Chapter 134: Power, Home, Ideal! Welt Yang's Transcendence!
[Dear Ms. Theresa, do you have any idea how St. Freya Academy managed to produce four Herrschers from one class?]
[Otto gave you funds to build a Valkyrie academy, but you built a Herrscher seedling nursery?]
[This is at a level where Cecilia would be so angry she'd literally come back to life.]
Inside the "Magical Girl Teriri" livestream room, looking at the massive wave of fans flooding the screen with questions, Theresa was currently looking completely dazed. By the time she reached the Third World and realized that even Bronya was about to become a Herrscher, she directly typed a string of question marks in front of the camera.
"W-What is going on? Why is everyone from the St. Freya Academy I built a Herrscher! This is way too terrifying!"
[Hehe, now that four Herrschers have appeared, is there a chance that you, Teriri, might become one too?]
[Theresa might not be a Herrscher, but doesn't she have the Pseudo-Herrscher Yae Sakura inside her?]
[LMAO, true! Don't treat a Pseudo-Herrscher like they aren't a Herrscher!]
[What about Himeko-sensei using the Himeko... I mean, the Flame Herrscher's power? Rounded up, doesn't that make Himeko-sensei the Herrscher of Flame?]
[Why are you bringing up that? You're doing it on purpose, aren't you??]
The fans in the stream did the math: good lord, Theresa the Principal has an inseparable connection with the Pseudo-Herrscher Yae Sakura. It really was a case of "if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be too!" Theresa was practically responsible for the Far East Branch becoming a Herrscher's den!
Of course, they were just teasing and joking. Since the Valkyries used the power of the Honkai to fight the Honkai—"the enemy and I share the same origin"—this setting was actually quite cool. If you wanted to obtain even more powerful strength to fight the Honkai, wasn't becoming a Herrscher the only way?
[But every Herrscher that has appeared so far has caused significant destruction to the world.]
[True. The Second Impact is known as the greatest disaster in history, affecting the whole world.... The Third Impact caused Nagazora, a city with millions, to evaporate. The Fourth Impact didn't spare New Zealand.... And the Herrscher of the Void's re-awakening plunged the world into disaster once more.]
[Every Herrscher's birth is inevitably accompanied by disaster.... If Bronya becomes the Herrscher of Reason, is something bad going to happen?]
[Not necessarily. Bronya's situation is different from the others! Doesn't she have the Joachim fragment left by Welt Yang to guide her?]
[Bronya is currently in the Sea of Quanta. If an eruption happens there, it shouldn't affect reality, right?]
Everyone discussed the implications of Bronya becoming the Herrscher of Reason, though they clearly understood that achieving this wouldn't be simple. After all, Bronya had her final trial to complete.
Back in Senti's stream, she clicked on the Third World stage. Before Bronya headed there, Joachim asked her to promise him one thing—no matter what Bronya saw next, she must absolutely not let the "Snake" escape from this place. And so, carrying Joachim's request, Bronya entered the Third World.
However, this Third World was completely different from the previous ones. Upon entering, Bronya heard Seele's anxious cries. When she opened her eyes, she found herself and Seele on scorched earth. Though it was still a snowy plain, it was entirely different from before. An unexpected person... appeared.
Kiana Kaslana saw Bronya wake up and let out a sigh of relief, stepping forward to ask about her condition. The moment Bronya saw Kiana, she froze in place. Beside Kiana... the long-haired girl was none other than Raiden Mei!
[??]
[Tuna! Mei!!]
[Oh god, seeing the Tuna makes me feel so sad! Whenever I see her, I think of Himeko-sensei!]
[We finally get to see the Trio reunited, but I can't feel happy about it at all!]
[Sigh, thinking about the Tuna wandering for four months makes my heart ache....]
Seeing the three-girl squad reunite in the Third World plot, the viewers couldn't bring themselves to be happy. After all, things had changed and people were gone; in reality, a reunion for the Trio would be a difficult task. Kiana was currently missing, and while they knew she was in Arc City, she likely didn't want to see Theresa and the others. She didn't want to use her power to hurt her companions again.
In the Third World, Bronya, Seele, Mei, and Kiana were members of a Valkyrie squad fighting the Herrscher of the Void. They were currently on the front lines, engaging the army of Honkai beasts summoned by the Herrscher. Although Kiana was here... Bronya quickly realized that this was likely Siberia during the Second Honkai Impact. Though she didn't know why Kiana and Mei appeared in this era, Bronya had no time to think and quickly dove into battle.
