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Chapter 240 – Burning Flames
🕑 Added 2025-08-10 15:00:15 +0000 UTCIn another world.
The Honkai Emperor that had launched the surprise attack collapsed with a thunderous crash, engulfed in roaring flames.
Holding her greatsword, Murata Himeko let out a long breath.
Her body felt lighter than it ever had before.
The pain from her wounds had faded, replaced by an overwhelming surge of power that poured forth in time with her boiling spirit.
“Phew… everyone, wait for me. I’m back!”
…
The Hyperion cruised slowly above the southern sector of the Helheim Honkai Energy Laboratory.
“Four kilometers to the coordinates Dr. Tesla transmitted.” Bronya, clad in her Dimension Breaker armor, pressed a hand to the comms device in her ear. “No abnormal readings nearby.”
“Copy. Begin decelerating and prepare to search for Tesla and Murata Himeko.” The calm, measured voice of Einstein came through the line — the temporary commander for this operation.
“All squads, stay alert. The Herrscher could strike through the Imaginary Space at any time.”
“Doctor… the condition of the wounded?” Bronya’s brow furrowed ever so slightly, her tone carrying a rare weight.
“…Not optimistic.” Einstein’s voice remained cool and composed, as if she never left the realm of reason. “Miss Theresa’s injuries are barely stabilized, but she’s still unconscious. We don’t know when — or if — she’ll wake.”
“And Mei… the Herrscher of the Void damaged her heart when she took the Gem of Conquest. It’s critical — she needs immediate surgery.”
Bronya’s lips parted as if to say something, but before she could—
A deafening alarm tore through the sealed cabin, bathing it in harsh crimson light!
Her expression hardened instantly.
“Radar has detected a large number of Honkai beasts breaching the ship.”
“Prepare to engage.” Einstein’s voice was firmer now.
“Understood.” Bronya nodded to the Valkyrie beside her, and in the next moment her figure vanished from the control room.
Outside, the roar of Honkai beasts from all directions was deafening.
Through the yawning gates of Imaginary Space, a ceaseless tide of snarling monsters poured forth, like the dead breaking their chains in hell to return to the living world for vengeance.
Explosions churned up storms and smoke that drifted over the Hyperion.
The shields over the impact points flickered, their light dimming.
From a 40-centimeter cannon barrel, a dark red torrent of light erupted.
The recoil sent Heavy Bunny skidding back several meters.
Bronya thrust out a hexagonal force field from her palm — but even that could not halt the beasts’ relentless charge.
The clang of steel rang out, and the world spun wildly before her eyes.
“Not good!”
Momentum flung the battered, petite girl across the deck. She tumbled several times before finally coming to a stop.
Before her loomed a colossal Honkai beast, dozens of meters tall.
It reared back and bellowed to the sky, then raised its massive forelimbs and slammed them down — like a mountain falling to crush an ant.
Despair glimmered in Bronya’s silver-gray eyes. That last strike had shattered the bones in her right arm and left leg.
Slowly, she closed her eyes… but the pain she expected never came.
Instead, she felt warmth.
Opening her eyes, she saw—fire.
The warmth grew into searing heat.
“…Major Himeko!” Bronya’s gaze locked on the figure at the heart of the flames.
“You’ve done well, Bronya.” The crimson warrior’s voice was as gentle as always, even with her back turned. “Now get back inside the Hyperion. Leave this to me.”
Himeko channeled Honkai energy into her greatsword, and in an instant, the raging flames erupted with overwhelming force, scorching the very air.
The next moment, Murata Himeko charged!
A storm of fire raged freely, light spreading through the darkness like a prairie blaze — like the first light of dawn breaking through the night.
…
“Spatial curvature fluctuation levels… I’ve never seen Honkai energy this high!” Back aboard the Hyperion, rescued by the Valkyrie units, Tesla stared at the screen, her voice cracking with disbelief.
“The number of Honkai beasts is still climbing… Even for a Herrscher, this is absurd!”
“Can the Hyperion still move?” Himeko’s voice comes over comms — this time laced with heavy, labored breaths.
Himeko was only an A-rank Valkyrie.
Perhaps stronger than most of her rank, but still far from S-rank.
