"Emergency report: the Herrscher of Wind is rapidly approaching El Paso."
"Emergency report: the Herrscher of Wind is rapidly approaching El Paso."
A tense bulletin regarding the Herrscher of Wind's movements echoed through Kevin's earpiece from MOTH's Intelligence Center.
The Herrscher of Wind's arrival had clearly caught Kevin off guard. If MOTH's intelligence department had truly been able to predict her movements, this place would not have been left with only Kevin's small reconnaissance squad gathering information.
MOTH was not so extravagant as to send freshly graduated recruits to their deaths. Training each soldier required considerable resources. MOTH's elite troops were not mass-produced peacekeeping forces of the United Nations.
Kevin had no idea where the boy calling himself Shadow ★ Shine had obtained his intelligence. To predict the Herrscher of Wind's trajectory with such accuracy—despite never even observing her—was astonishing.
Yet in the face of this sudden development, Kevin remained calm. Even knowing he would soon face a Herrscher alone, he had no intention of retreating.
Agreeing to help Kosma intercept the Herrscher of Wind had not been mere bravado. Kevin had his own confidence.
He smashed open the locked iron gates of the power company, climbed to the rooftop substation of a nearby building, and used a backup multi-functional cable interface to begin charging the magazine of his laser sniper rifle.
The laser sniper rifle in Kevin's hands was not standard reconnaissance equipment issued by MOTH. It was an experimental weapon developed by the Newton Laboratory, capable of firing high-energy heavy particle beams.
Originally, such a dangerous weapon should not have been entrusted to Kevin. But Dr. Newton seemed unusually fond of him. When Kevin had gone to the Newton Laboratory to bid farewell to Dr. Mei before departing for the battlefield, she had stuffed a pile of her latest research成果 into his hands and let him choose freely.
Kevin had not taken everything. Some of the inventions were absurdly powerful, others utterly impractical. For this mission, he selected only a few pieces of equipment suited to himself.
For example, the laser sniper rifle with heavy particle mode was one of his choices.
By adjusting the frequency of the laser beam, the rifle could penetrate different types of material.
Against metal armor, it could employ a specific frequency to instantly melt the metal, destroying the armor and killing the target. It was equally effective against the armor of Honkai Beasts.
In heavy particle mode, the laser beam would be accelerated by a high-intensity magnetic field to near-light speed, generating high-energy plasma in the air. Within that plasma were heavy particles possessing extraordinary energy and penetrative power.
(Newton asks: "If a laser beam is already light, why does it need to be accelerated to near light speed?")
(Expert answers: "A laser is an electromagnetic wave. In a vacuum, its propagation speed is constant—the speed of light. But that is in theoretical vacuum. In reality, light passes through various media, so its actual speed cannot reach true light speed.")
This laser sniper rifle also had advantages such as being silent, smokeless, and recoil-free. It required no ammunition or fuel—only sufficient electrical power—making it highly suitable for single-soldier deployment.
With this miraculous weapon in hand, Kevin effectively wielded the firepower of a directional electromagnetic railgun.
Compared to the main cannons of MOTH warships, its power was negligible. Yet it could still be regarded as a subatomic-level high-energy attack, with a chance of breaching a Herrscher's defenses.
Of course, the weapon imposed tremendous demands on its user. First and foremost was its weight—roughly ten times that of a conventional sniper rifle. An ordinary soldier would never be able to carry such a thing across rooftops in the midst of battle.
But for Kevin, this was no difficulty. Now, he was already one of the strongest warriors within MOTH, second only to Elysia.
Kevin understood that if he wished to become strong—strong enough to follow Mei in this ruined world—he needed power.
To that end, he constantly pushed his limits and tempered his will.
Ato had taught him Instructor Siegfried's training methods. As a result, Kevin now possessed broad, double-door shoulders and a powerful build.
If Kevin had been given a choice, perhaps he would have remained the gentlest and happiest boy of the Previous Era.
But the arrival of the Honkai had changed everything.
Chiba Academy no longer existed.
Nor did the bright, cheerful young man who once walked its halls.
Yet Kevin's beautiful memories still remained. And so he understood Mei.
He knew her anxiety and fear of "not knowing what the future holds" after the Honkai descended.
As a fool, he could not strategize for her. But at the very least, he could become her blade—cutting away thorns and clearing obstacles to dispel her fears.
Kevin understood Mei's dream. She wished to exhaust the truths of this world. She wished to lead humanity in declaring war against the Honkai. She could not afford to ask for time for the two of them alone.
Since their time together was so scarce, then he would fight to seize it. He would stake his life, distinguish himself among the soldiers with brilliant achievements and undeniable strength, and stand at Mei's side.
The wind grew sharper, as though something dreadful were approaching.
Kevin drew in a deep breath and murmured, "Mei's wish is my wish..."
"I will become Mei's hero..."
"I will stop the Herrscher..."
What Kevin did not know was that along the substation's power lines, in the control center of the electrical building below, a girl dressed in the attire of Magician was silently observing him.
"Mm. Your wish is my wish as well. Do your best, Kevin," Id cheered him on. Id had always believed in the Flame-Chasers.
Vill-V was here, naturally, to assist Kevin. This laser sniper rifle had been designed with the heavy particle cannon mounted on Project Bunny as its conceptual prototype. Its theoretical upper limit of power was extremely high, but achieving that limit required computational support on the level of Project Bunny.
Kevin did not even possess a bachelor's degree. The power he could draw from this weapon might well be less effective than using it as a baseball bat. It would be a miracle if he did not cause it to explode during the charging phase.
The weapon required an enormous electrical supply, which was why Kevin had come here—and why Vill-V had been waiting in advance for him to arrive, secretly assisting with adjustments to the laser sniper rifle.
Within the rifle's electronic scope, a small figure entered view. Honkai energy caused a faint green glow to shimmer around her, like a fairy descended from the heavens.
Yet this fairy wore tattered clothing and an expression of fury. Beneath her sat a building lifted into the air by a raging hurricane.
Vill-V found the building extremely familiar.
"Ah... that's my Helixcraft! I was planning to recover some funds from it... wuuu..."