Searchlights swept across the circus from all directions. At this moment, their beams intertwined to form a gigantic birdcage, and at the center of that cage stood Wendy herself.
At the center of the stage rose an enormous cross. Illusory chains coiled around it, as if determined to bind Wendy tightly and deny the girl any chance of escape.
A single spotlight fell upon a lone figure seated in the front row of the audience. She was both the only spectator and a participant in the performance—also a little emerald bird.
Yet this canary was not alone, for all around her stood various trees. Like dancers brimming with life, they twirled and sang lightly at her side, dispelling her loneliness.
And Vill-V, carefully dressed as a spirit of the forest, danced gracefully among the trees before the canary, her melodious voice narrating, "The poor little emerald bird is trapped upon the cross. Oh~ gentle evening breeze, please do not carry away her passion. Instead, greet the beautiful new world on her behalf!"
On the stage, the little emerald bird's wings trembled faintly.
The spotlight slowly converged upon Vill-V as she spun like a spring breeze brushing over petals.
With elegant movements and soaring operatic vocals, Vill-V vividly recounted the tale of a young girl who departed from a fairy-tale-filled library, wandered through the mist, passed through a forest thick with thorns, and arrived in the mortal world.
The stage dimmed. Vill-V's figure vanished from sight. "The beautiful little emerald bird is imprisoned, her wings bound. Yet she still holds onto hope, believing that one day she will regain her freedom and spread her wings once more."
The lights flashed. Magician appeared with a red rose between her lips. Lifting her skirt in a courteous bow toward Wendy, she extended her hand. "Oh, my dear prince, please accept Belle's gift to you. In exchange, I offer myself for your freedom..."
(The line is adapted from Beauty and the Beast, the story of the kind and beautiful girl Belle, who willingly gives up her freedom to live beside the Beast Prince in order to save her father. Though fearful at first, Belle gradually discovers the goodness in his heart. Through companionship and growing love, they ultimately break the curse that bound him, restoring him to a free human once more.)
Vill-V had originally intended to conclude her opening act with a high-wire aerial performance. However, before the curtain could fall, the little emerald bird upon the stage trembled her wings again. The Herrscher of Wind's icy gale howled forth, enveloping Vill-V and the trees, shredding them to pieces.
The trees were not mere stage props. They were four pivot defense devices forged by Expert at Magician's request. Just moments ago, the pivot defense devices had attempted to deploy plasma shielding and microwave oscillation defenses. Yet before the blade of the Herrscher of Wind, they proved utterly useless.
The Herrscher's wind was the strongest blade—severing all things, unstoppable.
That was precisely why Vill-V had no desire to confront the Herrscher of Wind head-on. It was not that Vill-V could not fabricate armor capable of resisting a Herrscher's assault, but the cost would be immense.
At the very least, it would require soulium-grade materials as expendables. For Vill-V, that would mean total bankruptcy.
The Herrscher of Wind's cyan eyes were cold and devoid of emotion. "My name is Wendy. I am not some prince, nor am I any beast."
"Wendy does not require anyone's help. Wendy is free."
"Hmph. I thought anyone who dared appear before me would be impressive. Turns out you're nothing special."
The Herrscher of Wind assumed that was the end of it. Yet in the blink of an eye, Vill-V appeared once more. Her eyes still shone brightly, undeterred by the audience interrupting her performance. This time, she held an enormous top hat.
"So I couldn't even block a single basic attack? Well, that figures. After all, Expert assembled those in a rush. That's why I said those cliché defensive gadgets are useless. Might as well refit them into something more entertaining—like magical fireworks props."
"Ah, don't look so impatient, my little audience. Before a theatrical performance begins, there should always be a little story to warm things up. If you don't want to hear it, then I simply won't tell it."
"Now then~ Vill-V's circus show officially begins~"
With that, Vill-V lowered her hat, bent down, and slipped into the massive domed top hat she was holding, vanishing without a trace.
(Time to slip away.)
The Herrscher of Wind flew to where Vill-V had just stood. Only the enormous top hat remained, covering the ground.
"A pretentious trickster," Wendy commented. Though she spoke dismissively, her body told a different story. Curiosity drove her closer to the hat.
With a gust of wind, she flipped it open. Vill-V was not inside. Instead, there was only a broken birdcage. At the center of the cage perched a red-and-white cockatoo.
The cockatoo blinked and met Wendy's astonished gaze.
Suddenly, it raised a tiny wing. "Hello there! I am the circus director and tour guide—gulu gulu gulu."
The director of the circus, yet locked inside a cage.
Wendy did not immediately kill the little cockatoo as she had done with Vill-V.
It was not that a Herrscher harbored hostility only toward humans while showing kindness to other living beings.
Rather, Wendy found it strange that when the cockatoo came into contact with her wind, it did not transform into a Honkai Beast.
Even though Wendy, as a Herrscher, could control Honkai energy as effortlessly as drinking water, even if she deliberately restrained it, any lifeform within ten meters would still turn into a Honkai Beast. To suppress it further required practice and refinement.
That the cockatoo had not become a Honkai Beast was only natural—because it was not a lifeform at all, but a soulium puppet forged by Expert.
Wendy released the cockatoo. It immediately flew onto her shoulder, flapping its wings cheerfully. "Gulu gulu is out! Gulu gulu is free~"
"Thank you, little lion. You are the one who created Gulu gulu's freedom, gulu."
("Little lion" is a reference to Thus Spoke Zarathustra.)
"What? You're asking why I call you little lion, gulu? Because in this circus, there are no little lions—only big tigers."
Gulu gulu prattled on endlessly, seemingly overjoyed at regaining freedom. Wendy did not find it annoying.
As Wendy, she did not care about Gulu gulu's chatter. Gulu gulu was merely a bird chirping on a branch.
Though it spoke human language, Wendy did not regard it as human. Parrots speaking human words was perfectly normal. That was what fairy tales and encyclopedias said.
Of course, Wendy had no intention of conversing with the parrot. She was merely curious about it, but that did not imply even the slightest hint of goodwill.
If Gulu gulu attempted to leave, Wendy would tear it apart without hesitation.
It might sound as though this contradicted Wendy's own ideals of freedom. Yet that was the truth. That was what a Herrscher was—the embodiment of destruction.