Two hours earlier, April 17th—the last vacant city in the Far East Region completed the installation of the "Selene" system, becoming the first nation worldwide to equip all its cities with this technology. Coincidentally, this milestone coincided with the anniversary commemorating the Chiyou Campaign, making it a grand celebration.
At Nagazora City's renowned stadium, an eight-hour-long entertainment extravaganza was underway.
As Anti-Entropy's star idols, the Vodka Sisters naturally received an early invitation from the Far Eastern government, which dared not overlook them. With such a prestigious and influential stage, their guardian Zeke had no reason to decline.
So Rozaliya and Liliya arrived at the event, accompanied by Seele as both nanny and surrogate parent, along with Wendy serving as mentor and bodyguard—a party of four.
The atmosphere was lively, and everyone felt quite cheerful. However, just as Rozaliya and Liliya stepped onto the stage, the city's Honkai Energy monitoring system triggered a city-wide alarm.
"Rumble!"
"Darling! What's happening?"
"People are dying!"
"Earthquake—is it an earthquake?"
"Agh! You crazy fuck—ahhh!!"
The ground shook violently, eliciting screams and chaos from all around the spectator stands.
With her keen hearing, Wendy could even detect the distant roars of Honkai Beasts. More importantly, she sensed a sudden surge of Honkai Energy rapidly escalating to terrifying levels.
"Oh no!"
Wendy, who had been enjoying Seele's offered cup of black tea, abruptly stood up, shattering her glass on the ground.
Feeling uneasy, Seele pressed a hand to her chest and looked up with realization dawning upon her.
"Wendy, is it..."
"Yes, a Honkai Disaster—this intensity suggests a Major Honkai Eruption, likely spawning a new Herrscher! Stay close to me, Seele, don't leave my sight for even a moment. We need to fetch those two idiots."
"Understood, I'll follow you!"
The pair swiftly rushed towards the stage. As they sprinted, Wendy simultaneously sent an alarm and distress signal to Headquarters.
Upon reaching the stage, Rozaliya and Liliya, the Vodka Sisters, were still bewildered, holding their microphones aimlessly, unsure of what to do.
"A Major Honkai Eruption! Come on, let's head to the nearest shelter first!"
With no time to explain further, Wendy and Seele each took one sister by the hand and quickly ran towards the stadium exit.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a massive white behemoth, towering dozens if not hundreds of meters high, shattered the stadium's outer wall. Emitting an aura filled with despair, it charged into the arena.
"Trouble incoming!"
Wendy halted and glanced at the panicked crowd fleeing from the Zombies in the spectator area before turning her attention to the colossal Honkai Beast lifting its massive limb, ready to crush countless civilians.
Gritting her teeth, she reached under her skirt, unfastened the black band wrapped around her thigh, and strapped it onto Seele's leg.
"You take them to the shelter. The black armor will provide some protection, and nearby worker bees can prioritize supporting you based on its signal. Go quickly—I'll handle things here!"
"Wendy!"
"Don't argue! Unlike Bronya and the others, I don't heavily rely on the black armor, so losing it won't affect me much. Now go, make sure to stay safe! I'll resolve this swiftly and join you soon!"
With that, Wendy pushed the trio away, shattering the floor beneath her feet as she launched herself like a bullet toward the towering Honkai Beast with its raised limb.
Seele's hand hung mid-air, too late to stop Wendy. A moment later, the black band on her leg vibrated, and nanomachines enveloped her body, forming the complete black armor instantly.
"Wow! It turned all black now! Big Sister Seele looks so cool... Just a bit suggestive though."
Rozaliya, seemingly oblivious to the impending danger due to her delayed reaction, remarked absentmindedly:
The black armor enveloping Seele was in its original form, devoid of any extraneous components. It accentuated her slender and graceful figure perfectly.
Hearing this, Seele's cheeks flushed beneath her helmet. Before she could respond, a familiar electronic voice sounded in her ears.
"Unauthorized access detected."
"Identification result: Seele Vollerei."
