A massive Chariot-class Honkai beast blocked the tunnel leading to the miniature Honkai reactor. Its large and imposing body, normally a symbol of strength, was a hindrance in this narrow space, making even turning around difficult.
Michael was well-versed in dealing with this common lower-class Honkai beast. He rushed forward before Sakura, two flashes of white blade-light, and the Chariot crashed down. Before it could even whimper, another swift strike pierced its brain.
"This... this isn't my..." Michael swung a nonexistent blade, mimicking Sakura's gesture of shaking off blood. For the First Herrscher, imitation was the simplest form of understanding, even if the object of "imitation" wasn't a physical substance, but an experience formed by consciousness.
He didn't answer Sakura's unspoken question, simply waving her forward. They continued deeper into the tunnel, encountering hundreds of floating Honkai beasts along the way, but Sakura rarely had a chance to draw her katana.
She felt slightly neglected, though she couldn't understand why.
In reality, Michael's mind was racing, calculating all future possibilities, making him appear outwardly sluggish, reacting purely on instinct.
"No... these calculations are based on the Yaksha's previous combat strength... I don't know how its power has been enhanced after fully becoming an Emperor-class... No, I can't even be one hundred percent certain it is the Yaksha..."
Lost in thought, they reached the end of the tunnel. Under the flashing red lights, the massive reactor complex stretched before them, a stark contrast to the confined tunnel behind them.
The so-called reactor complex looked more like a towering structure built from smaller units, each reactor about the size of a hand. They should have glowed with a faint blue light, but having been drained of their energy, they were now a lifeless grey.
Sakura subconsciously controlled her breathing, feeling a sense of suffocation – a normal reaction for ordinary humans in areas with high Honkai energy concentration. She quickly checked her limbs, relieved to see no purple veins.
But for some reason, when she looked at Michael, he seemed... like a fish returning to the sea... Not only did he show no discomfort, but he seemed even stronger...
The reactor tower was over a hundred meters tall. Michael and Sakura stood on a hollow steel platform near the top. He leaned against the railing, peering down into the darkness below, where the reactor lights no longer shone.
No, it wasn't just darkness, but a combination of darkness and silence. Michael listened intently for a while, finally catching a faint buzzing sound of flapping wings.
"That sound... the Yaksha!"
Sakura couldn't remain calm now.
"But wasn't the Yaksha killed by you...?"
She instinctively wanted to question Michael, but quickly realized he had no reason to lie about this. The problem must lie with the Yaksha itself...
As if anticipating her thoughts, Michael quickly explained, "I admit, I made a mistake. Mobius hinted that my Honkai energy readings were a bit high. I dismissed it as a side effect of using my powers.
"Now that I think about it, the reactor itself probably can't completely contain the radiation... So, the surrounding seawater also contains Honkai energy, giving the Yaksha a chance to heal..."
Just as he finished speaking, a faint, ethereal hum resonated from below, making their hearts tremble.
Michael and Sakura instinctively leaped to the sides as a claw burst through the floor beneath them. With a casual swipe, it tore a large hole in the steel grating, and a dark figure leaped out, lunging at Sakura.
"Tch! Same old trick, picking on the weaker one..."
Facing the sudden attack, before Sakura could even feel fear, her body reacted, drawing her katana and swinging... though she didn't think the attack would connect.
But it only sliced through air. Her momentum threw her off balance, sending her tumbling across the floor.
"What happened? Where's the enemy?!"
A gust of wind erupted from behind her. She quickly turned to see Michael standing where she had been just moments ago.
He held the translucent Surtr aloft, blocking the Yaksha's claw, a golden gem clutched in his other hand. The faint golden light illuminated the massive attacker.
And it was massive. Compared to their last encounter, the Yaksha was even larger, likely over ten meters tall. It had grown another pair of wings, three in total, now feathered – red on the left, yellow on the right. The pupal lower body had elongated into a pink tail, two clawed legs sprouting from its sides – finally completing its four limbs.
If there was one feature that remained unchanged, it was those long, pink ears.
"Hmph..." Michael grunted. The Yaksha was much stronger. His arm trembled as he was forced back until the steel wall stopped his retreat.
"Heehee..." Michael thought he heard a faint chuckle from the Yaksha.
He didn't have time to think. The pressure on his arm lessened. Unable to adjust his stance in time, he gritted his teeth, flames erupting from Surtr as he thrust towards the Yaksha's neck.
But everything froze. Even the flickering flames were suspended mid-air.
"Sakura..." He had just used the simulated Void core for a spatial swap, and it needed time to recharge. He could only hope Sakura could break the stalemate, but even his call was frozen in his throat.
Sakura wasn't idle. She had already moved behind the Yaksha, but as she tried to swing her katana, her thoughts and movements were frozen.
The Yaksha grinned triumphantly – this time, Michael was certain it was smiling. It turned slightly, its thick tail sweeping past, sending both Michael and Sakura flying like leaves in the wind.
Michael crashed through the meter-thick steel plating, landing hard in the dirt below.
Sakura rolled across the floor, trying to push herself up, but sparks flew from her neck, and she collapsed.
Seeing its two old adversaries incapacitated, the Yaksha was ecstatic. It tilted its head, raised its hands above its head, and happily hopped twice before running towards another tunnel.
This tunnel connected the reactor complex to the central tower on Ruruye Island.
Even from a hundred kilometers away, the Yaksha could sense the rich, Honkai-repelling aura of human civilization emanating from Ruruye Island.
"Grumble... Huh? Gah!"
In the dim tunnel, the Yaksha heard a very familiar voice:
"Target confirmed as Yaksha. Preliminary assessment: Emperor-class Honkai beast."
The Yaksha stared dumbfoundedly at the two figures in the tunnel.
Michael gave it an awkward but polite smile. The screen in front of him and Sakura, along with the neural link cables, dissolved.
The figures the Yaksha had defeated were merely bio-droids, similar to the ones Michael had created with Vill-V.
He had already deduced the Yaksha's target – Ruruye Island. So, he had brought Sakura here ahead of time to intercept it.
But he hadn't been sure of the Yaksha's strength, so he had resorted to this tactic, deceiving the naive creature – You hurt me, but I just smiled...
"By the way, Sakura, can you swim?"
"Snap!" Michael snapped his fingers. An explosion rocked the already fragile tunnel ceiling, and icy seawater poured in.