At that critical moment, three kunai came flying from afar, heading straight for the Herrscher of Honkai. Caught off guard, it immediately recalled all the blades flying toward Kiana and sent them whirling around itself, knocking the kunai aside.
Holding the only Gale Katana he had left, Sheng Jiu stood in front of Kiana.
"Y-you... Why are you here?!"
"I'll handle this. Run! Don't look back!"
One minute earlier, the three of them had been chasing the Herrscher of Honkai at full speed when countless Clawed Soldiers burst out of the ground, blocking their path.
"Damn it! That thing's different from other Honkai Beasts. It must've known we'd chase it and set up an ambush here ahead of time." Sheng Jiu cursed as he drew his katana.
"Go help Kiana. We'll handle things here." Yae Sakura stared coldly at the enemies before them and spoke to Sheng Jiu.
"I'm counting on you." Sheng Jiu had raced after the Herrscher of Honkai as fast as he could, arriving just in time to take the attack meant for Kiana.
"Hey, you ugly freak! Picking on a girl is no way to show your strength. If you've got the guts, fight me!" Dragging his Gale Katana, Sheng Jiu slowly approached the Herrscher of Honkai. The blade scraped along the ground, leaving a trail of sparks.
The man and the beast began circling one another. In the distance, Kiana and Rin watched anxiously. Kiana shouted, "Hang in there, you lazy bum! I've already reported to headquarters. They'll send reinforcements as soon as they can!"
"No need. If it managed to corner us here, it's probably already ordered the lower-level Honkai Beasts to pin down the other squads."
"Protect Rin. Tell her it'll be okay. It's normal to be scared, so don't put too much pressure on yourself." Seeing Sheng Jiu worry about everyone else even now, Kiana clenched her fists. "Just be careful..."
The Herrscher of Honkai had grown tired of the tense standoff. With a roar, it charged at Sheng Jiu. A cold smile crossed his face. "Lost your patience already? Take this!" He leaned back to dodge a flying blade, then sprang up and kicked the Herrscher of Honkai in the stomach.
The Herrscher of Honkai immediately sent a blade to block Sheng Jiu's kick, then launched three more blades at him from different directions. Sheng Jiu struck one aside with his katana, but the other two stabbed into his back.
The sharp blades tore through the armor on Sheng Jiu's back, and blood poured from his wounds. He grunted, pulled a spike from the hilt of his katana with his right hand, and swiftly drove it into the Herrscher of Honkai's body. A small stream of bodily fluid spurted from the puncture.
The Herrscher of Honkai let out a shriek and charged forward. The enormous impact caught Sheng Jiu off guard and hurled him five meters into a wall. The moment his back struck it, searing pain spread through his body. He spat out a mouthful of blood and crumpled to the ground.
"Sheng Jiu!" Kiana immediately ran over and lifted the gravely wounded man into her arms. He was in a pitiful state: his armor was shattered all over, two enormous wounds gaped across his back, and small cuts crisscrossed his face. He looked like a living bloodstain. Gazing at Sheng Jiu, who was barely conscious in her arms, Kiana burst into tears. "Why did you push yourself so hard?! If you couldn't win, you should've backed off! Why...?"
Sheng Jiu managed a faint smile. His trembling hand rose to wipe the tears from Kiana's face. "A real man... doesn't run from a fight... Help me up..."
Kiana left the weakened Sheng Jiu in Rin's care, then gripped her pistol and walked toward the Herrscher of Honkai standing in the middle of the battlefield.
"Come back... Kiana... You can't beat it..."
Staring at the giant beast, Kiana spoke each word deliberately. "You're the one who hurt my friends. I'll make you pay!"
The Herrscher of Honkai's blades sprang out from its back again and flew toward Kiana.
