Alicia is the True Golden Finger in Honkai!

"Rita, Gwen's operation should be starting soon.

Your mission is simple: deliver this prototype Fourth Generation God-Slaying Armor to Gwen."

In the laboratory, Otto placed a case on the table and pushed it towards Rita, who had just arrived after being assigned the temporary mission.

"Gwen might not need it, but to avoid the worst-case scenario, let's add an extra layer of insurance for our Mr. Knight."

"Yes, Bishop."

Although surprised that a prototype of the Fourth Generation God-Slaying Armor had been produced so quickly, Rita still bowed her head and accepted the mission without any outward sign of surprise.

It had been nearly a month since Gwen departed for the Far East to carry out his mission. While Rita had been in contact with Gwen a few times regarding his mission, and even received a gift from Yolandale on his birthday, it had been almost a month since Rita and Gwen had last seen each other.

It seemed that this was the first time they had been separated for such a long period since Gwen arrived in this world from the Fire Moth's base...

With that thought, Rita, who was carrying the case containing the prototype Fourth Generation God-Slaying Armor prepared for Gwen, paused slightly. However, this slight emotional shift did not affect Rita's movements, and she concealed it in the next moment. Otto, who could only see Rita's back, could hardly detect these subtle irregularities... perhaps?

After Rita left, in the laboratory where only Otto remained, Otto's voice, as if conversing with someone, echoed once more...

Ten minutes later, Rita boarded an airship heading to the Far East, leaving Schicksal headquarters.

Meanwhile, in Changkong City in the Far East, on the other side of the planet, Gwen stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened.

"Who's there?"

A security guard's voice came from the speaker, and several dark gun barrels were aimed at the elevator doors. If Gwen made any unusual move, he would be riddled with bullets.

"The person saving you."

In response to the security guards' questions, Gwen casually replied, and his figure vanished, causing the bullets fired from the gun barrels to land on the elevator.

Having already completed the armor deployment via transmission technology, Gwen completely ignored the bullets and moved like a phantom through the underground space.

Even the elite few equipped with Anti-Entropy's tactical analyzers were no match for Gwen, who had fully embodied the combat philosophy of "swift as the wind, silent as the forest, fierce as fire."

Phantoms flickered through the underground space filled with various instruments, and security personnel slumped to the ground, their bodies going limp. Although they were still breathing steadily, they wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

Having dealt with the vigilant security personnel with practiced ease, Gwen, guided by Prometheus, rushed towards the Honkai energy engine whose rumbling sound he could clearly hear with his acute hearing—

According to information Prometheus obtained from surveillance, Cocolia seemed to be preparing to use the same method as the World Serpent would later use in Sky City: overloading the Honkai energy engine to unleash a massive amount of Honkai energy and trigger a Honkai outbreak.

However, it seemed that due to the technological gap compared to a few years later, and because Cocolia intended to create a large-scale Honkai outbreak capable of producing a Herrscher, rather than the World Serpent's outbreak that could only affect the range of a large city, Cocolia had set up more than one Honkai energy engine.

Fortunately, by comparing the data with Schicksal headquarters, Prometheus analyzed the shutdown methods for these Honkai energy engines, allowing Gwen to successfully shut down several of them that were being monitored.

However, even after shutting down the last engine, Gwen's expression showed no joy—

Even now, Gwen could still clearly hear the rumbling sound of the engines operating, indicating that there were still Honkai energy engines active underground.

Furthermore, their power output might even exceed that of the engines that had already been shut down.

With that thought, Gwen, still in peak condition, did not hesitate and charged towards the hidden danger in the direction of the crisis.

After passing through a winding path and piercing through several defense-level doors along the way, Gwen finally found his target in a location far beyond ME Corp.'s boundaries.

Chapter 34: Operation Failed

"...Prometheus, quickly!"

Feeling the terrifyingly high Honkai energy concentration around him due to the Honkai energy leaking from the engine, Gwen, with a grim expression, conveyed his thoughts directly into his mind.

Without making Gwen wait, Prometheus, understanding his intent, provided the method to shut down the engine:

"Found it. First... then..."

Quickly relaying the shutdown method for the Honkai energy engine model he had found, Prometheus also reminded Gwen of various details to avoid any problems—

Although Prometheus still didn't fully understand human emotions, it could guess that if this operation ultimately failed and Cocolia succeeded in triggering a large-scale Honkai outbreak, Gwen might encounter some trouble.

However, just as the calm Gwen, guided by Prometheus, completed the final step of shutting down the engine, the rumbling sound of the engine's operation suddenly ceased.

Before Gwen could show a relieved expression, a projection suddenly appeared before him. Cocolia, with her arms crossed haughtily, "looked" at Gwen and said:

"To be able to do this much, your abilities are quite impressive.

It's a shame you followed the wrong person."

—It seemed that Cocolia had anticipated someone interfering with her plan and had left this recording on the final engine.

At the same time, Prometheus's voice echoed in Gwen's mind—

"Get out of here quickly!

The opponent modified the engine's program. The original shutdown program was also changed to trigger an explosion.

If the opponent connects this place to the original engines, then..."

Since this location was far beyond ME Corp.'s boundaries and there were no nearby devices to hack into, Prometheus could not provide accurate information and could only speculate on the worst-case scenario.

However, before Prometheus could finish speaking, Gwen's body was violently thrown back in the direction he came from by the terrifying surge of Honkai energy.

Simultaneously, the several Honkai energy engines that Gwen had urgently shut down, but which still contained a massive amount of Honkai energy generated by the overload, suddenly exploded.

The terrifying Honkai energy instantly created a Honkai energy concentration in the small underground space that far exceeded what was needed to birth a Herrscher.

Under the pressure of the immense Honkai energy concentration, this massive amount of Honkai energy instantly spread to the surface along the pre-arranged routes—

"Hoo..."

"I'm exhausted," said Kiana.

On a street nearly two kilometers from ME Corp., Kiana leaned against a recently refurbished fire hydrant, catching her breath.

Even with Kiana's exceptional physique, a two-kilometer sprint left her a bit winded, though it wouldn't significantly impede her actions.

Beside Kiana, Raiden Mei's face was also flushed from the strenuous exercise.

Although Raiden Mei had trained in swordsmanship under the "Homonculus Sword Saint" and achieved considerable success, far from being the weak and delicate young lady of traditional impression, a sudden two-kilometer sprint wouldn't leave her completely unaffected.

"Alright, Kiana, stop complaining.

Get ready, we need to start hiding."

After taking a breath, Raiden Mei took out a sportswear shirt she had prepared from her backpack.

This was something they had prepared in advance before leaving that morning.

Whether Plan A succeeded and they escaped Changkong City, or if they were forced to execute Plan B, Raiden Mei and Kiana would need a slight change of clothes when retreating after helping Gwen reach ME Corp.

"Okay!"

Kiana nodded vigorously, preparing to take her own clothes from her backpack. The alley was deserted, and there were no streetlights. Even if a simple change of clothes wouldn't fool professionals, it would be enough to evade ordinary passersby.

With the surveillance systems already hacked, this would allow them to leave the vicinity smoothly and go into hiding.

Now, all they had to do was wait for Gwen to pick them up.

However, before Kiana could even remove her hand from the fire hydrant, her body suddenly stiffened, her movements freezing in place, her eyes tightly shut.

"Kiana?"

Having put on her sportswear and tied her loose hair into a ponytail, Mei looked at the suddenly silent Kiana with confusion. All she saw was a pink halo surrounding Kiana.

Although Raiden Mei knew the name, she hadn't seen the actual phenomenon. She didn't immediately recognize the nature of the pink halo, but a bad premonition made her instinctively want to pull Kiana away from there.

However, as she took a step closer, before she could even take Kiana's hand, Raiden Mei felt her mind grow heavy, her movements faltering.

"Damn it!"

In the cramped space beneath ME Corp., Gwen, who was directly hit by the explosion's impact, pulled himself out of the wall. Feeling the Honkai energy in the environment, which was almost tangible, he couldn't help but curse.

"Prometheus, what's the situation?"

While discarding several emergency Honkai energy neutralizing agents he carried, Gwen inquired in his mind.

These were not medications for infected humans, but equipment issued to every Valkyrie for survival in environments with excessively high Honkai energy concentrations.

However, even with Gwen throwing out all the agents he had, it was merely a drop in the bucket, unlikely to have a decisive effect.

"The situation is not good—"

Prometheus stated concisely:

"According to the detection, the Honkai energy concentration on the surface is soaring, but it has only caused a small-scale Honkai outbreak.

Most of the Honkai energy is flowing towards the alley where Raiden Mei and Kiana are hiding."

"In other words, the worst-case scenario has occurred, hasn't it?"

Ignoring the scattered Honkai beasts, Gwen, who had already reached the elevator with his movements flashing, heard this and his heart sank. He stopped his actions and asked in his mind.

