Three months had passed since the last major Honkai eruption. But the developments during these three months were completely different from before.
One might even say... they were worlds apart!
The key issue was the intensity of the Honkai.
If the Honkai intensity before the appearance of Herrscher-level threats was a ten, then the current intensity was more like a one.
It had plummeted more than tenfold.
Before, even without a Herrscher appearing, numerous Emperor-class Honkai beasts would pop up every so often, relentlessly harassing Fire Moth.
It had practically reached the point where showing up daily was like clockwork, just another routine task to handle.
However... ever since Acheron defeated the Herrscher of Rock and the Herrscher of Binding, the Honkai had just... gone quiet, like it was spent.
It seemed its previous excess had left it drained after the defeat of those two Herrschers, leaving it utterly impotent.
Now, Honkai incidents worldwide had sharply declined.
For a time, even Fire Moth and the United Nations felt something was off.
In fact, if not for the occasional minor Honkai energy disasters that couldn't even turn ordinary people into zombies, Kevin and the others might have started to believe the Honkai catastrophe was already over.
"Something's wrong, Mei, something's very wrong..."
In her room, Elysia had found these past few months of leisure anything but enjoyable. Instead, she spent each day weighed down with worry.
"What are you worried about?"
Acheron glanced at Elysia's furrowed brow and couldn't help but ask.
"The difference before and after is just too drastic... too unbelievable... It's almost like..."
"Almost like it's gathering its strength, preparing to hit humanity with one big one," Acheron finished the thought Elysia hadn't voiced.
"Mhm, yes, exactly like you said..." Elysia nodded her head vigorously.
"Perhaps it's because the Honkai is nearing its final act..." Acheron said softly.
"Final act..."
Elysia repeated the words, momentarily stunned. A dazed look flickered across her features.
"Yeah, before we knew it, humanity has already defeated ten Herrschers... And even more miraculously... our civilization remains largely intact. Sure, there's been significant damage in various places, but with active disaster relief, everything is moving in a positive direction."
As she spoke, a beautiful smile unconsciously graced Elysia's lips.
For a moment, it seemed like the light in the room grew a little brighter.
"All of this is thanks to you, Mei. If it weren't for you, even if we could have defeated these Herrschers on our own, humanity would have paid a terrible price."
"I only did what little I could. A modest effort," Acheron gently shook her head.
Though, if she were being honest, it really was a modest effort. For Acheron, killing a Herrscher was as simple as kicking a stray dog by the roadside.
"Hehe, so modest, Mei. I can't even imagine what would become of humanity if we ever lost you one day," Elysia said, smiling brightly at Acheron.
"Even without me, humanity would still overcome the Honkai. It's just... the path might involve a few more stumbles along the way."
Gently shaking her head, Acheron spoke slowly.
The efforts of two eras had ultimately culminated in the birth of Kiana, the Earth's Goddess.
In this calamity known as the Honkai, no one was entirely right or wrong; everyone was fighting for their own world.
This was true for both the Previous Era and the Current Era.
It's just that the regrets of the Previous Era were all the more poignant.
"Mhm, I've always believed that too. Humanity will definitely overcome the Honkai!" Elysia agreed with a nod, then suddenly raised her hand. "I'll be the one to take down every single Herrscher!"
She thrust out a small, pink fist, putting on a 'I'm super strong' act.
Acheron looked at the excited Elysia with a slightly amused expression. Sweetie, have you forgotten that you're a Herrscher yourself...
"Hehe, never mind, let's not talk about this anymore. Mei, come on, come on! Dr. Mei just notified me! The Divine Key crafted from the Herrscher of Flame's core is finished! Let's go take a look!"
As she spoke, Elysia grabbed Acheron's wrist and pulled her towards the testing grounds, not even waiting for a response.
And just like that, Acheron found herself being dragged along by Elysia, a look of resignation on her face as they headed for the testing grounds.
I didn't even get a chance to answer…
--+--
"Hey~ Vill-V, I'm here."
