Watching from outside was not as interesting as entering the game personally.
Bronya liked games.
To her, the entire Honkai world was a game. In Chiba Academy, she played a romance strategy game. When Raiden Mei was helpless and pitiful, she stayed by her side without ever leaving.
That was what kept Raiden Mei in a state where she was on the verge of exploding—but never quite did.
In the Honkai world, with Otto no longer acting as the villainous Overseer of Schicksal to suppress them, the nations began to stir restlessly.
Kallen and Theresa jointly assumed the position of Overseer. However, their moral standards were too high, and neither of them was particularly shrewd. In practice, their actions only accelerated the growth of the Human Contract Alliance forces formed by various countries.
Governments around the world cried poverty, claiming their civilians lacked food. Kallen and Theresa therefore abandoned the protection-fee system Otto had established—where Schicksal provided protection against the Honkai in exchange for payment.
In the past, Schicksal provided protection against the Honkai and collected protection fees.
Now, Schicksal provided protection for free.
At present, Schicksal was living off its reserves, occasionally even donating funds to regions affected by Honkai outbreaks.
In reality, the protection fees retained by various nations were entirely used to expand their armies and strengthen military power.
Anti-Entropy consisted of two scientists and a nominal leader who rarely intervened.
World Serpent possessed the best intelligence network, but Kevin and Su were accustomed to human conflicts. Regarding the problems among nations, they merely informed Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.
As for what to do, they left it entirely to Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.
With Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent all effectively standing aside, the Human Contract Alliance rapidly expanded in strength.
Coupled with Kallen and Theresa's lax management, a large number of high-tech weapons were secretly sold to various countries by insiders, further swelling the Human Contract Alliance's power.
Once people gained strength, their ambitions naturally expanded alongside it.
For years, governments had been suppressed by Schicksal. They harbored countless grievances, but under Otto's methods and Schicksal's overwhelming force, they had no choice but to bury those emotions deep within.
Now that an opportunity had appeared, all that accumulated resentment began to erupt.
Online, public opinion began spreading the narrative that Honkai outbreaks around the world were actually the result of Schicksal's experiments.
Information about the Second Honkai Eruption was also exposed. Its location was revealed to be the Babylon Labs in Siberia under Schicksal.
The Human Contract Alliance rushed to target Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent because they had received three critical pieces of intelligence.
First, there was a passage to another world above Nagazora City. Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent had suddenly begun cooperating because they intended to divide all resources of that other world among themselves.
Second, Overseer Otto of Schicksal had stepped down because he had likely gone to another world. The current leaders of Schicksal were two naive idealists.
Third, Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent—the three strongest organizations in the world—were planning something terrifying in Nagazora City. According to their analysis, it was likely an attempt to deliberately trigger a Honkai Eruption and manufacture Herrschers.
With massive leaks of Schicksal's intelligence and the exposure of the Second Honkai Eruption, Kallen and Theresa, given their temperaments, were incapable of doing what Otto would have done—silencing people immediately, twisting the narrative, and flooding public opinion to whitewash themselves.
Valkyries within Schicksal began to defect.
Under Kallen and Theresa's leadership, Schicksal retreated at every step.
In return, the Human Contract Alliance only pressed further.
They began launching probing attacks against Schicksal's branches and forcibly occupying them.
And what did Kallen and Theresa, as leaders of Schicksal, do during this process?
The answer was nothing.
When the Human Contract Alliance judged the timing ripe, they declared Schicksal a cult organization that conducted human experiments and endangered both the world and humanity.
Observing from the shadows, Bronya felt nauseated by Kallen and Theresa's operations.
Her intolerance for stupidity flared up.
As for Anti-Entropy and World Serpent—two groups of slackers drifting along.
Fu Hua and Li Sushang, having recovered their memories, were also idling within World Serpent.
They all seemed to have grander plans.
And so they allowed Kallen and Theresa to wreak havoc within Schicksal.
Unbelievable.
At Chiba Academy, Bronya sensed a wave of missiles flying through the sky.
She felt utterly speechless.
After a brief calculation, she subtly adjusted all the missiles' trajectories, landing points, and blast radii.
"Mei-sis, be careful."
Bronya suddenly shoved Raiden Mei aside.
The missiles struck and exploded.
Bronya was blown away, her body spinning three hundred and sixty degrees in midair, perfectly demonstrating the cannon-fodder ultimate technique before crashing heavily to the ground.
