Mu Continent.
Inside The MOTHs Headquarters.
Watching the scene of the giant black-green snake unleashing a lightning storm across the entire Shenzhou City, everyone swallowed hard.
This power?
It wasn't much less than the instantaneous destructive force when the Herrscher of the Void was born.
"Terrifying!! Hmm..."
Ato's eyebrows suddenly shot up.
"What's wrong?"
Ato didn't respond, directly pressing the communicator.
"Frontline command, issue the order immediately: all units attacking Shenzhou City are to withdraw completely! Repeat, withdraw immediately! Lord Demon God has already sent someone to the scene."
"You're saying Himeko has already engaged?!"
"Damn it!"
"Order Himeko to disengage from the battlefield immediately! She is not to linger in battle or act recklessly! If she violates orders and obstructs Lord Demon God's person, then don't blame us for court-martialing her!"
"Order her to redirect her troops, stand by on the spot, and be ready to support other cities affected by the Honkai at any time."
...
Shenzhou City Frontline Position.
The moment the "Third Great Eruption" descended, Colonel Himeko had swiftly formulated a response strategy.
Deploying her troops, she had surrounded Shenzhou City like an iron bucket.
"Damn it, these lightning storms are ruining my plans!"
The lightning reflected off Himeko's cold, stern face. Standing before the command console, she clenched her fists indignantly, her eyes burning with the fire of unwilling anger.
The lightning net wrapped around the entire Shenzhou City like a birdcage.
"Are you buying time for your master? Tsk!!"
Elysia had said that before a Herrscher is born, a companion Honkai Beast would appear first to draw fire for its master.
Lord Demon God's words.
It seems she wasn't lying; what she said was true.
The birdcage-like lightning net was clearly protecting its Herrscher master.
When the Honkai starts playing mind games with you?
"Missile vehicles ready. Target: Judgment-class Honkai Beast, the Giant Snake. Second round of saturation bombardment!"
Himeko issued the order.
Behind the position, dozens of heavy missile launcher vehicles raised their muzzles, baring their fangs in anticipation.
"Countdown: 3—"
"2."
"1."
Himeko swung her hand down sharply: "Fire!"
In an instant, the world roared.
The muzzles of the missile vehicles, already raised high, spat out fierce tongues of fire. One missile after another "whooshed" out, trailing long exhaust flames.
The night sky of Shenzhou City was lit up by the dense firelight.
Hundreds of missiles dived into the gaps in the lightning net from different angles, continuously erupting into towering fireworks across various parts of the giant snake's body.
Its back, neck, tailbone, and even its eyelids—none were spared.
Rumble!
The sounds of explosions merged into one.
Fireballs burst one after another, airwaves rolled, and hot winds swept through.
The giant snake's massive body writhed in the sea of fire, letting out bursts of hideous, ear-piercing wails.
"Heh! I knew it."
"Three missiles aren't enough? Then thirty, three hundred! I don't believe I can't break your shell, blast your flesh to bits, or snap your spine!"
Himeko let out a light laugh. All fear stems from insufficient firepower.
On the monitoring screen, the sound of explosions rose wave after wave.
However, when the embers of the fire cleared.
Himeko's brow instantly tightened, and her clenched fists trembled slightly: "This... how is this possible!?"
In the monitor, although the giant snake's scales had peeled off, they quickly regenerated.
Its terrifying defensive power seemed to mock the futility of human technology.
"Damn it, prepare the nuclear warheads!"
Himeko turned around abruptly.
Roar—
At that moment, Benares let out a roar toward the sky.
Immediately after, the entire city seemed to come alive, and the ground rumbled.
"Colonel! This is bad!"
"A large number of Honkai Beasts, led by a Honkai Emperor, are advancing toward our position at full speed!"
"Estimated contact in one minute!"
A soldier stumbled into the command room, his face pale. "Bastard!!"
Himeko clenched her fists; she had been tricked.
The dissipation of the lightning field wasn't because their attack had worked, but because the giant snake had voluntarily abandoned it!
All just to let its Honkai legion launch a charge against them.
Damn it.
