Honkai: Strijder
Chapter 455: Traveling Together
Rumble—!
Crimson flames tore across the sea's surface, leaving behind vast trails of white steam as they surged forward with unstoppable momentum toward the golden barrier that pierced both ocean and sky, now clearly visible to the naked eye.
That overwhelming heat and force mirrored Himeko's unwavering resolve.
As for death—Himeko had long since stopped fearing it many years ago. To save her friend's soul, for the future of this world—if this was how she would die, she would accept it willingly.
"Hm? What's that?"
Himeko came to a halt before the golden barrier. A figure with flowing golden hair hovered quietly in front of it, elegant as a painting, as if waiting for her arrival.
Himeko recognized her—and even more so, the massive cross she held.
"Lady Hera, did you bring Theresa's Judah with you?"
Himeko flew closer, her wine-red eyes landing on the cross engraved with golden patterns. Theresa's cute yet cunning expressions immediately came to mind, drawing a faint smile from her lips.
Hera turned back and smiled slightly at Himeko.
"I don't know if my troublesome granddaughter ever told you, but you can call me Otto—or the former Archbishop."
"???"
"Well, that's not important right now. In any case, I'm going in to check on little Theresa. As for Judah, you carry it. It won't completely negate it, but it should help you retain some energy so you won't entirely lose your Honkai power inside the binding field. That way, your chances of reaching little Theresa won't be zero."
"Lady Hera… Otto, you really know how to keep things interesting. May I ask—so the Archbishop who ruled Schicksal for over five hundred years… are you male or female?"
Himeko took the cross from Hera, fastening it onto her back, still somewhat speechless as she asked.
Her understanding of Hera had been from an ordinary perspective—a mysterious, ancient member of the Schariac bloodline. This sudden revelation made her momentarily forget the urgency of the situation, leaving her briefly stunned.
Hera shifted her gaze, glancing sideways at Himeko with a smiling expression.
"Does it really matter whether I'm male or female?"
"Not really. No matter what, you're terrifying enough. That's all I need to know."
Himeko quickly accepted the reality and let out a breath.
As an enemy, Otto was the kind of person who made one's skin crawl. But if he was on your side… honestly, it was reassuring. At least, that's how Himeko saw it.
She then looked up at the golden barrier that seemed to reach the heavens. Within it, the sky was filled with enormous, rotating golden gears.
"Can we go in now? If we delay too long, it won't be good for Theresa."
"You think I've been waiting out here for no reason? Prepare yourself. For Theresa and Kiana's sake, I'll try to look after you—but the suppression inside the binding field is severe. In the previous era, countless fusion warriors died within it… I can't guarantee you'll make it out alive."
"Don't worry about me. If you have a solid plan, carry it out. It would be worse if I slowed you down and caused problems for Theresa."
"Good suggestion. I'll keep that in mind. Let's go, Major Himeko."
Hera chuckled softly, placing a hand on the boundary of the binding field. Her body gradually passed through it.
"Haa…"
Himeko took a deep breath, her gaze resolute, a faint smile on her lips as she followed into the golden barrier.
…
The sea and sky vanished. The shock of spatial transition made Himeko dizzy for a moment, and when she opened her eyes wide—
"This is… a plain?"
What lay before her was no longer the ocean, but an endless grassland where even shallow grass could cover a horse's hooves. Only the rotating golden gears in the sky and the sudden loss of most of the energy within her body proved that this was the world enveloped by the binding field.
"The phase overlap of imaginary space and real space. Due to the Herrscher's Honkai energy, the imaginary domain has overwritten reality, creating a world that is nearly indistinguishable from the real one. This is just one of the Herrscher of Binding's inherent abilities, there's no need to be so surprised." Hera explained casually while flipping her pale hand before her eyes, sensing the sharp decline in her internal power. She shook her head slightly and continued:
"Just as expected of a power that severely crippled even the peak of the Previous Era. Even though I'm using a body with the strongest physical capabilities, the level of suppression is still astonishing. Sigurd's concerns were correct, if a Herrscher like this were to suddenly descend one day, our main combat forces would be left completely at its mercy. Even those considered strategic units might not fare much better. Fortunately, we've already brought her into this world, so everything is under control!"
Hera clenched her fist, her expression calm and confident, showing neither fear nor concern for Theresa.
Himeko had no objections to her composure and rationality. She simply pointed toward the towering golden pillar of light at the center of the plain and asked:
"That's the destination, right?"
"It is. But be prepared, you need to fight to survive. And the hardest part is this: you must face little Theresa with the resolve to kill her. Can you do it? If you want to back out, now's still the time."
"Don't underestimate me. I'm not like those young girls, I'm a battle-hardened Valkyrie. I won't hold you back."
"Good. Then we move forward." Hera spoke calmly, her figure turning into a streak of golden wind as she sped across the plain.
