Daylight returned to night. The last bit of light illuminated the wax-like mountains and the dry riverbed in the distance.
The original city was gone. The melted crystals were the last bit of stubbornness. After the breakwater was affected, the seawater poured in and quickly formed a lake.
This one is indeed weaker than I imagined.
Ryan let out a mouthful of stale air. In terms of energy intensity, this earthworm was one level weaker than the 'Godzilla' from before. Although it was a rare Psychic-type ability, with Su next to him, they killed it without much effort.
It still acted like a machine, running away, fighting, and then self-destructing. Its flexibility was not comparable to a Herrscher's, not even a Herrscher with a solidified personality.
I was prepared in advance, so there was no possibility of it executing the final step.
He slowly clenched his fist, feeling the abundant Honkai energy. Even though there were many impurities, he had gained almost 1,500HW of energy, which was almost as much as a Herrscher. The key was that the cost was minimal. Only a few people from the two cooperating squadrons were injured. Most of them just watched.
It seems like a crisis on the surface, but it's actually providing me with an opportunity. Is it really that kind?
"It seems the Honkai helped a lot?" Su slowly flew over, with a gentle smile on his face: "Just as you expected, the Honkai is a bit impatient. Even it will inevitably show flaws."
This was a normal phenomenon. As the saying goes, 'constant dripping wears away a stone.' After fighting for so many years, both sides were almost showing all their cards.
Flaws? The Honkai isn't human. How can it have flaws?
Ryan subconsciously frowned and looked at the corpse on the ground. He felt that things were going too smoothly. But the Cocoon of Finality was indeed utilizing waste out of helplessness, and its intention was also sinister. This result, which was beneficial to him, was also fought for.
In this long war, am I finally starting to gain an advantage?
Before he could think about it, a 'buzzing' sound came from his ears. He looked up and saw a giant ship piercing through the clouds.
The Destiny came from Japan. A figure was standing at the bow, waving. She was a bit excited, but she was deliberately trying to be mature because of her status.
"It seems Hua isn't badly injured." Sakura also came to his side and saw a kind, fatherly smile on Ryan's face.
"It's much better after crossing that step. Now Hua can also stand on her own. Let's go. Let's go back to the ship and rest."
Ryan said as he went to meet them. The Fusion Warriors also breathed a sigh of relief. These Honkai Beasts had immense strength, and they were still a bit strained facing them. Especially the Divination squadron, which had chased them from the peninsula for thousands of kilometers and was quite exhausted.
At this time, the benefit of disbanding the fleet was evident. Even if they couldn't join the battle, they could provide a place to rest on this barren Earth. It was better than surviving in the wild.
A group of warriors landed in the battleship and immediately started to eat or get ready. The intelligence officer started to look for the next target. For example, during the battle just now, the Skynet detected a Honkai energy fluctuation in the sea. It might have just been a quick look, but after its whereabouts were discovered, it would have no chance to escape.
A fake hunter tracks footprints. A real hunter uses satellite surveillance. If there's a slight trace, they use a supercomputer to analyze the path. This is the high-tech way of hunting.
"Senior Brother, you've already dealt with two so quickly. You're so fast." Hua stood in the corridor, obediently putting her hands behind her back. She was standing on her toes, looking like a student who had gotten a high score and was waiting for praise.
"Using superior forces to besiege them. If it was still a tough battle, the Herrschers wouldn't have been a big deal." Ryan walked over and naturally reached out to rub the girl's gray-blue hair: "Good job. I thought you would be the first one to call for help."
"I told you I'm not a child anymore. I've grown a lot in the past few years." Hua struggled a bit and then nodded to Sakura. She then led Ryan to the bridge: "It's indeed as you expected. The mutated Honkai Beasts are a bit more cunning, but their intelligence is very low. They don't seem like they would plan a conspiracy. Once you get used to them, they are easier to deal with than Herrschers."
"No matter what methods are used, the essence will not change. This is why they were replaced by Herrschers." Ryan glanced at Hua, who was full of seriousness and kept saluting the subordinates passing by. He couldn't help but feel a bit amused.
Her height didn't grow, her chest didn't grow, but her aura was pretty good. Her every move showed a sense of confidence.
The respect of her subordinates came from the bottom of their hearts. Even the vice-captain, Owl, was convinced. This made Ryan even happier, feeling that letting go occasionally was the right thing to do. This sense of recognition couldn't be obtained by just following him around.
He had long known that many people within the Fire Moth imitated him, but Hua was the only one who had truly learned it to the core.
After a small interlude, Ryan had no intention of slacking off. He first had a remote meeting with Mei, who was left on the Hyperion, and summarized the intelligence.
Everything was going smoothly. Finding opportunities in a crisis was what he and Mei were best at. If there was anything wrong, it was that the electromagnetic interference was getting more and more severe, and communication with the various squadrons was intermittent.
