Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

"Is that... a Herrscher?"

Theresa looked up at the sky. She could just barely make out that the thing being batted around like a ball was indeed the legendary Herrscher.

Her little head was filled with big questions.

"Grandpa, that looks like a Herrscher. I just don't know what kind of being it is."

Otto popped a pastry into his mouth and shook his head. "This is 'breaking a hawk.' It's clear our dear friend from the future believes a Herrscher can be trained to be obedient. Ordinary people don't have this kind of skill, to beat you to within an inch of your life but not let you die. The Herrscher consciousness is probably not having a good time..."

Alliance Leader Yang felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

What Herrscher consciousness? In Noldrei's eyes, as long as you beat it enough times, letting it be continuously struck and broken down, you could find the limit of that life form's willpower.

If the opponent didn't die, you could say, "I did it for your own good. Look at how firm your will is now, all thanks to my careful nurturing."

If the opponent died, you could say, "His will was weak. Let's find the next subject."

And what was the limit of this "nurturing" trial?

It was all up to the whims of the one administering it. Everything depended on two words: their mood!

The Herrscher's combat power was clearly lacking. It wasn't as good at escaping as the Herrscher of the Void, nor was it as focused on developing combat power as the Herrscher of Thunder.

The Herrscher of Ice excelled in only one area: durability.

Shattered ice fragments rained down from the sky, as if a large block of ice had been put into a snow cone machine and was being constantly churned. The only difference was that this block of ice had its own consciousness.

"Even fighting a Herrscher can create a snowing effect. Anyone who didn't know better would think the Herrscher had triggered some incredibly powerful Honkai ability."

Theresa gently caught some of the small ice crystals in her hand. She looked up at the falling ice fragments, which sparkled as they fell from the sky under the light of the plasma tubes.

Old Yang sighed. "Snow in June. It seems the Herrscher of Ice has been wronged even more than Dou E."

Alliance Leader Yang nodded, thinking that this Herrscher's situation was a bit too tragic.

"Snow in June?" Theresa calculated the current date. If they went by the Shenzhou lunar calendar, it really was June.

"It really is snowing in June!" Theresa's face lit up with a joyful smile, as if she had just won a prize.

---||---

At Schicksal HQ, Durandal was giving her final lesson to the remaining Valkyries.

"You've all seen it. That thing being beaten back and forth is the legendary Fifth Herrscher. Now, listen carefully..."

The sky echoed with those miserable wails, accompanied by all sorts of falling ice chunks. It was unclear if they would hit anyone below.

But there was no need to worry. Most of them would be shattered by the ball lightning created by Tesla and turned into shaved ice.

"You hear that? That's a Herrscher. Don't worry too much. In the future, you won't have to face those incredibly powerful, civilization-destroying crises. You'd just be cannon fodder anyway. Most of that will be handled by S-rank Valkyries like us, or special A-rank Valkyries."

"Of course, we won't count that strange S-rank Valkyrie, Headmaster Theresa of St. Freya, for now. She's a bit of a lightweight. I saw right through her when I went to St. Freya back then. She is the Overseer's granddaughter, after all, so you should all be more considerate of her when you're out and about."

"Times have changed. This is no longer the era of a single battlesuit conquering the world. And you people are no match for those scheming children from official families. You just need to know to follow strong people. You think you're like Rita and the others?"

"After all, when you face the Honkai, it won't insidiously backstab you. But when you're dealing with humans and their interests, it's inevitable that people with different interests will backstab and plot against you."

As Durandal spoke, she noticed many of the Valkyries were looking at her, as if they were planning to follow her.

But unfortunately, Durandal's combat power was in a different league from those below her.

They both had Schariac blood, but Durandal could maximize the power of the holy blood, while Ana and the other minor Schariacs were far behind.

The gap between a Schariac and a Schariac was greater than the gap between a human and a dog.

"Lady Durandal, it's losing its breath! It's almost gone! The Herrscher is about to die!"

Rita pointed at the sky, her tone tinged with a sadistic excitement, as if she were the one training the Herrscher.

Durandal heard it. The wails from the sky were now coming in gasps.

The human friends below were already starting to feel sorry for the Herrscher. What crime had it committed to be hung in the sky and have its Honkai Energy relentlessly drained by Dr. Tesla's SELENE halo?

Unfortunately, the Herrscher of the Void, who had a criminal record, was not dealt with in the same way by Noldrei. Instead, it was the Herrscher of Ice, with no criminal record, who was being hung up and thrashed.

It was simply because the Herrscher of Ice's human will was not strong enough, and there was a danger of the Honkai consciousness gaining the upper hand in its actions. Disobeying Noldrei—that was the real reason it was being thrashed.

Thunder and dew, is it not the grace of heaven? May the empire be strong, and the holy virtue be just and bright!

Durandal shook her head and sighed. "You've all seen it. This is what happens when you have an unstable mind and are controlled by the Honkai. You all must train hard and study the Stigma battlesuit to strengthen your personal will. Only then can you prevent the Honkai from taking advantage of you. Look, this is the fate of becoming a Herrscher."

"Don't throw away a perfectly good life as a human to become some Herrscher. And don't go thinking about getting revenge on society. If you have a grudge in the future, just say it. Deal with what needs to be dealt with, kill who needs to be killed. Don't bottle everything up and make yourself feel wronged to death, only to be influenced by the Honkai consciousness in the end."

"When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you. Whether it gazes or not is irrelevant, but once you have a connection with the Honkai consciousness, look at the Fifth Herrscher as a warning! I hope you all tread carefully on your life's path and remember the good that others have done for you!"

"Be grateful. Don't get corrupted by the Honkai later and then be killed by the Chairman of the Board or Dr. Tesla. I won't be able to save you! Understood?!"

"What the Honkai can give you will never be more than what the board of directors can give you! Whether it's abilities or benefits, use your brain before you act. Don't get sold by the Honkai and still count the money for it!"

The Valkyries had finally witnessed the power of a true powerhouse. They nodded their heads like garlic being pounded.

If you become a Herrscher and still can't beat the people you hate, then it's better not to become one at all!

At least you can live a couple more days.