"Lucius — do you have anything to say for yourself?" Watching Lucius fall into a peculiar silence, Kiana suppressed the smile threatening to break across her face and asked with mock seriousness.
"..."
"Good friend — in fact, all of this was part of my plan." Lucius kept his expression straight and answered with complete conviction. "You know how it is — every excellent film needs to show the audience the protagonist's character. I was demonstrating Miss Sirin's personality to you."
"Now you should have seen it clearly — Miss Sirin is someone who inflates the moment things start going even slightly in her favor."
"Pfft!" Kiana could no longer contain the smile at the corner of her lips and burst out laughing.
But she also considered Lucius's feelings and didn't press further on the matter, instead steering the conversation elsewhere: "So Lucius — what's the plan from here?"
Seeing the topic return to his area of expertise, Lucius's entire bearing became confident once more.
He sat in his chair, hands clasped together on the table, and addressed Kiana:
"Although this Second Honkai War script involves a lot of people, it can actually be broken down into three phases."
"The Sirin Confidence Phase, the Sirin Ascendance Phase, and the Sirin Face-Plant Phase. And what we're currently doing is the first phase."
"Sirin partially awakens inside the Babylon Tower laboratory and wipes out all the researchers there — but before dying, they manage to send out a distress signal."
"Receiving the distress signal from the Babylon Tower laboratory, Otto dispatches Theresa and Snow Wolf Squad's Patrick to investigate the situation. There they discover large numbers of imprisoned test subjects."
"Because she hasn't fully awakened, Sirin's power is limited. Knowing she's no match for Theresa and Patrick, she chooses to blend in among the test subjects and wait for the right moment."
"The opportunity comes soon. Theresa chooses to escort the test subjects toward Saint Freya. Sirin, sharp as ever, senses the chance and decisively slips away from the group, intending to use the Honkai energy reactor to achieve full awakening."
"But what Sirin doesn't know is that Patrick has already noticed something off about her and is following behind, intending to apprehend her. However, overconfident Patrick misjudges Sirin's power, ends up losing an arm to her, and barely escapes. Fortunately she manages to report the situation to Schicksal in time."
"Upon receiving intelligence that the Herrscher of the Void has been born, Otto dispatches Siegfried, Shub, and Salome to the Babylon Tower laboratory as reinforcements."
"On their way to the Babylon Tower, Siegfried, Shub, and Salome encounter a swarm of Honkai Beasts. During the fighting, Welt makes his entrance and flattens the Honkai Beasts. Afterward, Siegfried reaches a personal agreement with Welt, and together with Theresa who has arrived, they head to the Babylon Tower laboratory to confront Sirin."
"Using the tracking capability of the Oath of Judah, Theresa leads everyone to the fully awakened Sirin."
"In the battle, though Theresa and Siegfried are forced to retreat, Welt single-handedly manages to suppress Sirin and deals her a severe blow. Absent any further complications, Sirin's life would have ended there."
"But at the moment of Sirin's execution, Otto — disguised as Jester Alpha — ambushes Welt, giving Sirin the opening to escape. She is then taken to the moon by Benares to acquire her upgraded form."
"That covers the first phase."
Listening to Lucius's account, Kiana's face gradually filled with indignation, and she couldn't help complaining: "Good grief — this Otto is just absolutely terrible!"
"Good friend — please add a qualifier: the Otto of fifty thousand years from now."
"According to the script, I had originally planned for Sirin to lay low, then head to the Honkai energy reactor to achieve full awakening after Kallen escorted the test subjects away."
Saying this, Lucius sighed with some helplessness: "But Miss Pufferfish appears to be far too self-confident — the concept of biding her time never even crossed her mind. She seemed determined to throw herself into every possible disadvantageous situation."
"A pufferfish... inflating?" Kiana savored the pairing of those two words. "Mm... actually rather fitting. So what do we do now? You can't change someone's personality overnight."
To this, Lucius replied with full confidence: "Don't worry, good friend — I already have a plan. Just sit back and watch me work!"
With the progress bar dragged back, time returned to the moment Sirin woke up.
Inside the Babylon Tower laboratory, Sirin snapped her eyes open and cried out furiously: "That obnoxiously pink creature — I'll kill you!!!"
But after the outburst, a flicker of puzzlement crossed Sirin's face.
"Strange — why does it feel like I've said that before?"
She shook her head and tossed the odd thought from her mind, then began surveying her surroundings.
Before her was a sterile laboratory reeking of disinfectant. She was currently bound to an operating table, like a lab mouse awaiting dissection.
"Those damned moth people again!" The sight of the detestable surroundings ignited Sirin's fury instantly — she wanted nothing more than to reduce everything before her to rubble.
But she quickly realized that the Honkai energy within her body, once as vast as an ocean, was now nearly depleted.
"Too weak — completely powerless. I need to figure out how to absorb some Honkai energy..."
Though her condition was poor, Sirin wasn't panicking — because based on her experience, these creatures who used her as a lab mouse would sooner or later inject her with Honkai energy for their experiments, and when they did she could use that opening to break free...
As for whether she should lay low, wait for her power to fully recover, and then unleash destruction upon the world?
