Ryan returned to the academy two hours later, having swiftly handled the minor Honkai disturbance. The Fire Moth helicopters had probably drawn too much attention—many students were still pointing at the sky, whispering among themselves.
Of course, no one suspected anything serious. Under the cover of night, they simply assumed it was another routine military drill. No one noticed Ryan scaling the dormitory wall like a shadow, slipping back inside.
He didn't know many people at Chiba Academy and passed through the crowd without a word. When he reached his room, Kevin was still out.
Chiba Academy charged sky-high tuition, but the dorm rooms—though compact—were comfortably furnished for two. Ryan returned his weapons to the closet and dusted off his hands lightly.
"All done."
Truthfully, tonight's skirmish had been trivial—just a few low-level Honkai beasts and some wandering Zombies. The world at large wasn't in chaos yet. Honkai incidents remained scattered and manageable. Even the emergence of two Herrschers had been forcibly suppressed.
Global order still held. Even within Fire Moth, complacency had started to set in.
"If I didn't know the world was going to end, I'd probably relax and play along with you guys too."
Ryan chuckled softly. His past few years had been unlucky—always seeming to stumble right into Honkai events. But the outbreaks were random, without pattern or logic. Without hard data, there was no point chasing ghosts.
"Expansion isn't a fantasy. It needs the right conditions—like climbing a ladder, one step at a time."
He smirked to himself. That tone—half-joking, half-cheerful—didn't sound like something a girl would usually use. The fondness for cute emojis especially felt suspicious. Probably a guy pretending to be a girl online. Still, he didn't mind.
His advantage was knowing how it all ended. His disadvantage was… also knowing how it ended. Focusing too much on the finale could make you lose yourself in the process. He didn't want to become just another desperate survivor, clinging to life out of instinct.
Even with foreknowledge, he wanted to live in the present. Stay balanced. Stay himself.
[Blossoming Flower]: Why'd you stop replying? Changed your mind?
[Void]: Nah. Classes tomorrow. Can't push it tonight.
[Blossoming Flower]: Tired? I just found a book on massage techniques! It's for stress relief. Want me to send it to you?
[Void]: Who's gonna help me apply it?
[Blossoming Flower]: Isn't your womanizing roommate around? Or is your relationship that bad?
[Void]: He's the womanizer. There's no room for me in that spotlight. He's still not back, anyway.
[Blossoming Flower]: Still gone? (gasps) If only I were there, I'd massage you while you typed~
You demon. What do you think I am, a typewriter?
Ryan twitched at the message, shot back a 'Sleeping' emoji, and tossed the phone aside. He collapsed onto the bed.
Staring at the ceiling, the warm light of the overhead lamp reflecting in his eyes, he let himself smile a little. That netizen really had a knack for amusement. But the smile faded as quickly as it came, leaving behind an expressionless quiet.
If only there were no Honkai.
The thought surfaced gently—like a breeze through an open window—bringing with it a fleeting fantasy. He allowed it for a few seconds before abruptly sitting up and smacking his face.
Snap out of it.
The world wouldn't change just because he dreamed it would. Not yet.
...
Mu Continent – Fire Moth Fifth Research Institute
A metallic ceiling. Cold, steel floors. Rows of cutting-edge machines lined up like statues, each glowing faintly with phosphorescent light. In most labs, even one of these devices would be considered a national treasure.
But what stood out weren't the machines—it was the countless vats of glowing blue liquid.
Suspended inside them were grotesque samples: twitching muscle clumps, half-formed organs, unidentifiable biological masses. The place reeked of science twisted beyond comfort.
In the corner of this eerie lab, a metallic bed gleamed under sterile lights. A young woman lay there, humming idly.
She had softly curled rose-pink hair and violet eyes like stardust—playful, luminous. Her slender brows and delicate features made her seem ethereal, yet mischievous. With her legs swinging freely and a phone in hand, she looked utterly out of place in the ominous setting.
"Hmph. They tease me so much, yet still manage to intrigue me."
Her voice was sweet, with a lilting rhythm. Being ignored didn't seem to bother her. She tapped away on her screen, composing a playful message.
"They're clearly just not interested in chatting with you, Elysia." A calm, low voice interrupted.
From the shadows emerged a tall, elegant woman in a white lab coat over a dark turtleneck. She had a lithe figure, long green hair tied in a sleek ponytail, and wore sharp-framed glasses.
"And for the record, that communicator was issued for field ops—not for flirting online."
"Mobius? Done with your inspection already?" Elysia turned her head, smiling brightly. "Aren't you tired after working all day?"
She slipped off the bed, her bare feet touching the cold metal floor with a soft pat. Her playful grin never faded as she strolled over.
