"Peace", Uesugi thought deeply as he reached this conclusion.
While fighting Honkai ignited his passion. When he looked next to him and imagined the other characters who fought against this foe, only sadness remained
A 'Happy Ending' isn't a result of perfection, the sacrifices made in between cannot be ignored and burdened the protagonists who valued their relationships because of their past
Uesugi was an outsider to this world. It wasn't in his obligation to save the world, he could supply information to Schicksal or Anti-Entropy and slowly increase his strength without pressure against unknown factors
Continuing staring at the skies, he thought about the protagonists' dreams and idea
Kiana Kaslana fought for all that's beautiful in this world as taught by her father and teacher
Raiden Mei fought for the sake of Kiana who saved her from despair
Bronya Zaychik's purpose was unclear but is assumed to be for those close to her
Uesugi Shuu thought, 'Their past strengthened their resolve from a crosspoint, they could've become villains but chose to be heroines'
If I say something like I'll save the world lightheartedly then I'd be making fun of those strong emotions
Besides, he wanted to see through their story, just like someone who played their story as an outsider (Captain), yet could be a comrade against Honkai. They wouldn't die by its existence but they chose to fight
It wasn't for the sake of innocents, it was for the girls who fought with their everything on the line, it was for those who sought peace in a world fought in war
Uesugi Shuu was not a saint, but now he chose to fight, only for their sake...
"Honkai will be erased from this world". Mumbling to himself, he smiled softly before taking a big bite of the piece
Bronya didn't hear what he said but when she saw that he was happy, she smiled lightly and began to eat
*****
Miles away from Chita, a man standing on a mountain with a cloak that covered his features. While we can't see his face, his body trembled when he remembered what should have been here
Seeing the ghostless city, he fearfully said, "According to Dr Brain, there was a terrifying existence in this city and I needed to avoid it. I'm glad I didn't meet it". Gulping after his words, he jumped down from the peak
"The mission details said to bring back two kids in the vicinity. Did they die from the monster?" There was no doubt on his face. While he could defeat the zombies in Chita, he would require time and even that would exhaust him, not to mention leaving traces behind
Pondering whether he should continue the mission, he noticed a pair of footsteps leading away from the city in the snow.
Kneeling, his nose twitched as he sniffed for the smell. "A boy and girl aged around 10 years old. There aren't traces of the girl's footsteps but if I follow this trace, I should be able to catch up."
Departing immediately, he knew that if there weren't any results then Brain would finish him regardless of his worth
At this moment, the Uesugi pair almost reached their destination. Zasopka was unlike Siberia full of snow it was more barren and smaller and if it weren't for the mission notification then he wouldn't have known its name
Of course, the sight before them was nothing compared to his phone.
Like Chita, zombies replaced the citizens as they moved mindlessly around the area. However, Uesugi and Bronya didn't sense any maliciousness visible to them which made them heave in relief
If another humanoid monster appeared before them, they'd give up on the dot.
Nodding towards each other, the pair got into action. This time, they focused on teamwork as Uesugi and Bronya moved at the same speed with a distance between each other
The effectiveness wasn't shown since the zombies were too weak, but their tacit understanding gained over the journey caused their killing to become more efficient as Bronya's targets were never close to Uesugi
While the area was smaller than Chita, the enemies were more spread out and the buildings crumbled instead of being wiped out
The battle went on for hours before stronger zombies appeared before them. There weren't any wraiths but Uesugi saw their appearances and knew they would be tougher than it
Ninjas could be considered the melee counterpart of wraiths. They wield dual katanas and have bigger figures compared to normal zombies as they're dressed in black
When humans become zombies, people with higher Honkai Adaptability will become stronger when they're infected. Generally, zombies are females for upper tiers since they have higher chances of evolving.
The approaching ninja walked towards them, leaving afterimages behind. Uesugi said, "Bronya, the Joyo-Ninja wearing completely white has a fast speed in blink form, ranged attackers usually can't hit them and only when they attack, can we hit them".
