[D.S] Ch 41~45

41: The Battle Begins

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"Kiana, are you ready?" Theresa asked. "How long can you keep the Imaginary Space gate open?"

"Who do you think I am? I can hold it open as long as I want!" Kiana boasted, brimming with confidence. Ever since she fully mastered the Herrscher of the Void's power, her ego had inflated to dangerous levels.

"I hope you're not exaggerating," Theresa sighed. She knew Kiana probably wasn't lying, but it was still hard to feel at ease.

Just then, Durandal and Rita approached and saluted. "The Valkyrie troops are fully assembled. All preparations are complete. We can march out whenever you give the word."

"Not bad," Welt's calm voice came from behind as he walked over. "Anti-Entropy's forces are also in position."

The moment he finished speaking, countless mechs converged from every direction, flanked by swarms of aircraft and massive flying carriers blotting out the sky.

"You really pulled out all the stops." Otto's lips curled in faint admiration as he looked at the flood of mechs. "Your machine technology is impressive… though I wonder if the firepower is enough?"

"You'll see for yourself once the battle begins," Welt replied evenly, unmoved.

"Looks like we're the last to arrive." Kevin appeared next, leading the World Serpent. Unlike the other two factions, they only brought a few hundred members.

"Just this handful?" Otto raised a brow. He didn't believe for a second that a group like World Serpent, hidden in the shadows for thousands of years, only had this many people.

"This is more than enough," Kevin said flatly. "Our numbers may be small, but our strength more than makes up for it."

"Heh, I'll be the judge of that." Otto chuckled softly, brushing it aside.

A ripple in the void appeared, and Rimuru stepped out, followed by a sizeable crowd of guild members.

"So this is the Honkai world?" Diablo looked around with fascination, his gaze fixed on the towering mechs. "Interesting."

"My friend, I'll finally get to fight to my heart's content, right?" Veldora's fighting spirit surged—he'd been so bored these last few days, he was practically rotting from idleness.

"Don't rush. You'll have plenty to swing at soon," Rimuru laughed, trying to calm him down.

"So you're the guild members I've heard about?" Otto asked, studying the newcomers.

"I remember you," Hermione said the moment her eyes fell on Otto. "You're that guy who got cheated on—the ultimate cuck, Otto Apocalypse."

"I really wish you didn't remember me," Otto muttered through gritted teeth, his face turning pitch-black. If not for that shameful detail, maybe they could've even been friends.

"Hermione, that was rude." Dumbledore wagged a finger at her. "At least wait until he's gone before you say it. Honestly, what kind of manners is that?" Clearly, Dumbledore wasn't much of a role model either.

Otto's face, which had just started to recover, darkened again.

Snape looked at Otto, then lowered his gaze. It was weird to look at Otto for some reason. So he looked at Hermione. "That was rude."

"Fine, fine, I get it." Hermione stuck her tongue out playfully, then offered Otto an apology.

"Forget it. Just… don't bring it up again." Otto sighed helplessly. Picking a fight with a kid would only humiliate him further.

"Oi, Edward! How about a contest?" Garp suddenly called out, glancing at Whitebeard with a smirk. "Let's see who can take down a Herrscher first. Unless you're too scared?"

"Scared? Hah! And if you lose, old man, what then?" Whitebeard shot back without hesitation.

"Loser hands over half their crystals," Garp said bluntly.

"Fine by me. Just don't cry when you lose."

The two slammed their fists together, sealing their wager.

"Any other issues to settle?" Otto asked. Seeing no objections, he gave Theresa a nod.

"It's in your hands, Kiana." Theresa's tone was firm.

"Leave it to me!"

Kiana shot into the sky, her armor shimmering into existence. Hovering in the air, she inhaled deeply, clasped her hands, and gathered Honkai energy into a pitch-black sphere that pulsed in her palms.

