A Ten-Second Battle / The Clouds Have Parted

During their waiting period, the Herrscher will continue to recover, and the longer they wait, the stronger the Herrscher they will face next will be.

"Also, Lin was shot down," Hen said to Elysia, believing she should know.

"..." Elysia was stunned for a moment.

"If it weren't for his support, I might be dead already." Hen felt a pang of anxiety as he recalled the scene of Lin being shot down from the sky by the Fifth Herrscher.

If Hen hadn't barged into the orphanage, he would have already "sacrificed" himself for the mission.

"But if it weren't for him, so many of us wouldn't have died."

A voice rang out from among the surviving recruits.

"If he hadn't said he was coming to help, we wouldn't have been stupid enough to go and die. Now look what's happened, so many people have died, so he deserved to die."

"..."

Hen's stern gaze swept over everyone, and they immediately fell silent.

He knew who said it, but he couldn't expose that person at this time.

Moreover, judging from their expressions, many people agree with this statement.

If Lin hadn't come, they would have been nothing more than clever deserters; even if they died, it would only be Sihen alone.

Now? Are we going to run away again after losing so many people, and with the number and level of Honkai Beast having increased significantly compared to before?

Many people have already died; who doesn't know if they might be next?

Chapter Twelve: The Battle of Ten Seconds

A woman with long green hair sat at a computer desk, next to a measuring instrument containing the blood extracted from Lin.

While waiting for the measurement results, she leaned back in her chair, fiddling with her earrings in one hand, watching the jumping characters with a particularly amused expression.

"Doctor, your coffee is ready."

Klein came in with a cup of coffee, placed it on the table, and said to her, "Doctor Mei wants to meet with you. She says that Doctor Einstein and Dr. Vill-V want to have a party."

"A party? At this hour?" Mobius blew on his coffee, chuckling. "The Fifth Honkai War isn't even over yet. I think they don't want to have a party, but rather to discuss 'that' with me."

Klein, still confused, repeated, "That?"

"It's nothing, just a plan that came about by chance," Mobius waved his hand and said. "Rather than discussing that plan that will be thrown into the trash sooner or later with them, I'm more interested in what I have now."

"Now..." Klein focused her gaze on the blood in the measuring instrument.

"What? Are you curious?"

"No... I'm sorry to bother you, Doctor."

After Klein left, Mobius turned his attention back to the screen.

"So that explains why those toxins didn't cause you any aftereffects..."

"The Herrscher's coordinates are approaching; everyone, go on alert."

Kevin led the way, holding his gun and keeping watch over the area where the temperature had exceeded the limits of human endurance. Even Honkai Beast were rare here, unable to withstand the cold and leaving the area.

In fact, Kevin and his team were already unable to go any further, as the temperature here was beyond the capabilities of their cold-weather gear. However, while they were waiting for the transport plane on the outskirts, they suddenly received orders from command.

"The temperature in the area where the Herrscher is located is rising, and the Honkai Energy reaction is decreasing. Teams in the vicinity are requested to proceed to conduct exploration."

The Herrscher's Honkai Energy reaction was initially rising steadily, but it suddenly stopped and then began to plummet.

This gesture is like saying, "I'm weak, come quickly."

Having witnessed several Honkai, and recognizing the transformation of the Herrscher from their initial puppet-like behavior to the Fourth Herrscher learning to suppress the life force of the Flame Chasers, the first reaction of people upon receiving this report is...

Trap.

That place is a land devoid of life, inaccessible to humans. And the Herrscher are the highest creations of the Honkai, so they cannot be attacked by their own Honkai Beast and Honkai zombie.

However, they cannot simply sit idly by and wait for their demise. The longer the Herrscher exist, the greater the threat they pose to humanity.

So after careful consideration, Kevin decided to lead the team to conduct the reconnaissance himself.

On one hand, the Squad One is one of the squads that has preserved its strength the best. On the other hand, he does not have the same concerns as others. In battle, he is a person who is even more pure than Lin. It is most appropriate for him to lead the way.

The person in front holds a torch, and the people behind follow the light; that's probably how it is.

"Fifty meters to go."

It was very quiet, as if it were another world. There were only buildings covered in ice and snow, and no living things.

Everything in sight is in cool tones, like a negative.

The Squad One held their breath and tiptoed toward the block of ice whose interior was not visible.

The measuring instrument showed that the Herrscher was inside.

Should I freeze myself for protection?

He could now lay out a large number of bombs in advance to launch a precise and fatal attack on the Fifth Herrscher, but he couldn't be sure if the Fifth Herrscher in this state was still conscious. If she launched a surprise attack while they were laying the bombs, the consequences would be unimaginable.

What should I do...?

As Kevin pondered, something flashed inside the ice, and he looked up, stunned.

Then, amidst the puzzled and horrified looks of his team members, he walked straight over.

"Captain..." someone couldn't help but call out to him.

"Something's not right." Kevin quickened his pace, taking two strides to reach the ice block without being attacked. He stared grimly at the ice block, which seemed to seal something inside. "There's nothing in here..."

Hearing Kevin say this, the others were startled and came to Kevin's side to examine the ice block.

"Honkai Energy... is weakening." The team's measurement personnel looked at their instruments and said to Kevin, "Since we arrived here, both the temperature and Honkai Energy have changed significantly compared to a few minutes ago. The Herrscher is very likely no longer here. But... it's strange, why hasn't the overall energy response changed much..."

The Herrscher has disappeared?

