Time remaining until the Fifth Honkai Eruption: Ten minutes.
"If there are no humans at the epicenter of a large-scale Honkai Eruption, will a Herrscher still be born?"
This question was raised after the Fourth Honkai Eruption, initiating further research into Herrscher emergence based on the unique Fourth Honkai Eruption.
So far, all Herrschers have emerged through humans, and all have been young females.
Higher-level Honkai Beasts are composed of pure Honkai energy, but the even higher-level Herrschers can only be born through humans. This was truly confusing, leading some to speculate whether Herrschers could also be formed solely of Honkai energy.
The discussion then shifted to whether the epicenter of a large-scale Honkai Eruption required human presence.
To this day, no one could answer that.
...
"I am your temporary commander."
Ato said to the group of mostly new recruits in front of him.
"..."
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. They clearly didn't understand why they were temporarily grouped into a squad without any time to coordinate, which was detrimental to combat. But an order was an order, and Heng was now their temporary captain.
"Ugh... what should I do? It's my first time on a battlefield..."
Kosma glanced at the person constantly mumbling with his head down. He was about the same age as him, also a new recruit.
"Elwin, you're too nervous, kid. Don't be afraid. We're probably just doing some peripheral work," another person, likely acquainted with the new recruit, patted his shoulder hard to comfort him.
A rustle of chatter rose and fell. Lack of discipline and organization was the biggest drawback of a temporary squad.
Kosma looked at Ato, who yelled sternly: "Silence!"
"..." Instantly, everyone fell silent.
As one of the most senior soldiers in Moth of the Flame, Ato strength and rank were top-notch, so his deterrent power was enough to suppress these young recruits who hadn't woken up from their sweet dreams.
Kosma was the calmest among them. Aside from his past experiences being different from most, Kevin's focused training had pushed him out of the "new recruit" category. Thus, integrating into a new squad was not difficult for him.
However, Kosma never imagined the purpose of forming this squad. His sense of justice, far exceeding that of ordinary people, made it impossible for him to imagine the horrifying extent of what humans would do to their own kind, even after witnessing countless darkness in that border town.
Ato immediately spotted Kosma, who was different from the others, in the crowd. He had an impression of this child brought by Kevin. He nodded and said: "Soldier Kosma, step forward."
Kosma walked out of the formation.
"From now on, you are my temporary deputy."
"Yes."
Kosma couldn't comprehend the meaning of the pity in Ato eyes when he looked at him, and the subsequent sudden resolve that replaced it.
...
"Woo—"
Anna's veins bulged as she pushed the wheelchair up the slope. The elderly person on the wheelchair looked around helplessly and said anxiously to Anna: "Girl, don't bother with me. I can just find a place to hide. You go to the shelter."
"That... is... not... possible!"
Anna roared, exerting force, and finally pushed the wheelchair up the slope. The strenuous effort of running back and forth before had exhausted her stamina. That she could still push the elderly person now was purely the result of the large amount of physical training required for her usual work.
"Huff... huff... It's okay... It hasn't been completely blocked yet..." Anna looked at the city exit not far away, breathed a sigh of relief, and used her last burst of energy to push the elderly person forward. "See, Grandma, we still made it."
"Oh, you child..."
After pushing the elderly person out, Anna saw people helping to receive those leaving the city, so she handed the elderly person and the wheelchair over to them.
Finally, she could relax...
Anna looked around but didn't see Hina and the others, so they must have gone to the shelter already. A weight was lifted from her heart. She lifted her foot and prepared to head to the shelter herself.
"Hey! You, don't go back in!"
Suddenly, someone's shout caught her attention. Following the shout, she saw a figure wrapped in a tattered black cloth walking in the distance.
She didn't know if he didn't hear the shouts from the people outside the city, or if he heard but ignored them.
"That person..."
"Leave it to me! I'll bring him out!" Anna volunteered, running back into the blockade. Moth of the Flame was progressively sealing off the city, and this exit was currently the only open access point in Turin. So, she had to bring that person out before the exit was sealed.
She tightened her beret. The hail in the city had stopped, followed by a suffocating white snow. The vast expanse of white allowed her to easily spot the person wearing the black rags: "I remember, he went this way."
Anna sprinted towards the direction the figure disappeared.
...
Time remaining until the Fifth Honkai Eruption: Three minutes.
"All squads, please maintain high vigilance. The Honkai energy concentration in Turin is rising. Small-scale Honkai Beasts have emerged."
Kevin focused his mind on this operation. Now was not the time to think about unnecessary things. The next thing they were facing was a large-scale Honkai Eruption. He ultimately hadn't faced a Herrscher head-on during the Fourth Honkai Eruption, so his understanding of a Herrscher's strength was still just the tip of the iceberg based on paper reports and data simulations.
But even as he tried to concentrate, his mind was still disturbed by Lin and Kosma's situations.
"Kevin, what are you thinking? You look uneasy~"
Elysia had appeared beside him at some point. She was also in combat gear, adding a few degrees of a murderous aura to her presence.
However, her playful way of speaking wouldn't change with her attire.
"...Nothing." Kevin shook his head and took a deep breath. "Let's focus on the upcoming battle. Although all residents have been evacuated, the animals in the city will also be eroded into Honkai Beasts. Without the Honkai-infected, the intensity and quantity of Honkai Beasts should be higher and greater than before."
"Is that so? Actually, it's fine to say you're worried about Lin and Kosma. It's only human nature."
"...Then, Elysia, can you force yourself not to think about these things?"
"How could I~ I'm constantly worried about Lin and Kosma." Elysia shook her head with a click of her tongue, showing no sign of tension. "But worry and combat don't conflict. Or, to put it romantically, it's because of these worries that I can unleash even greater power."
"...Regardless of your intentions, thank you."
After Elysia's distraction, Kevin gradually calmed down.
"Beep————"
During this brief moment of relaxation, the crimson alarm suddenly sounded.
The Fifth Honkai Eruption has begun.