29. Light In The City
Kenji barely had time to register what had happened when he unleashed 100% of One For All on Ganesha. One moment, he was throwing the punch of a lifetime, and the next, he was free-falling through the sky, gravity yanking him down like a puppet on a string.
The sunset lit up the sky in soft oranges and pinks, painting the heavens in colors that felt far too serene for what had just transpired. The stark contrast between the tranquil sky and the chaos below was almost too much to process.
His body screamed in protest. The punch had obliterated his arm, leaving it mangled and useless, but the healing factor kicked in, knitting him back together quickly.
The squelch of regenerating tissue was muffled by the wind howling past his ears, but it was enough to make his stomach turn. His arm felt like it was being rebuilt with molten steel, the pain searing through him in waves, but there was no time to focus on that. He had bigger problems. Like how to land without ending up a puddle of blood.
Twisting mid-air, Kenji forced himself into a skydiving position, arms and legs spread wide to slow his descent. The wind roared in his ears, battering him with relentless force, but his mind raced ahead of his body. The ground was rushing up to meet him, but when he glanced down, his breath hitched, and all thoughts of panic momentarily fled his mind.
From this height, Nagazora stretched out before him like a canvas. The setting sun bathed the city in golden light, making even its shattered ruins look breathtaking. The broken skyscrapers and jagged streets sparkled like fragments of a stained-glass window, each shard catching the light in a different hue. For a moment, everything stilled.
The chaos, the pain, the weight of what he'd just done—it all melted away. The city glowed like a masterpiece painted by a divine hand, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Kenji was struck speechless.
A tear slipped free, catching the wind and disappearing before he could wipe it away. He blinked hard, but the emotions swelled within him. He smiled, a grin that felt as though it could split his face in two. Then, out of nowhere, he laughed. It started as a chuckle, bubbling up uncontrollably until he was full-on laughing, the sound carried away by the rushing air. Was it insane to laugh while falling toward certain doom? Probably. Did he care? Not at all.
"This is crazy" he thought, still grinning like a madman. His heart raced, not from fear, but from the sheer exhilaration of being alive. The wind whipped past him, tugging at his clothes and hair, and for a fleeting moment, it was just him and the world. No battles, no Honkai, no responsibilities—just pure, unfiltered freedom. The sensation was intoxicating, a burst of euphoria that eclipsed everything else. He felt alive in a way he hadn't in years, maybe ever.
The city below sparkled like a jewel, its beauty striking even amidst its scars. Kenji's laughter faded into a soft, breathless sigh as he let the moment wash over him. He could see the tiny flickers of firelight from survivors huddled together, the remnants of the city's defenses glinting like veins of silver. Even in ruin, Nagazora pulsed with life. It was a city that refused to be extinguished, and Kenji couldn't help but feel a deep, overwhelming respect for it.
Then his mind went back to Himeko's words, when she explained how important his power was. His energy, was somehow unleashed during the last Honkai Eruption, it had acted like a siren call. The beasts were drawn to the concentration of his energy, making them lose focus on everything else.
"Elysia," he murmured, his voice nearly lost to the wind, "do me one more favor. Make the Honkai Beasts focus on me. All of them."
There was no answer, but a warmth bloomed in his chest, spreading outward like ripples in a pond. It felt… right. Like something deep inside him was being unleashed. The sensation poured out of him, invisible but undeniable, and he knew it was working. The air around him seemed to shift, humming with latent energy. He imagined it stretching across the city like a net, drawing the attention of every Honkai beast within range.
Kenji's grin returned, this time edged with determination. He adjusted his posture, straightening his limbs to cut through the air like an arrow. The ground was rushing closer now, but he didn't care. He activated 70% of One For All, power surging through him like liquid fire. His muscles tensed, the familiar heat roaring in his veins. The pain of his earlier injuries was still there, the burning was still there, but it only fueled his resolve. Every beat of his heart felt like a drum pounding.
He glanced at the horizon one last time, the golden light of the setting sun spilling across the ruins like a promise. He clenched his fists, the energy within him burning brighter.
"Three minutes left," he whispered, the words barely audible but packed with resolve. "Make it count."
