Disclaimer: 'Honkai Impact 3rd' is the property of Hoyoverse, Singapore. I do not own any characters in this story except the minor OCs here and there.
Sixth Eruption
A few minutes before the awakening of Herrscher of Death
"Seele?"
"Seele-chan?"
Kevin and Su called out Seele's name while trying to find her indigo-blue hair. However, they were unsuccessful as they hadn't seen even a single person who resembled her in any way. As they darted to the next waypoint, Su finally decided to speak his mind about what happened earlier:
"Kevin?" he called out to him and stopped running. Hearing his name being called out, Kevin also stopped. He then saw Su looking at him with a judging expression. Seeing his face, Kevin immediately understood what Su would say to him. Hence, he kept quiet and let his friend speak.
"Kevin…" Su started "… we have known each other for what... four... five... years now? I know that you have trouble accepting others' companionship because you think you will only bring them misfortune. And I can empathize with this feeling because I also as a person had... no maybe still has the problem of expressing myself to others. However…" Su spoke and stepped forward. Kevin's head jerked again as Su punched him in the face. This was the first time his so-called friend had ever done something like this to him. Yet, all he could feel was the coldness and guilt wash over him as he understood that Su was wholly justified in what he did. Seele opened up to him, and the only thing he did was hurt her.
"phew…" Su said, cutting Kevin's thoughts "You are sturdier than you look. Is your skin made of iron or something?" he then continued "Now that I have vented my anger. Let's continue to find Seele."
"Huh?" Kevin was confused.
"I know that you are a victim in this too. So instead of blaming you and doing nothing, I'm going to try to fix the mess you've made in your stupidity." He then smiled slightly "Isn't this what friends are for?"
"Yeah." Kevin said.
"But still, you will apologize to Seele-chan properly after we find her, and this time listen to what she wants to say. And Kevin…" he then looked thoughtfully at him and said "you may put emphasis on your so-called duty, but don't expect for anyone else to do the same. What we all want, what she wants is for you to be safe and happy. And this doesn't mean that she is wrong either."
"Then what should I do?" Kevin asked. He didn't know how to do what he was supposed to do without hurting others. It felt like no matter what he did, it still hurt the close ones to him in the end.
"That is something for you to figure out. This is what called being an adult means. You have to balance your responsibilities with your close ones' happiness. And the first step for that would be proper communication."
"I see." Kevin nodded in understanding. Maybe he was too quick to force his thoughts onto her. He decided that this time he will talk appropriately to her about what both of them wanted, and try to find a middle ground.
As he thought of how to apologize to his sister and make up for hurting her, his phone began ringing. Taking out his phone, he expected it to be Anne telling him that she had found Seele; but the actual number showing on the screen was totally unexpected.
"Mei?"
He pressed the accept button and put the phone to his ear. He then asked in a questioning tone:
"Mei what happened?"
"…bzzt….bzzt…. you okay? Kevin?"
There was too much static coming from the other side, making it difficult to make out what she wanted to say. Hence, he answered to what he understood she was trying to say:
"Yes, Mei I'm okay. Why did you ask that? Did you want something from me?"
"….bzzt….bzzt…. et out…. bzzt…. ruption… bzzt… bzzt…. soon…"
The static grew so much more that it was now physically impossible to hear what was being said on the other side.
"What are you saying, Mei? I cannot hear you properly."
"…bzzt…bzzt… id…bzzt… out…bzzt… xth… bzzt…. rr… bzzt… ppear…."
"Mei? Mei?" Kevin called out to her. However, the only thing he got was complete static. After trying to call out a few more times, he put his phone down. He heard Su's voice come up from behind:
"Who was that, Kevin?"
"Mei." Kevin answered absentmindedly. He didn't know for what she had called her, but he didn't care now. Finding Seele was the top priority now and he could later call her and ask what she wanted to say.
Hearing Mei's name made Su uncomfortable. She wasn't the type of person to contact them for some minor reason. According to Su, if someone could give Kevin the run for his money for their single-mindedness in fighting the Honkai, it would be Mei. Hence, he felt a sense of foreboding that something serious happened.
This was also not helped by the fact that it was starting to rain heavily. The clouds blocked the sky so much that it looked like it was night already. Su also instinctively felt something wrong in the air, but couldn't place exactly what it was.
Kevin on the other hand couldn't sense any of the foreboding omens that were popping up all around him. He didn't see the birds flying away erratically, nor the small animals trying to run away, only to end up dead suddenly. He couldn't also see the unnatural dark sky nor how the surrounding air felt suffocating. His total focus was on finding his sister.
However, the cruel reality would once again make him realize that there are no victories, only losses in this war.
Kevin's eyes went wide as he felt a very familiar sensation. It was the sensation of a Honkai energy surge; and the last time he felt was in…
South America.
He turned towards Su, his eyes widened slightly. Su seeing the expression on his best friend's face got alarmed.
"Kevin, what's wrong?"
"Brace." was the only thing Kevin said before the world went pinkish and then black. Su felt a very familiar sensation running through his body. It was scorching and then it became very cold for a moment. The last question on his mind before his consciousness was where did he feel like this before, and a single word came to his mind as the response.
Nagazora.
FIRE MOTH BASE H.Q. – 2024 (Previous era) (around the same time)
The sirens blared loudly as every personnel ran through here and there, bracing themselves for what could be the worst possible scenario relating to Honkai disasters.
Honkai eruption.
The ultimate form of a Honkai disaster that may very well claim thousands, if not millions or even billions of souls. The wounds of the last eruption were still fresh; an entire continent lost, and nearly ten per cent of the world's population gone in a single day. And it looked like the consequences of this eruption would be even higher.
However, what the people back here at H.Q. were more afraid of was what was going to be born as a result of the said eruption. The entity that plagued and haunted every person present here in one way or another—the ultimate form of Honkai, its apostles, its lawmakers.
Herrscher.
That single word made even the most veteran members of this organization anxious. Until now, they have witnessed the descent of four of these creatures, and each time humanity had only lost in the end even after defeating them. And the worst part was that this time they didn't have the one who had provided them with ways to deal with the previous ones.
This time, the eruption was going to be much more catastrophic. And nothing they do will lessen its impact.
…
Sitting on his chair in the command centre was the man who ran this mammoth organization. He rubbed his temples as the stress of this already stressful situation was getting to him. This was the first time he was facing a big challenge like this without the one who basically made it possible to fight such powerful creatures in the first place. And even though he had the A.I. developed by the same person who was tasked to deal with these exact scenarios, General Alexei Romanov knew that this time they were going to come out even worse than last.
"General." He suddenly heard his name being called out. Turning his head, he saw one of the most brilliant scientists in the organization, Kiyome Mei looking at him with concern and anxiety clearly written in her eyes.
"Yes, Dr. Mei. Were we able to get hold of Kevin?"
"Unfortunately, the line got cut off before I could warn him." Mei said while bowing her head down. She felt her eyes prickle at the corners due to the tears that were threatening to fall. She was distraught and scared about what was happening in London currently.
She had a good reason for that too. As if it was fate, the epicentre of this time's eruption was unironically the same city Kevin was in. The moment Prometheus had warned them about the threshold breaching of Honkai energy, she had run off to contact and warn him of the situation. However, when the call finally went through, it was full of static and before she could even say anything properly, it was cut off. The eruption surge happened soon afterwards marking the official beginning of what the Moths have designated the Sixth eruption.
