From start to finish, the Cocoon pilots were left in shock. First, their missiles were interfered with, and then they saw a broken van soaring across the rift.
Before they could recover from the miraculous operation, they were completely overwhelmed by a brilliant light.
Whoosh—Boom!!
The "thing" came at several times the speed of sound, leaving no room for evasion. The ace pilot didn't even have time to make a move before he and his helicopter were engulfed in flames, turning into nothing more than a burning wreck.
Sakura watched the helicopter explode in pieces in the rearview mirror. She couldn't find the words. She knew Ryan was powerful, but to the extent that he was incomprehensible and unpredictable had far surpassed her expectations.
The "rocket" fuel had run out, and the van had risen past its highest point before falling to the other side of the pass. There, several large Honkai monsters were waiting, their massive forms ready for battle.
They didn't understand why humans fought each other, but they knew that anyone who crossed the rift would die.
"What should I do now?" Sakura asked, no longer surprised. She gripped the hilt of her knife tightly, watching the massive fist heading towards her. She quickly devised a plan in her mind—find a way to get off the van, climb the Honkai beast's arm, and with all her strength, chop off its head.
But before she could act, a red spear flew through the air, striking the fist and tearing it apart like a blender.
Forearms, elbows, shoulders—all of them disintegrated into nothingness as the spear continued its path, and then, standing triumphantly on the head of the Honkai beast, was a man.
What!?
Sakura turned her head in confusion. The driver's seat was empty, but there was a large hole melted through the windshield. The speed had been so great that she hadn't even noticed.
"I'd rather kill you. It'll make me feel more at ease."
Ryan lowered his gaze at the other giant fist raised by the Honkai beast. He bent down and delivered a punch.
Cùn jìn can break the earth.
Compared to the three-story-tall train-like creature, Ryan's fist seemed tiny, almost insignificant. Yet, as he punched, a crack appeared across the Honkai beast's head and spread throughout its body in an instant, causing it to shatter.
It wasn't killed—it was torn apart like a porcelain bottle smashed by a hammer. The beast's remains splattered across the windshield.
Dong—Dong—
The van finally landed, its tires bouncing as it skidded to a stop. Sakura gripped the handle tightly, doing her best to brace against the impact. Then, she felt the van collide with something and come to a sudden halt.
She quickly scanned the surroundings, her pupils narrowing. The Honkai beast was gone, and she felt a strange urge to draw her sword. She looked around, feeling confused, until a hand was placed on the car window.
"Sakura, time to get off the bus."
Ryan's tone was emotionless, and even his glasses remained unscathed.
"Have you solved everything?" Sakura asked as she pushed the door open with a creak. She gazed at the many dead bodies scattered around, and in the distance, the black smoke from the explosion still lingered in the sky.
"Well, you're not strong enough yet, and dealing with those things is a bit troublesome. Come with me—the guests are almost here."
Ryan didn't offer any further explanation as he turned away. Sakura stood still for a moment, her mind racing, before turning her head to watch his retreating figure. She bit her lip, conflicted.
He's truly terrifying. It's like he's enveloped in a fog, and you can't see his limits at all. Sometimes, I wonder if even Elysia could match him.
But once she found herself on the same side as him, she felt strangely at ease.
Can he be Rin's protector?
The thought flashed through Sakura's mind. Her hands were stained with blood, and she once thought that power alone could solve everything. But now, she realized that power was nothing compared to true strength.
After a brief pause, she took a step forward, her resolve much firmer this time.
Ryan wasn't concerned with what Sakura was thinking. He knew that no one person could be the savior, and the heroes who stood out in the original timeline were the best companions. Even though they ultimately failed, they still left behind brilliant legacies.
Can the fourteen Flame-Chasers do what the thirteen couldn't?
Like Sakura, Ryan had no answer. He could only take one step at a time and explore the possibilities.
"At least most of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers can offer direct help, especially combat types like Sakura."
Ryan walked to a higher vantage point, scanning the horizon. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
In the distance, he saw a dozen small black dots flying toward them. Then, where he had started his race, Vil-V was sitting cross-legged, holding her skirt up, performing what appeared to be a dramatic curtain call before running off quickly.
It was an entertaining performance, though the sight made Ryan's blood pressure spike.
"Is that person really alright?" Sakura asked, her voice laced with concern.
"I can only trust her now. If she ruins my plans... I'll—"
"You're just going to kill her?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with disbelief.
"I'll have Mobius develop a new drug to keep her mind filled with engineering research."
Are you sure that's a punishment and not a reward?
Sakura resisted the urge to complain. Spending a few days with these two had been completely different from what she had imagined.
