Schicksal Headquarters. Otto's Office
In his office, Otto looked at the screen showing that he had once again lost contact with Theresa. At this moment...
He wasn't particularly worried about his granddaughter.
It wasn't that Otto had grown tired of their so-called grandfather-granddaughter game; it was mainly because Otto believed that Theresa beating a Pseudo-Herrscher with low-intensity Honkai Energy would be an effortless task.
Although Herrschers are revered as 'Apostles of God,' they still retain human characteristics after acquiring their powers and a massive amount of Honkai Energy.
These characteristics are many, with inexperience being a prime example.
For instance, during her first encounter with Welt in the Second Eruption, the Second Herrscher, Sirin, had already become a full-fledged Herrscher after absorbing enough Honkai Energy.
In terms of Honkai Energy intensity and core utilization, she was certainly much stronger than Welt, whose core usage was not high.
But the reason she got beaten by the members of Anti-Entropy was purely due to Sirin's lack of combat experience.
Even in the later stages of the Second Eruption, Sirin's combat experience was still too poor.
The God of Honkai gave her several powerful Herrscher Cores, but after her strength increased, Sirin would only choose to crush her opponents with raw power in battle.
Initially, Sirin might have known to use the Herrscher of the Void's powers to create distance.
But by the time she was fighting Siegfried, who had unleashed the [Power of Salvation], Sirin, who was being chased and hacked at by Siegfried, had all but forgotten her spatial transfer abilities.
And Theresa?
Shortly after she was born, she single-handedly killed an Emperor-class Honkai Beast using equipment Otto gave her.
In the days that followed, Theresa, now equipped with a Divine Key, went through countless battles, big and small.
It was precisely because Herrschers lack combat experience that Otto wasn't worried his granddaughter would lose to an opponent inferior in both experience and strength.
*Sigh, I probably should have told Theresa to hold back.*
*Besides K423, I'm also very curious if other Herrschers can be maintained in a state of incomplete awakening through some degree of emotional regulation.*
*Come to think of it, this Pseudo-Herrscher is actually a pretty good test subject.*
*If I could apply the plan for K423 to her for testing... Heh, it doesn't matter if it fails. If it succeeds, I could even consider implanting a Gem in her to see if my backup plan works.*
*I hope Theresa has the leeway to hold back in the fight.*
"Lord Bishop! Something terrible has happened!"
Amber, who had been organizing other intelligence, looked at the message received on her terminal and spoke anxiously to Otto.
"Agent Leo Ash has just sent a request for help through a communication terminal that briefly regained connection!"
"Oh? Leo Ash, is it."
Upon hearing the name, Otto replied nonchalantly.
"What did the boy say?"
"He said that he and Kiana Kaslana have made contact, and after losing her powers, the [Herrscher of Thunder] Raiden Mei has also been temporarily neutralized by him."
"...Good lad."
Listening to Amber's report, Otto nodded slightly.
"Just as expected. Leo Ash has indeed done well."
"But he says he's currently being hunted by the Pseudo-Herrscher."
"His HSN serum was already used to suppress the Herrscher of Thunder. He no longer has the strength to deal with the Pseudo-Herrscher."
*Ha, isn't this perfect?*
*I'll dispatch a squad to check the situation first. If it's not too serious, this can be the perfect opportunity for me to apply more pressure.*
*The script where a boy and a girl develop feelings due to the suspension bridge effect during an escape... has it begun a new act?*
"Amber, notify Ri... No, Rita won't do."
Remembering the relationship between Rita and Leo Ash, Otto shook his head with a light chuckle.
"She cares for Leo Ash. It's better not to send her out to torture her at a time like this."
"As for the others... it's a bit troublesome."
*Should I send Bianka?*
*But that's not right. Bianka is my trump card against that fellow, Welt.*
*Perhaps I should just send our old friend.*
*If she were to deploy [Moon Wheel] now and use its 'feathers,' any Herrscher with weak mental resistance would be knocked out with a single punch upon meeting her.*
*No... wait!*
At that moment, Otto suddenly remembered a major problem.
In Otto's mind, he had never considered that his granddaughter would lose.
