Miss Surtr will ignite the world

But Surtr's words have a point. The Herrscher core is within her body; Sirin can use it, so why can't she? No one has ever stipulated that Herrschers cannot fight against Honkai.

As if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, Kiana suddenly understood.

She didn't want to see Siegfried become a walking corpse any longer, nor did she want to continue causing harm to those around her. Therefore, there was only one answer—

She will become the Herrscher of the Void!

Kiana clenched her fist.

Even without his clairvoyance, Surtr could sense that the self-destructive emotion was dissipating.

This is good.

"Now that you've figured it out, get up and move around a bit."

Surtr suddenly turned to look out the window.

"It seems some people are starting to get restless."

Outside the window, an army of Honkai Beasts was surging toward their location.

The Third Collapse: Chapter 35 - Pufferfish Lord's Limited-Time Return

As Surtr said, Sirin and Kiana's wills were originally on equal footing. Although Sirin could gain the upper hand in terms of dominance through her obsession and the power of the Feather Dust, once Kiana finally mustered the courage to face her past, she was able to regain some control. At this moment, it was no longer possible for Sirin to completely hide herself in this space of consciousness.

"Why were you so easily convinced? Be more assertive!"

Deep within her consciousness, Xilin gritted her teeth, furious at her son's lack of ambition.

Surtr acted too quickly; by the time she reacted, Kiana had already regained her confidence.

"How shameful... This is supposed to be my other side, yet it's so easily swayed!"

Although indignant that Kiana had been so easily won over, Sirin knew that things had come to this point, and it was only a matter of time before they came knocking. She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and began to plan her next move.

That woman's flames were indeed troublesome, but even with Kiana's awakening, her immature consciousness was far from being a match for her. Control over this space of consciousness remained firmly in her hands.

Although she instinctively ran away earlier, upon reflection, she realized there was no need for her to flee in such a panic. With the power of Feathered Dust and the gradual recovery of her core strength, as long as she carefully dealt with the strange flames, how could a mere outsider possibly defeat her in this territory that belonged to her?

After careful analysis, Her Majesty reached an undeniable conclusion:

The advantage lies with me.

"How come there are so many!"

On the snow-covered plains, Honkai Beasts clad in white armor and covered in purple patterns surged towards the two like a tide. The main force, composed of Assault-class and Chariot-class Honkai Beasts, also included many Temple-class and Honkai Emperor-class figures.

Kiana gasped and instinctively hid behind Surtr. Although it was a little embarrassing, she understood that making a decision and becoming stronger immediately were two different things. Right now, facing this army of Honkai Beasts, she was like a lamb that had wandered into a pack of wolves, only able to deal with a few "mosquitoes" at best.

"It seems that Celine is afraid because she knows we are going to find her."

Surtr spoke casually, flames surging in his palm and coalescing into a black and red flaming sword.

Facing the surging Honkai beast horde, Surtr advanced instead of retreating. Facing monsters dozens of times larger than himself, he slightly bent his knees, gripped the greatsword almost as long as himself, and suddenly blazed with intense flames.

Shoot down a hundred heads!

This technique was imprinted in her mind the moment she learned it. What appeared to be a single sword strike was actually nine fiery slashes erupting almost simultaneously. Empowered by the Flame of the End, the destructive power of this attack was amplified to its extreme.

The Honkai Beast armor, strong enough to withstand rockets, crumbled like paper under the slashing flames. Dozens or even hundreds of Honkai Beasts, along with the snowfield beneath their feet, were torn apart by this pure violence.

The wind howled through Kiana's long hair, and the biting cold made her cheeks stiff, but it didn't stop her from letting out another simple and genuine exclamation.

"I...go!"

It seems that Surtr held back with that rocket-like shot earlier.

Kiana couldn't understand why a single sword strike could cause such terrifying destruction, and she hadn't seen the use of a Divine Key; the weapon was even something she had hastily created.

