Fang Jie added that he had not been overwhelmed by Theresa's imposing presence, nor had he dodged or fled. He met her gaze head-on.
"Hiss—!"
Theresa really wanted to swing Judah at someone.
Sure enough, it was that child—Kiana, or rather, K423. Siegfried had once come looking for her. That guy who was always drunk and looked utterly pathetic had actually lost an arm. Crying, he said something about acknowledging that child, giving her his daughter's name, and making a promise that no matter the cost, he would protect the person he loved most...
"Siegfried!!!"
Theresa did not curse aloud. She simply took a deep breath and did not want to speak.
It was not that she blamed Siegfried for leaving Kiana to fend for herself in Chang Kong City. Hadn't he been secretly looking after her? If anyone was to blame for all this, it was Otto.
She just... she just... forget it.
She no longer had any desire to question Fang Jie further. Theresa's mood darkened. "Major Himeko, the original plan remains unchanged. Carry out the bait operation. But you are not permitted to enter Chang Kong City. You will command the Hyperion!"
"Yes!"
It was an order. Himeko accepted and carried it out immediately, appearing extremely calm.
"Then what about you, Academy Principal?"
"Me?"
Theresa said nothing, merely looking in the direction of St. Freya Academy.
—Judah, open!
How could a free S-Rank Valkyrie possibly be bound by the earth?
She turned and flew away, as though she had made some kind of decision.
Fang Jie watched Theresa disappear. She had been far too decisive, not even further verifying the authenticity of the intelligence. It was actually rather reckless.
Was she really not afraid that something would happen later that would leave her dumbfounded, making her blurt out, "Nani, the intel was fake?"
Of course, Theresa had only believed Fang Jie's words because of the Kaslana instinct.
Himeko was far less willing to believe him. She shot Fang Jie a vicious glare, rapidly issuing orders for personnel to operate the Hyperion without letting it interfere with grabbing Fang Jie again. Taking over Theresa's interrogation, she smiled very kindly. "Go on. Why did you stop talking? Is there anything else you want to say?"
Was it already too late to say, let me go?
I was actually seduced by a three-star sword wielded by you, a woman so devoted to the greater good!
Yet Fang Jie still gripped the Composite Blade: Willow Leaf tightly. Joy and desolation appeared on his face. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
Only when Himeko intended to haul him aboard the Hyperion and keep him under guard did his attitude finally become respectful. He called out clearly, "Sister Himeko..."
"Don't call me Sister. We're not that close!" Himeko cut him off roughly.
Fang Jie did not argue with an angry woman. He got to the point. "You absolutely must stop the Honkai fission bomb from falling on Chang Kong City."
Oh, screw you. Was the Honkai fission bomb really the issue right now? That thing was meant to eliminate Herrschers. Where was the Herrscher now?
Another resentful headbutt brought on a dizzying sensation like love had gone to her head.
The Herrscher had not even been hit yet, but the innocent Fang Jie was brutally persecuted. Himeko did not dare let go. Who knew whether this guy would vanish the moment she released him?
"Don't panic yet." The dazed Fang Jie became exasperated after being rammed. "You can contact St. Freya Academy and confirm Raiden Mei and Kiana's safety. The communications blackout only happened inside Chang Kong City, didn't it?"
"..."
Himeko was embarrassed for a moment. She glanced in the direction Theresa had flown. It definitely was not that she had forgotten; perhaps Theresa had assimilated her. After all, when Theresa got serious, how could Himeko remember something like that under her oppressive presence?
"I know!"
Himeko said it very loudly.
Realizing this, she quickly operated the communicator. The connection was normal. Himeko sighed in relief while swiftly pulling up the surveillance footage of Kiana and Raiden Mei.
The former was shamelessly taking advantage of the latter while hugging her. It was too horrible to look at. The atmosphere at St. Freya Academy had been ruined by a pervert like you...
After a moment of silence, Himeko released Fang Jie—the kind where she dropped him from midair onto the ground. "Kid, get lost."
At a time like this, suspicious personnel were not allowed aboard her Hyperion. Himeko was somewhat frightened now. Never mind Raiden Mei; she was not blind. She had seen how Theresa changed upon hearing Kiana's name. What kind of expert was that supposed to be?