This news, far from bringing joy, has instead instilled even greater fear.

What does it mean that a terrifying threat has disappeared?

Unlike the others, Kevin didn't show fear in his eyes. Instead, he carefully observed the marks on the ground because he found that the ground here seemed unusual. There were many cracks in the ground, which were not natural phenomena.

After seeing a mark on the wall that looked like it had been hit by something, he stepped along the crack.

Finally, Kevin stopped on a sloping road and stared in disbelief at the view below.

"This is Kevin..."

"The Honkai Energy reaction in Tran City is still rising."

Sigma was overwhelmed by the reports and was now at a loss as to what to do. Ultimately, tactics were only a small factor in determining the outcome. To truly resolve the large-scale Honkai, the Herrscher were the enemies that had to be faced.

But the Herrscher is not an opponent that can be defeated simply by having superior tactics.

The Squad One has now entered the area of Fifth Herrscher for exploration, and we believe we will have results soon... Whether these results are reported by themselves or by the monitor who reports that all members were killed is not up to him.

"The Squad One has reached the center position... wait, why haven't they stopped yet?"

"Buzz—This is Kevin, here to report on the survey."

Kevin's voice came through, and he sounded strange, as if he had encountered something indescribable.

"It has been confirmed that the Fifth Herrscher has left this area and her whereabouts are unknown."

This intelligence came as a shock to everyone.

But what happened next stunned everyone.

"There are traces of a battle here. The Fifth Herrscher likely fought with something before leaving. It was a humanoid creature, but definitely not human."

"Preliminary speculation suggests that the Fifth Herrscher was severely injured, which is why the Honkai Energy reaction has decreased."

"Moreover, judging from the energy at the scene... this battle lasted for less than ten seconds."

Chapter Thirteen: The Clouds Have Dispersed

The veil was torn by a sharp corner of the wall, the long, flawless white hair was covered with a layer of dirty dust, a corner of the icy crown was broken off, and the empress who had been high and mighty not long ago was limping forward.

"Anna ...Lin..."

The Fifth Herrscher's shocking wounds were healing themselves at an unbelievable speed. The wounds, which looked as if they had been burned by some kind of energy and high temperature, were healing under the effect of Honkai Energy, as if a rag doll had been sewn up with needle and thread.

She kept muttering something to herself, her clear eyes reflecting the snowy sky, and she moved on without feeling any pain.

Her Nun's habit was faintly visible beneath the light veil, but she was oblivious, seemingly unable to see anything before her.

This was no secret place. The Honkai Energy that was rising as her body healed would also reveal her location. So soon, after she had moved less than a hundred meters, uniform footsteps began to appear around her.

The Fifth Herrscher stopped her dying steps and looked at the people who appeared before her with her emotionless eyes.

"This is Kevin. The Fifth Herrscher has been located. The target is critically injured and can be dispatched."

She was surrounded by people from behind, with guns pointed at her.

"This is Elysia and Hen. The Fifth Herrscher has been discovered."

"..."

There is nowhere left to escape.

The Fifth Herrscher's empty eyes swept around, and this deathly gaze sent chills down the spines of some soldiers, while others couldn't help but raise their guns to fire.

When Kevin saw someone about to fire, he shouted, "Stop!"

However, his voice failed to overcome the fear in the soldiers' hearts.

"Bang!"

The bullet struck the generated ice shield, and extreme cold exploded from beneath the Fifth Herrscher's feet, instantly covering a radius of hundreds of meters with a blinding blizzard.

With the arrow already on the bowstring, there was no turning back. At this temperature, everyone would be frozen solid in no time. Kevin could only rely on his intuition to fire at the spot where the Fifth Herrscher had been, but after a series of gunshots, there was no further movement.

"Whoosh!"

The icy blue figure broke through the icy mist and flew into the sky, an escape that caught everyone off guard—except for Elysia.

Elysia had already set up her sniper rifle and aimed it at the sky. Just as the Fifth Herrscher entered her crosshairs, she naturally pulled the trigger.

"Bang!" The modified anti- Honkai bullet was fired from the barrel, shooting towards the Herrscher's heart like a divine spear that always hits its mark in mythology.

"Cough--"

At the last moment, the Fifth Herrscher condensed a layer of solid ice on her skin. The bullet pierced through her protective layer and then entered her body, causing her to freeze in mid-air.

But this attack still failed to kill her, Fifth Herrscher tried to fly higher into the sky after pausing.

As long as she has a breath left, the Herrscher can return to her peak with her inhuman regenerative abilities. They cannot give her any chance, so Hen immediately called for a transport plane to prepare for high-altitude combat.

"Wait a minute..." Kevin, with a serious expression, suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked into the distance.

A meteor emitting azure particles rose from the ground.

"Could it be..." Hen's expression changed as he witnessed this scene not long ago.

Before everyone's eyes, the burning meteor collided with the rising Fifth Herrscher from the side.

"Boom--"

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Everything was pitch black, with only a tiny, insignificant patch of color remaining.

The exhalation was so heavy that it felt like it would disappear in the next second.

Lin stared at the last remaining icy blue in that patch of color, his arms hanging limply, blood still flowing from his empty right eye socket, and blood vessels between his clenched teeth.

Because the helmet was severely damaged and all systems shut down, Prometheus could only huddle inside the helmet's Black Box, with only the howling of the cold wind in his ears.

In the darkness, a series of hallucinations flashed by.

The sound of children's laughter.

The sound of an adult crying.