Ryan might have considered many issues, taking all aspects into account. Every action of the Herrscher needed to be interpreted into dozens of outcomes, even anticipating Finality.
But for Kevin, his thought was simple:
Fight! Fight!
Kevin stood with dual guns, atop the deck of the Raven, looking down. The jungle below was boiling.
As far as the eye could see, Honkai energy swept across the night sky. Red, black, blue, colorful and dazzling, but it was not beautiful at all. He could see beams of light falling into lakes, instantly evaporating the mirror-like water. He could also see meteors plummeting into hills, unleashing hundreds of meters of energy light columns, turning rocks into powder in an instant.
The war had reached its climax. The entire continent was ablaze. Just like natural selection, the forces deployed by both sides were not numerous, but their quality was extremely high, creating the momentum of a thousand armies.
"After all, a single squad has the firepower projection equivalent to a brigade. It's completely different from any battlefield I've seen before."
Kevin repeatedly rubbed the gun grip, covered in sweat, which was quickly wiped away. He tried his best to learn from Ryan to maintain composure, his mind constantly thinking, summarizing various clues. He truly had some of the demeanor of a commander and a savior.
Without formation, the dispersed units were providing staggered cover, retreating towards the three coordinates on the coastline. He checked his watch, it was exactly 23:35. Suddenly, a pink glow joined the colorful chorus.
"Not a second off. Elysia has arrived. She should be able to relieve Kosma and the others, forming a second line of defense to continue holding on."
"Freya is near the outpost. Her healing ability can save Kalpas from mortal danger."
"Is this a red flare on the right? Su should be able to get there in time to support, temporarily stabilizing the right flank's passage."
Kevin felt like he entered a strange state. His eyes fixed forward, countless pieces of information flashing through his mind. He had never realized he had such talent before. Now, not only had he stabilized the front line, but he also held a reserve team in his hand.
[Ice]'s Andvici and Vinal were securing the retreat. The Anna sisters and the lightly wounded could assist them. 'Damn it, why didn't I bring the Minerva? Otherwise, I would have one last decisive chip!'
He punched the air, feeling that he still couldn't be as thorough as Ryan, but he was grateful that he had learned composure. In the past, seeing comrades surrounded, he would have charged in to help, hot-headed.
Kevin was also growing. Even if he was teased as a 'sea slug', his talent in combat was still very high, even giving him a delusion:
'I seem to be naturally suited for combat? Perhaps, as Elysia said, without Ryan, I would be the one to bear everything?' His wild thoughts abruptly ceased.
Kevin suddenly turned his head, clenching his dual guns.
He could vaguely see roaring waves a hundred kilometers away. It was a wall in the darkness, destroying everything in its path with overwhelming force.
The Ninth Herrscher has finally arrived!
...
The seawater was agitated, forming a tidal wave, only today's tide was a little bit bigger.
"This is the Ninth Herrscher..."
A colossal shadow covered Andvici, making this battle-hardened warrior crane his neck to the limit. His constricted pupils reflected a 'wall', a hundred-meter tsunami surging towards them with unimaginable momentum, tossing several warships into the clouds and making the modularly constructed fortress appear incredibly tiny.
"This one is the Herrscher who fought five against one, and ended in a mutual defeat with headquarters. It's a bit scary," Vinal licked his lips. Even though Andvici's combat power ranked among the top six among all MANTIS, compared to the opponent, it was still too far apart.
"Stop talking nonsense. Command the operation, Anna, Isabella," Andvici ignored the terrifying tsunami. He turned to the sisters: "Are you ready? We have to fight desperately."
The girls, armed with a chainsaw and a meteor hammer, exchanged glances. They had been injured earlier and weren't fully recovered, but the Herrscher clearly wouldn't give them a fair chance.
"The Herrscher probably hasn't fully recovered his strength. We can fight."
"Tsk, remember to give me a performance bonus at the end of the month. So annoying, treating people like beasts of burden."
Compared to the cold or sharp-tongued twins, the nearly two hundred MANTIS were very silent, quietly organizing their equipment. The thousands of ordinary soldiers, though scared, still entered their positions, activated turrets, and started tanks.
"Vinal, if I can't hold them, take Kalpas away. He cannot die."
"I understand."
