It had just been stirred up by Bai Yan's gale.
At that moment, the bullet crushed the last support, and the black fabric slowly slipped away.
A beautiful face was revealed, wearing a slightly stunned expression.
In the distance, Bronya lowered her gun, secretly frustrated that she had failed to hit such a powerful enemy.
After the chip in her head burned out, she had been locked up by Cocolia.
Bronya had barely recovered in her cell before immediately beginning her escape.
She had left a contingency plan in Heavy Cannon Rabbit. All she had to do was crush the transmitter stuck to her shoe, and it would activate its autonomous function and come looking for her.
Cocolia was nowhere to be found. She had probably run away.
Bronya recalled the moment when her chip had burned out.
She had remained conscious for a while and heard what was said about Bai Yan being captured.
Only after the two of them were taken away did she drift into unconsciousness.
She had also followed the fluctuations of battle here, observing the clearing from afar before following everyone during the chase.
At last, she had fired at the powerful enemy.
She had missed!
Bronya intended to retreat immediately.
However, the enemy did not pursue her as she had expected.
Their attention was not even on her.
Everyone faced a formidable enemy, lowering their bodies slightly as they watched Kiana with extreme vigilance.
Following their gazes, Bronya saw Kiana.
She froze as well.
Through the scope, Kiana stared blankly at Feather Rabbit. Her pupils flickered constantly, struggling between blue and gold.
She murmured, "Cecilia... Mom...
"Ich liebe dich..."
In an instant, the confusion on the girl's face slowly faded, replaced by a smile.
That smile concealed the bloodlust to slaughter all living beings and contained the brutality to destroy the human world.
The pure white Valkyrie battlesuit gradually vanished.
The Void Lance manifested at her side.
The Herrscher Armor carried a faint translucence, flickering in and out of sight.
"Heh heh, hahahaha..."
She laughed, covering half her face as though she had witnessed the most ridiculous sight in the world.
A moment later, she slowly lowered her hand and looked at Feather Rabbit.
"I truly never expected someone like you to exist."
She turned toward Bai Yan, her golden eyes flashing.
The latter had already retreated dozens of meters while carrying Rita.
"...Xiao Yan, why did you run so far away? Aren't we close friends who fight side by side?"
The words sounded resentful, yet they were spoken in the most terrifying tone.
Bai Yan felt her scalp tingle, her heart pound wildly, and a chill run down her spine.
"This is a little troublesome..." Feather Rabbit said with a headache.
She tightened her grip on her spear and assumed a stance to battle the Herrscher of the Void.
At that moment, Bronya activated Heavy Cannon Rabbit and rushed to Bai Yan's side at full speed.
"Big Sister Xiao Yan, your weapon!"
"Bronya?" Bai Yan said in surprise, then accepted the short sword Bronya handed her—the one she had used before.
"There's no time to explain. Watch out for that person!"
Everyone faced a formidable enemy. The stances they had held moments ago vanished the instant the Herrscher of the Void appeared.
Bai Yan gritted her teeth, picked Rita up, and said to Bronya, "Help me hold Rita."
Bronya nodded and took her.
Several mechanical arms emerged from Heavy Cannon Rabbit and lifted Rita.
Bai Yan set down Rita's massive scythe and gripped the short sword.
The Herrscher of the Void's gaze remained fixed on Bai Yan.
"Do you think you have any chance of winning, my foolish half?"
"No."
"Then why not stand there obediently and stay still? I'll make sure you feel no pain."
"No."
"Oh?"
"Because," Bai Yan said, raising her sword to point directly at the Herrscher of the Void, "I want to try."
A cruel smile appeared at the corner of the Herrscher of the Void's lips.
Just as she was about to attack, her expression suddenly changed. A Gate of the Void opened, and her entire body instantly sank into it.
The next moment.
Fu Hua, fully armed, threw a punch that struck empty air. She then adjusted her posture, slowly landed, and vigilantly watched the void.
"Squad Leader?" Bronya asked in surprise.
"Mm."
Bai Yan looked at that back and let out a sigh of relief.
It seemed Otto's contingency plan had been her.