The Prometheus had calculated the chance of Herrscher being born in London to be about 94.56 per cent. However, looking at the footage of what was happening in London currently made no doubts left that it was more likely a full 100 per cent.
Speaking of footage, all of the personnel and researchers present here were confused and amazed at what it showed. Vines thick as entire buildings and dense as a rainforest crisscrossed through the whole city. The entire landscape looked like an overgrown garden, with vines penetrating nearly every object present in the city, whether it be above ground or underground.
The vines almost looked like those giant vines in that one story about the giant and the beanstalk. Some even joked about whether someone had actually found those magical bean seeds. However, those jokes quickly died down when they saw what the situation actually was.
Close-up footages of those vines showed that they were having a red liquid running through their vascular tissues instead of water. Further close-up footages cleared what the supposed red liquid was.
Human blood.
They found a person stabbed by a protrusion from those vines. They had their blood sucked until the point that nothing but their dry carcass remained. The vines supposedly released enzymes that digested a human from the inside out so that it could be easily absorbed by those plants as a source of nutrition.
Many researchers retched and had to be excused from seeing the horrific process go on first handedly. Realizing the severity of the situation, the highest level of emergency was declared for the entire western MU continent, and the whole Seventh Regiment was dispatched to the region for immediate mitigation measures.
As the orders were being carried out and Prometheus along with Mei was trying to determine the nature of the Herrscher they were dealing with, the doors to the command room opened and poured in the people the General was expecting but did not have an idea of how to deal with.
"What happened?" was the first question asked by a woman in her late twenties with waist-length crimson hair and bright golden eyes. At her question, the General sighed and said:
"It is exactly as you have heard. We have just confirmed the site of the epicentre of the Sixth Honkai eruption."
"And that is?" a woman with her light brown hair tied in a French braid and wearing clothes like a nun asked in a despondent voice. She had already foreseen what was going to happen but wanted extremely badly it to be just a false premonition.
"London." General Alexei said without missing a beat. The reactions were various; the men in the group stiffened, while the majority of the females let out gasps as they understood the implications of what the General had said. Seeing their reaction, the General said:
"I'm aware of what you all are thinking. However, we have our duties as well. I have already dispatched his regiment to help him in any way possible. But I'm afraid, this is all the help I can give at the moment." He then turned towards the higher-ranking people among the group "Yada, Ato, Himeko, prepare for an emergency meeting of all colonels in my office in ten minutes. There I will give you your assigned parts of the world."
The authoritative tone of the General brokered no arguments. Thus, the three Colonels present there straightened themselves and saluted him before making their way to their own barracks.
"Kalpas, you heard the General, let's go."
Hearing his name being called out, Kalpas snorted as he followed his commander. However, before leaving, he turned to look at Mei and said:
"Try not to get him killed, nerd-girl."
At this, Mei nodded resolutely and returned to her discussion with the A.I. The second was to leave the crimson-haired woman. She similar to the first man called out to her subordinate:
"Elysia, let's go. We need to prepare for deployment a.s.a.p."
"But, Colonel Himeko-" Elysia tried to protest. She wanted to remain here until they ensured Kevin was well and sound. However, Himeko called out to her again:
"I will not repeat myself, Major Levedeva."
Hearing her last name being called out along with her rank made Elysia's body stiffen. She looked at her commander in disbelief, before she saw her commander's hands shaking as well. She understood that just like Kevin, they were also soldiers, and they had to do their duty if they genuinely wanted to help him.
"Yes, Colonel." Elysia said affirming her commander's order, albeit a little less enthusiastically. At this, the woman just sighed and left the command room with her subordinate in tow.
After that the third man also left, just making the woman with the French braid and a woman with lime green hair remain in the command room. Seeing the two of them, the General said:
"I know what you both are thinking, but both of you must return to your post, as your contribution will be invaluably needed."
"Do you really think I will follow what you say?" the woman with lime green hair asked challengingly. Her snake-like eyes narrowed dangerously, a clear indication of how she was currently feeling now.
"Yes." the General replied.
"Oh, how so?" however the woman didn't back down.
At this the General raised two fingers and replied "Because, first, we all know that at this point we can do nothing to help him directly; secondly, you know that the only way to help him get stronger is with your research. Research for which the materials are going to be coming in soon enough."
"!" she glared sharply at the General. The two of them kept their staring contest for a while before she turned her head and started to walk out of the command room, but not before saying:
"You are treading on very thin ice here, General Alexei."
She then turned to the girl with the French braid and said:
"Let's go, Aponia."
"Dr. Mobius." Aponia called out her name softly.
"Didn't you hear what he said? We are just wasting our time here. So, let's go. We don't have much time before the specimens start to come in, and I need your help to restrain them at that time."
The way she said the word 'specimen' made everyone present in the room shudder internally. Everybody was well aware of what Dr. Mobius was capable of when she was in a foul mood. Even Aponia was shaken a little; but having seen all of this already pan out in her vision, she just resigned to her fate and followed the woman outside the command room.
After the group had been dispersed and left the room, General Alexei sighed as he ran a hand over his face. These women's feelings for Kevin were slowly getting out of hand. At times like this, he wished that Welt is at his side. The brown-haired man would have known how to handle the situation better than him. They have yet to make contact with the Herrscher, and things were getting out of hand.
General Alexei sighed again as he felt his lifespan chip away at a faster rate. It already felt like he had aged five years in these past fifty minutes. He wondered if he will be able to make it past this eruption.
"Dr. Mei?" he called out to Mei.
"Yes, General?" Mei replied looking at him. What he said next shocked everyone present there.
"I am temporarily appointing you as the vice-operations commander. Coordinate with the different Moths troops that will be dispatched and come up with a counter offence after determining what type of Herrscher we are dealing with this time."
"But Sir, that is Dr. Welt's-"
"He is not here Dr. Mei, and our top members are either getting deployed or are going to be busy soon. Hence, I have made the decision to give you the position that he would normally have. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes, Sir." Mei replied stiffly. After doing his job, he exited the command centre and made his way to his office. He had a meeting to conduct soon.
As General Alexei walked through the now busy hallways of the headquarters, he wondered how the eruption was going to end this time.
LONDON (UNITED KINGDOMS) – 2024(Previous era) (one hour after the eruption)
"Ugh…" Su groaned as he woke up. His head pounded will a dull headache and he felt dizzy. He tried to make sense of what was happening. The last thing he remembered was seeing a pinkish-purple light shoot up in the sky followed by a shockwave of some kind. The last time he saw something like this was in…
Nagazora.
"!" he shot up quickly as he realized that his worst nightmares may be coming true. Suddenly he heard a voice near him.
"You're awake, Su?"
"Huh?" he turned his head to see his friend looking at him with the same neutral expression as he expected him to. Gone was the frantic look in his eyes, the steadiness of the Moth's strongest soldier coming back. Once, calm enough Su spoke:
"Kevin, is this…"
"Yes." Kevin replied almost instantaneously. Hearing his friend affirm the situation, Su's stomach sank. He thus asked the question that he wasn't sure wanted the answer to.
"How many?"
"Not many." Kevin said curtly, but it was enough to make Su realize the direness of the situation.
For some god-forsaken reason, there was another eruption so soon after the previous one, and this time as well, he had failed to save people. Knowing this made Su's stomach drop as he understood that no matter what he did to prevent people die from Honkai, it was all useless in the end.
"gh…" he grunted a little as he grabbed a handful of dirt in his clenched hands. He ground his teeth at the feeling of frustration and helplessness that he was facing now. As he was wallowing in self-pity, he heard Kevin say:
"Blame yourself all you want afterwards; we have a job to do now."
