Break through the tide of Honkai Zombies, escape the carnival through the gate opposite the stage, and compose a song of the Honkai Zombies' blood…
On the starlit stage, this sentence appeared on the giant screen floating before Li Xuan and the others…
"Ugh… We have to charge through that many Honkai Zombies?!" Li Xuan glanced at the horde below the stage, their arms waving chaotically. The sheer number was enough to make someone with trypophobia faint on the spot… A subconscious chill ran up his legs, and he instinctively clenched his thighs. Wearing a skirt was so uncomfortable… Also, wasn't this supposed to be some kind of performance?!
"A song of blood… I think they mean our song of blood, right?!" Even Kiana Kaslana, who had always subscribed to the 'heaven is number one, I'm number two' philosophy, felt her confidence waver at the sight of the Honkai Zombies below. This was the largest horde she had ever encountered.
"Bronya's system calculates… the probability of a successful escape is five percent…" Bronya stated the despairing odds with a deadpan expression.
"…" Mei subconsciously reached for the katana at her waist, only to find it empty… She'd left it in the dressing room…
Begin…
As these words appeared on the screen, the horde of Honkai Zombies below erupted as if water had been thrown into boiling oil. A moment ago, they were relatively restrained; now, they were frantically swarming the stage. The Honkai Zombies who fell were trampled by those behind them, their bodies used as ladders for the charge toward the four fatally alluring humans on stage.
A large gate suddenly opened at the edge of the previously sealed plaza below—the exit…
"There's no other way! We have to break through, it's our only option!" Li Xuan shouted, a pistol—the Super Electromagnetic Hand Cannon—materializing in his right hand. If they didn't fight their way out of here, they were doomed!
"Do you all have weapons?!" Li Xuan turned and asked the Honkai Yuri Trio.
"Yep!" Kiana reached into her skirt and pulled out a pair of azure pistols, Asgard's Hammer. Why she kept guns hidden in her skirt was anyone's guess…
"…" Bronya remained silent, but a shadowy figure materialized behind her, slowly solidifying into Project Bunny 19C.
"Uh… Li Xuan, I forgot my katana…" Raiden Mei said, raising her hand sheepishly.
"Hmm…" Li Xuan paused for a moment, then retrieved a weapon from his ring. It was one he had just received from a wish—the Void Greatsword! No matter how he looked at it, the sword reminded him of one from some anime girl… Though its attack power wasn't overwhelming, it was far stronger than the Yamamoto Night Shadow Katana, and Li Xuan was quite fond of it. The Void Greatsword's blade glowed with a faint blue light, and its hilt was adorned with purple crystals that seemed to grow from within.
"Huh?!" Mei fell in love with the uniquely designed sword at first sight. But Li Xuan didn't hand it to her right away. He gently stroked the blade with his palm. What happened next made Mei's eyes widen. The already long, crystal-like blade grew slightly longer, and with a ping!, the purple crystals on the hilt shattered, transforming into glassy ribbons that floated and swirled around the handle.
Li Xuan had just converted the Honkai Crystals in his ring into Honkai energy, instantly evolving the Void Greatsword into a five-star weapon.
"Use it well!…" Li Xuan pressed the sword into the hands of the eager Mei, who immediately accepted it, unable to take her eyes off it.
"Okay! I'll do my best!" Mei said earnestly, gripping the Void Greatsword.
By now, quite a few Honkai Zombies had already climbed onto the stage.
"Alright then… everyone, let's fight for our lives!" Li Xuan shouted grimly. Even without his Xuanyuan Festive Garb, he charged toward the edge of the stage. Mei, Kiana, and the others followed close behind… Sticking together was their only chance of breaking through…
Relying on his incredible judgment, Li Xuan picked off the Honkai Zombies blocking their path with headshots from the Super Electromagnetic Hand Cannon… When any got too close, he switched weapons, storing the pistol in his ring and using the power of Knight Never Dies by Bare Hands to send the Honkai Zombies flying… Beside him, a single shot from Kiana's Asgard's Hammer could pierce through no less than five Honkai Zombies, demonstrating the full power of the seven-star Divine Weapon… Bronya's Project Bunny was like an indestructible shield, effortlessly swatting Honkai Zombies away… Mei unleashed the Hokushin Itto-ryu, the Void Greatsword cutting through Honkai Zombies like tofu. Those slain even turned into purple crystals, obstructing the ones behind them.
Soon… the four of them had cleared the stage of Honkai Zombies.
However… the horde below was still a sea of bodies. The ones they had just killed were but a drop in the ocean…
"Ah…" Kiana suddenly cried out, raising Asgard's Hammer and firing at her feet. A thunderous bullet easily tore apart the Honkai Zombie by her leg, even leaving a shallow hole in the stage.
"Kiana?! What's wrong?" Mei rushed over to Kiana, who was kneeling on the stage, clutching her calf. Crimson blood seeped through her fingers.
"I was bitten by a Honkai Zombie…" Kiana said, her face pale.
"…" This is trouble! Li Xuan looked at Kiana's calf, which was a mangled mess of flesh and blood… Although Kiana had a Stigmata and wouldn't be infected by the Honkai energy, the wound would severely limit her mobility… and they were just about to break through.
"Li Xuan, what do we do?" Mei instinctively turned to Li Xuan for help.
"…I have an idea." Time was of the essence, so Li Xuan cut to the chase. "First, have Bronya protect Kiana with Project Bunny…"
"Bronya…" Mei looked toward Bronya Zaychik. Despite usually being at odds with Kiana, Bronya agreed without hesitation.
"Kiana, take this." A guitar appeared in Li Xuan's hands. It was the five-star Divine Weapon, Diva's Guitar. "Later, when we're down there, just point the neck of the guitar at the Honkai Zombie horde and strum. Something amazing will happen!" Li Xuan said to Kiana, forcing a smile.
Li Xuan turned away, two grenades appearing in his hands…
Boom! Boom!
The two grenades landed in the dense crowd of Honkai Zombies and exploded violently. The shockwave sent the surrounding Honkai Zombies flying, and flames engulfed their bodies, carving a path made of their corpses.
"Go, now!" Li Xuan led the charge, leaping off the stage. He fired his Super Electromagnetic Hand Cannon relentlessly at any Honkai Zombie that tried to get close. Mei swung the Void Greatsword, cutting down one after another.
"Kiana, shoot!" Li Xuan turned and yelled to Kiana, who was half-lying in the arms of Project Bunny 19C.
"Okay!" Kiana, her face pale, nodded firmly. She aimed the Diva's Guitar at the approaching Honkai Zombies. As she strummed the strings, bullet-like beams of light shot from the top of the guitar's neck, piercing through the Honkai Zombies' bodies.
At the same time, a cheerful melody resonated from the bottom of Kiana's heart, music that seemed to spring from her very soul.
The deep wound on Kiana's calf began to heal at an astonishing rate. Her muscles writhed, and a white light enveloped the injury. In just ten seconds, only a faint pink mark remained.
"Li Xuan! My leg is healed!" Kiana's energetic voice reached Li Xuan's ears.
"Is it?! Then let's break through!" Li Xuan smiled slightly. They were getting closer and closer to the exit, less than thirty meters away.
Li Xuan kicked away a Honkai Zombie that had just gotten close. His medium-length black hair swayed, and the hem of his black pleated skirt lifted with his long leg, revealing what was underneath… a pair of boy-shorts.
(End of Chapter)