(Just a heads-up: You Hui's fight scenes are terrible. Even with martial arts choreography guiding me hard, I still can't really write them. Sob.)
Durandal raised her guard to the utmost. Two humanoid Phantom Spirits stood beside her, shielding her from enemy attacks, while the Divine Key Black Abyss White Flower was held before her.
"Not bad, little girl~" Kazrai turned into a yellow whirlwind, darting back and forth around her and swiping at her from time to time, but she blocked every strike without much danger. "Then how about this?" The tentacles that resembled hair atop Kazrai's head rose up and erupted with an intense flash.
The Valkyrie was forced to close her eyes. In the pitch-black world, she could sense—the beast closing in on her.
Now!
"Awaken, defender of glory!"
Black Abyss White Flower, capable of breaking down all things, struck the monster known as a Greeed. Unfortunately, it was not a living creature. The blow merely knocked several ordinary Coins and a yellow Coin stamped with a tiger's head—Tora—from its body.
As expected of Durandal. Even while still growing, she could hold her own against a fully revived Greeed!
At the side, Uva of OMO loudly mocked his companion. "Can you even do this, Kazrai? You actually got knocked out of your fully revived state by a human?"
Otto took the opportunity to pick up the Tora Coin. His instincts told him that this clearly unusual Coin was important to those monsters.
"Give that back!" Kazrai roared and charged at Otto. Unhurried, Otto gave him a bow. "Don't be so stingy, my dear friend." Golden particles formed into a sphere in his hand.
Void Archives 9th Mimicry: Star of Eden
The suddenly amplified gravity instantly forced the charging Kazrai flat onto the ground, crushing a huge crater into the earth.
Mezuru, also from OMO, scratched Gameru's face. "Hey, Gameru, let's go help poor Kazrai." Gameru excitedly rushed forward like a rhinoceros, the force field around him shifting with his power.
The force field from Star of Eden was neutralized by power of the same nature. Freed from his restraints, Kazrai leapt up from the ground and swung his claws toward Otto's head.
"Awaken, master of frost." Rita, who had arrived late, stood before Otto. Silver Moon joined her in battle against Kazrai.
Otto chuckled softly, intending to temporarily withdraw with his spoils. Then he suddenly noticed an ever-expanding shadow covering him from above.
A voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar reached him. "Move! Judah's going too fast—I can't stop it!" Otto instinctively looked up and saw an ever-growing cross.
Bang! Judah crashed straight into Otto, pushing him across the ground for over ten meters before stopping. The two humans, two monsters battling each other, and the three monsters watching the show all tacitly stopped and turned to look over.
Xing held her forehead as she climbed down from Judah. "I'm a little airsick. Oh, right, I think I hit someone just now. Is he okay?" Xing pulled Judah out of the ground and saw a face that was familiar yet strange.
Bang! The girl loosened her hand, and Judah smashed down heavily again. The Tora Coin in Lord Bishop's hand fell free at that moment, and the sound it made hitting the ground caught her attention.
Xing picked it up in delight. "Could this be?! Great! I can't believe I got an official Bandai toy!"
Otto moved Judah off himself. "Hello, beautiful miss." The man acted as though nothing had happened and greeted her.
The two stared at each other for several seconds. Embarrassed, Xing lifted Judah off him and placed it back on her back. "Sorry, I really didn't mean to hit you."
Otto brushed the dust from himself and rose gracefully. "It's all right, beautiful miss. Everyone makes mistakes, and a lovable young lady like you deserves a little forgiveness. Might I know your name?"
She was not Kallen. At close range, Otto Apollyon confirmed that fact. He could sense the fundamental difference between their souls, but where did this familiar feeling come from? If Kallen felt like a blooming white flower to him, then this girl was a newly sprouted bud. It was almost as though she were—Kallen before becoming the Saintess.
Golden feathers appeared around the two of them at some unknown point.
Void Archives 8th Mimicry: Feather Crossing Dust
Xing answered bluntly, "Kaslana. Other than that surname, there is nothing I can tell you."
Feather Crossing Dust had actually failed? Rare astonishment appeared on Otto's face.
