Pseudo-Herrscher • Satou Yunona

Judging from the training results, this is a victory for Satou Yunona.

In that single punch, Fu Hua used Honkai Energy, even if it was only a tiny amount, but that was enough to prove that Satou Yunona successfully used the full power of the armor.

If we disregard training factors, then it would be a complete and utter defeat.

Defeat is something that Satou Yunona cannot allow.

It has nothing to do with any subtle emotions, nothing to do with self-esteem or the arrogance instilled in the soul by the influence of a Honkai Consciousness.

Satou Yunona simply didn't want to lose again. No matter what kind of battle it was, she would inevitably feel a deep sense of powerlessness whenever she was defeated again.

Both the death she faced that night and the subsequent funeral with its crisp sound of rain were sources of her sense of powerlessness.

She still clearly remembers the girl kneeling before the tombstone, her small and frail back, her hair gradually becoming damp, the forced smile on her face, and... the tears gently covered by the rain. These are images that Satou Yunona can never let go of.

Kambara Yuu cried again.

From then on, the Abyss Flower in front of the tombstone became an indelible mark on Satou Yunona's heart.

Therefore, I don't want to lose.

So, I don't want to lose again.

She can do better; she must be stronger than before.

In order to prevent that feeling of powerlessness from recurring, even irrational struggles and efforts are things she has to do.

"Continue," she said softly.

Satou Yunona retreated step by step, then stepped forward again.

This time, she gave up on opening up her boxing stance. Technique itself was something she wasn't good at, and the Collapse Force she used was full of flaws and crude.

If the opponent so desires, once they've adopted that stance, countless openings will become the reasons for their defeat.

Therefore, instead of continuing to dwell on this, it's better to decisively abandon this method of attack.

She began to actively try to allow the Honkai Energy within her body to be absorbed and compressed in conjunction with the armor's power reactor. In the short time it took to do so, the temperature of the armor began to rise rapidly. Even with the extremely strong heat insulation layer, she could feel that the surface of her skin was no longer cool, but warm.

The background music, which had been gradually fading, suddenly sped up again, and a piercing decibel roared out the familiar sound effects.

"[Starting Honkai Energy]!"

"[Release safety lock]!"

A large amount of Honkai Energy, following a predetermined calculation formula, once again coalesced into an illusory hand, the emerald-colored Honkai Energy burning in the air to produce numerous sparks.

She was using her instinct to manipulate Honkai Energy, Pseudo-Herrscher, to forcibly compress and shape Honkai Energy outside the calculated formula. If it did not exceed the limits of the armor itself, the ultimate effect of the Third Generation Valkyrie Armor alone would not be able to shake the person in front of her.

A-rank Valkyrie?

Although I don't understand what a normal A-level is, the other party is clearly no longer an ordinary A-level.

This is ridiculously strong.

But that's fine too.

It couldn't be better.

According to the calculation formula, Honkai Energy should have formed a phantom hand that was magnified ten times in proportion to crush the enemy within one second of being released into the outside world. This form was designed to counter the huge size of Honkai Beast. However, when facing Fu Hua, who is also human, such an attack seemed too weak.

What Satou Yunona is doing now is not anything else. She is completely compressing the illusory hand, which would originally be magnified ten times proportionally, into a form like external armor, making it obediently exist on her arm. This way, the force can be completely condensed into one point, instead of being as vulnerable as before.

However, this behavior, which contradicted the calculation formula, caused the armor to begin to bear loads that were not anticipated at the time of design.

But she still succeeded. Manipulating Honkai Energy is an instinct for the Pseudo-Herrscher, requiring no power. In the brief moment when the Pseudo-Herrscher Core trembled slightly, the emerald-green illusory hand compressed and condensed into a pale green arm armor attached to her right arm.

The instant the arm armor took shape, she threw a punch without hesitation.

"[Tryonesbest] (leave no room for compromise)!"

Accompanied by the recurring sound effect of the armor striking the opponent, Fu Hua once again used the Inch Heart Fist to block the punch. However, unlike the almost non-existent Honkai Energy she had used before, this time she was a little more serious.

