For various reasons, Ryan had never used all three of his powers at once—until now. The result was nothing short of terrifying.
Everything around him lay dormant. The thousand-year ice prison.
From above, the entire port area had transformed into an ice-blue wasteland. The temperature had plummeted to several dozen degrees below zero. Ryan looked at the natural wonder he'd created and smiled faintly.
By combining the powers of wind and ice, along with the vast fluid of the nearby "ocean," the result was spectacular. Each power felt like a miracle of magic—concepts humans couldn't grasp, and with the right combination, they became far more dangerous.
Fluid dynamics, molecular freezing, and electromagnetic force—this was the essence of his power. Only through their interaction could a lesser collapse cause such widespread devastation.
"It's a big show, but it's still not enough." Ryan's gaze swept over the remaining enemies, pausing for a moment on the familiar faces, including Werner's. "So, I'm supposed to go to the Fire Moth Council to be questioned? Are you still going to stop me?"
This statement was clever. He never said he wanted to kill anyone or settle scores, and by framing it as him simply following orders, he shifted the narrative.
"Now it's an arrest warrant, Doctor," Werner said after a long pause, stepping forward.
"Lieutenant Colonel, does that mean the questioning order is canceled?" Ryan replied, his voice calm. He paused, looking at Werner, who was silent for a moment. The two orders didn't conflict—they simply had different priorities.
But Werner knew that Ryan wasn't someone who could be easily talked down. Ryan didn't hesitate; he pulled out the molecular vibration knife.
"Sorry, if you go any further, the consequences will be unpredictable. I have to stop you here."
He didn't explicitly mention "arrest," but it was clear what his group intended. They didn't know if Ryan was guilty, and frankly, they didn't care about his motives. From a logical perspective, letting him roam free would risk the Fire Moth's collapse.
Burning for humanity, the enemies you face are not just the Herrschers.
The resolve to fight was growing stronger. Ryan, who thought he could scare them off, gently shook his head. He understood their concerns. In this world, few people can trust you unconditionally, and not everyone can afford to act emotionally.
The evacuation alarm blared.
Ryan glanced at the distance. The LED screens on the towering buildings flashed red, signaling "emergency evacuation." The lights went out as usual, and citizens scrambled to enter bunkers.
He hadn't come to assist the Herrschers in eliminating humanity. He had specifically chosen the seaside location not just for its geographical advantage, but so the entire city could evacuate.
"Then try me."
With that, Ryan whispered, and as his long halberd pointed forward, a hailstorm of ice spears rained down. In response, hundreds of red beams cut through the sky.
Coleman also made his move. The Honkai energy discharged from his two guns, forming a net that melted a hole through the ice spear barrage. But the remaining spears still covered the entire block.
Boom boom boom…
The ground shook continuously. Each ice cone that hit the ground flattened two-story buildings, leaving deep, round craters in their wake.
Before the fusion warriors could relax, the exploding ice fragments were electrified again, scattering like ice needles in a rainstorm.
Secondary scattering!
"Form a defensive formation, and output the maximum Honkai energy!" Werner barked, rallying the remaining fusion warriors. They connected heavy armor and energy shields into a single piece, lessening the impact of the flying ice needles, while using the heavy armor to shield themselves.
"The squads will counterattack in shifts. Activate the automatic lock for five seconds."
"Heavy mechs will unleash full firepower to cover the three leaders!"
With Werner's orders, the soldiers regained their composure. Ryan's figure flickered in the air, dodging their barrage, and he smiled in appreciation.
That's right—unified command does improve efficiency. The goal now was to stall the stronger Herrschers, and in the meantime…
Ryan suddenly paused mid-dodge, and his long halberd swept out in a wide arc, carving a half-moon-shaped ice trail in the air.
"Cover the real strong ones!"
Crack!
A missile smashed into the ice, and the black-haired girl leaped over, landing on the falling ice with astounding speed. But the air exploded, sending Ryan tumbling aside.
The chainsaw whizzed past him, only a few meters away. Ryan glanced up and saw the shadows of the blonde youth, with guns raised on all sides, pulling the triggers.
Mirror scattering.
The red beams formed a net, and when they intersected, they refracted, flooding the sky with deadly rays. There was no place to hide.
Da.
Ryan crashed into the ground, crushing a building beneath him. He squinted, realizing that these "perverts" must have learned from their previous encounters, now armed with new skills.
Interesting. Continuous growth is humanity's most valuable asset.
Without any sound, Ryan raised his halberd. A moment later, the meteor hammer crashed down, but when it collided with his weapon, Ryan expertly lifted the halberd, dissipating much of the force.
Bang!
At that moment, the sonic boom finally reached his ears, and the meteor hammer's chain straightened, smashing downward. The roar of the chainsaw echoed beside him.
Ryan spun around, deftly flicking his halberd to deflect the meteor hammer, then thrusting the tip forward. His body seemed to glide through the air, the arc of his weapon cutting through the thick atmosphere.
