As if the world were being blanketed by hell, terrifying flames, the likes of which had never been seen before, descended from the sky, creating an apocalypse akin to the Book of Genesis.
Mixed with magma, astonishing shockwaves resembling firestorms pulsated frequently like ripples, connecting heaven and earth.
A scorching aura expanded continuously outward. It was as if a volcano had just erupted right there; gas containing terrifying heat flowed everywhere. If any being were to inhale it, they would be burned to ash in an instant.
It was unknown how much time had passed before the storm containing the power of destruction gradually subsided.
The man, feeling his vision dimming, knelt on one knee on the ground. He struggled to open his eyelids to look into the distance. The Sword of Judgment had lost its former brilliance, falling to the ground and reverting into dual pistols.
"Spent" was probably the best adjective to describe Siegfried right now.
Before this, even when he was being beaten badly, Siegfried had tried his best to minimize the use of Judgment's power, reserving enough Honkai energy to swing it twice.
One strike was naturally meant to coordinate with Welt's attack.
The other strike was to guard against unexpected events.
But just now, he had used up all the power within Judgment, and even threw in the last bit of his own Honkai energy.
The reason was simple: the Second Herrscher was a monster that shouldn't exist in this world at all!
Before this, the Second Herrscher was certainly terrifying, but 'Its' attacks remained within the cognitive range of a normal person.
Ideal fluid is terrifying.
But that is understandable.
A three-stage thermonuclear bomb is also terrifying.
But that is also understandable.
But—
The Second Herrscher's final attack seemed to come from a higher dimension, tearing space apart like a piece of paper.
Incomprehensible. Utterly incomprehensible.
Out of fear, Siegfried chose to release all the power he could muster in one breath.
Only in this way did he feel he might have a chance to defeat 'It'.
"Did I win?"
Siegfried, no longer having the strength to launch an attack, murmured.
"You really pushed me to the brink of desperation."
A very melodious voice, yet one that gave a neutral, androgynous feeling, came from within the sea of fire.
It was as if cold water had been poured over his head; Siegfried instantly sobered up.
He looked over in astonishment and saw a beautiful girl holding Welt's Herrscher core in her hand.
The Second Herrscher was not dead!!
An emotion named despair spread through Siegfried's heart.
"Welt... did we still lose?"
He murmured, his voice carrying a despair like one witnessing the end of the world.
"No, this time, humanity won."
The "God," who looked immaculate, casually tossed the Herrscher core in 'Its' hand to Siegfried's side and spoke.
"My power has been consumed to the point where it's almost gone. It's even difficult for me to perform a spatial transfer of more than five kilometers."
The next attack?
The man, completely failing to understand what the Second Herrscher was saying, felt his brain becoming a bit chaotic.
"Schicksal's Honkai Fission Missiles and Anti-Entropy's Silver Bullets have already locked onto this location and the surrounding area."
As if having realized something, the Second Herrscher, who gave Siegfried the feeling of being the very incarnation of despair, spoke these words.
"My remaining power is not enough to resist the bombardment of multiple batches of super weapons."
Is it a scorched-earth tactic?
Siegfried, who seemed to understand something, smiled bitterly.
Right. Both Welt and I were defeated. Next, whether it's Anti-Entropy or Schicksal, they will launch attacks at any cost.
Those weapons of mass destruction might have been small toys easily broken by the Second Herrscher in 'Its' prime, but now that she is heavily injured, they are deadly blades.
So, is the final ending that we all meet our end together?
The man, who could barely manage to stow Welt's Herrscher core in his bosom and struggle to grip his dual pistols, gasped for huge mouthfuls of air.
"So, are you here to kill me?"
Siegfried, having thoroughly lost the power to counterattack, wore an expression of unprecedented tranquility.
His and Welt's efforts had successfully brought a glimmer of possibility for humanity's victory. Everything had not been in vain.
Even if he died here, he would not disgrace the Kaslana name.
"Take Welt's core and go."
Unexpectedly, the Second Herrscher's words fell into Siegfried's ears.
Siegfried looked at the Herrscher who, even when driven to a dead end, maintained a calm and unhurried expression, his face full of astonishment.
This guy...
Is letting me go?
The boy, who had insisted on using only the Authorities of the Void and Reason but still nearly crushed the opposition—no, had actually crushed the opposition—sighed.
What else can I do but let him go?
Could it be that I should really hack Siegfried to death, then stab Welt to death, then go chop up Otto, and overwrite the future with a brand-new development?
Sounds pretty good. After all, if I did that, I could completely let myself go, do whatever I want without any scruples.
But—
In that case, all my previous work would be Muda (useless).
"I had a lot of fun."
The Second Herrscher, who didn't have fun at all, placed a hand on Siegfried's shoulder and chuckled lightly, 'Its' face wearing the same calm demeanor as always.
"So, I'll give you a little reward."
"My power is probably still enough to teleport one person five kilometers away. Hmm, that is just outside the center of the nuclear explosion zone. With the last of yours and Welt's strength, it shouldn't be hard to survive."
The reward is... survival?
As if hearing something incredible, Siegfried's half-bestial face was written with confusion.
Just a moment ago, this guy was launching a killing strike against him and Welt with an attitude of exterminating them completely. Now, 'It' was letting him and Welt live...
Honestly, this situation was really a bit beyond his imagination.
"Does it sound strange?"
The boy, who had never acted with much logic, shrugged and spoke.
"Even if I use this power to escape, I will be locked onto by the satellites in the sky and then killed by the next round of nuclear strikes."
"But you two are different."
"As humans, you won't be subjected to repeated nuclear strikes. There is a high probability you can survive."
Li Zihan looked at the projectiles launching towards this location from the distance, his expression somewhat regretful.
This show should come to an end.
Before Siegfried could react, a spatial gate unfolded beneath his feet, swallowing him up.
Then—
The super weapons in mid-air were detonated remotely.
It was like stars falling once again.
That single point of intense heat expanded rapidly, rising, instantly tearing apart everything that seemed like an event horizon, spewing out massive amounts of light and heat, and—
The inevitable destruction.