32. Misunderstanding, Kiss, and Artificial Collapse!
"Warning: Level 12 Honkai energy waveform detected. The Herrscher is coming."
The warning sounded while Gao Qi and Mobius were conducting experiments on the remains of a Herrscher of Domination.
The battle against the Herrscher of Domination had already lasted for months.
The core energy of the Thousand-Herrscher wasn't particularly strong, but they could utilize a portion of the powers of the first nine Herrschers. Individually, a Herrscher was very weak. Even ordinary soldiers could handle them with equipment, let alone MANTISes. However, the Herrscher of Domination always fought in groups.
Every time Fire Moth captured a group of Herrschers, a brand new batch would soon appear, making them difficult to distinguish.
Gao Qi also understood the principle of the Herrscher of Domination. If they couldn't be captured in one fell swoop, the Herrscher of Domination would continuously seek out hosts with vulnerabilities in their hearts, maintaining the number at one thousand.
The Herrscher of Domination, which in the main story took several chapters to defeat and forced Kiana to evolve directly into the Herrscher of Flamescion, was even more troublesome in the Previous Era.
In the original story, after realizing that the upper echelons had been infiltrated by the Herrscher of Domination, Dr. Mei herself activated the newly developed Blank Key.
Through this special Divine Key, any Herrscher core could be embedded, directly connecting the human body to the Imaginary Space, temporarily turning a human into a Herrscher.
In the modern era, the name of the Blank Key is——Vermilion Knight: Eclipse.
Simply put, the inspiration for Gao Qi directly using the Gem to become a Herrscher in his last simulation came from Himeko's experience of using the Blank Key to subdue the Herrscher of the Void in her "Final Lesson," and Einstein helped him solve the technical problems.
However, the Blank Key placed a tremendous strain on the human body. Dr. Mei's lifespan was greatly reduced because of it, and her early death was the biggest reason for Kevin's descent into obsession.
Naturally, Gao Qi intended to stop Mei from doing this, which is why he and Mobius were studying the structure of the Herrscher of Domination.
Of course, the research they were conducting didn't allow Klein, Danzhu, or Cangxuan to get close.
As long as Klein and Mobius weren't together, the tragedy wouldn't happen so easily.
But when the alarm sounded from outside the laboratory, Gao Qi still froze for a moment.
"Outside!"
Gao Qi and Mobius exchanged a glance, took off their lab coats, and prepared to head outside.
The attacks of the Herrscher of Domination were too scattered. Most of the MANTISes at headquarters had been dispatched to various locations for vigilance.
However, Kevin and Su were still stationed at headquarters, so there wasn't much need for excessive worry.
"Whatever, let's go out and take a look. Tch, this Herrscher of Domination is really bold. It doesn't actually think it has the ability to confront us head-on, does it?"
Mobius changed into her form-fitting combat suit, which particularly accentuated her figure. It was the same dark green color as Gao Qi's combat suit, almost like matching outfits – Gao Qi had even prepared a swimsuit for her.
A faint green glow emanated from around her, accompanied by what seemed like rumbles of thunder. Since Śeṣa was originally the companion beast of the 3rd Herrscher, mastering the power of lightning was perfectly normal.
Neither Gao Qi nor Mobius believed that today's battle would require them to take action.
But the moment they left the laboratory, two figures came spinning down from the sky, bounced several times on the ground, and even dug out two large craters.
Gao Qi and Mobius hurried forward to check and found that it was Kevin and Su lying on the ground. Su was still barely conscious, but Kevin seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.
"Dammit, Kevin, how are you already down?!"
Seeing the two seemingly severely injured, Gao Qi's first thought was that this fight was impossible. If the savior was beaten to such a state, how could they fight? It's just not feasible!
"Cough, it was... an ambush. The Herrscher of Domination controlled Hua. None of us noticed. Kevin was sealed by the power of the Herrscher of Sentience. If you can buy me some time, I can wake him up quickly."
Coughing violently a few times, Su sat up and moved to Kevin's side, activating the power of Marbas to begin searching for Kevin's soul, which was trapped deep in a dream.
However, when Gao Qi heard the name "Hua," his body stiffened.
