"I'm no amateur. I'm a professional."
As he said those words, Leo Ash actually felt...
scared out of his wits.
It was ridiculous.
Even though he had already used Mind Like Still Water, the fear welling up from the depths of his heart still made his body want to tremble instinctively.
But looking at Leo Ash's calm expression, Kiana couldn't tell what he was really thinking.
"A professional?"
Looking at Leo Ash, Kiana was no longer as mild-mannered as before, and poked him directly.
"With this body that doesn't have a shred of muscle, aren't you just running to your death, Senior?"
"Thinking back now, that move you used to shatter the floor—you can't actually use it often, can you?"
"Otherwise, you could have just used that move to intimidate me from the start. Why did you have to parry for so long?"
...Damn, how is this silly kid's brain working faster and faster?
"See, you're not denying it."
Looking at Leo Ash, Kiana said huffily.
"And even if you can use that move, if you run into a large number of Honkai Beasts and Honkai Zombies, you'll still be done for."
"This young lady has fought Honkai Beasts before. I know how tough they are. Senior, you..."
"I don't intend to fight them head-on."
At that moment, Leo Ash forcefully suppressed the fear in his heart and continued to speak to Kiana with the same calm demeanor.
"I have a trump card against the Honkai, and this trump card can even take down the highest-level Honkai apostles, the [Herrschers]."
"But that doesn't stop you from coming with me. Why do I have to go alone..."
"I don't have time to waste on you right now!"
Leo Ash stepped forward, grabbed Kiana by the collar, and spoke with a ferocious expression.
"Do I have to spell it out for you? It's much more convenient for me to act alone. If you follow, you'll just be a burden."
"The people from my organization have detected that a Honkai Eruption will occur here. They'll come this way sooner or later. When that time comes, you won't be able to leave even if you want to!"
"If I can't leave, then I won't..."
Before Kiana could finish, she felt Leo Ash's fist about to hit her in the face.
If she hadn't sensed his movement with her intuition and dodged at the last second, Kiana was sure that punch would have given her a nosebleed at the very least.
"You, what are you doing!"
Looking at Leo Ash, who had now assumed a fighting stance, Kiana said, feeling a little wronged.
"This young lady was just..."
"Get lost."
"If you don't, I'll knock you out and leave you here."
"I've already told you, I don't have time to waste on this. If you really care about me..."
"—then don't fucking make things difficult for me!"
Looking at Leo Ash's ferocious expression, Kiana finally realized that the aura emanating from him was continuously rising.
He was serious.
Whether it was his decision to go to the battlefield alone or his wish for her to survive safely, Leo Ash was serious.
"...I understand."
Kiana got on the motorcycle, put her helmet back on, and then looked back at Leo Ash one last time.
"Senior, don't die."
"Yeah, I know."
Watching Kiana leave, Leo Ash let out a deep breath.
Only now did he realize how immature he still was.
Having made his decision, Leo Ash had thought he could rely on Mind Like Still Water to suppress his emotions and act rationally.
But now, after confirming that Kiana was far away, Leo Ash took out the third motorcycle he had prepared from his storage space.
Just the simple act of getting on the motorcycle made Leo Ash feel his body trembling.
Mind Like Still Water, this ability was a state of mind that the Gundam Fighter [King of Hearts] Domon Kasshu only comprehended in a desperate situation.
And before that, he had experienced the cruel ordeal of his father being cryogenically frozen, his mother's death, his older brother becoming a fugitive, and his master's betrayal.
Under the torment of these experiences, Domon Kasshu, a master martial artist, finally comprehended the state of mind known as Mind Like Still Water.
And what about Leo Ash?
Perhaps compared to the King of Hearts, it seemed he was only missing an older brother.
But in reality, the differences between them were far too many.
Compared to Domon, Leo Ash, who was an orphan from the start, had never felt familial love from others, nor had he ever held such feelings for others.
Sometimes, never having possessed this kind of affection might be much more fortunate than possessing it and then losing it all.
His skills were given to him by the System.
