Lin Hao: "No."
Yae Miko bristled. "But pink hair? Fairy-like? That's me! Who else?!"
Lin Hao (flatly): "The traits match. But her heart isn't as dark as yours."
Yae Miko: "..."
Dark?! Sinister?! She seethed—until Lin Hao cut in:
"Obsess over her, and you'll regret it."
Yae Miko (smirking): "Regret? Never have. Never will. Unless… she's your weakness? Your true colors showing?" She shouted skyward: "Exposure system! Show Kevin and Elysia!"
Lin Hao sighed.
---
World Serpent Base
Mei Yi's report crackled through comms: Coral Island. Anna's ice metamorphosis. Chen Tianwu's sacrifice. Twin Herrscher cores seized.
Kevin: "Well done. Return."
Mei Yi (cold): "Did you foresee this? Me using Herrscher power to claim cores?"
Kevin: "Your choice."
Mei Yi: "And if I failed?"
Kevin: "You wouldn't."
Silence. Then—
Mei Yi: "Explain."
Kevin: "Two Herrschers birthed this eruption. One consumed the other—evolving. You did the same: conquering their power."
ZZZT—! Static drowned his words.
Then—a new voice, bright and mocking:
"Testing~ 123! Destiny's handled. Your turn, Kevin! COME OUT!"
The base trembled. Alarms blared as combat erupted above.
Kevin rose.
---
Upper Levels
"Hua" rampaged through corridors, chatting airily:
"No reaction? His consciousness is a glacier! Maybe…" —she kicked a door off its hinges— "...we remove the wolf's head?"
Jackal (monitoring, enraged): "This lunatic—!"
Kevin (behind her): "Cease."
Jackal (whirling): "My lord?!"
Kevin (to the intruder): "I'm here."*
"Hua" emerged, grinning. "Your subordinate's… fascinating."
Kevin: "She serves a purpose."
"Hua" (mocking): "Ah, the old creed: 'Use any tool against Honkai.'"
Kevin halted. She walked ahead.
Kevin: "Who are you?"
"Hua": "Your old friend, Hua! Well—reborn after Otto shot me. Memory's fuzzy, but we fought together, right? So… friends?"
A flashback: Kevin aiming a gun at Fu Hua.
"Immortal Phoenix… I never lied."
BANG.
Kevin (icy): "You feel… wrong."
"Hua" (shrugging): "Death changes you! Think of me as Hua 2.0—improved!"
Kevin drew the Heaven-Scorching Greatsword. Flames licked the blade.
"Friend or foe? Choose."
---
Check out my patreon for 40+ chapters early access.
patreon.com/Shironeko280