Chapter 133: The Hunter Becomes the Prey

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"Excellent, excellent! You fools truly have no regard for your lives!" From her throne, her voice was indifferent, carrying an air of superiority. However, it seemed to lack the demeanor expected of someone in such a high position. Ultimately, Ana simply did not possess the Empress-like aura; she was inherently too gentle and amiable.

Even the Herrscher Persona, post-Herrscherfication, couldn't fully embody that extreme nature. Consequently, the current Herrscher of Winter appeared somewhat childlike. Unfortunately, at this moment, the Herrscher of Sentience had yet to emerge.

Otherwise, upon witnessing this scene, the Herrscher of Sentience would undoubtedly exclaim, "Why does this guy resemble me so much?!" or perhaps, "How can she be even more arrogant than I am?"

Nevertheless, one must admit that the Herrscher of Winter, as a Herrscher, has ample capital for arrogance - arguably greater than even the Herrscher of Sentience's. This capital was accumulated by Ana herself, only to be discarded later.

"Herrscher, what have you done to Ana?!"

The first to speak was Chen Tianwu. Originally, it might not have been his turn, but Durandal and Rita chose silence, Raiden Mei didn't intend to say anything, and naturally, Raven wouldn't seek unnecessary trouble. Among those present, she was the one with the least connection to Ana.

In reality, if one considers it from another perspective, Chen Tianwu, who just spoke up, was truly the least connected to Ana. After all, his feelings had always been one-sided.

Yet here he is...

Raven glanced at the two silent figures beside her and sighed inwardly. As the Mercenary Queen with extensive intelligence sources, she couldn't be unaware of the ambiguous relationships between Ana and these two individuals. It's quite ironic that before even the rightful protagonist could speak, a lovestruck fool and a clown rushed to voice their concerns—truly incomprehensible.

"Oh, her? Naturally, I've already erased her, ha ha ha! Just an Usurper, obtaining her current status and power through deceitful means. All I did was reclaim what rightfully belonged to me," the Herrscher of Winter declared arrogantly.

Indeed, as a negative emotion Herrscher, she absorbed the memories and emotions of the original Ana, leading her to perceive herself as the genuine Ana. However, when Ana first crossed over, it was actually a response to the original Ana's inability to change her fate.

The original Ana, realizing she couldn't alter her destiny, paved the way for the arrival of the new Ana. In essence, there was no usurpation; rather, the Herrscher had taken over the role of the guest, becoming the interloper instead.

"..."

"... ..."

"..."

Bianka, Rita, and Raiden Mei stood silent, their expressions revealing everything despite their lack of words. Bianka's face held a mixture of sorrow and forced composure, while Rita appeared calm but with traces of grief in her eyes. Raiden Mei seemed indifferent, yet everyone understood the significance Teacher Ana held for her.

Sometimes, not speaking or shedding tears signifies the deepest sorrow.

An even greater tragedy unfolded before them. Although the Herrscher of Winter wasn't Ana herself, she still inhabited Ana's body. They had to endure the pain of striking down their beloved friend.

Even Kiana couldn't fully grasp this anguish, as she hadn't personally killed Teacher Himeko—though it felt almost the same.

In that moment, the three women on the scene resonated emotionally without needing any verbal communication. Simultaneously, they launched surprise attacks from different directions towards the Herrscher of Winter seated upon the throne.

Despite no tactical planning or coordination, their teamwork was unprecedentedly seamless.

Durandal, wielding Abyss Flower, led the frontal assault; Rita provided distractions from the side, while Raiden Mei attacked Herrscher of Winter from behind.

Witnessing this, even Raven, the mercenary queen, hesitated not for a moment. Having already reclaimed her Seven Cleansing Thunders from Chen Tianwu, she now trained its barrel directly at Herrscher of Winter's head.

Only Chen Tianwu seemed like an unnecessary burden amidst them.

In truth, he indeed felt outmatched. From the outset, his combat prowess had been the weakest among them, and currently, he lacked any effective means to contribute.

His half-Herrscher of Stars identity couldn't shake Herrscher of Winter even slightly, as the true embodiment of the Herrscher of Stars stood before them—the very Herrscher of Winter herself.

