The seas were calm; this was advantageous for their relatively small yacht, allowing for high-speed travel.
Sakura was more than just a warrior. She guided their course using satellite navigation while simultaneously intercepting and analyzing Fire Moth communications, leaving Ryan free to focus on other matters.
After fully removing his reservations, Ryan realized just how capable she was.
A versatile housekeeper, proficient in various applications, tireless, pleasant, and highly efficient—truly the perfect assistant.
"Leaving things to her requires no worry. And she makes excellent tea."
Ryan stood at the bow, sipping his tea; Sakura even provided a thermos to keep it warm, shielding it from the sea breeze. Her attentiveness was remarkable.
With Sakura here, I can fully prepare for battle.
Perhaps it was the sea breeze, but Ryan felt a warm sensation in his eyes. After all these years, he'd finally found a truly capable comrade.
This awakening provided him with the focus he needed for the mission.
"The island was completely destroyed. We confirmed the effectiveness of the N1 high-yield bomb. Śeṣa has retreated into the sea; energy signals have been lost."
If Śeṣa was merely an Emperor-Class Honkai Beast, it would be dead. But a Judgment-Class beast wasn't so easily dispatched. As one of the strongest Honkai Beasts, being directly blown up would be humiliating.
Therefore, it either hid in the sea or on another island. Considering its behavior, the latter was more likely.
Ryan scanned the horizon, seeing islands of varying sizes on the sea. This area was known as the 'Nation of Heavenly Islands,' a tropical paradise teeming with lush vegetation and abundant wildlife.
Few had ventured here before; the third Honkai wave's impact had caused widespread animal mutations and rampant Honkai Beasts. The few surviving humans had long since left.
Due to the complex terrain, unless the monsters emerged en masse, Fire Moth didn't bother wasting ammunition. Sending troops would be costly.
While seemingly teeming with life, Ryan couldn't hear even birdsong; the vehicle's sensors consistently registered high danger levels, like an invisible, suffocating fog, accelerating his heartbeat.
"A perfect hiding place. No wonder Fire Moth couldn't find it."
He saw a beached destroyer; its surface was rusted, with large sections of damaged plating. Several skeletons lay on the deck; the remaining clothing showed bite marks—victims of the destroyed fleet.
'Murasame? So it was the Far East Branch fleet. Unlucky.'
Ryan paused, then discovered a partially submerged port town, its dilapidated buildings overrun with thick vines; several capsized fishing boats littered the town. No sign of human life.
Ryan refilled his thermos and hurried to the control room, finding Sakura staring intently at the computer screen. The cloud imagery was entirely crimson.
"Don't bother. That's a Honkai Beast-generated war fog. Finding its trace is almost impossible for conventional reconnaissance teams; entering is suicidal."
Sakura didn't understand "war fog," but she knew that at this Honkai energy concentration, mutated animals and Honkai Beasts were undetectable.
She opened her mouth to respond when she heard a sharp scraping sound of metal. Initially, she thought they'd struck a rock, but the scraping continued, making her realize something was wrong.
"Beach. We're going ashore."
Ryan dashed outside, gripping the railing and looking up. He saw the hull rising, clearly taking on water. Then, a dark shadow leaped out.
Splash.
He instinctively crushed something in his hand before seeing it was a bizarre-looking fish, about half a meter long, with scales as hard as stone and a mouth full of sharp fangs, snapping at the air.
A mutated creature.
These were similar to zombies—creatures mutated by Honkai energy, the source of countless terrifying legends in ancient times.
In this environment, mutated monsters wouldn't be rare.
"Sakura, come!"
He shouted, and Sakura, realizing the boat was immobile, immediately grabbed her sword and rushed out of the control room. Seeing Ryan with outstretched arms, she leaped without hesitation.
Instantly, she felt herself suspended in the air; he held her, leaping from the deck, skimming the surface of the sea towards the shore at incredible speed, leaving a straight furrow in the water.
Then, Sakura saw the sea boil; countless monstrous fish leaped from the water. Electric arcs flashed around them; any fish that touched them turned black, creating a bizarre spectacle before her eyes.
The sea surface was covered with fish, over a meter long, dead and packed together, bobbing on the waves.
Sakura completely relaxed. This scene could kill hundreds, yet it was insignificant to Ryan; she didn't need to draw her sword.
Within seconds, Ryan stepped onto the sand, gently lowering Sakura from his shoulder, silently staring at the sea.
Hundreds of mutated creatures—just the appetizer. It wasn't as simple as he'd thought.
"Śeṣa should sense the Herrscher of Thunder's power; it would either flee or investigate. Why is it completely silent?"
