Chapter 137: Her Angels Have Fallen
Kipchak Steppe at the banks of the Aral Sea. Cheng Lixue steadily awaits the arrival of the Seraphim of haste. Remembering her memories with her master fondly.
'Be as still as water, be free from dust, be as clear as a mirror, and make the Taixuan thrust.' She chanted the 4 tenets of the blade mantra and prepared to fight.
"She taught me reading, writing, martial arts. I want to make her proud. We hardly see each other, but she made dumpling noodles for me each week without fail." Cheng smiled as she remembered her simple life back then with her master.
"Ahh, it was only a humble dumpling with minced meat and shrimps. But I loved everything she made, I never thought she learned from Ein-sama. That's why it was so delectable."
"Master Cheng! The target is taking the bait! Awaiting further orders." One of the automatic tanks got shot down by a beam and the pseudo herrscher of haste came.
'Let this war be a fiery crucible. May this battle make her proud. As I show her the eminence of the edge of Taixuan.' Cheng drew her blade and walked leisurely to her enemy.
"Good job, evacuate all personnel. I'll be handling the herrscher from here on out."
"My, my, is this the leader of the insects? And you dare face me alone? That's so brave of you." The pseudo herrscher mocked her and Cheng snorted.
She then heard some cheering from the distance and it made them both stumped. "C.H.E.N.G! Cheng Lixue! Go, go, Cheng! Wooo! Kick her ass!" Elysia was cheering while Ein waved a banner. As she was like a child of Hua. Meanwhile, Hua facepalmed and thought it was a bit too much.
"Go beat her ass while she's distracted!" Ein shouted at her and Cheng gained her wits. "Unleash your storm of wrath! Drown in this pure water false angel!" Cheng brandished water's edge and the 10th divine key created a torrent of water. It then started to flow to the pseudo herrscher like water from an oversized fire hose.
"Yeah Cheng, Use hydropump!" Elysia instructed her and Ein chimed in. "Ohh! Here's a TM!" Ein threw the 5th divine key at her and it hit Cheng on the head. Although it was intentional, because she learned how to use it when it hit her.
"Such pathetic nonsense won't even wet my lips! It's time to show you the true power of a Seraphim prince! This sprinkle won't stand a chance against my 5000 Kelvin plasma jets." The pseudo herrscher evaporated the attack in an instant. And a beam threatened to hit her.
Cheng blocked the attack with water's edge. But it shattered when it hit and the pseudo herrscher mocked her again. "It seems your little toy has shattered. What will you do next?"
"Aww~ hydropump was ineffective." Elysia thought it would be a critical hit. "Don't worry Ellie, I gave Cheng a TM. Now! Use Ice beam!" Ein gave orders and Cheng smiled wryly. While Hua's brows twitched with him telling her disciple what to do like a pokemon.
"Is that so? Then be buried by ice and shatter into diamond dust." Cheng brandished the katana and she swung the sword. Unleashing a blue energy that froze everything in its path into a popsicle.
"That's cheating! That thing is made from the 5th's core!" The pseudo herrscher tried countering it with all her might. As heat and cold clashed violently. Creating a steam explosion that blew away the pseudo herrscher.
"You're still alive, impressive. Then this will be the last attack. Dodge if you can. This is the edge of the blade of Taixuan. It is formless yet vast, infinity its span. Its essence is divine and ends where it began. For there is no escape from the edge of Taixuan." Cheng used her blade mantra and because of the 5th divine key. An icy blue sword appeared high up in the sky and tore the earth asunder. Leaving a clean cut for miles as the surroundings were enveloped by diamond dust. Leaving nothing behind.
Cheng huffed for air and she kneeled on the ground. She looked at her master and saw them smiling at her. And she felt that she made her master proud.
"Good job Cheng. You truly have mastered your blade mantra. I am proud of you, you have graduated as my student." Hua smiled and hugged her. Making Cheng tear up.
"Yeah! You kicked that arrogant pseudo herrscher's butt!" Elysia cheered and Ein nodded. "Umu, you have used my TM well. That will be my graduation gift to you. Now have some of this, Hua used to ask me to teach her how to make the perfect noodles. I didn't know she cooked it for you." Ein gave her a bowl of noodles that looked nostalgic for Cheng.
She then tried the dumplings and the juices exploded in her mouth as she bit it. Her eyes dilated and she got high immediately. A common symptom of tasting something new from his cooking.
"There she goes, she's as high as a kite right now." Hua sighed as she shook her head.
"Ahh, don't worry about it Hua~ let her experience her 1st time. You know it's a hell of a drug. And she will be asking for more, look at her. She's drooling." Elysia pointed at Cheng that was moaning and drooling.
