Phase Two

Yuno was furious. This was the first time she'd faced such a slippery opponent and been made to look so utterly pathetic.

Yuno was also thrilled, because she got her payback almost immediately—

"Venom? I have that too!"

Yuno crushed the shadow spears pinning her chest and shoulders, feeling a surge of vindication.

"Take it back!"

A colorless, odorless, yet extremely lethal toxin—this was Yuno's innate, yet rarely used, talent.

Numerous tests back at Schicksal HQ had already proven it: the toxin was almost useless against Honkai Zombies and Honkai Beasts, but posed a severe threat to nearby allies, making it a rather impractical, double-edged sword of an ability.

During the verification process back then, even though the elite Valkyries of the Immortal Blades squad were warned beforehand and exercised extreme caution during the experiments, almost every time, someone would suddenly collapse unconscious mid-test. If Durandal hadn't been prepared and subsequently used Abyss Flower to save them, the consequences would have been truly unthinkable.

Such harrowing experiences were one of the reasons why the members of the Immortal Blades became subtly distant, even fearful, of Yuno. In fact, after those incidents, the Valkyries tacitly upgraded their personal anti-toxin gear and made sure to carry it at all times...

For these various reasons, once Yuno finally gained control over releasing her internal toxins, she quickly shelved the ability, almost never using it. Instead, she became obsessed with the violent aesthetic of brutal, fist-to-flesh combat, preferring to literally tear her enemies apart.

Of course, this arguably made Yuno even more frightening—especially when one second she'd be shredding an enemy like a rag doll, and the next, she'd turn around with a quiet, almost demure, even slightly airheaded expression, sitting silently to the side. It left everyone perpetually on edge, never knowing when she might snap and go berserk again...

In short, for a considerable period, life for the Valkyries of the Immortal Blades was... complicated. The psychological pressure was undeniably intense...

Anyway, back to the present—

"Neurotoxin?"

Mobius, after all, was a scientist whose achievements in the field of biology were far beyond ordinary people, and she was an expert in poisons herself. She detected the anomaly almost the instant the toxin entered her system, even before it had a chance to cause any real harm.

She genuinely hadn't expected this seemingly simple-minded girl to be hiding such a trick up her sleeve. Her expression shifted instantly. Ignoring Yuno's defiant shouts, she rapidly retreated.

Naturally, Yuno wasn't about to let her escape, but her pursuit was hindered by shadow spikes erupting from all directions. Unobstructed, Mobius leaped out of the fire circle with a sense of urgency, successfully entering the "vast open world" outside.

However, the very next second after she jumped out, Mobius suddenly felt immense gravitational pressure bearing down on her. Caught off guard, the toolbox beneath her buckled violently, nearly causing her to lose balance.

"Sorry, this road is closed~" Lin Wei chuckled. Knowing his role here was purely support, he didn't try to steal the spotlight. Instead, he playfully deactivated the Star of Eden, leaving the stage to the others.

The next instant, a cold glint flashed like lightning. Yae Sakura, blade extended, flew straight towards Mobius's chest in a deadly, perfectly aimed strike.

Already off-balance, Mobius couldn't dodge in time. Hastily, she raised her toolbox to block. Her body was small and light; struck by the thunderous force, she watched with frustration as she was sent flying back towards the fire circle once again.

Yuno intercepted her perfectly, grabbing her slender neck with one hand while raising the other for a devastating blow straight to the head!

Oof!

Lin Wei winced, almost unable to watch the brutal scene.

Mobius's performance was surprisingly underwhelming. After a brief initial show of arrogance, she was quickly beaten into this sorry state. It felt almost anticlimactic.

But on second thought, it made sense. At her core, Mobius was an old scientist. Becoming a MANTIS later was merely a byproduct of experimenting on herself as "Subject Number One"; it didn't mean she had truly become a warrior.

In fact, even during the Final Battle that decided humanity's fate, she wasn't on the front lines. Instead, she and Su were the only MANTISes among the ground base personnel. Her few "combat experiences" were mostly just small-scale skirmishes with other MANTIS within the base.

In other words, Mobius was like a "Level 100 farmer who never left the starting zone." Although she had stacked incredibly high stats through various means, she lacked the practical combat experience to match her power level. This often meant her immense "strength" became unusable "potential" due to her inability to react effectively in real-time—a truly regrettable situation.

