LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 181: Judgment
The Honkai itself was mindless. It was the Previous Era's meddling that birthed the Will of Honkai, giving this era's Honkai a semblance of direction, allowing humanity to anticipate and counter the Herrschers.
But that didn't make things easier. After the First Herrscher's betrayal, the Will of Honkai realized the flaws of relying on apostles soldiers and chose Sirin, the Second Herrscher, as its agent.
Unfortunately, despite her dedication, Sirin lacked the necessary power, resulting in the Second Eruption's failure.
The Third and Fourth Herrschers were too weak. And before the Fifth could emerge, Ren arrived.
A new recruit, diligent and capable, though his origins were mysterious.
He was the perfect apostle.
But recently, the Will of Honkai noticed Ren's… lack of focus. An investigation revealed his infatuation with a former colleague, a potentially disastrous distraction.
To avoid another Sirin, the Will of Honkai decided to intervene directly, using Ren's methods to trigger a Honkai eruption. This would achieve its goals and serve as a warning to Ren.
But even the Will of Honkai didn't understand Ren.
Prometheus, created by the Previous Era, had invaded the Imaginary Tree, shackling the Honkai with the Will of Honkai. But it was a crude intervention.
Ren's power came directly from the Honkai, unbound by the Will of Honkai. Even with Prometheus controlling the Honkai system, it was just a program, unable to interfere with the Honkai's core functions.
Ren was still too weak to directly defy the Will of Honkai. He could only hide, allowing the Will of Honkai to borrow his power.
And with the reborn ARC City under his control, his threads connected to every citizen, it was the perfect opportunity.
…
As Ren had explained during Himeko's rescue, Imaginary Husks and his Puppets shared similarities.
In a way, Domination was the closest Herrscher to the Honkai itself.
Guided by the Will of Honkai, numerous Imaginary Husks materialized, surrounded by translucent threads.
Not just Husks, but giant Honkai beasts, remnants of World Serpent's mechs, all controlled by the threads, converged on Kiana.
The Herrscher of the Void within her was contained. But these Honkai monsters had to be fought.
The blue gem, now overflowing with absorbed Honkai energy, rippled like water.
"Is this… your gift to me?" Kiana murmured, looking at the gem.
The Fenghuang Down emitted a cooling aura, the gem absorbing the burning sensation within her.
Protected by these two artifacts, Kiana's strength returned. She reached out, and Xuanyuan Sword, previously embedded in the ground, dissolved into particles, then reformed in her hand.
Not a Lance this time, but a sword.
A broad, heavy blade, the golden core from Xuanyuan Sword embedded in its hilt, radiating Honkai energy.
Purple and white patterns adorned the blade, the Herrscher of the Void's authority manifested in a new form.
A chariot-class Honkai beast, dozens of meters tall, leaped from a nearby building, crashing down towards her.
These Husk-controlled beasts didn't care about her Herrscher status. They would crush everything in their path.
The newly built Kiana memorial collapsed under the impact, rupturing underground pipes.
Water gushed out, mixing with the fog, then sliced apart by golden light.
As the Herrscher of Void, Kiana's attacks warped space. The continuous stream of water was severed, its flow distorted.
Her blade struck the Honkai beast, its thick armor offering no resistance, a deep gash appearing, stretching from its claw to its head.
"I feel… lighter."
It had been so long since she'd fought like this. Back at St. Freya, as a B-rank Valkyrie, she hadn't been strong, but she'd been happy.
She could unleash her power without restraint, without fear of hurting anyone. Even against stronger Honkai beasts, she'd fought with everything she had.
After becoming the Herrscher of the Void, those carefree days were gone.
Now, with the gem, she could experience that freedom again, even if it was temporary. She could finally breathe.
"Then I'll take you all down."
She swung the blade, Fu Hua's teachings on the Xuanyuan Sword Style surfacing in her mind. She moved like a bird, a blur in the fog.
She landed, the massive Honkai beast cleaved in two.
Standing on its corpse, she took a deep breath. There were more monsters, the battle just beginning.
To avoid harming the controlled civilians, she deliberately moved the fight towards the still-ruined city center.
Rubble and debris were everywhere, the city split down the middle.
Unleashing her full power, wielding the blade of the Void, she fought the puppets.
The fog thickened, obscuring the chaotic battlefield. Monsters fell, one after another.
But these were just puppets controlled by the Husks. They would regenerate.
After destroying half of them, the ground was covered in severed limbs, reassembling, pulled together by the Husks.
"This is going nowhere. I guess I have to use that."
Kiana soared into the sky, looking down at the shadowy figures in the fog. The memory of that day returned.
The Herrscher of the Void, unstoppable, crushing Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, all beneath her power, insignificant.
"Judgment has come."
High above, countless portals opened, Archon Lances raining down like meteors.
Under this bombardment, the Husks couldn't hide. They were annihilated, the reforming puppets dissolving into nothingness, pulled back into the Imaginary space.
"Ugh…" The barrage lasted only a few seconds, but Kiana felt the Honkai corruption returning. The gem's power was fading.
She descended, the fog thinning as the puppets vanished.
The fog had concealed the Husks. Now, they were exposed.
With her remaining strength, Kiana charged, her blade severing the threads controlling the puppets.