"Order the Iron Wall Legion to press forward with all hands and hold the first line of defense to the death!"
"Prepare cluster shells, one round of sweeping fire to reduce the pressure on the Iron Wall Legion!"
"Yes!!"
In the distance, a rumbling sound echoed, and the ground vibrated like the surface of a drum.
The Honkai Beast swarm was dense, like a tide of army ants, making one's scalp tingle.
However, Himeko didn't realize that the giant snake had already blended into the flood of the Honkai Beast swarm, preparing to launch a fatal surprise attack.
Buzz—
The communicator suddenly rang, and an urgent instruction came through the frontline command channel.
After Himeko connected, her expression changed drastically.
"Bastard!"
"The Honkai Beast swarm is hitting our position, and you actually want me to retreat!?"
"What kind of bullshit instruction is this!?"
Himeko was so angry she gritted her teeth, slamming her fist onto the corner of the table, her fingers instantly covered in blood.
Then, as if realizing something, she deliberately lowered her voice, faking bursts of ear-piercing static noise.
"What? ...Zzt... Honkai Energy concentration is too high... signal failure... I... can't hear... what you're... saying..."
Himeko pretended the signal was bad, then yanked off the communicator and stomped on it hard.
The metal casing shattered instantly, sparks flying.
She turned around, scanning the room with an overbearing gaze.
"Pass my order: the entire army is to hold to the death! Cluster shells are to continue firing; the wall of fire must not be interrupted!"
"Anyone who retreats a single step will be court-martialed!"
"Hold on. Just ten more minutes, and Lord Demon God's subordinates will arrive."
A relentless fighting spirit burned in Himeko's eyes.
Retreat? It was impossible to retreat! Not even half a step! Once they retreated, the entire defensive line would collapse in an instant.
...
A while later.
The Honkai Beast swarm and the Iron Wall Legion collided with a roar amidst their respective bellows.
The Iron Wall Legion held the line like a rock, their heavy armor acting like a wall of bronze and iron.
They only defended and did not attack, enduring the impact of the Honkai Beast swarm.
Behind them, a rain of cluster shells poured down, shrieking as they exploded within the swarm.
The explosions sent the severed limbs and remains of Honkai Beasts flying in all directions.
However, the Honkai Beasts were endless, coming one after another.
The battle fell into a stalemate.
Suddenly, the swarm tore open a hideous gap.
A shadow as massive as a mountain abruptly lunged out, bringing with it a suffocating sense of terrifying pressure as it came crashing through.
The shadow that blotted out the sun was like the Grim Reaper, making one's heart tremble.
Himeko's pupils shrank, and her heart nearly stopped beating.
Oh no, it's that Judgment-class Honkai Beast!
The line is going to break.
"Get down!"
At the critical moment, a clear, frost-like shout exploded from above.
Himeko instinctively looked up, and then she saw the second scene in her life that was enough to shock her soul.
A white-haired "immortal" came flying through the void, her toes lightly tapping the air. Every time her toes landed, circles of white ripples would appear in the air.
The immortal soared over the legion and swung her sword.
Crack!
An ear-piercing crack tore through the world.
Wherever the chilling sword intent passed, it forcibly cleaved open the space in front of the legion.
A pitch-black crack spanned across the sky.
Slash!
Countless Honkai Beasts were sliced into dust in a single strike.
And Benares's massive body, which was lunging toward the legion, also came to a sudden halt, then flew backward like a kite with a broken string.
And at its "seven-inch" mark (the vital spot), a terrifying wound deep enough to see the bone had split open.
Black-green, foul-smelling fluid blood gushed out like a fountain.
After one strike, the sword intent rose again.
The second strike was silent and invisible.
"..."
Himeko saw the space, like a giant mirror, being shattered by the second strike.
Invisible shockwaves exploded in fragments.
The terrifying slash directly knocked the hundred-meter giant snake's massive body to the ground, where it rolled away, crushing countless Honkai Beasts along the way.
Himeko looked up, her mouth wide open.
Her mind was a complete blank.
"Sword... sword technique?"
It was her first time seeing that human sword techniques could be stronger than missiles.
