Disclaimer: I do not own Honkai Impact 3rd
Certainly has been awhile huh?
Hope you enjoy the newest chapter!
"So you are Commander Hare," Bronya cooly stated as her eyes never left Hare's. "The one in charge of the World Serpent Operation here in Siberia."
The white haired woman was merely silent as she waved her war banner, the knights accompanying her dissipating into motes of light and leaving just the two of them alone. "I wouldn't say 'operation', it sounds too militaristic for me." She placed a finger on her chin as she contemplated a better word. "I prefer the term 'test' to be an adequate description."
"A test that involved the Judgement Beast Benares?" The Valkyrie pointed out incredulously.
"She makes for the most perfect candidate." Hare responded with a relaxed smile. "The Herrscher of Void is capable of summoning her own imaginary domain and with such a strong connection to its master this Judgement Beast was naturally the best one to test certain things on."
Her head turned to the center of the mountain, where the command center of the base was located at. "Though I did not expect this sort of outcome from my experiments."
"Why have you not been affected like the rest of your colleagues?" Bronya asked.
"Colleagues is a…generous term to describe my affiliation with them but I digress." She trailed off as she looked at Bronya with an emotion that the Valkyrie could not identify. "I was off…visiting an old friend so I was not present when they had been afflicted by the strange phenomenon. By the time I had heard news of what had happened you Valkyries had already shown up and had it all under control."
"So what then?" The gray haired Russian girl said, trying to gain control of the conversation and learn more of the officer's goal in Siberia. "What is your goal now?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Hare smiled mischievously, no doubt having seen right through Bronya's ploy. "Perhaps I wished to see the aftermath of my failed experiment, or maybe to see what you Valkyries were up to, my apologies to what happened to Kiana Kaslana. It was quite unfortunate that it had occurred to your teammate."
"Your concern is noted," The pigtailed Valkyrie replied dryly, knowing that the concern was probably not genuine at all.
The white haired World Serpent Officer simply nodded with a smile on her face. "I am glad for it. While I may be a part of an organization that is opposing yours I am not so heartless as to derive enjoyment from your suffering. Though
"I didn't think that Kiana-san was such a person of interest for the World Serpent."
"Oh she is," Hare admitted without hesitation. "Any Kaslana is a person of interest for us, though not for me because right now you are the person I wanted to meet the most."
That got a surprised eyebrow raise from Bronya. "Me?" She repeated with disbelief in her tone.
"Why of course." Hare smiled innocently, a smile that put the B-Rank Valkyrie immediately on edge. "It's not everyday that one gets to meet the successor of the Herrscher of Reason."
The Valkyrie's gray eyes widened at the casual revelation of one of her most guarded secrets. How did this World Serpent Officer know what only she and Joachim knew about. They had ensured that all of their messages were safely encoded and that it was delivered in the utmost secrecy.
She needed to act swiftly to ensure that that the secret remained a secret. She would first have to ensure that Hare could not escape which meant she had to-!
"You do not need to worry about me spilling your secret." The World Serpent Commander swiftly added, stopping Bronya's mind in its tracks. "It provides no benefits to anyone that I tell so you may rest assured that your little secret is safe with me."
If that was meant to assure the gray haired Valkyrie it did not. A high ranking World Serpent Officer knew one of her biggest secrets and had a powerful leverage to use against her anytime in the future.
At the moment it may not seem like a big leverage but if Bronya made her less than appreciative of her Hare could use such a secret to
"Though in exchange you must indulge me for a little bit."
There it was, the catch.
A catch that Bronya would have to play along with until an opportunity came along to have her turn the tables.
When it was clear that she would not be attempting to resist or attack her Hare took it as a sign of approval and began to talk. "Why did you choose to accept the mantle of the Herrscher of Reason Bronya Zaychik?"
"You must have realized it when you used its powers for the first time." The woman continued. "The tsunami of power that almost rendered you a charred corpse for the few seconds you wielded it. Why do you choose to wield such power when you know its risk?"
"To protect my friends," Bronya answered immediately. "I would use it to protect not only them but also my family from-"
"And what if that threat was yourself?" Hare interrupted. "What would you do then?"
"The souls that reside within the Core would not allow that to happen." She retorted fiercely.
Hare was silent, closing her eyes as if the answer she had been given was what she did not want to hear which in of itself was strange. Why would she be disappointed by an answer from a person, and by extension an enemy, that she had just met?
"...Is that so? How interesting…" The commander's viridescent purple eyes opened back up to reveal a serious expression within them.
"Bronya, shall I tell you a story?" Hare did not wait for the girl to respond as she began to tell her story.
"Once upon a time, in a snowy land almost the same as the one we are in, a girl awoke. She was scared by her surroundings, unable to remember how she had gotten there." She started with a wistful tone, looking up to the snowy skies of Siberia.
"Unable to make sense of it all, she wandered the snowy land aimlessly, trying to find any form of sense or reason."
"However, all she found was death and destruction. Wherever she walked all she saw were the scorched remains of machinery and corpses that had long been claimed by the snowy wasteland."
"Yet she remained hopeful, hopeful that she would eventually find some form of life that would no longer make her existence lonely."
"And she did find people, others that had survived and she had vowed that she would do anything to ensure that they would live."
"Unfortunately her hopes turned to despair as those that she vowed to protect withered away in front of her eyes."
"It was only then she realized the truth of why all she saw was death and destruction."
"It was because of her, for anything near her was destined to die. It was in her nature for anything alive to do near her…" Hare brought her head down and locked eyes with her listening audience.
"Just like Herrschers."
Bronya's eyes widened in realization of what she was alluding to. "That's not-" She tried to defend herself but the World Serpent commander was quick to interrupt.
"What good is your intentions to help if your power directly opposes it?" She challenged. "After all your power is that of a Herrschers, a power meant to destroy humanity. How sure are you that the souls within the core are simply not waiting for the right time to take over? How can you be sure that when the time comes you will be able to resist the temptation of power? That you will not turn on those that matter the most to you."
Bronya was stunned by such a question, but she was equally stunned by her lack of an answer to voice. She had no way of assuring that what Hare was alluding to would not come to pass. She had barely survived using it the first time, how would she be able hold back a power that was capable of destroying the world?
How could she ever live with herself if she turned on her friends and family?
