The Husk - Nihilism dashed across the desert, moving so fast that the black wheels on its feet even sparked against the sand.
Luo Lin, seeing this opening move, instinctively prepared to fly aside—the initial straight-line charge of Nihilism was too strong and powerful. Even many people in Honkai Impact 3rd couldn't handle it properly.
And now, Luo Lin was facing this guy with ADHD and mania with her own body. Apart from desperately dodging, she couldn't think of any other way for a moment.
However, a dark shadow blocked in front of Luo Lin, and the next moment, a loud clang came from there—
Durandal rode her own warhorse, holding a blue-black spear, and the spear's shaft actually forcibly intercepted the charge of Nihilism halfway with the clock-shaped black greatsword!
The golden-haired knight exerted force on her hands, pushing away Nihilism's weapon, and swiftly stabbed her own weapon into its black body.
With an angry shout, Durandal even lifted Nihilism from the ground with her spear. The horse beneath the girl neighed, its front hooves raised high, kicking at the body of Nihilism impaled by the spear.
With a harsh creaking sound, Nihilism fell somewhat embarrassedly into the dust, half kneeling, using its greatsword to block Durandal's next attack.
"This is... susceptible to being knocked down? No, susceptibility should mean no resistance at all... and this is reality..."
Due to the impact brought by Durandal intercepting Nihilism as a "traffic cop", Luo Lin's mind was in chaos, but she still quickly raised her gun and entered the battle. The tense atmosphere made the girl subconsciously aim at the enemy and pull the trigger.
Bullets avoided the body of the golden-haired knight, hitting the black body of Nihilism with unpredictable Edge of Taixuan tinged bullets.
Then, sharp light and shadow blossomed from the point of impact. With a piercing cutting sound, tiny but noticeable marks were left on Nihilism's body, and faint golden spots representing imaginary power flowed out from these gaps, dissipating into the air.
"—!"
Nihilism suddenly stood up, its greatsword slashing golden torrents in the air, accompanied by mechanical ticking sounds like clockwork, kicking up a shower of red gravel.
Durandal clamped her legs and controlled her mount, agilely dodging the black greatsword's slash. Such skill could be called one with horse and rider.
After temporarily forcing the golden-haired knight back, the wheels under Nihilism's feet reversed, creating some distance for itself. The black and gold-colored monster folded its greatsword into its arm, and the huge golden dial, centered on it, unfolded along the red desert.
"Boom!"
Durandal swung her blue-black spear, breaking through the shockwave created by Nihilism's charge, and drove her mount directly towards the opponent!
But, at this moment, her opponent had split into two figures, Nihilism and the separated Nihilism Shadow, sliding towards Durandal from both sides!
"Stop the physical monster! I'll take care of the shadow!" Luo Lin shouted loudly.
The golden-haired knight did as she was told, raising her gun to block the main body of Nihilism, and the black greatsword clashed with the long spear, creating dazzling flashes!
The Nihilism Shadow didn't even intend to sandwich Durandal with the main body. It charged straight at Luo Lin—
"Am I some kind of peppermint to you!" Luo Lin dodged the first wave of attacks and began to curse at this semi-transparent giant shadow.
Ai-chan's Pro Tip: Quickly destroying the Nihilism Shadow can weaken the Nihilism greatly, causing the boss to take significantly increased damage at this time.
So, how do you destroy the Nihilism Shadow?
—High-frequency attacks or Stun-type attributes!
Luo Lin reached into the system warehouse and pulled out a string of plasma grenades. Honkai filled bullets left long, narrow cut marks on the semi-transparent Nihilism Shadow's body.
Since she didn't know which version of this boss she was facing, Luo Lin decided to cover all her bases. Under the dazzling plasma and the stable output of flames from the assault rifle, the Nihilism Shadow hadn't had time to make a few moves before the girl blasted it into oblivion.
As the semi-transparent shadow disappeared, the main body of Nihilism seemed to be stuck in a shell, weakly kneeling on the ground.
"Alright!"
Durandal smiled, then, the golden-haired knight pulled the reins, and a vast amount of energy gathered on Midnight Ataegina, condensing into a tangible form.
That entity swirled and flowed like crimson blood.
Just like Cecilia during the Second Honkai Eruption when she faced a rain of missiles, raising the Spear to the sky.
The girl bent down, raising her long spear, and Krishna neighed. Her powerful limbs moving rapidly, stirring up billowing dust behind her.
Accompanied by a sharp buzz, the golden field enveloped a large area around the Nihilism..
—It wants to summon the Nihilism Shadow again!
But Durandal was just too fast. She turned into bright light and shadow, and the blood-red spear tore through the stance!
"Krishna-!!"
The black monster was blasted away, falling to the ground. A spherical shield covered its body, and a huge energy dial suddenly appeared, accompanied by a bunch of small gears falling from the sky, pushing Durandal away.
The golden-haired knight quickly rushed back, but the girl was surprised to find that her long spear phased through the opponent's body, as if it were hidden in the gap of the imaginary space, similar to the Herrscher of the Void.