She had already given all the necessary warnings and advice. Since Himeko's resolve hadn't wavered, Hera saw no reason to waste more time on it. From here on, life and death would be left to fate—no one else could be blamed.
"If we're lucky, we'll have one hour. In sixty minutes, we must awaken little Theresa and dismantle the binding field—then everything will end smoothly. If we fail within sixty minutes, the 103 coastal base-type Moonlight Throne devices will fire simultaneously, combined with orbital weapons, turning the three of us into ashes. If the binding field expands beyond the danger threshold within those sixty minutes, the result will be the same."
"I understand. Then let's not waste any time."
"One more thing. You know how Valhalla works, but the cost and difficulty of resurrection depend on the time of death and the state of the deceased. In other words, if we fail, reviving you won't be too difficult—there will be plenty willing to help gather the required merits. But little Theresa, as a Herrscher… you understand what I mean, right? Use every means, pay any price—we must succeed."
"Alright!!"
As they sped forward, Hera explained the basic situation. Even with her exceptional emotional control, a trace of heaviness slipped through.
Himeko nodded firmly in the end, expressing her determination.
Perhaps because the space was vast and the distance great, they encountered no attacks from Theresa along the way. Taking advantage of the lull, Hera offered a few more pointers, which Himeko listened to with full attention. In front of Hera, Himeko knew her own abilities and understanding were far inferior, so she readily accepted the guidance.
"Careful, she's here!"
At one moment, before Himeko could even sense anything, Hera's ears twitched. She immediately stopped her instruction and issued a warning.
Whoosh!
Boom!!
A golden chain shot down from the sky like a missile launched from above, smashing into the ground and blasting out a massive crater. Its tip pierced deep into the earth—its power clearly enough to tear a Valkyrie's body apart.
Himeko and Hera dodged in different directions. As they retreated, they exchanged a glance and nodded in unison, then split into two paths, circling toward the distant pillar of light from opposite directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
This was the domain of the Herrscher of Binding. Once she detected them, the attacks would naturally grow denser and more powerful. Countless golden chains emerged from the sky, chasing the two as they ran, continuously stabbing into the ground. Before long, the sky was filled with a dense web of golden chains interwoven together, forming a magnificent yet deadly spectacle.
After that—perhaps because the two had drawn closer to the core, or perhaps because repeated attacks had failed and provoked her anger—the Herrscher of Binding's assaults became even more frequent. In addition to the golden chains, enormous golden gears began crashing down as well, raising both the frequency and intensity of the attacks to another level.
Bang!
With a loud impact, after dodging the rolling collision of a massive gear, Himeko raised Judah to block several incoming chains.
This was her first direct clash with the Herrscher of Binding's attacks. Himeko's stamina and energy were heavily suppressed, yet the Herrscher's attack power showed no such reduction.
In the clash, Himeko was quickly knocked flying. She dragged Judah along the ground to reduce the impact, but was still pushed back hundreds of steps. In the chaos, she cast a glance toward Hera. Seeing that golden-haired figure in a red dress still weaving gracefully through the dense barrage like a butterfly, advancing without pause, Himeko let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Then came the chains stabbing and lashing, gears crashing and rolling—attacks closing in on Himeko from all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After a series of earth-shaking explosions, a gust of wind blew away the dust, revealing Himeko standing firm, holding the massive cross in defense.
"Cough! What's this? Turns out I'm pretty strong—this barely even hurts!"
Himeko laughed, though blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. Crimson Honkai corruption patterns crept across her limbs and face as she swung Judah, shattering the golden chains blocking her path.
"Theresa! Wait for me—I'm coming to get you!"
Wiping the blood from her lips, Himeko raised the weapon that once belonged to Theresa and charged forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Attacks from the master of the binding domain rained down one after another. Along the way, Himeko was knocked down many times, yet she kept getting back up, pressing forward recklessly. Even Hera, who was in far better condition, was hindered several times.
After a difficult advance, breaking through layers of chain blockades, the two finally regrouped beneath the pillar of light.
And before them, Theresa—dressed in a pure white gown—slowly descended from the beam of light, her cold, emotionless golden eyes fixed on the two of them.
"Die."
Theresa was not like other Herrschers who struggled in madness or hysteria. She appeared calm, yet so indifferent she seemed like a machine. She spread her small hands, and from the void erupted countless golden chains, shooting toward Himeko and Hera with lightning speed.
Hera struck with fists and palms, retreating as she resisted the onslaught while shouting:
"Push forward—I must get close to her! Prepare the Honkai suppressants!"
Himeko carried Judah and nodded. "Understood! Theresa, snap out of it—it's me, Himeko! If you don't wake up, I'll throw away all the bitter melon you hid in the cafeteria fridge and your HoMu collection under the bed!"
The two endured the storm-like barrage of their initial encounter. Then, splitting into two directions, they charged upstream against Theresa's nearly gapless next wave of attacks, forcefully closing in on their target.