Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 136

At 18:00 on July 4th, when Fu Hua finally arrived in Oslo, the entire city had already become a sea of flames.

Cheng Lixue and the other Valkyries had also reached a point 10 kilometers north of Oslo by then, rescuing refugees and maintaining order while doing their best to draw the attention of as many Honkai beasts and zombies as possible. Their goal was to create a one-on-one battlefield for Fu Hua to face the Herrscher of Flame.

At 18:30, a Valkyrie arrived at the temporary northern outpost carrying a disheveled, blue-eyed girl.

“Commander Cheng Lixue, this is the only survivor we’ve found in the city’s outskirts so far. Based on the scene around her, the area was littered with the corpses and severed limbs of Honkai beasts. According to her, she fought her way out from the city center… for three hours… all the way here.”

The Valkyries in the temporary base exchanged glances, staring in disbelief at the girl, who appeared to be no older than twelve or thirteen.

“What’s the situation inside the city?”

Cheng Lixue studied the girl’s face, feeling an odd sense of familiarity.

“Headquarters’ satellite and scanner data were mostly accurate. The Honkai beasts range from basic Chariot-class to Temple-class. So far, there’s no sign of any Emperor-class Honkai beasts.”

Cheng Lixue let out a sigh of relief. The situation wasn’t as dire as it could have been. The Herrscher’s power was too unpredictable—within its sphere of influence, even detection equipment couldn’t be fully trusted. The Valkyries had no choice but to risk their lives to gather intel.

However, the Valkyrie’s next words made Cheng Lixue realize she’d been too quick to relax.

“But… in the northwest part of the city center, there’s an unidentified Honkai energy source. Its output is between 1,000 and 2,000 HW, and it’s moving slowly. For safety reasons, we’ve maintained a distance of at least 500 meters from it.”

Cheng Lixue fell into deep thought.

“Between 1,000 and 2,000 HW… If I recall correctly, during the Second Honkai War twelve years ago, before the equipment failed, that Judgment-class Honkai beast under the Herrscher of the Void… had the same readings.”

A sudden realization sent a chill down her spine.

“That Honkai source… is likely a pseudo-Herrscher born from the Herrscher of Flame. While it’s far weaker than a true Herrscher, it’s still stronger than any Honkai beast. You were right not to approach recklessly.”

Hearing that it was even more dangerous than an Emperor-class Honkai beast, the B-rank Valkyries broke out in cold sweat, feeling as though they’d narrowly escaped death.

“Before launching our full assault, we must eliminate this threat—otherwise, casualties will skyrocket. We could contact headquarters, but… no, the opportunity is fleeting. Even if Lady Theresa and the other A-rank Valkyries could get here in time, the pseudo-Herrscher might have already joined the battle between Master Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Flame…”

After a moment’s consideration, Cheng Lixue made her decision.

“One A-rank Valkyrie will remain as acting commander, with Lewis as deputy. All other A-rank Valkyries—come with me. We’ll execute a decapitation strike on the pseudo-Herrscher. Even if we fail… we must buy time for Master to defeat the Herrscher of Flame!”

…..

At 19:00, Fu Hua finally found the Herrscher of Flame. When Rachel saw her, her expression twisted as if she’d seen a ghost.

“You’re here to kill me, aren’t you?”

Fu Hua didn’t respond. Before arriving in Oslo, she had specifically called Otto, who warned her that the Fenghuang Down (羽渡尘) would likely have little effect on this Herrscher. Otto’s only order was to bring back the Herrscher’s core—in other words, she had permission to kill. So, in a way, Rachel wasn’t wrong.

Seeing Fu Hua’s silence, Rachel frantically waved her hands.

“No, no, no! Whether by personal jurisdiction or territorial law, I should be subject to Norwegian law! Even if I killed 10,000, 100,000, or even a million people, under Norwegian law, the maximum I’d serve is 14 years in prison—and then I’d be eligible for parole!”

Fu Hua was speechless. Without wasting another word, she lunged forward, delivering hundreds of punches in an instant, leaving Rachel battered and dazed.

Rubbing her bruised face, Rachel suddenly burst into a deranged laugh, as if she’d had an epiphany.

“Ah… I see now. If I just destroy every country that opposes the death penalty… if I kill every last person who supports abolishing capital punishment… wouldn’t the world finally be fair and just? Hahahaha!”

“Fenghuang Down—Second Active Form: Multi-Manifestation.”

Fu Hua’s focus sharpened to an extreme degree, allowing her to fully perceive Rachel’s mental state.

Her psyche was even more fractured than Yan Shi Luo’s had been 500 years ago. By her own words, this woman had already descended into madness.

“Past and present—all barriers shall be broken!”

Fu Hua concentrated all her strength into a single point. With a clear phoenix’s cry, her fist struck Rachel’s chest.

Unlike before, this punch sent Rachel flying backward, the sheer force blasting straight through her torso. She could feel her body beginning to collapse.

Perhaps sensing something, the previously unhurried pseudo-Herrscher suddenly erupted into action, sprinting toward Rachel’s location. But after only a few steps, multiple energy beams struck its body.

The pain forced it to halt and turn. Cheng Lixue and five other A-rank Valkyries descended from above, surrounding it.

Pointing Ruoshui (Water Edge) at its head, Cheng Lixue declared:

“Your opponents… are us!”

…..

Back at Fu Hua and Rachel’s battlefield, though Rachel’s mind was clearly unhinged, the extreme weakness of her body made one thing clear.

“My parents, my husband, my two children… they’re all gone. That’s right… there’s nothing left to fear…”

Her nearly lifeless, vacant eyes suddenly reignited with light.

Her hair, muscles, even her bones—all burst into flames. In moments, she transformed from a human into a living inferno.

Fu Hua, thrown back by the sudden surge of energy, watched in alarm as Rachel’s body began to expand uncontrollably.

“No—she’s going to self-destruct!”

Based on current data, if the Herrscher of Flame self-destructed, the explosion would be no less devastating than a nuclear bomb. Norway’s fate aside, Cheng Lixue and the other A-rank Valkyries holding off the pseudo-Herrscher would have no chance of survival.