Ch-54 < Herrscher of flame >

Kevin hovered above the burning ruins of Australia, his mind racing as the intense battle continued.

The moment he saw the notification pop up in his system, a surge of determination washed over him.

"Defeat the Herrscher of Fire," the notification read.

*Reward: 70,000 system points

*The Authority of Fire.

That only served to fuel his rage further. He had already made up his mind—this Herrscher was a threat to the entire world, and she had to be stopped.

The air around Kevin crackled with tension as his aura erupted, a massive blue energy cascading outward. The temperature in the city plummeted as his ice powers took hold, freezing the city in a matter of seconds. Both the massive Honkai beasts and the flames that had consumed the buildings froze in place, captured by the sheer force of his power.

The Herrscher of Fire—Himeko—gritted her teeth as she felt the icy restraint tightening around her body, but she wasn't going to be contained so easily. She summoned her aura once more, a burst of fiery energy erupting from her, shattering the ice that had encased her. Her red eyes glowed with power as she stared Kevin down.

"God did tell me that you were dangerous," she sneered. "A mere human who has become so strong... it's almost laughable."

Kevin's eyes narrowed at her words. "God?" he repeated, suspicion creeping into his voice.

"Who is this 'God' of yours? Is it... the Honkai Will or a outer god ?

The Herrscher's expression darkened, but she dismissed him with a cold glare. "You are not worthy to utter her name."

Her expression change at the mention of outer god. Kevin thought.

She summoned a sword of flame, the blade radiating immense heat. Kevin responded in kind, summoning his own weapon—his Divine key, now in katana form, crackling with lightning and ice.

Without a word, Kevin vanished in a flash of blue lightning, moving faster than the eye could see. He reappeared in front of Himeko and drove a powerful kick into her stomach. The force sent her crashing through several buildings, reducing them to rubble in an instant.

As Kevin glanced over at the frozen beasts, he noticed that the ice was already beginning to melt.

The fire bird, in particular, seemed to be regenerating faster than it should.

"The bird's regeneration is a problem,"Kevin mused. "It won't die easily."

Kevin didn't waste any more time. He summoned numerous ice and blood spears, each one glowing with deadly energy. With a flick of his hand, the spears shot toward the two beasts.

The dragon was impaled by the barrage of lances, its body freezing instantly as it let out a final roar before collapsing. The fire bird, however, shrieked in pain but refused to die, its wounds already knitting themselves back together.

The ground beneath Kevin rumbled as the temperature around him began to spike again. The Herrscher of Fire had recovered, and she was ready to retaliate. With a wave of her hand, the buildings surrounding them melted into molten lava, and a sea of fire surged forth from her body, consuming everything in its path.

Kevin steadied himself, but something unexpected happened. The air shimmered, and the corpse of the dragon began to glow with an otherworldly light. Before Kevin could react, the dead beast transformed into a massive sword and flew toward Himeko's outstretched hand.

The Herrscher caught the blade effortlessly, a sinister smile curling on her lips. "This will be your end, human," she declared, her voice dripping with malice.

Kevin's eyes widened as he watched the transformation unfold. "What the hell...? How can a monster turn itself into a weapon?"

Himeko didn't respond. She rushed at Kevin with terrifying speed, her blazing fire sword clashing against Kevin's katana.

Ice and lightning clashed violently against the overwhelming heat of fire, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

Kevin grimaced as he blocked each strike, feeling the intense pressure behind Himeko's attacks. She was faster and stronger than before, her flames growing hotter with every moment. But Kevin wasn't one to be easily overwhelmed.

"You think fire will save you?" Kevin muttered. He concentrated, activating his ability to reduce kinetic momentum. The surrounding air seemed to slow down as Kevin used his powers to decelerate the atomic movements in the area, cooling the heat of Himeko's flames.

Himeko noticed the shift, her flames losing some of their intensity as Kevin's ice powers dampened her attacks. Her brow furrowed as she tried to increase the thermal energy around her, hoping to burn through his defenses. But Kevin anticipated her move.

With a burst of speed, Kevin dodged her next strike and countered with a powerful uppercut, sending Himeko flying backward.

She tumbled through the air, crashing into the ground with a grunt. "Damn him... how is he so strong?" she muttered under her breath.

Himeko tried to summon more fire, but Kevin quickly seized the opportunity. He thrust his hand forward, sending spikes of ice shooting up from the ground.

They impaled Himeko's body, freezing her in place. She roared in frustration, releasing an intense aura that melted the ice, but just as she freed herself, Kevin appeared in front of her once more.

"You're slowing down," Kevin noted coldly. He delivered a brutal punch to her face, knocking her back with a sickening thud. Himeko stumbled, her body growing sluggish.

The frost on her skin was beginning to spread, the effects of Kevin's deacceleration taking hold.

Himeko swung her sword wildly, but it was no longer as precise. She was losing control. "You insect!" she screamed in frustration, blood trickling from her lips as she coughed.

The battle dragged on for two hours. Kevin's constant use of deacceleration had sapped the thermal energy from Himeko's body to such a degree that frost had begun to form on her once-blazing skin. Her movements became erratic and slow as Kevin systematically wore her down. Every strike he landed chipped away at her strength, until she could barely stand.

Finally, Kevin saw his moment. He closed the distance between them in an instant, grabbing Himeko by the throat and lifting her off the ground. Her blazing eyes locked with his, but there was a flicker of fear behind her defiance.

"You hesitate to kill me..."she hissed, trying to provoke him. Are you afraid the girl will die with me."

But Kevin's face remained emotionless. "No," he said quietly. "I know what I have to do."

Suddenly, a black, ethereal aura formed around Kevin's hand. Himeko's eyes widened in shock as she realized what was happening.

"That's... Aby..." she stammered, her voice shaking.

Before she could finish, Kevin plunged his hand into her chest, piercing through the Herrscher Core embedded in her. He used the Herrscher of Origin's authority to sever the connection between the unknown identity and Himeko.

A rush of blood gushed from Himeko's body as the core was pulled from her. Her body convulsed, and for a moment, Kevin wondered if she would survive. He quickly used his powers, invoking the Authority of Reason and Death to reconstruct her lost parts and stabilize her condition.

As Himeko lay unconscious before him, Kevin exhaled deeply, looking down at her. "She might survive this," he thought to himself. His mind was already racing with thoughts about who or what this "God" might be. Was it truly the Honkai Will, or something even more sinister?

Before he could dwell on it further, the system notification chimed once more in his mind.

"Congratulations, Host. You have received:

*70,000 system points

*Authority of Fire

*Kevin Template increased by 4%"

Kevin's power surged as his system absorbed the Authority of Fire.

His stigma glowed bright red, his aura shifting as he felt the flames coursing through him. The once fierce flames that had tried to consume him now obeyed his command.

A/N~ thanks for all the support. 😢