Swords clashed fiercely, trees falling and dust billowing as a man and a skeleton soldier clashed rapidly.
Xiling dodged a beheading blow and simultaneously kicked the skeleton soldier's skull. However, the fragile skeleton remained unaffected. Instead, it reached out and grabbed Xiling's ankle and threw him to the ground. Another loud bang echoed through the forest.
The skeleton soldier raised his greatsword, intending to strike Xiling on the ground. Just then, Xiling raised his hand and shouted at him.
"Eat my rock ball!"
The rock struck the skeleton soldier as he swung his sword, but even so, the skeleton soldier suffered no damage, merely stalling for a moment. That was enough time for Xiling to run away.
The skeleton soldier's hollow eyes stared at the figure before it slowly walked away into the forest.
"How can I fight something that is immune to my attack?" Xiling clutched his head, a headache pounding in his head. Unable to slash with the all-powerful holy sword, Xiling assumed the opponent was a kind skeleton soldier. The problem was that his fists and magic knew no bounds, inflicting whatever damage he could with each blow. In the end, he still couldn't satisfy the skeleton soldier.
"I don't want to be a hero anymore. This is too hard," Xiling said, lying on a large rock, staring blankly at the sky.
This was the Hero Forest, where Xiling first traveled. He knew it was called the Hero Forest because there was a forest keeper there, but that keeper had already been buried. When Xiling completed the Hero Trial, it was Xiling who buried him.
The entire Hero Forest was devoid of any living beings or any living things. It might be called the Hero Forest, but Xiling felt it was a place of death and silence.
What was the outside world like? And why was there a skeleton soldier guarding the exit? Thinking back to the skeleton soldier, Xiling was certain it was no simple figure. But why did it appear in the Hero Forest? This was the origin of the Hero, and also their final destination. The forest keeper called the Hero Forest a land of miracles, and it was called so because of the Hero.
Hero isn't just a title.
Heroes are a race, a race of miracles.
Whenever the world is in crisis, a Hero will emerge from the Hero Forest, shouldering the responsibility of saving it.
Xiling recalled the 27 trials of the previous Brave. They weren't so much tests as they were examinations of conscience.
With each trial, Xiling assumed a different persona, experiencing a different life from that perspective, ultimately facing a single question.
Though the questions varied, they all asked Xiling if he was willing to assume the responsibilities of a Hero.
Xiling's answer was yes, and so he became a Hero, possessing his own holy sword.
Every Hero possesses a different sword.
For with the birth of a Hero comes a Holy Sword of his own. The Holy Sword was born for the hero.
Just as Xiling was lost in thought, the chat group buzzed.
On a whim, Xiling opened the chat panel, and what caught his eye was Kevin's message.
[High School Student Kevin]: The Honkai impact has arrived.
"Is it finally here?" Xiling picked up the sword beside him and stood up.
...
In the chaotic city, Kevin held Mei's hand as they dodged the dangers around them.
Kevin was both angry and happy. Angry because he had clearly told Mei to leave the city, yet she had returned. Happy because she had returned for him.
"You shouldn't have come back."
"Do I need to accompany you through a melodrama?" Mei's tone remained unfazed despite the danger she faced.
"Did you know about this all along, Kevin? Don't deny me; otherwise, you wouldn't have let me leave so soon."
"...Yes."
Just as Mei had said, he had known that the Honkai impact would come, but what good was that? What could he change? All he could do was keep those around him out of danger.
As the two walked in silence,
The ground began to shake, as if something gigantic were walking across it.
"Oh no!" Kevin muttered to himself.
At that moment, the two people in the alley saw a massive pink and white figure appear ahead.
Kevin took a deep breath, then tightened his grip on his bat. "Mei, you stay right there..."
Just as Kevin was about to tell her not to move, he'd be back soon, a portal of light suddenly opened in front of him. At that moment, a heroic figure wielding a holy sword emerged from the portal and swiftly charged towards the massive figure ahead.
"Today, I'll show you the power of my holy sword, Chariot-class Honkai Beast."
Mei blinked as she watched this. She didn't see the portal of light; she only saw Xiling suddenly appear, holding a cosplay prop, and attacking the terrifying monster.
"Oh my god, how can you run so fast!" Kevin extended his hand toward Xiling.
"Stop making noises! I want to experience this for myself."
The holy sword was unsheathed!
The sound of the swift running was immediately noticed by the Chariot-class Honkai Beast. It turned its head and immediately saw Xiling. Instinctively, the Honkai Beast attacked and destroyed Xiling.
The Chariot-class Honkai Beast spun around, intending to crush Xiling into a pulp with one kick.
"Compared to the skeleton soldier, this thing is nothing but a small fry!"
Magic power condensed within the holy sword, instantly enveloping it in pure white light.
"Watch my magic power unleash!"
The holy sword made contact with the Honkai Beast's body. The moment they made contact, the concentrated magic power was instantly released, like a sword energy that not only cut the Honkai Beast's body in two, but also the building in front of it. After completing all this, Xiling turned around with a casual expression, "How's it? Cool, right?"
Kevin generously raised his thumbs, "Cool!"
Mei nodded in agreement, "Cool, but what next?"
As Mei finished speaking, the building, split in two, collapsed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. But that wasn't the most important thing, because Xiling could already hear the sound of a dense crowd rushing towards them.
Xiling chuckled and pointed Kevin in a direction, "At least what we did before had some effect. The Fire Moths have a troop there. Needless to say, just head that way. There are the fewest monsters there. Is that okay?"
Kevin chuckled, "I'm sure it's okay. I just don't know if you're going to be okay?"
Xiling returned Kevin's question with a confident smile, "As long as I hold the Holy Sword, as a hero, there's no way I'll fall in a place like this."
"Alright, get going!"
Kevin said nothing more. He scooped up Mei, who was lost in thought, and quickly ran off into the distance. "Kevin, Xiling isn't coming with us? Isn't it dangerous to stay there?" Mei, carried on Kevin's back, asked.
Mei didn't ask Kevin about Xiling's situation; now wasn't the time to ask.
"Perhaps it's dangerous, but that's what he wants. In his words, he'll level up alone," Kevin replied, swinging his metal bat and smashing a zombie's head.
Holy Sword's Specialty: Level up by killing monsters.
Magic energy condensed within the Holy Sword. Xiling casually swung, sending countless zombies sprawling to the ground.
His strength gradually increased. Xiling could feel his strength growing, his speed increasing. He could clearly sense that he was strengthening in all aspects.
"Come on, come on! More! This isn't enough!" The Holy Sword in Xiling's hand practically transformed. Dense afterimages, wielded by magical power, tore through the city. The cries of the Honkai Beasts and zombies echoed through the city like wails.
"What the hell is going on down there?" The fighter pilots looked at the crumbling buildings below, bewildered.
They were the Fire Moths. They had received news before that Nagazora City might experience a third Honkai Impact. While most of the higher-ups didn't believe it, some took note. They were prepared for the worst, and that's why they arrived so quickly.
"Herrscher?" a red-haired woman whispered, observing the scene below.
But just then, a flash of lightning flashed.