Hua sensed the Honkai energy spreading within the base, and numerous Dead Soldiers had appeared.
She concluded that the Twelfth Herrscher had escaped...
"I remember that girl... She was SAKURA's younger sister, right?"
She sighed, took a few steps, then stopped.
Kevin had said he was going to find SAKURA—he should be near the Herrscher... Since he was there, there was no need to rush over.
I have things I need to do... The priority is to minimize the damage.
After deciding, she knocked out the out-of-control team members one by one and examined their bodies.
She discovered that these people showed almost no mutations—it wasn't due to excessive Honkai energy.
She then summoned the Eighth Divine Key—Fenghuang Down.
"Oh... There's a reaction? Though it's not hallucination, hypnosis, or brainwashing, it is indeed a mental intrusion attack. Is this the power of the Twelfth Herrscher?"
After confirming this.
Hua began countermeasures: first using Fenghuang Down's power to isolate the minds of everyone in the base, preventing them from being controlled by the Twelfth Herrscher; then gradually sealing off the Herrscher's range to prevent leakage, buying time until Kevin dealt with the Herrscher.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
The base was silent; everyone had fallen into a coma.
For safety, until receiving instructions from Dr. MEI, Hua would not release the Divine Key's ability.
However.
That terrifying dark consciousness and the tentacles it extended had vanished.
The Twelfth Herrscher—regardless of whether she was alive or dead—had at least been brought under control.
Hua went up to the third floor and saw Kevin leaning against the wall.
He looked utterly lost, as if he too had been controlled by the Divine Key and was daydreaming.
When Hua approached, he spoke first: "I saw the people in the base acting like lost souls, so I knew it was you."
"Kevin..."
Kevin continued on his own: "The Twelfth Herrscher has been sealed."
Hua asked: "Really?... Is SAKURA alright?"
"She's dead."
Kevin turned his head to gaze into the distance, in the direction where the Herrscher had been imprisoned: "This Herrscher's ability is like some kind of virus. It can not only hack computers but also erode humans. Honkai, heh... It always exceeds our imagination."
Hua quickly asked: "...How heavy were the losses?"
Kevin said: "About a hundred casualties in the base. Those close to the Herrscher turned into Dead Soldiers. The virus spread too fast—we couldn't stop it in time."
"Thanks to you. If you hadn't acted decisively and blocked the virus's erosion of humans, there probably wouldn't be a single survivor in this base."
Hua said calmly: "That seems like good news."
Kevin continued: "I haven't told you the bad news yet: the three major cities are completely destroyed. The virus took control of the defense systems and launched all nuclear missiles toward inhabited areas on Earth."
"Ah..." Hua was filled with regret: "I'm sorry. I judged it as a mental attack... I had no way to protect the computers."
Hua slumped against the wall in dejection.
"I'm sorry. I thought I had the situation under control..."
"It's alright." The man's body slid down the metal wall, landing beside Hua: "It's always like this, isn't it? You're not that surprised either."
"..."
"Humanity always wins pyrrhic victories—paying enormous costs for meager triumphs. And Honkai's assaults only grow stronger, each more terrifying than the last. We've held on until the twelfth..."
"But everyone knows...has known for a long time: every victory is just a disguise for defeat, so we don't look quite so pathetic."
"Humanity has already lost, Hua."
Kevin said softly. His voice was faint, as if in a dream: "Heh... But this is a fact we absolutely cannot accept as truth..."
Hua said weakly: "I didn't expect you to say that... I thought anyone might give up, but you never would."
"Want the truth?"
Kevin didn't give her a chance to respond and continued himself: "I haven't given up...because I never persevered in the first place. Me?... I don't care. What is Honkai? What happens to humanity? I don't care at all."
"I didn't join Fire Moth to save the world or protect peace. I've always been that selfish, but...along the way, I kept going. I just kept going like that."
"I can't admit this to anyone... I can't admit it to her, especially not to her."
"...I thought I was an irredeemable rotten person."
Kevin lowered his head.
In all the time they had known each other, Hua had never seen him this vulnerable—as if a light touch would shatter him into dust.
Hua said: "We're all the same, Kevin. No one is born a hero. We're just ordinary people who ended up on this path."
"I miss my hometown too. I think back on my old dreams...and ask myself: What am I doing? This isn't what I wanted."
"I've always followed others—first the Captain, then you. Of course, the doctor is always at the forefront. I followed in your footsteps, thinking that was my path."
"But no one forced me. The path I'm walking is the one I chose myself. Even if I don't like it, it's my choice. I could stop at any time, fall behind..."
