Honkai: Strijder (Honkai Impact 3 Male MC)

In the distance, a section of Gray Serpent's avatars, now in quantum stealth mode, advanced covertly with Jackal.

Killing wasn't the main goal; the key objective of this mission was to contact, or ideally steal, a Herrscher core while Anti-Entropy forces were locked in a fierce struggle with the Honkai beasts.

"Hmph!"

One of the Gray Serpents suddenly let out a snort.

"What is it?" asked Jackal.

Gray Serpent replied coldly, "I assumed the Titans down there were hastily deployed vanguard units, so I cleared out some obstacles for the beast horde. Turns out, that was bait, and I lost over a quarter of my avatars."

"Condolences, but it doesn't really matter. Anti-Entropy still has to deal with those Honkai beasts. Our plan is going smoothly; now, we just need to wait for the right moment."

"Let's hope it's that simple," Gray Serpent muttered under his breath.

In the distance, a brilliant white light illuminated the dusk as the Honkai beasts advanced. Both Jackal and Gray Serpent froze in their tracks.

"Damn! A fission bomb... wait, no! Am I seeing this right, Gray Serpent? It's a Honkai Energy fission bomb!?"

"The yield is small, but yes, it's indeed a Honkai Energy fission bomb."

"When did they turn something like this into a controllable conventional weapon? I had no idea!"

"A few days ago, you didn't even know about their three major plans, ones they've been executing for who knows how many years. How could you possibly grasp their full capabilities? Don't overreact. We found traces of fission weaponry in the Oceania branch incident. A controlled Honkai Energy fission weapon is unexpected, but it's not beyond belief."

With unusual composure, Gray Serpent spoke calmly and resumed moving forward.

Jackal gritted her teeth and asked, "Then, can our plan still succeed?"

"That depends on whether you've been wasting the research funds and resources all these years."

Gray Serpent's implication was that it all depended on the strength of those artificially created Honkai beasts.

Jackal, as if touched on a sore spot, took a deep breath and replied coldly, "The Honkai Energy fission bomb has considerable aftereffects. I don't know how they achieved such a minimal yield, but they must have considered the environmental impact and wouldn't dare go overboard. If it's just to this extent, we're absolutely fine."

"Then, all is well. Continue the plan. Whether we can bring our master back depends on this."

Gray Serpent's indifferent voice became a calming force, and Jackal quickly regained her composure, proceeding towards the ambush point.

...

The Honkai beast horde suffered a significant reduction in numbers after a series of mini Honkai Energy fission bomb strikes.

But just as Jackal had predicted, the fission bombs weren't an issue; the radiation faded shortly after each explosion. 

However, the Honkai Energy fission bombs left nearly permanent Honkai Energy radiation, which couldn't be allowed to persist indefinitely.

Thus, a limited number of low-yield explosions could not entirely wipe out the horde, and the battle continued.

However, once the Honkai beasts had regrouped from the relentless bombardment, they faced a fully assembled, endless Titan army and an overwhelming swarm pouring in from all directions, darkening the sky.

In a brief moment, the once overwhelming horde was now in the minority on the battlefield.

In the snowy landscape, countless Titans and Honkai beasts were divided into two factions, while in the sky, the black swarm filled the air, emitting a piercing buzzing sound.

For a moment, the scene fell silent.

"Roar—"

The beast horde roared once more and charged forward with earth-shaking intensity—they felt no fear, as death held no meaning within their simplistic minds. There was only the urge to kill and destroy.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Rumble!!!

The thick, towering Titans, though impressive, looked like small targets that could be crushed with a single step by the mountainous Honkai beasts. Yet, in a world infused with Honkai Energy, sheer power wasn't always determined by size.

Around two or three Titans were enough to match the strength of a single giant Honkai beast. The remaining Titans either launched continuous firepower from a distance or agilely climbed onto the beasts' bodies, tearing and breaking them apart. Meanwhile, swarms of worker drones pierced the beasts with sharp laser beams, slicing through their flesh.

If any weak points or gaps appeared, tiny worker bees swarmed in, either dismantling the Honkai beast from the inside out or setting off fission explosions that would instantly vaporize a giant creature without leaving much Honkai Energy radiation behind. 

The drones also served as on-the-spot repairers for damaged Titans, sometimes even fusing together to form new limb parts, keeping the Titans' failure rate close to zero.

In contrast, the beast horde's casualties rose rapidly. 

Each time a Honkai beast fell, more Titans and worker drones were freed to attack the remaining creatures, steadily increasing the killing efficiency.

...

"Jackal, use your backup plan; your horde won't hold much longer."

"Are their forces really that strong?" Jackal asked in disbelief.

Gray Serpent, observing the battle through one of his avatars, watched the shift in the tides. 

Suddenly, several worker bees silently surrounded this avatar, their laser weapons emitting a dim red glow.

The quantum stealth had its limits; to stay invisible longer required more advanced equipment and higher energy consumption—resources that only Jackal's forces had. For the expendable avatars, though, once time was up, they simply died.

