"That black hole hasn't fully formed yet, Mei. We absolutely can't let the enemy's power erupt. If it does... at a conservative estimate, the entire Mu Continent will sink!"
Dr. Mei was sweating bullets looking at the values displayed on the instrument.
This was the terrifying thing about Herrschers. Given enough time, every single one of them could deal a devastating blow to human civilization.
The previous few battles had been too easily won, leading even Kevin and the others to grow somewhat complacent, forgetting the true purpose of these Herrschers.
Their goal was never simply to kill people, but to destroy.
To obliterate human civilization!
So, this mere few minutes of negligence had allowed the enemy to covertly gather its strength and form such a powerful black hole.
At this moment, the nature of this black hole became extremely unstable, its powerful gravity distorting the very space around it.
Acheron watched this scene, knowing it was time for her to act.
Humanity, as it was now, lacked the ability to stop this force.
Only Acheron's power could manage it.
Yet, for some reason, Acheron felt that this Honkai eruption was a bit... off.
Logically, if the enemy truly wanted to inflict massive casualties, it could have just hidden itself away first and then unleashed a devastating blow on everyone.
Instead, it was holed up inside a conspicuous shopping mall, seemingly waiting for Acheron to come and strike it down.
That's right, the feeling Acheron got was that the enemy was practically waiting for death.
It was deliberately waiting, waiting for Acheron and the Fire Moth team to arrive.
Then, in that very instant, before the black hole could even fully manifest, a golden barrier began expanding outwards at an incredible speed.
Soon, centered on the Herrscher of Rock, everything within a radius of several hundred meters was bathed in gold.
And this was just the beginning!
The luminous curtain continued to spread outwards rapidly.
"What is this?"
Both Elysia and Kevin watched the scene with caution.
"You guys still haven't handled it? So slow... Whatever, I'll just smash it."
In the moment everyone hesitated, a rather impatient voice came from behind them.
Following the voice, Kalpas's figure appeared before the group.
Flames wreathed his body as he clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles.
"This thing's a barrier, right? Well then, watch me break it!"
With that, Kalpas charged forward recklessly, his flaming arm swinging fiercely towards the golden barrier.
"Kalpas, don't be rash!"
Dr. Mei's urgent voice came through the earpiece, but Kalpas ignored it.
Seeing Kalpas appear, the others felt a flicker of anticipation.
Although Kalpas hadn't been with Fire Moth for very long, his formidable combat prowess had left a deep impression on everyone.
"Hrah!"
With a roar, Kalpas threw a punch, impacting the barrier.
In an instant, the force of the punch gouged a deep ravine into the ground.
Acheron's earlier strike had been restrained, only severing one building.
But Kalpas held back nothing; under this single punch, the entire street was filled with the smell of scorched earth.
However...
Against this golden barrier, no matter how strong Kalpas's power was, it was futile.
The next moment, the barrier washed over Kalpas's body.
Thud...
Kalpas fell face-first, planting into the ground.
"This... what in the world is going on?"
Witnessing this, everyone couldn't help but be shocked.
The scene was just too bizarre.
But only a moment after he face-planted, Acheron grabbed him by the collar and fished him out of the dirt.
"Wait, Mei, are you okay?"
Seeing Acheron enter and exit the barrier unscathed, Elysia asked with some surprise.
"Even I feel a sense of suppression when entering that barrier. If any of you went in, you'd likely lose control over your Honkai energy. This enemy is specifically targeting warriors who use Honkai energy," Acheron explained, frowning slightly.
She hadn't expected two Herrschers to appear simultaneously this time. It was highly abnormal.
"No, it's probably already too late to run."
Kevin shook his head with a bitter smile.
It was only then that the others remembered something.
Then, their eyes turned in unison towards the miniature black hole inside the Barrier of Binding.
Now, the surrounding air had grown thick, and even movement felt sluggish, hindered.
If Kevin felt like this, the other Fire Moth warriors had it even worse.
Pulled by the black hole's gravitational force, they seemed to move in slow motion, standing almost dazed in place.
