Jiang Yu's gaze hardened as he brought his blade crashing down!
The two Tramplers watched Jiang Yu charge at them menacingly. Rather than dodge, they closed in on him.
They walked the Path of Destruction, antimatter energy surging through their bodies. They knew no fear, and killing intent swelled in their chests!
One Trampler raised his bow and drew, while the other lifted his iron hooves, clearly intent on meeting Jiang Yu head-on!
Compared with the two Tramplers, Jiang Yu looked like a tiny potted plant.
Suddenly, the ink-wash Grotto-Heaven surged through the area like a tide, leaving the injured Arlan outside!
Though they had not known each other long, their earlier cooperation and his experience as one of the Nameless allowed Dan Heng to understand Jiang Yu's intent immediately.
Before the Grotto-Heaven took shape, he had already checked their surroundings. Aside from the two Tramplers, there were no other enemies for now.
Finish this quickly!
March 7th and Stelle reacted just as swiftly, barely a step behind Dan Heng.
By the time the Grotto-Heaven finished taking shape, a frost arrow formed from Six-Phased Ice had already shot through the air!
The frost arrow burst in midair, turning into countless Pom-Pom shapes that landed around the two Tramplers' feet. Icy mist spread, freezing both of them into ice sculptures!
Stelle charged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. An enormous force swelled and pulsed within her, spreading outward and coiling around the Bat!
Jiang Yu was already descending. The great blade he had snatched from Arlan came straight down, cutting into the frozen Trampler before him and continuing all the way through without losing its edge!
Before everyone's eyes, the intact Trampler ice sculpture split in two!
Stelle raised the Bat high and rushed up to the other frozen Trampler, swinging with all her momentum. With a bang, the ice encasing him shattered, and the blow sent him tumbling head over heels.
The Grotto-Heaven receded. After landing, Jiang Yu turned and called, "Perfect teamwork!"
"Yay!" March 7th bounced on the spot. "Jiang Yu, high five!"
The two little brats happily ran over to each other and slapped palms.
Their teamwork had clearly thrilled them both.
An almost imperceptible smile touched Dan Heng's lips. Carrying Cloud-Piercer, he stepped forward, ready to join Stelle in finishing off the last Trampler.
But the Trampler, who had been slumping weakly, suddenly stood up. Like a maddened beast, he threw back his head and roared. Wave after wave of air blasted Dan Heng and Stelle back.
Then Voidranger: Distorters appeared behind him one after another, surrounding the members of the Astral Express Crew.
"Huh? Can't beat us, so you gang up on us? Sore losers much?" March 7th held up her bow, momentarily unsure which target to aim at.
Dan Heng and Stelle quickly steadied themselves and shielded the three behind them.
"No matter. I'll handle it."
Jiang Yu's voice rang out behind them. The figure in blue took a single step, crossing more than a dozen meters in an instant!
A hurricane sprang up out of nowhere, making his blue robes snap in the wind. Jiang Yu reached out and seized the twisting storm, as though drawing an incomparably sharp blade!
With a sword in his left hand and a saber in his right, Jiang Yu became a gust of wind, then abruptly swelled into a raging storm that swept up the Voidrangers and Distorters before him!
At the same time, an intricate mechanical device resembling a drone or robot spun through the air from afar. It brimmed with fiery power, and a circular saw extended from it, its cold, gleaming blade spinning at high speed with an ear-piercing whine!
The raging wind turned razor-sharp, becoming a gigantic meat grinder that carved countless sword wounds into the Distorters and the Trampler. The fragile Distorters were all but shredded into fragments by the wind blades, while the Trampler was covered in wounds.
The approaching mechanical device extended its circular saw and drove it into the Trampler's body like a deadly executioner. Like a crazed butcher, it tore through flesh that refused to lie still even in death, finally slicing his body in two.
At last, Jiang Yu landed lightly, tiny whirlwinds fading beneath his feet. The boy's white hair swayed as he turned his head, his delicate face as clean as before and his slightly loose blue robes perfectly neat.
The mechanical device stopped in front of Dan Heng and the others, going no farther.
"Ahaha! It's Himeko! And Jiang Yu, you're actually that strong?" March 7th's eyes sparkled.
"Hehe..." Jiang Yu smiled bashfully.
Dan Heng breathed a sigh of relief. Beside him, Stelle waved the Bat around and muttered to herself, Jiang Yu's earlier words flashing through her mind again and again.
"No matter. I'll handle it... No matter. I'll handle it... No matter. I'll handle it... Hehe... So cool."
"Stop handling things! Let's hurry back to the Master Control Zone!"
March 7th grabbed Stelle and ran toward the elevator. "Another grand victory for the Astral Express Crew!"
The girl's cheerful voice filled everyone's ears.
Dan Heng supported Arlan while Jiang Yu quietly followed behind them. They entered the elevator, ready to head to the Master Control Zone.
Naturally, the mechanical device that had suddenly appeared went back with them.
When they returned to the Master Control Zone, a red-haired beauty was waiting for them.
Himeko's long, fiery-red hair flowed behind her. She wore a white dress with a slit, a military-style coat draped over her shoulders, and rose-gold accessories. She exuded elegance and competence, while a hint of warmth shone in her pale golden eyes.
"Little March, Dan Heng, thanks for all your hard work."
As soon as she saw them emerge from the elevator, Himeko greeted her fellow crew members.
The mechanical device that had joined them midway swiftly flew back to Himeko and transformed into a suitcase.
Seeing Himeko, March 7th planted her hands on her hips and said in a wheedling tone, "Himeko, come a little earlier next time, okay? That last bunch of Antimatter Legion enemies was like a swarm of locusts. I use arrows, you know! Fighting them was such a hassle! Good thing Jiang Yu was there."
Himeko spread her hands. "Coming earlier wouldn't have helped. My orbital cannon could have wiped out a whole swath of them, but if Herta came back and saw the space station in that state, she'd definitely make us pay."
"Then we could just pin it on Jiang Yu!" March 7th grinned slyly. "He's already punched a hole in the space station anyway."
Jiang Yu, who had been enjoying the show from the sidelines and watching the Honkai: Star Rail story unfold up close, immediately froze. "Huh?"
Wait...
How did I go from watching the drama to getting dragged into it?
Seeing Jiang Yu's dumbfounded expression, March 7th made a face at him.
Himeko smiled faintly, then turned to Arlan. "Are you all right, Arlan? Asta's very worried about you."
Arlan nodded and answered honestly, as straightforward as ever. "It's nothing serious. I just need to have the wound bandaged. Thank you, everyone. I'll go report to Lead Researcher Asta now. Goodbye."
With that, Arlan left.
Only then did Himeko turn toward Jiang Yu and Stelle to greet them.
"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express."
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