After breaching the defense of the ideal fluid, the subsequent work became much easier. As Enoxia had expected, Wendy’s subconscious was still resisting the encroachment of the Honkai, but unfortunately, it couldn’t prevail. Her body was seized by the Herrscher persona.
“Cheerful, optimistic, and generally a really good girl. But people are like that—how can anyone be completely free of negative energy when burdened by so many daily trivialities? Even Elysia herself has moments of sadness, distress, and even anger.”
“Human emotions are like an electrocardiogram, fluctuating every moment. Once the fluctuation becomes a bit too intense, the Herrscher’s nature drags her into an unfathomable abyss. That is the terror of the Honkai.”
“Fortunately, the current situation… hasn’t reached the worst-case scenario. There’s still a chance to salvage it. There’s no need to rush and turn her into an imbecile.”
At this moment, Wendy was like someone trapped in a video game world. Unable to defeat the final boss, not only could she not return to the real world, but she also had to watch helplessly as someone else used her body to wreak havoc.
But clearly, to use a gaming analogy, the game designers never intended for Wendy to win from the very beginning.
The conditions Wendy faced included, but were not limited to:
The boss had an absurdly thick health bar, while her own damage output was pitifully low. If she failed to kill the boss within the time limit, she’d instantly take 9,999,999 damage and drop dead on the spot.
There might be a special attack trigger that could deal massive damage to the boss, ignoring its defenses. But the probability was so abysmal that if she could actually kill the boss with that combo, she’d probably be lucky enough to get a 6+5 character in a Mihoyo game with just 100 pulls.
The boss’s stats changed with every attempt, rendering the experience from the previous round almost entirely useless.
Every time she failed in battle, although her life points hitting zero didn’t actually kill her, there was no one-click heal option. The only thing Wendy could do after a defeat was wait.
Looking at Wendy’s battle record, even Enoxia thought she was suffering genuine torment in there. It was truly brutal.
“Since Wendy’s body is controlled by the Herrscher persona, it’s fundamentally because the Honkai amplifies a single moment of her despair to the extreme. Following the usual script, shouldn’t I engage her in some persuasive talk-no-jutsu, help her achieve some grand epiphany about life, and then have her power up and defeat the Herrscher persona herself…”
“Unfortunately, whether to give someone a fish or teach them how to fish must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. I just want to solve the problem, and giving someone a fish is clearly more efficient than teaching them how to fish.”
The boss is too strong and you can’t beat it? No matter how much you learn, you’re just clumsy? Don’t worry. If you can’t change yourself, then change the game. After all, Enoxia studied under the Slanted Moon Three Stars Cave—the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow sect.
The power of Corruption instantly spread through Wendy’s mind, heading straight for the Herrscher persona of the Herrscher of Wind.
As a Herrscher specialized in mental attacks, and with the added power of a Divine Key, facing a Herrscher persona that had almost no mental defenses and hadn’t fully taken control of Wendy yet, the outcome was naturally an overwhelming victory.
“Ahhhhh…”
Wendy, who was locked in fierce combat with the Herrscher persona, saw the surrounding space crack open from nowhere. Black gas poured in from all directions. The once imperious Herrscher persona, upon contact with it, let out continuous wails, clutching its head and crouching on the ground, seemingly having completely lost its fighting capability.
“Oh my, this went even smoother than I imagined. I thought I could win, but I didn’t expect it to be this weak. Wendy, thank you. Although you couldn’t defeat it yourself, you successfully occupied its attention. While it was busy wreaking havoc outside, it still had to divert its remaining energy towards you. It didn’t even notice my presence until just now. Otherwise, this sneak attack wouldn’t have succeeded so easily.”
Wendy looked at the beautiful woman who had suddenly appeared, understanding that the recent changes were definitely connected to her.
