Chapter 127: You've Grown Up a Little, Hua

'Everywhere I look... there's flames...'

'Where to go... Where to go...'

The gray-haired girl named "Hua" ran away in a daze.

She was a deserter... facing the Herrscher, she abandoned her other teammates... and ran away.

There was nothing that could be done about it, right? At that moment, her captain, Himeko, suddenly showed hostility towards them. The detection device she carried instantly sounded an alarm, and was then immediately burned by the flames that she...it had manipulated.

At that time, she, like other team members, was at a loss facing the captain who had become the "enemy of humanity."

At that time, they still had a glimmer of hope in their hearts, hoping that everything before their eyes was just an illusion, just a dream, so they forced a smile and softly called out their captain's name, trying to get her response.

…Then, it swung a wave of flames, submerging their bodies.

If she had not been standing further back, and if she had not developed a sense of crisis from practicing martial arts since childhood that made her retreat immediately, she would probably have been burned by the flames.

But... Hua couldn't remember clearly what happened afterwards.

She just wanted to escape from there, just wanted to stay away from it... She was scared, scared of attacking the captain who usually took good care of her, scared of becoming the enemy of the captain.

So...she turned around and ran away.

Although she didn't know why it didn't attack her when she was running away, Hua didn't know what to do anymore. She could only flee in a daze, trying to stay away from it as much as possible, away from the flames, and go to a place where the temperature was not so high.

But...where can I escape to?

The fire was still burning, dyeing the air hot and dry. She could feel the water in her body constantly draining away. The long run had exacerbated this feeling... She adjusted her breathing several times, but still couldn't stop gasping for breath. With each opening and closing of her mouth, the hot air she inhaled once again took away the little water left in her mouth. With every breath, she could almost hear the friction sound in her throat.

She forced her cracked lips closed and tried to swallow, moistening her throat with her scarce saliva to relieve the increasingly intense stinging sensation. However, this move was undoubtedly a drop in the bucket. When she opened her mouth again, it was as if she was tearing her lips apart.

But Hua didn't care about these, she just ran away, confused, panicked, and... afraid.

Everywhere you look, there are flames and ruins. Even the sky is dark and gloomy, without a trace of light.

All that was in sight was the fire that was about to burn everything, and the billowing smoke that was produced by the fire.

She had clearly been running for a long time, but nothing around her had changed, as if she was still by its side... Once she had this thought, she became more and more scared and confused.

She didn't know what to do or where to go, so she could only rely on her survival instinct and escape desperately.

It was not until this moment that she realized that she had never been a warrior or even a soldier... She was just an ordinary person who couldn't be more ordinary. When faced with the Honkai, she would be so panicked and confused, and... all she knew was to escape.

'It hurts so much...really...it hurts so much...'

How long had she been running? She had no idea... Her throat was so dry that she felt like she would cough up blood at any moment. Thick smoke obscured her vision, and a strange smell filled her nose, causing her chest to feel tight.

Sadness, panic, helplessness...all these emotions weighed on her heart, almost overwhelming her thoughts.

And in the end, these emotions converged and turned into... despair.

That friend that she was on good terms with…had long gone.

The captain who guided her... turned into a "monster" and became a "Herrscher" in front of her.

Those comrades who accompanied her... also turned into ashes.

For the first time, she had the thought, "Should I just die in the fire and go with them?"

For the first time, she understood why some people envied those who had no resistance to Honkai... Those people would die the moment the Honkai broke out, their minds would stop in their beautiful daily lives, they would not feel any pain, and they would no longer need to fight for survival.

That's it...

Hua's pace gradually slowed down. It was unclear whether it was because her body was too tired from running, or because of the feeling of despair that gradually took over her heart.

It's too painful... too tiring... There's nothing wrong with just giving up and being free - thoughts like these lingered in her mind, gradually invading her thoughts.

That's it...

Hua stayed where she was, gasping for breath - she was tired.

Hmmm~

In the distance, a familiar song could be heard, gentle, and soft, like water and wind.

"It's Nozomi's song... huh?"

Hua said this subconsciously, and then she was stunned for a moment.

