I am a hero of the former civilization.

Aponia's expression froze. She didn't know how becoming a Fusion Warrior had anything to do with these two abilities, but she was convinced of it.

It was precisely because she was so convinced that she seemed hesitant.

"This will cause me even more pain. What others envy is actually a vicious curse to me."

“I know, but haven’t you already decided to rebel? Please believe me, this curse will become a blessing.” Ryan nodded gently. Of course, he knew that these two abilities had made Aponia a great tragedy.

The precepts have not saved anyone, and foresight only brings despair.

“Yes, I have made my decision, so—” Aponia put her hand to her lips, her beautiful face exuding allure, “I expect you to take full responsibility, otherwise that despair will turn into hatred.”

It sounds a bit unsettling; Aponia doesn't seem any simpler than Mebius.

Ryan fell silent for a moment, instinctively sensing something was wrong, but there was no going back now; Aponia was an irreplaceable type in his plan.

"Of course, this is my request, and I should take responsibility for it."

“Alright, then I will follow your arrangements.” Aponia decisively accepted the promise, giving no chance to go back on her word. She glanced at the lights outside, a hint of curiosity rising within her.

"So what kind of collapse did you foresee that made you feel so threatened?"

This is a question that everyone, including May, is very curious about. Because of Ryan's involvement, even though the Honkai exhibits organized characteristics, anyone who can do basic addition and subtraction knows that humanity still firmly holds the upper hand.

Just like these myriad lights, there is darkness, but most places are still bathed in light.

Ryan was unwilling to explain, because he also saw the spreading optimism; at least in the original timeline, Rome couldn't possibly be so leisurely, with the melodious sound of violins still audible.

But I know that, just like the Law of Restraint dealt a heavy blow to the world, I still haven't found a way to deal with it.

"Like you, I cannot show what I see to affect too many people."

"But the fate you see is not unchangeable, and that is the biggest difference between us."

“Yes, that’s why I’m so desperate and ruthless. Fortunately, there are always some smart people who trust me.” Ryan looked up into the distance. A bright moon hung in the sky, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and faint opera songs drifted from the opera house.

On such a night, one should stroll along the banks of the Tiber River and enjoy its unique romance.

But Ryan's eyes were sharp, as if piercing through the thick night, and he had a vague feeling about it.

Has the Seventh Herrscher arrived?

Ding--

He took out his phone and saw an anonymous message with only one short sentence.

The Seventh Herrscher descended, and Himiko remained unharmed.

How was the Herrscher determined the moment they arrived?

Ryan was puzzled at first, then let out a long sigh of relief and turned to look at Aponia.

"Because I know how terrifying Honkai is."

......

Southeast Asia, Indonesia.

The embers covered the earth, and from the sky, it looked like a undulating cluster of red stars, but if you focused your attention, you could see that this was not a natural wonder at all.

This is a city, a city burned to the ground, with crimson sparks covering the earth and stretching to the distant horizon.

On the outskirts, hundreds of tanks charged in formation, but the steel melted, and everything fell silent.

But looking further in, it's hard to tell that this is a city, because it's difficult to find any trace of civilization. All you can see are twisted and melted steel and pasty concrete, which then crumble into dust when a breeze blows by.

Nothing remained. The wreckage of several giant robots vanished with a gust of wind. In the deathly silence, at the very center of the 'emptiness,' long, purplish-red hair fluttered in the wind.

A woman with a beautiful figure, wearing long boots and a shirt with ruffled sleeves, was half-squatting on the ground, her greatsword stuck in the ground, as if savoring the lingering heat. After a few seconds, her black eyes slowly opened.

"Nothingness, utter nothingness."

She lifted her long legs, her high heels clicking on the ground, and passed the only object in the central area that could still be described as 'human-shaped', her eyes moving slightly.

The charred body surface barely revealed that it belonged to a tall, thin man, who was still in a charging posture.

So this is what they call a fusion warrior? But now that I've met them, they're nothing more than slightly stronger ants.

The arrival of the Herrscher has finally shown some signs. Apart from the short warning time, similar to the incident in the Azure Sea, the Fire Moth mobilized the South Pacific branch for defense. Before that, a high-ranking Fusion Warrior from nearby rushed to the scene.

Then the Herrscher did arrive, and his straightforwardness was almost unbelievable, but what happened next was even more terrifying.

Faced with a barrage of missiles, shells, and lasers, and two squads of Punishment Swords from the nearby High-Rank Fusion Warriors, the Light of Sadro River.

The plan was that this force, while not necessarily meant to confront them, could at least hold off the Herrschers until the main force arrived to encircle and annihilate them.

One cut, just one cut.

They, along with hundreds of thousands of people in the city, vanished into thin air. Not only were there no corpses, but not even a single building remained; it was as if they had been erased.

The woman raised her hand and gently touched the charred sculpture; a breeze swept by, and it crumbled into dust.

“You’re too close, but—” She raised her head and looked at the pink stars flying in from the sky.

"It's not just ants. Forget it, there's no need to fight you head-on. After all, she's calling for me."

Boom! !

A mushroom cloud rose from the ground, its remaining energy parting the dark clouds, extinguishing the remaining sparks, and allowing the moonlight to stream down.

