Chapter 283: What a pity, it’s all too late

["There's still a chance" Mei said so]

[As if to boost morale, as if to make a promise to everyone, in these few places where humans still survived, Mei said this to the depressed and dejected people, and made this promise to them.]

["Humanity will definitely win" Mei said this again]

[No matter what sacrifices we make, no matter what price we pay, in the end... we will definitely win.]

[After a moment of silence, everyone nodded in agreement.]

[Everyone knew that Mei was encouraging people, keeping their hearts and minds from falling into despair... Because they knew this, no one showed any resistance, nor did they raise any objections.]

[At least at this moment, it cannot be shown.]

[However, when everyone dispersed and returned to their own affairs, in places where no one else could see, everyone showed worried expressions. That was anxiety about the future and fear of the upcoming "ending."]

[Even Mei... is the same.]

[Kevin, who just needed Mei to comfort him, now needs Kevin to comfort Mei... After all, Mei is now bearing responsibilities and pressures far beyond what she needs to bear, especially with the bad news that Kevin and Elysia bring one after another. She also needs to work hard to keep everyone's emotions from collapsing, and find a possible way out in such a dark and desperate environment.]

[But this... is really too difficult, too difficult.]

[What are humans facing now? The endless and constantly evolving "Kaiji," the former hero of the "Fire Moth" and now the powerful "Kaiji," the almost equal "Herrscher," and the "rainstorm" that may come at any time.]

[And what do humans have? They are the increasingly scarce fusion warriors, the survivors who are forced into a bitter cold land, and the people who are struggling to survive and are about to lose the motivation to fight.]

[The spirit has been defeated, and the energy has been exhausted... It can be said that human civilization has entered the countdown.]

[It has come to this, how can we find a way out?]

[And even if they find a way to survive, how can they put it into practice? Even if they put it into practice, even if they succeed...what will they have left in the end?]

[Escape? If this proposal had come up earlier, it would still be feasible to realize, but... with the current industrial capacity of mankind, how can we build a vehicle for escape? And even if we can build it, what will happen? The "Kaiji" can travel in space. At the speed of their "evolution," they will be caught up sooner or later.]

[You can't escape. You can't escape at all... There's no point in running away.]

[This is how they can feel the despair when someone is in control of "Kaiji", or when someone is in control of Honkai... Intentionally keeping the original appearance of Honkai, only adding a little variable, making people think that this is just another special variation of Honkai, and then appropriately revealing a "weakness" so that people will inevitably step into it...]

[Then relax little by little, let people sink deeper and deeper until they fall completely into the trap, and then close the net and completely catch them, leaving them without any possible means]

[Now, there is no other way except to continue fighting and tear off this "net" that is wrapped around them with all their strength]

[After all, even if they hide the technology or leave it behind, it is impossible... "Kaiji" is forming a "civilization", a civilization that is born out of humans]

[Ahh… This is the Honkai, is this the method chosen by the Herrscher to destroy humanity? Construct a "new species", and then copy human civilization and cover it… But in the end, this new civilization is still essentially Honkai, and they will also become a new form of Honkai.]

[After an unknown amount of time, there will probably be a special form of Honkai recorded by a future civilization. For example, a special civilization called "Kaiji" who calls themselves "human" will come from outer space, carrying a huge amount of Honkai energy, and then destroy and devour their civilization...]

[And with the terrifying "evolution" ability of "Kaiji", I'm afraid that in the end, it will be difficult for any civilization to stop them.]

[That's too scary, haha… haha…]

[No one can laugh when they think about this kind of thing]

[Not only will human civilization itself be destroyed, but they will also become a civilization called "civilization", but in fact, it is the nutrient of Honkai, which will give rise to an even more terrifying... "disaster"]

[And judging from the current situation, they... have already lost the possibility of extinguishing it. This "ending" is basically set.]

[The more they understand the current situation, the more they understand the enemy, the more they feel despair, that kind of... clear feeling of despair that they don't know how to change at all]

[But, they can't show it. These emotions, they can't show them.]

