The Herrscher of Wind was gazing at the girl before her with a strange expression.
Though the girl was her enemy, that did not prevent the Herrscher of Wind from feeling a certain admiration.
Anyone who could still stand before her at a time like this was worthy of respect. But what the Herrscher of Wind truly cared about were the girl's eyes.
They did not contain righteous resolve, nor fear, nor hatred born of family tragedy or national ruin.
They were utterly dim—lifeless eyes devoid of any light.
The girl wore contact lenses that made her eyes appear luminous, so ordinary people would never notice such a detail. But that could not deceive a Herrscher who could listen to the voice of the wind.
Wind could carry sound. And upon reaching a higher level of mastery, it could even listen to the thoughts of others and influence their minds.
Such was the terrifying authority of the free wind. If the Herrscher of Wind were to undergo ascension, she might well become a Herrscher of absolute freedom, unbound in both the physical and spiritual sense.
Now, Wendy was only one step away from true ascension.
And yet, Wendy would never be able to take that final step—because she was Wendy.
She understood clearly that even if she did take that step, she would not attain true ascension.
Under Vill-V's grave gaze, the Herrscher of Wind suddenly spoke:
"Even after ascension, a Herrscher remains a caged bird raised by Honkai."
"Yes... in the end, we can never obtain freedom."
The Herrscher had uttered such self-pitying words countless times before. They had practically become a catchphrase.
For all her complaints about lacking freedom, however, the work she carried out was that of a model employee of Honkai.
But this time, there seemed to be something different. The intelligent Vill-V quickly grasped the implication behind the Herrscher's words.
First came shock: She read my thoughts!
Then came elation: Holy hell, a miracle! The Herrscher of Wind is actually showing signs of ascension!
Vill-V also noticed that when the Herrscher of Wind looked at her, there was no hostility, no killing intent—not even the slightest ripple of emotion. It was as though she were looking at a stranger of no consequence.
Otherwise, with her newly gained invincible power, she would have already begun slaughtering. Poor, weak, and helpless Vill-V would not have survived even half a second.
"Then how, exactly, does one obtain freedom?"
She was asking a Herrscher on the brink of ascension. That being should be the closest to the truth.
Vill-V believed that after ascension, a Herrscher ought to possess the power to touch the threads of fate.
Even if not, she should at least be able to perceive their existence.
Unfortunately, even on the verge of ascension, a Herrscher was still a Herrscher—an enemy of humanity.
She had no intention of conversing with Vill-V. Those earlier words seemed merely to be her own muttering.
Next, perhaps she would continue her pursuit of the answer.
But that would come after humanity had been eradicated...
Boom!
A torrent of energy descended without warning, completely engulfing the space where Vill-V and the Herrscher of Wind stood.
Nani? A heavy particle cannon?! When did that happen? Didn't the Tethys warship already go down? Which dishonorable bastard is pulling a dirty trick on me right now?!
Vill-V's mind went blank. Before such world-destroying energy, every defense appeared pale and powerless.
Blinding white light swallowed everything in an instant. Rampaging energy tore the earth apart and scorched the sky, as though it sought to reduce all existence to nothingness.
...
Himiko sat in the captain's seat of the Tethys warship, her thick lashes trembling beneath lowered eyelids.
That shot had not been fired under her command, so she would not accept Vill-V's scolding.
In truth, even if Himiko had wanted to fire, she could not have. The main gun operator had already fallen unconscious, and the secondary gunner had fled long ago at the sight of disaster.
Moreover, firing the main cannon required not only a gunner but also coordination from the energy control room.
After all, it was impossible to fire a shot and then let the engines stall so everyone could crash together, wasn't it?
Theoretically, the main cannon could not have been activated at all. When Himiko attempted to restart the warship, her true intention had been to use the ship's catastrophic detonation to perish together with the Herrscher.
She had never expected the main cannon to restart—much less without her authorization.
"How did you hack into the Tethys warship's system? As a closed management system, not even the MOTH council possesses access rights to Tethys. I'm curious—how did you accomplish this, Master of the Stars?"
Opposite the captain's seat, the projection of a mysterious man appeared, seated upon a throne.
The projected man wore a black robe, as though blending into the surrounding darkness.
He leaned casually against the throne, long legs crossed, his right hand resting naturally against his cheek. Like a sovereign who controlled all things, surveying his dominion.
"It's quite simple. This warship originally belonged to me."
"Hah. What arrogance. To dare claim the property of MOTH as your own."
Himiko assumed he was bluffing. Even if some minor hacker had infiltrated the system, could he truly steal a floating warship under MOTH's watchful eyes?
"Heh heh," the projection chuckled softly, leisurely resting his hand upon the armrest of the throne. His slender fingers tapped rhythmically, producing crisp sounds that echoed through the silent bridge, as though mocking Himiko's ignorance.
"Infringement? Little girl, you've misunderstood something," he said unhurriedly, amusement lacing his tone. "What I possess has never required such lowly means as 'infringement' to obtain."
Himiko clenched her fists and asked coldly, "What do you mean by that?"
"It's very simple."
The man smiled and shifted his gaze onto Himiko, speaking calmly.
"This warship originally belonged to me."
"Not only this warship, but you as well—including MOTH, the United Nations, and even the vast cosmos of stars you behold—all belong to me."
His words were tranquil and indifferent, yet filled with unquestionable authority, as though he truly were the sovereign of all existence.
Just who was this man?
Himiko stared at him in astonishment, her eyes scanning him repeatedly.
"Do you have chuunibyou or something?"
"Bah! You're the one with chuunibyou—your whole family—... ahem, my apologies. I shouldn't insult my own."
The man seemed caught off guard and blurted out a curse before quickly restraining himself.
"When you show off for someone else, you get criticized. When you show off for yourself, no one believes you. Sigh... fine. If I do this, you should understand."
The man reached out as if to place his hand upon Himiko's shoulder.
But Himiko would not allow him to act as he pleased. Who knew what he intended to do?
In any case, she could not let him succeed.
With that thought, Himiko attempted to step beyond his reach. Yet an invisible pressure, as though arising from the depths of her bloodline, suddenly bore down upon her body, crushing her until she could barely breathe.
Her already exhausted and injured body worsened. Painful beads of sweat slid down her forehead.
"What is this? He's only a hacker projection."
Clenching her teeth, she asked with difficulty, "Is this... telekinesis?"
Himiko had often been to the front lines and had seen much in her time. Yet she had never witnessed such psychic power.
To render a MOTH captain-level combatant utterly powerless through nothing more than a projection—this was absurd.
"What is this? If you feel it carefully, you should be able to perceive it yourself..."
"My only bloodline remaining in this world—Himeko."