Bronya wasn't oblivious to the potential trap.
But she hadn't been concerned. After all, she was the Herrscher of Reason.
Any schemes or tricks were meaningless against true power.
But…
As the dark gold metal box thrown by Grey Serpent drew closer, a sense of unease washed over her.
She instinctively raised her guard, summoning Project Bunny to shield her, gaining a momentary sense of security.
Beep, beep~
A crisp sound emanated from the box. It slowly unfolded, emitting a faint red glow, an invisible force spreading outwards.
And the result was—
"Aagh—!"
A scream of pain tore from Bronya's throat, faint electrical arcs dancing around her.
"Even easier than expected."
"Wh-What did you do?!" Bronya, sprawled on the ground, looked up at Grey Serpent, gritting her teeth. A wave of panic washed over her. The connection to her Herrscher powers… it was gone. She couldn't feel them, couldn't access them.
In other words—she was just an ordinary person.
This had been a sure win. How had it gone so wrong?
Regret. That was Bronya's dominant emotion.
If only she'd been more cautious…
"Unfortunately, I don't have the time, nor the inclination, to explain the intricacies of this device to you, Miss Bronya."
"Surrender."
"In your dreams," Bronya spat, pushing herself up.
The Rod of Underworld suppressed Herrscher powers, but it didn't affect her base abilities. She could still control Project Bunny and use some Taixu Sword Qi techniques.
But without her Herrscher powers, even her modified Project Bunny reverted to its original form. With just a basic Project Bunny and her half-baked Taixu Sword Qi, she was, at best, on par with an A-rank Valkyrie.
Against Stan, who was stronger than Rita… it was a suicide mission.
She was swiftly defeated. Game over screen.
Bronya has… lost… again…
"Meow~ (Weren't you all high and mighty just now?)" Project Bunny, radiating resentment, was swatted away by Stan, sent back to the Sea of Quanta. Stan loomed over Bronya, who lay on the ground, face covered in dust, her expression a mask of frustration.
"Meow~ (What happened to all that arrogance? Come on, show me what you've got!)"
"Meow~ (That's it. That's the expression I wanted to see.)"
"Meow~ (This is what you get for messing with me.)"
"Alright, let's go. Things are almost ready on the other side." Grey Serpent stopped Stan's tormenting. He turned to a cloaked figure that had appeared silently—Raven. "Keep an eye on her, Raven."
World Serpent had deliberately lured out the Herrscher of Reason to prevent her from interfering with their plan.
They'd used Stan as bait.
Though they had the Rod of Underworld , a powerful anti-Herrscher weapon, dealing with a prepared Herrscher was still difficult.
With their Sovereign still… indisposed… World Serpent lacked the high-end combat power to directly confront a Herrscher.
But to their surprise, the Herrscher of Reason had taken the bait so easily, even getting hit by the Rod of Underworld… Pathetic.
Though they'd captured the Herrscher of Reason with unexpected ease, they couldn't simply extract her core. They had to consider the Sovereign's relationship with the Herrscher of Reason. They couldn't risk harming her too much.
So, they had Raven babysit her.
"No problem, I'll keep a very close eye on her." Raven smiled sweetly. Once Grey Serpent was gone, she approached Bronya, who was tied up like a pretzel. "Well, well, well… look who's fallen into my hands."
Slap!
Bronya was about to speak, but the sharp sting and the unexpected intimacy of the slap made her cheeks burn. "Raven! What are you doing?!"
"Hmm…"
Raven paused, considering. If this was him, he'd probably call her 'Natasha,' wouldn't he?
No, wait. Maybe he's just pretending!
You think you can fool me?
Think I won't hit you just because you're pretending?
Take this!
…Hmm, that felt… surprisingly good…
Raven savored the feeling, noticing Bronya's crimson cheeks.
…Wait a minute… could this be the real Bronya?
Having not seen Jiang Qiao in Bronya's body before, Raven hadn't considered this possibility. She scrutinized Bronya, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind.
If this is the real deal… I just slapped the wrong person…
Though it wasn't a big deal, admitting it would be embarrassing. Could she really explain to Bronya, "Sorry, wrong person. That was meant for someone else"?
Unwilling to face the awkwardness, Raven quickly made up her mind. Real or fake, you're the fake now!
As long as I don't admit it, I didn't make a mistake!
Besides… it felt kind of nice…
Is that how it felt when he slapped me? She unconsciously recalled the sensation, feeling a strange… awakening.
