88. The Gathering Maidens, Another Herrscher of Thunder!
When the first thunderclap resounded, the Valkyrie forces stationed in Nagazora City by Schicksal immediately reacted.
Although they couldn't entirely believe the words of the man who called himself "Gao Qi," Theresa ultimately couldn't dismiss the prophecy outright. Adopting the attitude of "better safe than sorry," she decided to carry out some preparatory measures in Nagazora under the guise of military exercises.
Of course, the most important reason was that a teacher from St. Freya Academy recognized this name.
And when they observed the abnormal weather phenomena appearing in Nagazora City, coupled with the continuously rising Honkai energy concentration, Schicksal's Valkyries immediately began evacuating the city's residents according to the pre-arranged drills.
Similarly, the Hyperion, the main battleship docked at the Far East Branch, immediately took off, heading at full speed towards the center of Nagazora City.
For this most advanced Schicksal battleship, it took only ten minutes for Nagazora to come into view.
However, the majesty of a Herrscher is not something mere human technology can casually challenge.
"Warning, warning! Shield protection output has dropped to... 60%! Each lightning strike carries a massive amount of Honkai energy. The battleship is too large a target!"
"Sector A4 breached by lightning strike! We'll have to rely on armor alone to withstand it!"
"Radar detects more Honkai Beasts approaching Nagazora from afar. Although the Honkai energy output is insufficient, only a Herrscher itself can drive Honkai Beasts—this is likely another major Honkai eruption."
"Honkai Beasts have appeared on the deck, sector D1! Don't let them near the Honkai power furnace and the nuclear reactor! Third Squad, follow me!"
Outside the window, beneath the thick dark clouds, hundreds of immensely powerful thunderbolts struck down from the sky every minute.
The Hyperion, as Schicksal's largest battleship, naturally had many means of lightning protection. Ordinary thunderstorms couldn't harm its hull.
But now, the thunderbolts infused with Honkai energy almost treated the Hyperion as a target. Countless bolts of lightning relentlessly pounded the ship's shields, making the massive vessel seem somewhat precarious.
Truth be told, even the battle-hardened Valkyries aboard the Schicksal battleship felt somewhat uncertain at this moment.
Most of them were new-generation Valkyries, primarily graduates from St. Freya Academy over the years, aside from the veteran instructors.
For them, even though they had handled many Honkai incidents, this apocalyptic scene was a first.
What kind of existence could trigger such a terrifying disaster?
If a Herrscher truly appeared... They had learned countless times in their St. Freya textbooks about the immense damage caused by the Herrscher of the Void to Schicksal during the Second Honkai War fourteen years ago, and how many Valkyries had perished.
Yet, despite this, no one retreated. Every Valkyrie understood the responsibility on their shoulders; they were the bulwark of the entire world.
During this time, even if they couldn't eliminate or defeat the Third Herrscher, they had to hold it back and prevent the harm from spreading as much as possible.
Battleships and Valkyries from Schicksal Headquarters had already set out. S-Rank Valkyries Durandal and Rita were rushing towards Nagazora at full speed.
Before reinforcements arrived, they had to curb the Third Herrscher's offensive and protect the people under threat.
This was the oath every Valkyrie had once sworn. Almost every one of them was a victim of Honkai disasters, and they were determined not to let the tragedy they experienced be repeated on others!
What gave every Valkyrie reassurance was that the Headmistress of St. Freya Academy, Schicksal's former S-Rank Valkyrie, the beloved and cherished Headmistress Theresa Apocalypse, was with them.
At this moment, the small figure sat silently in the captain's seat, calmly watching the seemingly apocalyptic scene before her, maintaining her composure and serenity.
Sighing softly, Theresa turned to a Valkyrie with ash-brown short hair beside her.
"Fourteen years, and I still can't forget that day of utter devastation in Siberia. Over the years, I've always worried about another Honkai eruption, but now that it's really happening... I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest."
Beside her, Ragna, a former outstanding Schicksal Valkyrie and now an excellent instructor at St. Freya Academy, carried the "Hyper Greatsword: King Serpent" on her back, gazing at the approaching Nagazora City while maintaining the elegance of a maid.