"Huh?" Su looked at him in disbelief. What could he possibly do anymore? He had tried his hardest; given his best for four damm years. Still, when the time came, the only thing he was capable of was being a useless man who could do nothing and had to be protected even to survive.
Su saw Kevin look at him with an even gaze. At this moment, he wanted to know what went on in his friend's mind, of what he felt about a useless friend like him. However, he was not able to dwell on it too much as Kevin stood up and started to walk away in a particular direction.
"Where are you going, Kevin?" Su asked in trepidation. He had a good idea of where his friend was going, but he still wanted him to say to confirm it.
"You know." Kevin simply replied. However, this reply was enough to send the alarm bells ringing in his head. He was well aware of what happened in the Fifth eruption, and he wanted to prevent that from happening if he could.
"You don't have your weapons, nor your equipment, so with what are you planning to fight it?"
"…"
"Kevin?" Su pressed.
"I will fight it with my bare hands if I have to. You very well know what will happen if I leave it alone." Kevin said in a steady voice. However, that steady voice instead of reassuring Su, terrified him.
"Kevin, you…" Su stopped saying what he wanted to say; because if he did, then his worst fears about his friend's mental health may come true.
"AAgghhhhh…" a sound interrupted their thoughts as they turned and saw a man walking towards them. For an average person, it would seem that the man was coming towards them for help, but Kevin knew better. Su felt a gust of air brush his left cheek as something whizzed past him. Before he could see what it was, there was a long metallic rod impaled in the head of the man who was coming towards them. the man fell down with a thud, still twitching from the aftershock of his sudden death.
"Kevin, what are you-"
"They are not alive, Su." Kevin cut Su off. Only then Su saw what was really happening. The man who was supposed to be dead started to twitch again and get up while making a gargling sound. That was when Su finally noticed the person's abnormally chalk-like white body, as well as the purplish lines running through them.
That man was already a Honkai zombie.
"Kh." Su gritted his teeth again as he berated himself. What was he expecting in the epicentre of a Honkai eruption? Finally making up his mind, he turned to Kevin and said:
"Let's go, Kevin. You fend off those monsters, while I guide us to the nearest government building that I can find."
Kevin however didn't reply to his words. Su turned his head around to see his friend still looking in the same direction he was in earlier. There was no doubt in Su's mind that Kevin was ready to go and fight the thing that is present there. However, he also knew that without his weapons and equipment, it was akin to suicide. He thus, wracked his brain to say something to pull his friend off this suicidal thought. That was when he realized something.
"Kevin, are you going to leave Seele alone."
The effect was instantaneous, as his friend finally turned around to see him. Seeing his chance, he continued:
"We have yet to find her. After we reach the nearest government building, we have to start searching for her again. This is a dangerous situation now, and I'm not sure how much longer she could be safe from those monsters."
Kevin didn't reply to him and just continued to look in the same direction as earlier. After a few moments, Su saw his friend's tense shoulders relax a little and him taking a deep breath. That was when he understood that he was successful this time.
"Okay." Kevin said as he started to walk towards the opposite direction. Seeing his friend walk, Su followed him as well. However, before they could move one step further, a familiar sound reached their ears.
"Augughughgh…"
Turning their heads, they saw more Honkai zombies approaching them. seeing this, Su said:
"Now how are we supposed to go ahead?"
"Simple." Kevin replied, stepping on a baseball bat lying on the ground. The bat flew up, and Kevin catches it in mid-air. He then swung the bat to the side, like how he usually does with the Surtr. Then before Su could say anything, he sprung into the horde of oncoming zombies. Once he reached the corrupted crowd, he swung the bat like how a baseball player would do; but this time, instead of hitting a ball, crimson flames spewed from the bat, incinerating the zombies into ashes in an instant.
Su was shocked yet again beyond words. He thought that the flames that he sees when Kevin uses his weapon were from the weapon itself. However, not only his friend was able to produce flames out of seemingly nowhere, the flames were powerful enough to burn Honkai zombies to ashes. Even though they were not as powerful as the ones that he produced when he uses his sword, it was still nothing to scoff at.
"Su." Kevin called out his name. hearing his name being called out suddenly made Su come out of his introspection, as he stuttered a little:
"W-What is it?"
"I said, lead the way."
"O-oh, right." Su said, as he opened the map of London that he was carrying with him. Professor Kruithof had given him this map considering that it was the first time that he had visited such a massive metropolis like London. Who would have thought that it would come in handy like this?
'Professor Kruithof, Professor Fall. I hope they're fine.' Su thought. Even though the chances were low, but if someone knew how to handle themselves in a situation like this, it would be those two, who knew what the hazards of Honkai radiation actually were. Pushing these thoughts aside, he peered over the map and tried to look to the nearest government building they could find.
"Hmm. The nearest government building is the Ministry of Defense. How convenient. Maybe we can use the communication equipment there to contact the Moths."
"Then that is where we will go." Kevin replied as he swatted another Honkai zombie away. Suddenly they heard an abnormal roar. Hearing it Kevin said:
"The Honkai beasts are starting to get spawned. We have to move fast. Let's go, Su."
"Yeah." Su affirmed as they started to make their way towards the building that they have decided on.
OUTSKIRTS OF CROWLEY (AROUND 50 Km AWAY FROM LONDON) – 2024 (Previous era) (Around the same time)
"Is everyone present here, Lieutenant Mannings, Lieutenant Elkar, Lieutenant Hua?"
"Sir!" all the lieutenants of the Seventh Regiment affirmed in unison. At this, the second in command of the Regiment Roberts nodded and started the on-field briefing.
"Today at 1340 hours, the Honkai sensors in the west Mu region detected a strong energy fluctuation reading. Shortly after, we have reports of an explosion of some kind going off in the city of London. Eyewitness reports have reported a strange pink-purplish light shooting in the sky accompanying the said blast. Furthermore, the Honkai readings have stayed at abnormally high values ever since."
"…" everybody present there was silent as they exactly knew what had happened. Nobody expected an eruption to happen so shortly after the previous one, but it was what it was.
"Reports also have suggested a big vine-like plant sprouting from the ground and covering the entire city. From the multiple visuals we have taken from the drones, the researchers at Moths have concluded that those vines are carnivorous. They impale humans and suck all their organic matter to further their own growth."
Sounds of disbelief could be heard among the soldiers. These kinds of things only tend to happen in movies, but here they were in an actual life-and-death situation with a flesh-eating plant of all things.
"Based on these observations, the brass back at H.Q. have postulated that the Herrscher this time may have powers related to plants and biological fluids. Hence, extreme caution must be taken when engaging the said vines when we enter the city." He then continued:
"Lieutenant Mannings, you will take charge of wiping the Honkai creatures in the eastern sector of the city. Lieutenant Elkar, you will take the Western half."
"Sir!"
"I will take the southern part of the city. Lieutenant Hua, you take the Northern part of the city."
"Sir!" Hua saluted as she acknowledged her orders. Once, they finished up, Major Roberts gave the order:
"This concludes the field briefing then. Be aware when fighting those plants, and minimize casualties as much as you can. We will depart in ten minutes, so make your preparations by then, Dismissed!"
All the soldiers present there dispersed to prepare themselves. As Hua was about to do the same, she felt a hand land on her shoulder. Jerking her head back, she saw Roberts looking at her with a grave expression.
"Hua, I have something more to say to you."
