The Hyperion was not unique to the world of Honkai Impact 3rd.
In the classic real-time strategy series StarCraft, there was also a battleship with the same name.
And that one was the flagship of the protagonists too.
Of course, even with the Selene engine installed, the Hyperion in front of them still could not carry out interstellar travel for the time being.
That was simply a gap in technology.
Still…
"It really does look damn good."
Right now, Ling Ke was sitting steady and in control. From the start, he had planned to let Theresa and the others escape, using them as bait to hook out even bigger fish, so he had the leisure to pay attention to things like this.
Just look at that outline, like a heavenly sword. That hull built around a sacred white tone. And…
that spotless deck.
"In real life, there's no such thing as an indestructible map background."
"If this thing gets scratched up, should I feel bad for it? Or should I laugh?"
Ling Ke thought about it in a way that was just a little sick.
At this moment, several hundred Puppets of Domination—Anby had already gathered on the Hyperion's deck.
With them appearing all at once, Anti-Entropy had no choice but to send out its own fighters to meet them.
Kiana. Bronya. Fu Hua.
And even… Seele.
"Say, doesn't this count as sending minors onto the battlefield?"
As the two sides faced off, Puppet of Domination 001, standing in front with the number 001 on her back, gave a cold mocking laugh. "So Anti-Entropy is a terrorist organization after all?"
"fnnndp!!!"
The bridge broadcast suddenly rang out.
That certain lobster doctor had blown up again. Roaring with fury, she shouted, "A bastard like you, running around the world carrying out massacres wherever you please—what right do you have to say that?"
"Heh."
Puppet of Domination 001 laughed. "That's why I'm the villain everyone wants dead."
"But what about you people? Aren't you the ones always talking about beauty and justice?"
"Your moral bottom line sure is flexible."
"Oh, no. That's wrong."
"You lost your bottom line a long time ago."
"Otherwise, why would there have been the disaster in Nagazora?"
"And otherwise… how would there be a me now?"
After tossing out those few short lines, the Puppet of Domination—Anby did not wait for any reaction from the people on the other side. She drew the black blade from her lower back.
Then she pointed it at one person ahead.
"Bronya, did you really take my words for nothing but empty threats?"
A cold smile appeared on her face. "I said I'd make you all alone again."
"And even so, you still dared bring your dear little sister here?"
"Bring her right in front of 'us'?"
The moment those words left her mouth, Bronya's face changed drastically.
She had thought of a terrifying possibility.
And sure enough…
"All units, lock primary target—Seele Vollerei."
"Received!" ×389
In a single instant…
including 001 herself, all three hundred and ninety Puppets of Domination—Anby drew their blades and charged as one.
As they rushed forward—
"Protect Seele!"
The people on Anti-Entropy's side immediately understood the knife-twisting intent behind Ling Ke's move.
At once, as Kiana shouted, everyone on the deck moved to shield Seele behind them.
Now that Mei was not here, Kiana—who had been looked after by Seele lately… though honestly, even without that, she still would have moved first to save anyone who needed saving.
Unfortunately, the Puppets of Domination came in too fast.
Kiana had no time to think any further before both sides had already clashed.
A full three hundred and ninety of them were attacking the fewer than ten Valkyries defending the ship.
The fighting was fierce.
And after seeing it with her own eyes, in just the first few seconds…
"I'm… holding everyone back…"
Even though she was holding a huge scythe that looked more than intimidating enough, Seele herself still shrank her neck a little, her heart full of unease.
Seeing her like that…
"I told you not to get mixed up in this. Happy now?"
The voice of the other "Seele" rang out in her mind.
She sounded thoroughly impatient. "Hurry up. Give me the body."
"I'll handle this."
"Mm!"
Lately, after watching Bronya keep pushing herself forward, Seele had wanted to grow stronger too.
So she had been forcing herself to take part in the hardest training every time.
And she had made a point not to rely too much on the power of "the other me."
