"Crackle..." Accompanied by Mei Raiden's despairing scream, blue-violet lightning flashed through the air and vanished. A terrifying pressure descended upon Bronya and Kiana. "Damn it, it's the Third Herrscher!" Kiana immediately realized what was happening and shouted at Mei Raiden, who was half-kneeling on the ground:
"Mei-senpai! Get a hold of yourself! Don't let the Honkai Will corrupt you!!!"
Meanwhile, the massive Honkai Beast that had sent Yu Luo flying with a single blow, leaving his fate unknown, raised its enormous pinkish-white blade again and slashed at Mei Raiden, who was still half-kneeling on the ground. Before that gigantic blade, Mei Raiden's body was as insignificant as an ant.
"Bzzz!" With the crackle of electricity, a blue-violet semicircular barrier rose around Mei Raiden. The sharp blade only managed to cut a tiny bit into the shield before being stopped. "Crackle, crackle..." Tiny electric serpents flickered endlessly across the barrier. Mei Raiden finally raised her head, her purple eyes filled with madness and fury.
"Who gave you permission to hurt him, insect!"
The electric barrier dispersed, while the blue-violet arcs filling the air continuously gathered behind Mei Raiden. A pair of translucent purple wings extended from her back, and her body rose into the air. The already terrifying concentration of Honkai Energy surged madly upward, forcing Kiana to half-kneel beneath the dreadful pressure as she struggled to support herself.
"Damn it, the Honkai Will has taken over Mei-senpai's body again!" Kiana clenched her right hand into a fist and slammed it heavily into the ground. Nearby, Bronya sat atop Heavy-Oni Rabbit 19C, tightly hugging the Horm doll with both arms as she worriedly watched Mei Raiden in the sky, who looked like a descending queen.
Mei Raiden—no, the Third Herrscher now—raised both hands toward the sky. The heavens abruptly darkened as a vast mass of thunderclouds gathered. Tiny electric serpents writhed within them. The Honkai Beast that had attacked Yu Luo could only tremble beneath the Third Herrscher's pressure. Even every remaining Honkai Beast and Zombie Girl in all of Changkong City could do nothing but shudder.
The pressure of the thunderclouds finally reached its peak, black enough to seem as if water could drip from them. A vortex formed at their very center, where bright silver lightning seemed to condense into something tangible. "Die!" With the Third Herrscher's furious roar, a bright silver bolt as thick as a water barrel descended like heavenly punishment, striking directly at the massive Honkai Beast's head.
"Boom!" The tremendous blast shook the entire area. Kiana and Bronya were directly knocked unconscious by the deafening sound. Beneath the waterfall-like torrent of silver-white lightning, the Honkai Beast's gigantic body was completely disintegrated, leaving behind not even a trace.
"What was that?!"
Aboard the Hyperion, which had finally arrived above Changkong City, the observers stared in shock at the silver-white pillar of lightning connecting heaven and earth in the city center. On the screens of the detection equipment before them, every reading soared wildly as if riding a rocket.
"The number of Honkai Sources is surging, and Honkai Energy output has exceeded 1500 HW!" A military-uniformed adjutant adjusted his glasses and reported to Murata Himeko beside him.
"Tch, a Herrscher really did appear. Looks like we hit the jackpot this time." Murata Himeko clicked her tongue, looking thoroughly displeased. The adjutant and the nearby monitoring personnel all tried to persuade her.
"Major Himeko, it's not too late to retreat!"
"Cut the crap. The word 'retreat' doesn't exist in my dictionary!" Murata Himeko licked her lips, her excited voice ringing out.
"Full ship, Level 1 alert. Commence combat!"
Changkong City. Within the collapsed buildings, blue-violet lightning formed a semicircular barrier that enveloped the unconscious Kiana and Bronya, along with Yu Luo, whose condition was unknown. It had protected all three of them when the building collapsed.
"To think your will was shaken over the life or death of a man. What a child!" The Third Herrscher's dissatisfied voice sounded. "Don't worry. I'll help you save him."
