The alarms blared across the MOTH headquarters as everyone braced themselves for the new crisis.
The situation was escalating quickly, and Kevin stood in the center of the control room, his gaze fixed on the large screens Bronya had projected. Each one displayed a growing nightmare in Australia and Kyushu.
"Kevin, big problem,"*Mei said urgently, her voice cutting through the alarms.
"A new Herrscher has descended in Australia, and this one possesses the ability to manipulate fire. The destruction is... catastrophic."
The screen zoomed in on a massive red lizard with wings, soaring through the skies above the city and spewing fire in every direction.
Buildings were ablaze, and the once-bustling metropolis had been reduced to an inferno. Next to the lizard, a gigantic red bird circled ominously, radiating fierce, blazing heat that melted everything in its path.
"Not just the Herrscher," Bronya added as she expanded the map.
"We've also identified two major Honkai beasts. These two creatures are wreaking havoc."
Kevin gritted his teeth. Two massive beasts and a Herrscher controlling fire in Australia, but the news didn't stop there. His thoughts raced back to the call he received from Aponia just two hours earlier.
Two Hours Ago:
Kevin had been standing by when the communicator buzzed, Aponia's voice flowing through.
"Kevin, Kalpas and I encountered two individuals... they possess Herrscher gems."
Kevin had frowned at the mention of more Herrscher gems. "What were their abilities?"
"One controlled iron, twisting it like it was an extension of his own body. The other manipulated rocks, creating barriers and projectiles from the ground beneath him," Aponia had explained, her voice calm but tinged with concern.
"Kalpas was injured during the battle, but we managed take down one while the other managed to flee."
Kevin clenched his fist. "I'll take care of it. Stay safe, Aponia. Kalpas is too reckless, but you..."
"Don't worry, Kevin," Aponia had reassured him. "I can handle myself."
---
Back in the present, Kevin looked over to the others. "The problems just keep getting bigger. Damn it."
A new voice entered the room, and Kevin turned to see Sakura approaching with a troubled expression.
"Kevin sama... there's another issue. A beast is heading toward my hometown."
The room fell silent for a moment as everyone processed the growing list of threats.
Kevin took a deep breath.
"We'll deal with it. Sakura, you will undergo the fusion warrior process and stop that beast. Mobius will go with you once your transformation is complete."
"Understood,"Sakura said with a determined nod. "I won't let that thing destroy my home."
Mobius with a wicked smile playing on her lips. "I look forward to seeing what kind of warrior you become, Sakura. I'll be there to ensure nothing stands in your way."
Sakura gave a small smile in return, though the tension in the room was palpable.
Kevin then turned to Elysia, who had been quietly listening. "You'll go to Kyushu," he instructed. "Take down the pseudo-Herrschers and help Kalpas who is injured."
Elysia nodded, her usual voice but replaced with a more serious expression. "You can count on me, Kevin. I'll take care of them."
As the room prepared for the imminent departures, elyisa pulled kevin aside, his face softening slightly as he spoke to her in a low voice. "Be careful, Kevin. This disaster might be more dangerous than we think."
Kevin returned the kiss, feeling a momentary sense of calm in her presence. "I will take care. And when this is all over, maybe we can take a little break. Just the two of us."
Elysia giggled, her playful demeanor returning for a brief moment. "You better keep that promise."
The team moved out with precision, each heading toward their designated missions. Kevin took one last glance at the group before stepping away.
"Bronya, Mei, Aponia, Mobius, Sakura, Elysia... this is it. Let's finish this."
The team gave a collective nod, and Kevin stepped outside, summoning his dragonification powers.
In an instant, wings of pure energy erupted from his back. With a single flap, he was airborne, rocketing toward Australia faster than lightning, leaving a sonic boom in his wake.
Australia:
Kevin arrived in the burning wasteland that was once a city. He hovered above the chaos, his eyes scanning for Himeko, now a fully-fledged Herrscher of Fire.
The heat in the air was suffocating, and the two massive Honkai beasts he had seen on the screen earlier were causing massive destruction on the ground.
Kevin landed on the scorched earth, his wings retracting as he approached the battlefield.
He could feel the immense Honkai energy radiating from the Herrscher. And there, in the middle of the flames, he saw her.
Himeko stood at the center of the chaos, her body wrapped in flames, her eyes burning with the power of a Herrscher.
She looked nothing like the Himeko he once knew. She had fully succumbed to the Honkai, her will overtaken by its malevolent force.
"Himeko!" Kevin called out to her, hoping for a flicker of recognition.
But there was no response. Himeko's gaze was cold and unfeeling. She raised her hand, and with a single motion, a massive wave of fire surged toward Kevin.
Kevin swiftly dodged, his body moving with the speed of a lightning bolt. "I guess talking won't work..."
He shifted into his battle stance, activating his dragonification to its fullest extent. His body glowed with an intense energy as he prepared for the fight of his life. "Then I'll have to stop you... by force!"
As Kevin launched himself at Himeko, the two Honkai beasts—one resembling a massive winged lizard and the other a fiery bird—roared and joined the fray.
Their battle continues while in other place.
*****
As the sky darkened over Kyushu, the clash between Elysia and the Herrscher of Metal came to a swift but decisive conclusion.
Elysiia crystal constructs shimmering with ethereal beauty. The battlefield was littered with shards of metal— remnants of the Herrscher's futile struggle. Her crystalline lance had pierced the Herrscher of Metal's chest, pinning him to the ground as his once-solid form began to crumble.
I told you," Elysia said softly, her voice carrying a hint of sorrow. You never stood a chance."
As the Herrscher of Metal's vision began to fade, Elysia knelt beside him, her eyes softening.
"You were just being manipulated against your nature,"she whispered, placing a hand on his cooling shoulder.
"But the Honkai must be stopped, no matter the cost."
With that, the herrscher closed her eyes briefly, the Herrscher's body dissolved into fragments of metal, scattering to the wind leaving only a gem behind.
Elysia stood up, brushing herself off as her constructs disappeared. She gazed up at the sky, taking in the eerie silence after the battle.
"Another task done," she mused to herself before activating her communicator.
---
Meanwhile, over in Sakura's hometown, the transformation was complete. Sakura had officially become a MANTIS—a fusion warrior—and with her new strength, she was now far more powerful than she had ever imagined.
The Honkai beast codenamed Asura, a monstrous creature that had threatened to destroy everything in its path, had been brought to its knees by her blade. Its dark, twisted form lay in pieces at her feet.
Sakura wiped her brow, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.
"It's done," she said quietly into her communicator, addressing Mobius. "Asura is dead."
Mobius' voice crackled through the line, her tone sharp as always. "Good work, Sakura. I told you the transformation would be worth it. Now return.."
Sakura took a deep breath and glanced over the battlefield one last time, the smoldering remains of the Honkai beast still radiating faint heat.
She sheathed her blade and turned to leave, her mind already shifting to what was about to come.
A/N~ do comment. Did anybody know a good slice of life moment which happens in PE.
Next chapter~ Herrscher of flame
15 stones and I'll release next chapter instantly.