But the problem was, K423 and Leo Ash had made contact, and there was a Pseudo-Herrscher near them...
"Lord Bishop, after saying all that, Agent Leo Ash added one more sentence."
After relaying Leo Ash's exact words, Amber immediately stepped aside.
"Branch Commander Theresa is in my hand... ahem, ahem, no, that's not right!"
"Branch Commander Theresa was defeated in her battle with the Herrscher. Her cross was left behind, but I managed to rescue her."
"The Herrscher is still chasing me! It doesn't matter if I die, but can you get the mission target, the Herrscher, and Bishop Theresa out of here first! They are much more important than I am!"
'Bang!'
Slamming his fist heavily on the desk, Otto's previously uneasy expression had now twisted into a cold, simmering rage.
"A Herrscher... a lot of nerve!"
"To dare harm Theresa—Amber, contact Durandal for me!"
"Yes, Lord Bishop."
After Amber tapped a few times on the terminal, a light screen appeared before Otto.
Within the screen, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, Durandal, who had been on standby, spoke with a hint of eagerness.
"Lord Bishop, has my mission arrived?"
"Ah, Durandal. I have an important mission for you now."
Otto, adjusting his expression, spoke calmly to Durandal.
"Agent Leo Ash has made contact with the target I needed him to. At the same time, Theresa, who was defeated after fighting the Herrscher, was also rescued by Agent Leo Ash."
"Leo Ash..."
Recalling the young man she had met a few times, Durandal said bluntly.
"He's being hunted by a Herrscher. Can he really survive?"
"The him I remember doesn't possess that kind of power."
"...Such trivial details are unimportant, Durandal."
Otto looked at the Divine Key gripped tightly in Durandal's right hand and said to her.
"Take Helir of Eternal Silence with you."
"...If even Lady Theresa was defeated, wouldn't it be better for me to use Abyss Flower?"
Taking a deep breath, Otto's face was filled with a helpless smile.
"Durandal, that Herrscher is, after all, just a victim of Cocolia's evil deeds this time."
"We at Schicksal suffered heavy losses after the Second Eruption, and we are in desperate need of manpower."
"So this time, I need you to capture her alive—if we can bring her to her senses and have her serve Schicksal, we can save even more people."
"I see, I understand."
*Heh, as if.*
*To dare harm Theresa—how could I possibly let this Herrscher die so easily.*
*I will exploit it until every last drop of value has been squeezed out, and then I will let it die in despair. That is the retribution it deserves!*
"Oh, right, Lord Bishop, there's one more thing."
Remembering something, Durandal asked Otto.
"If I run into Cocolia, should I hold back?"
"Hold back? Why?"
Hearing this question, Otto couldn't understand why Durandal would have such a thought.
"Well... I was just listening to Rita and Alvitr's analysis, and I feel like Cocolia's actions don't seem to benefit Anti-Entropy at all. In fact, it seems Schicksal has gained a lot from Anti-Entropy's operation this time?"
"Is she... really not the mole Schicksal sent over?"
"...You're overthinking it, Durandal."
After a second of silence, Otto said righteously.
"She has no connection to Schicksal. How could someone from our Schicksal possibly do something as foolish as 'sacrificing millions to force a young girl to awaken as a Herrscher'!"
"We at Schicksal are an organization that protects the world, unlike a self-depraved organization like Anti-Entropy!"
*Besides, the moles I send are nowhere near as destructive as Cocolia.*
"But Lord Bishop, you... Rita, why are you pulling me?"
On the other side of the light screen, Rita pulled Durandal aside and asked Otto respectfully.
"Then Lord Bishop, do the other members of the Immortal Blades have new orders?"
"Of course. Your standby time is over."
Glancing at a cursor on another light screen, Otto gave Rita a name she really didn't want to hear.
"After fighting the Herrscher, Siegfried should have little combat strength left."
"Take the Immortal Blades and go invite him back to Schicksal for a chat with me."
*Sometimes, I really think Mr. Siegfried is right.*
*Did I... somehow offend Lord Bishop Otto?*
*Why do I always feel like he just doesn't want me to have a good day?*
"Oh, by the way, I will also assign this mission to other Valkyries. You don't need to confront Siegfried head-on. Just stall him and distract him."