"Hahahahaha——"
Then, accompanied by a piercing, shrill laugh, a high-energy reaction instantly closed in on the group.
Gao Qi looked up and saw the "Herrscher" floating in the air.
Fu Hua. At this moment, her usual coldness and aloofness were gone. On the contrary, her face bore a rampant and unrestrained smile.
It was just like the awakened Herrscher of Sentience. No, compared to the Herrscher of Sentience's hearty laughter, the current "Herrscher of Domination" emitted only shrill, despairing wails.
Her body was covered in pitch-black armor, and behind her, four pairs of huge, dark arms rotated mechanism gears resembling puppets, manipulating numerous slender, smooth threads.
Gao Qi certainly recognized this thing – Herrscher of Domination: Homo Universale! The form where the Herrscher of Domination abandons the thousand-person manifestation and fully unleashes its Herrscher power! Gao Qi had fought this thing countless times in Memorial Arena!
No wonder Kevin was defeated. One-thousandth of a Herrscher was easy to deal with, but combined into one, it was stronger than the 9th Herrscher!
And now, it had not only completed its aggregation but had also chosen... Hua as its host!
[Is this the world's retaliation against me? I didn't let you take Klein, so you just went and turned Hua into a Herrscher?]
Gao Qi took a deep breath and locked eyes with Hua.
If Hua were to be eliminated as a Herrscher, that would be terrible. Fortunately, Gao Qi wasn't entirely without a plan.
However, upon seeing Gao Qi look at her, a cruel smile appeared on Fu Hua's face.
"Gao Qi——"
Knowing about the sibling-like relationship between the two, Mobius's expression turned serious.
"Get away from him, you home-wrecking bitch with all that excess fat!"
BZZZZ—— BOOM.
But before Mobius and Gao Qi could react, a long, slender leg violently kicked Mobius in the chest. The immense force sent her flying, and she crashed heavily into a nearby building.
The strength was overwhelming, and the technique was exquisite, leaving Mobius, a scientist, with no power to resist.
"Alright, the eyesore is gone now. Jörmungandr—no, Gao qi, my brother, we can finally have a proper talk... about us."
Clapping her hands lightly, as if she had just flicked away a piece of dust from her shoulder, Fu Hua grinned and turned her gaze to Gao qi beside her.
In the next moment, Fu Hua instantly teleported right in front of Gao qi, reaching out with her gauntleted hands to gently cradle his face.
Having become a Herrscher, Fu Hua no longer suppressed her emotions, allowing the desires buried deep within her heart to erupt completely. Yet, even so, she would never, ever entertain the thought of harming her brother Gao qi.
She wanted to control him, possess him, dominate him—to make him entirely her own.
"That bitch made you forget many things, but it's fine, Brother Gao qi. I'll make you remember soon—"
Fu Hua intended to restore Brother Gao qi's memories, and she even planned to add some... extra ingredients. For instance, that they weren't exactly purely siblings; that the confusion of adolescence had led them to first taste the forbidden fruit; that every corner of their dorm had once been their battlefield...
Though somewhat embarrassing, for the current Fu Hua, this seemed like no issue at all.
But just then, she suddenly noticed an expression of utter astonishment on Gao qi's face.
"Hah... Xiao Hua?!"
Now, Gao qi was completely baffled. In his mindset, Fu Hua shouldn't have been able to recognize him.
After all, the simulation systems were supposed to be different instances. Unless... the two simulation scenarios used one continuous instance? Was that even possible?
And as this thought emerged, all the previously overlooked evidence began to resurface in Gao qi's mind, demanding confirmation.
Why had Himeko readily accepted the "Prophet's" suggestion without doubt? Why had the aloof warrior Hua always drawn near him? Why had Mobius never spoken to him about the past?
In an instant, Gao qi understood—"Zero's" past was "Brother Gao qi"!
"What? Wait, you know me? You didn't lose your memories!"
This time, it was Fu Hua's turn to be shocked. Those two familiar words, "Xiao Hua," snapped her out of her frenzied state.
BOOM—
Soon after, a flash of emerald lightning erupted from the nearby destroyed building. Mobius burst out from the rubble, with thunderous light forming the shape of a great serpent behind her.
Her gaze towards Gao qi was also filled with surprise.
