Sounds echoed through the darkness.
The howling wind, distant explosions, desperate screams, and the deafening roars of monsters blended together into an unbearable cacophony.
It was a symphony of death—an orchestra of destruction reverberating across a charred and frozen wasteland.
Seele: "Bronya! Bronya…"
Someone kept calling for Bronya, but the voice was quickly swallowed by the chaos surrounding her.
Seele: "Bronya, wake up!"
Bronya slowly opened her eyes.
Bronya: "Seele?"
Her vision gradually cleared.
Snow stretched endlessly across the battlefield, but something was different. The once-familiar tundra had been transformed into a war zone. Smoke rose into the sky, distant explosions shook the ground, and the air was thick with the scent of ash and destruction.
Bronya: "Is this… the tundra? It looks different…"
Kiana: "Ah, looks like you're doing just fine, Bronya."
Bronya turned her head.
Kiana stood nearby with her arms crossed, looking down at her with a smug expression.
Kiana: "You just fell… face first… into the snow…"
Bronya: "…Kiana?"
Kiana: "Hmph. I'm not being kind to you. But I think the concussion is going to make you an Idiotka!"
Mei: "Stop fooling around, Kiana. Check your gear. We'll be engaging hostiles soon."
Mei stood nearby, her expression serious as she examined the battlefield ahead.
Mei: "We're here to deal the final blow to the Herrscher of the Void."
Mei: "Powered by a Honkai reactor, the Void Queen has created a spatial rift to bring in a Honkai horde…"
Bronya's eyes widened slightly.
Bronya: 'Herrscher of the Void? But Kiana is right here… this must be the… Second Eruption…'
Bronya: 'But why would Kiana and Mei appear in this world?'
Mei suddenly raised her weapon.
Mei: "…Hostiles approaching. Get ready for battle, girls."
She glanced at her scanner.
Mei: "…! Numerous heat signatures approaching."
The Honkai beasts appear rush toward the four girls as they stnad ready for battle, suddenly all those beasts got absorb into a black hole and destroyed.
Kiana: "What happened? All the Honkai beasts were destroyed!"
Before anyone could answer, the roar of engines thundered across the sky.
Bronya looked upward.
A massive shuttle passed over the battlefield. Its engines illuminated the snowy plains as dozens of heavy mechs were released from beneath its hull.
One after another, they descended.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
The mechs crashed into the snow with tremendous force.
Then Bronya noticed someone among them.
A man slowly descended from the shuttle, floating effortlessly above the frozen battlefield.
He landed before the Valkyries.
Welt: "You made it, Valkyries."
Bronya stared at him.
Bronya: 'Welt? He grew up in this world…'
Mei: "You must be an… Anti-Entropist?"
Welt looked toward the battlefield.
Welt: "Stay vigilant. This war is far from over."
He raised one hand.
Welt: "My mechs will smash through their center."
Mei: "Understood. We will strike their flank and keep them occupied."
Mei gave him a respectful nod.
Mei: "Finally, we thank you for your support, Mr. Welt."
Welt remained silent for a moment.
Then his expression hardened.
Welt: "Don't trust anyone, Valkyrie. It might kill you."
The shuttle engines roared once more.
Welt ascended into the air alongside his mechanical army. Moments later, they flew toward the heart of the battlefield.
Bronya watched him disappear into the distance.
Bronya: 'This is the first time the Bronya sees Welt Yang as the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy…'
Bronya: 'But he… felt cold… this was not how the Bronya remembered him…'
Kiana watched the distant figure with amazement.
Kiana: "Oh my god, that guy can literally fly! He's gotta be the boss of Anti-Entropy!"
Mei: "That's the 1st Herrscher…"
Kiana: "He's kind of cool. A snap of his finger and all of those Honkai beasts are just gone."
Kiana scratched her head thoughtfully.
Kiana: "Of course… I also read that the Overseer destroyed the 1st Herrscher a few decades ago…"
Kiana: "This guy could be a fake… right?"
Mei shook her head.
Mei: "I'm not too sure… I only knew he created Anti-Entropy and swore to fight for humanity as a Herrscher…"
Mei: "But I've never seen any other human member of Anti-Entropy since I became a Valkyrie."
Kiana glanced toward the pilots inside the nearby mechs.
Kiana: "Looks like these pilots aren't interested in getting some fresh air."
Her expression suddenly changed.
Kiana: "Wait… what if he attacks us?"
Kiana: "He's a Herrscher as well, right? He can turn on us at any moment…"
Mei: "He just saved our lives, Kiana…"
Bronya remained silent.
Bronya: 'The Bronya is beginning to suspect things as well…'
Seele moved closer to Bronya, her eyes scanning the battlefield uneasily.
Seele: "Bronya… something doesn't feel right about this world."
Seele: "It's not like St. Freya High or the orphanage… this world feels… dangerous."
Bronya looked toward Seele.
Bronya: "Do not fear. The Bronya will always protect Seele."
Seele gave her a small smile.
Mei turned toward the battlefield.
Mei: "We've talked long enough. Time to move forward."
The group continued across the frozen plains.
Before long, they came upon the corpse of a gigantic Honkai beast.
Its enormous body lay motionless in the snow, surrounded by deep craters and the remains of countless destroyed creatures.
Kiana stopped in front of it.
Kiana: "Whoa! This Honkai beast is huge! Is it dead?"
Mei checked her equipment.
