Honkai: Strijder

Honkai Beasts proved to be more challenging than expected.

Twelve floating cannons, along with the main cannon on the front of the vehicle, unleashed a total of thirteen beams of high-energy particles that nearly leveled the buildings in the entire small town.

Of course, Sigurd adjusted the altitude to avoid some hidden areas where people might be hiding, trying his best not to harm the innocent.

Even so, they only managed to clear one-third of the small Honkai Beast horde.

"For those giant Honkai Beasts measured in floors, even if they're hit head-on, they just shake their massive heads and continue rampaging as if nothing happened."

"Couldn't penetrate their armor, huh? Guess our firepower is still insufficient."

Sitting in the vehicle, Sigurd glanced at the bewildered people around him.

"What are you all standing there for? She risked her life to save you, not so you can stand here dumbfounded. Keep running. I'll lead the main force away. Whether you can survive or not is up to you."

Without waiting for a reply from the people, Sigurd pulled out two iron cables from the vehicle and bound Kiana to his chest.

He then twisted the handle, and the massive tires crushed through the rubble and debris, heading straight towards the towering giant Honkai Beast.

Boom!

The tremendous impact landed on the Honkai Beast's hoof, causing it to stumble and crash to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, Sigurd climbed up the powerful motorcycle, which had remarkable gripping strength, using the fallen Honkai Beast's body as a ramp. He ascended to higher ground and struck the head of another nearby Honkai Beast.

The seemingly large and cumbersome motorcycle, under Sigurd's control, maneuvered like an agile leopard, weaving through the bodies and movements of these giant Honkai Beasts.

With the focused fire from the floating cannons, Sigurd attracted the attention of several giant Honkai Beasts and successfully eliminated one, obtaining data on their armor strength. At the same time, their hatred intensified.

Sigurd decisively twisted the vehicle's handle, seeing the pursuing Honkai Beasts trailing behind. He raced towards the opposite direction of the city, deep into the snowy mountains.

...

Crash!

As the vehicle flew over a small bump and the subsequent jolting sensation, along with the continuous roars of the Honkai Beasts in the distance, Kiana woke up.

"Hmm?"

"Sig..."

"Where am I?"

Kiana asked groggily, then couldn't help but cough violently for a while, feeling a surge of metallic and sweet scent in her throat.

To avoid worrying Sigurd, she forced herself to endure and didn't spit out the blood rushing up in her body.

"We're in the mountains."

Sigurd lowered his head and glanced at her.

The once snow-white face of the girl was stained with messy dirt and bloodstains, but her paleness and weakness were still apparent.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel... fine. Thank you for coming to rescue me."

"Tell me the truth."

"...It hurts! My whole body hurts! Am I going to die, Sigurd?"

In Sigurd's stern tone, Kiana seemed to have her armor shattered, instantly losing her strength.

Blood seeped from the corners of her mouth as she asked fearfully and tearfully, her voice filled with vulnerability.

Sigurd looked ahead and casually said, "No. You still have a long life ahead of you. You won't die here."

"Really?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"No, I trust you, Sig."

In fact, there were lies told, whether for teasing or various reasons.

However, Kiana smiled with relief as if she had forgotten about those things.

To be honest, with a dirty face and bloodstained teeth, she didn't look particularly attractive.

But Sigurd thought she was still beautiful.

Perhaps it was because she was his own child; he didn't mind.

"Icarus, report the casualty ratio."

"On our side, we've lost two floating cannons. The remaining units can withstand full-power bombardment 43 times. The main vehicle has 11% damage, but it doesn't affect its main functions. On the enemy side, there are 23 remaining giant Honkai Beasts and 406 non-giant ones. Inference: we are at an absolute disadvantage. I recommend retreat."

"Separate six floating cannons, engage in conservative attacks to delay the speed of the beast horde. The remaining four cannons, standby at coordinates (x396, y993, z1123) and (x1217...), prepare for full-power bombardment."

"Yes, My Lord."

The wild giant wheels tore through the snow as if it were flat ground, surpassing the beast horde but keeping them within reach. They circled around seViral solitary peaks.

As the pursuing horde reached a low valley surrounded by prominent peaks to the east, south, and north, and a steep snowy slope to the west, Sigurd shouted, "Now, fire!"

