After the rain, the sky cleared, and warm sunlight spread across the heavens.
As the cherry blossoms withered, the temperature dropped abruptly; before anyone realized it, the breath of autumn pervaded the Academy.
Half a month had passed since Benares's attack.
During this half-month, St. Freya Academy underwent reconstruction; the destroyed defenses and city walls were all being restored in an intense yet orderly fashion, but this time, Theresa reinforced the defense lines once again.
Mechs, fully stocked!
The money requested from Schicksal Headquarters, along with the money saved up previously, was almost entirely invested into the production of mechs.
This tragic battle had shown Theresa the power of human technological civilization.
If not for Benares being too unsolvable at the end, the Academy's final defense line might not have collapsed.
With Titans forming the defense and Gaias providing fire support, the resulting interlocking bombardment made it nearly impossible for small Honkai Beasts below the level of Honkai Emperors to escape.
Even if some slipped through the net, those heavily injured Honkai Beasts would be easily eliminated by the Valkyrie Squads.
At this moment, after placing the last mech in a secure position, Theresa finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Finally, I can rest easy.
There are a total of three hundred mechs this time!
Two hundred Titan Mechs and one hundred Gaia Mechas!
With such absolute defensive strength, not even a mosquito could fly in.
"Aunt, so many mechs must have cost a fortune, right?" Seeing this, Kiana clicked her tongue in wonder. "It could definitely buy so many bowls of the pork chop rice Mei makes—a hundred bowls, a thousand bowls..."
"Idiot Kiana, a single mech could buy enough pork chop rice for you to eat for a lifetime."
Bronya said coldly.
"However, it's best for the same species not to eat each other; prions might spread."
"Huh? Same species! Bronya, what nonsense are you talking about? See if I don't beat you to death!" Kiana puffed out her cheeks and waved her small fists angrily.
"You two, stop messing around," Mei couldn't help but stop them.
"Oh right~ Headmaster, we agreed that I could keep a pet. You wouldn't disagree, would you?"
To the side, Yunduo rubbed her nose and asked Theresa.
"A pet?" Theresa's face was full of dark lines. She looked at the black shadow flying freely above the Academy, with the roar of a giant dragon echoing from time to time. "You call that a pet?"
"Yeah, a dragon is just another kind of animal. I felt it might be useful, so I kept it," Yunduo said with a slight smile.
With that final strike, she hadn't actually hit Benares but had swung behind it.
The power of that single strike had split open a graben over a hundred meters long outside Saint Freya, bottomless and like a valley.
It would serve as a pet room, just right for Benares to live in.
In truth, Yunduo thought it would be a waste to kill Benares.
Compared to a dead dragon, a living Judgement-level Honkai Beast like Benares was much more useful.
Besides acting as a guard, it could deter other organizations or suppress the Far East Branch.
Its mere presence alone could make many small Honkai Beasts take a detour.
As long as it didn't actively trigger a large-scale Honkai eruption, everything was fine.
"Fly a bit further away, you're blocking the light!"
Yunduo tilted her head back and shouted loudly at the flying Benares.
—Roar!
Hearing her, the giant dragon in the sky beat its wings and flew toward the outskirts of the Academy.
The blocked light reappeared, shining on Yunduo's cheeks, warm and comfortable.
Actually, Benares wasn't bad; she was simply following the orders of the Herrscher of the Void.
Aside from tearing down the defensive wall Theresa cherished and unintentionally triggering a large Honkai Beast tide, she hadn't actively harmed any Valkyrie.
So, as long as she was controlled, she was a good tool dragon!
But all of this required the command of the Herrscher of the Void.
Although Theresa complained, she was quite satisfied with recruiting a tool dragon that didn't even need to eat.
She even specially made a guard sign and hung it around Benares's neck.
Guard Elder Sister · Bella!
...Evening, Dormitory.
In the night sky, the moon was hazy and the starlight sparse; the entire world seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.
Yunduo was still reclining in the chair on the balcony, watching the moonlit sky.
By her hand, cola, potato chips, fruit... all sorts of snacks filled the entire table.
She couldn't finish these things alone, unless someone else helped her share them.
After a short while, the sound of light tip-toeing flowed from nearby. Yunduo didn't turn around but said slowly, "You're finally willing to come out?"
"Tsk~ Human, it's just that I didn't feel like coming out. It's not for the reason you're imagining."
The Queen's golden pupils were like brilliant stars, possessing a unique delicacy under the quiet moonlight.
Within her uneasy tone, there was a trace of awkwardness.
"Oh~ Is that so? I thought you were hiding in Kiana's body because you were afraid of getting beaten," Yunduo took a sip of ice-cold cola, her eyes narrowing at the sudden chill. "Kiana said she always felt you could still be saved, so she hoped to guide you in a positive direction and let you experience the beautiful things in this world."
