The sea roiled with pale waves, and in the blink of an eye, the battlefield, once filled with violence, fell eerily silent.
A flying disc trailed with flames, while the black-armored warrior gripped a sleek rifle. She stared out at the sea for more than ten seconds before pressing the button on his neck.
Click.
The mask detached, revealing a youthful, almost childlike face. She looked around seventeen or eighteen, with light blue hair, purple eyeshadow, and lipstick that gave her a slightly odd appearance. Her face, slightly round and expressionless, resembled a cold doll's.
"The Divine Keys struck; the target is silent. No Honkai energy or life signs detected."
Her voice was even and monotone. If not for the sweat sticking her bangs to her forehead, one would think she hadn't just participated in a fierce battle.
"Freya, are you sure?" The voice of Carius crackled through the communicator, heavy with gravity.
He had watched the entire battle unfold. His only takeaway was Ryan's ridiculous strength. Alone, he had practically fought against over 60% of the Fire Moth's combat power. Carius had almost been forced to step in personally. Had Elysia and the others joined, even just two of them, it could have shifted the tides of the entire situation.
"Not sure."
Her response made Carius's heart skip a beat. He blurted, "Then find a way to confirm it."
"Wayne's already leading a team out there," Freya replied, watching as her comrades jumped into the sea. Slowly, she raised her gaze. "But with them here, I don't have time to confirm anything."
Far off on the horizon, fire clouds thickened. The looming presence of the Herrscher was unmistakable. But there was no fear or hatred in the girl's eyes—only the cold realization of just how coincidental it all seemed. He arrived right after the battle's conclusion, leaving no time for any investigation.
She hovered silently in the air, waiting for orders, not saying a word.
In fact, the large screen on the Minerva's bridge had already displayed a terrible shadow. Thanks to "Skynet" surveillance, a vortex cloud was rapidly approaching—eerily resembling the eye of a storm.
The Herrscher had not only arrived but had done so at the perfect time. After a night of conflict, one-fifth of the city lay in ruins, and the gathered fusion warriors were exhausted. The idea that Ryan might have made a deal with the Herrscher and betrayed them started to seem more plausible.
But before that thought could settle, two friendly identification signals appeared on the screen.
"Is that... Captain Kevin and Miss Elysia?"
The CIC's voice was filled with excitement, but to Carius, it was more a confirmation of what he already expected.
How could Ryan possibly be a traitor? To prevent any hidden risks, he had likely kept these two far from the front lines.
Had they participated, they could have crushed the underground resistance last night. With them on board, no one would have stood in their way.
Carius frowned, his mind still uneasy. Something felt off, illogical even. But after much thought, there was no clear answer.
"It's all too great, too sacrificial, full of mission and purpose. It's a pity that those selfish people can't see your struggles."
A sarcastic smile played on his lips as he pressed the communication button. "End the search. Come back with Wayne. Don't get involved in the battle."
"Sir, we should gather our forces and fight alongside Miss Elysia!" The adjutant's objection came loud and clear. Everyone on the bridge turned to face him, their faces filled with confusion.
This wasn't right. The battle wasn't over yet. There was no reason to sit idly by and watch.
Carius stayed calm in the face of the opposition, explaining, "The Herrscher's timing is too perfect. How do we know if those two are not working with the Herrscher? If they are, we could be wiped out instantly."
"Miss Elysia would never betray us..."
"Look at the ruins under your feet. This destruction wasn't caused by the Herrscher. Even if there's some misunderstanding, we can't make any moves before a thorough investigation."
"But—"
"Follow the orders. Our mission is to protect the Parliament. Think about it: if the Cocoon and the remaining fusion warriors are destroyed, no one will be left to resist. Do you want to see humanity's civilization end today?"
At this, there was nothing more to say. Even the most passionate voices had to quiet down.
"But we can't explain this to the warriors," came the soft protest.
Carius smiled, a knowing smile. "They'll understand. If they don't, I'll explain it myself. But we're not retreating. We're just regrouping. Once we confirm the Herrscher's connection to Dr. Ryan, we'll support the mission immediately. This is the most rational decision."
His words were flawless. With no further objections, he looked out at the vast ocean, a hint of worry crossing his face before he masked it with a forced smile.
"Alert all troops to assemble on this ship. Retreat strategically and fortify the core area!"
The Herrscher wouldn't wait for them to catch up, and their plans had already been disrupted. What could they do?
"What? Retreat order?"
Vinal received the command with disbelief. The Herrscher was already there, and it seemed Miss Elysia had gone to confront the threat. How could they possibly retreat?