"I-"
However, before she could give any answer a voice interrupted.
"Bronya-chan?" A familiar voice called out from a distance away. "Where are you?"
Turning around Bronya saw Mei in the distance, walking in her direction. "Mei nee-san?" She called out to her teammate in surprise.
Mei smiled when she saw the petite girl. "Ah there you are." The dark purple haired Valkyrie walked over to her, holding two bags in her hands. "We all got worried when Himeko-sensei notified us that you were coming to the Hyperion but you never showed up."
"I-," Turning around Bronya expected to see Hare still standing there but to her surprise there was no evidence that the white haired woman had been there at all.
"Is something wrong?" Mei asked as she followed her teammate's line of sight to see if anything was remiss.
"...No, nothing is wrong." She finally said as she turned her gaze away from the spot that Hare had just been standing at. There was no need to tell her about the World Serpent Commander. Bronya had a feeling she wouldn't be seeing Hare anytime soon. "The Bronya got lost in her thoughts and lost track of time."
Mei's eyes trailed back to the spot she had been staring at but returned back to her teammate. "Understandable." Mei smiled as she brought up one of the bags that she had been carrying. "Would you like to help me bring some food down for Himeko-sensei and everyone else still working?"
"The Bronya would be happy to assist." The 5th Squad Valkyrie replied with a smile as she took one of the bags of food and walked alongside her teammate as they made their way back down the mountain to where everyone was.
Meanwhile from a hidden vantage point Hare watched as the two Valkyries of the 5th Squad Valkyrja Squad walked into the mountain and out of her sight.
"She sure wasn't what I was expecting, the complete opposite to be exact." She mused to herself as she picked up her war banner off the ground. The World Serpent Officer would've preferred if their conversation had dragged on a bit longer but she would not complain with what she had gotten.
Though she was sure that everyone else would not be happy when she returned and informed them of the loss of Benares. It didn't matter anyway, she had gotten all that she needed from the Judgement Beast, everything else that happened after was just a bonus for her.
"The girl has some fire to her," The woman smiled as she materialized a white flower using her powers. The former Silver Wolf of Urals had the right heart but she was not fully committed to bearing what burdens came with her new responsibility. Only time would tell if she would go further than anyone else or fall short.
And time was something that she had an abundance of.
Closing her eyes Hare brought the flower to her nose and inhaled its flowery scent, bringing a smile to her face as nostalgic memories filled her mind.
A sanctuary located in the heart of a wasteland.
A kind smile that was reserved for her, even at death's doorstep.
A kind smile that gave her a name that she treasured forever.
"Did you hear all of that?" She spoke up to the sky as she released the flower in her hands, watching as the Siberia winds carried it to wherever its final destination was to be.
"Your little girl has grown up."
"Oh why the long faces?" The jester of red laughed as they straightened their back out from their bow. "Has my performance left you disappointed?"
Unnerved was more the proper word Kiana would use to describe what she was feeling. She had no idea what Ai was feeling but if her partner's silence and grip on her chakram weapon was any indication then that she was in the same boat as well.
It was a very small mercy that Bella was not present to be terrified of this situation.
As if the jester could hear her thoughts they turned their attention towards her. The Valkyrie felt a pit in her stomach from the grinning mask of the jester. "Tsk tsk this won't do, this won't do at all." They raised one of their hands up into the air. "I dislike it when the entire audience is left out of my performances. Shall we rectify this?"
Without waiting for either of them to respond they snapped their fingers, the echo of it reverberating through the air of the distorted realm of Babylon Labs.
Seconds later the space that was between the Kaslana and Ai was suddenly filled in by a familiar gray haired child.
"Bella?!" She and Ai cried out in surprise at the child's sudden teleportation.
The gray haired child was also in the same boat as her eyes widened at the sudden new surroundings. "K-Kiana-san? A-Ai-san?" She looked up at the duo in equal parts surprise and fear. "Where am I? I was just waiting on the stairs and-
Kiana accusingingly pointed a finger at the jester of red, her blue eyes narrowing in unconcealed anger. "Leave her out of this you bastard!" She yelled.
And the jester merely pointed to themselves innocently, as if they had committed no wrong in the situation. "And why should I?" They asked with an almost sarcastic tone. "This is my show after all. I make the rules here."
Kiana felt her body take a step forward as she felt her grip tighten on her pistols. How dare this pompous looking ass jester get to decide what-!
Before her body could take another step forward a hand placed itself on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. "Do not Kiana-san," Ai whispered in warning to her.
The Kaslana opened her mouth to rebuke her but her green haired partner swiftly interrupted her. "He is baiting you." She revealed as her narrowed eyes never broke contact with the jester. "Can you see it? Their posture is certainly ready for your retaliation."
The white haired Valkyrie turned her attention back to the jester of red and after some moments of observation found that Ai was right. The laid back posture they were exuding, the way the grinning mask matched their energy perfectly. Kiana wanted nothing more in the world right now to shatter that mask into a billion pieces.
But seeing how this scumbag was their only ticket out of here that dream would have to wait.
So unable to do anything Kiana just simply snapped her head to the side and angrily clicked her tongue. "Tsk."
Having managed to calm down the Kaslana for the moment Ai decided that she would take the lead in this conversation. "Forgive us if we have offended you." She started off diplomatically. "But we humbly request your permission to leave your show to not spoil it for you."
"Quite a shrewd one aren't you, barely any information and you've managed to discern my intentions for this show." The jester clapped in equal amounts of admiration and mockery of her deduction.
"S-Show?" Bella asked confusedly.
"Why indeed little one a show!" The jester threw their arms out and suddenly the bodies that were surrounding them were replaced in jesters of various colors. The jesters jumped up from their spots on the ground and began to perform various carnival acts, truly creating the image of a crazed carnival.
A spotlight suddenly illuminated the red jester as they continued speaking, this time with an emotion that was almost borderline fanaticism. "A show that will shake the very cosmos to their foundations! A show staged for a reunion long in the making, one where rude interventions will be a thing of the past!"
From the corner of Kiana's eyes she could see that the color of the sky had dimmed to a light red hue, blanketing everything in red.
"But in a world already being judged by the good old granddaddy Terminus I must be discrete with my movements. Wouldn't want to garner the attention of the Aeon of Finality now do we?" They lamented as they put the back of their hand on their hand and mock swooned.
