28. Will Of Man

Kenji stared at her, his thoughts racing. "So you are... one of the previous users of One For All?"

The woman's flames flickered, as if reflecting her emotions. "I am," she said, inclining her head slightly. "I was the first user of One For All in this world."

Kenji's mind spun at her words. The first user? He didn't expect that at all. If she was the first user, what happened to the original ones? And who are the ones after her? But as he tried to process what she had said, his thoughts flashed back to the battle in Nagazora. To Himeko, still fighting Ganesha. To the screams and cries of the people he had tried—and failed—to save.

He took a shaky breath and looked at her with desperation. "If you're the first," he began, "can you... can you help me? Please. Heal me, fix me—anything, just so I can go back out there and fight."

Elysia tilted her head, her flames shifting slightly. For a moment, her expression looked almost... puzzled. "Why?" she asked, her tone gentle but firm. "You've already saved so many people, Kenji. Reinforcements should be arriving soon, and your healing factor is already working to stop you from bleeding out. Why push yourself further?"

Kenji's breath hitched. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He looked away, his thoughts a tangled mess. "I..." he stammered before forcing himself to continue. "I have to. I just... have to."

Elysia's flames flickered again, her gaze steady. "That's not an answer," she said softly. Before he could protest, her tone grew more serious. "The others haven't acknowledged you yet. They're unwilling to risk your death before you reach your full potential."

Kenji's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice growing louder. He tried to step forward, forgetting that he had no legs, and immediately fell. He braced himself for the impact but felt nothing as Elysia caught him effortlessly.

She held him gently, her hands steadying his trembling form. He looked up at her, desperation etched into his features. "Please," he said, his voice cracking. "I have to go out there."

Elysia's expression hardened, though there was still a trace of sadness in her eyes. "Kenji," she said firmly, "you've exhausted your body to the brink. Any more, and you risk permanent damage. Your body is not indestructible."

Kenji's hands gripped her arms tightly, his nails digging into the flames that didn't burn him. "Even if I get permanently damaged," he said through gritted teeth, "I need to keep fighting. People are dying out there, and I can stop it!"

The flames around Elysia grew wilder, their warmth intensifying. Her voice rose, filled with frustration. "Why?! The others haven't deemed you a worthy successor yet! The only reason you've been able to go this far is because I've been sticking my neck out for you! If you keep pushing for this, they'll take even longer to turn around."

Kenji locked eyes with her, his gaze unwavering despite the desperation within his eyes. "Please," he said softly, almost a whisper. "I have to."

The raw vulnerability in his voice seemed to extinguish some of Elysia's anger. Her flames dimmed slightly, and her expression softened. "Then tell me why," she said, her tone quieter but still firm. "Why do you want to fight so badly? Why push yourself to the point of breaking?"

Kenji stayed silent for several moments, his chest rising and falling as he tried to find the words. "I..." he began, his voice faltering. His mind raced, every thought jumbled and chaotic. But then, Elysia emitted a gentle glow, and a wave of calm washed over him.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, there was a spark of clarity in his gaze. "Because I can't stand it," he said quietly. "Seeing people who are... kinder... more valuable... more loved than I am, being kicked down all the time."

Elysia stayed silent, her gaze urging him to continue. Kenji took another moment to collect his thoughts before speaking again.

"Even in my past life," he said, his voice shaky. "I had everything I needed handed to me. Food, gadgets, anything unimportant I could be given on a whim. But every time I looked outside, there was always someone struggling. Someone crying, desperate to get just a sliver of what I had... and failing."

He paused, his breath hitching. "Before my powers... I never had any goals in life. Never contributed to anything important. Never tried to impact anyone in a meaningful way. There were mothers trying to provide for their kids, siblings trying to survive with barely anything... People who needed more than me. People who deserved more than me. And yet they never received it. But me?" His voice cracked. "I was always the fortunate one. I know it's weird to feel guilty because of that but for some reason I am."

Kenji's shoulders shook as he gathered himself together. "Now that I have powers," he continued, "I want to use them to make sure those people—the ones who need help, who deserve it more than I ever did—actually receive it. So their suffering, their sadness stops."

