"What exactly is going on, Dr. Wu?" Himeko frowned as she questioned the on-site technical analyst inside the battleship.
Dr. Wu, drenched in sweat, wore a bewildered expression. His fingers flew anxiously across the keyboard as he tried to find an answer. "There was no physical collision. The energy field shows no abnormal fluctuations. The heavy particles themselves decayed within normal observational parameters..."
"So you're saying the Herrscher used an unknown method to alter the trajectory of the heavy particles?"
Himeko's brows knitted tightly. That meant Tethys' most powerful weapon had become useless before that throne.
Humanity's strongest heavy particle cannon could not even strike the Herrscher. The atmosphere on the bridge sank like a ship into an iceberg. Everyone present felt the oppressive weight of the Herrscher—and humanity's helplessness.
There had been rumors that a similar situation occurred during the Third Honkai Eruption. Now that very scenario was unfolding before their eyes. The feeling was indescribable.
In science fiction films, humanity often treats nuclear weapons as its final hope against an enemy. To the soldiers of MOTH, the heavy particle cannon developed by Dr. Newton had been their final hope.
And when that hope was shattered by the Herrscher, what remained was endless despair.
Herrscher—this name stood like an insurmountable mountain before humanity. All technology that struck against it was reduced to dust.
Himeko's index finger tapped rhythmically against the armrest of the captain's chair, transmitting her resolve and composure to everyone around her. Gradually, the soldiers lifted their heads, their taut nerves easing slightly under her calm influence.
Himeko issued her orders methodically. "F-3 formation, target the throne behind the Herrscher of Wind. Authorization granted for micro nuclear warheads."
Ever since the Throne of the Wind had been summoned, the Herrscher of Wind had not moved. Himeko had noticed that.
Which meant the Herrscher had to protect the throne.
But with the Throne of the Wind acting like a charging battery, the Herrscher of Wind possessed a steady stream of Honkai energy. Protecting the throne was effortless.
Facing the nuclear warheads launched by the MOTH fighters, the Herrscher of Wind's shield expanded at incredible speed into a vast wind domain, enveloping the exploding missiles within it and snuffing out every flame. Humanity's once-proud methods of attack became fragile sheets of paper within that domain, toyed with at will.
Once covered by the wind domain, everything fell completely under the Herrscher of Wind's control. Even nuclear weapons could not detonate within it. (The Herrscher of Thunder would probably cry with envy—if she'd had this ability back then, she wouldn't have been bombed to pieces.)
Seated upon her throne, the Herrscher of Wind gazed arrogantly at the MOTH fighter jets flying overhead, a faint sneer curving her lips.
"Birds that rely on the wind to fly—what happens when the wind is gone?"
Her words carried the weight of a decree. Amid the roaring winds that filled the sky, a sudden stillness passed.
The MOTH fighter jets inexplicably lost their lift, falling helplessly toward the earth like kites with their strings cut.
Watching the flames of the crashing aircraft, Dr. Wu finally understood. "Captain Himeko, every one of the out-of-control fighters lost the Kutta condition."
Himeko frowned. "Explain it in plain terms. I'm not a scientist."
"Yes, Captain Himeko. The so-called Kutta condition is a concept in fluid dynamics. It requires airflow to be tangent to the wing surface at the trailing edge or wingtip in order to generate lift..."
"In simple terms, they lost airflow support, right?"
Himeko cut off Dr. Wu's long-winded explanation. The young doctor always liked to complicate simple matters to show off his knowledge. In a battle changing by the second, that habit was practically fatal.
If only Dr. Mei were my technical advisor...
Unfortunately, the higher-ups had not approved Dr. Mei's request. Instead, they had assigned Dr. Wu—who was favored by MOTH's upper echelons—to join the command team.
Himeko truly could not understand what those higher-ups were thinking. Did they expect her to protect Dr. Wu in the middle of a life-and-death struggle against a Herrscher? This was no game.
Every attempt to probe the wind domain had ended in failure. MOTH had already lost more than half its soldiers. The remaining forces now hovered at the edge of the wind domain, not daring to approach further.
"Should we order the H-21 armed helicopter unit to conduct a probing attack?" another MOTH military advisor suggested.
Dr. Wu immediately objected. "Armed helicopters also rely on airflow for lift. You'll just be sending them to their deaths."
Blocking out their bickering, Himeko took a deep breath.
Staring at the rapidly rising Honkai energy readings, she knew this was the critical moment in humanity's war against the Herrscher. There was no time left for hesitation. She had to make a decision—one that concerned the survival of humanity.
Suddenly, Himeko rose to her feet and swung her arm decisively.
"We'll engage her head-on with Tethys! Full rudder to the nine o'clock direction—advance directly toward the Herrscher's position overhead!"
The two men who had been arguing stared at her in shock. This was a desperate gamble.
Dr. Wu immediately cried out. He had been sent by the higher-ups to supervise Himeko and polish his résumé—not to die.
"Please wait, Captain Himeko! What are you doing? Our aerial battleship can't withstand the Herrscher's attacks. Have you forgotten what happened to the KZ017 aerial battleship during the Third Thunder Calamity?"
The KZ017 fleet was the MOTH aerial battleship that had been crushed into a giant ball of scrap metal by the Herrscher of Thunder. It was currently being dismantled for scrap at MOTH's Far East naval port.
"Captain Himeko, we can still try other methods!"
Hearing Dr. Wu's timid protest, Himeko sneered inwardly. Pampered, indecisive, lacking even the courage to challenge a Herrscher—and he comes to the front lines? If not to drag us down, then for what?
As for the fate of the KZ017 aerial battleship, how could she possibly forget that tragic scene?
She would never forget the way that man had sacrificed himself.
Himeko had no desire to explain herself to the inexperienced young doctor before her. When she had lived through that moment, Dr. Wu had probably been thousands of miles away in some safe zone, eating popcorn while watching the live broadcast.
"Dr. Wu, this is the only option left to us. Our current attacks cannot harm the Herrscher, and her Honkai energy level is rising rapidly—it has already reached 3400 Honkai Welt(s). If we let this continue, we will have no chance of victory."
"Only by staking everything can we break this deadlock. When facing a Herrscher, we have no other choice."