Chapter 369
The giant doll took a step back, and the other dolls in the black mist gradually filled its losses.
Seeing the situation escalating, Kiana cheered them on from the sidelines.
"Squad leader, kill them!"
Fu Hua stood still, her sword raised high, completely unmoved.
Kiana was about to say something Durandal appeared behind her and patted her on the shoulder.
"No, such a powerful technique would put a heavy burden on Fu Hua. We don't yet know what trump cards the Thousand-Man Herrscher has up her sleeve. We can't let her continue using her sword."
I see.
She thought the class monitor's move could be used as a normal attack.
Kiana clenched her fists and walked to Fu Hua's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.
The Thousand-Man Herrscher shouted, "Why aren't you attacking anymore? Scared now? I knew you couldn't use that move often!"
All talk and no action!
--call out.
The sword's edge pierced through the giant puppet's body once more, but Fu Hua remained standing still; only her changed posture proved that she had just drawn her sword.
"What?! How is this possible?!" The Thousand-Man Herrscher exclaimed in shock.
Fu Hua said calmly, "Although the cost is huge, I can still manage to unleash a hundred or so sword strikes. You underestimate my determination!"
She abandoned her companions from the Previous Era and betrayed the great achievements of Flame-Chasers, all for the sake of standing here.
How could the swordplay born from the heart be as weak and feeble as the Thousand-Man Herrscher had imagined?
Kiana watched Fu Hua's dashing figure disappear into the distance, then silently retreated.
It's certainly a good thing to have a strong teammate, but since the class monitor is so confident, she should probably step back and avoid the situation for now.
Enraged, the Thousand-Man Herrscher retorted, "So what if you kill us a thousand times, ten thousand times? New individuals will continue to be born among humanity, while your sword will eventually run dry!"
"Indeed, but we also have companions, and there are far more than just the three of us who are willing to work tirelessly to defeat the Honkai."
Fu Hua swung her sword back and slashed, cutting the giant puppet in half once again.
As long as she continues to inflict damage on the Thousand-Man Herrscher, the Herrscher will keep filling the gaps with puppets, until finally they have no choice but to recall new companions to Theater of Domination.
They would then have no chance to ignite a firestorm in the city!
Sky-Piercing City, a remote suburb.
The Honkai Energy, in a purple hue, enveloped the entire city, spreading disease, death, and suffering.
Those Stigmata Adept are one in ten thousand.
This means that only one in ten thousand people will survive this Honkai outbreak.
Honkai Beast are born everywhere. They knock down tall buildings and rampage through ruins. Even if there are any surviving humans, they will be reduced to bones under the monsters' rampage.
The sound of weeping echoed throughout the city.
"What a human tragedy!"
Himeko Murata slashed down the Honkai Beast chariot that was charging towards her with a single sword Honkai Beast, and the surrounding ruins filled her with sorrow.
The Honkai outbreak happened too suddenly.
The Thousand-Man Herrscher detonated themselves as a bomb, infecting the entire city with Honkai Energy; their vicious methods left them defenseless.
Human hearts are hard to fathom.
Even with the resources of Schicksal at their disposal, it is impossible to accurately calculate which person, in which city, will become one of the Thousand-Man Herrscher.
"Theresa, stop worrying about the Honkai Beast," Himeko Murata called out to those behind her.
The little nun lifted Judah and slapped a Knight-class Honkai Beast to death, then strode towards Himeko Murata with her short legs.
"Himeko, is our intelligence reliable? Will the next Thousand-Man Herrscher be born in Sky-Piercing City?"
"I'm not sure, but since it's a result calculated by the Schicksal Headquarters, it shouldn't be wrong."
Himeko Murata looked at the bustling high-rise buildings across the street.
Sky-Piercing City has not yet fallen victim to the clutches of the Thousand-Man Herrscher.
However, the Honkai Energy spreading from other cities is enough to give birth to Honkai Beast, infect humans with Honkai Disease, and breed pain and despair.
Such cities are the most dangerous.
There's a saying that Himeko Murata wholeheartedly agrees with: pain and despair are the best nourishment for Thousand-Man Herrscher.
"But there are so many people in the outskirts of Sky-Piercing City, where are we supposed to start looking?"
Theresa looked around, wishing she could slap herself.
Well, there used to be a lot of people in the outskirts of Sky-Piercing City, but now there aren't many.
The Honkai Beast destroyed the school and the commercial district. The Honkai Energy infected humans, and now only one in ten thousand people have survived.
They are either lucky or born with the Stigmata Adept.
Himeko Murata was at a loss. "If only Little Senti and Fu Hua were here, their abilities would definitely be able to find the living immediately."
"Speaking of them, I'm a little worried about Kiana. Durandal and Fu Hua are fine, they're both top-tier fighters, but why is Kiana going to join in?" Theresa complained.
She's such a big niece, I hope she doesn't come out only half-grown after going into the Theater of Domination.
Himeko Murata patted Theresa on the shoulder. "Alright, the Valkyrie's mission must always be passed on to the younger generation. Our task is to find a suitable body for the Thousand-Man Herrscher and prevent her from taking the final step."
Even if the Herrscher Core of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy are used up, they can only send three people into the Theater of Domination. They can only worry helplessly.
