The Darkest Day 1/2

"The battle is over... managing to hold on with a shattered body for more than a few seconds against me, that's already enough for you to be proud of."

Indeed, Selene hadn't gone all out, and she hadn't needed to. Even the Immortal possessing Jackie's body hadn't fought with full power. But the fact that she had invaded during the modern era worked to her advantage.

Had she invaded during the ancient times, things might have been different. Whether it was the eight great demons at their peak or the Immortals who had not yet relinquished their status to restore balance to the world, it wouldn't have been this easy for Selene to sweep away all opposition.

But now, in the present, all the high-level powers of the Adventures World had fallen. The balance of Yin and Yang was utterly broken. All that remained was to wait for the Honkai to fully corrupt this world and claim the final victory.

"It's time to tear open the rift completely."

With her hands spread wide, Selene activated all the Honkai energy she had injected into Jackie's body.

Buzz!

Like a meteor strike, the powerful reaction flattened dozens of surrounding mountains, creating a dome-shaped crater several kilometers in diameter. The brilliance illuminated everything nearby, blinding in its intensity.

With the Immortal's God Armor shattered, the pieces dissolved into an endless stream of Honkai particles, spiraling into the sky in a radiant purple-red column.

A thick purple-red mist began to rise!

Within seconds, the mist thickened to the point that visibility dropped to zero. It grew denser, spreading farther, and in moments, it enveloped the entire area. The fog, now swirling around the massive spiral of energy, condensed into a massive vortex.

Soon, the vortex surged, and a giant purple screen, far larger than San Francisco, unfurled across the midwestern sky of America, expanding rapidly.

"Go, consume everything."

In response to Selene's command, countless points of light filled the purple screen, each one descending toward the earth like an invading swarm.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the "City of Angels" lost all its glamour and vibrancy in the face of the Honkai invasion. Blood and fire replaced wealth and beauty, and the citizens—rich and poor alike—scrambled for survival amidst the devastation.

People fled in every direction, terror etched on their faces. Explosions rocked the city, causing many to instinctively look skyward, only to witness their nation's aircraft falling from the heavens in flames.

Some wept silently as they watched, unable to bear the sight. Others screamed and cursed, the bitterness of their helplessness breaking through.

"Someone, please save my child!" a mother cried in anguish.

"Oh God, what did we do to deserve this?" a man knelt, praying fervently for divine intervention.

"Where's the army?! Why aren't they saving us? We pay our taxes!" another screamed in frustration, blaming the lack of immediate help.

Panic and chaos ruled the streets.

Looters took advantage of the situation, smashing windows and stealing everything they could. In the midst of the apocalypse, the best and worst of human nature surfaced in equal measure.

As the time-space distortion spread further, most of the planet's satellites lost signal. Long-distance communication infrastructure failed, leaving the world's armies scattered, each acting independently to defend nearby cities.

Boom! Boom!

In the heart of Los Angeles, the U.S. Army and National Guard desperately fought back against the invading Honkai beasts. Automatic cannons unleashed a storm of firepower, targeting the massive creatures that rampaged through the city.

Attack helicopters soared into the air, launching volleys of missiles and rockets, but it wasn't enough. Soon, purple-red beams of energy erupted from the Honkai beasts, obliterating the helicopters and sending them crashing into the streets below, creating more raging fires.

On the ground, American tanks forced their way through the clogged streets, crushing abandoned vehicles beneath their treads as they attempted to engage the beasts.

"Where did these white monsters come from?!"

"I don't know! Dammit, what happened to the world? We just had Halloween, and now it's the apocalypse!"

"Forget that—what the hell are those things? Giant white mosquitoes?!"

"Whatever they are, they're coming right at us! Fire! Fire everything we've got!"

"All units, open fire!"

With the city already in ruins, concerns about collateral damage were thrown aside. As the white beasts charged closer, officers gave the order to fire at will.

Boom! The sound of cannons echoed throughout the city, and a volley of armor-piercing shells launched from the M1A1 tanks' 120mm cannons.

Some of the Honkai beasts managed to dodge with impressive agility, leaping between buildings. But many were blown apart by the concentrated fire.

"Hah! Take that, you bastards!"

"Switch to high-explosive rounds! These things are too fast for the armor-piercing shells!"

But before they could celebrate for long, larger threats appeared.

Boom! Boom!

From the dust clouds, towering forms emerged—beasts five or six stories tall, rampaging through the remains of the buildings.

"Fall back! Fall back now!"

But it was too late.

With a deafening roar, the cathedral-sized Honkai beasts charged the tanks, massive spears in hand.

Crash!

The nearest tanks were thrown into the air, crashing through the walls of nearby buildings. Smaller Honkai beasts followed close behind, leaping onto the tanks and crushing them underfoot.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

More tanks were smashed to pieces, twisted beyond recognition, blood seeping out of their wrecked hulls. One beast released a concentrated blast of Honkai energy, reducing entire tank battalions to burning wrecks.

Behind them, a 100-meter-tall Templar-Class Honkai beast arrived on the battlefield, its colossal body tearing through the wreckage. With each step, it sent tanks flying and crushed the ground beneath it.

The resistance forces were quickly overwhelmed. The sounds of battle dwindled, fading into an eerie quiet punctuated only by the occasional explosion.

A temporary escape from death, even narrowly surviving, could already be considered the best outcome for the remaining survivors.

And these scenes were merely a small glimpse of the chaos brought by the Honkai beasts' invasion. As Selene's command echoed, countless Honkai beasts swarmed into this world.

The darkest day had already arrived.