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"Rita, please go back first."
Durandal swiftly made her decision. "I'll keep an eye on Headquarters for now. You handle the situation here."
"Yes."
Rita wasn't worried about Durandal. As before, she knew Durandal might be slightly impulsive but was far from foolish. When it came to combat matters, she trusted Durandal completely.
"Stay safe too."
With that parting advice, Rita promptly left.
There was no time to waste.
After Rita left, Durandal couldn't help but glance towards the location indicated on the invitation.
There seemed no reason for Kevin to collude with the Herrscher of Dominance, implying that this Herrscher possesses an unparalleled ability to conceal themselves beyond ordinary imagination.
Durandal recalled her previous visit to the Dominion Theater.
"We didn't fully clear it last time; truly..."
Frowning, she began pondering the weaknesses of the Herrscher of Dominance.
From the information gathered so far, the Authority of Dominance could transform despairing individuals into dolls and replicate others' feelings of despair, exerting control over them. The extent of its power is directly linked to the pervasive sense of despair throughout society.
That's why the dolls incessantly try to undermine people's resolve—to sow more despair.
The reemergence of the Herrscher of Dominance signified that mere physical elimination through brute force would not suffice. As long as despair persisted, they would continue finding new hosts.
Durandal's eyes reflected deep contemplation.
Just then, her communicator received a new message.
"Lady Durandal, Ana has returned," Alvitr reported with a blink. "According to Ana's intelligence, the dolls' weakness seems quite apparent—it is making them believe their enemies cannot be overcome by sheer will."
When Ana was initially caught up in the Dominion Theater, Schicksal had been concerned for some time.
After all, Ana held a prestigious status and was also earmarked as a potential S-rank Valkyrie. Within Schicksal, there were very few S-rank Valkyries. Even after Otto's departure, neither Durandal nor Amber intended to downgrade the S-rank Valkyrie classification.
"Cannot be overcome by sheer will?"
"Yes, Wendy corroborated this information as well."
Alvitr organized the details and continued, "Wendy mentioned that upon encountering the Herrscher of Dominance, she observed its own will to be incredibly fragile. Otherwise, it wouldn't have transformed into a doll, right?" She added mischievously, "Perhaps because the mob mentality couldn't hold strong."
In this battle, Alvitr seemed to have it easiest.
How could centuries-old order, established by human civilization, be easily disrupted by mere dolls? A few troublemaking clowns couldn't possibly shake its foundations.
Facing the Herrscher of Dominance, Wendy experienced fleeting despair but remained steadfast and unwavering.
Meanwhile, Ana managed to breach the doll's defenses effortlessly—she might even be the first person ever to do so.
This was the dolls' weakness.
Durandal nodded. "Understood."
"And one more thing, Lady Durandal," Alvitr added. "Kiana from Anti-Entropy is also inside the Dominion Theater."
Currently, Schicksal and Anti-Entropy shared information almost as closely as family members, so news about Kiana reached them promptly.
There wasn't much choice; despite neutralizing Cocolia's threat, restoring Anti-Entropy's military strength to what it had been during the Second Honkai Eruption proved challenging.
Schicksal wouldn't let Anti-Entropy's influence grow unchecked; after all, there can be only one dominant force.
Despite the close collaboration between Durandal and Einstein, decisions involving organizations often transcended individual control.
"Understood," Durandal acknowledged. "If possible, I will bring Kiana out with me."
After learning about their shared history, her feelings toward Kiana had become complicated. There was no hatred, as fate is unpredictable, and Kiana herself was also a victim. At the same time, Durandal valued her current life deeply.
Upon ending the communication, Durandal immediately rushed to the location where the Dominion Doll awaited.
Unlike the situation Kiana faced, this time, the doll didn't engage in any destruction but instead openly welcomed her through the gates of the Dominion Theater.
Clearly, the doll employed different tactics against different individuals.
Durandal strode forward, entering the theater directly.
"Welcome to the Dominion Theater!"
As Durandal entered the theater, she immediately sensed the dolls mocking her.
Her gaze remained indifferent. "So you're the new batch, huh?"
The corner of her lips curled slightly. "Bring it on—whatever tricks you have up your sleeves, I'll show you what futility truly means."
In this theater, there were no enemies she feared.
Although Otto had taken Schicksal's Void Archives with him, some records from the previous civilization era still remained within their possession, including information about Herrschers of that time.
The Dominion Herrscher corresponds to the Herrscher of a Thousand People from the previous era. Due to the overwhelming despair of those times, the Herrscher of a Thousand People possessed exceptional individual combat prowess. Even within the Fire Moths, infiltration was rampant, nearly leading to MEI's assassination.
However, circumstances differed greatly between the current and previous civilizations.
Society now enjoyed relative stability; although Honkai was known, it hadn't yet caused global catastrophe. Moreover, humanity already boasted four Herrschers standing alongside them.
How could such a society be consumed by despair?
Durandal even doubted if the Dominion Herrscher could maintain a stable count of one thousand.
"Chuckles, how arrogant you are, Durandal."
Just as the doll finished speaking, it found itself impaled on a knight's lance.
"I've never been one to bully the weak, so I'll give you this chance to attack me all at once."
Durandal wasn't inherently prideful, but upon learning the weakness of the Herrscher of Dominance, she must maintain this arrogance.
She aimed to make them realize that their efforts were futile and hopeless.
Undeniably, it was a clever strategy, striking deep into their despair.
The dolls clearly understood the significance of Durandal's name, continuously creating Honkai Beasts and Puppet Titans.
However, their control abilities remained too feeble.
In no time, the creations of these dolls were shattered. With a swift motion, Durandal pointed her lance at the dolls.
"Is that all you've got?"
"Don't get too cocky!" exclaimed a doll angrily. "If only another version of you could be..."
Its voice abruptly cut off because duplicating Puppet Durandal proved impossible.
Durandal's gaze sharpened slightly. "Hmm? What seems to be the problem?"
"How can this be... It's not possible!"
The doll roared, screaming, "Why is there someone who cannot be replicated? Is there truly no trace of despair within you?"
Once again, the doll's defenses crumbled.