LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 317: Void Archives
"Queen of the Void?" Otto mused, a hint of intrigue in his voice.
Sunlight streamed through the expansive windows of his opulent office, illuminating the golden-haired man. Otto sat languidly in his chair, his back to the light, gently swirling the red wine in his glass. The sun cast long shadows across the room.
"You say World Serpent is on Coral Island as well?" He spoke as if to himself, yet also addressing an unseen presence. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his emerald eyes.
"World Serpent's operatives are unpredictable. If their target is the Herrscher, this could be problematic. Being able to pinpoint the Herrscher's birth location before Schicksal… implies they have a unique detection method."
"Should I shift targets? I can try to follow the World Serpent operative. I might be able to gather some intel."
"No. World Serpent is too dangerous. Stick with our Queen of the Void. Their Sovereign is far too powerful for your disguise to fool. I'm not ready to lose you yet, my friend."
"…"
For Otto, friendship was a luxury, usually reserved for those with significant value. Others often met grim fates.
Of course, there were exceptions.
As the Divine Key that had accompanied him the longest, Void Archives, in a sense, was Otto's closest confidant, a friend who understood him best.
"That's settled. Remain hidden for now. Await my command."
Severing the connection with Void Archives, Otto closed his eyes, draining his wine glass in one long gulp.
"Coral Island, World Serpent, Kiana…"
Though Void Archives only transmitted basic information, Otto sensed something amiss.
Just a week ago, he'd deduced Kiana's location from the anomaly in ARC City. Her presence there was understandable.
But now, she'd appeared thousands of kilometers away on Coral Island. And until recently, there'd been no Honkai activity there.
Even to combat the Honkai, Kiana had no reason to be on Coral Island. Yet, it was as if she'd known the Herrscher would awaken there, arriving just as the eruption occurred.
Otto didn't doubt World Serpent could predict a Herrscher's birth hours in advance. But how could Kiana, alone, have known days prior?
He rapidly processed the information from Void Archives. When he opened his eyes again, the confusion had cleared.
If there was one person who could connect all the pieces, it was…
[Ren]
The resurrected Herrscher. The only one Otto couldn't decipher.
As Otto prepared to review Ren's file, Amber, his secretary, knocked.
"Lord Overseer, the Valkyrie squad assigned to the Coral Island rescue operation has sent a report requiring your attention."
"Enter." Otto returned to his desk. Amber entered, carrying a holographic display.
"Fifty minutes ago, you dispatched the Immortal Blades squad, led by Durandal, to handle the new Herrscher on Coral Island. They've reported some unusual activity."
"The Immortal Blades. How far are they from Coral Island?"
Amber quickly glanced at the display. "Approximately 1300 kilometers. Estimated arrival in one hour. I can connect their combat logs to your device in real-time if required."
"No. Just summarize their report."
"Yes, Lord Overseer. The Immortal Blades are currently over the Pacific. Three minutes ago, Squad Leader Durandal submitted a new combat report. Alvitr, the squad's intelligence officer, compared the energy readings from the initial eruption and detected a second Honkai energy signature steadily increasing."
"They suspect a second Herrscher is awakening on Coral Island."
Void Archives's report had mentioned the same energy fluctuation. Otto wasn't surprised.
He nodded. "Their assessment is correct. The first Herrscher on Coral Island is Ice-elemental. The second is unknown, but the total Honkai energy readings on Coral Island exceed 3000 HW, enough to birth a second Herrscher."
A flicker of surprise crossed Amber's face, but she refrained from questioning his source. "Lord Overseer, what are your orders?"
"Recall Durandal. Rita will proceed to Coral Island as planned, but focus on assisting with the surrounding rescue efforts."
"What about the Herrscher?"
"Don't worry. By the time they arrive, the Herrscher will likely have been dealt with."
…
On Coral Island, the blizzard still raged, the towering space elevator its only visible landmark.
After defeating Raven, Kiana barely paused to bandage her wounds before heading towards the source of the Herrscher's energy surge.
But after the initial eruption, the Herrscher of Ice had gone silent, its presence barely perceptible, even to Kiana, another Herrscher.
She looked up at the sky. The storm had weakened, but thick clouds still obscured the sun. The Herrscher wasn't dead. It had likely entered a weakened state.
"Is it the effect of World Serpent's device?"
Kiana immediately thought of the weapon Raven had used. She didn't understand its mechanics, but she'd experienced the Staff of the Underworld's suppression firsthand.
It posed a significant threat to a Herrscher. However, the Herrscher of Ice was different from her. Even without access to the Imaginary Space, it should still be able to use its innate powers. This shouldn't be happening.
World Serpent wouldn't rely solely on the Staff of the Underworld to deal with a Herrscher, not unless they had other forces at play.
Besides World Serpent, there was only one other person on Coral Island who could achieve this.
"Ren… could it be you?"
Kiana murmured, picturing Ren in her mind.
Though they hadn't reunited, she felt his presence, a constant reassurance. The flames that had ignited during her fight with the Herrscher of Ice, the Herrscher's sudden silence during her fight with Raven… the only explanation was Ren.
As Kiana traversed the frozen city, she didn't notice the faint golden glow emanating from the star bracelet on her wrist.
Two stars had become three. And the newest addition was undergoing a strange transformation. Like something awakening from slumber, the star shifted, becoming a fingernail-sized golden cube, floating steadily beside Kiana as she ran.
The miniature cube was Void Archives, Otto's parting gift. During the Pacific battle, Kiana had used a simulated Judgment of Shamash to shatter the Honkai consciousness within Ren.
The simulated Divine Key had been exhausted in that attack, dissolving into golden light and vanishing. Preoccupied with Ren's apparent death, Kiana hadn't noticed anything unusual.
But Void Archives hadn't dissipated. Following Otto's orders, it had merged with Ren's star bracelet, disguised as an additional star.
Depleted of energy, it couldn't maintain contact with Otto and had entered a dormant state, lying in wait as a hidden weapon against the Herrscher.
Void Archives's slumber should have lasted another month, coinciding with Otto's analysis.
However, the Staff of the Underworld's interference, while suppressing Kiana, had inadvertently triggered the dormant Divine Key within her bracelet.
Reawakened, Void Archives transmitted a brief report before falling silent again, awaiting Otto's command.