The night sky was cleaved in two by a bolt of azure lightning, a vibrant trail lingering in its wake.
The lightning extended to the earth, leaving a molten scar, splitting a small mountain in the island's center, transforming it into a blazing torch.
The electric arc flickered across Ryan's body as he observed the inert Śeṣa, exhaling a plume of smoke.
There were no Fire Moth drones here, no observers, and Soulium was worn down. He could unleash his full power, indulging in destruction.
And this destructive power was, without a doubt, highly satisfying.
"Without Authority, even with equal energy, I wouldn't necessarily win." Ryan acknowledged Śeṣa's capabilities and didn't approach rashly.
The Honkai Beast remained coiled, a meter-wide hole piercing its body. Through that hole, the severed mountain could be seen, yet it hadn't died, two green eyes glaring with chilling intent.
These 'eyes' were exceptionally dark and cold, lacking any plea for mercy, making Ryan hesitate.
Śeṣa wouldn't talk; how could he ask why it was waiting here? If it were Bella the dragon, there'd be ways to make her speak.
Or should he try using psychic power?
He considered it, but before he could focus his psychic energy, the inert Śeṣa suddenly blazed with intense light, burying itself in the surrounding iron sand while a Honkai energy storm erupted.
It's going to self-destruct?!
The thought barely registered before the intense light illuminated Ryan's face.
BOOM—
A violet pillar of light shot into the sky, piercing the storm clouds, leaving a vortex-like lightning storm in its wake. The electric arc swept across the sea, outwards in all directions.
The island was obliterated; everything within 10 kilometers was engulfed. Forests were buried, the sea evaporated, the Honkai Beast reduced to charcoal. The abandoned town was completely leveled; even the drones sent to investigate were crippled by the intense electromagnetic pulse, falling like scrap metal into the sea.
The night became like day; the sky was filled with raging lightning, Śeṣa's energy unleashing a cataclysmic effect.
A chunk of ice shattered within the storm. Sakura crawled out, looking dazed at the surrounding devastation.
'This is a Judgment-Class Honkai Beast?'
If she hadn't reacted quickly, creating a refuge with 'Cold Cherry,' she would have been reduced to ash along with the Honkai Beasts.
Truly terrifying. The damage radius extended 100 kilometers; the ground was scarred with charcoal.
Where did Ryan go??
She quickly stood, scanning the area. Aside from the silver lightning serpents, there were only countless charred corpses. She saw nothing else.
The sea shifted from calm to turbulent chaos, then returned to silence amidst the thunder.
Her heart sank, but Sakura showed no grief, only inhaling the hot air, plunging her blade into the water, creating a path of ice across the sea, leading to the explosion's center.
The kilometer-squared island was completely pulverized. The lush green forest was gone without a trace; the ground was scarred with craters from the lightning strikes, the air thick with oppressive heat.
"Impossible…"
Sakura's expression finally changed; she swallowed, approaching the island's center, a massive crater where only molten rock was visible at the bottom.
Nothing. Had he perished with Śeṣa?
Her expression hardened; the intense heat felt like a piercing chill. Her composure wavered, but at that moment, her shoulder was gently patted.
"You came too early… Relax, it's me." Ryan emerged, seeing the blade at her neck. Through the 'Cold Cherry,' he saw her clear, cold violet eyes.
Those gemstone-like eyes held surprise, elation, and anger.
"Ryan, you're alive?"
"Of course. Did you think a ghost wanted to chat?" Ryan chuckled. Sakura was usually composed but occasionally fell into her naivety. Seeing the lowered blade, he joked,
"What were you feeling when you thought I was dead? Were you sad?"
Sakura sheathed her blade, nodding seriously. "Of course, I was sad. You're very important to me, someone I can trust. I hope you won't sneak around to scare me; that's childish."
Ryan was stunned. He was used to Mobius's brashness and Hua's stoicism; this direct honesty was unusual.
"What about you?" Sakura tilted her head slightly.
"Ahem, I didn't intend to scare you. A Judgment-Class Honkai Beast's self-destruction is truly powerful. Fortunately, the terrain here was favorable."
Ryan had dived into the sea, using his powers to create an electromagnetic field to counter the Honkai energy, avoiding injury.
While he couldn't control Śeṣa's power, they were both electromagnetic forces; his control was superior, and he was prepared.
"Unfortunately, there are no remains of Śeṣa. Our mission is considered a failure." Sakura shook her head; that level of energy burst left nothing behind.
"Don't be so pessimistic. I said Honkai is evolving, faster than I anticipated."
Ryan jumped into the crater, using Crimson Blaze to scoop up the molten rock. Sakura followed, seeing black sludge mixed within the magma. Ryan collected it in a metal container.
"What is this?"
"Śeṣa's secondary ability. The self-destruction was a diversion; this thing isn't dead."
"It… was clever. It learned to use a diversionary tactic." Sakura swallowed, quickly surveying the surroundings, spotting a large hole in the crater's side. She immediately jumped towards it.
She placed her hand against the entrance, sensing for a few seconds, her pupils constricting slightly.
"There's a draft. It's a passage; it escaped!"
"It did escape. Wait, don't chase it."
Sakura, already entering the tunnel, looked back in confusion. "We should still be able to catch it. Are you going to let it go?"