Listening to Otto's words, Rita gave him a deep bow and replied with a smile.
"I understand, Lord Bishop Otto."
"Good. Begin the operation. I look forward to your efforts."
After the light screen vanished, Rita could only say that she had a good guess who would be coming.
*It's just that the part about 'not needing to confront Mr. Siegfried head-on' isn't up to me, Lord Bishop.*
*Showing up in front of the same person three times in twenty-four hours to obstruct his actions... even if he has the best temper, he'd think you're definitely asking for a beating.*
.
After completing the communication with Schicksal Headquarters, Leo Ash looked at the communicator in his hand, which had once again entered a state of poor signal.
He didn't know if Schicksal had received those few sentences, but right now, Leo Ash felt he really didn't have time to worry about such things.
Just a few minutes after he finished the call, he could faintly hear a blood-curdling roar from a distance behind him.
He wasn't too familiar with that voice.
But at such a close distance, to be able to emit such a terrifying roar, who else could it be but Yuno, the little girl Herrscher he had deceived?
Looking at the state of everyone in his car right now...
Leo Ash—not heavily injured, fully healed with a healing spell, but his stamina and energy were at their limits from being awake all day.
Raiden Mei, Bronya Zaychik, Theresa Apocalypse—still unconscious, and two of them were in critical condition.
As for Kiana...
To be honest, Leo Ash absolutely did not want her to have excessive contact with that ferocious Herrscher.
Part of the reason Leo Ash didn't want Kiana getting too close to the awakened Herrscher of Thunder before was his fear that the pufferfish would awaken upon meeting its own kind.
And the problem now was—if Kiana really got angry and decided to go all out against Yuno, Leo Ash would basically be done for.
If she didn't win, and the pufferfish suddenly took over the match to suppress Yuno—Miss Pufferfish would definitely not spare anyone in their car.
If she didn't win, Miss Pufferfish didn't come out, and then K423 died—Otto would have him killed.
As for the probability of Kiana defeating Yuno...
Theresa, with a Divine Key, was defeated by Yuno. Kiana, without awakening her Herrscher powers, was supposed to defeat a Herrscher with the Glock G19 Leo Ash gave her?
Leo Ash felt that the basic logic of this world was, for the most part, still intact.
To really expect Miss Paramecium to be able to smash a Herrscher with a metal baseball bat—Leo Ash figured he would have died a thousand times over by now.
With characters like Rita, Durandal, and Siegfried, who weren't mentioned in the original story at this time, showing up in Nagazora City, and unlucky souls like Theresa and Yuno appearing when they shouldn't have, how could Leo Ash dare to rely on the original story and expect Kiana's bat to have causality-bending powers.
"Senior! Faster!"
Kiana, in the passenger seat, glanced back at the enemy behind them and immediately shouted.
"Yuno is still chasing us!"
Looking at the empty road ahead, with no need to worry about traffic safety, Leo Ash also glanced back.
And then, he was dumbfounded.
Yuno, who in the original story could only attack others with vines and poison, had now undergone a significant evolution in the application of her abilities.
The reason she could move so fast was that she had devised a rather strange method of movement using those Honkai Energy trees.
First, she would create trees in front of her with Honkai Energy, then create vines on her hands, and use the vines to latch onto the branches, flinging herself forward like she was on a swing.
*This isn't right.*
*Isn't all the Honkai Energy supposed to be spreading from where Mei awakened?*
*Where did Yuno get so much Honkai Energy to absorb... Never mind, now's not the time to worry about that.*
*My head hurts.*
*I really don't want to use Mind Like Still Water again under these circumstances if I can help it.*
*But in this situation... I really have no choice but to use this move.*
Forcing himself into the state of Mind Like Still Water, Leo Ash slammed his foot on the accelerator and then yanked the steering wheel hard.
Behind him, Yuno's expression suddenly changed when she saw this.
"That liar, could it be...!"
In the car, Kiana watched the scenery spin wildly and suddenly had a bad feeling.
Just a few hours ago, seeing Leo Ash's calm expression, she had once believed that he wouldn't act recklessly.
