Kipchak Steppe
Banks of Aral Sea
"Agata one... Insect zerooo..."
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Fire, Agata, taunted Cheng, firing her plasma beam at the Valkyrie.
The duel did not end well for her. It was much worse than battling a giant Hyper Zetton.
Cheng was in more pain than she could have ever imagined, feeling as if her entire body was on fire and the internal organs were being burned to a crisp.
The pain was beyond excruciating than ever.
"My wound... It still burns..."
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Fire laughed at her enemy in arrogance, flying closer to her with a flying arrogant smile to humiliate the human further.
"Oooh my, I can smell a toasted gut from your body! And I'm surprised you still have enough strength to stand."
"You're quite a nice target, my favorite for now. I'll be enjoying my time turning your face into a pile of charcoal before I fly off to burn others."
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Fire sent out her last taunt before she started smothering Cheng with her flaming palm, beginning her execution of the defeated Valkyrie.
Agata was already executing Cheng, with the hand that ignited the Pseudo-Herrscher's flames getting dangerously close to her face.
She was getting near smothering the wounded Valkyrie once and for all, thinking the latter could no longer fight in her critical state.
Or so she had thought.
Suddenly, Cheng grabbed her wrist with such muscular strength that Agata was thrown to the ground immediately.
Even in her critically low state, Cheng could still stand off the ground, battling against the Pseudo-Herrscher.
She wasted no time before unleashing her sweeping round kick, named the "Sweep of The Shadow Wyrm." She kicked the Herrscher in the back with tremendous strength to put enough distance between them.
The violent round kick was so aggressive that the Pseudo-Herrscher of Fire was sent skidding back, resulting in a bit of blood oozing from the corner of her mouth because of the impact.
As Cheng panted with her body rocking back and forth, she shook from exhaustion, trying to regain her strength to fight the crucial battle.
"Relying upon weapons makes one vulnerable. That's why my Master taught me Stances of the Six Fists."
She remarked how it would be pointless if one relies on a weapon too much, even with the best gear equipped, if they have yet to train themselves with combat expertise.
Agata grew furious when the human managed to strike her, even in a wounded state.
She couldn't believe the mighty in superiority and authority she proclaimed herself managed to get harmed by a weak and fragile human.
"How dare you strike a Seraphin Prince? My holy flames shall turn you to ash!!!"
Agata made a final attempt to defeat the Valkyrie, charging the dark fireball into her chest before letting it loose and launching it at Cheng, shouting in rage.
"Eat this! Shoulda stayed down like the insect you are!"
The fireball that hit the ground where Cheng was standing was powerful enough to wipe a landmass away, and the flames spread faster than an uncontrollable forest fire.
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Fire's victory was about to be sealed for sure, yet it was cut short when a glowing feather suddenly appeared before the burning flame.
It was the Fenghuang Down Divine Key.
The Fenghuang Down manifested into Fu Hua, successfully shielding the flames away in a whirling effect and saving Cheng from what would have been a lethal injury.
"You go and take a rest, Lixue."
"Master!"
Cheng lowered her arms and was immediately relieved when she saw her Master coming in time, dropping down onto her knees of exhaustion.
She was weakened by the critical wound, which made her collapse to her knees, exhausted after the fight with the Pseudo-Herrscher.
"I'll take care of this for you."
Fu Hua looked after Cheng, wishing for her not to overwork her injury in this battle anymore.
"Who are you? It should have been impossible for anyone to survive my holy flames!"
Agata yelled in disbelief, demanding an answer from another opponent who countered her flaming attack.
To put insult to injury, she grew more enraged when Fu Hua ignored her demands and did not respond to what was happening.
"Why aren't you saying anything?! Answer me at once!"
Fu Hua walked forward with a flat yet confident expression, as though she had experience dealing with the Herrscher of Flames on many occasions.
"I need to show off to my disciple from time to time. That upstart here stands no chance."
The battle-hardened Fu Hua would not allow anyone to disrespect her in such a manner, and she was confident that she could deal with this Pseudo-Herrscher with no problem.
Insulting Agata's status was the last thing Fu Hua would have wanted in that fight, but now it was too late to take it back.
"How dare you call me an upstart?! How dare you insult a Seraphin Prince?!"
Agata immediately grew furious at the insults to her status as a Seraphin Prince, and she launched another huge dark fireball toward Fu Hua.
Fu Hua began to transform into her Phoenix form, her hair turning white and her eyes changing to burning red.
She stretched her hand forward, blocking the massive dark fireball before she deflected it back, exploding behind her, causing an enormous fire explosion that seemed endless in its range.
Agata became frantic, jolting her body back in terror as Fu Hua approached her, not giving the Pseudo-Herrscher enough space to recover.
"Nyet! You'll not get any closer to me! My holy flames shall reduce you to ashes!"
The wall of holy flames appeared, forming a barrier between Agata and the Phoenix, with the former screaming out, enraged.
"Is that it? Your so-called One Trillion Degrees is nothing but a cheapskate exaggerating name."
Fu Hua effortlessly absorbed the wall of holy flames into her hands while taunting the Pseudo-Herrscher of Fire, growing increasingly impatient with how the battle was progressing.
"I'll just blow your heat away."
Fu Hua refused to make any motion that would result in the flame's destruction, remaining perfectly still and absorbing the flame into her hand.
"Your ways of handling fire make me nauseous. Let me show you the proper way to handle fire."
After Fu Hua had absorbed all the flames from the firewall, her signature garuda aura, Spirit of Cinder, was formed in mighty unleash, utilizing the energy absorbed by the fire itself.
The Pseudo-Herrscher's confidence and sense of superiority were immediately shattered as the Spirit of Cinder was unleashed, with its tremendous presence causing the former's pride to crumble instantly.
"Uh oh!"
Realizing she was being outclassed, she weakly stumbled back in fear and terror, her eyes wide in shock.
Fu Hua was already dangerously close to the Pseudo-Herrscher, placing her right finger on the abdomen.
"Hear me out, you upstart."
"Compared to your supposed holy fire, it's like a dim ember shivering in the breeze of my wind. In the end, you are nowhere near the true Herrscher of Fire I've had fought against."
Fu Hua's one-inch punch was the final blow to the Pseudo-Herrscher, leaving her unable to rise up again, and that was enough to proclaim her victory.
The punch left an impact, bursting out a whirling flame effect behind.