Ryan showed no urgency, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.
Something's wrong. I need to observe this from a higher dimensional perspective, connecting and analyzing all the information, thoroughly analyzing this event.
His brain worked at maximum speed, as if his soul had left his body. After a brief pause, he raised his hand.
"No rush. Opportunities to kill it abound, but what if Śeṣa had no intention of escaping?"
"You mean… it's luring us?" Sakura was astonished; she admitted Śeṣa was smarter than she'd thought, but this level of cunning was frightening.
From superior intelligence to tactical maneuvering, were these monsters cheating?
No, there's another previously unseen Honkai entity.
Sakura recalled that intelligence, although the interference might be too widespread. It could be a Fire Moth equipment malfunction or another Honkai entity acting independently.
"If they are together, why would it watch Śeṣa self-destruct?"
"Don't analyze these monsters with human emotions. They don't have camaraderie. We must be prepared for anything." Ryan adjusted his cracked glasses. This wasn't intuition but analysis of existing information, a god-like perspective:
If Śeṣa is intelligent, it wouldn't engage in single combat with me; self-destructing means losing a massive amount of energy—a losing proposition. For a rational, intelligent creature, this is illogical.
Second, its escape was too obvious, without any concealment. Something's wrong, definitely wrong.
'Playing tactics with me? Your heart isn't dark enough.'
Ryan stared at the dark tunnel entrance, falling silent. Sakura didn't urge him, only keeping her blade poised.
She knew he wasn't reckless; his heart was darker than anyone's.
Lower-level Honkai Beasts are merely scouts; my powers would have revealed my presence. It didn't escape for a full day, choosing to fight me directly—contradicting the second hypothesis.
If it couldn't win, why not flee? If two Honkai entities were nearby, why not seek mutual support? These purely rational creatures wouldn't act out of spite.
After a few seconds, Ryan looked up, stating with certainty:
"It wants to kill me, or perhaps it's luring me."
"What?"
"I said it wants to kill me. Using Śeṣa's ability to mask its presence, it didn't need a sneak attack; even if it failed, it could have escaped. Why stay?"
"Um… but it couldn't defeat you. If it had an accomplice, why not ambush you on the island? Two against one, you wouldn't stand a chance."
Sakura was professional, instantly spotting the logical flaw. She noticed Ryan's significant energy expenditure in the battle.
"Simple. It wants to ensure my death, leaving no chance of escape." Ryan answered without hesitation, pointing to the tunnel entrance. "I don't know where this leads, but entering means I won't be able to leave."
Sakura was speechless; she would have charged in. She reluctantly said, "So, what's the plan?"
"Find a boat and anonymously notify Fire Moth. Report discovering two Honkai Beasts; the coordinates are unknown. They'll help me find out who in the destruction fleet has high Honkai energy adaptability. I need to verify a hypothesis."
"You really will? What if you're wrong? All this will be for nothing." Sakura was reluctant.
"We take risks when necessary and play it safe when needed. As long as Śeṣa remains on Earth, it can't escape; I don't need to risk it." Ryan turned decisively, without hesitation.
Many are greedy, but few can resist immediate temptation. Sakura even felt this man was somewhat anti-human, yet this decisiveness resonated with her.
A true killer, as rumored.
Sakura offered no objection or question; she followed Ryan, hurrying away.
They reached the edge of the deserted island; the storm's range was limited. Ten kilometers away, the remains of a town remained. Apart from the lightning-shattered buildings, boats were still in the harbor.
One strike, immediate retreat. The hunt isn't one-sided.
Ryan stood on the dilapidated wooden pier, looking up at the heavy storm clouds, checking the time on his terminal.
Seven AM. The sunrise was still blocked; something was wrong with the storm; its duration was excessive, not typical of Śeṣa.
'If its goal is to kill me, even with a geographical advantage, two Honkai Beasts are insufficient. What surprise is it preparing?'
At that moment, a rusty ship approached. Sakura poked her head from the pier. "Let's go. The remaining supplies should be enough to reach Shiga."
Ryan jumped onto the ship, urgently asking, "Is everything done?"
"I repaired the engine while doing that. I sent the message to Fire Moth, including Śeṣa's activity; they'll arrive soon." Sakura gripped the wheel, tossing the notebook to Ryan. "Also, I found the fleet roster in the data archives. Excluding confirmed fatalities, these are the missing personnel. I've screened for high Honkai adaptability; the number is small."
The boat moved at less than ten knots. Ryan activated his computer, scrolling through the photographs. He checked the fifth observation; the crew swept away belonged to the Far East Branch. These people were incredibly unlucky, wiped out before communication could be restored.
All Fire Moth members are tested for Honkai energy adaptability upon enlistment, influencing mission assignments. High adaptability in the navy is rare, so he skipped below Class B.
This is…?
Ryan moved the mouse, his eyes narrowing as he focused on a single photograph, recognizing a familiar face.
Ash-blonde hair cut across her forehead, obscuring her right eye; her features were somewhat youthful. Fire Moth's record showed her Honkai energy adaptability as "S-Class," with a clear note to find her remains.
Ryan stared at the somewhat familiar face, taking a deep breath.
"Lieutenant Rose."