The Greatsword of Pure Love

Bianca had never heard that name before, but the boy in front of her was undoubtedly a Herrscher— a Herrscher who was nearing the end of his life.

This feeling was strange. After all, a Herrscher's lifespan was theoretically extremely long. Unless they were eliminated, they could always draw energy from the Imaginary Space to sustain themselves. There were no records of Herrschers dying from old age or illness.

Yet, something about him was different.

Unless he wasn't a true Herrscher at all. Perhaps he was a pseudo-Herrscher— born from a true Herrscher but only able to obtain a portion of their power. Schicksal had some records of this. During the Second Honkai War, the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin, had shared her gems with three others, creating three pseudo-Herrschers.

But those three pseudo-Herrschers were all women, naturally possessing a high adaptability to Honkai energy.

Although there weren't any obvious signs of Honkai erosion on the boy in front of her, it was clear his lifespan must have been affected.

Of course, this was only speculation. Durandal couldn't be certain yet. But no matter the circumstances, Kiana had to be retrieved. Even if she was facing a Herrscher, she still had to win.

Just as Bianca was preparing to attack, Ren was also observing her.

Bianca Ataegina, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie. She carried both Kaslana and Schariac blood—born to be the savior of this world, the true Child of Destiny. The name Kiana Kaslana was originally supposed to be hers. But due to a series of strange events, it had been inherited by the current Kiana.

A true name represented a person's life. Bianca, who had been robbed of her name, had undoubtedly been robbed of everything.

And K423, who had inherited the name Kiana, would spend her entire life living under that name. This was a great injustice to both of them.

Ren didn't know what Siegfried had been thinking at the time, but he didn't want to consider those things. Kiana was Kiana. He was going to completely take that name away from Bianca. He was going to make sure that everyone in the entire world knew that the white-haired girl was Kiana—even if it was unfair to Bianca.

But, there wasn't fairness in this world. If something was yours, then you had to take it.

Ren not only wanted to take that name from Bianca, but he also wanted to take Kiana away from Schicksal.

"Bianca Ataegina, I am very sorry." Softly speaking to Bianca, Ren raised the massive greatsword in his hand. "Kiana is mine."

"…" Durandal didn't understand the meaning behind his words. What she was more familiar with was fighting. The victor would possess everything. That was the belief engraved in her heart.

In the next second, flames burned through the sky, scorching the air with a crackling sound.

Durandal's eyes narrowed. She immediately activated her God-Killer armor. A light blue energy shield materialized, blocking Ren's attack.

With a sound like shattering crystal, the flames were blocked. Black Abyss White Flower pierced through the air, striking the massive greatsword in front of Ren. The power of the Divine Key was immense, but at this moment, Ren possessed a portion of the Gem of Serenity's power. Black Abyss White Flower wasn't very effective against him.

Ren blocked the lance with a swift movement, holding Kiana tightly in his arms. He spun like a dancer, fluid and graceful, before swinging his greatsword upwards.

Though he gripped the weapon with only one hand, the scorching heat of the blade forced Durandal to retreat.

"Herrscher of Flames?" Durandal's expression shifted. The heat radiating from the sword was undeniable. She knew the destructive power of the Herrscher of Flames. It was capable of damaging even Black Abyss White Flower—Cecilia's weapon. Durandal believed only she had the right to wield it, and she valued it deeply.

But that didn't mean she would back down. Her God-Killer armour, Dea Anchora, shimmered briefly. The weapon of the Gods—Hler's Serenity—materialized in her hands.

Even an ordinary person would struggle to lift the heavy lance. But Durandal? She wielded two with ease.

"Awaken, glorious defender."

The girl's voice echoed as the tall guardian knight, wielding a massive greatsword, descended from the sky. With a swift motion, he slashed at Ren.

At the same time, a lance shot toward Ren at near supersonic speed, accompanied by a sharp sonic boom.

The attack left no escape route. If Ren wanted to block it, he'd have to release Kiana. But how could he let her go?

There was no way out. There would be no retreat.

If Siegfried, using Might of An-Utu, could defeat Sirin, then how could Ren, with the powers of the Herrscher of Flames and the Greatsword of Pure Love, ever consider retreating?

Deep crimson flames erupted, instantly scorching the surrounding air.

With a single strike, the guardian knight of Dea Anchora was reduced to nothing. At the same time, Hler's Serenity—thrown by Bianka—sliced through his shoulder. Blood spurted out in an instant.

Ren frowned. Without hesitation, he pressed the greatsword against his wound. A sizzling sound filled the air as the wound cauterized. The blood evaporated immediately due to the intense heat.

Holding Kiana tightly, Ren activated the high-speed mobility of the Herrscher of the Void, closing the distance to Durandal.

Crack.

The shield of the Divine Key shattered once again. But this time, it couldn't stop Ren's attack. The stench of burning flesh filled the air.

Bianka's golden hair was nearly ignited, but she gripped Black Abyss White Flower with all her strength, enduring the blow.

Ren had already seized the advantage. He ignited the flames around him, forging a flaming greatsword that stretched across the sky.

If Fu Hua had been awake, she would have recognized it instantly as an imitation of one of the Tai Xuan Sword God's techniques.

As the sword descended, its flames illuminated most of ARC City. The clouds left by the Honkai bomb's explosion were burned away, consumed by the intense heat.

The air itself seemed to burn, turning into shockwaves that swept downward, eventually forming a storm. In the heart of it, Durandal fought desperately to resist.

The world around her began to channel massive amounts of Honkai energy, creating a force to counter the inferno.

Hundreds of meters above the ground, the two powers collided in a devastating explosion, one that threatened to annihilate everything in its path.

The towering tree, scorched bare, turned to dust as the violent power spread downward. The shockwave obliterated the high-rise buildings in its path.

Mei, already pushed to her limits and lying at the base of the tree, could only watch helplessly as the shockwave, carrying rubble, rushed toward her.

A sense of numbness washed over her, but then, out of nowhere, the Kalpas puppet—who hadn't appeared in a long time—reappeared.

With a swift motion, it smashed the incoming rubble into dust, then grabbed Mei by the shoulder, throwing her away.

She crashed into a wall with a painful thud. The impact made her grimace in pain.

Was this chaotic rescue method intentional?