…
The Elizabeth Tower, also known as Big Ben, stood tall beside the Thames, arguably the most famous landmark in the country.
"I didn't expect it to be this easy." The telescope in her hand dissolved into particles of light. The white-haired girl wearing a sunhat sighed. "I thought Bronya would have leveled up a bit in Elysium."
This, of course, was Jiang Qiao, using Kiana's body, having fled the scene. Gathering intel from various sources, they had chosen this country as their next destination.
But instead of rushing into action, they decided to enjoy the sights of London. …Consider it a little vacation. After all that good samaritan work… though the physical exhaustion was left behind with that body, the mind needs rest too.
They were aware of Bronya's situation.
But to avoid tipping them off, they'd chosen to observe from afar, intervening only if necessary.
That being said, Bronya's 'spectacular performance' left them speechless.
…Hopefully, this will be a learning experience…
Leaning against the railing of Big Ben, Jiang Qiao gazed at the calm reflection of the Thames, their enhanced senses detecting a spatial anomaly above the river—the Second Divine Key, the Key of Infinity, Cosmic Juggernaut, was stored there.
It had lain dormant since Kevin's sealing and Su's self-imposed exile in the Sea of Quanta, until Jiang Qiao had retrieved them. That must have been what alerted Schicksal and led them here.
They had no need for the Second Divine Key. With this body, when it came to manipulating Imaginary space, 'Kiana' was confident she was far superior to the rigid Cosmic Juggernaut.
As for World Serpent… they didn't really need the Key either. They simply didn't want the Sovereign's belongings falling into the wrong hands.
The only one who truly desired the Second Divine Key was probably that old geezer at Schicksal.
Should they intervene? From a purely adversarial standpoint, disrupting Schicksal's plans seemed like the logical choice. But after some thought, they decided against it.
Whether for the sake of stability, or their own personal goals, or perhaps even a grudging respect for that man, there was no need to intercept the Key.
After all—without the Cosmic Juggernaut, Otto, with his personality, would simply find another way to achieve his objectives.
Just like that old geezer had said back at Kolosten…
Without options, he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice the entire world to fulfill his desires.
It just so happened that back then, Otto Apocalypse had a better option—a path that was better for himself, for the world, and for the one he loved.
Restricting his choices would only make things worse.
Though they could handle the fallout, if things could be simpler, why complicate them?
They didn't know the full extent of World Serpent and Schicksal's plans in this game.
But—
"That doesn't mean I can't control the board." A smile played on their lips as they clenched their hand.
An invisible wave of Honkai energy spread outwards, causing ripples in the air above the Thames.
Durandal, having used Schicksal's influence to secure her release from police custody, raised an eyebrow. Her Schariac bloodline gave her an innate sensitivity to Honkai energy manipulation. Coupled with her Kaslana resistance and years of rigorous training as an S-rank Valkyrie, she easily detected the unusual energy fluctuation.
The blonde girl, stepping off the train, paused in surprise. The next moment, a series of numbers flickered in her eyes, and her expression lit up with excitement.
Jackal, standing on a grassy knoll, talking to Katherine, the director of the British Museum, her jackal mask concealing her features, felt a flicker of annoyance.
With the Honkai escalation, to welcome back their Sovereign, Serpent had to awaken from its slumber. Learning from past failures, World Serpent had invested heavily in this operation.
Their goal was to obtain the Herrscher cores to replenish the Sovereign's depleted energy and provide a beacon for his return from the Sea of Quanta.
And the Key of Infinity… it couldn't fall into the wrong hands.
So, while pursuing the Gem of Serenity, they were also countering Schicksal's attempts to find the Second Divine Key.
They had just dealt with the Herrscher of Reason sent by Anti-Entropy, eliminating the biggest threat. They were planning their next move against Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie when—this unexpected energy surge appeared!
"What's going on?"
"There's an unidentified Herrscher in the city. The spatial defenses concealing the Second Divine Key have been disrupted. They won't hold much longer," Grey Serpent's raspy, ominous voice came through the comms, laced with unease.
Not this again… Honestly, he was getting tired of dealing with Herrschers.
Every time one appeared, it meant trouble.
"Which Herrscher?"
"Unknown."
Though World Serpent had records of almost every Herrscher—besides the Herrscher of Reason, currently in their custody, the rest should be in Elysium with their Sovereign. But with Elysium's isolation, he couldn't determine which one had suddenly appeared and was causing trouble.
"Perhaps the Herrscher of Ice," Grey Serpent speculated.