Durandal tightened her grip on the long spear. She had done the trick of using strength to overcome skill before. Now that the girl had mastered a completely new power, puncturing a gap was just a matter of a little time and effort.
Luo Lin looked at the spinning gears expressionlessly and took out two submachine guns.
"Clang clang!"
"Crack!"
A few seconds later, the gears were shattered by the onslaught of Honkai bullets, and the golden protective shield dissipated into nothingness with a crisp sound, and Nihilism returned to the real world.
High-frequency? I am using high-frequency!
"Well done!" Durandal accumulated a huge amount of energy. She stretched her arms and, like a skilled butcher, the long spear flipped up and down, instantly turning Nihilism into scattered pieces.
Finally, the cold will controlling the space returned again. There was a hint of confusion and apology in its tone: "I'm sorry... I don't know why Nihilism suddenly broke free from my control... but you have resolved it, which is good."
"I thought this was another one of your enhanced trials." Durandal shook her head.
The will of the Stigmata Space remained silent for a long time. Just when Durandal thought it was going to pull another stunt, a huge gray homu fell down, tumbling into the sand like an onion.
"?"
The Homu pulled itself out of the ground, completely disregarding its embarrassed appearance just now, and exclaimed excitedly, "You really passed that trial! You've transcended the fate of Deliverance and ascended to 'Equinox' as a human!"
Durandal was taken aback for a moment, then smiled softly, "I didn't achieve all this by myself..."
"I know, but that doesn't negate your personal efforts!" The gray puppet shook a few times, "Although I am just a insignificant fragment of personality now, I know that a person named 'Siegfried' will surely be thrilled by what you have done!"
The golden-haired knight stared at the other party. "It seems you've regained your memories."
"After all, you passed the trial of the Stigmata and reset the surrounding space." The gray Homu scratched its head somewhat embarrassedly, "I will eventually return to my true self... Although by then, he might consider this memory as an extremely vague dream."
"..."
Durandal gripped the handle of her long spear, looking somewhat disheartened.
"Don't be sad. Actually... this is the depths of the imaginary space, but it's also a place where spaces interact in marvelous ways." The gray Homu paused and said, "With my ability, I can transmit information from the other side to you unidirectionally—anyway, this is the obligation I should try my best to fulfill for you."
The girl realized the meaning of its words, holding her breath.
The gray Homu took a step forward, touching Durandal's palm. The girl's vision transcended the obstacles of space and saw the father she longed for, connected by blood.
Siegfried Kaslana.
"Cecilia... Kiana... why are you smiling at me..."
He was fixed in the pink stance like a criminal, eyes closed tightly, murmuring to himself.
"Clearly, I'm the one who killed you..."
Durandal felt a sourness in her nose, a surge of impulse rising from her heart.
"No! Mr. Siegfried! Your biological daughter..." the girl shouted loudly, "She's still alive! She's right here!!"
"This is a one-way communication... he won't hear anything we say..."
"I understand... of course... I understand." Durandal pursed her lips, "It's just that I need to tell myself..."
"Someday, I will let him know—that many regrets in his life were just misunderstandings of fate!"
The gray homu and Durandal looked at each other in silence.
But at this moment, Siegfried suddenly lifted his head as if sensing something. He opened his eyes, looking into the distance with his blue eyes.
"It seems like I've had that dream again..."
"Kiana... the sister who inherited your name, she shouldn't have disappointed you, right?"
No, she's doing very well, making the name 'Kiana Kaslana' shine brightly...
"Haha, at times like this, I'll pretend someone is listening..."
"If Cecilia and you are still alive... then now, I should be content with myself and accept fate's arrangement calmly, right?"
Siegfried looked around, surveying the cage that had imprisoned his desires.
"But... it's not me, but you, who have left like a true Kaslana..." He gritted his teeth, "So, I must cheer myself up... even though I know the hope is slim... I must keep telling myself..."
"I must leave this place."
"I must return to that child's side and tell her in person that I'm fine."
The voice from afar abruptly ceased, and soon, the weathered but still optimistic face disappeared from the girl's sight.
Durandal covered her mouth, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"It seems I can only persist until here... Soon, I'll return to my original place, and you'll soon find the way back to the real world, right?"
The gray puppet emitted a bright light, its form gradually becoming transparent.
"But if possible, I hope... I can still be your family, to guard your path forward. To witness the brilliance of your life in the future..."
"Whoosh—"
A gust of wind swept through the crimson desert, dispersing the form of the Homu and blowing the last gift it left into the girl's hands.
It was a photo, weathered by time but as fresh as new.
In the photo, there was a man and her daughter, time frozen in the moment of their familial bliss.
Durandal took a deep breath.
"Anyway, I will definitely find you together with Kiana—"
"Our father."
In the serene depths of this imaginary space, the girl looked up at the starless sky.
She knew that there was still a real battle waiting for her to join.
Durandal raised Gnius and began to search for the way back to the real world.
Just then, an incoming communication arrived timely.
