Chapter 278: Scenes from the past often overlap with the present

Crash——

On the coast, the sound of waves crashing is endless, and the humid air recedes and returns over and over again, making people somewhat impatient.

As the "sea storms" become more and more bizarre and harder to deal with, humans have "modified" the entire coastal area. Cliffs and mountains are built up with soil and rocks, and the landforms are changed by manpower to guard against the constant influx of seawater and "sea storms."

On the cliff, only the human defense line and the "lighthouse" built by humans remain. After Mei and Vill-V provided new technology, the soldiers could hold out on the defense line longer and were less susceptible to temptation.

After reducing the mental burden, the pressure on the defense line improved significantly. At least there was no need to worry about a soldier suddenly going mad under the influence of Honkai and "Kaiji," passing this madness along with all kinds of sadness and negative emotions to others... That would be a serious blow to morale.

But now there is no need to worry. The "lights" illuminate the surroundings, conveying a reassuring feeling... Some soldiers even feel that this new "lighthouse" technology resembles the "lantern" left by Nozomi, at least in the feeling it gives.

...Regardless, as long as it's useful.

In short, the "lighthouse" has become a beacon in the hearts of the warriors. As long as it does not fall, and the "light" continues to shine, there's no need to worry too much about destruction and the bewitchment of the "Kaiji." This ensures that during the rare moments when the "Kaiji" are not attacking, the soldiers can rest peacefully.

Of course, that only applies to ordinary soldiers. For fusion warriors... the mental intrusion has lessened, but it still lingers.

This led to the "newcomer" Pardofelis being somewhat uncomfortable, especially since, as a fusion warrior, she had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of fighting on the front line. The double physical and mental burden made Pardofelis, who always preferred a leisurely life... rather unenthusiastic.

"Ah..."

During the break, Pardofelis lay limply on the table, her ears and tail drooping down, looking listless... If she hadn't worried about staining her clean bed, she might have gone straight back to her lounge to sleep.

"Pardofelis, you can't rest yet. Go get disinfected first. You can't leave those bloodstains on your body."

Irine, responsible for helping her adjust, wiped her rapier clean of "Kaiji" blood before putting it back in its sheath. The [lantern] hanging from her waist emitted a soft glow, very different from the harsh battlefield light before.

"Okay... okay... I'll go now..."

As it concerned the "Kaiji," Pardofelis didn't make excuses to rest longer. She didn't even try to say, "Just a little more, let me rest for a moment."

She propped herself up and sluggishly moved to a special room for cleaning and disinfection. After handing over her combat uniform, stained with azure liquid, and changing into a clean one, she didn't even have the energy to drink or eat. She just collapsed onto the sofa, her chest rising and falling with her breathing, eyelids drooping as she began to drift off.

"Haha... this is really..."

Irine shook her head with a helpless smile but didn't remind Pardofelis of anything. She had seen the fighting spirit in Pardofelis when resisting the "Kaiji" attacks. Despite her reluctance, Pardofelis was truly trying her best as a fusion warrior, blocking and slaying every "Kaiji" that attempted to come ashore.

And Irine had seen firsthand that Pardofelis was not suited for fighting. She had been no different from a regular recruit when she first entered the battlefield, even though she had undergone adequate training and had been guided by other warriors on simple tasks to get familiar with the battlefield.

Even so, during their first joint battle, Pardofelis had trembled with fear, and her mental state became unstable. Irine had once worried she would need to use the "light" to comfort her or send her to Aponia or Su for psychological support.

Yet, surprisingly, Pardofelis managed to overcome her fear alone. Though it took nearly half an hour to stabilize herself and begin moving again, she gradually improved in combat. The only issue was that Pardofelis needed a significant amount of time to mentally prepare before each battle, and this habit seemed unchangeable.

Clearly, she wasn't born to fight, yet she refused to leave the front lines, determined to contribute as a fusion warrior. It appeared that the incident with Blanca and Griseo had left a profound impact on her, pushing her to confront the "Kaiji" despite her fear.

"... sigh."

Thinking of this, Irine sighed. The changes brought by Honkai and the emergence of "Kaiji" had altered too much.

Sometimes, Irine thought she and Pardofelis were quite alike—both had survived "Kaiji" attacks as the only survivors... though Pardofelis had been spared the loss of those beyond her shelter.