"Lay low? Laying low is impossible. I could never do that. I am a divine apostle — how could I lower myself to impersonate those ants?!"
"Hmph! Even stripped of all my power, I, Sirin, remain unrivaled in this world!"
Click. The sound of the laboratory door opening reached her.
Sirin watched as a researcher in thick protective gear appeared in the doorway, pushing a cart loaded with Honkai energy reagents.
Feeling the energy waves emanating from those reagents, Sirin couldn't help but feel the corner of her mouth tug upward.
It seemed the deity was watching over her again. These people really were about to run experiments on her.
"Good — as long as they give me even a tiny amount of Honkai energy, I can break free of these restraints..."
BANG——!
But just as Sirin was thinking this, she watched the researcher who had been about to enter suddenly explode from thin air, dissolving into a cloud of bloody mist that was blown away down the corridor outside by a powerful gust of wind.
Then a gale surged in through the doorway, sending everything in the laboratory flying into chaos.
Sirin was completely startled. "Wha — what is going on?!"
"Heh... hahahahahaha!!!"
"Despicable humans — perish under my unquenchable storm!!!"
From outside the door, an utterly arrogant voice rang out — accompanied by scattered gunshots and explosions.
Sirin stared blankly toward the doorway and glimpsed a girl with long cyan hair rushing past, carried on the storm.
"That energy — the same kind as mine... no, much weaker. A pseudo-Herrscher?" As a genuine Herrscher, Sirin clearly sensed the pseudo-Herrscher aura radiating from the girl who had just flashed past.
After a brief moment of surprise, Sirin urgently called out.
"Wait! Don't leave!"
"My servant — come back at once!"
Sirin knew — this fellow of the same kind was probably her best hope of getting out of this predicament. Even if only a pseudo-Herrscher, with that person's help she could quickly restore her power.
But unfortunately, no matter how she called, the pseudo-Herrscher who had just flashed past was like the wind power she wielded — coming and going without a trace.
By the time the gale outside gradually subsided, Sirin's heart sank. She also felt a flash of indignation — the tiger had fallen to the flatlands and was being bullied by dogs.
"That insolent pseudo-Herrscher — how dare she ignore the Void Queen's summons! If my power were restored I would absolutely..."
"Absolutely what?" A pleasant voice sounded right beside Sirin.
Sirin turned her head and found a girl with long cyan hair and four cyan-green highlights floating above it peering at her with curiosity. This was the very pseudo-Herrscher who had just passed by outside.
Though startled by the pseudo-Herrscher's sudden appearance, Sirin quickly composed herself and issued a command: "Servant — you've come at the right time. Help me remove these restraints immediately."
Even in such a predicament, Sirin hadn't abandoned the pride of a Herrscher of the Void. In the eyes of a genuine Herrscher like herself, a pseudo-Herrscher was simply a stronger Honkai Beast — nothing more than a slightly more special kind of servant.
But in response to Sirin's command, the girl laughed coldly: "Who do you think you are, thinking you can give orders to me, Aurora?!"
"Impudence — you are nothing but a pseudo-Herrscher, yet you dare defy the Void Queen...BOOM!!!"
Before Sirin could finish speaking, a gale surged toward her.
The normally intangible wind, upon landing on her, felt sharp as blades — slicing her clothing into tatters.
Aurora leaned close to the bound Sirin and gently blew at her purple hair with a smile that wasn't quite a smile: "What did you call me?"
Watching a strand of purple hair drift down before her eyes, Sirin felt a shiver run through her. Her face went white.
Only now did she realize — her authority was currently sealed off, and her power was far inferior to the pseudo-Herrscher before her. If this person felt like it, she would genuinely die!
Her throat worked slightly. Faced with a choice between dignity and survival, Sirin chose without hesitation.
"I... I said fellow comrade." An expression that looked worse than crying spread across Sirin's face. "Comrade — as fellow apostles chosen by the deity, reach out and help me!"
But in response to Sirin's plea, the pseudo-Herrscher called Aurora only let out a dismissive laugh.
"Comrade? You?!"
"Hm?"
Faced with a thoroughly bewildered Sirin, Aurora crossed her arms and said with a cold smile: "With this level of power — less than even a Honkai Beast — you dare call yourself my equal?"
Confronted with this blunt humiliation from the pseudo-Herrscher she had considered her servant, Sirin was seething to the point of nearly exploding — but the will to survive still managed to suppress the fury threatening to melt through her reason.
"Human power is formidable. There is absolutely no way you could complete the divine mission on your own. If we cooperate..."
"No need. I do not ally with the weak!" Aurora had absolutely no desire to continue this conversation. She turned and moved toward the exit. "A bunch of feeble humans — I can wipe them out all by myself!"
Without giving Sirin another chance to persuade her, she dissolved into a gale and was gone — leaving Sirin lying on the operating table in the laboratory, utterly stunned.
After a long moment, Sirin finally snapped back to herself and said furiously: "Damn it — at least release me before you leave!"
Crack... crack!
Sirin applied a slight amount of force and found the restraints that had been tightly binding her snapping apart — apparently something Aurora had done on her way out without thinking.
