The battle had begun!
Otto sprang into action, activating the golden cube in his hand.
At the same time, the Schicksal fleet launched a full-scale assault on the Hyperion, deploying countless battle mechs in a fierce offensive.
It was clear Otto had one goal: to capture Theresa and Kiana—no matter the cost.
Even if it meant sacrificing the lives of the Valkyries aboard the Hyperion.
He was determined to bring the two back to Schicksal, extract their Stigmata, and carry out the "Final Ritual."
Naturally, the Hyperion was not going down without a fight.
Facing an overwhelming force, every Valkyrie aboard the ship was mobilized, forming a solid defense line to repel the incoming mechs and keep them from breaching the hull.
In terms of numbers, Schicksal held a clear advantage.
And with the assimilation of World Serpent technology, their "Titan" series mechs had gained the ability to suppress Valkyrie powers to a certain extent, executing targeted strikes akin to those of the "Weavers of Death."
But let's not forget: the Hyperion, though just a single vessel, housed at least two fully awakened Herrschers.
Bronya, Herrscher of Reason.
Kiana, Herrscher of the Void.
And if you count Seele's Stigmata—Feast of the Soul—it allowed her to tap into the power of the Herrscher of Death.
The oppressive might of the Herrschers was on full display, crushing wave after wave of mechanical invaders.
To Himeko and the others, even if Otto was buying time by taking on Kagura himself, his subordinates had little chance of breaching the Hyperion's defenses, let alone capturing the Herrscher of the Void alive.
This battle… was winnable!
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, on the Hyperion's forward deck, thunder rumbled and explosions painted the sky.
After negotiations broke down and Otto marked Kagura as an obstacle, he unleashed his full fury upon her.
Blades danced. Arrows rained.
Bullets, cannons, missiles, explosives.
Particle beams, lasers, railguns, and even Honkai-powered weapons—
"Void Archives" radiated with golden Honkai energy, conjuring a torrent of weaponry from above.
Nearly every weapon ever devised by mankind materialized around Otto, who now resembled an unstoppable superweapon factory.
At one point, even two Yamato-class battleships—war relics from World War II—were projected into the sky, unleashing a barrage of 460mm shells in a deafening roar toward Kagura.
Otto had calculated that this level of firepower wouldn't just obliterate Kagura or the Hyperion's deck—
It would reduce the entire ship to ashes in moments.
"Feel the wrath of all human civilization, you ignorant girl!"
Otto glared at Kagura with contempt. "Not just you—anyone who dares oppose me will be wiped out today! Valkyries, anti-entropy traitors, it makes no difference!"
"Today, I will realize a dream five centuries in the making. And you—what can you possibly protect?"
"Ugh. I despise many types of people," Kagura replied coldly. "But the selfish ones are among the worst."
All of Otto's overwhelming firepower rained down like a violent storm—only to be completely blocked by an invisible barrier.
Kagura remained unmoved. "Otto, you're nothing more than a selfish, spineless man with no sense of responsibility or honor. I may not kill you… but I'll make sure you beg for death."
There were no dazzling effects, no visible shields.
Yet all of Otto's attacks vanished about three meters in front of Kagura, as if they'd hit the very edge of the world—instantly dissipating into thin air, like crashing into an unbreakable wall.
Otto's brows furrowed.
'What on earth could have neutralized such destructive firepower?'
The answer was surprisingly simple: space itself.
Rather than rely on flashy defensive tools, Kagura had opted for the most straightforward method—brutal and effective.
Using the power of the Space Gem, she connected the space in front of her with a faraway point in the sky.
As a result, all of Otto's attacks were "swallowed" by the warped space and instantly redirected—to a location directly above his own fleet.
'BOOM!'
Flames roared. Explosions rocked the sky.
In the distance, a blinding light erupted over the Schicksal fleet—the same massive firepower Otto had unleashed via the Void Archives.
That near-insane level of bombardment had landed squarely on his own forces!
The floating warships of Schicksal suffered devastating losses.
Fortunately, most of the fleet had already raised their energy shields.
Even the Void Archives couldn't easily sink a warship unless it focused all its might on a single target.
Thanks to this, Otto's own "misfire" didn't cause total annihilation—but many ships were crippled and taken out of the fight.
