Nagazora.
Chiba Academy.
"Little Sister Angelia, you've improved so much!"
"Yeah! What's your secret?"
"Big Sister Angelia, I'm also a Herrscher of Dominance. Can you teach me how to become stronger?"
...
Faced with the group of girls crowding around her, Angelia Schariac revealed a polite smile and said, "It's not really a secret. After becoming a Herrscher, the Schariac bloodline within me became better at controlling Honkai energy."
But the girls were clearly not satisfied with that answer and continued chirping around her with endless questions.
Angelia did not tell them how she had truly grown stronger. She simply attributed everything to the Schariac bloodline.
The only difference between her and the other Herrschers of Dominance was precisely that bloodline.
Even though her Schariac bloodline's ability to control Honkai energy was practically nonexistent.
And as for the way she had actually grown stronger... it was far too embarrassing to say out loud.
At that moment, a cool voice rang out from beyond the crowd. "Class is starting. Why are you all gathered here? Back to your seats."
Everyone turned to look. It was Teacher Raven. The girls scattered at once, leaving only Angelia Schariac seated at her desk.
Raven walked up to Angelia and looked her up and down. "Your strength is increasing quickly, but you need to be careful with control. Power that grows too fast always carries the risk of losing control."
Angelia nodded obediently. "I understand, Teacher Raven. I've been practicing hard to control my Herrscher power."
Raven frowned slightly, her expression turning serious. "I know you're working hard. But don't rush it."
Angelia's growth rate was simply too fast.
There were so many Herrschers of Dominance. Why was she the only one improving so rapidly?
There had to be something strange about it.
Although she had already learned from Vita that Angelia was a Herrscher, she did not have a good impression of that woman who left others with a pure, radiant image—like a white moonlight.
The other Herrschers under the Will of Ruler were treated coldly by others, but at least they were not hypocritical.
The beautiful image Vita presented felt performative, almost artificial, as if she were plotting some earth-shattering conspiracy.
After becoming a Herrscher of Dominance, Angelia had not displayed the split personalities of Raiden Mei or Seele, nor the unstable mental states that had plagued Ana and Wendy.
Every Herrscher had issues.
Except for her.
And that in itself was abnormal.
Knowing she had become a key subject of observation and speculation, Angelia continued maintaining her image as a model student, attending class every day.
Unlike Raiden Mei and Wendy, who came and went as they pleased.
Training grounds.
Angelia Schariac sparred against her older sister, Maria Schariac.
Maria launched the first attack, thrusting her knight's lance toward Angelia.
Angelia sidestepped nimbly. Before becoming a Herrscher, her eyes and reflexes had never been able to keep up with her sister's movements.
Now, Maria's actions felt like slow motion.
She could respond with ease, clearly predicting Maria's next move.
Taking advantage of a gap between dodges, Angelia said, "Sister, you're not my opponent anymore. Don't waste your life force for nothing."
Using the Schariac family's ability to control Honkai energy was not without cost.
It consumed life force.
In other words, lifespan.
That was why, in the past, members of the Schariac family who fought the Honkai rarely lived long lives.
"Are you pitying me?" A flash of anger crossed Maria's eyes. "I don't need your pity, Angelia."
She tightened her grip on the lance, and the tip flared with even brighter Honkai energy.
Angelia sighed helplessly. She did not want to hurt her sister.
She gently raised her hands, and the surrounding space instantly twisted, forming layers of blue Honkai energy shields.
Maria launched relentless attacks, but she could not break through Angelia's defenses.
Suddenly, Angelia flashed behind Maria and lightly tapped her shoulder.
"There's no need to continue," Angelia said calmly.
"..."
Maria bit her lower lip in unwilling frustration before turning and leaving.
Angelia felt no joy from victory. Though it appeared to be a one-on-one battle, in truth it had been one against two hundred fifty-three.
She had drawn strength from the other Herrschers of Dominance she had already subjugated.
A total of two hundred fifty-three.
Being the Herrscher of Dominance was really difficult!
Angelia envied Raiden Mei and Seele. They had simply developed alternate Herrscher personalities that loved and protected them.
To become a complete Herrscher of Dominance, she had to deal with nine hundred ninety-nine different girls—each one an individual part of the Herrscher of Dominance collective.
Moreover, the relationship between domination and being dominated among them was delicate.
I have to speed things up.
For Sister Vita!
Angelia returned to the Herrscher of Dominance's subspace—the massive shared realm connecting all of them. It had now been renamed by them as the Dominion Paradise.
This was their paradise.
The paradise of a thousand.
With the assistance of the other dominated Herrschers of Dominance, Angelia rapidly unified their powers with both hands.
Across the entire Theater of Domination, the crystal-like cores within every Herrscher of Dominance fused together, gathering into a single true Herrscher core.
In the end, the Herrscher core exploded and split into a thousand smaller cores, which flew back into each Herrscher of Dominance's body.
At the same time, at the central platform of the Theater of Domination, Honkai energy slowly began condensing into a brand-new Herrscher of Dominance core.
After integrating their power and completing the collective evolution, Angelia chose to make her move against her other sister—the Herrscher of Ice, Ana Schariac.
Vita had told her that if she wanted to become the Herrscher of Finality, the fastest way was to integrate the authorities of the other twelve Herrschers.
As long as she became the Herrscher of Finality, she would obtain control of this world.
And then the two of them could be together forever.