Su Qing'an's Lone Battle

The stakes, somewhere between the fundamental and the marginal, appear complex.

To put it simply, it means putting all the emotions generated in this battle, as irredeemable chips, on the gambling table in exchange for greater power.

Therefore, from the very beginning of the battle, Su Qing'an's every move was made in the purest state of rationality.

Once he enters this state, he won't have any emotional burden when he attacks Satou Yunona.

As the saying goes, concern leads to confusion; after completely losing emotions, the boy can naturally come to understand a reality.

The Honkai Consciousness wouldn't allow itself to harm the Third Herrscher, and its own strength wasn't at a point where it needed to worry about the Herrscher.

Having grasped this point, he remained unwavering no matter how he drew his sword.

Su Qing'an left all her emotions in the sanctuary of her soul, where they quietly accumulated strength.

In the next frame after pulling [Thousand Stars] to its limit, he himself could no longer perceive any emotional fluctuations in himself.

As if an invisible constraint and contract were automatically established, a strange feeling permeated the soul, forming a separator that isolates and divides.

Even though he couldn't perceive emotions, Su Qing'an could still understand, through the chips that were constantly accumulating in the Soul Hall, that the great fire in his heart was continuously flickering with an inextinguishable temperature.

It's like the embers of hatred are hard to extinguish. Even if the root of anger and sorrow is quickly eradicated, as long as the familiar twisted and mournful cries of souls are heard again, the embers will be reborn and transformed into new bargaining chips.

Su Qing'an doesn't need to do anything extra.

He only needs to do his best to hold off the Third Herrscher in a protracted battle before [Udu-dust • Critical] reaches its limit, and finally, at the moment of reaching the Critical Point, exchange the chips he has accumulated so far for equivalent power.

Then, let the so-called gods bear witness.

What extent can the joys and sorrows of a mere mortal go, and can they possibly bring Him down from His high throne?

--Completely pulled down.

Before that, Su Qing'an had to make sure she didn't die.

There's no need for deliberate attacks anymore; just focus on defense by using Udu-dust to extend the distance of the [Stigmata].

This semi-passive fighting style is justified; it's impossible for him to contend with Herrscher based solely on his individual output limit.

In terms of raw power, there is still an insurmountable gap between myself and the Herrscher.

Therefore, we can only use the absorbed Honkai Energy to play it safe and maneuver at that time.

However, the actual situation was somewhat different from what Su Qing'an had in mind; that [Time Cutter] was not entirely useless.

At least according to the Honkai Consciousness, the Honkai Energy barrier on the surface of the Third Herrscher's body was not enough to gather all the energy in the moment it reacted and was struck.

The exaggerated sword speed and the complex power it carried were enough to truly break through defenses and inflict damage on Satou Yunona.

--It will probably cut into the top layer of skin by about one centimeter, causing bleeding.

However, this is also an element that the Honkai Consciousness does not allow. Although the physical abilities of the Herrscher's original body have been shaped to the best of their ability, they cannot exceed the limits of the human body by much.

At least compared to the human body opposite, which defies the norms of its species, it is utterly insignificant.

However, when one's powers do not involve healing and one's physique is not strong, bleeding itself becomes a detail that needs to be taken into account.

As an intelligent Honkai Consciousness lacks dignity and arrogance, which prevents it from overlooking any events that could cause subsequent outcomes to deviate from its intended purpose.

Therefore, He commanded the Third Herrscher to use its power.

Satou Yunona transformed lightning, a phenomenon that is inherently fleeting, into a continuous, fixed phenomenon within that brief moment.

Because this operation was performed on the surface of the body, the reaction was so subtle that even Su Qing'an himself could hardly detect the activation of the power through touch.

[Kill him.]

The girl hovered barefoot on the ground. She didn't look at Su Qing'an, who had somehow retreated several kilometers away. She simply held her delicate hands to her chest.

Satou Yunona seemed to be holding a bunch of flowers that had just been picked that morning. In a daze, it was as if crystal-clear dewdrops were dripping onto the delicate petals and slowly rolling down, contrasting with the white and flawless skin of her skirt and fingers.

But as she lowered her head, countless scattered branches were born from the dark, blood-red lightning, thus annihilating the bouquet that never existed in the first place.