Finally, Kenji looked up at Elysia again, his tears replaced with a fiery resolve. "I want—no, I need to be the one to help them. I want to create a just world. A world where only I have to be hurt. Where others can struggle... normally. It may be selfish. But that's what I want to achieve. A world where the deserving get what they deserve."

Elysia stayed quiet for a moment after Kenji's declaration. Her flames flickered faintly, as if reflecting her contemplation. Finally, she broke the silence. "You shouldn't think of yourself as worthless, Kenji. You've done so much for the people of Nagazora already. I've seen it firsthand. How much you care… how much you're willing to sacrifice."

Her tone softened, and for a moment, the flickering flames around her seemed to calm. But then she paused, her eyes drifting away from him as if searching for something in the infinite void. Her expression turned more serious, and when she looked back at Kenji, her gaze held a weight he hadn't seen before.

"But the others," she said with a sigh, "they don't exactly like that kind of drive. They see it as self-destructive. They believe it holds you back."

Kenji frowned, a mix of frustration and confusion crossing his face. "Self-destructive huh… Well, can't argue with them on that…".

Elysia didn't answer right away. Her gaze shifted back to the void, almost as if she was looking for someone. "They think that kind of thinking puts you in unnecessary danger. And they're right in some ways. But…" she turned back to him, her voice trailing off.

Kenji clenched his fists, his desperation returning in full force. "So… will you help me?" he asked, his voice trembling with both fear and hope.

Elysia's flames flickered erratically for a moment, her hesitation evident. She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked away again, her expression unreadable. But Kenji's voice rang out, cutting through the silence.

"Please," he said, his tone firm this time. "I have to do this. Will you help me, Elysia?"

She turned back to him, and for the first time, her flames dimmed enough for him to catch a clearer glimpse of her expression. There was something raw and vulnerable in her eyes. She let out a long sigh, the pink flames around her growing brighter as if reacting to her emotions.

Finally, she stepped closer and rested a hand on his head, her touch surprisingly gentle. She started patting him lightly, a gesture that caught him completely off guard. "You're persistent I'll give you that" she said with a small, amused smile. "But I guess that's what makes you… genuine."

Her voice softened, her tone almost affectionate. "I was the one to choose you as our successor, you know. Your body, being from another world, didn't have any traces of Honkai. That made you the perfect vessel to fight it. It was a logical decision at first, purely practical."

Kenji blinked, trying to process her words. "Wait, you chose me?" he asked.

Elysia nodded. "Yes. But… over time, as I watched you grow, I saw your potential to become something more, and I realized something about you. Even when you look like you're doing just fine in life, there's always been this… emptiness in you. A feeling of unfulfillment. Until now, I never knew what that was."

Her hand moved from his head to gently cup his chin, tilting his face so their eyes met. "But now I understand. Seeing how far you're willing to go to help others—even if you say it's driven by feelings of guilt or unworthiness… I say that it speaks volumes about the kind of person you are. And... why I made the right choice."

Kenji's eyes widened slightly, her words leaving him speechless. For a moment, the void around them felt warmer.

Elysia straightened up, her flames growing larger and brighter until Kenji had to squint against the light. When the glow dimmed slightly, he saw her holding out her hand toward him. In her palm was a vibrant, rose-pink flame. The energy radiating from it was almost overwhelming, pulsating with a power that felt both foreign and familiar.

"Your body isn't able to use significant amounts of power normally," she began, her tone more serious now. "But with this, it will focus all your energy into your healing factor, boosting it to incredible levels. You'll be able to keep going no matter how much damage you take."

Kenji stared at the flame, his breath catching. "That's… exactly what I need," he said. But before he could reach for it, Elysia raised a finger.

"There's a price." she warned, her gaze sharp. "Using this will come at a cost. It's not limitless, and the longer you use it, the greater the toll on your body and soul."

Kenji hesitated, his heart sinking. "What kind of cost?" he asked cautiously.

