Otto crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. Before him, several monitors showed the events unfolding inside Schicksal Headquarters. His green eyes honed in on one monitor in particular. He watched the events unfold with a mixture of emotions in his eyes. His lips curved upward into a slight smirk.
"It seems that…" Otto folded his hands together and leaned forward slightly. He unfolded his hands and swiped the air, enlarging the live video feed.
Cecilia hovered in the air, floating above a sea of flames. The aura she radiated. The apathetic gaze on her face. The beasts of cataclysm that accompanied her and were actively razing their base to the ground.
Her very presence was similar to that of an Angel of Death.
"Our little experiment has worked. A fruitful endeavor that took place over 6 years."
"Lord Otto."
Otto turned to the source of the voice. His ever-faithful assistant, Amber, stood next to him dutifully.
"What is it, Amber?" Otto asked.
"Master Fu Hua has successfully subdued Dr. Tesla, Murata Himeko, and Kiana Kaslana," Amber informed.
"Oh?" Otto swiped the air, reverting the enlarged screen to its original size. He scrolled through the feed. He rubbed his chin in thought as he watched the feed. Fu Hua carried Kiana while several of their own mechs arrived to carry Himeko. Tesla was being led on her feet in front of them as they made their way to labs. It seemed that Fu Hua had made the decision to take refuge there while the Herrscher of the Void was distracted by the Herrscher of Thunder.
"Mmmm." He hummed in thought as he drummed his finger against the arm of his chair.
"What do you wish to do with them?" Amber asked.
"Nothing. For now, at least. Alert Rita to remain on standby and to eliminate any threats within the labs. All variables must be accounted for if we are to proceed with this experiment as planned. Pull Edelweiss and Ana back to Helheim Labs back and tell them to await further orders. All other Valkyrie detachments are to go assist in the evacuation of all non-essential personnel," Otto said, getting up from his seat.
"And what of you, Lord Otto?" she asked.
"Me? Well, in moments like these, when one is on the precipice of a profound discovery, the person conducting the trial must be there in person to observe…, no?"
Amber nodded.
A good-natured smile remained fixed on Otto's face as he left his office. His eyes gleamed in excitement and anticipation at the thought of how this would all unfold. Though, it was soured by the small but present thought of it all going to ruin. However, to Otto, this was a non-factor. After all, if this trial proved to be a failure, he could always start over again.
If there was something he had plenty of, it was time after all.
Containment Bay 7 - Helheim Energy Labs
Fu Hua stood outside the glass door of a metallic pod. It was a small cramped room used to contain the test subjects that resided here. She was more than privy to what went on in these labs, even if Otto had never told her. This cramped space with only basic amenities provided. It was a mere courtesy provided by the scientists who worked here, deluding themselves that whatever they were doing was for the benefit of humanity, even if it meant fooling themselves into believing that the subjects they were using were less than human.
This lab's mere existence was proof of man's cruelty after all.
She placed her hand on the glass, watching Kiana sleep fitfully in her room. Unlike Himeko and Tesla, Kiana had to be bound. She was the most dangerous of the three and had the potential to turn into a worse threat than the Herrscher of the Void.
And unlike the rest of them who merely laughed off her concerns sans Rita, Fu Hua had personal experience as to the raw power Kiana's ancestors wielded. And at the rate she was going, she could very well show the same displays of power Kevin and KIANA wielded in the past.
She shivered. A sensation of crippling chill briefly overcame her. A phantom sensation that haunted her. Memories of the day the world was bathed in absolute zero temperatures.
"Master Fu Hua."
She snapped out of her reverie.
The sound of Rita's voice accompanied by the clacking of her heels was enough to bring her out of memories she thought were long gone.
"Are you alright?" Rita asked.
"Y-Yeah, just processing everything…" Fu Hua gingerly touched her neck. Though the bruising had faded rapidly, a side effect of her… own circumstances, she still felt the pain from Kiana's chokehold.
