You Think You're Worthy of Challenging Me?! / You Go on Ahead (Third Update)
Before them stood a palace in the style of ancient Greece, the surrounding space clearly reinforced by a special force, which was why it could withstand the exhausted sword light.
The... altar of the gods? Kevin's eyes were icy as he slowly raised the Skyfire Greatsword in his hand.
However, just as she was about to swing her sword, the locked space opened up on its own, and Sirin, who was riding the ideal fluid into the air, knelt on top of a stone pillar, looking disheveled and extremely weak.
"You've been... playing the victim..."
"But... it's impossible... why you..."
Sirin stood in front of the temple, her right hand covering the horrific sword wound that had spread from her left shoulder to her right ribs. The burning sensation in her soul made the girl's head throb with pain, her face pale, and her eyes filled with disbelief.
"... So powerful?"
Kevin stood atop another stone pillar, head bowed, murmuring to answer Sirin's question. With a "crack," the overburdened Key of Blank shattered, revealing the man's entire upper body.
This is... a stone! A single piece of stone, with flesh and blood growing from it all! He has transformed himself from a human into a monster with limitless power!
"I am Herrscher..."
"God gave me the key to unlock the door to my heart; my thoughts are corrupted, the king of corruption!"
"This phrase keeps echoing in my head after I incorporated this stuff..."
"You kidnapped the True Name, and the [key] you wanted to find on her, but understanding it as a regular Herrscher Core is actually inappropriate..."
"The real answer lies here, Toko City, [The Origin Stone]!"
As Kevin spoke, rampaging Honkai energy continued to rage within his body, and icy and crimson cracks spread to one side of his cheek.
"I said I would kill you at all costs..."
His words were still calm and earnest, but this time, they were irrefutable and beyond doubt!
P. S.: The story is starting to wrap up. For details, see Chapter 345, the last verse spoken by God.
"I am Herrscher..."
"God gave me the key to unlock the door to my heart; my thoughts are corrupted, the king of corruption!"
Chapter 390, Section 408: You think you're worthy to play with me?!
Kevin once made a simple speculation: Ouma Mana became Herrscher simply because a wound on her fingertip came into contact with the [Origin Stone] on the island, allowing some special element to seep into her body.
Even the entire ecological environment of Toko City, where she lived, was completely altered, solely to nurture this girl who had come into contact with the Origin Stone.
So, just imagine how terrifying the power of the [Origin Stone] itself truly is?
Therefore, Kevin preserved some experimental data and samples before handing this thing over to [Schicksal].
With the arrival of the Honkai, the resurgence of the [gods] on the moon, the information from the [Origin Stone] on the moon, and Sirin's subsequent actions become the key to clearing the fog and revealing the truth.
Later, Kevin pieced together a truth based on clues.
That is, Battle on the Moon the previous generation of human Super Soldier and the Final Herrscher, the genius scientist Mei sealed a part of the Honkai's will in the temple behind it.
This weakened the Honkai, but also changed her strategy.
Humans are too threatening; we must act swiftly and decisively, without giving them a chance to regroup.
Therefore, the other half of the Honkai Will, in a highly crystallized form, descended from the Lunar Surface to Earth, initiating an apocalypse. In the name of promoting biological evolution, it eroded people's hearts and destroyed a Previous Era.
That is -- Dayart!
As time passed and eras changed, the Honkai Will was discovered on the island due to another rise in human technology, and a new Suitable Candidate was chosen— Ouma Mana.
This was God's pre-planned strategy, but unfortunately, the power to corrupt people's hearts was too unstable.
Ouma Mana's body disintegrated due to the erosion of the Honkai Will. Later, she shared a body with Yuzuriha Inori, which indirectly helped her get rid of the mark left by [God], restore her self, and give birth to a new Herrscher Core.
In a sense, Ouma Mana can be called the Herrscher of Corruption, possessing the power to corrupt souls and infect people's hearts; this is the true nature of the [Apocalypse Virus].
Later, Sirin made contact with [God] on the moon. The Final Herrscher hoped to use her to merge the two split wills into one, ending the civilization of this era.
Therefore, this Final Herrscher generously contributed her power, creating Sirin, a monster with five Herrscher Core.
However, due to the existence of the seal, this part of consciousness is completely unable to know the location and condition of the other half of the Honkai Will.
Furthermore, if the higher the civilization level, the greater the Honkai intensity, then in this era teeming with all sorts of advanced technologies, there are also monstrous groups like the Ancient One and the Super God Academy.