Elysia's flames flickered again, this time with a somber glow. "Using this power for more than five minutes will start to eat away at your lifespan," she said bluntly. "After those five minutes, every ten seconds will cost you one year of your life."

Kenji's eyes widened in shock. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. "Five minutes," he finally managed to say. "And then…"

"And then the clock starts ticking," Elysia finished for him, her expression unwavering. "But during those five minutes, your healing factor will be boosted to such incredible levels that you'll recover from injuries almost instantly. You'll become stronger with every moment, kind of like muscle hypertrophy but dangerous, very unreliable, and… it will hurt. A lot."

Kenji took a shaky breath, his mind reeling from the information. "Why are you even offering this to me, if it's so dangerous?" he asked.

Elysia smiled faintly. "Because I decided to put my faith in you." she said simply. "But I won't sugarcoat it. This is a last resort, and I'll forcefully stop it the moment the five minutes are up. Don't even think about forcing it to work over 5 minutes. I'm already risking a lot by doing this. The others… aren't exactly happy about it." She chuckled softly before her tone grew serious again. "So, Kenji… knowing all this, do you still want to fight?"

Kenji's heart pounded in his chest. He looked at the flame in her hand, its glow reflecting in his eyes. His body screamed at him to refuse, to stay safe, to recover. But his heart brought him to Himeko, the people of Nagazora, and he lives he wants to save.

He clenched his fists and met her gaze with unyielding determination. "I will," he said firmly.

Elysia's smile widened slightly, and for a moment, there was a flicker of pride in her expression. "I knew I made the right choice." she said softly. Then, to Kenji's surprise, she stepped forward and wrapped him in a warm embrace.

"Fight on, Kenji," she whispered, her voice gentle but resolute. "And don't you dare die."

---

Kenji woke with a sharp gasp, his chest heaving as if he had been underwater for too long. His vision was blurry, the world around him a chaotic blend of colors and shadows. Pain shot through every nerve in his body, his muscles trembling with the effort to breathe. The agony was so overwhelming that he couldn't even think straight.

As his senses began to return, he realized that his body was still broken. His right leg was still bent at an unnatural angle, the bone jutting out grotesquely. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, a deep purple bruise spreading across the length of it. His ribs ached with every shallow breath, and he felt like he was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness again.

But then, something changed.

A soft glow began to emanate from his chest, pulsing like a heartbeat. The light grew brighter, spreading outward in a mix of vibrant pink and fiery red, illuminating the small store where he lay. The glow enveloped his entire body, casting eerie shadows on the walls as the heat began to build within him.

Then it hit him. A searing, all-encompassing pain unlike anything he had ever felt before. It wasn't the sharp sting of an injury or the dull ache of exhaustion—it was as though his very insides were being set on fire.

The burning sensation spread through his veins, tearing through him like molten lava. Kenji clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together as he fought to hold back the scream clawing its way up his throat.

His broken leg was the first to react. He could feel the bone shifting, grinding against itself as it realigned with a sickening crunch. The sound was grotesque, echoing in the otherwise silent store. He bit down harder, his hands clawing at the ground as the pain escalated. The glow intensified around his leg, the light flickering like flames as the shattered fragments knitted themselves back together. In mere seconds, the bone was whole again.

Next came his left arm. The sensation of tendons reattaching and muscles mending was equally horrifying. The bruising faded as his arm regained its natural color and strength. He flexed his fingers instinctively, watching in awe as the purple discoloration vanished entirely.

His ribs followed suit. The fiery glow surged around his torso, and he felt the fractures sealing themselves. Each healed rib brought a sharp jolt of pain before relief flooded in. The burning heat persisted, but the injuries were gone. He sat up slowly, his breaths coming faster as he took stock of his now unbroken body.

"It worked," he whispered hoarsely, his voice trembling with disbelief. He looked down at his hands, flexing them experimentally. There was no sign of the damage from before, no lingering ache or weakness. But the heat inside him hadn't faded. It continued to burn, a constant reminder of the cost of his new power.

Kenji's gaze hardened. He didn't have time to waste. The pain—the burning—was a warning. Elysia had been clear: five minutes. That's all he had before this ability began eating away at his lifespan and she would forcefully shut it off.

