183 This time, it's my turn to be a hero.

"Miss Rita, it seems the battle is still in a stalemate." The gray snake, holding a black umbrella, looked at Rita, who was still fighting from a distance.

There is no winner in this long battle, and even if there is, it definitely won't be Rita.

"... Huff..." Rita raised her sickle, slicing the gray snake's body in half. She brushed back her messy hair and smiled at the gray snake not far away.

"I have to say, endless bodies are really troublesome."

Mechanical wreckage lay all around – sparking circuits, and a scattering of daggers and guns littered the ground. Rita's scythe bore cracks and bullet holes.

There were also cracks on Rita's scythe, and they spread all over the scythe, and there were also sunken bullet holes.

Her own clothes were dusty, with no time to tidy them. For Rita, who prided herself on elegance, this was enough to show how brutal the fight had been.

You know, during normal battles, she always pays attention to this aspect.

Rita helplessly glanced at the gray snake figure that gradually surrounded her. Although it was much smaller, the edge was still invisible.

"Oh? We're almost there." Gray Snake looked at his watch. "These simple bodies don't seem to be a match for Schicksal's S-class Valkyrie."

"Roughly made? There are at least five of them. It's not that simple to make, right?" Rita smiled coldly and pointed the sickle at the two gray snakes that fell not long ago.

Different from the others, They glowed faintly blue in the moonlight – a sign of soul steel in their construction. Her scythe had been damaged by them.

"Miss Rita's observation skills are as sharp as ever. But have you noticed the Honkai energy rising to dangerous levels?" Gray Snake didn't deny it.

There are only ten minutes left. The success or failure of the plan will soon be decided.

"Well, there's nothing to be done." Rita sighed, a hint of resignation in her voice. She glanced at Gray Snake, a calculating look in her eyes. "Tell me, just how much soul steel did you bring?"

She knew he wasn't using his full force. Better to salvage what she could. Those soul steel constructs weren't cheap, and Schicksal always had use for more.

As for the growing disaster… well, someone else would have to handle that.

"Oh? So, physical limits aren't a concern for you then?" Gray Snake's tone held a hint of amusement.

Rita shifted, the weight of her scythe familiar in her hands. Her focus never wavered from her surroundings, even as she spoke. "That serum in the video… don't tell me you haven't tried to recreate it."

Schicksal might have inspired its creation, but there was no way her enemy wouldn't have pounced on any potential advantage. If they didn't have something similar, this whole mission might be a bust.

It's impossible for the maid lady to make the same mistake twice—absolutely impossible! Determination flashed in Rita's eyes, blocking her reputation.

"Haha. " Gray Snake did not answer. The technology was obtained in the last era. After seeing the serum in video, World Snake naturally invested in research, but the results were still far from satisfactory.

He eyed Rita's stance, the way she held herself ready to spring. His own half-finished serum was in his pocket, but revealing it now seemed unwise. This woman, however cornered, was still dangerous.

hero? I don't know if it will really happen.

The gray snake looked up in one direction, and now he could see a faint purple light.

A smile played on his lips(machine can smile?) - he'd added his own touch to the mix.

That reactor wouldn't just disappear... it would make quite the spectacle.

...

Time stretched on. Kiana, Mei, and Sirin were breathless, sweat beading on their foreheads. They'd scoured half the city, but the source of this Honkai surge remained elusive. Suddenly, the detector in Kiana's hand flared to life.

"Mei! Mei!" Kiana could barely contain her excitement, "Did we finally find it?"

But her friends weren't smiling. Mei's eyes were wide with a mix of horror and recognition as she stared at a rooftop on the left.

"Kiana, I'm afraid; it's not that we found it, but... the concentration of Honkai energy can no longer be concealed."

Mei looked at the rooftop not far away on the left. The huge object was emitting a purple light, and I said it bitterly.

There, half-hidden amongst the cityscape, was a monstrous thing pulsing with malevolent purple light. It wasn't just powerful, it was growing.

"Well, well. It seems you've finally caught up." A cloaked figure materialized from the shadows, eyes glinting like a predator's. "You all might know me, but for introductions' sake... the name's Raven. Or Natasha, if you like."

She flexed her hands, revealing crimson claws that gleamed menacingly under the moonlight. With a predatory grin, she tensed, ready to pounce.

"So, why are you doing this? After everything you went through in the Second Impact…" Kiana's voice held a mix of frustration and pleading.

She glanced at Sirin, a silent plea for understanding in her eyes. Perhaps, somehow, the second Herrschers could bridge this gap.