"I suddenly remember now, four years ago, during that mission I carried out in the far north. The power of the Herrscher of the Void briefly revived within Kiana—I still remember, the scene then was almost exactly like this now."
Lightly holding her forehead, Ragna suddenly felt some vague and dissonant memories returning to her mind.
In her memory, it was the Valkyrie Charge Team that held back the rampaging K-423. Anti-Entropy's forces and Siegfried arrived late, but she ultimately escaped.
But, if a Herrscher was truly this powerful—why were the Valkyries in the Charge Team completely unharmed, all alive and well?
They clearly couldn't be a match for a Herrscher. Who had helped them?
"Alright, let's not think about that, Ragna. You lead Team Two to protect the Hyperion's structural integrity. I'll go to the deck to wait for Himeko. The Nexus System is being used for the first time; I can't rest easy."
Lifting the heavy, brilliant golden cross beside her, Theresa and Ragna walked out of the room together.
"Himeko was infected by Honkai energy many years ago. After implanting the artificial Stigmata, her body was severely eroded by Honkai energy... The Nexus System causes unimaginable damage to the human body. It's hard to imagine what kind of determination she has."
Recalling the teacher, Murata Himeko, who was serious and professional during lessons but utterly informal in daily life, often going out to binge drink, having terrible drinking habits, and frequently being complained about by students, Theresa couldn't help but sigh as she headed towards the Hyperion's deck.
Every time she got completely drunk, this woman would go on a drunken ramble, chattering to the Valkyries, school teachers, even Theresa and Ragna who went to support her, about her youthful first love, that one and only love interest.
She'd talk about how gentle and handsome he was, how understanding, how he embraced all her flaws, and even how they had an incredible adventure together—but then, he left Himeko.
However, everyone thought that with her behavior, even the best man probably couldn't take it and leaving her was normal.
But, not long ago, when Theresa mentioned the name "Gao Qi," Murata Himeko unhesitatingly participated in this operation and volunteered to be the first tester of the Nexus System.
Even Theresa could guess that Himeko and that man named Gao Qi definitely had a connection!
"Gao Qi, Gao Qi, that guy... just hearing his name makes me angry! And how did a guy who knows such dangerous information get involved with Himeko!"
Soon, Theresa, carrying the Oath of Judah, arrived on the Hyperion's deck. Casually swinging the cross forward, several golden chains pierced and eliminated several Honkai Beasts on the deck.
The Hyperion was getting closer to Nagazora City, but the onslaught of Honkai Beast swarms and increasingly fierce lightning strikes were making it difficult for the battleship to hold on.
Clang, clang, clang—
A series of metallic clanging sounds echoed, accompanied by heavy footsteps. Theresa turned to see a fully armored red-haired woman.
Her long hair, tied up, appeared somewhat short. The crimson armor fit her curvaceous and tall body like a bodysuit, even exposing fair skin on her chest and abdomen.
Third-Generation Valkyrie Armor: Fusion Suit: Crimson, was worn by Major Murata Himeko. Heavy mechanical exoskeletal components not originally part of the Crimson armor enveloped her, and a thick cable on her back connected to the Hyperion's main energy network.
Since the Second Honkai War in the new millennium, Schicksal's technology had taken a leap forward. Compared to the first-generation armor, which was almost decorative, and the second-generation, which offered slight protection, third-generation Valkyrie armor now allowed Valkyries to withstand attacks from Honkai Beasts.
Unlike mass-produced armor, the Valkyrie armor for A-Rank Valkyries often had more personalized settings and different specialties tailored to their individual combat styles.
The Fusion Suit: Crimson was equipped with Schicksal's experimental Nexus System. By forcibly triggering Honkai energy disturbances through massive nuclear power, it aimed to manipulate large amounts of Honkai energy simultaneously.
The Crimson armor itself had an independent combat mode and could briefly use the Nexus System in emergencies. However, to truly unleash the system's power, it needed to connect to the battleship's Honkai power furnace and nuclear reactor.
Simply put, this suit was a more flexible, human-shaped main cannon paired with the battleship—the toll such a device took on the human body was imaginable. Using it once could shorten one's lifespan by ten years; that was no exaggeration.
