"Why do this? For coordinates."
Sensing the intent transmitted by the Will of the Honkai, Selene replied calmly.
Without the leadership of higher-ranking Honkai Beasts, a tide of lower-tier Honkai Beasts born from a mere 1000 HW energy level would, at most, reduce some population and trigger global panic. It would serve little real purpose.
Having consumed so much Honkai energy to manufacture low-level Honkai Beasts, was that truly all Selene intended to do? That did not seem to align with the usual impression of her as a Herrscher.
"I have some modest experience in the use of space. By allowing Honkai to erode a wider area and raising the ambient Honkai concentration—even if the energy level is low—it is still easy enough to open small, stable spatial portals and send a few gifts through."
"I still have some foundations outside. Honkai Beasts have never been my main military force."
The pure white gradient silhouette manifested by the Will of the Honkai paused.
Once again, it carefully examined this child who had once left its jurisdiction.
Among the countless Herrscher vessels it had selected, their personalities had varied beyond record.
Some were filled with hatred for humanity. Some were dissatisfied with themselves. Some roared at the world. Some sought to redeem it. Some wished to banish Honkai forever...
Without exception, their consciousness had been nearly flawless in purity. Their souls were even more pristine, their wills firm.
These evaluations remained fitting even when applied to all Herrscher candidates across both the Current Era and the Previous Era.
But Selene—this one who had gone out to "grow on her own"—was different from every Herrscher it had ever encountered.
Her immaculate soul had been dyed in countless colors by what seemed like endless desire.
So too was the aura around her. It bore no resemblance to purity at all. To put it politely, it was abundant and complex.
Cruelty and mercy. Destruction and life. World-ending and world-saving. Revered and reviled. Praised and cursed...
Such contradictory and conflicting auras had somehow blended together in perfect harmony within her.
Had this Herrscher of Finality truly experienced so much?
If there was any desire within Selene that fluctuated the least, it was probably that yellow one.
"I want to know—when they speak of fighting for humanity and fighting for a better world, then what if the enemy is also human? What if the enemy is also fighting for their own beautiful future?"
An elegant smile curved at the corner of Selene's lips.
"Heh~ Now that would truly be something worth anticipating..."
As the final syllable fell, the body formed from Selene's secondary consciousness suddenly shattered, dissolving into streaks of light that vanished in a blink.
Afterward, the manifested Will of the Honkai gradually faded as well. The hazy, indistinct space fell silent once more, leaving only a fleeting shadow of a long, black serpent flashing far in the distance.
...
Within the Glazed Palace, Selene opened her eyes. "Attend me."
"Your Majesty!" The attendant hidden in the shadows stepped forward in small, quick strides and bowed.
"Inform Budo. It is time to depart. The coordinated operations between the Astartes Legions should be drilled as well."
"Yes!"
At that moment, Arisa—likely finished playing with her new friends—happened to return. Hearing Selene's words, she rushed over eagerly, blinking her eyes as she asked expectantly, "Queen, is there anything you need me to do?"
"You?"
Waving the attendant away, Selene pinched Arisa's cheeks. Amid the girl's little beast-like whimpers, she asked with amusement, "What can you do?"
"Waaah, Queen, you're bullying me! How am I useless?"
Seeing her pitiful expression, Selene's mind worked rapidly. "Ah, let me think... Hmm. How about I send you somewhere? You can act as the vanguard—just fly around the world a few times."
"Mm, Queen, but what exactly should I do?"
"What should you do..." Selene rested her chin on her hand. "On my behalf, go ahead and offer blessings to this wonderful world in advance."
Snap—rip!
"Come with me."
With a snap of her fingers, a prismatic black cavity tore open physical space. Selene grabbed Arisa and stepped inside.
On the other side, the Empire's vast war machine began to turn.
As the Empress who held absolute authority, no official dared discount Selene's orders. In less than a minute, the command was efficiently transmitted to the Legion Commanders of every Astartes Legion.
The Star Gates flared open. One streak of light after another plunged into them, while warships continuously rose from the orbital ports of each Astartes Legion.
...
Within the Honkai world, deep inside every major Honkai disaster zone, it was as though an invisible hand were manipulating the composition of Honkai energy.
Bzzzz—!
