Yixiu's Choice

This was the special ability granted by the title Thousand Demon Slayer. As long as Ishiu chose to equip it in his mind, he would emit a field that exerted immense pressure on Honkai Beasts. Within this field, Honkai Beasts would lose thirty percent of their strength and instinctively stay away from him.

Overall, the reward for this mission was pretty good. It would make Ishiu much more efficient at killing Honkai Beasts in the future.

As for the previous reward... Ishiu could not even be bothered to complain about it. It was a dumbass system, after all. Could it still be called his system if it were not dumbass?

Why the hell would it give a virgin like me a box of Durex? Who am I supposed to use it with? My hand? It would have been better to give me lollipops!

The first rays of morning sunlight broke through the clouds and shone down on him. Ishiu instinctively narrowed his eyes, but the light still made them sting, bringing tears to them.

He had spent the entire night running around the city, and he did not even know how many Honkai Beasts he had killed. By now, both his physical and mental strength had been pushed beyond their limits. He did not even want to move a finger.

"Ishiu, you really don't have to push yourself this hard..." Bronya stood beside Ishiu, watching him with his exhausted face and dust-covered body. She bit her lip, her heart aching for him.

She had been unable to bear watching any longer last night and had tried to persuade Ishiu countless times. Yet every time, he would only rest briefly before throwing himself back into battle to keep killing Honkai Beasts.

"Well... aren't you here with me?" Ishiu closed his eyes, the corners of his lips rising slightly. Leaning against the cold Heavy Armored Bunny 19C was actually quite comfortable. "By the way, is this some new robot developed by Anti-Entropy? It looks pretty cool. How about getting one for me too?"

"It's called Heavy Armored Bunny 19C. It was... a gift from Seele." Bronya hesitated before speaking softly.

"Seele gave it to you?" Ishiu suddenly opened his eyes in confusion. "Little Pudding, you're joking, right? Seele might be able to fold paper airplanes, but since when could she build such a cool robot?"

"...You'll understand when you get back." Bronya did not seem to want to say much about the matter.

"Fine." Ishiu could not be bothered to press further. He would find out when they returned anyway. They had finally managed to beat back the Honkai Beast horde for a while, so he intended to use this chance to get some proper rest.

Watching Ishiu close his eyes again and pretend to sleep against Heavy Armored Bunny, Bronya hesitated for a moment. She looked around, and after confirming that only she and Ishiu were there, she knelt beside him. Then, she held his head and moved him from Heavy Armored Bunny onto her lap.

"Bronya?" The cold sensation was instantly replaced by something soft and delicate, causing Ishiu to open his eyes instinctively.

"Don't look." Bronya's pretty face flushed faintly as she hurriedly reached out and covered Ishiu's eyes.

Her voice trembled slightly, yet she deliberately spoke in a detached tone. "Just lie still and get some rest. This is Bronya's special service."

"Hah... then I won't hold back." Ishiu was briefly stunned, then a smile appeared on his face as he closed his eyes.

Bronya smelled different from Raiden Mei. Perhaps because they had fought all night, even though Bronya had not killed many Honkai Beasts, some scent had still clung to her.

But Ishiu did not care about such little details. Being able to rest on Bronya's lap was already like winning five million in the lottery. There was no way he would suddenly say something like, "Little Pudding, you smell kind of weird." That would get him killed.

Still, if he had to say it, Ishiu felt that Raiden Mei's thighs made for a more comfortable pillow... After all, they had more flesh on them. Little Pudding was still too small; even her thighs did not have much padding. Ishiu could even feel her bones digging into him a little.

He wondered what it would feel like to rest on Kiana's thighs...

Amid all his random thoughts, Ishiu gradually fell asleep.

By the time he opened his eyes again, the sky was completely bright. Ishiu instinctively shifted his head, and Bronya immediately let out a soft moan beside his ear.

"Ah... idiot, don't move around..."

"Uh..."

Supporting himself against the ground with one hand, Ishiu sat up from Bronya's lap with some difficulty.

"How long did I sleep?" Ishiu pressed a hand to his head and gently shook it.

"Almost, almost two hours..." Bronya rubbed her numb legs and lowered her head, not wanting Ishiu to see her expression.

Her face, hidden in the shadows, was already crimson red, like a boiled crab. If Ishiu saw it, he would definitely think he was still dreaming. In his impression, Bronya either wore an expressionless poker face or glared coldly at him. When had she ever shown such a girlish expression?

The reason Bronya was acting this way was that she had been momentarily possessed. While Ishiu slept, she had looked at his familiar sleeping face and, for some reason, failed to restrain herself, doing something rather inappropriate.

By the time she came to her senses, it was far too late for regrets. How could she be so shameless? She had clearly only treated Ishiu as a younger brother, so why had she done something like that?

It was over... she had betrayed Seele...

Bronya's heart was in turmoil. Fortunately, Ishiu was not looking at her right now. Instead, he took out his communicator and called Theresa.

"Hey, little nun, how are things on your end?"

