until everything... burns to ashes!

To deal with such a large-scale illusion, Jiang Qiao wasn't without other options.

But using this particular body... there seemed to be only one truly suitable method.

Calmly sensing the true nature of the illusion—placid on the surface but tumultuous underneath—[Firefly] adapted to this body, one not unfamiliar to Jiang Qiao: the Stellaron Hunter SAM, also known as... Firefly.

Honestly, obtaining this body was also unexpected for Jiang Qiao. After all, through so many swaps, he usually had some premonition shortly before the ability activated. But considering he was being 'exploited' by Elysian Realm's Elysia right before the swap, it wasn't surprising his awareness might lapse in that mental domain. Of course, regardless, it wasn't anything worth dwelling on.

After all, Jiang Qiao had long since gotten used to this troublesome 'random swap'.

With Qingque as a prior example, getting Firefly next wasn't particularly surprising.

What frustrated him more was that he had just gotten this body, hadn't even had time to adapt or calibrate, when he received the distress call from Miss Pink Fatty. Although his preference would have been to wait a bit, familiarize himself with the body's details for a safer approach, Elysia's current predicament clearly didn't allow him the luxury of taking his time with this new 'mech'.

However, adapting through combat worked just as well.

Clink.

The gauntlets covered in special alloy clenched, radiating unparalleled violence and power, sparking a wisp of orange-red flame.

...A curious sensation.

Although Jiang Qiao had used many 'bodies' before, using 'Firefly'—simultaneously inhabiting a body while piloting a 'mech'—was a first.

This novelty successfully piqued his interest... although, truth be told, the novelty was only moderate.

After all, when Jiang Qiao used others' bodies before, it was factually similar. However... while 'skinsuits' and the like were certainly nice, still...

This was a mecha, hey!

As everyone knows, mecha are a man's romance.

He, too, had once felt that way.

Even after using the bodies of numerous beautiful girls, Jiang Qiao still held onto that initial passion deep within his heart, letting it settle.

Until today... it was unexpectedly realized in a peculiar way.

"I shall set the seas ablaze!"

Under Elysia's puzzled gaze, a booming mechanical voice echoed through the heavens and earth. The iron fist slammed onto the ground, and horrifying cracks began to spread outwards from the point of impact, flames seeping out from within.

The next moment.

To the Herrscher of Sentience's shocked expression.

She, who theoretically should never have been discovered or found unless she willed it, was suddenly exposed before the silver metal block and that idiot pink piggy.

"You- you-you! How did you find me?"

The red-eyed girl's eyes betrayed a mixture of shock and uncertainty.

To this, [Firefly] merely chuckled.

The Glamoth Iron Cavalry, designed to combat the Swarm (a race of endlessly multiplying insects in their universe), possessed strong resistance to illusions and similar phenomena from their inception. After all, their old adversaries, the True Stings, were masters of such arts.

This allowed [Firefly] to see through the illusion and perceive reality within this city where the virtual and real intertwined.

And on the mental level... his heart harbored not a shred of hesitation, meaning illusions intended to deceive the mind could not affect Jiang Qiao at all.

Before [SAM], piloted by [Firefly], nothing could remain hidden.

"Forget it... Hmph, so what if you found me?"

"Do you really think you can beat me in this city environment?!"

"Minions, get them! Give them a warm welcome!"

The Herrscher of Sentience clapped her hands, a malicious expression spreading across her face.

In the next instant, the surrounding illusion shifted. Figures began walking towards them, their expressions utterly vicious.

Among them... were quite a few familiar faces.

"They're members of the Fifth Squad!" Elysia recognized some of them immediately.

"That's right. Looks like you know them."

"Right now, they are all completely immersed in my illusion."

The Herrscher of Sentience was extremely smug.

Those hopelessly lost in the illusion would have their spirits become fuel for her illusionary world, bolstering her power. As for their bodies, now little more than empty shells... manipulating them through her Herrscher authority was the simplest thing imaginable.

"Well now, how will you deal with this? Are you going to kill them all? Slaughter them all? Or perhaps, kill every last one?"

Utterly mocking, she spread her arms wide, looking smug.

Clearly, the Herrscher of Sentience had no intention of fighting head-on.

Although she held an advantage on the mental plane, unlike the future Senti, the Previous Era's Herrscher of Sentience didn't have past experiences to draw upon when it came to combat. Because of this, aside from these mental tactics, she was completely inferior to the later Senti.

