New Herrscher

Hyperion Battleship

Inside the ship's control room, Hyperion's captain, Himeko Murata, and St. Freya Academy's Academy Director, Theresa Apocalypse, watched the wildly fluctuating numbers on the instruments and could not help frowning.

"Himeko, what do you think?"

"What else is there to think? I think Changkong City is screwed."

On the instruments, Changkong City's Honkai Energy readings had remained terrifyingly high.

Although they had not yet reached their peak, both women knew that this was merely the storm before dawn.

A day earlier, Himeko Murata, who had attended a ball, and Theresa Apocalypse, who had been curled up in her office reading manga, had both received messages from their subordinates.

[An enormous amount of Honkai Energy has erupted in Changkong City. The Third Honkai Outbreak may occur at any time.]

After receiving this news, the two women could only helplessly put aside what they were doing and return directly to the Far East Branch's battleship, the Hyperion, to consider a response.

However, when they rushed to the battleship in a flurry, the Far East Branch personnel suddenly told them something awkward.

The Third Honkai Outbreak had ended less than two minutes after it began.

The suspected Third Herrscher had vanished, leaving only an enormous amount of Honkai Energy throughout Changkong City.

Logically speaking, at this point, the situation should still have been within the Far East Branch's ability to handle.

Yet for some reason, as Himeko and Theresa watched the wildly trembling readings on the instruments, they both felt that something was very wrong.

"Although we don't know the Third Herrscher's current condition, with this amount of Honkai Energy, it is only a matter of time before the Third Herrscher awakens."

Watching the signal grow increasingly faint, Theresa spoke with rare seriousness.

"Prepare for battle, Himeko. Headquarters wants us to capture the Herrscher alive, but if it comes down to it..."

"I understand, Theresa. I'll give it everything I've got."

After lightly waving her hand, the two women turned their attention back to the Honkai Energy instruments.

But this time, beneath their gazes—the readings on the Honkai Energy instruments suddenly leaped to a number that made everyone present tremble in fear.

"Th... this reading, it's a Herrscher!"

After a staff member blurted that out in panic, Himeko rushed out of the bridge without looking back.

"Mm, has the Third Herrscher finally awakened? Then I should prepare too..."

"No, Lady Theresa. This energy fluctuation is fundamentally different from the Third Herrscher we observed before."

After calming down slightly, the staff member continued.

"The fluctuation frequency is weaker than before. Although this Honkai Energy has reached the minimum threshold for a Herrscher, it is still far below the Third Herrscher's readings."

"If there is nothing wrong with the instrument readings, then the Herrscher born this time is not the Third Herrscher... but..."

"—the Fourth Herrscher!"

Upon hearing her subordinate's words, Theresa's expression became utterly shocked.

"No, each Honkai Outbreak can only produce one Herrscher. For two Herrschers to be born at once, leaving everything else aside, there absolutely wouldn't be enough Honkai Energy."

"What kind of weird stuff is hidden in this Changkong City???"

At the same time, inside Changkong City

After releasing forty-seven clones to sweep the battlefield, Gu Yu and the others' route was temporarily secured.

When considering their options earlier, it was not as though Gu Yu had not considered releasing the enormous Musou Dragon to sweep everything aside, then having everyone ride Musou Dragon directly out of Changkong City.

But he quickly discarded that seemingly wonderful idea.

Changkong City had a population of over a million and covered roughly ten thousand square kilometers.

If they drew a straight line from their current location to the outskirts of Changkong City, that line would be at least fifty kilometers long.

At Musou Dragon's speed of five hundred kilometers per hour, those fifty kilometers would take only six minutes.

But in midair, Gu Yu did not think the Honkai Beasts would easily let such a large target go.

Furthermore, if four people rode Musou Dragon, the other three girls clearly could not keep their footing at five hundred kilometers per hour as easily as Gu Yu could after transforming.

Taking that into account, it would take even longer for Musou Dragon to escape Changkong City.

At the same time, Kamen Rider Ryuki's ranged attacks were not particularly strong. He only had mid-range techniques like Dragon Claw Fire.

If the Honkai Beasts swarmed them, Gu Yu felt that before Musou Dragon finished devouring the enemy, the three girls would likely be in trouble first.

That was why he abandoned the aerial route and chose to break through from the ground.

It was indeed much slower, but at least it was safer.

And Gu Yu had not forgotten that, aside from the two girls by his side, there were also...

—other Herrschers in this city.

"Kaslana."

"Hm? Elder Brother Gu, what is it?"

Upon hearing Gu Yu call her, Kiana curiously raised her head and looked at his mask.

"If I collapse later, remember to catch me."

"Huh?"

Just as Kiana cried out, completely unable to understand what Gu Yu meant, she suddenly saw what seemed to be a disturbance ahead.

The GataKiriBa Combo clones that had been slaughtering Honkai Beasts were suddenly pierced through the chest by a mass of vines emerging from the ground, then vanished into the air.