No wonder she was so confident challenging Raiden Mei, only to get utterly crushed into a "down for the count" pose...

Lin Wei mused silently. Raiden Mei, even in her weakened state without her Herrscher Core, was tough enough to tear apart Imaginary constructs barehanded. Fighting her post-power-up? Mobius was definitely way too overconfident.

Lin Wei glanced over at Mobius, who was being mercilessly beaten by the combined assault of Yae Sakura and Yuno nearby, and silently added, "Just like right now..."

Wielding blades on a battlefield is a completely different game than handling scalpels in a lab!

---|---

Mobius was furious.

She couldn't believe her carelessness had led to such a disastrous turnaround.

Yae Sakura was one thing; her tactics were indeed refined, and her skills were genuinely impressive. But who the hell was Yuno?

Aside from a few insignificant tricks, she was practically a wild beast, just roaring and flailing her claws. If it weren't for Lin Wei messing things up from the sidelines and Yae Sakura pressing the attack, dealing with Yuno would have been child's play!

How could it have ended up like this, with her being held in Yuno's grasp and punched square in the face?

Her head was still ringing!

Ever since leaving her father's side at the age of six, in these fifty thousand years, when had she ever suffered such humiliation?

Enough!

Enraged, Mobius let out a furious roar. A torrential surge of dark green lightning and countless shadow spikes erupted from her body, violently striking Yae Sakura and Yuno, forcing them back.

"Watch out, the boss is entering phase two!" Lin Wei yelled strangely from the sidelines. The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming!

"....."

Mobius shot him an indignant glare.

It's all this guy's fault! If it weren't for him, why would I be doing something so ridiculous?

The more Mobius thought about it, the angrier she became, channeling all her frustration onto Lin Wei. With a raise of her hand, she summoned four brand-new ELFs. They flew towards Lin Wei from four directions simultaneously!

First, I'll take care of this troublemaker! Mobius thought vindictively.

Oh crap!

Lin Wei yelped, hastily dodging backward while simultaneously pulling more Swords of Domination to intercept and counterattack. However, it had little effect. The four ELFs, modeled after Mobius, seemed locked onto him, quickly breaking through the obstacles and charging straight for him!

Why the huge grudge?! Lin Wei grimaced, glancing around desperately for any other Divine Keys that could help resolve this crisis.

Seeing this, Yae Sakura unleashed a full-power slash, shattering the green lightning and shadow spikes entangling her. She shot Yuno a look, silently warning her to be careful, then rushed back to aid the endangered Lin Wei.

"Hehehe..." Mobius didn't try to stop Sakura. After all, the experiment was meant to be split into two groups anyway. Might as well stick to the original plan and defeat them one by one.

"Now it's just you left, naughty little guinea pig~" Mobius's smile turned somewhat cruel. "Since you're being so enthusiastic, perhaps I should be a bit more proactive too!"

Having suffered a major setback due to her earlier overconfidence, Mobius decided not to hold back this time. First, she would use her full strength to take down this infuriating girl!

Yuno ignored her taunts, once again extending dozens of vines, attempting to tightly envelop Mobius, constrict her, crush her.

"Kehehehe... I heard you despise your current form very much! But from what I see, you seem quite happy using it, don't you?" Mobius deftly dodged between the gaps in the vine assault with her small frame, asking with feigned "curiosity."

"Could it be... that this isn't even your true strength? And this current appearance isn't your real form either?"

"Shut up!" Yuno remembered the hideous monster she saw on her first day in the Elysian Realm. Her heart sank, and the force and frequency of her attacks intensified.

"Oh dear, did I strike a nerve?" Mobius found that taunting her verbally was also quite satisfying. She continued in a sarcastic, insinuating tone, "What's so precious about this human form? It's so small, so fragile. Since you were naturally born such a powerful lifeform capable of surpassing humanity, why fear your true self?"

"Come now! Embrace the evolution of life with me, transform into a more beautiful existence~"

"Shut up!" An ominous feeling welled up inside Yuno. Her movements quickened. Countless vines wrapped around Mobius layer after layer, seemingly about to shred her to pieces in the next instant.

