Several alerts appeared in Owl's AR vision. Traffic from security systems within Coral City escalated 20%…

50%…

100%…

400%…

1000%

The information warfare expert activated several AI data scrubbers and opened a comm-link to World Serpent's internal communication hub. He shifted security and authorisation keys into place, changing from passive to cycling authentication. Jackal's ultra-paranoid information security concerns were infamous.

'Something big just happened' Owl mused.

The agent remained supine on the rooftop, fingers scrolling through whatever reports Coral City security were already beaming about.

'Immediate evacuation orders. Shutdown of non-essential manufacturing systems. Docks to no longer to receive vessels. Aircraft being redirected to Singapore or Sydney airport. Looks like this isn't some simple terrorist threat. And we certainly haven't threatened them. No point in that.'

[Connection to Yggdrasil established. Security clearance, 1… 2… 3… 4… Huathe passcode recognised. Priority Ultraviolet given]

[Jackal] – What's your status?

[Owl] – Lounging.

[Jackal] – You're in the middle of a Honkai Eruption. Try to treat this more seriously.

[Owl] – Oh. So that's why everyone is panicking. How bad is it?

[Jackal] – The Sire is sending out a squad to contain it and the Herrscher.

[Owl] – A Herrscher is here? That makes it the 5th Impact and not an Eruption, right? Do I have to stick around?

[Jackal] – That's your job, you cretin. Gather information on the Eruption, what Honkai are spawning and the zombification of the populace. This is incredible data. We haven't had one of our own at an Impact to collect data. It will help with STIGMA.

[Owl] – What's in it for me?

[Jackal] – The Sire has ordered this.

[Owl] – I'm sure he has. But what's in it for me?

[Jackal] – I won't vivisect you.

[Owl] – Yeah. Yeah. Fine I'll take a look around. Don't expect me to fight.

[Jackal] – That's not your role. We have Schicksal to waste their soldiers on this battle. Durandal and Rita Rossweisse of the Immortal Blades will be on site within the next thirty minutes to contain the Honkai. Give the dogs enough to make sure they stop the Honkai from spilling out.

[Owl] – Huh. So, we're working with Schicksal now? That's new.

[Jackal] – Our people will arrive in the next hour. You will assist Raven and Magpie in locating the Herrscher. They will subdue the creature.

[Owl] – Lemme guess, I get to play with the Sceptres of DUAT.

[Jackal] – You are the one with training.

[Owl] – I was the only one bored enough to accept the offer for training.

[Jackal] - Raven will deliver them. Be. Careful. With. The. Sceptres.

[Owl] – Yeah, yeah. Got it. I'll go looking around now

[Disconnected from Yggdrasil]

Owl rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up. The air temperature was dropping rapidly. He rubbed gloved hands together. It a force of habit. So much of his body was cybernetic that he barely had any nerve receptors left to feel the cold. The only natural skin remaining was that on his head and neck. The rest was machinery and synthetic composite.

"Being a cyborg is useful," Owl observed with a yawn.

Owl ambled over the roof he had been resting on and toward the lip of the building. Right now, he was lazing about atop a hotel on the ground level of Coral City. At the lip he leaned on perimeter fence and surveyed the panic unfolding below. Security lights and holographic signs were lightning up most public thoroughfares far below. All public message services: TV, radio, Internet, AR, VR, were overridden. Coral City security were directing the mass evacuation of the city through every channel they could manage. The governing body were moving at an incredible speed and with consummate professionalism.

Jackal's information dump was quite the meal to digest. Though Owl put on airs of being lazy, lethargic and disinterested, this was anything but the truth. The operative's eyes slowly watched the panic and fear spilling out in real-time far below. But his mind was turning over the orders, options, ramifications and most importantly evacuation avenues of his own. He tapped on a few virtual icons out of boredom.

Coral City was neutral territory. Schicksal and AE both knew that stirring up too much trouble was begging for punitive financial repercussions. As such the two great powers kept their peace. The security forces of Coral City were competent enough to keep close tabs on either organisation and the myriad smaller players. World Serpent on the other hand existed beneath the attention of all but the most careful of observers. Having spent so much time in Coral City when not deployed actively, Owl had carefully sniffed out any vulnerabilities in the Coral City security system and placed monitoring software and hardware where appropriate. Even now he had a direct feed to various internal encrypted visual and communication feeds.