However, facing attacks from all four individuals, the corners of Herrscher of Winter's lips curled upwards, revealing a contemptuous smile. How dare these mere insects dream of killing an Emperor?

As their attacks neared Herrscher of Winter, a gravitational field formed around him, triggering a blizzard-filled tornado with the Herrscher at its center.

Faced with such a wide-ranging assault, the trio had no choice but to retreat. Neither the freezing cold capable of turning everything to ice nor the unstoppable wind blades were something they could handle directly.

However, they were too close to Herrscher of Winter. The combined effects of the snowstorm and gravitational field trapped them like quicksand, rendering them immobile.

Even Herrscher of Thunder, renowned for her speed, couldn't escape this sticky situation; Durandal and Rita could only rely on their Godslayer Armors to endure it.

An ordinary person would have perished instantly under this onslaught, but these three barely managed to survive.

Raiden Mei relied on the healing powers of the Herrscher of Thunder, while Bianka and Rita depended on White Flower's Creation Power. Unfortunately, while the Creation Power protected their bodies, it couldn't safeguard their Valkyrie Armor.

In mere moments, their Valkyrie Armors were severely damaged.

At a critical moment, Raven fired a shot from her Seven Cleansing Thunders, piercing through the storm straight towards the Herrscher of Winter. Just as it was about to hit, the Herrscher managed to catch the bullet amidst the weakening tempest.

However, this was no ordinary projectile but a manifestation of Authority. Instantly, it exploded within the Herrscher of Winter's grasp.

Simultaneously, Raiden Mei's eyes lit up, and an electromagnetic field radiated outward with her at its center—the same effect she had previously simulated using the Staff of the Underworld, though its impact need not be further elaborated upon here.

While this electromagnetic field had no effect on the Herrscher of Ice and the two Pseudo-Herrschers earlier, it proved successful against the current Herrscher of Winter.

As expected by Raiden Mei, albeit somewhat less effective than anticipated, the field only partially succeeded. She was unaware that Ana herself had nearly perfected control over wind, making a simple disruption from the Virtual Being side insufficient to fully restrict the Herrscher of Winter's Authorities.

In reality, this maneuver merely provided a brief respite from the blizzard and dissolved the gravitational field, allowing Bianka and Rita to escape.

The two Valkyries appeared somewhat battered, particularly Rita. With inferior Godslayer Armor compared to Durandal's and slightly weaker combat prowess, she was enduring immense hardship.

If not for Durandal's timely protection, Rita might have already met her demise.

"Hmph, mildly interesting, but I doubt you can do much more than this, Herrscher of Thunder."

Despite her attack being thwarted, the Herrscher of Winter showed no signs of panic. She remained confident in her imminent victory; the current display by the Herrscher of Thunder was merely a small surprise. In truth, she had anticipated his capabilities, simply wanting to witness them firsthand.

"Go!" Raiden Mei tersely commanded before swiftly darting away from the Imperial Palace. On the other side, Bianka quickly escorted Rita to safety as well. As for Raven, after firing one shot, he had long since vanished into the distance.

As for Chen Tianwu, he fled even faster—after all, evading danger was his forte. Realizing he couldn't contribute anything to the battle, he promptly chose to make a run for it.

It wasn't just harsh criticism; in terms of combat prowess, this accurately reflected his capabilities.

Had the Herrscher of Stars' Core not been seized by the Herrscher of Winter, he might have still played a role. But now, stripped of any power, his previous strategies and abilities were rendered meaningless, as they had merely existed within an illusory realm.

However, facing the scattering group, the Herrscher of Winter remained unfazed, exuding unwavering confidence.

Coral Island was her domain, her territory. Within its boundaries, no one could escape. As for leaving Coral Island altogether?

No, that was no longer possible. With only two Cores, there might have been a chance, but the triple-Core Herrscher of Winter represented an unimaginable force for everyone present.

With a simple gesture, akin to clenching her fist, the Herrscher of Winter instantly teleported the three fleeing individuals back towards her. Surrounded by Rational Fluid throughout Coral Island, capturing them was as effortless as snapping fingers.