"Kukuku~ I've done it again. I'm such a sinful man, anything they taste from me gets them addicted, whether it's me or my creations." Ein laughed and Hua pinched him.
Elysia then thought it was enough and slapped Cheng on the face, bringing her back to reality. "Wh-what happened!? I felt so wonderful, is it because of this?" Cheng pointed at her bowl and everybody nodded.
She then started eating it faster, making Hua smile wryly as she thought what an unfilial disciple she was.
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Meanwhile, at Finland. The megastorm raged and Adelheid arrived with narrowed eyes. As she travelled by flight slowly, but she forgot she was much faster on land.
"Damn, now a couple of cities have been destroyed. Why don't I have a wisdom stat? Strategies and shit would be so much easier with that." She cursed her lack of prudence and flew high up in the atmosphere.
She then nosedived and was locked onto the eye of the storm like a hawk, eager for its prey.
"Pathetic insects. When will they learn that their weapons cannot reach me here." The pseudo herrscher of desire arrogantly kept her storm going.
A battleship of Schicksal was bombarding the storm with shells and it proved to be ineffective because of the massive storm.
"Wait... Something just entered. It's a person... And it's moving fast! Damnit, the real attack is coming from above!" The clouds above parted and Adelheid swooped in like a bird of prey.
"I shall blow you with my wind!" The pseudo herrscher attacked, but Adelheid just brushed it off with abyss flower.
Adelheid then thought useless chatter was not needed and held onto abyss flower tightly. Her back tightened as she prepared to throw the lance with all her might.
"Fool! Your pathetic attempts will never harm a seraphim prince!" The pseudo herrscher created a thick barrier of wind in front of her and was confident it will never be broken.
"Hmph, fucking noob. Villains that say that always die." She coated Abyss flower with blood and it was overloaded with honkai energy.
It wasn't needed, but a tiger never holds back on its prey. She launched the lance like a bullet. Breaking the sound barrier immediately as it travelled in break neck speeds, rivaling rail guns that fire ammunition at 50km a second.
The lance hit the pseudo herrscher's barrier and it went through it like it wasn't even there. And when abyss flower impacted her, she was vaporized from the attack. Not even leaving a trace as the clouds got blown away by Addy's attack and sunlight shone through Finland like a summer day.
Abyss flower impacted the ground and caused an earthquake inside the city. Making Schicksal wary of what has just transpired.
Addy then flew down slowly with her wings of blood. Looking like a vicious angel of death that has just reaped her victim.
"I-it's the blood raid empress! She took down the pseudo herrscher! Quick! Strike the traitor down immediately!" Schicksal's battleship started raining down shells on her and Adelheid snorted.
"Tell your overseer that Adelheid Schariac would help with this war. But after that, I'll be claiming my prize. AE will be receiving tons of bases in the next few months." Adelheid then flew away and waited near Siberia, as Sirin is recuperating at a separate dimension there.
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Meanwhile, a few weeks earlier before the 2nd eruption. A woman is seen pointing her gun at a thief that has stolen arms from the military in Siberia and sold them in the black market. (pic here)
"Hands up where I can see them thief. Then turn around slowly, you have a lot of nerve stealing from the people of our great union." The young woman smirked and thought she has finally caught the thief that plagued them.
"Tovarisch captain Cocolia. It's me." The man turned around and looked at Cocolia with shame.
"Colonel Alexey Zaychik!? Nyet, this can't be true. You're the one that has been stealing from the supply depot?" She was flabbergasted and shocked out of her mind.
"Listen to me Cocolia. It was not my idea, everyone from the general colonel of the district and army HQ from Novosibirsk to Ulan Ude took part in this! This is bigger than you think Cocolia." Alexey explained and gestured for her to calm down.
"Just walk away out of this Cocolia. I'll make sure you'll get something from this as well." Alexey offered, but Cocolia smiled fiercely.
"What was that? An attempt to bribe an on duty officer of the red army? I know those people you've mentioned Alexey, they are honorable people. I'm taking you in for theft, corruption, and the vilification of your superiors. Explain everything to the military tribunal tovarisch."
But after a few days, she was put behind bars because of assaulting a senior officer. Cocolia drank heavily inside her cell and gave a dirty look to the cctv monitoring her as she was stuck there for several weeks already.
"Fuck! Get lost, you dirty gopniks!" She then heard a knock on her cell. "Come on Cocolia, it's me Alexey. I need to talk to you."
"You better drop that vodka and disappear before I comment on your mother." Cocolia hissed as she took a swig of vodka.
"I already told you to walk away Cocolia. You made it harder for everyone and yourself." Alexey sighed.
"You're a dirty skotina Alexey. All of you on that fucking tribunal locked me up because I attacked a lying thief." Cocolia said with anger and frustration.
