The Vixen's Gambit: Tonight We Hunt

Kiana and the others watched, dumbfounded, as the two white figures, wielding identical greatswords, clashed across the lunar surface, leaving devastating trails in their wake.

Kevin, who had just effortlessly defeated them, was now unable to gain any ground against Lihua, even sustaining several injuries…

Is this the true power of a Kaslana?! Why haven't we seen her use it before?

Despite her confusion, Kiana cheered Lihua on.

But compared to Kiana's optimism, Lee felt a growing sense of dread.

She was piloting a theoretically superior Kaslana-brand body, enhanced by resurrection, first-appearance, protagonist-team, and mentor-guidance buffs. Taking down Kevin should have been a piece of cake—but reality, as always, was harsher than theory.

Kevin is ridiculously strong! Was he holding back against us earlier?!

On the pale lunar surface, the two flaming greatswords clashed hundreds of times in the blink of an eye. In terms of pure skill, Lee had a slight edge, but…

Watching the cut she had just inflicted on Kevin's shoulder vanish in seconds, Lee felt a pang of despair.

Doesn't that idiot know you shouldn't eat random garbage you find on the side of the road? And Unit-2 is just as ridiculous, casually discarding the Gun Devil's corpse… At least incinerate it in the sun! What's the point of leaving it on the moon?!

And demons and Honkai aren't even from the same universe! Why does the Chimera Project software work here?! This is absurd!

Now Kevin's eaten the Gun Devil's corpse and gained its regenerative abilities…

Lee flexed her slightly numb hand. She had hoped to at least deter Kevin from continuing his plans on Blue Earth, but now, he could probably fight her for a year…

She could last that long, thanks to Unit-1's regenerative abilities—but it would be exhausting, risky, and most importantly, pointless! She couldn't win.

Don't panic, don't panic, Lee reassured herself. The Gun Devil's regeneration required consuming flesh and blood, and there was nothing for him to eat here. So, as long as she dragged the fight out until his regeneration needed external fuel, she would win. He wouldn't eat Kiana, Kallen, and the others…

…Right?

Looking at Kevin's emotionless eyes, Lee felt a growing unease, discarding the idea.

Better try talking to him first. Gotta figure out what's going on in that head of his…

"Kevin, must you do this?"

After another clash of blades, Lee lowered her sword slightly and sighed. "This isn't the Earth we knew. The Honkai isn't as powerful here. They might find other ways to deal with it. The Stigma Project isn't the best solution."

After a moment of silence, Kevin spoke. "The Honkai in this world is growing stronger. You can sense it too. This moon beneath our feet is already nurturing something similar… If this continues, it won't be long before this world's own 'Finality' emerges."

"And I will be ready. I will take this world's Finality's power." Kevin slowly clenched his fist, as if grasping something precious. "Then, I will return to Earth and take that Finality's power, and then…"

And then, revenge.

He would scour every corner of the universe, no matter where the civilization that unleashed the Honkai upon Earth hid. He would find them, drag out every single member, and repay them tenfold, a hundredfold, for humanity's suffering.

"I only need power. Everything else… is trivial."

Helping humanity survive the Honkai, granting them a final, beautiful dream—they were just minor detours.

"I see…" Lee's eyes widened slightly, then a sad, resigned smile touched her lips. "Then I have even more reason to stop you."

Without another word, they clashed again, but this time, Lee's attacks were fiercer, sharper, as if trying to end the prolonged fight as quickly as possible!

But the more intense the fight became, the more apparent the slight difference in their strength became. Even Kiana and the others could see that the situation was grim.

Of course, they couldn't just stand by and watch. Facing an enemy like Kevin, there was no need for honor. They joined the battle, making it a glorious four-versus-one—and within a minute, they were all slammed back into the ground.

Already weakened and freshly recovered from serious injuries, they were hardly helpful.

As for Otto, he simply watched the two fighting figures with a haunted look in his eyes. He was concerned about the outcome, but… even if they somehow won, would the one who returned be his Lihua?

If there was a struggle for control of the body, could Lihua win against the spirit of a 50,000-year-old, artificial Herrscher of Sentience?

Otto couldn't help but worry. A similar situation had happened with Siegfried… But his worry was meaningless. He was just a broken, crawling wreck.

Their battle ravaged the lunar landscape. After creating yet another crater, one of them finally faltered.

Lee stumbled, using the Might of An-Utu to keep herself from falling. She gasped for breath, a pointless action, as they weren't breathing oxygen on the moon, but Honkai energy.

"You lose," Kevin said calmly, his greatsword at the ready.

"Ha, I haven't gained an inch against you since then…" Lee chuckled, then slowly straightened, tightening her grip on her sword. "But I haven't given up yet."

Kevin looked at Lee. Her eyes held only determination, and he understood her resolve without words—unless he completely crushed her here, Lee would not yield.

So, should he do it?

Killing her wasn't impossible. Once she was gone, no one could stop him.

Just a phantom of the bloodline. Easy to eliminate.

"..."

"…You can see Lihua's memories."

In the end, Kevin couldn't bring himself to strike. He needed an answer.

"Why protect humanity? You saw your own end… Aren't you angry?"

Heh heh heh, it worked! Lee grinned inwardly. Kevin was still the same sentimental softie, his madness just a facade. If he had attacked directly, she would have had to use the system's cheat…

But that hadn't happened!

"Of course, I'm angry… but it couldn't be helped," Lee said softly. "Kevin, everyone has to be responsible for their actions. We all do. I killed so many people. I deserve to be judged, and I accept that."

"But you didn't want to kill them! You were saving them!" Kevin's voice flared with rare anger.

Lee simply shook her head. "I still killed them, Kevin… I decided humanity's fate based on my own judgment, with no way to prove I was right. Perhaps we had a chance to surpass the future I saw, to defeat the Honkai. Perhaps preserving their consciousness was a lie, and those slumbering souls could never awaken in the new era. Perhaps gathering their consciousness would attract the Finality's attention, killing those who could have survived…"

"I forced all of humanity onto my train based on my subjective judgment. It's only natural for them to hate me… And I accepted that when I made the decision."

"But you know, Kevin, I'm not a saint. Of course, I was angry after all that…" Lee smiled, extending a hand towards Kevin. "So, help me out. Abandon the Stigma Project. Instead of letting them wallow in blissful dreams, let them face the cruel reality, let them suffer and struggle—isn't that a much better revenge, robbing them of their happiness?"

"…So you still want to protect humanity." Disappointment flickered in Kevin's eyes. After all that, Lee still wanted him to stop the Stigma Project, to protect humanity.

"Even a phantom of the past still cares for them—"

"That's not it, Kevin."

Lee interrupted him, her calm eyes filled with sorrow as she looked directly at Kevin.

"I'm worried about you."