It would occasionally seize control of her body and argue with the white-haired girl.
For a Herrscher, this was far too much freedom…
--------------------------------
It's not that Kevin's perception was strong enough to reach that level.
Rather, it was that the Herrscher of Thunder didn't hide herself in the slightest.
After all, in her view, even though she had been scolded, that big guy hadn't done anything to her.
Therefore, as long as she didn't cause trouble, no one could do anything to her!
A very simple thought process.
But effective.
"These two Herrscher cores don't need to be touched for now."
Kevin shook his head slightly.
If it were just Herrscher cores, even if he wasn't in his prime, he could easily obtain them.
But two Herrschers who might coexist with humans, even if only temporarily, he… temporarily had no intention of acting.
…
At night, in Seaside City, the extremes were hidden.
Flashing lights, bustling nightlife, dazzling brilliance.
Darkness often comes along with light.
"Rest early, the formal investigation begins tomorrow." Himeko, dressed in a gown, said to the three little ones.
"Especially you two, Kiana, Bronya. You're not allowed to wander around tonight, let alone play games."
"During a mission, Bronya won't play games," Bronya said seriously.
"M-me-me! I've been exhausted all day, as soon as I hit the bed I'll be asleep, absolutely won't run around!"
Himeko nodded in satisfaction.
The troublemakers not acting out, everything was reassuring.
As for Mei, she was her most worry-free student, truly dependable.
"Mei, "
"No way, Kiana. Teacher Himeko booked three rooms, we can't waste them."
The girl who knew Kiana best shook her head slightly, firmly resisting.
…
That night, everyone were resting peacefully.
Clack-clack, clatter, clack-clack, clatter.
Wooden joints colliding, faintly accompanied by the eerie sound of cat claws scratching a blackboard.
The silent night sky gained a chilling undertone.
A puppet stepped with a strange gait, slowly sliding down before the window. Its right hand raised, moving close to the glass. Judging by its action, it wasn't to open the window.
The next second,
"Heh-hah! I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
The curtain was suddenly flung open with a sharp rustle. The white-haired girl held twin guns, flying forward with a bold kick!
The intruder clearly hadn't expected this, hanging stiffly in midair, then, unsurprisingly, was kicked into pieces.
Before Kiana could celebrate, the planet's gravity pulled her back to reality.
"Ahhh! Waahhh!"
The white-haired girl flailed like a fish out of water, flapping twice in the air before plummeting.
With a swish, she fell into the grass, caught by Heavy Bunny, who had been waiting for some time.
"Idiot Kiana, you actually used up all your strength in one go. If Sister Mei hadn't already predicted you'd do that, Heavy Bunny wouldn't have caught you."
The deadpan short girl mercilessly mocked.
"What are you saying! Hehe, I knew Mei understood me best, she even knew where I'd fall."
Looking at Kiana, who changed moods faster than flipping a page, grinning foolishly, Mei couldn't help but smile helplessly.
"Seeing you all so relaxed puts my mind at ease."
At that moment, Himeko walked over, dragging the puppet Kiana had kicked apart. Seeing the three, she naturally joined them.
"What is this thing?" Kiana leaned in, curiously touching, poking, and kicking it.
It felt like a puppet, poked like a puppet, and even kicked… still like a puppet.
This thing was a puppet, wasn't it?!
"Could this be the legendary Shenzhou… cursed play!"
"It's puppet theater!"
"Isn't it the same?" Kiana muttered under her breath.
Bronya chuckled.
"If squad leader knew you were badmouthing Shenzhou traditions like this, if you manage to dodge the next assignment, Bronya will admit defeat."
Don't underestimate Fu Hua's sense of responsibility as class president!
"But… I didn't expect it to be in this form. Using puppets as the medium? It is indeed safe, and there aren't any electronic devices, just an ordinary puppet through and through."
Himeko frowned slightly.
The situation now was troublesome.
The cult organization they were tracking in Seaside City was not the same type as the ones they had encountered before.
Whether the enemy targeted them deliberately or acted randomly, they had already alerted them.
And whether the enemy chose to stay hidden or take the initiative next was bad news either way.
"Retreat to a safe location and wait for reinforcements."
After a brief thought, Himeko issued the order.
If she were alone, no matter what the enemy was, she could cut them down with her great sword. But the three behind her couldn't be put at risk.
Bronya and Kiana were one thing, but if Mei were seized upon by the Herrscher of Thunder, that would be a true catastrophe for Seaside City.
The unfinished calamity of Nagazora would replay itself in this coastal city.
The two had no objection to Himeko's order. The only one who wanted to speak up, Kiana, was mercilessly suppressed by Mei before she could say a word.
…
The Puppet Theater.
The puppets hidden in the shadows.
"They're going to run away, what should we do?"