['We cannot give up. We cannot give up resistance. We cannot give up the fight...']

['Only by continuing to fight and struggle can we gain a glimmer of hope... even if that hope is illusory and vague']

————————

"Are you sure you want to do this, Irine?"

Mei asked seriously while kneading the space between her brows, trying to relieve the discomfort caused by long-term frowning.

"Well, Dr. Mei... Without satellite support and technological advantages, someone must monitor the sea conditions. Otherwise, we will have no idea when the next attack from the Kaiji will come."

Irine nodded and responded firmly.

"Besides, my combat power is also suitable. If I really find any abnormality, I can tell you in time. At worst, I can hold on for a while, giving you more time to react."

"As for those ordinary technicians...don't let them go. Our manpower is becoming increasingly scarce, and we must use it in more appropriate places."

"Manpower...ha, it will be converted into combat power later. I just don't know how much will be left and how many will be able to go to the battlefield in the end."

Mei said with a wry smile.

"Dr. Mei, that's not your problem... Rather, your decisive decision may be the one that buys us a way out."

Irine consoled.

"Ha, [lifeline], yes... [lifeline]... Pushing everyone onto the fusion warrior's operating table, just so that the survivors can have the ability to protect themselves as much as possible, and also to accumulate combat power for a final desperate struggle that may not even exist... Is this a [lifeline] or a [dead end]?"

Mei shook her head wearily, motioning for Irine not to discuss the matter any further.

"Okay, Irine... Now that I've made this decision, I won't regret it... Facing such a desperate situation, only by burning your boats can you have a glimmer of hope. I understand this."

"It's great to know that you think so, Dr. Mei. Otherwise... I don't know how to comfort you. I can only ask Kevin to come."

"Don't add more pressure to him now. Kevin is already having a hard time."

Mei shook her head gently again, indicating that it would be better for Irine not to disturb Kevin.

When Kevin found that his own strength could not bring enough pressure to "Kaiji" and that he, the "strongest warrior of mankind", had no way to deal with "Kaiji", he was under tremendous pressure...

He shoulders the expectations of too many people and the longings of too many people. As a symbol of humanity's "strength", he cannot fall down. He must stand there, fighting with the flaming sword in hand, to give people a little comfort, a little hope, even if it is false, it must exist.

Only in this way, and only in this way, can the status quo be maintained to some extent.

"As for your proposal...I agree."

Mei brought the subject back to the topic, glanced through the documents in her hand, and then took out a copy and handed it to Irine.

"There are some 'lighthouses' on the edge of the area, which should be a good place for you to rest. At the same time, we will also build some 'lighthouse' buildings to provide you with a handover location... As for supplies, we will also try our best to ensure them. The task of monitoring the sea conditions is left to you, Irine."

"…It seems like you've already arranged it for me even if I didn't mention it."

Irine was stunned for a moment, then took the document with a smile.

"To be honest, I'm still thinking about how to tell you about this. After all, this mission is too dangerous."

Mei said with a wry smile... During this period of time, in order to help humans find a possible "way out", she made too many... seemingly "heartless" decisions.

Although most people could understand and knew that Mei was in pain when she made this decision, most people did not even resist, but just obeyed and agreed with a smile... However, Mei still felt very uncomfortable.

After all...she has done too much and made too many similar decisions.

And those times, the consequences of such decisions were... not very friendly.

'...Forget it, don't think about those things anymore. Immersing yourself in them too much will only lead to disappointment. The important thing is to look forward.'

Mei subconsciously shook her head again, the amplitude was so small that it was almost unnoticeable... Mei didn't know how many times she had shaken her head recently. Too many things piled up on her, giving her a headache.

'But like I said before... let's focus on what's in front of us.'

"Since you brought it up on your own initiative, I can save myself some trouble..."

Mei said this to Irine.

