Ch-55 < Individual will >

As Kevin stood near the wreckage of the battle, the smell of smoke and ash still clung to the air.

The sight of ruined buildings and scorched earth weighed heavily on his mind. Although he had managed to suppress the flames and put an end to the Herrscher of Flames' destruction, the damage was still catastrophic.

Three entire states in Australia were left decimated, and the death toll had climbed into the millions.

Bronya what's the casualties. Kevin asked.

6 million 23. Bronya replied.

"Six million lives,"Kevin muttered to himself, his voice barely audible against the crackling ruins. "I should have been there sooner."

"If only I had acted faster, if only I had foreseen the extent of the disaster, maybe I could have saved more lives". Kevin mind was filled with such thoughts

He couldn't help but wonder if things would have turned out differently had he not been elsewhere when the Herrscher emerged. "Maybe I should have been there with Himeko from the start."

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Fu Hua. She landed beside him, her face etched with concern as she scanned the destruction.

Her eyes quickly locked onto the still figure of Himeko lying on the ground nearby.

"Captain!" Fu Hua cried out as she rushed over to Himeko's side. Her heart pounded as she knelt next to her, gently shaking her shoulder in a desperate attempt to wake her.

"Himeko, please! Wake up!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the strange markings on Himeko's body, clear signs of the Honkai energy that had corroded her.

Kevin slowly approached her, his expression somber. "She's... still alive," he said quietly.

"The Herrscher core has caused massive internal damage, but there are still chances she might survive."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Fu Hua shouted, her voice cracking with desperation. "Take her to the medical center now!"

Kevin nodded without hesitation, scooping Himeko's body into his arms. He took off into the sky, taking her the nearest MOTH medical center.

---

Two hours later, the tense atmosphere in the medical center hadn't eased.

Various machines were connected to Himeko, their rhythmic beeping providing a faint sense of hope.

The medical team worked tirelessly, using every piece of advanced equipment available to stabilize her condition. Kevin had already done what he could, using his authority over ice and reason to heal her wounds and expel the Herrscher from her body. Now it was up to the fate.

Outside the operating room, Kevin, Fu Hua, Elysia, and Mei stood together, anxiously waiting for any news. Elysia was the first to break the silence.

"Kevin," Elysia said softly, her voice tinged with concern.

"Will Himeko really survive this? I know you managed to remove the Herrscher, but the damage... it looked severe."

Kevin's gaze remained fixed on the closed doors of the operating room. "I've done everything I can," he replied. "I repaired her body, and the Herrscher core has been extracted. But whether or not she wakes up is beyond my power."

Elysia frowned, worry clouding her usually bright eyes. "Mobius, can you help? You're the best we have when it comes to understanding Honkai energy."

"I'll can only try, Elysia," she said, her voice calm. "I've never had to save someone whose body has been so thoroughly corrupted by the Honkai. The Herrscher core was extracted, but the residual energy could still pose a threat."

Fu Hua looked up from where she had been sitting, her eyes red from crying. "Please, dr mobius," she said quietly, her voice shaking with emotion. "Himeko saved my life. She rescued me from the third eruption. I can't lose her now. You have to save her."

Mobius nodded, walking over to the observation window. "I'll try," she repeated, her eyes scanning Himeko's vitals on the monitor.

****

As the operation on Himeko was about to begin, Mobius summoned Bronya to assist her.

The tension was palpable in the room as Himeko lay unconscious, her body still corroded by the Herrscher core's honkai energy. Despite their advanced technologies and powers, the task ahead was daunting.

Mobius looked at Bronya, who projected a series of scans over Himeko's body. "Bronya, is there any way to reverse the damage done by the Herrscher core?" She asked.

Bronya analyzed her quickly before shaking her head. "The corruption caused by honkai energy is irreversible. Many of her organs are severely damaged. If we don't take action, her body will eventually fail," Bronya stated.

"There has to be another way, Bronya." Mobius said.

"there is one possibility. If we surgically remove the organs and tissues that have been corrupted by honkai energy, I can use the Authority of Reason to construct new organs. You could use the Herrscher of Death's power to restore the cellular integrity and heal the damage."

Mobius looked at Himeko's body on the operating table and nodded. "It's a long shot, but it's the best chance we've got."

Bronya connected with soul bond, enhancing their synchronization as they began the delicate procedure. Bronya used her power to carefully excise the corrupted organs, starting with the most damaged areas: the liver, lungs, and heart. Each cut was precise, as Bronya wielded the Authority of Reason to stabilize the body and make space for the reconstruction.

"I'll reconstruct the cellular structure now," Mobius said, activating her power of Death. Whitish dark energy flowed from her hands and into Himeko's body, seeking out the damaged cells and replacing them with fresh, untainted tissue.

The hours passed in a blur of intense concentration.

Bronya would carefully excise corroded tissues, and Mobius would rebuild them, meticulously forming new cells and tissues from the very essence of Death's authority.

Piece by piece, they reconstructed Himeko's liver, heart, lungs—each one a delicate balance of precision and power.

The process was grueling, and the room was silent, save for the beeping of machines and the hum of their powers.

"Her heart's functioning properly," Mobius announced, relief slipping into her voice. "Let's move to the brain."

"Several areas have been compromised," Bronya replied, her voice a monotone mask of calm. "But the most sensitive regions—those that control memory and cognition—remain somewhat intact."

"Good. We'll carefully remove the corrupted parts and restore what we can without affecting the critical areas." Mobius said.

I've isolated the corrupted neural pathways and am supporting them. I will avoid touching the most sensitive areas of the brain". Bronya said.

"We've done everything we can. Most of her organs are functioning again, and we've cleared the honkai energy from almost every part of her body. But… the neural damage from the Herrscher core…" mobius said.

"There is still a chance she will wake up," Bronya said, her voice as calm as ever. "Based on current calculations, there is a 75% chance Himeko will regain consciousness."

"You're strong, Himeko. I believe you'll pull through." Mobius said.

After the operation, Bronya and Mobius watched over their friend in silence. They had given her a chance, but now it was up to Himeko.

After the operation they meet with everyone.

Elysia and fu hua reached mobius and asked her various questions.

"How is she?" Elysia asked softly, her usual playful demeanor subdued in the somber atmosphere.

Mobuus straightened up. "We've done everything we can. We managed to heal most of her body, but her brain… the neural damage is extensive. There's a chance she'll wake up, but nothing is certiorari ".

She's a fighter. Himeko's not going to let something like this take her down." Elysia said.

Fu Hua let out a sigh of relief, tears streaming down her face as she hugged Mobius tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you so much."

Mobius was not comfortable with with this situation so she removed Hua arms and went behind Kevin.

Kevin remained silent, his expression softening as he glanced at fu hua. "She'll be alright now," he said.

*******

Meanwhile, in a darkened room in another part of the base.

Eden sat alone, her once-glamorous life now in shambles. The weight of the recent catastrophe pressed down on her like an unbearable burden.

Eden survived, pulled away by a group of soldiers who fought desperately against the encroaching flames.

As they retreated, Eden could only watch as the city burned, her concert venue reduced to ash. The once-thriving metropolis was left in ruins. Three entire states had been destroyed, millions of lives lost.

Later, standing in the midst of what used to be her world, Eden felt empty. Her voice, her talent, her fame—what good were they now? She couldn't save anyone with a song.

The guilt that many of her fans lost their life in flames hound her.

She whispered to herself, staring at the remnants of her city. "The flames took everything… and now, my music won't matter anymore. The world doesn't need a star—it needs someone who can stop this madness."