"Phew—it's almost done." Bronya wiped the sweat from her brow, holding the freshly made bomb in her hand.
Boom—
A loud explosion rang out. Bronya looked at the un-detonated bomb in her hand and fell into deep thought.
"Finally, it's starting!"
As the explosion sounded, the impatient Kiana and Ryn leaped down from the balcony.
The crowd's attention was drawn away by the sound of the explosion. Kiana took down the executioner with a flying kick, while Ryn scooped up Kallen, who was kneeling on the ground, still oblivious to the situation.
As the two were about to run away with Kallen, the one-armed Arthur stood in their way.
"Get out of the way if you don't want to die! Don't stop us!" Ryn snapped at Arthur.
"No... I'm not here to stop you." Arthur shook his head, then pointed to a small path and said to the three of them:
"Take Miss Kallen and go down this path. Follow it and you'll reach the port. I've already arranged for a ship to take you out to sea."
"Old man, I didn't expect you to be a good guy!" Kiana said happily.
"Grandpa Arthur, if you let me escape, you will..." Kallen was very worried about what would happen to Grandpa Arthur. If Schicksal found out that Grandpa Arthur had let her go, he would surely be executed...
"It's fine. I'm already at this age. Even if I'm punished... I have no regrets." Arthur nodded at Ryn and then stepped aside.
"I'm sorry, about your arm..." Ryn was a bit embarrassed, but it was indeed Arthur who had tried to attack Kiana first, which is why Ryn had attacked.
"It's nothing. Go quickly, young man. Taking Miss Kallen as far away as possible is the best apology you can give me." Arthur didn't say any more, instead turning to block the pursuers for the three of them.
They hadn't taken more than a few steps when they found the crowd running towards them in a panic, and behind them...
were countless Honkai Beasts, rampaging and destroying everything in their path.
Faced with this scene, both Kallen and Arthur were utterly shocked.
Arthur cried out in disbelief, "How can there be Honkai Beasts here! There's a tight security network around the city!!"
Clap... clap... clap...
A figure emerged from the shadows, clapping. His iconic face told everyone present that he was Otto.
Otto put a hand to his forehead and said confidently, "This is, of course, my brilliant plan."
"Otto... why are you here!" Kallen said, looking at Otto in disbelief.
"My dear Kallen, I have come to welcome you. My father... tsk, the Overseer, thought his plan was foolproof. He thought that by sending all your old subordinates, the Valkyrie squad, on missions far away, no one would have enough power to save you.
But he forgot about the terrifying monsters in the cathedral's basement, the very Honkai Beasts you captured. All I had to do was unlock their shackles and use a few scapegoats to lure them out.
The chaos they create is enough to shatter all of Schicksal's forces deployed in the city. Then we can leave here openly and honorably. Come, leave with me, my Kallen."
He had saved her like a hero in her moment of despair before death. Perhaps at this moment, his impression in Kallen's heart would be enough to overwhelm the influence that fox had on her.
This moment made Otto's blood boil, compelling him to pull open his collar and expose his chest.
"How many innocent people will be hurt by what you've done!" Kallen reprimanded him furiously.
"Ah? Don't be ridiculous. The lives of all those commoners combined are not worth a single strand of your hair~ my goddess!
My Kallen, finally, no one can stop us from being together!"
Kallen got out of Ryn's arms and staggered towards Otto, step by step.
"Let's just forget about trivial things like Schicksal and Honkai, and go traveling together...
I've already arranged everything. Our next stop will be the Far East, the place you miss the most."
Watching Kallen walk towards him, Otto opened his arms. Otto thought his confession had succeeded, that Kallen was walking into his embrace.
But what answered Otto was a slap filled with Kallen's fury.
Kallen placed her hand on her chest, feeling her own pounding heart, and roared at Otto in anger:
"Don't insult me anymore, Otto!
The Kaslanas are the guardians of the people, the shield of the people. I will not abandon the people's safety and run away!
Thank you for your kindness... but your method is completely wrong. I will not go with you."
"Miss Kallen! What do you intend to do in your weakened state?" Arthur shouted with concern.
"I am going to lure away the Honkai Beasts and protect my people," Kallen answered firmly.
"So this is what Dad calls the passion of the Kaslana family? Suddenly, I feel like I have to do something too." Kiana gently touched her chest, her heart thumping loudly.
She reached out and took Ryn's hand. With Ryn around, it was like having the strength of one hundred and one people.
"Let us help too. There's strength in numbers. I'm Ryn, and she's Kiana." Ryn knew that Kiana wanted to fight, to protect the people, and he felt the same way.
Since the Honkai Beasts are already out, it wouldn't be too much for another Herrscher to come out, right?
"Thank you, Miss Kiana, Mister Ryn—!!!!"
Kallen hadn't even finished speaking before she was shocked by Ryn's actions.
"Since a riot has already broken out, let's make it even more chaotic! Now, it's time for the savior."
"First, rise!"
With one hand holding Kiana's and the other pointing towards the Honkai Beasts, Ryn extended a finger and pointed it to the sky.
In that moment, heaven and earth were rewritten.
How to describe it?
And so... and so... the light things floated upwards...
The blood splattering from people being torn apart also suspended in mid-air at Ryn's gesture, then slowly drifted towards the sky.
The ground trembled continuously, and sand and stones also floated into the air, followed by the people... the Honkai Beasts also began to float upwards... even the tears of Otto, who was crying on the ground, floated upwards.
"Next, like this."
Then Ryn turned his wrist and pointed downwards.
And so, the heavy things fell.
The Honkai Beasts struck the ground like cannonballs, smashed into a pulp. Debris from the sky fell like rain, piercing through the bodies of Honkai Beasts, and countless tons of sand, earth, and mangled flesh annihilated the Honkai Beasts.
Finally, the people slowly floated back down to the ground, landing on a flat surface paved with the remains of Honkai Beasts and stones.
"All done."
Ryn smiled and patted Kiana's head. These Honkai Beasts were no challenge for him at all.
"Wow—Ryn, you've become so powerful!"
"Of course. With Kiana in, it's like having the strength of a thousand people~"