Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 15

“Kira, Nicholas, clear out the surrounding Honkai beasts! Salome and I will hold it off!”

Faced with the sudden appearance of an unknown Emperor-class Honkai beast, Cheng Lixue acted decisively. Gripping “Water Edge”, she charged forward, deliberately drawing the creature away from the main force to prevent its area-of-effect attacks from harming the other Valkyries.

The beast’s tail functioned like a high-pressure water cannon, continuously spraying Cheng Lixue with freezing mist. The watery vortexes generated by Water Edge were frozen solid before they could even reach the creature.

Meanwhile, Salome’s attacks weren’t faring much better. Though a few of her throwing knives dodged the icy mist and struck the beast’s shell, they simply bounced off, dealing no damage. Fortunately, their mission was only to lure and stall it—so far, they were barely managing that.

[Want a Date with a Bullet?]

From out of nowhere, Shigure Kira pulled out her sniper rifle and activated her “ultimate skill”—the same one she used to peek under other Valkyries’ skirts. With her scope engaged, three shots rang out, wiping out a large group of Ballista and Knight-class Honkai beasts. The few remaining Sanctuary-class beasts were left as barely-breathing ice sculptures.

Meanwhile, Nicholas swung “Bloody Whisper” with full force, leaving only a handful of Honkai beasts standing. In the distance, strange roars and rumbles echoed, but the two had no time to investigate. After confirming no Sanctuary-class threats remained nearby, they immediately rushed toward Cheng Lixue’s position.

By now, the Emperor-class beast had opened its maw. Unlike its tail, which expelled freezing mist, its mouth sucked in the icy fog before firing a rapid barrage of icicles at Cheng Lixue. She dodged left and right with Water Edge’s assistance, avoiding injury—but she knew that to defeat it, she had to get close.

“Salome, cover me!”

Cheng Lixue dashed forward. Though the water currents from Water Edge and Salome’s blades couldn’t deal significant damage, they successfully obscured the beast’s vision. With its aim disrupted, Cheng Lixue closed the distance in seconds—now less than a meter away.

Then, without warning, the beast fired a single, homing icicle from its mouth. Unlike the previous barrage, this one locked onto Cheng Lixue, tracking her relentlessly.

“What—?!”

She knew that if she blocked it head-on, Water Edge would be unable to maintain suppression, ruining her chance to close in. They were holding the beast back, but in truth, it was holding them back too. The longer these two high-tier Valkyries were tied up, the greater the risk to the rest of the squad.

Gritting her teeth, she prepared to take the hit—

BANG!

At the last possible second, Shigure Kira’s bullet shattered the icicle into fragments. Seizing the opening, Cheng Lixue slid beneath the beast, where its underbelly—unlike its jade-green armored shell—appeared soft and vulnerable.

[Inch Punch · Skybreaker]

With a focused exhale, Cheng Lixue delivered an uppercut from below, launching the beast into the air. It crashed onto its back some distance away, legs flailing. Salome instantly threw twelve blades, pinning each of its limbs to the ground to prevent it from flipping back over.

As Cheng Lixue leaped up, the beast spat another homing icicle—but this time, she didn’t even glance at it. Instead, she swung Water Edge in a fierce slash, carving a meter-long gash across its belly. The icicle? Shattered mid-flight by another of Kira’s bullets.

“Nicholas! Finish it!” Cheng Lixue yelled, pinning the beast’s tail down.

Already in position, Nicholas leaped into the air and drove Bloody Whisper straight into the wound left by Water Edge. With a flick of a switch, the weapon’s electromagnetic cannon activated. A faint hum resonated as the beast’s internal organs were obliterated. Seconds later, its legs went limp—lifeless.

…

The four A-rank Valkyries wasted no time celebrating. Without pause, they regrouped with the main force to eliminate the remaining Honkai beasts—completely unaware of Enoxia, who had been watching the entire battle from above.

“Now that’s what I call elite coordination. Four A-ranks taking down an Emperor-class Honkai beast without a scratch? That’s the standard. Meanwhile, that idiot ‘Kiana’ somehow solo’d a Benares as a B-rank? What kind of freak is she?”

She couldn’t help but recall her own co-op battles—teammates who refused to unfreeze allies, or worse, rage-quit right before the final stage, robbing her of rewards. Compared to that, the seamless teamwork of these Valkyries in a life-or-death fight was nothing short of enviable.

…

After clearing the area, the squad took a brief rest before cautiously advancing. At the rendezvous point, they found Theresa and Siegfried already waiting.

Exchanging intel, they learned that the other team had also encountered an Emperor-class beast—Pārvatī, the very one that had cemented Theresa’s reputation. With Siegfried’s support, she’d flattened it in one hit from Oath of Judah.

“An unknown Emperor-class? You guys had awful luck. At least no one was hurt…”

Just as they were discussing, a massive Honkai energy signature appeared ahead. Strangely, the beasts marched in perfect formation, as though being directed by something.

At the forefront stood another Emperor-class—over thirty meters tall, its body resembling gray stone. A single black eye dominated its face, with two crimson bull-like horns protruding from its temples. Each step shook the earth, sending snow cascading from the trees—burying a few unlucky Valkyries.

The formation halted less than a hundred meters away, neither attacking nor retreating. As confusion spread—

Enoxia emerged from the beast’s body.

Turns out, she’d discovered that anything she could corrupt—whether living or inanimate—could serve as a temporary vessel. The only limitation? Unlike electronic networks, biological beings lacked interconnectivity, preventing her from freely jumping between them. Otherwise, she’d have a weakened version of the Herrscher of the Void’s authority.

“This path is closed. Turn back—or die.”