Our Queen / The Burning Tree ...

Chapter 113 Our Queen

"Captain, we've encountered unknown individuals blocking our way." The voice coming through the earpiece did not faze Durandal; she merely frowned and asked, "Casualties?"

Alvit looked at the little girl ahead who was as quiet as a doll. The child wore an oversized white dress, its loose collar slumped over one side of her body, slipping down her petite shoulder to her armpit.

Seemingly hearing the communication between her and Durandal, the little girl blankly raised her head, rubbed her sleepy eyes with her fingers, and then let out a massive yawn.

Seeing the child's actions, Alvit grew tense, terrified that she would suddenly launch an attack. Yet after yawning, the little girl made no further movements, merely standing dazed in place, looking entirely like a harmless little girl.

However, Alvit knew very well that despite the child looking so harmless, whenever her teammates prepared to bypass her, a powerful force would instantly descend and directly send the breakthrough team flying.

"No casualties for now, the target is a strange little girl who hasn't actively initiated attacks; her purpose seems merely to block us." Briefly describing the current situation, Alvit continued, "She can use an invisible force, and every time we try to leave, we get attacked."

After listening to her subordinate's report, Durandal shook her head. "Since she doesn't intend to harm you, stay put for now. Once I finish things here, I'll come find you myself."

She did not blame the Blade of Immortality for being blocked by a little girl; Durandal was strict with herself yet extremely lenient with others, which was why she enjoyed ultra-high popularity among the Valkyries.

"Captain, their target is definitely you, please be careful." As the chief little fangirl, Alvit was somewhat worried, but Durandal's strength was beyond her concern, so she could only temporarily shift her focus back to the little girl opposite her.

Just then, a member seemed to have probed the boundaries of Griseo's ability. Seizing the moment her teammates made a breakthrough attempt, she immediately began running in the opposite direction. As long as she successfully broke through, it would mean Griseo's attacks followed a traceable pattern.

Golden light flashed across Alvit's eyes, and that breakthrough team member was batted right back by the formless force.

How could they possibly be allowed to exploit loopholes? Although Su Jue was currently unable to manage everything due to maintaining the balance of multiple Herrscher cores, fortunately, he had placed a Core of Domination inside Alvit's body beforehand, keeping every move of the Blade of Immortality under his watchful eye.

At this moment, at the location of the falling meteor, Kiana's descending figure drew closer and closer. Holding the Black Abyss White Flower, Durandal took a deep breath, then thrust it fiercely into the ground.

In an instant, tree seeds began to sprout and grow, countless branches spreading out. The intertwined, massive trunk tore directly through the city built of steel and concrete, forming a towering giant tree.

A blinding white light soared straight into the clouds, the power originating from creation stretching toward the sky like a mother preparing to catch her daughter. Just like Cecilia of many years ago, soft branches caught Kiana as she fell from the sky.

The unconscious girl was completely unaware, quietly collapsing upon the tree branches. Durandal stood beneath the tree, but her gaze turned toward her rear.

Mei, who had run for her life, finally caught up. Without even regulating her breathing, she raised the blade in her hand toward Durandal.

"Let Kiana go." The message she had received earlier still echoed in her mind; Su Jue had described in excruciating detail the cruel experiments Kiana was about to undergo, inevitably adding plenty of exaggeration along the way. Because of this, Mei could not spare any extra thought before launching a challenge against Durandal.

As the strongest Valkyrie, Durandal's battle records and moniker were naturally intimately familiar to Mei. Even so, after being provoked by Su Jue once, Mei was now desperate to prove herself.

More importantly, Kiana seemed to have a new friend, and that person would be a member of the Kiana Organization. To win Kiana back and bring her to her side, Mei had to show that she was stronger than them.

The masked man was right; only power could protect the people she cherished, so, fight.

The blade pierced through the flowing light, instantly assaulting Durandal. Honkai Energy surged throughout her body, transforming into electromagnetic currents under the amplification of the Strike Armor. Weak currents continuously stimulated Mei's body, causing her speed to continuously climb, swift as lightning.

Yet Durandal merely frowned slightly. The Black Abyss White Flower blocked Mei's attack at an exquisite angle, and then the spear thrust forward, forcibly beating back Mei's offensive.

"I'm merely following orders to take Kiana back, Raiden Mei, you can't keep me here." Even under Mei's frenzied attacks, Durandal's tone remained unhurried, yet this composure only further provoked Mei.

When she lost to Thousand Calamities earlier, Mei had not felt the disparity in strength was so vast, but now facing her own continuous onslaught, Durandal's breathing hadn't even disrupted.

This terrified her. What she feared wasn't losing, but that after losing, Kiana would drift away from her, and that after losing, Kiana would still have to endure those torments.

