On the other side—
What none of the viewers expected was this!
Just as Theresa and her group were rushing toward the rescue point,
their supposed rescue target—Kiana—appeared of her own accord!
A violent spatial fluctuation swept across the battlefield!
Raiden Mei was shaken loose and fell from the air—
But in the very next second,
a pair of hands caught her steadily, pulling her into an embrace.
"Mei?"
Kiana's voice rang out.
Mei's eyes flew open in delight.
"Kiana?! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine. I feel great…
so great it's like I've been reborn."
Kiana's appearance hadn't changed,
yet the expression on her face made Mei hesitate.
"K-Kiana…?"
"I'm so happy that when I woke up, you were right here by my side."
Something strange lurked in her voice—
an eerie smile curling at the corners of her lips.
"Now… reunite with me once more, my other half!"
In an instant—
The entire field was thrown into shock!!
Outside the screen,
the extraordinary viewers immediately realized—
The one occupying Kiana's body at this moment
was not Kiana herself!
It was the Second Herrscher—Sirin!!
[Furina: Eh??]
[Silver Wolf: This feels… really wrong!]
[Raiden Mei: Wait—what's happening to Kiana?!]
[Kiana: Why does that feel like it's not me at all??]
[Keqing: Indeed. That gaze is far too cold.]
[Fu Hua: This presence… it's the Second Herrscher?!]
[Tesla: Damn it!! Under Otto's catalysis, Sirin's personality has awakened inside Kiana's body!]
[Honkai · Himeko: But wasn't Sirin already dead?!]
[Theresa: How could this be…]
On screen, just as everyone had concluded—
Kiana was no longer Kiana.
Her pupils shone a brilliant gold,
her gaze filled with nothing but icy indifference.
Fortunately, Theresa arrived in time and saved Mei.
But even at full strength,
Theresa was no match for Sirin.
"Weak. Insignificant. Overestimating yourselves."
"Struggling on the brink of death only hastens its arrival.
After all this time, you still haven't learned that lesson?"
"Little girl—why do you insist on standing in my way again?"
"Enough talk! That body doesn't belong to you!"
"Hahahaha! Ridiculous.
This body is a vessel forged by greedy humans for my rebirth—
a sacrifice prepared for my descent!"
The Herrscher of the Void's overwhelming presence
made even the viewers outside the screen turn grim.
"Hehe… but even ants have their uses."
"Watching you dance like clumsy puppets
is amusing in its own way."
"Bella—go and teach them how to dance."
In an instant—
Benares lunged at Mei!
At this moment, Mei had no strength left to fight!
Just then—
Several energy shells intercepted the attack!
Bronya's calm voice echoed through the battlefield.
"Long time no see, Mei-neechan. Principal.
Looks like Bronya arrived just in time."
"You've rested long enough, Bronya.
Rejoin the formation!"
With Bronya joining the fight,
everyone's morale surged!
But—
The power of the Herrscher of the Void
far exceeded all expectations!
Even with Bronya's support,
the three of them were still driven into a disadvantage!
At the most critical moment—
Fu Hua's appearance turned the tide!
It gave Theresa's group the chance to breathe and retreat!
Only after they withdrew
did the battle between Fu Hua and Sirin truly erupt into full intensity!
[Charlotte: Fu Hua? But… wasn't she Otto's undercover agent? What side is she really on…]
[Kiana: Class President Fu Hua must have her own reasons…]
[Raiden Mei: So strong… the Second Herrscher…]
[Theresa: The fusion of the Gem of Serenity and the Herrscher of the Void… there's no way to counter it at all!]
[Jingliu: The Fu Hua before us likely can't defeat that thing.]
[Fu Hua: If it were the past…]
As the chat had judged—
Fu Hua was no match for Sirin in her current state.
The damage Fu Hua inflicted
recovered at an astonishing rate!
The power of the Herrscher of Death
had become the strongest shield!
And just as Sirin was about to strike the killing blow—
Clap—clap—clap—clap!
An ill-timed round of applause halted the spear mid-thrust.
Otto's figure appeared on the battlefield.
"What a marvelous fight."
"As expected of the Queen of Honkai.
Your bearing is dazzling, no matter the time or place."
To the Herrscher of the Void,
Otto spared no praise.
"You… I recognize you!
You're the one who awakened me—
a pitiful human coveting divine power!"