The two old comrades didn't exchange many words. The bear-like Andvici walked at the very front, crossed the pier, and stepped into the sea. As the tsunami plunged downwards, he raised his hands, bent over, and fiercely slammed them onto the sea surface.
Freeze!
White mist swirled, and ice spread forward along the sea surface. With colossal Honkai energy fully unleashed, the dark, murky sea instantly turned into crystalline white ice. Then the waves were touched, freezing all the way to the top, forming a gigantic wall.
Anna stepped onto a hoverboard, ascending with dozens of MANTIS. After crossing the wall, she immediately spotted the dark silhouette in the distance.
"Ninth Herrscher detected, Sixth Herrscher direction unknown. Prepare to guide array cannon fire."
The Herrscher of Stars also noticed these 'flies'. He glanced at the ice wall, thinking these MANTIS were truly troublesome. There was still a big gap compared to him, but he had to admit, there was already an obstruction in front.
Clap.
After a snap of his fingers, he ignored the charging warriors and lightly raised his hands.
"Then, the second wave of tide, can you block it?"
A gravity bomb exploded silently in the sea. An even more terrifying wave swept over, this time about two hundred meters high, even surpassing the ice wall.
Splash—
The ice wall resisted for a moment, then burst violently. Tons of ice shards splattered like shrapnel, immediately surging onto the land.
It proved that the 'Fist of Shattered Ice' simply couldn't stop the opponent.
"Protective shield at full power!" Vinal, commanding from the post, couldn't care less. The azure light barrier was like an isolated island. Ice shards smashed against it, creating ripples, then swept from all directions into the jungle, turning the land into a muddy swamp.
Before the warriors in the fortress could breathe a sigh of relief, a thick, withered bone arm already pressed onto the shield, forcing the energy core to increase output, and then more tentacles and skeletons emerged from the waves.
They were hidden within the giant waves, only now revealing their claws.
To actually use a tsunami to sweep Honkai Beasts onto land!?
Vinal also didn't expect the Herrscher to be so cunning. He looked at Andvici and the others who had already charged into the sea, his clenched fists slightly trembling.
"All units prepare fire! After the saturation bombardment, launch a counter-charge—"
"Everyone, humanity needs each of us to do our duty!"
When the protective shield shattered, the surging Honkai Beasts clashed with the MANTIS. Energy cannons continuously spat fire. Andvici, riding on his hoverboard, didn't even look back.
Tonight was destined to be littered with corpses. The slaughter would fill the fortress, which was the size of a small city. Fire support, planned earlier, became a luxury. However, he couldn't adjust it anymore.
"We'll fight to the bitter end, no matter what," the man looked at the Herrscher, who hadn't moved an inch. Ice climbed all over his body, making him look like a crystalline giant. Then he reached his maximum speed and charged straight towards him.
'Humans have even forgotten fear. Is there any meaning to what they're doing?'
The Herrscher didn't quite understand. With a quick calculation, these three high-tier MANTIS were simply no match. He had anticipated them trying to entangle him with numerical superiority and had specially gathered some cannon fodder to offset that.
Then why were they still attacking?
Gravitational suppression slammed the ice giant into the sea. Gravitational cuts swept the warriors behind him, and dozens of people were twisted and crushed along with the air.
'Shouldn't they be escaping at a time like this?'
A dozen ice cones stopped in front of him. A chainsaw cutting through the air created a large shower of sparks. The girl, covered in blood-red sludge, was pressing down inch by inch, breaking through the limits of gravity.
When the Herrscher raised his hand, she suddenly retreated, replaced by a meteor hammer that had swelled to a hundred meters, like a meteor.
Superhuman strength!
Isabella's ability was simple, but its lethality was equally terrifying. This finally broke through the gravitational barrier, making the Herrscher raise his hand. And as it touched the 'meteor''s surface, the attack, which had been incredibly heavy moments ago, became as light as a feather, only pushing his body backward.
Whoosh—
The steel giant leaped from the sea, throwing a punch from a hundred meters away. It condensed into an ice pillar in the air, forcing the Herrscher of Stars, who had just gathered Honkai energy, to dodge sideways. But this wasn't a missed shot.
Black hair fluttering, Anna stepped on the ice pillar, her entire body compressing like a spring. The chainsaw in her hand roared piercingly.
Overdrive mode. One strike, two halves.
Bang!!
