Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players

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Within the realm of consciousness, as the Frost Key decapitated the Imaginary Godhead Rationalism, the colossal entity met its demise under Ana's blade.

Simultaneously, Ana enveloped the area with her mental energy, preparing to absorb and assimilate everything from Rationalism's Imaginary Godhead.

Once this process is complete, having integrated Virtualism, Mysticism, Existentialism, and now Rationalism, Ana will have fully passed the trial. The only remaining challenge left for her conquest would be the Cocoon of Finality.

It isn't surprising; the Primordial Authority represents Mysticism, while the Cocoon of Finality, embodying all Authorities and Laws, undoubtedly corresponds to Rationalism, which never appeared in the game before.

The closest figure to grasping it was Dr. Mei from the previous civilization era. Unfortunately, as an ordinary person, she couldn't participate in the trials herself. Consequently, she could only observe the existence of the Cocoon of Finality but lacked the ability to gain its recognition or become its chosen vessel.

In other words, apart from the two known methods, defeating Rationalism—an entity never encountered in reality before—would also grant one the qualification to become Herrscher of Finality.

Of course, becoming Herrscher of Finality does not equate to mastering the Cocoon itself, although they are essentially intertwined. Nonetheless, Ana now faces her final step.

For the future two Herrschers of Finality, this step might seem insignificant.

But for Ana, it is an extremely crucial moment.

She does not wish for the Cocoon of Finality to become her shackle. Throughout her journey, she has relied on strategy, the power of higher dimensions, and conquest. Her approach towards the Cocoon of Finality is no different.

Her goal is to conquer the Cocoon, becoming the unparalleled Herrscher of Finality. Once achieved, Sa would be unable to challenge her again, as her avatar could instantly reach any area influenced by the Cocoon of Finality.

This surpasses even the capabilities of the Qitian Great Sage.

In the real world, on the other side of Coral Island, Durandal traversed through the illusory realm when suddenly everything around her distorted, revealing the true Coral Island.

"Lady Durandal, the illusion over Coral Island has been dispelled," Rita's voice echoed from the communicator, her tone unwaveringly serious.

Durandal was certain that no one could break a Herrscher's illusion; not even Raiden Mei, the Herrscher of Thunder, possessed such capability. Therefore, the only entity capable of dismantling this illusion would be another Herrscher.

But why would a Herrscher remove their own illusion?

There were two possibilities: either Ana succeeded, or the Herrscher felt invincible and secure.

Could it be that Ana triumphed? Both Durandal and Rita hoped fervently for this outcome, but deep down, they knew it was highly improbable. The most likely explanation remained that the Herrscher felt utterly invulnerable.

Their speculation was swiftly confirmed.

A terrifying surge of Honkai Energy emanated from afar, instantly heightening Durandal's alertness. Moments later, a Herrscher enveloped in a bluish-green glow appeared before her.

"Lady Durandal, three strong Honkai Energy signatures have been detected on Coral Island. One of them is moving towards your location," Rita's voice chimed in, filled with disbelief and anxiety.

Three Herrschers! Such a formidable force had not been seen since the Second Honkai Eruption. However, even then, the participating Valkyries and allies were exceptional by all standards.

Moreover, despite its immense power, the Second Herrscher was still just one entity. Now, there were three distinct Honkai Energy signals—three genuine Herrschers. Their presence and strength seemed comparable to that of the Second Herrscher during the Second Honkai Eruption.

All concentrated within the small area of Coral Island—it was madness, even for someone like Rita!

"I see them, Rita." Durandal observed the approaching Herrschers, assuming a battle stance.

"Alright, no more chit-chat. I'm about to engage these Herrschers."

"Lady Durandal!" Rita hastily called out, but the communication link had already been cut off. Stamping her foot in frustration, she sighed; Durandal always acted this way!

However, as Durandal's deputy officer, Rita couldn't simply stand idly by.

Moreover, facing only one Herrscher, Rita might still be able to assist Durandal. While she couldn't help against multiple Herrschers simultaneously, with just one, it wasn't necessarily impossible.

"Alvitr."

