After annihilating the figure, the porcupine threw its head back and let out a roar of satisfaction.
It was immensely grateful that the Herrscher it served had granted it such intelligence, allowing it to defeat that human at this critical juncture.
The human had attempted the same overhead ambush trick. It had been paying extra attention the moment it fired the beam, and sure enough, she repeated her previous move, allowing it to adjust the direction in time to decompose her.
Surely that human was at her limit now. Next, it could proceed to tear the remaining humans to shreds one by one…
"Boom!"
A massive force slammed into its abdomen.
"Howl—"
It discovered, to its horror, that its current weakness, after expending more Honkai Energy, prevented it from resisting that force lifting its front body. Compounded by the injury to its hind hooves, its massive but unbalanced body was completely knocked airborne.
"Being slightly intelligent makes you so arrogant. In a sense, you truly resemble a human."
A streak of deep crimson landed on the ground, staring fiercely at the knocked-out porcupine. The fist that delivered the punch rested on the hilt of the greatsword plunged into the earth.
"But unfortunately, I've seen true intellect. You are, at most, at my level of intelligence… Heh, that might be slightly downgrading myself."
The figure who jumped up was Himeko, who had actually grabbed a zombie and tossed it into the air, making it look like she had jumped.
This was a gamble, but thankfully, she had guessed correctly.
"In any case, die now, you stupid pig."
Flames shot into the sky. Himeko pulled out her greatsword, launched herself from the ground, igniting the blade in mid-air, and directly exceeded the height of the Honkai Beast.
Then, she roared, bringing down this battle-deciding strike.
"Boom!"
The wave of flame engulfed the screaming porcupine's body.
…
Kevin stared blankly at the vanished family of three. Something he utterly loathed began to surge in his mind.
Mei's back, the traitorous comrade, Lin's death, the fragile lives…
It was a symphony named Anger and Despair.
The seed planted in his heart had unknowingly taken root, grown strong, and was slowly devouring his sentimentality, leaving only an increasingly cold rationality.
This world was caught in a distorted vortex. Even if he once tried to swim against the current, that original intent had vanished during the long, cruel reality.
He thought of Mei's increasingly natural smile over the past few years. He subconsciously… stripped the emotion from his eyes.
"Waaah—"
A baby's cry pulled Kevin back to reality. He saw the Sixth Herrscher raise her hand, and the menacing black mist charged toward him. He could only grit his teeth and continue dodging the attacks.
But he noticed the young cry. In a brief moment of evasion, he looked at the location engulfed by the black mist.
His pupil widened.
The child held by the couple was now crying in the rubble, emitting heart-wrenching wails.
And his location was some distance from where the couple had stood, just outside the black mist's coverage.
They… threw the child out at the last moment?
Kevin stared at the fragile, tiny life in disbelief.
The hope of life, resonating with the baby's cries, surged in Kevin's heart.
Defeat her here.
Even if it was just for this child, he must defeat her here! He couldn't let anyone else die!
And in that instant, his change in gaze drew the Herrscher's attention.
"Kevin, can you hear me?"
As Kevin prepared to attack, the voice from the communicator made him pause for a moment. He then executed a side-roll, dodging the scythe's attack. His flight device activated at full speed, turning him into a streak of light flying toward the sky.
"Elysia…" Kevin naturally recognized this long-absent voice. He glanced at the Sixth Herrscher, who was closely pursuing him, rapidly closing the distance.
Her speed was faster than before. Was her familiarity with her Authority still increasing?
"It seems the communication is fine." Elysia quickly assessed the current situation based on the static on the communication line. She said, "Are you fighting the Sixth Herrscher?"
"Yes."
"Is she chasing you?"
"…"
Kevin did not reply, as two streams of black mist stabbed toward his back from tricky angles. He stopped his acceleration and hovered, executing a Cobra Maneuver that perfectly evaded both the Sixth Herrscher and the black mist.
"Kevin, listen closely. We have a plan that requires your cooperation. To be precise… the Sixth Herrscher's cooperation."
…
"Can it succeed? As things stand, the effect of that pollen is similar to the Sixth Herrscher's Authority. The black mist might not be effective against it."
Ato, in the Titan that Elysia was sharing, floated in the air, observing the continuously blossoming giant tree. He stared at the pollen and asked.
He didn't hold much expectation for Elysia's plan. The idea of a creature being killed by its own creator was largely limited to mythology and fictional works. It was a dramatic performance, not practical combat.
"Based on the data on the companion Honkai Beasts of the First to Fifth Herrschers, their abilities are similar to the Herrschers, but fundamentally different in nature."
Elysia didn't appear anxious. She was only paying attention to the situation on the other battlefield. After a moment, she sighed in relief and said to Ato: "Furthermore, don't you find the separate movements of the Herrscher, the Emperor-class Honkai Beast, and the giant tree strange?"
"Isn't that because this Herrscher retained a larger portion of her consciousness, so she formulated a plan to disperse the forces?"
"That's probably only one of the objectives. While her action does achieve the effect of dispersing the forces, she didn't need to split into three fronts. The Emperor-class Honkai Beast could have been sent to attack the Fifth Branch, but she herself could have easily stayed on this tree, simultaneously protecting the tree and being protected by it."
Hearing Elysia's analysis, a sudden realization struck Ato. He seemed to grasp something.
The tree's existence could have been the perfect location for the Sixth Herrscher to familiarize herself with her Authority. The deployed Emperor-class Honkai Beast would be sufficient to delay the Fifth Branch. And once fully developed, the tree itself possessed the power to destroy the Far East. Logically, the Sixth Herrscher could have stayed here to master her Authority and protect the tree.
This was far more practical than splitting into three fronts, which dispersed forces while simultaneously relaxing their self-defense.
So what could be the reason for her action?
The Authority.
Her Authority makes no distinction between friend and foe. It is highly likely to harm the tree.
"Possessing intelligence is not always a good thing. In most myths, the gods or humans who possess self-awareness and wisdom are often the first to be punished."
"If we are acting out a myth, then the Sixth Herrscher and her subordinates are playing that role."