With a stomp, the ice shattered into dust. The shockwave from her full-force stomp formed a dazzling halo of light. Then, the blood-red figure charged straight forward.
Concise, efficient, and perfectly coordinated. The Herrscher of Stars slightly raised an eyebrow.
"Knowing my intelligence, yet still using such reckless attacks. Excessive bravery is foolishness."
His right hand formed a phantom grip. The storm-like chainsaw stopped in his palm. Anna gritted her teeth, feeling as if she had been caught by a binding spell. She couldn't move a single finger.
She looked up, seeing only confusion.
"You should entangle me and let 'him' reinforce you, or at least let that white-haired human rush over to help. Only then can the chain reaction begin, and everyone will be buried here."
The Herrscher of Stars was indeed confused. As long as Kevin made a move, they could execute the plan. All trump cards would be revealed, and scattered humans would be eliminated one by one like dominoes.
As for Ryan, whether he appeared or not didn't matter at all. Once most of the MANTIS were annihilated, it would be their turn to outnumber and overpower.
But now, let alone Ryan, even that white-haired youth showed no reaction whatsoever. They had clearly met eyes, yet he still chose to ignore them.
"What... nonsense are you talking about!" Anna felt her bones groaning, further pushing her body, subtly approaching that boundary.
Then, she saw the Herrscher raise his left hand, clench it in the void, his tone still devoid of emotion.
"The answer is, you do not know the preciousness of life."
Gravity Spiral.
Over 5000HW of Honkai energy output. Centered on the Herrscher of Stars, the air within a one-kilometer radius began to roar. Andvici, who had just charged forward to provide cover, saw his ice armor covered in cracks and barely managed to break free from the spiraling currents.
Anna, at the center, saw the overflowing energy distorting with the air, quickly extending to her arm. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move a muscle. She knew she was in trouble.
Without a word, the girl only glanced back at her sister, then stared intently at the Herrscher before her.
"You think only those brainless traitors have the courage to self-destruct!?"
Red energy poured out, twisting with the air, forming a spiraling blazing sun.
"Sister!!"
With a shriek, the sky was dyed crimson. A sphere of light spread out, obliterating a large section of the sea. This dazzling radiance lasted for about five seconds, before a figure emerged from its center.
His clothes were slightly damaged. The Herrscher was expressionless. He pulled a piece of soul steel from his chest, looked at the girl charging wildly with a meteor hammer, his eyes growing even more incomprehensible.
'Useless struggle. But the three key targets haven't appeared yet. Should the plan be adjusted, first letting the Herrscher of Death make a move, gradually raising the stakes?'
He had miscalculated one thing. The morale of these MANTIS was higher than expected. The anticipated large-scale collapse did not occur. Could humanity have other trump cards?
His doubts didn't last long. He soon had his answer, because a pillar of fire shot up from the center of the fortress, incinerating the surrounding Honkai Beasts into nothingness. It also formed a wave of air, pushing back the MANTIS who were huddled together in resistance.
Night turned into day. This pillar of fire was so vast, it was like a vertical line connecting the ground to the sky.
'Is it him?'
The Herrscher finally frowned. He had indeed encountered an unexpected problem. This one was not accounted for in any of his plans, and hadn't he been severely wounded?
A roaring killing intent swept over. A fiery man engulfed in flames appeared in his sight. Even Vinal, who was commanding the operation, twitched at the corner of his eye, quickly ordering everyone to retreat and to rescue Freya immediately.
Flames and killing intent spread throughout the battlefield. Terrifying Honkai energy tides crashed one after another upon the Herrscher of Stars. He swept his gaze across the almost frantic Isabella and Andvici, who had reformed his ice armor, and licked his lips.
This unexpected variable had too great an impact. At least, it was much stronger than that green-haired woman, powerful enough to contend with him. A simple calculation would yield the result:
The human named Kevin hadn't appeared. He was being held here. This hunting game had turned around. The numerical advantage on the battlefield was now in their hands. If not handled well, humanity might even devour them.
Then, retreat?
This thought lasted only an instant, Burnd completely by a roaring flame. The air before him was burning. Just as it was extinguished by gravity, a humanoid 'monster' leaped directly forward, like a madman, plunging his hands into the gravitational barrier, clinging before him, overflowing with killing intent.
"No, just an all-out attack!"