However, this was nothing to be proud of.

"......"

Irine found a thin blanket and draped it over Pardofelis to keep her from getting cold... Though catching a cold was unlikely given the resilience of fusion warriors, it was still a gesture of care. After ensuring Pardofelis rested well, Irine inspected the area once again for traces of "Kaiji."

This was a habit born from experience. With "Kaiji" growing more cunning and difficult, vigilance was critical. Once, a soldier had skipped cleaning after the battle and fell asleep. His comrades, seeing him exhausted, simply covered him with a blanket. That night, he vanished, and a "Kaiji" nearly breached the defense from within.

Fortunately, Irine was there to eliminate it in time, avoiding disaster. From then on, post-battle cleaning and disinfection became a mandatory rule for the "Fire Moth."

As a fusion warrior, Irine had witnessed too many tragedies caused by Honkai and the "Kaiji." For this reason, she remained diligent, doing her utmost to protect humanity.

Everything to prevent civilization from being annihilated by the "Kaiji."

"......"

Irine sat at the table, taking off the [lantern] she carried and placing it in front of her. As she gazed at the flickering "light," memories of Nozomi, and the time the "Herrscher" fought them in Nozomi's guise, flooded back.

"Teacher..."

Irine closed her eyes, clenching her fists as she muttered softly.

The "Herrscher" had been disturbingly adept at mimicking humans in battle, a strategy that always left her infuriated.

What made it worse...

[Ire...ne...]

The call echoed faintly in her mind, borne on the coastal wind like a mother's gentle summons. It was soothing... but infuriating.

"Hiss... huh..."

Irine adjusted her breathing. The constant exposure to the front line meant this level of pressure no longer fazed her. She reopened her eyes, filled with resolve. At that moment, the [lantern] she held flickered brightly, casting a dazzling glow that momentarily drowned out the surrounding lights.

The warm reassurance spread once more, and the distant call from the ocean, carried by the damp breeze, seemed to fear the light and gradually faded.

[Par...do...felis...]

"Ah! There it is again!"

Pardofelis, who had just fallen asleep and was about to have a good and peaceful dream, naturally felt the call. Having experienced this several times before, she woke up almost immediately, subconsciously becoming alert and muttering a little complainingly.

"Wow... this is too uncomfortable. I can't even get a good night's sleep..."

"That's right."

Irine gently stroked her [lantern], and the "light" in it swayed slightly, becoming brighter, but not dazzling, just giving people a very soft feeling.

A sense of security also spread, and in a unique way, it helped Pardofelis dispel the call in her mind.

"Perhaps this is the price we pay for becoming fusion warriors. After all, after possessing such powerful strength, all we need to pay for is some changes in our physical appearance. That's too simple."

Irine said half-jokingly.

"Is this easy? I'm almost annoyed by my tail..." Pardofelis said with some complaint.

"Not to mention the sensitivity, the tail hair easily gets wet in this humid environment, and it's very troublesome to clean and disinfect it... and sometimes I always feel like my tail is out of my control, swinging around all day long. It is also very troublesome when I sleep, and I can't turn over at will, and I always press my tail."

"Isn't this normal? How does that saying go... Oh, the cat's tail and the cat are two different creatures."

"Sister Bird, please stop making fun me. I'm not a cat! Although... although I don't really hate my tail..."

"...Where did you hear this name?"

When Irine heard Pardofelis call her "bird" and insist on adding "sister" at the end, the corners of her mouth twitched.

"Hmm? I heard from other [seniors] that both Kevin and Elysia call you that, so I called you that... Well, it's mainly because calling you Ellie could easily confuse you with Elysia, and using your full name seems a bit weird, so I called you that."

Pardofelis explained a little embarrassedly and then asked again.

"If you don't like this name, I can change it."

"...No, no, it's just a name. I don't care much about it. I just feel a little weird about it."

Irine sighed, then waved her hand and said indifferently... After all, her height is not that tall. It can even be said that a fusion warrior is taller than her, which is how she got her nickname "Little Bird."

Although she was somewhat resistant at first, she got used to it after others called her that... it was just a name after all.

"If you want to rest, go ahead and sleep, Pardofelis."

Irine brought the subject back.