Nozomi, hope...ha...if this pun appeared on ordinary days, it would make people smile knowingly, but at this time, it gives people a subtle sense of security.

It's as if the word itself has some kind of power.

Tick-tock——

"It's raining?"

Hua felt the water drops falling on her and muttered to herself in surprise.

She doesn't like rainy days. Rain will delay many things, and the humid air makes people feel somewhat unpleasant... But at this time, this humidity is so reassuring and fortunate.

The raging flames were contained, the thick fog that obscured the vision was washed away... everything around became clear.

"...Let's go find them first."

Hua said this and subconsciously moved closer to the direction where the singing came from. Her originally tired body seemed to have some strength at this moment, allowing her to slowly jog and get closer to the singing faster.

Hua...now began to understand why every rescued person was so grateful to Nozomi.

In this environment of panic and despair, his songs are like a ray of sunshine that shines through the dark clouds, giving people direction. His songs are like a life-saving straw that people unconsciously want to grab.

Nozomi/Hope...what a good word.

Hua thought so and trotted toward the direction where the singing came from.

The sound of the "Fire Moth" weapon could already be heard, and from time to time some slowly moving Honkai beasts could be seen around... They are all attracted by Nozomi's "song."

Continuing forward, she could see the soldiers who were methodically consolidating the line, and Nozomi who is surrounded by them and singing in the rain, with Eden by his side.

However, when they saw her coming, they did not show any joy. In fact... they looked at her with a little fear. Even Nozomi stopped singing and looked at her with surprise in his eyes.

'...Why?'

Hua was a little dazed.

'Is it because I shouldn't be here? Or... ah, yes, that's right, I shouldn't be here in the first place, even though my captain has become a "monster" and a "Herrscher" right in front of me, and even the other teammates have turned into ashes.'

'This is what I should have done, disappearing in the flames. I might even be praised and given a nice name like "sacrifice."'

'But now I am standing here... No matter how you look at it, I look like a deserter who has abandoned my companions... right?'

'In this case, it is only natural that they do not welcome me.'

'On the battlefield, no one likes a deserter who abandons their comrades.'

Hua sighed in her heart and remained indifferent to the weapons raised by the soldiers, until... a touch of light pink like cherry blossoms caught her eye.

"Get down."

Sakura said this, and then an ice-blue blade flashed, and the cold breath suppressed the heat behind Hua. Then she grabbed Hua at an incredibly fast speed and took her away from the spot and back to the team before the other soldiers pulled the trigger.

It was not until this moment that Hua noticed... it turned out that it was following her, with the blazing flames following her like a shadow, as if she had not been away from it at all after running for so long.

"I've been discovered..."

She said this, in a tone she would never use before.

"......"

Although they had expected it, the soldiers were still shocked when they actually saw it... It was not a pleasant feeling to see their former comrades turned into "monsters."

Not to mention, many people had been taken care of by Himeko before, but the "Herrscher" in front of them... showed terrible hostility towards them with her appearance.

"But thank you very much, Hua."

The corner of her mouth slightly raised, and she looked at Hua who was still a little frightened in the team, and suddenly said this.

"Thank you for bringing me to this concert."

?!

Although they realized that it was said so intentionally, some people still subconsciously moved their feet a little away from Hua, and some people unconsciously turned their heads and glanced at her with surprised look, but they soon realized how rude their actions were and forced their heads back.

"......"

But Hua still noticed it.

She did not refute it. After all, it followed her and arrived right after her... it was a fact.

"If you can say that you were attracted by my singing, perhaps I, as the lead singer, will be happier, Ms. Herrscher."

Nozomi took half a step forward unnoticed, blocking its meaningful gaze for Hua, and also helping Hua block the suspicious and surprised gazes of others.

Seeing this, the others also stood in front of Nozomi one after another... No matter what, they had to protect Nozomi in its hands, and everything else could be put aside for the time being.

"Haha... I like what you said, just like your song."

It smiled and did not keep its gaze on Nozomi.

"So... can you sing a song for me as a fan?"

As it said this, it raised its hand and gently snapped its fingers.

"Of course, it's just for me."

Boom—

The flames raged, burning all the surrounding Honkai beasts. At the same time, a wall of fire formed around them, trapping Nozomi and the others.

