"I didn't expect you to get here so quickly."
The agile fluid assassin leaped several times, keeping her distance from the Inner World Protagonist who wielded the Divine Key.
The danger of this man lay not only in the Divine Key in his hands, but in the man himself.
If she wasn't in his close range, Raven was confident she had the upper hand; but if he got close, then there were only two options: life or death, a 50/50 chance.
Incidentally, this 'birth' is a verb!
And even if she managed to escape from this man's grasp, she wouldn't be able to smoothly evade Gray Serpent's questioning.
Gray Serpent: "How did you fail? His strength is no greater than yours."
Raven: "Can we not talk about it?"
Gray Serpent: "This is a mission for the organization!"
Raven: "I don't want to talk about it."
Gray Serpent: "I am the grand steward of World Serpent!"
Raven: "Gray Serpent, you will regret this!"
Then she would be nailed to World Serpent's pillar of shame.
You see, Gray Serpent wasn't the name of one person, but the codename for a group.
If one Gray Serpent knew, it meant all of them knew.
And if those Sovereigns in the Elysian Realm found out, she wouldn't be able to hold her head up even if she were buried six feet under.
Her biography would surely be engraved with her cause of death...
'World Serpent executive Natasha Cioara, codename Raven, a loyal supporter of the organization... completed XX... encountered a member of Schicksal in Manila, failed the mission after being pleasured to the point of ascension by a joy bean, died suddenly due to the widespread dissemination of her dark history.'
It was too shameful!
Winning or losing didn't matter. The key was that this guy's abilities were so vulgar that she wouldn't even have the courage to write a battle report.
As Raven saw it, Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie Rita Rossweisse must have fallen prey to this man's dirty tricks, which was why she had to fabricate a romantic history for them to avoid such a shameful reporting process.
If she were to be defeated by this man for the exact same reason as Rita, then she could only follow Rita's example and use a fabricated fig leaf to cover her own shameful experience.
However, the battle had not yet begun, so it was too early to talk about these issues.
A completely deformed bullet slid off the black blade of Jizo Mitama. Having just escaped death, Ana Schariac's beautiful eyes sparkled with a strange light.
This man had saved her again!
In the underground space where Honkai energy was continuously rising, the black-haired youth faced off against Raven, longsword in hand.
"Miss Raven, I think if you step aside now, you still have a chance to turn back."
If this woman remained obstinate, then he would have to unleash his full strength and show her how formidable the Inner World Protagonist truly was!
"Being too confident isn't a good thing, you know."
The black cloak was as deep as the woman's essence. "Even if I let you pass, can you stop what's about to happen?"
"The Gem of Serenity has already been infused with enough Honkai energy by us. It's only one step away from triggering a Honkai Eruption."
"At this point, even a container made of Soulium can't isolate the power of the Herrscher Core. Why must you seek your own suffering?"
"This problem can't be solved without a Herrscher. You are already doomed to fail!"
In Raven's eyes, this city had reached the end of the line.
The Herrscher Core was the highest concentration of Honkai energy in the world. Its internal Imaginary Singularity could directly connect to the Imaginary Space to obtain a supply of Honkai energy.
Therefore, under normal circumstances, to avoid any accidents caused by the high concentration of Honkai energy within the Herrscher Core, both Anti-Entropy and Schicksal would regularly extract the Honkai energy from the cores to reduce the possibility of accidents.
A Herrscher Core with low Honkai energy storage was not much different from an ordinary Honkai energy crystal in terms of energy level and could be contained in a Soulium container.
But a Herrscher Core in its complete state... was a ticking time bomb!
Apart from a Herrscher, no other being could wield this power.
"Leave. Take these Valkyries with you. You can no longer save this city."
Pulling down her hood, Raven showed her final act of goodwill.
The disaster could no longer be stopped, but at least her conscience could be a little clearer.
"Just because you say it can't be stopped, does that make it so? Your World Serpent isn't the god of this world!"
The conflict of stances meant there was no possibility of retreat from the very beginning.
If even he chose to back down, then what was the point of the Divine Key in his hand!
Raven sighed: "Sigh."
"Why are you Schicksal people always so stubborn? You can't defeat me."
S-rank Valkyrie Rita Rossweisse might add a shameful experience to her life due to a moment of carelessness.
But having experienced it with her own body once, a prepared Raven was confident that she would absolutely not stumble again.
And the man in front of her was far inferior to her in a direct confrontation, with no chance of victory.
The outcome of the battle was already decided from the start.
"We'll have to fight to find out!"
An irregularly shaped multifaceted crystal floated and sank in the high-concentration Honkai energy solution behind Raven.
Its flickering glow pulsed like a breath. Even just standing here, one could feel the burning sensation from the Honkai energy.
This underground space in Manila had accumulated an unimaginable concentration of Honkai energy, reaching a point where no living person could approach. It was only one step away from detonating a Honkai Eruption.
But... he could not retreat!
"I don't wish to be enemies with World Serpent. Everything I do is not for some so-called justice."