But the bloody facts were right before her eyes, frantically assaulting her worldview.
One sword, one person, one slash—like a god descending upon the world.
Her worldview shattered completely at this moment.
...
Meanwhile, in Nagazora.
The Honkai had erupted.
Piercing alarms echoed throughout the city.
On the streets, countless vehicles collided as they lost control. Fuel was ignited, and tongues of fire suddenly lunged up, turning into towering flames that swallowed the entire street into a purgatory.
Pedestrians fled in panic, but before they could run a few steps, strange purple-red patterns appeared on their skin.
Pedestrians eroded by the Honkai knelt on the ground one after another, their hands tightly clutching their throats.
However, this was only the beginning.
Soon, the fallen bodies began to twist and twitch strangely. Bones dislocated, muscles tore, and odd hard lumps bulged on their skin.
In the blink of an eye, they turned into mindless monsters—Zombies.
"Run! Run fast!"
A young couple was fleeing frantically, but unfortunately, they were eventually pushed apart by the crowd.
The girl was pushed backward by the flow of people.
"Ke—vin!"
"Damn it."
The white-haired youth gritted his teeth and charged forward against the fleeing crowd, his sun-like face and azure eyes as sharp as a blade.
He grabbed the girl's wrist and yanked her out of the crowd.
With his other hand, he swung a blood-stained metal baseball bat and, without a word, slammed it into a charging Zombie.
Bang—!
The bat's shadow was like lightning, slamming hard into the head of a Zombie that had just finished its mutation and hadn't yet adapted to its strength.
The skull shattered instantly, black blood splattering everywhere.
Then, with a powerful kick, he sent the Zombie flying like a broken sack, knocking down two of its kind behind it and triggering a burst of chaotic roars.
The youth didn't pause for a second. He gripped the girl tightly and shouted in a low voice: "Stay with me, don't stop!"
"Okay."
The girl's face was pale, her breathing rapid, and there was even a bloody scratch on her calf. Every step she took felt like being cut by a knife.
She was almost being dragged along, stumbling. Although it hurt, she knew she couldn't stop.
Unfortunately, the girl eventually ran out of stamina.
After running for half an hour, a trembling voice squeezed out of her throat: "I... I can't run anymore, Kevin."
"You have to run even if you can't!"
"Over there... I remember there's a narrow alley. We'll go in and block the entrance. We should be able to hold out until they finish the battle." Kevin gripped the girl's wrist tightly and glanced at the battlefield above, where lightning was flashing.
Although he was a bit slow-witted and didn't understand where these "zombies" came from, he knew clearly that once the man in the sky beat the woman, they would survive.
Yes, Ryuga had already engaged the Herrscher of Thunder.
Looking at her boyfriend's unquestionable gaze, the girl nodded tremblingly: "Okay!"
The two of them used their last bit of strength and finally rushed into the narrow alley.
The alley was deep and narrow, only wide enough for three people to pass side-by-side.
But as soon as they ran in, their hearts sank. The alley was full of Zombies.
One, two, a dozen Zombies were mechanically and slowly turning their necks, looking toward the two of them.
Kevin's pupils shrank, and he gripped the baseball bat tightly.
The girl bit her lip hard, tears welling in her eyes, but she didn't dare make a sound.
The narrow alley was no longer a path to life, but the entrance to a grave.
...
Above the sky, Ryuga and the Herrscher of Thunder were in a fierce confrontation.
The Herrscher of Thunder brandished her long blade, purple lightning dancing wildly like snakes. Every slash was like a divine punishment descending upon the world.
Her body was surrounded by crackling thunder, her eyes as cold as winter stars. The thunder blade whistled toward Ryuga, leaving afterimages with every strike.
As for Ryuga, his body was surging with purple-black shadow flames.
He brandished the "Fentian" (Heaven-Burning) spear in his hand. The shadow flames, carrying an aura of destruction, collided fiercely with the thunderous blade shadows, erupting into bursts of thunder.
Sonic boom clouds exploded one after another in the sky.
The fierce wind pressed down in all directions.
After a dozen rounds, the winner had not yet been decided.
