The wind howled, a tempestuous backdrop to two figures, or perhaps two monstrous figures.
Ryan, still radiating residual electricity, ignored the roaring vortex behind him, gazing upward at the girl in the sky.
Her white garter belt dress billowed in the breeze, revealing slender, pale legs. Ignoring the terrifying power she wielded, there was a certain allure.
But every muscle in Ryan's body was tense. His exceptional vision tracked every detail on her face.
Coldness, killing intent, nothing else. Even knowing the outcome, he sighed softly.
In the Previous Era, Herrschers were truly efficient killers. Their personalities shattered upon becoming Herrschers, leaving only memories.
"Let's talk. You managed to orchestrate this situation. Even lacking humanity, your intelligence and communication skills remain intact. Just as I'm curious why you target me, you must have questions too."
Ryan spread his arms, seemingly devoid of fighting spirit, yet his mind was utterly focused, analyzing every word.
"Questions are meaningless to me."
A layered voice echoed from all directions, devoid of emotion. Ryan noted she hadn't opened her mouth.
Using air resonance to speak? Couldn't these Herrschers make small talk?
This wasn't conducive to a conversation. Ryan suppressed his frustration, appearing more relaxed. "Then tell me why you're expending so much effort to kill me?"
"Extraterrestrial. Your path ends here."
Ryan's pupils constricted; he confirmed this Herrscher was targeting him; her restraint and killing intent were directed solely at him.
She knows who I am? How did she know I'd be here?
Herrschers didn't offer explanations. Seizing Ryan's moment of distraction, she subtly raised her right hand.
Invisible air compressed rapidly, then exploded outward. Just as Ryan regained his composure, an immense force struck him.
BOOM—
A roaring current of air, not physical matter, which he couldn't analyze. He plummeted from a thousand meters, the wind screaming past his ears, jolting him to full awareness.
Now wasn't the time for introspection; survival was paramount.
Ryan focused his will, banishing his confusion. He heard the vortexes converging rapidly, a high-pitched whistling sound echoing from above.
Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…
Dozens of water columns erupted from the sea; invisible wind blades sliced and tore the ocean, a furious storm pursuing the flashing lightning strikes.
Occasional lightning bolts struck, but the Herrscher of the Wind ignored them, seemingly dancing within the tempest.
Her speed wasn't exceptionally fast, but her agility was unmatched, like a fish in water.
Ryan dodged and countered, probing the Herrscher of the Wind's capabilities within two exchanges. She wasn't hovering; she was merging with the wind itself.
Her movements were impossible to track; powerful attacks were useless if they couldn't land. At this distance, they couldn't.
Like an online game—a warrior couldn't exchange blows with a mage, especially a clever mage who wouldn't allow close combat.
BOOM!
A water column erupted from the sea; Ryan plunged beneath the waves. The inky blackness of the deep isolated him from the storm; the icy water sharpened his mind.
The good news: her maximum Honkai energy was at most 2200HW, lower than the Herrscher of Thunder. The bad news: she was a Fire Moth elite, comparable to a professional orphanage assault team.
As Ryan calculated, he saw a white point appear in the water, the air expanding outwards. Due to the water's density, the released energy was even more potent.
Water explosion?!
WHOOSH—BOOM!
The sea surface surged forward, then exploded in a kilometer-wide geyser, creating a vast crater in the water. Ryan was thrown clear, suppressing the blood rushing to his throat.
The impact was too great; internal injuries.
Ignoring his wounds, he flew across the sea's surface, seeing the air distort; bubbles erupted to his left and right, as if invisible hands were squeezing the space.
'This is troublesome. A Herrscher. Without my powers, there would be no room to maneuver on this sea.'
Ryan understood; the Herrscher of the Wind was manipulating the airflow, sharpening it or solidifying it. She possessed both offense and defense. Power wasn't about strength or weakness; it was about countermeasures. Lightning couldn't counter wind; it depended on Honkai energy reserves.
Honkai energy determined stamina and maximum power output. Luckily, the power of lightning…
"My trump card is explosive power!"
As a giant wind blade sliced the sea, Ryan hurled a Liquidmetal projectile, seizing the opportunity to unleash an attack.
Railgun!
Electric arcs erupted; the projectile accelerated to several times the speed of sound, whistling towards the sky.
The Herrscher of the Wind abandoned her attack, spreading her arms to condense an invisible wall a hundred meters thick in front of her. The projectiles slowed dramatically.
"Useless."
The distance was too great; even electromagnetic cannons lost kinetic energy before reaching her. Yet, a moment later, violet lightning illuminated her innocent-looking face.