"I will never allow you to take her away." The output of the Strike Armor was pushed directly to the maximum, and the powerful Honkai Energy even began to erode Mei herself. Her pale-purple eyes were tainted with a touch of madness—the same madness she had once witnessed on Thousand Calamities.

Injured? Don't care!

Eroded? Doesn't matter!

I need faster, more powerful, more fatal attacks.

Finally, under Mei's desperate attacks, Durandal took a step back, but that was all.

She nodded earnestly, replying, "In that case, let strength do the talking."

In a flash, boundless Honkai Energy converged, and Durandal's aura continuously climbed—this was the oppression stemming from absolute strength. The power of holiness and sovereignty began to materialize, gradually gathering into a tall phantom knight.

"End it." Supreme power swirled upward, and the knight wielding a greatsword looked down upon Mei, raising the greatsword in its hand against her.

At this moment, Mei truly experienced what the oppression of death felt like; she finally understood that the gap in strength could not be bridged by sheer will.

However.

"Some beliefs cannot be stopped even by death."

Thunder roared, silver snakes danced wildly, and Mei's eyes bloomed with ultimate lightning. She shouted, screaming, and swung her final blade toward the descending greatsword.

There was always undying thunder daring to face the brilliance of sovereignty.

Electric light flickered, and the knight's shadow vanished like a shattered dream.

Her stamina exhausted, Mei stood behind Durandal. She still maintained the posture of her slash, but tears slid down her cheeks, continuously dripping.

Durandal lifted her spear, and Mei collapsed in response.

The girl sprawled on the ground, lacking even the strength to struggle and crawl, looking with despair as Durandal walked step by step toward Kiana.

"I can't do anything."

At this moment, she yearned desperately for power.

"Kiana..." Amidst despair, she kept praying, praying that everything could change, praying that someone could save her.

"Welcome to..."

Ahem, almost mixed up my lines.

"We are the failures spurned by mortals, the outcasts forgotten by gods, the watchers of the world's darkness."

"We are—Kiana!"

Within the city, people hidden beneath hoods raised their heads, murmuring the same prayer. Some were as arrogant and flamboyant as Thousand Calamities, some as serene and gentle as Griseo, some were ordinary neighborhood girls, while others were fanatical believers.

"Lady Kiana, our queen, our salvation and glimmer of light, we have come to welcome you."

Chapter 114 The Burning Tree

Respectful, humble, dutiful servants lowered their heads, bowing toward the direction of the towering giant tree.

And upon those tree branches holding up the sky, starlight was scattering, and scorching heat was spreading.

That was a wisp of starlight coming from the heavens. Then, flourishing flames surged, starting from the spot where Kiana had fallen, like blazing fire attempting to swallow the world tree, clinging and climbing down along the trunk.

In the blink of an eye, the fire that could burn away the world had ignited the giant tree spawned by the Black Abyss White Flower.

The scorching firelight and surging heatwaves practically lit up the entirety of Sky City, as if deities had cast down divine punishment, the raging fire reflecting upon everyone's cheeks.

The gazes of Kiana's followers carried yearning, their eyes chewing on piety, welcoming their queen with the most humble posture.

Such a bizarre scene had already fallen into the minds of all the observers. This sudden Kiana Organization entered the battlefield with an overwhelmingly grotesque style, and even Otto, who had already begun making preparations for subsequent experiments, could not help but change his expression slightly, continuously guessing at their origins.

Meanwhile, Rita, who was fighting Himeko, undoubtedly had even stronger sensory feedback. During their several clashes, she distinctly sensed that her opponent's origin was extraordinary; neither her words and actions nor her combat style could belong to an ordinary person. Yet tonight, the other party's lavish evening gown only firmly cemented her suspicion—a woman possessing such elegant temperament must have been born to high nobility.

However, at this moment, this woman exuding noble temperament looked even more like a maid than Rita did, her clear eyes devoid of any self-indulgent turbidity, reflecting only the flames igniting the sky.

This made her scalp tingle somewhat; this level probably transcended the degree of organizational belief, resembling more of a crazy religion. And what she found even harder to understand was precisely when Kiana had gathered so many people, and how she managed to make them so loyal to herself.

One must know that looking at the revealed Kiana Organization members so far, every single one taken out individually was top-tier combat strength among the major organizations. Even placed in Schicksal, this red-haired woman would be a top-tier A-Rank Valkyrie, second only to Rita in status. And according to the description of the Blade of Immortality members, the little girl who had blocked them possessed bizarre abilities, and her combat strength was preliminarily estimated to also be a top-tier A-Rank.

Not to mention there were even more hidden Kiana Organization members scattered in the crowd whose strength was definitely not to be underestimated. Yet for an organization with such massive combat strength, not a whisper of news had leaked prior to this.