Rita said nothing and instead chose to glance through the thick glass doors. "Miss Murata's results have returned, Master Fu Hua. All of her vital signs are stable… however…"
"She's still unconscious," Fu Hua said.
"Her body has shown extended periods of abuse and over-exhaustion. Do not blame yourself, Master Hua. This has nothing to do with your previous battle just now," Rita said.
"..." Fu Hua regarded her silently.
"It would seem that our initial plan to send them to the Cathedral to be evacuated has gone awry. The accident was unexpected. But, while we're here, we should treat them first," Rita said.
Fu Hua nodded.
"I've provided emergency treatment to Miss Murata and Doctor Tesla. Some decent rest should restore their strength enough for us to transport them. As for Miss Kaslana…," Rita shot a discreet glance toward Kiana, who looked as if she were locked in some horrific nightmare.
"I'll leave her to you, Master Fu Hua. Now, allow me to excuse myself. With Doctor Tesla and Miss Murata accommodated, I must prepare for us to move them when the time comes. I shall meet you once more when the estimated time of departure is near," Rita said, performing a curtsy.
She left the room briskly without so much as sparing Fu Hua another glance. Fu Hua took note of her departure and felt a weight come off her shoulder. At least, the three were safe.
"Rita really has all of her bases covered. No wonder Kriemhilde took her in after
If Cecilia had really succumbed to the influence of the Herrscher, then they needed these three somewhere else while they took care of it. If worse came to worst…
Fu Hua clenched her fist.
If Kiana were awake right now, it wouldn't just end with one of her famous tongue lashings. And if she wanted to, then Fu Hua would gladly allow Kiana to be the one to end her long and arduous life. It was only proper retribution for what she was steeling herself to do.
She extended her arm, letting loose a plume of soft, glowing orange feathers on Kiana.
"I… I know you'll never forgive me for what I did… and I'm probably about to commit another sin against you but at least, please understand why I had to do it," Fu Hua said. She grit her teeth, feeling more of herself fade away as she continued to summon them.
It's okay… I have… more of these feathers…
The light in her eyes slowly faded.
Fu Hua had lost track of time of how long she had sat there. She opted to sit on the floor, leaning against the steel wall for support. She was sure Kiana would never forgive her. A sigh escaped her lips.
Kiana was now sleeping peacefully. It would only be a matter of time before the power of the Chimera resting in her body would forcibly waken her. Unlike Kevin and KIANA, this Kiana possessed no such immunity to her powers. Aponia's Signets were not heritable after all. However, the ever-growing power of the Chimera would soon devour the dreams she was put under. But all Fu Hua needed now was for her to rest and to buy some time.
"As I thought-!" her sentence was interrupted when she heard the sound of alarms blaring through the labs.
[All non-combat personnel, this is not a drill. Please report to the nearest shelter. All non-combat personnel, this is not a drill. Please report to the nearest shelter.]
"So… it's time, isn't it? I hope you know what you're doing… Otto," Fu Hua said, as she slowly got to her feet. She quickly left the room, leaving Kiana alone inside.
Upon exiting, she saw Rita waiting patiently for her. The maid bowed her head slightly in greeting before proceeding to inform her of the events.
"Master Fu Hua, we have word from the Lord Overseer. It seems that… the experiment is a success and the Herrscher is now awakened," Rita informed.
"Good. Let's go," Fu Hua said, walking past her.
A thunderstorm brewed over the skies of Schicksal. Honkai Beasts swarmed the base, hunting down every scientist and employee who was unlucky enough to have missed the valkyrie escort to safety. And even the valkyries that defended the base were no better than the people they were ordered to protect. The sheer amount of Honkai beasts that had invaded was no laughing matter.
Lightning crashed down in several places, instantly obliterating guard towers and the like. From the epicenter of the fight, the entire world felt like it was going to bend and rip apart. Reality was a plaything for these godlike beings.
Mei panted as she fell to her knee right next to the twisted and charred chassis of a mech. Her grip on her katana grew tighter. Her resolve had not been weakened by such a terrifying display of power.
