Clang!
Three blurs zipped across the plaza before the Helheim Labs. Rubble laid strewn across the field. Fissures were created haphazardly. Scorch marks littered the area and spikes of ice protruded from the ground at odd angles. The entire place looked like a warzone that served to bring back memories of the Second Eruption to those that were involved.
A scythe's blade arced across the air, meeting with the flaming blade of the Key of Destruction.
Rita narrowed her eyes as she pushed against its wielder to no avail.
Kiana Kaslana was as fearsome as the urban legends made her out to be underneath her alias as the White Death. However, an A-Rank was an A-Rank. Even if she were to give Kriemhilde a run for her money, Kiana would lose here. She would make sure of it.
No matter what appearances she might have put on, Rita still had her pride as an S-Ranked Valkyrie of Schicksal.
Kiana clenched her jaw. A foreboding sense of danger filled her. She pushed Rita back, causing her to stumble. She lunged at her, grabbing her by the collar, and threw her in the path of oncoming danger.
And to the attacker's surprise and horror, her attack connected.
Rita gasped, feeling an agonizing pain shoot through her midsection.
She was thrown back, slamming violently into the walls guarding Helheim Laboratory.
Meanwhile, stunned by the action, Fu Hua was barely able to dodge Kiana's furious swipe. Her claws slashed through the air, causing a wave of ice to violently erupt from the ground and tear up the pathway.
Kiana pushed forward and slashed Fu Hua apart, only for her target to fade into nothing.
A single feather floated before her and faded away.
The real Fu Hua had rushed to Rita's aid, kneeling next to her. She looked up and saw Kiana's feral eyes staring into her own.
Even if she's newly awakened, she's able to control her powers so well. It's only a matter of time before she can achieve a complete Active Honkai Reaction and tap into the powers of Chimera. Though…
Fu Hua noticed the slight flinches Kiana had made during their fight.
The backlash of using An-Utu is still present in her. If she goes to Cecilia now, MANTIS or no, I can't guarantee she'll make it back. Not to mention… she's not Kevin or Kiana. I don't know how well she can withstand a MANTIS's full power. Siegfried… and Kriemhilde certainly couldn't last long, Fu Hua thought.
"It's over."
Fu Hua's eyes widened in shock as a torrent of flames enveloped Kiana's form. Her eyes seemed to glow within the flames and she raised Shamash into the air.
As she was about to bring it down, the sound of thunder caught their attention.
Kiana looked up in the sky and spotted the Hyperion above Helheim Labs. There was a massive storm brewing above Schicksal Headquarters. Violet lightning crackled across the sky and struck several areas around them.
"Kiana, we've detected Honkai energy from Raiden Mei. It's climbing and surpassing the level of output at Nagazora," Tesla yelled.
"That was supposed to be a last resort. Why would Mei use it now? Unless…," Himeko said, fearing for the worst.
"It seems that… we'll have to put this battle on hold, Kiana," Fu Hua said, straightening herself.
Fu Hua noticed Kiana frozen to her spot. Her body was trembling and her breath was shaky.
Her eyes were wide with a combination of hatred and fear.
This… feeling. It's the same as it was six years ago. That means that…
"Cecilia!" Kiana yelled. All thoughts of defeating Fu Hua and Rita were now nothing more than a fleeting thought. She ran headlong toward the gates of Helheim Labs only for Fu Hua to stand in her way.
Kiana narrowed her eyes and swung her blade at Fu Hua.
However, her attack missed.
Fu Hua maneuvered her way through Kiana's attacks, each one microscopically missing her. It was only because of Fenghuang Down disrupting Kiana's senses that she was able to move in this way. Despite the amount of skill and martial prowess she had built over the years, Kiana's current form granted her superior strength and speed which was enough to bridge the gap between them.
"MOVE! Can't you see what's happening!? I need to get to her! I need to get to her before it's too late!" Kiana screamed.