Sakura rubbed her stomach; being carried on Ryan's shoulder had made her slightly nauseous. She calmly replied, "Perhaps it's not nearby."
"Possible, but I suspect it's hunting."
"Hunting? According to Fire Moth reports, Honkai Beasts don't use tactics."
"That's experience, not truth. We're becoming stronger; Honkai will also evolve. It's merely a matter of opportunity."
Before he finished, the dense jungle shook; the sand trembled, as if a vast army approached. Trees in the distance toppled, a wave of destruction rapidly advancing towards them.
"Attack or retreat?" Sakura looked at him, but the man didn't hesitate.
"My previous statement was a guess. We need to see for ourselves."
It was a fight.
Sakura nodded, watching a leopard-like monster burst from the jungle, her hand instinctively going to her sword.
"Conserve your energy. I'll handle this."
Without further exchange, seeing Ryan's slight nod, she charged.
It wasn't just a leopard; it was over three meters long, its mutated head disproportionately large. It lunged, snapping at her.
Sensing the wind, Sakura sidestepped, her thumb releasing the sheath.
Bang—
Cold Cherry unsheathed with a soft hum. The girl moved through the attack, slicing the 'leopard' cleanly from mouth to tail.
Fine blade.
Blood sprayed, about to stain her jacket, but Sakura instantly moved.
A horizontal slash, a full-force strike, her wrist slapping the ground. She backflipped, her sword pinning a massive serpent to the ground before she sidestepped.
BOOM!!
A hidden Temple-Class monster's greatsword slashed down, but it failed to injure her. Seeing her retreat, it charged again, raising its large shield.
Clang!
The razor-thin blade showed no sign of damage, instead releasing a burst of freezing mist upon impact.
The Temple-Class tried to retreat, but froze. The great shield had become encased in ice, frozen to the ground. The red-haired girl stepped onto the shield, coldly staring at it.
One strike broke the formation. The headless corpse was lifted into the air, away from the monster's pile. The Temple-Class's tough hide served as a shield, protecting Sakura as she approached, her silver blade bisecting the headless corpse and everything around it.
Flesh and gore flew everywhere. The relentless Sakura was a blur; often, before one Honkai Beast's legs were severed, another's chest was pierced. As one creature fell, a burst of ice flowers decimated a group of monsters.
Swish—
The ice flowers exploded, shards of ice the size of arms scattering like bullets, mowing down countless bodies. Thick ice mist filled the air as the swordswoman burst forth.
The leading Honkai Emperor hadn't reacted when she leaped forward, creating a net of light to repel her. But Sakura, like a dragon emerging from water, jumped through the gaps.
She landed, rolled, and rose, unsheathing her sword.
Bang!
Another dragon's roar. The Honkai Emperor was bisected at the waist; the girl stood straight, tracing a brilliant arc with her blade, swiftly decapitating the creature.
"Impressive speed."
Ryan softly applauded. Sakura's swordsmanship wasn't just fast; it was incredibly precise, each kill setting the stage for the next, like an art form.
No wonder she was among the top-ranked Flame-Chasers in terms of combat prowess. Even before becoming a Fusion Warrior, her strength was considerable; she wielded her Soulium weapon with skill.
Among countless Fusion Warriors, those who survived possessed exceptional qualities.
Dozens of monsters lay slain, their blood staining the sand. Ryan, who hadn't made a move, heard the jungle rustling and approached.
"The second wave is coming. Can you continue?"
Sakura adjusted her breathing, lightly stroking the blade, sensing the power surge.
A single sword made her significantly stronger. Normally, a Honkai Emperor's body would withstand alloy weapons, yet they were cut like tofu.
"Of course, I can."
"Then I'll help. Don't worry; I have an energy-efficient fighting style."
Ryan didn't bother with subtlety, drawing his simple longsword and sweeping it across the ground.
Swish—
The earth shattered, a mutated Honkai Emperor lifted into the air—a creature less than two meters tall, lurking beneath the surface like an assassin.
I didn't notice it?
Sakura's breath hitched. Ryan vanished, a whistling sound in the air. Turning, she saw the Honkai Emperor bisected into five pieces.
It wasn't just speed; her eyes couldn't track his movements; the Honkai Beast seemed to have disintegrated on its own.
Click.
The longsword sheathed, Ryan stood before her, his hand resting on the blood-stained hilt.
"Let's go. We'll establish a base in the abandoned town. Most of the monsters on this island should be cleared."
"You're waiting for them to regroup?" Sakura guessed.
"If there's further assault, it means Śeṣa is here. Then—"
Ryan, sword in hand, silently entered the jungle.
"It won't escape!"