Chapter 186: Herrscher Of The Void
Earlier, one Welt Young was having a meeting with Theresa and the staff of St. Freya High. "Ahhh, Joachim. Himeko has already told me what you want, but do tell me why would we do that?" Theresa was definitely influenced by Ein's shrewdness and Welt frowned at her words.
"Your grandmother's planning something Theresa. And I don't quite know what it is, but it's something terrible. Aesir is busy fighting right now, Ottilie must be using that time to enact her plan." Joachim tried to convince her that they should help.
"Hmmm, but Adelheid is on your side? I don't know about you. But isn't my niece enough? She has multiple herrscher cores and her strength is pretty impressive too." Theresa fired back, basically saying they're incompetent.
Joachim winced and had to come clean. "Adelheid is missing Theresa, she fought with Schicksal's Golden Paragon, they were evenly matched. But after that, they disappeared. The last thing we saw was Rita carrying them with our satellites." Joachim frowned and thought that they really needed Adelheid for this mission.
"I see, hah. I guess that is a good reason, but you are taking my students, so I'll have a squad to go with them as well." Theresa called Cheng and the spice girls. Surprising Joachim, as he thought that they were already retired.
"Theresa-chan, finally! Some action!" Shub stretched and now had a Soulium spear on her back.
"Hehe~ I love drinking and lazing around, but it gets pretty boring too when all you can entertain yourself with are kids." Patricia took out her new railguns and would love to test out her little friends.
"Adelheid-san's missing, so I could give her a hand." Kira shrugged, not as fanatical anymore about her idols in Schicksal.
"Welt of Anti-Entropy. It seems you are in a pinch." Salome just stared at him and made him unnerved at her poker face.
"Principal, are you sure this is wise? Kiana is unstable, Mei is just a new herrscher. Everything could go wrong." Cheng was rightfully worried and Himeko answered.
"Just let them be, Kiana would go anyway when she wakes up. And Mei will also follow, along with them too." Himeko pointed at the new group that arrived and Cheng gave a wry smile.
"Principal, can we go too? We could help. We just weren't prepared for Kiana to lose control." Bronya anxiously asked as this was a risky operation.
"Youngsters these days, they really want to get into the heat of things." Theresa shook her head and sighed. Sounding like a boomer, which she was.
"Ahhh, principal. You're sounding like an old hag." Himeko reminded her and Theresa glared at her. "Himeko-sensei's right you know?" Shub commented and everybody agreed except for Joachim. Who was also a boomer.
"Fine then, you know what? Go, it's not that I care if you guys get beat up and grandma do some weird things to you." Theresa pouted and she puffed her cheeks.
"Thank you, we will be as careful as we can be." Joachim bowed and Theresa raised a brow at that. "Which is not much, considering your track record Joachim."
He flinched and didn't say any more as Theresa might just take her words back. Everybody then prepared to go to Europe, Tilie left a trace and she went to Kolosten. Schicksal's old HQ.
They boarded a VTOL and they took the unconscious Kiana with them. Welt had a plan and that was for him and Mei to go inside her herrscher core and communicate with the herrscher persona. Or beat the living shit out of it.
"Mei, I have a plan to let Kiana help us in this fight. And I need you to have sufficient control on your herrscher core. Are you struggling in any way to contain it?" Joachim was talking with her privately.
"No, the herrscher persona gave me complete control over our core. But she does whisper to me sometimes, like show them our strength or something." Mei frowned and she actually felt a bit more haughty and arrogant because of her herrscher persona.
"Of course I do, stupid girl. We are the queen of conquest. What kind of conqueror are you if you do not take retribution against even the smallest slight against you!?" The herrscher talked through Mei and it surprised Joachim.
"Shush! I know already, don't worry. We're just getting started, I'll get on to what you want later." Mei rolled her eyes and the herrscher nodded in satisfaction.
"Uhh, what was that?" Joachim was confused as the 1st herrscher core was neutralized a long time ago by Adamantine. Effectively taking out the herrscher persona off of it.
"Ahh, she's the real 3rd herrscher. She is really... How do I say this? Steadfast in her goal, but she helps me a lot." Mei got a bit sheepish and Joachim nodded.
"I see, but here's the plan. We are travelling to Europe and we will be there soon. We will use our cores to interact with Kiana's herrscher persona. If we can't convince her. Then we need to beat her." Joachim informed Mei and she agreed.
"How are we going to do it, Welt-san?" Mei and Welt were standing near Kiana and Joachim thought it would be a perfect time as she was unconscious.
"Can you feel your core?" Joachim looked at her and Mei nodded. "Then remember this, the only limits of herrscher cores. Is yourself, it could be your body, knowledge, or will. But we herrschers can do almost anything. We're just more specialized in our field. Honkai energy is just insanely hard to control on your own merit." Mei then saw a tendril of honkai energy coming from his chest.