With each icon Owl activated a video window appeared. A Sanctuary Level Honkai beast the size of a truck was rampaging through a school district, balls of directed Honkai energy obliterating buildings and the students within. In another window a bus crashed into depot building, hungry zombies spilling out from the shattered windows and attacking nearby waiting passengers. Yet another window showed a cloud of Radical Level Honkai beasts, in tones of blue to icy black, flying over an evacuation point. The Honkai radiation started zombifying several people in the crowd. What was most interesting were the two that didn't turn into ravening zombies. Amidst their groans of pain they managed to keep some semblance of intelligence. Their hair turned ash white, bodies shimmering as their clothes were shredded and replaced with what looked like black carapace or mysterious composite armour. Weapons were drawn from Imaginary Space, vicious scythes, swords, bows and hammers. The Evolved Dead used co-ordinated tactics and strategy to attack the now cowering civilians around them. Mechanical and human security forces deployed in response. But their weapons proved mostly ineffective and few could last long under the intense exposure of Honkai radiation.

Owl closed the video feeds. He turned and leant his back against the fence circling the roof. A broad gestured summoned up a holographic representation of Coral City. All three levels, the complex internal architecture, major transportation routes, servicing and communications lines, security checkpoints and emergency services. To Owl it looked as though the mighty city of Coral, jewel of the Pacific and hope for the future of humanity, was being torn apart by the Honkai like a sand castle.

Environmental alarms activated. Even for Owl, his cybernetic implants had their own limits. The temperature had dropped from a balmy 36 C to -8 C. He wasn't concerned for now. But if the downward trajectory continued it might prove a problem.

'If we're working with Schicksal then this is good news. I can finally return the favour.'

Since Manila, Owl had been an operative of the World Serpent. That was the deal Raven had offered him. The World Serpent cadre activated more of his programs secreted about Coral City's broader security camera network. He had chosen to make Coral City his loose base of operations because the one person he actually cared about lived here.

'She saved my life once. I intend to return that favour.'

Backtracing programs located where Snow Lotus had left their base first thing that morning. They easily traced the Valkyrja squad about the city. Snow Lotus had gone on a mostly northern route. Everything was fine up until five minutes ago.

'I can finally speak to her.'

World Serpent did not exist to the wider world. Still, Owl wasn't stupid. His intelligence gathering indicated that at least some in Schicksal were aware of them. Limited to a scant few in the upper echelons. After his rescue in Manila, Owl had sought out a means to survive the Honkai erosion. World Serpent had given him a price. If he worked for them, they would save him. They would help him seek revenge on the Honkai. Against what was done to his family. His sister. But that meant turning his back on Ana. A high-level agent of a terrorist organisation could not approach the ranking officer of Schicksal for Coral City. Owl accepted World Serpent's offer without hesitation. His love for her would remain unrequited. But in the shadows, he would watch and on occasion help. Coral City would be his home where he assisted the woman who once had done everything for him.

Now with the arrival of a Herrscher, World Serpent and Schicksal were working together to stop the threat. With an official alliance Owl could finally be honest. The thought of being able to speak to her after so long left him giddy.

The 5th Honkai Impact continued to destroy the city in the background. For Owl that was just background noise. He was going to be able to meet Ana again.

…

'What.'

…..

…

Owl finally felt cold. The pit of his stomach was glacial. Swallowing, he rewound the security footage and watched the final moments of Snow Lotus squad. His fingers twitched and shivered. Not from the cold. Owl rewound and yet again watched the footage. His eyes didn't lie. In horrific slow-motion Ana slaughtered her squad and awoke as the 5th Herrscher.

'Keep calm. You can control this situation. The city is locked down. This footage is lost amidst the panic. If World Serpent knew this they would be acting differently. Sensors within the city aren't accurate enough to pin-point the exact location of the initial eruption. I can use this… I can use this all to my advantage.'