And with that, he dove faster, a blazing streak of light hurtling toward the city
…
Himeko stood amidst the chaos, her greatsword glinting in the light of the setting sun as she caught her breath. A few moments ago, she had witnessed something that shook her to her core. Kenji had unleashed a punch so powerful it cleared the sky of every cloud over Nagazora. The sheer force of it had been breathtaking, a display of raw power that was so sudden. For a fleeting second, Himeko had been frozen in awe, her mind grappling with the enormity of what she had just seen.
"That kid," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she swung her blade to clear the blood and ichor from its edge. "He's got more potential than I thought."
But awe had no place in the heat of battle. The shockwave from Kenji's attack had sent many of the Honkai beasts flying, their grotesque forms crashing into the rubble-strewn streets. For a brief moment, it had seemed like a victory. But the beasts were relentless. They regrouped quickly, their grotesque shapes surging back into the fray with renewed ferocity, as though Kenji's overwhelming power had only enraged them further.
The hordes came back in waves, their numbers swelling like an unstoppable tide. Himeko tightened her grip on her greatsword, leaping into the air to dodge the lunge of a Chariot-class Honkai beast. The beast's claws raked the ground where she had been moments before, gouging deep furrows into the earth. She twisted mid-air, bringing her blade down in a deadly arc.
The greatsword cleaved through the beast's armored hide with a sickening crunch, splitting it in two as she landed in a crouch. Black ichor sprayed from the bisected creature, pooling around her boots.
"Reinforcements are almost here," she thought, her chest heaving as she scanned the battlefield for the next threat. "Just a bit longer, and this will get a lot easier."
Her gaze shifted to the hordes of Honkai beasts and corrupted zombies that littered the streets, their glowing eyes and twisted forms a stark reminder of the stakes. They moved with an unnatural coordination. Himeko took a deep breath, the weight of her greatsword reassuring in her hands. She gripped her blade hard, the setting sun glinting off its surface as she prepared to charge into the fray once more.
But just as she braced herself to attack, something changed. The battlefield fell unnaturally silent. Every beast, every zombie, froze in place, their movements halting as though a switch had been flipped. Himeko's instincts flared, her senses sharpening as she tried to discern what had caused the shift. The creatures' heads snapped upward in eerie unison, their glowing eyes fixed on something far above.
Himeko followed their gaze, her heart pounding as she spotted a streak of red and pink plummeting from the sky like a comet. The glow intensified as it descended, leaving a blazing trail in its wake.
'Kenji' she realized, her breath hitching as her heart skipped a beat. The streak of light was unmistakable. It was him. 'He made them all focus on him!'
The Honkai's collective attention shifted entirely, and without hesitation, the entire horde began to surge toward the descending form. The ground trembled beneath the weight of their charge, an unstoppable tide of claws, fangs, and malice. Himeko's muscles tensed as she readied herself to intercept them, her greatsword poised to cut them down before they could reach him.
But then, a deafening boom echoed across the city, shaking the very foundations of the ruined buildings. The shockwave rippled through the air, sending loose debris tumbling from the crumbling facades. Himeko's eyes widened as, in the next instant, a streak of red and pink lightning tore through the battlefield with impossible speed.
The streak—Kenji—moved like a force of nature. He was a blur of motion, darting from beast to beast with lethal precision. Each strike was devastating, the sheer power of his blows causing Chariots, Seraphs, Templars, and zombies to disintegrate into ash almost instantly. The horde that had seemed endless moments ago was obliterated in mere seconds.
Himeko stood still, her breath caught in her throat as she tried to process the carnage unfolding before her. Her heightened perception allowed her to catch glances of Kenji's form within the storm of destruction. Kenji's movements were fluid and precise, his strikes imbued with a power that seemed almost unreal.
He dispatched the final beast with a thunderous blow, its form disintegrating into ash that scattered in the air. The battlefield fell silent, save for the faint crackle of dissipating energy and the distant echoes of destruction. It was only then, as the dust settled, that Kenji dashed past Himeko, a streak of red and pink lightning cutting through the chaos.
In that split second, their eyes met. Kenji's grin was wild, his expression one of unshakable determination. Despite the carnage, he looked exhilarated, as though he was reveling in the sheer intensity of the fight. For a heartbeat, Himeko felt a grin of her own tugging at her lips. Then he disappeared, running off to find the next Honkai Beast.