Rita promptly contacted another individual through her communicator.

"Hello, Vice-Captain, what's the matter? I've observed something here that seems..."

"Yes, therefore, Alvitr, you will assume command of the Valkyrie forces from now on. I need to enter Coral Island to support Captain Durandal."

"W-wait, but..."

"No 'buts,' this is an order."

With that, Rita ended the communication, opened up the positioning map, and swiftly headed towards Durandal's coordinates.

Meanwhile, Durandal confronted the Herrscher.

Perhaps due to Frigid Winter Herrscher's disdain for emotional manipulation, the Herrscher of Wind appearing before Durandal did not adopt Ana's appearance but rather a nondescript face.

Nevertheless, she was undeniably the genuine Herrscher of Wind, far superior to Wendy from the Fourth Honkai. Her mastery over wind authority closely matched Ana's capabilities.

This Herrscher of Wind posed an absolute challenge, as her power was comparable to half-transformed Ana's strength during their battle at Schicksal Headquarters six months ago.

Although Durandal's abilities had indeed improved over the past half-year,

facing this Pseudo-Herrscher of Wind, she held nothing back and immediately activated the Godslayer Armor's Burst Mode.

"Awaken, O Defenders of Glory!"

With Durandal's command, two Phantom Knights materialized beside her. The Herrscher of Wind wasted no time and swiftly launched an attack.

Ripples appeared in the tranquil sky as Ideal Fluid manifested like razor-sharp blades slicing towards Durandal.

These ethereal blades were virtually impossible to defend against.

Durandal had no choice but to adopt a defensive stance, using the Godslayer Armor to block the onslaught. However, counterattacking proved difficult, as the Herrscher of Wind remained high above, making it challenging to strike back.

The situation felt eerily reminiscent of her encounter with Ana, albeit slightly different due to Otto's alterations in Durandal's memories, leaving her with just a sense of familiarity.

"Haah—"

But Durandal didn't lose heart; the Godslayer Armor enhanced all her attributes significantly. As a Herrscher, her opponent was naturally fragile. If she could just land a hit...

With this thought, Durandal surged forward even more rapidly towards the Herrscher of Wind, her speed noticeably increased compared to earlier.

In mere moments, she reached the Herrscher and thrust her riding spear directly at it. However, it felt like hitting a solid iron plate.

The spear stopped inches from the Herrscher's body, as if trapped in quicksand, its force continuously dissipated.

This was due to Ideal Fluid acting as a barrier, resisting Durandal effortlessly.

Such is the true Herrscher of Wind: seamlessly integrated offense and defense, seemingly impenetrable.

However, despite appearing invincible, one must remember that this Herrscher of Wind is merely Herrscher of Ice's creation. Not only is it not a genuine Herrscher, but it also lacks intelligence or consciousness, functioning entirely as a puppet.

However, its greatest flaw lies in its reliance on predetermined combat strategies.

Additionally, unlike Fu Hua and Senti, Herrscher of Ice represents Ana's antithesis - her inner demon. Consequently, the actual abilities she wields do not encompass the full extent of Ana's memories.

In simpler terms, her understanding and condition cannot be compared to that of the Herrscher of Sentience.

The only certainty is that Ana indeed surpasses the yet-to-be-born Herrscher of Sentience in power.

Thus, although Durandal is momentarily suppressed by the Herrscher of Wind, it remains temporary. Despite having faced the Herrscher of Wind before, this encounter feels like their first true confrontation for her.

Schicksal's records on the Herrscher of Wind are scarce due to previous iterations being rather unremarkable, rendering them unworthy of documentation. Only with Ana's emergence did the situation change, but even then, these records hold little significance now.

As Durandal and the Herrscher of Wind continued probing each other's capabilities, Rita finally arrived on the scene.

"Lady Durandal, I am here to assist you."

Despite being old partners, Rita maintained her customary courtesy. At this moment, Durandal didn't indulge in any sentimental remarks; with Rita present, their priority was clear - providing mutual support. Everything else... was secondary.

Time was now the most critical factor. Although Durandal hadn't encountered the Herrscher of Ice yet, she understood that delaying further could worsen Ana's condition.

