Chapter 278: Returned
The "Edge of Taixuan"—the highest secret of Blade Mantra—was the ultimate essence of Fu Hua's millennia of martial arts.
It was the pinnacle of martial skill, capable of unleashing infinite and overwhelming Honkai energy, causing unimaginable destruction.
Yet because it was rooted in the mysteries of the mind and spirit, it also directly attacked the soul—unavoidable and inescapable—the ultimate martial art capable of erasing willpower.
BOOM!!!
In Sirin's eyes, an enormous sword aura—unreal and beyond physical reality—kept expanding.
Her body was the first to be shattered, leaving only a damaged head floating alone in the void.
Then, the red sword aura pierced through her eyes without resistance.
"So… it's this move…"
The familiar scene, the helplessness she had once felt, made Sirin recall the most terrifying moment she had experienced during the battle in Siberia.
She had prepared herself for the possibility of facing this attack again and even made contingency plans.
But she had never imagined that the one wielding it this time would be Kiana—the naive, foolish waste she had always despised and hated.
How had Kiana gained the power to unleash this technique?
With the last bit of her strength, Sirin looked once more at Kiana, who was now falling into darkness.
Her eyes, on the remaining head, did not blink.
...
Suddenly, the scene shifted.
Sirin found herself standing on the soil of a spiritual world.
In front of her, Kiana smiled gently, extending a slender finger to rest lightly against Sirin's forehead.
"Are you here to mock me? Or to flaunt your victory?"
Sirin spoke coldly.
There was no fear in her tone, nor the fury from before—only calm, indifferent eyes staring at Kiana.
Kiana shook her head.
"Neither. I just wanted to take a good look at you. See? As I thought, we really are exactly the same."
"Hmph! You've won. But don't expect me to congratulate you. Keep walking down your path of lies. Sooner or later, you'll see the true face of the world—and then, welcome to becoming the next me."
"Sigh... even your stubbornness is identical to mine. We really are the same person aren't we? I just got luckier and met Sig."
Kiana smiled wryly.
"Sirin, I won't truly kill you. With most Authorities, it wouldn't matter, but I'm not confident that the Authority of Space would return to me if you were gone.
I need this power to help Sig. So, rest deep within my soul for now.
Maybe... maybe one day, you'll change your mind."
"In your dreams! You really think you're right?"
"I never said that. I've never claimed who's right or wrong.
I just know that if you continue down your path, all that awaits you is emptiness and more pain.
That's all."
Kiana gently pressed her finger against Sirin's forehead.
Crack!
Like shattered glass, countless cracks spread across Sirin's consciousness.
Finally, with the same cold look in her eyes, Sirin's form splintered into countless points of light, merging into Kiana's own spirit.
...
In the Theater of Domination, countless cracks began to appear.
Individuals hidden within the subsidiary subspaces started to panic, their fear surfacing.
"Damn it! She actually lost!"
"The power... the power is draining away..."
"We're finished. If we failed even here, what can we possibly do next?"
Amidst the despair, they received a transmission from another external entity.
"Abandon the Theater of Domination? Start over?"
"The Host is right. This place's coordinates are very likely already exposed to the enemy."
"In any case, retreat! We can rebuild the Theater later—the important thing is to survive first!"
"Move! Get out of here!"
One by one, the puppets disappeared from the subspace now beyond Sirin's control.
The Herrscher of Thousands—survived.
...
In the real world, a massive white dragon was pinned down by colossal, skyscraper-sized black iron stakes that held its body and wings in place.
Vast quantities of Honkai energy erupted from it, only to be drained away through countless wires connected to the black stakes.
"Impressive! The Moonlight Throne has been running for less than half an hour, and the energy it has converted is already enough to sustain an entire civilization for several months. This thing is basically a walking gold mine!"
At the edge of the high wall, Bronya, sucking on a lollipop, stared at the screen readings, her eyes sparkling.
Wendy scratched her face and smiled, saying:
"We also have to thank Bronya for setting up the guidance devices and connecting them to the base's Moonlight Throne system. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to trap it."
"Brainpower is also a form of strength. You made good use of your wisdom—it wasn't cheating. Bronya only assisted you," Bronya replied. "Speaking of which, if this dragon is providing so much power, theoretically, the Herrscher connected to the Imaginary Gate should also be capable of producing the same level of Honkai energy output..."
Bronya's eyes turned into narrow cat-like slits as she swept her gaze across the gathered Herrschers.
Apart from Raiden Mei, who was still lying down and recovering, the others all instinctively took a step back—even Seele, the one closest to her, felt an ominous premonition.
Meanwhile, Wendy facepalmed and sighed.
"Sigh! Don't jinx it. With Sigurd's personality, he must've had energy collection plans in place ages ago. It's just a matter of time. Sooner or later, we're all going to be turned into renewable energy sources…
I just hope he'll at least act a little human and not overdo the exploitation."
Wendy shivered, imagining the grim everyday life that lay ahead.
Bronya patted Wendy's shoulder, comforting her:
"Don't worry. You have five people. No, six Herrschers counting the Alliance Leader. Plus, we've got quite a few Herrscher Cores and God Keys. At the current efficiency, if you all take turns, it shouldn't take too much time."
"Hopefully..." Wendy sighed without much confidence.
Suddenly, the giant dragon that had been struggling with all its might, continuously pouring out vast Honkai energy, stopped moving.
"ROAR!!!"
A roar filled with rage, grief, and unwillingness echoed from more than ten kilometers away, strong enough to send gusts of wind sweeping over the high walls.
"What happened to it?"
Wendy quickly turned to look and asked anxiously.
Bronya stared at the energy readings on the screen and pulled the lollipop from her mouth.
"The Honkai energy output just dropped off a cliff. Although it's still impressive, there's no way it can break free from those stakes anymore.
I think... Kiana has succeeded."
"Really? I knew she could do it! That's Kiana for you... amazing... ahh—!"
Raiden Mei, lying on a lounge chair, excitedly sat up—only to trigger her abdominal wound.
Pain instantly drained all color from her face, and she collapsed heavily back onto the chair.
"Big Sister Mei!!"
Seele, acting as the little nurse, rushed over, holding Mei down and checking her wound.
"I'm okay, Seele. The wound is healing quickly, it hasn't torn open,"
Mei said weakly.
"Big Sister Mei! You can't be so reckless! It's not about whether it's torn open or not!"
Seele scolded, uncharacteristically forceful.
"Sorry, I'll be more careful," Mei apologized obediently.
The two of them continued discussing wound care and recovery, with Seele energetically lecturing, and Mei, helplessly smiling, nodding along without daring to argue.
Suddenly, Seele, Mei, Wendy, and Ana—the four Herrschers—froze at the same time.
"This feeling..."
"The power... the authority... it's coming back!?"
"Veliona—I can hear her speaking in my mind!"
The girls exclaimed one after another.
Bronya watched the scene quietly, popping the lollipop back into her mouth.
A soft smile flickered in her eyes, and as she looked up at the sky, the tension she had been holding in her heart finally eased.
<+>
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