But in the art of moral blackmail, this Herrscher of Sentience had reached the pinnacle.

Elysia, possessing a strong moral compass, hesitated as she watched the figures closing in from all sides, bow raised uncertainly.

[Firefly], however, calmly glanced at the people:

"Immersed in sweet dreams, are they..."

"In that case, isn't it just a matter of waking them up?"

"Hmm?"

"Haha, you've got some nerve!"

"Trying to wake them up within my illusion? Setting aside whether you even can... do you think they actually want to wake up?"

The Herrscher of Sentience scoffed.

Just like Project Stigma, using the allure of a beautiful illusion to confuse humans... compared to the cruel reality, would they truly want to wake up from it?

Besides, even if they wanted to... how could mere humans possibly awaken from an illusory domain constructed by Herrscher authority?

"Hmph, stop dreaming! Just accept your death!"

To this, [Firefly] remained unmoved.

He slowly raised his hand, the large metal gauntlet clenching violently.

BOOM!

Faint flames began to rise around him, rapidly intensifying into a raging inferno.

"...Wait, what are you trying to do!"

Sensing something amiss, the Herrscher of Sentience was bewildered. She subconsciously tried to extinguish the flames.

However... So hot!

"I will fight for myself, until everything... burns to ashes!"

The monotonous mechanical voice was utterly calm, yet the reality it conveyed sent a chill down the Herrscher of Sentience's spine.

A massive tornado of fire erupted from his position, spewing upwards and rapidly expanding outwards.

The surrounding scenery began to distort under the intense heat.

"The illusion... is dissipating... What's happening? What did you do...?!"

"As you can see, I merely ignited this 'dream'."

"Ignited...? What nonsense are you spouting!"

The Herrscher of Sentience was bewildered. She desperately tried to stop the dreamscape from collapsing, but the flames were like a potent poison. Once touched, they consumed the power she poured in as fuel, burning even more fiercely.

Retreating step by step, she couldn't comprehend what was happening, forced to watch helplessly as the illusionary city she had painstakingly constructed was incinerated.

The false facade burned away, leaving only stark reality.

The true appearance of Sapphire City was revealed to the world once more.

While not as devastated as other Honkai Eruption zones, it was still incomparable to the beauty within the dream.

As for those immersed in sweet dreams...

While the dreams were indeed wonderful... once the 'dream' was burned away, only 'heat' remained.

Awakening in a daze, they realized the situation and instantly panicked, scattering in all directions. Fortunately, the members of the Fifth Squad also reacted quickly. After making eye contact with Elysia, they immediately began evacuating the civilians.

BOOM!

[SAM] casually threw a punch. Accompanied by a tremendous roar, the ever-intensifying flames seemed to take a hit, instantly extinguishing.

Just like during the Elysian Realm arc, where Kalpas could ultimately use the Flames of Destruction to burn the data of the Elysian Realm.

Inspired by this, [Firefly], having roughly grasped the capabilities of this body, utilized a similar technique he adapted.

And it was all thanks to the characteristics of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry.

As weapons of war, the Glamoth Iron Cavalry were 'suicidal units' that traded 'burning everything' for combat power. In the Honkai Star Rail universe, where the power of Paths prevails, spirit and willpower, intrinsically linked to the Paths, were naturally part of their fuel.

Simultaneously, Jiang Qiao discovered a hidden characteristic of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry: the flames they produced were not ordinary flames. Perhaps specifically designed to deal with the tenacious Swarm, once these flames ignited a target, they were incredibly difficult to shake off... and the flames would use the target itself as fuel.

Therefore, the phrase "burn everything to ash" wasn't just a slogan.

It was a description of fact.

Having grasped the nature of these flames, the keenly perceptive Jiang Qiao instantly formulated a countermeasure for the current situation.

He infused his own Herrscher authorities, such as Origin and Truth, into the flames.

This not only made the flames released by [SAM] easier to control but also imbued them with the traits of those Herrscher authorities, including the 'Trace the Origin' power of Origin.

Originally, these flames were geared more towards physical destruction.

But after modification, not only was their original destructive power further enhanced, but their previously weaker impact on the mental plane inherited a level of destructiveness equivalent to the physical.