From the very start, the enemy's goal was singular: to cripple Fire Moth's combat strength while dealing a massive blow to human civilization.
And now, under the power of Binding, the Fire Moth warriors couldn't enter the barrier without facing certain death.
Kalpas was only spared because of his unique physique; anyone else would have been in much worse shape.
But even Kalpas remained unconscious.
If an ordinary MANTIS entered, they'd probably drop dead on the spot.
Only Acheron, with her immense power, remained unaffected.
The power of Binding constantly threatened the MANTIS warriors present.
Due to the Herrscher's appearance, a significant number of MANTIS had gathered here this time, nearly three-quarters of Fire Moth's current strength.
Losing so many MANTIS here would be a devastating blow to Fire Moth.
Since when did Herrschers start using their brains?
Acheron looked at this interlocking scheme, feeling a pang of surprise.
The power of Binding was meant to kill the warriors, while the Herrscher of Rock's black hole power hindered their advance and retreat.
Moreover, once the Herrscher of Rock used its authority to form the black hole, the black hole itself wouldn't be affected by the Herrscher of Binding's authority.
"The top priority is to find the other Herrscher's true body. Otherwise, this will be very difficult to handle," Kevin said with some difficulty from the side.
Under the black hole's suppression, while he wasn't as immobilized as the others, resisting this force was still draining his focus considerably.
Elysia and Ato nearby were in a similar state.
Aside from them, the other squads were more or less restrained.
"To think we'd be outmaneuvered by these Herrschers... We knew they had their own consciousness, but we never imagined they'd start cooperating already..." Ato let out a helpless sigh.
"My, my, it must be because Mei here gives them too much pressure. How wonderful, Mei!"
Even in such a perilous situation, Elysia still had the heart to joke, immediately turning a beaming smile towards Acheron.
"This is no time for joking, Elysia. A single misstep, and we're all finished here. And who knows the maximum range of this barrier? That's the real trouble."
"If someone with Kalpas's constitution ends up like that after going in, then ordinary people would probably die instantly," Ato took a deep breath and said sternly.
However, Ato, unfamiliar with Acheron's true strength, naturally spoke up to correct the tone. But Elysia, who knew Acheron all too well, was different.
Even though the cooperation between these two Herrschers was powerful, Acheron was stronger!
That was Elysia's firm belief.
And as it turned out, Acheron did not betray Elysia's absolute trust.
"In that case, I'll just cut it all down."
By now, the Herrscher of Binding's barrier had enveloped the entire block and would soon encroach upon the area where Acheron and the others stood.
Yet, facing this scene, not a trace of panic showed on Acheron's face, only a hint of aloofness.
"Cut it all down? But the enemy's location is still unclear..."
Ato started to voice a warning, but the next moment, her eyes widened in shock.
Acheron simply took a light step forward. With the sound of metal sliding against a scabbard, Acheron's long blade slowly left its sheath.
Then, under the astonished gazes of everyone.
Acheron's form began to lose its color, until everywhere one looked, only shades of grey and white remained...
This wasn't merely a transformation from using her power.
After drawing her blade, Acheron's true power began to awaken, and simultaneously, her energy instinctively began to seep into and stain the surrounding environment.
This was precisely why Acheron had always been reluctant to use her full strength. Because when an individual's power reached a certain level, even the mere aura they emitted was enough to affect the environment around them.
And as the embodiment of the most dangerous Nihility, Acheron had to be responsible for those around her.
Within crimson gauntlets, Acheron gripped her long blade.
This time, her target wasn't the Herrscher, but the entire expanse of space before her.
If she didn't know where the enemy was, then she'd just have to slice through everything here!
For others, such a task would be nigh impossible, but for Acheron... well, it really wasn't difficult. In fact, she had to hold back.
After all, with her power, if she didn't restrain herself, the Earth wouldn't even last until the Herrscher of Finality arrived.
The Shadow of Nihility would envelop the planet first.
And then, everything would be over.
Whether it was zombies or MANTIS warriors, all would become self-annihilators, eventually dissolving into formless sludge.
Among the Aeons, the Aeon of Nihility might be the most apathetic, but Its power was the most domineering existence.
