Chapter 1 The Third Honkai Outbreak
Two years, five months, sixteen days, two hours, thirty-four minutes, and twenty-six seconds have passed since the third Honkai outbreak.
5:13 PM, 34 kilometers above the southeastern sky of Canghai City.
"K6, this is Hyperion, report mission status," Himeko's voice echoed.
"Reporting, Major, optical scan shows target is invisible, no bio-energy reactions detected. Internal status is unclear. Mission risk elevated to Rank A. Requesting confirmation."
"Mission continues," Himeko's reply was unwavering.
"Yes, Major!"
"Disable cabin door safety interlocks, manually open the cabin door!"
As the words fell, the cabin door at the bottom slowly opened, and a strong gale roared into the aircraft.
"K6 has reached the designated coordinates orbit. Airlock depressurization complete, hydraulics normal. Awaiting Valkyrie landing."
*Dada dada...*
Kiana, clad in the 'White Comet' Valkyrie armor, walked step by step towards the cabin door, her expression serious and solemn.
"Valkyrie landing sequence initiated, ten... nine..."
Before the preparatory command could be finished, Kiana gently pressed her tactical earpiece, donned a pair of blue goggles, and then leaped out, quickly descending into the lower stratosphere.
In the cockpit, Ling Feng and Himeko sighed as they witnessed this. They were already accustomed to Kiana's impatient nature.
"Notify the drone unit to deploy and provide escort for the Valkyrie's landing."
There were six windows displayed on the computer screen, showing the communication channels of the remaining members of Team 3.
"Reporting, Major, I have safely reached the designated position," Mei's voice suddenly rang out. The positional display showed Mei at a wing section of the runaway battleship.
"Received. Be vigilant of your surroundings. Proceed according to plan. Be safe."
"Himeko, Ling Feng, I have successfully landed. Everything is proceeding smoothly."
A moment later, Kiana's voice echoed in the Hyperion's command center.
"How many times do I have to correct you? It's not Himeko, it's Major Himeko," Himeko frowned slightly, displeased, and corrected her.
But this was during a mission, and time was short. She couldn't say much more, so she changed the subject and got to the point.
"Everyone pay attention. We have approximately thirty minutes until the battleship crashes on its own. We must gain control of this battleship. We absolutely cannot let it destroy Canghai City!"
"Understood!"
Everyone on the battleship replied in unison. Keqing glanced at the large number of charging Honkai Beasts flying towards them. The divine eye on her forehead flashed with purple light, and the sword Liben appeared in her hand.
"Swift Shadow Like a Sword!"
A lightning wedge struck a charging Honkai Beast. Then, with a flash of purple light and crackling arcs of electricity, Keqing's figure instantly vanished from her original position, reappearing amidst the swarm of charging Honkai Beasts.
"Sword light is as I am, cut down all impurities!"
Keqing's beautiful eyes narrowed. Dense purple lightning weaved through the surrounding space, her entire body crackling with electricity, radiating bright light.
Suddenly, her figure disappeared into the lightning, transforming into a bolt of electricity that streaked rapidly through the charging Honkai Beasts. The surrounding area was a dazzling display of sword light and lightning.
By the time Keqing's figure reappeared, all the charging Honkai Beasts around her had been annihilated.
On the other side, Wei held a large sniper rifle, its exterior cool and sleek. Data streams occasionally flickered along the patterns connecting its barrel to the muzzle, giving it a highly futuristic appearance.
This was a sniper rifle custom-made for Wei by Schicksal, but it could also be considered a sniper rifle with multiple modes, such as an energy cannon, which could be switched according to the battlefield situation.
"Bang!"
"Che che~" A tank-type Honkai Beast was torn through by the bullet, its torso blown open by a large, gaping hole, and it toppled over with a final, mournful cry.
Including Keqing and Wei, Team 3 had encountered attacks from Honkai Beasts and MANTISes, but they were all quickly dealt with.
"Mei, we really are the best partners. Together, we are 'twice the effort, half the result'." Kiana, having easily dealt with the attackers around her, playfully pounced on Mei.
"You mean 'half the effort, twice the result', Kiana. Can you sometimes act according to the operational plan? Your recklessness is very dangerous. What if you get hurt?"