"Huh?" Hua replied confused. At this Roberts continued:
"Before the communications were cut off completely, Dr. Mei was able to make contact with the commander. Tracking the connection data, we have concluded that there is a strong possibility that the commander is somewhere in the Mayfair district. And since you are being posted in that portion of the city. There is some additional cargo that you will have to carry with you. Come pick them up when you are about to leave."
Hua was shocked. She never knew that Dr. Mei was able to contact the commander before the eruption. But since now that they knew where he could possibly be, she just had to find him; and then they could bring this disaster to an end soon.
"Understood." Hua acknowledged. Roberts nodded in reply and let go of her shoulder. Being given permission to leave, Hua made her way to her squad to prepare herself for yet another crisis which she knew was going to leave many scars on many people.
At that time, she didn't know how deep they were going to be for some of them.
Half an hour later
The rattling of the transport craft made for a less-than-ideal mode of transportation. Added to the fact that the crafts had to navigate through the out-of-control weather, flying Honkai beasts and those vines which were targeting them constantly, the only thing preventing everyone on board from bumping around here and there were the harnesses they wore.
"Ouch…" complained one of the newest members of the Seventh Regiment, Kosma Caliadis. This was his official first eruption as a Moth soldier, and he understood very shortly why was it so different from regular missions. Every veteran soldier present here who was in this regiment before the Fifth eruption wore grave faces. This made Kosma feel uneasy as the tension in the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Usually, when they were deployed, the seniors would make small talk and some light jokes here and there. However, now there was a deathly silence hanging in the air, as the craft rolled from one side to another to carry them to their drop point.
Kosma looked at his unit commander also looking ahead at the horizon through the small window in the transport craft. Her face was calm and serene unlike the others, but the tense air surrounding her also spoke volumes of how serious this situation was. Suddenly he heard his name being called out. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he saw his unit commander looking at him with the serene expression she had earlier.
"Lieutenant Hua."
"It's fine to be a little bit less formal with me. I'm just a few years older than you anyways. Furthermore, what you call me here doesn't matter as much as what you do here."
"O-Okay then Hua-san." He was quiet for a while before asking, "Am… am I going to die here, Hua-san?"
At this Hua contemplated and said:
"Honestly, I cannot give you a definitive answer. Surviving through an eruption requires equal parts luck as it requires strength and skill. I have seen so many of my comrades who joined me, who were more skilled than me being a soldier die in the last two eruptions. Then there was our previous Colonel, who sacrificed himself to defeat the Fifth Herrscher."
Hearing this, Kosma bowed his head. That was when he felt a hand land on the top of his head.
"However…" he saw Hua continue with a gentle tone "… as long as you are in my unit, I will do everything in my power to protect you. But I also require you to watch for my back when we are on the battlefield. So, what do you say, Kosma, can I depend on you to have my back?"
"Yes, Hua-san!" Kosma stiffened as he put a hand to his chest, to where his heart was "You can fully depend on me. I will not shame you, or our commander. I will give my best, and make sure that all of us make it back from this eruption."
"Good." Hua said. She then turned to look out the window again. Soon the pilot of the aircraft spoke through the intercom:
"We will be reaching the drop point in less than five minutes. Prepare yourself for the drop."
Hearing this Hua got up from her seat and looked at her unit's men. She then took a deep breath and said:
"My fellow soldiers, this is it. Our primary mission is to locate our commander and deliver this box to him." She said pointing to the massive trunk on one side of the transport craft. Nobody questioned what was inside the box as they already knew it. They also knew that if this box arrived safely to their commander, then the chances of winning this battle will go up astronomically high.
Hua looked around to see all of her unit's men nodding their heads in determination. She felt so blessed to have such strong and honourable soldiers in her unit. Now she could understand a fraction of the responsibility Kevin-san feel every time he led the regiment, even if just a little. Thus, her determination to grow stronger to be able to support her commander and her special person grew stronger. But for now, she had to accomplish the mission she was assigned to do if she wanted to help him.
"We are at the drop point. Start jumping" the pilot's voice came through the intercom. Soon, the back door of the craft opened up to reveal the dusky sky of London. Hua then one last time looked back and gave her command:
"Follow me." And saying that she jumped off the craft. Following her, the other soldiers started to drop one by one until it was only Kosma left. He was hesitating for a few seconds until the pilot's voice fervent came back:
"Jump quickly, we don't have much time."
At this, Kosma took a deep breath to steady himself. He then inched closer to the edge of the opening. Looking down, he saw the cityscape of London far below. He once again contemplated what he was about to do. However, he put those thoughts to the back of his mind. He had promised Hua-san that he will give his best. Furthermore, he could not fail his hero at any cost. Thus, he took a deep breath and said to himself:
"Here goes nothing." And finally jumped off the craft. As he fell down, he saw the case that they were carrying also being thrown off after him. Hence, he pushed his body a little to avoid getting into the path of the falling crate. The wind whizzed past his ears as he rapidly saw the ground close on. However, he had to be patient and open up his parachute at the correct moment if he wanted to land at the precise location.
"Little more… a little more… just a little more…" he tried to calm his racing nerves to wait for the right moment.
"Now!" he shouted to himself as he pulled the pin. Soon, the parachute came out, arresting his fall. As he was yanked by the chute in mid-air, he momentarily felt his world spin around. Regaining his bearings, he held the two handles meant for directing the chute and glided over to the designated place. He didn't have much difficulty locating the place as the ones who had already landed put a green smoke on the ground, indicating where to go.
Once he was close enough, he steadied himself and cut off the parachute's strings. A few feet were between him and the ground, to which he fell with a thud; even though he wore Soulium padded clothes, he still felt his breath taken out of his lungs from the fall.
"It's okay, you are fine." Hua-san's voice came from nearby. She was telling him to take deep breaths. After a few moments, he calmed down enough to see the other soldiers looking amusedly at him. One of them finally said:
"That was a great glide. Your initiation is finally over. Welcome to the Seventh Regiment proper, newbie."
Hearing this, Kosma's ears went red. Seeing his discomfort, Hua cleared her throat. This caused everyone to shut their mouths at once. Everyone knew that she was the one to be feared the most after their commander. They all knew better than to be fooled by her youthful looks and age. Being personally trained by their Colonel, she was far above any of them regarding combat strength.
Hua stood up to check whether all of them had made it to the ground or not. To her relief, each of the 125 soldiers was present there. She also saw that the case had arrived and was prepared for transport. Thus, she turned to face her men and said:
"Okay, after the case is secured to move, we will make our way northwards. We have reports that the commander might be somewhere in the Mayfair district or the surrounding areas, so that is where we will focus on our search. Now as for confronting the Honkai beasts. Zombies can be tackled individually, as you all have enough training. The same goes for the small beasts. Anything bigger than that should be tackled in duos, and an emperor should only be taken on by a four-person squad." She then looked around and continued "Any questions?"
The soldiers were silent, indicating that they had understood her commands. Seeing that the case was now ready to be carried, she gave her order:
"Then let's move."
And with that, the squad started moving towards the north of the city, unknown of the perils that awaited them.
A CITY IN MIDDLE EAST – 2024(Previous era) (Around the same time)
"fuuu…" Sakura exhaled as she cleared her mind of all distractions to prepare for one of her signature slashes. She then moved her hand to hover lightly on the katana on her waist. She then concentrated on the sounds of the footsteps of various beasts and waited for the correct moment to strike. The beasts grew ever closer and any average soldier would have started shooting frantically out of fear, but she was anything but ordinary.
