a dead city destroyed by Honkai."
"Regarding this location, there have been over a dozen abnormal spikes in Honkai energy in the past two years. And we happen to be familiar with this pattern."
"That uninhabited city is the experimental site for the Second God's Key."
It was different than everyone had imagined.
After Kevin learned of the situation in Skydome City,
His tone remained cold and flat: "Let's go. We still have a lot to do."
Jackal continued, "There's one more thing. Fifteen minutes and thirty-six seconds ago, after coming into contact with the unstable Eos engine, Kiana Kaslana manifested the Herrscher of the Sky through her own will—for the first time."
"Although her Honkai energy index is still far from Sirin's, we can consider that her 'emergence' has begun."
"Should we include her in—"
Kevin replied, "I have other plans for her."
"Understood."
Even though Jackal had always been arrogant, she was now as obedient as a puppy—completely following Kevin's words without daring to ask further.
Once the communication ended,
Kevin stood up from his throne.
The kneeling Gray Snake in front of him could see clearly—
The failure of Skydome City's experiment did not cause the slightest fluctuation in this Lord.
The only thing that slightly stirred his eyes was Jackal's final report.
Kevin picked up the sword beside him.
Raging flames lit up the entire space.
"Take action."
His words were still concise—but left no room for doubt.
"Yes, Lord!"
Gray Snake received the order and immediately relayed the instruction to all members of World Serpent.
World Serpent's troops began gathering.
------------------
Everyone in Teyvat watched the scene in confusion.
[Venti]: "Is Kevin really an emotionless person? He's colder than Liyue's Geo Archon!"
[Zhongli]: "Prince Yan is not cold, he is just not good at expressing himself."
[Paimon]: "Ah, yes, yes, Prince Yan is not good at talking. But he drinks, makes jokes, and sings!"
[Lumine]: "Paimon!!"
[Raiden Ei]: "Now I'm more curious. What did he go through to become so cruel? Could it be… he also lost someone important to him?"
[Yae Miko]: "You could just leave the Plane of Euthymia and ask him directly."
[Raiden Ei]: "No!"
[Furina]: "His coldness may be a disguise. No one knows how much burning emotion he hides deep within."
[Zhongli]: "Keep watching. I believe the exposure system will give us the answer."
---------------
Kevin's order was instantly relayed to all members of World Serpent.
In a short time,
They all gathered outside the dead city in North Africa.
"The operation begins!"
At Kevin's command,
World Serpent launched a surprise attack on the Tianming base.
This premeditated assault was hard to resist, even for Destiny.
Youlandel immediately contacted Otto at Destiny Headquarters.
"Bishop, the base is under attack by World Serpent. The enemy is numerous, and this was clearly planned. The lab has been exposed."
"The Herrscher of the Sky escaped during the chaos. I'll find her as soon as possible. But the God Key must also be protected. I can't handle both alone."
"World Serpent…" Otto pondered for a moment. "We cannot yet determine their true target. Protect the Second God's Key at all costs. We must not allow them to reach it."
"As for K423, let her go. The farther she gets, the better."
"Only once she's gone will we and World Serpent have room to maneuver."
"I have taken precautions. No matter how she escapes, she won't escape Destiny's surveillance. We can find her later, after we've dealt with this."
Youlandel nodded. "Understood."
-------------
Outside the base.
In this deserted city,
Hundreds of mechas roamed the weathered streets in pursuit of their target.
And in the torrent of steel, Kevin stood on the ruins like a boulder.
Jackal's communication came through: "Lord, the vanguard has entered the base and begun combat with Youlandel."
Kevin didn't respond to that.
Instead, he asked directly, "Where is the Herrscher of the Sky?"
Jackal replied, "She has not been found. We are continuing the search."
Kevin ordered, "Contain Youlandel. I will handle the Herrscher of the Sky."
"As commanded."
The communication ended.
Kevin closed his eyes, listening to the dust carried by the wind.
In an instant, Honkai energy within a hundred-mile radius began to swirl into a massive vortex, centering on him.
Some of the energy signatures were strong, others weak.
But none reached the level of a Herrscher.
Then, a tiny fluctuation flickered in the distance.
Though fleeting, Kevin caught it instantly.
He opened his eyes and looked toward the ruins of a towering building thousands of meters away.
Behind a scattered wall, Kiana's eyes
met his.
"…Found it."