The torrential rain, so dense that even infrared signals were severely disrupted, continued to relentlessly cleanse the world.
The Moth of the Flame-Chasers soldiers, with limited visibility, struggled in the city. Various squads attempted to defend themselves against the Honkai Beasts' attacks in tight formations. While they couldn't attack effectively, they managed to stabilize the situation.
"This is Elysia Squad. We will engage the Third Herrscher in approximately seventeen minutes."
Even the heavy rain couldn't dampen the girl's elegance. Her pink, waist-length hair was tied back in a high ponytail during combat. Her power armor was minimal compared to others, and she wore no thermal imaging equipment on her head. Yet, her movements were light, swift, and precise. Whether with firearms or in close combat, she was just as skilled as anyone else.
She was like a tulip blooming despite the relentless barrage of rain.
Thanks to Elysia's activity, the area around her squad was quickly cleared, allowing them a moment of respite.
"Honestly, they can build a Titan, but they still can't build a floating ship?" Elysia shielded her head with one hand. Although it was futile, she liked the atmospheric gesture of dodging the rain. "If we had a floating ship, couldn't we just fly up and blast the Third Herrscher?"
The members of her squad all looked at her strangely, thinking their Captain had a wild imagination. They had only just developed the Honkai energy conversion device and she was already thinking about floating ships.
The break soon ended. Elysia raised her gun, squinting toward the densest part of the thunderclouds in the distance: "Next, the Emperor-class Honkai Beast might attack at any moment during our engagement with the Third Herrscher. This is the most serious operation since the Honkai began. Everyone, stay alert."
Even their usually carefree Captain was so serious that the other members were nervous, silently praying for the difficult battle ahead.
Simultaneously engaging a High-Tier Honkai Beast and a Herrscher—the peak of the Honkai disaster—it was highly likely that some of them would be sacrificed, or even the entire squad would be wiped out.
"Don't be so serious..." Elysia was about to say something to comfort them when a blurred communication interrupted.
"Ely—sizzle—please immediately—sizzle—"
Suddenly, the thunder boomed. The world was split in two by a flash of lightning. Before the shock could fade from Elysia's face, the layered thunderclouds began to move.
Elysia shouted over the thunder: "Everyone scatter!"
"Boom!"
One, two, three...
A near-carpet bombing of lightning erupted from the location of the thunderclouds, moving rapidly and "slicing" toward Elysia's squad like a volcanic eruption connected by a line.
Yes, slicing. The line of lightning was a single strike casually delivered by a god.
"Boom————"
Elysia narrowly managed to drag the nearest squad member into a nearby building. The others also reacted quickly, hiding under cover. However, one squad member who was too slow to dodge was struck by the lightning. His gear instantly exploded, turning him into a charred corpse that slumped to the ground, emitting the stench of burnt flesh.
"That is..." Elysia bit her lip, forcing herself to look away from the dead squad member. She looked up at the advancing thunderclouds, where a faint, floating figure was suspended in mid-air without support.
The Third Herrscher... is moving?
"All squads report—sizzle—the Third Herrscher's Honkai reaction—sizzle—is moving—sizzle—Targeting—sizzle—Emperor-class—sizzle sizzle————"
"Ha... ha... ha..."
"Creak—"
The heavily breathing Kevin clutched Mei, turning into an alley against the wind and rain. A spear, flashing with cold light, sliced past the back of his head, taking some of his white hair with it, and plunged into the ground as if it were tofu.
"Gurgle—"
The Temple-class Honkai Beast, emitting a strange sound, turned its lone eye toward Kevin's back. The white-haired boy happened to look back and saw the giant, faintly glowing eye.
"Damn it... What kind of monster is that..."
Kevin covered Mei's head and scrambled through the alley's winding path, trying to shake off the Temple-class Honkai Beast behind them.
If they tried to run on flat ground, that burst of speed would turn them into shish kebabs in seconds. Only in these narrow, complex alleys did they have a chance to evade the pursuit of the two-story-tall monster.
Is this the end of the world? Monsters kept appearing, not just the zombie-like Honkai Zombies and the massive Honkai Beasts, but also that bone-chilling howl from far away...
His former city had become a den of demons, and he had to lead Mei through this familiar yet strange city to find a way out.
No, even now, he hadn't managed to shake off the monster's pursuit.
It's a dead end ahead!