"Himeko... I remember in the past, this combat suit wasn't so... revealing?"
Looking at Himeko's inhumanly impressive bust and alluring figure, Theresa couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. She had never seen Himeko dressed like this outside the dormitory.
"Heh, of course! I have a boyfriend; I naturally save the best for him—ah well, Headmistress, you'll never have the chance to enjoy the beauty of love in this lifetime!"
Taking out a small makeup bag for a final touch-up, Murata Himeko flashed a radiant smile, lowered the mechanical visor, her entire form concealed within the exoskeleton, and raised the energy-charged mechanical greatsword in her hands.
On her armor, half of the Hyperion's power furnaces were continuously supplying her with energy—power that could even contend with Emperor-class Honkai Beasts. But whether it could match a Herrscher... no one dared to be sure.
"Hey! You— Huh? What! Patch it through!"
Theresa, clearly mocked by Himeko about her figure, was immediately furious. But soon, an incoming call grabbed her attention.
Picking up the phone, this 42-year-old woman started yelling at the person on the other end!
"Cocolia, are you insane? Don't think I don't know you're in Nagazora! I turned a blind eye to your internal strife in Anti-Entropy, but you actually revived a Herrscher! You madwoman, do you want to destroy the world?!"
Although Schicksal and Anti-Entropy were adversaries, they maintained the most basic peace in the Far East, keeping to themselves and largely not interfering with each other, with only occasional minor friction that never escalated. Theresa knew about the conflict between Raiden Ryoma and the rising force of Cocolia but hadn't intervened.
But who would have thought that Cocolia, this lunatic, would directly create a Herrscher in the Far East!
After the Second Honkai War, laboratories like Babylon had mostly been shut down. The Far East Branch certainly couldn't conduct such experiments. Theresa was a hundred percent certain this was Cocolia's doing!
"Ms. Theresa... I know my words may not be credible, but the revival of the Third Herrscher truly has no direct connection to me—never mind. Anti-Entropy will fully cooperate with civilian evacuation. Our mech forces will also go to suppress the Herrscher. We understand the principle of 'when lips are gone, teeth will be cold.' Please do not fire upon Anti-Entropy mechs."
Cocolia, the vixen in Theresa's eyes, seemed to have lost her usual grace and composure. Instead of needling Theresa as usual, she directly extended an offer of cooperation.
"My people will attack the Herrscher alongside you, but on one condition—you must protect one person's safety."
On the other end of the call, Cocolia sat in the ME Corporation's temporary command center, her hand holding the phone trembling with tension.
On the screen before her, the information and photo of a man had been reviewed countless times by Cocolia.
Cocolia didn't know the name "Gao Qi." When her subordinates uploaded his information, Cocolia only glanced briefly, seeing that he was the brother who had been inseparable from Raiden Mei for ten years, and paid no further attention.
But just a short while ago, after her daughter Bronya excitedly sent back that information, Cocolia was completely stunned.
It was him, it really was him. "Zero" was Gao Qi. The moment she saw the photo again, Cocolia knew how foolish she had been—she should have recognized him earlier!
Information showed that this man named Gao Qi hadn't even left Nagazora City in ten years, and he looked much younger than the somewhat blurry image of Zero in Cocolia's memory.
But since Bronya said he was her father, then he was! Maybe the Sea of Quanta could traverse time? Even Einstein hadn't fully researched that! Anything was possible!
"Gao Qi, that man, is my beloved. After this is over, the Herrscher is yours to deal with. I only want him."
For Cocolia now, neither the Herrscher nor the Gem of Conquest mattered anymore. Everything she had done these past months was just to bring that man back to her side.
Now that he had returned, she had no need to do anything extra.
The current Cocolia only wanted to make amends for her mistakes. Although she truly hadn't done anything to Raiden Mei, a decade ago, that fool Raiden Ryoma did, with her help, implant the Gem of Conquest in his daughter.
Moreover, to gain control of ME Corp, she had indeed framed Raiden Ryoma and sent him to prison. If Raiden Mei became a Herrscher, Cocolia felt she bore some responsibility for her psychological issues.
But no matter what, as long as he could come back, Cocolia was willing to pay any price!
