Nearing the End

The MOTH had the most detailed information on the pair of Deadwalkers right in front of her. And it was precisely because she knew so much that Theresa had to summon every ounce of concentration to face them.

Shu had given a detailed account of his entire battle with the twin-bladed Deadwalkers, holding nothing back and without any embellishment of what he was capable of at the time.

Theresa knew she was definitely stronger now than Shu had been back then, but Shu hadn't faced such harsh conditions.

In one minute at most, the Catapult-class Honkai Beast protected by the twin Deadwalkers would finish charging and launch its powerful bomb.

No matter where that bomb was aimed, it would be dangerous. The Titan mechs' linked formation was already looking unstable; there was no telling if it could withstand the explosion.

And her team certainly couldn't survive the blast. Even the shockwave would be enough to leave them reeling for a long time.

So... she had to end this fast!

There was no more time for a standoff. Even though Theresa couldn't find an opening, she had no choice but to charge.

She rushed the Joyo-Ninja first—the one that could dodge ranged attacks. She still hadn't figured out how to break the Jun-Ninja's parry, and choosing the wrong target would likely get her pincered by both.

With no feint to mislead it, the Joyo-Ninja instantly detected Theresa's intent. It took a stance, raising its twin blades in front of it to block her attack.

In truth, their current position was also awkward. With the Catapult-class beast they needed to protect right behind it, the Joyo-Ninja couldn't even use its greatest strength: evasion.

Theresa was upon it in an instant, her katana slashing forward as smoothly as if cutting through water.

Three blades met. Theresa's terrifying strength overpowered the Joyo-Ninja's twin blades, knocking them high into the air and leaving its center wide open.

A second strike was about to follow like lightning, but the Jun-Ninja was no mere spectator.

The black katana swung down fiercely at Theresa. Left with no choice, Theresa had to retract her blade to block. At the same time, she didn't let the exposed Joyo-Ninja off the hook, lashing out with a side kick to its chest plate.

A katana was truly ill-suited for chopping. The two violent impacts sent intense vibrations through the thin blade.

Slashing is a drawing motion, relying on continuous force and the sharpness of the edge. No one swings wildly when slicing meat—that's what a katana excels at.

Chopping, however, relies on explosive force. The blade's sharpness is just icing on the cake; it's more a test of swing speed and the quality of the blade's body.

This was a domain where the katana was definitively out of its element.

This weapon was too fragile! Even though Otto had used the latest materials in its creation, the two heavy blows had already brought the blade to the brink of shattering.

Theresa had to use the opponent's force to retreat several steps, letting the vibrations in the blade subside.

One more hit, and she'd likely be left holding nothing but a broken hilt.

The seconds ticked by. Theresa looked at the Honkai Beast, already more than halfway through its charge, and gritted her teeth. She reached for a syringe attached to the side of her battlesuit's belt.

It was a vial of Breaker Serum, the final trump card that each of them carried.

Without much hesitation, Theresa pulled out the metal syringe and held it in a reverse grip. At the same time, a small port opened on the chest plate of her armor, revealing a small patch of snow-white skin.

Just as Theresa was about to plunge the Breaker Serum into her own heart, a figure suddenly landed in front of her, grabbing the hand that held the vial.

"No, Theresa." Kallen panted, her normally fair skin now flushed an unnatural red. Theresa could clearly see the fine beads of sweat on Kallen's forehead.

The hand that gripped hers was trembling ever so slightly, a clear sign of a racing heart and extreme overexertion.

"It's not your turn to use this yet." Kallen pushed Theresa's hand down and turned to face the two Deadwalkers. "Leave them to me. You go deal with that Honkai Beast!"

Theresa glanced over to where Kallen was supposed to be. The Seraph-class beasts were scattered about in disarray, as if they had been utterly brutalized.

To think she dealt with all those beasts in such a short time. When did she...

Theresa gritted her teeth, put the vial back in its place, and said, "Alright."

Only Kallen could forcibly keep both Deadwalkers occupied at once. The two nodded at each other and charged forward together.

The coordination between the two Deadwalkers was equally superb. Four sharp blades cut off their advance from four different directions.

But Kallen suddenly accelerated, taking a step forward. With a sweep of her arms, she moved past all four blades and broke through to stand directly in front of the two Deadwalkers.

"How's it going!"

Kallen even found the time to greet the two Deadwalkers. This unnecessary move didn't give them an opening, however, as Kallen grabbed one with each arm, hooked them by the waist, and charged to the side.

The path ahead was clear!

Theresa raised her katana high and took a step forward, bringing it down on the Honkai Beast's head.

With almost no resistance, the blade sliced straight through. The last Honkai Beast was now in two halves.

Then, without lingering, Theresa grabbed her other weapons and turned to run, shouting over her shoulder as she went.

"Himeko!! It's all yours now!!"

Durandal, who was in the heat of a satisfying battle, was startled by Theresa's sudden shout. Beside her, Rita grabbed the still-unresponsive Durandal and also turned to flee.

"Oh! Time to retreat!" After running a few steps, Durandal finally remembered their battle plan. After Theresa dealt with the Catapult-class beasts, they were to immediately disengage from the battlefield.

Why?

Because...

"Finally, it's our turn!" A voice, tinged with a bit of anger and a bit of relief, rang out from one of the Titan mechs. Just as a Knight-class Honkai Beast that had been battering the force field raised its lance, an outstretched mechanical arm shot out and grabbed the tip.

The immense force held the Knight-class beast immobile. On either side, the two Chariot-class beasts were also pinned down by the four other Titans, two to each.

In front of his screen, Otto saw this scene and silently waved his hand to the staff around him. They understood immediately, and the footage from this battlefield was patched through to the main broadcast.

At this point, the operation could be considered a resounding success. Only Otto remained seated, a smile on his face, but his heart was a storm of uncertainty.