"Zero, you've always remembered the past? The things before you died?"
To keep Gao qi in the dark, Mobius had put in great effort. Although the only remaining data about Gao qi's past was a recording of Fu Hua, Mobius had still tried her best to prevent "Zero" from recalling it.
But now... it seemed Gao qi might not have completely forgotten after all!
"Well... yes, but—no, no, it's not entirely like that?"
Gao qi understood everything now, and he instantly realized what he had done. As an older brother, after being resurrected, he had been intimate with other women without ever seeking out his little sister... No wonder Fu Hua had turned dark!
Learning that Gao qi hadn't lost his memories, Fu Hua's body began to tremble violently.
"Then... then why didn't you come looking for me? Was it because of her?"
Faced with this life-or-death question, Gao qi hesitated. How could he say that he thought this Fu Hua had nothing to do with him?
"Well, that... I was completely in the dark at first too. But after meeting you that day, I felt you looked somewhat familiar, like I was remembering something. I always thought you might be connected to me, but I never dared to confirm it, afraid it was just a delusion—but now, I understand everything, Xiao Hua. I am your brother."
Left with no choice, Gao qi's mind raced frantically. After thinking for a moment, he offered a far-fetched explanation—he truly hadn't anticipated this situation. Having grown accustomed to treating this as another timeline, it was difficult for him to come up with a reasonable explanation in such a short time.
"Hah, how could that be? You're my beloved brother, the person I care about most. How could I ever be angry with you—as long as... as long as it wasn't because of her!"
The Herrscher stigmata on her chest flickered incessantly. In that instant, Fu Hua's will and her love for Gao qi forcefully suppressed the will of the Honkai, temporarily returning to herself. A somewhat helpless smile appeared on her face.
The rampant laughter vanished, and Fu Hua became that helpless little girl again. She had always longed to reunite with Gao qi, but she never expected her jealousy would turn her into a Herrscher—an incurable one—making their reunion so awkward.
"Regardless, Brother Qi, just being able to see you again leaves me with no regrets. I won't hurt you—quick, take this chance, kill me. Don't let me cause any more destruction."
But the next moment, a familiar large hand gently ruffled her hair.
"Hah, we can save the small talk for after you've regained your senses. Don't worry, isn't an older brother meant to help his sister clean up her mess? Don't give up. There's no reason for the human heart to lose to a Herrscher. I'm here, and your sister-in-law is here too."
With that, Gao qi glanced at Mobius beside him.
Equally shocked by the fact that Gao qi hadn't completely lost his memories, Mobius hesitated for a moment before silently nodding.
"Yes, yes, yes. I'll properly release you from your Herrscher form. We've been researching this topic recently. As long as you obediently call me 'sister-in-law'— Hey! You little bitch, shut your mouth!"
Before Mobius could finish, she saw Fu Hua smiling as she wrapped her arms around Gao qi's neck, stood on her tiptoes, and gave him a deep kiss—she had the Dominance Herrscher to thank for giving her the courage.
"Understand? I love you, Brother Qi. What I want isn't to be just your sister. If I accidentally do something to Mobius, don't be angry... Do your best, Brother Qi. Defeat her, save me— No, you all must die! Every single one of you will join the Theater of Dominance! Ahahahahaha—!"
The dimmed Dominance stigmata flickered rapidly before returning to a bright red. The manic laughter and four massive arms reappeared behind Fu Hua—her will had once again been overtaken by the Dominance.
"Tch, that little bitch... What are you looking at? We'll settle this after the fight."
Mobius grumbled as she walked over to Gao qi and gave him a kick.
"Alright, alright. As the sister-in-law, you should set a better example. Looks like we have no choice but to use that move. It's time to bet our lives."
Gao qi shrugged, silently putting his mask back on and activating the watch on his wrist. After a moment's hesitation, Mobius followed suit.
As the experimental Hypervariable Synthesis Agent "Meta-Morph" was injected into their bodies from their watches, bestial roars began to emanate from them.
Immediately, a giant serpent and a somewhat distorted humanoid figure erupted from the ground.
Overloaded Hyper-Form? No—this was Artificial Emergence!
"Xiao Hua, your brother is coming to save you!"
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
Please support the original author: warboss
Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?