Boom!

Upon Sigurd's command, the four floating cannons, already positioned at critical points, activated at full power. Ice and massive boulders fell from above, triggering a roaring avalanche and a devastating force that engulfed the surroundings, as if consuming the heavens and earth, pouring down from the steep slope to the west.

The horde cried out in agony and attempted to scatter in panic. Sigurd wasn't sure if they felt fear, but he knew that his own anger had long since reached its peak.

"Floating cannons, Sequence 7 to 12, release the reactor restriction system. Activate the electromagnetic reflection force field."

"Yes, My Lord."

Amidst the cold command, invisible ripples spread around the ferocious giant wheel, unleashing a force field capable of resisting particle radiation streams.

At the same time, the speed reached its maximum as they raced away.

Sigurd placed ear protectors on Kiana.

Boom!

From behind, a blinding white light rose from the ground like a new sun.

Wherever the light touched, vast amounts of snow instantly melted and vaporized, as if transitioning from the harsh cold of winter to scorching hot and dry summer.

Simultaneously, intense vibrations quickly spread, accompanied by scenes of earth cracking and mountains crumbling, expanding outward.

At the same time, a sky-obscuring mushroom cloud rose into the air, as if announcing the arrival of doomsday and the manifestation of the most powerful force of humanity, unveiling its ferocious fangs at this time and place.

This scene shocked many observers.

For example, a certain blond Archbishop crushed a teacup and momentarily failed to maintain an elegant and composed demeanor.

Or, in a distant corner of the Earth, a renowned red-haired scientist sprayed a face full of joyous water onto a famous blue-haired scientist, muttering in a daze, "It's impossible," "Are you kidding me?" "Oh my God," and similar words.

...

The explosive yield is not large, and the design takes into account the efficiency of reactor utilization and radiation control.

This radiation will reach Jörmungandr and the small town of Wolvendom, but it will be minimal.

Compared to the Honkai Beasts going to the two towns for slaughter, this is the best outcome.

The residual radiation will dissipate in about three to five days, and afterward, it won't pose any significant harm.

So, although it was a decision made in anger, Sigurd doesn't believe there is anything wrong with this course of action.

The giant wheels of the Blacksteel Motorbike raced on the road, and Sigurd looked at Kiana through blue lenses.

Finally, his eyes revealed genuine concern, no longer hiding it.

The values displayed on the lenses were: 177.12 - 1578.35 - 99.84 - 1785.43...

The Honkai energy itself is inherently unstable, and fluctuations in values are normal, but such extreme highs and lows are abnormal.

So far, the highest value Sigurd had seen was a "???" surpassing the limit of 9999, and the lowest value was 0.71, not excluding the possibility of even lower values that caused measurement failure.

"Damn it, we're too late!"

Sigurd had already pushed the speed to its limit but still wished to go faster. The underground research lab in the mansion had enough equipment, at least allowing him to try something instead of being anxious on the road.

Perhaps he shouldn't have spent time dealing with that batch of Honkai Beasts for the towns of Wolvendom and Jörmungandr?

Then Sigurd silently shook his head, realizing that what was done was done, and now wasn't the time to think about it.

Luckily, the fluctuations in the concentration of Honkai energy were gradually diminishing, approaching Kiana's normal Honkai concentration.

Perhaps this meant that Kiana's body had finally adapted, and the damage from the active Honkai energy wasn't as severe as anticipated.

Suddenly, Sigurd saw some sparse black shadows ahead.

Ssssk!

In the piercing sound of tires scraping against the ground, Sigurd made an urgent turn, steering the vehicle from the highway onto an undeveloped forest mountain road.

As he maneuvered to clear the obstacles ahead, Sigurd glanced back.

"A car coming from the direction of Jörmungandr, driving at high speed, with fresh scratches on the body... Could it be?"

Sigurd's pupils contracted, and an ominous conjecture cast an even darker shadow over his already anxious state of mind.

"Icarus, can you establish contact with the mansion now?"

"My Lord, at the current speed, we will enter the effective coverage range of the mansion's signal tower in 1 minute and 43 seconds."

"Establish communication with the mansion as soon as possible."

"Yes, My Lord."