Here comes the decisive moment!
Rita knew that this was what Ling Ke truly meant.
And she, unlike Kiana, Mei, Bronya, and the others, was undoubtedly much more mature.
So, she didn't hesitate too long.
"Manchester."
Rita pronounced the name of the city with an unchanging expression.
She knew very well that, among the ten cities Ling Ke had mentioned, this one was the most important to her.
Because it wasn't just her hometown — it was also where she met "that person," where special memories had been etched into her.
Ragnar Rodbrock.Former captain of Schicksal's Sturm squad.
He was, exactly who he was, the sole reason she had chosen to become a Valkyrie.
He had also been her life's guide.
So...
"Understood," nodded the young man with black hair, not far from her. "From this moment forward, the other nine cities, excluding Manchester, will be subjected to full-scale assault until no intelligence or signs of life are detected."
"Eh?"
Rita was stunned.
She was surprised that Ling Ke wasn't manipulating her — that he wasn't going to destroy the city she chose just to go against her wishes.
And yet...
Interrogation...?Doar două întrebare? (Only two questions...?)
What...?
"Wait!"
She couldn't just stand there anymore.
Nine cities?!
Was the Herrscher of Domination's side really about to carry out a massacre?
Why so suddenly?
One second earlier, he had still been asking questions calmly — and the next, he was announcing the start of the operation.
Everything was incredibly abrupt.
Truth be told, at that moment, Rita — who usually prided herself on her ability to read others — had no idea what Ling Ke's true intention was.
That unsettling feeling...
It was like facing a psychopath whose mind operated completely outside of any pattern!
Meanwhile, Ling Ke...
"Miss Rita, I've obtained the answer I sought and... a result."
The "Puppet of Domination: Ling Ke", remotely controlled, stood up from the sofa, then smiled gracefully and gave a gentlemanly bow.
"Thank you very much for your cooperation. I won't disturb you any longer."
He looked toward the parlor door.
"After all, there are already intruders bothering me."
At that moment...
Buzz~!A spatial gate connected directly to the Theater of Domination opened.
And at the same time...
Bang!
The door to Rita's private lounge was violently blasted open from the outside.
Just then, in the Puppet's field of vision, a golden trail flashed into view, rapidly growing in size.
Bang!
A straightforward, merciless punch landed right in the doorway — squarely on the face.
The Puppet instinctively tried to dodge, but the blow came from below. The force was so strong that its head... twisted nearly 180 degrees along with its body.
...!!!
Faced with such a bizarre scene, the figure who had burst in immediately positioned herself in front of Rita, shielding her.
Without a doubt, the one who had broken in was Yolandele.
She did so by directly activating the state of "Immortal Star Anchor," using the bubble world anchored in her body and the power of her "Sacred Sword"...
The strongest S-rank Valkyrie.
At this point, Yolandele hadn't yet reached the "Tengen" level, but this was the peak of her current power.
Even so...
Boom boom~!
In front of her, the Puppet of Domination: Ling Ke, without showing resistance, twisted its right hand and broke its own neck in an instant.
That characteristic move was clearly a reference to Hiruko Enju, the clown from the anime Black Bullet.
Then, with its head askew, it looked at the two present.
Its drifting eyes first settled on the stunned Rita, then on the stern Yolandele.
"Tsk, tsk... So this is the strongest S-class Valkyrie in history..."
"It's terrifying how monstrously strong someone can be..."
But immediately afterward...
"Ling Ke, surrender at once!" Lauder ordered coldly, clearly unwilling to waste time talking.
She crouched slightly, ready to launch a second attack.
Unfortunately...
"Are you sure this is the right move?"
The Puppet pointed at the floating virtual globe still orbiting him:
"The city annihilation campaign has already begun."
"If you want to save people... you don't have much time."
"Your words mean nothing!"
Lauder's voice was firm as she leapt forward again:
"There'll be time for the rest... after I bring you down."
Almost at the same moment she said that, she pounced at the Puppet again.
Clearly, she had no intention of letting him escape.
Even knowing that this "Ling Ke" in front of her wasn't the real body of the Herrscher of Domination...
Yolandele wasn't stupid — just rigid and stubborn.
Especially when it came to combat instinct.
At that moment, Yolandele made a quick tactical decision:
"If I can't capture Ling Ke's real body... then I need a way to connect directly with him through this puppet..."
That was the thought that crossed her mind.
Bang!
This time, Yolandele used even more brutal methods.
Completely ignoring whether she'd damage the walls, she grabbed the Puppet's neck with one hand and slammed it through multiple rooms.
For a moment, everything was filled with dust and rubble.
The Schicksal headquarters on this floating island... was in utter chaos.
Until...
"Huh?"
Lauder shoved the black-haired young man into a special chamber.
A secure cage.
There rested a combat locomotive.
The Second Key of God – Key of Eternal Calamity: Vehicle of the Thousand Realms.
"The space is locked!"
"And... after analyzing Raiden Mei's previous battle data on the Huberion, you know what? The nature of my Herrscher Devourer power... it's simply the act of 'fighting' to steal strength."
"The facilities around us... this unique design seems to go beyond a simple masterpiece of its time."
"Could it be aided by the memories of the Flame-Chasers?"
At that moment, the Puppet of Domination: Ling Ke understood everything upon entering the chamber.
And then...
"Now that I think about it... in the original storyline, both Anti-Entropy and World Serpent found ways to track and retrieve space gates..."
"Seems like Dr. Einstein and the others haven't been idle this whole time!"
Heh...
In the Theater of Domination, Ling Ke's real body slowly opened his eyes.
"Today, the Theater of Domination is already linked to my system as a 'Rebirth Room.' Without my permission, no one can enter."
"This is absolute, and already tested and proven."
"Besides, I'm no longer the Herrscher of Domination of 'a thousand people'... but of 'ten thousand people.'"
"In local terms... would this be the 'Overlimit' version of the Herrscher of Transcendence?"
In short: for the current Ling Ke, even facing a full-fledged Herrscher... like Raiden Mei, he could easily win through combat and steal her power.
Earlier, on the Huberion, he simply didn't do it on purpose.
He had another plan in mind.
So...
"Whether living people or memories of past civilizations... this is the limit you world-class scholars can reach."
At that moment, the Puppet of Domination: Ling Ke was completely trapped.
He had opened the spatial gate in Rita's private lounge earlier, planning to return to the Theater of Domination — but was intercepted by Lauder and couldn't cross it.
And that was exactly his plan.
"I only pretended that the power of the 'Vehicle of the Thousand Realms' was interfering with my spatial gate in this room... and that's why I couldn't escape."
"It wasn't for nothing that I sent you... right to me."
At that point in his thoughts, the real Ling Ke, hidden behind the scenes, revealed a scornful smile.
There was only one thing to say:
The natives of this world... clearly never watched Avengers 1.