"That is... A tether huh?" Mei commented and Joachim nodded. Understanding what he was showing her, Mei started to create one as well with her core.
Slowly, a red tendril came out of her chest. Mei started sweating because to command it, she needed tons of control.
"Fool, have you forgotten already? Electricity is like water. Let it flow naturally, be its guide. Honestly, why do I put up with you?" The herrscher gave her tips and was all tsundere.
Mei started having a better time when she didn't restrict her honkai energy. But guided it, though she did need to be quick or else it would disperse. As electricity needed a conduit.
"Quickly, I have located her herrscher core. Let us dive in immediately." Joachim, who just located Kiana's herrscher core instructed Mei. They then connected themselves together, taking a deep dive.
They first walked through a memory space of Kiana's childhood. Seeing the white haired girl going hungry as nobody gave her food.
Seeing Cecilia just stare into nothingness while Siegfried drank himself to unconsciousness. And their cold looks whenever Kiana tried to get their attention.
Mei and Joachim frowned, especially Joachim. As they entrusted the girl to them, but it seems that she wasn't treated very kindly early on.
"So this is a source of her anger and hatred?" Mei faced Joachim and wondered if this fueled her constant loss against the herrscher persona.
"That's correct, but this isn't the end. Prepare yourself, you'll be seeing Sirin's experienced back then when she was trapped in Siberia's Babylon labs." Joachim warned her and Mei was confused on why Sirin got mentioned by Joachim.
And as they walked through the memory space even deeper. Mei was hit by the immense hatred, anger, sorrow, and loneliness.
She then saw what happened at Siberia. The cool big sister Sirin that was an adult now, going through cruel experiments as she saw her friends die one by one.
Mei gasped and found a newfound determination to beat the hell out of one blonde. "This... This is awful..." Mei commented and Joachim nodded.
"So you saw? Oh, sister of mine." HOV appeared before them and appeared to be quite lax. So they lowered their guard.
"My previous host has seen the worst of humanity. Are you still so sure that we don't need to destroy it? Sirin might be peaceful now, but that's because she shed her hatred. Left it all behind to live a new life with him. And she left it to me." HOV leaked immense negative emotions.
"Then we can still change it! That's why Ein-nii does it all. Can't you see? Sirin-nee did it because she understood him." Mei tried arguing, but HOV gave a chuckle. It then turned into a full blown maniacal laugh.
"Change? Humans? You're delusional! Humans can't and won't change for others! They all talk about the greater good, but when it comes down to it, they only care about themselves! Their own desires, their selfish values. Hypocrisy is ingrained in them Raiden Mei. And you are one too." HOV smirked at her.
"W-what do you mean!? I'm not like them!" Mei tried to rebut. "But you are... I can see your memories here too, we are connected. When you awakened, you killed people in cold blood. You didn't change them, you murdered them in contempt and spite."
Mei winced and was suddenly silent. "You talk about your ideals. That the world is still beautiful, but deep down, aren't you the same as me?" HOV gave a malicious smile and Mei couldn't retort.
"Raiden Mei, get a hold of yourself. She's just messing with your mind." Joachim sobered her up and Mei nodded with a frown.
"Ahhh, the first one. And the first traitor, the weakest one. How do you think you will win this when your ally back then was so much more potent than him?" HOV haughtily dissed Joachim. Preparing her subspace lances.
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Meanwhile, the girls outside were fighting off hordes of honkai beasts. "Salome! Keep on shooting these fuckers down!" Shub shouted out as she repelled the attacks that came to them with her spear.
"Shut up, Shub! I'm concentrating." Salome controlled thousands of blades in the air as she tore down honkai beasts for them to make a path.
"Cheng, Kira! My guns are overheating!" Patricia let Kira give cover fire with her lightning and Cheng immediately cooled down Patricia's guns with water's edge and the 5th divine key.
"Tch, they're like locusts. The skies are blotted out with their numbers." Bronya was firing her lasers while Sin, Rozaliya, and Sin just fired the guns of the ship with reckless abandon. Not caring about accuracy because they'll hit something anyways.
"Seele, the honkai energy is rising. I will be able to help more." Veliona spoke to Seele and she nodded, giving control of her body to Veliona.
She then transformed and had a pair of chains with massive claws on them. Her hair grew and Veliona went on top of the vessel as she stood there.
"So many things to crush. Too bad you guys don't feel pain." Veliona swung her scythe and released a beam. Opening a path in front as the enemies got vaporized instantly.
"What are you guys waiting for? Full speed ahead!" Veliona then protected the ship as her claws blocked and parried attacks. Maneuvering them expertly, having enough range for the whole ship.
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Meanwhile, back at the memory space. HOV just decked Joachim on the face with a hand of Typhon. Making him fly away like a ragdoll.
But he was able to spawn guns and Mei enhanced them with her powers. Creating railguns that showered HOV with superpowered bullets.
Although Mei knew that it was just a distraction and she charged in. Slashing with her sword as a rift of electricity and plasma followed the attack's trajectory.
