"Cecilia?!"
Fu Hua stared in shock at the poised woman before her.
"No, it's me, Luo Lin," Luo Lin said awkwardly, scratching her head with her free hand.
"Uh... I see," Fu Hua responded, her gaze shifting.
Just moments ago, she had seen the woman standing tall after grasping the Black Abyss White Flower, her body tense, her sharp eyes fixed below.
Whether from her demeanor or subtle movements, she was unmistakably "Cecilia," with no trace of Luo Lin in sight...
What's going on?
Luo Lin listened to Abyss' countdown in her earpiece, subconsciously adjusting her state.
Thank you, Abyss Countdown, now I'm prepared for a fight or to get hit whenever I hear a countdown!
"10, 9, 8, 7..."
It was time.
The girl stepped off the transport ship and leaped downward, the fierce wind tousling the long hair of her current body, the sound of whistling filling her ears.
Fu Hua followed Luo Lin's descent, but in her phantasmal state, her movements resembled free flight.
Luo Lin looked up; now, the sky and earth inverted in her eyes. Beneath her feet stretched the vast expanse of the universe, while above her head, the storm clouds gradually enlarged. With a slight movement of her arm, the airflow diverted her from her intended trajectory.
"Cecilia-sama?!"
An urgent voice came through the earpiece. Luo Lin, startled by her own slight movement causing a significant deviation, had a solution ready.
The Moon Ring and the Key of Revelation hairpin were retrieved from the warehouse, their alternating white and golden lights flashing around her. With their assistance, the collapsed Honkai energy surged, propelling her back on course while leaving a meteor-like trail behind her.
Even Lewis, commanding the decoy forces on the ground in Kiel City, could see the meteor plummeting through the storm, its platinum light piercing straight toward the storm's center.
Naturally, the pseudo-Herrscher of Wind also noticed Luo Lin's actions. She raised her head, shouting angrily, "Is this your real plan?! A high-altitude assault—alone?!"
Avrora turned to face her, forming a gun shape with her right hand, her index finger aimed at Luo Lin.
"You're walking into a trap!!!"
A massive amount of Honkai energy coalesced into tangible blue orbs, hurtling toward Luo Lin from all directions.
Gripping the Black Abyss White Flower, Luo Lin squinted, enhancing her Honkai energy once more, making her faster and stronger.
Simultaneously, the stigmata on her back erupted with tremendous energy, memories hidden within them retrieved by the girl. She subtly adjusted her posture, gripping the handle of the Black Abyss White Flower more effectively, injecting Honkai energy into the Divine Key according to the memories within the stigmata. The long spear responded, radiating a crimson light.
Unlike the white of the Moon Ring or the gold of the Key of Revelation, the blood-red light formed a spearhead in front of her, effortlessly piercing the incoming energy orbs, its sharp edge aimed directly at the pseudo-Herrscher!
Avrora's smile stiffened as Luo Lin effortlessly tore through her gathered power, the intense pressure making the pseudo-Herrscher feel a lethal threat.
Taking a deep breath, she abandoned the idea of controlling the storm further, turning and sprinting in a random direction, covering a vast distance in a matter of seconds.
"Hmph, trying to escape?"
The hairpin on Luo Lin's head shimmered, and the Lance of Judah appeared in her free hand. She hurled it fiercely, and in an instant, the spear had reached Avrora.
"Clang!"
The pseudo-Herrscher halted, watching in horror as the lance shattered against her constructed barrier. She belatedly realized that the attack wasn't as exaggerated as she had imagined, a strange smirk forming on her lips.
"Foolish! How could mere humans hope to harm the servant of the gods...?!"
In the light spots after the lance shattered, Avrora felt her Honkai energy suddenly disobedient. In her panic, the pseudo-Herrscher's altitude rapidly declined, nearly plunging her into the sea.
Fortunately, she managed to stabilize herself at the last moment; otherwise, Avrora might have become the first and last pseudo-Herrscher to be killed by her own recklessness.
The platinum meteor curved at an almost right angle, the Valkyrie crossing the storm, leaving behind a sea sliced open by the sharp edge of the Black Abyss White Flower, appearing before Avrora.
"Snap!"
The barrier conjured by the pseudo-Herrscher couldn't withstand even half a second before being pierced by the crimson light. Luo Lin twisted her wrist, thrusting the Black Abyss White Flower into her opponent's body.
"Goodbye!"
The Divine Key erupted with immense energy, and in the blink of an eye, the bewildered Avrora was completely disintegrated, leaving behind a pseudo-Herrscher core riddled with cracks, which disintegrated in the next moment due to energy depletion.
Luo Lin lightly descended onto the sea's surface, using the power of the Black Abyss White Flower to create a small platform made of seaweed. She stood there, gazing at the helicopter approaching from a distance.
"Target: Eliminate the pseudo-Herrscher of Wind, Avrora (Completed √)"
"... I can't hold a candle to Cecilia..."
Luo Lin sighed deeply as she watched the scenery around her change, returning to the white expanse of the system space, a feeling of exhaustion washing over her.
She had used the Moon Ring, as well as the Key of Revelation, and the Abyss Flower had been instrumental. Perhaps the stigmata had also contributed to compensate for some of her deficiencies.
Nevertheless, Luo Lin had still taken three moves to defeat the pseudo-Herrscher.
Keep in mind that Cecilia herself had completed the mission with just one move — descending from the sky, without any other flashy assistance, blocking Avrora's energy blast with one hand, and then piercing her opponent effortlessly with a single spear thrust.
How impressive!
Fu Hua observed Luo Lin's actions, thoughtfully replying, "Indeed, compared to the real Cecilia, you are still too immature... but you did quite well."
Luo Lin shook her head, well aware of her own abilities, and clenched the spear handle with a hint of dissatisfaction... spear handle?
"The Black Abyss White Flower?!"
In shock, Luo Lin almost dropped the object in her hand. Then, almost flying, she hugged the long spear to her chest, rolling on the ground a couple of times before stopping.
She carefully examined the weapon in her hand, noticing the faint golden glow amidst the pure white and slightly purple hue of the Black Abyss White Flower's shaft.
"Is this... a Mimicry Divine Key?!"
Luo Lin touched her golden hairpin, receiving a message that made her stare blankly at the Mimicry Black Abyss White Flower in her hand.
[You've obtained the complete blueprint of the Divine Key, Black Abyss White Flower.]
Unlike the incomplete Mimicry Star of Eden, Oath of Judah, and Fenghuang Down, as long as she wished, she could conjure a Mimicry Divine Key similar to the original Black Abyss White Flower, albeit with a slight golden tint, with slight variations in power and efficiency.
Complete!
It could be divided into the Black Abyss and the White Flower, used to decompose enemies, heal allies, and even when used, it wouldn't bring additional burden to Luo Lin due to being Mimicry!
"What a generous gift..."
Luo Lin closed her eyes, feeling the power transmitted by the stigmata on her back, gracefully dancing the Mimicry Divine Key into a set of sharp spear flowers.
Fu Hua pursed her lips, recalling the seemingly nonsensical journey through the consciousness space where she had encountered the person who greeted her first.
Her figure and the current Luo Lin practicing gradually overlapped.
"... Cecilia..."