Hail my proud queen on and on on and on

(This chapter is best read while listening to Befall for a greater impact.)

"Weak, insignificant, overestimating yourselves... Your death throes will only hasten your demise."

"After all this time, do you still not understand?"

The Honkai Queen walked toward the void expressionlessly. Every sentence, every word, mocked the weakness of the ants before her.

She spread her arms, then slowly brought them together before her, as though issuing an order.

The Spirit Hall Empire soldiers, inspired by their "Young Mistress," were greatly boosted in morale. In their eyes, the god protecting their empire had revived once more, bringing hope to turn the tide again. They had to seize this opportunity!

"All ordinary Heaven Dou soldiers, fall back! Let the defensive Soul Masters hold the line first!" Marshal Ge Long's command rang out from the Heaven Dou formation.

Although the Heaven Dou army held an overwhelming numerical advantage, nearly five to one, they were still slightly lacking in momentum against the Spirit Hall Empire forces, who now feared no death. Everyone also knew that the ones who could truly tip the scales of battle were the gods confronting each other in the sky.

Whoosh—!!

"Asura, Judgment!!"

A scarlet sword beam pierced heaven and earth as it cleaved down from above. The pupils of Asura God Tang San glowed crimson like bloody flames, brimming with dense killing intent.

Could this Judgment Sword, which had once slain Rakshasa and shattered Angel, pose a threat to the Herrscher of Honkai?

Clang!!

Heaven and earth suddenly shook. Space seemed to be cut apart by an invisible force, forming a hollow more than an inch thick.

Sirin caught the sword barehanded.

"W-What?!!"

"Hehehe~ You don't actually think a toy like this can amuse me, do you? Fine... Ants have their uses too. Watching your clumsy puppet-like dance is not without its entertainment."

The Queen parted her crimson lips. "Bella, properly instruct them in how to dance☆"

"Roar—!!"

On the battlefield below, the Demon Dragon of Judgment was slaughtering indiscriminately. Even with the vast disparity in troop numbers, Benares alone suppressed Heaven Dou's million-strong army. Every claw swipe, tail lash, and breath attack claimed hundreds of lives.

Rumble—!!

A dark golden beam suddenly struck from afar. Benares turned her head and raised a claw to swat it aside. Seeing the black mark left on her palm, her Dragon Eyes narrowed.

"Boss Dai, Zhuqing!!"

The featherless chicken, Ma Hongjun, who no longer had the strength to fight, was overjoyed when he saw the massive army arriving from the south. At its head was a white tiger with wings on its back.

The small disturbance on the ground drew Sirin's downward glance.

"What persistent flies. But even if you gather in a swarm, it won't change how insignificant you are... Has no one told you that interrupting another person's banquet is terribly rude?"

The Hell White Tiger roared, issuing orders to the Star Luo Empire army they had brought. A layered male-and-female roar followed: "Enough nonsense, Spirit Hall Empire bastards!"

Ignoring a certain god still pounding against her Spatial Barrier, Sirin twisted the wrist of her other hand. "Little Golden Mane's memories have you in them... You always make your entrances dressed so ridiculously, yet you still left some impression on her. Her will tells me she really hates you☆"

There was already enough deathly aura on the battlefield. A glint of cold light bloomed in the Queen's orange-gold eyes as she raised a hand, scattering countless purple crystals. They fell to the ground and entered the bodies of the fallen soldiers, regardless of side.

Squelch, squelch...

Something terrifying happened.

Endless beastly roars erupted. The corpses infused with the Queen's purple crystals began to swell, flesh and blood expanding. Moments later, they all transformed into two kinds of monsters never seen before!

The dead soldiers became monsters resembling gigantic mosquitoes, while the fallen Soul Masters became hollow cavalry-like creatures with four limbs!

"Tsk... My power hasn't fully recovered yet, and I still need to gather Honkai Energy to awaken Xue Ling... I need to conserve it." Sirin frowned slightly and stopped acting further.

Humans were still waiting for her to return. She could not play too far.

Even so, these hundred unfamiliar monsters still inflicted enormous losses upon the Heaven Dou and Star Luo armies!

They had no combat experience against these never-before-seen "Soul Beasts." Ordinary soldiers could do nothing but dodge or flee!

Soul Masters could still hold them off, but killing even one was extremely difficult. Once struck, they would die on the spot. Their opponents could make countless mistakes, while they had only one chance.

"Hm? What is that rancid smell..." Sirin's brows shot up as she covered her nose and mouth, the disgust and killing intent in her expression deepening.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Dark green mist began spreading from the walls of Jialing Pass. The deep dark-green fog expanded with astonishing speed. By the time Sirin noticed it, it had already spread across nearly half the battlefield.

"Senior Dugu, well done!" In the rear of Heaven Dou's forces, the heavily injured featherless chicken Ma Hongjun cheered when he saw this familiar scene unfold once more.

No matter how powerful these "Soul Beasts" were, they were still living creatures. They were nowhere near the level of a Titled Douluo. As long as Dugu Bo released his poison, Heaven Dou would regain balance. Even if Benares remained, they would at least no longer be completely suppressed.