"Mei, damn it! Get up!" the Herrscher of Thunder urged.
Mei nodded weakly. Her light wings were fading and flickering as she did. Her shaky legs did their best to support her.
"Ceci…" she muttered under her breath, looking up at her.
The Herrscher of the Void floated in the air, staring at her with equal parts contempt and equal parts interest. Around them, the Honkai beasts fanned out and besieged the headquarters of Schicksal. Even that dragon she had summoned had taken flight only to dive bomb toward a location and completely obliterate it with a single breath.
And now, here she was—completely powerless to save her friend. Mei picked her katana off the ground and adopted a basic stance, holding her sword in front of her.
The Herrscher of the Void raised an eyebrow at her actions. She obliged the girl and lowered herself near the ground.
A malicious smirk twisted her features. Several black portals opened behind her, all crackling with an intense energy. As they were about to fire upon her, a series of golden chains suddenly appeared from nowhere, striking the Herrscher's portals and dispelling them in an instant.
The Herrscher of the Void was surprised. There was something that could dispel her powers. Her golden eyes immediately fixated on Mei but realized that she had done nothing.
As her mind tried to comprehend what she had just witnessed, a massive weight akin to an asteroid slamming into the Earth struck her.
All the breath in her lungs was expelled and she flew, crashing through several pillars before slamming into the walls of the HQ building.
The Herrscher glowered at the situation. A mere insect dare to lay their hands on her? She picked herself up off the ground and was about to continue the fight when the sound of cracking filled her ears.
"Huh-"
Rubble came crashing down on top of her, burying her beneath a pile of mortar and steel. Above her, several golden spears began to fade into dust.
"W- What…?" Mei said, equally as confused as the Herrscher she faced.
"Mei!"
"P- Principal!" Mei gasped, seeing Theresa land right next to her.
"Great, I've managed to catch up in time," Theresa said, slamming Judah into the ground.
Mei stared dumbfounded at the back of her Principal. The speed at which Theresa had struck the Herrscher was incredible. Maybe with Theresa, they had a chance. At least, that's what Mei hoped for.
"Professor, I've arrived at the rendezvous point and have made contact with Mei. Are you… getting this?" Theresa asked.
[Affirmative. Contact confirmed.] Einstein's voice filled her commlink.
"Kriemhilde?" Theresa asked.
[No contact yet. But Kriemhilde reported that she has made visual contact with Helheim labs but… she said that Ana and Edelweiss are rapidly approaching the labs. And that…]
"That?"
[A horde of beasts is currently laying siege to it]
Theresa nodded. "Can you see what I'm seeing?" Theresa asked, noticing that her visual HUD was malfunctioning. The honkai meter on her screen only had an [Error] on it.
[We have full visual contact and are running scans. High levels of Honkai energy have been detected in Cecilia's body. Huh? No… this can't be. Is this reader broken?] Einstein said.
"What's wrong?" Theresa asked. Her body stiffened when she saw the rubble beginning to shift.
[We're detecting a Honkai reading of 4458 HW and… rising.]
"Rising huh? By the way, I have yet to make visual contact with your mech unit," Theresa said.
[No. I'm not picking up any readings from any of the 67 mechs from the Vanguard. Though, you probably have a better visual than I do.]
Theresa grimaced when she saw it. The battlefield—if it could even be called that—was a graveyard of destroyed mechs. Twisted metal frames that lay burning on the ground while Honkai Beasts loomed ominously among them.
The rubble exploded. The shards levitated into the air, surrounded by a dark violet glow. The Herrscher of the Void stood in the middle of the floating array. Her eyes glowed as she raised her hand into the air. Her fist closed.
The floating rubble rapidly flew into a single point, condensing and pressing together until it was compressed into a single orb of concrete.
"Looks like she's starting to get serious," Theresa said, holding her arm out.
[Looks like you'll have to fight alone. The number of hostiles is increasing as we speak and many more are pouring out onto Schicksal HQ and on deck. I have the rearguard defending it along with a few Valkyries that were stationed on the Hyperion.