But this was also in the contingency plan. After analyzing the abnormal energy frequency, they had roughly determined that the interference source was coming from under the Antarctic ice sheet. Kevin and Andrei, who were already in that area, had gone to deal with it.
After the interference source was dealt with, everything would return to normal.
"Are the Genesis and Moonlight Throne plans going smoothly?"
"Are you in such a hurry?" Mei's avatar was flickering, and her voice was intermittent: "The current situation is beneficial for you. You can take this opportunity to make up for your shortcomings."
"On the surface, it seems so, but the feeling is not good." Ryan crossed his legs and swung his ankle: "The Cocoon is not a human. There's no reason for it to leave such a flaw for me to exploit. I can't explain it, but I just feel that something is not right."
"Calis's authority?"
"Mm. He shouldn't be in a hurry. If he actively intervened, he might be trying to send me a message, as his identity is very special."
A 'human' who stood on the side of the Honkai. That was indeed very special. Mei also knew about the deeper plan, so she became a bit more serious.
"I'll supervise Vil-V. You focus on the present. Exploit as much as you can."
The communication was cut off. Mei decisively went to be a supervisor.
The screen's fluorescent light illuminated Ryan's side profile. The map was reflected in his pupils. New combat footage was constantly being sent back. If he hadn't been more cautious, he would have already let the various squadrons switch from hunting to tracking.
After all, besides Kosma, killing didn't bring much benefit to the warriors.
"Senior Brother, you could just let us track them, and then you can hunt them. It would be done in an instant." Hua, looking at the light spots from the battles, suddenly had a feeling of 'waste.'
"You want me to be a kill-stealer?"
"Uh, I don't mean that, but if all of them can become your power, you'll be more confident in fighting the Finality."
The girl's eyes were clear, and there were no other thoughts. She was just wholeheartedly thinking for Ryan.
"That way, we would inevitably lose many targets because these Honkai Beasts are not weak. They mostly hide underground or in the sea." Sakura answered actively, still with her cold expression.
That's strange. Sister Sakura rarely ever interjects.
Hua subconsciously turned her head and saw that Sakura suddenly closed her mouth and looked away. She gave off a feeling of guilt. Fortunately, Hua didn't think much of it.
This is a combat meeting now. I have to be serious.
"But we have the initiative. We have all the time in the world to clean them up. These are all living Honkai energy."
The girl blinked, and a light named 'greed' flashed in her eyes.
The old miser's bad habit is back again.
Ryan licked his lips. Hua wasn't greedy for money. She was just overly thrifty. When she was still in school, he had given her enough living expenses, but she rented a house in the suburbs, claiming it was for exercise.
Reminiscing about the past made him lose focus for a moment. He simply explained: "Hua, the theory of the Herrscher of Finality descending is just a guess. Even if the possibility is high, we can't treat it as the truth. Also, these are monsters that can turn a city into ruins, not pigs to be slaughtered. If we underestimate them, we will inevitably suffer."
"Since they're enemies, we should eliminate them in the most efficient way. At least the dead Honkai Beasts won't become a hidden danger. Besides, just like what Mei and I discussed, things are going too smoothly."
"Is going smoothly not a good thing? Your power is genuinely increasing." Hua rarely refuted Ryan. She just complained in her heart:
My senior brother is clearly super strong, but he is too calm.
"It is a good thing, but I just feel that..."
"Commander-in-chief, 'Skynet' has found a new target. It's two hundred kilometers away from us and is escaping towards the deep sea." Edwin, who was sitting in the captain's seat, turned his head: "Do you think we should pursue it?"
The satellite image had already been projected onto the big screen. They could see a giant black shadow disappearing into the seawater. If it hid in the deep sea, Ryan, with the Authority of Wind, would be the best hunter.
Why do I have to do everything myself?
He grumbled and propped himself up with the armrest. There was no other choice now.
"Pursue it. There's no reason to let the prey that's delivered to our doorstep escape. Sakura, Hua, you two come with me. It's not far from Sea Abyss City. Let's be more efficient."
"Yes." Sakura turned around expressionlessly and followed. She paused for a moment and looked at the excited Hua: "Do you want to compete with me?"
"Mm-hm. I can't compare to Senior Brother, but I can at least try to catch up to Sister Sakura."
Just catch up to me?
Sakura's eyebrows twitched. If she didn't know the personality of this wooden stick, she would probably have gotten angry. Even so, she felt a surge of fighting spirit.
She could be less lively than Elysia and less clingy than Mobius, but her strength was something she would never lose to anyone.
"Then you can try. Ryan, I'll count on you to provide cover."
Sakura didn't say any more nonsense. She was like a sheathed sword. She took a step and flew into the air, turning into a brilliant thunder that shot into the distance. It seemed she didn't plan to give the Honkai Beast a chance to hide in the deep sea.
Hua stayed behind and glanced at the speechless Ryan: "Sister Sakura is angry? I feel like she's been a bit strange since she came out with you."
