Chapter 84 [The Fools]

In Orion's memory, he couldn't recall any organization by the name of "The Fool" ever aligning themselves with the Honkai Impact Universe. Such a organization seemed absent from his memory. Yet, somehow, this mysterious figure had managed to infiltrate the Fire Chasing Moth—a feat that was far from trivial. Though Orion had no idea how they had achieved this, one thing was clear: whoever they were, they seemed to be a decently large organization.

The name there was a strange familiarity to it, as if he'd heard of it somewhere before...

Orion caught a glimpse of the driver's face in the rearview mirror, expressionless, like a lifeless puppet. The driver's gaze was blank, unfocused, as if they were under some unseen control, moving with rigid, robotic precision. Each action the driver made made it seem more and more like a lifeless marionette controlled by someone or something.

"We know you have the potential to end this corrupted civilization humans have built here on Earth. Yes, your strength will need time to mature, to grow even more powerful… but until then, let us clear the path for you."

The words crackled through the speakers, slow and theatrical, the voice infused with an unnatural intensity. The speaker seemed to relish each word, their tone like that of an actor on stage—too dramatic, too self-assured.

Orion kept his silence, his gaze steady as he anticipated Fire Chasing Moth's next move, knowing they would react soom.

"..."

"What? Orion Astra lost them? How could he let someone so important slip away?"

The communication center at Fire Chasing Moth sprang into action the moment the signal was picked up. Agents positioned around Orion began relaying intel in real-time

Blinking red markers on the map showed its precise route, updating by the second.

"Target sighted. Initiating tracking sequence. Confirmed: Orion is still in the vehicle," an agent reported as they zoomed in on the limo's license plate, verifying its identity.

"Alert the police—block off the car at the next intersection," came the command from the supervisor, his tone clipped and focused. 

The Fire Chasing Commander spoke calmly. Since Fire Chasing Moth was a United Nations organization fighting the Honkai Impact, they had access to military and police forces around the world. They were authorized to do anything necessary to keep the Honkai from becoming public knowledge.

Within 10 minutes, the road ahead of Orion's car was blocked by police. Spike strips were set to flatten the tires, and dozens of police cars formed a barricade.

"It seems this road won't work," Orion said as he glanced at the blockade.

"Don't worry, Mr. Astra, there's always another way forward. Only shallow people get stopped by such small obstacles."

The voice in Orion's ear sounded so confident that it piqued his curiosity. He wondered what trick they would use to escape.

The black limo was less than 100 yards from the police blockade. The officers had already aimed at the tires, ready to bring the car to a stop.

Then, something truly unbelievable happened. Before their eyes, the limo began to compress, its sleek black frame bending inward and flattening in an almost fluid motion. It defied all logic, squishing itself into a thin, sheet of paper —retaining the shape of a car.

"Paper?" someone muttered in disbelief, the word barely escaping their lips. Indeed, it was just like a 3D object being flattened into a 2D one. Now, the limo resembled a cartoon cutout but still somehow driving at full speed zooming past the blockade.

"Shoot!" one of the officers shouted, but their bullets only whizzed past, hopelessly missing the paper-thin target.

"Report, sir, the target has escaped…"

Fire Chasing Moth's agents stared, unable to process what they'd just seen. Their expressions held a mixture of shock and awe, as everything they knew about science and reality had just been upended.

Just moments ago, was a limo that turned into a piece of paper still capable of driving, was now floating into the sky, leaving them in disbelief as it disappeared into the sky.

"How about now, Mr. Astra? Do you have more faith in our organization?"

Orion remained silent. The scene he just witnessed was strange, but it didn't change his opinion. The car still moved, and they still broke through the barricade—just in a bizarre way.

"It doesn't matter if you aren't ready to join us yet. We have time."

The voice in his ear sounded mysterious, but Orion didn't have time for their games.

"If we meet again, we can talk. I'm not interested in your so-called god. But if you get in my way, I won't hesitate to take you down."

Orion's body began to fade, like glass shattering. He disappeared, leaving only a headset on the seat, with the voice still speaking faintly: "See you next time."

Elsewhere, researchers at a Fire Chasing Moth base were stunned by the footage of the limo transforming into paper.

"Honkai energy… does it explain all this?" one scientist asked, staring at the screen.

Years of scientific certainty had just been shattered in an instant.

"This isn't science or magic. Have they figured out how to change dimensions?"

At the back of the room, a blue-haired officer named Hen remained calm. He slammed his palm on the table, leaving a mark on the metal surface. "Why are you all panicking? This is nothing new."

"But, Commander Ato, if we don't fix this, you'll be the one held responsible," a team member said nervously.

Ato glared at him, the scar on his face twitching as he spoke. "And since when were you so scared? This is no different from when we fought on the moon. Orion Astra is important, but we're not helpless without him."

Ato's words struck a chord, rekindling a spark of confidence in each member of the team. They nodded, a newfound determination in their eyes as they returned to their posts, scouring the monitors and scanning every signal to locate Orion.

Suddenly, Ato received a message through his earpiece. His expression changed. "Everyone, stop. Orion Astra… he's already here."