156. [Deliverance] Kevin Fights [Savior] Kevin
"After you finish this battle, we'll go home." Xiling patted Kevin's shoulder earnestly, ignoring his slightly idiotic look, and directly opened a passage leading to another world bubble.
That was another world bubble he and [Kevin] had created together, a battlefield specifically for the two of them.
It was also the end of their journey.
Through the tunnel Xiling opened, Kevin clearly saw a figure standing at the end of his vision, seemingly gazing at him as well.
Kevin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, only pure conviction remained.
"Let's go."
He had just lifted his foot to step across the passage when a hand suddenly pulled him back.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Kevin irritably broke free from Xiling.
"What else could I ask you?" Xiling withdrew his hand, equally annoyed.
"You don't even have a weapon. What kind of savior are you?"
Just as Kevin was about to retort with, "Mind your own business," a sword was thrust in front of him.
"Take it." Xiling handed the holy sword to Kevin.
Kevin was slightly taken aback, staring at the sword before him—the holy sword belonging to a hero.
"Your sword…can someone else use it?" Kevin pointed at the holy sword.
"Why not?" Xiling smiled and shrugged, his gaze also falling on the sword in his hand.
"The holy sword was born from me, and will obey my will. However, you are not a hero." He held the sword closer to Kevin again.
"Therefore, you cannot unleash its full power, but it is still incomparably sharp and indestructible. Take it; in a way…it's like I'm fighting alongside you."
"Thank you." This time, Kevin gripped the offered holy sword without hesitation.
"Rounding it up, now I'm a hero, too."
"Anyone can be a hero, so can you." Xiling raised her fist.
"It's the final battle, don't lose too badly."
"Can't you wish me well?" Kevin complained, but also raised his fist and bumped it heavily with Xiling's. Then, he resolutely turned around.
"Let's go!"
Crossing the passage, Kevin landed steadily on the battlefield.
The passage behind him closed instantly, as if cutting off his last escape route.
High above, [Kevin] slowly opened his eyes, looking down at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure below, and nodded in satisfaction.
"You've become stronger."
"Thanks to my companions in Elysian Realm, I, like you, have become an executor of the Chimera Project." A surge of power began to flow within Kevin.
"Then, having stepped into this place, I presume you are prepared." The Heavenly Judgment, stuck in the ground, suddenly burst into flames, and [Kevin]'s hand steadily rested on the hilt.
"Of course," Kevin replied in a deep voice.
"Then there's no need for further words!"
Before [Kevin]'s words had even finished, the Cleaver of Shamash in the form of Might of An-Utu was already drawn! He hovered in the air, and the next second, the sword's edge pointed straight at the heavens! In an instant, the entire world bubble seemed to ignite, terrifying flames sweeping in all directions, and immense power erupted from his body, transforming into a pillar of light, tearing through the sky!
Witnessing this scene, Kevin took a deep breath.
This moment had finally arrived. During his time in this world, he had envisioned countless battles with his opponent, pondering numerous possibilities. Ultimately, he came to only one conclusion: Why think so much? Only unparalleled power was the final answer!
His holy sword also pointed to the sky, and Kevin's roar shook the heavens:
"I will be the rising sun!"
The power of his mind began to materialize, his will booming! A blazing sun, condensed from pure will, suddenly appeared above his head, its scorching and terrifying heat spreading wildly outwards from Kevin!
At that very moment, [Kevin] tore through the towering light barrier, descending upon the mortal realm as the [Diabolic Kevin]! Hovering in the air, the Might of An-Utu pointed at Kevin, [Kevin]'s voice like a judgment:
"Step forward!"
"Then I won't hold back!"
Kevin's figure transformed into a burning meteor, instantly bursting forth! The Holy Sword and the Might of An-Utu left dazzling afterimages in the air. In this clash, it was clear that Kevin's power was slightly inferior, but he didn't retreat a single step! Thirteen dazzling engravings suddenly lit up behind him, transforming into thirteen streams of light, and Kevin's speed and aura surged once more!
These thirteen engravings were also thirteen holy marks—engraved with their past, bearing everything they had. Now, they all transformed into power, controlled by the one who shouldered the future!
"This is everyone's power! And my power too! Feel this weight—feel it well!" Kevin roared, unleashing a powerful slash that finally forced [Kevin] back half a step! Immediately afterward, the blazing sun above his head surged violently, instantly giving birth to a second, equally scorching sun core, which crashed down with a destructive force capable of incinerating everything!
"Your power far surpasses what it once was, but… It's still not enough."