She could not tell. She really could not tell.
I think you might be a Herrscher too.JPG
Fang Jie flipped over and landed on the ground. He could not believe she was really letting him leave. He had made up his mind to reveal all that information.
"Then I'm leaving."
Himeko answered him only with her back and a very unladylike raised middle finger.
What a dramatic change in impressions. It went both ways. She did not even call me handsome anymore.
In this cold, heartless Honkai world, only this sword still gave him a little warmth.
But even if she was heartless, he could not be ungrateful. Next time they met, he would fleece her for coins properly.
"If you need anything, come find me at Chiyu Academy. I'm off."
He would continue toward the area in Chang Kong City where Honkai energy was most concentrated.
Hope for a Tail and Wings
"Chang Kong City is getting more and more dangerous."
Fang Jie, moving against the current, spoke in a heavy tone. He had always regarded Honkai Beasts and Death Troopers as his primary threats, while treating Otto as a long-term threat—running the moment he saw that face...
It was not until Himeko mentioned the Honkai fission bomb that he suddenly realized the humans of this Honkai world were also a major threat.
These people had truly been terrified by the Second Great Eruption. The first thing they thought when another Great Eruption occurred was, Blow it up for me. Even without a Honkai fission bomb, conventional artillery bombardment would still be terrifying.
It was only because ordinary people could not enter Chang Kong City right now, and naval artillery took time to deploy, that they had not immediately used a Honkai fission bomb for efficiency.
"I probably... couldn't withstand it, right?"
Imagining himself enduring a blanket artillery bombardment, Fang Jie considered how he could survive it. He did not have a Herrscher's Imaginary Shield. He was still flesh and blood.
I could probably only choose to teleport away, or... fully activate Honkai Killer and absorb the shells' kinetic and potential energy.
Holy crap, it seemed like I actually could withstand it!
His uneasy heart remained uneasy, yet it was now filled with an indescribable... urge to try.
It felt just like when he had first obtained the Composite Blade: Willow Leaf. Along the way, he had chopped trees, grass, steel and concrete, Honkai Beasts, and Death Troopers...
When you had a hammer in hand, everything looked like a nail.
Let me test this blade!
"No, no. Fang Jie, Fang Jie, how could you have such arrogant thoughts? At least start with bullets..."
That was right. Test things bit by bit.
He did not restrain those feelings at all. Instead, he kept building upon them to increase his chances of surviving artillery shells.
Fang Jie, who had gained some understanding of Tai Xu Sword Qi, the foremost divine art against Honkai, knew full well how much one's state of mind could improve combat ability.
It sounded rather mystical, but the simple explanation was that one had to maintain a competitive mindset. Fear, hesitation, wavering, and retreat were all unacceptable. One had to press forward bravely and never admit defeat, daring to confront powerful opponents head-on, while possessing and protecting such conviction.
Of course, never mind that he did not understand Tai Xu Sword Qi; even if he did—Tai Xu Sword Qi most feared "deviation." So, not cultivating true qi, or Honkai energy, and instead taking this route of enduring Honkai energy enhancement and storing true qi, or Honkai energy, within his body, clearly meant he was heading farther and farther away from it.
Enough talking. An enemy had appeared ahead.
About half a kilometer away.
Temple-class—no, Chariot-class.
Real Honkai Beasts did not have the standardized models they did in games. Each was unique as it rampaged across the grand stage of ruined civilization. The one before him was one such creature.
Though it possessed a massive body over a hundred meters long, comparable to a Temple-class Honkai Beast, it had no shield and stood on all fours.
But that did not mean it was less threatening than a Temple-class creature. With that size, it could easily destroy a city, break through defensive lines, and slaughter countless people simply by passing through.
It was powerful—on the level of one of Himeko's sword strikes, a troublesome Honkai Beast that he could only instantly kill.
But this time, Fang Jie wanted to try. He wanted to try killing it himself instead of instantly killing it.
He wanted to protect his conviction.
"Spring."
Words possessed power. Naming a move and speaking it aloud openly could adjust body and mind, strengthen self-suggestion, accelerate adaptation, and improve execution efficiency.
Fang Jie believed this and put it into practice.
