The Promise We Made.

Even after the towering pillar of light disappeared, the stormy weather in this desert region continued unabated.

Himeko was already speeding towards Canghai City in an armed helicopter, her warrior's instincts telling her that the city might have something special about it.

However, this reason alone was not enough to convince Himeko, the captain of the Fifth Squad the Moth to Fire, to embark on her journey to Canghai City.

Judging from the specific circumstances of the cities losing contact as revealed by satellite maps, the geographical locations of those three cities are too coincidental, appearing at first glance as if a disaster radiated outwards from Canghai City.

Of course, it's quite normal for all sorts of unexpected events to occur under such a Honkai outbreak.

Making a rash decision based on this is not in Himeko's character.

However, considering that pinpointing the exact location of the Third Herrscher is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack, what Himeko is currently doing is simply adding a little bit of personal, insignificant judgment to her original duty of disaster relief.

Canghai City was already at the top of the rescue list in Himeko's area of responsibility, so it was only natural to send people to that city to provide assistance once manpower became available.

At the same time, Himeko was also uneasy about Su Qing'an's presence.

That phone call wasn't enough for her to completely trust the boy, especially after confirming that the Honkai might possess intelligent consciousness, which made Himeko even more suspicious of Su Qing'an's existence.

Are the Herrschers truly the only Herrscher of the Honkai Consciousness?

At this stage, with neither the Fusion Warrior nor the Divine Sound appearing, Su Qing'an's abnormality and the undeniable existence of his Honkai Consciousness inevitably make Himeko think more deeply.

What if the boy's very existence was meant to correct the weaknesses of Herrscher during their initial hatching phase?

The Honkai Consciousness is not omnipotent. If it were to wage a war with the sole purpose of eliminating humanity, it would be enough to manipulate just a few high-ranking officials to undermine the stability of the United Nations from within.

Reactivating the Honkai at that time would undoubtedly be a better option.

But since He didn't do that, Himeko could only conclude for the time being that He couldn't do something so convenient.

From this perspective, the possibility that Su Qing'an is on the side of Honkai is greatly eliminated.

However, all of the above is based on the premise that humans are not acting voluntarily. Given the diversity of human beings, it is entirely reasonable for cults with Honkai worship and mentally ill individuals to emerge.

Himeko had only known Su Qing'an for a short time, and the two had never even met in person. Even though she found him strangely pleasing to the eye and even had an inexplicable fondness for the young man, a woman still couldn't completely trust him.

The burdens on her shoulders were too heavy; personal feelings always had to be dealt with last.

The most important reason is that if the Third Herrscher is in Canghai City, and Su Qing'an is also there, then his hypothesis would have the conditions to stand.

If this is indeed the case, the consequences are truly unimaginable.

Just think about it: what if Su Qing'an, with her advanced intelligence and top-tier combat power, were to assist the newly born Herrscher in fighting against humanity?

He only needs to delay a little longer, allowing the Herrscher to become familiar with their own powers, and humanity will be forced to face a Herrscher in full power for the first time.

There is only one way to make Himeko put her worries aside.

That would be to witness firsthand Su Qing'an's actions during this Honkai.

Will he be a coward who only cares about escaping, a hero who faces all the products of Honkai, or a traitor who aligns himself with the Herrscher?

Whether these possibilities can be turned into reality depends on Himeko's careful judgment.

Actions speak louder than words.

Canghai City is now completely out of contact, and the number of its residents who are still alive will likely soon be reduced to a mere handful.

Besides being unable to contact Su Qing'an, Himeko also faces the possibility of being unable to establish contact with the outside world after entering Canghai City.

Her communication equipment was the high-end configuration of the Moth to Fire, enabling her to link with satellites even in the desolate wilderness where the entire city had been completely destroyed.

Therefore, assuming that you also successfully lose contact after entering Canghai City, then this city is very likely to contain all the elements that establish the above logical chain.

Within a mere five minutes, Himeko had boarded the armed helicopter and completed all the rescue assignments on board. At the same time, she had used her captain's authorization to request that her superiors include Canghai City in the first-level observation zone.