Coach! I want to learn this!

"Okay, I'll teach you after we get out."

Surtr readily agreed, already considering applying for a teaching position after leaving.

"But for now, let's go find Sirin first."

As soon as he finished speaking, Surtr turned his gaze to the distance, where a dark tower had quietly risen on the horizon.

It seems there's no need to search for it specifically.

"That... Surtr."

Suddenly, Kiana spoke.

"After you find Sirin, will you kill her?"

Surtr didn't know why she would ask that, and shook his head.

No, I don't have that plan for the time being.

In the realm of consciousness, completely destroying a spiritual entity is quite difficult, but it's not impossible if she uses her flames. However, she's unwilling to do so, partly because she wants to guide Sirin towards good, and partly because she's mindful of Kiana's feelings.

"My only goal this time is to get you away. As for Celine, she is an opponent you will have to face in the future. Whether you eliminate her completely or try to reconcile with her, it is up to you to decide."

Surtr doesn't intend to make the decision for Kiana regarding Sirin's situation. Giving her a hand before she matures is the limit. If Kiana wants to become a true Herrscher of the Void, she must overcome Sirin's hurdle herself.

"I see... Thank you, Surtr."

Understanding Surtr's good intentions, Kiana sincerely thanked him. She knew that in the end, she would have to settle her score with Sirin.

The two said no more and continued on their way through the snow. As the outline of the distant tower gradually became clear, the Honkai Beasts' attacks gradually subsided, as if everything they had just experienced was merely a warm-up before clearing the stage.

Looking up, amidst the swirling snow, a white-haired, golden-eyed girl sat atop the tower. She did not bow her head, but rather surveyed the world below with a queenly air.

Although he had never seen it with his own eyes, Surtr was certain that this was the Babylon Laboratory, the site of the Second Honkai Outbreak.

She really did pick a very suitable burial place for herself, Sirin.

"That's Sirin?"

Looking at the girl at the top of the tower who looked exactly like her but had a completely different aura, Kiana felt a little dazed. This was the first time she had truly "seen" the girl.

"Hmm, how are you feeling?"

"Feelings?"

Kiana tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"I didn't realize I could be so imposing when I got serious."

They have the same face, but give off completely different vibes. Perhaps it's because she's come to terms with things, but just a few minutes ago she was crying her eyes out, and now she's cracking jokes.

Surtr was speechless. This was supposed to be the decisive moment, but why was this guy acting so unserious?

"Never mind, I'll go see her. As for you..."

She glanced at Kiana.

"Do what you think is best."

"Hey! Don't you have any expectations of me?"

"After all, you're still in your childhood."

"Hmph, you two ants, you can stay here forever!"

Sirin's icy voice came from the top of the tower. As the feather in her hand fell, she slowly rose, her black boots stepping into the void.

At the same time, her form began to transform: her long silver hair gradually turned deep purple, her figure became more petite, her black and white clothes were stained with purple, and four different colors of light lit up in turn on the swaying skirt behind her.

???

The Third Collapse: Chapter Thirty-Six - I Can't Do Anything

A massive surge of Honkai energy swept in like a tsunami, transforming into a tangible pressure that enveloped the entire snowfield in a suffocating atmosphere. With the help of Feather Dust, Sirin temporarily regained her full power within this illusion.

This is the complete Sirin! The complete me!

The Queen stood suspended in mid-air, a mocking smile curving her lips as she unleashed her power. Her skirt fluttered in the surging energy, and her golden eyes surveyed the world below with the scorn of a god.

If time weren't so pressing, she would have definitely given these two arrogant fools a good thrashing. But this situation couldn't last forever; she had to finish this quickly.

Although she had already witnessed the red-haired woman's bizarre immortality outside, she was now in perfect condition, her strength vastly different from before.

She gently raised her delicate hand.

Spacetime fracture.