'Now.' She mentally said as her hand on the handle of the sword gripped tighter. With her other hand thumb, she slid the blade out of its scabbard and with the main hand, she continued the momentum and slashed hard. As she did, she called out the name of her attack:
"Battō: Kansakura."
The surroundings erupted in millions of slashes that shredded the Honkai beasts into nothingness. The moment she sheathed back her sword, there was a big after-slash that decimated the extra oncoming Honkai beasts. Once the blade was fully sheathed, she exhaled and opened her eyes to see her handiwork.
The entire surroundings were surrounded by a layer of frost. Sharp spikes of ice protruded from the ground, many of them piercing the now-dead Honkai beasts. As she scurried her eyes for any additional threats, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her:
"waaaaaa… Sakura nee-chan, please help meeee!"
Sakura saw a girl of around fifteen or sixteen years of age running towards him. She had a cat perched upon her shoulders who also looked terrified. Behind her was another horde of Honkai beasts. Sakura sighed as she got into a stance to kill the said beasts. However, before she could do so, another loud explosion sound caught her off guard. the Honkai beasts were suddenly engulfed in flames and spontaneously burned down to ashes. She turned her head to look in the direction to see where those flames had come from, only to see a man with silver hair and grey eyes holding out his right hand in a punch motion.
"Don't just stand there, Sakura." the man's voice was rough and filled with anger. However, Sakura knew that it was the way that he talked with everyone in the Moths. Plus, he was technically a higher-ranked officer than her in the organization, hence she decided not to antagonize him, if only for her peace of mind.
"Thank you so much for saving me Kalpas nii-chan." The girl who was chased earlier leapt to give a hug to Kalpas.
"Haaa!" Kalpas glared at her sharply causing the girl to shrink under his gaze. She ran and hid behind Sakura. Seeing this, Sakura let out a small giggle and said:
"You should be nice to your juniors, Kalpas nii-chan."
"Shut up woman." Kalpas growled. At this, Sakura smiled. She then noticed something; Kalpas was alone. Usually, he has that friend with him, what was his name? Emal, Elmie… whatever; not like she cared. The thing she was curious about was that this supposed friend was not with him. Since she had joined the Moths, she had seen both of them together so many times that she wondered sometimes if they were brothers.
Hence to state her curiosity, she asked:
"Kalpas, where is your friend? I see you alone here."
"Haaa? What friend?" Kalpas asked in his usual brusque tone.
"That one with Orangish hair. You two are usually together, so it is surprising not to see the two of you together."
"Oh him?" Kalpas snorted "That dumbass is with old man Ato for now. They are in some other country south of here."
"It seems that everyone is sort of a 'Dumbass' to you huh, Kalpas?" Sakura commented off-handedly.
"I only call people what they are." Kalpas replied. He then clicked his tongue again and said:
"I wonder what the biggest dumbass of them all doing now?"
"Oh, I never thought you would care about another?" Sakura said with a slightly teasing tone.
"I would not try to push my buttons if I were you, woman. And no, I'm not worried about him. If he dies from this, then it will be a great disappointment to me. Since he is one of the only few whom I haven't…" Kalpas said the last words unsaid. Sakura understood what he was implying, but chose to remain silent. As they continued to make small talk, suddenly they heard all of their communication devices buzz together.
"We are being run down by multiple Emperor level beasts. Any free units nearby please respond. I repeat, we are being run down by multiple Emperors, any nearby units please respond. Over."
At this, Kalpas clicked his tongue and said while pressing the button on his device:
"Useless people." He then spoke into his device "Oi, Kalpas here. Stay there and try to not die for the next freaking five minutes."
"M-Major Kalpas. Thank you for answering our call. We will try our best to hold the line until you arrive. Over and out."
"Tch… damm stupid asses." Kalpas clicked his tongue again as he kept the device down. He then looked at both Sakura and the other girl and said:
"Let's go, woman, Kitty."
"Hey, my name is not Kitty." the girl protested.
"Huh?" Kalpas glared again. At this, the girl started shaking again in fear and replied:
"I-I mean, n-nothing wrong in s-saying it. But my p-proper name is Pardofelis."
"Whatever." Kalpas said least bothered to remember the name of someone weak like her. He then left ahead while igniting his gloves, happy at the prospect of getting to kill more Honkai beasts.
The girl now identified as Pardofelis slumped down at being dismissed like that. Truth be told, she didn't want to be here one bit. She was not a fighter like the others, not to mention she gets scared easily. She actually wasn't planning on joining the Moths in the first place. However, after the cocoon incident, she realized that she didn't have any place to return to. She was an orphan in Sundown Alley, and moreover, she was involved in the recent incidents there that may put her life in danger if she returned. As she was contemplating on where to go next, Elysia approached her and invited her to the Moths.
She had initially tried to refuse the invitation. Many of the other members were also critical of letting a non-combatant person like her join as well; however, that didn't stop Elysia from staying still at her point. The final nail in the coffin came in the form of a recommendation from Kevin himself. Once he had said how she had helped them immensely in Bucharest, all opposing voices died down. Nobody dared to refute the strongest and one of the oldest Moth soldiers. That also meant that she had to ultimately accept the proposal, as she could never go against the wishes of Ellie nee-chan and the faith that Kevin-boss had put into her.
Thus, here she was, fighting these monsters and trying her hardest to stay alive mission after mission. Through the years she had somewhat grown accustomed to people not making it, but it still pained her to no end when her friends are not with her the next day. Thankfully, the people she is closest to are still alive and well, but some of the friends she made after joining after are…
'Happy thoughts, Happy thoughts.' Pardofelis said to herself as she slapped her cheeks. She then saw Sakura starting to walk in the direction where Kalpas had disappeared to earlier.
"W-wait Sakura nee-chan, wait for meee!" Pardofelis shouted as she hurried after her. She may not be a fighter, but she could help in other ways. She was the best scouter in the entire organization. Her extraordinary senses and her 'luck' as she preferred to call it were extraordinary. She was the most efficient in tracking down surviving victims in Honkai disasters like this. She was also extremely skilled in enemy detection and finding the optimal path through the hordes of Honkai beasts. It was thanks to her that wherever she was deployed they were able to find victims quickly and provide assistance much earlier and much more efficiently than before. Her skills were starting to get so much recognition that there was a petition to make a separate special unit dedicated to reconnaissance, to be mentored by and led by none other than her. Pardofelis was sure that she was not fit to lead any unit of any kind, but seeing Kevin-boss' faith in her, she couldn't even refuse entirely.
Hence, a small part of her was thankful that this whole eruption fiasco meant the proposal would not get passed anytime soon. However, that relief was drowned by the actual happenings of the eruption. Thus, she had decided to make herself as helpful as she could, so as not to drag down the others.
Thinking this, she followed Sakura nee-chan to where the fighting occurred. She might not be a frontline fighter, but she will help however she can to the fullest of her capabilities.
She was Pardofelis, a proud member of the Moths; and she will not sully its name.
NORTH AMERICAN FEDERATION – 2024(Previous era) (around the same time)
"Take this~." said a woman with pink hair as she released a barrage of Honkai-powered arrows onto the oncoming beasts. The beasts could not dodge the near-supersonic arrows and were littered with holes like Swiss cheese. The woman looked around to see if any more beasts were present before putting down her bow and relaxing. She then complained in a pouty voice:
"Mou~, a beautiful girl such as myself shouldn't be forced to do things like this, now my clothes got all dusty."
