Dong!
At the apex of his swing, the shockwave from the Monarch's fist expanded in a ring, directly blowing away the sky-filling Subspace Lances that Finality had launched at him.
As the Authorities continuously and swiftly returned to him, the intensity of the powers the Monarch displayed had undergone a heaven-and-earth-shattering change compared to moments before.
Adding to that the knowledge flooding into his mind, which he was rapidly digesting and absorbing, the Monarch was no longer confined to a defensive stance. After blocking Finality's attack, a gentle tremor from the Authorities at his back propelled him forward, trailing a brilliant, iridescent light as he charged directly at Finality!
Civilization Impact!
BOOM!!!
A gravity field the color of the night sky materialized before Finality.
Even so, the outrageous force of the impact still sent Finality hurtling back for several kilometers. The gravity field didn't shatter, but that didn't mean Finality had successfully blocked the attack!
Tzzzzla!
Pale blue particles flowed across its surface.
The deaths of her companion Honkai Beasts had allowed Finality to reclaim a portion of her dispersed Authorities, but compared to the Monarch's gains—a supplement of Honkai energy from Haxxor Bunny, and knowledge of electromagnetic force from Mobius—it was a pittance.
Unfurling his fist into a palm, an immense magnetic field constrained all the electrical energy within the small space of his palm. A small, blue-violet ball of electricity condensed with enough power to annihilate a star.
"The move you used earlier—"
BOOM!!
The electromagnetic radiation triggered solar activity 150 million kilometers away. A resplendent solar flare and the electrical light shone in concert, together illuminating the entire starfield where the two clashed!
BOOM!!!!!!
---o---
When silence returned, Finality had already lost a small half of her body.
It wasn't that she didn't want to recover, but the Authority of Death hidden within the Authority of Thunder was continuously consuming her body like maggots clinging to bone. The power of "Creation" was fighting against "Wither," a process that could not be completed in an instant. Half a second was an eternity for beings of their level, and the Monarch would absolutely not let go of an opportunity that forced Finality to expend extra energy and concentration.
Ding!
The Divine Ring shone!
Those were not the only chips on the betting table.
In half a second, Lu Xing was certain he couldn't kill Finality. His opponent's power was merely dispersed; she was not completely defenseless against his attacks.
To that end—
DING!!
The Divine Ring flashed a second time with an even more dazzling light.
Within the spacetime that had been thrown into chaos by their battle, eight spheres materialized from the turbulent star gates.
In the next instant, these small spheres had all dissolved into a fluid that poured into the Monarch's body!
That's right.
These inconspicuous little things were none other than the clones the Monarch had sent out across the galaxy, enhanced with the Light of Revelation, the very ones that had been studying day and night for so long!
In a brief moment, with the power of the Authority of Reason and the Authority of Erosion, the massive stream of information was sorted and categorized within the Monarch's mind. The knowledge from Mobius, which had come with the returned Authority, was further refined and broken down.
There was no doubt.
From pairing the serpent with Mobius, to having the clones prioritize the study of the Authority of Thunder—it was all part of the plan!
Voom!!
A surging Thunder Ring appeared, encircling the Divine Ring.
This meant that the Authority of Thunder wielded by the Monarch had, by itself, reached the level of a Death Spot.
Crack!
Unlike the usual purple manifestation of thunder, the newly formed Thunder Ring took on a pale cyan, flowing photonic state. This unprecedented form then completely merged into the Divine Ring as it pulsed with light for a third time.
Swoosh.
At the apex of the Divine Ring, an eye, shaped like a flower petal or a magatama, gradually revealed itself. A light cannon, poised to fire, had already taken shape.
Its effect was simple and clear: annihilate a single electric charge.
Finality...
Finality did not dare—or more accurately, was unable—to take this hit. To actually achieve this "annihilation," the Monarch would need to mobilize far more Imaginary energy than in any previous move. The mental toll would be even greater than that of firing the Star-Annihilating Cannon!
"Checkmate."
BOOM!!!!!
Ding—
---o---
He didn't fire.
No, it should be said that he couldn't fire.
Before the nameless attack, condensed upon the Monarch's Divine Ring, could be launched, an invisible, traceless wave rippled through the entire universe.
In an instant, all manner of Authorities were instantly nullified.
"I see."
Staring directly at the brilliant, spinning light in the Herrscher of Finality's eyes, he understood. The power released from her body had caused all effects brought by the Authorities—whether it was the readied light cannon or the withering power eroding her body—to vanish completely.
"So this is..."
"The 'Authority of Finality'."
Authority of Finality.
Finality commanded thirteen Authorities.
Besides the powers held by the first twelve Herrschers, Finality also possessed the Authority of Finality, which could "erase" all other Authorities.
The most terrifying part was... this power did not affect Finality herself.
But!
After unleashing her final Authority, the Herrscher of Finality did not gain the advantage she had imagined. The Authorities she held, which should have been unaffected, were actually weakened. Although the weakening was at most thirty percent, this was completely beyond her expectations.
"You're confused?"
The Monarch stared at the distant Finality, who had been restored to her original state. In the center of his slowly opening palm, a translucent crystal flower was gently rotating.
"The Authority of Origin."
"Contrary to your power to 'annihilate' Authority, it possesses the power to 'create' Authority."
"In that instant—"
"I 'borrowed' a bit of your power."
That's right.
The Herrscher of Finality's last trump card was also the Monarch's counter-move. The Authority of Origin, which the Monarch had held in his hand all this time, had been kept in reserve precisely to counter the Authority of Finality.
The Herrscher of Finality frowned slightly.
Though she still said nothing, this was the first expression he had seen on her face, and it betrayed her inner thoughts.
"What's wrong?"
"You think it's impossible for me to defeat you, who still retains seventy percent of your power, without any Authorities of my own? Is that what you're thinking?"
"..."
Finality did not reply to Lu Xing, but neither did she attack immediately.
Using the Authority of Finality was extremely taxing; she needed a moment to recover.
"This is more than enough."
Lightning and flame flashed around the crystal flower and vanished.
"Controlling them without the support of the Authorities is certainly a bit more troublesome," the Monarch said, his tone heavy with meaning.
"But that doesn't mean I've lost their power."
"Knowledge is a part of civilization."
"Not a part of an Authority."
"And—"
The Monarch's body disassembled and reconfigured, rapidly forming a massive cannon armament. A blinding light, like that of a star, shone from its muzzle.
"You cannot erase Honkai energy."
"But Honkai (energy)... is omnipotent!"
BOOM!!!!!