Mei: "The Herrscher of the Void is losing the war."
Kiana: "My scanners aren't picking up anything! The 2nd Herrscher is now defenseless!"
Kiana clenched her fists excitedly.
Kiana: "Ho ho, the smug Herrscher has run out of goons! Time to settle the score now!"
Suddenly, Mei's scanner began to flash violently.
Her expression immediately changed.
Mei: "…Wait! Sensors registered a massive Honkai energy spike in the middle of the battlefield."
Bronya's heart sank.
Far ahead, at the center of the battlefield, Welt stood facing the Herrscher of the Void.
Sirin was surrounded by countless shattered remains, her strength seemingly exhausted.
Then Welt moved.
He reached forward.
A powerful force erupted from his hand.
The Core of the Void was torn away from Sirin.
Space itself trembled.
Countless portals opened around Welt, each one aimed directly at the Herrscher of the Void.
Snow and debris were pulled into the distortions as the battlefield shook beneath their feet.
Welt stared coldly at Sirin.
Welt: "The almighty Herrscher of the Void laid low by puny humans…"
The portals multiplied.
Welt: "But it doesn't matter anymore."
His eyes fixed upon the Core now floating within his grasp.
Welt: "Your power… will be mine!"
The Valkyries could only stare in disbelief as Welt absorbed the Core of the Void.
The battlefield trembled.
A terrifying wave of Honkai energy erupted from Welt's body as the Core disappeared into him. The countless portals surrounding Sirin distorted violently before stabilising, their dark interiors glowing with an ominous light.
Kiana: "Wha? What is the 1st Herrscher doing?"
Mei's expression immediately changed.
Mei: "We need to leave… now!"
Bronya watched Welt carefully.
Something was terribly wrong.
Bronya: 'Something is happening…'
Welt slowly turned toward them.
His expression was cold.
Almost emotionless.
Welt: "The fight or flight response… the most primitive but powerful animal instinct…"
His gaze swept across the Valkyries.
Welt: "Flee, then. I fled before… like a wounded beast… doing whatever I could to survive…"
The portals surrounding him multiplied.
Welt: "…But you have nowhere else to run."
Suddenly, the heavy mechs turned.
Their weapons locked onto the Valkyries.
Kiana: "The mechs… the mechs are attacking us!"
Kiana stared at Welt in disbelief.
Kiana: "He just consumed the Core of the 2nd Herrscher!"
The first barrage came without warning.
Energy blasts tore through the air.
Bronya: "Hostile attack detected!"
Mei immediately drew her katana.
Kiana raised her dual pistols.
Bronya summoned Project Bunny.
Seele tightened her grip around her scythe.
The four Valkyries fought back.
Mei dashed forward, her katana flashing as she cut through an incoming mech.
Kiana opened fire with both pistols, sending a barrage of bullets into the machines surrounding them.
Project Bunny unleashed a devastating blast, destroying several mechs at once.
Beside Bronya, Seele swung her scythe through another machine, tearing it apart before it could fire.
But there were simply too many.
Every time one mech was destroyed, another appeared.
Then another.
And another.
Welt continued creating more machines seemingly out of thin air.
The battlefield quickly became surrounded by an endless mechanical army.
Mei: "We're being overwhelmed… Ugh…"
Mei blocked another attack before being forced backwards.
Kiana: "These stupid mechs… they just keep coming and coming…"
Kiana fired desperately at another approaching machine.
Kiana: "Is this guy creating them out of thin air? You gotta be kidding me!"
Bronya quickly analysed the battlefield.
The enemy's numbers continued to increase.
Remaining here would eventually overwhelm them.
Bronya: "Engagement is not advised. The Bronya suggests breaking out and seeking refuge at a safe location…"
Mei looked toward the distant ruins.
Mei: "…We'll go to the Babylon Labs!"
She pointed toward the massive structure visible through the snowstorm.
Mei: "The indoor corridors and rooms can protect us against flanking… we must move quickly…"
Before Mei could finish her sentence—
A powerful blast tore through the battlefield.
It was heading directly toward the dark-haired Valkyrie.
Bronya: "Mei!"
Time seemed to slow.
At that exact moment, Bronya activated the crystal necklace around her neck.
A brilliant blue light flashed across the battlefield.
Then—
A figure moved.
Faster than anyone could follow.
Kamen Rider GeatsIX appeared behind Mei in an instant.
The translucent blue warrior raised his hand.
A massive energy barrier materialised around Mei.
BLAM…!
The blast struck the barrier.
A deafening explosion erupted across the battlefield.
Smoke and snow completely swallowed the area.
Kiana: "MEI! NOOOO!"
Kiana's voice echoed through the battlefield.
Seele froze.
Bronya stared into the smoke.
Then, slowly—
The smoke began to clear.
Mei was still standing.
Completely unharmed.
She looked around in confusion, unable to understand how she had survived.
Mei: "…?"
Kiana and Seele stared at her with wide eyes.
But they were not looking at Mei.
They were staring at something directly behind her.
Confused, Mei slowly turned around.
Her eyes widened.
A blue, transparent warrior stood behind her.
Its armour gleamed beneath the pale light of the battlefield.
The unmistakable form of Kamen Rider GeatsIX stood silently between Mei and the enemy army.
Mei could only stare.
The warrior turned toward the approaching mechs.
Behind him, Bronya lowered her hand.
There was no time to explain.
Bronya: "We have to go."