"What a shame. One Trillion Degrees, your head."
Fu Hua was well aware that the battle was already over, and she looked down on the wounded Pseudo-Herrscher, with the latter on her knees, feeling defeated and weak.
The Pseudo-Herrscher was left brain dead after taking the terrible punch, kneeling on the ground, staring at the sky blankly.
Bleeding out from the eyes and mouth, both the external and internal injuries were already way beyond the point of recovery.
The Herrscher's body was motionless, yet it was apparent that the damage was severe enough to kill a human instantly, if not a Herrscher itself.
"Master... The enemy might wake up at any moment."
Cheng still remained on her knees, her body shaking from the pain, as Fu Hua immediately began to heal her burn wounds.
The student was still worried that the enemy could wake up at any moment, even though the Pseudo-Herrscher was already mortally injured from Fu Hua's strikes.
Fu Hua's soothing touch removed the pain, even though much suffering had been taken. With a warm smile and caring manner, she calmed down Cheng.
"Focus on your recovery and let Master tend to the wound."
Cheng did as she was told and focused on recovering, leaving her wounds to be tended to at the moment.
"There's no need to worry, for she is beyond saving... That was a great strategy you set there. The monster sure caught us surprise, but you sure put up a fight."
After removing her pain, Fu Hua also spoke to her kindly and soothingly, assuring her that the Pseudo-Herrscher was beyond saving and that Cheng's tactic and skill were strategically formed.
Fu Hua's gentle voice also gave her some much-needed calming assurance, letting Cheng know she performed well in that battle.
"Not only did you destroy that dinosaur-sized beetle monster, but you also set an opening for the Fenghuang Down to strike. You gave me the moment I needed to subdue the upstart."
Fu Hua praised Cheng for not only using her strategy of destroying the Hyper Zetton body in the best way possible but also for providing an opening for the Phoenix to take that perfect moment to strike with devastating force.
In the moment of the final strike from Fu Hua, the Phoenix unleashed Fenghuang Down at the right time to cause the Pseudo-Herrscher's brain-dead.
Since the mental manipulation had taken control, the Pseudo-Herrscher's senses and ability to move became lost, essentially shutting down her own functions through the Fenghuang Down's interference with the brain.
Suddenly, a dark portal was summoned out of the blue.
"!"
Fu Hua was startled by the sudden development of a shadowy dark portal, with a ghostly hand suddenly grabbing and pulling the brain-dead Pseudo-Herrscher into the portal.
She was left perturbed by the unexpected event.
"The hand... It must be the Second Herrscher's."
The perturbed Fu Hua suspected the Second Herrscher retrieved her servant.
Her suspicions about the Second Herrscher being involved became increasingly apparent every second.
There was more to her than meets the eye.
————
Novosibirsk
"I'm so... I'm so sorry."
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Death seemed to be apologetic, and her appearance made her look like she had a kind disposition.
However, those same kind eyes were nothing but a deception or a disguise for what lay underneath them, and it was never wise to let one's guard down in the presence of a Herrscher.
Juggler and Amber were both now at a disadvantage, with their attacks failing to significantly damage the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death.
The two of them could no longer keep up after spending so much energy trying to do anything meaningful against the intangible Herrscher.
They were beginning to get fatigued and tired from the continued exertion, but the fight had no end.
Juggler would have loved to transform into his Illusion Demon alien form, but he had chosen to remain controlled for the sake of Amber, not wanting to reveal and expose his true identity to her.
'Kuso... I wish Amber is not on my side...'
However, the ongoing battle was becoming more challenging to keep up with, and the exhaustion of the O-50 alien would need to be a factor for the possible transformation to avoid the pinch situation.
Amber's hazmat mask started to falter from the prolonged usage of the filter, which began to make her weak and more exhausted due to her physical strength weakening.
"I can't take it anymore... My mask's filter is weakening."
She was approaching a limit and could no longer tolerate the effects of the ongoing dark, corrosive miasma area, having reached a threshold for how much longer she could bear it.
Amber was beginning to feel faint with the diminishing filter, losing her balance and increasingly dizzy and light-headed.
It was as if her nervous system was beginning to malfunction.
"Sergeant Müller... Tell Lord Otto... I may no longer be at his side... It's getting hazy here..."
She was beginning to worry about her situation and what might happen next in the fight against the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death.
In her last moments of consciousness, she wanted to feel the comfort and warmth of her sergeant, wanting to hold him for one last moment before she would pass.
She gently wrapped her arms around his back, holding him tightly as she wanted to leave the world peacefully.
"At the very least... I'm so glad that I got to fight alongside you... so that I won't die alone in this wretched place..."
Amber may not have won the fight against the Pseudo-Herrscher, but if she had to die, she would do it knowing that she was not alone but with someone close by her side in her final moments.
Her feelings toward her most standing Sergeant would never indeed be known to her, yet there was no doubt that he was someone who truly cared for her.
He was there when she needed him the most, which meant the world to her.
Juggler had been refusing to give up until the very last moment, still attempting to fight the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death despite how grim the situation had become.
He was adamant about refusing to let Amber be taken, especially if it would result in her own demise.
"If you're still alive, then squeeze my suit tight! It's a matter of time before Otto-sama will come to save us... or too late to save us!"
"Just hold me tight as much as you can, Amber!"
Juggler demanded in his incensed, caring words, telling Amber to squeeze his black suit to indicate any semblance of consciousness left inside her.
Amber, barely conscious of her surroundings, had managed to grasp Juggler's suit tightly with all her remaining strength, trying to keep herself together and alert for as long as possible.
Juggler felt it, knowing he must protect her as long as he could but knowing the time was running out.
As the moments ticked by, Otto miraculously arrived into the fray at the right time and landed between the pseudo-Herrscher and the two of them.
Otto's timely arrival was a source of surprise and relief, as the possibility of a loss was now removed from the equation.
Upon Otto's appearance, both Juggler and Amber reacted in a state of surprise, as Otto's arrival was a significant turning point in this fight.
"Otto-sama! You came at last!"
"Lord Otto! I... I...!"
Juggler expressed relief, while Amber appeared to want to say something but could not do so.
"At ease, Dominic and Amber."
Otto summoned the mimicry of Abyss Flower by using his Void Archive Divine Key, and he then took the Divine Key spear in his hands.
The mimicry Divine Key served to cleanse the dark miasma and purge its corrosive effects as he sought to free them from its grasp.