"Wait, what the hell are you saying! Gao Qi is my boyfriend, you bitch, what nonsense are you spouting! Come here if you dare, and say it to my face clearly! Don't stop me, Theresa, I'm going to go chop her up right now!"
"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong, Major Himeko! Calm down, calm down, don't get excited!"
Suddenly, from within the communication with Theresa, an infuriated, desperate female voice erupted, accompanied by sounds of heavy collisions.
"Wait, what did you say? You're Gao Qi's girlfriend? What kind of nonsense is that? You're a Schicksal Valkyrie? You explain yourself clearly!"
Before Cocolia could inquire further, the call was disconnected, leaving her utterly bewildered.
"Zero, you..."
For a moment, Cocolia suddenly felt a tinge of green above her head, but obviously, now was not the time to think about that.
Without hesitation, she dialed another number. Amidst the signal interference caused by the rumbling thunder, she connected again to that secret number on the phone.
"Raven, I'm sure it's him. Bring him back. Bring him back safely!"
——————
"What? Are you sure? Don't joke with me, this is not something to say lightly. Shouldn't he be in the Sea of Quanta—it's really him!"
Atop the tallest building in Nagazora City, Raven pushed open the rooftop door, her wine-red eyes wide as she looked at the photo sent to her phone.
"Understood. I will spare no effort to save him. That fool, why does he always run towards danger?"
Hanging up, Raven took out a blue-black cube from her backpack.
"A Divine Key... This is my first time holding something like this. I hope the training in the Elysian Realm was effective."
Taking a deep breath, recalling the intense training over the past few months in the memory-constructed illusory world of the Elysian Realm, she held the cube-like object in her hand.
In that unreal world, several "guides" existing since ancient times served as mentors for each member of World Serpent. They were powerful warriors from the Previous Era, and although their personalities were somewhat problematic, Raven had learned a great deal.
Among them, several Flame-Chasers had even given her some gifts—including the "prophecy" that coming to Nagazora City, she could find someone important.
"Thank you, Miss Aponia."
After discussing with several female Flame-Chasers in the Elysian Realm about the story of her first love who had left her, Raven received this prophecy from Aponia.
She originally thought the prophecy meant the door to the Sea of Quanta would open in Nagazora City. But now it seemed... the prophecy was more precise than she had imagined.
"Please, this time, don't turn into any other form, no slingshots or lipstick—I'm here to save someone!"
The moment Raven touched the cube, a sleek sniper rifle manifested in her hands amidst faint purple lightning.
Divine Key: Seven Thunders of Retribution, a powerful weapon preserved by World Serpent since ancient times.
Boom————
In the distance, lightning strikes grew increasingly dense, targeting a shrine on a small hill. That was the area with the highest Honkai energy concentration. Clearly, the Herrscher was there.
"If it's that fool, he's definitely already rushed to the most dangerous place by now—This time, don't even think about leaving us behind!"
Finally, unlike in the Elysian Realm, the tempermental Seven Thunders of Retribution didn't transform into a slingshot or lipstick but obediently remained a sniper rifle.
Taking out a precious Divine Key bullet from her pocket, Raven skillfully loaded it, and through the scope, looked towards the interior of the distant shrine.
Sure enough, with just one glance, she saw the person she had longed for day and night these past months.
"Zero!"
Gao Qi looked much younger than she remembered. At this moment, he was enveloped in a strange halo and energy, locked in a difficult battle.
Around him, a rapidly moving purple phantom was constantly driving massive bolts of lightning to attack him.
Each time, the Herrscher would transform into rampage lightning and assault him, but he could still summon a peculiar power to barely block it.
"Dammit, too fast!"
But that was only momentary. Even after undergoing extensive training and modifications not inferior to Valkyries, the Herrscher of Thunder's speed was far too fast.
Wounds began to appear on Zero's body. Raven was frantic with worry but couldn't find a shooting opportunity at all.
"Calm, calm, calm—"
Her most beloved person was being attacked by a Herrscher right before her eyes, yet Raven couldn't find a chance to attack. The loneliness and despair of the past few months almost erupted in that instant, making it impossible for her to remain calm.