"It's just that the Honkai Beast tide you brought that time disappointed her for a long while, and she almost committed suicide."
"If I hadn't happened to save her, the two of you would have probably perished together."
"I wasn't the one who caused it!!!"
Just as she finished, the Herrscher of the Void pursed her pink lips and spoke angrily.
"I just felt that since you can't fly, I... I wanted to have Benares fly over and teach you a lesson!"
"Teach me a lesson... because I can't fly?"
Yunduo was speechless. She looked at the blushing Queen. "Are you a little kid from a Honkai kindergarten? You actually have the nerve to say such a childish reason."
"Besides, Benares is your kin. If she triggered a Honkai Beast tide, that's your responsibility too."
Hearing this, the Queen bit her lower lip, looking sullen.
After a long silence, she spoke: "Actually, I don't think Benares was the one who drew them here either."
This time, Yunduo was genuinely surprised.
"Because before, Benares was frozen in Siberia. She flew directly toward the Far East Branch at top speed without any detours."
"Furthermore, Honkai Emperors only form in areas where the Honkai Energy intensity is excessively high, and at most one or two at a time. That's the limit for such an area; any more and there wouldn't be enough Honkai Energy to go around."
"No matter how you look at it, nine Honkai Emperors at once is just too many!"
"Therefore, those nine Honkai Emperors must have been attracted by Benares in different regions. During that time, she also flew over human territory, yet you humans didn't stop the Honkai Emperors. That's why nine of them arrived in the Far East at the same time!"
"I think someone even intentionally lured the Honkai Emperors to follow Benares, which is why there were so many."
After hearing what the Herrscher of the Void said, Yunduo fell into a long silence.
What she said did indeed make sense; otherwise, it would be hard to explain the presence of nine Honkai Emperors.
So, who exactly was the mastermind behind the scenes?
Who would want most to destroy the Far East Branch... or, to test its capabilities?
Without thinking much more, a person's figure appeared in Yunduo's mind.
Anyway, there was no need to overthink it; if something bad happened, there was a fifty percent chance that person did it!
"Is it Otto?"
Yunduo murmured in her heart.
This person was multifaceted and needed to be viewed from a dialectical perspective.
Otto had led humanity for 500 years and achieved countless feats at the head of Schicksal.
He had once created a cure for the Black Death/weak Honkai sickness during the Middle Ages.
He traded with the Void Archives to create serums that initially enhanced Valkyrie combat power.
He researched artificial Stigmata, greatly increasing the number of Valkyries, as well as Valkyrie armor and so on... His achievements were beyond reproach; he could be called one of the greatest humans in the world today.
But from another perspective, Otto himself didn't just bring blessings to humanity.
During the Second Honkai, he killed Kiana's mother, Schicksal's S-Rank Valkyrie Cecilia.
He clearly could have used the Moonlight Throne to find a way to eliminate the Honkai, but for his own private purposes, he destroyed it.
In the future, Fu Hua would be shot dead by him, leading to the birth of the Herrscher of Sentience. And the Herrscher of the Void—he was also the one who guided Kiana step by step to witness the tragic scene of her mother's death, causing her to break down and allowing the Queen to take advantage of the opening.
This was the dual-sided figure filled with both sin and achievement, the man jokingly called the "First Green One," Otto.
The greatest cuckold wholesaler in history!
"If it's really as you say, then I know who did it."
Yunduo said softly, looking at the Queen who showed a look of curiosity.
"Who? How did you find out so quickly?"
"Not telling you," Yunduo said, turning her head away.
"Human, you are provoking me. Do you know that the consequences of doing so are very serious?"
The Queen was angry. Her white teeth bit her lower lip, and her pouting mouth was enough to hang a small oil jar on.
"I know, but so what? Can you beat me?" Yunduo gave a mocking glance at the Queen, who was standing tall as if trying to show off her power. However, those mature golden eyes paired with Kiana's youthful aura only made her look more adorable.
Rather, if she wasn't in her original body, every one of her actions seemed childish.
The flawless white moonlight shone on her body. Seeing Yunduo's gaze, the Queen acted like a spreading branch, intentionally accentuating her proud body curves. Her pure maiden body glowed in the white radiance.
Because she wasn't used to slippers, she wasn't even wearing shoes.
In the silent night sky, the Queen's slender feet swayed back and forth with a slight tremble, her calves wrapped in white stockings flickering in and out of view, her body light and alluring.
"So what if I can't beat you? Do you see? Right now, I am Kiana. Would you still dare to hit me?"
The Herrscher of the Void gave a light snort, her delicate little nose like a rose.
"I've spoken with Kiana and apologized. She said I should learn more about you and that you could bring me hope and show me the beauty of the world. I think she definitely doesn't know you—you're a total brute who only thinks about solving problems with violence."
"I'm sorry for being a brute..."
