At the same time Lucius ascended Nagazora City tower.
St. Freya Academy City complex, at a pre-constructed stage.
Red octopus-like entities woven from flesh and machinery floated in the sky.
These were combat units of the Sky People replicated by the scientists of the Blue Dream Research Group.
These octopi hovered in all directions in attack formation, their targets being the two figures—one large, one small—at the center of the stage.
—Joachim and Ryusuke.
Looking at the red octopi closing in from all sides, both wore grave expressions.
Suddenly, one octopus launched an attack, charging toward Joachim.
But at this moment, a shining crystal materialized in Joachim's hand. His little face tensed as he shouted:
"Innately evil aliens, behold the sight of stars being shattered!"
An invisible field erupted. Terrifying gravitational force permeated the entire field, pulling all the red octopi scattered across the sky into a pitch-black sphere before him.
When the gravity dispersed, those Sky People constructs were nowhere to be seen.
"Cut! Pass!"
"Reset the stage, prepare for the next scene: Herrscher of Reason VS Ryusuke Murata."
At the outer perimeter of the stage sat Director Bronya on the arm of Project Bunny, wearing a baseball cap, holding a megaphone in one hand and a script rolled up in the other.
"What is that thing?"
Looking at the glowing crystal in Joachim's hand, Ryusuke was extremely surprised.
To be able to destroy in one strike those imposing-looking units from before—the power of this thing was quite unexpected to him.
"Just an ordinary force field generator. The latest research result from MEI Company's Mechanics Weapons Laboratory." Bronya provided the answer.
"Just a force field generator?" Ryusuke was suspicious.
"What else? Would you believe me if I said it was a Herrscher core?"
"...I suppose not."
Ryusuke didn't pursue the question further. He knew even if he asked, the other party wouldn't tell him.
But... had MEI Company's technology already reached this level?
Ryusuke lowered his head, a smile gradually appearing at the corners of his mouth.
"Doesn't matter. Once my world-shaking plan succeeds, MEI Company's secrets will all be laid bare before me..."
This production had been going on for nearly half a year now. At the very beginning, he hadn't expected this film would actually involve information about Honkai.
You had to understand that the current Fire Moth's control over such information was quite strict.
Although Honkai information wasn't unfamiliar to people at slightly higher levels.
However, directly using this for a film did surprise Ryusuke somewhat.
And when he checked, he found this film had actually been approved by Fire Moth.
The reason was to give the public advance preparation, to prevent excessive turmoil when the existence of Honkai was eventually made public.
A reason that couldn't be faulted.
If he hadn't discovered that Fire Moth's audit department had recently received a massive donation from MEI Company, he might have actually believed it!
Ryusuke both raged at Fire Moth's internal corruption while lamenting that the money hadn't ended up in his hands.
However, it was also thanks to coming to the Far East that he had discovered this massive opportunity called MEI Company.
As long as he could find a way to break into MEI Company, smooth sailing to success would no longer be a dream.
Thinking of this, Ryusuke couldn't help but laugh.
Just as he was secretly laughing, Bronya handed him something resembling a silver key.
"Take this."
"What is it?"
Looking at this cold-to-the-touch, key-like object in his hand, Ryusuke expressed confusion.
"A prop for the next scene, something called an Outer Key."
"Is this also a force field generator?"
"Of course." Bronya looked at him strangely. "You don't actually believe Divine Keys exist, do you?"
"I suppose not..."
Then, disregarding Ryusuke's expression, she said to him:
"Alright, the scene is ready. Prepare to begin your final scene. You haven't forgotten your lines, have you?"
"No."
Soon, on the reset stage, Ryusuke and Joachim faced each other.
"Hehehe! Joachim, your body is already in ruins. Even so, will you still approach me?" Ryusuke held a silver key, speaking sinisterly.
And Joachim, his little face tense, clutching his bloodied chest, walked toward Ryusuke step by step while gritting his teeth, his voice seeming to squeeze from his throat.
"If I don't get closer, how can I beat you to a pulp?!"
"Ho~" The silver key in Ryusuke's hand radiated entrancing colors, making Ryusuke's face appear utterly savage. "In that case, Joachim, you shall be defeated by the dimensional power of my Outer Key!"
"Your Herrscher core—I'll take it!"
And Joachim likewise tensed his little face and roared: "I'll shatter your delusions! Arrogant schemer! Behold the sight of stars being shattered!"
"Gah!"
"Yah!"
The light of the Herrscher core and silver key collided, as if tearing through reality itself.
When the light dispersed, Ryusuke lay on the ground, the silver key fallen in the distance, slowly dissipating.
Watching Joachim walk toward him step by step, Ryusuke bit open the blood pack in his mouth. Blood flowed from the corners of his smiling mouth.
