Seeing Kiana finally unleash the power of White Comet, Ming Yu nodded imperceptibly. Although this level was still not enough in his eyes, she had at least been willing to abandon that pointless pride.
Even though he was slightly satisfied with this, Ming Yu's words were unforgiving.
"Finally figured out what you're supposed to do? But judging the strength gap between friend and foe and choosing a battle plan are just the basic skills of a Valkyrie. In that regard, your performance has barely met the requirements."
"Hmph! You'll know if I've met the requirements once you try me!" Kiana shouted stubbornly, raising her hands and placing her fingers on the triggers of her dual pistols.
With a single, slightly prolonged gunshot, six streams of blue-violet light shot towards Ming Yu's position, sealing off his movements.
Looking at the six Honkai Energy bullets coming from different directions, a trace of envy flashed through Ming Yu's heart. Although he often complained about the name Gun Kata, Kiana's marksmanship was truly godlike. Especially for someone like him, it was a height he could likely never reach in his lifetime.
In the blink of an eye, the six bullets were already in front of Ming Yu. With the perceptive ability granted by his Sword Heart, he could even "see" the fluctuations in the air caused by the dissipating Honkai Energy from the bullets.
Although the bullets in training mode wouldn't actually kill anyone, if he were to be hit by something like this, it would already be considered a failure for Ming Yu.
With a thought, Ming Yu twisted his body, his left hand quickly flicking the hilt of his Spirit Blade. The crimson blade of Sakura Fubuki instantly bloomed with a clear, cold light, cleaving towards two unavoidable bullets with the force of a thunderbolt.
An unarmed Ming Yu could have dealt with these bullets, but it would have required more effort. Compared to expending more energy to maintain some unnecessary composure, Ming Yu preferred this easier method.
Seeing Ming Yu's reaction, the corner of Kiana's mouth curled up slightly. She stomped her feet hard on the ground, and her body shot towards Ming Yu like an arrow.
At the same time, she swiped her right hand across the armor on her thigh. A strange wave quickly spread out from White Comet, and everything in the space instantly froze.
Noticing the abnormality in the space, a hint of surprise flashed in Ming Yu's eyes.
So this is... Time Fracture?
Although he had used the Time Fracture device on Cold Night and had experienced this feeling of time stopping during training, it was still somewhat beyond his expectations that Kiana could use this move.
No, considering the time Kiana had been in contact with this battlesuit, it wasn't surprising that she had mastered it to this extent. It was Ming Yu who, due to Kiana's usual laziness, had overlooked this point and forgotten that Kiana herself was a genius.
Noticing that Ming Yu's movements had slowed down, Kiana's heart leaped with joy. She raised her right leg high in the air and stomped down in Ming Yu's direction.
Following Kiana's movement, a huge, semi-transparent cat paw suddenly appeared, stamping down heavily on Ming Yu below. Golden patterns flowed across the white cat paw, matching the colors of Kiana's White Comet.
"I did it!"
Kiana couldn't help but exclaim in excitement, her voice slightly distorted by the spatial distortion. She didn't believe Ming Yu had any tricks left up his sleeve against such an attack.
Although the cat paw was only an energy construct, under the enhancement of the Kaslana family's hereditary monstrous strength, its destructive power was quite extraordinary. Even as a semi-transparent form, it carried the imposing momentum of a collapsing mountain.
Hearing Kiana's somewhat distorted cheer, Ming Yu sighed internally.
The Time Fracture system only slowed down time within its range as much as possible; it didn't stop it completely. Since Kiana's voice could be transmitted, Ming Yu could naturally react as well. So, Kiana was celebrating a bit too early.
She should have thought about it; if Ming Yu could be defeated so easily, how could he be worthy of the A-rank Valkyrie evaluation? Although the difficulty of the A-rank Valkyrie exam had indeed decreased after the Second Honkai Eruption, it was still synonymous with Schicksal's core strength.
The next moment, the Honkai Energy in Ming Yu's body erupted, and his body was instantly enveloped in a faint golden light.
In terms of intensity alone, Ming Yu's Honkai Energy at this moment was no less than Kiana's when she unleashed the power of White Comet, which was why Ming Yu had started to despise Cold Night. If he could do the same thing himself, why bother adding a battlesuit?
Under the impact of the massive amount of Honkai Energy, the restraints on Ming Yu were instantly broken, and his speed returned to normal.
When facing an enemy of sufficient strength, Time Fracture was completely useless.
In the end, Domain Armor: White Comet was only a third-generation Valkyrie Battlesuit, and the Time Fracture device was just a tiny fraction of the authority humans had stolen from the Second Herrscher.