The lightning bolts that swept across the land transformed the spot where the girl stood into a tranquil, isolated island, while the rest of the land was being constantly swallowed up by the wandering lightning tongues.

As the lightning passed through several phases, it gradually turned a dangerous purple. The extreme heat caused the air along its path to expand violently, accelerating its flow and eventually forming continuous, surging waves that emitted a roaring sound.

Su Qing'an did not stop retreating before the opponent launched an attack.

Killing or harming the Third Herrscher is not his goal; the most suitable approach is to entangle and delay the inevitable.

And...

The essence of power is the control of electromagnetic force.

While there are certainly limitations—for example, the temperature of purple lightning is about five times that of the sun's surface—the actual results do not reflect the true data of this natural phenomenon.

However, to think that the Third Herrscher can only generate electricity and Honkai Energy is to seriously underestimate her.

Ever since the Herrscher's basic defenses completely exceeded Su Qing'an's expectations, he has found it difficult to view the Herrscher with the same perspective as before.

Even though he had greatly overestimated his opponent, Su Qing'an had not expected the crisis to come so quickly and reach the core of the problem.

Before Udu-dust's illusion could even touch the lightning, he had barely reacted.

But when his fingertips touched the lightning, the boy's pupils involuntarily contracted.

He understood that he was now in the most critical moment.

Su Qing'an understood exactly what tricks the other side had played in the attack.

Since all particles carry an electric charge, the strong electromagnetic force prevents them from actually colliding with each other.

The common understanding of particle collisions is actually the interaction of electromagnetic forces at extreme distances.

However, under the power of the Third Herrscher, it is not difficult to reverse these so-called physical rules.

What the Third Herrscher does is very simple—it decomposes electromagnetic forces, that is, it decomposes everything.

The trail of lightning that had followed it had completely vanished into nothingness.

The interaction between electromagnetic forces causes the object to melt, and vaporization creates this scene.

According to the law of conservation of matter, matter and energy can only be transformed into each other; the lost matter is merely transformed into other forms of matter.

However, this is a bug caused by Honkai Energy, which does not conform to the law of conservation of energy. The decomposition of all things by power ignores and tramples even the law of conservation of matter.

The disappearing matter is a true erasure, as if vast voids that never existed in the world are continuously appearing.

This scene is so terrifying that current human technology can only tremble in the face of such incomprehensible power.

Even so, the boy did not feel any sense of crisis.

Theoretically speaking, Su Qing'an's [Stigmata] ability leans towards conceptual ability.

The ability to absorb all phenomena caused by Honkai Energy is the core of the [Stigmata].

Even though electromagnetic force can decompose everything, it is still essentially a phenomenon generated by Honkai Energy. To Su Qing'an, this seems to be a matter of whether the Honkai Energy reserves have reached their limit.

But a very important balance has been broken.

The reason Su Qing'an has been able to emerge unscathed so far is also due to the fact that the [Stigmata] can passively and without delay absorb Honkai Energy.

If this ability is delayed, then under continuous attacks, there will inevitably be moments when the ability cannot be activated.

In that brief moment, the high temperature and heat generated by the lightning were enough to vaporize the boy's body.

The [Stigmata]'s ability to absorb Honkai Energy remains unbreakable, yet it is still slightly delayed by the domineering electromagnetic force that decomposes everything.

This delay of less than a microsecond, almost like a disconnection, is the fatal flaw that makes absolute immunity to damage impossible.

In addition to worrying about whether the Honkai Energy reserve limit will be exceeded, today's teenagers have this even bigger vulnerability.

With the margin for error lowered once again, Su Qing'an could already foresee the final outcome of continuing this entanglement.

Before making that one and only mistake, he must exchange all his chips for power in one go and break the Honkai Consciousness.

Su Qing'an himself has sealed off his escape route.

Choosing to flee in front of the Third Herrscher is ridiculous. Su Qing'an's advantage lies in his reaction speed and judgment, but in terms of absolute speed, he can only barely stand on the same level as his opponent.

However, this premise of being on the same level must be based on the fact that the opponent has already given their all.

However, the current situation is quite clear: while Su Qing'an has already given it her all, the Third Herrscher is merely doing a warm-up exercise.

