I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era-Chapter 57: Late

The pink arrow tore through the counterattacking energy; Ryan's anticipated third phase had begun.

The N1 burst munition's flash served as a signal; if Elysia wasn't too slow, she'd arrive swiftly—and she did.

"Such a spectacular show; it started without me."

Her sarcastic voice cut through the wind; her long pink hair danced in the storm. Elysia leaped from the transport helicopter, piercing the dark clouds, descending towards the sea, then unleashed an arrow without hesitation.

Perfectly timed, the lightning shattered the pink arrow; the roaring energy surged forward. The pink-haired girl gracefully evaded, her Flower-patterned shield gathering the lightning.

Intense killing intent surged from below. Elysia, unlike Ryan, merely frowned, smiling slightly. "Seems like a hot-tempered child. But..."

"I don't mind that!"

She dove from the sky, unlike Ryan's relentless charge; her movements were graceful, like a waltz.

Her long dress fluttered like butterfly wings, weaving through the dense lightning, pausing occasionally to unleash arrows at the Herrscher.

Why are there so many strange humans?

The Herrscher was puzzled again. She didn't recognize this pink-haired girl, but she felt something indescribable—more aggressive, more murderous than the man.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The pink arrows, seemingly cute, created meters-high water columns on impact. Elysia observed the flickering lightning, a smile on her lips.

She knew her power was growing; but at this stage, a duel with Herrscher was difficult.

"But Ryan and the others have already depleted you; if I retreat now, it would seem insincere."

She suddenly flew backward, raising her left hand, forming the Flower-patterned shield again. Then, the lightning that had just vanished reappeared before her.

Boom!

A sphere of lightning exploded before her. Through the pink shield, Elysia saw the sharp blade and the murderous expression; cracks appeared, but she showed no fear.

"Girls should smile more; it's a waste of such a pretty face."

"You talk too much!" The Herrscher retreated, then charged again; the lightning blade, cleaving the shield in two, searched for its target.

There!

The pink-haired girl lay on her back in the air, playfully squinting one eye, then releasing a Honkai energy bowstring.

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Swish!

A massive arrow shot forth. As the Herrscher of Thunder prepared to evade, it split into hundreds of arrows.

Rumble, rumble, rumble...

Dense spheres of light illuminated the sky, dyeing it pink. Elysia blinked, diving towards the sea.

Whizz!

A circular arc of lightning tore through her afterimage; the Herrscher, transformed into lightning, pursued relentlessly—the Herrscher of Thunder's style—using ferocious attacks to obliterate everything.

This ferocity was terrifying, yet Elysia smiled, saying, "Endless entanglement is tiresome," while gracefully dancing.

Pink arrows and lightning clashed; the two figures intertwined in the air; even Fire Moth's drones struggled to capture clear images.

If Ryan's battle was calculated, Elysia's, whether leading or trailing, was masterful.

Defense, evasion, counterattack—her demeanor was neither frantic nor calm, seeming almost playful.

This was captured by the rear echelon; it was incredibly exciting for Fire Moth. But the Herrscher wasn't stupid; she quickly understood Elysia's intentions.

"Blocking me, depleting me, covering the humans' escape?"

"Oh, you noticed. You're much smarter than the previous two." Elysia's surprised tone indicated trouble.

Ignoring the compliment, the Herrscher of Thunder charged again, diving towards the sea, cleaving a wave, using her body like a sword, bisecting a cruiser.

Boom—Clang—

The ammunition depot exploded; the sound of rending steel was swallowed by the sea. Elysia charged; unlike Ryan's cold calculation, treating both friend and foe as variables, she wanted to save everyone.

This is troublesome.

The girl's smile faded slightly; her speed couldn't match the Herrscher of Thunder, but she had to pursue.

The Herrscher, significantly depleted, could recover fully soon; no, return even stronger.

Boom!

A second warship exploded; burning debris scattered; it passed close to Elysia; she moved through the black smoke; her beautiful purple eyes narrowed slightly.

The Herrscher, having sensed Elysia's mental state, shifted from pursuit to evasion.

"You're stronger than that man, but you're more predictable."

A cruel smile touched the silver-haired girl's lips. That man, if he'd attempted a rescue, would have died ten times over; he was cold and calculating; this woman was easier to handle.

"Protection? Salvation? Fine, I'll grant you that!"

