This was perhaps the most lively concert in human history. Two Herrschers and hundreds of MANTIS participated in the performance. The special effects were indescribably dazzling; at least, no predecessors could have achieved such a feat.
The sky, the ocean, the city, everything was burning. The missile trails streaked across the sky, exploding hundreds of meters away from a flower of flames.
The Herrscher was still approaching, but unlike the experience in Australia, humans did not collapse on the spot under the terrifying pressure. Not only were they making meaningless resistance, but some people carrying cameras were even filming themselves.
The entire city of Donggong was in full view. The Herrscher of Flamescion found it somewhat difficult to comprehend, yet somewhat within expectations.
Because of him.
Boom—
Under the ice wall, the spent meteor was cut open, revealing a man enveloped in shadow. He leaned on his sword, extinguishing the lingering flames on his body.
Because of her.
On the stage not far away, a girl in elegant attire was humming, her passionate singing seemingly piercing through the sound of burning.
Herrschers could never understand art. Judging only from the impassioned sound, this should be a war song.
Truly, what nonsense!!
"This is... the Divine Sword Song?"
The sound also drilled into Ryan ears, making him pause for a moment. He didn't expect the new song submitted at the last minute to play at this time. When he looked at the burning earth in front of him, he smiled again.
"It really fits the current situation."
Ryan held the sword with one hand, slowly looking at the Herrscher of Flamescion pressing down from the sky. Her appearance was also expected, because this place was fifteen thousand kilometers from New York. Based on when the Herrscher of Domination people was exposed, Elysia and the others, who had come out in full force, would need at least two hours.
These two hours were an opportunity for the Herrscher. Catching him at this moment was a million times better than storming that underground city, right?
"For me, it's also an opportunity." Ryan took a deep breath of the hot air, even though his first contact confirmed another one of his hypotheses.
It wasn't that Kevin cheat wasn't enough, but that this Herrscher was too strong. The Honkai energy above 4500HW, combined with the Authority of Flame, would bring about world-destroying effects.
But so what?
The battle was over. He didn't see Kevin trace, only the Herrscher of Domination people's vessel breaking through the ice appearing high in the sky, seeing the burning flames surrounding it, as if it had gained dominion.
But so what?
[Renew your soul with incantations]
[I will reshape that dream full of sorrow]
Ryan gripped his sword, straightened his back, facing the burning sky and earth.
"Anytime, anywhere, I am ready to fight you to the death!"
That almost berserk fighting spirit assailed the slowly pressing Herrscher of Flamescion, making her footsteps pause instinctively as she thought about whether there was a trap.
The result was none.
Although the Herrscher of Domination people suffered a loss, its intelligence would not be wrong. This human was actually here alone. She even regretted sending the Herrscher of Death to feign an attack.
If all three Herrschers were present, the mission could be accomplished today.
There was no perfection, but this was now the highest chance of victory. Such an opportunity would never be found again.
"Kill him at all costs. Block the reinforcing MANTIS at all costs."
"Okay." The Herrscher of Domination people, who had originally wanted to escape, nodded instantly. Escaping was for the mission, but when there was a possibility of completing the mission, it would sacrifice everything without batting an eye.
All usable moles were activated, and the scale was so large that Ryan was momentarily dazed, a blurry image flashing through his mind.
Pilots in transport planes dived towards the earth, ballistic missiles in remote bases were all launched, captains shot their subordinates, controlling ships to intercept halfway...
'It seems it will take more than three hours to arrive.'
Ryan could guess what the other party wanted to do, but he didn't think about anything, only filtering conditions in his mind, and then—
"Charge!"
He suddenly moved, as if knowing the Herrscher of Flamescion's destructive power was too astonishing, and he had to fight in close quarters. The latter raised her burning greatsword.
The lightning-fast 'Z' shaped trajectory was completely invisible, but when the greatsword swung down, a line of fire extended straight towards the stadium.
The singing did not stop, and the firepower became even more intense, but all counterattacks vanished before touching, and an ice wall still blocked the way, canceling out the flames.
