Central Hong Kong:
A towering building rose twenty floors above the city. At its peak, a luxurious rooftop stretched wide, adorned with private pools nestled between thick, lush bushes and an opulent mansion.
"Oh my goodness, this view is simply fantastic," said a woman with crimson hair as she stepped onto the balcony. The city lights shimmered against the glossy black bodice of her dress.
She wore a sleek black gown, its corset tightly laced to shape her figure. Long gloves ran up her arms, and the skirt flowed in delicate, layered fabric. A sparkling necklace crowned her neckline, emphasizing her dangerous elegance.
Just then, a man in a white tuxedo approached her and said,
"But even the most breathtaking view pales next to your ravishing beauty, Miss Himeko."
"You're such a sweet talker," Himeko replied with a smirk, gently swirling the wine in her glass as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
The man moved closer and wrapped an arm around her.
"And you are simply too irresistible."
But just as his words settled, a flash of white light burst above them.
A massive, futuristic aircraft hovered overhead, bathing the rooftop in an overwhelming glow.
The man stumbled back, eyes wide.
"Holy crap! What the hell is that?!"
Himeko let out a "tsk", grabbed him by the tie, and yanked him in for a kiss. After a long second, she pulled away and whispered,
"Sorry, sugar. I've got to kill this date early."
Then—BAM!—she punched him in the stomach, knocking him unconscious.
"Now I'm really pissed."
As if on cue, several women in military uniforms descended from the aircraft, saluting in perfect sync. One of them stepped forward, draping a dark military cloak over Himeko's shoulders.
Himeko looked back, her irritation sharp.
"I told you never, ever disturb me when I'm on a date!"
The woman adjusted her glasses coolly.
"Fooling around with a rich brat isn't a real date."
Himeko twitched at the comment.
"Grrr… You wanna die, girl?!"
But the woman continued, unfazed.
"Urgent report from HQ: Large-scale Honkai eruption in Nagazora. The energy levels are on par with the incident from 14 years ago."
Himeko's eyes widened. A confident smirk crept across her lips as she stepped forward.
"All crew, on deck!"
"Destination: Nagazora!"
She raised her arm to the side as her voice echoed across the deck.
"It's finally here… The Third Honkai War!"
Raiden Mei – POV
It's been three hours since Oberon left to search for food. Bronya was sleeping on my lap while Kiana sulked nearby, crouching and pouting as she stared at her.
She reached over and poked Bronya's cheek.
"How can Bronya just sleep on Mei's lap? We shouldn't have picked her up! Not fair, not fair, not fair!!"
I smiled gently at her.
"That's not right, Kiana. Without Bronya's help, we wouldn't have made it this far. Besides, you've got the whole sofa to yourself…"
"Yeah, yeah. Bronya's sooo incredible! Of course Mei loves her more!" Kiana muttered, turning away.
I responded softly, teasing her just a little.
"Yep, I love her very much."
Kiana froze.
"…What?"
Her pout deepened.
"But I love Kiana too," I added with a smile.
Kiana immediately leaned forward and grabbed my hand.
"Oh really?"
"Of course! You're the one who saved my life, Kiana."
She broke into a big grin, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.
"Hehehe… of course!"
Then, her mood shifted just as quickly.
"But… when is Oberon coming back? I'm suuuper hungry now~~"
She laid down on the floor, dramatically holding her stomach.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
KRRRRRMMMM!
Me and Kiana tensed. Then—
BOOM!
Something smashed into the building, reducing it to rubble.
We were thrown into the air. I saw Bronya flung across the sky, and Kiana and I spun into the air alongside her. As we tumbled, we all turned—and saw it again:
The Templar Beast.
"That thing again?!" I shouted, heart racing. Kiana clicked her tongue while Bronya simply stared, expression unreadable.
The pink core on the Templar's head glowed brightly. Its white lance pulsed with dangerous light—then it hurled the weapon at us.
"Project Bunny!" Bronya commanded.
Her construct materialized, holding a massive lance and shield. The two spears clashed mid-air. The shockwave from their impact sent dust and debris flying.
But the Templar overpowered her. With one mighty burst, it flung both Project Bunny and Bronya across the battlefield, tearing through multiple buildings.
"Bronya!!" I screamed, eyes following her crash.