Fu Hua grimaced. If she's saying that, then that must mean that…
As if to answer her question, the sounds of sirens blared through the entire facility.
"What? What's going on now? More backup?" Tesla asked.
"No, these alarms are… different," Himeko said.
Rita stood up, removing her hand from her ear. She exchanged a brief glance with Fu Hua.
[Attention! This is not a drill. All non-combat personnel, please report to the nearest shelter. Attention! This is not a drill. All non-combat personnel, please report to the nearest shelter. Attention-]
It's started already? Damn, I thought I'd have more time. Kiana… Himeko… I'm sorry but…
"Move!" Kiana went in for another attack. However, her target vanished before her eyes, obscured by a sudden shroud of white and red feathers. She sliced through them, intent on revealing her prey.
Instead, where Fu Hua stood, Cecilia was now there. Her blade came to a grinding halt, stopping mere centimeters from Cecilia's face.
"C- Ceci…?" Kiana moved Shamash away from Cecilia's face. As her fingers drew closer, her mind screamed at her that something was wrong.
But in that lull between Kiana's instincts reacting and her mind catching up, Fu Hua had already made her move.
Kiana let out a soundless gasp as Fu Hua dug her fist deep in her solar plexus, striking her liver in the process. Kiana was thrown back, unable to react properly. Feathers obscured her vision and toyed with her senses.
Her mind was racing to see through what she now knew to be false. However, as her mind and body scrambled to perceive her surroundings without the use of her eyes, it could never catch up with Fu Hua's rapid capitalization on her inability to see her.
With a brutal chop to her neck, Fu Hua knocked Kiana to the ground. As Kiana's senses slowly came back to her, she weakly reached out toward the storm before her vision went black.
It was a cruel twist of fate.
Two years ago, Cecilia would have been the one to save her from becoming a Herrscher yet now, it was the opposite.
Mei zipped across the battlefield, dodging Cecilia's attacks. A rapid-fire barrage of white lances that violently pierced the space she used to occupy.
No, should Mei even refer to her now as Cecilia?
The yellow eyes full of malice could never belong to her kind and sweet Cecilia. No, this was not Cecilia. Mei knew that. The thing that stood before her and wore her sweet Ceci's face. The thing that used her warm smile in such a cruel and mocking fashion was the Herrscher.
"Mei, do not let up for even a second. Any weakness that you show will be capitalized upon by that monster," the Third Herrscher's voice echoed in her head.
"That girl isn't a monster! She's Cecilia!"
Mei flashed to a corner, sheathing her katana and dropping into a battoujustu stance. Lightning crackled around her entire body and she vanished from her spot, shattering the ground underneath in the process.
Even the Herrscher wasn't able to properly perceive Mei's speed.
A flash of lightning and the gleam of silver was all the Herrscher saw.
Mei shot past her, sheathing her blade.
A series of five electricity-infused cuts slashed themselves into the air and the Herrscher's body. Blood sprayed on the ground and in the air.
The Herrscher said nothing, placing a finger on one of its wounds. She stared at the blood for a few seconds.
Space rearranged itself, forming a shield, and deflected Mei's next attack. She spared Mei a momentary glance before raising her hand.
To Mei, it felt as if she had been struck by a speeding train. She was sure that such an attack had shattered all her ribs. She flew through the air, thrown back by an invisible concussive force.
Her body skipped and skidded across the concrete violently. She raised her sword and stabbed it into the ground, screeching to a stop.
"Ceci… you need to wake up!" Mei darted toward her, sword trailing behind her.
The Herrscher said nothing and snapped her fingers. Several portals opened along Mei's path.
Mei's eyes tracked each one. She swung her blade, slicing a lance. Nothing would get in her way.
She dodged, weaved, and sliced her way through the Herrscher's relentless onslaught of attacks. Lightning crackled around her body. The Stigmata on her hip began to shine brightly. Her wings grew larger.
