Chapter 76: The Moths That Chases the Flames

Back in Moth. Their victory was very bitter, as the ones who have returned have lost more than they have gained. "Su, can you sense him anywhere?" Mei asked as they tried to zero on his location using the 2nd key.

Su shook his head, while Aponia was meditating in the corner, trying to sense him as much as possible. "I can't feel his presence. I've tried looking inside the sea of quanta, multiple universes, and even the boundaries of imaginary space. But there is absolutely nothing." He frowned deeply.

"He is in the sea... I can feel the ripples deep within the abyss." Aponia opened her eyes as the others propped up at the news. "Can we send a message? Anything to know how he's doing?" Eden asked anxiously.

"We can definitely send one. The only problem is that we don't know where he is." Mei spoke as she thought of solutions to the problem. "Hey, it's like a sea right? How about we make an anchor so we could dive deep enough or stabilize ourselves to try and find him in there?" Phyllis gave a suggestion as something clicked inside Mei's mind.

'The sea is very hostile to living organisms. We need some sort of shield to dive deep within.' "The only problem is if we do make a stable bubble universe to travel, how do we protect it from the sea?" They were in a deadlock, as Vill remembered an important piece of tech they were developing, as her persona that was an expert talked.

"How about the moonlight throne? It essentially dissipates honkai energy, we just need to match the energy and properties of the sea of quanta. We can also make a possible escape route that will be vital against stronger enemies like the 9th but. Unlike Einstein's forced entry without shielding, it would be safer from the sea."

Su immediately raised his hand. "I'll gather the data from Selene. Vill-v, Mei, focus on these for now and we'll help you however we can." Mei and Vill nodded. "Combatants, you guys will probably be under immense pressure to protect our last sanctuaries. Hundreds of million of lives depend on us, it's time to shoulder Ein's work now that he is absent." Elysia nodded with Kevin, as they immediately sortie to start fighting once again.

Meanwhile with Kalpas, he was on a bed after undergoing the metamorph surgery that was performed by Mobius. As he woke up and felt undescribable amounts of seething hot rage. "Ahhhhh! Honkai! Herrschers! I must go to the battlefield and kill them all!" He roared as flames bathed the area, Aponia arrived at the scene 1st as she looked at him. And he entered a trance like state. "You can get hung up on it. But no matter what you do, it happened already. So keep a tight lid on your emotions, release it when it's necessary." He was in his room, as he remembered his words back then.

"Ein-sama needs us now, more than ever. You either hold on tight on your emotions Kalpas, he gave you a chance. Do not squander it, or else receive divine retribution." He snapped out of it as he looked at his surroundings. Gritting his teeth, and putting a tight lid on his boiling rage. "Where do we fight?" Information then entered his head as Aponia left the scene.

He immediately sortied with the others. 'Dr. Ein, this world's enemies will be sundered by my hands.' As they leave the base to defend the final remnants of humanity all over the world.

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Ein was piecing a universe without any help except the data from the sea of quanta. As he was ravaged by the energy of the sea. His hand then started to get transparent, as he felt himself synchronizing with the surrounding void. He tried to touch his other body parts but his hand just phased through. He investigated the phenomena deeper, as he tried to feel the make up of his body closer. Using the 6th's power to the max, he noticed that his hand was going somewhere unknown. "Wait a minute..." He took out a hard drive and filled it with data about the imaginary tree, honkai, and the sea of quanta.

He then maneuvered his ghostly hand through the sea and tried to lock in on Mei's position. But the surroundings were interfering, as he thought that he might only have one shot at this. "Come on... Please work!"

Mei was trying to decipher the properties of the sea of quanta with Su's help as he could use the 2nd key to relay information about it. When a hand emerged from her chest, scaring the hell out of her. "Iyaaaa!" She jumped up and fell on the floor as she panted in fright, touching her chest and looking everywhere to see if the hand was real or she was just hallucinating.

"Hah, hah. I might be going crazy or something." She stood up and at the front of her computer, there was a hard drive. Picking it up she hooked it to her computer. "What in the world is this? Could it be!?" She immediately thought that it might be from Ein and navigated the files. There were 3, and it made her pupils dilate as she started to read them.

She then noticed a note. "The sea of quanta is unpredictable and unstable. But it might be the key to defeat the honkai. The energy here feeds the tree, and cutting off our link to the tree might be the salvation of humanity if we could harness energy to stabilize our universe with the quantum sea. I am making a universe here in the deep, and I also plan on using the sea to our advantage." She read it carefully as she saw a simple plan of cutting their universe off the tree. And using the sea to hold their world together instead of honkai energy.

"But this will likely take a long time..." She started making adjustments to her plans. Instead focusing on making a bubble universe to escape in. It was now a race for time, as she is also running out of it. She started to get more fatigued, as she went to Mobius in order to be checked while Su was gathering data about the sea of quanta.

Arriving at the lab Mobius looked at her and squinted her eyes at Mei. "Any leads? Or is this about work?" Mei then gave her a file. "No, he's fine. And I believe I am relapsing again, I'm feeling more fatigued than usual." She smiled wryly as Mobius took some of her blood and ran diagnostics on her.