[All in all, this situation isn't looking good for us. Whatever projections we had of winning earlier aren't feasible to predict the outcome of this battle anymore.] Einstein said.
Theresa nodded grimly. "Well… looks like I'll just have to bet on her. She's going to be our only chance," Theresa said.
"Our… only chance?" Mei asked.
[...]
"We have to stir Cecilia's sense of self. If we can wake her up, she can take control back from the Herrscher and put an end to all this," Theresa said, hefting Judah off the ground.
A series of golden chains erupted from the ground, forming a circular chain-link barrier around her. A sphere of gold energy encased the barrier just in the nick of time as the concrete sphere slammed into it with incredible ferocity.
Her arms rattled as she struggled to maintain it.
"Mei, listen to me. I'll buy you time. Amass as much Honkai energy as you can to get back into fighting condition. You're a Herrscher so it shouldn't be much trouble for you. I'll try to snap Cecilia out of this," Theresa said, dispelling the barrier. A spear formed in her right hand.
"But Principal-!"
"No buts. Just do it. Do it before we run out of time." Theresa twirled her spear and threw it at the Herrscher of the Void.
The Void Queen partially phased out of reality, moving and leaving a translucent doppelganger that took the hit for her. She ducked under the next one and took off flying toward them.
"Coming to us, huh? Well then, I guess it's time for our rematch, isn't it, Void Herrscher!" Theresa slammed Judah into the ground.
The sound of gears began to echo as the cross split open down the middle. Spears began extending from the center and fanned out. Theresa grabbed two of them and rushed forward.
It was soon that the Herrscher of the Void realized that this small lady was nothing like the Third Herrscher she had overwhelmed not minutes ago.
Each of her strikes were precise and calculated and possessed an incredible amount of strength behind them.
She blinked backward, narrowly avoiding the impact. Before her, the ground shattered violently as if a bomb had went off.
Theresa's speed had been nothing to cough at either. Even for her, a Herrscher, the woman had swung the long metal spheres at blinding speeds as if they were weightless.
She would never dare to admit this out loud, but for the first time since she awoke, she felt some sense of danger.
Another thrust had her blinking to another location, allowing her to see the aftermath of it.
The thrust had generated enough force to rip the ground apart and pulverize a small metal structure in the distance along with a few of her Honkai beasts.
"Judah!" Theresa snapped her fingers.
The massive golden cross, which had been standing idly by as its master fought, glowed in response. In one rapid sequence, it fired all the spears into the air with the speed of a ballistic missile.
A sense of impending doom overcame the Herrscher as she looked up.
The sky was then lit with an array of golden lights. A rain of golden lights battered the entire courtyard. Mei had to find cover as the spears rained down, stabbing everything like a swarm of wasps.
The Honkai Beasts were not as lucky as Mei was. Each of them were skewered and speared in horrible ways that could only be described as grotesque. The Herrscher of the Void quickly surrounded herself in a barrier of black Honkai energy. Yet it did little to stop the onslaught.
With each passing second, the spears began to whittle the barrier down. Seeing the cracks forming, Theresa grabbed one of the spears and threw it.
A loud shattering noise echoed through the battlefield as a white figure flew, harpooned through her shoulder by the spear. The Herrscher of the Void slammed into the wall and was pinned by the spear in her shoulder.
"Kch!"
Theresa panted slightly. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. Maybe she was more out of practice than she realized. Her eyes remained fixated on the Herrscher as its face contorted in fury.
The Herrscher gripped the spear tightly before tearing it out of her shoulder. Blood sprayed across the pavement and she stumbled forward.
"C- Ceci…?" Mei watched with shaky wide eyes. A feeling of disgust and horror welled up within her, manifesting in the form of nausea.
The Herrscher ignored the bleeding wound on her shoulder. Slowly, the wound began to close as a black mist began to waft off the torn tissue and muscle.
"Pathetic humans. Lowly vermin. Struggle all you want," by now, the Herrscher's wound had fully closed, "this will only make it easier for me to exterminate you all."
