Chapter 196: Chapter 163: Unfulfillable Conquest
Lightning rained down on Nagazora and Mei developed a herrscher core. As Adelheid's gem of conquest has been lost to the will of the honkai. Mei developed violet wings of pure honkai energy and she floated off the ground. Electricity arcing off of her, plasma melting the asphalt. She then smirked and laughed.
"Hehehehe~ Ahhh. I feel, wonderful! I should've accepted this power a longgg time ago. Well, I guess it's time to find those skanks. The queen of conquest cannot let their slights against me unpaid." She vanished with a thunderclap, travelling to Chiba high in an instant with her newfound speed. Turning into electricity and moving at relativistic speeds without worries as she was intangible. (pic)
She floated up high at her school and squinted her eyes. Using her electromagnetic powers to visualize everyone in the school. "Hmmm, Kiana is over there. No matter, I can just do this!" Herrscher Mei clenched her fists. Because she was the heiress of ME corp. and with her burning desire to know everything about their product, she has good knowledge about electromagnetism.
The bullies that targeted her home, her mother, and herself screamed in pain as they started turning into goop from the sole of their feet slowly.
"Kyaaa! What's happening!" The leader screamed bloody murder as all the components of her body atomized. Her atomic bonds start to unravel.
"Hehehe~ KYAHAHAHA! Yes! Melt into nothing you pieces of trash! You think the queen of thunder would let you go!?" Mei reveled in delight, murdering every single one that has wronged her.
Kiana immediately went outside and her eyes dilated, seeing Mei floating up high with violet wings of honkai on her back. She then started getting a headache as her herrscher persona acted up. The intense amounts of honkai energy stimulating her. *Ahhh, one of my sisters. But that power, belongs to me.*
Kiana's eyes started glowing orange and she screamed in pain. Resisting the influence of the herrscher as much as possible. But the ambient honkai in the area, coupled with the memories of the herrscher upon seeing the herrscher of thunder were too much.
"Hehehe, conquest gem. My other half, you are not worthy of such powers, sister. I can feel your conquest, you betray our goddess!" The herrscher of the void's orange wings of honkai energy were released and subspace lances floated behind her.
Mei sat on the rails of the roof and her hands glowed a brilliant violet. "Hmmm, a sister of mine. You have no right to say that weakling, you lost when our goddess supported you. Hahahaha! I will show you, that my conquest reigns supreme." Violet lightning showered the city behind her. (pic)
They then had a standoff and floated in the air. About to battle for supremacy. (pic)
A beam came out of Mei's hand and atomized everything that it hit. Portals then appeared around Mei and numerous subspace lances were shot at her, she scoffed and turned to lightning. Appearing behind HOV, she then gave a roundhouse. Making her crash onto the school with a thunderclap.
"Heh, big words for a weakling like you." Mei cracked her neck and squared up. HOV flew to the air and was virtually unharmed. "Struggle all you want, I will come on top!" HOV's subspace lances turned into strings. Like a laser, it swiped everything in front of her and sliced what it touched like a hot knife through butter.
"Too slow." Mei attacked her with multiple bolts of lightning, but HOV's portals opened at their trajectories and they were redirected at Mei. She created a shield, thunder clapped as the air ionized. The smell of ozone permeating the battlefield and dust exploded.
They then looked at each other with narrowed eyes. Tense, as they were equally matched for now. The herrschers then flew at each other at breakneck speeds for a clash, but before they could. Something arrived between them like a meteor. The ground exploded and they backed off quickly.
"Yare, yare. Two herrschers are duking it out here, right at the center of Nagazora. Can't you guys battle where there's no people?" They saw Adelheid that was arcing electricity around her. Quickly departing after she felt the honkai eruption around Nagazora. And what a surprise it was, as the herrscher of thunder and void fought.
"You..." HOV seethed in rage upon seeing Adelheid, and she got even angrier when she felt her original core inside of her. Wanting nothing more than to take it for herself.
"Who are you?" Mei asked with a raised brow and Adelheid smirked at them. "Me? I'm here to discipline some girls." She then disappeared, taking them both by their necks as she launched them high up in the sky.