Mei jumped over one of the Herrscher's energy waves. She raised her katana high into the air, coating it in an obscene amount of electricity.
"Haaah!" with a battle cry worthy of her ancestors, Mei brought the blade down and the entire world was bathed in luminescent violet light.
"Damn it!" Theresa slammed her fist onto the railing, snapping the metal bars in two. "Einstein! Kriemhilde! Do you have a visual on Mei?"
[No. Not on my end. I am picking up two massive Honkai signatures on our scanners. Both of them are emanating from Mei and Cecilia. Both of them have surpassed any previous readings that were detected at Nagazora 2 years ago. Theresa, we might have to prepare for the worst-case scenario.] Einstein replied.
Theresa rubbed her temples in frustration. "Explain."
[At the rate the two are going, I'm afraid we'll have an Eruption at the level of or even greater than what happened in Siberia 16 years ago.]
"..."
Theresa grimaced at the answer. The horrors of Siberia still rang fresh in her mind. Sixteen years was not long enough for her to get over what she had experienced there. She looked up at the video screen with a grim expression on her face.
"What do you need?" Theresa asked.
[For now, Raiden Mei is holding her own against Cecilia. However, Cecilia is evolving at a rapid rate. The Herrscher of the Void seems to be exerting even greater influence and with Cecilia's Kaslana heritage, the amount of power the Herrscher of the Void is able to radiate is starting to reach even greater levels than what she was previously capable of. I'm afraid… Mei won't be able to hold out forever.]
"So you're asking me for time?" Theresa asked.
[We need time to prepare and ready the Selene.]
"The… Selene? You mean that battleship that was sent to Nagazora!?" Theresa demanded.
[Yes but no. That is a different Selene. This is one we brought in case however, we need to attach it to a massive power source. The Hyperion's power source should have enough output to power it. The one you captured in Soukai was a larger scale required for a full-front war. This one… is less restrictive but it will do its job properly. All we need is time.] Einstein explained.
"I'll try to get in contact with Kriemhilde-"
All of a sudden, the communications channels went dead. A massive wind slammed into the Hyperion, causing it to rattle violently. All personnel inside were nearly knocked off their feet at the sudden impact. Alarms began to blare inside the bridge.
"Status report, now!" Theresa commanded.
[Bzzt- Theresa, what- going-] Einstein's voice went through the channel as it was coming back up.
"I don't know…" She got to her feet.
"Madam Theresa! We've been hit with a massive electromagnetic pulse! It temporarily took out most of our major systems! We need to run a total system diagnostic to see the damage!" one of the technicians reported.
"Damn it! Can any of you get me Kriemhilde-"
[No need. I'm here. I got hit by the wave too.]
"Kriem! What's going on? Do you have visuals on Mei and Ceci?" Theresa asked.
[I do… I'd say this is incredible if not for the fact that… Mei is currently in a deathmatch with my niece.]
"Can you get me a visual feed from the Fafnir?" Theresa asked.
[I can. Is Dr. Einstein still on? She's going to want to see this.] Kriemhilde said.
[I am. The communications channel seems to still be somewhat operational.] Einstein replied.
Without wasting another second, a video feed began to play on the Hyperion's Bridge.
Theresa's eyes widened in horror.
Two streaks of light clashed in the middle of the plaza. Concrete warped and exploded upon the two's impact. Mei burst from the smoke, bearing the same wings she had 2 years ago. Lightning coated her blade and she drew it in a flash.
Light filled the screen briefly before dying down to reveal a large molten scar across the plaza of HQ.
[They've moved locations. Multiple places across HQ have been leveled by their fight in a matter of minutes.] Kriemhilde said.
Theresa nodded and clenched her fist. "Kriem. What's your ETA to the Hyperion?"
[Huh? About 3 minutes, why?] she asked.
"Rendevouz with me on the deck. I need you to get me to the location of their fight," Theresa said.