Her blade slashed; lightning flashed.

Boom!

Thunder roared. Having focused most of her energy on attack, the Honkai energy, amplified by her power, formed a thin, long bolt of lightning; yet, it contained immense power.

The lightning and the pink shield collided; energy exploded; Elysia retreated quickly, feeling a wave of electricity impacting her body.

The Herrscher was becoming more intelligent; she was now employing strategy; was this a berserk state of full-power attack?

This thought flashed through her mind. Maintaining her balance before hitting the water, another bolt of lightning appeared before her—even faster.

The purple blade expanded in her vision; the Herrscher charged, as she had with the warships, then struck the second shield.

Boom!

Shield shattered, body flung; Elysia tumbled across the waves, seeing the Herrscher approaching; she didn't hesitate to strike.

Third time, let's see what you use to block...

Clang—Whizz!

First came a heavy clang; then, a long gash appeared on the sea's surface. Through the thick vapor, the Herrscher of Thunder quickly turned.

"You dare return?"

Ryan, like a dragon emerging from the sea, pressed his spear against her ribs, creating bright sparks as it scraped against the "super-electromagnetic field," then disintegrated.

But the man smiled and charged, leaping into the air, leaning back, gathering power in his fist, staring at the descending blade.

"Why wouldn't I?"

The berserk lightning easily tore through Honkai energy defenses, slicing through the high-molecular shielding armor like tofu, disintegrating muscles without causing pain.

Ryan ignored it, instinctively condensing Inner Focus into a blade, striking the Herrscher.

Your partners are gone; now it's your turn!

At point-blank range, the invisible Inner Focus pierced the weakened "super-electromagnetic field." It caused no physical damage, but it stopped the blade that had just sliced through his armor; the silver-haired girl's eyes showed confusion.

A mental shock, followed by—

Inch-Fist. Yun Lan!

Boom!

A pale shockwave mingled with crimson energy exploded, creating huge waves; a straight furrow appeared on the sea's surface. The Herrscher recovered.

Mental interference?

She saw her super-electromagnetic field pierced; this wasn't unexpected; her Honkai energy was depleted; she'd used most of it for attacks. The human had concentrated all his energy into a single point, breaking through.

"So what? I'll recover soon."

The purple lightning on her blade vanished; she used the remaining Honkai energy for defense, preparing a temporary retreat.

In half a day, she'd be back, stronger, wiser.

But before she could adjust, a pink beam struck her. This attack was far more intense than before.

Damn it.

The Herrscher watched the energy clash and dissipate. She repaired the shattered super-electromagnetic field, then looked up, surprised.

The armor was gone; the bare-handed man returned, moving through the waves, crouching low, like a coiled tiger, charging into her chest.

"Get lost!!"

Her blade slashed, severing his short black hair. Ryan dodged, then attacked again.

He grabbed the Herrscher's blade and pulled downwards, as if holding a mountain, lifting her entire body.

Extreme Force. Mōko Kō Hazan!!

He crouched, concentrating Honkai energy in his knees.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Three consecutive knee strikes to the Herrscher's chest; three crimson shockwaves appeared behind her, impacting bone and tearing muscle.

Not finished.

Ryan released his grip; a final blow sent the Herrscher flying. He landed on the Honkai energy-infused ground, launching his body forward, ignoring his depleted body, forcing out his final reserves.

The Herrscher, unfazed, ignored her injuries, swinging her blade.

"Such a lack of technique!"

Ignoring power and energy, before becoming a Herrscher, she was merely human. As she swung, Ryan knew her intention.

A mental shock!

While hastily used, it couldn't fully control the Herrscher, but it slowed the blade momentarily, aided by the damaged Preservation armor.

Whizz!

The blade sliced into his shoulder, penetrating his chest, then stopped. Ryan formed Honkai energy into a sharp blade; he saw a plea in the Herrscher's eyes—a sight that would thrill Fire Moth's psychological warfare division.

But Ryan knew the Previous Era Herrschers couldn't regain humanity. He didn't hesitate to sever her neck.

"Still begging for mercy?"

Slash!

The final energy barrier shattered; blood and flesh erupted as Ryan's hand pierced her chest, retrieving a rhombus-shaped crystal. He grasped it tightly.

Forehead to forehead, nose to nose, staring at her beautiful face, his voice was icy.

"Late!"