It stretched out its hand and grabbed in the direction of Nozomi. A red flame appeared out of nowhere and rushed straight toward Nozomi, burning all the soldiers who tried to stop them into ashes. The high temperature forced the others to flee, leaving them with nothing but dodges in a panic.

Tick-tock——

The rain was still falling, but it was not enough to deal with such a fierce flame.

It wielded the ice-blue blade, using the cold wind and ice to reduce the momentum of the flames, but to little effect.

The sound of triggers being pulled rang out, and countless attacks came but were burned by the blazing flames midway.

'It's useless... It's useless! Such an attack alone can't stop it at all!'

People could only watch it, step by step, slowly, walking towards the dawn.

Anything that hinders its steps will be burned. In the end, it even got interested and no longer killed others. It just forced them back, just knocked them away, and then set their bodies on fire, little by little, slowly, using the burning pain to hinder their movements, using the scorching temperature to force them to stay awake, making them watch as Nozomi, whom they wanted to protect, was pinched by the neck and held in its hands.

"Very good."

As it said this, it slightly increased the strength of its hands and crushed the loudspeaker around Nozomi's neck.

"This way, your voice won't be heard."

Then it slowly let the flame flow, burning him bit by bit, and then showed Nozomi in its hand to everyone as if it was showing off its most proud work, allowing them to clearly see the light purple lines that appeared on Nozomi's body.

Ah... the erosion of collapse appeared on Nozomi, and... right in front of them.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you."

It spoke softly as if to comfort Nozomi.

"As long as you are here, as long as you are the hope, they will rush forward one after another, regardless of their own safety, just like moths chasing after a flame... You see, doesn't this fit their name?"

It was still smiling, but it looked full of mockery towards everyone.

"Team leader..."

"Ah... Hua, I'm glad you can still use this name."

It followed the voice, looked at Hua who had a confused expression, and said with a smile.

"You… really…"

"But, unfortunately, I am not your captain."

It didn't pay attention to Hua's words. It just shook its head and said with a sarcastic smile.

"After all, Himeko... is already dead, right in front of you, isn't she?"

"......"

Hua's thoughts stopped at that moment. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. It was as if something in her heart had completely... fallen.

She looked at Nozomi who was held in its hand again. The confusion in her eyes gradually dissipated, and she regained her calmness little by little and finally turned into determination.

Since... it has been confirmed, and I have already got confirmation from its mouth, then... there is no need to think about it so much.

'Keep your eyes on what's in front of you, keep your thoughts on what's in front of you.'

'I am a soldier, a warrior belonging to the "Fire Moth." What I have to do now... is to work with everyone to take back Dawn from its hands.'

"Great look... you've grown up a bit, Hua."

It sighed like an elder sister, using a tone similar to Himeko

All that responded to it was a silent raid.

　　but...

　　"Want him?"

　　It just smiled and moved Nozomi's body a little, blocking the attack path.

　　What a despicable thing to do, but...it doesn't matter, as long as it works.

　　Looking at the people who were forcibly stopping their actions, it laughed again, in a rather mocking manner.

　　"Hey..."

　　But at this moment, Nozomi, who was held in its hand, gently patted its arm and spoke in a slightly distorted voice.

　　"You're hurting me a little..."

　　"Ah, are you hurt?"

　　Just when it wanted to tease Nozomi, its body suddenly stopped.

　　The way Nozomi looked at it... became a little strange, as if he was looking at some kind of "prey", and his pupils... was it an illusion? It seemed that the gold inside was a little bigger, and the scarlet circle on the outside became more conspicuous.

　　Tick-tock——

　　It's the sound of rain falling.

　　The rain that would have been evaporated by the flames suddenly fell on it, bringing a slightly cool and moist feeling.

　　'And more importantly...why? Why do I feel so dangerous around me?'

　　'It was as if the rain was expressing hostility towards me as if I had been "marked" by something very dangerous.'

　　And the one who felt the strongest sense of danger... was Nozomi who was held in its hand.

　　'How is this possible?!'

　　It subconsciously wanted to increase its strength and demonstrate its power to suppress the sense of threat coming from Nozomi, but soon, a great fear forced it to stop its actions.

