From Mei ascending to the sky to crushing the Sky People took only ten minutes.
Most of that time was spent dealing with Fire Moth's fleets that rushed over to hunt her.
Mei truly couldn't understand—her attack was globally visible, and she'd sent advance information that she wouldn't attack humans. Why did these senseless people still charge at her?
Couldn't figure it out, but that didn't prevent her from binding up the Fire Moth combat personnel inside.
Although Fire Moth's old geezers were inhuman, these combat personnel on the frontlines fighting Honkai were still quite respectable.
In any case, after crushing three waves of Fire Moth fleets and hacking into their nuclear arsenal to aim all weapons at Fire Moth headquarters, these annoying people finally quieted down temporarily.
By the time Mei descended to the ground, Kiana and Bronya were already waiting. Himeko, piloting the Hyperion replicated one-to-one from blueprints, was descending from St. Freya Academy City complex toward post-Great Honkai Nagazora City.
"There's not much time. Mei, Kiana, Bronya—immediately flee Nagazora City according to the planned route."
Mei had just landed.
Lucius looked at the Herrscher of Thunder experience card's remaining time, then called for the three to immediately complete the production.
Then, under Lucius's watch, the three set out from Chiba Academy, racing across the post-Great Honkai land toward Hyperion's landing point.
Although the Honkai energy in Nagazora City had been mostly consumed by Mei just now, the powerful Honkai beasts spawned by the previous high-concentration Honkai energy hadn't dissipated.
Instead they rampaged through the deserted Nagazora City, including quite a few powerful individuals like Emperor-class that required S-rank Valkyries to eliminate.
But any Honkai beasts that dared block the road were all torn to shreds by the omnipresent electromagnetic force, then annihilated.
Although the current production was "Escape from Nagazora," under Mei's world-shaking power's escort, the three rushed from Chiba Academy to Hyperion's landing point in less than three minutes. Any Honkai beast daring to appear in their sight all met their end.
Compared to "Escape from Nagazora," Lucius felt "Speedrun Nagazora" better suited the current situation.
When Himeko, wearing crimson armor, leaped down from the Hyperion and landed before the three, the system panel refreshed.
[Facing crisis-ridden Nagazora City after the Honkai eruption, amid Anti-Entropy's artillery and Honkai beasts' roars, Kiana and Raiden Mei began their grand escape.]
[Along the way they also encountered Bronya, an Anti-Entropy member controlling a giant mech. The fates of the Starter Trio converged here.]
[Finally, the three successfully escaped Nagazora City, and what greeted them was the Hyperion descending from above.]
[At this moment, the Starter Trio finally assembled, and the story... turned its first page.]
[Mission: Check in at Starter Trio escaping Nagazora City. Reward: S-rank Stigmata Selection Box x1, Crystals x3000, unlock Divine Key Pavilion.]
[Mission Status: Completed]
Then Lucius looked at another interface on the system panel.
[Moon's Origin and Finality - Prologue: Escape from Nagazora]
[Stage Reward: Herrscher of Thunder Character Card]
[Status: Completed]
At the same time, the Herrscher of Thunder experience card on Mei also reached its end.
But at this moment, Lucius had already loaded the complete Herrscher of Thunder character card.
No need to buy a second Herrscher of Thunder experience card—saving 3000 crystals, a massive sum.
Check-in complete. He said to Himeko:
"Alright, Miss Himeko. Your mission is complete. However, I have another task."
"I'm establishing an academy to train warriors against Honkai. Interested in teaching here?"
Hearing his words, Himeko rolled her eyes.
"Can I even refuse now?"
She'd seen Mei's actions just now. Now she, Himeko, had probably been categorized on this side by Fire Moth's old geezers. Fire Moth was probably no longer habitable.
"Teach what? Interstellar navigation dynamics?"
Lucius smiled and said:
"I could offer that course as an elective at St. Freya."