She knew very well that if she were really in Canghai City, she would immediately lose contact.

This trip is likely to end badly.

Even though this was a risk that could be avoided by having other team members take her place, the woman's inner convictions wouldn't allow her to abandon her teammates in any way.

If hell lies ahead, she can go there herself.

Death is the inevitable fate of a warrior.

Standing on the edge of the hatch, Himeko let her red hair sway freely in the wind. She remained unfazed by the reality that she could be dragged into the clouds at any moment, as if the thousands of meters above the sky could not inflict any real harm.

Himeko gazed at the once incredibly prosperous metropolis, now shrouded in a strange, misty haze of black ash from the Honkai that filled the sky above the entire Canghai City.

The city, once filled with steel, has now become a primeval dark forest, where endless Zombie and Honkai Beast are constantly being born, roaming and plundering, and endlessly causing meaningless destruction.

The power that was once held in awe has become worthless; only real strength and extraordinary luck can allow the remaining humans to save their lives.

However, considering the probability of survival in Honkai 3rd, it's unlikely that the number of survivors will exceed three digits.

The woman suppressed her thoughts of these harsh realities, focusing solely on her immediate duties.

The passing of the deceased is inevitable, so we must create a future for the living.

Himeko's lips, untouched by lipstick, parted and opened, conveying the corresponding commands.

Her long, black dress, clinging to her entire body, stretched out like ink, transforming into a completely different material and appearance.

Even though it retains its original color scheme, this is now an armor design intended for combat.

This extremely convenient nanotechnology has already entered the civilian stage in cities of Canghai City, and its effectiveness in dealing with the Honkai is evident in the military.

Simply inputting a command will instantly cover the entire body with armor, and in the event of an unusual kinetic reaction, the armor will automatically appear to nip all dangers in the bud.

A crimson greatsword also appeared, hovering above the woman's back; its appearance was both elegant and violent.

Sometimes even Himeko herself marvels at the conveniences of the modern world.

If the appearance of Honkai must be accompanied by some kind of factor, then perhaps this unprecedented peak of technology is the cause of such a calamity.

But regardless of whether the reasons are truly so absurd, the reality that humanity needs to confront this calamity will not change in the slightest.

The woman pursed her lips and whispered:

"Have communications started getting disrupted? Looks like I'm incredibly lucky in every sense of the word."

She gave orders to the pilots inside the cockpit:

"Immediately move away to the area where the signal has been restored and notify the remaining troops who have not yet reached their original destination."

"A clue has appeared about the Third Herrscher; they have all gathered in Canghai City."

Himeko's eyes and brows revealed a solemn and chilling aura as she gazed at the sky filled with black corpses, as if watching a grand ceremony unleashed by Satan in hell.

She knew all too well what she would face if she stepped into Canghai City first.

Immediately, the woman's slightly parted lips softened the cold atmosphere, revealing a smile that no one could see.

They did not wait for a response that the pilot was destined not to give.

Without the slightest hesitation, Himeko leaped from a height of 1,000 meters.

After the unmanned helicopter was far away from Canghai City, it faithfully transmitted the recording to the Fifth Squad's voice channel, and then uploaded it to the Moth to Fire headquarters.

Thus began the initial stages of a plan targeting killer whales.

A car show inside a shopping mall in Canghai City, Longnan District.

This place brings together the oldest car models in the vicinity. These antique cars, with their long history yet still looking brand new, are displayed in this small car show that covers an area of just over 100 meters, exuding the weight of time and the atmosphere of culture.

Using gasoline or even diesel as the energy source for starting a car is a technology that has been completely phased out in this era, but these artifacts that were once glorious in human history still retain the function of being collected and appreciated.

In a large city like Canghai City, where material life is extremely developed and many residents pursue spiritual fulfillment, such auto shows are quite common.

Normally, these would only attract a few glances from Su Qing'an, but now that all energy vehicles are dormant and unusable, these antiques have become excellent means of transportation that have been given a second life.