"Be reasonable Cocolia. This is Siberia, we're in the middle of nowhere. Moskva already hates us, the general colonel green lighted this to make everyone's life better. What are we going to fight here? Frozen mud? You need a shovel for that, not a Kalash. And you went crazy in court." Cocolia went silent.
"The unbreakable union of free republics is just a dream. There are fractures everywhere, we only want to survive. Though you struck me in court. I still spoke for you, giving you this cozy cell and vodka instead of freezing in an outhouse." Alexey tried reasoning with Cocolia.
"To hell with this cozy cell, I would rather freeze to death than see your face Alexey. Thieves like you caused those fractures in the 1st place! You're the reason the Komsomol can't even support the orphanages anymore! Do you know how many starving children roam the streets of Novosibirsk? I was one of them!" Cocolia shouted at him and rattled the door.
"Enough! Tovarisch Cocolia, your stupid temper is why you're in Siberia! Not a spetnaz unit. My wife will be giving birth to our baby in August. I can't afford to feed them both with what your glorious union pays me. Aesir will also annex your fractured red army. It is only a matter of time. And it would be the best thing that will happen here in mother Russia." Alexey started to walk away.
"One more thing, we have offered you a position at the supply depot. Think about it carefully, you're a skilled person. We could always use someone with your set of skills. I know you send money to the local orphanage. How can you protect those children if you're locked up in here? And I'm not supposed to tell you this, but weird things are happening. We're in a state of emergency and Moskva aren't telling us anything. Decide quickly, I'll be back soon to hear your answer." Alexey then left for real and Cocolia worried for the children.
"I used to look up to you colonel Alexey. But now you're making up stories to scare me. To hell with your state of emergency bullocks, thief. I'll let Moskva know of all this once I get out of here." Cocolia swore she would leak the news, but a sudden explosion hit the building.
"Blyat, earthquakes in Siberia? Why hasn't anyone told me about this? What the..." She then saw a templar about to skewer her, but with her great reflexes. She was able to dodge with a roll. And using the cloud of dust as a screen, she quickly hid behind the rubble.
"Yeah, strange things are happening indeed. As if earthquakes aren't enough, strange monsters are also now in Siberia." Cocolia thought of a plan to get out of there.
"Save me... Please save my wife..." Alexey said his last words as he went limp. A gun in hand and car keys.
"Colonel Alexey, damn. You're dead, sorry. If I only knew you were telling the truth." She then looted him of the keys and gun.
"Tsk, a puny makarov and car keys. I hope you're smuggling big guns and rpgs inside that car." She ran to the car, but what she saw surprised her.
"W-who are you?" A woman asked Cocolia, looking frazzled.
Cocolia thought she was in the wrong car and was going to dip, but she held on to her arm. "Who are you? Why do you have my husband's car keys?"
Cocolia frowned heavily. 'Damn you Alexey, you durak! Why the hell did you bring your pregnant woman out here!? She'll only get in the way if those monsters catch up to us.'
Cocolia pointed the gun at her face and shouted. "Shut up woman! Alexey is dead, and if you don't want to end up like him. Then put your hands on your lap and sit down quietly!" The woman went quiet as she sat down with a solemn expression
'Damn, Alexey brought her here because he wanted to escape with his family. Something is strange, no. Something terrifying is happening right now. I feel a little guilty pointing a gun at her face, but at least she's calm now. I must survive this, the kids are at the orphanage. I have a feeling this will be much worse than the great patriotic war.'
She drove quickly and dodged the honkai beasts as much as possible. Showcasing her skills that could pass in the special forces.
But a templar suddenly landed in front of them and it couldn't be dodged. "Quick! Get the hell out of the car if you want to live!" The templar was about to stab the car. But a little blur crashed onto it like a truck and it flew away like a piece of trash through multiple trees.
"Nyanpasu humans. Sorry for the delay. Ein-sama's meals cannot be missed you see? But we're here now, so sit tight and observe m'kay?" An ELF appeared and its arms suddenly turned into a gatling gun.
"Eat honkai propelled tungsten you bastards! This is for disrupting our delectable meal!" She showered every single honkai beast in the area with bullets and her legs opened up, rockets rained down everywhere and the little ELF was like a walking fortress.
"Blyat. Am I dreaming? Hey, am I still drunk or something?" Cocolia asked her companion and she was too stunned to even speak.
"Kyahahaha! You like that!? Die you silicon based bastards! Soulium and Adamantine life forms reign supreme!" The ELF cackled like a crazy person and Cocolia was afraid they were next.
"Wooh! Mission successful, come this way humans. We will take you to a sanctuary, let's go." She took out a cookie the size of her face and ate it with relish.
