The seventh Herrscher, also known as the Herrscher of Fire.

  She was the Herrscher that symbolized the ‘huge leap’. The First to Sixth Herrschers of the Previous Era were manageable. Even without much high-end bat power, they could be dealt with, given some sacrifices had to be made.

  The Herrscher of Fire was pletely different.

  Aire week was all it took to burire ti of Australia into ders. Nobody could e close to her viity, simply because the temperature she emitted was too high.

  Any projectiles—ranging from nuclear bombs up until the ‘God-killing Spears’ shot from the atmosphere—melted down. They could not do any substantial damage to the Seventh Herrscher.

  Only when the first high-level MANTIS was borhey able to deal with her.

  “The seventh major eruption occurred here.”

  Einstein pointed out a specific location.

  Aleph lost all the words he wao say.

  “Three mihat was how long it took to burn half a city down. unication lines are beiablished oH soldiers statiohere.” She expined. “Judging from the signals ing from the Fire MOTH branch, it should still be funal.”

  These words calmed him down.

  ‘Three minutes? It’s… The Herrscher’s stronger.’

  The location pointed out by Einstein was her than Australia. It just so happehat Eden was scheduled to do a cert tomorrow. The number of civilians in that pce exceeded the usual t.

  Even if the Fire MOTH branch could house people…

  ‘...Fuck. All the termeasures we thought of…’

  Aleph took a hold of himself.

  ‘No, it’s not the termeasures. They are still effective… somehow.’

  After Aleph revealed his foreknowledge to others, Mei thought of updating the termeasures against the honkai. One of them was the ‘limit’ of popution per city, so as to lessen the affected popution in case a major eruption occurs.

  However, Eden’s case was different.

  For once, she was heralded as the ‘brightest star’ of this time. Her influence amongst the ordinary people reached its peak.

  As such, this cert was done in partnership with Fire MOTH.

  It eration that aimed to calm down the general popud lessen the chaos in numerous pces.

  There are other reasons why the new regution wasn’t done immediately, but it boiled down to ohing—

  The timing was mispced.

  “Fh-level MANTISes were stationed in the i.”

  “What happened?” Aleph asked.

  “They were trolling the scope of colteral damage. One of them died during the st three mihere are already h-level MANTISes on their way to Australia, but the ETA was estimated to be ten minutes.”

  Einstein’s voice was interrupted by a bring arm.

  “Director!”

  Uheir surprised gazes, four more red dots emerged out of nowhere. They were smaller than the red dot in Australia.

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Four secutive satellite feeds appeared. Eae of them was tered on a certain city. All of them were outside the Mu ti.

  In one of the ss, a cluster of fmes rained down upoy. In another, a rge tornado tore down high-rise buildings.

  The remaining two satellite feeds did not show obvious destru as the former two. Yet, the honkai energy readings began to rise. It only stopped when it was about to reach the two-thousand mark.

  “F-four! There are four of them! Four Herrschers!”

  It was a deafening silenobody in the room had the energy to speak after seeing the four new satellite feeds.

  ‘Gems..?’

  Aleph saw through them in a gheir readings were barely that of a Herrscher’s. Their honkai energy levels are high, but the rate in which their iy grew was not the same as a Herrscher’s.

  Their ‘powers’ also correspoo the fems he knew before.

  Gems are not the same as a Herrscher Core. Normally, their honkai energy levels are lower than it.

  However, if a suitable individual possesses it, the gems begin to house more honkai energy until they are indistinguishable from a real Herrscher Core.

  A sinking feeling emerged from his heart. It didn’t take long until he realized what it was.

  ‘The pces where they appeared… that’s where the Fire MOTH personnel are the weakest..!’

  *****

  Mei was more familiar with Fire MOTH’s youts than Aleph. She mao see many things in the span of five minutes.

  ‘As expected… The Herrscher who escaped knew a lot of things.’

  The pces where the fem Herrschers appeared are the half-abandoned cities. Naturally, Fire MOTH has fewer personnel and soldiers stationed on it.

  ‘Australia… Aleph ha. Then, all that’s left are these four Herrschers.’

  Her brief decision judged the fate of thousands of people.

  ‘Route one more high-level MANTIS to Australia. The rest should deal with these four.’

  Beep-!

  Her proje was swiftly ected to mission trol. The ander-in-chief, Hagen, stared ily at the ‘trol s’. It was able to calcute possible human casualties iime.

  “Four million dead…”

  The ret revisions of Fire Mutions stated that a city must have less than twelve million residents. In special cases, fifteen million residents. This was doo reduy potential damage a major honkai eruption would cause.

  Ohe popution is spread out evenly, there won’t be a case of casualties spiking.

  Unfortunately, three months were extremely short. The mass relocation couldn’t be pleted in that time span. plex factors such as a city’s ey, politics, and standard operations had to be sidered.

  Add to that the “publicity stunt” Fire MOTH wao do, it was a fatal strike.

  “...It’s already above four.”

  Mei’s calm voice prompted Hagen to look once again. The casualty t reached five million.

  “ander, I suggest we leave Australia for Aleph. Reroute the reinforts to the other fions affected by the eruption.”

  Her suggestions made him pause momentarily. He thought that Mei’s pns would be le to Aleph sidering their vague retionship, but it was the opposite.

  ‘...Absolute rationality. I was never mistaken.’

  Why did Fire MOTH’s ander-in-chief support Mei?

  It recisely due to her character. Mei was able to earn the ent of a “sane monster” from Mobius herself.

  Hagen saw what Mobius did, and as such…

  ‘She’s a good leader. But…’

  A somewhat ridiculous yet rational thought emerged in his mind.

  ‘Was it her rationality that prompted her or…’

  Mei’s eyes did not waver.

  Seeing that, he accepted her proposal.

  “Will Sir Aleph be fine?”

  Hagen asked, to which Mei responded instantly:

  “Yes.”

  Hagen’s juns were firmed.

  ‘...she is extremely fident in Sir Aleph.’