[Kevin]'s voice remained calm, but the Might of An-Utu in his hand suddenly erupted with crimson flames that tore through space! Facing the world-destroying falling sun, he merely swung his sword diagonally. A perfectly condensed line of fire flashed past, and the two suns, containing terrifying energy, were instantly sliced apart and annihilated! And he himself appeared directly in front of Kevin! The Might of An-Utu, imbued with pure destructive will, slashed down without reservation!
"Ugh—!"
Kevin's pupils constricted sharply, and his holy sword instinctively blocked it!
Clang—!!!
An unimaginable force crashed down like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down! Kevin was slammed into the scorched earth from the sky! Rocks shattered and melted, his knees caved in, the ground beneath his feet crumbling like a spiderweb! He gritted his teeth, his gums almost bleeding, his entire body groaning, his holy sword desperately resisting the blade that seemed to cleave him and the earth apart!
"Is this your limit?" [Kevin]'s icy voice came from above, the pressure undiminished.
"Your resolve is not commensurate with the weight of this power. Without a sword in your hand, the vow in your heart is nothing but a dream!"
[Kevin]'s voice suddenly rose, like a hammer of judgment striking the depths of Kevin's soul.
"For what you love, for what you protect—burn everything, now!"
"That kind of thing—do you need to tell me?!"
Kevin's roar tore through the flames! The dormant Honkai Beast ICHORs within him were ignited, boiled, and roared at this moment! It was as if countless phantoms of ancient ferocious beasts awakened and surged within his bloodline, a primal, savage, and boundless power coursing through his meridians at an unprecedented speed! This power violently collided, merged, and transformed with his own flames!
*Whoosh!*
The holy sword in his hand was now entwined with flames of destruction! The intense heat distorted space!
"I will change all of this! So—get out of my way!!!"
Kevin, who had been firmly suppressed and forced to his knees, actually used this transformative power to push himself up inch by inch, with immense difficulty yet unwavering determination! The molten ground beneath his feet collapsed and vaporized further!
Terrifying forces clashed wildly between the blades! Flames devoured and annihilated each other! Finally, in a cataclysmic impact, the two were blasted apart by the violent energy!
However, in the instant they separated!
*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The two figures transformed into streaks of fire, tearing through the sky, engaging in an extreme battle within the collapsing world bubble! Every clash of swords caused spatial tremors; every collision accelerated the world's demise! Wherever they passed, all things turned to nothingness and dust! The thirteen markings on Kevin's back shone like starlight, resonating mysteriously with the surging power within him, yet he remained oblivious.
At this moment, only one thought occupied his mind:
Defeat [him], then go home.
[Kevin], engaged in battle, remained expressionless, his face frozen, yet deep within, a profound and pure sense of satisfaction surged. He could clearly see the Chimera power undergoing a crucial evolution within Kevin; the thirteen resonating, radiant markings were adapting at an unprecedented speed.
Kevin was rapidly transforming, mastering this weight.
With this satisfaction, each strike from [Kevin] became heavier, more deadly! The power of the Diabolic Kevin was unleashed without restraint, the world-destroying flames enveloping the sword's edge!
However, no matter how terrifyingly high [Kevin]'s power became—
Kevin adapted even faster!
After only a few exchanges, Kevin had completely adapted to that immense force! The intensity of their battle instantly surged, far exceeding its initial level! At this moment, [Kevin], in his Diabolic Kevin form, unleashed his full power, each strike carrying the might to incinerate everything! But—in the direct clash of pure power, [Kevin] was actually being suppressed!
The fragile world bubble bearing their battle groaned under the strain, cracks spreading everywhere, on the verge of complete collapse! The energy storm generated by their battle even began to ripple in the Sea of Quanta!
Boom—!!
After another earth-shattering collision, the two were finally violently separated, each sliding backward!
At this moment, Kevin was covered in scorch marks and sword wounds, dripping with blood, breathing heavily, his chest heaving, sweat and blood mingling and dripping down, his hand gripping his sword, trembling slightly. Meanwhile, on the opposite side, [Kevin]'s breathing remained steady and long, as if the battle that had just shattered the world was merely a warm-up for him.
But was that really the case?
The answer was indeed yes. The number of Honkai Beasts fused into the Chimera Project was unimaginably vast, their abilities incredibly diverse, and now, all their strengths converged in one person.
Kevin should also possess this immense power. However, his understanding and mastery of Chimera power, in [Kevin's] eyes, was as immature as a toddler learning to walk. He couldn't operate it with the same exquisite and efficient precision as [Kevin] or as effortlessly as [Kevin].