Thus, winter gave way to spring as he mobilized his body into an activated state, explosively strengthening himself.
His hot blood began to boil, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and static electricity erupted—Fang Jie could not control the energy in his body very well, causing it to vent out violently. It crackled incessantly, noisier than a thousand birds chirping at once.
In an instant, this changed him in the giant Chariot-class Honkai Beast's perception from an ignored "little weakling of the same kind" into an enemy.
"Roar!!"
It roared violently. That was not a beast's display of intimidation, but a direct attack launched at the first possible moment.
The sound waves almost solidified, carrying fluctuations mixed with Honkai energy as they crashed down over him.
Fang Jie had already vanished from his original position amid the booming sound waves. Only cracked ground remained, as though it had been struck by lightning, along with his hurried yet clear remark.
"No sense of fair play."
We Honkai Beasts have no sense of fair play. We only want to beat you to death or be beaten to death.
On the left!
His body leaned so far forward that it nearly touched the ground, advancing with both hands almost braced against the floor. At first glance, he looked like a fired shell, flying more than ten meters before touching down and launching himself again.
It was a speed fast enough to catch up to the Akina mountain racing god and grope him like crazy.
His acceleration was even faster.
Generally speaking, a Formula One car could accelerate from zero to one hundred meters in two to three seconds. A supercar could do it in 2.7 seconds.
Fang Jie shaved another second off that acceleration process while maintaining a slightly lower sustained high speed.
This was Honkai energy. That was why any Death Trooper that survived Honkai energy corrosion without being reduced to ashes was fiercer than any land animal.
Strength beyond a bear's, speed beyond a leopard's, bodily coordination beyond a tiger's... and even more wondrous, almost supernatural enhancements: an eagle's eyes, a bat's hearing, a spider's vibration sensing, a rattlesnake's heat vision...
Honkai energy was not merely energy; it also contained vast amounts of information and data. Honkai energy corrosion was also the loading of information. Once it was integrated into the genetic chain and completed to a certain degree, it would manifest.
And Fang Jie had been the first to obtain from it the chain that gradually turned a human body into a container for Honkai energy, allowing it to hold and use Honkai energy. This was also the foundational alteration brought by Honkai energy corrosion: gaining entirely new energy organs at the cellular level, allowing every cell to absorb and release Honkai energy.
Compared to such changes, the visual effect of discharging electricity was nothing. It was merely more eye-catching than physical enhancement, but the latter was undoubtedly what supported him in battle at this moment.
Faster, a little faster!
Run freely, without restraint.
Yeah, right.
My feet are slipping so badly!
Though the ground was dry, solid concrete—or simply stone—it felt like rotten mud beneath his feet.
As a result, a body that had spent millions of years evolving to adapt to upright walking was being forced backward. He was nearly crawling on all fours as he rolled and scrambled.
Fortunately, he had to hold a sword, so at most he was on three limbs.
Repeatedly launching himself through the air, Fang Jie's figure looked more like low-altitude flight than running. Yet, because he had to land from time to time before flying again, he had already drawn his sword. Holding it with both hands at his side, he assumed a strange stance.
Rather than looking like he was preparing to swing his blade, that posture made him look like a cavalryman, galloping past on horseback to slash once before fleeing.
They began to make contact.
The two high-speed combatants had extremely brief windows of contact. Fang Jie kept circling behind it, while the Honkai Beast with Temple-class strength constantly locked onto him, trying to stomp or ram him...
They appeared to be running in circles, but during that process, they flattened another high-rise, created ruins, made the earth tremble, and filled the surroundings with roaring sound waves.
Faster, a little faster!
Having been squeezed by Kiana and headbutted by Himeko, Fang Jie knew well that his strength was still insufficient to rival these true monsters. Only speed would do.
He looked like he was rolling and crawling. His feet could not gain purchase at all. His body, which shattered the ground with every step, frequently lost balance in midair. He maintained an endlessly forward-leaning posture that almost touched the ground, sometimes even having to stretch out a hand to brace himself as he tore through the earth in a miserable state.
But ordinary people could not tell. They might not even be able to follow his movements, seeing only afterimages limited by the persistence of vision.
But the Honkai Beast could see clearly!
It could do so easily.
Before you continue