Hearing the weapon's original name, Kiana's eyes widened.
"That's Dad's weapon! What did you do to him!"
Seeing her father's sword in Kevin's hands, Kiana's mind raced with terrible scenarios. Ignoring her burns, she kicked off, using Void powers to blink behind Kevin for a slash.
Kevin simply sidestepped and smacked her away with his blade.
"Rage clouds your judgment. You should mind your spatial fluctuations - too obvious for a sneak attack."
"Haah... haah..."
Whether heeding his advice or not, Kiana regulated her breathing before glancing at Mei and Bronya.
"Together! Defeating him comes first! Dad's tough - even if he can't win, he can escape."
Setting aside her worries, Kiana charged again as Bronya and Mei flanked Kevin.
Facing attacks from three directions, Kevin's left hand glowed with black ice crystals, forming a wall that blocked everything.
Kiana used her Void powers again - not to teleport herself, but just her sword strike. As flaming spatial distortions approached, Kevin pivoted to block, only for two more portals to appear beside him.
One unleashed world-illuminating lightning, the other a technological bombardment.
"Got you!"
The triple attack detonated at Kevin's position, the shockwave blasting all three attackers away. The Moon base's anti-collapse construction prevented total destruction, but a massive crater now marked where Kevin stood - with 1% of the Moon's surface affected.
And this was just warm-up intensity.
As Kiana thought this surely injured Kevin, a figure emerged from the smoke, dispersing it with a sword swing. Kevin stood unharmed, his clothes replaced by Honkai beast-like armor.
"Is this all? Such strength cannot overcome the Finality."
This was Stigma Awakening - specifically Honkai beasts and Herrscher Stigmata. Black patterns covered Kevin's arms as draconic horns sprouted from his forehead. He resembled the world-devouring dragon Nidhogg in human form.
"What? I thought you were a Stigma warrior! How can you enter a MANTIS form? That Hare gave us false intel!"
Seeing their attacks left no mark, Kiana was stunned.
"...You still don't understand Stigmata's true nature. Unlike MANTIS fusing with Honkai genes, Stigmata externalize them as equipment - albeit inseparable."
"Enough talk! Beating you is what matters - no holding back this time!"
Kiana's red mantle flared as a Herrscher of Flamescion, signaling her gathering power. Mei summoned her dragon companion while Bronya prepared multiple Moonlight Throne cannons.
"Then come. Show me your full strength. If you cannot defeat this form, you're unworthy of challenging the Honkai or stopping my Plan."
Admittedly, Kevin was enjoying this. Since the Previous Era, aside from the frustrating battle against the Finality, he'd never fought all-out like this - especially as a mentor testing successors.
Though the trio suffered for it, their Herrscher bodies quickly healed the wounds.
"Everyone - attack!"
Kiana led the charge again, seemingly ready to sacrifice herself for victory.
But the vanguard suffers the counterattack first. When their blades clashed, Kevin slid his hand down Kiana's sword to grab her wrist, yanking her off-balance before hurling her into Bronya.
They crashed through multiple walls before bending a solid Honkai steel pillar - testament to the impact's force.
Kiana never expected Kevin to grab her blazing sword barehanded. That thing was enhanced by multiple Herrscher authorities, including the Flamescion Herrscher's! And he just grabbed it?
Seeing Kiana launched away, Mei leapt from her dragon to slash at Kevin while the beast charged directly.
Kevin planted his sword and caught the dragon's jaws with both hands, slamming it into Mei before throwing them aside.
Then he sensed spatial distortion - his Judgment of Shamash. had vanished, reappearing in Kiana's hands.
"You think stealing my weapon grants victory? Naïve, Herrscher."
"Maybe. But you're easier to handle without it. Our strategy."
Dual-wielding boosted Kiana's confidence as she rushed Kevin for a twin-blade demonstration.
What happened next stunned her completely.
Kevin caught both blades barehanded - the Judgment of Shamash. in one hand, the Flamescion in the other.
Crack—!