The long, beautiful blade of Sakura Fubuki slashed through the air again, leaving a crimson line in its wake, and struck the semi-transparent cat paw, arriving after but striking first.
Bang~
Under the sharpness of the Spirit Blade, the white and gold cat paw was so fragile that it couldn't even hold for a moment before its form was shattered by Sakura Fubuki.
As the cat paw shattered, the Honkai Energy within it burst out like a flood from a broken dam. The white and gold fragments of the paw were scattered by the Honkai Energy, gradually fading away into the air.
Along with it, Kiana's joy also shattered and disappeared.
But before the lingering excitement on her face had faded, her vision suddenly went dark, and Ming Yu's figure had already appeared in front of her.
Accompanying Ming Yu was a gorgeous, crimson tachi. After swinging through a perfect arc in the air, the long blade struck Kiana's abdomen heavily with its back.
Bang!
The girl's body slammed into the ground with heavy force, and the entire training room seemed to tremble slightly.
Ming Yu hadn't held back much in this strike. His already considerable strength was even more astonishing under the enhancement of Honkai Energy. Even with Kiana's extraordinary constitution, she was momentarily breathless.
"Kiana!"
Mei, at the side, cried out in alarm, her voice filled with endless worry. Her purple eyes glared at the calm-faced Ming Yu with a hint of anger, and sparks of electricity crackled along her hair, which billowed without any wind.
Although this was a spar that both of them had willingly agreed to, Ming Yu's attack was indeed a bit too heavy, and he clearly had other ways to end the fight. If not for her trust in Ming Yu, Mei would have already thrown a few lightning balls at his face.
The usually calm Bronya blinked in confusion, also unable to understand why Ming Yu had suddenly struck so heavily. Wouldn't a light touch have been enough?
On the other side, Higokumaru seemed to have sensed something. She looked at the expressionless Ming Yu with a worried face, pursing her lips without saying a word.
Ming Yu, in the center of the room, naturally didn't notice these things, nor would he care about them at this moment.
Neatly sheathing Sakura Fubuki, Ming Yu walked over to Kiana on his own, looking down at the pair of blue eyes filled with unwillingness, and said calmly, "You're indignant, aren't you? Or perhaps, you think I should have held back?"
As he spoke, a ferocious smile tugged at the corner of Ming Yu's mouth. "In terms of bloodline, you are a direct descendant of the Kaslanas, born with a physique that surpasses ordinary people. In terms of talent, you are second to none, a true genius. But after more than half a year, you are still only at this level."
"We entered St. Freya together, and at that time, your strength might have even been slightly stronger than mine. But now?"
"When it comes to protecting the world and fighting the Honkai, what exactly have you been doing? Kiana Kaslana!?"
After roaring the last sentence in a low voice, a piercing cold light suddenly appeared in Ming Yu's eyes.
This cold light was called indignation and jealousy!
Ming Yu had struck unnecessarily hard in what should have been a friendly spar. While this was partly due to the ruthlessness he had developed on the battlefield, wasn't he also jealous of Kiana's current situation?
When all this was just a 2D world, Ming Yu didn't think there was anything wrong with life at St. Freya, nor did he think there was anything wrong with Kiana and the others' leisure. He had even been happy for their happiness.
But when he personally experienced the war against the Honkai, when he faced being surrounded on the battlefield, when he watched his comrades sacrifice themselves time and time again, when he tried his best but couldn't change anything, he would suddenly realize how ridiculous he was.
Theresa looked after him not out of any sympathy or pity, but simply because she valued his sharpness as a "blade." Perhaps there was sympathy at the beginning, but that could not have been the case when he picked up Jizo Mitama.
His proposal to move to the military base was met with no opposition or persuasion. But if it were Kiana, this would be absolutely impossible; Theresa would not allow Kiana to take such risks.
Ming Yu shouldn't have any resentment for the treatment he received; this was the path he had chosen for himself!
Pursuing strength, fighting the Honkai, all alone...
Whether it was seeking Jizo Mitama or leaving St. Freya, it was all out of his own will; no one had ever forced him. And he himself was prepared to face all of this.
But sometimes, Ming Yu also wished he had someone to rely on, someone who could let him unload his burdens and talk about his not-so-noble feelings...
But, he was all alone. Not even Kiana and the others had ever truly made him let down his guard completely.
So, even though Kiana had a tragic past and her future might not be smooth, at least her present was incredibly happy. And facing this girl who was always full of vitality, this girl who was as bright as the sun, Ming Yu always felt a kind of unattainable envy.
In the end, it was a feeling he could not reconcile...