"Burn to ashes like mere weeds."
Bzzzz—!
Endless pale-blue diamond-shaped light curtains instantly spread across heaven and earth. In the next moment, a brilliance flared forth like a solar flare erupting. The entire Northern Hemisphere was plunged into incomparable light and heat.
This was a temperature beyond all limits. Even the radiance unleashed when Judgment of Shamash left its sheath could not compare. It had already reached the highest temperature known to mankind.
If the Divine Key forged from the Herrscher Core of the Seventh Herrscher of the Previous Era—Herrscher of Fire—namely the Key of Destruction · Judgment of Shamash · EX · Shuhadaku of Uriel form, was like a god of destruction descending upon the world,
Then this instant of resplendence could only be rivaled by the light of a dying star.
And yet, though it was likewise an application of the authority of the Herrscher of Fire, the overwhelming heavenly might released by Selene no longer belonged merely to the realm of brilliance.
It was the birth of a true star.
However, since Selene still needed to protect this world and could not simply blow it apart, the power she exerted was not as high as it might have been. Even so, it remained divine radiance capable of blanketing all phenomena and erasing everything.
Such power could effortlessly melt anything known to exist on Earth. Piercing through the planet's core would not have been impossible.
Kevin knew his time of death had arrived, yet he did not care. He lifted his head proudly, gripping Judgment of Shamash with both hands. A trace of crimson light flickered through his azure eyes as he faced the sky.
"Come!"
Tear—!
Squeezing out his life force once more, Kevin's entire body began to collapse in an instant. Skin split apart, flesh tore open, muscle fibers laid bare. The power of ice and snow brought by the DNA of the Emperor-class Honkai Beast 'Parvati' was completely overwhelmed by surging Honkai energy.
The agony transmitted from the ends of his nerves shot straight into his mind, forcing a muffled groan from Kevin as he vented the unbearable pain ravaging his body.
From the mangled mass of flesh, stark white bone was visible—yet not a single drop of blood fell...
Because within Kevin's body, aside from the strength needed to swing this final strike, blood, fat... even his cells—everything he possessed—had been wrung dry and poured into his last Shuhadaku.
One could say that even if Selene had not killed him in the end, Kevin would have died without a doubt.
"EX · Shuhadaku—!"
Spitting out saliva mixed with fragments of internal organs, Kevin let out his final roar. Mobilizing every remaining muscle fiber, he swung toward Selene above his head.
Rumble—!
Explosive flames erupted once more from the greatsword of heavenly fire, shattering the earth and surging straight into the sky.
Bang!
Like a clay ox sinking into the sea, the blazing blade he cleaved forth did not even have the chance to expand, let alone reach Selene. It was swallowed, assimilated, and annihilated by that ultimate temperature, that ultimate destruction—the world-ending flare.
At this, Kevin revealed a bitter smile.
"The gap... is still this despairing..."
It hurts so much. His skin charred and peeled away in large patches like a serpent shedding its scales, exposing the muscle beneath. Flesh turned to cinders...
So tired... I can't open my eyes. Has my body reached its limit?
The sound of explosions grew distant in Kevin's ears. His consciousness was already beginning to dissipate...
In the next instant, a radiance like heavenly punishment descended. Countless motes of light formed into a pillar, connecting heaven and earth. Kevin was engulfed within it.
Rumble—!
The scarred earth shattered apart. Molten lava formed boiling orange-red 'tidal waves.'
Crack!
If that moment were slowed down ten thousand times, one would clearly see that the instant the light made contact with Judgment of Shamash, it resonated in perfect synchronization with the Herrscher of Fire Core. The pitch-black blade melted like snow beneath the sun.
Immediately after, Kevin's bones, flesh, blood—even the soul buried deep within his body—dissolved in a single instant.
"MEI..."
Uttering the final syllable of his life, a trace of reminiscence, guilt, regret—or perhaps simply regret—surfaced at the corner of Kevin's lips. In the end, he turned to ash within the light of destruction and scattered with the wind.
He departed in utter peace.
He died completely.
...
"It's over."
Selene watched quietly for a moment. Then she extended her hand. With a beckoning gesture, a crimson crystal rose from the abyss where Kevin had vanished and flew into her palm.
It was none other than the core component of Judgment of Shamash—the Herrscher Core of the Herrscher of Fire from the Previous Era.
Crack!
Under Aponia's astonished gaze, Selene tightened her fingers and crushed it outright.
