POV returns to the battlefield.
The campaign against the third Herrscher was not going smoothly. Based on data relayed from the front lines, this Herrscher's core ability was preliminarily assessed as "control over electromagnetic fields."
This explained why all electronic devices in the surrounding area had failed, even the most basic communication equipment reduced to useless scrap.
Compared to the first two Herrschers, this one was equally troublesome.
Since most high-tech equipment couldn't operate normally or fulfill its intended functions, the only option was to send personnel into the target zone for reconnaissance.
As one of the few combatants who had faced a Herrscher directly, Elysia was naturally among them.
The scattered Honkai beasts posed no real threat. They drifted blindly through the ruins like iron filings drawn to a magnet, destroying everything in their path…
The true threat was the Herrscher entrenched at the heart of the disaster.
Of course, there were still options… like deploying orbital weapons or nuclear arms.
…
When Elysia finally navigated through the layers of wreckage to reach the central area, she saw the figure standing atop the highest point of the ruins.
The girl with long black hair was just there, standing quietly, her hair lifted by the wind, an unusual fluctuation rippling behind her.
Most unsettling were her eyes—hollow, as if her soul had been siphoned away, leaving behind only an exquisitely crafted puppet shell.
This girl was the Herrscher, the source of this colossal catastrophe.
She really was quite a cute girl too…
Elysia gazed at the Third Herrscher, sighing softly in her heart, but now was clearly not the time for such sentiments.
As if sensing the newcomer, the girl slowly turned her head.
Her unfocused eyes lingered on Elysia for a moment before her figure instantly teleported into the distance.
Electromagnetic acceleration, huh…
Elysia said nothing, immediately giving chase…
At the same time, the Honkai beasts around them seemed to receive some sort of signal, beginning to swarm in from all directions.
Catching sight of the Herrscher's form once more, Elysia hesitated no longer. Her pink longbow drew into a full crescent, and two specially crafted arrows shot forth.
But bizarrely, the arrows came to an unnatural halt around the Herrscher, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.
The entire area had long been distorted by the electromagnetic field, the sky gloomy and oppressive as if ready to collapse.
Elysia's body reacted before her mind could—she rolled sharply to the side just as a bolt of lightning struck the spot where she had been standing, blasting a charred crater into the concrete road.
Controlling electromagnetic fields meant manipulating lightning was merely the simplest application.
More troublesome was that unseen electromagnetic barrier; conventional attacks simply couldn't penetrate it. She needed to find a way to break through this defense, or… retreat for now and reconsider her strategy.
Just then, an anomaly occurred.
A stream of pink light descended from the sky, its familiar energy signature making Elysia's heart tighten. This… was Vya?
Why had she come back?
The little girl landed steadily on the ground. It seemed after her first experience, she had already grown accustomed to this method of landing.
"Sis…"
She mumbled drowsily, as if just waking from a dream.
Ah…!
Vya seemed to suddenly snap to alertness, looking around with curiosity.
She only saw a black-haired sister standing before her.
Eyes empty, the light around her… no, unlike other humans, this sister emitted no light at all, only a disquieting void.
"Vya, watch out!"
Elysia shouted, rushing over immediately.
"Sis—"
Before Vya could finish calling out…
Lightning is far faster than any human.
But something was even faster… At the critical moment, countless pink crystals materialized out of thin air, instantly enveloping both of them. Elysia felt something within her body being tugged.
Was it the connection between her and Vya? Or something else…
But there was no time to dwell on it now.
These pink crystals responded as if an extension of her own will. With a wave of Elysia's hand, more crystals surged forth like a tidal wave, erecting a barrier around them.
"It seems… they can be used another way too~"
Saying this, she turned her palm upward. Pink crystals gathered and extended in her hand, finally transforming into a crystalline, translucent spear.
Elysia stood poised with the spear, then leapt up, springing forth from within the pink crystal formation.
At this moment, Elysia felt her cells come alive; her speed and strength had increased by more than a notch.
The spear shot toward the electromagnetic barrier like a meteor. Upon contact, the spear shattered inch by inch—transforming into pink fragments.
But… a smile curled at the corner of Elysia's lips.
The shattered crystals instantly morphed into countless sharp "petals" that assailed the Herrscher.
Sensing this sudden change, the Herrscher's figure shifted once more…
Simultaneously, several bolts of lightning streaked toward Elysia from different directions.
Yet they were all blocked, one by one, by the pink crystals…
The crystalline spear reformed in Elysia's hand. She vaulted high into the air, stepping on crystal platforms condensed mid-air, the spear's tip aimed directly at the Herrscher who had just reappeared below.
Gripping the spear with both hands, she thrust down with all her might.
This strike concentrated her full power, the spear focusing its force on a single point. In just an instant, the barrier was violently pierced!
All of this happened in an extremely short span of time.
Vya stared blankly. Though she hadn't yet grasped the situation, why were these two sisters fighting…
But a voice in her heart kept reminding her: she had to do something.
Whether for Elysia, or for that black-haired sister…
But the Herrscher dodged again, the moment her shield was pierced.
It seemed this would be a protracted battle.
Just then, Vya made her move.
Vya suddenly rushed forward and embraced the black-haired girl. In a dimension invisible to all, a thin thread extended from the Herrscher core, connecting to Vya—this was already the third one.
Vya also sensed something: that black-haired sister seemed deeply sad.
As if seeking release.
"Is that it…"
Vya whispered softly.
Pink crystals began to spread from her body, quickly enveloping both of them together.
Seeing this, Elysia hurriedly charged over, trying to separate the growing crystal cocoon.
"It's alright, sis."
Vya gently reassured her. "It won't hurt for much longer…"
The thunder gradually subsided, the dark clouds beginning to disperse.
The Herrscher core within the girl flashed once, seemingly tugging at the other two threads inside Vya's body.
A long moment passed as Elysia stared in stunned silence at everything before her.
After the crystals vanished… Vya had disappeared too…
…
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