The impact of their punches created a dangerous, knife-like shockwave that completely shredded the clothing covering Satou Yunona's armor, exposing her slender figure to the air. Hot steam billowed from the thrusters, once again obscuring the beautiful curves that had been outlined.

Conversely, the cuffs of the girl's practice clothes also developed tears.

Unlike her previous unwavering stance during the punches, her body was forcibly dragged back several steps by a tremendous force, leaving the ground behind her feet in a shattered mess—a result of her using all her skills to deflect the force.

Fu Hua glanced at her cuff, a faint smile playing on her lips:

"Satou Yunona, you've improved."

This punch was beyond the level a normal B-rank Valkyrie could deliver. Has she finally learned to utilize her natural talent a little better?

Very good. This is the path you must take.

Gradually master this power until it becomes your own.

At that time, you will no longer need to fear that the Honkai Consciousness can easily overwhelm you.

And in this process, distress and hardship are inevitable.

"That's not enough," the girl said.

Satou Yunona's eyes grew increasingly alluring, and a certain extreme stubbornness was evident in her words.

The Pseudo-Herrscher's core unconsciously overflowed Honkai Energy during a moment when her emotions fluctuated like the tides, which should have been detected and alerted by the warning device within the Emerald.

But at this moment, the armor remained motionless for some reason.

Once again, Satou Yunona used the illusory hand equipped with her armor.

The illusory hand from last time had been forcibly solidified into a semi-transparent arm armor, which did not disappear even after this punch landed.

Satou Yunona's idea was simple: if one stack of power wasn't enough, then two would do it. As for the load the armor would face, that was no longer a consideration for her.

Outside the translucent arm armor, the extremely unstable Honkai Energy began to be gathered and compressed once again by an inexplicable force.

The system, recognizing that the armor was gradually reaching its load limit, issued a warning.

"[THESystemOverload]!"

It's so noisy.

Ignoring the sounds around his ears and the red-glowing crystals behind his neck, the Honkai Energy wailed as it was forcibly pressed into the posture the girl desired.

"[Sanbyougo] (Three seconds later)!"

It's so noisy.

In a single second, the Honkai Energy was sculpted into an even more grotesque gauntlet that snaked and wrapped around the original gauntlet. Clearly, Satou Yunona no longer cared about aesthetics at this moment.

"[Logout]!"

It's so noisy.

Then, within three seconds, throw this punch.

"[Tryonesbest] (leave no room for compromise)!"

Accompanied by a tremendous roar and a malfunctioning sound system, the girl's fist imprint remained as unbreakable as an ancient city wall, firmly blocking all attacks.

But her body was constantly retreating, and there was no time to use techniques to deflect the force. In this head-on duel, Fu Hua's feet plowed outwards for more than a meter before she could suppress this violent power.

Clearly, even a martial arts master cannot completely ignore Satou Yunona's punch without going all out.

But the results still came out.

Burning fiercely like fireworks, emitting dazzling starlight, the girl's arm armor began to show cracks that were gradually spreading, and the armor had automatically deactivated.

The burst mode was automatically shut down first, and the thrusters gradually entered dormant mode. A large amount of steam and a small amount of cooling gas were discharged to automatically reduce the overheated armor. The heat insulation layer of the armor was almost destroyed, and the girl's skin had been burned in part.

If Satou Yunona thought about it even a little, she would realize that this is not a simple virtual battle scene at all, but rather an Emerald Armor that is almost indistinguishable from reality and a battle that is a complete recreation of reality.

From the very beginning, Fu Hua's purpose in bringing her here for training was not pure.

But the girl had no time to think at that moment. With her heart pounding and most of her energy depleted, even her sense of time seemed to slow down.

Only the background music was still running for the time being, but the rhythm of the drums was also slowing down. At this moment, she suddenly felt that Kiana's taste was not so bad after all. At least during this brief period of silence, this music made her feel less bad.

The armor's lack of follow-through rendered her punch a failure.

The calculation formula system has been shut down; the illusory arm armor that exists now only exists because of Satou Yunona's will.

Defeat was inevitable.

In the brief moment of silence, less than a second later, Satou Yunona had only one thought left.