"That's all acceptable, Kevin. And no one has the right to blame you."
Kevin kept his head lowered, and Hua heard a whisper: "...But I do..."
Hua wasn't sure if he wanted a response.
The two fell silent until Kevin raised his head: "...I haven't given up, Hua. We won't give up."
Hua nodded: "Yeah, we won't give up."
Kevin said more firmly: "Humanity will definitely win."
Kevin stood up, his back straight.
In this moment, he had returned to being that strong warrior, walking ahead of everyone, leading the way forward.
"Let's go—to the war room."
Watching this scene, the audience in front of the TV fell silent.
At this moment.
They realized they knew far too little about Kevin. To everyone, Kevin was the strongest warrior, the guardian of the Previous Era—ruthless, obsessed...
But they never knew he had moments of such vulnerability.
"No wonder...no wonder... Back then, Kevin always said Hua was his comrade and always missed the time she stood by his side."
"It turns out even the strongest Kevin had moments of loneliness. I think I somewhat understand why he's so broken now."
"When Kevin first appeared, I thought he faced SAKURA's death with his chest held high, utterly cold—but that wasn't the case at all."
"I don't even dare imagine how much pain Kevin is in now. His former comrade Hua has gone down a different path from him. In this era, he's truly all alone."
"We really have to thank Hua. It's because of her Fenghuang Down that we've seen so many unknown secrets."
"..."
As the audience sighed.
On the TV, Kiana also said: "This was the war between humanity and Honkai in the Previous Era."
Bronya said: "Twelve Herrschers appeared. Humanity won every battle, yet in the end lost the entire war."
The two then fell silent, both thinking of the current state of the world.
After a long while.
Kiana said: "I never expected Kevin to...have gone through something like this."
Bronya said: "Bronya knew this history, but didn't know the squad leader was there too."
Kiana continued: "Before, the squad leader fought Kevin alone to protect me... They were originally comrades. They should have fought side by side, but..."
Bronya finished her thought: "They took different paths."
"Yeah..."
Kiana seemed lost in thought, her voice growing dim, as if a gentle breeze could scatter it.
After calming down a bit.
The two continued searching for Fenghuang Down.
Later, from these memories, they learned how Hua was saved by the Captain and thus joined Fire Moth, how she gradually matured under the Captain's leadership.
They also learned...how, after the Captain became a Herrscher, Kevin killed her.
Then came the destruction of the Previous Era, Hua entering stasis...arriving in the Current Era, becoming the Phoenix Immortal, while Nuwa was killed by Chiyou...until finally being killed by her disciple on Taixu Mountain.
From these Fenghuang Down, they learned the life of the girl named Fu Hua.
Finally, they reached the former residence of the Phoenix Immortal.
They pushed open the door and walked in.
Only to find themselves standing on the back of a gigantic hand.
A voice also rang out: "You two took forever. I was getting impatient. There were only a few memory segments—I even arranged someone to guide you. How did it take so long?"
Kiana and Bronya: "..."
Hua immediately scratched her head awkwardly: "Scared you? Sorry, I wanted to give you a surprise—uh, okay, maybe it was a bit much."
Bronya immediately asked warily: "Who are you?"
Hua noticed Kiana and Bronya take a step back.
She said helplessly: "Is it necessary for everyone who sees me to ask that? I'm your squad leader! My appearance hasn't changed! Damn it! Everyone does this..."
Kiana said: "You look a lot like the squad leader, but she wouldn't..."
Hua was almost used to being questioned like this: "In the end, it's just that you're not used to it."
With a casual wave: "Here, they want to talk to you. You explain it to them. Don't say anything unnecessary."
"..."
Fu Hua appeared before them, and the strange illusion instantly turned into the ancient Taixu Mountain.
Fu Hua walked toward them: "Hi, Kiana, Bronya... Are you both okay?"
This familiar way of speaking.
This familiar greeting.
The two instantly recognized her: "Squad leader...!"
"Ugh..."
An invisible force suddenly struck, binding her tightly, making it hard to even speak a word.
Hua said discontentedly: "I told you not to say anything unnecessary. For a fair competition, don't cheat. Just tell them who we are—that's enough."
Fu Hua said: "I am the piece of Fenghuang Down that was previously attached to you. She is...the Fu Hua who was killed by Otto."
?????
The audience hearing this explanation was completely stunned.
How is this different from a spoiler?
Fu Hua had been with Kiana for so long—saying this was practically the same as directly telling her it was Fu Hua.
Who said Fu Hua was stupid? Who said she was dense? This was clever as hell.
Everyone was waiting to see how Hua would respond.
