Herrscher—as a concept, it wasn't particularly prominent in the vast multiverse.
But to the people of the Honkai world, "Herrscher" was synonymous with destruction. They were the enemies of humanity, the enemies of civilization.
Guns Girl Z, Honkai Impact 3rd—the Herrschers in these two worlds were very different, but from their actions, their goal was the same: to annihilate human civilization.
Regardless of the context, "Herrscher" was not a positive term. In the world of Type-Moon, a Herrscher would undoubtedly be considered an enemy of civilization, an existence that must be eliminated.
And now, Elysia's identity as a Herrscher had been confirmed. With the exception of those from worlds unfamiliar with the concept, the goodwill that the vast majority of people from worlds with Herrschers held for Elysia instantly plummeted to freezing point.
This was especially true for worlds on the brink of destruction by the Honkai. They viewed Elysia as a monstrous plague. Given the chance, they would kill her without hesitation and seize her Herrscher Core.
It was an extreme reaction, but they couldn't be blamed. Even a civilization as powerful as the Previous Era, after the tragedy of the Herrscher of Binding, had resolved to kill a helpless little girl. How could one expect more from worlds that had no ability to resist the Honkai at all?
...
Schicksal HQ— Otto Apocalypse was in a rare state of deep contemplation. He could be considered the inheritor of the Previous Era; he possessed the most complete collection of its history, technology, and even its legacy.
Elysia's identity as a Herrscher did not surprise him; he had suspected it long before. However... what puzzled Otto was, which Herrscher was Elysia?
It was common knowledge that the Herrschers of the Previous Era were very different from those of the Current Era. In the Current Era, the First Herrscher, Welt, and the Second Herrscher, Sirin, had already proven that Herrschers could have emotions.
The Previous Era was different. The only emotion its Herrschers possessed was hatred for humanity. They faithfully adhered to the essence of the Honkai, seeking only to destroy human civilization.
From the First Herrscher to the Herrscher of the End, all were the same. So... what was the deal with Elysia? Which Herrscher was she? And why did she possess human emotions? Was there some connection between her and the Herrschers of the Current Era?
This was a point that even his old friend Fu Hua was likely unaware of. In the world today, only that savior Flame-Chaser hidden in the Sea of Quanta would know the full picture...
---o---
[In the video—
"Where did you learn of this?" Elysia asked, facing 'Justica'.
"The Imaginary Tree told us everything about Elysia, including the fact that you are the true First Herrscher, and also about the Authority of the Herrscher of Origin—to rewrite the world's fate..."
As one of the sources of the Honkai world, the Imaginary Tree had relayed Elysia's information to the Counter Force in its entirety. Therefore, to some extent, the Counter Force knew Elysia even better than she knew herself.
To be honest, this feeling of being completely seen through was not pleasant. While Elysia didn't mind sharing some small secrets with her closest friends, she did mind sharing them with this person before her, whose gender she couldn't even determine.
However... rewriting fate. No wonder she felt that if she truly wanted to do something, she could.
The Herrscher of Origin—Elysia preferred to call it the Herrscher of Human. She herself didn't actually know what her Authority was. Originally, she thought her power was simply to possess human emotions, but as time went on, she realized that wasn't quite it.
After all, the other Herrschers' Authorities were more outrageous than the last—controlling fluids, creating anti-Honkai energy fields... those were powers that had given them no small amount of trouble.
For her own Authority to be so simple in the end was quite disheartening for Elysia.
But now, hearing that her true Authority was the ability to rewrite fate, Elysia was quite happy. It sounded very grand and impressive, and that was enough for her.
"Oh? So, who is the real enemy?"
Although she was excited internally, Elysia didn't show it. One had to choose whom to share their joy with, and the being before her didn't even count as a person.
"The Outer Gods—"
"Outer Gods?"