As time passed, more and more Honkai energy converged into a single point.
With a crack, upon reaching the critical threshold, the "violet sphere" exploded. A silent shockwave tore apart the surrounding space, forming a black cavity less than four meters in diameter.
Because the Honkai energy level was relatively low—and influenced by the ongoing Honkai Beast tides—the satellites and specialized monitoring equipment of the various forces on Earth continued to function normally, just as before. For the time being, they failed to detect fluctuations perfectly matching those of the Herrscher of the Void.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
From within the deep portal, orderly, thunderous footsteps gradually began to resound.
...
Central Europe. Austria. The outskirts of Vienna—Kolosten Town.
A town whose architectural style did not match the current era, composed of countless ancient buildings over several centuries old.
Though well preserved, it now stood completely deserted. Decaying green vines crawled along the walls, and the scent of rot lingered in the air.
Five hundred years ago, this had been the headquarters of Schicksal. It had also been an ancient battlefield.
Following that world-shaking global broadcast, the former Archbishop of Schicksal, Otto Apocalypse, once again stepped onto this land steeped in history—a place he both hated most and longed for.
Above Kolosten Town, the Hyperion—painted entirely white, 278.5 meters in total length with a deck length of 182 meters—hovered quietly in midair.
Its hull was extremely slender, shaped like an arrowhead. The color scheme was simple yet dignified. The overall smoothness and elegance it displayed were incomparable to the rough warships under Selene's command.
It was difficult to imagine the word "elegant" being used to describe a battleship, yet the Hyperion truly embodied it. After modifications by its previous, now-fallen captain, it had been converted from an aerospace carrier into a battleship in a manner so harmonious it was almost rare.
To serve aboard such a vessel would likely be quite pleasant.
But unfortunately, at this moment, no one paid attention to the scenery beyond the circular glass viewport of the command bridge. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
On the neatly arranged metallic deck, orange-red warning lights flashed urgently as staff members nervously operated various consoles and control panels.
"Report: Message from Schicksal Headquarters. A new Honkai Eruption has been detected. Honkai Beast hordes are rioting within disaster zones across the world. It is highly likely to be the precursor to the birth of a new Herrscher!"
Beep—beep—beep—!
Watching files appear on the system screen as hundreds of red warning windows flooded the projection display, the information observer at the small floating console hurriedly said, "This is the data transmitted by headquarters. Lady Theresa, please issue your instructions."
"Show me the video feed from the Siberian disaster zone."
"Yes! Transmitting now!"
Very quickly, the encrypted data from Schicksal Headquarters was uploaded onto the central screen of the bridge. The first thing that came into view was that terrifying outline—
"Damn it! Why does it have to be now?! Just our luck! Hey, chicken-head, think of something! How do we crack open Otto's turtle shell first?"
On the bridge, a petite woman with crimson twin-tails and a mechanical arm brace on her left arm shouted at a girl with light blue messy curls and a perpetually disheveled hairstyle—who looked about seventeen.
"There's no way. Breaking Otto's defenses in a short time is extremely difficult. The Moonlight Throne's standard output might not be enough..."
"Then think faster!"
"What's the point of rushing?"
Ignoring Tesla's urging, Einstein finished speaking and glanced at the screen before turning to Theresa, who seemed lost in thought.
"Theresa, could it be Otto? The light curtain he's using contains the power of a Herrscher."
On the central display of the bridge's information platform, the church where Otto stood was clearly covered by a golden light dome shaped like an inverted bowl.
"And based on Kiana's description, that light curtain appears to possess the power of the Herrscher of Binding. It suppresses Herrscher abilities. According to the order of Honkai's descent, after the Herrscher of Dominance comes the Herrscher of Binding, doesn't it?"
"Otto... he became a Herrscher..."
A legally petite girl with silver-white hair like Selene's—though even smaller in stature—murmured softly.
This angelic-looking young girl was the supreme administrator of St. Freya Academy and Schicksal's Far East Branch. She was Otto's rebellious "granddaughter" and the designated successor to the Archbishop position—Theresa Apocalypse.
"Mm. Very possible. But it also doesn't quite fit."
Exchanging a glance with Tesla, Einstein continued, "I'm not entirely sure either. Logically speaking, the birth of a single Herrscher only causes a Honkai Eruption in its specific region. Yet there are no signs of a major eruption here."