I Just Wanted to Guard Against Feather Rabbit
The Herrscher of the Void stared at Fu Hua as unpleasant memories surged into her mind.
Her gaze became cautious, and there were no longer any other opponents in her eyes.
A counterfeit, a weak half, a pile of scrap metal, and a little runt with broken legs—none of them were worth worrying about.
Only this one!
She could kill her with a single sword strike!
She could not be careless. She had to stay steady.
Being strong meant staying steady. Staying steady meant becoming strong.
"When you see an opponent who has beaten you before, painful memories will come flooding back. At times like this, tell yourself: I've lost too many games like this. But stay steady! Fight properly, and you can win this time!"
Bai Yan's words—although they had been meant for Kiana—echoed in the Herrscher of the Void's ears at that moment.
She immediately shook her head.
Why should this Queen listen to her? How childish!
The others on the battlefield tacitly retreated, leaving only the two of them facing each other.
The next moment.
Fu Hua's fists and feet gleamed with yellow light as she assumed the Enlightenment stance.
Almost at the same time, the Void Lance shot forth.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Fist shadows and a rain of lances intertwined in an instant. Their violent collisions immediately drove the battle into a fever pitch.
One of them had a massive deficit of Collapse Energy, while the other was half-crippled in her original body and relied on armor to hold herself together.
On top of that, both sides were temporarily holding back part of their strength, resulting in an unexpectedly even fight.
The Herrscher of the Void teleported from time to time, forcing Fu Hua to halt her punches and pursue her.
Bronya's mouth opened slightly, unable to comprehend the situation before her.
She looked at Bai Yan, hesitating to speak.
"Take her and run."
After saying that, Bai Yan held the short sword and rose with the wind.
At that moment, she used Luoshen Transformation to drive the power of the Gem of Desire for the first time.
A halo radiated from her body. The pale green light steadily intensified as her entire being underwent Ultimate Ascension.
Luoshen Transformation, activate!
The short sword pierced the air like lightning, and Bai Yan became one with her blade as she charged straight at Feather Rabbit.
Feather Rabbit hurriedly raised her weapon to block.
But Feather Rabbit quickly discovered something was wrong.
Her eyes saw only white light, her ears heard utter silence, and her hands seemed to hold nothing at all.
One Sword Startling Swan!
Realizing the terror of this move, Feather Rabbit hurriedly retreated on instinct.
After retreating roughly three steps, her senses finally returned. Looking down, she saw a terrifying sword wound across her chest.
The power of the stigmata immediately took effect, slowly repairing the injury.
"An ability that targets the five senses. It doesn't belong to a Herrscher, which means this portion is your own power..."
Bai Yan curled her lips into a grin.
This was what they meant by a great teacher producing outstanding students.
"It seems I'll have to get serious from here on. Your changes are simply too great."
"There are even bigger surprises waiting for you!"
Bai Yan manipulated the gale, letting it carry her aloft before suddenly launching a fierce assault.
In Feather Rabbit's eyes, her opponent resembled a sword dance, graceful and agile.
Gradually, she felt Bai Yan turning into a tide, ready to drown her beneath a terrifying gale.
Feather Rabbit summoned her constructs. The five of them immediately spread out, repeatedly surrounding, pursuing, and intercepting Bai Yan.
The two fought high in the air, dismantling each other's techniques. Power from Imaginary Space clashed again and again, its might terrifying.
After her battle with Durandal, Feather Rabbit's expenditure had been far from insignificant.
During their first exchange, Bai Yan had already realized that she could not face Feather Rabbit head-on, even with Luoshen Transformation activated.
One Sword Startling Swan had not been fully perfected, either.
Once Feather Rabbit understood the move, the power of Bai Yan's surprise attacks grew smaller and smaller.
If the same move was used repeatedly without defeating the opponent, the opponent would eventually develop antibodies against it.
Bai Yan frowned, her wandering gaze noticing Jackal.
Jackal did not move or immediately issue any orders. She was merely confronting Bronya.
"It seems Feather Rabbit warned her not to touch her little aunt-niece."
Knowing she could not defeat Feather Rabbit, Bai Yan began entertaining crooked ideas.
Wind, rise!
Before you continue