How should I put it… it's quite interesting.
"Six helicopters and a hunting team of nearly thirty people. Is this the only number the Cocoon has?" Sakura asked, clearly curious.
"The Cocoon isn't a legion. Its members are scattered across the world. Gathering thirty people is already impressive," Ryan explained. He glanced at the bodies behind them, then added, "Of course, these people don't stand a chance against you."
Ryan was no different from the Herrscher in some respects. Before the Mantis Program's success, trying to hunt a team would have been like a dream. But he didn't boast about it.
The true issue, in the end, was the shortage of Honkai energy. While high-tech human weapons like the "Scepter of God" posed a threat, they weren't enough to defeat someone like him.
"Are you curious why I didn't just rush over and kill them all?" Ryan asked.
"Well, you definitely have the ability to do that. I guess you just want to stay as secretive as possible," Sakura said, her sharp intuition picking up on his strategy.
"Exactly. I prefer to kill under the rules, not make enemies everywhere. Plus, the Fire Moths are quite useful. I just want to keep them pure." Ryan explained, the first time he had revealed his combat goals. "I don't want them to become corrupted."
"Who is your enemy then?" Sakura asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
Ryan turned around, kicked off half of the chariot's arm, and headed into the depths of the wilderness.
"Honkai beasts are more than just Honkai beasts."
Meanwhile, in the town, helicopters circled above, and soldiers in full powered exoskeletons had already occupied the streets, searching house by house with various instruments. Regardless of whether they found anything, all living people were interrogated, drugged, then shot. The officer would leave their bodies behind.
The local police station had already informed them, and the Fire Moth branch in charge had stayed silent. This town, long overdue for destruction, would face a "Honkai" event with no survivors.
How should one put it? It was a relief.
Various high-tech instruments were used to search the entire city, but to no avail. The Cocoon clearly couldn't burrow deep into the ground, and the "default" they had obtained was time-limited.
"It seems that, just as the report said, they flew across the rift and headed into the deepest desert."
On a rooftop where Ryan had previously stood, a white-haired man in tight combat gear, with a helmet in his hands, was also looking out at the rift. His mask revealed only his scarlet eyes.
Between the town and the rift, a pile of burning wreckage sat. Investigators had already concluded that the helicopter was shot down by some kind of artillery, consistent with traces found in Montpellier. They suspected a small electromagnetic gun had been used, but the weapon was too large to be used as a tank main gun.
Who rescues people with a tank? The man pondered. This is too high-profile. And how did the tank enter the mine and eliminate the Black Mask team?
"Chief, there's something else. Judging from the traces, there are three enemies. It's possible there's a traitor among them."
"There's definitely a traitor. All the traces have been erased, but they fought at the bottom of the mine. Without a traitor, how would we locate them so accurately?" The white-haired man sneered. "Have the two things been confirmed?"
"Elysia is assisting in Shenzhou, and Dr. Ryan is working at the Fifth Research Institute."
"Is that correct?"
"We've personally confirmed it, and compared the traces with those from the Third Herrscher subjugation campaign. The similarity is very low."
The man exhaled a sigh of relief, though he still couldn't figure out who it could be. With the intelligence network of Cocoon, even monitoring every "superman" was impossible.
The world was drawn to the Honkai, and along the way to solve the disaster, help from "superheroes" was inevitable. These heroes weren't like the ones in movies—they were only slightly stronger than ordinary humans. Many times, the Fire Moths had to save them in turn, and then they ended up in prison.
"Then let's chase after them. Get the 'Scepter of God' ready. If possible, we'll eliminate the target directly once we find them."
"But this desert is strange. Last month, three investigation teams went in and disappeared without a trace. The Fire Moths haven't arrived yet, but we remember who did it."
A strong disruption from the Honkai and an unknown enemy.
"Weird? The cost of using the 'Scepter of God' is very high. This is a good excuse to cover it up." The man turned around and looked at the assassins standing silently downstairs in the small building.
Each one had blood on their hands, elite fighters selected from thousands, many with special abilities.
"Leave a small team here to guard. The rest of you prepare to board the plane. Highest annihilation equipment. The battle plan is cleansing mode—sweep this scorching wasteland."
Not only would they ensure the target's death, but they would also exterminate the indigenous people along the way. No one cared about their lives.
The rotorcraft began to land, and the Cocoon agents who were once tasked with assassination now wore heavy equipment, ready for the highest form of secrecy:
Instead of poisoning and backstabbing, it was better to blow up the entire building.
"Come with me. I'll lead the team myself this time. I hope everything goes smoothly."
The agents bowed respectfully.
"As you command, Owl."