"I'll let you deal with this for now," she said with a smirk, her voice carrying a mix of admiration and relief. Her grip on her greatsword relaxed slightly as she turned, her gaze shifting toward the direction of the nearest shelter. There were still people who needed her help, and she wasn't about to let them down.
As she sprinted toward the shelter, the echoes of Kenji's destruction rumbled through the city. The streak of red and pink lightning continued its rampage, cutting through the remnants of the horde like a blade through water. Himeko didn't look back. She didn't need to. She knew that, for now, the battlefield was in capable hands.
'So this is what it feels like to be the one in the supporting role.'
…
A few soldiers stood guard in the husk of a broken-down apartment building, their breaths shallow as they tried to maintain their composure. Around them, about twenty civilians huddled together, fear etched deeply into their faces. The soldiers' mission was clear: get these people to the nearest shelter, no matter the cost. But the streets outside were still swarming with Honkai beasts, and every second felt like borrowed time.
Just moments ago, a deafening explosion had rocked the area. The ground trembled violently, sending loose debris cascading from the cracked walls and ceiling. It felt like the world itself was tearing apart, but after a few tense moments, the tremors stopped. A strange sound filled the air—a low, rolling thunder that seemed to ripple through the ruins. The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, each one gripping their weapons tighter.
"What the hell is going on?" muttered a young recruit, his voice cracking as he glanced toward the window. His fingers twitched nervously on the barrel of his rifle, sweat dripping from his temple.
A grizzled veteran with streaks of dirt smudged across his face stepped cautiously toward the shattered window. Peering out, his eyes narrowed in confusion. "Chariot-class," he muttered, pointing out into the distance. "But it's… walking away?"
"Walking away?" another soldier asked incredulously, stepping up beside him. "That doesn't make any sense."
Before they could make sense of the scene, the veteran barked, "Positions! Now!" The civilians flinched at the command, shrinking further into the corners of the room as the soldiers scrambled to get into place. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut. But just as the soldiers raised their weapons, ready for a fight, something streaked across the street outside—a blur of red and pink light that moved faster than their eyes could track. In an instant, the Chariot-class Honkai beast disintegrated into a cloud of ash, scattering in the wind.
For a moment, there was only silence, the shock of what they had just witnessed leaving everyone frozen. "Did… did you see that?" one of the younger soldiers stammered, his voice barely audible.
The veteran didn't reply immediately, his gaze still fixed on the window. His knuckles were white as he gripped his weapon. "Stay sharp," he said finally, his tone grim. "Whatever that was, the city's still shaking with those explosions. This isn't over."
The distant rumbling continued, punctuated by periodic crashes that echoed through the ruins like rolling thunderclaps. One of the soldiers, a wiry man with a birth mark running down his cheek, fumbled with a communication device. Relief flooded his face when the static cleared, and a faint voice crackled through.
"HQ, this is Echo-7. Do you read?" the soldier said urgently.
The response came quickly. "Echo-7, we read you. What's your status?"
"We've got civilians, about twenty, sheltering in place. What's the situation? How bad are the Honkai readings?"
There was a pause on the other end, broken only by the faint sound of typing. Finally, the voice replied, but it wasn't what they had expected. "The Honkai energy levels are decreasing. Fast."
The soldier blinked in disbelief. "Wait, they're dropping?"
"Affirmative," the voice said. "City-wide levels are plummeting. Whatever's out there is cutting them down faster than we can track."
Another soldier let out a shaky sigh of relief. "So the Valkyries are here," he said, a hopeful smile tugging at his lips.
But the voice on the other end quickly shattered that assumption. "Negative. The Valkyries are still eight minutes out."
The room went deathly still. One of the soldiers, his brow furrowed in confusion, asked the question on everyone's mind. "Then what the hell is killing all the Honkai beasts?!"
There was another pause, and then the response came, almost hesitant. "From the info we've gathered from other outposts, they're saying it's the vigilante. The one they call 'The Night Runner.'"
"Damn," the veteran muttered, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. He leaned against the wall, his mind racing as he tried to process the information. "So that vigilante is strong enough to do this?"