Not just him—every fusion warrior exchanged puzzled glances. They didn't understand the purpose of this fight, only that they had followed orders mechanically up until now.
Even if they believed Dr. Ryan had betrayed them, it would be impossible to doubt Miss Elysia.
How could someone like her possibly join forces with the Herrscher? And if such a powerful force had been saved for the final moments, Ryan would have been unable to reach the city center if it had been deployed hours earlier.
Rather than being a defense, the cocoon felt more like a harvester.
"Captain, what now?" Kosma expression darkened. He didn't believe that Ryan had just given up like that.
"We can't participate in this battle anymore. Today's conflict is full of unanswered questions. I'm not interested in fighting to the death. Let's retreat and figure things out."
Kosma said nothing in response, his exhaustion taking over as he remained silent.
Had this battle been a result of Dr. Ryan's aggression? Or was it the unreasonable actions of the Fire Council? How had the Herrscher arrived just in time?
Questions swirled in their minds. Just as the unease reached its peak, a voice interrupted.
"Let's not go to the Minerva. We'll head straight to the ground headquarters and wait there."
The soldiers in the ruins turned at the sound of the voice, spotting a tired young man with blonde hair.
Coleman had arrived, his usual stylish purple suit wrinkled and messy. He had disappeared during the latter half of last night's battle, while the other three upper fusion warriors had been frozen into ice sculptures. His words were heavy.
"But the orders…"
"Who cares?" Coleman interjected sharply, his usual levity gone. "I'm the commander of this battle. With the Herrscher here, our top priority is to regain strength and prepare for defense."
There was a brief hesitation among the soldiers, no one making a move. Finally, Werner stepped forward.
"I agree with the major's view. Kosma, take a team and move the ice sculptures."
The commanders had come to a consensus, and the rest of the soldiers followed suit. No one cared who gave the orders as long as they were followed.
As the group scattered, Coleman and Werner exchanged a brief glance, a silent understanding between them. Though they came from different departments, the recognition was clear.
In the midst of chaos, Coleman suddenly waved his hand and turned to leave. Werner stood still for a moment, his gaze locked on the ice-blue stone glinting in Coleman's palm. The same energy fluctuation as the ice from the night before.
That was the Herrscher Core.
...
"Hehe, Sakura and the others have already started."
As the crew sought shelter, the tanker drifted with the waves like a ghost. On the deck, Elysia stood with her hands behind her back, walking briskly and idly playing with a valve.
The white-haired young man glanced at her, then at the approaching fiery clouds in the sky. "According to Dr. Mobius, Major Andevich should be taking action. According to the plan, he should contact Major Coleman and use their friends' identities, along with the Herrscher's body, to sway them ideologically."
"Plus, Ryan will handle the other fusion warriors. That way, we keep an important force neutral. Hey, are you even listening?"
Kevin's lips were dry when he spoke, but his frustration grew as he saw Elysia retreating to avoid the splashing oil.
"I'm listening. It's a great plan, worthy of their idea." The girl nodded nonchalantly before bouncing back in front of Kevin, hands behind her back, and studying him carefully.
"What are you doing?"
"Kevin, are you a little nervous?"
The corner of the young man's eye twitched. With the Seventh and Sixth Herrschers so close, it would be strange if he wasn't nervous, so he took a small step back.
"One thing—I'm more worried about Mei. She's in the headquarters, and she can't protect herself." Kevin clenched his fists, trembling slightly. If Ryan hadn't stopped him, he would have gone to the meeting alone.
They could escape at any time if things turned sour, but Mei was in the most danger. If those people were tied to the Herrscher and betrayed humanity, they'd undoubtedly kill her.
A murderous rage swelled in Kevin as he imagined Mei's bloody figure in his absence.
Elysia felt his concern and patted his shoulder in a mature manner. "Don't worry, Ryan planned everything, and he guaranteed Mei won't be in danger."
"But this difficulty..."
"Don't you trust him?"
Kevin looked at Elysia's relaxed face and paused for a long time. Then, he nodded, as if making up his mind.
"I trust him."
"Good. Now, trust him and do your part. Well, I haven't fought with the Herrscher for a long time." Elysia bounced away, doing chest-expansion exercises. "What are you still standing around for? I don't want to wait for Hua and the others to solve it."
As the battle began, all plans were set into motion. Kevin wasn't sure how many steps the plan was divided into, but as Elysia said—
The roaring flames fell from the sky as if they would consume the entire sea. The white-haired young man stood resolute, like a javelin, and raised his fist.