His state of mind wasn't up to par. In a life-or-death moment, he could only rely on this skill to suppress the fear in his heart.
Right now, he was far from completely mastering this skill; he was having difficulty even maintaining it.
"Tch... what am I even afraid of?"
That's right, there's nothing to be afraid of.
With Kevin not yet out, Su still peeking, and Fu Hua in a weakened state, Siegfried is undoubtedly the strongest person in the world.
Even if he has lost an arm, the years of tragic experiences have brought him not only sorrow and pain but have also honed his combat skills and mental state.
In terms of physical performance, Siegfried has indeed become weaker.
But in terms of mentality and skill, Siegfried is definitely stronger than he was fourteen years ago.
In his current state, he just needs to wear down the Herrscher of Thunder's power, and I'll have a chance to take her down with the HSN serum.
So now...
Looking at the still-spreading Honkai Energy ahead, Leo Ash, having taken out the HSN serum, injected it directly into his own body.
Using 20% of the serum to counter the spreading Honkai Energy should be enough.
The remaining eighty percent will be used as a trump card.
After injecting 20% of the HSN serum, Leo Ash could feel that his physical functions hadn't declined at all.
Thinking about it, it made sense. The HSN serum was what Dr. Magi created to turn Valkyries back into ordinary humans after his granddaughter died.
For Leo Ash, who had no Honkai Energy in his body, this thing was purely a Honkai Energy protective shield.
At least for now, the HSN serum had few negative effects on Leo Ash.
And just as he finished his preparations, he heard the System's voice again.
[After sending away that not-so-lovely junior in such a forceful way, you know your chance has come.]
Wow, what chance? A chance to court death?
[At the end of the day, there are only a few things one pursues in life. You know deep down that this system in your hands is unreliable, so you decide to—carve out a path for yourself.]
...No, it's not that bad.
I think apart from your trolling narration, you're actually quite reliable at other times.
[To get what you want, you can only offer up achievements worthy of realizing your ambitions.]
[Go forth, Host! Offer up the Herrscher of Thunder, Siegfried Kaslana, and the Judgment of Shamash in his hands as a sacrifice! Only by doing this—]
I think I'll pass on that.
Siegfried held back when he fought me. To go and steal his kill now, and even target him...
I'm not a good person, but I can't get over that hurdle in my heart.
[Can't get over that hurdle? Having said that, you immediately begin to laugh coldly.]
[Yes, that is indeed the right thing to do. A living Siegfried is much more useful. And if you were to mess with Siegfried and cause an accident, K423 might still go berserk.]
Alright, enough with the nonsense.
[See, I told you—you basically won't listen to anything the System says anyway, so there's no problem with the System just shooting its mouth off.]
Yeah.
In the end, the only person who can decide the path forward is me.
Watching the Honkai Beasts appearing ahead, Leo Ash forced himself to calm down and pushed the motorcycle to its top speed in the shortest time possible.
But something's a bit strange.
Most of them are Chariot-class and Knight-class, and they're all small.
If I didn't know the plot, I would even think this isn't the Third Eruption with a Herrscher awakening at all.
Did I miss some detail, or perhaps.....
Mei, is actually not completely asleep?
....
'Bang!'
With the sound of a gunshot, the Herrscher of Thunder looked at the wound on her lower ribs and clicked her tongue in annoyance.
It had only been a few minutes since their clash began, but the Herrscher of Thunder had already realized that the man before her was no simple foe.
Although this man had only one hand, in terms of strength, he really knew his stuff.
Just by firing single shots with one hand, he had used the pistol imbued with the power of the [Herrscher of Flame] to break through her defenses countless times.
Although she had mostly avoided vital spots after gaining some experience, the [Herrscher of Flame] was the most destructive Herrscher. Even though the Herrscher of Flame was long dead and her core had been made into a weapon, her power was still something the Herrscher of Thunder couldn't ignore.
In addition to her electromagnetic shield, the Herrscher of Thunder had even deployed a layer of Honkai Energy veil around her body for defense.
