Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 19

On the frontlines against the Herrscher of Ice, the group watched in shock as its wounds regenerated at an alarming rate, its power growing even stronger.

“Even wounds inflicted by the Abyss Flower are healing this quickly… How does the Glacial Hymn Herrscher possess such potent regenerative abilities?” Enoxia pondered as she deflected its attacks.

“First of all, a natural triple-core Herrscher has never existed before. The core of Death resides within Sirin’s body, and even if this one were a different Herrscher, rapid regeneration shouldn’t be possible… Whatever. There’s too little information—we’ll have to deal with it first. Surely Schicksal wouldn’t have only one plan against a Herrscher.”

Though Welt Yang’s support had completely neutralized the gravity-bending powers of the former Geo Herrscher, the three weakest fighters—Shigure Kira, Shub-Niggurath, and Salome—were struggling in the blizzard’s extreme cold, their movements sluggish.

The Glacial Hymn Lantern activated its hunting mode. Without the usual red warning markers, Niggurath and Salome, positioned at the frontlines, had to rely purely on instinct—several times, they barely avoided capture.

Theresa and Cecilia exchanged a glance and nodded.

Theresa manipulated the Oath of Judah, its chains weaving into a massive net that intercepted countless ice spears. Seizing the opening, Cecilia charged from the flank, Abyss Flower in hand.

The Herrscher responded by recalling its five Ice Pins, forming a defensive Frozen Blade Array that drastically boosted its resilience. Then, it unleashed [Lantern of the Frozen Gaze]. Two lanterns crashed to the ground, spinning like tops as they hurtled toward Cecilia. Kira’s bullets struck them but shattered harmlessly, failing to even slow them down.

Having encountered this Herrscher before, Enoxia recognized its move the moment the lanterns landed. She immediately synchronized the battlefield data with her hidden network avatar, using computational analysis to predict the lanterns’ trajectories.

With the results in hand, she fired a single arrow—not only did it divert one lantern off course, but it also sent it crashing into the other, creating a massive opening. Seizing the moment, Siegfried and the others launched a coordinated assault, giving Cecilia another chance.

Cecilia closed the distance, murmuring under her breath as she ran:

“Ich bin das Schwarz, auch das Weiß,
Vor dem Beginn und nach dem Ende.”

(“I am the black that devours all,
I am the white that births all.
Existing before creation,
Enduring beyond annihilation.”)

As she chanted, the Abyss Flower radiated an increasingly brilliant light.

“Abyss Flower—First Divine Key: Holy Lance • Bloom!”

A blinding white beam lanced forward. With a crystalline shing, the Frozen Blade Array shattered, and the Herrscher’s body was engulfed in sacred radiance—forcing everyone to shut their eyes.

When the light faded, the Glacial Hymn Herrscher lay collapsed in the snow like a wilted flower, its petal-like armor curling around its vaguely humanoid form. The five Ice Pins were scattered haphazardly across the ground, as though Cecilia had dealt devastating damage. Yet upon closer inspection, not a single wound marred its body.

Panting heavily, Cecilia wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled in relief. Under the winter sun, her glistening sweat sparkled like diamonds. The scene—her heroic figure against the serene snowscape—was breathtaking. Even Siegfried and Kira found themselves momentarily entranced.

“Ahem.” Cheng Lixue cleared her throat loudly, snapping Kira out of her daze. Realizing she’d been staring openly, Sora flushed and turned away—but her dreamy expression remained as she whispered:

“Lady Cecilia right now is just… too much…”

Lixue sighed, massaging her temples. It was normal for lower-ranked Valkyries to admire Cecilia, the only S-Rank Valkyrie in Schicksal. Even she, Salome, and Sgub held her in high regard.

But from what she knew, among the 500+ B-Rank and above Valkyries in HQ and the European Branch, many regarded Cecilia with more than just respect—like Kira, they were practically devoted fans meeting their idol. That was why, when Sora had once spread rumors about Cecilia, none of the implicated Valkyries had protested.

Of course, the Kaslana and Schariac families were equals, and with Otto Apocalypse’s maneuvering, the rumors had fizzled out. But Lixue was certain: If Cecilia ever opposed the Overseer, at least half of Schicksal’s Valkyries would side with her without hesitation. Thankfully, Cecilia remained loyal—otherwise, Schicksal risked another schism.

“Come to think of it, Master once sparred with Lady Cecilia… I wonder who won? Wait—why am I spacing out in the middle of a battle?!” She snapped back to reality, scanning the battlefield. Fortunately, her lapse hadn’t caused any issues.

But she wasn’t the only one—Shigure Kira, Niggurath, and Salome also seemed to be returning from their own dazes.

“Is it because this is our first time facing a Herrscher? The tension was so high that everyone relaxed after a small victory?” The explanation made sense, yet three A-Rank Valkyries zoning out simultaneously still struck her as odd.

Just as Lixue steeled herself, the Herrscher’s petal-like armor unfurled midair, and another blizzard of extreme cold erupted from its core.

“Not only did she breach its defenses and stun a potential dual-core Herrscher for over a minute… Even* Reanna probably couldn’t achieve this with the First Divine Key.”*

Enoxia, observing from above while hovering on her wings, rubbed her chin, reassessing Cecilia’s strength. But as the Herrscher roused itself, she chose to stay back and watch.

Because in that one-minute window, Theresa had already closed in—riding the Oath of Judah like a skateboard.

The Herrscher thrust its Ice Pins at her, but Theresa ensnared them with Judah’s chains. When the Herrscher retracted them, she let herself be yanked forward—landing right in front of it.

At this proximity, the extreme cold swallowed her whole. Each breath felt like her lungs were freezing; even her consciousness began to blur.

“The next step is critical. If I succeed, this crisis ends here. I can’t afford to fall now!”

Forcing herself awake through sheer will, Theresa confirmed the others had retreated beyond 100 meters before Judah erupted in golden light. Countless chains wrapped around the Herrscher, binding it tightly.

“Oath of Judah—Zeroth Divine Key: Divine Benediction!”