Inside the silver-white fighter jet with wings spanning less than ten meters, Kiana, Bronya, Sin, and Fu Hua were seated securely by various types of restraining straps. The cabin filled with a thick, pale-blue liquid, further immobilizing them.
Their moods felt somewhat somber.
It wasn't due to their unfamiliar surroundings; they trusted Zeke's actions completely. Their real concern lay with Earth's situation.
Outside the ship, Zeke leaped forward onto a protruding platform at its front, placing his palm upon it. Simultaneously, the Judgment of Shamash, now a white ring, dissolved around his finger, seemingly merging into his body.
In that instant, his silvery-white hair ignited with fiery red flames, melting the lunar surface's rocks and soil around him. At the rear of the spacecraft, concentrated flames began brewing with terrifying intensity within the propulsion system.
The silver shuttle burst forth from the moon, leaving behind a trail of molten rock stretching to the horizon.
"BOOM!!"
Surrounded by the cushioning liquid, the four girls felt an unprecedented force compress their bodies, nearly crushing them apart.
"Cough!"
"Ugh!"
Bronya and Sin, whose constitutions weren't as robust, let out strained noises as streaks of blood began spreading from their bodies.
Seeing the blood float before her eyes, Kiana's heart clenched. She tried checking on their conditions but found herself unable even to turn her head.
Fu Hua reached over and reassuringly patted Kiana's shoulder. She had already noticed that Bronya and Sin's black armor had activated, providing additional protection—given Zeke's abilities, they shouldn't sustain severe injuries.
Outside the ship, Zeke poured Honkai Energy and flames into its propulsion system, trailing a long stream of sparkling embers, his gaze cold and unyielding.
"At 0.01 percent light speed... Now at 0.1 percent... At 1 percent, acceleration complete. Estimated time to target: 138 seconds."
"ROAR!!!"
A fiery red meteor flashed through deep space, swiftly passing the under-construction Global Space Station, and plunged into Earth's atmosphere with terrifying intensity, hurtling toward the planet below.
"What's that? A meteor?"
"Meteors aren't that fast... Oh, message from the moon base: It's our mighty Zeke flexing his power."
"Oh, well then, nothing to worry about."
"Not so fast—word is, the situation in the Far East has spiraled out of control. Not only is Honkai Energy rampant across their territory, but its spreading pollution has even seeped into ocean currents, potentially affecting the entire globe. Before we know it, what fishermen haul from the sea might be Honkai Beasts instead of fish... Damn! Just thinking about it gives me chills! Please, oh great hero, save the world!"
"Why're you all standing around? We can't do much about the crisis down there for now. Our focus should be on completing this space station as quickly as possible—the sooner we finish, the greater our aid to the world."
"You're right, let's push harder and keep at it!"
"Team Leader Liu, I've fixed the bug over here; we can resume integration. Heading to the next segment to prepare—let's work together diligently."
"Roger that! Team 1 and 2, confirm orbit; Team 3, take control; Command team, standby—all hands, get moving!"
Zeke couldn't hear these conversations on the space station; he was solely focused on harnessing the explosive Honkai Energy as he violently plunged through the atmosphere.
The strain of controlling excessive Honkai Energy and enduring atmospheric friction led to various damages, destroying some of his more fragile outer tissues—specifically, he temporarily lost both sight and hearing.
Fortunately, his flight path was predetermined, so even amidst darkness, Zeke knew exactly where to head.
In the sky over the Far East Region, during the dead of night, a massive pillar of fire descended from the heavens with a thunderous impact, causing the earth to quake and igniting flames that spread for miles.
"BOOMMM!"
After the deafening roar subsided, within a colossal crater, the silver spaceship had been reduced to ashes, scattered across the area. One by one, several figures emerged from the debris, slowly getting back on their feet.
Only Zeke stood motionless at the center of the pit, his torn nanomachine suit rapidly self-repairing.
"Zeke... Zeke... Zeke?!"
Kiana called out to Zeke several times, but he remained frozen, unresponsive.
She hurried over and gently tapped him on the shoulder.
Zeke turned his head, revealing that much of his face was burned; his eyes appeared withered and charred, yet they swiftly healed before their very eyes.
In moments, those terrifyingly damaged orbs regained their usual icy blue hue, scanning each person present one by one.
"Are you all okay?" Zeke asked mildly.
"...Yeah, we're fine," Kiana replied softly, biting her lip. Her heart felt like it had abruptly clenched, as if squeezed by an invisible hand. The pain made her want to tightly embrace Zeke, yet she dared not disturb him at this moment.
The expressions of the others were equally grim.
Zeke took a few steps forward and, without turning back, said:
"At nine o'clock, two Pseudo-Herrscher signatures detected. Fu Hua, take care of them and swiftly reinforce the city to the north afterward. At four o'clock, Honkai Beasts attacking—Bronya and Sin, provide support there. Kiana, join me in finding our missing comrades. The concentration of Honkai Energy here is alarming; we must be prepared for a potential uprising by the Herrscher of the Void. Everyone, maintain open communication channels at all times for immediate instructions."
"Yes!" × 3
Three figures swiftly dispersed, while Kiana followed Zeke toward Nagazora City—the most populous settlement in the Far East, hit hardest by the crisis, and where Wendy and others had gone missing.
Simultaneously, tremors and landslides occurred worldwide as countless black spheres surged forth from beneath the earth like tidal waves, hurtling en masse towards a single destination with relentless speed.
Almost simultaneously, inside a skyscraper in Nagazora City, a silver-haired girl with golden eyes let out a sigh of relief.
"Young Lady, is everything okay now?" A delicate and lovely face peeked from beside her, long, radiant blonde hair floating in midair like cascading gold.
"Yes, it's fine now," the silver-haired girl replied indifferently. Though her lips remained unmoved, her cool voice resonated directly within the listener's heart.
Her wrists, ankles, and neck were adorned with golden shackles, each connected to heavy, thick black chains that trailed down to the floor. One couldn't help but wonder how such a frail-looking girl managed to bear these metallic restraints.
Vera uttered softly, rubbing her chin before pointing at the three young girls huddled together, asleep nearby: "What about them? Should we take them along?"
"No need. Our objective is accomplished; we shouldn't leave any more traces... He's too perceptive; we must not be discovered."
"But, there's all this Honkai Energy around, and those Honkai Beasts..."
"They'll be rescued; they're perfectly safe."
As her gaze lingered on the three girls, a hint of warmth and nostalgia flickered in Young Lady Kiana's golden eyes before swiftly fading back to their usual icy detachment.
"So, are we heading back now? It's such a pity; I still wanted to see Big Bro Zeke and Big Sister Kiana..."
"Hm?"
"Nothing. I meant I miss my bed at home and have homework waiting for me. Let's hurry back, Young Lady," Vera said earnestly, raising her index finger.
The young lady stared intently at her for a moment, then lifted her restrained right hand, encumbered by heavy chains and shackles, to gently pat Vera's soft hair, revealing a faint yet content smile.