Under the watchful eyes of Seele and Fu Hua, Su Qing'an skillfully started the sports car with the key in the ignition. This type of car would have been considered expensive and rare in his previous world.

But even in terms of practicality, these are toy cars that large corporations would probably not want even if they gave them to ordinary people.

Of course, it still retains this characteristic in terms of its rarity and high price.

"Master Su, can you drive this kind of car?"

It's no wonder Fu Hua asked this question, because there have been dozens of upgrades and replacements between the internal structure and drive mode of new energy vehicles and gasoline vehicles.

In today's society, only wealthy second-generation individuals who have a particular fondness for this type of car would spend a lot of money to learn how to drive in their own lane.

The reason given is that gasoline-powered cars are too outdated and cannot be reconciled with the intelligent driving capabilities of new energy vehicles, so these types of vehicles were banned from the roads more than a hundred years ago.

The boy opened the car door and gestured for the two to sit in the back seat. His hand calmly ran over the interior of the car as if he were familiarizing himself with its contents.

After confirming that the fuel tank inside was full, Su Qing'an responded calmly:

"I'm very familiar with this. I've used similar vehicles to outrun several Emperor-class Honkai Beasts in virtual scenarios before."

"However, in terms of escaping, motorcycles are more useful in every sense."

Although they found Su Qing'an's words difficult to understand, due to their close relationship and trust, neither Seele nor Fu Hua had any objections.

After the two were both inside the car, the young man asked softly:

"Hua, do you want to save Yuno and Carole?"

Fu Hua had just helped Seele and herself fasten their seatbelts when Seele heard this. Her small hand holding the seatbelt trembled slightly, she hesitated for a moment, then pursed her lips and said:

"The current situation is very dangerous, isn't it?"

Su Qing'an looked at her reflection in the car mirror.

The starlight in those clear eyes waned and slowly dimmed.

He parted his lips slightly, closed his eyes, and said softly:

"Yes, it's dangerous."

"But it's okay, I'm very strong."

The girl gripped her sleeve tightly, her fingertips sinking into the fabric, and her eyes filled with mist as she lowered her head.

For Fu Hua, who was only 15 years old, all of this was far too cruel and heavy.

Even in such a world, there is someone who is willing to do everything in their power to protect her innocence and kindness so that the wound will not become more painful.

She parted her lips and whispered, her voice trembling and tinged with a sob:

"Won't you die?"

"I absolutely do not want Master Su to die."

The boy started the sports car's engine, and the roaring noise drowned out the sobs that were making him sad.

Su Qing'an opened his eyes, gazing at the girl's indistinct features in the mirror, and softly replied:

"No, it won't."

"I am very strong. If I want to, no one in this world can kill me."

As she listened to the boy's firm yet gentle voice, she thought to herself in a daze.

Wow, Master Su is really that skilled! Does that mean I can finally relax?

No need to worry anymore that my selfishness will hurt him.

There's no need to worry that your vision will put him in a dilemma.

Don't worry... he'll disappear from his own world because of this.

She covered her eyes with her sleeve and said:

"Carole is at the movie theater next door, Yuno is in her dorm."

Su Qing'an smiled and said softly:

"Then it's a deal."

Since we've made that agreement, we can only accept whatever terrible crisis this city faces, right?

Even if the difficulty level changes from easy to hell mode, there's nothing to complain about.

The streamlined body of the car trembled instantly as the violent engine propelled it to its maximum speed, causing it to shoot like an arrow over the exhibition sign that had not yet been removed.

The next instant, the boy slammed on the brakes without expression. The car shook violently, and the wheels, coated in Honkai Energy, created an unnatural friction with the smooth wooden surface. A piercing scream, like that of a trapped wild beast, rang in our ears.

Like ink Honkai Energy freely across the entire body of a sports car in the blink of an eye, the jet-black body shattered the reinforced glass with overwhelming force, then executed a beautiful drift from the third floor, crashing dramatically onto the street...