Owl's calm demeanour belied his manic actions. The previously passive hologram of Coral City lit up as routes were traced for the operative to follow. Key containment points for the Honkai were selected and highlighted. Efficient evacuation routes for the surviving populace were determined. Owl was a one-man information warfare and reconnaissance specialist. He readied a complete package to be delivered to Schicksal upon arrival. Their squads would remain in certain positions. Well away from where Ana currently hibernated. Owl re-established his connection to Yggdrasil and began pouring through the materials on Herrscher that Jackal had collated.

His eyes settled on three recent entries. Three individuals who had all become Herrscher for various reasons. One was a clone puppet of Otto's, responsible for the Honkai Eruption several months back. The second had taken into herself the Core of the 1st Herrscher. The third had been responsible for the Third Impact back in 2014. After losing her core to the 2nd Herrscher, she had recently regained her powers and become a complete Herrscher.

'Kiana Kaslana. Bronya Zaychik. Mei Raiden. They all retained their sentience and free will. Even this Kiana eventualy broke free of being a monster. Perhaps there is a possibility. I have to try. I must try. But I will need to use the Sceptres. Don't worry, Jackal. I will be very careful with them.'

Further holographic screens appeared around the rooftop. Ones with information on Durandal, Rita, the Immortal Blades, Raven, Magpie, Herrscher and more. The elite agent of World Serpent only had 30 minutes. More than enough time to prepare. Every variable was factored in. He would escape Coral City with Ana. He loved her. He owed her his life. Owl would repay that debt.

Amarant knelt before the server, multiple cables connecting it to the small computer within her suitcase. She tapped away commands on her AR keyboard at a measured pace. There was no need to rush things. They had security clearance for the next four hours. Doing a full sweep of the backup servers internal systems would take at least two. Which gave them enough time to go exploring. The records they needn't would be neatly labelled like the movies always displayed.

The room did not give anything to look at whilst Mei waited. Powerful cooling systems to keep the room at near-zero temperatures for processing efficiency. Unpainted plasma steel walls with embedded Honkai crystal alloy strips to form a Faraday and Honkai Faraday cage. LED ceiling strips for minimal lighting.

"How goes decryption and search?"

"All good. Even IT specialists make mistakes. Humans are always the weak element in the chain. We look like you're meant to be here. We have all the usual clearances. Pass all security measures. Easy enough to get them to cough up the unique key for their particular server and go from there. But like I said, this key will only work for this server."

"That's enough. Get me those financial records and I can bring down the Board."

"Just let me work my magic, dear Customer."

Mei grunted and gave the specialist her space. For as much as she could be a deadweight, Amarant was neither flaky nor incompetent when in her element. That much Mei had to acknowledge. They would find the data, wipe the digital evidence of their passage and be on a boat away from Coral 20 minutes after leaving the building. From there it was a pick-up by seaplane at the predetermined location and back to Japan. The South East Asian branch of ME Corp would be in Mei's hands within 2 weeks. Then she needed to start locating old members of Project-MEI and getting the specialist manufacturing base online.

'Mei.'

Several engineers already sat at the top of her head-hunting list. People who could be dropped straight into project roles. Familiarity with Previous Era technology would prove infinitely useful. Which meant stealing from the 'St Labs' run by Schicksal, along with AE's branch research centres and one or two World Serpent black ops bases. Who they were or what their previous affiliation was mattered not to Mei. She would recruit mass-murderers and saints if it meant the species survived. That much Mei shared with World Serpent.

'Mei.'

She just wasn't stupid enough to believe that the failures of the past would be the soil to nourish the fruit of the present.

'Mei.'

Something tickled cold ethereal fingers up Mei's spine. It rested frigid hands about her neck and began to ever so slightly squeeze. Mei clenched her hands and tried to make our what it was she sensed. Her senses whispered a warning she couldn't vocalise. Then it passed over her. The frigid air of the server room air-conditioning was a gust from Australia's Great Sandy Desert in comparison. It froze the blood in Mei's vein. A sensation so unique that Mei could not mistake it for anything else. She had felt it from only three people. Wendy, Kiana and herself.

"MEI!"

The shout broke the horrific reverie. Her hand ached. Amarant was pressing a pen deep enough into the flesh of her palm to draw blood. Judging by the amount leaking from the wound it had been in there for possibly a minute. A handkerchief was wrapped around the hand to stop any blood from spilling.