However, his precise attacks managed to penetrate the shield and the veil every time, grazing her body.
Even if these attacks didn't do much damage individually, the accumulated damage was something the Herrscher of Thunder could no longer ignore.
However, it was all worth it.
After discovering that her long-range attacks were having trouble hitting him, the Herrscher of Thunder began to close the distance while dodging.
The Herrscher of Thunder could use electromagnetic acceleration to achieve a momentary burst of speed.
And with two of her Wings of Thunder remaining, she could move even more freely by relying on the mobility they provided during that speed burst.
If long-range attacks don't work, then close-quarters combat should be fine.
This was the Herrscher of Thunder's tactic.
Simple, but the Herrscher of Thunder was also certain—there was nothing majorly wrong with this tactic.
That white-haired man had another gun emanating the power of flame at his waist.
But he only had one hand.
Facing a one-handed old cripple whose weapon was a pistol, the Herrscher of Thunder felt it would be too disgraceful if she couldn't win.
Now, the Herrscher of Thunder could feel a stabbing pain in her brain.
Damn it, is that crybaby trying to cause trouble.....
Tsk, I don't have much time to waste on this maggot.
The distance is close enough, so now.....
At this moment, watching Siegfried fire again, the Herrscher of Thunder unleashed the Honkai Energy within her and charged to Siegfried's side.
"Wha—"
"It's over, human."
At that moment, a tachi appeared at the Herrscher of Thunder's waist.
But at the same time, Siegfried, in her eyes, made a move she couldn't comprehend.
At this moment, Siegfried didn't point his gun at the Herrscher of Thunder, but instead, very strangely, tossed his beloved gun into the air.
"Yeah, it's over, Herrscher."
Swiftly drawing the other Judgment of Shamash from his waist, Siegfried used the hilt of the gun in his hand to block the Herrscher of Thunder's point-blank slash.
And because Siegfried was already prepared, he actually managed to withstand the fierce impact without taking a single step back.
Siegfried, standing firm on the ground, could have completely used some special techniques to offset part of the impact force after being knocked back by an enemy.
But Siegfried knew that if he retreated now, he would truly lose his chance.
The Herrscher of Thunder was constantly trying to get close to Siegfried, and of course, Siegfried had noticed.
He was a warrior who had been through countless battles. With his rich combat experience, how could he not see through her little trick?
But he still chose to let her achieve her goal.
After all.....
—it wasn't just the Herrscher of Thunder who needed to get close to him; he also needed to get close to the Herrscher of Thunder.
Enduring the stinging pain from the electric currents coursing through his body, Siegfried kicked out at the Herrscher of Thunder.
At such a close distance, the Herrscher of Thunder's shield, which had shattered earlier and had not yet had time to be repaired, certainly couldn't completely block Siegfried's kick.
The Herrscher of Thunder, kicked away, immediately performed a ukemi and rolled back up from the ground.
And then.....
"Heh, perfect timing."
Siegfried, having tossed the other Judgment of Shamash into the air again, now stretched his remaining arm towards the sky.
And the moment the falling Judgment of Shamash and the just-thrown Judgment of Shamash connected in mid-air.....
—a terrifying flame instantly erupted from the Judgment of Shamash, spreading outwards.
Siegfried, directly below the Judgment of Shamash, now gripped the greatsword form of the unsealed weapon and pointed it at the Herrscher of Thunder before him.
"Tricking you into showing an opening....."
"—Heh, doesn't seem too hard, Herrscher."
"You...!"
The Herrscher of Thunder, locked onto by Siegfried, didn't dare to make a single move.
Feeling the Honkai Energy fluctuations continuously emanating from the Judgment of Shamash, for the first time, the Herrscher of Thunder felt a mortal threat from this opponent she had previously considered 'just a bit troublesome'.
She didn't even dare to make any superfluous movements.
Because at this moment, the Herrscher of Thunder was certain that if she dared to move rashly and reveal any opening, the opponent would definitely use this terrifyingly powerful greatsword to slash through her shield and kill her on the spot.