"My name is Theresa, not little nun!" Theresa's angry voice came through the communicator. Then she calmed herself slightly and said, "Things are going well here. More than half of Changkong City's residents have been evacuated, and the Honkai Beast invasion has been temporarily suppressed. But this cannot last for long. The Honkai Energy in Changkong City is still increasing, and there will only be more and more Honkai Beasts. This place no longer belongs to humanity..."

By the end, Theresa's mood had clearly sunk.

"..." Ishiu was not feeling much better either. He looked at the city he had fought so desperately to protect all night. In the end, was there still nothing he could do?

Ishiu shook his head and sighed bitterly. "All right. Is Kiana still with you?"

"Yeah, she's here. What, do you want to speak with her?"

"No need. Tell her to head back to the warship later. Bronya and I are heading back too."

"Um, Ishiu, right? Would you be interested in joining Schicksal?" Hearing that Ishiu was going back, Theresa's tone suddenly changed, becoming gentle and friendly. "Whether it's funding, strength, or reputation, Schicksal is far stronger than Anti-Entropy. And Anti-Entropy mainly develops mechs, relying on all kinds of unmanned mechs in battle. A talent like you would only be wasted there. Why not join Schicksal? We'll use the best resources to train you. What do you think?"

"Uh..." Ishiu had never expected Theresa to suddenly try to recruit him.

What he did not know was that while Theresa, the person in charge of the Far East Branch, appeared quite glamorous on the surface and had the final say over the entire Far East, she had refused the help of Schicksal's Overseer for certain reasons. Instead, she had chosen to develop this place through her own efforts and establish an academy to train Valkyries.

As a result, Theresa was actually desperately short on personnel, especially capable personnel. Naturally, a heavyweight fighter like Ishiu, whose combat strength rivaled that of an S-rank Valkyrie, had caught her eye.

"Well? Are you interested?" Seeing that Ishiu had not spoken for a while, Theresa grew a little anxious and used an enticing tone. "Let me tell you, Schicksal has lots and lots of beautiful women. The captain of the Hyperion is an outstanding beauty too. If you come over, I can introduce you."

(Himeko: ???)

"Um..." Ishiu did not know how to put it. After thinking for a moment, he said awkwardly, "Cocolia is my mom..."

"...Damn it!"

The communicator was hung up instantly.

"Well, then..." Ishiu shrugged helplessly, casually stuffed the communicator back into his pocket, and extended a hand to Bronya. "Bronya, let's go back. We shouldn't make Mom worry too much."

"...Okay."

Bronya took a deep breath but did not take Ishiu's hand. Instead, she had Heavy Armored Bunny lift her up. Her legs were still numb.

Ishiu did not think much of it, assuming Little Pudding was being tsundere again. He withdrew his hand, and the two headed toward the Anti-Entropy warship.

But what Ishiu did not expect was that while they were on the way, the system actually chimed in again for the first time in ages.

Ding! System mission issued: Stop Cocolia's plan, rescue Raiden Mei, and ensure she does not lose her life. Mission reward: random.

(PS: Another four thousand paid back, thirty-one thousand left. Everyone, there are only four days left for the bounty~)

On the Anti-Entropy warship, Cocolia looked at Raiden Mei, who had been injected with sedatives and had fallen unconscious in the laboratory. She sighed softly, her expression complicated.

"I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do..."

She wanted a complete Herrscher Core. Raiden Mei's fusion with the Conquest Gem had not yet reached perfection, so even if it were extracted now, it would not be a complete Herrscher Core. She needed to increase the dosage further and catalyze the process.

As for Raiden Mei's life... she could only say that she would do her best. If she could extract the Herrscher Core without endangering Raiden Mei's life, that would naturally be ideal. If not...

This was also Cocolia's first time doing something like this. According to the researchers' data analysis, once they extracted the Herrscher Core, Raiden Mei's survival rate would be around twenty percent.

So whether she lived or died would be left to fate.

"Begin injecting Honkai Energy into the target."

After waiting for a while and confirming that every preparation was in order, Cocolia gave the command, officially beginning the experiment.

Inside the laboratory, Raiden Mei lay on the operating table. Shackles made from special materials restrained her hands and feet to prevent her from losing control after transforming into a Herrscher.

At Cocolia's command, a mechanical arm injected a tube of concentrated Honkai fluid into Raiden Mei's body.

Pain immediately appeared on Raiden Mei's tightly shut face. Fine red lines began spreading from the injection site across the surface of her body.

Yet the Honkai Energy did not spread very far before disappearing completely, as though it had been swallowed by a black hole.

At the same time, faint arcs of electricity began flickering around Raiden Mei.

Cocolia closely monitored the real-time data on the computer, issuing one command after another. Every Anti-Entropy staff member present obeyed without question.

"Add another tube," Cocolia said calmly.

At her command, tube after tube of Honkai fluid was injected into Raiden Mei's body. As more Honkai Energy accumulated, more lightning arcs appeared around Raiden Mei. Azure lightning flashed brightly, illuminating the entire laboratory like daylight.

Finally, after the fourth tube of Honkai fluid was injected into Raiden Mei's body, the Conquest Gem reached the threshold of Honkai Energy it required. All the Honkai Energy within Raiden Mei erupted at once, blasting away the shackles restraining her hands and feet!