Overload mode—cutting through the waist!
The scarlet chainsaw aimed for his waist, but Ryan took a step back, twisting his wrist and slashing down with the halberd. The horizontal edge of the blade caught the chainsaw, halting its charge, and the dazzling sparks lit up both of their faces.
The purple-eyed twins flinched slightly. The chainsaw's gears whined as they attempted to break free, like a poisonous snake coiling around the halberd.
"Isa, now!" Anna shouted.
In an instant, a meteor hammer struck from behind, and the mirrors flickered, as the combined double guns were pressed against Ryan's head. But the man remained expressionless.
"When did you get the illusion that you could win by dragging me into close combat?"
Everything went dormant. Time slowed.
Everything seemed to freeze, even the falling dust appeared to move in slow motion. In this state, no surprise attack could take place.
Bang!
Ryan released his grip, stepping closer and placing his palm directly on the forehead of the purple-eyed girl. The contact was swift, and in a heartbeat, her white face turned red, her chest collapsed, leaving only a trail of white smoke in her wake.
Iron Mountain Lean.
Anna was sent flying instantly, and Ryan felt the hot beams brush past his back. He reached out, gripping his halberd again.
Storm strangulation.
The violent airflow whirled, knocking the chainsaw away. Ryan twisted his body, piercing forward with deadly precision.
A surprise attack!
Ding——
The tip of the spear hit the meteor hammer's center, and the heavy force pushed Ryan back several meters. At the same time, the meteor hammer was bounced back, and Ryan caught it with his left hand.
Ice shield.
The second wave of beams hit precisely, sending ice chips flying. Coleman's eyes widened. Just like before, Ryan wasn't accustomed to this kind of sluggish, delayed sensation, and had no time to hide behind the mirror.
Boom!
Thunder struck as Ryan's golden hair stood on end, and he hurriedly dodged as if running for his life.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Ryan's freezing range wasn't as extensive as the Herrscher of Ice's, but when Werner arrived with dozens of fusion warriors, it was like they'd seen a ghost.
Time was relative. In their eyes, Ryan had faced the combined assault of three people, yet within an instant, he had repelled them. It was so fast that they couldn't track his movements. They only knew that every strike was as precise as a computer program.
The distance and timing were perfect. Just as they arrived to reinforce the three high-level fusion warriors, Ryan had pushed them all back. Now, the reinforcements were completely exposed.
When Ryan turned his head, Werner saw those gray eyes, and a buzz filled his mind.
"Shield!"
The Honkai energy shield flared up, and these fusion warriors, implanted with the super-mutation factor of a temple-level collapse beast, specialized in defense. A massive energy shield formed in front of them.
Everyone felt slightly steadied, but after just another second, Werner nearly screamed.
"Disperse!"
They had fallen into a trap. Ryan had played on their instincts. The shields of several temple-level fusion warriors were strong, but why should he break through?
Boom!
An ice flower bloomed in the middle of the formation. The few soldiers who moved too slowly were instantly frozen, scattering the formation. There was no chance to regroup.
Click.
The ice flower shattered, and Ryan, holding a gun in one hand, stood amidst the petals. Watching the falling crystal ice fragments, he snapped his fingers lightly.
The air exploded, and the ice storm surged forward.
The compressed air expanded instantly, ejecting the ice cubes. It wasn't as fast as the electromagnetic railgun, but the coverage was immense, spraying in all directions without leaving any blind spots.
Bang bang bang bang...
Dense dust swirled, and the twenty-story buildings were instantly riddled with holes. Even the fusion warriors who tried to block the ice were blown away by the wind pressure. The coverage area reached nearly one-tenth of New York.
The buildings crumbled, and the dust and ice mist mixed together. But it wasn't over yet. Before the fusion warriors could get up, Ryan had already rushed into the fray.
The satellite images couldn't capture anything. Only occasional flashes of fire and collapsing buildings were visible. The Supreme Council watched in silence, as the scene was projected in front of them through holograms.
There was complete silence. Everyone, even the most pessimistic councillors, hadn't expected the outcome to be like this.
They couldn't stop him. Not at all.
The Fire Moth, with all its power, was helpless. They only saw the dust rolling toward the headquarters. The situation was completely out of their control.
Carius's fingers trembled slightly. He had known Ryan was strong, but not this strong.
Three high-level fusion warriors, more than a dozen fusion warrior teams, and heavy mechs—this firepower should have been enough to defeat even the Herrscher of Wind. But when the ice-blue dust spread to the outskirts of the city, some councillors could no longer stay seated.
"Stop him at all costs!"
"That's right! What are those three monsters doing? They can't let this go on. They must be in on it!"
"Building an underground city but no escape route? What were they thinking?"
The questions and accusations mixed together, and no one cared about formalities anymore. The once-secure fortress now felt like a cage, and Ryan's actions seemed to echo an ancient Chinese proverb.
Lie in the trap!