"Prelati's Spellbook—that Noble Phantasm is an EX-rank Anti-Principle weapon. Although it was not fully released, under Francesca's use, it has already opened a passage to this world for the Outer Gods. It is small, but incredibly conspicuous. It won't be long before they arrive."
"And to defeat the Outer Gods, we need at least seven Grand-class or higher level Heroic Spirits, like when fighting a Beast. But we do not have the conditions for that now. We can only rely on you—"
'Justica' replied. To be honest... the Outer Gods were far more terrifying than Beasts. Beasts, at least, were born from humanity's love and could be understood. They could be dealt with by the Grand Seducer Fujimaru Ritsuka and a few tool-like Servants. But the Outer Gods... distortion and incomprehensibility were their natural talents.
In a world like Type-Moon, where mystery was linked to power, the strength of the Outer Gods was beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
"And you're so sure I can defeat the Outer Gods?"
Outer Gods. She had heard the term. She didn't know what level they were, but they sounded very strong. Why was 'Justica' so certain she could defeat them?
However, 'Justica' did not respond to Elysia. She had already said a bit too much. "As your reward, after you defeat the Outer Gods, this Eternal Paradise will be gifted to you."
That's right—this Eternal Paradise was not a simple illusion, but a real place, similar to a Bounded Field. Although its scenery was not too different from what Elysia had imagined, it had no other function...]
---o---
[Video Danmaku]
Einstein: "As expected. The origin of that book is indeed extraordinary. While it doesn't possess great power itself, it can attract things that are far more terrifying."
Dr. Lobster: "Outer Gods? I don't care if they're Outer Gods or Inner Gods! Any god that doesn't do good deeds should be blasted into the sky—"
The science duo from Anti-Entropy had appeared. Or rather, they had been drawn in by the mention of Herrschers. After all, the founder of Anti-Entropy was the Current Era's First Herrscher, Welt.
Eriri: "Ein... Einstein? Is that the scientist Einstein I'm thinking of? And Dr. Lobster... what's that?"
Einstein: "Correct. I am the scientist Einstein. It seems that even though we are in different worlds, the 'me' in your world is quite famous."
Dr. Lobster: "Damn it, what's with this danmaku system?! Why did it give this genius such a weird name—and I can't even change it! You might as well have given me a title like that dog-thing Otto's for a name—"
In her lab, Tesla was about to explode. As a well-known trash-talker of Honkai Impact 3rd, she currently wanted nothing more than to let whoever named her taste the might of a Titan's fist.
Otto Apocalypse: "Sigh—why must I always be dragged into this? Dr. Tesla, we have no grievances between us. There's no need to be so fixated on me, even in the video."
Tesla: "Dog-Otto, no grievances? Did a Honkai Beast eat your conscience? I could go on all day about the shameful things you've done—"
Otto Apocalypse: "Alright, Dr. Lobster. If you wish to argue, you are more than welcome to come to Schicksal HQ. Friends from Anti-Entropy are always welcome here. However... in the video, let us properly appreciate the bearing of a Flame-Chaser from the Previous Era—"
L: "Now, the true enemy has appeared. The final battle is next, I presume—"
Boros: "The power to destroy a world! Let me see it, true strongest of Earth—"
---o---
[In the video—
As the conversation with the Counter Force concluded, Elysia awoke from her dream.
No... it wasn't waking from a dream. It was more like returning from the dead. After all, she had communicated with the Counter Force via soul separation. Now that her soul had returned, she had technically come back to life.
"Nngh—" Stretching languidly, Elysia returned to the Holy Grail War.
However, the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was not a cute girl, but... a ruined room. From the forest in the distance came the sound of clashing sword and spear. It was clearly Lancer and Saber.
"Alright, it seems I need to separate those two before the Outer Gods arrive."
Elysia sighed, holding her head. Since the Counter Force had directly stated she could use her full power to fight the Outer Gods, that meant she no longer needed to worry about leaking Honkai energy—
As the Honkai energy within her body activated, a predominantly pink outfit appeared on Elysia's body as if by magic. The familiar bow reappeared on her left hand.
