Chapter 146: You like humans the most, don’t you? Elysia?

[Your body is engulfed in flames, and Skadi's screams begin to ring out... In an instant, the entire "ocean" begins to boil.]

[The beloved child was once again ravaged by flames... This was hard for Ocean to accept, let alone tolerate.]

[The originally calm sea surface began to waver, and the ice surface that Kevin had created for his feet was also completely destroyed. The Honkai beasts that were hiding somewhere jumped out of the sea one after another and attacked everyone, especially Kevin.]

[The aircraft was destroyed, exploded in the air, turned into debris, and finally dismembered and swallowed by the ocean... the seawater covered any fire.]

[All the Honkai beasts belonging to the ocean jumped out and attacked the people present, destroying the ice surface that Kevin created for everyone, and constantly attacking the people standing on it... especially Kevin.]

[Kevin could only control the ice and snow in a daze, brandishing the flaming sword, and trying his best to protect the soldiers around him so that they could regain their focus on the battle.]

[Skadi swung her huge tail fin, and the waves emerged and slammed towards everyone, and it seemed that they were about to crush the place where everyone was standing, but... the momentum of the waves was rapidly weakening, and finally returned to calm, leaving Kevin and others only feeling a wave is shaking.]

[All the leaping Honkai beasts were pierced through by the seawater, wrapped in bubbles, and turned into floating foam... They are not "blood relatives," they are just "prey."]

["Hiss… Ouch… It hurts!" Your sound of pain reached everyone's ears and attracted Skadi's attention, causing it to put down its attack on Kevin temporarily, and everyone's eyes were also turned to you.]

[Really... Don't forget where you are~ This is the "ocean," how could anything possibly happen to you here? Right~]

[The seawater ripples, washing away the flames on your body bit by bit, healing your wounds... The seawater seems sticky, brushing against your body bit by bit, like a mother, worrying about your injuries... As for the burned clothes, it has also prepared them for you, a hunter suit as dark as the deep sea.]

[When you found yourself forced to change into this outfit, you felt a little amused... but you still expressed your gratitude to the seawater, and whispered to comfort Skadi... No matter what, they helped you a lot.]

[Seeing that you were okay, everyone was more or less relieved, and Kevin looked at you with a look of guilt... But soon, everyone realized a problem.]

[Your recovery ability, and the new set of... "clothes" you put on, seem to reveal your identity as a "Herrscher" in some way.]

[However, seeing you pulling Hen out of the water, and still chatting and joking happily with Hen... everyone temporarily put aside those doubts.]

[Forget it, don't think too much, at least for now... don't think too much.]

[As for you... right now, you are comforting Skadi, who is flapping her tail fins and looking anxious to take you away, while calming the waves in the ocean... The "Judgment of shamash" in Kevin's hand is still too conspicuous, making them very alert.]

[In addition to this, you also have to negotiate with Hen and Kevin. On the one hand, you have to show that you are really fine, and on the other hand, you have to ask them to let Skadi leave safely... Oh, really, it's so tiring to be caught in the middle~]

[After what happened just now, Kevin and Hen no longer wanted to object to you, and their accompanying team members nodded again and again... Just let a Honkai beast go, and find a chance to "defeat" it later. You are the most important now... They really don't want to hurt you.]

[Even if... even if you really become a Herrscher, there must at least be "conclusive evidence," right?]

[For example, you killed someone, or... caused a "great Eruption" or something?]

[No, no, no, that's still too much... Anyway, until there's "conclusive evidence," let's just leave it at that.]

[So, after you persuaded her and even gave everyone a hug... Oh, Kevin, that's not possible. Tsk, what a pity... Anyway, in order to reassure Skadi, you gave everyone present a close hug to show that there was really no problem between you and that they had no intention of hurting them... In the end, you just needed to kiss her before Skadi reluctantly believed your words and believed that everyone would not really hurt you.]

[Well... except Kevin, because you didn't hug him, and he still had the "Judgment of shamash" in his hand, so Skadi still had hostility towards him.]

