Chapter 259: Will Win

"What the hell are you?"

"That's too much. I'm not a thing. I'm just me~"

Nozomi's tone was gentle, even with a hint of joy.

"It's been a long time since we last met, everyone. I'm glad to see you again."

Once again, like before, he lifted the hem of his windbreaker with one hand, placed the other hand naturally on his chest, bowed slightly, and saluted them like an actor standing on the stage.

Then...

BANG!!!

He immediately raised his hand and grasped the fist of Kalpas that was suddenly attacking him.

"You are a little impatient, Kalpas."

"Me? Hahahahaha!!! Are you kidding me?!"

Kalpas laughed, laughed wantonly, laughed happily and excitedly.

Make a fist, close it, and then...strike out with all his might!

"I knew it... I knew it!!!"

The fists kept coming like torrential rain but were blocked by Nozomi one by one.

"You bastard! Finally...finally!!! You got rid of that boring hypocrisy and got rid of everything that was disgusting!!!"

"And now... come!!! Face me! Fight me! You promised... you promised!"

"Or you will drag me into the abyss, into your disgusting water!"

"Or I will tear you into pieces, trample your body under my feet, and let your face mix with the mud!!!"

Bang, bang, bang—

The sound of attacks never ceased, Kalpas' fists never stopped, and they even left an afterimage.

However, Nozomi was able to accurately take them one by one. Every time he blocked Kalpas' punch, the impact of the force would disperse the surrounding drizzle, just like the scenes depicted in comics, making people feel the power.

"Okay~"

Nozomi's voice was still as gentle as water.

"But... if it's just this level, it's not enough~"

With a slight smile on his lips, he stretched out his hand and placed it on the midline of Kalpas' body. Then he swung his arms left and right, using his "billion points of clever power" to bounce both of Kalpas' arms away. Then... he took half a step forward and punched him in the chest at a very close distance!

Boom!!!

Accompanied by a somewhat terrifying shattering sound, Kalpas' figure flew out and sank into the ruins.

"Kalpas!"

"Don't look at him, look at me more~"

There was a hint of a frightening smile in Nozomi's light voice.

"With such a powerful enemy in front of you, it's not a good idea to look away, okay?"

The direction from which his voice came... was from Kosma's side!

"Careful!"

Kosma, who was standing next to Hen, felt a familiar sense of crisis and subconsciously pushed Hen away. It was because of his timely reaction that Nozomi's attack fell into empty space.

The beatings Kosma received before were not in vain! Kosma's sense of crisis, especially the unique, predator-like danger from Nozomi, has almost become a conditioned reflex... Although he always feels that this is not something to be proud of.

Moreover... not only did he subconsciously dodge the attack, but he was also able to sense that the attack was not directed at him, and he also helped his teammates dodge the attack... Not bad, it seems that Kosma has also grown a lot — Nozomi nodded with satisfaction in his heart.

But asking him to stop there...that's impossible.

"Although Kalpas is somewhat excited..."

Nozomi's words were still so gentle, but his actions were not as gentle as his tone.

His figure fell down and stepped on the ground covered with a layer of rainwater. The accumulated water rose up but did not fall down. Instead, it went straight toward the two people beside Nozomi, forcing them to give up their plan to attack Nozomi and instead block the flying water.

"But he certainly made a good start... I quite like it."

He jumped up lightly, and the azure water wrapped around his legs. He kicked both sides in the air. The huge force directly knocked the two men back dozens of meters. Their figures plowed a deep mark on the ground. Of course, the layer of accumulated water on the ground also flew and scattered, and then... gathered and wrapped them.

BANG!!!

A huge roar came from three directions, coming from Hen and Kosma on both sides. They dispersed the rain that wanted to wrap them... Although they didn't know what would happen after being wrapped by the "bubble," judging from Nozomi's current hostile look... Obviously, the result would not be good.

The other one was Kalpas... Fragments of the building flew towards him but were easily slapped away by Nozomi when they got close to him, revealing Kalpas who appeared at the same time and raised his arm to block his kick.

Boom!

