"Did I say you could ignore my existence?"
The instant the Herrscher of the Void launched her surprise attack, Fu Li activated his Honkai energy without a shred of hesitation.
The longsword at his waist, 'Ruoli,' was unsheathed. A black light flashed. Within a single second, he struck eight consecutive times.
The eight arms were instantly severed in unison, and the gathered Honkai energy dissipated in a flash.
A woman's cold hum echoed from the void.
"Hah... As a Herrscher, to actually be with humans. What a disgrace! Ashara, was it? You traitor, just you wait!"
As she spoke, several void rifts appeared, and a large swarm of Assault-class Honkai Beasts flew out from them.
These Honkai Beasts weren't particularly strong, but they were fast. Combined with their sheer numbers, they were perfect for running interference.
Faced with this sudden development, Ashara nearly lost control of the energy in her hands.
Seeing this, Fu Li frowned and said, "Ashara, focus on your output. Leave these guys to us."
Ashara gritted her teeth. "Yes, I understand!"
With that, Fu Li took on the most dangerous role. He flew into mid-air, simultaneously cutting down Honkai Beasts while carefully defending against the Herrscher of the Void's tricky, angled attacks.
At the same time, the others were not idle.
Elysia's leather boots rested on the edge of the boat. She drew her bow, tilted her head, and squinted her left eye. With an elegant and nimble motion, a single arrow shot down several Honkai Beasts in a row.
The special forces soldiers who had come along also displayed their own abilities, opening fire, engaging in close combat, and leaping between the Honkai Beasts. Splatters of purple blood dyed their entire bodies.
As for Vill-V, upon seeing the Honkai Beasts, hatred flashed in her grayish-pink eyes. Her previous powerlessness seemed to have found an outlet, and a crazed smile touched the corners of her mouth.
Her mechanical body began to transform. Her hands morphed into two gray-black particle submachine guns, her feet became thrusters, and two metal wings sprouted from her back along with micro-missile launchers.
The once-adorable young girl had instantly become a high-firepower Mecha Girl.
With the blue light of her thrusters flaring, Vill-V soared into the sky. As if venting her fury, she unleashed her full firepower, seemingly dyeing the entire sky red.
With this frenzied bombardment, her efficiency in killing Honkai Beasts was actually on par with Elysia's.
Under the onslaught of the entire team, Ashara finally got the breathing room she needed. Having learned from her previous experience, she quickly created another opportunity.
"Everyone!"
Seeing that she was about to succeed, Ashara shouted, "Prepare to enter the Far East! I can only keep it open for two seconds! Now, listen for my countdown!"
"10...9...8..."
Hearing her voice, the group's spirits lifted, and their eyes blazed with hope.
Correspondingly, the Herrscher of the Void also grew desperate and began to deploy even more Honkai Beasts.
"6...5...4..."
The group began to close ranks, gathering around Ashara and making their final preparations.
"3...2...1!"
As the countdown ended, Ashara exerted one final push of power. A rift was forcefully torn open in the pristine white sky.
A powerful suction force instantly pulled at them. The group did not resist, their hearts tense as they allowed themselves to be drawn in.
Just as Ashara had said, it all lasted only two seconds.
When the sky returned to normal, all that remained in this stretch of sea were the mangled remains of Honkai Beasts and the sound of a woman's furious roar.
"Heheh...! Very good! You damned humans! Since you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep, you can all just die inside!"
"I will kill every last one of you!"
"Hah... hah... Ms. Cocolia, how many of us are left?"
On the battlefield inside the shelter, a wounded Sakura clutched her right arm, asking the woman beside her through gritted teeth.
Cocolia leaned against the wall and gave a miserable laugh. "I don't know. 600? Or maybe 200? All I know is, of the old comrades who came with me, only three of us are left."
There had been over ten veterans in the W Magic Troupe, but now, only three remained alive.
Some of them had been crushed by Honkai Beasts without a second thought. Some had been half-eaten before using their bodies and a grenade to land one final blow on a beast.
Watching the familiar faces perish, Cocolia felt her heart seize with pain. Her original hope had faded, leaving only despair.
"Miss Sakura, do you really think Li will come?" she asked, looking at the surrounding ruins.
"He will definitely come," Sakura said with iron conviction. "He saved me when I was at my most desperate, so I believe in him."
"Is that so... heh..." Cocolia forced a smile. "I really don't know what's so great about that brat who ran off with my two daughters."
"Two daughters?" Sakura was stunned for a moment.
"Yeah. One is named Vill-V, the other is named Anna. They're both my favorite daughters."
"Is that so? Well, it's not surprising. A man like the Boss can indeed easily deceive a girl's heart."
Sakura extended a hand to the woman. "Can you still stand?"
Cocolia grabbed her hand and said with a jeering laugh, "What do you think? I'm not so weak I can't even beat a little brat like you."
"Is that so? Then be careful not to die."
"You're really not good at talking, are you..."
Cocolia stood up and looked at the gray, hazy sky, murmuring to herself, "But Miss Sakura, you really are a very capable person."
"If I die, I hope that before Li arrives, you can protect Anna for me... protect those children..."
---o---
tl: this is sadly where it ends. the raw stopped here
https://www.ciweimao.com/book/100320066