"... So you really had power like that? Looks like I did underestimate you after all."
Despite the awkward situation, Otto managed to force a faint smile.
"Kagura, I'm beginning to wonder… would it be a waste to just kill you outright?"
"Save it."
Kagura didn't budge in the slightest at Otto's seemingly conciliatory tone.
"A sly fox like you? As if you wouldn't know exactly what my abilities are. Drop the act—you're not fooling anyone."
From the moment the battle began, Kagura had never once taken Otto's "Void Archives" seriously. She had seen through his flashy, chaotic barrage for what it truly was—a deliberate ploy to keep her occupied.
But while Otto tried to hold Kagura back, Kagura was doing the exact same thing—stalling Otto.
The Valkyries aboard the Hyperion, blessed with Herrscher-level power, would never go down easily against the forces of Schicksal.
Which meant one thing: if she could defeat Otto here and now, the entire battle would be over.
However, Otto himself wasn't the real threat. The true danger Kagura sensed wasn't standing in front of her.
From Otto's perspective, even though he was bombarding Kagura with a display of force through the Void Archives, he too never expected it would actually defeat her.
Perhaps it was coincidence. Or perhaps it was the instinct of warriors who could truly grasp the flow of a battlefield.
Because at this moment, both Kagura and Otto had their attention fixed on the same thing—
The newly awakened Herrscher.
To Kagura, the flickering red feathers and the overwhelming surge of Honkai energy were far more alarming than any of Otto's conjured weaponry.
The presence of a Herrscher was undeniable, close by—yet strangely absent.
No sightings. No attacks elsewhere.
If she had moved against any other part of the ship, Himeko would have already called it in.
The unease twisted in Kagura's gut.
Thunder without rain—that's what it felt like.
And with Otto's ever-composed expression, she couldn't let her guard down for even a second.
'A stealth-based Herrscher?'
'One capable of perfect concealment?'
'Or perhaps… not even humanoid at all—some form of virus or energy-based entity?'
What kind of hidden trump card was this cunning man hiding up his sleeve?
"Oh? Your mind doesn't seem to be on our fight, Kagura."
Otto's smile deepened as if he'd seen right through her.
"Relax. Your Valkyrie friends aboard the Hyperion—though under attack from our mechs—aren't in immediate danger."
"You're probably wondering," he continued, "if your attacks don't work on me… why am I still wasting time here with you?"
Otto's tone grew even more amused.
"And you're definitely wondering… what's the deal with all these feathers floating around?"
"Well… you'll know soon enough, Miss Kagura."
He flashed that smug, punchable smile again.
"Because it's almost time."
"Let me guess—you think I'm just stalling so other Schicksal forces can flank the Hyperion from another angle?"
He chuckled at her silence.
"Hahaha… do I look that stupid to you?"
"Even without your presence, the Hyperion houses at least two full-fledged Herrschers. Schicksal couldn't possibly win a head-on assault, not with the forces we have here."
"Besides… I haven't even deployed the Immortal Blades unit or Durandal yet."
"So then—"
Otto grinned.
"What is it I've been buying time for?"
"Don't rush, silver-haired girl. The answer's about to reveal itself."
Suddenly—
All the red feathers floating in the air froze. Then… they began to burn.
Flames burst into crimson flowers in midair, rising slowly into the blood-red sky.
The temperature spiked. The air shimmered with heat. The sky above turned the color of spilled blood.
"Tch. So it's up there after all!"
Kagura's golden eyes narrowed sharply as she looked up—
"Mmm… as expected of you. Right again," Otto said calmly. "Now savor it. This is my gift… to you and the Hyperion."
At that moment, a colossal sword of flame began to take shape high in the sky.
The burning blade, as massive as a mountain range, seemed to set the very heavens on fire.
Then, in an instant, it came crashing down toward Kagura.
"Before she became a Herrscher, she had to burn her own memories just to unleash this technique."
"But now—as the Herrscher of Finality—she no longer needs to sacrifice anything. She can simply will Honkai energy into a form of utter annihilation."
"Oh, girl from another world… tremble at your own arrogance and ignorance."
"You will never protect anything."
"Because this sword…"
"Cannot be stopped."
"Herrscher of Finality: Voidblade God!"