"This is shameful! As Valkyries, they should protect the people behind them. And yet they shamelessly flee? They disgrace the name of Valkyrie!"
"Then why don't you go stop them?"
"…I think this needs to be considered more carefully."
After all, the enemy was two Herrschers. One of them might be sleeping deeply, but the other was ready to discharge electricity at any moment. Charging in with this tiny body would just mean getting fried to a crisp.
Thump, thump, thump!
After urgent hammer strikes came the furious shout of the host.
"Do you shrink back just because of a little difficulty?!"
"…."
"…."
The puppets looked at each other, then at last,
"Screw you!"
"You go if you want! I'm not serving!"
"I still want to live a couple more years."
As embodiments of negativity, they were all quick to rush in when it was an easy fight. But in a losing battle… heh, just showing you their backs was already generous!
Fortunately, as fellow puppets and parts of the Herrscher of Domination, the host also knew exactly how lazy and evasive her colleagues could be.
"I'll say it again seriously, this isn't something you can just throw aside and walk away from. If you fail to complete this, hmph!"
The host snorted twice, giving them a sidelong glare.
"She's so arrogant."
"How did she even become the host?"
"No idea. I think she was just the first one to grab the hammer, and then we listened to her."
"Then why do we have to listen to her?"
"Good question!"
…Even as parts of the Herrscher of Domination, they didn't really understand each other's hearts.
But at least they hadn't forgotten their original purpose.
To defend Honkai. To defeat the evil Godzilla.
Herrschers, we will remember your sacrifice!
"So… are we still watching them?"
"…."
…
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
"I've arrived in Seaside City, and I'm investigating."
Welt pressed his headset with one hand, carefully observing his surroundings.
With experience of surviving countless brushes with death, his instincts told him that countless eyes were fixed on him like starving wolves.
But the more it was like this, the calmer Welt became.
If the enemy had a flawless plan, even if one attempt failed, they'd have ten more backup plans. A single failure wouldn't even count as a scratch.
That was what troubled Welt.
Just like Otto… forget it, best not to even mention that dangerous man.
"Be careful. We've monitored abnormal presences all over the streets and alleys of Seaside City, about… more than fifty!"
Tesla warned.
Past experience showed clearly: Herrschers were not invincible.
Otherwise Welt wouldn't have spent time hiding as a history teacher at St. Freya Academy.
…
Temporarily cutting communications, Welt moved on to investigate.
Tesla, legs propped on the console, supported her head.
"Chicken nest, tell me, what exactly happened this time?"
Glancing at Tesla, Einstein calmly sipped her black tea.
"I don't know." Said with righteous confidence.
She's not a god; how could he possibly investigate what's happening in Seaside City from thousands of miles away.
Einstein pondered for a moment, then suddenly said,
"This doesn't look like the work of an ordinary cult."
Cult organizations keep popping up, but most are formed by people who know only simple information about the Honkai, either they worship the Honkai, or they want to control Honkai.
Hmm, none of them are reliable.
But none of those possibilities would act so ostentatiously. Anyone who knows the term "Honkai," even if they don't know about Anti-entropy, would know the great mountain that is Schicksal that suppresses all overhead.
The most likely thing is they're trying to lure someone out.
"Schicksal, or us?"
Einstein didn't understand.
...
Elsewhere, Himeko and her group moved quickly toward the rendezvous point.
"Stop!"
Suddenly Himeko halted, her body instinctively taking a defensive stance.
Seeing this, the rest did did the same.
Seaside City, away from the city center, is heavily covered in greenery; the surroundings are lush, an excellent place for many people to take spring outings and walks during the day.
But at night, with fewer people around, it becomes creepy and makes one's hair stand on end.
"Tap, tap, tap."
When their nerves were taut, the sound of tapping came from all directions, hurried, like someone constantly kicking the heels of the person in front.
"Fizz, fizz..." the lights flashed.
After two or three flashes, the last flicker.
Countless dark figures surged out of the shadows!
"Charge!"
A sudden shout, Himeko grabbed her sword and struck; no one could resist where she passed!
Without hesitation, the three little ones followed closely, hiding behind the house.
"Are these guys all real people?!"
After cutting down a target, Mei's pupils contracted and she cried out in surprise.
"They're all nearby residents. Sister Mei, don't go easy on them. Even if you can't kill them, you must make them lose the ability to act."
Bronya, expressionless, commanded the heavily armored little rabbit to punch one by one.
The ferocious little girl revealed her true nature.
The four fought their way through, leaving 'corpses' collapsed along the way.
····
"Haha, are these guys endless? We've been fighting so long and it's still not over."
Panting, Kiana pressed tightly behind Mei, angrily watching as the place they had just cleared filled again with endless 'dolls.'
Himeko said nothing, only her face was grim.
"Himeko-sensei, the rooftop of the second building on the left!"