"Hahaha…" a feminine laughing voice came from her side. Turning her head, the woman saw another woman of the same age with golden hair and emerald eyes approaching her. Once she was closer, she patted the woman on her shoulder and said:
"You knew it would get dirty anyways, so you wore your uniform for a change, and not one of those dresses you usually wear, Ellie."
"Huhum~! Of course, I did." The woman now identified as Elysia replied "It wouldn't do to get my pretty clothes dirty. Moreover, I wouldn't hear the end of it from Colonel Himeko if I wore what I usually wear to fight Honkai beasts."
"Of course, you wouldn't." another voice cut through the air. Both women turning their heads saw their commander approaching them. She had a great sword in her hand which was spewing bright orange flames. This was the newest model of the Honkai-powered bladed weapon series: KNIGHT. It didn't have the powerful explosive nature like the Surtr, but was more versatile and geared towards the average soldier. This meant that this sword could be used as a general-purpose weapon by the Moths member. The sword also had a general affinity with all the different types of elements, which meant that any soldier could comfortably wield it while using the element they were most comfortable with. Hence, it was immensely popular among the new recruits who wanted to be like the famed 'Godslayer'.
"Colonel, are you already finished?" Elysia asked.
"Yes, the beasts are taken care of and the evacuation and relief operations are in full swing. How about your assigned areas, Elysia, Dystopia?"
"Same as your mam. All the beasts were taken care of, and Sara is taking charge of the relief operations." the woman named Dystopia replied
"Everything is a-okay here. You don't have to worry about anything as long as a beautiful girl like me~." Elysia said winking and smiling her usual smile.
"Geez, you and your confidence. I suppose that everything is under control then." Himeko sighed and shook her head. She then continued "Then let's proceed to the next area. We have reports of several emperor beasts, and quite possibly a judgement class beast too."
Hearing the word 'Judgement class' made both of the women stiffen. A Judgement-class beast was the worst thing they could face after a Herrscher. They were extremely strong and often depicted the powers of the Herrscher they were born alongside with.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew past them, and leaves flew in the air. Both Himeko and Dystopia covered their face to protect themselves while Elysia stood there with her eyes widened. After the gust of wind passed, both Himeko and Dystopia slowly opened their eyes to see their comrade and friend looking at the Horizon. She was extremely still, like a mountain. This was the first time that they have her so still and unmoving. She was always full of energy and life that it almost felt like it was not her. Getting concerned for her nothing short of sister, dystopia reached out while calling her name:
"Ellie?"
No answer.
"Ellie?"
Still no answer.
"ELLIE!?" she shouted her name while holding her friend's shoulder. A shiver ran through Elysia's body as she turned back quickly. Seeing her face, dystopia took a step back. She looked so… so… so pale.
She had never seen Elysia like this before. Her face was extremely white and her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. Soon, composing herself, Dystopia gently held Elysia's shoulder again as she asked in a gentle tone:
"Ellie, is everything all right?"
"H-Huh?" Elysia stuttered suddenly breaking from her trance. She saw her best friend looking her with furrowed eyebrows.
"I said, are you okay?"
"Y-yeah. Sorry for worrying you. I'm fine, see." Elysia twirled, skipping on her legs. However, Dystopia could still see the tension in her smile but chose not to comment on it as she didn't want to pressurize Ellie into sharing something that she felt uncomfortable sharing.
"Elysia, is something wrong?" this time it was Himeko who asked the question. She had seen how Dystopia reacted when Elysia faced her. Additionally, she could see Elysia's somewhat pale face, and this made her concerned.
"As I have said to Dystopia-chan earlier, it's nothing Colonel. You both get worried about small things"
"It's only natural to feel concerned about your comrade and your underling like that." Himeko replied sincerely.
"Kyaa~ that was so unfair, Himeko-san. Now, I know why did Yada-san fell for you~." Elysia teased.
"Geez…" Himeko sighed "… it seems like you are really fine if you have that much energy teasing me. Well then, let's move to the next area."
"Yes, Colonel."
"Haaai~."
Hearing her two Majors' confirmation, Himeko started to walk out of the area. Dystopia followed her. However, Elysia stood there, her face again scrunched in anxiety.
"What was that?" she said to no one in particular. Just now when the wind blew, she felt a premonition of ill omen. She felt as if something extremely bad was going to happen, something that will change things drastically from how there were before. However, she was an ocean away from the place where the decisive battle was going to happen. For now, she could just put her faith in the ones present there and the ones back at the H.Q.
Suddenly, a flower petal flew towards her face. Catching it, she put it to her lips and said her prayer:
"Please… please be safe Моя любовь. Please return to me when all is said and done. I am waiting for you."
She then let the petal fly away in the soft breeze that followed. Back in the orphanage in Vladivostok, Mother Celia had told them of this folklore that if you say your thoughts to a passing flower petal, it will carry it to the one whom you wanted it to reach. And now she desperately wished that her prayer will reach the one she loves and keep him safe.
As the petal finally vanished out of sight, she turned back to catch up to her commander and her friend.
NEAR THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE (LONDON – UNITED KINGDOM) – 2024 (Previous era) (around same time)
"Hmm?" Kevin looked questioningly at the sky. This brief moment of oversight allowed a chariot to slip past and charge towards him.
"Kevin, look out." Su warned him. However, his warning was not needed, as after just taking a few steps, the Honkai beast was burned away by the flames from the baseball bat. After burning the beast away, he turned to look at Su who just shook his head and said:
"I keep forgetting that you are the strongest Moth soldier. That warning wasn't really necessary was it."
"No." Kevin replied without hesitation "…still I'm grateful for the help nonetheless."
"Oh pshhh…" Su just snorted lightly. He then asked: "But what happened Kevin? One moment you were swinging the bat, the next you were still like a statue and looking towards the sky."
"Nothing." Kevin brushed away the question as usual.
"Fine." Su said relenting. He knew it was useless to ask if something was wrong with his friend, as no matter who, they will only receive one answer. Aprtly the reason they were searching for Seele now.
"Auguguhh…" another Zombie got engulfed in flames and turned into ashes. after making sure that the coast was clear, Kevin turned to Su and asked:
"How much further?"
"We take a left down the street and the ministry building should be right ahead of us."
"Let's go then." Kevin replied and started sprinting. As usual various honkai beasts sprung between him and the said corner, but he dispatched them with ease with a single swing of his baseball bat. Su followed his friend to the best of his capabilities; however, his compared to his friend, his physical strength was limited.
Nevertheless, they made it to the corner and took the supposed left, and lo behold, standing before them with its impressive height and multiple flags was the centre for the entirety of United Kingdom's armed forces: the Ministry of Defense.
"Who goes there!?" a sudden shout came out from inside the building. Suddenly there were several guns pointed at the two. Kevin with his sharp senses found the places where the different soldiers were at. If he wanted he could neutralize them with minimal effort, but he knew that it would create many political problems for the Moths down the line. Thus, he let the baseball bat go and said in an even tone:
"We are here to search for any survivors. Moreover, I want to contact someone with the communication equipment earlier."
"What makes you think that you are not one of those monsters?" another voice asked. At this Su's face scrunched as he wondered if these men had gone insane. Kevin on the other hand, knew fully well what being inside an eruption could do to the psyche of an average human. Hence, this behaviour was not totally unexpected. This, however, posed a problem as he now will have to use a bit of force.
"Stop this foolishness at once." a deep and authoritative voice suddenly boomed making all the soldiers stiff. Kevin then saw a man with brown hair and brown eyes step forward. Kevin could see from the look in his eyes that he was a veteran soldier; hence could be reasoned with sensibly.
