Reunion

(I hope everyone starts reading from the next chapter. It was only after reading other works that I realized how unnecessary everything I did before was. Still, for continuity's sake, I forced myself to finish this chapter.)

Angela returned to the Moth to the Flame to make up for her mistake.

After returning to the original location, Angela saw nothing but ruins. There was no one else there.

"It seems this isn't the core battlefield. I need to find the others and regroup as soon as possible." Angela analyzed the ruins and reached a conclusion.

However, Angela soon spotted flames lingering on the ground and thought of someone.

"This trace... It's Uncle Kevin's Skyfire." Angela recognized whose attack it was, then thought again. "Then Uncle Kevin also came while I was being controlled. There should still be traces of my attack on him!"

With that thought, Angela immediately began searching for his aura, and discovered a landmark moving at high speed.

"Great, it really is Uncle Kevin!" Angela watched in delight and teleported over without hesitation. Yet not long after she left, an explosion sounded from the location designated P21...

The scene shifted to the source of that aura. The rapidly moving figure was indeed Kevin. At that moment, Kevin was being intercepted by numerous Herrschers. Just as he was trying to escape, he suddenly saw a familiar figure.

"Angela?" Seeing Angela appear on the way over, Kevin immediately became wary. After all, their previous battle had ended in a draw, and with so many Herrschers this time, he might truly be unable to defeat them.

"Wait, Uncle Kevin, I mean you no harm. I'm here to support you." Seeing Kevin's battle stance, Angela immediately explained her intentions. At the same time, she knocked back several pursuing Herrschers to prove her words.

Seeing that Angela had regained consciousness, Kevin relaxed. But then he remembered the message he had just sent and immediately said, "Do you have teleportation abilities? Hurry, return to the previous location!"

"Huh? Why..."

"These Herrschers are only a decoy. Their real main force went there! Can you teleport me out with you?" Kevin spoke anxiously while forcing back the Herrschers closing in around them.

Hearing Kevin's words, Angela said somewhat painfully, "Uncle Kevin... I had very little energy left after the previous battle. The only reason I managed to come out was because I used a great deal of strength. It's impossible for me to take you out too."

Kevin was somewhat prepared to hear that, but he was still deeply upset. He asked again, "Then can you still return?"

Angela shook her head. "I can."

Kevin said, "Since you can't take me back with you, I'll send you the coordinates. You should hurry over too."

Angela said, "That would consume the most stamina and strength of all. Given my current condition, teleporting there might only make things worse..."

Kevin sighed. "I let my guard down. I never expected them to be a decoy. Their main assault is on headquarters. Help us think of a solution too."

Angela thought for a moment, remembering something, but then shook her head.

Kevin noticed the tiny movement and still asked, "Is there a way?"

Angela said, "I can return to the space without loss, then return from it without loss. Although I can't teleport directly to that point, I can escape the encirclement."

Hearing Angela's plan, Kevin agreed. "Good. I've sent you the coordinates. I'll force them back, and you leave immediately. Remember to conserve as much strength as possible." With that, he raised Skyfire.

Seeing that Kevin had made up his mind, Angela still couldn't help saying, "Actually, I can put you inside the space too. I just can't bring you back out."

She had thought Kevin simply hadn't considered it, and that saying it aloud would solve the problem. But Kevin refused. "This place was once home to many people as well. If I leave, many of them will suffer. You go first."

Watching Kevin's righteous resolve, Angela wanted to say something else, but Kevin interrupted her. "Go. If you don't leave now, it'll be too late."

In the end, Angela steeled herself and left. Kevin watched her go with relief, then turned back.

"The Thousand Herrscher..." Kevin slowly raised Skyfire.

"This is where it ends! Skyfire, unsheathe!"

Huang Hao, who had only just risen after collapsing heavily wounded, saw Angela return to the space and hurriedly asked, "An'er, are you feeling better?"

Seeing that her father had been injured so badly because of her, Angela wanted to continue talking, but remembering Kevin's words, she hardened her heart and said, "Father, we can talk later. The situation is urgent." With that, she teleported away.

Hearing Angela's words, Huang Hao also remembered that this was the moment when the Honkai erupted.

"Judging from this, the situation isn't looking good, An'er..." Huang Hao remembered something else. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to hide something from you again." With that, he teleported away as well.

At that moment, Mei and Veliona were together, attempting to put on the Key of Blank. Just as they were about to do so, Huang Hao suddenly appeared.

Mei and Veliona were startled, but relaxed after realizing it was Huang Hao.

Mei complained, "How exactly do you people teleport without making a sound?"

Huang Hao scratched his head, indicating that he had no idea.

Seeing this, Mei didn't press the matter. She instead spoke about the Key of Blank. "You're here too. Give me a hand and help me put this on. You must have foreseen this as well, right?"

Huang Hao nodded, indicating that he knew.

"Good, then you..."

Mei had not finished speaking when Huang Hao shoved her away with gravity. Fortunately, Veliona was there, so Mei was not hit too hard.

Mei stared at Huang Hao in surprise, unable to understand what he was trying to do.

"Sorry. It's precisely because I knew that I rushed here. I won't repeat the same mistake this time. I know all about your plan, so you don't need to explain anything else. I'll take this armor with me. I'll be the one to eliminate the Herrschers." After saying that, Huang Hao teleported away with the Key of Blank in his arms.

Veliona said, "Dr. Mei..."

The two fell silent. In the end, Mei spoke first. "Why is he just like Kevin? They both like shouldering everything themselves. Let's proceed according to the original plan, Veliona." The two then rose and left the laboratory.

"Pretty impressive, huh? I wonder how badly I'll be injured later." Huang Hao put on the Key of Blank and admired himself. He then looked toward his surveillance feed. The Herrschers were wreaking havoc there, leaving the entire scene in disarray.

Huang Hao watched the surveillance coldly and sneered. "Look who's here. It's our dearest friends~" Before long, he shut off the monitor and followed the place where the Herrscher core's aura was emanating, preparing to connect with it. The Herrschers also rushed toward that location.

When he arrived, Huang Hao closed his eyes and sensed the gathering power, along with the bone-chilling pain. He sat cross-legged and waited for the final result.

No one knew how much time had passed. The Herrschers gradually gathered, but they did not attack Huang Hao. Instead, they watched from the side.

They were afraid. Although the Honkai Consciousness had ordered them to seize it, facing the unknown still stirred their instinctive fear.

"You're here..." Huang Hao opened his eyes, and his heavy voice rang out, spreading into the distance.

Standing at the entrance to the Sea of Quanta, Mei and Veliona heard him and muttered to themselves, "The final battle has begun."

Although Angela was still several kilometers away, she heard him as well. "That voice... It's Father! Wasn't Father heavily wounded? No, wait. According to my memories, he must have put on the Key of Blank!"

With that thought, Angela sped up, silently praying, "Father, please don't overdo it..."

At that moment, Huang Hao rose and looked coldly at the Herrschers around him. "Come on. Isn't this what you wanted?"

The Herrschers did not move. Huang Hao saw this, bared his teeth, and smiled. "Looks like I'll have to make the first move."

Suddenly, dazzling white light burst out from Huang Hao's position at the center. Accompanied by terrifying power, it gradually swallowed every Herrscher present, along with a voice: "Key of Blank, First Rated Power!"

In an instant, the Herrschers were completely destroyed. Their destruction then increased Huang Hao's power, sending increasingly violent impacts through the domain. Only after every Herrscher had died did it slowly begin to shrink.

After a while, the white light vanished. Nothing remained at the scene except a heavily wounded person crawling through the center of the ruins...