Countless unfortunate Honkai Beasts caught within Selene's barrage vanished without a trace, but even more terrifying energies were brewing inside Chiyou's body.
Soon, the continent trembled, and boundless lightning burst forth from the ground.
"Rumble!"
"Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!"
"Crack!"
An immense amount of Honkai Energy converted into colossal thunderstorms, violently erupting from various points across Chiyou's petrifying form.
Innumerable towering bolts of lightning shook off more debris, affecting countless Honkai Beasts both within Chiyou and on the open seas. All other sounds ceased, drowned out by the horrifying roar of this electrified domain spanning over the vast ocean.
The reach of the lightning extended so far that even the Titan forces at the edge of the combat fortress began to malfunction en masse.
The discharge persisted for five long minutes, impacting every corner of the sea, sky, and Chiyou's body.
When the flashes subsided, scarcely any living Honkai Beasts remained in the sea, and Chiyou's remains had become a completely silent expanse of land.
"Boom!"
"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"
Suddenly, vast swarms of black worker bees erupted from Chiyou's body.
Dense clusters of countless black specks coalesced into rising plumes of dark smoke, forming a tidal wave that nearly obscured the entire East Shenzhou Sea—this was a new generation of bee swarm nurtured using abundant electrical energy and Chiyou's flesh as materials.
Their task was to devour the central regions inaccessible even to the "Moonlight Throne," simultaneously retrieving the Xuanyuan Sword, which had lain dormant for five millennia!
"Phew... Finally, I can rest for a moment."
Zeke, seated in the cockpit of his battleship, let out a long sigh. Watching as his battleship gradually dematerialized, he then experienced darkness before his eyes, plummeting from the empty sky.
"Thud!"
Floating in mid-air, Welt retrieved the Key of Thunder, Judgment of Shamash, and Gem of Desire while simultaneously supporting Zeke by his arm.
From Zeke's even breathing and closed eyes, Welt knew he had fallen asleep.
As for Chiyou, he too was now resting—though this slumber would likely be eternal.
Welt hoisted Zeke onto his back, then looked down at the massive Fortress below.
"There are still some Honkai Beasts to clear up; seems like there's more cleanup work ahead."
With a weary sigh, Welt couldn't hide his exhaustion.
However, the most formidable adversary, Chiyou, had been utterly defeated. The remaining tasks were merely minor issues that Welt felt obliged to address.
The conflict continued for another hour or so.
While referred to as a war, it essentially involved cleaning up the scattered surviving Honkai Beasts. With a significant influx of new worker bees, the casualties among the newly recruited Valkyries were remarkably reduced to zero.
After allowing ample time for evacuation, Welt finally ceased maintaining the platform—a testament to his resilience, even impressing Hera when she returned later.
However, upon reuniting, Hera couldn't help grinding her teeth as she looked at the sleeping Zeke.
"I'm not pleased! I am utterly displeased! That little brat never listens and just acts recklessly, going with whatever comes to mind! Disrespecting me aside, what does he think his body is made of? Even if it can withstand the strain, carelessly harnessing Herrscher powers could have severely damaged his consciousness and brain! Hasn't he considered how crucial his intellect and wisdom are?!"
On the outskirts of the East Shenzhou Sea, within a makeshift recuperation base, Hera paced back and forth, biting her thumb, her expression visibly discontented.
However, the trio clad in black armor stood guard around Zeke, leaving no opportunity for Hera to approach him. Unable to get closer and pinch his cheeks to alleviate her frustration, she was further constrained by Welt and Fu Hua's watchful eyes nearby.
Welt, who had been sharing drinks with Fu Hua while recuperating both physically and mentally, noticed Hera glaring at them and rolled his eyes. "Staring won't help you! If there's something bothering you, wait until Zeke wakes up and discuss it directly with him!"
"He never listens to me! Aren't you his Alliance Leader? Start taking some responsibility!" Hera stomped her feet, exclaiming in annoyance.
Fu Hua glanced sidelong at her, maintaining a composed facade but internally seething.
To think that Otto—a cunning old bastard alive for five centuries, a tyrant who scorned humanity—could exhibit such traits? This revelation truly broadened her understanding.
Sipping his tea calmly, Welt responded, "I am indeed taking care of my responsibilities. Zeke hasn't done anything wrong. From your perspective, it might seem reckless, but from mine, he genuinely brought closure to the crisis without any faults or need for persuasion. Moreover, confronting Honkai requires sacrifices, isn't that a stance you've always held?"
"How could Zeke be like those pawns?"
"That's your problem. Our values differ; there's nothing more to say." Welt responded calmly, unfazed by Hera's dehumanizing remark—after all, he was well aware of her character. Getting upset over such trivialities would have been pointless.
He wasn't slacking off either. Anti-Entropy had deployed primarily machinery for this mission, and Tesla and Einstein were handling maintenance and logistics, including the return trip. Moreover, Zeke's swarm was executing cleanup procedures as well. As a non-tech specialist, there wasn't much he could contribute directly.
In contrast, Schicksal relied mainly on Valkyries for their combat power. By staying here to vent anger instead of organizing rescue efforts and providing comfort, wasn't Hera truly shirking her duties?
"Hmph! Notify me immediately when he wakes up!" Hera finally declared with a scowl before leaving the room assembled by worker bees. One could only wonder if she was off to hatch another scheme.
"Phew! That guy is gone at last! Seriously, why pretend to care so much about Zeke when we're enemies? It's seriously annoying!" Once Hera left, Kiana placed her hands on her hips and grumbled indignantly, even making a face towards the door.
"Pfft!"
"Like I'd tell you when Zeke wakes up! We'll just leave right away... Wait, let's get out of here now! I can carry Zeke on my back!" Kiana raised her index finger, suggesting this idea with sudden inspiration.
Bronya glanced at her and slowly nodded. She agreed—it was safest to return to base while Hera was gone.
Sin yawned lazily. "I agree with everything except that last part—you're dreaming if you think otherwise!"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Of course I'm carrying Zeke back! You reckless idiot paramecium, what if you bump him or drop him along the way?"
"What did you say?!"
Foreheads pressed together, they glared fiercely at each other, instantly locked in confrontation.
"All right, all right, no need for arguing. It seems we won't be returning anytime soon."
Welt stepped forward to mediate, causing the black-armored trio to look up, puzzled.
"Cough, cough!" Welt cleared his throat gently before continuing:
"Firstly, we cannot miss the funeral and memorial service for the fallen Valkyries and civilians affected by this crisis," said Welt. "Secondly, although the immediate danger has passed, there are numerous lingering consequences to address. Furthermore, the vast continent that was Chiyou's avatar remains adrift at sea; it must be dealt with properly."
"A funeral..." Kiana looked distant, biting her lip as she nodded slowly.
Yes, so many lives were lost after all!
Her mood sank.
Kiana's haste to leave wasn't because she didn't care about these sacrifices. Quite the opposite—her profound grief stemmed from not knowing how to confront such tragedies, compelling her to flee instead.
She glanced around the room.
Welt, Fu Hua-sensei, Bronya, annoying Sin, and Zeke... everyone she cared most about was safe and sound. The girls from the orphanage had also been secure throughout the ordeal.
Reflecting on this, Kiana felt deeply relieved.
The loss of countless strangers already left her too distraught to eat; if anything happened to those close to her...
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Kiana slapped her cheeks and vigorously shook her head, banishing those terrifying thoughts from her mind.