Pushing himself to his feet, he stumbled at first, his body still adjusting to the sudden regeneration. His steps were shaky, his breathing shallow, but his resolve was unshaken. He had a mission.

With a deep breath, he steadied himself and clenched his fists. The glow around him dimmed slightly, settling into a faint shimmer as he focused his energy. The burning pain remained, but it was a small price to pay. He had been given another chance, and he wasn't going to waste it.

"Five minutes," he muttered to himself, his voice firm despite the pain. "I can do a lot in five minutes."

Without another moment of hesitation, he took off, his movements blindingly fast. The ground beneath him cracked with the force of his acceleration, and the store's entrance shattered as he burst through it. Buildings blurred past him as he sprinted toward the chaos, the pink and red glow trailing behind him like a comet.

…

The air was heavy with tension as a small group of police officers and civilians huddled together inside a broken-down bakery. The walls were cracked, the windows shattered, and the once-inviting aroma of freshly baked bread had been replaced with the acrid smell of smoke and destruction. The officers had managed to guide the group of survivors this far, but the trek through the ruined city had taken its toll.

Two officers sat by the counter, their shoulders slumped in exhaustion. One of them fiddled with a communication device, his fingers trembling slightly as he adjusted the frequency. "This is Unit Echo-4," he said, his voice steady despite the chaos outside. "We're stationed at a bakery on 12th and Main. Any word on when the Valkyries will arrive?"

Static crackled through the device before a voice responded. "Reinforcements are estimated to arrive in fifteen minutes. Hold your position if possible."

The officer sighed heavily, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. "Fifteen minutes..." he muttered, looking at his partner. "Do we wait it out, or do we keep moving?"

Another officer, a woman with a bandage wrapped tightly around her arm, leaned against the wall. "The shelters aren't too far," she said. "But with the way things are out there... we'd be risking everyone's lives just to shave a few minutes off the clock."

A third officer, older and grizzled, shook his head. "We can't just sit here. If something happens, we're trapped. At least on the move, we have options."

The civilians listened in silence, their faces pale with fear and exhaustion. A young mother clutched her child tightly, her knuckles white as she whispered reassurances. An elderly man adjusted his glasses nervously, his gaze darting to the shattered windows as if expecting something to burst through at any moment.

After a brief but heated discussion, the officers came to a decision. "Alright," said the leader, his voice firm. "We'll make a run for the shelters. Stick close, and don't make any noise."

But just as they were about to step out onto the street, a deafening crash shook the ground. A massive Chariot-class Honkai Beast slammed into the pavement in front of the bakery, its grotesque form sprawled out like a shattered statue. The impact sent debris flying, and the civilians screamed as they scrambled back into the building.

"Get inside! Now!" the lead officer barked, ushering everyone deeper into the bakery.

Before anyone could process what had happened, a figure landed atop the fallen Chariot, her crimson hair and greatsword catching the faint light of the fires burning in the distance. Himeko Murata stood tall, her battle-hardened form exuding an aura of raw power and determination.

She turned to the group, her voice booming. "Stay inside and don't come out! Do not open that door unless it's me or another Valkyrie!"

Without waiting for a response, Himeko leapt back into the fray, her blade gleaming as she charged toward the incoming horde of Honkai Beasts. The ground trembled under the weight of their advance—Seraphs soared through the air, Chariots barreled forward, and even the hulking forms of Templars loomed in the distance. At the center of the chaos, the monstrous Ganesha roared, its massive frame crushing everything in its path.

The civilians watched in stunned silence as the battlefield erupted before them. One officer quickly regained his composure and turned to the others. "Get everyone to the back. Hide them as deep as possible. We're not taking any chances."

The group retreated further into the bakery, guided by the officers. Two of them stayed near the front, working quickly to pull down the metal security screen over the broken entrance. The leader's hands shook as he locked the screen into place. "That should hold for a bit," he said, glancing nervously at the chaos outside.