[Madam Theresa-]
"You said you needed time, right? So that's what I'm going to do. I'm bringing your entire legion of mechs with me," Theresa said, walking toward the door of the bridge.
[Theresa, I'll go-]
"No. I need you to go find Kiana and Himeko. We've lost contact with them a few minutes before we were hit by the impact," Theresa said.
[But-!?]
"This is no time to argue. I'll be fine. I have Mei with me and Judah. We'll give all of you as much time as we possibly can," Theresa said.
Kriemhilde said nothing. Her silence over the channel was more deafening than the alarms screeching around her.
[Fine. I'll locate Kiana and Himeko. Just be safe. Cecilia and Siegfried are gone. I can't lose you too.] she said.
Theresa smiled wryly. "Dummy, when have you ever lost me? Besides, I'm not dying until I get that drink you promised me 8 years ago."
[... I'll hold you to that. Teri.]
Theresa's smile softened and she cut the call. She held her hand out. "Judah."
A swirl of gold dust manifested around her before clumping together and forming a massive golden cross.
"Wait for me, Mei. Cecilia."
A massive thunderbolt slammed into its target. A brief flash of light filled the surroundings before the cacophonous sound of thunder filled the air. A large mushroom cloud wafted into the air.
Mei panted heavily. She hovered in the air. Pain spread through her body. Wounds littered her once flawless skin and dried blood caked her hair and battlesuit. However, no matter how intense the pain, her heart refused to yield. This single-minded drive to save her was all Mei had. Her grip around her katana tightened.
"She's not going to go down that easily," Mei murmured.
Her suspicions were proven true when she saw a blue barrier in the middle of a massive smoldering crater below her.
The barrier faded, revealing the Herrscher. Her yellow eyes were filled with an inkling of frustration.
Mei almost wanted to laugh.
Perhaps the Herrscher had never met anyone so stubborn. Had she expected her to just roll over and allow her to take her friend from her? Mei sheathed her sword and entered a draw stance once more.
"Tch, what a stubborn worm she is. No wonder these humans had such a hard time taking her out. Her powers over Space are incredible."
Mei had to agree with her other self. Yet, even with that, she would not back down. Incredible defensive power or not, Mei was going to cut it down.
She was going to cut down everything in her way to getting her back. That was the promise she made to herself when she stepped foot on the Hyperion. Kiana was determined to slaughter an entire army of Valkyries to get her sister back.
Why should Mei not do the same?
"It's… almost funny. I've been worried for so long about being a Herrscher but the difference between us is like night and day."
"Huh?"
"So this is what a True Herrscher is like," she said.
"Pathetic."
Mei blinked.
This was the first time she had heard her speak in a while.
"This is the extent of your ability as a Herrscher. You're not even worthy of the name let alone serving as entertainment. And here I thought you resisting would make this even more fun for me, Gem of Conquest," the Herrscher said.
Even her way of speaking doesn't sound like Cecilia anymore. No, stop that. She's still there. We can still…
"Idiot! MOVE!"
Mei reacted, moving on instinct. A cut formed on her cheek as a lance flew by her head.
The Herrscher had her hand stretched out. She smiled maliciously before opening several more portals.
"We need to get to her!" Lightning engulfed Mei's body and she shot forward.
The Herrscher fired a barrage of lances at her.
Mei zigzagged around the onslaught, dodging every one of them.
The Herrscher laughed and snapped her finger. A particularly large vortex opened behind her. Orange energy gathered within the vortex, causing crackles of energy to erupt from the hole. She threw her hand forward and fired a massive concentrated beam of honkai energy at Mei.
Mei gritted her teeth and drew her sword, stabbing it into the side of the beam before swinging it with all her strength.
The flash of lightning accompanied by the clap of thunder echoed as the energy beam was violently sliced in half.
Mei vanished in a violet flash of light, reappearing on the ground to the Herrscher's left.
