Genshin Impact: Starting Guide - End of the World Qi Bao

"Just kidding, haha. You looked so serious just now, did something happen, Hua?"

"Captain, what if a teammate suddenly loses consciousness and can't distinguish friend from foe?"

Himiko thought for a moment.

"What to do? End her life, of course."

"Huh? Is this the only way?"

Himiko replied earnestly.

“Listen carefully, Hua. I understand why you asked this question. I believe you also know about Kevin’s situation. Once a comrade loses consciousness and turns into a monster… or even a Herrscher, her life must be ended immediately. Herrschers must never be trusted. I believe you don’t want to see the price the Herrscher of Death brought us a second time.”

Then Himiko looked at Hana and gently patted her head.

"If I lose consciousness and become a monster that can't distinguish friend from foe, Hua, can you promise me that you'll let me be free?"

Hua was conflicted and didn't know what to say.

"I……"

"I believe in you, Hua. You're a good kid, and you'll definitely become a hero someday."

"No, I'm just a warrior who's good at following others and has no opinions of my own."

"No, Hua. You are gentle, strong, and kind. You are far stronger than you think. So, please promise me?"

Hua countered with a question.

"What if I become a Herrscher, Captain?"

"No, I'm here. I'll protect you. Nothing can hurt you. As the captain, protecting my teammates is my duty."

Hua pouted.

"What kind of answer is this...?"

Himiko smiled and patted Hua on the back.

"Alright, I see you've recovered pretty much, Hua. You can even make sarcastic remarks now. Let's hurry back, or Carol and the others will be worried."

Hua nodded.

"Ah."

What if Jue Xi's "prophecy" is wrong? Hua also temporarily put aside his worries and returned to the battlefield with Himiko.

……

After wielding her greatsword and cutting down several more Honkai Beasts, Himiko patted her chest, gave a thumbs-up, and said casually.

"I don't know why, but I didn't feel tired no matter how many Honkai Beasts I slayed today. Looks like I'm still got it!"

Carol was quick to flatter him.

"Yeah, yeah. Captain Himiko is the best, and you're still very young, Captain, not an old sword."

Himiko walked happily to Carol's side with her greatsword in hand, and patted Carol's shoulder with her other hand.

"Carol, you're the best at talking."

Carol felt a slight pain in her shoulder, but she still chuckled twice, after all, her captain was quite strong. Just then, their communicator suddenly rang.

"Third squad, hurry back. An extremely powerful Honkai energy reaction has suddenly appeared at your location."

Everyone looked around in confusion, but there was nothing there.

Hua suddenly remembered Jue Xi's words, and a bad feeling began to fester in her heart. Could it be... that the captain is really going to become a Herrscher?

Hua looked at Himiko with some fear and said.

"Captain, your sword..."

Himiko heard Hua's words and looked down at her greatsword.

The greatsword was slowly melting, and her hands were shimmering with a red light.

Hua immediately rushed to their side, grabbed Carol, and began to retreat. Himiko rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Then she discovered that the greatsword in her hand had been restored to its original state and had not melted away as before.

Himiko exhaled a breath of stale air, looked up, and said happily.

"Hua, you're seeing things. Look, nothing happened, right?"

"magnificent……"

……

From Himiko's perspective, all that surrounded her were "death warriors"... Himiko suddenly became serious and raised her greatsword toward the "death warriors".

"Where are my teammates?!"

……

In Hua and his teammates' eyes, their captain's long hair, which had been tied up, was now loose, one of her eyes flashing red, and the greatsword in her hand had melted... Now, only flickering flames remained on her hand. And with her words just now, the temperature in the air seemed to have risen to scorching.

The vice-captain of the team frowned, glanced at the stunned people around her, and spoke immediately.

"Run! The captain has turned into a Herrscher!"

After saying that, she immediately picked up her gun and pointed it at Himiko, her captain. But she hesitated, her face showing difficulty, and did not pull the trigger.

……

Himiko smiled disdainfully at the 'assassin' who was drawing his bow to shoot at her. In an instant, he was beside her. Himiko was somewhat surprised; her body suddenly felt incredibly light. However, she didn't hesitate and immediately swung her sword.

.........

Himiko felt a moment of dizziness after swinging her sword, and then, when she looked at the assassin before her again, the assassin had turned into her vice-captain. At that moment, her vice-captain's body was pierced through by her hand and began to burn rapidly.

"what!"

Himiko gasped and immediately released her grip, then looked down at her hand. It was covered in blood…

The greatsword had vanished, leaving only steaming hands. Himiko frantically touched her body, then seemed to touch something. She pulled out a small mirror and looked at her reflection: one of her eyes flashed a terrifying red light…

She glanced at her teammates in the distance; their eyes were filled with fear as they looked at her.