Einstein stood on the bridge of the Hyperion, watching the battle unfold from the multiple feeds they were receiving from the two Valkyries on the ground and whatever drones they had left that weren't destroyed by the honkai.
"R-Report, Doctor Einstein!" one of the operators said.
"What is it?" Einstein asked.
"L- Lady Theresa and Raiden Mei have made contact and engaged the Herrscher, ma'am!" the young operator said.
"I can see that. Tell me something new. How are the remaining mechs doing? Can we still divert some and send support?" she asked.
"N-Negative, Ma'am! We're detecting an increased number of Honkai beasts manifesting on the battlefield. They've essentially formed a wall between our ground forces and the two Valkyries! At this rate, we're going to lose our entire mech arsenal rather than be able to provide adequate support! There's just too many of them," she reported.
Einstein wanted to tear her hair out but she maintained her composure. Her hand gripped the railing tightly before she let out a sigh and ran a hand through her head.
The situation is growing worse by the minute. No word from Tesla or Kiana. Theresa and Mei are down there in a death match alone with her. Should I activate the system here? Einstein thought.
It will give us the much-needed edge we need but…"
Einstein refocused her gaze back on the footage. Theresa had resumed her life-or-death duel with Cecilia.
It's only a one-time use. We need to save the Selene for when we actually have an opening ready, she thought.
[Valkyrie on the Bridge]
The familiar jingle that rang out from the elevator entered her ears. A smidgen of hope welled up within her as she turned around, praying that it was either Kiana or Tesla that had just entered. However, what she saw next made her frown.
"You?"
Her fist struck through the shell of a Cassiel. It struggled weakly before falling to the ground.
Fu Hua let out a sigh and retracted her fist. This type of mundane clean up. It reminded her of something she had experienced a long time ago. Before she had gotten the royalties that they decided to give her for being a survivor, both in Schicksal and in… well, she didn't want to think about that place
At least, not now. The memory brought back too many feelings she didn't want to feel, pain being chief among them.
"My suit isn't picking up any Honkai energy signatures nearby. It seems we've cleared this area out."
Fu Hua turned to see Rita checking a small holographic screen in front of her eyes.
"Hmmm. I've never seen HQ be this damaged before. I've heard of Sir Siegfried's rampage but I've never seen it so I can't use it as an apt comparison to what we're experiencing right now. Though, while successful, it seems that the experiment might have… taken a few turns we didn't expect," Rita said, resting her scythe on the ground.
"A few turns appears to be an understatement," Fu Hua commented, seeing the trail of carcasses behind them.
"By the way, Rita, where did you place Doctor Tesla?" Fu Hua asked as the two quickly made their way through the dizzying maze that was the Helheim labs.
A look of mischief briefly overlapped with Rita's normally calm features. "I placed her in the north guard tower. The security over there is as robust as it is in the main complex so please be at ease. I would never do something as heinous as place her in danger on purpose."
"R-Right. Let's finish this. We have to reactivate all the terminals otherwise, they're just going to keep coming here. How many do we have left?" Fu Hua asked.
"Just two more," she replied.
Fu Hua nodded.
It only took them mere minutes to finish the task. Their combined skill made quick work of the swarm that had flooded its way into Helheim Labs. In their wake, there lay a mountain of bodies from different Honkai beasts.
Fu Hua eyed Rita as she pulled the blade of her scythe out of the beast's body. She swiped off the blood with a single swing before walking over to one of the terminals. After a few seconds of typing, an announcement blared throughout the entire complex.
[Honkai Barrier activated. Automated security system reactivated. Please standby.]
Fu Hua's eyes crept up to a corner of her battlesuit's HUD. It detected no Honkai energy signatures. She let out a sigh. This place was secure now at least.
The sound of audio buzzed within their ears.
Rita placed a finger on her ear and stole a quick glance from Fu Hua, who nodded and activated her comm channel.
"Rita here, Lord Overseer," Rita said.