The monster turned its glowing gaze toward me and raised its massive sword. I barely turned before the weapon descended toward me—
And then—
A shadow leapt between me and death. Kiana.
"If you keep worrying about Bronya, Kiana might get jealous, Mei!"
The blade struck her back.
Blood sprayed as we crashed to the ground. I clutched her body, trembling.
"K… Kiana? Kiana, wake up… Please… Oberon… Where are you… Please… save us…"
Tears blurred my vision as I shook her limp, bloodied frame.
"Please… Kiana… Aah… AHHHHH!!!"
I screamed, clutching her closer.
The monster loomed, sword raised for another strike—
And then—
CRACK!
Narration POV:
A wall of purple lightning blocked the blow. The force buzzed and crackled through the air.
All the lights in the city flickered—then died.
"Crackle… crackle…"
The air trembled. A pulse of energy burst from Mei's body, casting her and Kiana in a divine glow.
The city's lights flickered—then died.
In the silence that followed, only the sound of crackling thunder remained.
Above her, lightning swirled like dragons in the clouds.
Her eyes opened, glowing with cold clarity.
The stigma on Herrscher Mei's hip lit up in a bright arc of lightning. The air warped. She rose into the sky with Kiana in her arms—elevated by raw Honkai power.
A/n: I'll be calling Herrscher of thunder to Herrscher Mei. ;)
Blinding bolts spiraled upward like dragons made of pure voltage, coiling toward a growing sphere above her. The sky itself seemed to split.
And then, she spoke again.
"The Queen does not accept your service, worm."
The lightning sphere collapsed inward—then burst.
A beam of pure energy fell from the heavens and struck the templar beast directly. Its body was consumed in a flash of light, erased from existence. The explosion shattered buildings and tore through the sky, piercing it with a vertical column of roaring electricity.
Aboard the Airship
The bright lightning beam lit up the Nagazora skyline. Himeko stared at the monitor as the mechanical voice rang out:
"Warning! Honkai energy spike detected!"
"Honkai levels rising rapidly!"
"All known Honkai beasts converging on the energy source."
Himeko narrowed her eyes, smirking.
"Hmph. Looks like we hit the jackpot."
A girl beside her hesitated.
"There's still time to retreat, Major."
Himeko shook her head with a grin.
"Nonsense. I never let a prey escape once I've seen it."
She turned to the deck and shouted,
"Level 1 Alert! All crew to battle stations!"
"The war has begun!"
. . . . . . .
Amidst the rubble of the ruined city, Herrscher Mei carried Kiana in a bridal hold.
"What a mess… Getting injured just to save that coward version of me, Kiana," she muttered coldly.
"You better wake up right now… I won't allow you to die like this. I'm the only one who can take away your life."
She paused, scowling.
"Tch… where's that bastard Oberon? It's been four hours since he vanished."
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me he's dead already? Heh… pathetic."
Just as she turned to search for him, a massive shadow suddenly loomed over her.
Lifting her gaze, she saw a gigantic aircraft blotting out the sky—her eyes narrowed to an icy glare.
. . . . . . . . .
Inside the aircraft:
"So that's the Herrscher? That girl? Seriously?"
Himeko smirked arrogantly as she looked at the monitor.
"I thought she'd be scarier—death rays, octo legs, slimy tentacles, super long tongues or something..."
The girl beside her adjusted her eyeglasses and sighed.
"Major, you do have some sick fantasies about the Honkai..."
Himeko just shrugged and walked off.
"Yeah, well… some idiot did mess up my date."
She then turned to the crew and raised her hand.
"Full broadside! Hit it with everything we've got! And if possible—make her light up like a Christmas tree!"
As the aircraft transformed, it revealed an overwhelming arsenal—rows of missiles, rifles, and cannons all pointing downward.
Herrscher Mei, eyes glowing with scorn, clicked her tongue at the sight.
"Insects… No one is allowed to rise above this Queen."
Her energy surged. In the blink of an eye, the city below exploded in a burst of lightning—its destructive force rivaling a nuclear blast.
"Quick! Maximum power to the shields!!" Himeko yelled as her eyes widened.
Then Mei's cold voice echoed through the comms:
"Die."
A massive bolt of lightning struck—BOOOOM!!
Half of the Hyperion was obliterated in the blast.
. . . . . . . . .
Schicksal Far East Branch – Assembly Hall:
A long table shaped like a sword stood in the center of the hall, a white line running down its middle.