"Humans are always too greedy, wanting too many things." The Herrscher of Flamescion scoffed a little, she had no warrior's code. "Drag him out, watch the degree, this body of yours is almost useless, you can switch to another dominant body."
"I know."
The angel swooped, heading straight for the stadium. The Herrscher of Flamescion looked around, frowning instinctively.
Hmm??
Boom—
A storm exploded in mid-air. The Herrscher of Domination people, who had just reached halfway, flew backward, crashing through several burning tall buildings.
False target?
The Herrscher of Flamescion saw the black figure in the air disintegrate on its own, knowing this was the ability of a certain pseudo-Herrscher. Upon closer inspection.
The ice wall wasn't created by him, but by another human?!
The building turned into a giant ice cone. The disheveled white-haired youth held the ice cone and threw it over, and then it was Burnd by a sword halfway.
He's not dead yet?
The Herrscher of Flamescion found it somewhat difficult to understand. This MANTIS was personally struck down into the sea by her, how could he still be standing intact? Before she could think further, she gripped the greatsword in reverse and plunged it in front of her feet.
Sea of fire.
A raging tide composed of flames roared outwards from her as the center, and then split apart as if it had touched an invisible reef.
Ryan had long since anticipated Kevin return. 'The unkillable cockroach' was a basic skill of a protagonist's halo. He first used a shadow clone as a decoy, used the Authority of Wind to achieve optical invisibility, and then quietly approached.
"Extremely rich combat experience, reacting so quickly."
Ryan was swept out by the sea of fire, looking up at the sky, his left hand cupped.
Freeze.
The flames solidified, looking like a fiery red layer of ice, while the greatsword in his right hand turned into a silver spear, with circles of airflow swirling around it.
Go!
The storm propelled the spear, which arrived with a vortex cloud. Speed was not the Herrscher of Flamescion's strong suit. She only held her sword with both hands, unleashing another towering wave of fire.
The vortex cloud was torn apart, covering a large area, making it difficult to approach. Ryan didn't charge mindlessly, ignoring the covering fire wave, and brought his hands together.
Lightning strike.
Whoosh—
Lightning flashed across the sky, striking fiercely in the center of the sea of fire. The electric arc was quickly Burnd, and the Herrscher of Flamescion raised her head.
A dark shadow covered her. A massive iceberg fell down, as if it were Kevin vehicle. He stood on it, firing wildly with dual guns.
Rumble...
The iceberg collided with the flames, melting at a visible rate. Then, the Herrscher swung her greatsword, and a crimson sword mark pierced through the iceberg, forcing Kevin to jump back.
He flew in the air, aiming his gun at the side, and a blue ice beam blasted a figure that was flashing past.
As if pushed hard, Ryan speed increased. His right fist was enveloped in dazzling electric arcs, and he punched the melting iceberg.
Thunderbolt Cleaves the Sky!
Electric arcs crawled over the hundred-meter-diameter ice block, turning it into a giant cannonball.
Whoosh—
The sea of fire was split by a straight line. The Herrscher of Flamescion's pupils contracted. She quickly held her greatsword horizontally across her chest, leaving a fiery red trail in the air.
First, force a retreat.
Ryan was bounced back by the recoil. He caught a glimpse of golden feathers and a fist heading for his back. He ignored it and continued to gather the storm.
Storm propulsion.
The violent airflow pushed him out. Before the fist hit his back, an ice shield had already appeared. Even though it was quickly shattered, it was still a fraction of a second too late.
His speed reached its limit, and the storm he stirred up sent the Herrscher of Domination people flying backward. Before it could give chase, the silver dual guns converged into a great ice sword, striking towards his waist.
"Only you understand cooperation?"
Time slowed down in Ryan eyes. The scorched earth swept beneath him, covering a thousand meters in just a few seconds.
Ahead, the Herrscher of Flamescion landed on the sea surface. Behind him, the greatsword collided with a fist.
He saw the raised great flame sword. His body instantly stopped, defying physical rules, then accelerated, stopped abruptly, and accelerated again, leaving a complex trail. This made it impossible for the Herrscher of Flamescion to bring her sword down.
