Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 56 – A Desperate Battle!
Rubble and debris were scattered everywhere, interspersed with broken pieces of machinery, all half-buried under collapsed masonry.
The rain washed over everything, masking the stench of blood and the acrid smell of oil.
“Director Hua Qiling…”
Inside the southwestern front line control room, a subordinate looked at Hua Qiling with concern.
Her condition was dire.
Although she had access to the near-limitless energy of the “Ember,” her mental state was on the verge of collapse, held together by sheer willpower.
A willpower that was now consuming her life force…
“I… can still hold on… cough, cough…”
Hua Qiling leaned against the console, her face pale, coughing repeatedly, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
She reached for a tissue with trembling hands, wiped the blood away, and tossed the stained tissue towards the wastebasket.
But the wastebasket was overflowing, and the tissue fell to the floor.
And the floor… was already covered with similar bloodstained tissues.
“How is… that Qin Wen… doing?”
Hua Qiling’s voice was hoarse.
She knew that Qin Wen was behind the southwestern front line, intercepting Dawn’s Fourth Team.
Hua Qiling was holding off Alyxsia to buy Qin Wen time.
Once Qin Wen finished dealing with that isolated team, she could come and help defend this crucial front line.
Although they wouldn’t be able to defeat Alyxsia, they could at least force her to retreat, relieving the pressure on the defenses.
But if the southwestern front line fell, allowing Alyxsia to break through…
The isolated Dawn team would be rescued, and Qin Wen’s ambush would likely fail.
That’s why Alyxsia was so desperate to break through, and why Hua Qiling had to stop her at all costs.
“Captain Qin has eliminated half of their forces, but to completely defeat them… it will take… a long time…”
A subordinate reported, his voice trembling.
“So strong… that’s a team led by a ‘Peril’ level ability user… to kill half of them in such a short time… unexpected, Qin Wen…”
A defiant smile appeared on Hua Qiling’s lips.
“Hmph, I guess you win this round…”
If she could just hold on a little longer, Qin Wen would surely be able to annihilate the entire team, right?
Unfortunately… now…
Hua Qiling’s consciousness was fading, her “Eagle Eye Vision” flickering.
Images flashed through her mind, like a revolving lantern.
Her sister, Anna, Qin Wen, her rival…
And… Miss Luo Yan…
That beautiful face, seared into her memory.
“At this time, Miss Luo Yan should be resting at home…”
Hua Qiling thought, a silent prayer in her heart.
“I thought having only three months left to live was pitiful… Haha… Didn’t expect me to go first…”
“And Sister… I’m sorry…”
“…I’m too stupid, I could never… keep up with you.”
Hua Qiling couldn’t hold on any longer.
The emerald flames in her eyes flickered and died, and she closed her eyes.
With a thud, and her subordinate’s cry of alarm, Hua Qiling collapsed.
And at that moment, the “Eagle Eye Vision” that had enveloped the southwestern front line vanished.
The defense, which had relied on its ability to see through the enemy’s weaknesses, crumbled.
Alyxsia was surprised to find herself easily breaking through the remaining defenses.
“I did it!”
A look of triumph flickered in Alyxsia’s exhausted eyes.
She, too, was nearing her limit.
If Hua Qiling had lasted another ten minutes, Alyxsia would have been forced to retreat, abandoning Team Four.
If she overexerted herself, she risked death.
Once her energy reserves reached a critical level, she had to withdraw.
Her life was more valuable than a partially depleted elite team.
“However… Hua Qiling, a mere ‘Ruin’ level ability user, achieving this much… Once she reaches ‘Peril’ level…”
Alyxsia shuddered. She had underestimated Grifres’s assessment, thinking a “Ruin” level ability user was nothing special.
But now… it seemed Grifres had underestimated Hua Qiling.
If she reached “Peril” level, with her powerful ability further enhanced, and the stronger will and soul of a “Peril” level ability user…
Forget a stalemate, Alyxsia would run without hesitation.
Hua Qiling, backed by the “Ember” and the city’s defenses, was terrifying.
Fortunately, she was still too young, not yet “Peril” level.
“I have to eliminate her now. Such a promising enemy… is too dangerous to leave alive.”
Alyxsia made up her mind and pushed forward with her giant machine.
The southwestern front line collapsed completely, the desperately resisting defenders no match for Alyxsia’s assault.
Without “Eagle Eye Vision,” these disorganized defenders were insignificant.
Alyxsia quickly reached the front lines, locking onto Hua Qiling’s aura.
The unconscious Hua Qiling was being carried by a subordinate, who was trying to escape into the city.
The Yan City guards, having witnessed Hua Qiling’s importance in this battle, charged forward, desperately trying to stop Alyxsia’s pursuit.
“We have to protect Director Hua Qiling!”
“We can’t let her die here for nothing!”
“She’s… Yan City’s hope!”
But how could they stop her?
Their resolve, their willingness to die, didn’t change their strength.
A few mechanical soldiers leaped forward, forcing the guards to retreat, leaving behind a trail of mangled bodies.
Alyxsia, impatient for the giant machine to advance, donned her power armor and charged towards the unconscious Hua Qiling.
“Eliminating the root… is the greatest respect for an enemy.”