Durandal's voice interrupted Otto's intention to probe further. "Um, although I'm sorry to disturb your pleasant conversation, Bishop Otto, this is a battlefield."
Xing slapped her forehead. "Right! You distracted me so much that I almost forgot—I came here to fight!"
The pure white Saintess joined the battlefield.
Durandal looked at her with a trace of scrutiny in her eyes. "I don't know who you are or why you carry Judah, but if you intend to help me, I would gladly accept your assistance—provided you are qualified to intervene in this battle."
Xing was a little uncertain. In this form, she had inherited Kallen's combat instincts, so it should be fine, right? But when she saw the five Greeed across from them, her heart sank. Unlike what she had seen in the TV series, they were no longer characters played by actors in suits. They were real monsters radiating danger!
A certain Kamen Rider had once said, "Heroes can't run away at the last moment."
Although Xing did not think she counted as a hero, she would not disgrace Kallen's will.
"Whether I'm qualified or not, I'll show you now. Oath of Judas, transfer over-limit evolution!"
The power from Yae Sakura within her was poured into Judah, directly skipping two stages and transforming it into Sakura's Redemption. Blades wrapped in flames instantly swept across the entire battlefield.
Durandal's assessment of her rose another level. "She actually changed Judah..."
Otto's expression darkened in the rear.
After stunning the entire opposing side, Xing seized the chance and controlled Judah to tie one of them up for a beating. Sakura-colored chains activated automatic target tracking mode and bound a bewildered Uva.
Although Oath of Judas was specialized against Honkai, it could restrain other forms of energy too. Well, it could not do anything about Knight World's energy, but it was made of Soul Steel. It was tough!
Xing yanked him over with all her strength. "Durandal!"
The Valkyrie tacitly raised her lance. "Let us fight honorably!" A barrage of fierce attacks nearly turned Uva into a sieve, knocking a large number of ordinary Coins and a green Core Medal out of his body.
Xing reacted quickly and used Judah to snatch them away. One Batta obtained! What was she still missing?
The bird-type Greeed suddenly had a bad feeling.
Uva, who had merely been watching, became enraged. Violent currents poured from the antennae on his head, and the two hurriedly dodged aside.
"You've pissed me off!" Phantoms emerged from Uva's body one after another. In the blink of an eye, a huge swarm of Uvas appeared before them.
Isn't this the ability of OOO's insect combo? Why can you use it too?
Uva said, "Nonsense. Why shouldn't I be able to use the abilities gained by transforming with my Coins?"
Watching the massive insect army charge toward them, the two exchanged a glance. Xing silently hurled Sakura's Redemption out. The cross blasted a breach through the insect swarm. Xing controlled Judah to retract the chain connected to herself, and with the centrifugal force, she executed a beautiful flying kick.
"Glory is with me!" Bright Knight: Moonshadow's propulsion system activated at full power, and Durandal drilled into the insect swarm like a charging bit, with outstanding results!
Under the combined assault of the two S-Rank Valkyries, the once-vast insect swarm was instantly reduced to Uva alone.
"Stop watching from over there and get over here to help!" Following Uva's furious roar, the other two spectators and the disconnected Gameru finally reconnected to the server. The bird-type Greeed spread its gorgeous wings, and sharp feathers wreathed in flames flew toward the three women.
Xing moved her fingers slightly. The stigmata on her back lit up, and a red cross appeared out of thin air to serve as a shield.
Durandal commanded her Phantom Spirits, repelling the enemy's attacks one by one.
Rita, who had been fiercely battling Kazrai, noticed the indiscriminate attack and immediately pulled back. Kazrai also tacitly retreated.
Uva shouted at it in exasperation, "Hey, Ankh, what are you doing?" The bird-type Greeed did not respond. Uva clenched his fists. "You bastard!"
Taking advantage of the infighting, Rita swiftly joined Durandal. "Thank you for waiting, Lady Durandal."
Xing suddenly realized Rita looked familiar. "Miss Viser Sloter?"
Rita lied without blinking. "You have the wrong person."
"Do I look like Theresa to you?"
The maid answered honestly, "Very much so."
Durandal was a little confused. "Rita, when did you start saying your name backward?"