"But before that, let me deal with a few little bugs!" The Third Herrscher raised her head toward the enormous aerial battleship approaching overhead. She curled her lips into a crazed smile, her purple eyes overflowing with the desire for destruction.
Aboard the Hyperion, Murata Himeko and the adjutant naturally saw the Third Herrscher's smile as well. Murata Himeko said with a hint of disappointment, "So this girl is the Herrscher? I thought it would be something more terrifying, like tentacles covered in thick white goo."
Faced with Murata Himeko's terrible remark, the adjutant merely adjusted his glasses without any reaction. "Major, your imagination really is terrifying when you're desperate."
"Isn't it because that damn little runt interrupted my date?!" Murata Himeko said irritably. The moment she finished speaking, the broadcast suddenly came alive with an angry, childish voice. "Who are you calling a desperate old woman and a little runt?!"
The broadcast was also mixed with the panicked voices of others. "Principal Theresa, this is the emergency communications channel. Please don't use it randomly..."
Murata Himeko curled her lips and ordered the combat personnel in the command room, "Open all gun ports. Begin suppression fire!"
The Hyperion began operating at full capacity. Dozens of cannon ports hidden within the hull all revealed their savage muzzles, aiming at the Third Herrscher floating below. The aerial battleship bared its fangs.
The Third Herrscher was extremely displeased at being targeted by countless cannon ports. Light gathered in the translucent pale-purple lightning wings behind her, and countless electric serpents shot forth from them, engulfing the enormous Hyperion in lightning.
"Who gave you permission to stand above me, insect!"
"Quick, activate the defensive field at full power!" Murata Himeko had fought the Honkai for many years. Although this was her first time facing a Herrscher directly, her extensive combat experience allowed her to command everyone calmly.
"Yes! Defensive field activated, output 100%!"
"Bzzz!"
The air around the Hyperion suddenly rippled as a pale-blue field rose up, isolating every electric serpent outside it. A cold smile appeared on the Third Herrscher's face, and her merciless words rang through the air.
"You think that'll work? Die, insect!"
With the Third Herrscher's furious shout, the electric serpents that had been isolated outside the defensive field converged together, transforming into a sword of lightning that viciously stabbed toward the center of the Hyperion.
"Boom... Boom... Boom..."
An unprecedented explosion erupted aboard the Hyperion. Every exposed cannon port was destroyed by silver-white electric serpents. Not only that, the entire hull of the Hyperion suffered severe damage. Black smoke rose from many sections, and several engines had shut down.
"Warning, warning! The battleship's outer armor has sustained severe damage! Output down to 40%! Immediate return is recommended!" Blinding red lights flashed alongside the merciless alarm. The adjutant beside her said nervously:
"There's no way we can endure another attack!"
"Tch, this damn girl. Does she know how expensive battleship repairs are?!" Murata Himeko gritted her teeth and made up her mind. She flung away the military coat draped over her shoulders, revealing the evening gown she had worn to the banquet, then turned cleanly and prepared to leave.
"Activate nuclear furnaces Five and Six. Maintain nuclear furnace output and switch the battleship's propulsion to backup energy! In two minutes, lower the battleship to the Herrscher's altitude!" Murata Himeko gave orders without the slightest panic. The adjutant looked at her retreating back and asked worriedly:
"Wait?! Major, are you going to use that?!"
"There's no time to think about any other way out."
The adjutant jogged after Murata Himeko, not forgetting his duty to dissuade her. "But the council's order was to capture the Herrscher alive."
"Leave those fat pigs who only know how to hide behind the scenes and give orders to our adorable Principal Theresa." Murata Himeko removed the evening gown she was wearing, revealing her mature figure. As she took off her shoes, she said:
"I'm the kind of woman who goes all the way once she takes her clothes off. I'm leaving command of the battleship to you."
"Oh, dear." The adjutant shook his head in frustration, deeply troubled by his superior's behavior. Soon, two minutes passed, and the shipwide broadcast sounded right on time:
"Backup energy switch complete. Beginning descent!"
Before you continue