In an instant, the entire space seemed to be stripped of its color, and everything froze. The flow of time was forcibly distorted and slowed down, and even the falling snowflakes were frozen in mid-air.

"What happened?!"

Kiana's thoughts were stuck in a quagmire, making every thought incredibly difficult to form. Before she could recover from this abnormal state, a remarkably clear snap of fingers rang out in the frozen space-time.

Boom—!!!

The sky suddenly ripped open, and a violent burst of lightning painted the colorless sky a blinding pure white. Countless bolts of lightning converged into a destructive waterfall, cascading down upon the earth with overwhelming force.

There was simply no time to react.

Kiana was still reeling from the shock of time standing still when the devastating thunderstorm had already swallowed her entire vision. The snowfield lay silent in the extreme light and heat.

That was a roar that surpassed the limits of human hearing.

This power was far more terrifying than what I had witnessed on that night four years ago. Even knowing that this was in the realm of consciousness, the premonition of death still pierced my very bones like an ice pick.

will die.

However, the anticipated destruction did not come to pass.

Just as the lightning waterfall was about to engulf everything, even more violent flames rose from the earth. Surtr's figure remained agile in the frozen space-time, her flaming sword drawing a perfect arc, the final flames roaring towards the sky.

The dim yellow flames and pure white lightning collided violently, eroding and annihilating each other. A gap was forcibly torn open in the lightning waterfall, and through this crack, the astonished expression on Sirin's face could be clearly seen.

How could that be?

Celine was incredulous.

During our last encounter, the spacetime rupture technique was clearly able to restrain her.

She naturally wouldn't understand the incredible power of the "adaptation" ability. Even in the consciousness space, similar attacks would gradually lose their effectiveness after being experienced once or twice.

Don't be fooled by appearances, Kiana.

On the ground, Surtr's calm voice pierced through the thunder and clearly reached Kiana's ears.

"This is a world of will; everything she does is merely an extension of the spirit. Take a deep breath and strengthen your resolve. Aren't you destined to become the Herrscher of the Void? That thing in the sky is the obstacle you must overcome in the future."

Sirin's enhancement was indeed unexpected, but Surtr remained calm. She knew very well that this "five-core Sirin" was merely an illusion created by Feather Dust. Of course, this did not mean she could let her guard down.

That would be a gross underestimation of the Key of God.

Moreover, as a spiritual entity, she could be considered a kind of illusion.

However, this is, after all, a spiritual world, which is more idealistic than reality.

Although it is impossible to truly see through the illusion created by Yu Duchen, as long as one's will is strong enough, it is still possible to weaken the attack effect created by Yu Duchen to a certain extent.

It's like going from ten to eight.

Even if you say that

Kiana squinted at the terrifying figure radiating power in the air, and unconsciously swallowed. She suddenly wondered if her decision had been too hasty.

Even so, she followed Surtr's instructions and took a deep breath.

"Sirin's strength is just an illusion... I am the strongest."

She repeated it to herself, as if giving herself a suggestion. When she looked up again...

It seems to have no effect; we still can't beat those we can't beat.

However, although the opponent still seemed ridiculously strong, the suffocating sense of oppression had lessened somewhat, and the constraint of time was no longer so intense.

Is this considered... a form of psychological victory?

There was no time to think it through; Sirin's new offensive had already begun.

The energy impact blasted huge craters into the snowfield, and two figures clashed fiercely. Judging from the battle, Sirin clearly had the upper hand.

Dual-core Herrschers were troublesome enough, but now five cores have joined forces. The Herrscher of the Void's spatial teleportation combined with the Herrscher of Death's regeneration makes Surtr's attacks ineffective, instead exposing more weaknesses.

The situation was forced to shift to a defensive posture.

Kiana watched the battle anxiously, unwilling to stand idly by. However, the two opponents were far stronger than her, and Sirin was further empowered by the Feather of Dust, leaving Kiana with no way to intervene.

She can't do anything.