A ripple spread around Selene's body as the authority of the Herrscher of Fire was assimilated by her. All output restriction programs originating from Dr. MEI, from Vill-V, and any other messy mechanisms were erased entirely.
It was purified into pure Honkai energy and absorbed by Selene.
"You're next. Bearing the Signet of Discipline, third of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers—Aponia. I am quite curious. Just how many remnants of the Previous Era are still alive?"
As she spoke, Selene cast Aponia a casual glance. Their gazes met for only an instant.
Aponia's eyelashes trembled slightly—that instinctive reaction of prey meeting a higher predator. She turned her head away, closed her eyes, and remained silent.
Unbothered, Selene shifted her gaze to the surface below, now transformed into a hell of molten lava. It had once been a world of rolling blue seas.
"I may have gone a little overboard..." The old method—post-war reconstruction. Selene could not simply ignore it.
If left unattended, within days the polar ice caps would melt, causing global sea levels to rise.
Volcanic and geological disasters here would gradually trigger chain reactions, expanding continuously. Worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions would follow one after another.
To a planet, it might be a minor issue. But it would be enough to devastate the surface ecosystem—a catastrophe capable of driving most life on Earth to extinction.
In one hand, an earthen-yellow glow. In the other, an oceanic blue radiance.
"Under the Light; Back to the Wharf."
The authority of the Herrscher of Earth stabilized the crust, sorting and soothing the veins beneath the planet. The authority of the Herrscher of Ice forcibly cooled the unprecedented tectonic activity and magma surges below.
There is no right or wrong in a weapon. What determines right or wrong is the one who wields it. Likewise, the power of a Herrscher can destroy the world—but it can also benefit it.
The key lies with the user.
Watching Selene overlook the earth, her fingers moving with the dexterity of a symphony conductor—like the hands of a creator god—unseen forces mended the land and soothed the planet's restless will.
Standing carefully not far away, Roboute smacked his lips. This scene... why does it feel so familiar? Have I seen something like this before?
"Hm? What's wrong with you?" Budo asked in a low voice.
"Nothing. Just feels familiar, that's all."
As Selene continued her restorative work, the Imaginary Barrier enveloping the hundreds upon thousands of surrounding cities gradually faded. Survivors embraced one another and wept. Some cried uncontrollably, others burst into laughter—overwhelmed by the relief of surviving catastrophe.
From the very moment Shuhadaku of Uriel had been unleashed, that natural-disaster-like spectacle—that terrifying vision akin to a dying star—had felt to them like heaven and earth collapsing, as though the world itself were about to end.
On the Imperial Army's side, the reaction was the exact opposite. Whether Astartes warriors or soldiers of the Servitor Army, they raised their weapons high and cheered wildly, shouting with fanatic devotion, offering the highest reverence to the Empress they served in the heavens above.
And this entire scene was broadcast in full by Imperial Navy warships to the Schicksal Headquarters floating island cluster.
"That's the Key of Destruction—the most destructive of all Divine Keys—Judgment of Shamash. I won't mistake it."
This was Theresa's cry of alarm. As Cecilia's closest friend and former overseer of Schicksal's Far East Branch, she knew exactly to whom that star-like radiance belonged. But...
"Wasn't Judgment of Shamash supposed to be in Siegfried's hands?!"
Even though she always called Siegfried an 'annoying idiot,' resenting how he had taken Cecilia from her, he was still her old friend—and Kiana's father. If he had died...
At that thought, Theresa panicked completely. Had that fool Siegfried really tried to clash head-on with Selene? Wasn't that just suicide? How could he even be saved like that?!
She frantically rubbed her white hair, stomping against the metal deck in agitation and letting out a small beast-like wail.
"It wasn't Siegfried. It was Kevin—Kevin Kaslana."
An ethereal voice drifted over.
As if seeing through Theresa's worry, a beautiful gray-haired, green-eyed woman stepped out from the landing pad and gently patted her shoulder.
"Principal, without external assistance, Siegfried cannot reach that level."
She had a slender figure and wore red-framed glasses. Her blue uniform with white trim resembled a lightweight martial arts outfit, double-breasted in design. The wrist and cuff sections differed from standard uniforms, clearly modified for specialized combat. Brown boots covered her feet.
She carried both heroic bearing and intellectual elegance. At first glance, she gave off the faint, intangible aura of an immortal.
Though...
It could not quite be said that her figure was lacking—only that it was rather flat, with hardly any curves to speak of.
All these traits combined made her identity obvious.