A pair of ethereal hands clapped and stopped her sword. Mei then saw HOV smirk as another hand of Typhon caught her and threw her at the ground like a meteor.
"Kyahahaha! Foolish sister of mine, you cannot beat me without your little friends!" HOV was more vigilant now and her powers proved to be quite troublesome.
"Ugh, Welt-san. She has too much hax!" Mei spat out some blood and Joachim nodded solemnly.
"If you don't want to join me, then I will take your cores and continue my mission alone." HOV squinted her eyes. But while she focused on the two. She forgot one that was there as well.
HOV suddenly got hit on the head by a baseball bat and spiralled to the ground, creating a cloud of dust.
"Kiana-chan." Mei was surprised and Kiana gave a cheeky smile. "You seem to have forgotten me already."
"You... Why do you oppose me!? Have you forgotten what you went through? What we went through!?" HOV hatefully shouted out as she gritted her teeth.
Mei then started thinking of a strategy that will incapacitate HOV. She remembered one thing that could pass through without problems. As the void shields seemed to filter through some phenomena.
"I don't know about you, but making decisions in my behalf isn't your right." Kiana stood with Joachim and Mei.
"Stupidity at its finest. Kiana Kaslana, you already know how humans are." HOV squinted her eyes, disappointed that they couldn't see eye to eye.
Mei looked at Joachim and he nodded, thinking that she has a plan. Mei then talked to Kiana telepathically, sending messages directly to her brain using electricity.
"Kiana-chan, prepare yourself. I'll be incapacitating her, but you're the only one who can get her to our side. Show her how beautiful this world is." Mei looked at Kiana and the Kaslana nodded with determination.
"Herrscher of the void, you might think you understand humans. But you forget, fact is. You aren't a human, so you will never understand." Joachim started concentrating and he made an army of weapons. Just like his last stand in Siberia.
A barrage of explosives and metal pelted her. While Mei made the metal quicker with magnetism. Kiana then started running and Mei prepared as she focused.
She created a laser of radiation, bearing down on HOV so she won't be able to get a breather. A portal suddenly opened and redirected their attacks to them. HOV saw Kiana running at her and smirked, she directed her subspace lances at Kiana.
Kiana then smiled, confusing her greatly. She threw the baseball bat that was arcing with electricity and spewing plasma. HOV snorted and just thought her void shields would block it.
But Mei suddenly appeared in front of her, as Mei transformed into electricity and coated the bat that was a decoy.
She then screamed, controlling vibrations and frequency. HOV's eardrums ruptured, suddenly overwhelmed by the surprise attack. She was disoriented.
"Go, Kiana!" Joachim created a missile and Kiana latched onto it. Quickly arriving at HOV which Mei was restraining by disrupting honkai energy with her powers.
Kiana bear hugged HOV and Mei connected their memories. Both losing consciousness.
"Kiana Kaslana, you waste your time. I will not join your idiocy and save humanity. Your oath does not concern me." HOV was face to face with Kiana and she immediately shot her down.
"That might be true, everything you said is valid. Humans are ugly, terrible, and hypocrites. But not everyone are like them." Kiana smiled and hugged HOV.
She then felt a wave of euphoria and serenity as Kiana's memories played out in her view. Experiencing everything as well.
"Let's play, Kiana." A young Bronya pulled her around and they played Ein's new game. "Kiana, you can go here anytime you want. I'll handle your commute." She saw Ein smile at her as he gave her treats.
"Isn't this nice, Kiana-chan? I hope this lasts forever." She saw Mei's wistful smile and Kiana promised her that it would, with her silly grin.
"This world is worth protecting. I hated the world back then. But I found people that are worth it, do you really understand Ein-nii? On why he protects humanity?" Kiana asked HOV and she was stumped.
"It's because life is beautiful. He could've abandoned humans and still succeed, but this is his home. Even if it is imperfect." Kiana smiled at her and HOV remembered Sirin's mother. Why she was hell-bent on recreating her.
"I see. Home... That's why Sirin is now at peace, she is finally home." HOV frowned, understanding now, but she cannot let go of her hatred that easily.
"Your grievances are valid. They all are, but enacting vengeance against those who aren't involved is not right. Ein-nii would happily help you with your goals. If they aren't misguided, even revenge." Kiana saw Mei's memories and remembered the time when she talked with Ein about it.
HOV was quiet, she then saw Kiana reminiscing Mei's memories. "Kiana Kaslana. Don't disappoint me." HOV then merged with her and Kiana woke up, her blue eyes gaining the unique pupils of HOV.
Mei and Joachim suddenly fell down in exhaustion as they returned to the real world. "She did it..." Mei sighed in relief and Joachim nodded in satisfaction.
"Mei-chan, let's go. We need to beat up the overseer." Kiana helped them up on their feet.
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Thanks for reading everyone, anyways. Ciao.