A huge explosion was heard instantly, and the terrifying force actually knocked Nozomi back several meters. Kalpas caught up with Nozomi in a trance, raised his leg, and chopped down at Nozomi's forehead... Even though Nozomi raised his hand to block it, the accumulated water under him suddenly rose up, and a large number of cracks appeared on the underwater ground. It seemed that he was about to collapse.

But fortunately, the earth was not that fragile. It only had some cracks and dents, but it did not break... and the accumulated water around it instantly turned into azure blue, outlining spikes and sword blades, and attacked Kalpas who was suspended in the air.

Only...

Clack——

There was a slight sound coming from the growth of some crystals. A pink arrow flew from nowhere to the side of Kalpas, and the pink crystal quickly began to "grow" using it as a fulcrum, eventually becoming a flower-shaped shield that helped Kalpas block the blue water.

At the same time, Kalpas, who was caught by Nozomi, exerted force and twisted his body in the air, kicking towards Nozomi's face... but Nozomi raised his hand to block it. Even though the sudden increase in strength could repel Nozomi, the attack was ultimately blocked and did not cause any substantial damage to Nozomi.

He tapped his toes to quickly dissipate the force of the blow, raised his arms slightly, and just as he was about to move, he found that Hen and Kosma were already in front of him. He moved his steps slightly, trying to use the flowing water to avoid their attack, but found that... he accidentally stepped on a pink crystal flower.

The gorgeous crystal flower instantly began to "grow" and in a moment it spread to his calves, making it difficult for him to move, let alone dodge attacks.

"That's amazing..."

Nozomi sighed like this, his tone still so gentle that made people feel uncomfortable, as if he was not facing any serious situation, and the attacks from both sides were nothing to him. As for the pink crystals spreading under him, he didn't seem to care.

If there was any reason...it was naturally because Nozomi could feel and sense that, except for Kalpas, the attacks of other people here did not contain any "murderous intent" towards him.

Obviously, they just wanted to subdue Nozomi, and then get some information through conversation... Well, it makes sense if you think about it carefully, after all, it is Nozomi who is standing in front of them~

'Ah, looking at it this way, they really seem to care about me~ Even at this point, they are still thinking of showing mercy... This won't do.'

"But unfortunately... it was of no use."

Boom!!!

Raising his hands, he blocked the attacks from both sides at the same time. Noticing the look of surprise on their faces, Nozomi smiled and twisted his legs to one side, shattering the crystal that was still spreading. Then the azure water instantly rioted, turning into waves that swept to both sides and at the same time repelling Hen and Kosma who were on both sides of Nozomi.

Then he used one hand as a knife, and drew several azure water blades in the air, shattering all the oncoming red flames and pink arrows. He jumped over and avoided the attack of Kalpas who was laughing wildly. His five fingers relaxed slightly, bringing up a lot of water, forming a pillar-like stream of water, and rushed Kalpas into the sky and flew away.

"......"

"What's wrong? Why are you so stunned?"

Seeing that the others did not attack again, but just surrounded him on guard, Nozomi tilted his head and asked softly.

"And...won't you continue? If you want to complete your [subjugation] against me, you need to work harder."

"Are you...really Nozomi?"

Elysia hesitated for a while before slowly asking, with a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Of course I am, Elysia."

Nozomi smiled very naturally.

"I remember you. I remember all of you. Whether it's Kevin, Hen, Kosma, Eden, Sakura... or even Klein, Cang Xuan, and Dan Zhu, I remember them all. After all... I have always had a good memory."

His tone had not changed, still as gentle as water...but it was because of this, because of this, that they felt weird.

"What about...Mobius?"

"Of course, I remember the Doctor, isn't that a matter of course?"

"So where is she now?"

"…I told you that, didn't I?"

Nozomi tilted his head, and his white hair fell down like waves.

"The doctor is no longer here. I gave her what she wanted most, and she went where she wanted to go... Haven't you always known this, Elysia?"

"The doctor has always wanted to find the path to evolution and is willing to take that step and give everything... I just fulfilled her wish~ Elysia."

"What about Vill-V?"

Kevin, who was standing next to Elysia, suddenly asked.

"Vill-V? Ah... yes, if it's her, she can definitely do it, right? Keeping an eye on this... After all, it's her, so it's normal for her to install a little [backdoor] on your equipment."

