Thousand-Person Herrscher's Personal Opinion

"Kiana, I agree with Anqi's idea this time. You've been too lazy lately, so take this opportunity to catch up on your missed lessons."

"No!!!"

The next day, five in the morning.

Anqi stood at Kiana's door, twisting the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.

"Bang!"

Anqi punched through the doorknob and lock, pushing the door open.

Kiana was still fast asleep, sprawled on the bed like a starfish. Her blanket was in the corner, her pillow on the floor, and her smooth, fair shoulder peeked out from the collar of her pajamas. A patch of drool had wet the bedsheet.

"Kiana..."

Anqi patted Kiana's cheek, but there was no reaction.

"Kiana."

Anqi nudged Kiana's body. Kiana smacked her lips sweetly in her sleep.

"Kiana!"

Anqi expressionlessly sat on Kiana's waist and bent her legs backward.

"Crack!"

"Ughhhhh!!!"

Kiana writhed on the bed like a worm for a moment, then looked at Anqi with a haggard expression.

Anqi looked at Kiana with an innocent and cute expression and said softly:

"Time to get up, Kiana. Today's schedule is about to begin."

"You're a devil... Ah, sorry, I'll get up right away!"

Kiana changed her tune as Anqi grabbed her hair, about to cut it off. She nimbly jumped out of bed.

Anqi watched Kiana enter the bathroom to wash up, then pulled open the room's curtains. Seeing the sky was still completely dark outside, she sighed.

Sister Himeko's bed was warm and smelled nice, but she had to leave it for friendship. What noble sentiment!

Anqi was momentarily shocked and moved by her own kindness. Then, she clenched her fist towards the dark sky, her expression pure as she said:

"Anqi, Fight!"

On a certain misty morning, Fu Hua stretched her joints after her usual 20-kilometer warm-up run. A hint of melancholy appeared on her delicate, picturesque face.

She hadn't been able to practice martial arts properly for several days.

She remembered the morning after the assessment ended. Fu Hua thought most students would still be sleeping soundly indoors and was looking forward to having the sports field to herself.

Then, she saw Anqi leading a stumbling Kiana around the track. As they ran, they each recited something aloud – upon closer listening, they were reciting science formulas and key points for liberal arts memorization.

Fu Hua immediately understood. Anqi was likely helping Kiana prepare for the make-up exams.

'To help a classmate like this on a holiday morning, she really is a good child.'

Fu Hua smiled silently and waved back at Anqi, who greeted her.

However, the next day, the scene changed to Anqi pushing Kiana from behind as she ran.

On the third day, Anqi was running in front, holding a chain, with Kiana, who was leashed around the neck, following behind.

On the fourth day, Anqi chased Kiana with scissors, and Kiana ran for her life.

On the fifth day, Anqi's scissors turned into a submachine gun, and Kiana ran even faster.

Under scenes like these, Fu Hua could no longer concentrate on practicing her punches. Or rather, compared to practicing martial arts, the sight of these two morning training was far more attention-grabbing.

"The conclusion that she's a good child..."

"Did I judge too hastily?"

On the sixth day, Fu Hua watched as Anqi chased Kiana in an off-road pickup truck that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Amidst the roar of the engine and Kiana's wails, Fu Hua, with a blank expression, doubted her own assessment from a few days prior.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Anqi, Watching the Tigers Fight from the Mountain

Kiana had failed six theoretical subjects, with other subjects barely passing.

Through a week of meticulous, patient, and kind tutoring, Anqi successfully helped Kiana to barely pass all her make-up exams in the first round.

"Sister Himeko, Sister Himeko, have some takoyaki!"

Anqi linked arms with Himeko, raising a skewer with a steaming ball of dough on it.

Himeko was looking at city guides on her phone. Hearing Anqi, she tilted her head slightly. Her lightly rouged, vibrant red lips parted, and she bit into the takoyaki.

"Hiss... Hot, hot, hot!"

"The shop owner said it's tastier when it's hot!"

"Indeed, it tastes good... By the way, what exactly did you do to that child? It's one thing that she miraculously passed all her make-up exams, but she's also become like this?"

Himeko lightly covered her lips with her phone, savoring the taste as she shifted her charming gaze behind her, a smile on her face.

Anqi glanced in Kiana's direction.

The usually energetic and goofy girl was currently half-slung over a worried-looking Raiden Mei, exuding a weak and listless exhaustion that was the antithesis of a vacation.

Anqi popped a skewer of dumplings into her mouth and replied in a soft, gentle tone:

"Just a normal tutoring session, Himeko."

"Normal my ass! I could handle the chains, scissors, and machine guns, but you actually drove a tank after me! And you can't even brake!"

Kiana, catching Anqi's innocent and sincere response, exploded, pointing at Anqi and adding, with refined politeness, "And you can't even brake!"

Anqi sighed, picked up the last skewer of dumplings, and brought it to Kiana's mouth.

"There was no other way. Kiana, I'm only 14 and haven't gotten my driver's license. I could barely operate the tank with the manual, so it's normal that I'm not good with the brakes."

"You have the nerve to explain? What do you mean 'it's normal not to be good'! If you can't drive it, don't use the tank! Do you want to kill me?! Also, the takoyaki was delicious, thank you."

Kiana tugged at Anqi's cheeks, eating the dumplings with a mixture of rage and gratitude.

Anqi reached out and tugged at Kiana's soft cheeks.

"If I used normal methods, how could I possibly stuff the exam material into your empty and sluggish brain? You should be thanking me!"

