Chapter 258: Come Back, My Friend
The overwhelming pressure made Seele nervous, but Veliona and Wendy remained completely unfazed. On the contrary—they were eager for battle.
The only issue was—
"She… looks so much like Kiana!"
Seele murmured in confusion, unable to make sense of the situation.
This was also the reason for Veliona and Wendy's moment of hesitation. When it came to Sirin, they were completely clueless.
However, that quiet whisper seemed to reach the ears of the queen on the throne, causing her brows to furrow as an unmistakable killing intent surged forth.
Whoosh!
In an instant, countless Void Spears shot from all directions, aiming straight at the one who had just spoken—Seele.
Veliona reacted immediately, throwing out two massive metal claws, weaving through the air at lightning speed to intercept and block all the attacks targeting the small girl behind her.
At the same time, Wendy raised her head. Countless blades of Ideal Fluid formed in an instant, silent yet devastating, launching forward like a raging storm.
"Who cares what she is? We take her down first, ask questions later!"
Wendy's voice rang out with determination.
No matter what this Kiana lookalike actually was, one thing was clear—she was not an ally. And without a fight, there was no room for discussion.
However, as Wendy's countless Ideal Fluid blades closed in, Sirin did not summon a Void Shield to defend herself.
After all, while Void Spears were a convenient and powerful ability, Ideal Fluid was the most destructive physical power among all Herrscher abilities—using a Void Shield against it would be pointless.
But in truth—Sirin didn't need to defend at all.
In Wendy's perception, her unblockable attack passed right through Sirin—as if she wasn't even there.
"What—?!"
Wendy's eyes widened in shock.
Sirin remained seated on her throne, gazing down at them with cold indifference, the corners of her lips curling into a chilling smirk.
With both Authority of Space and Authority of Domination in her grasp, this theater of control had become her domain—where every single spatial change was dictated by her will alone.
And now, with the Authority of Ice added to her arsenal, Sirin wielded three different Herrscher abilities at once.
Moreover, Veliona's very existence relied on the Authority of Domination—to put it simply, she was like a manager in a major corporation, just like all the other dolls. They could vote on decisions but couldn't interfere with one another.
But Sirin?
She was the newly appointed CEO, the sole decision-maker. She had the power to fire anyone at will.
With a superior energy source, absolute control of the battlefield, and the suppression of her opponents' abilities, this battle was nothing more than a warm-up game for Sirin.
The battle raged on for an uncertain amount of time—due to the different space-time rules in this realm, it was impossible to tell how long had actually passed.
But the outcome was already decided.
Veliona had lost her physical form, forcibly returned to Seele's body.
Now, only Wendy and Seele remained—battered, bloodied, and suspended midair by the restraints of Void Bands, completely powerless to resist.
"Haaah~"
Sirin let out a bored yawn, casually holding a nail file that had appeared from who-knows-where, leisurely polishing her already flawless nails.
Her expression was one of complete disinterest.
"Who… are you… really?"
Wendy struggled weakly against her restraints, her injured body unable to put up any resistance.
Her frustration was almost unbearable.
This entire fight had been utterly humiliating!
Veliona had inexplicably lost her power, crushed in an instant.
Seele lacked proper combat instincts, panicking and getting defeated quickly.
And as for Wendy herself?
No matter how strong her attack power or defenses were—when the entire world itself was her enemy, how was she supposed to fight back?
None of her attacks could even touch Sirin.
None of her defenses could block attacks that came from space itself.
This kind of enemy—was completely unbeatable.
"Why would the one who is about to die bother knowing more?"
Sirin didn't even bother to lift her head. Her voice was cold and contemptuous.
"Farewell. At the same time, under the dominion of this theater, become part of my power!"
Countless Void Spears appeared in the air, aimed directly at the two defenseless girls.
But in the next moment, a doll suddenly materialized behind Sirin, swinging a blade down at her.
Bang!
