Chapter 356: Witnessing History
Last of all, a golden afterimage tore across the sky. Carrying a pair of radiant javelins on her back, Sin Mal descended with an aura as violent as a storm. Sonic booms rippled outward in concentric rings as she broke through the atmosphere, white boots scraping sparks across the transparent platform before she came to a halt.
With her forward momentum spent, Sin Mal stood straight, face expressionless. She raised one hand and opened her small palm.
A moment later, Bronya, clad in a crisp gray-green military uniform, landed lightly—her single boot resting on Sin Mal's outstretched palm. With practiced ease, Sin Mal tilted her body, lowering Bronya gently to the ground.
Bronya adjusted the brim of her cap once her feet touched solid ground. Then, reaching out with one gloved hand, she pinched Sin Mal's chin and tilted her face left and right, scrutinizing her carefully.
Finding no visible wounds, her stoic expression finally softened. The corners of her lips lifted slightly.
"Not bad. You didn't act recklessly. Bronya is pleased you followed orders."
"Mm…"
Sin Mal twirled her fingers shyly, her dainty skirt swaying with her fidgeting. The wild ferocity from moments ago seemed like nothing more than an illusion.
"Bronya—onee-chan~~"
Just then, Seele came running over. She clung to Bronya's other arm, bashful yet brimming with joy.
Bronya's focus shifted. Stroking Seele's hair, her lips curved into a rare, gentle smile.
"Seele worked hard too. Bronya saw everything—you did very well."
"Mm! Seele— Seele will keep working hard!"
As the two exchanged words, Sin Mal clung to Bronya's other arm, shooting a sharp death glare past Bronya's shoulder straight at Seele for spoiling the mood.
Seele flinched at first. But then her eyes glowed red, and she quickly returned the stare with equal intensity, sparks of confrontation practically crackling between them.
Very clearly, this was Veliona stepping in to fight Seele's battle.
Bronya, however, remained unfazed. She calmly freed both arms, buttoned her uniform jacket, and walked over to the central table where the leaders of Anti-Entropy and Schicksal were seated. Without hesitation, she pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Well, you've got guts, Bronya."
Hera smiled faintly.
Think about it—those who had arrived before Bronya were either Herrschers or beings of equivalent, if not greater, power. Yet despite their strength, all of them stood respectfully off to the side once faced with Anti-Entropy's leader and Schicksal's acting Overseer.
Only Bronya sat down. Neither intimidated nor reverent.
Bronya looked at Hera with her usual poker face.
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"No, not at all. Here, have some tea."
Hera lifted the pot herself and poured a cup for Bronya.
That single gesture made several sharp-minded onlookers—Mei, Wendy, and others—narrow their eyes.
It was recognition. Recognition of Bronya's right to sit, recognition of her as an equal to Hera and Welt. For a member of Anti-Entropy who hadn't even reached the rank of Executor, such acknowledgment was extraordinary. Normally, only Sigurd, Welt, or Einstein would receive it. Even Tesla, despite Hera's warmth toward her, had never been recognized on equal footing.
Bronya accepted the cup and drank without hesitation.
"It's a good tea. Thank you."
"You're welcome. The Emperor's right hand in the future—or perhaps…" Hera's smile widened, eyes narrowing mischievously. "Should I be calling you Empress?"
The room fell silent as if struck dumb.
The air shifted.
Sin Mal blinked, then shrugged. As long as it wasn't Kiana outshining her, she didn't really care what Bronya was called.
Seele, on the other hand, looked as though lightning had struck her. Her face turned pale, eyes trembling as she stared at Bronya's back. Her lashes quivered, then she lowered her head, clutching her chest as tears welled in her eyes.
Wendy's expression hardened, narrowing her gaze at Bronya as her fists quietly clenched.
Mei, too, was struck speechless, mouth opening slightly before she froze, unable to process the revelation.
All around, others exchanged uneasy glances.
Only Siegfried broke the silence, scratching his head irritably.
"Don't talk nonsense. That kid Sigurd—cough, I mean His Majesty the Emperor—is supposed to marry my Kiana, isn't he?"
Ever since he had awakened, Siegfried had made a point to learn about his son-in-law—mostly by investigating Kiana and Sigurd's relationship. In the end, he was satisfied. He liked what he saw in the young couple. Naturally, he wasn't about to let Hera throw the conversation off track.
That's why Siegfried was confused, it's because from the way Hera said it, her words hadn't been meant as a joke.
