Chapter 30: The Reason Bronya Became a Herrscher? Well, That’s...

Chapter 30: The Reason Bronya Became a Herrscher? Well, That's...

 Wendy's laughter was twisted and eerie, completely unlike the timid girl she had been before.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "T-This… is that really Wendy? What happened to her?! Was she replaced by someone else?!"

 『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Ah~ I wish that were true… but looking at her now, it's clear that's not the case."

 This time, Elysia's tone wasn't as playful as usual.

 She knew exactly what this meant.

 The moment Wendy's transformation began, she recognized the signs immediately.

 A Herrscher had been born.

 『today's performance wasn't perfect:』 "Interesting… so the Gem of Desire was actually a foreshadowing element. Its true purpose was to awaken a Herrscher?"

 Hua's message appeared, her words composed and thoughtful as she analyzed the situation.

 Before the game even explicitly stated it, she had already pieced together the truth.

 It was impressive, really. Too bad her luck in life wasn't as sharp as her mind…

 Meanwhile, in another part of the world—

 Rita Rossweisse sat silently aboard a Schicksal transport drone, en route to Sky City.

 Seated gracefully with her scythe resting across her lap, she appeared composed on the outside, but her mind was racing.

 Surrounding her were elite Valkyries of "Immortal Blades"—Schicksal's strongest combat squad.

 Their mission? To hunt down and capture K423—now the Herrscher of the Void.

 The atmosphere among the team was tense. One of her subordinates finally broke the silence.

 "Vice Captain Rita… are we really capable of capturing a Herrscher?"

 Rita opened her eyes, offering a gentle smile.

 "No need to worry. According to Lord Otto, our target is currently weakened. If we strike at the right moment, we may succeed in reclaiming her."

 The other Valkyries didn't seem entirely convinced, but they didn't question her further.

 Instead, Rita's thoughts returned to the strange "game" she had been monitoring.

 A game that perfectly recreates past Herrscher awakenings…

 Even events recorded in Schicksal's classified archives…

 This is beyond suspicious.

 And then—

 『SYSTEM: "Maintaining elegance is a maid's duty" is SHOCKED! You have received 740 Crystals!』

 Oh?

 Hokuto smirked.

 So even the "Perfect Maid" Rita gets rattled sometimes?

 He still remembered how coldly she ignored him back at Schicksal HQ.

 Tch… back then, she barely acknowledged me. But now?

 Ohhh, you're watching real closely now, huh?

 Just wait, Rita. I'll expose everything Otto has done right in front of you. And when the game reaches the part where you betray Tesla… oh, I'm gonna ENJOY watching your reaction.

 Hokuto grinned, imagining her panic and disbelief when those moments finally arrived.

 But for now—

 The chat had gone quiet.

 Not because they weren't watching—no, quite the opposite.

 They were all intensely focused on what would happen next.

 Hokuto could almost feel their anticipation through the screen.

 『Hokuto:』 "Alright, let's keep going."

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Big brother… this will be a tough fight, right? She's a Herrscher now… that means she must be really strong, right?"

 Seele's concern was heartwarming, but honestly?

 It wasn't necessary.

 『Hokuto:』 "You might be forgetting something."

 With a smirk, he tapped the screen.

—

 The battle began.

 A vast green field stretched before them, flowers blooming under a sky filled with swirling winds.

 Wendy descended slowly, green energy circling around her body like an angel's blessing.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "She looks… like an angel."

 Seele's soft voice floated through the chat.

 The moment she finished typing—

 BANG!

 [Motorcycle Impact!]

 [Honkai Energy Charge: 130%!]

 [Ultimate Activated!]

 [Final Damage: OVERKILL]

 …Wait, what?

 Before Wendy even finished her entrance animation, Hokuto dropped the full combo on her.

 BOOM!

 The "Mysterious and Powerful New Herrscher" was instantly deleted from existence.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "E-Eh?!"

 『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Oh my~ That was a bit anticlimactic, wasn't it?~"

 『today's performance wasn't perfect:』 "…She lost too quickly."

 LMAO. Sorry, Wendy. But you were just an EXP farm in this fight.

 As expected, the next cutscene began immediately.

—

 [Wendy… she flew away…]

 [We need to inform HQ immediately. They must dispatch an S-rank Valkyrie to contain her.]

 Himeko, ever the professional, immediately prepared for the worst.

 But Bronya? She still clung to hope.

 [Bronya believes Wendy won't hurt anyone.]

 [We can't take that risk. Her energy levels match a Herrscher. Her mind is most likely completely corrupted by Honkai.]

 Surprisingly, it was Kiana who spoke up next.

 [I believe in Wendy! When Mei was consumed by Honkai in Nagazora, she fought back and won!]

 [Kiana is right! If we help her, Wendy can return to who she was before!]

 Himeko sighed. There was no point arguing anymore.

 The cutscene ended.

—

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Big brother…"

 『Hokuto:』 "Yeah?"

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Just now, Himeko said Wendy became a Herrscher because of her hatred. Because she resented everything around her…"

 『Hokuto:』 "Yeah?"

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Then… what about Bronya?"

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "When she became a Herrscher… was it the same? Was it painful, like this…?"

 The chat went silent.

 Hokuto paused.

 Ah… Seele…

 You're not ready for that answer yet.

 End of Chapter 30