Snapped back to her senses by the surrounding explosions, Raiden Mei scrambled up in panic and rushed toward Bronya.
"Mei-sis, Bronya... can't stay with you anymore."
Bronya coughed up a mouthful of blood, closed her eyes, tilted her head to one side, and let her arm fall limply to the ground.
"No, you won't die!" Tears streamed down Raiden Mei's face as she pulled Bronya into a fierce embrace. "Bronya, don't leave me."
Ever since her father's death, Bronya had been the one who stayed by her side day after day, never abandoning her.
She had become Mei's emotional pillar.
"..."
Held tightly in her arms, Bronya complained inwardly.
If I'm not dead already, I'll be crushed to death by you.
The same scene unfolded elsewhere.
Bronya performed the act multiple times, dying in the arms of Raiden Mei, Wendy, Seele, Ana, Kiana, and others.
Faced with the malice of humanity across the globe—
Nagazora City completely exploded.
Raiden Mei awakened as the Herrscher of Thunder.
Wendy awakened as the Herrscher of Wind.
Ana awakened as the Herrscher of Ice.
Seele awakened as the Herrscher of Death.
Kiana awakened as the Herrscher of Fire.
On the Moon, Kevin sensed the outflow of Honkai energy and turned his gaze toward Earth.
"I hope your decision is the right one."
Under normal circumstances, the Honkai energy produced by a single Eruption was only enough to form one Herrscher Core.
To prevent their energy from being insufficient, Kevin used the power of Finality to continuously supply them with Honkai energy.
The Human Contract Alliance willingly stepped forward to ignite the spark and detonate Nagazora City.
Anti-Entropy and World Serpent were happy to see it happen.
It saved them from playing the villain themselves.
Einstein and Su, concealing the truth from Kallen, Theresa, and Welt Yang, worked with Otto to make slight modifications to the God Creation Project.
On Earth, the Human Contract Alliance—an organization formed by various nations to combat the Honkai—stood against a group of Herrschers.
The result was obvious. They were utterly crushed.
The Human Contract Alliance possessed no top-tier combat power of its own. Its strongest forces were Kallen and Theresa—single-mindedly devoted to protecting humanity—and Welt Yang, who did not fully grasp the situation.
Siegfried, having gone to another world, avoided disaster and no longer needed to unleash another earth-shattering attack.
In another world, within the void.
Bronya looked at Vita, who had just appeared. "Why are you here?"
Vita placed her hands on her hips, her face brimming with a radiant smile. "Of course I'm here to find you! You've tricked so many girls' feelings again, haven't you? In the second playthrough, do I get any screen time?"
"No," Bronya replied coldly.
"Oh, don't be so distant," Vita clasped her hands together and tilted her head, revealing an expectant expression. "Let me join the fun. It's more enjoyable when everyone plays together~"
"We share the same mother, after all!" Vita clenched her fists and leaned forward slightly. "How can you bear to reject your little sister?"
"This little sister of mine is much older than I am," Bronya rolled her eyes.
"We don't rank by age," Vita blinked. "Bronya-sis, take me with you next time, okay? Please? Pretty please?"
"Enough." Bronya could no longer endure her. "When I restart, I'll take you along."
"Really? That's wonderful!" Vita slung an arm around Bronya's shoulders as they watched the events unfolding in the Honkai world through a cosmic passage. "Humans really are experts at self-destruction."
...
Honkai World.
Above a city in the Far East.
"Your Majesty, all humans here have been eliminated."
Floating in the air, lightning leapt around the purple-haired girl, illuminating her exquisite face. She glanced sideways at Bronya, who had been turned into a Pseudo-Herrscher puppet by her hand.
"Hmph."
The Herrscher of Thunder frowned slightly, her expression as cold as frost. "They are nothing but ants."
Yet her gaze lingered on Bronya for a moment longer than necessary.
This girl named Bronya was special. Even after learning of her existence, she had not shown fear or rejection like other humans.
Even with her throat seized and her life at risk, she had still smiled and told her, "Whether it's you or Mei, I like you both."
She had even said she was like an older sister protecting Mei.
"Come here," the Herrscher of Thunder commanded.
The puppet Bronya obediently walked to her.
The Herrscher of Thunder extended a finger and gently lifted Bronya's chin, gazing into those hollow, unfocused eyes. "Do you want revenge against humanity?"
Bronya's doll-like face remained expressionless. "Bronya only wants to stay with Mei-sis."