Suddenly, Raven thought of something. Taking out a syringe from beside her, she unhesitatingly injected it into her carotid artery.
The next second, her gaze became ice-cold, unwavering.
"Liquid Divine Sound." This was an enhancement solution within World Serpent. After injecting this special liquid, warriors would enter an extremely calm state, not controlled by any external things..
It was said to be a byproduct of a secret project from the Previous Era, a project似乎 aimed at preventing the Honkai from conceptually erasing certain information, preserving a kind of will directly in the deepest part of human consciousness.
But now, Liquid Divine Sound was a stimulant that could create terrifying warriors. Although subjects would suffer精神 effects after the drug wore off, with severe cases turning insane, during its duration, they could become powerful and formidable fighters.
"At any cost, humanity must overcome the Honkai!"
Raven muttered this phrase under her breath, then fell into complete silence.
She watched the struggle between Gao Qi and the Herrscher of Thunder, searching for any possible opportunity.
Finally, after another collision, the Herrscher of Thunder seemed to momentarily fall into a daze. The lightning around her body began to dissipate, and the thunderstorm in the sky lessened.
She seemed to embrace Gao Qi, then separated, and the Honkai energy反应 from her body was also decreasing.
"Wait, has she recovered, I—"
The thought of holding back flashed through her mind for an instant. But afterwards, a chorus composed of multiple female voices—gentle, cunning, ethereal, simple, elegant, playful, rational, innocent and lively... voices of different girls—began to echo in Raven's mind.
"Remember him, find him, don't let anyone hurt him! Destroy anyone who tries to harm him!"
The voice was so loud it was hard to refuse. Raven's eyes regained their ferocity, and the moment the two separated, she immediately pulled the trigger.
Biu—
The bullet from the Third Divine Key: Judgement Key shot forth. This weapon could instantly nullify one of the four fundamental forces—the electromagnetic force. Whatever was hit, be it human or Honkai beast, could not effectively withstand this attack on the fundamental law.
In an instant, the Herrscher of Thunder's body was torn apart. Raven deliberately controlled the bullet's power, ensuring the judgmental light wouldn't harm the Gao Qi opposite her.
Killing a young girl didn't sit well with Raven, but from a human perspective, the Herrscher had to die!
"Mission complete, target eliminated. I told Cocolia long ago we didn't need such a massive operation—what!"
But then, Raven saw that in the distant shrine, the disintegrated body of the Herrscher of Thunder instantly restored itself amid roaring thunder!
——————
Boom————
Thunder roared, gales howled. The sky, briefly calm just moments ago, was now filled with even fiercer thunderstorms. Dark clouds were completely invisible, everything covered by pure thunder.
In Nagazora City, several large pre-prepared shelters had been opened. Countless citizens were escorted inside by warriors of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. Though not everyone could be saved, thanks to someone's advance warning, many casualties were avoided.
"Ah, this power, it's truly—so wondrous! I can feel it. This is the Herrscher of Thunder's power, a call from 50,000 years ago. My colleague once successfully destroyed this world, and now… it's my turn to judge it!"
Wrapped in purple lightning, Raiden Mei's destroyed body recovered completely within a second. That divine-punishment-like strike not only failed to kill her, it even—helped her understand the essence of her power.
Raiden Mei's will was completely suppressed deep within her consciousness. Yet the Divine Key, driven by a previous era's Herrscher core that came from afar, allowed the modern Herrscher of Thunder to comprehend the true meaning of lightning power.
"Electromagnetic force, the power that binds fundamental particles. But, if I use Honkai energy to completely shatter it… snap!"
The explosive increase in power allowed the Thunder Queen personality, just suppressed by Gao Qi's "power of love," to resurface.
No longer surrounded by just illusory lightning, solid lightning armor manifested on the Herrscher's body—the Thunder Queen's Armor.
The Thunder Queen extended a slender hand, flicked a finger, and a bolt of lightning shot out.
Crackle.
Not far away, the torii gate on the mountain path instantly turned to ashes under the lightning strike.
It wasn't the effect of high-temperature burning; it was truly broken down at the molecular level into a pile of ash powder, scattering wildly in the strong wind.
No, rather than powder, it was something even finer… almost like some kind of—liquid.
