"WARNING! WARNING!"
"Alert! Alert! Detected ultra-high concentration of Honkai energy—1000HW, 1250HW, 1500HW! The values keep rising and show no signs of stopping!"
Aboard the Hyperion battleship—
The alarm system, used to monitor Honkai energy levels, blared urgently, red lights flashing across the bridge. The deafening sound echoed through the ship, signaling the birth of the Third Herrscher.
"So it's happened after all. Himeko, get ready!"
"Immediately activate reactors 5 and 6. Maintain maximum output—no, overload them! Switch the Hyperion's main power to auxiliary sources. While the main cannon charges, connect Valkyrie Murata Himeko's Nexus armor to the system!"
"Himeko, once preparations are complete, do not engage immediately. Confirm whether the Third Herrscher retains humanity. If she proves to be an enemy of humankind, strike with everything you've got."
"You don't need to tell me, Theresa! I can feel how terrifying she is just standing here. I'd love it if we didn't have to fight... Damn it, who the hell designed this armor? What kind of pervert made this? They're the enemy of all women!"
Himeko gritted her teeth and blushed, cursing under her breath.
She was wearing the Nexus-enhanced Valkyrie armor: Scarlet Fusion.
This special suit could connect directly with the Hyperion's nuclear core, granting power beyond that of Emperor-class Honkai Beasts.
It was one of St. Freya Academy's ultimate trump cards.
But even so, Himeko wasn't sure it was enough to match a Herrscher.
So she silently prayed that the Herrscher of Thunder, like the legends of the Herrscher of Reason and Void, would retain her humanity and abandon the mission to destroy the world.
(Side note... The armor may be strong, but the donning process was insanely embarrassing. Every time she wore it, Himeko cursed the designers in her heart.)
...
BOOOOOOOM—
Thunder cracked like a divine hammer across the sky.
When Mei fully awakened as the Herrscher of Thunder, everyone present was gripped by deep fear—both humans and Honkai Beasts alike.
"...So this is my true power."
Her eyes opened.
They glowed with an overwhelming brilliance.
Crimson horns had sprouted atop her head. Her once waist-length violet hair now flowed down to her ankles. Her red, black, and white Herrscher attire was both bold and commanding.
Massive crimson gauntlets adorned her arms, and in her right hand she wielded a towering greatsword several meters long.
Even the nature of her lightning had changed—from purple to crimson, radiating destructive force and fierce dominance.
"Hmm? Finally done? Mei, you look amazing."
"...Of course I do."
"Haha! Rejoice, world—for today marks the birth of the Queen of Thunder!"
Elias' eyes were ablaze as he admired her transformed form. He was the only one present who showed no fear of the girl now standing before them.
"Hmph, how childish."
When she saw that familiar smile directed at her, Herrscher Mei's heart eased.
The two of them locked eyes amidst the chaos, as if no one else existed.
Though Elias was simply inspecting her transformation with curiosity—
After all, the real-life Herrscher of Thunder was just too hot. Elias now fully understood that pink elf's obsession.
Meanwhile, Herrscher Mei was struck by a realization.
Her eyes were meant to conquer and destroy all she beheld—
Yet without realizing it, each time she opened them, she instinctively searched for that one boy's figure.
(As I thought... You really are different from the rest...)
Everyone feared her birth.
Herrscher Mei felt the tremble of fear from the Honkai Beasts—
Saw the fear and caution on the faces of the Valkyries—
Even the thunder rumbling in the skies seemed like the world roaring in protest at her very existence.
But only Elias was different.
He alone smiled and celebrated her arrival.
...
Memories surfaced in Herrscher Mei's mind.
She was a consciousness born from solitude.
When she first gained self-awareness, she was met with overwhelming malice from the outside world. In her mind echoed a clear, undeniable voice:
[Your name is the Third Herrscher. Your purpose is to annihilate all humans and destroy civilization.]
She instinctively understood the voice to be the Will of Honkai.
And yet, she doubted the meaning of her existence.
Unlike most Herrschers, she had not formed independently. She was born from the fusion of Raiden Mei's stigmata and the Gem of Conquest—a Herrscher consciousness born from within.
As Mei's stigmata consciousness, she naturally shared her memories. Through the girl's past, she learned of joy, pain, hope, sorrow, and despair.
But none of those memories were her own.
She possessed only the immense power of a Herrscher. Anything touched by her lightning would be disintegrated to atoms. Any human who came close would be corrupted into the undead.
