Hu Tao struggled to support Lu Ze, but his heavy body was more than she could manage alone. She could only do her best to prevent him from falling.
"I'm fine, Hu Tao... Why are you here? Hurry back, there's danger everywhere. I won't let you stay here!"
Straining to steady himself, he got back to his feet, hobbling. So what if he was severely injured? He had to do something, otherwise! If the fight continued like this, something bad would happen eventually!
Liyue itself might even be submerged by the endless sea, becoming an eternal memory.
"Lu Ze! I'm not going back! Besides, you're like this, and you're still thinking about fighting? Liyue has been saved from peril by your strength countless times. This time! Let us face it ourselves, okay?"
Thinking back, they had gone through so many battles on their journey. Even the sharpest sword would likely be dulled by now.
"You're right, but I can't just wait to die! The enemy this time is far more powerful than usual. Even if I can't fight directly, I must do everything in my power to minimize casualties. Hu Tao! Do me a favor, will you? Go to Inazuma and get Kevin and the others. We need them this time."
Seeing his unwavering gaze, Hu Tao knew she couldn't persuade him. It was better to call for reinforcements and share the burden.
"I understand... You must hold on. I'll be back soon!"
Guizhong, the God of Dust, who stood by, smiled at him. She glanced at Hu Tao, who was gradually moving away, and said,
"Long time no see. You like that child a lot, don't you? That's why you entrusted her to Zhongli, wanting to protect her from any harm. How wonderful. I wish that stone could be half as proactive as you."
Lu Ze, looking at Guizhong, whom he had saved, simply returned a polite smile and fixed his gaze on the battlefield, daring not to move carelessly.
High in the sky, red cubes formed a barrier. The Herrscher of the Sea couldn't break free or execute her original plan.
"You two are so annoying! I've had enough fun. It's time to end this."
Behind the Herrscher of the Sea, a colossal wave hundreds of meters high suddenly surged, as if to destroy the heavens and shatter the earth. It crashed heavily towards Liyue.
Morax was slightly taken aback. Even with his immense power, he couldn't possibly stop such a massive tsunami. Even if he used his dragon form to shield it, it wouldn't be enough to block such a colossal wave.
If no one intervened, there would be only one outcome: Liyue Harbor would be crushed like fragile ants, utterly annihilated.
Even a few more such waves, and even the luckiest person would likely not survive.
However, an extremely frigid cryo elemental aura suddenly rose from the coast, powerful enough to change the very weather.
It was late summer, but in mere seconds, it felt as if winter had arrived.
"With me here, you can fight with peace of mind! Reinforcements are on their way. Just hold on!"
Hearing the familiar voice from the coast, Morax and the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles smiled faintly. How could they forget him? If he dared to say that, he must have his way.
As expected, the towering waves, under the influence of his immense power, froze into chunks of ice. They then shattered and plummeted into the sea.
On the coast, Lu Ze watched all this with a pale face. This one act had drained him immensely, leaving him with very little Honkai energy. He needed to rest.
Guizhong carefully helped him sit by the wall, her gaze silently fixed on the battle unfolding before them.
In battles of this magnitude, how could she, such a weak God, possibly participate? She would be annihilated in moments. It was better to stick to her role as support.
After a brief period of healing, Guizhong went to assist others, as she was now the most highly regarded among the medical personnel.
Above, Morax breathed a sigh of relief. If Liyue were truly flattened, he would have to fight this Herrscher to the death, even if it cost him his life, and bring her to justice.
"Alright, let's focus on the enemy. She is very powerful, and it will take some time to defeat her. This time, let's go all out to strike her down in one blow."
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles said indifferently. Just as the two were about to act, an unexpected figure appeared.
"Herrscher... what a familiar word. Has Honkai begun to descend upon this world as well? Then, I shall be the one to slay the first Herrscher."
Kevin in his demon form, wielding the Dawnbreaker greatsword, appeared within the red cubes at some unknown moment. His eyes, cold and sharp, fixed on the Herrscher before him.
His fondness for Herrschers was practically zero. However, there were certain instances that had slightly altered his perception of them. But this change in perspective seemed irrelevant to this particular Herrscher.
"Who are you? Why... are you all trying to stop me! What's wrong with letting me kill those beasts?! They deserve to die!"
But no matter what the Herrscher said, Kevin paid no mind. He merely shifted his greatsword, and in the next instant, he was before the Herrscher of the Sea.
He swung the greatsword with force, but the impact felt wrong, as if he had struck flowing water. The Herrscher of the Sea's body quickly reformed, healing completely.
"Is that so... Then how about this move? Skyfire, unsheathe!"
His greatsword ignited with flames, its temperature soaring instantly. With a diagonal slash, a massive explosion erupted within the red space.
"It's useless! Here! I am invincible. The sea's embrace is vast, and I am like its child, favored by it."
As soon as she spoke, the seawater began to boil, resembling water brought to a rolling boil, yet its temperature remained unchanged.
As droplets of water converged, a person identical to her flew out from the sea.
They held a greatsword, and possessed half a wing, like a perfect replica of Kevin, making one wonder which one was the real one.
"Playing games like this... You truly underestimate me. Has a mere copy ever defeated the original?"
He raised his greatsword high, then forcefully brought it down. He expected it to be vaporized by the intense flames, turning into nothingness, as he had imagined.
However, this duplicate was no ordinary being.
He also raised his greatsword, then forcefully blocked the attack. He didn't even take a step back, and his greatsword also ignited with fierce flames.