In fact, due to the peculiar nature of the mental plane, their lethality was even greater than on the physical level.

And now, undoubtedly, the Herrscher of Sentience was tasting this processed, modded version of the 'Flames of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry'.

"Damn it, what kind of fire is this?!"

Sparks ignited on her body, and the Herrscher of Sentience gritted her teeth, already feeling the searing heat.

[SAM] didn't answer, instead asking:

"What happened to this body's original owner?"

He looked at the red-eyed girl's familiar face—undoubtedly Fu Hua's predecessor, the Previous Era's Hua.

Logically, the Previous Era's Herrscher of Sentience should have been someone else.

But perhaps due to deviating from the established course, Hua, who should have become a Flame-Chaser, ended up becoming a Herrscher instead.

"Ha? You mean her? Hehe, she's definitely dead already!"

At this, [SAM] fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"Looks like I'll have to handle this myself."

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing? Stay back!"

POW! Before the bewildered Herrscher of Sentience, and the wide-eyed Elysia watching from the sidelines like a mascot, [SAM] simply raised his massive iron fist and slammed it directly into the former's stomach.

"Pff..."

The Herrscher of Sentience's head lolled to the side, and she passed out.

Normally, as a Herrscher of consciousness, she definitely wouldn't be knocked out so easily.

But unfortunately for her, Jiang Qiao's fist wasn't something you could simply shrug off just because you were the Herrscher of Sentience.

One punch struck directly from the physical to the spiritual... successfully letting the Herrscher of Sentience experience a 'refreshingly painful' sensation.

"Hmm... Her condition seems pretty good."

Through this 'friendly exchange,' [SAM] not only temporarily subdued the Herrscher of Sentience but also managed to check the specific condition of the girl in his arms. His mechanical voice carried a hint of understanding.

Hua's consciousness was still present... Of course, that wasn't particularly strange.

After all, later Herrschers tended to be better at maintaining their sense of self compared to earlier ones.

Like the original Himeko, Rin, and the Herrscher of Binding.

"...Are you sure her condition is 'good'?" Elysia blinked as she approached, her tone somewhat uncertain.

That clean, decisive punch she just witnessed had thoroughly shocked Pink Fat Woman.

She was even a little scared... Would Bad Jiang Qiao want to give her the same treatment someday, just like he did to this girl?

"But... is it really all resolved... just like that?"

Elysia looked at the surroundings and the girl in [Firefly]'s arms, feeling like it was all a dream.

...That simple?

"Yes, it's resolved."

[SAM] [Firefly] nodded slightly.

"It's thanks to you discovering it quickly enough. If it had spread... it would have been much more troublesome for me to clean up."

"Eh? Really?"

"Mm."

"Hehe..." Hearing this, Elysia instantly brightened up. She had been feeling uninvolved, like she was just a cheerleader shouting encouragement from the sidelines.

But hearing him say that, Elysia also made a significant contribution, didn't she~ Bad Jiang Qiao really knows what to say!

Jiang Qiao chuckled, easily reading Elysia's obvious expression, like a happy little piggy getting petted.

He wasn't just excessively praising Elysia.

It was indeed the truth.

In reality, the Previous Era's Herrscher of Sentience was most dangerous when fully developed. Once her influence expanded to cover the entire world, even if Jiang Qiao could handle it, he would have had to resort to less desirable methods, unlike the current situation where he could just burn the illusion away and knock her out.

Unfortunately, the Previous Era's Hua didn't have much 'money' (Senti's personality trait), which meant the Herrscher of Sentience, during her weakest phase, didn't focus on expanding but decided to play around instead. As a result, she got caught, her illusion was broken, and she was easily taken down...

However, this was only possible with Jiang Qiao present... After all, with the MANTIS Project shelved in this timeline, although the battlesuits could provide users with some mental protection, and there were even individuals specialized in mental fortitude...

If things had proceeded normally... Fire Moth facing this Herrscher, even with preparations, would likely have suffered heavy losses.

But then again, when was fighting the Honkai ever easy?

Shaking his head, [Firefly] gently laid the girl down, and then... disengaged the armor.

Wrapped in pillars of fire, a silver-haired girl with a hairband, wearing a black-and-cyan dress, long stockings, and white boots, slowly landed on the ground.

She was met by Miss Fatty's wide, beautiful eyes, which seemed filled with enormous question marks.