　　It can't move anymore. If it continues... something very powerful might be released - it has this feeling in its heart.

　　Tick-tock——

　　It was the gentle sound of falling rain, but when the rain hit it, it felt a... stinging pain, as if what was falling from the sky was not rain, but thin needles.

　　clatter--

　　It was the sound of someone stepping lightly on the ground.

　　During the time it was stunned, Sakura had silently come to its side and swung the knife in an instant. The icy blue blade light flashed across its elbow and cut off its forearm.

　　"hiss--"

　　It was a rapid inhalation sound.

　　Hua took up position on the other side of it, ignoring the flames that were enveloping her, took a step forward, and punched her at a close distance, forcibly knocking her away.

　　The two men who witnessed everything that happened last night quickly retreated with Nozomi. The soldiers who were still able to move quickly gathered around and protected Nozomi behind them.

　　"Wait... back off!"

　　Sakura noticed something out of the corner of her eye and shouted loudly, while quickly stepping forward and driving the blade in her hand to maximum power, forcibly building an ice wall in the high-temperature venue.

　　Then it was burned through by the roaring flames, and the blade in Sakura's hand melted in an instant.

　　"...I have to admit that I underestimated you a little bit."

　　Its voice no longer held a smile.

　　"This is a problem with my attitude. I admit it, so... now, I won't play anymore."

　　It raised its only remaining hand expressionlessly and pointed at Nozomi who was protected by the crowd.

　　"I will destroy him before your eyes and let you know that everything you have done is in vain and how ridiculous your so-called protection is."

　　"Who are you pointing your hand at, Herrscher?"

　　"Um?"

　　boom!!!

　　It didn't even have time to pay attention to where the words came from and was instantly knocked away by a speeding figure.

　　"…Kalpas?!"

　　"Shut up, you bunch of idiots."

　　Kalpas glanced at the soldiers around him with an extremely dangerous look and did not hide his contempt for them in his words.

　　"......"

　　No one dared to refute, no one would refute... They had promised to protect Nozomi, but they failed to do it... It was right, how ridiculous the protection they spoke of was.

　　"...Hey, you."

　　Kalpas fixed his gaze on Nozomi, staring at him closely as if confirming something.

　　"Ahem... Kalpas? Ah... Thank you very much, it's great that you can make it."

　　Nozomi coughed lightly twice, and with the help of Hua and Sakura, he stood up again. He then quickly helped Sakura who had fallen to the side, and at the same time smiled and nodded to Kalpas, and said softly.

　　"…If I see you here again later, I will tear your head off."

　　"Sorry...I won't disturb your fight."

　　"...snort."

　　Kalpas's gaze lingered on the light purple lines on Nozomi's neck for a while. He snorted lightly and said no more. He just glared at the soldiers around him again, warning them with a threatening look, as if urging them to take Nozomi away from here quickly.

　　Everyone was speechless. They just turned their eyes away with a slight shame, and silently escorted Nozomi and the others, taking them away from here, and leaving the battlefield... to Kalpas.

　　"Kalpas...?"

　　Its voice came again, mixed with fire.

　　"As both are non-humans, you and I should be of the same kind..."

　　"Shut up, who the hell is the same as you?!"

　　Kalpas's voice became more aggressive than before.

　　"Stop talking nonsense! Let's fight, let's kill each other! Use each other's blood! Add a touch of bright color to this place!!!"

　　"I will break your hands and cripple your legs. You will crawl on the ground like a lowly insect and wag your tail to beg for mercy!!!"

　　"Then... I will crush your face under my feet! And let your hair mix with the charred ground!"

　　"Hahahahaha!!! Fire! That's right! Fire! Burn as much as you can! Just like my anger! Let's see if you burn out first! Or my anger subsides first!"

　　"Hahahahaha!!! Come on! Let's start!!! Use everything you have! Come and try to... defeat me!!!"

　　"But the end result is the same..."

　　The figure became blurry, and in a flash, Kalpas's figure appeared in front of it.

　　Punching, hitting, violently, mercilessly, attacking, suppressing.

　　"You will die!"

　　He declared so.