Inside the office of the president at ME Corp headquarters, Cocolia stared at the monitor in speechless shock, watching the footage being fed back by the Titans.
"Where on earth did this humanoid beast come from? To think he suppressed the Titans with nothing but raw strength... Don't get too ahead of yourself! These Titans are far from the truly powerful models of our Anti-Entropy."
Despite her spiteful self-justification, Cocolia knew the truth. With those Titans destroyed, her plan to capture the 3rd Herrscher had ended in total failure. Even though Bronya was still in Nagazora, Cocolia didn't believe for a second that the girl could stand against that man.
Yes, a human.
Cocolia had always treated the 3rd Herrscher as her primary imaginary enemy; even the Titans she had deployed to Nagazora were specialized models with reinforced lightning resistance.
She never could have imagined that the one to utterly dismantle her plans wouldn't be the 3rd Herrscher, Raiden Mei, but a man she hadn't even noticed until now.
Weren't males supposedly few and far between under the threat of the Honkai, enjoying relatively high social status as a result? Since he clearly didn't have to worry about making a living, was this guy just so bored that he decided to become a warrior against the Honkai?
Cocolia cursed Hua Yi in her mind for a while before taking a deep breath to force herself into a semblance of calm. She then attempted to contact Bronya.
The connection was established almost instantly.
"Bronya, where are you right now?"
"The edge of the Nagazora city district."
"Why are you there? Well... perhaps it's for the best. Otherwise, you might have been in danger when the Herrscher awakened. Can you try to make your way toward the city center now? The 3rd Herrscher is there, along with two other humans.
The Hyperion has also arrived. If my predictions are correct, St. Freya Academy will move to recover the 3rd Herrscher. I want you to enter St. Freya Academy by using your identity as the 3rd Herrscher's friend from her time as a human."
"Understood."
Cocolia had been carefully weighing her words, knowing Bronya didn't care for her more calculating schemes. To her surprise, Bronya agreed without the slightest hesitation. Cocolia even thought she saw though she couldn't be sure a faint, shallow smile grace Bronya's lips.
"Did you... just smile?"
"Because Bronya wishes to stay by the side of the hero who successfully saved another, to see if he can achieve even more."
"He? You couldn't possibly mean this guy, could you?"
Cocolia's tone turned venomous as she transmitted Hua Yi's photo. She received an affirmative reply from Bronya.
A hero who saved another, huh...
Cocolia closed her eyes, reflecting carefully.
From the final images observed by the Titans, the 3rd Herrscher, Raiden Mei, had strangely abstained from any further destruction. Instead, she had stood beside a human girl, watching that humanoid beast. At the time, Cocolia assumed Mei had some special connection to the girl, but now she realized it was more likely that the humanoid beast had given Raiden Mei some kind of promise.
To think someone could actually change a Herrscher destined to destroy the world... but what kind of "hero" was that for a temporary shift? If she were the one to capture the 3rd Herrscher and continue collecting Herrscher cores to complete the final goal of her plan, that would be truly saving people... No, that would be the act of a hero who saved the world.
"Bronya, your definition of a hero seems a bit childish."
Cocolia attempted to adopt the tone of an elder educating a child, but Bronya simply shook her head.
"The casualties in Nagazora are far lower than in previous large-scale Honkai outbreaks. It is not because of those Honkai suppression devices, but because he blocked the Honkai Beasts at the city limits. He is very powerful. He is a hero."
From the moment that humanoid beast appeared, everything had spiraled out of her control.
The plan to capture the 3rd Herrscher had failed, and her once-obedient adopted daughter was becoming like a rebellious child, actually talking back to her.
Cocolia's face darkened.
"And the name of this fellow?"
"Hua Yi."
"Fine. I will remember it. I'll keep it etched in my mind."
Aboard the Hyperion, Murata Himeko stared at the images on the electronic screen provided by the observers, her brow furrowing tightly.
"Why is Kiana passed out right next to the Herrscher?"
The subordinates gathered around her exchanged glances, unable to provide a concrete answer. One finally spoke up, though it was hardly a direct response.
"Data shows that the white-haired girl's life is not in danger; she has merely lost consciousness temporarily. However, the black-haired girl beside her possesses an extremely high concentration of Honkai energy. It is confirmed she is the Herrscher born from this large-scale outbreak: the 3rd Herrscher."
Himeko watched the Herrscher girl, Kiana, and Hua Yi the man displaying extraordinary combat power. He had already wiped out the Honkai Beasts and the Anti-Entropy Titans born of the disaster, and was now clearing out the massive remaining swarm of Deadwalkers. Himeko felt the situation was exceeding her imagination.
To be honest, if it weren't for the recorded data, Himeko would have thought Hua Yi was the Herrscher born from this Honkai event. His invincible display left her momentarily dazed.
While powerful A-rank and S-rank Valkyries could handle Deadwalkers, Honkai Beasts, and Titans, they relied more on their weapons and agile movements. None of them suppressed enemies with such overwhelming, raw power like this guy did.
As a fellow wielder of a greatsword, Himeko knew intimately just how much staggering strength was required to wield a blade like Hua Yi did and maintain that level of battlefield dominance.
Furthermore, he wasn't even wearing a Valkyrie Battlesuit to enhance his physical capabilities.
Could this guy be blood-related to Principal Theresa? They're both monsters with strength that defies common sense.
Himeko let out a soft breath. The situation was bizarre, but it was far better than her initial expectations.
She had originally prepared herself to risk her life to defeat, or at least stall, the 3rd Herrscher.
Just to be safe, Himeko changed into her own Valkyrie Battlesuit regardless. As the Hyperion descended to a much lower altitude, she leaped from the ship and plummeted toward the ground.
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