BOOM—
A dozen-meter-wide lightning bolt struck her head, more powerful than an electromagnetic cannon, yet the Herrscher of the Wind barely reacted.
Bang!
The compressed airflow exploded, accelerating like liquid nitrogen, sending her flying hundreds of meters. Not only was she agile enough to merge with the wind, but her acceleration at crucial moments surpassed Ryan's.
"But you can't control your direction!" Ryan ignored the converging vortexes, casually throwing 'Crimson Blaze,' his feet on the water, his hand raised in a powerful strike.
Sky-Splitting Thunder!
No wind sound, only fleeting lightning. If electromagnetic cannons were fast, lightning was faster; this lightning was blindingly fast.
Each step was a seamless continuation; this wasn't just mastery but a deep understanding of lightning's essence.
Fast and direct, a furious storm burying everything!
The Herrscher of the Wind hastily retreated, only to see the lightning pierce her invisible wall, streaking towards the horizon. She felt a tingling sensation, the lingering aftershock of Honkai energy entanglement.
She lowered her head, her eyes flickering.
Not over yet?
She couldn't see Ryan, only the sea surface collapsing where he'd been, demonstrating the power of his leap. Instinctively, she spread her arms, intertwining them.
Compressed air blasts.
Their trajectory was imperceptible; only a high-pitched whine was heard. Ryan shot towards the sky, making no attempt to dodge.
The advantage of lightning power was speed; its disadvantage was also speed. He'd unleashed all his energy; retreat meant defeat.
A head-on assault!
Boom… boom… boom…
Air blasts roared from all directions—invisible and intangible, yet powerful enough to crush thousand-ton warships. They struck Ryan, like heavy blows hammering his body.
Stop her. I must stop her!
Ryan seemed to have lost all sensation; his eyes locked onto the Herrscher of the Wind above, meeting her cold gaze.
That gaze was filled with killing intent and arrogance. She didn't hesitate, accelerating continuously after calculating her interception point.
"You have no chance."
Her speed increased, with subtle directional changes. She wasn't racing Ryan; she was moving towards the converging vortexes forming a Wind Prison.
The Herrscher of the Wind's creations weren't fleeting lightning strikes; her offensive and defensive wind formations persisted. She wanted to see if this Extraterrestrial would charge head-on.
Charging meant death; retreating meant death. Such unrestrained attacks meant rapid energy depletion.
"As expected, different conduits mean vastly different combat capabilities. Even with slightly less energy, she's far harder to deal with than the Herrscher of Thunder."
Ryan gritted his teeth. His techniques were useless; this was a desperate situation. What could he do?
"Embrace the essence of lightning. Advance without retreat."
'Essence' was a subjective concept, difficult for others to grasp, but for a Pathstrider, it was readily controllable.
No deliberation, no hesitation; simply unleashing maximum power.
Rings of electric arcs enveloped Ryan, forming a path of lightning, rapidly extending forward.
What is he doing?
The airborne Herrscher of the Wind turned, seeing the arc extending like a coil, counting at least ten strands.
The man, suspended in mid-air, raised his hand, grasping a long sword that spun down from above. The roaring sea and howling vortexes fell silent; the pale purple eyes of the Herrscher focused solely on the sword-wielding man.
Countless electric arcs surrounded his body, connecting to the coils. This reminded her of his previous attack. She swiftly turned, spreading her wings to their fullest extent.
He intends to…
Become lightning, a violet flash!
The sea fell silent. Ryan exerted maximum effort, launching himself like an electromagnetic cannon. No word could describe his speed; only a violet streak vanished, exploding before the Herrscher of the Wind's finished air wall.
Screech—BOOM!!
A horrifying sonic boom echoed from afar, followed by an explosion of brilliant white smoke. Lightning and air mingled, dyeing the sky violet.
So fast.
That was the Herrscher of the Wind's only thought before she raised both arms, condensing an invisible giant spear, thrusting it forward.
BOOM!!
Another deafening explosion; the air wall was pierced. The Herrscher of the Wind felt the force of the blow, her entire body propelled upwards.
Such power.
She saw the sea receding, distancing herself from the vortex's core, but couldn't focus; a head emerged from the white smoke.
That head was surrounded by spiderweb-like electric arcs; skin charred from extreme frictional heat, shoulders shattered from impact. This figure resembled a demon more than the Herrscher of the Wind.
Ryan opened his parched mouth, exhaling hot, thick smoke, his head directly in front of the Herrscher of the Wind's face.
"Finally… I've caught you!"