[Rita, I hope you have some good news.]
Rita nodded. "Lord Overseer, we've eliminated all the honkai beasts presently invading Helheim Labs and re-established the security system. We are now awaiting further orders," she said.
[Excellent. Remain on standby. Edelweiss and Ana, along with the Immortal Blades will rendezvous with you two shortly.]
Fu Hua's eyes widened at his words.
[Let us welcome the moment when God herself bows her head to humanity!]
"Wait, Otto! What do you mean Edelweiss and Ana are coming here? I get why you're sending Edelweiss but Ana? Other than Kriemhilde, Ana is the only one among us that can fight the Herrscher of the Void head-on!" Fu Hua exclaimed.
[Patience, Old Friend. Everything is under my control.] Otto replied, brushing off her concerns as if they didn't matter. He decided to humor her in the end. [Theresa will help us acquire Herrscher-Grade powers.]
A cold sweat dripped down Fu Hua's chin. A chill ran down her spine as the terror began to set in. "T-Theresa!? Theresa is fighting the Herrscher!?" Fu Hua yelled.
[Ohoho! Calm down now, Old Friend.]
"Otto?"
The line had suddenly cut off. Only the sound of static greeted her ears. Fu Hua balled her hands into fists. Wisps of flame began to flicker around her body.
"Otto!" Fu Hua demanded.
Rita watched the entire exchange quietly. She carefully crafted her expression to one of concern before speaking up. "It seems that the communication systems are down. Please, allow me to run a quick diagnostic."
Fu Hua nodded.
Rita's expressions subtly changed before she let out a sigh. "It seems that we were hit with a high power EMP attack. Normally, since this is Schicksal tech, an EMP wouldn't work on us but…"
"EMP? Here?" Fu Hua looked at the ominous thunder clouds rumbling overhead. Could it be Mei that's causing this? She shook her head. No. Regardless of who it was, she needed to stop this. The experiment. It was going out of control.
"Rita! Hurry and repair the comm link. We need to contact Ana as quickly as possible! The Herrscher must have broken free of her restraints and is now rampaging and slaughtering anything that crosses her vision," Fu Hua said, attempting to walk past her.
"Tell Ana we need to muster the Valkyrie Forces and launch a counteroffensive. I'll delay the Herr-"
Fu Hua stopped when she saw the silver glint of a blade.
Rita stood, holding her scythe out. The blade was pointed at her throat. The expression on Rita's face was something Fu Hua couldn't make out.
"I'm sorry, Master Fu Hua. Unfortunately, I cannot obey such an order."
The Sea rippled and quaked as she opened her eyes. A brief flash of emotions ran through them as she reached deep within her mind. That sensation. To think she would find it within one of his descendants. The woman stood up from her perch amidst the roiling abyss. The shadows of the world scurried away, running from her as if they were prey evading the presence of an apex predator.
She held her hand out and reached out through the entanglement that bound her and her brother—and his bloodline by proxy.
Her eyes narrowed when she saw the image of Cecilia before her. The golden eyes seemed to mock everything around her but to her, this thing was just a mild annoyance. If only she could…
She clenched her fist tightly. Frost rapidly spread across her perch as she looked onward, through the directionless, boundless abyss.
"I see. So… Progeny, what decision are you going to make now that she's become like this?"
As you may have noticed, this isn't following the timeline of the game but rather moving between different POVs this chapter. This is mostly because all of these events are happening simultaneously in-game but placed at different chapters despite happening at the same time so I thought to place those snippets all at the same time. But yeah, we are getting into the series of chapters that focuses on all of them fighting the Herrscher of the Void. Also for anyone wondering, Wendy won't wake up for the entirety of this fight since... well, she almost died so she'll be in a coma for a bit. Now, for everyone asking where Durandal is, let me reiterate this.
Kiana never became Durandal. In canon, Durandal was the original Kiana for those who never made it that far in the story.
In this story, there is no Durandal because Kiana never had a chance to become Durandal.
I hope that clears it all up.