Besides the Herrscher of Reason, the Herrscher of Ice, who had recently appeared in Manila, was also outside World Serpent's monitoring network. According to their intel, Anti-Entropy had taken her, but even after thoroughly infiltrating Anti-Entropy, they hadn't found any trace of her.
"I don't care which Herrscher it is. Find her and eliminate her!" Jackal snapped, her voice laced with frustration.
Damn Herrschers… think you're so special? Eat a Rod of Underworld and go back to sleep!
"That's not a problem. I can notify Raven. But… what about Schicksal?" Grey Serpent's voice was laced with concern.
Their biggest problem wasn't the unknown Herrscher. They had the Rod of Underworld.
But this Herrscher's actions had completely disrupted their plans.
With this energy fluctuation, Schicksal, who weren't idiots, would definitely notice the anomaly above the Thames. And indeed, the strange ripples in the air were already attracting attention from locals and tourists.
It wouldn't be long before Schicksal, with their European headquarters, deployed reinforcements.
Their original plan was no longer feasible.
World Serpent couldn't afford a direct confrontation with Schicksal.
Even with their superior technology and hidden assets, when it came to raw power, Schicksal was the undisputed leader of the three factions, far outstripping the others.
"Then we don't wait. Activate the Herrscher core!"
World Serpent, inheriting pre-civilization knowledge, possessed various advanced technologies, including 'artificial Honkai eruptions.' Driven by desperation, Jackal made the call.
They would administer the artificial Honkai eruption serum, create a Judgment-class Honkai beast, and use its Honkai energy to forcefully activate the dormant Herrscher core, triggering a major Honkai eruption.
Though crude and risky, it was their best option.
There were potential complications, of course. The impact on the populace, unforeseen consequences… It had only been tested in theory. They didn't know if it would work in practice.
They could take the Gem of Serenity and flee, trying again in another city.
But delays were dangerous. After so many failures, World Serpent couldn't afford to take that risk.
What if another unknown Herrscher appeared and stole the core?
Haunted by past failures, World Serpent chose decisive action.
Grey Serpent agreed.
He looked at Dr. Magi, who was holding the container with the Gem of Serenity.
"Why have we stopped?" the old man asked, a mixture of impatience and suspicion in his voice.
He'd made a deal with World Serpent—they would transfer him and the core to a secure base.
Besides helping him escape Schicksal, they would also fund his research.
—Unlike his initial motivation, though guilt-ridden over his granddaughter's death, World Serpent had used something else to entice him.
What was the most tempting thing for a researcher?
More knowledge.
World Serpent's pre-civilization knowledge was an irresistible lure for Dr. Magi.
There, he could not only gain access to advanced knowledge but also continue his research on the Gem of Serenity—even his granddaughter's death hadn't completely extinguished his obsession.
After all, he'd invested so much, lost so much, even his own granddaughter. To give up now… it would all have been for nothing.
To prevent his life's work from becoming meaningless, Dr. Magi hoped World Serpent could provide a 'safer' method to continue his research.
—He'd believed Jackal's promises.
"There's no need to go any further." A hint of amusement laced Grey Serpent's raspy voice.
"What?"
"Hmm… you…" Before Dr. Magi could react, a mechanical hand clamped around his throat.
"Doctor, your desire seems to be completing the Gem of Serenity experiment. In that case, why don't you contribute to its awakening personally?" A sinister serum was injected directly into Dr. Magi's neck, Grey Serpent's voice sickeningly sweet.
Honestly, using him as the catalyst wasn't ideal. An ordinary person, especially a frail old man, would significantly reduce the serum's effectiveness. The resulting Honkai beast might not even reach Emperor-class.
Grey Serpent didn't care about bodies. He could easily acquire a new one.
But as a unique individual among the Grey Serpents, he had little fondness for this man. Plus, there were no other Grey Serpent units on the British Isles. Replacing this body would take time. So, from an efficiency and value standpoint, using Dr. Magi as a sacrifice to awaken the Gem was the optimal choice.
If the efficiency was too low, he'd simply inject more serum. World Serpent didn't need a powerful Honkai beast. They just needed it to activate the Gem of Serenity.
If anything, it was a bit of a waste, using so much serum on a dying old man… Tsk.
Bang!
Grey Serpent watched impassively as Dr. Magi collapsed, clutching his throat, Honkai energy patterns spreading across his body as he convulsed in agony. He then shot the box containing the Herrscher core. The leaking Honkai energy would further catalyze the transformation.
"I look forward to your performance, Doctor," he said, his raspy voice a chilling mix of politeness and menace.