But even having broken free, Sirin's fury had not diminished in the slightest.
"Just a pseudo-Herrscher, yet this arrogant — once I've reclaimed my power, I'll make sure you understand who's in charge here!"
What a thing to witness. Sirin had always thought of herself as plenty arrogant already — she'd never expected to encounter a pseudo-Herrscher who was even more arrogant than herself.
Though she was displeased by Aurora's attitude, Sirin actually rather liked her personality — that look-down-on-everything bearing of hers. It gave Sirin a distinct sense of 'this one is like me.'
"A divine apostle should be exactly this arrogant. Aurora — unleash your power and kill all these humans!"
Having broken free from her restraints, Sirin walked toward the doorway. She planned to scavenge some Honkai energy reagents here to top up her reserves, then head to the Honkai energy reactor to fully restore her strength.
And how would she get there?
Did that even need asking? Straight through, killing everything in the way, of course!
Even reduced to this degree of weakness, Sirin still didn't believe anyone could beat her... well, Aurora the pseudo-Herrscher was temporarily excepted.
Before she recovered her Herrscher authority, that pseudo-Herrscher was clearly the stronger of the two.
"There are only ordinary humans here. With her power she should be able to wipe the floor with all of them — fine, consider it her helping to clear some of humanity's forces for me...BOOM!"
Sirin had barely reached the doorway when a thunderous impact sounded, and a thoroughly disheveled figure came rolling and tumbling across the ground to land right in front of her.
She looked — and it was Aurora, who had charged out with such bravado mere moments ago.
Now the pseudo-Herrscher lay face-down before her, one hand pointing forward, the other clutching her own back.
After letting out a horrible cough of dark purple blood, she laboriously raised her head to look up at Sirin.
"Run...BANG!!!"
Aurora had barely gotten the word out when a golden chain gun that fell from above pierced clean through her. Warm blood splattered across Sirin's face.
Struck through by the chain gun, Aurora seemed to want to say something more — but the golden light in her pupils began rapidly dissolving.
She fell face-first to the ground with a thud, and didn't move again.
Feeling the warm, sweetly metallic blood of Aurora on her face, Sirin's body went rigid as though she had been hit by a petrification spell. All that remained moving were her golden pupils, trembling uncontrollably.
The sound of approaching footsteps drew closer. Very shortly, a small figure arrived beside Aurora's body and casually pulled the chain gun free from the corpse.
This was, naturally, Kallen — drawn over by the commotion Aurora had caused.
After retrieving the chain gun from the Oath of Judah, Kallen noticed Sirin kneeling beside Aurora's body, her frame trembling slightly.
Seeing the test subject clothing Sirin wore, Kallen felt a pang of sympathy and came over to reassure her.
"Little sister — don't be afraid. The Herrscher has been dealt with."
But Kallen noticed that after those words left her mouth, the Sirin before her was trembling even harder.
"Little sister — are you... alright?" Kallen asked with apparent concern.
By now, Sirin had finally recovered from the shock of Aurora's death. Her face went pale with alarm, and she frantically scrambled backward, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the terrifying white dumpling before her.
Someone who could dispatch a pseudo-Herrscher this effortlessly was an enemy she would have had to treat with complete seriousness even at full power!
But as she shuffled back, Sirin forcibly suppressed the terror rising within her and made herself stop.
At this life-or-death juncture, the part of her brain that was normally smothered by inflated confidence was now spinning at full speed.
Sirin realized: this white dumpling before her was not someone she could deal with. If she were discovered to be a Herrscher, it would be completely and utterly over!
From the corner of her eye she glimpsed Aurora's corpse lying beyond Kallen, and a cold shiver ran through her. Driven by the will to survive, Sirin produced acting skills she had never once drawn upon in her life — suppressing her revulsion with sheer force of will and pulling her face into a sweet, obedient smile.
"I'm... I'm fine. Thank you for saving me."
Kallen suspected nothing. As a dedicated actress, she was at this moment nothing more than an emotionless Theresa.
Being Theresa, she naturally couldn't detect anything wrong with Sirin.
And so Theresa — Kallen — gave a nod and sent a message to Patrick.
"Patrick — there's one more survivor here. Arrange for her to be grouped with the other rescued test subjects. I'll be escorting them to Saint Freya Academy for psychological treatment."
Watching Kallen communicate with Patrick, Sirin quietly lowered her head. An expression of humiliation and bitter resentment crossed her face as she clenched her fists tight.
"Damn white-haired bastard — killed my comrade, and now humiliates me like this."
"The Herrscher's dignity must not be insulted. I... I endure!"
Though she desperately wanted to beat the white-haired dumpling before her into the ground, Sirin also knew that if she showed any sign of abnormality, the one getting beaten into the ground would absolutely be herself.
The only option for now was to bide her time — get away from this terrifying white-haired person first, then go to the Honkai energy reactor to restore her power.
"See — the plot has gotten back on track." Lucius smiled at the wide-eyed Kiana beside him. "The method of killing the chicken to warn the monkeys is truly authoritative. No wonder it's a strategy endorsed by the ancient sages."
"Is... is that really how it was resolved?" Kiana murmured, dumbfounded.
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