"Shameless! You clearly just wanted to hang out with Auntie Himeko, so you deliberately tortured me! You're all for yourself and no humanity, no loyalty! I've decided, I'm sharing a room with Auntie Himeko tonight, just to spite you!"

"What? You dare to fight me for Himeko?"

Anqi's eyes widened in shock, her usually expressionless face suddenly showing a hint of urgency.

Everyone knew how shameless Kiana was during her Cabbage Worm phase, even casually saying things like "I want to drink Mei's milky juice." If she set her sights on Himeko, who knew what would happen?

"Hmph! You're scared, you smelly Anqi!"

"Let us duel! To decide victory and defeat!"

"Roar! Don't think you're so great just because you won against me in the assessment. Exams and life-or-death battles are two different things. Believe it or not, I'll spank your butt!"

"Stupid Cabbage Worm, today I will..."

"Bang! Bang!"

Himeko, with a punch from each hand, forcefully silenced the two girls who were about to fight on the street.

Then, she placed her hands on her hips and glared down at them.

"Behave yourselves when we're out, and don't drag me into your personal disputes. Also... at least call me Teacher Himeko!"

"Bang!"

Kiana took another punch because she had uttered the disrespectful title.

"Seriously, I'm only 24, why do you call me Auntie? What's old about me? Tell me, Kiana!"

Himeko grew increasingly annoyed, grabbing Kiana's ear and questioning her with a forced smile.

The powerful and terrifying aura forced Raiden Mei, who had wanted to plead for Kiana, to take two steps back, silently ignoring Kiana's terrified gaze for help.

Only Anqi's eyes lit up. She grabbed Himeko's fair arm, nuzzled against it, and said obediently:

"Himeko, even if you're ten years older than me, I still love you the most!"

"... You love my ass! I'm starting to miss the shy you from back then!"

Himeko was unsure whether to be happy or sad, and chopped Anqi on the head.

Anqi stuck out her pink tongue and continued to cling to Himeko's arm, intoxicated by Himeko's pure fragrance.

Being introverted was to fit the character background, and Anqi isn't really a social person, so it's not a lie.

I hope Auntie Himeko won't blame me even when she finds out the truth in the future. Amen!

"Achoo!"

In the Kosovos Mountains of Russia, where snow stretched as far as the eye could see.

Anqi, dressed in a white padded jacket, rubbed her nose, lying motionless beneath the snow.

Herrschers and humans were not the same species; their bodies were more stable, resilient, and had few weaknesses.

But Anqi, as the Herrscher of Domination, was a rare exception. This was because their bodies were more like puppets driven by authority rather than the crucial vessels that housed life and authority. Therefore, they were not true Herrscher bodies and did not possess absolute invulnerability. For example, they could be scrapped if excessively damaged, or... they could catch a cold in the freezing snow.

"Achoo!!!"

Anqi wiped her nose with snow, her reddened nose wrinkling uncomfortably.

But she still kept most of her body hidden in the snow, motionless.

It's not fair. At St. Freya, I could cuddle with Auntie Himeko, and as the young lady, I was enjoying hot springs and maid service, but only I have to freeze out here?

'Don't mess around. Surveillance is effective. According to the intelligence the young lady gathered, Anti-Entropy forces should be paying close attention here.'

'For Cocolia's dominion, hold on, me!'

'When I get her body, I'll let you have a taste first. Those big, round breasts, aren't you tempted?'

"Get lost! I suspect you guys are up to no good, and I have proof!"

Anqi rolled her eyes, feeling a pang of annoyance at her own people's sarcastic remarks.

Currently, the valley was filled with three to four hundred Honkai beasts, mostly Knight-class and Cannon-class, with a few Battle-class. Their sturdy bone armor and massive bodies, if unleashed in a city without Anti-Entropy and Schicksal presence, could easily level a metropolis.

And based on the subtle inquiries made by the young lady during her business dealings, the local Anti-Entropy forces would be conducting regular patrols and clearing Honkai beast threats in the vicinity.

That's why Anqi had been searching this area for Honkai beast congregations early on. Thanks to the Honkai beasts' and Herrschers' unspoken connection, she found this valley and had been quietly lying in wait for two days and two nights.

Suddenly, Anqi's ears, not buried by the snow, twitched, and a silent smile curved her lips.

'They're here!'

Anqi's eyes widened as she looked towards the valley entrance. She saw dark blue Titans disembarking to higher ground, forming a single-file line, their shoulder-mounted deformation frames deploying massive cannons.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

"ROAR!!!"

A wave of heat that melted the ice and snow swept through the valley, the entire valley floor center covered in scorched earth and lava.

However, some Honkai beasts, possessing speed and flight capabilities, had already broken through the dust and were lunging at the silent, sturdy Titans.

A war between steel and colossal beasts had begun.

The roar of artillery fire was incessant, punctuated by the continuous sounds of mechanical explosions and the roars of beasts being torn apart.

Anqi remained still, observing from a higher vantage point until the Titans had eliminated the horde and dragged away the remains of their "comrades."

"Tsk! It seems the pack I picked was too large, so they deployed the Titan legions directly and didn't leave any human bodies. No opportunity this time."

Anqi sighed silently, sensing other Honkai beasts in the area, and decided to head to the next battlefield to look for an opportunity.

This entire region belonged to Anti-Entropy, but it wasn't their North American headquarters, so their funds and resources were limited, meaning the number of Titans was also finite. They couldn't solely rely on Titans to clear out wild Honkai beasts; sooner or later, they would encounter human troops, and sooner or later, they would encounter human corpses.

Anqi waited patiently for the Titans to completely depart, her gaze lingering on some of the Titan wreckage with a hint of covetousness and eagerness.