"C-Commander, it may be a trap." one of the soldiers tried to warn.
"You numbskull, those humans turned monsters are not capable of fine speech. Moreover, they do not look dead and do not have those purple markings all over their body. You guys shame me." The so-called commander berated back. He then stepped forward and said in an apologetic tone:
"I apologise for their behaviour. This is their first time seeing Honkai beasts, so they are extra vigilant." He then stretched out his had in a show of good faith.
"I understand." Kevin said taking the stretched-out hand. They both shook hands, and that was when the commander's eyes widened a little.
"You, boy. You are a soldier, aren't you?"
"…"
"Haha… no need to hide it from me. I can realize it from your grip alone. You are well-versed in the art of combat. If possible, would you tell me from which military are you?"
"…"
"I see." The man said, his eyes narrowing a little. That was when Su cut in and said:
"Tell them who you are Kevin, maybe things will go more smoothly if you basically tell them from where you belong to."
Suddenly, the commander's eyes went wide as he realized that he had heard that name somewhere.
"W-Wait, Kevin as in Kevin Kaslana, the Godslayer?"
Hearing the name 'Godslayer' caused the whole group of soldiers to break out in murmurs. Everyone present here knew who the Godslayer was. the popularity of Moths had been at an all-time high after the Fifth eruption; hence, all the remaining soldiers in the rest of the militaries were required to know at least the basics of the most advanced military organization on earth. And that included knowing the soldiers who held the top spot there.
"I believe that sometimes it's better to be more prudent Su." Kevin finally said.
"Pshhh… Whatever. You were thinking of brute-forcing your way through them anyway."
"…"
"Did someone say Godslayer?" a familiar feminine voice called out. Both Kevin and Su then saw a familiar blonde-haired maiden running towards them. once their eyes met, both Su and the maiden had the same reaction.
"Eh?"
…
The interior of the ministry building was well barricaded in the event of a Honkai beast horde trying to force their way in. Kevin followed the brown haired commander to the communications equipment, while Su and the maiden were waiting behind. After a few moments of silence, the maiden finally spoke:
"So Mr. Kevin here is…"
"Yes."
"And he didn't tell me that because…"
"Yes."
"And the reason why he isn't home most of the time is…"
"Yes."
At this, both of them became silent before a loud sigh could be heard from the blonde maiden's eyes. She then pinched her forehead and said:
"Seriously, I don't know anymore. If you look at it that way, then Mr. Kevin also has valid points as to why he isn't around most of the time. However, still I believe that he made the wrong decision with how he handled the situation."
"Well, I can't refute that, because I believe that as well. It's just that he had constantly lived a life of war, so he's not accustomed to handling situations like this. That is why when all this is over, we have to present there during the conversation."
"I see." The blonde-haired maiden mused and went quiet. She then suddenly asked:
"By the way, have you guys found her?"
"No." Su replied frowning "We were in midst of searching for her when this disaster struck. After that, we decided that looking for a government building would be the best course of action."
"I see. That is a perfectly rational course of action. It's just that I'm worried about her. The situation now is very bad, and she is still missing. And somehow I'm getting a bad feeling."
"So you too." Su mused "It's the same for me. However, for me it was from this morning itself. But still, don't worry Anne-san, Seele-chan might not look like it, but she is far more resilient than she looks. I'm sure she is fine and helping others as best as she can."
"I really hope so…" the blonde-haired maiden now identified as Anne said half-heartedly. She was unsure about what Mr. Su had said, but at this moment she knew that acting alone will cause unnecessary trouble for others. Thus, for now, she just had to believe in her best friend.
Suddenly there was a creaking sound. Coming out of the room was Kevin, his face neutral as usual. Seeing him Su asked first:
"How did it go?"
"I was able to contact my Regiment on our personal frequency. It seems that General Alexei has deployed all of them here in London. There is another thing as well…"
"What is it?" Su asked.
"One of the squads deployed here have found the intellectuals who were attending the annual medicinal conference."
"Ah" Su gasped. He then with urgency in his voice asked, "What about Professor Kruithof and Professor Fall; are they okay?"
"The team had found them, but…" Kevin's voice trailed off.
"But what Kevin?" Su asked frantically.
"…" however, Kevin remained silent.
"But WHAT Kevin!?" Su asked more forcefully this time. At this, Kevin finally replied:
"They are at the late stages of Honkai corruption."
"Wha-" Su was stunned into silence. How could this be? They both were two of the most prominent researchers in the field of Honkai sickness. They have had contact with hundreds of patients till this time. So how, were they only got infected now?
"Kevin, I have to go."
"Su…"
"I'm sorry, Kevin. But this is something that I have to see for myself. They both are my mentors, and I refuse to believe that they will succumb to Honkai infection that quickly."
At this, Kevin was silent, unsure of whether to agree to his friend's request or not. However, Su persisted:
"Please, Kevin. This is my duty as it is yours to fight the Herrscher. I have made a vow never to let someone die from Honkai sickness ever again. And what good of a doctor I would be if I ran away when the situation demanded me."
Kevin was still silent. However, the look of determination in Su's eyes finally allowed him to make his decision.
"Fine."
"Thank you so mu-"
"However, there will be a fifty-man squad along with you. Besides your safety, I will have to place some men will in case they get turned."
Su gulped at Kevin's implications but agreed to it nonetheless as he knew what his friend said was true. It was a harsh swill to swallow, but once a person gets turned, nothing can bring them back.
"I understand. But, Kevin…" Su looked challengingly into Kevin's eyes "… that is something that I will never allow to happen."
"I see." Kevin said and turned around. He fully knew how this was going to end, but let his friend experience the harsh truth by himself. Only then he will understand how important it is to purge the Honkai once and for all. He then looked at Anastasia and said:
"And as for you, you will be escorted outside the city along with all the soldiers present here. From there on, your father's personal forces will take you back to Sussex"
"But-"
"Playtime is over, Lady Anastasia Valentina Rothchester. You have a responsibility to your people by surviving and leading the country that now the entire primary royal family is gone."
"What?" everyone present there asked in shock.
"Yes, I was able to confirm it with Hua. The entirety of Buckingham Palace and large parts of Westminster Palace was destroyed by the Honkai beasts. Further, there are no possible signs of anyone's survival. So, it is safe to assume that everyone there perished. The squad dispatched there were only able to save a handful of conference participants, Professors Kruithof and Fall among them."
"God..." Su said holding his head. How did the situation turn out for the worst? Anne on the other hand, was still a statue. She couldn't believe that a day of festivity would turn onto one of the most unprecedented tragedies that their kingdom had ever seen.
Kevin on the other hand had other things to worry about. When he asked if anyone have located Seele, he only got a negative response each time. He was wondering where could she have gone to. However, his duty now came first, and he had to finish off the Herrscher if he was to protect her and the others who had survived. He looked outside to the window where he could make the silhouettes of the Moths soldiers making their way towards the Ministry building. Hua also told him that they have also brought his equipment with them. hence, he could straight go into action once they arrived.
He then looked in the direction where the vines that covered the entire city were the densest. All of the vines converged there creating a huge dome of plants with lilies growing on their branches.
He instinctively knew that it was there where he will find it. And once he did, he will burn it to the ground for daring to threaten humanity when Welt-san was not here.
What he didn't know at that time was that he was going to lose something extremely precious to him yet again.
Half an hour later
"Commander." Hua all but ran into Kevin's arms the moment she saw him. This caused a lot of people present there to burst out in murmurs and whistling.
