Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players-Chapter 205: I’m the Garden’s Little Overlord, Making Corruption Lose Control

"Hey, shouldn't it be the Moonlight Throne instead?"

"Who cares? Even if it's Hyperion's main cannon, today we're gonna blow her away!"

Honestly, Captains might have accepted such an outcome for anyone else, but this was Griseo! Do they not understand the value of the loli aboard Hyperion?!

Alright, just kidding, but regardless, the departure of Griseo and Kosma is indeed... Well, at least preventing the Herrscher of Corruption from gaining anything isn't entirely bad.

However, there was no time to mourn for Griseo and Kosma, as the next arrival on the battlefield was Hua.

Unlike other Heroic Spirits, Hua had the least screen time within the Elysian Realm, yet Captains understood her the most deeply.

Her entrance undoubtedly bolstered their confidence—momentarily.

For when she spoke, "To buy you time is all we, as mere data, can do," it sealed the outcome even before Hua fully materialized.

Indeed, present here was only Hua, not Fu Hua. Her objective, like the others, was simply to stall the Herrscher of Corruption and gain precious moments. What else could she accomplish?

From a broader perspective, there wasn't much any individual could achieve, given that the presence of the Herrscher of Corruption essentially equated to the Herrscher of Finality.

Just as everyone assumed Hua would futilely sacrifice herself, unexpectedly, the previously devoured Heroic Spirits, along with those who hadn't yet appeared, took action simultaneously.

The storyline had revealed Mobius's actions: ultimately, she chose to relinquish her original Infinite and bestow it upon Klein. In those final moments, she understood the true essence of Mobius, becoming the genuine embodiment.

For Captains, this ending evoked deep contemplation—a rare instance where death seemed somewhat acceptable. In a sense, Mobius's life continued through Sakura, whose own demise symbolized a form of liberation.

Meanwhile, Kevin, Su, and Pardo initiated their moves from within.

Pardo, mirroring her real-world self, took decisive action, living up to her title as a Heroic Spirit. On the other side, Su transferred his power to Kevin, both risking their lives for one last-ditch effort—their strongest strike against the Herrscher of Corruption from within.

This scene echoed the previous civilization when Kevin concentrated all his strength to crash the Herrscher of Finality. The outcome, however, remained similar to that time.

There wasn't much surprise here; after all, who could truly kill the Herrscher of Finality within the Elysian Realm? Even with the combined full force of Heroic Spirits, coordinating inside and out, the result was unchanged.

But did everything truly end just like this?

In the Honkai World's Eternal Paradise, amidst ruins, the body of the Herrscher of Corruption flickered. Naturally, she hadn't perished; although the attack was formidable, this realm is fundamentally digital. With her will, she could instantly restore herself.

"Damn... Damn you all... Why? Why would you do this?! We could have survived, why?! Why!" The Herrscher of Corruption roared hysterically, no longer needing to suppress her emotions.

"Hmph, if that's the case, then I'll just make sure you all die together!"

A chilling expression crossed the face of the Herrscher of Corruption as she began searching. She knew not all Heroic Spirits had been eradicated, and everything pointed towards one specific location.

However, before she could act, a voice suddenly echoed from afar.

"Dear friend, might I ask you to pause for a moment?"

Emerging from the distant rubble, a young girl slowly approached. As she did, everything around her turned white, seemingly undergoing corruption and deletion—a technique akin to the Herrscher of Corruption's own power.

This alarmed the Herrscher while also stirring confusion within her. Despite having consumed data from numerous Heroic Spirits, there was no information whatsoever about the person now standing before her.

She had absolutely no idea who this person was, which felt deeply unsettling—more than it should have been!

"Who are you?"

"You don't even know who I am?" Ana chuckled softly, spreading her hands out. However, inwardly, she marveled at managing to remain unknown to the Herrscher of Corruption; only "Him," beyond the Garden of Eden, could achieve such a feat.

Fortunately, for Ana, lifting this level of cognitive shielding wasn't particularly challenging, especially considering that the one before her was a Herrscher, still susceptible to the influence of The Cocoon of Finality's power.

With a gentle snap of her fingers...

Although seemingly insignificant, this simple gesture instantly altered the Herrscher of Corruption's perception, even causing her to forget some recent events.

"Oh, so it's you! You certainly made me work hard to find you, Ana."

The Herrscher of Corruption regained her usual composure.

"In a way, you found me quite early on."

Ana shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh really?" Corruption Ellie crossed her arms, curiosity evident in her expression.

"Beyond the Garden of Eden, your existence, in a certain sense, is connected to me."

"You..." Ana's words immediately darkened Corruption Ellie's face.

"You believe me that easily? No way, seriously!" Ana continued with a hint of mockery on her face. Indeed, it was somewhat related to her, but... she couldn't possibly admit it, as it would affect another world's perception. However, teasing the Herrscher of Corruption and catching it off guard seemed quite satisfying.

"You..." Corruption Ellie took a deep breath, striving to remain calm. She realized that encountering this person had unsettled her, which wouldn't do.

She needed to survive, escape from this Garden of Eden, and seek revenge against those who harmed her!

"What benefit do you gain by trying to provoke me?"

"It brings me joy, and it could bring joy to anyone else learning about this tale. Why not indulge in such pleasure?" Ana shrugged nonchalantly.