That old poisoner Dugu Bo was exceptionally cunning when using poison. He had not released it toward the Spirit Hall Empire Soul Masters, but had instead targeted those "Soul Beasts" first.

Once bitten by a snake, one fears a rope for ten years. He could not guarantee that the Spirit Hall Empire would not see through this repeated tactic, but these unfamiliar Soul Beasts seemed mindless and possessed great combat strength. They had to be the priority targets.

An evil smile gradually appeared on her face...

Yes, on Sirin's face.

"Do you think your little trick succeeded? Do you see victory? Have you found hope?"

Buzz—!!

The Herrscher of the Void possessed absolute authority over space.

With merely her gaze and a single thought, every Honkai Beast and every Spirit Hall Empire soldier on the field was covered from head to toe by an invisible membrane.

No matter how the poisonous mist spread, it could not harm them in the slightest. Instead, the Heaven Dou soldiers suffered.

"It was the Young Mistress... protecting us??"

All the surviving Spirit Hall Empire soldiers looked up in astonishment. Seeing "Qian Renxue" in midair, effortlessly facing the Asura God's attacks while even sparing a hand to protect them, their eyes instantly reddened. Some were already weeping, their gratitude incomparably intense.

"What are you still hesitating for?"

Sirin forced out a smile. From a mortal's perspective, Qian Renxue's face was now so sacred and captivating.

She was so powerful, beautiful, gentle, and worthy of respect.

"Thank you..."

A heartfelt expression of gratitude came from within her heart. Sirin softly responded with an "Mm."

"Fight for the empire, fight for the Young Mistress!!!"

One soldier suddenly raised his voice, and the others followed suit.

Their chant changed from its initial cry of "Avenge the Empress" to fighting for "Qian Renxue."

"Hehehe..." The Honkai Queen's power increased once more.

It was time to settle the score.

Crack—!!

The Herrscher clenched the air, and a tiny venomous insect appeared in her hand.

"Old monster!!" Tang San growled. The Asura God Sword swung madly, but the Double-pointed Spear tangling with him had no intention of letting him pass.

"Urgh... Gah!"

As the first human Titled Douluo to face a Herrscher of Honkai, Dugu Bo was both fortunate and unfortunate.

"Die." Sirin pronounced the sentence without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

Crack!!

Poison Douluo Dugu Bo fell.

"Old monste—"

Squelch!!

"You're too noisy☆" Sirin impatiently swung the second Double-pointed Spear, piercing Tang San's right shoulder!

At the same time, to prevent being decapitated by this strike, the latter's Asura God Sword broke!!

What fell was not only Tang San, but also Heaven Dou Empire's hope.

Yet the Star Luo Empire, which had clearly never seen a god before, was remarkably brave. Their god had lost? No matter, they still had a million troops. They would bury her beneath sheer numbers!!

The hundreds of thousands of Star Luo Empire troops brought by Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing erupted in a supposedly united roar. Hundreds of thousands of Soul Skills fired in unison. Even a god would have to shed a layer of skin under such an assault.

Countless attacks reflected beautiful cross-shaped stars in the Queen's eyes. She curled her lips and gave a cold smile.

Snap!!

A crisp snap of the fingers sounded exceptionally pleasant on the battlefield.

The instant the snap rang out, all sound seemed to vanish. Dozens of purple-black circular holes opened before Sirin like bottomless abysses, swallowing every last one of the hundreds of thousands of Soul Skill attacks. The sky returned to its sunless dark crimson.

After the final strand of Soul Skill energy was devoured, every circular hole connected to that unknown space immediately vanished. At the same time, dazzling golden light condensed into a small sphere, resting quietly in Sirin's hand.

The Herrscher's cold smile had yet to fade when her open right hand clenched into a fist, and the golden sphere vanished with it.

Boom, boom, boom...

The mortals were still dumbfounded until... they sensed a terrifying heat coming from the sky behind them.

Rumble—!!!

Everything was drowned out by deafening explosions.

More than half the ground of Jialing Pass was overturned. Upon the battlefield glowing with molten fire, aside from the Spirit Hall Empire soldiers and Honkai Beasts protected by Honkai Energy, not a single living soul remained amid the scorched earth.

The Honkai Queen drifted down gracefully from the sky, her expression calm as though she were admiring her masterpiece.

"Roar—!!"

Benares, the Demon Dragon of Judgment, roared as she led the Honkai Beasts and remaining followers back to the Queen's side, releasing a deep dragon cry.

Across the final small portion of Jialing Pass, the Heaven Dou army that had been so imposing moments ago had completely collapsed. Amid the devastation, despair had become the prevailing melody.

That was exactly what Sirin wanted—the finest nourishment for Honkai Energy.

She touched the golden pendant at her chest and murmured, "1,000 HW... and this is only half... Hm?!"

A blue beam descended from the horizon, and every flame on the battlefield was extinguished in an instant.

"New Angel God, you have fallen!!"

It successfully drew the Queen's attention.