Right after Siegfried said so, countless eyes shifted toward him.
The air grew heavier, stranger.
Siegfried scratched his head, bewildered by their stares.
"What are you all looking at? Kiana and Sigurd are officially together. She told me herself. What's the problem?"
No one answered. The silence stretched.
Only the unstable fluctuations of Honkai energy began to ripple tangibly through the air.
Clink!
Bronya tilted her head toward Hera, who was clearly enjoying the spectacle. She set her teacup back on the table with a soft tap, crossed her legs, and spoke coolly:
"It's normal for an emperor to have a harem."
The remark petrified everyone present—everyone except Sin Mal and Hera herself.
For a few seconds, time seemed to freeze. And when the girls finally regained their senses, their faces were tinged crimson—though the depth and reason behind their blush varied.
Siegfried abruptly shook his head.
"No way! Enough jokes. I won't allow that bastard to be unfaithful. If he's with Kiana, then it's one heart, one mind—no exceptions!"
Bronya's gaze stayed steady, voice flat.
"This is between us. Bronya does not require Uncle Siegfried's approval."
"You— wait, don't tell me you're seriously—"
"Let's end this topic here." Bronya cut him off sharply, turning her focus to Hera. "Now, the real issue still needs to be addressed."
She knew the importance of timing—never too soon, never too late. Some truths were inevitable, but not for today. With practiced ease, she shifted the conversation, tossing responsibility back to Hera with a look that all but said: You want a show? Fine. But pay for your ticket afterward.
Hera only shrugged, her smile blooming bright as spring.
"Yes, yes. As the Empress commands, I'll comply without complaint. Except… it seems we won't have to."
Her smile vanished. In its place came solemnity—yet her eyes burned with irrepressible anticipation.
The sky rippled. It was as though the vast blue heavens draped over the world were suddenly nothing but a stage curtain, trembling at unseen hands.
And beyond that trembling veil, a vast, unparalleled presence pressed down. Even the strongest among them felt their bodies stiffen beneath the weight of its aura.
Below, within the ruined city, countless mechanical husks shrieked as they swarmed together, clawing and trampling each other in a frantic climb. Their forms fused, merging upward, assembling into a towering monstrosity.
A giant was born—upper body shaped like a man with head and arms, lower body an ever-shifting mass of writhing machinery. In mere moments, it rose higher than the airborne base itself, a colossus bellowing defiance as its form stretched toward the trembling heavens.
"RROOOOAAARRR!!"
The roar thundered across miles, whipping the land into violent storm winds.
Its energy was unmistakably Herrscher-level, its sheer scale staggering. And the increasingly refined structure of its body suggested a terrifying intellect behind it—this Herrscher of Corruption's knowledge ran deeper than they'd feared, its power far beyond trivial.
The final counterattack had come, grander than any of them had predicted. It might take multiple Herrschers working together to bring it down.
And still, the abomination lifted its arms toward the sky. Cannons and machine guns unfolded in a dense forest across its body, aiming upward as if bracing against an unspeakable threat.
Then—
A black prow pierced through the trembling heavens.
From the rift emerged a vast, gray-black battleship, surging forward with unstoppable momentum. With a thunderous crash, it slammed down upon the towering monster.
"RRRRAAAAAGHHH!!"
BOOM!
The giant roared as titanic steel crushed into it. For an instant the two colossi struggled, locked in a clash that shook the world.
But the warship pressed down mercilessly.
First, the giant's arms shattered. Then its head, then its torso. At last, its entire bulk was driven into the earth, torn apart amidst a rain of metallic debris.
The ship crashed down atop the wreckage, burying the shattered husks beneath its impossible weight.
The earth split and warped, dust and rubble soaring high into the air. Shockwaves rippled outward for miles, a calamity descending like a natural disaster.
And through the deafening cacophony, Hera lifted her teacup to her lips, sipping lightly.
Then she smiled—a smile that widened, and widened still, until it became almost too radiant, too unrestrained.
"Ladies and gentlemen," her voice rang out, bright with exhilaration, "we are about to witness history itself!"
Her laughter burst forth, wild and unrestrained, echoing even over the rolling thunder of the battleship settling into the earth.
"Ahahaha!"
She laughed for her dream fulfilled. She laughed for the return of her long-awaited friends. She laughed for the dawn of an unknown new era.
And she laughed without restraint, joy spilling unbounded into the ruined sky.
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