But on the other side, although Siegfried, holding the greatsword, looked relaxed, only he knew that his time was running out.
The Herrscher of Thunder's authority seemed to be just lightning, but as Schicksal's former strongest warrior, Siegfried had seen Schicksal's database.
With near-highest level clearance, Siegfried had once seen in the database that the Herrscher of Thunder not only had the ability to control electromagnetic fields, but this ability also included two applications: a "super electric field surrounding the body that insulates against physical and energy attacks" and an "electromagnetic pulse that breaks chemical bonds within molecules".
And now, the currents constantly flowing through his body were naturally trying to destroy his body from within.
If it weren't for Siegfried's high physical constitution, the aftershock from the opponent's earlier slash with the lightning tachi would have been enough to vaporize him.
And now, having unleashed the greatsword mode of the Judgment of Shamash, Siegfried had to endure not only the Herrscher of Thunder's authority attack but also the searing pain from the weapon itself.
The torment of double pain could not make this tough man's heart yield.
But sometimes, mental fortitude... isn't enough.
His body was no longer what it used to be due to the overuse of the [Power of Salvation]. If this torment continued, he would soon be unable to even hold the sword.
Thirty seconds.
I only have thirty seconds.
Within this time, I have to inflict serious but not fatal damage on Mei, then knock her out, and everything might be over.
So.....
Kiana, Cecilia, and... Kiana.
Grant me strength!
At this moment, flames surged from the greatsword in Siegfried's hand, erupting outwards.
And the Herrscher of Thunder, who was extremely close to Siegfried, now found that a drop of cold sweat had inadvertently trickled down her face.....
Before this drop of sweat hit the ground, it was instantly evaporated.
This is... cold sweat?
Am I... afraid?
I'm actually afraid of a maggot?!
The Herrscher of Thunder, having realized this, was now incomparably furious.
But it was precisely because her state of mind had been greatly shaken that Siegfried—found the opening he needed.
"Mei, grit your teeth and bear it!"
"Judgment..."
"—Unleashed!"
Siegfried, holding the sword with one hand, poured all his strength into the blade at this moment and slashed towards the girl before him.
But at this moment, the terrified Herrscher of Thunder, on the contrary, erupted with even greater power than before due to her fear.
"Human—how could I possibly lose to you!"
At this moment, the Herrscher of Thunder gripped her tachi with both hands, imbued the blade with her authority, and slashed with all her might at Siegfried's greatsword.
"Just—die!"
As the two sources of Honkai Energy erupted and collided on the battlefield, the Herrscher of Thunder could feel that her body was indeed suffering from intense pain.
But on the other side, Siegfried, who was gritting his teeth and trying to unleash even greater power, found that.....
his stamina was failing.
Because of the currents flowing through his body, Siegfried even felt his wrist beginning to go numb.
Unable to fight with his full strength, Siegfried was the first to fall in this confrontation.
As Siegfried was sent flying by the impact of the forces, the Judgment of Shamash in his hand disintegrated in mid-air.
Damn... it.....
I'm so useless.....
As Siegfried tried to get up from the ground, he suddenly felt his consciousness gradually fading.
The injuries on his body, combined with the after-effects of burning his life force for that one strike, were now enough to prevent this powerful warrior from continuing the fight.
"Ha... ha... ha... ha....."
On the other side, the Herrscher of Thunder, having finally defeated her enemy, was unable to immediately rush over and finish him off.
The reason was simple.
The Herrscher of Thunder, an apostle of God, was not only exhausted after that clash, but also felt a sense of having survived a near-death experience.
Even though she knew that eliminating this enemy was her top priority, she couldn't bring herself to act against him immediately.
"Maggot, I admit you are indeed powerful."
After catching her breath, the Herrscher of Thunder looked at the powerless Siegfried and gripped the tachi in her hand.
"But it's a pity, this time—"
"This time, I'm the one who won—is that what you wanted to say?"
Just then, the Herrscher of Thunder, who was about to finish off her opponent, suddenly heard a voice in her ear.