"How regrettable. It seems you're as stubborn as those ignorant humans!" Mobius completely ignored the deadly vines crushing her. Flipping her hand, she retrieved an oddly shaped staff from her toolbox. A strange smile spread across her face as she said, "But it doesn't matter. Once you truly witness what a 'more beautiful life' is, you'll definitely change your mind. I guarantee it!"

"Yuno, retreat!" Lin Wei, who had been closely watching Mobius's every move from afar, shouted urgently. But it was clearly too late.

Mobius raised the staff she had named "Shadow of the Serpent's Past" high. It was a "weapon" she had crafted from the remaining carcass of the Judgment-class Honkai Beast - Chiyou - after extracting its genes.

The quotes around "weapon" were necessary because it was more like a special collector's item; there were rarely occasions that forced Mobius to bare her fangs.

As Mobius performed this inexplicable action, her entire body, along with the staff in her hand, melted into true liquid. Amidst the tightening vines, she formed a thin, dark green trickle, flowing into the seemingly boundless shadows on the ground.

The next second, a massive vortex suddenly formed where she had been. Tremendous suction force violently flung Yuno away. The vortex continued to spin, swallowing the endless shadows covering the entire area whole!

The entire world instantly transformed. Without the thick shadows, the sickly green sky and land seemed somewhat brighter.

Crash!

Crack!

With a tremendous roar, a terrifying giant serpent leaped out from the vortex. Its vaguely humanoid upper body stood tall, seemingly touching the sky. Two massive, grotesque claws tightly gripped an enormous staff, several times larger than before, crackling with horrifying power gathering at its tip. Within a cavity in the giant serpent's chest, Mobius's original form could faintly be seen.

Without a doubt, this was Mobius's transformed state. The endless, viscous shadows that had previously inspired dread were, in fact, all part of Mobius's body!

No wonder she could seamlessly melt into them and reappear from a distant location.

"Well? Are you not utterly stunned by this form of mine?" After revealing her "Artificial Cascade Form," Mobius's voice became raspy. The sound seemed to emanate from both the serpent's mouth and her chest cavity simultaneously, creating a bizarre, echoing resonance that inevitably evoked revulsion.

Monster!

Yuno was horrified.

This appearance of Mobius vividly and impactfully brought her deepest nightmare to life right before her eyes. How could she not be enraged?

"Yuno, get back!" Lin Wei's voice rang out again, but Yuno could no longer hear him. She only wanted to shatter this tangible nightmare, roaring as she charged towards the giant serpent.

Damn it! Lin Wei saw that even Fenghuang Down was struggling to suppress Yuno's impulsive rage. He quickly shot a glance towards Yae Sakura, who was still entangled in combat.

Sakura understood immediately, disengaging swiftly. Lin Wei, standing beside the Oath of Judah he had just located, placed his hand upon it. With a thought, thirteen spears materialized with a "clang," ruthlessly striking towards the ELFs, which had already lost one of their number.

Yae Sakura broke free from the battle and, following Lin Wei's indicated gaze, arrived at the location of the Abyss Flower. She pulled it out and threw it forcefully towards Lin Wei.

Lin Wei instinctively flung out several chains, tightly binding the massive lance. Empowered by the Star of Eden's gravity manipulation, Abyss Flower traced a graceful arc through the air. Accelerating to what seemed like supersonic speed, it shot straight towards Mobius.

"Insignificant!" Mobius raised her giant staff and easily deflected the blow from Abyss Flower. The lance spun through the air and landed right in front of Yuno, who instinctively reached out and caught it.

The familiar sight of the holy lance snapped Yuno back to reality with a jolt. The phantom pain of being "physically" awakened by a certain someone countless times surged through her mind, instantly calming her down.

"Yuno, come back!" Lin Wei's voice called out for the third time.

This time, Yuno merely bit her lip unwillingly before obediently retreating to Lin Wei's side. Mobius attempted to stop her, but a slash combining lightning and fire from Yae Sakura blocked her path for a crucial moment, allowing Yuno to return safely.

"Sorry..." Yuno felt ashamed of her recklessness and lack of control. Suppressing her simmering rage, she turned to face the remaining ELFs.

With the battle lines drawn once more, Lin Wei stepped forward a few paces, craning his neck to look up at the towering giant serpent. He called out teasingly, "Mobius, aren't you going a bit overboard?"

Jumping straight to her Artificial Cascade Form just because things got heated? That's kind of bullying!