What? My cheat code is making my own gold coins explode?

Fu Hua could clearly sense this.

It has been over five hundred years since I met this Bishop of Destiny. The number of times he has lost his composure is less than five. The last time was in London, when Otto racked his brains to force the First Herrscher to his death, but that was when he was finally beaten to the point of losing his composure.

This guy is anxious now, but Fu Hua's intuition tells her that Otto isn't worried about the Second Herrscher; he has other plans.

Nine hours ago, Otto, the long-silent Archbishop of Schicksal, issued an order, commanding all Valkyries of Schicksal rank A and above to immediately proceed to the Tower of Babel in the Siberian Plain. Fu Hua was also among those invited to join the team to fight the Second Herrscher.

What's unusual is that this time, no pre-battle mobilization meeting was held, which is somewhat contrary to the image of Otto Apocalypse in Fu Hua's mind. The other party is so anxious that he doesn't even make his actions as conspicuous as before.

Beside him, his closed-door disciple Cheng Lixue stood ramrod straight, her eyes fixed on the front, awaiting the next instruction from the Bishop of Destiny.

She considered herself an outsider, able to sit or lie down as she pleased. Her trench coat looked thin, but it was indeed thin, relying entirely on Fu Hua's own excellent physique to withstand the wind, snow, and low temperatures.

Ten hours is a fairly ample timeframe to reach the Siberian Plain. Right now, all of Schicksal's elite forces are encamped 10 kilometers outside the Tower of Babel. They seem aimless, but in reality, they're just killing time. Apart from the randomly spawning Honkai Beasts, all they do is repeatedly discuss attack strategies to pass the time.

Fu Hua doesn't even need to lift a finger. Whenever a Honkai Beast appears, her closed-door disciples rush out immediately, eliminate them one by one, and then return to Fu Hua's side to stand as punishment—or rather, stand as punishment, as Fu Hua can see from the expressions on her disciples' faces that they seem quite enjoying it.

"There's only one hour left until the final assault. Is His Excellency the Bishop waiting for that mech that flew back from the moon to charge forward first, and then we'll follow behind?"

Shub Nicholas scratched her red hair, then yelped to one side, clearly having been elbowed in the waist by her partner Salome Jorkanan.

“Shub, there’s no need to repeat something so obvious.”

"Well, since everyone's got nothing to do, I thought I'd mention it. Besides, His Holiness the Bishop also gave that mecha the pilot's identity and told us to do our best to cooperate."

According to Otto Apocalypse, Zhao Si, the pilot who operated the two machines, was thirteen years old and close to the Anti-Entropy faction. His claim of being from the Celestial Armed Organization was suspected of being fabricated, but apart from this explanation, no one knew where the other's machines came from.

Fu Hua knew some inside information, referring to what Siegfried shared with Cecilia, what Cecilia told her during their briefing: Otto Apocalypse was verbally abused by this thirteen-year-old boy in the main church room of the Tower of Babel, which broke his spirit and led to a public fight.

Well... regardless of why a member of an organization that has never appeared before would have such detailed knowledge of the history of the old Destiny, this person is capable on the battlefield and in the field, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and can be called a hero among young people.

The fact that they were able to break Otto's mental state is indeed not to be underestimated.

Unlike Cecilia, who couldn't suppress her smile when she told her about it, Fu Hua has been cautiously speculating about the boy's abilities until now.

There's another thing: it's said that during battles, the mecha will play a rather fitting piece of music, but nobody cares about that right now; everyone is more focused on slaying Honkai Beasts.

A personal quirk? Fu Hua felt that playing music in the public chat wasn't something that would affect the outcome of the battle, but rather it could reflect the person's behavioral logic.

After all, the A-rank Valkyrie Shigure Kira could create a sonic weapon from her own singing recordings. Even if a human's singing voice came out from inside that boy's mecha later, the members of Destiny wouldn't find it strange. Instead, they would feel that it was "not unexpected."

As for Shigure Kira's suggestion to cooperate with that boy in broadcasting songs and to become battlefield songstresses, even Fu Hua stepped forward to dissuade her.

Battlefield songstress Shigure Kira, invincible.

"Master, there is only half an hour left until the time given by the bishop."

While Fu Hua was still pondering Zhao Si, whom she had never met before, Cheng Lixue reminded her.

"Understood. The Heavenly Mandate forces should begin their advance now. Let's go, Ritsuki."

"Yes, Master."

Fu Hua dusted off her trench coat, sweeping away the snow dust, and walked straight toward the leader of this unit—Cecilia Shaniat.

The Archbishop of Destiny's requirement for this operation was quality over quantity. Therefore, the Snow Wolf Squad reunited around the strongest Valkyrie of Destiny, including Fu Hua and Theresa Apocalypse, making a total of 7 people.

The Snow Wolf Squad was supposed to have 6 members, but Patrick Highsmith's identity as an undercover agent belonging to Anti-Entropy had been exposed before, so he had to leave the Snow Wolf Squad and follow Anti-Entropy.