"Class Monitor, you're back!"
With a delighted laugh, Kiana threw herself at Fu Hua, rubbing against her as she said happily, "That's great—you're safe."
"Kiana? Why are you..." Fu Hua replied uncertainly, a gentle smile on her face.
Kiana's current demeanor—so reminiscent of their days at St. Freya—left Fu Hua momentarily dazed. Just yesterday she had seemed burdened and heavy-hearted. How much time had even passed?
"Hehe..." Kiana scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "It's because of Selene-sister..."
Perhaps it was because she no longer needed to shoulder the burden of future Honkai disasters alone. Perhaps it was because she had seen Selene-sister actively protecting human cities and mending the wounds of the earth...
Coupled with Raiden Mei's return and Class Monitor Fu Hua's safe comeback—whatever the reason, multiplied by who knew how many times over—Kiana was genuinely happy now.
"Class Monitor, long time no see."
"Raiden Mei..."
Looking at Raiden Mei stepping out behind Kiana, Fu Hua paused and carefully examined her current appearance. The violet-red eyes after her Herrscher awakening were undoubtedly far sharper than before.
A second later, Fu Hua's lips curved into a warm smile, her words carrying layered meaning.
"Long time no see, Raiden Mei. You haven't changed."
"Ah... perhaps." Raiden Mei nodded slightly, a trace of gentleness appearing between her brows. "But you've changed quite a bit, Class Monitor."
"Hey, Class Monitor." Poking Fu Hua's soft back, Kiana looked around curiously in a relaxed manner. "Where's that other person? And where did you just go?"
"My name is Li Sushang, brat. Remember it properly!"
An irritated female voice rang out. Kiana's head was promptly smacked from behind.
"Ow!"
"Honestly. I'm at least an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. I'm not some nobody, am I? Remembering names is basic martial etiquette."
Her voice was clear and crisp, pleasantly soft with a touch of youthful innocence.
Kiana turned toward the source of the voice.
The first thing she saw was brown twin ponytails, secured with silver hairpins. The inner sides of the braids were blue, decorated with deep-blue ribbons.
A pair of wine-red eyes still carried traces of childish innocence, yet there was youthful sharpness in her gaze. Her posture was graceful. She wore a blue-and-white short dress-style uniform adorned with floral patterns, leaving her left shoulder bare, while a white-to-blue gradient shawl was fastened over her right shoulder. The dress ended high on her legs, putting her smooth thighs prominently in view. Completing the look, a delicate garter sat elegantly around her left thigh.
The overall effect blended elegance with quiet boldness, innocence with emerging maturity, creating a presence that was both refined and striking.
Li Sushang clasped her hands behind her head casually.
"As for earlier—what else could it be? A sparring match. Master Hua and I fought inside a barrier so no one would disturb us."
"Then who won?"
"Is that even a question?"
Li Sushang owed her survival to Otto, and after being awakened, she had chosen to assist him out of gratitude.
During the final phase of Otto's plan in Kolosten Town, she encountered Fu Hua on the path leading to St. 537 Church. The two exchanged a restrained sparring match.
In the end, Li Sushang won—but chose to withdraw from the conflict.
When the two of them exited the barrier—
Hm?! Where did Kolosten Town go?!
What was this pitch-black crater? And what were those metal behemoths radiating Honkai energy and those massive human armies surrounding the area? And the warships blanketing the sky—where had they come from?
She knew Otto had made countless enemies and committed plenty of sins—but surely they wouldn't storm his doorstep and erase both him and his entire town the moment he stepped down.
Before Li Sushang and Fu Hua could even react, they were surrounded by Imperial soldiers in overwhelming numbers. If not for personnel from the Hyperion recognizing Fu Hua on the scene, a fight might have broken out.
After several twists and turns, the two were detained and transported to Schicksal Headquarters. The moment they stepped off the landing pad, they happened to see Theresa in a frenzy—along with the scorched ruins of the Far Eastern metropolis displayed on the screen.
"Schicksal Headquarters hasn't changed much, but there are these big guys everywhere. I heard you ordered a surrender, Theresa?" Li Sushang sniffed the air and suddenly frowned.
"Hm? Why does it smell so strongly of blood?"
At those words, the smile on Kiana's face vanished instantly. Her mood sank as she pointed in another direction.
"Over there... The Imperial Inquisition is arresting—and carrying out executions. Everyone involved in the Herrscher Host K—Experiment Project... without exception. By Selene-sister's order, their entire clans are being exterminated..."