If this strike landed on a human, undoubtedly, the body would instantly become an unidentifiable "milkshake"—just thinking about it was unbearable. This stuff would be hard to accept even in a river dam.
Then, the Herrscher of Thunder casually reached out and pulled a slender purple longsword from her ample chest—as if from thin air.
Hey, hey, hey, that's blatant plagiarism! Just because you two look the same, sound the same, have the same bust size, and both have lightning abilities doesn't mean you can copy the Raiden Shogun's abilities from next door!
"Alright now, you insect, it's time we had a proper discussion about—how I should punish you."
With a casual swing of the lightning sword, Gao Qi ducked sharply, a tuft of his hair sliced off. Behind her, the slash turned the Inari Shrine into dust.
When Raiden Ei next door cuts someone, the Musou no Hitotachi at least just cuts them in two, but this slash—directly turns people into dregs!
Having just successfully calmed the Herrscher of Thunder, it was all ruined by a strike from the Seventh Serenade. While regretful, Gao Qi had no mood left to blame Raven who fired that shot.
After all, as the original work said, during the Third Eruption in 2014, Raven also rescued many children in Nagazora City. She harbored a hundred percent hatred towards Herrschers; not taking a shot would be unreasonable.
And… this was his Raven. Gao Qi knew her feelings for him. If Raven saw him being attacked by the Herrscher of Thunder, she would undoubtedly attack Mei without hesitation!
In a sense, following the order of arrival, though Gao Qi and Raven's relationship was never explicitly stated—this was also a case of tearing apart the other woman.
[Ah, I was wrong. I really shouldn't have been involved with several at once. They haven't even met properly and are already fighting. In the future, it might really lead to a bloody end!]
Looking at the Herrscher of Thunder before him, now filled with boundless rage due to his deception, Gao Qi knew things had gotten serious.
Earlier, Gao Qi could contend with the Herrscher of Thunder because she was still in a pseudo-Herrscher state, not fully mastering her power, only using lightning to strike.
Otherwise, Kiana wouldn't have been able to defeat her alongside Himeko using the Nexus system.
Mei truly became the Herrscher of Thunder three years later in Nagazora City, guided by the released Kevin, the Lord of World Serpent, and accepted the Herrscher's power, becoming the true Herrscher of Thunder.
But now… the Herrscher of Thunder already possessed power no less than the Herrscher of the Void back then.
Now, even if Gao Qi got another Herrscher core or some other gem, even by spending his life force, he probably couldn't confront the Herrscher of Thunder head-on.
Such a Herrscher would inevitably trigger a war no less severe than the Second Honkai War. Schicksal and Anti-Entropy would need to join forces again to minimize the damage caused by the Herrscher of Thunder.
Gao Qi believed Otto's trump cards would definitely let him resolve this crisis.
But what about Mei? What about Kiana! If Mei displayed the destructive power of a true Herrscher, Otto wouldn't allow her to remain in the Far East branch!
"Heh, can we talk this out?"
Looking at the Herrscher of Thunder before him, Gao Qi grinned, showing an awkward smile.
No, he absolutely couldn't just wait, nor could he wait for Schicksal to solve this problem. Even if it was the true Herrscher of Thunder, Gao Qi had to—subdue her!
A barely perceptible fluctuation arrived. Gao Qi received the message and immediately began stalling for time.
"What do you think? Don't worry, I still won't kill you. But since you're so disobedient, clearly your limbs are unnecessary—let's just cut them off."
Running her hand over the sharp blade, feeling her immense power, the Herrscher of Thunder felt everything was already within her grasp.
"As for your mouth, sharp-tongued, slick-talking, and… quite nimble. I think it can stay, right?"
A cruel yet beautiful smile appeared on her face. The Herrscher of Thunder tapped her lips. The queen's majesty, mixed with the continuously rising Honkai energy, made Gao Qi's breathing somewhat labored, but he still maintained a smile, holding her attention.
"Wow, no need for that, right? Even a night together creates lasting affection, sweetheart. You should remember the happy times we spent—just now, wasn't it!"
This obvious provocation immediately made the Thunder Queen recall her embarrassing actions from moments ago, and an expression of shame and anger instantly appeared on her face.