Twenty-four members of the council sat around it, their attention fixed on the Herrscher report: her identity, current whereabouts, and power level.
At the tip of the table sat a small girl in a nun's outfit, with white hair and icy blue eyes. Though she looked like a 14-year-old child, her presence was far more commanding.
Her soft voice broke the tension:
"She's finally here... A new Herrscher after a 14-year hiatus… It appears the end of the world is near."
. . . . . . . . .
Narrative POV:
The Hyperion was burning. Inside, a mechanical voice rang out:
"Warning! External armor plating compromised.
Power generation down by 40%. Recommend immediate withdrawal."
Himeko gripped the console tightly, sweat trailing down her face.
"We can't take another hit like that… Dammit! This little brat has no idea how expensive this thing is to fix!"
She threw off the cloak draped over her shoulder.
"Activate nuclear reactors 5 and 6. Maintain furnace output. Switch to reserve power!"
She stormed toward the corridor.
"Bring us down to the Herrscher's altitude in two minutes! Looks like I gotta deal with this brat myself."
The woman beside her paled.
"Wait—you're not going to use that, are you?"
Without looking back, Himeko replied:
"Do we have the luxury of other options?"
The woman chased after her.
"But Major, the Council told us to capture her, not kill her!"
"I'd rather not die trying to follow dumb orders, Captain Obvious," Himeko shot back, unzipping her uniform.
She bit off her gloves with her teeth, tossing them aside as she sprinted through the hallway, nearly undressed.
"If I don't change fast, someone's gonna fall flaming from the sky."
"I'll be leaving the Hyperion to you, Miss Xo*!"
"Wait! Captain?! Stop—!"
But Himeko ignored her, rushing toward the weapons room.
. . . . . . . . .
Schicksal Far East Branch:
"Valkyrie Squad 5 is currently engaged with the Herrscher. A-rank Valkyrie Murata Himeko will not be able to defeat her alone," someone reported urgently.
"We need to contact HQ and request S-rank Valkyrie reinforcements," another voice added.
The room filled with debates—different strategies, suggestions, and concerns.
All eyes turned to Theresa.
"Theresa-sama, please authorize full mobilization of the Far East Branch."
Theresa calmly responded,
"Now is not the time."
"We know nothing about this Herrscher. Rushing in leads to unnecessary casualties. Let's place our faith in Major Himeko—and the Hyperion, if it comes to retreat."
A man nervously asked,
"Theresa-sama, are you referring to the Exoskeleton system?"
"That's right," she answered.
"But Theresa-sama, that system is still under development! What if it malfunctions?!"
Theresa didn't reply. She simply stared at the monitor and whispered to herself:
"I'll be placing everything on your shoulders, Himeko…"
. . . . . . . . .
Moments later—
Himeko emerged from the aircraft, clad in a new form:
A sleek, form-fitting exosuit with segmented armor plates, mechanical joints, oversized gauntlets, and a futuristic headpiece with pointed extensions. Its chest design was bold, and its presence—commanding.
Herrscher Mei locked eyes with her.
"Insect! How dare you oppose me?!"
Lightning swirled in Mei's hand, forming a dense sphere.
"I'll reduce you to ash—not even your father will recognize your corpse!"
But Himeko just smirked.
"Sorry, little girl—I don't have a family."
She raised her sword, planting her stance.
"You… You dare mock me?!"
A beam of plasma shot toward Himeko.
"Not dying today—not before I find the right man for me!"
She shouted,
"Nuclear Burst!!"
With a cry, she raised her blade, splitting the plasma beam. A blinding flash exploded around her as she stood firm against the attack.
Her teeth clenched under the pressure, but she held her ground—until suddenly…
A playful voice rang through the chaos:
"Iyahh~ What's going on here?"
The plasma attack halted.
Himeko collapsed to one knee and turned her head, stunned.
A tall figure stood between them—a silver-lilac-haired man wearing a white moth-like cloak. His shoes mimicked insect limbs, and a golden star-shaped crown glittered on his head. A moth hovered by his side, and in his arms, he carried a small child.
Before Himeko could say anything, Herrscher Mei spoke, glaring down:
"You bastard… You're still alive?"
She slowly descended from the Hyperion wreckage.
Oberon smiled lazily.
"Of course I'm alive, Mei~ Why would you think otherwise?"