I Have Principles, But Not Many

"Attention all units, this is 0950 hours Eastern Standard Time. Ten minutes to commencement of attack. All task forces, report readiness."

As the colossal Fire Moth One ascended vertically from the ocean surface, Phamas's voice echoed through all channels.

"Phamas is on the front lines? On the Fire Moth One?"

Mikael looked at Himeko, surprised.

"Yes, he arrived last night."

As soon as Himeko finished speaking, Mobius scoffed.

"Of course he's here. Now that someone has weakened the Herrscher, Fire Moth has a chance to steal the kill. Like stray dogs fighting over a bone… Heh, stealing the glory? Then he can use the battle record and footage to demand more authority, funding, and equipment from the United Government…"

"Doctor, please watch your language," Himeko said, giving her a pointed look.

"What? Are we not even allowed to speak freely in this world anymore?"

"No, of course you are… but…" Himeko raised her hand, discreetly muting the channel. "But he can hear everything you're saying…"

"…"

"My, my! What's with the tension?"

Elysia, as always, appeared at the most opportune moment.

"Have the survivors been settled?" Mikael quickly changed the subject.

"Mmm-hmm! All taken care of! I've assigned those who want to join Fire Moth to the support team. That solves Elvin's manpower problem. They should have reached the survivor gathering point near Zijin City by now, along with the other survivors."

"What about Eden?" Mikael asked casually.

"Well~ I did invite her to join Fire Moth, but she said, 'Fire Moth only protects human civilization materially. I want to protect it spiritually…' Such a shame."

Mikael looked into her dual-colored eyes, blinking rapidly.

Elysia returned the stare.

Inside the Fire Moth One's command center, Phamas wasn't as relaxed as Mobius imagined.

"Phamas, six minutes to the attack… Heh, this time, we've assembled practically all of humanity's military might… The Herrscher, heh…"

Phamas looked at Vashak across the table, remaining silent.

"What's wrong? Shouldn't you be happy? Humanity can finally eliminate a Herrscher, two Herrschers even, with its own power!" Vashak spread his arms wide, as if lifting a great weight.

"!" Phamas slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Two?! Vashak, what do you mean?!"

"What else could I mean? We're eliminating the 1st Herrscher as well, of course."

Vashak's expression looked innocent, but the scars crisscrossing his face made it seem sinister.

"The 1st Herrscher? Mikael…? Vashak… are you out of your mind?! You don't know anything!"

"Stop pretending, Phamas. You're the one who's out of his mind! You've been deceived by Mobius! Seduced by the Herrscher!"

"What about Himeko and Mobius?"

"They, along with Squad 5, fought valiantly against the Herrscher to the very end."

Phamas's breathing became ragged. He coughed, pulling a small metal box from his pocket and taking a pill.

Vashak watched him coldly, like a detached observer.

"Your Poison Cocoon agents failed," Phamas said.

"It doesn't matter. It was just a contingency plan. Now we have nearly twenty carrier strike groups, thousands of state-of-the-art fighter jets, and the Fire Moth One… Plus, the Fire Moth Two is seventy percent complete. Strategic Command has ordered Squad 1 to pilot it here as the second wave of attack."

"You!" Phamas clutched his chest, his fingers digging into his clothes.

He was furious, not because Vashak and Strategic Command had conspired to sideline him—that anger had faded over the past few months.

He was furious at their recklessness, their complete disregard for the consequences—

"You've mobilized all of our conventional military forces! Now you're even deploying the last rapid response team… What if there's an emergency?!"

"That's not your concern. Besides… the only thing that could cause an emergency is right beneath our feet, isn't it?"

Phamas was speechless.

"Alright, time's almost up, Phamas. Just stick to the script… Look, all you have to do is give the order to attack. Once the Herrscher is eliminated, you'll be a hero. The United Government will commend you, you can retire to a comfortable position in the Secretariat, and decades later, when the records are declassified, you'll be hailed as the greatest hero of this battle. How does that sound?"

"So you finally show your true colors!"

Seeing Vashak reveal his intentions, Phamas scoffed.

He looked at his former subordinate, the other survivor from that disaster, realizing how little he actually knew him.

When had he colluded with the United Government? Phamas had no idea.

Now that he thought about it, there had been signs. When he'd established Poison Cocoon, due to both precautionary measures and Fire Moth's initial lack of funding, Poison Cocoon had received minimal resources. Vashak had to procure personnel and equipment himself.

But Poison Cocoon had grown far faster than he'd anticipated. He'd had their accounts investigated, but every transaction had seemed legitimate, meticulously documented.

He'd attributed it to Vashak's competence. Perhaps he'd been connected to these forces all along!

And now, he wasn't even bothering to hide it, offering him a comfortable retirement in the United Government's Secretariat!

"Alright, my old captain, only one minute left. Get ready to give the order," Vashak urged impatiently.

Phamas leaned back in his chair, memories flashing through his mind.

"I have principles! I have principles!"

Phamas repeated the words, looking directly at Vashak.

"But not many…"

Vashak paused, then watched as Phamas leaned forward, speaking quickly and quietly. "I want a villa in Siberia, one in Northern Europe, one in Southern Europe, and one in North Africa."

Vashak was taken aback by Phamas's sudden change of heart, but it was a welcome development. He quickly agreed.

"Also, I've spent my entire life fighting the Honkai. I'm over fifty and still single. You need to set me up with someone."

Vashak's expression was priceless, but with his control over Poison Cocoon, it wasn't a difficult request.

"Wait!"

"What now?"

With thirty seconds left on the countdown, Phamas hesitated, then amended his demands.

"I want each villa staffed with at least… a platoon?"

"Hahahahaha! You're quite the… vigorous old man, aren't you?!" Vashak laughed uproariously, making Phamas blush. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the mockery.

He felt a twinge of guilt, but not much. Herrschers, the Honkai, human power struggles… he was tired of it all.

All he had to do was say the word "attack," and regardless of the outcome, his future was secure…

As for failure?

Two Herrschers. It would be a difficult battle for humanity, but not enough to destroy the world. Humans had their own hidden strengths—he knew this better than anyone.

As for the losses… after he was gone, who cared about the flood?

"I'm sorry, Mikael… Mobius… Himeko…"

"I envy your unwavering resolve…"

Perhaps, as Vashak had said, he was a hypocrite, no different from him.

And Mobius, with whom he'd always clashed, was now the object of his envy.

Wait, why envy?

The countdown reached zero.

"Attack!"

Phamas's voice boomed across the comms.

The first wave of fighter jets launched, circling above the fleet, waiting for the rest of the squadron to take off.

Simultaneously, across China, Siberia, Australia, the Americas… nearly one hundred thousand strategic missiles, armed with conventional warheads, launched into the sky, targeting Shanghai—both the eastern and western districts.

The Fire Moth One's railguns blazed with azure light. The massive shells, propelled by Lorentz force, hurtled towards the eastern city, instantly shrouding it in dust and smoke.

Even across the river, Mikael could hear Śeṣa's distant cries amidst the barrage.

At that moment, a thunderclap echoed through the air.

It was brief, easily missed amidst the cacophony of explosions.

But Mikael caught it.

He'd anticipated this—

Was the Herrscher truly injured?

Could it really not escape the human encirclement?

He quickly glanced at Elysia, who was also looking at him, a shared understanding in their eyes.

Then, he smiled again, that familiar, gentle smile.

It made Elysia's heart pound with a sense of unease.

The next moment, a scream echoed across the public channel:

"This is Squad 3 in Nagazora City… Aaaah… static…"