She thrust it forward, sending it flying into the distance. The sphere detonated mid-flight, shattering the air like a mirror. Beyond the cracks was the yawning maw of Imaginary Space.

"Advance!" Otto ordered.

The combined armies surged forward like a swarm of bees, flooding into the fractured dimension.

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Inside Imaginary Space

"They've come." The Herrscher of the End slowly opened her eyes. Far ahead, a black line emerged on the horizon—it was the marching legion of titanic mechs.

She raised her hands slightly. At once, the dormant Honkai army stirred to life. Guided by Emperor-class and Judgment-class beasts, the tide of monsters surged forward to meet the invaders.

The clash was instant and brutal.

Some Honkai beasts tore mechs apart with brute strength. Valkyries cut down monsters with their weapons in return.

Some massive mechs rampaged like steel behemoths, mowing through Honkai ranks. Even Emperor-class beasts fell before them, while their alloy bodies shrugged off most attacks with ease.

"Tch, useless trash," the Fourth Herrscher—Herrscher of Wind—spat coldly. "Looks like it's up to us."

"Shred them, Storm!" She soared into the fray, conjuring violent gales that ripped hundreds of Titans apart in an instant.

"Not holding back, are you?" a thunderous voice mocked. Before she could unleash another strike, a colossal arm—dozens of meters long—smashed her across the battlefield.

It was Garp, transformed into a Titan towering hundreds of meters tall. Even the most massive mechs barely reached his waist. He glared down at the battered Wind Herrscher with disdain.

"Don't you dare lay hands on the kids, you worthless trash."

"Mere humans!" the Wind Herrscher shrieked, eyes burning with fury. "You're not worthy of this world!" She unleashed a furious gale and lunged at him.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that." Garp smirked, letting Armament Haki spread across his body. His fists clenched, ready to meet her head-on.

"You think you'll hit me twice?!" At the last moment, her body flickered unnaturally, sliding dozens of meters aside to dodge his strike.

But Garp only grinned wider. "Titans don't just smash. We command thunder too."

"Thunderstorm!"

"What?!" The Wind Herrscher's expression twisted in horror as she sensed overwhelming danger. Before she could flee, Garp's entire body erupted in blinding lightning, engulfing her in a raging storm.

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42: Herrschers Pounded Into the Dirt

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"Ahhh!" The Herrscher of Wind screamed in agony as Garp's lightning tore through her body, ripping her apart piece by piece.

"What a nuisance." Sirin frowned, reached out through layers of space, and yanked her out of the lightning storm.

"Careful! That guy's strong," the Herrscher of Wind stammered. That lightning wasn't ordinary lightning—how else could it tear her apart? She glanced at her severed arm, fury burning in her eyes as she glared at Garp in the distance.

"Saved, huh? Was that the Herrscher of the Void?" Garp clicked his tongue, a little disappointed. He'd hoped to finish her off—losing the crystal bet with Whitebeard would sting, but losing face would be far worse.

"Sirin's mine." Before anyone could stop her, Kiana shot forward, charging straight at Sirin.

"So, you've mastered the Herrscher of the Void's power too?" Sirin caught the incoming spears of subspace without a flicker of surprise.

"Like I need you to point that out!" Kiana blinked out of sight, reappeared beside Sirin, and dragged her away from the battlefield.

"That girl… never listens to orders." Theresa grit her teeth. "When she gets back, I'm teaching her a lesson."

"Relax. Have a little faith in her," Rimuru said with a smile. "Besides, that's her fight."

"...yeah, you're right," Theresa admitted reluctantly.

"Then let's handle our own battles. Can't let that fool Garp take all the glory." Whitebeard laughed heartily and leapt toward the opposing Herrschers, weapon in hand.

The others followed right behind him.

The warfront erupted in chaos.

"I hear you're a Herrscher of Reason too," the Herrscher of Reason sneered at Bronya, her tone cruel. "I wonder… if I carve out your Herrscher Core, will I become even stronger? I'm looking forward to it."