[At the end, Hen seemed to understand something, and he hinted to everyone to start blaming Kevin together... 'Boy, this is your fault, take the blame!'.]

[In short, after some earnest persuasion and consolation, as well as everyone's deliberate acting, Skadi reluctantly swam away... When leaving, she would chirp from time to time, or look back at you, fearing that you were deceived by others.]

[And you watched its figure until it disappeared into the sky... Then, as if to say goodbye, you sang a soft song, letting it follow the flowing seawater, letting it follow the blowing breeze, drifting to where it is, sending blessings to it.]

['Don't worry, my "blood relative," I will protect you. This time... you will never be "conquered"' unknowingly, you and it made this decision in your heart.]

(TL: Yeah!! Protect Skadi!! Don't let her die again!)

[Should I say that they are indeed "blood relatives"? Hmm?]

[When you meet it again, you will probably be surprised by its appearance, but... at this moment, you still don't know.]

[At this moment, you are looking at the aircraft that is coming again with great anticipation... The attack that Kevin just launched scared the other teams, and they all rushed over together... and you also met them as you wished.]

[Eden and Sakura... you are reunited again, filled with joy and relief.]

[Looking at you interacting intimately with Eden and Sakura, everyone is relieved for the time being... Fortunately, you still know them, and they are willing to recognize you... That's all.]

[As for why the aircraft Kevin and Hen were in disappeared, and why Kevin used the "Judgment of Shamash"... they evaded the question, and almost everyone buried the matter between you and Skadi.]

[They don't know if what they did was right, but... seeing you filled with joy at the reunion, seeing you smiling at seeing everyone again, they feel... they must be right.]

[However, among the people who were celebrating, you noticed Elysia, who had an especially bright smile... She seemed very happy, happy to meet you again, and happy that everyone was willing to accept you... Her happy mood made her walk briskly, and she almost fell on the ice on her way to you... Fortunately, you supported her and saved her from this fate.]

[But your action caused Elysia to grab your wrist in return, and with a smile that seemed happier than before, she greeted you and asked if you missed her, the girl who was as beautiful as a flying flower.]

[Hmm... You seriously suspect she did it on purpose... No, if it was Elysia, then there seems to be no doubt that she did it on purpose!]

[So, you answered her seriously—'no!']

[Your mind is full of Eden and Sakura! 'Who is Elysia? I don't know her!']

[Your loud and natural answer made Elysia stunned for a moment, but she soon puffed up her face and pretended to be annoyed... and gently pulled your long hair that had completely turned white to express a weak protest.]

[As for everyone else, they were slightly stunned, but after seeing the smile on your face, they realized something and immediately burst into laughter.]

[So, in this pleasant and relaxed atmosphere, you returned to "Fire Moth."]

[Although the scene of reunion is indeed worth celebrating, but next... you will have to face the rather cold reality.]

[After all, the wavelength of you that is similar to that of a Herrscher cannot be faked, and the top leaders of "Fire Moth" have already noticed your terrifying influence on "Fire Moth," so... as expected, you have been labeled as a "suspected Herrscher."]

[You are not surprised by this. Rather, the fact that "Fire Moth" did not directly judge you as a "Herrscher" is the result of the efforts of many people... Not only did Mobius explain your previous abnormality as "man-made Honkai," or the support of the fusion warriors later, but also Kevin, Hen, and others kept silent about Skadi, all of which concealed the "evidence" that could prove you are a "Herrscher."]

[Plus, with Light's strong support for you in the parliament, even if the top leaders of "Fire Moth" intend to target you, they can only do this much.]

[As for being judged as a "suspected Herrscher," I should have arranged for you to be detained... um, sorry, they can't do that.]

[Don't ask why, if why they can't do it]

[Let's not talk about other things. The best prison in "Fire Moth" alone—"The Deep Place"—is full of people who support you. There was a riot because of you before. If you are thrown in now... I dare not even think about the scene.]

[And even if they put forward a request for detention, no one would carry it out. The top leaders of "Fire Moth" all know that they must not use too strong orders at this time, otherwise everyone in "Fire Moth" will become "Enemy" and stab them in the back.]