Extremely fast, and extremely flexible. She had a premonition that if she brought her sword down, it would definitely miss, and then the opponent would seize the opportunity to pounce in front of her, using his most skilled close-quarters combat to entangle her.
"As expected, he's difficult to deal with. This kind of combat skill far surpasses humans. No matter how powerful the vessel, it cannot compare. So—"
The fire on the blade suddenly roared, scorching aimlessly in all directions, distorting the air.
"I can only crush you with Honkai energy!"
Burn, Burn, Flaming Giant.
Ryan was already within two hundred meters, his eyes slightly widened. He saw no sky, no ocean in front of him, only a boiling sea of flames. The sea level was dropping, and even more terrifying, there was no water vapor.
He stopped abruptly for the fifth time, and then he saw something suddenly appear in this sea of fire: a fist made of flames!
Boom!
A punch into the sea raised not a single splash, more like an Authority of space, turning whatever it touched into nothingness. He slowly raised his head, revealing a surprised expression.
Through the camera, viewers around the world listened to Eden impassioned battle song while slowly opening their mouths. This unimaginable special effect had once again upgraded.
The sea of fire remained, but within it stood a nearly hundred-meter-tall giant, its body flickering with flames. It held a huge flaming greatsword and swung it forward.
Whoosh—
The air current carved a sword mark on the sea, rushing towards the fishing port next to Donggong City. This fishing port was built against a mountain, situated in a smaller bay.
Houses and fishing boats began to spontaneously combust, but there was nothing surprising about this. Only the air current finally hit the eastern side of the small mountain, hundreds of meters away.
Boom!!!
It was as if a volcano had erupted. Mountains, harbors, and fishing villages vanished in an instant, leaving behind—
Only a pillar of burning fire soaring into the sky!
Continental-level destructive power. A single attack was enough to alter the topography.
Ryan licked his dry lips. Those ten square kilometers of land had disappeared from the Earth, turning into dust and being hurled towards the sky by the flames.
The Eighth Herrscher was specially targeted. In terms of combat power alone, the Seventh Herrscher had entered a new level, possessing continental-level destructive power.
If left unchecked, it wouldn't take long for her to wipe a continent off the map, with no possibility of counterattack, as all living beings, cities, and property would turn to ashes.
At this moment, Ryan felt somewhat fortunate that he had enough hidden cards. Such terrifying destructive power had only been unleashed once, after all, the gap between her and the high-level MANTIS was not yet an insurmountable chasm.
At the same time, he gave a wry smile, as if he had underestimated the Herrschers a bit. In terms of individual combat power, he was always the challenger.
"Thankfully, you're not ridiculously strong, and Honkai can't constantly cheat."
He looked at the towering flame giant, listening to the faint singing, and slowly raised his hands.
"And, I also have a chance to fight."
The seawater surged. Ryan had long prepared for the advantage of the terrain.
The spreading Honkai energy covered this entire ocean. With a medium, controlling it became much more efficient.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
In a Herrscher battle, besides the clash of energies, Authority was also extremely important. Fortunately, at this moment, Honkai only strengthened energy, while Ryan possessed more diverse Authorities.
Authority of Wind, full power!
Hundreds of thousands of tons of seawater formed a giant wave, stretching across in front of him. The greatsword slammed onto its surface, quickly melting a void. This was an overwhelming advantage in terms of energy.
But gradually, the giant wave solidified, forming dozens of meters thick and nearly a hundred meters tall ice. The speed at which the flaming greatsword descended began to slow, and it gradually dimmed.
All Things Freeze: Wall of Sighs.
Molecular stagnation and molecular acceleration were inherently opposite, subtly containing a mutually restraining relationship. The Herrscher of Flamescion frowned, because of the energy gap, this Authority alone couldn't be her opponent, but that human had more than one Authority.
Swoosh—
A hundred-meter-tall giant wave crashed over. Such a tsunami was enough to destroy a city, but for the Herrscher of Flamescion, it was like mere ripples in a swimming pool.