The Honkai Consciousness isn't stupid; it must understand how foolish it is to fight alone with the Herrscher.

Therefore, He must also understand how dangerous the consequences would be if He and the human side joined forces to fight against the Third Herrscher.

From the very beginning, this was a war of life and death.

There can only be two possible outcomes.

1. Su Qing'an died.

2. Honkai Consciousness disconnection.

Headquarters of the Moth to Fire.

A considerable amount of time has passed since Himeko went missing. As the captain of the Fifth Squad, her disappearance immediately attracted the attention of the higher-ups upon being reported.

Based on the information and judgment given by the other party before entering Canghai City, the intelligent adjudicator and the High Command council each conducted a brief five-minute deduction and final judgment.

Canghai City has been designated as a high-alert area, and corresponding satellites are constantly attempting to link up and view local footage.

The interference from the powers initially rendered the action meaningless, but the continuous arrival of troops and large-scale equipment outside Canghai City confirmed that this unknown interference force was slowly weakening.

Before they could make full contact with Himeko, the leader of the Fifth Squad, the satellite was finally able to retrieve the relevant footage.

Consistent with the roar heard by the troops stationed outside and the lightning seen by their equipment, the Third Herrscher was wreaking havoc on the city in the blurry, shaky footage, wielding terrifying power.

Countless buildings were annihilated by the thunderous force, an act seemingly no different from that of the Herrscher in the past, which dispelled the speculations that the upper echelons of the Moth to Fire had been harboring.

While they were slightly relieved, the entire organization turned its attention to Canghai City.

That Herrscher's power seems to include the ability to wield the power of thunder.

However, based on past experience, everyone understands that this cannot be the true nature of the Third Herrscher's power.

As a result, a great deal of speculation and related plans are brewing, and the power of the entire world is rapidly gathering, all for the purpose of eliminating humanity's enemy.

Compared to annihilating the Third Herrscher, even the elite retrieval program with the highest Sequence Number must immediately give way to this.

The Moth to Fire uploaded relevant information and images to the United Nations High Command. At this stage, the final judgment on such a major Moth to Fire Honkai still rests with the official authorities.

As for the specific outcome, in such a critical moment, a final plan and decision will likely be made within minutes.

The scene shifts to shortly after Himeko and Fu Hua meet.

Upon seeing that Fu Hua was safe and sound, Carole and Shiyu Qiluo expressed their relief at surviving the ordeal, and their inner worries quietly dissipated.

The stranger standing next to the girl then came into view.

This imposing and beautiful woman, who exuded a hint of iron will and valor, undoubtedly possessed considerable charm. So much so that neither of them doubted her when Himeko revealed that she was part of the official rescue force.

He then breathed a sigh of relief and began cautiously inquiring whether any similar terrifying incidents had occurred in his family's neighborhood.

Given that the situation is severe in most parts of the world except Australia, the answers the girls received were naturally unsatisfactory.

Although Himeko didn't explicitly state the probability of death in an attempt to calm them down, the underlying heaviness in her words still felt like a knife slicing through their hearts, inevitably causing their spirits to plummet.

Unlike Carole and Shiyu Qiluo's transformation from unease to joy to sadness, Seele's expression only subtly changed after Himeko revealed that she was part of the official advance team.

The woman's deep blue eyes grew even more wary after she mentioned Su Qing'an's name.

The little girl naturally had little idea what faction or branch the laboratory belonged to, let alone what Moth to Fire.

All she could understand was that the laboratory was backed by the entire United Nations —just that vague concept.

As for Himeko, who belongs to the United Nations forces, even if she says she's there to rescue people, Seele, whose negative impression of her is already ingrained, won't have any particular fondness for her.

This is especially true when it involves the older brother.

Aside from his unknown past, the only other reason Su Qing'an could be involved with officials is that the incident where he was rescued a while ago created an opportunity for the boy to come into contact with the authorities.

Seele wasn't sure whether the red-haired woman was the one responsible for exchanging information with her brother, or if she was someone else who brought information about her brother.

But regardless of the reason, this woman should know his true identity.

The fact that her past was known, regardless of whether it would endanger her safety, made her instinctively feel uneasy.