His voice trailed off as another loud boom echoed through the city, louder and closer this time. The soldiers instinctively turned toward the window just in time to see another streak of red and pink blur past. A group of Seraph-class Honkai beast, looming menacingly in the distance, disintegrated into ash moments later, its glowing remains swept away by the wind.
One of the younger soldiers stepped forward, his voice filled with awe. "It's almost over," he muttered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.
The veteran glanced at him, then back out the window. For the first time since the chaos began, a faint glimmer of hope flickered in his tired eyes. "Yeah," he said quietly, his voice steady. "It's almost over."
Outside, the streak of red and pink continued its relentless assault, moving with a speed and precision that defied belief. The soldiers watched as the remaining Honkai beasts, once so overwhelming, were reduced to nothing more than fading ash.
…
The battleship was a hive of chaos, the steady hum of its engines almost drowned out by the frantic voices of the crew. Alarms blared intermittently, and holographic screens flashed data across the bridge. The sensors were going wild, registering an anomaly unlike anything they'd seen before. It wasn't just Honkai energy—it was something foreign, something unidentifiable, that seemed to be dragging the attention of every Honkai beast in Nagazora.
Fu Hua's fingers flew across the keyboard, her sharp eyes fixed on the monitor before her. The screen displayed a map of the city below, overlaid with streams of data and energy signatures. Despite the chaos around her, Fu Hua's expression remained calm and focused, though inside she felt a twinge of exasperation. Her mind raced as she processed the readings.
"Just like the previous eruption..." she thought, her gaze narrowing as the numbers on the screen confirmed her suspicions. The Honkai energy levels were decreasing, steadily and rapidly. That alone should have been good news, but the strange, foreign energy that accompanied it filled her with unease. For some reason it felt somewhat familiar to her.
"Commander," a crew member called out, snapping Fu Hua out of her thoughts. She turned slightly, acknowledging the soldier with a brief nod before returning her focus to the monitor. The screen flickered, revealing a red and pink streak darting across the cityscape. It moved too fast for the sensors to track properly, but its presence was unmistakable. It illuminated Nagazora in bursts of light, each pass signaling the fall of more Honkai beasts.
A sudden hand on her shoulder made her stiffen. She turned her head sharply, only to find Rita Rossweisse standing behind her. Rita's calm and collected demeanor was a stark contrast to the urgency around them, her sharp gaze steady as she regarded Fu Hua.
"We're almost ready to descend," Rita said, her voice soft but firm.
Fu Hua gave her a curt nod. "Good. Tell the Valkyries to prepare for deployment."
Rita inclined her head and stepped away, her movements as graceful as ever despite the chaotic atmosphere. As she issued orders to the other Valkyries, Fu Hua allowed herself a moment to glance back at the monitor. The red and pink streak—that mysterious force—was still moving, blitzing through the ruins of Nagazora with relentless speed. Wherever it went, the city seemed to light up, as if its very presence was bringing hope to the desolate streets.
She tightened her grip on the edge of the console, her thoughts momentarily drifting. "What are you?" she wondered silently, her gaze fixed on the glowing streak. Whatever it was, it was powerful. And it was fighting for their side. That much was clear.
The sound of boots striking metal echoed through the bridge as the Valkyries finished their preparations. Fu Hua straightened and turned to face them. With a steady voice that carried over the noise, she gave the final order.
"Descend."
The bridge erupted into motion as the crew and Valkyries carried out her command. Fu Hua turned her attention back to the monitor one last time before stepping away.
…
Kenji tore through the streets of Nagazora, the ruined city a blur of jagged edges and fleeting shadows as he sprinted at impossible speeds. The red and pink lightning crackled around him, illuminating the shattered buildings and fractured streets. His eyes darted frantically, scanning for any sign of Honkai beasts. Each second counted, and he wasn't going to waste any of them.
Ahead, movement caught his eye. A Templar-class Honkai beast lumbered through the wreckage, its grotesque form emanating malice. Kenji surged forward, his enhanced strength coursing through his body. The beast didn't even have time to react before his fist connected, shattering it into ash.
He kept running, his mind racing faster than his legs. The weight of the destruction around him pressed heavily on his chest, but he pushed it aside.