The two herrschers didn't expect it and almost broke through the atmosphere from Adelheid's throw. Gaining tons of strength as she trained like a madman.
"Khu! You bitch! I am the queen of lightning! Your transgressions against me deserve death!" Mei shouted angrily and looked at HOV. Having a small truce to deal with a common enemy.
"I'd like to see you try!" Adelheid's fists were coated by blood. Layering them with pressurized wind as her body tensed up. Imbuing her muscles with intense amounts of honkai energy. Making the two herrschers anxious.
HOV summoned lances aplenty and launched it at Adelheid, she then opened up portals at key places and Mei shot beams of lightning at it. Cornering Adelheid with a string of attacks that were deadly.
Unfortunately for them though, she was not only a gacha addict. She is a veteran touhou player. She dodged and weaved at the attacks with her reflexes. Her eyes tracing their trajectories with ease as she escaped it all without even a scratch on her long, white hair.
"I-impossible." HOV was shaken as Adelheid wasn't that strong back then. Her aunt then zeroed in on her and looked to be teleporting with her burst of speed. Kicking Kiana and the void shields she passively put up shattered into a million pieces from the pressurized bomb exploding on it. She then got hit by her leg and lightning zapped her mercilessly. Making her fall down back to the earth like a meteor.
"What!? One hit!? W-who are you?" Herrscher Mei nervously asked as she started sweating. "A Yuri impact connoisseur. Now, you are next." Herrscher Mei tried escaping with all her might. But Adelheid has more control over the 3rd herrscher's powers and used telekinesis to make Mei's trajectory come to her.
Mei gasped as the g forces made her dizzy. And the last thing she saw, was Adelheid flying right at her as she socked her on the jaw. Robbing her consciousness immediately.
Adelheid then sighed heavily, taking Mei back to the ground. Looking at the destruction they caused from their battle. "Uhhh, I think Aesir will take care of this?" She thought of what she could do and had an idea.
Adelheid took out Abyss Flower and used her blood. Launching it at the sky as crimson lilies littered the whole city. Effectively stopping the 3rd honkai eruption. She then absorbed the honkai energy on Mei and Kiana.
"Good job Adelheid, it seems you are now using your head." Ein silently crept up on her and she almost had a heart attack.
"Ein-san! W-what the fuck!? I almost died!" She clutched her chest as she breathed heavily. "You need better control on the 3rd core, if you passively used the electro reception then you wouldn't have any blind spots. But good job." He patted her head and Adelheid was happy.
"T-thanks. But what are we going to do about this? Mei and Kiana would feel bad I think." Adelheid frowned and prepared herself to make Kiana a shounen protagonist, ready to use the forbidden technique. Talk no jutsu bullshit on her so she won't get depressed. Making her rely on the power of friendship and rainbows.
"That's on you. And for your great performance today, I'll give you a little something." He took out the 9th herrscher's core and put it inside of her. Adelheid then felt even more powerful, honkai energy flooding her system. Her blue eyes turning a brilliant azure. Three sets of pure honkai energy wings sprouting out behind her.
"Reign it in, or I'll take it out." Ein pinched her cheek and Adelheid quickly took control in a panic. "I will! I will! Don't take it, please. Hehehe~" She was ecstatic, thinking of the possibilities of having the powers of the herrscher of stars. Arguably the hardest one to deal with, just 2nd to the 11th that could just stare at you and you'll die immediately.
"You know what to do with it right? We'll take them to St. Freya, they can't possibly stay here in Nagazora. The school will teach them how to manipulate honkai energy. I'm just worried that Kiana is lacking in the brain department." Ein sighed and Adelheid begrudgingly nodded.
"Umu, I can use this to enhance my physique to the max. I wish I have the 2nd core though, I'll have a hyperbolic time chamber for sure!" She got greedy and wanted to power level for the descent of the 14th herrscher.
"We have those at our base. But you need to gain more merits before you can use those. Good girl, you're turning into a proper protagonist. The power of friendship is bullshit after all, the only thing you can rely on. Is absolute power, always remember that. Plot armor doesn't exist in real life, Naruto would've died on his very 1st mission. Zabuza and Haku would murder them all if it was a real story." Ein reminded her and Adelheid nodded.