"What a pain. I knew getting out wouldn't be that easy."

After seeing the GataKiriBa Combo clones instantly wiped out in large numbers, Gu Yu immediately controlled the clones to set the three girls down on the ground.

"Kid, you know what to do."

"I know, you pervy big brother."

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After saying that, Bronya immediately murmured the name of her companion.

"Project Bunny."

At her command, Project Bunny appeared once more.

After confirming that the man before them was not an enemy, Project Bunny floated beside the three of them and gently picked them up.

"Eh???"

Seeing Bronya do this, Raiden Mei looked at Gu Yu in confusion.

Then, she immediately understood why Gu Yu had made that decision.

Beneath their feet, endless thorny vines seemed to possess minds of their own as they stabbed toward Gu Yu from tricky angles.

Had the three girls remained where they had been, they would inevitably have become targets of those vines as well.

"Though I really don't want to trust you, there's no other choice now."

Looking at the vines, Gu Yu immediately pulled out a card and flung it into his Driver.

[FormRide Agito Flame Form (Form Ride: Agito Flame Form)]

After switching into this form, Gu Yu immediately grasped the Flame Saber that floated out of the void and unleashed the Power of Flame residing within him from his right wrist.

Kamen Rider Agito had three basic forms: Earth, Storm, and Flame.

Aside from enhancing strength, speed, and perception respectively, these three forms could also use their corresponding elemental abilities.

The Flame Form, which enhanced perception, could unleash flames reaching seven thousand degrees Celsius directly from Agito's right wrist while wielding the Flame Saber.

The vines that had attacked Gu Yu were instantly burned to ashes in the flames he ignited.

After burning away all the vines created from Honkai Energy, Gu Yu used his enhanced senses to lock onto the enemy's location.

Then, he coldly looked toward the top of a building and said in an icy voice.

"That's quite the enthusiastic welcome. As a Herrscher, don't you think it's beneath you to ambush ordinary humans?"

"Senba Academy's Pseudo Herrscher—Miss Yuno."

PS2: Regarding the issue with Kiana in the previous chapter, I felt I should briefly say a few things.

About Kiana wanting the belt.

This was a critical moment for survival, and Kiana herself knew that.

Everyone knows that Buggy is playful by nature. When she encounters something new, it is not strange for her to want to fiddle with it.

From that perspective, the fact that she merely stared at the Driver on Gu Yu's waist and did not make a move already showed a great deal of restraint.

She really wanted that thing, but she still understood what mattered. That was what I wanted to convey with this plot.

If I did not handle it well, then that is this idiot author's fault. I apologize. I repent!

Then there's the matter of Musou Dragon escaping Changkong City.

I checked Changkong City's setting. It has several million residents, but let's calculate based on one million.

Comparing it to city populations around 2017, a city with one million people would be roughly as large as I described earlier.

If you release Musou Dragon, then you'd have to watch three girls get blown around by the wind at five hundred kilometers per hour...

As for exactly how they'd get blown around, imagine what five hundred kilometers per hour feels like in a car, then remove the windows. They could fall off at any moment...

I thought about it, and it really seemed better to forget it.

Besides, this also involves later plot developments. After thinking it over, they should just crawl along on the ground.

Also, regarding Kamen Rider output—let me say first that this is just trivia. Please do not start power-scaling arguments here.

Reading them really gives me a headache.

First, about the claim of Kamen Rider's maximum output.

At present, the strongest finisher with stated data is OOO's Tamashii Combo, at 1000 tons.

But in reality, that number... is just that.

Not counting things like God Maximum, where the figures can be set however they want. We'll skip that.

Let's take a look at our Showa senior, J.

When J enlarged himself, the enemy Fog Mother battleship weighed 12,000 tons. J could move it with his finishing punch, and J's normal-sized form was comparable to ZO. From what we can tell, ZO's kicking power is stronger than his punching power.

Therefore, J's maximum striking power must be greater than 12,000 tons.

Then there is Decade's Giant Complete Form, which was based on J. Officially, this form possesses the power of twenty-five Riders.

It even has stacked-card enhanced finishers—actually, the stacked-card enhanced finishers that Passion is always hyping are on Giant Complete Form.

J's kicking power exceeded 12,000, while Complete Form carries the power of twenty-five people.

Then there is naturally no problem with its kicking power exceeding 12,000.

Although its raw strength is still inferior to those ultimate powerhouses from the Land of Light, Kamen Rider's upper limit is not as pathetic as everyone imagines.

In about ten minutes or so, I can refresh and post a few pictures.

Once again, this is just trivia. Please stop arguing.

I really do not want to keep seeing arguments in the comments about whether Ultraman or Kamen Rider is stronger. Please, I'm begging you.

PS3: As usual, please vote. 7/26... No, wait, it's already Thursday. How am I supposed to write nineteen chapters in four days????

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