Arrival.
Ryan sped down the wide six-lane highway, making no attempt to hide, as if knowing the Herrscher didn't rely on sight, but could lock onto him using residual energy.
Without turning, he sensed the overwhelming killing intent, like disturbing a hornet's nest; the hornets were swarming, seeking to destroy him—a desire for annihilation originating from the soul.
Terrifying.
Fortunately, Ryan possessed exceptional mental fortitude; the best way to overcome fear was to shift his focus.
Why this overwhelming sense of impending doom? When did I offend Honkai?
He paused, then chuckled.
Well, I have offended Honkai quite deeply; my current power is derived from it. From Honkai's perspective, I am quite hateful.
"So what?"
Ryan stopped; brilliant lightning, like a spiderweb, descended; swirling arcs of lightning left trails of molten rock.
The pavement was instantly shattered; cars and buildings melted. A five-story residential building collapsed; fortunately, the area was deserted except for zombies and corpses; a single strike could've killed thousands.
Ryan was grazed by the lightning; seeing his Honkai energy consumed, his heart sank.
The cost-effectiveness was terrible; even with similar Honkai energy, he couldn't win.
Like Ryan's battle against Vill-V's creations, missiles and cannons were inefficient; now, the roles were reversed.
The Herrscher's power was unimaginable; a one-on-one battle was suicide.
Ryan backflipped off the overpass, seeing molten rock forming under the bridge. Boom! It collapsed.
Large chunks of cement fell; Ryan spun his spear, creating a series of afterimages.
Whizz, whizz, whizz…
Dozens of tons of debris were flung into the air. The Herrscher of Thunder remained motionless; its golden eyes moved slightly; it swept its blade.
Instantly, the cement turned to dust, forming a thick cloud. Ryan, seeing this, dodged without hesitation, his peripheral vision catching a bolt of lightning piercing the dust.
Boom!!
The spot where he'd been standing collapsed, forming a smooth crater. A dull roar filled his ears; almost instantly, another thunderclap sounded; he used his spear to push off the ground, lunging sideways.
Swish—Boom!
Something hot passed by. A twenty-story building several hundred meters away was bisected. The silver-haired girl, seemingly attracted to the falling wall, landed smoothly, coldly observing her enemy.
Extreme speed, devastating power…
Ryan's pupils constricted. Only direct combat revealed these creatures' terror. In other words, how many people would Fire Moth sacrifice to defeat this monster?
As the deadly lightning filled Ryan's vision, he acted instantly, his left foot planting firmly, his spear thrusting forward with all his might.
Furious Force. Iceberg Spear.
Time seemed to freeze. Ryan focused all his intent and strength; the spear struck its target; blinding light filled his eyes; lightning and Honkai energy clashed, along with a frail, emotionless face.
"Human, is that all you can do?" The Herrscher spoke; the voice was sharp and strange, as if multiple voices echoed.
Ryan was one of the few to hear a Herrscher speak; his mind raced, analyzing her words, sensing the arrogance of a superior being, and a pure will.
Regardless of gender, appearance, or power, Herrschers shared one trait:
A pure desire for annihilation!
"It's an honor," Ryan replied, glancing at the spear's rapidly depleting energy.
In seconds, his weapon would be reduced to nothingness.
"You should be honored, and you, as a human, should not exist!"
This wasn't a provocation; it was a declaration. The pressure on Ryan intensified tenfold; the fragile balance shattered.
He retracted the spear, spinning, the haft sweeping downwards.
From advance to retreat, seamlessly. The Herrscher of Thunder had no combat techniques; she instinctively leaned back, seeing the spear aimed at her chin; she didn't need to understand or learn.
Lightning raged!
The Herrscher, like a suddenly bright lightbulb, illuminated the surroundings, disintegrating everything. Ryan's spear, striking the lightning, was stopped; the Honkai energy coating it dissipated.
The high-molecular armor began to melt; a bare white foot emerged.
Thump!
A bolt of lightning streaked across the street, tearing apart everything in its path, then embedding itself in a five-story building. With a resounding crash, the building collapsed from the center.
Immense power!
Ryan felt a sharp pain in his chest; he slumped to the ground, looking up; the Herrscher, transformed into lightning, charged toward him. She raised her blade; her golden eyes burned with destructive intent.