Nozomi deliberately tilted his head in confusion, and then as if he remembered something, he nodded in understanding and looked at Kevin with a smile, or rather, all of them.

"It's been a while since we last met. Why don't you come and say hello to me, Vill-V?"

"......"

After a long silence, Kevin, Elysia, Hen, and Kosma separated a little bit of Soulium from their combat uniforms, gathered in mid-air, and constructed a floating camera robot.

And the only one who can do this is Vill-V.

"You are not him."

Vill-V's voice not only sounded in the communication between Kevin and others but was also played out through the robot that just appeared, transmitting Vill-V's words to Nozomi's ears.

"You... definitely, definitely are not [Brother]."

Vill-V's calm tone contained some suppressed anger and even a little bit of... hatred.

It even surprised Vill-V, Elysia, and others that Vill-V would speak in such a tone.

"What are you talking about, Vill-V?"

Nozomi tilted his head, his eyes fixed on the floating robot. He raised his hand and placed it gently on his chest. The corners of his mouth rose a little, making the smile on his face even more obvious. The gentle tone that seemed to have never changed also became more gentle in front of her, in front of Vill-V.

It seemed normal, but it also gave people a very weird feeling... Just like the expression and attitude he deliberately made after seeing Vill-V.

"I've always been me, haven't I?"

"No, you are not."

Vill-V's tone suddenly became very calm again, so calm that it seemed a little cold.

"That's too much. Be careful when I get back... huh?"

Before Nozomi finished speaking, he tilted his head again, as if he suddenly realized something.

The hand that was originally placed on the chest was slightly raised. At the same time, everyone could see a flash of silver-gray light, followed by a sound of breaking through the air.

Snap——

It was the sound of a sharp blade cutting through the skin.

When everyone reacted, they could see that Nozomi was holding a rapier that was aimed at his neck, and the person standing in front of him holding the rapier was... Irine.

Whoosh——

It seemed to be the sound of a flickering flame, the sound of a "light" burning, and a feeling of warmth and security spread, bringing the people present away from the damp and cold feeling.

"...You have improved again, Irine."

Nozomi's voice was still so gentle, and the expression on his face had not changed, as if his expression and tone were "fixed".

"Such a swift figure, such a fierce attack, even I could hardly handle it..."

BANG BANG BANG!!!

However, what responded to him was the "hand cannon" in Irine's hand. The continuous close-range bombardment seemed to make Nozomi overwhelmed, and he subconsciously loosened his hand holding the rapier. At the same time, Irine seized the opportunity, quickly swiped to the side, and swung the sword forward to "force Nozomi back."

"You monster...don't use my teacher's appearance to deceive people!"

"That's too much... I've already said it before, I... It's always been me."

Nozomi shook his head slightly and tidied up his hair which had become a little messy due to the close-range bombardment. Then he looked at his cut palm. Dark blue "blood" seeped out from the wound, and then... dripped into the puddles on the ground.

"Why don't you believe it?"

Tick-tock

It was the sound of blood falling into the water.

Then, everyone watched as those few drops of dark blue "blood" quickly began to rhythmically swell and deform. In the blink of an eye, they transformed into several blue and white Honkai beasts in front of them... and they were still constantly absorbing Honkai energy to split themselves!

They were like some kind of fungal blanket, spreading rapidly in a way visible to the naked eye, occupying everyone's field of vision.

"......"

At this point, everyone shut up.

Kevin, who had remained silent and stood on the edge, without taking any action and without any intention to take any action... also clenched his weapon for the first time.

"...Vill-V."

Kevin stared closely at Nozomi, who was surrounded by many Honkai beasts like soldiers guarding a king. He pursed his lips as if he had made some kind of decision. Then he opened his mouth and shouted to Vill-V, who was not on the battlefield but was still paying attention to this place in her own way.

"That weapon was originally given to you. You can use it however you want. I didn't lock it."

Vill-V's tone was still cold and indifferent.

"And...beat him hard! Evaporate him!"

"...Um."

Vill-V's tone was not very good, but Kevin didn't mind. He just pressed a button on the two "pistols" in his hands, and then... assembled them together.

The two guns began to deform and reconstruct into the shape of sword handles. Red energy formed the blades, bringing up terrifying flames and high temperatures.

