Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

No one knew how many Honkai beasts lurked in the sea, just as no one knew how many had been annihilated in Lin Wei's earlier miracle.

But they were still coming, endless, relentless, as if every creature in the ocean had been transformed into a monstrous, ravenous beast, intent on consuming the land and everything on it.

But the miracle couldn't be repeated. The man who had wrought it was now unconscious.

Only two A-rank Valkyries remained, facing the ever-increasing horde, the inevitable encirclement.

Jell Meister, the captain, had made a ruthless choice for her partner and subordinate, Anna.

"Damn it, they just keep coming! I hate this!" Jell thought, dodging a jellyfish-like Honkai beast, slicing off one of its tentacles with her blade. "Just like the Honkai itself, always returning, always a threat, never letting you rest…"

She drew her greatsword, her voice filled with a cold fury. "Die, you bastards! Die!"

She cleaved the unbalanced beast in two.

No one said a Valkyrie could only use one weapon.

Jell preferred to be fully armed, ready for any situation.

"Hmph, is that all you've got?" She spat on the corpse, then planted her greatsword in the ground, drawing her pistol and firing several shots in different directions, drawing the attention of nearby Honkai beasts.

"Over here, you freaks! Come and get me!" she yelled, her laughter filled with a reckless abandon.

She fired a few more shots, attracting even more beasts, then hurled her greatsword at a giant crab, pinning its claw to the ground. She turned and ran, taunting them, "Come on! Catch me if you can!"

The greatsword was too heavy, slowing her down. She'd reluctantly abandoned it, a necessary sacrifice.

Whether enraged by her audacity or simply drawn by the commotion, the Honkai beasts followed her, a growing horde pursuing their prey.

The area around Anna was suddenly clear.

"Captain…" Anna watched Jell's retreating figure disappear into the distance, tears streaming down her face.

She wiped them away, hoisted Lin Wei onto her back, and secured him with the rope, her movements practiced and efficient. "Rest, Lin Wei. I'll get you out of here." She took one last look in Jell's direction, then turned and ran, her heart aching.

Jell had opened a path for her, a path bought with her life. She couldn't let her sacrifice be in vain.

From a higher perspective, five tiny figures, like ants amidst the ruins, were moving in three different directions, each on their own desperate journey.

...

"Brother, look out!" The little girl screamed, pointing at a large Honkai beast blocking their path.

Chen Tianwu's expression hardened. There was no room to maneuver, the road blocked on both sides by rubble and collapsed buildings. He slammed the throttle forward.

"Wenwen, hold on tight! Get down!"

The little girl curled up in his arms, small and silent.

The motorcycle, a veteran of countless battles, roared, weaving through the ruins, passing beneath the slow-moving Honkai beast, its engine screaming in triumph.

"Ha! Missed me!" The little girl popped her head up, sticking her tongue out at the beast they'd just dodged. "Stupid… no, fat pig! All bark and no bite!"

"Wenwen!" he scolded. This wasn't the time for games.

"Okay, okay…" She made one last face, then ducked back down, quiet and still.

...

"Slash!" "Crack!" "Bang!" "Thud…" "Ha!"

Jell, wielding both blade and pistol, weaved through the ruins along the Pasig River, taunting, slashing, attracting the attention of the Honkai beasts emerging from the water.

"Damn it, more over there…" She spotted more Honkai beasts further upstream, but several beasts blocked her path.

"That's as far as I can go." She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Those she hadn't lured away would likely become obstacles for Anna.

But she couldn't risk going any further. She'd be surrounded, and the Honkai beasts would then turn their attention back to Anna.

"Anna, I've done all I can. The rest is up to you!" She leaped onto a Honkai beast corpse, taking one last look in Anna's direction, then turned and ran, leading the horde away, before they could surround her.

There was only one safe direction to escape – inland, towards Snow Lotus's base camp, towards Rita.

Any other direction was a dead end. The Honkai beasts swarming the coastline would eventually catch up, surrounding them, tearing them apart.

She knew she was running towards her own death.

But who cared?

"Someone has to take the fall, so others can live!" she yelled, slashing through several Honkai beasts. "Right, Ander?"

No one answered. Only the roars of the enraged Honkai beasts echoed through the ruined city, a symphony of death and destruction.

Miles away, Anna heard the distant roars, a terrifying yet somehow inspiring sound.

But she didn't stop, her pace quickening as she ran along the path Jell had cleared for her.

...

"Vroom!" Chen Tianwu, like a daredevil racer, weaved through the ruins, narrowly avoiding the Honkai beasts, feeling the wind of their claws, the sting of flying debris.

"Wenwen, wasn't that cool?!" he yelled, his voice betraying his fear.

If he was facing this much danger, just trying to escape, what kind of horrors were Lin Wei and Anna facing? He couldn't imagine.

He didn't know that if not for Jell and Lin Wei's earlier actions, drawing away most of the Honkai beasts and eliminating the most dangerous ones, he wouldn't have made it this far. His youthful bravado wouldn't have been enough.

But it didn't matter.

He'd faced his "fate" head-on, leaving his mark on its face.

That alone was commendable.

"If… if we survive this…" he thought, dodging another Honkai beast, "…maybe, one day, I'll be as strong as them."

"I know you will, Brother!" the little girl cheered, her voice filled with unwavering faith.

"Hold on tight, Wenwen!" he yelled.

The road ahead was blocked. He had to take a detour, one of the risky shortcuts Jell had marked on the map.

"Vroom!" The motorcycle soared through the air, a graceful arc against the clear blue sky, landing heavily on the other side, almost losing control.

Chen Tianwu's heart leaped into his throat. He fought to regain his balance, narrowly avoiding a crash.

"Wenwen, are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. He couldn't look back, his attention focused on the treacherous road ahead.

"Cough, cough…" The little girl had also been jolted by the impact. "I'm fine!"

Hearing her cheerful voice, he relaxed, laughing. "Looks like I'm a natural!"

"You're the best, Brother!" she cheered.

The motorcycle roared, overcoming every obstacle, heading towards hope, towards safety.

...

Back at the base camp, the sudden turn of events had left everyone except Rita stunned.

Rita, ever the composed professional, maintained her calm demeanor. As their leader, she couldn't afford to panic.

But even she had been shaken by the sudden shift in fortune.

They'd fought hard, stabilizing the situation, hoping for reinforcements. Then, in an instant, everything had changed. Communication lost, the earth shaking, a new wave of Honkai beasts approaching.

She'd felt a surge of despair. She could have escaped, but as an S-rank Valkyrie, the symbol of their resistance, she couldn't abandon her post.

She'd issued her final orders, preparing to fight to the death.

Then, just as she'd braced for the inevitable, the sky had cleared, the wave vanished, as if it had all been a bad dream.

"What… just happened?" The Valkyries around her exchanged confused glances, searching for answers.

Rita, recovering first, had a suspicion. "Mr. Lin Wei… he must have done something…"

Then, just as he'd predicted, she adjusted her strategy.

The retreat order was rescinded. C and D ranks maintained order, while all B-rank and above Valkyries returned to their combat positions.

She knew Lin Wei had done this to protect their defensive line.

She wouldn't let his sacrifice be in vain.

"Beep, beep, beep…" Her communicator chirped as she was inspecting the defenses.

"It's Captain Jell's signal!" a Valkyrie from Snow Lotus exclaimed. "She and Mr. Lin Wei are back! They're requesting assistance!"

"They're approaching so fast… it must be them!"

"Hold your positions! I'll go meet them!" Rita turned and ran towards the signal.

"Yes, ma'am!" The Valkyries, their spirits renewed by the good news, returned to their posts with renewed vigor.