"Gurgle—"
A terrifying red light swept from behind. Kevin's internal alarm blared. He covered Mei's head and immediately dove forward, collapsing onto the ground.
"Bang!"
The sweeping spear destroyed the nearby wall. On the other side of the wall, a group of Honkai Zombies thirstily walked toward the two tempting meals.
They were surrounded.
Honkai Zombies and a Honkai Beast slowly closed in on the two humans with nowhere left to retreat.
Kevin bit his lower lip, forcing Mei behind him. He wiped the mud and water from his face with his hand, pulled out the nearly broken baseParty bat from his waist, and walked toward the Temple-class Honkai Beast, which towered over him.
He had to win.
He would definitely win!
The will to survive in his eyes faded, replaced by a fiercer, more savage killing intent.
"Come on!" the human shouted.
"Bang!"
Blood and rain simultaneously sprayed onto Kevin's face.
The blood was pinkish-flesh colored and looked especially disgusting.
He was stunned.
"Gurgle—"
The lone eye of the monstrous, mythological giant flickered again, then lost its light. The massive body and the arms that had become a spear and shield collapsed onto the ground.
As it fell, Kevin saw a seared hole piercing its chest.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
While Kevin was still rooted to the spot, a continuous barrage of gunfire from overhead deafened his ears. Each particle bullet precisely pierced a Honkai Zombie's head—not a single shot missed.
The troublesome Honkai Zombies fell in swathes, and the majority were dead within two breaths.
What was happening now?
"Seele, the Honkai Beast's reaction hasn't vanished yet. Captain..."
"Don't tell me what to do! I'm the Captain!"
"Gurgle—"
Kevin then saw that the extinguished red light had somehow relit. The Temple-class Honkai Beast struggled, trying to stand up.
A breaking-wind sound descended from above. Before the Honkai Beast could fully rise, a scythe pierced its head, nailing it to the ground.
"Howl!"
Another roar. This time, it came from behind. The previously dead-end was breached by a giant arm. A Chariot-class Honkai Beast howled, extending its massive arm toward Mei, who was lying on the ground, intending to crush her into pulp.
"Mei!"
"Bang!"
A precisely aimed shot struck the Honkai Beast's arm, deflecting its attack. Then, a crimson figure descended from the rooftop. The gigantic sword in her hand roared with a combusting engine sound in the heavy rain, instantly igniting brilliant flames.
One swing, cut in two.
Organs, blood, screams.
This was what happened when Kevin and Mei first encountered the soldiers of the Moth of the Flame-Chasers.
"Confirmed target Mei is alive. Fifth Squad requests survivor retrieval. Survivor count: two."
This was also a long-awaited reunion.
Kevin stared blankly as the red-haired woman and the girl wielding the giant scythe walked toward them. The red-haired woman was speaking into her headset.
What were these things? Mechs? Powered armor?
This series of sudden events had already caused his brain to crash.
"Ms. Mei, we are soldiers of the Moth of the Flame-Chasers. You have already been in contact with Dr. Mobius and have been vetted and recommended by her. Although this is sudden, it is an emergency. For the future of humanity, we are here to invite you to join the Moth of the Flame-Chasers. Someone will escort you to a safe location." The tall, red-haired woman walked to Mei's side, helped her up, and spoke the pre-prepared lines with a serious expression.
Mei frowned when she heard the name. She murmured: "Dr. Mobius? Does that mean what she said was..."
Kevin instantly became wary when Mei was involved. He reached out to grab the woman's shoulder: "Hold on a second. Who are you? What do you want with Mei?"
The woman was completely unmoved.
The power to cleave Honkai Beasts was not something Kevin, still just a student, could shake. He immediately tried to step in front of Mei.
"You... Oh~ I see." The woman looked back at him, an expression of recollection on her face. She then nodded in sudden realization, raised her head, and shouted upward, "Lin! He's all yours!"
"Lin?"
Before Kevin's confusion could fully surface, a pitch-black figure landed beside him.
His movement was as light as a leaf drifting onto a lake.
The dark-blue viewport on his helmet could not be masked, even by the torrential rain.
"Who are you?" Kevin knew the man had saved Mei by his rifle. Thinking of the name the red-haired woman had called out, his heart suddenly pounded.
Mei, too, was looking at the helmeted person.
A feeling that something was about to burst forth.
A long-standing confusion was suddenly about to be resolved.
Under the gaze of both Mei and Kevin, the person straightened and nodded faintly.
"It's me, Kevin."