"The Jun-Ninja wearing black are similar but their speed isn't as fast, instead they have an iron stance that blocks and counters attacks. Unless I overpower them, it'll be a tough enemy for me". Glancing at Bronya who looked serious, he smiled
"But ranged users are their nemesis, alongside Time Slow added to your Battlesuit, while you may still struggle, it's doable". Reassuring her, he planned on dividing here to deal with their respective enemies
Yes, there were three in front of them. While Uesugi had immense destructive powers against a bunch of zombies, he realized since the chakram user that he was lacking in one-on-one situations.
Bronya adapted quickly to a new battle system, when Uesugi asked how she does it, she said, "It's like playing games, I figure out the controls and maneuver my character".
While he was speechless, Uesugi thought about the main protagonist and realized it was natural as Bronya was more systematic in her mindset and combat compared to those who completely relied on their talent and instincts
They could coordinate to defeat the ninjas but individual strength is paramount in their future lives.
Uesugi Shuu planned on leaving Bronya Zaychik at Anti-Entropy where her growth began until she met the other protagonists. With the addition of strength on this journey, the incidents in the orphanage can dealt with easily
The chatter stopped when the Joyo-Ninja struck forward at high speed without warning. The sudden strike was calmly received by Uesugi who parried the sword with his gauntlets
*Ching*
The sparks created a sharp noise when Uesugi countered with a body blow. 'Got him'. He knew their weaknesses and timed the blow just like he would in the game
However, reality surpassed his imagination. The Joyo-Ninja's body blurred before the impact. Punching midair caused Uesugi to fluster before he regained his calm as he prepared himself for the incoming invisible attack
Glancing at the other side, he saw Bronya struggling as well. The information he gave out missed a new component as the Jun-Ninja could do flying slashes, just like One Piece characters.
Uesugi realized once again, that whether it was Honkai Beasts or new enemies, they were all stronger than their game counterparts.
'From now on, I must not let my guard down". He planned on finishing his side before assisting Bronya since the Jun-Ninja had conquered its weakness
Closing his eyes, Uesugi pricked his ears to sense the change in airflow. The Joyo-Ninja was moving at a fast speed making it hard for him to pinpoint the location
So he changed tactics. Dropping his guard, he unequipped his gauntlets and left his Battlesuit on. At this moment, the Joyo-Ninja appeared and sliced him from both directions.
A smirk appeared on Uesugi as he remained stationary in his position, just when the blade was about to make contact, a spike shot up from the ground, piercing the Joyo-Ninja's body like a skewer
Opening his eyes, Uesugi shouted and instantly equipped his gauntlets with an enhanced punch that blew the zombie to bits.
*Splatter*
Coldly looking at the blood on him, Uesugi turned to see Bronya's situation which was better than he expected.
Calmly analyzing the Jun-Ninja's attacks, Bronya maintained a distance between them. While the Ninja had ranged attacks, its overall combat style remained the same as in the game
More importantly, there was a shield around Bronya that deflected the flying slashes with finesse as she moved in a way so the slashes slid off her shield
There were times when her movements became extremely fast as she activated Time Slow. The Jun-Ninja couldn't lay a finger on her and only received damage and Bronya shot Honkai charged bullets and cannonballs toward her foe
The battle lasted a while since her firepower wasn't her specialty until she obtained the Black Nucleus Battlesuit. It was already amazing that she could last so long, let alone defeat it
"Fire!" A small shout rang as the fully charged ammo was released, the battered Jun-Ninja could have dodged if it were a Joyo-Ninja, but it wasn't
*Boom*
A body flew out of the smoke and lay flat on the ground. It twitched for a second then signs of life disappeared from it
Uesugi walked up to the panting Bronya letting out childish moans and patted her head. "Great Job". Surprised by his actions, she smiled as she realized her powers increasing
While they rejoiced in their results, Uesugi's senses picked up an eerie presence right... Behind him!
Pushing away Bronya, he immediately equipped his weapons and twisted his body to block the incoming attack. However, surpassing his imaginations, a small crack appeared on his gauntlets before he was sent flying into a nearby building