Then, turning around immediately, the Herrscher of Thunder saw a very familiar figure appear before her.
Now, in front of the Herrscher of Thunder, Leo Ash held a large megaphone he had prepared during his shopping trip and shouted at her.
"What's the big deal about bullying that stinky old man? If you really want to fight, why don't you come and have a go with me?"
That... kid.....
Although Siegfried couldn't see what was happening, his hearing was still functioning normally.
Recognizing the voice as Leo Ash, whom he had met once, Siegfried just wanted to shout, 'Brat, run, you can't beat her'.
But now, he truly had no strength left.
In fact, it was a miracle in some sense that he was still alive.
During that final clash, the Herrscher of Thunder's survival instinct, born from fear, had caused her to erupt with even greater power than before.
It was for this very reason that Siegfried had sustained such severe injuries.
".....Leo Ash, I was just looking for you."
"I really... missed you so much!"
Looking at the boy taunting her with a megaphone, a smile finally blossomed on the Herrscher of Thunder's face again.
A beautiful girl with a stunning face smiling at him—if it were a different time, a different place, and a different person, Leo Ash might have fallen for it.
But now, in his state of Mind Like Still Water, what Leo Ash saw was not the smile on the Herrscher of Thunder's face, but the murderous intent she was relentlessly directing at him.
"Whoa, such intense killing intent. Is it really necessary?"
"Of course, it is."
Staring at Leo Ash, the Herrscher of Thunder, radiating killing intent, smiled even more brightly.
"You once told that coward that the sword in her heart had grown dull, right?"
"That's not wrong, in essence, but it's a pity—I'm not that coward."
"But as a reward for guiding her, I'll hold back a little."
"I won't torture you. Just give me....."
"—a quick death!"
The moment the Herrscher of Thunder finished speaking, she raised her hand and slashed a blade of energy at Leo Ash.
A strike of divine speed.
In the Herrscher of Thunder's view, this strike of hers, after a power-up, had reached a state where mind, skill, and body were one.
And the Leo Ash before her.....
Heh, it's not that she looked down on him.
But no matter how strong Leo Ash's conviction was, he was still an ordinary person.
The Herrscher of Thunder could sense that there was still no Honkai Energy fluctuation from his body.
A weakling with no Honkai Energy, no matter how strong he was in other aspects, against her, an apostle of God—had no chance of winning!
That's how it was supposed to be.
But the instant before he saw her move, Leo Ash tossed aside the megaphone in his hand and assumed a fighting stance.
Royal Guard, activate!
Relying on Mind Like Still Water to predict her attack, Leo Ash, to the utter astonishment of the Herrscher of Thunder, blocked the blow without a single scratch.
"This...!"
"This is impossible—is that what you wanted to say, Herrscher?"
Leo Ash, now wreathed in electric currents, lightly waved his hand and dispelled the electricity from his body.
"But it's a pity, reality is just this cruel."
"Your attacks have no effect on me."
"The high and mighty apostle of God doesn't seem all that impressive after all."
.....!
Remembering what had just happened, the Herrscher of Thunder immediately condensed her Wings of Thunder and began to ascend into the air.
In the previous battle, although the Herrscher of Thunder had won, in terms of tactical thinking, she had to admit she had lost completely.
Her idea of engaging in close-quarters combat had been seen through by the opponent from the very beginning.
And the opponent had even used her own tactics to push her into a desperate situation.
The Herrscher of Thunder even suspected that if the opponent had both hands and had delivered that terrifying blow, he might have been able to seriously injure her back then.
It was for this very reason that Miss Herrscher of Thunder decided to be a bit more cautious this time.
By creating distance, she could still engage in long-range attacks.
And although it seemed her opponent had blocked her attack, as long as he didn't have a long-range attack method that could threaten her like that man before, he would just be worn down and killed.
Yes, that's right, calm down a bit.
At the end of the day, no matter how strong he is, he's just a human who can't use Honkai Energy.
Faced with such a human, as an apostle of God, I...
—How could I possibly lose to such a maggot!
..