Therefore, Acheron had always exercised great restraint, relying primarily on her martial skill when dealing with enemies.
However, against this level of power, if Acheron didn't reveal a fraction of her true strength, it would be difficult to protect others while overcoming this enemy.
"I weep for the departed…"
Bloody tears gradually welled in her eyes as Acheron whispered.
In the next instant, she swung her long blade, releasing three slashes in succession.
Each slash was sufficient to shatter space and make the Barrier of Binding tremble.
The Herrscher of Binding's power wasn't only effective against Honkai energy; it worked on other forms of energy as well, though its effectiveness was significantly reduced.
And Acheron's power was naturally not something a mere Herrscher of Binding could influence.
Now, Acheron's slashes were complete, yet three streaks of light, tearing across the sky, remained visible.
"Dusk's rain... it too shall fall."
She gently sheathed her long blade.
However, the moment the tsuba met the scabbard, the sky... exploded.
Yes, exploded in the literal, physical sense.
Space became as fragile as glass.
And when it was all over, it was as if nothing had ever happened.
Except for the street ahead, now completely hollowed out by the slashes, and the ravines scarring the ground...
There was no trace left suggesting this was once a bustling city district.
"The Herrscher signatures have disappeared."
Truth be told, everyone had already been struck speechless the moment Acheron sheathed her blade. But when Dr. Mei's reminder came, they couldn't help but cheer.
After all, the power of Binding was truly terrifying. If Kalpas was knocked out after one second inside, wouldn't anyone else fare even worse? Their lives probably wouldn't be safe.
"Teehee, see? I told you Mei is the best. No need to worry, Ato," Elysia popped her head out from beside Acheron, smiling mischievously as she teased the other.
However, after Ato's apology, Elysia stopped her jesting, instead looking at Acheron with a face full of relief.
"Not for the first time, I have to say it, Mei. It's truly wonderful to have you here."
Whether it was the Herrscher of Rock or the Herrscher of Binding, neither was an enemy that present-day humanity could easily defeat. Even if they ultimately won, the cost would be severe.
After briefly assessing the enemy's strength, Elysia had already reached a conclusion.
No, it should be said that whenever a Herrscher appeared, humanity would pay a painful price to defeat it. If not for Acheron, the Herrscher of Flame's inferno would have burned across all of Australia.
If not for Acheron, the Herrscher of Rock would have sunk the continent.
If not for Acheron, the aftermath of Binding would have plunged humanity's combat strength to an all-time low.
Although, due to Acheron's arrival, the frequency of Honkai eruptions had increased significantly.
But similarly, because of the butterfly effect she brought, while the intensity of the Honkai had risen considerably, humanity's current combat strength was also far greater than in the original timeline.
This resulted in a situation where, even if Emperor-class Honkai beasts appeared as frequently as dumplings dropping into a pot, humanity could handle them with ease.
This would have been impossible in the past.
Nowadays, Fire Moth no longer reacted to the name 'Emperor-class Honkai beast' as they used to, like hearing the name of the Grim Reaper.
Instead, it felt more like a daily task.
'Oh, today's Emperor-class Honkai beast hasn't spawned yet? Time to go farm it.'
That was roughly the sentiment.
However, the simultaneous appearance of two Herrschers today also served as a wake-up call for Acheron.
Due to her presence, the Herrschers no longer appeared in the original sequence, and even their strength and abilities might have changed.
If she relied on past experience, she might suffer for it.
And... the Honkai disaster seemed to have reached its final stages.
It was possible that soon, the Herrscher of Finality would descend.
And Acheron, it was time for her to start preparing for the final battle.
Even though she had handled the other Herrschers with ease, she wouldn't underestimate the Herrscher of Finality, the representative of the Cocoon.
After all, in the original timeline, Kiana, after embracing the Cocoon of Finality, had become practically the 'Kiana Emperor,' later officially confirmed to possess energy fluctuations akin to an Emanator.
Acheron knew all too well the gap between an Emanator and a non-Emanator.
So, she would not let her guard down!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.