But his relief was short-lived. A sudden screech pierced the air, and before anyone could react, a Seraph-class Honkai Beast smashed through the bakery's shattered window. Its clawed hand lashed out with terrifying speed, piercing straight through the stomach of one of the officers. The man's body went limp, blood pooling beneath him as he crumpled to the floor.

"No!" the other officer screamed, his voice raw with horror. He stumbled back, drawing a modified weapon from his holster. "Everyone, get to the back! Now!"

The civilians obeyed without hesitation, their terror driving them deeper into the bakery. The remaining officers positioned themselves at the front, their weapons trained on the Seraph as it shrieked and lunged toward them. The leader gritted his teeth, his knuckles white as he tightened his grip on his weapon.

…

Himeko's blade danced through the air, a blur of lethal precision as she cleaved through three Chariots and a cluster of Seraphs in swift, fluid motions. Sparks flew as her greatsword met their grotesque forms, slicing cleanly through them with devastating force. The Honkai beasts disintegrated into glowing ash, their roars cut short by her unrelenting strikes.

She jumped back as a Templar lunged at her, its massive arm smashing into the ground where she had just been standing. The impact sent shards of concrete flying, but Himeko twisted midair, her weapon poised for another strike. More Seraphs swarmed her from above, their glowing claws aimed at her vulnerable form. With a fierce cry, she spun, slashing through their ranks with devastating arcs of her blade. The shredded remains of the Seraphs fell like confetti around her as she landed.

Her boots barely touched the ground before Ganesha charged at her, its hulking frame barreling through the chaos. The air trembled with the force of its roar. Himeko leapt just in time, narrowly avoiding its destructive path. She landed on top of a nearby building, watching as Ganesha smashed through another structure, sending debris and dust into the air.

Himeko took a moment to steady her breathing, her sharp eyes scanning the battlefield below. The Honkai horde was relentless, their numbers seemingly endless. She hadn't anticipated them regrouping so quickly. Her mind flickered back to Kenji's earlier efforts. She hadn't realized just how much his presence had kept the beasts divided and distracted.

"Damn kid." she muttered under her breath. "You were holding back more than I thought."

Her thoughts were cut short as the building beneath her feet trembled violently. She barely had time to react before the entire structure began to crumble. Ganesha had rammed into it from below, shattering its foundation. Himeko pushed off the collapsing building, her instincts kicking in as she leapt into the air.

Mid-leap, she felt the presence of danger. Three Templars lunged at her from different directions, their massive forms closing in fast. Himeko gritted her teeth and swung her blade, managing to deflect their simultaneous strikes. The sheer force of the collision sent her hurtling backward, crashing through multiple buildings. She tumbled through the air, finally coming to a stop as she smashed into the second story of an office building.

"Fuck that stung!" Himeko growled, brushing debris off her armor. Her body was riddled with minor scratches, but she remained largely unscathed. Rolling her shoulders, she pushed herself to her feet and surveyed the damage.

Her sharp gaze darted to the shattered window in front of her, and her breath hitched. Ganesha was rolling toward her, its massive form barreling straight at the office building. Himeko's eyes widened, and without hesitation, she bolted upward, smashing through the floors above her with powerful leaps until she reached the roof.

She barely made it in time. Ganesha obliterated the building's lower levels, reducing it to rubble as she landed on the rooftop. Himeko steadied herself, letting out a breath of relief. "That was close—"

Her sentence was cut off as her eyes widened in horror. Ganesha hadn't stopped rolling. It continued its destructive rampage, heading straight for a nearby shelter. The realization struck her like a blow to the chest.

"Shit!" she cursed, her voice sharp with urgency. She wasted no time, sprinting across the rooftops at breakneck speed. Her legs burned with exertion, but she didn't care. She couldn't let it reach the shelter.

The shelter loomed in the distance, its reinforced structure standing as a fragile beacon of hope amidst the chaos. Inside, she knew civilians were huddled together, praying for safety. Himeko's jaw tightened, her resolve hardening as she pushed herself to move faster.

"I have to stop it," she muttered, her grip tightening on her greatsword. The glow of her weapon intensified as she prepared herself for what was to come. There was no room for failure. Not now.

