Chapter 126: Sure enough, hope is a good word

[After resting for 7 full days, you have completely recovered, no longer sleepy, your daily routine has returned to normal, and you even look a lot more energetic]

[After discovering that you had recovered, the Fire Moth immediately checked you. In the end, apart from being able to detect a slight Honkai reaction from you, there were no other problems, which made many people feel relieved.]

[And in response to everyone's advice to "stay away from the beach", you readily agreed... You can't make everyone worry anymore]

[The only pity is that if you want to see "Skadi", it will be difficult... After all, you can no longer go to the beach, and "Skadi" can't come ashore...]

[However, apart from this matter, Mei also discussed with you the problem of your "dream"... After all, judging from your previous sleepiness, your "nightmare" seriously affected your spirit, and when you showed that "fragile" look, it was also the stage when your Honkai energy was relatively active.]

[This situation has already confirmed the inference that "Honkai energy can affect the mind"... It is better to say that "patients with Honkai disease will gradually become irritable as their condition worsens". This fact can already prove this point, but this time your situation will be clearer.]

[After all, you only had a slight reaction to Honkai energy, and there were no signs of "Honkai Disease" or Honkai erosion. But even so, it has seriously affected your spirit... This is not good news.]

[In order to prepare for the "herrscher" that may appear in the future and target the spiritual realm, Mei tried to get more detailed information from you and also asked the people in the Fifth Science Department to research the corresponding drugs... In any case, it is always good to be prepared in advance.]

[Unfortunately, the "nightmare" that you could clearly feel before, after you woke up, became just like an ordinary dream. The content of the dream quickly faded in your mind, leaving only a faint impression.]

[You instinctively want to recall that memory, but something blocks your exploration and tells you that it is "protecting" you. At this time, you cannot accept that memory. Later, when you become stronger, this memory will naturally emerge... Strange, why do you have such an idea?]

[Although you were confused, you still suppressed the urge to recall, and Mei was unable to learn more information from you, which was somewhat regrettable.]

[But there is one thing you still remember... that is the blue sea water, the water that submerged everything, the entire planet. You remember it, and you told it to Mei, asking her to pay attention to it.]

[After discussing with Mobius and others, Mei believes that the flood that submerged everything in your dream is just because the "song" that affects you came from the sea, so you magnified this feature in your dream. It should be fine... But this also reminds Mei that the problem of the ocean does need attention.]

[At the same time, Mobius discovered that when you sing, the slight Honkai energy emanating from your body will also rhythmically move with it, with a unique "melody", pulling the surrounding Honkai energy and leading it to stability, making it become stable and temporarily losing its terrifying corrosiveness.]

[In other words, your song has become more powerful and more "visible", and they can now try to "copy" it.]

[But there is a problem. The "melody" that appears with your singing will continue to draw the Honkai energy to you and guide it to stability... This means that as long as you sing, the Honkai energy around you will increase, and the excessive Honkai energy around you is likely to react with the Honkai energy in your body, and then erode your body...]

[In other words, it is best for you not to stay in areas with too high a concentration of Honkai energy. Even when you are participating in the battle as a "Taunting Doll", it is best not to sing for too long, otherwise you will likely show signs of Honkai erosion.]

[So, even though they know that you really want to use your songs to help others, and you seem particularly happy after knowing that your "characteristics" have been strengthened, everyone also told you that the research on the Honkai energy inhibitor has reached the end stage and will be completed soon. Before that... don't take risks.]

[You nodded in agreement. After all, you didn't want to make everyone worry anymore.]

[It's just that… things don't always go as planned.]

[Under everyone's care, you may not take the initiative to go to those areas with high concentrations of Honkai energy, but... those places can take the initiative to find you]

[After all, the outbreak of Honkai is always sudden and unreasonable]

[Not only that, the one who appeared beside you this time... is a "Great Honkai Eruption" at the level of "Herrscher"]

[What's worse is that the people who became "Herrschers" are from "Fire Moths" - Himeko]

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The fire was burning... everything was ignited, contaminated by the flames, and then a blazing fire lit up, as if to burn everything to ashes.

Buildings... were collapsing and falling among the panicked crowd, and the audience could hear either wails of pain or cries for help.

But eventually, it will all be drowned out by the noisy Honkai beast and swallowed up by the sound of burning flames.

'The sound... cannot be heard anymore. My music, my singing... can no longer reach people's ears.'

'Is this... Honkai?' Eden thought.

This was the first time she had come into contact with the outbreak of Honkai at such a close distance, and the first time she had felt so clearly the suffocating feeling of oppression.

Originally... this should be her time to shine, her time to sing, her time as a star, bringing glory to everyone.

Melodious sounds will echo here, and beautiful songs will be transmitted to everyone's ears and flow into everyone's hearts, bringing them the beauty of the past and showing them the crystallization of human civilization—it should be like this.

But when the fire came, when the Honkai came... her song was covered by the chaotic sounds, and the blooming light was obscured by the collapsed buildings, and she could no longer attract the attention of others.

