"Boom!"
The clash between two colossal energies sent tremors and a terrifying pressure of Honkai Energy reverberating throughout the residential area on the other side of the world.
With hands clasped together, Book of Fuxi watched as his sleeves and long hair fluttered in the wind. He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
"Ah, why didn't you stop him?"
"...Mainly because I couldn't."
After several expressions flickered across Su's face, he managed to utter this response, casting a troubled glance towards the Book of Fuxi.
Although this was the internal world of the Cosmic Juggernaut and Su its master, thousands of years ago, at the same location with similar adversaries—except that Su then possessed another Divine Key alongside the Cosmic Juggernaut—facing Kevin unarmed, he was effortlessly defeated.
Now, armed with Tianhuo Jiemie, how could Su possibly stop Kevin from confronting Fu Hua?
The Book of Fuxi sighed once more, stating, "We should call for help; they can't be allowed to continue fighting like this."
Kevin, resolute and decisive, never showed any leniency towards Honkai.
As for "Fu Hua," considering the frenzied power emanating from her, it was clear she couldn't regain control on her own.
If their battle continued unchecked, the least severe outcome would likely be mutual defeat, and the possibility of one death or grievous injury wasn't far-fetched either.
Waiting for Fu Hua herself to intervene might seem like an option, but given the escalation to this point, it indicated something had likely gone awry, rendering her unable to manage the situation effectively.
The Book of Fuxi didn't want to gamble; she wished no harm upon any of the three beings before them.
Su reluctantly nodded. "Yes, at this stage, we're powerless to interfere. In that case, there's only one person we can seek help from..."
There was a single choice, and the Book of Fuxi naturally understood whom Su referred to.
"Zeke is deeply focused on his work; he'll undoubtedly be displeased with any interruptions. But never mind that, I can always gift him the stubborn blockhead as thanks later. He should find it satisfactory," the Book of Fuxi stated matter-of-factly.
Su abruptly turned, staring at the Book of Fuxi in shock.
"No way, Zeke already has a girl he likes!"
"Well, he's about to become an emperor. For an emperor, having multiple consorts isn't unusual, is it?"
"You've gone far enough with your jokes. That's enough. I'm going to call Zeke now."
With those words, Su vanished from the spot.
Once alone, the calm facade on the Book of Fuxi gradually dissolved. She bit her tiny finger, brows furrowed anxiously.
"Oh please, let nothing go wrong! I beg you!"
Su materialized in a bright and spacious reception hall.
People streamed through the square, dressed in various professional attire, approaching the reception counter. Afterward, they departed with expressions full of joy.
"???"
Considering this highly technological building and these individuals—logically speaking, wasn't the initial space Su handed over to Zeke supposed to be blank and devoid of anything?
"Zeke? Zeke, can you hear me?"
Feeling somewhat at a loss, Su resorted to the simplest method, attempting to contact Zeke by shouting aloud.
Suddenly, there was a swift exchange of spaces, as fleeting glimpses flashed past. In an instant, Su found himself in a private room, facing a smiling receptionist seated across from him.
"Hello, may I assist you with any business?"
"Uh, I'd like to see Zeke. The Herrscher of Sentience has gone berserk and is currently battling Kevin. Little Fuxi and I don't want them to get hurt, so we hope Zeke can intervene and help... Ahh! This is... Subconscious Control, a Lie-Free Zone?"
Su looked at the receptionist in surprise, his eyes widening.
Although he didn't intend to lie, and quickly realized something was amiss upon speaking, allowing him to resist if needed, this indeed was a truth-only zone. Unless one possessed exceptional expertise in the mental domain like himself, no person could utter falsehoods here.
"Your application has been received and is now being processed by the central platform. Please wait."
"Your application has been approved. Proceed for an audience with His Majesty the Emperor."
Another spatial transition occurred.
Moments later, instead of meeting Zeke, Su found himself back outside in the Cosmic Juggernaut world.
"Hmm?"
Bewildered, Su blinked.
"What happened to Zeke?"