[So although you were labeled as a "suspected Herrscher," this statement was not reported to the entire "Fire Moth." Only the middle and high-level members of "Fire Moth" and the fusion warriors knew about it. At the same time, your detention was turned into a painless "house arrest"... Well, except that you can't leave the base, you can move around freely.]

[You don't care about this. After all, compared to the "before" situation, this arrangement is much better... Oh, really, are you too easily satisfied?]

[Hmm... maybe it's just because the contrast is too strong. After all... this time, there are many, many people standing next to you.]

[However, you know, this trust is actually very fragile, because there is an irrefutable reason that is enough to overwhelm most people and make them hesitate—for the sake of humanity, the "Herrscher" must be "defeated."]

[And you, who will eventually become a Herrscher, will not be able to avoid this ending.]

[So... before that, you have to take care of a lot of things.]

————————

"Hmm~"

At this moment, it was already evening, and Nozomi was in his room, humming happily.

Although he was under "house arrest," Nozomi was not under much surveillance... No one was willing to monitor him anyway, and the guards assigned to him were willing to slack off whenever possible... There were even quite a few people who liked this job very much. After all, being able to get close to Nozomi and hear the songs he hummed was a great blessing!

However, Nozomi would not cause too much trouble to everyone, so as to prevent the top leaders of "Fire Moth" from picking trouble with others.

Then, today is...

"Elysia, come in, the door is not locked~"

"...Oh my, I have been discovered~?"

After a brief silence, Elysia's cute and gentle voice came from outside the door. She carefully pushed the door open and looked inside, then asked curiously.

"I didn't see Eden and Sakura today... How strange~"

"It's not like we're always stuck together. We all have our own things to do, right?"

Nozomi said with some amusement.

"And Elysia has been lingering at the door for so long, I should have been able to detect even the lightest footsteps, right?"

"Oh my~ Nozomi really pays attention to me, I'm very happy~?"

"Well, after all, Elysia is so cute~"

" can more praise me more~?"

Elysia responded in a cheerful tone.

"......" x2

A brief silence broke between the two.

Elysia was hesitating, while Nozomi was waiting.

"Nozomi."

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Are you the Herrscher...?"

"You wish I was?"

Nozomi smiled and asked meaningfully.

"......"

Elysia couldn't give an answer.

"Elysia, you don't have to tell me, I already know."

"Huh?"

"You don't have to tell me. At the same time... it's best not to tell anyone else. That would be very dangerous. After all... the existence of two [Suspected Herrschers], the current 'Fire Moth' can't stand such suspicion."

"Ehhhh?!"

Elysia widened her eyes, looking a little stunned.

"You already know that?"

"Hmm~ It's rare to see Elysia look surprised."

"...Why not? We are all the same, everyone likes us, everyone trusts us... Look, even now, everyone is standing by you, isn't it?"

"No, Elysia, we are different."

Nozomi waited patiently for Elysia to finish speaking, and then slowly shook his head, denying her statement.

"Elysia, you are beautiful, gorgeous, like flying flowers, like the beginning of a story, beautiful like a fairy tale, attracting everyone's attention, so that everyone is willing to continue reading this [story]."

"And I am similar to you, but different."

"Elysia, what kind of [story] would be the most memorable?"

Nozomi changed the subject slightly and asked.

"Of course, it's a [good] story~?"

"Well, yes, a good comedy is always enjoyable and makes people smile involuntarily."

Nozomi nodded, then turned and asked.

"Well, can you tell me about it? Which [good story] do you remember, and what are the details in it?"

"Wow~ Really? Then I'm going to tell you now, okay?"

Elysia clapped her hands excitedly and then talked endlessly to Nozomi about the beautiful things she had seen.

Nozomi was also smiling, listening quietly, and nodding from time to time to show that he was not in a daze.

"...Nozomi, are you unhappy?"

Elysia slowly stopped and asked Nozomi... because she noticed that Nozomi didn't seem to show much expression because of the story she told. he was just smiling, gentle, and... calm.

There is nothing more to it than this.

"No, not really. Rather, I'm quite happy... And you can actually remember so many wonderful things. You're really worthy of being, Elysia."

