While Siegfried and Rita were talking, the Hyperion in the sky finally made a move.
A fiery red figure plummeted from the warship like a meteor!
"Major Himeko!" The intelligence officer's voice rang in her ear. "The Erdtree has been identified by drones; it's a phantom! You can safely enter!"
"But the Honkai Energy readings inside are terrifying. Your body... plus that battlesuit, I doubt you can hold out for long!"
"I know," Himeko adjusted her trajectory with death-defying resolve, plunging toward the ME Corp rooftop. "Record all my data. Do not miss a single detail!"
"Yes!" The intelligence officer's voice carried a hint of a sob.
She knew that once Himeko went in, she likely wouldn't be coming back.
According to the intelligence, she had to face the Herrscher of Thunder alone under the erosion of Honkai Energy and with limited power... it was no different from a suicide mission.
The Valkyrie serving as the intelligence officer was her student; a large portion of the Valkyries on the warship had graduated from St. Freya.
They listened to Himeko's final instructions with tears in their eyes as they began their airborne deployment one after another.
Himeko had her mission, and they had theirs.
"Sigh, still arrived too early," Xia Yu sighed as she watched the meteor falling from the Hyperion. "If I had known, I wouldn't have let Rita leave so easily."
As for now... she had to think about how to play this out.
Ever since she discovered this world was Honkai Impact 3rd, she had started laying her plans.
Bit by bit, through various unintentional ways, she hinted at her identity.
Especially to Rita.
This was a bait.
A bait intended for Otto.
She just didn't know if he would bite.
Acheron's power was certainly formidable and could easily speed-run through the Honkai, but she couldn't stay forever.
Even if she went to duel the Cocoon alone and shattered it, then what? Without the Cocoon, would the monsters of the outside world decrease?
She would eventually have to leave. When that time came, what would be the fate of an Earth without her among the turbulent stars?
Rather than giving a man a fish and then leaving, Xia Yu preferred to teach him how to fish.
An Earth without Kiana would be a prime target; don't forget, this was a world of the tree and the sea!
Why didn't so many civilizations in Honkai: Star Rail explore the tree and the sea? Was it because they didn't want to?
In this universe, climbing the tree was a power belonging to the Aeons; only they could do it. An Emanator might discover or research it, but how many such high-level units existed in the entire universe?
How difficult was it for various once-flourishing civilizations to explore the tree and the sea? Just look at the research of the Intelligentsia Guild and the geniuses; rather than the tree and the sea, they were mostly studying the universe they lived in.
Why didn't they study the tree and the sea? Was it because they didn't want to?
But look at Earth.
To tell a joke, Seele could punch open the Sea of Quanta with three hits.
It was the existence of the Cocoon that allowed Earth, or the Solar System, to easily touch the tree and the sea. If you mentioned someone like Otto rushing the tree to the outside world, even an Emanator would be silenced.
In the outside world, the tree was not so easily reached. Without the Cocoon, they couldn't imagine a person who wasn't even an Emanator reaching the Imaginary Tree.
The Cocoon of Finality was no simple thing. Although Earth's research on the tree and the sea was shallow, it was enough to make many jaws drop in the outside world!
Acheron's power might allow her to walk tall in the Solar System, but in the Honkai: Star Rail universe filled with monsters... although she was strong, she wasn't invincible.
So, cast a long line to catch a big fish.
Otto, let's see if you take the bait!
She narrowed her eyes, continuing to bite Mei's neck, comfortably absorbing Honkai Energy.
"Aunt," Mei's voice suddenly took on a very Queen-like tone. "Someone is coming, do you want me to..."
"No, Mei, you go back first," Xia Yu hurriedly stopped her. "Let the other Mei come out."
"From now on, you all listen to me, understood?"
"Okay, Aunt," Mei's voice instantly softened, saying weakly, "I understand."
Just then, the fiery red meteor finally passed through the golden tree and crashed onto the rooftop.
Xia Yu quickly bit into Mei's neck, taking a deep breath, and then released the Power of Nihility's control over the Honkai Energy, allowing herself to almost merge with the dense energy.
"Hey! Who goes there! State your name!" Seeing this, Kiana picked up her baseball bat and stood on guard!
Bronya also summoned Project Bunny, its dark cannon muzzle pointed at the crash site.
"Oh, there are actually living people here?" Himeko stepped out from the dust carrying Godslayer: Surtr, scanning the area. "Two... no, three little girls, and..."
She looked at Acheron, who looked exactly like Raiden Mei in the intelligence reports but was currently biting the former's neck, and a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes.
"Herrscher of Thunder..." Himeko narrowed her eyes, not attacking directly. Because the existence of that Erdtree constrained the Great Honkai, it wasn't impossible to win over the Herrscher opposite her.