She gave Sirin a slight wink, hoping that the sisters could really understand each other.

Sirin hesitated, then gave the slightest nod. Despite her own destructive nature, even she seemed taken aback by Raven's actions.

Her thoughts raced. They were so close to the reactor, but Raven stood in their way. If they couldn't stop this, the whole city… No, she couldn't let that happen.

"Why?" Kiana repeated, this time with an edge of steel. Yes, she'd never seen the devastation of a Honkai disaster firsthand. But she'd seen the hurt it caused. She'd felt the pain of those who survived. There was no excuse for deliberately bringing that kind of suffering down on others. That wasn't her way.

Kiana doesn't understand. Her world doesn't have so many twists and turns.

Even though she ran away from home and saw all kinds of things in the world, the world did not show any ill will towards her, at least in reality.

But if she feels unhappy, she can no longer impose it on others. This is her reason.

Raven scoffed. "Why? Sweetheart, you really don't get it, do you? Life's tough. This," she gestured dismissively, "is just a job. Gotta pay the bills, right?"

Kiana recoiled. Was that it? Just…money? Her world wasn't perfect, but at least the cruelty she faced usually had a purpose – twisted as it might be. This felt so empty, so pointless.

She originally thought that the other party was motivated by anger and hatred towards the Second Herrscher, like in the game.

Raven studied Kiana. So much younger, so wide-eyed compared to the Kiana she knew from those glimpses of the game. Even that hint of defiance couldn't hide how her every thought and question was painted across her face. Nothing like the hardened Sky Ranger she would become.

Because she understood Cecilia's rescue during the Second Honkai, her resentment towards the Second Herrscher was reduced by half; at least she would not express her hatred face-to-face. Most people survive, don't they? It was her own beloved who died.

She sighed slightly. The other party seemed to think that all major organizations were kind.

Raven sighed, the sound echoing faintly in the tense air. The girl and her friends lived in a world where kindness was still an option. The World Snake...no place for sentiment. You joined, you served until you died in the line of duty. Escape was a luxury no one had.

She didn't want to do this. No sane person wanted to unleash this kind of devastation. But within the twisted logic of the World Snake, it was often an inevitability.

A grim necessity for their vision of survival, no matter how many innocents paid the price. That's just how the world worked, at least the one she was trapped in.

"Let's make this simple. If I don't do this? It's likely I'll be the one dead. Get it now?" Raven's voice cut through the night, sharp and bitter. Beneath the moonlight, her raised claws gleamed, stark against the black of her cloak.

"Enough talk. Let's fight already!" Sirin snarled, golden eyes blazing with barely restrained fury. The air crackled with the energy of her forming subspace Spear.

"You're right, time is short." Raven barely finished her sentence before a spear of warped space materialized out of thin air, hurtling towards her. With a deft twist, she narrowly avoided the strike.

Sirin levitated higher, snapping her fingers. "Borrowing a line from you humans… time for some judgment!"

The sky itself seemed to warp as countless black voids punctured the air, a grim prelude to a furious battle. Despite her bravado, Raven couldn't shake the echoes of the Second Impact.

The Herrscher's power thrummed through her, a chilling reminder of the destructive forces at play.

Spear? Honkai beasts? Was this another trick of the Herrscher? Raven watched the shrinking black holes, doubt gnawing at her. A few tense seconds later, the answer became clear.

Nothing.

"Well played..." she muttered, surveying the distant group of retreating figures. There was an emptiness where Kiana and the Herrschers should have been.

"I was originally thinking about how to give way to the other side, but now I'm ready. I have to think about how to explain this to the gray snake." 

Raven shook her head. Pursuit was useless for now. With a sigh, she melted back into the shadows, leaving the mystery of other grup escape hanging in the night air.

...

"So, Second sister, whatcha think? Pretty smart plan, huh?" Kiana puffed out her chest, grinning from ear to ear. She was practically skipping as she ran. "Outsmarting that Raven lady? That was all me! Finally, I did something clever outside of a video game!

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's always me doing the heavy lifting, isn't it?" Sirin grumbled. She wasn't a fan of running, her strength lay elsewhere. With a sigh, she used her Herrscher power to float along, keeping pace with Kiana.

"Why don't you teleport there directly? Although it's not far, wouldn't it be better to go a little further?" Kiana was puzzled but still ran without rest.

Sirin rolled her eyes. "Idiot. Too much Honkai energy here, messes with space stuff. Forget it, I doubt your little brain could grasp it anyway." She couldn't help but tease Kiana, but inside she was a little surprised. Maybe Kiana wasn't completely useless after all.