This terrifying temperature is not the warmth brought by the "light", but scorching heat. Even if you stand nearby, you will feel like you are being burned... No, it's not an illusion! If you get too close, you will really get burned!

The rain that fell from the sky evaporated before it even hit the ground, and the shallow layer of water on the ground quickly disappeared. The red sword blade moved slightly and crossed the ground, leaving some cracks on the ground...

"I will give him relief."

Kevin promised.

"We humans' heroes cannot be defiled by monsters like these."

He was so determined.

"Hahahahahaha!!! Good! Very good! Awesome! This kind of attack is more like a fight! Come again!"

Kalpas's arrogant and presumptuous laughter was heard again, and it was approaching rapidly from a distance... Almost in an instant, he returned to the battlefield and headed straight towards Nozomi.

As for the Honkai beasts that tried to stop him along the way? They were all torn to pieces by him, and the blue blood of the Honkai beasts fell on his combat uniform along with their remains and fragments, staining his mask and his hair.

But Kalpas didn't care about these things, let alone these things. This kind of "enemy" that could block his vision was exactly what he wanted!

And when Kalpas "started" again, having seen Nozomi's "abnormality", he was determined to give Nozomi relief to prevent those Honkai creatures from using his skin to harm others... In this situation, Kevin and others were already prepared to [attack] Nozomi.

Only…

"......"

Among the crowd, Elysia looked a little confused and... lost.

She opened her mouth several times, wanting to say something, wanting to persuade someone, but... in the end, looking at Nozomi's face which had hardly changed, with a hint of "stiffness" in the gentleness, as if everything had been "fixed" as if everything was deliberately imitated by some other existence..., she finally... sighed.

She bent her fingertips, hooked the bowstring, condensed the pink arrow, aimed at him, aimed at Nozomi, and then... shot the arrow.

…

......

"Um... Sister Vill-V, do you want to continue watching?"

On the other side, Pardofelis, who was still in the evacuation aircraft, timidly squeezed next to Vill-V, looked at the screen on the terminal controlled by Vill-V, and asked cautiously.

"...Yes, of course."

"But wouldn't that be very...you know?"

Pardofelis gestured with her hands, but she didn't know how to describe it.

"Just... sad?"

"Even watching like this now, I feel a tightness in my chest, so uncomfortable... There is such a strange guy wandering around with the face of our benefactor, fighting with his former friends, even fighting for life and death... I feel so uncomfortable, a little breathless."

Pardofelis tried hard to make her tone lighter, but the more she tried, the more unstable her breathing became. In the end, she had to stop talking, press her chest, and take a few deep breaths before she could get her breathing straightened out.

"But it's something we have to deal with."

Vill-V glanced at her, then turned her attention back to the terminal screen, watching the battle on the other side.

"We have to make sure... it's dead. Only in this way can we ensure that my brother's face won't be used by it any further."

"Ah… Yeah."

Pardofelis didn't know what to say. After thinking about it carefully, it was indeed true, so she nodded and turned her eyes to the screen.

"…What are you doing here again, Pardofelis?"

"Hey, ~ Am I not trying to build a relationship with you, Sister Vill-V? From now on, I will count on you to protect me~"

Pardofelis said casually.

After all, Nozomi is gone, and her original "big leg" is gone.

No one knows what's happening to Mobius, who was able to follow her later, but there's a high probability that she'll never be seen again... So the only thing she can do is come over and rub against Vill-V, right?

Originally, Pardofelis wanted to go find the big star in Eden, but unfortunately, she didn't meet her very often, so she didn't feel like going...

"and..."

Pardofelis was silent for a while before she spoke slowly.

"We want to see Brother Nozomi again..."

"...oh."

"...Sister Vill-V."

"Um?"

"What do you think, Boss Kevin, will they win? That Herrscher... that Herrscher who is wearing Brother Nozomi's skin... will be conquered, right?"

"Certainly."

Vill-V seemed confident.

"We will win."

She even laughed subconsciously... Unfortunately, Pardofelis didn't notice.

"We will definitely win."

Vill-V looked at him in the picture, at her "brother" in the picture, and spoke softly in an affirmative tone.