"The corrosive fumes will not harm you any longer."
The effects of the dark, corrosive miasma began to subside as Otto's Divine Key cleansed it, allowing Juggler and Amber to breathe the clean air again without worry.
"Leave that girl to me. Go back to H.Q. and get some recovery. I need a private moment to share a few words with this young lady."
Otto's instructions were clear as they were to leave and head towards HQ. Their fight was over, and they were dismissed for now, as Otto would handle the matter with the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death himself.
"Thank you, Lord Otto..."
"Ikuzo, Anbā."
As the two left, they wondered what Otto had planned now that he had this chance with the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death, yet he was not likely to share his thoughts with anyone else.
Otto was finally alone, facing the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death directly.
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Death was now alone with Otto, and she was surprised that he was not affected by the dark, corrosive miasma.
"The Vapors of Eternal are gone. The queen will be angry..."
She couldn't quite understand why he was unaffected by the corrosive miasma in the first place since he wasn't exactly wearing any protective gear and was just casually dressed in a white shirt.
"The blond man isn't sleeping... There's something wrong with him..."
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Death was beginning to show signs of fear and unease toward the unexpected resistance from Otto as she began to believe something suspicious about him.
She had never seen such unusual resistance before from any human, making her believe something was wrong with him.
Thus, the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death began to think that Otto had some hidden abilities that prevented him from being affected by the corrosive vapor.
Otto's gentle smile and manner of speaking to her, instead of attacking or trying to harm her, made the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death slightly uneasy.
"Hah, come on now. I don't mean to scare you, girl. I mean no harm."
His words of reassurance would cause her to be a bit unsure, making her believe that perhaps he wasn't here to fight her but to get closer to what she was feeling and what she was like.
Otto's gesture of opening his hand to the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death surprised her, yet she found it hard to trust it so easily.
She was skeptical and did not believe the man meant any harm to her. Though, his words still sounded genuine, which left her unsure about what to do.
"Nyet! Get away from me!"
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Death backed away and began to feel increasingly fearful, threatening not to get any closer.
She lost the trust she had gained, thinking Otto was trying to bait her with his deceiving kind words, retaining some of her fears and suspicions, knowing that he was still a threat to what she stood for.
Upon seeing that his original attempt did not work, Otto switched tactics and thought of a new strategy to get her to trust him.
"Oh. Time to change the tactics, then."
Being unpredictable and having planned alternative actions, Otto never gave up that easily, making it challenging to get the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death to understand and trust him.
He then pulled out a HOMU doll from his back.
"Look what I have for you. Check out this soft toy."
Otto's sudden gesture of pulling out a HOMU doll took the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death by surprise, which made her curious as she began to look at the soft toy.
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Death was now a bit more relaxed, intrigued by the toy offered to her by the blond man.
"My grandchild always loves this toy. She'll hug it every time she feels scared. It makes her feel safe."
Otto continued slowly approaching the Pseudo-Herrscher of Death, using the HOMU doll to keep her occupied and focused on it.
As she continued to observe the toy, she became more intrigued, leading her to reach for it.
"What a lovely doll..."
The Pseudo-Herrscher of Death murmured softly, looking at it with a gentle look on her face.
At that moment, Otto knew he had somewhat won her over with this little gift, as she seemed to be entranced by the toy in her hands.
The Pseudo-Herrscher tried to reach for the doll, only to have it instantly vaporized by her own power by accident.
Her shock was visible as she watched her powers vaporize the toy, leaving her in disbelief and disappointed.
"Kya! I'm so sorry!"
She cried out, seeing her toy destroyed before her eyes without even having had the chance to play with it properly.
"My doll..."
Otto decided to show his true color and intention, putting up his creepy smile while he slowly stepped forward, stepping behind a terrified Pseudo-Herrscher and placing his hand on her shoulder in an intimidating manner, attempting to unsettle her and creep her out intentionally.
"Poor girl. You can't even control your powers."
His tone was no longer kind as he spoke, and his words were now filled with a mocking and sarcastic tone.
The Pseudo-Herrscher looked at him with shock and fear, realizing he was not here to help her but to mock her for not knowing how to control her abilities and powers.
She realized his true intention behind coming so close to her too late, causing her to freeze in fear and labored breathing.
"Have no fear. Let me teach you how to play with toys without breaking them."
With his face dangerously close to her ears, Otto's sudden proximity sent a wave of unease and chills down her spine, causing her skin to shiver in fear.
She was immobilized, unable to move as she felt the man's breath on her neck, speaking in a mocking and taunting manner.
Grasping the chance, Otto used his Void Archive Divine Key, copying the Fenghuang Down to utilize its shutdown nerves ability.
Like a predator caught a prey, he took his right hand and placed it on the Pseudo-Herrscher's face to cover her eyes as he attempted to initiate the shutdown ability.
The Pseudo-Herrscher could not fight back or resist, as she was already feeling weak and dizzy from the effects of their battle, and the sudden loss of sight caused her to feel helpless and vulnerable against him.
As the Pseudo-Herrscher still seemed shocked by the sudden nervous system shutdown, Otto had the perfect opportunity to steal the Gem of Serenity from her without her being able to fight back.
Otto proceeded to immediately skew her heart using his bare hands, snatching the core from her before she had any chance to defend herself or even realize what was happening.
He pulled his hand from her, only to realize that the gem he was holding was just a counterfeit, evidence of how it was fragile with just a grasping power.
"What the fuck?! This is just a Pseudo-Herrscher core! Are you kidding me?!"
Otto dropped it to the ground disgustedly, having wasted his time and energy to steal something fake and worthless.
As soon as the lifeless Pseudo-Herrscher dropped to the ground, the same dark portal summoned in front, attempting to snatch the dull girl with the ghostly hand belonging to Sirin.
But Otto wouldn't want to let that slide so easily.
"Coming to claim your broken puppet? Not so fast."
Otto summoned the Mimicry of Judgment of Shamash Divine Key to create two flaming handguns, only to convert them into a blazing great sword, ready to attack the ghostly hands that were attempting to retrieve the lifeless Pseudo-Herrscher from the field.
Otto successfully cut off the ghostly hands, attempting to retrieve the Pseudo-Herrscher, causing the girl to drop back to the ground.
"Come out whenever you are, Herrscher. I'm a little obsessed about my reunion with Kallen."
