"This..."
Looking at everything before her, Rin's body and soul were not frozen stiff by the frigid wind. Instead, she felt a sensation akin to a pilgrimage. For a shrine maiden of a lineage passed down through generations, the scene before her eyes was a far better interpretation of the term "Divine Kingdom" than anything she had ever imagined.
Such a genuine miracle.
It was in no way comparable to the "Kagura Dance" passed down for a thousand years.
"Did you all build this for the Monarch?"
Even though she prided herself on her composure, Rin had yet to break free from her state of shock.
"Or is this, in itself, a manifestation of the Monarch's power?"
"..."
"No."
After the unexpected denial, the Loli Demon God also lifted her head, gazing at the mountain range that pierced the sky.
The few clouds that remained had been completely dissipated by the great power of the Authority. The only reason Xiao Zi maintained this scene was simply so they could see more clearly with their own eyes.
"This is the power of Lord Ziz."
Xiao Zi could call him Cheche and address her as Sheshe, but if it were the other way around... aside from the Monarch, only the "naive" Cheche would dare to call her by her given name.
"Ziz?"
This was a domain Rin knew nothing about.
In truth, even for an insider like Rin who had access to Honkai intelligence, her knowledge was limited to the name "Black Emperor" itself. Humanity's understanding of the legion was still firmly stuck at the level of when the Mu continent sank. And even for the intelligence on the Mu continent... most of those who knew were long dead, and the remaining information was locked away in files labeled "Top Secret."
"The Chief under the Monarch's command, Lord Ziz."
The Loli Demon God floated forward.
There were many ways to reach the summit. If she were alone, she could have teleported directly to the mountainside. But as she was currently executing a mission, she had to bring Rin along, passing through the three spatial barriers constructed by Lord Behemoth to arrive. By releasing her own Honkai energy at a fixed point, she could "attract" the coordinates of the [Subspace Lance], which was anchored here, its presence otherwise completely undetectable.
This was also the only way for an outsider to reach the throne... provided they had a guide.
Feeling the surrounding chill, Rin ultimately gave up on the idea of touching the solid ice with her hand.
Even with her current physical constitution, reckless contact would likely result in more than just some necrotic tissue. The most probable outcome was being "linked" by the solid ice, becoming a part of the mountain's foundation.
"The Honkai Beast named Ziz..."
"A lifeform created by God on the sixth day of creation."
Rin silently speculated on Ziz's identity. In the overview of Western religious theology, on the sixth day of creation, God successively created three great beasts named "Ziz," "Behemoth," and "Leviathan." They controlled the sky, the land, and the sea, respectively, bringing disaster and judgment upon sinful people and races.
As a shrine maiden, Rin's study of theology wasn't limited to her native Yingzhou. The basic information of other faiths... had kept her company as extracurricular reading for a long time, especially when she grew tired of her mother's "admonishments" as a child.
"Such power..."
"I'm afraid only Brother Kevin could contend with it."
The Kevin in Rin's memory was from the time when the Chimera Project had just succeeded. Ever since the sinking of the Mu continent, her sister, due to... physical reasons, would still tell Rin stories about the Flame-Chasers, but no longer in the same all-encompassing detail as before... especially regarding the war's situation and her physical condition, which she would evade with various unskillful excuses.
Even within the Flame-Chasers, the vast majority of members had no idea just how strong Kevin was now. As for the limits of the Chimera Project, only Mei and Mobius had a glimpse of the truth.
"Vmm."
"Vmm."
After the sound of two spatio-temporal gates opening in succession, the Loli Demon God finally brought Rin to the summit. The latter had not fainted or turned into a frozen popsicle in the process, which meant the Monarch had agreed to Rin's request for a meeting.
There was no doubt.
This was the Monarch's domain, the legion's garrison.
The Monarch's gaze might not fall upon some uninteresting corner of the planet, but on this land beneath their feet, nothing could escape his perception.
"Chenling."
"Famine War Temple."
The spatial gates were no longer needed.
The rest of the journey had to be made on foot. Guarding the 30-meter-tall giant gate was none other than the Monarch's most "devout" warrior:
The Primordial Species · Famine War Temple.
"Thud."
"Thud."
The Famine War Temple, which had been as motionless as a boulder, finally moved its feet, turning its body to clear the final stretch of the path for the two of them.
"The Monarch is waiting for you."
The Famine War Temple showed no hostility.
But Rin was certain that its gaze, or rather its killing intent, remained locked onto her until their figures disappeared from its sight.
"Don't mind it," the Loli Demon God explained from the side. "The Famine War Temple is always like this, not to mention this is the first time a human has set foot in the domain of the throne since its construction."
"..."
"I don't know if it's my imagination," Rin said after some thought, finally posing the question. "But compared to when we first met... your attitude seems to have changed quite a bit?"
"..."
The Loli Demon God's flying motion stiffened for an instant, but she recovered with extreme speed.
"That's right," Chenling did not deny it. "Because I roughly understand your desire now."
Floating slightly ahead, she turned to face Rin directly, tapped her own head with a slender finger, and spoke.
"The Authority of Domination."
"A power bestowed by the Monarch, it allows me to link to many minds... They might not be that intelligent, but gathering some information is very simple."
Chenling turned back around.
"Regardless of your original objective," she continued.
They were now less than a hundred steps from the Monarch's throne.
"Since the Monarch has permitted you to come this far..."
"Then..."
"You will most likely become a 'Newborn Species' like me."
The Loli Demon God didn't stop, but without looking back, she added to Rin, whose lips had curled into a slight smile:
"If you can satisfy the Monarch..."
"And add just a tiny bit of necessary luck... perhaps even my title of 'Last Seat' could change."
"Tap."
The howling wind swallowed her remaining words.
As she stepped onto the final stair, her field of vision suddenly opened up.
A great hall with a floor of ice as smooth as a mirror, translucent and magnificent ice pillars, and directly ahead, a colossal throne of ice—
And upon it, the dark golden figure that could silence a crying child in the night.
...It entered Rin's eyes.