"Finality? Terminus? Aeon? What are you even talking about?" Kiana spoke out confusedly, not noticing the pale white look that Ai had on her face from hearing those words.
"Knowledge that you and your primitive species wouldn't have known about for many, many years." The red jester degraded as they lowered their arms to look at the Valkyrie. "However this planet is proving particularly special with how it seems to be defying the odds. First with those stubborn Flamechasers and now your little Valkyrie sisterhood."
"But even with all of my careful planning it seems that this stage has proven to be a bust. I could not lure the one individual that I wished to reunite with after so long." They lamented and Kiana could not help but feel remorse for the person who they wished to meet. After meeting this Jester Kiana never wanted to see them ever again. She could only imagine what it felt being on the other end of their 'special interest'.
"So I suppose that I simply must do away with this stage, allow it to finally fracture and dissipate everything within it to nothingness." They offhandedly remarked and the white haired Valkyrie's blood turned cold at that.
"And what about us?" She asked with a tinge of desperation in her voice.
"What about you?" The jester casually questioned. "You're just a bunch of pesky humans, not worth my time and effort to even think about…" They trailed off only to snap their gaze directly at her.
"Is what I would've said if not for you my special little spectator!" They added swiftly as they motioned to the Kaslana with their white gloves and even with a mask to block their facial features Kiana could sense the smile behind it. "You…you share a connection to the one I seek, a most peculiar one at that, how interesting..." They hummed in contemplation as their mask's eyes uncomfortably bore into her.
Before Kiana could even question what that even meant the jester perked up as if a light bulb seemingly went off in their head
"Hmm yes that shall work quite nicely, how fortunate for me." The jester snapped their fingers and the distance between the two of them was suddenly crossed, with the jester of red now standing only a few feet away from her, hand outstretched. "I propose a deal, dear spectator. In exchange for the safe return of you and all of your companions you will allow me to look inside your head and retrieve the information that I seek."
"That is a bad deal Kiana." Ai warned with a suspicious glare at the outstretched hand, her hands twitching as if she was just moments away from severing it with her chakram. "There is no guarantee that they will uphold their side of the deal in the manner that we are looking for."
"What choice do you have, hmm?" The jester of red countered as they slightly glanced over to the pigtailed haired woman. "Will you fight me for your escape?"
Ai gripped the edges of her chakram weapon a bit tighter in response. "If it comes down to that then yes."
"...Hahahaha!" The jester laughed loudly at the answer. "Fighting a conductor at his own show, have you heard of anything more funnier than that?" They placed their hands over their stomach as they doubled over with renewed laughter, their amusement now echoing in the distorted realm.
Though the laughter did not last long as they suddenly froze into place. "...Tell me Ai Hyperion." The eyes of the jester mask suddenly snapped towards Ai, their eyes now glowing a baneful red. All around them the sky also switched to match the baneful color of their creator's eyes as the air became choked in tension.
"Do you truly think you can win?"
The moment their eyes shifted colors Kiana felt the overbearing pressure. A pressure that felt as if a hand had your heart in its grasp. Like if your entire being was laid bare to an entire audience, picking apart your very existence and would sound your death knell should you be found lacking.
But above all that Kiana knew what message was being sent.
A statement that any conflict between them would result in them horribly losing.
To fight was to die, nothing more.
To become this…thing's puppets like the jesters around them that were still dancing to an unsung song.
So to prevent all of them dying painful deaths Kiana turned to the only logical choice that they had available to them.
"...Very well. I agree to your offer," Kiana voiced her agreement, prompting everyone present to turn to her. However she was not done as she raised one of her fingers. "But I want a guarantee that you will follow through with your end of the deal."
Her decision got a nod of respect from the jester as their mask immediately lost their baneful red hue as they turned to face her. "A wise choice dear spectator, let us not dirty our hands with such barbaric methods of negotiation. We are much more civilized than that. You get what you want and I get what I want, we both win in the end."
"I haven't agreed to anything yet." The Kaslana reminded the jester with a stern look. "Your guarantee first."
"You drive a hard bargain." The jester chuckled before relenting as they reached up for their hat and began to pull something out from it. "But if you must have a guarantee then you shall have it."
From the confines of his hat he pulled out what appeared to look like a red and black calling card and offered it to the Valkyrie. Taking the card from them the white haired Valkyrie looked over the card, noting that all it had was a very intricate design of a jester mask and a singular sentence.
"For When You Need A Laugh"
-Carnival of Elation
Kiana barely resisted the urge to gawk in horror that this jester had a business but she knew that the jester was not trying to pull a fast one on her and was sincere about his offer. "You have a deal then." She said as she pocketed the card, adding a mental reminder to cast it into a fire the first opportunity that she got.
Even though the jester's mask was already smiling it felt as if upon hearing her words the smile grew even bigger. "Splendid, most splendid." The jester rejoiced gleefully. "Let us proceed at once."
Steeling her nerves, the Kaslana allowed the Jester to close what little distance remained between them and place their palm on her forehead. Feeling the fabric of the glove touch her skin she closed her eyes to mentally brace herself for the pain that was no doubt to come from them probing her mind for what information they wanted.
Fortunately for her after a few seconds the only thing she felt was the absence of the palm on head as the jester retracted their hand.
"And done," The jester spoke as they retracted their arm away from her. Was that really all? "Now I believe it is time for me to uphold my part of the deal." They raised one of their arms high up into the sky and snapped their fingers.
Instantaneously Bella's panicked voice came out. "K-Kiana-san?!"
Jerking her head Kiana saw that Bella's form was beginning to fade away into motes of light. The frightened look on the child's face was mirrored by how fast her body was disappearing right in front of their eyes.
The first thing that crossed Kiana's mind as she jerked her head back to the jester was that she had been crossed. She should've listened to Ai's advice and not made that deal, she should've been more patient and they could've maybe found a way to-!
"Worry not young miss, there is no need to fear. You are merely being returned back to the real world." The jester assured them, not at all surprised by what was going on.
"D-Don't worry Bella," She said in hopes of assuring the child, hoping that the jester was being truthful. "I'll be right behind you and I'm gonna introduce you to Mei-senpai and everyone else! They're going to love you! I promise!"
Those words seemed to bring a little assurance to Bella, who nodded as she wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes. "I-I will see you soon then Kiana-san!" The steel gray haired child smiled just as she fully disappeared into motes of light.