At least let me finish this punch.

So she continued to throw punches.

The Pseudo-Herrscher Core paused for a moment, then a torrent of Honkai Energy surged into the arm armor.

The leaping sparks grew ever brighter, like some enormous creature exhaling a long breath. In the instant all the Honkai Energy surged in, Satou Yunona instinctively used her most proficient Honkai Energy shaping technique.

In a daze, the roar of the giant dragon echoed throughout the entire underground space.

In the instant the gauntlet was completely annihilated and crushed into countless sparks, Satou Yunona's will shaped Honkai Energy into a giant dragon head, which unleashed a storm of energy carrying burning Honkai Energy.

Faced with such an exaggerated scene, the usually composed and calm girl broke into a smile.

She threw a straight punch, a very serious straight punch.

All martial arts techniques are put into practice here.

The Honkai Energy scatter countless threads, which, with profound and mysterious techniques, all flow into this one punch, combining to create an imaginary arrangement that is beyond calculation.

This is an extremely precise yet extremely violent martial art. The arrangement of each punch is the result of instinct and intuition. Therefore, even if one forgets all their memories, the Inch Heart Fist will still be a martial art that even an immortal can instinctively unleash.

This is not martial arts that requires learning and memorization; it is closer to something ethereal and intangible.

Su Qing'an doesn't know the true Inch Heart Fist greatest power and essence are things that cannot be taught or replicated.

This set of boxing techniques is like a constantly evolving set of inspirational Meme. Even the immortal himself cannot replicate each punch he throws using a formula.

So, assuming that one day Su Qing'an can throw an almost identical punch, that would be his own unique Inch Heart Fist, his own unique martial art.

The incredible power and ability of the immortal who created such martial arts are beyond description in ordinary language.

This is the epitome of martial arts mastery.

"[Tryonesbest] (leave no room for compromise)"

Amidst the faint, stumbling sound effects, two fists clashed.

The storm was shattered by sheer violence, and the remains of the dragon's head were once again crushed high in the sky.

The remaining sparks of Honkai Energy fell like petals. In this scene, the immortal looked directly at the girl, whose strength was exhausted and whose steps were unsteady, and said:

"Satou Yunona, you are excellent."

"But without exerting every effort, one can never break free from the shackles that bind one's own limitations."

As the girl slowly raised her head, her pupils trembling, she spoke, revealing the truth behind her training session that day.

"Use it, that power that Pseudo-Herrscher."

Pseudo-Herrscher.

This self-loathing, yet unchangeable fact held profound significance for Satou Yunona.

No more than ten people in the entire St. Freya knew about this, and among the faculty and staff, only Nishikujo Sara, Murata Himeko, and Theresa, the headmistress, knew.

Su Qing'an was the person involved, so naturally he couldn't hide it from her. As for the three girls she spent day and night with, Satou Yunona also knew very well that some things couldn't be completely concealed.

The girls in Himeko's family all have secrets and pasts they don't want to talk about.

Perhaps, more than their own experiences and their Pseudo-Herrscher identities, these women also have things they find difficult to talk about.

Satou Yunona can allow and accept that these people know, because the goodwill shown over time is genuine.

However, Satou Yunona, who had suffered repeated defeats against Fu Hua, with whom she was not particularly close and whose stance was not that of a mentor, found it difficult to remain calm after being bombarded with such information.

She straightened up; her armor was on the verge of destruction, a situation that, from Valkyrie's perspective, would be a death sentence in battle.

But for Satou Yunona, it was like letting a wild beast break free of its shackles.

The Third Generation Valkyrie Armor will only make her weaker. This is the limit of the St. Freya Academy Equipment Department, and it is also the result Theresa wants to see. From the leader's point of view, it is not surprising that no matter how many layers of shackles and constraints are placed on Satou Yunona, Pseudo-Herrscher.

The emerald armor is constantly linked to the bomb inside her heart. When it becomes necessary to detonate the bomb, this armor will not be an aid to help her escape death, but rather an accomplice that will push her into the abyss.

Satou Yunona knew all of these things.

Theresa didn't hide anything, which is why, knowing everything, she instinctively felt aversion and dislike towards the Emerald Armor.