The frivolous air around Brian was receding. His back was straighter than ever before.
"I do it simply because I want to!"
The silver-haired girl looked at the man in this state, witnessing his confrontation with a powerful enemy, her watery eyes filled with an indescribable emotion.
So handsome! This man was so handsome when he was being serious!
The communicator she carried with her connected to the Hyperion: "Principal, we've found the Gem of Serenity. Someone is using the Herrscher Core to trigger a Honkai Eruption!"
The nun on the Hyperion's bridge didn't even have time to clean up her spilled bitter melon juice: "Can you handle it? If not, retreat!"
The Gem of Serenity was important, and the lives of an entire city were also important.
But if the situation was hopeless, they had to at least save the two people on the mission and ensure that nothing happened to the two Herrschers of the Far East Branch.
Theresa couldn't imagine what Raiden Mei and Kiana, and the Herrschers inside their bodies, would do if Brian died or was injured on this mission.
The tragedy of the Second Honkai Eruption might even repeat itself.
Faced with a more terrifying threat, she could only choose the lesser of two evils.
But!
"Sorry, Principal, he has already made his decision."
In front of him, who had already made his decision, even a woman with a protagonist's script like Bronya could only obey.
...
Hyperion...
"Full speed ahead! We must get to Manila as fast as possible!"
If they couldn't stop the Honkai Eruption in Manila, then they had to at least save the children fighting there!
Theresa had a premonition that this time, she would only be going to Manila to clean up the mess.
The limitation of physical distance left her powerless. All she could do now was hope that things wouldn't develop in the worst possible direction.
"Grandpa, please protect us!"
Otherwise, it would be time for the Oath of Judah to be put to use again.
...
Coral Island...
"Mei, aren't you worried about him?"
News from Manila had arrived, yet Raiden Mei remained as calm as ever, her expression not changing in the slightest.
"Miss Himeko, even if I worry now, it won't do any good."
"He's your boyfriend. Don't you want to pray for him right now?"
Murata Himeko was a little curious, wondering where Raiden Mei's composure and confidence in Brian came from.
After all, from her perspective, although Brian had inherited the power of the Pseudo-Herrscher Yae Sakura, it was still more than a notch below the power of a true Herrscher.
And this time, they had a strong enemy obstructing them. Their operation would not be as smooth as they imagined.
However, the purple-haired girl just smiled gently: "I believe in him! I believe he can solve everything!"
Just like in Nagazora City, even knowing a Herrscher was right beside him, he even dared to whip out his chicken and obstruct Cocolia's plot.
He could even ride on a Herrscher's back and throw his weight around.
Everything now was just a reenactment of Nagazora City, and the him of today was not what he used to be.
...
Singapore...
"Class monitor, hurry up! We won't make it if we're any later!"
The engine roared, the sports car speeding like the wind.
But the snow-haired girl's heart was already thousands of miles away, feeling as if the mechanical beast beneath her was crawling as slowly as a turtle.
Dr. Magi was in Singapore, but the Herrscher Core was not. This was just a diversion set up by their enemies.
The gray-haired, green-eyed girl in the driver's seat remained calm, her vast experience allowing her to face any change with a level head: "Kiana, I know you're anxious, but the airship coming to pick us up will still take another ten minutes to arrive."
If Kiana could properly use the power of the Herrscher of the Void, then the distance between the Philippines and Singapore would be no problem at all.
But the current white-haired fluffball was just a Schicksal Valkyrie, not a human Herrscher.
Short-distance space jumps were not a problem for her, but the distance between countries was still too far.
"But that guy..."
An indescribable emotion appeared on her delicate face.
Kiana didn't know if she was afraid of that guy dying and making Mei sad, or if it was because the Herrscher of the Void inside her would become uncontrollable after he was gone.
A tormenting feeling made her heart ache.
But in the current situation, she could only pray, like everyone else, that the worst-case scenario wouldn't happen.
"Stinky old man, please protect him!"
...
Manila...
A fierce battle was raging!
"Is that all you've got?"
The narrow space hindered the professional killer's performance.
She was an agility-type fighter. Without a Divine Key in hand, she was accustomed to using high speed combined with decent attack power for a one-hit kill.
If the space was wide enough, she could even use kiting tactics to wear down her enemies.
But now, with both sides constrained by the Herrscher Core, Raven could only use her overwhelming power to keep the tenacious man from advancing an inch.
The situation was at a stalemate!
Both sides were racing against time.
Bronya couldn't participate in this battle. Raven avoided direct contact with the man, aiming only to repel him.
The power within the Gem of Serenity was gradually reaching a critical crystallization point. Everything was developing towards an irreversible point.
In the midst of battle, Brian noticed that the Valkyries of the Snow Lotus Squad had regrouped with Bronya's help, and he changed his strategy accordingly.
His speed was not on the same level as Raven's, but their strengths were comparable, and he had the advantage of a Divine Key.
Raven had tied him down, but he had also tied down Raven.