"10 seconds."
The voice was faint, muffled, but recognizable. Elysia. She was warning him. His time limit was almost up.
"Damn it," he cursed, his voice lost in the roar of wind and crackling energy. He forced himself to go faster, squeezing every ounce of power he could from One For All.
Another Templar fell, its armored hide crushed under the force of his strike. A Seraph swooped in, its claws reaching for him. He twisted mid-run, delivering a devastating blow that sent it spiraling into the rubble. Another beast appeared, and another, each one meeting the same fate. His breaths came faster, the strain on his body becoming more pronounced.
The red and pink lightning flared brighter as he pushed his body to its limit. His muscles screamed in protest, but he ignored the pain. His vision narrowed, focusing entirely on the enemies ahead. The cracks spidering across his skin deepened, glowing faintly as his body countered with the healing factor to hold the power surging through it.
His vision blurred, but he could still see the next target. His heart pounded against his ribs like a war drum, each beat echoing louder in his ears. The red and pink streak tore through another cluster of Honkai beasts, reducing them to ash.
1
The red and pink lightning flickered and dimmed. Kenji felt the power drain from his body as he skidded to a stop, crashing into the ground with incredible force. The impact sent debris flying as he tumbled through the wreckage, finally coming to a halt. He lay sprawled out on the cracked pavement, gasping for air. His body was littered with scratches, and some parts hadn't healed in time. Deep cracks still marred his skin, and every movement sent waves of pain coursing through him.
With a groan, Kenji forced himself to deactivate One For All completely. The absence of power was a strange, hollow sensation. He tried to push himself up but quickly realized that his body wasn't responding. Everything felt like lead, every muscle rebelling against him.
"Great," he muttered weakly, coughing up a little blood. "Guess I'm stuck here." He let his head fall back against the ground, staring up at the darkened sky. For the first time in what felt like hours, the battle seemed distant. The booms and roars were fading, replaced by a strange, almost eerie calm. He hoped it was enough.
Then he heard it—the sound of heavy, metallic footsteps approaching. Kenji's heart sank as he turned his head, straining to see. An Anti-Entropy mech lumbered toward him, its sleek form glinting in the faint light. The sight of the machine's glowing weapon made his blood run cold.
"Oh, come on!" he groaned, trying once more to move. His limbs refused to cooperate, and he felt a pang of frustration. "Not now…"
The mech raised its weapon, the barrel glowing ominously. Kenji braced himself for the worst, but the attack never came. Instead, a familiar greatsword cleaved through the mech with devastating precision, slicing it cleanly in two. The halves fell to the ground with a deafening crash, sparks flying as they skidded to a stop.
Kenji's eyes widened as a figure emerged from behind the fallen mech. "Himeko," he breathed, relief flooding his voice.
She walked toward him, her crimson hair catching the light as she rested the greatsword on her shoulder. Her expression softened as she got closer, her gaze scanning his battered form.
"Himeko!" Kenji called out again, trying to lift his head. Seeing her worried expression, he tried to reassure her with a weak grin. "Don't worry, just some bleeding… but nothing's broken again!"
Her response was a swift smack to the top of his head, not hard enough to hurt but enough to make her irritation clear. "You really couldn't stand still, could you? Even when I told you to?" she said, her voice a mix of exasperation and concern.
Kenji chuckled despite himself, wincing as the motion pulled at his injuries. "Hey, everything worked out, didn't it?" he said, his tone light but tired.
Himeko let out a sigh, shaking her head. But despite her irritation, there was a visible smile of relief on her face. "That's a horrible way of thinking, you idiot."
Kenji's body finally began to relax, the adrenaline fading as exhaustion took over. The weight of his efforts pressed down on him, and his eyelids grew heavy. He looked up at Himeko one last time, her silhouette framed by the faint glow of the city's lights.
"Since everything's alright… I'm just gonna take a nap…" he mumbled, his voice trailing off.
Before Himeko could respond, his head fell back, and everything went black. The last thing he heard was her faint voice calling his name.
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*Authors Note*
The Eruption Arc is finally finished! This was challenging to write but I hope it was satisfying. Thank you all again for reading this far and I hope you'll stick around for future chapters!
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