With the child gone it was just Kiana and Ai left with the jester.
"And now for you dear Spectator." The jester of red looked towards the Valkyrie and snapped his fingers. Looking down the white haired warrior saw that her body had already begun to fade into motes of light and very soon she would be joining Bella back in the real world.
Kiana turned her head to look at Ai who would be the last one to leave this accursed realm. "Will we meet again Ai?" She asked the green haired woman with a hopeful tone in her voice.
"I would normally answer such a question no, however…" She trailed off with a smile.
"I would be lying if I said I would not like to meet you again and Miss Bella again."
"I'll keep you to that then!" She smiled as her chin began to shift into motes of light.
"A word of advice," The jester of red spoke up, garnering both of their attentions. "Do gather your bearings quickly, dear spectator. Your teammates will require your aid and speaking personally I would not want to miss out on such a show."
Alarm coursed through the Valkyrie's body at those words. "Wait what do you mean by-!"
But before she could say anything more Kiana's body was fully whisked away from the realm, leaving only Ai and the jester of red left.
The jester of red chuckled at the Valkyrie's parting words. It was such a joy to leave an audience at a cliffhanger, always making the next show an exhilarating one to watch. "Worry not dear spectator, we shall meet again. After all, the Carnival never allows its audience to escape without attending a show."
And the information that they gleaned from her head had given them such great inspiration for what show they would amaze the Kaslana with.
"And finally you." They turned to face the green pigtailed haired girl, who was now looking at them with an expression of horrified shock.
"Ah, finally realized who I am?" They asked, already knowing the answer. "If you ask me it took you a bit longer than I expected."
"It can't be." Ai muttered as her eyes were wide open in shock as her mind tried to comprehend the realization she had come across. There was no way that this was happening, no way that the entity standing in front of her was what they thought they were, but all details pointed to this singular truth. "But why would you even-"
"For the same reason as any other self respecting enjoyer of the show." The jester of red directed their hands towards her, fingers ready to make a snap.
"For my own personal amusement of course."
SNAP!
Unlike Bella and Kiana, Ai was instantly ejected from the realm, leaving the jester alone in their created domain.
"...I truly did not think this carelessly put together stage would work." The jester spoke out loud as they began to walk towards the edge of the Babylon Labs. All around the sole figure the realm began to literally break down, the sky cracking and the land surrounding the tower beginning to crumble into nothingness. "So many restrictions when dealing with anything pertaining to the domain of Finality. I can't even exist on this planet at a respectable power lest I draw your ire oh Terminus of Finality."
"Yet how curious that you would involve yourself, old man. Even with both of your little children here you would not so recklessly place yourself in Terminus' line of sight without a good reason." They placed a hand on their chin in intrigue as they tried to think of an answer…
Only to abandon that action as they broke out laughing. Why spend the time trying to think of an answer when it would come naturally as the show continues. It was what made such performances a treat to watch.
"Ah I miss such shows like these," They spoke as the Babylon Tower began to crumble. The jester of red cared little for the bodies of the soldiers, who had all dropped to the ground unceremoniously, that had so foolishly demanded that they try to release them back to their world, silencing their incessant bickering with a wave of their hand.
They actually did not know what would happen to them should their bodies perish in this realm…
Meh it's not like they particularly cared.
They began to walk towards the edge of the tower, uncaring as the foundations of the tower continued to crumble, with already half of it having disappeared. "The intrigue that grows with each chapter, the questions that are answered only lead to even more questions, all to accumulate into a story of eld!" They shouted with a tone of increasing frenzy.
They stretched their arms out wide in exhilaration. "A story of hope and finality, a story so poetic and grand that it will be etched into the very stars themselves!"
"And who better than I, Aha, the Aeon of Elation, to guide such a story to its full potential!" The Aeon laughed hysterically as the ground disappeared beneath them, the entirety of the realm soon following as nothing remained of the Babylon Labs and leaving behind an empty void of space in its wake.
"Status report?" Himeko inquired as she stood behind someone typing away on a computer.
"Nothing yet Commander," The operator answered as they continued to swiftly type away on the keyboard. "We've barely made any headway with the encrypted data we were able to pull from their mainframe, not to mention that there's hardly any mention of what sort of project this was with the data we have managed to encrypt."
Which pretty much was summarized to be that we don't have the best chances in getting their wayward Valkyrie back. "Well, let's hope that the data that Bronya has managed to decipher will give us a better shot." The red head major muttered before she turned around to face her approaching students.
"Ah Bronya, Mei," She greeted the both of them with a tired smile. "I trust you've administered the food rations already?"
"Yes Himeko-san," Mei answered as she looked back to see the Valkyries enjoying the meals that they had just delivered. "Most of the Valkyries were planning to switch shifts with the reserve members now."
That was understandable, they had been stuck in this mountain for almost a day now and had been on constant guard for any potential threats. "Well it's not like anything is happening much right now so why don't you two take a rest as well." She gave the two a more observing look, noticing how exhaustion was beginning to show on their faces. "I'll stay behind and notify you two if Kiana's situation changes."
She expected Mei to give some sort of argument to stay behind but she was surprised to see her smile in relief at that. Seems that they were much more exhausted than she realized. "That would be great Himeko-sensei-!"
However before she could finish her words an alarm began to ring out from all over the command center. Every Valkyrie in the room froze what they were doing, confusion written on their faces as they tried to find the cause of the alarm.
"We're reading a massive honkai power fluctuation Major!" The operator answered from behind her in a frantic tone.
Acting immediately Himeko spun on her heel and addressed the computer operator. "Report!"
"We don't know what just happened but all of a sudden we detected a massive shift in honkai energy from Judgement Beast Benares." They answered back with an alarmed tone as the terminal in front of them showed a graph depicting the growing honkai energy buildup within the Judgement Beast.
"You have to be kidding me!" The red haired A-Rank Valkyrie swore as she threw a look at the frozen form of the draconic being, watching for any signs of it trying to break free of its prison. "How much time do we have?!"
"Unknown to say but we should evacuate-!?" The sound of glass breaking stopped the operator and everyone present in the command center to stop in their tracks. Then without warning rifts began to open up all around them, with strange husk-like puppets beginning to spill out from the cracks and brandishing their claws at the Valkyries.
