The ruins of Raymonlet Castle.
From the shadow of a broken wall, Raven crouched low like a wary cat. Her heart was unsettled.
Are those two... even human?
Watching the battle grow fiercer through the scope of the Judgement of Shamash, Raven felt her worldview collapse again and again.
From now on, she figured, nothing in this world could ever truly surprise her again.
No matter how absurd things became, could anything possibly top the terror those two monsters were unleashing right now?
Clutching her sniper rifle tightly, Raven felt truly small and helpless for the first time. Even a Divine Key couldn't give her a sense of security in the face of such overwhelming power.
Even if she unleashed the full might of the Judgement of Shamash, she doubted it would pose any real threat to either of them.
And what chilled her even more was the knowledge that Shin was only fifteen. He had only been involved in the Honkai conflict for less than a year.
Even Durandal, born and trained within Schicksal, looked to be no older than twelve?
At such an age, their potential was limitless.
Even the so-called heroes of the Previous Era likely couldn't match these two freaks.
Raven couldn't help but think that to herself in awe.
At that moment, on the other side of the battlefield, Kiana briefly halted her movements among the swarming Honkai beasts, glancing toward where Shin and Durandal were locked in combat.
She couldn't see exactly what was happening, but she could feel it.
A terrifying pressure surged from afar, like the shockwave of a nuclear explosion. Even from such a distance, it made her chest tighten in panic.
But there was nothing she could do. This wasn't her fight.
She forced herself to focus again. Before her stood a group of Honkai beasts—more than just a few scattered ones this time. Dozens of them.
Unlike the occasional stragglers she usually encountered, this was a coordinated pack.
Even a Valkyrie unit from Schicksal would treat them with caution. For a wandering girl like her, eliminating them would be nearly impossible.
The best she could do was draw their attention, slowing their advance toward the city.
Yet deep in her heart, she held onto a small sliver of hope.
If the situation truly became dangerous, that man wouldn't just stand by and watch… right?
Clinging to that faint hope of seeing him again, Kiana raised her baseball bat and charged straight toward the beasts.
On the main battlefield.
Boom!
After exchanging another close-range strike, Shin and Durandal were blown apart, each skidding to a halt, neither making a move to continue the attack.
"You're reaching your limit, aren't you?" Durandal asked between ragged breaths, her cheeks soaked in sweat.
Though the mask obscured Shin's face, she could feel the fading intensity of his energy. His strength had clearly diminished.
It was obvious this form was taking its toll on him too.
"At least I've lasted longer than you," Shin replied with a grin.
Compared to using a World Bubble, the burden of fully unleashing his Stigmata was significantly lighter.
After all, the Stigmata were inherently his, while the World Bubble was a foreign force implanted in Durandal's body.
Of course, their magnitudes were in different leagues entirely.
In terms of raw amplification, the World Bubble outclassed the Stigmata by far, which explained why Shin's injuries were worse than Durandal's.
She might look like a porcelain doll, but when she fought, she was ruthless.
In the end, their conditions weren't too far apart.
"One last strike," Durandal said, golden light once again surging in her eyes. "Let's settle this."
Even though they'd only been fighting in this form for two minutes, she was nearly at her limit.
If this dragged on any longer, her body would collapse first.
"I think... we could call it a draw," Shin offered with a shrug.
Durandal responded only with a quiet stare, then let loose a surge of pressure from within.
In her dictionary, there was no such thing as backing down.
To her, Shin was a dangerous figure who had triggered a catastrophic Honkai event. She had to capture him, no matter what it took.
"So, no room for discussion then?" Shin laughed softly and raised his head. White light flared in his eyes, calm yet radiant. "Young Valkyrie, are you ready... to face your death?"
Even with his body battered, even relying only on his innate Stigmata, Shin stood proudly—unmatched.
Durandal met his declaration without flinching. She calmly raised her right hand.
"Bianka Durandal Atagina... requests a duel."
As she spoke, golden light spread across her white armor. A holy sword of pure gold extended from her palm.
Whoosh!
The moment the sword formed, a hellish wave of energy exploded outward, like a bottomless abyss opening. The air grew thick with pressure, and her golden ponytail rose and fluttered like a battle flag.
"In the name of the second Anti-Entropy Sovereign and third Herrscher of Reason, I, Welt Yang, accept your challenge!"
Shin roared with the same solemnity, and a bat of pure white energy began to grow in his hand.
Since she had forged a weapon from Honkai energy, he had no choice but to respond in kind.
As for the fact that the Herrscher of Reason had only reached its second generation… well, he'd explain the science to Old Yang later. With a good pitch, the old man might just agree to let him be the third.
The moment the bat took shape, both figures moved.
No, more precisely—they disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, twin blurs reappeared in midair, colliding with explosive force.
Boom—
Holy sword and baseball bat clashed together. Golden and white energies surged violently, twisting around one another like twin dragons, struggling to devour and destroy everything in their path.
Carrying the hopes of the Immortal Blades, and the prayers of millions trapped in that World Bubble, Shin refused to fall.
Feeling the immense pressure surging through her blade, hearing every cell in her body scream in pain, Durandal found her resolve growing even stronger.
Surely, he too was shouldering something just as heavy.
Their eyes locked. In Shin's glowing white gaze, she thought she could hear the voice of his burning will.
"Bearing the name of Welt, I must not lose!"
He said it. Out loud.
Durandal: "…"
Is this guy for real?
He's still pretending to be Welt at a time like this?
She felt like an ancient lump of phlegm had lodged in her chest. She needed to cough it out just to breathe.
But before she could react, the two forces that had long been locked in a deadlock suddenly reached a breaking point.
The power they'd been holding back detonated in full force, unleashing a cataclysmic blast that devoured everything in sight.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!