So, was Kevin destined to lose?
The answer was quite the opposite.
In [Kevin]'s cold mind, the conclusion was crystal clear: his opponent had a higher chance of winning!
In his Diabolic Kevin Form, the power he could unleash had reached its limit.
While Kevin's Chimera power surged and roared within him, it was far from being fully explored. More importantly, there was the Active Honkai Reaction!
The door to a deeper, more primal power—Kevin had yet to open it!
[Kevin] knew himself too well. He knew that a single, precise strike would be enough to ignite that dormant, game-changing, raging energy.
[Kevin] took a deep breath. His sword, pointed at the heavily panting, blood-soaked Kevin, hurled the poisoned nail he had prepared long ago with a soul-piercing calmness:
"Do you want Mei… to die because of your incompetence?"
The moment the words fell, the entire dying bubble of the world seemed to be paused—deathly silence. Kevin's rapid breathing… vanished.
The next second—
"You!!!!!!!!! What—a joke—are you saying!!!!!!!!!!"
The critical point shattered! An unimaginably terrifying energy erupted from Kevin's body! A pure, blazing white pillar of light, imbued with boundless rage and a will to protect, shot skyward from beneath his feet, instantly piercing the already cracked heavens! This pillar of light seemed to be the final straw that broke the camel's back—the world bubble that carried them finally let out a mournful cry of utter collapse!
Witnessing this cataclysmic scene, [Kevin] slowly revealed an almost imperceptible smile.
He could clearly feel that the power Kevin was unleashing at this moment had already surpassed his own in his Diabolic Form! That strange and powerful energy, as intense as the sun, underwent a qualitative change after completely merging and exploding with Kevin himself!
[Kevin] no longer hesitated. His free left hand slowly reached towards the sky, torn and shattered by the pillar of light. The movement was light, yet carried a certain ancient ritualistic quality, as if he were trying to grasp the invisible threads of fate.
In an instant, the light from the shattered heavens swept down, completely enveloping him!
The blazing white pillar of light that pierced the heavens and earth was torn apart from within! The flames dissipated, revealing a completely new form within: the right wing was a steel-black dragon wing that devoured light, the left wing a wing forged from molten gold. Above its head floated a golden halo, as dazzling as the moment of creation, flowing with profound inscriptions.
Its eyes were like two burning stars, golden pupils of the sun!
Unlike [Kevin]'s previous Diabolic Kevin Form, it was called—[Deliverance]!
Almost simultaneously with [Kevin]'s transformation, the void on the other side groaned under the strain and shattered abruptly! A power capable of ending all things spread out, transforming into the purest energy stream, coiling around Kevin and solidifying—forging its body with the power of the end, igniting its core with the will to save the world!
[Savior] Kevin has arrived!
No words are needed. No declarations are required. Amidst the shattered remnants of the World Bubble and the surging waves of the Sea of Quanta, the ultimate confrontation between two extremes, two futures, was completed. The light of dawn and the darkness of the end, at this moment, would collide to create the final symphony that would determine fate.
Their icy gazes met in the void. The next second—transcending the boundaries of light and darkness—the two figures transformed into ultimate torrents of energy, colliding with a deafening roar! Everything that bore witness to their battlefield—the remnants of the World Bubble, the dissipated energy, even space itself—was utterly reduced to absolute nothingness dust, devoid even of fundamental particles, the instant of contact!
In the Sea of Quanta, Xiling gritted his teeth, desperately constructing layer upon layer of spacetime barriers! Hefeared the battle's ripples would affect the other World Bubbles.
"These two are too powerful!"
After an unknown amount of time, the aftershocks finally subsided. Xiling wiped the sweat from his brow, and from the shattered world bubble, one figure slowly emerged, carrying another.
Upon seeing Xiling, the walking figure forcefully raised the Holy Sword high! In an instant, a wildly triumphant smile, radiating pure triumph, bloomed on that blood-stained face.
"Hey! Xiling! Look closely—!"
"I won."
The moment the words left her lips, it was as if the last ounce of strength supporting his body had been drained away. The raised Holy Sword slipped from his grasp, falling limply into the void. His battered body, along with the weight on his back, could no longer bear it, and he collapsed forward!
Xiling, in an instant, transformed into a swift shadow! He caught both of them as Kevin fell.
Looking at that face etched with the smile of a victor, Xiling couldn't help but smile upwards.
"A beautiful win."