For her, piloting the prototype Vermilion Knight: Eclipse armor — equipment that only an S-rank could normally operate was already pushing her body far past its limits.
And with the Haste Gem embedded in the armor… she was burning her very life away.
“The engine room’s taken heavy damage, starboard armor’s been torn off. We need time for repairs… three minutes! Just hold for three minutes!”
The clatter of keys echoed in the background as Tesla’s voice rose in urgency.
“Three minutes… huh?”
After cutting down the last Honkai beast in her sector, Himeko leaned against the wall, taking a moment’s rest.
The medics rushed in, tending to the wounded Valkyries scattered across the area.
As the familiar crew members passed in front of Murata Himeko, she instinctively shifted to hide her injuries.
Blood dripped to the floor, each drop landing with a crisp, echoing ring.
Lowering her head, a faint, wry smile tugged at her lips.
“This time… I really went overboard.”
No one replied.
Only the glimmering reflection in a vial of serum answered her — revealing a face marred with cuts and bruises.
Suddenly, a voice rang loud in every earpiece across the channel:
“Warning! Judgment-class Honkai beast approaching! Medical teams, evacuate immediately!”
An ear-splitting alarm followed, throwing the once-busy passageway into chaos.
“Well… I suppose it’s about time I got some fresh air.”
The world reflected in her brilliant golden eyes remained as calm as ever.
Himeko let her gaze linger for one last moment on her old, reliable comrade-in-arms — and the many familiar, youthful faces she had fought alongside for years.
“You all still have a long road ahead of you,” she murmured with gentle warmth. “Good luck~”
Ending on a playful note, she rose to her feet and strode against the tide of fleeing personnel.
“……. Sigh, I really want to get some drink right now.”
…
A roar like rolling thunder shook the skies.
It came from the colossal, dragon-shaped Judgment-class Honkai beast — Benares.
Its massive body stretched hundreds of meters, dark blue scales gleaming beneath layers of white armor plating.
Razor-edged wings caught the sunlight, flashing with a deadly cold light.
The high-frequency vibrations they emitted sliced through the Hyperion’s energy shields with ease.
With its huge claws, it tore a defensive turret from the warship’s deck… and hurled it back.
From the elevator, the sound of gears and servos was followed by the appearance of a slender, crimson figure.
Murata Himeko stepped out, a faint smirk tugging at her mouth.
She gave a quiet, dismissive hum toward the incoming turret, then hefted her greatsword like a baseball bat — and swung with all her might.
The air exploded outward in a violent shockwave.
Glass windows shattered in a piercing chorus, raining shards down onto the deck that, moments ago, had been spotless.
The redirected turret slammed into the dragon’s head, forcing it to recoil with a guttural snarl.
The deck beneath her erupted in another burst of force as the Crimson Knight leapt skyward like a blade.
She twisted her waist midair, her flame-colored hair whipping around her.
With that motion, her long legs and coiled core unleashed an explosive power, propelling her forward like a bullet leaving the chamber—
‘BOOM!’
The impact echoed like a cannon.
The massive form of Benares was smashed down onto the Hyperion’s deck, the sound of shattering steel ringing out like a pained scream.
A mushroom cloud of dust rose from the crater.
Twisting midair again, Himeko landed with practiced grace, sword in both hands, facing the dragon.
The crimson armor clung to her form, the superheated blade glowing with a searing red light.
The hum it emitted was like the low, mournful song of a requiem.
And then—
The wind howled.
Honkai energy surged at her feet, erupting as she stepped forward.
The force blasted from beneath her, sending her shooting toward her target like an arrow loosed from the string.
“HAAH!”
In a heartbeat, she was at the dragon’s head.
Her blade came down in a blazing arc, the air shrieking under the pressure of its swing.
But Himeko’s brow furrowed sharply — an orange-gold barrier of space had appeared before Benares, blocking her strike.
The crimson blaze struck the barrier, detonating in a burst of blinding light. Himeko instinctively narrowed her eyes against the glare.
When her vision cleared — the dragon was gone.
A regal, mocking laugh reached her ears, making her whirl around instantly.
Hands clasped behind her back, spears of subspace floating lazily at her sides, the Herrscher of the Void strolled forth from the emptiness.
Each step she took sent ripples through space itself.
“Humans… did you really think you could escape me? ☆”
