Into the Unknown

"Take this," The Herrcsher's cry pierced through the rubbles of Ginsing Street. With a flick of her wrist, bolts of red lightning surged forth, illuminating the darkened sky with an ominous radiance, and instilling fear in the hearts of all who beheld it.

*Crackle*

Swift as a striking serpent, the bolts streaked towards their target, the HOMU, with unnerving velocity. In the blink of an eye, they closed the distance, crackling with deadly intent.

*Bang* - The impact reverberated through the air, a resounding clash amidst the clamor of war. Struck head-on, the HOMU was sent hurtling through the air, a helpless victim of the Herrcsher's wrath, crashing amidst the debris of the shattered infrastructure.

"Kugh," The Rabbit grunted, his voice strained with exertion. "That was unexpectedly fast. Looks like I've lost the edge on speed here," he muttered to himself, struggling to regain his footing amidst the chaos.

"*Hah* I guess it's also my fault that I showed her how to use her power," he reflected inwardly, a wry grin tugging at his lips. "But well, that doesn't matter now." Shaking his body a bit, the HOMU looked at his soon-to-be test subject and grinned.

The lightning bolts had surged with unprecedented speed, their lethality surpassing any previous encounters. With a keen eye for danger, the HOMU deduced that the moment had arrived. "Time to put this nagging theory of mine to the test," he thought to himself.

The HOMU observed the Herrscher conjuring more lightning bolts, and a plan began to form in his mind. "Perfect," he declared aloud, his voice steady despite the impending threat.

"Time to build a wall." The words slipped from his lips, and though unsure as to why would he ever phrase it like that he dismissed this thought and focused on building the wall. [A/N: His American blood is acting up.]

The Herrscher had completed her conjuration, launching her onslaught of attacks at the HOMU with swift precision. Yet, this time, as the bolts hurtled towards their target - *Rumble*

A sudden *Rumble* disrupted the battlefield. A wall materialized, but unlike any ordinary barrier, it was a peculiar amalgamation of elements which were: fire, ice, and metal.

At first glance, this combination appeared utterly unconventional, almost like a piece of art rather than a functional defence. Yet, a pressing question lingered: how had this unordinary wall come into existence?

The elements composing it were traditionally seen as antagonistic—the fire was supposed to melt ice, and metal was unable to quench it.

Yet here they stood united, defying conventional wisdom. The very essence of the wall seemed to challenge the laws of nature, leaving observers perplexed and curious about its mysterious origin.

That was the perspective of ordinary observers, but the truth behind this unconventional wall lay within the realm of physics, albeit with a touch of extraordinary ability. It existed solely due to the unique skills possessed by the HOMU: [Alchemia Chaos-Flux] and [Elementorum Energeticum Dominatio].

[Alchemia Chaos-Flux] granted the power to manipulate entropy and chaotic energy, while [Elementorum Energeticum Dominatio] allowed influence over the properties and behaviours of classical elements.

Combining these two skills and essentially forming a skill one could refer to as a fusion Skill: [The Tri-Wall of Testimony], the HOMU first tapped into chaotic energy to catalyze the fusion of fire, ice, and metal.

For a fleeting moment, the natural order was suspended as these elements harmonized in an unprecedented balance. With meticulous precision, the HOMU maintained the stability and integrity of the elemental fusion, manipulating their physical properties to craft this unique wall.

Yet, despite its remarkable appearance, this extraordinary barrier was inherently transient. Its stability was but a brief illusion, destined to dissipate in mere moments. Even with mastery over chaos and elemental energy, the HOMU's influence over the natural order was ephemeral, a fleeting defiance against the world's natural order which was, in truth, futile!

As the lightning bolt collided with the wall, its energy met formidable resistance from the fire element. Fire, in its essence, was a manifestation of unionized electricity, boasting a resistance on a scale ranging from mega to giga. Thus, it acted as a formidable barrier, slowing the lightning's advance while absorbing its destructive force.

Meanwhile, the ice component of the wall began to melt, forming a protective barrier of steam. Though the resistance offered by the fire tempered the lightning's impact, the discharge still unleashed immense heat, creating a volatile environment.

Simultaneously, the metal veins woven throughout the wall served as conduits, grounding the excess voltage. 'Now is my chance to verify everything about the powers of these Herrschers,' The HOMU thought as he stepped forward, ready to seize the moment.

Suddenly, *Zap*—a surge of electricity coursed through his body, sending waves of intense pain rippling through him. Though it wasn't enough to end his life, the shock was excruciating, leaving him reeling from the 'expected' assault.

As the HOMU stood his ground, a wide grin stretched across his face, as if he had just won the lottery. His gaze locked onto the Herrscher, who appeared bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.

What had transpired just now was that the magnetic properties of the metals had induced a current, shedding light on the nature of the Herrscher's power.

It became evident that her abilities were intricately tied to electromagnetism, but what was more important than that was how this electromagnetism aligned with the principles observed in physics.

"Now, I don't need to be as wary of you self-proclaimed angels," the HOMU declared, his voice dripping with confidence.

The Herrscher heard this and frowned, her frustration boiling over as she retorted, "Who are you calling self-proclaimed? I- I am the Herrscher of Thunder, dammit!" Her voice thundered with indignation as she summoned a colossal storm, commanding black clouds to swirl menacingly overhead.

In response to her wrath, a rain of lightning poured down from the heavens, enveloping the HOMU in a torrential onslaught.