But soon, reality taught her a lesson.
People who look calm don't necessarily act calmly.
Sometimes, those with very calm facial expressions are often the craziest.
And now, recalling this, Kiana finally understood why Leo Ash, in a life-or-death race against time, had still insisted that Kiana help fasten the two little girls' seatbelts.
Because...
"Senior, don't do anything crazyyyyyyy!!!"
"Quiet down, Kiana. This is nothing to make a fuss about."
Looking at everything ahead, Leo Ash said nonchalantly.
"Trust me, I'm a real professional."
"Professional my ass! Who was it that jumped off a building while holding me last time!"
"That would be me, of course."
???
Seeing Leo Ash say this so matter-of-factly, Kiana was about to retort out of anger.
But Leo Ash quickly asked back.
"So, did anything happen to us then? As I recall, we escaped the enemy's encirclement quite safely."
"Escaping the encirclement is a fact, but it wasn't safe at all!"
"Alright, so it wasn't safe. But Kiana, I have something to say."
"I'm responsible for your safety, so..."
"—Trust me!"
*I trust you, Senior*—Kiana really wanted to say that in her heart.
But as she watched the car crash through the guardrail and plummet downwards, she decided it was better not to trust him.
Looking at Leo Ash, who had a calm expression but was playing flying mode with the car, Kiana felt that she had learned a lesson today.
Trusting everything will only bring harm to yourself!
She shouldn't have believed that this psycho would have any kind of perfect plan at a time like this!
"This... lunatic!"
Seeing Leo Ash actually crash through the guardrail, Yuno became anxious.
"Trying to die an easy death? I won't let you die just like that!"
"You liar who deceived me, I'll definitely capture you and torture you for three days and three nights!"
With this thought, Yuno's forward speed actually increased by a fraction thanks to her precise control.
But just as the car carrying Leo Ash and the others began to fall, Yuno suddenly felt a powerful surge of Honkai Energy plummeting from the sky towards the ground.
And the position where it was landing...
—Was clearly right where Yuno was now!
"Damn it! Who's here to ruin my fun again!"
Having almost been killed by a Schicksal Valkyrie already, Yuno, despite her tough talk, didn't dare to be the slightest bit careless with her enemy anymore.
Pulling herself backward with her vines, Yuno watched as the figure falling from the sky heavily crashed into the large tree she had just created.
As the Honkai Energy tree was shattered on impact, the Honkai Energy poison Yuno created also sprayed out from the tree's remains in all directions.
Only this time, her trump card, the [Herrscher's Poison], did not affect the enemy as it had before.
This time, as the Herrscher's Poison rained down from the sky, it fell towards the visitor below.
And this terrifying poison was now blocked by the Honkai Energy shield on the outside of the person's body and completely evaporated.
"Are you the Pseudo-Herrscher Lord Bishop Otto spoke of?"
Looking at the Herrscher before her, Durandal first took out the Soulium spear she often used on missions, [Helir of Eternal Silence].
However, after briefly sizing up the extremely vigilant Yuno, Durandal sighed softly, stuck [Helir of Eternal Silence] into the ground, and assumed a fighting stance.
"You... what do you mean!"
Seeing the other's posture, Yuno, though she had already guessed Durandal's intentions, still let out a roar of anger.
"The Lord Bishop told me to capture you alive, but your strength has already been weakened to the extreme. I'm afraid..."
"If I used a weapon, I might accidentally kill you."
"YOU! DAMN! BASTARD!"
Seeing the girl before her utter such insulting words, Yuno felt her mind completely snap at that moment.
"I'll kill you! I'll definitely kill you!"
*Sigh, she can't even control her killing intent, and her Honkai Energy is so chaotic. It seems her control in that area is failing too.*
*Lady Theresa actually lost to such an opponent...*
*Could it be that she was deceived by the opponent's appearance and then ambushed by this Herrscher?*
.......
Meanwhile, after a round of Need for Speed's flying mode, the car driven by Leo Ash crashed from mid-air to the ground, letting out a loud 'screech'.
Fortunately, the quality of the car he bought this time was good enough that it didn't disintegrate on the spot.
