“Where is the European Union military?
Are the few of us from MOTH supposed to hold the entire front line?” At the forward base, Ato confronted the European Union parliamentary liaison officer, who had arrived disgracefully late.
“Command is still discussing the matter and waiting for the European Union Parliament’s decision,” the liaison officer answered nervously.
The corner of Ato’s mouth twitched as though he had just heard the greatest joke in the world.
“Say that again?” “Command…” “What happened to your emergency plans?
Your rapid-response forces?
Where has all that military funding gone over the years?” Ato nearly slapped him across the face.
“Millions of people in Lamington City are already dead.
How long do you think we can hold that thing back?” “Are there any nearby troops?” “Yes.
They’re still awaiting orders.” The moment Ato heard the words “awaiting orders,” his vision nearly went black.
“Then send them to rescue the civilians!” “We need to report it to our superiors first.” Ato laughed in sheer fury.
“Then hurry up and do it!” The liaison officer rushed away.
Chaos.
Utter, absolute chaos.
Ato could not help covering his forehead and sighing.
Several hours earlier, the Honkai Eruption had instantly destroyed Lamington City, the economic jewel of the European Union and a model of urban development.
The moment the disaster struck, MOTH mobilized every force available and rushed them to the battlefield.
Yet upon reaching the front, they discovered that the entire region around the combat zone was still a complete defensive vacuum.
Evacuation from the satellite cities had descended into chaos, and the transportation network was nearly paralyzed.
The reconnaissance drones deployed in advance transmitted images of the entity responsible for the Honkai Eruption.
On the monitor, a girl in a dark blue and black dress slowly emerged from the smoke and dust.
Her long gray hair drifted despite the absence of wind, while her pale gray eyes swept emptily across the outside world.
Several enormous matrices framed in dark blue floated beside her, with endless streams of data surging within them.
Herrscher.
That was the designation chosen after deliberation by MOTH’s council.
It meant “apostle of God.” And what was the European Union Parliament doing at that moment?
The European Union Parliament was arguing.
A few dozen minutes after the Honkai Eruption began, the European Union Parliament convened an emergency meeting.
Members unable to attend in person participated remotely as they negotiated whether and how to mount a collective response.
“The European Union has always been a single whole.
Under the Treaty of Lisbon, every nation is obligated to defend its allies.
We should commit every available force and strangle the Herrscher in its cradle!” This came from the representative of a nearby country.
“Military deployments require time and resources.
The surrounding nations should suppress it first.
Should they fail, we can reconsider our options.
Until then, I propose establishing local defenses while requesting aid from North America.” This came from the representative of a more distant country.
The chamber erupted into a lively uproar.
The nearby countries insisted that all member states deploy their militaries before any offensive began, thereby reducing their own losses.
The remaining countries wanted them to act as the vanguard and cannon fodder, testing the danger first.
The matter immediately reached a deadlock.
And under the convention, mobilizing standing armies required unanimous consent from every member state.
“A pack of vermin!” After cursing them, Ato immediately turned back to constructing the defensive line.
As soon as the forces finished assembling, several thousand MOTH soldiers attempted a frontal assault.
At first, a simple network of suppressive fire and artillery bombardment proved enough to pin down the Herrscher effectively.
But the Herrscher quickly adapted to the rhythm of the attack.
Every type of weapon once used against her was constructed in an instant, and overwhelming firepower poured down upon their positions.
In mere moments, the defensive line was torn apart.
After suffering devastating casualties, MOTH’s forces were forced to retreat and immediately requested a long-range strike.
After the initial disorder, the European Union finally recovered some ability to retaliate.
Nearly a hundred missile silos activated simultaneously.
Dozens of missiles shrieked low across the ground, and a colossal cloud of smoke rose around the Herrscher.
When the smoke thinned slightly, an azure shield emerged within it, while the Herrscher curled up inside and entered a temporary silence.
“Effective damage to the Herrscher has been confirmed,” the adjutant reported.
Cheers also erupted from the rear of the command center.
“Establish long-range artillery positions,” Ato ordered with a deep frown.
“Share the intelligence with our allies.
The follow-up strikes cannot stop.” After years of demilitarization and military outsourcing, the European Union’s armed forces had long since fallen into neglect.