Bolts of electricity crackled and danced around him, each strike threatening to consume him in its searing embrace. Yet, despite the ferocity of the storm, the HOMU stood firm, his gaze fixed on the Herrscher.

"Humph," the HOMU almost seemed to sneer at the looming tempest poised to strike him, before simply muttering, "Fusion Skill: Kugelblitz."

A football-sized sphere materialized at the tip of his finger, glowing with an intense, searing heat. As the HOMU concentrated, the energy within the sphere intensified, its fiery brilliance burning even brighter.

The surrounding air began to warp and distort under the extreme temperatures, creating a swirling vortex of energy around the miniature Kugelblitz. The relentless rain of lightning, once a threat, now became an unwitting source of power, each bolt feeding into the growing mass of elemental fury.

With each passing moment, the sphere expanded, fueled by the combined forces of heat and electricity. What had started as a mere spark now transformed into an all-consuming artificial black hole its gravitational pull growing stronger with each passing second.

"Succumb to the overwhelming force of gravitational pull, crumbling into fragments" The HOMU declared as he launched the Kugelblitz at the Herrscher.

Sensing the imminent threat, the Herrscher knew she had to move quickly. However, the gravitational force exerted by the Kugelblitz was so intense that she was drawn into it without the opportunity to mount any form of retaliation.

As the Herrscher's body was inexorably drawn towards the event horizon, she underwent a gruesome process known as spaghettification. Macabre as it sounds, this term accurately described the horrifying fate that awaited her as the immense gravitational forces exerted by the Kugelblitz stretched her body into long, thin strands resembling strands of spaghetti.

Her extremities—the arms, legs, and even fingers—were the first to succumb to this relentless stretching, elongating to unnaturally grotesque proportions. Bones snapped and muscles tore under the unimaginable strain, inflicting excruciating pain beyond comprehension.

As she drew closer to the Kugelblitz's singularity, her body continued to stretch, becoming thinner and thinner until she was reduced to a mere thin, elongated stream of matter.

Simultaneously, the intense gravitational forces unleashed by the Kugelblitz caused immense tidal forces, further tearing her body apart. Organs were shredded, flesh was torn from bone, and blood was scattered into the void.

In the end, all that remained of the Herrscher was a thin, thread-like stream of matter spiralling inexorably towards the black hole's singularity, her physical form obliterated by the incomprehensible forces at play.

Amidst this gruesome spectacle, the one who orchestrated her demise nearly looked on with hysterical laughter. "HAHAHAHA!" he exclaimed, revelling in his newfound power.

"Great, great! I have finally regained a fraction of my power. Now, I can freely roam without worrying about the effects of the Honkai radiation," the HOMU declared triumphantly, feeling the surge of strength as he approached the threshold of an Anguished rank and neared the cusp of a Reborn rank.

"I suppose I can put an end to this," the HOMU remarked, gesturing towards the Kugelblitz. With a commanding motion, the sphere ceased its growth and began to dissipate.

As the Kugelblitz dissipated into thin air, the spaghettified remnants of the Herrscher, along with a shiny purplish rock that resembled a Herrscher core.

"This might be useful," The HOMU remarked, cautiously approaching the core. He scrutinized it from a distance, searching for any signs of danger. However, as he reached out to grasp it, a warning echoed in his mind, 'Danger.'

A sense of danger prickled at his senses, but before he could react, a portal materialized behind him. With a sudden rush of motion, a woman emerged from the portal, delivering a swift kick that sent him tumbling through the gateway.

As he stumbled through the portal's threshold, the HOMU's mask was torn away, revealing the visage of Autumn. Confusion and alarm seized him as he found himself face-to-face with the woman who had unceremoniously ejected him. Seeing her appearance, he uttered a single word, his voice tinged with uncertainty and disbelief, "Luna?"

****

On the outskirts of Qīyùchéng city, Kevin and his companions arrived, greeted by the sight of Moth soldiers. They breathed a collective sigh of relief, reassured by the presence of reinforcements. However, Autumn or Whisper to be exact, sensed something amiss as it gazed towards the direction of the Eruption.

"Nooo!" Whisper's sudden cry startled everyone present. Su, visibly concerned, inquired, "Is something wrong, Autumn?" But Whisper offered no response, instead bolting back towards Qīyùchéng city, leaving the others bewildered by its sudden departure.

Kevin attempted to follow it, accompanied by a Moth soldier, but Whisper abruptly veered into a narrow alleyway and transformed into a beam of light, streaking towards the location of the real Autumn.

"Autumn?" Kevin and the Moth soldiers peered into the alleyway, only to find it empty. Kevin's brow furrowed in confusion as he remarked, "Wait, where did he go?" The mystery of Whisper's sudden disappearance hung heavy in the air, leaving them all perplexed and uneasy.

***

"Luna?" Autumn could only utter the name as the portal began to close. However, as the aperture narrowed, a beam of light attempted to enter. Luna, ever vigilant, noticed this intrusion and moved to intercept the light.

Yet, to her surprise, the light pushed her back, catching her off guard. Before she could react further, the portal was sealed shut, with the light barely managing to slip inside.

"Hmm, this shouldn't cause much trouble anyway," Luna muttered to herself before swiftly departing from the area, leaving behind the spaghettified remains of the Herrcher and the Herrscher core.

End of volume 5

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A/N: Hope you enjoy the chapter and feel free to comment. Your thoughts and criticism are valuable in helping me improve and stay motivated to write more.

And with that, Volume 5 comes to a close. Next volume: A Voyage through the Abyss.