In the ruins, it's not easy to find even one living person, let alone one of the original bodies of Thousand-Man Herrscher.
Theresa suddenly remembered something. "Himeko, do you remember that girl named Jian Yun? She seems to live in the suburbs of Sky-Piercing City."
"Yes, that's right. You want to go find her?" Himeko Murata nodded.
Locating a single person precisely is much easier than retrieving someone from rubble.
Theresa said smugly, "Yes, Amber investigated Jian Yun before, so Schicksal's database must still have information about her. Let's hurry up and ask headquarters for the information."
After receiving the location information from Jian Yun's school, her home, and headquarters, Theresa and Himeko Murata split up.
Chapter 599 Both Sides' Actions
Humans are a very fragile species.
This does not refer to the collective civilization of humankind, but rather to the individual human being. Even if civilization continuously spreads its will, remains strong and unyielding, and harbors good intentions, when disaster strikes a specific individual, that person will still experience pain and despair.
Because she was just an ordinary person.
The Honkai Beast smashed the school into ruins, burying the students under rubble; their power was far greater than that of an earthquake that caused buildings to collapse.
At least some people can escape an earthquake, but Honkai Beast will slaughter everyone who tries to flee.
On the contrary, being buried in a pile of rocks offers a slim chance of survival.
Or perhaps... to await death in despair and tears.
A pair of beautiful eyes peered through the cracks in the rocks, glimpsing the scenery outside.
Jian Yun dared not make a sound. Even though her calf was broken by a rock, she could only grit her teeth and not dare to make a sound until the monster outside was far away.
She tried to push the rock in front of her away, but hesitated to use force after her palm touched it.
Jian Yun's leg had been broken, and the pain made her unable to exert any strength. In addition, she was also afraid that if she pushed over the stone in front of her, the stone above her head would fall down.
"S..."
The pain in her leg made the girl gasp.
Jian Yun picked up her left leg; the bone in her shin was twisted, and blood dripped from the fracture onto the ground.
She curled up, trying to find a sliver of warmth in the cold pile of stones.
The girl didn't understand why things had turned out this way. Just a day ago, everything was fine. She went to class normally, went home normally, and did what a student normally does.
But suddenly the world changed. Purple light covered the school, monsters destroyed the campus, and she was swallowed by the ruins. Death was just around the corner.
"Gurgle."
Having not eaten for a day and a night, Jian Yun's stomach began to rumble.
What's worse, she was very tired and wanted to sleep.
The knowledge she learned at school taught her that once she fell asleep at this moment, she would never wake up again.
Reason told Jian Yun she shouldn't sleep, but she was so sleepy, her eyelids were drooping. Actually, falling asleep like this wouldn't be so bad... Maybe when she woke up it was just a dream?
When she woke up, she still had her loving parents, teachers, and classmates.
Jian Yun raised her head and took one last look at the sky of this world.
Through the cracks in the rocks, she saw purple clouds, dust particles falling into her eyes, and a lovely face.
Wait, who is she?
Jian Yun suddenly opened her eyes, as if a drowning person had grabbed a straw. "Help, save me!"
"You're still alive! Wait, I'll get you out right away!"
Theresa lifted Judah and smashed the massive boulder to pieces, revealing the petite figure inside.
Jian Yun stood there, stunned.
"Heh, I was definitely dreaming."
After saying that, she collapsed.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't fall asleep! If you fall asleep now, you might not wake up again!"
Theresa quickly checked her breathing and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the other woman was still alive.
If she were to scare this person to death, she would be committing a grave sin.
Amen.
With a prayer gesture, Theresa arranged for an ambulance to take Jian Yun to the Schicksal branch for advanced treatment.
"You guys, quickly search for any survivors. Leave the escaped Honkai Beast to me."
"Yes, Lady Theresa."
The Schicksal's troops are well-organized and highly efficient.
Theresa nodded in satisfaction.
Before leaving, she glanced at Jian Yun's face one last time. "Found a target, but it seems there's no sign of them being chosen by the Thousand-Man Herrscher. Hmm... oh well, it's a good thing."
In any case, it's good that Sky-Piercing City is safe and sound.
It would be best if Jian Yun wasn't Herrscher. Later, she could be arranged to participate in the Valkyrie assessment, away from her family of origin, to avoid the subsequent tragedy.
Theresa gives her plan a perfect score!
The people of World Serpent weren't idle either.
However, compared to the treatments provided by Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, their methods were relatively cruel.
Every city has its shadows, and compared to the desperate people who have fallen from heaven to hell, the mud baths are fertile ground for the birth of fear and despair.
Snakes are mostly active in such places.
"Light the torch for my faith, sing praises to death and dawn, and offer my loyalty to the great Lord of Exotic Beasts— destruction is my only reward!"
The basement was narrow, the rooms were cold and damp, and the sculptures were bizarre and unusual.
A leading female sculptor has completed her new masterpiece.
No one could understand the greatness of the Lord of Exotic Beasts; her masterpieces could only be placed in the shadows, and no one could appreciate her talent, which she was so proud of.
They are just a bunch of vulgar people with no aesthetic sense.
"You scum, capitalists with not a shred of artistic talent! Heartless bosses who exploit their employees, what right do you have to criticize my art?"