Chapter 41: Fourth Herscherr

                                    

                                          

Time swiftly went by. Without any disturbances, five months had passed. No troubles of sorts came up within the entire Fire MOTH. The death of three councilors placed them all on guard, forcing them to tacitly maintain this peace. 
The first one who jumps out will be punished—and nobody wants to be that person.
That small moment of tranquility was broken by a disturbing news.
"Fourth Herscherr?"
Aleph fell silent. He saw Einstein's extremely serious look.
"The reading came from the first institute a few minutes ago. The headquarters dispatched the nearest troops and fleets near the fourth major eruption. It's just that... it's not enough."
Every "Major Eruption" symbolized the descent of a Herscherr. The sheer amount of honkai energy that 'affects' the place could turn more than 70% of a city's inhabitants into undeads. The remaining 30% was only when a city is too big to be affected by it.
Moreover, there are also the honkai beasts that spawn in such places. There were also the honkai beasts attracted by the descent of the said Herscherr, thus attracting them to the place where the major eruption happened.
Overall, a city will be forced to face more than a hundred thousand honkai beasts external and internally.
"What happened? Did the nukes fail?"
To this question, Einstein nodded.
"Just like the Third Herscherr, it had the ability to alter its surroundings."
The Third Herscherr, the Herscherr of Thunder, had the ability to control electric energy. It enabled her to control the electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces in the universe. It made it so that all the projectiles thrown at her were shredded into pieces.
More than a dozen nukes were sent to Nagazora before she was exhausted. Only at that moment did Elysia deal the finishing blow.
It was extremely fortunate they eliminated her swiftly. All Herscherrs could "learn" how to control their abilities the longer they are left alone.
If she were given enough time, it would be a pyrrhic victory.
"According to the satellite views, a high-pressure area was formed around the origin. It was suspected to be caused by the Herscherr's ability."
"Wind control... no, the ability to control weather? What about the city?"
"Most of it was destroyed."
The atmosphere turned for the worse.
Unlike the Third Herscherr, the Fourth Herscherr has a wide-area destructive ability. If the high-pressure area was left alone to gather momentum within the atmosphere, it could become devastating enough to wipe out a country—a continent, even.
"More data is being studied at the first institute. They are trying to determine the Herscherr's upper limits."
"The casualties..?"
"It already reached the hundred thousand mark."
"..."
Seeing his silence, Einstein finally asked:
"Are you planning to go?"
"Go? I think... not many people regard me as someone who could kill a Herscherr. Do you think I could do it, doctor?"
"...Yes."
Aleph fell silent once again. 
He thought for a while before responding, "I won't disappoint you."