With raw, overwhelming Honkai energy, the doll was violently blasted to the ground.
Its shattered body began to reform—a black mist seeping from the cracks like invisible threads, stitching the pieces back together.
Then, in a twisted posture, it stood up once more.
Sirin finally put down her nail file, her gaze shifting lazily yet sharply toward the strange doll.
"I was wondering why there was an unfamiliar energy lurking in my theater... So, what exactly are you? How did you manage to hide inside these worthless dolls?"
At the same time, the Authority of Wind and Authority of Death had been fully integrated into Sirin's body.
An unprecedented, terrifying power—something Wendy and Seele had never seen before—now radiated unchecked from Sirin's elegant and stunning form.
Wendy and Seele could do nothing but slump as they lost consciousness.
"Such a terrifying power… unheard of."
The strange doll looked up at Sirin from below, its voice carrying a mature and alluring tone, completely different from the other dolls' usual childlike clarity.
"Answer me. What exactly are you? And what kind of Authority is this…?"
"Or perhaps… Are you using a God Key? If your power wasn't on that level, you wouldn't have been able to silently take control of this doll."
The doll tilted its head slightly, unhurried and composed.
"Apologies. I have no habit of explaining things in detail to an enemy before victory is secured."
"Besides, the one I serve would never allow me to do so."
Sirin's lips curled into a cold, dangerous smile.
"Is that so? Then you can go die now."
"Before that, allow me to take these two young ladies with me. Surely, you no longer have any use for them?"
The doll tilted its head stiffly, making a polite yet unsettling request.
Sirin's smirk remained, her voice carrying a chilling amusement.
"You can try."
"Then I won't hold back."
BOOM!!!
The space distorted—and in the place where the strange doll had stood, there was now nothing.
At the same time, the two girls bound by Void Bands had vanished as well.
Sirin's smile faded.
"What a peculiar ability… Not only did it control the doll's consciousness, but it also seized its Authority… And then used that to escape from this theater, which is built upon the Authority of Domination."
She let out a small sigh before shaking her head.
"Oh well, just another weakling. Next time we meet, I'll send you straight to hell."
She paid no further attention to the remaining dolls trapped in the far corners of her theater.
Instead, she lifted her gaze—as if peering through space itself—and for the first time, her icy expression melted into a tender smile.
"Come back… Come back to me… My Bella… My most loyal friend."
When she whispered Bella's name, something in her eyes softened—as if for the first time in a long while, she truly felt something.
<+>
Reality—The Infinite Ice Fields
Suddenly—
The earth trembled violently.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"WARNING! WARNING!"
"Honkai energy levels deep within the glacier are rising rapidly—approaching Herrscher-class intensity!"
"EXTREME DANGER! EXTREME DANGER!"
In the Schicksal base at the foot of the snowy mountain, alarms blared sharply as personnel and Valkyries scrambled into action—preparing for battle while urgently relaying the emergency situation.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion shook the ground—like a volcano erupting.
Then—
A massive figure burst into the sky, blotting out the sun.
One of the older Valkyries stared in shock, her pupils trembling.
"The Honkai Dragon— Benares— has awakened!"
Benares—a Judgment-class Honkai Beast.
A creature whose power rivaled a Herrscher.
A monster capable of wiping out the entire base in an instant.
"Prepare yourselves! We must buy time—
Even if it costs us our lives!"
"""YES!"""
The Valkyries shouted in unison.
Of course, they were afraid.
But even so—they would fight to the end.
However—
The very next second—
A massive black hole suddenly opened in the sky.
"ROOOAAARRR!!!"
Benares let out a deafening roar, shaking the heavens.
But—
Was it an illusion…?
Among the personnel below, some thought they could hear pure joy in that cry.
Then—
Benares dove straight into the black hole.
And in the blink of an eye—
She was gone.
The black hole vanished along with her.
In mere moments, everything fell silent.
Aside from the shattered ice mountain, it was as if nothing had ever happened.
<+>
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