Just like two armies lining up before a clash, war always begins with countless deceptions and investigations.
Which is the diversion, and which is the real assault? That's the heart of warfare, the basis of a commander's judgment. Yet as the high-energy Honkai sources on the map started moving north, even Carius found himself in a daze.
They really changed direction?
That doesn't make sense.
If the Herrscher wanted to raze Britannia, Punishment Sword's First Squad held no real strategic value. They only needed to be tied down—not crushed with overwhelming force.
Could it be that the Herrscher has emotions… and wants to save her companion beast?
But that contradicts all prior research. For a Herrscher governed by absolute rationality—she had even orchestrated complex moves on the Mu continent to prevent the Moth of Pursuing Fire from mobilizing reinforcements in time.
Faced with such stakes, even he could make ruthless decisions—why wouldn't the Herrscher?
Carius suddenly realized there was a key piece of intel missing—but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't grasp what it was.
"Doctor, how do you know all this?"
"Intuition." Ryan certainly wasn't going to tell him the truth. He just stared unblinking at the city.
The frequency of swaying grass hadn't changed—she's still here. Not even afraid the prey right at her doorstep would fly away? Playing it that safe? Then I'll raise the stakes.
"Change the bombardment coordinates. Concentrate fire around Latinburg's Honkai sources. Whether the Herrscher is there or not—after losing two fusion warrior squads already, you can't afford another."
Ryan didn't talk about righteousness. Ironically, that was what made Carius fall silent. The Moth had gone through hell to form five squads. If they lost nearly half with no gain, how could he explain it to command?
"One round of firepower. I have to hold back some in case the defense line collapses. This is all based on your guesswork."
"Deal." Ryan didn't push for more—he wasn't 100% certain either.
If the Herrscher predicted his prediction and stormed southern Britannia, no one could shoulder that failure.
He continued overlooking the city, eyes growing sharper with each passing second.
Let me see—where are you?
BOOM—
An ear-piercing sonic boom came from the sky. A vortex tore through the clouds and it reached the green 'Jiaolong', and the air was compressed to the extreme, forming a pale airwave..
BOOM!!
The cloud layer split apart, the mountain peak pulverized into dust. A blossom of ice erupted in the sky. The frozen shards, under pressure, scattered like bullets, blanketing thousands of square meters—like a glittering forest.
Ed, covered in blood, suddenly looked up, just in time to see a Sanctum-class Honkai beast fall backward, its back pierced with icy spears.
Was this the gap between fusion warriors?
He glanced at the tear in his arm guard, stunned. Above, shockwaves rippled in the sky. Dozens of white streaks crisscrossed at blinding speeds.
So fast!
Just tracking them was a luxury. Only at brief intersections did a flicker remain, then a blur of swords carved a new streak across the sky. A surge of yearning rose within the boy.
"If only I had that kind of power…"
"Ed, what are you doing? Hurry up and come over here and help!"
A ragged shout rang out. a blonde girl with exhausted strength had already been swallowed into the mouth of the Honkai beast. Another burly man was desperately trying to pry open the monster's mouth, growling as he thrust his body inside.
Startled awake, Ed rushed over. Together, they managed to pull the girl out— but when they dragged the girl out, only half of her body remained.
There were no last words. She simply stared at the sky with tear-drenched eyes—wide open in death.
Gasping, the two men met eyes. The burly one saw the boy's pupils wide and shimmering—as if blood tears might spill.
He remembered the song Alice sang when he joined the team, the candy shoved in his mouth during the fusion surgery's agony… The fury reignited his body, and his chest surged with power.
"I'll kill them all—every last one!!"
"Captain, Ed's lost it again," muttered a stocky woman, raising her weapon. But the boy was already a blur, dashing straight into enemy lines.
Formations shattered in an instant. But with over half the squad already gone, formations didn't matter anymore.
Vinal said nothing. He now fully grasped how terrifying the Honkai beasts were. His squad was strong enough to face a Herrscher—but they were still human. They still got tired.
If a Judgment-class Honkai beast rushed in now, everyone would die. He glanced at the sky.
Good thing that man Ryan foresaw this.
"Check your ammo—we charge too. Their sacrifice won't be in vain."
The ground battle was no longer Sakura concern. As an assassin, no matter the chaos outside, her focus was solely on her target.
Space distortion is the invisible blade.
The girl dove with her body low, the wind brushing past her hair. Varuna flew just above the ground, four wings flapping rapidly, each beat sending dozens of blades through the air.
