Chapter 21: Help Me, Project Bunny!

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Despite Chiyou's massive size, with Ana's speed, she could swiftly traverse distances within no time. Had she equipped the Godslayer Armor, her velocity would have been even swifter.

Soon enough, Ana arrived at the location where the Main trio parted ways with Sin.

How did she know this place? Because in the distance lay the wreckage of a destroyed Titan mech.

Ana bent down to briefly examine the remnants of the machinery and then shook her head. Anti-Entropy's mechs were rather mediocre, suitable only for basic combat or supplementing conventional firepower. Against Herrschers, these Titans could barely handle weaklings like the Herrscher of Wind.

But can the Herrscher of Wind truly be considered a Herrscher?

Ignoring the character from another game, in this world, Valkyrie Wendy was merely influenced by the will within the Gem of Desire. She never actually triggered a Major Honkai Eruption akin to the Third Honkai.

In other words, Wendy the Herrscher of Wind may have borne the name, but she was essentially just a Pseudo-Herrscher. Otherwise, how could any member of the main trio stand against her?

"Enough is enough; let me put an end to this." Ana rose to her feet, gazing at Chiyou's heart before streaking toward it as a beam of light.

On the opposite side, near Chiyou's core, Ji Lin had pushed the main trio into a desperate struggle. Initially meant as support, Anti-Entropy's mechs were swiftly melted down by Ji Lin using Honkai Energy and repurposed as armor for her warhorse. With this added protection, Ji Lin became even more invincible on the battlefield.

She appeared as a light cavalrywoman, yet in reality, she fought like a swift heavy cavalry.

To protect Kiana, Himeko inadvertently took a hit from Ji Lin's horse, flying back dozens of meters and worsening her injuries further. The Main trio struggled to hold their own.

Without Project Bunny's continuous artillery support, they likely would've been defeated long ago.

But despite Bronya's efforts, Ji Lin found an opening.

"Bronya!" Raiden Mei cried out in alarm.

With a thunderous whinny, Ji Lin's warhorse leaped into the air, hurtling towards Bronya like a bolt of black lightning.

Project Bunny took up a defensive stance before Bronya, and in this moment, it seemed like she should have shouted, "Help me, Project Bunny!"

Perhaps due to the lack of such a magical incantation, Bronya was also forced back, falling to the ground and temporarily losing her combat ability.

Raiden Mei swung her katana using Hokushin Ittō-ryū techniques, but Ji Lin, a seasoned warrior, effortlessly blocked her strikes with the Xuanyuan Sword and sent Raiden Mei flying, severing her blade as well.

"Don't you dare hurt Mei!" Kiana charged forward next, employing the Kaslana family's Marksmanship Arts. Unfortunately, they proved ineffective against their opponent.

"Die already! Ha ha ha ha—"

Having repelled Kiana, Ji Lin once again pulled on the reins. Her warhorse whinnied loudly before charging at the Main trio alongside its rider.

Kiana could see the cold gleam emanating from the Xuanyuan Sword. She instinctively closed her eyes, feeling a pang of regret in that instant—it was all her fault. If only they had waited for Cousin Ana to join them, things might not have turned out this way.

A sharp clang rang out, followed by something warm splashing onto Kiana's cheek.

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that fiery red silhouette standing before her, shielding her from a fatal blow with its own body.

The warmth on Kiana's face was Murata Himeko's blood.

"Himeko!" Kiana cried out, guilt overwhelming her heart. She felt immense regret—why hadn't she listened to Mei and Bronya's advice? Why?!

"Dodge, Kiana!"

As Kiana wallowed in remorse, Himeko's voice cut through again, carrying an unmistakable command.

That's right, Murata Himeko may have been wounded, but she wasn't dead yet! This level of injury was nothing new; she had endured countless times like these before!

"Hang in there, Ana will be here soon!"

With those words, Himeko raised her pulse greatsword once more and swung at Ji Lin, who naturally anticipated the move.

"Hmph."

Ji Lin let out a cold snort, evading the strike effortlessly. Predicting Himeko's next position, she countered with a swift slash.

But Himeko was no ordinary fighter; retreat wasn't part of her vocabulary. Even when evading, she always moved forward. Naturally, Ji Lin's strike missed its target.

And this mistake presented an opportunity for Himeko to exploit.

"Haah!" With a battle cry, Himeko swung her greatsword forcefully downward. Aware of Ji Lin's exceptional combat prowess, she aimed not directly at Ji Lin but at the warhorse beneath her.

Ji Lin's warhorse could be considered one of her summons, and it seemed to share a telepathic connection with her. However, as it wasn't her true form, the horse couldn't react swiftly enough and lost its head to Himeko's blade.

As the horse's head tumbled away, Ji Lin let out a pained wail, and the warhorse subsequently vanished.

Yet, Himeko also paid a price. Due to the horse's armored plating, the edge of her greatsword now bore chips and had dulled significantly, clearly nearing its limit.

Despite losing her warhorse, Ji Lin's overall combat capability remained largely intact. Even without it, she possessed formidable strength under normal circumstances.

Suddenly, a golden beam pierced through Ji Lin's chest unnoticed.

Suddenly, Ji Lin shuddered violently, disbelief etched across her face as she struggled to comprehend the source of this unexpected attack.

Staggering, blood gushed from her mouth and dripped onto the dark earth below. With great effort, she attempted to thrust the Xuanyuan Sword into the ground, but her weakening strength betrayed her.

Straining to turn her head, she saw a hazelnut-haired girl slowly approaching from afar.

With a gentle wave of her hand, the object piercing Ji Lin's chest was withdrawn—a golden chain emanating a sacred aura.

As her power rapidly drained away, Ji Lin's once frenzied expression softened into tranquility, her eyes clearing. Memories flooded back—of her past friends: Lian Shan, Red Kite, Nuwa, Fuxi... Their images surfaced in her gaze.

"Finally... I am released from this endless solitude..."

"At last... I can be with you all again..."

With her remaining strength, she smiled at Ana, a smile filled with relief and liberation.

"Thank you... young warriors... Thank all of you... cough...cough..."