Therefore, the Final Herrscher that Earth has given birth to this time is even twice as strong as the one from the previous era.
Ultimately, Sirin could only indirectly capture Ouma Mana, who possessed a similar aura. By absorbing her Herrscher Core and fusing with the will of God, her strength rivaled that of the previous generation's Final Herrscher.
Subconsciously believing he had found all the puzzle pieces, this pufferfish, in its arrogance, completely overlooked the most crucial element—the [Origin Stone]!
The other half of the Honkai Will crystallized form—this is the trump card Kevin meticulously planned to obtain!
The first step is to find something that can counter the Final Herrscher, Sirin.
But what good is obtaining the Origin Stone if the method is wrong?
Therefore, he also needs two keys to open the door.
The [Key of Blank] that manipulates the Herrscher Core, the Herrscher of Reason Core deconstructs the essence of all things!
To this end, Kevin first used three letters and Otto's paranoia to incite a battle between [Schicksal] and [Anti-Entropy], thus overdrawing Welt's potential.
Afterwards, taking advantage of the emptiness of the Schicksal Headquarters, they hacked into the database and found the location of the [Origin Stone] and the [Key of Blank]. They then used the excuse of rescuing Kiana to bring the Snow Wolf Squad and Theresa onto the warship.
Following that, taking advantage of Theresa's crisis and the Floating Island of Schicksal, he forced Otto to retreat and took control of Welt, the near-death Alliance Leader of Anti-Entropy.
The group from [Anti-Entropy] knew very well that if Welt were to continue possessing the Herrscher of Reason Core, his death was only a matter of time.
Therefore, these overly sentimental guys will definitely agree to his taking over, and will even be extremely grateful and at my beck and call.
The second step: Obtain the Herrscher of Reason Core!
Then, Kevin, using the world as the chessboard and each country as a piece, could slaughter the [Schicksal], this Big Dragon that had been entrenched for many years, by targeting its weakest points: the economy and people's hearts!
By disrupting their economy and their minds, they left Alto preoccupied with his own problems. Then, with the Snow Wolf Squad and Theresa as inside agents, they planned to take the remaining two items as easily as taking candy from a baby.
Third step, the [Key of Blank] and [Origin Stone] are obtained!
With all the key pieces of the puzzle gathered, how to fuse and analyze the Origin Stone and integrate Honkai energy remains a challenge.
In the fourth step, during his journey to the Mariana Trench and Abyssal City, with Raiden Mei's concern, he completed the fusion with the consciousness of the [World Serpent] and inherited its combat skills.
Furthermore, "coexisting with Honkai" has always been the philosophy upheld by [World Serpent]. Without a way to assimilate Honkai energy, they would not make such unrealistic boasts.
Besides these, he also had an unexpected bonus: the Sorcerer Supreme Gu Yi in the Himalayas who possessed the Time Stone, might be able to solve the most pressing problem before the battle.
Fifth, with a try-it-and-see attitude, I visited the Sorcerer Supreme.
As a result, although he didn't manage to drag them onto the pirate ship, he still had six months to prepare in the meditation room.
During those six months, he worked tirelessly, donning the [Key of Blank], embedding it into the Herrscher of Reason Core, and step by step analyzing and assimilating the [Origin Stone].
In the end, he did it, risking his life and this Honkai Will to achieve fusion.
As mentioned before, his two greatest strengths are his photographic memory and his meticulous attention to detail.
Cecilia! Bella! Her real name! And... Fu Hua!
Sirin, I remember everything you've done!
Revenge isn't just something to talk about; it's something to do!
From the moment you destroyed the first person I cared about, I've been planning step by step how to kill you!
For that, I'm willing to gamble with my life! From the moment I set foot on the moon, I knew I would never return alive.
So, in the original plan, I didn't intend to bring anyone else along; I just wanted to drag you down to hell!
Kevin's thoughts raced, and he thrust the Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment in his hand forward. The Spatial Barrier that Sirin had barely managed to erect was as flimsy as paper. The blazing sword pierced the girl's abdomen, viciously pinning her to the stone pillar.
The man, whose face was almost entirely covered in bizarre cracks, grabbed the girl's chin, which was stained with bright red blood, and roughly lifted her up, his eyes cold and crazed.
"Sirin, my dear sister, after all this time of betting, don't you know you've never truly won?"
"You think you're worthy to play with me?!"
P. S.: This was the biggest setup I ever made, I'm exhausted. Finally, the game is over.
Just as Welt couldn't outmaneuver Otto, Otto couldn't outmaneuver Kevin.