But now, she understood too…
if she kept stubbornly holding on, things would only get worse.
In the end, she really was a sensible girl.
So, in the next moment…
"Please, other me!"
After that soft whisper, Seele's whole presence changed at once.
"Hmph!"
The girl who had been gentle on the outside and strong inside now wore a wicked little smile.
"They're just trash. What does it matter if there are more of them?"
At that moment, the giant scythe in Seele's hand vanished.
In its place appeared two blood-red floating claws, hovering at either side of the girl's body.
And just then, several Puppets of Domination—Anby broke through the defense up front…
"Slash—"
"Seele" gave a cold laugh and swung her claws without mercy.
She had thought that one strike would be enough to kill these pieces of trash that wanted to target Seele, to hurt Seele.
Unfortunately…
"Clang!"
"!!!"
In "Seele's" shocked gaze, her attack… was blocked.
Those short-haired girls holding black blades…
at their sides, another completely different figure suddenly flashed out.
She had the same black-and-red short hair, wore a short maid dress, and behind her…
there was a shark tail.
A member of Victoria Housekeeping. A shark Thiren—Ellen.
At that moment, as she switched in, Anby disappeared from the field.
"Tch."
The Puppet of Domination—Ellen clicked her tongue in annoyance, baring a mouthful of sharp silver teeth like saw blades.
The giant shears in her hands, shaped like the dorsal fin of a crazed shark, not only forced aside "Seele's" claw strike, but also drove it down into the deck. Then, using that as a pivot, she spun into a counterattack in one fluid motion.
And it was not only one Ellen making that move.
"Who are you calling trash?" ×7
Those cold voices sounded at the same time, like overlapping tapes, crashing into the ear.
"Seele" narrowed her eyes slightly, and the look on her face turned dangerous.
At that moment…
"This is bad!"
The moment Bronya saw their defensive line get broken through, she had already chosen to fall back.
In truth, the instant she withdrew like that, the defensive line their side had formed opened up an even larger gap.
But it was her instinctive choice.
Maybe, just like that Mei onee-san, in her heart, Seele also mattered more than the whole world.
"Project Bunny!"
Bronya was clearly too flustered to think straight.
"Seele" could have handled these enemies…
but even so, she still summoned the quantum robot at her side straight to her "little sister's" position.
Then it slammed one fist into the deck—
"Boom!"
That kind of shockwave attack could easily drive back incoming enemies.
If the Puppets of Domination—Ellen took that head-on, then even if they were not hurt, they would still have to pull back and reset themselves.
But Bronya did not know…
the game character templates from Zenless Zone Zero fought in three-person teams.
And not only could they "parry"—
they could also "dodge."
In an instant…
"Whoosh—"
Several Ellens did not retreat.
Just as Bronya's attack was about to land, another figure flashed out at their side.
"A pain to deal with, right? Leave it to me!"
She was a tall gray-haired woman, also dressed in maid clothes.
Only, her skirt was much longer.
But it had a slit down one side, and long white-clad legs showed through in glimpses…
At a moment like this, no one had any spare attention to admire that sort of "view."
Because as the Ellen who had been on the field vanished, the newly switched-in Rina grinned and sent out a massive ball of lightning.
If one looked closely, there were two special "dolls" inside it.
Those were Rina's two personal combat Bangboo.
They spun around one another as they advanced, moving extremely fast.
In a flash, seven lightning spheres shot at "Seele" and Project Bunny beside her at the same time.
Both of them were already ready to meet the attack.
Project Bunny instantly spread out its floating shields, while its two mechanical arms moved to guard both sides of "Seele."
"Boom!"
The seven lightning spheres slammed in and exploded violently.
But they still failed to break through Project Bunny's defense.
Even so…
"Bronya onee-chan!!!"
Inside her mind, "Seele" heard Seele cry out.
She turned her head on instinct—
and sure enough, because Project Bunny had moved away, Bronya's own fighting strength had dropped sharply.
