ch-50 < Earthquake >

Two weeks had passed since the party, and in that time, Kevin and Elysia had tried their best to lift Himeko's spirits.

They'd shared moments of light-hearted conversation, tried to distract her with stories, and even coaxed her into sparring, hoping that some physical exertion might help. But nothing worked.

Every night, Himeko retreated into her quarters, drinking heavily to ease her mental anguish.

Her losses had taken a toll on her, and the weight of those who had fallen under her command was proving impossible for her to shake.

Kevin watched her deteriorate, feeling helpless but determined to stay close, should she need him. Yet, despite his best efforts, it seemed her sadness only grew.

During this time, Mei had grown increasingly concerned about something else entirely.

"We need to talk, Kevin," Mei said one evening, her face serious.

Kevin, who was in his quarters analyzing reports, looked up. "What's wrong, Mei?"

She handed him a tablet displaying a series of news reports. "Earthquakes," she said, her voice grim. "They've become more frequent on the eastern side of Japan.

This area has always been prone to quakes, but these aren't natural occurrences. For seven consecutive days, earthquakes have hit various cities, each stronger than the last. The casualties are rising."

Kevin frowned as he studied the data. "You think a Honkai beast is behind this?"

Mei nodded. "Possibly. Or worse—a Herrscher."

Kevin grimaced at the thought. "If a Herrscher is involved, we need to act fast before it causes more destruction."

Mei tapped the map on the screen. "The epicenter seems to be shifting southward, and it's closing in on Kyushu. We don't have much time before it reaches more densely populated areas."

Kevin stood up, determination setting in. "I'll handle this."

But before he could leave, Mei caught his arm. " let someone else went for checking. You don't need to go on every mission."

"Hm. Then whome should we send" ? Kevin said

Mei sighed but nodded. "Let our new recruit handle it. The one who we know is difficult to handle, but he might be useful in this situation. He's been itching for a real fight."

Kevin considered this for a moment before nodding. "Kalpas... that might work."

With that, he left to find Kalpas.

When Kevin entered the gym, the sounds of crashing and metal clanging filled the air.

Kalpas, with his usual fury, was not training in the traditional sense but rather destroying the equipment meant to help soldiers like him grow stronger.

Weight racks lay overturned, and the heavy punching bags had been reduced to shreds.

Kevin crossed his arms, watching the chaos unfold before stepping forward.

"Kalpas," Kevin called out, his tone calm but authoritative.

Kalpas immediately turned, his eyes lighting up with manic glee as he saw Kevin approach. "Finally, Boss! You're here to battle me, aren't you?" He cracked his knuckles, practically vibrating with excitement. "At last, we'll have our showdown."

Kevin sighed, knowing how stubborn Kalpas could be. Rejecting him outright would only lead to more destruction. "I'll fight you, but on one condition."

Kalpas tilted his head curiously. "What condition?"

"You need to complete your fourth mission first," Kevin said, his tone firm. "Do that, and I'll give you the fight you want."

Kalpas crossed his arms, a smirk forming on his face. "What mission? The Honkai beasts I've fought so far have been weak. None of them have been a match for me."

Kevin fought the urge to roll his eyes. *This guy is only fighting beasts below Emperor-class, of course they seem weak to him.* He sighed inwardly before replying, "This one is different.

You need to go to Kyushu and investigate the source of the recent earthquakes. They've been happening at specific times for seven days in a row. We suspect a Herrscher might be involved."

At the mention of a potential Herrscher, Kalpas' grin widened. "A strong opponent? Finally!"

Kevin quickly added, "No. Do not confront it head-on, Kalpas. If it's a awakened Herrscher, you might not come out alive."

Kalpas, undeterred, simply laughed. "Boss, don't worry! Herrscher or Honkai beast, none of them are a match for the great Kalpas! Hahaha!"

Kevin shook his head, knowing that reasoning with Kalpas was almost impossible.