"Hmph. Foolish emotions." Though she spoke thus, a trace of complexity flashed through her eyes.
After a brief hesitation, she slowly embraced the puppet Bronya. "Bronya, no matter what happens, I will stay by your side."
Holding Bronya in her arms, the Herrscher of Thunder closed her eyes. Raiden Mei had already fallen into slumber.
Standing upon the burning earth, the girl made a silent vow.
No matter the cost, Honkai would defeat humanity.
It was to protect Mei.
And to avenge Bronya.
"Who's there?"
The Herrscher of Thunder's eyes sharpened. Lightning shot from her hand toward a skyscraper, blasting straight through it. The entire building collapsed with a thunderous roar.
A figure leapt from the crumbling structure and floated in the air. Welt Yang's expression was grim. This was completely different from the plan.
He could not contact Einstein, Tesla, or World Serpent.
Something had clearly gone wrong.
Taking a deep breath, Welt Yang shouted, "Raiden Mei, listen to me. All of this was a plan to make you become Herrschers. Your father is not dead."
He attempted to awaken Raiden Mei's personality.
"You're courting death!"
Killing intent erupted in the Herrscher of Thunder's eyes. Violent lightning coiled around her hands as she launched a direct assault at the human who dared treat her like a fool.
Your coward of a father died, and you say it was a plan, a staged death? Perhaps that's possible.
But Bronya died right before my eyes. Her body is still here with me. And you say that was a plan too?
Who do you think you're fooling?
Facing the Herrscher of Thunder's frenzied assault, Welt Yang erected shields with both hands to resist. He did not understand why she had suddenly grown so enraged.
While blocking her attacks, he shouted, "It's true! Your father, Raiden Ryoma, really isn't dead!"
The Herrscher of Thunder remained unmoved, her attacks only growing more violent.
Welt Yang gradually began to falter, silently cursing. This had completely deviated from the original plan.
If that was the case, he could only defeat the Herrscher of Thunder first.
As the second Herrscher of Reason who had once battled the Herrscher of the Void, Welt Yang's combat experience surpassed hers.
However, his body's compatibility with the Herrscher Core of Reason was not particularly high. He could not fully unleash its power.
He could only defend, evade, and search for an opportunity.
As he dodged the Herrscher of Thunder's relentless attacks, he suddenly noticed a flaw in her assault.
Concentrating, he used the authority of the Herrscher of Reason to construct the Staff of Hades, temporarily severing her connection to Imaginary Space.
Then he constructed a sniper rifle and fired a shot at the Herrscher of Thunder as she lost her Honkai energy and fell from the sky.
The sniper rifle was no ordinary weapon.
It was World Serpent's Divine Key—Seven Thunders of Retribution.
During the period of cooperation between Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent, he had come into contact with that Divine Key.
After analyzing it, he was able to use the authority of the Herrscher of Reason to create a pseudo Divine Key—Seven Thunders of Retribution.
Originally, the plan was for the Honkai Eruption to remain confined to Nagazora City.
Now that it had spread globally, with several Herrschers already present, he had no choice but to kill them first, then find a way to revive Raiden Mei using the restart device.
Therefore, Welt Yang did not hold back.
The bullet streaked toward the Herrscher of Thunder.
Just before it struck, a black shadow suddenly appeared, embracing her and turning its back to shield her from the shot.
"Bronya!!"
The Herrscher of Thunder saw Bronya, surprise and confusion flashing across her eyes.
The body struck by the bullet began to disintegrate from bottom to top into particles.
She gave the Herrscher of Thunder in her arms a faint smile.
"Bronya! Bronya!! No!!"
The Herrscher of Thunder panicked, trying to grasp Bronya's dissolving body with both hands, but it was useless.
Welt Yang also froze. He had not expected Bronya to suddenly appear.
Wait.
Who is Bronya?
I seem to know her. She's a student at Chiba Academy.
No.
She's not a student at Chiba Academy. She is—
Welt Yang's cognition and memories regarding Bronya clashed violently in his mind, plunging his thoughts into brief chaos. He did not continue his attack.
The Staff of Hades' effect of severing the Herrscher's connection to Imaginary Space faded.
The loss of authority and Honkai energy was reversed.
Overwhelming negative emotions surged.
The Herrscher of Thunder evolved once more.
The Herrscher Core within her melted completely and fused with her body.
She glared at Welt Yang with boundless fury.