[In the video.]
"This is..." Himeko followed the dragon's roar and looked up, her pupils suddenly contracting.
Benares' massive body tore through the clouds, its dragon wings spreading over a hundred meters wide. Its scales shimmered with a ghostly blue luster under the moonlight, each one like a meticulously carved crystal.
But what was most shocking was the corners of the giant dragon's eyes were glistening with tears, refracting a sorrowful light in the illumination.
As Benares dove, thunder and lightning also began to fall from the sky.
"Watch out!" Van pushed Himeko away, but he himself was blown several meters away by the hurricane stirred up by the dragon wings.
Benares let out a mournful cry, its dragon breath turned into an ice-blue pillar of light that swept across the deck. The turrets on the warship instantly froze in the absolute-zero breath, then shattered into powder.
"Damn it!" Himeko barely managed to stand firm, but a layer of frost had already formed on the surface of her armor.
She raised her greatsword, only to find her arm had become stiff due to the low temperature.
Benares' tail suddenly swept over, and she barely had time to raise her greatsword to block, her entire body was sent flying.
"Himeko!" Van's voice came.
Himeko felt someone catch her, but the impact still made her taste sweetness in her mouth.
"I'm fine…" she struggled to get up, only to realize her legs had already lost sensation.
There was a special kind of Honkai energy in Benares' attack, corroding her body.
Van placed her behind a relatively safe cover and quickly checked her injuries.
"In this condition, you need immediate treatment." His voice was still calm, but Himeko noticed that his tightly clenched fists were trembling slightly.
"This isn't the time to talk about that…" Himeko grabbed his wrist. "The Helios can't withstand another attack…"
Benares circled in the air, and the storm stirred up by its wings made the entire warship tremble.
"You're right, so I'll go distract it."
Van stood up and looked at the giant dragon in the sky, his gaze firm.
"Are you crazy?" Himeko clutched the corner of his clothes tightly, "That's a Judgment-class Honkai Beast!"
"Precisely because of that, someone has to go." Van gently pried her fingers away. "Believe me, I have a way."
"Van!" Himeko tried to stand again, but her injuries made her fall to the ground once more. She could only watch as Van leapt to the edge of the deck, raising the Sword of Rebellion toward the sky.
"Hey! Little guy, still remember me?" Van's voice was still clear even amidst the storm.
Benares locked its eyes on Van, letting out a deafening roar.
Van looked back at Himeko one last time, a familiar smile tugging at his lips, "Don't forget to buy me a drink later, no backing out, alright?"
In the next second, his figure turned into a streak of violet light, speeding away from the warship.
Benares chased after him without hesitation, its enormous dragon wings stirring up one last gust of wind, blowing away the crystals on the deck.
Himeko leaned on the wall and stood up, watching the purple dot gradually disappear into the clouds. She clenched her fists. "You… bastard…"
Van's figure flickered faintly among the clouds, and Benares' roaring gradually faded into the distance.
Himeko leaned against the cover, took a deep breath, trying to calm her restless heart.
"Van, you better not die…" She murmured softly, memories of them fighting side by side appearing in her mind.
That guy who always wore a carefree smile, yet was more reliable than anyone else when it mattered.
Just then, a loud noise came from afar, followed by Benares' angry roar.
Himeko snapped her head up, only to see a blinding violet flash in the clouds, followed by a violent explosion.
"Van!" Her heart tightened. She ignored her injuries and quickened her pace.
However, before she had taken a few steps, a burst of static came from the communicator, then a familiar voice followed, "Himeko, still alive?"
It was Van.
"You... you're okay?" Himeko almost shouted.
"Of course. I promised you a drink, didn't I?"
Van's voice carried a trace of exhaustion, but was still relaxed. "I've lured Benares away. You all evacuate quickly."
"And what about you?" Himeko asked anxiously.
"I still have some things to handle. Don't worry."
Van paused, then laughed, "Make sure you prepare good wine. I don't want to drink cheap stuff."
The communication cut off. Himeko stood there in a daze, then let out a bitter laugh, "This guy… really makes people angry and worried."
She looked up at the sky. The clouds gradually dispersed, moonlight spilled onto the deck, as if everything had returned to calm.
But Himeko knew, this battle was far from over.
"Van, you better keep your word…" she said softly, tightening her grip on the greatsword in her hand.
———
[In the real world.]
When they saw that Van actually used himself as bait to lure Benares away alone, netizens in the real world were all moved to tears.
[Wuuu, Van is a real man]
[Prison Van, don't die!]
[Man!]
[My husband is just too great]
[Don't set flags about drinking at a time like this!]
[Prison Van is like a veteran general on stage, his whole body full of flags]
[The screenwriter won't let Van die here, right?]
[Really? Please no! Not such a scene! Please no!]
Unlike those classmates who had entered full-on wailing mode, as the person involved, Van felt nothing but embarrassment when he saw this scene.
To be honest, this kind of public execution-style attention made him very uncomfortable.
Of course, more than that, what made him even more uncomfortable was watching his classmates gush over the version of himself in the video, including some slightly exaggerated behavior.
Even though back then he hadn't even recovered a tenth of his peak strength, dealing with the pseudo-lawman "Bebe Dragon" was still more than enough.
He had lured Bebe Dragon away mainly to let the next part of the plan proceed smoothly, and to confuse a certain existence in the depths of darkness.
Thinking of this, Van looked up, and met Fu Hua's thoughtful gaze.
Fu Hua, "..."
Van, "..."
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