The spear fell. The sword dropped.
Kevin's puppet collapsed onto the ground. Its pupils were dim, yet the corner of its lips curved faintly upward—
As if it were pleased about something.
Its head tilted limply to the side, all operational capability lost—unless a specialized puppet engineer were to repair it.
Cecilia was not faring much better.
Her entire body trembled as she slowly crouched down, forcing Black Abyss White Flower into the ground for support and leaning against it.
What a… troublesome opponent.
Thankfully, I won… At least, I didn't fall…
But… with something like that appearing… what comes next…?
"Damn you, Schariac."
Jackal's voice came from nearby, filled with suppressed fury and an unmistakable chill.
"You've crossed my bottom line."
As her words fell, countless monsters began crawling up from beneath the Thames, encircling Cecilia.
Dual-bladed Deadwalkers.
Honkai beasts whose limbs swung like war hammers.
Mechs corrupted by Honkai energy.
Wave after wave of World Serpent constructs surrounded her completely.
During the battle after "killing" Otto, Jackal had treated Cecilia as nothing more than prey. Even releasing Jörmungandr had merely been an indulgence—she had wanted to savor the thrill of a cat playing with a mouse.
Her calm words had been nothing more than feigned composure after believing she had won everything.
Of course, she would never admit that.
But Jörmungandr's destruction had nearly shattered her mask of elegance.
And Kevin's puppet being defeated—
That extinguished the last restraint on her rage.
That was the Sovereign of World Serpent's puppet!
How could it lose to this woman?!
"Only by tearing you apart can I compensate for World Serpent's losses."
"Yes. Kill you. Kill you."
"Kill you. Kill everyone here. Then I'll continue to receive World Serpent's praise. I'll gain everything through the dual honor of slaying the Schicksal Overseer and an S-rank Valkyrie. We'll welcome back the Sovereign. Win everything…"
"No one cares about the process. They'll only see my great achievements…"
Jackal muttered like someone possessed.
She didn't even realize how unhinged her thoughts had become.
She directed the artificial Honkai beasts and Deadwalkers to tighten the encirclement.
Even she herself approached, step by step, like a madwoman.
"I'll kill you… kill you… kill you!!!"
"Heh. Another beast tide tactic…"
Cecilia murmured as she looked at the approaching swarm, straightening her back.
"How troublesome."
Blood loss made her dizzy.
Overuse of the Divine Key left her arms nearly too weak to hold Black Abyss White Flower.
And yet—
She raised her head and looked at the encroaching nightmare.
There was not a trace of fear in her heart.
In fact—
There was a hint of relief.
Delayed just a little…
Perhaps on the road of death, I can still follow the Overseer.
They say that when one is about to die, memories flood back in clarity.
Cecilia truly felt it now.
Her scattered memories aligned one by one in the calm before the end.
I am Cecilia Schariac.
Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie.
In this life, I fought for the beauty of the world.
I fought for the Overseer.
There are no regrets…
Only…
I didn't get to see little Kiana grow up…
I didn't die before Overseer Otto…
He will take care of Kiana…
But I still haven't avenged him…
There's still… a little… unwillingness…
Cecilia gritted her teeth and raised her lance high despite the tremor in her arms.
"Black Abyss White Flower—"
But before she could strike—
Arms wrapped around her waist.
She was pulled into a warm embrace.
"Well done, Cecilia."
A man's hand stroked her silver hair. His voice was warm and composed.
"I'll take it from here."
Behind him, black portals opened one after another. Golden light glowed within them, forming into the shapes of firearms.
"There is no need for eternity in this world. Illusions and fleeting moments are truer than permanence."
He spoke calmly.
"First Divine Key. Seventh Recursive Mimicry—Void Archives. Rain of Heavenly Splendor."
There was no heated shout like a hero calling out an ultimate move.
It was spoken as a simple statement of fact.
And then—
The firearms roared like crimson dragons exhaling fire.
A storm of bullets erupted.
Golden flames surged from the portals as Honkai-energy rounds tore outward in every direction, smashing into the bodies of World Serpent constructs.
"Bzzzz—!"
Honkai rounds collided with silicon-based frames. The constructs howled as their bodies cratered—
But before they could react, flames latched onto them, spreading wildly.
The fire grew unchecked, devouring all matter as fuel.
Simultaneously, the bullets detonated, releasing corrosive golden mist.
In the blink of an eye, countless Honkai beasts dissolved into smoke and dust.
"Impossible— you—"
Jackal's golden pupils widened with terror and disbelief.
Useless.
The man raised his hand again.
Four small swords materialized at his fingertips, spinning as intricate patterns rapidly etched themselves across their blades.
The moment the engraving completed—
He pushed forward.
The small swords expanded instantly, shooting outward in four directions.
"With the heart as the sheath, temper the blade."
Still a simple declarative tone.
"Pseudo—Taixu Sword God. Formation, arise."
The four colossal swords descended like towering mountains.
An instant ago, the sky above the World Serpent constructs had been empty—
Now it was replaced by four heaven-shrouding blades.
The sheer pressure forced every creature beneath them to its knees.
And it did not end with mere intimidation.
Before the constructs could move again, the four golden swords roared as they crashed down like divine judgment.
The sunlight vanished.
Golden blades, golden flames, and golden mist fused together—
Enclosing everything within a radiant execution formation.
"BOOM!!!"
When the golden sword array finally dissipated—
Silence.
Every construct had been annihilated, shattered by the overwhelming might of the four swords.
Only ruin remained.
"Cough…!"
Jackal, her body long modified by experimentation, barely clung to life.
She crawled out from flame-scorched rubble, staggering to her feet.
Her gaze locked onto the man and woman before her.
Pain and fury twisted her face into something grotesque.
But the man merely lifted his chin slightly, naked amusement in his eyes.
"Two moves to finish it."
He smiled faintly.
"Snake stew tastes quite good."
◇ You can read 50+ chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/ElaraVance1
✨ Bonus Chapter Goals ✨
10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter