An Unexpected Turn / Anna's Charge

Although You Lan Dai Er was not afraid, being able to bring down Ganesha so smoothly was still a relief.

Light and flame flickered behind her as You Lan Dai Er turned into a streak of light and charged toward Ganesha, preparing to retrieve her weapon.

The instant the streak of light formed by You Lan Dai Er approached Ganesha, dense violet light suddenly flared around Ganesha's body. The concentrated Honkai Energy instantly distorted the gravity around it, sending You Lan Dai Er hurtling toward its short, thick limbs.

1.jpg

An Unexpected Development

Not good!

Realizing in an instant that she had underestimated this Ganesha, You Lan Dai Er's pupils contracted. She could not help but panic slightly, yet she did not lose her composure. She struggled to control her body, trying to escape Ganesha's range first.

However, the armor on You Lan Dai Er was not the later fourth-generation God-Slaying Armor Moonfrost after all. Even at maximum output, it was difficult for her to break free of Ganesha's control. She could only watch helplessly as she fell toward Ganesha's thick limbs.

One could imagine what would happen once You Lan Dai Er landed on them.

But You Lan Dai Er was not fighting alone. Lasers, thick and thin, in all manner of colors, shot in from afar and struck Ganesha's tiny eyes and enormous mouth one after another.

The relentless pain caused the dense violet light around Ganesha's body to become unstable.

Yet, perhaps knowing that this was its only chance to catch the fly that was You Lan Dai Er, Ganesha showed no intention of giving up.

When You Lan Dai Er had descended to an extremely dangerous distance, a strange light lit up in Ganesha's small eyes. Its body, lying on its back in the crater, was about to rise again and coil around You Lan Dai Er to crush her.

Not far away, Gwen watched You Lan Dai Er's perilous situation. His eyes reddened slightly, as though a flame was dancing within them—

You Lan Dai Er was no longer merely a character he had liked in his previous life. She was also his first friend in this world.

Not caring whether Otto had observers nearby, nor bothering to conceal his strength any longer, Gwen stood amid the dust clouds raised by the collapsing buildings. He planted his feet on the ground, drew upon that usually faint, almost imperceptible power with all his might, gripped his broken sword with both hands, and poured every bit of strength in his body into it.

In an instant, the broken sword in Gwen's hand was enveloped in dense violet light, its color even deeper than the Honkai Energy surrounding Ganesha.

To make this strike as effective as possible, Gwen even took the two Light Shadow Stones from his backpack, hoping to gain even a slight boost.

Perhaps they sensed Gwen's determination, or perhaps their long-standing energy connection had finally taken effect.

The two Light Shadow Stones suddenly seemed to come alive, flashing with red and yellow light.

Of the two, the earthy yellow glow grew increasingly brilliant, while the fiery red glow gradually became little more than a supporting presence.

Under the influence of that light, the dense violet radiance wrapped around Gwen's broken sword began to shift toward yellow.

Yet before the transformation could finish, Gwen's spirit broke through once more without him realizing it, reaching EX again. He suddenly froze as he sensed some unseen connection.

At the same time, in a corner of the Sea of Quantum that did not belong to the real world, a figure like an iceberg that had existed since ancient times suddenly opened his eyes. Across an endlessly vast distance and dimension, he followed that unusual connection and "saw" Gwen at that moment.

With a single glance, he understood what was happening here.

Yet this familiar yet unfamiliar scene suddenly caused a trace of scorching emotion to burst forth from the heart that had lain silent for who knew how long.

"So be it..."

The cold man said no more. He merely glanced at the two flickering Light Shadow Stones, then tried to use the connection between them to stir the power within Gwen's body.

Gwen sensed no hostility and had no time to care about anything else, allowing the other party to remotely guide his power.

A surge of Honkai Energy suddenly erupted from Gwen's body and flowed into the fiery red Light Shadow Stone.

The next moment, the red light that had retreated into a supporting role blazed brightly. Roaring flames replaced the earthy yellow glow and instantly spread across Gwen's broken sword.

Then, following that unseen feeling, Gwen swung down his broken sword—

Boom!

Amid the sonic boom of flaming sword energy tearing through the air, the scorching blade of light crossed several hundred meters in an instant and struck Ganesha's head.

"Roar~"

With nearly half its head severed, Ganesha let out an earth-shaking roar. The Honkai Energy gathered around its body abruptly scattered, blasting You Lan Dai Er away.

Meanwhile, Ganesha rolled back and forth in unparalleled agony, its mountain-like body making the ground tremble as if in an earthquake.

Seeing that his strike had successfully saved You Lan Dai Er, Gwen let out a breath of relief. But before he could savor the feeling of that slash, he quickly put the two Light Shadow Stones back into his system backpack and said to the voice in his mind, "Thank you for your help, unknown senior."

Although Gwen had mentally prepared himself for this after choosing Nourish Soul with Soul as his development ability, when something like an old grandpa possessing him actually happened, he still found it rather strange.

Moreover, Gwen was puzzled as to why he could not clearly sense the other party's soul, as though an infinitely vast distance separated them.

"This is power you possess yourself. I merely made full use of it..."

The indifferent male voice sounded in his mind, making Gwen's utterly exhausted soul feel as though it had been swept by a cold wind from the northern lands. He became a little more alert at once.

"In any case, thank you for your help. But getting to know each other may have to wait until we deal with this beast first."

Watching Ganesha in the distance turn an entire district into a massive crater with just a few rolls, Gwen raised his broken sword again and spoke solemnly.

Though he had no concrete evidence, the cold voice in his mind made Gwen instinctively suspect that the other party might be Kevin, who was still trapped in the Sea of Quantum—

Even though, by Gwen's previous reasoning, a living Kevin should have been the least likely person to be nourished through Nourish Soul with Soul.

Still, that icy demeanor and energy manipulation far beyond his own could not help but make Gwen think of that lonely savior...

However, although some of his secrets had been exposed before the other party, Gwen was not overly alarmed—

Whether the other party was an unfamiliar powerhouse or Kevin, who should have been in the Sea of Quantum, neither could reveal his secrets in the short term.

And in just a few more years, Gwen believed he would no longer fear anyone on this planet coveting his secrets.

"It is not your opponent."

The cold male voice showed little reaction to Gwen's words. He merely spoke calmly and withdrew his influence over Gwen, clearly intending not to interfere further in this battle.

"Then please watch the performance of the young people of this new era..."

Gwen did not mind. As he worked to adjust his condition, he answered with a smile.

Judging from the other party's calm attitude toward Ganesha, the likelihood of Gwen's guess that he was Kevin rose even further.

Yet Gwen was not nervous because of it—

By the time the other party was rescued, he would already be able to ignore most problems.

While Gwen adjusted his condition, Ganesha, which had successfully smashed an entire district into a basin, finally broke free from its pain. The small eyes on its massive head, nearly split in two, stared fixedly at Gwen. Completely ignoring You Lan Dai Er as she took the chance to recover her weapon, it charged at Gwen with an undying resolve.

The power Ganesha unleashed in its extreme rage was undoubtedly terrifying. The shattered earth was forcibly crushed into a broad road, and even the Valkyries in the distance could barely keep their footing.

But for Gwen and You Lan Dai Er, Ganesha, having lost what little reason it possessed, was easier to deal with...

At the very least, they no longer needed to worry about it abandoning Gwen to crush the distant support forces.

With the high mobility provided by You Lan Dai Er's armor, Gwen and You Lan Dai Er easily kept the crazed Ganesha occupied. The cost was that Gwen had to be carried around through the air by You Lan Dai Er, limiting both of their attacks—

Although Gwen's previous slash had successfully saved You Lan Dai Er, it had also put him into a weakened state. His speed had fallen, and he could only avoid being crushed by having You Lan Dai Er carry him through the air.

It was not until Gwen took a moment to glance at his status panel, where every attribute had already reached its maximum and Strength, Energy, and Spirit had all exceeded the standard at EX, and chose to level up, recovering some of his condition, that the battle began to progress more quickly.

In the end, when Ganesha, having completely destroyed three districts, returned to the place where its rampage began, the Honkai Energy fluctuations around the Emperor-class Honkai Beast that finally seemed exhausted suddenly dropped. Gwen and You Lan Dai Er, both equally exhausted, seized the opportunity and followed the wound on its head to kill it completely.

Anna's Charge

"It's finally over..."

Looking at Ganesha lying silently on the ground without another sound, like a small mountain sprawled there, Gwen let out a long breath and dropped onto the ground without caring about his image.

Having participated in the Honkai suppression operation from start to finish, Gwen was already somewhat tired. He had then launched two attacks beyond his limits in his battle against Ganesha, and even used another one during the final kill, driving the greatsword that had been delivered later into the wound on Ganesha's head and achieving the finishing blow together with You Lan Dai Er.

Now that Ganesha had finally been slain, Gwen felt endless exhaustion surge from every corner of his body, nearly drowning him and making even breathing difficult.

"Yeah, it's over..."

Sitting beside Gwen, You Lan Dai Er looked up at Ganesha's mountain-like body before them and let out a long sigh as well.

You Lan Dai Er had also gone all out just now, turning Dawnbreaker into a streak of fire that tore through the sky once more and joining Gwen in completely destroying Ganesha's regenerating head.

