Humans are in chaos, despicable outsiders.

Lances and katanas clashed beneath the giant tree, each launching a relentless attack on the other.

Or rather, only Raiden Mei launched the attack, while Durandal was simply dodging the high-frequency slashes from her opponent, seemingly treating it as a training exercise.

"It's a pity he's not that Penglai Temple Nine Heavens guy. That guy never wants to fight me... not even a friendly spar—he runs away faster than a rabbit when he sees me..."

Having dodged another wave of Raiden Mei's attacks, Durandal muttered to herself... seemingly dissatisfied with not being able to fight her long-desired opponent.

"Ugh--"

Growing increasingly frustrated, Durandal gradually changed her defensive strategy, ceasing to dodge and instead brandishing her lance to counter the seemingly fierce onslaught.

The effect of the counterattack was obvious. Raiden Mei, who was already wielding her sword with all her might, repeatedly thrust and parried with her lance at Durandal, revealing the beginnings of her weakened state...

...

"Are you going to keep fighting, Raiden Mei?"

Having repelled the purple-haired Valkyrie's attack once again, Durandal looked at the panting Valkyrie and asked a question.

Raiden Mei looked at the blonde Valkyrie in front of her, who still held a long spear and showed no signs of fatigue, and once again felt a sense of powerlessness... Durandal in front of her was like a mountain that was difficult to climb.

"I will never give up!!!"

Mei, who unintentionally stole Kiana's line, pounced on her again, seemingly showing no sign of giving up...

"Ugh... this is so troublesome. Rita and the bishop both say I'm too blunt and sometimes offend people—"

Durandal planted her lance in the ground, assumed a horse stance, and prepared to deliver a powerful punch.

The blonde Valkyrie's disguise as the white-haired knight princess on her back could no longer hold. Kiana secretly opened her eyes a crack, observing the situation on the battlefield...

"Hey sis, that's your sister's girlfriend! What are you doing?!"

"However, Raiden Mei—while it's commendable for the weak to challenge the strong, it's not enough to simply charge in recklessly like you..."

"—That wouldn't be commendable courage, but rather foolish recklessness!"

Durandal's inner cosmos surged, boosting her power to 990,000 horsepower, and she unleashed a punch at Raiden Mei, who was charging with her sword.

"I'm sorry, Raiden Mei."

boom--

Under Durandal's unrestrained attack, after a huge explosion, the purple-haired Valkyrie was punched and sent flying, rolling several times on the ground before finally collapsing to the floor.

"Don't worry... she just fainted, I was careful not to overdo it."

Seemingly noticing the white cat's ears twitching wildly behind her out of unease, Durandal spoke up to comfort her, and casually patted the small cat ears.

"Hmm, it seems more exciting than Stan's...?"

"Anyway, it seems you don't have any objections—so let's set off now!"

After petting the cat-like insect, Durandal lifted it above her head, activated the thrusters on her Valkyrie armor, and flew away into the distance...

...

"Give Kiana back to me—"

The girl lying on the ground murmured something, and lightning began to leap across her body again.

————————————————————

"Um!?"

Imotek, who was chatting with Kevin on his way to confront the jackal, sensed something was wrong.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Seeing Imotek's expression change, Kevin's expression in the quantum projection also turned serious—

"The accumulated decay energy in this city is being reactivated and gathered—the Heralds must awaken in this city!"

Imotek, who was always sensitive to Honkai energy, looked towards the distant, cloud-covered Sky City, where thunder rumbled in the ears of the two Kaslanas.

"Sigh... I had Gray Serpent bring you the Skyfire—it's right where it was originally placed, so you don't need me to come over here to help, right?"

"No need. Judging from the situation, it seems the Third Herrscher has awakened again—that would be best. However, if that Herrscher of a Thousand People was trying to take advantage of the chaos before..."

Kevin didn't continue speaking, but simply nodded to Imotek, ending the projection.

"Then we can only let it take advantage of the chaos—"

.....

“Metatron..…”

Imotek summoned the giant angelic humanoid form from behind him, and casually kicked back a creature that had popped out of the quantum aftershocks left by Kevin—Tripoka, Kevin's own pet—that was trying to join the fun.

"Go, go, go play with your Uncle Kevin."

“We’re heading to the eye of the storm, Metanzo—”

"How can this group of people fight without me?"

Imotek, carrying the Blazing Abyss, stepped on the giant hand of the angelic humanoid and issued the order.

The latter gently flapped its wings and swooped down towards the target its master had indicated....

