"Did it hurt just now?"
A platform made of worker bees formed beneath their feet, carrying Sigurd and Kiana as they flew towards Changkong City.
In the silence, Kiana suddenly turned her head and asked.
Sigurd had just finished a round of intelligence gathering and bee swarm deployment.
He looked up and responded calmly, "A little."
"I'm sorry. I'll try to master the powers of the Herrscher of the Void as soon as possible. Next time, you won't have to do it that way."
"Do your best, but don't push yourself. Safety is the most important thing."
"Mm."
Kiana nodded, biting her lip.
After a moment of hesitation, she slowly reached out and held Sigurd's hand.
Sigurd, who appeared quite indifferent due to his deep concentration, was taken aback for a moment.
"You..."
"My heart aches," Kiana said decisively and directly.
Sigurd was silent for a long while, not shaking off the soft hand in his.
He merely scolded her in a matter-of-fact tone, "Don't think about irrelevant things at a critical moment. Focus on the task at hand."
"Yes," Kiana replied, blinking.
She said it but had no intention of letting go.
She knew things were serious and was deeply worried about her friends' safety, but that didn't stop her from feeling pain and concern for Sigurd.
Sigurd said nothing more, only silently gazing into the distance and gently squeezing Kiana's small hand.
They had held hands many times before.
On the contrary, such intimacy was practically commonplace.
However, before Kiana's confession, holding hands had no special meaning to Sigurd beyond feeling pleasant.
But now, holding this soft warmth in his hand made him feel particularly at ease, even knowing the situation was grim.
…
In Changkong City, the roars and destruction caused by massive white beasts were constant.
The city, once bustling with lights throughout the night, could no longer fend off the darkness, enveloping everything in a terrifying atmosphere.
Thousands of Titan mechs and Valkyries were fighting in tandem against what seemed like an endless horde of Honkai Beasts across numerous battlefields.
Meanwhile, more Anti-Entropy combat units were active in every corner of the city, using various rescue equipment to continuously evacuate civilians to nearby shelters.
At each of the city's four corners, towering "Moonlight Throne" devices continuously converted dense Honkai energy into electricity, providing powerful firepower to countless stationary weapons scattered around, relentlessly mowing down Honkai Beasts and Honkai Zombies, significantly protecting the nearby civilians.
"Ah! It's a Honkai Beast! Save me!"
"Dad, Mom, where are you? Waaaah…"
"Damn it! We pay so much in taxes, why is the rescue so slow at a critical time!?"
"The shelter... The shelter is over there! Just a bit more, hurry up…"
In every corner of the city, the chaos of humanity played out.
Some civilians complained about the inadequate rescue efforts from the two organizations, while others lamented why this disaster had to strike their nation, their city.
But most people focused entirely on escaping; survival was the only thing that mattered now.
It was at this moment that Welt stepped into the city.
When the First Herrscher, Supreme Leader of Anti-Entropy, Iron Will, the Saint Walking Among Us, the Human Arsenal—Welt Yang—arrived, the weapons and equipment on the human side received an upgrade and enhancement.
Firepower multiplied, and countless cannons materialized in the corners.
The highest form of Herrscher power usage has always been simple and practical.
Welt didn't need to conjure up any flashy advanced technology.
Simply enhancing and replenishing the city's equipment firepower changed the chaotic situation in an instant.
Seventy percent of the rampaging Honkai Beasts and Honkai Zombies were wiped out in the blink of an eye.
With the regained advantage, the human armed forces began to effectively rescue civilians, and the casualty rate quickly dropped to nearly zero.
In such a large-scale chaotic battlefield involving countless civilians, Welt's role was significantly more impactful than individuals with overwhelming combat prowess, like Fu Hua or Durandal.
Seeing that the situation was under control, Welt finally breathed a sigh of relief.
From above, Sigurd and Kiana descended, landing in front of him.
"Who are those people?" Sigurd asked, pointing to a group of people not far away who were wearing shackles.
Welt sighed. "They're defectors, believers of the Honkai. They tried to sabotage the shelter in the previous city to guide the Honkai here... Since I didn't have anyone to escort them, I brought them along."
"Convicted of crimes against humanity under wartime special regulations, there's no need to waste human resources on them. Execute the death penalty."
With a wave of Sigurd's hand, flames ignited and completely engulfed these individuals.
They were turned to ashes before they could even let out a scream.
Welt opened his mouth but eventually shook his head.
Originally, the plan was to have a public trial and execution to serve as a deterrent, but Sigurd had a point; during critical times, it's not worth wasting time and effort on such people.
Welt relaxed his expression, looking slightly fatigued but relieved, and said, "Let it be. This situation came up suddenly; the intensity and scope of this Honkai Eruption are unprecedented. It's fortunate you could arrive in time... Any news about them?"
No matter how selfless Welt was, he was still human.
The children at headquarters had all grown up under his watchful eyes, and naturally, he cared for them more deeply.
Sigurd nodded. "We found Seele, Rozaliya, and Liliya. I'd like you to go and bring them back. Kiana must stay by my side. The concentration of Honkai energy around us is intense, and there's always a risk that the Herrscher of the Void might seize the opportunity. As for the others, I'm not at ease, especially considering Otto's involvement..."
Welt understood Sigurd's unfinished words.
Indeed, although Otto had been remarkably quiet these past years, he was still a deeply calculating schemer.
Welt didn't want to get entangled in human scheming while combating the Honkai, but one could never be too cautious with Otto.
He then glanced at Kiana, whose expression hadn't changed.
If Sigurd could discuss the Herrscher of the Void in front of her, it meant that Kiana had already understood and accepted the truth, hadn't she?
Welt smiled reassuringly and nodded. "That's exactly why I came. Leave it to me. What about Wendy?"
"Her situation is a bit more unique. I'll handle it myself."
"Alright, then let's make it quick. I'm off now."
"See you later."
Sigurd nodded.
Kiana waved goodbye and watched as Welt departed.
After he left, she frowned and asked, "What's up with Wendy?"
Sigurd took out an ornament from his person.
The soul steel-woven golden thread ball unraveled, revealing a blue gem that had significantly dimmed, lying in his palm.
He then tossed it directly into his mouth.
Crunch!
The gem was crushed and swallowed, replenishing some of Sigurd's Honkai energy.
"As you can see, the 'Gem of Desire' has lost its original power. This indicates that a Herrscher Core has emerged to replace it."
"Are you saying... Wendy… is now the Herrscher of Wind?"
"That's exactly why I brought you along. A high-intensity Honkai energy environment could cause Wendy to transform into a Herrscher. For Sirin, it's a tremendous supplement as well. We must stay vigilant."
"Got it, I'll be careful," Kiana replied, nodding seriously.
Sirin was currently sealed deep within her mind, but it wasn't an absolute guarantee.
When it comes to Herrschers, is there ever an absolute guarantee?
She wouldn't allow herself to become a burden to Sigurd at such a critical moment—absolutely not!
<+>
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Latest Chapter in Ko-Fi: Chapter 274: Infighting? A Hundredfold Payback![2]
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