He bragged the actual Second Herrscher to come and face him, as he was eager and obsessed with his reunion with Kallen.
"No one shall get in the way of my obsession..."
"Not even a God."
————
[Search Entry: The Final Battle against the Final Herrscher on the Moon.]
Siegfried continued to watch the final battle against the Final Herrscher, which dates back 50,000 years to the old era of humanity. One of his ancestors had been involved in an intense and historic battle on the Moon.
The power of the Final Herrscher was unparalleled and beyond what any humans before had faced, as they could not do any damage to the Herrscher.
The Herrscher was too powerful for them to handle, and two warriors were defeated in a mere five minutes.
Despite their efforts and determination, the humans could not defeat the Final Herrscher, and they kept fighting even with their powerlessness.
As the Final Herrscher was focused on the battle down on the lunar surface, Dr. MEI remained undeterred and brought the Selene device into the lunar orbit.
With the colossal device, she was able to concentrate and focus the energy beam on the Final Herrscher, which became the final act that would seal its fate.
The Selene device landed hits on the Herrscher, which began to chip away at its Honkai Energy and cause it to slowly dissipate as useless heat.
Yet, the Final Herrscher remained unhinged primarily, as it did not appear to sustain any damage from the Selene.
Damage assessment for the Final Herrscher had been concluded, revealing that it still had an impressive 98% of its Honkai reserves left despite the concentrated energy shots from the Selene.
The weakened and limited effects from the Selene device could only reduce the Herrscher's Honkai reserves by a tiny bit.
The six human fighters were outnumbered and outmatched by the Herrscher's powerful abilities and Honkai reserves that had not been significantly damaged.
The six brave warriors had become the last and final line of defense between the Herrscher and Earth, as the human warriors would not allow the Final Herrscher to advance further toward Earth's location.
Dr. MEI grew incensed at the limited effects of the Selene device and its attempts to weaken and damage the Final Herrscher, which caused her to override the safety systems on the Selene to bypass at 200% of its original power.
The supercharged blast from the Selene could not convert the Honkai energy into heat but rather damage the Herrscher's ability to maintain and hold on to her massive Honkai reserves.
The Herrscher of the Final Battle had lost 30% of Honkai reserves, which began seeping into the lunar crust.
The Selene device, however, began to crumble from the damage obtained from its boosted attacks, becoming too much to handle its limits.
A Fire Moth soldier named Kevin Kaslana took the opportunity to strike the weakened and reduced Herrscher with a powerful blow, causing it to be temporarily immobilized.
Despite taking the powerful blow from Kevin Kaslana, the Final Herrscher was not severely injured.
She was still intact and mostly unharmed, even with reduced Honkai reserves.
The Selene device had been rendered useless from the damage it had obtained under the supercharged attack, forcing the human warriors to rely on conventional weapons to fight the Final Herrscher.
However, The Final Herrscher was still well enough to recover its depleted 30% of Honkai reserves within 12 hours, as it remained undefeated by the humans even with its significant reduction in reserves.
The humans only had twelve hours left.
-End of Entry-
It was the end of the recorded memory from the Soulium memory.
"Thank you, Mr. Kaslana. We have acquired all data related to the Selene. We can now disconnect you from the Soulium database."
Einstein thanked Siegfried's assistance for providing more information about the battle track record.
"You are welcome."
Siegfried replied, remaining calm and composed after giving the Final Battle Against the Final Herrscher data.
As Siegfried felt the simulation coming to an end, he realized something was missing from all the information he had gathered.
It was as if he suddenly felt that he had overlooked something important.
"Wait, Dr. Einstein. I feel like I missed something."
Siegfried felt skeptical about the existence of the giant of light, unsure whether or not it was real or just a myth.
"Umm... I don't know, but I just wanna see if that giant of light was involved in the battle. Since you said, this Soulium thing might be related to what is it... uh... an E.T.? Or something?"
Einstein had almost forgotten about the topic she had brought up, as it was such a small part of the entirety of the Final Battle Against the Final Herrscher.
"Sure, let's replay that segment. Where do you want to start?"
"The last moment where the Final Herrscher was in a dormant state for 12 hours."
Einstein replayed the segment right before it ended, allowing Siegfried to observe the Final Herrscher in their dormant state.
Siegfried's eyes began to move and back forth with a precise and careful scanning motion to look at the giant of light, but there seemed no trace or indication of its existence.
"Hmm... Can't find anything. It must have stopped here before the Era was destroyed."
Siegfried groaned in disappointment as the segment still did not indicate the giant of light supposedly involved in the Final Battle Against the Final Herrscher.
"Nothing about an E.T. or giant of light or anything related to that was recorded within the Soulium database."
Einstein also remained disappointed, as nothing about the giant of light was recorded inside the Soulium, despite it being something she had mentioned to Siegfried initially.
"It's alright. There's something about that man that also caught my interest. Can you rewind back to where it started?"
"Sure. I'll rewind back to when it all started."
Siegfried seemed interested in the ancestor, Kevin, who was wielding the Judgement of Shamash Divine Key in the battle.
The ancestor in the memory had played a crucial role in weakening and immobilizing the Final Herrscher in its final moments.
The simulation of the silver-haired ancestor was right there before Siegfried's very eyes, wielding the same Divine Key that he had been using.
"This Silver-haired man also wields the Judgment of Shamash. Who is he? I think I can hear him calling out to me..."
Siegfried looked upon the silver-haired man as he seemed to hear the man calling out to him, taking a precautious step to the hologram.
When Siegfried's hand was reaching for Kevin while still taking precautions, his ancestor's hologram suddenly came alive, grabbing his wrist in a bolt move.
"You've finally found me, my progeny."
The hologram then spoke in a ghostly manner, as if he was in real-time interaction with a living person.
"Listen well, progeny. I'm about to tell you the secrets of our genetic lineage... The true powers of a Kaslana warrior..."
Siegfried was baffled when his ancestor mentioned the term "genetic lineage," as it was a word that was not even present in the Current Era that he lived in.
"Wha...?"
Without registering what happened before Siegfried, Kevin abruptly skewed him with his Judgment of Shamash, catching his descendent by surprise despite the hologram being an illusion.
Siegfried was taken aback by how the judgment's hit didn't harm him, but he was still shocked by its sudden movement.
"There are dormant Honkai Genes within our Kaslana genome that can be activated to awake powers innate to every scion of our line."