There was only one way to ensure the mission wouldn't turn into a reckless brawl. "You're not going alone. You're taking Aponia with you."

Kalpas instantly stopped laughing and frowned. "What? Aponia? Why do I need her? I can handle this alone."

"Because," Kevin replied with a pointed look, "I need someone to keep you in check. This mission isn't about destroying everything in sight. It's about finding the cause of the earthquakes and assessing the threat."

Kalpas grumbled but ultimately gave in, though not without a boast. "Fine. But when I've dealt with this, you're going to fight me, Boss."

Kevin nodded. "Deal. Now go. Time is of the essence."

Aponia was waiting at the airfield when Kalpas arrived. The contrast between the two was stark.

Kalpas, with his fiery temperament, was all brute force and destruction, while Aponia exuded a calm, serene presence, almost ethereal in her composure. She regarded him with a gentle smile, though her eyes carried a knowing wisdom that unnerved him slightly.

Kalpas reluctantly went on this mission.

***

Next day

Kevin stood before a vast screen that dominated the room, displaying a holographic map of the world.

Red markers highlighted the areas most affected by the Honkai, but something miraculous had begun to happen over the last few weeks: the concentration of Honkai energy had started to diminish, especially in areas directly affected by the new satellite.

vill-v had completed it, and it now orbited the Earth, quietly absorbing and reducing Honkai energy.

Mobius, standing beside Kevin, was pleased with her accomplishment. "The satellite is working even better than I anticipated," she remarked.

"We've been able to collect a significant amount of Honkai energy, and that has allowed us to lower the concentrations in many high-risk zones."

"Some land has even become habitable again," AI Bronya added, her projection appearing near Kevin. Her voice carried its usual calm precision. "Several key areas are showing significant improvement."

Kevin crossed his arms, looking over the map. "That's good news. It means we're finally seeing the effects of our efforts. How are we looking in terms of crystal production?" He asked, turning to Bronya.

Bronya flashed an OK sign. "The first batch of Honkai crystals should be ready within two months. The production is going smoothly."

Kevin exhaled, visibly relieved.

Now we can stop honkai infection and virus from effecting masses.

"And have you already designed the armors and weapons capable of hosting them?"

"Already done, Ni-sama," Bronya confirmed. "The schematics have been finalized, and production can begin once the crystals are ready."

Mobius, who had been quiet, stepped forward and interjected, her tone sharp. "You realize how expensive it will be to arm all our soldiers with these new weapons, don't you?"

Kevin glanced at her, thinking for a moment. "I expected it would be costly, maybe several billion dollars."

Mobius smirked, clearly amused. "Try half a trillion USD, Kevin," she corrected. "The crystals are invaluable but the armours are made from Soulium and making sure everyone can wield them? The amount it took was more than I expected. Mobius said.

We are going bankrupt ." Mobius now said with a loud voice.

So, she is afraid that we will deplete our treasury, which she secured from all our investors, and then they will have to revert to eating cup noodles again, with no luxurious bubble tea. Kevin thought.

Prioritize the elite units first—those who are facing the most danger on the front lines. We can gradually arm the rest as production ramps up." Kevin said to reduce the expenses.

Mobius gave a satisfied nod, and Bronya returned to her work. But despite the progress they were making, Kevin couldn't shake the growing unease that had settled in the back of his mind.

It wasn't the cost of the crystals or even the daunting logistics of mass production that bothered him.

It was Himeko.

Time had slipped by, and Himeko had long since left for her mission in Australia.

Kevin stood by one of the observation decks, his thoughts drifting to her once more. He knew what was coming.

Her transformation into the Herrscher of Fire was inevitable. He had tried to prevent it in the past, but every time, fate seemed determined to push her toward the dark path of self guilt and weakness.

The only thing left now was battle.Now only one month left for Eden concert. Kevin thought.

Author's Note ~ haha. I've added a surprising new twist to the fight with the Herrscher that no one will see coming. But which Herrscher it is, remains a mystery...