Unlike the real Raiden Mei, the Herrscher Mei had only emptiness and a mission to destroy humanity.
One day, when Mei's host experienced her greatest despair, she emerged—fully awakened and walked into the real world.
She had been ready to accept her purpose.
But then, a white-haired boy stood before her.
His name was Elias.
To Raiden Mei, he was a light in her darkest days. But that had nothing to do with Herrscher Mei.
And yet, she chose not to attack him.
Instead, she gave him a choice:
To kill her for the sake of protecting the world—
Or to choose her, even at the cost of forsaking the world.
Elias chose both. He protected the not-yet-awakened Herrscher Mei from Titan mechs, and at the same time, pleaded with her not to destroy the world.
In that moment—when he embraced her—Herrscher Mei felt something she had never known before.
It felt like her heart truly beat for the first time.
Even when she told Elias she was no longer the timid Mei but the destroyer, the god-sent apostle of ruin, he still chose her.
That choice made her feel... happy.
But soon, panic set in.
Because Elias was still just an ordinary person.
And she—a Herrscher whose very presence corrupted everything around her—had brought him into danger just by being near.
So, Herrscher Mei had made a decision.
She gave up her powers, abandoned her mission, and returned the body to Raiden Mei.
She chose to hide within the Herrscher core, watching Elias silently from within. And just that... made her feel warm.
That should've been enough.
But now—
Elias had restored her powers.
He had placed the crown upon her head once more.
He had brought her back to this world.
And again—stood before her in protection.
"You dare awaken me again. Don't you regret it?"
"How could I, Mei? I told you—I would save you. Both sides of you. And now... I need your strength too, my Queen."
Elias met her violet gaze directly, his eyes filled with sincere joy.
Amid all the fearful gazes cast toward Herrscher Mei, Elias' eyes were, to her, the only light in the darkness.
The queen's lips curled into a stunning smile.
"Very well. I declare that from now on, you belong to me. From this moment forward, tell me what you desire—I'll take it for you. Tell me what you hate—I'll destroy it for you."
"!!!"
What an overwhelmingly domineering queen.
Elias' eyes widened. He hadn't expected Herrscher Mei to say something so bold to him. Compared to her, all those overbearing CEO-type heroines from his past life's novels were utterly outclassed!
(Hiss... damn, I think I'm falling for her.)
Elias felt like he was being completely swept off his feet. Herrscher Mei's affection for him seemed far deeper than he'd imagined. And her way of expressing it? Pure royalty.
"The Third Herrscher actually, actually…"
"Actually fell for that boy?!"
"No way! Herrschers can fall in love with humans?!"
"Oh my god, am I dreaming right now?"
Herrscher Mei's declaration wasn't whispered. There was no girlish shyness—only the commanding voice of a queen, as if she were announcing to the world just how special Elias was to her.
Needless to say, every Valkyrie from St. Freya Academy heard it loud and clear. They all felt like their worldview had been utterly shattered.
A Herrscher in love with a teenage boy?! Not even the most daring of novels would write that!
Forget saving the world—the real crisis was their own single status!
"Phew~ Looks like we won't have to fight. But still… a boy who could win over a Herrscher? Now that's interesting."
Aboard the bridge of the Hyperion—
Wearing her Scarlet Fusion armor, Himeko exhaled in relief and lowered her greatsword, fully charged with energy.
If a Herrscher had learned love, then she clearly still possessed humanity. And if she loved that white-haired boy, then the chances of her wanting to destroy the world were nearly zero. There was no need for battle.
While Himeko relaxed, she couldn't help but turn her gaze to Elias with growing curiosity. And not just her—the other Valkyries on board were just as intrigued.
Meanwhile, on Schicksal's floating island—
Otto, who had been watching via satellite, crushed the wine glass in his hand.
The red wine stained his white gloves, but the overseer of Schicksal was too stunned to care.
"Hahaha, hahahahaha~! Love! She's even learned love?! Unbelievable… completely beyond my calculations. That boy… he's created another miracle."
Otto was ecstatic. It was as if he could already see his long-term plans reaching fruition. He immediately elevated Elias' priority several levels higher.
He'd made up his mind—he had to pair Elias with K423! If anyone could awaken the humanity in K423 when she eventually became a Herrscher, it would be this boy who had charmed even a Herrscher of Thunder.