The instruments at hand were burned by the flames, the people accompanying them fled in a hurry, and the expectant audience also fled in all directions...

This was the first time that Eden realized that Honkai was so cruel. Once it appeared, it would deprive her of everything and extinguish her most proud singing voice.

And all this happened in just a moment.

"Eden? Eden!"

"Ah… Yeah, yeah!"

Nozomi's cry brought Eden back from her trance.

Eden quickly gathered her thoughts and hid the confusion in her eyes and her heart.

It's okay, this time... I'm lucky, we are all lucky, Nozomi is by our side, and there happens to be a team of "Fire Moths" following him, so... it's okay.

Her concert was interrupted... it didn't matter.

Her singing voice was muffled... and that's okay.

At this moment, nothing is more important than life, so... everyone must calm down, follow the instructions of the surrounding "Fire Moth" members, and evacuate in an orderly manner.

But... how can this be done?

Eden opened her mouth and wanted to shout but found that her throat seemed to be blocked and she couldn't speak.

She knew that this was because she was devastated. After the singing voice that she was most proud of was ruthlessly torn apart by the Honkai, she... didn't know what reason she had to support herself to continue speaking.

At that moment, she even had the thought of "just dying along with this stage."

But immediately, her hand was held.

Warm, like a bonfire on a snowy night.

She tilted her head and looked at him standing next to her.

He smiled, and he was still smiling.

Gentle, like a mountain stream.

Between the strange three-color pupils, the deep dark color sets off the little bits of gold, like twinkling stars in the night.

"Don't worry, I'm here, we're here."

He said so.

Soft, like a warm breeze.

He gently squeezed the palm of her hand, as if to give her some strength in this way.

"...Um."

Eden nodded heavily and held his hand tightly, refusing to let go and not daring to let go.

"Okay... then..."

Press the decoration that wraps around the neck like a neck ring—this is a special sound amplification device made by Vill-V for Nozomi.

He inhaled, and under Eden's somewhat confused and nervous gaze, he covered her ears, and then...

!————

It is not a beautiful sound, but an extremely harsh noise and murmur like needles piercing the brain. It is a sound that a musician will never make and should never make. It is simply a blasphemy to the identity of a musician.

But... it was this sound that sounded like "hurt" that forcibly stopped the crowd's chaotic shouting. Even the sound of the building collapsing was covered for a moment. Everyone subconsciously covered their ears to avoid the "noise."

When Nozomi stopped, the surroundings fell into silence for a moment, leaving only the sound of flames burning and the sound of objects collapsing.

"Everyone here, follow us to take shelter! Be orderly! Pay attention to your surroundings and your feet! Quick, quick, quick! Move!"

The members of "Fire Moth" who accompanied Nozomi shouted quickly, calling out to the audience who were still there, guiding them in the direction of escape, and at the same time dispatched some people to rescue those who were injured or trapped.

"Nozomi, Eden, go!"

Sakura came to the two people with an uncanny speed, waving the blade in her hand, using the coldness to curb the surrounding flames, while covering the two people's escape.

"This..."

And when Eden left the grand stage and walked onto the street, she was shocked again.

Everywhere you look there are flames, and everywhere you look there are ruins.

Thick smoke rose from the broken walls, mixed with the blazing flames, dyeing the entire sky an eerie, dull dark red.

Like blood, like death.

Panic is raging and despair is spreading.

From the roars of the Honkai beasts and the wails of the people all around, Eden once again felt how terrifying this disaster called Honkai was.

"Ms. Eden, please follow us."

A soldier from the Fire Moth came forward and spoke quickly, clearly, and politely.

"We will take you away and take you to a safe place... The impact of this [Great Honkai Eruption] is quite large, and the surrounding area is not very safe. The rescue team is on the way. Then you can return to the "Fire Moth" base, where you will be better protected."

"...What about Nozomi and Sakura?"

"I want to stay."

Nozomi said so.

"......"

Sakura didn't say anything but just looked at Eden, then signaled Nozomi with her eyes, indicating that she would follow him, and then continued to be alert to the surroundings.

"Nozomi, please don't make it too difficult for us... if you stay here, there might be problems."

"But if I stay, it can increase everyone's survival rate and make the battle easier for everyone."

"But..."

"I will stay. After all, this [special] of mine is for this purpose, isn't it?"

"...Okay, we swear to keep you safe!"

The soldier nodded and accepted Nozomi's request to stay... He and his comrades didn't want to die either. If possible... if Nozomi's singing could help them... that would be great.

"But please wait until we confirm the situation and go to a safer place before you start... Your safety is the most important thing for us here."

"Yeah, I know, and... thank you."

"No, rather, we are the ones who should thank you more... It's really great that you are here."

The soldier nodded, and quickly commanded Nozomi and others to leave. At the same time, he used communications to contact other teams, paying attention to the situation of the "Seventh Herrscher" to think about which direction to take Nozomi.