There's nothing wrong with that. Although Patrick's friendship with everyone remains, the enmity between Destiny and Anti-Entropy, which began at the company, means that they can only follow their respective masters, rather than being as close as before.

As for Siegfried Kaslana, she has been staying at Anti-Entropy headquarters since returning from the moon, and will eventually travel with the leaders of Anti-Entropy.

The head of the Kaslana family probably knows some inside information and has developed a strong prejudice against the Archbishop of Schicksal. This can be gleaned from the couple's conversation. Their minds are now focused on Anti-Entropy, and after this Honkai ends, they might actually visit Anti-Entropy's home quite often.

"Cecilia, Theresa, what's the current situation with the Tower of Babylon?"

Upon meeting, Fu Hua immediately inquired about the two leaders of the team. One was holding the Black Abyss White Flower, and the other was carrying the Oath of Judah. ​​It was clear that they were preparing to unleash their full power.

"After the Second Herrscher was forced to retreat to the moon, we immediately packed up all the personnel and data of the Tower of Babylon and took them away to prevent the Second Herrscher from returning and causing harm."

Theresa looked toward the Tower of Babel. Although she couldn't see what was happening on the other side of the tower, according to the satellite feedback, the Second Herrscher had unusually refrained from destroying buildings to vent her emotions, and the Tower of Babel remained intact.

"Ten kilometers isn't too long. With the Snow Wolf Squad's capabilities, reaching the Tower of Babel within half an hour shouldn't be a problem."

“Siegfried contacted me eight hours ago saying that he needed to undergo an experiment in Anti-Entropy and was heading to the Tower of Babel while the experiment was being conducted… The experiment to modify his body was being carried out on the plane. The scientists at Anti-Entropy really don’t care about Siegfried’s safety at all.”

As Cecilia spoke, she began to complain about her husband, unaware that the others present only felt that the couple had once again subtly shown off to them.

"Ahem, according to Grandpa, in the past two days, the only thing the Second Herrscher destroyed was a Soul Steel body he used for testing. Before that Soul Steel body was completely destroyed, the Second Herrscher's mental state was between stable and unstable. If possible, we should negotiate with him and see if we can calm him down without provoking him..."

After everyone got into the SUV, Theresa continued to explain in detail to the others in the car what she had said before. It was clear that this granddaughter of the Bishop of Destiny still had a bit of a maternal instinct in her.

In reality, after the Second Herrscher sent down meteors twice, there was no room for maneuver for either side; it was a matter of life or death, with no possibility of escaping unscathed.

In the SUV, Fu Hua sat in the last row on the left. Looking out, she could see the golden mech and blue arc of light on the horizon.

According to the photos sent back by Destiny, this golden machine has two forms. The first is the one we see now, with its armor fully retracted and a strange blue light flowing out from the gaps in the armor.

The second type is the posture exhibited when propelling a meteorite, where the armor deforms, revealing the blue inner core, and the output of blue light becomes more obvious.

Even among the mechanical creations of the great inventor Virvi in ​​the pre-civilization era, there was no machine capable of propelling a meteorite powerful enough to destroy human civilization.

Compared to the current civilization's one-step annihilation by a meteorite, the previous civilization's slow, insidious approach offered a sliver of hope.

Even if one were to completely collapse in response, under this meteorite, one could only barely protect oneself, and would be unable to protect anyone around them.

Only Kevin could destroy the meteorite before it falls, but he is still imprisoned at the bottom of the Quantum Sea by Su. If he were released, Fu Hua couldn't say whether Kevin would destroy the current civilization before the Herrscher could.

Fu Hua couldn't help but worry. If the subsequent Herrschers were as strong as the Second Herrscher, and each one escaped from Earth to avoid being hunted by humans after awakening... that would make them even more troublesome.

The current level of technology in civilization cannot support humanity in the universe, no, it cannot even hunt down Herrschers in the Earth-Moon system.

"A troubled time..."

Fu Hua remarked with a sigh, and Shub Nicholas, sitting in the seat in front of her, turned around and said:

"Ms. Fu Hua, it's February now, which should be springtime, right? But right now, things are really messy. There's the second Honkai outbreak, Patrick revealing his identity, and Mr. Siegfried wanting to switch sides... no, no, the last one is just something I made up, hehe."

Fu Hua: ...

Indeed, cultural literacy courses should be added to the Valkyrie curriculum.

Putting aside the fact that Shub was elbowed in the waist by her friend again and scolded in the car, Fu Hua chose to close her eyes and rest, adjust her mindset, and prepare to face the end of this battle.

When Otto Apocalypse specifically contacted Fu Hua via communications, he mentioned something to her:

“My dearest friend, that Second Herrscher, not only has four other Herrscher cores, but she is also a chosen one favored by the Honkai God. Even the First Herrscher I had met before did not have such a strong divine blessing on the Second Herrscher.”