With Rita joining the fray, Durandal felt significantly less pressure. Most importantly, it granted her enough time and opportunities to seek out the Herrscher of Wind's weaknesses.

Being seasoned partners, they worked seamlessly together without any hesitation or inefficiency. This synergy, where 1 + 1 > 2, allowed Rita brief moments of resistance against the Herrscher of Wind as well.

During their coordinated engagement, Durandal gradually identified vulnerabilities in the Herrscher of Wind.

"Found it!"

A brilliant gleam flashed in Durandal's eyes as she switched her riding spear to Abyss Flower. Only when facing a true Herrscher could one truly appreciate its immense power.

The withering Authoritative Power is something even the Herrscher of Wind cannot fully counter, as it disregards any medium and can only be mitigated through attrition.

As Durandal transformed Abyss Flower into both Abyss and White Flower, she hurled Abyss forward. After briefly resisting, Abyss swiftly targeted the Herrscher of Wind.

Sensing imminent danger, the Herrscher attempted to evade, but at that moment, Rita exerted her influence.

"Awaken! Master of Frost!"

The warrior of death swung her scythe directly towards the Herrscher of Wind. Although the blade missed, it successfully restrained the Herrscher, providing an opportunity for Abyss to strike home.

With a piercing wail, the body of the Herrscher of Wind vanished before their eyes. Simultaneously, a gust of wind blew from afar, revealing a path formed entirely of ice and snow ahead of them.

Rita and Durandal exchanged glances before stepping onto the icy channel...

On World Serpent's side, their battle was significantly easier compared to Schicksal.

Firstly, they weren't facing a Herrscher at Ascension level. Although not far from it, the Herrscher of Stars had notably higher stats than its counterparts.

However, the key issue was Chen Tianwu's presence.

Similar to Raiden Mei's connection with the Herrscher of Thunder, Chen Tianwu shared a certain resonance with the Herrscher of Stars, allowing him to influence it.

For Raiden Mei, the Herrscher of Stars was also an old acquaintance.

Back when she attended Saint Freya Academy, Welt, who abducted her, could be considered half-Herrscher of Stars, couldn't he?

At World Serpent, both the Herrscher of Stars and the Herrscher of Rock were always under close scrutiny as high-priority targets. In the previous civilization, the Herrscher of Rock posed a threat comparable to the Binding Tragedy, causing immense devastation.

Among Heroic Spirits, Ato, a unique Fusion Warrior, fell victim to this Herrscher, dealing a significant blow to them. Consequently, World Serpent had long prepared numerous strategies to counter these threats.

On the World Serpent's side, with three individuals present and Raven wielding the Seven Cleansing Thunders, her combat prowess surpassed Rita's significantly. Meanwhile, the fake Herrscher of Stars was comparatively weaker. Consequently, it didn't take long for Raiden Mei to swing her blade and slay the Herrscher of Stars.

After the demise of the Herrscher of Stars, a pathway similar to the one seen earlier appeared, leading to the location of Herrscher of Ice.

However, instead of immediately departing, the trio from World Serpent remained, as both Raven and Raiden Mei turned their gaze towards Chen Tianwu.

Feeling awkward, Chen Tianwu smiled nervously and recounted his experience with Ana. As they listened, Raven and Raiden Mei shook their heads disapprovingly.

They had anticipated a poignant tale, but all they heard was how Ana saved Chen Tianwu, only for him to develop inappropriate feelings towards her. Was that your way of repaying her kindness? No, you were just lusting after her! They couldn't help but think he had caused more trouble than necessary.

Raven bluntly expressed this sentiment, leaving Chen Tianwu with no choice but to hang his head silently; he knew there was no defense for his actions.

In this moment, he felt utterly foolish. He betrayed the Snake for Ana, yet failed to save her and inadvertently assisted their enemies instead.

"Forget it, Lord will make his own judgment on your actions. You still have a chance to redeem yourself; cherish this opportunity.

"As for me..." Raven shrugged. "I brought you into the World Serpent, and I misjudged the situation. Therefore, I won't hold it against you."