Mobius instinctively took a step back.
"Don't come closer," she muttered under her breath, resigned to dealing with this unpredictable creature once again.
This personality... At first, Mobius thought it was a front.
The overwhelming cheerfulness, the syrupy kindness—it was off-putting, unnatural. But over time, she stopped trying to figure it out. Whether it was genuine or an elaborate act, one thing became clear: she was outmatched.
"Your checkup came back clean," Mobius said coolly, pushing up her glasses. "But you're hiding something. I can tell. You know how thorough I am... So why not just tell me yourself?"
She pulled her glasses off, revealing a confident, vaguely arrogant smile—classic Mobius, the expression of someone who thought they had cornered their prey. Across from her, the pink-haired girl sat still, a contemplative look on her face.
There. She's thinking. C'mon, confess. You know exactly what I can do to find out anyway.
Her smile widened.
Then Elysia blinked, lowered her hand, and said:
"Mobius, why doesn't he ever pay attention to me?"
Mobius nearly smashed her head into the nearest piece of equipment. She caught herself at the last second, visibly staggering.
"...I told you you're overworked. Go lie down." Elysia was already moving to catch her.
"Don't touch me," Mobius growled, stepping away. "You spent that long thinking... just for this childish nonsense?"
Unfazed, Elysia tilted her head, her violet eyes shimmering with innocence. "It's your fault. You told me to pay attention to the details. So I did. And now I'm wondering—why wouldn't someone want to talk to a girl like me?"
Mobius stared at her. Resigned. Defeated. Again. She took a long breath, trying to reset her patience.
"...Because according to several behavioral models and social simulation algorithms, he doesn't register you as a girl. You're... overacting. That's the outcome."
"Overacting? I'm just being myself." Elysia blinked, completely sincere.
"You—ugh, forget it." Mobius pinched the bridge of her nose. "And stop wasting time. I skimmed that novel you mentioned. Aside from some wild imagination, it's mediocre. Cringe, even. Why are you so obsessed with it? If you really want to finish the story, we could just drag the author here. Toss him in a dark room. He'd write faster. What?"
She froze. Elysia was staring at her again, her eyes bright with emotion. Not frustration. Not annoyance. But joy. Pure, radiant joy.
What the hell...? Is this woman some kind of emotional masochist?
"Mobius," Elysia said softly, "you're really sweet."
"Wha—what are you even talking about now? Stay back."
"You didn't even hesitate. I only said the book's title once, and you went and found it for me. You're thoughtful. Kind."
Me? Kind?
Mobius almost burst out laughing. But somehow, she couldn't. The words stuck in her throat. She turned away with a huff, face frosty.
"Don't flatter yourself. I was just curious. Needed material. Research fodder. Killing time. It had nothing to do with you."
She emphasized every word, but Elysia's smile only deepened. It made her scalp tingle. Mobius picked up her pace.
Her heels tapped faster on the metal floor until she abruptly stopped at the documentation room's threshold.
"E—ly—si—a. I said don't follow me."
"But you haven't answered me yet. Why does he always vanish after replying just once?"
"Maybe he's busy." Mobius's voice was flat. Honestly, she didn't know either.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway behind them. A woman with soft white hair, dressed in a researcher's uniform, approached gracefully. Her figure was equally striking, though with a more mature, elegant charm.
"Oh, Blanca~" Elysia's attention instantly shifted as she waved cheerfully.
"Good evening, Miss Elysia." Blanca offered a polite bow.
"Just call me Ely~ We're friends, right?"
Mobius cleared her throat pointedly. "Blanca. What is it?"
"Doctor, we've received a report from the Far East branch. A minor Honkai incident occurred in Nagazora City."
"That's it?" Mobius raised a brow.
"There's more. The one who handled the situation... well, you've shown interest in him before. So I brought the report directly."
Nagazora City?
Mobius paused. Then her eyes lit up.
She snatched the document from Blanca and scanned it. Her previously indifferent face became animated, almost gleeful.
"Hmph. At it again, huh? Why do Honkai incidents keep happening near him? Compared to the one three years ago, this was resolved easily. He's either hiding something... or evolving faster than expected."
Mobius's researcher instinct was kicking in—hard. She wasn't supposed to investigate Ryan anymore. Orders from above. She'd already been warned once, especially after that little "budget adjustment" from the Council that kept her quiet for a few years.
Blanca could feel the headache forming. Here we go again...
Maybe Elysia could help talk her down—wait.
Blanca blinked.
Elysia was standing beside Mobius, reading the report over her shoulder, eyes sparkling like a child's.
"Nagazora City? I want to go too."