"But what we're training are Valkyries to fight Honkai. What you'll teach is still combat-related knowledge."
Then he looked at Kiana, Mei, and Bronya nearby.
"They'll be your future students."
Hearing this, Himeko felt somewhat speechless.
"You think they actually need me to teach them?" She felt any one of these three girls had combat ability above her own.
"Combat ability isn't everything. Character development is also important—at least knowing what to fight for."
"I'm past the age of talking ideals, so... what's the salary?"
"Triple what Fire Moth paid you, three months vacation per year. How's that?"
"Boss, you know teaching and nurturing has always been my ideal."
After settling matters, Himeko hurried off, supposedly to handle her old man's affairs.
After Himeko left, Lucius looked at Mei.
"Mei, I have something I need to tell you."
With those words, the atmosphere became somewhat delicate. Kiana and the quietly standing Bronya exchanged glances, both quickly retreating into the distance.
"Father, what is it?" Mei's expression still seemed normal.
Lucius paused, then said: "Actually, I'm not your dad."
Pretending to be her father to complete missions was fine, but now that Nagazora City's missions were complete and Ryoma's identity was useless, continuing the act was unnecessary.
Moreover, Lucius felt that with Mei's intelligence, she'd probably noticed something was off long ago.
In that case, to avoid having their relationship turn sour when Mei eventually exposed it in the future, Lucius chose to explain what had happened during this time first.
This was simple—nothing more than repeating what he'd told Kiana.
As blood mist surrounded him, Lucius returned to his original appearance.
"That's how it is. I went to the very distant future, experienced various encounters, and finally had the chance to return to this era destined for destruction to salvage everything."
"Impersonating Ryoma was only to make history's progression align with another history, thereby gaining the power to deny fate."
"For this period of deception, I apologize to you."
Finishing, Lucius saw the smile on Mei's face vanish as she fell into contemplation.
Seeing this, Kiana and Bronya, who had been eating melon on the side, immediately sensed danger and retreated even further.
Lucius anticipated Mei's possible anger. Putting himself in her shoes—being deceived like this for a whole year—he'd probably be quite angry too.
But he wasn't worried. After unlocking the Herrscher of Thunder character card, he could also wield the Herrscher of Thunder's authority. Although his usage definitely couldn't match Mei's, he wouldn't die—at most he'd take a beating.
If this matter wasn't clarified now, when it exploded in the future, Lucius didn't dare imagine what Mei, experiencing such a shock, would become. With her knowledge, who knew what kind of world-ending madwoman she might turn into.
At that point, pre-civilization might enter a hellish bad ending amid laughter and cheer.
However, the imagined Patricide Without Regret and Divine Severing Lightning didn't arrive. After contemplating, Mei showed a gentle smile again.
"So Father has such mysterious experiences. Restarting the timeline... that's an interesting subject."
"I'm not your dad. Your dad is in prison right now." Lucius corrected.
But Mei looked at him strangely and asked puzzled: "What nonsense is Father saying? Aren't you right here?"
Lucius suddenly felt something was going wrong. He pointed at his own face and asked:
"Mei, do you think your dad has this face?"
Hearing this, Mei carefully examined his face, then solemnly nodded.
"I think my dad looks exactly like this."
"I'm not your dad!"
"No, you are my dad."
"I'm not!"
"You are."
Lucius was about to continue refuting when he felt a great terror descend upon his heart.
Then he saw Mei remove her glasses. A pair of purple eyes roiled with thunder, the smile on her face growing ever gentler.
"I think you are my dad. What do you think?"
Lucius wanted to refute.
But the originally clear sky was once again covered by dark clouds. Rolling thunder churned within. Lightning fell like swimming dragons. The lightning illuminated Mei's gentle smile, making it particularly sinister.
Lucius felt that if he dared say the word 'no', something extremely terrifying would definitely happen next.
So he smiled with acceptance.
"Right, I remember now—I am your dad!"