"However, after you leave, communication between us may become a problem... Under the current circumstances, it will be difficult for us to continue to communicate using the terminal. I'm afraid we will have to return to more... traditional communication methods, such as transmitting paper information or something."

"Your statement is quite humorous, Dr. Mei."

Irine said with a smile, and then a hint of seriousness and confusion appeared on her face.

"But... paper? This way of communication would be more troublesome, right? And we seem to be able to carry out some simple communications now? Why do you use this method... or have you discovered something?"

"Well, based on your previous description, those 'Kaiji'... may have evolved some ability to sense pheromones or even electrical signals, otherwise they would not have been able to find our base so accurately back then."

Mei gave this reason...it sounds quite appropriate.

"But if it's paper, I'll have to ask someone to deliver it, which is even more dangerous... Just leave it to me."

"No, Irine, at least one more person means one more guarantee... You are now one of our best fusion warriors, and such combat power cannot be sacrificed or trapped because of something like this."

Mei was silent for a moment, then continued.

"How about this, as a compromise, we will keep the "Blank Key" for you, and you will have adapted to the power of the "Third Herrscher", so you can continue to use it. This will also increase your speed of travel, and you can notify us in time if you find any abnormalities."

"However, this doesn't need to happen too often. Running back and forth all the time will only increase the burden on the Blank Key... Normally, I will arrange for someone to take over from you, bring you supplies, and ensure communication between us. Is that okay?"

"...um."

Irine thought about it and agreed.

"Okay, that's it... Remember, no matter what, saving your life is the most important thing. We have too few combatants, especially excellent fighters. Except for special circumstances... try your best to prioritize saving your life."

Mei instructed.

"I know, I will, Dr. Mei."

Irine agreed with a smile and then asked.

"But you should have decided on the person who will take over, right? Can I know who it is?"

"Didn't you guess it, too?"

Dr. Mei smiled helplessly.

"The person who is second only to you in speed and agility... is there only one person like Pardo?"

Boom——

As soon as Mei finished speaking, there was a muffled sound from the door, attracting the attention of the two.

"Ahem... sorry."

The door was pushed open a crack, and first, a pair of chestnut cat ears popped out and then moved slightly twice. Then, Pardofelis poked her head out with a somewhat embarrassed smile and shouted to the two people in the room.

"Dr. Mei, were you calling me just now?"

"Ha... Pardo, you came just in time. We were just talking about you."

Seeing the polite yet slightly awkward smile on Pardo's face, Mei and Irine couldn't help but smile and gestured for her to come in.

"It just so happens that there is a task for you..."

Then, Mei introduced her and Irine's mission process to Pardofelis in clear and concise words.

"Besides that, there is one more thing you need to take care of..."

Mei took out another document.

"As you know, we still have the [Second Herrscher Core] on hand. Vill-V originally wanted to connect it to the new 'Blank Key' so that it could be used in combination with the 'Blank Key' and the 'Divine Key'. In normal times, it can be driven by the 'Divine Key', while in intense battles, it can be driven by the 'Blank Key'. This can effectively reduce the burden on the user."

"But unfortunately, it was not completed in the end, and only a semi-finished product was left... However, even if it is a semi-finished product, we can still use it."

Mei looked at Pardofelis and said solemnly.

"And what we have to do next is to use this semi-finished product and then connect the survivors with each other... so that we can travel again."

"[Second Herrscher]... I remember it was related to the power of [Space], right?"

Pardofelis recalled the information she had read before.

"So what do I need to do?"

"Send the equipment used to locate coordinates to other surviving sites, so that we can use the semi-finished product to build a simple channel so that we can communicate with each other."

Dr. Mei said seriously.

"This is a critical mission, Pardo, you must try your best... No, you must do it."

"Yeah! No problem! I will!"

Almost without hesitation, Pardo patted her chest and agreed.

"...Okay, I'll leave it to you."

Mei paused for a moment as if she was surprised that Pardo agreed so readily, which was somewhat unlike her... but when she thought about it carefully, what she experienced "this time" was completely different, and all these things had already changed her... When she thought about it this way, it didn't seem so surprising.