As for Raven and Owl, the Herrscher of Winter didn't concern herself with them at all. With her gravitational field in place, they lacked the power to escape even if they tried. Once she dealt with these three immediate threats, she would leisurely toy with those two prey later.

"This...?"

The trio stared at their familiar surroundings, unable to hide their astonishment. What just happened? They were certain they had successfully fled; how could they be back here?

However, it quickly became apparent why this occurred.

With the Authority of Wind, if the Herrscher of Wind intended to seal off an area, virtually no one except the Herrscher of the Void could leave. This showcased the immense power inherent in elemental media.

Raiden Mei, as the Herrscher of Thunder, might have been able to escape, but Ana possessed three Authorities. In such a confrontation, their powers would ebb and flow until one emerged victorious.

But with the support of three Cores' Honkai Energy, both in terms of raw power and recovery rate, Raiden Mei couldn't compare to the Herrscher of Winter. It's worth noting that currently, Ana surpasses Sirin from the Second Honkai by several times in actual power.

If she so desired, Ana could instantly sink Oceania beneath the sea, requiring mere seconds to accomplish it.

"Run, why aren't you running now? Ha ha ha ha—"

Seated on her throne, the Herrscher of Winter nonchalantly fiddled with her nails, acting as if what she just did was insignificant.

Facing her, Bianka and Raiden Mei stood shoulder to shoulder, shielding Rita behind them. In this dire situation, only these two possessed any remaining combat capability, yet even combined, they were insufficient to defeat the Herrscher of Winter.

The current scenario seemed utterly hopeless.

No one could have anticipated such an outcome today. Naturally, neither was willing to simply sit idly by, but they hesitated to launch a preemptive attack. For powerful beings, taking initiative often exposed their vulnerabilities—the most evident flaws.

"Oh, how delightful it would be to kill those she holds dear, one by one! So, who should I start with?"

The Herrscher of Winter lounged lazily on the throne, casually flicking her fingers, which kept both opponents tense, ready to react instantly to any potential threat.

At present, they had no idea what tactics the Herrscher of Winter might employ. Their own resources were depleted, while hers remained inexhaustible.

This battle showcased a stark disparity in power, akin to a game between hunter and prey—unfortunately, the hunter had become the hunted.

"Alright then, let's begin with you!"

Suddenly, the Herrscher of Winter pointed at Raiden Mei.

In that instant, both Raiden Mei and Bianka took immediate action, attempting to thwart the Herrscher of Winter's move, but their efforts proved futile.

Within the domain of the Herrscher of Winter, she was indeed invincible.

And Coral Island itself constituted her domain, meaning on this island, she held absolute power.

This scenario was precisely what Ana had anticipated long ago.

She established Commandments and instructed Otto to prepare defenses, but her true plan for defeating her uncontrollable self involved using the same Honkai Fission Bomb that Otto employed during the Second Honkai Eruption.

Considering the potency of the holy blood, Ana estimated that at least three or more Honkai Fission Bombs would be necessary to kill the Herrscher of Winter Herrscher.

The Herrscher of Winter extended her hand, as if an invisible force seized Raiden Mei by the neck, lifting her effortlessly and dragging her closer. (For visual reference, think Queen's interaction with Raiden Mei—classic fan service never goes out of style!)

Raiden Mei, powerless to resist, could only endure this humiliating treatment, reminiscent of Kiana's experience. However, before her eyes now stood Teacher Ana—or rather, the Herrscher wearing Ana's face.

"Ana... Teacher... I know... you..."

Before Raiden Mei could finish her plea, the Herrscher of Winter interrupted with a smug expression.

"I know how you despicable insects love playing these tricks; I won't fall for it!"

However, amidst the Herrscher of Winter's self-satisfaction, an indescribable sensation suddenly exploded within her consciousness, causing her previously stable mental state to falter momentarily.

As a result, control over the Herrscher of Thunder began to wane.

Raiden Mei, seizing this opportunity without even pausing to catch her breath, swiftly swung her blade towards the Herrscher of Winter, aiming to eliminate her once and for all.

Alas, dreams are beautiful, but reality is harsh.

The Herrscher of Winter's defenses, bolstered by three cores, remained formidable even unconsciously. In essence, many aspects function as passive abilities for the Herrscher of Winter.