Bronya felt the crushing pressure radiating from her opponent—but only for a moment. She straightened, calm settling over her. All those grueling days of training hadn't been for nothing.

"Lazer Cannons."

Her opponent moved first, conjuring dozens of floating turrets. A storm of energy blasts rained down on Bronya.

At once, Project Bunny materialized behind her, deploying a shield that absorbed the barrage.

But when the smoke cleared, the Herrscher was gone. In her place stood a massive mech, towering dozens of meters high.

"How about this? The ultimate weapon, forged from every era I've devoured. Feel despair!" Laughter boomed from within the machine as it unleashed apocalyptic firepower.

"I'm not that weak." Determination blazed in Bronya's eyes. Weapons of every shape and size manifested around her, and she charged. Their clash shook the battlefield.

On another front, the Herrscher of Death—wielder of death and life manipulation—moved to harvest Valkyrie lives. But Kallen blocked her path, flanked by Sakura and Otto.

"That's far enough, Herrscher of Death." Kallen raised her twin pistols, eyes fixed on her foe, ready to strike at any second.

"Kallen Kaslana? Back from the dead, are you? Looks like someone really does have power to spare." The Herrscher sneered, realizing she wouldn't be getting past them. "Fine. If I can't harvest them, I'll harvest you instead."

"Then try it!" Kallen fired first, a silver bullet streaking toward the enemy.

"Claws of Death." The Herrscher's arms turned into blades, slicing the bullet clean in half before the force of her strike barreled onward at the three of them.

"Leave it to me." Sakura unsheathed the Oath of Judah, stepping forward.

"Sakura Blossom!"

Blades of light carved through the oncoming force, shredding it to pieces.

"Don't forget me. I am still the Overseer of Schicksal," Otto said lightly, a golden cube appearing in his hand—the First Divine Key, Void Archives. With it, he could replicate any weapon whose structure he understood. Not only was it a formidable weapon itself, but its inner space contained near-endless knowledge.

In less than a second, the cube shifted into the shape of Judgment of Shamash. Otto opened fire, a hail of bullets striking the Herrscher of Death.

But the trio didn't relax. This enemy wasn't the strongest Herrscher, but she was the hardest to kill. Wounds closed in seconds—Life itself was her ally.

As expected, the Herrscher barely flinched, her injuries vanishing in moments.

"Two Divine Keys? Quite the luxury," she growled.

"Well, you're hard to kill. Can't blame us for coming prepared," Otto answered smoothly, smiling as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The Herrscher's face darkened. With the Oath of Judah cutting down her strength piece by piece, Void Archives creating endless weapons, and Kallen pressing the attack, she realized the fight wasn't in her favor.

"Damn humans!" she roared, forcing herself forward anyway. All she could do now was pray her allies finished their fights quickly enough to save her.

Had Kallen known her thoughts, she would've smiled pityingly and said, 'Your friends can't even save themselves—what makes you think they'll save you?'

Not far away, a battered figure slammed through thousands of meters of Imaginary Space and crashed into the ground, gouging a massive crater.

"Damn it…" The Herrscher of Stars groaned, his body riddled with cracks as Honkai energy bled out of him. Anyone could see he was seriously injured.

"So that's all the mighty Herrscher of Stars has to offer? How disappointing." Whitebeard strode forward with his naginata, unimpressed. He'd expected a challenge, but the man hadn't even lasted ten minutes.

"What the hell are you?!" The Herrscher of Stars' voice shook. For the first time, fear crept into his chest.

This monster… what was his body even made of? His gravity fields, thousands of times stronger than normal, barely fazed him. The pseudo–black hole he'd painstakingly crafted? Shattered by a single punch. What kind of cheat code was this guy running? If it's for sale, I'll pay double!

Frustration boiled inside him. His powers were enough to wipe out civilizations—yet against this man, he was nothing more than a punching bag.