The little girl was especially annoyed by the way the other person was chatting and laughing with Sister Hua, who was completely unaware of the situation.

In short, Seele probably understands that Su Qing'an must have contacted relevant forces and reached some unknown agreement.

I probably don't need to worry about whether this woman will make a move on me, but...

As expected, I still felt unhappy.

Leaving aside the little girl's secret sulking.

Himeko did indeed recognize her identity as Seele had expected, and the woman had mixed feelings about the child.

After the Third Honkai Outbreak caused a massive impact on the world, the previous order was no more. Countless people were annihilated into vast swaths of black dust, which, along with the vortex of Honkai Energy, began to roam the atmosphere, creating terrifying scenes in certain areas.

Under this overarching premise, the previously shelved Kindling Project has begun to quietly gain momentum.

Doctor Muen's Sea of Quantum research project was naturally included in this category, and under such circumstances, Seele Fulei's value was already far greater than before.

Therefore, from the perspective of the overall situation, handing her over to the laboratory is undoubtedly the best choice.

With the world's population evaporating at a rate that is per capita, the girl's life and personal wishes are no longer a matter for consideration.

Personally, Himeko couldn't bear to let a young girl face such a dark ending.

Under normal circumstances, Himeko would likely experience a turmoil between her ideals and reality.

How should we measure life against life?

These are things that shouldn't be measured in the first place, but the reality that forces these things onto the scales dictates that a choice must be made.

But women today don't need to worry about this, because of the agreement with Su Qing'an.

Fu Hua and Seele were people Himeko promised to take care of if given the chance after that phone call, in exchange for Su Qing'an joining the Moth to Fire after the Honkai.

A mysterious human with combat power exceeding his own limits, yet whose ultimate potential remains unknown, is suspected of possessing the means to manipulate Honkai Energy purely through human manipulation.

When such a human uses joining the Moth to Fire as leverage to get Himeko to take care of the two, the underlying reason is already quite obvious.

Based on equality, all transactions, regardless of type, follow the principle of Equivalent Exchange.

Seele Fulei cannot move; this is an underlying rhetoric.

Therefore, even if there is nothing particularly unusual about Canghai City, Himeko will still find an opportunity to come, the reason being to observe Su Qing'an while ensuring that the principle of Equivalent Exchange is fully implemented.

The presence of what appeared to be the Third Herrscher near Canghai City was another reason why Himeko arrived immediately.

Currently, aside from the preliminary confirmation of signs of the Third Herrscher, the fact that Su Qing'an has mastered the skill of manipulating Honkai Energy is also evident.

This young girl named Fu Hua possesses a similar power. Although her level is not as abnormal as Su Qing'an's, it is still extraordinary.

Chariot-class Honkai Beast are not to be underestimated in solo combat, but they couldn't even last three seconds against the girl's sword, which is enough to demonstrate their potential.

Is this young girl named Fu Hua genuinely important to Su Qing'an, or is she merely a pawn he uses to prove himself to forces like the Moth to Fire?

Without understanding the nature of teenagers, it's understandable that Himeko would have the latter thought.

But after spending a short time together, Himeko soon realized that the former possibility might be more likely.

Part of the reason is that Fu Hua, Seele, and the other girls all have a very high opinion of Su Qing'an.

Of course, the main reason lies in the contract the boy made with himself.

Protect Seele Fulei and Fu Hua in exchange for him joining the Moth to Fire.

It's not hard to imagine that this person already had the idea of joining the Moth to Fire, but the fact that the contract was made with a certain degree of personal freedom as a bargaining chip proves a lot of things.

Meanwhile, the woman also learned of the fact that the Emperor-class Honkai Beast Ganesha was killed by the boy with a single sword strike from several miles away.

If Himeko hadn't anticipated Su Qing'an's fighting prowess beforehand, she probably would have found it hard to accept this surreal reality. In fact, even with some mental preparation, she still couldn't help but be amazed.

Assuming all outsiders' assessments are true, Su Qing'an would be a more reliable and powerful teammate than anyone else.

However, I will only be able to definitively determine all these feelings by witnessing the other party's actions in Canghai City.

According to the children, he went alone to help students at a school and has not returned for about an hour.

