Honkai: Strijder (Patreon)

Chapter 101: Wendy

"Ugh– Ha– Something's— surging—"

Wendy clutched her chest, her legs trembling as she took a few steps back.

She had been barely containing the eruption of her core power, only intending to maintain her ability to act at critical times, offering some protection to Seele and the others. But now, it seemed that the core's power far exceeded her simple imagination.

In just a moment of distraction, the core's power broke through a restraint, and under the influence of the high-density Honkai energy in the surroundings, it became uncontrollable.

"Don't panic! I still have the antidote—"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several bullets were directed at Tesla, who was about to take out the antidote, but the round Eins machine rolled in and saved Tesla's life.

As Tesla and Einstein recovered from the shock, Wendy turned her head. Amidst the surging emotional tide, anger and hatred took the upper hand, tinting her original black eyes with a layer of emerald green.

"It's you!"

Wendy growled low, blinking out of sight.

Almost simultaneously, she appeared a hundred steps away, pinching the mask of one of Gray Serpent's clones with one hand.

Boom!

Under Wendy's ferocious gaze, the mask, along with the head, was crushed into fragments.

But Gray Serpent's will was unyielding, completely unaffected by the clone's death memory. In the blink of an eye, several more clones emerged, shooting at those who couldn't resist.

"How dare you!?"

Boom!!!

Wendy's rage surged further, unleashing a fierce gust of wind that tore the bullets and several Gray Serpent clones into pieces.

Then, she covered her face with both hands, tears that hadn't been shed in a long, long time gushed out like a dam bursting.

This was the out-of-control power of the gem, digging up all the negative emotions buried deep within her for so long—despair, resentment, sorrow—and amplifying them countless times, continuously assaulting her mental defenses, condensing into profound despair and hatred.

"Ah– Ah— Ahhh!!!"

The agonizing cries grew louder. Wendy's petite body floated amidst the influence of the Honkai energy.

"I— can't—"

"I— can't do this—"

"No– no—”

"I–"

Wendy struggled, murmuring in pain and despair.

...

A bit further away, Jackal's eyes gleamed.

"Indeed, Gray Serpent! Your actions are unexpectedly effective. Is this the last straw? Anyway, what I want is this! She's losing control!"

"Don't waste time, seize the moment."

“Got it, right away!”

Shoo!

Then, a javelin seemed to appear out of nowhere, piercing through Gray Serpent's body.

"Fire, now, or there won't be another chance!"

Gray Serpent emitted intermittent electronic tones in a distorted pitch.

Anti-Entropy's counterattack came.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!!

After the javelin pinned Gray Serpent to the ground, a strong air shock and deafening roar followed, but it was a bit late, leaving Jackal in a daze and flung away.

She hurriedly got up and activated her own device.

Shoo!

Boom!!!

Another javelin shattered Jackal's head.

But before that, a strong beam of light had already engulfed Wendy's body.

Boom!!!

A slender and delicate black figure suddenly landed from the sky, smashing Jackal's body and the device, sending the surrounding snow flying.

Two black javelins floated, reattaching themselves behind Sin Mal.

She lifted her head, a frown visible beneath the sealed helmet.

"Was I too late?"

Click! Click! Click!

The sound of the intensity of the Honkai energy breaking the limit alerted Sin Mal.

Sin Mal squinted, looking at the distorted vortex. The quantum world's power disrupted her unique perspective, making it difficult for her to discern much. But what emanated from that vortex was undoubtedly the presence of an immense entity she had never seen before.

Glancing momentarily at the stillness from that direction, but with Honkai energy continuously gushing out of Wendy, she then turned her gaze towards the companions from the orphanage, momentarily torn about which side to handle first.

"Are you Miss Sin Mal?"

"A Valkyrie of Schicksal? Nevermind, it doesn't matter. Help me get them out first, ensure their safety."

Sin Mal instructed Rita, who had rushed over.

Rita shook her head with an unpleasant expression. "No, Miss Wendy has lost control of the 'Gem of Desire,' and that vortex, my instincts tell me it's ominous. You go ahead, I'll cover the rear."

"Just you?"

"...Even though my abilities are limited, I am still a Valkyrie. Resisting the Honkai and protecting the innocent is my duty."

"Alright."

Sin Mal didn't say much more, instantly appearing in front of Tesla and Einstein.

"Keep an eye on them!"

She said, pulling open the deformed armored vehicle and loading the unconscious individuals, including the two conscious scientists. Then, she glanced at Raven's body not far away, furrowed her brows, and also tossed her into the vehicle before closing the door firmly and securing it with a javelin. She hoisted the vehicle and swiftly moved away.

...

At the scene, only Rita and Wendy remained.

Observing the briefly silent Wendy, Rita took a deep breath.

"Miss Wendy, I don't know if you can hear my voice. Please remember your original intention. I've heard about your accomplishments, once a brilliant Valkyrie with a bright future, dedicating yourself to fighting against the Honkai. You were a role model for all Valkyries. I— Rita implores you to regain your rationality. This world needs your strength now more than ever."

Rita's words grew increasingly hesitant.

She understood Wendy's experiences, which made it hard for her to demand anything straightforwardly.

Putting herself in Wendy's shoes, if she had participated in an experiment with high expectations only to plummet from a powerful Valkyrie to a useless wreck in an instant, feeling the ongoing helplessness and despair – Rita admitted she didn't know how long she would endure under those circumstances or how much of her passion would remain.

Then, Wendy turned her head, the empty green eyes staring at Rita, the sole living being nearby.

Boom!!

Rita leaped away as her hairs stood on end, leaving behind a large crater in her wake.

Wendy, with an empty gaze, raised her hand as raging Honkai energy poured forth.

Successive explosions, intangible and carrying peculiar air fluctuations, forced Rita to scramble in all directions, unable to escape, let alone counterattack.

"What— am I doing?"

Wendy's inner self, lost and questioning.

However, a cage of sorrow, anger, and hatred constructed within her, imprisoning her consciousness in the abyss. At this moment, what controlled this body wasn't her own sober mind but these negative emotions.

"I— shouldn't—"

Wendy's inner thoughts murmured, yet her body only fixated on Rita, instinctively releasing those overwhelming emotions.

Ultimately, when Wendy snapped out of her daze, she found herself gripping Rita's neck.

Rita's maid armor was already in shambles, her left arm twisted, blood dripping from her right hand and various parts of her body.

"Ri–ta!?"

Wendy said, bewildered, releasing her grip.

Unlike the original story years later, her experiences now were considered more resentful than desperate. Far from giving up in despair, her attitude toward the Honkai and the Herrscher was still one of resistance. Even this resentment had been healed to a large extent in the past half-month of her life.

Wendy had a very poor compatibility with the "Gem of Desire," but her suppression ability over the gem was formidable.

The old Wendy, violently implanted with the gem, insufficient technology, and the dark side of human nature, had caused her to endure terrible physical and mental torment. Even after several years, until her final surrender, the Herrscher core had been successfully suppressed.

Now, as the ambient Honkai density decreased and her own emotions were partly vented, she quickly regained her composure.

Initially, her confidence was justified; as long as she didn't want it herself, external influences couldn't easily corrupt her into a Herrscher.

Then, she felt her body weaken and fell backward, her vision darkening.

A massive Honkai beast had arrived, indicating that the encirclement formed by the Titans and the Hives had been breached.

The colossal creature, raising its mountainous forelimb, slowly descended.

"Is it... over?"

Wendy muttered, her life flashing before her eyes like a revolving lantern. Strangely, the most vivid and reluctant memory was the past half-month of her captive life.

Then, she saw the light.