Mobius then went silent as Mei looked at her. "What's the matter Mobius? You usually give it to me straight immediately?" She started to get anxious, as she might be in a worse condition than she thought.

Mobius shook her head and frowned. "This is both worse and good. But it's more of the former." She gave Mei the results as she read it. Confused with Mobius' reluctance in telling her.

Her body was the same, but her hormones were going up. Mainly her estrogen and progesterone. She gasped and choked on her saliva, frowning. "I... I'm pregnant aren't I?" She fell to her seat as she looked down on the ground, thinking that fate is surely cruel.

"We can extract the fetus and grow it inside an incubator. You'll have more time that way." Mobius gave her advice as Mei shook her head.

"I'll carry it... I might not even make it until it breathes it's 1st breath into this world. I can be his/her mother at least before I die." She looked at empty space as she teared up a bit. "It's the least I could do. It won't see mom, but I would do them proud, I want it to grow with me. As my last gift to Kevin and our child."

Mobius nodded as she started to give her the necessary vitamins and minerals. As she thought that Mei is against overwhelming odds. "It is illogical Mei, but I would've done the same." As they sat in silence for a few minutes.

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After a week. The core members were gathered for a meeting so they would have responsibilities given to them. Without Ein, they have to fill the void he left as they started the meeting.

"We need someone to lead the soldiers, our morale is getting low. And this is where you guys come into play." Mei talked about their situation as the others went silent.

"Oh! Me! I can make the group!" Elysia raised her hand as she talked with everyone the most. And she did have a good grasp on the remaining MANTISes, so Mei decided to pass the task to her. She was just glad that Elysia perked up when they heard from Ein, as she knows that even without a divine key. Elysia might be the strongest soldier of the 13.

Some of them immediately left, as they are not interested in the rankings. Or they have too many things to do like Mobius. So Elysia were left alone to make it, as the remaining ones didn't have any objections anyways.

"Okayyy~ Of course the best should be 1st, that's why I am rank 1." She said to try and get a reaction out of them, but nobody cared.

"Mou~ nobody even had a slight reaction!" Eden smiled wryly at her. "Ellie, I don't think anyone would. This is supposed to be a serious meeting you know?"

Elysia pouted as she gave away the real ranks. With Kevin as 1st, as she thought that it was quite natural. Being strong and the 1st MANTIS, he was given the code name of Deliverance. The unfortunate man that will be given the duty to save humanity.

Elysia as rank 2nd, code name True Self. This was given by Eden as she always stayed true to her principles and dreams. Just wanting to enjoy life with her loved ones even if the world was now apocalyptic.

Aponia was 3rd, code name Discipline. With her powers, she was the enforcer of the group. Always staying neutral, as her alignment was with Ein, and his alone.

Eden as 4th, with her calm nature, but excellent fighting prowess. This spot came to her, as Elysia thought she won't abuse it in any way.

Vill-v at 5th, as the owner of Spiral workshop that supports Moth extensively. Her code name was helix, she was put only at 5th because of her multiple personalities, she went lower than Eden. As after Ein disappeared, she started to develop more... Dangerous ones.

Kalpas 6th, with his immense strength and limitless drive to fight. He was put right above the middle, but with him causing tremendous damages during missions, he went lower. Code name, Decimation

Su at 7th, a middle man that was also mostly neutral. He is designated as a support that would help with the endeavors of the other soldiers. His calmness and constant meditation earned him the code name Bodhi.

Sakura was 8th, code name Setsuna. With her quick blade that would slice enemies in an instant. She rivals Kalpas' strength, albeit slightly weaker. Focused on more precise battles that lacks crowd control.

9th was Kosma, aka Dawn. As he yearns to be a hero that would give light to the less fortunate, like the kids he saved that made Ein recruit him.

Mobius, Infinity. Like the ouroboros that denies death. She was 10th because without Ein around, who knows what she might do. As she is known to not care about morals.

11th was Griseo. Code name star, an individual that is quite touchy at Moth. A special person that can shine like a star and give immense advantages with her paintings that could turn to life. Or cruel rays that could burn you like what happened with the Kalpas incident, but of course. Elysia doesn't expect anything out of her so she ranked higher than Hua and Phyllis.

Vicissitude. Rank 12th, Hua. Her circumstances were very unfortunate, a young girl forced by the honkai to become a soldier. She was put here so she wouldn't be swept up by the politics, especially without Ein in their midst.

Pardofelis as the 13th. She can fight and was stronger than normal people. But Sakura would have defeated her even when she was still a human. She tries to be stronger though, being mainly a merchant, she was ranked last.

They were named the Flame Chasers. Moths that are drawn to the flames of liberation and victory. Created as the last hope of humanity, with their leader missing. Rank 0. Einheri, the Imperator. As the 13 individuals carried his responsibilities to be the last hope of mankind. (pic here)

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Thanks for reading, Ciao.