As for the trio of unconscious passengers in the back seat, after such a huge commotion, they...
—Still didn't wake up, of course.
"Um, Senior..."
Kiana, whose heart was pounding nonstop, heard a sound and asked Leo Ash cautiously.
"Did you hear that? The car's engine is making a very unsettling noise."
"I hear it, but it shouldn't be a big problem."
"This isn't a big problem???"
"Better the car gets into trouble than all of us getting caught—keep an eye on our six. If the Herrscher catches up, let me know immediately."
"Huh? Oh."
And so, after about five minutes of speeding, Leo Ash took the initiative to look behind him.
*System?*
[What is it? You want to use me to check for enemies again?]
*It's like this.*
*Yuno is dead, Kiana doesn't have to be provoked, I should be... safe now, right?*
[You're safe for now.]
[But why would you think she's already dead?]
*Let's put aside whether she's dead or not. Where's my reward—don't tell me it's 'safe for now' again, so it doesn't count as surviving a crisis.*
[Congratulations, Host. You've learned to answer your own questions.]
[At this moment, after this whole chase, you realize that—drag racing is actually quite thrilling.]
*No, no, no, it's not thrilling at all.*
[Listening to the fierce roar of the engine, you feel that you've even found the meaning of life.]
*Whose meaning of life is being chased by someone, forced to drive to escape, and even playing flying mode!*
[It's not every day you get transmigrated. You're already living your second life. You feel you can play a little bigger sometimes.]
*You need to tone it down.*
*You're worse now than when your whole gimmick was dirty jokes.*
[For example, driving a car that's about to explode is a very thrilling experience.]
*HO! LY! SHIT!*
"Kiana, quick, get them all out of the car!"
"I'll carry Mei, you grab the two short ones, go!"
"Huh? Oh!"
Seeing Leo Ash, now out of his Mind Like Still Water state, begin to fumble with Mei's seatbelt, Kiana roughly tore open Bronya's and Theresa's seatbelts.
Then, after the two of them moved the unconscious trio more than fifty meters away from the car...
—The car with the engine problem finally exploded.
"Ha... ha... ha... ha..."
Panting heavily, Leo Ash watched the car, now a fireball in the distance, and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.
Meanwhile, Kiana, after placing the two small-sized contestants from under her armpits onto the grass by the roadside, looked at Leo Ash with a blank expression.
"Senior, how about we make a deal?"
"Oh... you say..."
"Next time you pull a stunt this crazy, can you give me a heads-up? At least I can be mentally prepared!"
"I wouldn't want to do this either if I had a choice."
After placing Mei on the grass behind him, Leo Ash lay down on the grass and closed his eyes in utter exhaustion.
*Ah, aside from that little nap I took after punching Kiana, I really haven't closed my eyes at all today.*
*Not only that, but I've also been forced to activate Mind Like Still Water, a skill that requires intense concentration, countless times.*
*I was originally thinking of using a healing spell to give Theresa a bit of a boost, but now...*
*It looks like she won't die for the time being, so I... can't be bothered to move either.*
Overcome by a heavy drowsiness, the exhausted Leo Ash said to Kiana beside him.
"Kiana, I'm leaving the rest to you. If there's nothing else... I'm signing off first."
After saying this, Leo Ash's head tilted to the side, and he passed out.
If Kiana couldn't see that he was still breathing, she would have really thought her senior had died from overwork.
"Sigh, I'm done."
Walking over to Leo Ash's side, Kiana brushed his hair aside and looked helplessly at the boy who had now fallen into a deep sleep.
"And he calls himself a professional. Can't even manage his own fatigue."
"Senior, you're still far from being a professional."
*But come to think of it, both times Senior fainted, it was next to me, wasn't it?*
*Hmm, is this a tacit approval of yours truly...*
*After all, I am a genius warrior of the Kaslana family. Looked at this way, Senior really knows what's important at critical moments.*
*People are supposed to unite and act with their comrades.*
*My physical fitness is excellent. Even if I'm a little tired, I don't need long periods of rest like ordinary people to ensure my mobility is at its peak.*
*For now, I'll just let Senior sleep. Once Schicksal gets here...*
"Sigh, what should I do now?"
