Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

"Is this… even winnable?"

Xiyi stared at the scene unfolding before her eyes and unconsciously voiced her doubts aloud.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Sora. After all, the memory of Sora single-handedly rescuing her from Squad Two's encirclement was still vivid.

But this time, things were different.

Back then, she'd been nearby, clearly demonstrating her relationship with Sora.

No matter how ruthless Chenyu could be, he would still hold back out of consideration for her.

Yet now, Sora had ventured to Zieltworth Tower completely alone.

"Ugh, I should've gone with him," Xiyi complained softly.

One person facing off against one hundred and nineteen—such a scene was a rarity, even under ordinary circumstances.

And these one hundred and nineteen weren't ordinary opponents. They were elite guards, selected only after surviving countless battles.

Zieltworth, as a medical planet, was known throughout the galaxy for its exceptional wealth.

Precisely because of this, it had drawn the attention of galactic pirates more than once.

Yet Zieltworth had successfully preserved its independence to this day.

Aside from Zieltworth's formidable planetary defenses, the backbone of its security lay in this elite guard, numbering fewer than two hundred.

These guards essentially represented the planet's highest combat potential.

Several years ago, a gang of several hundred galactic pirates attempted to raid this planet by force.

Within three days, those pirates became nothing but a legend across the universe.

It was the Zieltworth guard force that had distinguished itself the most in that battle.

And now, a single person was attempting to challenge nearly the entire guard corps.

Though it wasn't the entire guard, more than two-thirds were already assembled at the tower.

No matter how you looked at it, the scales were hopelessly uneven.

"He chose this path himself. This is his decision," Chenyu explained, offering his reasoning for staying behind. "Besides, even if you had wanted to follow, he wouldn't have let you."

This confused Xiyi. "Why?"

"Because he wants to prove his own strength. To show everyone that even alone, he has the power to protect us," Yingzhu supplemented softly from the side. "This is a clash of ideals between him and Nokiribi. That's exactly why he must face it alone."

"But are we really just supposed to stand here and watch?" Xiyi still couldn't accept that answer.

Seeing Xiyi's agitation, the two exchanged a glance and shared a knowing smile.

"Aren't you underestimating him a little too much?"

As the words faded, the clash in the projection began.

When Xiyi raised her gaze, she immediately noticed something strange.

"Huh? Why are they moving so slowly?"

The image playing before her was as if someone had suddenly pressed the slow-motion button.

She could clearly observe the flames erupting from the Fyrefly Suits' propulsion systems.

She could even distinctly make out every shifting mechanism on their armor—details that should have been instantaneous. Now they were slowed by more than half, clearly visible to the naked eye.

Amidst the slowed scene, only the crimson figure continued moving at a normal pace, carrying out his movements without hindrance.

This surreal vision crashed into Xiyi's mind with staggering clarity.

Witnessing this, the other two revealed expressions of relieved understanding.

"So it really was like this…"

Earlier, both of them had been influenced by Nokiribi's powers, their minds muddled, driven only by instinct, and so they had missed these subtle details.

Only now, watching the battle unfold remotely, did they finally understand the reason behind their earlier defeat.

And naturally, those on the battlefield had also grasped this situation.

"It's not that he's accelerating himself—rather, he's slowing others down to create an accelerated effect," Yunqing concluded, swiftly analyzing her squad's rapidly diminishing speed.

"And it's only a physical slowdown in movement; it doesn't impair conscious thought."

So, it doesn't affect actual time flow?

After being subjected to the strange influence herself, Yunqing quickly deduced the true nature of the mysterious field enveloping Sora.

Such quick analysis was second nature to her as the guard's chief intelligence officer. Her physical combat abilities might only have been average on the frontline, but her analytical prowess was unmatched.

And precisely due to this ability, Yunqing swiftly unraveled the workings of Sora's powers.

Normally, she'd immediately formulate tactics to counter such a formidable foe.

Yet now, all she could do was watch helplessly, because even speaking required physical movements—actions slowed by this effect.

Countless strategies flashed through her mind in rapid succession, yet her body was incapable of keeping pace with her thoughts.

This ability really is too shameless!

Yunqing unconsciously ground her teeth in frustration.