"...Anyway, I'll leave it to you guys."

Gathering her wandering thoughts, Mei looked at the two of them and gave them instructions seriously.

"Well, I will definitely live up to your expectations." x2

The two agreed.

...

"Ha..."

After Irine and Pardofelis left, Mei, who was alone in the room, held her forehead with one hand, sighed deeply, closed her eyes, and opened them again, revealing only deep fatigue.

Squeak——

The door was pushed open again, and this time a pink figure came in.

"…Elysia?"

"Hi~, Mei."

Elysia tried to speak in a light tone as much as possible, but now, her tone could not return to its former lightness, so that it sounded somewhat ambiguous.

"You look increasingly exhausted... Make sure you rest. Otherwise, if you collapse, we'll be in big trouble."

As usual, Elysia expressed her concern for Mei first.

"...I want to, but... I can't."

Mei said this.

"Someone has to take on this responsibility, this burden."

"But this responsibility does not belong to you, Mei..."

"But I'm best placed to make these decisions and issue these orders."

Mei responded.

"Elysia, do you know?"

As if she had found someone to talk to, Mei subconsciously began to pour out her grievances, using Elysia to relieve her own stress... and Elysia also took back what she was about to say in time and acted as a qualified listener.

"The more you understand the existence of Kaiji and the current situation, the more you will feel the severity of the situation, even... despair."

Mei said that word without hesitation, a word that should not have been said by her.

"The land was taken over by the sea, we were driven out of our habitat, and even the way to the sky and escape to space was blocked… In this situation, I didn't even know what to do. I could only create a possible [way out] as best I could, and then point it out to others, telling them that we could still be saved, and we could still win."

"Sometimes I feel like a sinner…"

"Moreover, from what you said, we learned that... Nozomi is the real Herrscher. Moreover, he was probably awake from the beginning and did all this with a clear mind... What does this mean?"

Mei's tone was filled with deep fatigue.

"This means that we are facing an enemy who knows us inside and out. We are even using the things he left behind... It is difficult to tell whether what he left for us was a trap deliberately set for us."

"But we have become so dependent on the tools he left behind that even if we guessed that he might have left them there on purpose, we cannot discard them."

"We became his puppets without knowing it, playing the roles he gave us in the script he wrote little by little... and we were still unaware of it, and even complacently thought that we could defeat him."

"It's really... funny."

"..."

Elysia opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. In the end, she could only ask Mei.

"Mei, Dr. Mei... have you... given up?"

"...No, I won't give up. Even if there is only the slightest possibility, I won't give up."

Mei was silent for a while, and then responded in this way, her tone firm and resolute.

"but..."

Mei's tone suddenly became low again, and she seemed to be overwhelmed by fatigue, revealing a heavy sense of exhaustion.

"Now, how much can we do..."

"Our chances of winning are almost gone... In the end, what can we do?"

She sounded like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

"…No, Dr. Mei, there is still a lot we can do."

Seeing that even someone like Mei had fallen into a depressed posture, Elysia pursed her lips, and the last bit of hesitation in her eyes disappeared, turning into determination.

"If the possibility is slim, take it; if the possibility does not exist, create it yourself."

"Humanity will definitely win, and will definitely... definitely... survive."

"...Elysia, I'm glad you said that."

Mei remained silent for a while and then continued in a low voice.

"but..."

"No, Dr. Mei."

Elysia interrupted Mei.

"We will definitely win!"

Elysia took a deep breath and then spoke seriously.

"Dr. Mei, actually I..."

"..."

Then, Mei heard the answer.

Then, she showed a surprised expression at the right time, lowered her head, and fell into thought in front of the slightly uneasy Elysia, as if she was thinking about some new possibility.

At the same time, she also hid in her eyes the look of surprise and of finally having her problem solved that might have flashed across her face.

You finally... finally did it.

Elysia.

What a pity.

It's all too late.