Honkai: Strijder
Chapter 427: Ascending the Steps
At noon, the sun hung high in the sky, releasing intense, scorching light.
Clank! Clank!
Within the inner city encircled by towering walls, the sounds of heavy machinery rang out—deep and weighty, yet not harsh. Instead, they carried a strangely smooth, almost silky rhythm.
Then, enormous elongated slabs of white metal rose one after another into the air, overlapping and aligning in sequence, constructing a colossal stairway that reached toward the heavens.
At the base of the staircase stood its first step—a snow-white foundation over twelve meters tall. Bronya stood there with the Herrscher squad arranged in a vertical formation behind her.
Positioned at the edge of the twelve-meter platform, Bronya calculated the timing of something. Then she slowly raised her hand toward the mechanical legion—far more towering and imposing than even the platform—and made a precise gesture.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Like a vast metallic ocean covering the land, countless heavy mechs shifted formation in unison, their synchronized steps booming into the sky.
Scarlet banners rose one by one, forming a massive emblem of crossed sword and shield across the earth.
Above, aircraft of various sizes circled the heavenly staircase, like birds orbiting the eye of a tornado—or like a flock paying homage to a divine phoenix.
Woooo—
The deep resonance of a bass horn sounded from the sky in steady rhythm.
Soon, a multitude of instruments joined in one after another, performing a stirring martial symphony that seemed to cleanse all directions.
The military march lasted five hundred seconds, symbolizing humanity's fifty-thousand-year history of struggle.
Yet as the music resounded, dark clouds began to gather overhead, and the oppressive tension of an approaching storm descended.
"Hm? The meteorological prediction model indicated clear skies today."
Bronya looked up, her brows slightly furrowed.
At that moment, a wave of heat surged from behind her.
"Calm down. Whether it's sun or rain is but a matter of our will. It won't affect the ceremony. But no one should resort to force today, it may disrupt the scheduled process."
Bronya spoke without turning around.
The crimson glow in Kiana's eyes gradually faded.
"Tch! Blind, useless weather!"
"Don't worry about such trivialities. Just wait. It's about to begin."
Bronya adjusted her already immaculate collar and lightly straightened her military cap, her expression cold and composed.
And just as she had said, the weather alone posed no real problem.
BOOM!!!
Soon, above the dark clouds, three dazzling beams of fire-red, gold, and blue light descended from the heavens, piercing through the mass of clouds and carving out a patch of clear blue sky filled with sunlight.
Fu Hua descended amid crimson flames, holding the radiant golden Xuanyuan Sword in both hands. She landed on the foundation platform, standing beside Bronya, smiling and nodding toward her and the Herrschers.
Otto Apocalypse appeared midway up the heavenly staircase, hands clasped behind his back.
On the second-to-last step—just before the throne—stood Welt, upright like a pine tree, holding the authorization key of the Fourth Divine Key.
The prelude to the ceremony was complete. All who needed to be present had arrived. Many, many people unconsciously held their breath.
Then faint starlight appeared in the air, spreading across the boundless legion, casting interwoven holy white radiance—these were the worker bees, their numbers and scale already transcending quantum states, reaching a subtle level beyond precise conventional measurement. Truly omnipresent. Truly penetrating every gap.
Within the dreamlike luminous canopy, the Emperor's figure materialized upon the foundation platform.
Facing the vast mechanical legion before him, Sigurd stood with hands clasped behind his back.
Then the hive took control of all mech systems. Under Icarus's command, humanity's deepest foundation—the million-strong mech army—knelt on one knee in unison, displaying submission to Sigurd.
The Valkyrie formations interspersed among the legions, led by Rita, also bent their knees in salute to the soon-to-be crowned supreme ruler.
"Ceremonial grandeur, huh…"
Sigurd shook his head slightly, a faint arch to his brow.
It had no real practical meaning, but this process itself carried implications that would otherwise require countless words to express.
Sigurd turned, looking up at the staircase that stretched into the sky, and at the dark clouds that had just dispersed but were now slowly gathering again.
"Would this count as… a congratulatory gift from the Honkai?"
The worker bees were everywhere—naturally, they had already penetrated the clouds that should not have existed in the first place.
What filled the sky was not ordinary storm clouds, but countless black Honkai beasts, as tiny as mosquitoes.
"Today is a great day, and I prefer sunny weather. What do you all think?"
Sigurd pinched a particle of light between his fingers, reading streams of data from it, then cast his gaze toward the assembled Herrscher girls.
"Your Majesty is right. Clear skies are more fitting!"
"We are at Your Majesty's service!"
Kiana and Raiden Mei spoke in unison, and golden flames and violet-black lightning shot into the sky.
As fire and lightning swept across the heavens, Sigurd stepped forward, walking toward the staircase.
When he passed Bronya, his right-hand woman dropped to one knee. Behind her, Wendy, Seele, Ana, and Senti did the same—though the prideful Senti was clearly somewhat reluctant. Still, after prior persuasion from Fu Hua and the Book of Fuxi, she cooperated, if only barely.
"Welcome, Your Majesty!" ×5
"Mm."
Sigurd calmly accepted their kneeling salute. He turned to the smiling Fu Hua and raised the corner of his own lips in response.
He gestured at his attire—a sharp black outfit resembling a modern military uniform. It was neat and perfectly tailored, adorned with refined gold-and-red patterns, with golden ornaments providing the finishing touch of nobility.
"My new clothes. What do you think?"
"They look excellent. In most major cultures, black is associated with solemnity and dignity. As for gold, throughout history it has symbolized nobility. But most importantly, it is you who wears it… My Emperor, Fu Hua, on behalf of the remaining Thirteen Heroes, offers you our loyalty."
Fu Hua held the Xuanyuan Sword in both hands and bowed.
The Xuanyuan Sword—a weighty cornerstone in the cultural origins of Shenzhou.
Within the sword resided Ji Lin's soul. Fu Hua herself had safeguarded Shenzhou for five thousand years, leaving behind countless legendary tales of a demon slaying immortal. In a land where ancestor worship had long flourished, the weight of this one person, one soul, and one sword was as immovable as the Three Sacred Mountains and Five Great Peaks.
Fu Hua's bow represented not only the will of Shenzhou's people to submit, but also the stance of the Heroes.
Sigurd raised his hand and grasped the sword's hilt.
"From this moment on, you will serve me."
—Hummm—
The golden blade let out a long resonant hum, expressing Ji Lin's agreement.
To protect humanity was now Ji Lin's sole remaining obsession. Since Sigurd was the chosen path of contemporary human civilization, she had no reservations.
A faint smile curved at Sigurd's lips.
By now, under the interwoven blaze of flame and lightning, the sky had completely cleared, without the slightest trace of gloom.
Raiden Mei and Kiana reappeared in formation behind Bronya, returning to their positions, and likewise knelt on one knee before Sigurd.
Sigurd frowned slightly. Truthfully, he did not like this kind of distant, rigid ceremony—but he chose to accept it nonetheless, nodding at them before continuing forward.
Arriving before the heavenly staircase, Sigurd lifted his foot and stepped onto the narrow, snow-white stair.
Boom!
A visible ripple spread through the air, carrying with it a profound Honkai energy aura as deep as a bottomless abyss. At the same time, a resonance appeared in the centers of cities across the globe, transmitting the stair's drumlike footstep to the entire world.
Sigurd advanced slowly—one step, one echo—ascending level by level.
<+>
Tn: I updated the story once every 2 days, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Current Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 464: Where Is Himeko?[1]
Link to the current chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/156227801?collection=95348[2]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed[3]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/posts/156227801?collection=95348
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/156227801?collection=95348
[3] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed