A familiar ceiling. Yama had undergone countless surgeries in Fire Moth's medical department and had skirted the line between life and death more times than she could count. Over time, she had become well-acquainted with the smell and the ceiling here. Normally, she would rest here until her body recovered, but now she could no longer lie still.
Bang!
Medical staff rushed over after hearing a loud noise, only to find Yama, whose injuries hadn't yet healed, lying on the floor covered in blood. All her wounds had burst open, and bright crimson blood soaked her hospital gown and long hair. A weak pallor swirled across her face.
"Lift her back onto the bed!"
"The stitched wounds have opened again..."
After a flurry of activity, the gown and sheets were replaced, and the wounds were stitched again by a machine. This time, restraints were used to secure her to the bed. To prevent her from struggling further and worsening her injuries, the doctor specifically gave her two injections of sedatives.
This finally calmed the monster who felt no pain, but facing her death-like gaze, the staff could only shake their heads and leave the room.
Sunlight rose and fell. Yama remained motionless in the ward like a corpse, not eating, kept alive only by nutrient solution.
"You're only increasing other people's workload."
Without opening her eyes, she knew it was that person. The exhaustion that couldn't be hidden in the voice was caused by endless research and development. Since the end of the Ninth Honkai, the number of MANTIS had increased exponentially. Management and the upgrading of armaments both required her hands. Like cells expanding without limit—though no one knew if these would be beneficial cells or cancer cells.
"..." Yama had never liked talking, and she liked it even less now.
"If you want to return to the battlefield, you shouldn't strain your body. You should heal as quickly as possible."
"Just use Abyss Flower," Yama said softly.
"You should know that using Abyss Flower consumes life force, not stamina. It shouldn't be used for healing unless it's an emergency. The Ninth Honkai has ended; the cleanup work doesn't lack one person."
"...The situation, how is it?"
"Broadly speaking, it's okay, but for Fire Moth and humanity, the losses are catastrophic." After a few seconds of silence, she took out a projector and displayed an image on the ceiling in front of Yama. "The Mu Continent disappeared under the effect of the Ninth Herrscher's pseudo-black hole. The Stargate and the Eye of the Deep were both annihilated. Humanity lost one-sixth of its population, social order has collapsed, and Fire Moth has finally been exposed to the public eye."
This was undoubtedly the worst-case scenario.
"...What about them?" Yama asked after a moment of silence.
"Ato was killed in action. Kosma is missing. The number of lost MANTIS has reached double digits. All combat dolls have fallen into the Sea of Quanta. Eden has applied to become a MANTIS. The Fourth and Fifth Divine Keys are complete. The Fourth Divine Key has been given to Eden. As a replacement for the Stargate and the Eye of the Deep, the Fifth Divine Key will be used as a teleportation gate."
Ato killed in action. Kosma missing.
The sentence was so understated, as if mentioned in passing. But Yama knew this was her greatest possible kindness. Otherwise, all Yama would have heard was "the number of lost MANTIS has reached double digits." After all, to most people, those two were just two figures in that tally of losses.
"I imagine you can't sit still either. But to everyone else, you're just a failed product of the MANTIS project; they don't lack your assistance."
"..."
"I have a plan now..."
"I'll do it." Yama closed her eyes.
...
"You're still the same as ever. It feels like every time you're lying in a hospital bed, you stubbornly stand back up."
A mane of brilliant pink hair draped down under the hallway lights.
"In Dr. Mobius words: 'That unkillable cockroach will definitely stand up; she even survived my poisons.' Haha..."
She smiled as always, but Yama didn't look at her. Yama kept her head down, her face obscured.
"..."
"..."
"...Lin, in every large-scale Honkai, people are sacrificed. It's just that this time, it was Ato's turn."
"..."
"He wanted you to live on strongly. He told me a long time ago that he hoped you, as his junior, wouldn't live solely for responsibility and duty, forgetting that you are still a human being."
Yet he had died in the Ninth Honkai for the sake of responsibility and duty. Not even his body remained.
"The number of MANTIS is increasing. Mobius and Mei are refining the Project Soldier Gene. In the future, the birth of a MANTIS won't be accompanied by massive deaths. Even if it fails, there won't be a risk to life, so you don't need to worry..."
"...It was me."
Yama raspy voice stopped her from continuing. She stared blankly at Yama.
"I'm the one who killed Ato."
"No, Lin, Kevin said it was him..."
"If... I were a MANTIS, Ato wouldn't have needed to restrain the Ninth Herrscher."
"But that would have just changed it from Ato to you—"
"So why wasn't it me?"
Could she actually see anger in this person's eyes? Yama looked up, and the fury contained in her black eyes made the other woman freeze.
She knew there was nothing left to talk about. Yama would not forgive herself, even if it had nothing to do with her intent. She stood at the crossroads. She stood at the entrance to the ballroom where the victory over the Ninth Honkai was being celebrated, watching helplessly as Yama walked in the other direction.
Toward the First Research Institute, where Mei and Mobius were.
Slowly being swallowed by the darkness. Until everything was gone.
...
"Ugh..."
Yama rose from the sofa with a headache. She held her head, which felt like it was about to burst, feeling like her brain was filled with boiling water. She seemed to have had a nightmare, and a long one at that. Dreaming truly had a massive impact on sleep quality.
After sitting up and resting on the sofa for a while, the headache subsided. Yama, still half-awake, looked around. Why was she sleeping on the sofa?
A cold breeze blew by, and Yama jolted awake. She narrowed her eyes. Her excellent vision allowed her to see that the layout of her home was different—meaning there was someone else in the house. Listening closely, she heard faint breathing from her bedroom.
Yama flipped up, approaching the bedroom without making a sound. A fruit knife was already in her hand. She gently pushed the door open, and appearing before her eyes was...
"Zzz..."
Yama looked expressionlessly at the man sleeping soundly on her bed. He seemed to be sleeping very peacefully, breathing evenly. He didn't move at all while sleeping, looking as if he were dead. She really wished this guy were actually dead right now.
She had vaguely felt someone picking her up while she was sleeping. Now it seemed this guy had carried her to the sofa and then settled down to sleep peacefully in someone else's bedroom. This was probably the first case in history.