With every step, the gap between her and Ganesha closed. Destruction followed in its wake, buildings crumbling under its relentless momentum. The roar of the beast echoed through the ruined streets, but Himeko didn't falter. She was a Valkyrie, and she would protect those people—no matter what.

…

The officers stationed at the front of the shelter were tense, their eyes scanning the ruined streets for any sign of danger. The atmosphere was heavy, and the faint echoes of distant battles only added to the unease. Suddenly, a loud crashing noise pierced the relative quiet, followed by a series of tremors that shook the ground beneath their feet.

"What the hell is that?" one officer muttered, gripping his weapon tighter. The tremors grew stronger, accompanied by an ominous rumbling that seemed to come from all directions.

An officer stationed at an outpost to the right scrambled to get a better view. She darted to the edge of her position, her heart pounding as she tried to pinpoint the source of the chaos. Her eyes widened in horror as she spotted a massive building a few hundred meters away being reduced to rubble. And then she saw it—Ganesha, the colossal Honkai beast, barreling through the city, crushing buildings like an unstoppable force of nature.

"Ganesha! It's coming this way!" she screamed, her voice shrill with panic.

The other officers froze for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in. Then chaos erupted as they scrambled to ready their weapons and fortify their defenses. Automated turrets powered up with a low hum, their barrels locking onto the advancing beast. Soldiers called out orders, their voices tinged with desperation as they tried to prepare for the impossible.

One of the officers clenched his fists, his knuckles white against the grip of his rifle. "The shelter can't take a direct hit from that thing," he muttered under his breath, fear creeping into his voice.

Another soldier, a younger recruit, stood frozen, his hands trembling as he stared at the approaching monstrosity. "We're gonna die," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the yelling of other soldiers.

...

Himeko was running as fast as her legs could carry her, her greatsword dragging behind her and leaving a trail of sparks on the broken pavement. She was just a short distance behind Ganesha, but the gap between them felt insurmountable.

"Damn it!" she growled, frustration boiling over as another horde of Honkai beasts swarmed toward her. Though she wondered why Anti-Entropy mech's wasn't showing up anymore, but she wasn't complaining.

Seraphs and Chariots closed in from all sides, their glowing forms a blur of menace.

With a furious cry, Himeko swung her blade in a wide arc, cleaving through three Chariots in a single blow. She twisted her body, slashing through a pair of Seraphs that dove at her from above. Their broken forms fell to the ground, but there was no time to celebrate. A Templar lunged at her, its claws raking through the air.

Himeko leaped, narrowly dodging the attack. She landed with a grunt and immediately charged forward, her sword glowing with energy as she bisected the Templar in two. "Out of my way!" she roared, her voice filled with raw determination. But even as she pushed through the horde, Ganesha's massive form loomed further ahead, unimpeded.

Her breath hitched as she saw the shelter in the distance. Ganesha was closing in, its momentum relentless. The beast crushed everything in its path, buildings crumbling like sandcastles under its immense weight.

"I won't make it in time," she thought, panic clawing at her chest. Her pace quickened, but the distance between her and Ganesha only seemed to grow.

Ganesha was now just 100 meters from the shelter. The officers opened fire with everything they had. Bullets, energy rounds, and explosive shells rained down on the beast, detonating against its armor in a series of bright flashes. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of burning metal.

"Keep firing!" the commanding officer yelled, his voice hoarse from shouting. But it was no use. Ganesha didn't even flinch. Its armor shrugged off the onslaught, and its momentum remained unbroken. The ground quaked with each step it took, the tremors threatening to topple the shelter's walls.

The younger soldier's panic boiled over. "It's not working! Nothing's working! We're all gonna die!" he screamed, his voice cracking.

The commanding officer shot him a glare, his own fear barely contained. "Shut up and keep firing! We're not dead yet!"

Himeko's heart raced as she pushed her body to its limits. The shelter was so close, yet so far. She could hear the screams of the soldiers, see the desperation in their movements. She tried her best to avoid the other Honkai Beasts that tried to attack her but it still slowed her down.