"Uhh, okay... You won't kills us right?" Cocolia asked and the ELF nodded. "Un, just don't try any funny stuff okay? We don't like touchy people if they're strangers, my squad blasted a few already." The ELF warned them and the two women gulped nervously
"I think we should follow, obviously..." Cocolia said to the woman and she nodded quickly. "What's your name by the way? I didn't quite catch it. I'm Cocolia."
"Ekaterina Zaychik. Call me Kat..." They were then silent as they followed the little ELF that was snacking on some desserts. Thankful that the murderous little thing didn't want to do anything with humans.
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A group of valkyries and an android were trying to locate the seraphim prince of serenity. And they heard a voice that apologized repeatedly.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The pseudo herrscher said again and again.
"This is just a search mission. Inform lady Ottilie immediately, we have found the herrscher of death." Amber, the android that looks just like Kallen immediately told her team and when one of them was about to call the overseer. A hand from the corrosive fumes reached out, taking her mask off.
"Ahh! My mask!" The valkyrie immediately started to decompose and turned to dust that flew in the wind.
"She's here! Call lady Ottilie and adopt defensive action at once!" Amber then got into a triangle formation with her other 2 team mates.
She then saw the silhouette of the pseudo herrscher and she hit her with her scythe. "I got you now! Wha!?" She struck true, but her attack just went past her like it hit mist.
"She's playing games with us. Look around and see where she's at! Squad!? Report!" Amber saw no one and there was no reply. She looked around quickly, but there were no signs of life.
"The queen is angry. I don't have a choice, I'm so sorry." The pseudo herrscher grabbed onto Amber's mask and she was starting to get corroded by the black mist.
"Lady Ottilie... Forgive me, I have failed you." Amber's arm turned to dust as she slowly lost consciousness.
But Tilie arrived just in time and used a mimicry of Abyss flower to hold the corrosive mist at bay.
"The corrosive fumes will harm you no longer. Head back to base Amber, you're heavily damaged. So get some repairs. I need a private moment to speak with this young lady." Tilie removed the black mist and the pseudo herrscher's meek attitude made her stay in place.
"Thank you for saving me Lady overseer. I'm sorry for losing." Amber bowed.
"Do not worry, you led me to her location after all. Now go." Tilie then walked up to the perpetrator.
"The vapors of eternal sleep are gone. The queen will be angry, the blonde woman isn't sleeping. There's something wrong with her."
"Hah, I don't wanna scare you girl. And I mean you no harm, please set aside your fears. I need your help and I wish to talk to you." The blonde slowly inched closer.
"Nyet! Get away from me!" But she was too wary and stepped back.
"Hmm, time to change tactics then." Tilie showed her a homu stuffed toy and the pseudo herrscher looked at it with curiosity.
"Look at what I have for you, my granddaughter loves this soft toy as well. She hugs it whenever she gets scared. It makes her feel safe." Tilie gave it to her and she grasped it.
"What a lovely doll." But it started to disintegrate and she was startled.
"Poor girl, you can't even control your powers. Don't worry, I will teach you how to play with your toys without breaking them. Just trust me." Tilie used Fenghuang down and controlled her consciousness.
They entered the mind of the girl and void archives clapped. "Hehe, very, very impressive. You got into her mind just like that! But what is she? Are you going to find out? Whoa!" Tilie tied the entity with the chains of Judah and hung her upside down.
"Sure, tying me up will be super duper helpful. Well, archives has some bad news for you. This girl only has a fraction of the powers of the herrscher of death. Sure she has those horrid fumes, but that's about it." Void archives informed her.
"I already scanned her mind with Fenghuang down. She is neither herrscher nor human. She's just a mindless corpse given powers of the herrscher of death. She has no information about how to revive Kallen." Tilie facepalmed and thought she should just gather the core for now.
"If so, then I will get your core for further analysis." Tilie put her hand inside of the pseudo herrscher and took out her core. But it was a fake and it crumbled into dust.
"Wha!? This is just a pseudo core... That means the 2nd herrscher still has the real core." She sighed heavily and was getting frustrated.
A portal then opened and a hand appeared. About to take the corpse, but Tilie smirked and willed a copy of judgement of Shamash.
"Here to take your little friend? Well I have a little message for you." She sliced the arm with the zweihander and pointed it at the portal.
"I'm coming for you herrscher, wherever you are. No matter where you're hiding. I'm a little obsessed with my reunion with Kallen you see? And no one would stop me, not even god."
She would not let anyone or anything in the way. And her eyes glimmered with insanity and determination.
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Thanks for reading everyone, we have Bronya's mom and Cocolia. It seems we have a certain chicken bowl situation. Anyways, ciao.