"Spare us?"
Variant and high-tier Honkai Beasts possessed intelligence. This was something everyone in the Flame-Chasers was well aware of, but their intelligence... before the appearance of the Black Emperor, it was widely believed that this intelligence was based on the biological instinct of seeking advantages and avoiding harm.
To see such a highly anthropomorphized level of it now—
"Is it because of the Black Emperor's influence?" Dr. Mei, supporting Sakura, thought to herself.
If that were truly the case... for the Flame-Chasers, who had suffered several major losses at the hands of the Black Emperor, his very existence was a symbol of conspiracy. A promise made by his subordinate was likely another trap, completely untrustworthy!
"CLINK!"
The light of psychic power shone from behind Su.
That being said, to fight against four Judgement-class Honkai Beasts, especially with a monster of Shesha's caliber among them, holding back was not an option. As a psychic-sensory type Fusion Warrior, Su, through training, was now able to voluntarily manipulate his body into a controllable Artificial Eruption state without the use of drugs.
His earlier [Mental Interference] had little effect on Shesha. The beast wasn't a user of psychic power, nor did he understand it; he had simply suppressed the interference with his own high-intensity mental strength. With Shesha now on guard, breaking through his defenses head-on would require even greater power to directly shatter his mental barrier.
For this reason, even if Shesha truly had a trap prepared for his Artificial Eruption state, Su had to step into it!
"SKREEE!"
Long, elegant peacock feathers fanned out from his back.
Su transformed into the massive form of a peacock. Unlike others whose pupils became almost identical to those of a Honkai Beast upon entering their Artificial Eruption state, the eyes of the Mayuri that Su transformed into remained human... only with particles of red Honkai Energy constantly spilling from the corners.
"Hiss!"
"It really is identical to the great peacock."
The forked tongue cracked with dazzling lightning as Shesha allowed Su to enter his Artificial Eruption state.
The simple-minded Sheshe had no devious plot. He just wanted to teach the great peacock a lesson. Back then, he lacked the strength and could only watch as Mayuri showed off. Now that he had returned to his peak, he would naturally fulfill his desire to thrash the great peacock on this human!
Sheshe, who modeled himself after the Monarch, would naturally... inherit the "virtue" of being petty-minded as well!
"WHOOSH!!"
All nine serpentine mouths opened simultaneously.
Streams of lightning plasma rapidly condensed into spheres. Shesha completely ignored the other three opponents, concentrating all his firepower onto Su!
The power of this strike was no less than the Monarch's atomic breath that had collapsed the Flame-Chasers' base back then—
"Nine-Fold Superconductive Roaring Thunder Cannon!!"
"BOOM!!!!"
Island P-01.
Flame-Chasers General Headquarters.
The destruction of the continent of Mu had not only taken with it a large number of humanity's top scientific personnel but had also wiped out almost the entire upper echelon of the Flame-Chasers. Aside from a "Mr. Li," who was on a business trip in Asia negotiating cooperation with the Divine Land, everyone else had vanished into the depths of the Quantum Sea along with Mu.
Although the United Nations had immediately arranged for personnel to reorganize the Flame-Chasers, a situation where Mr. Li held sole authority for a short time was unavoidable.
However, this was likely a good thing for the Flame-Chasers.
Without the bickering of the higher-ups, Dr. Mei and the others could carry out their work more conveniently.
A particularly important point was that this Mr. Li was a dear friend of Dr. Mei's former mentor. As a high-ranking official who had risen from the research side, although he rarely produced academic achievements anymore, he had not lost his passion for science.
Mr. Li's contribution to the Flame-Chasers being able to withstand immense pressure and begin the "Super-Metamorphosis Experiment" was absolutely indispensable.
Now...
"Miss Elysia."
"Mr. Li, you can just call me Elysia."
Elysia, who had arrived at the headquarters after receiving a "secret order," met the man himself waiting outside his office before she could even pay him a visit.
"Alright, Elysia."
Round-rimmed glasses, a refined face (without any negative connotation), coupled with a stature that was definitely considered tall even for a man—this Mr. Li, whose actual age was over sixty, looked no older than a man in his most charming years.
"I am well aware of the current situation."
"But to call you here during such a busy time, there must be a reason I have no choice but to do so."
Mr. Li gently adjusted the frame of his glasses on his nose.
"Regarding..."
"The Herrscher conjecture."
A file stamped with a red "Top Secret" seal was handed to Elysia.
"A Herrscher?"
Elysia had not yet opened the file in her hands.
"According to Dr. Mei's calculations of the Herrscher Cores' energy levels, the number of individual Herrschers of Domination should not exceed 1,000. This data should have been submitted to the relevant departments yesterday, there shouldn't be a need to..."
Mr. Li did not interrupt Elysia; the girl stopped speaking on her own.
Because the file in her hands, the top-secret information about the existence of a Herrscher, was not referring to the Herrscher of Domination at all... The earliest date of conjecture in this file was even older than the founding of the Flame-Chasers.
"Small town... orphanage..."
Elysia's fingers were exceptionally steady, but after flipping open only the first page of the file, she paused in a brief silence before turning directly to the final conclusion:
"Elysia, suspected Herrscher."
These four simple words were the greatest challenge to the Flame-Chasers—this accusation was aimed directly at the leader of the Fusion Warriors, who was also one of the original founders of the Flame-Chasers.
"Mr. Li."
Elysia placed the file back on the desk. Her smile remained, and even her voice did not waver in the slightest.
"This joke isn't funny at all."
"..."
"Yes."
"This joke is not funny."
Mr. Li's somewhat broad hand gently swept across the file's cover, his gaze looking out the small window towards the boundless sea.
"Humanity has already reached this point, and yet those people... still see the Flame-Chasers, no, still see the Fusion Warriors as uncontrollable monsters!"
"For this!"
"They are willing to dig up old dirt, using baseless accusations to remove you from the center of power..."
"BANG!"
The fist that slammed down on the table's surface was struck so hard that the side of it turned purple.
"This is a betrayal of all humanity!"
A wordless silence hung between the two.
"I am very sorry."
Mr. Li's voice was noticeably much lower.
"Caught in this whirlpool, no one can remain detached."
"A remote hearing... although those cowards don't dare to face us in person, we must prove our innocence."
From the mountain of documents next to the "Top Secret" file, Mr. Li pulled out another thick volume:
"Surgical proof from Mobius's laboratory."
"With this, at the hearing at two in the afternoon, we will be able to take all this external interference..."
"And shatter it all!"