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

Manila, Philippines.

The sky was clear, the sun shining brightly. The oppressive clouds had vanished like a bad dream, lingering only on the distant horizon. But above Manila, the sky was a brilliant blue, the ravaged city bathed in warm sunlight.

Like a rebirth.

The tsunami, which had threatened to engulf the city, was gone.

No one knew what had happened. They'd seen the massive wave approaching, a roaring wall of water, swallowing everything in its path.

Then, suddenly, as if an invisible hand had intervened, the clouds parted, the wave receded, the Honkai beasts scattered, and the world fell silent.

Only Anna and Jell had witnessed the miracle.

They'd seen a lone figure standing before the wave, a seemingly insignificant man, his arms outstretched like a praying mantis, defying a force of nature.

And he had succeeded.

They didn't understand how. Just moments ago, his efforts had seemed futile. They'd braced for the inevitable.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it was over.

And before they could process the shock, the figure in the sky, their savior, had plummeted downwards, like a fallen angel.

"Lin Wei!" Anna, her attention fixed on him, was the first to react. She wiped away her tears, her eyes red and swollen, and ran towards him, leaping into the air to catch him as he fell.

She didn't know his condition, didn't dare to think about it. She only knew she couldn't let him hit the ground.

He'd been high enough, she'd been close enough, and she'd been fast enough.

She reached him just in time, cushioning his fall with her own body.

"Oof…" She held him close, her heart pounding, tears streaming down her face. "You idiot! You stupid idiot!"

He didn't respond.

He would have smiled, wiped away her tears, ruffled her hair, teased her for being clumsy.

But now, his silence terrified her.

"Lin Wei… what's wrong?" Her voice was choked with sobs. "Say something… please…"

She wiped away her tears, then gasped, her blood running cold.

His face, usually so pale and unblemished, was covered in purplish-red markings.

Honkai corruption. Spreading rapidly.

"This is… Honkai corruption?" She frantically tore open his shirt, her heart sinking as she saw the markings covering his torso, patches of sickly gray spreading amongst the purple.

"No… how…?" How could someone with a Stigmata, someone who had just saved the city, be corrupted like this?

"What happened to him?" Jell, finally catching up, was equally shocked, then a wave of sadness washed over her.

"Such a waste…" she sighed, then drew her pistol, the sound of the chambering round echoing in the sudden silence.

Anna, startled by the sound, shielded Lin Wei with her body. "What are you doing?!"

"Giving him a quick death," Jell replied calmly. "He's too far gone. There's no saving him."

"You're crazy!" Anna yelled. "He just saved us! He saved everyone! You…"

"Look at him! He's dying!" Jell's voice was tight with grief and anger. "Do you want him to die as a human, or do you want to waste time and watch him turn into a zombie, then be forced to put him down?" She emphasized the distinction between a human death and a zombie's extermination.

"No, wait! There has to be a way!" Anna's voice was frantic, her mind racing. "We can save him… we have to…" She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or searching for a solution. Then, she remembered. "The serum! The serum!"

Lin Wei had used a serum to cure Chen Tianwu. He'd given it to her. And she'd put it back in his pocket. It was…

She frantically searched his pockets, muttering, "Please, don't be lost… please…"

"Serum?" Jell was confused, wondering if Anna's grief had clouded her judgment. What serum could possibly cure such advanced Honkai corruption?

Anna found the vial, a wave of relief washing over her. "Thank goodness…" She carefully pulled it out, holding it against his corrupted arm, praying for a miracle, then injected the entire dose, two thousand lives' worth of anti-Honkai serum, into his body.

She'd forgotten his warning about the dosage. All she cared about was saving his life.

The faint glow of his Stigmata flickered, joining the fight against the encroaching corruption.

The purplish-red markings on his face began to recede.

Anna breathed a sigh of relief, checking his pulse and breathing, confirming they were stable. Tears streamed down her face.

"Thank goodness…" She couldn't bear the thought of him turning into a zombie, of having to fight him, to kill him. She knew she couldn't do it.

"Such a miraculous serum…" Jell murmured, watching the corruption fade, the healthy color returning to his skin. She holstered her pistol, relieved. She didn't want to kill him either.

"Let's go, we…"

A loud splash from the nearby Pasig River interrupted her. A large, crab-like Honkai beast emerged from the water, its shell dripping, lumbering towards them.

More Honkai beasts followed, climbing onto the riverbanks.

And further downstream, more were emerging.

And further upstream.

The coastline was swarming with Honkai beasts, those that hadn't been caught in the initial wave, now making their way inland.

They were unaware that the vanguard of their invasion had been almost entirely wiped out.

"Damn it! I knew it wouldn't be that easy!" Jell cursed, grabbing Anna's arm. "Let's go! Retreat!" The battle wasn't over. They had to reach safety, regroup with their squad.

"Yes!" Anna slung Lin Wei over her back, following Jell, running towards their base camp, hoping to escape before being surrounded.

......

From a higher perspective, the scene was eerily familiar. Hordes of Honkai beasts surged from the Pacific towards Southeast Asia, some landing on the Philippine islands, others bypassing them, heading towards the South China Sea.

Then, they vanished.

"Groan…" Deep within the South China Sea, in a hidden cave beneath a massive reef, a low growl echoed through the water, like an ancient beast stirring from its slumber, or a satisfied sigh after a long-awaited feast.

The deep ocean, though not as deep as the Mariana Trench, still thousands of meters down, came alive, its currents shifting, drawing in unsuspecting creatures, transforming them into Honkai beasts, or simply consuming them.

A monstrous entity, once a threat to an entire continent, a forgotten history buried in the depths, was awakening. Soon, those who knew its past, those who watched these waters, would notice the change.

But that was a story for another time.

......

Manila, Philippines.

The Honkai beasts continued their advance inland, their numbers growing as more emerged from the Pasig River.

"Damn it, those aquatic bastards are faster in the river than we are on foot!" Jell cursed. More and more Honkai beasts were appearing upstream, cutting off their escape route.

While fewer in number than those on the coast, they were still a significant threat. If they were surrounded, they'd be trapped.

But if they continued on their current path, they would inevitably encounter the Honkai beasts from the river, or be forced to take a detour, risking being overtaken by the horde from the coast.

If only we had a vehicle… Jell thought, frustrated. But Manila was in ruins.

Where would they find one?

She missed her motorcycle. A few aquatic Honkai beasts would be no match for her.

But wishing wouldn't change reality.

"This isn't working." Seeing their escape route narrowing, she turned to Anna, her voice serious. "Anna, we split up. I'll draw the Honkai beasts away from the river. You take Lin Wei and get out of here!"