The Herrscher swiped her arm, firing another wave of energy at her.
Mei blinked, reappearing above the Herrscher.
She spun in the air before bringing her sword down atop her head.
The Herrscher quickly raised its arm, blocking Mei's sword with a barrier of energy. Mei jumped back.
The Herrscher lowered one of her hands.
Mei's eyes narrowed when she saw a brief black distortion gather into her palm.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She jumped to her right.
The spot she previously occupied ruptured, exploding violently.
Mei began to jump and dodge as the Herrscher fired several invisible blasts of force at her.
She made her way to the Herrscher slowly but surely.
She could see the frustration building in the Herrscher's golden eyes.
Mei slashed the air, unleashing a vacuum blade at her.
The Herrscher swiped the air, forming a blue barrier. Her eyes widened when she suddenly lost track of Mei.
Mei appeared behind her, much to the Herrscher's shock. She swung her blade rapidly, homing in on the Herrscher's throat.
However, before Mei's attack could connect, the Herrscher's eyes shifted color briefly.
Blue…
The blade halted mere centimeters from her throat.
"Ceci…lia?" Mei hesitantly asked.
"Idiot!" the Third Herrscher yelled.
Before Mei could sense something was amiss, the Herrscher's eyes reverted back.
The same invisible force slammed into Mei, causing her to drop her katana. She was thrown into the air.
The Herrscher held her hand out and Mei froze in mid-air, gripped by an unseen force.
She flicked her wrist downward, causing Mei to slam violently into the ground.
Mei gasped in pain, feeling several parts of her strain and almost breaking from the force of the impact. She felt herself get lifted. Blood poured down her head and out her mouth. Her eyes widened as she felt a sharp pain stab through her abdomen.
Her eyes widened in horror and surprise when she saw the Herrscher holding her hand out. Her other arm was extended, gripping a lance whose tip was partially stabbed into her abdomen.
"Ceci- AHHH!" Mei screamed in agony as the Herrscher dug the lance even deeper before pulling it out. Her wings faded and the crackling aura around her body vanished.
Mei heaved heavily. She dropped to the ground, on her hands and knees.
She felt the Herrscher grab the back of her head, lifting her before her other hand wrapped itself around her throat.
As if she were lifting a ragdoll, Mei felt herself being effortlessly lifted into the air. The Herrscher's grip around her neck was beginning to tighten. She struggled in her grip, kicking her legs weakly. She grabbed the Herrscher's wrist in an attempt to break free.
No… I can't breathe… she's going to…
Her vision was beginning to darken. She saw the Herrscher- no, Cecilia's cold yellow eyes staring back at her.
Mei weakly reached out toward her.
"Ceci… lia… p- please… wake up…"
Her fingers brushed against her cheek.
As if a switch had flipped, Cecilia's eyes reverted back to normal. Her eyes widened in horror. In an instant, her grip loosened and she released Mei.
Mei fell to the ground. She coughed and massaged her throat.
"N- No… I…"
Cecilia stumbled, backing away from Mei in terror. Fear filled her eyes alongside tears as she struggled to comprehend what she was doing and had witnessed.
"M- Mei-senpai, I… No, it wasn't… Ugh!"
A headache erupted, threatening to split her skull wide open. Her eyes flickered from yellow to blue. Whispers and voices filled her head.
"A- Agggghhhh!" Cecilia screamed in agony, gripping her head.
"C- Cecilia!" Mei reached her hand out toward her.
"No! Get out! Get out of my head!" Cecilia screamed, covering her ears in a futile attempt to drown out the voice.
Her eyes were awash with unbridled terror. Her blue eyes which conveyed such joy and bravery were nothing more than pits of fear that flickered between yellow and blue.
"Mei-senpai… Kiana… please… someone save me…" she begged as she tried to maintain control. Her eyes begged Mei to save her. Her hand shakily reached out toward Mei. However, she could feel it. That thing.