"I'm afraid... yes."

Prometheus's voice seemed to carry a hint of hesitation, mirroring Gwen's mood.

"The probability is as high as ninety-nine percent."

"Heh, truly..."

Gwen let out a scoff, but his face showed no hint of a smile. His handsome features were replaced by a cold calmness.

Already feeling a sense of impending danger from above, Gwen didn't hesitate. He transferred the long spear equipped by Schicksal for him, an A-rank Knight, to his other hand. His free hand then reached for his empty wrist.

As light flowed, the long-unseen Light-Dark Spark (?) appeared in Gwen's hand. With a thought, a soft light illuminated, enveloping Gwen's figure as he rushed towards the ground.

Chapter 35: What Appears in Changkong City Isn't Necessarily the Herrscher of Thunder

At this moment, if someone could overlook the flow of Honkai energy in Changkong City, they would discover that in the city where a Honkai outbreak was confirmed, the Honkai was surprisingly confined to a very limited area.

Although several points in Changkong City were erupting with Honkai energy capable of destroying the city, this vast amount of Honkai energy was not rapidly spreading to form a city-wide cataclysm. Instead, it was purposefully drifting in one direction, eventually converging at a single point.

Of course, Honkai energy artificially induced does not possess such intelligence.

It was less that this Honkai energy was drifting towards that point, and more that it was being pulled towards it.

"Kiana..."

Looking at Kiana, who was already enveloped in a dense purple halo, Raiden Mei, feeling as though her body no longer belonged to her, struggled to take step after step towards the white-haired girl, refusing to give up.

Although she didn't understand what was happening, Raiden Mei had a premonition that if this change were allowed to continue, something terrible would occur.

Moreover, since Kiana had come to protect her as part of Gwen's plan, she absolutely couldn't let Kiana suffer any harm and burden Gwen with Kiana's death.

Besides, although she now had Gwen, the second person who had shown her kindness and warmth, Raiden Mei still couldn't stand by and watch Kiana, the first person who had helped her, meet with disaster.

Driven by an impulse she herself hadn't perceived, several thoughts in Raiden Mei's mind suppressed her instinct to flee, compelling her to walk step by difficult step towards Kiana.

As Raiden Mei stepped closer, the massive amount of Honkai energy gathered around Kiana flowed into Raiden Mei's body, causing distinct purple patterns of corruption to appear on her.

However, this did not hinder Raiden Mei's advance—

Raiden Mei's body was like another bottomless pit, madly absorbing the vast Honkai energy.

As the immense Honkai energy entered her body, something that had lain dormant within Raiden Mei for years began to emit an intangible fluctuation, and more and more obvious noises gradually appeared in Raiden Mei's ears.

Yet, Raiden Mei paid no attention to these noises that had once echoed in her ears. She only wished to awaken the white-haired girl who had shown her kindness when she was on the brink of despair, and to lessen the guilt of the boy who had illuminated her world.

Thus, Raiden Mei walked step by step before the white-haired girl, reaching out to take the girl's dangling hand, wanting to awaken her—

"Kiana?

Kia..."

However, before Raiden Mei could finish her second call, her voice abruptly stopped—

A hand far stronger than Raiden Mei's weakened one gripped her fragile neck. The owner of the hand, the white-haired girl who had opened a pair of brilliant golden eyes, displayed none of her usual carefree or silly demeanor.

Instead, she possessed a queen-like majesty that matched her golden eyes—

Another bottomless pit, the one drawing this immense Honkai energy here, was none other than the white-haired girl's body.

"I'm so glad you're by my side when I woke up."

Her voice was no longer as clear as before. The white-haired girl's twin white braids had come undone, her white hair now flowing freely. Her school uniform had been replaced by a Herrscher's dress, primarily in black and white. The hand gripping Raiden Mei's neck was now adorned with a glove that matched the Herrscher's dress.

However, the grip on Raiden Mei's neck had not weakened in the slightest; instead, it grew tighter as the Honkai energy continued to converge.

Furthermore, the white-haired girl's other hand had already been raised quietly, reaching towards Raiden Mei's chest, as if searching for a place to strike—

"Now, become one with me again, my other half."

With a leisurely tone, the white-haired girl's hand subtly touched Raiden Mei's clothing.

It was imaginable that in the next moment, Raiden Mei would be met with a hand tearing through her chest.

However, the hand that should have plunged into Raiden Mei's chest ultimately missed, and even the hand firmly gripping Raiden Mei's neck suddenly found nothing—