"Brat, if that's all you've got… this fight's over." Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, his voice cold.

"Don't underestimate me! If I go down, I'm dragging you with me!" The Herrscher of Stars went mad with desperation, hurling himself at Whitebeard in a suicidal charge.

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43: Sirin’s Sorrow

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The Herrscher of Stars began to collapse like a fallen star, his body imploding. A terrifying gravity welled up from him, twisting space itself. Kilometers away, Honkai beasts and mechs were yanked off their feet, struggling to stay upright.

He intended to become a black hole and swallow Whitebeard whole, dragging them both to oblivion.

"Try to run, if you can!" the Herrscher of Stars laughed maniacally. In this state, even the Herrscher of the End would have no escape. He was sure his opponent was doomed.

"Run?" Whitebeard sneered without a second thought. "I'm Whitebeard. If I die, I die fighting. I don't run. And with the sort of strength you've got, you think you can make me run? Time to show you real power."

His muscles tightened like coiled steel. No matter how monstrous the pull, nothing would budge him. Tremors of force gathered in his hands until space itself started to splinter like glass, cracking and reforming under the strain.

"Heavenquake!" he roared, fists clasped, and slammed forward.

Cracks screamed through the void, spidering outward. The quantum sea shuddered under that single, dreadful blow.

"No way. How can a mere human be this strong?" The Herrscher of Stars' voice faltered as fissures crawled across his form. Whitebeard's strike tore into his black-hole transformation and broke it apart. The Herrscher shattered, piece by piece.

He was dead.

Whitebeard allowed himself a small, satisfied grin. Clearly, he was stronger than that pompous Garp after all.

A thunderous sound rolled across the battlefield. Garp, in his Titan form, was punishing the Herrschers of Wind and Thunder with theatrical brutality.

The Titan didn't just command lightning—he could harness wind too. The Wind and Thunder Herrschers' attacks barely scratched him; if anything, they fed his power. Their bodies, no match for Garp's, were being ground into the dirt.

"Dammit—wasted tens of thousands of crystals." Garp glanced at Whitebeard in the distance and sighed. "Edward is getting stronger. Can't stall any longer. Time to finish the fight."

He drew his gaze back to the two struggling Herrschers. A grin spread across his face, and the sight chilled them to the bone.

"Armament Haki—form armor!" Massive, obsidian gauntlets of Haki slid over his enormous hands. They were like chunks of nothingness—black, lightless—but their presence sent a cold shiver down the spine.

He used no fancy techniques. His fists were his weapon. Whatever your move, one punch from him would end it.

Garp's approach felt almost ancient in its simplicity: no matter how many spells you cast, one overwhelming force would break them all. Under that brutal power, the two Herrschers couldn't hold out three seconds. In an instant, they were reduced to ash.

Meanwhile, Kiana and Sirin were locked in their own fierce duel a little way off.

"I didn't expect you to use the Herrscher of the Void so well," Sirin said after forcing Kiana back. "You've surprised me."

"I've still got a lot to show you," Kiana shot back, darting in for another strike.

Compared to the larger clashes, their duel was almost discreet. They flitted through the void, spearing and dodging with subspace lances. Attack after attack folded and reflected off rotating fields of displaced space.

Hundreds of subspace spears threaded the air between them.

"You won't beat me like this," Sirin said with a smile. "We draw from the same power, but I siphon Honkai. My energy regenerates—eventually you'll fail."

She was right. Sirin's connection to the Will of Honkai allowed fast recovery.

Kiana, on the other hand, was visibly flagging. The strain of wielding such power had worn her down—her breaths came in ragged pulls. At this rate, defeat was only a matter of time.

"You're right. I can't beat you alone," Kiana admitted, smiling at Sirin. "But, Sirin, I've got allies."

"Allies?" The word made Sirin pause. For a beat, she looked stunned—her allies were gone.

Kiana seized the moment and opened a spatial gate above Sirin.

