Whoosh—
The roar of helicopter blades tore through the night, whipping dust and debris into a violent swirl. Ryan narrowed his eyes against the wind and scanned his surroundings.
Floodlights converged on him from above. Multi-barrel rotary cannons protruded from open helicopter hatches, trained squarely on his position. Soldiers in black tactical armor rappelled down, swiftly fanning out to secure vantage points. Snipers locked their scopes; spotters swept the area with unwavering vigilance.
"Classic Fire Moth response," Ryan muttered. He recognized their precision instantly.
Fire Moth—an elite, covert organization committed to fighting the Honkai—boasted advanced technology, deep funding, and some of the world's finest operatives. With branches across the globe, they intervened wherever Honkai activity crossed critical thresholds. This industrial ruin would be scrubbed clean by dawn, leaving the public blissfully ignorant.
He returned to the moment. Dozens of soldiers surrounded him, rifles raised. Red laser dots marked his body, his crisp white shirt making him an easy target.
Ryan raised his voice. "Hey, this isn't funny."
He didn't flinch. The soldier's weapons didn't faze him, nor did their numbers. He was used to it by now.
A voice rang out from behind the perimeter, calm and commanding.
"Stand down. He's one of ours. Lower your weapons."
Immediately, the lasers vanished. Trained professionals obeyed without hesitation.
A few figures stepped forward. Leading them was a woman in black combat armor, her helmet tucked under one arm. She approached and removed it, releasing a cascade of crimson hair that shimmered under the floodlights.
Her face was striking—confident, mature, and marked by battle experience. Despite the dangerously high Honkai energy levels in the area, she showed no concern.
She halted in front of him, leaned forward slightly, and gave a crooked smile.
"Ryan, my little brother. Why are you stealing my kills again?"
"Because I'm soft-hearted. This place is too close to the academy. Civilians might've been caught in the crossfire." Ryan shrugged as he calmly disassembled his spear.
Himiko gave him a look but let it go. She'd responded the moment reports came in. From the destruction, she could tell he'd provoked the Honkai. But she didn't press it—young men playing hero were nothing new.
"Soft-hearted?" she echoed with a smirk. "Wasn't it you who wiped out that illegal research group two years ago?"
"They were messing with Honkai energy without proper tech. People died. It was bound to happen." Ryan adjusted his glasses, slipping them back on with practiced ease. "I'd say it was justice. Fewer dead in the long run."
With his spear packed away and glasses in place, the young man before her looked like an ordinary student once more—aside from the bodies littering the ground.
Himiko paused, studying him, then let out a laugh and waved her troops away. "Fine. Then how about writing me a report on tonight's events?"
Ryan scoffed. "It was a minor outbreak. I'm not even on your payroll. Not asking for a reward should count as a favor."
He dusted himself off and slung the duffel bag over his shoulder.
"How are you handling cleanup?"
"Same as always. Gas leak. Team B will dress up like utility workers and cordon the area. Once we neutralize the residual Honkai energy, it'll all be swept under the rug."
Efficient, as expected.
Ryan chuckled to himself. Fire Moth operated like a machine—false flags, hypnotic cover stories, staged disasters, even an entire disinformation division online. He appreciated their professionalism.
A peaceful world required ugly work behind the scenes.
"I'll leave it to you, then. I've got class tomorrow." He turned to leave.
"Wait."
Ryan stopped. Himiko stood there, arms folded, her gaze pointed back toward the distant, dimly lit academy.
"Why haven't you joined Fire Moth? Playing solo like this—what's the point? You could save lives, reduce casualties. You could've changed the outcome of the Herrscher of the Void incident."
Ryan turned, eyes cool behind his glasses. "You think one person can stop all this? That courage alone can end the Honkai?"
Himiko didn't respond. There was no simple answer. The Honkai wasn't an enemy—it was a force. A calamity. Like hail or earthquakes. An inevitability.
"We're just playing defense," Ryan continued. "Someday, Fire Moth might not be enough. That's why I'm doing more than fighting. I'm trying to understand it. Its essence."
"But Fire Moth has research divisions too. You could be part of that effort." A new voice cut in—sharp, youthful.
A young woman stepped forward, removing her helmet. Short ash-blonde hair framed a face that looked almost too young for combat, her bangs shadowing one eye.
Ryan studied her briefly, then spoke.
"Honkai creates monsters. Understanding it is one thing, but it still needs to be fought. That's not something you can solve in a lab. Goodbye."
He walked away, heading back toward the slope that led to the academy.
Behind him, the cleanup team was already moving in, headlights off to maintain the illusion. The industrial zone sank back into shadows.
Ryan didn't explain further. The truth was far more complicated. The Path he walked couldn't be made public. Greed and fear would only make things worse.
Honkai was terrifying, yes. But the human heart? Even more so.
"Team Leader Himiko, why did you let him go?"
The same young woman spoke again after a moment of silence. Her tone was sharp with disapproval.
Himiko turned, raising an eyebrow. "What's the issue, Rose?"
Rose gestured to the battlefield. "He handled everything on his own. He qualifies for Fire Moth's Exceptional Talent Program. By protocol, we should detain him for assessment."
"Then what?" Himiko asked, bemused. "Send him to the First Institute to be dissected? Stick him in the front lines like a glorified tool?"
"That… that would depend on HQ's instructions, of course," Rose said hesitantly.
Himiko smiled, almost sadly. "You think I haven't thought about that? Do you think he doesn't know? Maybe you envy his freedom. That's fair."
She looked up at the dark sky.
"Elysia was recruited recently, wasn't she? Stronger than I ever was. Why wasn't she dissected?"
At that, Rose blinked. Elysia was a name known throughout Fire Moth—a hero of the Herrscher incident, a shining symbol of hope.
"She's… special. An exception."
"There are always exceptions," Himiko said, her tone unreadable. "But Ryan… he's something else. His background is complicated. And his reasons? His reasons aren't ours to question."
She turned away, voice soft but firm.
"Some people don't need rules. Just focus on doing your job."
Rose looked back toward the starless sky, her heart caught between admiration, confusion, and a sinking feeling she couldn't name.