But Sakura, like Ryan, was a master of short-burst speed. Before the second wind blade could hit, she had already closed within a hundred meters.
She glimpsed the dust shrinking inward—an air cannon, meant to blow her back.
She lowered her eyes, but dove straight into the compressed air. Her sword was drawn under her ribs, Honkai energy gathering along the blade.
How to break a formation? With blinding speed and unstoppable force.
Unnamed Triple Thrust.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three thrusts in rapid succession, each faster than the last. Too fast to see—only three sword trails shimmered in the air as she pierced a path forward with overwhelming energy.
She hung momentarily in the air, catching her breath, glaring down at the beast.
Moment Blade: Dragon Slayer!
Gripping her sword with both hands, she unleashed a massive slash. The blade arc split Valona—and the mountain behind it—in two.
RUMBLE...
Like rolling thunder, the mountain crumbled. One-third of Varuna's body plummeted to the ground.
But Varuna didn't feel pain—it didn't scream. It just whipped its body around and opened its maw—like a man-eating flower. Inside, no teeth—only high-speed rotating air like a blender.
Crush!
The falling rocks were instantly ground to powder. Its counterstrike was fast—reaching Sakura in a flash.
BOOM! A fireball exploded on Valona's neck, knocking its head aside. Sakura could feel her Honkai energy being shredded.
But she wasn't surprised, nor did she look to see who helped. She spun midair, dived, slashed—releasing icy mist like a swirling cloud.
Everything breaks!
Dozens of sword slashes burst in the air, enveloping Valona. That space froze—then shattered under dazzling speed and brilliance.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The monster's body was torn apart like falling rain, each chunk landing in shallow craters. In mere seconds, the twenty-meter beast was gone.
Amid the countless corpse fragments, the pink-haired girl scanned the field and flicked her sword clean.
Target: Eliminated.
A killer's satisfaction swelled in her chest. And then—her next target appeared.
In the distance, a black 'carpet' unfurled across the northern Britannian mountain ranges—densely packed with tens of thousands.
Round two has arrived.
No time to pose. Not even time to breathe. Sakura calmly scanned the scene and instantly realized:
This battle can't be won.
Just like Vinal thought—even fusion warriors got tired. The speed of Honkai energy recovery was nowhere near enough. And even the lowest-grade death soldier needed to be cut down one by one.
Once Honkai energy ran dry, fusion warriors were no stronger than regular soldiers.
And that was only because the Honkai beasts weren't coordinating—just blindly charging forward. Otherwise, the cost-effectiveness would be even worse.
"I can escape—but they're doomed. Lower-tier fusion warriors, even those specialized in speed, can't maintain it long."
Sakura made her judgment quickly. But she didn't flee. She raised her blade—and vanished in an instant.
It was like teleportation. The remaining dozen or so Honkai beasts exploded into pieces the moment she vanished—all in just a blink.
Standing at the front line now, Sakura glanced at the purple-haired man. His helmet was gone. He had Ed slung over his shoulder—alive but unconscious. The boy's reckless charge had cleared the last of the enemy.
She noticed the boy's arm was covered in crystal-like growths. But this wasn't the time for questions.
"Captain Vinal. Please fall back."
The man looked at her and shook his head gently.
"Miss Sakura… even you can't stop them. Let's break out together."
"I'm not staying behind to cover you."
The slender girl stood like a mountain, her blade dyed by the blood of thousands. She gave it a quick flick.
"Captain Vinal—you can always trust that man."
To be honest, the First Squad had plenty of resentment toward Ryan. First he had them charge to their deaths, then ordered a retreat. They hadn't even seen the Herrscher face and had already lost most of their comrades.
If it weren't for Sakura terrifying sword, many would've exploded in curses.
Vinal's tactical terminal was long destroyed. With no contact, he had no idea what Ryan was planning.
But before he could ask, his enhanced vision caught something unusual.
A strange hole opened in the sky. A blurry shadow plummeted into the center of the black carpet. The world paused for a moment—then was buried under a deafening explosion.
BOOM!! A blinding fireball erupted from the ground—like a second sun. The shockwave made everyone shield their faces. They didn't even know what had happened when the next wave hit.
BOOM...
A second. A third. A fourth 'sun' lit up the earth, crumbling the mountains. Within the blast radius, only Emperor-class beasts might survive.
It was the N1 bombs.
Vinal hit the dirt, barely holding on to consciousness. His ears rang, his thoughts blank—except for one:
Just like she said—
You can always trust that man!