"Fighting is always tiring. Only by resting well can you cope with the next battle... Don't worry, I'm here. My [Lamp] will help you dispel the call from the [Kaiji], and you can have a good sleep."

"Ah… this…"

Pardofelis scratched her head a little embarrassedly.

"What about you, sister bird?"

"…It's okay. I'm used to it."

Hearing what Pardofelis call her, the corners of Irine's mouth twitched again, and then she smiled and shook her head, speaking softly.

"No, I mean, don't you take a break? You should be more tired than the rest of us, right?"

"It's okay... This is my duty."

"But if you don't rest well, it will affect the subsequent operations, right?"

"I'll find time to rest later..."

"Hey, I mean, how about we switch?"

Pardofelis lifted the blanket from her body and came to Irine's side.

"It's okay if it's just one day. Besides, I've received so much help from you these days, and I don't have much to give back to you... I'll just let you rest for a while early, just as a thank you from me, okay?"

"...Ha, that's not impossible."

Seeing the determined and serious look on Pardofelis's face, Irine could only shake her head helplessly and push the lantern forward with a smile.

"You try it first, if it works, I'll agree."

"Good!"

Pardofelis naturally understood what she meant, so she nodded and agreed.

She took a deep breath, reached out her hand, and grasped the [lantern].

Whoosh—

It was the sound of flames burning.

The "light" swayed gently. Although it was not as bright as Irine's, it was also burning slowly and steadily.

"...Sure enough, it's still not enough compared to you, sister Bird." Pardofelis looked at the fire that belonged to her and sighed helplessly.

"Don't sigh or the fire will get weaker."

Irine pointed at the "light" that had become slightly dimmer and reminded with a smile.

"It is your manifestation in consciousness and the light that shines through your spirit..."

Irine spoke subconsciously, but halfway through, she paused for a moment before continuing.

"If your thoughts are shaken so easily, it won't recognize you."

"Sister Bird, don't talk like it's alive. It's scary."

Pardofelis first complained subconsciously, then sat down, pulled the [lantern] in front of herself, and spoke softly to Irine.

"Is this all right? Sister Bird, you should go and rest first. If anything really happens, I will definitely wake you up. I am a very timid person."

"Haha… Okay."

Irine smiled and did not refuse. She just stood up and walked to the sofa where Pardofelis had just fallen asleep. She picked up a thin blanket and wrapped herself in it. Then she curled up in a corner of the sofa as if she was ready to fall asleep.

"..."

Before closing her eyes, Irine looked at Pardofelis, then at the [lantern] she was holding, and was speechless for a long time... Just now, she seemed to have returned to the time when Nozomi handed the [lantern] to her.

The conversation at that time seemed to be the same as it is now... The scenes of the past overlap with the present, making it easy for people to fall into the quagmire called "memories."

But Irine knew that it was all in the past and could not be undone.

She must move forward, and only forward.

"Teacher..."

However, she still couldn't help but murmur something, then slowly closed her eyes and began to rest.

On this day, Irine had a good sleep after a long time.

…

...

"Hi~ Good morning, both of you~"

When the sun set on the earth in the early morning of the next day, the lovely and cheerful voice also reached the ears of Irine and Pardofelis who were resting.

"Are you happy to see me?"

"Elysia? / Sister Elysia?" x2

Irine and Pardofelis looked at the pink-haired girl and called out her name in surprise.

"How come you have time to come here? You should be responsible for more lines of defense than us," Irine asked with some confusion.

"That's right~ But... Pardofelis~ What do you think of the recent battle?"

"Ah? Me? I'm... okay."

"If we have to engage in a more intense battle than that, do you think you can handle it? Of course, I'm not talking about winning, but surviving."

"...I think I can do it."

Pardofelis was stunned for a moment as if she had thought of something, so she did not answer directly. After thinking about it for a while, she responded firmly.

"That's fine~"

Elysia seemed quite happy.

"…Elysia, could it be that..."

Irine obviously realized something as well.

"Yeah, it's just as you think."

Elysia also stopped smiling, and her expression turned serious.

"Dr. Mei is planning to organize a raid on the Herrscher... The recent changes in the Kaiji are too obvious. We can't delay any longer."

"We need to go deep into Mu Continent and defeat the Herrscher."