Yunduo said slowly, tearing a small opening in a bag of cucumber-flavored potato chips. Crunch Crunch
She ate very carefully, first licking the flavor off the chip, then nibbling it into small pieces, and finally narrowing her eyes and swallowing with a gulp.
"Don't eat like that, it's disgusting, human! Don't try to disgust me on purpose."
Seeing this, the Queen showed an expression of disdain.
"Want some? If you eat one, I'll tell you who it was."
"—What?!!"
"Do you know who I am? The culprit of the Second Honkai. Because of my appearance, tens of millions of people died, losing their homes and becoming displaced. The Honkai Beasts produced by Honkai Energy have caused thousands of human cities to be abandoned!"
"I, the Herrscher of the Void! You think I would eat human junk food?"
The Queen said with a face full of disdain, her silver teeth clenched.
"That's all in the past," Yunduo was silent for a moment before explaining slowly. "However, I won't say that the past shouldn't be mentioned again. Some hatreds can be remembered for a lifetime, even by descendants hundreds or thousands of years later."
"But you are different. Your existence was caused by the Schicksal Overseer Otto. Because you were eroded by the Honkai and mistreated by humans, you subconsciously want to destroy human civilization. These are things that couldn't be resisted."
"Now, I just want you to eat a potato chip and try to get along with me using another identity."
"Not as a Herrscher, but just as a little girl named Sirin."
"In the laboratory, she surely wanted to try the junk food people talked about, but for her, those things were as unattainable as reaching the heavens."
The Queen lowered her head and found Yunduo's calm eyes, which held no plots or hatred.
Only a sliver of hope that she would try a new life.
If she were Sirin, she would definitely have taken the potato chip.
But she wasn't Sirin; she was a Herrscher!
However... "Hmph~ A human offering. I'll eat just this one piece. Don't think you can lure me on purpose. You're all the same—you look elegant and pure on the outside, but you're more disgusting than anyone on the inside."
The Queen said tsundere-ly, picking up the potato chip from Yunduo's fingertips with lightning speed, even giving her finger a hard pinch.
Yet Yunduo showed no expression, only looking forward to her next move.
Holding the potato chip she deemed junk food, the Queen didn't hesitate. She closed her eyes and let out a small "awoo" as she put it into her mouth.
However, there was none of the bitterness, stinging, or nausea she had expected.
All that was present was a tart sourness and a rich, sweet flavor.
This was a taste she had never experienced before.
"How is it? Does the junk food taste good?"
"It's not good. It tastes bad."
The Queen deliberately said this, though her cheeks were faintly flushed, barely noticeable under the moonlight.
She turned her head away, not wanting Yunduo to see the expression on her face.
"Let me tell you, the person I suspect is Otto, the Bishop of Schicksal. You must know him, right?"
Yunduo slowly spoke, fulfilling her promise.
"Otto! I knew it! He's the one who causes trouble every time!"
Unexpectedly, the Queen looked completely in agreement, grinding her teeth as if she wanted to tear Otto into ten thousand pieces.
After discussing the matter, the two remained silent for a long time.
Until the Queen stealthily picked up another bag of chips, making a crunching sound as she tore it open.
But at that moment, a beautiful hand suddenly reached out and slapped the back of the Queen's hand.
The chips fell instantly, sliding into the other person's hand.
"Human, what are you doing?!!!"
The Queen cried out incredulously and angrily.
It was just a bag of chips! When had she, the Herrscher of the Void, ever suffered such indignity!
"This is the last bag, and I recall someone recently saying this was human junk food. How can a dignified Queen eat junk food?"
Yunduo propped up her slender neck with her right hand, happily opening and eating the chips.
The Queen watched her. Yunduo was languidly lying on the lounge chair, like a satisfied kitten. Silver moonlight coated her delicate chin, as if it were dusted with an enticing white frost.
Because Yunduo was naturally lazy, she was barely dressed late at night, only covered by a thin white shirt and no pants. Her partially concealed figure appeared even more slender and alluring under the soft light.
"...Gulp~"
The Queen swallowed, and strange fantasies suddenly surfaced in her mind. How wonderful it would be if she could grab this hateful, stinky woman right now and humiliate her to her heart's content!
"What are you thinking about, so engrossed?"
Noticing the Herrscher of the Void staring blankly at her, Yunduo looked puzzled and tilted her head, asking.
"I just... just—none of your business, human! Don't let your imagination run wild. I'm thinking about how to destroy the world, and it has nothing to do with you!"
"Of course it has something to do with me. After all, I'm human, too. I just find you very suspicious, though," Yunduo said while eating chips.
As they talked, she was quickly finishing the entire bag of chips.
When the Queen saw this, she felt a pang of resentment, as there was nothing left on the table.
In just a few minutes, that hateful woman had eaten everything.