Unavoidable; certain death.
His instincts told him the outcome, but fear didn't stop him; he thrust his spear.
Swish!
The released Honkai energy formed a beam; the purple lightning abruptly changed course, describing an "L" shape, bypassing the beam, and striking downward.
Not only unstoppable but incredibly fast.
Ryan's expression hardened; he suppressed the urge to use his trump card. His plan wasn't about sacrificing himself; it was about defeating this Herrscher and acquiring its power.
Without hesitation, Ryan planted his right foot, leaping forward before the lightning struck.
Boom!!
The already unstable building collapsed. The Herrscher of Thunder paused, realizing the human's cunning; it seemed to know her next move.
Pointless.
The raging lightning coalesced on the three-meter-long blade; power was instinct; dispersion and concentration occurred in an instant. Before she could obliterate everything within several hundred meters, the descending blade swung upwards.
Because, as her prey hid, a crimson blade formed purely from Honkai energy descended from the sky.
Boom!
A purple torrent surged towards the sky, engulfing the blade, cleaving a hole in the thick clouds. The resulting electromagnetic pulse downed several drones.
The silver-haired Herrscher paused, seemingly puzzled by her prey's actions. Was this a technique from her memories?
She didn't know, nor did she care. Her gaze swept across the ground; she focused on the east; her foot moved, transforming her into a thunderbolt.
She would obey her will and annihilate her opponent.
Pursuit.
Ryan felt the destructive breath closing in, the lightning occasionally melting meters of pavement. He weaved through the waterways, like a rat escaping a collapsing tunnel.
'Fortunately, she can't pinpoint my location precisely; she needs visual confirmation. But her energy consumption is still high… is it reaching 15%?'
Ryan didn't know, and dared not stop to find out. The raging thunder pursued, disintegrating buildings and bridges, then piercing the thick ground behind him.
Her control was improving; soon, she could unleash large-scale attacks, engulfing miles.
Weaving through life and death on the edge, having just escaped death, Ryan forced himself to ignore the fear, pain, and exhaustion; he focused solely on the next moment.
Phase two, begin.
"The Third Herrscher confirmed as Herrscher of Thunder; the science division has identified twenty possible abilities."
"Destruction level in the Ningku area has reached 75%; survival rate in the central area is less than 1%!"
"Far East Branch reinforcements are arriving; ready for deployment."
"Ammunition replenished; second wave of attacks commencing."
...
Off the coast, dozens of warships formed a battle formation; fighter squadrons patrolled the skies; missiles were loaded into vertical launch tubes; reinforcements were arriving.
The situation remained manageable; Fire Moth could use a sea of blood to suppress the Herrscher of Thunder, and the previous two battles showed that Herrschers, unlike Honkai Beasts, were intelligent and relentless.
They only destroyed; they never retreated; otherwise, Herrscher of Thunder would have been invincible.
"Branch Director, when do we attack? The troops are restless."
"Yes, we need to lure the Herrscher away from Shanghai to minimize damage."
On the aircraft carrier, staff officers urged action. For the young progressives who volunteered to protect the world, Herrscher of Thunder was a significant threat.
This was the first time a Herrscher-level Honkai had erupted in a densely populated area; every wasted second meant hundreds of thousands of deaths. The air force pilots had proven their bravery; they couldn't hide like turtles.
"What's the rush? I don't want Shanghai's citizens to be expendable, but I want victory. If we fail, who will stop the calamity's spread?" Erwin calmly explained, his gaze fixed on the screen.
It was a sea of darkness; the surveillance drones had fallen, but no one had forgotten the scene:
A thunderstorm from Hell; no material object could withstand the Herrscher of Thunder's power. Yet a figure engaged it directly, unleashing unimaginable power.
Using a monster to defeat another monster; ridiculous.
The Branch Director gritted his teeth; the aftershocks of the two monsters' battle would devastate most of the city. This should deplete the Herrscher's energy significantly.
'Only humans can defeat monsters. If they exhaust themselves, victory and glory will be ours!'
This thought flashed through his mind; he prepared for the worst. Then, he heard a panicked voice.
"Third drone squadron online; target signal acquired, Branch Director Erwin, the lightning, the Herrscher of Thunder—"
"Is heading towards us!"