The mood was becoming strangely harmonious.
Everyone was being force-fed the dog food of Elias and Herrscher Mei's budding romance.
The Valkyries were starry-eyed. Even the Honkai Beasts quieted down.
But in this world, there would always be some fool who didn't know when to quit.
"Now might be the perfect opportunity," someone whispered. "The Herrscher and that boy are too focused on each other. If we launch a surprise attack now, we might take them both down."
Aboard an anti-entropy warship, Cocolia gave the order: full missile barrage.
If Titans had souls, they'd be cursing her family tree right now. But as emotionless machines bound by code, they could only obey.
Countless missiles suddenly streaked through the sky—
All heading straight for Elias and Herrscher Mei.
The sudden strike shocked even the Valkyries of St. Freya and made Otto's expression change dramatically.
"Who the hell has the guts?!" xN
"Pathetic. Such cheap tricks, and you dare flaunt them."
"That fox really doesn't know how to quit."
Elias didn't even need to move. In a flash of lightning, Herrscher Mei appeared before him.
The missiles never had a chance.
The electromagnetic field that accompanied her Herrscher form rendered all electronics within its range completely useless. The missile barrage veered off course, and the few that made it through were easily blocked by her electromagnetic shield.
Cocolia, having little understanding of Herrschers, didn't realize that each possessed unique defensive abilities.
For example, the Herrscher of the Void wielded imaginary barriers, and the Herrscher of Wind had her fluid shields. As someone who once held five Herrscher cores, Elias knew this better than anyone.
To break a Herrscher's shield, one needed power on the same level. A few dozen mech missiles—without even Honkai Fissile Bombs—were nothing but a joke.
"Seems like I need to clean up the trash before we talk properly. These tin cans dared to attack you... Unforgivable."
When Herrscher Mei's gaze moved away from Elias, it turned cold again.
"Mei, avoid harming the others."
"Tch. Fine."
Originally intending to take out the St. Freya Valkyries too, the queen muttered in annoyance, then spoke out coldly.
"If you don't want to die, get on the ground. Now. Or don't blame me if you do."
"Herrscher of Thunder, what are you—EVERYONE GET DOWN! DON'T LOOK UP!!"
As terrifying Honkai energy condensed around her, Teresa gasped and shouted for her Valkyries to take cover.
Herrscher Mei placed her hand on the hilt of her massive blade, assuming an iaido stance. Crimson lightning gathered, drawn to the Herrscher Queen.
Her red armored gauntlets moved in sync—right hand gripping the hilt, left on the sheath. As she drew the blade, both gauntlets mirrored her motion.
"Chidori—Draw Blade!"
With a horizontal slash, Herrscher Mei and the gauntlets struck at once. A wave of scarlet lightning ripped through the battlefield, so fierce it seemed to cleave space itself.
St. Freya's Valkyries narrowly avoided the attack.
But the Titans and Honkai Beasts weren't so lucky.
"No way... just one strike."
"She cut everything in half."
"This is what a Herrscher really is... terrifying."
Everything in the path of the slash was bisected.
Tens of thousands of beasts and hundreds of Titans were sliced cleanly in two. Herrscher Mei had cleared the battlefield with a single strike.
She declared, with blade in hand:
Even if a queen falls in love—
She is still a Herrscher who can destroy the world.
"Clap clap clap~ Mei, that was amazing."
As everyone else stared in shock, Elias beamed and applauded. Finally, he had seen the real Herrscher of Thunder's ultimate move. Compared to the game? Mihoyo had clearly nerfed her into Hello Kitty!
Herrscher Mei's mood brightened at his praise.
"Just a casual strike. No need to make a fuss. But if you'd like to see more... hmm, there are still a few targets left."
She narrowed her eyes at the Valkyries still cowering on the ground.
She never drew her blade without a target.
Just as she was about to swing again, Elias stopped her.
"No, no, that's enough. They're not enemies. They helped us."
"With me here, you don't need anyone else."
"Ahem. Be good. I don't like unnecessary killing."
"Hmph. Fine."
Seeing Elias was serious, Herrscher Mei relented.
The Valkyries of St. Freya let out a collective sigh of relief.
Grateful glances were cast Elias' way.
Their view of Herrscher Mei shifted. Though capable of communication, she was clearly domineering and difficult to approach.
Only that white-haired boy could truly talk to her.
To Herrscher Mei, everyone else might as well be insects.
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