So gluttonous, like a pig!
She was starving now.
Kiana's body really was fragile.
The more the Queen thought about it, the angrier she got, and a hint of grievance appeared in her expression.
"Oh right, I have one more bag here. Take it."
Just as she was sulking, Yunduo pulled a brand new, unopened bag of chips from under the table.
Noticing the Herrscher of the Void's astonished gaze, Yunduo smiled slightly and said, "Have you ever seen an adult steal food from a child?"
"I'm not a child... I'm a Herrscher!"
"You've only existed for fourteen years, and you spent most of that time asleep. So your mental age is probably less than ten. It's understandable that you're a bit tsundere and rebellious. If that's not a child, what is?"
Yunduo giggled, like a small panda that had successfully stolen a bowl of milk.
"As for being a Herrscher, you're a 'Little Herrscher' at best!"
"Don't you dare~ gulp, think that just because you gave me a small favor... you can humiliate me."
The Herrscher of the Void quickly finished the chips with a few gulps, then instinctively picked up Yunduo's mug and downed a large mouthful of "water."
However, the moment the liquid reached her tongue, a bitter, pungent odor assaulted her senses, causing the Queen to widen her eyes and instantly spit out the liquid in her mouth.
"Pfft! What the hell is this, human? What are you drinking?" she said quickly, frowning, having forgotten the humiliation she just suffered.
"Romanée-Conti, humanity's finest wine," Yunduo said, taking the mug from the Queen's hand, slowly swirling it, then leaning down to take a small sip.
She narrowed her eyes, savoring the sweet aftertaste that followed the bitterness.
"This wine carries the fragrance of a fading rose, making one linger, and even minutes after setting down the glass, the flavor remains on the teeth and cheeks."
"This is something all adults enjoy. Only children dislike it. A Little Herrscher like you should stick to grape juice."
"You're eating junk food, pairing it with humanity's finest wine, and serving it in that mug?" Hearing this, the Herrscher of the Void felt utterly drained. She had never met anyone who acted so contrary to common sense. "How was I supposed to guess?"
"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Yunduo said, shrugging.
"Whatever you say, it doesn't matter," the Queen said, grinding her teeth. "I just want to say one thing: Don't call me Little Herrscher!"
In these few minutes, her mood had been a roller coaster.
Sometimes happy, sometimes frustrated, sometimes stunned by Yunduo's teasing, or sometimes angry.
This roller coaster of emotions left her mentally exhausted.
Forget about appreciating the beauty of the world; it was a blessing she hadn't been angered to death.
"Got it, Little Herrscher."
"..."
The Herrscher of the Void couldn't stand it anymore. Even though they had agreed not to use Honkai Energy, she still had a body! She didn't believe this stinky woman would dare hit her hard, especially in Kiana's body!
Thinking this, she suddenly pounced, like a cat catching a mouse.
She was the cat, and Yunduo, lazily basking in the moonlight on the lounge chair, was undoubtedly the cunning mouse.
Seeing the Little Herrscher pouncing, Yunduo quickly rolled over and shouted, "Don't mess around! This spot is small, there's no room for you to squeeze in!"
Before she finished speaking, the Herrscher of the Void had already squeezed in next to Yunduo, struggling to grab the remaining space.
The single-person lounge chair, suddenly invaded by her, let out a creaking, miserable cry, sounding as if it were about to fall apart.
But a certain Herrscher didn't notice any of this. Instead, she pushed harder, using her little butt to seize the space Yunduo occupied, frantically trying to squeeze her off.
Naturally, Yunduo was unwilling to yield, so she counterattacked, grabbing the Little Herrscher's two arms.
"Damn it, human, let go!"
The Herrscher of the Void shouted when her hands lost their freedom.
"I won't let go! Get off quickly, or the chair will collapse!"
"You get off first!"
The Herrscher of the Void wouldn't give up. Seeing her hands trapped, she kicked out her pink, tender feet, which slipped inside Yunduo's shirt, traveled down, and then tightly clamped Yunduo's two feet between her knees.
Feeling the warmth of the toes, Yunduo looked incredulously at the proud Herrscher of the Void: "You fiend, do you have any sense of shame?"
"I don't need such things. I'll bite—"
Before she could finish, the heavily provoked Herrscher of the Void lowered her head, accidentally burrowed into Yunduo's shirt, and immediately bit down.
"—Hiss!"
Yunduo gasped, and her face instantly turned bright red.
"Where are you biting?! Let go!!!"
"Wuwuwu~ No... I won't let go."
The Herrscher of the Void mumbled her refusal.
Not long after, she felt a sudden chill on her little butt, as if a draft had appeared.
"Smack!"
The sharp, loud sound resonated clearly in the silent night sky.
She raised her head blankly and saw Yunduo spanking her butt.
The woman was waving her palm, as if she had won a great battle!
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