A thousand meters away lay a village.
Trees and hills surrounded it. A two-lane road led to the outside world; a quiet stream flowed to the east, alongside dozens of two-story houses.
Most of the buildings were wooden; only the village hall in the center was larger. Bathed in the setting sun, it appeared peaceful, like a hidden paradise.
Ryan used binoculars to scan the area, spotting several figures swaying on the road—zombies. Frontline soldiers were skeptical of Honkai energy detectors.
Low readings often led to complacency, only to have the readings spike when encountering powerful Honkai Beasts, leading to disastrous results. They trusted their eyes more.
"Looks like a small-scale Honkai event." Himiko also used binoculars, various readings flashing on the lenses.
"Don't underestimate it. We encountered a similar situation yesterday." Ryan said calmly.
Yesterday at noon, a similar small mountain village had been attacked; after the squad rushed in, a six-meter-tall Temple-Class emerged from the ground, instantly killing several soldiers. Bullets and missiles were ineffective.
Fortunately, Ryan had arrived quickly, destroying its head.
"I know these monsters are cunning. If they were stupid, we wouldn't be needed; air strikes would suffice." Himiko licked her crimson lips, smiling. "I'm just glad they usually appear in deserted places; cleaning up afterwards is a hassle."
This was a peculiar trait; even Ryan didn't understand why Honkai rarely appeared in populated areas. But he quickly anticipated the future.
"Not for long. Let's finish this quickly; there are likely no survivors in this place."
"Alright, I'll use the most efficient method." Himiko's smile turned cruel; she pressed a button on her helmet. "Buzz… buzz… carrier pigeon call. Requesting air support. Coordinates…"
Twenty or thirty soldiers hid behind a hill; no one spoke. Ryan was equally silent, observing through his binoculars. Half an hour later, a deep roar echoed from the sky.
WHOOSH—
The sound appeared and vanished instantly; several dark objects fell, followed by brilliant fireballs that made him squint.
BOOM!!
The heavy thud shook the ground; trees crashed. When Ryan looked again, the village was engulfed in thick smoke; the village hall was gone, and the houses were toppled.
The same setting sun; in an instant, the hidden paradise was filled with ruins and flames.
"Wow, those two-thousand-pound bombs are powerful." Himiko whistled, watching the zombies being blown away like scraps of paper. No one was stupid; human weaponry was far from useless.
"Alright, our turn. Silo, Hill, you two lead. The rest split into two flanking squads. If we're lucky, we'll be done tonight."
With the clang of weapons and armor, the soldiers rose, silently moving through the trees. Ryan remained at the rear, patting Kevin on the back.
"Stay close."
"You have a bad feeling?"
"Nothing. But being cautious is good." Ryan didn't explain, stroking the alloy hilt of his knife.
The Emperor-Class Honkai Beast had seemingly vanished, but Ryan knew these monsters loved surprises and remained vigilant.
Helicopters circled overhead, their rotors stirring the treetops. Soldiers descended the hill, onto the paved road, crossing the bridge over the lake. They saw the ruined buildings ahead; the village hall was a massive crater.
Wood crackled; everything was eerily quiet except for the burning, twisted corpses by the roadside; soldiers quickly moved to finish them off.
The professional, efficient soldiers quickly advanced into the village, pistols drawn, scanning their surroundings.
"Left flank secure."
"High ground secured. No enemy detected."
Reports came through the comms; Himiko relaxed slightly. Theoretically, Honkai Beasts lacked patience. She glanced at the half-destroyed bodies of zombies still crawling towards them, firing her pistol to end their suffering.
"Squads clear out! Once done, send the cleanup crew. Stay sharp! Don't leave any stragglers and get me yelled at!"
Himiko roared, watching her troops split into three-person squads and disappear into the ruins. She was about to report when—
"Spread out! It's coming!"
Ryan's voice suddenly cut through the comms. Everyone froze, until the helmet detectors blared, the tactical HUD images distorting and turning white.
Honkai energy was spiking.
"Hit the ground!" Ryan didn't hesitate, grabbing Kevin's shoulder and pushing him down. He heard a high-pitched whine overhead.