Given the immense power of Divine Keys, the testing grounds were naturally located in a very remote area outside Fire Moth headquarters.
Vill-V stood on a high platform, looking down at Kevin below.
In Kevin's hands was a pair of blazing dual pistols.
Kevin took aim at the target in front of him, then fired twice in quick succession.
Instantly, the two high-strength targets shattered. He looked at the glowing barrels, expertly twirled the guns with a flourish, and slid them back into their holsters.
Thanks to Acheron's presence, this Kevin was the genuine, cheerful Kevin, nothing like the icy man of the future whose eyes held only a desperate thirst for salvation.
"Alright, alright, enough showing off, Kevin. Who are you trying to look so cool for? Mei isn't even here," Vill-V said, waving a hand and laughing as she and Elysia eagerly descended to the field after the demonstration, finding Kevin still striking a pose reminiscent of a Western gunslinger.
Hearing this, Kevin also chuckled.
"Incredible power!" Elysia couldn't hide her astonishment as she looked at the scattered wreckage of the target.
This wasn't any ordinary target; it was a reinforced one, tempered and tested countless times without being destroyed.
It was made from the carapace of Xuanwu, an Emperor-class Honkai beast specialized in defense.
It had no other special properties—just sheer hardness. Back then, even Kevin's full-power strike had only managed to leave a scratch on its shell.
Taking down that Honkai beast had utterly exhausted Kevin.
How did Kevin manage to kill it?
Sheer force, of course.
While its shell was exceptionally hard, its internal organs were of normal strength. Force transmits.
Kevin had literally used raw power to shatter its innards through the shell, leaving only this turtle shell behind in the end.
Defeating that Honkai beast had required Kevin to exert himself to the utmost; his hands were trembling for a long time afterward. He was completely worn out.
For preservation, the shell was repurposed as a training target.
Of course, this was before Kevin became a MANTIS. If it were the current Kevin, it wouldn't have been so troublesome.
As for Acheron? She'd probably have just crushed the shell under her heel.
And now, these dual pistols had shattered this incredibly hard target shell with just a single shot. It was truly astounding.
"Such formidable power. Is this the terrifying weapon made from a Herrscher core?" Elysia couldn't help but marvel.
Because of Acheron's presence, the creation of the Judgement of Shamash had occurred much later than in the original timeline.
Well, perhaps 'later' isn't quite right. Acheron's appearance had accelerated the Honkai's progression. Strictly speaking, the Judgement of Shamash was actually completed a bit earlier than it might have been otherwise.
"Of course! This is a terrifying weapon crafted from the core of the Herrscher of Flame. It's naturally powerful. I've named it the Judgement of Shamash!" Vill-V declared, looking at the weapon in Kevin's hands with evident pride.
"With power like this, does that mean even Dr. Mei could defeat an Emperor-class Honkai beast using the Judgement of Shamash? That's amazing! As expected of you, Vill-V."
Elysia didn't hold back her praise. However, she failed to notice the growing look of embarrassment on the great Vill-V's face as she spoke.
"Ahem, sorry, Elysia, but that might not be possible just yet..." Vill-V laughed awkwardly.
"Why?" Elysia looked at her, surprised.
"Because, currently, this weapon is Kevin's personal armament. While powerful, it has severe side effects. Anyone else using it would be burned to death by the intense heat. Only Kevin, with his near-Herrscher-level ice abilities, can wield it properly... In Kevin's hands, it's the Judgement of Shamash. For anyone else, it'd be the 'Judgement of Self-Immolation'..."
"So it's become Kevin's personal weapon? That's not fair! How come Kevin gets a personal weapon and I don't!" Elysia immediately raised her hand in protest.
Hmm, so the issue wasn't that only Kevin could use it, but that she didn't have one? It reminded Acheron of her days playing Overwatch before she crossed over.
'There are two types of people I hate most in Overwatch! Those who play Moira, and those who play Moira and won't heal me!'