"Come on, let's get them some treatment. Especially Kiana, you are correct in incapacitating her like that." Ein nodded in satisfaction as Kiana had a few broken ribs with a concussion. Bullshit like she's her niece comes after she's taken out.
Adelheid saluted and Ein healed them up. They then went to St. Freya and let Aesir operatives take care of the city. World Serpent came in too, Raven took in kids that activated stigmatas from the honkai energy that flooded the city.
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Mei and Kiana were at the medbay in St. Freya, Adelheid, Theresa, and Ein looking over them as they talked about what happened.
"So? Kiana lost control of her herrscher core when this girl awakened?" Theresa asked with a sigh and they nodded.
"Umu, it was a string of events that caused a disaster really. The herrscher persona inside Kiana wants the herrscher gems she lost. And she also has a burning hatred for Siegfried and me." Adelheid explained.
"Then won't it be a bad idea if she wakes up and sees you?" Theresa raised a brow and Adelheid puffed up her chest. "Grandma Teri. I have a secret technique up my sleeve. And it's called talk no jutsu, you'll see how strong it is." Adelheid confidently said and Theresa looked at Ein.
"Well, it is strong. Especially on the simple types like Kiana. And I know what you're thinking, you are correct. It's just talking to her and inspire her to keep going, all that jazz." Ein shrugged and Theresa thought that it had a big chance of working.
"Ugh. What happened?" Kiana woke up and she had a headache, the memories then flooded her and she got depressed.
"Kiana-chan, are you okay?" Adelheid hugged her and she went wide eyed. "A-aunty Addy. I... I'm a monster, I can't possibly live with other people. I'll just cause destruction wherever I go." She teared up and thought of just isolating herself, far from any signs of civilization.
"It's okay, Kiana. It wasn't your fault." Adelheid stroked her head and Kiana shook her head. "No! It is! B-because of me. Nagazora almost got destroyed and tons of people must've died..." She sobbed as she remembered all the destruction she caused.
"No, you're not a monster Kiana. What's inside you isn't you, don't you want to be the best Valkyrie ever? Be with your friends and live a happy life with them?" Adelheid hit her where it hurt and she nodded.
"But... But I'll just hurt them, I can feel it. The thing inside me wants to burst out and hurt everybody." Kiana's voice cracked and Adelheid nodded.
"Then control it, make it yours. Use the powers to protect everything that's beautiful in this world. Are you a quitter? Did you forget the Kaslana oath already? By the judgement of Shamash, Kaslanas die, but never yield. Is your resolve that weak?" Adelheid hyped her up and Theresa looked at Ein that was nodding in satisfaction. It was just cliche brain washing, but it was good enough in his eyes.
Kiana then went silent and her shounen protag blood started pumping. "Every Kaslana bold, must live by their oath. And this is your time to uphold that, live. And never yield, we'll always be here to support you. That's why we're here, whenever you go to the deep end, we'll just fish you out and beat the crap out of you." Adelheid said with a smile and Kiana looked at them with tears in her eyes.
"Y-yeah, don't worry Kiana. It's high time you become a fighting Kaslana, this is a test to your oath. A sign for you to never give up and overcome the odds." Theresa added quickly as her eyebrows twitched.
"Umu, if you give up now. Then I'll be greatly disappointed, what kind of Kaslana are you if you don't bulldoze your way through your problems?" Ein added a little brainwashing and Kiana wiped her tears while Adelheid gave him a thumbs up.
"You guys are right... I'm a Kaslana! We never give up. Thank you, everyone. I'll be the greatest Valkyrie Ein-nii, just you wait." Kiana gained newfound determination and pumped her fist. She then hugged Adelheid tightly, Ein then put her to sleep so she could rest.
"That's some A grade brainwashing, Ein-san. Coming in clutch with it too." Adelheid nodded in satisfaction and Theresa looked at them weirdly.
"What? This world isn't all shits and giggles Theresa, rainbows don't come out of a unicorn's ass. You should know that already. Kiana is young and naive, she doesn't have enough determination. Bronya and Sin would kill anyone that would dare break their peace. Kiana doesn't have that kind of strong will, yet." He snorted and Theresa looked at the ground.
