Sirin was sent flying by the group's combined attack. In the instant she was flying backwards through the air, Sirin closed her eyes.
The next moment she opened them, she had already transformed into her Battle Princess Form, resembling a red version of Ryn.
"Now is the time of judgment."
Sirin hovered in the air and waved her hand downwards at Ryn and the others. Hundreds of portals instantly opened behind her, and from them, black holes shot towards Ryn's group.
(Battle Princess Sirin can throw black holes, Herrscher of Flamescion can also throw black holes in the game, Finality Kevin also throws black holes to attack people, and the few people who wield the Star of Eden can also throw black holes. From this, we can conclude that the Herrscher of Rock is a complete noob.)
Sirin's black holes were formed by collapsing space, unlike Ryn's, which he could create out of thin air at will. But since they were formed by collapsing space, it meant they weren't a limited form of an Authority, so...
"That's a nice trick... It's mine now."
Ryn beckoned to the black holes, and the ones Sirin had shot out all gathered around Ryn like children who had found their mother.
Sirin, who was in the middle of charging up a super-massive black hole, was stunned for a moment, suddenly unsure if she should continue charging the one in her hands.
"I refuse to believe you can take this one too!"
In the end, Sirin decided to throw the massive black hole anyway. It had consumed a lot of her energy, and canceling it now wouldn't return that energy.
Ryn watched with a smile as Sirin charged up and created the giant black hole. While Penglaiji Ryn was still hesitating whether to rush up and interrupt Sirin's casting, Ryn softly spoke two words to Sirin...
"Overruled."
The giant black hole's process instantly reversed, then dissipated into pure Honkai energy, vanishing from this world...
With her spell interrupted and her energy depleted, Sirin suffered a backlash and fell from the sky.
Theresa seized the opportunity to bind her once again with Judah's chains. The energy backlash left Sirin temporarily unable to resist, so weak that she could only let Judah restrain her, kneeling on the ground.
Ryn: "I don't know who taught you this idiotic way of fighting... Even if I hadn't acted, Penglaiji Ryn could have directly shattered your forming giant black hole... and you would have still suffered a backlash and become weak..."
"How would I know... No one ever taught me how to fight..."
Sirin muttered in a low voice, then revealed her Herrscher Core.
"Since you've won, here is the Herrscher Core you need."
Penglaiji Ryn reached out and took the core of the Second Herrscher. The round core, shining with a golden light, looked holy and beautiful, yet it constantly emanated an ominous and unsettling aura.
"This thing... is it really our hope?"
"Who knows? My Herrscher Core is the foundation supporting this world. If you destroy it, not only me, but Penglaiji Ryn, and even this entire world will be instantly destroyed. Such an outcome would just be a waste of effort in the end."
Yiselian: "No... none of this will be in vain. As long as I can stabilize this Herrscher Core, I can find a way to separate it from Penglaiji Ryn's body.
Sirin, please help us... You are the consciousness of the Herrscher Core. If you are willing, you can definitely control the core's erosion!"
"My consciousness? What a laughable idea..."
Sirin shook her head with a bitter smile and continued,
"If my consciousness alone could change everything, who would be willing to be trapped in this world doomed to end?
I couldn't do anything from the very beginning... I could only become a tool for others, witnessing one tragic ending after another.
Kiana too... and Mei too... They had no choice, because the ending was already set. All they could do was follow the trajectory of history and bring an end to this world."
"But... but..."
"But this is not the end!"
Bronya's voice rang out with conviction.
"No matter how slim the hope, I refuse to believe this is the end. It is precisely because we have overcome despair time and time again that we are standing here now!
Neither the past nor the future can stop our pursuit of hope."
Theresa: "That's right. Even if it is the end, we will fall on the path of chasing hope... That is the meaning of Fire Moth's existence, something those children taught me!"
"Alright, alright, you've won me over..."
Sirin smiled and dispelled the Imaginary Space, transferring everyone to Nagazora City.
The girl's appearance changed once again from her Battle Princess Form, becoming a cute loli with long purple hair, wearing a dreamlike purple dress.
"Sirin, your appearance?"
"This is my original appearance... I've been used as a tool, a puppet for others for so long, I don't even know when I forgot what I originally looked like! Not just my appearance, but my original purpose as well... heh."
Sirin floated in front of Penglaiji Ryn, looking at her gently.
"Penglaiji Ryn, the Stigmata you possess is truly incredible... It not only condenses everyone's hopes, but also everyone's sorrows... even my own.
Now, let me return everything to you. Let me see if your so-called 'Savior' can truly carve out a new ending.
The time is running out. The world I failed to create, I leave to you... The final rest of this requiem shall be composed by you."
Sirin cupped Penglaiji Ryn's face, touched her forehead to hers, and then her figure completely vanished from the sky.
And the glowing round core in Penglaiji Ryn's hand gradually faded, revealing the true Herrscher Core hidden within.
Yiselian: "Sirin has returned to her core form... It seems she has given us the right to choose. Let's go, we need to hurry back to the base. I've just thought of a new way to salvage all of this."
Sin Mal had run off somewhere again. Yiselian guessed she was hiding from Bronya. Strange... normally, Sin Mal should have run straight to Bronya upon seeing her.
Was it the memory of resonating with the world that created a rift between Sin Mal and Bronya?
But she couldn't be bothered with Sin Mal now. Yiselian waved her hand, telling Ryn and the others to follow her, only to find that both Ryn and Penglaiji Ryn were standing in place, lost in thought...
"Ryn? Penglaiji Ryn? What's wrong with you two!"
"Heheheh..."
Penglaiji Ryn covered her right eye with her left hand, held her right hand in front of her, and let out a demonic, strange laugh.
"Uh... Has the Honkai started eroding her body again?" Yiselian immediately panicked, starting to rummage through her backpack to take out the wrench she had just put away, preparing to knock Penglaiji Ryn out.
"Finally... I remember! This sacred destiny that has been sealed in this barren world!"
Yiselian: "!!! Penglaiji Ryn? Could you be!"
Penglaiji Ryn touched the Cross of Finality on the back of her hand and put her gloves back on.
"This destiny of finality shall be shattered by my own hands, the hands of Penglaiji Ryn. Now... rejoice for the return of the Savior!"
"Have all your memories returned?!"