The maid silently covered her face. Lady Durandal, should I say you are straightforward and serious, or should I say you are foolish?
No matter what, three S-Rank Valkyries had joined forces against the enemy. It truly was a rare sight! (Though one of them was only there to make up the numbers.)
This outfit did not seem very suitable for a battlefield, but using Kouyou's Holy Attire here would be troublesome. What should she do? Xing was troubled.
At that moment, Otto behind her tossed her a bracelet. "Beautiful miss, allow me to provide you with attire worthy of you. Put this on your wrist, and then..."
Xing skillfully shouted the command. "Magical Armor POWER ON!"
Unfortunately, the armor that equipped itself was not Kouyou's Holy Attire, but—
Light wings condensed behind her, a sacred pattern lit up upon the black gauze at her chest, and a feather-decorated hair clip appeared in her hair. Schicksal's fourth-generation God-Slaying Armor, White Knight: Moonlight, transfer complete.
Xing excitedly flew into the air. What was Shenzhou's traditional virtue? It was rude not to return what one received! Since you just shot fireballs at me, I'll give you one in return—
Light Wings—Deploy!
The anti-army automatic targeting gamma-ray attack system activated. The light wings behind Xing transformed into several beams, delivering precise and effective covering fire against the enemies below.
And then—
Xing aimed at the red figure. She only needed one Taka to complete OOO's basic combo. "Gungnir execution!" A Valkyrie Heavy Cannon sharing the name of the God-Slaying Spear formed in her hands, and a destructive beam roared forth, accurately striking the bird-type Greeed that had innocently been caught in the crossfire.
A red Coin flew out of its body. Xing swooped down from the air and hurriedly caught it. Got it! Yet before she could celebrate, a cheerful sound effect rang out like a death knell:
"Taka, Tora, Batta! TaToBa, Taka Tora Batta, TaToBa!"
Xing instinctively looked up. King OOO mercilessly swung his blade, and the energy-laden slash struck her, who had gotten too close to the enemy.
The girl's body was hurled into the building behind her by the force of the slash. The tall building swayed precariously from that strike before finally collapsing, burying Xing beneath it.
Even though Xing had tried desperately to move her body out of the way, everything had happened too quickly. Her left arm and part of her torso had been severed, while her remaining right hand tightly gripped the red, yellow, and green Coins.
I'm going to die. Those were the words that came to Xing's mind beneath the rubble.
The suited man whom Xing had saved earlier ran desperately, with a Yummy pursuing him like a starving wolf. "Help!" he shouted in despair.
"Watch out!" A calm male voice rang beside him. A simply dressed young man rushed out from nowhere and drove back the attacking young Yummy in just a few moves.
The man, still shaken, asked, "Y-you are?!"
The young man punched the Yummy in the head and did not forget to introduce himself. "Hello, my name is Hino Eiji. I'm a traveler who wanders the world, going wherever life takes me."
(I originally wanted to write Eiji's classic underwear line here, but it felt kind of weird.)
"Anyway, it's dangerous here, so please leave quickly. Ah, he's already run away."
Eiji looked at the Yummy continuously pouring out ahead of him and instinctively gripped the OOO Driver in his pocket, along with the Core Medal split in two. "What exactly happened here? If I could still transform, I should be able to do something. Don't you think, Ankh?"
If it were you, you would probably say, "Idiot, you're meddling again. Be careful not to get yourself killed."
Don't worry. For the future where I meet you again, no matter what happens, I will live until the moment I witness your Core Medal being restored.
Author's note—
New Zealand was currently the intersection point of two worlds. If it suffered further damage, the process of those worlds merging would accelerate until destruction came.
But precisely because of this, the powers of the two worlds could temporarily cross between them. Ohma Zi-O could pull Xing into Knight World, and Eiji, who was in Knight World, could also come to Honkai World.
PS: Don't worry about Xing. After fusing with Vishnu, he was completely fine. It was only a severed arm; he could grow another one back in minutes. Besides, don't forget that there was still a Gem of Stillness in his body.
This chapter was not written well. It completely failed to convey the oppressive presence of five fully revived Greeed. Sigh, I hope all readers will be a little forgiving. I did my best.
Before you continue