Flames of Annihilation.
As an energy construct, the giant didn't need to maintain human form. Four arms sprouted from its back, each holding a blazing greatsword, cutting back and forth in all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each strike shattered the giant waves, or evaporated them into nothingness. The original two hands clasped together to form a hammer, continuously smashing the Wall of Sighs.
Splintered ice flew everywhere, and cracks appeared on the crystalline wall, making Ryan eyelids twitch.
There were no fancy moves, just repeated collisions of energy, which happened to be what restrained him the most.
Ryan wasn't afraid of technical maneuvers or dirty tricks; he was afraid of this unadorned direct confrontation, simplifying complex problems, like the simplest math problem.
His total Honkai energy was inferior to the Herrscher, and his replenishment speed wasn't as fast as hers. There was no chance of victory at all.
"The key is that I can't escape. As soon as I start observing from the sidelines, Eden and Kevin will be dead." He clenched his teeth, simultaneously solidifying the surging waves into crystalline high walls to trap the Herrscher, and rapidly working his brain.
I have one advantage now, which is that I've been preparing for so long. My overall combat power is still superior. Time is on my side, so she's the only one who'll be anxious.
The Herrscher of Domination people doesn't have enough time to dominate strong individuals. The Herrscher of Flamescion also has the Herrscher of Death behind her, at most adding those traitors like Kalpas. But behind him is the entire Fire Moth, millions of troops, and over twenty high-level MANTIS
No rush, I still have a chance.
Ryan watched as the giant raised its hammer once more, smashing down with irresistible force. He had made up his mind.
"Kevin, you're up!"
The voice pierced Kevin ears, making him momentarily dazed. After two exchanges, he had already realized that the Herrscher of Flamescion was unbelievably strong, and taking over was akin to seeking death.
But years of camaraderie meant the two were almost telepathically connected. Kevin hesitated for only a second before decisively abandoning the Herrscher of Domination people, who was playing hide-and-seek with him, and turned to face the mythical giant.
Boom!!!
The Wall of Sighs was finally shattered. Ice shards with residual flames flew everywhere. The giant finally broke through its cage, pressing forward heavily. The Herrscher of Flamescion in the center of its chest remained expressionless, only seeing the ice shards shattering in the air, then being swept by a strong wind, forming a thick white mist that enveloped the surroundings.
Time for some tricks.
Six great flaming swords horizontally slashed back and forth, wiping away large swathes of the ice mist like an eraser. But she didn't see Ryan, only a white-haired youth, holding a great ice sword, charging straight forward.
His momentum was strong, but he was as tiny as an ant. The Herrscher of Flamescion instantly understood the other's intention, and instead grew even more curious.
This MANTIS is much weaker than me. Where does he get the courage to block my path?
Use an inferior horse against a superior horse, and then use the superior horse against an inferior horse. Let Kevin block the Herrscher of Flamescion, and he'll deal with the Herrscher of Domination people.
Ryan idea was that simple. As for Kevin, who was currently surrounded by happiness, how to deal with the cheating Herrscher of Flamescion was not within the scope of consideration.
From the very beginning, he never thought about cutting losses and escaping. He wanted to win. To win, he had to trust Kevin, and to win, he had to trust himself!
Whooshing past, Ryan charged towards the Herrscher of Domination people. Because Kevin unhesitatingly shifted his target, the Herrscher had just emerged from the illusory feathers.
His vision returned, and then he saw Ryan, full of murderous intent, rushing straight towards him, confused and horrified.
That powerful MANTIS was actually willing to be a cannon fodder sacrifice?
The Herrscher of Domination people of course 'knew' Kevin. The latter's strength could even single-handedly defeat the top five Herrschers. But the Seventh Herrscher was different; that was a cliff-like increase, a weapon specifically designed to deal with Ryan.
Humans are truly incomprehensible.
Horrified as he was, he knew very well what he should do at this moment. Once the Seventh Herrscher killed Kevin first, then it would be two against one, and this person wouldn't even have a chance to escape.