Trust Ryan and do your job.
...
It finally began.
Meanwhile, deep underground, the lens displayed data on the screen.
The noise from outside was deafening, but Mei continued to summarize the observation data from the imaginary space, as if everything happening outside were of no concern to her.
She didn't need to ask about the situation. The erratic Honkai reaction was enough to give her an idea. With the intelligence she had gathered, she could even predict the next steps:
Start the war with an aggressive stance. The parliament's orders could be executed by the fusion warriors, but the reasoning would be insufficient.Use their strongest force to launch a surprise attack. The speed shouldn't be too fast, and they needed to force their enemies to reveal their cards.If the Herrscher arrives, find a way to escape, then have Elysia stop him. The Herrscher was their true master, and these people wouldn't attack with full force—they'd more likely find an excuse to sit back and watch.Exploit the confusion among the fusion warriors, and have Andevich appear with the Herrscher's body to keep them neutral, setting up the groundwork for controlling Fire Moth later.The fifth step...
Mei paused and slowly removed her glasses. She wasn't sure what came next, but this step had gone smoothly. It was impressive, not due to her intellect, but because she understood human nature so well.
She had calculated the selfishness and fear of death among the Fire Moth's high-ranking officials, the desperate attempts of the Faith Faction, and the confusion among the Fusion Warriors. By intervening in every crucial moment, she had handed the results to probability.
Foolish gamblers blindly suppress risk, but smart gamblers play the odds. Even if mistakes were made, she had at least three backup plans.
"Yes, I'm really curious to see how this develops. You should do it more thoroughly." Mei smiled, as though she were talking to a confidant. On the road to becoming a cunning mastermind, few could match her.
Even if the Seventh Herrscher was absurdly strong and the Sixth Herrscher's authority unknown, Elysia and Kevin should be able to handle it. They'd surely be frantic when they realized the Fusion Warriors were uncontrollable—they'd think of her then.
Mei carefully placed her glasses into their case, pulled out a rubber band, and tied her long hair into a ponytail, looking sharp and efficient.
It wouldn't be so easy to use me as a pawn.
Click.
The automatic door unlocked, and fully armed soldiers, led by a Cocoon, rushed in. But as soon as they entered, they froze.
The computer screen flickered with obscure data, but there was no sign of Mei. After a moment, the soldiers exchanged confused glances.
This was impossible. There was no way out of the secure room. It was a sealed iron house—how could a delicate scientist have escaped?
"Hurry, search the entire underground!" The Cocoon ordered decisively, though he had no idea what had happened. He just knew something was terribly wrong.
This was his trump card. How could it disappear so inexplicably?
The soldiers quickly scattered, searching the file cabinets, even the cracks in the desk—looking like they were digging through the walls.
In a dark corner, Mei watched them silently. The soldier closest to her was only half a meter away, yet he passed by, unaware of her presence.
In this tense moment, Mei remained expressionless, her thoughts occupied by one thing:
That serum turned me, a failed product with a 96% failure rate, into a fusion warrior. Ryan, you truly are full of surprises. No wonder Mobius is devoted to you.
There was no doubt this was a miracle, given the serum's high failure rate. Even though there were many benefits, Mei never intended to undergo a super-transformation procedure, let alone gamble on the 4% chance Ryan provided.
But before leaving the headquarters, Mobius had sent her a gift—a gift with results but no explanation of its principles. The purified blood had come from Ryan.
Mei used it without hesitation, and the results exceeded her expectations. Had it not been for this gift, she would have left Fire Moth long ago.
"If this secret gets out, the congressmen will go crazy. Aren't they obsessed with immortality and power? I never thought the answer would be right in front of them."
A sarcastic smile crept onto her face. How interesting. The things those people strain their minds to obtain are actually right under their noses. But why didn't Ryan tempt them?
"Because they don't deserve it? You're so proud, you'd rather take a bigger risk."
Mei shook her head helplessly and left the laboratory. Her high heels clicked against the floor, but the armed fusion warriors were oblivious to her presence.
She moved like a ghost, ignoring the cameras, walking into the elevator as if she belonged to a different world. The soldiers rushing to support her didn't even notice.
"Then I'll take the initiative and help you with one more thing. If you want to take down Fire Moth, you'll have to take it all."
The elevator door slid shut, and Mei pressed the button for the "administrative level." She had been under constant surveillance for a long time and had not participated in the plan. She didn't even know Ryan's current status.
But for the two of them, communication had become redundant and inefficient.