"Hehehe. To be remembered by you is my honor.
Then, as a token of thanks for granting you a second life—
might I ask you to spare her?"
Otto showed no anger,
only gracefully gesturing toward Fu Hua.
At the same time,
a crimson fluid seeped from his body.
Blood-like streams traced along his arm,
condensing into sharp, conical spikes aimed at the Herrscher,
as though they could erupt at any moment.
"She is my friend.
I would rather she not be harmed."
His tone was sincere,
yet laced with unmistakable threat—
still playful and frivolous, just as ever.
But the Herrscher did not see it that way.
Those blood-red spikes
instinctively unsettled her.
They were something eerily familiar,
yet fundamentally different.
After a moment of silence,
the Herrscher of the Void chose to compromise.
"Hmph… she isn't worth my effort.
If you want her so badly, then she's yours."
This time, the Queen did not choose to fight.
From that man,
she sensed the same aura as her own—
and also a bottomless obsession utterly unlike hers.
"As expected of the Herrscher of the Void,
the one who caused the greatest catastrophe in human history—the Second Honkai."
"Power rivaling the gods,
and such a commanding grasp of the bigger picture as well."
Otto lavished praise without restraint.
"Empty flattery!"
Even so, the Herrscher of the Void's lips
curved faintly upward.
"I'm not interested in you people.
Those little girls are my real targets."
With that—
She tossed Fu Hua aside
and vanished into the void.
Otto walked over to Fu Hua.
"Ah… how miserable.
The last time I saw you this badly injured
was five hundred years ago on Mount Taixuan, wasn't it?"
Fu Hua fell silent.
"In any case, I'll treat your injuries first.
Consider it a celebration for the successful conclusion
of the experiment's first phase."
"Why…?"
"Hm? You can still speak?"
"Why… did you let her go?
Do you have any idea… what her ultimate goal is…?"
"I do."
For once, Otto put away his smile.
"She'll probably catch up to them soon, won't she?
This time, no one else will interfere."
Those words—
made Fu Hua, and every viewer watching,
feel their hearts sink!
Otto…
had deliberately let the Herrscher of the Void leave?!
Fu Hua spoke with difficulty.
"What… are you saying…?"
"Oh, right. I haven't told you yet—don't worry,
this should be good news for you."
Otto's lips curled upward
as he began his benevolent explanation.
"K-423 is not dead.
And I need her to stay alive."
"Right now, there are two consciousnesses residing in that body."
"The consciousness you call Kiana, that of K-423—
and the consciousness of the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin."
"After absorbing the Gem of Serenity and a high concentration of Honkai energy,
Sirin's consciousness within that body became active."
"And successfully seized control of the vessel,
ultimately bringing about the Herrscher of the Void's reawakening."
At this point—
Otto ignored Fu Hua's shocked gaze
and continued calmly.
"But this is not the ending I desire."
"Up to this point, we call it Phase One.
What follows… is the real experiment!"
"K-423's consciousness fell into dormancy due to the Herrscher's awakening,
but it did not disappear."
"So then—what happens
if K-423's consciousness defeats Sirin's instead?"
"The answer is simple:
a human wielding Herrscher power will be born!"
"This has already been proven by the Third and Fourth Herrschers."
"Even if the Herrscher's consciousness is suppressed,
the Herrscher's power does not vanish!
And controlling a human is far easier than controlling a Herrscher."
"I have always believed that the bonds between people—
their deep affection—
can be transformed into the purest, most powerful force."
"In the two years K-423 spent at St. Freya Academy,
unbreakable ties were forged in their hearts!"
"These warm, happy memories
will become K-423's strength—
to tear apart the Herrscher's heart,
which knows nothing of love!"
"According to my calculations,
when a sacrifice appears,
K-423 will reclaim this body!"
"To kill a Herrscher with love—
that is a miracle only they can achieve."
In an instant—
As Otto finished his explanation—
a chill ran through everyone's hearts!
Only now did they truly understand Otto's intent.
He had deliberately awakened Sirin.
And in the end,
he intended to control Kiana,
to control the Herrscher's power itself.
—Madness.
Fu Hua stared at the man before her,
who still wore that same calm expression.
Only one thought remained in her mind.
This man…
was insane.
No—
from the very beginning,
he had always been a thoroughly, utterly insane man.