The center of Nagazora City had been reduced to a ruin. A black-haired girl hovered in mid-air, looking down upon the earth and the Honkai Beasts that were continuously gathering as if in worship.
As for the humanoid Honkai Beast that was previously on its knees, it had been struck by lightning until its entire body was scorched black, silently kneeling on the ground...
Mei, who had already transformed into a Herrscher, had her left arm covered in red marks that connected to the wings of lightning unfurled behind her. It was this electromagnetic force that allowed her to fly freely in the sky.
"Getting injured just to protect that coward, how unsightly, Kiana. I really don't understand why you weak insects would protect that coward," the Honkai's Will, which now occupied Mei's body, said with contempt.
"Wake up. I won't allow you to die so simply," the 'Honkai' muttered to itself, grabbing Kiana's chest with its left hand and lifting her legs with its right. "The only one who can take your life is me."
Rumble~ A massive roar came from above Mei. It was a colossal warship, like an aircraft carrier—Schicksal's battleship, the 'Hyperion'.
Schicksal, an organization that has fought against the Honkai phenomenon since ancient times... No one knows who established it.
"..." Mei raised her head, her gaze dark as she silently looked up at the pinnacle of human wisdom, a warship powered by a Honkai energy reactor.
At this moment, on the bridge of the Hyperion, Murata Himeko stared at the warship's main screen, which displayed images recorded by high-definition cameras on the ship's exterior.
These recorded images of the Third Herrscher would also be transmitted to the meeting room for viewing.
"So this thing is the Herrscher?" Murata Himeko said with a laugh. "I thought it would be something more terrifying. Shouldn't it be covered in tentacles or slime?"
"Major, when you're feeling thirsty, your imagination is indeed terrifying," said her adjutant, a girl with beautiful khaki-colored hair tied into a neat ponytail, as she pushed up the somewhat old-fashioned black-framed glasses on her nose.
"Then give me a man!" the tall Himeko retorted, stomping her black high-heeled foot on the ground with a sharp 'tap'. "Yuudachi, you're still too young."
"All cannons, lock on! Suppression operation, begin!" Himeko ordered with a wave of her right hand, her voice loud and clear.
Klak—Klak— The outer armor plates of the 'Hyperion' opened up, revealing the turrets and heavy cannons beneath. The turrets automatically swiveled to aim at the Third Herrscher, 'Raiden Mei', below and began to charge.
"....." A brief silence fell between the Hyperion and Mei. The air seemed to freeze, a sign of the storm to come.
"Annoying insects," Raiden Mei said, her willow-like eyebrows furrowing in displeasure. "Who gave you permission to fly above me!" Sparks of electricity condensed around 'her', and countless bolts of lightning flickered and gathered...
The residual Honkai energy beneath her once again answered her will, transforming into a dense swarm of lightning that converged on her body. The endless lightning gathered in front of Mei, forming a ball of energy...
"Quick! Full power to the shields!" Himeko shouted hastily, urging the crew to activate the warship's protective field... After all, this was a full-power attack from a Herrscher. Why was she using her ultimate move right from the start?! This wasn't following the script at all... On the warship, an equally annoyed Himeko gritted her teeth.
"Vanish," Mei said softly. The ball of lightning in front of her instantly shot out as a beam, like a super railgun, toward the underside of the warship...
Simultaneously, a transparent shield appeared in the super railgun's path, blocking it. The shield rippled with energy...
At that moment, in the Schicksal Far East Branch council chamber... This was a room that resembled a virtual space. At a long table that was also a screen, the elite members of the Far East Branch sat in two rows.
"The Hyperion has entered the Honkai zone, but communications are currently down due to interference," the warship's AI, 'Ai-chan', reported in a gentle voice. "This is the last image received before the signal was lost." A figure of a human with a single wing of lightning appeared on everyone's tabletops, floating in the air. Unfortunately, the image was unclear due to the great distance.
The silent members in the meeting room suddenly erupted into a clamor, their discussions turning the room into a noisy market...
"Is that humanoid creature the Herrscher?"
"Is that Honkai Beast kneeling before her to show submission? Can the Herrscher control even that kind of monster?"
"The interference is too severe. We can't even confirm the Herrscher's appearance like this."
"Hasn't the signal been restored yet?! We need more useful footage!"
"Besides the Hyperion, the satellites above Nagazora City are also being affected by a strong electromagnetic field. Is this also the Herrscher's power?"
Unlike the other members sitting in their chairs, a girl with the appearance of a loli, dressed in a black and white nun's habit, sat directly on the table. Her slender, fair fingers emerged from her wide sleeves. She placed her left hand on her knee and muttered to herself gravely.
"A new Herrscher, after 14 years."
"The Final Judgment is drawing ever closer."
Just then, alarms blared through the bridge. The warship's AI spoke in an urgent tone, "Warning, warning! Severe damage to external armor!"
"Power output down by forty percent! Recommend immediate return to base!"
"We definitely won't survive another attack like that," Yuudachi said persuasively, standing beside Himeko.
"Tch! That damned brat, does she have any idea how expensive the repairs for this ship are?!" Himeko said, unwilling to give up. She couldn't bear to let the Herrscher before her escape. After all, if they could capture it, research on the Stigmata could be accelerated, and she could... live a little longer... "Activate fusion cores 5 and 6, maintain core output, and switch ship's power to backup energy. In two minutes, lower the ship to the Herrscher's altitude," Himeko ordered sternly as she unbuttoned her military jacket, revealing sexy black lingerie underneath.
"Wait! Are you planning to use that?!" Yuudachi said in shock.
"There's no time to think of another way out now," Himeko said nonchalantly.
"But the council's order was to capture the Herrscher alive..."
"It's too late for that now! Those idiot council members only know how to issue orders. If we don't act now, we'll all be going to hell together... Besides..." Himeko said as she removed the last of her clothes.
She turned her head, a seductive smile gracing her refined, mature face as she said, "Once I strip down, I'm the kind of woman who sees things through to the very end!"
"The ship is in your hands, Yuudachi!" was Himeko's final command. Then, she ran naked, her perfect body on display, into a corridor, heading towards the end.
"Backup power switch complete. Preparing to descend!" the ship's AI, 'Ai-chan', announced.
At the end of the brightly lit corridor, dozens of robotic arms began to prepare and attach different pieces of armor...
A pair of black lace panties lay discarded on the floor... still carrying a hint of warmth and moisture.