In the South China Sea of Shenzhou, the blue-black seawater churned violently. Waves tens of meters high surged up, only to crash down with countless white crests.
Suddenly, a group of mechs burst out from the stormy sea surface and slowly flew towards the sky. Upon closer inspection, several human figures were interspersed among the dozens of mechs.
"Phew~ We're finally out."
Looking at the rising and falling sea below, Ming Yu let out a long breath, his gaze falling on the Titans beside him.
As the main force of Anti-Entropy, the Titans' strength was not to be underestimated. Even when facing the collapsing Jiu You and the rampaging Honkai Beasts within, the swarm of Titans played a huge role. If not for the successive sacrifices of the Titans, they wouldn't have been able to leave Jiu You so easily.
Although the few of them were quite strong, they were still carrying an unconscious Himeko, which made their movements somewhat inconvenient.
Of course, as a price, six of the fifty Titans were left behind in Jiu You forever, and the rest were mostly damaged. The only three that could be considered intact were the three Godfathers.
Another thing that pleased Ming Yu was that the Titans also had the ability to fly, saving him the trouble of figuring out how to transport these hunks of metal. At the same time, it allowed Fu Hua and Bronya, who couldn't fly, to retreat in a more dignified manner.
Otherwise, would Ming Yu have had to carry them by the collars of their shirts?
Although Project Bunny could barely fly, its speed and payload were less than impressive.
In comparison, while the Titans' speed wasn't particularly fast—after all, their weight was a factor, so just being able to fly was impressive—the mechs' power systems were quite commendable, flying effortlessly even with a few extra people.
Hearing Ming Yu's sigh, Fu Hua's face remained tense, her eyes fixed on the gray-black sea below as she said in a low voice, "Something is coming up!"
"Eh?"
Ming Yu couldn't help but exclaim in confusion, turning his gaze to Fu Hua, about to ask. But in the next moment, he too felt that terrifying Honkai Energy fluctuation, and his expression instantly stiffened.
He saw the seawater below suddenly part, revealing a black "island."
"Roar~"
A part of the "island" suddenly rose, revealing two enormous, lighthouse-like eyes, with a dangerous red light flickering within.
This was no island, but a Honkai Beast, a giant beast said to be able to devour continents—Chiyou!
Looking at the behemoth below, Ming Yu's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. Although he had made many guesses about Chiyou, it was only when he truly faced it that he realized how terrifying this Honkai Beast was.
Could such a monster truly be defeated by humans?
The question couldn't help but pop into Ming Yu's head.
As if noticing the gazes of Ming Yu and the others, Chiyou's eyes also locked onto the figures in the sky.
No! To be precise, it was staring at the Xuanyuan Sword in Project Bunny's hands.
But being watched by such a pair of eyes still made Ming Yu and Bronya's blood run cold, and even Fu Hua's composure was slightly disturbed.
In the next moment, Chiyou's head suddenly lunged towards them, its mouth wide open, intending to swallow them whole.
Looking at that bottomless black hole, Ming Yu was momentarily stunned, but he wasn't particularly worried. They weren't on some inescapable reef now; the height difference between them and Chiyou was enough to ensure they wouldn't be swallowed.
Although he knew that only by entering Chiyou's belly could he possibly bypass its hard outer shell and earn the right to duel Dark Ji Lin to destroy Chiyou's core, he also knew that the Honkai Energy concentration inside Chiyou was definitely not low, which would be an extremely dangerous place for the unconscious Himeko.
But at this moment, Ming Yu had forgotten that a monster known for devouring continents couldn't possibly rely solely on biting.
As Chiyou's massive maw approached, a powerful suction force suddenly emanated from its mouth, causing Ming Yu and the others' ascent to abruptly halt, and then they began to slowly drift towards Chiyou's giant mouth.
"Damn it! Hold on to me!"
Feeling the powerful suction, Ming Yu instantly activated the engines on the back of his Soul-Etching Armor, his hands simultaneously grabbing for Fu Hua's and Bronya's wrists.
With the power support from the Soul-Etching Armor, their descent immediately slowed, and they even showed signs of rising again.
But Chiyou was, after all, worthy of its Judgment-class title. Upon noticing Ming Yu's action, the suction from its mouth intensified, once again pulling Ming Yu and the others down.
Seeing Ming Yu's face flush red with effort, Bronya also grew anxious. Her gaze swept over the rapidly falling Titans, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes as she shouted in a low voice, "Fire!"
Receiving Bronya's command, the Titans raised their cannons, aimed at Chiyou below, and fired all the artillery in their magazines at the fastest possible speed.
The roar of cannon fire was endless, and puffs of smoke appeared around Chiyou's mouth.
But as the smoke gradually dissipated, the suction from Chiyou's mouth did not lessen in the slightest; instead, it was the Titans that were swallowed into the giant beast's belly.
Against the shell of a Judgment-class Honkai Beast, the Titans' attacks were so feeble, only managing to blast a few small pits on its shell, not even serving as a distraction.
Watching the Titans fall, a hint of disappointment flashed in Bronya's eyes as she said softly, "I'm sorry, the Bronya is useless and can't do anything."
Inside Jiu You, she had been on the sidelines almost the entire time. She hadn't been of any use even against Anti-Entropy's mech squad.
And now, even though she was controlling so many mechs, she still couldn't play any significant role. Even the mechs had all been lost in Chiyou's belly.
Faced with such a result, how could the proud girl remain indifferent?
Although most of the time, this internet-addicted girl appeared indifferent to the outside world, that was only because there was nothing in the outside world worth her concern.
"It's not your fault. Chiyou is not an enemy that can be defeated so easily."
Even though resisting Chiyou's pull was already extremely difficult, Ming Yu still gritted his teeth and comforted her.
When facing an enemy of Chiyou's level, even Ming Yu felt so powerless. How could he demand more from Bronya?
Even in his initial plan, he had never intended for Bronya to face Chiyou directly.
"Give up. You can't escape with us."
Her deep eyes looked calmly at Ming Yu, Fu Hua's tone was as tranquil as ever, as if she were merely stating a simple fact.
Faced with Fu Hua's suggestion, Ming Yu didn't speak, only glancing towards Himeko in her arms.
Noticing Ming Yu's movement, Fu Hua nodded slightly. Her grip on Ming Yu's hand loosened slightly, and her other hand threw Himeko towards him with force.
Thud!
Himeko's body slammed heavily into Ming Yu, causing his body to abruptly rise several meters. The residual force made Chiyou's suction feel a bit lighter.
Catching Himeko by the waist, Ming Yu looked at the receding Fu Hua and nodded solemnly.
Then, Ming Yu tapped his toes in mid-air, the Soul-Etching Armor's power at full throttle, and without hesitation, he flew upwards with Himeko and Bronya. This was an opportunity Fu Hua had created by sacrificing herself; he absolutely could not fail her.
Moreover, their battle with Chiyou had only just begun!
And within the thick clouds, a silver-white corner of a floating battleship was revealed.