"Defeat her with everything you have.
But keep her alive."
Otto's voice was steady, but his mind churned.
He still didn't understand how the Second Herrscher possessed multiple cores—but speculation would get him nowhere.
What he did know was this:
Her Honkai output perfectly matched Sirin's readings from more than ten years ago.
She wasn't anywhere near the Fourth Herrscher's level.
Durandal, at full power, could handle her.
And the Desire Gem was clearly in Sirin's body.
Meaning the Fourth Herrscher was unlikely to appear.
As long as Durandal defeated Sirin, all answers would follow.
"Understood, Bishop," Durandal replied.
Even without his command, she already knew she would have to go all out.
The Sirin before her was not the same as moments ago.
If she kept holding back, she would lose.
Durandal — Star Anchor: Forge Form
A golden glow enveloped her.
The power of the World Bubble manifested into a radiant suit of armor wrapping her body.
Alongside it, she formed a shape-shifting golden lance forged from stellar energy—the spear resting dormant within her until summoned.
Sirin clicked her tongue.
"Tch—what are you, some kind of golden saint?
Whatever. Disappear."
Annoyed by the ornate transformation, Sirin directed her entire armory to fire.
BOOM—!
BOOM—!
BOOM—!
Explosions swallowed the floating island.
Smoke billowed.
Steel groaned.
Then she launched a barrage of Anti-Entropy mechs she'd replicated—and after hurling their shells, she flung the mechs themselves like meteorites at Durandal.
Sirin — Interrupted
Just as she prepared another volley—
Something in the smoke… stared at her.
Her instincts screamed—
Danger!
FLASH—!
A streak of gold burst from the smoke at terrifying speed.
Sirin reacted instantly, tearing open a subspace rift in front of her.
The golden light dove straight into the rift—
and then, impossibly, began stretching the subspace from within, swelling it like an overinflated balloon.
"Tch—!"
Sirin had no choice but to eject the energy behind her before it tore through her barrier.
KA-BOOM—!
The redirected blast destroyed her entire arsenal of Honkai-constructed weapons behind her.
She barely had a moment to breathe—
Durandal shot from the smoke, the spear aimed straight at her heart.
Sirin countered, unleashing lightning and wind from the cores within her body.
Otto — Disturbed Calculations
"What is wrong here? What is the missing piece?"
Otto leaned forward, studying the unfolding battle.
Everything he feared did not happen—
and yet that only made the situation stranger.
The Desire Gem was clearly authentic.
Not a fake core.
Not a mimicry.
Meaning Sirin had somehow obtained the Fourth Herrscher's Gem of Desire.
But how?
The difference in power between them was astronomical.
Unless—
Unless the Fourth Herrscher had some secret weakness.
His thoughts returned to the Fourth Herrscher's anomalous Honkai readings.
An unsolved mystery.
If she was truly gone…
Then this was the best outcome humanity could hope for.
He still regretted not learning why the Sankt Sakura Barrier and Godslayer Spear failed to affect her—but if he could seize the Second Herrscher…
It would be an acceptable trade.
His thoughts broke when a voice appeared in his communicator.
"Grandpa, can you hear me?"
"Of course, my adorable granddaughter. If you don't hurry back, the Second Herrscher will tear down Destiny's headquarters."
Otto sounded almost cheerful.
"So it really is Sirin? But…"
"I don't know either. Durandal is fighting her now—go help her."
The answer Theresa wanted could only be obtained after Sirin was subdued.
"…Understood."
The headquarters drew closer on the horizon. Theresa steeled herself.
She had many questions—
Cecilia most of all—
but first, they had to stop Sirin.
Battle — Sirin Losing Patience
Sirin evaded Durandal's golden spear by a hair, then teleported farther away.
Rage twisted her features.
"Damn human—
disappear!"
Two spatial cubes materialized beside Durandal, slamming toward her from both sides—
THUD—!
Durandal was caught between them.
Sirin smirked.
"Finally, I—"
CRACK—!!
Durandal shattered both cubes from within.
Sirin's expression twisted.
She was strong—too strong.
Before she could recover, something wrapped around her arm.
She turned—
Theresa stood there, Judah deployed.
"It ends here, Second Herrscher!"
Theresa was shocked beyond words, but her resolve didn't waver.
Whatever was happening, they needed to bring Sirin down and ask questions later.
Sirin did not panic.
She smiled.
"Don't think having more people will change anything.
I still haven't used my real power."
"Durandal—together!" Theresa called.
"Right!"
They charged—
But before either could strike—
A blinding light erupted from Sirin's body.
So intense that:
Durandal
Theresa
The Command Center's cameras
Every detection system in Destiny
—all overloaded simultaneously.
Command Room
"What… happened?"
The entire screen turned to static.
Otto stood abruptly, heart tightening.
"Lightning?
Electromagnetic interference…?"
He sank back into his chair, thinking fast.
Then—
The screens flickered and recovered.
Otto froze.
Sirin… looked different now.
Her aura.
Her presence.
Even her posture.
Something had changed.
Before he could identify it—
BEEEP—!
BEEEP—!
Warning. Honkai concentration is critical.
Evacuate immediately.
Warning. Honkai concentration critical…
"What…?"
Otto glanced at the Honkai meter—
And his breath stopped.
The number was climbing.
Not slowly.
Violently.
8,700
9,300
10,100
11,600
12,400…
It wasn't stopping.
"This… this must be a machine malfunction…"
There was no way.
Earlier, Sirin had barely exceeded six thousand.
To jump to twelve thousand in seconds—
Impossible.
"Durandal," Otto said quickly, "confirm the Honkai levels. Has her output changed?"
"Yes, Bishop," Durandal answered, voice tense. "Her Honkai energy has increased dramatically. We… we don't know why."
Sirin — Breaking
Sirin stood amidst the destruction, staring at the ruined headquarters.
Her expression twisted with disbelief.
"No…
No…
This world…
This isn't right…"
Something inside her cracked.
CLANG—!
The chains Judah had bound her with snapped like threads.
She slowly lifted her head—
Her eyes locked onto Theresa and Durandal.
"I understand now…
My beautiful world…
You destroyed it.
You…
It was all because of you…"
A voice—unknown—had whispered the truth into her mind.
And Sirin believed it.
Theresa began to speak—
"Wait, you—"
"Move!" Durandal shouted, grabbing her and leaping aside.
Because—
RIP—!!
The space Theresa had been standing on was swallowed by a yawning subspace rift.
Steel flooring vanished as cleanly as if sliced out of existence.
Theresa froze.
If she hadn't moved…
Durandal didn't look back.
"Thank you later.
We need to think—fast."
For the first time, Durandal's voice carried genuine concern.
This was worse than the Fourth Herrscher.
Much worse.
And Sirin was still rising in power.
Theresa — Desperation
"Durandal… I'm going to use Judah's zero-rated power."
Durandal's eyes widened.
"Headmistress—your body—!"
"There's no choice.
If the spatial rifts keep spreading, Destiny Headquarters will collapse into subspace."
Her wounds from the previous use hadn't healed.
Her body screamed at the mere thought.
But she had to try.
She only prayed the Second Herrscher wouldn't shrug off the Sankt Sakura Barrier the same way the Fourth Herrscher had.
Because they would not survive that outcome.
A sudden transmission chimed in—
"Theresa, the Moonlight Throne on the Hyperion is fully charged and aimed at the Second Herrscher.
What's your status?"
Himeko's voice cut through the chaos.
Just one command—
and the Moonlight Throne would fire.
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