But it wasn't as though there wasn't a solution…

Only after what felt like an eternity did Yunqing finally accomplish the action needed to overcome this power.

She had synchronized their brainwaves.

Since conscious thought remained unaffected, predicting their opponent's actions could theoretically counterbalance the slowdown, effectively allowing self-acceleration.

As soon as the progress bar reached one hundred percent, Yunqing felt the emotions and intentions of her entire unit flood into her consciousness.

And accompanying this connection came a mysterious power.

Tactics previously unknown flooded into her mind, granting her an intuitive sense of control over the subordinate units.

At this instant, Yunqing's mental processing speed increased exponentially, allowing her to perceive countless previously overlooked details.

She instantly grasped the optimal method of dealing with Sora.

Yet, as a side effect, Yunqing briefly felt her sense of self waver.

Quickly regaining composure, she began issuing commands through the synchronized brainwaves.

"All SAM units, follow my command!"

As if on cue, the connected SAM armors swiftly commenced organized maneuvers.

Though a dozen or so had already fallen within a brief span, those still standing could surely defeat the opponent under her command.

Unbeknownst to Yunqing, however, the rest synchronized with her issued no reply, silently following her orders.

The armored guards danced through the air, weaving complex patterns around their target.

And amidst it all, Sora's crimson figure stood conspicuously prominent.

Every punch he threw was earth-shaking, each strike reverberating clearly with the mechanical twisting of armor.

And after each blow he delivered, he quietly whispered to each opponent before him:

"Sorry."

After this, you won't need to fight like this again.

At that moment, a tremendous noise erupted around him.

In perfect unison, all the SAM armors acted as one, rapidly executing a well-coordinated formation.

Some surrounded Sora in a tight circle, diving toward him from above.

They blocked off every escape route, sealing him entirely from above.

And from behind, those who had already prepared their attacks launched a volley toward him.

Scarlet energy beams burst from their shoulder-mounted cannons, accompanied by small missile heads streaking through the air.

In an instant, every available weapon trained its sights on the encircled Sora.

"All escape routes are completely sealed off. All attacks cover every gap," Yunqing calmly declared, observing Sora from behind her armor. "You have nowhere left to run."

Your armor might grant incredible strength, she thought, but in a near-certain defeat scenario, blame your armor's inability to fight at long range.

She had calculated everything flawlessly—even if Sora forcibly broke through one point, she could swiftly redirect weaponry to intercept him.

Though slowed under his power's domain, she could still react swiftly enough to direct weapon fire.

This match was settled. He had surely lost.

Yet, within that tight encirclement, Sora—still capable of normal movements—observed the nearly impenetrable net around him.

"Impressive… to adapt and respond so swiftly, finding a viable solution."

Without a [Shift Car]'s support, surrounding him with long-range firepower was the simplest yet most effective response against his [Heavy Acceleration].

He hadn't expected anyone could adjust so quickly to the dissonance between mind and body caused by [Heavy Acceleration], let alone organize such precise coordination with her comrades.

A talent like hers was invaluable as a strategist. With someone of Yunqing's caliber within this race, Sora need not fear their species devolving into internal strife again.

"But your entire strategy hinges upon the assumption that I can only punch."

Sora activated the [Shift Car] on his left wrist.

'[Come On]!'

'[Medic]!'

Pink brilliance flared from the tire resting upon his shoulder.

But I'm not just a muscle-headed brawler.

Heart-sama even lent me the strength of his companion.

"Hello there."

As a woman's polite greeting resonated clearly around them, countless golden tendrils surged forth from behind Sora!

Upon glimpsing those tendrils, Yunqing instantly issued a command for the SAM units around Sora to retreat.

Yet, hindered by their slowed speed, immediate withdrawal was impossible.

The golden tendrils swiftly ensnared the waist of each SAM unit, whipping the slowed soldiers about helplessly.

Under the manipulation of those tendrils, the captured soldiers were hurled directly into the path of the oncoming missiles!

BOOM!

Explosions enveloped Sora's surroundings in blazing fire.

Exaggerated horns protruded from his helmet, and with countless tendrils extending behind him, Sora's figure was framed like a demon descending into their midst.