Kiana seized her chance and planted a foot near the blades, shattering the entire cluster with a single kick. She then leaned forward to dodge the blades sweeping in from behind, sprang up, and fired two armor-piercing rounds. They struck the spike Sheng Jiu had driven into the beast earlier. The Herrscher of Honkai's enormous body shuddered violently, then it hurtled toward Kiana in a frantic dive.
Kiana nimbly dodged to the side, then leaped high into the air. Adjusting her position midair, she fired several shots at the Herrscher of Honkai's eyes.
But the Herrscher of Honkai easily swung its blades and shifted its head, causing every bullet to miss.
Seeing this, Kiana landed, rolled, and put some distance between them. But the Herrscher of Honkai had no intention of letting her go. It flapped the armored plates on its back, kicking up a powerful gust that swept toward Kiana. She struggled to steady herself in the wind, gritted her teeth, and continued to circle the beast. Suddenly, she noticed blood steadily seeping from the wound on its abdomen, and an idea struck her.
Kiana focused and fired repeatedly at the Herrscher of Honkai's wound. The bullets struck home, drawing a pained roar from the beast. Seizing the opportunity, Kiana rushed in, ready to deliver the killing blow.
But the Herrscher of Honkai realized what she was planning. It swept its armored plates at her, sending her flying. Kiana hit the ground hard, but she didn't give up. She struggled back to her feet.
Just then, a series of powerful punches struck the Herrscher of Honkai. Its enormous body flew backward and crashed into the ruins of a building, raising a cloud of dust.
As the dust cleared, Fu Hua stood in front of Kiana. "You've worked hard, Kiana."
Kiana stared at Fu Hua in disbelief. "Class Monitor! What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry. I set out for here the moment I received the distress signal, but a few little pests delayed me on the way. I'll take care of it now. Go check on Sheng Jiu and the others. The medics will be here soon." Fu Hua adjusted his red-rimmed glasses and calmly watched the Herrscher of Honkai rise again.
The frustrated Herrscher of Honkai launched several blades at Fu Hua. He walked straight toward them, and Kiana cried out in alarm, "Class Monitor, watch out for its blades! They can change direction!"
Fu Hua rolled to the side and dodged the first blade. Then he caught the second one with both hands and snapped it in two with his bare hands. Using one of the broken halves as a dagger, he plunged it into the Herrscher of Honkai's left shoulder.
Unlike when Sheng Jiu had struck the beast's body with his katana and failed to do any damage, Fu Hua's blade left a deep wound, from which thick bodily fluid spilled. Ignoring the Herrscher of Honkai's roar, he tossed the blade aside and drove his fist into the wound, tearing out a fist-sized crystal. "Now... it's time to say goodbye!" The Herrscher of Honkai's enormous body crashed to the ground and never rose again...
Forty minutes later, Sheng Jiu sat in the cabin of a gunship with bandages covering his face, recounting what had just happened to Yae Sakura and Bronya. "And then I swung my sword at that beast. Who knew that thing would..."
"Smash you into a wall and leave you looking like a complete wreck." Kiana rolled her eyes at Sheng Jiu and pressed down on the thick bandages on his back. "Take it easy. You're already hurt this badly, and you're still not taking care of yourself."
Sheng Jiu chuckled. "But I'm still alive, right? It's nothing, it's nothing... I'm exhausted. I'll take a nap. Wake me when we get there." Then he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
Not long afterward, the gunship rocked slightly. Kiana, who had been staring into space, felt something heavy on her shoulder. She turned around and saw that Sheng Jiu had fallen asleep against her.
After a moment's thought, Kiana gently lowered Sheng Jiu's head onto her lap. Looking at his bandage-covered face, she remembered how that idiot had kept trembling as he rose again and again to charge the Herrscher of Honkai, even though he'd never once cried out in pain, all to protect her and Rin. Her heart ached, and she gently stroked Sheng Jiu's head.
She glanced across at Yae Sakura and Bronya, who were smiling like proud mothers. Kiana's face instantly turned red. She mouthed, "Just this once," but made no move to wake Sheng Jiu...
Before you continue