Buzz—

Gray Serpent sighed. "Another avatar gone. The signal is cut. In short, they're stronger than you think."

"Damn it! I've thrown everything I have into this. It's do or die now!" Jackal muttered, pulling out a remote control and pressing a button.

...

Near the Anti-Entropy camp, a rugged black armored vehicle sped forward. 

Seated inside were Seele, Wendy, Rozaliya, Liliya, Raiden Mei, and Raven, with Cocolia and Raiden Ryoma driving in the front. Einstein and Tesla were also inside.

With no need for words, Einstein took over Tesla's monitoring duties, focusing entirely on the lab's dynamics, while Tesla began directing the Titan units into battle—she could control only the Titans, while the drone swarms were managed by Siegfried's AI, Icarus.

The only one outside was Rita, standing calmly atop the vehicle, one hand holding a scythe, the other a teacup, looking completely unfazed by the situation.

Rumble—

A deep rumbling came from the distance. Seele, clutching a fresh box of cookies, shuddered involuntarily.

"Don't be afraid,"

[Stop looking so weak! Pathetic! There's nothing to panic over; I'm here, too!]

The first voice was Wendy's, offering calming reassurance as she held Seele's hand, providing gentle support. 

Despite being in a wheelchair now, Wendy was once a brilliant S-rank candidate, strong enough not to fear such challenges. 

Meanwhile, the other Seele voice expressed a sense of scornful impatience.

Seele took a deep breath. "I'm fine." 

She glanced at Rozaliya and Liliya, who sat close by, and offered them a gentle smile. Yes, she had to stay brave for her two little sisters, offering them a sense of security.

"Come over here. Don't worry; everything will be fine, Rozaliya, Liliya."

She reached out to them, and the two sisters exchanged a glance before moving closer, each holding one of Seele's hands. 

Together, they shared a warmth that gave rise to renewed courage.

Wendy watched the scene with a smile, placing her hands on her legs—though she felt no sensation there. 

Her gaze dimmed momentarily.

'If… if I could still stand, these Honkai beasts would be nothing…'

She clenched her fists, closing her eyes. 

She had always yearned for her former health and strength, but never had she longed for it more than now, with this frustration simmering inside. 

Neither Anti-Entropy nor Schicksal mattered to her; all she wanted was to protect these people in front of her.

Raiden Mei, always observant, noticed the shift in Wendy's emotions. 

Sharing the experience of carrying a Herrscher core and having both grown up in orphanages, she felt a close kinship with Wendy. 

Mei knew of Wendy's frustration over her condition, and while she wanted to say something, her limited understanding of Wendy's past left her unsure.

So, she simply moved closer, gently taking Wendy's hand and offering an encouraging look.

Wendy opened her eyes, glanced at Mei, and smiled. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

"I… I mean, don't worry too much. Things will turn out okay." Mei smiled softly, reaching over to tousle Wendy's hair.

"Don't worry, this genius herself is on the case. What can't I handle? Just watch—I'll have this mess sorted in no time!" Tesla called back to the girls, her head held high in pride and confidence, a bit exaggerated to keep their spirits up.

"Wait, what's that?!"

...

On the battlefield, with the beast horde losing momentum, everything seemed to be moving towards a smooth conclusion.

But then, a purple meteor suddenly approached from the horizon at high speed.

Boom!

It descended too quickly for the drone swarms or Titans to intercept, crashing into the heart of the battlefield.

A faint mechanical clicking sound followed.

Beep—beep—beep—

Whoosh!!!

An invisible shockwave swept across a hundred-mile radius, nearly reaching the orphanage and Siegfried's location. 

Many Titans lost balance, collapsing clumsily or falling off the Honkai beasts. 

Even the airborne swarm faltered, suffering extensive damage.

Afterward, the previously weakened, battered Honkai beasts shuddered, red light radiating from their bodies as their injuries rapidly healed. 

Their towering frames began to grow even larger within the red glow, exuding a terrifying, new aura.

...

"Shit! What the hell was that!?"

The speeding armored vehicle was also hit by the shockwave, causing it to veer off course, tossing Tesla hard and nearly colliding her with Einstein.

Tesla sat up, rubbing a soft object under her, grumbling, while Einstein's face turned slightly red.

"Uh—"

Wendy, lying on the floor, clutched her chest in pain, curling up. 

Strangely, her unresponsive legs appeared to regain some mobility. Mei also gripped her head, trembling as Honkai Energy marks appeared on both of them.

"Dr. Tesla, check the Honkai Energy levels nearby!"

"I… I'm on it! 960 HW! This is insane—it's nearing the Herrscher birth threshold! What on earth happened?!"

"They both have Herrscher cores," Einstein noted.

"I know that, Einstein… wait, isn't that a problem?!"

Einstein and Tesla exchanged grave looks as they observed the pained expressions on Wendy and Raiden Mei.

<+>

Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please go to my Patreon1, just for $5 each month, you can read till the latest chapter.

Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 227: The Pursuit1

Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-1184680801

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Strijder1