Which meant only one thing.
"Valkyries! To arms!" She commanded as she grabbed her greatsword that was strapped to her back and held it at the ready.
"Yes Ma'am!" Every Valkyrie, including Mei and Bronya, shouted in unison whilst readying their own weapons.
"Give no quarter!" She yelled as she and the rest of the Valkyries surged forward, with their enemy swiftly doing the same. It did not take long for the two sides to engage in battle, throwing the entire command room into a frenzy.
As the fighting dragged on within the command center Himeko grew quickly annoyed at their current predicament. Despite having years of experience fighting the Honkai under her belt, never had the Major fight such an…
Annoying enemy.
Bisecting what felt like her fifteenth enemy, the A-Rank Valkyrie wiped the sweat off her brow. "They're endless!" She hissed as she took in the situation that she and the Valkyries were slowly being pushed into.
These 'puppets' were rather trivial to deal with. If she had to rank their effectiveness in a battle she would rank them around the level of where a B-Rank Valkyrie could comfortably take them on. Their claws were their only form of weaponry and they were rather easy to deal with once you got familiar with their attacks.
The two abilities that these enemies had that were giving them the most trouble was their seeminging ability to cheat death..
And that they never seemed to stop appearing.
Turning to face the puppet she just bisected she watched as the thing's golden head began to shake before pulling itself free from its crumbling body with spectral limbs. Acting quickly Himeko stabbed her greatsword's right into the golden core and split it into two, this time the puppet disappearing into nothingness.
Once the fighting had begun it became quickly apparent that these puppets were more than meets the eye. Death did not seem to be the end for them, at least for the first time, as when the body was seemingly destroyed, the core that made the puppets head would free itself and grow a spectral body similar to its original and begin to fight once more.
It was fortunate that they quickly discovered that if you were to destroy the core in this 'astral' state then the puppet would permanently go down.
Which was easier said than done.
What they also discovered was that if you couldn't take them down fast enough they would regenerate their physical bodies, wasting all the effort that had originally gone in taking them down in the first place.
Add to the fact that these puppets played cautiously, avoiding danger whenever possible, when they were in these astral states made it so that they remained a threat longer than they should've by retreating or hiding among the bodies of their comrades as they regained their strength.
And that wasn't taking into account that there was a seemingly infinite number of them as for every one they killed, three more would take its place..
"Are you girls okay?" She asked as she turned around to see Mei and Bronya quickly take care of their own enemies.
"The Bronya reports that the both of us are okay," The gray pigtailed B-Rank Valkyrie answered as Project Bunny lowered its cannon. "However the Bronya is concerned that this fight will drag on far longer than what we are capable of fighting."
She grimaced at the reminder of their dwindling strength. "Yes you are right about that, but you two focus on defending Kiana and allow me to focus on coming up with a plan that will get all of us out of here."
The moment the fighting broke out she had ordered the 5th Valkyrja Squad to defend their still comatose squad member. A part of Himeko hoped that the sudden emergence of these strange enemies would elicit some sort of change in Kiana's condition but to no alas.
Though it seemed as if the gods were listening in on her thoughts as not even a few seconds after that thought crossed her mind did the Kaslana begin to stir. "H-Himeko-sensei?" Blue eyes groggily opened as she took in the sight of her combat weary squad.
"Kiana!" Mei was the first to break out of shock as she dropped her katana and immediately hugged Kiana. "Are you okay?!"
"Y-Yeah," The white haired Kaslana looked at her then at Himeko and Bronya before suddenly freezing in place. Before anyone could ask what was wrong she looked around frantically, her blue eyes searching for something. "W-Where's Bella?"
That got a confused eyebrow raise from Himeko. "Who is Bella?" She asked as she tried to recall anyone with that name.
"She was-!" Kiana was about to answer when suddenly the entire cavern shook. The shaking was so ominous that fighting all throughout the cavern stopped, Valkyrie and puppet alike lowering their arms as they attempted to figure out the source of the noise.
CRACK!
The sound of ice cracking drew everyone's attention as they focused on the icy wall that entombed Benares. It was with horrifying realization that Himeko realized that the ice was beginning to crack, the cracks growing with each second as the Judgement Beast within it began to free itself.
And with a mighty push Benares freed itself from its icy prison. Chunks of ice fell as the blue and white draconic beast roared loudly, spreading its wings out for all to see.
The Valkyries had been holding their own against their seemingly infinite sized enemy but with Kiana awake they could now retreat to the Hyperion with minimal casualties. All they had to do was get outside and the floating battleship could provide covering fire for them as they retreated…
Though that all came crashing down now that Benares had now tipped the scales heavily in the opposite direction.
"Valkyries retreat!" She ordered as she readied her greatsword for the fight of her life. "I'll buy as much time as I can!"
"But Major that's suicide!" One of the Valkyries shouted, knowing what stupid plan of action she intended to do.
And it was stupid, completely so, but there was no other alternative that would allow everyone in this cavern to get out live. "Just obey your superiors orders and-!"
Before she could finish, Benares decided that it was time to attack. Lifting one of its hands up in the air every Valkyrie braced themselves for the Judgement Beast's retaliation, only to look on in shock as the hand came down and smashed one of the puppets into dust. With another roar Benares began to rampage, targeting only the puppets and leaving all of the Valkyries alone.
"It's…on our side?" She whispered in shock as she lowered her greatsword in surprise before shaking her head in exasperation. "This day keeps getting crazier and crazier."
As the Judgement Beast continued its rampage the Valkyries took this time to regroup with each other and gather themselves. Intentionally picking the opposite side of the command center the Valkyries looked to the redheaded major for guidance.
"What do we do now, Major?" One of the Valkyries asked whilst keeping an eye on Benares, lest the dragon decide to have a change of heart and attack them.
"We retreat." She said as she turned her head to look at Kiana, who strangely had all of her attention on Benares. "There's no point in staying any longer now that Kiana is now awake. Notify the Hyperion immediately of the situation and tell them to move into bombardment position. Once we're clear of the mountain I want them to level the entire mountain and bury the Judgement-!"
A loud roar interrupted her, prompting her to turn her head just in time to see Benares close its maw what she presumed to be the last puppet. With a mighty snap there was silence as the Judgement Beast savored its kill…
Though it did not last long as the dragon immediately turned to face them, their posture suggested that of combat.