However, just as the squad fell into a predicament, Welt Yang arrived with an Anti-Entropy mech unit to provide support and eliminate the beasts. This was Bronya's first time seeing him as the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, but the cold aura he radiated was different from her memory. ...After all, the previous Joachim had been a bit of a naive younger brother.
Mei watched Welt's departing figure and said something that shocked Kiana.
["Is that the First Herrscher?"]
["Impossible, I heard the First Herrscher was personally eliminated by the Overseer decades ago. This guy must be a fake, right?"]
["I'm not sure of the specifics, only that he established the Anti-Entropy organization, claiming that as a Herrscher, he will fight for humanity."]
A Herrscher who fights for humanity.... this sparked curiosity in the viewers. What kind of past was hidden within this man named Welt Yang?
As the plot continued, Bronya and the others broke through the Honkai beast lines, but at the center of the battlefield, a terrifying Honkai eruption occurred. There, the Second Herrscher, the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin—that purple-haired girl—lay collapsed on the scorched earth. Welt Yang's body was suspended in the air, looking down from a high vantage point at the bedraggled Sirin below.
["The dignified Herrscher of the Void, forced to such a desperate state by humans.... But no matter, take your power and let it be used by me."]
As Welt Yang's cold voice fell, countless spatial portals opened behind him. Shimmering in golden light, he looked like a god descending upon the world! However, after defeating the Second Herrscher, Welt Yang turned his weapons toward Schicksal and the Valkyries....
In the process of fleeing, her companions were lost one by one. When Bronya woke up, she found that all of Schicksal had been destroyed by Welt Yang. Welt was somewhat surprised that Bronya had survived, calmly telling her about Schicksal's destruction. Bronya questioned Welt on why he was doing this.
["That man named Welt Joyce entrusted this to me in 1955."] In Bronya's memory, that was the day Anti-Entropy was founded. ["No, that was the day Anti-Entropy was destroyed."]
Welt Yang coldly listed the names of his fallen companions—Joyce, Einstein, Tesla, Planck, Schrödinger.... They had been killed one by one by Schicksal Valkyries right in front of him, while Welt Yang could only run away like a coward. Like a terrified, weak beast. In countless dreams, Welt Yang would dream of the moment Joyce entrusted the Herrscher Core to him. Now, he had returned, using Joyce's name to fulfill his promise to fight for humanity.
However, facing this Welt Yang, Bronya was filled with grief and anger. What Yang was doing was no different from Schicksal, and the founders of Anti-Entropy would never have wanted to see him become a vengeful demon.
["Hmph, you're right. They were all gentle and powerful people."]
["Even after having everything taken by Schicksal, they could set aside their hatred to continue fighting for their ideals."]
["—And so, they paid the price."]
Welt Yang took off his glasses. His eyes were consumed by scarlet, and a chilling aura radiated from him.
["Power, home, ideals—when I inherited the name of Welt, I obtained everything that man had!"]
["But.... beneath that name, there was nothing that belonged to me. I was only playing the shadow of a man who died years ago."]
[".....But why should I play the shadow of a failure....?"]
Bloody blossoms burst from the man's body; his broken frame could no longer support the use of Herrscher power. But his voice became even more excited—
["That's right, I killed the Herrscher of the Void and saved this world! I did what that man couldn't do. I surpassed him....!!"]
[Bronya looked at him in shock: "You've gone mad!"]
["I haven't gone mad; I have conquered the world!!"]
[Red light flashed as a steel giant descended beside the Herrscher. He looked down on the Valkyrie, his clouded eyes filled only with madness.]
["This is my power, my home, my ideal..... this is the real me!"]
Holy crap!!
Watching the mad Old Yang on the screen, the viewers couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock! Was this the Old Yang they knew? In reality, Old Yang was the personification of "gentle and refined." As a respected senior in the game industry, his character and ability were universally acknowledged. In the Anti-Entropy Invasion manga, the Old Yang teaching at St. Freya was a very warm and kind figure. Even in Chapter 10, he stayed behind to fight the "Snake" to cover Einstein's escape.... After his death, he used all his remaining power to seal the Snake in the Sea of Quanta.
