41: Chapter 38 Erosion Reaction

She carefully stuffed the syringe into her pocket.

Kaiwen gently patted her pocket, letting out a long sigh of relief after confirming that the vial of medicine was still lying safely inside.

Alright, got the stuff, let's head back quickly.

Kaiwen turned around and called out to the two behind her, "Hurry up. While this fog hasn't dispersed yet, let's head back to the convenience store."

"Sister Kaiwen, please wait a moment."

Bronya's voice was devoid of emotion, yet Kaiwen could still sense something wrong in her tone.

Project Bunny's tactical screen lit up.

When Gray Serpent was present, nothing could be seen clearly on this screen.

Now that the interference was gone, the moment the display recovered, a dense cluster of red dots covering the screen nearly blinded Kaiwen.

"Radar restored," Bronya stared expressionlessly at the screen. "We are surrounded, Sister Kaiwen. From all directions."

No sooner had her words fallen than sounds rang out from the thick fog.

Rustling and dense, like something slowly crawling on the ground dragging its claws.

Faint figures of Death Soldiers emerged in the thick fog.

Immediately after, a scraping sound of heavy objects dragging along the ground came from behind them, and pairs of blood-red eyes belonging to Honkai Beasts lit up one after another in the depths of the mist.

"What about the way back?" Kaiwen asked.

Bronya shook her head.

Mei stepped forward, shielding Kaiwen.

She raised an iron bar, her body trembling slightly with fatigue, yet she stubbornly refused to step back even half a pace.

A hopeless situation with no room for retreat left them with little time to despair.

The sounds of Honkai Beasts and Death Soldiers instantly tore through the thick fog.

Project Bunny immediately deployed its shield, but as soon as it opened, several massive Honkai Beasts slammed into it.

The defense line, which was barely established, was ripped to shreds instantly.

Mei gripped the iron bar with both hands and swung it violently, sending a Death Soldier flying, but before she could recover her stance, another Honkai Beast pounced and snapped at her under the cover of the thick fog.

Seeing that Mei couldn't shift her stance in time, Kaiwen yanked her aside and kicked the Honkai Beast away with force.

But this was of no avail; the Honkai Beasts blocked the path completely, leaving no way of escape.

Seeing the pairs of blood-red eyes approaching closer and closer ahead...

[Yae Sakura, help me,] Kaiwen spoke in her mind.

[Kaiwen, your body can't handle it right now,] Yae Sakura's serious voice echoed in her mind.

[There's no time to worry about that!]

A helpless sigh suddenly sounded in her mind.

[Kaiwen... let me do it instead.]

Kaiwen froze for a moment, then responded softly in her heart, [Thanks, Rin.]

The next second, the dormant Stigmata on her back suddenly turned scalding hot.

Unlike Yae Sakura's gentle power, the moment this force emerged, it brought a domineering and violent sense of destruction.

Dark purple mist of erosion swept through the entire street like a storm centered on Kaiwen; wherever it passed, Honkai Beasts and Death Soldiers within a dozens-meter radius didn't even have time to screech before silently dissolving into black dust scattered across the air.

The fog dispersed.

Kaiwen's knees suddenly buckled, nearly causing her to collapse to the ground.

It hurt—so much that her vision distorted, as if something had forcefully pierced through her body.

But she gritted her teeth, refusing to let herself close her eyes.

"Sister Kaiwen."

Project Bunny's remaining right arm steadily supported her back from behind.

Beside her, Raiden Mei dropped the iron bar and stepped forward to hold her up.

Looking at the trace of blood at Kaiwen's lip, Mei said nothing, but the hand holding her shoulder tightened slightly.

Just as Kaiwen caught her breath and was about to speak, the faint buzzing sound from earlier suddenly grew louder.

Within seconds, it transformed from a vague low-frequency vibration in the distance to an overwhelming roar overhead.

The gravel underfoot vibrated along with it, and even dust from broken walls rustled down.

Kaiwen raised her head.

The thick fog was forcibly ripped open from above into a huge gap, and several white beams of searchlights penetrated through, shining straight onto the plaza, blinding her so much she could barely open her eyes.

A steel warship hull slowly pressed down through the rift in the fog, so massive it covered nearly half the sky.

It was hyperion.

Rin's move earlier was indeed too loud; it was impossible for the warship's radar not to catch it.

The hatch at the bottom of the ship opened, dropping several steel cables.

Personnel in Valkyrie combat uniforms slid down rapidly along the steel cables, their boots making crisp, synchronized clacks against the gravel.

Leading them was a red-haired woman.

Upon landing, she made no wasted movements, sweeping her gaze across the plaza cleared by the power of erosion, then glancing at Kaiwen, who leaned pale-faced against the wall, and Mei, who was supporting her.

"How many casualties?" Her tone was crisp and decisive, like giving an order.

"One," Bronya replied expressionlessly. "Sister Kaiwen."

The red-haired woman walked over, knelt on one knee, and checked Kaiwen's condition.

"Can you walk?"

After asking, she extended her hand and steadily supported Kaiwen's arm.

"...I can." Kaiwen slowly stood up with her support; her legs were a bit weak, but she could still manage.

"Board the ship." The red-haired woman stood up and gestured to the Valkyries behind her. "Medical team prepare to receive casualties; notify the bridge, evacuating the area."

Two Valkyries stepped forward, supporting Kaiwen's arms from both sides.

Mei followed alongside, her hand still lightly supporting Kaiwen's back, as if afraid she might collapse at any moment.

Kaiwen was secured on the platform, as the ruined plaza rapidly shrank beneath her feet.

The lift platform came to a steady stop with a dull metallic clunk.

The hatch door slowly closed in front of her, shutting out the cold air outside and the distant roars of Honkai Beasts.

The air inside the cabin of hyperion was dry and warm; compared to the world outside, it felt almost like stepping into another era.

Kaiwen's legs were still a bit weak, but at least she could walk on her own now.

Tap, tap, tap—

She raised her head and saw Kiana running toward her.

Kiana didn't slow down at all, rushing straight in front of Kaiwen, grabbing her shoulders with both hands, and scanning her up and down.

Finally, her gaze stopped at the trace of blood at the corner of Kaiwen's mouth.

Gently releasing Kaiwen's shoulders, she suddenly turned around, grabbed the collar of Raiden Mei standing behind Kaiwen, and pulled her close.

"Didn't you say you'd protect her?!"

Kiana's voice exploded in the corridor, hoarse and trembling, filled with anger suppressed for who knows how long.

"Is this what you call protection?!"

Mei's collar was pulled tight, but she didn't struggle or make excuses.

She merely kept her eyes lowered in silence, her face deathly pale.