All around her the Valkyries brandished their weapons, ready to fight like hell…
Only for Kiana to push past them and place herself right in front of the white and blue draconic honkai beast.
"B-Bella?" Kiana called out to the dragon in a hopeful tone. "Bella that's you right?!"
"Kiana-san what are you doing?!" Mei cried out in alarm as Valkyries gave similar warnings for the girl to back away from the Judgement Beast and rejoin them.
But the Kaslana ignored the warning cries as she stepped closer to the dragon. "It's me, Kiana," She said softly as she reached out with her hand to the still honkai beast. "I promised you that I would take you to St. Freya."
Seeing her student brazenly reach out to the Honkai Beast gave Himeko a level of stress that she had never experienced before. She was about to see her student have her arm chewed off and have the unusually calm dragon rampage and kill everyone in the cavern.
But Benares shocked everyone as instead of chomping off the outstretched hand simply leaned into the hand, creating a rather serene moment between Valkyrie and Honkai beast.
Though the moment did not last long as Benares broke contact with Kiana, roared loudly once before taking flight and breaking through the cavern ceiling and into the free Siberia air.
When the dragon was no longer showing signs of coming back, Mei ran to where Kiana was still standing at as she stared at the opening with a conflicted expression . "Kiana-san," She asked softly as she placed a hand on the Kaslana's shoulder. "What was that?"
"I-I don't know Mei-senpai," Kiana answered before she turned around she gave her teammate a tired, but confident, smile. "But what I do know is that was my friend Bella."
"This day just keeps getting crazier and crazier," Himeko shook her head with an exasperated tone of voice. Just imagining the amount of paperwork she had to fill out and somehow describe to the higher ups what had just happened without sounding like a mad person was already giving her a headache.
But at least the worst was over with now.
"Let's hope that this is the only exciting thing happening today."
Meanwhile, halfway across the world in Denmark, Germany.
"Achoo!" A sneeze echoed across an empty forest. It was currently dark with a full moon shining in the night sky as the light snowfall of an approaching Winter decorated the forest scape in delicate white.
At the heart of the forest a group of individuals were sitting by a fire, trying to keep warm in the cold wintery night. The most notable thing that people would notice first was that the campfire consisted of a flaming sword impaled in the heart of it.
"Are you alright Seele-san?" Yae asked the indigo haired girl sitting next to her who had just loudly sneezed. "Here, a blanket for you to warm up."
The petite girl smiled as she accepted the blanket from the samurai and wrapped it around her shivering body. "Thank you so much Yae-san,"
"Can't say I was expecting our duo to turn into a group of four but you don't see me complaining at all." Siegfried remarked from the other side of the fire, a flask of alcohol held in his sole hand. "Though your choice of destination really has me confused." He remarked as he examined their snowing surroundings.
Right next to him Su lowered the steaming cup of tea that he had been drinking. "Worry not Siegfried-san. We are right where we are supposed to be." He affirmed to him.
"But I thought the Cosmic Juggernaut was our main goal." Siegfried remarked as he placed his flask on the ground. "And if I remember what you said it's in a completely different place than here."
Before Yae and Seele had joined their group the Flamechaser had told the male Kaslana of his goals. One of them being that he wished to reacquire possession of the Divine Key. There were many questions he had and only the powers of the Cosmic Juggernaut would be able to give him the answers he sought. "The Cosmic Juggernaut is a very important tool but it is not one that I am willing to risk quite yet. The Divine Key is currently in the grasp of the World Serpent and while I am unafraid of a clash with them it is their recently returned leader that gives me pause."
"My ancestor huh?" Siegfried stared at the fire emitted by the Judgement of Shamash in contemplation as he remembered what the Pioneer had told him about his heritage. "You two had history didn't you?"
Memories flashed through Su's mind as he thought of the long history that he had with Kevin. From being highschool classmates to becoming one of the final remnants of their era, it was an understatement that they had gone through alot.
Not to mention their clash of ideals that was their last meeting. He could still remember like it had happened yesterday.
It was hard to resist the pull of the Sea of Quanta as he had been thrown from the confines of the Seed of Sumeru. The pseudo bubble universe that he had created with the Cosmic Juggernaut was devastated, all due to the destructive might of the Judgement of Shamash. Even with the Divine Keys he had and his mastery over the bubble universe was not enough against the sword that was judgment incarnate.
And standing in front of the tree that centered the Seed of Sumeru.
Was his friend, Kevin Kaslana.
His friend looked up at him and for that split second Su saw a sight that he thought to be long lost.
It was not the visage of the strongest human on the planet, the one burdened with humanity's fate.
But that of his-!
Before he could finish that thought Su shook his head and freed himself of that line of thought. Now was not the time for reminiscing, there was a time and place for that.
Just not now.
"...Yes we did." Was all he said as he lowered his gaze and stared at his reflection looking back at him from the surface of his tea.
"To fight against someone you were once close with," Yae spoke up from across the fire, no doubt having seen the turmoil that he had just gone through. "It is not a burden I envy you for carrying."
He smiled in gratitude for the samurai's words. "Thank you Yae-san,"
"I am curious however what goal we plan on accomplishing in this tundra." The pink haired miko asked as she observed the snow falling all around them. They did not need to fear the snow falling on them as the innate heat of the Judgement of Shamash was more than hot enough to melt any snow that fell within its vicinity. "How are you so sure that our Herrscher threat is here and not anywhere else in the world?"
It was a valid concern. The world was so vast and there was always the possibility that he was wrong in his assumption of where the Herrschers would go. However the bounty that this land held would be too tempting for their targets to ignore. "Yes there is always the probability that the duo is elsewhere but that is highly unlikely considering what is exactly being kept here."
"And that is Su-san?"
"One of the four Herrscher Gems that Sirin was gifted by the Will of the Honkai in the Second Eruption. Schicksal is in possession of three of them with one of them being kept secretly in this country."
"The Gem of Serenity right?" Siegfried added as he racked his brain what he remembered about the gems and their locations. "But it'll probably be under heavy guard and their attack will undoubtedly have the entire might of Schicksal bear down on them, why take the risk?"
"It is simple, it is because of time," He stated before explaining.