"Yah, happy my foot, you pervert! I'll blast you apart right now!"
Lightning erupted. The Herrscher of Thunder transformed into four bolts of lightning, slashing toward Gao Qi's limbs.
Instantly, the tiles ahead were torn up. Countless plants nurtured by the Authority of Death broke through the earth, reinforced by the power of ice, but were instantly decomposed by the lightning controlling electromagnetic force into something finer than powder.
In this world, nothing exists without relying on electromagnetic force to maintain its integrity. Once that control is lost, collapse from the structural level is inevitable.
However, some things are complete exceptions, like Honkai energy, imaginary power—quantum power! These forces don't play by physics!
"Coordinates, guidance complete. Father, we're here to save you!"
"Papa, let's go!"
The next second, accompanied by fluttering quantum butterflies, two petite girls appeared beside Gao Qi. A giant robot even raised a shield, blocking the terrifying lightning strike.
"Heavy Assault Bunny! Protocol Three!"
Bronya's curly hair fluttered as she and Seele grabbed Gao Qi's arms. Together with Gao Qi, they activated quantum teleportation, and Heavy Assault Bunny also moved.
"Protocol Three, protect Father, ready!"
Heavy Assault Bunny's head ejected the data core containing precious information for later body reassembly, returning it to Bronya's pocket. Simultaneously, the quantum power within its body began to rampage!
This was a tactic Bronya had prepared long ago. If she found her father, and he was in danger like last time, she would do this!
Buzzzz—BOOM!!!
With a roar caused by quantum fluctuations, Heavy Assault Bunny instantly self-destructed. The Herrscher's lightning strike was isolated on the other side of space by the explosion.
As for Gao Qi, he, along with Seele and Bronya, teleported to the roof of a distant building.
"Dad, are you okay? The civilians nearby have all been evacuated. No matter what you say, I'm not leaving this time. If we die, we die together!"
Kiana, who had been waiting here, immediately rushed up and hugged Gao Qi, crying and completely unwilling to let go.
"Don't talk nonsense. It's not that desperate yet."
Before the words finished, a colossal lightning bolt that seemed to pierce heaven and earth, along with a furious roar of someone who felt tricked, echoed from the distant mountaintop throughout Nagazora City.
"Believe me, that's not Mei's original personality—just like you, Kiana, there's a bastard inside her who wants to destroy the world."
Gao Qi sighed lightly, ruffled Kiana's little head, and began pondering the next plan—in truth, he didn't have many options left.
Things had exceeded his plan. Gao Qi had to think fast.
"Alright, let me think. Sigh, if it weren't for the Divine Key, there wouldn't be so many complications… got it."
Clapping his hands, an idea struck Gao Qi. He looked toward the direction from which the Divine Key was fired.
"Let's go, to the top of that tall building."
"Yes, Father."
Without wasting time, the four of them transferred via the quantum domain to the rooftop of the ME Corporation building.
"Who—Gao Qi!"
Her attack clearly worked, yet the Herrscher suddenly regained vitality, becoming even stronger than before. While Raven was still puzzled, she sensed several people appear behind her. She immediately turned, raising the Divine Key toward them.
But the next second, upon seeing that familiar face, she didn't hesitate at all. She dropped the gun and threw herself into Gao Qi's arms.
"You, you idiot, why do you always appear in such dangerous places! Last time it was like this, disappearing inexplicably in the Sea of Quanta. This time too. Can't you let people worry less! Do you know how worried I was!"
This time, Raven didn't conceal her worry and love for Gao Qi. Without hesitation, she stood on tiptoe and kissed Gao Qi's lips somewhat clumsily and unpracticed.
"Mmm—"
Behind Gao Qi, Seele immediately shyly covered her eyes but couldn't help peeking through her fingers at the kissing couple.
"Wow—another stepmom, oh my goodness."
Kiana also widened her eyes in surprise. Being a clone, her dad finding a few more moms didn't affect her, as long as he kept loving her!
Also, watching the two kiss, Kiana couldn't help but touch her own lips.
"Tsk, Cocolia Mom is always a step behind."