Seeing this, Mei wanted to speak, but Xia Yu took another deep breath from her neck. A massive sense of emptiness suddenly made her legs go weak, so she couldn't say anything.
And that surging Honkai Energy emanated from Xia Yu once more.
"Teacher Hime—no, Himeko," Xia Yu looked at her with an expression full of complexity.
"What did you just start to call me?" Himeko was a bit surprised. That unspoken word was clearly... teacher?
But she had never taught such a student.
"It's nothing. As you can see," Xia Yu said to her, "I am the Herrscher of Thunder."
"Kiana, Bronya, put down your weapons. At least... don't point them at her."
"You know me, Herrscher?" Himeko grew increasingly confused, but her hands still gripped Godslayer: Surtr tightly, not daring to be even slightly careless.
"...You could say that," Xia Yu said, her eyes full of nostalgia.
What the hell.
Himeko truly couldn't remember knowing this person.
She had taught a Herrscher? Don't be ridiculous; St. Freya Academy trained Valkyries!
"This is truly a rarity," Himeko's thoughts raced. "I don't remember you."
"I know, I know," Xia Yu lowered her head. "Himeko... stop. The Nexus System isn't something your body can support right now."
At the same time, Himeko felt the Honkai Energy concentration around her rapidly shrinking.
Clearly, it was the work of the Herrscher before her.
There was no other way. In her view, Kiana was reckless, Bronya didn't look like a threat, Raiden Mei... the whole person was so weak she couldn't even stand up, and as for Acheron, the core of the intelligence...
She was covered in Honkai Energy (just absorbed), with blood-red lightning flashing occasionally (special effects created by the Power of Nihility masking the Honkai Energy), coupled with that indifferent expression, looking as if she didn't care about anything...
"A warrior doesn't put down her weapon because of a few words," Himeko said, looking at Xia Yu. "Nexus System... you know quite a lot, Herrscher."
"Right now, the evacuation of Nagazora City hasn't been completed... or rather, it hasn't even started," Xia Yu said indifferently, showing no weakness. "Stop running the Nexus System, or I will take down the Erdtree!"
"You know the consequences!"
"...How cunning, Herrscher," Himeko grit her teeth. "You wanted to call me teacher just now, right? I don't remember teaching such a despicable student."
"You are trying to provoke me, Himeko," Xia Yu said. "Even after being thrown out by Otto as a discarded piece, a pawn to scout the way, you still perform your duties... Then again, that is just like you, Himeko."
Until the very end, she fulfilled her responsibility as a teacher... only...
"Kiana, come here," she looked at Kiana. "I'm leaving Mei to you."
"Oh, okay Sister Acheron!" Kiana ran over excitedly and hugged the frail Mei.
She also understood that Sister Acheron and this older sister knew each other; they probably wouldn't end up fighting.
After letting go of Mei, Xia Yu started walking toward Himeko.
"Herrscher, what do you want to do?"
Himeko instantly raised Godslayer: Surtr, speaking warily.
"I said, stop the Nexus System," Xia Yu didn't stop. "Or else, I will take down the Erdtree. Himeko, you don't want these million lives in Nagazora City to die at my hands and push me completely to the opposite side of human civilization, do you?"
"..." Himeko had no choice; she could only silently disarm.
She didn't dare to gamble. If she guessed wrong, she would be a sinner against humanity, even if she felt that the Herrscher opposite her seemed to have unusual feelings for her and might not actually do it.
But those were millions of people; that was a Herrscher!
At the same time, she was also gambling.
Gambling that this Herrscher... would not hurt her.
If she guessed wrong, she could at least provide enough reference for the following Valkyries; as intelligence bought with her life, this person was untrustworthy.
If she guessed right... then everyone would be happy.
She knew that even if she fought with her life, the energy of this Nexus System couldn't support her for long. Its most compatible energy source was the Gem of Haste, but that gem wasn't in the Far East Branch right now.
It couldn't fully exert its performance. Even if it could... she probably wouldn't be a match for a Herrscher. After all, this person could defeat an S-Rank Valkyrie at will before even becoming a Herrscher.
In any case, she could gain some time to evacuate as many people as possible.
"You are truly despicable, Herrscher," Himeko said again.
Xia Yu had already reached her and reached out to embrace her.
"Long time no see, Himeko," her voice trembled. "Truly a long time no see... don't blame me for being despicable, Himeko..."
Snap!
The energy core of the Nexus System was instantly destroyed, and then she immediately absorbed all the Honkai Energy, not letting a single trace of energy touch Himeko.
"I can't watch you... sorry, I haven't found a way to save you yet."
"But I will definitely find it. Wait for me. if it doesn't work this time, then the next... and the time after that! One day we will..."