Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers

Boom!

The Chariot's massive foreleg slammed into the ground, sending cracks spiderwebbing outwards. A chunk of concrete grazed Kevin's cheek, leaving a bloody scratch on his right cheekbone.

"Heh, you're smaller than the big guy I saw in Ruruye, but you're definitely faster!"

He tossed aside his broken, empty rifle and pulled out the baseball bat tucked into his belt. He raised his left index finger, beckoning towards the three-meter-tall Chariot-class Honkai beast.

"Come and get me!"

The Chariot was enraged!

A mere human, daring to provoke it!

"Chariot!"

It roared, leaping into the air, its relatively small (according to Kevin) body blocking out the sun as it lunged towards him.

But Kevin was surprisingly calm—exceptionally calm. He felt even more focused than he did on the basketball court.

"Yes! Basketball! This is just a basketball game, Kevin! You're facing a big, dumb center! Just like dealing with that seven-foot black dude last week!"

With that thought, his back stopped aching, his legs stopped hurting, and his heart stopped beating! (Strikethrough)

With that thought, his confidence surged. Just as he'd done countless times on the court, he took a half-step back and dodged—just like he'd dodged that seven-footer last week.

"Oof!"

He dodged the Chariot's attack, but the force of the impact still sent him sprawling against a concrete wall.

Without hesitation, ignoring the searing pain in his back, he pushed himself off the wall, using the momentum to charge back.

The Chariot had barely landed when a white blur rushed towards it. Before it could react, the blur climbed onto its back, straddling its shoulders, legs clamping around its head.

"Chariot! Chariot!"

The Chariot thrashed, crushing the surrounding debris, but Kevin held on tight to its horn, his baseball bat raining down blows on its head. After nearly half an hour of struggle, the Chariot finally succumbed.

"Chariot… chariot…"

Kevin tapped its forehead lightly with his bat. "Let's go pick up your mistress!"

The Chariot shuffled forward like a sulking elephant.

"Knight!" [The Chariot makes a Knight noise, why i write this?]

Kevin frowned, squeezing his legs. The Chariot sped up.

"Whoa! Slow down! Slow down! Aaah! My jewels!"

Mei peeked out from behind a pile of rubble, her jaw dropping.

She had felt the tremors and heard Kevin's shouts from afar, but she hadn't expected him to return riding a Chariot-class Honkai beast!

Wait… "riding an elephant" was a more accurate description.

"Stop!"

Kevin whacked the Chariot on the head, and it obediently stopped.

"Mei, get on!"

Kevin grinned, beckoning her over.

Soon, there were two riders. With Mei holding his waist from behind, Kevin, mindful of his image, refrained from yelling, only letting out muffled grunts when the ride got bumpy.

"According to the map marked by those fallen soldiers, the safe shelter is just three kilometers west of here!"

Mei spread a wrinkled, hand-drawn map on Kevin's back, tracing their route with her finger.

"Heh… heh heh…"

"Kevin, what are you giggling about…?"

"Ah! N-nothing!"

Kevin suppressed his goofy grin, basking in his happiness.

Three kilometers was just a few minutes for the Chariot. But when they reached the designated shelter, they found only a collapsed structure and wandering zombies.

"This… the shelter… what happened?!"

Boom!

The ground shook violently.

Boom!

Another tremor followed three seconds later.

Mei adjusted her glasses, scanning the surroundings, but the trembling buildings obscured her view.

The tremors grew more frequent and intense—even without seeing it, they knew something massive was approaching!

The Chariot panicked, bolting uncontrollably. Kevin's attempts to rein it in with his baseball bat were futile!

"It's no use, Kevin! This Honkai beast has gone berserk!"

Mei clung to Kevin's waist, but he suddenly grabbed her, holding her tightly as he jumped off.

Kevin landed on his back, rolling across the rubble-strewn ground, ending up sprawled on Mei's chest.

"Cough!" His chest ached. He wondered if he'd broken a rib.

Before he could fully appreciate the moment, he looked up and saw Mei's shocked and terrified expression.

He turned to see a building crumble like paper as a twenty-meter-tall Chariot smashed through it.

The building collapsed, burying the smaller, panicked Chariot beneath the rubble.

The larger Chariot climbed onto the mound of debris, surveying its surroundings.

It turned, its gaze falling on the two figures scrambling to their feet.

"Chariot?"

"Run, Mei!"

Kevin grabbed Mei's hand, his trusty baseball bat in his other hand, and they ran.

He was brave, but not stupid.

Although the Fire Moth personnel at Ruruye had hinted at his potential as a super soldier, he knew he was just a student with above-average physical abilities. He could handle a two or three-meter, even a four or five-meter Honkai beast, but a twenty-meter one…

He couldn't even reach it!

What was he supposed to do? Fight it with a baseball bat?

Give the Honkai beast a manicure?

"Where are Mikael and Elysia?! The world's ending, and they're nowhere to be seen!!!"

He hadn't forgotten the battle he'd witnessed at Ruruye. The strange superpowers had made him question his reality.

"Damn it! I should have just joined Fire Moth with Mei back at Ruruye!"

After the disaster struck Nagazora, Fire Moth soldiers had found them and protected Mei.

But those soldiers had quickly perished.

Kevin had to admit, the only reason he and Mei had survived for three days after their protectors died was because of the battle they'd witnessed between Mikael, Elysia, and Yaksha. It had given them hope that even in the worst situations, someone would come to their rescue.

But three days had passed, and they hadn't seen any familiar faces in Nagazora.

Despair…

Wait, this wasn't the time for despair! They had to run!

The Chariot's massive form filled the street… no, only the central part of its body was visible, its legs hidden by the buildings.

It lumbered after them, smashing through buildings and debris, the distance between them rapidly shrinking.

Kevin thought he was running east. It was morning, and the sun should be in the east, but the Chariot's shadow had already fallen upon him.

The buildings beside him crumbled, and his pace slowed, then stopped.

He turned, shielding Mei behind him, looking up at the mountainous Chariot in despair.

They were now beneath its belly.

"…!"

Kevin suddenly grabbed Mei's hand and ran forward, into the blind spot beneath the Chariot's head.

Having lost its target, the Chariot turned in circles, confused.

But this wouldn't last long.

"…Mei…"

Kevin suddenly released her hand.

"Run west. I'll distract it."

"Kevin…"

Before she could finish, an explosion rocked the air above them, followed by the Chariot's pained roar.

"!"

A single-person anti-tank missile had struck the Chariot's eye, Honkai energy scattering from the wound.

"Reinforcements!"

Smoke from the missile launch lingered on a nearby rooftop. Kevin grabbed Mei's hand and ran.

But as he took his first step, he saw the figure on the rooftop drop the missile launcher and leap down. A flash of white, like a crescent moon, sliced through the Chariot's shadow.

The blade, radiating a chilling aura, severed the Chariot's foreleg at the shoulder.

"Chariot!"

The beast toppled over. Kevin and Mei dodged its falling body as the small soldier landed before them.

She wore light, form-fitting powered armor, a missile launcher and a backpack strapped to her back, making her appear even smaller.

An ice-blue katana, incongruous with her other equipment, hung at her waist.

Blue headphones framed her pale face, and her pink hair was tied back in a simple ponytail.

Recognizing the girl, they both relaxed.

They had met her before.

"Dr. Mei has been located. Rescue mission complete. Commencing escort mission."

Sakura's voice was as cold as ever.