"Cecilia… I'm here! You have to…" Mei reached her hand out to reassure her but stopped short when she heard a malevolent giggle escape Cecilia's mouth.
"Aha… hehehe…"
"!?"
A small series of cubes manifested on her back before rapidly condensing into a pitch-black sphere. The sphere jittered erratically before transforming into a golden eye. A bolt of black lightning jumped from the eye's pupil, arcing into the air and piercing the reality of the world.
Light and air began to warp and collapse in on itself. A rift opened. It was bigger than any of the rifts Mei had seen so far and it felt different.
"W- What's happening?" Mei stared in horror at Cecilia and at the rift.
A Templar squeezed its way out of the portal, making a squelching noise as if a butterfly had tore its way out of its cocoon. Its low glowing eye made brief contact with Mei's trembling violet eyes.
It reared its lance back and dove toward her, missing her by a whole foot.
"Ah!" Mei yelped as she was blown back by the impact. Her eyes made brief contact with Cecilia-, no, the Herrscher's golden eyes as she stood up.
Mei hit the ground violently, skipping and skidding across the plaza before sliding to a stop. Every part of her body began to ache even more. Blood dripped onto the floor from the various wounds on her body and she coughed as her chest heaved up and down in her desperate attempt to catch her breath.
A sense of foreboding shot through Mei's head. Her eyes were wide and she was paralyzed with a sudden sense of fear.
Behind her, the Templar stood with its lance raised. It brought it down to skewer Mei through her spine. Mei closed her eyes.
Yet, the blow Mei had been anticipating never came. She slowly opened her eyes and turned around, seeing the Templar's lance being held back by something invisible.
Slowly, the invisible entity revealed itself.
A Titan!? Are they…?
The Titan gripped its lance tightly before ripping its arm off.
The Templar roared in pain. Another Titan uncloaked itself and pounced on the Templar. It forced its shield off, nearly tearing the arm off the joints as the Templar struggled in a desperate attempt to escape.
As it did, a missile embedded itself into its face, followed by several more warheads. The missiles detonated, reducing the Templar to bits of silicon and ash.
Mei turned around, watching as several more mechs manifested. An army of Titans and Mechs numbering in the dozens. Mei estimated there had to be at least almost 100 of them here.
"This is… Anti Entropy?"
The army rushed past her. The stampede of Mechs and Titan Mechs violently shook the ground around her as they moved to swarm the Herrscher.
[Target acquired.] Mei heard it say.
[Target: Herrscher of the Void]
[Mei! Move back now!]
Mei flinched when she heard Theresa's voice burst through her commlink. "R- Right!" Mei scrambled to her feet and retreated. She glanced over her shoulder.
The Herrscher of the Void stared at the oncoming army calmly. She gathered Honkai energy around her and spread her arms. The energy exploded outward from her body, causing the world around her to glitch. The energy coalesced into long, tail-like appendages. Black lightning shot out of the ends of the tails, warping space around her.
She slowly walked toward the advancing army, stepping into the air. Each step created a small platform of light.
Dozens of portals opened behind her. From them, Honkai Beasts began to spawn en masse. They rushed out like a swarm of angry wasps, rushing to meet the army of mechs head-on.
She kept rising higher and higher into the air, watching apathetically as her swarm clashed against the army of mechs. It seemed even at first but to Mei and the Herrscher of the Void, the scales were slowly tipping in the favor of the enemy.
As her army slowly and methodically ripped apart the mechs, she smiled.
"Humans, your existence is a mistake…"
The sounds of metal being torn and ripped as lances pierced them on all sides.
"War, deceit, jealousy, greed…"
Her army rushed over the ruins of humanity's most prized weapons of war against her. She reveled in their destruction as they desperately attempted to push back against her.
"Humanity once took everything from me…"
She watched their final stand. A barrier formed which kept her legion from advancing any further. Her legion thrust their lances, trying to pierce through the hard light barriers they had futilely erected. To her, this was mere minor inconvenience.