Sirin tried to step back, but a figure blasted through the portal: a blade wreathed in flames, slicing through space itself. Sirin couldn't dodge in time. The fiery sword cleaved into her chest and sent her hurtling toward the ground.

"Damn it! Don't get cocky!" Sirin roared, steadying herself and pouring out everything she had left.

"Die!" Kiana's subspace spears shifted, becoming ribbon-like blades—soft as fabric, sharp as swords. They tore through space toward Kiana and her allies. Anyone caught in them would be shredded to fragments.

Another spatial gate silently opened behind Sirin.

Just as the blades snarled toward Kiana, they froze midair and shattered apart.

Sirin watched, incredulous, as the sword protruding through her chest dissipated. She felt her strength ebbing away.

"You lose, Sirin," Kiana said softly as she stepped in front of her. Raiden Mei appeared behind them and stood silently on the side, her expression unreadable.

"Have I… lost?" Sirin murmured to herself. There was a strange peace in her voice now. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe now she could go find them.

"We didn't intend to kill you," Kiana said.

The words stunned Sirin into silence. "Why? Why not kill me? I don't want your pity. You damned humans don't deserve to live. As long as I'm alive I'll keep destroying you. So kill me now!" Tears streaked down her face; the edge of her voice had a pleading tone she hadn't meant to show.

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44: Annihilation Construct

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Seeing Sirin like this left Kiana and the others with a heavy feeling in their chests. Sirin wasn't born a Herrscher of the Void—she was created by Schicksal.

As a child, she had been injected with massive amounts of Honkai energy by Schicksal's researchers. Because she was compatible, a Herrscher core eventually formed inside her.

Her friends had all died in those experiments. That was why she hated Schicksal, hated humanity itself.

"Ah…" Himeko let out a quiet sigh as she looked at the broken girl before them.

"Sirin!" Kiana reached out her hand. "Will you give me a chance? I want to be your friend." Her eyes were firm, unwavering. She couldn't help thinking—if one day she lost her own friends, would she end up as desperate as Sirin? Maybe even more extreme.

Sirin froze, tears slipping down her face as she stared at Kiana.

"I think you can start over," Kiana said softly. "Give me a chance. Give yourself a chance. See the world again."

"Why? Why treat me this way?" Sirin whispered.

"Can you trust me, just once? It's true—there are bad people in this world. Some would sacrifice anyone for their own gain. But not everyone is like that. Sirin, live. Come with me, and see what the world really is."

Kiana's hand closed around hers.

"This is… unbelievable." Mei looked at Kiana, stunned, then smiled. "But… that's just so like you, Kiana."

"Yeah. That idiot." Himeko's voice was gentle, her eyes soft on Kiana. Foolish as she could be, sometimes her words cut right to the heart.

Back on the battlefield—

"What the hell is that?" The Herrscher of Reason half-kneeled on the ground, staring wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Perfectly normal you haven't seen it before. This is Magisteel," Bronya said flatly.

"Ma…gisteel?" The Herrscher blinked, dumbfounded.

Bronya now wore gleaming knightly armor, radiating a suffocating defense. No matter what the Herrscher of Reason threw at it, she couldn't break through. It was like bashing against an impenetrable turtle shell.

Floating at Bronya's side were constructs forged from a fusion of magic and technology, brimming with destructive energy, waiting to strike.

After learning about the Herrscher's ability, Rimuru had entrusted Bronya with his nation's Magisteel. The cannons were inscribed with runes—anti-magic, armor-piercing, penetrating. Against that, the mech's defenses were meaningless. It was blown apart with ease.

"You've got to be kidding me! Something like this actually exists?" The Herrscher staggered to her feet, determined for one last stand.

"Annihilation Construct." She forced the remaining Honkai energy in her body to gather. A small, blood-red capsule materialized in her hand, radiating danger.