Kevin began to integrate the Divine Key into Siegfried's body, causing the young man to experience excruciating pain from the blazing flame within him.
At that moment, Siegfried felt as though the Divine Key was a sentient thing, flowing through his bloodstream as he felt his dormant Honkai Genes start to react to it.
"Those powers will make you more than human. Even the Herrschers will be no match against you."
"Remember our oath, young progeny:"
-Every Kaslana blood must live by their oath. Purge the vile of Honkai and smash the false gods. Your sires sleep in the fields as humanity's brave shields. By the Judgment of Shamash, Kaslanas die and never yield-
Kevin's last piece of wisdom before Siegfried's mind was transported back to the terminal and out of the hologram.
For the time being, he would utilize the awakened Honkai Genes to make himself more than a human, for he would be more able to compete with and defeat even the Herrschers.
After the Earth had been destroyed entirely in the final simulation, a single light emerged from the atmosphere, moving in a straight direction and ramming straight at the Final Herrscher.
It was the giant of light itself. The same extraterrestrial Siegfried encountered just a day ago.
Siegfried gasped and widened his eyes in shock, blown away by the revelation.
Unfortunately, he did not have time to see the simulation's completion as the terminal began malfunctioning and flickering at an insane rate.
Additionally, his EKG readings started to become highly unstable and erratic.
Einstein's sweat broke in an alarmed state when she read the drastic drop in Siegfried's EKG readings and his current unstable condition, making her realize that he may be at risk of suffering a seizure if she didn't disconnect him promptly.
"Ah, crap! I must disconnect him before he experiences a seizure!"
Einstein was just about to take off the helmet that had been sealed over Siegfried's head when the entire shielding panel around him suddenly shattered, causing her to get bounced away by an unknown force she couldn't see.
"RAGGHHH!!!!"
Siegfried suddenly underwent a massive behavior change.
His eyes turned completely black as his pupils shined a bright blue light, while his voice raised exponentially in pitch and volume, yelling in a mighty roar of primal ferocity and dominance.
It was a truly menacing sight, as the dormant Honkai Genes had triggered the awakening of the true nature of the Kaslana bloodline within Siegfried's genetic makeup.
————
Darkness consumed the vision. A pitch black closed the world where humans could see.
A total void of pitch-blackness had enveloped and engulfed the area, leaving humanity with no clear visuals of their surroundings.
Only after a beautiful voice had attempted to pull him out of his deep slumber did the darkness slightly fade away.
"My king? My king?"
The voice of Bella, who tried to wake her king, Leon.
He fell unconscious after the fierce battle with Gatanothor.
"My king?"
A familiar and endearing voice had finally started slowly waking him up, breaking the darkness's silence. Her voice gave him hope as he could at least hear the person calling him.
After gaining some of his consciousness back, he began to emit a soft groaning noise as he attempted to slowly open his eyes and face the source of the voice.
Leon's vision began clearing up gradually as he slowly regained consciousness, allowing him to view his loyal Honkai Dragon, Bella.
She appeared in front of him in her humanoid form, which gave her a certain sense of relief and peace of mind as her king finally returned to his senses after the fierce battle.
"My king... Thank goodness..."
Bella's concerned look quickly turned into a sweet and relieved smile as she was overjoyed to see his eyes slowly opening again, bringing back the warm and familiar spark of consciousness to his gaze.
For a brief moment, before reality settled back into place for Leon, he saw someone who deeply resembled Kiana, causing him to mistake the person in front of him for his beloved.
His vision saw a glimpse of her beautiful, soft, long white hair, iconic blue eyes, and pretty face that he always loved.
"Kiana?"
It caused him to speak her name, thinking that he had finally reunited with her, but his hope was swept away as his vision returned to the truth.
"No. It's Bella, my king."
Bella continued to remain by his side with a gentle smile after Leon's initial confusion. She clearly understood why he was confused when he mistook her for his late lover.
Leon became embarrassed after accidentally calling Bella Kiana's name, stammering his mouth and peering his head away from her.
"Ah... Sorry..."
He quickly took his words back and apologized.
Bella held Leon's shoulders, providing him a warm and caring comfort.
"My king. You're not alone. Even if my queen departed from you... she never left you."
Although she couldn't replace Kiana with Leon, she had shown she could support and continue watching over him during the difficult time.
Leon's eyebrows raised in a sudden baffled look after Bella spoke comforting words to him.
Her level of knowledge about Kiana had caused him to glare at her with some suspicion.
"Heh?"
Bella noticed Leon seemed surprised by her knowledge of Kiana's existence, which seemed to have struck a chord with Leon, and raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Um... Urgh... My apologies, My king, if my words offended you..."
Bella quickly became regretful and ashamed, as if she felt like her words had caused him to feel hurt by the reminder of her presence. Her lips quivered in regretful expression, and her eyes closed in cringe.
Leon shook his head as a result, sweeping the awkward moment under the rug due to his exhaustion and the physical discomfort that he experienced while being an Ultraman.
A look of pain flashed across his face as he rubbed his head and eyes, expressing the fatigue he was currently experiencing due to his time as an Ultraman.
"Nghh... Maybe I wasn't mentally prepared before transforming into an Ultraman."
"Duh, bener-bener ga seenak jidatnya..."
Leon hypothesized that the side effects may have resulted from somebody being unable to handle the mental stress or strain of maintaining the transformation within themselves.
"Hmm?"
Leon noticed something in his hand, which he only saw when he opened it, only to find the Blazar Stone that had remained behind after transforming into an Ultraman.
The Blazar Brace was also not present on his right wrist.
Bella nodded repeatedly with her mouth opened slightly when she looked at the stone as she remembered the important thing she must tell her king.
"Ah, right, my king. When you were unconscious, Lord Blazar told me you can only transform up to four times... That makes it three remaining."
She explained the circumstances that Ultraman Blazar had revealed to Leon, about how he could transform into an Ultraman only up to four times before being completely unable to do so again, and thus how there would be three more left after the previous transformation.
Leon turned his attention away from the Blazar Stone and toward Bella as he felt confused regarding the limitation on transformations.
"Why?"
"He told me the brace suffered critical damage when my queen stomped on it. Even if you fix it, it only gives you a limited usage to transform before it is redeemed beyond repair, no matter how much you try to repair it again."
It was revealed the Blazar Brace had suffered critical damage when the Second Herrscher stomped on it.
