In the spring of 2115, a sudden Honkai Eruption swept through Ishikawa City in the Far East. Thousands of Honkai Beasts launched an attack on Ishikawa City, and this city with a population of nearly three million was instantly plunged into a life-or-death crisis.
In response, the Far East Branch dispatched Squad 7 and a large number of support units in an attempt to quell this Honkai Eruption.
A white horde of beasts rampaged through the city's outskirts. Buildings were reduced to rubble under the behemoths' charge, and splinters of brick and cement scattered across the ground.
Soon, there were no intact buildings left in sight, and the undiminished horde began its advance towards the city center.
As the beasts rampaged, the human army finally arrived on the battlefield.
On the ground, tanks rolled in on their treads, the roar of their cannons announcing their arrival.
Although the firepower of a single tank was insignificant against Honkai Beasts tens of meters tall, only barely able to breach their tough hides, their number of nearly seven hundred compensated for the lack of individual power, causing considerable trouble for the beast horde.
In the sky, aircraft whizzed past, the bombs they dropped marking their passage.
With air superiority, these planes could easily attack places inaccessible to the tanks' cannons, delivering equal destruction to the Honkai Beasts. Even if a few Assault-class and Templar-class beasts took to the air, the vast sky still belonged to these nimble aircraft. Not to mention the three hundred fighters, the difference in attack range alone was enough for these jets to kite the airborne Honkai Beasts to death.
And amidst the overcast sky, although the dogfight between Honkai Beasts and fighter jets was quite eye-catching, the most attention-grabbing sight was the hundred-meter-long, silver-grey floating warship. Compared to the toy-like jets, it was clear that a weapon of this scale was the humans' ace in the hole.
Its massive size allowed it not only to carry a sufficiently powerful Honkai Energy Reactor and corresponding cannons but also to serve as a temporary airbase, providing supplies for the aircraft unleashing their firepower.
At this moment, this behemoth was not to be outdone. Nearly a hundred cannons of various types extended from all parts of the warship. Terrifying shells shot out from the long barrels, landing amidst the Honkai Beast horde and causing one thunderous explosion after another, displaying its heart-stopping destructive power.
And as the battle began, the ground troops were also guiding the evacuation of civilians, leading them away from this place destined to become ruins after today.
Although reluctant to leave their homes, in the face of tens-of-meters-tall Honkai Beasts and ceaseless cannon fire, no one was willing to linger for a second longer. They all followed the guide troops to flee this hellish place.
But even with the army's guidance and obstruction, in the face of the frenzied Honkai Beasts, fleeing crowds were still occasionally caught and killed, their red blood adding a vibrant splash of color to the grey ground.
In the face of the Honkai, life seemed so fragile.
"Damn it! These damn Honkai Beasts!"
Watching the Honkai Beasts' actions on the warship's screen, a woman with a long brown ponytail gritted her teeth, her right hand unconsciously gripping the red greatsword on her back.
"Alright, Giovanna, calm down! It's not our time to strike yet. Keep your composure, don't let your emotions get the best of you!"
A woman with long, wine-red hair glanced at her indignant team member and shouted in a deep voice.
"Yes! I understand, Captain."
After being lectured by the captain, Giovanna's expression calmed somewhat, but the murderous intent in her eyes did not diminish much.
"Hah~ When you can be as composed as Ming Yu, I'll be at ease. Although this kid is just a junior, when it comes to calmness, you can't compare to him!"
Her gaze lingering for a moment on the man holding a black longsword on the other side, the wine-red-haired Valkyrie sighed.
Giving Captain Ajifu a helpless look, Ming Yu could no longer remain silent and could only say with an awkward smile, "Although Senior Giovanna is indeed a bit impulsive at times, it's not a big problem."
*At least, compared to a certain white-haired fluffball who only knows how to be reckless, she's already very composed,* Ming Yu added silently in his heart, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
Hearing Ming Yu's words, Giovanna's somewhat downcast eyes lit up. She gave Ming Yu an approving look and looked at Ajifu with some expectation.
"You..." Glaring at Ming Yu with a hint of annoyance, Ajifu looked at Giovanna again and said helplessly, "Fine, just remember not to run too far and stick close to us, otherwise I can't protect you!"
Patting the crimson dual pistols at her waist, Ajifu's face grew more serious, her green eyes staring straight at the brown-haired girl.
"Got it." Looking at the serious captain, Giovanna also wiped the extra expressions from her face and replied in a low voice.
But as her gaze swept over the man beside her, Giovanna still muttered defiantly, "Even if you don't look after me, there's still 'Ghostblade'..."
Although Giovanna's voice was low, as a powerful A-rank Valkyrie, and with them being so close, how could Ajifu not hear that complaint?
Hearing Giovanna's "muttering," Ajifu's gaze couldn't help but shift to the man with an innocent expression.
Regarding this man who had just joined her squad two months ago, she initially didn't understand the organization's decision.
As one of the few elite squads in the Far East Branch, Squad 7's standard configuration should have been two A-rank Valkyries. No matter how tight manpower was, elite squads should always have top priority in personnel allocation, at least one A-rank Valkyrie and two senior B-rank Valkyries.
A newcomer like Ming Yu, who had passed the assessment less than half a year ago, should not have appeared in Squad 7 under any circumstances. Especially since Squad 5, another elite squad, was in a semi-retired state due to its captain's personal reasons, Squad 7 should have received even more attention from the organization.
Elite squads exist on the battlefield to be the tip of the spear, to undertake the most dangerous missions, not to be babysitters!
Teaching newcomers about warfare and helping them adapt to the battlefield is the job of regular squads.
An elite squad is the tip of a blade composed of elites, responsible only for tearing open the battlefield.
Although she had heard that this Ming Yu had achieved excellent results in the Valkyrie exam, for the harsh reality of the battlefield, his credentials still classified him as a novice and proved nothing.
Although she had reluctantly accepted the organization's orders, as the captain, Ajifu still didn't give this newcomer a warm welcome, not believing he had what it took to stay in an elite squad.
And faced with the captain's cold shoulder, the somewhat silent Ming Yu didn't argue with words, but chose to let his sword do the talking, demonstrating his value in one mission after another.
Soon, with his outstanding strength, Ming Yu completely dispelled Ajifu's concerns and quickly made a name for himself on the battlefield as "Ghostblade."
Looking at the black longsword in the man's hand, designated as the 18th Holy Relic, Ajifu couldn't help but think of that demonic red figure.
Just as Ajifu was lost in thought, an anxious voice rang out: "Report! An Emperor-class Honkai Beast has been spotted in Sector S3!"
Coming back to her senses, she looked at the slowly opening cabin door, then back at her two team members, and said in a deep voice, "All hands, prepare for battle. Our fight is about to begin!"