"What the hell is that??"
From a distance, Ryan saw a massive black tornado appear at sea level, a vertical line connecting the ocean to the sky.
Though it was more than ten kilometers away, the helicopter felt like a lone boat being tossed around in the storm, with various alarms blaring in the background.
"The Herrscher of Wind is here. The Third Fleet is in trouble."
It wasn't just bad luck. The data terminal displayed a red vortex cloud extending forward, erasing the friendly forces' insignia like an eraser.
'Jumter, lost contact.'
'Benson, sunk.'
'The Carlord, lost contact.'
...
One after another, huge steel ships disappeared from the screen, further disrupting satellite tracking and optical surveillance. After losing the targets, all that could be seen was the rapid disappearance of friendly forces.
It was strange, unsettling, and Ryan could feel his breath getting heavier.
According to his personal classification, the Herrscher of Wind should be a mage-like entity, with a long attack range and devastating lethality. As long as she had time to gather the storm, her destructive power would be terrifying.
If it were Ryan, he would target the fleet's air defense systems and take down the ships one by one—far less convenient than dealing with a giant tornado.
"Ryan, let's help!" Elysia sounded anxious. She watched the storm tear the fleet apart, now extending toward the land.
Behind the fleet lay the city. If the storm reached there, millions of lives would be at risk.
"Where's the lawyer?"
Ryan said nothing, just furrowing his brow and scanning his surroundings. The storm, generated by the Herrscher full strength, had such a vast range that it disrupted his perception.
Sure enough, she had used this opportunity to escape.
Ryan suspicion was confirmed. Seeing Elysia jump out of the cabin and extend her arms toward him, he shook his head.
"The Fire Moth can't observe the situation now. I can fly by myself."
He jumped out quickly, even faster than Elysia.
"Hey, wait for me!"
Ryan seemed not to hear her, plunging straight into the storm and scanning the surroundings with his eyes.
The sea was littered with debris. A cruiser weighing tens of thousands of tons had capsized, its red-painted bottom visible, while spare parts and fighter fragments covered the water.
It could tear steel apart. Why didn't she use this against me initially?
The question lasted only a moment before Ryan found the answer. It was because he was too fast.
A storm of this size needed time to gather, enough time for him to kill it several times over.
Wherever you are, now is the perfect time for a sneak attack.
Ryan slowed down, his hair whipping past his face. Yet, there was dust and a leaden haze all around. After a few seconds of observation, the hurricane was already making landfall.
In a matter of moments, the dock was destroyed.
Cranes weighing hundreds of tons were lifted into the air, and several small boats docked on the shore vanished instantly.
"Ryan, what are you still looking at?" Elysia flew over and took his hand. Without saying a word, she added, "Don't worry about the Herrscher. We can't let this destroyer keep going."
The city was dozens of kilometers away, and with this kind of power, the storm would create a massive hole in the city.
Ryan was about to argue that dealing with the Herrscher would be a waste of time, but after a moment of thought, he knew they couldn't just stand idly by.
"Alright, listen carefully."
Chi Xiao unsheathed his sword and cleaved through a crane hurled at them. His words quickened.
"Don't even think about blocking this. The power of the Fourth Herrscher is unique. She can use Honkai energy to create an ideal fluid. In layman's terms, some of that energy sustains this tornado for a long time."
The Authority of Wind and Ryan were opposites: one excelled at sustained damage, the other at explosive bursts.
Elysia hadn't read many books, and her expression was full of confusion. But she knew she couldn't stop such a massive tornado, so she tilted her head and said, "Whatever you say, I'll follow."
"Alright, let's move into the center of the storm first. Be careful, this is the most dangerous part."
Ryan gave it his all, accelerating instantly and rushing straight toward the storm. The dark vortex quickly filled his field of vision, resembling a giant meat grinder.
Debris swirled around him like a shield, the rapid rotation generating terrifying destructive power. Ryan held his sword, slashing at the debris that hit him, turning it into atoms with each swing.
Cutting wasn't enough; it all had to be melted down. The authority of the Herrscher of Thunder was more suited for this kind of work.
"Elysia, follow me."
After analyzing the situation, Ryan put away his sword, and blue arcs crackled around his body.
Loud buzzing and dust filled the air. The lightning seemed to guide the way. Elysia shielded her face, flying with great effort. When she was within ten kilometers of the storm, the wind had become so strong that even she couldn't stabilize her body.
Ryan generated an electromagnetic field around him, forming a shield-like effect, staring straight ahead.
It wasn't moving quickly, but it was highly lethal. Even Elysia couldn't approach. Fortunately, she was with him.