"Searching database... Complete. Access granted."
"Miss Seele, optimal evacuation routes for you and your companions have been selected. Shall I activate Black Armor control and automatic combat mode?"
Icarus posed the question.
Seele hastily nodded.
"Yes, please take Rozaliya, Liliya, and lead them to safety... And make sure to help Wendy; don't let her be harmed," she implored.
"Yes, Miss Seele!"
With that, under Icarus's control, the black armor scooped up both Vodka Sisters—one in each hand—and burst through the wall, heading away from the stadium.
Wendy glanced briefly at the scene, feeling slightly relieved, before bracing herself to counter the massive descending forelimb of the Honkai Beast with a powerful punch.
"Boom!"
After flipping the Honkai Beast onto its back, Wendy took her chance to strike, pulverizing its massive head with several punches and transforming the charging giant beast into an immobile corpse.
Upon landing, she sighed at the chaotic and gruesome scene of living humans mixed with zombies in the stands. Rubbing her wrists, she began systematically eliminating the undead around her.
Twenty minutes later, a Titan force comprising twelve units finally arrived, accompanied by a seven-member Valkyrie team—though "finally" was hardly fair; their response could be considered swift, even miraculous. Still, for those unfortunate souls who didn't make it until help came, every second too late was simply too much.
"You must be... Miss Wendy from Anti-Entropy's Black Iron Army?"
"That's me. Please take care of these civilians. I have companions I need to attend to."
"I'm Ana Schariac, A-Rank Valkyrie and captain of the Snow Lotus Squad. Leave this area to us!"
"Thank you, stay safe!" Wendy smiled warmly, offering her well-wishes as she waved goodbye and sprinted out of the stadium.
Claiming that she didn't rely on the black armor would be a lie.
To illustrate: Bronya's combat power was 20,000 with her black armor and only 1,000 without it. Wendy's combat power reached 24,000 with the black armor and dropped to 4,000 without it—though still formidable, there was indeed a world of difference compared to her full potential.
She needed to escort Seele and the others to safety, retrieve her black armor, and then she could truly engage in this battle.
Following the footprints left by the black armor, Wendy summoned a worker bee to confirm the signal and continued tracking.
Soon, she found herself lost.
Standing at the entrance of an abandoned supermarket, her dark eyes blinked as she tilted her head, her tuft of hair swaying uncertainly.
"Huh? Where did everyone go? And where am I?"
"Notification: The black armor's signal was lost here. It is likely due to interference from battling high-rank Zombies and excessive Honkai Energy, making further tracking impossible."
"But are Seele and the others alright?"
"Notification: Based on the last recorded footage and the absence of any signals indicating damage to the black armor, it is estimated that they should be unharmed. Recommending deployment of worker bees for physical search."
"Agreed. Proceed with the search. Notify me immediately if there's any update... Hm? What's that?!"
Wendy abruptly turned her head, sensing several terrifying pressures emanating from different directions within the city.
"Warning! Warning! Pseudo-Herrscher reactions detected at one... two... three locations! Based on the current concentration of Honkai Energy, these Pseudo-Herrschers may evolve into full-fledged Herrschers at any moment. It is recommended to request a sky-based weapon strike."
"Rejected! There are still many civilians in the city; using such a weapon here would result in unacceptable casualties. Can Lord Leader arrive soon? Or do we have any reserve black armors?"
"Inform: Lord Leader is currently 1,400 kilometers away. A reserve black armor has been dispatched and is estimated to arrive in fifty-one minutes."
"It's too late! Give me the coordinates of the strongest Pseudo-Herrscher; I'll stop them!"
"Inform: Without your black armor, facing a Pseudo-Herrscher increases your mortality rate by 3.16%. It is advised to retrieve your armor before engaging."
"Rejected! I must fight now, provide me with the direction."
"Yes, Lady Wendy! Upon reaching the target area, you can expect 3,321 worker bees fighting alongside you. May victory be yours."
With that, Wendy charged towards the designated location, as scattered swarms in the sky converged upon the battlefield.