"Want me to explain? This is a Honkai weapon I created using all Herrscher cores as reference. I never intended to use it—it guarantees my death. But right now? Who cares." She crushed it in her fist, eyes blazing with madness.

In an instant, a storm of Honkai energy condensed. Her body shriveled like it was being drained of life.

"Bronya, right? I'll remember you." With that final sentence, the Herrscher of Reason disintegrated into ash.

The released Honkai energy swirled, drawing toward the center. Even zombies and honkai beasts crumbled into raw Honkai energy, feeding the mass. The sense of impending doom weighed heavily on Bronya.

"Bronya-nee! Seele will help you!" A familiar voice called as Seele ran up.

"Seele! Why did you come here? Leave, now!" Bronya's voice wavered. She could not allow Seele to be hurt.

"Bronya-nee, I won't leave." Seele's gaze was steady. "I'll stay with you."

"…Honestly." Warmth bloomed in Bronya's chest, and the crushing tension melted away. "Seele, do you know the coordinates of the Sea Of Quanta?"

"Huh? Why are you asking that?" Seele tilted her head. "I don't, but… the other me might."

"I can make a spatial gate and send this thing into the Sea Of Quanta. If it detonates there, it won't hurt anyone here," Bronya explained. "So please, Seele."

"…Got it." Seele drew a deep breath. Her eyes turned crimson, her hair stained with streaks of blood-red.

It was the other Seele—her dark side, the Stigmata Symbiont. Veliona.

"Looks like Bronya-nee needs help," Veliona teased, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Well, since it's you asking, I'll oblige."

Bronya sighed. "Still not used to hearing Seele talk like this."

"Are you ready?" Bronya opened a spatial gate using the Herrscher of Reason's power.

"No problem at all," Veliona replied smugly.

She poured her energy into the gate, tearing open a path to the Sea Of Quanta.

Bronya seized the chance. With Project Bunny's assistance, she shoved the annihilation core inside and sealed the portal.

Seconds later, it erupted. The explosion of all Herrscher powers rocked the Sea Of Quanta, shaking it violently before the surge finally calmed.

"Bronya-nee, I just helped a lot. Don't you think I deserve a little reward?" Veliona's voice purred in her ear as she wrapped her arms around Bronya from behind, hot breath brushing against her neck, full of mischievous intent.

"You…" Bronya sighed helplessly.

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45: The Twisted Will of the Honkai

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"What's the matter, Bronya~?" Veliona, Black Seele, teased with a sultry smile, making Bronya's head throb. She had no way of dealing with this version of Seele.

"Enough. This really isn't the time for that." Bronya sighed, exasperated. "Once this battle's over, I'll reward you properly."

"Then it's settled! Tonight, I'm sleeping with Bronya-nee. That okay?" Black Seele's mischievous tone left no room for doubt.

"…Fine." Bronya answered, though a strange, embarrassed heat crept up her face.

Meanwhile, Kevin stood cold and unflinching, Divine Key Judgment of Shamash in hand, staring down the kneeling Fifth Herrscher—the Herrscher of Ice.

The Ice Herrscher wielded the power to freeze all things. At full force, even time itself could be halted for a few seconds, a power that bordered on absolute.

But Kevin carried Judgment of Shamash, and that alone stripped away the Herrscher's advantage. His ability to freeze was nullified, his might reduced to almost nothing. Against Kevin, resistance was impossible.

"It's over." Kevin's voice was flat as he raised Judgment of Shamash. The massive blade cleaved down, its flames roaring to life. The inferno swallowed both of them whole, reducing even the nearby Honkai beasts to ash before they could approach.

When the firestorm finally died, Kevin emerged from the blaze, weapon in hand, silent as ever. Not even ashes remained of the Herrscher of Ice.

But the war still raged on.

Mechs clashed with Honkai beasts. Cannon fire poured from the skies like rain. Explosions thundered in every direction. Blood and flame painted the battlefield crimson.

