In the direction Siegfried was facing, a visible curtain of yellow was rapidly approaching.
Anyone who lived in this land would recognize it at a glance as the most terrifying disaster in the desert—a sandstorm.
But as Siegfried felt the wind scraping across his skin, his expression grew increasingly grave.
This wind speed was definitely not what the outer edge of a sandstorm should feel like... This level of cohesion could only be that thing—
A variant Honkai Emperor, the S-rank bounty target on [Spark]—the [Desert Emperor].
The very reason Siegfried and Cecilia had come here!
The good news: their intel was correct. The [Desert Emperor] was indeed active in this area.
The bad news: he was alone, he had a mysterious little girl with him, his arm was injured, and using "Judgment" was now restricted.
Can't fight it head-on! Siegfried made the decision in an instant.
He took half a step back, then quickly spun around and scooped Bianka up from the ground. This time, he changed his grip, tucking her under his arm like a briefcase.
He used his injured arm.
Waves of sharp pain shot up from his arm, contorting Siegfried's face into a grimace.
This successfully hard-CC'd Bianka.
She had also sensed the [Desert Emperor]'s arrival. Her body still felt a bit strange, and she was trying to get used to it when Siegfried swept her up and started running.
Bianka could tell that Siegfried's escape this time was completely different from before. He had been fast earlier, but there was always a sense that he was toying with his pursuer.
This time, Siegfried was truly running for his life.
Bianka didn't dare to speak, only using the smallest of movements to quickly adapt to her current body.
The process didn't take long. While acclimating to her body, Bianka also got a feel for the core's remaining power output. It wasn't much, but she could use it.
It could provide some support during a fight. If the output were a little higher, it could even be one of her main offensive methods. To make it her primary source of damage, however, the current output was nowhere near enough...
She could unleash that level of output, but the price would likely be...
It was best to keep that ability sealed away. With her current strength, protecting the man who was running with her despite his injuries from a [Honkai Emperor] was more than possible.
With that thought, Bianka gave up the idea of struggling to get away.
To protect Siegfried, she had to stay by his side. The required proximity was extremely strict—practically skin-to-skin. Only by treating every attack as if it were aimed at herself could Bianka be confident in blocking them all...
But...
Could they please change positions?!
Out of Siegfried's line of sight, Bianka's face was a mask of utter torment.
To Siegfried, Bianka was hardly any weight at all, and the sandstorm wasn't moving very fast. He quickly carried her out of the desert and into a barren plain of jagged, bone-like rocks.
This pockmarked landscape, dotted with bizarre rock pillars and wind-carved hoodoos, became their perfect hiding place.
Siegfried spotted a hole in the ground, jumped in with Bianka, and then moved deeper into the cave before stopping. He tilted his head, listening to the sounds outside.
Bianka was set down at this point, but she didn't move. She held her breath along with Siegfried, sensing the changes outside.
The sound of wind and sand quickly grew louder, gradually becoming a furious roar.
Siegfried pulled his hand back and made a "shush" gesture at Bianka before placing both hands on the Star of Judgment.
Amidst the raging wind, Bianka clearly heard a crisp click from the gun, as if a switch had been flipped.
Is it that attack from before?
Bianka immediately understood Siegfried's plan. If they couldn't hide from the Honkai Emperor, the moment it appeared, Siegfried would fire a Judgment shot without hesitation.
But the side effect of Judgment...
Bianka looked anxiously at Siegfried's trembling arm. That must be a serious injury... It's because I flipped that switch that he got hurt like this...
Filled with self-blame, Bianka placed her hands behind her back. Power began to circulate through her body. She was confident she could act faster than Siegfried. She had to take out the Honkai Emperor before he could get hurt again...
She couldn't let Siegfried get hurt because of her again!
---||---
Outside, invisible to the two of them, yellow sand danced wildly in the air. The scorching grains had become a storm of furious particles capable of tearing a person to shreds. The wind, so desperately sought in the desert, now carried a thick killing intent, determined to rip apart everything within its reach.
This was the desert's reaper of life.
And at the center of the sandstorm, a massive, sandy-yellow body floated in the air with a certain tranquility. The wind swirled around it, the sandstorm centered on it, as it moved at a steady pace across the rocky plain.
Like a divine messenger.
Moving with a grace unbecoming of a monster, the [Desert Emperor] came to a stop above the plain.
The sound of the wind did not change.
In the cave, Siegfried's nerves stretched to their breaking point. His finger, already on the trigger of the Star of Judgment, began to apply pressure, the trigger starting to depress.
The markings on the floating Honkai Emperor's body began to glow with a dim, yellow light. The rings and armor plates around it started to rotate slowly, then faster and faster...
Bianka couldn't help but bite her lip. Her perception of Honkai energy was far beyond Siegfried's. She could feel a massive amount of Honkai energy directly above them growing unstable, ready to erupt at any moment.
It was clearly aimed at them!
Shedding any last shred of wishful thinking, Bianka quietly moved closer to Siegfried and gently tugged on the corner of his clothes, ready to pull him out of the attack's range at a moment's notice.
...Is she scared?
Siegfried quickly glanced at the tense little girl clinging to his clothes. When he looked away, his decision was made.
I will not— / I will not—
Let him/her be harmed in any way!