"So you were pulled in by God and spent 48 hours there. What exactly did you experience?"

“I have forgotten, my dearest friend, everything about God, I have forgotten.”

Otto answered Fu Hua's question on the communication screen in this way, but Fu Hua knew that the other party must be hiding something from her. If he didn't hide something from her, he wouldn't be the Otto Apocalypse that Fu Hua knew.

“I won’t ask you what you gained from it, Otto, but you promised me that you would always protect humanity, and I hope you won’t break that promise.”

"That's natural, my dear friend."

Recalling Otto's calm and composed expression on the screen, Fu Hua was powerless to discern how much truth was in what he said. She could only do her best to do what she was supposed to do.

She had considered using the Feather of Dust to search the other party's memories and determine what this most unstable element was thinking, but the Void Treasury on the other party's body could simulate the Feather of Dust with the same effect. Although the strength was not as good as the original, the quantity was more than enough to offset it.

This time, Otto communicated with Fu Hua only through a screen, and Fu Hua didn't even get to meet him in person. So... hmm? He's not even willing to have a face-to-face meeting?

In this operation to eliminate the Second Herrscher, Otto Apocalypse never appeared before anyone, not even Theresa, who was closest to Otto, and she was unable to see Otto before the mission began.

Fu Hua had some guesses. The reason why Otto had never disappeared without a trace before was largely because he possessed an unknown amount of Soul Steel body, a freely transferable consciousness network, and the versatile Divine Key, Void Treasury.

"Judging from the current situation, a major reason is that the First Divine Key has fallen directly into the hands of the Herrscher. What's wrong with Otto? This operation has been so irrational."

Considering Otto Apocalypse's undisguised avoidance of people, Fu Hua deduced that this was the only remaining possibility. Therefore, what they would have to deal with next was not just the five core Herrschers.

Otto, too, didn't make public the crucial information about the loss of the First Divine Key. Was he afraid of losing face and prestige? Or was he trying to cover up something shameful?

Fu Hua, who suffers from hyperthymesia, recalls clues about Otto Apocalypse. After a brainstorming session in the SUV, she tells the others in the vehicle that she believes the First Divine Key is likely in the hands of the Second Herrscher.

"Huh? That Void Treasury that the Bishop always flaunts when he appears, the one that can transform into a goblet? The First Key of God was just captured and used by the Second Herrscher?"

Upon hearing the sound, Shigure Kira, who was driving, exclaimed in surprise:

"When we meet the Second Herrscher, will she also be carrying this wine glass, filled with a liquid that is also a transformation of the Void and cannot be drunk as red wine, and raise the glass to us as a gesture?"

It seems everyone knows that the wine glass and red wine that are always in hand are standard accessories for the Bishop of Destiny.

Aside from Fu Hua, who still believed that Otto could use this to turn a wine glass into a weapon to kill others at any time, everyone else on the bus was amused by Shigure Kira's words.

At this point, they were less than a kilometer away from their final destination, the Tower of Babel. Cecilia, in the passenger seat, gradually composed herself, her smile fading. After this last moment of pre-battle exuberance, she addressed the others in the car:

"Kiruo, stop 300 meters from the Tower of Babylon, and then we'll do as we agreed beforehand..."

"Zhao—Si—!"

When the off-road vehicle was 529 meters away from the Tower of Babel, an excited shout, as if meeting a sweetheart, came from the top of the Tower of Babel. Upon hearing the shout, everyone in the vehicle got out and saw the Second Herrscher fly directly into the air to meet the golden machine that had already entered the atmosphere.

As for the Destiny Force that had come from afar, the Second Herrscher completely ignored them.

"Huh? Fu Hua, what's happening now..."

"Prepare the planes for aerial combat; only three people are needed."

Cecilia instinctively consulted Fu Hua, the most senior member of the team, who immediately made a decision to change the plan:

"Air combat and ground combat are completely different levels of danger, and we will do our best."

Fu Hua gazed at the sky, and at an altitude of 2000 meters above the ground, the golden mech in its liberated armor once again encountered the Second Herrscher.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I went to do some brush painting on RG00 today. So lazy, so incredibly lazy! Ahem, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I should be able to finish the main body repainting today. Here's a picture of my current progress:

Here's another book recommendation for a friend, written by a card-playing friend:

Synopsis: As an ordinary recreational duelist, Yule is somewhat confused about being transported to the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!

As we all know, time travelers are usually meant to save the world. But I'm not some seasoned card player, and I don't have their power. As weak as I am, I can only suggest you find someone else.

What? This is the point in time when Duel Kingdom just ended?

Hey, you're a card player, isn't it all the same no matter where you play cards?

Even if I'm just a casual duelist who's not a seasoned card player, I can still wreak havoc in this original world!

What? Yugi Muto is only one of the top 32 players in Duel Kingdom?