ALL NOVEL Chapter 225: The Return of Reason
"It's growing, adapting to my power. If this continues, it will become an even more formidable opponent than Visnhu."
The Will of Honkai-modified Tonatiuh (Star Eater) not only possessed high damage reduction but also exhibited certain Herrscher traits, able to draw power endlessly from the Imaginary Tree.
What further complicated matters for Kevin was its lack of a core, unlike a typical Herrscher. This meant no discernible weakness. He had already obliterated it multiple times, yet it regenerated completely within a fraction of a second.
Able to withstand Kevin's attacks, immortal, and rapidly evolving, it was practically invincible.
But that wasn't the main issue. Even the strongest enemy could be faced, but the world couldn't withstand the collateral damage of their battle.
Even with the battlefield moved to the Pacific, the resulting tsunamis and chaotic typhoons still threatened to devastate half the planet's ecosystems. And this was only the beginning. If the fight continued for days, the disrupted atmospheric and oceanic currents would spread globally, subjecting all of humanity to extreme weather events.
So, the question wasn't whether Kevin could win, but whether humanity could survive the fight.
Ding-a-ling.
The strange chime echoed again. The quantum-shifted Tonatiuh (Star Eater) materialized silently behind Kevin, claws slashing. But before it connected, Kevin's Might of An-Utu erupted in a torrent of flames, engulfing its core.
The core shattered, yet failed to inflict any real damage. Instead, the dispersed black light swept across the icy ocean, instantly vaporizing thousands of tons of seawater.
It was devouring all matter, converting it into its own being.
To truly kill it, Kevin would have to activate his Judgment of Shamash form. But that meant further delaying Project Stigma.
"The people of this era are simply too weak, like infants in cradles, utterly incapable of withstanding the Honkai's destruction." With a sigh of resignation, Kevin looked down at the planet.
Fu Hua, in charge of Project Seed, was missing. He was the last of the Previous Era pioneers, with no one to fight alongside him. A pang of loneliness struck him.
Very well then. Project Stigma would proceed as planned. It was humanity's final, desperate insurance against the Honkai. Whether a better option could be found would be up to the ingenuity of the people of the new era.
The moment he made his decision, a profound silence fell over the sky. Even thousands of miles away, people paused, their gazes drawn to the distant ocean. They didn't know what was happening, yet sensed their fate being inexorably shifted by an unseen hand.
His long coat smoldered slightly at the edges. Deep blue lines spiraled along his arms, solidifying into sturdy vambraces, like the chitinous armor of a monstrous beast. A jet-black star appeared on his forehead, golden, curved horns extending from his skull.
Kevin unleashed the power of his MANTIS augmentations, revealing his transformed state.
His now-elongated, elf-like ears twitched, detecting a spatial fluctuation. Before it could fully manifest, he threw a devastating punch.
The instant his fist connected with the air, space ruptured. The Tonatiuh (Star Eater), still in the process of reforming its physical body, was struck head-on. Flames erupted, engulfing it in a torrent of light.
This wasn't the power of the Might of An-Utu itself, but a new power born within Kevin, forged through countless battles with the Divine Key.
No matter how powerful the Might of An-Utu became, it could never surpass the peak strength of the Herrscher of Flames. Kevin, however, could.
Within this newfound inferno, the Tonatiuh (Star Eater), which should have dissipated into black light, was continuously burned, shrinking steadily.
It attempted to devour the flames, but the energy, once merely as hot as boiling water to it, was now like molten lava, unbearable to consume.
Amid the raging flames, the greatsword pierced its core, finally causing it to dissipate completely.
But this was only the beginning. As long as the Honkai existed, the Will of Honkai would not easily perish. No matter how many times it was killed, it would revive.
However, in Kevin's Judgment of Shamash form, each death prevented the Tonatiuh (Star Eater) from absorbing surrounding matter and energy, severing its ability to grow. Through endless cycles of death and rebirth, it weakened, eventually becoming completely sealed.
This was the best humanity could currently manage against the Honkai: sealing.
While Kevin relentlessly hunted down the Tonatiuh (Star Eater), Ren and Kiana finally escaped immediate danger back in Nagazora. Though monsters still spawned around them, their numbers were drastically reduced.
With Kiana's help, Ren finally regained consciousness, yet he felt no joy.
The connection between his hive mind and the Will of Honkai hadn't been severed. It would inevitably return. He would undoubtedly become stronger, and if the Will of Honkai controlled him again, it would spell disaster for humanity.
While, as a Herrscher, his supposed objective was world destruction, he loathed being controlled. He was the Herrscher of Dominance, meant to dominate all, not be a puppet of the Honkai.
Kiana shared his heavy heart. Otto's words echoed in her mind. She subconsciously touched the hilt of the simulated Greatsword of Taixuan. Its warmth couldn't dispel the chilling fear within her. If Otto was right, and the Will of Honkai within Ren persisted, it would be a catastrophe.
But how could she bring herself to kill Ren?
She glanced at him. The young man looked normal, even offering her a gentle smile when their eyes met. Kiana couldn't fathom this Ren being the source of the world's end.
Kill Ren to save the world, or leave with him? The weight of this fateful decision pressed upon her.
Only Durandal remained oblivious. Still attempting to contact Otto, she walked ahead, clearing a path for them, an emotionless machine carving through the debris.
As Ren wrestled with his thoughts, a surge of information from his main body flooded his mind. With the Will of Honkai temporarily suppressed, his sealed memories returned, revealing the final stage of his plan.
Information from each of his puppets intertwined, converging on a single word: Kindling.
I see. Understanding flooded Ren, and he laughed.
This body's purpose had been predetermined from the start. He was meant to be the final spark to ignite the Kindling.
At that moment, Kevin's battle with the Tonatiuh (Star Eater) reached its climax. Unable to maintain its form, the Will of Honkai's avatar resorted to self-detonation.