Even after it had been repaired, the only limited usage it could support was just enough to complete the transformation around four times before becoming fully redeemable beyond repair.
"It's the truth, my king. I'm sorry to say that."
Leon looked away from Bella with a sigh of disappointment, feeling as if the divinity who had given him the Blazar Brace and its abilities tested his perseverance and devotion towards it by limiting its usage after a certain number of transformations.
Nonetheless, he understood the boundaries of using the Blazar Brace and the number of times he could transform into Ultraman Blazar without causing irreparable damage beyond the fourth transformation.
"It's alright... I have to watch out for situational conditions if things go south. I hope the Valkyries are well-prepared to confront the monsters."
"Thanks for telling me, Bella."
"All well, my king."
He had also shown that he was not frustrated by the restriction and was more aware of being ready to react to the situations in which he would be able to utilize it.
Bella felt relieved when she heard her king didn't express any disappointment on his face, beaming a smile on her lips.
"Speaking of Valkyries... how're things out there, Bella? Guess we have to find out what they are doing..."
As Leon attempted to raise himself and step forward, she quickly stopped him by putting her hand in front of his chest.
"There's no need to, my king."
"Those humans proved themselves they could destroy a monster with their available tools."
"And though, it kind of almost backfired them the moment when the Pseudo-Herrschers were unleashed to assault them right after the destruction. But in the end, the humans did a job well done."
Even though the current situation outside was still dangerous and may have nearly gotten out of control after the Pseudo-Herrscher was unleashed after the monster was destroyed, the Valkyries could still do an excellent job in the end.
Bella continued smiling at Leon and seemed happy that things were under control despite the current tense conditions outside.
Leon was taken aback by what he heard, as he had been accustomed to watching fictional attack teams where they were always underpowered against the monsters and had always relied on Ultraman to defeat them.
However, the Schicksal was another organization that broke the trope and defeated the monster on their own, even if it was nearly a close call and required a bit of luck for their victory.
"Wow... I can't believe that."
As much as he hated the unethical organizations who nearly got him killed, he had respect for actually showing their competence to fight them.
Bella stood with her hands on her waist, looking out towards the distance with a focused gaze as she looked at the last remaining enemy in their path, the Ultra Honkai-Killer.
"All that's left is... Ultra Honkai-Killer."
The dark iron giant remained as the only threat left, standing right at the Tower of Babylon, where it was stationed and awaiting the final showdown between the valkyries and the dark iron giant.
Far but still visible from where Leon and Bella resided in a strayed snowy forest.
————
Spire of Babylon
"This is so pathetic! What use are my servants if they can't even kill a few insects?!"
The Second Herrscher, Sirin, was enraged by the current situation over the unsuccessful attempt to send out a monstrous beast for a rampaging spree.
She screamed out her tantrum in sheer anger, expressing her frustration that her servants couldn't even eliminate a few weak mortals.
Sirin did not have much to show for the results of her plan aside from the braindead Pseudo-Herrscher of Fire that she had summoned.
The other three Pseudo-Herrschers she had unleashed were defeated before they could cause any more damage, as the Schicksal Valkyries and their technology had successfully repelled any further invasions.
The lifeless body of the Pseudo-Herrscher fell down from the previously opened dark portal, revealing to Sirin, the unfortunate news of the survivor.
The counterfeit copy of Bella caught the Pseudo-Herrscher's body as she gave a grim report about the condition of Sirin's servant, Agata, who apparently was still alive, though not by much.
"My Queen, Agata is still alive... but..."
Sirin interrupted the copy of Bella as she learned what the humans had done to damage Agata and put her in a near braindead state.
"The human broke her mind. I've read about it at the Palace of Selene."
"Those foul insects created a mind control weapon in an attempt to mimic God's powers. You have to be careful, Bella. Don't fall into their traps."
Sirin warned the copy of Bella to always be cautious of humans and their abilities, expressing the need to make sure not to be entangled in their mind-controlling powers due to their similarity to the powers of gods.
Though the fight with the humans did not go as planned, Sirin still smiled and remained unbothered as she levitated into the air.
"Let the insects revel in this pitiful victory. Though they may not be the best, my Seraphin Princes have destroyed more than enough cities. I have absorbed the energy needed to move on to my next phase."
She then proclaimed her intention to move on to her next destruction stage, expressing her confidence in her Seraphin Princes, who have already caused destruction to other cities, and her satisfaction in obtaining the necessary energy for the next phase of her devastation.
"Reduce the entirety of this land, Ultra Honkai-Killer!"
The Ultra Honkai-Killer was again set in motion after the Second Herrscher ordered its activation.
After experiencing some initial spasms following its activation, it quickly regained control.
It let out its deafening banshee scream before it raised its arms into the air, generating a massive fissure of Honkai Energy within the land.
It spawned an enormous horde of Honkai-Beasts that began to swarm around the entire landscape.
Leon clicked a tongue in frustration, having to watch the entire land around the Tower of Babylon create a dangerous fissure and the swarm of Honkai Beasts evenly spread in Siberia.
"Don't worry, my king."
Bella held up a peaceful expression, reassuring Leon despite their bleak situation as he was taken back by her composure with a puzzled expression.
He abruptly turned his body to the back, only to watch her smile as if she had gotten used to the situation.
She seemed quite collected, or perhaps there was something that she wasn't revealing that could be causing this sense of calmness and confidence towards the situation.
Bella's smile widened at the prospect of surprising Leon with something that would even the tide.
Without further waiting, she snapped her fingers, summoning a massive swarm of insects such as ants, beetles, centipedes, and mantises.
"Hehe... Since my queen always calls humans the "Insects", why not just show her the true insects?"
Bella expressed with a smug tone, taking a certain amount of satisfaction from the fact that she could put forth a literal swarm of insects.
Some insects began to cling onto her head and shoulders, interpreting it as a playful tease and a taunt towards Leon.
The former appeared amused by his slight disgust, and she continued to hold her mischievous smile towards her king with a little twinkle in her eyes.
"How do you like it, my king?"
"Let's show my queen what the true meaning of facing... you know... "insects". Hehe..."
She raised her crooked fingers in a quotation mark gesture as if making a jab at the Second Herrscher's idea of considering humans to be insects.
Bella took the rhino beetle and the mantis from her shoulder as she extended her hand towards Leon, inviting him to take hold of the insects.
