*Crash!*
The giant Honkai Beast lunged forward with aggressive momentum, only to be stopped dead in its tracks by a figure that seemed minuscule in comparison. It wasn't just a simple block; with a fluid motion, the figure swung a wide, pale blue greatsword.
The heavy blade slammed directly into the beast's skull. While its lower body was still locked in a forward sprint, its head was subjected to a massive counterforce. In that instant, all its movements ceased.
A second later, the giant Honkai Beast dissipated into black powder like a bursting bubble. The powder itself continued to shatter, eventually turning into something invisible to the naked eye, vanishing completely into the air.
"I was worried this would be too bloody, that I'd end up drenched in the beast's gore, but it turns out they end like this? Not bad at all."
Hua Yi rested his Nitrogen Crystal Sword against his shoulder. He briefly turned his gaze toward Raiden Mei, who had been standing silently with her head bowed ever since he had begun injecting Honkai Energy.
Then, he looked back into the distance. Several more Honkai Beasts were there, their sizes significantly larger than the one he had just slain.
However, dealing with them shouldn't be too exhausting.
While these massive Honkai Beasts looked formidable, in Hua Yi's memory, these creatures were known in the game as Chariot-class Honkai Beasts. They had always been basic monsters hardly high-level threats.
The outskirts of Nagazora City, once a place of lush greenery and pleasant scenery, were now unrecognizable. Several cracks had opened in the ground, burying flowers and grass beneath the collapsing earth. Even the clear sky had taken on an abnormal hue due to the rising concentration of Honkai Energy.
Every strike Hua Yi made with the greatsword was brimming with power, and the giant Honkai Beasts possessed strength that matched their size. Each clash sent massive tremors through the air.
Yet, this was far from an equal fight. In Hua Yi's eyes, these giant beasts were simply clumsy.
Perhaps it was their sheer size, or perhaps it was just the nature of these slow-moving creatures as they appeared in the game, but while their movement and attack speeds might have seemed unavoidable to an ordinary person, they weren't particularly fast to Hua Yi. With just a little focus, he could dodge them all with ease.
Though he bore multiple Stigmata and his physical constitution had been enhanced several times over, Hua Yi didn't try to tank the attacks directly, aside from using the Nitrogen Crystal Sword to parry the massive limbs of the Chariot-class Honkai Beasts.
He didn't think he would die or even be seriously injured if he took a hit, but he chose not to risk it regardless.
After all, even after eliminating these beasts, he might still have to face other enemies enemies far stronger than these mere Chariot-class Honkai Beasts.
*Thump, thump, thump.*
After a series of heavy sounds of bodies hitting the ground, the Honkai Beasts that followed met the same fate as the first. Under the edge of the Nitrogen Crystal Sword, they crumbled into powder and vanished. Seeing this, Hua Yi frowned slightly.
According to the Law of Conservation of Energy, these creatures, which were originally just ordinary animals, must have absorbed a massive amount of Honkai Energy to swell to over ten meters in height.
If their bodies dissipated after he killed them, did that mean the energy that composed them was returning to its initial state and filling the air once more?
If that were the case, simply killing Honkai Beasts wouldn't be enough to stop the Honkai itself.
Hua Yi quickly cut off that line of thought. Since this world had managed to survive until now, Schicksal and Anti-Entropy obviously had their own methods for neutralizing the Honkai. Compared to solving the greatest problem threatening the entire world, Hua Yi had other things to attend to.
He turned around and began to approach Raiden Mei, who had remained silent and motionless since the beginning.
Hua Yi did not lower the Nitrogen Crystal Sword. His cautious movements made it look less like he was approaching a friend and more like he was closing in on a dangerous enemy.
When he was five meters away from her, Hua Yi stopped.
"You..."
The moment he uttered the first word, the previously bowed head of Raiden Mei suddenly snapped up.
The original Raiden Mei had black eyes filled with gentleness and understanding; looking into them would make anyone, no matter how troubled, feel at ease. But now, Hua Yi saw a pair of purple eyes indifferent, ruthless, and filled with an unshakeable chill.
A true Herrscher was an apostle of the Honkai Will, a messenger of a god sent to destroy the world. They could manipulate Honkai Beasts, communicate directly with the Honkai Will, and possessed a clear, focused mind. Their actions to destroy the world followed their own true hearts.
But Raiden Mei was different. She was not a true Herrscher. She was not an apostle chosen by the Honkai Will, nor did she have any intention of destroying the world. She was a Pseudo-Herrscher,
catalyzed by the Gem of Conquest a portion of the 2nd Herrscher's power. Aside from being significantly weaker than a normal Herrscher, she couldn't control Honkai Beasts and could not contact the Honkai Will.
At this moment, precisely because Mei herself had no desire to destroy the world, a new Herrscher Persona had been born with the mission of destruction. As this persona matured, Mei might eventually receive the recognition of the Honkai and become a true Herrscher.
Right now, the girl before him was no longer the gentle maiden from his memories.
Hua Yi steadied his breath, which had grown slightly ragged from the battle with the Honkai Beasts, and brought his body back to its peak state. He was ready. He was prepared to defeat the Raiden Mei currently controlled by the Herrscher Persona and return her to normal.
No, perhaps the current Mei wasn't as abnormal as he imagined.
Hua Yi suddenly realized that those cold purple eyes were just watching him. She hadn't taken any action. He couldn't feel any killing intent from her.
In that moment, Raiden Mei spoke.
"Will you join me in destroying the world, human?"
The unexpected invitation caught Hua Yi off guard for a moment. Then, he smiled and reached out a hand toward her.
"No. How about you join me in saving the world instead, Mei?"
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