As his words fell, Mei put on her glasses. The clouds in the sky dispersed, and that omnipresent great terror vanished with them.
Mei once again became that girl with a scholarly temperament, smiling at Lucius: "Father, since matters are complete, I'll go home to cook first. Remember to come home on time for dinner."
Then she looked in another direction, meeting the gaze of Kiana, who was desperately trying to minimize her presence in the distance.
"And Kiana, you too."
"After obtaining the Herrscher authority, I feel my culinary skills have broken through their bottleneck. I should be able to make even better food now."
Looking at the extremely gentle smile on Mei's face, Kiana felt cold sweat pouring down as she nodded desperately.
She felt that if she dared say 'no', she'd be beaten to her knees and dragged back directly by Mei!
So she could only reply with tears: "I, I love the food Mei makes the most..."
However, at this moment she suddenly thought of Bronya beside her and wanted to drag someone else down with her.
But turning her head, she found that little duck had long disappeared—probably fled the moment she sensed danger.
...
"That evil Bronya, not even warning me when escaping. So mean!" After Mei left, Kiana complained to Lucius.
"Don't look so miserable, good brother. I'll give you a gift."
Hearing Lucius's words, Kiana truly shifted her attention, attracted by curiosity.
So, under Kiana's gaze, Lucius casually produced a metal box printed with Kiana's chibi avatar.
After the box appeared, Kiana squatted on the ground and knocked on it, asking: "What is this thing?"
[Item: Signature Weapon Supply Box (Kiana)]
[Price: Achievement reward, non-sellable]
This thing's purpose was quite straightforward—a supply box for drawing weapons from the main storyline belonging to Kiana.
White Practice, Ranger, Moonlight, Void Drifter, Flamescion... as long as it was a signature weapon Kiana possessed in the main storyline, it could possibly be drawn from inside.
Just that, like most weapon pools, the higher the quality, the lower the drop rate.
"Inside are weapons exclusive to you. They might be very strong, but could also be weak."
"My luck has always been terrible, so you open it!"
But hearing Lucius's words, Kiana also felt conflicted. Recalling her past experiences, she found her luck, while not bad, couldn't be called particularly good either.
However, Lucius had already given her this box. She couldn't refuse, only saying:
"If what comes out isn't good, don't blame me..."
Hearing this, Lucius smiled and said: "This is a gift for you, part of my compensation to you. You should trust your own luck."
Seeing Lucius had already said this, Kiana knew she couldn't postpone anymore.
So she rubbed her hands, prayed to various deities in her heart, then pressed her palm on the box's 'open' button.
The next moment, the box split open from four corners. White steam gushed out.
At the same time, intense golden light transmitted from the box's crevices.
"Wow! Gold drop!"
Kiana's eyes brightened, her face showing delight.
But when the box fully opened and the golden light dispersed, after seeing what was inside the box, the smile on her face froze.
In the box's center was only an exquisitely crafted baseball bat, and this bat was pressing down on a cup of instant noodles.
At the same time, she smelled the aroma of instant noodles wafting over.
Kiana disappointedly picked up this baseball bat and found that aside from being able to freely control its appearance and disappearance, it didn't seem to have any other uses.
"Lucius, looks like my luck isn't that great."
Then she handed this baseball bat to the somewhat curious Lucius and picked up the cup of instant noodles the bat had been pressing.
Yes, this cup of instant noodles was actually freshly made. The bat on top was just being used to hold down the noodle lid.
She lifted the noodle lid, stirred it a few times with a fork, then slurped a mouthful. Her eyes immediately brightened.
"These noodles... are simply the best instant noodles I've ever eaten!"
"By the way, could it be that this cup of noodles is the real thing, and the bat is just a freebie?"
But while talking about the noodles, Kiana didn't notice that Lucius, looking at the baseball bat in his hand, showed a strange expression.
