Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 169

Autumn, 2015. Dubai, UAE.

A fierce and sudden Collapse erupted here. Looking down from the top of the world’s tallest building, the 828-meter Burj Khalifa, the entire city of Dubai lay in ruins.

In fact, as a developed region in the Middle East, Schicksal placed great importance on this area. The West Asia Branch was located less than 100 kilometers from Dubai.

Even though reinforcements arrived swiftly, the situation remained grim. In Dubai, a Benares Emperor had appeared.

As the pinnacle of lower-tier Honkai Beasts, a being just one step away from a true Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Schicksal’s forces exhausted every tactic at their disposal, yet only managed to chip away a fragment of its shell and buy a little time.

At that moment, an aircraft arrived in the skies above Dubai. The three Valkyries aboard were the Phosphorus Sand Squad, the most elite unit of the West Asia Branch.

The squad leader, A-rank Valkyrie Matila, watched her subordinate, B-rank Valkyrie Susannah, continuously taking deep breaths and couldn’t help but frown.

Among B-rank Valkyries, Susannah’s personal combat prowess was undeniably strong. That was a key reason Matila had chosen her for the Phosphorus Sand Squad during the selection process.

However, the reason Susannah remained a B-rank Valkyrie was her tendency to crack under pressure. She performed excellently during regular training, but during evaluations, her extreme nervousness always led to underperformance.

“Susannah, this is a battlefield. Pull yourself together immediately! How can you call yourself a Valkyrie of Schicksal if you’re this terrified?”

“Y-yes, Captain!”

Susannah, like a frightened small animal, instantly jumped up from her seat and saluted Matila.

Matila’s comms crackled to life:

“Report, the first line of defense has been breached! The Benares Emperor has entered Dubai’s city center! And… this Benares Emperor is a new variant—the Sandstorm Emperor!”

The transmission ended. Matila’s heart sank like a stone. She understood all too clearly: with two A-rank and one B-rank Valkyrie, facing an Emperor-class Honkai Beast with unknown abilities would be a grueling battle. It was possible that someone among them… might not make it out alive.

Meanwhile, in Dubai’s city center.

Thanks to the West Asia Branch’s swift response, the number of civilian casualties was not catastrophically high. As countless people fled in panic, a blonde-haired girl walked against the tide of the crowd, moving steadily and unhurriedly towards the Sandstorm Emperor.

She was none other than Bianka “Durandal” Ataegina, clad in her Bright Knight Excelsis battlesuit.

The Sandstorm Emperor’s body was colored in shades of ocher and purple. While its height fell far short of that of a Chariot-class Honkai Beast, this color scheme still made it strikingly conspicuous among the many other beasts.

Just as Durandal spotted the Sandstorm Emperor, it noticed her as well. It condensed a yellow-brown sphere in front of itself and launched it straight at Durandal.

The earthen sphere struck Durandal with pinpoint accuracy, raising a cloud of dust so thick it nearly buried the surrounding Honkai Beasts.

However, just as the Sandstorm Emperor shifted its targeting to others, a completely unharmed Durandal had already charged to a position right in front of it and delivered a punch directly to its shell.

In the next moment, the Sandstorm Emperor was sent flying. With a tremendous crash, it slammed into a skyscraper. Schicksal troops immediately moved in to investigate and found it had no remaining vital signs.

At that moment, the Phosphorus Sand Squad, mentally prepared for sacrifice, received a notification: the Benares Emperor had been taken out with a single punch by S-rank Valkyrie Durandal. They could turn around and go back the way they came.

Several days later, at Enoxia’s home.

“Durandal fought continuously without rest for over thirty days, resolving Collapse incidents across the globe in one fell swoop. Even Otto is considering whether to establish a new rank above S-class Valkyrie—a ‘Durandal-class.’ Cecilia, your biological daughter has, at least in terms of combat, reached a place higher than you ever did.”

Playing before everyone was the footage of her knocking out the Benares Emperor with one punch.

“The fusion of the Schariac and Kaslana bloodlines meant her starting point was higher than mine to begin with. Add to that her relentless drive, and surpassing me was only natural. It’s just… if I had been by her side, perhaps she wouldn’t have had to fight for such extended periods. Ah, Enoxia, I’m just thinking out loud…”

Looking at Cecilia’s expression, a mix of pride and heartache, Enoxia could understand her feelings as a mother.

“She wouldn’t have it any other way. She claims she’s going to London for a vacation, but in reality, she’s worried about Rita. If she didn’t go to help, Raven alone, wielding the Seven Thunders of Retribution, would be more than enough to give Rita a hard time.”

Just then, a message arrived from one of Enoxia’s projections.

“Heh, talk about perfect timing. Jackal wants me to go to London to cooperate with World Serpent’s operation. This way, I can ensure Durandal and Rita’s safety and have World Serpent owe me a favor. Why wouldn’t I go?”