“I feel like my body has become sluggish and heavy.”
After calming down a bit, all the Angels tried moving their limbs, and one after another they complained about their condition.
“And my mind feels a bit foggy.”
“The one outside almost tripped!”
“Is it because there are too many of us?”
“Maybe we should reduce the number?”
“That would hurt, wouldn’t it?”
All the Angels looked at each other.
But this state was indeed bad.
It felt like if they pushed any further, they would all pass out.
Angel was afraid of pain, but she was also rational.
To survive, she had to first understand this Herrscher power that was her lifeline.
So, one hundred Angels, after a brief hesitation, simultaneously clenched their fists and smashed the heads of the Angels beside them.
“Ugh…
that’s disgusting.
I want to throw up.”
“But we’re really strong.
Skulls should be pretty tough, and yet we really did shatter them with one punch.”
“Mm, as expected.
Losing an individual doesn’t add any extra burden.
The pain only lasts a split second.
In other respects…
it’s as insignificant as closing a virtual machine program on a computer.
Looks like a suicide rush tactic might be viable.”
After the flurry of gore, including the original, exactly one hundred Angels remained on the scene, chattering animatedly about their feelings and observations.
The other half of the bodies had turned into Herrscher cores, silently merging into the theater.
And the frowns on the Angels’ faces finally eased.
“So this is why the original Herrscher of a Thousand scattered their cores?”
Every clone created was one more thread of thought and one more combatant.
Theoretically, no one would willingly give away such power to others.
Why not keep it all for themselves?
Had the Herrscher of a Thousand in the original timeline transcended humanity’s selfish nature, willingly sharing the authority that should have been theirs alone for the sake of destroying the world?
That was impossible!
Creating a clone first required consuming Honkai energy to shape or strengthen the possession medium.
But with the Imaginary Space providing an endless supply, a Herrscher’s Honkai energy was effectively unlimited.
So that cost was negligible.
However, the invisible burdens on the mind, will, and consciousness were unavoidable.
A single person’s capacity was limited.
Too many clones would drag down the collective’s thinking and mobility, so the number one could create was quite finite.
And a Herrscher of Dominance, as a single individual, might barely be able to match a fully equipped A-rank Valkyrie.
For a Herrscher, that was pathetically weak.
Even thousands combined would likely be no match for a complete Herrscher of another type.
That was the real reason the original Herrscher of a Thousand scattered their authority.
It was not about selflessness.
It was about gathering enough combat power to challenge the main cast.
They simply had no choice.
Of course, it was also possible that the original Herrscher of a Thousand had awakened as multiple individuals, with the authority already divided from the start.
Either way, the first Herrscher of a Thousand now was Angel, and she had no intention of sharing her authority with anyone else.
After all, even if she gathered a thousand individuals, there were still plenty of beings in this world capable of putting her down.
Staying low-key was the first rule of survival.
…
“My limit is only thirty?
That’s way too few!”
In the real world, the Angel approaching last night’s crime scene slowed her pace.
She stood at a nearby street corner, observing whether there were any police or other notable figures around the alley, while rubbing her forehead in frustration.
Angel toyed with a strand of her golden hair and had to admit that it was no wonder the Herrscher of a Thousand had to form their so-called [Mob].
Even at full strength, the Herrscher of a Thousand had stumbled at every step in their plans.
What could thirty individuals possibly accomplish?
As probably the most normal Herrscher of this era, without spreading their authority, they simply had no way to play the game.
“But it’s been a whole night, and no one has found it yet.
Is that place really that secluded?”
Angel furrowed her brows slightly, instinctively feeling that something was off.
But after observing from the corner for a while, with eyesight far beyond that of any human, she indeed did not spot any special surveillance or setup.
“The sooner this is dealt with, the sooner I can relax.
No more time to waste.”
Angel knew full well that the longer she delayed, the more likely that bloody, brutal scene would be noticed.
She had to turn those remains into her clones as quickly as possible.
If she could keep up the disguise of those delinquent girls for a while and then find a way to make them vanish plausibly, no one would ever connect the dots to Angel.
With that thought in mind, after confirming that the streets were empty, Angel crept into the alley.
The stench of blood and gore hung thick in the air.
The alley was flanked by tall walls on both sides, deep enough that one would not notice anything unusual without stepping inside.
Those little delinquents had picked their bullying spot carefully to avoid detection, which ironically made it easier for Angel to clean up.
First, I have to piece the bodies back together, at least into a human shape, so the authority of Dominance can take hold.
Angel grimaced, standing among the scattered limbs and fragments, reluctant yet resigned.
The dark impulses that came with being a Herrscher, combined with the memories and emotions of the high schooler Angel who had been bullied, had certainly made her more ruthless.
But in the end, neither the transmigrator nor the original high school girl had ever killed anyone, let alone personally created such a hellish scene.
Angel covered her mouth and nose.
Though she did not vomit, her heart still pounded uncontrollably, and she felt deeply unsettled.
Just as Angel was forcing herself to adapt to the sight, steadying herself with remarkable composure, her ears twitched at the subtle movement.
She heard something from above.
“Target found!
Surrender now!”
A clear, pleasant girl’s voice rang out from overhead, filled with righteous indignation, yet it was impossible to miss the youthful energy beneath it.
It was like a justice-seeking girl furious at an injustice.
Thump!
Angel barely had time to look up before a tremendous force slammed her to the ground.
“Ah!”
Pain shot through her body as the girl’s soft, round rear settled onto her back.
Angel’s hands were pinned, and a slender, pale leg hooked around her neck, practically pressing against her nose.
The milky scent of the girl’s skin washed away the thick stench of blood.
“Who…
who are you?”
“I am Kiana Kaslana!
You killed all those people, didn’t you?
Come quietly with me, and Schicksal will give you a fair trial!”
Kiana grabbed Angel’s hair, her teeth clenched.
Partly it was rage over the brutal deaths of those civilians, but partly it was because Angel’s struggling strength was greater than expected.
Even with the upper hand, Kiana was finding it hard to keep her down.
Angel panicked.
Why is she here?
Has St.
Freya noticed me?
Is the main force already surrounding me?
As the Herrscher of a Thousand, this situation was extremely bad!