Chapter 138: Chapter 137: Entering the Fray
"Take this!"
As soon as she reached the platform, soaked in seawater, Kiana delivered a flying kick that toppled a huge Honkai Beast, leaving a struggling Valkyrie stunned.
"Are you alright?"
"That voice, that black outfit—you're the one who attacked the Oceania branch! Well, you're from Anti-Entropy too, so it's not surprising to see you here."
The blonde girl, holding a lance, wiped a scratch off her face and spoke with a sudden realization.
Kiana removed her helmet, shaking free her long silver hair, and exhaled deeply.
The air provided by the Black Armor was of good quality, but ultimately it was a closed environment, unlike real air that made one feel refreshed and free—even though this battlefield, mixed with the smoke of war and the blood and tears of Valkyries, had no true freshness to speak of.
"Are you from the Oceania branch? Sorry, there were too many enemies back then, I didn't remember all of you."
"It's alright. I know you're strong, and it's great to have your help, but I didn't expect you to be so young. I thought you are an adult who is just small."
Looking at Kiana's still youthful face, with a hint of baby fat, the Valkyrie smiled slightly, then her expression turned somber.
So, even an organization like Anti-Entropy, which mainly uses robots, had to send such young girls into battle?
Honkai, indeed, is suffocatingly oppressive everywhere.
"Hehe! Don't mind those details! I'm here to save the world. Let's fight together!"
"Yes, it's an honor!"
With Kiana's bright smile, the Valkyrie's fatigue and numbness seemed to ease a lot, and she gripped her lance more tightly.
Then, as Kiana charged at another Honkai Beast, the Valkyrie with the lance launched yet another assault, heading towards the same goal—to defeat the Honkai!
...
Sin Mal wasn't as hurried as Kiana; she simply walked into the battlefield normally.
A Honkai Beast, with sharp, enormous horns, charged straight at Sin Mal amidst the horrified gazes of some nearby Valkyries.
Boom!
A loud crash echoed as the air screamed from the impact.
Yet, Sin Mal remained unmoved.
Upon closer inspection, it was her hand gripping the tip of the Honkai Beast's horn, stopping the mountain-like beast in its tracks.
The stark contrast between her slender arm and the beast's towering mass made the onlookers instinctively uncomfortable, as the scene clearly defied common sense.
Sin Mal turned her head to look at the beast, which was straining but unable to advance or retreat. Under her armor, her face twisted into an exaggeratedly sinister smile.
"Do you want to play with me too?"
Sin Mal giggled, but her laughter sent chills down everyone's spine.
Kiana would be deeply saddened and enraged by the sacrifice of the Valkyrie, and Bronya would feel the same, but Sin Mal would not.
Unlike them, Sin Mal had been broken since that night when her parents were killed by a sudden attack from robbers, and she herself had devoured those robbers.
Sin Mal had no love for this world and felt nothing for strangers. To her, the entire world was twisted. Who would mourn the destruction of something so grotesque? At least Sin Mal wouldn't.
In her world now, the most important people were Sigurd, followed by Bronya. And then, the one she saw as a mother figure, Cocolia. As for everyone else, she couldn't care less—including that annoying Kiana. Though she admitted Kiana was strong, her constant clinging to Sigurd was intolerable, and Sin Mal would destroy her given the chance.
Sin Mal wasn't fighting for the Valkyrie or human civilization. What drove her was Kiana's remark about being treated like a baby by Sigurd.
That was absolutely unacceptable! How could she be seen as a useless baby? She wanted to be an indispensable powerhouse for Sigurd!
To prove her strength, Sin Mal needed to start by creating the most Honkai Beast corpses possible.
"Hahaha!"
Sin Mal tilted her head, her laughter growing louder before suddenly disappearing. She grabbed a spear with her other hand.
Here, far from Bronya and Sigurd, she didn't need to hide her dark side. A violent and cold aura filled the surroundings without restraint.
"Die!"
Sin Mal screeched as the spear in her hand flew out, creating a gaping hole in the massive beast. The spear continued its trajectory, piercing through dozens of giant beasts. In an instant, a long trail of shattered bodies marked its path.