Finally, Bronya played with Heavy Assault Bunny's data core, manipulating quantum power to quickly reconstruct part of the robot, and sighed softly.
Mom really, not even proactive in snatching a man. Her thinking must be problematic.
This kiss, spanning several months for Raven but years for Gao Qi, fully expressed Raven's feelings. Not only she herself, even Gao Qi felt a bit dizzy.
Half a minute later, Raven finally released her lips, her face red, her wine-red eyes quite shaken. Such an outrageous act was really unbecoming for a World Serpent mercenary, but… she missed Gao Qi too much.
"Whew, alright, alright. It's my fault, I'm not good. Next time before I go to die, I'll explain clearly to you all."
Taking a deep breath, Gao Qi then pinched Raven's cheek.
"But, if we're talking about idiots, there's a little fool right in front of me who used the Herrscher of Thunder's core against the Herrscher of Thunder herself, replenishing her energy! Didn't the Lords of World Serpent teach you not to use the same source of power against them?—Forget it, don't blame yourself either. You only replenished a little bit. No difference."
Tapping Raven's head, Gao Qi only said Raven replenished the Herrscher of Thunder's energy, not that she truly enabled the Herrscher's metamorphosis. Otherwise, Raven would blame herself to death.
"What… It was my mistake. Then what do we do next? The Herrscher seems to be getting stronger! Should we let Schicksal and Anti-Entropy handle them? There are still many children in this city."
Looking at the distant lightning, Raven's expression froze, lowering her head slightly apologetically—she really didn't know about this.
"No, we can't wait. By the time Schicksal's main force arrives, all of East Asia will be gone. And I need to wake Mei up."
Shaking his head, Gao Qi bent down and picked up the Seventh Serenade, still in sniper rifle form, from the ground.
"I need you to lend me the Third Divine Key. Also, I need you all to contact Schicksal and Anti-Entropy—this battle requires the joint effort of our entire family."
Thinking this, Gao Qi reached his hand toward the Seventh Serenade's core, shining with lightning—the previous era's Third Herrscher core.
Without a Void Archives, Gao Qi couldn't unleash the Herrscher's true power like he did against the Herrscher of Domination. But if he barely utilized the core's energy, he could hold her off for a while—
But the moment Gao Qi touched the Seventh Serenade, the original sniper rifle suddenly changed.
The Divine Key melted like liquid, transforming into a pair of gauntlets covering Gao Qi's hands.
On the back of Gao Qi's right hand, a purplish-red crystal shone conspicuously—the Herrscher of Thunder core.
Instantly, formidable power began flooding into Gao Qi's body, as if it had long awaited his arrival.
"How is this possible? The Seventh Serenade never had this form…"
Beside them, Raven couldn't help but widen her eyes. She didn't know the Divine Key had this function.
"Is that so? Doesn't that precisely prove I'm amazing?"
Clenching his covered fists, Gao Qi took a deep breath. A red light flashed in his eyes.
The next second, rolling thunder manifested around Gao Qi. Crimson true lightning fell from the sky, driving away the purple lightning.
Undoubtedly, this was a sign of Herrscherfication. Even if just a pseudo-Herrscher, the amplification was already sufficient for Gao Qi now.
At this moment, Gao Qi, once again entered the Herrscher realm!
This Divine Key actually had an additional function similar to the Void Archives. Combined with the Herrscher of Thunder core, Gao Qi's power matched the Herrscher of Thunder's.
[Coincidence, or… whatever, thanks, Vill-V. Your invention is really not bad, It's no wonder the best inventor of Fire Moth.]
In his heart, thanking a girl he wasn't very familiar with but had still met, Gao Qi smiled slightly and looked at the girls around him, whispering to them.
The power of a pseudo-Herrscher, of course, couldn't deal with a true Herrscher. But if combined with the power of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, plus his lovers and precious daughters, then—it was more than enough!
After explaining the plan, Gao Qi hugged each girl, making final farewells.
"Alright, this battle, I'll stay with you all to the end—let's begin."
The next second, crimson lightning flashed. Gao Qi's figure disappeared from the spot, reappearing right in front of the Herrscher of Thunder.
"Mei, your man is here to save you!"
——————
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?