This was a baseball bat with purple as the main body and silver accents. It felt comfortable to grip, with appropriate weight.
Judged solely as a baseball bat, it could be called superb.
But the reason Lucius's expression was strange was because of this baseball bat's displayed name in the system interface.
—Key of Blankness · Baseball Bat
If he remembered correctly, the Key of Blankness was the Herrscher of Finality's signature weapon.
Lucius swung the baseball bat in his hand, hoping to unleash earth-shattering attacks with it.
But unfortunately, no matter how he swung it, it felt like just an ordinary baseball bat... except for being indestructible.
Lucius stuffed this baseball bat back to Kiana and said with deep feeling:
"Good brother, don't underestimate this baseball bat. It might hide the Herrscher of Finality's power."
At this time, Kiana had finished the cup of instant noodles. After accepting this baseball bat, her face showed suspicion.
"I feel like you're scamming me?"
Lucius didn't respond, but instead produced another metal box. This box's surface was printed with Homu patterns.
[Item: Newbie Supply Box]
[Price: Non-sellable, obtained by fulfilling achievements]
After completing the Escape from Nagazora storyline, this silly system gave him this supply box.
Lucius guessed this was probably another game system setting this silly system had plagiarized.
After tossing the box on the ground, Lucius rubbed his hands and pushed Kiana in front of this box.
"Good brother, help me open this box."
Although what Kiana just opened was only a baseball bat, undoubtedly, that bat truly counted as the Herrscher of Finality's signature weapon.
In other words, his good brother's luck might also be like her counterpart fifty thousand years in the future—a super lucky person!
This newbie supply box could produce Herrscher character cards, could produce Divine Keys.
But in terms of quality, it wasn't particularly high—at most on par with an A-rank Stigmata Selection Box.
Why? Because the things it could produce were too miscellaneous.
From Herrscher character cards, Divine Keys, super mutation factors, super stigmata at the top.
Down to cabbages, fried tofu, flying fish balls, beautiful girl flavor instant noodles at the bottom.
What it produced was almost all-encompassing, but the system judged that higher-grade things had lower drop rates.
Things like Divine Keys and Herrscher character cards were basically equivalent to zero probability.
If he opened it himself, what he got might just be a Mei's lunch.
But it didn't matter—he could completely sacrifice his good brother's luck.
So Lucius pressed down on Kiana with one hand, his face solemn.
"Good brother, I'm counting on you next!"
"Not really necessary to be so serious..." Kiana muttered, but didn't choose to refuse.
Then, she pressed the open button again like before.
As the box opened, what was inside revealed its true form.
Those were several feathers scattered at the box's bottom, crimson in color, like flames.
Kiana sighed.
"See, I told you my luck isn't good..."
However, she saw the corners of Lucius's mouth had already pulled up wildly, his mouth also saying things people couldn't understand.
"Hehe... hehehe, now I truly lack nothing!"
Seeing this, Kiana pressed her hand on Lucius's forehead, muttering: "Strange, no fever..."
Lucius swatted Kiana's hand away. Looking at the feathers in the box, the smile on his face grew even wider.
[Item: Divine Key - Fenghuang Down (Mimic)]
"Kekeke, from now on, this world is in creative mode for me."
"Who else! Who else can stop me from bringing the Herrscher of Finality to their knees?!"
Watching Lucius hold a few feathers and cackle wickedly, Kiana wanted to pretend not to know him.
But before she could express concern about her good brother's mental state, she found Lucius, who had been cackling, suddenly shudder.
The smile on his face suddenly froze. He looked around with alarm, like a startled Haachama.
Even the white streak in his hair stood straight up, constantly trembling.
"Wrong, something's wrong... this tremor-inducing feeling."
"What's wrong, Lucius?"
Facing his good brother, Lucius said suspiciously: "I suddenly have a very ominous feeling..."
Hearing his words, Kiana also looked around for a while.