"Honkai Beasts across global disaster zones are awakening and rioting. Honkai concentration indices are rising, but the average remains below 700 HW. Even Siberia has only reached around 900 HW, not exceeding the 1000 HW threshold. It doesn't resemble the signs of a new Herrscher's birth."
After speaking, Einstein shifted her gaze from the screen and looked toward Theresa, whose expression was complicated.
The implication was obvious. Compared to the birth of an unknown new Herrscher, based on the information they possessed, the likelihood that Otto was behind this was undoubtedly greater.
Otto's five hundred years of obsession. Five hundred years of preparation. How many contingencies had he laid down? Einstein could not even begin to imagine.
Using his long tenure as Archbishop to leave behind hidden measures in disaster zones around the world... inducing Honkai energy leaks... then using stolen authority to guide Honkai Beast hordes into awakening and frenzy...
Seen this way, it seemed plausible. If not Otto, then who?
"Kiana, proceed according to the original plan. Prepare for combat." After a heavy nod, Theresa chose to trust Einstein's reasoning and contacted Kiana and the others outside the church's light curtain through the communication system.
For some reason, Theresa always found it harder to trust her "grandfather" than to believe outsiders.
"Use the breach created by the Moonlight Throne. You and Bronya must seize the opportunity."
"Understood!"; "Bronya acknowledges!"
After issuing her instructions, Theresa frowned deeply and asked, "If—I'm saying if—the Moonlight Throne's output fails to reach the threshold of that light curtain?"
"Then we can only seek another method." Einstein's expression did not change as she continued in her indifferent tone.
Hearing this, Tesla placed one hand on her hip and gritted her teeth. "The logic makes sense, but instead of squeezing out power bit by bit, I propose we go all in from the start. Pour all of the Hyperion's stored energy into one shot and gamble!"
"In theory, yes. But you understand that if we let the Moonlight Throne fire at maximum output... and it fails, we will lose all of the Hyperion's combat capability."
"True... With that leisurely attitude of his, Otto must have prepared further contingencies." Theresa nodded solemnly.
"Aaaargh—!"
Suddenly, Tesla grabbed her twin-tails and shouted irritably.
"This won't work, that won't work—what are we supposed to do? We can't just stall here! The Honkai disasters are intensifying. We must resolve Otto's matter quickly. If this really is the birth of a new Herrscher... we don't have time!"
Tesla's words plunged both Theresa and Einstein into silence.
Yes. Everything was still speculation.
If the worldwide rise in Honkai concentration was not Otto's doing but truly the precursor to a new Herrscher's descent... and merely the precursor was already of this scale—
At that thought, even Einstein felt a chill run down her spine. If it were on the same scale as the Second Honkai Eruption—Sirin—even the smallest probability was a gamble they could not afford.
At this moment, Einstein sincerely hoped that the global Honkai Beast frenzy was indeed Otto's scheme.
Damn it.
Even someone as composed as she could not help cursing inwardly. The timing of this Honkai Eruption was impeccably chosen—precisely when they were stretched thin.
"...No matter what, the plan itself is sound. And we do not have many options." Knowing time was critical, Theresa quickly made her decision.
They would gamble.
"I'll rendezvous with Kiana and the others. The Moonlight Throne's output settings and all related preparations are entrusted to you two, Doctors. Depending on the situation, full output is authorized." After speaking, Theresa quickly ran out of the bridge.
"No problem. That's not difficult. Worst case, we'll settle it with rock-paper-scissors." Tesla waved toward Theresa as she disappeared through the metal door.
As Theresa's figure vanished, Tesla lowered her arm. The forced smile on her face faded.
"Hey, chicken-head. Are you confident?"
"Whether we are or not, we need to accelerate." Einstein did not answer directly. Instead, she silently directed the operators to activate and deploy the Moonlight Throne's main cannon system.
Hummmm—!
As the shipborne anti-Herrscher armament, the main cannon—Moonlight Throne—unfolded, the Hyperion resonated with the sound of countless turbines spinning in unison, gathering energy.
Arms folded across her chest, Einstein stared at the church enveloped by the golden light curtain on the screen and murmured, "I... almost hope Otto is capable of this."