"Hehe, one thing at a time. Maybe one of the Divine Keys I make later will happen to be suitable for you, Elysia," Vill-V said with a sly smile.
"But for now, the test isn't over yet." She changed the subject, looking at Elysia and Acheron beside her.
"Not over?" Elysia looked at the scene in surprise.
"Correct. A weapon forged from a Herrscher core—how could its effects be limited to just this?" Vill-V said, then nodded to Kevin.
In the next moment, Kevin placed the dual guns together in his hands, slowly merging them from the trigger guards.
Instantly, a scorching power erupted from the Judgement of Shamash. Then, with the barrels as the junction point, a hilt and a blade of fiery red energy materialized.
The greatsword was over a meter long, nearly as tall as Elysia herself.
Kevin held it in his hands, the golden flames illuminating his face.
"This is the true form of the Judgement of Shamash! The Divine Key capable of unleashing the true power of the Herrscher of Flame! Might of An-Utu!" Vill-V gazed excitedly at the greatsword in Kevin's hands, almost dancing with glee. She took out a remote and pressed a button.
Immediately, the ground shook. An enormous platform rose from the earth, and upon it lay a colossal body.
Just the exposed parts were tens of meters long, with even more of its form buried underground.
"This Honkai beast was extremely powerful. Hunting it cost Fire Moth tremendous effort back then. Even in death, its corpse retains a certain level of activity and is extremely difficult to destroy. Using this body for testing is perfect."
"I understand. You should step back, Vill-V," Kevin nodded, warning her.
"Step back? How could I step back! This is a Divine Key experiment! I wouldn't be able to see clearly from far away!" Despite her words, Vill-V still moved away, though she stopped again at a distance behind Kevin.
"This should be far enough. According to calculations, the residual effects of Might of An-Utu's activation shouldn't reach here," Vill-V said, satisfied.
Next, Kevin raised the Cleaver of Shamash in his hands, let out a low shout, "Shamash, draw!"
In an instant, infernal flames swept across the entire field. The scene was just like when the Herrscher of Flame had first descended.
And the Might of An-Utu, true to its origin from the Herrscher of Flame's core, lived up to its terrifying reputation.
With a single strike, it annihilated the massive remains of the super-sized Honkai beast.
"Whoo! I truly am a genius! Only I could create something like this!" Vill-V's hair was slightly singed and curled from the close proximity to the flames.
But she paid it no mind, instead grabbing Elysia and Acheron beside her and cheering.
"I can feel it. With the Might of An-Utu's boost, I might even be able to take on a Herrscher!" Kevin couldn't put the Might of An-Utu down, his words brimming with confidence on the spot.
Though, given the Might of An-Utu's output, facing a Herrscher was indeed feasible.
"Kevin, don't get too carried away now."
"Don't worry, I know my limits." Kevin nodded. As he spoke, he looked at Acheron with a hint of eagerness.
His previous challenges against Acheron had all ended in miserable defeat. Now that he had new power, could he challenge Acheron again?
Being a sunny, straightforward guy, Kevin's emotions were plain on his face. Acheron quickly discerned what he was thinking.
She immediately responded with a 'kind' smile.
"It seems like it's been a while since we last sparred, Kevin. Let's give it a try." Acheron said, walking into the center of the field.
"Gladly! This time, I will definitely defeat..."
One minute later...
Kevin lay on the ground, left arm stretched out, index finger pointing feebly in Acheron's direction.
Kevin, defeated once again!
However, Acheron had to acknowledge that Kevin was a genius. His aptitude was frighteningly exaggerated. He had only just obtained the Might of An-Utu greatsword, yet he had adapted to its use with incredible speed. Even for Acheron, defeating him had required a good dozen moves.
Moreover, his potential ceiling wasn't low.
If this world could survive the Honkai and eventually connect with the wider cosmos, Earth's strength would grant it the ability to defend itself among the stars.
Perhaps they could even give those cosmic bumpkins a taste of the Honkai's power...
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.