After all, Sirin only learned about teleporting and Honkai energy messing with it recently…not that she'd ever tell Kiana that.

"Hmph, I just thought my performance in fighting with you was okay, but now it's like this, ugh! You idiot second sister!" Kiana said, dissatisfied,

The sisters worked together and cut through gold; they immediately entered the taunting stage. It was a seamless transition. This can be regarded as the way they get along with each other.

Mei followed the two of them silently, looking at Kiana, who was worried but hopeful and eager to save the city. She gritted her teeth and looked at her unbearably.

Of all the people, Kiana was the happiest when watching the herself in game, but it was Mei who felt the most deeply. She could not forgive herself for being weak and helpless inside. She looked at her powerlessness, loneliness, sadness, and regret. Fortunately, God gave her a chance in reality.

This time, she caught up; there was no way she could leave Kiana alone again! A trace of determination flashed in her eyes.

Maybe it's the second grade Chūnibyō, maybe it's deep penetration. Mei feels like a fire is burning in her body.

She actually kept up with Kiana's pace steadily. In the physical fitness test, Kiana had always surpassed her by a lot.

After a few more breathless minutes, they finally dragged ourselves to the target.

Only three minutes left before this whole thing blows.

"Are you kidding me? We're supposed to take this monstrosity down?" Kiana stared wide-eyed at the massive thing in front of us. Honestly, it was less a machine and more some kind of freakish metal beast.

The three of us exchanged worried glances. This Honkai energy reactor was spitting and crackling like crazy. As they got closer, a wave of Honkai energy crashed over them, strong enough to make Kiana knees buckle. But that wasn't even the worst part.

The base of this thing – it's completely welded to the ground! What the heck is going on here? Whoever designed this was practically shouting, "Don't even THINK about moving me!" (gray snake: hehe)

Kiana's arms were shaking, her legs ready to give out. There was no way she could hold this position much longer. This wasn't about being strong or weak, this thing was just plain impossible!

...Well, impossible for most people. An image of her eldest sister, the most powerful Valkyrie she knew, flashed in her mind.

Maybe she could actually manage this...

A blast of purple Honkai energy washed over them, but Sirin seemed to be handling it better.

Being a full Herrscher, this stuff was almost like an energy drink for her. Kiana's eyes widened as she watched Sirin's body thrum, greedily soaking up the power.

But this is not necessarily a good thing. This energy was way too wild. If Sirin absorbed too much, it could overload her Herrscher core and make her lose control.

Kiana desperately wanted to help, to grab Sirin and pull her back, but the second she reached out, another blast of energy knocked her flying.

"Seriously, Kiana, you're not even a Herrscher. What's the point of you charging ahead like that?" Sirin grumbled, but her voice didn't have its usual bite. She reached over and gripped the handle. "Here, let me handle this."

Kiana is now not a Herrscher, but she is. In this case, her situation is naturally much better.

Even with her Herrscher powers, handling this Honkai energy was tough. Sirin's face flushed as she strained against the thing.

It wouldn't budge an inch, and she was already breathing hard.

This made Sirin even more annoyed. Kiana always pulled this stuff off in the game, so why was reality so different?

But pride or maybe just plain stubbornness kept her from admitting that this was way harder than anything they'd faced in-game.

She'd never let her useless sister show her up!

Mei raised her hands, a shield against the relentless waves of Honkai energy. Her face was set, a mask of determination, but inside her mind was a storm.

With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and sank into a world of pure darkness. There, she faced her other self, a reflection with the same purple hair, the same defiant stance. This was the Herrscher of Thunder, the power that had once terrified her.

"So, you've come at last. This is a fitting place for us, don't you think?" The Herrscher's voice echoed, a strange mix of sarcasm and eagerness.

Before, that voice would have sent shivers down Mei's spine. But now, Mei searched for the coldness, and found... warmth?

She nodded slowly. "Can you fix this? I don't want to... I can't stand to see Kiana get hurt again."

"Very good, very good. It is with this thought in mind that I can safely hand over my power to you." 'She' was not angry but was very happy for reasons that seemed selfish to outsiders.

"Can you make it so...so it won't hurt anyone else?" Mei's voice was barely a whisper, the words catching in her throat.

The Herrscher scoffed. "Worried about others, are you? Don't think you can make demands now, Coward." She tapped her fingers against her arm, impatience flickering in her eyes. "The power I offer – it lets you control Honkai energy, true, but it comes with a price. Don't expect any special favors."