Himeko's expression darkened after carefully checking the school's name and location.

If that's the case, then perhaps I've already unintentionally brushed past that boy.

But the real reason that made the woman's expression change slightly was that one of the worst possible outcomes she had imagined had already occurred.

The Third Herrscher was born at the academy that Su Qing'an went to.

Himeko, going a step further, compared the residual Honkai Energy fluctuations near the dormitory building with the abnormal data displayed on the instrument and the data of the first and Second Herrscher inside, arriving at a similar conclusion and completely confirming the existence of the Third Herrscher.

But when she arrived, both Su Qing'an and the Third Herrscher had already disappeared.

Based on the time he arrived and the information left at the academy, Su Qing'an most likely did not directly encounter the Third Herrscher, just like him.

The boy demonstrated the combat power to instantly kill Emperor-class Honkai Beast. Even if he were instantly killed by Herrscher, he would still be able to struggle and show some signs of resistance. Moreover, this was during the Herrscher's immature period when it had just hatched.

Therefore, Himeko does not believe that Su Qing'an is dead.

If that's the case, then the fact that that person didn't return can only explain two major possibilities.

The first one is the simplest conspiracy theory.

Su Qing'an is a mole within the Honkai, and it's possible for one person Herrscher to meet peacefully and get along well.

The second type requires a bit of imagination and a cruel coincidence.

The Satou Yunona Su Qing'an was trying to save was the original form of the Third Herrscher.

This is not an unbelievable event. Based on the information given by Fu Hua and others, it can be inferred that Su Qing'an has the ability to tell whether a person has Honkai Energy resistance.

In his view, this student named Satou Yunona possessed excellent resistance to Honkai Energy, which confirmed that she was not dead and was still worth rescuing.

Only those humans who survive the Honkai outbreak are qualified to be chosen as Herrscher, and in this respect, Satou Yunona has already met the usual practice for Herrscher entities.

In addition to the known information, the Third Herrscher was born at the academy.

At that time, only Satou Yunona remained alive in the academy.

She is the only one who can become the Third Herrscher.

The conclusion is that Su Qing'an likely followed the Honkai Energy fluctuations of the Third Herrscher along the corresponding trajectory to find her.

If that's the case, Himeko can only conclude that the boy was unaware of the existence of the Herrscher, which is why he voluntarily went into the abyss based on his sense of responsibility as a teacher and his own power.

Otherwise, it's hard for a woman to imagine why Su Qing'an would go looking for Satou Yunona, given that she understood the danger level of Herrscher and knew that the other party was Herrscher.

Even assuming he has the confidence to survive against a Herrscher, why would he risk everything for a student he's only known for a short time?

People have their own initial motivations for doing anything. A chaotic personality may not be an exception, but this boy is clearly not one of them.

Therefore, assuming it is the latter, it only means that one's understanding of Su Qing'an has always been superficial.

This person is far more profound and complex than he appears on the surface.

Ten minutes later, a full-screen red warning light appeared inside the extended armor goggles.

Within an area approximately thirty kilometers away, the Herrscher's Honkai Energy fluctuations had begun to rage uncontrollably.

In fact, no instruments were needed to indicate this; the deafening thunder and the subtle tremors transmitted from the ground said it all.

It's not incomprehensible that the Third Herrscher would wantonly destroy cities; previous Herrscher have also displayed this tyrannical side.

I can only hope that Su Qing'an didn't actually go to find the Third Herrscher, otherwise the next time I see him, he'll most likely be a mangled corpse.

Himeko glanced at the bewildered girls around her and decided to lead them away from Canghai City first, before returning herself to participate in the subsequent battles.

To allay Fu Hua and Seele's suspicions, the woman pulled out a light screen and played a video that had been recorded long ago.

In the scene, a young boy walks towards the White Tower amidst the gentle snowfall, softly saying:

"Hua, Seele, what if you encounter Himeko while I'm not around?"

"Then please trust her; she is a trustworthy person."

"Himeko and I made a deal beforehand; it's her responsibility to protect your safety while I'm away."

"This city is probably already very dangerous. Please follow the other person to a safe place and wait for me to return."

The short video ended abruptly, but it became the reason why Fu Hua and Seele made a decision while looking at each other.