The only possibility was that the Herrscher of Void had begun making layouts a long time ago, and anyone capable of achieving this...

At this thought, Rita suddenly recalled Siegfried, who had defected a long time ago. Siegfried back then was already deeply affected by the Honkai genes in his body; if anyone could pave the way for Kiana, probably only someone who had come into contact with the Honkai could do it.

The thoughts flashed through her mind. Schicksal's capture plan had been disrupted by Kiana, and Durandal's side must have been attacked by them as well. Rita inevitably felt some worry in her heart; her frost scythe no longer held back as she slashed directly toward Himeko.

Naturally, Himeko did not fall behind. Su Jue had now fully liberated the power of the Plague Gem, and as a puppet of the Herrscher of Domination, Himeko could similarly borrow a portion of the gem's power from Su Jue. Pitted against Rita, it was hard to say who would win or lose.

Flame and frost collided here, steaming up massive clouds of vapor. Quite a few citizens who hadn't completely evacuated let out screams. Yet compared to the burning tree in the center of the city, the battle between the two could only be considered a small affair.

The moment the Tree of Creation was ignited, Durandal noticed the massive Honkai Energy fluctuations appearing atop the treetops.

The firelight reflected within her azure eyes, similarly dyeing the lance in her hand a fiery red.

Gazing at the flames in the sky, Durandal pressed her body downward, assuming a stance to build momentum. Accompanied by her movement, the guardian knight that Mei had shattered with all her might moments ago instantly regenerated.

The charging phase ended, and the ground suddenly fractured, the heavy cement forming a circular deep crater under the impact of the reaction force. Launching skyward, Durandal's entire figure transformed into blue light, flying toward the treetops together with the knight phantom.

After the Tree of Creation was ignited, the overlapping layers of branches had already formed a fiery barrier, but this had zero effect on Durandal.

Like a sharp sword, she easily tore through the layers of flame blockades, after which Kiana's figure finally came into view.

Having just absorbed the energy of the Honkai Bomb, Kiana had unsurprisingly fallen unconscious. Confirming she was out of danger, Durandal's gaze grew solemn.

What she was staring at was the young man holding Kiana, on whom emanated a sense of oppression that even she found tricky.

From outward appearances, he clearly looked like a completely ordinary youth. His face carried a hint of youthful immaturity, appearing no older than seventeen or eighteen—even two years younger than Kiana.

What was more, the youth's figure was slender and gaunt, his complexion pale, giving off a sickly impression as if he would topple over if someone pushed him gently.

Yet it was precisely such a frail youth who made even Durandal feel somewhat uneasy.

The youth stood quietly amidst the raging flames, holding the sleeping Kiana in his embrace.

The scorching heatwaves did not affect him in the slightest, nor did Durandal's arrival attract his gaze; the youth's line of sight remained fixed on Kiana from beginning to end.

From that focused gaze, Durandal read lingering attachment and reluctance to part, like a husband whose life was nearing its end, silently bidding farewell to his wife.

The surrounding air grew increasingly scorching hot; Durandal did not wish to drag things out any further. She raised her lance, pointing straight at the youth.

"Who are you?"

Hearing Durandal's voice, Su Jue seemed to finally snap out of it. The serene time was broken as he let out a sigh.

Gently lifting his arm to support her, he shifted Kiana from a two-handed hold to a single-handed cradle, allowing her to rest securely against his shoulder. Su Jue extended his freed right hand forward, and the fiercely burning flames around them seemed to receive some kind of attraction, gradually beginning to backflow and gather, ultimately transforming into a fiercely burning flame greatsword that landed in his hand.

"I am... Kiana." His voice was imbued with unsuppressible fatigue, resembling a traveler who had walked through the desert for days, longing for an oasis to rest.

With a wave of the greatsword in his hand, the flames of the Tree of Creation—hundreds of meters high—were cut asunder as if neatly sliced, completely separating. Between the two seas of fire, Su Jue raised his head, his gray eyes locking thoroughly with Bianca's azure ones.

Chapter 115 Pure Love Greatsword

Bianca had never heard this name before, but the youth before her undoubtedly gave her the feeling of a Herrscher—a dying Herrscher.

This feeling was quite wondrous, because theoretically, a Herrscher's lifespan should be extremely long; unless eliminated by others, they could extract energy from the Imaginary Space at any time to sustain themselves. Since records began, there had never been any account of a Herrscher dying of old age or illness.

Unless the target was not a complete entity, but an existence akin to a pseudo-Herrscher. They were born relying on true Herrscher entities, capable of acquiring a portion of a Herrscher's powers. And within Schicksal, there happened to be relevant records; in the archives of the 2nd Honkai War, the Herrscher of Void Sirin had once divided her gems among three others, creating three Herrscher-like beings.