"But today, I will devour everything," she declared.
Humanity would meet its ruin for everything it had done to her. Memories flooded into her mind. Memories of who she was. Memories of who she is. Conflicting memories both which served to fuel her hatred.
The death of her father.
The death of her mother.
And…
Kiana…
The Herrscher's eyes widened briefly as the name passed through her head. The name came to her mind with such warmth that it almost made her falter. But even that light could not snuff the hatred that filled her gaze in full. The love that Cecilia had for her older sister became twisted, serving as fuel for her resentment against the entire world.
That's right… it's all their fault…
"Because I am the Honkai!"
"W- Wait!" Mei yelled as the rearguard of the army all trained their aims at the Herrscher.
Their cannons began to charge, prepared to unleash their entire arsenal upon her.
[Mei, run!] Theresa yelled.
"No, they can't! Stop she's going to-!"
But her desperate pleas fell on deaf ears.
The mechs fired an unending salvo of firepower that would be enough to level an entire city and the surrounding area in mere moments.
The Herrscher watched it all. The light of their firepower reflected within her resentful golden eyes. The futility of their struggle. She would show them how it felt to be crushed. She would never feel that pain again. Humanity will perish under her heel.
She smiled.
With a snap of her finger that echoed louder than any missile fired, several portals opened in front of her, absorbing and intercepting every shot fired.
Once their barrage ended, the portals closed and she held a small ball of energy in her hand. A ball so dense that the world warped to accommodate it.
The smile never left her face. A smile full of such malice that no human could ever produce it, much less someone as cheerful as her. No, that wasn't her. That was a weak mind that dared to reside in her body.
She closed her hand, causing the orb to vanish.
As she did, the portals reopened, encircling the remaining mechs that hid behind their barriers. A series of lights flashed within the portals as all their most powerful attacks were redirected back at them.
A series of explosions, far more violent and brighter than anything they had unleashed, shook the entirety of Schicksal Headquarters. Flames engulfed the plaza and its surrounding buildings, reducing entire structures the size of large skyscrapers to piles of rubble. The mechs caught in the blast of their own weapons and the honkai energy that followed had been melted and reduced to twisted piles of molten steel.
As all this happened, the Herrscher of the Void watched with an emotionless face. Yet, to the one survivor who watched in horror and unbridled fear as all of this unfolded. She saw a glimpse of elation and victory in her eyes.
A roar pierced the air. Amidst the flames and smoke, that same dragon descended from the sky, flying past the ruins of humanity's strongest force against the Honkai. It circled back before landing behind the Herrscher of the Void, bowing its head along with the rest of the Honka Beasts.
[Mei! Mei, do you read!? Evacuate now! We lost signal with all mechs in the area! We're also picking up Valkyrie forces heading in your direction! Mei? Mei!] Theresa yelled.
Her voice fell on deaf ears
"C- Cecilia… no…," Mei whispered. Despair slowly overtook every other emotion in her eyes.
And, above the molten ruins of Schicksal HQ, the Herrscher of the Void looked down at them like a vengeful God.
With her task done, her eyes turned and trained her sights on her final target.
Raiden Mei.
Here we are! The "Oh shit!" moment that we've all been waiting for for the past 2 arcs. If you've noticed, I've made some changes to HoV's personality. In canon, I felt she was 100% all Sirin Hatred but I decided to just add a mix of K-423 in there. I mean, they are the same person so I thought it'd be fun to mess with down the line. That's not to say she's not HoV but I feel like having her be dark Cecilia would make for some interesting character development later on *wink wink*. For those who are going to be mad about Kiana losing, she would have won but you know, Fenghuang Down. And for anyone who's going to argue, no Kevin's descendants are not immune to Fenghuang Down. Kevin is immune to Fenghuang Down because he traded his ability to dream for immunity toward it.