Everything showed that Welt Yang was a man of high moral character and worth admiring. But... the madness shown by Welt Yang in the Third World gave the fans a real fright. The contrast was simply too massive!
[Holy crap, even though Old Yang turned into a vengeful spirit.... this version of him is actually kind of cool!]
[True, there's a 'mad and handsome' vibe!]
[The voice acting for 'this is the real me' was too good! I got goosebumps!!]
[Sigh, he's cool, but the things he's doing are... well...]
Senti glared at the screen and complained: "Has this Welt been soaking in the Herrscher Core too long? His brain isn't working! What do the Valkyries fighting the Second Herrscher have to do with his revenge? He should find the ones who killed his friends! I could accept that, but how is this any different from killing innocents?"
Fu Hua shook her head and sighed: "Senti, you can't demand logic from a madman. On the day Anti-Entropy was destroyed, Welt Yang probably died too. What's left is only a vengeful ghost named Welt Yang, and he's just venting his anger."
"Ugh! So annoying! But there's nothing we can do!" Senti clutched her head in frustration.
Fu Hua continued her analysis. "Mhm.... looking at it now, the three world trials actually represent Welt's internal struggles. They are connected to his past—his confusion, his hopes—all showcased within this labyrinth. The reason Joachim wanted Bronya to pass these trials is that she is so similar to him; therefore, she is qualified to inherit the Core of Reason. By passing these trials, Bronya can reach the location of the Core.... and become the true Herrscher of Reason."
During Fu Hua's analysis, the battle between Bronya and Welt Yang began. Facing Bronya, Welt attempted to use the Star of Eden's power to create gravitational black holes to crush her, but Bronya continued her difficult advance toward him. Welt questioned how she was any different from him—wasn't she also hating those who killed her important person?
But Bronya wasn't hating Welt; she only found him pitiful and pathetic. In his eyes, she saw only fear and cowardice.
["You aren't strong at all. Bronya has seen people stronger than you. When disaster struck, she faced it with courage.... When despair blocked the sun, she fought with her will....."]
["She was just a mortal. Bronya knows her confusion, her lostness, the pain and sorrow she experienced along the way...."]
["But Bronya also knows that no matter how long the road, she would still defend her duty...."]
["She is still the hero who guards hope!"]
As Bronya spoke those words, the image of a red-haired figure surfaced in the minds of the viewers! Himeko's Final Lesson..... the things she passed down did not disappear with her departure. They existed in Bronya's heart, never to be forgotten! Now, the Bronya standing before Welt Yang relied on more than just her own strength....
["Of course you don't know. You are just a complete bastard."]
["Bronya is different from you, and will never become like you."]
["....You aren't worthy of the name Welt at all!"]
Bronya's words struck a nerve. Enraged, Welt tried to use the Star of Eden to tear Bronya apart. However, the Star of Eden did not respond to him and fell before Bronya. At that moment, Joachim's voice rang in her ear, telling her she had found the answer.
["Bronya knows... much more than you! Star of Eden, Zeroth Power——Unleashed!"]
As Bronya unleashed the simulated black hole power, the entire world was swallowed by a massive black hole. Once the labyrinth vanished, Bronya found she had reached the place where the Herrscher of Reason's Core was stored. Seeing Seele appear beside her unharmed, Bronya let out a sigh of relief.
["Seele, thank goodness you're okay...."]
However, Seele's smile hid something extremely dangerous. When she opened her eyes, a manic scarlet occupied her pupils.
["Mhm...! Seele is fine!"]
It was a completely different feeling from "White Seele"—dangerous, sickly. Bronya sensed the change and looked at Seele warily. It was from this moment that Bronya finally learned that another personality had always existed within Seele.
The other Seele told Bronya that she couldn't take Seele back to the real world; Seele's body had been completely assimilated by the Sea of Quanta. The reason Seele could appear here was because someone had saved them, but everything came with a price. As long as they obtained the Herrscher of Reason's Core and broke the barrier of the Sea, Seele could leave.
Undoubtedly, the one capable of such a thing was the "Snake" sealed by Welt Yang! In the battle with Seele, an exhausted Bronya was eventually defeated.
["Sleep.... Bronya-oneesama.... When you wake up, everything will be over."]
As Seele's voice fell, Bronya fell into a coma.
END OF CHAPTER
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