Yet those three entities were all female, naturally possessing a relatively high adaptability to Honkai Energy, whereas the youth before her—though showing no obvious signs of being eroded—must have had his lifespan impacted as well.

Of course, all of this was mere guesswork, and Durandal could not make up her mind for the moment. But regardless, Kiana had to be retrieved; even facing a Herrscher, she had to win.

Just as Bianca prepared to make her move, Su Jue was also observing her.

Bianca Ataegina, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie. Possessing the combined bloodlines of the Kaslana and Schinitz holy blood, she was born to be the savior of this world, a true Child of Destiny. And the name Kiana Kaslana should originally have belonged to her as well, only to be inherited by the current Kiana due to a twist of fate.

A true name represented a person's entire life, and Bianca, stripped of her name, had unquestionably had everything belonging to her stolen away. Meanwhile, K423, who had acquired the name Kiana, was similarly destined to spend her life overshadowed by that name. This was a tremendous wound to both of them.

Su Jue was unclear what Siegfried had been thinking back then, but today he had no desire to ponder that much. Kiana was Kiana; he was going to thoroughly snatch this name away from Bianca. He wanted everyone in the world to know that the white-haired one was the true Kiana, even if this was extremely unfair to Bianca.

Yet where in this world was there so much fairness? What belonged to oneself had to be fought for. Su Jue was not only going to snatch the name back from Kiana, but he was also going to snatch her away from Schicksal's clutches.

"Bianca Durandal Ataegina, I am deeply sorry." Whispering softly to Bianca, Su Jue raised the greatsword in his hand. "Kiana belongs to me."

"..." Durandal did not catch his subtext; she was more familiar with combat, and the victor possessing everything was the belief engraved deep within her heart.

The next second, flames blazed across the entire sky, scorching the air to crackle audibly.

Durandal's gaze narrowed, the God-Slaying Armor instantly activating as a pale-blue energy light shield materialized to withstand Su Jue's slash.

Accompanied by crystal-shattering sounds, the flames were isolated, and the Black Abyss White Flower pierced through the air, thrusting against the greatsword in front of Su Jue. The Divine Key possessed immense might, but Su Jue currently possessed a portion of the Serenity Gem's power, rendering the Black Abyss White Flower of little effect against him.

Parrying the lance, Su Jue spun half a circle like a dancer while holding Kiana, sweeping the greatsword upward in a slash. Wielding the sword with just one hand, this scorching strike nevertheless forced Durandal to retreat a distance.

"Herrscher of Flames?" Feeling the temperature of the flames on the greatsword, Durandal's expression shifted slightly, choosing not to clash head-on with Su Jue. The destructive capacity of the Herrscher of Flames was far too strong, and the Black Abyss White Flower might even be damaged in battle. This was Cecilia's weapon, and since Durandal considered herself merely a user, she naturally wished to cherish it.

This did not mean she would back down, however. The God-Slaying Armor Radiant Knight: Moonshadow flared with light, and the divine seat weapon [Hler of Eternal Silence] appeared in her hands.

The heavy lance was something an ordinary person would struggle to grip, yet Durandal effortlessly held one in each hand.

"Awaken, defender of glory." Accompanied by the girl's voice, a tall guardian knight wielding a greatsword descended from the sky, slashing down toward Su Jue. Simultaneously, an explosive sound rang out in the air as a lance hurtled toward Su Jue at near-supersonic speed.

The fatal attacks sealed off all of Su Jue's retreat routes. To parry them required letting go of Kiana in his arms, but how could Su Jue possibly let go? Since there was no retreat, he simply wouldn't back down.

Even the Heavenly Fire Judgment wielded by Siegfried could defeat Sirin; having mastered the abilities of the Herrscher of Flames and now holding the Pure Love Greatsword in hand, how could Su Jue have any reason to retreat?

Crimson flames gushed forth, the ultimate high temperature instantly incinerating the surrounding air. With this single sword strike, Moonshadow's guardian knight was once again beaten into nothingness. Meanwhile, the Hler thrown by Bianca grazed past his shoulder, blood gushing out.

Su Jue merely frowned slightly, reversing his grip on the greatsword to place it directly against the wound. Accompanied by the smell of burning flesh, the wound was seared shut into a scar. The splashing blood was likewise vaporized by the high temperature. Cradling his maiden in his arms, Su Jue closed the distance to Durandal instantly via the high-speed mobility of the Herrscher of Void.

Clang.

The spiritual shield shattered once more, yet this time it could not stop Su Jue's sword. A scorched scent drifted over, and Bianca's golden hair was nearly ignited. Still, she managed to rely on the Black Abyss White Flower in her hand to stubbornly withstand the blow.