"You dare draw your blade against me? Your courage is commendable. Now, turn to Ashes!" The Herrscher of Thunder looked at the insect before her who had actually raised a sword. Though she felt insulted, she felt that the courage to raise a sword against a god was something worth boasting about.
"But boasting of courage is all you can do. Die!" Lightning illuminated the sky and Nagazora as a thick pillar of thunder struck toward Murata Himeko.
"I'm not dying until I find a good man! Nexus System, activate!" The system known as Nexus began to provide power. Himeko gripped her greatsword and swung with all her might against the pillar of thunder unleashed by the Herrscher of Thunder.
A flash of surprise crossed the Thunder's expression, but it quickly returned to disdain. She could already hear the echoes of victory.
[Warning ♦ Nuclear Fusion Core Overheating! Forced shutdown in ten seconds.]
The system's warning tone rang out, and the eyepatch was filled with flashing crimson. Himeko gritted her teeth and stepped forward, roaring, "Shut up! You're not shutting down! Hold on for me!"
The Herrscher watched as Himeko trying to resist desperately, her voice as arrogant and contemptuous as ever.
"I must praise you for being able to resist to this extent. However, you are merely a bit stronger than the other trash. Your life is already like a candle in the wind!"
...
Within the space of consciousness, the cocoon formed of flowers slowly dissipated. Her braids were undone, and Kiana Kaslana, now wearing the same outfit as the Verna, opened her azure eyes. Within them, the white Herrscher mark shone brightly.
"How do you feel?" the Verna asked Kiana. Kiana's body could not temporarily withstand the full Authority and needed to adapt bit by bit.
"I feel... I feel great." Kiana felt the surging power within her body, even feeling as though she could easily destroy a continent. However, she knew this was just an illusion brought about by the sudden spike of strength.
"Mei..." On the light screen, Kiana saw Himeko clashing with the Herrscher of Thunder. She turned her head to look at the Verna.
"It seems to be a Valkyrie unit here to subjugate the Herrscher. However... they aren't very strong. In ten more seconds, she will die," Verna said while looking at the screen, reaching out a hand to Kiana.
"Go, Kiana."
Kiana reached out, her fingertips touching those of Verna, their foreheads pressed together.
"We..."
"We..."
Kiana's and the Verna's voices gradually overlapped, forming a resonance: "Are the Herrscher..."
In the outside world, the Herrscher of Thunder suddenly felt the pressure on her hands lighten. A bad premonition grew wildly in her heart. She subconsciously stopped her output and built up a defense behind her.
But the attack did not come from behind. It was... right in front of her face!
Seeing the face of the white-haired girl who suddenly appeared, the Thunder's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, a terrifying monstrous strength struck her abdomen. Her body bent like a cooked shrimp as she was smashed into the high-rise building below.
'So strong!' Kiana was startled. Was she really this powerful when she possessed the Authority? She couldn't help but feel a bit overconfident, lightly clashing her fists together.
"Nah i'm gonna win!" As Kiana raise the flag, Verna heart skipped a beat. But then she thought, Thunder's life right now was no different from a candle in the wind, surely...
"Don't be arrogant. That girl just didn't react in time to a surprise attack. Watch out, she's coming." Her half-golden eyes flickered slightly. She decided to remain cautious, reminding the drunk Kiana. Kiana probably took this trait from sirin?
Kiana looked toward the path where Thunder had just been blown away. Sure enough, amidst the dust, lightning was exploding. The Herrscher of Thunder's eyes were filled with rage.
"Void!!!" With a roar, thunder pierced the sky. Before Kiana could react, the Herrscher of Thunder returned the favor with an identical attack.
"Ugh!" Kiana doubled over, her entire being sent flying. She spun through the air, only managing to stabilize her body with great difficulty.
"So fast..." Kiana couldn't quite keep up with the high-speed combat. She had only just begun to hold the Authority and had no experience at all. She could only keep dodging, and her mood, which had inflated due to the power, returned to normal.
"What's wrong, what's wrong? Void! How have you become so weak!" The Herrscher of Thunder's lightning flashed continuously, illuminating the sky. Kiana's blue eyes searched frantically for the Herrscher of Thunder's position.
"Found you!" Kiana's expression brightened. She reached out, and Honkai Energy Crystals began to rapidly construct a path to block the Herrscher of Thunder. But... would it really be that smooth?
"You're fools! Do you think I'm stupid too?"
The explosion of thunder sounded in Kiana's ear. Her pupils shrank as she saw the Herrscher of Thunder still accelerating. Trailing a long wake, the Herrscher burst through the cage Kiana had prepared and knocked her over directly.
"Eat this Void!!"
Countless fist shadows flashed past. By using subtle electrical stimulation on her muscles, Thunder pushing the punch speed to her limit.
The Honkai Energy Crystals shattered, and Kiana's body couldn't stop leaning backward. Meanwhile, the Herrscher of Thunder had already arrived directly above Kiana. The purple lightning turned crimson as the Herrscher of Thunder leaned down, assuming a sword-drawing stance.
"Wait, is this—is this right? Why the sudden Lament of the Fallen?" Within the consciousness space, the Verna was stunned. This plot isn't right. Is this the early-stage Herrscher of Thunder?
A crimson blade-light flashed, and thunder ran rampant, even dispersing the dark clouds in the sky. Sunlight spilled down as Kiana was slammed into the ground.
"This intensity... is this really right?" Kiana lay in the ruins. This strength was clearly off, wasn't it? Why did she feel like a Diamond player who had accidentally wandered into a Top Tier match?
"Hehe, hahahaha! The Void is nothing more than this!" Seeing Kiana down, the Herrscher of Thunder couldn't help but become overconfident. Three minutes had passed, and the Authority of the Void began to recede from Kiana's body. She lay powerlessly on the ground, feeling defeated once again.
"Cough, cough." Fortunately, it seemed that move had also too much for Thunder. After she finished laughing, she couldn't help but drop to one knee, using her long blade to prop up her body.
Within the consciousness space, Kiana was feeling somewhat withdrawn. She hadn't expected to suffer such a defeat the first time she used the Herrscher's Authority. It proved that some words really shouldn't be said...
"Sister, am I really this weak?" Kiana looked up at the Verna. The repeated blows were making her lose her confidence.
Verna didn't speak, only watching her tenderly.
"You isn't weak; it's just a lack of experience." Someone who still learning needs confidence. She reached out her hand again, but this time it wasn't to give Kiana power.
"Let's switch. Watch closely... how the Authority of Void should be used."