"You..." The Herrscher of Corruption gritted her teeth, then suddenly had a realization, and a smile reappeared on her face.

"I know now. You absorbed Mobius's data, didn't you? That's why you've taken this form!"

"Perhaps?" Ana replied mildly, neither confirming nor denying. In reality, it was indeed a denial.

But there was no point in clarifying. Besides, the final blow should not have been delivered by her anyway.

"I hope the game designers introduce some special event characters soon. Everyone's getting tired of drawing standard roles; if only I could get an initial S rank... Although plausible, it would be too..."

Ana silently shook her head. Perhaps having experienced hardship herself made her want to shield others from it. Additionally, this world's Ana didn't care much about such benefits.

"You don't truly believe that with just her data, you can stand against me, do you, Ana?" Corruption Ellie asked, her tone tinged with regret.

"Why, must you be like them as well? If you side with me now, we could still be the best of friends, perhaps even partners," she extended an invitation to Ana.

Ellie understood that engaging in direct combat would result in mutual defeat. The idea of swallowing each other's cores? Apologies, but neither Mobius nor Ana possess cores inherently.

However, this Ana was indeed the genuine Herrscher of Corruption.

Thus, any battle would merely waste data and energy for the Herrscher of Corruption, as it could no longer reclaim what Ana had already assimilated.

"And what if I include the full power of all Heroic Spirits you haven't yet consumed?"

Ana continued with her enigmatic half-smile.

"What?!"

A hint of seriousness flickered in the Herrscher of Corruption's eyes. If Ana's words were true, she would need to reconsider her approach. Despite appearing confident of victory, if Ana spoke genuinely, it meant that control over the Elysian Realm now truly rested with her.

Wait! If this is indeed the case, there's no reason for me to waste time here!

Unprecedentedly, the newly born Herrscher actually started thinking.

However, its assumptions were meaningless because the reality was stark: Ana could effortlessly eliminate the Herrscher of Corruption before her if she so desired.

Believing it had figured everything out, the Herrscher of Corruption regained its composed demeanor.

"Alright, alright, I understand. You're just trying to stall like those others, aren't you?" This time, instead of immediately attacking, the Herrscher continued, "Fine, fine, I admit you've won. You've successfully bought them time. But do you really think your methods can defeat me?"

"Who knows?" Ana's response remained unchanged, accompanied by her enigmatic half-smile. It seemed clear that even Ana herself knew she was being quite provocative.

However, the Herrscher of Corruption still hesitated to engage directly. As previously mentioned, confronting Ana held no benefits for her, regardless of whether she won or lost.

Naturally, the Herrscher of Corruption believed she would undoubtedly triumph.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

And Ana would agree, stating that the Herrscher of Corruption is certain to win. But the latter's other notion was correct—the fact that both were viruses meant they couldn't truly eliminate each other.

Although it might appear as a battle of survival among parasites, there was a crucial difference.

Ana controlled the valve, allowing her connection with the outside world. In essence, just like the newly born Herrscher of Corruption, as long as her backup exists, she could always make a comeback.

This was merely the Herrscher of Corruption's own speculation.

In reality, however, Ana had closed the gateway—or rather, Klein and Mobius had shut it—transforming the present Elysian Realm into a prison.

However, she indeed had a way out. Much like Raiden Mei, Ana existed as pure consciousness, unbound by a physical body. Due to her nature of corruption, she could even inhabit any form.

In essence, she was a more potent version of the Herrscher of Corruption.

"You can't say something different for once?"

"Who knows?" Ana replied nonchalantly.

"..."

As if programmed this way, Ana maintained the same expression and repeated similar exchanges—all with the clear intent to provoke the Herrscher of Corruption.

And ultimately, she succeeded.

"Fine, fine, let's fight then!" Corruption Ellie snapped irritably.

"But I don't feel like fighting anymore," Ana lazily responded. At that moment, she sat aloft, casually swinging her long legs. What's the point of this, you ask? There isn't one; it's merely boredom.

The Herrscher of Corruption fell silent momentarily, but before long, Ana abruptly launched her attack.

Come on! Deceive! Now, sneak attack!

Despite possessing overwhelming power, she chose such dishonorable tactics, aiming to teach the young Herrscher of Corruption a valuable lesson.

Although not long ago, the Heroic Spirits had already given it a lesson, the cost for that lesson was far too minimal. In contrast, Ana's strike could genuinely inflict severe damage on the Herrscher of Corruption.

Encounters between Herrschers of Corruption differ from battles involving other Herrschers or conventional combat methods. Their energy depletion is reciprocal, gradually wearing each other down. However, due to their inherent resilience as Herrschers, they cannot simply exhaust one another to death. With enough time, both can slowly recover.

Thus, Ana's actual attack involved casually lifting and corroding something nearby before hurling it at her opponent—a manhole cover, to be precise.

"You..."

"Sorry." Ana offered a sincere apology, then spread her hands innocently. "I'm not sure what this is; I just picked it up randomly. Thought you might need it."

Having reached its breaking point with Ana, the Herrscher of Corruption no longer held back. Its corrosive power surged towards Ana like an incoming tide.

Amidst the endless sea of silence, Ana stood alone as the only island.

Despite being just a solitary island, the lighthouse atop it was sufficient to illuminate a vast surrounding area.

However, all lighthouses eventually have their time to go dark...