Feather Ascension.
Ryan fist pierced through the afterimage, creating a large hole in the sea surface. He frowned slightly, knowing his plan had been seen through.
Herrschers were all killing machines, always god-like enemies.
So what if you saw through it? I'm still going to kill you!
Thousand Blades.
The wind howled, and thousands of wind blades cut through everything around them. Ryan had already seen that the opponent couldn't teleport far, so he simply covered an area of ten football fields.
There!
As soon as it appeared, it was greeted by the cutting wind blades. Ryan left hand cupped, first letting myriad blades pierce the heart, forcing the Herrscher to defend on the spot. His entire body transformed into lightning, rushing forward.
A shadow covered the Herrscher. He saw the man arrive with wind and lightning, simultaneously raising both fists. It was too late to dodge now. The dual fists emitted dazzling golden light, like boxing gloves in a ring.
Go meet it, full firepower!
Storm Assault!
Bang bang bang bang....
Dense fists collided, creating hundreds of ripples in the sky. The two entangled figures clashed from the sky to the sea, then broke through the waves and spread to the sky once more.
Punches, elbow strikes, knee kicks, whip kicks, headbutts. Amidst the explosions in the air, energy dissipated, but after ten seconds, the golden fist light was completely submerged.
"You're using John body. Even with Herrscher consciousness control, how long do you think an overloaded transformation can last!?"
Ryan roared, like a bloodthirsty tiger. His right fist pierced through the golden outer layer, sending debris flying. As the Herrscher flew backward, he grabbed his hand and pulled him back, delivering a powerful knee strike to his face.
Boom!
The over two-meter tall body arched its back like a lobster. This wasn't over. A rising elbow fiercely struck the jaw. As the body sprang upwards, a straight punch hidden beneath the ribs had already slammed out.
Thump, thump, thump!
Each strike was like beating a war drum. Each collision was accompanied by bursting energy rings. The rock-hard body, tougher than steel, gradually became covered in cracks, yet the Herrscher consciousness remained clear.
This body is far from an opponent. I'm not good at direct combat to begin with.
In front of him was a storm of attacks. His blocking was slowly losing its rhythm, let alone any chance to breathe. In such close-quarters rapid melee, he couldn't even control Honkai energy. Just like the previous wind blade bombardment, too many in quantity was also ineffective.
Then, only this.
Ryan, who was attacking wildly, paused. He felt his body was stuck as if in a spider web, or as if he was being eroded by the opponent at the very beginning. Invisible threads seemed to pull at his body. He looked up again, and the four eyes on that inverted triangle head were all wide open, emitting dazzling red light.
This was some kind of mental attack. This mutated Herrscher of Domination people was not just possessing a body. It was like a spider from another dimension, finding a target, then spitting out white silk to erode from the soul level, and then manipulating the target like a puppet show.
These 'threads' numbered in the thousands. One hundred of them were currently wrapped around Ryan, pulling at his soul, causing his violent attack to halt.
But this was far from enough. Let alone further erosion to turn him into a puppet, even stopping his physical body was difficult. Ryan tensed his muscles and took a step forward, as if some threads had already been torn.
But Ryan, with eyes wide in fury, did not clamor. He knew the Herrscher was not that foolish, nor could it make a mistake. The reason for self-destructing her Authority was simple—
She was going to self-destruct!
As an absolutely rational life form, Herrschers have no survival instinct, let alone this being only one-fifth of a life.
The cracks covering its entire body began to emit golden light. The Honkai energy surged like a runaway horse, aiming to burst through the shell and release all its energy.
Can you withstand a self-detonation from an overloaded MANTIS?
Those four eyes were very calm, as if they couldn't feel the physical pain, but the next moment, that calm gaze turned to astonishment.
The same threads bound its body, vying for control over the body.
How could this be?!
Ryan, still bound by the threads, raised his foot, slowly stepping closer, bringing his face close to its nose, revealing stark white teeth.
"Killing you has never been the only way to gain Authority. You know nothing about me—"
"Nothing!"