Nagazora City after the Great Honkai eruption, after being plowed over by Mei, was completely silent—not even a Honkai beast's shadow.
"Could it be your imagination?"
But Lucius shook his head seriously.
"No no no, good brother, you have to know that according to movie plots, generally when this situation appears, if you treat it as imagination, truly bad things will happen."
"The last time I had this feeling was at the orphanage, resulting in me being chased by a Chariot-class Honkai beast."
After pondering for a while, Lucius suddenly said to Kiana: "Good brother, you go to Mei's house to eat first. I'll go hide for a bit."
As his words fell, Kiana saw Lucius's body disperse into a cluster of feathers.
"What are you doing..."
Kiana was puzzled, but soon she thought of a possibility.
"Wait! Is this guy trying to avoid eating Mei's cooking?!"
The more Kiana thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
...
Some time later, Kiana arrived at St. Freya Academy City complex.
Because she knew Nagazora City would ultimately become a dead zone, she'd moved here not long ago.
And moving here with her were more Nagazora City residents, naturally including Mei.
Yes, Kiana was heading to Mei's house.
Although she anticipated Mei's culinary lethality after becoming a Herrscher would probably be even more terrifying, after internal struggle she still prepared to attend the feast.
She had a feeling that if she didn't go, something quite ominous would happen.
And thinking of this, she thought of Lucius and Bronya who had escaped alone.
"Actually abandoning me to flee—you two are so mean..."
Just as Kiana was rushing to Mei's house with a bitter face, suddenly the ahoge on her head jumped.
Kiana stopped in her tracks.
She found that after inheriting the fate of her counterpart fifty thousand years in the future, she'd recently gained a strange intuition.
She could vaguely sense others' goodwill and malice, even obtaining some kind of extraordinary combat intuition, vaguely having a sense of future vision.
And now, her intuition was triggered.
So Kiana looked behind herself.
The street behind her was deserted, with only a garbage can nearby trembling slightly.
But behind the garbage can, she vaguely saw a tuft of pink hair.
Kiana pretended not to see it and turned to walk forward.
Until after turning a corner, she suddenly looked back.
Then she made eye contact with a familiar face.
This was a pink-haired girl with a flawless smile on her face. Her body carried an approachable aura.
Seeing herself discovered by Kiana, she didn't panic but instead showed delight.
"Ah, what a cute girl ♪"
This person was none other than the Miss Pink Elf, Elysia.
She had originally come following Fire Moth's orders to subjugate the Third Herrscher. After the mission ended, she chose to temporarily stay in Nagazora City to find someone.
Originally this should have been somewhat difficult, but by investigating relationships around Eden, she found some interesting information.
Then following the vine to the melon, she dug out this white-haired girl who had close connections with him.
Next, just by using this white-haired girl, she could locate the person she was looking for.
But what Elysia hadn't anticipated was that after greeting her, the girl before her didn't become shy as expected.
Instead she showed a puffed-up angry look.
"Lucius, you've transformed into this appearance again. Planning to do bad things?"
Lucius, transforming into my appearance... to do bad things?
Elysia's flawless smile froze slightly, uncertain light flickering in her eyes.
"I see... I see... I knew it..."
Elysia was about to ponder, but then Kiana grabbed her wrist.
"Come with me!"
Elysia didn't refuse. She knew this white-haired girl before her had mistaken her for Lucius.
In that case, why not follow her to find Lucius?
"Where are we going? ~"
Kiana looked at her strangely.
"To Mei's house to eat, of course. Since I caught you, don't think about escaping!"
"Mei's culinary skills have greatly advanced. As good brothers, of course we should 'share the blessing'!"
"A gathering?"
Elysia sensed the passionate emotion in Kiana's heart. Clearly, this white-haired girl very much wanted to dine together with Lucius.
She knew Lucius was someone who greatly loved food. What kind of delicacy could food he praised be?
"Just thinking about it is exciting ♪~"
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