"I, I know. It's just hard to see her go through it all you know?" Theresa felt bad for Kiana, but things aren't that convenient for normal people.
"Me too, but she can't handle it, grandma Teri. She can't accept that it's a part of her, the other side of the coin. We need to develop Kiana's sense of self 1st before she could face it head on." Adelheid sighed and Theresa nodded.
Mei then groaned and she woke up. "Mom!" She sat up in a panic and Ein poked her head. Showing that Yuna was okay. "Calm down, Mei. She's alright." He informed her and she started to calm down.
"Ein nii-sama... I, I killed someone. A-and it felt good..." Mei couldn't believe it, she looked at her trembling hands and he nodded.
"Did it? Do you regret it?" He asked and she thought about it. She then remembered everything they did and she shook her head.
"Good, kill everyone that wrongs you with malicious intent. We don't need crap here like morals and shit, that they knew better. Those who do bad things to you know that they're doing it for fun. If it brings you joy and peace to see them dead, then so be it. You don't need that kind of negativity in life." He then sipped some tea. Adelheid and Theresa looked at him with a frown. Thinking that was a little bit too much.
"R-really? Can I really think of it like that?" Mei asked with apprehension and he smiled. "What? Don't believe me? It's all a matter of perspective, you aren't a kid anymore Mei. You know how it feels to get revenge, it feels sweet, good. It's fine if you don't obsess over it and make it your only goal in life." He shrugged and Mei was still a bit reluctant.
"B-but what about the other innocent people?" Her lips trembled as she remembered the destruction she caused. And it must have taken lives as well.
"Shit happens, did you genuinely want to kill them too? No, right? Then that's that, you can't do anything to bring them back anyway. Why bother? You can help the ones they left behind, but that's about it. And that's the cold hard truth, you can wallow in regret all your life. But would it help you become a better person? Maybe, but you'll just feel bad. I'm not saying you shouldn't, you still have to make an effort to reduce collateral damage. But life continues still, don't forget them. But don't let it bog you down either, you will just ruin yourself." He shrugged and Adelheid sipped in a cold breath. Imagining what the MOTHs had to go through to result in them having such views.
"Ein-nii..." Theresa sat on his lap and hugged him tightly. "What? I'm just saying, don't feel bad for me Theresa. It's just a part of the trade, it's either go on. Or torment yourself, either way. It isn't pretty, you're a good person Mei, don't beat yourself up for it. It wasn't your fault." He said his piece and just continued drinking some tea.
"O-okay... But what should I do? What if I lose myself and cause destruction again?" She doubted herself.
"See, you're already losing the battle if you think that way. It's hard, but be optimistic. Try to live without worries, you'll have a much better time. Do try your hardest though, because you'll regret it if you don't." He said with a small smile and Adelheid gave a heavy sigh. Remembering Kiana's disappearance, but she does have her suspicions on the Golden Paragon of Schicksal.
"Thank you for believing in me, Ein nii-sama." Mei got tired mentally and he put her back to sleep as well.
"Damn, you've been through some shit, Ein-san." Adelheid commented and Theresa bonked her. "Hey, stop swearing, Addy! You always had a potty mouth." Theresa chided her and Adelheid gave a wry smile.
Theresa then gave her some bitter melon juice. "Come on, rinse your mouth with that goodness." Theresa stared right at her and Adelheid looked at Ein for help.
"Go on, Addy. Grandma Teri said it, it's healthy too." He chuckled and Adelheid downed the abominable juice while pinching her nose. She then started hacking violently as the bitter taste coated her tongue.
"T-that's horrible..." She washed it down with tea, but it still lingered in her mouth. "Anyways, Theresa. Teach them well on how to control honkai energy okay? It would help tremendously in their fight against the herrscher cores." They then changed the curriculum a bit so they'll have better control.
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Thanks for reading everyone. And why isn't Ein just neutralizing their herrscher core like Welt Joyce you may ask. Simple, really. What would happen if he wasn't there to do so. He does not like just giving things away as everyone knows. He has let everyone around him struggle to become better versions of themselves. Because he knows that free things won't let you improve. Anyways, ciao.
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