"Move, damn it!" she growled to herself, her grip tightening on her sword. Her thoughts spiraled into panic. "I won't make it. There's no way I can reach it in time!"

And then, it happened.

A deafening BOOM rang out, a shockwave so powerful that it nearly knocked Himeko off her feet. She stumbled, her eyes darting toward the source of the noise. A streak of pink and red light shot past her, moving at a speed she wasn't prepared for.

Her eyes widened in shock as the streak slammed into Ganesha with incredible force. The beast's massive body was lifted off the ground, hurled sideways through several buildings before crashing into a pile of wreckage. The resulting impact sent a plume of dust and debris into the air, obscuring everything in a thick haze.

The battlefield fell silent for a moment, the sudden turn of events leaving everyone stunned. The soldiers at the shelter kept their weapons ready, their eyes darting around as they tried to process what had just happened.

Himeko's heart skipped a beat as she stared at the scene. "Did reinforcements arrive?" she thought, hope briefly flaring in her chest. But as the dust began to settle, her eyes landed on a figure standing amidst the destruction.

Her breath caught in her throat. "Kenji?"

It was him. His leg, once broken and mangled, was now perfectly intact. His body, however, told a different story. Cracks spread across his body, forming and healing in a grotesque, endless cycle. Blood spurting from the cracks before healing and appearing once more. The red lightning that had once surrounded him was now intertwined with streaks of vibrant pink, giving him an otherworldly appearance.

"Kenji!" Himeko screamed, her voice filled with a mix of relief and anger. But he didn't respond. His eyes were locked onto Ganesha, now struggling to rise from the rubble.

Before she could say anything else, Kenji vanished in a blur of motion. To everyone else, he seemed to disappear entirely. But Himeko's sharp eyes caught his movements. He was faster than she'd ever seen, his speed was far faster than what she'd seen before.

Kenji reappeared in front of Ganesha just as the beast began to regain its footing. Without hesitation, he swung his leg in a powerful arc, delivering a devastating kick to Ganesha's side. The force of the impact was cataclysmic, sending the beast hurtling into the sky.

The shockwave from the attack was immense, ripping through the battlefield and forcing everyone to brace themselves. Soldiers clung to anything they could find as the wind roared around them. Even Himeko had to dig her heels into the ground to avoid being blown back. The Honkai Beasts around her all got blown away from the shockwave.

When she looked up, her jaw dropped. Kenji and Ganesha were now high in the sky, their forms barely visible against the clouds.

"Seriously." she whispered, a mix of awe and dread filling her voice. "What the fuck is going on?!". Her mind racing as she tried to come up with some sort of explanation as to how Kenji is even able to stand against Ganesha, let along sending it flying into the sky.

…

Kenji soared through the sky, his body screaming in protest as he forced 70% of his power into that devastating kick. His leg had shattered completely upon impact, the pain so searing it nearly pushed him into unconsciousness. He could feel the bones in his limb grinding together, splintered and jagged beneath his skin, but his determination held him steady. He clenched his teeth against the agony, every nerve in his body aflame as his broken leg began to regenerate. The process was excruciating, the pain hotter and fiercer, as though his very soul was being singed in fire.

"Keep going," he told himself through gritted teeth, his breaths ragged and shallow, his eyes locked onto Ganesha as the colossal beast hurtled through the air like a fallen titan.

Looking down, he realized that they were still too close to the ground. He couldn't risk Ganesha crashing back down onto the city or near the shelter. With a flick of his fingers, he sent a concentrated burst of air from his hand, propelling himself forward and upward toward the massive Honkai beast. The wind roared in his ears, tearing at his clothes and hair, but he didn't flinch. His next move was already clear in his mind.

Kenji clenched his fist, his knuckles whitening as he gathered strength. With all the force he could muster, he swung his arm forward, the punch connecting with Ganesha in a cataclysmic collision. A 70% punch detonated against the beast's dense armor, sending it flying even higher into the sky. The sheer force of the blow parted the clouds around them, creating an enormous halo of emptiness amidst the chaotic battlefield. Down below, soldiers and civilians alike felt the gale, their footing threatened as the air itself seemed to howl in response to his strength.