Sin Mal laughed maniacally, the destruction unleashing her long-suppressed brutality. More power surged within her, and spears floated behind her, charged with the energy of time and destruction.
Then, a brutal massacre followed—of course, due to Sigurd and Bronya's presence, Sin Mal was restrained. At least she didn't attack people, only Honkai Beasts. Occasionally some Titans got caught in the crossfire, which was an unavoidable consequence and not worth worrying about too much.
…
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Boom!
Unlike Kiana and Sin Mal, who stormed into the battlefield with the sheer brute force of their black armor, Bronya skated across on the high-speed rollers extended from her black armor. Using drones, worker bees, and an endless array of heavy weapons, she didn't resort to mindless firepower but aimed at weak points, harvesting the Honkai Beasts' lives with precision, lethality, and efficiency.
She moved like a free black whirlwind, advancing unimpeded on the battlefield, leaving behind hundreds and thousands of Honkai Beast corpses. Eventually, she reached an empty zone—though not truly empty, it was devoid of standing Honkai Beasts, filled instead with countless dismembered limbs.
This was Fu Hua's territory.
After running for over a minute, Bronya finally found Fu Hua, swiftly dispatching Honkai Beasts at the other edge of the empty zone.
"Fu Hua-sensei."
"Hmm? Bronya? Weren't you on a mission in the deep sea?"
Fu Hua crushed the massive head of a Honkai Beast with her bare hands, not even wearing her black armor, and looked at Bronya, frowning slightly.
Bronya removed her helmet, her face wooden as she replied, "It's a long story. In short, we got Sigurd's approval."
"That's all right, then. Even though you haven't truly mastered Taixu Sword Qi, your combat power is already impressive, and you indeed play a significant role on the front lines. So, what's your plan?"
"Bronya can deliver large-scale, precise firepower but needs ample space to do so. Fu Hua-sensei's area is the most suitable, and there's no worry about friendly fire."
"Understood, I'll coordinate with you."
Fu Hua nodded.
Bronya's lips curled slightly as she lifted her helmet, and a series of remote images and data windows appeared before her eyes.
"Platinum Wolf, enter hunting mode!"
In a cold, childish voice, a fleet of bunny-eared drones appeared in the sky. Their previously cute electronic expressions transformed into dangerous, toothy grins.
Then, the sky was covered in a barrage of firepower, and Bronya's performance began.
...
In the sky, aboard the Hyperion, Sigurd watched the trio's movements and felt slightly relieved.
Kiana might be reckless, but she knew her strength lay in her physical abilities. Her unique charm gradually attracted some Valkyries willing to team up with her, and everything went smoothly.
Bronya, an outstanding talent, perfectly utilized her computational skills and affinity with firearms. She smartly partnered with Fu Hua, turning herself into a walking high-tech arsenal.
As for Sin Mal... well, she's strong, but could she tone it down a bit? That maniacal laughter and exaggerated dark aura—whose side is she on, really?
Despite his helplessness, Sigurd focused on Sin Mal's image, a warm look in his eyes.
It didn't matter. Sin Mal's world was someone who is inherently twisted. Sigurd had never thought of her as a good person.
If Sin Mal was a wild beast, Sigurd was her leash. If the world couldn't accept Sin Mal, Sigurd would be her haven.
Using her power while providing her with a sense of security and fulfillment was an equal exchange, very fair.
"They're all promising talents! Sigurd, you have a good eye!"
Hera, too, saw the images.
Leaving aside K423, both Bronya and Sin Mal had rare talents. With proper training, S-rank wouldn't be out of reach. No wonder Sigurd chose them for his team—quite interesting!
"It's still a long way off. It'll be years before they become truly qualified swords."
"Swords? Swords aimed at the Honkai? Or at me?"
"Guess."
"I don't need to guess. With K423 among them, who'd believe there's no intention of using them against me?"
"Fair point."
Sigurd responded blandly, his eyes rapidly inputting data.
The data window appeared only in his eyes, his hands operating an invisible interface in the air—this was Void Coding, something even Hera couldn't spy on. No one could decipher the code Sigurd was inputting from his random finger movements in the air!
Only Sigurd knew he was completing a special device, one that could end this war in one stroke and then allow him a good rest.
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