Planning the Two Missions
"So next," Theresa concluded, "we have two priorities.
First, locate Rita and what remains of her squad. Whatever happened earlier, cooperation is our best option now.
Second, we need to obtain ice cream—or the ingredients to make ice cream—for Miss Wendy. That is her condition for helping us."
After watching the footage Bronya pulled from Shencheng Pharmaceutics' network, Theresa made her decision quickly.
Convincing the others, however, took a great deal more effort.
Everyone found it absurd that the Fourth Herrscher would make such a strange demand.
Theresa herself barely believed it.
But Wendy had no reason to lie—
and even if she was lying, upsetting her was suicidal.
Being tricked was better than being erased from existence.
"So this is the part where the brave heroes devise strategies to defeat the Demon King?" Jiuxiao raised her fist dramatically. "Then Lady Jiuxiao shall—"
"Stop. Jiuxiao. I already made assignments."
With a sigh, Theresa continued:
"We'll split into two teams to work simultaneously.
Team one—search for Rita's squad.
That will be me and Jiuxiao."
"As the Savior, I accept this duty without hesitation!"
Theresa: "…"
"Team two—look for ice cream ingredients. Mei, and—"
"Me! Me! Big Aunt Theresa, let me go with Mei!"
Kiana practically leapt forward.
Theresa gave a helpless pause, then nodded.
"…Fine. But be careful."
She was conflicted.
Kiana still carried a Herrscher consciousness within her, and leaving her near the scientists might be dangerous.
But separating her from Mei was even more dangerous given the emotional instability.
So together was best.
"Alright! Woohoo—!"
Kiana pumped her fist like she'd won a prize.
"Bronya, I'm counting on you to protect the doctors."
Bronya nodded solemnly.
"Bronya will not fail."
Then Wendy stood up, brushing her clothes off nonchalantly.
"Looks like you've decided.
Wendy will go out and wander for a bit.
Try not to disappoint me, okay~?"
Theresa swallowed.
"…Everyone, move out."
Night Hunt for Ice Cream
Two shadows darted between rooftops, light as cats, dodging patrol drones with practiced grace.
"Hey… Kiana."
Mei's voice was soft but trembled with emotion.
"These past days… have you been alright?"
She had waited so long to ask this, but danger after danger deprived her of the chance.
Kiana didn't answer immediately.
Because she was fully focused on—
"Okay, Mei! Target confirmed!"
Kiana opened the map Bronya had given her.
She still hated that they were doing this for Wendy—Wendy, who had kidnapped her—
but the situation left little choice.
"Kiana… were you listening?"
"Huh? Oh—sorry, Mei. Did you say something?"
Mei forced a small smile.
"…It can wait."
"Alright! We've got a store nearby. Let's go!"
They slipped inside quietly—
BEEP—!
BEEP—!
A red sensor light flared.
A patrol robot?!
Before Kiana could react—
SLASH—!!
Mei was already there, bisecting it in one clean strike.
"Kiana, we have to move!"
And so they ran.
Jackal's Lucky Break
Watching through the patrol robot's camera, Jackal smirked.
"Well, well… only two of them, but it'll do.
Perfect bargaining chips."
She hadn't expected the leftover patrol bot Raven abandoned during the earlier ice cream hunt to stumble across Destiny operatives—
but she wasn't about to complain.
She couldn't leave her current station overseeing the disassembly of the stolen Eos Honkai engine,
so she trusted the mechs armed with HSN-B64 gas to handle it.
This gas would be the key.
Once the Honkai engine detonated, its energy would flood the city—
and her experiment would begin.
Collapse on the Streets
"Mei—! Are you okay?!"
Kiana caught her just in time before she hit the ground.
They were surrounded—
robots in every direction.
And all of them leaking that same horrid gas.
"I'm f-fine… Just— Kiana, behind—!"
CLANG—!
A massive spider-like robot—Death Weaver—lunged from behind, its metal claws swinging down.
Mei tried to parry—
KRACK—
Her blade flew from her hand.
The force threw her across the concrete.
"MEI!"
Kiana's eyes burned.
She spun, catching the descending claw with her bare hand.
Pain bit into her skin.
But she didn't care.
She couldn't let Mei be hurt.
She wouldn't.
Mei, dazed and bloodied, looked at the silhouette standing protectively in front of her.
Kiana?
Why… does she feel so… unfamiliar?
BOOM—!!!
Kiana kicked the Death Weaver so hard it punched through three concrete walls.
Inside her mind—
A voice purred.
[You see? You can't protect her—not like this.
Only I can protect Mei.
Give me your body.]
[Just now—you would have died without me.
And Mei too.]
[Let me out, Kiana.
Let me protect what you cannot.]
Kiana trembled.
The voice was right.
She had been useless.
She could never keep Mei safe like this.
So…
[Yes… yes… just let go.]
Kiana's lips twisted into a smile.
A cold, unfamiliar smile.
"Ahahaha—"
Her clothes shifted, fabric reforming into that all-too-familiar black Herrscher dress.
"Ki… Kiana…?" Mei whispered.
"'Kiana'?
That weak little human?"
The Herrscher of the Void sneered.
"She was merely my vessel.
And you—my other half—I will reclaim everything."
Robots surged toward them again.
"Boring."
CRACK—BOOM—!!!
A storm of Subspace Spears erupted behind her, slaughtering the incoming machines like flies.
"I," she declared proudly,
"am the embodiment of Honkai."
A silence fell.
Then—
"…You're the embodiment of Honkai?"
Wendy tilted her head at the top of a nearby streetlamp, confusion written all over her face.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/pikachu614