“I acknowledge you, Hua Qiling, therefore… you must die.”
The subordinate carrying Hua Qiling saw Alyxsia approaching, gritted his teeth, and threw Hua Qiling dozens of meters away.
Then, he turned, drew his sword, and faced Alyxsia.
“If you want Director Hua’s life… you’ll have to go through me!”
He roared, charging towards Alyxsia with his sword.
At this moment, he was filled with unprecedented courage.
But…
Alyxsia’s energy blade flashed, slicing him in half.
The heat from the blade incinerated his body, the ashes scattering in the rain.
“How troublesome,” Alyxsia continued her pursuit without hesitation, her energy blade reforming. “Just a few seconds of delay… what difference does it make?”
Meanwhile, Hua Qiling, jolted awake by the impact, opened her eyes with difficulty.
The first thing she saw was her subordinate’s back, then the flash of blue as he was cut in two.
“Lin Ze…”
Hua Qiling’s assistant, a descendant of the City Lord’s Lin family.
In this war for survival, social status meant nothing.
After death, they were all just corpses.
And even… leaving a corpse behind was a luxury in this situation.
In this city-wide downpour, many wouldn’t find peace, even in death.
The desperate cries of the defenders echoed in her ears, and the blue figure was rapidly approaching…
Hua Qiling slowly closed her eyes.
It seemed… she had failed…
“No.”
She opened her eyes again, a blood-tinged emerald fire burning within them.
Although weak, it was more resolute than ever.
She unleashed her final “Eagle Eye Vision,” its range limited to… Alyxsia.
Only Alyxsia.
Anyone who looked at Alyxsia would now benefit from the amplified vision of “Eagle Eye.”
“No matter what…”
“Even if there’s only a sliver of hope…”
“I won’t give up!”
Even though she knew she could never catch up to her sister…
Hua Qiling followed in her footsteps, without hesitation.
Why did she care so much about Miss Luo Yan…?
Because… resonance…
“I see myself… in Miss Luo Yan,” Hua Qiling said, her eyes open. “But she’s better than me. She showed me… what I should do…”
“I admire her.”
“…That’s all.”
Alyxsia suddenly felt a sense of unease, a familiar feeling of being exposed, like being under “Eagle Eye Vision.”
But she quickly dismissed it and continued her pursuit of Hua Qiling.
Just a few dozen meters, a matter of seconds.
A few seconds… what could she possibly achieve?
What could she do?
Alyxsia soon found out.
“Thank you, Miss Hua Qiling,” a soft, melodious voice echoed beside Alyxsia’s ear, followed by a sudden sense of danger. “It’s been a while… since I’ve experienced ‘Eagle Eye’…”
Eyes open, Forbidden Technique, “Manjusaka.”
A dark flower slowly materialized in Alyxsia’s path.
“Death.”
The dark flower was tinged with black, an oppressive aura of death filling the air.
Just being near it evoked a primal fear.
“No!”
Alyxsia tried to stop, but she was already exposed by “Eagle Eye Vision.”
She only managed to slow down slightly, the dark flower subtly shifting its position, ensuring she remained within its optimal range.
All of this happened in a split second. Even for Alyxsia, such a reaction time was incredible.
And even this slight movement was seen through by “Eagle Eye Vision”…
“How terrifying…”
This was Alyxsia’s final thought.
The dark flower bloomed, its beauty breathtaking.
Then it quickly withered, a sorrowful silence spreading.
“It’s… Miss Luo Yan…”
Seeing the familiar flower, a faint smile appeared on Hua Qiling’s lips.
But she couldn’t hold on any longer.
The emerald flames in her eyes died out, and she lost consciousness once more.
But this time, a large, floral umbrella appeared above her, shielding her from the downpour.
“…It seems… I wasn’t fast enough.”
Luo Yan caught the unconscious Hua Qiling, looked at the scattered limbs and body parts around them, and sighed.
She looked down at Hua Qiling. The usually lively and energetic girl was now pale and gaunt, her face covered in blood, mostly from her eyes.
Hua Qiling was so light that Luo Yan could lift her with one hand.
“I’m sorry, Hua Qiling, I’m late,” Luo Yan whispered, then hoisted Hua Qiling onto her back, a sniper rifle in her hand.
Once, in “Ghost Town,” Hua Qiling had carried her like this through battle.
Now, it was her turn.
As the dark flower withered, a small figure slowly materialized.
Although covered in wounds, surrounded by a deathly aura, Alyxsia was still alive.
Even in her weakened state, having taken a direct hit from “Manjusaka,” she had survived.
After all, she was a “Peril” level ability user.
“I’ve… never been so… pathetic…”
Alyxsia’s twintails had come undone, her hair disheveled, her face covered in dust and blood.
But her eyes were still bright, fixated on Luo Yan.
“You’re… the ‘Miss Luo Yan’ that Grifres mentioned… right?”
Alyxsia drew her energy blade as a giant machine slowly approached behind her, crushing everything in its path, including the scattered corpses.
Luo Yan watched, the crimson in her eyes deepening.
She saw the countless extinguished lives, and Alyxsia’s indifference.
“You…”
Luo Yan’s soft voice was tinged with anger.
“…What do you think life is…?”
Leave a Reply