"Welt, your strength is beyond question. I think I'll probably never forget you for the rest of my life..."
Then Ryusuke's head tilted to one side, his legs kicked out.
Dead~
"Cut! Pass. Reset the scene for the final scene."
Hearing Bronya's direction, Ryusuke sat up from the ground and spat out the blood pack.
Joachim also returned to being a shy elementary student, his face flushing red—clearly the previous scene had embarrassed him considerably.
Bronya waved her hand and said to Ryusuke and Joachim: "Alright, you've wrapped. Go to the rest area over there. Next is the final scene."
Thus, Ryusuke and Joachim withdrew, and Himeko prepared to take the stage.
As he passed Himeko, Ryusuke wanted to say something, but Himeko only glanced at him once before moving her gaze elsewhere, leaving him quite embarrassed.
Soon, the final scene's setup was complete.
It was a scene of Himeko organizing her father Ryusuke Murata's belongings.
"After her father Ryusuke Murata's death, Himeko as his daughter received a large number of his possessions."
"Among the vast files her father left behind, she discovered a document bearing the 'Schicksal' symbol, and from it discovered a behemoth hidden behind human nations."
"—An anti-Honkai organization named 'Schicksal.'"
"To explore the truth of her father's death, after much deliberation, Himeko Murata abandoned her plans to continue advancing in interstellar navigation dynamics, choosing instead to investigate this mysterious organization's existence."
"And just like that, Himeko Murata's life was ruined."
Bronya's milk-flavored narration ended, and in the shot, Himeko appropriately discovered the Schicksal document among a stack of files.
"Cut! Pass!"
"Excellent. With that, this film is complete. Thank you all for your efforts these past days."
Hearing Bronya's explanation, Himeko had a sense of unreality.
Half a year ago she had still been in Fire Moth, wielding weapons and fighting Honkai beasts to the death on the front lines.
But this half year, she had immersed herself in an ocean of knowledge for the sake of so-called filming, even completing her studies in interstellar navigation dynamics and earning her doctorate.
Now she could call herself Dr. Himeko.
Thinking back, it still felt absurd.
But this production had wrapped, her teammates' survivor benefits had long been resolved—it was time for her to return to Fire Moth.
And thinking of Fire Moth, she unconsciously looked toward the other side at the man sitting in a chair, an eerie smile occasionally appearing on his face.
Her old man, the man named Ryusuke.
At this moment, Ryusuke hadn't noticed Himeko's gaze. He had completely immersed himself in the world of real estate.
"Hehe... Taking advantage of this period's price crash, I've already acquired a third of Nagazora City's land. MEI Company is now within reach."
Although previously he hadn't known much about the real estate business, it didn't matter—he'd spent considerable money hiring a quite professional teacher.
She was a legendary figure who had been immersed in the real estate business for many years, regarded as an industry benchmark. People in the industry called her Lady Raven.
[Ryusuke: Lady Raven, I've already gone all-in following your advice. Do you have any other suggestions?]
But after sending the message, what puzzled Ryusuke was that Lady Raven, who was usually extremely enthusiastic, hadn't replied for a long time today.
Just as he was about to close his communicator, a message finally came through.
[Raven: Gah! Wah! Yah!]
Seeing the message from the other side, Ryusuke was confused.
[Ryusuke: Lady Raven, is this some kind of industry-specific terminology?]
[Raven: Good student, this teacher has failed you! Let's meet on the rooftop, master and disciple.]
[Ryusuke: ???]
Looking at the message from the other side, somehow, an extremely ominous feeling suddenly arose in Ryusuke's heart.
Suddenly, the communicator received another message, this time from the internal Fire Moth group.
[HIGHEST ALERT ORDER:]
[Great Honkai eruption in Nagazora City. All Fire Moth personnel enter designated combat units according to contingency plans!]
[REPEAT!!!]
[Great Honkai eruption in Nagazora City. All Fire Moth personnel enter designated combat units according to contingency plans!]
"Clatter—"
Seeing the message that appeared on the communication interface, Ryusuke's hand trembled and the communicator fell to the ground.
What caused him to lose composure like this wasn't the Great Honkai erupting in Nagazora City, but rather...
"Gah! Wah! Yah!"
After this scene wrapped, Himeko had originally prepared to leave, but just as she was about to depart, she was startled by her old man's actions.
She saw Ryusuke, having apparently gone mad, actually collapse to the ground, tears streaming from his eyes, continuously pounding the floor while making incomprehensible strange cries from his mouth.
Himeko frowned, an impulse to turn and leave rising within her.
But thinking this was her only blood relative in the world, she ultimately sighed and walked before him.
"Old man, what kind of fit are you throwing now?!"
Ryusuke's heart had already been enveloped by terror.