At that moment, Bronya suddenly called out sharply.
The next second, Himeko shot forward like an arrow; even with a heavy sword on her back, she was still swift as the wind!
"Calm down for me!!"
"Ah!"
With a shout, Himeko, who had been waiting for a long time, gathered all her strength into that one sword and slammed it down heavily!
"Boom!" A thunderous crack, dust and smoke rose.
A gust of east wind blew, lifting flakes of dust.
The original building turned into a ruin, and a streak of crimson stood there.
A heavy sword was plunged into a puppet.
With Himeko's successful capture of the king, the swarming 'dolls' instantly lost control and collapsed limply to the ground.
Seeing this, the three let out a long breath.
They hurried to Himeko's side.
Kiana leaned forward, kicked the puppet to check.
"...So this thing was the culprit? But isn't this the same as the one I just kicked away?"
"It's the same, only the previous one lured us." Himeko frowned.
The situation became more bizarre.
"Himeko-sensei..." Mei was about to speak, still stunned.
"Eehee!"
The puppet, half-destroyed by the sword, suddenly straightened up and let out a chilling, hair-raising laugh.
Before the others could react, the next second, space inverted, the sky spun and the earth turned!
When they regained their senses, they found, to their shock, that they had been brought into a strange space without even a sound!
A faint sound of wind.
They hastily turned to look at the puppet.
The term "puppet" at that moment became the most concrete image in their minds.
A smile lifted its mouth; the puppet, wearing a black blindfold, raised both arms, its voice spreading throughout the space.
"Welcome to-"
"The Theatre of Domination!"
...
"Welt! Welt! Damn it, no signal!"
Tesla slammed his fist heavily on the console in frustration.
"Relax for now. With Welt's strength he can handle most emergencies; the ones he can't handle he can at least stall."
Einstein breathed deeply, trying to act normal.
The incident was sudden; the two who had been enjoying a late-night snack suddenly couldn't connect to Welt.
Luckily, from Welt's many previous experiences, the two had some idea.
At least for a short time they didn't need to worry about Welt's safety.
"Is it Schicksal? That Otto bastard is the most likely to do something like this!"
When in doubt, blame Otto!
"Although I'd love to say it's him, this time it shouldn't be. With his style, if he really wanted to get Welt he'd have acted already."
"Those mysterious black-robed men... Hurry, Tesla! Notify every available hand we can use. We are about to face another Herrscher!"
"!!!"
...
"Your Grace, a large-scale Honkai fluctuation has suddenly appeared in Seaside City; the Valkyries responses have disappeared again."
Amber respectfully reported.
Upon hearing the report, Otto slowly opened his eyes and let out a light laugh.
"Sure enough."
It's begun.
"Gather the Immortal Blades and seal all exits of Seaside City. Ignore whatever happens inside; await orders."
"Yes." Amber slightly bowed.
Although she didn't understand why Otto issued such an order, Amber wouldn't question it.
Whether from past experience or trust in Otto, she supported him unconditionally.
Otto stared at the distant clouds.
White.
At ordinary times, the silent birth of a Herrscher would already be enough to draw his attention.
If not investigated, it would be a significant variable in his plans.
But now wasn't the time; he had more important matters to consider: exploration, seeking knowledge.
...
"Theatre of Domination? What the hell is that place? Why did you bring us here? And who are you?!"
Kiana raised her guns, aiming.
Her voice was sharp.
When a paramecium called Kiana faces no external threat, it supplies minimal energy to its brain.
But when alone and facing danger, its offline IQ temporarily takes the high ground.
"What? Hehe, of course, for you!"
"As for who I am... hehe, you're asking the wrong question. You should ask: who are we!"
No sooner had the words fallen than a clamor arose; looking closely, the previously empty space was suddenly filled with a heap of uniformly shaped puppets, many of them emitting piercing laughter.
"The Theatre of Domination..." Himeko felt a cold sweat trickle from her forehead.
This seemed to be a big deal.
"With this ability, are you a Herrscher?"
A question, asked with certainty.
"Herrschers? Don't Herrschers only come into being after large-scale Honkai occurrences?"
Mei exclaimed in astonishment.
"Not sure, but only a Herrscher could sustain an ability of this scale," Bronya said gravely.
Endless malice, perilous.
"Look, look, look,"
"You're already so impatient just after entering?"
"Haha, take it slow, there's more behind."
One puppet after another started speaking.
The Theatre of Domination, by inference, the guy in front of them should be called the Herrscher of Domination.
Schicksal didn't detect the birth of a Herrscher.
Has Honkai gotten stronger again?
Countless thoughts flashed through Himeko's mind.
They finally condensed into one.
"I'm taking Kiana and the others out!"
...
At the same time, Godzilla and Aha were still chipping away at a wall...