"Idiot!" Mei cursed. "You'll leave them genetic evidence to track us."

"I made sure nothing touched the floor. When you didn't respond after five minutes, I had to take drastic measures. I was worried you might collapse from hypoxia."

"What?"

"You were barely breathing. I checked your pulse. Maybe 10 beats a minute."

"How long?"

"You were quiet for the last thirty minutes so I assumed you were being polite for a change. Then my phone went off. It wasn't something we could ignore. You didn't respond and I realised you weren't right in the head."

Amarant's words triggered a flash of memories. Wendy's twisted smile as the whirlwind carried her up. Kiana's golden eyes. The children in her classroom being torn to shreds. It all felt the same. Smelt the same. Tasted the same. Mei held out a hand and drew on the barest thread of power. Enough to pull her Raikiri katana from Imaginary Space.

"Your contact was right and wrong," Mei warned in a low voice. "Otto can predict possible futures. Catch is we got a Herrscher instead of a Honkai outbreak.

Amarant checked her phone and nodded.

"I just wanted it to be a random glitch. But if you're feeling it too."

"Shit. Of all the damn times."

"That's the Will of the Honkai for you. Look I don't have the time to search through the database if there's an Impact going on outside."

Mei clucked her tongue.

"Back up the data to the laptop. We'll scour through it at a later date. With the Impact at least we don't have to worry so much about covering our tracks. Coral is going to be a tomb in an hour or two."

"What makes you say that?"

"I was a weak 3rd Herrscher and Nagazora still fell in a few hours. I had only the briefest impression of the Herrscher outside. But she's stronger than I was back then by an order of magnitude."

"What's our plans then?"

Amarant's unspoken question was plain.

"We leave as quickly as possible from the nearest effective evacuation point I prearranged. Let Schicksal deal with the Honkai. That's what they're here for. I don't work for free."

The information dealer nodded. That was all she needed. If it didn't suit their purpose then they wouldn't get involved. The local Valkyrja squad and Coral security could fight the Honkai until Schicksal reinforcements arrived.

"You focus on the server," Mei ordered. "I'll clear us a path off this level of the building. Good odds most of the employees are zombies now."

Amarant tapped in a few commands. The inner security door swung inward. Mei stepped into the cavity between the inner and outer door. The door closed behind her, the outer door swinging open and permitting egress. Outside of the faraday cage Mei could feel the Honkai radiation suffusing the air. It was at a low saturation point but slowly rising. This level would be lethal to at least a third of all people. The rest might have enough residual genomic sequences from their STIGMA to give them the barest veneer of resistance.

An angry howl came from the end of the corridor. Several people in office clothing ran toward Mei. All possessed the pallid complexion, yellowed eyes and angry rictus of zombies. In one flowing motion Mei drew her katana from scabbard vertically before and held it point forward. In such tight quarters she would lack the room to engage in broad sweeps, overhead chops or slashes. Instead she opted for quick efficient thrusts and clean disarming cuts. The zombies lacked any ability to feel pain or fear. But they could still be efficiently disabled with severed ligature and thrusts through the skull. Mei never drew on any Honkai or Herrscher energy. The zombies were dealt with using only her Hokushin Itto-ryo techniques. With Schicksal inbound shortly it would do no good to draw attention. They would have scanners to detect powerful Honkai signatures.

An arrow brushed the hair by Mei's temple from behind. She had shifted her head one centimetre to the left. An Evolved undead had stepped around a corner. The creature held a hand to one side and conjured an arrow into existence via pure Honkai energy. It notched the arrow and drew it back, the longbow flexing in response to the inhuman strength. The arrow was released, this time aimed at its target's heart. Mei twisted, readied her blade and knock the projectile away with a casual flick the wrist. The archer conjured another arrow. Its eyes glanced to the projectile clutched in one hand. When the zombie looked up again Mei had crossed several metres, her blade piercing its golden right eye, the edge protruding from the back of the skull.

Raikiri flashed briefly, lightning searing the wound and freeing the blade from the corpse. The Evolved undead dropped the floor and began to flake apart. Mei sighed and walked back to the server room door. It would take perhaps twenty minutes for Amarant to finish backing up the data. They didn't have time to waste.