Mei said with a hint of helplessness. Kiana had killed her way over as soon as she knew Mei's location.
"Hehehe, this is called flexibility and adaptability. Didn't Aunt Himeko say that the battlefield situation is complex and ever-changing, and one must be adaptable? Besides... with Mei by my side, it's like having the strength of a hundred people."
Kiana stood with her hands on her hips, a bright smile on her face.
"The strength of a hundred people... I'm not Superman," Mei smiled gently, looking down.
"No, as long as Mei is by my side, I feel a hundred times stronger."
"Pfft... Only Kiana would say something like that..."
Soon, the two arrived at the stern of the ship according to the plan. However, besides them, Keqing, Bronya, and the others had not yet arrived.
"Hmm... Himeko said we should gather at the stern and then break through collectively, right?" Kiana looked at the hatch, hesitated for a moment, and then turned to look at Mei, her eyes asking for confirmation.
"Yes."
"If that's the case... we're the first ones here! I'll definitely have a good talk with Bronya later."
Kiana smiled smugly. After finally gaining an advantage over Bronya, she was determined to tease her a little.
*I can't shake this feeling of unease...* Mei thought, a sense of trepidation washing over her. She frowned, lost in thought.
*Clunk!*
Mei's heart suddenly jolted. Panic immediately flashed across her face. Her extremely sharp danger senses had issued a warning.
The Emperor-class Honkai Beast that Kiana had driven away earlier was now returning with its subordinates, attacking the two of them.
"Kiana, be careful!" Mei, the first to sense the danger, quickly shielded Kiana behind her and stepped forward, drawing her katana from her waist and cleaving the charging Honkai Beast in half with a single strike.
"Didn't I drive this guy away before?" Kiana asked in surprise.
But this was no time to discuss such matters. Kiana pulled out her pistol and fired several shots at the surrounding charging Honkai Beasts.
The bullets, imbued with Honkai energy, were different from ordinary bullets, capable of tearing through the tough exteriors of normal Honkai Beasts. Combined with Kiana's Gun Fu skills, every shot hit its mark.
The fly-like charging Honkai Beasts were quickly eliminated by Kiana.
"NekoCharm!"
Kiana leaped up and delivered a roundhouse kick towards the Emperor-class Honkai Beast. Simultaneously, a giant "cat paw" suddenly appeared in the space in front of her, mimicking her movement and swiping out.
"Bang!"
The Emperor-class Honkai Beast, caught off guard while fighting Mei, was sent flying by a mighty blow.
However, the Emperor-class Honkai Beast did not immediately attack. A sharp glint flashed in its burning blood-red eyes, and it let out a skyward roar.
Instantly, the surrounding dispersed Honkai energy seemed to be drawn to it, flowing into its body like a surging tide. Its aura and pressure also increased dramatically.
To Kiana and Mei's disbelief, in just a moment, the Emperor-class Honkai Beast was covered in intricate black and red markings, and a violent, dark flame erupted from its body.
Emperor-class Honkai Beast in its mutated form - 'Jie Huo Agni'.
Before the two could recover, Jie Huo Agni unleashed a charged flame cannonball towards Kiana and Mei.
*Boom!*
The explosion's flames surged into the sky. Mei and Kiana were blasted away, trailing smoke, and landed on the deck.
"Pfft!"
A sweet sensation rose in Kiana's throat, and she spat out a large mouthful of blood. Her face turned significantly paler. She struggled to stand up, trying several times before finally managing to do so.
A single strike from Jie Huo Agni had almost rendered Kiana incapable of fighting. Standing up was a struggle, let alone fighting.
Considering that ordinary tank shells couldn't cause much damage to a Valkyrie armor, one could imagine the immense power of that flame cannonball.
"How can it be so strong!"
Emperor-class Honkai Beasts were, after all, Emperor-class. They were not something a B-rank Valkyrie could handle. Even an A-rank Valkyrie would not be a match for an Emperor-class Honkai Beast in a one-on-one fight.
Ordinary Emperor-class Honkai Beasts typically required a squad of A-rank Valkyries to defeat. Even stronger ones would need an elite A-rank Valkyrie squad, such as the Blade of Immortality.
Not to mention that Kiana and Mei were currently only B-rank Valkyries.