"Rita, is that you?"
"Of course, Lady Durandal! Are you okay? Have you encountered any danger?" Rita's voice sounded anxious from the Gnius.
The girl's mood improved slightly, replying, "I'm fine, sorry for worrying you..."
"Whew... as long as you're okay." Rita let out a sigh, returning to calm and elegance, "So—next, does Lady Durandal need Rita to report the current situation?"
"Yeah, please."
------------------------------------------
"Archbishop Theresa..."
Carole was lying on the railing of the Hyperion, watching as the current Overseer of Schicksal gradually moved away.
Theresa Apocalypse held the Key of Binding: Oath of Judah, gazing at the Grace Field's light curtain shrouding the church not far away. In the golden light, her young face seemed somewhat pale.
Previously, Bronya Zaychik had once again delved deeper into understanding the core of her own Herrscher identity, which was supposed to be a life-threatening attempt. With the help of the Adult Bronya and Welt from another timeline, it became safe.
Herrscher Bronya Zaychik successfully gained further power, then constructed multiple Moonlight Thrones to bombard the barrier, breaking through the rapidly regenerating light curtain.
Just when everyone thought it was a success, dense clusters of Nihilus seeds appeared out of thin air, and floating gears filled the sky.
Dr. Tesla immediately recognized that this was the Absolute Forbidden Zone she had witnessed in the second collapse, activated by Theresa Apocalypse with Judah: Level 0th Output, which was previously risky.
—Elysion Pedion - Grace Field Expansion
If the previous light curtain suppressed human and honkai energy, then the Godly Grace Barrier was an absolute forbidden zone of equal treatment for all living beings, where all leaked honkai energy would be nullified, and life would perish due to the loss of bioelectrical voltage in a very short time.
At this moment, Theresa remembered the "reverse interference" phenomenon researched by Dr. Einstein and others before, and finally decided to use Oath of Judah, initiate the Level 0 Output, and neutralize it with the same authority and the Grace Field to cancel it out.
Adam couldn't help but ask, "Can the Overseer really hold on..."
"Don't worry, Theresa isn't as fragile as you think." Bronya Zaychik crossed her arms, looking at the white figure, "You should have fought against Overseer Theresa during St. Freya's combat training. Believe in Theresa's ability."
"Yeah..."
Welt stared at the scene, couldn't help but tug on his tie, "You guys went through so much in Schicksal, huh?"
Adult Bronya blinked, "Mr. Welt, didn't you also listen to the battle report later? Why are you so surprised?"
"Reports are reports... seeing it with my own eyes is another matter..."
The man felt the palpable fluctuations gradually unfolding from the front, so he observed more carefully.
"Overseer..."
Compared to the group of Adult Bronya and Welt from the parallel world, who had a certain degree of confidence in their hearts, the people on board the Hyperion appeared particularly restless.
Kiana clenched her fists, wishing she could rush over to replace her aunt in doing things.
"Detecting Honkai energy fluctuations..." Dr. Tesla held onto the armrest of his chair, "The Hyperion's Honkai Engine is affected by the Grace Field, and its output is decreasing. The backup energy can only ensure our safe landing..."
Herrscher Bronya muttered, "It has begun."
...
Theresa gazed at the golden cross, reaching out to gently touch its glowing surface.
"Judah, my old friend... You've always been omnipotent... So, help me one last time."
[Oath of Judah: Level 0 Output]!
"Grace Field, deploy directionally!"
Judah's barrier accurately struck the imaginary seeds in the air, causing a chain reaction that deprived the floating gears of all power, gradually decomposed and, dispered, as it collapsed.
The power of binding lost its effectiveness, and the church, which harbored sin, finally had no more barriers protecting it. Theresa successfully prevented the spread of the Grace Field, and the power of binding no longer existed.
But facing the mutual collision of binding powers, Theresa was already seriously injured at this point. Her body completely became numb and allowed herself to fall from the sky.
Just then, a white light pierced through the clouds, descending from the sky, enveloping Theresa's body. She fell into warm and solid arms, and in a daze, Theresa felt as if she had returned to a long time ago.
"Cecilia..."
"Sorry, I was delayed a bit... Senior Theresa."
Durandal rode on Krishna, holding Theresa's small body in her arms, whispering softly.
"Wah! Overseer Theresa, you're okay!"
Timido, seeing this scene, was so excited she almost cried.
And what Adam was more concerned about was the figure that appeared with Durandal: "Captain, isn't that Miss Luo Lin?"
Following Adam's pointing direction, Bronya saw Luo Lin leaning behind Durandal, with Theresa, a total of three people squeezed on Krishna.
However, her complexion seemed to be full of pain..
"...Indeed."
Carole raised her binoculars, asking anxiously, "I remember Senior Luo Lin was still injured. Is her expression worsening due to her injuries?"
"Carole... uh, it's probably okay with just Durandal sitting alone. But squeezing one more person behind...," Bronya's expression was subtle. As if remembering something very painful.
"...It will easy to get a sore butt..."