"Damn it," Kenji thought as he looked at his arm, now hanging limply by his side. It was broken beyond recognition, the bones splintered and pierced through his skin in grotesque angles. Blood dripped steadily from his fingertips, painting the sky with crimson streaks. His stomach churned at the sight, but he had no time to dwell on the damage.

His body began to heal, the flames of pain flaring even more intensely as his muscles and bones reconstructed themselves. The cycle of destruction and regeneration was merciless, and though his body mended itself, the sensation of burning never left.

They breached the clouds at last, Ganesha and Kenji now bathed in the warm, ethereal glow of the setting sun. The sky stretched out infinitely around them, its hues of orange and pink casting a surreal calm over the chaos. They hovered there for a fleeting moment, suspended in the beauty of twilight, before gravity began to reclaim them. But Kenji wasn't done.

In the stillness of that fleeting moment, time seemed to slow. Images flooded Kenji's mind like a torrent, overwhelming and vivid. Kiana's fiery determination. Mei's quiet, unshakable strength. Daichi's mentoring, unwavering and steadfast. And Elysia—her gentle yet resolute guidance, her belief in him, her faith in him.

Elysia's words echoed in his mind, clear and steady despite the roar of the wind. "I—no, we, place our faith… our hopes in you."

Kenji's eyes sharpened, his resolve crystallizing into something unbreakable. He drew back his fist, summoning every last ounce of strength he had. This punch wasn't just a strike; it was a declaration. A culmination of his power, his will, and his determination to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. It was everything he had—and everything he was.

He remembered Elysia's words again "Your 100 normally wouldn't actually be your 100%. Like how Midoriya's 100% at the start was around 5% of All Might's strength. It's the same concept with you. But with this, you will access every single bit of your potential"

"One hundred percent," he whispered to himself, his voice steady despite the chaos. Red and pink lightning crackled around his body, intertwining in an electrifying storm that illuminated the sky.

Then, from the very depths of his heart, he roared, "SMAAAASHHHH!"

His fist connected with Ganesha, and the world seemed to shatter.

The impact was cataclysmic. The colossal beast's massive body disintegrated into ash, obliterated entirely by the sheer power of Kenji's blow. The resulting shockwave rippled outward, a force so immense it cleared the sky of every cloud across the entirety of Nagazora. The winds that followed weren't just strong; they were devastating. Buildings crumbled like sandcastles, debris scattered like leaves in a storm. The ground shook violently, as though the earth itself was recoiling from the force of his punch.

On the ground, soldiers and civilians clung to railings, barricades, and each other, struggling to stay upright against the roaring gale. The shelter's walls groaned under the pressure, the reinforced structure barely holding together. Those at the front lines shielded their eyes, the dust and debris choking the air and obscuring their vision. Even Himeko crouched down to avoid being blown away from the force. Embedding her greatsword into the ground to anchor herself.

Far beyond the city, on a battleship carrying Valkyries toward the embattled Nagazora, the shockwave struck like a tidal wave. The vessel trembled violently, alarms blaring as the crew scrambled to maintain control.

"Commander Fu Hua!" one of the Valkyries shouted, her voice tinged with panic. "What the hell just hit us?!"

Fu Hua stood firm in the command center, her calm demeanor unshaken despite the chaos around her. She narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed on the observation deck. Through the glass, the sky was eerily clear, the devastation below visible in unsettling detail. But it wasn't the destruction that caught her attention.

It was the figure.

Through the dissipating clouds and the settling dust, they saw him. A lone man stood amidst the heavens, his body encased in a storm of pink and red lightning. His presence was undeniable, his power radiating even across the distance.

"Who is that?" another Valkyrie asked, her voice trembling.

Fu Hua's eyes narrowed further, her mind racing. She didn't answer immediately. The scene before her was too surreal, too impossible to comprehend in a single moment. But one thing was clear:

The man who had just cleared the sky was no ordinary warrior.