He thought of the favors and money he owed those old geezers, and thought of the darkness and depravity hidden beneath those old geezers' veneer of respectability.
And felt a chill wind passing over his lower regions.
"Old man? Old man?!"
"Slap!"
Ryusuke suddenly felt his collar being grabbed. Before he could react, he felt a burning pain across his face.
Coming to his senses, he found his daughter Himeko standing before him, one hand gripping his collar, the other hand pulling back.
Clearly, this daughter who had previously shown him some face had just slapped him.
And after realizing it was Himeko standing before him, Ryusuke's face showed terror as he cried out:
"Himeko, Dad's finished! Dad's finished! Dad doesn't want to sell himself!"
"Ugh..."
Seeing Ryusuke's state, Himeko only felt her scalp tingle as she rapidly retreated.
"Old man, what nonsensical things are you saying?"
Seeing Himeko look at him like garbage, Ryusuke suddenly felt his long-maintained dignity as a father... shatter.
He knelt on the ground like a weathered stone statue as endless despair began welling up in his heart.
At this moment, his heart was dead, his spirit deranged.
Besides that, only fear of having his manhood taken by those old geezers remained.
In such despair, he began making requests to all the gods in the world.
Whichever deity—even if it was the Honkai that would destroy humanity—save me!
At this critical juncture with the Great Honkai about to erupt, the endless despair welling up in Ryusuke's heart seemed to truly attract the gaze of a certain deity.
Himeko found her old man quieting down and was about to ask again what exactly had happened.
But she suddenly discovered a tingling sensation spreading across the surface of her body, her long red hair actually standing on end.
Himeko suddenly looked toward Ryusuke, only to find the corners of his mouth gradually pulling upward... wisps of purple electric current emerging from his body.
Ryusuke's earlier deranged state had already attracted everyone on site. At this moment, everyone's eyes were looking this way.
"This oppressive force, this power—could it be that the old man is..."
Himeko's expression changed drastically. As she retreated, she shouted at the crew members wanting to approach:
"Retreat! Retreat quickly! He's becoming a Herrscher!!!"
And just as Himeko kept retreating, Ryusuke also stood up.
The corners of his mouth carried an irrepressible wild smile. Fine electric currents began dancing continuously with him as the center.
"I called out to all the gods in the heavens, but only Honkai answered my plea."
Feeling the power surging within him at this moment, Ryusuke clenched his hand. Lightning spilled through his fingers.
"Behold! Daughter, this is the... divine power the god has granted me!!!"
With Ryusuke's roar, the originally clear sky began filling with dark clouds. Rolling thunder surged through the clouds.
Facing the sky, Ryusuke closed his eyes and spread his arms, as if embracing an unknown existence.
"I can feel it—the god's authority is descending upon me!"
Ryusuke felt his consciousness continuously rising. He passed through the clouds, crossed the distance between Earth and Moon, and saw the deity entrenched on the lunar surface.
He saw that deity open its eyes. A stream of light fell.
At the same time, he also knew—that was the authority the god was granting him, the great power to command electromagnetic force!
Feeling that stream of light continuously approaching him, the corners of Ryusuke's mouth gradually pulled to an exaggerated angle.
"Hehe... hehehehe hahaha!!!"
"Now I am omnipotent!!!"
Seeing changes occurring in Ryusuke, Himeko's heart had already sunk to the bottom.
"Such power... not a Pseudo-Herrscher, but a true Herrscher. Who can stop him..."
But Himeko quickly discovered that Ryusuke's previously flamboyant smile had abruptly frozen.
Only because in Ryusuke's sea of consciousness, just as he was waiting for the god to bestow upon him the great authority of thunder and lightning, he suddenly heard a voice from another direction.
"Herrscher of Thunder authority? Come here!"
"Mei, from this moment forward, you shall ascend to godhood. But I hope you never forget your human identity."
"Forever fight for humanity's most beautiful tomorrow!"
"Father, I will do my best..."
Before Ryusuke could figure out the source of this voice, he saw the meteor that should have been falling toward him.
Just as it was about to reach him, as if grasped by an invisible hand, it abruptly changed direction and ran away...
Leaving only his frozen face of wild laughter.
He felt the power surging within him rapidly dissipating, while from Nagazora City's direction came a terrifying aura that felt familiar to him.
"No!"
Ryusuke had just cried out when Himeko, who had approached, punched him to his knees.
Then, looking at Ryusuke collapsed on the ground like a stray dog, Himeko felt quite strange.
"The aura is very similar to Pseudo-Herrschers I've seen before, but... why is he so weak?"
And after being knocked to his knees, Ryusuke continued making strange cries toward Nagazora City's direction.
"No, that's my authority! That's my divine power! You thief!"
"Gah! There's a thief!"
"God! Open your eyes quickly! Your authority has been stolen!!!"
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