“Outside… what’s happening outside? After my body was taken over, my reception of external information has been intermittent…”
Observing Wendy’s state, Enoxia stroked her chin thoughtfully:
“Is it because you haven’t fully compromised with the Herrscher persona that you haven’t completely shared its vision? It seems different individuals manifest different states after becoming a Herrscher. If one could study the relationship between the original personality and the Herrscher persona… Hmm, there probably isn’t a laboratory capable of conducting such an experiment, though.”
“Regarding the situation outside, before I came here, it could be summed up in four words: a complete mess. But judging by your expression, you probably don’t want me to just give you the summary. Alright, anyway, although the Herrscher persona is difficult to kill outright, merely suppressing it to prevent it from harming you further is quite easy…”
Enoxia briefly recounted the events transpiring outside. Wendy’s mood plummeted instantly.
“I never imagined… Regret is meaningless now. Please, continue helping me suppress it. As long as I can regain control of my body for just an instant, I can drop the ideal fluid defense. I hope the others outside can seize that opportunity to kill me. That way, this disaster should come to an end…”
Upon hearing this, Enoxia made a halting gesture with her hand:
“You’re right, but not entirely. Of course, we must stop the Herrscher of Wind from causing further catastrophe. But just because the Herrscher of Wind cannot live doesn’t necessarily mean you have to die. My worst-case scenario plan only involved turning you into an imbecile, nothing more.”
“If you believe the losses caused by the Herrscher of Wind are solely the fault of the Herrscher persona and have nothing to do with you, then you are also a victim. You should live and properly enjoy the rest of your life.”
“If you feel you are not entirely innocent, then all the more reason not to escape responsibility through death. Only by living can you possibly create value for the refugees affected by this disaster, doing what you can within your power!”
Just then, perhaps triggered by a shift in Wendy’s mental state, the previously suppressed Herrscher persona suddenly stirred once more. Black mist from the surroundings continuously flowed into its body, making it larger and taller. As its size increased, its resistance grew fiercer. Finally, it broke free from the restraints Enoxia had placed upon it and lunged at Wendy with all its might.
“Foolish. Truly foolish. If you had kept your essence scattered throughout Wendy’s mental space, even I would have had to expend considerable effort to locate all of it. But now, in your desperate bid for a final strike, you’ve gathered your scattered form back together yourself.”
“Unfortunately, acting decisively only leads to a swift defeat. This is exactly the moment I’ve been waiting for!”
Enoxia reached her right hand towards her own chest. Wendy watched as she drew a katana from within her own body.
“Jizo Mitama, Zeroth Power Output: True Self Reconstruction!”
Enoxia lunged forward in a flash, charging right up to it. The instant the tip of the blade collided with its body, she activated the Zeroth Power Output, directly overwriting the Herrscher persona’s cognition.
“AAAAAHHHHH!!!”
Following a series of agonizing screams, the Herrscher persona before Wendy, originally a voluptuous woman nearly two meters tall, began to shrink rapidly as if deflating. Finally, it transformed into a small girl under 1.4 meters in height. Her tiny, tender fists pounded against Wendy’s chest, looking for all the world like a child having a playful tantrum.
“Um… so… is it resolved now?” Wendy asked uncertainly.
“No. Please prepare yourself mentally. You might experience significant pain next. Although I can ensure you survive, I cannot guarantee you’ll emerge completely unscathed.”
After saying this, Enoxia withdrew the projection of her consciousness from Wendy’s body.
Outside, both Schicksal and World Serpent detected an anomaly in Wendy’s body. The Honkai energy intensity was continuously decreasing, and the protective barrier formed by the ideal fluid surrounding her was gradually dissipating.
Kevin, who had been on standby, launched an attack with zero-frame startup. Bianka had just raised the Abyss Flower when the slash from the Judgment of Shamash struck Wendy’s body, precisely severing her left calf. That location was exactly where the Herrscher Core resided.
The Emperor-class Honkai beast beside the Herrscher of Wind didn’t even have time to register anger before its body was cleaved in two by Kevin’s next strike. As the remaining halves of its body fell back to the ground, they even emitted an aroma, like a roasted duck.