After finding a relatively secluded place to accommodate the survivors, the soldiers split up. Some stayed to protect the survivors and wait for the rescue team to take them away, while the other part took Nozomi away and went to a more open place to perform his special song.

...Although if possible, "Fire Moth" would like Nozomi to evacuate directly to a safe place, but this time the "Great Honkai Eruption" broke out directly next to him. In this case, he might as well give it a try and see if his song can have an impact on the "Herrscher."

However, in order to prevent the "Seventh Herrscher" from directly targeting Nozomi, it is better to stay away from the "Seventh Herrscher" as much as possible. This way, at least everyone can be prepared and take Nozomi away.

But facing the separation, Eden seemed a little nervous. She held Nozomi's hand tightly and refused to let go, even though the soldiers around her repeatedly dissuaded her and asked her to stay in the hiding place with the survivors and wait for rescue... But she still shook her head and rejected the suggestion, even though Nozomi also asked her to do so.

"I want to be with you..."

Eden and Nozomi looked at each other and said this softly.

"...um."

Nozomi nodded and did not refuse. He even raised his hand to stop the soldier who wanted to say something and just asked everyone to act quickly... Seeing that the two had made up their minds, Sakura also nodded, as if to tell them that there was no problem. They could only sigh helplessly, obey the command, and take Nozomi to a reserved open small hill.

This should have been a tall building, but now it has turned into rubble and become a ruin. Fortunately, the high platform is flat, and there are several roads around it that are convenient for leaving... This place is enough.

Nozomi skillfully opened the device around his neck and tried it gently to adjust his voice. he turned up the power of the device and let the song flow and drift away with the wind.

Hmm~

Gently close his eyes and immerse his mind in the song, to express his thoughts, to convey his feelings, and announce to everyone that he—Nozomi/Hope, is here.

The singing is like water, quietly flowing through the city occupied by fire, washing away the pervasive panic; the singing is like the wind, gently blowing through the streets occupied by ruins, taking away the spreading despair.

A slight Honkai energy reaction comes from him, and along with his song, it transforms into a special "melody," driving the Honkai energy that permeates the surroundings and attracts the surrounding Honkai beasts.

Slowly, the sounds of the surrounding Honkai beasts raging disappeared, leaving only the sound of burning flames and the survivors' cries for help.

"Quick."

The soldiers of "Fire Moth" quickly made a gesture and ordered a few people to move towards the direction where the cry for help came from, while the others cheered up and waited for the Honkai beast to approach.

Hmmm~

Boom—Boom—

Nozomi's song continued, and the trembling sound of the approaching Honkai beast was heard. The gradually approaching sense of crisis made people feel nervous.

The flames around were still burning, and the scorching temperature made people feel irritated unconsciously. Thick smoke was filling the air, blocking everyone's vision. The feeling of the unknown made people even more panicked. The dry air surrounded them, unknowingly taking away the moisture from everyone's bodies and burning their lips until they were cracked.

But... just at this moment, Nozomi opened his eyes as if he had sensed something and looked at the sky covered with thick smoke.

Tick-tock——

Gently, there is the sound of rain falling.

It was as if God wanted to help them. Soon, a drizzle covered the entire city, curbing the raging flames and washing away the thick smoke that obscured their vision.

What a coincidence, what a blessing, this timely rain made many people happy.

This is even more true for Nozomi.

The rain conveyed emotions of care and help... It did not want its child to suffer from dryness again, so it came to his side.

He bathed in the rain and smiled happily.

Hmmm~

He sang loudly, showing off his singing voice in the rain, praising the good weather and being grateful for the timely rain.

Cheerfulness, happiness, encouragement... these emotions were conveyed with the singing, and even the sound of rain could not cover them up. Even... after the rain fell, his song seemed to spread even further.

The soldiers of "Fire Moth" and Sakura methodically dealt with the approaching Honkai beasts. Soldiers from the support team continued to join in to stabilize the front line, and soldiers continued to leave on orders to rescue the trapped survivors.

Everything was so orderly and skillful.

Eden, who had nothing to do, seemed out of place at this moment.

She just looked, her eyes fixed on Nozomi who was singing in the rain, and was slightly dazed.

In a trance, she seemed to have returned to the past, when she went to the hospital to visit Nozomi. He was the same as he is now, so... "dazzling."

No, at this moment he was even more "shining" than before.

The flames are spreading and the destruction is raging.

But under his singing, the rain fell quietly and the Honkai became stable.

The originally bad situation turned around after his singing, just like a person who fell off a cliff grabbing a life-saving rope. It really made people unconsciously feel a sense of relief and joy.

And a little bit of hope that... one can be saved.

Eden looked at him, never moving her eyes away, nor did she want to look away.

She gently placed her hand on her chest, feeling the longing in her heart. At this moment, she felt a little bit of "envy" towards Nozomi.

The sadness caused by the Honkai that shattered the song that she was most proud of, and the sadness caused by not being able to shine again... also gradually faded away.

really...

Eden looked at Nozomi, listened to his singing that could not be covered by any sound, and laughed softly.

Hope... what a good word.