Bang!
The giant Honkai Beast, charging with menacing momentum, was stopped by a figure that looked tiny in comparison. No, not just stopped. The figure swung the pale blue greatsword with a fluid motion, smashing its broad blade into the Honkai Beast's skull. The beast's lower body maintained its forward running posture, but its head suffered a massive counter-force, and in that instant, all its movements ceased.
A second later, the giant Honkai Beast dissolved into black powder like a phantom bubble. The powder itself continued to disintegrate, eventually turning into something invisible to the naked eye and disappearing completely into the air.
"I was worried the scene would be too bloody and I'd get soaked in the blood of a dead Honkai Beast. So it turns out like this? That's pretty nice."
Evan rested the [Nitro Crystal] sword on his shoulder. He shifted his gaze slightly to look at Mei, who had been standing silently with her head half-lowered since he injected the Honkai energy. Then, he looked back into the distance, where several more Honkai Beasts were approaching, their sizes even larger than the one before.
However, dealing with them shouldn't be too strenuous.
Although these gigantic Honkai Beasts looked intimidating, in Evan's memory, these creatures—which should be called "Chariot-class Honkai Beasts" in the game—had always been basic monsters, not difficult opponents.
The outskirts of Nagazora City, originally a place of leafy trees and pleasant scenery, were now unrecognizable. Several cracks had appeared in the ground, burying flowers and grass along with the sunken earth. Even the clear sky seemed to reveal abnormal colors due to the rising concentration of Honkai energy.
Wielding the greatsword, every one of Evan's attacks was full of power, and the giant Honkai Beasts possessed strength befitting their size. Every clash between them produced a loud noise that vibrated through the air.
However, this was not actually an evenly matched battle. In Evan's eyes, these giant Honkai Beasts were a bit clumsy.
Perhaps it was because of their size, or perhaps because these Honkai Beasts, which moved slowly in the game, were inherently like this. Although their movement and attack speeds might seem unavoidable to ordinary people, they weren't too swift for Evan. He could dodge them all with just a little attention.
Although he possessed multiple Stigmata and his physical fitness had been improved many times, Evan didn't try to tank the attacks of the Chariot-class Honkai Beasts with his body, except for using the [Nitro Crystal] sword to block their giant limbs. He didn't think he would die from taking a hit, or even be seriously injured, but he still didn't do it.
Simply because even if he eliminated these Honkai Beasts, he might still have to face other enemies—enemies stronger than these mere Chariot-class beasts.
Thud, thud, thud.
After a series of heavy sounds of bodies hitting the ground, the Honkai Beasts that appeared later, like the first one, turned into powder and disappeared under Evan's [Nitro Crystal] sword. Seeing this, Evan frowned.
According to the law of conservation of energy in physics, for Honkai Beasts that were originally ordinary animals to swell to a huge size of over ten meters, they must have absorbed a large amount of Honkai energy. And after he destroyed them, the disintegration of the Honkai Beasts' bodies... did that mean the Honkai energy that originally composed their bodies had returned to its initial state and filled the air again?
If so, simply eliminating Honkai Beasts seemed insufficient to stop the Honkai.
Evan quickly stopped his train of thought. Since this world had survived until now, Schicksal and Anti-Entropy naturally had their own ways of eliminating the Honkai. Instead of thinking about how to solve the biggest problem threatening the whole world, Evan had other things to do.
He turned around and began to approach Mei, who had remained silent and motionless since earlier.
Evan didn't put down the [Nitro Crystal] sword in his hand. Compared to approaching a friend, his vigilant movements were more like approaching a dangerous enemy.
Five meters away from Mei, Evan stopped.
"You..."
As he uttered the first word, Mei, who had kept her head down, suddenly looked up.
The original Mei had black eyes filled with gentleness and understanding; meeting that gaze would make anyone, no matter how heavy their heart, feel relaxed. But now, what Evan saw were a pair of purple eyes, indifferent and heartless, filled with an unmelting chill.
True Herrschers were apostles of the Will of the Honkai, messengers of God sent to destroy the world. They could control Honkai Beasts, communicate directly with the Will of the Honkai, and their minds were not chaotic; their actions to destroy the world followed their true nature.
But Mei was different. She wasn't a true Herrscher. She wasn't an apostle chosen by the Will of the Honkai, nor did she have the intention to destroy the world. She was an Artificial Herrscher born from a part of the Second Herrscher's power—the [Gem of Conquest]. Besides being far weaker than a normal Herrscher, she couldn't control Honkai Beasts or contact the Will of the Honkai. And right now, precisely because she herself had no intention of destroying the world, a Herrscher personality with destruction as its mission had been born. As this personality matured, perhaps Mei would be recognized by the Honkai and become a true Herrscher.
The Mei before him was no longer the gentle girl in his memory.
Evan calmed his breathing, which was slightly disordered from the fight with the Honkai Beasts, and readjusted his body to its optimal state. He was ready to defeat Mei, who was now controlled by the Herrscher personality, and return her to normal.
No, perhaps the current Mei wasn't as abnormal as he imagined.
Evan suddenly realized that those cold purple eyes were just looking at him, taking no action. He couldn't feel any killing intent from her.
Just then, Mei spoke.
"Do you want to destroy the world with me? Human."
This unexpected invitation stunned Evan for a moment. Then he smiled and reached out his hand towards Mei.
"No, why don't you come and save the world with me instead, Mei?"
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