After a night of fighting, the situation hadn't been resolved. In fact, it was slipping into an even more complicated direction.
The Herrscher had arrived and was battling Kevin and Elysia in the outer sea. The aftermath of the battle continued to ripple through, making the councillors, who had just begun to feel secure and were preparing to flee, hesitate.
Now, retreating would be tantamount to suicide. The only option was to wait patiently. At least there were heavy troops stationed outside—this was the safest place in the world.
Due to the unknown whereabouts of the Sixth Herrscher, they issued a clear order: the fusion warriors led by Coleman were to stay at their posts, guarding the entrance and not participating in the battle, no matter what.
As for the warriors, no matter how aggrieved they were, they would have to wait. The priority was keeping heavy soldiers around for protection until other branches could provide support.
But just as things seemed under control, news of Dr. Mei's disappearance reached them, sending everyone into a panic. They had fought all night and still didn't know whether Ryan was alive or dead. Even Carius was full of doubts.
"Dr. Mei is missing, and we still can't find her?" The general manager, having seen too many "impossible" situations, was the first to react. His gut told him that there was a traitor involved who had helped Mei escape.
She didn't leave earlier, but now, at this very moment, which was incredibly suspicious.
"Dr. Ryan is definitely still alive. He hasn't given up!" one of them said.
"You mean, he's using this chaos, with the Herrscher's arrival, to try to escape and destroy the parliament?" someone asked.
"It's very likely," Carius said, gripping the table with both hands, replaying the events in his mind. Something felt off.
Escape during the chaos and sneak in? But even if he did, what would he gain? Threatening the councillors into cooperating by force? If he tried that, within five days, they'd turn on him and label him a "traitor."
Carius knew better than to think that simply talking would make Fire Moth ignore everything that had happened.
That was impossible. No matter what happened today, the threat was real. Even through the holographic images, Carius could feel the murderous intent from the council.
If he felt that threat, he knew he had to eliminate it first.
"Let Carius send someone. The entire underground city is on the highest alert. Close the protective doors of all areas. No one is allowed to enter the administrative level."
"Yes, sir."
"Wait a minute." Carius hesitated, then clenched his teeth and made his decision. "Tell Dr. Damian to release the 'beast.'"
Looking at the fear in his subordinates' eyes, he waved them off, then looked at the councillors, who had been working all day with weary eyes. He still felt something wasn't right.
What could he do if Ryan showed up? He had already failed, except to vent his anger.
Carius couldn't figure it out. He really couldn't. But there was one thing he was sure of.
Ryan would come.
In the deep sea, the water absorbed all light, and the pressure of a thousand meters was enough to crush steel. Even a fusion warrior would expend a lot of honkai energy just to dive to this depth.
But for Ryan, who controlled fluids, this environment was the perfect battlefield.
He sank deep into the sea, his back facing upward, surrounded by strange deep-sea creatures. It was as quiet as if he had returned to his mother's amniotic fluid, with only his gray eyes still staring upward.
His eyes were dull, with no energy reaction, and the large hole in his chest showed no sign of bleeding—he looked like a corpse that had been dead for a long time.
He hadn't come, but he still had a plan.
Ryan's expression changed slightly, and his entire state was eerily calm. Just now, he had used his authority to freeze his vitality, making him appear as a dead man to any detector. It would be strange if anyone found him.
This fits the second scenario. They won't dare to contact the Herrscher on the surface. The Cocoon can be considered an enemy.
His life force was cut off, but his mind was still racing. Dozens of possibilities for the second scenario flashed through his mind, and he selected the most probable ones for calculation.
Based on the timing, Ying had already entered New York. He had spared Coleman last night, and Coleman should be contacting Andevich soon. With the Herrscher of Ice's body, identifying who was loyal and who wasn't shouldn't be difficult.
Coleman had a very small chance of calling on the fusion warriors to help him, but it was highly likely they could remain neutral, thus dividing the enemy.
But the enemy wasn't foolish. His disappearance would only lower their guard for a brief moment before they responded.
Carius and the others wanted to protect themselves, while the Faith Faction would seize the opportunity to kill them all and pin the blame on him. Mei, however, would foresee this hidden danger.
Four parties were battling for control, each with their own ulterior motives. Countless possibilities intertwined, and the future became a tangled mess. Even a small coincidence could change everything.
But—
In the deep sea, Ryan's gray eyes suddenly flashed with emotion. The large hole in his chest healed rapidly, the frozen vitality unsealing, and an immense power radiated outward.
The hero was rising from death, the warrior emerging from the grave.
"I will take that step, no matter what!"