Chapter 64: Survival in Danger
After all the nearby Honkai beasts were attracted away by Kirataka, Anna did not encounter any attacks on the way of retreat.
When she finally led the survivors to the airport, she received an unexpected surprise.
—Valkyries wearing the uniform of Schicksal, and mecha troops also in Schicksal uniforms.
Obviously, the airport selected by Kirataka was also judged by the troops sent by Schicksal to support as a suitable location for a rear camp. Troops were stationed there, and various airborne facilities were deployed.
Seeing Anna arriving with a group of civilians, the Valkyries who were originally on patrol outside hurried to greet them.
Seeing the friendly forces approaching, Anna breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said:
"I'm Anna from the Snow Lotus Squad, Anna Schariac."
The chestnut-haired girl revealed her identity to the Valkyries, and with their help, the civilians were brought into the airport.
Anna, who had temporarily calmed down, sat in the camp and took the energy drink handed to her by her companions.
The C-rank Valkyrie in charge of logistical support handed her a wet handkerchief and said admiringly:
"Anna, you are amazing. You saved so many civilians by yourself."
"...No, this is not just my achievement."
The girl took the handkerchief, wiped the sweat off her face, and responded honestly.
"Hey, are there other people with you? Are they the rest of the Snow Lotus Team?"
"...No, I got separated from them and was unable to find them while rescuing the civilians."
Anna shook her head.
She then told the girl beside her how Kirataka had single-handedly led away a large number of Honkai beasts.
"He's so brave, but... so dangerous," the girl said, concerned.
That's right—anyone could see that this was an extremely difficult and dangerous task, a life-threatening one.
"...I believe he can come back alive."
After saying this, Anna finished the energy drink and stood up.
—After a short rest, she still had to return to the battlefield and continue looking for survivors in other areas.
'This is my duty as a Valkyrie of Schicksal.'
She couldn't rest until this disaster was completely over.
The ordinary civilians she brought back would be transferred to other cities for treatment and processing with the help of the logistics Valkyries.
After taking out disaster relief and communication equipment from the camp, Anna returned to the battlefield without hesitation.
With instruments and equipment, she could also detect the approximate location of survivors, as Kirataka did before.
Of course, she also wanted to find Kirataka.
But as the rescue operation continued and she ventured deeper into the area, the girl's heart began to sink.
No matter where she looked, Kirataka was nowhere to be found. When she asked Valkyries who were searching in other directions, she received the same result.
"Could it be..." Anna thought nervously.
The sky was gradually darkening, and the oncoming night further fueled her unease.
…
On the other side, time rewound slightly.
Kirataka, who was leading the Honkai beasts, was thinking about how to escape from danger.
He turned and saw the large group of Honkai beasts behind him. As he moved forward, more Honkai beasts from nearby areas joined the chase.
Now, the number of Honkai beasts pursuing him could be described as "overwhelming."
Even in Nagazora, he had never seen such a scene.
In the current situation, escaping by high-speed movement alone wasn't enough. Even with speed, there was no way to bypass so many Honkai beasts and return to the airport.
Moreover, the most fatal problem now was—
The direction he was leading the Honkai beasts was toward the sea.
Now, the sea appeared within his sight, and he would probably reach the edge of the city in less than five minutes.
Although he didn't know if Honkai beasts could swim, once he reached the beach, he could no longer rely on high-speed movement to maintain distance from them.
Therefore, the only way to escape now was—
While Kirataka continued moving at high speed, he diverted some of his attention to constructing a projection in his mind.
—He planned to construct a projection of the Cosmic Juggernaut and use the teleportation ability of the Divine Key to escape danger.
This was his first time using the Cosmic Juggernaut in such a dangerous scenario.
It was not an easy task. Compared to Oath of Judas, the size of the Cosmic Juggernaut was massive.
The larger the object, the more energy it took to project, increasing the chances of making a mistake.
Unlike Judah, which could be used by projecting only parts of it, such as the spirit spear or chains, the teleportation ability of the Cosmic Juggernaut required the entire Divine Key to be projected.
Projection magic was an extremely difficult skill. The construction had to be flawless, or the projection would fail.
Fortunately, he had countless opportunities to try this.
"...Projection, start!"
While running, Kirataka initiated the projection magic.
Identifying creative concepts and outlining the basic framework...
The image of a magnificent locomotive appeared in his mind.
Copying constituent materials and imitating production techniques...
Kirataka's eyes focused on a spot near the sea, where he planned to project the Cosmic Juggernaut.
As his power surged, a huge train appeared out of thin air, but it hadn't fully stabilized, flickering in and out of existence.
Reliving the growth experience and the accumulated years...
Next, it was time to finalize the shape.
Kirataka focused and completed the final steps required to finish the projection.
However, something went wrong at some point, and the Cosmic Juggernaut that was about to manifest shattered and vanished.
It really isn't that simple…
In a moment, Kirataka had reached the seaside. He stopped on the beach and watched the approaching Honkai beasts.
If this attempt failed, he would just try again.
Time to rewind!
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