Although Herrschers were almost reduced to the level of elite mobs in the main storyline, they are, in fact, the ceiling of the Honkai world's power structure.
Even using only the power simulated from the Herrscher of Reason, dealing with Siegfried, who was equivalent to an S-rank Valkyrie, and two A-rank Valkyries was a remarkably simple matter.
"Job done."
The person who had effortlessly beaten down Siegfried—a man who could reach the level of a base-form Kevin after activating his Paracausal genes—casually tossed him into the Imaginary Space.
I'll keep this guy in reserve for now.
The person, who was just here in this era to coast, thought to himself and then nonchalantly surveyed his surroundings.
"Won't you come out?"
As if greeting someone very close, the Second Herrscher called out to an area of pristine white snow where not a single soul could be seen.
"My dear compatriot."
"I've been discovered?"
As if his cover had been blown, a man who looked very young, not at all like he was over sixty, walked out from a patch of nothingness.
He was dressed in a black shirt and trousers, with his sleeves rolled up, a white vest over his shirt, a white tie, and black full-coverage gloves.
His name was Joachim.
Or rather, Welt.
"Hiding in the Imaginary Space to evade the perception of the Herrscher of Space… are you serious?"
The boy, who had been chasing after Welt in the first place but had made a detour to deal with Siegfried, spoke to the man who had clearly sensed his Honkai energy and come to intercept him.
The Second Herrscher's Authority is the manipulation of space?
Welt, who had arrived on the scene only to find the head of the Kaslana family defeated almost without a fight, narrowed his eyes at the Herrscher who had so carelessly revealed their power.
"I see. In that case, my apologies for the poor display."
The Herrscher of Reason, who had somehow analyzed something to gain the ability to tear open space and hide within the Imaginary Space, said as he looked at the Herrscher who commanded space itself.
"There's no need for apologies. We are all compatriots; there's no need for excessive formalities."
The boy, who would inevitably have to use force against Welt for the sake of rewriting history and creating a logical reason for his own defeat, chuckled lightly.
"Speaking of which, can you tell me what business you have with me?"
The man named Welt looked at the Second Herrscher, whose purple hair cascaded down to their ankles. Their face was exquisitely beautiful, yet their aura was androgynous rather than soft and feminine.
He had come here, naturally, to find his compatriot.
Herrschers were, by definition, natural disasters.
But they were conscious natural disasters.
If he could persuade this one to join humanity's side, not only would humanity be spared from harm, but they would also gain a tremendous boost in combat power.
"As you can see, I hope to have a proper discussion with you."
The man, who had already arranged his countermeasures and was trying his best to appear sincere, spoke to the Second Herrscher, who looked fragile but constantly gave him an intense sense of crisis.
What a hassle.
Li Zihan thought as he looked at the man, whose combat power was roughly equivalent to 0.6 Dull Gooses due to his low adaptability, which prevented him from unleashing the true power of the Herrscher of Reason.
Sirin and Mei were waiting for him to make lunch back home. In addition, several of Sirin's little friends were waiting for him to resurrect them.
He was already busy enough, and now this old man Welt insisted on dragging him into a discussion about the meaning of life.
How utterly boring.
So, I'll just play a little harmless joke.
"If you have any questions, please be quick about it."
The Second Herrscher chuckled, their smile brilliant.
"I need to get to Yellowstone Park in America as soon as possible. I'm in a bit of a hurry."
Go to America to find the Yellowstone volcano?
Welt was stunned.
What was the Second Herrscher going there for?
Seemingly sensing Welt's astonishment, the boy smiled and continued speaking.
"Have you forgotten our mission?"
A Herrscher's mission…
Welt's expression grew grim.
Herrschers were, for the most part, enemies of humanity. Their mission was, naturally, to end civilization.
So—
Why would a Herrscher whose mission was to end civilization want to go to Yellowstone Park in America?
Was there something in Yellowstone that could threaten the survival of humanity?
Yellowstone National Park was America's largest and oldest national park, as well as the world's first. Hot springs and geysers were everywhere within it.
The park's internal geological structure was complex. It had experienced intense volcanic activity in the past, and large areas were covered in lava. The Earth's crust there remains unstable to this day.
Wait, the Earth's crust is still unstable.
A cold sweat trickled down Welt's neck.
Like a bolt of lightning flashing across the sky, Welt found the answer.
The Second Herrscher was after the Yellowstone supervolcano.
There was a super-caldera within Yellowstone Park.
Beneath this caldera lay a magma chamber about 70 kilometers in diameter and 10 kilometers thick. At its closest point, this massive magma chamber was only 8 kilometers from the surface, and it was constantly expanding.
That volcano erupts periodically, about every 600,000 years, and it was now entering its eruption cycle. If enough pressure were applied, this supervolcano could be triggered.
For a Herrscher who commanded space, sending multiple rock formations into the sky and then crashing them down onto the supervolcano like meteorites would be no difficult feat.
As if imagining something utterly terrifying, Welt felt his entire body break out in a sweat.
The consequences and impact of a Yellowstone eruption would be immeasurable. It would be a devastating catastrophe for the United States, Europe, all of humanity, and even the entire planet.
If that supervolcano were to erupt, three-quarters of the United States would be covered in volcanic ash. Most residential buildings within a 1,000-kilometer radius would collapse. Water and food would be contaminated. The majority of the population would die from chemical gas poisoning.
Sulfuric acid gas would cover the globe within two weeks, causing global temperatures to drop by 12-15 degrees Celsius. The monsoons would disappear, and the Earth's equatorial regions would be covered in snow for two to three years. Most humans, animals, and plants would die of starvation and cold.
Without a doubt, it would be a catastrophe that directly threatened the survival of the human race.
And that was just the result of the Yellowstone volcano erupting on its own…
If the Herrscher before him truly intended to end human civilization by activating volcanoes, would they stop at just Yellowstone?
The man who had inherited the name "Welt" from his hero, who had been entrusted with the mission to "protect humanity," was silent for a long, long time.
After a while, he lifted his head and looked at the Second Herrscher.
His gaze was filled with killing intent.
PS: Photography class, ran eight kilometers.
…Am I taking a photography course or a long-distance running course (looks at the sky)?