"There's no running away this time. That stinking old man is nowhere to be found. If I get captured and taken back to Schicksal... what on earth will happen to me?"
"Schicksal... what a nostalgic word."
At that very moment, Kiana suddenly heard a voice from behind her.
"Who's there!"
Quickly drawing her Glock G19, Kiana aimed the muzzle directly at the person who had just spoken behind her.
After getting a clear look at the other person's appearance, Kiana instantly became even more vigilant.
The woman who had suddenly appeared behind everyone was wearing the miko uniform that only shrine maidens of the Far East would wear.
If it were just that, Kiana wouldn't have become so wary so quickly.
But now, Kiana could feel it. The tachi hanging from the woman's waist, and on top of her head... are those donkey ears?
In any case, her entire body was emanating Honkai Energy fluctuations.
Although not as strong as Yuno's during her emotional outburst, a person with Honkai Energy and what appeared to be partial beast-like organs couldn't possibly be an ordinary human.
"You just said that Schicksal is worthy of your nostalgia?"
Seeing the other party attempt to take another step, Kiana immediately said in a cold voice.
"Don't move! Explain what you meant by that!"
"Relax, I'm not your enemy."
Raising her hands with a smile, the four-eared woman before her spoke to Kiana with a hint of nostalgia.
"A long, long time ago, there was another Valkyrie just like you..."
"Like me?"
"Just like you—pointing a gun at me!"
*Not good!*
*She's definitely not a good person!*
With a flash of a blade, Kiana, having executed an emergency dodge, looked at the Glock G19 in her hand, which had been sliced in two by the other's tachi, and realized the problem was a bit serious.
If Leo Ash were still awake, Kiana felt that with his powerful blocking techniques and his ability to shatter the floor with a single blow, he might have stood a chance against this donkey-eared woman.
But now, Leo Ash was unconscious, and their unconscious trio had completely turned into an unconscious quartet.
"But, the quality of this pistol of yours isn't very good, little one."
After slicing the enemy's weapon in two with her tachi, the cherry-blossom-haired miko finally dropped the pretense and showed a malicious, wicked smile to the people before her.
"The pistol that Valkyrie used back then was of much better quality than yours."
"Hmph, even without a pistol, I can still take you down with my fists!"
Looking at the enemy before her, Kiana immediately got into a fighting stance.
"Wow, so scary. It's just..."
"—Does your strength match your words?"
As the blade flashed again, Kiana realized she had been a bit too arrogant.
Generally, when two opponents are of equal strength, the one with a weapon has a significant advantage.
In the eyes of some warriors, if an unarmed person fights an armed person to a draw, it's equivalent to the former being several times stronger than the latter.
And right now, Kiana had no item that could be used as a weapon.
Even her strength was, in fact, far inferior to the sword-wielding miko before her.
Although it's not good to boost others' morale while lowering your own, one can't be on the verge of being beaten to death and still be hypnotizing oneself with 'I'm strong, I can slap you to death with one big hit'.
One must always face reality.
And the reality Kiana had to face now was—if reinforcements didn't arrive soon, all five of them would be wiped out by this person who had appeared out of nowhere!
"What's wrong, what's wrong? All talk, but all you know how to do is dodge!"
"You... you...!"
Looking at the Honkai Energy clinging to the blade's edge, Kiana said in frustration.
"If you have the guts, fight me bare-handed! What's so great about bullying someone who's unarmed!"
"Ha?"
Slashing at the enemy before her once again, the woman's face had become slightly twisted.
"Not use my weapon and fight you empty-handed? Do you take me for a fool?"
*The taunt isn't working.*
*Senior, you couldn't have... never mind. If he hadn't told everyone to get out of the car, we would have all been blown up together.*
*My body could take that explosion without much trouble, but these two kids and Mei would have been seriously injured.*
*And Senior... hmm, wait.*
Just as Kiana noticed something, distracted by this realization, she found the opponent's weapon closing in on her again.
Only this time, having moved a beat too slow due to her wandering thoughts, Kiana realized she probably couldn't dodge it.