The Book of Fuxi observed Su's perplexed expression and glanced around, noticing the absence of that reassuring figure who always instilled a sense of security.
Confused, Su scratched his face.
"I don't know either; I haven't even seen him yet."
"Should we try again?"
"Yes... Wait, seems unnecessary, he's arrived."
From the outset, Kevin's battle with "Fu Hua" escalated to its most intense phase.
Kevin held the advantage in energy and physical prowess, while "Fu Hua" excelled through her unimpaired martial skills amidst madness and unpredictable psychic attacks.
Black feathers and fiery red flames became the most striking hues on the battlefield, delivering wave after wave of heart-pounding impacts.
The grasslands had vanished, replaced by a molten, cracked landscape resembling hell itself—the most prominent scenery in the area.
"It seems you're not willing to calm down," Kevin observed calmly as he cleaved aside "Fu Hua's" flying sword and effortlessly countered her lethal strikes. His voice remained cold.
He was well aware that his presence might provoke "Fu Hua."
However, priorities must be set; relationships have their closeness and distance. Emotionally, Fu Hua and Su were more important to him. Considering the broader picture, no Herrscher could ever match the trustworthiness of old friends.
Thus, something unfortunate could happen to "Fu Hua," but neither Fu Hua nor Su should face any mishaps.
As implied by its name, the Herrscher of Sentience specializes in the consciousness domain. For Su, who focuses on mental powers, this Herrscher poses his most challenging adversary. Similarly, Fu Hua's emotional ties could make her susceptible to complications.
In this situation, Kevin is best equipped and most confident in suppressing or even eliminating the Herrscher of Sentience.
Thus, he appeared ready to intervene at any moment, despite initially being far away.
If Fu Hua's attempt at communication failed, Kevin would act. If "Fu Hua" lost control, Kevin would intervene. And if all else proved futile, it was only fitting for the most suitable individual to bring about the appropriate end for this Herrscher.
"There seems to be something wrong with your thinking. To put it bluntly, you're inclined to kill her just to protect Fu Hua's consciousness from potential threats."
A sudden voice, tinged with cold impatience, echoed through the air.
Kevin turned to see a black hole materialize behind him, from which emerged a silver-haired youth clad in a white trench coat, walking steadily forth.
"...I can handle it," Zeke replied after a brief pause.
Zeke glanced at Kevin, then shifted his blue gaze toward the shadowy figure enveloped in black mist hurtling towards them.
"Boom!"
With a swift kick, the incoming "Fu Hua" flew back even faster, splattering blood onto Zeke's gray trousers.
"That's Hua's body!"
"You really have issues, don't you? If you want to kill her, do it decisively—disable her completely. Then, there would be ways to retain Fu Hua while eliminating the Herrscher of Sentience. But if you wanted to protect her, you shouldn't have provoked her in the first place; things might have turned out better. You hesitate between protecting and killing, yet still worry about damaging Fu Hua's body? Do you think, just because she absorbed Fu Hua's millennia of martial essence, she remains as vulnerable as any ordinary Herrscher?"
Zeke relentlessly taunted him.
As for how Zeke knew the sequence of events so precisely, Kevin wasn't surprised—a genius scientist mysteriously aware of everything was a trope he had encountered many times before.
After a moment of silence, Kevin asked, "What if...it were Kiana instead?"
"...Not quite the right analogy. But fine, I admit my mood has been sour, leading me to go too far with my dismissive remarks. In any case, step aside; leave this to me."
Zeke shook his head, bypassing Kevin and walking toward "Fu Hua," who was slowly rising from where she lay at a distance.
Kevin fell silent for a moment. The flames on the Greatsword of Destruction dissipated as he withdrew from the battlefield.
As Zeke rightly pointed out, Kevin's mindset was off—unwilling to capture the Herrscher of Sentience yet reluctant to harm Fu Hua's body, continuing this fight would lead nowhere.
Rather than prolonging it and increasing risks, allowing Zeke, who remained more composed and detached, to handle the situation seemed more appropriate.