"Trust your servant. They don't bite. I tamed them."
She said in a playful and friendly tone to him, even if her intentions of summoning the actual insects could be viewed as a taunt in response to her queen referring to humans as insects.
Leon was still disgusted at the insects' presence and thought of even holding them in his palm despite Bella stating that they do not bite.
"Oh God... I never touched an insect before..."
He found it unsettling because he had never touched an insect and seemed repulsed by taking the offer to hold them.
Bella remained silent and continued to sport her teasing grin as she tilted her head, almost implying that he should grab them.
She seemed to expect him to take her hand and hold the insects despite his discomfort at the insects and his general reluctance to touch them.
She knew how he felt regarding the insects but also was enjoying his disgusting reaction.
Leon's discomfort and uneasiness towards the insects were evident, so he had to mentally prepare before he eventually acquiesced, taking a deep breath first.
"Ahh, iya, iya, iya. Ku pegang dah..."
His heart pounded as he raised his hand and began to bridge his fingers with Bella's.
Leon felt a slight tingle on his palm as the rhino beetle and the mantis started moving toward it.
The legs of those insects gave him the impression of how they were designed to crawl and scale up surfaces, which provided a strange feeling to him due to his not being used to insects on his skin.
The insects didn't feel disturbed and remained on Leon's palm.
Suddenly, his palm glowed out in blue hues.
The sudden glow took Leon off guard, as his Honkai Energy emitted across the insects' bodies as soon as they touched his palm.
"Ahhhh!!!"
It caused him to jerk back in shock, and it was apparent that his body was reacting to the insects in contact with him.
At the same time, he involuntarily opened his hand to drop the insects onto the snowy ground.
He was surprised at the sudden massive evolution that had occurred with the insects, in which they had turned into a giant version of themselves that was as large as a human.
They were initially tiny insects, but now they were human-sized insects that had undergone a massive evolution from Leon's Honkai Energy.
The evolved rhino beetle had an elephant's nose with a needle ahead, a huge sickle on both arms, and a horned protrusion like a beetle on the top of the head, a characteristic of a child turtle and a beetle.
It had an ochre-colored exoskeleton. The bug then let out its screeching insect sound.
The mantis had also evolved where its body now had a distinct bone-like white exoskeleton, which seemed to radiate a certain level of luminescent energy from its blue-white bodies surrounding its head.
The eyes of the mutated mantis appeared lined with multiple luminescent bodies, and the wings' appearance was also becoming more visible.
甲虫怪獣
タガヌラー
TAGANULAR, THE COLEOPTERAN MONSTER
地底甲獣
ズグガン
ZUGUGAN, THE SUBTERRANEAN INSECTILE MONSTER
"Oh my God!"
Leon exclaimed in shock, trembling at how they had suddenly mutated into the size of a complete human.
His body jerked back upon the surprising sight, expressing how scared he was and how his fear had caused him to recoil from the giant insects.
When Bella spotted Leon being scared and twitching back in fear, she could not help but smirk at his reaction, which she found amusing. She then got between Taganular and Zugugan while offering him some advice.
"My king, that's what your powers do. I'm sure you can prove my queen wrong that she's not the only one who can summon Honkai-Beast. Meet these beetle monsters, Taganular and Zugugan."
"Now, let's make an army of insects to even the odds. Hehehee."
She grinned while mischievously rubbing her palms, encouraging his efforts to prove that he also could summon Honkai-Beasts before expressing her delight at the prospect of creating armies of insects to use against the Honkai.
"Nrghh..."
Leon groaned and clicked his tongue in disapproval, expressing his dislike of summoning the insect army using Honkai Energy.
He did not wish to get near the insects but accepted that he had to do so to prevent the Honkai Beasts from devouring anyone who lived in Siberia.
————
Overseer's Sanctum
"Lord Overseer, we detected a Honkai Eruption in Siberia 3 minutes ago. The magnitude exceeds that of the 1952 Berlin Eruption. The dark iron is making its move again. The zone of High Honkai intensity is spreading at a rate of 200 kph. Key urban centers to be affected in the next 24 hours are..."
The distressed report flooded the sanctum, but Otto focused on the readings on the radar while he expressed annoyance by rubbing his eyes.
"Urgh... Are you really planning to destroy the entire Siberia in one go? Give me a break."
The moment he set off his fingers from his eyes, he meant a war against the Second Herrscher.
"Ready the valkyries. We shall take the fight to the Second Herrscher and the dark iron giant."
————
Schicksal Headquarters
A helicopter arrived at the helipad on the roof of the Schicksal HQ, where it had dropped off Siegfried from its interior, stepping his foot on the landing pad.
After interacting with his simulated ancestor, Siegfried was still experiencing discomfort in his temple due to the activation of some of his dormant Honkai genes.
The Soulium mineral seemed to have some sort of impact on his Honkai genes and had started to trigger some reaction, evidently causing him discomfort.
Then, he came across his closest Sergeant and Otto's servant as he stepped out of the helicopter.
Juggler and Amber had been waiting for his return, standing next to each other on the other side of the helipad.
"Yo, Siegfried."
Juggler crooked his head while informally calling him.
"Yo, Sergeant..."
Siegfried gave a curt response, acknowledging Juggler's informal greeting with a simple expression of his own.
In his current mental state, he was relatively short with his responses and didn't seem to be in the mood for small talk or meaningless conversations.
"Master Siegfried, you're finally home."
Amber reverted to the formal tone of voice she always retained. She greeted him with her usual nonchalant tone and showed no signs of concern regarding his recent experiences.
She had faced a sudden shift in her emotional state when the Pseudo-Herrscher had almost killed her, but she had managed to recover with the help of Juggler.
"Hi there too, Amber..."
Siegfried appeared exhausted as he replied to Amber in a weak tone.
His personality had undergone a shift where he no longer possessed his usually upbeat and cheerful disposition, having been changed and weakened by his recent experiences.
He appeared to be in a state of mental fatigue where he didn't possess the capacity to engage in any form of lengthy or involved conversation.
"We've received data from Dr. Einstein about the Selene. Lord Otto has ordered Lab 1 to analyze the data."
Amber provided updates regarding information they had received from Dr. Einstein about the Selene's extraterrestrial weapon data.
The data in question had been sent to the Schicksal Research Lab 1 for analysis so that they could find out exactly what they were facing in their fight against the Second Herrscher.