But at the same time, because the woman had focused all her attention on Kiana, she failed to notice...
—Leo Ash had suddenly sprung up and was driving his fist directly into her abdomen.
At this moment, Leo Ash used the skill [Energy Conversion] to convert a portion of the mana in his body into Honkai Energy. He then combined this Honkai Energy with the skill [Galactica Phantom], allowing his fist to erupt with terrifying power in an instant.
Even though he didn't amplify his own destructive power through the energy-storing property of Royal Guard this time, for the woman who was completely defenseless against Leo Ash, the force of this punch was more than enough to injure her.
"You...!"
Unable to parry in time, the woman was sent flying by Leo Ash's sudden attack just before her blade could strike Kiana.
"Damn it, when did you...!"
Sent flying by Leo Ash, the woman tumbled several times on the ground before using her tachi to support herself and get back up.
"From the very beginning."
Shielding Kiana with his body, Leo Ash's face showed none of its previous fatigue. Instead, he looked completely relaxed as he cracked his knuckles and spoke nonchalantly to the enemy.
"Taking a long nap in the middle of nowhere—do you think I'd be that stupid?"
"Damn it...! You humans are truly no good! To even deceive your own comrades when there are no enemies in sight!"
"Hmph, Senior must have sensed you approaching, which is why he was prepared ahead of time."
Kiana said this righteously as she stepped forward and nudged Leo Ash's lower ribs with her elbow.
"Nice one, Senior."
"...Ah, yes, that's right."
*Leo Ash had long discovered the enemy's tracks...*
*—Like hell he did. That's not what happened.*
He really had been too tired to move and had genuinely fallen asleep.
If it weren't for the intense Honkai Energy fluctuations emanating from the enemy as she approached this time, Leo Ash felt that he wouldn't have been awakened by any rustling in his surroundings.
*Damn it.*
*I really want to sleep.*
*But this won't do. If I don't put on a confident act here and let her find out how tired I really am, then everything will be over.*
*Yuno didn't catch up, which definitely doesn't mean she suddenly came to her senses and suppressed her killing intent.*
*A Herrscher whose mind has already been filled with malice has no chance of waking up on her own.*
*Schicksal must have sent someone.*
*Reinforcements have arrived. So, if I can just stall for a little more time, after the reinforcements deal with Yuno, they should start searching in my direction along the trail.*
*As long as I can calmly stall for time...*
"Damn human, and... damn Yae Sakura!"
The woman suddenly clutched her head and began to wail in agony.
"You're already mine! Wouldn't it be better to just obey me!"
However, after the woman uttered these malicious and hostile words, her tone suddenly changed, and she spoke to the two with helplessness and apology.
"You two, I'm very sorry for dragging you into the conflict between me and it."
"I will resolve this myself, so please hurry—You think I'd let them leave!"
Switching her tone once again, the woman erupted with even stronger Honkai Energy than before.
"I was originally planning to choose a suitable body for me to inhabit and then let the rest of you die a quick death."
"But now, I've changed my mind."
"You..."
"—All of you, get in here!"
*Crap, this is an AoE map-wide attack.*
"Don't resist!"
Proactively grabbing Kiana and throwing her into the distance, Leo Ash was enveloped by the sudden burst of light from the enemy.
After the light faded, Kiana, who had gotten up from the ground, immediately looked towards the spot where Leo Ash and the woman had been fighting.
"Senior... Senior!"
At this moment, Leo Ash, Theresa, and Bronya all had varying degrees of Honkai Energy fluctuations coming from their bodies.
But unlike the other two, there was something on Leo Ash that the other two didn't have.
Leo Ash's body was now covered in the Honkai patterns that only appear after a creature has been corrupted by Honkai Energy.
And at the same time, Leo Ash, covered in these Honkai patterns, showed an expression of agony in front of Kiana.
Yet even as his body turned into this state, Leo Ash still tried to open his mouth to say something.
Watching Leo Ash, Kiana understood from his lip movements what he was trying to say.
[Kiana, run]
*You idiot Senior, why are you still saying that at a time like this...!*
*Stop worrying about me, you should worry about yourself for once!*