Seeing Jie Huo Agni preparing to launch a new assault, suddenly, dozens of purple lights shot towards it.
Each purple light was an incredibly sharp sword aura imbued with the power of lightning. In mere seconds, Jie Huo Agni was enveloped by the purple lightning sword auras.
"Are you two alright?"
A graceful figure landed in front of them. Her flowing purple twin-tails and the Liben sword in her hand, both undeniably proved her identity.
"This young lady won't be defeated so easily," despite her severe injuries, Kiana still stubbornly put on a brave face.
Mei, on the other hand, was more honest, replying obediently, "We're fine, no serious injuries."
At the same time, three more figures ran over from not far away. Two of them were rather small, it was Bronya, Sayuri, and Wei.
"Alright, stop chatting. This level of attack won't be enough to defeat Jie Huo Agni."
Ling Feng's voice came from their communicators. On the Hyperion, Ling Feng looked at Jie Huo Agni on the screen and said seriously.
"Although the opponent is an Emperor-class Honkai Beast, the Honkai Emperor has only recently mutated and has not yet reached its true Emperor-class strength. The combined efforts of you few should be able to defeat it."
Although Keqing and the others were not an A-rank Valkyrie squad, their strength was not inferior to ordinary A-rank Valkyrie squads.
Keqing and Sayuri were A-rank Valkyries, while Wei, Bronya, Kiana, and Mei were B-rank Valkyries. Moreover, Sayuri was a cultivator at the Golden Core stage. It was not impossible for them to defeat a Honkai Emperor that had just entered the Emperor class.
"Understood."
Everyone nodded and immediately spread out. Kiana, after a short rest, had regained some combat ability.
Wei, as a sniper, stood at the back of the formation, providing long-range support.
Keqing and Mei served as the main melee damage dealers, while Kiana and Bronya provided auxiliary output and harassment from the sides. Sayuri, as an assassin, would seek out weak points for a fatal strike.
As the smoke cleared, Jie Huo Agni appeared in their sight. The battle was about to begin.
Keqing waved her sleeve, and purple sword auras imbued with the power of lightning continuously slashed at Jie Huo Agni.
The dense, rain-like sword energy suppressed Jie Huo Agni, forcing it into a purely defensive stance with no opportunity to counterattack.
Mei immediately rushed towards Jie Huo Agni, and Kiana and Bronya also seized the opportunity, unleashing their full firepower. Suddenly, several cannonballs and countless bullets were fired simultaneously at Jie Huo Agni.
Instantly, explosion smoke enveloped Jie Huo Agni, obscuring its figure. However, Keqing, Kiana, and Bronya's attacks did not cease.
When the dust settled, Jie Huo Agni was unharmed. A semi-transparent red shield made of flames protected it. Keqing and the others' attacks were all blocked.
"Hah!"
With a soft shout, Mei, who had already rushed to Jie Huo Agni's front, swung her blade with a furious surge of lightning power. The blade's light was as dazzling as snow, and the thunderous roar was like a charging beast, instantly cleaving at Jie Huo Agni's protective shield.
This strike was Mei's all-out effort. The shield, after only a moment's resistance, was covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, the shield shattered. Jie Huo Agni recoiled as if it had been hit by a person, staggering back a meter.
"Whoosh~"
A faint wisp of white smoke emerged from the muzzle of the sniper rifle aimed at Jie Huo Agni in the distance, proving that the shot that completely shattered the shield and repelled Jie Huo Agni had come from there.
"Quick, full firepower!"
As soon as the shield broke, countless attacks rained down on Jie Huo Agni. Suddenly, violent black flames erupted from Jie Huo Agni's entire body, engulfing all the attacks.
The black flames spread like layers of hot waves, sweeping outwards. The air distorted into an unrecognizable mess under the high temperature. Just by feeling the scorching heat hitting them, Mei unhesitatingly retreated repeatedly.
"How can this be? Our attacks are ineffective."
Bronya's expression was extremely grim. From the beginning of the attack, the extent of Jie Huo Agni's injuries was negligibly small.
The violent black flames, like a volcanic eruption, had instantly melted the incredibly hard deck of the ship into molten iron where they touched its base, indicating that the flame temperature was terrifyingly high.