Since that was the case...
"Raven, does your conscience not hurt?"
"Conscience? I left that thing behind in Siberia during the Second Honkai Eruption."
Her voice came from all directions.
At the edge of Raven's memory was the boy who, amidst a field of wreckage, told her she must live on strong.
She wanted a peaceful and quiet life, preferably without messy things like the Honkai, but things often don't go as planned. Once you're in the game, you can't help yourself.
"Don't try to distract me with these words. No matter what you say, I won't let you get the Herrscher Core!"
*Clang, clang, clang—!*
Feathers as red as black blood flew like sharp swords, full of killing intent!
This woman's speed was too fast, making it impossible for even Brian to track her.
But!
"Raven, choosing this place as the battlefield is the sole reason for your defeat!"
As he spoke, an ominous black mist emanated from the blade, causing Raven to laugh: "What's the use of having the Key of Corruption? You can't even unleash the full power of the Divine Key."
She wasn't wary of the Divine Key, but of the man himself.
As a Stigma awakener who had also passed the trials of the Elysian Realm...
As long as she wasn't deeply invaded by the power of the Divine Key, it wouldn't be a major problem for her.
However...
"The power of Jizo Mitama is just my medium. My real trump card is not here."
Brian reached out his hand, his long, slender fingers seeming to grasp the woman blocking his path from a distance.
The same ominous black mist rose from Raven's body, which was precisely the Divine Key's power she had been tainted with during the battle.
Such a performance, such confidence...
The shameful experience she had encountered at the Far East Branch once again flooded her mind, and Natasha Cioara couldn't help but clamp her long legs together.
That experience was incredibly shameful, but it was also incredibly pleasurable!
If everything this guy said was true, then what was about to happen would be a gluttonous hell from which she could not extricate herself.
She would be broken!
Her reputation as a World Serpent executive would be ruined, and she would never be able to hold her head up in front of others again!
In a flash, the professional killer in the black cloak glanced at the Herrscher Core behind her and immediately made the most advantageous decision for herself.
"Sorry, but compared to running away, I think it's better to make sure you don't have a chance to activate this ability."
Her attacks were relentless, like a torrential storm, leaving no opening.
As long as she kept this guy occupied, she could accomplish her mission perfectly without turning into that gluttonous bad girl.
A mature woman's need for pleasure is far more intense than that of a young girl.
Raven had pinned down the Inner World Protagonist, and was in turn pinned down by him.
Bronya took this opportunity to gather all the Valkyries and unhesitatingly formulated a plan: "Now's our chance, charge! Seize the Herrscher Core!"
The gray-haired, red-eyed girl's expression suddenly changed, but the Inner World Protagonist in front of her left her no time to worry about anything else.
Compared to social death, she would rather accept mission failure.
But...
"You're too late!"
Several Valkyries fell before the crimson-black feathers. The killer in the black cloak pulled back, allowing the Valkyries to destroy the device and take the Herrscher Core.
"The Honkai energy inside the Herrscher Core has reached the minimum requirement of the plan. No matter how hard you try, you can no longer contain it."
"Give up. You're powerless to change anything!"
The brim of her lowered hood concealed the emotion in her eyes, only her still-calm voice stating the facts.
Holding the Herrscher Core, Ana Schariac charged forward. Even though the core was scorching hot, she had no intention of giving up.
Her eyes were incredibly determined: "Raven, you're right! We don't have Soulium, and even if we did, we couldn't contain the Herrscher Core."
The world does not bend to human will. This is the cruel and harsh reality!
"But you were wrong about one thing!"
"No Soulium doesn't mean no container!"
"If A-rank Valkyrie Wendy from the Oceania Branch can contain the Gem of Desire with her own body, then we also have a chance to contain the Gem of Serenity with ours!"
To find life in death.
Their death, for the life of many more!
Protecting this city was their duty. To fulfill the responsibility on their shoulders, the Valkyries of the Snow Lotus Squad were willing to die!
The Valkyrie's palm was already pale, the Honkai energy resistance granted by her Schariac bloodline long since breached.
But more Valkyries stood up, wounded, ready to throw their broken bodies before the Herrscher Core, one after another, staking their lives to stop the disaster.
A Valkyrie is a ferryman who guides the souls of the dead, but also an envoy who brings light and rebirth.
"I hope you succeed..."
Her words of blessing were drowned out by the noise of battle. Natasha Cioara would fulfill her duty and witness the future of this city.
The chestnut-haired, pink-eyed girl did not hesitate to shove the Herrscher Core into her chest, intending to use her own body to buy a precious little time for the city beneath her feet.
'It's a pity... in the end, I still couldn't say thank you to him...'
Suddenly...
A hand shot out and snatched the gem.
The girl, resolute in her decision to die, stared blankly as the Gem of Serenity disappeared. The entire space fell into a dead silence.
Only the man who had committed this world-shaking act remained composed: "If a Herrscher is required to solve this problem, then let me be that Herrscher!"
"..."
...