"I have to say, you people from the Far East Branch are indeed different from those in Schicksal."
Outside the space, Tesla praised them, then glanced at Rita and continued huffing:
"From what I know, those cowards at Schicksal Headquarters look glamorous, but they lack the Valkyrie spirit. They hesitate when they should sacrifice and fear when they should give. But I suppose there's no helping it, given that your Overseer Otto treats Valkyries as consumables."
"...Miss Tesla, please mind your tone."
Rita smiled slightly upon hearing this, though the smile was unsettling no matter how one looked at it.
"Is this the Crimson Knight... Why does it look so much like the Herrscher of Flamescion?" Kiana said, the scene of the Herrscher of Flamescion wielding the greatsword appearing in her mind—the same flames, the same fearlessness.
Seeing her confusion, Rita looked over and explained slowly:
"Of course. The true form of the Crimson Knight is a technological legacy of the Previous Era. It is the unnumbered Divine Key, the 'Blank Core'—a dangerous suit of armor that lacks a core of its own but can connect to any core to unleash Herrscher power."
"Unlike the concept of ordinary Divine Keys, the Blank Core fully replicates the complete power of a Herrscher, but the damage it causes the user is unpredictable."
"After recovering the Blank Core, we launched a full-scale development plan for a new generation of Valkyrie armor based on its technology. At the same time, we connected the Gem of Haste—the Herrscher of Flame core with the greatest destructive power obtained from the Second Honkai—to the Blank Core."
"The Gem of Haste? No wonder Incarnation also obtained the Gem of Haste, though she directly transformed into a Herrscher." Kiana thought for a moment. "The Blank Core... something like that..."
"It's almost like—"
"With a mortal body, stealing the authority of a god!"
Just as she finished, the scene inside the space shifted.
Everyone's nerves tightened immediately after.
Himeko stood on the deck of the Hyperion, holding the only serum in her hand.
She lowered her head, looking at the vial of serum; the green glowing liquid seemed like a lifeline connecting her and the Herrscher of the Void.
Whichever way the liquid went, the life of the person on the other end would reach its conclusion.
A glimmer of Remembrance appeared in her eyes, then she gripped it tightly, her expression turning firm.
Suddenly, the alarm blared and red lights flashed.
"Is it here?"
Himeko looked up and saw the massive Benares soaring in the sky, flapping its indestructible wings and tearing through the Hyperion's layers of barriers.
Countless weapons struck it, but they had no effect.
The dragon rode wild until the transport pod reached the top.
Valkyrie Himeko, deploying!
Himeko placed the serum inside her armor and swung the greatsword flowing with fire with just a light strike.
"Boom!"
The heavy sword was incredibly fast, like a falling meteor, striking the dragon heavily.
It hadn't noticed, and in the next second, the massive force instantly flipped it over.
Benares let out a wail and fell onto the deck of the Hyperion.
"Hah—"
Just as Himeko swung her greatsword to finish it off, a white light flashed, and the world before her changed.
The Herrscher of the Void had pulled her into the Herrscher Space!
Time seemed to have stopped; meteorites were suspended in mid-air everywhere, with no sign of falling.
The overflowing Honkai Energy in the air was enough to instantly turn an ordinary person into a Death Soldier!
"Did you think you could escape?"
Himeko looked up and heard the familiar voice of the Queen, filled with chuckles and contempt.
The seemingly unscathed Herrscher of the Void stepped through the air, floating as she walked toward her step by step.
"I've been waiting for you." Himeko gripped her heavy sword and said solemnly.
"Are you ready to face death?"
The Herrscher of the Void said coldly, the Spear of the Void floating behind her as intense Honkai Energy gathered in her hand. In an instant, Himeko felt a weight on her neck, as if she were being strangled by thin air, making it hard to breathe.
She struggled to break free but was blocked by the distorted space, unable to move!
Spatial blocks like Rubik's cubes instantly reshaped and gathered again, burying Himeko deeply.
This was the authority of the Herrscher of the Void; this Herrscher Space was her domain to begin with.
Himeko was pressed inside the spatial blocks, as if caught in a vortex she couldn't escape.
After a moment, the Herrscher of the Void waved her arm, her fair fingertips controlling the Spear of the Void.
"Vrrr!"
The sharp Spear of the Void was like a sword exceeding the speed of light, tearing through the sound of the wind and piercing the spatial blocks.
If the spatial blocks were like tofu, then the Spear of the Void was a blade, indifferently tearing the space apart.
Without a sound, it was destroyed with ease.
There was almost no need to guess; the spatial blocks were destroyed, so what about the person inside?
She was dead for sure!
The Herrscher of the Void was dismissive; she didn't even look back as she turned to leave, humming, "So that's all you've got."
...Outside the space, Kiana's heart tightened, her face turning pale instantly.
Was it over just like this? Had Teacher Jizi met her death?
No, it can't end like this?!!
She wanted to say it was impossible, but who could survive such a fierce attack from the Herrscher of the Void?
Teacher Jizi's body was already about to be completely eroded by Honkai Energy. Combined with the Crimson Knight, which burned her life for power, every second of her life was a countdown, every breath her last.
Facing the Herrscher of the Void who had obtained the dominion gem, Himeko, equipped only with a Valkyrie armor, had almost no chance of winning!
"Kiana, stay calm. Don't be too nervous. This is just a challenge. Even if Himeko dies in the space, she won't die in reality," Fu Hua's calm voice reminded her.
"But, this is the future—"
"Moreover, Teacher Jizi clearly said that if one day, our comrade loses control due to Honkai Energy, we must end her life without hesitation!"
Kiana said, her voice dropping as she choked up.
She remembered the scene from that day... she had asked Himeko, if it was Teacher Jizi who lost control, should they also act?
Himeko's tone was decisive, without a moment's delay: "Even if it's me, you must absolutely not hesitate."
Returning from the vortex of memories, Kiana rasped in a low voice, "Why? Why didn't she end my life?"
"Why didn't she kill me, kill the Herrscher of the Void, instead of injecting the serum?"
"She clearly knew she would die!"
Before everyone could comfort Kiana, and just when they thought Himeko was dead, the scene changed drastically!
Suddenly, a heavy sword burst out from the crumbling spatial blocks, shooting toward the Herrscher of the Void like an arrow.
The blazing fire ignited her Spear of the Void, crushing it to pieces.
"What?!!"
The Herrscher of the Void was shocked; she couldn't block this sword and could only use spatial transport to move behind it.
She looked toward the collapsed ruins.
In the ruins, a flame burned brighter and brighter. The boundless, searing heat was like the Calamity of Heaven's Cinders, turning into a doomsday twilight.
That heavy sword was like a red lotus, radiating the unyielding will of a warrior.
Himeko's entire body was burning with red beams of light. The Honkai Energy had already eroded her into a semi-Death Soldier, and her life was approaching its final countdown.
Her eyes, originally red, now shimmered with a divine golden glow.
She stood up by sheer will, step by step, each one filled with stubbornness, walking toward the vault of heaven.
Himeko's voice echoed in the ears of the Herrscher of the Void:
"Is your attack over..."
"Then, now it's my turn. Any objections?"
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