Chapter 241 The Terrifying Aluminum Man

Durandal, who was holding the white cat-like insect at high speed, sensed something was wrong—

Specifically, the white cat-like insect he was holding was now covered in bristling fur, and his intuition was starting to give him frantic warnings.

Behind them, anyone who isn't blind or deaf can hear the thunderous roar... no, even a Ubisoft-branded lobster that's both deaf and blind can feel the vibrations from the thunderous explosions...

There was also visible purple Honkai energy coalescing, all of which foreshadowed something ominous—

"Get Kiana—"

"Give it back to me—!!!"

Behind the goofy goose, a bolt of lightning struck, and Raiden Mei, who had been standing under the tree where the duel had taken place, her mouth agape and eyes closed in defeat, appeared behind the blonde Valkyrie like a ghost—

No, the current Raiden Mei might just be a demon from the mythology of the Far Eastern island nation... with crimson demon horns on her forehead, purplish-red pupils, and heavy eyeshadow that exudes a murderous aura.

A black, white, and red combat suit replaced the original blue and white Valkyrie armor. The long skirt, like a representation of the girl's current combat power, danced in the wind amidst the thunderstorm.

What truly caught the attention of the silly goose and the fiery cat was the long, slender katana. Its sharp, gleaming blade crackled with captivating crimson lightning, signaling its danger.

"So, a Herrscher whose core has been taken can actually awaken again?"

Yulandel, who had never seen anything like this before, was stunned for a moment, and then—having studied under Jiuxiao of Penglai Temple, she turned and ran away, holding the white Burning Cat.

Just kidding, this is the city center—that Pikachu across the street, covered in electric sparks, is probably using steel bars or some random metal electromagnetic cannon to launch a barrage against me.

"You think you can escape?!"

Seeing the blonde Valkyrie turn tail and run without leaving anyone behind, Raiden Mei was clearly enraged. She roared and transformed into lightning, giving chase once more.

...

"Bella, do you think we should apply for UNESCO World Heritage status for this line? ... It seems like this group of people really likes this line of mine."

"Don't they have their own scripts?!"

Nearby, Sirin, the doll who had been secretly and frantically stealing the offerings (Honkai energy) of the Third Herrscher, watched the two fighting again and complained to Benares, who had followed along.

"...Your Majesty, the lines can't be inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, so give up."

Seeing Celine's face full of displeasure and resentment, Bella gave a helpless look.

"I don't care! It's one thing for them to steal my lines, but they also have a cooler entrance and are stronger than me! They're all trying to outdo me in every way!"

"Bella, how about we go find jobs in another universe?!"

"I'm not going to stay in this godforsaken world for even a second longer!"

...Although he said he couldn't stand it for even a second longer, the little doll's body language betrayed him.

As Raiden Mei and Durandal disappeared into the distance, the Sirin doll, which was frantically consuming Honkai energy, continued to chase after them without hesitation.

"Your Majesty... You've already absorbed enough Honkai energy to last you for five years. Are you sure you want to absorb more?"

"You just don't understand, Bella—"

"There's a proper way to consume Honkai energy—like the Honkai energy that the Third Herrscher is releasing, it has a tingling, numb sensation, like eating Sichuan peppercorns."

"It's both numbing and spicy."

Sirin, now a Honkai energy gourmet, begins to list the various prominent figures and the scent of Honkai energy emanating from them—

"For example, my other half, that white, clumsy guy, tastes like a pot of brown sugar ginger soup, spicy with a rich, warm feeling—"

"Yes, it's the kind of scent that makes you feel safe and comfortable."

"Uh... Your Majesty, where is Bella...?"

The dragon girl gave a curious look, beginning to wonder about her own scent...

"Bella, Bella's flavor is definitely blueberry cupcake! Sweet and sour!"

"Did Her Majesty catch something from Kiana? Why does everyone she sees seem so delicious and appetizing..."

Bella muttered a low-key understatement upon hearing her own assessment.

"Bella, what are you saying?! Who got infected by that white-haired idiot?!"

Upon hearing Bella's soft babbling, the Sirin doll jumped up—

"Where there's good food, there's also bad food that's simply inedible!"

"Uh... Your Majesty? For example?"

"For example, that guy with purple hair, who's always grinning, but when you beat him up, he'll run away with a grin and be the fastest runner of all."

"That guy felt like poison to me, invisible and colorless, but containing toxicity—the kind of potent poison."

"Hmm... how to describe it? It feels like if you take a sip, you'll age and die very quickly..."

The doll tilted its head, pondered for a moment, and recalled the knowledge it had acquired...

"What's that saying about humans...? Time is both a poison and an antidote, so that guy is a super-duper poison and antidote."

"Yeah, the kind that makes people die from drinking."