Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

By the time Hachiman arrived in the region, the dust had already settled. The two massive Honkai Energy contamination zones remained, but the man waiting to greet Hikigaya Hachiman was the most unforgettable person he had ever met.

'He... what is he doing here?!'

Clank, clank, clank, clank, clank...

His two long mechanical legs were trembling.

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka watched in astonishment as dust billowed up from the vibrating ground. He never imagined Hachiman could literally perform a "walking on thin ice" routine on solid earth.

'You're a genius, Captain-Commander! How are you even doing that?'

Ayanokōji was a man of rich inner thoughts, but one look at the white-haired, blue-eyed young man before them told him this was a person of extraordinary status.

'Huh? This person has seen me before? No, wait, he's seen Noldrei?'

Welt hadn't expected Hikigaya Hachiman to have this kind of background. He had actually come here to give Hachiman something special.

It was something that had unexpectedly manifested within him while he was on his killing spree.

A new Herrscher Core, symbolizing a Herrscher.

Specifically, the Herrscher Core of the Sixth Herrscher. Welt knew exactly what it was; it possessed a power similar, if not identical, to the Star of Eden in his possession.

What truly astonished Welt was that here, in the famous land of Jerusalem, he had obtained a Herrscher Core with powers akin to the Star of Eden.

The irony was almost too much to bear.

What Welt found most laughable was that he had carried out a great purge identical to the one in the legends. The only difference was that one had summoned a flood, while the other had utilized the power of a Herrscher.

In essence, he—Welt Yang—had acted exactly like God.

And in the process, the Will of the Honkai had condensed this Current Era Sixth Herrscher Core, so similar to the Star of Eden, within him.

Such an absurd thing had never happened before. Could someone who was already a Herrscher be chosen by the Will of the Honkai to become another one?

Did this mean that after a person becomes a Herrscher... wait, no, that's not right.

Welt suddenly recalled that Sirin had been created in just this way. Theoretically, Sirin wasn't just the Second Herrscher, but also the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and so on.

At this moment, Hikigaya Hachiman was filled with nothing but terror and shock.

'Boss, what's wrong? Why do you have such a heavy, troubled expression? What are you pondering while looking at me? Weren't you always the type to laugh heartily and act carefree?'

Hikigaya Hachiman feared nothing more than his leader suddenly changing his demeanor. It left him completely unable to read "Noldrei's" intentions.

'You are the living sun of Earth, the guiding light of human civilization, the pioneering leader of the future! The pillar supporting millions of families in Academy City! If even you find something difficult, why must you torment me with it?'

To his surprise, after a long silence, Welt let out a soft sigh.

He sighed again, then clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the birds flying in the sky. The weight of his slaughter was so heavy that he had picked up a wearable white robe and haphazardly draped it over himself.

Perhaps it made Welt feel that the sins on his hands were a little lighter.

His sin was not in the killing, but in the thought that he could become a god in the eyes of humanity. As someone with a kind of moral perfectionism, Welt could not accept this change in himself.

It was all Noldrei's fault for corrupting him!

"Do not worry. I have already handled everything here. Just focus on taking control of these two nations. Remember to select a group of people you can control, preferably those who can pass the screening for our Stigma Battlesuits."

Today, "Noldrei's" voice was exceptionally magnetic. It was different from the boy's usual jumpy tone; these words were like a spring breeze, quickly dispelling the fear in Hikigaya Hachiman's heart.

Hachiman knew, of course, that this business trip would likely lead to a promotion and a raise upon his return. But he never imagined that his leader would have already gone ahead and taken care of everything.

'What a great leader!'

Hikigaya Hachiman was moved to tears of gratitude. He declared on the spot that he would diligently internalize the crucial guiding principles of the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Ayanokōji had always felt that Hikigaya Hachiman had incredible luck in his career, and now it seemed his feeling was spot on.

Hachiman goes on one trip to the middle of nowhere, and his leader personally handles the most difficult parts of the job for him, then tosses him the finishing touches.

'Could such luck truly exist?'

Ayanokōji was lost in thought, but soon Welt gave Hikigaya Hachiman a new "surprise."

"I have dealt with all the leaders of the military organizations and shattered their internal structures. What's left is just some mop-up duty. I have also destroyed the launch systems for the Honkai fission bombs. There are still eighteen of them on this land; I will send you a map of their locations later."

Welt's instructions hit Hikigaya Hachiman like a bolt from the blue, leaving him completely stunned.

"You... what did you say?"

"I said, I killed the ruling classes of both countries. You just need to bring your team over and take over their nations and populations."

Welt said it so casually, completely oblivious to how terrifying his words sounded.

He had simply asked these people if they had ever done anything to wrong the local populace, and then "punished" them according to the strictest, one-size-fits-all standard.

Who could have guessed that this "punishment" would wipe out almost the entire officer and bureaucratic corps of both sides?

How could anyone blame Welt for that? It was the fault of both sides for having too many leaders who were no longer human.

If there had been just one or two people fighting for the interests of the common folk, Welt would not have been so ruthless.

"However, there were some good people. Here is the list of crimes I recorded for you."

Welt sent Hikigaya Hachiman a cloud drive account. On it were video confessions he had recorded and uploaded with his communication device.

Hikigaya Hachiman still hadn't recovered from the shock.

Then Welt gave him something else. A beautiful Honkai Energy gem landed in Hikigaya Hachiman's hand.

"If I recall correctly, your body was designed with a Honkai Energy drive in the chest. This Honkai gem is for you."

Welt casually gave away the newly obtained Herrscher Core.

This time, it was purely for selfish reasons. He simply didn't want Noldrei to turn him into another one of his Herrscher "little ponies."

"Me? This... Can I really handle it?"

"I said you can, so you can..." Welt-Noldrei patted Hikigaya Hachiman on the shoulder, flashing a smile identical to Noldrei's. "I am his incarnation! With me backing you up, go on and get it done!"

Welt finally understood why Noldrei always loved to pat people on the shoulder.

This feeling of making others work for you was addictively intoxicating.