The energy aftershocks continuously swept through the surroundings, shaking the nearby buildings into collapse and cracking the ground. The entire city was trembling.
On a distant skyscraper rooftop, Elysia stood quietly in the wind. Her longbow was drawn to its limit, the string trembling slightly as a crystal-clear arrow took shape.
In the next instant, the arrow flew out like the wind, aiming straight for the Herrscher of Thunder's lower body.
Squelch—
The arrow hit its mark precisely.
The Herrscher of Thunder's downward slash with her thunder blade faltered slightly. She felt an arrow hit her in the buttocks.
"Damn it!"
With a roar, the lightning around her went wild, instantly evaporating the crystal arrow in her buttocks.
"Trai! Tor!"
The Herrscher of Thunder's eyes widened in anger as she stared fixedly at Elysia, the fire of rage in her eyes almost turning into something physical.
"Bleeeh~ (￣┰￣*)"
Elysia tilted her head, blinked a few times, and pulled down her lower eyelid with her index finger in a playful gesture, making a face at the Herrscher of Thunder.
Ryuga wanted to laugh. He didn't know who Elysia had learned that from.
Taking potshots with cold arrows.
He was intentionally avoiding the areas with survivors.
"Oh? That's..."
Out of the corner of his eye, Ryuga saw a white-haired "prince" dragging a beautiful girl, rushing into a narrow alley in a panic.
Heh, that's a Zombie nest.
Is that Kevin?
Truly worthy of being the ancestor of the Kaslana family; he's accompanied by a beautiful girl wherever he goes.
This time, although MEI isn't here, there's another girl.
Even though he isn't a Fusion Warrior yet, his natural monstrous strength is quite amazing.
Hua's full-power "Cannon Punch" only knocked a Zombie aside.
He, with one swing of a metal baseball bat, directly cracked a Zombie's head open.
I need to end this quickly. If Kevin dies, there won't be a Kiana later.
"I've had enough fun!"
Ryuga shook his head. In an instant, the purple-black shadow flames around him swirled, dancing wildly like dragons.
Behind him, the phantom of a towering giant god slowly emerged from the flames.
Its entire body surged with never-extinguishing shadow flames, its eyes filled with the cold indifference and pressure of looking down upon all living beings.
Divine and majestic.
This was his "Venerable Form," just like the Xianzhou Generals.
Ryuga gripped the Fentian spear, the muscles in his arms tensing. The spear tip pointed toward the Herrscher of Thunder, ready to strike.
At the same time, the giant god phantom assumed the same posture.
All the shadows between heaven and earth gathered toward the two of them.
"Remember, when you go back, tell the Honkai not to split its forces next time."
"Study the Art of War properly," Ryuga said.
The Herrscher of Thunder's entire body froze, the shadow of death quickly enveloping her heart like a tide.
She didn't dare fight anymore; she had even lost the courage to look back.
The desire to survive drove her to turn into lightning and flee in a panic.
"Dear Ely."
"Hi~, did you miss me?"
Elysia blinked and smiled. Her finger rested on the crystal longbow, the string humming as a crystal arrow shot toward the sky.
Soon, the crystal arrow exploded high in the air.
Countless crystal fragments fell like rain, instantly weaving into a giant pink crystal dome that covered the entire battlefield.
"..."
Bang!
The Herrscher of Thunder couldn't dodge in time and slammed head-on into the dome.
Lightning splattered in all directions. Her vision went dark, and she fell from the sky.
"Life is part of a cycle; and your part has come to an end."
"Return to dust."
As the words fell, Ryuga swung the Fentian spear down violently!
And the giant god phantom behind him moved in sync, raising its staff high as the shadow flames gathered into a slash capable of tearing the world apart.
It merged with Ryuga's spear shadow—god and man wielding a single blade together.
Slash!
"Siphoning Strike."
"No—"
The Herrscher of Thunder finally came to her senses, her pupils shrinking violently, but it was already too late.
Boom!
An explosion roared, and the night sky seemed to be torn open.
The Herrscher of Thunder was sliced in two, her body and the lightning annihilated together.
The wind stopped, the fire went out, and the world fell silent.
To be continued…
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