What right does a pufferfish, tamed like a puppy by Otto, have to play with her older brother?
Extremely calm madness, that's got that vibe, right? The setup didn't disappoint, did it?
Chapter 391, Section 409: You Go First (Third Update)
"Ah!" Sirin screamed so loudly it was like a thunderbolt from the blue. Thousands of invisible steel needles pierced Kevin's mind. The Affliction of his soul being torn apart sent this man, who had endured fifty thousand years of loneliness, flying backward, blood spilling from his mouth and nose.
"You're demanding these debts from me, but what about me?!"
"Those people say that Valkyrie are objects of our devotion; then I will send them all to their deaths, and let true judgment descend!"
"Those who say we are the necessary sacrifices to maintain world peace, then I will ensure your annihilation!"
Sirin screamed hoarsely, the golden light in her eyes now replaced by a purplish-red frenzy.
"I hate you! I despise you! I curse you!"
Kevin remained indifferent. After his consciousness stabilized slightly, he swung his sword and sent Sirin flying. Whispers, like tentacles sliding across his mind, echoed continuously.
Angry, pleading, screaming, excited... countless voices, each with its own distinct emotion, converged into the same frenzied clamor.
"Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!"
The man glanced at the increasingly deep red Origin Stone on his chest, then calmly raised his head, displaying an extreme composure that suppressed his madness.
After landing on the moon, the true purpose of the [Key of Blank] was no longer to manipulate the Herrscher of Reason Core, but to slow down the erosion of the Honkai Will on the body and brain. That was its most important function.
Just think, what exactly was in the cemeteries that buried the Dayart Civilization...?
The dregs of the human soul of an era! The overwhelming negative emotions are so pervasive that even [gods] probably cannot resist the erosion of this kind of thinking.
Therefore, from the moment Sirin fused with the Herrscher Core of Erosion Corruption, she was beyond saving and would only go further and further down the path of madness.
"Boom!"
Another sword strike cleaved down, the flames cutting through layers of space, blasting the frenzied Sirin into the rocky ground.
Just as Kevin gripped his sword with both hands, preparing to finish off his opponent whose body was on the verge of collapse, a high-pitched dragon roar came from the left, and a figure that blotted out the sky, accompanied by the god of wind and thunder, charged headlong into the distance.
"Bella ...no...the dragon... Benares ..."
That being said, Kevin changed his move with a flick of his wrist, switching from a slash to a strike, reducing the force by forty percent, and used the spine of his sword to smash the troublesome dragon directly into the ground, severely injuring it. He then followed up with two more sword strikes, shattering its wings.
"Roar... roar..."
Amidst the mournful and piercing cries, countless resilient Honkai Beast burst forth from every crevice, charging madly towards Kevin, vowing to defend their king to the death.
"Heavenly Fire... An-Utu!"
Kevin raised his sword and murmured, then swept it horizontally, flames plowing the ground. Tens of thousands of kilometers of the Lunar Surface turned into scorched earth, and nearly half of the twenty thousand Honkai Beast were killed or wounded!
Even so, these heartless beasts, who knew nothing of betrayal, still used their lives to protect the critically injured and dying Sirin.
Watching the countless lives she had created launch one attack after another, rushing to their deaths, Sirin struggled to her feet, her eyes flashing with determination and madness.
"Kevin, I won't keep losing to you!"
In an instant, the five Herrscher Core dormant within Sirin's body began to swirl wildly, forming a terrifying vortex resembling a black hole that violently sucked everything in its path.
Countless Honkai Beast surrounding her wailed and disintegrated into dust, their own Honkai energy, which they had used to construct their forms, stolen by their brutal king.
With the replenishment of this pure Honkai energy, the numerous wounds on Sirin's body gradually began to heal.
Very well... I order you... you can die now!
Sirin smiled cruelly, raised her right hand, and the Honkai Beast that were charging to their deaths could not resist the demonic claws from behind. One by one, they were sent flying backward and sucked into the vortex, becoming nourishment for the "King".
In the end, the ignorant beasts swore to protect the severely wounded king, while the king, who possessed a human heart, still betrayed the beasts she had created.
Kevin glanced at Demon Dragon Bella about to be sucked into the vortex, and swatted the troublesome thing away behind him.
"Laugh!"
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Spear of Creation "Abyss Flower," a prize from the battle, shot out from the Spatial Rift, piercing Kevin's abdomen and pinning him to the ground in front of the Demon Dragon Bella.