Now that the battle was over, You Lan Dai Er felt immense exhaustion too.

Still, she was in slightly better condition than Gwen. She took two steps to his side before sitting down.

Gwen and You Lan Dai Er's conversation was transmitted through the built-in communicators in their armor into the public channel, allowing everyone to receive the news.

After a moment of silence, a tidal wave of cheers erupted from the public channel—

"We won!"

"We're victorious!"

"Ugh... We survived..."

Although they had only provided remote support, watching those three districts be flattened by Ganesha's rolling body and even turned into a basin had filled the girls with immense fear—

If Ganesha had charged in their direction, how many of them would have survived?

Their excellent military discipline had allowed them to keep fighting, but as the area of destruction caused by Ganesha expanded, the immense psychological pressure grew heavier and heavier until it nearly suffocated them.

Only now, when Ganesha's enormous body that had leveled three districts finally collapsed and could no longer rise, did that mountain-like pressure finally vanish.

The sudden release even caused many Valkyries, whose minds had been too tightly wound, to sway and fall to the ground.

Seeing this, Rita, who had been anxiously preparing to check on Gwen and You Lan Dai Er, could only stop helplessly to comfort the overly stressed Valkyries and keep the Valkyrie unit operating.

Ahead of them, however, a figure silently put down her weapon amid the endless cheers on the public channel, dashed out from cover, and raced at full speed toward the dust-filled battlefield.

"Captain!"

Seeing Anna suddenly rush out, Martha, who had been relaxing against a window, cried out in surprise.

Thinking someone's injuries had flared up, Rita hurriedly looked over. When she saw Anna's bedraggled and urgent retreating figure, she froze for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. She called for the medical team waiting nearby in the rear to come forward and sent two groups to examine Gwen and You Lan Dai Er.

After all, as the main forces in this battle, Gwen and You Lan Dai Er were the ones most likely to have been injured.

After issuing her orders, Rita watched the girl's silhouette running recklessly in the distance and sighed softly—

Anna could charge forward without concern, but as the only A-rank present besides You Lan Dai Er, Rita had to shoulder the responsibility of command and coordination.

Anna, already rushing into the dust, did not care how those behind her viewed her. The image of Gwen being swallowed by the dust kicked up by Ganesha still lingered in her mind. Even though she had heard Gwen's words over the public channel, she could not calm the heart that had risen into her throat.

Right now, Anna only wanted to reach Gwen as quickly as possible and personally confirm that he was safe and sound.

Her slender figure ran through the dust raised by the earlier battle. Anna's small face, streaked with sweat and tears, was quickly covered in a layer of yellowish dirt.

But Anna, who usually loved cleanliness, could no longer care about that.

At this moment, Anna only wanted to rush before that person and see whether he was hurt...

Thanks to Ganesha's "demolition work," there was basically nothing in this basin that could block one's view. Anna quickly spotted the two figures sitting side by side before Ganesha.

Before the corpse of the mountain-like beast, the two sat shoulder to shoulder. Their figures seemed somewhat illusory amid the dust filling the sky, yet they resembled a pair of heroic lovers from a myth who had slain a giant beast.

But Anna had no room in her heart for such thoughts right now.

Finally seeing her target, her eyes lit up. The already swift speed of the B-rank Valkyrie rose another notch as she charged straight toward Gwen and You Lan Dai Er.

Before Ganesha, Gwen and You Lan Dai Er, who had said nothing after their brief exchange, also heard rapid footsteps approaching from behind. They turned around and saw Anna burst through the dust clouds, her eyes red.

"Anna?"

Though the young woman's pretty face was smeared with so much dirt that she looked like a little tabby cat, Gwen recognized her at once.

But before Gwen could say anything, Anna, who had sprinted all the way over, lunged directly at him. She knocked Gwen flat onto the ground, giving him an intimate encounter with the earth.

Then, before Gwen could ask what had happened, he felt a pair of small hands groping over his body, as if checking whether his arms and legs were still intact.

Gwen had intended to say something, but when he saw Anna's eyes, red as a rabbit's, he swallowed his words and let the girl lying on top of him paw at him.

Gwen could feel the tidal emotions surging within the girl's chest. For now, he could only let her inspect him herself.

To cooperate with Anna's examination, Gwen even signaled for You Lan Dai Er beside him to help remove his armor so Anna could see clearly.

After a long while, Anna finished checking him over and confirmed that Gwen only had a bruise on his back and a little bleeding on his arms. The tears that had gathered in her eyes could finally no longer be restrained, leaving two white tracks down her muddy face as a low whimper escaped her lips, which she had bitten until they bled.

"It's all right. It's over now. I'm fine, aren't I?"