"When we first fought against the original Herrscher of Binding there was a weakness that we realized we could exploit." He told them as he remembered the days where he and his old comrades fought against the Honkai's divine angel and her Virtues. "The field of aura that made her formidable had a short window of reprieve, no doubt to allow the user to rest their body from overtaxation. During that period of time she would be at her most vulnerable state, weaker than any of her previous harbingers."
"If she had such a weakness then she wouldn't have been such a massive threat then would she?" Yae theorized. "There was something else wasn't there?"
"Indeed, the Honkai created a tool to offset this liability, but currently the Herrescher of Binding does not have the means to access this tool anymore." One of the main reasons why they could not snip the Herrscher of Binding before she became the threat that she was. The amount of Honkai currently present in the world did not fit the conditions the Herrscher of Binding needed in order to possess this tool once more.
Should she somehow find a way to repossess this tool, he feared the catastrophe that would follow.
But that was a problem that could be prevented if they were able to act fast and eliminate both Herrschers by the end of this night.
"With her current limited abilities she will need to take a substantial rest in order to. No doubt that is what Schicksal's and Anti-Entropy's plan is at the moment." Su said.
"Wait for her to rest, lower her guard, and then throw everything they have at them?" Guessed Siegfired.
It was certainly not a bad plan. If you wanted to remove a threat permanently then throwing everything you had at it was a sure way of ensuring it's removal. "Yes, and I believe that the Herrscher of Binding knows so as well. Better to exploit their element of surprise to obtain a Herrscher Gem now than wait later."
"But isn't the Gem of Serenity the worst one to get out of the four?" The male Kaslana asked with confusion written on his face as he lifted his flask up for a drink as he thought about the gem's unique properties. "My buddy Ryoma kept me updated on the tests Schicksal conducts on the core and doesn't it emulate the Herrscher of…" The white haired man stopped in his tracks, his flask dropping onto the ground unceremoniously as it slipped from his fingers.
"Is something wrong Siegfried-san?" Yae asked with a worried look at the white haired man's sudden stop.
"You're joking right?" The ex Schicksal knight looked to Su in realization of what he was alluding to. "There's no way that Herrscher is who I think she is? That's almost too perfect."
"What are you talking about?" The pink haired samurai looked at the two men in confusion. Seele was in the same boat as well. "Have you discerned our second adversary's true identity?"
"You are correct Siegfried." Su confirmed with a grim nod before turning to face the two females of their group to explain. "For the Herrscher of Binding's companion is none other than the Herrcher of-!"
He was interrupted by the sudden sound of a large explosion resounding through the air. Immediately everyone stood up, all pretenses of a relaxing dinner by the campfire gone. Their eyes were drawn to a pillar of smoke that was billowing in the air a considerable distance away from where they were.
Su's fuschia colored eyes narrowed at the sight of the smog.
"It's begun,"
"Finally we get to the fun part!" Laughed a certain short haired woman as she took a step through the hole that she had just created within the mountainous base, her eyes glowing a baneful red. After weeks of being cooped up, unable to let loose, she finally got to cause some mayhem!
The sound of soft footsteps echoed behind her as Gabriel stepped right alongside her. "Remember the goal." The Herrscher of Binding reminded her companion as the Oath of Judah activated itself in combat mode.
"Yeah, yeah," The Herrscher dismissed with a casual wave of her hand, her grin coming back in full force when she noticed a group of Valkyrie rushing towards them, weapons drawn, as the alarms in the base continued to blare. "Just let me loose!"
These Valkyries definitely put up more of a challenge than the MOTHs that she had to kill way back then. For one they could actually put up a fight. In the Previous Era only a select few could handle the augmentation surgeries so that left very little people that could fight her up close and personal.
Lucky for her it seems that opponents that could actually give her a fight were not in short supply!
But alas in the end they were simply not a match for her as she decorated the walls of the base in their blood as she and Gabriel leisurely continued deeper and deeper into the mountain for their prize. While her nun companion may not be in the same celebratory bloodthirsty mood that she was in she did help her out by skewering any Valkyries that she couldn't get with her Oath of Judah.
Though it certainly was hard to tell whether or not the nun was in a good mood. Nevermind the fact that her metal eye mask made it hard to tell what she was feeling, she had not once seen an ounce of emotion be displayed by her fellow Herrscher throughout the duration of their partnership.
It was definitely a bit unnerving but she didn't care that much, just as long as she didn't get in the way of her fun.
Breaking down yet another pesky wall, honestly did they think a wall was going to stop her, the duo entered a large chamber where a group of Valkyries were on the opposite side, pointing their weapons at them. Behind them was a glass wall where a single old man was standing and observing them with a grim expression.
She could care less about the old man as the indigo short haired woman's eyes zeroed in on what laid behind him, smiling at the sight of the light blue Gem of Serenity. It wouldn't be long now, just a few more minutes and she would-
"Sieg Schicksal!" The lead Valkyrie, a rather young girl with light purplish hair yelled as her sister in arms echoed her war cry as well before they surged forward to attack them. It was almost pitiful at how determined their faces were.
And just like all the others before them they too quickly fell. Surrounded by either the slain or heavily injured bodies of the Valkyries, the short haired Herrscher grinned as she held the young girl who had led the assault up in the air.
"Not bad all I must say, not bad at all." She grinned as she tightened her hands around the girl's throat, enjoying the way she pathetically gasped for air. "But all fun must end at one point so I'll do you the courtesy of-,"
"Enough!" The old man's voice came through a speaker. Averting her indigo eyes from the woman in her grasp, the Herrscher saw the old man giving them a furious glare. Though when she thought about it further there was also a second emotion that was present in his eyes, though what it was eluded her.
"Oh?"
"Release her at once!" He shouted furiously through the intercom.
"Or what?" She taunted as she walked up to the glass wall with her prisoner in tow. "What is stopping me from snapping her spine with a flex of my fingers?"
"If you do…" He trailed off as he turned around to look at the containment field that contained the reason why she and Gabriel were even there in the first place. "I'll give you the Gem of Serenity."
That was…not what she was expecting to hear at all. Beside her Gabriel had slightly tilted her head in what she believed to be was the almost concealed emotion of surprise. "You would do that?"
"G-Grandp-pa," The young girl gasped out as she outstretched her hand out to the old man. "D-Don't do it!"
At those words an epiphany suddenly dawned on the Herrscher what that hidden second emotion that old man was feeling…
Fear.