They would be fortunate if their main formations arrived within three days.
Three days.
Ato stared at the Herrscher on the screen as she slowly began to uncurl.
Could they hold out that long?
After yet another sustained bombardment, the attempt to break the Herrscher’s shield ended in failure.
In the next instant, the shield shattered on its own and reconstructed itself into matrices.
Fully restored, the Herrscher rose into the air once more and swept her indifferent gaze across the battlefield.
Then she raised one hand.
Boundless Honkai energy tore open the veil of reality and surged forth, stirring a dark blue gale around her.
Deep blue circuits began spreading across the heavens as an enormous war construct slowly took shape from nothingness.
She was evolving.
If they delayed any longer, even throwing the entire European Union’s standing army against her would accomplish nothing.
Just as Ato was being driven frantic by the collapsing situation, Elysia finally returned.
Lamington City, once prosperous, had become a land of death beneath the Honkai Eruption.
Ripples of destruction had flattened everything.
The earth looked as though an invisible, burning hand had clenched it violently, then crudely spread it open again, leaving only a web of intersecting fissures and the smell of smoke and charred ruin hanging in the air.
Elysia gazed toward the last central tower in the distance.
Among the wreckage of collapsed buildings, it was the only structure still standing, though more than half of it had been sheared away.
Under the faint light of the sky, it gleamed with a cold blue-black sheen.
She stared at the tower, at that abrupt blue-black silhouette rising through the endless gray haze, and suddenly felt as though she were looking at the gravestone of human civilization.
“Herrscher,” she murmured.
“Herrscher.” This city had been the true starting point of her journey.
It held many of her happiest memories, and many people she cared for had lived here.
Yet in that single instant not long ago, all of them had been buried beneath the Honkai Eruption.
Vill-V…
A deafening roar came from the distant battlefield.
Dark blue light pierced through the gray fog as the countless weapons floating beside the Herrscher linked together and fused into one, constructing an enormous war fortress.
Every human counterattack became meaningless at that moment.
The fortress’ main cannon aimed at the command center.
Energy capable of shaking heaven and earth gathered within it, releasing a deep, ominous growl.
Herrscher…
Honkai…
Eliminate…
Honkai…
At that instant, the entire scene froze.
The raging torrents of Honkai energy, the endless flames of war, the collapsing ruins…
Everything in the world seemed to have been halted by an unseen hand.
Centered on Elysia, an energy field shimmering with pink radiance spread outward like ripples, bending and distorting the light around her.
Tiny crystals gradually appeared in the air, slowly revolving around Elysia and releasing dazzling brilliance.
Elysia raised one hand.
The crystals condensed into a longbow, but this time, the transformation did not stop there.
The instant her fingers closed around the bow, sections of its limbs peeled away and shattered, revealing an exquisitely intricate structure beneath, flowing with pink radiance.
The clear chime of colliding crystals spread through the surroundings, ultimately converging into an almost tangible pressure.
Her long pink hair drifted without wind, motes of light scattering from its ends.
The image of the Herrscher was reflected in her eyes, which were calm enough to make the heart tremble.
Elysia aimed the bow at the distant Herrscher.
Brilliant pink light intertwined into ribbons, converging into an arrow that descended into Elysia’s palm and settled upon the bowstring like a miniature star.
In the next instant, she released the string.
Time seemed to stretch into infinity.
The arrow, condensed from the purest radiance, left the string without tearing through the air or producing a thunderous crack.
Wherever it passed, space silently collapsed and twisted, forming a perfectly straight trail of nothingness as though the canvas of the world itself had been cut apart.
The arrow moved beyond the limits of sight.
In an instant, all that remained was a thin yet impossibly brilliant line of pink light piercing heaven and earth.
And in the following moment, it entered the Herrscher’s body.
Centered on the point of impact, absolute radiance blossomed in silence, turning heaven and earth pure white.
The colossal war fortress shattered and vanished in an instant, reduced to dust within the endless brilliance.
The smoke blanketing the battlefield was swept away at once, replaced by a pink radiance that purified all things, pierced the heavens, and scattered the dark clouds.
Only after the light receded did the overwhelming roar finally arrive, rolling unstoppably across the sky and reverberating beneath the firmament.