Kiana's mental state had crumbled, yet it could barely be considered an awakening of sorts, at least on a psychological level.
But the truth was, Kiana just didn't have enough Honkai energy at this moment!
Even later, when Kiana eventually awakened the Authority of Void, it happened because she came into contact with the Herrscher Core once possessed by Sirin, or because a certain cuckold king had freely given her a massive amount of Honkai energy, enabling her to fully manifest the Authority.
The Templar-Class Honkai Beast didn't wait for Kiana, whose thoughts were clouded with confusion, to process the importance of Lunelle.
The Templar-Class Honkai Beast, on the brink of death after being cut down by Mei, seemed to realize that Lunelle, still alive, was worth finishing off.
So it quickly switched its weapon from a giant sword to a lance, preparing for a more cautious, final blow to Lunelle!
"No... don't hurt Seele! Don't!!!"
Seeing the monster in front of her had wounded Lunelle so severely and yet wasn't about to stop, Kiana scrambled and lunged toward the barely breathing Lunelle.
She couldn't bear to watch Seele suffer again—if it was just Seele's body, she had to protect her!
Just as the Templar-Class Honkai Beast raised its lance to pierce Lunelle's frail form, Kiana, whose emotions were completely out of control, had no idea there was someone else at the scene, someone who also cared for Seele, a beautiful girl whose reaction was even more extreme than Kiana's!
Even worse!!!
That person was none other than...
The Herrscher of Thunder!!!
Huh? Why wasn't it Bronya who reacted more strongly?
Well, that's because Ms. Bronya had just been sent flying.
Plus, everything was happening so fast that there wasn't time to see anything else.
And our little duck might still be on her way, riding her heavily armed bunny (???)
"Bastards! Bastards! How dare you... How dare you hurt the one I love!!!!"
At that moment, Mei's eyes, previously filled with calm, now turned into vertical slits brimming with madness, and the Gem of Conquest above her unusually revealing outfit pulsed with the power of the Herrscher of Thunder!
With the Herrscher of Thunder's awakening, the lance aimed at Lunelle was instantly blocked by an electromagnetic shield generated by Mei's newfound power.
Even the lance was rapidly disintegrated by the fierce lightning surging from the Conquering Authority!
Sizzle!!!
The Herrscher of Thunder raised her hand and, with a flick, unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts, condensed from massive Honkai energy. Her Wings of Conquest, emblematic of her power, fluttered without wind, lifting the furious Herrscher of Thunder into the air.
"Disappear."
As she uttered the command, countless lightning strikes converged into a ball of plasma so intense it vaporized the Templar-Class Honkai Beast into its basic molecular form.
This was the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, capable of breaking and destroying everything with lightning.
Furious and without restraint, the Herrscher of Thunder fired a beam of lightning that stretched to the heavens. The Hyperion warship, now hovering over Nagazora City, detected the terrifying energy fluctuations instantly.
At that moment, Schicksal, which had detected the Honkai energy, issued the order to close the net.
While the situation seemed to be progressing according to plan, there were still odd details. Lunelle, unconscious amid the ruins, had no idea of the chaos unfolding.
In her comatose state, Lunelle felt as if she were sinking into an endless, dark sea, trapped between life and death.
But then, something seemed to pull her out of that abyss.
Suddenly, Lunelle awoke, her near-death state lifting as she blinked in confusion.
"Hah…hah!!!"
She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling, realizing she was no longer in danger. The hospital room surrounding her offered a fleeting sense of relief as she sighed, grateful to be alive.
"Did I... survive?"
She looked down at the hospital gown and bandages, quickly piecing together that someone must've saved her.
She just didn't know whether it was Schicksal or Anti-Entropy.
Though Lunelle had endured pain beyond measure in simulations, this was her first time so close to death in reality.
"Alas... I really almost died this time!"
But if something like this happens again...
"..."
As her emotions settled, Lunelle began to reflect on her actions.
She realized that, despite her best efforts to protect others, she had acted recklessly and nearly lost her life in a meaningless way.
"I'm still not strong enough!"
Feeling the lingering pain from her injuries, Lunelle muttered in frustration.
"I don't know how long I've been unconscious, but logically, my simulation should have reset by now, right?"
[Systema? Is my simulation cooldown active now?]
Stuck in bed, Lunelle began to wonder if she could use her time wisely, maybe starting a new simulation to boost her strength.
And as she thought about how her confession had altered the fate of her wife, Dark Seele, she felt a sense of pride.
No matter how you looked at it, she had succeeded in winning over her little arrogant wife, even though she was wearing Seele's guise.
But as the saying goes, a wife's wife is still her wife, right?
So when Lunelle called Dark Seele one of her first wives, she was definitely right.
[Hehe, I can't wait to enter the simulation and spend more time with my wife.
Dark Seele, the tsundere who says one thing but means another. I bet if I go too far, she'll call me an idiot, but she'll still play along? It's great having a tsundere wife like her!]
However, just as Lunelle daydreamed about her next simulation session with Seele, she was interrupted.
[Simulation cooling complete. Would you like to start the simulation?]
"Open it!"
[Simulation starting...]
[The host's thoughts are deemed impure. Increasing cooldown by 5 minutes!]
Lunelle: (?Д?)ノ? ? ? I swear, Systema, you're targeting me on purpose!
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