A crimson disc sliced through the air, severing power lines and anything in its path.
Walls, buildings, bodies, even alloy armor—soldiers too slow to react were bisected; blood and organs sprayed outwards.
The disc didn't stop, clearing a path through the ruins before arcing upwards.
BOOM—BOOM—
Two dull thuds followed; helicopters too slow to evade exploded into fireballs, their debris raining down.
An Imaginary rift?
Lying on the ground, Ryan turned, seeing a jet-black silhouette; its rocky exterior was jagged, with six arm-like appendages. It materialized on the bridge; smaller rifts behind it spewed forth a swarm of Honkai Beasts.
Adieto. It was here.
The previously useless detectors blared incessantly; Ryan didn't hesitate, pushing off the ground and leaping, his gaze fixed on the creature behind him.
It hovered in the air, six glowing blades forming on its six appendages; it swung them effortlessly.
BOOM! BOOM!
Incoming missiles exploded mid-air, the fragments like shrapnel. Then, in an instant, it moved from stillness to incredible speed.
The missiles were too slow. The pilot pushed the control stick, but the cockpit was already filled with a black mass. Seeing those four crimson eyes, his expression froze.
Rumble…
The fireball illuminated the monster, even terrifying seasoned soldiers.
The speed was impossible to track; the Honkai energy blades sliced through any metal, far beyond the level of Honkai Beasts they'd encountered before.
"What are you all gawking at?! Find cover! Leave it to Ryan!" Himiko snapped back to reality; her shout jolted the others from their stupor.
This monster had minions; these Honkai Beasts were swarming towards them. Splitting the squad would leave them vulnerable to these lesser threats.
"Kevin, cover my rear." Ryan glanced away; the fireball still raged; the Honkai Beasts were almost upon them. Kevin, already frenzied, nodded grimly and ran.
That's better.
Ryan gripped his knife, facing the Honkai Beasts mere meters away; their lances were almost touching his forehead, but he didn't flinch.
Left foot forward, he leaned, drawing his blade.
Flowing Cut.
Bang—
A roar echoed; a crimson blade flashed across the ground and vanished. A moment later, the Knight in front of him was bisected; the five- or six-meter concrete bridge split in two.
The Honkai Beasts, large and small, were flung into the river like dumplings; they didn't drown, but their charge faltered. Ryan didn't react, leaping sideways.
Swish.
A crimson crescent sliced through where he'd been standing. Ryan rolled on the ground, realizing it was a spinning blade of light.
Fast, sharp, and homing?
Spinning, Ryan swung his rifle, clearly seeing the Honkai energy's friction and entanglement. No wonder it sliced through steel like butter; without energy containment, ordinary metal was no stronger than tofu.
WHOOSH—
With a tearing sound, the blade was deflected upwards. Ryan, half-lying on the ground, raised his blade. A dark mass fell.
Crash!
Debris flew; dust obscured the figure, only four intensely bright red eyes visible, like small lights.
Ryan retreated, seeing five blades shredding the dust in front of him. They were longer, thinner, and faster.
Swish… swish… swish…
The blades merged into a single torrent, sweeping forward from Adieto. The ground was ravaged; a nearby car was instantly reduced to hundreds of pieces of scrap metal. Ryan felt engulfed by a blade storm.
He couldn't block it; technique was secondary; his alloy rifle couldn't withstand the destruction. He couldn't retreat; the creature could fly, and its speed was terrifying.
He kicked a power pole; it shattered instantly. The blades descended again; Ryan clenched his left fist.
Shadow Thrust.
A flash appeared behind Adieto, striking its back forcefully.
BOOM.
A long-range Honkai energy blast erupted, shattering some of the black rock on the monster's body, sending it flying.
Ryan felt the searing heat of the energy beam that grazed him. His greatest difference from the Honkai Beast was—
I don't rely on instinct to control this energy.
Gathering energy into his rifle, creating a five-meter long light blade, the exoskeleton self-destructing from the overload, he focused all his strength, bringing the blade down on Adieto's monstrous form.
Mountain Cleaver!