Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

"Well, well! The fifth Herrscher has appeared."

Otto saw at a glance what Noldrei had been up to, because it was something he himself used to do often.

This proved that Mr. Future Man had thoroughly learned how to utilize the primitive humans' fighting techniques.

He was truly an excellent student.

"What should we do now? Are we going to try and contain the fifth Herrscher?"

Although Welt Yang didn't want to, it seemed they had no other choice now.

"No. She needs to fully step into her role as a Herrscher. The more her mind wavers, the more easily she'll be corrupted by the Honkai and become a Herrscher who only knows destruction and slaughter. At that point, the Herrscher's mind will be like a computer, acting based on the person's current level of knowledge. Compared to that, I'm more curious to see how the Second Herrscher will face this new one."

Otto wasn't worried at all. If the sky fell, the man from the future would be there to hold it up.

Now that he knew Noldrei's plan, the choice was simple: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

No matter how you looked at it, the path the man from the future had chosen was quite promising.

---||---

Sirin saw the fifth Herrscher.

Compared to the Second Herrscher's flashy attire, the Fifth Herrscher seemed much more modest. She wore a simple black bodysuit, covered by a formal dress that offered no real coverage.

Adorned with some gaudy metal accessories, a new Herrscher skin appeared before Sirin.

Sirin first glanced up at Tesla's high-energy light tube, then looked at this...

"What the hell? Why is a Herrscher saving people?!"

Sirin, riding on the back of her dragon, couldn't help but blurt it out. When she was born, all she could think about was destroying humanity. But this Herrscher, the moment she appeared, was focused on saving people?

Wait...!

Sirin then remembered that the first thing she did after becoming a Herrscher was to use her powers to recreate her little companions who had died in the Babylon labs.

"Did her little companions die too?!"

At this thought, Sirin couldn't help but stop in her tracks.

A fellow Herrscher was reviving her companions. As a comrade, she absolutely could not disturb her.

With this attitude, Sirin decisively chose to let the Fifth Herrscher continue her actions.

---||---

Hachiman Hikigaya was terrified. He was worried that an uncontrollable Great Eruption would occur in the city.

It made him want to fly up into space immediately.

As he thought this, his feet suddenly transformed into jet-propulsion devices.

Well, now he could really fly.

The Honkai Energy was rapidly converted into kinetic energy by his body, launching him towards space.

But before that...

He would first pass through the plasma ring created by Tesla.

Hachiman Hikigaya's fate had taken a drastic turn, and he seemed completely unaware of what he had just done.

---||---

Wendy was coordinating with Bronya to clean up the troublemakers in Academy City.

She transformed into a little pony and galloped through the city, ramming into any troublemaker she saw.

Her efficiency was much higher than when she was in human form.

She could also feel the increase in Honkai Energy concentration, but at this moment, Wendy wasn't a Herrscher. She was just a happy little pony running around Academy City.

What did the Herrschers' business have to do with her?

---||---

Miyuki Shirogane was also busy with other matters.

He used to complain that the Far East government had too many hospitals and not enough doctors. Now, Miyuki no longer complained. At this point, his only worry was that there weren't enough hospital beds.

Even with an adequate supply of medicine from Heliopolis Life Sciences, the number of people infected with the Honkai sickness was increasing.

Anyone in Academy City knew about the threat of the Honkai sickness. The public's panic was not easily quelled.

Miyuki had seen more than one young girl contract the Honkai sickness.

He himself had first sent Hachiman Hikigaya's sister to the hospital to find a special cure. It was thanks to Dr. Tesla turning Academy City into day that the journey was not as dangerous as it could have been.

The security team and the joint student council quickly stabilized the situation.

But Miyuki knew that the hardest and most serious part was yet to come. A legendary Herrscher had surely been born within Academy City.

But as a mere researcher, he had no idea where that Herrscher was now.

How am I supposed to explain this to my friend...

Miyuki was puzzled. Why hadn't he been infected with the Honkai sickness, but his friend's sister had?

"Don't worry. Since Academy City has already taken action and has enough medicine in reserve, the harm from the Honkai sickness shouldn't be the biggest issue."

It was 'Kaguya Shinomiya'—or rather, a handsome male version of Kaguya Shinomiya.

"No, I'm just... ashamed that I couldn't take good care of my friend's sister."

Miyuki said helplessly, "Everyone who enters Academy City goes through a 'screening.' The first round is to eliminate external influences. When passing through the underground tunnels, there are special fungi-like plants that emit a scent to clear out certain things."

"If they were outside, once they came into contact with the Honkai, there would only be one outcome: death."

"The steel walls aren't just steel walls. If I remember correctly, they are a shield left by Dr. Tesla specifically against Honkai Energy. Its purpose is to consume Honkai Energy and convert it into other forms of energy, to prevent the Honkai Energy in Academy City from spreading outward."

"These are things only we researchers know. Now that a Honkai Eruption of this magnitude has occurred, the surrounding barriers have all been activated. There's no point in hiding it anymore."

"A new Herrscher has definitely been born in Academy City."

Miyuki's words made Kaguya break out in a cold sweat.

This place wasn't the high-tech holy city everyone thought it was. It was a legendary den of Honkai demons.

Anyone who wanted to profit from it, without realizing what they were facing, had already started down this path to the abyss.

She looked up at the figure in the sky, who looked like an angel from the Bible.

It was so similar, like a Throne made of lightning.

Is this the power of a Herrscher?

Kaguya thought.

If I had this kind of power, would I obediently stay here and be some scientist?

She knew she could never make the same choice as Tesla.

In Kaguya's mind, what kept Tesla here was either her legendary idealism, or...

There was a being even stronger than Tesla, suppressing her.