She barely resisted the urge to grin even more when the dots connected in her mind at why the old man was so fearful for this young woman's life.
They were family.
How interesting.
"Grandpa huh?" She grinned as she looked at the furious and fearful visage of the old man. "Is this your granddaughter then doctor?"
The indigo haired woman didn't need a verbal response as the slight growl that she could hear from the man was all the confirmation that she needed. "Release her at once or I cause the Gem to go critical, killing everything in a twenty mile radius!"
"Weren't you going to do that already?" She retorted sarcastically at the threat. "I thought you guys would do anything to ensure that we perish. 'Sieg Schicksal' and all that bullcrap."
"That is true…" He trailed off before he looked at his granddaughter, his stern furious expression melting away to that of vulnerability and softness. "But I care about my family first and would do anything to keep them safe. Even if it means damming humanity in the process."
Aw that was so cute. He was willing to do anything to ensure his granddaughter survived, even if it meant that he had to kill his own colleagues to do so…
Too bad she didn't care one bit about such a drab story.
So she pulled back her other fist, uncaring of the renewed shouting of the old man as she prepared to end his granddaughter's life. "Don't really care about any of that so-!"
But before she could do anything her partner intervened.
"Very well," The nun spoke, drawing surprised looks from everyone. "You have yourself a deal."
"Huh?!" She looked at her partner in shock, not knowing why she would go along with the old man's trade without any complaints. Was she stupid? They had the complete advantage right now! Why would they have to bow for these worthless creatures!?
She turned to Gabriel, who turned to face her as a silent battle of wills was waged between them.
"Release her," The nun commanded as the Oath of Judah glowed in warning should she refuse. "Now."
"...Fine," She reluctantly relented as she lowered her hand, but not before throwing a glare at Gabriel. As much as she was willing to say no, it would just be counterproductive to fight now. Not when she was so close to her prize.
The nun turned to address the old man. "Your end of the bargain, now. Otherwise I shall show you that I can be just as vicious as my partner."
The old man was silent as he tried to discern whether or not he was being played. Unfortunately for him, he had no other choice. "...Very well," He relented, ignoring his granddaughter's pleas, as he pressed a button near him, causing the reinforced door to open up and allow the Herrschers access.
The woman's mood took a sharp 180 as she happily skipped through the door and placed herself right in front of the containment field that held the Gem of Serenity. "Finally!" She yelled as she punched right through the glass and grabbed the volatile power with her bare hands.
"You won't get far with that!" The old man shouted as he ran out of the room and placed himself protectively in front of his granddaughter. "No technology exists that can contain the power of that gem and Schicksal will hunt you down to the ends of the earth once you leave this place Herrschers!"
And in response the short haired woman faced the two of them with a deadpan expression and said…
"Okay,"
Before casually flicking the Gem of Serenity into the air with her thumb…
Opening her mouth…
And swallowing the gem whole.
The two humans' mouths dropped in horror at what they had seen but it only grew when they realized that the purple glow that had slightly enveloped the woman had not resulted in them disintegrating…
Rather it was as if the Gem was actually strengthening them.
"B-But that's impossible!" The old man cried out in bafflement. "There's no way that you can fully assimilate with the Gem of Serenity unless you were the-!" He stopped as he realized the reason why the Gem of Serenity had not claimed its newest victim, unlike the numerous Valkyries that had attempted to control its power. Seconds later his granddaughter also came to the same conclusion as him, her body beginning to shake in terror at the realization of what exactly stood before them.
"Correct!" The short haired woman grinned as a dark red circle formed from on her chest, two halves with one of the halves having its edge slightly longer. "I am Veliona!" She grinned as she relished the look of horror that was on the family's faces on who was standing before them as she regained her Authority .
"The Herrscher of Death!"
Little did she know at her proclamation that a camera that had somehow survived the devastation had trained its sight on the now revealed Herrscher of Death, broadcasting her declaration to a certain Overseer…
Who had deployed his most fearsome warriors that were already rapidly making their approach to the base.
"Attention my fellow Immortal Blades!" Shouted a familiar voice in the confines of a Schicksal dropship that was speeding through the night sky. In front of the speaker was the entire assembled force of the Immortal Blades who all were alert and awake for what was to come.
Midori Aki was somewhere within the crowd, stationed near her squadron as she sported a nervous but grim determination on her face.
Rita Rossweisse was standing by the front, her calm and collected expression serving as a reassurance to the Valkyries for their upcoming sortie.
And at the forefront it all was none other than Durandal Atageina as she addressed her troops with a resolute expression on her face.
"We are currently en route to our Schicksal Base in Denmark, Germany where it has been confirmed that the Herrscher of Binding and the now revealed Herrscher of Death have attacked it and have taken the Gem of Serenity under their possession."
"This will be our most difficult mission yet but I know that we shall prevail, for we are humanity's blade and shield! Failure is never an option!"
"Sieg Schicksal!" She yelled as she raised the Abyss Flower up into the air, her Immortal Blades following suit as they brandished their weapons into the air.
"Sieg Schicksal!"
So its been a long while since I've updated huh? Not gonna lie the moment fall semester hit I just had like no energy to write. Not to mention I got hit with Gunpla Addiction so this fic has been put way back.
Just gonna say that a normal update schedule will probably not be feasible but I will try to do so.
Now unto the fic itself.
So I was really surprised that you guys figured out the jester was Aha the Elation. I thought I made it subtle enough but I guess it wasn't enough or you guys are that perceptive lol. Many of you are probably wondering why I'm including this Aeon, even if they are supremely underpowered due to the story, but I can assure you that there is a reason for them in the fic.
Read and find out.
Another 'revelation' that you guys worked out pretty fast was that our second Herrscher was the Herrscher of Death. Not much to say except that you guys are really perceptive and that you can probably guess what's happening in the next chapter.
Welp that's all for this chapter. If you enjoyed it, drop a fav/follow/kudos as they really help me out with creating great chapters. Reviews are deeply appreciated, they're the biggest motivation to keep writing, and if you have a question or a really interesting theory I am more than happy to reply. Please be patient if I don't respond to you super fast. Even if I don't respond to your comment for whatever reason, know that I read each and every one of them! PMing me is the best way for me to respond to your questions.
Also follow my twitter account ChaldeaLord for any potential updates.
Peace!