Dozens of Emperor-class beasts were locked in combat with Schicksal Valkyries of the Immortal Blades. Anti-Entropy mechs provided heavy fire support from afar. The Emperors roared, charging again and again, only to be stopped each time.

Durandal led the Immortal Blades in their hunt. Her Divine Key, Black Abyss White Flower, bloomed with deadly beauty in her hands. Each strike birthed another flower of death on the enemy's body, wilting even Emperor-class Honkai under its terrifying might. Life withered wherever she struck.

"You've worked hard, my lady," Rita said with a gentle smile at her side.

"Hardly." Durandal's face remained calm as she drove her weapon clean through a Honkai beast, extinguishing its last spark of life. "Trash like this—even in numbers—won't change the outcome."

"Still, too many ants can be a nuisance. Care for a brief rest?" Rita asked, still smiling, as if the battlefield was nothing more than a ballroom floor.

"No need. This won't last much longer." Durandal finally paused, her gaze drifting toward two figures locked in the skies far above.

Rimuru studied the Herrscher of the End with open curiosity, while she in turn sized him up with equal interest.

"Traveler from another world," she spoke first, her voice calm and steady. "Why involve yourself in matters that have nothing to do with you?"

"So you do have awareness." Rimuru tilted his head slightly. "Guess I should call you the Honkai Will instead, huh? Tell me—why destroy humanity over and over again? What's the point?"

"I am indeed the Honkai Will. As for the purpose… it's simple: growth. Progress." Her words were devoid of emotion, yet carried an explanation that felt impossible to accept.

"Progress?" Rimuru snapped, his anger boiling over. "You've wiped out countless civilizations, torn families apart, drowned the world in tragedy—and you call that progress? How shameless can you be?"

"I don't destroy them for destruction's sake. I give them a threat. A challenge to overcome." The Herrscher's voice remained steady, unshaken. "Because of me, humanity advances. Because of my existence, they unify, they innovate, their technology leaps forward. The ones who perish? They are the unfit. Rejects to be culled. Why waste sympathy on waste?"

"You've gone too far." Rimuru's voice dropped into a cold growl, his eyes narrowing. "They aren't products on some assembly line."

"Whether they're 'products' isn't theirs to decide." She spoke as if his fury were nothing more than idle wind. "Pigs, sheep, cattle—they don't wish to be mankind's livestock either. Yet choice was never theirs. The law of nature is the same: the strong devour the weak, the fittest survive. Humanity knows this truth well enough."

"My existence is not to annihilate mankind, but to preserve them. Each era, I allow civilization to carry forward. Each era, they grow faster and stronger. Only through unending trials can the perfect humanity be forged. That is the meaning of my existence."

"Humanity doesn't need your 'meaning.'" Rimuru's patience snapped. He no longer wished to exchange words. He'd simply smash her into the ground.

"Traveler, this is our world's problem. You have no right to interfere." The Herrscher's gaze locked onto him like a blade.

"Sorry," Rimuru said flatly. "Whether I have that right or not—that's not for you to decide."

"…Then there's nothing left to discuss." She raised her weapon, a long spear, and lunged.

The Herrscher's spear bent space itself, blinking instantly before Rimuru's eyes as it shot toward his head, aiming to pierce both eyes in one thrust.

But Rimuru was no novice. He too commanded space, and with a sharp reaction, redirected the strike elsewhere.

In a flash, he drew his zanpakutō, Senka, and their battle erupted in full force.

He had pulled his zanpakutō from the gacha before.

(Senka: The stronger the master, the stronger the weapon. It can transform into any weapon, as long as the master has the ability to analyze and adapt it.)

But the Final Herrscher, bearer of all Herrscher powers, was still a nightmare opponent. Void creation. Space transfer. Rapid regeneration. Time freeze. One overwhelming ability after another, all fused into one body, each magnified by her strength.

The clash shook the skies.

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