It would assist them in finding out what new tactics or techniques they could use to counter the upcoming Honkai threat effectively.
"Thanks for the update, Amber. And how's my wife, Cecilia?"
"Your wife is doing well. She has not experienced any recent incidents and continues performing her duties as usual. I have kept a close eye on her health, but I have witnessed no issues with her so far."
"But right now, she has joined Lord Otto. Both are heading out to Siberia."
Amber informed him that Otto had ordered Cecilia to accompany him to Siberia alongside the other valkyries, prompting him to express some distress regarding his wife's participation.
Siegfried was worried about the implications of her involvement, considering the sheer strength of the Honkai Beast they were to face.
"Lord Otto has also left me this written order. Please read it."
The holographic projection of the message provided some indication of his Overseer's desires and plans regarding his position as a knight of Schicksal and his possible involvement in the upcoming operation against the Second Herrscher.
-To Siegfried Kaslana. I have seen fit to call upon your services in our war against the 2nd Herrscher. Our forces will move out tomorrow morning. Please rest well. Amber will handle your flight to North Siberia.
Your most humble and grateful Overseer
Otto Apocalypse.-
The text of the letter made it clear that Otto had placed his full trust and faith in Siegfried as he would be leading the forces against the Second Herrscher's onslaught.
He also expressed that he was counting on Amber to ensure he would arrive at the destination safely and on time with minimal disruptions.
"What he meant was that our flight departs in 2 hours, Siegfried."
Juggler proceeded to throw in his antagonistic remarks regarding their limited time for the flight to depart and how that would prevent Siegfried from getting adequate rest before their operation against the Second Herrscher.
He was clearly attempting to annoy the knight of Schicksal so that he could elicit some sort of a reaction from him.
The knight's eyes squinted in disappointment, his mouth closed in a bitter expression.
————
Kaslana's Residence
Siegfried made his final stop before he departed, making sure to check in on his daughter Kiana, who was still asleep in her bed.
He took a moment to observe his young daughter and the peaceful state that she was in, making sure that she was well cared for and that everything was in order before he would finally departed for his impending mission.
"I'm sorry, baby doll... Daddy wasn't around for too long. Worse, Papa and Mama have to leave you home alone for a while..."
Siegfried let out a gentle smile as he observed his daughter, and his heart saddened at the fact that he would be leaving her for an uncertain time.
His tender gesture of caressing her forehead and sweeping her soft white hair conveyed his love and affection for his young daughter.
"When this is over, Papa will—"
Siegfried's words were suddenly cut short as his right hand underwent a sudden transformation.
His nails transformed into sharp talons, accompanied by a darkening of his skin and the appearance of glowing blue veins, which indicated the Honkai Genes within him had been triggered.
'The fuck?!'
His eyes widened in shock at the unexpected development, and he promptly left the room after slamming the door behind him.
The thudding noise startled Kiana, causing her to wake from the start.
"Papa... is that you...?"
Kiana let out a confused voice that revealed her initial disbelief and confusion.
She rubbed the dirt from her eyes and squinted, trying to adjust her eyesight to better identify the figure standing in front of her and whether it was her father or not.
'It must be a result of connecting to that Soulium database... I'm starting to lose my mind here...'
Siegfried was already outside Kiana's room, where he had retreated after his hand's sudden transformation and reversion.
He believed the whole situation could have resulted from his interaction with the Soulium Database, where his connection to the data could have impacted his mental stability. He was starting to feel uneasy regarding his mental state.
"Master Siegfried, Amber here. It's time."
A holographic projection of Amber's image appeared via video call, with her voice echoing within the room where Siegfried was positioned.
"Please head to the terminal and board your flight. The mission has been sent to you as well."
The transmission of her voice came to a close as he sighed defeatedly while nudging his discomforted temple, grappling with all the new information and the upcoming tasks ahead of him.
He looked deeply stressed, given the looming battle he was preparing for and the new developments regarding the Honkai threat they were about to face.
A strange glow was suddenly emitted from his jacket pocket, prompting him to pause and withdraw his hand from his forehead out of intrigue.
He looked to the source of the mysterious light that had suddenly emanated from his pocket, intrigued and puzzled by the new discovery.
He tentatively placed his hand back inside his pocket, feeling an unexpectedly rough object.
"When was this here...?"
When the object was found inside his pocket from an unknown source, it brought him even more questions.
He looked curiously at the object, wondering if he had overlooked its presence or if something had placed it inside his pocket without his knowledge.
As he took the glowing object out of the pocket, a faint light suddenly faded as the object was exposed to the air.
The rhombus-shaped gem was revealed, bearing an image of what appeared to be a humanoid alien. It was unclear what the gem's properties may be or what sort of abilities the warrior depicted on its facets might possess.
"What is this thing? How did it end up in my pocket...?"
The object in his pocket was revealed to be one of Ultraman, which puzzled Siegfried about how or when it had been placed inside his pocket.
The warrior of light who lit the darkness and struck the evil: Ultraman Orb Gem.
He appeared confused by the humanoid figure that was depicted on the gem.
It was not something he was aware of or had ever encountered in the past, making the gem even more intriguing.
The sky was slowly beginning to brighten as the sun rose, bringing a stunning display of a vivid and vibrant sunrise.
Siegfried glanced at the impressive sight before his attention was drawn to the Vigil Comet passing through the atmosphere.
It had always been observable for decades but occasionally disappeared from the skies. He stared at the comet with curiosity, wondering what the reason for its appearance and sudden disappearance could be.
"Wait..."
It took Siegfried several seconds to notice the correlation between the gem and the comet.
He looked back at the gem while glaring at the window, trying to link the correlation between the phenomenon.
A thought process began to stir behind his head, realizing that both those phenomena had a similar appearance and timing of their appearances and disappearances.
He was trying to understand if there could be more than a coincidence and if there was some more profound significance to the parallelisms of the two occurrences.
After he stopped his head facing the gem, his eyes widened in realization, with his body jerking out of control.
"Oh! Oh! Oh!"
Siegfried regained self-control before quickly slipping the Ultraman Orb Gem back into his pocket, trying to hide its existence from those around him.
He then exited his house without any signs of the shock he had recently experienced, attempting to project a nonchalant and carefree demeanor.
A series of questions and suspicions regarding the connection between the Vigil Comet and the Ultraman Orb Gem was still boggling in his head.