Alicia stood in the pit, her usually smiling face now serious as she looked around.

"Mei, it seems that the herald has escaped."

After receiving the message, she rushed over from Japan without taking too long, which is why she looked puzzled.

"Didn't they say the fight just started? How did it turn out like this?"

The girl felt as if she were in purgatory, surrounded by ashes, her heart pounding.

"It's especially terrifying because the fighting has just started."

On board the Raven V, Mei answered as if to herself, having volunteered to be the commander of this operation after the parliamentary inquiry ended. Of course, the higher-ups were more than happy to accept the offer and immediately granted it.

From the detection of the traces to the appearance of the Herrscher, only a few hours had passed. She didn't have time to devise any meticulous plans and could only hope that the stationed Fusion Warriors could hold out while she sent Alicia and Kevin to attack.

'Based on previous patterns, Kevin and Alicia working together should be more than capable of dealing with a Herrscher.' Mei bit her lip. Of course, she knew how strong Kevin was; he could easily take on a Herrscher of Wind in a one-on-one fight.

With Alicia arriving as well, even if two Herrschers were to be created at once, it would be enough to deal with them.

"May, she escaped?!" Kevin, with two pistols at his waist, rushed to the bridge. He had just boarded a plane to parachute in.

“Yes, I didn’t expect the garrison and the city here to be defeated so quickly.” The girl took off her glasses and rubbed her throbbing temples. “And this wasn’t just an escape; it completely demonstrates the organization and intelligence of the Herrschers.”

She didn't know how strong this Seventh Herrscher was, but Alicia and Kevin working together definitely had a chance to defeat her, so the fact that they weren't given a chance was more terrifying than the power.

Kevin had missed the observation and was somewhat confused when he suddenly saw the observation data on the main screen, and his eyes twitched.

Honkai energy instantly ravaged these tens of square kilometers, and the shock brought about by the instantaneous eruption was extremely intense, more intense than all the previous Herrschers combined.

The earth turned into a purgatory, and Sadero, the assistant, died on the spot, while the peak Honkai energy—

4500HW? This...

"It suddenly increased several times over, right? I predicted that the Seventh Herrscher would improve, but such a large leap was beyond my expectations, and it's not just Honkai energy." Mei answered almost through gritted teeth.

This further proves Ryan's statement: the Honkai is far from reaching its limit, and we haven't even seen that limit yet.

"If I remember correctly, the Herrscher of Wind only has 2000 HW."

"So it's a huge leap forward, and judging from the remaining traces, it's a purely combat-oriented authority."

The embers still lingered, enough to spark the imagination, but Mei didn't indulge in fantasies for long, only glancing at the soldiers working in fear.

"Kevin, do you know what I'm thinking?"

"what?"

"Has Honkai changed its method of destroying the world again, and started another trial and error?"

this......

Kevin licked his dry lips, feeling somewhat at a loss for words, and a chill ran through his body.

If this is indeed the case, the threat of collapse will rise to another level, because humanity is far from being invincible.

"plum."

"I'm fine. I know what such a terrifying existence represents. If it were even slightly shameless, human civilization could be brought to an end." Mei waved her hand. With such instantaneous destructive power, it could completely wipe out a city before the Fire-Chasing Moth could even react.

“No matter how powerful a Herrscher is, I’m still considering it, but thankfully I chose to trust him. Kevin, go get me the phone.”

"Aren't you being closely monitored?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. I have to admit that Ryan sees further ahead than I do. There's no such thing as a safe approach or reform now."

The girl stared at the scorched earth, a terrifying ruthlessness etched on her delicate face.

"Not even the slightest loophole is allowed to exist. Anyone who dares to obstruct it, no matter what their purpose is."

"They must all be excluded!"

Chapter 253 Foreshadowing, already laid

"Really? They wiped out Sura City in an instant, and Alicia didn't even make it?"

It was late at night in the Western Hemisphere, and on the balcony, Ryan had already finished his third cup of coffee.

Mei took the initiative to call, and even with multiple layers of encryption, it was still fraught with danger. For this woman to take such a risk, something terrible must have happened.

Then Ryan received the bad news, which gave him a headache.

Losing a high-ranking fusion warrior isn't a big deal; after all, warriors are meant to be sacrificed, including the Thirteen Heroes. Ryan couldn't guarantee that any of them would outlive the original timeline.

"I had prepared Kevin and Alicia, but the battle started too suddenly and ended too quickly. After searching the surrounding area, I'm sure the Seventh Herrscher has left."

Mei's voice was completely flat; her composure was truly remarkable.

The worst-case scenario is that they are not only strong but also very intelligent. If they are still like the previous Herrschers, no, now the number of headstrong Herrschers is even smaller.

Ryan rubbed his temples, realizing he had indeed encountered a problem and keenly sensed that the Honkai was changing its methods.

This is like trading a super Herrscher for a piece of gold.

Judging from the description, this seems to be the Herrscher of Flame, and in the original timeline, the Herrscher of Flame was a watershed moment.

Before her, humanity was able to maintain the status quo, and most Herrschers were at the level of destroying cities. After her, at least in terms of pure destructive power, Herrschers rose to the level of continental destruction.