Himiko wondered, "Where is Hua? Hua...?" When she met Hua's gaze, what did she read in Hua's eyes? Disappointment? Disdain?

Himiko smiled and then lowered her head to mutter to herself.

"No, no way. Hua wouldn't look at me like that. That's not Hua. If I became a Herrscher, Hua would only look at me with sadness and grief, not with disgust. This isn't my teammate! That's right, Hua wouldn't look at me like that. It must be an illusion created by the Herrscher. Didn't the communication just say there was a strong Honkai energy reaction around us? A new Herrscher must have appeared. This Herrscher can use illusions, right? You can't fool me. You damned 'suicide squad' dare to impersonate my teammate. You're all dead."

As Himiko finished speaking, her eyes flashed with an eerie red light.

"laugh"

And Hua, looking at her, truly only felt sadness and heartbreak...

……

Moments later, his former teammates fell to the ground one after another, and Hua once again stood in front of Carol.

However, when Himiko waved her hand, the greatsword formed of flames did not immediately take Hua's life. Hua felt the scorching heat of the flames and looked up at Himiko with some confusion.

"team leader……"

Himiko couldn't hear Hua's voice, but she was puzzled. Why would a "death warrior" protect another "death warrior"?

After the battle, she realized that her physical condition was exceptionally good. If this "suicide squad" showed any desire to attack her, she could kill him instantly.

Therefore, Himiko stopped and did not immediately take the life of the "death warrior" in front of her.

Time seemed to stand still. Himiko grew increasingly uneasy, shaking her head. She felt the problem lay with herself. She wasn't some vain young girl; why would she carry a mirror with her all the time?

"laugh"

Himiko seemed to regain her senses. She looked over again, and the 'suicide squad' in front of her had become Hua, and she was protecting Carol. The haphazardly lying, mangled 'suicide squad' around her could vaguely be identified as her own team members...

Himiko gave a self-deprecating laugh, then asked with a wry smile.

"Heh, so, Hua, I've become a Herrscher, right?"

Hua was somewhat surprised, but said excitedly.

"Captain, you've recovered? You're conscious?"

Himiko closed her eyes, not daring to look at Hua again. Hearing Hua's reply, she could confirm that this was not an illusion.

"Give me a quick death, Hua. Please, grant my wish."

"I'm sorry, Captain. I can't do it."

Himiko felt her consciousness fading and her head throbbing with pain. A voice within her mind screamed for the annihilation of humanity. Realizing she was about to lose control again, she unleashed a blast of energy that sent Hua and Carol flying.

When she looked up, she saw Hua's eyes. They were filled with sorrow… She realized she hadn't been a good captain, making her team member make such a heavy choice. She was truly sorry.

Himiko revealed the same expression she had when she comforted Hana this morning, and smiled.

"Live..."

To avoid losing control and killing the last of her team members, Himiko ran in the opposite direction from Hua and Carol. Hua lay on the ground, watching her captain walk away.

"no, do not want."

Hua dragged her exhausted body to her feet, glanced at the vanished captain, and then at the unconscious Carol on the ground. After much hesitation, she picked up the communicator.

"This is Hua from the third squad, our captain. She seems to have become a Herrscher. Requesting backup."

……

Fire—all that met the eye was an endless expanse of red. The flames seemed never to be extinguished, engulfing everything; Australia at that moment was like a living hell!

The actual footage transmitted via satellite was simply displayed. Australia had completely fallen. The leaders of the Firemoth organization watched the recording in silence. Was such power truly something humanity could contend with?

Mei slammed her hand on the table, breaking the silence.

"Gentlemen, Dr. Mebius's research is progressing smoothly. This level of destructive power is indeed difficult to handle, but it's not hopeless, and we haven't given up yet. Dr. Mebius has recently made a major breakthrough in the technology of extracting Honkai energy DNA. I propose that we integrate Honkai beast DNA into the human body to create 'super soldiers' with natural resistance to Honkai energy and physical strength far exceeding that of humans. I name this plan the 'Fusion Warrior' Project. Who agrees, who disagrees?"

The crowd began to whisper among themselves, and one of the more conservative doctors raised a question.

"If this plan succeeds, how will we manage superhumans with superhuman strength? Will they still be human? And who will be the first lucky one of these 'fusion warriors'?"

Before May could speak, Möbius retorted.

"Doctor, you're getting old. Blindly adhering to conventions will only hasten humanity's demise. The Herrschers are getting stronger and stronger. If we don't do this, the entire human race will be completely wiped out of history. I think this is the evolution of humanity!"

Dr. Möbius was not popular with the other doctors to begin with, and the conservative doctor immediately retorted.