Chapitre 6: Chapter 6: This Strike Shall Pierce Through Stars!
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Schicksal Headquarters, Floating Island:
In a lavishly decorated room, a golden-haired man sat leisurely in his chair, holding a stemmed wine glass. The deep crimson liquid swirled gently as he moved the cup, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
The man's gaze remained fixed on the holographic screen before him, displaying footage of a white-haired girl engaged in combat—the very image of Kiana training at the Far East Branch.
In essence, from start to finish, Kiana—or rather, K423—had always been under this man's control.
Footsteps approached, and the sensor-controlled door slid open. A uniformed, white-haired girl wearing yellow glasses entered with a stack of documents in hand.
"Lord Bishop, we've received word from Manila. An outbreak occurred there, and the Snow Lotus Squad stationed in the area has suffered near-total casualties," the girl reported calmly, her voice devoid of any emotion or inflection, akin to a robot. Perhaps it was due to the man's expectations, or perhaps she had simply become desensitized.
"Hm, proceed according to the predetermined plan," the man replied indifferently, showing no further interest in the matter, as if it held little significance.
Indeed, that was the case.
Although the Honkai outbreak in Manila wasn't part of Otto's plans, it hadn't caught him entirely off guard either. As for the Snow Lotus Squad? Their annihilation mattered little to him.
To Otto, Valkyries were much like Anti-Entropy's machinery—merely expendable assets, hardly worth concern.
"Yes, Lord Bishop," responded the white-haired secretary, clutching her documents as she retreated and promptly initiated the requested protocol.
The Snow Lotus Squad was also an elite team, so their total annihilation indicated that their opponent must be at least an Emperor of Honkai—a highly likely Imperial Honkai Beast, though it could potentially be an Archon-level entity.
Following standard procedure, there were now two options: dispatch another elite squad or directly send an S-rank Valkyrie.
Additionally, due to the complete loss of the Valkyrie Squad, local defenses would be insufficient. Therefore, Schicksal would deploy conventional forces as well.
Considering the aforementioned choices, Amber, serving as the bishop's secretary, ultimately decided to send an S-rank Valkyrie.
This decision stemmed from two reasons:
Firstly, coincidentally, there were two idle S-rank Valkyries available at Headquarters. Secondly, one of these S-rank Valkyries was a close friend of the fallen squad's vice-captain.
Yes, Bianka and Ana were friends, although not quite as close as Bianka and Rita. Nonetheless, they had trained together and fought side by side as comrades.
Upon learning that Bianka had returned to Headquarters, Ana even wrote to her reminiscing about old times.
However, due to this reason, Amber refrained from disclosing the full extent of Manila's situation to Bianka. Soon after, Bianka embarked on her mission...
In Manila, at the epicenter of the Honkai outbreak.
Ana, wielding her blood spear, steadily approached the massive Honkai Beast dominating the area. Its appearance resembled Parvati, known as the Ice Pig.
Parvati was also an Imperial Honkai Beast, defeated by B-rank Valkyrie Theresa during that time.
But everyone aware knew how inflated Theresa's rank truly was. With her MANTIS physiology and the Key of Binding, even in the previous civilization era, she could effortlessly crush Imperial Honkai Beasts; taking down Archon-level beasts wouldn't be an issue either.
You might ask about Nihility-class? Come on, it was Theresa's first battle, not yet possessing the combat prowess expected of a Heroic Spirit.
Compared to Parvati, the beast before Ana seemed noticeably more frenzied. The surrounding region had already turned into scorched earth, and its energy continued to surge.
This creature's strength appeared no less than Parvati's, so for now, let's call it Durga.
Facing Durga, Ana showed no fear, directly charging forward with her lance. As someone possessing the first generation's holy blood, in a sense, she was akin to a Herrscher herself.
The key difference lies in their energy sources: Herrschers possess inexhaustible power, continuously drawing Honkai Energy from the Imaginary Tree through their Cores. In contrast, Ana's Honkai Energy has a finite limit.
To illustrate, both Ana and a Herrscher can be likened to water pools, with similar rates of replenishment. However, while Ana's pool is akin to an actual pond, a Herrscher's pool resembles the vast ocean. Despite this, for short bursts of output, Ana does not fall behind an initial-state Herrscher.
Furthermore, unless facing an Archon-level Honkai Beast, a standard Herrscher effortlessly outclasses other Honkai Beasts in terms of power output.
Sensing Ana's approach, Durga roared, then condensed its form into a massive fireball, enveloped by a protective shell of flames.
This move was reminiscent of Parvati's signature attack in the game, further indicating that Durga closely resembled Parvati, albeit with flame-based attacks even more terrifying than ice.
Transforming into a blazing fireball, Durga bounced upwards like a sphere before hurtling directly towards Ana.
With her gaze focused, Ana raised her crimson riding lance. Blood-red patterns intertwined behind her, overlaying the artificial Stigma and forming a radiant, scarlet Stigma.
Due to the unique nature of House Schariac, its members did not possess innate Stigmata; instead, their power had transformed into holy blood integrated within their lineage long ago.
To enhance their combat capabilities, warriors of the Schariac family still underwent transplantation with artificial Stigmata. This granted them superior talents and greater strength compared to ordinary Valkyries.
If a familiar Captain from another world were to witness this blood-red Stigma, they would likely recognize it as the Herrscher of Ice's set.
The selection process for Herrschers in Honkai is largely predetermined. Although past events from the previous civilization introduced some variations, without these disruptions, under the constraints of Herrscher authority, most future Herrschers would remain unchanged.
In a sense, Ana was destined to become the Herrscher of Ice.
As for Chen Tianwu... it's unclear. There isn't much information about the Herrscher of Stars from the previous civilization, so we cannot determine if the previous Herrscher of Stars resembled him.
"Haah—"
With a loud cry, Ana hurled her lance forward. Just as she released it, immense Honkai Energy surged from within her into the weapon, causing the lance to glow with a dazzling red light.
In an instant, like a streak piercing the sun, the lance charged with unstoppable momentum towards Durga, coiled and ready.
Even Ana unconsciously held her breath, unsure of the true power contained in this strike. Perhaps, it could even pierce through celestial bodies?
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone