"So, this is a Herrscher?" Chen Tiannuo looked at the girl. "Doesn't seem like one."
"The Honkai energy concentration around her is close to that of a Herrscher," Theresa explained. "Though I don't know why another one showed up right after the Third Herrscher appeared."
"Either way, we need to eliminate her, right?" Chen Tiannuo said casually.
"That's not wrong, but your tone..."
"Let me handle her!"
"Alright, be careful."
Across from them, Yuno seized the opportunity and commanded the vines sprawling across the floor to lash toward the two.
"Just vines?" Chen Tiannuo easily slashed through the incoming tendrils, then dashed forward to Yuno's side. With one clean swing, he sliced through the vines surrounding the Herrscher.
Panicking, Yuno gathered more vines to strike at Chen Tiannuo, forcing him back.
He didn't dodge. He wanted to test the strength of her vines—their damage would determine how aggressively he could attack.
The vines whipped across his frame, knocking him back, but his sword had already carved a long gash across the Herrscher's body.
"Damn it!" Yuno urged the vines to grow thicker and faster, encasing herself completely.
Chen Tiannuo checked Excalibur's shield—it had lost a decent chunk.
'So, I can brute-force this fight...' he thought.
He immediately summoned the Exalted Blade.
'Tch, drains energy this fast?' Watching the energy bar drop quickly, he didn't hesitate—he charged toward Yuno again.
This time, he didn't dodge her attacks. He unleashed wave after wave of energy slashes from the Exalted Blade. Though they weren't as clean-cutting as the blade itself, they pushed the vines aside, letting him accelerate through.
"This can't be!" Yuno cried out, watching him ignore her attacks like they were nothing.
"You're so naive~ Just because you've got a bit of power, you think you're invincible?" Chen Tiannuo closed the distance with another dash, his blade at the ready.
The remaining gap of several meters vanished in a heartbeat. He appeared at Yuno's side and swung at her neck.
But a sudden collapse of the ceiling above knocked him off balance, disrupting his aim.
"Huh?" Chen Tiannuo looked up at the vine-covered ceiling, then glanced out the window—Yuno had jumped out.
"Trying to run?" He didn't give her the chance. With a seismic shockwave, he launched the Herrscher into the air, rolled beside her, and finished her off with a smooth execution combo.
Theresa, watching from above, saw the kill and leapt down from the upper floor.
"Chen Tiannuo, why did you take a hit on purpose at the start? What if—" she asked anxiously.
"I was just testing her attack strength, no need to worry." Chen Tiannuo's heart warmed at her concern.
"But why take a hit at all?" Theresa still didn't get it.
"It's just a habit. I subconsciously want to test the enemy's attack." To him, it was natural—no one aces a boss fight without taking at least one hit.
Theresa addressed him formally. "Now, you're officially part of our academy. The past is the past—leave it behind."
Chen Tiannuo blinked in surprise at the sudden seriousness. Looking at Theresa's earnest face, he exited the Warframe and replied, "Don't worry. I value my life more than anyone."
After a brief pause, he added, "With my Warframe, I can cheat death. I channel forbidden Void Energy and fight without pause."
"Cheat death?!" Theresa was stunned.
"Sort of. The Warframe can use the energy it gathers from upgrades to restore itself. As long as my recovery outpaces the damage, I'm basically immortal."
"Expert gunplay, top-tier swordsmanship, Void Energy completely different from Honkai... and now immortality? Good thing you're not our enemy." Theresa sighed in awe.
"Wait until I build the Orbiter—then you'll understand why my combat power is so high," Chen Tiannuo teased.
"Orbiter? Like the kind used in space?"
"Yep."
"Heh... hehe..." Theresa laughed awkwardly. They didn't even have that kind of tech—just airships were already a stretch.
"So is the mission over now?" Chen Tiannuo asked.
"Yes. The Herrscher is defeated. Himeko and the others can handle the remaining Honkai beasts."
"Then contact Himeko to extract us?"
"Alright."
Theresa began messaging Himeko to arrange a pickup at Qianyu Academy.
Chen Tiannuo, watching her, sat cross-legged in mid-air and began meditating.
He attuned himself to the surrounding environment, gradually emptying his mind.
'Something's off,' he sensed a familiar energy signature just outside the academy, similar to the one from the previous Herrscher.
He walked over to Theresa and whispered, "Principal, I detected another energy wave like the one from earlier—just outside the academy."
"What?! Another Herrscher?" Theresa was floored. The Third Herrscher just showed up—now they're popping up one after another?
"Let's go check it out," Chen Tiannuo said.
"Right. Let's go together."
Theresa was just about to move when Chen Tiannuo said, "Wait—I need to recharge Excalibur first."
He disconnected from the Warframe and began channeling Void Energy into it. The energy flowed into Excalibur, converting into a form compatible with Warframe systems.
As soon as it flashed with a surge of light, Chen Tiannuo knew it was fully charged and reconnected to it.
He stood up in the frame.
"Let's go."
"Already?!" Theresa was amazed by how quickly it charged.
Their own suits took ages to recharge. His did it in seconds?
"Quick? If energy management is done right, it can operate continuously. But I wasted a lot earlier just testing things." Chen Tiannuo explained.
"...Amazing." Theresa had no words.
...
The fox spirit Yae Prison Flame said to Yae Sakura, "Stop lying to yourself. That person died centuries ago. Humans don't live that long."
"But that girl... she carries her scent..."
"The Herrscher nearby has already dissipated. We must leave this place now." The fox spirit urged again.
"No, I want to see her. Just once."
"Tch..." The fox spirit gradually faded away.