"Damm… not even a moment too soon, Lieutenant Hua."
"As expected, she was the most worried out of all of us."
"Well, she is already a member of the pond, so I don't know what you guys were expecting."
"…" Kosma just looked at the reunion between his commander and Hua-san. He couldn't believe that a soldier like Hua-san could show such a feminine side. He chose not to comment on it, as he knew nothing would come out of it; he, however, was impressed by his commander's natural charisma and thought:
'So this is how you get popular with girls. I should note this down.' He then took out his personal notepad and started scribbling down something on it.
Su's face was not amused as he saw for what was the umpteenth time his friend's womanizing powers in action. Anne on the other had just huffed and turned her head, finding a burning pain in her chest.
"I-I really t-thought something h-happened to you." she said between hiccups "Dr. Mei tried to contact you, but then all communications went down. T-Then I was notified of w-what happened. We came here, but we c-couldn't find you a-anywhere, then Major Roberts s-suddenly contacted me saying t-that you have made contact w-with him through the c-communications equipment here." She then looked at him as small tears pooled at the corner of her eyes:
"I'm really glad you are okay. Thank you, thank you so much."
Kevin just stroked his subordinate's hair until she calmed down. After some time, she composed herself and saluted him as she said:
"Welcome, back Colonel."
"Glad to be back, Lieutenant Hua. Thank you for all the hard work when I was not there." He then continued "By the way, you said that you brought my equipment here."
"Ah, yes." Hua replied and then nodded to a soldier, who went out of the room. Soon, heavy thuds were heard, and a bunch of soldiers carrying a heavy chest came into the room. Hua then said, "Both your weapon and your battle suit are in there, commander."
Kevin nodded in response as he flicked open the chest, and true enough, they were there. He first pulled out his broadsword, the blade humming to life as he touched the handle. Small embers flickered off the blade. He then kept the broadsword aside, as he pulled out his pistols next. He once looked over them to see if they were functioning properly. Satisfied, he also put them aside, and finally pulled out the last item in the chest.
Black with blue accented battle coat greeted him. He pulled out the entire thing, as the normal soldiers whistled at the cool-looking clothes. He then turned towards the commander of the soldiers and said:
"Is there somewhere I can change?"
"Ah yes." The said commander replied "There is an empty room down the hallway. Feel free to use it."
Kevin nodded in reply and looked at Hua "This place is a good vantage point, call Roberts and have the rest of the regiment except those who are doing rescue work gather around here. We will make this as our base for our counterattack."
"Sir!" Hua saluted as she went on to give orders, while Kevin made his way to change into his battle uniform.
…
The next time Kevin entered the room, all geared up, every soldier present there was setting up things to make this place the base as he ordered. Once Hua saw him, she quickly stiffened and said while saluting:
"Welcome back, Commander Kevin. I have contacted Major Roberts. He said the teams will be coming here in another fifteen minutes."
"Hmm." He nodded and then continued "What about the search and rescue operations that are going on?"
"They are also going on in full swing, but because of the bloodsucking vines, it is very proving very difficult to extract the survivors."
"I see. So the only way to safely save them is to cut out the root of the problem."
Hearing this, the entire room went silent. The Moths soldiers and Su who knew exactly what Kevin meant, looked at him with concern, while the others were confused as to why the Moths soldiers were behaving that way.
Kevin then broke the silence by giving his orders.
"In any case, we cannot waste any more time. Hua, contact Roberts and tell him to join me with a five-man squad halfway to point zero. Also tell him to deploy a fifty-man squad along with Su to the conference survivors. The rest of them will be escorting the soldiers here and Miss. Anastasia to outside the city."
"Sir." Hua saluted and acknowledged Kevin's orders. Saying what he wanted to say, Kevin went to the place where he kept his weapons. He first picked up the APOLLO pairs and put them in the holsters. He then picked up the Surtr and placed it behind his back. The sword locked into its place with a click, and that was when he decided that he was fully ready. He then turned around and said:
"Ten people remain here. The rest of you, follow me. We will make primary contact with the Herrscher. Let's see what this one is capable of." He then looked at Kosma and said "You remain here."
"S-Sir?" Kosma was flustered that his idol had noticed him.
"This is your first eruption sortie. No need to stretch more than what you can do. Plus, I need someone who is good at coordinating to help Roberts when he comes here."
"I-I…" Kosma stuttered. At this, Kevin looked at him with his usual cold expression and said:
"I'm counting on you to keep things in order here. Can I do so?"
"SIR!" Kosma yelled while saluting rigidly. His hero had asked something from him, and he will be dammed if he lets him down. Kevin simply nodded in reply and then turned to Hua and said:
"Let's go."
"Yes." Hua said, tightening her gloves. As he was about to leave the room, two voices stopped him.
"Kevin." "Mr. Kevin."
He stopped midway, but did not look back. He then said:
"Su, if you find Seele, can you…"
"I got it, Kevin. She will be safe with me, so you will have to return safely as well."
Kevin just nodded in reply. That was when Anne spoke:
"You still owe an Apology to Seele, Mr. Kevin. I hope you haven't forgotten that."
"I know…" Kevin replied softly. At this, Anne's face softened. She then embraced him softly from behind and said:
"Hence, you have to come back to both of us safe and sound. Then we will visit my favourite place in Wales."
"…"
"Please…"
"sigh… fine," Kevin said finally relenting. He then finally turned around and said "And thank you, you have given me a lot to think about as well. Perhaps there was some truth to your words after all."
"Fufu… who do you think I am?" Anne said proudly.
"Yeah." Kevin said as he patted her head. This time, Anne didn't allow her noble pride to come in between and nuzzled into his hand. Seeing their interaction caused another bunch of murmurs to start floating around. Moths soldiers were giggling as they witnessed another potential fish getting added to the pond; while Hua lightly huffed away and turned her head.
After separating herself, Anne held her small finger and said:
"It's a Pinky promise, okay?"
Kevin decided to indulge this girl's wishes and put his gloved little finger around hers. The fabric of the glove felt cold against her skin, but she gripped it tighter anyway.
Soon afterwards, Kevin broke from the gesture as he turned back and walked out of the room without any further words. Su and Anne who were left behind looked on as he disappeared and thought the same thing.
'Don't die out there, my friend.'
'Please be safe, Kevin.'
To be continued…
Hello everyone, welcome back to 'A Warriors Destiny'.
So this chapter was primarily focused on the various happenings after the initial eruption. I wanted to get it out of the way before the Herrscher fight, as it would singly take an entire chapter.
So on this cue, the next chapter is the one which you guys all had been waiting for, the fight against the Herrscher of Death of the previous era. As I have said in the last chapter, things will only go downhill from here for Kevin until the next era.
On another note, the reactions to the previous chapter were as I expected. There were many reviews on how I should have stopped early, but let me say this: this story is not a fairy tale, where nothing bad happens. I plan to write everything that is supposed to happen as it is, without any masking. I would definitely put the appropriate warning at the start of each chapter that would contain overly dark themes, so it is up to you all to pay heed to the warnings and not read those chapters if you don't want to read something like the last chapter again.
Don't take this as a criticism from me, as I know that everyone will be curious to read the chapter after seeing that kind of warning suddenly pop up. But if you are seriously disturbed to read those kinds of content, then it is my sincere advice for you to take heed of the warnings and not read that chapter, or that part for which the warning is placed.
That is all I have to say now. As always if you like the story please leave a follow, favourite, and/or review.
Thank you for reading, until next time.