Standing atop the ruins, Elysia didn't need to personally go to the Demonic Realm Forest to dissuade Saber and Lancer. A single arrow would be enough.
She drew the bowstring like a full moon. A pink arrow materialized on the string, poised to fly. As the power within her body surged, she slightly relaxed her right hand, and the arrow shot through the forest like a bolt of lightning.
Its kinetic energy did not diminish even after tearing through countless trees and bushes. On the contrary, it grew stronger, like an untethered leopard pouncing precisely at its prey—
In the forest—Saber and Lancer were locked in a fierce battle. Lancer, driven by Elysia's 'death', was fighting with all his might. Saber, not wanting to kill Lancer over a misunderstanding, was holding back, resulting in a stalemate.
However, given the current situation, Lancer, who had no source of magical energy, would soon be defeated and die of exhaustion.
Saber was unwilling to let Lancer die, but... she had no time to worry about him now. Her Rank A Instinct was screaming at her. A power, different from magical energy, was flying towards them. Its kinetic force was immense, no weaker than a typical Noble Phantasm release.
"Lancer, get out of the way—"
Saber shouted, then leaped into the air herself, clearing the area. Lancer, still blinded by rage, could not maintain his reason. Just as Saber was about to say more...
The pink arrow arrived on the battlefield. With a massive explosion, the area centered on Saber and Lancer's battlefield was transformed into something resembling a meteor crater.
Fortunately, the arrow had not been aimed at either Saber or Lancer. Otherwise, caught in the heat of battle, they could have been severely wounded by the surprise attack, or perhaps even eliminated from the war.
Under the force of the massive impact, the enraged Lancer shook his dazed head. He had managed to see what had attacked them—a pink arrow?
Was there an Archer in this Holy Grail War who used a bow? That glittery gold Archer would probably just throw the bow as a weapon.
Then, a familiar voice reached Lancer's ears.
"Lancer, Saber, stop fighting. I have something to tell you—"
The pink figure under the moonlight was so mesmerizing. This was the first time Elysia had fought not with pure physical strength, but with Honkai energy. A single arrow possessed such power.
It was no exaggeration to say that if Elysia wanted, a few more shots could completely wipe the entire city of Fuyuki off the map.
"My Lord?" Lancer's eyes widened at Elysia's appearance. Resurrection?
This was something only a Divine Spirit-level Heroic Spirit should be able to do. Could it be that Elysia was truly a god from another world?
"Elysia?" Saber was also astonished. It was the first time she had seen a dead person, whose breathing had stopped and whose body was cold, come back to life.
Fortunately, Saber's experience was broader than Lancer's, so while she was surprised, it wasn't to the same exaggerated extent.
"Hehe, Saber, let me tell you a little secret. You don't have to fight over that broken cup anymore. It's already been corrupted anyway. Rather than fighting for the Holy Grail..."
Elysia performed an elegant somersault in the air, landing flawlessly in front of Saber. She grabbed her hand, her eyes sparkling, and said, "Let's save the world together, Saber!"
"Huh?" This wasn't Saber's confusion, but that of the audience watching the video. Save the world, sure, but did she have to be so flamboyant about it?
Could it be that her yuri bloodline had awakened at this moment? That didn't seem right. In any case, Elysia always did things that were beyond the thinking of a normal person, so it didn't really matter.
According to the Counter Force, defeating the Outer Gods would require at least seven Grand-class or Divine Spirit-level combatants. However, it seemed Solomon was the only Grand-class Servant in this Holy Grail War. But adhering to the principle of recruiting as many as possible, Elysia prepared to gather all the Heroic Spirits who had not yet been eliminated into a team to resist the Outer Gods.
However, convincing so many Servants would be no simple task. But who was she? She was Elysia.
Aside from the one known as the Grand Seducer, Fujimaru Ritsuka, she was the one most capable of attracting those Heroic Spirits.]