Chapter 257: Contact
In the vast and empty bubble universe, Sigurd didn't immediately immerse himself in his research.
The situation in the real world had temporarily calmed down, but elsewhere, within the Imaginary Space, Wendy and Seele were still struggling in the unstable Theater of Domination!
At the same time, after her retreat, Sirin's next logical move was to increase her power, restoring herself to the peak state when she wielded six different Herrscher authorities.
In the real world, Raiden Mei was protected by powerful guardians, and Ana's authority had already fallen into Sirin's hands through the Herrscher of Thousands. That meant her next target was… well, it wasn't hard to guess.
As for the Theater of Domination being cut off from the real world and drifting within the Imaginary Space—what a joke. Did anyone really think a problem related to Imaginary Space could trouble the Herrscher of the Void, the one who commands space itself?
Thus, Sigurd continued to monitor the Theater of Domination—or rather, he had been keeping an eye on it from the start. Now, he simply increased his focus, prepared to intervene at a moment's notice.
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Inside the Theater of Domination
Wendy had successfully reunited with both versions of Seele.
"You two… hmm, not bad."
Wendy circled around them once, rubbing her chin thoughtfully before nodding with an ambiguous expression.
"Wendy…"
One Seele spoke in a soft and timid voice, clearly feeling a little embarrassed.
"Enough with the chit chat! Let's just deal with this already—I'm sick of waiting!"
The other Seele, in contrast, carried an arrogant, rebellious tone—two identical faces, yet completely opposite personalities.
Wendy spread her hands and let out a small chuckle. Ever since she was abruptly dragged into the Theater of Domination, this was the first time she had felt somewhat amused. The scene before her was just too funny.
"I'd love to solve this problem too. But the issue is, our enemies have all hidden themselves. And since this is their territory, finding them is a real hassle."
She shook her head and sighed.
After Sirin seized the Authority of Domination, the oppressive aura within the Theater of Domination didn't just affect the external overseers—it also deeply impacted the dolls inside.
They all felt it.
They didn't know about the host's true plans, nor did they realize the change in authority was caused by Sirin. But the sudden shift in power was undeniable.
The dolls' fearless, relentless assaults had always been based on one assumption: they could resurrect endlessly. But their revival relied entirely on the Authority of Domination.
Now that something unknown had happened to that power, some of the dolls had begun to doubt whether they could still be revived.
And with Wendy and Seele's group proving too strong to defeat, as time passed, the dolls began to change tactics. After suffering countless casualties, they naturally chose the only logical option—running for their lives.
"Then why don't we just shatter this entire space?"
The darker Seele, Seele-Alter, or Veliona, suggested with a grin full of malicious intent.
But Wendy simply shook her head again.
"That won't work. Normally, even if I were forcibly pulled into the Theater of Domination, as a complete Herrscher, I should still be able to sense the real world through the presence of an Imaginary Portal… meaning I should have the ability to break through this space and return to reality."
Her expression darkened slightly.
"But right now, I can't sense any way back."
"What do you mean?"
Seele asked, frowning.
Wendy sighed.
"They must have done something to this space. In short, we don't have a clear direction—so if we just break this space apart, we'll fall straight into the endless depths of Imaginary Space. And that's very dangerous."
She rubbed her temples, feeling a growing headache.
"Even though we each have Imaginary Portals, those are just Honkai energy-based connections. They have nothing to do with actual spatial navigation. Unless you're the Herrscher of the Void, no one can move freely inside the Imaginary Space."
Wendy fell silent for a moment.
They were trapped—and for now, there was no clear solution.
Wendy wasn't afraid of fighting head-on. What she did fear were these strange tricks—no matter how strong one was, lacking the means to counter specific tactics could still leave them powerless.
Boom!
With a furrowed brow, Veliona smashed the ground with her massive metal claw, frustration evident in her voice.
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
Wendy held up two fingers.
"Two options. First, capture one of the Herrscher of Thousands and force them to reveal a way out. Second, Kiana is the Herrscher of the Void. If we're missing for too long, she'll definitely come looking for us—when she opens a portal between the two worlds, we can just leave."
"I choose the first one!"
Veliona's eyes flashed with excitement.
Wendy chuckled.
"It's actually both at the same time. While we're hunting for a hostage, we're also waiting for Kiana to arrive. Whichever works first, we go with that."
She twirled her fingers playfully.
Veliona let out three loud laughs, licking her lips with a dangerous glint in her eyes, practically oozing killing intent.
With the two of them having reached a decision, Seele gripped her scythe tightly. Her soft, uncertain gaze flickered between them before she nodded and encouraged herself in a quiet voice.
"Seele… will do her best!"
Just as the three were about to start their search, a dark vortex slowly opened in the sky.
Seele blinked, her expression innocent and curious.
"Is that… Kiana coming to find us?"
After all, in her memory, the only person who could create portals like this was Kiana, who wielded the power of space.
But—
"Seele, be careful!"
"Get behind me!"
Veliona and Wendy's expressions changed instantly, both moving to shield Seele at the same time.
Wendy's voice turned serious.
"Seele-Alter, you felt it too?"
Veliona clicked her tongue, voice laced with irritation.
"Obviously! The stench of hatred and malice is thick enough to choke on—it reeks like rotting corpses, how could I not notice?"
Wendy's face darkened.
"What I sense is an overwhelming and sinister amount of Honkai energy— Could it be some hidden trump card of the Herrscher of Thousands?"
"If they had this kind of power, would they really need all those cheap tricks?"
"Fair point. Get ready. Whoever's coming isn't friendly."
As Wendy's words fell, she floated into the air, her Honkai energy surging around her. The wind lifted her skirt and short hair, while her emerald green eyes glowed with an eerie brilliance.
This unexpected turn of events could have been troublesome—but honestly, this was exactly what she preferred.
A situation that power alone couldn't solve? Annoying.
A battle she could fight head-on? Perfect.
Veliona was also itching to leap forward, her metal claws gleaming. But when she glanced back at the small, confused Seele—clutching her scythe with uncertainty—she hesitated.
"Tch!"
Clicking her tongue in frustration, she reached out and pulled Seele behind her, practically pressing her close.
"Stay right here. Don't run off. This body belongs to me, so don't you dare mess it up!"
"Mm! Seele understands, I'll be careful!"
Seele nodded quickly, like a little chick pecking at grains, her face full of obedience.
And then—
"It's coming!"
Wendy's voice rang out sharply.
From the black vortex, a figure slowly descended—a figure that was far too familiar.
White hair. Golden eyes.
A flowing white dress, its fabric swaying elegantly in the wind.
"Kiana?"
No—something was wrong.
"No, that's not her!"
Wendy raised her hand, liquid-like energy coiling between her fingers, ready to strike at any moment.
The newly arrived Sirin stepped onto the battlefield, eyes closed as she analyzed the structure of the space. She didn't even spare a glance at Wendy and the others.
"A delicate yet fragile subspace. I see."
Murmuring to herself, she opened her golden eyes and snapped her fingers.
Snap!
A crisp sound echoed.
In that instant—
The gray, murky sky darkened, stretching out infinitely.
The failing, collapsing walls of reality—previously on the verge of breaking apart—suddenly stabilized.
And around Wendy and Seele, the ruined coliseum began to reverse, as if time itself was rewinding. Crumbling stones restored themselves, shattered debris reassembled, until the arena was even grander and more imposing than before.
From above, a radiant white throne slowly descended.
Sirin sat gracefully upon it, one leg crossed over the other, golden eyes descending upon the three figures below with absolute apathy.
And then—
A colossal wave of Honkai energy, thick and heavy as a falling sky, came crashing down upon them.
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