The arcs surrounding him suddenly brightened, forming an electromagnetic track, and then—
A flash of purple lightning!
The lightning vanished, accompanied by a roar like a dragon's, instantly suppressing the humming of the hurricane.
The lightning lingered in the air, destroying all obstacles in its path, halting even the rotating storm.
Although her Honkai energy was far weaker than the Third Herrscher, Ryan was stronger.
Elysia was stunned for a moment.
She had fought the Herrscher of Thunder before, so she understood his strengths and weaknesses.
But Ryan used less Honkai energy, delivering faster bursts with both offense and defense. If she had stood in front of the lightning, she would likely have been annihilated.
But even as she processed this, Elysia wasn't slow. She turned into a pink meteor, taking advantage of the gap to fly through the hole.
The wind force in the hurricane was indeed much weaker, and the deafening noise had diminished. Looking up, she saw the hole led directly to the sky, like a tunnel connecting to the heavens.
It was grey all around, but the top was as blue as a gem.
"So beautiful."
"Pay attention, we're not here for the scenery," Ryan reminded her. He had already checked and confirmed that the Herrscher wasn't hiding in the storm's center, preparing to launch a sneak attack.
"So...what do we do now?"
"Hold my hand, release all your Honkai energy, and annihilate the internal structure of this hurricane!" He glanced at the edge, watching a three-story building being uprooted.
"Hurry, it's already reached the city."
Elysia took Ryan's hand without hesitation, and red Honkai energy surged from both of their bodies simultaneously.
For both of them, it felt like a warm, connecting energy. This mysterious Honkai energy fused and amplified, and Ryan even felt spiritually integrated with Elysia.
This feels so strange.
The fusion was instantaneous, and to the outside world, it was nothing short of a world-destroying force.
Millions of San Diego's residents couldn't accurately describe what it felt like to see a super tornado tens of thousands of meters wide heading toward them.
Cars were stuck in traffic, their horns blaring. Just two hours ago, they had been watching Fire Moth military broadcasts on TV. Before they could process what was happening, the terrifying destruction was already upon them.
Words like "crushing with overwhelming force" and "no human power can stop it" could vaguely capture it. Many people simply gave up on running, staring blankly at the hurricane approaching.
"Kosma, why aren't you running away?"
An orange-haired girl rushed onto the rooftop, shielding her face from the debris.
The green-haired boy stood behind the guardrail, clanging as the flying gravel hit it.
He turned around in confusion.
"Dystopia, we can't get away."
The hurricane may have been slow for Ryan, but it was moving at over 100 kilometers per hour, with an enormous impact range. All roads were blocked; escaping on foot was impossible.
Boom!
A loud bang made the two cover their heads as they saw a building a few hundred meters away collapse, crushed by half of a destroyer wreck.
There were "shooting stars" in the sky as aircraft either lost lift or sucked in too much debris, turning into fireballs or crashing to the ground.
The girl trembled as she opened her eyes and saw the vertical line on the horizon growing closer, uprooting everything in its path, while flying debris rained down like cannonballs, filling the city with thick smoke.
Is this the Herrscher?
Fear filled her heart, and Dystopia grabbed the boy arm, saying, "We have to run. Let's find an underground parking lot to hide. We can definitely..."
"No, running away won't solve anything. I want to be a hero and protect the city." The boy stood proudly, picking up his backpack. "This hurricane wasn't formed naturally. There must be an energy core or something like that inside it."
"So what are you going to do?" The girl gaped.
"I'm going to dive into the storm and blow it up!"
The deafening sound filled the air, but the girl, covering her face, tried to pull him away.
"Alright, alright, I know you want to be a hero, but you're tiny, like a grain of rice. How can you blow up a storm? Come with me to shelter, don't be crazy."
"I'm not crazy, they are!"
There were others on the rooftop, some standing motionless, some with their arms outstretched, muttering things:
"God, please punish this filthy world!"
"Apostle of God, please take your followers away."
"Fire-chasing moth, I say NIMA!" (TL: your mom)
...
All these strange, indescribable words made Dystopia feel that Kosma wasn't as crazy as she thought. At least he wanted to solve the problem.
"Wait, Dystopia."
"No waiting, I don't want to see you die in vain."
"Look!"
The buzzing sound was deafening, and the girl thought nothing was happening. But then a strong red light illuminated her face, and she instinctively turned away.
The hurricane that had been advancing suddenly stopped, and a red ball of light appeared in its center, continuously expanding, like a sword descending from the sky—
Throughout the entire storm!