She already could not use the Herrscher of Reason's authority. And even though the fighting skills she had learned in her days as the world's number one assassin had returned along with the feeling in her legs…
the enemies Bronya was facing were simply too troublesome.
It had to be said: Ling Ke's side had been planning a feint from the very beginning.
And now, even if he was only putting on a show, he was still making his subordinates act it out for real.
Right then—
"Whish, whish, whish—"
More Puppets of Domination began to swarm Bronya.
Because she had lost her head worrying about Seele, she had left her own place in the line and ended up isolated.
The others, too, had all been pinned down by different Puppets of Domination under Ling Ke's deliberate setup.
"Clang!"
On Anti-Entropy's side, Fu Hua, the strongest among them in normal combat, had just tried to force her way forward and drive a punch at one Puppet of Domination—Anby…
when it missed, and a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
He had a human body, a beast's head, and a wolf's tail. His fur was white with black streaks, his gaze sharp, his manner perfectly precise.
He wore a butler's outfit, and his air was one of flawless elegance.
A wolf Thiren. Lycaon.
In the world of Zenless Zone Zero, he also belonged to Victoria Housekeeping, and was the one Ellen called "Boss," something like the leader of the group.
It was obvious that some of the Puppets of Domination—Anby were not running the Ellen + Rina team setup.
And now…
"Move."
"My apologies, guest, but the way ahead is closed."
Lycaon stated that very unwelcome fact to Fu Hua with perfect courtesy.
A fighter who specialized in kicks, he met Fu Hua's straight punch head-on with his hard black prosthetic leg.
The two sides locked in place.
"As I thought, the 'parry' mechanic from Zenless Zone Zero works very well for tying down an enemy at a key moment."
"It can even make up for a major gap in levels."
Inside the Theater of Domination, Ling Ke, still hidden behind the scenes, made that tactical note in real time.
"Then…"
The corner of his mouth lifted into a clear smile.
On the deck of the Hyperion…
taking advantage of the opening at last, Puppet of Domination 001—Anby suddenly raised her left hand. Her five fingers spread like a claw, and she made a grasping motion from afar at the isolated Bronya.
"Shhk—"
Invisible threads wrapped themselves around Bronya.
Threads, like spatial gates, were one of the Herrscher of Domination's original powers to begin with.
Which meant any game character template could use them.
At that moment, Bronya's hands and feet were bound in an instant. She lost the ability to move completely.
Just like that, dragged by No. 001, she was about to be pulled away—
"Bronya!"
"Bronya onee-chan!"
All around her, Kiana, Seele, and the others, all still tied down in their own fights, showed pure panic on their faces.
Even farther back, at the bridge—
"Crack—"
Theresa, who could not sit still any longer, grabbed the Oath of Judah from the side, smashed straight through the transparent shield in front of the bridge, and rushed out.
She could not let Bronya get taken too.
She had to protect her student.
But just as No. 001 opened a spatial gate and was about to drag Bronya through—
"Crackle."
A violent streak of red lightning came down from the sky.
In the space of a breath—
"Slash—"
A flash of the blade cut through the air, and every thread wrapped around Bronya was severed.
Arcs of lightning ran wild, like something descending in judgment.
At the same moment—
"ROAR!"
The crimson dragon-shaped Honkai beast, Kurikara, descended onto the deck.
With its furious roar, great numbers of Puppets of Domination were blown away by the shockwave.
Some of the lower-level ones had their HP wiped out on the spot.
The sudden turn of events left everyone there stunned.
Even Ling Ke, hidden behind the scenes, showed the slightest change in expression.
"So you've come."
His eyes narrowed. "Heh. Does this count as me making you meet again ahead of schedule?"
On the deck of the Hyperion, the purple-haired girl stood there with blade in hand, planted between Bronya and No. 001.
The moment she saw that all-too-familiar figure, not far away, Kiana—whose battle pressure had just lightened—shivered.
"Meeeiii!"