"You. Sometimes you're so sharp, and other times you're as stupid as a wooden stick." Ryan laughed dumbfoundedly. He patted the girl's back and used gravity to throw her out: "Let's go. Fortunately, there's a Honkai Beast for us to use as a punching bag. Otherwise, if I get caught in the crossfire, I'll definitely come looking for you to settle the score."
"How would you get caught in the crossfire? Does Sister Sakura's change have something to do with you??"
"Cough, cough. I didn't say anything."
The storm roared, and then the sea boiled. A huge whirlpool spun, and a squid-like Honkai Beast was forcefully pulled out of the sea by Ryan's authority.
It was a hundred meters long and covered with thousands of tentacles of all sizes. When it moved, it looked like a ball of seaweed. Its strength was not inferior to the one in Canghai City. In deep water, it would be even more in its element.
But its luck was very bad. It happened to run into Hua, who was full of determination, and Sakura, who was also full of fighting spirit.
The Divine Key of the Seven Thunders cut its extremely tough limbs to pieces. The pink figure moved back and forth at a speed that was hard to see with the naked eye. The old sword marks had not yet faded, and new ones had already overlapped. From a distance, it looked like a fishing net woven from lightning.
Just as the Honkai Beast struggled to escape back into the sea, the Stasis authority froze the sea surface. Then, a powerful knee strike sent it back into the sky, and a spinning sword-light top descended from above.
What a surge of killing intent.
Ryan, who should have been the one to act, hid on the side and watched. He had decided not to get involved in the fight between these two women, so as not to be caught in the crossfire.
The sword light flashed, cutting off countless tentacles, but these limbs, which were tougher than any composite material, were endless. They forcefully dissipated all the power, causing the flying lightning to stop. Then, it became more and more tightly wrapped up like a ball of yarn.
Ryan subconsciously raised his hand, but he quickly relaxed it again.
He saw a double-edged sword fall like a javelin, freezing the wrapped black tentacles into an ice ball. Without that toughness, hundreds of sword lights appeared, cutting off the tentacles that were restraining her. Sakura then gripped the sword in a reverse grip and slammed it into the body of the monster at her feet.
Honkai energy infusion, summon lightning!
Sakura's body was covered with brilliant thunder arcs. The frantically infused energy made the blade of the Divine Key of the Seven Thunders grow dozens of times larger. It actually pierced through the Honkai Beast's huge body, with a part of the blade protruding from its underside. The girl bared her sharp canines, showing that she had used all her strength.
The Honkai Beast didn't wait to die. The swaying tentacles all over its body all retracted into its body. Its already dark skin became pitch-black. It wasn't hard, but it was as tough as cowhide candy. Sakura only managed to take two steps with all her strength.
Then, this 'hesitant' Honkai Beast split in the middle. Its high-curving tail was like a closing mouth.
"Don't worry, they can handle it." Ryan raised his hand and stopped Su from going up to help. He then frowned and saw a blurry firelight appear behind Sakura.
The gray-white long hair was burning with a lingering flame. Hua took a standard lunge with her left foot, and her palms slammed onto Sakura's back.
Subtle force. Mountain collapse.
She of course had no intention of attacking her ally. This powerful force passed through Sakura's body and gave her a hard push. At the same time, all the electric arcs that were flashing on her body gathered at her feet. From a distance, it looked as if she was walking on lightning.
The superposition of the two forces made the previously stationary Sakura accelerate wildly. Before the giant mouth could close, the huge thunder sword in her hand flew with her steps. In a sudden and silent charge, it cut through a large amount of the body's tissue.
A clean cut in two!
In Ryan's eyes, the over-100-meter-long monster was cut in half just like that. One half flew into the sky, and the other half fell into the frozen sea. Its life force was not yet exhausted. The pitch-black skin began to show a red glow.
"You want to self-destruct? It's not that easy." Ryan put his hands, which had been hanging down, back into his pockets. He had no intention of making a move again. Or rather, it was no longer his turn to make a move.
An instant cut.
In the sky, Sakura waved the remaining thunder blade, forming a dense web of blade lights, which wrapped the half of the body.
Subtle force. Ground collapse!
On the sea, Hua fell like a comet. She twisted her body and slammed her knee into the other half of the body.
Bang!!
The ice scattered. The frozen sea was completely pierced. Hua stood on the surface of the sea with her fists clenched. She raised her head and saw thousands of body parts falling like rain. Each piece was the same size, a blessing for people with OCD.
"Sister Sakura, we're tied."
"Mm. You've indeed improved a lot. You can be my rival now."
"I don't want to be your rival."
"I was just joking."
The two girls smiled at each other, and the murderous aura from their fierce fighting just now dissipated. Then, their smiles quickly froze.
No one had suddenly appeared to cause trouble. They just suddenly remembered—
It seems they didn't leave the Honkai Beast's head for Ryan.