"Then why..."

"Because I've heard it before~"

"Have you heard of it?"

Elysia was stunned.

"Because [before], you also told me these things... Later, these [beautiful stories] supported me for a long time~"

"What's that supposed to mean..."

Elysia always felt that she could vaguely touch something, but... she just couldn't grasp it.

"Nothing~"

Nozomi shook his head slightly and continued the previous topic.

"But I'm really happy, Elysia, that you can remember these things, including the details... This is something that most people can't do~"

"After all, a [good story] must have a beautiful and satisfying [ending]... There, all the regrets mentioned in the [story] are made up, and the reader will also be satisfied. In the end, they will close the book with satisfaction to show that they have finished reading this [story]."

"After that, people's memory of the content of this [story] will be folded, simplified, and finally become generalized... It will become a [story] that can be summarized in very short words, such as [the hero and his companions went through hardships and finally defeated the demon king, restoring peace to the world]."

"Because people already know that the ending of this story is beautiful and satisfying, and people have no regrets about it, so they won't remember it. People only need to remember that the final result is good, and that's enough."

"So often… what impresses people most is not [comedy] but [tragedy], because the regrets in it are so profound that they are hard to forget."

Nozomi shook his head slightly and spoke in a calm and relaxed tone.

"A sad ending can make people sigh, feel sorry, sad, angry… so many different emotions are generated because of that regret… this is what is called 'only tragedy is the most touching,' this is the beauty in 'imperfection.'"

"It is regret, it is pain, it is a scar engraved in people's memory, it is the resentment that remains in people's hearts… Even if it is healed, it will still leave a mark."

Nozomi lowered his eyelids slightly and spoke softly.

"And I am such an ending. A story started by you and ended by me, bringing a memorable story to the world."

"Wait a minute, Nozomi..."

Elysia's tone became a little panicked for some reason.

"Tear apart the beautiful scenery bit by bit, swallow up the brilliant light bit by bit, bury the gorgeous flowers under the sea, and let everything return to silence... Finally, turn all of this into pain and engrave it in everyone's heart."

"Wait a moment..."

"...Don't worry, Elysia, I'm fine."

Nozomi looked at her and smiled.

"But you just..."

"I'm just stating a fact... Alas... It's hard to change this..."

Nozomi sighed and spoke in distress, then he laughed again, gently and happily.

"But I will try my best~"

"We can work together..."

"I can't do that~"

"...Why?"

"Don't you understand yet? Elysia."

Nozomi tilted her head, and her white hair fell down like waves.

"Then let me put it another way... Elysia."

"If one day, you could save everyone by defeating me...what would you do?"

"Please note, it's [Everyone]~"

Nozomi emphasized it especially.

"...Can't this 'everyone' include you?"

"You are a little greedy, Elysia, although it's not wrong~"

"Greed is a girl's privilege~ I want both~"

"Yeah, that's in line with your idea... As expected of you, Elysia."

Nozomi nodded as if he was not surprised by Elysia's answer.

"So, what if the choice is between me and [Humans], and you have to choose?"

"...ah?"

Nozomi's sudden question made Elysia a little confused... Why did Nozomi say that she would definitely go to the opposite side of [Humanity]? Isn't everything fine now?

Everyone trusts him and is willing to support him. Even if he is labeled as a "suspected Herrscher," everyone is willing to treat him as usual.

Why does he still ask this?

"I..."

"Hush - you just need to know the answer yourself."

Nozomi placed his fingertips lightly on his lips, signaling to Elysia that she didn't need to say anymore.

"I already knew the answer to this question."

Nozomi looked at her and smiled.

'No, that's not the case' Elysia wanted to deny it, wanted to say something, but she felt an inexplicable pain in her heart, and even her breathing paused for a moment.

"After all, you like [humans] the most. You love [humans]... right? Elysia?"

'Wait a minute... Nozomi... wait a minute...'

he was still smiling, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Elysia was still as gentle and smiling as usual.

"After all...it's all for humanity, isn't it?"

'But why? does he look so sad?'