Then they heard her say: "...Weird. But it's fine, I guess."
She snapped her fingers, and the Fenghuang Down rapidly dissipated.
Kiana immediately panicked: "What did you do to the squad leader?"
Bronya silently raised her weapon without a word.
Hua quickly said: "Hey, hey—what's this! I just let her rest for a bit!"
Bronya said: "Bronya cannot trust you."
Hua didn't understand: "Why not!"
Bronya said: "Your intentions are not simple. Bronya knows... Bronya can tell. Why create a fake Taixu Mountain? Why make us watch the squad leader's memories?"
"And why use that big sister's appearance to deceive us? You could have appeared openly—there was no need to go through such a big detour."
Hua explained: "...First, Taixu Mountain isn't fake. I just modified your consciousness a little to insert the plot I designed. From beginning to end, this has been the real Taixu Mountain."
"Second, I want you to understand me better. I used to be a closed book, never telling outsiders anything, which caused a lot of trouble. Now I've realized my mistake—I'll be very honest with you."
"My past failures, mistakes, stubbornness—I'll let you see them clearly so you can make a fair judgment."
"Judgment?" Bronya tilted her head, confused.
Hua continued: "Third—you care about this?—when doing a play, you have to do the full set. If I personally guided you, the whole play would be ruined, right?"
"...But coincidentally, there's a sealed guy in my head. I forgot the reason, but she has a complete set of virtual memories and personality."
"You shouldn't do this..." Fenghuang Down said softly in Hua's mind, but she paid it no mind.
She continued: "So I used her. I gave her as much freedom as possible—that's what makes it a proper rehearsal. You didn't see through it, right?"
Kiana still didn't fully understand: "But why..."
Before she could finish, Bronya said angrily: "You toyed with us. What is your purpose?"
"Toyed?!"
Hua felt deeply wronged: "How did I toy with you? Were you hurt? Were you in danger? You were under my watch the whole time—there wasn't even the slightest chance of something going wrong."
"...And yet you repay me with this hostility."
"..."
"..."
Kiana and Bronya both fell silent.
The two exchanged a glance. Though they still hadn't figured out this person who resembled Fu Hua so much and what her intentions were, they had reached one consensus: this person is extremely dangerous!
Bronya whispered a reminder: "Don't be misled, Kiana. This guy is just like us!"
Kiana had already noticed: "Yeah, and we have to get the squad leader back too."
The two immediately mobilized their Honkai energy, donning their Herrscher robes and entering Herrscher state.
Hua understood: "Oh? You're going to fight me? Fine. Only fists speak the truth. If I don't teach you two a lesson, you won't listen obediently."
A great battle was on the verge of breaking out.
Hua fought the two with a playful attitude.
She discovered that Kiana was an incomplete Herrscher and even encouraged her: "Very good! Well done, Kiana—never lose to Honkai!"
Then she clashed with Bronya, feeling the power of the Herrscher of Reason, and chattered: "Oh? Welt actually gave you the Herrscher core. Sigh, his life has been miserable enough, and now he's making you follow his old path. That core is ominous—nothing good comes from touching it. Bronya, give it up!"
The more they fought, the more excited Hua became.
"I haven't even used Fenghuang Down yet. Kiana, Bronya—this is your squad leader's true strength, you know? I've been reborn!"
The two wore grave expressions.
Even together, they couldn't defeat this Hua.
At that moment.
"Shh—quiet, it's me."
Fu Hua's voice suddenly appeared in their minds: "She's caught up in the excitement and is ignoring me for now. Listen carefully, Kiana, Bronya—she is a Herrscher."
The two weren't particularly surprised.
After this fight, they had already sensed something.
Fu Hua continued: "The body she possesses is mine. It seems my memories mixed into the Herrscher personality, causing her to mistakenly believe she is also me..."
"What are you doing!!" Hua noticed something unusual.
Bronya decisively chose to stall her alone, revving her motorcycle and charging forward with full power.
Hua also felt it wasn't suitable for two to judge, so she decided to let Bronya enjoy racing to her heart's content—she directly unfolded an illusion, turning the entire city upside down, letting Bronya ride her motorcycle freely.
While she herself stood on a missile, chasing after...
On the other side.
Fu Hua hurriedly said: "Listen to me, Kiana—Bronya won't hold out long. Once the opponent gets absolutely bored, she'll discover what I'm doing."
"That me possesses power from my peak period, plus Herrscher abilities—she's an opponent that cannot be matched by force. To break this deadlock, the only way is to outsmart her."
Kiana quickly asked: "What should I do?"
Fu Hua said: "You have to question her."
"Question? Her?"