Even if reason can explain why this is the right thing to do, emotions are beyond our control.

Therefore, unlike other Valkyrie who treasure their armor, Satou Yunona is unable to unleash the full power of the Emerald.

She still harbored a childlike stubbornness, but in the previous battle Satou Yunona had abandoned all of that.

All for the sake of defeating the one before me.

She unleashed the power of jade to a level that the designer could never have imagined when it was created, ignoring her inner resistance and unhappiness. The fundamental reason was simply that she didn't want to be overtaken by the sense of powerlessness deep within her heart.

Satou Yunona harbors a demon within her, and every negative emotion she experiences nourishes and amplifies that demon.

She is very uneasy now.

But that's not all; the turbulent emotional vortex began to pry open the floodgates of memories.

The immortal who appeared invincible before her eyes gradually merged with the Miko who had toyed with her fate that day, creating the same image.

Kill her.

The color before my eyes was just as crimson as it had been that day, overflowing with the boy's blood.

The power went berserk involuntarily, and the girl's scalded skin was completely healed by the violently radiating Honkai Energy fluctuations. Her tied-up purple hair fell loosely to the ground, with the ends floating slightly just before touching the surface.

It cannot go berserk; it cannot lose control.

Calm down, calm down!

She clenched her fists, using her willpower to forcefully control her actions.

Why? Wasn't the power sealed?

Even if the jade is ruined, the internal device should still slightly vibrate the heart after the power goes berserk, so as to make the user aware of the situation and suppress the power.

This was a backstab unlike anything she'd done under normal circumstances. Without being sealed, her level of vigilance and self-discipline were completely different.

But her unwavering will and inherent stubbornness prevented her from losing her composure, allowing her to successfully maintain her clarity of mind and reclaim all control over her powers.

The crimson light in her vision faded, and she looked at Fu Hua, who was quietly waiting for her answer, and asked:

"Class President, how do you know this?"

"Why is the Class President so strong? I've fought the headmistress; even A-rank Valkyrie wouldn't be this strong."

Satou Yunona's powers would run rampant, which was within Fu Hua's expectations, but Fu Hua was somewhat surprised and pleased that the other party was able to restrain herself and regain control.

This means that the hoped-for ending is not out of reach.

She gazed at the other person's face and answered softly:

Does it matter?

"Why didn't you choose Major Himeko or Headmaster Theresa, Sato? Perhaps many things are preordained."

"Actually, I've also wondered why I did this; it's not like me at all."

For a fleeting moment, the girl seemed to recall something, and a look of sorrow appeared on her face. But when she tried to trace the fragments of her memory, she could only find emptiness.

She suppressed the fleeting confusion that crossed her mind, stopped the conversation, and said calmly:

"It's been a long time since I've taught others so earnestly."

"So give it your all, Satou Yunona."

When the girl said those words, the expression on her innocent and beautiful face changed. She was like an immortal who had fallen from the world of mortals, with a hint of emotion and sadness.

What is most captivating is that profound loneliness and alienation that runs deep in one's bones.

Satou Yunona couldn't understand or empathize with everything the other person was going through, but for some reason, she suddenly felt as if she had seen a true part of the other person.

That was a scene different from Fu Hua's usual behavior in the outside world, and as soon as she realized this, her inner turmoil subsided considerably.

She said earnestly:

"Class President, please give me your guidance."

The moment the words fell, the core's dominant power radiated throughout the entire area, and countless bolts of Honkai Energy surged and roared like a raging torrent in the illusory space.

They surrounded Satou Yunona's body like guards of a king's throne, and were then sculpted into a verdant suit of armor.

This armor, modeled after jade, extends into an even more ferocious and beautiful form, signifying that Satou Yunona Honkai Energy has taken another step forward.

Everything comes back to life in this underground space, and the green forest spreads across the landscape in the blink of an eye, turning this place into the main stage.

Finally, the battle commenced with a scene of dozens of trees twisting into dragons, roaring and surging towards the immortals, serving as the battle clarion call.

Today, the Pseudo-Herrscher and the immortals engage in a true, unseen duel.