Mei fell silent. Each second felt like an eternity, the weight of the decision crushing her. "Then... let's do this," she finally said, her voice stronger.

"Kiana, this time, it's my turn to be the hero." Memories of Kiana flooded her mind – their adventures in the game, the times Kiana protected her in the real world. This was her choice, her time to step up.

I will never let you move forward alone again!

'She' looked at Mei with neither joy nor sorrow in her heart. She stopped trying to persuade her.

Because Herrscher has seen a lot from her perspective, she is no longer such a dangerous existence. but one of the two will eventually disappear, and she just needs her firm mentality.

The Herrscher's words echoed in Mei's mind. Power alone is useless without the will to use it.

Her hand tightened on her sword hilt. She had the power, she'd always had it deep inside, but would her resolve match it?

The Herrscher stepped closer, placing a cool hand on Mei's shoulder. A shiver ran down Mei's spine as the connection was made.

Suddenly the world exploded with light and sound. The clear night sky erupted in a storm of crackling lightning. No rain fell, only pure energy ripped through the air as dark clouds blotted out the moon.

Mei felt herself rising, lifted by some unseen force. The Honkai energy, wild and chaotic just moments ago, now responded to her touch. It surged towards the storm, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Wisps of electricity danced over her skin, and something deeper seemed to stir within her.

In the distance, the city's own Honkai signature dimmed, as if even it yielded to Mei's newfound command.

"Mei? Me.. Mei?" Kiana's voice pierced the storm, filled with confusion and a hint of fear. Just when all hope seemed lost, just when Kiana was ready to give up, her best friend was suddenly... this.

"Mei, no! MEI!" Forgetting the danger entirely, Kiana scrambled towards the figure floating in the storm, her movements desperate. It felt too familiar, like that terrible moment they were first...

Only when you see it with your own eyes can you understand the despair of loss.

She couldn't accept losing Mei, just like Mei couldn't accept losing herself.

"Wait, Kiana, there might still be hope." Sirin tugged at Kiana's sleeve, her voice surprisingly gentle. She stared intently at Mei and the reactor, her eyes calculating.

"But..." Sirin hesitated. "That's not necessarily the case in this city."

"Wait, what's going on? There must be something we can do, right?" Kiana was very excited when she heard that Mei was fine, but when things got warmer, she thought of the city again, and she asked anxiously.

Sirin hesitated, then spoke carefully, trying to explain in a way Kiana could understand. "When a Herrscher is born, yeah, it's bad – they draw in Honkai energy, and then throw it all back out." She grimaced.

"The energy here is dropping now, but it'll spike again soon. The thing is, this reactor is the main source. If Mei stays in control, if she can hold back at the last second… well, a lot fewer people will get hurt."

"Isn't there another way? Something…better?" Kiana couldn't hide the desperation in her voice.

Sirin smirked, a rare sight. She held her head high, a flicker of pride in her eyes. "Of course. As the Herrscher of the Void, I can create a barrier, cut this place off from the rest of the Honkai energy."

"Then do it! Now!" Kiana's heart hammered in her chest. If Sirin couldn't fix this, she'd try, even if it meant...

"Don't worry," Sirin said, a hint of amusement in her voice. ""This isn't some last-second miracle. The barrier will hold."

Sirin closed her eyes, sensing the shifting flow of Honkai energy. With a sharp gesture, the barrier snapped into place, cutting off the wild surges.

Inside, the reactor thrummed, now the sole source of power – manageable for Sirin's own Herrscher core.

This time, it was Kiana's turn to watch this scene helplessly. She pursed her lips. Reality and games were clearly separated in front of her eyes at this moment.

For Kiana, watching was agony. It was a stark reminder: she was no hero. In the game, she was center stage. But here, others had to step in, had to carry the burden.

And that… why did it hurt worse than if she faced this alone?

Kiana watched Mei, her face twisted in a struggle Kiana couldn't even begin to comprehend. Then there was Sirin, sweat beading on her forehead, her usual arrogance replaced by a fierce concentration.

Kiana's hands clenched into useless fists. This, this feeling of watching others bear the weight…it was somehow worse than the actual danger.

Training, pushing herself to the limit, it all meant nothing. A wave of hopelessness crashed over her. Maybe this was what Mei always felt in the game, forced to stand on the sidelines.

"It's torture…this waiting." The words escaped Kiana's lips before she even realized it.

Two minutes to the blast…or was it three? The time felt fluid, unpredictable. Just when it seemed a breath of relief was possible, a chilling thought struck her.

Was the crisis really over? Or was this just the calm before an even greater storm?