Countless bolts of lightning scattered around her as Raiden Mei slowly opened her eyes. But her pupils had already turned deep violet, with countless flashes of lightning flickering within them.

The Queen of Raiden had descended once more!

"Excellent. The Conquest Gem and the target have fused perfectly." Cocolia looked at the computer data as though she had not even noticed the awakened Herrscher of Thunder, a breathtaking smile appearing on her face.

"Human, you are courting death." The Queen of Raiden slowly floated into the air. With a light movement of her finger, a thunder serpent surged forth and slammed heavily into the glass wall before Cocolia.

Yet unexpectedly, lightning hot enough to reach thousands of degrees struck the glass wall like an egg hitting stone, accomplishing absolutely nothing.

The Queen of Raiden frowned. She looked at her palm, sensing the Honkai Energy inside her rapidly weakening. It felt as though a surging waterfall had suddenly been cut off at its source, leaving not a single drop able to flow.

Her power was weakening at a terrifying speed.

"Human, what did you do?" The Queen of Raiden was no fool. She naturally knew that the woman in charge must have done something to cause her current condition.

"Heh, just some petty tricks. But they're still effective enough against a newly born Herrscher like you." Cocolia smiled faintly.

No one understood the terror of Herrschers better than she did. The reason she had dared to devise such a plan was because she had sufficient confidence and preparation.

In the Honkai fluid injected into the Queen of Raiden earlier, Cocolia had added a newly developed Anti-Entropy drug capable of suppressing Honkai Energy reactions to the greatest extent possible.

A complete Herrscher naturally would not be affected by such a drug.

But a newly born Herrscher, before she became powerful enough to be invincible, could still be affected by it. Not to mention that she had already absorbed the drugs into her body, allowing their effects to be fully unleashed.

At this moment, even a Herrscher had been driven into a desperate situation.

"Despicable human..." The Queen of Raiden bit her lip and glared furiously at Cocolia.

Compared to being schemed against like this, she would rather be cut down by Ishiu again. At least she acknowledged his strength.

"Begin extracting the Herrscher Core," Cocolia said coldly.

Several mechanical arms extended from the laboratory floor and firmly seized the Queen of Raiden.

Though the Queen of Raiden did her best to evade them, without the ability to mobilize Honkai Energy, she was no different from an ordinary person.

"Damn it..." The Queen of Raiden clenched her teeth. She had never imagined that one day she would be placed on a table and slaughtered like livestock.

For some reason, at that moment, Ishiu's figure appeared in the Queen of Raiden's mind.

Those ice-blue demonic eyes and that razor-sharp slash capable of splitting the heavens had left an incredibly deep impression on her.

If she truly had to die, she would rather die by that man's hand. Only he was a strong opponent she acknowledged.

But unfortunately, it seemed she would never see that man again... She really wanted to hear him tell her a story one more time...

Watching the mechanical arm draw closer and closer, the Queen of Raiden chose to close her eyes. Even in death, she would preserve the last shred of her dignity.

Bang—!

Yet at that very moment, the locked laboratory door was kicked open by brute force. A deep footprint appeared in the alloy steel door.

Then, a dust-covered figure slowly walked in from outside.

His lips were tightly pressed together, and there was not a trace of expression on his face. Messy bangs concealed part of his eyes, yet everyone present could sense that beneath that black hair was a volcano on the verge of eruption, constantly gathering energy.

Oppression. A heavy sense of oppression filled the space, as though a massive stone had been placed upon everyone's hearts. No one spoke. Only heavy breathing could be heard.

Ishiu walked forward step by step. He moved slowly, but every step was forceful, as though he were using every ounce of strength he possessed.

Step by step, he came before Cocolia. He raised his head and stared at that familiar face.

She had once been the person closest to him, the one he respected most. Yet he had never imagined that she would deceive him, especially over something involving his friend.

On the way here, Ishiu had questioned Bronya until he understood everything clearly. Bronya had not wanted to tell him, but the look on Ishiu's face had left her no choice but to speak.

Because she had a feeling that if she did not tell him the truth, there would forever be a wall between her and Ishiu.

So she told him. She told him everything, from how the Conquest Gem had been implanted into Raiden Mei by Cocolia from the very beginning, to the Honkai outbreak in Changkong City, the awakening of the Herrscher, and Cocolia's goal of obtaining a complete Herrscher Core.

Ishiu's emotions were incredibly complicated at that moment. He did not understand why Cocolia had planned something so horrifying. She had not only dragged Raiden Mei into it, but also the countless citizens of Changkong City!

They had now lost their homes, and even more so, their loved ones.

Ishiu did not know what expression he should use to face Cocolia. He truly wanted to cry. He wanted to loudly question her, asking why she had done this.

But he did not, because regardless of her reasons or whatever greater cause she claimed, what she had done was already a bloody fact. No matter how great her hardships, they could never erase it.

The feeling of betrayal, the feeling of being deceived, and the overwhelming guilt and remorse all weighed on Ishiu's heart. The crushing pressure nearly brought him down.

If he were not still worried about Raiden Mei's safety, he truly would not have had the strength to move at all.